All genres of suspense, terror, and horror will be reviewed by Richard Gary. His address to send preview copies supplied upon request to rbf55@msn.com.
The Horrific Evil
Monsters (aka THEM) Directed by Adam Steigert 388 Studios; ARS Films; Macrocosm Productions 70 minutes, 2021 www.facebook.com/TheHorrificEvilMonsters
If I were to sum it up simplistically, this film is
kind of The Avengers meet The Suicide Squad (yes, I understand
they are competing companies and universes), mixed with Cabin in the Woods
featuring a host of slasher and monster film types (but generic, off-brands). Does
this intrigue you? It should. And it certainly does with me.
This takes place in the Steigert universe of Metsburgh (is it next door to Yankeeville? Sorry…), home of some of Steigert’s previous horror
villains, such as in his earlier works starting in 2009, with titles like Gore, Ombis: Alien Invasion, A Grim Becoming, Fang, and the short, "Caged." This is a world of super-antiheroes, aliens, and Thanos-like creatures
of enormous power, but note that I have not seen Steigert’s previous releases,
so I am going into it as a new experience.
Jennie Russo
We start to meet the “bad” side first, with goddess
Conquest (Jennie Russo, who was great as the lead in the underrated She Kills from 2015), and her companions, gladiator-esque War, aka Marcus (Jason John Beebe, who has
also been in a bunch of James Balsamo’s releases reviewed on this site), the growly
voiced Famine (Gregory Blair) and, of course, mute Death (Michael Zsiros), who
seems more like a carnival barker. These four in total, are the Biblical
Horsemen of the Apocalypse. And that is what they are bringing.
I’m not sure how, but a special agency of “misfits”
seems to know about it coming, and their men in black led my agent Mick (Christopher
Brechtel), are dedicated to bringing their strangest to fight for them. Some of
the anti-heroes include silent masked killer Gore (Norman Queeno), action star Alex
Creed (Bishop Stevens) and his scene-stealing erudite "Carlton"-like alien pal Obji (Will
Nemi) who looks a bit like the David McCallum character from the episode “The
Sixth Finger” on “The Outer Limits.” Also, snarky zombie Anna (Kaylee Williams),
who seems to be in most of the publicity pix in her waitress outfit, the classic
Grim Reaper (Sean Sanders) with cowl and scythe, and ex-police officer William
Sanders (Michael O’Hear; I have reviewed a number of his films, d. 2020) with a
secret of his own, who is sort of the van Helsing or Dr. Loomis of the
Metsville universe by tracking down Gore in two previous films. Included is the
mysterious Mrs. Unknown (Xia Orozco, who rocks a wicked push-up corset, sunglasses,
and thick accent).
Will Nemi, Michael O'Hear
The first act is the gathering of the armies as we get
to see some of the power of the Horsemen…Horsepeople?... The second act is some
readjustments and the preliminary to the battle, and of course, act three is
the battle proper. This is not a mega-budget release so don’t be expecting lots
of CGI, green screen, and expensive effects, but rather modest SFX that work
well, and are joyfully cheesy on occasion. For me, this improves the story
rather than hindering it.
What matters more is the level of comedy used, which
kept a smile on my face pretty consistently. It is not broad comedy, but it isn’t
subtle either. It is dependent more on situations and throwaway lines (which
are some of my favorites). That means it is worthwhile to pay attention, rather
than just waiting for the battle, because the humor is consistent throughout and
a lazy viewer should watch it a second time to get what they missed.
Bishop Stevens, Brectel, Nemi
One of the amusing elements is sometimes the very
location of the scene. For example, there is a segment with the gods wreaking
havoc in a Pet Store that is hysterical, especially the cashier (Taylor Martin)
who deserves a nod. These are all wise choices, and the mundanity of the sites
is part of what makes it so humorous. I mean, gods? In a pet food store? Cracked
me up. Made me put down my game of Uno.
Pet food store: Gregory Blair, Russo, Beebe, Michael Zsiros
One of the things that went through my mind was, “how
is this rag-tag group of heroes with their own weaknesses and minor powers going
to take on gods?” Somehow, it all worked in a low-budget world, including the
losses on all sides.
Jason John Beebe
Here are some random thoughts: there is a nice
diversity among the surprisingly large cast, which is always nice to see, with
the de facto lead being Stevens. War looks so classically like a shirtless
Greek gladiator, I wasn’t sure if he was going to yell, “I am Spartacus,” “This
is Sparta!” or start singing “Bring Me My Bride” as Miles Gloriosus.
I really enjoy independent superhero stories, such as
those on the Dark Horse or 2000AD brand comics, or films like The League ofSuperheroes(2015), or The Supers! (2017). And for some reason, independent superhero films often use a comedic tone, such
as Surge of Power: Revenge of the Sequel (2016), which works for the genre. Sometimes they try to take themselves too seriously,
such as Rise of the Black Cat(2014), which is also their undoing.
Be sure to stick around for the credits for additional
scenes; and speaking of credits, what the hell is an “Antagonist Theory”
(credited to Christopher Burns, Jr., who fills a number of crew roles)?
