RATING SCALE: = 0.5- 2.5- EXTREMELY POOR , 3- 5= POOR TO AVERAGE, 5.5- 7.5= GOOD TO VERY GOOD, 8- 9.5= BRILLIANT TO NEAR FLAWLESS (I DON'T BELIEVE IN 10'S)
Turn is a brand new 6 minute Horror short, Written and Directed by Jerry J. White lll. Turn sees young traveler, Michael (Taylor Piedmonte from Jack Ketchum’s “Offspring”) get more than he bargained for when he rents a room from a woman (played by Becca Scott) while abroad.
THE GOOD
Turn begins with Michael at the apartment, meeting the owner and officially being welcomed in. They’re quick with the pleasantries and she informs him that she’ll be home late but will do her damnedest not to disturb his sleep. All seems to be going normal on his first night under her roof, that is, until something goes bump in the night. The brief audio track was quite clear and Kenny Keeler’s framing and camera work looks nice. There’s some gentle zooming and panning, which includes a rotation that starts by looking down and out of the window and finishes at the top of the stairs in the apartment. I thoroughly enjoyed the direction this little quickie took.
THE BAD
I felt as if through some of Taylor’s eye line focus toward the climax, White was trying to hint at something of importance in the photo frames hanging in the hall, though nothing ever came of it. Whilst I got a kick out of the eventual reveal, I was a little disappointed to not get some visual satisfaction (though that could simply be due to budget restrictions). Turn is also without a score which I found somewhat puzzling given the nature (but each to his own).
Turn was a memorable short film lucky enough to be featured as one of DreadCentral.com “Trick or Treat” videos for the Halloween period. It’s a technically polished product that manages to entertain and sustain some suspense even without a score. Despite it lacking a couple of personal preferences of mine, I thoroughly enjoyed this treat and I think you will too. You can watch the short by clicking on the link below, Enjoy!
Firstly, I’d just like to say thank you to Producer, Eric Sonnenburg for allowing me early access to the German, Action/Crime/Comedy film “Schneeflockchen” aka “Snowflake”, Written by Arend Remmers and Directed by Adolfo J. Kolmerer. Snowflake is a Tarantino/ Kaufman esq inspired crime film set in Berlin in the not too distant future. Self appointed brothers, Javid and Tan (played by Reza Brojerdi and Erkan Acar respectively) are on a mission to hunt down the man responsible for the destruction of their homes and the eventual death of their families. The two men stumble upon a screenplay written by a man named Arend (Alexander Schubert) and quickly realize the seemingly innocent dentist is now in fact in control of their destiny. Thus entangling them in a vicious circle of revenge that involves an orphan (played by the lovely Xenia Assenza) and her bodyguard (David Masterson), a couple of backwoods brothers in Bolek and Dariusz (Adrian Topol and Antonio Wannek), a superhero by the name of Hyper Electro Man (played by Mathis Landwehr) and Snowflake, an angelic singer (Judith Hoersch). The film also stars Gedeon Burkhard, David Gant, Eskindir Tesfay, Selam Tadese and Martin Goeres.
THE GOOD
Now I’m not sure how I initially came across Snowflake, but I recall seeing the trailer which evoked a number of similarities to some of Tarantino’s work, namely with its crime sub-plot and non-linear timeline. The thing that’s so nicely balanced with the nods in Remmers screenplay, and even more so with Kolmerer’s vision, is that while the inspiration behind it is clear, it’s still uniquely worked into the film and done so organically. There’s simply too much creativity on display here to divulge in one brief summary or review, and what’s so clever about this type of film is how challenging it is to get right. I’m not surprised this took three years to make, because Remmers is channeling two layers of a story within a story and had to get complete coverage for continuity sake. The action and revenge portion of the film takes its cues from underrated films like Joe Carnahan’s, “Smokin Aces” and even Troy Duffy’s, “The Boondock Saints” but the character interaction is often darkly humorous, much the same as in Tarantino’s writing, so all of that comes into play before the characters even start to tackle their own narrative. We’ve seen the struggle of the artistic process depicted in films like “Adaptation” and we’ve seen characters who don’t know that they’re characters, such as in “Stranger Than Fiction”, but it’s an entirely different complexity in the confines of a crime film. Remmers intention was clearly to highlight the struggles and frustrations of being a writer. Your desired tone, the back and forth on character arc, reaction based action, all of it. I’ve only just scratched the surface of script writing and I can already relate to those frustrations. Snowflake entertainingly presents both the comedy and the drama of those internal deliberations.
Despite Snowflake having been shot almost entirely on hacked DSLR cameras, Konstantin Freyer’s cinematography is unbelievably crisp and quite dynamic given the film’s budget and resources. Everything is nicely framed and there’s a series of great quick cuts during a sequence where Javid and Tan leave the kebab shop, throw their stuff in the car and drive away. There’s also a couple of wonderful aerial/overhead shots, the first, reveals the result of something that occurred earlier in the shop, and the second, a grand view of a long and wide staircase in Eliana’s apartment (the orphan girl). The audio levels are clear and the English subtitles interpreted correctly. Most of Snowflake is either set during the day or internal (so you don’t know it’s night) but all the lighting still looks good. The standout scene is with silhouetted light peaking through the blinds of Eliana’s apartment as she’s interacting with Carson (the bodyguard), that looked great. I have to commend Roman Fleischer on his score for the film as well. Sections of the dramatic score are effectively conveyed with percussion, but when the action hits, the desired vengeance is built with a low-fi electric guitar playing Morricone like western tones (Django Unchained and Once Upon A Time In The West). Snowflake isn’t as heavy on the action as you might think, but that’s not to say it isn’t without its havoc. There’s a well choreographed shootout in a bar during the second half of the film and there’s a fair share of practical blood spray too, though the best death involves the use of Javid’s chainsaw.
Snowflake’s ongoing film festival success can be chalked up to the quality of Arend’s script, as well as its colorful characters. This isn’t a film that relies solely on one plot detail or action set piece. Right off the bat we’re introduced to Javid and Tan, two young guys who are amidst an argument over the quality of food in the establishment they’re frequenting (a little Pulp Fiction about that). It’s clear these two have known each other a while, they’ve got a short hand resulting in plenty of good banter during their interactions over the course of the film. We come to learn that they’re looking for someone from their past. Then we pick up with the stunning, Eliana (Assenza) and her English bodyguard, Carson. After a short discussion on revenge regarding the deaths of Eliana’s parents, Carson decides to introduce Eliana to his father, Caleb (Gant), a self-proclaimed god who just so happens to know the right people (or wrong people if you’re that way inclined) to enact Eliana’s specific form of revenge. From there we’re introduced to a multitude of lively characters that include the previously mentioned Snowflake and a brother duo involved in cannibalism, as well as another couple of crazy killers and their robotic servant, and an oppressor from the past (Burkhard). There’s some fine casting in the film, particularly with Gant and Masterson as father and son, they really do look the part. There isn’t a weak link in the cast either, each of the performances are of a high standard regardless of previous experience. The characters are all equally as intriguing and you don’t quite know all there is to know about them until the mysterious dentist finishes the script.
THE BAD
Snowflake runs for almost two hours and unfortunately it does lag in a few places, even if only momentarily. I think it could have either carried a little more action (if the budget allowed for it) or perhaps should’ve been cut down by ten to fifteen minutes. The only specific plot point that annoyed me was that Dariusz was a mute, and therefore spent his screen time grunting like a pig, it was a little silly and I’d rather him not have said anything (thankfully it was minimal). Burkhard’s character “Winter” intermittently appears in an interview feed where he imparts his words of wisdom on the viewer. I was a little lost on that aspect of the film. Was it simply just a social commentary on highlighting the ways of modern society and that need for change, or was it all just another layer of the fictional story? I’m not too sure on that.
Snowflake is an ambitious German film, a labor of love built utilizing a miss-mash of genres presented in a non linear fashion. It eventually organically transforms itself into a meta representation of what it means to be a writer, all the while still keeping its firm hold on that Tarantino inspired flair. The cinematography is impressive, the audio clean and the lighting consistent across all scenes. Roman’s score is memorable and the practical effects and action are strong when they’re on show. I enjoyed watching each of the individual characters arcs and in turn the respective performances, particularly the Javid, Tan and Eliana characters. Caleb was rather theatrical and reminded me of Billy Connolly’s character from “The Boondock Saints”. Plenty of the others had their moment to shine as well. The film is a fraction long, causing it to lose a little momentum at times and I’m not entirely sure where the commentary fits. A few of the specifics were neither here nor there, but in the end Snowflake is intelligent and entertaining storytelling and I’m sure people are going to continue to lap up this style of film making. You can check the trailer out at the link below, be sure to keep an eye out for this one soon!
Firstly, I’d just like to thank the team at Uncork’d Entertainment for allowing me early access to an online screener of the new independent Horror/Comedy feature “Cute Little Buggers”, Written by Garry Charles and Directed by Tony Jopia. Cute Little Buggers is set in the English countryside during the lead up to the local village’s summer ball (weird right?). When a couple of aliens crash-land on earth looking to harvest women to help repopulate their race, the villagers, led by Melchoir (played by Kristofer Dayne), must band together to stop them. A task made all the more difficult when the beings start filtering through the town’s rabbit population. The film also stars Honey Holmes, John R. Walker, Sara Dee, Caroline Munro, Gary Martin and Stu Jopia. I like to go into certain films knowing next to nothing about them, but particularly with low-budget features. I’m not usually one to read reviews prior to watching them, because I want to keep an open mind and they can often be painted in a poor light, sometimes justifiably so and other times not.
I won’t beat around the bush, my interest levels started wavering fairly early on in Cute Little Buggers so I thought I’d do a little bit of IMDB browsing (while trying my best to keep one eye on the screen). What I did briefly read, was a mixed bag to say the least. One reviewer appeared to discredit the film in almost every way, giving it 1 star out of 5, but eventually went on to say he kind of enjoyed it (I suppose there’s that so bad it’s good kind of thing). At opposite ends of the spectrum you’ve got “Search My Trash”, where the review isn’t exactly glowing but Mike still manages to recommend it, suggesting a viewing goes hand in hand with a beer (or 10), I don’t know what to make of the review because I don’t think he’s ever given a non-favorable one, which indicates to me that he doesn’t like to scrutinize, and that’s unfortunately a part of a reviewers job if you’re doing it properly (albeit hopefully in a constructive manner). On the other hand, you’ve got Sue Finn of “The Movie Waffler” who says; quote “This is sexist, misogynistic, childish rubbish with porn level acting/screenwriting and direction that’s painful to sit through”. Fair enough, but porn’s not so bad, is it? Look, she’s entitled to her opinion, though something tells me that Cute Little Buggers wasn’t intended for her. There’s nothing wrong with being conservative, each to their own, but perhaps it’s the timing of the Weinstein claims prompting her concerns in regard to something that most people would consider in our nature (both men and women). She raises concerns with the objectification of the women in the movie, yet these lovely women/actresses chose to be a part of the film and obviously didn’t see it the same. If there were shots of shirtless men or their appendages on display would that have sufficed? Or would that then be the very same treatment toward us men? She does, however, make some good points about certain nonsensical specifics within the film, even if it is amidst telling us about her computer effects experience having outweighed anyone else’s whose attached to the film. I realized that the best thing I could do was get back to the film and hopefully be constructive with my critique.
Anyways, on with the review…
THE GOOD
Despite the sizeable chunks of obvious ADR (additional dialogue recording) scattered throughout the course of the film, most of the natural audio is pretty clear. The score is serviceable and the cheesy “porn” theme that plays during a couple of the raunchier scenes was fun. Shane Almeida’s cinematography starts out somewhat bland and the framing quite conflicting, but it does get better as the film rolls on, and is in fact probably the best technical aspect of the film. I wasn’t able to find many positives in the CG but I think the opening shots of the spacecrafts in the fog laced woods, looked surprisingly good. There’s a lot of characters in Cute Little Buggers, most of whom I could take or leave, but the extremely cute, Eva (Rebecca Silverstein) who appears only all too briefly during the festivities, makes for a nice watch. So to, the hunter/ “old scholar” (don’t remember the character’s name or the actor) but his line delivery was a good bit of fun. Props to Tony and Co for giving the viewer a couple of early kills (within the first 10-15 minutes) and they do look okay. The highlight is certainly the gory aftermath of an unlucky tourist whose been disemboweled during an encounter with one of the rabbits. On the downside, the guys fake accent was laid on thicker than the blood itself (thankfully he didn’t last long). That said, I remain envious of him, if for no other reason than the fact that he had some form of human contact (as a character and an actor) with the best thing in this film, the jaw droppingly sexy, Dani Thompson who plays “Becca”. The characters got a bit of sass and attitude, so in turn does Dani. Thompson’s screen time is scarce but memorable to say the least. She’s in wonderful physical shape and there’s some brief nudity on display. Apologies to Sue Finn for those of us who enjoyed that aspect of the film….
