Review: To Your Last Death

Text © Richard Gary / Indie Horror Films, 2020
Images from the Internet

To Your Last Death (aka Malevolent)
Directed by Jason Axinn
Coverage Ink Films
91 minutes, 2020
www.facebook.com/ToYourLastDeath 

 Animation sure has changed since I was a kinder, watching cartoons at 24 hand-drawn frames per second, like Bugs Bunny (my childhood hero, but I digress already…). In the late 1960s, it went down to a clunky 18 frames per second, with cartoons such as “Scooby Doo,” “The Jackson Five” or “The Nanny and the Professor.” Many of these cartoons looked alike due to it’s cel framework (the medium is the message, posited Marshall McLuhan). 

With computer animation, it opened up a whole new world to what was possible, Whether extreme detail or simple line drawings, the field burst open. That is where this film comes in. The animation here looks a bit like a cross between anime (e.g., Akira) and Britain’s 2000AD comic line (they do Judge Dredd). It is minimalist when it comes to movement, but that gives it more of a comic book look, which I really liked. Some of the backgrounds tend to be pretty amazingly detailed here. 

 The storyline is basic, but with some unusual twists that elevate it quite a bit. An evil billionaire arms manufacturer, Cyrus (voice of the Ray Wise), who is a cross between Donald Trump and Lex Luthor, calls his four estranged adult children in for a meeting.

There’s the hero of the story, Miriam (Dani Lennon) who has gone the charity route for peace in diametric philosophy from Cyrus and has had mental issues in the past, Ethan (Damien C. Hass), an aspiring musician into sexual asphyxiation, Kelsey (Florence Hartigan) that has a sad life of a trophy wife to Cyrus’s biggest rival, and Colin (Benjamin Sieman), a mini-version of Cyrus’s business ethics, but is rejected by dear ol’ dad because he’s gay. 

Perhaps inspired by the short story or films, “The Most Dangerous Game,” hired mercenaries – one voiced by Bill Moseley – turn this shindig into a battle royale in a life or death struggle. The implements used sometimes are reminiscent of the later Saw franchise, where the victim is asked to complete a horrendous task, or dum da-da-dummm. 

But there is a whole ‘nother layer added to the story. Some interplanetary gamblers are betting on who will live and who will die. Like the gods in Clash of the Titans (1981), they sit around a table and watch the goings on below. The busty being running the room is the Gamemaster (Morena Baccarin). She can manipulate time and influence the players. It’s kind of like a video game gone gore. 

 Yes, there is a lot of blood and gore in this one (and one bit of nudity), and even for animation, it looks pretty decent. Lots of cool weaponry are used, including an armored glove and a long sword. And don’t get me started with the elevator…

And to give a “Star Trek” opening-like voice over in a nicely done though over emoted cameo is none other than William Shatner, himself. He uses a similar tone as when he “sang” Elton John’s “Rocketman.” 

As for extras, their press release states, “Each Blu-ray purchase will come with a redemption code to over 4 hours of digital extras, including: an audio commentary with director Jason Axinn, a Zoom panel with Axinn, star Dani Lennon and others, an interview with star William Shatner, interviews and behind the scenes with stars Morena Baccarin, Ray Wise, Bill Moseley, Dani Lennon and Florence Hartigan, a behind the scenes reel, comic con panels, an animation demo with lead animator Mohammad Ali Sharifpour, unused artwork and animation, crowdfunding highlights, featurettes on the development of the film, and more.” As what I watched was a screener link, I cannot comment on these, but they sound interesting. 

 I quite liked this film, from the comic book-style animation to the quirkiness of the story, in which time is played with, including a few Groundhog Day repeating moments. The recurrence of history with different choices is a trope that has been used a bit recently, such as Inoperable (2017), but director Axinn makes it feel fresh by not just repeating, but mixing up the storyline (or as Miriam puts it, “They keep changing the goal posts”). 

Because of these time shifts, people are killed and/or they aren’t, or die multiple deaths. And all of them in different means of disposal. The unpredictability is part of what makes this even more intriguing. The whole gameplaying with these super-being gamblers was a nice touch, and luckily, they only interfere with the story on occasion, so it doesn’t break the tension. Of course, the Gamemaster pops in and out frequently throughout to work her malevolent magic, which enhances the story, because it is hard to really predict what’s going to happen next. 