Christopher Brechtel, Kaylee Williams
The SFX blood and gore are kept at a minimum, to the
point where there are a couple of grisly bits (mostly around Anna), and many of
the other deaths are more cartoonish, which means that this is more than likely
something you can watch with the family (dependent on that family’s values, of
course). As a stand-alone story, this works and, actually not knowing some of
the previous storylines (i.e., the William Sanders character), it actually
enhances the surprise element. So, don’t let not having seen the others throw
you off. Mostly, this is a great film
for a rainy afternoon with your buds, some suds, and some ‘za, in the words of
that great philosopher, Stewie Griffin.
Winifred Meeks Directed by Jason
Figgis October Eleven
Pictures; Figgis-West; BayView Entertainment 88 minutes, 2020 www.facebook.com/winnymeeks/
I was excited about getting
the chance to review another film by director Jason Figgis. While he has been
incredibly prolific over the last few years, I had seen and reviewed two of his
previous output: Children of a Darker Dawn (2012) and Don’t You Recognise Me? (2016). Both of these films are very dark and intense, and quite beautifully shot.
Truthfully, I must admit
that ghost stories are among my faves, especially with a gothic nod. And this
doesn’t as much nod as headbang. Time to click on *play*.
Lara Belmont
Asthmatic Anna James
(Lara Belmont) is a popular author of youth mysteries on a deadline, who has
hit a dry patch. What better way to rekindle a writing block than to rent a stunning
house in the middle of nowhere? This particular trope is well worn (e.g., 2004’s
Secret Window, possibly 2007’s 1408); perhaps the underlying connection
is that the creative mind is more open to spirituality.
Anyway, the Seaview House
(the opening shot tells why) in Suffolk, England, is beautiful, but imbued with
a darkness (camera filters help) that could have come right out of Shirley Jackson’s iconic
opening paragraph of her novel, The Haunting of Hill House (1959). At
once both modern (such as a flat-screen TV) and rustic (lead pane windows and a
dial phone), it is a perfect place for a spookie to be hanging around, doncha
think? Figgis, who was also the Director of Photography, does a very masterful
job of capturing it in a loving-yet-mysterious manner. I really enjoyed how he would
situate the camera in a different room, and you would watch the character of
focus through the doorway.
The first act is mostly atmospheric, as Anna
settles in for the night, with a beautiful score and long and luxurious shots
at the start, other than a quick jump scare. We get familiar with the sadness of
Anna, reflecting these moody views of her temporary life at the house. It definitely starts as a slow burn, with one
subtle indication that there is something not right, shown almost as a throwaway
line (okay image), and another warning of what’s to come. Which brings me to a
digression, if you will forgive me: why do genre films (especially) need to
have a scene of someone brushing their teeth? It’s a pet peeve, sorry. Now back
to our scheduled program…
Julie Abbott and John West
Ever slowly, but
increasingly so, the presence of a previous owner, the titular Winifred (Julie
Abbott) makes herself known. She vacillates between sadness and anger, both reflecting
the mood of Anna, but bringing her own story with it, which is the mystery
behind the film of which Anna seeks to learn in the second act.
There are a few inside subtle signals, such as
this youth mystery writer being forced to listen to a radio play version of
Sherlock Holmes, and early-in-the-film showing of the rising dead in the form
of Nosferatu: eine Symphonie des Grauens (1922), and the house haunting
film House on Haunted Hill (1959), among others on the telly; gotta love
public domain. In fact, there is a lot of radio talking programs disbursed throughout,
such as writings by the “father of modern medicine, “Canadian physician Sir
William Osler, who promoted euthanasia.
In the nothin’ for nothin’ department, I found
the bookstore Anna goes into in Westleton, on Google Maps, thanks to the Snug
Tea Room across the road. That made me feel good, for some reason. She goes to
the store to research the house (though any author I know would stop to see if
they could find their own books).
While this is a contemporary story – albeit with
an older ghost from a hundred years ago – I would definitely define this as
gothic, with its turn-of-the-century (at least) house and what inhabits within
its walls (and beyond).
I believed I figured out the ending pretty
early on, but I’m happy to say I was wrong, Figgis did not take the easy and
obvious route, which is refreshing. With only two living on-screen characters
and one un-, the rest of the cast is either on the phone or mostly the radio.
Perhaps the disembodied voices are to reflect the spirits of the world, or specifically
Winifred. It is a solid choice. As, in rare exception, no two people are seen together
between the three characters, and in those cases, they are easily 6 feet apart.
I am assuming this was shot during the COVID-19 epidemic, and was edited (by
Figgis) in a very sharp and precise way. The photography and drone work are excellent, over
the beautiful West Coast of England.
My only quibble about the film, and I know
this is trivial at best, is I do not like the picture of Belmont on the poster
as it does not do her justice.
There is no blood, no violence, no nudity
(other than an upper back), and no contact, and yet this still manages to be
extremely creepy, which is a credit to Figgis. My appreciation of his work just
keeps growing.
