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30 out of 31 people found the following comment useful :-
An often creepy modern haunted thriller, 15 November 2008
6/10
Author: Anthony Pittore III (Shattered_Wake) from Los Angeles, CA

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

On an all-night watch over a robbery hostage in an abandoned warehouse of a former film studio, a group of thugs are terrorized by unknown forces. At the start, numbers randomly appear printed on the walls. Then, when the hostage makes her escape, the kidnappers begin to turn on another looking for a suspected rat. Eventually, amidst the fighting and fear, the gang discovers the terrible and sinister secret the film studio once held. . . and who the other residents of the warehouse might be. . .

Enticing cover art and an interesting synopsis have too often led me astray into the land of bad cinema. Before checking a single review or finding anything else about '13 Hours in a Warehouse,' I decided to give it a shot. After all, if they took the care and time to make a cover this desirable, I'd assume they did the same for their film (ignoring, you know, The Asylum productions and everything Ulli Lommel). And, when it comes down to it, I can't say I was disappointed in the least. While the film is inconsistent, constantly altering tone and mood to the point of seeming a bit muddled, the highest and lowest of the swings are the best parts of the film. The horror elements actually are scary and the comedy elements actually are funny. The writing's not too bad, though the dialogue between the thugs tries too hard to be Tarantino-ish (including a seemingly endless rant about Robin Williams for some reason), but it's entertaining enough where it isn't a completely put-off. The story is interesting and works pretty well. Also, the direction is above average from what is usually seen at this budget level. The acting, for the most part, is acceptable, but the actors do slip up and lose their flow every once in a while. There are some nuisance problems like the annoying lapses in realism that occur throughout. For example, why would what looks like thousands of dollars in expensive film equipment be left to collect dust in an abandoned warehouse? Also, if a man commits suicide in a place, wouldn't the police perhaps investigate as to why? Maybe watch some of the tapes that are sitting around to see if there was anything shady going on? It's stuff like that that can really ruin the enjoyment of a film, but I was able to suspend my disbelief enough to look past it for the most part. . . actually, that's how the entire film turned out for me: Suspended disbelief = Enjoyment, and this was an entertaining enough film.

Final verdict: 6/10. Not too shabby.

-AP3-

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35 out of 45 people found the following comment useful :-
how to make the movie of your dreams, 22 October 2008
7/10
Author: edward sanguinetti from Italy

Just imagine you and your friends, a bunch of cinema fans, have time to kill, and one comes out with the idea: let's make a zero budget movie. If you are in this mood this movie is an absolute must: you will get a lot of good hints and a (short) list of things to avoid. And dream to be as good a beginner as this Kaufman is. You will need a location: if it is good you can just write the script inside it, by night. An abandoned, gloomy, brownish, creepy warehouse would be perfect; you can have it for just a few beers. The genre, of course, horror/fantasy to avoid the traps of intimate dramas, or the costs action movies. With a wise script special effects can be very simple and at the same time so pertinent to their background to be unarguable (when you see them in this movie, just reflect how they are obtained and what's the relationship with the story). The movie has apparently no pretensions, the language is simple, the end may be imagined, the use of cinematographic archetypes abundant, citations range from Charlie Chaplin (a character features this across the whole movie, and, please don't think it's naive or stupid, on the contrary, it gives a special flavor) to the standard up-to-date gore. A partial theatrical approach also helps giving some structure, but in the whole, it is the location that keeps all together. There are nice ideas here and there that put salt in the soup, some scenes that need a bit of cleaning, the suspense is always alive. A film to look with critical eye to fully enjoy it. But if you are a lazy consumer and like the genre, it is worth the price anyway.

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31 out of 39 people found the following comment useful :-
13 Hours in a Warehouse-Great!, 2 November 2008
9/10
Author: d6band from United States

I was pleasantly surprised by "13 Hours in a Warehouse". Having seen many Indie films,where most jump from one scene to another,so quickly,it's hard to make scenes of it. The scripts are weak and acting usually is pretty bad. When I first saw the trailer for this film,I thought I must watch it,because it was big screen quality. I wasn't let down when I saw the film. I found it very well thought out,which is very different from most scary films like :Nightmare on Elm Street,Halloween,Jason,etc. movies that seemed to go know where,and only focus on how to just cut people up, and the villain gets more lives then we need to see. The "Oceans 11" feel, with characters being pretty witty and smart,Characters with problems with resolved resolutions not forgotten,The "Silence of the Lamb" feel that fit better with this movie, than it did with "Silence of the Lamb" did.Just when I wondered how it could end,it surprised me with a great thought out ending for once,which those are hard for most films to come by. I found myself never losing interest,while watching it. I am still trying to figure out how come this wasn't at AMC Theatre first,because it is better than many of the films I have recently spent $9.50 on. I much enjoyed the actor's. They knew their characters,I found them believable. My only suggestion. The sound tracks were a little to low. The good scenes,could have been even greater with louder sound tracks. I think a louder sound track,benefits the movie,artist or band. All can promote each other with these. I think bad language isn't needed so much either,when a film is already great. I find it cheapens it. Wow, my interest was kept without millions spent on special effects. What a concept. Other directors could learn from, Dav Kaufman. If this is Dav's, first film. I see another Steven Spielberg in the making. Thanks for the Entertainment, I much enjoyed it. A must See!