 What I do know is going to possibly happen is that, given the ending, this can be a franchise and the gamblers face new murderous stories to play the game. I am so okay with that.

Reviews: Horror Shorts for September 2020

Text © Richard Gary / Indie Horror Films, 2020
Images from the Internet

 

Horror Shorts for September 2020

 

Atrophy
Directed by Cindy Stenberg
Swedish Ghost Lovers; Embretsen Productions
17:29 minutes, 2019

This is kind of a Swedish version of a cabin in the woods tale. Freja (Katja Lindgren Anttila) is starting a new position as a personal live-in caretaker for Alma (Isabel Camacho). Alma is wheelchair bound and can only blink her eyes to indicate “yes” or “no.” It is just the two of them in the house where they use candlelight (nice camera work there) at night. But mysterious things are afoot (which I will not divulge) and Freja is living more in fear with each passing day. Stenberg does well to keep up the tension among the mundanity of living with someone who cannot really respond. The pacing, the feeling, the dread are all palpable as the tale unfolds, even if you figure out the ending beforehand, it just looks so beautiful you will be riveted to the screen. I’m definitely becoming a Stenberg believer.
Film is HERE. 

 

Deranged Foxhole (aka Deranged Foxhole Deduction)
Directed by Dave Sweeney
Gold Productions
16:12 minutes, 2019

There’s a line in The Producers where Zero Mostel’s character turns to a statue and says, “They come here…they all come here! How do they find me!?” That is the problem facing sweaty and slovenly lunatic Johnny (John Cavavanico) as people keep coming to his apartment door and disappear into the bedroom one-by-one. A police detective (Nicholas Garafolo) from the local precinct is sent to investigate where it turns into a life and death struggle. The ending, which I will not give away, is straight out of either “The Twilight Zone” or Creepshow (depending on your age). There is definitely a sense of dark humor that follows the story and there are some really bad choices made by some of the characters, but the plot is engaging throughout. The acting is a bit over the top at time, and I found it to be quite fun. And ya gotta love the Bayonne accents (what, no Sinatra on the radio?). This is totally gonzo and a blast.
Film is HERE. 

 

The Dreamcatcher
Directed by Cindy Stenberg
Swedish Ghost Lovers
11:08 minutes, 2020

Young teen Nova (Ebba Ärlebo) is given a dreamcatcher to place above her bed, but a young male (of course) friend takes it upon himself to shake it, letting all the nightmare’s loose. The bits of the story are somewhat common tropes for shorts, but director Stenberg makes Nova such a likeable character, that you still hope for the best for her. The story is engaging, and really well shot (though hand-held). It’s in Swedish with subtitles, and it’s worth the view. It’s moody, atmospheric, and the music hits just the right tension notes. The costumes are definitely low-budget, but the idea is what makes this successful. Trevlig. Now I’m gonna go and have a krumkake and watch the next one.
Film is HERE.

Eden
Directed by Bobby Coston
Upper Stage Media; Don’t Wait Create; ISS
5:55 minutes, 2019

It’s the middle of the night in Arlington, TX, and three young men are on their way from (I’m guessing a bar) to their car. It’s a quite night and no one is on the streets, except Eden, a fine looking woman. Have the men met their match that night? This is a mostly talking piece until the action picks up, but retains its level of interest throughout. It’s not very deep, but it’s also not vacuous, so it keeps its level of fun pretty high, lulling you in. What is the outcome is somewhat predictable, but the route is an enjoyable ride and there are some nice surprises. A good watch.
Film is HERE. 

 

Home Movies
Directed by Dylan Clark
5:31 minutes, 2020

I am really enjoying the artistic output arising from the pandemic. Tight-knit groups or families are rising up and putting out art like crazy. What else is there to do if you have the filmmaking bug, right? In this short and sweet tale, a woman finds an old camera with an S-VHS tape in it that contains images of her when she was but a wee yoot. But there is something sinister on the tape, which seems to be manifesting itself in the real world. There are some well-worn tropes here, but Clark and clan work it together to make it cohesive and not seem the same old-same old. On shorts, my attention span is even shorter, but this kept my interest right through. Great job.
Film is HERE. 

