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.
Wolf Garden Directed by Wayne David Lightning Strike Pictures; Gravitas Ventures; Strike Media 89 minutes, 2023 www.strike-media.com
For some reason which I care
not about nor to be explained, the production of the werewolf genre seems to be
more focused out of the UK than in the US. And this release is no exception. This
is true even though the arguably biggest werewolf film, An American Werewolf
in London (1981), is actually a North American release, though filmed
across the lake.
For this film, which is
both arty and gritty, William (Wayne David, who also wrote and directed)
is a man living in an isolated location in Hertfordshire in a relatively big
house (referred to in the film as “The Cottage”) on large grounds. He is sad
and despondent. William thinks back, thanks to many montages of flashbacks, to
his beloved wife, Chantelle (Sian Altman).
Wayne David
The woods and the mood are
dark (but not too visually dim) that reflect his inner emotions, as he goes out
to a padlocked shed (called “The Garage” though it is too small to hold a car; perhaps
it is a British term?) on the property where he feeds cut up raw meat to something
inside that is growling.
An extremely slow burn, with
little dialog, mostly between William and Chantelle in the flashbacks, William’s
loneliness is palpable. And who is the stranger (Grant Masters) who keeps
appearing?
Sian Altman
Twenty minutes in, and it
has been all mood and mostly William, pouting his depressed way throughout the
house and woods intercut with happier memories. Still, It is interesting that
it is often hard to tell what his reality is, and what is in his mind.
Isolation can screw with thoughts, and it does not appear that he has a television
or even a book to pass the time, just to mull the situation, whatever it is,
and stew in it.
There is a bit of gore, but
this is not a film for fans of that subgenre. This is definitely more psychological,
and there is more emoting than there is rampaging. Most of the wolfism is seen POV
and in the sound of the growling and howling, though it is not hard to figure
out just who is the wolf in question, if there actually is a lycanthrope, or if
it is in William’s possible madness.
There are only three
characters seen on screen (other than in the background or heard on the phone),
keeping the story tight and almost claustrophobic, even with William often
being in the woods, many times in the dark. Those three prove themselves to be
able to hold up the film, and this is certainly a tour de force by David, who
is in nearly every scene, usually by himself.
Grant Masters
It is also a very
beautiful looking piece, with luscious cinematography and well-timed editing.
With the exception of a single scene near the beginning, all of it takes place
in The Cottage, the woods, and at the shed.
The small cast gives me
the impression that this was filmed during COVID. Or perhaps it is budget constrains.
Or both?
I really enjoyed the film,
with its near gothic moodiness and lighting, though I was sometimes confused about
the storyline. Even though everything coalesces during the third act, there are
so many flashbacks to various periods that I occasionally felt like Billy Pilgrim,
unstuck in time.
Lovers Lane Directed
by Jon Steven Ward First Look International; Arrow Video; MVD
Visual
90 minutes, 1999 / 2023 www.facebook.com/loverslanemovie/
www.ArrowVideo.com www.MVDVisual.com
Choices, choices, choices.
This is a new 2K restoration from a 4K scan of the 35mm original. It is High
Definition (1080p). But there are two choices of versions of it, one being the original
full-frame 1.33:1 version, and the other the1.85:1 widescreen, with both having
stereo audio and English subtitles. I am going to go for the original, because
that is the kind of guy I am. However, please note, as the press release
states, “This film contains a sequence of flashing lights which might affect
customers who are susceptible to photosensitive epilepsy.” I find it annoying,
generally, but here we go.
Filmed around the Seattle
area, this is your basic ‘80s style slasher (yes, even in the turn of the millennium,
there was retro to the heyday of VHS). The prologue, which contains the only
nudity, takes place on Valentine’s Day 13 years before the main story. This
sets up the whole megillah, with hook-handed killings on said Lovers Lane
(should it be “Lover’s” or “Lovers’”?). Rather than paradise by the dashboard
lights, it’s death by a pointy hook. One of the assaulted is a cameo by Diedre
Kilgore, who gets top billing for some reason.
Diedre Kilgore
Much like the theme tothe
Halloween-esquefranchise, in some ways its all in the family. The
killer has a psycho-sexual fixation on one of the murdered (he would now be
called an incel), and now, in the present, after escaping from the looney bin
while under the care of Dr. Jack Grefe (get it?; played by Les Nessman of “WKRP
in Cincinnati” himself, Richard Sanders), he is after the daughter and main
character, high schooler Mandy (Erin J. Dean, a child star whose film career
ended with this release). She has a crush on blond pretty-boy Michael (Riley
Smith) who is in a toxic relationship with model-esque but bitchy and
narcissistic Chloe (Sarah Lancaster, who is now doing Hallmark kinds of films),
the daughter of Dr. Grefe, which makes her a prime target for insane murderer
Ray (Ed Bailey). But she has found a new beau in Brad (Ben Indra, future
ex-husband of Farris).
