Text © Richard Gary / Indie Horror
Films, 2017
Images from the Internet
This has been a good year for the
lower budget genre films. Surprisingly, more serious films caught my attention,
when I’m usually attracted to more humorous horror. As always, I will republish
the rules I have about such lists as
these first:
I have an issue with “Best of” and “Worst of” year-end lists for the
following reasons: most are chosen from either those that play in theaters. For
me, I like to watch the DIY ones, for these tend to have more heart. My list consists of films that I saw and
reviewed in 2017, not necessarily ones that were released in that year.
As for Best and Worst, I never liked those terms; art is just way too
subjective, which is why I called them Favorites and Not Favorites. That being
said, even the “Not” ones have redeeming qualities, and the fact that they
don’t touch me means nothing. I’ve hated films that have won tons of awards, and
liked some that other find abhorrent, so don’t take anything I say, good or bad,
as the law. It’s just opinion, and I welcome you to agree or disagree. It’s all
good.
These two lists are alphabetical, rather than ranked (another thing I don’t
believe in).
FAVORITES:
The Acid Sorcerer
Written, produced, directed and edited by Dakota
Bailey
With Dakota Bailey’s third feature, he’s found a niche of reality
that can scare the viewer, but not because of the supernatural but more because
of a vision of life. Americans are capable of doing just about anything, even
if it’s against their own self-interest and Bailey’s focus is on that to the
extreme, at what most would probably consider the lower rungs of the social
contract ladder, with drug dealers, prostitutes, hired killers, serial killers,
and essentially the kind of people that fascinate when reading about on the
paper or seeing on the big (or small) screen, but not necessarily someone whom
you would want to share breathing space. Mostly filmed in black and white,
there is no real past tense, there is only whatever is happening in the moment,
and the people act accordingly and usually impulsively. Bailey touches that
instinctual, repulsed side of the average viewer: you don’t need to learn, just
intuitively know. There is also an unexpected, philosophical touch to
the film, as it acknowledges its own inner darkness, as well as those as the
characters. It’s a chilling and nihilistic view of a nearly claustrophobic
group of people whose lives are revolving around the seven deadlies. Despite
(or perhaps because of) the despicableness of those who infest the film, the
viewer kinda wants to know what happens to them. This does for Denver, what Taxi
Driver (1976) did for New York City: it focuses on the seedy, the dirty and
the back alleys, where the denizens of the story would likely live.
Badass Monster Killer
Written and directed by Darin Wood
This picture is from a director who
comes up with a fine mashup that is both head scratching WTF? and
laugh-out-loud Say What? The basic premise revolves around a hyper-cool
brother who is a police officer for the Department of Supernatural Security
named Jimmy Chevelle (Jawara Duncan). Did I mention this takes place in
Camarotown? Anyway, along the way he meets women who fall for him and become
sort of an army. Most reviews claim this is based on the Blaxploitation style
of Shaft [1971]; early on, we even see the Loveshaft Hotel in the
background. More likely it’s a reference to H.P. Lovecraft, as this takes place
in his mythos with references to Cthulhu and the Great Old Ones. But I would
posit that it’s closer to Dolemite [1975] than Shaft. Chevelle’s subject of investigation is a sect that wants to
bring back said Great Old Ones via weed that makes you susceptible to them.
Heading this group of miscreants is Reverend Dellamorte (Ryan Cicak), a goateed
white guy with a thick southern accent. The dialog is hysterical, and
occasionally repetitious, in a running gag form, “Diabolical,” for example, may
be in every other sentence. Duncan is really good at spitting out strings of
script in an amusing way, making it not feel repetitive as much as humorous.
There is a lot of good writing. Another incorrect comparison, in my opinion, is
to the film Sin City [2005], since nearly all of Badass is shot
in green screen (other than two solid sets), with all the buildings and other
objects leaning towards the center. Sin City was like a comic book,
while this is more cartoonish. Both films take place in a world that couldn’t
exist in real life, but SC went for more realism; BMK isn’t interested
in any form of reality, it’s nearly surrealistic. Which brings me to the
monsters. Each one looks fake as can be, with cheesy digi-art or rubber limbs
when they interact with the actors. They also look silly, but in this context,
they are fun to watch, like bad stop-motion. In this completely produced and
processed world, I thought the monsters were smile-worthy rather than cringe-.
Duncan is perfect in the role, able to handle both the smolder and the sass
(and afro) to just the right tone for the film. A chunk of the action takes
place in a strip joint, and even beyond that there is dancing, lots and lots of
go-go style dancing. You see a street? There are women dancing in the shot. I
have no idea of H.P. Lovecraft had a sense of humor, but if he did, he would
have gotten a hoot outta this, especially the battle of good vs. evil at the
conclusion.