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31 out of 41 people found the following comment useful :-
This is the way an indie suspense film should be made!!, 2 November 2008
9/10
Author: gromero15235 from United States

I watched this film last night, and I was quite impressed. It encompassed everything I would hope from a low-budget independent film, but always find myself disappointed time and again. This film gallantly strayed from the usual excessive blood and guts and T & A that some filmmakers use to make up for a nothing story line, and I applaud director Dav Kaufman for having the guts to break free from the routine and tired formula and present something not only suspenseful, but fresh and entertaining as well…especially on his debut film. That's a risk the majority of filmmakers are afraid to take, even seasoned ones, and it paid off rather well. I know from experience that this director has a career in front of him.

The relationships between the thieves I found both intriguing and believable. I can't help but to wonder how things would have turned out for them if the ghosts didn't intervene. The acting talents of the cast (who I assume on a low-budget film such as this were paid nothing) while certainly not Oscar worthy, but served their characters well. What was obvious was that they understood their characters enough to make us believe their motivations, their struggles, and their internal conflicts, or lack thereof as is the case with the older brother.

This film reminded me of the subtle Hitchcockian suspense films of the old days. It's not what you're shown that scares you, it's what you're led to believe might happen that does. But I also think that with today's more sophisticated and cynical audiences, this film may be placed in the "underappreciated" category.

I see some others have inaccurately compared this movie to the likes of Reservoir Dogs. Comparing the two is like comparing a Mercedes to a School Bus because they both have four tires and a windshield. By that rationale, every zombie movie is a rip-off of every other zombie movie, every vampire film, every football or baseball film, and so on.

If all you watch movies in this genre for is to be shocked by graphic and gory scenes which pose as a sacrifice for a good, solid story, and does nothing but insult your intelligence, then this is not the film for you. If you prefer a more sophisticated, keep-you-hooked suspense film with an intriguing story then I highly recommend this one! I look forward to more from this director.

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Not a good horror film...., 17 November 2009
3/10
Author: MovieGuy01 from United Kingdom

I thought that 13 Hours In A Warehouse was not a very good horror film. It was about five guys who are having an all night stay at an abandoned warehouse and former film studio, several bizarre occurrences quickly lead them to believe they are not alone. It was supposed to be a simple plan of keeping a hostage, there with them for the night. But a series of numbers begin to appear on the walls, things turn nasty as terror takes hold, the thieves are about to discover that they are being stalked from the shadows and that their chance of living to see daybreak are passing very fast. I thought that the camera movement in this film was very shaky, where i found hard to keep focused on the film. 3/10

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2 out of 4 people found the following comment useful :-
A very dark family secret., 16 January 2009
7/10
Author: Michael O'Keefe from Muskogee OK

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

Directed and written by Dav Kaufman 13 HOURS IN A WAREHOUSE is a lot better than some reviewers express. It doesn't exactly lumber along, it just doesn't progress at a break neck speed. Five small-time crooks, including the Hancock brothers Randy(Chars Bonin)and Mike(Danny Salmen), pull off a heist and take refuge in a warehouse that once belonged to the brother's old man before his suicide. With a hostage(Meisha Johnson) in tow, the gang have time to kill. Its going to be a considerable wait until the next morning when they can unload the stolen art and collect their payoff. The warehouse once was used for shooting snuff films and porn by the brother's father. During the wait each becomes suspicious of each other and when strange noises are heard paranoia sets in. Plus it doesn't help that a strange set of numbers begin appearing on the walls. What in the hell is going on? A very dark family secret is revealed; and the night will become hard to survive.

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3 out of 6 people found the following comment useful :-
Great Indie!!!, 7 February 2009
9/10
Author: scottr1967 from United States

I enjoyed this movie cause not just was it original but the acting and writing was great. Without giving away the whole plot I would recommend this movie for anyone liking a good heist/horror/mystery movie.

The writer had enough twists going to keep you guessing right up to the end. The writer/director Dave kaufman is someone to watch out for in the future. It is rear to see a movie that the characters are believable. Too many Hollywood movie are all about the formula and not the substance. This indie movie will surprise you. Hollywood has run out of ideas and the constant slew of remakes shows that. I will be waiting to see the next film from writer/director Dave kaufman.