Michael is part of a group
of friends; most of the females (including a nearly unrecognizable Anna Farris,
the year before Scary Movie in 2000) are cheerleaders. Mandy is not part
of this group because she is considered too nerdy; she actually reads…books. It
is almost quaint now, just over 20 years later, that when someone is grounded,
they are forbidden from television, radio and phone. No mention of computers nor
the Internet at all, which was just starting to be a social thing.
It being Valentine’s Day
again, the group of athletes and cheerleaders end up on said Lovers Lane, with
hook-man mainly interested in three, who related to those he killed that night,
and one related to his psychiatrist. But even before they get there (and I am
at that point), you know the rest of the group are going to be collateral
damage as the body count. You might say they get hooked into being there…sorry.
Anna Farris, Erin J. Dean
While this is occasionally
self-referential to the slasher genre, just past its prime, it falls into several
cliches, and I wonder if this was done on purpose, though I found it kind of
annoying. For example, every possible bad choice made in the 1980s era is reproduced
here. For example, running up the stairs rather than out the door,
incapacitating the villain and then leaving without killing the dude and then discarding
the weapon, and getting in a car and just driving a short distance rather than
getting the hell out of there to get the police.
Another thing is the
searching in the dark, a pet peeve of mine, even more than someone tripping; to
me. Just turn on the dam lights. They do this a lot now on television police
procedurals these days. Invariably I yell at the screen. There is the walking around
with a flashlight in a house that is still occupied just seems pointless, and
does not build suspense, but agitation, especially when the scenes are extended;
it is what ruined 1981’s Hell Night for me. Of course, there are jump
scares when this happens, but I come to expect it, so it is hardly effective.
Sarah Lancaster
The biggest problem,
however, is that many of the nighttime images, as well as indoors with a flashlight,
are substantially dark and it is hard to make out the action. Nowadays, it
probably would be shot day-for-night with a blue filter, but back then, with
low budget, darkness reigns.
I thought I saw the twist
at the end coming, and I was partially right as there are multiple developments.
That helped redeem this significantly, although is not drenched in blood onscreen
(or it was too dark to see clearly; again, low budget + time period effects
availability), there are lots of murders (or as they say in my neck of the woods,
moidahs).
Matt Riedy
The extras on the Blu-ray
starts with a brand-new audio commentary with writers and-producers Geof Miller
and Rory Veal. It is everything you would expect, giving anecdotes about the construction
of the film, the actors, production secrets (e.g., the first murder being
filmed in one of the writer’s garage, or – and I am ashamed to say I missed
this – one location is referred to by a character as Yasgur’s Farm), and the
like. Thankfully, because they really are friends, there is a likeability and
humor between them that takes it to another level.
The documentary featurette
is “Screaming Teens: The Legacy of Lovers Lane” (32 min) with actors Matt Riedy,
who plays Mandy’s sheriff father, and an extremely exuberant Carter Roy, who is
only in the prologue, but mostly, it is Miller and Veal. It is a mixture of
interviews and film clips, but it was entertaining and informative as well.
Worth the watch. Last are the original trailers, an image gallery and physically
a reversible sleeve featuring both the original and newly commissioned artwork
by Ilan Sheady.
Thankfully, there is a
recurring sense of humor that runs through the film, and there are references
galore scattered throughout. And this is a bit of a side note, but I wish I had
a dollar for every time Mandy screams out, “Michael!” in the third act. I could
retire.
Obviously, this is loosely
based on the old urban legend of the couple driving away from a lovers lane after
getting scared, and they find a hook attached to the car door. This film isn’t
exactly rocket science, and the writing definitely follows a formula (one of
the writers, during the commentary, discusses tropes and says “it’s littered with
them”), but the thing about formulas is that they tend to work, which is why
they are used so often. All the boxes are checked, and the number of bodies are
added up, which is just what the slasher doctor ordered.
Woman of the
Photographs (aka Shashin no onna;
写真の女) Directed
by Takeshi Kushida Motion Picture Exchange; Pyramid
Film; Epic Pictures; Dread; MVD Visual
89 minutes, 2020 / 2023 https://epic-pictures.com/film/woman-of-the-photographs
https://womanofthephoto.com/en/ www.MVDVisual.com
Body dysmorphia is a recent
buzzword in the news thanks to the attacks on the Trans community. The term,
however, is much older, and it has been often used to describe women and more
recently men who are not pleased by their own bodies due to seeing, for
example, the models in magazines, especially though it is idealistic as many of
those images have been digitally enhanced. The desire to appear “picture
perfect” is an unrealistic goal and can cause other maladies such as bulimia and
anorexia.
In this Japanese release
(both English and Spanish subtitles are available), Kai (Hideki Nagai) is a subdued,
solitary, early-middle-aged photographer who tends to wear all white (I am
guessing as a metaphor for a colorless life). When he is not out in nature
snapping pics (he has a fixation with insects, and even has a preying mantis as
a pet), he runs a photo shop where he uses his talent of digital manipulation
to enhance either old or new photographs for his customers. There is almost no
dialogue by Kai to emphasize his quiet life. A slow-burn film, indeed.
