Review: Resurrection Corporation

Text © Richard Gary / Indie Horror Films, 2021
Images from the Internet

Resurrection Corporation.
Directed by Alberto Genovese
1844 Entertainment; Loboarts Productions
77 minutes, 2021
www.facebook.com/resurrectioncorporation/
www.1844entertainment.com/resurrectioncorporation/

While this is a simply-animated cartoon, the look and feel of it may seem familiar: the graphics were based on the 1920 Wiene film, Das Cabinet des Dr. Caligari, on the 100th anniversary of the original film’s release. While the story may differ, the feel of the German abstraction masterpiece is present. I recommend watching the trailer for Dr. Caligari (HERE) to catch you up beforehand, though it is not necessary for this release.

Note that there are two versions of this film, one in dubbed English, and the other in its original Italiano with Inglese subtitles. I watched (by choice) the latter, though I non capicse the language..

The artwork is very crude, which is appropriate for the German Expressionistic motif of the visuals (and story). The bending buildings, uneven windows, and twisted streets really do look like they came right out of the original Caligari. The movement of the characters is minimal, almost like shadow puppets, but the flat look is striking and extremely effective. This film also seems to take place in Germany around 1920, indicated by the horse-and-carriages and clothing. One would almost expect Sigmund Freud to show up at some point.

Bruta and Caligari

In an opening that could have been straight out of Universal’s Frankenstein (1931), our titular anti-hero, Caligari (voice of Antonio Amoruso), who is a mortician rather than a psychiatrist, has dug up a corpse with the help of his assistant, Bruta (Paola Masciadri), for an experiment to revive him back to life. Caligari looks like a younger version of his 1920 namesake, and Bruta, with her facial scars, is a bit reminiscent of Sally from The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993).

Like the original, this film is broken up into chapters (as opposed to Acts) with title cards. The translation is a bit rough at times, as it does not capture all the spoken dialogue, such as missing a “please” here, a “yes” and “understand?” there. Nothing too over-the-top that I could catch with my extremely limited knowledge of Italian, and I was easily able to follow the story.

The problem facing the good Mortician is that the titular Resurrection Corporation, run by Potriantow (Alessandro Blanchi), has figured out a way to resurrect the dead and charge them for it, so the town is full of undead zombies (not the flesh-eating kind). This takes the business away from Caligari, who at one time was a powerful business person, but now a forgotten relic.

Naturally, he is angry about the corporation and the undead who are no longer needing his services. He is trying to find his own formula to bring the dead to life, and cash in on that, and naturally take business away from the corporation. It is a premise we see in real life, as Blockbuster wiped out the small video stores, or Amazon is killing, well, nearly everything. While the story is fantasy, its theme is alive and well in the real world.

Caligari and Bruta set out to find out how Potriantow obtained his knowledge through set pieces put into chapters, including a visit to a sex-obsessed mad scientist, Viktor Lazenbhy, who’s castle interior looks very much like the Count’s in the original Dracula (1929), or perhaps more accurately, Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens (1922).

If it isn’t clear, despite the style and some of the characters, there really is not much that links the original story of Caligari and this Caligari. However, what that does do is give the opportunity for the plot to veer in weird and various directions, and that it does. Events keep occurring that makes the viewer (i.e., me) think, “Well, I wasn’t expecting that.” Of course, that is all the more betterer because there is a surprise around every chapter.

One of the enjoyable elements is the humor that is both subtle and prevalent throughout the film at the oddest moments, such as a turtle being faster than the bloodthirsty demon snail creatures out for revenge that are called upon by… well, I’m not going to give it away.

It is good to pay attention to the backgrounds. You may see a lot of momentary a-has, such as a poster on the wall of the likes of Edgar Allan Poe, or Cesare, from the original Dr. Caligari. There is even a showman character named Bob Wine (Erik Martini), whose real name is Robert Wiene, the actual name of the director of the original Caligari. The film has lots of delicious wink-wink moments like these.

The film is also filled with a surprising amount of full nudity (female), sex and gore. The latter is especially prevalent, as is expected from modern German shock cinema, which focuses strongly on body horror.