THE BAD
An effects heavy, “Hot Fuzz” by way of SyFy channel inspired creature feature made on 25,000 pounds is always going to have its issues, both from a technical standpoint and in quality. The screener I was sent had a rather large copyright waterprint mark in the centre of the screen and it remained there for the entire 105 minute running time. I understand more than anyone, that in this day and age, the need to keep your work secure from piracy and other illegal activity is of the utmost importance, but it could have been a smaller less distracting mark for those of us trying to critique everything in the frame. I already mentioned the countless patches of ADR, though I’m not sure why a lot of the natural audio wasn’t used, after all, the location seemed relatively contained. Another audio issues was with the static radio used between Hitchins (Dee) and the Chief Inspector (David G. Robinson), which became rather pitchy and annoying. Some of the framing was uncomfortably close at times, especially in the first act, as well as their being plenty of inconsistencies in the lighting. With something like Cute Little Buggers, you can forgive a lot of the rough around the edges stuff (well a lot of us can) but the writing has got to be good, particularly in this specific sub-genre. The big issues here is the comedy element of Cute Little Buggers, or lack there of. It’s simply just not very funny. I lot of the dialogue is poor to begin with, the one liners fall flat and there are mistakes in it too. One character makes reference to “The American Outback”…. not sure what that is? That would be the “Australian Outback” or the “American Wild”. Then there’s the fact that the two aliens (or more accurately, guys in costume) understand certain lesser known words of the English language but don’t know what the common words mean. They’re aliens, aren’t they meant to be a superior race? I’m not sure if either the young girl or guy engaging in adult activity in the barn realized at any point that the guy’s pants weren’t actually down.. seriously guys c’mon. This is what Sue from the Movie Waffler is on about (haha). When you’ve got Dani topless, you’ve gotta at least remove the guy’s pants and make it look somewhat real, either that or don’t frame him at all and just imply it.
Is anyone going to talk about the casting? I’m not talking about the acting (which is sub-par yes), I’m talking about the reliability of these characters and their relationships. Cute Little Buggers is quintessentially English, or at least it supposed to be, yet there’s a smorgasbord of varying accents and ethnicities in this little village, what are the odds? The casting of a very European, Kristofer (who has his own thick accent) to play Melchoir, the son of an English farmer, is a head scratcher for sure. The guy’s name is Melchoir for god sake, and his love interest, despite having lived in the town her whole life, doesn’t exactly sound English either. Nearly all the secondary characters are instantly forgettable, mostly because they’ve either amped their performances up to eleven and it feels ridiculously over the top (even for a film of this nature) or it’s too scripted. Sue referred to certain members of the cast as “appallingly bad”, and while a majority of the performances were far from good, I try to distance myself from personal attacks because they don’t really serve any purpose. Constructive criticism is often the best method to helping people improve their craft and they’re usually much more receptive to it. Even with the vague as hell plot details and all its bad blunders (and there’s plenty of them), some of this still could have been salvaged if not for the horrendous CG in the climax of the film. Jopia gets it half right by delivering a pretty hectic bloodbath of an action sequence during the final act. The carnage is great, but the problem is that the effects aren’t. They’re not even close. The digital rabbits and their tentacles look as if they were created in paint. Now, I’m not sure how you go about blending practical and computer generated effects, or if it’s even really possible to do so successfully on a budget of this nature, but it’s got to be better than this. Audiences would rather see puppets than the endless cheap onslaught of what Cute Little Buggers dishes up. What’s more frustrating is that these guys had some practical effects at other points throughout the film, so what the hell happened after that? If you’ve shown that you’re capable of practical blood spray and gore you can’t stray from that and not expect to be criticized.
Cute Little Buggers is one of those films aimed at a very specific fan base of people who enjoy low-budget cheesy films, and I’m usually one of them (for the most part). This tries to draw on the small town vibes of “Shaun Of The Dead” and “Hot Fuzz”, with the alien sub-plot feeling a little like “The Simpsons” episodes where the two aliens come to Springfield. Only in this case imagine they were after just the women. The cinematography isn’t too bad, the effects are okay in patches and even the blood and gore serviceable when it’s conceived practically (which is rare). A couple of the performances were alright too, though it’s mostly that I liked Eva and the old bloke. Most of the technical stuff won’t bother the masses, but the poor writing, the skewed casting choices and a good number of the performances will. It’s the extensive reliance on incredibly poor digital blood and effects work that’s going to be the biggest downfall for Cute Little Buggers. Jopia could have improved the film substantially by cutting it down to around 75 minutes, because 105 feels like an eternity. Done away with half the characters and the worst of the worst effects, and it’d have made it far more watchable. As it stands, Dani Thompson is the best thing about the film and unfortunately the November 7th VOD release date appears too soon to be able to rectify what is. Still, if you like cheesy creature features you may find something in here that a lot of us couldn’t.
I’d just like to start off by saying thank you to first time Writer, Clarissa Jacobson for allowing me access to an online screener of her 19 minute Horror/Comedy short “Lunch Ladies”, Directed by J.M Logan. Lunch Ladies centers around two passionate Johnny Depp fans who are burnt out on their lunch gig at the local high school. When hyperactive, Seretta and cool, calm and collected, LouAnne (played by Donna Pieroni and Mary Manofsky respectively) win a contest to cook for Depp himself, they must find a way to deal with the demands of the school principal (Chris Fickley) and Alexis, the head cheerleader, (Daisy Kershaw) all the while trying to come up with the money for the plane ticket to Johnny. I try to avoid reading detailed reviews where I can, but I had heard some good things about Lunch Ladies and was happy to bemet with a warm reception by Clarissa. Lunch is served!
THE GOOD
Right from the opening car ride shared by Seretta and LouAnne, I had similar feelings toward their pairing and that of the Morgan brothers duo in the underrated Horror/Comedy gem, “100 Bloody Acres” (filmed in my home state) *see review* https://adamthemoviegod.com/100-bloody-acres-review/. The dynamic between the characters comparable, as well as the representation of the contrasting personalities. The audio track is clear and Chris Ekstein’s cinematography looks great. Everything is nicely framed and pretty well-edited. The shot choices are fairly simplistic but everything works, particularly the external placement of the camera for the shots during the opening car ride. The fx team on Lunch Ladies did a wonderful job of the continuity and the practical effects and prosthetics. The most graphic scene sees a lot of blood spray as the duo run body parts through the grinder (once again, much in the same fashion as the Morgan brothers do). The one on-screen kill looks fairly tame but those aforementioned after effects are impressive. There can be no doubting that Antoni March’s grand score (and just his second time composing at that) is not only the best thing about Lunch Ladies but it’s perhaps the best thing about any film this year. Taking cues from the iconic, John Williams (Home Alone and Indiana Jones) and Tim Burton’s masterful composer, Danny Elfman (Beetlejuice and Edward Scissorhands), March fuses a multitude of quirky tones to convey a really off-beat brand of “homedy” (see what I did there). I hear plenty of my childhood in David Newman esq sounds (The Sandlot and The Flintstones), as well as the modern flare of something like “La La Land” *see review* https://adamthemoviegod.com/la-la-land-review-2/. I absolutely love this score encase you couldn’t tell!
THE BAD
Both Pieroni and Manofsky handle their roles quite well but I’d be lying if I said that I liked both of the characters. Lunch Ladies being what it is, maybe you’re not necessarily supposed to like either of these women all that much. LouAnne is a little more relatable because she’s trying her best to figure out how the plan will come together, she’s quick on her feet and level-headed (sort of). Seretta is unbelievably and dramatically over the top, I’m not sure someone like LouAnne would ever be friends with her in the real world, but opposites attract I suppose. Seretta’s only got one gear, so in turn Donna’s correlating performance does wear a little thin mid way through proceedings. My only other complaints were that the film was fairly light on both the horror and comedy aspects. I would have liked to have seen a couple more kills and a better, wittier back and forth between the two women (though I did like them referring to Johnny as “The Depper”).
Lunch Ladies is a very “American” Horror/Comedy short that serves its purpose productively and ended up reminding me a lot of our home-grown talent, “100 Bloody Acres” (just in the short format). The audio, camera work and special effects are all really well conceived. Donna and Mary do a solid job of their respective roles, and the Johnny Depp aspect within the comedy is quite amusing. Antoni’s score is absolutely outstanding and reason enough alone for me to revisit the film again in the not to distant future. Despite being surprisingly light on kills and laugh out loud moments, it entertains for the full run time. The only downside is that Seretta becomes a little grinding as the film rolls on. Even with its issues, Lunch Ladies is thoroughly enjoyable and deserves much of the praise its receiving across the film festival circuit. Keep an eye out for this one soon!
Firstly, I’d just like to say thank you to Writer, Tyler Schwartz and Director, Stellan Kendrick (Goodnight, Gracie) *see review* https://adamthemoviegod.com/goodnight-gracie-review/ for allowing me access to an online screener of their 10 minute Crime/Thriller short, “String!”. String is a short film inspired by classic radio dramas and film/noir of the 40’s and 50’s. Hollywood. A struggling young actress. Isabelle Storseth (played by first timer, the lovely Kelly Baker) has turned to thievery to get by, fleecing men with her charm and beauty. She finds herself caught in a dangerous and potentially fatal game of life and death with her latest mark, Benjamin Carney (Brad Goodman) aka “The Mulholland Strangler”. The film also stars Stellan Kendrick, Chantalle Williams and Chen Chen Julian. (Excuse the poor resolution poster it was the only one I could find).
THE GOOD
There’s seriously nothing better than a modern dose of stylish film/noir, though it’s all too rare these days. Once the most aesthetically appealing foundation for the crime genre, film noir has since fallen by the wayside in recent years, with Hollywood choosing to market busier looking features and main stream cinema. So it should come as no surprise that even a short film like String comes from a first time writer (whose probably a die-hard fan of the genre) and will most likely remain under valued. Interesting to see that DP, Mimi Cindy Phan made her film debut on String! as well. The promise of elegant cinematography has often been the main selling point of film noir and that’s quite the torch to bear for one whose new to the business. That said, Phan’s framing is lovely and there’s a series of really sharp close-ups. My favourite shot is in the beginning where she employs gentle zooming on a murder taking place inside a vintage car. The lighting and music are two other key facets of the genre, both of which I was incredibly pleased with here. There was some nice colorful back-lighting during the bar scenes and Del Engen’s wonderfully composed blues/jazz score oozes of Hitchcockian-like atmosphere. Engen adopts french horn, strings and flute all of which are prevalent in the genre. The performances are of a high standard and Goodman brings the heat. As a raw actress, not only does Baker’s beauty and character attire look the part of the femme fatale, she delivers an even performance to boot.
THE BAD
Now I’ll admit, I don’t think it’s stated anywhere when String! is set (though if I recall correctly I think Isabelle uses a semi modern phone), but for a film of this nature I expected some of that corresponding noir dialogue and we never really got it. A couple of the effects were a little weak, namely the CG with the light bulb exploding and Goodman’s eye makeup toward the end of the film, which doesn’t quite look right. The script plays pretty straight though that’s usually to be expected, but Isabelle makes it a little too obvious that she’s hiding a weapon to use on Carney and I thought it was unlikely that she wouldn’t have checked the envelope before agreeing to the terms.
Being a cinephile and someone that’s interested in the entire film making process, I’m a sucker for films like “String!”. Reminiscent of a number of film noir gems and Hitchcock’s work, crossed with something like “The Hillside Strangler”, String! is an aesthetically pleasing and entertaining short. I love the cinematography, the lighting is effective and Del Engen’s score is reason enough alone to give this one a look. Goodman gauges Benjamin’s seedy nature really well and I was really surprised with Kelly Baker, she’s gorgeous and delivers a nice consistent performance. There’s a couple of minor inconsistencies and one or two script specifics that I thought could have been handled differently but this is Schwartz’s first writing credit, so with that in mind, he’s done quite the job. String! is a blast and is a must-see for fans of film noir (I just wish there were more of us out there). I’ve seen two of Kendrick’s shorts now and been impressed with both so I can’t wait to see what he does next.
