Review: Demented

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

Demented (aka The Demented)
Directed by Nigel Hartwell
New Blood Entertainment; Flawless Video Creations;
Gate Three Films; Homemade Pie Productions; KBI Productions
96 minutes, 2021
www.newbloodentertainment.com/newblood_demented.html

Just before its release, the film made a subtle title change, from The Demented, as it is currently listed on IMDB, to just Demented, so as not to be confused with another film dealing with zombies with the same name released in 2013. This should also not be confused with the I Spit on Your Grave-ish cult classic Demented (1980, co-starring Harry Reams). So ends the history lesson.

This Canadian film is quite different that those others in that this falls well into the category of torture porn, with a supernatural touch. And in an extremely micro-budget way.

Cheyenne Ennis

Lovebirds Senica (Dakota House) and Amanda (Cheyenne Ennis, giving a brave performance) go up to Senica’s cottage on the lake (filmed at Parry Sound, Ontario, about 2 hours north of Toronto). After dropping a ring on her, they spend the night. When Senica awakes, Amanda is gone. According to a police detective (the ever-fun Felissa Rose), so are her parents, and he’s the central person of interest.

Meanwhile, somewhere there is a room where women are systematically tortured and snuffed for the Dark Web (it’s always the Dark Web, right?) by a burly guy dressed in black, including a bullet-proof vest, and a leather hood. His voice is digitally manipulated, and honestly, I can only make out about half of what he says.

Dakota House

We watch as he’s a-rapin’ (with his pants all the way on and her underwear intact) and a-chokin’ and a-tauntin’ his chained-to-a-bed victims. We see the room through his video camera, a fuzzy black-and-white CCTV on a celling corner, and whichever lens the film’s cameraperson is using to fill in the gaps and keep these scenes from being “found footage” style.

There is also some playing with time, with numerous flashbacks to various periods and present day, making the narrative timeline a bit confusing for a while. In one of these vignettes (past? present? future?), Amanda is a chainee, abused by the dark and mysterious man (though at 30 minutes in, I have a guess on who it may be; I’ll let you know if I’m right, but not who it is, okay? No spoilers).

Between the patterns of abuse, Amanda is visited by knowing spirits (including one played by wrestler Angel Williams), who are helpless to aid her, but communicate quite easily. Don’t get me wrong, this supernatural element is actually what made the film for me. The violence compared to most torture porn is relatively mild and mostly threats (and yes, much full-dressed raping).

But the rules of the film change with Amanda. Her accomplishments are the closest this comes to empowering women (not counting that the main authority figure is the police detective). Women generally are seen as torture victims and strippers. Misogyny? Maybe, but it felt good to have these women get some of their umph back, a lot of good it will do them in the long run.

Nigel Hartwell and Felissa Rose
doing her iconic Angela face

There is a lot of topless women (did I mention the strippers?), and nothing real to talk about in the blood department. There are some cheesy CGI effects at a point, but I believe it was meant to be that way. Y’see, from the way they use scratchy rolling noise on some of the camera images (though new equipment) made to look like VHS in the 1980s would explain the ‘80s look of the company’s logo at the beginning of the film.

The film is overlong at 96 minutes, but there is easily quite a bit that could be excised and not lose any of the story. For example, the “torment” scenes are incredibly mild considered next to something like the Hostel or Saw franchises, but they are on for what feels like a really long time of just the killer yakking away in his hard to make out digitized voice. Too many of the scenes and shots – especially the punishment ones – just seem too “samey,” in part due to the static cameras in the torture room

The acting is okay, but nothing to write home to mother about, though as always, Rose easily holds her own; the two main leads often don’t look like they are trying too hard, especially House, from whom I was expecting more. There are some really well-done shots, including some drone work, which was refreshing after the obvious green screen parts.

