All genres of suspense, terror, and horror will be reviewed by Richard Gary. His address to send preview copies supplied upon request to rbf55@msn.com.
Guilt Directed by William Chaffin Few
Man Crew Films; Brave Runner Films; Indie Rights Movies
75 minutes, 2022 www.facebook.com/Guiltmovieproject
Two quick comments that I will follow
up with later. First, this is a relatively short film at 75 minutes (i.e.,
perfect length) so the action begins pretty right off the bat. Second, this
incorporates a mixture of horror and psychological uncertainties, which is
right up my alley. Love it when reality and in the mind combine for a
bit of confusion on the viewer’s part.
We are introduced to our protagonist
Elizabeth Stanton (Anna Hoots) as she comes home to her parents, Ann (Sarah
Turner Holland) and Josh’s (Christopher Rowley) house, with luggage that
matches her car. Love that bit. But things are not – of course – as simple as
that, as she has images/dreams of a demon, smoke filled rooms (I remember the
days when music clubs were like that, but I digress…), and murder.
Anna Hoots
Y’see, Elizabeth has a
history of schizophrenia but is now off her meds and obviously has a touch of
OCD. She is just home from undergrad college with an ironic psychology degree,
and wants to live a normal life. However, her college roomie and best friend Victoria
(Darby Flynn) is dead and she is accusing Victoria’s boy friend, Kyle (HaRoon
Khan), though the police, led by Detective Olivia Mattingly (Liz Fletcher), believe
it to be suicide. Also on the case is an ex-priest-turned-Private Investigator,
the appropriately named Matt Gravesman (Jared Noble); his business card reads “Paranormal
PI.” In an odd conversation together, Mattingly tells Gravesman that she is “not
very religious,” even though she has a prominent cross necklace. Anyway, I
found that amusing. They are adversaries of sorts at first, which means, I am
guessing, they will team up before long.
Through all this, Elizabeth keeps
having violent dreams where that robed demon is killing people she knows, and
awakes to find out they are actually dead. Is it the demon or a manifestation
of her own personality that is knocking people off? And why hasn’t she been
arrested, when she admits she was the only one in the room when someone died,
other than her demon self that is supposedly trying to possess her? The bodies
pile up, an she’s still running around off her meds and claiming she’s not schizophrenic.
The only one who believes her is
Gravesman, who used to perform exorcisms when he was still a priest. In certain
parts of the film, though not prevalent, there is an undercurrent of religiosity
that sometimes feels a bit overdone, but luckily its only in a few scenes, or I
would have exorcized this film right out. As with most exorcism films, there
are a number of Catholic tropes, such as saying the “Hail Mary” (aka “Ave Maria”)
prayer from Luke, along with the general “Our Father” from Matthew (I may be an
atheist, but that does not mean I am ignorant).
The demon is leaning on Elizabeth
because it is feeding on her guilt of events earlier in her life, hence the
name of the film.
The biggest issue I have with this is
that it goes against its own philosophy about being possessed when dying, but I
will not say who or under what circumstances because that would give away one
of the better surprises in the film. However, perhaps they were going for the possibility
of a sequel? If that is the reason, then I can relax about it.
Hoots, Liz Fletcher, Jared Noble, David Moak
Despite a few holes such as the couple
I mentioned above (the rest are pretty minor), there are some good surprises
throughout, which I did not see coming (always a good thing), and I liked the
make-up. I also like the bread-and-butter filmmaking of Elizabeth’s dreams
being indicated by either smoke or a smoke filter. Sometimes the smoke is a bit
on the dark side, giving some nice shadow effects. Speaking of which, the
cinematography by Benjamin Paul Rigney, who has worked mostly on shorts, is to
the point without drowning in arty flair (including the drone shots which seem
to be all of the same street/same height/same angle, arguably shot at the same
time; you can tell the difference of time though, by the varied cars traveling
the road).
Even so, the film is a stripped-down,
meat-and-potatoes (there goes a food analogy again) fare that is what it is,
with no real pretentions or artifice. While there is some profanity, there is
no nudity, no gore, and I cannot remember any blood, but there is at least a decent
sized body count, including some that are not expected.
Overall, this can be an enjoyable
afternoon sojourn into the world of priests (and ex-priests), a cool demon, and
exorcisms.
Safe House 1618 Directed by Calvin T. Shepherd
Outsiders Film Company; Black Sparrow Media; High Octane Pictures
102 minutes, 2021 / 2022
www.facebook.com/calvintshepherdfilms
www.octanemultimedia.com/
There is no question the three Holt sisters
are badass, possibly the most I have seen since the trio in House of Bad(2013).
