Review: Skypemare

I was contacted earlier this week by Adam J. Yeend, a cast member and co-producer of Skypemare. I had never seen or heard of the film before, but he notified me that it is currently streaming for free on YouTube until the end of the month. After reading the press release he attached, I became interested in the movie because of (1) Cerina Vincent plays the lead character (which I’ll get to later) and (2) I just love it when films mix new technology with the horror genre IE: Paranormal Activity, Pulse, and Stay Alive. These are my thoughts on Skypemare.

Skypemare is written and directed by John Fitzpatrick. Cast members include Cerina Vincent (“Power Rangers: Lost Galaxy,” Cabin Fever, Return to House on Haunted Hill), Annika Marks (“The Fosters”), Adam J. Yeend (“Black Box”), and Ryan Dillon (Puppet Master X).

“Alison is left home alone on Halloween night, but while chatting with her best friend Jenna over Skype, something terrifying happens to Jenna, leaving Alison helpless on the other side of the computer screen, watching in horror.”

The poster for the movie – featured above – showcases just some of the film festivals that Skypemare has screened at in the last year. And I can honestly see why it is so popular. From the opening shot until the very end Skypemare has a very high production quality that I think a lot of independent film makers would kill for. The combined talents of director John Fitzpatrick; producers Ryan Dillon, Sarah Fitzpatrick, Cerina Vincent, and Adam J. Yeend; cinematographer Nicholas Kaat; and editor James Pickel are truly ones to be reckoned with. I don’t normally name so many members of the crew besides writer/director, but this movie was pulled off so well I think they all deserved some credit. Skypemare has a massive appeal to the younger generations of horror viewers.

One thing I usually harp on when it comes to reviewing short films is the length of the film. If it’s too short, then the goal is never reached. If it’s too long, then it’s kind of like beating a dead horse with a stick. In Skypemare’s case, I think the seven minute and change run time is perfect. Had this gone on longer, the use of Skype wouldn’t have been enough to keep the audience interested. Had this been too short, the viewers would have been left wanting more. It takes an expert to know when to go out on top instead of dragging it on, so major props to John Fitzpatrick again for understanding the depth and story of his product.

When it comes to the other key components – the acting and the special effects – there is enough greatness here to satisfy horror fans. Although Skypemare is far from torture porn, the blood and guts were used wisely and didn’t look the slightest bit fake. The two lead actresses, Cerina Vincent and Annika Marks, are great actresses and were accurately cast. All the cast was pretty great, actually. I think the smartest thing about using Cerina Vincent is that her face is almost as recognizable as her talent. Going into this, I didn’t know much about her body of work other than Cabin Fever, but I knew her face. She is a memorable actresses. What’s genius about her casting is that people will give this short flick a chance because they’ll recognize her, even without knowing her body of work. I just think using her here was a really good idea.

This is easy for me to say – I loved Skypemare. I’m going to rate it an 8.7 out of 10 and I can’t wait to see what John Fitzpatrick has in store for horror fans in the future.