Ari Lehman, whose band performs during the final credits

The production pattern is a bit different, but I’m not sure if some of it is intentional on the director’s part, a stylistic choice, or just a distance necessity (i.e., people recorded in different places made to look like they are together). Many times, especially in the police station scenes with Rose, it is pretty obvious that – despite some similar motifs on the walls that I am pretty sure are green-screened – the detective and two of the people she is interviewing are single shots and not in the same room. It seems like House doesn’t know which direction to look, often off to the wrong side of where the Detective would be standing. When she interviews a porn/snuff provider, Brad (Canadian wrestling champion Bret Hart), his acoustical tone is different than hers, and he also looks in the wrong direction. This “separation” with green screen and different sound is also employed with a bartender (by cameo-king Ari Lehman). When Amanda and Senica are introduced as a couple on the drive north, at first this single shot method was used in the car, but then finally a double shot.

One weird plot point to me is that Amanda’s parents are also missing, as it is a family thing with the bad guys. But this is not shown for any other victims. It feels like a pretty big plot can of worms hole that did not need to be opened in the first place.

Speaking of sound, there is an almost amusing moment when we hear a character’s thinking processes, and it was obviously recorded later in a studio by how well it sounds, but also that there is a comment when the actor obviously accidentally falls during the filming, and the narration goes, “Oh, that hurt.” I am so glad they put that in.

The extras are three music videos and three company trailers (including this film).

If I had my druthers, I would like to see them take this film, re-edit it or have third party do it, and see where it goes. It has some nice potential, and I would like to see that fulfilled. And for the record, I was way off on who was the killer.

 

Review: Funhouse

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

Funhouse
Directed by Jason William Lee
Ti Bonny Productions; Sandcastle Pictures; Invention Films;
Magnet Releasing/Magnolia Pictures
106 minutes, 2019 / 2021
http://www.magnetreleasing.com/funhouse/

Here is a bit of irony for ya: as much as I despise reality programming, especially shows like “Survivor” and “Fear Factor,” I so do tend to enjoy when films use it as fodder for a storyline. Media fascinates me, in a Marshal McLuhan/Neil Postman/Jacques Ellul sort of way. Mixing reality television with social media? Even more better.

Social critic Neil Postman famously posited that media such as television (and hence computers) is served best when it is mere entertainment and minimal on education. Entertainment as distraction is nothing new, as even the Roman Empire knew about “bread and circuses.” This Swedish/British Columbia, Canada-filmed release definitely leans in that direction. While the overarching premise is not novel in the horror genre, people fighting for their lives for the entertainment of others – recently in films about, say, Escape Rooms – the addition of Reality Programing gives it a nice twist.

Valter Skarsgård

A rich and sadistic man (think Jeffrey Epstein-type [alleged]) that tends to tilt his head to the side, Nero (Jerome Velinsky), who as no moral compass and is willing to pay people large sums to do dastardly things, puts together an online reality show titled “Furcus’ House of Fun” (aka “Funhouse”). He gathers a group of eight attractive mix-gendered (but no LGBQ) C-Level has-beens from around the world for what they think is a “Big Brother” or “Survivor” kind of show for a prize of USD$5 million, but it ends up the latter program is more literal than figurative.

The central character is Kasper (Valter Skarsgård), a Swedish man whose claim to fame is that he was married to a pop star who, like the others – a nice touch is that most of the actors are actually from the countries they represent – arrives in a house in an undisclosed location with no memory of how they got there (after they had signed the contract). They all have different colored shirts to make it easy to identify by the world-wide web audience. The rest include the likes of an Influencer, Mixed Martial Arts fighter, a model, and a one-hit wonder singer, for example.

At first, it is all fun and games as the contestants (someone uses the word “dysfunctional”) get to know each other, make out, sing karaoke, go into the hot tub, drink a lot of alcohol, and be served by people dressed in odd Panda masks (the animal is the logo of the program). There is even the old “confession booth” they all must enter and try to win the favor of the audience, who votes out whomever they choose every three days, though it gets progressively quicker. And this is where events get dicey. Of course, they are being filmed 24/7.

The first act of about 20 minutes, helps the film’s viewers to both get to understand the premise framework of the show, and also sets up some background to the characters. When you have eight of them, it is easy to just see them as fodder for the violence to come, but this way we can get to know and either like or dislike them. There are some friendships made and some rivalries (a memorable quote: “People like me…bitch.”). This will make it more emotional as shit hits the fan into the second act when the blood begins to flow in challenges that take on an elaborate, almost Saw franchise fashion. It also kind of reminds me of Cube (1997).

