The Hoard

source: The Hoard

A group of desperate down and out reality TV show stars rally together to check out several rundown old houses that are rumored to be haunted. One of these houses turns out to have actual monsters and dead bodies in it. Writers/directors Matt Wiele and Jesse Thomas Cook relate the enjoyable and engrossing story at a zippy pace, poke deliciously vicious and often sidesplitting fun at the fake contrived nature of so-called "reality" TV programs, present a colorful array of quirky characters, deliver some cool bits of gory violence, and elicit loads of laughs from an amusing sense of sharp humor. Moreover, it's acted with zest by an enthusiastic cast: Lisa Solberg as spunky ringleader Sheila Smyth, Tony Burgess as pompous quack shrink Dr. Lance Ebe, Barry More as amiable hoarder Murph Evans, Ry Barrett as eager technician Caleb Black, Elma Begovic as perky psychic Chloe, Marcus Ludlow as cocky jerk repair guy Derek "Duke" Jago, Justin Darmanin as macho loudmouth The Falcon, Charles Ivey as a laid-back slacker, and Jesse Thomas Cook as the hard-nosed Officer Shane Chapman. A total hoot and a half!

This isn't just a spoof of one reality show, it spoofs three styles of them. The Hoarders show, a Syfy Ghost show, and an HGTV/DIY show. I'm not going to look it up, but if someone who made this isn't involved in production of actual reality shows I would be very surprised. As the camera angles, the drone shots of the cast.

Rolling together the hoarder and paranormal "reality" genres is a clever concept, and here they're shooting for more laughs than horror. But they just haven't come up with enough of a story line to fill the more than 90 minutes. 45-60 minutes might have worked, but as it is the leadup is just too much of the same wandering-around-junk-filled-houses to build any sort of anything. After about half an hour you really begin to wonder if they're ever going to actually get on with it.

I'm so disappointed that I'm writing my first review. I was so excited to watch this movie! As a huge fun of the genre and a viewer of hoard shows I loved the idea. BUT this movie is horrible. The jokes are horrible. I cringe most of the movie. The horror just happen in the last 20 minutes and it wasn't worth it at all.

This was a very funny and strange movie, i love the faux hoarders show which is so accurate and i love every second. The jokes are quite funny despite the bathroom jokes which are always just cringy. I was thinking it was a zombie flick but its a evil dead possessed zombie thing, and i found it quite fun only if we get it in the last 20 mins or so. The special effects were quite good for such a low budget movie. Overall its a quite fun, and funny movie, with a few flaws of course, but for a low budget horror movie it was enjoyable and didnt spot major issuses.

The picture takes place in Redford, Ohio (filmed in Canada). The economic turndown has caused the folks in town to be hoarders. This causes paranormal activity as the items were once owned by dead people. Our reality TV crew is going to focus on Murph Evans (Barry More) who owns multiple condemned properties where he stores items. The city is going to shut them down unless the crew can repair and restore them over the weekend. The film is a spoof of reality TV shows. It includes the swagger walk, the cross armed poses, the faux drama sound track, and idiotic asides. At about an hour the film changed gears into a spoof of other films following the Delta House Belushi speech. I fell in love with Elma Begovic who was excellent in her role. Good funny characters. Guide: F-word. Brief partial nudity. No sex.

Well made b-movie with excellent writing. No I do not have any ties to anyone in this movie or its production studio.

When controversial director Jesse Thomas Cook said he was planning a movie about a pensioner who hoarded junk in multiple houses, critics were quick to respond that it would crash and burn. Skepticism remained high, even after Cook pointed out that he had hired Tony Burgess to write it. Then Cook brought Matt Wiele on board as co-director, and suddenly people were paying attention. The cast is solid: Lisa Solberg, Ry Barrett, Elma Begovic, Marcus Ludlow, Justin Darmanin and of course the wildly popular cult favourite, Barry More. Even Tony Burgess gets a cameo of his own. Set in Rockford, Ontario but filmed primarily in Owen Sound because of the Muslims, this edgy mockumentary punches far above its weight. In November 2018, Brad Miska described The Hoard as 'the film', and 'premiering this month.' It's hard to disagree. Let's get two things out of the way first: yes, the The Hoard is indie, and the budget was small (Cook still refuses to release details) so I kept my expectations low. But I can honestly say that I was pleasantly surprised. The plot is a great horror/comedy mashup with a lot more wit than I expected, and a couple of basic twists that add to the flavour. Performances are enthusiastic and satisfying. Cinematography is on point. Colour pallette is challenging, but not overwrought. Humour is dark and sharp (as it should be) with just a tiny drop of easily forgivable slapstick. I rate The Hoard at 23.31 on the Haglee Scale, which works out as a highly engaging 7/10 on IMDB.

All credit to the cast and crew they put their all into it.... It feels like one long introduction to maybe something... a bit like the shows it's a parody of. However just like the shows it's taking the pxss out of it never succeeds in creating the pay off that the everlasting build up sort of promises..... Maybe seek out the classic scam tv event from uk Ghostwatch... I want to say great things about this movie because it's so close to nailing it.... so I will finish with ambiguity.... see for yourselves.... temper your expectations