The Devil's Hand (2014)

aka Where the Devil Hides

Six daughters born on the sixth day of the sixth month. Yup, them bitches are evil. Based on the title one would assume this is a supernatural thriller but it turns out to be a pretty standard slasher. Strangely taking place in an Amish sect in present day, the six are accosted by not only a stealthy hooded killer but by their community, led by the religious despot Elder Beacon, played by Colm Meaney in a creepy yet powerful performance. It's actually a particularly decent slasher but when the supernatural elements come into play in the third act it becomes yet another Satanic story with an overly cliche twist.

2 shunnings out of 5

THE PURGE [2013]

The Purge is an intense and quite often frustrating home invasion thriller from writer/director James DeMonaco.
It starts out quite intriguing with an attempt to deliver a message to viewers but ultimately gets lost in the mix of stupid character choices and mind-numbing predictability.  I expected the worst, based on the more than horrible reactions but I suspect a lot of it had to do with the touchy material that most "wishy washy" people found very uncomfortable to think about it.  The film's biggest disappointment is that with a bit more thought the fantastic concept wouldn't have been put to waste with such a shitty execution.

2 flower bouquets out of 5