Again, as a student of media, I find it equally fascinating when the story focuses on the audience, the “Perez Hilton” kind of snarky webcasts making puns about deaths (e.g., “How can you take selfies without arms?”), and the CNN type of newscasts and interviews. As each kill naturally gets more gruesome, in some ways, like Dog Bites Man! (1992), it puts the film viewer as a participant in the action similar to the web show’s audience. Are we sitting there enjoying the painful killing of this octet, one by one? Most likely, yes. You know there are going to be those who sit in front of their large HD screens and pump fists screaming “yes!” while the other hand holds the beer (or popcorn).

Yes, I realize that this is not reality, but does it inoculate us to real violence? That is a question that has seriously been asked in modern cinema since at least the 1980s (remember the “Video Nasties” situation in England, and the PMRC in the States?). I have no opinion one way or another, as I enjoy these kinds of films, but I also like to look at the sociological aspects, as well.

The Head Panda gives a twisted but accurate description of what society considers entertainment, amusingly using the Kardashians as an example of decline. But, as I said above, it predates that. Just look how many copies of the Faces of Death VHS sold (or was rented), and is even discussed now on many genre chat boards. On those very chat boards, people often request suggestions for the bloodiest, goriest, and most disturbing releases. Yes, I agree that there is a difference between reality and cinema magic, but shows like those I mentioned above, like “Fear Factor,” “Survivor,” and even those like “The Bachelor,” “Hell’s Kitchen,” “The Housewives of (Wherever),” and that nasty recent Ellen DeGeneres’ “Ellen’s Games of Games, has helped make violence and social interactions into entertainment. While meta-commentary in the film is explicit, it is also not preachy and stays off the soapbox, unlike my annotation.

And speaking of cinematic magic, the SFX is damn fine here if that is your thing, as it is mine. Lots of violence, torture (not in a focused, body horror kind of way), and missing or separated body parts. The acting in the film, for the most part, is quite good, with the standouts being Cat (Amanda House, aka musician Mandy Mouse) and especially scene stealer Nevin (Dayleigh Nelson, playing a Brit, but is from British Columbia).

My complaints are minimal and twofold: first, it was a tad long though the pacing of the kills is nicely distributed once they start; second, I found the sex scene later on a bit unbelievable considering both the circumstances and the conversation that preceded it. But both of these were not enough to take away from the story, which had more than a couple of interesting twists and turns to keep up the attention and enjoyment level. As for the social observations, well in this case, it actually adds to the story rather than bogging it down. This is a competent and fun thrill ride by sophomore feature filmmaker Lee.

 

Review: Skinwalker: The Howl of the Rougarou

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

Skinwalker: The Howl of the Rougarou
Directed by Seth Breedlove
Small Town Monsters; 1091 Pictures
70 minutes, 2021
www.smalltownmonsterss.com

One of the things I enjoy about Small Town Monsters’ releases is that not only does each documentary focus on a particular cryptid, but they centralize the story; they will pick a part of the country and focus on that area, even if it covers a corner of multiple states, situating the events, including the more commonly widespread ones, such as Bigfoot.

So, after covering the likes of the Bell Witch, Bigfoot and Mothman, among many others, here they focus on one of my favorite topics, the werewolf. This mystical creature has been having a resurgence lately, with films like Bonehill Road (2017), Night Howl (2017), Lyncanimator (2018), and the upcoming The Beast Comes at Midnight, so it makes sense to check on one in the real world. in this case, southern Louisiana. This is a change since most of the previous films by STM I have seen involve the Northeast. It is great to see them stretching their (literal) boundaries.

Like Bigfoot, which has multiple names depending on the location (e.g., Yeti, Sasquatch), the “Skinwalker” down in the bayou is known by the Cajun (Acadians originally from Nova Scotia) term, Rougarou (or as I, as a Brooklyn boy heard it, Loup-garou). The story of a man-wolf hybrid has been around for centuries in those swampy areas, giving rise to multiple alleged sightings and stories of meaning.

