One of the joys I have of writing this blog is spreading the word of various horror movies: classic, new, big budget, indie, strange, subtle...well, you get the idea. It's a genre I love, and I like to put my thoughts out there. One of the bigger joys is touching base with independent filmmakers and performers. I always feel like if I can get at least a few more people to see their work based on an article I write, then I'm happy with that. It's fun for me, and I've been able to meet some really nice, talented people.
This brings me to the fun I had watchingI Am A Ghost, an incredibly impressive independent horror film written and directed by H. P. Mendoza. I'd been aware of the film for a while, and when I was made aware that the film was available on video-on-demand, I had to check it out. Having been in touch with the filmmakers before, I was excited to see what they had created.
I was not sorry.
Boy, was I not sorry! What I got to see was an ambitious, carefully-crafted thriller that looked great and featured an excellent performance from a leading lady, and taut suspense that wound up right until the final frame. I love indie filmmaking because of the energy and the outside-the-box creativity and the hunger to craft a great film with sometimes very little in the way of resources. "Working with what you got," some would say. I Am A Ghost works with what it has, and then some.
Anna Ishida plays Emily, the title character. It's no surprise that she's a ghost going through a mundane daily routine in a huge, beautiful house. There are some things that seem a little off, such as Emily's breakfast time and the moments where she cries in pain and confusion in front of a mirror. In one certain room, she hears a disembodied voice calling her name: a medium named Sylvia (Jeannie Baroga in an unseen role). Sylvia tries to help Emily leave the house, but some unknown factor keeps her there. As the film unfolds, Emily struggles to uncover the mystery of how she died and how she can finally move on to the afterlife.
The film has a 60's and 70's look to it, right from the title card (and you know how I love those). The screen borders are curved throughout, creating a unique point of view. Despite the spaciousness of the house, there is a sense of claustrophobia. Something is happening with poor Emily, and we're not quite sure what yet, although it becomes clear as the movie builds towards a horrifying climax. Mendoza has built an intriguing, great-looking film that he expertly guides you through. His is a voice and vision I'm excited to see grow from this already-strong base. In terms of performance, Ishida owns the screen. Her Emily is scared, confused, complicated - and Ishida gracefully brings each of those facets to the forefront. She is the face of the movie, and she is more than up to the task.
I've had the opportunity to see and review quite a few great independent horror features, and in communicating with the filmmakers and performers, I'm always happy to see the passion and the excitement they have in creating something new and something unlike the paint-by-numbers too often seen in big studio fare. I'm excited to see what these creative people having coming down the pike, and really hope to see more from Mendoza and Ishida.
I Am A Ghost is available on DVD and VOD, and if you'd like more information, check out their website right here.
I love a good short film, and I especially love a good short horror film. Trying to cram quality thrills and chills into a shorter time frame is a challenge and a chance to show off some really great creative chops. So when my friend, director Jeremiah Kipp, made me aware of a short film he'd made with another friend, actor/writer Rob Dimension, I jumped at the chance. I've reviewed two of Jeremiah's other films, Contact and Crestfallen, so I knew I was going to be in for something really good. And I was not disappointed. Baggage is a short black and white film written and starring Dimension, and directed by Kipp. Believe me, I'm not going to reveal one single spoiler about this movie because even hinting at it would ruin the surprise. I can tell you that the film centers on a put-upon office worker trying to make it through his day, then simply trying to have a drink at a local tavern. When a couple of ne'er-do-wells try to accost him and steal his duffel bag, it escalates into something...well, you'd just have to see. I'm not spoiling it. The film unveils itself like a puzzle, with things falling into place as the story reveals more and more. Dimension is great as the mousy, tentative office worker who is a magnet for jeers and pitying glances. His character is so intriguing simply from body language and posture, as well as his hushed, unoffensive tones when he speaks. Pulling double-duty as the screenwriter, Dimension's script melds perfectly with Kipp's direction, and Kipp is no stranger to bringing visceral and emotional images to the screen, no matter what those emotions may be. I've long been a fan of Kipp's work, and now you can add Dimension to the list of quickly-rising filmmakers who I will be following - and touting - for years to come. I also had a chance to ask both guys some questions about Baggage - let's start with the film's writer and star, Rob Dimension:
What inspired the story? Do you have any literary and film inspirations that directly influenced this film?
First,
thank you for watching Baggage...I appreciate it. Baggage was a story
that started as a talk a few years ago, between myself and a friend of
mine, Sal Valente. We were eating lunch and started to discuss how you
never know who you are sitting next to in a restaurant or even who you
live next to. The world is a crazy place...people are crazy. So, after
finishing No Clowning Around and having some mild success, I was
thinking of a new film to write and Baggage evolved from that. After I
was finished writing, I sent Sal the script and he says, "I can't believe
you've taken one discussion and made all of this."
Typically,
I've noticed my writing is influenced by the my current movie or
television watching. I was on a kick of watching a lot of Hitchcock and
Twilight Zone episodes. I really was in love with the black and white
look and the use of shadows. I also was at a point where I was thinking
about camera movement and how it can affect emotions and uneasiness. I
was just in a classic state of mind, I guess.
How did you and Jeremiah Kipp get together for this production?