Bonehill
Road
Written, directed and edited by Todd Sheets
For this film, Todd Sheets takes an interesting approach, asking us to
question which is worse, the big bad trio of wolves outside the door, or the human
monster inside with the knife and sadistic attitude. That is the predicament in
which Todd has placed his main characters.
Original full review HERE
Child Eater
Directed by Erlingur Thoroddsen
The seemingly mandatory prologue at the start, 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. 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. The heroine of the story is Helen (Cait Bliss),
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. The thing that is most important is simply that this really is a
creepy-ass film. The pace is great and the plot not completely predictable. The
actual image is pretty dark, though the cinematography by John Wakayama Carey
is spot on so you can see everything you’re supposed to view. 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). Bowery’s make-up is really well done, by
Fiona Tyson, who should be commended, as well. The gore shows up in small amounts
but frequently, and always looks damn good. 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.
Original full review HERE
The Ladies
of the House
Directed
by John Stewart Wildman
In this story, three bros go to a strip club to
celebrate a birthday. After the performance one of them pressures the other two
to follow her home, where she shares a house with three other dancers. His
intention is to pay her for sex as a present. Of course, things go awry, and
when the other women come home, that’s when the second act begins and the
picture kicks up into a much higher gear. These are certainly not women you
want to trifle with, that is for certain, as the guys learn, one by one,
becoming prisoners. This tragic start leads to a revenge-fuelled carnage. It
comes down to the three bros against three of the women While angry, they are
more cunning than reactionary. They have obviously dealt with men in such a
fashion before, as they have a calm routine way of… dismantling. One of the
things I like about the film is that while it’s technically not a horror film, relying more on terror and
suspense, it certainly does not shy away from a bit of violence and gristle
here and there (well done by Oddtopsy SFX, led by indie effects maven Marcus
Koch); when it does, because it is not the main focus, it comes out as a bit
more shocking and welcomed, without wearing out its welcome. The four female
leads are spot on, with just the right amount of sexiness and cold-hearted
determination. They are to be feared, but without losing their humanity. Yet
through the carnage and chopping and caging and slicing and hacking, somehow,
on more than one level, this remains… a love story?! This shows some solid
directing. The lighting, the angles, and the gore, all look and feel glorious. This
is hardly what one would necessarily call a date
movie, depending of course on whom you are relating, but for the genre fan,
it was an entertaining.
Original full review HERE
Long Night in a Dead City
Directed and edited by Richard Griffin
This is a strange, ethereal and episodic story of Daniel (Aidan
Laliberte), who awakens in an alley on New Year’s Eve, beaten and bruised. He
begins a quest to find his brother Charlie (Anthony Gaudette), which brings him
into contact with various characters in an ugly side of a city full of back
streets, litter, snow and steam. The shadow side of Voltaire’s Candide,
Daniel wanders into others’ lives, and vice versa, with something quite off
about all of it. Mannequins, a possible serial killer, and a sultry bartender
(Anna Rizzo) who knows his name in a tavern where everyone is photo-still, is
just the start of some of those who will make this dead city night interesting,
albeit bizarre. In some scenarios, Daniel is the protagonist, in others he is
an observer, as sort of a solo Greek Chorus in a modern day tragedy. In all,
though, there is an either explicit or implicit invitation, spoken or not, for
him to join, and to stay in that moment, in that place. A mysterious woman,
Holly (Sarah Reed), takes the place of both companion and Dante-esque guide. Many
of Griffin’s films deal with heaven, hell, and other variations of what happens
next, and this continues to take a different view of that aspect of life and
death, which makes for a further interesting vision that one may not expect,
keeping the viewer’s interest. Even if you have an idea of where the storyline
is going, the ride there is still going to be from a perspective you probably
would not have thought of, giving new blood to a not-so-new concept. There is
definitely a feeling of surrealism, but not to the point where it’s so
obliquely opaque in the events that it loses direction. Chalk yet another one
on the plus side for Griffin. Also worth checking out are his other two films of the year that were squeezed out by space here, A Midsummer Night's Dream and Strapped for Danger.
Original full review HERE
Murder Made Easy
Directed by David Palamaro
I found the whole film production reads like a play. It’s heavy in
dialogue, mostly takes place in a single room, and the pacing of the whole
thing could easily be mounted on a stage. This feels very Frank Capra-esk in
the way the words are spoken in a quick and light patter. This murder mystery
has been compared to the game Clue, but I definitely believe that it’s
more the source material of the dining room murder mystery that they have in
common rather than the end piece.
Original full review HERE
Parasites
Written, produced and directed by Chad Ferrin
Three college jock-types are roaming around the big bad city and get
lost. Not a good thing, especially in the neighborhood in which they’ve landed.