That is where this story takes off, into the swampy, spooky landscape that has appeared in so many horror releases, such as in Hammer Films’ The Mummy (1959) and many voodoo zombie B-films of the 1940s. It’s a mysterious place full of danger, like quicksand, poisonous snakes, alligators, and the legendary Rougarou.

The film is narrated by Lyle Blackburn, who has done so for a few other Breedlove releases, but he is also the lead vocalist and guitarist of the gothabilly band, Ghoultown, and has written an appropriate book to this film called Swamps: Monsters and Mysteries from the Mire (2020). He does a fine job in a slow and measured manner that’s appropriate for the location of the story, though without the drawl.

The film is broken into chapters. The first wisely mixed a few of the legends with a smattering of the background of the area, including some stunning photography as always; another is how the legend of the Rougarou started both by the American Indians/First Nations who lived in the area, and then by the French settlers. Apparently, the werewolf is historically common folklore in French literature.

The story continues in how the Rougarou is created, be it half-human, half-wolf, or mostly wolf but standing upright. It also includes some fun first- and second-hand stories by the locals, including the person who runs the Rougarou Fest held in Houma, LA, and members of the local Houma Tribe for whom the city is named.

An interesting aspect to me is the variations of the Rougarou. Most of the other cryptids tend to hold steady in their concept and aim, but because the Rougarou is a mixture of Indigenous tribes and European influence, the look, the means of transformation, and even modus operandi changes often. For some, the Rougarou almost takes the Boogeyman/Krampus role of being used to keep kids in line (e.g., “If you’re bad, the Rougarou will getcha!”), for others they are merely wood-and-swamp creatures, and mostly they are humans who have been cursed (one example is a wife who puts the lycanthropy on her good-fer-nuthin’ husband).

While there are certainly similarities between the various visions of the creature, there definitely appears to be a more human aspect, even with the occasional fear-mongering of either eating human flesh or souls. The latter is subtly explained by the very Catholic-based religions in the region. Most other beliefs, such as Baptist or Lutheran, would most likely (in my opinion) just express the Rougarou as either the work of the Devil, or to be a minion of such (Demon). Catholicism is often more varied in possibilities of evil entities, although Devils and Demons are right up there (ever hear of a Lutheran exorcism?).

Because of the addition of the human aspect of transformation, even though it is made clear that the Rougarou can appear as any animal or human, or even a bird or tree, it is usually associated with white clothing and fur (such as rabbits) except for the werewolf version. The consistent seems to be the red glowing eyes. This makes the creature more engaging in a The Thing (1983) way because it could be anyone, even the person sitting next to you in church, as one person interviewed posits.

As with most of the Small Town Monsters releases, there is a mixture of live interviews and travelogues of the area under discussion, some creative artwork and cartooning, and in this case, some really fabulous recreations. The wolf suits are stunning, easily as good as some of the more popular films like Dog Soldiers (2002), which relies more on man-wolf hybrids than, say, the mostly wolf shape of An American Werewolf in London (1981). It is these recreations that really flesh out the stories and give visuals beyond the talking heads syndrome.

With modern technology, salt-water flooding of the sweet water swamps thanks to climate change, and the different directions of the winds of culture, the documentary also tackles the possible future for the Rougarou.

For a company and director that is incredibly prolific, it is admirable that the quality of these films never diminishes. If you are into cryptids or just cryptid-curious, this will not disappoint, as is true with the other STM fare available at the link at the top of the page.

