tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-53570584006468070692024-03-17T21:03:59.365-06:00Indie Horror FilmsAll 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.Robert Barry Francoshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17403914616932689149noreply@blogger.comBlogger733125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5357058400646807069.post-35723145285411860562023-07-03T01:00:00.079-06:002023-07-03T01:00:00.138-06:00Review: The Breach<p><span style="font-size: medium;">Text © Richard Gary / Indie Horror Films, 2023<br />Images from the Internet</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 8.4pt; margin-top: 0cm; margin: 0cm 8.4pt 0cm 0cm; vertical-align: baseline;"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></o:p></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOADh_jaydO1uAlH3LJwYRVeUmmR-rcuies_HHFR2kPN-rbRjHxOU0Xnli6xcVwKguilNR6sc_t1BtIsVgtBMjJuWPmSXNVyEth02d4iiEnuqGdEw6TMNPjh8trrddi8tZpFdh0kOxJ7SU1xkWXlwsHa9K-Poq39LGmEngTkmiT-p9BHll_3tpO5OS/s4000/MV5BOWY2NjllNjgtNTJhNC00ODU3LWE1ZWQtMmM4MWZkYTdlNzgyXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTg2NDgwNA@@._V1_.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="2700" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOADh_jaydO1uAlH3LJwYRVeUmmR-rcuies_HHFR2kPN-rbRjHxOU0Xnli6xcVwKguilNR6sc_t1BtIsVgtBMjJuWPmSXNVyEth02d4iiEnuqGdEw6TMNPjh8trrddi8tZpFdh0kOxJ7SU1xkWXlwsHa9K-Poq39LGmEngTkmiT-p9BHll_3tpO5OS/w270-h400/MV5BOWY2NjllNjgtNTJhNC00ODU3LWE1ZWQtMmM4MWZkYTdlNzgyXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTg2NDgwNA@@._V1_.jpg" width="270" /></a></span></div><p></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>The Breach</b>
<br />
<i>Directed by Rodrigo Gudiño <br />
Hanger 18 Media; Lightbulb Distribution; <br />Raven Banner Entertainment; Strike
Media<br />
93 minutes, 2022 / 2023<br />
</i><a href="http://www.strike-media/"><i>www.strike-media</i></a><i><br />
</i><a href="https://lightbulbfilmdistribution.com/"><i>https://lightbulbfilmdistribution.com/</i></a><span class="MsoHyperlink"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">This film is so Canadian,
it should come with maple cookies (they are <i>so</i> good, eh). It takes place
in the small town of Lone Crow, in Northern Ontario (filmed in lovely Parry
Sound, Ontario).</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">Based on the novel by Nick
Cutter and screenplay written by Cutter and Ian Weir, the main protagonist is
the Chief of Police, John “Hawk” Hawkins (Allan Hawco, main character in the
series “Republic of Doyle,” 2010-2014), who is one week from retirement (of
course). Was his last name derived from the original version of the Canadian group,
The Band, known as The Hawks?</span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><o:p><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></o:p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBVuvQFpJBjgXd41PH3L_jtYH1leb_aT4uZVm7j5q12rxVyNXGE-dXut9-e-fJkYkc0HZMNA8sa9Axm2quPCyLpD9Zd-A7GFJJZ7px6FUjGTQVs-vR9DMCU8s6zlUs1xUAjr1GvFzFlh9_LUm6oG1B-RKyutHFnecAFfu38vlinEbdHeguFDqaUxtV/s1920/MV5BOGJmOGE4NmEtM2MzNC00NzBmLTgwYTctZmE0NjM1YTZiMWUxXkEyXkFqcGdeQWxiaWFtb250._V1_.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="812" data-original-width="1920" height="169" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBVuvQFpJBjgXd41PH3L_jtYH1leb_aT4uZVm7j5q12rxVyNXGE-dXut9-e-fJkYkc0HZMNA8sa9Axm2quPCyLpD9Zd-A7GFJJZ7px6FUjGTQVs-vR9DMCU8s6zlUs1xUAjr1GvFzFlh9_LUm6oG1B-RKyutHFnecAFfu38vlinEbdHeguFDqaUxtV/w400-h169/MV5BOGJmOGE4NmEtM2MzNC00NzBmLTgwYTctZmE0NjM1YTZiMWUxXkEyXkFqcGdeQWxiaWFtb250._V1_.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Allan Hawco, Mary Antonini</i></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">Speaking of bands, the executive
producer this film was Slash from Guns 'N Roses who also supervised the score.
And there is more relative to the music world, but I will get to that later.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">In a well-done pre-credit epilogue,
much like a television show, it takes place on the same day as the post-credit
film starts, rather than years before. This is actually refreshing for a film.
In this way we are introduced to officer Connie Parks (underutilized Mary
Antonini) and appropriately named coroner Jacob Redgrave (Wesley French). The
coroner is there to check out the body of physics professor Cole Parsons (Adam
Kenneth Wilson) that is found, but I will not give out the gruesome details,
though we get to see it pretty up-close.</span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJoHg7Jy2E_xSU1rHej2nv2ygrzt4o7EgidUbvogIw_yLdC2i3GFsztnKbtTlanBuRCN0UHmUC--myHY6bMfwmuRv0W2tfemmjB8LXOexPb5XRC3iRuNWb2VQL3Vf9mEzxptpopm47ehiPKVsATnlCrnkTIqvtTUz4ZuCSt3YJqCJcVk9FulP4SusX/s5029/77057131c0087c06e3f618ad9ec4b5922dba0188a9bc915fc172f37b990821dd.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3353" data-original-width="5029" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJoHg7Jy2E_xSU1rHej2nv2ygrzt4o7EgidUbvogIw_yLdC2i3GFsztnKbtTlanBuRCN0UHmUC--myHY6bMfwmuRv0W2tfemmjB8LXOexPb5XRC3iRuNWb2VQL3Vf9mEzxptpopm47ehiPKVsATnlCrnkTIqvtTUz4ZuCSt3YJqCJcVk9FulP4SusX/w400-h266/77057131c0087c06e3f618ad9ec4b5922dba0188a9bc915fc172f37b990821dd.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Emily Alatalo</i></td></tr></tbody></table><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">This leads Hawk, Jacob,
and guide/tracker/ex-girlfriend of Hawk and previously Jake (no tension there,
right?) Meg Fullbright (Emily Alatalo) to head north into the bush to Links
Creek on the Porcupine River to find out what happened to Parsons. This leads,
naturally in these days of technology, to the overhead drone shot of the lone car
on roads surrounded by forest or a boat on a narrow river, with a somber music
soundtrack.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">While the trio are off on
their adventures, Parks (as in parks her butt in the station) holds down the
fort, garnishing information on Zoom from a conspiracy-minded friend, Alex (Alex
Lifeson; yes, the guitarist from Canadian musical juggernauts, Rush).</span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><o:p><span style="font-size: medium;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhXQrUlx0yx-DhoQFnkwXLBFCen4D-zf9YGLa-HYD1EVVTEiv8hErM0vDd4cSI_Z52LMI-jpwlk3sQ6XBN6dvIRBHqWvDQs5pIE1OeNTmZHVfFPex0-GfoebeNeyzVmx5ECkDb9ZbJXMuMK02_nt5xXKa5ipzCdidcyAGwzyUqFOjHHQfpOl0m0jZn/s1280/maxresdefault.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhXQrUlx0yx-DhoQFnkwXLBFCen4D-zf9YGLa-HYD1EVVTEiv8hErM0vDd4cSI_Z52LMI-jpwlk3sQ6XBN6dvIRBHqWvDQs5pIE1OeNTmZHVfFPex0-GfoebeNeyzVmx5ECkDb9ZbJXMuMK02_nt5xXKa5ipzCdidcyAGwzyUqFOjHHQfpOl0m0jZn/w400-h225/maxresdefault.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Wesley French</i></td></tr></tbody></table></span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">The house is abandoned and
looks great for those of us who like deserted buildings that are on their last
legs; they are fun to <a href="https://ffanzeen.blogspot.com/2008/10/all-ffotos-by-robert-barry-francos.html" target="_blank">photograph</a>. But there is something going on in this house: doors seem to close or unlock by
themselves. The soundtrack does well to emphasize the eeriness and creepiness
of the joint.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">It gets even stranger with
the appearance of Cole’s PTSD-affected wife, Linda Parsons (Natalie Brown), and
another unexpected guest, as relationships unrealistically develop. And there
is a spooky shadow on the wall… Parts of the upcoming plot points are easy to guess,
though the steps to that are thankfully murky until they are revealed.</span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><o:p><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW-EQKHM3U1gAoPwNNpE2yAvTcnXLoL_RhzbrNs1lmvDthIJ4h0A88lyGvUoRsagI-FNOXB3-sEbKIkBpW018JexOqpjdfqsSKaU73Ld46uPINPvsEgMQbeDb7OwaojVzgjIVPpMIA-5LMzvb32KfBmL8PzJO8FmzV7kozJVXihPbdy1tWk-0I1pG4/s5092/6cb6cfc2457cf47a24d31c377b9b70c36cd226d14709855ecf7d34b06c00266c.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3395" data-original-width="5092" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW-EQKHM3U1gAoPwNNpE2yAvTcnXLoL_RhzbrNs1lmvDthIJ4h0A88lyGvUoRsagI-FNOXB3-sEbKIkBpW018JexOqpjdfqsSKaU73Ld46uPINPvsEgMQbeDb7OwaojVzgjIVPpMIA-5LMzvb32KfBmL8PzJO8FmzV7kozJVXihPbdy1tWk-0I1pG4/w400-h266/6cb6cfc2457cf47a24d31c377b9b70c36cd226d14709855ecf7d34b06c00266c.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></div><p></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">There is a bunch of films
reflected in <i>The Breach</i>, such as <i>From Beyond</i> (1986), <i>Bite</i>
(2016), <i>Night of the Living Dead</i> (1968), and especially <i>The Fly </i>(1986),
one scene in particular. And yet, there is <i>so </i>much more. I have often
theorized that when enough pre-used ideas are combined right, it creates
something new-ish. In this case it also includes numerous genres, such as police
procedural, body horror, sci-fi, cabin in the woods, and one that was
unexpected. This has its foot in many different ones, keeping it coherent – not
an easy task as previous attempts have shown – satisfying tick boxes in all of
them successfully.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">The relationships between
certain characters are common to give it a “human” touch and possibly to make
the characters more likeable, of course, but are completely superfluous to the
actual story and burn up time and distract. Sort of like Hooper’s affair with
Ellen Brody in Peter Benchley’s book, <i>Jaws</i>, which wisely never made it
to the screen; it just did not matter to what was going on, narratively. This
is my one gripe, so not bad at all.</span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><o:p><span style="font-size: medium;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzB5xZDG8_rseojh2rLKRMf9FnL0xeMhgJoLfHLTNmAhLyepp2LNYLsuGPN-SBlA7PTjDnW4dLVgped2dhbT0tBkCdtVq7SpcLypKrXdprsZoRBCxVxjXmLg3bh9rbt1Z92DzPh3r6b_py8KGbEve1d640GyQ6kp8Iyes41sDYmBU5jHKsVDWQnl0G/s461/The-Breach-movie-film-horror-by-Nick-Cutter-2022-trailer-1.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="193" data-original-width="461" height="168" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzB5xZDG8_rseojh2rLKRMf9FnL0xeMhgJoLfHLTNmAhLyepp2LNYLsuGPN-SBlA7PTjDnW4dLVgped2dhbT0tBkCdtVq7SpcLypKrXdprsZoRBCxVxjXmLg3bh9rbt1Z92DzPh3r6b_py8KGbEve1d640GyQ6kp8Iyes41sDYmBU5jHKsVDWQnl0G/w400-h168/The-Breach-movie-film-horror-by-Nick-Cutter-2022-trailer-1.webp" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Natalie Brown</i></td></tr></tbody></table></span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">I must say the film visually
looks great, from the cinematography by award-winning Eric Oh, to the set
designs. The blood and gore are fabulous, and the prosthetics and make-up effects
by Daniel Baker and Chris Cooper are not the same old same old.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">With the power of talent
here, much from the world of television, it is no surprise that the acting is
spot on. In the out-of-context department, it seems a lot of the cast has
appeared, at some point on Canadian police procedural “Hudson and Rex” (a guilty
pleasure of my own).</span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><o:p><span style="font-size: medium;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7G-RnU5ctYRHEHuXljCRHTQc4HjgNXGfcOs9HUmW4J3bZzmBRCY2rx2w0gbzpHO1M9SEsI0BsVMIlWIXy7j02OXQOuQVm7BqlKT0Sfmfk0ESKGNd-6fcOW4gle0SyIk5ktgoZefoh_r6xBo5lIycvjnj4LHz78khflIcI_7Dg5NdhpeYW3ULa_6cy/s1800/4710.f.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="946" data-original-width="1800" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7G-RnU5ctYRHEHuXljCRHTQc4HjgNXGfcOs9HUmW4J3bZzmBRCY2rx2w0gbzpHO1M9SEsI0BsVMIlWIXy7j02OXQOuQVm7BqlKT0Sfmfk0ESKGNd-6fcOW4gle0SyIk5ktgoZefoh_r6xBo5lIycvjnj4LHz78khflIcI_7Dg5NdhpeYW3ULa_6cy/w400-h210/4710.f.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Alex Lifeson (on Zoom)</i></td></tr></tbody></table></span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">The director, Rodrigo
Gudiño, is the founding editor and publisher of the Canadian horror fiction magazine
<i><a href="https://rue-morgue.com/" target="_blank">Rue Morgue</a></i>, and this may not be his first time behind the lens, but it is his first feature
length release. An excellent start.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>The Breach </i>is available on Sky Store, Virgin Media, AppleTV,
Google Play, and Amazon.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">IMDB listing <i><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt14229154/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0_tt_8_nm_0_q_the%2520breach" target="_blank">HERE</a></i><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/aoiY1zUmUOo" width="320" youtube-src-id="aoiY1zUmUOo"></iframe></div>Robert Barry Francoshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17403914616932689149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5357058400646807069.post-34610590795889835722023-06-30T01:00:00.062-06:002023-06-30T01:00:00.149-06:00Review: Witchtrap (Special Edition)<p><span style="font-size: medium;">Text © Richard Gary / Indie Horror Films, 2023<br />Images from the Internet</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 8.4pt; margin-top: 0cm; vertical-align: baseline;"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></o:p></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0izowAUzo1QiVw8DiIuJh_q1fkCXWO5ZwNH-l0RdnysCJoi1Dn3FQxq_gcNrWXbf1Xp7W5NCOyrxlBkLNnx7WhY-vb_6Eareoz5hg2vRcTx5o2s7BClrcbyezxWLqtP4piETAT9ZbjKCkm2PbdYZ85xq8I-YM_4AlpIRFAOGC0EJPMlDY8lmtuDSQ2DE/s1748/MVD12465BR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1748" data-original-width="1501" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0izowAUzo1QiVw8DiIuJh_q1fkCXWO5ZwNH-l0RdnysCJoi1Dn3FQxq_gcNrWXbf1Xp7W5NCOyrxlBkLNnx7WhY-vb_6Eareoz5hg2vRcTx5o2s7BClrcbyezxWLqtP4piETAT9ZbjKCkm2PbdYZ85xq8I-YM_4AlpIRFAOGC0EJPMlDY8lmtuDSQ2DE/w344-h400/MVD12465BR.jpg" width="344" /></a></span></div><p></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Witchtrap </b>(aka
<b>The Haunted; The Presence</b>)<br />
<i>Directed by Kevin S. Tenney<br />
Moonstone Entertainment; Cinema Plus; CGO Pictures; Mentone Pictures; Magnum
Entertainment; MVD Rewind Collection <br />
</i><a href="https://mvdb2b.com/s/WitchtrapSpecialEdition/MVD12465BR"><i><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none;">https://mvdb2b.com/s/WitchtrapSpecialEdition/MVD12465BR</span></i></a><i><br />
92 minutes, 1989 / 2023<o:p></o:p></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">One of my favorite ghost
sub-genres is when a group of parapsychologist scientists go to a haunted house
to investigate it. No, not like those silly “ghost hunting” shows on cable, but
films with a darker turn, such as <i>The Haunting </i>(1963, based on Shirley
Jackson’s excellent 1959 novel, <i>The Haunting of Hill House</i>), or <i>The
Legend of Hell House </i>(1973, based on the 1971 book <i>Hell House, </i>by
one of my favorite authors, Richard Matheson).</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">For <i>Witchtrap,</i> the
script was written in 6 days and shot in Fairfield, California in 17. A nice
quickie production, most likely designed for the VHS market, in which the
second highest of the two top sellers at video stores was horror. That is why
so many films came out in the 1980s. This one was just as the move towards
laser discs and DVD was starting.</span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><o:p><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEIfIUl9gxmxmoVui2zh83m9RZBM_x9wCzg8kT8ooR1k9DYz5gFBZ5UoCnp63UTG_PbivKuwx0ojTdYxvQtDVfubL-IYYHHAaeF3aCumY3lb3czGFOJoiRdW44DZcZJRlFrj1d7Laf0VPjiQ2-IZkJwmNWl9kRbcpZBZt4NmX0KmIkC7fN5naXGKzsjSA/s2048/MV5BZjIzY2NjMzgtZDYyNy00YzU2LTg5NGYtMDM2N2IyYTcxMzM4XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyOTc5MDI5NjE@._V1_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1152" data-original-width="2048" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEIfIUl9gxmxmoVui2zh83m9RZBM_x9wCzg8kT8ooR1k9DYz5gFBZ5UoCnp63UTG_PbivKuwx0ojTdYxvQtDVfubL-IYYHHAaeF3aCumY3lb3czGFOJoiRdW44DZcZJRlFrj1d7Laf0VPjiQ2-IZkJwmNWl9kRbcpZBZt4NmX0KmIkC7fN5naXGKzsjSA/w400-h225/MV5BZjIzY2NjMzgtZDYyNy00YzU2LTg5NGYtMDM2N2IyYTcxMzM4XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyOTc5MDI5NjE@._V1_.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></div><p></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">This is definitely a child
of its time, when the demographics were geared more towards teen boys and young
men, when women in these films were idealized and sexualized beyond the scope
of the story. For example, every female character introduced, even the lead
scientist, is either wearing next to nothing, high heels, or topless. Yes,
there is a bathing <i>and</i> a shower scene (to be honest, the later is part
of the story rather than just gratuitous), of course; at least one was
mandatory at the time: wet women’s bodies were, if you pardon the cliché, the
money shot.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">The object of the
investigation is to photograph and exorcise an evil ghost, hired by Devon
Lauder (director Kevin Tenney) the nephew of the dead warlock (not witch) Avery
Lauder (JP Luebsen; d. 2022). Devon wants to turn it into a B&B, but there
is just that nasty and murderous spirit in the way, which is proven in the
prologue.</span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><o:p><span style="font-size: medium;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgaTWNslx4fUZCUsiyXey86fBB-8J_WlflpNQWwXw8VYUfJVCYrSF3Z_-T2LfaI2ANtwNSB7svU7Q-r_RCHHWVKV5jld2NUBGGsuEKSoSMUW511HtI9PPuvwKKwvqxgdRKTOPdnAAF-QJzkhcWeWEhlZLC9PncrqHfrC5B0Z5Dlqu8cVUS7nBsNMsFbso/s894/71tj5brCwML._AC_UF894,1000_QL80_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="503" data-original-width="894" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgaTWNslx4fUZCUsiyXey86fBB-8J_WlflpNQWwXw8VYUfJVCYrSF3Z_-T2LfaI2ANtwNSB7svU7Q-r_RCHHWVKV5jld2NUBGGsuEKSoSMUW511HtI9PPuvwKKwvqxgdRKTOPdnAAF-QJzkhcWeWEhlZLC9PncrqHfrC5B0Z5Dlqu8cVUS7nBsNMsFbso/w400-h225/71tj5brCwML._AC_UF894,1000_QL80_.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Judy Tatum</i></td></tr></tbody></table></span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">The leader of the team is parapsychologist
Dr. Agnes Goldberg (Judy Tatum) who is with her husband Felix (Rob Zapple) a
mental medium. Next up is redheaded physical medium, stately Whitney O’Shea
(Kathleen Bailey), followed by video technician Ginger Ko<i>wow</i>ski (<i>the</i>
Linnea Quigley, top Scream Queen at that time, in an extended cameo and the shower
scene). For security, along for the ride (and paycheck) is obnoxious boss Frank
Murphy (Jack W. Thompson), who mentions that his beer is “as flat as my
ex-wife’s chest,” and his two underlings, stereotypical for the time sauntering
and horny (right down to often self lip-licking) for Ginger, Levi Jackson
(Clyde Talley II), and the comedy relief, sceptic and sarcastic Tony Vincente
(James W. Quinn) who could be the model for Chandler Bing; he really does have
the best lines, including lots of references to other films and television
shows, such as stating “Good night, Gracie.”</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">It takes 20 minutes of
exposition (Act 1) for the team to get to the Lauter House (aka “Slaughter
House”), where they meet the big, slow, and creepy – natch – groundskeeper
Elwin (Hal Havins). Whose side is he on is the question – in genre films, it
really can go either way – though it is obvious he is also a horndog. That is
the way of films of this period: the women are either smart or bimbos, though
dress the latter, and the men are either (but rarely) smart and obnoxious in
one way or another. There is also a nice touch of racism beyond the stereotyping,
such as Frank saying, “You’re gonna do what I say or I’m gonna kick your black
ass down those stairs,” to witch – I mean which Levi responds, “Try it and I’ll
tap dance on your ass like Bojangles Robinson.” But I digress…</span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><o:p><span style="font-size: medium;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdAc2wv74L8NkXN_oslxvQr1e_sGhL70nWEjEeWHMg91MWgBnxOFp_dMONZEeDx4IAIksy2wDSXRbhzWLdCP_zKTSNhH5omsOM2_pu7xGfjGlinoooqix8GfYOnMxXCYR-tY_qMnh_btf1QKjgvsaT2Z6gbi2gRZIbHJWrFGIPAJpM0fcWuPX9r9-1LA0/s1920/MV5BZDg2M2RhNTktMDZiYS00OTJhLTg4OTAtYWQyNmY3NWU2ZjRhXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyOTc5MDI5NjE@._V1_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdAc2wv74L8NkXN_oslxvQr1e_sGhL70nWEjEeWHMg91MWgBnxOFp_dMONZEeDx4IAIksy2wDSXRbhzWLdCP_zKTSNhH5omsOM2_pu7xGfjGlinoooqix8GfYOnMxXCYR-tY_qMnh_btf1QKjgvsaT2Z6gbi2gRZIbHJWrFGIPAJpM0fcWuPX9r9-1LA0/w400-h225/MV5BZDg2M2RhNTktMDZiYS00OTJhLTg4OTAtYWQyNmY3NWU2ZjRhXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyOTc5MDI5NjE@._V1_.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Linnea Quigley, Clyde Talley II</i></td></tr></tbody></table></span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">This has been noted that
the acting is quite wooden, but there is a reason in this case: as IMDB states,
“all of the dialogue and sound effects had to be re-recorded in post-production
because of a mix-up with the live sound recording.” All the dialogue is flat (same
distance from the microphone) and it is hard to match emotions when you are trying
to sync the sound to the screen. I was especially amused by the punches during
a fight scene; not as “wooden” as in a Shaw Bros. release, but it does resonate
like the same sound effect for each punch.</span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><o:p><span style="font-size: medium;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg60hoX3-ZQCyj_Jyxs_XneOOmPtm9HEVKXnbusdAaFvV8zbWtm2jjKXCMwaZ-hO_xzpMexKH_B81Li8t1wx0Hqqhv5NyugX7LWewyqF2TqGB-wkARQhGXZGPKlsOriQBpijcCgUZNtHLX4eN7ZHjjB-KOIKrpGC3Vm8XrK9u89Fikfolupp3EOcwW2m0c/s498/h280_38976519.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="280" data-original-width="498" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg60hoX3-ZQCyj_Jyxs_XneOOmPtm9HEVKXnbusdAaFvV8zbWtm2jjKXCMwaZ-hO_xzpMexKH_B81Li8t1wx0Hqqhv5NyugX7LWewyqF2TqGB-wkARQhGXZGPKlsOriQBpijcCgUZNtHLX4eN7ZHjjB-KOIKrpGC3Vm8XrK9u89Fikfolupp3EOcwW2m0c/w400-h225/h280_38976519.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Kathleen Bailey</i></td></tr></tbody></table></span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">Of course, our intrepid
troupe gets picked off one by one (nice body count with enjoyable blood and
relative gore SFX by Judy Yonemoto). The issue for me is that each time it is
about to happen, it is telegraphed in two ways. First, Whitney goes into extreme
spasms whenever the ghost/warlock is about to do his due diligence. The second
is when the music suddenly changes to an intense and dissonant string-based
screech. The kills are still fun to watch, though, and a bit imaginative. There
are also some decent jump scares, as was the trend at the time.</span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><o:p><span style="font-size: medium;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKnKhyEXA8ZK56p6Nptf4qLP4Jlgw6Txx9ZmmVT54Z2fxfxzlL-7oeAoBvFZM3_TVVCEhNgGwZ6PRP88AeCP_TW3Mh3GJMrXnz2AzTW9tci-Y77YyPlT3zd1dUTZI4QXfWhlJ0cQH6qy-I7GxFFfl9HNX9Bc6PR-h5SHqhjT4TklDHsexjP77jSk2g_Wg/s300/p51728_i_v9_ab.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="300" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKnKhyEXA8ZK56p6Nptf4qLP4Jlgw6Txx9ZmmVT54Z2fxfxzlL-7oeAoBvFZM3_TVVCEhNgGwZ6PRP88AeCP_TW3Mh3GJMrXnz2AzTW9tci-Y77YyPlT3zd1dUTZI4QXfWhlJ0cQH6qy-I7GxFFfl9HNX9Bc6PR-h5SHqhjT4TklDHsexjP77jSk2g_Wg/w320-h320/p51728_i_v9_ab.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>James W. Quinn</i></td></tr></tbody></table></span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">Starting off the Blu-ray
extras is a group commentary track with: director Kevin Tenney, producer Dan
Duncan, cinematographer Tom Jewett and actor Hal Havins. Fortunately, they kept
their egos in the pockets and rarely talk over each other, and the obviously
like each other, which comes across. There are lots of anecdotes, but much of
it is a study on filmmaking that is not overly technical.</span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><o:p><span style="font-size: medium;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9bFNy3PJeIB1ZWRgXz_Ho7C2i8B-vZVGodwnRQCmtoU17xYZLtS5MMSnZ-dp5gSHMXzMZC_y52LKWAScx7itRTAzWHN9J2dewAY25tHhnO-Sc1gPXeipgR1_S7zjZpVOSQ0AF-oW0OZ9vWnaSNbPAGR0yNkrsDgPdvuyxczZkKJvkW_7bXHadhEq04q4/s400/trap-witch.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="240" data-original-width="400" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9bFNy3PJeIB1ZWRgXz_Ho7C2i8B-vZVGodwnRQCmtoU17xYZLtS5MMSnZ-dp5gSHMXzMZC_y52LKWAScx7itRTAzWHN9J2dewAY25tHhnO-Sc1gPXeipgR1_S7zjZpVOSQ0AF-oW0OZ9vWnaSNbPAGR0yNkrsDgPdvuyxczZkKJvkW_7bXHadhEq04q4/s320/trap-witch.webp" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>JP Luebsen</i></td></tr></tbody></table></span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">There are a series of interviews
starting with Tenney (24 min), who also directed cult classics <i>Witchboard</i>
(1986) and <i>Night of the Demons</i> (1988) before this one. He actually tells
some interesting stories about the lead-up and making of the film that is not
just the standard fare, including self-deprecating moments and insightful anecdotes.
Next up is Linnea Quigley (14 min) who discusses how she got into the genre
(though does not mention some of her earlier classic films), working with the
director, and how much she loves acting in horror films (lucky for us). Then
there is cinematographer Tom Jewett (15 min) discussing his career and has a
bit more technical info. Last is with special effects supervisor Tassimo Baur
(17 min), explaining his role with stunts, shootings, and explosions, for
example. All the interviews have clips from the film, and they are solo talking
head style, but the content is better than the form.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">Added is the VHS version of
<i>Witchtrap</i> (92 mins, with some of the extra gore removed thanks to the
ratings board that wanted to give it an “X”). I did not watch this, only the
uncut main film, not seen until the Blu-ray/DVD release. Last is a mostly
on-set photo gallery and the original trailer, as well as other company coming attractions
of films from the period. On the physical side, there is a reversible cover
artwork and a really nice collectible poster, and for the technical, this is a
“High Definition (1080p) presentation of the main feature in its original
1.85:1 aspect ratio, scanned and restored in 2K in 2016 from the 35mm
Interpositive.” The audio is LPCM 2.0 Mono, and there are optional English
subtitles.</span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><o:p><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTS2IC8fL_gUU6l7ysJv-nttQwqW5cUvRsZQj-R1FrC310O8Bs25Ft0Bov0c2x8IIGDJ-x6mf5uWjCT9NYJoD7BRJ0aWPhMJsrKpUtTpNXEyqSAoXqjqo21bvJ9lZyEI1dQZGeew-1NxnNOSkx572yAAL_YpCCzaZHReYzZc42Bwnn-N-1KSAQIdYNMGw/s498/h280_38976492.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="280" data-original-width="498" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTS2IC8fL_gUU6l7ysJv-nttQwqW5cUvRsZQj-R1FrC310O8Bs25Ft0Bov0c2x8IIGDJ-x6mf5uWjCT9NYJoD7BRJ0aWPhMJsrKpUtTpNXEyqSAoXqjqo21bvJ9lZyEI1dQZGeew-1NxnNOSkx572yAAL_YpCCzaZHReYzZc42Bwnn-N-1KSAQIdYNMGw/w400-h225/h280_38976492.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></div><p></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">Considering the budget and
some of my comments, this is actually a surprisingly enjoyable film nearly all
the way through. The effects are effective, it is shot well, and as is mentioned
often in the commentary and interviews, the lighting throughout is quite
noteworthy with its mixing of shadow and light.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">This fits in well with the
pantheon of 1980s horror cinema, despite its low budget, and even though it was
released at the end of the decade, its heart is definitely on a VHS shelf,
though seeing the full, uncut version is special.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">IMDB listing <i><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0098662/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0_tt_8_nm_0_q_witchtrap" target="_blank">HERE</a></i><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/pnvcNPDPTwQ" width="320" youtube-src-id="pnvcNPDPTwQ"></iframe></div><br /><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><br /></p>Robert Barry Francoshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17403914616932689149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5357058400646807069.post-83236645777512763842023-06-27T01:00:00.067-06:002023-06-27T01:00:00.140-06:00Documentary Review: The Dogman Triangle: Werewolves in the Lone Star State<p><span style="font-size: medium;">Text © Richard Gary / Indie Horror Films, 2023<br />Images from the Internet</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 8.4pt; margin-top: 0cm; vertical-align: baseline;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuwOhh-GBI0hFsXajA6urt2JKZkcGyqdMEpWte2qiApbxaPHeclx0baBzEh_OSEsmUgd9vF8SAcD-wrvqCKVEjDvls2-FCKQ1Z5w1OeNBxsrn67DbzEqmqsrOh6yY3vgwUkRspCTyKFiTyDW7wpecjwlPLTCr18nvqCmGyiFIQh7wEjb6Rw4Zd5CDX/s281/MV5BZmE5NTlmZjctZmM4ZC00YzRmLWIyNDgtMjFlNGZlNjhjNGU0XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNjA3NjM5Njc@._V1_QL75_UX190_CR0,6,190,281_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="281" data-original-width="190" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuwOhh-GBI0hFsXajA6urt2JKZkcGyqdMEpWte2qiApbxaPHeclx0baBzEh_OSEsmUgd9vF8SAcD-wrvqCKVEjDvls2-FCKQ1Z5w1OeNBxsrn67DbzEqmqsrOh6yY3vgwUkRspCTyKFiTyDW7wpecjwlPLTCr18nvqCmGyiFIQh7wEjb6Rw4Zd5CDX/w270-h400/MV5BZmE5NTlmZjctZmM4ZC00YzRmLWIyNDgtMjFlNGZlNjhjNGU0XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNjA3NjM5Njc@._V1_QL75_UX190_CR0,6,190,281_.jpg" width="270" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>The Dogman Triangle: Werewolves in the
Lone Star State</b> <br />
<i>Directed by Seth Breedlove <br />
Small Town Monsters; 1091 Pictures<br />
74 minutes, 2023<br />
<span class="MsoHyperlink">www.smalltownmonsters.com/</span></i><span class="MsoHyperlink"><br />
</span><span class="MsoHyperlink"><i><a href="https://www.facebook.com/smltownmonsters">www.facebook.com/smltownmonsters</a>
<br />
</i></span><i>#IndieHorrorFilms #DogmanTriangle
#SmallTownMonsters #Cryptid #werewolf<o:p></o:p></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">Growing up watching the
classic Universal monster films as a kid, creatures hold a soft spot for me.