 

Review: Chills Down Your Spine

Text © Richard Gary / Indie Horror Films, 2020
Images from the Internet

 

Chills Down Your Spine
Directed by Matthew Kister
Dead Lantern Pictures; Popejoy Productions
170 minutes, 2020
www.deadlanternpictures.com

When is a sequel not a sequel? Well, when it can stand alone without seeing the first release, then it can be seen as a sequel or not. Such is the case with this anthology. And when is an anthology not an anthology? Stop asking questions, already, and let me write this review, okay?!?!

This film is a pretty basic set-up as you watch it, but explaining it is another thing. It’s in three parts that switch back and forth, the first two being the bookends (yes, this one has two-two-two bookends in one!). The thirds are the 10 tales of terror (i.e., horror shorts, or the anthology proper).

 

Steve Eaton and Megan Garcia

In the first film, Shivers Down Your Spine (2015), Jeff (Steve Eaton) asks a red-haired and tattooed genie, Sabiah (Megan Garcia) to tell him stories. Note that I have not seen this release as of yet, but the theme of the film continues with not one, but two sexy genies. This time, Jeff rubs the lamp (keep it clean now) and Sabiah’s lookalike-but-blonde sister, Mahktoonah (also Megan Garcia) – shades of “Bewitched” and “I Dream of Jeannie”; did you know both TV lookalikes were created by the same writer? But I digress…) – that Jeff hooks up with as he rubs the wrong (yes, lookalike) lamp. They set out on a “Road Trip” (inspired by The Odyssey, so you know there’s a Cyclops a-comin’, as it’s the one consistency in any story based on the Greek classic, and the other “C” characters, Circe and Cassandra), and while driving, tell each other stories.

Meanwhile, Sabiah has been risen by a masked serial killer who mumbles and grumbles his words (honestly, I can barely make out what he’s saying), using his wish to bind the poor genie. She uses the time to delay by telling him stories (now this is more like One Thousand and One Nights, which is fitting for the genie theme) in the segment titled “C’mon Baby Light My Flame.” Of course, both genies are relatively topless through the bookends. These two bits also recur throughout the film, especially “Road Trip,” as we see variations of different segments of the original’s set pieces.

So, what you have essentially, is three people telling stories. The first one is “The Devil’s Corkscrew,” which is a tale within a tale within a tale. A western which uses the Nebraska vastness to it’s advantage, we meet a group of people who have stolen some gold and are trying to make it to their chosen location, while a dark and mysterious gunman hunts them down. Needless to say, the internal fighting between them is as bad as the stranger that’s searching for them. The unexpected ending was actually nicely done. I also like that they did a regular Western without trying to go for the overdone Spaghetti Western style.

Playing around with genres (an anthology is the perfect way to do that), next is “Isabelle Returns,” an animated story (the work of W. Leitzel) of the raising of a malevolent dead spirit. It’s short and sweet, but very satisfactory. I wouldn’t mind seeing more of it.

For “The Ditch,” it’s a very basic, nearly “Children of the Corn” theme (no kids here) mixed with a bit of Lovecraft and The Texas Chain Saw Massacre. It’s pretty basic with three characters who meet in various stages along a less-traveled dirt road surrounded by cornfields. There might be a surprise or two here and there for the viewer, but this minimalist tale has a nice though easy to see coming twist ending.

Relying on a bit of giallo stylings, “Bed and Breakfast” uses stark, primary colors and tilted angles to set off a mood, as a young woman arrives as said B&B in the middle of a rainstorm. It also has an Agatha Christie feel to it, as it seems to be placed in that time period. Rather than meeting up with Rocky and doing the “Time Warp,” she meets the butler, who is kind a generous, in a stiff way. There is a lot of nakedocity in this one (no, I’m not making judgments), as this is also styled after the classic “Nudie Cuties” of the 1950s and ‘60s (e.g., Hershell Gordon Lewis and Harrison Marks). There’s also a feel of Tales from the Crypt, with at least three really nice make-up effects.