The film gives an impression that it may be open for a sequel, which I would endorse, but to be honest, this is the director’s third film, the last being Sick Sock Monsters from Outer Space (aka Dolcezza Extrema, released by Troma), from 2015, and his first was L’invasione degli astronzai, from 2009. That would mean that possibly his next one might not be until 2027. I am not holding my breath.

Meanwhile, this film is available on Amazon Prime Video in the United States and the U.K.

 

Review: Quarantine Girl

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

Quarantine Girl
Directed by Nicole D’Angelo, Gregory Hatanaka
CineRidge Entertainment; Cinema Epoch; Mad Sin Cinema
62 minutes, 2020
https://cinemaepoch.com/
www.madsincinema.com

As negative as the COVID-19 pandemic has been for world health, I have oft commented that a flip side to that has been the absolute explosion of artistic endeavors, especially in the cinema realm, that have been launched during the lockdown. Whether it be a Zoom-shot release or more traditional story-based as is this one, this film is a prime example of that – err – outbreak.

A lot of the leading cast is the same as the Gregory Hatanaka release Choke (2020; reviewed HERE), and with it being released around the same time, my assumption is they were filmed either back-to-back, or concurrently. Of course, this film has a limited number of players, considering the pandemic going on around while it was being shot.

Nicole D'Angelo

Ruby (Nicole D’Angelo) is a business woman who is returning from an overseas work trip, just in time for a pandemic to hit. Obviously, the disease in question in the story is COVID or at least COVID-based, but the disease is never mentioned by name, only that it effects the respiratory system, and that it is a Novel Virus. The timing of this filming is perfect, as we see Ruby walking through a supermarket early on, and the shelves are empty, especially the paper goods aisle.

We find out what is going on with her thought processes as she phones her dad (David Marc) and pal Anjie (Craijece Lewis), and on the television there is always alarms, read by the newscaster on KLOL (haha), Wendy (the Lisa London). There are some beautiful shots of nearly empty city streets, some from an overpass, or handheld cameras of city blocks devoid of humans. Her world, like the streets, is empty, but it is not vacant.

Slowly, but surely, the disease is getting worse, and those around her are affected, such as multiple shots of usage of hand sanitizer, even when not leaving the house. For a while, Ruby is still going out on jogs, has her friend Nate (Shane Ryan) over for company and a drink (there is a lot of wine, vaping and cigarette imbibing by our Ruby), a visit from her dad, and lots of conversations via media with Anjie (dammit, I keep hearing the Stones’ song in my head whenever I type her name).

Shane Ryan

Odd things keep happening, such as packages repeatedly showing up at her door (disease or not, Amazon sends its drivers out) with random things inside, and someone has hacked into the camera on her computer (the story does not try to hide who it is, but I will leave it for you to find out).

 While events worsen, and things get tighter and more closed off, it starts to wear on Ruby. Personally, I do not understand this completely. She has the Internet, a cell phone, and a television, though I did not see any books or magazines. Sure, that can be tiring to some point, but all one really needs is a hobby. One of them for Ruby is “deep cleaning,” but that’s not the same thing, nor does it last. I have been indoors for over a year (with four exceptions) and with my hobbies, such as this blog, I keep myself occupied and somewhat out of trouble. But, as always, I digress…

 By the end of the first month, as some unexplained medicines begin to run low or out, Ruby is already losing it. Not in the Gerald’s Game (2017) kind of supernatural way, but she’s starting to put on darker lipstick (for whom?), and talking to whomever is watching her through her computer, playing around with S&M with online dominatrix…Wendy the anchorwoman? Is this real or in her mind? Also, Ruby is contemplating doing some harm to herself in anger and frustration. After a month. Wow. She must be some serious Type A personality. It’s been a year and I’m still quite sane. Wait, who said that?!? Where are you?!?! Err, never mind.

Lisa London

There are some really good musical choices for incidental background, though there is also an odd use of a comical tone. Not quite Benny Hill level, but it sometimes feels out of place, such as with a neighbor peeking in her window.

By the conclusion of this story, which is hardly the end of the pandemic, as we are still in it and this was filmed before the vaccine, Ruby is a woman on the verge. But a relationship may be a change. Personally, I didn’t buy this for a second, and was ready to yell at the writer because it seems improbable, but the writer is also the main director and star of the film, D’Angelo.