Hideki Nagai
Along the way, he meets Kyoko
(Itsuki Otaki), an internet influencer/model/ballet dancer, who is aging out of
the youthfulness that was her bread-n-buttah. She is lively and talkative, and
he is aggressively silent and ignoring (yeah, kind of a dick). While their
personalities are quite different, there is a common element of the need to
control their own “image”: she to her fans and him by putting up walls of
exclusion.
There are only two other
characters in the film, the first being a funeral director, Saijo (Toshiaki
Inomata), an older man who uses the retoucher’s skill for pictures of the deceased
during the ceremonies, and has known Kai his whole life being a friend of his
father and thereby being both a spokesperson for Kai to Kyoko, as well as a Greek
Chorus for the viewer. The other is Hisako (Toki Koinuma), a woman customer obsessed
with her looks, and keeps demanding Kai repeatedly retouch her photo into what she
considers perfection.
Itsuki Otaki
At its core, this is a
film about obsession: Kail obsesses about his insects, Kyoko keeps looking at
old posts of her photographs (which occasionally includes well-done CGI
animation), the female customer with changing her looks, and the old friend
with his loneliness (despite claiming he is not).
Although an extremely
small cast, I am guessing this was shot just before the COVID outbreak, since
there is a scene in a public bath, and no one on the streets is wearing masks; also,
the budget for this film is not enough to get the sidewalk shut down for
filming.
I am not sure if this can
be considered as “horror” or even a “thriller,” but it definitely falls into
the “art” category. That being said, it certainly has its body horror moments involving
an injury (I will not give it away), which is squeamish inducing (well, for me
anyway).
I question the
relationship between Kai and Kyoto as beyond temporary need and infatuation with
what they can bring to the pairing; even though they become more themselves by
giving to each other. Certainly, this is a snapshot (no pun intended) of their time
as a couple, as it does not seem that it can sustain the pressure of day-to-day
reality, and aging. But in an odd way, this is a very strange and off-beat
romance, without Hallmark-ish cringe.
The extras start with interviews
(16 min; Japanese with subtitles), including the director, Kushida, and the
main actors, Nagai and Otaki, as well as make-up
artist Yoshiro Nishimura. It is insightful as they discuss the motivations of
the characters and the meaning of some obtuse moments. It is a good post-film watch.
This is followed by a short
film, “Voice” (Koe; 10 min, trailer HERE), in which Kushida first worked
with Nagai. It is without dialogue, of how a lonely factory worker (Nagai) responds and
interacts with a shadow of a woman. It reminds me of the work of ground-breaking
Canadian filmmaker Norman McLaren. It is a beautiful piece, and Nagai again acts more with his face and body to
convey all the emotions needed. There is also a nice level of animation that is
not cartoonish. Last, there are two trailers for this film and a few from Dread.
This is director Kushida’s first feature
film, that he also wrote, after years of working in television. It shows
enormous talent in form and look. He should have a long and storied career.
The Assassination Bureau
Directed by Basil Dearden
Heathfield; Paramount Pictures; Arrow Video; MVD Visual
110 minutes, 1969 / 2023 www.ArrowVideo.com www.MVDVisual.com
Initiated by the James
Bond (Sean Connery era) series of spy films, this lead to a number of
knockoffs, such as the Matt Helm (Dean Martin), Derek Flint (James Colburn) and
Maxwell Smart (Don Adams) releases, which could loosely include the 1967
version of Casino Royale (which had almost nothing to do with the
original Ian Fleming novel). In most cases, the secondary ones were comedies,
be it dark or broad (I would like to add that I really enjoyed the Helm, Flint,
and Royale films, as well as “Get Smart”).
Added to this list is The
Assassination Bureau, which is a throwback to the pre-World War I period,
and is, naturally, a comedy. It has a foot in the action genre, and another in
the British retro-history subgenre (such as Those Magnificent Men in Their
Flying Machines, 1965). For Bureau, as the press release states, on
the writing side, this film is “(b)ased on a novel by Jack London (The Call
of the Wild, 1903) from a story by Nobel Prize-winner Sinclair Lewis (Babbit,
1922) completed in 1963 by Robert L. Fish (Bullitt, 1968) and adapted into
the screenplay by Wolf Mankowitz (Casino Royale, 1967).”
Diana Rigg, Oliver Reed
The film focuses on a
group (of men) whose purpose is to assassinate powerful people who “deserve
it.” They are well paid for their services. This Bureau, headquartered in
London, is run by Ivan Dragomiloff (Oliver Reed; d. 1999). He is both a
cold-hearted killer for hire, and the love interest. Yep, you read that right.
Remember, it is a comedy. The Bureau’s board is filled with British actors of
renown at the time, such as Beryl Reid, (The Killing of Sister George,
1968; d. 1996), Clive Revill (who I always think of being the lead investigator
in The Legend of Hell House, 1973, though he did appear in a couple of later Mel
Brooks releases), and Kurt Jürgens
(the lead villain in The Spy Who Loved Me, 1977; d. 1982).
