Director – Matt Jaissle (Anti-Hero, 300 Killers)
Starring – Steve Sheppard (Midnight Movie Madness), Gary Browning (Necro Files 2), and Christian Curmudgeon
Release Date – 1997
Rating – 3/5
Blu Release – 4/5
Many moons ago I befriended Wild Eye Releasing when I was new to writing reviews. They pumped out some seriously enjoyable indie releases and as time moved on so have they. Earlier this year they announced the launch of their bluray line under the name Visual Vengeance. As a fan I was beside myself ready to dig into some S.O.V. and indie horror releases in their new line. I reached out to them and they were kind to send over the first handful of their releases.
One such film was The Necro Files. I was sent this film to review by director Matt Jaissle years ago when he sent his films Revolution 666 and Necro Files 3000. Both The Necro Files and Necro Files 3000 stuck out with me and when VV announced the film would be getting a blu release I was ready to revisit it.
**Spoiler Alert**The film follows two detectives who are hot on the tail of a serial rapist who just happened to force himself on the sister of one of the detectives. They finally track the sick son of a bitch down and shoot him. Some time passes and a Satanic cult finds a book where they use it to sacrifice a baby in order to raise him from the grave. He is now a sex crazed zombie hellbent on a little piece of ass and guts. Not only does the two detectives have to deal with an undead rapist but the sacrificed baby is now alive and flying around causing mayhem.**Spoiler Alert**
Before I was sent those films all those years back, I had no idea who Matt Jaissle was yet alone that he was a director. Jaissle has been making films in some capacity for over 20 years. That is a travesty that he has been making films for that long and I was just now discovering him and his work. Better late than never I guess. Anyway, The Necro Files is one of his most popular films and I can see why. This is another film that is raw and rough but still has some entertainment value.
The acting in this one is hard to watch at times. I have seen so many indie horror films over the years. Some with budgets ranging from a mere $10 to several millions. Regardless of the film’s budget, the film is pointless if the cast does not have the dedication or passion. The cast from The Necro Files shows that they have the dedication but lack experience needed to make their performances believable. Some of the cast has a hard time controlling their volume when interacting with other characters. This became a pain in the ass and made some of the scenes hard to follow. Experience and rehearsing would have went a long way and prevented this.
The story for this one is fucking off the wall. The film has several things going on with none of them being that original. To set itself apart from the other films, the film combines these elements to make a very unique story. We have seen so many films following serial rapists. We have seen countless films with Satanic cults before. But we never see the two combined with a zombie and floating baby tossed in for good measure. I loved how bonkers the story was but I did have a problem with the way it was written. The film has several scenes that was established for character development but resulted in a waste of time.
Finally, the film has several kills but they are nothing that original or worthwhile. We get a disembowelment or two but that is about it. Pretty tame on that front which was a bit of a let down. The practical effects are decent as well but that is about it. Overall, The Necro Files is a pretty solid film for those of you looking for a no budget flick that will go well with The Dead Next Door. The film has no budget and it shows but it is still fun. I highly recommend snagging this one for your collection.
Special Features:
Region Free Blu-ray
Original archival 1997 SD version from tape masters
Limited Edition Slipcover – FIRST PRESSING ONLY
Brand New Audio commentary with producer/ director Matt Jaissle
Audio commentary with Matt Desiderio of Horror Boobs and Billy Burgess of the Druid Underground Film Festival
Brand New Video chat with director Matt Jaissle
Matt Jaissle Super 8 Short Films
Chilean Talk Show Segment
Dong of the Dead: The Making of The Necro Files documentary
The Necro Files Original Trailer
The Corpse: Super 8 Short Film
Bonus Movie: Necro Files 3000 (2017 sequel)
Necro Files 3000 Trailer
English 2.0 Dolby Digital sound
English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0
Optional English Subtitles
Visual Vengeance Trailers
Retro VHS sticker set
The Necro Files Official Condom
Reversible Sleeve featuring original VHS art
Collectible Mini Poster
2-Sided Insert