This comes from a land down under; Melbourne,
specifically. It is a hybrid crime drama and psychological thriller. It is both gritty and vicious, and fraught
with emotion, as well. Think of it as a Scandinavian television murder mystery
that spans over half-a-dozen episodes, as there are at least five distinctive acts
in the film.
Unlike other revenge
films like Death Wish (1974) or perhaps I Spit on Your Grave: The Day
of the Woman (1978), where the revenge is a general takedown of either numerous
assaulters or a bad guy in general, this one has a very specific
purpose.
Matt Theo
An unhappily married
couple, Noah (Matt Theo, with a bearded Hugh Jackman vibe) and Madeline (Hayley
Beveridge), are coping through their lives, hoping to reconnect but not willing
to extend themselves much. Then, after a lot of exposition, two bad
guys break in, and wreak havoc on them, leaving bodies, Madeline is roughed up in a much longer than needed scene, and Noah lands in a coma for a while.
There is some nice
time jumping in both directions just after the assault, done with slow and
deliberate editing, that shows the post-attack period of both Madeline and
Noah. We also get introduced to Detective John Bennett (Richard Norton, who has
played in a lot of action/martial arts/gladiator films, including one in 1993
called – wait for it – Rage), who heads the investigative team. There
are a lot of montages in the film, silent b-roll over emotional music, such as
one with Noah re-falling in love with the mentally absent Madeline, and regretting
his time with Sophia (attractive Natasha Maymon). Another,
later montage scene is segmented between the five main characters, much in the
way that Stephen Sondheim tends to do in songs (think of “Quartet” from 1963’s West
Side Story, but without lyrics or libretto/dialogue), and each shot of many
lasting about 15 to 20 seconds apiece.
Hayley Beveridge
With the introduction of Bennett, the film is
also partial police procedural, with both good and bad cops, including Officer Patricia
Davidson (Melissa Barias), who was underused, and profane Officer Tommy Wells
(Tony Kotsopoulos).
The pace finally picks up (somewhat),
when Madeline accuses someone to Noah as the one who attacked her. The revenge
stage of the story begins and pulses forward. This is where the previous nearly
2 hours has brought us, and the doors to the story blow wide open. They say
revenge is best served cold, but vengeance can also be a snare more full of
acid than a venus flytrap.
Most of the time the
music is spot-on appropriate, but occasionally it sounds like a soap opera’s piano plinking,
such as when Noah and Maddie first get together after the incident. It becomes
a bit distracting at moments like this, but again, most of the time it is well-suited
for the scenes, especially those with action.
Richard Norton
What honestly confuses me is that the
director, John Balazs, has been a professional editor for years, and yet this
film, with its pretty simple premise, is 2 hours and 23 minutes. Seriously, you
could not find a way to cut this down to 90 minutes or so? This is not a John
Wick or MCU action film, though it does somewhat fit into the thriller
genre. As a brief example, the two-directional walk when we are
introduced to Detective Bennett could easily have been cut down to a few
seconds rather than being literally 2 long minutes. It did not advance the
story, but rather seems a mood piece. Also, without this being in reference to
the acting, which is well done by Tottie Goldsmith, most of the character of
Madeline’s psychiatrist could, with one exception, be cut down to two or three
quick scenes and, again, not an ounce of story would be lost.
Another issue with the film is that the
violence may be too graphic for the soap opera-ish romantic drama audience, and
the romantic drama may have the action seekers impatiently waiting for the
violence. When it occurs, the ferocity is quite explicit and well done, but if
one is not expecting it, it could be off-putting (during a date movie night for
most, for example). It firmly has its feet in two different yards, swaying back
and forth over the fence between them. It’s almost like it is trying to be two emotionally
different films at the same time.
Natasha Maymon
All that being said, let me end with some
praise that this release truly deserves: The film is actually incredibly well
shot, despite its tendency to be on the dark filtered side, and the acting is
pretty solid, especially from the three leads (Theo, Beveridge and Norton, the latter of whom leans toward stoic,
but you get that he’s frustrated), but all fare well. As for the story, it is
interesting, but pulled like a Stretch Armstrong doll. Despite its leaning
towards telenovela material, it addresses the process of violence,
grief, recovery and vengeance deeply, hence the time.
Overall, this is a thoughtful
piece with some viciousness in a few spots, so it is not necessarily a throw-a-viewing-party-in-the-basement-with-weed-and-drinks
kind of film, but rather an introspective look at relationships and the effect
of violence placed upon it.
Making
Monsters Directed by Justin
Harding and Rob Brunner Samuel Goldwyn
Films; BUCK Productions; Bokeh Collective; Ginger Cat Studios; Vortex Media 85 minutes, 2019 https://www.facebook.com/makingmonstersfilm
If you want to get me upset,
play a prank on me. I am not a fan, to the point where I get anxious around
April 1. Heck, I won’t even watch most of them on the Internet. The majority of
pranks I find to be cruel, and I have no respect for the fools who do it and
them post it online (e.g., a clown chasing people with chainsaws). Note, that
if someone does that to me, they are going to get a severe response. But
nothing compared to what is happening here: care careful whom you victimize, even
in Canada (where this film is shot).
