Back In The Chopper With Some Capsule Reviews

You just witnessed one of my "oh, yeah, I should probably write a blog entry today...hey, look, a shiny object" phases.  I didn't slow down watching horror/suspense films, I just didn't commit to sitting down and getting some writing done.  Plus, other writing endeavors took center stage.  But, hey, let's get down to business.  I took in quite a few movies, but wanted to highlight a few here with some capsule reviews, a few stray thoughts about a few flicks.

All Superheroes Must Die (2011) - Wait, a superhero movie in a horror blog?  Here's the thing, see:  it's a horror/suspense movie with superheroes as protagonists.  Also, I don't like making this blog too restrictive.  Anyway, this low-budget offering plants a group of de-powered superheroes in a desperate situation:  win unwinnable challenges put forth by a fed-up arch-nemesis (Dexter's James Remar).  It plays out like a Saw episode, with the heroes having to solve their own issues as well.  It wasn't bad, and I can't help but think how much better it would have been if the characters were slightly more well-defined.

John Dies At The End (2012) - Whenever you get a film from Don Coscarelli, you just know it's going to be tons of fun.  And this film doesn't disappoint.  Freaky, trippy, and playing the rules of space and time as well as throwing a few buckets of blood and guts at you, this film flies loose and fast and it's a thrill.  Poor David needs to convince a reporter (Paul Giamatti) of an incredible story involving insane elements like strange demons, a powerful drug, portals between dimensions, and a kick-ass dog named Bark Lee.  It's bizarre and has a film swagger that makes it incredibly charming.

Evil Dead (2013) - In a remake of sorts (there's apparently more than meets the eye), Sam Raimi's innovative 1981 low-budget screamer gets a modern makeover as a group of old friends gathers at the infamous cabin to stage an intervention for one of their own.  Unfortunately, they discover a few grisly secrets about the cabin, including that old chestnut, The Necromonicon.  Demonic possession galore and buckets of blood everywhere should please many fans.  It was actually a decent effort that had a touch of uniqueness about it.  Oh, yeah, and wait until the credits are done.

The ABC's of Death (2012) - This ambitious collection of 26 short films - each corresponding to a letter of the alphabet and created by 26 different directors - saw a lot of support and derision in the film community.  I could see reasons for both opinions.  Definitely a challenge to create, it obviously moves quickly.  Most of the entries are in the "OK" range, while there are some that are better left not talked about.  Some I really liked, including A is for Apocalypse, which leaves a little to the imagination as to why a woman is trying to kill a bedridden man; C is for Cycle, offering an odd little loop of time; D is for Dogfight, a wordless short about an actual dog fight with interesting changes in perspective and a good ending; R is for Removed, a strange bit about a man's skin being removed to be used as film and his escape from the hospital in a surreal world; and V is for Vagitus (The Cry of A Newborn Baby) in which it's illegal to have unregistered babies in a futuristic world and where one police unit finds more than it bargained for with one group of rebels.  It's interesting to see what these established and aspiring filmmakers came up with for their respective letters, and there is something here for all tastes - both good and bad.

Devil's Pass (2013) - Inspired by an actual mysterious incident in 1959 in which several experienced Russian hikers died on their way through Dyatlov Pass, Renny Harlin's 2013 film sees a group of college students filming a documentary retracing the same path.  Filmed in first-person, it shows the students discovering strange followed by disturbing followed by terrifying things that make escape look more and more unlikely.  What I thought might be a throwaway film turned out to be somewhat good and with an ending that makes sense.  It ran off the rails towards the end, but unlike other films that go crazy, it got right back on the tracks and said "See, that's what I'm talking about." 

V/H/S/2 (2013) - The sequel to the original first-person anthology, the framework is much the same, but this film - to me, anyway - delivered a more solid group of short films with a stronger surrounding narrative. A pair of investigators break into a home to find out what happened to a young man who disappeared.  While their own story unfolds, they watch various tapes the student has lying around.  The videos show stories about a man with a "camera-eye" seeing things he doesn't want, a biker in a park experiencing the beginning stages of a zombie apocalypse, a news team investigating a strange cult leader predicting the coming of a deity in Indonesia, and an alien invasion of a family's slumber party.  I found the zombie and cult leader stories to be the strongest and most intriguing, but the entire film was quite good and a step up from the original.

 

The Conspiracy (2012) - More of a thriller than a horror film, there are plenty of creeps in this neat little flick.  Two guys making a documentary about conspiracy theorists go from the frying pan into the fire when the subject of their documentary disappears and they decide to track down the elusive Tarsus Club to find out what happened.  You definitely know what will happen as everything unfolds, but that doesn't take away from a fine, suspenseful "mockumentary" that leaves you thinking about the consequences.