I
had seen a short film titled Crestfallen and absolutely fell in love
with the movie. The atmosphere, the visuals, just loved the look. At the
time I was hosting a small Horror Club and we were showing independent
films, so I messaged the people behind the film and one of then was
Jeremiah Kipp. Fast forward about a year or so...No Clowning Around gets
accepted at a film festival and Jeremiah was going to attend, so I shot
him a message and we ended up meeting. The crazy thing is I basically
just pitch him an outline about Baggage and he looks at me and says, "I'm
in!" I was flattered and extremely excited and we've become great
friends since. It was really just me taking a chance to reach out to
someone who I respected and it worked out.
How was the process of making the film? Smooth, challenging...any funny stories?
The
process is long but always fulfilling, I mean that. I wanted Jeffrey
Gould and his partner Steve Adams (who will be co-directing my newest
film - Quackers in 2014) to handle the cinematography and these guys
killed it. Jeremiah is a solid director...he pulls no punches, he is
intense and is extremely professional. Every person involved was ready
for the challenge and they all delivered. We filmed for five days and about
60 hours, plus on the fourth day, we filmed for nearly 24 hours.
We
were scheduled to film a chase and mugging scene outside but the
weather decided to be uncooperative...which I feel added to the film and
made it better, but we needed to scramble for a different location. In
Baggage, you see Benjamin at the train station and while filming, we
came across a small subway tunnel that got you to the other platform. I
mentioned to Jeremiah that the tunnel would be a good and we committed
to making that the spot for this scene.
The
next day we start filming and we leave some of our belongings on top of
the platform, so my wife, Kim, continues to check on our stuff. She
occasionally pops her head up and checks to make sure everything is
still there. The next thing we know, we have police there with guns out.
The tunnel has two sides and we had cops on each entrance and we had to
explain we were filming. They had three more police cars on the
way...they thought we were terrorists. It made for an interesting moment
of panic. The good thing was we had a permit and were completely legal
to be there...but it was scary for a moment.
What do you hope happens with the film? Festivals, distribution, more film?
Well, people can purchase the DVD at www.YouveBeenRobbedFilms.com
and Baggage has been accepted to several film festivals as well is
being shown in a few spots for Halloween. Baggage also was shown at
Monster-Mania convention in August, which was a massive thrill.
People
can see my first film No Clowning Around online for a short time also
on my site. I just finished the script for our next film titled
Quackers. Quackers was a concept pitched to me by Buz Hasson from the
Living Corpse comic series and I just got busy writing and elaborating
on the concept. The Living Corpse team of Buz, Ken and Blair will be
working on original artwork for the film also. Jeffrey Gould and Steve
Adams will be co-directing the film and handling the
cinematography...I'm super excited. I think I have an extremely talented
team. I honestly think this is my best screenplay and story yet. People
can read more about it and stay up on things at www.YouveBeenRobbedFilms.com or follow me on Twitter at @RobDimension.
How was the transition from one form of entertainment (wrestling) to another (film)? Similarities and differences?
I
was involved with professional wrestling for almost 15 years. Wrestling
taught me so many things...it taught me performance and working in
front of large crowds. It taught me to drop my inhibitions and be a
character and not be scared of the camera. It also gave me an outlet for
writing, as I wrote storylines and even wrote for live TV. It also is
the harshest reality check about business and people. It really makes
you become your own biggest, promoter. I'm fortunate and love to talk,
so I think that has also helped make the transition easier.
Most
of my wrestling career I was a villain, so I guess playing an over the
top villain in movies is like a lateral move...haha! I've always loved
horror films...so I just decided to get off my ass and decided to make
what I wanted to see. I encourage anyone who is sitting, debating to
create something...go do it. It's the greatest reward when it's
finished. When I got the final cut of No Clowning Around, I remember
sitting on my sofa and just crying...I felt accomplished.
And here's director Jeremiah Kipp with more insight:
How was it working with Rob? Do you see more
collaboration in the future?
Rob is an intense and charismatic guy, with a wicked self-deprecating sense of
humor.What I loved about our work
together was his sheer willingness to push himself as far as he needed to
go.He was playing a troubled
character, and he’s so committed that I think in many ways he took the work
home with him.But on set, you
knew the material had strength to it.I’d work with him again in a second; we’ve talked about it and have been
making plans.
What drew you to the story?
There was a slow building dread in the narrative that built to an operatic peak
moment at the end.After doing an
incredibly phantasmagoric experimental film called The Days God Slept, I was
intrigued by the possibility of locking into a plot-driven thriller which was
all about building a mood of tension.Rob told me the story in person, and even before he asked me to direct
it, I found myself drawn into his macabre tale. It felt like a modern variation
of Edgar Allan Poe.
What kind of visual influence played a part in how Baggage
looked and felt?
The director of photography Jeffrey Scott Gould shares a tremendous enthusiasm
for Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho and Martin Scorsese’s Taxi Driver.We took the classical black and white
1960s retro feel and pushed that into areas of the grotesque.
Will we see Baggage at any festivals or screenings?