 

Oldie-But-Goody-Review, Part 2: Mortuary (Special Edition)

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

Mortuary
Directed by Howard Avedis (d. 2017)
Hickmar Productions; Scorpion Releasing; Multicom Entertainment; MVD Rewind Collection
93 minutes, 1983 / 2021
www.MVDVisual.com

This reissue has an interesting aspect for me: from the mid-1960s to the early 1980s, Lynda Day George and Christopher George were the television golden couple. It seemed like they were in everything either apart or together in the likes of “Mission Impossible” (Lynda) and “The Rat Patrol” (Christopher), but not after this film, as it was Christopher’s last role before his sudden death in 1983. Ironically, over the years, their importance faded enough that even though they are among the leads of this film, their names don’t even appear on the cover of the Blu-ray (and DVD). Sure, they were secondary to the three main characters, but their names should be there under the others, as most likely they were a large draw for the original release. Instead, they list Mary McDonough (she played Erin on “The Waltons”), Bill Paxton (1986’s Aliens, 1987’s Near Dark; d. 2017) in an early starring role, and David Wallace (aka David Wysocki, who appeared in numerous soaps).

Now, after that pondering, let’s examine the film. I saw it in the theater when it first came out, but I have no memory of it, so it’s like watching it new, which makes me happy.

David Wallace, Mary McDonough

We are introduced to tall and lanky Greg (Wallace) first, as he and his friend Josh (Denis Mandel, who played the recurring character Eugene in the post-shark jumping, no Richie “Happy Days”) visit the mortuary warehouse, where Josh worked, to steal some tires. There they see a “séance” (looking more like a cult with long, hooded black gowns) led by mortuary owner Hank (Christopher George). Of course, being that time in our culture and the genre, the leader is a man, and the rest of the following coven is all women. Let the social commentary by the readers commence.

This brings Greg to hang out with his sleepwalking girlfriend and star of the film, Christie (McDonough). Just to date the film, part of the first act takes place at a roller rink (the subtitles say “roller ring,” that’s how long ago it is that whoever did the captions did not know better). Classic imagery, with women in short-shorts and tank tops skating around in circles, just for the film’s teenage boy demographics. Even McDonough gets to wear some flimsy clothing when she’s not decked out in top ‘80’s fashion, like pink loose pants and a matching sweater tied around her neck. She lives in a huge house right on the ocean with her widowed and gaslighting mom, Eve (Lynda Day George). To add to it all, nerd and perky Paul (Paxton), son of Hank, has a thing for Christie. They are college students, I am assuming, as part of this was filmed at California State University Northridge.

Bill Paxton

Of note, there are two interesting cameos here, both as Greg’s parents. First, there’s his mom, played by Marlene Schmidt, who has appeared in most of director Avedis’ films. His dad is portrayed by the legendary Hank Kimball…I mean Alvy Moore (d. 1997). He’s almost unrecognizable, but at the same time, easy to spot by his physical mannerisms, and especially that amazing voice and syntax.

Meanwhile someone mysterious has been following both Greg and especially Christie, dressed in white make-up that looks a lot like Pazuzu from The Exorcist (1973). It isn’t hard to figure out who he/the killer is; I figured it out in the first 10 minutes. But will the Sheriff (Bill Conklin) listen to the teens about smug Hank and crew? I am sure you have seen enough of genre films to be able to answer that yourself; it seems pretty damn obvious.

Lynda Day George, Christopher George

There is also a fine level of humor (though I would not refer to this as a comedy), such as one person looking to buy a casket, saying to her husband, “Honey, I don’t think you’re going to be comfortable in this one.”

The blood and gore SFX are nicely done and plentiful, relatively, though a small body count considering the slashers of the day, but they manage to add some effects in other ways. There is also a lot of typical tight or wet clothing and cleavage (including the two female leads), along with a fair bit of nudity (though McDonough uses a body double with different colored hair; did I mention she was in “The Waltons”?)

McDonough, George

I do have some questions, such as if a group is holding a séance in a mortuary after hours, why isn’t the front door locked? Of course, this could be said about any business, and not just ones doing occult stuff. And if you just saw someone close to you in a cult setting, would you go home and have carnal relations in a laughing, calm manner, for a while?

Anyway, the film is shot really well, with some fine editing to enhance the action. The cast is, needless to say, lovely to look at for all genders, and the acting is, well, considering most of the cast comes from the television world, that type, especially from the time period.

 

Pazuzu wannabe?

