The Ruins (DVD)

Sliding along in the wake of Turistas AKA Paradise Lost, The Ruins teaches us the dangers of travelling in unknown locations, and most importantly treating ancient temples and customs with respect. While on holiday in Mexico five friends enjoy some downtime by their hotel swimming pool where they encounter the kindly Mathias (Joe Anderson). He tells the five travellers about his intentions to travel to an ancient temple the following day to meet with his brother. After some debate the five Americans decide to follow Mathias on his adventure being as it is their final days of their holiday, and figure that this would be an ideal way to finish off their ...  Read the complete review

On vacation in Mexico, four best friends max out on cheap tequila and sunshine, where they meet Mathias, a German tourist. It transpires that Mathias's girlfriend has gone to a remote archaeological dig, where Mathias intends to meet up with her. When he invites the four tourists to join him, they eventually agree to go along for the ride, in spite of some individual misgivings. When they arrive, the ruins are impressive. In a remote jungle location, the ancient monument stands proud of the landscape and the four friends are immediately convinced that they made the right decision. But what follows will quickly convince them that their decision was not good. ...  Read the complete review

The ruins is a horror film that was released in 2008, directed by Carter Smith and starring Jonathan Tucker, Shawn Ashmore, Jena Malone, Laura Ramsey and Joe Anderson. The book was originally based on a Novel that was written by Scott Smith. I had the pleasure of watching this film, last week, and I was one of mixed feelings. At times this film was brilliant, a fresh new plot, which didn't have any ghosts, or villains, but at times it was hard to pick up the film, in the sense that there were moments were the film slowed down. A great horror film should be one that has a constant flow to it, one that constantly keeps you on the edge of your ...  Read the complete review

Amy (Jena Malone), her best friend Stacey (Laura Ramsay) and their boyfriend's Jeff (Jonathon Tucker) and Eric (Shawn Ashmore) are on holiday in Mexico when they meet and make friends with a German holidaymaker Mathias (Joe Anderson), Mathias informs them of some beautiful ancient ruins which only a select few lucky people ever get to see because they are so remote. When they arrive at the ruins, Mexican locals appear from nowhere on horses wielding guns and arrows, they shoot a young boy from their own tribe after Amy throws something to distract the gun men which hits the boys. The group of teenagers manage to escape and end up at the top of a temple, all ...  Read the complete review

The horror genre has taken its usual slump into the gutter recently with such films as Saw being able to churn out five films of decreasing quality in quick succession. But every so once in a while something decent comes along and promptly gets ignored. The Ruins is such a film. Based on a book by Scott B Smith (A Simple Plan), the story sees four young adults on a lazy vacation in Mexico. Looking for a last fling of adventure, they take up the offer or a trip to an undiscovered ruin in the jungle. But naturally there is more than just old architecture in the Ruins and a Mayan tribe seems hell-bent on keeping our travellers from leaving the ruins. They soon ...  Read the complete review