There's a certain sardonic, somewhat frenetic stylization about the movie that, in combination with the clashing personalities of the characters, theoretically lends to a dash of humor. While there's occasionally a morbid amusement beyond the promise of blood that we expect from a horror film, 'Bite,' also known as 'Blood trap,' is never truly funny. Actually, I think the main effect of those touches of style - uncareful selections music beyond the essential original score, sparing visual effects, would-be comedy - is to dampen the impact of the horror-thriller that the film could have been. One great example: if you remember the bunny in 'Monty Python and the Holy Grail,' well, there's a similar moment here.

It's regrettable that 'Bite' is distinctly overdone, because I do like the concept, and I think there are a few good ideas here. Lighting and set design is pretty great. I like the blood and makeup as they appear, and though their employment is questionable in some ways, the special effects do look good. While no one in the cast really stands out, I think they all do their job to help realize the picture. And that unfortunately rather goes for the feature as a whole: not necessarily altogether bad, but not especially good, and at best just languishing in the unremarkable middle. If the story were more straightforward in its telling it would have met with greater success. Why, for that matter - this simply didn't need to be 90 minutes long.

Then take into consideration instances of hackneyed dialogue, thin characterizations, and scenes that are unconvincingly written or executed, and I feel like I'm being overly generous to offer any slight praise. Every added flair, every attempt to dress up the movie with comedy, only serves to diminish our enjoyment. By the time 1.5 hours have passed, it seems like we've been stuck here for twice that, and what possible value we had hoped for when the film first began gradually vanishes over the runtime.

Ultimately I don't think I'd recommend this to anyone at all. Whether you're looking for outright horror or a solid horror-comedy, I'm unsure how any viewer could step away from this feeling satisfied unless they're a diehard devotee. 'Bite' had some small potential, but the filmmakers seemed intent on squandering it.

A group of criminals opt to do a quick in and out by kidnapping the daughter of a "rich crime lord in bed with the government." They plan a $40 million dollar ransom. Once they bag the girl Nika (Elena Mirela) the huge house turns into a fortress as the doors and windows shut with steel. "That's what I call craftsmanship." They don't open until sundown. The easy in and out...they "forgot the out part." As our crew explores the large mansion, they discover things are not normal as they open a walk-in freezer with body parts.

Vinnie Jones fans will be disappointed at his cameo role. You should be able to guess the type of film this is from the title and DVD cover, although they don't use the actual word until an hour into the feature. The characters were fine and I liked the soundtrack. The dialogue had humor at times.

Guide: F-word, sex, nudity (Elena Mirela, Grazia Leone, Denny Mendez)

BLOOD TRAP is a very low budget independent horror flick, made with British and American funding and shot in Italy. The plot isn't bad, about a gang of criminals who kidnap a young woman, only to find the tables turned when they're trapped inside a forbidding house and soon being bumped off one by one. The low budget is more than apparent throughout, but the presence of stars including a cameoing Vinnie Jones and the SAW franchise's Costas Mandylor helps to raise the spirits a little. The film is well paced but the action as depicted is entirely perfunctory and the whole thing feels very cliched.