Hot on the trail of the
Bureau is strong-willed First Wave feminist who is seeking to be a journalist,
Sonya Winter (The Diana Rigg, hot off her role of Emma Peel in “The
Avengers”; d. 2021). She wants to investigate them with the help of a newspaper
run by Lord Bostwick (Telly Savalas, d. 1994). She connects to the clandestine
Bureau that she wants someone assassinated and is willing to hire them. Her
choice target is Dragomiloff (perfect set-up for romantic encounters, as they
avoid being killed in various ways). This gives Draggy and Winter the chance to
circle the globe in cities such as Paris and Zurich, among many others.
Telly Savalas, Kurt Jürgens
The deal is, if
Dragomiloff is not assassinated, he will kill the international ultra rich and
power-/money-hungry board members first. It is obvious (purposefully) and
disclosed early who is the key lead villain, and why, who is assisted by the humorously
dour Yugoslavian Fagin-equse-looking lacky Baron Muntzof (Vernon Dobtcheff).
Trump would be too dumb to be on this board, by the way, though he fits the greed
criteria.
Winter, through the early
stages of the film, looks remarkably like Julie Andrews in Mary Poppins (1964),
in both manner (strict and to the point, yet kind) and dress. She even has the
cloth bag. Of course, she also gets to dress up and dress down, in gowns,
corsets and bath towels. While looking back this can be seen as a bit
misogynistic, as I found the ending, it is important to note that Winter is a
main character (though often seen as confused and duped by Dragomiloff), and
there is also a major female villain in Eleanora Spado (Annabella Incontrera,
who was in a few gialllo films, often directed by Paolo Cavara; d. 2004)
It is notable that for its
time and in a mainstream release, there is a high level of sexual proclivity
(e.g., a brothel) where there are near-naked women, and at least a few tips of
nips. Wild for those days, but relatively tame for modern cinema viewers.
However, I was more disturbed by the subtle antisemitism of the
character of Weiss (Warren Mitchell, who was in The Crawling Eye, 1958,
and Jabberwocky, 1977), a banker from Switzerland, who is exceedingly
focused on money. As Baron Muntzof states, “Weiss understands the value of
money.”
As a mild digression, I
was amused that the President of France is played by an actor named John Adams.
For the basics of the
extras, this High Definition (1080p) Blu-ray uses the original lossless English
mono audio, with optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard-of-hearing. There
is a brand new audio commentary with thick British-accented authors Sean Hogan
and Kim Newman. They are not the most exciting speakers, but their topics are
wide ranging, from discussing the rise of Victorian period pieces at the time
(e.g., Mary Poppins, 1968’s Chitty Chitty Bang Bang) to how the
film was formulated and its place in both the story’s history and in the time
of its release. Of course, there are also some nice anecdotes.
Rigg, Vernon Dobtcheff
“Right Film, Wrong Time,” (27-min)
is an also new featurette by British cultural historian and critic Matthew
Sweet. He discusses the socio-political world London and Lewis were living in
when they came up with the story idea for the book that became this film. He
also talks about how London’s unfinished book morphed into the completed story.
He keeps it pretty interesting mixing talking head commentary and clips from
the film, though I started to get distracted about two-thirds through it. Along
with the original trailer, and an Image gallery, you get a reversible sleeve
featuring two original artwork choices.
This is a high-budget, big
cast of British stars, that is fun. One could say that it was a subgenre
initiated by the likes of It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (1965) or The
Russians are Coming, The Russians Are Coming! (1966).
Filmed during the uptick
in the Vietnam War era/error and the year after the assassinations of Robert
Kennedy and Martin Luther King, the film is a commentary on political violence
and the desire for power by the rich and corrupt (aka Marg T. Greene
heaven). Part of the way they show this is through parody, the absurdity of it
all, and the enormous amount of collateral damage or, as Mel Brooks’ Governor
Lepetomane put it, “Innocent people blown to bits!”
Considering all these
murderous explosions that occur, in the words of Big Jim McBob and Billy Sol
Hurok, “May the good lord take a likin’ to ya, and blow you up real soon!”
The House That Screamed (aka La Residencia; The Finishing School; House of
Evil) Directed
by Narciso Ibáñez Serrador J.F. Films de Distribución S.A.;
Regia-Arturo González Rodríguez;
American International Pictures (AIP); Arrow Video; MVD Visual
94 / 105 minutes, 1969 / 1971 / 2023 www.ArrowVideo.com www.MVDVisual.com
Spanish horror films from
the mid-1960 until the early 1980s tended to be a bit goofy as is their Mexican
cousins (see the Santos series), but sometimes they shined like this one, being
a cross between a British Hammer Film, an Italian giallo, and a bit of
the gruesomeness of Ilsa: She Wolf of the SS (1975); funny thing is,
many of these came out after this release.
There are two versions of
this film on the Blu-ray: the theatrical release (94 minutes), and an extended
one called The Finishing School. I chose to watch the longer one (105
minutes). As with many giallos, this has an international cast, such as
Prussia-born Lili Palmer (d. 1986), so some people seem to be speaking English
and others Spanish, but all are dubbed or redubbed into English. This gives all
the speaking parts a flat sound (rather than 3D), so people in front of the
camera sound the same as those further away. Unfortunately, there is a Spanish
option (again, dubbed and redubbed).
