Review: On the Trail of UFOs: Dark Sky

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

On the Trail of UFOs: Dark Sky
Directed by Seth Breedlove
Small Town Monsters; 1091 Pictures
85 minutes, 2021
www.smalltownmonsterss.com

They say when you are passionate about something, you don’t have a job. Or something like that. Seth Breedlove and his Small Town Monsters (SMT) company are spearheading a movement on the questionable: Bigfoot, the Momo, and a host of other cryptid creatures. For this documentary, he both goes out of his – er – orbit of “natural” Earth monsters, and looks up at the stars. But from the perspective of being very on the ground.

Over time, Breedlove has gone from films that are mostly documentaries and part re-enactments, to being the point of focus leading the expedition. This makes sense in the world of Covid, keeping it close and personal as much as possible.

Not counting claims of Aliens visiting Ancient Egypt (and helping to build the pyramids? Really?) or Latin America thousands of years ago (if you want a laugh, check out the 1968 book Chariots of the Gods?, by Erick von Damien), UFO sighting claims are actually relatively recent in the United States, dating back to around the Second World War. Though most of the creatures Breedlove has focused on have been around a bit longer than that, the explosion of Alien contact is fully national, rather than isolated segments of the country (for example, as Breedlove’s previous docu showed how the Adirondacks are a focus of detections, rather than, say, Taos, AZ).

Seth Breedlove and Shannon Legro

That being said, Breedlove is joined in this quest by paranormal researcher and author Shannon Legro, who has her own podcast called Into the Fray Radio. She leads the questioning of the people who are claiming sightings. They start off, in this case, in West Virginia, where an older man describes a sighting he had when he was 10 years old. From there, they mostly focus their travels investigating and interviewing around West Virginia with a quick boo northwest into Ohio (STM is based near Akron, OH). I think it is really smart to keep the focus small and concentrate on one relatively small area (i.e., a state) than nationally, or even globally. Especially in these pandemic days.

The film, which is based on a television show by the same name (2020), also wisely manages to bring in some references to the meat of STM concentrations by noting that West Virginia is also the area of the infamous Mothman, and a few interviewed mentions it directly. But there are other weirdness and cryptids mentioned, such as an alien from a crashed UFO, the Green Monster of Flatwoods, WV, which has a museum dedicated to it in that town, and a whole section of the mysterious Men in Black, who may be military, or possibly otherworldly. There are even some paranormal investigators thrown in to help search for information.

Are the Aliens interested in the military which has numerous bases there, power sources of West Virginia such as coal mines, electrical grids and nuclear plants, or the many factories that built them (e.g., Nitroglycerine for TNT came from the WV town of Nitro)? Or perhaps, and for me this is one of the weakest arguments, do they use the coal shafts and caves to travel to a “hollow earth”? It’s all good fun, anyway.

I find it interesting that the crafts all are different shapes. One investigator comments that most are saucer shapes with lights, but the descriptions are numerous, including triangular or other forms. Perhaps they are from different civilizations, or may be built by billionaires on other planets? Okay, the last sentence was totally me. But I mean the first part of that sentence, which I have not seen questioned before.

The film is bolstered by some incredibly well-done animations and re-creations, as well as some possible images of real sightings. There are also various 1950s film clips that I enjoyed, such as ones from Earth vs. the Flying Saucers (1956; thank you, public domain).

Legro, who also presents the television version, is a good host, and she certainly does the job well. On occasion, though, she seems a bit stiff when reading the narration. She is stoic quite a bit, so the parts where she gets excited really liven it up, such as in the last section. I will acknowledge that it is a fine line when interviewing not to take away from the person who is talking, and when dealing with non-professional talkers, this can be challenging; and she does this quite well. Breedlove, who spearheaded the previous On the Trail of Bigfoot (2021, reviewed HERE), wisely takes a back seat to Legro, and lets her get to work, chirping in with his questions just at the right time.

When dealing with the topics of great mysteries like the supernatural, cryptids, and/or Aliens, there are two aspects to keep in mind. The first is whether or not they actually find one in their search. That is certainly one of the reasons why we watch these documentaries. The second is that usually, you know you are going to be left unfulfilled, like this is the appetizer (questions) without an entrée (answers), but the smells are so good in the restaurant (the program) that you just do not care. That is the ultimate goal for both the program and the viewer.