Even with an obvious villain, there are still surprises here and there, and numerous jump scares that I enjoyed. This is considered a minor classic, and it’s easy to understand why. Lots of hallmarks are here, like walking down dark hallways. One thing missing is a shower scene. That being said, one unusual take is that the friends of the leads are inconsequential and merely there as comic relief, appearing exceedingly sparingly, with the film mainly focusing on the five leads. That was a nifty and unexpected turn of events.

Extras on the Blu-ray are that the film is in HD (1080p) from the original internegative, and audio choices. Also, there is an English subtitles option, and interview with the composer, John Cacavas (unwatched by me), and a mini-poster in the clamshell. Added is a bunch of MVD Rewind trailers including the original one for this film and Tobe Hooper’s Mortuary (2005) that deals with zombies rather than a slasher, among others.

For the director, Howard Avedis (d. 2017), this was his first forage into horror. Before, he was known mainly as an exploitation/sexploitation filmmaker, with such classics as The Specialist (1972, with Adam West), Dr. Minx (1975, with Edy Williams), and especially The Teacher (1974, with Jay North and the underrated Angel Tompkins). The previous experience of these low budget action releases prepared him well for Mortuary, to make it a product of which to be proud.

Be forewarned, the trailer gives too much away. If you haven’t seen the film yet, watch it at your own risk.

Oldie-But-Goody-Review, Part 1: The House on Sorority Row

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

The House on Sorority Row
Directed by Mark Rosman
VAE Productions; Scorpion Releasing; Multicom Entertainment;
Trafalgar Releasing; Bloody Disgusting; MVD Rewind Collection
91 minutes, 1983 / 2021
www.MVDVisual.com

I am going to start off with a digression: I find it amusing that in modern films, most of the flashback prologues tend to be set in the 1980s (often in honor to VHS releases like this one), but here, in a film from the ‘80s, it is 1961.

In the present and main section of the story, good girl Katie (Kathryn McNeil) has just graduated college and decides to stick around the campus with a gaggle of her friends to par-tay. It is pretty obvious that this was a bad decision on their parts (well, it is a genre film – from the 1980s – after all). Note that in an early scene, one of them, Diane (Harley Jane Kozak, looking a bit like Jamie Lee Curtis) wears a CBGB tee-shirt! In 1983! RIP CBs, a second home for me.

Kathryn McNeil

The house mother, Mrs. Slater (Lois Kelso Hunt, d. 2018) – who we meet in the prologue (yes, that’s how long she’s been heading the oddly named ПФ – Pi Phi – sorority) – is displeased by the girls not leaving and puts her foot down about closing the house, to which the girls (I think I’m old enough to call them girls) rebel, leading to unexpected circumstances that sets up the slaughter to come.

There are lots of what would now be considered cliches, but part of the fun is knowing that films like these were the originators of those common motifs, even with a number of relatively effective jump scares. And much like the music that was coming out of CBGB then (and especially previously), it was before there was a “uniform” and anything went. This gives more of an imaginative tone to the story and nuanced action.

This was also director Mark Rosman’s first feature (he was in his 20s), so he went all out blowing through his budget, giving him some freedom for a crane shot (was Johnny LaRue jealous?), for example, and some amazing SFX (practical rather than digital). There are also a few stand-out theatrical moments for its time, such as single shot at the party where the camera, one-by-one, finds the main actors. There is also an interesting, drug-induced dream sequence that is quite imaginative and totally entertaining. I also find it curious that after this film, Rosman essentially stayed away from horror, and instead directed things like “Lizzie McGuire” and the “William and Kate” (2011) television film. He did, however, direct a ramped-up remake of sorts, “Sorority Row” (2009).

Lois Kelso Hunt

The central theme and set-up feel like it was adapted as an urban version of Friday the 13th (1980) or perhaps even Friday the 13th Part 2 (1981), both which came out just a couple of years before. Instead of a machete, however, the sharp ends of a cane work equally well. Dr. Beck (Christopher Lawrence) does well in what is essentially the Dr. Loomis role.