Firstly, I’d just like to say thank you to Writer/Director, Andrew Ionides for allowing me access to an online screener of his 8 minute Horror/Thriller short, “The Quiet Zone”. The Quiet Zone is a self-contained short about Ella (played by Jessica Bayly), a late night commuter who encounters a disruptive passenger on her train carriage. After initially fleeing the ever-growing exasperation, Ella finds herself fighting for her life while trapped in the station with someone or something. The film also stars Kasey Iliana Sfetsios.
THE GOOD
Films set on-board trains have long made for interesting viewing, at least the ones I’ve seen. There’s been classic stories like Agatha Christie’s, “Murder On The Orient Express” and Hitchcock’s, “Strangers On A Train”, all the way through to indie entries like, “Night Train” and “The Midnight Meat Train”. The Quiet Zone is a snappy and isolated tale, far removed from the usual murder mystery stories but equally as enjoyable. The audio track is surprisingly clean considering the location and its probability for unpredictable reverb. Richard Keyworth’s score works a treat, as he uses subtly an eerie sounds to create a sense of unease. In the beginning, he works plenty of bass into the mix to correlate with Ella’s growing annoyance with the passengers relentless noise. The lighting is decent but it’s the faintly back-lit scene mid way through that really stands out, in which Ella stands in the belly of the station in the shadows trying to decipher whose following her. The attention to detail in Bayly’s makeup, and in turn, Ella’s was something that really stood out. We’re introduced to her while she’s in a scramble marking what appears to be work documents and such. She looks over worked and run down, heavy under the eyes and you certainly wouldn’t have a hard time believing that she might have a skewed perception of things, I liked that touch. There’s a nice looking prosthetic piece and some blood and gore on display too.
THE BAD
There’s a couple of focus lapses in the early part of the film and I personally wasn’t a huge fan of the handheld guerilla style approach to the cinematography (but each to his own). Jarring movements if they’re not representing something that supposed to jar you, come off as amateurish. In the case of The Quiet Zone, several shots look good and others are a little so-so. The film’s premise is rather odd, particularly the idea of having a “quiet zone” on a train. I’m not sure if that’s a real thing or not? I find it hard to believe that it would be, given that you couldn’t possibly monitor that. I liked the plot development revealed half way in but I’m not sure how Kasey played two different characters, maybe I missed something. That aspect may have been part of Ella’s deceptive mind and I just didn’t see it like that.
“The Quiet Zone” is Andrew Ionides fourth short film but my first venture into his work and I was surprised with the end result. I’m partial to the train station locale and Andrew impressed with his ability to pull something like this off on minimal funds. The audio is clean, the score builds tension, and the lighting is moody, especially in the second half. The acting was good and the viewer has a clear read on Ella’s state of mind on this most unfortunate of nights. Some of the specifics weren’t completely clear and I’d have preferred to see a more cinematic approach to the cinematography. The Quiet Zone is an entertaining and effective little chiller that you should definitely board when it hits the station!
Firstly, I’d just like to say thank you to Writer/Director, Paddy Murphy for allowing me access to an online screener of his 12 minute Exploitation/Crime short, “Retribution”. Retribution is set in Ireland amidst the ongoing criminal underbelly of the catholic church. A vigilante biker (played by Adam Moylan) sets out on the streets at night to rid the city of its most vile sinners. Top of his list, a priest named Argyle (Nicholas Vince from Nightbreed). The film also stars Nigel Mercier and Paddy Murphy. I recently saw Murphy’s debut feature-length film “The Three Don’ts”, which was another Crime/Drama film set in Ireland. Whilst it wasn’t really for me, I’ve been keen to check out some of his shorts. He’s impressively chalked up a number of film credits in a short space of time (under 4 years to be exact).
THE GOOD
Retribution plays like a love letter to the Exploitation flicks of the 70’s and 80’s. A revenge fueled biker tale entrenched in the world of organized religion and aimed at those who pray on other people’s weaknesses (or naivety to be more accurate). I’m selective when it comes to these particular films, you often have to be in the right mood for them. I’m digging the artwork which is reminiscent of films like “The Punisher” and “Drive”. Retribution opens with a passage of “Boondock Saints” like narration, introducing the viewer to the world that the mysterious biker is at war with. Barry Fahy’s camera work and framing are generally quite good, the best shots coming while the biker is in transit. Considering the estimated 2,000 pound budget, I was impressed with Murphy’s ability to procure empty streets and shoot those riding scenes professionally. The neon blue and purple lighting that’s applied in the bar scene looks great and the pulse pounding synth score by David Malcolm is perhaps the best component in the film. He uses a series of low-end piano notes in threes to build the suspense but the synth is ever-present in the mix. All in all the performances are decent, particularly from Moylan and Vince, who share the most amount of screen time. Being a revenge orientated short, there are some on-screen kills, some of which are better than others. The most memorable involves a toaster and some solid practical blood and gore.
THE BAD
I noticed a few minor issues in several technical aspects of the film but that’s to be expected in low-budget independent film making. There’s a few moments where the camera loses focus briefly and the audio seems a little low in places. Most of the edit works well but I wasn’t a fan of the rapid cuts toward the end of the film during the representation of the biker’s life. It hazily depicts abuse he endured as it all flashes before his eyes. My only complaint with the acting was the complete lack of reaction from the girl (played by Courtney McKeon) who witnesses the biker killing a man. I’m not sure if she was supposed to have been drugged or something but there’s no way you wouldn’t react in that situation (the writing could be to blame as well).
Paddy Murphy’s, Retribution makes no apologies for its formulaic revenge soaked exploitation framework. Clearly inspired by the likes of the aforementioned, “The Punisher” and even films like “Mad Max” and “Torque”, Retribution is a welcomed addition to the sub-genre. Being an atheist I do get a kick out of this attack on the church (albeit in a fictional sense haha), I like the narration, the presentation and the heavy synth pumping soundtrack. There’s effective lighting, a couple of good kills and the performances are mostly solid. The film isn’t without its lapses in technical professionalism and I didn’t love the editing during the climax. If you’re a fan of these particular vigilante films and exploitation of the 70’s and 80’s but maybe you don’t want a full 90 minutes of it, Retribution is your best bet. I enjoyed the hell out of this one and I’d love to see Murphy come back to it again.
Firstly, I’d just like to say thank you to Funky Pretty Pictures and Co-Writer/Director, William J. Stribling for allowing me early access to his Comedy/Creature Feature “Bear With Us”. Bear With Us centers around Colin Dense (and no the irony is not lost on me), a hapless, love struck guy (played by Mark Jude Sullivan) who orchestrates an elaborate proposal via a trip to a cabin in the woods with love of his life, Quincy Adams (Christy Carlson Romano from The Girl In The Photographs). Joining the young couple are their respective best friends, Harry (played by Collin Smith) and Tammy (Alex McKenna). Colin’s somewhat secretive plan starts to fall apart when the foursome receive a warning on the radio about a bear loose in the area. This is just the first of a series of unfortunate events that place the group in a life or death situation. The film also stars Cheyenne Jackson (American Horror Story), Kevin Carolan, Curtiss Cook and Alice Ripley. The following review will be based upon my one viewing of the film (which was a few weeks ago mind you). Ideally I’d liked to have re-visited it before this write-up, but with limited time and an infinite amount of content to sort through, this will have to suffice.
THE GOOD
The aspect of Bear With Us that stands out most and perhaps separates Stribling’s “creature feature” from most others, at least aesthetically speaking, is Alex Gallitano’s black and white cinematography. Said foundation was initially what caught my eye, and from there I did some inquiring to learn a little bit more about the film. At the crux of Bear With Us lies an offbeat comedy amidst a creature feature. That said, the meta approach to the cabin in the woods formula mixed with the situational dark comedy, makes for an interesting, albeit, somewhat uneven blend. On Gallitano’s cinematography, it’s simple but smart and drives most of the films seemingly high production value. I love the handful of tracking shots, particularly the opening one that closes in on Colin and Quincy as they enter a restaurant for their anniversary dinner. All of the framing is neat and there’s intelligent editing where Raymond Fraser (the credited editor) utilizes some slick transitions, particularly in the first act. For the most part, the audio is natural and consistently clear in the mix. While I don’t feel that all Dylan Glatthorn’s score worked, I commend him on his ability to use bass to evoke similar tones to that of a Coen Brothers picture (some of their more light-hearted works). I found several of the quirky pieces of music extremely effective for matching the films desired atmosphere.
Each of the on-screen performances are more than serviceable. As a whole, the cast certainly have a mixed bag of experience, but everyone, at the very least ,has reasonable comedic timing. The two most consistently funny characters here are Harry (Smith) and Hudson (Jackson). Harry is Colin’s harmless and significantly less mature buddy. He’s the guy Colin bounces his ideas off of, and more importantly, he’s the only one who knows about the proposal, offering up his Aunt’s cabin for the big day. Collin Smith has got the feel of a Fran Kranz (from Cabin In The Woods) meets Tom Green (Freddy Got Fingered), and it works for him. The back and forth that develops between him and Sullivan makes for some good dead pan gags throughout the film. In a film called “Bear With Us, you’d expect plenty of bear puns but there’s also some funny situations that arise over the course of the film. Example being, Col will question Harry and he’ll reply with “I’ll spare you the details” (to then proceed to go straight into the details). The “This is a test, this is not a test” line got a good laugh, in addition to the repetition of “When did you have time for this?”. Most of the comedic highlights center around Smith in one way or another. I like that Writers, Russ Nickel and William Stribling seemingly take inspiration from a more dry sense of humor that comes out of the UK and Australia (rather than some of America’s in your face content and toilet humor). Christy and Alex get time to showcase their comic sensibilities in an awkward but funny intervention for Tammy. Cheyenne Jackson’s, “Hud”, whose a local hunter/tracker, comes in all guns a blazing, and in turn, Jackson runs with some of that sporadic delivery. The film is nicely set up and built around the differences between men and women in relationships. We get both sides of the conversation and I enjoyed the way it played out in tandem.
THE BAD
During the introductory credits there’s some random imagery of schools of fish swimming in a river (and some not so good-looking CG ones jumping out of the water), I’m not sure what relevance that had as a lead in. Maybe it was just a visual representation of the classic saying “There’s plenty of fish in the sea”, in regard to relationships and the Colin/Quincy dynamic. The film is not without its patches of ADR (additional dialogue recording), though that’s natural on independent films (even though I’m never going to be a fan of it). Some of the science fiction themed sound design threw me for a loop, given that all the events taking place in Bear With Us are grounded in reality. Once again, maybe it’s just a nod to the creature feature era and 50’s b movies, I’m not too sure. Speaking of creatures, I’m usually all for practical effects even if their incredibly cheesy (which they are here). In this case I’ve got to warn you that the bear is literally just a guy in a suit, and not a very convincing suit at that (which is fairly quickly revealed haha). If there was an inconsistency in the acting department it was the forced nature of Chief Ranger Stewart (voice over). I know the part was supposed to be played for laughs but I thought the dialogue was weak and translated poorly. A couple of semi insignificant points bothered me as well, such as the name Quincy, which sucked. Was it intentionally a horrible name to perhaps give the audience a little insight as to what type of girl she might have been? (e.g a ball buster) Each time Colin called her name out (or somebody else for that matter) it grated on my nerves…. I know that’s silly, but still.
There were a handful of other script specifics that I didn’t care for either. I can’t remember which character was involved, but at one stage someone bellowed out at the top of their lungs for what felt like forever. There’s an overly long, rather self-indulgent scene in which Hud boasts to the group about a tale of his heroics. Once again, I understand that the intention was to play it for laughs, but I personally just didn’t find it all that funny. There’s also a poorly staged, impromptu sex scene in the latter part of the film, it leads to a revelation between Harry and Tammy though it wasn’t really necessary and just feels perverse. Sullivan handles the lead role really well and looks quite comfortable in front of the camera but I found it difficult to have much sympathy for the guy. Most of the time he just comes across as a sap who wreaks of desperation, and therefore it’s hard to engage. Sure, his heart is in the right place and I suppose that’s somewhat relatable. It’s just that deep down you can see through the charade and she clearly isn’t in the same place as he is emotionally speaking, and that makes for more awkwardness than you’d care to witness. The film suffers from some average pacing in the middle act and by the time it’s drawing to a close you’ve lost track of where everyone’s loyalties lie.
