Voxitype Good films always raise compelling questions, whether the format is fiction or documentary fact.

Nicole I enjoyed watching this film and would recommend other to give it a try , (as I am) but this movie, although enjoyable to watch due to the better than average acting fails to add anything new to its storyline that is all too familiar to these types of movies.

Josephina Great story, amazing characters, superb action, enthralling cinematography. Yes, this is something I am glad I spent money on.

Billy Ollie Through painfully honest and emotional moments, the movie becomes irresistibly relatable

gavin6942 A group of friends travel to a wilderness area to play a survival game. Soon they unexpectedly find themselves in a real-life survival situation.The first thing movie fans will probably notice about this film is that the score comes from Hans Zimmer, who has since become legendary. The score is remarkable, and if this was truly Zimmer's work, it is among his most fun and moving scores. You will not hear another score like it. Although not widely know, Frank Darabont (who is now a huge director), got his start in the art department on this film. Marianne Maddalena, the right-hand woman to Wes Craven for most of his career, was also a production assistant for "Zero Boys".Writer-director-producr Nico Mastorakis decided to cast largely unknown actors. Presumably, this was done for budget reasons. Despite this, he did land Kelli Maroney, who he now says was "never any trouble" and has nothing but high praise for her. Daniel Hirsch was carried over from "Sky High", but could hardly be considered a known actor, especially since no one saw "Sky High".Among the main cast is Nicole Rio, who is a horror icon in her own little way. She does not have a long list of credits, but 1986 brought her both this film (her debut) and the better-known "Sorority House Massacre". Being that her father and brother were in show business, it is something of a mystery why she seems to have more or less dropped out before she ever got going.The biggest name in the film (besides perhaps Joe Estevez) is Kelli Maroney, who is definitely a horror icon. She will forever be identified with "Night of the Comet". Had the 1980s horror boom lasted a few years longer, she probably would have gone from genre favorite to big screen success. Apparently she butted heads with the director on "Zero Boys", being more strong-willed than he was hoping for. He may have forgotten this.Other reviewers have noted that the gruesome sequences anticipate the so-called torture porn horrors of "Hostel" and "Saw". And this is a fair assessment. The movie has an unusual scene of tone, starting out very light-hearted, but then getting quite dark. The 1980s slasher film often can be seen as dark comedy, but the torture scenes here are too gritty, too dirty to have any humor at all. This takes away from the enjoyment of the picture, but it does make you wonder if "Hostel" or "Saw" was in some way influenced by this grit? Besides giving us a beautiful 2K restoration, Arrow Video has put more than a couple features on their 2016 blu-ray. We have audio commentary with star Kelli Maroney ("Night of the Comet"), as well as new interviews with Maroney, writer-director-producr Nico Mastorakis (very humorous), and actress Nicole Rio. And two music videos! Want to read more on the film? Check out the fully-illustrated collector's booklet featuring new writing by critic James Oliver.***

lost-in-limbo After winning yet another war-game over their rivals, The Zero Boys and their girls decide to head out to the wilderness for a new adventure and celebrate their recent achievement. But they didn't plan on actually trying to survive the night from a couple of mountain man who have their sights set on them for a deadly game of cat-and-mouse. After what they discover about a deserted cabin and its surroundings, they realise that they aren't in a game no more.I never had heard of this film before, but this B-grade, light-weight oddity is a cheap 'n' tasty horror-action hybrid, where "Deliverance" meets "Southern Comfort" and adds a whole lot of slasher elements to the meat of the plot. Simply it's a fun (well, in parts), small-scale cheese fest of the 80's gruel. I was expecting it to follow a comic book style of trend, but that facet doesn't last too long, as the blaze of glory comes down to earth when the torturous chaos occurs. What was going against it was that it decided that it would pose more often then actually deliver. "He said to tell you that we'd all die slowly". This sums up beautifully the stodgy pacing with a somewhat of a slow opening, where too little happens. There could've been a bit more senseless action. It begins with some exciting gung-ho antics, which breaks away from those roots for a slow burn pace when it hit's the woodlands and into horror territory with minor pockets of suspense and a survival mode. Don't be expecting gory deaths here, as it's pretty weak in that department. While, the tension was sorely lacking in large doses, at least it's quite an atmospheric and fearful piece because of the broodingly isolated woodlands and swampy terrain.Direction by Nico Mastorakis is nicely handled and there's a certain self-control to the film's own limits. This doesn't disrupt the film's agility and unique spin though. He manages to incorporate some striking images because of the moody lighting, free flowing camera work and a score that has a gloriously kicking vibe. Technically the production was more than capable and just thinking, "what if they had a little more doe" could have gone a long way. The tight story is definitely offbeat and provides some unpredictable patterns amongst the many practical clichés. Too bad there are excessive acts that are never truly expended on (like the snuff element) and really they could have given the story more kick. Strangely enough, the killers here are quite average looking (look at the fashion sense!) when we finally see them after spending most of the time in the shadows. They just lack any sort of development, after touching on some interesting aspects in the way they torment their victims. You can't help but want to know more about what goes on. Anyhow what's the deal with the ending… or should I say lack of one. Covering the bases is also a very cheesy and wisecracking script that's imbued with witty one-liners on other horror film references. Performances by the young group are not bad, but it's a vibrant Kelli Maroney (Night of the Comet & Chopping Mall) who's the pick of bunch. Look out for Joe Estevez, who plays one of the mysteriously wacko villains.It can get rather plain and uneventful, but overall it can be a deadly, tight and quite simple offering that 80's B-grade enthusiasts would probably enjoy.

james_cocos-snowboots Zero Boys has the ultimate philosophical import. According to the philosophy of Georges Bataille, the ultimate experience of life is the limit, the experience of a little death. Zero Boys, although on its surface a film of hot ladies and even hotter guys, is the philosophical exemplification of the theory of the limit. There are numerous scenes within Zero Boys in which the limit of death is experienced as the absolute extreme of life; I interpret that as the experience of smoking pot at an abandoned house that belongs to a secretly sadistic killer. The rare person experiences such an intense, prophetic, personal experience as occurs in this film, when life stares death in the face in the most incredible film experience since he now clichéd shower scene in 'Psycho'. This is truly a film that unflinchingly examines the hideous questions attached with death. Kelli Maroney (of Chopping Mall fame) is absolutely amazing. You will love this film!

putorisfuro77 I saw this movie as a youngster and it scared the snot out of me! I've been on the search for it ever since to add to my movie collection. It is amazingly rare and hard to find however, and very few people have even heard of it. Zero Boys has a good story line over all. A group of friends go off into the woods to have a weekend of paintball wars and a good time just hanging out, when all hell breaks lose. It makes you wonder what you would do in the same circumstance. You might we a weekend warrior, but what sort of warrior would you be when your life really is in danger? The characters are ones you may have seen before but the actors do a good job, the environment is familiar and pretty, and the ending is not at all what you'd expect. Over all it's a really good horror flick. I highly recommend it!