Even though I generally liked the film, the dad character felt a bit underdeveloped, and there were definitely some cringy moments, which especially includes the wind-up. I did read someone who said they found it “sweet.” Huhwha? I am assuming that in real life, in those circumstances, that would not really happen. More likely someone would end up at the worst physically hurt, at the best, never talked to again. D’Angelo does an overall good job in presenting her material, and she is a good enough actor to pull it off, and I have seen her in several roles now, but that ending…

The overall film is a perfect hour-length for its story. Any more would make us all a bit restless considering the topic. Hopefully, you will get to see this film in a nostalgic way, as in “Oh, remember that pandemic; wasn’t that sumptin’?” Bet there are going to be people (me) who will miss sitting around all day in their pajamas, watching television, scanning the Internet, and shopping online. All the things that are driving people like Ruby a little bit cray-cray.

Review: Malefice - A True Story of a Demonic Haunting

Text © Richard Gary / Indie Horror Films, 2021
Images from the Internet

Malefice: A True Story of a Demonic Haunting.
Directed by Billy Lewis
Orange St. Films; Scarenetwork.tv
91 minutes, 2021
www.scarenetwork.tv/

Let me start off by showing my hand: I am a religion skeptic. I believe there is no real evidence for the existence of a god, let alone the devil. I have never been a Christian, and was not raised in a Christian household. However, I do believe “good” energy attracts “good” energy, and “bad” attracts “bad,” even though I have no real basis for that belief, which is just as reliable as the Judeo-Christian heritage.

That all being said, I approach this documentary with the question of whether or not it is a Christian film. Sure, nearly all exorcism films have Christian elements, especially Catholic, as is the nature of the – err – beast, but there is a difference between, say, The Exorcist (1973) and the unintentionally funny and obscure Christian demonic possession film from the early 1970s, The Enemy.

Sean Austin, Eric Connor

What I am assuming is also driving this film (again, before seeing it) is the number of “psychic” and “supernatural” reality television shows that are readily available and common on cable. In fact, the head of the team here, Sean Austin, was the lead investigator on The Travel Channel show “Ghost Loop” (I do not believe I have ever seen it, as I do not watch TTC).

This film, we are told, was shot over a four-day period in a maskless COVID-19-heavy January 2021, on an acreage somewhere in Northern Ohio; the cast and crew drove up from North Carolina. We meet the two protagonists, Austin and “clairvoyant” Dave Spinks, who are heavily into prayer, start off by explaining a previous experience at the house in 2015, as we hear an electronic voice phenomena (EVP) recording of a demon and his victims talking. Honestly, the believability is already getting close to being out the window for me, but that does not mean it is not fun.

This definitely is preachy, and is directed towards the Catholic Christian god (apparently, if you envision in your mind’s eye a white dove, a female passes over to heaven, and for men, it’s a white horse), ignoring all the other thousands of gods that are worshiped around the world. But then again, Ohio is a “Red” state, so no surprise there.

Ralph Sarchie

Ten minutes in, we get a sermon on God and Jesus from Zoom guest star Ralph Sarchie, a Catholic Demonologist (and Austin’s mentor) who is a retired NYPD Sergeant, and was the model used in the film, Deliver Us From Evil (2014; Eric Bana played him). At this point, I am not sure if this is a film denouncing demons or an excuse for promoting Jeebus.

After the 30-minute or so introduction, Austin and Spinks return to the house with buddy and paranormal investigator Eric Conner (who wears crucifix earrings and says “dude” a lot). And what is their purpose? In the words of the film’s publicity: to rebuke the demon by “sending it back to where it belongs…HELL!” Will they succeed? I’m not tellin’.

Almost immediately there are sounds and screams (EVP). And while they do react to it, they also seem pretty damn calm. One of the questions I have is whether or not the three folks involved believe in this. I honestly would say, both yes and no. On one hand, I do believe that they are certain of God and the Debbil, and they are doing a service to try and convert the unbelievers. On the other hand, whether this story is real, I’m not convinced. If a demon is threatening them, especially Austin and Connor starting at about the halfway mark, they sure do not seem to feel overly nervous if this was real. Perhaps it is because they have JC on their side? Or perhaps foolish bravado? Or they are performing a narrative to preach?