Breedlove’s documentaries that I have seen, and there have been a few now, have never disappointed, and I always look forward to them. UFO documentaries are pretty much a dime a dozen, but the way he ties in the cryptid connections makes this stand out some from the others, and for that I am grateful.

 

Review: Ringmaster

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

Ringmaster (aka Finale)
Directed by Søren Juul Petersen
Frightgeist Films; Jingai Films; Danse Macabre; MVD Visual
100 minutes, 2019 / 2021
www.jingaifilms.com
www.MVDVisual.com

I realize it is a gross generalization, but people in Denmark are known for being "happy." Perhaps that is because they watch horror films? Or possibly because they make them? Well, in this case the latter is definitely true, as it is mostly in Danish with English and German, and has English subtitles for all languages. It is based on a novella by Danish writer Steen Langstrup.

With finger firmly beside nose, in the opening – which I am sure will be mentioned in numerous reviews of those familiar with older films of terror – a man comes from behind a movie theater curtain, and gives almost the same speech that opened up Frankenstein (1931; original speech HERE), with some particulars in the center changed. This said to me, okay, we are off to a good start. 

After a prologue which is actually from later in the story and then continues interspersed throughout, we learn that most of the body of the film is a flashback until it eventually catches up. We are introduced to our two female leads that are working the late shift at a gas station/convenience store (which most are these days) where there are few customers because of the big final game in which Demark is in the finals (I am guessing soccer/football). This means every person who drops by the station is under suspicion by the audience because, well, it is a genre film, giving the viewer some possibly juicy red herrings, though honestly, if one pays attention, it not hard to figure out who the Ringmaster is in the early story. But more on the Ringmaster later.

Karin Michelson and Anne Bergfeld

There is Agnes Burger (Anne Bergfeld), who is the daughter of the gas station owner, and trying to finish her Psychology thesis in the back room. She is in a somewhat stable relationship, and Belinda (Karin Michelson), a working-class woman trying to get by – who uses a flip phone that only texts – and has a tumultuous relationship with a man of a questionable background. The women are mostly bored through the first 15 minutes or so, but their personal dynamics, as they have such different backgrounds and personalities, keeps it interesting. You just know they are going to bond by the end, as is the formula for any film with contentious leads, genre or not. I can empathize because I used to work in a single-screen large movie palace in my teens, and I remember those dull, slow nights, where I was assigned to stay inside the theatre proper, watching a film I had seen 50 times or so, and no one to check on in the seats. But, I digress…

While Agnes’s boyfriend, Benjamin (Kristoffer Fabricius) is off at the game (I don’t understand sports devotion when there are so many genre films still left to see), Belinda’s boyfriend, Kenny (Mads Kadoul), shows up and gives us good reason as to why Belinda’s mom is not a fan. He looks like he just stepped out of a MAGA rally in Mississippi, and is a complete macho moron.

At 30-minutes in, I started talking to the screen because these two women, with suspicious characters all around, just do not call the police. This is one of those infamous people in genre films making bad decisions moments that drives me crazy. If that was me, in real life, I would have 911-ed without thinking twice. Here, Agnes is a spoiled girl with rich parents, and it appears, a narre (fool), notwithstanding her higher education. If I was working with the boss’s daughter, I would insist we lock up and go home early on; considering there are so few customers, it won’t make a hoot of difference. Irriterende. Both these women make incredibly poor choices throughout.

Damon Younger

The Ringmaster (Damon Younger), who is the center of the fate of many of the characters here, is just the pointman or emcee for a group of both men and women viewers in plain white masks, as he tells Agnes, “It’s only show biz.” He is in creepy whiteface (and hands), reminding me of the Joel Grey character in Cabaret (1972). He presents a snuff game show on the dark web called Escapismus (Escapism) that borders on Hostel (2005) territory.

Despite the outdated phones, television and CCTV technology is prominent here, be it the CCTV at the gas bar, a video camera held by a customer (with a mention of YouTube), and the wall cameras used by the Ringmaster to film his prey being brutalized. I also found it interesting the juxtaposition between the tension in the early gas station scenes, and the physical violence in the interspersed and later events. Another difference is that with later ones, there is a lot of extreme close-ups used to differentiate the mood of the flashbacks and the current. As the film progresses, the new story is intermingled more often, Usually starting with a close-up of a camera lens.

