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Dark Reel

Play trailer Poster for Dark Reel R 2008 2h 0m Horror Mystery & Thriller Play Trailer Watchlist
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Tomatometer 1 Reviews 22% Popcornmeter 250+ Ratings
Actress Scarlet May is the victim in a brutal murder.

Critics Reviews

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Heather Wixson Dread Central Dark Reel comes so close to being a pretty decent horror flick but its being part ghost story and part slasher flick just end up making it seem like for me that someone filmed two separate movies and wove them together. Rated: 2.5/5 Aug 10, 2011 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Audience Member Featuring a myriad of B-movie actors, Dark Reel is a reasonably entertaining supernatural slasher film that never does anything truly original or scary but manages to be a reasonably engaging homage to B-level horror movies. Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 01/27/23 Full Review Audience Member Nothing from the banal title would suggest that "Dark Reel" would be worth your time, but this is a surprisingly skillful and well written horror film. There's a great cast and a smart script that is quirky and funny, and the central story is a strong one that continually keeps you guessing. It centers on a low-budget film studio, and the behind the scenes stuff is a lot of fun. Lance Henriksen gives his best performance in years as a Roger Corman-like studio head. It's a part that refreshes his career and hopefully will awaken him from his B-movie funk. Also very good is Edward Furlong who also resurrects his career with a likable performance as a movie geek. His relationship with smart and sexy Tiffany Shepis is a treat, as it's fun watching the fan fall in love with his screen idol. They form a special bond that is the center of the picture, and it's a most unexpected pleasure. The film is focused on the story, which is solid and well told, but this is a horror film and it doesn't spare the blood and gore. A few of the murders are pleasantly memorable. There is maybe one too many twists near the end, including one that hints at Furlong being the killer, and I was glad to see the film not go that route. I liked him and his character too much. He's a down to earth guy who is not unlike myself. Unfortunately, it does go on a little long, especially in the finale, and it has trouble maintaining its pacing. The set-up, however, is a lot of fun mostly because of Henriksen's wonderfully offbeat performance and the uncommonly good script. "Dark Reel" is a film unjustly robbed of a theatrical release as it was better than a lot of the horror films I paid to see this year. It deserves to be seen. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 01/17/23 Full Review Audience Member Hilarious film. I call it a gem, Lance Henriksen is quite a character in this. The acting was comical, the people were fun to watch, the special effects were cheap as hell being digital and all, everyone knows that prop special effects is way better but I won't hold that against this rare treat. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/17/23 Full Review Audience Member didn't expect much, but i only picked this up for the cast which includes Edward Furlong, Tony Todd and Lance Henrickson who have all done great things but that didn't mean this was going to be one of them. a boring and lame slasher from the distributor of dvds in australia known as Peacock Films, none of those films have been good! but this sadly was their best 3.5/10 Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars 01/18/23 Full Review Audience Member ya b movie that hids no fact about that Rated 2 out of 5 stars 01/29/23 Full Review Audience Member Dark Reel is part horror, part thriller, part comedy and an all around enjoyable experience. In this Giallo-esque film, Ed Furlong of T2 fame plays a down on his luck loser who wins a walk on role alongside the movie star of his dreams played by the amazing Tiffany Shepis. What he doesn't know is that there is a murderer on set who seems to be obsessed with an unsolved 1950's murder case. The Black Dahlia-esque murder of starlet Scarlett May. Every character in this film is distinct and quirky and a whole lot of fun to watch. As much as it is a suspense film it also spoofs the b-horror industry and the ruthlessness of Hollywood. This film is classier than many low budget horror films as exemplified by scenes such as the one where Tony Todd's detective character questions Lance Henriksen in an amazing verbal sword fight. If you are looking for a straight out gore fest with no story or unique characters then this is not your film even though there are some very brutal death scenes. But if you are looking for a great, fun filled ride of a film that never takes itself too seriously then this is for you. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/18/23 Full Review Read all reviews
Dark Reel

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Cast & Crew

Movie Info

Synopsis Actress Scarlet May is the victim in a brutal murder.
Director
Josh Eisenstadt
Producer
David Forline, Josh Eisenstadt
Screenwriter
Aaron Pope
Rating
R (Some Sexuality|Bloody Horror Violence|Some Nudity|Language)
Genre
Horror, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language
English
Release Date (DVD)
Mar 10, 2009
Runtime
2h 0m