They are on a mission for revenge, which is how we are introduced to them in
the prologue. Even with full masks and not speaking for this part, you start to
get a feel for their personalities which are sure to come up though the story.
For identification purposes, Joelene (Jasmine
Day) is the short, gothy black haired one. Lee (Matison Card) is the redhead
who assumes leadership. The last is the rebellious blonde Jamie (Brittney
Carpenter), who listens to music via a headset in the shower (who does that?!).
The last “fourth wheel” is their male driver, Craig (Jesse Davis), who is a bit
of a dick who is not the sharpest stick, and not to mention a pill addict.
After the hit that opens the film, they are given a safe house (guess the
address?; filmed near Ft. Collins, CO) for forty days. Also, their go-between
betwixt the world and a way out of the country and the assassins is (again,
male), The Doctor (Randy Rochford in a cameo).
There are a lot of issues facing the crew,
including a lack of cohesiveness between the sisters, each one isolating in
their own way (not to mention the contraband against the rules of the house,
which they are warned about by The Doctor), and a heavy dose of cabin fever.
However, that all is the least of their problems, as their victim was the son
of a (assuming Republican) nasty politician, Senator Kelly (Andrew Hook), who
is withholding evidence to the police to take care of his own revenge-for-the-revenge
problem – even though his son was an abusive and violent Matthew Cawthorn-type)
through his own dubious connections. The hit man dispatched is the evil, methodical,
and soulless No. 1 (Ryan Fredericks).
Brittany Carpenter, Jasmine Day, Matison Card
The question is, who will be the weakest link
of the house’s occupants? Mentally unstable with PTSD and vivid nightmares,
some of which we get to see? Jamie, who misses her boyfriend and takes risks to
express that? Lee, who is suffering from a case of concussion? Or the slacker,
horny and stoned driver? Which ever it comes to be, it’s inevitable that No. 1
will show up at the house, and the games will begin (my guess is in the third
act)
Through a sheer case of stupidity (mixed with
cabin fever), sure enough, No. 1 finds the place (will not say how but you can
see it coming a mile away), and that is when the tension escalates, and the
killing begins. No. 1 has a reputation, as is explained earlier, of being
unkillable. Is this a supernatural touch added to the story, or is it that he’s
just too damn good at his job? Either way, I am curious to see who walks out of
this alive (I have my guess, that again, I will not share).
An opportunity lost here is that the house itself
could have been made more of a character. Sure, the red light in the bathroom,
newspapers on the wall, all help you know where you are, and some of the
secrets they reveal that will be exploited later, but it is just there,
when it could have been made so much more, especially since they are trapped in
there for so many days. It really is neither here nor there for the storyline,
just a musing on my part. However, I believe it was a wise choice to only show
No. 1’s face once in the whole film, with lots of POV shots to represent him;
other times, he is disguised.
Matison Card
The film nicely builds upon itself using layers
of tension and violence, but even so, it could use editing, such as the
step-by-step shots of making a packaged salad (which I am certain is to show a
purposeful methodology of the killer, but is not interesting), or the driver’s
psychedelic revelry (while it is cinematographically interesting, it does not
add much to the story). Sometimes, and this is true of other films as well, the
tension of an action about to occur that is obviously coming, lasts too long to
the point of either annoyance or boredom, and that happens at least once here.
Again, it is in the editing.
That being said, once the violence starts with
No. 1, and I do not believe I am giving anything away since that is the
direction in which the film is going from so early on, it really kicks into
high gear with both violence and bloodshed, making it worth the wait.
Jasmine Day
While I have said a couple of harsh things here, but
please understand that this is an enjoyable film. While I was right about the
survivor of the ordeal, that did not take away from the action. The characters
were consistent, which I always like, and the acting was well played. As for
the storyline, in the long run, it was well done, even those times I yelled at
the screen as a character did something ridiculous, though it moved the plot
along.
It is also beautifully shot with some fine
artistic moments, even some I kvetched about for length, by ace cinemaphotographer
Eli Solt. As a crime drama, with ramped up violence, it was worth the watch.
Available on iTunes/Apple TV, Amazon Video,
VUDU Fandango, Google Play, Xbox, YouTube, and RedBox Digital.
Wikipedia states that “The term ‘burned-over
district’ refers to the western and central regions of New York State in the
early 19th century, where religious revivals and the formation of new religious
movements of the Second Great Awakening took place, to such a great extent that
spiritual fervor seemed to set the area on fire.” This movement, like the
Temperance Societies, were mostly women, and these gatherings led to Suffragettes
and the Women’s Rights movement. But this film, which takes place in the modern
time, has a darker meaning, which I will not give too many spoilers.
