Penny Dreadful - After Dark Horror Fest (2006)

Penny a young woman traumatized by a childhood auto accident that killed her parents accompanies her therapist on a road trip back to the scene of the accident as part of her therapy to overcome her fear of cars. But when the two women accidentally cross paths with a dark and mysterious Hitchhiker on a lonely stretch of mountain highway an attempt at healing suddenly takes a terrifying detour into a horrific life and death struggle with a ruthless deranged killer bent on preying upon Penny's worst fears.System Requirements:Run Time: 92 minsFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: HORROR Rating: R UPC: 031398211204 Manufacturer No: 21120 Product Description

They don't make films like this anymore...

At a time like today when all horror films go special effects OR extreme violence, it is good to see one film that reminds us of the good old days when horror and thriller used to be the genres for the most creative people.

So here it is: a girl who lost her parents in a freak accident (and developed a phobia of cars as a result) is riding with her psychiatrist to the place where the accident happened. On their way, they encounter a killer who locks the girl inside the car with the body of the dead psychiatrist. The killer has blocked all doors and will kill anyone who comes near the car.

Nearly all the action takes place inside the car while the girl struggles to stay alive and not go crazy. And this is interesting because this is the kind of film that reminds us of similar (and successful) other the challenge of writing and shooting for closed sets. Some examples come to my mind: Rope,Lifeboat (Special Edition), Cujo (25th Anniversary Edition) (also set inside a car) and Fail-safe (Special Edition) are just a few examples of the best films who took on the challenge.

Of course this film is a much more modest entry. But successful in its own way. The acting is good, the cinematography and camera work are fine... but the only weaker part is the screenplay that does not deliver all the possibilities of the premise. And there are one or two plot holes
here and there... well... if the girl really wants to leave the car (that's what it seems for quite some time) but the doors are blocked, why not break the windshield? It's glass, not bricks.

Instead of concentrating on the drama, it is clear that the film makers had to compromise and go for the slasher genre the audience loves. It's understandable.

Still it's a very good film. some people found it boring because, really, this is not the type of film we see today. There are no heads exploding, no cheap scares nor people being being sawed with weird appliances or other cutting paraphernalia: it's just a girl in a car with a killer outside.

Mimi Rogers must must have hated this shotting: she is dead for half the film. August 6, 2008

Penny is dreadful

Least the movie lives up to it's name. If you like the sound of a movie where a girl who is scared of cars gets stuck inside one for a whole movie while a Jason Voorhees wanna be killer is outside playing mind games with her and killing off everyone but the girl in the car, then this movie is for you.

For the 99.9% of people who don't find that scary, this movie is slow, boring, drags on and on, and goes no where. It's stupid, far from scary, and a bore to watch an entire movie set inside of the front seats of a car wedged between 2 trees with nothing but annoying screaming and crying and a bogey man who needs to find a book like 'how to be a scary villain' ... man, Michael Jackson is scarier to think about then this thing. June 22, 2008

The first movie you'll see that you're wanting the girl to actually die.

First off, I'm a big fan of the 8 films to die for. I have several of them, from the 2006 series, 2007 series and the 2008. This movie starts out with a girl and her family in a car and they are involved in an accident. Both parents die and the girl is left with a fear of cars. She's older now and with her therapist is going back to the scene of the terrible crash, in a car, to help her with therapy. Within the first 10 minutes of the movie, you realize what type of cry baby this woman(the girl) is. They pick up this hitchhiker, who has them drive out to this remote camp that is closed down for the season(yeah right, I'd do that). They let him out and start driving off and suddenly have a flat tire(right front). The therapist gets out, checks and oh no, its the skewer the hitchhiker had he was eating from. The girl gets out as well, starts freaking out and crying like a baby. The therapist tries to get her back in the car after pulling it from the tire(allowing the air to escape). Finally she gets her in the car and they start driving, but the tire finally blows.(Who cares? Alone in the woods, flat tire, crazy hitchhiker.. I'd keep driving) Anyway, the therapist gets out, goes for help, dies. The girl gets out, freaks out, tries to walk, somehow.. hurts her leg. Goes back to the car. Cries, whines. One part of the movie, the crazy guy some how puts the dead therapist back in the car, key in her mouth and the car is wedged between FOUR trees. The girl is unable to get out. I ask myself, how did he get the car in those trees. The girl tries to "drive" out, can't do it.. but amazingly, she is able to roll the window down and use her FOOT to push against the tree and move the car. Anyways, I watched this movie with my daughter, after about the first 15 minutes of "the horror/torment from the hitchhiker" we was wishing he'd kill her, just to shut her up. I had to force myself to watch this movie, in hopes that the girl would die. I tried to give this movie away to my friend, but they did not want it. I wasted my money buying this movie and I hope you don't waste yours. June 15, 2008

Trapped by your Phobia

Young Penny portrayed by Rachel Miner goes on a retreat with her psychologist portrayed by Mimi Rogers. The psychologist plans a trip with the intention to help Penny overcome her phobia, an intense fear of cars. Unexpected events find her in a nightmarish situation where her worst fears come true, as she allows her fears paralyze her. It is an O.K. story of suspense and horror with some blood thrown in. May 26, 2008

frightening

after watching this movie(which kept me on edge) I definitely will never pick up any hitch-hiker(especially in the mountains). May 2, 2008

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