Bear With Us is a quirky Comedy/Creature Feature presented in glorious black and white photography, seemingly for no other reason than its specific aesthetic appeal (but I dug it!). Nickel and Stribling’s script blends something like “Cottage Country” *see review* https://adamthemoviegod.com/cottage-country-review/ with the more recent “Better Watch Out” (to a lesser extent). I dug the camera work, the audio and a sizeable amount of the score. The performances are of a high standard, Harry and Hudson provide most of the films comedy and there’s enough funny puns and good one liners to keep you entertained. The first half of the film is tightly cut together but unfortunately it eventually loses its way. However, I do like the dynamic between the two pairs of friends, as well as the depiction of the differences between men and women in relationships. The opening credits were a little obscure, not all the music fits and the bear costume looks average to say the least (probably intentionally). Quincy annoyed me, sadly even the name did and the character on occasion too. Certain scenes wear out their welcome and some weren’t really required at all, on top of that, Colin is a difficult character to engage with and that can work against a film of this nature. Bear With Us certainly isn’t perfect, it stumbles here and there, and while it’s probably not the first of its kind that I’d go in for, I do think it’s a pretty well made product and certainly worth a look. Check out the trailer below!
I happened to stumble upon Venita Ozols-Graham’s debut 7 minute Horror short, titled “Used Body Parts” on Vimeo.com (streaming platform). Used Body Parts focuses on friends, Jenny and Scarlet (played by Brigitte Graham and Jordan Elizabeth respectively) who after stopping for gas in the middle of nowhere, end up in a fight for their lives when the owner (Tim DeZarn of “Fight Club” and “The Barber”) of the station reveals his disturbing operation. The film also stars Michael Villar (Carnage Park) *see review* https://adamthemoviegod.com/carnage-park-review/. Venita’s been working as an AD for well over 30 years, with her name attached to shows like “Star Trek”, “The X-Files”, “The Shield” and “Veronica Mars”. She’s now beginning to venture into writing and directing and it’s great to see someone from her TV background tackling Horror.
THE GOOD
Anyone who knows me knows I’m big on the dark horror content. Graham’s screenplay is built on the most basic of setups but it wears that familiar badge with pride. Those of you who enjoy a good gas station scene, and there’s been countless numbers of them (The Hills Have Eyes, Urban Legend, Cabin In The Woods or even Wild At Heart), will surely enjoy Used Body Parts. There’s a nifty introduction with the title credits appearing in the form of neon lights. Everything is nicely shot, well framed and smoothly edited and the audio track is loud and clear. Alexander Arntzen’s approach to the score is interesting as well, opting for high frequency sounds which are bound to jangle ones nerves, similar to that of the aforementioned “Hills Have Eyes” (06 version). The four performances are solid and the girls themselves are lovely. Fun fact, DeZarn (who reminds me of Lance Henriksen) also appeared in “Cabin In The Woods” in a very similar role (his agenda not far off as well). When the action hits it takes place in the blurred background of the shot, which I thought was a welcome change that worked extremely well. Fans of blood and gore will not be disappointed either. Graham utilizes practical effects and only some brief CG, also employing a great backdrop with which to showcase them.
THE BAD
My only minor complaint was the creative decision to have Jenny convey her text messaging through self-dialogue, rather than just showing the viewer the conversation on the phone. People only tend to voice what they are writing if they’re telling someone about it but not if they’re on their own.
Used Body Parts is now the third short film I’ve watched in quick succession and ended up being thoroughly impressed with. It’s also another one to come from a first time writer/director. I love the premise, the production value and the direction it takes with its conservative approach to the action. Practical blood and gore effects are always a positive and fans of the gas station setup are bound to dig it. I ask myself the question, How on earth am I going to rank some of these short films come the end of the year? Especially when they’re all so damn good! You can purchase Used Body Parts (though I wouldn’t recommend it, because well it’s just not sanitary is it?), I can, however, recommend this fun little horror short and you can rent/purchase it at the link here: https://vimeo.com/ondemand/usedbodyparts/202706115
Firstly, I’d just like to say thank you to DND Creations and Co-Writers/Directors, Dante Aubain and Danny Summonte for allowing me access to an online screener of their debut 10 minute Horror/Thriller short, “Mannequin”. In a quiet suburban neighborhood, a young man finds a mysterious package dropped at his doorstep. After doing some investigating he soon realizes the box may harbor something far more sinister than first thought. The film stars both Aubain and Summonte, who also combined as producers, editors and composers. Mannequin was a two-man shoot made on a shoe-string budget of just $150.
THE GOOD
Aubain and Summonte’s first screenplay carries a similar tone to that of David Sandberg’s “Lights Out”, as well as the criminally underrated “388 Arletta Avenue” from Randall Cole. One might draw the more obvious comparison to Richard Kelly’s, “The Box”, but other than the package itself, this one never ventures into the realms of science fiction. I was really surprised by the classy cinematography given that this was shot and edited by a couple of first-timers. Speaking of the edit, it’s smooth and I particularly like the series of shots in the kitchen which are cut together effectively. My favourite shot is a clever one looking back up out of the box. The audio track was consistent and the score perfectly implemented. I thought Danny’s themes were reminiscent of a number of the suspenseful scores used in TV’s “Buffy The Vampire Slayer”. In addition, this duo knows exactly when to employ silence in order to help build tension, it works wonderfully here.
THE BAD
On the technical front, Mannequin surpassed any expectations I had going in. That said, I do think that perhaps the lighting was a little dull in a few places. I thought that by and large, Danny’s performance was pretty good. My only criticism was that he seemed unusually upbeat considering the escalating situation, his dialogue delivery rather jovial.
Mannequin is the rarest of short films and I don’t mean that in the literal sense. It’s just that it’s a two-man show and a superb triumph given Aubain and Summonte’s lack of experience and budgetary constraints. The premise is unnerving, the cinematography sharp and the edit brings it all together for a ten minute creepy horror tale. I enjoyed the score and the eventual payoff. The couple of minor gripes I had were in the details but Mannequin is up there with the best shorts of 2017. Where will DND Creations go from here? I, for one, can’t wait to see what they do next! You can check out the film at the link below and I suggest you do. I’m off to watch it again!
Firstly, I’d just like to say thank you to Patricia at Chicart Public Relations, along with Writer/Director, Stellan Kendrick for allowing me early access to an online screener of his 4 minute Horror short, “Goodnight, Gracie”. Goodnight, Gracie sees 8-year-old, Gracie (played by Caige Coulter), a true believer in god, awaken to a loud bang downstairs late one night. With flashlight in hand, she approaches the top of the stairs, where below, she witnesses the shocking murder of her mother (Zoe Simpson Dean) at the hands of her stepfather, Billy (Courtney Gains of “Back To The Future” and “The Funhouse Massacre”) *see review* https://adamthemoviegod.com/the-funhouse-massacre-review/.
THE GOOD
Kendrick’s, “Amityville” inspired quickie touches on the notion of faith, and what role, if any, that ultimately plays in altering ones fate. At the very least, it illustrates the fact that it isn’t really important if what you believe is true or not, just that you believe it to be. Julia Swain’s camera work is simple but effective. Built on slick framing and moody lighting, the gentle transitions work wonderfully. My favourite shot is a low angle under the bedroom door looking at the shadowy outline of Billy’s feet. I enjoyed the brief suspenseful score and its appropriate spacing amidst the striking sounds of an axe impacting human flesh. The two key performances required high tension levels and both the experienced, Courtney Gains and young, Coulter, carry it well. Stellan is not afraid to showcase some fairly graphic practical blood and gore effects. The red on white backdrop during the action sequence caught me off guard (in the best possible way), and makes for some intense visual stimuli.
THE BAD
I only had one minor complaint and that was with a piece of the dramatic score that plays under the main theme, it felt like it clashed tonally speaking.
Stellan Kendrick’s latest short film, Goodnight, Gracie makes for a great introduction to a new and young filmmaker, albeit just a 4 minute glimpse. The cinematography is smart, the casting impressive and most of the score fits nicely. The gory action sequence is well worth your time and it will be interesting to see where Kendrick ultimately goes with this premise. Goodnight, Gracie is currently showing on the film festival circuit, so keep an eye out for this one soon and check out the teaser below!
Firstly, I’d just like to say thank you to Clint Morris of October Coast for allowing me access to an online screener of the new Crime/Horror film “Cold Moon”, Written and Directed by Griff Furst (Ghost Shark and Swamp Shark). Cold Moon centers around the Larkin family, who have a rich history of Berry farming in a sleepy town in Florida, where suddenly tragedy strikes. Grandmother, Evelyn (played by Candy Clark “Cherry Falls” and “Twin Peaks”) and her grandson, Jerry (Chester Rushing “Stranger Things”) after little help from local authorities and Sheriff Ted Hale (played by Frank Whaley from “Vacancy”), are left to their own devices surrounding the disappearance of their loved one, Margaret (Sara Bellamy). They must race to decipher the meaning of the paranormal presence that’s consuming the town before the mysterious killer strikes again. The film also stars, Josh Stewart (The Collector), Rachele Brooke Smith (Atomic Shark), Jaiden Kaine (TV’s Luke Cage), Robbie Kay (TV’s Once Upon A Time) and Christopher Lloyd (Back To The Future). Furst started his acting career ten plus years ago. Appearing in films like “The Hitchhiker”, “Boa Vs Python” and “Transit”. More recently he’s popped up in “The Magnificent Seven” and “The Founder”. Even spending time on shows like “Treme” and “Banshee”. Although he first directing in 07, it’s only now that he’s started accumulating quite a resume through releases on the SyFy channel with films like “Swamp Shark”, “Ghost Shark” and “Lake Placid 3”. Cold Moon marks Griff’s return to the paranormal sub-genre for the first time since 2011’s “Mask Maker”.
THE GOOD
I’ll be honest by saying that Cold Moon is perhaps the only film of Furst’s thus far, to potentially reach a wider audience when it’s finally released in limited theaters and on VOD (video on demand) on October 6th. SyFy does its bit by marketing to their core audience those low-budget creature features that I previously mentioned. Either you love them or you hate them. Okay, so that’s not necessarily true, there’s a lot of people out there that are indifferent when it comes to the cheese element. It’s important to know the film makers intent in order to best evaluate whether they’re the types of films you might like or not. The same could be said about the countless paranormal based flicks that line the shelves of the horror sections in any given store. Cold Moon is seemingly just another one of those examples, so I’m going to do my best to give the readers a constructive breakdown of what they’re in for. First and foremost, full credit must go to Casting Directors, Jaime Gallagher and Sara Wallace for their ability to get some genuinely talented people attached to Cold Moon. Despite its indicated budget of just over $3 million, signing stars like Lloyd, Whaley, Stewart, and even “Django Unchained’s” Laura Cayouette, is no mean feat. Your average movie-goer wouldn’t consider these actors to be of any great note (bar probably Lloyd, whose Doc Brown has now become permanently etched in the minds of audiences forever). However, for a cinephile like me, these are the caliber of actors I get the most out of watching.
It’s quite clear that Thomas Callaway’s thirty plus years of experience in cinematography gives Cold Moon most of its desired high production value. With over a hundred credits to his name and work in a number of different genres, Tom seems to have found his niche in the world of horror. Having shot films like “Smothered”, “The Wicked Within”, Buried Alive” and plenty of fan favorites like “Feast” and “Creepozoids”. He implements a series of nice gentle camera movements here. Utilizing tracking shots, wide shots and consistently good framing. The camera work is certainly the best technical facet of Cold Moon. The heavy reliance on bass in the score helped to generate the little suspense that there was. It was used to good effect but much too loud in the mix. Rachele Brooke Smith, who bears a striking resemblance to stunningly beautiful actress, Alexandra Daddario, certainly isn’t someone you’re likely to forget in a hurry. She’s bubbly and energetic from the moment she hits the screen, playing Belinda Hale, daughter of the Sheriff. Smith is gorgeous and sports a number of different outfits throughout the film, including a two piece bikini. Performance wise, she’s far and away the best actress but the southern accent feels a little heavy-handed at times. The underrated, Frank Whaley (a personal favourite of mine) turns in a rather reserved and uneventful performance, not that it’s not perfectly serviceable, but it’s just different from what we’re used to seeing. The visual effects team designed a few solid sequences, especially early on during a scene involving banker, Nathan Redfield (played by Stewart). He is driving home in his truck feeling a little dazed and confused when some frightening imagery confronts him. As the film wore on some of the CG wasn’t up to par though.