John Harvey Sheedy
Right at the beginning, on a winter’s
day, in a deep and dark Rochester, NY (well, around those parts, anyway), there
has been a tragedy that sets up the story for the ironically named protagonist,
Will Pleasance (John Harvey Sheedy). His mourning, early on in the film, brings
harbingers of misplaced anger and guilt. He is supported by his sister, Katie
(Amy Zubieta) and somewhat by his mom, Michelle (Connie Neer). Mom’s a piece of
work: not only does she willfully steal Will’s wife, Natalie’s (Sarah Santizo) jewelry,
but she comes in from a snowy walkway onto his white carpet without removing
her shoes. Sacrilege!
While out shooting for game, Will runs
into a place with hanging symbols from the trees (think of 1999’s The Blair
Witch Project) and other signs of cultism, as described by a neighbor, Fred
(Robert Lindquist). The question to me at this point, is whether Fred turns out
to be a good guy or a bad one. Which brings an interesting concept and the film’s
title. While the original meaning was a frightening level of Christian fervor
(as they are wont to do), this flips it on the side and turns that zeal into
something darker and mysterious.
I do not believe it is coincidence
that at a specific moment, with his hair akimbo, Will resembles the classic
paintings of the Jeebus figure, as he faces down the Demonic cult (why is it
always mostly women as adoring followers and those abused, and a male as the sole
head?), led by greasy-haired Daniel (Michael Cieslla).
Amy Zubieta
Gender politics-wise, this film is the
exact opposite of what the original meaning of the Burned Over District was in
history: then it was Jeebus leading to the fight for Women’s Rights, to this
film which features Dark Gods and men leading women. This also reminds me a bit
of Jug Face (2013), about an evil demanding sacrifices in a pit in the
woods, though it supposedly lives in the sky. Part of its power is to make you
see things that are not there, such as in Oculus (2013), especially in a
particular scene.
Some parts of the film tend to be dark
(in lighting as well as story), the cinematography by James Coleman is shadowy and
promotes the feeling of forbiddances as secrets unfold, especially in the
woods.
Michael Cieslla leads the cult
Despite the gender politics that I may
self-admittedly be reading too much into, the cast is quite solid, although Zubieta
is a particular stand-out. The SFX look really good, especially in the third
act when everything ramps up to a fervor, though it never loses sight of where
it is in the story. Most of the gore effects seem practical, but there are some
decent CGI Dark God effects. Speaking of that, the Coleman Brothers did a pretty
bang-up job on the story, with a three-step build-up that is compelling. I am a
sucker for gods and cult stories, and there are both some familiar parts, and
some imaginative ones, as well to keep the warm fuzzy motifs (the whole robed
cult thing, the alters, the rituals, etc.), and the surprises to feed the
mysterious (not gonna tell).
The film is broken into three very
distinct (districts?) acts: the first is kind of a slow build as it introduces
the main characters, despite (or because) of the tragedy involved. When the
second act begins, it certainly picks up quite a bit, and by the revenge tour
of the third act, it is wildly filled with action and gore. But the whole thing
needs to be watched to get the flow of it, and I recommend that.
The Necro Files Directed
by Matt Jaissle
Visual Vengeance; Threat Theatre International Inc.; Wild Eye Releasing; MVD Entertainment
72 minutes, 1997 / 2022 www.facebook.com/thenecrofiles/ www.wildeyereleasing.com www.MVDEntertainment.com/ This film is a classic in the home
movie subgenre. Essentially, what that means it that it was shot on video.
Visual Vengeance is one of the few companies that are rereleasing the lowest
quality looking films imaginable, which is, well, fantastic. The reason?
Because of the imagination behind it. The execution? Well… Note that this film
has been cleaned up significantly, and the quality of the visuals are quite
good, unlike most of the VV fare which is seen in their trailers.
Named after “The X Files,”
you gotta love a film that starts with the obligatory shower scene with full
frontal nudity (Theresa Bestul). Serial killer and rapist Logan (Isaac Cooper)
is not far behind, chased by a couple of police detectives:the ultra-violent after a bomp on the noggin
Martin Manners (Steve Sheppard) and his partner, the mustachioed Orville Sloane
(Gary Browning), that latter of whom has a personal stake in the whole affair
as his sister was a previous victim.
Steve Sheppard and Gary Browning
Long story short, dead
killer, who is raised from his “slumber” by a group of Satan worshipers by
killing the baby of the rapist’s victim (yes, an obvious doll). Be careful what
you wish for because what arises is a flesh eating and extremely violent
zombie.