The cruelty, which of course is the point, is honestly sometimes hard to watch, but it is important to think about the voyeurism of the Web; nothing sells like violent pranks and accidents; I blame the worldwide acceptance of such actions on “American’s Funniest Home Videos” and moronic shows like “Jackass.”

The extras are minimal, just caption options, chapters and three trailers (though not for this film).

Despite my quibbling about some actions taken by the women and their boyfriends, whether it is written by Petersen or Langstrup, the build-up and consistency and-yet juxtaposition of the tension and violence, still works, especially if you enjoy talking to your screen, which I do (only at home). The film is well put together, the gore and violence are graphic, and it is a intriguing-yet-disturbing ride from beginning to end.

Review: Bigfoot’s Bride

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

Bigfoot’s Bride
Directed by Erick Wofford
Rat Bastard Media; Cyfuno Ventures; Wild Eye Releasing; MVD Visual
78 minutes, 2021
www.facebook.com/Bigfoots-Bride-1596085083757685/
www.wildeyereleasing.com
www.MVDVisual.com

Bigfoot ain’t the only thing retro going on here. With an opening of period piece film warnings and “feature presentation” notices, we set foot in the woods with an old-film-into-VHS-style filter that occasionally adds scratches and “rolling” distortion to the images, and an oversaturation of color; I must say, after seeing so many blue and sepia monochrome films of late, this is a nice diversion. There is also an ‘80s-style synth soundtrack (not counting the excellent Americana music over the credits).

The film appears to be shot on a single-camera in Georgia, including the beautiful Chattahoochee National Forest, about two hours northeast of Atlanta, with cinematography mostly by Daniel Peppers.

Daniel Wofford

With this title, I kinda guessed going in that this was going to be a comedy of sorts, and with all the hoo-haa I mentioned added, it definitely is not taking itself too seriously and is a very dry comedy, and I like that. However, it is more humorous than funny, making the occasional bits stand out all the more, such as the creature (Daniel Wofford) growling, as he fishes, “Die! Die! Die! Dammit!” Yes, this version of Bigfoot talks in a semi-electronic voice that sounds a bit like it was autotuned.

In the prologue, a hootchin’ father and son are a campin’ and a huntin’. Uh-oh, in a Bigfoot film that does not bode well even in the opening 3 minutes before any action starts (when I am writing this). And because it’s a throwback, it should come as no surprise that there are Bigfoot POV shots using what I believe is an infra-red, fisheye lens.

Jessica Megan Rivera

The titular bride is Heather (Jessica Megan Rivera), a camper who has just broken up with her fiancée. She’s pitched her tent in the woods on her own (who does that?), with you-know-who watching her every move, including some cringy bathroom moments. It’s love at first sight for Biggie, as he follows her around like a schoolboy, trying to get up the courage to approach her (you heard me).

Meanwhile there is fish to try and catch, and RVs to rummage, and other campers upon which to chomp. It’s all a matter of survival for our Bigfoot, which seems to not be too easy, even after a long time in the woods.

The creature’s head and the film’s make-up look pretty good, even at its cheesiest, handled by Adrienne Silberman. He does look more like Toxie or a later version of Jason Vorhees than Bigfoot – plus he wears overalls with a nametag and his upper hair is an obvious jacket – but in the words of Liam Lynch, whatever. There is a lot of practical effects, even a touch of cartoonish gore, but the occasional time there is blood spray, it is hysterically cartoonish CGI, reminding me of the “Pow” balloons in the old “Batman” television show from 1965. I have no doubt this was done purposefully, and it made me laugh out loud. This is certainly doing the throwback ‘80s effects: remember how energy bolts looked back then? This is comparable.

One of the interesting aspects of this film is that even when Biggie interacts with others, it’s rare to see him and the other person in the same shot, but rather goes back and forth like they weren’t filmed at the same time. Perhaps this was filmed in the height of Covid, and that was their workaround? From a technical perspective, this intrigued me.

I had an issue with the use of the Bigfoot name, as it is incredibly inaccurate. There is no explanation as to why this deformed guy with Bigfoot feet and talons is given that name; that being said, in the middle of the end credits, its origin and nods at a possible sequel are hinted. Those fans of the hairy Sasquatch may be turned off by that association. There is also no information about the mutant’s history. Perhaps in-breeding? It is around the Blue Ridge Mountains, after all.