During the party sequence, there is a performance by the Washington DC-based Power Pop band 4 Out of 5 Doctors, who look a bit like the glam of The Sweet, and sound influenced by The Quick’s Mondo Deco. They were actually quite popular and influential in their own way. The film was shot near Delaware, using some of John Waters’ crew.

CBGB shirt

 As for the extras, there are two audio commentaries, the first being a good one by the director, Rosman, questioned by profession wrestler Katarina Waters, and the other with the director again, and the stars Kathryn McNeil and Eileen Davidson (who reminds me of Emily Blunt), whose bad girl with great hair character Vickie sets off the whole bloody affair. Rosman’s comments in all his portions are quite similar, but it was good to have the other two actors added for extra perspectives and anecdotes, even if no one mentions the CB’s shirt. The second commentary was recorded around 2009, around the time of the DVD release. There are also individual interviews with Rosman (21 min), McNeil (14 min), Davidson, (7 min) and Kozak (42 min, as it discusses her entire career), and composers Richard Band (45 min; brother of Charles Band, and scored a lot of Full Moon’s releases, which he also examines) and Igo Kantor (10 min, his work is legendary, including for “The Monkees”; d. 2019). Some are interviewed by Waters in a podcast-style titled “Kats Eyes.”

Other extras include English subtitles (so good to follow the film when listening to the commentaries), Storyboards including for the original unused ending, the original black and white opening (that was later monochromed blue before release), a collection of trailers (including for this film), reversible artwork with an alternative cover, and a really nice mini-poster of the film tucked into the clamshell.

One of the noteworthy rarities about this film is that as much as there is definite T&A, nudity, and a sex scene, it focuses more on the sisterhood of our group than, say, them being man-hungry shells. There may not be much exposition on the central characters, but they certainly have different temperaments, and they tend to get along and band together, even as they are picked off one-by-one. The females look close to the ages of their roles, but the men – especially those at the party – look much older, closer to 30 than early 20s (especially the guy who is worried about his grades).

While some of the actions are predictable, especially for the die-hard slasher fan, there are also lots of red herrings and surprises as well. There is a really sizeable body count and the kills are a bit bloody, but there are some nice effects. I enjoyed the way the film was shot, most of the acting is in that ‘80s style of over emoting (note that at least three of the women went on to successful careers, especially in soaps), and the editing and direction is of note. There is a reason this is considered a classic, and rightfully so.

Now, about that gross pool…

Review: CarousHELL The 2nd

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

CarousHELL The 2nd
Directed by Steve Rudzinski
Silver Spotlight Films
77 minutes, 2021
https://silverspotlightfilms.storenvy.com/   

The original CarousHELL (reviewed HERE) was a ridiculously fun and gory release focusing on a murderous wooden carousel unicorn named Duke (voiced by Steve Rimpici), running free with scissors, among other sharp objects, and decimating the original cast. It can be seen on TubiTV, among other venues.

The original is one of director Steve Rudzinski’s most popular films, in part for the sheer madcap level of it, so he decided to make a sequel, for which I am quite happy and looking forward to seeing and reviewing below. Little of the cast from the first film made it to the second because, well, it had a relatively enormous and gory body count, so I’m interested to learn where the story goes from here.

Like other insanities such as ThanksKilling (2009; reviewed HERE), the fact that the story is batshit crazy actually enhances it rather than undermining it. When a film warps reality just a little bit, the credulity of the endeavor comes into question; but when all rules are off from the beginning (e.g., a wooden unicorn creating a hybrid baby with a human), like they did in “Gilligan’s Island,” it is easier to sit back and just accept the weirdness for itself. Rudzinski has done this flawlessly. For a second time.

Duke

Rimpici’s line reading for Duke is hilarious, though the sound of Duke has a different tone than everyone else since it was obviously recorded in a different venue (Phone? Recording studio?). Again, this does not take away from the story or the action, but is easily noticeable, which is why I bring it up.