Two of the surviving
Satanists (who were in the group to hopefully get laid), the not-too-smart Barney
(Jason McGee), who wears a Smashing Pumpkins Mission to Mars tee which
is apparently quite rare these days and selling in the hundreds of dollars, and
Jack (Christian Curmudgeon; like others in the cast, such as Ann R. Key and
Drew Burymore, I am going to go out on a limb and say that’s not his real
name), who wears plaid flannel (remember, this is filmed in Olympia, WA, in the
‘90s), try to resurrect a demon that will take care of the zombie, but instead
raise the baby (again, it’s a doll) that flies around, also killing people
while it searches for its zombie daddy. You read that right. I am only
expressing this here because that is part of what makes this film so infamous
among the subgenre. Well, that and the extreme level of gore.
I will be honest, and
posit that I do not like scenes of rape, even if it is with a zombie and a 12”
prosthetic dong/dildo). Never did. If you will pardon this soapbox paragraph, I
once got into conversation with Frank Farel, the producer of Street Trash (1987)
at a private pre-release showing of the film about how I objected to the rape
scene in that film, and that it was gratuitous. I enjoyed the rest of the film,
but that part just seemed so unnecessary and sexist. Then again, it was the
1980s, and envelopes were purposely pushed. But I stand by my conviction.
Isaac Cooper
The gore level in this
film is over the top, and of course, that’s a good thing in this case. Piles of
offal more than blood fill the screen often. For a gorehound, it is a pleasure,
especially since it looks like they got it from a slaughterhouse; and yet, it
is so extreme, it is almost cartoonish at the same time. Good times.
The acting is horrendously
wooden, but I will chime the same tune I have been stating since the beginning
of this review, and that is, it is what is expected in this subgenre. If you
are looking for, say, Halloween (1978, 2007) quality, you are looking in
the wrong place and will not be satisfied. If, however, you are like me, and
marvel at how something this low budget and independent managed to do as much
as they did with the means they have, this film is actually better than
most.
Part of the relative
success of the release, in my opinion, is the camerawork and editing by the
director, Matt Jaissle, who works with the material (cameras, etc.) at his
disposal, and has made this to look, well (and I mean this as a compliment),
better than it should. Sure, the story itself (by first-time screenwriter Todd
Tjersland, who also plays the head of the Satanic cult) is kinda ridiculous; the
flying baby is priceless.
Speaking of fake names, it comes to the crew as well, such as “The X
Files” related Dana Duchovny and David Fox, but the one that caught my eye was
Gilles de Rias (if you are into serial killers, he’s worth looking up on
Wikipedia; I have known about him for decades).
The music is often a
varying hum, which actually works well for the film. There is some humor woven
into the story (especially around the flying baby and the sounds it makes),
though I would not necessarily call this a comedy.
Having heard of this film
for years, I was not sure exactly what to expect from this, but I was not
disappointed. In fact, it was much better than I was expecting, and again, I
give that credit to the director who took a really silly story and, on some
level, made it all work.
There is a whopping number
of extras on the region-free Blu-ray that took me quite the time to get
through. They include (but not all) a new, full-length audio commentary with the
director, Matt Jaissle, where he has lots of good
stories about the filming, and what’s going on in a particular scene you may
not have noticed. A second full-length audio commentary is with Matt Desiderio
of the VHS distribution label and podcast, “Horror Boobs,” and Billy Burgess of
the Druid Underground Film Festival. They are knowledgeable about the film, and
yet are not clinical, as I find some of the commentaries for, say, Fulci films.
They seem to be there to have a good time and share that. It’s also amusing how
they attach things that aren’t related to “show off” a bit (I would do the
same), such as calling the opening shower scene a nod to Psycho (1960),
and the Cassio soundtrack reminiscent of Blood Feast (1963). They are
there to do a job, but because they are having so much fun doing it, that is transferred
to the listener.
Next up is a brand-new video, “A Chat
with Director Matt Jaissle” (7 min), as he roams around
a cemetery with a handheld camera (with no stedi-cam) as he discusses other
films he’s made, his influences, and getting The Necro Files started. It’s
short and sweet. This is followed by a couple of Matt Jaissle’s Super 8 Short Films from when he was a teenager: “The
Paroxysm Plague”, a zombie flick, and “The Adventures of the Walla Monster”
(which includes a homage to Leatherface, Michael, and Jason). They are as
amateurish as you can get, but that’s part of what makes it so much fun. A
third 8mm short, “The Corpse” (1987; 9 min.) is a bit better realized along
storyline and execution.
