Synopsis: While watching two children on Halloween night, a babysitter finds an old VHS tape in the kids’ trick or treat bag. The tape features three tales of terror, all linked together by a murderous clown.
My Quick Review: I’m a fan of anthology movies and wasn’t expecting much of All Hollow’s Eve but let me tell you now how wrong I was.
All Hollow’s eve, despite its very low budget, is surprisingly good. Everything from the music (reminiscent of the best 80’s horror scores), to the direction (this movie is extremely well shot and edited for an indie movie) and the practical FX (even if they do look like makeups or masks I’d still rather watch practical effects rather than cheap CGIs) help elevating the material at hands (which is not very original I have to admit).
And who can forget Art the Clown, the creepiest clown to be on screen since Stephen King’s IT.
The 3 different shorts within the movie are quite different in looks and stories but all have a specific creep factor and evolve around women being attacked/abducted/murdered in some gruesome ways.
The first one, was shot by Damien Leone, the director, back in 2006 and reminded me of a nightmare out of the imagination of Clive Barker. Fans of demons and other satanic cults will enjoy that one.
The second short is probably the weakest but there is something so weird about the alien invader that, in spite of obvious budget restriction, it all works out in the end.
The last short features Art the Clown in a more prominent way. Here, he is a serial killer chasing an innocent victim. It’s gory, scary and delightfully creepy. I especially loved the ending.
The main story featuring the babysitter ends as expected and was fitting to the rest of the movie.
Despite some lackluster moments, All Hollow’s Eve provides all the necessary scares for fans of anthology movies and killer clowns. Somehow Damien Leone was able to patch all of these segments together and shows that he is a director to keep an eye on. Definitively my Guilty Pleasure of the year so far.
My Rating: 7/10
Director: Damien Leone
Origin: US