It has been having a strong festival life so far, playing at Monster Mania, New
Jersey HorrorFest, Macabre Faire Film Festival and DOA Blood Bath
Entertainment’s Blood Bath V Film Festival. We’re happy to be able to present
the film to audiences, and hope they enjoy.
Were there any funny behind-the-scenes stories?
There must have been, but when I lock into making a movie it’s all about the
execution.It’s not that I don’t
like to have a good time; it’s just that I place all of my thought into making
what’s happening in the frame as expressive as possible.I remember doing crazy stuff like
making the actors jump up and down until they were exhausted; I made Rob sprint
across city blocks for half a day, we put actors through some grueling special
effects makeup. And yet I remember having a really good time making this movie,
and had the sense that we were surrounded by generous friends who were excited
about the work. That’s what I probably remember best; working with people I
love and trust as well as making new friends.There was that one moment we were filming a scene where the
local police surrounded us because what we were doing seemed criminal, but we
were able to laugh about it later…
What's coming up on your schedule in terms of filmmaking?
Right now, I’m going into production on a new scary movie called The Minions.It’s a dark urban fable
about a man’s walk home one autumn night, and he decides to walk down The
Witch’s Path. He almost makes it past safely, but then two drunken girls appear…and
they’re the minions. What happens next is not very nice…Find out more at: http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/the-minions
I want to thank both Rob Dimension and Jeremiah Kipp for taking the time to answer my questions and especially for their (and their crew's) hard work on Baggage. I highly recommend getting your hands on it, dear readers. You really won't be disappointed.
Be sure to keep an eye out for more from Rob and Jeremiah, and you'll see more coverage here!
Until next time, dear survivors, see you on Halloween!
Sometimes I find old VHS tapes hiding in storage bins. I'll pop them in and the worst I may think is, "damn, my hair was blonder in 1993." Nothing too scary. No ghosts, no demons, no knife-wielding maniacs.
The same can't be said for the doomed characters in the collaborative found footage release, V/H/S.
Found footage films seem to be all the rage these days. Personally, I like the subgenre, but like the modern zombie film, it could suffer from burnout. Still, there is a lot to enjoy until that happens. It seemed like a dream lineup when it was announced that several independent horror directors would combine to create a found footage anthology, sort of a Blair Witch Project meets Creepshow. Modern campfire stories, if you will. While I found V/H/S to be extremely intriguing, I was left wanting more, almost as if there was a big piece missing.
The movie itself consists of a framing story by A Horrible Way To Die director Adam Wingard called "Tape 56" and provides the reason for how we're able to see each chapter. The wraparound story follows a group of opportunistic Internet bad boys who make money filming themselves performing general acts of maliciousness (destroying an empty house, terrorizing innocent women, etc.). They're hired to break into a house and find a mysterious VHS tape. Upon entering they find hundreds of tapes, blank TV's, and a dead man sitting in a chair. As strange things happen around them, various members of the team put in random tapes, giving us each story.
The first chapter, called "Amateur Night," is by one of the directors of The Signal, David Bruckner (specifically, he directed the first part of that film). It tells the story of a group of dudes documenting their night of luring women to their motel room through the use of a spy cam on one of the guys' glasses. Things take a turn for the strange when an odd girl with a limited vocabulary ("I like you") tags along and gets caught in the motel room with drunk, sex-starved guys. This is very much like a modern campfire story, maybe a cautionary tale from inebriated college dudes who see themselves as ladies' men. Yeah, let's just say it didn't work out well for these guys.
The second chapter, from Ti West (The House of the Devil, The Innkeepers), is called "Second Honeymoon." Here, we find a young couple out on the road, enjoying what appears to be the said second honeymoon. It starts out innocently enough, but there seems to be a third person enjoying the trip as well, someone who scoops up the video camera and takes a few shots of the sleeping couple. I love West's work but I felt there could have been more to this entry. Still, there's the basis for an intriguing story that would've worked even better over a longer length of time. After all, West is the modern master of "slow burn storytelling."
Chapter three comes from Glenn McQuaid, director of the wonderful I Sell The Dead, and it was, to me anyway, the most intriguing chapter of the anthology, entitled "Tuesday the 17th." A young woman brings her friends to a secluded wooded area for what they think is a weekend of partying. Turns out this young lady has been here before, and is hell-bent on catching a weird killer (dubbed "The Glitch") who seemingly cannot be filmed. Strange and off-putting, the idea of a killer that can somehow appear only as a series of glitchy shapes on film is very creative. I wouldn't mind seeing more of this mythos.
"The Sick Thing That Happened To Emily When She Was Younger" is the chapter offered by Silver Bullets director Joe Swanberg (and co-writer Simon Barrett). A young woman relates her frightening nighttime experiences by Skype (which somehow ended up on a VHS tape) to a friendly young man she knows. There seems to be an attraction as she grows increasingly scared of ghostly people appearing in her apartment. There's a puzzling twist to the story, yet it retains some intrigue.
Finally, we're privy to "10/31/98" from the directing team known as Radio Silence. Four guys, excited to attend a Halloween party, arrive to find an empty house full of shadows and strange voices. Exploring the house, they find a party of a different sort in the attic and insanity follows. As far as environment goes, I really enjoyed this setting - even when there was stark, bright light, the house's interior was confining and uninviting.
