Isolation (2005)

On a dark winter's night a pregnant cow screams out in agony on Dan's Farm. Dan is trying to deliver he calf but there is a problem. Something has gone terribly wrong with the calf inside the cow. And Dan is terrified. Over the next 35 hours we slowly learn the shocking truth of what is happening on the farm; the biotech experiment gone wrong; the awful reality of what has been done to the cattle; and the physical danger that the five people on the farm find themselves in. John Lynch Essie Davis Sean Harris Marcel Iures Ruth Negga star.System Requirements:Running Time: 95 Mins.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: HORROR Rating: NR UPC: 687797119391 Manufacturer No: FLP-11939 Product Description

A hidden gem of a monster movie.

I went blind into `Isolation'. I must've read reviews on it before since I put it in my wish list, but I didn't remember anything about it. Honestly, I thought it was a Asian black haired horror movie because of the cover of the DVD. Then when I read the back (after already having ordered it), I was quite intrigued, but still thought it was gonna be another `so-so' movie.

To say the least, I was very surprised with this movie. Talk about a throw back to good horror. First off this movie doesn't treat you as a dummy. It assumes you can understand what is going unlike Hollywood who has to explain EVERYTHING nowadays. I absolutely loved that because it makes the movie seem more real, even though it's a monster movie. Second, the atmosphere was unbelievable. Another great throwback. The setting, the scenery, the lighting... all reminded me of some old great movies such as The Thing and Alien. I felt cold and wet. I could smell the cow manure. I could sense the feeling of being alone. And then there were the special effects. NO CG THANK GOD. Finally a movie goes back to the way a monster movie should be made. And it looked ever so real. The gore that was used was nicely and realistically done. The characters themselves were great also. Once again the movie doesn't tell you everything. And you know what, this is a horror/monster movie. Not a drama. I don't need to be told exactly what's going on these peoples lives. Just a little history and I'm good. And that's what is done here. We have our farmer (we find out that he used to be with the vet), our vet (who works for the scientist and MIGHT be involved with him), the scientist (who is crazy, or mad, or a genius), and two lovers (an interracial couple whose on the run from the girls brothers because her family doesn't like the guy).

And last but not least, we have the story. Not only is the story good, but the pacing of it is great. It, once again, reminds me a lot of older classics, and I can't help but, once again, think of `The Thing' and `Alien'. The reason why is because the pacing is slow, but not slow enough to bore you. They throw in certain things to keep your interest up and running. The movie doesn't just rush into it's monster. It takes its time with it. I love the fact that we are pretty much thrown into the middle of what's going on. The scientist has already done what he has done to the farmers cow, whether it was genetic engineering, or maybe cloning, I'm not sure, and I'm FINE with that. I don't care, because it was still interesting and left my mind wandering. The cow is close to giving birth already and the vet is there to check on her. She shoves her hand in the cow (I seriously couldn't tell if this was real or fake, and if it was real, wow... that actress really wanted that part..lol), and checks on the calf, only to get bitten. When the calf is born, you can tell there is something wrong with it right away. But there is even something more wrong with it than expected.

Was the movie perfect? Nah. Not really. There were a couple things that made me wonder why the heck would they do that (like the tractor scene in the water). But most of the movie was really well done. I thought the monster was interesting. You do see it, but not that great, and it looks weird. It wasn't very scary, yet at the same time it was. Mainly cause you know what it could do to you. And if I could change ONE thing about this movie, it would be how it ended. I wont ruin it for you, but I think they should've ended it where this one person was walking off...close scene...credits roll. We know what is going to happen after that because we are smart enough to know. The whole time in this movie you assumed this. Why give us a Hollywood ending where they have to tell you what's up... heh. But it doesn't ruin the movie, it's just that I didn't need it in there.

I highly recommend this movie. I also highly recommend you watch this at night and in the dark. And if it's raining outside, that would be even better.
May 1, 2008

A jumble of toothpicks.....THAT'S THE MONSTER?!

"Isolation" followed the predictable Horror Film Formula. Keep the monster under wraps for at least two-thirds of the film, then let all heck break loose. Typical.

While John Lynch ("In The Name of The Father") did a fair job as the farm owner, the rest of the cast just seemed like two dimensional monster (jumble of toothpicks) fodder. There isn't any character developement to speak of, and some of the things that they did, didn't make much sense, either. One by one, they are picked off by a......jumble of toothpicks?! Hardly worth a scare.

Then there is the part where the scientist starts picking off some of the other characters, himself. Gee....you mean the monster (jumble of toothpicks) doesn't get full honors for being a monster (or should I say jumble of toothpicks)? Maybe it (jumble of toothpicks) should take it's (jumble of toothpicks) case to the Movie Monster's Union for breach of contract for allowing puny humans to do a monster's (jumble of toothpicks) job. It's only fair!

There were some good spots that kind of resembled suspense, so the film does not fail, totally. I did look at the concept art that the monster (jumble of toothpicks) was derived from, and couldn't help but think, gee, that looks like a jumble of toothpicks! A valiant effort was made to lend credibility to the science that creates the monster (jumble of toothpicks), but falls short, when the scientist "in-charge" leaves things up to the farmer to resolve.

While "Isolation" fails in a number of areas, the total presentation isn't as bad as, say, "Monster" (not the one with Charlize Theron, the other one. The stupid one), and this film does have a few dead spots, but a good late-night Independent B-flick to watch when there's nothing on cable. Just be careful of eating snacks......that toothpick you're holding could very well turn on you and, well............ April 15, 2008

INTENSE!!! A great addition to the horror collection

Something has gone horribly wrong at the farm. Some shady scientists perform some fertility tests on a cow. And there are some disastrous results, to say the least.
Isolation is a unique, terifying little gem. I am very suprised this is relatively unknown. Everything is done exceptionally well--acting, pacing, script, effects--it all adds up to an entertaining, frightful good time for any serious horror fan.
(You popcorn horror fans stay away) 4.5 stars March 22, 2008

Surprising quality from Lions Gate

Usually Lions Gate puts out some very boring and low budget films. Not the case with this one. I found this to be more sci-fi than horror. It does deliver gore though. If you're a fan of the X-files then you'd enjoy this movie, since that's what it reminded me of. If you can find it under 10.00 it's worth a watch. February 26, 2008

Boring

This movie was kind of lame. Cows give birth to human-craving spikey rings of disfigured calf. Then you have the characters: the kindly farm hand, the love interest vet, the evil scientist, and two runaway teens. None of the characters are delved into very deeply, and when they started dying I was like "meh." I love horror movies but this one bored me to tears. Don't buy this movie. February 20, 2008

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