Available at Amazon.com
Lionsfate presents Curse Of Alcatraz. Written by Daniel Zirilli and D. Glase Lomond. 87 minutes. Rated R for violence, language, and some drug use.
Directed By:
Daniel Zirilli
Cast:
Phil Austin. Dr. Stanovitch
Jessie Camacho. Alissa Deerhorn
Tom Gander. CSI Photographer
Jeremy Gilchrist. Ranger Tyler
The Film:
Alcatraz. An infamous prison. A San Francisco landmark. The basis for many entertaining films over the years. It is a shame the last movie filmed there had to be this one. It’s also very telling that this is the only interesting selling point of the film.
When an excavation crew knocks down a brick wall on Alcatraz an ancient skull is discovered. Deemed a historical find and not a crime scene a bunch of students from the local University are brought in to solve the puzzle of where the skull came from. After a long boring drawn out introduction of all the characters a bunch of by the number ghostly encounters happen leading to predictable ending.
Curse Of Alcatraz is just one in a long line of dreadful director to video horror films from Lionsgate and it needs to stop. There is no entertainment value to be found in these films and it’s giving digital video a bad name. The acting is about the worst I’ve seen, the dialog and plot are sub par at best and there is nothing special about the so called special effects. Curse along with other films I’ve recently reviewed like Pirates Of Ghost Island, completely lack anything resembling a competent understanding of filmmaking. How these people get the money to make these films is beyond me let alone swindling Lionsgate into releasing them.
The DVD:
This film is presented in 1.85:1 widescreen and Dolby Digital Surround. English and Spanish Subtitles.
Extras:
Commentary with Director and Writer: It’s shocking a film this bad would even be allowed a commentary but here you have it. Somehow these guys seem to think that they’ve made a good film. It’s really amazing how delusional one can become. This commentary is even less interesting than the film.
Pitch Black: A Night On Alcatraz: (8 min.) So one night of production was spent on the island. This feature tries to make it seem that it was spooky to be there over night and fails just as badly as the film does.
In First Person: Cast And Crew: (6 min.) Time spent with the cast and crew that is just as worthless as everything on this disc.
Trailer
The Inside Pulse
Man, how do movies like this get made? Heed this warning: Avoid this film at all costs; don’t even watch this film if someone dares you to. Seriously, it’s that bad.