This area of Los Angeles is not color-oriented, but it is certainly greenback
poor, with homelessness and frustration-fueled anger; that’s a volatile mix in
an indie screen world. As the dudes drive around trying to find their way, they
make obnoxious comments about the homeless they see. Then, they run over
something and get a flat. And that is where the story really takes off, as they
are confronted by a mob of homeless men (and one woman) who don’t take kindly
to strangers in their neighborhood. It quickly escalates, and before you know
it, one of the trio, Marshall, is running down the street nekkid in fear for
his life, with a band of bums out to even the social score a little bit. The
patriarchal and dictatorial leader of the mob is Wilko (Robert Miano) who
exudes anger, hate and racism beautifully. He is a narcissist who blames others
for his own actions. One could argue that he is a product of having nothing
left but ego, but I could also see that it could be part of what brought
him to that level in the first place. Quick to adapt, Marshall does what he
needs to survive, as he becomes the focus of a distorted version of The
Warriors, without the fancy costumes and catchy dialogue. He has no choice
but to come on out and play as he is hunted down by the urban version of the
backwoods mob. It becomes a question of how does one win against a group that
has nothing to lose. The added social commentary is as Marshall becomes more
and more identified by strangers as a homeless person, wearing their clothes
and being African-American, demonizes him as “Other.” The ending is effective,
albeit predictable, considering the zeitgeist of the film’s tone and story
direction. It’s a worthy viewing.
Original full review HERE
Pig Pen
Directed by Jason Koch
Recently, there have been a series of gritty, realistic stories that are there to
disturb more than distress; we’ve seen it before in films like Suburbia (1984), Scorsese‘s Mean Streets (1973), or even The Day of the Locust (1975). The
difference is that of late, realism has faded away into the static camera of
torture cinema which is less about story than effects; realism is just the
opposite, even with its level of gruesomeness. I didn’t really have any
expectation about this film, so its level of initial low-key grittiness took me
by surprise. Here, Zack’s (Lucas Koch) world is one of dysfunction. The tall
and lanky13-year-old stoic skater, whose school nickname is Pig Pen, lives in a
home where nothing gets cleaned and supper consists of cold cereal mixed with
water. His mother is zoned out on booze and pills, and her new, abusive
“entrepreneur” boyfriend pimps her out and sells drugs. Insisting that Zack
bring in some money, suggesting by doing what the guys on the corner do for
cash, the boy is thrown to the streets, where we watch as he learns to survive
amid desperation, stealing and violence. As a nice move, Koch edits in
flashback scenes throughout that lead up to the present, as we see how life has
spiraled out of control step by step. Of course, the past catches up in an
explosion. This film
doesn’t pull any punches. It gives a realistic feel of the dangers of living on
the street, including gangs and perverts. But Zack isn’t like other boys his
age. His moral compass has already been turned up this side of Sunday, and he
isn’t beyond thievery even before the boyfriend. Like Dustin Hoffman’s
character in Straw Dogs (1971), Zack
will fight for his life no matter what it takes. This is an intense film right
from the start, and it just keeps building right until the very end. Its sheer
level of everyday kind of violence means the story begets the violence rather
than the other way around, as in most films of this type. It really is a
horribly beautiful film. The editing, the lighting, the camerawork is all spot
on. If you’re in for a good story with some excellent writing and acting to
back it up, tension that is palpable in a building crescendo, and some
way-above standard physical effects, this will be a good direction to go.
Original full review HERE
NOT FAVORITES:
Before I
Die (aka Wake Before I Die)
Directed
by the Jason Freeman and Todd Freeman (aka the Brothers Freeman)
Pastor Dan (Robert McKeehan) and his cheery wife
Cindy (Audrey Walker), their sullen young teenage daughter and pre-teen son
move to a small town in Oregon to take over a church. Soon after they get there
they are put in charge of troublesome teenage Sally (Nouel Riel) to keep her
away from her stereotypically cinematic greasy headed and leather jacketed
boyfriend, Mark (Joshua St. James). A pattern then starts to emerge here, as
sure enough there is some kind of local killing cult. Still, there is some issue
with getting some momentum in the story. Cinemagraphically it certainly looks
good, but the writing is plodding and could use some serious editing and honing
down. For example, one character warns Dan, “Strange people dream strange
dreams, Pastor. Even about others…Some people are prone to believe such things
here because this is a place where such things can be true.” At the very least the script needs a good Thesaurus.
Nearly half way through, it’s hard to tell there’s anything really wrong, except for the minor-key sountrack.
There is a murder scene that happens with some beautiful editing overlapping
the killing and the events after, which in itself would make a great short, but
as a whole it drags the film down, and could have been shown in just a few
minutes. The third acts picks up the pace quite a bit, and the ending is a bit
of an anticlimax, but the film has a decent 20 minutes in it towards the end.
