‘Movie Theater Massacre’ VOD Review
Stars: Caitlin Cavannaugh, Jordon Talor, Alex Alexandrou, LeJon Woods, Jalen Wilson-Nelem, Linnea Quigley | Written and Directed by Ian Courtney
Horror films set in movie theatres have a long and diverse history, starting with old-school films like The Blob and The Tingler to supernatural films like Demons and Porno and slashers such as The Last Matinee and All About Evil. And even as the cinema becomes an endangered species, films like Ian Courtney’s (The Other Side of the Shadows) Movie Theater Massacre continue to get made.
Taking place during the final week of independent theatre Redford’s, before it’s scheduled to close, it opens with a discussion between Val (Caitlin Cavannaugh; American Rust, Knacker) and one of her fellow employees, Nick (Jordon Talor; The Graveyard Shift, Face To Face) about streaming vs physical media framed in terms of buying Criterion Blu-rays as opposed to subscribing to The Criterion Channel. He never makes it home to see Dial M for Murder, as a masked figure hiding in his car, makes him the film’s first victim.
It’s not long before he takes his next victim, the owner of the building Harold (Alex Alexandrou; Detroit Winter, Blood on the Lens) also in the parking lot. But from there, Movie Theater Massacre seems to lose its focus, going off in several different non-horror directions. There are multiple long scenes of people sweeping and cleaning the Redford, more discussions about streaming media, and two of the employees, Wily (LeJon Woods; Ouija Witch, The Hangman) and Jake (Jalen Wilson-Nelem; Babydoll, Dog) shoot a short film, etc.
And at just over an hour long, Movie Theater Massacre needed to keep focused on its masked killer rather than those distractions. There’s a seance worked into the plot as well, which at least falls into the genre and allows for a cameo from Linnea Quigley (Heartland of Darkness, Night of the Demons). But given all the time wasted on the truly extraneous, even it feels unneeded, especially considering at that point they don’t know about the murders, something that continues well into the film.
Despite being called Movie Theater Massacre, the film has a rather low death toll until the final minutes, and everyone just keeps assuming that formerly reliable people just decided to stop showing up.
Eventually, the film reaches it’s ending, one that never reveals the killer’s identity or what exactly happened to him. I think we’re meant to believe the spirits mentioned in the seance were involved, but it isn’t made clear. Also, where are the cops, everyone walks off talking about cleaning up, a cleanup that would involve bodies. And how does the theatre suddenly change owners? That’s not nitpicking, those are huge, obvious issues.
Story problems aren’t the only problem with Movie Theater Massacre, however. I do give Ian Courtney, credit for filming this entirely on an iPhone12 PRO and for next to no money. But there are lens flares and streaks in way too many shots, the sound frequently drops to inaudible levels, and the image very noticeably shakes in several scenes. Shouldn’t they have figured out how to avoid this before taking on a feature?
The film had a lot of potential to be a nostalgia-laced fright fest, something the dialogue and dedication to a pair of closed Detroit area theatres make me think was Courtney’s intention. But while it was fun seeing films like Demons and Detroit Driller Killer on the marquee, the film shoots itself in the foot repeatedly with plot holes, dull dialogue and scareless kills whose effects consist of stabbing motions and blood oozing through shirts.
Hopefully, if he decides to make another feature, Courtney will learn from the mistakes he made on this one. He obviously loves film, and I’d like to see him make one that successfully pays it the tribute this was meant to.
* 1/5
Cranked Up Films have released Movie Theater Massacre to digital platforms today, February 4th.
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