Mary Maude, Lili Palmer
Taking place in the
Victorian late 1800s in France, Mme. Fourneau (Palmer) strictly runs a boarding
school for girls in a huge, isolated, and chained-up mansion, which seems to
specialize in discipline and corporeal punishment. The feeling of this all has
the vibes of Suspira (1977) and Phenomena (1985), again, both of
which proceeded this film. Despite the size of the place, all the students
sleep barrack-style in one room. This gives the opportunity for the viewer to
see them all in underlaces, and even a corset.
Into this nearly prison
comes comely Térèsa (Cristina Galbó) – pronounced Teh-RAY-sah – who
is met excitedly by Fourneau’s student underling, thin and statuesque Irènée
(Mary Maude, in her first yet defining film) – pronounced I-rhe-NAY) who
is the school’s bully and has a killer smirk, among other traits that one might
expect in this kind of film. She has a thing for Térèsa
and is not afraid to hold her power over her as much as the rest of the girls
(they are supposed to be teens, so I will use the term “girls” freely).
Cristina Galbó
To add to the weirdness,
Fourneau’s teenage son, Luis (John Moulder-Brown) is sequestered in an upstairs
room (though sneaking out to peek on the students, but then again, who would
not?), though he has a budding relationship with student Isabelle (Maribel
Martin).
And
now, on occasion, there is the stabbing deaths. And yet, this double-dips and
is also a psychological thriller, between the bullying, the discipline, and the
occasional romps. Speaking of which, while there is no real nudity, there is a
group shower scene where the students wear white gowns under the water, making
them nearly translucent. I am assuming this has to do with the time period this
was filmed, and possibly different censorship laws in España.
Palmer, John Moulder-Brown
There
are a few surprises in here with the shifting of unexpected power dynamics and,
naturally, murders. The body count is not high, and there is blood but no gore
yet very ahead of its time, and yet the tension is usually held at quite an
elevated level.
Honestly, I am not sure how
much of this was filmed in a real location or studio, but it is stunning to
look at the architecture and décor. Also noteworthy are the cinematography and
editing. Even the lighting has a personality of its own. But just as noteworthy
is the orchestral score by Waldo de los Rios.
The smirk
The technical side of the
bonus material contains a brand new 2K restoration from the original negative,
a High Definition (1080p). The official extras start with an English commentary
by Spain-born film historian Anna Bogutaskaya. She explains the importance and influence of this film
in both Spain (the first to be created specifically for worldwide distribution)
and the international market, for example. What is also interesting, the discussion
is about the film and its meaning, especially regarding specific scenes, with
few anecdotes about, say, the actors involved. She talks about the director, and
his effect on both Spanish and wider filmmaking.
There are a few new
interviews. Starting off is “This Boy’s Innocence,” (24 min; in English) with
actor John Moulder-Brown, discussing his character, what he brought to it, and about
working with the director, Palmer, and Galbó. “All About My Mamá” (9 min; in Spanish with subtitles) features Juan
Tébar, who wrote the original novella (Serrador wrote the screenplay), discussing the relationship between Luis and
Fourneau. Surprisingly, as he mentions his influences, he does not mention Robert
Bloch.
“The Legacy of Terror” (14
min; in Spanish with subtitles), with the director's son, Alejandro Ibáñez (Serrador died in
2019). Despite being born more than a
decade after the film, Alejandro gives some nice insights on the director, and
the Spanish political environment into which it was released. Then there is “Screaming
the House Down” (20 min; in English), with Spanish horror expert Dr Antonio
Lázaro-Reboll, discussing the history of the film and its director. Most of
this has been covered by previous material. Also included is archive footage
with Mary Maud (12 min; in English) from the Festival of Fantastic Films in
2012, interviewed on stage by Adrian James, giving stories about the director,
how she got the role, and retells the entire plot.
With title cards to
explain what the viewer is watching, there are some alternative footage (6 min)
from the original Spanish theatrical version, some changed due to Spanish
censorship. But even more fascinating is seeing the difference between the pre-restoration
footage and this Arrow version. Along with five of the original trailers, TV
and radio spots, and an Image gallery, the Blu-ray has a reversible sleeve
featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Colin Murdoch.
Despite the red herrings,
I figured out the killer about halfway through, but that did not stop my
enjoyment of the piece because of the “why” of the murders, which was exceedingly
creepy and effective. Sure, it borrows a lot from the gothic Hammer milieu, but
it also helped inspire so much more that would come later, especially from
European cinema. It is just luscious.
Sorority Babes in the Slimeball Bowl-O-Rama 2 Directed
by Brinke Stevens
Candy Bar Productions; Full Moon Features; MVD Entertainment
62 minutes, 2022 www.FullMoonFeatures.com www.mvdvisuals.com
The first SBitSBaR
(1987) starred the holy trinity of Scream Queens (in no particular order)
Brinke Stevens, Michelle Bauer, and Linnea Quigley, all in their horror prime. I
saw this when it first came out on VHS when I rented it from my local store in
Brooklyn, Video Video. It was a silly, hot mess, but so much fun.