 

You may have noticed the time length of this film, which hovers close to three hours. Normally, I would whine about most films longer than 90 minutes, but in an “Intermission” segment at the halfway point, the genie-to-be in the third anthology film (to be made) called Tingles Down Your Spine, reiterates what the director states, and in this case I agree; Kister says, “Hey, we’re gonna give people as much content value for their money as we possibly can, and oh, by the way, there is no requirement that anybody has to watch a horror anthology straight thru in one shot.” The intermission is kind of like “MST 3000,” as not only they comment of the film so far, but also they talk directly to the audience (there is also a fourth wall break about nudity early on in “Road Trip” that made me laugh).

Starting the second half is “Hysteria!” Well, right off the back that had me hysterical is that the house front here is the same as in the “Bed and Breakfast” story. Yeah, I do pay attention… This is a comic mixture of a murder mystery, a burlesque troupe, ghosts, and a ventriloquist doll. It’s goofy as hell, and I felt the weakest of the stories. I understand there was supposed to be a “Scooby-Doo” feel to this, but maybe because I’m not a fan of that, I missed the tone.

Settling down for some non-humor (though there is a dark streak deep in there), “Blood Model” presents us with an art class with a nude model as its subject. One of the students is a wacko who is fixated on the model, while others in the class try to cozy up to her. The dance around her by the students is the key motion of the story, but like any good horror tale, but the ending is solid gold, Jerry, it’s gold! It takes a bit to get there, but it’s worth the wait. For some reason it made me feel like it could be a segment of “Trilogy of Terror” (hey, Karen Black did some nudity).

 

To mix it up a bit, the penultimate story is “The Whirlpool of Night,” which takes a few genres, puts them in a blender and stirs. The predominant one is the black-and-white noir of a crime syndicate, as a private investigator must steal a necklace from a secure location and return it to repay a debt to an all-female mob. This leads to another genre of an action film as she is hunted by a masked assassin leading to shootouts and hand-to-hand fighting (which definitely shows the film’s budgetary restraints). As for the third of the mash-ups, I won’t give it away because it’s completely unexpected and fits in so beautifully.

 

The final story (but not the wrap-up) is “The Calling of Things Beyond,” which is the most Lovecraftian of them all. A cursed play (now there is a well-polished trope) written by a mysterious Alister Crowley type leads to an almost psychedelic happening. It’s both intriguing, weird and a bit silly, all at the same time.

As the two bookends collide in a pretty funny, almost Keystone Kops way, the film sets up for the next anthology. If it is as much of a blast as this one, it will be worth the wait (perhaps in 2022?). One thing noteworthy is that at nearly three hours, there is no big cameo star showing up; that alone is pretty impressive. Don’t let the length intimidate you, it’s worth watching it, even if it’s in bits here and there. That’s the glory of anthologies.

Review: Housewife Alien vs Gay Zombie

Text © Richard Gary / Indie Horror Films, 2020
Images from the Internet

 

Housewife Alien vs. Gay Zombie
Directed by Andreas Samuelson
Zoombie Pictures
96 minutes, 2017
www.facebook.com/hagzfilm

https://vimeo.com/ondemand/hagz www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/B08F4Z1THH/ref=atv_dp_share_cu_r

Sometimes, ya need to make a focused, driven movie – even if it’s a comedy – and bring home a message (even if it’s just joy). Other times, you just gotta say fuck it. Horror films with a gay center seem to lean towards the latter, and this Swedish (in English) release goes above and beyond; it is camp from Campville.

This film, affectionately known as HAGZ for short, is by far the silliest film I’ve seen since Australian sci-fi mash-up SheBorg! (2016); but before you stop here, know that it was one of my favorite films that I saw last year because of the sheer and utter WTF­-ness of it. So, keep reading…

Hector Lopez

Newlywed couple Ken (Hector Lopez) and his dick (pun not intended) of a platinum blond be-wigged partner Rob (director Samuelson) have moved into a new house that is still full of the previous owner’s possession, including an old and mysterious book. Hector is afraid because the local legend is that the person before turned into a zombie (so why would you move in? Oh, wait, logic… never mind).