This is especially true for werewolves, for some reason. Where is Larry Talbot
when you need him?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">But director Seth
Breedlove goes beyond into the realm of cryptids, urban legends that posits
monsters like <a href="https://indiehorrorfilms.blogspot.com/2021/06/review-on-trail-of-bigfoot-journey.html" target="_blank">Bigfoot </a>and the <a href="https://indiehorrorfilms.blogspot.com/2022/11/documentary-review-bloodlines-jersey.html" target="_blank">Jersey Devil</a> are possibly real. While I do not believe so, I tend to enjoy stories about
cryptids, and especially Breedlove’s take on them.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">He has travelled around
the country looking for them, and as far as were-creatures, he covered this
topic in the more general <i><a href="https://indiehorrorfilms.blogspot.com/2022/07/documentary-review-american-werewolves.html" target="_blank">American Werewolf</a> </i>(2022). For this one, he ends up more specifically in the second largest state in the Union,
Texas, searching for the “Dogman” legend, a branch of werewolf. It would be
easy to make a joke about ZZ Top at this point, but I will move on…</span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg8tgLAAVv3uuFJclk2SEdlOLzxxTm3kwwTvpK6CrNafO3py3XsxxgZ8cn9QbZ_CKB3A5O7PVYdMEPgumgOytnkYk-KmP4DzUfO9Xq-fDy6d6at4K4n4s7IiiCvpbimfeNgOtgzEREMmgDs9Pucp99FgxqfzNGmva7c25n8WMiI8VFa2UPyIZe0PnA/s600/47ojucn0k2tsnfc3hfpc7q645n._SY600_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg8tgLAAVv3uuFJclk2SEdlOLzxxTm3kwwTvpK6CrNafO3py3XsxxgZ8cn9QbZ_CKB3A5O7PVYdMEPgumgOytnkYk-KmP4DzUfO9Xq-fDy6d6at4K4n4s7IiiCvpbimfeNgOtgzEREMmgDs9Pucp99FgxqfzNGmva7c25n8WMiI8VFa2UPyIZe0PnA/w320-h320/47ojucn0k2tsnfc3hfpc7q645n._SY600_.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Aaron Deese</i></td></tr></tbody></table></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">Based on the findings of
author Aaron Deese’s 2023 book, <i>The Dogman Triangle </i>(he is also former
Editor in Chief of <i>Paranormality Magazine</i>), Deese joins paranormal
expert, author, podcaster (“Into the Fray Radio”), perennial Small Town
Monsters host, and often Havana hat wearer Shannon LeGro on a tour of the Deep
South, focusing on three points in the State (hence the “triangle” part), San
Antonio, Dallas, and Houston, covering about 700 square miles. Each “point” is
a chapter title.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">It is important to note
that though the word “werewolf” is bandied about because there is no official
categorization, the term “dogman” is more accurate; in other words, it is not a
person who converts into a wolf as in the lore, but rather falls into cryptozoology
as a large wolf that can walk on two legs like a human. As with many cryptid
monsters, the descriptions vary from “eyewitnesses” to the perceived form. I
find this somewhat naturalistic version more interesting that the supernatural
one in regard to transformations.</span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo9AIR6wE5PtfW-1jof2GNfQPSO58GFZykzyMoMLqsXd2HxHZ52EDDnVjO7VeqlU-XzkqMArZUJFEqGps7S5NK-lDKbaXThbZakFlHYMd0ujDxkRbFQnY78wRN8DxQKj070fWUeYnmc5ngYiGB9T5YuOCg3O4-2EjvnrFf1K_Xu9LQ1Q83pZBZV1k6/s1920/MV5BNWYzNjA2MmItM2RlZC00ZTZhLWE1YjMtYzk3YmNlNGUyYzlmXkEyXkFqcGdeQWRpZWdtb25n._V1_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo9AIR6wE5PtfW-1jof2GNfQPSO58GFZykzyMoMLqsXd2HxHZ52EDDnVjO7VeqlU-XzkqMArZUJFEqGps7S5NK-lDKbaXThbZakFlHYMd0ujDxkRbFQnY78wRN8DxQKj070fWUeYnmc5ngYiGB9T5YuOCg3O4-2EjvnrFf1K_Xu9LQ1Q83pZBZV1k6/w400-h225/MV5BNWYzNjA2MmItM2RlZC00ZTZhLWE1YjMtYzk3YmNlNGUyYzlmXkEyXkFqcGdeQWRpZWdtb25n._V1_.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Shannon LeGro</i></td></tr></tbody></table></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">There are three levels of observers
scattered throughout the documentary. The first is the retelling of the
folklore legends, usually dealing with the late 1800s to the 1950s, such as
storytellers Ken Gerhard, Lyle Blackburn, and Nick Redfern from Britain. Then
there are the third- and second-hand stories of people who knew people (e.g., neighbor,
dad) that had a sighting, but did not have them on their own, like JoJo Santana
and James Witter. Finally, there are those who claim they saw the dogman (or
something like it), including Dawn and Michael Lucker, both of whom have
different descriptions of size (a difference of 4 feet in height when upright).
Worth noting, also, is Nick Losoya, an Apache who talks about a more <a href="https://indiehorrorfilms.blogspot.com/2021/09/review-skinwalker-howl-of-rougarou.html" target="_blank">skinwalker/loupagrou</a> legend of the Indigenous people.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">I like that the
documentary addresses the possibilities of misidentification by the witnesses,
such as a mangy bear (which can walk on its hind legs) or a wolf-dog hybrid
(there are technically no wolves in Texas, but they explain it here), but fall
back to it being a canid creature.</span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz-zCOQQMFAV8YCKctxT0-ZpiH0jLEQIZxr3yL5L1eqZipK1pGpjVMqA_dO2ylbHnp-VSwdcUUIweApJiyko9sKGBriJNZKTilW7sXQ2-sMFDdo7RXJTlzMcvQ8SXwoaxYfMSGd_9nHYfr1BDJ2cpzDF6FxOiOejWAoRSLHmt6xPZCHoB_txDLlgNV/s1920/MV5BYzE1YTFmMjAtNmY1ZS00MzU2LWI2NmItNmQzN2I5Y2I2NTkwXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNjA3NjM5Njc@._V1_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz-zCOQQMFAV8YCKctxT0-ZpiH0jLEQIZxr3yL5L1eqZipK1pGpjVMqA_dO2ylbHnp-VSwdcUUIweApJiyko9sKGBriJNZKTilW7sXQ2-sMFDdo7RXJTlzMcvQ8SXwoaxYfMSGd_9nHYfr1BDJ2cpzDF6FxOiOejWAoRSLHmt6xPZCHoB_txDLlgNV/w400-h225/MV5BYzE1YTFmMjAtNmY1ZS00MzU2LWI2NmItNmQzN2I5Y2I2NTkwXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNjA3NjM5Njc@._V1_.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Deese, LeGro</i></td></tr></tbody></table></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">Another direction they investigate
that was keen to my interest was the “after effect” of a sighting, such as that
of Tex Wesson, who suffered from PTSD for a while afterwards, and he is not the
only one who mentions that in the film. In the many cryptid docs I have seen,
this is an area that I do not remember being explored much, and honestly, I
would love to see an entire film on just that: the psychology of the effects of
seeing a cryptozoology subject in the flesh.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">As for “tangible proof,”
there is some given, such as footprints (though the two shown are totally different),
a couple of grainy videos, and an audio track of howling. What we are mostly
presented with are some incredible artwork by Johnathan Dodd (one of the
financial supporters of this film, along with many, many others, is <i>Swamp
Thing</i> illustrator Stephen R. Bissette) and animation by Chris Sealf. Also
worth noting is the eerie music soundtrack by Brandon Dalo.</span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja2fjgTAL63lARE0z6GKlgmOsEUm89DOrQDPqRsLujTfxk0-3MAJw3uzWCrE9cBa-NGKknt1vhYxb8_0tgQ7C5nkbXpwXDGXSdVmHpdMMPc7s3mR_VAMUv_-sbFssrKYUo1YnElKGiqNH06S3EWLxK87kEnphR5N-stz0BSqdcemES_v61PQHdryvx/s568/TheDogmanTriangle-568x320.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="568" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja2fjgTAL63lARE0z6GKlgmOsEUm89DOrQDPqRsLujTfxk0-3MAJw3uzWCrE9cBa-NGKknt1vhYxb8_0tgQ7C5nkbXpwXDGXSdVmHpdMMPc7s3mR_VAMUv_-sbFssrKYUo1YnElKGiqNH06S3EWLxK87kEnphR5N-stz0BSqdcemES_v61PQHdryvx/w400-h225/TheDogmanTriangle-568x320.webp" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">Considering the sheer
volume of <a href="https://worldpopulationreview.com/state-rankings/guns-per-capita" target="_blank">guns in the state</a> (the most registered arms at 21 per 1,000 people), how are these things not
hunted, extinct, and mounted on a mantlepiece like a deer head?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">Fortunately for us, there
is the promise that “Aaron Deese will return…” at the end of the credits. Goody!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">Available on Cable VOD and
Digital HD, as well as 1091 Pictures, iTunes, Amazon Prime Video, Vudu
and FandangoNOW.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">IMDB listing <i><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt27643013/?ref_=nm_flmg_unrel_1_prd" target="_blank">HERE</a></i></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Canr0UJrjSg" width="320" youtube-src-id="Canr0UJrjSg"></iframe></div>Robert Barry Francoshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17403914616932689149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5357058400646807069.post-27366821335707005132023-06-25T01:00:00.056-06:002023-06-25T01:00:00.156-06:00Review: The Sound of Summer<p><span style="font-size: medium;"><i><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;">Text © Richard
Gary / Indie Horror Films, 2023<br /></span></i><i><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;">Images from the Internet</span></i></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;"><o:p><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></o:p></span></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI77rEcPmIjRJ3c5jp6jAnHGLgS9EcdwQqlsO9SsxGdzzDdgsKfJhNdMWnRawvb_mU0Un8FDuKCilB8iRa3TxMrkUv6IRIB35vwXkOxgelqsAP3B1fvIDb-c1cqUHZ_9FgXg7VcLrWsuI24WwilKHMW6vUGrS-hyRvBwmWofxZ-HjeYrtcF7GQQSZR/s1765/UN-1150.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1765" data-original-width="1542" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI77rEcPmIjRJ3c5jp6jAnHGLgS9EcdwQqlsO9SsxGdzzDdgsKfJhNdMWnRawvb_mU0Un8FDuKCilB8iRa3TxMrkUv6IRIB35vwXkOxgelqsAP3B1fvIDb-c1cqUHZ_9FgXg7VcLrWsuI24WwilKHMW6vUGrS-hyRvBwmWofxZ-HjeYrtcF7GQQSZR/s320/UN-1150.jpg" width="280" /></a></span></i></div><p></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>The Sound of Summer</b> <br />
<i><span lang="EN-US">Directed
by Guy (aka Guy Pierce, Guy Fragments)<br />
Sculpting Fragments; Unearthed Films; MVD Visual<br />
75 minutes, 2022</span><span class="MsoHyperlink"><br />
</span></i><span class="MsoHyperlink"><i>www.unearthedvideo.com<br />
</i></span><a href="https://mvdb2b.com/s/TheSoundOfSummer/UN-1150"><i>https://mvdb2b.com/s/TheSoundOfSummer/UN-1150</i></a><span class="MsoHyperlink"><i> <o:p></o:p></i></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">In James Clavell’s 1975
opus, <i>Sh</i><i>ō</i><i>gun</i>, he posits, “The Japanese
have six faces and three hearts.” Society is incredibly different in the
present than in feudal times when the novel took place, and life has become
more in sync with the West. But when viewing art cinema, even in the Asia extreme
cinema category, this quote can become more than just a philosophy.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">A lonely young woman (cute
Kaori Hoshino) – whom I will refer to as Her, as no names are given for the
characters – works in as a barista in a coffee shop during a sweltering summer
in Japan (with English subtitles, though there is minimal dialogue). It is
102F/39C and it seems no one has air conditioning. It reminds me of that
episode of “The Twilight Zone” called “The Midnight Sun” (1961), where the
Earth is moving closer to the flaming orb. One can almost feel the heat
radiating off the monitor.</span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><o:p><span style="font-size: medium;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-HFCJvqifWI1ailrppD_rrFNAZOC_x-pjtHpWeLl-lQn4E-rcNVXc8-j7k0EFnWq770fImH1CcfNCM4exiuedbq7PJoqol2ITzo8F9mOUNOInuBhz66b5w_oRZ8oRXmaRV0t7uaBr91hrY8l8vc2OkwvLgUTElI8VUjCqkdXgwszQDUKZENsOhJVD/s1520/sound-of-summer-promo-photo-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1013" data-original-width="1520" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-HFCJvqifWI1ailrppD_rrFNAZOC_x-pjtHpWeLl-lQn4E-rcNVXc8-j7k0EFnWq770fImH1CcfNCM4exiuedbq7PJoqol2ITzo8F9mOUNOInuBhz66b5w_oRZ8oRXmaRV0t7uaBr91hrY8l8vc2OkwvLgUTElI8VUjCqkdXgwszQDUKZENsOhJVD/w400-h266/sound-of-summer-promo-photo-1.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Kaori Hoshino</i></td></tr></tbody></table></span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">Because it is summer, the
large flying insects called <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cicada" target="_blank">cicadas </a>(there is a variation of the species in the American
Southeast) are in large numbers and if you do not know, they make a loud
rubbing noise, usually through the night. That sound is the source of the
film’s title. Unnervingly, this is keeping our heroine awake, along with the
heat. Lack of sleep and high temperatures can have a negative effect on one’s
mental health.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">Into the coffee shop comes
a sweaty middle-aged man with a mask, a net, and a couple of cases filled with
cicadas. He begins coming in often, each time dressed identically, and with the
same containers full of captured critters.</span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><o:p><span style="font-size: medium;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTl4I-88k5ifuoc9ZjqC0l8dacYlBAdrTMKIcEyDIvBrlJo5NJ7YkqJZLJsej0y3qDpI39len92y3SwTWO1flWcpVNFfaNrhkLg2DjDIgHyvFsPyG2qToMj_8brJ8_1ZoEw5zea_txGRjlsW7SzbW-Pqit-GEOXNfy6YpMLyltAlocm2VYm6_UUQ2T/s1024/2-copy-4.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="501" data-original-width="1024" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTl4I-88k5ifuoc9ZjqC0l8dacYlBAdrTMKIcEyDIvBrlJo5NJ7YkqJZLJsej0y3qDpI39len92y3SwTWO1flWcpVNFfaNrhkLg2DjDIgHyvFsPyG2qToMj_8brJ8_1ZoEw5zea_txGRjlsW7SzbW-Pqit-GEOXNfy6YpMLyltAlocm2VYm6_UUQ2T/w400-h196/2-copy-4.webp" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Shinya Hankawa</i></td></tr></tbody></table></span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">As the summer wears on and
the heat is unrelenting, Her breaks out in itchy rashes and scratches herself
bloody, and begins slipping from reality, believing that the “Cicada Man” (Shinya
Hankawa) as he is called by her and her coworker (Kiyomi Kametani) is visiting
her at night, and infecting her with cicada eggs.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">Being released by
Unearthed Films, it should come as no surprise this leads into body horror, as
she scratches and starts to remove skin, with lots of blood and gore for those
who are drawn to that. The practical effects are done by Susumu Nakatani, who
does an amazing job at bringing out the squeamish body manipulations.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">And what makes this
arthouse fare? Well, part of it is the very, very slow burn that starts the
story, and with the high temperatures, the term “burn” feels appropriate. Once
the Cicada Man visits Her at night, or perhaps in her dreams, is when the red
sauce begins to show and flow. All this is underscored (literally) by the
soundtrack by synth composer Microchip Terror.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">The story and look of this
are quite plain and basic, without arty shots or dialogue, despite the wild and
swirling camerawork in the third act, but it still retains a certain pace that
elevates it to a higher plain. There is also a question of psychology feeding
into this style: is Her infected with cicada eggs, or is it all in her mind,
twisted by the continuous heat?</span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><o:p><span style="font-size: medium;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUkdLZV1CMuMyJZH1ls4vBlx9SSu_Q238IIDBbMX0jMGi4xwojm6yAt_HamYN-IAL1IuE9_rOo8hR7sKR6a0FPSw5xgMZrE9titAC3NGuo2boMsUyGK4HZJRN1Iv2dWZPn8rNelrAdvtz_hPWfRHltZ36KQJ-8eOEmFPOa8sUZlmRTTeiCuUqGpVyN/s1920/MV5BZTUyYzMyZTEtMGI3NS00NzEyLTgyNTUtZmQ1YmFiZjBkMGM1XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyOTc5MDI5NjE@._V1_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUkdLZV1CMuMyJZH1ls4vBlx9SSu_Q238IIDBbMX0jMGi4xwojm6yAt_HamYN-IAL1IuE9_rOo8hR7sKR6a0FPSw5xgMZrE9titAC3NGuo2boMsUyGK4HZJRN1Iv2dWZPn8rNelrAdvtz_hPWfRHltZ36KQJ-8eOEmFPOa8sUZlmRTTeiCuUqGpVyN/w400-h225/MV5BZTUyYzMyZTEtMGI3NS00NzEyLTgyNTUtZmQ1YmFiZjBkMGM1XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyOTc5MDI5NjE@._V1_.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Keita Kusaka</i></td></tr></tbody></table></span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">In almost <i>The Fly</i>
(1986)-like fashion, she picks at her body bit by bit, pulling out what she
believes are hatchling cicadas. The doctor (Keita Kusaka) accuses her of delusions
of parasitosis, where one is convinced that they are infested by parasites.
Considering her physical condition, I do not understand why the doc does not
have her committed, or at the very least to the Emergency Room. But that would
be the end of the story, so it soldiers on.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">The big reveal of the
Cicada Man is intense, again reminiscent of <i>The Fly</i>, but the question
remains of how much of it is reality, and to what level is it imagined. Either
way, it looks amazing.</span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><o:p><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1Obl7VKTfKlrULoCQypd9apLr2eTJDLRxo60_hBt2aYbdFdCaGA_7KqbqIXiqa4PtoGukvYf-FyVaz2ecOkPKTvmEHqVJJImzlRmtq0sudtmJMVLKvAz27rmXXsn4tBO6XpkUeOVc_YT_DBllavu7vH8w_E0wagmqSeWxsRJq0E-rJEBUjXG60bm7/s500/sound-summer.feature-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="282" data-original-width="500" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1Obl7VKTfKlrULoCQypd9apLr2eTJDLRxo60_hBt2aYbdFdCaGA_7KqbqIXiqa4PtoGukvYf-FyVaz2ecOkPKTvmEHqVJJImzlRmtq0sudtmJMVLKvAz27rmXXsn4tBO6XpkUeOVc_YT_DBllavu7vH8w_E0wagmqSeWxsRJq0E-rJEBUjXG60bm7/w400-h225/sound-summer.feature-2.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></div><p></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">The extras on the Blu-ray start
with the “Behind the Scenes” (45 min) that is a mixture of “how it was shot” and
mucking around by the filmmakers and cast, but my favorite parts were the
application of the SFX make-up. On “Tokyo Talkshow” (34 min) is the director
Guy, cult genre director Shozin Fukui, and the two directors of the film <i><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt22766976/" target="_blank">LOUD</a></i>, after the on-stream premiere of both <i>The Sound of Summer </i>and <i>LOUD</i>.
Last is the Japanese Premiere (42 min), which introduces three members of the principle
cast and director to the audience. I have found many times these kinds of pre-
or post-screening interviews tend to have terrible audio. Here, however, it is
nice and crisp, and there are easy-to-read subtitles, as they are mostly in
Japanese. There is also a trailer for this and another Guy short.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">The director, Guy, is
actually a native of Britain who has been living in Japan for several years and
is fluent in the language. In this being his first full-length feature, he
brings the sensibilities of both to the project, giving it a slightly different
touch than from either. Oh, I would still label this under “Asian Extreme”
(yeah, there are people who do not like that term, though it is accurate), but
the plain and simple structure is totally Western influenced. It helps that he
was aided by his co-conspirator of the film, Dave Jackson who directed <i><a href="https://indiehorrorfilms.blogspot.com/2018/07/review-cat-sick-blues.html" target="_blank">Cat Sick Blues</a></i> (2016). </span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">Honestly, I do not
necessarily have a fear of insects <i>per se</i> (though I am not fond of them
on my body or floating around my head), this was a bit extreme on the <i>effects
</i>of the insects, not of the creatures themselves. While a fun ride, once it
kicks into gear, consider yourself forewarned if you suffer from entomophobia,
sometimes known as insectophobia.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">MDB listing <i><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt21206302/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1" target="_blank">HERE</a></i><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/LOaaptIDWX0" width="320" youtube-src-id="LOaaptIDWX0"></iframe></div>Robert Barry Francoshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17403914616932689149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5357058400646807069.post-59098634467497318382023-06-20T01:00:00.057-06:002023-06-20T01:00:00.155-06:00Review: The Tank<p><span style="font-size: medium;">Text © Richard Gary / Indie Horror Films, 2023<br />Images from the Internet</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 8.4pt; margin-top: 0cm; vertical-align: baseline;"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></o:p></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh3iJqXeidrZAy7RnUoe8PLJHu_OsT0PyyCK9H95ljEL40TFSQSbujo6KuMgS4VY6j7v6cq8C6pqVEgGwaVT3vKlu02k5-wvifAGpqrx-_QakyYAhdYIOsdr-wmqyDPOLyaHFQsZTKHd79_6fQ1_6lCSZ1jpq23m06rmbXSbYj0HFcBptXkJtutqHl/s1482/MV5BOWViZWFlMzgtN2ZjYi00NjIzLWI4MjAtZTE5YWY2ZGRjN2U4XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTQzNTA5MzYz._V1_FMjpg_UX1000_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1482" data-original-width="1000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh3iJqXeidrZAy7RnUoe8PLJHu_OsT0PyyCK9H95ljEL40TFSQSbujo6KuMgS4VY6j7v6cq8C6pqVEgGwaVT3vKlu02k5-wvifAGpqrx-_QakyYAhdYIOsdr-wmqyDPOLyaHFQsZTKHd79_6fQ1_6lCSZ1jpq23m06rmbXSbYj0HFcBptXkJtutqHl/w270-h400/MV5BOWViZWFlMzgtN2ZjYi00NjIzLWI4MjAtZTE5YWY2ZGRjN2U4XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTQzNTA5MzYz._V1_FMjpg_UX1000_.jpg" width="270" /></a></span></div><p></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>The Tank</b>
<br />
<i>Directed by </i><a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm5408116/?ref_=tt_ov_dr"><i><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none;">Scott</span></i></a><i> Walker<br />
Corner Stone; Ajax Pictures; GFC Films; Happy Dog Entertainment; Ingenious
Media; Well Go USA Entertainment<br />
100 minutes, 2023<br />
</i><a href="https://wellgousa.com/films/tank"><i>https://wellgousa.com/films/tank</i></a><i><br />
</i><a href="http://bit.ly/Hi-YAHhome" target="_blank"><i><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none;">www.hiyahtv.com</span></i></a><i><br />
#TheTank @WellGoUSA<o:p></o:p></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">To be honest, I found the
title a bit confusing: an armed military vehicle, or something like a septic
tank? Well, it is kinda-sorta more like the second. But what it holds is hardly
bodily discards. Remember, this is a horror film. What is more, it is a
creature feature, always one of my favorite genres.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">After a quick prologue, we
meet lizard/amphibian expert Jules (Luciane Buchanan) and Ben (Matt Whelan), who
have a young daughter, Reia (Zara Nausbaum), and own a struggling pet shop in
Oakland, CA. Much to their surprise, they have inherited a property on the coast
of Oregon. What is even more startling is that this was filmed in New Zealand.
You would never know it by the lack of accents and the place descriptions,
though much of the cast is from there. Cool.</span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><o:p><span style="font-size: medium;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBnyICD7_Oy26bNn23_B-KmNXUkH3tvv1YJXEQgd3bl7cmAXcGaKYE9eZuvTtFA3JITxAbzwxi7RtO5IepiWLh3mzanJknzzy-PrOaPdB3CDlniFuvJdnOjZpGpULhPGeHIB3lfUVcjarQ0JcEVd5KocUOaBKNutXEBSH1PPu6l8qVFGeqA3b_sSBV/s443/The-Tank-movie-film-horror-creature-feature-2023-review-reviews-Luciane-Buchanan.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="250" data-original-width="443" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBnyICD7_Oy26bNn23_B-KmNXUkH3tvv1YJXEQgd3bl7cmAXcGaKYE9eZuvTtFA3JITxAbzwxi7RtO5IepiWLh3mzanJknzzy-PrOaPdB3CDlniFuvJdnOjZpGpULhPGeHIB3lfUVcjarQ0JcEVd5KocUOaBKNutXEBSH1PPu6l8qVFGeqA3b_sSBV/w400-h226/The-Tank-movie-film-horror-creature-feature-2023-review-reviews-Luciane-Buchanan.webp" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Luciane Buchanan</i></td></tr></tbody></table></span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">It would not be revealing
anything to say the three head up north to check the place out, to see whether
they want to sell the house that has been vacant (of humans) since 1946. I
mean, otherwise this film would be about 10 minutes, right? It is right on the Pacific
(hence, “the coast”) and the view is spectacular (I drove down the coast of
Oregon a few years ago, and can attest to its beauty), but it is surrounded on
all the other sides by woods, and it is a long drive up a crap road to get to
it (once you get past the fallen tree across the road, so you have to walk part
of it and expose yourself to what lies beneath).</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">Once we finally get
through all the exposition of the first part of the film, things begin to get a
bit bumpy. They find the lid to the titular buried water tank/well beside the
house, which leads to a series of caves (which reminded me of the well at
Barnaby’s house in 1934’s <i>March of the Wooden Soldiers</i>…too obscure?).
There is something making screaming noises and that creaking sound that has
been appearing in so many films since <i>Ju-on</i> (<i>The Grudge</i>, 2002) –
or was it used first in <i>Ringu</i> (<i>The Ring</i>, 1998)? – reverberating
through the whole house. Speaking of which, and I have said this before because
it is such a common trope, someone walking through an environment (in this case
house) in the dark with a light, should never be longer than two minutes, or the
tension dissipates into annoyance.</span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><o:p><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjks3jJTkBPlvHGrdmIplU1giJhqulwGlITBZLkjBGYNZXf6VoEye-xXwUps6aOCptJWy2nalGpi5OXLTSiCJXIQcxLnrEgLyJP-BnEvFs5_EvQWLUfdO9CCz6UJv6k23C766UB2ISzOeOjnpPlnpzZe4ynu48m7KyGWBhUQ3zCs02MKBIp0lVB6tgi/s1321/image005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="594" data-original-width="1321" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjks3jJTkBPlvHGrdmIplU1giJhqulwGlITBZLkjBGYNZXf6VoEye-xXwUps6aOCptJWy2nalGpi5OXLTSiCJXIQcxLnrEgLyJP-BnEvFs5_EvQWLUfdO9CCz6UJv6k23C766UB2ISzOeOjnpPlnpzZe4ynu48m7KyGWBhUQ3zCs02MKBIp0lVB6tgi/w400-h180/image005.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></div><p></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The
body-suit creature looks great (not CGI, as well), designed by Weta Workshop
and donned by contortionist-extraordinaire Regina Hegemann. That almost makes
the whole thing worth it by itself. Not too flashy and unrealistic, but a specimen
of evolution.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">This film definitely has
some issues, beyond that it would be a much better 80-minute film than one that
is 100 minutes. For example, there is too much projection of what is to come a
few times, such as Jules explaining about reactions of amphibians to their surroundings,
early on in the storyline; there are at least three or four that I caught.</span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><o:p><span style="font-size: medium;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOtS15KvCErM3zt0T8tb-g9Var7AyXaWVkVzJ2QWAhyW6F8tJgyHVgHe4sIFYFWKfk8SY8ezol5nVy6P9VIGxQziAR3qy5_Exhu4WChg2PzppGrwEoL1HVWk7VBWtZ2JLouFGZ75XWtyJS9tBdmMOmNKpyC0mtLBScwM3dGzJY8Umr5hOyTKqZgKVc/s1340/TheTank-CreatureFeatureHorrorThriller-WellGoUSA-1340x754-5.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="754" data-original-width="1340" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOtS15KvCErM3zt0T8tb-g9Var7AyXaWVkVzJ2QWAhyW6F8tJgyHVgHe4sIFYFWKfk8SY8ezol5nVy6P9VIGxQziAR3qy5_Exhu4WChg2PzppGrwEoL1HVWk7VBWtZ2JLouFGZ75XWtyJS9tBdmMOmNKpyC0mtLBScwM3dGzJY8Umr5hOyTKqZgKVc/w400-h225/TheTank-CreatureFeatureHorrorThriller-WellGoUSA-1340x754-5.webp" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Buchanan, Matt Whelan</i></td></tr></tbody></table></span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">But what I found most egregious,
was how many fights with the creature went on underwater. Sure, the camera followed
them down and was shot from under the surface, but the liquid was so murky, I
could not make heads or tails of what was happening other than movement. Did
the human succumb? Did the creature get polished off? Could not tell until the
conclusion of the incident when one or the other raised their heads above the liquid
level.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">A smart aspect was to set the
brunt of the story in 1968, when there were no cell phones or computers, though
considering how isolated was the location, there probably would not have been
service anyway. And since no one had lived in the house for over 20 years,
there was no working telephone. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><o:p><span style="font-size: medium;"> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWU3aMy4u6I_UD3mmzHlcqEMYgKlUxMeYcFsQ669_9qbTB5t18TwDR5yrSaNl_WQg68pI8d-LDpNQ6-TUugR0qRNXnFDn8IyFAfNhjzq6kuJMZWx_2iw7fPhNHHCPbW_wT_YhwCYaGRUXkhsazJvTvhdLaX10FwkIlVdqIDI4oLQE8QYxAK9YDxVur/s500/MV5BZmRlM2JjZWQtNGFlMi00Njc4LTgxZjEtNmYzOGZhMDI5MzZmXkEyXkFqcGdeQVRoaXJkUGFydHlJbmdlc3Rpb25Xb3JrZmxvdw@@._V1_QL75_UX500_CR0,0,500,281_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="210" data-original-width="500" height="168" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWU3aMy4u6I_UD3mmzHlcqEMYgKlUxMeYcFsQ669_9qbTB5t18TwDR5yrSaNl_WQg68pI8d-LDpNQ6-TUugR0qRNXnFDn8IyFAfNhjzq6kuJMZWx_2iw7fPhNHHCPbW_wT_YhwCYaGRUXkhsazJvTvhdLaX10FwkIlVdqIDI4oLQE8QYxAK9YDxVur/w400-h168/MV5BZmRlM2JjZWQtNGFlMi00Njc4LTgxZjEtNmYzOGZhMDI5MzZmXkEyXkFqcGdeQVRoaXJkUGFydHlJbmdlc3Rpb25Xb3JrZmxvdw@@._V1_QL75_UX500_CR0,0,500,281_.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Buchanan, Zara Nausbaum</i></td></tr></tbody></table></span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">Another plus is the cast:
Whelan and especially Buchanan fill their shoes well and have some chemistry. Nausbaum
does not really have much to do, other than cry, whimper, and scream, but she
does that quite well.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">I am fine with the low
body count (this could almost be considered more of a thriller than a horror),
but for those that are taken over to meet Osiris, the blood and gore look
superb.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">The release is definitely
a mixed bag, considering how I felt about watching it. I love a creature feature
film, generally, and was not disappointed by the beastie, nor the basic
storyline – despite its many “tells” – but it took too long to get its ass in
gear.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">The director and writer,
Scott Walker (not a member of the Walker Brothers, who sang “The Sun Ain’t
Gonna Shine Anymore”…I bet he is tired of hearing that), has one other feature
under his belt previously, <i>The Frozen Ground </i>(2013), starring Nicolas
Cage and John Cusack, which was well received. I am looking forward to Walker’s
work going forward, even though he seems to put out a film every decade or so.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">Oh, and stick around for partway through the credits.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">IMDB listing <i><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt14687418/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0_tt_7_nm_1_q_the%2520tank" target="_blank">HERE</a></i><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ugp6mE_0Rf4" width="320" youtube-src-id="ugp6mE_0Rf4"></iframe></div>Robert Barry Francoshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17403914616932689149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5357058400646807069.post-32985601232521617482023-06-17T01:00:00.031-06:002023-06-17T01:00:00.138-06:00Review: Eat the Rich<p><span style="font-size: medium;">Text © Richard Gary / Indie Horror Films, 2023<br />Images from the Internet</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 8.4pt; margin-top: 0cm; vertical-align: baseline;"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></o:p></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIXCxJClziTZGXNCn1EPNlH0QnhVySZoRlkr1pzdKpw2m3qrNSaXndZwMNKTvIzp_4xEfYW9NJuhJHay_b5byVJVMZ2teSLTAVnpvMNO9wQfL8zgI2tZ0QL_7RX5w4NusL2h38qm5Nz8NND50g-jn21Sw6rC9TQOerYVxIEkvRBdCytyI3VDs88xpk/s5100/MV5BZDE5MmFkYTYtYWIyMy00ZmQ3LWJiYTMtMGJhNTIzOGQzYjQ1XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyOTgxMzU0Mg@@._V1_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5100" data-original-width="3300" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIXCxJClziTZGXNCn1EPNlH0QnhVySZoRlkr1pzdKpw2m3qrNSaXndZwMNKTvIzp_4xEfYW9NJuhJHay_b5byVJVMZ2teSLTAVnpvMNO9wQfL8zgI2tZ0QL_7RX5w4NusL2h38qm5Nz8NND50g-jn21Sw6rC9TQOerYVxIEkvRBdCytyI3VDs88xpk/w259-h400/MV5BZDE5MmFkYTYtYWIyMy00ZmQ3LWJiYTMtMGJhNTIzOGQzYjQ1XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyOTgxMzU0Mg@@._V1_.jpg" width="259" /></a></span></div><p></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Eat the Rich</b>
<br />
<i>Directed by Kermit Merl Key<br />
Frog Lab<br />
</i><a href="http://www.facebook.com/FrogLabLLC"><i>www.facebook.com/FrogLabLLC</i></a><i> <br />
78 minutes, 2023<o:p></o:p></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">Over the past few years, I
have seen tee-shirts that read “Eat the Rich.” While not a cannibal myself, I
understand the deeper meaning of this slogan. Now let us add a little Covid and
some H.P. Lovecraft, whaddya say?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">This was filmed in Indiana
during the Covid crisis (yes, it was real), and right away during the b-roll’d
credits, lots of people are wearing masks. Cool cloth types, not the n95
medical ones. I still wear mine in crowded places, but I digress…</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">Senator Jim Richardson
(Raymond Kester) is a right wing racist, homophobic, and misogynistic jackhole Congressman
who harasses wait staff in a restaurant (for example) and uses words like “cuc”
about people wearing masks, even if it <i>is</i> mandated. Total DeSantis-ville
mentality. Less than five minutes in, and I hope some comeuppance is in store
for this yahoo, as I feel about any of these morons going around annoying
workers who have no say in policy and especially if they put it online. But
again, I digress…</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">Statuesque Evie Elkins (Morgan
Bow), a single mom, works in a dead-end job as a waitress for a tyrant boss and
lives with her parents. Money is tight for her and her friends as well. They
are Joey (Dakota Bruton) and her level-headed boyfriend Mark (Evan Lahee), and Evie’s
new boyfriend Adam (Cody Alexander). They all hang out on Zoom playing Dungeons
and Dragons, and complain about their fates, the mandates, and having to deal
with MAGAs in the workplace, as Joey states.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">Adam’s politics are as far
Left as Richardson’s is to the Right, spewing a Marxist-kinda vibe and jibe,
saying things like “plutocratic oligarchy.” And now he has done gone and
kidnapped Richardson and taken him to a hideaway house (cabin in the woods?)
with a hot tub, dragging the other three into danger with the law, and so much
more. As we see in the very opening, there is something “different” about Adam.