The point of this is
that the story centers around a couple: first there’s Christian (Tim Loden) who
runs his prank site, and then there is the focus of his vicious pranking, the
star of his YouTube channel, his fiancé Allison (Alana Elmer). What she sees in
this dick is beyond me. Anyway, enough editorializing. He is a popular content provider
who does just that very thing: publish his original tricks online. Merry prankster,
indeed, making money off people that he terrorizes. And you just know he’s
going to reach an audience that wants to take it a step too far, as is wont in
these films.
Tim Loden, Alana Elmer
The problem is,
Allison is stressed out and done, and needs some – in the words of that great
philosopher Elmer Fudd – “West and Wewaxation at wast.” To achieve this,
she asks him to cut it the fuck out, and so they decide to take some time and
visit friends out in the country. In genre films, is it ever good to go
out to a house – actually, a deconsecrated church – in the middle of
nowheresville (a fancier cabin-eth in the woods)? This one is owned by
Chris’s long-lost school friend Jesse (King Chiu) and his fiancé, the very odd
and off David (Jonathan Craig), who is an uber fan of the prank videos. In the
words of that other great thinker, Astro, “Ruh-row.”
Chris is eager explain
why he enjoys terrorizing people, and why people lap it up, taking a couple of
minutes to explain it, when all he really needed to say is “Schadenfreude.”
Meanwhile, I kept wanting to say to Allison, “Really, you want to marry this guy
and have his kid? Surely you can do better.”
Jonathan Craig
After a night of
waiting for Jesse to show up, this leads to some sex and drugs and well,
something unworldly. Up to now, it’s been in our realm, but post-hallucinogenic,
the audience is not sure what we are seeing is supernatural or part of a
mind-bender, leading to some nice and creepy shit, and some decent jump scares.
Is it real, something supernatural, drug-induced, or a prank? After the horrific
and short prologue at the beginning that uses a drone quite effectively, and then
the second Act ramping up on the creepy-factor, it is hard to say. Of course, most
things will be answered in the third Act.
The question is what
happens when a prankster meets the dark Web real deal? A taste of his own
medicine? You see some of this coming early on in the second Act, but certain
elements keep the tensions taut, I am happy to say. This is definitely a watch
between the fingers kind of film, and not just because of the violence, but the
expectation of it. That’s what makes this enjoyable.
This could have been
really corny, but the acting, especially by the two leads, and the way it was
shot and stylishly put together by the directors (who have worked extensively
in television, such as “Top Chef Canada” and “Canada’s Worst Drivers”), make
this a pretty solid scarefest. Also, the church is a great set piece,
beautifully designed and laid out. I would love to live there, if it weren’t so
secluded.
By the end, the
tension really ramps up and becomes quite a frenetic film as our killer, in a
mask that I suppose is meant to reflect Chris’s look with long hair and a
somewhat beard, makes his way through the small cast with quite gruesome and beautifully
done SFX. And the choice of music is worth noting as it both reflects the
situation and also juxtaposes it, such as the use of the old folk song (one I have
always liked) called “In the Pines” (not listed in the credits, so I don’t know
who did this interpretation), mixed with some modern orchestral instrumentals.
As I have indicated earlier,
there is a supernatural element to the film in the form of a ghost (Jarrett Siddall),
which was fine for some jump scares, but honestly, there really did not need to
be anything like that needed, as the spookie really does not advance the story
at all (though it looks cool), and the human part of it is certainly terrifying
enough.
That being said, this
is one of the better slasher films I have seen in a while, being innovative while
not going too far off the mark for some effective genre tropes, in fact
reminding me of another Canadian release, In the House of Flies (2012). Yeah, I enjoyed this one a lot.
Versus (aka Down to Hell 2) Directed by Ryûhei
Kitamura Arrow Video;
WEVCO Produce Company; napalm FILMS; KSS; Suplex; MVD Entertainment 120 minutes, 2000
version 131 minutes,
2004 Ultimate edition www.arrowfilms.com www.facebook.com/ArrowVideo/ www.mvdb2b.com
To be clear, there are
actually three editions of this film on these discs, rather than two. The first
is the original 2000 cut at 120 minutes, then the Ultimate Versus, which
is the 130 minutes director’s cut from 2004, and last is VersusFF, which
is a 20 minute version, which I am assuming is for film festivals, given the
“FF” appendage. It does not, however, contain the 45-minute Down to Hell
(1997) which can be interpreted as the demo version of this film before the
real thing, though it is available on YouTube HERE. Still, this is gonna take a while to get
through this sumptuous package.
I am not gonna lie; I
watched the Ultimate cut from Disc 2 first, then for the shorter 2-hour
one, while I did see it, I paid more attention to the commentaries.
