Dark Ride (2006)

User Rating:

4.7/10   

Director:

Craig Singer

Writers:

Robert Dean Klein (writer)
Craig Singer (writer)

Genre:

Horror | Thriller

Tagline:

The Last Ride You'll Ever Take...

Plot:

A group of six friends on a road trip stop off at an amusement park attraction named 'Dark Ride', unaware that a psychopath who brutally murdered two girls, has just escaped a mental institution and is seeking refuge there.

Plot Keywords:

Road Trip | Amusement Park | Psychopath | Twin Sister | Pirate Flag

Cast

Jamie-Lynn Sigler	...	Cathy
Patrick Renna	...	Bill
David Clayton Rogers	...	Steve (as David Rogers)
Alex Solowitz	...	Jim
Andrea Bogart	...	Jen
Jennifer Tisdale	...	Liz (as Jennifer Kelly Tisdale)
Brittney Coyle	...	Colleen
Chelsey Coyle	...	Samantha
Dave Warden	...	Jonah
Jim Cody Williams	...	Ticket Taker
Erin Dawson	...	Pretty Hippie
Jack Doner	...	Old Man
David Ury	...	Attendant #1
Atticus Todd	...	Attendant #2
Steven Mattila	...	Homeless Man

MPAA:

Rated R for strong grisly horror violence and gore, sexuality, nudity, language and some drug content.

Runtime:

94 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

USA:R | UK:18 | Argentina:16 | Australia:MA (www.videoezy.com.au/default.aspx?page=detail&itemId=46437) | New Zealand:R16

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

My2Centences

Trivia:

"Dark ride" is an old term used in the carnival business to describe rides that involve getting in a cart or buggy and traversing a dark, enclosed building designed to have characters or props appear at intervals, designed to surprise or entertain.

Goofs:

Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): When they pull away from the college to begin their road trip, there is a suitcase left in the street that you can see as the car speeds off.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Colleen: Looks like it's closed.
Samantha: Don't be such a wimp. The guy's right there.

Movie Connections:

References The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974)

Pretty desperate

Movie starts out in 1989 New Jersey. Two twin girls are murdered in a carnival ride called "Dark Ride"--a trip through various horror scenes. The killer is caught and sentenced to life imprisonment and the ride is closed down. Almost 20 years later a bunch of college kids decide (for no good reason) to break into the closed ride one night. And (wouldn't you know it?) the killer breaks out of his institution he's in. Three guesses where he goes.

This movie is positively insulting to any horror movie fan. The plot has been done to death and ALL the characters are by the numbers--there's the hot guy (Steve), the stoner (Jim), the movie quoting nerd (Bill), the hot blonde (Liz) and the hot brainy brunette (Cathy). They also pick up a blonde hitchhiker (Jen) who, for no reason other than to pad the running time, gives out a looonnngggg stupid monologue. Once these idiots get into the ride it just turns into a formula yawn-inducing mess with the killer stalking and killing them. Also there are these long sequences with these morons stumbling through the ride. They're not needed--they just eat up time. Really--this was done to death in the 1980s. Do we need a rehash of it? There's also a pointless nude scene which was so obviously and stupidly shoved in that I felt sorry for the actress. The gore scenes had plenty of blood but were incredibly faked.

Acting varies. David Rogers is terrible as Steve and Alex Solovitz as Jim wasn't much better (although he does try--Rogers doesn't). Renna is just OK as Bill and Andrea Bogart is WAY over the top as Jen. Her constant screaming and over acting got on my nerves fast. The only good acting was by Jamie-Lynn DiScala as Cathy. There is also a very good score and some cute directorial touches. But--all in all--this is a slow, boring horror film that you've seen hundreds of time before--only better. I fast-forwarded through a good portion of this. Skip it.