Thing is with kidnapping anyone, especially politicians, someone must end up
dead, either the kidnappers or the kidnappee. Way of the world, and especially genre
films.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">Yes, there is some deep
shit politics going on here, but it takes the side of the people who are
struggling, which thanks to the Trump tax cuts for the one percent, high costs
of medical care in the middle of a pandemic, and just trying to survive, this
is not about power – well, perhaps it is for Adam – but more about the
desperation of the working class in a country in which those in the money and power
(usually the same) spew hatred towards society’s base. I do not mean for this
to sound like a screed, though it is plain which political side I am on.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">This is obviously
micro-budget (for which I support) and it could have easily have just been a
tale of a kidnapping, a la <i>Death and the Maiden </i>(1994), but more like <i><a href="https://indiehorrorfilms.blogspot.com/2016/05/review-sheep-skin.html" target="_blank">SheepSkin</a> </i>(2013), this takes it to a horror level with a beastie (the title kinda gives it away, as
does the prologue, but I will not reveal the details).</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">This makes me think of the
flip of the attempt to kidnap Democratic Michigan governor Gretchen Whitmer,
where in this case it is Lefties doing the deed rather than the Right’s
attempt. Perhaps that almost-taking inspired this story?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">When the film starts, what
confused me is the added visual glitches and (sometimes literal) noise added to
the film, without it being found footage. But it is not just a stylistic choice:
as things become clearer, the more unnerving it gets (a good thing), the more
it becomes a character, representing chaos and entropy.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">Once the social strata
commentary stops and the woo part of the story begins, the action certainly
picks up.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">The film looks good, employing
some filters to give moods, or a deep blue one to represent night. It all works
together well. The digital SFX are, honestly, quite cheesy looking, such as some
electric flashes looking like it came from a 1980s low budget sci-fi film.
Again, this is a micro-budgeter, so it is more the meaning than the
demonstration.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">This is the director’s
first feature, and while it has some issues here and there, such as being weighed
down a bit by philosophy and social commentary, the story itself is enjoyable,
and just from viewing this, I can tell that there is some good work coming out
of Key going forward. This is definitely a solid start.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">Can be found free on Tubi <i><a href="https://tubitv.com/movies/100001875/eat-the-rich?start=true" target="_blank">HERE</a></i><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">IMDB listing <i><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt14555212/?ref_=fn_al_tt_3" target="_blank">HERE</a></i><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/FaTAEdDMk8o" width="320" youtube-src-id="FaTAEdDMk8o"></iframe></div>Robert Barry Francoshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17403914616932689149noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5357058400646807069.post-19864502144249233612023-06-15T01:00:00.071-06:002023-06-15T01:00:00.140-06:00Review: Mad Heidi<p><span style="font-size: medium;">Text © Richard Gary / Indie Horror Films, 2023<br />Images from the Internet</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 8.4pt; margin-top: 0cm; vertical-align: baseline;"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></o:p></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1uq7bn9fXCGcyiviA4Iev-YdK4wHvnWMiwkpLxGqGXXZCbijmoFkN4ziesmwPwvhd0GGoWUpoibXElEVptAyk9E6UJfXwf5yP9IrYstktTsYf_MxpNtIT7a5KhmpkAHkH-OM86fS8OHr-FEh6mQwDu7DVk-Mu2vOkijZ59ulQjOy58RdYoNiIiddA/s8386/MADHEIDI_OfficialPoster_Final_V7_USA_APR4%20(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="8386" data-original-width="6024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1uq7bn9fXCGcyiviA4Iev-YdK4wHvnWMiwkpLxGqGXXZCbijmoFkN4ziesmwPwvhd0GGoWUpoibXElEVptAyk9E6UJfXwf5yP9IrYstktTsYf_MxpNtIT7a5KhmpkAHkH-OM86fS8OHr-FEh6mQwDu7DVk-Mu2vOkijZ59ulQjOy58RdYoNiIiddA/w288-h400/MADHEIDI_OfficialPoster_Final_V7_USA_APR4%20(1).jpg" width="288" /></a></span></div><p></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Mad Heidi</b>
<br />
<i>Directed by Johannes Hartmann; Sandro
Klopfstein<br />
Swissploitation Films; A Film Company; SRF (Swiss Radio and Television); Raven
Banner Entertainment<br />
92 minutes, 2022 / 2023<br />
</i><a href="http://www.madheidie.com/"><i>www.madheidie.com</i></a><span class="MsoHyperlink"><i><br />
</i></span><a href="http://www.facebook.com/madheidimovie"><i>www.facebook.com/madheidimovie</i></a><span class="MsoHyperlink"><br />
</span><a href="http://www.instagram.com/madheidimovie/"><i>www.instagram.com/madheidimovie/</i></a><i> <o:p></o:p></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">Before there was Pippi
Longstocking (1945), before Laura Ingalls (<i>Little House on the Prairie</i>,
1932), and previous to Anne Shirley (<i>Anne of Green Gables</i>, 1908), there
was Heidi, first published in 1880 by Johanna Spyri. In this story, Heidi has
gone from an innocent and yodeling 5-year-old mountain girl into a strong, <i>angry</i>
24-year-old woman. She is a badass.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">From the moment I saw the
trailer for <i>Mad Heidi</i>, I knew I wanted – perhaps <i>needed</i> – to see
this. Filmed in Switzerland, this is apparently a new subgenre being referred
to (by its producers) as <i>Swissploitation</i>. Gotta love it. Mostly in English,
there is minimal Swiss German, as well.</span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><o:p><span style="font-size: medium;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh3E19ct0tTD80o5s0vLnMZIUIeWRXPD7UmZ0_tnKVKIcr0_Ijym_uijxRCFn4vmKUULgvycNTZ7ISq3xPlKzTel_Arpf_FUHuAFlnPaUsGinOw2Y0O7agWVEoD8xDTWzpJ9JOTFNbzEa9Ye5u3XlDaOrBEIavNOndnEr1iA4xCQMYi0pI3ZCaZozg/s1920/MadHeidi_Still_14_%C2%A9SwissploitationFilms_72dpi.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="804" data-original-width="1920" height="168" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh3E19ct0tTD80o5s0vLnMZIUIeWRXPD7UmZ0_tnKVKIcr0_Ijym_uijxRCFn4vmKUULgvycNTZ7ISq3xPlKzTel_Arpf_FUHuAFlnPaUsGinOw2Y0O7agWVEoD8xDTWzpJ9JOTFNbzEa9Ye5u3XlDaOrBEIavNOndnEr1iA4xCQMYi0pI3ZCaZozg/w400-h168/MadHeidi_Still_14_%C2%A9SwissploitationFilms_72dpi.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Alice Lucy</i></td></tr></tbody></table></span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">So, this grindhouse
release cannot – and should not – be taken seriously, as it is an extremely
broad and violent comedy. Just what the doctor ordered. Films of this nature
tend to be called “cheesy,” and in this case, it is quite purposeful, as I will
explain later. The film goes out of its way to give it a 1980s release feel (a
good start!), right down to the opening credits, and relying on a bunch of
different genres throughout, some of which will be noted below in brackets.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">Through the prologue and
credits, we learn that Switzerland is taken over by Nazi-esque (right down to
the Swiss Cross red armband) regime of President Meili (Casper Van Dien, of
1997’s <i>Starship Troopers</i>, sporting a comically-German accent) – aka,
“Our Very Swiss Leader” – a cut-throat dystopian dictator who is not afraid to quash
a protest through armaments. He also owns the only permissible cheese factory
in the country, with the slogan, “Strength through Meili’s Cheese.” Any other
brand is illegal, and burned, while the sellers are executed in the street. He
is brutally aided by Kommandant Knorr (Max Rüdlinger) – sometimes the “K” is not silent – who says,
as he is torturing someone in a dairy-related way, “I love the smell of cheese
in the morning!”</span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><o:p><span style="font-size: medium;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYPUDamJFwxKSBFYqa8NxrEk8wh9OsyvRUNowwAQeAUUyNu-CM9wS8fVoJXCbdqSvotTCO1Q8owbfY4ICQ5wAJS1kPd9ThzmBsrKN-xQfMlpRKhW7MQ8NbPzgET-4jDzK9ReGOwqnzk7otZx_S-10M9rZcGoul3rpBLy1no6G918uCoxZK9WzGQqCr/s1920/MadHeidi_Still_12_%C2%A9SwissploitationFilms_72dpi.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="804" data-original-width="1920" height="168" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYPUDamJFwxKSBFYqa8NxrEk8wh9OsyvRUNowwAQeAUUyNu-CM9wS8fVoJXCbdqSvotTCO1Q8owbfY4ICQ5wAJS1kPd9ThzmBsrKN-xQfMlpRKhW7MQ8NbPzgET-4jDzK9ReGOwqnzk7otZx_S-10M9rZcGoul3rpBLy1no6G918uCoxZK9WzGQqCr/w400-h168/MadHeidi_Still_12_%C2%A9SwissploitationFilms_72dpi.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Casper Van Dien</i></td></tr></tbody></table></span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">There is an interesting
mix of Nazi-ism, and what is going on in the States right now. For example,
there is a negative “other” branded on the lactose-intolerant who cannot eat
cheese, reflecting what is going on with the LGBTQ+ and Trans communities.
Republicanism is reflected a lot here, not to mention Meili’s tendency to wear
all red clothing. His plan is to take over the world…cheese market.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">Meanwhile, there is a grown-up
Heidi (relative newcomer Alice Lucy), living in the Alps with her grandfather,
Alpöhi
(David Schofield). While Heidi seems to be unaware of what is going on in the
village, gramps is more conscious. Part of Heidi’s distraction is her love
interest [sexploitation], the godfather of illegal cheese, Goat Peter (Kal
Matsena). He is pimpin’ his goat cheese in bricks in his white fur coat [blaxploitation]
to underworldly figures. See, purposefully silly and smile worthy.</span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><o:p><span style="font-size: medium;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPTffO_cmoH6E7GKs9b-6oHKe3rN-9odwHSAf23crtyeT0Zptx40p8n5lS5BeSl204nktavDP6ECFcmm3VbS-haYhluA3KzXc3rxti2gNxtunWXiEcXGNxgkHy0Cniaaexkln1f9W-dN0nLKDCdzxGvU3UNNc-z4lsorQSDrUE_fmzCA8y-KYDp7Wr/s1920/MadHeidi_Still_04_%C2%A9SwissploitationFilms_72dpi.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="804" data-original-width="1920" height="168" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPTffO_cmoH6E7GKs9b-6oHKe3rN-9odwHSAf23crtyeT0Zptx40p8n5lS5BeSl204nktavDP6ECFcmm3VbS-haYhluA3KzXc3rxti2gNxtunWXiEcXGNxgkHy0Cniaaexkln1f9W-dN0nLKDCdzxGvU3UNNc-z4lsorQSDrUE_fmzCA8y-KYDp7Wr/w400-h168/MadHeidi_Still_04_%C2%A9SwissploitationFilms_72dpi.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>David Shofield</i></td></tr></tbody></table></span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">After some tragedies, our
feisty heroine is arrested, and sent to a stern prison with Klara (Almar G.
Sato), run by an even sterner warden, Fräulein Rottweiler (<a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1200718/?ref_=tt_cl_t_9"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none;">Katja Kolm</span></a>) [women in prison]
and her sadistic right hand who really enjoys giving a cattle prod, Lutz (Rebecca
Dyson-Smith). In the Mengele-ish role is Dr. Schwitzgebel (Pascal Ulli), the
Chief Cheese Scientist, out to rid the world of the lactose intolerant
(reminiscent of Scott Atlas, Trump’s anti-vax COVID advisor). Naturally, the
only food there is cheese (reminds me of a line said by Maude on “All in the
Family”: “It’s Cream of Wheat and cheese; it’s light but it binds”). His goal
is to form a “perfect” cheese to create a cheese army (think of zombies or Orcs).</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">Of course, after Heidi
escapes and does some kung fu training, she becomes a warrior that is bound to
influence a whole bunch of Halloween cosplay outfits. And rightfully so. I will
not go into any detail about the fight to save Switzerland, but man, it is
bloody and fun. And I mean some really nice albeit cartoonish gore that will
have any gorehound cheering.</span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><o:p><span style="font-size: medium;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvy0KoAPCMh8Xy67e3iqjJ8OrvJBYU6Bv9U9dPHNJfQ4uuMW4AWXaK9b5uknuyVqMXA9qRcr_xSn1dj2FQ2Dm1S-QJcWRbZLTxbt7o7ndqZltUEOCEg5EPHb_-hOM0OSIRWYoOHw4671i6wL9qk2nGn3p1BhTgqERhecZIwEBNYw07ir4xelMdPwwp/s1920/MadHeidi_Still_02_%C2%A9SwissploitationFilms_72dpi.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="804" data-original-width="1920" height="168" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvy0KoAPCMh8Xy67e3iqjJ8OrvJBYU6Bv9U9dPHNJfQ4uuMW4AWXaK9b5uknuyVqMXA9qRcr_xSn1dj2FQ2Dm1S-QJcWRbZLTxbt7o7ndqZltUEOCEg5EPHb_-hOM0OSIRWYoOHw4671i6wL9qk2nGn3p1BhTgqERhecZIwEBNYw07ir4xelMdPwwp/w400-h168/MadHeidi_Still_02_%C2%A9SwissploitationFilms_72dpi.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Max Rudinger</i></td></tr></tbody></table></span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">While there is a timeless
feel to the film, such as “the new,” Goat Peter referring to Heidi as
“Babygirl,” and “the old,” dial phones, it is definitely steeped in the ‘80s,
with cassette boom boxes, mad scientist laboratories, explosions, bizarre
opening animation and CGI, and everything being excessive.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">The scenery is nothing
short of stunning. Mountains, switchback roads with enormous drops, green
valleys, bridges, and the like. So beautiful.</span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><o:p><span style="font-size: medium;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOKfCGb4WscpKn-djUBdYSvSEnEZ0C1ZqbhzL4F7wL08njkkXz1UG5J5B6rt2NWlgSWmLx1i53sbIuiYA9T8PDP3v7aTx9IrMaOy4OREmASl3RZuXj6wBIYPMqh_AdSeobq_EMQ1bRmiz5IEG7zCs97f6rKZap_rfKKKEs7Qtna6XDg-gBw5X7Ive9/s1920/MadHeidi_Still_07_%C2%A9SwissploitationFilms_72dpi.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="804" data-original-width="1920" height="168" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOKfCGb4WscpKn-djUBdYSvSEnEZ0C1ZqbhzL4F7wL08njkkXz1UG5J5B6rt2NWlgSWmLx1i53sbIuiYA9T8PDP3v7aTx9IrMaOy4OREmASl3RZuXj6wBIYPMqh_AdSeobq_EMQ1bRmiz5IEG7zCs97f6rKZap_rfKKKEs7Qtna6XDg-gBw5X7Ive9/w400-h168/MadHeidi_Still_07_%C2%A9SwissploitationFilms_72dpi.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Kal Matsena</i></td></tr></tbody></table></span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">Goofy, but smart and
obviously made by a group that are hardcore cinephiles, with influences and
reflections of the likes of <i>Scanners</i> (1981), <i>Cool Hand Luke</i>
(1967), <i>High Anxiety</i> (1977), the subgenre of <i>The Big Bird Cage </i>(1972),
<i>The Human Tornado</i> (1976), Sergio Leone’s spaghetti westerns (including
some of the score sounding like Ennio Morricone), <i>Star Wars</i> (1977), <i>Crocodile
Dundee</i> (1986), <i>Spartacus</i> (1960), and, of course, <i>The Sound of
Music</i> (1965). I am sure there are some I missed.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">The acting is also
reflective of the period it is honoring, with over-the-top dialogue infusing
the over-emoting and facial expressions (Van Dien, especially and
purposefully). Plus, there is one speech that sounds like it could have been
pointed directly to the information deprived MAGA followers.</span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><o:p><span style="font-size: medium;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkzcrnNLdl8WTR-H4uFtNfdKBcdVOg4YJBxGCs8x2UwkUGpQojQzIAiwEXfyuh2_pEjVv2JOCGN5HUB6AnsswI56NaI02m3y5F0pdzfqH5tRl7gjK5hH65PK3NnqApceuz4IXfw76UlJB0v8zLw4sYKPRGWpLVivTJZ4DNHrFkuueCa7cjvVARAJtV/s1920/MadHeidi_Still_05_%C2%A9SwissploitationFilms_72dpi.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="804" data-original-width="1920" height="168" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkzcrnNLdl8WTR-H4uFtNfdKBcdVOg4YJBxGCs8x2UwkUGpQojQzIAiwEXfyuh2_pEjVv2JOCGN5HUB6AnsswI56NaI02m3y5F0pdzfqH5tRl7gjK5hH65PK3NnqApceuz4IXfw76UlJB0v8zLw4sYKPRGWpLVivTJZ4DNHrFkuueCa7cjvVARAJtV/w400-h168/MadHeidi_Still_05_%C2%A9SwissploitationFilms_72dpi.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Katja Kolm</i></td></tr></tbody></table></span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">One of the notable aspects
of this film is that it is completely independently funded, shot, and
distributed. The contributor section of the acknowledgements is almost as long
as the rest of the end credits.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">Damn, this is a fun film.
I highly recommend it to those who like ‘80s cinema, Tarantino, well-written
action comedies, and just a need to let it all loose. Very satisfying from
beginning to conclusion. Or is it not really the end of the story?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">IMDB listing <i><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2943178/?ref_=nm_flmg_t_1_act" target="_blank">HERE</a></i><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/khMxXWywt0o" width="320" youtube-src-id="khMxXWywt0o"></iframe></div>Robert Barry Francoshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17403914616932689149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5357058400646807069.post-2854671618660694812023-06-12T01:00:00.081-06:002023-06-12T09:11:33.701-06:00Review: Smart House<p><span style="font-size: large;">Text © Richard Gary / Indie Horror Films, 2023<br /></span><span style="font-size: large;">Images from the Internet</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 8.4pt; margin-top: 0cm; margin: 0cm 8.4pt 0cm 0cm; vertical-align: baseline;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: medium; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: medium; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqQuBTLP0LoghSwkNW-chJMCtxL_hGjjlezWYfA5kXr8KZmx5qm6VoB1oZvYc6NaY3H6PxQ8smK8JZBaD0v4sW-YO_8oJYlTw5TaHAS44TldpPXLoyQTTucIG6rECingQxx3n2LfaeNp2j7HTbwWYPK8ukfOFmEOSXCLZAsK_gs01Knyn5cUQ5jKaJ/s1920/318809373_897789671587389_187710412423964792_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqQuBTLP0LoghSwkNW-chJMCtxL_hGjjlezWYfA5kXr8KZmx5qm6VoB1oZvYc6NaY3H6PxQ8smK8JZBaD0v4sW-YO_8oJYlTw5TaHAS44TldpPXLoyQTTucIG6rECingQxx3n2LfaeNp2j7HTbwWYPK8ukfOFmEOSXCLZAsK_gs01Knyn5cUQ5jKaJ/w400-h225/318809373_897789671587389_187710412423964792_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></div><p></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Smart House</span></b><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">
<br />
</span><i><span>Directed by John Oak Dalton<br />
Midwest Film Venture; ITN Studios<br />
www.itnfilms.net/ <br />
76 minutes, 2023<o:p></o:p></span></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">Director <a href="https://indiehorrorfilms.blogspot.com/2021/08/a-brief-interview-with-screenwriter-and.html" target="_blank">John Oak Dalton</a> is known more as a screenwriter (many involving sharks and the Polonia Brothers),
but this is only his third directorial effort, after <i><a href="https://indiehorrorfilms.blogspot.com/2018/09/review-girl-in-crawlspace.html" target="_blank">The Girl in the Crawlspace</a></i> (2018) and <i><a href="https://indiehorrorfilms.blogspot.com/2019/10/review-scarecrow-county.html" target="_blank">Scarecrow County</a></i> (2019), but both exceeded their budget and are well worth the watch.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">Technology has always
given way to genres in the arts. For example, the atomic age led to a glut of
sci-fi novels and giant creature features like <i>Them</i> (1954) or <i>Godzilla:
King of the Monsters</i> (1956), VHS gave us a proliferation of <i>giallo </i>and
slashers, and the internet the likes of <i>Unfriended</i> (2014). Even Covid
led to smaller casts (<i><a href="https://indiehorrorfilms.blogspot.com/2021/06/review-quarantine-girl.html" target="_blank">Quarantine Girl</a></i>, 2020) or the use of Zoom (<i>Host</i>, 2020).</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">Now with the advent of Artificial
Intelligence (AI), a newer genre rises of technology, more personal than the
fantastical like the <i>Terminator</i> franchise. For example, recently there
was a film called <i>Motion Detected </i>(2022) <a href="https://indiehorrorfilms.blogspot.com/2023/05/review-motion-detected.html">https://indiehorrorfilms.blogspot.com/2023/05/review-motion-detected.html</a>
that dealt with a “smart house,” which still had a supernatural element to it.
And now, there is <i>Smart House</i>, which takes out the metaphysical and
gives us pure evil AI.</span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZLg7O5Am6fQjkepj_J3uLtlS69wDdaBWemHdYPXxH9jJNSEH0CLU6wU05k67wUodwdRPemvfJ4b5bTSrXI2YNMZUPlkWB9x7uodwS4lAj8MrrFHjUuJ43Shr8GN2pVW-hBDMTjXA7Wr0_z84UsDNRDVP01lWLRZ0BNGCuqIv1FMA19eR-OrOGLxbc/s2048/MV5BMTY4OTY5MDMwOV5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwOTU4Njk4Nw@@._V1_.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1363" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZLg7O5Am6fQjkepj_J3uLtlS69wDdaBWemHdYPXxH9jJNSEH0CLU6wU05k67wUodwdRPemvfJ4b5bTSrXI2YNMZUPlkWB9x7uodwS4lAj8MrrFHjUuJ43Shr8GN2pVW-hBDMTjXA7Wr0_z84UsDNRDVP01lWLRZ0BNGCuqIv1FMA19eR-OrOGLxbc/w266-h400/MV5BMTY4OTY5MDMwOV5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwOTU4Njk4Nw@@._V1_.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Iabou WIndimere</i></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">The focus of the story is
Mari (Iabou Windimere), a woman who has been harassed by her violent ex-, Shawn
(Joe Kidd). She is now alone in a house run by a Siri type of table device
called Cassandra (voiced by <i>the</i> Brinke Stevens in that distinctive,
smoky voice of hers) that was designed by her ex-hacker father, Cordell (Tom
Cherry). Cassandra has some glitches to it, and is not calling Mari by the name
of Clytemnestra, but rather Mary or Murry.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span>Mari’s profession is as an
online influencer, on a very weird show where she brushes her hair and talks in
a whisper (which is supposed to trigger an autonomous sensory meridian response, or ASMR)</span>. I have never understood stuff like that; too esoteric for me. I like
plain and simple, like punk over prog. As she does her program, be sure to read
the scrawl of “live” viewer comments on the left; some are positive and others
not so nice, as is probably accurate. And they are humorous in their trolling.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">Anyway, Cassandra has been
acting weird and not following requests in increasingly annoying ways (vacuums
going in the middle of the night, for example). Over a short time, Cass is in control,
or rather another hacker has – er – hacked into the system, locking Mari in
with specific and every increasingly hazardous requests. What I do not understand
on all genre films where doors are locked and they are “trapped”… why not a
chair through the window to get out, if you are threatened?</span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGE5ksJlxhPMwq3xI7ku2LHt69JNHkWVrYG-9MUGyAOtTKmg7Vyx_vTb85mOpZBYbPT0V0CvdW07wZNYEtqyREn8jMn9wCceKN1B4jfqDmGyygiZE3mlsGHJMpqF6ZwjXcbqJSta77MRGbKvsttNibxiMmTO1ndB2_kif0pjIM-euYh-wfXtuuhw3g/s1920/318973964_853047245933453_7897169454923621667_n.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGE5ksJlxhPMwq3xI7ku2LHt69JNHkWVrYG-9MUGyAOtTKmg7Vyx_vTb85mOpZBYbPT0V0CvdW07wZNYEtqyREn8jMn9wCceKN1B4jfqDmGyygiZE3mlsGHJMpqF6ZwjXcbqJSta77MRGbKvsttNibxiMmTO1ndB2_kif0pjIM-euYh-wfXtuuhw3g/w400-h225/318973964_853047245933453_7897169454923621667_n.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Erin Hoodlebrink, Tom Cherry</i></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">Like the documentary “Don’t
F**k with Cats: Hunting an Internet Killer” (2019), can the audience or others
help poor vexed Mari escape her doom and save her podcast? Will the trolls win
out and reduce her “numbers”?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">The film addresses several
issues, such as the power of influencers online, and their lack of it in the
real world. It also shows the duality of the level of commitment of the
audience, and the sheer banality of anger and hatred (trolling). It also
examines just how much we give up of our autonomy with the “convenience” of
automation. A professor of mine said that every technology eventually does
exactly opposite of what it was supposed to do in the first place, such as the internet
was supposed to bring us all together, and instead we sit on our butts by ourselves,
online, even in the company of others. In some ways, <i>Smart House</i>
addresses that.</span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNh3OJoc51JIWc0vYAlewE9G7xpvp692aUH6icuwBdJ0GOeVWuGwPy23JBp4CSUL5ZKgBJfSbUb7GMB94ZjrAbzPvGgzLlgHQEbGX5Gkeh9bB9HN_zm3UIQAHWvE5uv9LWjc6GDBnMoKZO7lXGW1kn5ZI90nRI3HpQANtR1-1i5WV3u4cH-2gux5Jc/s1920/316521635_556629119665856_3578868427379132142_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNh3OJoc51JIWc0vYAlewE9G7xpvp692aUH6icuwBdJ0GOeVWuGwPy23JBp4CSUL5ZKgBJfSbUb7GMB94ZjrAbzPvGgzLlgHQEbGX5Gkeh9bB9HN_zm3UIQAHWvE5uv9LWjc6GDBnMoKZO7lXGW1kn5ZI90nRI3HpQANtR1-1i5WV3u4cH-2gux5Jc/w400-h225/316521635_556629119665856_3578868427379132142_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></div><p></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span>Mari is trapped not only
by Cassandra, but by the image of herself as an influencer, not even being her
own self, but rather a whispering hair brusher. Singer-songwriter Christine
Lavin has a song called “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1YJst4ow1gw" target="_blank">Prisoner of Their Hairdos</a>.”</span><span> which addresses this issue, as well.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">Additionally, this is what
I would also call a Covid-related release, as there are many characters in the
film, but in only two instances do two meet face to face. Everyone else is
either on the phone, the internet audience, or voices on the Dark Web.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">Another side fact is that
of the three films Dalton has directed, this is the first one he has not
written. Despite the desperation going on, it is not as emotionally deep as the
previous two as far as emotional turmoil levels. Mari is strongly put-upon
during the night, but the lasting trauma of Dalton’s previous films was palpable.
This one was still traumatic, don’t get me wrong, but the cut is not as deep
as, say, in <i>The Girl in the Crawlspace</i>.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">There is no sex, nudity,
or gore, and yet the story line is enough to keep one interested. Obviously,
this was filmed in December (2022?) due to the Christmas lights up everywhere,
which is never addressed in the events or by the characters.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">The computer graphics that
are used are fun, but I was especially impressed by those attached to the
opening credits. I found it fascinating. Being a low budget release, there is
also a nice use of stock footage (some people have the same yellowish glow filter
that past – and hopefully future – failed politician Kari Lake uses, which made
me laugh).</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">As I have said before,
Dalton is part of the Dayton, OH film group, who often use the same actors and
cast, with varying degrees (e.g., Iabou has been in all of Dalton’s films, and
many in Henrique Couto’s as well). It is nice to see familiar faces as well as
some new ones. Of course, some are just voices here on the ‘net.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">I am always happy to see a
John Oak Dalton film, even if it is just a screenplay, especially when collaborating
with Couto (who produced <i>Smart House</i> and was cinematographer), an
excellent filmmaker in his own right. I will be happy to see what comes next
for Dalton.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">IMDB listing <i><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6824720/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_3_tt_7_nm_1_q_smart%2520house" target="_blank">HERE</a></i></span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">Trailer <i><a href="John Oak Dalton https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=dbkHzqMEK1c&feature=youtu.be&fbclid=IwAR15asMybfQGDUIgTD0aJhMGoTY8B89-8agtzyKNYq22GlVOniBrLIcapgQ" target="_blank">HERE</a></i></span></p>Robert Barry Francoshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17403914616932689149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5357058400646807069.post-83667836536856422382023-06-10T01:00:00.067-06:002023-06-10T01:00:00.150-06:00Review: Day Zero<p><span style="font-size: medium;">Text © Richard Gary / Indie Horror Films, 2023<br />Images from the Internet</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 8.4pt; margin-top: 0cm; vertical-align: baseline;"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></o:p></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtvw5L6oDWdCdyWO1E5-cyDa8066kiLvKVuxtyixgaFJxPciTQQwZMOvnK1Zfy6mqJhLC9QySlXov1jvN774odac8WyzeUZDyOI2sE7rBEaNoyzclBu29aMF7uPk8Xil5RJVt_2KVax9zkK1rxJTjGMVu9UWt9NsT_ZhA4Qg1hNHTFMh7g65PHBCUY/s1333/MV5BMWM1Mjk5YzYtYWFhNC00MDljLTk5MDQtZGIyMDEwZWE2Mzc5XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNTI5NjIyMw@@._V1_FMjpg_UX1000_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1333" data-original-width="1000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtvw5L6oDWdCdyWO1E5-cyDa8066kiLvKVuxtyixgaFJxPciTQQwZMOvnK1Zfy6mqJhLC9QySlXov1jvN774odac8WyzeUZDyOI2sE7rBEaNoyzclBu29aMF7uPk8Xil5RJVt_2KVax9zkK1rxJTjGMVu9UWt9NsT_ZhA4Qg1hNHTFMh7g65PHBCUY/w300-h400/MV5BMWM1Mjk5YzYtYWFhNC00MDljLTk5MDQtZGIyMDEwZWE2Mzc5XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNTI5NjIyMw@@._V1_FMjpg_UX1000_.jpg" width="300" /></a></span></div><p></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Day Zero</b>
<br />
<i>Directed by </i><a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm5408116/?ref_=tt_ov_dr"><i><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none;">Joey De Guzman</span></i></a><i><br />
Reality MM Studios; Regal Entertainment; Well Go USA Entertainment<br />
82 minutes, 2022 / 2023<br />
</i><a href="https://wellgousa.com/films/day-zero" target="_blank"><i><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none;">https://wellgousa.com/films/day-zero</span></i></a><i><br />
</i><a href="http://bit.ly/Hi-YAHhome" target="_blank"><i><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none;">www.hiyahtv.com</span></i></a><i><br />
#DayZero @WellGoUSA</i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">This release is not to be
confused with <i><a href="https://indiehorrorfilms.blogspot.com/2017/11/review-night-zero.html" target="_blank">Night Zero</a> </i>(2017), as <i>Day Zero </i>also goes for the almost-zombie throat.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">Remember back in the late
1960s and early ‘70s when the Philippines was a place that released numerous “B”
horror releases (many starring John Ashley; d. 1997), be they cheesy, such as <i>Mad
Doctor of Blood Island</i> (1968) and <i><a href="https://indiehorrorfilms.blogspot.com/2018/04/review-twilight-people.html" target="_blank">The Twilight People</a></i> (1972)? </span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">Well, this has shown the
quality has quite improved for Filipino fright flicks (presented in <a href="https://www.imdb.com/search/title?title_type=feature&primary_language=tl&sort=moviemeter,asc&ref_=tt_dt_ln"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none;">Tagalog</span></a>, <a href="https://www.imdb.com/search/title?title_type=feature&primary_language=fil&sort=moviemeter,asc&ref_=tt_dt_ln"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none;">Filipino</span></a>, sign language, and
some English, with easy to read English subtitles) over the years, and are
still cheesy fun, but a lot more sophisticated, professional looking, and
relatively make more narrative sense (relative to the topic at hand).</span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><o:p><span style="font-size: medium;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2qJA_g9AXHkDkCMUD3WhdWwcDiHlo9tMeG9VB7afyfXEnWmPsvgtA0pEX0CZ30vtaHREg9p2J_GPcsBW2rz2f92FXTEVK7OLjKMxS5zVIBRd42qVV4c83W9j7I6P_WthxmLLkWDKQ_Y9L1Rf6KGf7FXnGlfUtWp6UV0CAoPaWZON4QZX5gP8_o8xg/s1920/MV5BZjA2M2Q0YWUtMGUzMC00ZWRjLThlN2MtZWRhMDc5ZTY0NWQyXkEyXkFqcGdeQXZhcmdtaWM@._V1_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="859" data-original-width="1920" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2qJA_g9AXHkDkCMUD3WhdWwcDiHlo9tMeG9VB7afyfXEnWmPsvgtA0pEX0CZ30vtaHREg9p2J_GPcsBW2rz2f92FXTEVK7OLjKMxS5zVIBRd42qVV4c83W9j7I6P_WthxmLLkWDKQ_Y9L1Rf6KGf7FXnGlfUtWp6UV0CAoPaWZON4QZX5gP8_o8xg/w400-h179/MV5BZjA2M2Q0YWUtMGUzMC00ZWRjLThlN2MtZWRhMDc5ZTY0NWQyXkEyXkFqcGdeQXZhcmdtaWM@._V1_.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Brandon Vera</i></td></tr></tbody></table></span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">As the prologue tells us,
there is an outbreak of dengue fever “also known as break-bone fever, a viral
infection that spreads from mosquitoes to people” (paraphrased from Wikipedia).