While the director shows quite a bit of heart and some beginning filmmaking skills, there were definitely some issues with the film. For example, the first two acts are merely set pieces strung together with little connection other than his lust for Heather. It isn’t until the third act that the story begins to find some cohesion into an actual storyline.

For me, the biggest problem was in Wofford’s editing, as in not enough. This would have been a more solid hour film: it could use some serious and judicious snipping, especially early on, such as the way-too-long scene at the river where we see someone fishing and Bigfoot finding a clown mask in the water. The film loses momentum in these moments. Also, I could have done without the lingering shots of fish being gutted and cleaned, even if I knew they were going to be eaten (as I’m sure they were).

This is the director, Erick Wofford’s first full feature film, but this is certainly a family affair as a number of the cast and crew is actually members of his clan, and I’m sure many others are friends. That’s a smart financial move and I respect that a lot. I look forward to seeing his filmmaking skills grow.

 

Review: Killer Nun

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

Killer Nun (aka After Midnight)
Directed by Roberto Albanesi; Luca Bertossi; Davide Cancila; Francesco Longo; Daniele Misichia; Nicola Pegg; Davide Pesca; Eugenio Vallani
Demented Gore Productions; Moonlight Legacy Productions; Wild Eye Releasing; MVD Visual
85 minutes, 2018 / 2021
www.wildeyereleasing.com
www.MVDVisual.com

The original name for this Italian (with English subtitles) anthology is After Midnight, but it is certainly no surprise they changed the name to Killer Nun, considering the success of The Nun (2018), from The Conjuring franchise. I am totally fine with that. However, the one problem is it is too easy to mix up the title with the also-Italian giallo film, Killer Nun (1979; reviewed HERE). There is also a series of videogames with the same name. 

The opening piece is by Daniele Misichia, who gives us “Vlog: L’ultimo video di Sara (“Vlog: The Latest Video of Sara”; 2016). We meet a fast-talking vlogger Sara who is responding to her needing to block some of her viewers due to some sexist remarks. The rest of the film follows what happens after that. It’s a bit bloody, but there are some nice jump scares thrown in. Simply presented with a single camera in almost real time, it’s compelling, though read the captions quickly because she speaks fast. I really like when the topic of technology is current, unless it’s a “throwback” film.

For “The Taste of Survival” (2018), Davide Pesca presents us with a post-apocalyptic world after “the bomb,” where there are few survivors. One of them, a woman, is being chased by a trio of radiation scarred men interested in, well, you know. Is there a saviour for her, and if there is, what is the motive? One can easily guess, but the gore is graphic and well done in a Spaghetti Western motif (one character even has a bit of a Lee Van Cleef vibe). The look of the film is a bit washed out with a muted red lens, making everything nearly monochrome. This is both a mood piece and a gore-fest, so many should be pleased. I was.

There is a very good reason why the main character has “Nyctophobia” (“Fear of the Dark”; 2017). Francesco Longo offers a non-verbal (other than laughing) tale of strange hauntings around him, and eventually explains why. It is a mystery that is fun to try and figure out, and the make-up is quite spectacular for an indie short release. With sharp editing and a blue night filter, we see his fear and come to understand it over time. A couple of nice jump cuts and scares, and some really nice false endings are also prominently featured. It’s nicely atmospheric.

“Nel Buio” (“Into the Dark”; 2018), by Davide Cancila, boons us with a woman who has PTSD after… well, I won’t say, but her diligent brother has been taking care of her for a year. But as they must in genre films, the past has a way of catching up, whether it is memories or the shadow of things that were, and this jump-scare laden tale does a decent, if somewhat convoluted, way of doing just that. This story also tends to use the blue filter night lens that is almost monochrome.

The demonic nun finally comes in with Luca Bertossi’s “Io non le credo” (“I Don’t Believe Her”; 2017). Evil nuns, demons or priests do not surprise me in an Italian film, where the Vatican understandably still has hold, and tales of possession, devils and demons are part of the core of the Catholic culture. Have you ever seen an Episcopalian Exorcist or a Lutheran Devil film? I have found only the Baptists and especially the Evangelicals are as obsessed with evil creatures as the Catholics. This piece is short, but it is beautifully shot with almost still-picture-quality posing. And, yes, a blue night lens. A man feels his house is haunted by demons, and he calls in a priest to cleanse it. But will the priest be able to find and face the evil? Watch and see.