What really got under my skin though, personally, is how anti-abortion the film is (fetuses are repeatedly referred to as “babies,” who are “screaming out”), with the “bad guy,” Robert (either influenced or possessed by a demon) having been an abortionist at the turn of the 20th Century, when the house was a brothel. Apparently, the demon made Robert enjoy his work, and torture women. Could it be any more of a Catholic pro-birth agenda (rather than pro-life)?

There are lots of images of a hillside with a huge cross on it that looks right out of a Hallmark card. And there aren’t just hints of religious fervor, there are actually sermons, like I said, and devotions, such as “The Lord’s Prayer” from “Matthew.” Despite the compelling and enjoyable story, there are so many hiccups and God stuff; it is distracting, for example, when Austin repeatedly says “Oh, shit” such as after a EVP conversation with the demon, and even the occasional F-bomb. Austin explains that anything in threes (such as knocking) is a mockery of the Holy Trinity, and their aim is to twist the human’s “free will.” Nearly all religions in the world do not have a holy Trinity, so does that mean every other religion is wrong? And even if they believe that, well, so does most other religions (my god can beat up your god).

There is an interesting meta-aspect of this documentary, which is not uncommon in ”reality” shows; in this case, the director, who calls himself a skeptic, describes what it was like to shoot the film, and events he found odd. I find this kind of aspect interesting, as the crew looks at its own production.

Through the first three days, there are lots of voices and sounds through the EVP, and the fourth is the actual exorcism of the property, which is essentially, you got it, more praying. Does the ritual work? Watch the film, and then you tell me. Maybe in 2025 or ‘26, after another five years or so, they should go back and follow-up. I would be interested in that.

Is this something that can be seen as a pseudo-event, in the words of Daniel Boorstein, or something more sinister? Either way, let’s talk about the production itself for a moment. Billy Lewis actually did a bang-up job here, putting the transcriptions of the “voices” from the EVP on the screen, making it easier to follow along. That was a really smart thing to do; as with every supposed EVP I have ever heard, it is really hard to make out (though sometimes the voices are suspiciously clear). Is it a case of we hear it because it is on the screen? Couldn’t tell you, but I am grateful they did that, otherwise it would be too distracting by trying to focus on that rather than the story.

As for distracting, the film is actually nicely compelling for the most part, but it is way too preachy to be completely comfortable. It comes off more as a religious propaganda tract than a fun flick to watch on a Saturday night, but even with that being said, it took a bit to get into it, but as time wore on and I was able to somewhat weed out a bit of the religious talk, I started to enjoy it more. Again, it is put together really well all things considered, and may be your cuppa if you like spirituality reality shows and/or need conformation of your beliefs. You just know this will be recommended in churches across every Red State, especially below the Mason-Dixon line, even though it is Catholic-based rather than evangelical.

The film is exclusive to the spankin' new streaming platform, ScareNetwork.tv.

Documentary review: Gorenography

Text © Richard Gary / Indie Horror Films, 2021
Images from the Internet

Gorenography
Directed by Tony Newton
Tony Newton Productions
161 minutes, 2021
www.facebook.com/TonyNewtonFilm/

Gore, at its core, is body horror, and one of its subgenres is torture porn, hence the title of this nearly three-hour documentary, a combination of the “gore” and “pornography” wording. While much of my enjoyment is in the monsters / supernatural realm, I certain do enjoy a fun gorefest.

Gore can flow on different levels, from the silly and cartoon, to the realistic, to the real. I’ll take the first two, as I do not want to see real. Had enough of that in the likes of Cannibal Holocaust (1980), even if it was animals and not human snuff films. I remember laughing at the ending of Snuff (1975) and laughing at how unrealistic it was; however, I would not watch the Faces of Death series. When I saw Fulci’s City of the Living Dead (1983) in the theater, I laughed at the gore; the next day, at work, someone cut their finger open, and I could not look at it. So you know where I stand.

There are a few levels of gore films: you have the upper level of ones like Miike’s Audition (1999), and then you have the middle level which is rougher, like some of the Unearthed Cinema run by Stephen Biro (who, surprisingly to me, does not appear in this documentary) with the new American Guinea Pig series. Then you have what this focuses on, the extremely independent, transgressive, low-budget insanity, which is more where my general interest lies, quite honestly. If you pick up a camera and make films with your friends in the basement, there is a certain level of cool in that.

