"The Mine": The first halloween movie to fly under my radar in years

[rating=4]

Every once in a long while, a movie comes out that I haven’t previously heard of.  Every once in a LONG while, a scary movie comes out what I haven’t previously heard of.  So I’m sure you can imagine my surprise when I discovered this film not only in theaters, but also that it was filmed just a couple counties over from where I live in Utah.  It didn’t get a very wide release, being that it’s only in two theaters that I’ve seen, so many of you will probably have to wait until it’s released onto DVD or in the Amazon or Netfilx stream, but if you get a chance, I recommend taking an hour and a half to watch this one.  It’s worth it.

“The Mine” is a film about five teenagers seeking an adventurous Halloween night.  Brad (Riley McClendon, The Flyboys) has planned to take his girlfriend, Sharon (Alexa Vega, Spy Kids), her sister Laurie (Saige Thompson, Samurai Girl), and their friends to the Jarvis Mine, where legend says the owner and his daughters were killed and still roam the mine.  Of course, being teenagers, they begin to explore the mouth of the mine and soon find themselves trapped inside, unable to escape because their rope had been burned through.  They realize the only way out is to find another exit, which requires them to venture even further into the bowels of the mine, and they’re beginning to question whether or not they’re the only ones there.

This movie is what you might consider a “family friendly” horror flick.  While it is scary, there’s nothing that’s too over the top about it.  It’s a very well-done piece that’s not filled with the usual blood, guts, and sex that we’ve come to expect with most horror flicks.  It’s not recommended for younger viewers, but for those of you who have a hard time with some of the darker PG-13 movies (The Grudge, The Ring, etc.) and still want a good scare, I think you’ll enjoy this one.

“The Mine” had me laughing, wanting to cry, and on the edge of my seat.  As long as you don’t walk in expecting to see some big-budget blood-filled horror movie, I don’t think you’ll leave disappointed.

“The Mine” is rated PG-13 for violence (brief bloody images, intense sequences, and a girl bites the head off of a rat) and some scary images (once again, the brief bloody images, the rat thing, and some ghostly images).