That takes care of the “Gay Zombie” part; as for the other, Catherine (Sanna Wallin), who dresses like she just stepped out of an episode of “I Love Lucy,” is given the opportunity through a head in a suitcase with glowing eyes (Elin Hallberg), to resurrect her dead sister Ruth (Anna Walman), bad teeth and all, using some Alien DNA (musta gotten it from Trump’s medical advisor), turning Ruth into a murderous alien-creature serial killer.

And yet, the film has barely started. I’ve already left out so much that has happened, including a ludicrous superhero named Zebraman (Erik Nilsson) and a Dirty Harry type copper with a heart of lead, Detective Sheridan (Anna Modén). It’s like there is (purposefully) 40 lbs. of material in a 20 lbs. bag (or should that be kilos?). There is so much to unpack!

The two titular main storylines are separate at first and of course, at some point combine, though it feels nominally, which actually works to the stories’ advantage. Would have been interesting if the alien housewife were a lesbian, but there are other (non-alien) sisters of Lesbos throughout, as well.

Anna Walman

I don’t know if I would refer to this as a “gay film,” but it is definitely at the core and there are some love scenes (well, scenes of people having sex), but it certainly has a message, which I believe is a good one: no matter who one is attracted to, there will be good people and there will be the shits. But enough pontificating.

For me, as much as the action is fun, and I will get to that, it’s the dialogue that really makes the film for me. It is just dripping with puns, such as my favorite one when a criminal is captured and someone says, “They’re giving him the chair,” as the cops give him a wooden chair to sit on. This is worthy of Spaceballs (1987) and the line that they’re “combing the desert.” It was quite often I found myself giving a loud, verbal laugh.

Also, sometimes its not what is being said but rather implied, such as when the Police Chief (who has huge, bushy eyebrows) literally grumbles with non-words because it’s such a trope, really, who needs them, right? The film liberally uses clichés to make it’s points, or just to give a nod to other genre classics. For example, there’s the use of a talking plant that’s reminiscent of The Little Shop of Horrors (1986), a refrigerator scene that’s right out of Repo Man (1984), the sheer over-the-top drama of telenovelas, a very quick dig at the found footage format of shaky cameras, and even a wink at The Evil Dead (1981). One scene even makes fun of the handyman scenario oft employed in gay – and straight – porn. Another stylist choice is that, for most of the opus’ run time, there are added “scratches” to the image to look like it was taken from an old negative.

Elin Hallberg, Sanna Wallin

The cast is amazingly huge – did they use all of Stockholm in this? – and the acting ranges are in the shrieking scale, or what I call the Drag Queen Mating Call. The dialogue is either shouted or grumbled, or in a John Lithgow sit-com reading (did he really win awards for that overcooked ham-style in “Third Rock from the Sun”?). Most of the actors, especially the key ones, wear some kind of hair accessories, be it wigs, the aforementioned eyebrows, and generally ludicrous (I’m guessing Drag influenced) make-up. This goes for the gore make-up as well: it’s a bit over the top, though a couple of scenes are really nicely done, such as the last zombie attack.

In other words, there is absolutely no subtlety to the humor here, just a cosmic, comedic sledgehammer, but it hurts so good. The funny bits are so fast and furious, I may watch this again to see what I missed, because what I did catch was effective and made me laugh. There is so much happening that these are almost set pieces all strung together, but at the same time does not lose the thread of the story in its own reflection.

Honestly, this film may not be for everyone; if you’re homophobic because the Bible tells you so, if you don’t like gratuitous violence, or you need a serious picture with a more linear narrative step carefully. However, if you are like me and enjoy silliness for silliness sake, and yet like a smart undertone with great references to genre films (drinking game, perhaps?), then, as I did, you may enjoy the hell out of this and have a good laugh.

Review: Red Letters

Text © Richard Gary / Indie Horror Films, 2020
Images from the Internet

 

Red Letters
Directed by Jim Klock
Code 3 Films; Terror Films
86 minutes, 2020
www.terrorfilms.com

Lately, I have been on a few Theists vs. Atheists boards, which are always interesting. This actually fits in well for this release, in which the two lead characters are on either side of this issue.