But like Covid, for this imagining, it has mutated into turning people into (fast)
flesh-biting zombie-ish creatures; they are not into eating as much as biting
and infecting, sort of like Korea’s <i>Train to Busan</i> (2016). While they
are merely hyper-infected, they look like classic zombies; the make-up is
incredibly well done. Though they can run, they move quite spasmodically and
only communicate through screams. It can seem a mix of <i>[Pick a time of day]
of the Living Dead</i> and <i>…28 [pick a timeframe] Later</i>, with a bit of <i>[*REC]</i>
(2007) thrown in for good measure<i>. </i>And of course, we cannot forget the
granddaddy of all violent bite infection flicks, <i>Rabid </i>(1977).</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">Our central character is the
heavily tattooed former U.S. elite soldier Ramon “Emon” Marasigan (Brandon Vera,
aka “The Truth”; retired Filipino-American World Kickboxing Association [WKA]
Super Heavyweight Champion, ONE Championship Heavyweight World Champion, WEC 13
Heavyweight Grand Prix Champion, and inducted in the Grappler's Quest Hall of
Fame). He is in a Filipino prison for aggravated assault. Hell, he is so big,
he could cripple me with a strong stare.</span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><o:p><span style="font-size: medium;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWWgS2fy6hXYnnquY7t2opiRQLocsiivB6tRDORHPeuPSIW1ls7W5P0B_-_xBQSSqZpkZLQSs4BDNXW27Vz_lSmn--vMg1fcyRX-bvh8yXuPOSfA7Xv5N8QSuI7i62UeqbsgwN1HaNEliVY1RT1NWI027R2b2uswB97vY8oGKsYiO_9n5tIJYfdgfp/s1920/36d2eae0ccd202a96ef6ce758eb3110dfb3159b811651486177e450cc0c64f02._RI_TTW_.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWWgS2fy6hXYnnquY7t2opiRQLocsiivB6tRDORHPeuPSIW1ls7W5P0B_-_xBQSSqZpkZLQSs4BDNXW27Vz_lSmn--vMg1fcyRX-bvh8yXuPOSfA7Xv5N8QSuI7i62UeqbsgwN1HaNEliVY1RT1NWI027R2b2uswB97vY8oGKsYiO_9n5tIJYfdgfp/w400-h225/36d2eae0ccd202a96ef6ce758eb3110dfb3159b811651486177e450cc0c64f02._RI_TTW_.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Mary Jean Lastimosa</i></td></tr></tbody></table></span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">His estranged wife, Sheryl
(Mary Jean Lastimosa) and young, deaf daughter, Jane (Freya Fury Montierro)
wait in what looks like some overcrowded poor area at a seven-floor walk-up
apartment building. Due to the outbreak, Emon breaks out (see what I did
there?) of prison with his friend Timoy (Pepe Herrera). Meanwhile, Sheryl gets
separated from Jane in the apartment melee. It was pretty obvious that the
story would be the quest of the three finding each other again.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">Also understandable,
thankfully, is that there will be <i>a lot</i> of fighting by Emon, be it
prisoners, zombies, or what all. And it certainly does not fail in that regard:
MMA-style moves, crude objects (e.g., boards), and eventually tactical armory
(see the trailer).</span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><o:p><span style="font-size: medium;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDTVT9MexmkiJzCuJ1UhOcaHDzhZ5usR3B4z4rhL42OM5LanDeibzL3TMA07nlnYuzXUh4DOvGVwi6cY294E7eY2k5CLXDOb-1dh4tyYLNVT9uGJUynmYUSgBvwEthKBXEbiVBxnP8gH2WrZmAa_bM48JGBcKMtOseWYedVSKRITfknjuc6Vle5NEW/s1340/MV5BMzU1NTdjM2UtYzkwZi00YjAwLTg4ODItZmY4OTk1NWQ0NzQ4XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTA2NzAwMTY5._V1_QL75_UY140_CR55,0,140,140_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="754" data-original-width="1340" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDTVT9MexmkiJzCuJ1UhOcaHDzhZ5usR3B4z4rhL42OM5LanDeibzL3TMA07nlnYuzXUh4DOvGVwi6cY294E7eY2k5CLXDOb-1dh4tyYLNVT9uGJUynmYUSgBvwEthKBXEbiVBxnP8gH2WrZmAa_bM48JGBcKMtOseWYedVSKRITfknjuc6Vle5NEW/w400-h225/MV5BMzU1NTdjM2UtYzkwZi00YjAwLTg4ODItZmY4OTk1NWQ0NzQ4XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTA2NzAwMTY5._V1_QL75_UY140_CR55,0,140,140_.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Pepe Herrera</i></td></tr></tbody></table></span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">The cinematography by Mo
Zee is quite well done, with some camera effects that work well with the storyline
and keeps the eye on the screen. This is a gross generalization, but Asian cinema
really does present action scenes with pizazz.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">Vera acts his role well,
albeit mostly stoic or angry (though there are some emotional moments), but
most of the major cast, including Herrera and especially Lastimosa, project
their fear and angst well without it being cartoonish. Most of the action, once
Emon and Timoy get out of prison, is set in the apartment building (hence the <i>[*REC]
</i>reference), giving a feeling of grime, purposeful bad lighting (no electricity)
though easy to see for the viewer, and a sense of claustrophobia. The single
location helps with the budget, and I respect that, as well as “locks” the
viewer into the locale. The set design for these scenes is excellent.</span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><o:p><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrd5oZtoQqAVjIgY_uWFFWZMVK_V7nkK5rTSfddm2VwxCM7OQAAltGI9TUInlRJQfWvtUm5tWowaQjcz7xyN3RRBqsvORr_UCjME7nZhclvGJhbipebFmLssirr55FcNYcyHu1q4Wu9ASdNQMN4no6F5WCSlrAY8fzDtELVP8uFwWDRxaZepecDVmF/s640/sddefault.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="284" data-original-width="640" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrd5oZtoQqAVjIgY_uWFFWZMVK_V7nkK5rTSfddm2VwxCM7OQAAltGI9TUInlRJQfWvtUm5tWowaQjcz7xyN3RRBqsvORr_UCjME7nZhclvGJhbipebFmLssirr55FcNYcyHu1q4Wu9ASdNQMN4no6F5WCSlrAY8fzDtELVP8uFwWDRxaZepecDVmF/w400-h178/sddefault.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></div><p></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">So is the SFX, which uses great
prosthetics, and while there is some CGI, most of it is practical. For
those interested, like me, there is a lot of it spread throughout the film.
Technically, there are three acts, but each is ruthless.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">While this is a relatively
serious film, there is some subtle humor that occasionally crops up, almost
like easter eggs, such as one zombie wearing a tee that says, “Vin Scully is my
homeboy”: baseball is huge in the Philippines. Also, as with most sidekicks, Timoy
is a bit of a comic relief, but hardly a stereotypical screw-up.</span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><o:p><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX2QooeZEELdfh1SRQh7nEhbV139zLq2oZ5m_EMJPxNmst_mYeSoGE0yvCvrDcYt8DZgd9XU-YuCHn59s71939eSiLYe1tvXiPbPpc8gng1BVGGYEIso4j3dV_zw3OdC1TWuY79bPQRTrBmVj__WVhihYlF2-LX_Zw-KKrf96Keu5OR370AE0lUmlD/s1280/9ab00c99a98c953b2ef2031443082980.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX2QooeZEELdfh1SRQh7nEhbV139zLq2oZ5m_EMJPxNmst_mYeSoGE0yvCvrDcYt8DZgd9XU-YuCHn59s71939eSiLYe1tvXiPbPpc8gng1BVGGYEIso4j3dV_zw3OdC1TWuY79bPQRTrBmVj__WVhihYlF2-LX_Zw-KKrf96Keu5OR370AE0lUmlD/w400-h225/9ab00c99a98c953b2ef2031443082980.jpeg" width="400" /></a></span></div><p></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">There is an underlying
premise that not all monsters are – er – monsters. While the band of survivors get
picked off one by one, there is also brutality brought by grief and anger. Who
needs to be infected to become violent when someone has lost a loved one? I
believe that characterization is a real side of humanity sometimes. It is not
really cynicism, if you just look around at the attitude of some televangelists
and members of the US Senate about the LGBTQ+ populations.</span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><o:p><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYNMn7ZFLVNop5rkNRUwps95yf-AOKZO_YZpcz28KDFIHYBVJ-ZGfaokQDVN6D80JleL556MMx2GmeZpzhSvPPGRdDTUaGOwK_X83BJPtm50kl9sApEE2uIeISZNyDnqrhCL7w1X_a9Fq7Bz-K66pKgTGWIy5MKeCGfdftRlGvPidUC3nEE0b7_W_A/s630/786_still_large.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="266" data-original-width="630" height="169" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYNMn7ZFLVNop5rkNRUwps95yf-AOKZO_YZpcz28KDFIHYBVJ-ZGfaokQDVN6D80JleL556MMx2GmeZpzhSvPPGRdDTUaGOwK_X83BJPtm50kl9sApEE2uIeISZNyDnqrhCL7w1X_a9Fq7Bz-K66pKgTGWIy5MKeCGfdftRlGvPidUC3nEE0b7_W_A/w400-h169/786_still_large.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></div><p></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">On a side note, I wonder
about films like this: if one can escape from the crowded apartment building,
in a heavily populated neighbourhood, how would one get away, even in a vehicle?
There are 114 million people living in the Philippines. Would it not be more
realistic to pull a <i>The Mist</i> (2007) in that situation (but have enough
ammo)? I would definitely want a quick out.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">Once the action starts, which
is right at the beginning, it is rare that the action lets up. We see our main
group and others fight the transformed and infected. In a world where zombie
(relatively) films are a dime a dozen, even though there are some formulaic moments,
this is a good watch, full of action, violence, practical SFX, gore, and so
much more.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">IMDB listing <i><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt21254710/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_1_tt_8_nm_0_q_day%2520zero" target="_blank">HERE</a></i><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/d9ndpn4LaKs" width="320" youtube-src-id="d9ndpn4LaKs"></iframe></div>Robert Barry Francoshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17403914616932689149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5357058400646807069.post-15417243030388246232023-06-07T11:35:00.033-06:002023-06-12T11:42:03.907-06:00Horror Animated Shorts of Jason J. Cross<p><b><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Horror Animated
Shorts of Jason J. Cross</span></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;">Text © Richard
Gary / Indie Horror Films, 2023</span></i><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;"><br />
</span></b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;">Images from the
Internet</span></i></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;"><o:p><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></o:p></span></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFNxVJCK2dbIiwduo6xudD803edM7wljoYmtH2wbVAM3_iPQ1LCle7LQspP4M1FfnOjvkB-Y7sY8ApeD6csHu2AJYv2w5f4szfuWYebw5-FY9VFW9AMEMKwup85teuLVJhN4DyPj3I9A66bTDQ3BYExrCQlgjRpj31PRYnOrg-KJsZVbMbCbu2p4El/s684/MV5BYTI2ZTA0ZmMtNTMyNy00ZmMyLTk0YzktNDNjMGY1ZjI2MzkzXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNTI1ODIyODI@._V1_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="316" data-original-width="684" height="185" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFNxVJCK2dbIiwduo6xudD803edM7wljoYmtH2wbVAM3_iPQ1LCle7LQspP4M1FfnOjvkB-Y7sY8ApeD6csHu2AJYv2w5f4szfuWYebw5-FY9VFW9AMEMKwup85teuLVJhN4DyPj3I9A66bTDQ3BYExrCQlgjRpj31PRYnOrg-KJsZVbMbCbu2p4El/w400-h185/MV5BYTI2ZTA0ZmMtNTMyNy00ZmMyLTk0YzktNDNjMGY1ZjI2MzkzXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNTI1ODIyODI@._V1_.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></i></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;">A nice thing
about animation is that you can do things that cannot be done on a small budget.
Created in the stiff but “humanesque” iClone software, the shorts are
entertaining to look at. While the movement is a bit boxy, the faces look sharp.
All these films were written (with one exception) and directed by Jason J.
Cross, and are available in links at the bottom of each review. They are
released by <a href="https://www.fsocross.com/" target="_blank">Four Sides Cross Productions</a>.</span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;"> These are not in a ranked order, but rather how they were sent to me.</span></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-size: medium;">What is
consistent in at least three of these four releases is that the central character
is a strong woman. That makes me happy.<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;"><o:p><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></o:p></span></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihG6zVLQqVJiVKimrf1ulTy1U5fdtFOWie8JpkoGU8j3_HjJA-HdczP9DYwzCZpR8b-v1_CondCxhD6gFLDqbY2GFzcUq8GoRKjKTnKbndHageTwrk9ga7W-Kh2AGQfv0te5UrhdBIJAnBelXE2I6fSN1r7XbBWI0zqcoAwhKIEBvxjYNUFdoplwYa/s1440/MV5BMzEyMDA3MjktZmMzZS00ZWI0LWE0MjUtZjQ4NWE4MmM3NjY4XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNTI1ODIyODI@._V1_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1440" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihG6zVLQqVJiVKimrf1ulTy1U5fdtFOWie8JpkoGU8j3_HjJA-HdczP9DYwzCZpR8b-v1_CondCxhD6gFLDqbY2GFzcUq8GoRKjKTnKbndHageTwrk9ga7W-Kh2AGQfv0te5UrhdBIJAnBelXE2I6fSN1r7XbBWI0zqcoAwhKIEBvxjYNUFdoplwYa/w320-h200/MV5BMzEyMDA3MjktZmMzZS00ZWI0LWE0MjUtZjQ4NWE4MmM3NjY4XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNTI1ODIyODI@._V1_.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></i></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;">Got to Eat<br />
</span></b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;">6:41 minutes, 2020</span></i><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;"><br />
</span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;">There is a masked serial killer on the loose, and he has chosen his next
family. They are transient and a bit oddball, but can they handle this young murderer?
The results are quite humorous and bloody. Very simple and to the point, which
is nice. And what is with the very end? Is there going to be a sequel?; I ask
because many of Cross’ releases are serials. This is off to a great start. <br />
<i>Full film <a href="https://www.fsocross.com/post/got-to-eat" target="_blank">HERE</a></i></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;"><o:p><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></o:p></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHMv8KNs2DguWWiVKFq5K7V_vfxC8wOtxEEUR3C46ILMXGUtkZ2ZIlZoisNVhhgtJU7MFNoJGtlCCrwbPmU1VLK1va7DIuuNzSIhRPDW7ZqzsCeKI1WGG7TUa5aKtqXvbIBhkEYSZndvUL2F6WWrAO_hVPneYLtAHfufjovx_GUE-WVoi3nfCMldMt/s605/To%20Do.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="272" data-original-width="605" height="144" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHMv8KNs2DguWWiVKFq5K7V_vfxC8wOtxEEUR3C46ILMXGUtkZ2ZIlZoisNVhhgtJU7MFNoJGtlCCrwbPmU1VLK1va7DIuuNzSIhRPDW7ZqzsCeKI1WGG7TUa5aKtqXvbIBhkEYSZndvUL2F6WWrAO_hVPneYLtAHfufjovx_GUE-WVoi3nfCMldMt/w320-h144/To%20Do.png" width="320" /></a></span></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;">To Do<br />
</span></b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;">3:11 minutes, 2023</span></i><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;"><br />
</span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;">A serial killer ponders over a bound and gagged woman. We hear his
internal monologue of what he plans to do, which the viewer gets to viscerally
see. His thoughts are a poem including such things as biting off her nose.
Creepy and gruesome. Nice. <br />
<i>Full film <a href="https://www.fsocross.com/post/to-do-film" target="_blank">HERE</a></i></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;"><o:p><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></o:p></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF6HpwIUOXd878WFrj4cR1c80sTDwgKAIj56MiSSz3sCQIaNVNVxdCkJsNGTl234FS45dBh85SVok229omCeU9DHmty9CrunSHHEhzUtFkRCx3NbRGilHC9KYQodxK6Cdo1_Jt3UAvsU1nfS7jvzu8gw7L4g7EeVCFWV7q9LZWdQlxswfWzcVkKc3O/s1920/MV5BZTQ3N2MzZWQtOGEzOC00NmQ3LTg5MTMtMmUxMTAzYzIxNTc4XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNTI1ODIyODI@._V1_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF6HpwIUOXd878WFrj4cR1c80sTDwgKAIj56MiSSz3sCQIaNVNVxdCkJsNGTl234FS45dBh85SVok229omCeU9DHmty9CrunSHHEhzUtFkRCx3NbRGilHC9KYQodxK6Cdo1_Jt3UAvsU1nfS7jvzu8gw7L4g7EeVCFWV7q9LZWdQlxswfWzcVkKc3O/s320/MV5BZTQ3N2MzZWQtOGEzOC00NmQ3LTg5MTMtMmUxMTAzYzIxNTc4XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNTI1ODIyODI@._V1_.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;">A Mother’s
Love<br />
</span></b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;">13:15 minutes, 2021</span></i><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;"><br />
</span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;">A woman is on a first date at her home with a nice man, and they are
just starting to get to know each other, when her daughter gets into some physical
trouble. The crux of the story is how the mother takes care of business and how
far she will go to protect her daughter. It is certainly not what one might
expect. It was cool and she is hot. As with the first story above, there is a
nice self-referential to Four Sides Cross. <br />
<i>Full film <a href="https://www.fsocross.com/post/motherlove" target="_blank">HERE</a></i></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;"><o:p><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></o:p></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIV-hZ6pbmTDjAcHftKtRX1-6PPjLnrx-ExnuodqwKhSiqt_LunO6wKJGEhTgnWZCKiODo0pjMh5qBQxK9sMYazVAfhegt-C8X90dhjd0-2ANznqr9IzrGmR9t8EjXMzZWobdx8tHjiZyN_dGtRDRd1bBmzGhFg_ycyvUiXKjhHymWsTUsHFGgMw_9/s960/MV5BY2IxZmQ3NGItMjUwNC00MjU5LWJlY2ItMGQ2ZTk3ODJmNjcyXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNTI1ODIyODI@._V1_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="960" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIV-hZ6pbmTDjAcHftKtRX1-6PPjLnrx-ExnuodqwKhSiqt_LunO6wKJGEhTgnWZCKiODo0pjMh5qBQxK9sMYazVAfhegt-C8X90dhjd0-2ANznqr9IzrGmR9t8EjXMzZWobdx8tHjiZyN_dGtRDRd1bBmzGhFg_ycyvUiXKjhHymWsTUsHFGgMw_9/s320/MV5BY2IxZmQ3NGItMjUwNC00MjU5LWJlY2ItMGQ2ZTk3ODJmNjcyXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNTI1ODIyODI@._V1_.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;">Wanted<br />
</span></b><i><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;">2:44 minutes, 2021</span></i><b><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;"><br />
</span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;">This is the only story not written by Cross, but rather his 11-year-old “Daughter
(Victoria) and staring my other daughter (Samantha), my wife (Carla), and myself</span>,”
the director explained. Short and simple, a mother and her two young twin daughters
are being questioned at a police station, where the coppers are looking for her
ex-. But there is more going on than that. This may have been written by a
child, but it has a nice twist element to it.<br />
<i>Full film <a href="https://www.fsocross.com/post/wanted" target="_blank">HERE</a></i></span></p>Robert Barry Francoshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17403914616932689149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5357058400646807069.post-39717459638467424742023-06-05T01:00:00.002-06:002023-06-05T09:48:54.394-06:00Review: Supercell<p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span>Text © Robert Barry Francos / Indie Horror Films, 2023<br /></span><span>Images from the Internet</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 8.4pt; margin-top: 0cm; margin: 0cm 8.4pt 0cm 0cm; vertical-align: baseline;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: medium; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: medium; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy1UkRynGMCLP9AaW-nr0ljsAggYzg4nk_Tx3oE8XZrZaEWnouYDVpWOviSatbmcbKhSJjiDoQn5upsH3oVIEhJ2FXFiqlz2_mqbzxZQwL_gbOSh6C08jca2yy6vSfoE7rxHqwApeTwQL9hNbIheF1jmBR1AGg779gD3jWIH7k8ODhWiTHGmhnXcxu/s1600/2ec988b1b581e68fe627cb20d2a60808138cde370655afcdf1d17e33aa827ec5.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy1UkRynGMCLP9AaW-nr0ljsAggYzg4nk_Tx3oE8XZrZaEWnouYDVpWOviSatbmcbKhSJjiDoQn5upsH3oVIEhJ2FXFiqlz2_mqbzxZQwL_gbOSh6C08jca2yy6vSfoE7rxHqwApeTwQL9hNbIheF1jmBR1AGg779gD3jWIH7k8ODhWiTHGmhnXcxu/w300-h400/2ec988b1b581e68fe627cb20d2a60808138cde370655afcdf1d17e33aa827ec5.jpg" width="300" /></a></span></div><p></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Supercell</span></b><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">
<br />
</span><i><span>Directed by Herbert James Winterstern<br />
Thomasville Pictures; Bay Point Media; Short Porch Pictures; Streamline Global
Group; Volition Media Partners; Highland Film Group; Strike Media<br />
101 minutes, 2023<br />
</span></i><a href="http://www.strike-media.com/">www.strike-media.com</a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span>Natural disaster films are
hardly new. The first I remember is <i>Earthquake</i> (1974), but it goes back
at least until <i><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=puNEmepFYoU" target="_blank">The Hurricane</a> </i>(1937),</span><span> or arguably even <i><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XiOiGR7M7XM" target="_blank">Steamboat Bill Jr</a>. </i>(1928).</span><span> In recent years, cheapie weather-related knockoffs
have been prolific on cable. It is worth mentioning, and I <i>certainly</i>
will not be the last, that the bar to beat, especially in the “wind” category,
is <i>Twister </i>(1996). And rightfully so.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">Another aspect worth
mentioning is that there are occasions where an A or B-plus level actor will
appear in an independent film, usually in a cameo or as a favor to someone
associated with it. Here, there are three who are main characters: Alec
Baldwin, Anne Heche (in her next-to-last film; d. 2022), and Skeet Ulrich. This
is rare for an indie flick.</span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicoWJG3SuRWoN4U8B13RalO5lJyeTY_DsCMA39SL01zt-xdKIit4nJwKlXl4WkHBAoKCiW7Cdsa740RaxUdmbz5BeeUBtrLPPPyRhiwWua9ZCNFvUA42JKIodgxWLR141q4sDsvIoKFUjnW-1wrRrG6wIdKYxxP-4ik_nDbocex0pgo680MV1W3X8c/s620/0316supercell.webp" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="259" data-original-width="620" height="168" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicoWJG3SuRWoN4U8B13RalO5lJyeTY_DsCMA39SL01zt-xdKIit4nJwKlXl4WkHBAoKCiW7Cdsa740RaxUdmbz5BeeUBtrLPPPyRhiwWua9ZCNFvUA42JKIodgxWLR141q4sDsvIoKFUjnW-1wrRrG6wIdKYxxP-4ik_nDbocex0pgo680MV1W3X8c/w400-h168/0316supercell.webp" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Daniel Diemer, Skeet Ulrich</i></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">Tornado alley is where the
film is situated, such as Texas, Oklahoma, and Kansas; the former has recorded more
tornados than anywhere else in the country (it was actually filmed in Montana).
The often-sweaty High Schooler William Brody (Daniel Diemer) has lost his storm-chaser/scientist
father, Bill (Richard Gunn), to a cyclone. But the big Bill has passed down his
fascination with the storms to his young’n.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span>Much like “Dorothy,” the
weather reader thingamabob from <i>Twister</i>, here there is a machine in a
nascent stage made by Bill that can read the possibility of tornados by
soundwaves that William now works on. That is when he is not hanging out with
love interest, Harper (Jordan Kristine Seam</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">ó</span><span>n).</span></span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKqcnas4zwgXp83-8hNNEGf8DewUjaQPzT1fZqr-i0aFkMCVIKJEin4Hs1xBzUd2DF5137C3zommHAM9tj-WyBB-j_QEQQFZNLdolxUJOsJaeM9W_3Rz2Zn0MnUM2bwa-nHl31H_RY1km_YzRBXzU-Xqyq9soARmAvutLxnri183bcRcmeoqMNPTCu/s1296/Alec-Baldwin-Skeet-Ulrich-Supercell-Ezra-Olson-Publicity-H-2021.webp" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="730" data-original-width="1296" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKqcnas4zwgXp83-8hNNEGf8DewUjaQPzT1fZqr-i0aFkMCVIKJEin4Hs1xBzUd2DF5137C3zommHAM9tj-WyBB-j_QEQQFZNLdolxUJOsJaeM9W_3Rz2Zn0MnUM2bwa-nHl31H_RY1km_YzRBXzU-Xqyq9soARmAvutLxnri183bcRcmeoqMNPTCu/w400-h225/Alec-Baldwin-Skeet-Ulrich-Supercell-Ezra-Olson-Publicity-H-2021.webp" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Alec Baldwin, Ulrich</i></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">William wants to
understand about tornados and about what it meant to his dad, much to the
chagrin of Quinn (Heche), his scientific genius mom who now makes a living
cleaning other people’s houses. He takes off solo and phoneless in search of
Oz…I mean wild weather. In this day of climate change, it is a topical – er –
topic. He goes to see “Uncle” Roy (Ghostface himself, Ulrich) who drives for a bus
tour to see tornados that uses the Brody name that was bought out during bankruptcy
when big Bill was blowin’ in the wind. It is run and led by the antagonist of
the piece, Zane (Alec Baldwin) – as in “inzane” – who is more interested in the
bucks of his passengers than their safety.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">Let me address this for a
second: the women in this film (Quinn and Harper) are reasonable and
level-headed, when it comes to the danger level, but the men (e.g., Bill, Will,
Roy and Zane) are like the videos on social media of macho ubersports
proponents who risk their lives for a thrill (and perhaps some clicks).</span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCtlqiEsK145ORrnk_pwaAApZWVBLQKSNOT7v9Zst_Z7IliitAqmDc-y3-cjNOVHE6384c4u3gQWhD7HoxDz-1qmIlgVa8zradz73iAH9rVIoKkplz7DAjnsTPOAyU4i_blQ8cz90aVRioAz2TSYyX2GhuCUngZNilNw20DKexGZyepMY_uLTVmbEZ/s1200/annehecheinsupercell.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="630" data-original-width="1200" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCtlqiEsK145ORrnk_pwaAApZWVBLQKSNOT7v9Zst_Z7IliitAqmDc-y3-cjNOVHE6384c4u3gQWhD7HoxDz-1qmIlgVa8zradz73iAH9rVIoKkplz7DAjnsTPOAyU4i_blQ8cz90aVRioAz2TSYyX2GhuCUngZNilNw20DKexGZyepMY_uLTVmbEZ/w400-h210/annehecheinsupercell.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Anne Heche</i></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">Naturally, Quinn and
Harper set off to find the testosterone-filled tornado chasers, thus bonding
(road trip!!) going from Florida to the west. Wait, so Quinn moved William away
from the Tornados after his father’s death to Hurricaneville? Hmm.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">With a ton of exposition
that fills the first act, the wind…I mean the pace does not pick up until about
half way through, when the first tornado for William comes into the picture
while on the tour bus. You know each tornado experienced is going to get more
and more intense, cinematically, as is the paradigm. Again, an observation, not
a criticism. Building up is the way it is supposed to be, otherwise it would be
anticlimactic.</span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVpPaDrn7ydf1tmaTIJOtDY2sMJHcBVxDqH225Tyjwf2vsj4p11AbkNKwPtFOZesU5JFBimvYDipz7-mSbnuoCHpuT-XVZCS3kqm5eKhS6qVAFEm-QtfD8xo56q9dLDpTK4YpUDJgv-lNHFOxgtcMACeCMb7pSWtpGF4EEM4tTZd26PMZ70qBmmkfq/s350/supercell-ss-1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="197" data-original-width="350" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVpPaDrn7ydf1tmaTIJOtDY2sMJHcBVxDqH225Tyjwf2vsj4p11AbkNKwPtFOZesU5JFBimvYDipz7-mSbnuoCHpuT-XVZCS3kqm5eKhS6qVAFEm-QtfD8xo56q9dLDpTK4YpUDJgv-lNHFOxgtcMACeCMb7pSWtpGF4EEM4tTZd26PMZ70qBmmkfq/w400-h225/supercell-ss-1.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="text-align: left;">Jordan Kristine Seam</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; text-align: left;">ó</span><span style="text-align: left;">n, </span>Diemer</i></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">There are some nice
cinematic touches, like never seeing Bill’s face other than family photos, or
going from a storm to watching clothes going around a washing machine. Another
is Quinn asking Harper “Have you ever been to Kansas, Dorothy?” as Harper has
twin ponytails. There are some cool Easter eggs, as well, such as William looking
up Bill on the computer, and for just a brief second, Bill Paxton’s (d. 2017)
name comes up in the search engine.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">The soundtrack is – and
really should be for this type of topic – orchestrated and swelling, when need
be, especially reflective of the weather situated on-screen. It is lush and
beautiful, like a rainstorm.</span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8z74tM_wUFykZnsrmjQRJfRR7KDO8TcXflmvhbg9LzFj8HCdbYKzvjgjMyJMo04k4Edtg3n-s8j9-P90Us9VQxa3ul3so_RLMNmKFKveRaPLJNkeXsH4jfmhrBfQrOidAyZXEySax8HOa70wdAZq3SCAA7fFVRVjfo8z1DsOkhx4jXgqyOn8c--0g/s800/Tim-Samaras-The-Worlds-Best-Storm-Chaser-Photography.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="533" data-original-width="800" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8z74tM_wUFykZnsrmjQRJfRR7KDO8TcXflmvhbg9LzFj8HCdbYKzvjgjMyJMo04k4Edtg3n-s8j9-P90Us9VQxa3ul3so_RLMNmKFKveRaPLJNkeXsH4jfmhrBfQrOidAyZXEySax8HOa70wdAZq3SCAA7fFVRVjfo8z1DsOkhx4jXgqyOn8c--0g/w400-h266/Tim-Samaras-The-Worlds-Best-Storm-Chaser-Photography.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></div><p></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">Baldwin and Heche share no
scenes together, but they did in an earlier film, <i>The Juror</i> (1996). While
Baldwin is arguably the biggest current star here, and Diemer is the central
character, it is Ulrich who steals the film with his complex reading of Roy,
who is torn by past occurrences and taking care of the son of the person he
most admired.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">There are a lot of <i>Twister</i>
moments, such as one with a car van (though no cows), but at least no one shouts,
“It’s here!!” I will say that the CGI is better, and the storms look more realistic,
as they slash through the countryside. While I found the survivability in <i>Twister</i>
a bit unrealistic, here is it more real feeling, even though the excitement
level is a bit less. Do not get me wrong, there is lots of relatively scary
weather moments, and it is beautiful to watch. My only real issue with the film
is its length. There are lots of exposition moments that could have been edited
down and still arrived at the required destination. I get the feeling it is so
the star power have their own monologues and scenes. Again, understandable.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">If you like big storms,
like me (though I have zero interest in storm chasing any more than, say,
paragliding), there is a lot to like about this: adrenaline, rain, hail, and
fast paced weather.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">IMDB listing <i><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10559102/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0" target="_blank">HERE</a></i></span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ClKpG5s-_ac" width="320" youtube-src-id="ClKpG5s-_ac"></iframe></div>Robert Barry Francoshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17403914616932689149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5357058400646807069.post-16346431323861189732023-05-31T01:00:00.037-06:002023-06-01T14:02:22.471-06:00Review: Hollywood Werewolf<p><span style="font-size: medium;">Text © Richard Gary / Indie Horror Films, 2023<br />Images from the Internet</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 8.4pt; margin-top: 0cm; vertical-align: baseline;"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></o:p></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZtSWgJixOAXOJp4N8PCSNxc9epK4qgq80M56WianKAAPTiXoTxR9mYOs89EplJ3w0otlgjMNZ4KGh8HfIVIZM-2IVSyw9T6tKleLbASNymiOvCNLf0T6OScgyvTl3oPLqY8lVsMaZoMCHuvywukQRE2DxghbhlOWRkrLk1VRbIJP0V0cqQ30DNF-z/s1229/MV5BY2Q2MjFjMzUtYzdjYy00ZjIwLWE0YjctNjE4ZDNhMDUyYzYyXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMjMwNjIxMTY@._V1_FMjpg_UX1000_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1229" data-original-width="1000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZtSWgJixOAXOJp4N8PCSNxc9epK4qgq80M56WianKAAPTiXoTxR9mYOs89EplJ3w0otlgjMNZ4KGh8HfIVIZM-2IVSyw9T6tKleLbASNymiOvCNLf0T6OScgyvTl3oPLqY8lVsMaZoMCHuvywukQRE2DxghbhlOWRkrLk1VRbIJP0V0cqQ30DNF-z/w325-h400/MV5BY2Q2MjFjMzUtYzdjYy00ZjIwLWE0YjctNjE4ZDNhMDUyYzYyXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMjMwNjIxMTY@._V1_FMjpg_UX1000_.jpg" width="325" /></a></span></div><p></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Hollywood Werewolf</b>
<br />
<i>Directed by James Balsamo<br />
Acid Bath Productions<br />
91 minutes, 2023<br />
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063503922846">www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063503922846</a>
<o:p></o:p></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">As I have said before,
when you get a James Balsamo film, you get consistency: bizarre silliness,
puns, cameos, and it rarely rises above ridiculous. And yet, every time I hear
a new one is out, I get excited. If you are looking for some deep, serious
narratives, meaningful acting, and arty motifs, well, you just have not been
paying attention.</span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><o:p><span style="font-size: medium;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzPJghZTOyKDigrb3MtTx2u76dX7js-hujL1DjQYr_oWIUsTeXfXexMYxbUAiSUwY-5t2-PeG2vI-hzls5vjGhdU_-fRCoU61cx06qhuBFK0fJv2LJ9toDubCQnFQ8aGlL5lt9ZrFZYoE2nkoJOInUNfRj4yHxAHdsViV-79_IMyMdzsOpQe6BeTDp/s960/MV5BNzQyYzY2ZWEtNzYwYi00N2E5LTljNzktOWRkMWU3N2MyNzNlXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMjMwNjIxMTY@._V1_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzPJghZTOyKDigrb3MtTx2u76dX7js-hujL1DjQYr_oWIUsTeXfXexMYxbUAiSUwY-5t2-PeG2vI-hzls5vjGhdU_-fRCoU61cx06qhuBFK0fJv2LJ9toDubCQnFQ8aGlL5lt9ZrFZYoE2nkoJOInUNfRj4yHxAHdsViV-79_IMyMdzsOpQe6BeTDp/w400-h300/MV5BNzQyYzY2ZWEtNzYwYi00N2E5LTljNzktOWRkMWU3N2MyNzNlXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMjMwNjIxMTY@._V1_.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Andy Dick, James Balsamo</i></td></tr></tbody></table></span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">For his latest, he has
managed to rope in Andy Dick (most known for “NewsRadio” and bad behaviour) as
the titular Elliot Wolf. He was a child star who hit the lowest points
possible, not including being a werewolf (which we see right off the bat). But
it was this that led him to the lead part of (a different, as is pointed out multiple
times) visionary director Elliot Wolf’s new film, <i>Hollywood Werewolf.</i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">The premise of this film
is a mock documentary by director Wolf about actor/werewolf Wolf. Confusing? I
think not. This style sets up well for the inclusion of many and many a cameo
by cult musicians, actors and filmmakers, a motif that is omnipresent in Balsamo’s
films.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">Documentary films tend to
be short segments strung together in a common theme or topic. This gives a chance
for multiple people to ad lib and have some obvious fun as they promote their
own characters, such as “Saved by the Bell’s” Troy Fromin’s audition tape for (director)
Wolf’s next art film, “The Life and Death of an Avocado.” Mixed in are insults
to (actor) Wolf by the likes of a fired cue-card guy, his limo driver (who
turned Wolf in when he killed three strippers, but still drove him to the trial),
and his poor bedraggled manager, Marvin Orange (Balsamo regular and voice actor
for multiple Manga films, G. Larry Butler).</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">Then, of course, there are
interviews with (actor) Wolf’s ex-girlfriends, whose talking heads are mixed
with “sex tape” scenes of them in a shower, covering themselves with various
food substances, such as chocolate sauce and baked beans/hotdogs (surely to
show up in Balsamo’s nudity <i>Sexy Time </i>collections).</span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><o:p><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUSXAfi6JV4xZSlfcsEyaOh1YF2hnvOe4iIvl7HUgTJBzLa5u84MYMmWt6NA9NwueEiIav-kCJSgeoaIkjBOz90dnjtx59El6q1Ey_pXotxeAe8NAoVMJpOctHHUfeqGISPQs9YoBnGWtRDUkcFrt-PBKGBHNHI_xs9cld_8Cf1umlBn73gyOhEVn9/s1807/uydvopvkhtbpvc8lpwcw.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1196" data-original-width="1807" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUSXAfi6JV4xZSlfcsEyaOh1YF2hnvOe4iIvl7HUgTJBzLa5u84MYMmWt6NA9NwueEiIav-kCJSgeoaIkjBOz90dnjtx59El6q1Ey_pXotxeAe8NAoVMJpOctHHUfeqGISPQs9YoBnGWtRDUkcFrt-PBKGBHNHI_xs9cld_8Cf1umlBn73gyOhEVn9/w400-h265/uydvopvkhtbpvc8lpwcw.webp" width="400" /></a></span></div><p></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">I will say that some of
the jokes that are bandied about throughout generally work pretty well here,
many dealing with the names of films, or insults to actors (such as Lindsay Lohan;
see the trailer below). Some people interviewed are given names like Chet Taint
and David Davidson, and have descriptor titles like “Wind Enthusiast” or “Urethral
Sound Enthusiast.”</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">Balsamo has come a long
way from cameos where some band member(s) or actors were obviously filmed in an
alleyway or on the street during a convention where they just insult Balsamo’s
character, whichever it is in a particular film. Here his drop-ins play parts
and seem more connected to the storyline (and from what I can tell, this ain’t
nuthin’ compared to one of his next films, <i>Robot Dracula</i>), such as Eric
Roberts, who has also appeared and starred in a number of Balsamo releases.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">As for Andy Dick being the
star of this, well, I will say he was physically present. He did not seem very
engaged with what he was doing, but he actually is not in the film very much
(which is probably a good thing), but the name recognition works. I liked the
sparse werewolf make-up, though, which reminded me – in part – of Michael J.