Still, despite the editing and lighting, it goes on too long. Much of the
acting is also a bit dicey and wooden here and there, especially the unengaging
lead who seems to mostly sleepwalk through his role relying more on a wholesome
look, with an occasional brow roll or eye squint to show emotion. Part of the
problem is that the cult doesn’t really have a focus, other than being a group
of non-Believers (and they – shock! – dress in black, wear frilly
party masks, and drink alcohol), bringing us to the realization that this
picture is a Christian-pointed release with a literal Amen at the end. That alone might drive off some off (and bring
others into the film’s…err…flock), but that is not what got under my skin; rather it was the poor writing
and monotonic acting from an unexcited/unexciting lead. All in all, the film is
a solid meh.
Original full review HERE
Conspiracy Theory [aka Lake
on Fire]
Directed
and edited by Jake Myers
The biggest complaint about the recent Paranormal Activity film series (starting in 2007) is not that it’s
in the found footage genre, but rather that it takes way too long for anything
of interest to happen. It’s annoying and pointless, and fills out a film to
full length when it could have been a very comfortable 20-minute short (or even
less). We meet the film crew to a “reality” cable show on the Mystery Channel
called “Alien Engineers,” which posits that many of our modern structures, such
as Las Vegas, the Hoover Dam and Lake Mead are constructs that use technology
given to humans by the “grays.” Leading this five-some is its host, the heavily
orange-skinned spray-tanned Bjorn Eriksson (Ben Kobold), along with the rest
being his crew, including the loony Britney Big Time (Jennifer Mills). They go
to the locations mentioned above, and act like jerks. To begin though, they do nail
the whole guerilla filmmaking down pretty well, as Bjorn interviews scientists
and “man on the street” types, and manages to put words in everyone’s mouths,
claiming that they were the ones that said it. This is both goofy and enjoyable
to watch, as the non-actors squirm, or are often bemused by it all. There is a
fine mixture of real people mixed
with fictional characters, playing with story’s credibility in a fun way. Sadly,
the film ultimately fails overall for one basic and nearly constant reason:
there is way too much filler with
nothing to add to the story; for example, extended scenes of drinking in a
hotel bathroom or on the street. It seems like a large part of the film is
mostly home movies, almost like they wanted to go to Nevada on a trip, and
figured if they made some kind of story about it, they could write off the
expenses. While they seem to be having fun, it doesn’t really transfer the
audience (okay, to me). I don’t think it takes a rocket scientist (or ET) to
figure out the end. There is a kind of conspiracy going on, but whether it’s alien
or human is left up to the viewer. The last 20 minutes or so are…okay, with
about 10 interesting minutes here and there, but by far the best parts of this
film are the interviews. Can we please have a moratorium on found footage now?
Original full review HERE
Lake Eerie
Directed by Chris Majors
The name of this film is brilliant. The location is a huge house just
off the lake. In this story, it was recently bought through a repossession
auction by Kate (Meredith Majors, the director’s spouse and film writer), who
has moved in to forget the recent death of her farmer husband. Having been
abandoned since 1969 when its previous dashing anthropologist owner, Harrison
(director Chris Majors), mysteriously disappeared, it gives the widow a way to
start over through painting (and a large amount of prescription pills). Soon
after she moves in post- Labor Day, most people in the area have already left.
That is, except for the nice lady who lives a few doors down, Eliza (Betsy
Baker, aka the demonically laughing Linda in The Evil Dead). I quickly got the heebie-jeebies about her, just
from the constant use of her calling Kate “Dear.” Sadly, this “tell” is endemic
of the film writing, which makes questionable moves throughout. Later we meet
Eliza’s niece, Autumn (Danish actress Annemijn Nieuwkoop; aka Anne Leigh
Cooper), who is obsessed with Harrison (director Chris Majors), the
archeologist who used to own the joint. There are some definite issues with the
story, which is quite lackadaisical in its approach. I mean, if you need to
grab a kitchen knife two nights in a row (your first two nights) – once because of a big dude in the kitchen and
another after a nekkid woman (Victoria Johnstone) rises from the lake and goes
into your house – and then you go upstairs and fall asleep after taking pills,
rather than getting leaving the house – even after a kinder spirit tells you to get out…twice – then
it’s hard to feel some any empathy for that character. The story tries the “Is
it real or in her head?” motif, which always is a fun twist. Actually, what
Kate needs is acting lessons as she is so wooden. Majors cannot carry a film on
her own as she looks like she is wincing when trying to emote. But she’s not the
only one, to be fair: most of the cast seems to be either in a daze or over the
top. There are few surprises in the story, including the conclusion, but for me
the biggest problem is in the text editing. There are long stretches where
nothing really important to the story happens. And yet, a nagging question is,
will there be a sequel called The Eerie
Canal?
Original full review HERE