In the opening of this film, horror historian / writer / director / actor Tony Newton explains its premise: “This is a twisted crazy film here… If you like blood, if you like gore, if you like shock, if you like horror, you’re going to love this film. If you don’t like extreme horror, if you don’t like nudity…you pretty want to turn away now. This film is very extreme. We’ve got some sick films to show you, some shorts films, tons of trailers, tons of trash, and a lot of interviews with a lot of cool filmmakers.”

He is right, there is a lot going on in this, and quite honestly, what I am going to do to explain it, is to just show you the cleaned-up notes I took during the watching of it. And please note, there is way more than I mention. The film isn’t totally coherent in its format, because it goes beyond the usual talking heads broken up with some clips. This has a completely indie tone, which is more appropriate. I certainly enjoyed the obscurity level that brings it more to light. It’s not the usual suspects of directors from his previous documentaries, but more of an international feel and more obscure.

Thanks to COVID, a lot of the material is pretty up-to-date, including films release in 2021. Leave it to a worldwide pandemic to bring a documentary about deathly horror. Many of these films are so extreme and underground, they are not even listed on IMDB (the ones mentioned below without release dates). The ones in Italics are full features, quote marks indicate shorts. Also, films without dates are not IMDB listed.

And now for the notes:

Random trailers include The Driller Killer (1979), Tony Newton’s own Snuff Video (aka Snuff Underground X). Sometimes the listing of influences of the directors sound like the ‘thanks to” speeches at The Oscars.

Jonathan Doe, director and host of the “Cinemas Underbelly” [sic] channel, talks about how he got into horror. Released Carving the Cadaver 1-3, which shows actual human autopsies and also vomit fetish films such as Barf Bunnies; be warned, the trailers and some short clips are shown. Not for me; his film clips are the only ones I fast-forwarded over.

Wilhelm Müller

Wilhelm Müller, body piercer and body horror director from Austria; fake trailer for The Doctor and real one for In Nomine Satanae (which is close to Dakota Ray’s style). Clips are also shown from his films Exzessiv and Neighbor No. 9.

Zach Shildwacter (wearing a t-shirt of 1970s amputee porn star Long Jeanne Silver; no, I did not need to look it up), director Powerbomb (2020); the complete short “Solid Gold” is presented, which includes many Republican symbolisms, such as someone wearing a Trump mask and drag, and hitting a victim with a (I’m going to presume upside down) Bible.

René Weisner, director and producer of Mondo Siam (2020). Mainly talks about his films (with very short clips shown). Includes trailers of Mondo Siam and ABC’s of Superheroes (2015; reviewed HERE). 

Tony Newton

Tony Newton. trailers for VHS Lives: A Schlocumentary (2017), and Troma released and participated anthologies Grindsploitation 666 (2018) and Grindsploitation 9 (2021). Actually, there is a few Troma references in this entire film.

Davide Pesca, director, including Gore Grind (2020).

Mercedes the Muse

Moses and fetish model Mercedes the Muse, writers / directors, and founders of the sex and cinema “cult” the Underground Front: trailers of Troma-released Rose and Viktor: No Mercy (2017; directed by Moses) and Evul Twinz (2020; directed by Mercedes the Muse). Mercedes is the only female filmmaker who shows off nudity during the interviews. Moses tends to wear a Star Wars stormtrooper mask but still comes off as nerdy (I do too, so not an insult).

Lucky Cerruti: director and runs an underground distribution company called Dead Vision Productions. Long take on how he got into filmmaking. We are shown the opening clip – i.e., the prologue – to his film, Freak (2020); I would like to see this one.

Rob Ceus is from Belgium; Director and producer. His company is Terrorvisions Productions. Multiple clips included are from shorts like “ Bride Zombie” (2015; not to be confused with the yet released Zombie Bride) and Zombies from Sector 9 (2020).

Matti Soikkeli, a Finnish filmmaker who wears a skull mask to hide the lower half of his face and whose voice is digitally manipulated. We also see some clips of his films (probably taken from the trailers, considering the consistency of the music behind them, as with many of the short clips in the documentary), such as Born to Lose, Live to Die.