Fox’s in <i>Teen Wolf </i>(1985)</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">Despite the bouncing boobies
and petulant puns, there is an interesting sociological aspect to this film.
No, I’m serious! On one hand, it is a commentary on the temporary fame of child
stars and how it can screw up one’s life. There are so many examples of this,
like Anissa Jones (d. 1976, age 18), Aaron Carter (d. 2022, age 34), Todd
Bridges, Erin Moran (2017, age 56), and Dana Plato (d. 1999, age 36), as well
as so many others. Child actor Paul Peterson even “founded a child-actor
support group, A Minor Consideration, to improve working conditions for child
actors and to assist in the transition between working as a child actor and
adult life” (Wikipedia).</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">Another aspect worth
noting is the effects of fame on those unprepared for it, and how the need to
sustain that level of notoriety even when undeserved for any real talent (think
Kardashians). That is where our titular Wolf stands, at the crossroads of both
of these junctures.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">IMDB listing <i><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9140180/?ref_=nm_flmg_unrel_24_act" target="_blank">HERE</a></i></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/pDdmuLv6wV4" width="320" youtube-src-id="pDdmuLv6wV4"></iframe></div>Robert Barry Francoshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17403914616932689149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5357058400646807069.post-79744031802062295752023-05-25T01:00:00.048-06:002023-05-25T01:00:00.149-06:00Serial Review: The Green Hornet (13 Episodes; 2 Discs)<p><span style="font-size: medium;"><i><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;">Text © Richard
Gary / Indie Horror Films, 2023<br /></span></i><i><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;">Images from the Internet</span></i></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;"><o:p><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></o:p></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBAIHcyx0dYKdsz0N3BsNnvkLZO-BPSkkAI1JIkk51JtOSZJxyoavi6-lF3QfiXDlDYkVzLbS6eM3rBjX4A4Vaum8qdfOEMBZMViDZtABNKUUlj2FevgCRYvr4aef9lkqZdRNxiZ1OetRBvzKWbRrMEJHHMuUltLnfWuctsEFI8hWzfYitzOxuKium/s1760/VCI9089.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1760" data-original-width="1518" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBAIHcyx0dYKdsz0N3BsNnvkLZO-BPSkkAI1JIkk51JtOSZJxyoavi6-lF3QfiXDlDYkVzLbS6eM3rBjX4A4Vaum8qdfOEMBZMViDZtABNKUUlj2FevgCRYvr4aef9lkqZdRNxiZ1OetRBvzKWbRrMEJHHMuUltLnfWuctsEFI8hWzfYitzOxuKium/w345-h400/VCI9089.jpg" width="345" /></a></span></div><p></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>The Green Hornet</b><br />
<i>Directed by Ford I. Beebe (d. 1978); Ray Taylor (d. 1952)<br />
Universal Pictures; VCI Entertainment</i><i><span lang="EN-US">; MVD Visual<br />
258 minutes (appx. 20 min per episode), 1940 / 2023<br />
</span></i><span class="MsoHyperlink"><i>www.VCIentertainment.com<br />
</i></span><a href="http://www.mvdvisual.com/"><i>www.MVDVisual.com</i></a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">The last serial I reviewed
was 1946’s <i><a href="https://indiehorrorfilms.blogspot.com/2018/04/review-monster-and-ape.html" target="_blank">The Monster and the Ape</a>. </i>And now, here we are with an even earlier one, <i>The Green Hornet</i>. No,
do not expect Bruce Lee (d. 1973) as Kato, the role on the television series that
arguably made him a household name in North America.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">Not counting the extras on
this Blu-ray, which I will get to later, there are over four hours of the main
attraction. In <i>the day</i>, you would have to wait week-by-week to see the
entire piece, which would be over 3 months. Now, it is all in one go, and
thanks to the new habit of binge-watching entire seasons of shows, this is
quite doable (though it will probably take me a few days to get through all of
them, and the extras… I have a life…).</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">Unlike most modern heroes,
such as Batman and Spider-Man, both of which came later, the Green Hornet character
started out as a radio series in 1936, created by George W. Trendle (d. 1972),
transferring into the serial and adapted by Fran Striker (d. 1962), thanks to
its esteem. It was popular enough to snag the original radio series, two
different film serials in the 1940s, the infamous television show in the 1960s,
and a major film in 2011 with Seth Rogan of all people as the title character. The
13 Chapters of this program are listed below. One of the most recognized theatrical
serials released, this is naturally in black and white, but it is a crisp, new
2K scan of the original 35mm master.</span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><o:p><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy4y0nDWDnVe1a1ReqJF8CVA_GaNs7wUFgdLvk_QriJyNqZUmF80sf0HCyRwxs0n7D-6AtblmJ2KpEDjKr5mAxQO7c3-SefdVt1OPa0rB2jwGXXDaOMt36sqMkQSijJ23nT9T6bNtC3QIQ91JpWSm-S3nwL2NgmKAc2E3sWWwJRLskYbIxoKHXzykJ/s615/625a4d2b6dff27001dfe5d07.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="341" data-original-width="615" height="221" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy4y0nDWDnVe1a1ReqJF8CVA_GaNs7wUFgdLvk_QriJyNqZUmF80sf0HCyRwxs0n7D-6AtblmJ2KpEDjKr5mAxQO7c3-SefdVt1OPa0rB2jwGXXDaOMt36sqMkQSijJ23nT9T6bNtC3QIQ91JpWSm-S3nwL2NgmKAc2E3sWWwJRLskYbIxoKHXzykJ/w400-h221/625a4d2b6dff27001dfe5d07.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></div><p></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">In this first of two
series, the focus is not exclusively on the enemies of the State (i.e., spies) from
the War in Europe, but the good old Racketeers and gangsters. Right off the Bat-man,
in an unnamed city, we meet rich newspaper heir Britt Reid (Gordon Jones; d.
1963; note that the voice of the Green Hornet is Al Hodge, d. 1979, who played
him on the radio and would go on to portray “Captain Video” on television) and
his Korean scientific genius sidekick/”valet” Kato (Keye Luke; d. 1991, known
as Master “Snatch the pebble…” Po from the “Kung Fu” television series). In the
heavy exposition (as it is the first episode), Reid saved Kato’s life in Asia, and
he is now working for him in gratitude; in the opening scene, Kato invents a
new and faster car motor, which Reid states, “Wait until I release this on the
world.” Wait, it was invented by Kato… Oh, yeah, it is the 1940s. Also helping
in the house is brogue-speaking ex-cop/reporter/bodyguard Michael (Wade Boteler;
d. 1943) who, unlike Alfred the Butler in Batman, is unaware of the Green
Hornet’s identity; he is, however, the comic relief.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">The other two main “good
guys” are the only returning female in the cast, Reid’s feisty secretary, Lenore
Case (Anne Nagel, who would star opposite Lon Chaney Jr. in 1941’s <i>Man-Made
Monster</i>; d. 1966) and on occasion, the fast-talking reporter at <i>The
Sentinel</i>, Jasper Jenks (Phillip Trent, d. 2001). Notably, there are only
three other women who appear, all in a single chapter, and all uncredited.
Future star Alan Ladd (d. 1964) has a bit part as a novice pilot (also
uncredited).</span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><o:p><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB3PDGBaCPenju4hHZiecM4SqSwLJTh_qG10nx_zIbIN9IUD23p4oZ6VvZjD5F-zVyS5WiyIemSp9rmvcC5ucmVifrYOS_YI0j28ilUrSM7mHVEtgXq9n5RPRWoYffCJv48jMimoF57aPY_mxlbsitoi4OsRCgl3BbQUBKe1_efwzjwBzhz1GHHauD/s579/28061_5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="410" data-original-width="579" height="284" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB3PDGBaCPenju4hHZiecM4SqSwLJTh_qG10nx_zIbIN9IUD23p4oZ6VvZjD5F-zVyS5WiyIemSp9rmvcC5ucmVifrYOS_YI0j28ilUrSM7mHVEtgXq9n5RPRWoYffCJv48jMimoF57aPY_mxlbsitoi4OsRCgl3BbQUBKe1_efwzjwBzhz1GHHauD/w400-h284/28061_5.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></div><p></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">A line that comes up often
is “a new Robin Hood” as the incentive for the vigilante. The Green Hornet’s
goal is to wipe out corruption between politicians and a variety of other scams,
such as construction company who are using kickbacks to use faulty equipment
and materials in their building sites, insurance fraud, a car thief ring, and
so on over the course of the 13 chapters, though most of the topics are
revolved around transportation. The syndicate is run by a mysterious man on the
phone.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">Like Batman in the early
days especially, Greenie is seen by the police establishment as a bad guy,
possibly trying to get rid of the syndicate to start his own. Only a loyal
employee sees the good side.</span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><o:p><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUGOvZadij0_L1zMTAZ8qeYiAuKkfyXFt-2M0CcIqCoBrHz5dxVroE2U3mfgUN0gDNyfJGuwHYlLZf6QF3TzIZbekASstsx-NJNm5uiufgl4prF-0np11LlJR4xLW4nZoUnhsCpG8mzHO5YhvJJY0zvfwLzEXZpXjx6CHOws_Oa4p0y_C5jgVhTgvT/s1024/subBEAUTY-jumbo.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="546" data-original-width="1024" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUGOvZadij0_L1zMTAZ8qeYiAuKkfyXFt-2M0CcIqCoBrHz5dxVroE2U3mfgUN0gDNyfJGuwHYlLZf6QF3TzIZbekASstsx-NJNm5uiufgl4prF-0np11LlJR4xLW4nZoUnhsCpG8mzHO5YhvJJY0zvfwLzEXZpXjx6CHOws_Oa4p0y_C5jgVhTgvT/w400-h214/subBEAUTY-jumbo.webp" width="400" /></a></span></div><p></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">The Green Hornet’s car, Black
Beauty, is souped up by Kato (who was originally Japanese on the radio show but
switched due to the war in the Asian Theater), makes a buzzing sound like a
hornet, that I have learned is made by a Theremin. It is supposed to go 200
miles an hour, but as it speeds past the camera (in sped up footage), the sound
is flat, without a doppler effect. Even that is not mentioned in the IMDB list
of goofs. Strangely, most people get into their vehicles from the passenger
side, rarely from the driver’s. The soundtrack that is worth noting is the
nearly constant use of Rimsky-Korsakov’s 1900 “Flight of the Bumblebee,”
for obvious reasons.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">The acting is completely
wooden as is true of nearly all B-films of the period (not just serials), as if
doing stage acting, and the dialogue is laughable. However, this is truly fun
to watch, and it really is better done than most other serials I have seen. It
also mixed footage shot for the series, as well as adding in some historical
b-roll (e.g., mining, dam building, etc.), especially in the first chapter. As
for the car chases, well it is pretty obvious they play the same footage
throughout all the chapters. I am sure this was a wise budgetary decision: remember,
the <i>B</i> in B-films could stand for low <i>B</i>udget. These features were
not made to make money on their own, but to draw people in with a stream of
cliffhangers (a term originated in serials) to see the feature film and its
lesser budget companion (e.g., double bill).</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">It is also fun to check
out the tropes of the time, just before gangster films were phasing out for war
propaganda and a hint of realism, though one story deals with illegal arms
shipments by someone with a slight German accent (Fredrik<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"> Vogeding</span>; d. 1942). For example, everyone wears dark
suits and ties, fedora hats, and when guns are fired, they are always handguns,
with the shooter standing straight up, one foot slightly behind the other, and
shooting at waist level. There are numerous fist fights in every episode, and
all are unintentionally humorous and cliché. Love this stuff.</span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><o:p><span style="font-size: medium;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx3p2qlMa9HuFmxEVYQ1Y437FEVtIidUcFWHdBmJh-zthUyjVKmgdMrBsWGDfxf0iGiFzaoWwgi48gx4vuXv36cbEptHtL2kq3VbWfrPJDfsbuVWk_vjedDo2ZUbZ08Egre-VJx0p4JvLrwKQ6FuVMqysCnZ5ydiTS6hGykw6hMu-33a3r8ULLbJ60/s937/MV5BNjhiMWM2NDAtZTFhNy00YTFmLTljOWUtZjY5YmVkZjU5NDRhXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMDMxMjQwMw@@._V1_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="618" data-original-width="937" height="264" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx3p2qlMa9HuFmxEVYQ1Y437FEVtIidUcFWHdBmJh-zthUyjVKmgdMrBsWGDfxf0iGiFzaoWwgi48gx4vuXv36cbEptHtL2kq3VbWfrPJDfsbuVWk_vjedDo2ZUbZ08Egre-VJx0p4JvLrwKQ6FuVMqysCnZ5ydiTS6hGykw6hMu-33a3r8ULLbJ60/w400-h264/MV5BNjhiMWM2NDAtZTFhNy00YTFmLTljOWUtZjY5YmVkZjU5NDRhXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMDMxMjQwMw@@._V1_.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Wade Boteler, Anne Nagel, Gordon Jones, Phillip Trent</i></td></tr></tbody></table></span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">There are lots of fine,
subtle moments, such as the visual of a phone dial spinning melding into
another location of a truck tire going ‘round. In another, Chase saying a line
and cutting to one of the bad guys saying the same line. It is reasons like
this that this serial was so popular.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">The extras are on the
second disc. They start with Don Blair and Chris Rowe reading from Clifford
Weimer’s “I Am…The Green Hornet:’ Chapter Six: The Hornet in Hollywood’” (8
min). This is part of an “autobiography” taken from the perspective of The
Hornet, “himself.” It is done with old-radio style vocals discussing the jump
from aural to visual. Continuing with the audio aspect are two earlier radio
episodes of “The Green Hornet”: “The Parking Lot Racket” (1939) and “The
Highway that Graft Wrote” (1940; appx. 30 min each). The last digital extra is
a Trivia (e.g., Reid is the grand-nephew of The Lone Ranger) and Photo Gallery.
On the physical side is a lengthy booklet written by prolific cultural
historian Martin Grams Jr.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i>Serial title list (disc
1):<br />
</i></b>Chapter 1: The Tunnel of Terror<br />
Chapter 2: The Thundering Terror<br />
Chapter 3: Flying Coffins<br />
Chapter 4: Pillar of Flame<br />
Chapter 5: The Time Bomb<br />
Chapter 6: Highways of Peril<br />
Chapter 7: Bridge of Disaster<br />
Chapter 8: Dead or Alive<br />
<b><i>Serial title list (disc 2):<br />
</i></b>Chapter 9: The Hornet Trapped<br />
Chapter 10: Bullets and Ballots<br />
Chapter 11: Disaster Rides the Rails<br />
Chapter 12: Panic in the Zoo<br />
Chapter 13: Doom of the Underworld<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">IMDB listing <i><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0031394/?ref_=fn_al_tt_4" target="_blank">HERE</a></i></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/v-t-xsDjZpc" width="320" youtube-src-id="v-t-xsDjZpc"></iframe></div><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><o:p></o:p></p>Robert Barry Francoshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17403914616932689149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5357058400646807069.post-70249625658653921332023-05-23T16:00:00.050-06:002023-05-25T16:11:53.488-06:00Review: The Killing Box<p><span style="font-size: medium;"><i><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;">Text © Richard
Gary / Indie Horror Films, 2023<br /></span></i><i><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;">Images from the Internet</span></i></span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><o:p><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW3xJZgxHGH6z_LLdDbp2JEdkZVFhOL3GgIlgmdZ_8SCOAJYbq7DHEt02-NBmEGTnhkoYdvvUKJhxiGr-BMFPD0gN6kBpKMncphCCcbdt0CnFZWv0KHqFn-pbh-QHcHaNO1v-SLYiPdnXEpYyDuJWJzI4JiKa6eUc0hSa-06I7icWWo_quRXmBTEDY/s1653/SR6687.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1653" data-original-width="1400" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW3xJZgxHGH6z_LLdDbp2JEdkZVFhOL3GgIlgmdZ_8SCOAJYbq7DHEt02-NBmEGTnhkoYdvvUKJhxiGr-BMFPD0gN6kBpKMncphCCcbdt0CnFZWv0KHqFn-pbh-QHcHaNO1v-SLYiPdnXEpYyDuJWJzI4JiKa6eUc0hSa-06I7icWWo_quRXmBTEDY/w339-h400/SR6687.jpg" width="339" /></a></span></div><p></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>The Killing Box</b> (aka <b>Grey Knight</b>; <b>Ghost Brigade</b>;<b> The
Lost Brigade</b>)<br />
<i><span lang="EN-US">Directed
by George Hickenlooper (d. 2010)<br />
Motion Picture Corporation of America (MPCA); MGM; Ronin Flix; Scorpion
Releasing; MVD Visual<br />
82 minutes, 1993 / 2023<br />
<a href="http://www.scorpionreleasing.com/">www.scorpionreleasing.com</a> <br />
<a href="http://www.mgm.com/">www.mgm.com</a> <br />
<a href="https://mvdb2b.com/s/TheKillingBox/SR6687">https://mvdb2b.com/s/TheKillingBox/SR6687</a><o:p></o:p></span></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-size: medium;">More Americans were killed in the War Between the States, aka The Civil
War (1861-1865), than in any other war in which the United States fought either
before or after. Both sides were abusive to the other in so many ways, both the
northern Union Army, and the slave-loving Confederates. Amazingly, so many
years later, the traitorous Rebels are still honored for some reason (“The
South will rise again!!”). Their symbol, the Confederate Flag, now stands for
treason and racism, but for a while there in the 1970s-‘80s, it was the representation
of rockabilly and the good ol’ boys (and girls) of “The Dukes of Hazard.” But I
sort of digress…</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">One aspect you may notice about
this film from 30 years ago is that there are many stars that have basically past
their prime since that time, and others that were on their upward trajectory.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">Let me start right off the
bat that wherever the story takes, even in the beginning, the work of director
George Hickenlooper is a force to be reckoned with. For example, the opening
sequence is shot in sepia (though full color comes after the credits), that
brownish tone that was present in early photography. Also, there is no shying
away from the blood and gore of that war. Many men had limbs amputated due to
the shattering effect of the weaponry and infections that would follow, sans
anesthetics, and this is reflected early on.</span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><o:p><span style="font-size: medium;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguPzlgS3sJnCi49J-qZq1OVgD_-WoZ9ui3hFQ-jBEtbHREqfYHU1HFwf4rEiI4I1WwM_ozVLEB2UXJMscGjIfusaMByjrvP3ugzv0Tn7jBDi3wb6VUZ4k2P199VvOsj-tDHk-c-ov8AW7Awl45R46bHTZK9HUxrutWuui156T2sxuOLrA0zMekjOdN/s1920/007e4b10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguPzlgS3sJnCi49J-qZq1OVgD_-WoZ9ui3hFQ-jBEtbHREqfYHU1HFwf4rEiI4I1WwM_ozVLEB2UXJMscGjIfusaMByjrvP3ugzv0Tn7jBDi3wb6VUZ4k2P199VvOsj-tDHk-c-ov8AW7Awl45R46bHTZK9HUxrutWuui156T2sxuOLrA0zMekjOdN/w400-h225/007e4b10.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Adrian Pasdar, Corbin Bernsen</i></td></tr></tbody></table></span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">As Capt. John Harling
(Adrian Pasdar; 1987’s <i>Near Dark</i>), who is also a preacher, is getting
ready to retire, he is called back to duty by General Haworth (a cameo by
Martin Sheen) to serve under Col. George Thalman (underrated Ray Wise, of “Twin
Peaks” fame). It seems soldiers are being killed via crucifixion, St. Peter
style: upside down on an X-shaped cross (e.g., the symbol of the Stars and Bars
flag), by an alternative army led by confederate Maj. Josiah Elkins (Roger
Wilson). To help Harling, is Union prisoner and confederate leader Col. Nehemiah
Stryan (Corbin Bernsen, of “L.A. Law”). As with the tropes of the likes of <i>Hell
in the Pacific</i> (1968) and <i>Enemy Mine</i> (1985), two sworn enemies will join
to survive.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">Seems there are some
undead soldiers who are attacking and killing both sides, and when they do,
those combatants also become zombies. Not the slow, flesh-eatin’ kind, but
nearly human with their intelligence intact. The revenge of those killed,
especially Confederates apparently, is a motif that had been used before and
after in the likes of <i>Two Thousand Maniacs!</i> (1964) and its remake <i>2001
Maniacs</i> (2005), and <i>The Fog</i> and its remake (1980; 2005). The
difference is that while the <i>Maniacs </i>and <i>Fogs</i> are ghosts, for
this film they are the undead; heck, they are even horny. The only ones that seem
to not come back are those crucified.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">With Thalman in charge,
and being an obvious bad guy, the regiment sets out to find the zombies. The
group includes a runaway slave, Rebecca (Cynda Williams, who was married to
Billy Bob Thornton at the time). This leads to an interesting exchange, where Stryan
claims, “God is a Southerner, John,” to which Harling replies, “You think he
keeps slaves, too?” The obvious answer is, no he does not keep them, but
according to the Bible, he permits people to do so: Exodus 21. For me, the argument
is that the whole threat of hell is meant to enslave humanity to God. But I
digress, again… Rebecca is more than she appears, being a mute voodoo priestess
(and what would the Bible say to that?).</span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><o:p><span style="font-size: medium;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSXo0UOzOW_nG2gz19yronVcN5f7nUTFPCpH6sKv8n1VoK8fJXgo6R5ookG-kdwJ6sVn4-P3gUBTfsIPo_rKN-BuTnkcTEYDwiS_DIg4h58DzVoHy9it_Pt86qq6uADqx-io3H_WFEYA25Zu-3i9lzyJ6ty0tRsfOinyEtji3fOTzwPPRCxIazZcu2/s870/Ghostb3_29.JPG.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="733" data-original-width="870" height="338" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSXo0UOzOW_nG2gz19yronVcN5f7nUTFPCpH6sKv8n1VoK8fJXgo6R5ookG-kdwJ6sVn4-P3gUBTfsIPo_rKN-BuTnkcTEYDwiS_DIg4h58DzVoHy9it_Pt86qq6uADqx-io3H_WFEYA25Zu-3i9lzyJ6ty0tRsfOinyEtji3fOTzwPPRCxIazZcu2/w400-h338/Ghostb3_29.JPG.webp" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Matt LeBlac (right)</i></td></tr></tbody></table></span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">Some of the soldiers,
sometimes in cameos, include David Arquette, pre-<i>Sling Blade </i>(1996) Thornton,
Alexis Arquette, A.J. Langer (who plays a boy, so this can never be shown in
the state where it is supposed to take place), and in his first film role, Matt
LeBlanc, who never gets to ask, “How <i>you</i> doin’?”</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">I have learned (from IMDB)
that the dead soldiers were written to be vampires, but the director turned
them into zombies having been raised by an evil voodoo entity, so he did not
have to do as many night shoots. But knowing this, helps makes sense of certain
scenes and dialogue (e.g., biting and not crossing running water). Personally,
I think the story makes more sense as blood-drinkers. Just an FYI I am passing
on.</span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><o:p><span style="font-size: medium;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEcCUAZgHks7BYkWYOGp9Xfebisf8p8EE0NGv6I03WQ0dPiHlLkYrTcAI69w5_6B6Z8DbvvQ_vdF6Rqme-CvMmwzWFdhKzPDlMPRkenwnoAIvlZX8ENoQHqUP5jxwzc2yhBmTD-6qhZMCYQojA_a9ZXRgTjmg2LqyitYZZztw97zad87HvBXF1aSWF/s350/grey-knight-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="186" data-original-width="350" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEcCUAZgHks7BYkWYOGp9Xfebisf8p8EE0NGv6I03WQ0dPiHlLkYrTcAI69w5_6B6Z8DbvvQ_vdF6Rqme-CvMmwzWFdhKzPDlMPRkenwnoAIvlZX8ENoQHqUP5jxwzc2yhBmTD-6qhZMCYQojA_a9ZXRgTjmg2LqyitYZZztw97zad87HvBXF1aSWF/w400-h213/grey-knight-2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Willaims, Bernsen</i></td></tr></tbody></table></span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">There is a surprising amount
of blood and gore (by René Dashiell Kerby, who also worked on 2003’s <i>Cat
in the Hat</i> and <i>Star Trek</i> in 2009) for a film of this level at that
time. The cinematography and pacing occasionally looks and feels a bit like an “ABC
Movie of the Week,” but it does not shy away from the bloodletting, so I am
good with it.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">One thing I found frustrating
was the lack of the evil entity/entities in the cave that “turned” the
soldiers. It is discussed, but never shown. Were they planning on a sequel? I
do believe that this would be a good film for a reboot and up the violence ante.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">Honestly, with this cast,
I was not sure what I was anticipating, but I will admit that my expectations
were low. It was much better than I anticipated, even with some slow moments
here and there. It also make me think of <i>30 Days of Night </i>(2007) more than any of the <i>...of the Dead</i> releases.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">This is ridiculous because
it is anachronistic, but I was kinda hoping the soundtrack would play Duane
Eddy’s “Rebel Rouser” and/or Billy Idol’s “Rebel Yell,” possibly over the final
credits. We do, however, get a version of “Dixie” and “Yankee Doodle,” which is
more appropriate.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">Bonus materials are English
Subtitles for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, DTS-HD Master Audio, High-Definition
Blu-ray 1080p Widescreen Presentation (1.78:1), and a new 2020 HD Master. Also,
there are a nice stack of B-film trailers from the 1970s-1980s, both genre and mainstream, as well as a surprisingly blurry version for this one.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">MDB listing <i><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0107319/?ref_=nm_flmg_t_222_act" target="_blank">HERE</a></i><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/TkjzQoPBqcY" width="320" youtube-src-id="TkjzQoPBqcY"></iframe></div>Robert Barry Francoshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17403914616932689149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5357058400646807069.post-44745087541927868202023-05-20T01:00:00.049-06:002023-05-20T01:00:00.146-06:00Review: Motion Detected<p><span style="font-size: medium;">Text © Richard Gary / Indie Horror Films, 2023<br />Images from the Internet</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 8.4pt; margin-top: 0cm; margin: 0cm 8.4pt 0cm 0cm; vertical-align: baseline;"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></o:p></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeUYuXsNyv1ec6nvxh2Ht_CZXUVvPz9dVlmvVILRxkIg9DTR2_ho89bp_pzp4PxqmomTut-8M62T-CLz8Gy0iy8wiqvLY-G5IG4YvEAkE0iZ7HIbz7YjiTOU2hdXcYTx2TduaL6mQlFbmur_XOBEh1UJj8asW_nA5Emc-iOuzAJ1JVb19yE2mtmKnZ/s1200/345613771_767696451668522_7773252148339725515_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="800" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeUYuXsNyv1ec6nvxh2Ht_CZXUVvPz9dVlmvVILRxkIg9DTR2_ho89bp_pzp4PxqmomTut-8M62T-CLz8Gy0iy8wiqvLY-G5IG4YvEAkE0iZ7HIbz7YjiTOU2hdXcYTx2TduaL6mQlFbmur_XOBEh1UJj8asW_nA5Emc-iOuzAJ1JVb19yE2mtmKnZ/w266-h400/345613771_767696451668522_7773252148339725515_n.jpg" width="266" /></a></span></div><p></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Motion Detected</b>
<br />
<i>Directed by Justin Gallaher; Sam
Roseme<br />
Asterlight; Freestyle Digital Media<br />
<a href="http://www.freestyledigitalmedia.tv/film/motion-detected/">www.freestyledigitalmedia.tv/film/motion-detected/</a>
<br />
80 minutes, 2022 / 2023<o:p></o:p></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">As much as this is a thriller
(rather than horror) about a fear of one’s environment, it is also an
acknowledgement of a dread of AI technology in what is supposed to be the sanctity
of the safety of <i>home</i>. A recent subgenre has focused on home invasions,
such as with <i><a href="https://indiehorrorfilms.blogspot.com/2023/03/review-becky-special-edition.html" target="_blank">Becky </a></i>(2022), but those deal with the human element. This is more in the line of <i>Demon Seed</i>
(1977), as self-aware digital manipulation rather than, say, robots are the
issue. But it seems there may be even another side to this.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">After a quick prologue
that gives a whole new meaning to the idea of the monster in the closet, we
meet Eva (Natasha Esca) and Miguel (Carlo Mendez), who are house hunting in Los
Angeles after moving from Mexico City thanks to some violence by a gang called
El Diablo that occurred there. The shady real estate agent, Julie (Katelyn MacMullen
in a cameo, who has been Willow Tate on “General Hospital” since 2018 for over
450 episodes), is a bit of a cliché for these kinds of films, although usually
appearing in renting haunted houses in the trope.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">The casa in question is a “smart
house” that has controls, cameras, security systems, and so much more, run by –
get this – Diablo Controls. The voice (Jasmin Walker) of the system talks in a
steady monotone, reminiscent of a female version of HAL in <i>2001: A Space Odyssey</i>
(1968), or even Siri and the “Read Aloud” feature on Microsoft Word. Wonder
where this is going… Hmmmm. Meanwhile, PTSD-ridden Eva is stuck alone in the
house on the first night by her husband who returns to New Mexico for a
business trip. ‘Natch. So now we know who is the main character.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6jJ_XyJd2ODZiJLZKU9upVUD1BCeVPpgbIH_dlE4MLwt7WYZoTUzr5rJFniFFFj-NtH-m5ci62ufLMdYYjdpXKcIIpKxsCZ4Jq47NdtcPG9SFO39h8yi5SyMtOYIjttWw4zDUoWacovA8k7bs-xNgf9ayNcLrQhcienfWJTt7pKUydJbjs-EKXUUW/s1200/motion-detected.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="629" data-original-width="1200" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6jJ_XyJd2ODZiJLZKU9upVUD1BCeVPpgbIH_dlE4MLwt7WYZoTUzr5rJFniFFFj-NtH-m5ci62ufLMdYYjdpXKcIIpKxsCZ4Jq47NdtcPG9SFO39h8yi5SyMtOYIjttWw4zDUoWacovA8k7bs-xNgf9ayNcLrQhcienfWJTt7pKUydJbjs-EKXUUW/w400-h210/motion-detected.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></div><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">Eva is struggling to
figure out her own paranoia and fear, and the new system in the house. Plus,
bad dreams are not helping. Meanwhile, something glitchy this way comes as a digital,
staticky looking CGI figure is seen roaming about.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">A nice touch is a mixture
of possibly malevolent technology and perhaps something else, mixed with an older