Well, dear readers, this old helicopter is back in the sky.  I'll try to keep up better, and expand the blog to include more "adjacent" genres to the horror field.  Hey, even more comedy.

Enjoy and thanks for reading!

Exit 7A (2012) Short Film, Sweet Twist

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:


Exit 7A - Trailer from Hammer & Saw Films on Vimeo.

Crestfallen (2011) Wordless and Powerful

Words are powerful.  No doubt about that.  Sometimes, however, the absence of words can be just as powerful.  The awkward pause, the angry silence, the space between story and punch line.  Your own mind can fill in the words when it encounters a silent narrative, and what that narrative might be trying to tell you could punch you right in the gut.

The short film Crestfallen, a six-minute cautionary tale of a young woman driven to the edge of her life - the edge of a knife - by betrayal and sadness, has no words, no dialogue, nothing shouted or whispered.  The viewer is simply made witness to the young woman's pain, both physical and emotional.  Written and produced by Russ Penning, filmed by Dominick Sivilli, and directed by Jeremiah Kipp, Crestfallen stars Deneen Melody as Lo, the young woman who suffers the titular emotion.  

Quite simply, Lo has been betrayed by the love of her life and decides to take her own.  It's not an easy decision, and things may not turn out the way anyone expects as the minutes tick on and the memories flow.  It doesn't take long for the viewer to sympathize with Lo, who glides naked and with an air of dignity into a bathtub.  As the knife runs along her arms, the memories flow with the blood, and not all of them are hurtful.  She reflects on what brought her to this point, and what should keep from doing it.  It's Lo's downward spiral, and we're along for the ride, helpless to do anything but watch.

Crestfallen is beautifully shot, directed with a deft hand by Kipp, whose wonderfully surreal short Contact I reviewed last year.  Here's a guy who takes his craft very seriously, and will never be accused of "phoning it in."  Keep an eye out for Kipp; he's headed for big things.  Deneen Melody is the centerpiece of this short film, and is beautiful and effortless in her performance.  We see the hurt in her eyes, the sadness and pain, all without words.  She looks like someone we all might know, someone we would want to help.  That sense of familiarity is strong - I couldn't help thinking she looked just like an old friend of mine, but I couldn't place who.  You want her to be okay, no matter what, and that's brought to life by some fine acting.  The fact that Crestfallen is silent, except for a score, only added to its beauty.  I really am cheering for this film to make a big splash soon.

But enough of my words - I was fortunate enough to have both Kipp and Melody answer some questions about Crestfallen and I'd love to share them with you dear readers now.  Let's start with Mr. Jeremiah Kipp, the director:

Was there a specific influence that inspired this narrative (writer, director, etc.)?

"The writer and producer of this film, Russ Penning, based the movie on some rather heavy personal experiences, so that was our primary influence. I thought he was brave to face those demons. My job was to visually interpret his story as best I could, along with my key collaborator, DP/Editor Dominick Sivilli.  Dom tends to downplay his participation, often saying his vision of the project is to shine a light through the window and turn on the smoke machine. But he has a profoundly sensitive and poetic approach to his work. When we shot the suicide scene, he whispered, "This feels like BEOWULF." He was right; we were trying to tell an intimate, personal, character-driven story in an epic and operatic way. Our feelings (love, hate, fear) are as large to us as castles and kings; and suicide and the flood of memories our main character endures should be told in a way that is bold, daring and sincere."

Will we see Crestfallen in some film festivals or contests? 

"Russ has an entire festival plan for Crestfallen. With a running time of six minutes, we hope it will fit nicely in a short film program or preceding a feature.  Since it was intended as an anti-suicide film, we hope horror and mainstream festivals and audiences are able to connect with it."

Any projects on the horizon?  Has Crestfallen opened any more doors? 

"One of the more immediate doors opened by this project was the opportunity to work with associate producer Marv Blauvelt and his company Muscle Wolf Productions, as well as Chris Jay and Kitsie Duncan of Dark Rider Productions. I cannot say enough about how welcoming and instrumental these Midwestern filmmakers were in making Crestfallen, and it opened a dialogue about more projects we'd like to work on together. As the old saying goes, work begets work. I'm currently editing a "hired gun" horror trailer I recently directed, and start principal photography on a non-genre movie next month starring my old friend Scott Miller and Geoffrey Owens from The Cosby Show. There's also The Sadist starring Tom Savini, which is currently finding its form in post. My producers and I are navigating that path right now. There are a few exciting monster movies in development as well. All we can do is let the future come."