V/H/S was incredibly interesting and had some very intriguing ideas. Giving voice to independent directors and writers is really great - this movie did play in theaters and has a chance to reach a wider audience than most smaller horror films. While I felt like more time could have been devoted to some stories, the thought-provoking aftertaste of "Tuesday the 17th" and "10/31/98" gives attention to the possibility that these stories could work as full-length films. I got the sense that the filmmakers were having a good time with the experience, and even though I had hoped for a little more, I'm happy with the fact that we could see more from these talented artists.
Now...I dare you to go through your old VHS tapes. See the one that's not labeled? Yeah, go ahead and put that one in...you never know what you'll see.
The old adage says, "Less is more." Learning my writing chops over the years, I was told that time and time again (and I'm still guilty of the occasional wordiness). It's the same in film - there's a time and place for glitz and show, but unless you've got a basically good, solid story, it's just that: glitz and show.
In watching Hammer and Saw Films' short film Exit 7A, writer-director William Peters told a lot of story in very little time. Really, that's the point of a good short film: to get its point across in a limited duration. There's no need for "glitz and show," as the film does exactly what it needs to do: tell a great story. Peters and his crew accomplish that in a way that reminds me - despite my seemingly general comparison - of an episode of Twilight Zone or Outer Limits. Like those programs, it's a straightforward mystery in which you know the answer, but it's not thrust in your face like an over-sharing kid showing off a half-melted ice cream cone. It's subtle, telling a story rather than trying to impress you with insane visuals, and it opens up a possible universe of related stories.
Based on a short story by Asher Ellis, Peters presents the story of good-guy Paul (Ben Watts), on his way to a family gathering one winter day. Harry (Michael Mooney) calls to tell Paul to get his butt in gear because he's off to work, and the relatives are "restless," especially Uncle Frank, who's not feeling too well. Paul assures Harry he'll be there, but is distracted by a beautiful and mysterious hitchhiker (Angela Borrello). Taking the winter air into consideration, as well as his own curiosity, Paul decides to give her a ride. She's guarded, reserved, and haunting with her hypnotizing blue eyes. She does, however, let Paul know his intentions: she's planning on killing someone off of Exit 7A, and wonders just what Paul might do to stop her.
I'm not going to spoil it, but it plays out with intensity, and a nice little twist. Peters does a great job in packaging a really good near-homage to the gore-less, character-driven subtle mysteries on which the horror genre is built. While Mooney provides a solid supporting base and Watts is really good, capable, and believable lead, Borrello really stood out to me as she carried an air of confident mystery around her in playing off of Watts' Paul. The film also looks great - the cinematography and framing show just how alone Paul is with the hitchhiker, despite the openness of the landscape.
According to Peters, Exit 7A will continue making the festival circuits before being officially released later this fall on the Hammer and Saw Films website. I asked Peters if Exit 7A could end up being part of a horror anthology, to which he replied, "The thought of Exit 7A being a part of an anthology has definitely
crossed my mind. I think an indie horror anthology show would be
awesome - something I would definitely support."
Hey, I like anthologies, so I'd be all for it as well!
Until next time, passengers, you can check out the official Exit 7A website here and take a look at the trailer below:
Sometimes, just a well-placed shadow and a dark room can be just enough to get your heart racing.
Yeah, I know gore makes the headlines but a good suspenseful, creepy atmosphere can reach further into your soul and run it through a blender. And most recently for me, The Pact was that blender.
Written and directed by Nicholas McCarthy, this sweet little thriller doesn't employ colorful special effects or a cast of pretty semi-teens to get its point across. Instead, it draws you into a confined space and deftly hides things until it decides to show them to you in some pretty unique ways. Seriously. There are a couple moments when you might say, "That was different."
On the heels of her mother's death, Nichole (Agnes Bruckner) argues via phone with her estranged younger sister Annie (Caity Lotz) before saying good-night to her little daughter, Eva (Dakota Bright), who is staying with her cousin, Liz (Kathleen Rose Perkins). There...right there, you've got the family unit, which is an underlying theme of the entire film. Nichole disappears while investigating a strange noise in her late mother's home. When she doesn't check in, Annie meets Liz and Eva there to prepare for the funeral, sure that former drug addict Nichole will eventually turn up. During the night, weird noises ring out and the lights flicker as Liz disappears while Annie and Eva escape the chaotic house. Annie goes to the police, and the only one who will believe her is Detective Creek (Casper Van Dien). They investigate the house together, and find that there's more to it than meets the eye. While Annie sees strange, terrifying apparitions, and witnesses a strange freakout by a local psychic (Haley Hudson), she and Creek begin piecing together the mystery of the house and what happened to Nichole and Liz.
The answer came out of left field, yet made perfect sense. As is my practice, I'm not going to spoil it here, but I can tell you that you may not see the resolution coming.
The Pact, despite the minimalist title, really delivered for me. McCarthy's plot and direction, with its genuinely interesting and surprising twists, was well-paced and well-choroegraphed. Like I said, things happen and they may catch you off-guard. Some will have you nodding in agreement and others will have your jaw being scraped off the floor. The effects are bare-bones, but this isn't an effects-driven film. The effects that are employed are pretty jarring. You'll never look at Google Maps (or a film version of it) the same way again. Shadows and space are used to their utmost, guaranteeing at least one instance of the viewer peering through their hands in fear. Give me a shadowy atmosphere over computerized gore any day.
