David Roggenkamp This isn't the typical run of the mill horror film where some biological monstrosity goes off on a hunger rampage. In a strange twist of fate, one veterinarian's goal to create a super breeder-cow, turns a fetus into genetic carrier of destruction that could wipe out the human race; further, this fetus is a mutant and it seeks out a new host to keep itself warm. This fetus carries other fetuses and as it infects other cows they too develop mutant fetuses. The entire film is spent with a mad veterinarian trying to put the farm under quarantine and keep everything under control – despite it all going awry. The movie feels strangely like a B-grade horror film – whether that was the intention or not, the movie could become a cult classic as a result. The characters all have wonderful personalities, and it is sad to see some of them go – yes, some of them die; that's a given, but the movie makes up for it by having a twist ending – something very typical of horror movies of this genre. Is it worth the watch? Yes – consider that good horror movies are rare. Special props must be given to the mutant cow's eye – it's hard to remember throughout the course of the film that it is indeed a cow the entire time.Originally posted to Orion Age (http://www.orionphysics.com/?p=4836).

johnnyboyz My guess is that Irish director Billy O'Brien grew up loving his horror films, his 'Alien' and his 'Invasion of the Body Snatchers' in particular and there's even a little bit of Frankenstein in there for good measure. These films, and a few others, pop up a couple of times in Isolation, a horror film that is fairly self-explained by its title, and is actually the bane of the piece. Like fellow contemporary horror director Eli Roth, with his Texas Chain Saw Massacre and The Hills Have Eyes inspired Cabin Fever and Hostel films, O'Brien has created something that does the job to a degree but is distinctly average throughout, providing little in the way of originality and quite a bit in the splatter column but not necessarily being anything brilliant overall.I mean, it isn't anything special. It's a horror film with all the typical foundations of a horror film that draws on a lot of previous texts and ideas and a lot of those previous ideas have been done really, really well in much better films. Here, the filmmakers have got a muddy and dank look out of the director of photography but in terms of original story or ideas, they're running on empty. The idea behind several people being trapped in a location is nothing new apart from the fact it's a farm, something that perhaps hasn't been used before. The idea that the anti-human component of the piece is some sort of wired, mutating creature has been done and the film's overall catalyst distinctly reminded me of Frankenstein, as I mentioned.But maybe that's the point, maybe its supposed to be some sort of statement on animal testing or cloning or whatever but it really just ends up as being a bit of a splatter-fest and not a particularly scary one at that. This is due to the majority of the splatter content being reduced to the executing of farmyard animals, those certain scenes actually feel relatively out of place and distracting from the real horror-come-splatter we're all supposed to be here for.The film sees John, played by a Romanian actor named Marcel Iures who around about the time had been getting an increased amount of Western attention with the likes of Layer Cake, Goal! and The Cave either already on or on the brink of making his C.V. The fact he's a deranged Eastern European doctor and the casting of a Romanian actor gives us an odd but balanced feel of both Frankenstein and Dracula in equal measure. John is using a farm in Ireland run by Dan (Lynch), who has two squatters in a caravan placed just outside his entrance, they are Jaime (Harris) and Mary (Negga) and they're on the run from someone.The film's intentions and ideas are all firmly placed in the right areas. The establishment of two separate groups of people that will eventually come together is an interesting one, one that I'm sure draws on inspiration from something like Assault on Presinct 13 but with a lot less antagonism. There are some ideas and scenes that work, but feel as if they should have worked better. The incident during which someone visits Dan's farm looking for the two stowaways with one of them in close proximity is a threat from outside the boundaries of the farm that isn't of the anti-human component and yet could spell disaster for certain characters. The scene is tense enough and acts as a precursor to the ideas and situations the character will find themselves in: feet away from being caught, and that's something you really don't want to happen.But it's incredible how long the film takes in the setting up of the predicament. There is a lot of talk and establishing that there's something wrong with the cows and the experiment may have gone wrong and we're all supposed to ask each other "Oh, I wonder what terrible, terrible things lurk within" but the on-screen build up of something very much off-screen wears a little thin, not because you want the film to cut to the gore which is a silly mindset to have during any film, but because it just gets repetitive. There is a lot of head scratching and explaining to the audience as to what is going on and what all these experiments and scientific things mean and before too long, wouldn't you know it: it just becomes Alien on an Irish farm. Pure and simple.There is a scene nearer the end in which the now lead role, who echoes Ripley in both gender and transition into said role, crawls around under the floor amidst some grates as the monster stalks her. It is very reminiscent of the scene in Alien during which the hapless crew member scurries around in the vent shaft with a flamethrower to defend themselves whilst the rest watch on via a radar. When we actually get to see the creature, it is a rather disappointing mess of skin and ooze – sort of a GCSE papier-mâché piece submitted for the teacher's cruel assessment. There is no long, slimy tail slithering down from the ceiling in a massive cargo bay as another hapless crew member searches for a lost cat; it's just a mess of eyes, limbs and a couple of bones stuck on for good measure. The film was direct to DVD in America and Italy amongst many other nations, I'm sure. It isn't of that low level, but the film certainly isn't anything to shout about.

danthsmith this is a terrific, low key creature feature. Excellent atmosphere and attention to detail in the farm setting make up for not much of a monster. this is just the sort of thing that Hollywood horrors cant do with glossy productions and CGI effects. billy O'Brien deserves a go with a bigger budget. I would be very interesting to see what he can do . The acting is generally believable and the minimal cast works in the films favour. Sticking with animatronic effects makes it creepier (although this was probably for budget reasons). Its a shame the title mad cows was already taken as this seems a natural choice. The scene in the mud with the tractor is brilliant.

Claudio Carvalho The broken farmer Dan (John Lynch) rents his farm for the scientist John (Marcel Iures) from the Bovine Genetics Technology that is researching genetic modifications of cattle to increase its fertilization. The veterinarian Orla (Essie Davis) is bitten by the calf while helping the cow to deliver, and she feels that something went wrong with the experiment. During the night, the cow has a narrow passage for the calf, and Dan asks the young couple Jamie (Sean Harris) and Mary (Ruth Negga) that is parked in a trailer in front of his farm's entrance to help him in the delivery. When the offspring is born, it bites Dan; Orla arrives later and realizes that it is a genetic anomaly and she sacrifices the calf. During the autopsy of the animal, she discovers that the fetus is pregnant and she destroys the freak hybrids. However, one of them escapes and attacks a cow first and Jamie later. When John arrives in the farm, he discovers that there is the danger of infection of human beings and decides to quarantine the spot. But one offspring is alive and need to be captured."Isolation" is a creepy and gruesome version of Alien in an Irish farm. The cinematography is very dark like the story that is simple but works, and the locations are indeed repugnant. But the direction and the cast make the difference with excellent work highlighting the always excellent John Lynch. The special effects are great and the open conclusion gives a perfect ending to this movie. My vote is seven.Title (Brazil): "Quarentena" ("Quarantine")