Time does not always grant a person wisdom. In fact, time can often erode your skills, turning a brilliant writer or director into a shoddy photocopy of their former selves. Mike Mendez's 2000 effort The Convent is an imperfect film, for sure, but it's a solid horror/comedy that manages to overcome its obvious limitations by utilizing some brilliant low-budget gimmicks and exploiting its eager young cast. In other words, it's good B-Grade fun. However, the man's 2005 effort The Gravedancers is a drastic step in the opposite direction. Instead of sticking to his unconventional guns, Mendez has taken a wrong turn into mainstream horror territory, regardless of what that faux-cool horror festival's pretentious tag-line suggests. Too gruesome for normal audiences, you say? Please. If anything, The Gravedancers is too horrible for normal audiences. Though it still brandishes Mike's eye for impressive visuals DESPITE their obvious origins and does manage to build an ounce or two of suspense, the film's goofy premise and its outrageously stupid conclusion will leave you scratching your head in confusion. It's disappointment personified. And you don't know how hard it is for me to write those words.

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