The acting is top-notch. In her short time on-screen, Brucker sets the story's table with a solid performance as Nichole. Van Dien has come a long way from Starship Troopers (which I really dug) - he's older and definitely more sure of himself as an actor, and his character wasn't a cardboard cutout of a sympathetic, grizzled police detective. I really enjoyed Hudson's blind psychic Stevie: rather vacant yet insightful, a wisp of a girl uncovering something very sinister. Living up to her billing as lead, Caity Lotz turned in a stellar performance. Her Annie is afraid yet strong and determined, her will to find her sister and cousin - and solve an old mystery - beating out her fear of the unknown surrounding her. And boy, does it surround her.
The Pact is available on some on-demand services, so check around and see if you can find it. It's worth it.
How is it that horror monster icons like Jason Voorhees, Freddy Krueger, Michael Myers, and the like always seem to be in the right place at the right time? How is it they always seem to come back for more, no matter what the frightened protagonists hurl at them? Is it luck, or could it be magic?
Written by David J. Stieve and director Scott Glosserman, Behind The Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon is a half-mockumentary, half-actual horror film revealing the lengths the charismatic Vernon (played masterfully by Nathan Baesel) will go in order to establish himself as one of those icons alongside his idols, Voorhees, Krueger, and Myers. There's nothing inherently supernatural about Vernon, but the ways he goes about creating his own legend are like viral marketing gone mad. He's smart, determined, funny, often friendly, and just a little bit psychotic. OK, maybe a lot psychotic.
Taylor, Doug, and Todd (Angela Goethals, Ben Pace, and Britain Spellings respectively) are a reporter and cameramen filming a documentary about an aspiring serial killer in the vein of the aforementioned horror legends, one Leslie Vernon (Baesel). It's an "alternate universe" of sorts, where the horror icons are a real and reluctantly-accepted aspect of the world. Vernon is excited; he's been planning his debut for years. Everything is timed and mapped down to the tiniest detail. He's in top physical shape with incredible mental discipline. He's got a backstory, he's got his virgin "final girl," and he's even got a mentor (Scott Wilson, The Walking Dead's Herschel) and an "Ahab," Dr. Halloran (Robert Englund). Everything's in place as Vernon stalks his prey, basically herding her and her friends into a late-night outing to his "legendary" house. Taylor and her crew follow along, playing neutral parties to what will essentially be night of murder. When the night comes, things begin well enough, but Taylor has misgivings. And from there, events spin out of control...or do they? A mockumentary turns into a straight-up horror film - a metatextual transition - as Vernon pursues his dream and his final girl in the climax of this entirely creative little flick. I won't give the bloody details, but let's just say everything happens for a reason.
Behind The Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon is sparkling fun, a nod to horror fans everywhere and a different viewpoint "behind the mask," as it were. It's like a magician revealing the trade secrets, but still managing to pull off one hell of a trick. Baesal and Goethals are magnificent as the leads, who display a tension and respect for each other, all while creating an air of believability. Englund is especially fun as the Donald Pleasance/Dr. Loomis pastiche and Vernon's "Ahab," the force of good that relentlessly chases the force of evil. The film also marks the final appearance of Zelda Rubenstein, she of Poltergeist fame, as she plays the doomed librarian who relates the tale of Leslie Vernon to the intended "final girl."
The film is funny, energetic, and somewhat disturbing - I mean, you'll really start to like Vernon until you realize, "wait a damn minute, he's aspiring to kill a buttload of people." But that's the fun of the film: it takes itself seriously just enough to allow some guilty fun to creep in before turning the whole thing on its ear. But most of all, it's a creative idea enhanced by great writing, directing, and definitely the acting.
So sit back and witness the rise of a new horror icon who may or may not have everything perfectly planned out...and remember to break out the windows on the ground floor. You'll see.
Now, enjoy the trailer, won't you? (WARNING: Slightly not-safe-for-work, but not too bad.)
Took this picture back in Traverse City, Michigan. I did not disappear when I walked through it. That time, anyway.
Not those nice, spacious traffic tunnels that are so safe...oh, wait. There was that scene in 28 Days Later. Hm. Well, anyway, the claustrophobic elements of the pedestrian tunnels make them a tad more unnerving. Add to that a history of Lovecraft-esque colonies of creatures lurking in the walls of the tunnel - and reality - and you have a combination that will make you not want to enter one, day or night, muggers be damned. This is the scenario presented by writer/director Mike Flanagan in his small but moody film, Absentia.
The winner of a number of film festival awards in 2011, Absentia operates on a small budget with an enormous amount of spirit and atmosphere. Special effects are minimal, and yet that minimalism only adds to the bigger picture. I invoked the name Lovecraft earlier. H. P. Lovecraft penned chilling stories where the ghastly, mind-destroying creatures on the edges of reality weren't revealed in full. It was the idea of their existence that was terrifying. We never see a full-on shot of what lies underneath reality in Absentia, but your imagination can fill it in.