Latinx religious aspects as Eva visits the dark, mystical version of Christian
voodoo (if you will) <a href="https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/templo-santa-muerte" target="_blank">Templo Santa Muerte</a>, a real place on Melrose. Love it when
both religion and technology mix in a story, with it being in conflict rather than
on the same side. Another thing I noticed is that although they had all the
modern tech, such as phones, computers, etc., there was no television in the
house. Again, hmmmm. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">There is a bit of overlaps
from previous films, seen in moments that could have been influenced by the
likes of the <i>Paranormal Activity</i> franchise (starting in 2007), spooky kitchen
action via <i>Poltergeist</i> (1982), and <i>Prince of Darkness </i>(1987).</span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><o:p><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizbAYgM_TBgCGdCpWx1rYCWy95jVPlLYeYrIcjMiPthgNSAKUIct10JLDummmFZ9-VGn_0cnQrdBVah2kxm73UawHa2cyJvgf7g66bU9Qgn9sXn_WGWV31mlvt_eTcj61hWBfzV7rdCgsflMY2aV34ekxsnhPZKRotnAKY1HOpfuhmt8sMyDtQVEYH/s1920/thumb_ABD284CA-5C8A-455A-9642-00EA7B9E742B.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizbAYgM_TBgCGdCpWx1rYCWy95jVPlLYeYrIcjMiPthgNSAKUIct10JLDummmFZ9-VGn_0cnQrdBVah2kxm73UawHa2cyJvgf7g66bU9Qgn9sXn_WGWV31mlvt_eTcj61hWBfzV7rdCgsflMY2aV34ekxsnhPZKRotnAKY1HOpfuhmt8sMyDtQVEYH/w400-h225/thumb_ABD284CA-5C8A-455A-9642-00EA7B9E742B.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></div><p></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">There is no doubt that
this is Esca’s film, as she is in nearly all scenes. She carries the role well,
being both sympathetic and still giving a vibe of strength within the PTSD from
the past (other than giving into a vice or two under stress). Everyone else in
this limited cast is there fleetingly, including Mendez, such as Diablo technician
Ray (Roland Buck III), Eva’s on-line therapist Dr. Olivares (KIimberli Flores),
nosy neighbor Nancy (Julie Brister), and rattled co-Diablo client Reed (Bob
Clendenin, a semi-regular on “Scrubs” and “Cougar Town”). A cast this minimal
gives me the impression it was possibly filmed during the COVID period.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">My one issue with it,
though, is that it is too long for the actual story, with a lot of roaming
around the house and grounds with dissonant music playing on the soundtrack. It
was the only time I was truly distracted and taken out of the story. And this
has nothing to do with anything really, but why do so many genre films have gratuitous
scenes of someone brushing their teeth? It seems to have replaced the nude shower
moments that used to be so prevalent. Pet peeve, sorry.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">On the other hand, the
soundtrack is sparkling, filled with Latin music that is both contemporary, and
yet feels somewhat traditional at the same time (think of the equivalent of a
new band who plays classic rock).</span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">My feeling is that they are thinking of doing this as a franchise, for three reasons: first, there are a lot of users indicated that use Diablo Controls, so that leaves room for many more stories. Second and third, is the <i>what</i> and <i>why </i>of Diablo. What is the reason for this all happening, and what is the motive behind it. Perhaps they will continue with the stories, or perhaps, at some time do an origin piece, all of which I would be interested in seeing.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">This is an enjoyable entry
into the <i>ghost in the machine</i> category, stretching the envelope a bit
here and there, mixing and matching genres and tropes effectively. A great
start for the directorial debut of both Gallaher and Roseme, who are known more
for screenplays and producing.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">This film is available on Digital
HD and VoD, including iTunes, Amazon, Vudu, Comcast and Verizon.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">IMDB listing <i><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt13399128/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0_tt_5_nm_0_q_motion%2520detected" target="_blank">HERE</a></i><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/OkHr4WUQq_8" width="320" youtube-src-id="OkHr4WUQq_8"></iframe></div>Robert Barry Francoshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17403914616932689149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5357058400646807069.post-18529146719586178742023-05-17T19:49:00.086-06:002023-05-24T20:07:15.631-06:00Review: La Petite Mort 2: Nasty Tapes<p><i><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> Text © Richard
Gary / Indie Horror Films, 2023<br /></span></span></i><i><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Images from the Internet</span></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;"><o:p><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></o:p></span></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyrdEexjvD0KG2SZtx4EwHYXX7lV8_ma5gLhnS8_oqNzGuUmU1MJ4Z6Cuud0S8Cj9h-m2hpeez2OYRxpcAaOk-qUusy93Pzlpw4EsUsgr19pskYI7t6Z2FYgcIkXnPzJabw4GfD2cax54FkHa8QfDN2KR59IE55VJGUmcb6DjtMBgSfxlLIQw5qWB4/s1765/UN-1149.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1765" data-original-width="1542" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyrdEexjvD0KG2SZtx4EwHYXX7lV8_ma5gLhnS8_oqNzGuUmU1MJ4Z6Cuud0S8Cj9h-m2hpeez2OYRxpcAaOk-qUusy93Pzlpw4EsUsgr19pskYI7t6Z2FYgcIkXnPzJabw4GfD2cax54FkHa8QfDN2KR59IE55VJGUmcb6DjtMBgSfxlLIQw5qWB4/w350-h400/UN-1149.jpg" width="350" /></a></span></i></div><p></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>La Petite Mort 2: Nasty
Tapes</b> (aka <b>La Petite Mort II</b>)<br />
<i><span lang="EN-US">Directed
by Marcel Walz;<br />
Matador Film; Bogatzki-movie.com Movie Production; <br />Unearthed Films; MVD Visual<br />
90 minutes, 2014 / 2023<br />
</span></i><a href="https://www.facebook.com/la.petite.mort.2/"><i>www.facebook.com/la.petite.mort.2/</i></a><span class="MsoHyperlink"><i> <br />
</i></span><span class="MsoHyperlink"><i>www.unearthedvideo.com<br /></i></span><span style="color: #0000ee;"><i><u>https://mvdb2b.com/s/LaPetiteMort2NastyTapes/UN-1149</u></i></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">This is the second chapter
of this German transgressive cinema directed by goremaster Marcel Walz (who as
since moved and started filming in Los Angeles). In the first installment, the yucky
stuff was handled by Olaf Ittenbach, who is absent this time. Still, I have no
doubt that will not slow down the ultraviolence. Again, the film is in German
with English subtitles. But honestly, I get the feeling, the libretto is not
going to matter as much as the visual. The gore effects this time are handled
by The Gruesome Twosome, and Megan and Ryan (d. 2019) Nicholson. A cult SFX
wizard, Ryan also directed the likes of the <i>Gutterball</i> franchise, <i><a href="https://indiehorrorfilms.blogspot.com/2021/10/review-hanger-2-disc-collectors-edition.html" target="_blank">Hanger</a></i>
(2009), and <i><a href="https://indiehorrorfilms.blogspot.com/2021/10/review-star-vehicle.html" target="_blank">Star Vehicle</a></i>
(2010). </span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">In the first piece, <i><a href="https://indiehorrorfilms.blogspot.com/2022/12/review-la-petite-mort.html" target="_blank">LaPetite Mort</a></i>, released in 2009 (though taking place in 1998), we
are introduced to the Masion La Petite Mort in Frankfurt, where travelers are
tortured for the deep web viewing pleasure, as well as an opportunity for rich
people to fill their violent fantasies (a la the <i>Hostel</i> franchise), but
online. Honestly, I would not be surprised if this actually happens, but as I
have never been on the dark web and have no intentions of doing so, I will
never know, nor do I want to see that.</span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><o:p><span style="font-size: medium;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5PzSD3y7HrrsCsiOL3aqb8OYADAFxBCrVrRCv7u5O_4ZshtlSn7d4Z_BAQVacklxGXRjrm0c9dj_sjB1nu_OVlTk3OCCa8yyrdyiEFG4TxqBKfoA365YfNOO9FIUwse72oPjbStIFyf77nyFEL4RjKMdPKI1bPifsq2P11X3ncXg9qh31DxigAdiY/s480/2_39.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="480" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5PzSD3y7HrrsCsiOL3aqb8OYADAFxBCrVrRCv7u5O_4ZshtlSn7d4Z_BAQVacklxGXRjrm0c9dj_sjB1nu_OVlTk3OCCa8yyrdyiEFG4TxqBKfoA365YfNOO9FIUwse72oPjbStIFyf77nyFEL4RjKMdPKI1bPifsq2P11X3ncXg9qh31DxigAdiY/w400-h266/2_39.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Yvonne Wolke, Annika Strauss</i></td></tr></tbody></table></span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">The new owner of La Petite
Mort is sexually amorphous Monsieur Matheo Maxime (Mika Metz; d. 2017), with
his two hench – er – women, brunette Dominque (Annika Strauss), who returns
from the first film, and blonde Monique (Yvonne Wölke). Both could have been in
the video for the Divinyls’ song “Pleasure and Pain.” They are aided by others,
such as the Sexy Nurses (Gabriela Wirbel and Nicole Neukirch), the well-named
Eva Brown (Bea La Bea), and Matheo’s wife, Jade (Micaela Schäfer).</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">In the first film, we are
introduced to some tourists who end up at the Jail Bar, and how they end up in
Masion La Petite Morte, as well as the follow-up. Here, there is no context,
just torture broken up into segments that have title cards such as “Sushi Time”
with info on the victim, and how much someone is paying to have them
eviscerated. As Ralph Kramden may say, “Pins and needles, needles and pins…” Victims
are of both sexes, so there is that. There are also “between” segments with
testimonials from happy customers who either paid for the chance to kill, or do
the body work themselves. And all of it on camera.</span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><o:p><span style="font-size: medium;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmy5MWGRCBOdNF7Rzz_o9Grm5SU_VTXQXKyoso3HFJYbMQIEKPvc4Zq55mY-HrwTe6xIrr0ljII-pMLPZ0vtoEMKxfH-aARuSjTfcOSm2Voif1VkOy2jVivNtESQIEr5N8qYq_3rxOmYuSZgClFsAslsJ6VbxpXBFtacdM5DEmyw-AvXIa6sGLKIkN/s368/videoPreview.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="210" data-original-width="368" height="229" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmy5MWGRCBOdNF7Rzz_o9Grm5SU_VTXQXKyoso3HFJYbMQIEKPvc4Zq55mY-HrwTe6xIrr0ljII-pMLPZ0vtoEMKxfH-aARuSjTfcOSm2Voif1VkOy2jVivNtESQIEr5N8qYq_3rxOmYuSZgClFsAslsJ6VbxpXBFtacdM5DEmyw-AvXIa6sGLKIkN/w400-h229/videoPreview.webp" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Micalea Schafer, Mika Metz</i></td></tr></tbody></table></span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">Much of it is from the
perspective of the Web cameras, so it is nearly found footage style, but there
is also some “backstage” drama with Matheo and the women who work for him. Even
this internal tension is caught on video, as the characters occasionally look
directly at the camera and comment.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">A sort of by-product of
this style is that the person watching this is not just a viewer, but is a
participant of the feed.</span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><o:p><span style="font-size: medium;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOIDEUPI6A7ZdmGWSBKGCZRgPxJvmiP-EyO0R_65JCcKkDTlPeLIrKq_ULsmoNLbOu4AlwDSXTPg7jv4GYC4cOK9-x1tvHfAziHnyvl2wDdrJzoLP4QSAUKX7lFWu8cWIXgA1i29VY8xmxdvT5JCfyZYMRpDUyvtdhpOqPTIMs6HiiRhfoBZ6Gvmvm/s1920/1534530599%20(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOIDEUPI6A7ZdmGWSBKGCZRgPxJvmiP-EyO0R_65JCcKkDTlPeLIrKq_ULsmoNLbOu4AlwDSXTPg7jv4GYC4cOK9-x1tvHfAziHnyvl2wDdrJzoLP4QSAUKX7lFWu8cWIXgA1i29VY8xmxdvT5JCfyZYMRpDUyvtdhpOqPTIMs6HiiRhfoBZ6Gvmvm/w400-h225/1534530599%20(1).jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Gabriela Wirbel, Nicole Neukirch</i></td></tr></tbody></table></span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">Stylistically, it is
actually shot beautifully, focusing on the faces (or parts thereof) in close-ups
of most of the characters, in a darkish, reddish tone. Also, for some reason,
there is some clips of <i>Carnival of Souls</i> (1962) and <i>Night of the
Living Dead</i> (1968) shown on a monitor (the former also of facial close-ups).</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">Each set piece has a
slightly different feel, such as one called “Gasrechnung” (“Gas Bill”) which
has a definite World War II feel, with Eva Brown giving herself a Hitler
moustache in blood. Most of this segment is in black and white as in a Leni Riefenstahl-style
propaganda film. Interestingly, there is an added censor image over certain
parts of the uniforms, which show Nazi iconography. German film: detailed
torture permitted, but no symbols of the “fatherland.”</span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><o:p><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgClh3QzcxINtqrW63bkPRIgAC7xk64yj3RU9zSqL_VK8knhQjhQhoxOzfCoTQbQPHHG0wXedwYNhufZZEglNT242eSju8HDglbhbrFgCh22_ei5VQrBG-VfmgOXisMw1URP2jurzuiUlCbjTBJKf11qp63n-P1Z20IyJ3P7vm9TJjGnXkjgK_kKzit/s640/1534530599.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="640" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgClh3QzcxINtqrW63bkPRIgAC7xk64yj3RU9zSqL_VK8knhQjhQhoxOzfCoTQbQPHHG0wXedwYNhufZZEglNT242eSju8HDglbhbrFgCh22_ei5VQrBG-VfmgOXisMw1URP2jurzuiUlCbjTBJKf11qp63n-P1Z20IyJ3P7vm9TJjGnXkjgK_kKzit/w400-h225/1534530599.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></div><p></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">Like Tod Browning in films
like <i>Freaks</i> (1932), some odd humans are thrown into the mix, such as The
Twins (Barbara and Patrizia Zuchowski). There are also some cool cameos
throughout from cult genre filmmakers and/or actors, such as <a href="https://indiehorrorfilms.blogspot.com/2014/01/vod-review-easter-casket.html" target="_blank">Dustin Mills</a>, <a href="https://indiehorrorfilms.blogspot.com/2016/09/review,-caroushell.html" target="_blank">Haley Madison</a>, Uwe Bowl, Mike Mendez, Adam Ahlbrandt, and Ryan
Nicholson (d. 2019).</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">Despite splashes (drips?)
of laughter in a couple of moments, everyone seems to be unhappy, be it through
body dysmorphia, boredom while inflicting pain out of repetition, and of
course, the subjects of the sharp objects. This is a pretty joyless film, with
minimal humor, though there are some dark moments of it scattered throughout.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">The first extra on the
Blu-ray is the “Making of <i>La Petite Mort 2</i>” (13 min), which is
essentially extended scenes showing more detail of some of the tortures. Then
there is an “Alternate Scene” (4 min) that is the “Gas Bill” part, without the edited-out
images of the Iron Cross, the “SS” Schutzstaffel logo, and of course the
swastika armband (wonder if they ever play Lech Kowalski’s 1980 documentary <i><a href="https://ffanzeen.blogspot.com/2018/04/review-doa-right-of-passage.html" target="_blank">D.O.A.</a></i>
over there).</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">The ”Behind the Scenes
Gallery” (3 min) is lots of nice shots of the make-up and the cast, and I quite
enjoyed it. As for the “Advert” (30 sec), I have no idea what I was looking at.
Last, there are a few company trailers, as well as two from this film, and the
first <i>La Petite Mort</i>.</span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><o:p><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_q0ObpVtujOIr8udNUmcrm4mpmlvcCC3586_XHaZC9nr5iEikBY34Td4o0nDyWIIvws2uArQgqaDwDiO6Tb0dWdIFqNfKP7aWwj1Ib_rLar4Uwp20xkmteLskvsej1e4qEj_8L5niTQYBEw6f1Dg91oBY2GEYXSP1Pu6zF4hjfM2AJjEZqhjq8KX-/s1920/x1080.jfif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_q0ObpVtujOIr8udNUmcrm4mpmlvcCC3586_XHaZC9nr5iEikBY34Td4o0nDyWIIvws2uArQgqaDwDiO6Tb0dWdIFqNfKP7aWwj1Ib_rLar4Uwp20xkmteLskvsej1e4qEj_8L5niTQYBEw6f1Dg91oBY2GEYXSP1Pu6zF4hjfM2AJjEZqhjq8KX-/w400-h225/x1080.jfif" width="400" /></a></span></div><p></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">As I stated in my review
of the first film, “The problem with stories like this, and this is my opinion,
is the plot revolves around the action, rather than the action being a result
of the story…sometimes it goes beyond what even I can tolerate. If this is your
idea of fun, well, please, have at it.”</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">I realize that this film
is a few years old now, but I have to say, the whole premise of strangers being
tortured for the pleasure of the rich and/or on the Net for clicks/cash, is
becoming a bit cliché, and is merely an excuse for some graphic body horror.
Sure, I like a bit of ultraviolence, but my tastes run more to the cartoonish
violence, even when explicit, than just someone being tied up and put through
the wringer. Also, I like more of a narrative than a string of events. How can
one feel anything about any character if there is nothing to bolster the <i>why,</i>
other than greed.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><o:p><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></o:p><span style="font-size: large;">MDB listing </span><i style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2335732/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_1_tt_8_nm_0_q_la%2520mort%2520petite" target="_blank">HERE</a></i></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/_L0A9lRY95c" width="320" youtube-src-id="_L0A9lRY95c"></iframe></div>Robert Barry Francoshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17403914616932689149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5357058400646807069.post-69155854991001813312023-05-15T01:00:00.001-06:002023-05-15T01:00:00.129-06:00Review: The Resurrection of Charles Manson<p><i><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Text © Richard
Gary / Indie Horror Films, 2023<br /></span></span></i><i><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Images from the Internet</span></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;"><o:p><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></o:p></span></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjprCPcYOct84XP6WCbKAeSfWKqTWn3DSV74z7oU8-PZSLMfhXs4sT-9o9Y7L7Po8x1ncY4kKi9LLLPsK-DBqobXbVVxkIsjxP7Fq0-XLVxsTXpUoN6Janxm193zl2uU89lpchQ3eicwqragryAkKDDZPEwNBBkr_5ipssIrGEf8mbPLxzrcP0MFFV0/s1500/MV5BZGQ3NGMxMjgtZjU2OC00MzAzLTliNDAtMTY0ZGViNWI3ZWQyXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNTM0NTU5Mg@@._V1_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1013" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjprCPcYOct84XP6WCbKAeSfWKqTWn3DSV74z7oU8-PZSLMfhXs4sT-9o9Y7L7Po8x1ncY4kKi9LLLPsK-DBqobXbVVxkIsjxP7Fq0-XLVxsTXpUoN6Janxm193zl2uU89lpchQ3eicwqragryAkKDDZPEwNBBkr_5ipssIrGEf8mbPLxzrcP0MFFV0/w270-h400/MV5BZGQ3NGMxMjgtZjU2OC00MzAzLTliNDAtMTY0ZGViNWI3ZWQyXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNTM0NTU5Mg@@._V1_.jpg" width="270" /></a></span></i></div><p></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>The Resurrection of
Charles Manson </b>(aka <b>Man’s Son</b>)<br />
<i><span lang="EN-US">Directed
by Remy Grillo;<br />
</span></i><i>Bolt Films; Dare Angel; Hooligan
Dreamers; Margate House Films; Voltage Pictures; The Movie Partnership; XYZ
Films</i><i><span lang="EN-US"><br />
78 minutes; 2023<br />
</span></i><span class="MsoHyperlink"><i>www.xyzfilms.com</i></span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">Not being a Christian,
thank god, I had not yet thought about Jesus being the “Son of Man,” and
Charlie, who many believe was the anti-Christ (and others, a savior), as “Man son”
(aka “Man’s son”), the latter of which is the Canadian title for this release. That
is as cool as Lincoln’s secretary being named Kennedy, and Kennedy’s secretary
was named Lincoln. But I digress (and so quickly!)…</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">Manson, like Jesus, has
become more than just <i>a man</i> (well, there is proof that at least <i>one</i>
of them existed), but has become a cultural icon beyond the actions that made
them so. Manson has become the folk boogeyman that people love to hate, or just
love as a symbol, much as Jason and Michael; someone you can admire, but not
necessarily one you would want to share a space in the real world.</span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><o:p><span style="font-size: medium;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdin4XFSXK-uHttsf8moGGrSlJj0tvPK45TpXx0gQVu8dSxeOLEXTgxlqXFdkI7cjtGnyQcpAMMj3vz8dNYNTyLaJSFZldp7DMxsdOgJIwIuTaCBr-XLwWm0pIq8jnJEQMurWfNx3rU1cN4CEht1QRrAV7MMldMF0-K3HjKCYvg21__O5BymSCoUdI/s1646/MV5BZTg3NTQyZDktNmY0OS00ZDEwLTkyYzAtMzU3MjEyZmZhNDQ0XkEyXkFqcGdeQVRoaXJkUGFydHlJbmdlc3Rpb25Xb3JrZmxvdw@@._V1_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="799" data-original-width="1646" height="194" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdin4XFSXK-uHttsf8moGGrSlJj0tvPK45TpXx0gQVu8dSxeOLEXTgxlqXFdkI7cjtGnyQcpAMMj3vz8dNYNTyLaJSFZldp7DMxsdOgJIwIuTaCBr-XLwWm0pIq8jnJEQMurWfNx3rU1cN4CEht1QRrAV7MMldMF0-K3HjKCYvg21__O5BymSCoUdI/w400-h194/MV5BZTg3NTQyZDktNmY0OS00ZDEwLTkyYzAtMzU3MjEyZmZhNDQ0XkEyXkFqcGdeQVRoaXJkUGFydHlJbmdlc3Rpb25Xb3JrZmxvdw@@._V1_.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Katherine Hughes</i></td></tr></tbody></table></span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">Actress Tianna (Katherine
Hughes) and photographer boyfriend Mitch (Josh Plasse), who have a bit of a
fraught relationship, decide to go on a vacation to a secluded area in the
desert Yucca Valley (California) area. There is an indication right off the bat
that there is something fishy going on with a cultish symbol of an ouroboro showing
up in tattoos and scratches into the dirt.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">Tianna is prepping to
audition for a film in which she would play one of Manson’s “family.” The idea is
to stay in a place similar to the Spahn Ranch to get into the role. But Manson’s
ideology has not left the neighborhood. The cult is run by Robert (in an
extended cameo, the director’s father, Frank Grillo, from 2011’s <i>The Grey</i>,
part of <i>The Purge </i>franchise, and as Brock Rumlow in a bunch of Marvel
Universe films revolving around Captain America), and his wife (a cameo by
actor/model Jaime King, doing her best Morticia). They were of the original
Manson family members, who are planning to do a sacrifice ceremony to bring Charlie,
their “Lord” (as Robert puts it), back from the dead, with help from their
oddball son, Lucas (Will Peltz). This is to take place on the anniversary of
Charlie’s death (November 19). And, of course, Tianna and Mitch fit right into
their plans in various roles.</span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><o:p><span style="font-size: medium;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg34_jBhFQdGFHWQqbCLBM-NbYL2EIiwiOY01_GKqPixL8R6R-Emd5fvB3WEUNo4QI-WNtnT6Q_J4nbxmqqXP4UOdnVVkaaWPLqKKg6rCTYDjCSxZFEk9slNIHVICAHWTdLyUIMrkqqogshvnRbRazEKb7shifciBf2zEQQP29bR7vPZra1v3MJjtPM/s1278/014427_1278x719_638134829732189950.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="719" data-original-width="1278" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg34_jBhFQdGFHWQqbCLBM-NbYL2EIiwiOY01_GKqPixL8R6R-Emd5fvB3WEUNo4QI-WNtnT6Q_J4nbxmqqXP4UOdnVVkaaWPLqKKg6rCTYDjCSxZFEk9slNIHVICAHWTdLyUIMrkqqogshvnRbRazEKb7shifciBf2zEQQP29bR7vPZra1v3MJjtPM/w400-h225/014427_1278x719_638134829732189950.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Josh Plasse</i></td></tr></tbody></table></span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">First of all, this is Remy
Grillo’s first directorial effort, and for a newbie, he does an amazing job.
The cinematography alone, by Peter Tolifson, is fantastic, employing shots of
the desert and bare hills filling up the screen in its sterile beauty. Sometimes
it is from a higher view, thanks to some drone work.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">Also, the soundtrack is
really fine singer-songwriter and soft rock tunes, that unfortunately did not
get listed in the credits. It had just the right spirit for the tone of the film.</span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><o:p><span style="font-size: medium;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_MUFKE4Y_XLKBgUdkl59_pAVpXF9m9WvC75trG9oKl3YqSPXtZ_KFPOV3b5glC-xu9gY9LxEQn0Nw8avFsZC2o9ak8CEQRCvyaHxPT0gmLfdoWHJKGoWwrDADftjFxSceqsv1gbtsrG-r5h1N5Zmi1oTGSElMGAUVQ3ZRtlj83_BWIoDcil6GZ6a9/s1500/frank-grillo-the-resurrection-of-charles-mansion-030223-1-4566ab26a4f244159c1ee6d9b8fc89ca.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1500" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_MUFKE4Y_XLKBgUdkl59_pAVpXF9m9WvC75trG9oKl3YqSPXtZ_KFPOV3b5glC-xu9gY9LxEQn0Nw8avFsZC2o9ak8CEQRCvyaHxPT0gmLfdoWHJKGoWwrDADftjFxSceqsv1gbtsrG-r5h1N5Zmi1oTGSElMGAUVQ3ZRtlj83_BWIoDcil6GZ6a9/w400-h266/frank-grillo-the-resurrection-of-charles-mansion-030223-1-4566ab26a4f244159c1ee6d9b8fc89ca.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Frank Grillo</i></td></tr></tbody></table></span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">This is a pretty seasoned
cast, so it should be no surprise that everyone came out looking good. I was
amused at just how “New York” Grillo came across onscreen, looking like he just
stepped out of a <i>wiseguy</i> film, with his facial brush, accent sneaking
through, and even his body language; it was an enjoyable display for this Bensonhurst
(Brooklyn) writer. While there are not many scenes of violence and gore, what
does show up scattershot is quite effective and is stronger by being applied so
sparingly.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">While enjoying the
storyline, and the visuals and aural elements of the film, I do actually have a
quibble, and this is hopefully just a beginner’s learning experience: I found
that chucks of the film, mostly in the first half, tended to, well, meander. It
could have used some tightening up a bit, as some moments lulled (e.g., when
they first arrive at where they are staying in the desert).</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">All that being said, there
were some strong twists and turns that I did not see coming – and I am talking
about a few of them. Also, these unexpected moments occurred throughout the
last half of the film, so it was not just concentrated at the very end.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">Speaking of the conclusion,
during the end credits, there is a whole section for the people who did the
COVID testing. First time I have seen that. Cool.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">There is no new products
listed for Remy in the directorial section of IMDB, but I am truly hoping to
see him keep this up. I believe he has a vision, and works well bringing that
to the screen.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">IMDB listing <i><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt18362708/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0" target="_blank">HERE</a></i><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/GamakQAeXn0" width="320" youtube-src-id="GamakQAeXn0"></iframe></div>Robert Barry Francoshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17403914616932689149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5357058400646807069.post-17798616103556041832023-05-13T16:18:00.052-06:002023-05-19T16:43:59.668-06:00Review: The Lake<p><span style="font-size: medium;"><i><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;">Text © Richard
Gary / Indie Horror Films, 2023<br /></span></i><i><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;">Images from the Internet</span></i></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrZXlu1tUEH-V0CdJ4AXWIWMctD1XztWp6uqEBTHcCCJ6LRA8OfCb_rLThr-xn9IRAqJMy6rEs8VnkJ2n0Fd54DHLnfSZTUO45gtuZChNarjWbsHTDYwJvYgJt-gZwgZWAHwwcXBApOnpmPUfU1GNhRxmbUrl8oNrdCxZgQQZu_vjBRRzqShQCIx2I/s1770/EP-202303.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1770" data-original-width="1500" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrZXlu1tUEH-V0CdJ4AXWIWMctD1XztWp6uqEBTHcCCJ6LRA8OfCb_rLThr-xn9IRAqJMy6rEs8VnkJ2n0Fd54DHLnfSZTUO45gtuZChNarjWbsHTDYwJvYgJt-gZwgZWAHwwcXBApOnpmPUfU1GNhRxmbUrl8oNrdCxZgQQZu_vjBRRzqShQCIx2I/w339-h400/EP-202303.jpg" width="339" /></a></i></div><p></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>The Lake</b><br />
<i><span lang="EN-US">Directed
by Lee Thongkham; Aging Xu<br />
</span></i><i>Epic Pictures Group; Dread</i><i><span lang="EN-US">; Hollywood
Thailand; Airspeed Pictures; Creative Motion; Thongkham Films; Right Beyond; MVD
Visual<br />
104 minutes, 2022 / 2023<br />
</span></i><span class="MsoHyperlink"><i>www.facebook.com/TheLake2019<br />
https://mvdb2b.com/s/TheLake/EP-202303<o:p></o:p></i></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">I like slasher films. I
tolerate body horror. But if you want to really pique my interest, give me a
good ghost story or especially a creature feature. This release from Thailand
falls into the last category.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">Bueng Kan is a town on Baan
Nakom Lake near the Mekong River, just a stone’s throw from the Laos border.
Living in this lake is the beastie, a scaley thing that has no problem chompin’
on human flesh and seems to be attracted by frogs. Perhaps this is something in
the local culture? Also, a huge egg has been found on the shore.</span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLxDZhPF147oUANI_EpbAnLB8XwFPVBK0kFKvrP8VhTf8y_0c9u-U7LyVRkPhS_z9nhVtxgnWpLMzMkw-8_3_f36DZT_VB1v299pUH4na6GVjZ4hwnVYZoMJUogO-Nt_OUZlAQe7AmC5vsuGIajuwi1hTF6M2oCgu5vhVN2QU6Werw7N2ijwheOZy-/s600/The-Lake_still1-600x311.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="311" data-original-width="600" height="208" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLxDZhPF147oUANI_EpbAnLB8XwFPVBK0kFKvrP8VhTf8y_0c9u-U7LyVRkPhS_z9nhVtxgnWpLMzMkw-8_3_f36DZT_VB1v299pUH4na6GVjZ4hwnVYZoMJUogO-Nt_OUZlAQe7AmC5vsuGIajuwi1hTF6M2oCgu5vhVN2QU6Werw7N2ijwheOZy-/w400-h208/The-Lake_still1-600x311.webp" width="400" /></span></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">The two-foot-tall egg is brought
home, and protected by a young girl from the village, May (Wanmai Chatborirak).
She lives with her missing father, sister Lin (Sushar Manaying) and drunkard
brother-in-law, Keng (Thanachat Tunyachat)…or is it brother and sister-in-law?