And now I give you Deneen Melody, in her own words:

From where did that intense performance emerge?  Inspirations, motivations?

"I haven't discussed this with many people, but one of the main reasons I wanted to do this film is for a friend of mine. She took her own life a few months before, which absolutely broke my heart. It is such a sad thing when someone, despite the reasons, feels that there isn't any hope...that there is absolutely nothing to fight for."

"That being said, Crestfallen is very personal and was something I wanted to do in a more positive light. Some people may see the movie and feel it is a depressing, which is true, but the end message is a positive one. It shows that no matter how harsh life may be, in the end, there is always something to live for."

"Jeremiah and I didn't have a chance to rehearse before the shoot, due to him being in New York and myself in Chicago, but we had several conversations about the piece. Developing the character with Jeremiah helped bring something more to Lo...she became someone with an entire back story instead of a random woman in a bathtub. It was important to all of us that we create a character that, without anyone having to say a single word, feels for or identifies with."

Crestfallen seemed so effortless.  Describe working with Jeremiah, Dominick, and Russ.
 
"They were fantastic, of course! I had already worked with Dominick on a film called Lewis, and we got along very well, so I was familiar with how he works. And while I had never worked with Jeremiah before, we had chatted online and I am a fan. As mentioned above, we didn't have a chance to rehearse anything before we shot the film, but Jeremiah would talk to me in detail about the way he works, so when we were on set, we were able to just jump into the story. Both Jeremiah and Dominick always bring something very unique and visual to their films, and I am honored to have the opportunity to be a part of something so beautifully shot and put together."

"Russ is someone I had met online and he is such a good friend, always super supportive and encouraging towards my career. When we all first started talking about doing this film, I could relate to the personal aspects of the story and understood where Russ was coming from in his writing. I've read some other things he has written since then and he has so much talent. I hope that I can work on another film he writes in the future!"

Any projects on the horizon?  Has Crestfallen opened any more doors? 

"I am currently working on a project of my own creation called Rose White. It is a fantasy thriller/crime drama based on the Brothers Grimm story, Snow-White and Rose-Red. I play the role of Lilly (Snow White) and the beautiful Erin Breen stars as my sister, Rosalyn (Rose Red). The film also features Daniel Kuhlman (who is also directing the film along with Brian Kilborn), Tom Lodewyck, and Anthony Fleming. Breakwall Pictures is working in association with TinyCore Pictures (III SLICES OF LIFE) to bring this movie to life!"

"Some other projects I have coming up include Prey to God, Witches Playground, Bloodstruck, Astro Noir, Dark Light, and the dramatic feature film Strawberry Summer. You can keep up with news and updates on all these projects at my Facebook page and website!"

"Crestfallen has opened a door to a more dramatic path, which is something I was looking for and am very thankful to achieve. I really must thank Russ, Jeremiah, and Dominick for believing in my abilities and giving me such a rewarding opportunity!"

*****

And now I must say a HUGE thank you to both Jeremiah Kipp and Deneen Melody for being so nice and taking the time to answer my questions.  Keep an eye out for Crestfallen, and for the talented people involved with this short film.


As for your humble helicopter pilot, I bid you all a healthy "until next time," and don't get too close to the fences...the undead have a hell of a reach.

Jeremiah Kipp's Contact (2009) Drugs Can Be Somewhat Bad

So you want a quick, intense high? You think maybe that weird guy in the abandoned building isn’t really all that creepy and his “product” will give you just what you need? You’re thinking maybe doing the mysterious drug with your lover will bring you closer together?

Watch Jeremiah Kipp’s short film Contact and think again.

The film begins with an older couple solemnly setting a table. They’re exacting in how they perform this action, and I have to tell you, meticulous people sometimes make me nervous. Filmed in moody black-and-white, the lack of dialogue and nervously sad expressions on the pair added to the tense atmsophere. We’re then introduced to a young couple in love, played with real chemistry by Zoe Daelman Chlanda and Robb Leigh Davis. They buy a mysterious, unnamed hallucinogen from a strange drug dealer who has the only real clearly-spoken dialogue in the entire short. From there, the young couple descends into a trip that begins with an erotic atmosphere, but quickly turns disturbing and hellish enough to make David Cronenberg say "whoa."



It’s an effective anti-drug piece that presents you with some questions to ask yourself after viewing, ways in which the story could go according to your perception of the film. Personally, I like to be challenged in that way, to allow my own fevered brain to come up with answers as to what came before, what the drug could be, why it affected them the way it did, and why the story was bookended with the older couple. At the center of it all was this couple who seemed innocent and curious in their own way, and how this strange drug changed everything about them. Maybe it only changed them, as people and only physically. Maybe there’s something deeper, more – dare I say – supernatural about what happens. All I know is this: I’m not taking that drug.