The Chilean Talk Show Segment (4 min.)
is okay, except I do not speak Spanish. However, I am impressed they showed
some of the graphic details (including dildos) both sexual and violent, while
the group of hosts laugh it off. I wish this was captioned. More importantly is
the documentary, “Dong of the Dead: The Making of The Necro Files” (20 min.).
This is essentially a one-shot of Jaissle (with some brief clips) where he once
again talks about the beginning of the film, the shooting, and especially the
reaction afterwards (including a Chris Farley story!). It is engaging. Then there
are also some Visual Vengeance trailers, including two original ones for the
main film.
Included is a bonus Movie, the sequel Necro
Files 3000 (2017) and its trailer, the film of which is reviewed below.
Some of the physical extras include a Limited
Edition Slipcover for the first pressing, a retro VHS sticker set, the Necro
Files Official Condom (yes, you read that correctly), a Reversible Sleeve
featuring the original VHS art, a Collectible Mini Poster, and a 2-Sided Insert.
IMDB listing HERE The trailer is at the bottom of the reviews.
Necro
Files 3000 Directed
by Matt Jaissle
Superpuppetanimation; VidEvil Video Company; Carilliam Pictures; Gravehill
Production
62 minutes, 2017 / 2022
www.facebook.com/necrofiles3000/ This is actually the second sequel
for the film, the first of which was The Necro Files 2 (2003), which Jaissle
only had a limited contribution. It took 20 years for this second and official sequel
to be released.
In the beginning… is the prologue. It
shows a clip of the Satanists in the first film, raising up Logan, but in black
and white. Instead of Isaac Cooper, we get a rapacious and cannibalistic…
skeleton marionette. Yes, you read that right. In fact, from this point on,
which is in color, all the characters are either puppets or dolls; the women victims
are Barbie-esque, reminding me of Superstar: The Karen Carpenter
Story (1987), which also used dolls. The obvious question is, of course,
how does a skeleton (never mind a puppet) rape with no foot-long schlong as did
the original Logan, never mind a plastic one?
Professor Blackthorne and Phineas Hogweather
We are then introduced to the protagonists
of the film, Professor Blackthorne, an expert in the occults whose beard and
eyebrows are drawn on with a marker, and Logan is brought to his attention by
an investigative journalist, Phineas Hogweather (the latter is played by an elfin-eared
“yokel” puppet; is that a commentary on modern journalism? Neil Postman would
be proud).
Odd thing is, the gore level is high,
and actually looks decent next to the plastic “victims” which are torn asunder.
Not only that, but his plan is to resurrect “a death god to roam the planet,”
exclaims the professor. They chase skeleton Logan to different parts of the
globe, such as the Amazon Forest. Apparently, Logan travels to these
destinations via supernatural portals. Then again, I’m watching a film about
puppets. There are humans in the film, usually in the background or B-roll, shot
in Ann Arbor, MI, such as trick or treaters, or crowd shots. Being shot around
Halloween makes some nice costumes.
Victim and skeletal Logan
While the film tries to be funny, it
kinda doesn’t achieve it much, but is still fascinating to me to watch how far
they’ll go. For example, in a somewhat racist scene in the Amazon, there is an almost
direct reference to a particular Bugs Bunny cartoon where Bugs meets an
Aboriginal tribesman from Australia (“WhadIsay?” was Bugs’ response, rather
than the professors, “Oh, shit”).
And what happens when the prof and
Phineas hack into the Pentagon’s deadly Godzilla-sized Killbot 9000
(referencing Alex Jones conspiracies, of all people). This leads to the irony
of the story, that P&P are responsible for killing a multitude of more
people than Logan. While all that is happening, can you find Waldo? (I did.)
Stick around for the blooper
reel in the credits. Okay, so much of the film is just ridiculous, but I
certainly enjoyed particular aspects of it, like the bravery of the crew creating
this in the first place, and for $1000. Also, there are a lot of cool references
that pop up here and there (like the Waldo thing). Do I recommend it? For the
right frame of mind, certainly. If you have a low threshold of insanity, well…
The whole Elfman family is
pretty interesting, actually. Richard and his brother, Danny, formed the Techno
New Wave band Oingo Boingo, and of course, Danny went on to greater things
being the main soundtrack writer for Tim Burton. Then there is Richard’s son,
Bodhi Elfman, who has proven himself as a solid actor, and he also stars in
this film.
