Before FINAL DESTINATION there was SOLE SURVIVOR. Directed by Thom Eberhardt (Night of the Comet) This chilling film tells of a yound women who is the sole survivor of an airplane crash. Disregarding the warnings from a psychic actress friend Denise tries to get on with her life but she has somehow cheated death and the Grim Reaper sends his minions to bring her to him. System Requirements:Runtime: 85 min. Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: HORROR/PSYCHIC ABILITIES Rating: R UPC: 891978002000 Manufacturer No: CRD2007 Product Description
|  | Although somewhat plodding at times, Sole Survivor is worth the patience for the finale alone |  |
Sole Survivor tells the tale of a lone living women(a "sole survivor" if you will LOL!) left in the wake of a commercial airplane crash(in easily one of the best scenes from the film, the camera pans through the carnage until it comes to her; sitting in her seat amidst the wreckage in silent shock and completely unscathed). Possibly suffering from the post-traumatic affliction known as "survivor syndrome"(depression, nightmares, and anxiety caused by thoughts of being unworthy of life over everyone else killed in the accident), our lead is caught wondering if the recent bizarre happenings and people that have entered her life are truly out for her death, or is it all in her head? Sole Survivor is definitely a well done film; it features excellent acting, effects, music, and direction throughout(Thom Eberhardt would follow this up with the 80's classic, "Night Of The Comet")... what it doesn't feature though, is much in the way of excitement. This is a "slow burn" type of horror experience(i.e. "The Changeling," "Burnt Offerings," "Don't Look Now," etc.) that focuses much more on atmosphere and a creepy premise rather than blood and guts or jump scares(although bare breasts do make a welcome appearance!), but for the patient it delivers with one of the best finales I've seen in quite awhile. Out of the group of four people that I watched this with, I was the "sole survivor" to make it to the credits without falling asleep... again, that's not a knock on the film so much as that when I told them we'd be watching a lost horror flick from 1982 they were probably expecting something quite different(like "The Burning" or "Night Of The Creeps")... now you know the type of movie you're in for at least if you do decide to give it a watch(and it deserves at least one). The DVD from Code Red is very nice, with a fairly clean picture in anamorphic widescreen and plenty of special features for the overly curious(or bored).
May 12, 2008 |  | SS, I owe you my love for horror! |  |
I am a columnist with a blog entitled SPECIAL EDITION WRITING TIPS, and I have written an extensive salute to this film's use of tension-building and characterization that I'd appreciate you all checking out. Other than that, I have to say this movie scared the crap out of me as a kid, and held up really well when I finally got to see it again on DVD. Great job, Code Red!
[...]
April 30, 2008This was a very creepy movie. Not the blood and gore that a lot of them have. But intense on how it made you feel. Anxious, on the edge of your seat, old style.
We had such a blast making it. I am glad to see it is back in circulation. I hope you all enjoy it. Yes, it was very low budget but what a good experience it was. So interesting to see the behind the scenes stuff that goes on during the filming of a movie. Being in the movie with my family and friends was fun and oh the long hours sometimes.
Hope you enjoy, if you like these kind of movies.
April 2, 2008 |  | obscure and great horror movie with an excellent DVD presentation! |  |
I'm glad to see that Code Red DVD is back in action. To inaugurate their new lease on life, they've started with a genuine lost horror classic. I can't say I'm a big fan of most 80s horror films. Though there were some gems, sub-par slashers, horror comedies, and teen-oriented horror dominated, leaving those who like supernatural, serious, adult horror out in the cold. But here is an excellent exception to the rule that I'd not heard of until recently. Advertising for and reviews of this DVD have focused on the Final Destination connection, but this is actually more closely related to the 1962 classic Carnival of Souls in mood, atmosphere, and plot if you want to make comparisons. No elaborate death sequences here (though I do like the FD films), just a quiet feeling of mounting dread, which is nicely acted, photographed, and directed on a very very low budget. Code Red have done their usual great job. The print of the film is perfect, and extras include audio commentary and an interview with two of the producers (one of whom doubled as an actress in the film), the original theatrical trailer, and trailers for upcoming Code Red releases (can't wait for these). The artwork from the original poster, re-used for this DVD, makes the film look like pure science fiction, but this is a wonderful, creepy horror film all the way. Highly recommended. Code Red has a lot more forthcoming, but to add my 2-cents, I'd love to see them do a deluxe reissue of the similarly atmospheric and extremeley well-done on a miniscule budget Messiah of Evil, which would make a great double feature with this film.
April 1, 2008 |  | Final Destination Any One!! |  |
In the movie there is a strange lady who actually Predicts the plane crash and the woman surviving , but surprisingly she did not have much of a bigger role as I thought she would. I figured they would try to help each other, but it really did not turn out that way. The movie actually has some slight creepy moments, but nothing too good as for scares. the Plot is original and good. IT's obvious that Final Destination borrowed from the story. The effects are pretty decent for the dead people and I really enjoyed the ending. The directing and acting was pretty good too. I would have given it more stars but it slowed down in parts other than that its not a bad movie.
March 11, 2008More reviews at Amazon.com ...