I am not sure, but it really is not important.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">In a very short time – no
waiting until the third act – the creature is on the loose and angry, looking
for love…I mean, looking for the egg. It goes into the city and causes lots of
damage, yet for a long time the authorities are only finding the aftereffects
of its actions. <i>Whaaaat</i>?</span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGQ-V1pS7o1lgU5UIDot3HsAoVP2iAhaZEFismeQOdDXaeaEWtxZbJjKHK3ThqLDg-z8zaRL3xykxv1npnDZRCpeOlKxI0Ld4Dh9zhA9Pd_MrY4kU_L_Qu5teXqEkvNIaTc2IxeMibLrwVBNoVYvSeTtPf2vz3VWCmxXDh2svWF9a0vUH3EBLL60xo/s1920/ac87af08850846e283c28e4de6e705d4206e2f6d4fcca90cd89f04c44f85f477._RI_TTW_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGQ-V1pS7o1lgU5UIDot3HsAoVP2iAhaZEFismeQOdDXaeaEWtxZbJjKHK3ThqLDg-z8zaRL3xykxv1npnDZRCpeOlKxI0Ld4Dh9zhA9Pd_MrY4kU_L_Qu5teXqEkvNIaTc2IxeMibLrwVBNoVYvSeTtPf2vz3VWCmxXDh2svWF9a0vUH3EBLL60xo/w400-h225/ac87af08850846e283c28e4de6e705d4206e2f6d4fcca90cd89f04c44f85f477._RI_TTW_.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">Along the way of
rampaging, Keng gets…bitten? …clawed? by our grumpy beast, creating a bond
between them, so Keng feels the physical manifestations of what is happening to
the monster. This is an interesting concept. But it is still early.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">Further along, we meet a
Police Inspector, James (Teerapat Satjakul), and his daughter, Pam (Supansa
Wedkama). They are argumentative with each other, but if this follows along the
trope line, the monster will get them together again. I will not say if I am
right or wrong, but at 47 minutes in, that is my guess.</span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMdJIKTDRRBBekObman0DtRKIlP87fcnYSZudd-OZ7ApAmbCicsrIQiWdpVzxGPJp_rJy3F4sSJ7cmWkBzmOcsgqq0n9RuU-lEPPaFBy3IZ_29Vt0AHiVxKbaFkugKAYmzg_E_A3IETeWM5dooQcUesml6z2nFsZhLrT11C3bLyDKeW8RA_Qo9kwaK/s1199/cvHEMN1NW2Re02kH90847YML2gu-1200-1200-675-675-crop-000000.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="1199" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMdJIKTDRRBBekObman0DtRKIlP87fcnYSZudd-OZ7ApAmbCicsrIQiWdpVzxGPJp_rJy3F4sSJ7cmWkBzmOcsgqq0n9RuU-lEPPaFBy3IZ_29Vt0AHiVxKbaFkugKAYmzg_E_A3IETeWM5dooQcUesml6z2nFsZhLrT11C3bLyDKeW8RA_Qo9kwaK/w400-h225/cvHEMN1NW2Re02kH90847YML2gu-1200-1200-675-675-crop-000000.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">The creature looks good,
and we get to see it in its full glory early on, with a large percentage use of
full-sized SFX body, or occasional a full-body motion CGI. When it is the full-scale
version, it uses animatronics quite effectively. In the personal encounters
with human, we see quick edits, making it a bit hard to see the entire creature
in context, but honestly, this is to be expected from a relatively low budget
film, and I am not disappointed by it. I found myself smiling during the
creatures’ attacks. Yes, plural.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">Was this filmed during
monsoon season? There is an awful lot of scenes in hard rain, and I am not sure
if it is natural, if the director meant it to symbolize the oppression of the
people by the monster and/or vice-versa, or making it harder to distinguish the
carnage (again, budget).</span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBzsQq-2GbEscJ3faaMipbgtqhejhOejuC0xkloc_w3O7ANJKvMGMsHc5Hg1jhsB8aedLpNvpGRzcuIpHnSU9mDg22HR8dSByLWw9MokiCCKR-ij3eEbz_V0fuNerq0FQADzTbnY4DDAYRF32UJwIzqoh6TcqYpz9JJNIS3SqJQS_gzLA9-OLO5tVK/s1704/Lake02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="758" data-original-width="1704" height="142" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBzsQq-2GbEscJ3faaMipbgtqhejhOejuC0xkloc_w3O7ANJKvMGMsHc5Hg1jhsB8aedLpNvpGRzcuIpHnSU9mDg22HR8dSByLWw9MokiCCKR-ij3eEbz_V0fuNerq0FQADzTbnY4DDAYRF32UJwIzqoh6TcqYpz9JJNIS3SqJQS_gzLA9-OLO5tVK/s320/Lake02.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">While I have seen this in
comparison with <i>The Host </i>(2006), which is totally understandable, but it
is closer to a scaled-down Godzilla, and in tone and storyline to the British
release, <i>Gorgo</i> (1961), with a monster mama searching for her youngns’. The
creature is designed by Jordu Schell, who has worked on tons of movies the
likes of <i>Dawn of the Dead</i> (2004), <i>Avatar</i> (2009), and <i>The Cabin
in the Woods</i> (2011).</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">Certainly, there are going
to be comparisons with <i>Jurassic Park </i>(1993), especially the scene with
the T-Rex introduction. Also, the heads of two of the prehistoric looking beasts
here look a bit like at a couple of the dinos in that film. Hey, if it works.</span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhReuM3EXfNsvOkYfTsq6Y_Z9GFInYHbJnKUTQd5DmDrsFEt7t7NFWGky27ya40usRZC_60sFOkTTf1NhDuc6Vw07E7vZGtU2k0dbsZh0bNPtCDaluXxDvqHwCpYymXDFPIHpDi7lu-Md5SRYJpAWcXjg5BT3USDVy1zV2kqqOqijJ-C6k0rraMWXwO/s2988/MV5BNjdlNzU1YTUtNGI2MS00YWVlLWE5NTMtMzc3ZGE3NjU2MDBmXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTU1MTI4OTAw._V1_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1250" data-original-width="2988" height="168" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhReuM3EXfNsvOkYfTsq6Y_Z9GFInYHbJnKUTQd5DmDrsFEt7t7NFWGky27ya40usRZC_60sFOkTTf1NhDuc6Vw07E7vZGtU2k0dbsZh0bNPtCDaluXxDvqHwCpYymXDFPIHpDi7lu-Md5SRYJpAWcXjg5BT3USDVy1zV2kqqOqijJ-C6k0rraMWXwO/w400-h168/MV5BNjdlNzU1YTUtNGI2MS00YWVlLWE5NTMtMzc3ZGE3NjU2MDBmXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTU1MTI4OTAw._V1_.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">My one complaint, as I often
opine, is that it is too long, and really needs some editing down at least 15
minutes. That being said, the first of the extras on the Blu-ray are two deleted
scenes (1:23 min; 37 sec, respectively), which are honestly meaningless out of
context. They also fit better into the a behind the scenes category. Speaking
of which, there are a half dozen “Behind the Scenes” – er – scenes, most of
which are under a minute, but give a good look at the monster. And to add more
time, there is the “Extended Ending” (12 min), which was the source of the “Behind
the Scenes” footage. And ironically enough, even though it was much longer than
the final ending, this was actually better.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="tab-stops: center 234.55pt;"><span style="font-size: medium;">“The Scoop Featurette” (4 min) is a promo for the film, as well as for
Thai cinema. It is fun to watch and enjoy the excitement of the announcer. The
last are two <i>The Lake</i> trailers (worldwide and Thai) and a half-dozen others
by the Dread brand.</span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="tab-stops: center 234.55pt;"><o:p><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6YoWnNmcZWYCQBnt91uFNqLTQwPpdX_0nAJ7vDT6BvKNQaEQTp2MPf-1oVlLlfjWoJDfPfeZLkEwVdNbLnk8Pug2fflffv4qRqDawR2WGGPed_JL422s8NKUqqel7kjR_uEiK-d08KAGYAJXSMlMqBooS80_zrO7rabywW1_poERNPuwxnU_Do65D/s1280/The-Lake-new-scaled.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="686" data-original-width="1280" height="215" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6YoWnNmcZWYCQBnt91uFNqLTQwPpdX_0nAJ7vDT6BvKNQaEQTp2MPf-1oVlLlfjWoJDfPfeZLkEwVdNbLnk8Pug2fflffv4qRqDawR2WGGPed_JL422s8NKUqqel7kjR_uEiK-d08KAGYAJXSMlMqBooS80_zrO7rabywW1_poERNPuwxnU_Do65D/w400-h215/The-Lake-new-scaled.webp" width="400" /></a></span></div><p></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="tab-stops: center 234.55pt;"><span style="font-size: medium;">One of the subtle aspects of this release is a religious element which
is only touched on, regarding a monk. However, it is more prevalent in the
extended ending, and fits better into the storyline motif.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="tab-stops: center 234.55pt;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I am not sure if they intend to make a sequel or perhaps even a
franchise, but I am guessing it depends on how well it does on the VoD and
digital market.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">IMDB listing <i><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt21399082/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1" target="_blank">HERE</a></i></span></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/XpiKECv9Xbk" width="320" youtube-src-id="XpiKECv9Xbk"></iframe></div>Robert Barry Francoshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17403914616932689149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5357058400646807069.post-84347532582375286522023-05-10T01:00:00.045-06:002023-05-10T01:00:00.140-06:00Review: Young Ip Man<p><span style="font-size: medium;">Text © Richard Gary / Indie Horror Films, 2023<br />Images from the Internet</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 8.4pt; margin-top: 0cm; vertical-align: baseline;"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></o:p></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYEAoY7tipa8IHdtfo34silABfHHfR_rsuHpUaOq_CDvTCYXR3PKcb1x-gJmyDaIZTup91dIHj3n3qqkDbclEtuj7cryoF6xenXoVTU_y-UGxFBXniGhvnyq0M5dqHdyj-i9t9purZktRaQc2EO4Zr131yvYp30zp3Zf7XX2GXpoY3h_b1D1asWke2/s1200/YoungIpMan-ChineseActionMartialArtsAdventure-WellGoUSA-KeyArtPoster-812x1200_0.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="812" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYEAoY7tipa8IHdtfo34silABfHHfR_rsuHpUaOq_CDvTCYXR3PKcb1x-gJmyDaIZTup91dIHj3n3qqkDbclEtuj7cryoF6xenXoVTU_y-UGxFBXniGhvnyq0M5dqHdyj-i9t9purZktRaQc2EO4Zr131yvYp30zp3Zf7XX2GXpoY3h_b1D1asWke2/w271-h400/YoungIpMan-ChineseActionMartialArtsAdventure-WellGoUSA-KeyArtPoster-812x1200_0.jpg" width="271" /></a></span></div><p></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Young Ip Man</b>
(aka <b>Young Ip Man: Crisis Time</b>; <b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "MS Gothic";">少年叶</span></b><b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Microsoft JhengHei", sans-serif;">问之危机时刻</span></b><b>; Shàonián
yè wèn zhī wéijī</b>) <br />
<i>Directed by Liming Li<br />
iQIYI; Flying Youth Pictures; Lajin; Hi-YAH!; Well Go USA Entertainment <br />
79 minutes, 2020 / 2023<br />
</i><a href="https://wellgousa.com/films/young-ip-man"><i><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none;">https://wellgousa.com/films/young-ip-man</span></i></a><i><br />
</i><a href="http://www.hiyahtv.com/"><i><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none;">www.hiyahtv.com</span></i></a><i> <br />
#youngipman @WellGoUSA<o:p></o:p></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">While I could be wrong about
this, it seems as much like the last 50 or so Amityville and [fill-in-the-blank]nado
films do not really have anything to do with the original productions other than
name usage, I wonder if that is true with the term “Ip Man.” Paraphrasing from Wikipedia,
“Ip Man, born as (Y)Ip Kai-man (1893-1972) was a Hong Kong-based Cantonese martial
artist and a grandmaster of the martial art of Wing Chun when he was 20. He had
several students who later became martial arts masters in their own right, the most
famous among them being Bruce Lee.”</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">“Ip Man” started as a
series of films starring martial art legend Donnie Yen that was rightfully
quite successful. Yen became iconic in the role. For this Chinese release in
Mandarin (with English subtitles), Zhao Wenhao picks up the titular position
as Ip Man.</span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><o:p><span style="font-size: medium;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1hs4BEAy5dYj1QwjRqO0KmdbonEfOjLeyHylSLsj3BIJpYmN9he6ZEX-v081vd1Artc5LlUWETicyvoks88r_XejefVCi7HLlupI1PwXXGEtAfQL8HhENsfjzZt_I2K-W-57QfN2GBDHsDKKKLQETaiKoG9qdaoGmWPXuiBh80WyoOi9FjgJNebQc/s1126/Young-Ip-Man-fights-kidnappers-in-trailer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="754" data-original-width="1126" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1hs4BEAy5dYj1QwjRqO0KmdbonEfOjLeyHylSLsj3BIJpYmN9he6ZEX-v081vd1Artc5LlUWETicyvoks88r_XejefVCi7HLlupI1PwXXGEtAfQL8HhENsfjzZt_I2K-W-57QfN2GBDHsDKKKLQETaiKoG9qdaoGmWPXuiBh80WyoOi9FjgJNebQc/w400-h268/Young-Ip-Man-fights-kidnappers-in-trailer.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Zhao Wenhao</i></td></tr></tbody></table></span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">The film opens with a
bang, detailing the escape of villain Ma Long, who was set for execution for
previous but not described felonies. One scene is reminiscent of <i>Enter the
Dragon </i>(1973). Lots of shooting, stabbing, explosions, car chases, and so
on. Nice way to begin, before we are even introduced to Ip Man, who is studying
martial arts in said Hong Kong. We also meet his friend, Xuehu, who is wanting
to impress his girlfriend, Xiaofeng.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">Ip Man is also studying in
a college. As this is set in 1917 in Hong Kong, which was under British rule,
the school is hosting the First Xinsi Cup English Speech Contest. It is here we
meet Yayun, a cute, yet spoiled rich girl who has a thing for our titular hero.</span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><o:p><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4rxVEkytT-Zji0j_lsm03RUsXhehUn9Ia_M0v95X-pem_IAZmBoSGzdcvvBMSS_VRaGn9VfvIaIo2LzP9-Eu9c2LseNzWMcqOGcAzArGuurRH-YTuS97TPrpcZhZvm1EZDE7_XdHNTWWkrOQr0jx0egWEtiDxlo92ks_OBJsXCiyREK67huJLoED3/s1200/YO658D1.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="1200" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4rxVEkytT-Zji0j_lsm03RUsXhehUn9Ia_M0v95X-pem_IAZmBoSGzdcvvBMSS_VRaGn9VfvIaIo2LzP9-Eu9c2LseNzWMcqOGcAzArGuurRH-YTuS97TPrpcZhZvm1EZDE7_XdHNTWWkrOQr0jx0egWEtiDxlo92ks_OBJsXCiyREK67huJLoED3/w400-h225/YO658D1.webp" width="400" /></a></span></div><p></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">Before the contest can
begin, all the students are kidnapped within the enormous building (shades of 1988’s
<i>Die Hard</i>) by Ma Long and his gang, which includes assassin Ma Wei (Pantheras
Freedman), and Xuehu, who is in need of money to buy a present for his sweetie.
The purpose of the action by our villains is to hold the son of the British
Police Commissioner for ransom, and possibly other nefarious reasons.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">As you may have guessed, there
is a socio-political component to this film, with high reliance on a dislike of
the British rule in Hong Kong (much as the UK was the enemy in films about the
American Revolutionary War). I have seen a number of Chinese martial arts
releases which took place in the 1930s where Japan was the enemy after their
invasion, but it is interesting to see it pointed at British colonialism.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">Another interesting aspect
is that in many of these films, the henchmen are anonymous and throw-away “machines”
in the cog of the event (1997’s <i>Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery</i>
had fun of this with Will Farrell’s character), and while most here fit that
ilk, having Ip Man’s masked buddy Xuehu one of the crew makes it a bit more human.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">Something I do not
understand, and again, this is common for many films, is that doors are locked,
but nobody thinks about breaking a window to escape. I was wondering if this
was a cultural thing about destroying the property of the authorities, but they
seem to have no qualms about wrecking furniture, and, in fact, break windows
during fights.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">Despite the drastic
situation (which in the States, attacks on schools seems commonplace lately), and
some decent martial arts fighting), the film actually starts a bit on the light
side, often using humor, or being careful not to be too <i>Die Hard</i> deadly.
For example, machine guns open fire on a crowd, and an explosive goes off, and
yet, no one is killed. This could have been a fine <i>John Wick</i> intense moment,
but that is not the direction of the film, which is action-based, rather than
slaughter. The viewer sees lots of fights, but few killings onscreen, making
those that are there more compelling. I say this not as neither a positive nor
negative thing, but as an observation.</span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><o:p><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvBR-qZJsBWM2_YXUbkGn0vQQBOiy-y2UGo3VXECBnge6Avl9dVjD-Pl2BxRbUyvzAXi4C_uhAQlEipK5Iw9S0ABQTmFcBQldKJgLHP3_Z14ro6NSUv1FGUjaxIFJ6TFTTTXLOEwDOi9d64cn-PRYN808ctEg6TiNsQ_BqKVdE7nL4L9tExb2HHtdG/s310/download1.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="163" data-original-width="310" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvBR-qZJsBWM2_YXUbkGn0vQQBOiy-y2UGo3VXECBnge6Avl9dVjD-Pl2BxRbUyvzAXi4C_uhAQlEipK5Iw9S0ABQTmFcBQldKJgLHP3_Z14ro6NSUv1FGUjaxIFJ6TFTTTXLOEwDOi9d64cn-PRYN808ctEg6TiNsQ_BqKVdE7nL4L9tExb2HHtdG/w400-h210/download1.jpeg" width="400" /></a></span></div><p></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">There is also a bit
borrowed in theme from <i>Kill Bill; Vol. 1</i> (2003), especially the House of
Blue Leaves sequence, including Leng Yu, a female assassin using a chain with a
deadly point, a la Gogo Yubari.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">This is the director’s
third feature film, and second “Ip Man” release (the first being 2019’s <i>Ip
Man: Kung Fu Master</i>). One of the things that made Donnie Yen so iconic as
Ip Man, other than his long black jacket, was his stoicism. That is one thing
that is lost here, but perhaps it is because he is so young yet and has to
learn the hard lessons that would bring him to that point.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">There are quite a few
fights, increasing in number as the film progresses, with some wire work, but
not over the top (e.g., no one jumps from one storey to another). It is nice to
see where Ip Man first developed his “trope” of numerous punches within seconds
to the chest. I also like that sometimes things happen for reasons that are not
expected, such as previous relationships.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">Overall, as martial arts
films go, the storyline is a bit thin and mostly follows a formula. Yet, this
was a fun watch throughout; tropes are there because they are popular, after
all.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">As a note, as stated on IMDB:
“This is supposed to take place in 1917, but the cars, clothes and many items
are from at least two decades later.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">IMDB listing <i><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt13418144/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0_tt_2_nm_0_q_young%2520ip%2520man" target="_blank">HERE</a></i></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/IntzuI0AKHM" width="320" youtube-src-id="IntzuI0AKHM"></iframe></div><br /><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><br /></p>Robert Barry Francoshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17403914616932689149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5357058400646807069.post-26704851198061290522023-05-05T01:00:00.057-06:002023-05-05T01:00:00.325-06:00Review: Unwelcome<p><i><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Text © Richard
Gary / Indie Horror Films, 2023<br /></span></i><i><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Images from the Internet</span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_CDCIz8sNoy1mue_RZau0tYSclFqp417p5sNSq6Y-aJ16EBPYQkTg38pOAXAdsu2G_DFPO0lie33rbcu2fwrQUBnvgaBCmE2htQTtgVv9agAzjhyjj7nS1TuDagEf6_diH5-l4hYY9VH9cGbhrDfc1lD9L3Q4XxuZj97mQXx5YMqYUqYSrFhmOArR/s1218/Unwelcome-AmericanMysteryHorrorThriller-WellGoUSA-812x1200-KeyArtPoster.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1218" data-original-width="812" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_CDCIz8sNoy1mue_RZau0tYSclFqp417p5sNSq6Y-aJ16EBPYQkTg38pOAXAdsu2G_DFPO0lie33rbcu2fwrQUBnvgaBCmE2htQTtgVv9agAzjhyjj7nS1TuDagEf6_diH5-l4hYY9VH9cGbhrDfc1lD9L3Q4XxuZj97mQXx5YMqYUqYSrFhmOArR/w266-h400/Unwelcome-AmericanMysteryHorrorThriller-WellGoUSA-812x1200-KeyArtPoster.jpeg" width="266" /></a></i></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><b><span style="background: white; color: #201f1e; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Unwelcome</span></b><span style="background: white; color: #201f1e; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br />
</span><i><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Directed by Jon Wright<br />
Tempo Production Ltd.; Shudder; Automatik; Corner Stone Films; Ingenious Media;
Rococo Films; Well Go USA Entertainment <br />
104 minutes, 2023<br />
</span></i><a href="https://wellgousa.com/films/unwelcome" target="_blank"><i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">https://wellgousa.com/films/unwelcome</span></i></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><br />
</span><i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">#unwelcome @WellGoUSA</span></i><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">As a Yank, when I hear the
term “redcap,” I think of a valet who will park my car or bring my luggage into
a hotel. However, in the UK, as explained by Wikipedia, “The redcap (or powrie)
is a type of malevolent, murderous goblin found … to inhabit ruined castles
along the Anglo-Scottish border … and is known for soaking his cap in the blood
of his victims.” And now, on with the review.</span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG8dnT9_fkOWOqN5ZVQUkO4AF8ZKplH3tF5fB2AlWGBzFD_VY7HbNZHo3rY2n5Um1m3XzAycWlwzfZQ2Iv3RM0FFcWBsSPcqKeTd5-566WGS3oj5pBgbk_um10i_zI6ZHMzAYLI1Iyp3dXu4NQep-9QF653kqQdV5VK_85-7bVx1sMn-4qQEo0Ut1N/w400-h225/thumb_C2C38E23-C0C1-4698-A940-D9551720090D.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Hannah John-Kamen, Douglas Booth</i></td></tr></tbody></table></o:p></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG8dnT9_fkOWOqN5ZVQUkO4AF8ZKplH3tF5fB2AlWGBzFD_VY7HbNZHo3rY2n5Um1m3XzAycWlwzfZQ2Iv3RM0FFcWBsSPcqKeTd5-566WGS3oj5pBgbk_um10i_zI6ZHMzAYLI1Iyp3dXu4NQep-9QF653kqQdV5VK_85-7bVx1sMn-4qQEo0Ut1N/s1920/thumb_C2C38E23-C0C1-4698-A940-D9551720090D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i></i></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="tab-stops: 7.0cm;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">London
couple Jamie (Douglas Booth, who was Nikki Sixx in 2019’s <i>The Dirt</i>, and
Romeo in 2013’s <i>Romeo & Juliet</i>) and Maya (Hannah John-Kamen, who was
Ornela in “Game of Thrones” and Ava/Ghost in 2018’s <i>Ant-Man and the Wasp</i>)
have just found out they are expecting. Problem is they get on the wrong side
of an obnoxious and aggressive trio of hoodlums in the neighborhood and need to
rethink their living arrangements. From pan to fire on its way.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="tab-stops: 7.0cm;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">To
escape, they move to a family home in a village in rural Ireland (I do not
remember a mention of how Jamie or Maya make a living) to raise the soon-to-be-born
bambino. They are warned by a friend of the family, Maeve (Niamh Cusack, of the
infamous British acting family) of the “little people” and the daily blood
offering to be made to them without fail (e.g., liver is mentioned).</span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="tab-stops: 7.0cm;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6wyTB3wendWXFgMrnU__DuJJhkLdDacM7NpcVeQiaNDk6byaJD9-xKZmEfZVGzTZLMg1yZ6glKfW5zfN4IwIiJoTBo1HMGHfefqQUKu-sGkjOaf6B5iU3-WS_ajSM-HVP4_Ux-ZiZvY26f2Q5F_CydGP0c0CNq9KHgmsOY8W8SmPwPLZFIv61u3pG/s640/4554.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="640" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6wyTB3wendWXFgMrnU__DuJJhkLdDacM7NpcVeQiaNDk6byaJD9-xKZmEfZVGzTZLMg1yZ6glKfW5zfN4IwIiJoTBo1HMGHfefqQUKu-sGkjOaf6B5iU3-WS_ajSM-HVP4_Ux-ZiZvY26f2Q5F_CydGP0c0CNq9KHgmsOY8W8SmPwPLZFIv61u3pG/w400-h225/4554.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Kristian Nairn</i></td></tr></tbody></table></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="tab-stops: 7.0cm;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Of
course, being young, distracted and very preggo, and the fact that they are
city people who do not understand the local ways, the offering is not the
highest priority on their minds, as much as getting a hole in the roof fixed. Plus,
they are both suffering a bit of PTSD after a violent action back in London. This
is not what ever is the Irish word for <i>kosher</i> to the nasty beasties.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="tab-stops: 7.0cm;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">The
whole place is kinda run down, so the couple employ the local handyman’s
family, who are bound to give you the willies. They remind me of the locals
from either version of <i>Straw Dogs </i>(1971 / 2011), considering their
reactions to the lack of full-blooded Irish of the couple. Heading up the Whelan
family is the angrily abusive patriarch Colm (Colm Meany, of 1991’s <i>The
Commitments</i> and was Chief Miles O’Brien in “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine”), who
insists on being called “Daddy” by everyone, his slow, rarely-speaking, and enormous
Lenny-like son Eion (Kristian Nairn, who was Hodor in “Game of Thrones”) who
has a <i>thing</i> for Maya, his other, muscular bully son Killian (Chris
Walley, who is in the recent <i>Last Voyage of the Demeter</i>), and his daughter
Aisling (Jamie-Lee O’Donnell, of “Derry Girls”). A dodgy clan, at best.</span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTjGrYCDP__HsoaTSTorhi1QKbNbY22rk3RwBoQmcMRMLmfDorrp6s4urR3k3WLwSBK05sAMIRUi4FheDdYkOQJLHOtTRaMVwYLXzhN4uXvaWIRkkPqdlJpSxkg5WBwhNQTfiwk0CPre8Lluf4twdrAy85Z8-C9XYqmOcTkyyNbYw_RId0bLcG40_r/s780/unwelcome-release-date-and-where-to-watch-it-1636750045.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="438" data-original-width="780" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTjGrYCDP__HsoaTSTorhi1QKbNbY22rk3RwBoQmcMRMLmfDorrp6s4urR3k3WLwSBK05sAMIRUi4FheDdYkOQJLHOtTRaMVwYLXzhN4uXvaWIRkkPqdlJpSxkg5WBwhNQTfiwk0CPre8Lluf4twdrAy85Z8-C9XYqmOcTkyyNbYw_RId0bLcG40_r/w400-h225/unwelcome-release-date-and-where-to-watch-it-1636750045.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">The <i>title</i> is a nice
double, or perhaps triple entendre, as to who is unwelcome: is it the redcaps
who are unwelcome by the couple who have bought the land, or is it the couple
who are intruding on the redcaps’ historical property. Then there is a lack of
respect by the handypeople who refer to the couple as “Oliver Cromwell,” as the
British oppressing the Irish. As Whelan states to Maya and Jamie, after his
kids have been obnoxious, “We <i>all</i> need to learn our place.”</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">On one hand, I feel sorry
for Jamie and Maya, because it seems everywhere they go, they get harassed: if
it is not the neighborhood toughs, it is the locals, and then the redcaps. Mind
you, they are not that innocent, either, as Jamie giving the finger to the first
group, and Maya being lax with the daily sacrifices that cause locals to lose
their lives. As far as the fixer-uppers, well, they’re just obnoxious malicious
twits in their own right.</span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4NUOWkj34RTt3Ya-CK8myq2gtwnpL5EnrJljhL93Ceu52IEHqSOx5UOQPex9pwCBl7ZoReX8kcI2R66rt1sToyIItCvPbRhB8TV1c-q2yBVkst1tyGH122zledeOJlZh1BsEB45s_mQEIQYa6OIehK25u-GtenJ8g825p_U95G4aru2RnAvYB8KPq/s1024/unwelcome-josh-1024x576.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="1024" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4NUOWkj34RTt3Ya-CK8myq2gtwnpL5EnrJljhL93Ceu52IEHqSOx5UOQPex9pwCBl7ZoReX8kcI2R66rt1sToyIItCvPbRhB8TV1c-q2yBVkst1tyGH122zledeOJlZh1BsEB45s_mQEIQYa6OIehK25u-GtenJ8g825p_U95G4aru2RnAvYB8KPq/w400-h225/unwelcome-josh-1024x576.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">One thing that drives me
crazy about genre films, not just this one, is that when a woman experiences something,
the man dismisses it, in this case to “baby brain.” The deeper into the film,
the less I liked Jamie. Maya has her own issues, but Jamie proves himself to be
toxically masculinist. This is just too common a theme. He is a bit obtuse and
has explosive anger, such as his actions with the thugs and the family (mind
you, the latter are equally at fault, including the daughter).</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">There is a strong
reference to said <i>Straw Dogs</i>, though rather than boobytraps, Maya enlists
the aid of others, which you can see coming, as well as a price to pay for that.
The wee beastie redcaps look really good and menacing; from what I understand,
they are played by “normal” sized people and then either digitally shrunken or
play on sets that are built to make them look smaller. It is a nice touch that
while there is a supernatural element to these knife-wielding and literally
blood-thirsty creatures, they are not immortal and can be dispatched.</span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUvtk8T3486l2jKA-kAJeeHTIOAQTcIr2JooeJNh0qo32Whehz04OJb6NTByTH2Nn431o0C5ySOCIzijs1JYq4_t1DXBvjBJ0eICFND7SXUVKokvHjbzRgWueulcKsyM2eKli6lvQFsrst2h-G8vQpKlYjY3u2vnaoxSaRzMMhhGb1m15TvFIJwWqO/s3840/HIGH_0768_TLP_DAY06_LR_140920_R-scaled.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="3840" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUvtk8T3486l2jKA-kAJeeHTIOAQTcIr2JooeJNh0qo32Whehz04OJb6NTByTH2Nn431o0C5ySOCIzijs1JYq4_t1DXBvjBJ0eICFND7SXUVKokvHjbzRgWueulcKsyM2eKli6lvQFsrst2h-G8vQpKlYjY3u2vnaoxSaRzMMhhGb1m15TvFIJwWqO/w400-h266/HIGH_0768_TLP_DAY06_LR_140920_R-scaled.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">There is also an effective
level of blood and gore during the last act, without it being over the top. As
for the acting talent? These are seasoned actors with multiple relatively large
credits, so there is no slacking in that department.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">The cinematography is lush
and beautiful, with indoor set pieces that look appropriate for a long-misused,
out of the way country cottage, and the way the camera lovingly plays with the
woods, sometimes with mist, is almost a character in of itself. And yes, there
is some mandatory drone work as a car is driven on narrow highway roads through
the forests.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Other than this being a
tad too long and could use some tightening up here and there, the ending was
not what I was imagining, thankfully, and while they did choose another trope, it
was not something I was necessarily expecting, and I like that. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">IMDB listing <i><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt12447796/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0_tt_8_nm_0_q_unwelcome" target="_blank">HERE</a></i></span></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/f1qHTrb6QaE" width="320" youtube-src-id="f1qHTrb6QaE"></iframe></div>Robert Barry Francoshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17403914616932689149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5357058400646807069.post-20675656486417335302023-05-03T01:00:00.054-06:002023-05-03T01:00:00.143-06:00Reviews: 6 Various Horror Musicals, Part 2<p><b><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 17.12px;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Reviews: 6 Various Horror Musicals, Part 2</span></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Text © Richard
Gary / Indie Horror Films, 2023<br />
Images from the Internet<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><i><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Growing up, I was
as much a fan of musicals as I was of horror films. To some extent, I still am.
First a guideline on the reviews here. These are films where the music is narrative,
not just a band playing or music playing over the soundtrack. What we have here
is horror films where characters break into songs that further the story, or reflect
on it in an unnatural way. It should come as no surprise that most horror musicals
are also comedies.</span></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Some of these films
I have reviewed previously in a more extensive form, and I have hyperlinked to the
full review in these instances.<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-size: medium;">These films below
are not ranked, but are listed alphabetically, all from TubiTV, unless indicated.
Note that my snark is truly meant to be fun and rib-poking with a touch of stream
of consciousness for the shorter reviews. I had just the right low-budget expectation
for these films, so I was not blindsided by anticipating a theatrical extravaganza
experience. After all, when it comes to the cheese level, there are times when ya
want melted brie on toast, and at others, Cheez-Whiz on animal crackers. I enjoyed
these films for precisely what they are. Links to the coming attractions for all
of them are at the bottom of each review.<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; tab-stops: 141.1pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;"><o:p><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></o:p></span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvIvKx5nWPQtu9Siq65yBAt4P3U2u03ADTfDlZZSinDD72sb30zjx5UrDjxDTw6H-tiTjsp8RahEC7PGVaic5fu2ZenVTA8z63hmA3dKh-5gERoKbz3CoLKDisQgxMrp3n15ZXFzNmFg3goVPztgiaJFpCZrRUCbeRptQFd6JXTBRL_cgXAvYCnlgQ/s1272/My%20Fair%20Zombie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1272" data-original-width="1000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvIvKx5nWPQtu9Siq65yBAt4P3U2u03ADTfDlZZSinDD72sb30zjx5UrDjxDTw6H-tiTjsp8RahEC7PGVaic5fu2ZenVTA8z63hmA3dKh-5gERoKbz3CoLKDisQgxMrp3n15ZXFzNmFg3goVPztgiaJFpCZrRUCbeRptQFd6JXTBRL_cgXAvYCnlgQ/s320/My%20Fair%20Zombie.jpg" width="252" /></a></span></b></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;">My Fair Zombie<br />
</span></b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;">Directed by Brett Kelly
</span></i><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;"><br />
</span></b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;">85 minutes, 2013<br />
</span></i><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;">Yes, this film is based on the musical movie <i>My Fair Lady </i>(1964),
which was based on the Broadway play <i>My Fair Lady </i>(1956), which was based
on the George Bernard Shaw play, <i>Pygmalion </i>(1913), a hundred years before
this film. It took a century to zombify the story. And yet, this predates <i>Pride
and Prejudice and Zombies </i>(2016). The story is extremely similar to the core
material, especially the 1964 classic, right down to the costuming, but adds the
supernatural element quite well. But note that all the songs here are original (by
Stephen John Tippet). There is quite a bit of a twist right at the beginning that
made me smile. After that, it became kind of silly, but that is not meant as an
insult. An example is Prof. Higgins saying, “The rain in Spain stay mainly in the…”
to which Eliza replies, “Brains” (that is also used as the film’s tagline). The
fact that Liza goes from mindless zombie to erudite zombie so quickly is a bit ridiculous,
but it did remind me of the Bub character from <i>Day of the Dead </i>(1985). Some
of the songs are catchy, and many are placed where they were in the original spots
in the play/film. It is a bit inane, but still it was enjoyable. A simple comedy
with a nice and sometimes biting (no pun intended) sense of humor. The director
may be known for making films about supernatural sharks (sometimes under another
<i>nom d’cinema</i>), but he did well here.<br />
Trailer is <i><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oVX_mQMP68I" target="_blank">HERE</a></i></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;"><o:p><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></o:p></span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv3aqZklNraeELyPklk7BxE1E5_uR2oRSyXex2yLpVzzl3suqaJi1BDSjzN05BmbDVozsJRFKcJrNL8_9RlveB2eOnOjSM1K2os3UvcwcXDO2XhFP-CEfM7mA23O87gkVpRAE1WRsoW4s0IF6z-Gn3x_7gL7-ndKsCOxg-IFXxCWeAX44xaGqTdx6T/s859/Phantom%20of%20Paradise.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="859" data-original-width="580" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv3aqZklNraeELyPklk7BxE1E5_uR2oRSyXex2yLpVzzl3suqaJi1BDSjzN05BmbDVozsJRFKcJrNL8_9RlveB2eOnOjSM1K2os3UvcwcXDO2XhFP-CEfM7mA23O87gkVpRAE1WRsoW4s0IF6z-Gn3x_7gL7-ndKsCOxg-IFXxCWeAX44xaGqTdx6T/w270-h400/Phantom%20of%20Paradise.jpg" width="270" /></a></span></b></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;">Phantom of the
Paradise<br />
</span></b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;">Directed by Brian DePalma
</span></i><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;"><br />
</span></b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;">91 minutes, 1974<br />
</span></i><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;">This is one of my favorite soundtracks to a musical horror film. The songs
were written by Paul Williams, who plays musical power mogul Swan (an agent of
El Diablo) that is out to find a perfect theatrical piece to showcase at his
playhouse, the Paradise (not to be confused with the club in Boston). Williams
has an unusual voice that I have heard many times as he has written numerous Top-10
hits for others (such as The Carpenters, Helen Reddy, Three Dog Night), but it works
here, especially with “For the Hell of It” and “Faust”). Swan tricks and entraps
a composer, Winslow, by using singer Phoenix (the underrated Jessica Harper) as
his bait. Basically, this is the story of Goethe’s <i>Faust</i> (1808) – not to
be confused by Tim Vigil’s excellent comic series by the same name – updating
it to a more-modern music scene. The tunes range from doo-wop to surf, from
rock to glam, with a bit of prescience to Goth. Entertaining from beginning to
end, and supported by the music, it is so much fun to watch. I saw it at a
revival theater in the late 1970s and fell in love with it. Watch it on Movieland.Tv,
Prime Video, Redbox, Apple TV or Vudu<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"> on your Roku device</span><br />
Trailer is <i><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2n5qVJEg3qA" target="_blank">HERE</a></i></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;"><o:p><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></o:p></span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6BFpfOsKdbT2VhVjMfbRsYV4NteNt0_0tQ7hprv0UQ-yYVsspyaJW00eV_u2Vw_C4wX2Y32oh0_jewccPPSJfj3AmXj7H-Ag-8dJdPxK1yGnuCu3XAqspuF9FbbFrtOyPzBAvcCOE1fr5_yMJpJBuelx9R9MA5bB28YJZpNYR6NwWlc4jKwJolQh8/s1500/Repo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1010" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6BFpfOsKdbT2VhVjMfbRsYV4NteNt0_0tQ7hprv0UQ-yYVsspyaJW00eV_u2Vw_C4wX2Y32oh0_jewccPPSJfj3AmXj7H-Ag-8dJdPxK1yGnuCu3XAqspuF9FbbFrtOyPzBAvcCOE1fr5_yMJpJBuelx9R9MA5bB28YJZpNYR6NwWlc4jKwJolQh8/w269-h400/Repo.jpg" width="269" /></a></span></b></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;">Repo! The Genetic
Opera<br />
</span></b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;">Directed by Darren
Lynn Bousman </span></i><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;"><br />
</span></b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;">96 minutes, 2008<br />
</span></i><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;">This Canadian production was directed by the same person who did the two
<i>Devil’s Carnival</i> films, but predates them. This has nothing to do with
cars, hardcore music, nor flying saucers (<i>Repo Man, </i>1984). For this twisted
musical, people are replacing their organs on installment plans, and if they
cannot pay it back, the repo is those same organs. They are also producing a
drug to ease the pain of the operation that is highly addictive called Zydrate,
making money from two spearheads. Unsurprisingly in a free market, one huge
conglomerate rises to the top of the organ and drug biz, run by evil Rotti
Largo (aka, largely rotting, played by Paul Sorvino). He has stage 4 cancer,
and has three adult children (a bully son, an idiot son, and a conniving daughter…gee,
why does this sound so familiar…). His chief enforcer/repo man is Nathan
(Anthony Head, who played Rupert Gilles on “Buffy the Vampire Slayer”), but
there is also competition for the drug by Graverobber (Terrance Zdunich, who co-wrote
the story and the music, and also played Satan in the two <i>The Devil’s
Carnival</i> releases), who gets it from the bodies of the dead. The main
character of the film is Shilo (<i>Spy Kids’ </i>Alexa PenaVega), the daughter
of Nathan, who has a potentially fatal blood disease. However, can dying Rotti
save her. The film is surprisingly gruesome in its visuals with lots of gore
and body horror. If you look closely, you can see the poster for this film on
walls occasionally. There is an extremely large cast and also a lot of well
knowns playing roles, such as Sarah Brightman, Bill Moseley, Ogre (from the industrial
band Skinny Puppy), Joan Jett, and, for some reason, Paris Hilton as Ivank…I
mean Amber. Using animation and comic book forms for back-stories is a nice
idea and works well within the story. And like most operas, this is a bit of a tragedy,
even with some humorous moments. As for the music, some of it is nicely catchy,
and I was impressed by the way the beginning of the third act begins with a
Stephen Sondheim-esque overlapping multi-scene song. And as with <i>The Devil’s
Carnival</i>, which is kind of hinted at with scenes involving Graverobber, the
lighting, cinematography, and pure <i>feel</i> of the film is a style unto its
own.<br />
Trailer is <i><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bj1-ZcKqH34" target="_blank">HERE</a></i></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;"><o:p><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></o:p></span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj30NsIykih0kExRB-nzn_qRlRnPnhe0h6EFC18Wch61FXjcfn7dLoJS-inHnWTb6HlsyTcexixCSnDJ2KmdNk4DayFNK90nnYx5HY0LIRBlfjPlbQU-V9F93lSqsA_1uXPMke7IqmMF7aboEeRmK_pYg7oHjxLK6IA3e9b-M8olPfhDYYc5LEVGOvu/s305/Sacrificial%20Youth.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="305" data-original-width="206" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj30NsIykih0kExRB-nzn_qRlRnPnhe0h6EFC18Wch61FXjcfn7dLoJS-inHnWTb6HlsyTcexixCSnDJ2KmdNk4DayFNK90nnYx5HY0LIRBlfjPlbQU-V9F93lSqsA_1uXPMke7IqmMF7aboEeRmK_pYg7oHjxLK6IA3e9b-M8olPfhDYYc5LEVGOvu/w270-h400/Sacrificial%20Youth.jpg" width="270" /></a></span></b></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;">Sacrificial Youth<br />
</span></b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;">Directed by Joe Losurdo
</span></i><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;"><br />
</span></b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;">85 minutes, 2013<br />
</span></i><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;">From the director of the documentary <i>You Weren’t There: A History of
Chicago Punk 1977 to 1984 </i>(2007). So who else to direct a film about a punk
band. The lead singer is high school student TJ (Robert P. Bakker, an okay
singer but not a great actor). His hardcore band, the titular Sacrificial Youth,
is set to play at a rock club, and he’s not happy about it, opening for a poseur
group named Hellbound Boy (possibly a play on the name Fallout Boy?). TJ is
feeling like no one understands him, and his room is full of cool posters and
flyers, such as JFA, but I enjoyed the inside joke of him smashing a mirror
with his fist next to a poster for Black Flag. I hope his hand wasn’t – er – damaged,
and he can rise above. I had to keep pausing to read tee-shirts and flyers
taped to the walls. Some good bands are listed from national acts, from the Minutemen
to fIREHOSE, to Jerry’s Kids. This film has a high level of religiosity. Sure,
TJ and his family are Jewish, but he’s developing stigmata on his bands over
the strait-edge “X” he drew with an orange marker. Also, the name of Jesus is
plastered across the screen often. In fact, there is a lot of New Testament imagery
here, with TJ as the savior, overturning merch tables, turned wine into water
(yeah, I know, but remember, he’s strait-edge), and being tempted by evil (the corporate
head, known as The Leader, of an energy drink called Blüüd). Then there is the “Herod”
character, a product promoting who says, “It’s punk for profit”; he calls TJ
the “King of the Scene” and, amusingly, “Superstar” (subtle as a flying mallet).