Now, nearly 35 years
later, comes Part Dos, directed by Brinke Stevens herself (I knew she
was brilliant even in the 1980s), and in cameo roles, both herself and Bauer,
with Quigley nowhere in sight except in archival footage (don’t worry, her
career is still doing quite well, with the likes of 2017 Bonehill Roadand
2020’s Death Drop Gorgeous; according to IMDB, there are conflicting
stories both about how Quigley was not asked, and that she was going to be in
it but broke her leg). This film was written by Full Moon regular, Kent Roudebush (such as the
Giantess films recently reviewed elsewhere on this blog).
Katie O'Neill, Jessie Gill
We are introduced, once
again, into the cleavage and spandex world of sorority Pi Epsilon Delta (as opposed
to Tri-Delta in the first film), where actors play younger than their actual
ages (a trope that goes back even further than 1978’s National Lampoon’s Animal
House). Anyway, it is the sorority’s Pledge Night, and ringleader Sarah (Jessie
Gill) and her second, Tiffany (Katie O’Neill) are corralling the new recruits,
under the strict housemother, drinker Auntie Snake (Kelli Maroney, of 1984’s Night
of the Comet, another ‘80s B-film classic, and more recently, 2022’s NightCaller). Auntie is the sister of Spider (Quigley, in the first film).
As both Sarah and Auntie
admit, the sorority is in rough shape, and Sarah wants to bring it “forward” to
a better class (pun unintended). There are only two new recruits this year,
busty Ginger (Audrey Neal) and multi-inked Devin (Hannah Tullett). We meet them
all doing jazzercise in spandex one-sies, and bending over a lot. Not to
mention the energetic shower scene; and let us not go into the whole whipped cream
montage. Joining them late is leather jacket wearing tough girl Bitsy (Glory
Rodriquez); you can tell she’s tough because she keeps throwing “the bird.” I
am guessing a secret by her name (PS, I was wrong, but close).
Hannah Tullett, Audrey Neal
As in the first film,
there are three doods spying on the sisters, this time via hidden cameras and
computers, rather than through an open door. This brain-dead trio are Devin (Luka
Parente, who does not live on the second floor, but wears a bowling shirt; I’m
not sure if this was a coincidence, or a very wise in-joke), Dinger (Justin
Luper), and Turkey (Nathan Blair).
Nathan Blair, Luka Parente, Justin Luper
Of course, the guys get
caught and are “forced” to join the sorority to break into the same bowling
alley (the real Dickey Lanes, in Cleveland, OH) from 35 years earlier. Man,
these people are dumb. I mean, really dumb. The guys hold the bowling
pins in front of their pants to emulate their junk, and carry two balls up to their
chest to symbolize breasts (with one “motorboating”). The two original pledges accept
these doofuses as potential partners, and dance around practically pushing
their chests together, while the new one snarls. This is all done during a montage
to ‘80s style electronic music. Oh, Brinke, you can do better. Gotta say, as
the future body count, there is no one that will make the audience go, “Oh, no!”
During a catfight (of
course) at about the halfway mark, a trophy is broken open and out comes our
imp, the same puppet used in the first film. In the earlier incarnation, the
imp’s voice is high pitched and electronically enhanced (and pre-autotune!).
Now, being the son of the original imp, the vocal is deep and sounds
stereotypical African-American (voiced by Derek Reid, the
writer/producer/director/star of the series, “Black Spider-Man”), who starts
off saying “Free at last, free at last / Satan O mighty, I’m free at last.” Oy.
He sounds a bit like Audrey II (Levi Stubbs) in Little Shop of Horrors
(1986).
Neal, Glory Rodriquez, Gill
As in the original release,
Monsieur Imp grants wishes to “thank” the doodle brains for letting him out. but
unlike the first, these wishes are given in unexpected manners, seeming taking
a nod from the Wishmaster franchise (1997-2002); It does not go well, nor
will I go into details. But it is funny. You may see some of the gags coming by
the wording of the wishes, but still, it made me smile.
The physical effects look good,
and there is a lot of CGI purple smoke and electrical energy that also is
effective, especially since this is definitely going for a 1980s vibe. It is
all remarkably effective.
Brinke Stevens, Michelle Bauer
There are some nice cameos
by Stevens and Bauer, though it was obviously spliced in after. Still, works
for the story though it is never explained why they aged if they were trapped
in the bottle with the imp.
Okay, to be honest, this
is some stupid, sexist stuff, but that is the demographic they are aiming for:
teen boys, horny dudes, and people who joyfully remember skimming the aisles of
their local video store of their youth as, well, teen boys and horny youth. It
is extremely successful in that way, and if this had been released in
the ‘80s, it probably would have been a huge VHS hit, that is plain and simple.
I am not making any judgments on this, just stating the facts. I enjoyed these
kinds of films in the ‘80s as I fit that previous demographic, and this is
nicely retro and nostalgic.