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4 out of 8 people found the following comment useful :-
Not great but not bad at all, 24 February 2009
7/10
Author: collipal-1 from Argentina

The beginning of 13 Hours in a Warehouse did not bring me too much confidence...two minutes of slooooow credits made with a pretty ugly design,badly done special effects and letters from three different fonts which pretend to be creepy and the number 13 from the title drawn with blood.The first scene from the movie makes an improvement,while director and screenwriter Dav Kaufman confirms the phrase which was used to sell this movie : "Reservoir Dogs but with ghosts".13 Hours in a Warehouse is very far away from being an excellent movie but at least,it is a competent one.As I said,this movie shares a lot of similarities with Reservoir Dogs and it does not get even a pinch of the atmosphere,tension and dialogues from that brilliant movie...but at least it tries.On this movie,the long conversations between the main characters try to find the strange balance between humor,realism and pop sensibility director and screenwriter Quentin Tarantino used as an apparent challenge for hundreds of filmmakers who said : "I can also write about hamburgers" (like he did during a scene of Pulp Fiction which has the famous line "Royale with cheese").Films like 13 Hours in a Warehouse show that that things Tarantino does are difficult to do,although they seem easy at first sight.Kaufman fell on that trap,so some dialogues feel forced (for example,the "funny" discussion about Robin Williams and the films he participates on).The supernatural events from this movie are shown with subtleness and style and the reactions from the characters are realistic.I have to admit the movie fulfills with the intention of provoking suspense.Kaufman brought a solid direction and his work on that field is above the average from another straight-to-DVD horror films.But his work as a screenwriter was not as good as his work as a director.Besides some dialogues which are forced (as I previously mentioned),there are elements which do no flow naturally.Going back to the positive points,the dramatic scenes are the best element from this movie,specially when it is revealed the origins of the supernatural elements and its relationship with some of the criminals.I also appreciated this movie is more interested in atmosphere and tension than in showing litres and litres of blood,as difference to so many horror films.13 Hours in a Warehouse is not an excellent film and it is extremely far away from it.But,in spite of having various fails (specially,on the screenplay),this is a competent horror film which kept me entertained and tense.

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0 out of 5 people found the following comment useful :-
1 1/2 hours of torture watching 13 hours in a warehouse, 6 March 2009
2/10
Author: cuevasf71 from Norfolk, Virginia

Poster looked wicked sick. I always rent 3 movies on Tuesday. I snag 2 new releases then go for a B horror movie. Been doing that for a couple of years. I gotta around to watching 13 Hours yesterday. First few minutes started off good. You got criminals holed up in a warehouse that had a spooky past. Chill factor was right there. People get spooked when they visit places like abandoned mental hospitals for the insane or old mortuary places where dead people where.

Spooky past for this was a pretty cool idea. The warehouse used to be a kinky film studio where people got snuffed out. B movies always steal from bigger movies. 13 Hours mashed together Reservoir Dogs and 8MM.

13 Hours is a B horror movie that looks good with special effects. Not like a group of high school friends out with a video camera and flashlight trying to make a movie. Its gonna sound bad but it looks like a movie. Good as any Wes Craven or Rob Zombie movie. Where it slowly moved in to torture was how boring and bad the story came out. It was painful to watch. Cheap acting with even cheaper directing. Wes Craven or Rob Zombie would have made this a good movie. You could give whoever made this movie a million bucks and Wes Craven or Rob Zombie whatever they really spent. Guess who wins? My advice to the people who made 13 Hours is to give up. Stay away from 13 hours like a rotting corpse.

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0 out of 6 people found the following comment useful :-
Within the First Five Seconds..., 13 April 2009
1/10
Author: bigdarvick from United States

...you'll find out this this flick stinks bad. I knew I would be guaranteed of a flop, just by watching the previews. Apparently, these filmmakers (lol) were responsible for past epics of infantile freshman film-making 101. Whoever gave this movie decent reviews (and there were a few who praised it) must be someone involved in the making of this golden turkey, or someone who is a paid shill for the film company responsible for this completely amateurish attempt at ripping off Resevouir Dogs. I laughed out loud at some of the positive reviews--who are they fooling?

Endlessly spinning camera shots open up this "direct to DVD" mega bomb that accomplishes nothing except to cause nausea. Choppy, poorly miked sound, made it difficult to hear anything (not that there was much to listen to.) Would Dav (without an "e") Kaufman please refrain from ever, I mean ever, making another movie? Instead of me paying RedBox (those morons) a 1.07, I could have a lot more fun either burning my money, or just flushing down the toilet.

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