Tricia (Courtney Bell) is at a crossroads. She has moved on in her life after the disappearance of her husband, dating a police detective (Dave Levine) and carrying his child. Yet she still posts notices right up until she finally decides to have her missing hubby declared "dead in absentia." Her sister, Callie (Katie Parker), a struggling drug addict and free spirit, arrives to provide moral support. Tricia begins seeing disturbing apparitions of the missing Daniel (Morgan Peter Brown) while Callie finds herself trying to help an apparently homeless and very frightened man (Doug Jones) in a pedestrian tunnel near Tricia's house. Things get weirder, especially when Daniel shows up, looking tortured and nearly catatonic. Where he's been is a mystery, and that unravels as the movie builds towards its inevitable, sad conclusion which I won't spoil here.
You're only given a glimpse of what Daniel has been through, and like a Lovecraft story, the idea of it is scarier than actually seeing it. Besides the creepiness of the atmosphere surrounding that ominous tunnel, what struck me most was the stellar acting by the two leads, Bell and Parker. Their scenes together are seamless - you really believe they're sisters. Individually, their performances are natural and utterly believable. While Levine, Brown, and the always-a-standout Jones turn in fine performances, it's the team of Bell and Parker that really draw the viewer in. They don't seem like actors playing a part - they seem real.
Absentia is a small film but is making big waves. If you want some low-key creepiness chilling you as you ponder what moves beyond the veil of the barely-hanging-on reality around us...yeah, you'll want to avoid pedestrian tunnels after you watch it.
Until next time, dear readers, here's the trailer:
I remember prom. It was the 80's, so those proms you see in "homage movies"? Yeah, that wasn't my school. That's not to say our prom wasn't bad. It was fun for the most part. I dressed in a white tux (that came with a swank cane), took a girl named Julie to dinner, then prom. Nothing crazy, nothing wild. Nobody threw up on the dance floor, nobody spiked the punch, and nobody was a reanimated corpse hungering for human flesh.
Yes, that is me. Now BASK in the glory that was my nerd-before-nerd-was-cool 80's self. At least the cane was swank.
That's essentially what happens in Ghost House Underground'sDance of the Dead, written by Joe Ballarini and directed by Gregg Bishop. You've got your teen hormones, rivalries, drama, and a horde of undead firing out of the cemetery like rocks from a catapult. It's a little movie with a modest budget and no "big-name" stars, but that doesn't take away from it in the slightest. The cast more than holds their own in creating what is a very good zombie movie with healthy doses of comedy, adventure, and romance to round out the flavor.
In a cemetery near a nuclear power plant, the poor caretaker is apparently the only one that knows the radiation is causing the buried dead to come back to life. He calmly goes about his day, cleaning headstones, trimming hedges, and making sure the dead stay in their coffins. Meanwhile in the town of Cooas, the teen population is readying for the prom. The characters go through an assortment of typical teen pre-prom excitement. Troublemaker Jimmy (Jared Kusnitz) thinks everything is a joke which causes his sweet, prom committee girlfriend Lindsey (Greyson Chadwick) to dump him in favor of smarmy popular guy Mitch (Jeff Adelman). Jimmy's buddy Stephen (Chandler Darby) aches over asking out cute cheerleader Gwen (Carissa Capobianco), whose date just canceled on her. Gwen, although very sweet, has eyes for the high school rock star Nash (Blair Redford). Thrown in the mix, but playing important parts, are adrenaline junkie/bully Kyle (Justin Welborn of The Signal) and the Sci-Fi club, led by John Heder lookalike Jules (Randy McDowell). All the characters are in place thanks to some nudge-nudge-wink-wink 80's-style montage action and when the Sci-Fi Club heads to the cemetery for some exploring, the action begins.
The dead come to life and literally explode out of their coffins. Interestingly, the speed of the undead seems to depend on how long they've been buried. More ragged zombies move slowly, while "fresher" ones zip along with reckless abandon. Not all of the Sci-Fi clubs make it, and Mitch - who just tried getting a little too forward with Lindsey - loses his head over the whole zombie-rising situation. They make it to, of all places, a funeral home and hole up there. While running from the undead, Jimmy meets up with Kyle - who has a gun - and Gwen, who is oblivious to the zombies as she's out for a run with her iPod. They escape into the sewers after hearing from Lindsey and make their way to the funeral home.
After a battle in the home in which Kyle is killed, Gwen makes a daring run to retrieve the hearse and the gang escapes. Running into the wild-eyed, militaristic gym teacher, Coach Keel (Mark Oliver), they load up on weapons and plan to rescue whoever is left at the prom. They pick up Nash and his band along the way, gaining some important intel: the zombies are affected by sound waves. They stop and sway to music which provides a shade of hope to the little group of living rebels.
The school is overrun by the time they get there, so Keel goes through with a plan to blow up the school with all the undead in it. The Sci-Fi Club and Gwen embark on a rescue mission while Jimmy and Lindsey undertake the mission of retrieving the explosives trigger that the Coach dropped in a bowl of potato chips. Not everything goes as planned, and not everyone makes it out alive, but the school is destroyed while the dialogue afterwards sets up the possibility of a sequel.