Bodhi Elfman, Rebecca Forsythe, and the obelisk
But let’s get the ball
rolling, and put in the Blu-ray and begin the show. We start off in the world
of Los Angeles out of work actors, where we meet anti-hero Eddy Pine (Bodhi). I
say “anti-hero” because he’s a bit of a blow-hard jerk. But I’m sure he’ll redeem
himself by the end. In this world comes a clown with a robotic voice asking for
Eddy to “give birth to an obelisk.” Henh? Again, I’m sure it will come to make
sense in the story.
How insane are we talking?
Not too far in, Eddy has a three-way with two sisters, one of whom is Bodhi’s actual
step-mom (Anastasia Elfman is married to the director). This was kind of creepy
to me, but I’ll get by. This of course, leads to him giving birth to said obelisk
(I won’t tell which end it comes out from), also know as the Jamtoid Key.
I don’t know what that actually means yet, either, but hopefully all will
become clear at some point.
Verne Troyer
Everyone seems to not only
know about the object, but wants to possess it: there is the scientist who believes
it could either be beneficial or destroy everything, Professor Von Scheisenberg
(French Stewart; yes, that French Stewart) and his assistants, including
Eddy’s love interest, Helga (Rebecca Forsythe) and her sister Inga
(Angeline-Rose Troy, who also plays Eddy’s drug- and sex addicted Mom), two “Men
in Black,” some Chinese gangsters, etc. But Eddy is also aided by his Trans
sister, Jumbo (Steve Agee), who owns a night club. Thankfully, Jumbo is mostly
treated equally and accepted by the main characters. I found that a positive. What
is a woman? Whatever the hell she wants to be, and should be accepted as such.
Period.
While all this madness is
going on, there is another storyline that will collide with full force later
on, I am sure. There are two spaceships floating around in a war over the
object to either control the Earth and turn us into slaves, or just outright
blow this planet up. There are some green aliens who are kind of homogeneous,
and then there are the clowns, whose leader, Emperor Beezel Chugg (Verne
Troyer, aka Mini-Me, in one of his last roles; d. 2018), who is a murderous
authoritarian.
To be honest, I would have
liked to have had more of the clowns and aliens’ storyline. And where are the geeks?
If you don’t know, geeks were sideshow people who did disgusting things like bite
the heads off live chickens. Perhaps I am overthinking it, and they mean the
scientists, as intellectuals are sometimes called by that name. The Oxford secondary
definition (noun) is “an unfashionable or socially inept person.” Well, perhaps
they mean Eddy, who is a bit off when it comes to socializing.
There is a lot of
sex in the film, but no nudity. The women are incredibly attractive, especially
the two sets of sisters, so if you want some eye candy, you can find it here.
However, with the exception of Helga, most of the female cast is secondary and
there for the, well, eye candy.
I’ll say one thing about the Elfman name,
it’s large enough to attract the attention of some well-known actors, such as Stewart,
George Wendt (yes that George Wendt), and Troyer. And then there’s
nearly the whole Elfman clan who show up at some point. And the incidental
music? Well, guess…
The make-up for the aliens
and clowns is pretty effective if occasionally cheesy (in a purposeful and good
way), and the effects were generally CGI with lots of green screen, but only in
particular scenes. This helps give the overall effect of an ‘80s film.
Forsythe, Elman, French Stewart, Angeline-Rose Troy
The version I saw was on a Blu-ray,
and you know what that means: Extras. The first is “Aliens, Clowns and Geeks:
Behind the Scenes” (34 min), which features Interviews with the cast and crew,
including Danny Elfman (who is interview by a marionette), musician Ego Plum,
Bodhi, Forsythe (sans the Swedish accent), Troy, Stewart, Wendt, Agee, among many
others, including the cinematographer, Howard Wexler. Since there are some actors
who play multiple roles, it is interesting to hear the perspectives on that, as
well. This is mostly a series of talking heads, but the content keeps it engaging.
Next is an “Interview with
Writer/Director Richard Elfman” (4 min). In his hideaway office, Elfman talks
at the camera with flair and exuberance, intercut with some behind the scenes
footage of him in director’s mode. Other extras include Ego Plum’s music video,
the joyous “Mambo Diabolico” (Plum is the grandson of Leon Trotsky and Frida
Kahlo!!). I really like the insanity of this instrumental that mixes Middle
Eastern tones with Latino rhythms. Last of the biggies is the original theatrical
trailer, along with a few others, including Forbidden Zone.
I don’t want to forget to add to stick
around for the final credits. There is some amusing stuff going on there.
