Text © Richard Gary / Indie Horror Films,
2017
Images from the Internet
Child Eater
Directed by Erlingur Thoroddsen
Wheelhouse Creative / Blue Fox
Entertainment /
Black Stork Productions / MVD Visual
82
minutes, 2016
One
of the strongest held of the original no-nos
of cinema was that you do not harm a child, even with Hitchcock blowing up a
kid and a bus in one of his British-era films. Well, certainly those years are
gone, especially since the nasties of
the 1980s. Even so, it’s still a subject that is uncomfortable with many, and
of course that works out well for a genre film.
This
is the grounds on which this story’s seeds are sown, and expressed through the
seemingly mandatory prologue at the start of most horror films. This one, taking place 25 years before the
main story, is a bit more unsettling than most, and better for it; but it does
set you up to know that you are not about to see the average slasher or murderous
spirit.
Based
on a 14-minute short film in 2013 by the same director, with the same basic plot,
similar artwork, and the same lead actress, this new version is more fleshed
out – its a shame they didn’t add it to
the extras on this DVD. You can see it HERE,
but I recommend seeing it after the feature.
The
legend in the small town of Widow’s Peak (filmed in, Catskill, NY) is that
there was a crazy man, Robert Bowery (Jason Martin) who had macular
degeneration and ate people’s eyes because he believed it would keep him from
going blind, but he was especially attracted to those of youngsters because “the
fresher the better”. Now it is quarter of a century later since the last
attack, and that same victim from the prologue has announced to the coppers “He’s
awake,” giving this a kind of Jeepers
Creepers creature premise.
 |
| Cait Bliss |
The
heroine of the story is Helen (Cait Bliss, who has a kind of Lisa Gerritsen
appeal, and is originally from Catskill), who is in the mid-20s. She’s forced
to babysit by her police chief dad for a widower who has recently bought the old man’s house for himself and pre-teen
son. It’s pretty easy to put the pieces together about the shell of what’s
going to happen, so the question is can Helen come to the rescue? Can she
convince Ginger (that last Bowery victim), who has never truly recovered mentally, to
help her? I am not going to say much more than that as far as storyline goes.
Even
with pushing the envelope of the number of shots of roaming around in the dark
with flashlights – both indoors and out – it rarely gets to the point of being
too long to get tiresome. But the thing that is most important is simply that this
really is a creepy-ass film. The pace is great, the plot not completely predictable,
and yet the story does leave the viewer with a few questions (perhaps to be
answered with a sequel that can actually be an origin prequel?).
Though
shot in Upstate New York, about 100 miles north of New York City, the director
is Icelandic, which means sensibilities are a titch different than what we
would expect from someone from the West, which I’m guessing is where some the surprise
twists and turns originate from, being more of a European-ish/Scandinavian-ish sensibility. This, I’m
sure may have to do with the different aspects of dark that surround the film. For example, the actual image is
pretty dark (just look at the cropped screenshots included), though the
cinematography by John Wakayama Carey is spot on so you can see everything you’re
supposed to, which is not an easy feat in that light (he also shot the short, but he did not shoot the deputy).
But the film is also dark in a more esoteric way in that, hey, it’s a story
about someone/something that eats children’s eyes and then kills them, and also eats their
bodies (as well as adults).
 |
| Jason Martin |
There
is also a metaphysical aspect to Bowery in the same kind of Michael/Jason way in
which he is more than merely human and hard to put to rest (just look at the
image on the box). Which brings me to the SFX. Bowery’s make-up is really well
done, by Fiona Tyson (who also works on the shows “Vinyl” and “Gotham,” and
also did the original short, but did not do the dep...okay, I'll stop now), who should be commended, as well. The gore shows
up intermittently but frequently, and always looks damn good.
One
of the extras is a 16 minute “Deleted Scenes” series that are nicely explained
via title cards. Most were rightfully taken out, and a couple I believe could
have stayed, but there is not any fluff. I recommend watching it because in a
couple of instances it will explain some questions that may arise (such as why
Helen’s hand is covered with blood in a shot in the third act). Then there is a
full-length audio commentary with the director, and two main leads, Bliss and
Martin. About half of it is joking around, but the other half makes it worth sitting
through. For me, the big problem was the sound: Bliss is clear and near the
microphone, but Martin and Thoroddsen are harder to hear, especially towards
the beginning, even with the sound at full volume.
This
film could have been corny and clichéd, based on tropes that have been around
for decades, but Thoroddsen manages
to take a relatively fresh approach. That makes this enjoyable to watch, and its
mood and motif may help make that chill go up and down your spine. You won’t be
able to – err – take your eyes off it.
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