There are some fleetingly beautiful scenic shots and the odd atmospheric moment, but scissorhands editing destroys any suspense as it attempts to hide a very obvious plot twist; this is as boring as listening to anyone's drug story.
Shrooms (2006)
Rated: 18
Runtime: 84 mins
Theatrical Release: 23-11-2007
Synopsis: The phrase "bad trip" takes on a double, sinister meaning in this drug-fuelled horror movie from director Paddy Breathnach (BLOW DRY). A group of college students depart America for the Emerald Isle in the hopes of enjoying one of Ireland's less-advertised merits: its magic mushrooms. The... The phrase "bad trip" takes on a double, sinister meaning in this drug-fuelled horror movie from director Paddy Breathnach (BLOW DRY). A group of college students depart America for the Emerald Isle in the hopes of enjoying one of Ireland's less-advertised merits: its magic mushrooms. The friends camp out in the middle of the forest, but the hallucinogens give them more than just strange visions. Paranoia begins to take over as they realize they're not alone in the woods. [More]
Genre: Horror/Suspense
Starring: Lindsey Haun, Jack Huston, Max Kasch, Alice Greczyn, Robert Hoffman
Screenwriter: Pearse Elliott
Producer: Rob Walpole, Paddy McDonald
Composer: Dario Marianelli
DVD Info
Release:
Jan 3, 2010
DVD Features:
- Keep Case
Audio:
- Dolby Digital - English
Additional Release Material:
- Audio Commentary
- Deleted Scenes
- Outtakes
Reviews
Not just unoriginal, dull and as scary as the adventures of Noddy, Shrooms makes you want to plant a tombstone in the earth and mourn the death of horror.
A lo-fi shocker with a set-up so perfunctory, if you root around in your popcorn too long you’ll miss it.
Student horror fans may find this worth a giggle, but it's not the nail-biting experience the trailers promise.
Every element of Paddy Breathnach’s Irish slasher movie is so familiar that it feels like a dog-eared horror anthology found down the back of the sofa.
There are a few effective jump scares but the dodgy acting and an appalling ending marks this out as an interesting first try rather than an indie breakaway hit.
Shrooms may seem great while you're under its spell, but once the drugs wear off and you wake up, it fades pretty quickly ... Still, it's not a bad trip while it lasts.
From the distorting lens used randomly to suggest unreality, to the twist ending lifted verbatim from the superior High Tension, it's about as imaginative as a portobello steak with onions.
Some talent and effort went into creating the visuals; too bad the script appears to have sprouted from the same dung pile as the mushrooms.
Fans of the horror genre will appreciate the "leftover" stuff because it's presented in a relatively fresh package, but leftovers they remain...
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by: o'reilley 5/2


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