Kipp’s direction leads your eyes to where they should be and it never felt disjointed. The calm portions were calm with a sense of foreboding and danger, and the drug-fevered sections were appropriately chaotic. Cult film figure and producer Alan Rowe Kelly has a memorable turn as the drug dealer, portraying him with sinister androgyny. Both Chlanda and Davis work well together onscreen, but I was especially struck by Chlanda’s performance – her terror, affection, and curiosity were conveyed stunningly through her eyes. With no dialogue, those eyes had to show everything. And show they did.

I asked Kipp a few quick questions about Contact and here’s what he said:

Regarding what inspired the subject matter: “A dozen filmmakers were asked to contribute to a Halloween film festival in downtown New York entitled Sinister Six -- and my contribution was Contact. A few years ago, I made a film about an underground drug entitled The Pod, but wanted to push the material further. I wanted something graphic, iconic, where each scene relied on visual elements to create tension, and my starting point was a body horror image of faces melted together. But I was also inspired by the rehearsal process involving my lead actress Zoe Daelman Chlanda. She has a unique charisma I wanted to tap into; I wondered what would happen if I used her as an iconic presence in the movie, immersing her in a nightmare world of romance and mystery."




Regarding the thought of a feature film along the same lines: “Perhaps, but I have other feature length narratives I would like to share that are closer to the front burner, such as a monster movie that I'm very keen on putting together. I would love to revisit the material of The Pod and Contact again, but to make it even more abstract, visually provocative and only 60 seconds long, in hyper-saturated colors with distorted images and a camera that is non-stop in its relentlessness.”

Regarding if we’ll see more from these characters: “I think artists wind up repeating the same stories over and over and over again. The character Zoe plays in Contact is not too far removed from the curious 10-year-old boy who was the hero of a movie I made a few years ago called The Christmas Party, where a child is dropped off at a holiday party run by Christians, and he finds himself within a conversion process that is both enlightening and brutal and mysterious. I'd like to believe we have not seen the last of these characters, since the actor playing Zoe's boyfriend (Robb Leigh Davis) said that after the movie is over, he will never stop searching for her. Maybe someday he will find her.”

A big thank-you to Jeremiah Kipp for taking the time to answer! You can view Contact at this link and watch, judge, and interpret for yourself.

And remember, fellow survivors, getting high during a zombie apocalypse might be fun in the short run, but one bad trip can make you a delicious entrée.

The Call of Cthulhu (2005)

I've been a fan of H. P. Lovecraft's stories and mythology for some time, I have to admit. His style of writing - obviously termed "Lovecraftian" - has influenced countless writers, including yours truly. A story I once wrote for a writing class at Florida State called "To Walk Again On Wicked Ground" was directly influenced by ideas he brought forth. On a much grander scale, one can see Lovecraftian nuances in the wonderful (I think, anyway) Cloverfield. So, when I heard about the short film, The Call of Cthulhu, and how it was presented, I had to post it high on the ol' Netflix queue.

Made in 2005 and distributed by the H. P. Lovecraft Historical Society, it's filmed in black and white (a technique they call Mythoscope) with only a musical score for sound. It's based on Lovecraft's short story that bears the same name and is pretty faithful to it, with a few changes here and there. I gotta say, the changes didn't bother me all that much. I took this film as a 47-minute chunk of fun that pays respect to the source but carves out an identity of its own through its sheer imagination.

In the film, a man in an asylum relates a story to his therapist about delving into a mystery that his great-uncle investigated before dying. He traces clues that show a relation between a massive earthquake, a murderous cult, an artist's disturbing dreams, and a horrifying incident that claimed the lives of sailors on a mysterious, uncharted island. When the man reads the diary of the only man who survived the incident, a Norwegian sailor named Johanssen, the horror of what is on the edge of the world is revealed bit by bit. The ancient Old One, known as Cthulhu, had awakened and just the sheer knowledge that it's out there drives the main character mad.


That was always the hook for me in Lovecraft's fiction. What was there, but not seen. He hints at things, but rarely ever shows them. Many characters go insane just from seeing a fraction of what monsters lie on the other side of a very thin wall between dimensions. It isn't in-your-face horror. It's sneak-up-on-you-and-blow-your-mind horror. Madness and horror go hand-in-hand...read a little Lovecraft and see how.

Brrr.



Almost scarier than that group of zombies I just saw surrounding the library downtown. Keep clear of that, if you can. Maybe they'll move on. In the meantime, I'll go land this bird and get ready to watch the next horror film in my stack, George A. Romero's 1973 film, The Crazies.