Retired homicide detective turned PI Jim Knowles (the film’s director, Jim Klock), who helps the police with “dark” murders, and also retired Professor of Theology and Knowles’ friend and reluctant occasional partner Mike Gaston (Mike Capozzi) – no need to explain which is the believer and which is not – are hired by the police to investigate the strange disappearance of a deputy investigating a burglary (at exactly 3 AM on November 1, the day after Halloween, which is, of course, the Catholic-based All Saints Day; personally, I think it would have been cooler to be at 3:33, but that’s just my own musing that has nothing to do with nothing). But this is fiction placed in a particular subgenre of horror, so it "obvious" who, in this story, is "right." That’s just a given. But let’s go on and start the film…

Jim Klock and Mike Capozzi

This story follows a perspective I really like, in that after the Deputy’s disappearance, we mainly follow the two lead characters for a day, so we learn about events as they do. For me, this is a smart way to keep us knowing just what they know, and to work on the case with them, as it were.

Unlike many films, indie or mainstream, this is well written in that the characters are quite human rather than mere stereotypes. For example, the partner of the deputy that disappears discusses his guilt about being afraid of going after the officer. This is a very realistic touch, which softens the character and makes him sympathetic rather than being just a coward. Or is there more? That’s a question that is consistent throughout the film, as it rightfully should be in any police procedural, as well as one in the Satanic subgenre especially (since he is the Prince of Lies, as it were).

So, what is the philosophy of the film: is it pro- or anti-God/Satan? Well, that’s pretty easy to figure out, if you’ve seen The Exorcist and The Omen (I am going to assume that’s a yes). And is it preachy about it? And is there a Right-Wing slant to the film, as Knowles jacket has a “Blues Lives Matter” American flag patch on his jacket? Well, more about all that later.

Meanwhile, did I mention that Gaston has visions when he touches objects? It’s no wonder he’s a believer, and he’s certain Satan is a-foot. Or is it a-hoof? But no one sees and hears as much as a homeless man named Robin (Robin F. Baker), who is a prophet in touch with the Lord that we are introduced to at the start of Act 2, which drowns a bit in dialogue about matters Holy.

The visions help show that, of course, things aren’t always as they appear, and good Christians can be called into question as they show a dark side. But is that out of some long-term sinister belief system or fear? These are all questions to lead the viewer on the journey to the truth within the film’s boundaries. Sometimes beliefs are shown in subtle ways, such as Knowles being a non-believer and the only smoker in the story, showing he doesn’t care about the world by repeatedly littering with the butts, even when there is a garbage can right there (sorry, personal pet smoking peeve).

The first couple of Acts are a bit slow and paced, and could use some editing, though there are a couple of decent jump scares. But as is natural in genre cinema, it isn’t until the third Act that things really start hopping.

The film is pretty well acted, and considering the vast amount of dialog, such as the extended soliloquy of Robin at a diner, it is held up by Baker’s acting chops. The body count is relatively low as is the blood flow, but the tension in the last Act (as opposed to the Bible’s “Acts”) works well to keep up a bit of tension.

And is it preachy? Well, yeah, a bit, but not to the level where I felt like I was being beaten over the head like those ridiculous Left Behind releases. There are lots of Bible quotes and a letter from Paul discussed, and I assume Klock, who also wrote the film, is a believer, because his character (who does not have faith) states at one point, “I don’t believe in the Man upstairs.” Most atheists or agnostics would respond, “I don’t see any proof of a Man upstairs” instead, leaving the burden of proof on the believer. The end title card actually answers the question of preaching, though.

The photography is pretty straightforward most of the time, with one and two person shots, with lots of headshots. But somewhat often, a lovely time lapse or overhead of a beautiful forest can take the viewer by surprise by its beauty, considering it was shot near Atlantic City, NJ (I promise you, this Brooklyn boy will not mock NJ here).

Overall, it’s a decent film that’s nice to look at and a respectable cast that is only hindered by the amount of talking in ratio-to-action. I haven’t seen Klock’s other four films, so I don’t know if the religiosity is a trend or a one-off, but I’d certainly be willing to see more, even as an agnostic non-Christian myself who doesn’t mind a bit of Gods and Devils in his viewing stories. But remember, there are over 3000 gods out there, and this is taking only one of the Christian perspectives, which means all the others are “wrong.” That’s hubris, but with good cinema, I’ll let it stand.

You can find the film exclusively, for now, at the Kings of Horror site on You Tube.