This time with a sepia-tone or blue monochrome – and sometimes none! – a woman is kidnapped by someone in a mask and an apron in “Escape from Madness” (2018) by Nicola Pegg. In a scene reminiscent of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, she wakes strapped to a chair at a table while someone cooks some questionable meat. In fact, there is a lot that is, well, let’s just say a homage to the Saw. But adrenaline is high for the entire story, and the ending is satisfying. While I would not make the choice in real life that was made by the central character, and would have stuck with the rock-paper-saw original plan (not going to give it away), the way it’s done is a lot bloodier, so I also aesthetically approve.

To be honest, when I first started watching Roberto Albanesi’s “Che serata di merda” (“What a Shit Night”, 2018), I thought it was the weakest of the batch, but at the halfway mark, when the film becomes meta-existential, I understood what I missed in the first half, and it became one of my favorites on the reel. Go figure. An annoying couple is being visited by a vengeful ghost, who has a hysterical conversation with one of the couple’s friends, the director playing himself. I actually went back and watched this whole short over and appreciated it a lot more. No color filter, too.

The final tale is “Haselwurm” (“Hazel Worm”, 2011), presented by Eugenio Vallani. For clarification, a hazel worm, or slow worm, is a legless lizard, that is not a snake, and not poisonous. For this story, it is so much larger, like a Komodo dragon, and has attacked a couple, biting the man. While not poisonous, that’s not to say that the bite doesn’t have an effect, which I will not reveal, but it does produce some nice SFX work. The story is a bit slow-and-steady paced and kind of predictable somewhat – though the ending was better and slightly different than I expected – the cinematography of what I assume is the Alps and in general is beautifully done. And yes, there is use of blue and sepia filters.

Many stories have to do with the nighttime and use monochrome filters, as I have said before repeatedly. If you watch the trailer below, it almost seems like the film is in black and white… or blue and white.

Even though it is inaccurate to the contents within, there is a great piece of horror art on the DVD cover. The extras are three company trailers (not for this film, though), and chapter choices.

Some of these shorts have existed independent of this collection, while others seem to be created specifically for the anthology. It’s all good, of course. What is part of the fun is that while some of these stories have been done before in some form or another, the Italian touch and influence makes them different just enough to make it almost like a fresh coat of paint on an old car: you’re driving in a similar direction, but everything feels shiny, with muted colors.

Review: Face of the Devil

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

Face of the Devil (aka La Cara del Diablo)
Directed by Frank Perez Garland
Star Films; La Soga Producciones; Jinga Films; Danse Macabre; MVD Visual
87 minutes, 2014 / 2021
www.facebook.com/caradeldiablo/ 
www.Jingafilms.com
www.MVDVisual.com

Usually, when a story claims to be “Inspired by true events,” you know it’s going to be either a slasher film or dealing with the supernatural, be it ghost or demon/devil. And since this film is from the Northern Peru city and jungle surroundings of Tarapoto (the characters travel the 600 miles from Lima), it is no surprise that it is leaning towards the latter. Peru is generally a religious country, and religion tends to lead to belief in the evil end of the supernatural spectrum, as well as the holy. As you may guess, the film is in Spanish, with English subtitles.

Vania Accinelli

In this version of a cabin in the woods, it’s a wooden, multi-room hotel in the middle of the jungle with no internet or phone service (natch). Actually, it looks like a cool vacation spot, even though there are no roads leading in or out (just walking trails), so I wonder how it is self-supported. But I digress… The only way to get there is by boat. On that small craft are seven attractive young friends who are undergrad age, including the main couple, virginal Lucero (Vania Accinelli, in her first role) and Gabriel (Sergio Gjurinovic), another couple, Mateo (Nicolás Galindo) and Fabiola (Maria Fernanda Valera), and three others friends, Paola (Carla Arriola), Camila (Alexa Centurion), and diminutive incel Pablo (Guillermo Castaneda), who has a thing for Paola. 

The creep factor starts early on with the odd and unsmiling “host” of the place (Ismael Contreras), as he passes out the keys to the giggling gaggle of youths. Needless to say, he fills the iconic role of the older man who warns the group to be careful, because no matter where you are in the world, if a bunch of young people onscreen get together to go somewhere secluded, there must be this character, be it the guy who runs the gas station, just walking along, or in this case, runs the hotel.