THE BAD
It’s not that often I find as many technical imperfections as I did in a film with this budget, and that’s before we even get to the storytelling aspect. There’s plenty of issues with the CG, lighting and most notably, the editing. Sometimes CG is warranted because it’s simply the only way to depict something that couldn’t be done practically. That being said, I have to draw the line at CG rain, that stuff is inexcusable (I’m 99 percent sure I saw it, if not I apologize but it sure as hell looked like it) Perhaps it might have just been a touch of Furst’s work with SyFy rearing its ugly head momentarily, I don’t know. What I do know is that Cold Moon is ultimately a paranormal orientated revenge film. Now, if I’m preparing for a creature feature marathon I’m expecting to see unnecessary CG water and high quantities of cheese, hell I’d even welcome it, but for this crew to not bother thinking outside the box to rig a water hose system up, or something similar somewhere in that 3 million dollars they spent, it’s just lazy lazy film making. A lot of the scenes are darkly presented, particularly those inside the cop station and the Redfield’s house. Griff had previously edited a number of his other films but with this one I think he might have lost a little perspective. The edit is often inconsistent and jarring. On one occasion the mysterious killer can be seen attacking and in the next frame his getting into his vehicle, there’s no transition or segue between shots. Another example, the opening act sees the disappearance of Margaret Larkin. Furst opts to intercut four or five times between scenes of her in a struggle with a hooded figure, and then shots of Evelyn and Jerry at the kitchen table followed by a surprise visit from Belinda. Trading locations in quick succession usually works fine if there’s a sense of tone, but the score idles between heavy bass and suspense blaring in the background while Margaret is being attacked, then to a Danny Elfman esq, quirky theme during a flirtatious moment between Belinda and Jerry, it just doesn’t fit the atmosphere. It’s funny, I didn’t pay the tagline “From the Writer of Beetlejuice” any mind until I realized much of the score sounded exactly like music from Tim Burton’s films. I love those films and scores but in the context of something like this, it fails on all levels.
A lot of the dialogue was dull, and in turn the pacing appeared to suffer overall. Making matters worse were the shortcomings in the specifics of the script (or maybe it was just that my attention span wavered). I find little things like setting the film in Florida but then shooting it in Louisiana, an unnecessary continuity issue when it comes to accents and such. In the greater scheme of things I understand it’s just a movie, but I’ve been to Florida, and they don’t talk with a heavy southern drawl like they do in Cold Moon. If you’re shooting in Louisiana just set the film there, it’s easier. Stewart, Smith and Clark are all guilty of over doing their accents and then you’ve got throw away performances like the wonderful Christopher Lloyd’s, where he has absolutely no accent to speak of. The one scene where he’s somewhat the focus, ends up being a complete waste because you can’t understand a single word he says. It’s kind of like Doc Brown doing a send up of Doc Brown, it’s painful to watch. The relationship between the Larkins wasn’t made clear initially. There was no exposition on the parents, I just assumed Evelyn was the mother but Jerry and Margaret didn’t remotely seem like siblings, it was all rather strange. There’s the odd continuity issue throughout the film as well, namely a line in which Evelyn says “Go, get out of here” (directed toward Sheriff Hale), yet when we hear the line Furst has already cut to an external shot of Hale by his patrol car, it’s bad timing. Unfortunately, Candy Clark’s performance was harsh and instantly forgettable. I’ve seen her do some solid work in the past but I think she found herself out of her depth in this role. The constant whaling of “Marrrrrrgggggaaaaarreeeetttt” is bound to be a talking point (though not her fault because of the script) as are the forced emotional reactions. Didn’t anyone think to raise a concern about the reactive performance while it was playing out on set? As the film drew to a close I had a lot of questions, but the answers probably wouldn’t have satisfied me regardless. What was the relevance of the sea snake, water snake (?? whatever the hell that thing was), What caused the paranormal behavior? What was the obscure vision all about? Why was he ultimately killing?
These days, and with so much content to get through, I try to avoid writing non-favorable reviews where possible. I understand a lot of time and effort goes into the film making process, but I owe an honest assessment to the work and try my damnedest to find the positives with the hope of helping creative types improve their craft (it’s all just personal opinion guys so don’t take this shit too seriously). Cold Moon feels like a mix of “The Wicked Within” and “The Ring” only it fails to deliver with any real conviction. There’s an impressive ensemble on display and the male performances are serviceable. Smith looks stunning and does her best to inject some life into her character, zesty to say the least. Callaway should be proud of his photography work, the bass orientated score was decent and certain moments in the visuals provide some much-needed life to proceedings. On the downside, most of the score feels out-of-place, the CG is either unnecessary or slowly declines in quality and Furst’s editing is untidy. I had no idea what purpose Christopher Lloyd served here and there were far too many sketchy details and unanswered questions by the time things came full circle. Griff showed his ace too early and killed almost all the suspense and Candy Clark’s performance was a disappointing struggle to endure. There are critics out there enjoying Cold Moon, so feel free to check out the trailer if you’re interested and you might find something in this one that I couldn’t. I’m hopeful Griff experiments with the horror genre again at some point and looks to improve the quality of his writing. I say bring on the next film from the SyFy channel, “Trailer Park Shark”. You can check out Cold Moon on October 6th.
Firstly, I’d just like to say thank you to Forte Pictures and Writer/Director, Andrew Hamer for allowing me early access to an online screener of his 8 minute Horror/Thriller short, “Three Skeleton Key”. The year is 1921. Just off the U.S coastline on the small island of Three Skeleton Key, a ship runs aground on nearby reefs after ignoring a lighthouse beacon. The lighthouse crew make a shocking discovery of something on board the ship. The film stars Robert Fleet (J.Edgar), Paul Rae (Texas Chainsaw 3D), Dan White and Greg Perrow.
THE GOOD
Hamer’s 1920’s framework is perfect for a concept like Three Skeleton Key. After all, I don’t know how frequent lighthouses figure into modern sea travel and navigation, so this may not have worked with any other parameters. The set design, character arcs and color grading all fit the structure accordingly. The audio track is sharp and the lighthouse richly lit. In addition, each of the exterior night shots look good as well. Aaron Grasso’s cinematography is what’s truly driving the high production value of Three Skeleton Key. The framing is slick and there’s a lot of gentle zooming and seamless transitioning between shots. The highlight is an exterior shot of the rising waters as the barge begins to draw closer to the reef. The dialogue is simple but sets the scene, and all four of the performances are natural.
THE BAD
While the visuals on display during the film’s climax are of a high standard (given the low-budget), the ending left me thinking “Was that all?”. Now that would usually be a good feeling to have in the confines of a short film (implying that you’ll hopefully see the filmmaker elaborate on the idea at some point), but sadly that wasn’t the case here. I thought Andrew might have opted for a “Lovecraftian” visual touch rather than the eventual outcome.
Three Skeleton Key is just Andrew’s second short film, and what a fine film it is. Atmosphere wise, it’s got a vibe of similar content from “The Outer Limits” and “The Twilight Zone”. The 1920’s aesthetics are fantastic, the performances are engaging and the cinematography is wonderful. I was really looking forward to seeing what the exodus from the ship was, but once it was revealed I was left rather stumped and let down, the only dampener on an otherwise great 8 minutes. Three Skeleton Key is a superb short and I look forward to seeing what Andrew does next. Keep an eye out for this one soon, it’s currently on the festival circuit!
Firstly, I’d just like to say thank you to AJ Feuerman of Gravitas Ventures for allowing me early access to the new Horror/Thriller film, “Ryde”, Co-Written by Kat Silvia and Brian Visciglia (the latter of which directed as well). Ryde is a modern-day thriller set amidst our current worldwide boom in technological advancements. We’re a social media juggernaut and Ryde is the latest app in transport services (the equivalent of Uber). It allows payment to be completed prior to your ride, and ultimately places your fate in the hands of a stranger that’s behind the wheel. Ryde follows a number of people across the course of their night in LA, namely young couple, Jasmine and Marcus (played by Jessica Serfaty and Ronnie Alvarez). The film also stars David Wachs, Claudia Funk, Kyle Thomas Schmidt and Veronica Loren. Ryde is Brian’s debut feature-length film and Kat Silvia’s first writing credit.
Casey and Jasmine having girl talk
THE GOOD
Kat and Brian’s script isn’t something entirely new but the technology theme has relevance in society, now more than ever. It’s not so far-fetched of a notion to think that in the hands of the wrong individual, your safety might be at risk. We pay it little attention but how much do we really know when it comes to the specifics? Do we seek clarification like we probably should? In reality, everywhere we look there are dangers and that’s the image Ryde ultimately works on. It’s a typical night at a local LA bar, Paul (played by David Wachs), deep in thought while slowly sipping from his wine glass, is approached by a gorgeous young woman, thus setting the nights events in motion. I can see the similarities with the opening of Franck Khalfoun’s remake of “Maniac” *see review* https://adamthemoviegod.com/maniac-2013-review/. The bright city lights, the bare streets and the psychology at play between characters. There’s a stylishly presented credit montage with synth backing it while someone takes their Ryde car through the automatic wash. Dawid Rymar’s 4K cinematography is extremely slick and drives the surprisingly high production value in what is essentially a low-budget film. The framing is consistent, the shot choices are neat and there’s some really smooth time lapses in the edit. My favourite shot builds some early suspense with an exchange between a close up on a characters feet and another person moving around in the bedroom. The audio track is nice and clear too. The films pacing is perfect, and at just 80 minutes it never feels stagnant. Fans looking for violence won’t be disappointed. There’s a surprisingly violent kill early in the first act, and one other kill in particular was extremely nasty and graphic with its aftermath of practical blood and gore.
Looks a little like the bridge used in “Drive”
Not only does Wachs play a lead character, he also helped compose the films stellar score with Scott Welch. Together, these guys have comprised an engaging, energetic and synth pounding soundtrack reminiscent of the aforementioned, “Maniac” and even Nicolas Winding Refn’s masterpiece, “Drive”. The score is like a character in of itself, and through that, helps generate most of the films suspense rather than relying on it through the action. The duo integrate some elevation into the score with guitar spikes on occasion, and there’s a wonderful three-note piano motif used throughout the film as a contrast to all the violence that occurs. What I like most about Ryde was Silvia and Visciglia’s desire to write even their secondary characters in a sympathetic but entertaining fashion. It’s quite rare in the horror genre to have every character entertain you, and more importantly, for you to care about each of their fates (okay so maybe not all of them haha). I think there was a distinct focus on Jasmine being presented as a strong and resilient girl, and that ends up paying dividends because you want her to break free from her troubles. Women are mentally strong, a lot stronger than men and they can endure a lot and that can be a powerful thing. Serfaty isn’t just simply your Jessica Alba meets Amber Heard stunning beauty (although she is), she’s got good timing and natural mannerisms that lend themselves to this kind of reserved role. The remaining featured female cast in, Valerie Lynn Smith, Claudia Funk, Chloe Catherine Kim, Lindsay Crolius and Veronica Loren are all easy on the eyes and deliver mostly solid performances too. Having watched the film a couple of weeks ago now, some of the specifics have gotten a little foggy. David Wachs is really the highlight of the film with such a controlled performance involving little dialogue. Even more impressive is that it’s not like he’s playing a disconnected, downtrodden “mamma’s boy”, Frank like character (Maniac). He’s a pretty boy. He’s got the looks and the charm and the ease with which to make people feel secure.
It’s a girls night out.