I am not only glad this
was directed by a woman (reminds me of Richard Pryor being a writer for 1974’s Blazing
Saddles, making it possible to use some quite offensive language and
actions), but one who was there in the period, so she could have a first-hand
experience to make this as loyal to the time as possible. I am also grateful that
this film is relatively short, so as not to over-use its topic. There is a hint, however, of a possible sequel to the sequel.
The extras on the Blu-ray are
a stack of recent Full Moon trailers, and a short called "Brinke vs. the Imp" (3 min), in which the first half is Stevens discussing the poster of the original film poster when the first release was called The Imp, and the second part shows the person who was the voice of the Imp.
Summoning Sylvia Directed
by Wesley Taylor; Alex Wyse
Cody Lassen and Associates; Diamond Dog Entertainment; Book of Spell; Entertainment
Squad
74 minutes, 2023 www.summoningsylvia.com/
Perhaps it is the timing
of hateful homophobia coming out of the Right side of North American politics
that there seems to be a welcome sticking-out-of-tongues (metaphorically) by
the rise of lavish LGBTQetc.-focused cinema. Some recently are DisorientingDick(2022), and RuPaul’s AJ and the Queen (2020). So, why
should a horror comedy be left out?
Noah J. Ricketts, Troy Iwata, Travis Coles, Frankie Grande
After an incredibly brief
prologue, through flashback we meet four friends, Larry (Travis Coles), Nico
(Frankie Grande), Reggie (Troy Iwata) and Kevin (Noah J. Ricketts), as they surprise
Larry, newly engaged to Jamie (Michael Urie), with a Bachelor Weekend vay-cay
to a supposedly haunted house in New Jersey, a couple of hours from New York
City. It was originally owned a century before by the murderous titular Sylvia
(Veanne Cox). After they get comfortable (e.g., dancing around), what they
intend to do is, well, the title.
Sylvia was killed by an
angry mob after she was known for murdering her own son, Phillip (Camden
Garcia), burying him on the estate, who is also resurrected during said séance.
She was trying to keep Phillip a secret, and I am guessing why, and also how
this feeds into future actions by her spirit. [Note: happily, I was only
partially correct.]
Nicholas Logan
After the séance and late (and
unwanted by the group) to the party is Harrison (Nicholas Logan), Jamie’s very
cis bro who is in the military who Larry has never met. “Culture” shock abounds
in many humorous ways as both Harrison and the four live very different lifestyles,
of which each group do not understand the other. Larry is trying his best to be
a bit macho (and failing), and hoping everyone gets along.
One aspect worth noting is
that in many films, including ones dealing in the horror genre, there tends to
be a collection of cis roles, and one or two “third wheel” gay characters, such
as in All Your Friends Are Dead(2023), but here it is in reverse.
Veanne Cox
The direction and
cinematography is generally quite straightforward, but there are outstanding
moments where the editing of two different scenes, or mixing of flashbacks with
the present, that have really nice comedic overtures.
It is debatable where
there is more tension: between the spirits and the humans, or the cis and the gays.
Is Harrison related to DeSantis? But my real question is, Harrison’s brother,
Jamie, is overtly out and gay, and Jamie picked Harrison to be the best man.
Wouldn’t Harrison have some level of understanding or compassion about gender
differences if he was chosen for this role? Instead, he is presented as a
homophobe hardass (I can see where this is going). Like some “chick flicks” (a term
of which I am not fond) where all the males (except maybe one or two) are
assholes, here it is clear which side of the coin the filmmakers are on. Thing
is, they are not wrong depicting many on the Right side of politics.
The ending has a number of
twists and turns to a very satisfying conclusion. The film is smartly written,
well acted, and funny as hell, without being overly broad (no pun intended).
This is definitely Cole’s
picture with his Larry being the glue that holds everything together, but many
scenes are outright stolen by Grande, who says so much with the purse of the
lips, or especially one with his blinks.
There is very little
blood, little violence (with more implied), and some romping, but no lower
nudity. This is surprisingly satisfying despite the various directions the
story takes, and does not follow a path one expects from these (haunting) kinds
of films.
I am sure, as a cis Ally,
I am missing a few references here and there, and yet found it just so
enjoyable. Nothing turns out like it is expected, and every time something ends
up being something else, it makes perfect sense (considering ghosts and all)
for both the story and the characters.
Just the right length, this
film is closer in tone to To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar (1995)
than, say, The Boys in the Band (1970), considering that in Wong Foo,
cis actors play gay characters. It is a hoot, and totally enjoyable from
beginning to end for boys and girls of all sizes.
It is wonderful that some
of the modern classic horror films (mostly starting with the 1980 VHS boom) are getting some documentary
attention, such as Pennywise: The Story of IT(2022), and Never Sleep Again: The Elm Street Legacy (2010).
Even Netflix had “The Movies That Made Us” (2019),an interesting
series that focused on horror.