Overall, the film is quite a bit of
fun. Despite the inclusion of a lot of scientific mumbo-jumbo (i.e., none of it
is real), the plot is simple: get the obelisk, there is plenty of running
around and action scenes (including one martial arts sequence with Helga), and
it is as goofy as hell. Not as outrageous as Forbidden Zone, but a bit more
coherent, narrative wise, yet remains out there in glorious WTF-ness. I enjoyed
this a lot.
The Expat
Directed by Gregory Segal 4Now Films; Badladz
Productions; Spring Fairy Entertainment
96 minutes, 2021 / 2022 www.facebook.com/expatmoviephilippines
For some reason the
term “Expat” (short for “expatriate”) has come under fire as being racist. I see this as a culture war argument, and
will be ignoring it completely in this review. I believe if a person of any country
of origin goes to another place, they are an expat of their own country, and an
immigrant in the new. Race has nothing to do with it.
Anyway, there was a
time in the late 1960s through the 1970s where the Philippines was a place to
shoot grade C horror films that were so bad, they have become classics, such as
Twilight People (1972) and Mad Doctor of Blood Island (1968),
most of which starred surfer boy John Ashley.
Lev Gorn
This film is a murder
mystery, but a really seedy one that actually made me feel uncomfortable at
times. Right away, we are introduced to the titular expat, Nick Spiro (Lev Gorn,
from the TV series “The Americans,” a show about, well, immigrants). He’s an
ex-Marine who has moved to the Philippines “to do things.” It is not clear what
that is, or whether it is a “vacation” (he says “for a while”) or permanent. By
the title of the film, I’m going with the latter.
And what does this
representative of the US do first-thing? He goes on the hunt for women for sex,
through a local website. Ugh, gives masculinity a bad name. And this isn’t even
5 minutes in, he’s walking around hitting on every attractive local female he
can find. He is also not kind to the women who agree to his bed. The next
morning, he’s “Okay, get up, time to get out, I’m busy.” But he’s not. We don’t
see him doing anything other than roaming around. I already don’t like this
guy.
As his ridiculously
large amount of “conquests” builds, something strange is happening in that his
partners are turning up dead in alleyways with slit throats. This guy is
prolific in the bedroom so the body count builds up.
Mon Confiado
On the case is
Detective Cruz (Mon Confiado), who is a weird mix of likeable, but has no
compulsion in whacking a guy about the body to get information, including Nick.
Thought he was going to be the good guy, but I don’t think there is a “good
guy” in the story. That also seems to include some run-ins Nick has with another
Ugly American, just billed as the Well-Dressed Man (Billy Ray Gallion), who I’m
guessing ends up having a larger part in the story at some point, perhaps even
as a red herring.
One of the things
annoying me is the total disregard for the women involved, with the sole
exception of Cruz’s wife, Angela (Lara Morena). As the bodies stack up, Nick is
more worried about himself and keeps on keeping on, knowing the danger he is
putting these women into without a care. Like someone knowing they have AIDS
and still sleeps around unprotected. Even Cruz is more concerned about the
effect on the “community” than the women themselves. But I would also add Segal,
who wrote and directed this, as being complicit in this attitude. With rare
exception (such as said Angela, or the one woman who has any substance in the
film at all and possible love interest, Delilah [Lovely Abella], for example),
most of the females are seen as expendable, occasionally topless, with no
character behind them except as sex objects to be killed off after moments on
the screen.
Even Delilah, Nick
treats her more like a servant that a potential girlfriend. He has her cook for
him, won’t help her with chores (“Laundry isn’t my thing”), and at some early
point when she asks if he’s coming back, he just leaves without answering.
Total toxic masculinity on display, and just not a nice person. The writing
also hints that she is interested in him as a possible sugar daddy for her young
son. That being said, Abella plays her role with charm.
That being said, my
favorite character in the film is the Mindoro Police Chief (Leo Martinez), who
does the frustrated comic relief, dealing with incompetent underlings. Other
good points is that there is some beautiful scenery as there is a large use of
b-roll around Manila and Mindoro. I’m not certain if it was shot for the film,
or is stock footage. There is an attempt to show both the touristy areas of
bright lights and beachheads, but there is also a wise emphasis on the poverty
that is there, as well. To me, this was the strongest message of the film,
which was secondary to the actual story and often not explained, just placed
there.
Gorn, Lovely Abella
There are minor rumblings
around some possible geopolitics and local ones, but the film’s conclusion
fizzles out into a nothing burger. Considering the number of people who are
killed (yes, all women, who are seen as expendable), there is no blood seen,
the bodies are at a distance, and we only see them after the killing. There is hardly
any action onscreen other than a couple of moments here and there.