THE BAD
I couldn’t find any flaws in the technical side of the production and that’s extremely unusual for an independent low-budget film. I think barring a couple of flat reactions from Mary (played by Loren) in her emotional build up with Paul, the performances were satisfying. I’ve got the odd complaint with a few of the scripts finer points, namely the process with which the Ryde service works and the character arc of Marcus. I would have thought one would be required to input some personal details in order to take part as a driver in the Ryde program, such as name, drivers license, home address. Any number of those details so as to avoid any problems between drivers and passengers or the security liability that would surely go with a service like that. I don’t know a lot about it but that seemed like a stretch, or maybe there isn’t a thorough or legitimate screening process, and if that is the case Kat and Brian have stayed the correct course. At one point Paul takes action in an alley way after having eavesdropped on a conversation that eventually gets the better of him. You have to question whether he would do that so deep in the city with a high risk of being seen by someone. Marcus (Alvarez) was the only character in the film I didn’t like (I guess there’s always one) and this guy is the reason a lot of us get nowhere with women. I’ve never been able to understand why someone in his position (with a gorgeous partner so far out of his league) would continually act like such an asshole, I suppose life imitates art though. I can’t really fault the writing because this type of thing obviously happens in real relationships, but it irritates me when I have to watch it. The absent exposition behind our main character, as well as the lack of motive for his behavior, might bother the viewers that are looking for a little more clarity. I do think Paul’s introduction at the bar could have been delved into a little deeper, had him show a little more restraint in order to better set up the subsequent plot development. I didn’t expect anywhere near the level of violence I got in Ryde, but once it got going I couldn’t help but notice the missed opportunity to remove a characters head during one particular action sequence.
Care for a ride?
Ryde is a suspenseful cautionary tale that takes place through downtown LA, and boasts an impressive cast and crew led by a first time filmmaker in Brian Visciglia. It feels like a cross between Julien Seri’s French thriller, “Night Fare” and Jared Cohn’s, “Death Pool” (only much better) in the approach to its cold and calculated antagonist at the forefront of events. I dig the Maniac and Drive influences and the cinematography from Rymar deserves a special mention, primarily because logistically speaking this would have been a nightmare to shoot (due to the amount of external shots on the streets of LA). The audio is crisp, the lighting effective and the edit comes together seamlessly. The success of Ryde rests on its strong-willed and confident protagonist in Jasmine, while welcoming the addition of likeable secondary characters that you normally wouldn’t care about. Karl (played by Schmidt) is perhaps the most fun and pleasant character I’ve seen in a film this year. Nearly all the performances are great, there’s eye candy for both sexes (even some nudity) and the end result is unexpectedly visceral and violent. There’s a couple of great on-screen kills and some memorable practical effects. David and Scott’s score might just be the best one this year and it’s probably my favourite thing about the film. There’s a few drawbacks in the script, namely those couple of plot points that seem to stretch a little credibility. I really despised Marcus (although Alvarez was solid in the role) because I’d give my left kidney for a girl like Jasmine (or Jessica) and the guy couldn’t fathom what he had. Lastly, I would’ve loved to have seen a couple of the kills go that extra mile but I guess you can’t have it all. The trivial aside, Ryde might just be the best independent Horror/Thriller of the year. Keep an eye out for this one in limited theaters and on demand from the 15th of September! Check out the trailer below.
With this Thursday set to mark the highly anticipated theatrical release of the remake of Stephen King’s iconic “IT”, I thought I’d best watch and critique the original 1990 mini-series (which has sat in my collection for years). IT is the Film/TV adaptation of the 1986 best-selling horror novel of the same name. IT is told across the course of two different time periods, the 60’s and the 90’s. Set first in the 60’s in the fictional town of Derry, Maine, IT centers around seven pre-teen misfits that make up the self-proclaimed “Loser Club”. An evil entity primarily masquerading as “Pennywise The Dancing Clown” (Tim Curry) is believed to have been responsible for the disappearance of several local children. The only problems is that the adults either don’t remember or simply choose not to. So led by, Bill Denbrough (first Jonathan Brandis and then Richard Thomas) the group must band together and face their fears in order to stop the monster. The film also stars John Ritter, Annette O’Toole, Tim Reid, Harry Anderson, Dennis Christopher, Brandon Crane, Emily Perkins, Marlon Taylor, Seth Green, Adam Faraizl and Ben Heller.
How could anyone forget this image. We all float down here….
THE GOOD
I won’t beat around the bush, I’ve never been much of a reader (my sister on the other hand has read just about every book that’s been written). Even when it comes to the horror genre my interest wavers, and they say those who don’t read usually lack imagination and maybe that’s true, but for mine, I’ve always felt that visuals are more impactful than words, but to each their own. What I do know about King’s writing (via my father) is that he always aims to create really likeable and relatable characters, irrespective of if they’re kids or adults. I recall first seeing the poster art (and more accurately the same book cover) and that creepy clown image at an early age, probably 10 or 12, but it each time I saw it, it caught my eye. Of course I was told by my father and even my sister, that it was far too scary for a kid like me, and so I never did read IT (see what I did there). My introduction to King’s story comes with the viewing of this TV mini-series adaption, Written and Directed by Tommy Lee Wallace. I usually enjoy anything small town America, and that’s exactly what Derry is, a quaint little town. White picket fences, quiet streets, small stores and old movie theaters, accurately describe 60’s living (at least in my head). The green forested surroundings and creek bed in Derry make for some really nice camera shots throughout part one, and even in part two, though to a lesser extent. The sewer system where IT lives is probably the best portion of the set design. The makeup department did a wonderful job of bringing Pennywise to life and IT’s now an iconic look, recognizable to horror fans world-wide (in fact even if you’re not a horror fan you know it). Some of the visual trickery Pennywise draws on is presented in a resourceful way as well. There is some practical blood spray throughout the film but most of the violence is PG and only implied.
Something got their attention.
IT is well shot, and for the most part fairly tightly edited. Sections of Richard Bellis’s score evoke the appropriate sentiment, namely the carnival style music that usually plays when Pennywise is near. The casting department in Victoria Burrows and Mark Tillman, deserve the highest praise for their ability to find seven young actors that not only gel seamlessly together in a group dynamic, but are capable of delivering believable performances. Brandis has a couple of scene stealing moments that require some deep emotional stuff and I was impressed with what he delivered. Even more impressive was the duo’s proficiency in scouting almost all the right adult actors to play the respective characters 30 years later in part two of the story, set in the 90’s. In the 60’s timeline, The Loser Club is founded by stuttering middle grader, Bill (Brandis), whose brother Georgie (Tony Dakota) disappeared one day in the street while playing with his paper boat. Bill’s had a long-standing friendship with chronic asthma sufferer, Eddie “Spagetti” Kaspbrak (Faraizl), the nerd of the group. Ben Hanscom (Crane) is the new kid in town and joins the club after Bill steps in while Ben’s being bullied by 14-year-old local greaser, Henry Bowers and his buddies. Ben is sweet on Beverly Marsh (Perkins), a young girl who lives in the same neighborhood and who can usually be found hanging out with the group. Rounding out the club are the slightly older, Richie Tozier (Green) and Stanley Uris (Heller), one a joker, the other the silent type. The last member to join the club is young African/American, Mike Hanlon (Taylor) who also narrates parts of the film. Each of the young actors, and in turn their characters, are highly likeable and that’s mostly what makes IT compelling. The film works best when it’s alternating between timelines rather than when the focus shifts primarily to the group reuniting as adults. Nearly all the pairings are unbelievably well cast, and as they carry some of their core traits through timelines they are easily identifiable. Richard Masur and Ben Heller (playing Stanley) are perhaps the only two actors not quite as well cast.
Haha.
THE BAD
Firstly, regarding the films patchy digital effects work. I’m going to be a little more lenient on the poor CG, given that the film was made in 1990 and the evolution of computer technology hadn’t really hit at that stage. The hole that opens up in the locker room shower looks a bit like clay animation gone wrong and the filter used to represent characters seeing ghost like images of Pennywise in the moon (among other things) is pretty ordinary. While I enjoyed the carnival music, the remainder of Richard’s score is forgettable and that’s disappointing since this is supposed to be a horror film. It’s overly melodramatic where it’s not warranted and not suspenseful enough when it is. There’s a few weak acting moments from the secondary characters, in particular the early scenes involving Bill’s girlfriend, Audra (played by Olivia Hussey). In fact, even some of our leads are guilty of falling in an out of character momentarily. Despite what fans say about the film, a lot of the dialogue written for Pennywise is lame and comes off unintentionally funny (like a bad stand up comic) and that’s not what I want in a horror film. The infamous line “They all float down here” and all its variations are about all that Curry conjures up in the first chunk of the film (though that’s not on him). After seeing the trailer for the remake, I’m really hoping it’s only used a few times and not worn out like it is here. I think the 180 minute running time is perhaps 20-30 minutes too long, most of that coming in part two. As I said, when the focus switches to the Loser Club adults, the pacing suffers. It can be felt during the groups labored decision-making in the library regarding a way to stop Pennywise.
The club is all grown up.
I’m not at all well versed in King’s writing but I’ve seen a few of his film adaptations, enough to know that he deals mostly in Horror and Science Fiction. I’ve come to learn that the various worlds he creates often overlap and correspond to something else in another story. I can’t help but think he never really settled on a tone for IT, at least not in this film adaptation (though like I said I haven’t read the book). “IT” is said to be a monster, that much I know. The entity can use mind control, it can take the shape of a number of different things or people, even defy the laws of physics, specifics all of which are grounded in science fiction, fair enough. My issue is not necessarily the multi-faceted range of powers (for lack of a better word), but that a lot of it is just simply not scary. At first IT is established as a monster, often manifesting itself in the form of a middle-aged man dressed as a clown, and that is when the film is at its most raw. Much like any good horror film grounded in reality, the actuality is what drives the suspense. The club eventually see the energy in its purest form known as “deadlight”, brightness spawned from a giant spider glowing from the belly (though not giant in comparison to today’s CG spiders). There’s no tension during the climax because at the end of the day it’s a big, dopey glow in the dark spider and it didn’t have to be. The “deadlight” aspect backs my sentiments on IT channeling too much science fiction and not enough horror (it’s almost mismarketed). Bright lights that blind you or send you insane, correct me if I’m wrong but we’ve seen that in countless alien themed sci-fi films, haven’t we? It’s all a bit much and it eventually loses its way, made even worse by the closing shots of adult Bill riding a bike fast, resulting in his beloved Audra snapping out of her forced docile state, everyone living happily ever after. I mean come on…. The biggest issue with this 90’s made for TV film is that it’s just not scary. Curry’s performance is serviceable but he’s way too talky and any suspense it might have amassed, gets lost in the mix.
I’ll kill you all.
My expectations were fairly high going into this film adaption of Stephen Kings, IT, especially having heard fans praise Curry’s demented performance as “Pennywise”. This made for TV version ends up feeling much more like the coming of age drama of “Stand By Me” and “The War”, than it does a work of Horror. Cinematography and editing are generally solid and some of the set design and music complements the tone nicely. The strongest aspect of the film is its characterization of small town America and kids growing up via different backgrounds. All the characters are extremely likeable, the casting spot on and each of the performances are consistent. I’m a sucker for the dueling time periods, in particular all the content set in Derry in the 60’s. The towns idyllic existence juxtaposed with the evil that lurks in the sewers beneath, serves as a great premise for a horror story. The problem is, you’ve been misled because this isn’t a horror film. As a coming of age tale it’s more than serviceable, but the supposed horror facet fails to generate even a modicum of genuine suspense in the 3 hour run time. The Pennywise dialogue is rather ordinary, the digital effects are poor and the second part of the film fizzles out prematurely. Without having read the novel I’ve only got this entry to go off of, but it seems King has integrated an unprecedented mess of science fiction into a story that seemed destined for the horror status and it caught me off guard in a negative way. Curry’s performance is what it is but I, for one, welcome Bill Skarsgard and his new take on Pennywise with open arms. I think this modern telling of Kings book is finally going to deliver on what true horror fans want. As it stands, if you like your coming of age flicks, the original mini-series is well worth a look. Pure horror fans can probably skip it.
Firstly, I’d just like to start off by thanking first time Writer/Director, William Boodell for allowing me early access to an online screener of his 8 minute Horror/Drama short, “Born Of Sin”. Born Of Sin opens in a car park at the end of an afternoon out between, Father (played by James Henderson) and his young Daughter, Julie (Bella Anderson). Wanting just one more harmless drink, the man leaves his daughter to wait in the car. Little does he know the fate that’s in store for her on this particular evening. The film also stars Paula Lindberg and Patrick Jankiewicz. Boodell’s film background lies primarily in editing, having worked on popular TV comedy show, “My Name Is Earl”, as well as SyFy films “Battledogs” and “Sharknado” *see review* https://adamthemoviegod.com/sharknado-review/ and even more recently, Crime/Drama “Narcos”. Born Of Sin was shot in Los Angeles for an estimated $1,000.
