3/5 Ogre on the loose
  by ! Durrkk (Ohio/PA border USA)
These 1-Star reviews are hilarious. What were these people expecting, "Citizen Kane"? An award-winning film? Look at the dvd cover and the name of the film "Ogre." Why would anyone even waste their time on a flick like this if they didn't at least embrace them as guilty pleasures?

Directed by Steven Monroe and written by Chuck Reeves, 2008's "Ogre" is a low-budget tv monster flick in the manner of "It Waits," "Sasquatch Hunters" and countless other Syfy movies. These films are the modern counterpart to the low-budget monster/supernatural flicks of decades ago like "Gargoyles" (1972), "Prophecy" (1979) and the Kolchak: The Night Stalker films/tv series. You either enjoy these types of pictures or you don't. I do. As reviewer John Patrick Fischner so perfectly puts it: "Imagination and legend is... about good and evil and the power of selfless courage against impossible odds. There is nothing more heroic than man against monster."

THE PLOT: Four youths hike into rural Pennsylvania looking for a legendary lost town and are amazed when they actually find it. The town's inhabitants are still stuck in the 19th century and living in dread of a hideous creature to whom they must sacrifice one of their own once a year. Adventure and horror ensues.

Most viewers will note that the story is a mishmash of numerous other films like "The Village," "Bay Coven" (i.e. "Bay Cove"), "Blair Witch" and various other monster-in-the-woods flicks.

Although this is essentially a serious story the film naturally pokes fun at the whole notion of an ogre. The youths take it as a joke and so do the cops; my wife and I cracked up numerous times and so will you. It's just really hard to hear or say the word 'ogre' without giggling. Be that as it may, the joke stops when the creature literally starts ripping people's heads, legs, and arms off. Of course, some people may continue laughing, but that's all part of the enjoyment of a flick of this ilk.

"Ogre" no doubt tried to capitalize on the surge in popularity of ogres with the success of the Shrek franchise. In fact, the beast in the film even resembles Shrek, albeit less cartooney and more malevolent-looking. Another comparison would be the cgi Hulk in Ang Lee's notorious 2003 version; the ogre here sorta looks like that Hulk's uglier brother, if you can imagine that. Interestingly, unlike other monster flicks you'll fully see the creature right from the get-go. Although this destroys suspense it didn't personally bother me (I don't like it when films play out the same way all the time).

Believe it or not, John Schneider of Dukes of Hazzard fame is on hand as one of the main characters and he does a fine job. He also looks great for being nigh 50 years-old. I don't get why people poke fun at him being in the film. So he played Bo Duke, so what?

Other cast highlights include Chelan Simmons who plays one of the two female protagonists. Chelan is one of the cutest freckled blonds you'll ever gaze your eyes upon next to Juliana Dever of "Sasquatch Hunters." Chelan also starred in "Chupacabra Terror." She has a very winsome disposition. Also on hand is Katharine Isabelle of "Ginger Snaps" fame. Both of these cuties have significant roles here.

Although the story takes place in Pennsylvania the film was shot in the sticks outside of Vancouver, BC. It's a good stand-in for PA except for one shot with a mountain in the background (the mountains of Pennsylvania are roundish ridges and look nothing like the mountains of the Great Northwest). Anyway, it's obvious the film was shot in the late Autumn; it has the cold/dreary Fall vibe throughout.

FINAL WORD: My wife and I had a fun time with this monster flick and so will you if it sounds like it'll trip your trigger.

GRADE: C+ or a strong 3/5 Stars (if I was in a more generous mood I'd give it a B- or weak 4/5 Stars)

The film runs 90 minutes.

4/5 OGREat, another monster name Title
  by John Patrick Fischner (Needville, Texas, USA, Earth, Milky Way Galaxy, MIND Of GOD)
The Sci Fi Channel has taken it upon themselves to create the equivalent of the good old drive-in, Monster Of The Week event. Even though most of the viewers don't remember such things that is exactly what these flicks are. Cheep CGI has replaced cheep rubber suits or the rare Harryhausen spectacles. Now impossible monsters like the Ogre, Cyclops, and Basilisk are reviving the good old "monster movie".It's not about acting; that helps. It's not about plot. At least not original plots. It's all about 21st Century 91 minute comic books. "Show me the Monster!!!! Bring on ithe impossible stuff!"
Man against monster is the stuff of cave paintings. And that is why they are a guilty, or shameless pleasure and always have been ever since Edison first screened his version of Frankenstien in 1919.
If you cann't have fun with this stuff, change the channel and keep your crabby attitude to yourself.
Every Saturday when another one of these shows up, Forry Ackerman must smile down from some odd little spot in Heaven where plastic vampire fangs,black capes, scaley skin, and roaring dinosaurs are the norm.
Imagination and legend is not about blood, gore, and sadists with sharp edges. Mythos is not about space ships. It's about good and evil and the power of selfless courage against impossible odds. There is nothing more heroic than man against monster.
We all have to age. But if "growing up" means abandoning imagination and fun, day dreaming and creating, I totally refuse. As a life long sculptor, this has served me very well. Fun is mandatory.
JPF