As the opening scrawl
tells us, there are 666 (of course) portals between our world and the “other
side,” and the 444th one is the “Forest of Resurrection” (shades of Pet Sematary)
in Japan, where the film takes place. I’m not sure what it is about Japan and
wooded areas, but there are at least two other stories about the mysterious arboreal
surroundings there, including The Sea of Trees and The Forest (both
released in 2016). This story is similar to Down to Hell, but it is quite
expanded and bloodier. The plot(s) also has a lot more depth to it.
Two escaped prisoners,
the star, Prisoner KSC2-303 (Tak Sakaguchi, who resembles a young Johnny Depp) and
the – er – non-star (Motonari Komiya) meet up with a car full of five yakuza
hitmen and a cute, kidnapped woman (Chieko Misaka) whose presence, naturally,
is more than it seems; her white dress never gets dirty, no matter how much
blood is sprayed or how often she is on the forest floor. No names for the characters
are given. Through a couple of double crossings and some killings, KSC2-303 (for
lack of a better name) and the woman escape into the spooky woods where the hit
men have buried dozens of their victims. Problem is, they are now zombies out
for revenge. Heck, they even have guns (though are terrible shots; the undead
need some practice).
The hit men are quite
colorful and give a nice flavor to the story rather than the typical Vincent
and Jules types, or any of a dozen hulking masses from mafia films. Here, they range
a bit on the hysterical side or are extremely stoic, giving a nice balance. Their
leader (Kenji Matsuda) is nuts and seems to act mostly with his eyes and mouth,
but he is so much fun to watch, strutting and subtly dressing like the Joker in
a green shirt and red tie; whether done on purpose or not, it works. The one I
liked the best is the most impassive (Kazuhito Ohba). Then there is the scared
and mentally unstable one (Minoru Matsumoto) and the bare-armed fighter (Yuichiro
Arai). Lest I forget, there is the one who is too quick on the draw (Ryosuke
Watabe).
Joining the mix are
two coppers from whom the prisoner escaped, the leader (Yukihito Tanikado,
doing his best “Twin Peaks” Dale Cooper) and the other with one hand (Shôichirô
Masumoto), thanks to the result of being handcuffed to KSC2-303. One of my
favorite lines is said by the cop leader who proudly brags that “I grew up at
Yellowstone National Park in Canada.” I am assuming this was an unintentional mistranslation
in the captions, but it amused me to no end.
There is a lot – and I
mean a lot – of action here, including fisticuffs, guns a-blazing and
samurai swords a-swishing. As much as the zombies are there for payback to the
hitmen, they will attack anyone. As a result of the fighting and violence, the
make-up special effects by Susumu Nakatani look great, in a Dead Alive (1992)
cartoony-way; it is easy to tell that this Peter Jackson’s film was an
influence as we get to look through holes in people, total dismemberments, and
there is blood sprayed everywhere (except, of course, on white-clad Misaka).
That the director studied film in Australia indicates that, as well.
Through it all, three
more assassins are added to the action (redhaired Takehiro Katayama, Hoshimi
Asai, and attractive gun-totin’ Ayumi Yoshihara), and to include at least two
more competent women to the cast. And this is all before the halfway point when
the film goes into a completely different and unexpected direction that is both
a WTF moment and a Hell yeah!” one, as we meet “the boss” of all the
hitmen (Hideo Sakaki), who you know from the start will lead to a final
showdown with the prisoner.
The film is insane –
in a good way – on so many different levels. While I would not dub this a
comedy, there are a lot of funny moments, often in a twisted way. Also, there
is a traditional fighting cinematic style that is occasionally used, but director
Kitamura also uses some wild editing, especially
near the end, that plays with the viewers’ expectations on the fights. With all
the wild angles, zooms, close-ups and zombies left and right, the action is
practically non-stop, and even at this length, went by pretty quickly. Even if
you don’t like captions, as this is obviously in Japanese, it won’t matter: the
actions speak louder than the words.
As always, Arrow Video
aims to please, so this Blu-ray is abounding with bonus materials. These appear
across the two discs.
The first extra I watched
on the second disc (there are only two here, most of the rest on the first
disc) was the audio commentary by Kitamura, and members of the cast and crew.
This is different that the one on the first disc, but I must say, watch it at
your own willingness to spend the time. There is about 20 minutes worth of
interesting info disbursed throughout, but most of it is utter nonsense about
their kids, kidding insults to each other, and is just plain blather. I watched
it in double time and read it faster that way (it is in Japanese, with
captions). For most of it I have no idea who said what as there was a large
group and they are not identified in the captions. The most interesting stuff
is comments on the new material. Speaking of which, the second 18-minute featurette,
“Sakigate! Otoko versus Juku,” about the new material shot four years later
than the original, with all the same actors regrouping. It’s a fun Making Of,
though it does not follow any narrative lines, but rather jumps around quite a
bit, which is fine. The action between Sakaguchi (who was the fight coordinator
for the reshoot) and Sakaki, which takes a large portion, is the most
interesting.