THE GOOD
At its core, William’s script is a cautionary tale for all the parents out there, albeit a slightly farfetched one regarding the specifics (or maybe not so farfetched these days). Any who, rule numero uno, your children come first. The framing in Born Of Sin is solid and the audio track volume is nice and consistent. The use of ambient synth sounds in the score work quite well given the tone of the film. I’m not sure if it was intentional or not (or if it was even makeup) but young first timer, Bella Anderson looked really worn out and dark around the eyes during the shoot, perhaps even further highlighting the effect that her fathers addiction might have had on her. I was neither here nor there on Born Of Sin until the closing moments but in the end it won me over.
THE BAD
My complaint with low-budget short films is often the handheld approach to the camera work, as is the case with Born Of Sin (it’s just a personal preference issue). It seems that no matter how smooth you attempt to move or transition, it’s easy to experience focus issues and shuttering when you don’t have the equipment grounded or stabilized. Early shots in the car do bounce up and down a little and it’s a touch distracting. There’s one crucial scene missing from Born Of Sin, one which should have seen either the Father or Julie locking the car doors (especially because they even relayed that information) and unfortunately that does hurt the films credibility because it makes the events that follow far too easy to put into motion.
Boodell creatively uses his debut short, Born Of Sin to tap into every parents fundamental fear of something tragic happening to their child, and then he puts his own little exclamation point on it just for good measure. I think the relevant premise and its directional twist will be lauded by plenty of horror lovers and critics. I would’ve preferred to have seen a different method of presentation and the lead in to the key plot device written a bit smarter. All that said, this is a very impressive first film from Boodell and I look forward to checking out more of his work in the future.
Firstly, I’d just like to say thank you to Writer/Director, Pablo S. Pastor (Into The Mud) *see review* https://adamthemoviegod.com/into-the-mud-review/ for allowing me early access to an online screener of his 15 minute Horror/Thriller short, “Bye Bye Baby”. Bye Bye Baby is a stylish home invasion setup centering on a young woman (played by Karina Kolokolchykova) whose spending the night at home watching movies. She gets a phone call from a friend, and shortly after, strange things start happening in the house. Is it all in her head or is someone in the house? The film also stars Pilar Pintre, Lucia Amargo, Noa Sanchez and Nani Rodriguez. I thoroughly enjoyed Pablo’s debut short film, Into The Mud, about a nymph and her encounter with a local hunter. While, Bye Bye Baby is yet another horror short, it’s much different in tone and delivery than its predecessor.
THE GOOD
Pablo was kind enough to reach out and give me an early look at this one. Firstly, the poster art is exceptional. The colors are rich, the lettering classically defined and the image pays homage to both the Italian Giallo, and more notably, Wes Craven’s genre defining “Scream”. The film opens with some Tarantino esq, title credits in yellow which also look reminiscent of Ti West’s, “House Of The Devil” (another great 80’s inspired film). Victor Alvarado’s camera work and framing are nice and tight and I love the opening one hundred and eighty degree slow pan sequence, eventually revealing our young lady in the kitchen. Everything is beautifully lit with shades of blue and yellow and glimmers of red. Vibrant palettes have long been a cornerstone of Italian film making and particularly the aforementioned Giallo (of which Pastor is clearly a fan of). The deep violin and piano score in the first part of the short complements the films tone perfectly. Add in a few low-end note strikes and you’ve got an unnerving backing. It’s clear from the outset that Pastor’s script oozes of passion for and from the horror genre, particularly the likes of “Scream”. Everything, from the look of our protagonist with her gap sweater and blonde hair (styled exactly as Drew Barrymore’s was), through to the opening phone call and her watching the patio for any activity, it’s all in the opening of Craven’s masterpiece. Ordinarily you’d say this is straight up lifting (which it technically is), but there’s enough of Pastor’s own idea at play here, that it saves face. There’s an old black and white late night horror movie playing in the background and a sense of the unknown when it comes to what might actually be threatening her and the home. The tension is superbly crafted, much like Bryan Bertino did in a slow burn nature with “The Strangers”. In addition, there’s some solid makeup effects in the climax of the film.
THE BAD
The only technical imperfection is that there are a couple of more obvious patches of ADR in the mix (additional dialogue recording), and if you’re a stickler for accents you’ll quickly come to realize (if not already by her surname of Kolokolchykova) that Karina is not American.
I was pleasantly surprised how much I enjoyed Pablo Pastor’s directorial debut “Into The Mud”, but that said, Bye Bye Baby was an even better experience and a high-class product all around. The artwork is some of the best I’ve seen this year, the cinematography is sharp and the lighting is bursting with flair. The suspenseful score and set design only further add to the mystery of it all. A true horror fan, like myself, can’t deny that much of the detail in the opening scene of Craven’s aforementioned film is present here in Pastor’s. I can’t say that it bothered me though because of how much I love Scream. A multitude of influences seem to have guided Pablo and I could even draw comparisons to a season two episode of TV’s “Buffy The Vampire Slayer”, involving a mummy. Aside from a couple of very minor nit-picky issues, Bye Bye Baby is a perfect short film and probably the best one you’ll see this year. Keep your eyes peeled for a September release because you won’t want to miss it!!
I’d just like to say thank you to first time Writer/Director, Sasha Louis Vukovic for allowing me early access to a screener of his Adventure/Drama/Thriller film, “Flora”. The year is 1929. A group of university botanists, led by Basho (Dan Lin), head out on a research expedition to an uncharted forest. Upon arriving, they discover remnants and belongings of their Professor’s (played by Paul Turcot), but he’s missing. Basho’s analysis of the local plant life reveals an ancient and potentially fatal organism that ultimately begins threatening the safety of the entire group. The film also stars Teresa Marie Doran, Sari Mercer, Miles G. Jackson, Caleb Noel and William Aaron. I stumbled upon a brief article and trailer for Sasha’s debut feature-length film a couple of months back and I thought it sounded intriguing.
THE GOOD
No you didn’t misread “1929” in the above synopsis. Vukovic’s undertaking of a period piece is quite brazen and risky in this day and age. One often finds success on the film festival circuit with an idea as specific as this, but among the masses, can swing with a miss. As a fan of old-time period pieces I can applaud Sasha right off the bat for getting so many aspects right, but more on that later. Let’s get straight into it, shall we? Flora was shot in Canada for an estimated $100,000 (I believe over a two-year period). Eric Irvin, the cinematographer on the film (and first timer might I add) couldn’t have done much more with the presentation and the parameters of its budget. First and foremost, the location is lush and heavily wooded, and with the warm color grading, it gives off a higher production value. Irvin’s framing is mostly resourceful and he implements some really clever shots. Resting the camera over the wheel arch of a car while it’s in transit and using a reflection from the lake, are just a couple of examples. In addition, he generates some subtle jib shots that move through the grass and over the water. Drone operator, Alex Loft captures a great rock face and waterfall late in the film but his best work is certainly an aerial shot that slowly pans up looking over the students tents and campsite. The audio levels are really good even taking into account a few sections of ADR (additional dialogue recording)
The group heads off.
My favourite part of Flora is Nathan Prillaman’s dynamic larger than life score. This soundtrack is so unbelievably diverse, in both the way it’s structured as well as the constantly changing style and themes. Ora Blackwood (Doran), the talented artist in the group, brings a gramophone on the trip and the 1920’s, blues and jazz jingles that it puts out, act as part of the score. The first two acts build around a heavy use of violin, cello and piano and there’s a number of different compositions, all of which sound great. The adventure driven drumming comes on in the last part of the film when the situation worsens and the remaining members of the group start to head for the hills (or more accurately, safety). As the film progresses it turns the focus to Ora and Basho, but that doesn’t mean the entire group aren’t fair game for this mysterious bacteria. Haviland (Noel) reunites with his preppy brother, Rudyard (played by Jackson), then there’s Avis (Mercer), whose tasked with looking after everyone’s health, and lastly, Charles (Aaron), the navigator. Surprisingly, as a whole, this cast don’t have a lot of experience and that makes their consistent performances all the more impressive. The wardrobe and the actors dialogue delivery both feel authentic to the era. Flora focuses primarily on the paranoia of the situation, and while it’s very light on action, there are some practical blood effects at different stages throughout the film.
The group have a decision to make.
THE BAD
Considering Flora was conceived by a first time Writer/Director there’s not a great deal to complain about from a technical standpoint. The film is guilty of having the odd lapse in camera focus and a handful of shaky shots inside the car during the opening scene (though the rough terrain they’re driving on could explain that). I’m not a huge fan of the handheld guerilla style film making, especially when you’ve already got a solid production value in most of the other key areas. On occasion, Sasha, and in turn, DP, Eric, utilize a few tracking shots, though they don’t really highlight anything in the frame. It looks like they might have been filmed with the drone rather than a dolly, and hence don’t quite have the same feel. There’s a few redundant lines of dialogue in the script as well but that’s not unusual in a first screenplay. I think the most obvious shortcoming in Flora is surrounding the lack of character development, or even the interest levels in having those characters further explored. I wasn’t able to get to know anyone well enough to care about what fate might have befallen them. I was only behind Ora for the duration because it was obvious that was Vukovic’s intention (as other characters often talk about her). If I hadn’t of watched through the credits and cross referenced the cast on IMDB, I probably couldn’t have told you a single name of any of the characters (and that’s never something I’ve had a problem with). I really didn’t like the character of Rudyard at all. It wasn’t so much to do with Jackson’s performance, although there were the odd moments that didn’t help, it was more that the character was such a whiny know it all (with seemingly little knowledge to back it up). I think the Morse code heard in the beginning of the film is the same part that Ora decodes later (I think it was Ora?), but it would have benefited the viewer if they knew what the message was earlier, given not a lot else was happening at that stage. Unfortunately, the thing that’ll hurt the demand for multiple viewings of Flora is that it gets a little boring at times if I’m honest. Scenes such as the group sitting around the campfire, run longer than they needed to, and several of the conversations fail to drive the story in its projected direction. It runs just over 100 minutes and it certainly wouldn’t have lost anything if it’d been cut by 15 minutes just to help the overall pacing.
Perhaps a little homage to George A. Romero’s “The Crazies”
Flora is a period piece of nature horror that ends up mostly being grounded in drama. It’s a cross between the environmental cautionary of Australian film “The Long Weekend” and to a slightly lesser extent, Shyamalan’s universally panned “The Happening” (which I’ve always had a soft spot for despite its seesawing rules and logic, that and everyone’s hate). I’ve got to commend Sasha for his clever location scouting and re-creation of the time period, even more so because the film was made on such a small budget. Irvin and Loft’s combination of consistent camera work helps the aesthetic appeal of Flora and the audio is crisp and clean. The performances are on point and there is some brief practical blood on display. The score/soundtrack is ultimately what won me over and it was definitely my favourite aspect of the film. In fact, I think this is perhaps the best independent film score I’ve heard this year, kudos to you Nathan. There’s only a handful of technical inconsistencies but it was my indifference toward the characters that ultimately made it difficult to want to engage the film. Rudyard just annoyed me and I never learnt anything about the remaining botanists. There’s simply too much downtime here for my liking, and I think if it’d been cut by 15 minutes in order to curb some of the boring chunks, it would be a considerably tighter film. All that said, this is a nicely made product from a first time film maker but I won’t be revisiting it in a hurry because I was hoping for a little more life in it. I can, however, recommend this to those of you more inclined to go in for the drama and problem solving aspects of a horror themed plight, rather than just the action. I’m looking forward to seeing what Vukovic does next.
Firstly, I’d just like to say thank you to Judrina Kymantas and High Octane Pictures for sending me a screener of the Horror/Thriller film “Clowntergeist”, Written and Directed by Aaron Mirtes. Clowntergeist centers around Emma (played by Brittany Belland from The Sleeper), a college student with a major fear of clowns. It’s a fear that’s put to the ultimate test when an evil spirit latches onto a clown and begins terrorizing her home town, leaving red balloons with sinister messages on them everywhere he goes. The film also stars Monica Baker, Burt Culver, Sean Patrick Murray, Tom Seidman and Eric Corbin as “Ribcage The Clown”. I’ve long been a fan of the clown sub-genre, so much so that I even acted as an associate producer on Damien Leone’s upcoming clown film, “Terrifier”. There’s something about them that doesn’t quite sit right with people. The creepy face paint, oversized shoes, and of course that uncanny ability to turn a balloon into just about any member of the animal family. Judrina recently hooked me up with the martial arts film, “Karate Kill” from Petri Entertainment *see review* https://adamthemoviegod.com/karate-kill-review-2/. It was a lot of fun and a total throwback to the old school Asian martial arts films of the 80’s and 90’s. This time I thought I’d try my luck with an evil clown film. There’s been a real resurgence in the sub-genre lately. We’ve had everything, from the low-budget “Killjoy” franchise and Rob Zombie’s extremely disappointing “31”, which promised unrelenting mayhem and failed to even deliver on the most basic technical film making level, all the way through to the highly anticipated remake of Stephen King’s infamous, “IT”. Clowntergeist is clearly Mirtes weighing in with a low-budget entry, but he’s tried his best to fuse genuine paranormal built suspense with a basic fear one might have of clowns as performers.
