Very very predictable, including the post credit scene !!!

The Worst Film Ever

The movie's neither hopeful in contrived ways, nor hopeless in different contrived ways. Somehow it manages to be wonderful

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

Following a kidnapping-gone-wrong, a group of thieves stumble upon a young woman intended to be sacrificed to a deadly creature as part of a ritualistic tradition and get caught up in the fight to survive against the being.On the whole this one was a pretty disappointing if still overall enjoyable effort. Among the better efforts here is the fact that this one manages to really let loose and get enjoyable during its second half by featuring some enjoyable elements here from its' turn-over into more of a slasher film which requires this one to let loose with the best aspects here quite nicely. The main location itself is well utilized as the abandoned school is given a great, grungy look that reeks of disuse and disrepair that always works in these kinds of films, gives off plenty of tight, cramped rooms and endless corridors perfect for stalking and ambushing and really makes for quite an enjoyable time here with these forming the best part of the film with the endless chases, stalking and attacks that come of being there. As well, the main facet of what works here is the killer itself, which looks creepy and cool with the flesh-mask and scarf wrapped up around up it's lower half of the head but the weapon allows for plenty of graphic kills, it's main stalking tactic of appearing off in the distance behind the unsuspecting victim and then galloping at full-steam towards them to deliver a strike without let-up is insanely original and provides this with tons of suspense while also giving him a rather disturbing air about him due to the rather chilling ceremony that must be enacted to appease him that comes about providing this with plenty of solid, enjoyable times here. That this all comes in the later half means the first half is where the problems are, and it starts with the kidnapping ploy here that really serves no purpose other than to give the creature more of a body-count by slashing his way through the gang regardless of their motives. This is agonizingly slow, doesn't really offer much value to anything here and comes off incredibly confusing by intertwining the group pulling off their getaway with the preparations of the first girls for the ceremony to be taken place that later intermingles the two stories. This is entirely hamfisted and cliché how this goes about mixing the two together as well and simply serves to make the story even more lame with all the confusion offered here. These hold it down while the other efforts make it watchable.Rated R: Graphic Violence, Graphic Language, Full Nudity and children- in-jeopardy.

A ransom scheme turns into a nightmare for a group of kidnappers who become victims of a horrifying secret that must be paid every spring.Horror fans will instantly recognize AJ Bowen, the current independent horror go-to actor. Beyond that, many faces appear on screen that we may never see again. There is particularly terrible acting from the father character, which might take some viewers out of the movie.This might appeal to some people, but it never seems to quite capture what it was going for. While it starts as a kidnapping film, it turns into something like a poor man's "Jeepers Creepers". And even then, there is an undercurrent that is not far removed from "It". At no point does anything seem quite original enough to merit respect.

What start off are the often used pre-credits explaining the disappearance of women over the years in the area to only follow it up with a sequence of two young ladies one night being kidnapped. Where they awake to find themselves hanging from a rope in a barn. Then the story shifts to a group of clueless kidnappers planning a napping. At first I wasn't too sure if the scenes were somehow linked and it this was going to be told through fragmented flashbacks, but as it goes along we find out it's not the case. An old man who we see early on seems to have different intentions for these girls that involve springtime ritualistic sacrifices to a monster so he gets a good harvest from his cornfield, while the kidnappers actually have their eyes on a young daughter of a wealthy socialite. So firstly it moves back and forth, but how these two story threads come to meet, is that the kidnappers chosen hideout happens to be the area where the old man resides with his grim secret. Also there are some other twists in the story, which do seem a touch too convenient, but nonetheless never all distracting. When watching the indie horror "Rites of Spring" it was reminding me of a serious take of the British 2008 horror comedy "The Cottage" with lashings of "Jeepers Creepers" (2001) and "Malevolence" (2003). The action starts off quite slow, setting up the situation and trying to give the kidnappers some reasoning where it shows guilt soon overtaking certain participates. The traits, motivations and developments are beyond clichéd and the stupidity of certain actions only highlighted their inability to follow it through, but that's soon all forgotten when they become the hunted. Nothing fresh and simple-minded, but serviceable in its execution.There it becomes a conventional, but primal monster film, as the body count piles up and during the maniac final third the tension picks up with its typical chase format. It can be brutal, vicious and it doesn't hold back (as buckets of blood runs freely), but I didn't think it was as disturbing as it could have been, but it made up for it with its odd surprise or two. The last five minutes would have to be my favourite part of the film though, as it seems to open a real can of worms if there's a lot more going on than you were originally meant to believe. Then the final shot uses the foreground to great effect, having that potent old school touch where its pay-off is sudden but effective in that it leaves you hanging. Writer / director Padraig Reynolds goes for a moody / sullen approach in favour of build-up then anything truly flashy and illustrative, where he makes good use of the isolated backdrop and when he needs to crank it up, he does. The running time is only short, so I didn't find it to lull about. The script ably does the job despite some loose ends (which I don't find the creature's fate one, as I thought its obvious with the sequence that occurs after the credits have finished rolling), but won't set the world alight and the performances (especially AJ Bowen and Anessa Ramsey) are capable enough in delivering the predicaments. While another star the creature design "worm-face" is basic, but successful for such a low-budget horror film. It looks like some scarecrow come to life, with ragtag clothing and a decaying face with worms crawling about.

Padraig Reynolds's "Rites Of Spring" is one big one hell of a story. Well actually the film is two stories that build as steady dramatic storms before converging into one monstrous maelstrom of a nightmare. The film stars AJ Bowen (House Of The Devil, A Horrible Way To Die), Anessa Ramsey (Footloose, The Signal), Sonny Marilnelli (ER, The Fallen Faithful), Katherine Randolph (Jarhead), and Marco St. John (Treme, Monster) and follows a group of kidnappers looking for a ransom that inadvertently lead themselves into the path of a psychotic some-what supernatural killer unleashed by a farmer's ritual human sacrifice. Yeah I know, that is an epic set up right!. Not only that but of coarse as always a couple of the kidnappers have other plans for the money situation as the story unfolds. But I don't want to give out a definite spoiler moment of the film.For me "Rites Of Spring" almost fails by bringing the two stories slowly together. At times you think "what the f**k- quit changing' up the story". It is a knee-jerk reaction when watching a film that bounces between story lines alternating scenes from the beginning. This almost makes the interest and build of the film seem pointless and boring. Don't give into any impulse you may have to step away from this film though. It would be a mistake because this film soon lives up to the title and the horror implied within. Just as in life there is no slow set up to a situation you may face or walk into, so to is how this film begins. The story starts as if we were always watching these characters lives with the plot already in motion. It doesn't stop in the steady intense build from the beginning until the final moments with the scene freezes and the credits role. The movie takes place in a small town with little going on. However in this town there just happens to be a family that gives human sacrifice for prosperity of crops in the coming year. A ritual blood offering to a crazed psychotic slasher that may or may not be supernatural. There is no real detail to the origin of the monster in this film. When the lives crash into one another the darkness intensifies and you almost hold your breath in anticipation of what will happen next. There are some pretty intense moments that give fright as they characters are cut down gruesomely one by one. When the action and horror unfolds it is sudden and none stop right up until the last scene. Then the film ends just as quick as it began with no real finish or conclusion. The story or stories as I should say at first seem scattered and confusing but before it can bother you much the plot unfolding on screen seems to hold you long enough for the nightmare to begin. I really enjoyed this film and can't wait for another ritual sacrifice to bring on a new spring. In other words I hope there is a sequel to this movie.