1/5 So bad I can't even think of a good pun for the subject line.
  by Robert P. Beveridge (Cleveland, OH)
Ogre (Steven R. Monroe, 2008)

I often let reviews simmer in my head for anywhere from a few days to, well, we won't say how long it took me to get around to reviewing Edward Scissorhands after the last time I saw it. But there are some movies I feel the need to review as soon as I see them, because if I let them go too long, I'll have entirely forgotten the movie by the time I get around to writing the review. In the case of Ogre, Monroe (House of 9) has turned in yet another forgettable stinker that, candidly, I'm not sure why I finished watching.

The story concerns the town of Elmsford, which some unknown time ago (but we're talking hundreds of years) made a bargain with the title character (played only by some desperately bad CGI)--eternal life in exchange for the sacrifice of one villager per year. All is going relatively well, or as well as can be expected when your village's population is decreasing at the rate of one person per year (it seems all the villagers were rendered sterile in the deal), until a group of young-and-beautifuls searching down the urban legend of the Lost Town of Elmsford come calling. Or, well, some of them do. While they're hiking through the woods, Terry (Freddy vs. Jason's Kyle Labine), the guy who got them all out there in the first place, falls and breaks his ankle, so he and girlfriend Leah (The Stranger Beside Me's Kimberley Warnat, who, coincidentally, also had a bit part in Freddy vs. Jason) stay behind while Mike (Storm Cell's Ryan Kennedy) and his girlfriend Jess (Katharine Isabelle from the wonderful Ginger Snaps series of movies) head on to see if they can find a doctor in this legendary town. Well, they find the town, but the reception they get doesn't lead them to believe they'll be sending a doctor any time soon...

I couldn't find a way to work top-billed John Schneider into the synopsis. Yes, that John Schneider. He who was Bo Duke thirty years ago. From the top of the television world to, well, Ogre, a Sci-FI Channel Original Movie whose biggest draw is that Katharine Isabelle is just as gorgeous as she always is, and here may actually be rivaled by Chelan Simmons (from TV's Kyle XY) as the one townsperson who seems inclined to help the outsiders. (Simmons' beau, while I'm at it, is played by Brendan Fletcher--who also had a part in Freddy vs. Jason. Are you seeing a pattern here?) But what else is there to attract viewers? The special effects are embarrassing, the script is horrendous, the acting is competent in places but overall below average. There's really nothing at all to recommend this one; as with every Monroe movie I've had the misfortune to see, I have to say this one is something to avoid. *


1/5 One of worst horror movies ever?
  by Austin (Findlay, Ohio)
This movie was horrible! I dont even know where to begain, The plot was sloppy and hard to follow, the acting was some of the worst i have ever scene in a movie, the ogre was very unrealistic and cheesy and the movie had too many in movie errors to count(Me and my friend kept noticing them and pointing them out even though we hardly paying attention to the movie after awhile)(EX: For some reason In different parts of the movie characters would randomly reappear in the town that were killed by the oger earlier)Overall id stay far away from this film if ur looking for something thrilling and good.

3/5 Katharine Isabelle!
  by Kevin M. Greenough
I will have to disclaim myself as a person who will buy or watch anything with Katharine Isabelle's name on it! That being said - for Katharine fans - this is an opportunity to watch her "comedic" side (see Another Cinderella Story). The scene where Jesse (Katharine's character) and her boyfriend Mike leave the woods into civilization is to die for! I also love the line "They're going to eat you?" in reference to the jail scene where a townsperson played by Brendan Fletcher explains why he is a sacrifice.

I believe there are some very minor additions to the film that were not on the actual television broadcast (nothing remarkable however). I'll give this movie a 3-star rating because A. Katharine gets 5 stars!
B. If it wasn't for Katharine, I would give the movie one star (or probably "0" since I wouldn't have watched it if she wasn't in it!