Surprise surprise…
THE GOOD
I’m digging the artwork despite the fact that the clown image doesn’t correspond with the look of our villain. It’s a simple but threatening figure at the forefront and an old style font used for the title, though I’m not sure why it is that indie films use misleading imagery (to be fair I think it’s the distributors who are at fault). Taking into account the film’s low-budget, Chaz Olivier’s cinematography is generally quite good and the audio track is clean. Most of his framing is neat and there’s a great jib shot (crane) across a driveway and onto the street as Ken’s daughter (played by Caitlin Rigney) drives away at the beginning of the film. I liked a lot of the establishing shots as well, particularly the externals of both Ken’s house and Emma/Heather’s. That said, almost the entire film feels like it’s been done handheld, via a Steadicam, and consequently it doesn’t feel as cinematic as it could have. The lighting was another characteristic that was really well conceived. Most notably during a sequence that sees Emma’s work colleague and friend, Jonah (Murray) navigating a hallway and its surrounding rooms. The scene is back-lit with reds, greens and blues and it looks gorgeous. Kris Bendrick composed a simple but effective bass orientated score, adding a nice mix of strident synth notes, to boot. Even some of the sound design worked well, like the scratching of balloons and carnival clatter.
Someone’s not happy…
The opening scene of the film makes for a great introduction to “Ribcage” the clown and was reminiscent of a segment setup in the 08′ horror anthology, “Amusement”. Aaron deserves credit for his ability to generate this amount of tension, especially in an independent film where often that falls by the wayside. Here, its striking but subtle jump scares, usually coming in the form of a hand or a face popping into frame momentarily, it’s genuinely scary. There’s Jonah’s scene I mentioned earlier, the pinnacle of which resulted in me just about jumping off my chair. Other scenes include a girl navigating a house trying to get the power back on, a scene that’s simply lit by a lantern and you’re just waiting for that inevitable evil surge. Most of the performances are serviceable but there’s no doubt that the natural chemistry between friends Emma and Heather (and in turn actresses Belland and Baker) is what ultimately holds the film up. The dialogue flows organically between the two and therefore it seems as if they have a real friendship outside the parameters of a film. Aside from the odd weaker moment early on by Culver, as Ken, the remaining cast (mostly made up of men) are solid, particularly Pop (Seidman), the ice cream man, though none are really at the core of the story. There are a few scenes that showcase some practical blood and gore and it does look decent but Clowntergeist is much more about its demonic roots (encase the title didn’t inform you of that). The makeup job on Eric Corbin is worth mentioning because it looks great and the continuity of it can’t be questioned.
What happens at 2:31 am?
THE BAD
I’m going to kick this off with the title. Normally I’m all about the cheesy amalgamations, and let’s be honest, it’s almost a given these days with the amount of creature features being churned out at such a rapid rate. Clowntergeist just sounds lame though, and while it might be accurate given the plot synopsis, it comes off as pretty lazy. Ignoring a few abrupt cuts and the fairly basic approach to the films presentation (perhaps due to budgetary restraints) there’s not much to criticize on the technical front. There is, however, a lot of contradiction when it comes to the script, so much so that Mirtes, in part, undoes a lot of his good work. Some of the dialogue only serves to relay developments that are self-explanatory to the viewer. Lines like, “Is that the sheriff?” said by a character whose only standing a few meters away from a guy clearly wearing an officer’s uniform, badge in plain sight. Shortly after that you get, “Murders a freaky thing”, which is obviously not something anybody would say. Most of my issues with the film are surrounding personal preferences regarding Aaron’s script. Immediately I noticed that actress Caitlin Rigney appeared too old to be playing Ken’s daughter, I thought she was his wife. The demonic aspect of the film and commands and controlling of Ribcage didn’t feel like it was warranted. Mirtes does all the right things in building suspense through simplicity and minimal techniques, yet once we finally see and hear Ribcage in all of his glory (or as is the case is here, lack of) the better part of his efforts are instantly null and void because the clown is just not scary. Corbin moans and growls while crouching around, and motions in what can only be described as a dance. In hindsight, once all the strings are pulled and the film comes full circle I don’t think the blame could be solely placed on Eric. Add to that, a really weak motive behind this targeting and little to no back story given on the clown/demon’s origin, not to mention, not once does anyone try to kill the clown (well other than Ken’s half-baked effort), it sort of all falls into a screaming heap. As I said earlier, there were glimpses of blood and gore but most of it goes unseen due to the quick cuts in the edit.
Look who I found..
Aaron Mirtes’s, Clowntergeist was an interesting take on the clown sub-genre but ultimately I just don’t think it works in this particular setting. Most of the cinematography is pretty good and the audio track is a lot better than most independent films. Both the lighting and score were probably my two favourite aspects of the film and they definitely aid in raising the overall production value. The performances are pretty solid, the characters entertaining and I enjoyed watching Brittany in another lead role. There’s four or five really impressive fear inducing scenes in the first two-thirds of the film that are far superior to anything I’ve seen in independent cinema. There are a few scenes with practical blood and gore and the makeup looks professional. I’ll be honest and say I’m not a fan of the title at all and there are a handful of lines of dialogue that were redundant. One casting decision was somewhat questionable and the specifics of the character manipulation seemed unnecessary. The biggest disappointments are the paper-thin motive behind the attacks and a general lack of exposition on the clown himself. I could swallow all that to some degree if Ribcage was even remotely scary, but alas. The film works better during its lurking stages because Corbin’s performance and the theatrics of the character lost me and the film didn’t have enough memorable kills to keep me engaged. Still, if you’re a fan of clowns and paranormal horror you might get a little more out of Clowntergeist than I did. Mirtes does manage to do a lot right and I look forward to seeing what else he does in the genre. Clowntergeist hits VOD (video on demand) September 12th and you can check out the trailer below!
Firstly, I’d just like to say thank you to Producer, Bryson Pintard for allowing me access to an online screener of the Horror/Thriller film “Happy Hunting”, Co-Written and Directed by Joe Dietsch and Louie Gibson. Happy Hunting follows Warren Novak (played by my fellow Aussie, Martin Dingle Wall), an alcoholic vagrant who while battling withdrawals, stumbles into the small town of Bedford Flats where he unknowingly becomes a target in the locals festive hunting event. The film also stars Ken Lally, Gary Sturm, Kenny Wormald, C.J Baker and Jeremy Lawson.
THE GOOD
I don’t usually do much digging on a film prior to watching it, but I’d read some positive reviews for Happy Hunting fresh off the festival circuit. It sounded like a Peckinpah (The Getaway) style trip down nostalgia lane, which automatically peaked my curiosity. Dietsch and Gibson’s script centers around the gritty journey of downtrodden and hard-boozer, Warren, whose got very little left to live for other than his addictions, that is, until he gets a phone call from his past, resulting in an impromptu trip to Mexico. I’ll be the first to admit that I’m a sucker for the vast, arid landscape that Happy Hunting takes place in. The film opens with a fantastic aerial shot atop a figure trekking over endless barren lands, eventually transitioning into a nice tracking shot that reveals a disheveled man in a scuttle. Joe’s cinematography is first class and really raises the production value of Happy Hunting. From the outset, there’s grand establishing shots of the terrain and the township itself, as well as plenty of smart framing and slick macro shots. I think this is perhaps the first time I’ve seen a pair of filmmakers utilize focus pulls and slowed frame rates in a way that actually benefits the film. The points at which those techniques are applied certainly help to build or maintain the desired amount of tension. There’s some great shots in a sequence toward the climax of the film that takes place in a series of tunnels, it reminded me a lot of Mickey Keating’s superb “Carnage Park” *see review* https://adamthemoviegod.com/carnage-park-review/.
The classic yellow title credits are clearly inspired by the likes of Tarantino, and the quick time lapses in the edit are a welcomed and smooth addition. The audio track is clean and I enjoyed a sizable chunk of the score. There’s an emphasis on big drum and bass in the lead up to a lot of the action, it develops nicely. I’ve always liked the unnerving and clattering sounds created through violin, though it’s usually only heard in paranormal based horror so it was a pleasant surprise in this one. Wall’s performance is quite a good one, albeit restrained, mostly due to the fact that a lot of his scenes are spent alone, especially in the second half of the film. There’s this internal dialogue that manifests itself in the form of a spirit, which does give him a little face to face time but it’s not a lot. Martin reminded me of a much younger cross between Jeff Bridges and the late Sam Shepard (R.I.P). Gary Sturm is also impressive as Sheriff Burnside, whose like a character out of a Ti West film (House Of The Devil and The Sacrament). The combination of locals, Cheryl and Steve Patterson (Sherry Leigh and Ken Lally) help give the film some much-needed energy that’s certainly lacking from most of the remaining residents in the town. Lally’s grounded and less jovial, Steve Guttenberg (Police Academy) like nature, makes for a fun watch. There’s a steady flow of action throughout the entire film and the practical blood and gore is serviceable. Happy Hunting does play out slightly more like a thriller than a genuine horror film, but that being said, there are a few graphic prosthetic pieces in the latter part of the film.
THE BAD
With the exception of some average CG blood, in an attempt to enhance some of the on-screen kills, the technical aspects are all more than competent. The film does lag in a few places despite its 90 minute run time, and I hoped for a little more information on the situation that ultimately called for Warren’s attention in Mexico (at least I think it was Mexico). Devoid of a single flashback it’s hard not to have questions. Although I suppose that creates debate, which isn’t a bad thing but a couple of those one way interactions, particularly the first phone call at the start of the film, won’t necessarily help get the viewer on board with Warren and his plight. As the film progresses you’ll probably end up having more questions about the protagonist than you’d care to. It wasn’t hard to predict that a multitude of the visiting characters you see were going to end up as marks for the hunting festival (you’d likely see it even if you knew nothing about the film). I did like the Bedford Flats promotional video tape though, that was a good form of exposition. There’s a couple of specifics that bothered me too. The first being the older man and his complete lack of reaction to what was clearly a busted or broken leg/knee at the start. He moves relatively freely even with it making rough cracking sounds and such, I expected a much more painful reaction from the actor. On another occasion, Warren and Robbie (played by Connor Williams) find a phone while they’re hiding out. They attempt to get help but fail to even question who might be on the other end of the line. Okay, sure, the person could just lie, but surely you’d ask the question at the very least. The action that comes after said scene was entirely calculable as well. While I understand the need to depict Warren’s internal battle in some form, I didn’t like the use of Bo Dawg (Lawson) as his conscience and it took me out of a film that was otherwise grounded in reality. The ending is bound to divide audiences and personally, I would’ve liked to have seen it go another way.
Happy Hunting is the debut feature-length film from Dietsch and Gibson and it’s a great foot in the door for this film making duo. It’s an intense and isolated thriller in the same vein as the aforementioned “Carnage Park”, and to an even greater extent, Chris von Hoffman’s “Drifter” *see review* https://adamthemoviegod.com/drifter-review-3/. The character of Warren is most certainly inspired by John Grant, the key character of the 70’s Aussie thriller “Wake In Fright”. Joe’s cinematography is wonderful, the audio is neat and the discordant score really fits the tone of the film. The performances are all consistent and there’s some damn good scenes. When the violence unfolds its bold and swift and there’s practical effects on display for those more seasoned fans. The traces of digital blood detract somewhat from the overall quality of effects work and the film does lag on occasion. A few liberties are taken with the actions of certain characters and some more discourse on the specifics of Warren’s travel wouldn’t have hurt. A couple of finer points in the writing weren’t necessarily to my liking but nothing to really stop the entertainment value Happy Hunting serves up. Fans of gritty thrillers and independent films will definitely enjoy this ride and I look forward to seeing what else the team from Waterstone Entertainment does.
AdamTheMovieGod 