After some exploring and topless bathing by a beautiful waterfall, the group settle into a hot tub to tell the equivalent of scary campfire stories in order to bring up the main topic and threat of the film, the shape-shifting, whistling Tunche, or demonic spirit (thank you, Google).

Before you can say ceviche – okay, about 20 minutes in – a mysterious woman starts popping in and out just beyond the windows to start the second act, and the motor starts revving, slowly at first and building. There is also quite a bit of wind and rustling of foliage. It sounds weird, but it was a bit unsettling, as the director used it well: not over- nor underdoing it.

Despite following a few of the group-in-the-woods paradigms, one of the aspects I really liked about the film is that the kids in question are not slasher cliches. For example, there is no jock who mistreats women or his friends, no over sexualized woman who backstabs, no goths, no know-it-all intellectual who seems to prenatally be aware of everything about the supernatural, no prankster… you get the picture. One thing I will say, though, is that – and I can only go by the English translation captions – the word “moron” is used a lot. These are more genuine-feeling people, despite some natural bickering here and there, which is actually better because there is no one to root for to get killed (you know, that satisfaction when the jock invariably gets it, for example). They all have their own personalities, and come across as decent people, generally. This helps the kills be more emotional, which I believe makes for a better picture overall.

How does the Tunche arrive at this faraway location to pick off our crew one by one? Its origin becomes obvious, in part, pretty early on, thanks to some nice flashbacks, but the film does not lose any of its umph because of that

Despite the nice sized body count, there is actually very little blood for quite a while, and minimal gore. As for the physical end, there are some naked breasts and a male tush, and a theme of almost-sex, but this is watchable for both the horror hound and the novice (who is okay with the nudity).

The acting is better than usual, which is hardly surprising considering the work many of the cast has done, mostly in shorts and especially playing recurring characters on television series.

Although there are fewer living bodies by the third acts, there are still moments of tension, and a nicely done reveal, as it should be in a genre film. And as a movie in this category, it quite lives up to it. It is appropriately eerie, and manages to keep it up pretty consistently, when the group isn’t emersed in water somewhere. Through the love and squabbles, and lots of bikinis, it successfully pokes at you more with mood and tension than with jump scares. I found this enjoyable, even with the subtitles, which were easy to read, and did not pop in-and-out too fast, as is often the case. A worthy view.

Extras are a few really interesting trailers (including for this film), most of them in foreign languages with captions, as well as the standard stereo options and chapters.

 

Review: Silat Warriors: Deed of Death

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

Silat Warriors: Deed of Death (aka The Deed of Death; Geran)
Directed by Areel Abu Bakar
Hi-YAH!; Well Go USA Entertainment; Layar Pictures
102 minutes, 2019 / 2021
www.wellgousa.com/films/silat-warriors-deed-of-death

While the “golden era” of the martial arts films was arguably in the 1970s and ‘80s, it did not disappear: rather it morphed and spread throughout the world. Though not a devotee of the genre, I certainly enjoy it when they come up on my radar, be it almost fairy tale-like, such as Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000) or the gangsta style of Takashi Miike, to the cheesier Shaw Brothers releases.

This film comes from Malaysia, so naturally it has English subtitles, but those who are martial arts fans are certainly used to that; personally, I like the original language rather than ridiculous overdubbing. While we are discussing language, “Silat” is the form of martial arts practiced in Brunei, Indonesia, Singapore, parts of Thailand, Philippines and Vietnam, and of course, in Malaysia (thank you Wikipedia).

The original title of the film, Geran, is translated as “grant,” and in this case it means land given to someone else, specifically a deed to land owned by a particular family. The head of the household, wealthy agrarian widower Namron (Pak Nayan), is a wise man of (Muslim) faith, who has three children: the youngest is his dutiful daughter, Fatimah (Feiyna Tajudin), his oldest son who works the land, Ali (Khoharullah Majid), and of concern is the middle and black sheep, Mat Arip (Fad Anuar).

Mat Arip is a wild child who is an unrepentant gambler, street fighter, pool player, and even a drag racer. Despite some wins, he loses big to gangster/loan shark Haji Daud (Faizal Hussein), owing him 20,000 ringgit (about $5,000 USD). Knucklehead that he is, he has taken the deed (of death, in the title) and given in to Haji as collateral. Problem is, Haji is either buying up all the land in the area or conniving it out of the hands of his “loanees.” There is a big political deal going on to turn the area into residential and commercial properties, which would make Haji extremely rich. Sounds like an American western with the railroad coming through, with Silat fighting filling in for gun showdowns at high noon.