Michael "Mickey" Espinoza (d. May 2021) is also in a mask, full one this time, with an electronically altered, deep voice. Clips include ”The Games We Play” and others, such as “Pink Porcelain,” which looks like it was shot on a cellphone by the vertical frame.

Nathan Hine of Hardgore Core Productions. Writer, director and actor for a number of trailers we see, including the short teaser trailer for “The Last Days of Livermore” (2016) and The Sideling Hill (2019).

Super Tromette Double Dementia

Super Tromette Double Dementia: More like Double-D Dementia, with tons of cleavage, belly, legs and tatts. She plays a bimbo here in character, slinking back and forth in her trademark leather bikini like one of those hula dancers that sit on dashboards, while rubbing herself; but I’m willing to bet she is actually pretty damn smart in reality. I mean, she directed and edited the music video for “Cretins Sell Dope,” which we get to see, and is based on the Return to Nuke ‘Em High series. The band is Vanik and she’s the lead singer.

Harmony Filth keeps with the Troma theme, and presents a trailer for a short from the UK in which she appears, “Slutty the Clown” (2021). Speaking of which:

Joe Cash is the director of “Slutty the Clown” and shows a trailer for his “She Dogs of the SS” (2021), which gives away too much of the story, unless the trailer is actually the whole film.

End of notes.

For a three-hour sitting, this certainly kept my attention, waiting to see who was next, and so enjoying the interviews, clips, shorts, and trailers. The ending has a bit of a surprise that I wont reveal, but made me smile.

It is really worth checking out if you are into some of the extreme ends of horror, but like it cheap, down, and dirty. Tony is right in his introduction, this will not be for everyone, but you know your own tastes by this point, and if you like splatter, this will eat at your brains and give you a great list of new films to seek for your collection.

Trailer TBD

Horror Shorts Reviews: June 2021

 Text © Richard Gary / Indie Horror Films, 2021
Images from the Internet

 Horror Shorts Reviews: June 2021

 

Cult Affairs
Directed by Nate Thompson
6:23 minutes, 2021
It feels like this film is only a mere snippet of a longer story, but is still incredibly effective. A man, Mr. James (Nygel Sejismundo), is bound in what looks like a barn, and is being talked to by the “cult leader” (director Nate Thompson). The leader, in a deep, slow voice, explains that the man has crossed into an indiscretion that the cult he leads finds unfavorable. Honestly, you could have switched the story to be a mob boss and a rival and hardly changed much and it would still work, but I’m grateful for the choice the director took here. While the whole atmosphere is being set up, it’s a full minute before we hear any dialogue… well, monologue, considering the tape across the man’s mouth. The image is on the dark side, but for here it works beautifully to set the mood for the piece. The camerawork is well done, though the image is a bit grainy (I believe purposefully) like a VHS tape (an homage?). The two leads look very young here (even with Thompson’s numerous tatts), which makes this all the creepier. As with his previous and first short, “What Lives in the Dark” (2020), Thompson seems to have some common motifs, such as the dimness of the light, and old, scratchy 78 RPMs from over 70 years ago on the soundtrack (I’m guessing public domain). Anyway, as far as this new release goes, while I would love to see the full context of it in a feature, it really is worth the view.
Film is HERE 

 

Every Night I See Them
Directed by Ryan Godoy
5:27 minutes, 2021
Oh, you will see where it is going pretty quickly, and yet, the film is well worth the watch. A young man who is a recent widower is afraid to go to sleep because, well, see the title. A friend comes over to help him. That’s the simple premise that pays off well. Shot in wide screen, the director uses all of the time to build suspense for the end. And even if you do know what to expect for the inevitable jump scare, it looks so good.
Film is HERE 

 

