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Thursday, July 28, 2011

#356. Wicked Little Things (2006)


Directed By: J.S. Cardone

Starring: Lori Heuring, Scout Taylor-Compton, Chloe Moretz



Tag line: "Prey for them"

Trivia:  Tobe Hooper was initially attached to direct the film








Karen Tunny (Lori Heuring), a recent widow, and her two daughters; Sarah (Scout Taylor-Compton) and Emma (Chloe Moretz), have just inherited a house that's been in her late husband's family for generations. Located deep in the mountains of Pennsylvania, Karen's first inclination is to unload the property, but after paying it a visit, she realizes it may be a tough sell. Aside from the fact there's no running water, a family of rats has moved into the cupboards, and the front door is drenched in blood. 

Of course, the local flesh-eating zombies aren't doing much for property values, either. 

It all started back in 1913, when a group of impoverished children, forced to work in the coal mines, were trapped underground after an explosion triggered a cave-in. All were presumed dead, but the truth of the matter is they didn't really die that day...or any day since. Seeking their revenge on a town they feel deserted them, the youngsters crawl out of the now-abandoned mineshaft each and every night, feeding on rabbits, pigs, and the occasional human before finally returning from whence they came . Whereas Karen initially chalks these stories of flesh-eating tykes up to urban legend, she slowly starts to change her mind once Emma begins talking of a new friend she's made, a little girl named Mary (Helia Grekova), who, as luck would have it, lives in the old mine! 

Wicked Little Things doesn't make any attempt to hide its pint-sized carnivores from the audience, giving us a good look at them within the film's first 20 minutes (normal children by all appearances, save their jet-black eyes). As for the action, the first kill scene doesn't quite live up to expectations (a local handyman, played by Geoffrey Lewis, is beaten to death with a shovel), but things do improve from there on out as the kids step up their search for William Carlton (Martin McDougall), the only surviving descendant of the man who put them to work in the mines all those years ago. And though a few of the kills are damn near ruined by some truly awful CGI blood spurts (another weakness of the first kill sequence mentioned above), Wicked Little Things is a zombie movie that ultimately delivers the goods.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

21 comments:

  1. Hello buddies remarkable episode. The talent level and obsession with the horror genre real shows through.

    You all should be making money at this. It is a marvelous podcast.

    "Champ" Kielgrins

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  2. WOW Moretz is in this, she must be a youngling. She was so good in a superhero movie called Kick Ass. She is a talented thing + the girl from the Halloween reamkes buying this Shocking Shock. Kudos on the podcast-excellent creepy movie reviews.

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  3. Thanks for stopping by!

    @"Champ": So glad you enjoyed the show! We really do appreciate the kind words, and while we're not quite to the point of making money yet, it's the reaction of fans like yourself that really makes it all worthwhile. Thanks for listening!

    @Anonymous: Yes, Moretz was excellent in Kick-Ass, and she does a fine job here as well (as does Scout Taylor Compton, who, as you said, was in Rob Zombie's HALLOWEEN films). Moretz is considerably younger-looking in this movie, and plays more of a "little girl" character than she did in Kick-Ass, but it's still an impressive turn. If you like zombies, then WICKED LITTLE THINGS is one you'll want to check out.

    We're glad you're enjoying the podcast, and we thank you for listening!

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  4. wazzup doc shock 3 was hot fantastic episode. all the hosts meld together nicely makes for some good horror discussions. i love the rating scale you use and with all the hosts it makes for a nice average of the movies. jack maxwell

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  5. @Jack: Hello, and thanks for stopping by.

    We're glad you're enjoying the show, and we thank you very much for the compliment.

    I'll be sure to pass your thoughts on to the other hosts (and I do agree with you regarding the overall average). Thanks for the comment, and for listening to Horror Jungle.

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  6. good horror stuff :: nice voices :: easy to listen too :: a joy for me being a horror movie loon :::: erghen

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  7. Weekly Dr on this pod it is that good would love to see it weekly. Super horror pod.

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  8. @erghen: We're glad you're enjoying the show! Thanks for stopping by, and for the comment. Thanks also for listening, and have a great day!

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  9. Thanks for the comment! I can say, at this time, there's no plans to take the show weekly. However, we do appreciate the support, and we'll keep it in mind! Thanks for listening.

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  10. Horror Jungle Hosts:

    I just got back from our family vacation and I downloaded the new Horror Jungle (I had received an email about it a month ago, but just getting back into the swing of things). I am impressed! You topped Macabre and it is exciting and thrilling. Love all the new voices! If I would of known I could of heard you on Stitcher! I Itunes subscribed and added you on Stitcher also. Now off to episode 2 and 3.

    Kyle

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  11. @Kyle: So glad you found us! Thanks for the kind words (I'll be sure to pass along your comments to the other hosts as well).

    Hope you enjoyed your vacation!

    Please be sure to stop back and let us know what you think of eps. #2 & #3, and thanks for listening!

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  12. #3pod was a helluva good show. the reviews of the movies are outstanding and the dvd picks thrown in are great. g.y.

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  13. @g.y.: Thanks for the kind words. We're glad you're enjoying the show, and thanks so much for listening!

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  14. Hello everyone this is Carol from Columbus Ohio and I wanted to give a shout out of thanks to the Horror Jungle podcast team of hosts.

    Such an amazing show and thoroughly entertaining. The entire family enjoys it and I even passed it along to many cousins of ours.

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  15. @Carol: Thanks so much! We appreciate the compliment, and we thank you for sharing the show with your family. It really does mean the world to us to know how much the fans appreciate Horror Jungle.

    Have a great day, and thanks for listening!

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  16. Wicked little things was good Mr. MD of horror.

    The podcast is plainly brilliant might I say. For horror movies it cannot get any better and I have listened to 20 or so others. You guys rock. -Wyatt

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  17. Wyatt: Glad you enjoyed Wicked Little Things (and thanks for the "MD of Horror"...that's a new one!)

    Knowing there are fans such as yourself out there who enjoy the show so much really makes it all worthwhile. We greatly appreciate the kind words, and thanks for listening!

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  18. Super Cast I have fun with it *Thks* 4 the xter horror reviews (Dave???)between episodes.

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  19. Thanks for stopping by! Glad you're enjoying the podcast, and the extra horror reviews (yes, my real name is Dave).

    Thanks for the comment, and for listening to Horror Jungle.

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  20. DrShock my friend been listening and reading faithfully. I wanted to drop in to say Hi and know I have been around and watching many of the horror movies suggested. All of them right on point.

    Chaz
    Orlando, FL
    Home of Walt Disney World

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  21. Chaz: Always great to hear from you, sir, and I thank you for the continued support. It really does mean a lot!

    Thanks also for stopping back in, and for listening! Have a great day.

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