Even after Mat Arip tries to pay back his debt, the loan sharks tell him about interest, all in the scheme to keep the deed (of death), trying to force Namron to sign it over at the land office, as Haji has done with many others.

One of my favorite characters, though, is Mat Arip’s oft-eating and fast-talking best friend and partner, Mi Piang (Taiyuddin Bakar, aka Salehuddin Abu Bakar), who holds the role of both the fool (comic relief) and, in the long run, is often the wiser of the two. He reminds me of the Shorty Farnsworth (Nicky Blair) character from Viva Las Vegas (1964), for some odd reason.

Despite all the cussin’, gamblin’ and fightin’, there is also a strong religious and moral code often laid down by the likes of Silat instructor Tok Malim and family friend Pak Teh (Abinoorizuadin Bin Abdullah) – both of whom seem to talk mostly to Ali, the spiritual center of the film – and say things like “People like that can escape men’s punishment, but God’s law is inescapable.”

And yet, there is a whole lot of fighting. All the siblings get involved in Silat savagery, which is very fun to watch (and no weird “hit” sound effects like in the ‘80s Hong Kong films). What I find interesting is that considering the film is about gangsters, there are no guns visible, and hardly a blade – I was expecting at least some machetes. Sure, every other object that occurs naturally around them is fair game, though (boards, scarfs, bottles, etc.), but it is kept strongly body/skill vs. body/skill.

The film is beautifully shot by first-time director and long-time cinematographer, Areel Abu Bakar (aka Mohd Shahreel bin Abu Bakar). The atmospheric views of the countryside and city, the fight scenes, and the people are well captured, and there are even some artistic points thrown in, especially when numerous people are blowing out cigarette smoke in slow motion and perfectly framed and lit.

While this stands out from recent martial arts releases I have seen (not counting bigger budget ones like, say, the John Wick releases), there are a few minor hiccups. I mean, I really like that under the one kingpin loan shark, there are two or three groups that all focus on different albeit overlapping parts of the film, but keep it consistent and coherent. Things do get a bit overwrought on occasion on the emotional scale (though not Shaw Brothers level), but still there is a nice balance between action, family dynamics, and the occasional preaching. And it does look like it is set up for a sequel.

On a side note, I had a good laugh when one of the gangster henchmen was wearing a tee-shirt with the Nirvana “x”-ed eyed logo. Mat Arip wears one that says “Music: On / World: Off.” I wouldn't mid one of the latter for myself. But I digress...

I am pretty sure this is the first time I have viewed a Malaysian film, possibly even a Muslim one, in this genre. Abu Bakar does his culture and the martial arts cinema proud.

 

Review: Lazarus

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

Lazarus
Directed by R.L. Scott
Wonder Studios; Overdog Entertainment;
Phoenix Rising Films; Samuel Goldwyn Films
105 minutes, 2021
www.facebook.com/WhoIsLazarus/

Comic book movies are not always based on the standard comic characters. It is a tone, a stylistic choice by the production, that make it a modern comic book film. Don’t get me wrong, there actually is a comic by the Lazarus name, but it is totally not connected to this release, but rather is a sci-fi action coming of age story about a woman.

For this film, the aptly named titular Ray Lazarus (Sean Riggs) is an African-American man who is killed, then comes back to life thanks to a mysterious being called Hellfire (Shane Brolly, who was Kraven in the Underworld franchise), whose powers include strength, the ability to absorb the life force and knowledge of those he whomps, and he cannot be killed; he wears a costume to weed the city of criminals. Wait a minute, didn’t I see that in the comic Spawn? I own the original comic run (first editions), but yeah, the film version (1997) was a bit over the top, while this has more of a The Punisher vibe.

Sean Riggs

The events take place in the sarcastically named Paradise City (I’m pretty sure I saw a low-angle shot of the Empire State Building, but why not?).