Sinister Symbiosis
Directed by David Black
Dramatica Diablos
17:33 minutes, 2020
This Australian short was presented on the television series “Dramatica Diablos,” hosted by Count Funghoula (the intro and outro seen here, with the director/comic book artist as the Count; as a side note, I was amused by the name, as fongulo is Italian for “fuck you,” and no, I didn’t need to look it up as I grew up in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn). This is a beautifully shot film that relies heavily on body horror. We are given some title cards throughout that explains the basic psychology of what is going on here (e.g., Sadism, Masochism, Narcissism). We start off (don’t worry, I won’t give away much) with a man, David (again, Black), heavily chained to a chair while his extremely long-haired sister, Anastasia (Anastasia C. Kouloukas) does some truly horrendous things to him. Part of the fascination is the wonder of just how far they will go in their game. The film is quite graphic in its violence and body parts, but the SFX is nearly all spectacular. I definitely winced a few times, but really wanted to stick it out to find out what happens.
Film is HERE 

Smiling Woman 2
Directed by Alex Magaña
2:12 minutes, 2021
I really enjoyed the first “Smiling Woman” short from 2019 (reviewed and linked HERE), so when I learned that the director has started to make a series, I got very happy very fast. This one starts off right where the first one left off (though you do not need to see the first one to get it, I recommend it), with the same main actor, Ariel Fullinwider, as the Woman in Yellow seeks fresh victims in a new conquest. This one does explain a bit more of what happens when the Woman in Yellow meets her next victim. It short and entertaining as heck. The consistency of cell phones and jerky movements keeps the theme going well.
Film is HERE 

 

Smiling Woman 3
Directed by Alex Magaña
2:09 minutes, 2021
Again, this picks up where the previous one left off, with the continuation of the cast in the previous film. For this one, the Woman in Yellow v.3 literally strikes close to home, as a woman tries to avoid her in her own apartment. It is a bit reminiscent of the now iconic “Lights Out” from 2014 (reviewed HERE)  I am really enjoying this series, which is essentially a similar story told in different settings, that is well-linked by common actors.
Film is HERE 

 

Smiling Woman 4
Directed by Alex Magaña
3:27 minutes, 2021
This is the first of the series that has no one connected to the previous film, but nevertheless, the story stays consistent, so I’m good with it. This one stars the well-known Felissa Rose as a nurse named Angela (nod, nod, wink, wink). She is the target of the Woman in Yellow this time. But with a name actor, will the WiY win? Either way, as with the previous three, this one is definitely entertaining. The whole series is on YouTube, and worth the watch.
Film is HERE 

 

Review: On the Trail of Bigfoot: The Journey

Text © Richard Gary / Indie Horror Films, 2021
Images from the Internet

On the Trail of Bigfoot: The Journey
(aka On the Trail of Bigfoot: The Legend and the Search)
Directed by Seth Breedlove
Small Town Monsters; 1091 Pictures
96 minutes, 2019 / 2021
www.smalltownmonsters.com
https://onthetrailof.tv/

Who is the cryptozoology king creature in popularity? Is it Mothman? The Jersey Devil? Arguably, the big macher is Bigfoot, aka the Sasquatch (with its cousin, the Yeti, a close second). There are dozens of fictional movies about the mythical woodland beastie, often with it being a killer monster often stalking teens in wooded cabins. So, who better to do a self-involving documentary about the true legend than the leader in cryptid mythology films than Seth Breedlove, and his Small Town Monsters brand?

Seth Breedlove and tattoo on right

Starting off in Wadsworth, Ohio (I once stayed near there on a voyage to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum in the early 2000s), Breedlove and some friends take a road trip to Upper New York State, specifically to Wells, New York (an over 7-hour drive), in the heart of the Adirondack Mountains. Apparently, this truly majestic range is a hot-spot for the hairy one, dating back to Colonial times when he was known as “The Wild Man.” Through the course of the film, they travel to various connecting free spaces, including the Green Mountains of New Hampshire and the Berkshires of Western Massachusetts. It’s easy to tell which one of the intrepid travelers is Breedlove by the “Small Town Monsters” logo tattoo on his arm. But I digress…

Breedlove wisely starts the film with both positing his reasons for the trip and this film (which I will discuss later), and as a expositional foundation, presenting some talking head experts on the topic, such as Aleksandar Petakov, who directed the 2016 television documentary “Sasquatch: Out of the Shadows”, Bruce Hallenback, author of the 2015 book, Monsters of New York: Mysterious Creatures in the Empire State, Paul Bartholomew (who also joins the Small Town Monsters group at some point), writer of 2020’s Bigfoot Encounters in New York and New England: Documented Evidence, Stranger than Fiction, podcasters Emily Fleur (“The Forest Fleur”) and Mark Matzke (“Monstoropolis”), as well as Dr. David Floyd, an English Professor at Charleston Southern University, who did a Bigfoot in Literature podcast (HERE). 