While Duke is a wooden unicorn who is still capable of amazing feats of dexterity (through excellent cinematography and editing by Scott Lewis), his young son, Robbie (voiced by B. Barnabei), adopted by Ms. Lawrence (Judy HR Kirby), who has an indirect history with Duke, is a (literal) puppet with eyes that close and body that is softer thanks to his human side(created by Cody Ruch and Gabrielle Ventura). Whatever, Robbie looks both cute and well made. You know from early on this is going to be a bonding film between Duke and Robbie, with some growing by both. But in what direction? One can only imagine at 17 minutes in.

Robbie

And did I mention the Nazis yet? We meet a quad of them who have managed to find a way to stay young through stealing souls (reminiscent of 1985’s Lifeforce) since 1944 when the prologue takes place. Naturally, they are ridiculous characters in a Mel Brooks fashion. The leader is Ilsa (co-producer Aleen Isley, who was also hysterical in Captain Z and the Terror of Leviathan, 2014; reviewed HERE), obviously modelled in part from the title character in Ilsa She Wolf of the SS (1975), and her companion in terror, and there is Katrina (also co-producer, Rebecca Reinhart, who often appears in other films as the character Dr. Boobenstein), who is not as smart as Ilsa, but just as deadly. Then there is Katrina’s brother,  bumbling “master of disguise” hot dog cart salesman Klaus (Mark McConnell Jr.) whose stand’s name made me laugh hard enough to stop the film for a minute, and bumbling scientist and scene stealer Otto (Terence Lee Cover). They plan to “take care of” Duke.

I also enjoyed that despite all the weirdness, there is some minor social observations that sort of skims the surface, but is more an elbow in the side than heavy handed, be it commentary on the overuse of social media/cell phones, or the recent “Karen” phenomenon. There are also some Easter Egg nods to other films, such as Aliens (1986), or a self-reflexive nod (as Rudzinski is wont to do) to the first film, referencing Pete’s Pizza.

Even some cliches that have outlived their expiry date work well on a different level here, such as the montage of Duke and Robbie bonding. I laughed all through it because it relies on those very cliches, rather than in spite of it.

There are a lot of subtle moments, such as Duke reading a newspaper while smoking a pipe, as dads do (well, in ‘50s sit-coms, maybe…), or an image of a goosestepping Smoky the Bear type image. It really does help to pay attention to the little details, because Rudzinski and Isley, who also co-wrote the piece, work well with the minutia around the story, adding to the humor. I mean, who can not love lines like “You need to fight for your Reich to party.” Note, however, they do go a bit overboard on substituting “right” with “Reich.” But I’ll include that in the over-the-top level of… well, everything.

Meanwhile, the Nazi foursome are trying to capture Duke, which makes Duke’s “Oy vey” comment all the funnier. They will do whatever it takes to get him, even if it involves Robbie to snare him. The ways they try are quite funny and McConnell makes the most of over-emoting to create different “characters” that are similar enough to make the audience chuckle in their sheer ridiculous nature, but again, that is part of his charm.

Duke is much more “humanized” in this release, whether that is good or bad, but either way, you know the final act is full on furious. Until that point, the body count is small, but done away with gruesomely. Thanks to the Internet (even 100-year-old Nazis have their own fan pages, apparently), there is a chance for what we all came for, beyond the comedy: the killing field.

As with the first film, Duke seems to have quite the arsenal that just seems to show up in his hands… I mean, hooves. This is part of the “Gilligan’s Island” wardrobe vibe I mentioned above. Of course, this makes the killings more elaborate and enjoyable than just, say, gouging with a unicorn horn.

The SFX (also done by Ruch and Ventura) range from amusingly cartoonish (such as obvious mannequins) to really nice and gruesome. There is more time between kills than the first, but the ones that are there are worth the wait. Also, getting to know Duke’s back story has some twists that you probably will not see coming.

Note that the director likes the motif of more scenes during and after the credits (the scroll aren’t very long), so stay tuned for a nice cameo.

It may have been six years since CarousHELL, but it was worth the wait, and I do believe, as indicated by this story, we may not have to wait as long for The 3rd. Meanwhile, this film can be rented or bought at the Spotlight Films link above, and I believe you should without disappointment, if you like absurdist horror comedy with a side of bloody mayhem.