There is no question on where
this film is focused, the title gives it away. But this is a deep-dive into the
eight-film Child’s Play/Chucky franchise. Much of the documentary
footage (other than scenes from the Chucky releases themselves), was shot a
half dozen years ago for a student film by the director, when she attended
Florida State University. She released an award winning 7:31 doc short under
the title “The Dollhouse,” most of which is included in this full view of the Chucky universe.
The motif of this is that it
is broken into three sections: the first two are kind of obvious, which is in
no way meant as a negative, but rather a logical sequence. The first is how the
idea of a killer doll came about, through the initial script, and into the release
of Child’s Play in 1988. We meet Don Mancini, who created the original Child’s
Play, and has since written and/or directed nearly all the Chucky-related
franchise, including the recent “Chucky” television series (2021-2022). Also
interviewed is David Kirschner, a producer of the Chucky films and series, the animated
Curious George film, as well as the two Hocus Pocus releases.
Kyra Gardner, Good Guy Chucky
The description of the
first film is kind of short, having more commentary on its cultural effect by
the likes of Lin Shaye, star of the Insidious franchise (starting in 2010).
She mentions how people were attracted to the Chucky “character” who became
popular in the same way as Freddy Kruger started the trend in the first A
Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) because he was a villain to love and used
sharp humor. Most other slasher icons up to that point, such as Michael and
Jason, do not speak, making them arguably less human than even Chucky, and
certainly harder to identify with to the viewers.
There are a lot of talking
heads here, including some actors in other horror films or franchises, such as Marlon
Wayans (Scary Movie series), Abigail Breslin (Zombieland franchise), and
Elle Lorraine (Bad Hair, in 2020). Many times these documentaries about
media are filled with writers or podcasters, but here it is thankfully kept to
a bare minimum, with the likes of Tony Timpone, editor of Fangoria magazine.
Also making an appearance, I am happy to say, is beloved cult director John
Waters, who had a cameo in one of the films.
What follows, almost as going
from chapter to chapter, is that the films are discussed one by one, indicated in title card fashion by specific media: The first three Child’s Play films are represented by
a VHS cassette, and the Chucky titled films are discs.
Brad Dourif, Chucky, Fiona Dourif
While the star of the
first Child’s Play film, Catherine Hicks, is unfortunately absent (perhaps
she was beamed up on the Enterprise?), we get to meet most of the rest of the
cast as each film is discussed, such as Chucky/Charles Lee Ray himself, Brad
Dourif, who becomes the killer doll by using an obscure voodoo rite; I initially saw him in his first credited role in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975),
though visually most people probably know him as Wormtongue, in two of The
Lord of the Rings films. Alex Vincent, who played the kid Andy in the
original stories, is interviewed; he is also in the new television series.
Christine Elise discusses
how she won the role of Kyle, the main character (after Chucky) in 1990’s Child’s
Play 2; she reprises the role in the new TV series, as well.
I was really happy when Jennifer
Tilly (Bride of Chucky in 1998) comes into the spotlight. I have always
been a fan. She is, happily, present throughout the rest of the documentary, as
is Billy Boyd, the voice of Chucky and Tiffany’s transgender offspring, Glen/Glenda
in Seed of Chucky (2004); Boyd was also in TheLord of the
Rings trilogy, which explains the offspring’s British accent, which never
made sense to me. Seed also introduced storied make-up artist and puppet
master Tony Gardner (learned under Rick Baker, his work includes the Hocus
Pocus and Zombieland franchises, among so many top horror hits). He
has worked with the Chucky films since; he is also the father of the director
of this excellent film, Kyra Gardner.
Jennifer Till, Tiffany, Chucky
Curse of Chucky (2013) was important for the introduction of a new
main character, Nika (Fiona Dourif, the daughter of Chucky himself). As
a sidenote, I really wanted to give her a hairbrush…
An interesting topic is
when it is explained how the trajectory of the Chucky films mirrored that of the
Elm Street releases, in that it started off as horror, devolved into a
form of horror comedy with gore, and then became serious again towards the end
(Curse and Cult of Chucky in 2017).
For me, the most
interesting section of this film is the last, where more intimate topics are
covered, such as VFX vs. practical, discussed by a number of actors and crew,
the relationships between the crew and cast, as many of them have worked on
multiple Chuckys, and culture influence, such as attending horror conventions.
They also discuss the down points of the experience, such as being away from
family and an ever decreasing budget from the studio; Dourif mentions the loneliness during his
voice recordings, where he was in a sound booth for days. But what I found most
intriguing is the correlation between Fiona and this film’s director, both
being the daughters of the crew/cast, and both growing up with Chucky (hence
the doc’s title) as an important part of their lives. Towards the end of this
release is some newly shot footage tagged on regarding the television series, being
filmed in Toronto.
John Waters, Glen (Glenda)
The often-reviled remake
of Child’s Play (2019) was wisely ignored here, partly due to the fact that
this was mostly filmed before this was released, and secondly, it is out-of-scope of the topic of a cast that is family.
Extras on the disc are a
feature length commentary, interviews with the cast (8 min.), “Favorite Death
Scene” (4 min), “Reception from Families” featurette (6 min), and the film’s
Trailer. As I watched an online link, I did not see the bonus features.
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