This gives the viewer a solid basis of why they picked this particular area, and its history with The Wild Man. One of my favorite parts is these historians telling stories they had heard about sightings. There is a fine mix of second-hand stories, with some first-person eyewitness accounts, including one anonymous tale (thanks to being hidden behind a COVID mask) by a guy originally from Brooklyn(!), but they were all fun to hear.

Joining the crew in this self-shot doc for the nearly a week in the area around Buck Mountain to Whitehall, New York, near Lake George, is a number of investigators of various types, including Steve Kulls, Michael Anne, and Ted Varamogiannis, one of whom claims to have had an encounter with the 8-foot, hairy creature about five years earlier.

Our crew has lots of adventures traveling around various areas, including Kinderhook, NY and the Savoy Mountain State Forest in Western Mass, where they talk to a group of enthusiasts called the Sasquachusetts Group.

The Journey also presents a number of really nice animations and illustrations, as well as a few short re-creations of encounters. The format of the documentary reminds me of paranormal search shows, where the participants walk around often after dark in green night vision lights with glowing human eyes, trying to find something out of place. For example, one of the investigators noticed that there had been some kind of “disturbance” among flowers. Could it have been Biggie? Sure. But it could have also been a dear, a bear, or a coyote (whether you pronounce it Kai-yow-tee or kai-yout). Amusingly, one of the trackers gives a howl out to try and attract the creature, but my question is, how does he know what the mysterious Bigfoot sounds like, to “imitate” it. While this seems kind of silly to me, I have to admit it is also part of the charm of almost innocence of the team, and the entire documentary (and is a motif of previous Small Town Monster cryptozoology-focused releases, as well).

You may ask, at this point, whether I believe in Bigfoot. Honestly, I am 100 percent on the fence. I feel there is a possibility, but I am skeptical, which I believe is an appropriate approach about any cryptid phenomena. Could there be a Sasquatch? Sure. Could there be a Mothman? Why not? The thing about cryptids, especially Bigfoot, is people seem to think of it as a singular, like the Loch Ness Monster. But there must be a troop of them unless they are immortal. They would need to breed, which means the ones sighted in the 1970s would be at least the grandparents of any that would be sighted today.

It seems odd to me that if they are that big, and even in a wide expanse of the Adirondacks through the Green Mountains, there should be more evidence of, say, sleeping places, if a number of them were together, especially in the winter. And with modern technology, motion sensor cameras are relatively inexpensive and could be placed in suspected spots, which are often used by human hunters to find prey like deer. Hunting season is generally in October through early December, if I remember correctly, and what are the odds of hunters not coming across them or their camps, even with the thickness of the woods?

All that being said, I am not arguing for or against their existence. Personally, I think it would be cool if they did, and also fear that they would be mercilessly hounded by those who would wish to exploit them, and put them in cages in zoos and circuses, or do experiments on them. Perhaps it would be better if they were not found?

And do our travelers on their quest find the hairy grail? Well, I will not say, but there is a feeling of satisfaction of the venture. Besides, the scenery is absolutely breathtakingly beautiful, especially on the last day when Breedlove rents a helicopter to fly him over the very heart of the vast wilderness of the treed and rock-faced mountains of the Adirondacks. I actually replayed that part over because it made me smile so much. Part of the reason for that is, like much of the cast – which ties in COVID-19 – as this was filmed in the summer of the rise of the pandemic and the following isolation, there is the desire to be out in nature after being locked up for so long.

Emily Fleur

There are many who have the Squatchitude of wanting to find the creature and learn about it, Jane Goodall style, as so beautifully expressed in the film by Fleur. Yeah, I would love if Bigfoot was proven as long as they get the respect they deserve. And the love for both the beast/s and its/their environment, is present and strong here, which is part of what makes this documentary so compelling, and a love story for the natural creature.

On the Trail of Bigfoot: The Journey is available on various platforms from 1091 Pictures, including iTunes, Amazon Prime Video, Vudu and FandangoNOW.

Trailer is HERE