Back to the first
disc, I started with an audio commentary by Kitamura and producer Keishiro Shinei,
which is happily in English. While there is still a bit of whatever in
the conversation, this is focused on the film production, and is a lot more interesting.
In the yet-another commentary, this third one is the director, the lead actor,
and four of the crew (including, again, Shinei). Unlike for the Ultimate,
this one, which is in Japanese with captions, is quite a bit more informative
and my assumption is that they said most of what they needed to say, so by the
time the Ultimate one came around 4 years later, they had said their
piece. This one is also worth the listen, though it does get disjointed at
times; it’s like a film of the one for Versus Ultimate in that it is
about 80 percent decent and 20 percent fluff.
With “Body Slamming, Body Horror: Jasper Sharp on Ryûhei Kitamura” (16
min), the British expert of Japanese films frames the director in historical
context at the beginning of a new wave of Asian Extreme Cinema, such as those
by Takashi Miike. It’s a nice overview of Kitamura’s career. “First Contact: Versus Evolution” (10
min), a featurette exploring the film’s origins, is a bombastic telling with no
dialogue but Japanese title cards (and English subtitles) that just flashes images
in MTV editing style with no piece being more than 5 seconds over thunderous
music and language heavy in adjectives like “unprecedented.” Personally, I
found it a bit annoying. “Tak Sakaguchi’s One-Man Journey” (14 min), a mostly
self-shot featurette on the actor’s visit to the 2001 Japan Film Festival in
Hamburg. The first 10 minutes is just him leaving for the flight, his hotel room,
meeting his interpreter, food, and expressions of lonely feelings. When he
finally arrives at the fest, he signs autographs, looks cool in his Neo leather
jacket from the film, and destroys a screen. It was an okay watch, but I don’t
feel a need to see again.
“Team Versus” (1 min)
is a humorous look inside the napalm FILMS basement office; short and sweet. “Deep
in the Woods” (25 min) is a thoughtful featurette of interviews with Kitamura,
cast and crew, including Sakaguchi, Matsumoto, and Sakaki. “The Encounter” (13
min) is an interview with well-respected editor Shûichi Kakesu by Versus
producer Keishiro Shinei. While he discusses this film, he also talks about
different ways to approach editing, and the differences between action and
animation (he did 1995’s Ghost in the Shell).
Next up is a fun Deleted
Scenes (21 min) with audio commentary by Kitamura, cast and crew obviously done
when the main one was completed as it is the same group. As discussed above,
there is the Versus FF Version, a condensed, 20-minute recut of the film.
While the narrative is obviously in disarray, it’s pretty much a collection of
action scenes, mostly with Sakaguchi., and very little dialogue.
“Behind Versus,”
a two-part behind-the-scenes documentary exploring the film’s production, the first being “Birth
of a Dark Hero” (27 min) and the second “Versus the Legend” (46 min). Both
are very well made, one featuring a mix of interesting interviews, especially Sakaguchi
again, and filming some of the action; the other is more about the non-fighting
parts, like rehearsals, make-up, set-ups, steadi-cams, and the like, but
remains fascinating. These are well put-together Making Ofs.
There are two clips
from film festival screenings, one being the XXI Fantafestival in Genoa (2 min)
and the second is from various other fests where the film won awards (3 min).
Again, there is no dialogue, and each edit is less than 5 seconds, over blaring
music. This is more ego stroking than anything else, but considering the rightful
fanfare it got, who would be surprised. For “side stories,” which are
mini-movies featuring characters from Versus, there are “Nervous” (6.5
min) and “Nervous 2” (16 min), along with a featurette on the making of “Nervous
2” (1 min). The first one deals with the two police detectives and their
dislike of being called “officer” (is this a Japanese thing?). It’s confusing
because one detective has both hands while the other has the cuts on his face
from Versus. Either way, the image is a bit over-exposed, but I am
assuming that’s on purpose. For the second, directed by Yudai Yamaguchi, four
of the characters are in an asylum post-Versus, and can’t remember what
happened before, until… It’s quite humorous. The Making Of is a waste, don’t
bother.
There are five trailers,
each one quite different. I love coming attractions, but want to warn anyone
with epilepsy to avoid due to the flashing lights. Seriously. Also included are
5 different image galleries, including stills (both publicity and screen shots)
and posters. On the tactile side, there is a reversible sleeve for the box
featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Chris Malbon, and a glossy,
beautifully illustrated collector’s booklet featuring new writing on the film
and a reprinted interview with Kitamura by Tom Mes, with notes on the making of
the film by Kitamura (this appears only in the first pressing of the Blu-ray).
Note that it took me three days to get through all the films and features. That's a nice package.
Kitamura would go on
to make 2004’s Godzilla: Final Wars, and most notably what has become an
underground classic, The Midnight Meat Train in 2008.
Filmmakers,
please note: It is important that you list your films on IMDB. Going forward, I
will usually not review a film that is unlisted, and I have seen a few good
ones that I had to give a pass. Usually, I do not review films (unless
requested) that appear on sites like Alter and Screamfest, because they have a
known platform, which is great, while I would rather focus on films with no
affiliations.