Dance of the Dead really is a fun little movie. It might not be the greatest zombie movie ever made, but it ranks pretty high on my own list. The actors are having a blast and there's a definite nod to 80's-style teen comedies running through it. Each character has a distinct personality and interacts well with the other characters in the story. No one really clunks through a scene with a counterpart. The movie moves along quickly and sharply, with the main emphasis being on the fun. Yes, friends die and yes, the town is overrun by flesh-eating zombies, but as the viewer, relatively safe from the zombie plague in his or her home, is enjoying the ride. There are some great scenes of comedy, especially when Kyle interacts with the "geeks" or dispatches zombies in his own Jackass-inspired way. There are some heartfelt moments, such as when Jimmy comes into his own and the final fate of Gwen and Stephen (although you could include laughs and gore with their final scene, too). Whether or not Dance of the Dead is your bag, take a look and judge for yourself. Personally, I did have fun both times I've seen it, and I'd see it again.
Next time you have a rough night out or lament having a "lame" prom when you were younger, just be glad there wasn't a zombie apocalypse in progress.
Writer/director Adam Green's Hatchet was supposed to be a return to the roots of the modern slasher, a throwback to the early days in the Friday the 13th and Halloween franchises, among others. Victor Crowley, the monster antagonist, was supposed to join Jason and Michael in the pantheon of memorable killers of curious movie teens. It's hard to say if that has actually happened.
Hatchet is a divisive movie. I have horror blog colleagues that absolutely love it, and others that absolutely hate it. There are several in between, and I think that's where I stand. I didn't hate it by any means, but it didn't "wow" me either. However, the attempt at bringing back that old school flavor was not only noticed, but it is to be commended. Green brings a certain freshness to the genre, not filling the screen with wild colors and big special effects. It's a low budget he's working with, and therein lies the energy. And my readers know I love for a film to have energy.
The plot is straight out of the 80's, and honestly, that's not a bad thing. Ben (Joel David Moore of Grandma's Boy) is a sad sack whose girlfriend just broke up with him. His friends try to cheer him up with debauchery in New Orleans, but Ben just isn't into it. He thinks a ghost tour into the bayous might be more his speed, so he's joined by his buddy, Marcus (Deon Richmond of Not Another Teen Movie). The original tour's guide (Tony Todd in a hilarious cameo) isn't running tours anymore, so he sends them to another guide, Shawn (Perry Shen). The two friends join a would-be pornographer named Shapiro (Joel Murray of Mad Men), his two willing "stars" Jenna and Misty (Joleigh Fioravanti and Mercedes McNab), the jaunty Permatteos (Richard Riehle and Patrika Darbo), and a mysterious young woman named Marybeth (Tamara Feldman) as they head into the swamp.
There's a local legend about a deformed child who was accidentally killed during a fire caused by local bullies. Seems Victor Crowley's father tried chopping down the door with a hatchet, and it hit Victor in the head. But we know Victor is still roaming the woods and not willing to share some of that deep South hospitality. Marybeth knows this as well, as she is searching for her lost father and brother (Robert Englund of Nightmare on Elm Street and Joshua Leonard of The Blair Witch Project), who met with a bloody end at Victor's hands in the prologue. Shawn, who's neither a very good tour guide nor a very good boat captain, manages to sink the ship by running it into some rocks. The tourists are stranded in Victor's woods just a stone's throw from Victor's house.
Let's just say Victor's a stickler for property boundaries.
"Get off my lawn!"
The enormous Victor (Kane Hodder, who has played Jason Voorhees a million times) bursts out of the house and sets about slaughtering the tourists with such over-the-top methods as the "twist top kill" and the "Pez dispenser kill" and the "I-really-hate-your-shoulder-old-man hatchet kill." Victor is a force of nature: pure strength and manic energy. He's not one for stealth. He just comes in like a Tasmanian Devil on Red Bull and starts ripping and chopping until the final scene.
And that ending. Yeah, I can see where it has something in common with the way the original Friday the 13th ended...sort of. Still, if there wasn't a sequel planned, it was just a little bit too abrupt for my tastes. Others may like it...hell, some people love it. That's fine, but I'm just going by my own preferences here.
Hatchet was pretty good, but for me, it wasn't the new savior of retro-flavored slasher flicks. It was pretty standard, but with a little more flair in terms of dialogue and direction. To me, those were the strong points. The snappy dialogue, especially coming from Deon Richmond, infused the movie with some verbal lightning. Adam Green showed quite a bit of creativity and, yes, energy in his direction. Working extremely well with a low budget, Green is definitely paying homage to the teens-in-the-woods monster slasher. It's straightforward and unflinching in its gore, which is so wild that you're more amused than disgusted or even scared. It was fun, but I would hesitate to call it the movie that returned American horror to glory. And don't think I hated it because I didn't - I thought it was pretty good, but really, that's about it in my humble opinion.
But hey, judge for yourself. All I know is, if I'm ever in New Orleans again, I'm sticking to the craziness on Bourbon Street and staying far away from the bayou ghost tours.
