Occult Feature Failures

Vanishing on 7th Street is a burbling supernatural thriller about a sudden mass disappearance of peoples and a small group of survivors who struggle on trying to keep out of the hungry darkness that is smothering the world. It's a bit harsh to compare it to The Happening but it's the same waste of a half decent idea , equally as idiotic and filled with hamfisted religious symbolism. It's also blessed with a ropey script and typically average performances by Hayden Christensen, John Leguizamo and Thandie Newton. Maybe I was expecting too much from Brad Anderson who directed the unsettling Machinist & creepy Session 9.

Darkness Falls is another crappy nyctophobic horror but this time lurking in the dark is a child snatching tooth fairy who has terrorised some town for decades and it seems only a recovering mental patient/victim can save the day. Despite the moronic plot and risible acting somehow the director manages to squeeze out a few scares early on but it rapidly descends into predictable tripe and culminates with a ludicrous finale. I wouldn't waste your time.

Sawyer from Lost is part of kidnapping team who unfortunately happen to lift a freaky evil brat in yet another shite Hollywood horror/thriller called Whisper. It plays out much like the early years of Damien from the Omen as the boy begins to turn the tables on his captors spooky style and I guess it's ok with, Michael Rooker is good as usual but it's so bland, so uninspired the film is hard to remember even though I just watched it a couple of days ago.


Slightly more convincing supernatural nonsense is to be found in Outcast a cat and mouse thriller set here in Edinburgh. It's a grubby little film, set mostly on some scheme with a peculiar mother and son moving in who seem to be on the run from a magically-tattooed bampot who cares for nothing but revenge. A couple of competent performances from James Nesbitt and Kate Dickie provide a bit of substance to the occult shenanigans and despite the cheapo effects sullying the ending this is a reasonable effort, not great but still better than the three above.