After Hours Directed by Isaac Ruth Ruthless Stories 8:40 minutes, 2021 Many of us have worked such long hours that we have fallen asleep at our
desks (if that is the kind of position had). So, what is a woman to do when it
is late at night and you are the only one in the office/building when weird things
start happening, like power turning off, doppelgangers popping in and out, and jerking
creatures that look to be right out of an Asian ghost story? That is the
predicament in which we find our protagonist (Christine Renaud, who has come to
some recognition as Darby Double on ”Wandavision”). Someone or something keeps
popping up as she frighteningly tries her best to hide from whomever or
whatever it is that is invading her space. There is no explanation given as to why
this is happening (perhaps a personification of an overwrought work habit?),
but hell, it is a short, so exposition is not a necessary factor; long
enough to keep the thrill going, and short enough not to wear out its welcome.
It’s a chilling tale, especially for those of us who put in long hours. Good,
clean, spooky-enjoyment with no dialogue. Full film HERE
Boss Bitch
Fight Challenge Directed by Zoë Bell Zoë Bell YouTube Channel 5:17 minutes, 2020 Zoë Bell is probably the best-known stunt person on the globe today,
thanks to her work with Tarantino and on the MCU. And what is a poor stunt
person to do during a lockdown? She has brilliantly brought in a whole bunch of
her Hollywood and stunt women friends to assault each other via camera in some
funny, thrilling, and compelling ways. Each segment is a few seconds long and
the subject attacks the camera, which in turn “affects” whomever is next,
linking it into a flow, rather than being unconnected bits. Who is in it? Well,
here is a small list of a much larger contribution: Lucy Lawless, Scarlett
Johansson, Margo Robbie (using a bat, of course), Rosie Perez, Drew Barrymore,
Juliette Lewis, Cameron Diaz, Rosario Dawson (doing her infamous down kick),
Florence Pugh (from Midsommar, whose piece is hilarious), Daryl Hannah,
Thandie Newton, Halle Berry (!), and that’s not even a quarter of the cast.
People are thrown into pools, down stairs, flying across the room (on wires),
and even have their kids seek revenge. It’s cartoonishly ultraviolent punching,
kicking and other means of assault, but it will have you laughing all the way
through. Sure, it’s not horror, but I would classify it as action. And it’s
non-stop. There are lots of inside jokes, and Zoë even gets to use her “I’m
okay” line from Death Proof (2007). Full film HERE
Bump in the
Night Directed by Jonathan
Everett Mad Tabby Films 8:10 minutes,
2021 If you follow any Facebook horror page, you will know there is always a
debate on which genre is scarier. That is the lowest denominator of this story.
A young wife, Holly (Netty Leach) is fond of true crime. Her husband, Nathan
(Jared Carter) believes it is the supernatural. A nice conversation to have,
albeit brief, at bedtime. Of course, as the night progresses, events discussed
begin to transpire to test the theories in their lives. Both these characters
are likeable, which makes the events to occur even more profound (without
sinking into morosity). It is well shot in a meat and ‘taters sort of way, and
it kept the tension up throughout. Nicely done and a truly fun watch. Full film HERE
The Chrysalis Directed by Michael
Squid Mr. Michael Squid
YouTube Channel 9:21 minutes, 2020 No, this does not have anything to do with the Record Label that put out
Blondie’s first and best album. Here, we are introduced to Adam (Aidan
Laliberte, who was excellent as the lead in Long Night in a Dead City in
2017; reviewed HERE), a man who has taken time off of work to help out
with his dementia-ladened mother, Wendy (Kathryn G. Howell), who is a retired
entomologist. She’s been acting weird beyond the senility. Something is bugging
her to the point where she is standing over her sleeping son with a knife at
one point. This film shows quite an amount of style and finesse; I love one
shot especially, where Adam wants to talk to Wendy, and there is a close-up of
her putting down her oatmeal spoon very precisely. This has won numerous
awards, and I am certainly not surprised. It is excellent short filmmaking, and
deserves what it gets. Full film HERE
Mask Directed by Jacob
Arbittier Burnt Mill Road 4:45 minutes, 2021 The killer in a clown mask is a trope that has done to death, but
Arbittier takes a new look at it that is quite interesting, into the mask
itself. I don’t want to give too much away, but in the less-than five minutes
we meet the three people in the story, a lot of carnage and supernatural
surprises are in store. The SFX looks really decent (not overly bloody, but
still unnerving) in a way that makes this a fun and brief watch. I could,
however, see this as a prelude to a feature. Full film HERE
Moonlit
Requiem Directed by Arthur S.
Edelman Somnia Films 16:00 minutes, 2020 In the rural UK, Harry (Daniel J. Hickson) is bringing home his new
bride, jill (Angharad L. Ford), to meet his family for the first time. His mom,
Mary (Deirdre Forrest) is crisp but welcoming, and his dad, John (KC Flanagan)
is straight out of the Onslow character from “Keeping Up Appearances” (1990-95).