I found this release
totally frustrating. It moves at a snail’s pace with way too much dialogue where
nothing of substance is being said, there is hardly anyone to really like,
especially the main character, and it goes in circles. I think I would rather
see some of those old John Asley horror films from way back when.
While most of the film
is in English, there are some bits in Filipino, with easy-to-read subtitles.
Honestly, it’s not that much if you are subtitle-phobic.
The Exorcists Directed
by Paul Andrich
Terribly Important Films; The Movie Agency; Winnipeg Film Collective; Bayview
Entertainment
88 minutes, 2022 www.facebook.com/bayviewentertainment/
Films that are focused on exorcisms
rarely lean towards the comedy (well, intentionally), but some do, like Repossessed
(1990), and more recently The Good Exorcist (2018). The concept of
Exorcists for hire is also out there, but I like the idea of something so dire
being up for laughs. Especially after The Song of Solomon (2015).
One of the nice things about a theme
of exorcists for hire is that it means we get to see a few of the processes,
and each will be different. In this Winnipeg-based film, we meet Patrick, or
Pat (Jordan Guay), as he is getting fired from his day job as a video editor, thanks to Covid. But he ends up, thanks to timing,
working as a videographer for the titular exorcist, Tom (director Paul Andrich).
Meanwhile, a trio of dastardly villains,
led by, of course, Damien (Susan Loewen), and backed by the likes of
clown-masked Brian (Daniel Cormier), have wrangled a sacred object which leads
them to the path of opening up the gates to another dimension to let in the
Dark Lord. Mundane objects (e.g., a pair of specs that are supposed to be from
the 13th Century, though they look like the $2 reading glasses you get from the
large pharmacies like CVS, or in this case, Shopper’s Drug Mart) are the key to
unlock the evil.
Tom is a bit of an odd character, but he
comes up with surprise after surprise in his skills, which actually are
humorous to watch. Patrick is at first taken aback by him, but not only do you
know they will find a common pathway, but that pathway will also collide with
Damien and crew in the third act.
I have to say, this film is actually
quite smart and takes some leaps and bounds in the writing that are truly fun.
There humor is very carefully honed, with subjects such as sexy Mennonites in
Manitoba. There is also a veeeery subtle bit about suburban design as
Patrick tries to find a house among circular cul-de-sacs. A lot of prairie
cities are doing this now (and they always have similar names, such as Smith
Crescent, connected to Smith Lane, connected to Smith Drive, and so on, all
leading into each other). As you can see, the humor isn’t broad and goofy, and
in fact, it is wisely used judiciously and that makes it work. Some of the best
humor is when the characters are playing it straight to the events around them,
and this is one of those.
Another subtle aspect that I enjoyed
is that they equate a group of Jesus fanatics as not being much different than
the Satanists, though in this story, both are real. Of course, in my opinion,
they are both actually based on mythology rather than reality, praying to
something they have never seen (on faith). This is a sharp commentary, though
it’s taken with a Lot’s Wife size of salt (ever notice she was not given a name
in the Bible, though her fate is remembered more than Lot’s?). Though both
sides are represented, this is not a religious film that preaches.
The film also does not preach about
Covid. Tom is a bit on the Conservative side, and Patrick is more Liberal
(though I cannot imagine he actually votes). The masks are used as props more
than anything else as some wear them, some do not (I still wear mine in
public). Its presence in the film is mentioned often (unlike the vaccine) so,
again, there is no preaching one way or another.
Manitoba is also mentioned a few times
in various degrees of an elbow in the side kidding; kind of a “why Manitoba?”
as one character openly states about a key object. I’ve only been to Manitoba
once (Winnipeg) to attend a going-away party, driving through downtown to the
‘burbs that look very similar to that getting lost sequence. Thank god for GPS
on my phone: got me there, got me out.
Secondary characters find their way
into the fray as well, such as Frank (Ward Massner) and Tom’s girlfriend, Elaine/Gloria
(Athena Metallinos)… the film explains that double name, and I do not want to
do it.
Sometimes the acting comes across a
bit like community theater, but personally, I like community theater. It is
totally appropriate for this film, which I enjoyed from beginning to end. The
writing, the bread-and-butter cinematography by Daniel Collins all works together.
This is an acting troupe that got together and did their own thing.
As the director/writer/producer, Paul
Andrich told me, “I’m an acting coach. During the beginning of the Pandemic,
when everything was in lockdown, to boost morale I paid my own acting clients
to act in a film that we made together. I used my own savings to fund it.”
Respect, Paul. And truly, if you readers get a chance to see this hidden (for
now) gem, I highly recommend it.
.webp)