Everyone knows I love me some infection horror, from Dawn Of The Dead to the [REC]series. I know that technically, vampire movies can be classified as "infection horror." One bite (or more, depending on the mythos) from a vampire and it's all over, much like a bite from the undead. Vampire flicks, though, are usually lumped into their own genre, a rich, traditional genre that has its roots in the forever-creepy Nosferatu and has been somewhat co-opted by the Movie-Franchise-That-Shall-Not-Be-Named-But-Has-Sparkly-Bloodsuckers, which dilutes the potent potion with a strong history behind it.
From the people who brought you the underrated Mulberry Streetcomes this truly creative and compelling take on a world decimated by a vampiric plague. Director Jim Mickle and co-writer Nick Damici took a small budget and loads of passion, mixed it up in a big bucket marked "good stuff," and threw it on film as Stake Land.
It goes something like this: It's a world where vampires have taken over. Considered a plague, it spreads fast, causing people to become mindless, blood-craving killers. No one knows how it started, and much like George A. Romero's Dead movies, the origin is left a mystery. Fine by me, since the origin's not the story here. We are introduced to Martin (Connor Paolo), a teenage boy preparing to escape with his family. When he witnesses them all - mother, father, and infant sibling - slaughtered by a vampire, he's saved by one bad-ass vampire killer simply known as Mister (Damici). Mister takes Martin under his wing as they battle their way towards New Eden, a supposed vampire-free area in Canada. Along the way, they run afoul of the dangerous, militant religious nutjobs called The Brotherhood, led by Jebedia (Michael Cerveris of Fringe). See, Mister rescues a nun from what turns out to be Jebedia's son and a buddy, and Mister tends to play for keeps, human or vampire. The nun, known as Sister (Kelly McGillis of Top Gun), joins them on their journey before they're set upon for the first time by The Brotherhood. Eventually, Martin and Mister reunite and meet a couple more friends along the way, the pregnant Belle (Danielle Harris of the Halloween films) and former Marine Willy (Sean Nelson). Sister rejoins them, and it seems like the perfect family unit, heading straight for the border.
But it's never that easy.
Not everyone is safe, not even ones who traditionally are safe in movies like this. In one of the most well-done and heartbreaking scenes, you're witness to just how far The Brotherhood will go to not only get to Mister, but simply sow terror and fear, something they'd apparently done on a large scale. It's during a moment of rest, of happiness, in an idyllic militia-protected town that The Brotherhood does the unthinkable, and something entirely original: they airdrop vampires. Airdrop. Vampires. Yeah, that's right. Think about it. A simple night of neighborly goodwill, toe-tapping music, and most of all, rest for our by-now beloved characters. Then it happens. It happens and in the short time for the carnage to unfold, you really want to get your hands around the necks of The Brotherhood. It's chilling, and it breaks your heart.
So who makes it to New Eden? What happens in the cold hills just miles away from this alleged haven?
I'm not going to spoil it for you. The ending is ambiguous, as it should be. No one is truly safe in the reality of Stake Land. It's an ending that makes sense and even though it is left open to what happens to the remaining characters, it doesn't leave you saying, "Whaaaat?" It ends, but only the way you believe it ends as the credits roll.
The acting is wonderfully sound. Only Jebedia is portrayed a little over-the-top, but he's an effective villain nonetheless: you WANT to hate this religious fanatic. And you do. Damici is grizzled and understated, no-nonsense in his role, and much like his character Clutch in Mulberry Street, he's someone for whom you can really cheer. Paolo is fantastic as Martin, a young boy thrust into becoming a man in the worst possible environment. He's both tough and awkward, vulnerable and still possessed of great inner strength. I cannot take away from the others in the group, as Harris is immensely sympathetic as the young mother-to-be and Nelson is solid as the ex-Marine. McGillis is a real standout, as the nun struggling with traditional faith and the new necessities of the world.
Like all great infection horror works, the characters are the focus, but there is an underlying theme tying them together. A theme of faith rings both loudly and subtly through the film. The Brotherhood represents the current state of "mob religion" in the world, people who would use faith as a weapon or an excuse to hate. Look around. It's everywhere you look today. The traveling band of heroes represent the true, inner faith of people who only want to survive and only want to do good for each other and themselves. The Brotherhood are those loudmouth, ignorant people who demand you think they way they do, like those Westboro nutjobs. The heroes are that pastor who greets others at the door of his modest church with a friendly "all are welcome."
Also, let me get one thing perfectly straight: the similarities between Stake Land and the wonderful Zombieland end with the names. I've heard people say, "oh, so it's Zombieland with vampires." No. It is not. Stake Land has not a lick of comedy in it. The world is bleak, it is dying, and it will never be the same. Don't let the title throw you off in the slightest. We're talking two different movies here.
Stake Land might be hard to find at the moment. It's not playing on that many screens, although check your on-demand features with your local cable company. That's how I saw it. It's well worth the hunt and it stands head and shoulders above most big-budget horror fare in that it's an honest, passionate, creative movie. One that actually tells a tried and true story (getting safely from point A to point B) without a hint of stagnation.
Well, I've gushed enough for now. Go judge for yourself, and I sincerely hope you find it as fulfilling an experience as I did. If you don't like it...oh, well. I won't hold it against you.
Until next time, dear readers, don't stay out when the sun goes down. It might be a little bitey out tonight.