Apparently, Jill picked the wrong time to marry this dude because the universe
is aligning for a special pagan ritual (as these cinematic rural Brits are wont
to do), and you know it is not going to be favorable towards Jill. I mean, the
word Requiem is even in the title, but... So, the obvious connection is
to Ready or Not (2019), even though there are big differences here, and
you can also link to other influences like Midsommar (2019) and The
Wicker Man (1973) for the cult aspect, but this does go in an unexpected
direction just when you think you have it nailed. The film is just long enough
to get you engaged with the characters without too much exposition, and short
enough to perhaps catch the viewer by surprise. It is beautifully shot in a
dark, cramped farm house, and you feel for the characters. My one supposition,
and I could be wrong, is that the uncredited violin player at the end is a
cameo by the director? Anyway, this is a really nice film and well worth the
quarter hour. Trailer HERE
Somniphobia Directed by Dillion
Vibbart Silver Hero
Entertainments; Ninja Brothers 25:06 minutes, 2021 Poor lovely Ryley Rose (Tatjana Marjanovic). She’s been having
nightmares where a ghoul is mistreating her; she even has the bruises in the
morning to prove it. But her boyfriend, Brian (Atticus Hinckley) doesn’t
believe her, though he is willing to take her to Dr. Brady (Chris Attoh), 12
hours away. The doctor supposedly has the ability to enter dreams and see what’s
going on. Problem is, he is retired from the biz. Ryley is desperate, and tries
to convince him otherwise. We all know what’s going to happen in that sitch. The
film is beautifully laid out, building up to the ending with some splendid SFX
make-up by Melanie “MJ” Dubarr throughout. There are a few ”Tales From the Crypt”-like
side stories, and in fact this whole episode would fit well into that series. No
blood or gore, just good storytelling and a bunch of ghosties and ghoulies to
liven (deaden?) it up. This is an excellently done short, and the twist at the
end certainly makes it even better. Full film HERE
Sweet Revenge Directed by Ron
Millkie Scrudato
Productions 7:49 minutes, 2019 I truly love it when an actor, known for a horror role, decides to
direct, as did Millkie, who was Officer Dorf in the original 1980 Friday the
13th (and will be a sheriff in the upcoming His Name Was Jason: A Friday
the 13th Fan Film). This is his directorial debut, according to IMBD. For
this story, we are introduced to milquetoast-iish Luke (Nicholas M. Garafolo),
who years before gave testimony that put Jim (Phillip Pitta) in prison. But now
Luke has received a phone call from the newly paroled Jim, who is out for revenge.
Between semi-caring police and a nosy and bossy landlord looking for rent (Susanna
Sudami), nerdy Luke is understandably shaken. Shot in real time, we witness the
events that occur to Luke. While Garafolo has a long resume of films, for both
Pitta and Sudami, this is their only credit, and it shows. The story is quite
basic with a possible jump scare, it is bare bones as far as story and plot,
which is fine for a short. I liked that Millkie took it a bit beyond where this
would probably normally end, and did a nice editing montage and a short postscript.
While it most likely will not win any awards, it is quite enjoyable to watch,
and hopefully Millkie will get a chance to push his envelope more. Full film HERE
Tyakt Directed by Pratik
Singh Do Not Blink and Team 12:09 minutes, 2020 In Hindi, the language of this film, the title means “derelict” (as in
duty, or person). A woman (Surbhi Talodia) gets picked up by a travel agency
driver (Pratik Singh, who also directed) for a 350K/220 miles trip (I’m
guessing to another means of long-distance transportation, though she only has
a backpack and a romance novel, “A Cocktail of Love,” by Mayank Sharma). He
also picks up another listed passenger, a grumpy older gent (Bubbley Deshbandhu).
Apparently, there is a significant short-cut down a deserted road that the
woman insists they take to save quite a bit of time. It seems, a young woman
was killed there and the story goes that late at night, she kills men in
revenge. This is a nice take on the many abuse women are known to take in India
(honor killings, “lust,” spurning advances, etc.). The woman is naturally
uncomfortable being in the car with these two men, so she wants to get to her
destination as fast as possible. Of course, spooky things happen, which are
added to for a double whammy. Considering that the whole film takes place in a
car, it contained my attention, even with reading captions. There is an indication
of a sequel. I hope so. Full film HERE
Your Coffee
Drinks You Directed by Andrew
Daugherty Silver Hero
Entertainment 3:10 minutes, 2020 This seems to be based on the old axiom, “You use technology, and then
the technology uses you.” For this short, brought to you in the COVID art era
by the Daugherty family (cast and crew), we meet an older woman (meant
respectfully, Patricia) who is – take a guess – making and having a cup o’
java. But something is definitely off, thanks to some nice SFX work, which made
me smile. Even if you somewhat see the ending coming, it’s very satisfying. It
seems to me like a new look at an old trope (usually using light and shadow in
an apartment), which makes this even more watchable. It is so recommended; I’ll
give you only one guess as to what I did after watching it… Full film HERE