The main villain is violent drug kingpin Testament (Adamo Palladino) who had Lazarus killed in the first place. He is yet another one of a legion of Biblically referenced names such as Chapel and, as the Ying to Hellborn’s Yang, there is Epiphany. Why Hellborn is so – err – fired up on Lazarus taking Testament off the streets makes no sense to me, as I would think he would be in favor of “sin.” But there is more afoot as Epiphany (Lyndsey Lantz) is busy working on an equally powerful evil version of Lazarus, because opposites attack. Hey, every superhero film needs an equal match-up for its final act, right? This isn’t meant to be critical, just realistic to the genre. Just think Thanos or Hela (Ragnarok).

Somehow, Super-Lazarus manages to get a small army together (why, if he is that increasingly powerful and can’t die?) to take on mid-level distributor Poet (Damien T. Raven) and his superior, Testament. Meanwhile, a police detective, Benjamin Poge (Costas Mandylor, who played Mark Hoffman in a few Saw films), who drives a car no real city police officer, even of a higher rank, could ever afford, is inquiring into the high body count. Then there is an assassin from Testament, the amusingly named Endless (Kevin Lukata).

There are essentially five women in minor roles here: first is attractive Nina (Nicki Micheaux) as a drug distributor who is instantly the obvious possible love interest for Lazarus, depending on her questionable loyalties, Testament’s cancer-ridden sister, Priscilla (Christina Wren, that played Carrie Farris in the DC Universe), who is on her deathbed, a tarot card reader who works for Testament, Flora (a cameo by pop singer Mya) who is a psychic/Tarot card reader, the sister of one of Lazarus’s friends, Pogo (Linc Hand) named Winter (cute Kayla Vosburg), and the aforementioned Epiphany. There is more in the female part of the cast, but these are the ones that appear at the top level. Most of the other women are tertiary characters, such as a police officer or, especially, numerous mob groupies who lay around snorting powder in lingerie, lolling on couches. This was definitely (a) written by a man, and (b) written for a teen male audience.

Adamo Palladino, Damien T. Raven

The dialogue is stunningly cliché and clumsy in a comic book tone that over enunciates and spaces out words, and is often bland in a pseudo-philosophical way, even with a Noah’s Flood of F-bombs. One piece of monolog by a gang assassin states, “We are what we are. My path is set. Fate already chosen. You knew this was going to happen. Now they are going to die, and there is nothing to stop it.” There are also numerous plot holes that made me kind of antsy; for example, one person is done away with by the mob, yet they left all their information there for the police to find. And why so many short “P” names, such as Poet, Pogo, and Poge? Also, why would the mob crews in warehouses where drugs are being manufactured not have guns?

Good thing is that this can definitely be classified as an action film. Despite the occasional gun play, most of the fighting is hand-to-hand, be it boxing style or mixed martial arts. It is well choreographed and fun to watch as numerous necks are snapped.

I actually like alternative universe comic stories (i.e., other than MCU or DCU), and while this obviously has a decent budget, it is not a multi-million-dollar extravaganza, and that is good. Despite its issues, and it definitely has some, it holds up. It is also nice to see such a large Black cast, which even Spawn did not employ. Furthermore, having the whole “balance” theme is a nice touch.

The film definitely sets up for a sequel, as promises that are made are indicated at the end (I will not divulge). Personally, I was thinking of a couple of really good, unexpected Yangs to Lazarus’s Ying, as I said, but despite that they chose the obvious route, and I am okay with that. I am looking forward to the next installment, whenever that will be, and I hope they give the female characters a bit more to chew on, story-wise.

Kevin Lukata

For the visuals, the film is well-shot and edited, with cool “swipes” between scenes in an appropriately comic book sort of look. However, as is an issue in too many films, especially independents, Lazarus expresses “darkness” or night through a dark, blue lens. Okay, this is a nice way to make it moody, but it also makes it harder to see what the hell is going on. This is a pet peeve of mine. Not all of us have HD 30” screens, y’know. Despite that (rather than because of it), it’s a pretty enjoyable story, even with the “comic book” reigns on the acting styles, also to purposely give it a mood to fit the dialogue.

While this film is available on DVD and Blu-ray, it can also be seen for free on TubiTv.com; however, note that because it is an exclusive release, they need to pay for it considering the platform is free, so when I viewed it, there were 5 commercials at about 9 minutes, 3 at 31 minutes, 4 at 51 minutes, 4 at 63 minutes, 3 at 76 minutes, and 3 at 90 minutes (and all had right-wing/NRA-sponsoring Coors). That’s 22 ads at about 20 seconds each, or 7.5 minutes. Phew.