My favorite, though, is TJ singing “I am not a sacrifice” while wearing a tee
with the image of a lamb. What I also find interesting is that this follows so
many local scenes: it starts off with a small group, then some of the bands
start to “make it” and it becomes popular. Then the scene starts to stagnate
due to larger crowds and popularity, which strangles and then kills it. For example,
after seeing the Ramones for years starting in June 1975, I remember the first
time I saw Johnny and DeeDee coordinate moving to and fro on the stage, and I
thought, oh, no, they’re getting “professional” now and they are going to
change. And they did, although I liked them till the end, but they were never
the same. The acting, generally, is not great, though Kate Lane (aka performance
artist/musician Keight Leighn) as love interest Maggie comes off pretty well. Anyway,
the story is written okay, if a bit heavy-handed in religiosity, and the
libretto songs are not bad. The best tunes are those sung on stage by the title
band.<br />
Trailer is <i><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UOxclydwlXA" target="_blank">HERE</a></i></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;"><o:p><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></o:p></span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv0oAM0OkmIwl0IUpf3A7QFlOY4uQS0kZbkkDEhRWWtsWXbB-HQXjlwseAGNGN05M9UxGNE4vrYCl9EcFq6nLzSU4uOfzJxCbkZR9c0DM4pYQbf0XQAL0MjZfCzThElVKgGvrxGLGjNSGZw2GvvEGOmGQkBg_th1KwQtE3mY23beCLVuiSy14HvkXW/s1482/Sweeney%20Todd.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1482" data-original-width="1000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv0oAM0OkmIwl0IUpf3A7QFlOY4uQS0kZbkkDEhRWWtsWXbB-HQXjlwseAGNGN05M9UxGNE4vrYCl9EcFq6nLzSU4uOfzJxCbkZR9c0DM4pYQbf0XQAL0MjZfCzThElVKgGvrxGLGjNSGZw2GvvEGOmGQkBg_th1KwQtE3mY23beCLVuiSy14HvkXW/w270-h400/Sweeney%20Todd.jpg" width="270" /></a></span></b></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;">Sweeney Todd: The
Demon Barber of Fleet Street<br />
</span></b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;">Directed by Tim Burton
</span></i><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;"><br />
</span></b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;">116 minutes, 2007<br />
</span></i><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;">I saw the original Broadway version, front row center of the balcony to
take everything in. I was a fan of the show even before I saw it, as a friend gave
me a copy of the soundtrack. I’ve loved Sondheim’s work since <i>West Side
Story</i> (1963). Then came this filmed version of it. Well… First, I should
acknowledge that it has a large fan base. Honestly, as much as I generally like
Tim Burton’s work (e.g., loved 2022’s “Wednesday,” and hated 2012’s <i>Dark Shadows</i>),
I was generally disappointed by this interpretation. Yes, he tightened up the
last act, but there is so much material he took out of the first half of the play
that was amazing (e.g., the opening theme). But for me, the biggest problem was
the two main leads, Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter Burton. Not only are
they much too young for the parts (their roles should be in their 50s, not 30s),
but they can’t sing. Johnny did okay with “Please Mr. Jailor” in <i>Cry-Baby </i>(1990),
but here is just grumbles through his lines. Even in the show’s centerpiece, “Epiphany,”
he seethes rather than rants. Alan Richman (d. 2016) was great as the judge,
though again, too young for the role (should be about 70). The tale of an
unjustly sentenced man who escaped prison and seeks revenge by slicing up throats
and helping his landlord/lover Mrs. Lovett make them into delicious meat pies,
you never really get to feel for any of the characters, not even the two
intended lovers, Joanna and Anthony come across as a bit vacant. The film is, however,
very stylized and there are some nice cinemagraphic touches that work, such as
during the song “A Little Priest.” I am hoping someone else picks up the mantle
and remakes this with some energy behind it. It occasionally shows up on
Netflix.<br />
Trailer is <i><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s_OJ8zBPqRM" target="_blank">HERE</a></i><br /></span></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: large; line-height: 107%;">Most of the play <i><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KmAIB-Kf_Ew&list=PLcpEVc9rPFEQhzPqVn2ydlSWpXCzgIS1v" target="_blank">HERE</a></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;"><o:p><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></o:p></span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibTj46WKHELCIOrPSb1Dm9eywscabDDXWmdCl8wvMN6Qc-mGhTQxHH0seBD67Uz9iI2IcPiykV7ehXetjl4VyU2toZWokl2mdq3px3dkQFxrb-w5YtoWSWfxXyZpn2IcYPCOgIiTJ_Kic-dm4TmNJh5in5p0OJLXLoL0-8stdNIUhzgcYz16F30REZ/s1481/Vampire%20Burt%20Serenade.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1481" data-original-width="1000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibTj46WKHELCIOrPSb1Dm9eywscabDDXWmdCl8wvMN6Qc-mGhTQxHH0seBD67Uz9iI2IcPiykV7ehXetjl4VyU2toZWokl2mdq3px3dkQFxrb-w5YtoWSWfxXyZpn2IcYPCOgIiTJ_Kic-dm4TmNJh5in5p0OJLXLoL0-8stdNIUhzgcYz16F30REZ/w270-h400/Vampire%20Burt%20Serenade.jpg" width="270" /></a></span></b></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; line-height: 107%;">Vampire Burt’s Serenade </span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; line-height: 107%;">(aka </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; line-height: 107%;">Bloody Indulgent</span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; line-height: 107%;">)</span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; line-height: 107%;"><br />
</span></b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; line-height: 107%;">Directed by Ken Roht<br />90 minutes, 2014 </span></i><span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; line-height: 107%;"><br />
This film has been released under a few titles, with this one being the latest as
of this writing. Todd (Brandon Heitcamp), the “hero” of the story, has just been
turned into a vampire against his will by his supposed friend (aka douchebag) Burt
(Kevin Richardson, the tall goateed soprano guy from the Backstreet Boys). Does
he dump the vamp? No, they both go to their favorite low-end strip club where Todd’s
girlfriend, Connie (Diva Muffin Zappa…yep, Frank’s baby girl) is a very bad stripper
(and singer). This comedy musical is enjoyable, but completely insane. It has that
“some people will find this a camp classic” written all over it. The music by Paul
Goldowitz ranges from really good angry rock songs, to very, very lame Broadway
incidental songs. The singing also ranges from decent, such as Richardson’s upper
register high-pitched rock notes to, well, you might want to hold your ears when
Diva is – er – singing. For the full review, go </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://indiehorrorfilms.blogspot.com/2015/11/review-bloody-indulgent.html" target="_blank">HERE</a></span></i><span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; line-height: 107%;">. </span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; line-height: 107%;"><br />
Trailer is <i><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6z82Zt7AyCU" target="_blank">HERE</a></i></span></span></p>Robert Barry Francoshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17403914616932689149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5357058400646807069.post-63153372267620924662023-05-02T01:00:00.043-06:002023-05-02T01:00:00.143-06:00Reviews: 6 Various Horror Musicals, Part I<p><span style="font-size: medium;"> <b><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;">Reviews: 6 Various Horror
Musicals, Part I</span></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Text © Richard
Gary / Indie Horror Films, 2023<br />
Images from the Internet<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;">Growing up, I was
as much a fan of musicals as I was of horror films. To some extent, I still am.
First a guideline on the reviews here. These are films where the music is narrative,
not just a band playing (e.g., 2009’s </span></i><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://indiehorrorfilms.blogspot.com/2012/04/three-short-reviews-suck-splice.html" target="_blank">Suck</a></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;">)</span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;"> or music playing over the soundtrack, with one exception.
What we have here is horror films where characters break into songs that further
the story, or reflect on it in an unnatural way. It should come as no surprise that
most horror musicals are also comedies.<o:p></o:p></span></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Some of these films
I have reviewed previously in a more extensive form, and I have hyperlinked to the
full review in these instances.<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-size: medium;">These films below
are not ranked, but are listed alphabetically, all from TubiTV, unless indicated.
Note that my snark is truly meant to be fun and rib-poking with a touch of stream
of consciousness for the shorter reviews. I had just the right low-budget expectation
for these films, so I was not blindsided by anticipating a theatrical extravaganza
experience. After all, when it comes to the cheese level, there are times when ya
want melted brie on toast, and at others, Cheez-Whiz on animal crackers. I enjoyed
these films for precisely what they are. Links to the coming attractions for all
of them are at the bottom of each review.<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; tab-stops: 141.1pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;"><o:p><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></o:p></span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrbx3Sn41iAQzM1Nej4Bo4CIvMDv4XRMnW8rzAoK5B2ljpefJTbwNaY1s9-skTGDL1VzF94yNj-ZUevyKReNHDRj95rVCEsPWAFN8PjfjJwh82xVScEnsrsButJPnnzPCmGK5pU5wrrvgZjF35FAser7EDYtlHTptXzOlFYutu8RpCG7DQBLBRbd7N/s1600/Devil's%20Carnival%20Poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1149" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrbx3Sn41iAQzM1Nej4Bo4CIvMDv4XRMnW8rzAoK5B2ljpefJTbwNaY1s9-skTGDL1VzF94yNj-ZUevyKReNHDRj95rVCEsPWAFN8PjfjJwh82xVScEnsrsButJPnnzPCmGK5pU5wrrvgZjF35FAser7EDYtlHTptXzOlFYutu8RpCG7DQBLBRbd7N/s320/Devil's%20Carnival%20Poster.jpg" width="230" /></a></span></b></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; line-height: 107%;">The Devil’s Carnival<br />
</span></b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; line-height: 107%;">Directed by Darren Lynn Bousman<br />
56 minutes, 2012<br />
</span></i><span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; line-height: 107%;">There are three interlocking tales
based on greed/ego, blind trust (via lust is my interpretation) and grief/suicide,
mixed with the telling of <i>Aesop’s Fables</i>. That’s the basic premise, but there
is just so much going on at the same time. The carnival is the entranceway to hell,
and each person coming through is tested to get to the next step, making sure not
to break any of the “666 Rules.” Terrance Zdunich, the writer of the film and its
music, plays a very interesting looking Devil, who does not take the obvious road
when it comes to the songs. Yeah, “666 Rules” is kinda catchy, but most of the music
is dense, off-beat and dissonant. Not only are the songs odd, but so is the whole
production, and again, that’s meant complimentary. Everyone in the film seems to
be having fun doing it, and there are some “names” in the cast, such as Alexa PenaVega
(from the <i>Spy Kids</i> series), musician Emilie Autumn, and Bill Moseley (from
<i>House of 1000 Corpses</i>, <i>The Devil’s Rejects</i> and <i>3 From Hell</i>).
The film is definitely dark in tone – though not overwhelmingly so – but that is
not surprising considering Darren Lynn Bousman also directed the likes of <i>Saw
II</i> through <i>Saw IV, as well as Spiral</i>. <span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">For the full review, go </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><a href="https://indiehorrorfilms.blogspot.com/2018/06/review-devils-carnival.html" target="_blank">HERE</a></i><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">. </span></span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; line-height: 107%;"><br />
Trailer is <i><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v2hqUqsxe9w" target="_blank">HERE</a></i> </span><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;"><o:p><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></o:p></span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2KHKDa4Z7kL4n23IyHDNqOQdbJ-3FlqwNiUJ8R1cRT13ozuUJXrvPfx3X_jIlTRybwdPpckvAOS_noirYwLtLx1bL_dE9gUtjkb3pQCcLaVQrHHI52OcyCex2Odrm5b3i2Pdbs3YEw5iwcMMjDPHxzXoGVt-nwbdqfURuct2y5689KtDr88iPbP76/s2240/Devils%20Carnival%20Alleluia.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2240" data-original-width="1598" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2KHKDa4Z7kL4n23IyHDNqOQdbJ-3FlqwNiUJ8R1cRT13ozuUJXrvPfx3X_jIlTRybwdPpckvAOS_noirYwLtLx1bL_dE9gUtjkb3pQCcLaVQrHHI52OcyCex2Odrm5b3i2Pdbs3YEw5iwcMMjDPHxzXoGVt-nwbdqfURuct2y5689KtDr88iPbP76/s320/Devils%20Carnival%20Alleluia.jpg" width="228" /></a></span></b></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;">The Devil’s Carnival
Alleluia!<br />
</span></b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;">Directed by Darren Lynn
Bousman</span></i><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;"><br />
</span></b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;">96 minutes, 2016<br />
</span></i><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;">This is the sequel to the film above, which is essentially the second war
of Satan vs. God (Terrance Zdunich and Paul Sorvino, d. 2022, respectively). Seems
the Debbil is dropping off lost soul that belong in Hell (i.e., The Carnival) and
shipping them to Heaven to distract God enough to take over. Meanwhile, we also
get to hear the devil tell a story about a group trying to get into heaven. Best
I can tell, it took place in the late 1940s, or very early 1950s. God is shown as
cruel, demanding, and conspiratorial, much as He is in the Old Testament. Also,
it addresses the lack of free will allowed in Heaven, something philosophers have
been arguing for centuries. It is nice there is a psychological element to the film,
rather than just showing black and white God good/Devil bad. The story is used as
the lynchpin to explain about the coming incursion, with the film ending just as
the war is about to begin. The set design, lighting, and cinematography definitely
has its own character, as did the first one.. There is some amazing casting here
including Ted Neeley (who played the title character in 1973’s <i>Jesus Christ Superstar</i>;
as a side note, there is a nod to <i>JCSS </i>when someone asks, “What’s the Buzz?
Tell me what’s happening”), Barry Bostwick (1975’s <i>The Rocky Horror Picture Show</i>),
Bill Moseley (Rob Zombie’s Firefly trilogy), and David Hasselhoff (“Baywatch”).
While this looks like the second of a trilogy (and it may yet be), Sorvino, who
both played God and was a producer, has passed away, and there is nothing listed
on the director’s up-and-coming that indicates that it will carry on, but still
an interesting piece to watch even as a standalone.<br />
Trailer is <i><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9nRJoAnzUks" target="_blank">HERE</a></i></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;"><o:p><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></o:p></span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGaZaQ5cpXf0Pe-ZQ9kHSwGQ_3ltKQTJ_xiSxekhyW8LdeqlQ4h3WEjrD9G67THndzJBKo_R3cGpiynz5cW3uHJUPZBGFnTK8A-I39pCGL635YlayTNHCSR5gAYDFa0cghx1Jjl5izdv9bSvbqCnwHBSdg48aLd1WArJuAQDNDsuWPY60HLhRTFA4I/s1508/Evil%20Dead%20Musical.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1508" data-original-width="1475" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGaZaQ5cpXf0Pe-ZQ9kHSwGQ_3ltKQTJ_xiSxekhyW8LdeqlQ4h3WEjrD9G67THndzJBKo_R3cGpiynz5cW3uHJUPZBGFnTK8A-I39pCGL635YlayTNHCSR5gAYDFa0cghx1Jjl5izdv9bSvbqCnwHBSdg48aLd1WArJuAQDNDsuWPY60HLhRTFA4I/w313-h320/Evil%20Dead%20Musical.jpg" width="313" /></a></span></b></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;">Evil Dead the Musical<br />
</span></b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;">Directed by Christopher
Bond; Hinton Battle </span></i><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;"><br />
</span></b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;">101 minutes, 2007<br />
</span></i><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;">Yes, this is a tape of the final night (February 17, 2007) of the Off-Broadway
version of the infamous Sam Raimi films. The camera is static and in the back (I’m
not sure if this is “official” or a cell phone taping), being further away than
the trailer indicates, and the sound reflects that. It is recommended to watch this
“full screen.” I did not know what to expect, though I knew the soundtrack is quite
popular. This play mixes <i>Evil Dead</i> (1981) in the first act, and <i>Evil Dead
II </i>(1987) in the second(though there is also a few bits from <i>Army of Darkness,</i>
1992), starring Ryan Ward (Ash), Jennifer Byrne (Linda, Ash’s girlfriend), diminutive
and amazingly energetic Jenna Coker (Cheryl, Ash’s sister), Brandon Wardell (Scott,
Ash’s best friend), Renee Klapmeyer (Shelly, Scott’s girlfriend/Annie, the professor’s
daughter), Tom Walker (Ed, Annie’s boyfriend), and Daryll Winslow (Jake, a local
yokel). Now that <i>that</i> is out of the way, let’s get back to the play. It is
loyal enough to the story to get Sam Raimi and Bruce Campbell’s approval. The films
had comic elements, but this is solidly hilarious. I laughed often, and out loud.
Sometimes it is self-reflective (one character yells at Ash, you killed all the
demons except the one that makes puns?, for example). Sometimes the lyrics are a
bit hard to make out, but generally this is very enjoyable. I was a bit worried
about the first set (i.e., the woods), but the cabin and all its <i>accoutrement</i>
that plays into the story is great, right down to the moose head. The songs, the
dancing, beheadings, the demons, the blood-splatter (first couple of rows is not
the place you want to sit). The story is a bit jumbled a bit from its source material,
but I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised how much I laughed, as it is well-written.
There are lots of songs, with titles like “Houseware’s Employee,” “What the Fuck
Was That?,” All the Men in My Life Keep Getting Killed by Candarian Demons,” “Do
the Necronomicon,” and “Blew That Bitch Away.” This is available free on YouTube.
<br />
Trailer is <i><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FUnmkZkMVSo" target="_blank">HERE</a></i></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;"><o:p><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></o:p></span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvT-W62BOEKJdlKwdRspwDgM5m8ALwhifKs7v3cAbw-2yWp14xfjMmTnB5vp-Ui-c5VGKH1LHWjv6wlfs_ziZaJXcxsjmytAcSgUt9ZxI7kp2-7dr6dRcnzur1ypNV1oVbKnqHbYnn_LyNvo9zdni893ZBfFMWI5HMvVGnx9SbytMVh60z80YZttqS/s1600/Happiness%20of%20the%20Katakuris.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1379" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvT-W62BOEKJdlKwdRspwDgM5m8ALwhifKs7v3cAbw-2yWp14xfjMmTnB5vp-Ui-c5VGKH1LHWjv6wlfs_ziZaJXcxsjmytAcSgUt9ZxI7kp2-7dr6dRcnzur1ypNV1oVbKnqHbYnn_LyNvo9zdni893ZBfFMWI5HMvVGnx9SbytMVh60z80YZttqS/w276-h320/Happiness%20of%20the%20Katakuris.jpg" width="276" /></a></span></b></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;">Happiness of the
Katakuris </span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;">(aka <b>Katakuri-ke no kofuku</b>)</span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;"><br />
</span></b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;">Directed by Takaski Miike
</span></i><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;"><br />
</span></b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;">113 minutes, 2001<br />
</span></i><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;">A mixture of the love of family, death-death-and-more-death, horror, crime,
comedy, dancing, and a snappy soundtrack; yes, we’re off to a Takashi Miike off-kilter
special treat. The six-member Katakuri family moved out to the countryside to try
and make a go at a Bed and Breakfast called the White Lovers’ Guesthouse, but are
waiting for patrons to finally show up. The problems begin when they do eventually
come. And go. Through no fault of the Katakuri tribe, the customers rarely seem
to last a night without meeting their maker by different means. Since the family
doesn’t want to ruin their reputation before they have the chance to be successful,
they must figure out what to do with the growing pile of bodies. This is actually
very dark and humorous at the same time. For example, in Miike fashion, some the
characters include a sumo wrestler and his obviously underage uniformed schoolgirl
girlfriend, a TV announcer who has a bug climb into his nose, violence, zombies
of a sort, and as I said, a nice body count. And did I mention the Claymation yet?
<span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">For the full review, go </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><a href=" https://indiehorrorfilms.blogspot.com/2015/07/review-takashi-miikes-happiness-of.html" target="_blank">HERE</a></i><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">.</span></span><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;"><br />
Trailer is <i><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OcW6KwPobs8" target="_blank">HERE</a></i></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;"><o:p><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></o:p></span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhrkp9jD0BN9bVtr2AnIox3pqnwV_nklPVBkXGq5bDQEXVuayp1C96OscdXxZE3QmcIIOiaHW4nYJ1z27wxXcMDXDXRp7sbgwpvS6MCESexcBVtEz_tk99tGjho2mTNUlHt3qEmxqPfjRBrnTUhpMlsZD0rd98k2rES09mS7Xcjmcm5XgdGSKoOO2S/s2844/Incredibly%20Strange.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2844" data-original-width="1858" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhrkp9jD0BN9bVtr2AnIox3pqnwV_nklPVBkXGq5bDQEXVuayp1C96OscdXxZE3QmcIIOiaHW4nYJ1z27wxXcMDXDXRp7sbgwpvS6MCESexcBVtEz_tk99tGjho2mTNUlHt3qEmxqPfjRBrnTUhpMlsZD0rd98k2rES09mS7Xcjmcm5XgdGSKoOO2S/w261-h400/Incredibly%20Strange.jpg" width="261" /></a></span></b></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;">The Incredibly
Strange Creatures Who Stopped Living and Became Mixed Up Zombies!!? </span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;">(aka</span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;"> The Incredibly Mixed
Up Zombie</span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;">;</span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;"> Diabolical Dr. Voodoo</span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;">;</span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;"> The Teenage Psycho Meets
Bloody Mary</span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;">)</span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;"><br />
</span></b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;">Directed by Ray Dennis
Steckler </span></i><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;"><br />
</span></b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;">82 minutes, 1964<br />
</span></i><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;">Often Ed Wood is opined as “worst film maker,” though his films have become
cult classics. Lesser known for the same reasons is director Ray Dennis Steckler
(d. 2009). Along with this doozy, which cost $38,000 to make (about $370,000 in
today’s dollars), he also directed other “Grade Z” cults classics like <i>Wild Guitar</i>
(1962, with Arch Hall, Jr.!), <i>Rat Pfink and Boo Boo</i> (1967), and the music
video for Jefferson Airplane’s “White Rabbit” (1967). For this hot mess, shot in
“Bloody-Vision” and “Hallucinogenic Hypnovision,” Jerry (the director, using the
stage name Cash Flagg) and his best girl, Angie (Sharon Walsh, the director’s spouse
at the time), along with Jerry’s pal Harold (Atlas King, looking remarkably like
Arch Hall, Jr.) go to an Amusement park (The Pike, Long Beach, CA; closed 1968)
run by the evil fortune teller, Madame Estrella (Brett O’Hara). Her sister, Carmelita
(Erina Enyo), is a stripper at a music and comedy club called the Hungry Mouth that
is connected to the park, where much of the tunes in the film originate. She’s an
alcoholic on the verge of being fired, and so the Madame hypnotizes Larry to go
out and kill Carmelita’s competition. Eventually, the Madame’s acid-scarred “pets”
(previous hipnoteeze, i.e., the titular zombies) get loose and wreak havoc on the
dancers and patrons of the club. The acting is horrendous and the writing is on
equal level, but the filmmaking by Steckler is well ahead of its time, with twirling
images, weird editing, and playing with the film itself. This is especially true
during an extended dream sequence. Because of when this was shot, four years before
<i>Night of the Living Dead </i>(1968), the zombies were murderous, but not cannibalistic;
they are hunched over and disfigured (make-up by Tom Scher) but move quickly. Like
other films of the time, filmed just as the Beatles were hitting, the music here
reminds me a bit of the ballads that were sung often in the Avalon/Funicello beach
franchise, which was popular at the time. When I worked as an usher in a movie theater
in Brooklyn in the 1970s, the <i>Bloody Mary</i> version of this film played on
Halloween, and we minimum wage staffers had to run through the theater wearing masks
at the point when the monsters were loose on-screen. One of my fellow ushers got
punched in the face by a Tony Manero type, and that ended that. Things were different
a dozen years earlier when this was released.<br />
Trailer is <i><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tv56nqSWDHo" target="_blank">HERE</a></i></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;"><o:p><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></o:p></span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGn_vy4ujQu58L-PX8xJm0u4E1lna_QDwmPC3e2X6xNnXzDfpNimMFpns9VO9j4qKjztcqjTUi1xhAu4_fxwiXhcvHUKSE2dMoR5CvzkTS6MXIAlOLZjAyQVL_dhQQp0SH9WNNDoyNtza0ZjsGA7Ru-q9dIFYoUX1QwQ-M3FL7eoKINtv2S4Umq7SW/s1425/Little%20Shop%20of%20Horrors.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1425" data-original-width="915" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGn_vy4ujQu58L-PX8xJm0u4E1lna_QDwmPC3e2X6xNnXzDfpNimMFpns9VO9j4qKjztcqjTUi1xhAu4_fxwiXhcvHUKSE2dMoR5CvzkTS6MXIAlOLZjAyQVL_dhQQp0SH9WNNDoyNtza0ZjsGA7Ru-q9dIFYoUX1QwQ-M3FL7eoKINtv2S4Umq7SW/w256-h400/Little%20Shop%20of%20Horrors.jpg" width="256" /></a></span></b></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;">Little Shop of
Horrors<br />
</span></b><i><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;">Directed by Frank Oz </span></i><b><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;"><br />
</span></b><i><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;">94 minutes, 1986<br />
</span></i><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;">Yes, I know, at a budget of $25 million, this is hardly an independent
work, but if you did not know, it is based on a black and white, low budget film
by the same name, put out by Roger Corman in 1960 (which included Jack Nicholson’s
very first role ever in the dentist’s patient/victim played by Bill Murray in the
remake). I fell in love with the off-Broadway soundtrack (on cassette) from 1982.
This film, though, is quite different in that many of the original songs are changed,
dropped, or new ones added for the film, though in an instant, I would take “Mean
Green Mother from Outer Space” for “You’re the One That I Want.”. This is a blast
with catchy music and fun acting, though it is incredibly bloated by “name” actors
to grab an audience, much like the film (1978) adaptation of the play (1972) <i>Grease
</i>(and both were huge successes). I was one of those snobs who was disappointed
in the new conclusion of the film, preferring its original ending, but director
Oz was too afraid to offend a sanitized general audience who would think it to be
too negative. Still the film is a beauty, especially scenes like “Skid Row” and
“Suddenly Seymour.” I thought Steve Martin was horrendous as the doctor (and I am
a Martin fan from his earliest of days of “<a href=" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=czrX0U6Hxwo" target="_blank">The Ray Stevens Show</a>"</span><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;"> in 1970 (which isn’t even
listed on IMDB!). Surely everyone now knows the story of Seymour, his sweetie, Audrey,
and the ever-growing venus flytrap from outer space, Audrey II. This film was a
<i>huuuuuge</i> success and is beloved by many. I really enjoy parts of it, and
others, such as the dentist scenes and John Candy’s cameo (and I’m a Candy-man fan).
If you have not seen it, it is worth it. This film is available on Freebie TV, NBC,
SYFY, USA Network, Bravo, E!, Telemundo, OXYGEN, Prime Video, Redbox, or Vudu on
your Roku device; the non-musical 1960 original is on TubiTV.<br />
Trailer is <i><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QqFZuR6UzjA" target="_blank">HERE</a></i></span></span></p>Robert Barry Francoshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17403914616932689149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5357058400646807069.post-7016737094696144862023-04-27T01:00:00.007-06:002023-04-27T06:20:18.257-06:00Review: Wolf Garden<p><i><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Text © Richard
Gary / Indie Horror Films, 2023<br /></span></span></i><i><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Images from the Internet</span></span></i></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDMh1XnoQHeMm0tgkydzu2lyiPqjCB1RlPJXbNmMdbaARbPEp7Q8EqKtXXDVnNeX7PbWVTEP1yYUbR2cGh_A9NEja8RwNbHTYrctC8EA-AUJDeb9gnI5w9lqLCOV_RN_7T94mF2O8Kbp2dS1OyPzUbErHVvdh-b2XqiZvKYJtLbF8hUwbLRkDwY_vu/s1610/Wolf-Garden-Streaming-Poster.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1610" data-original-width="1076" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDMh1XnoQHeMm0tgkydzu2lyiPqjCB1RlPJXbNmMdbaARbPEp7Q8EqKtXXDVnNeX7PbWVTEP1yYUbR2cGh_A9NEja8RwNbHTYrctC8EA-AUJDeb9gnI5w9lqLCOV_RN_7T94mF2O8Kbp2dS1OyPzUbErHVvdh-b2XqiZvKYJtLbF8hUwbLRkDwY_vu/w268-h400/Wolf-Garden-Streaming-Poster.webp" width="268" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; line-height: 107%;"><span style="color: #201f1e;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b>Wolf Garden</b></span><span style="background-color: white;"><b><br /></b></span></span></span></span><i style="font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;">Directed by Wayne David<br /></span></i><i style="font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;">Lightning Strike Pictures; Gravitas Ventures; Strike Media<br /></span></i><i style="font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;">89 minutes, 2023<br /></span></i><i style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 107%;"><a href="http://www.strike-media.com/">www.strike-media.com</a></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">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, <i>An American Werewolf
in London </i>(1981), is actually a North American release, though filmed
across the lake.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">For this film, which is
both arty <i>and</i> 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).</span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><o:p><span style="font-size: medium;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOyHIMUA7dDLeN5YkGzSfczqXiS8qgWKQ5zdpzPsBMWaOIuY3CXOdN_Xo8VahT53bKVbvundQqW5cST-c9jp67C6FV5Ux0smSHZ0leiiCCwq8c8hOYMivtoo6lndUbTLv_gGC41Rr7irGqYOixhNAOjqHg-Kw8mIlTKQHtHr6DnjP8tF4y1GB-YtXa/s4096/MV5BOGVjODhlOGMtY2I4OC00MWQzLTlmYWYtMmRjNjg1OTE5YjFkXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTk4OTA1NjY@._V1_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1716" data-original-width="4096" height="168" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOyHIMUA7dDLeN5YkGzSfczqXiS8qgWKQ5zdpzPsBMWaOIuY3CXOdN_Xo8VahT53bKVbvundQqW5cST-c9jp67C6FV5Ux0smSHZ0leiiCCwq8c8hOYMivtoo6lndUbTLv_gGC41Rr7irGqYOixhNAOjqHg-Kw8mIlTKQHtHr6DnjP8tF4y1GB-YtXa/w400-h168/MV5BOGVjODhlOGMtY2I4OC00MWQzLTlmYWYtMmRjNjg1OTE5YjFkXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTk4OTA1NjY@._V1_.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Wayne David</i></td></tr></tbody></table></span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">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.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">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?</span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><o:p><span style="font-size: medium;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSbPQ-KqJPU5FjBK7m7c_qfJYesq6_tE4St9KgL0dQ-d6cFyoUWEuCKVbQZe7Z0x0DV7n1DcrtMvRRRDyhoZmD2mX6K0-6Req5HTrH9AYAOQMN0YwC5XFIDbcRkJFOBsdKNUMULsyhF1xMOQ8RkQboxadPLGHdVxWci76KqahQ3rxpEGGhpjhLAV-c/s320/mqdefault.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="135" data-original-width="320" height="169" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSbPQ-KqJPU5FjBK7m7c_qfJYesq6_tE4St9KgL0dQ-d6cFyoUWEuCKVbQZe7Z0x0DV7n1DcrtMvRRRDyhoZmD2mX6K0-6Req5HTrH9AYAOQMN0YwC5XFIDbcRkJFOBsdKNUMULsyhF1xMOQ8RkQboxadPLGHdVxWci76KqahQ3rxpEGGhpjhLAV-c/w400-h169/mqdefault.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Sian Altman</i></td></tr></tbody></table></span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">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.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">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.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">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.</span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><o:p><span style="font-size: medium;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHSTh0gpiNYHaeUwKSIk9BOjkL4UrPT8Csv1V4A2ARNGkg84VwX5AJk6LYKz2a258vpf509Y8A80EseDupOSxxbEDWt-grS_8ofcGjIxTrXLUyjo1STbc7XTXFRUAzSmRUtjCijUpsxy6x0Bh8Uttlcm_T8vITJOedJ-2md9taJ7NuZnidPx2lRh2j/s300/p24015475_i_h10_aa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="300" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHSTh0gpiNYHaeUwKSIk9BOjkL4UrPT8Csv1V4A2ARNGkg84VwX5AJk6LYKz2a258vpf509Y8A80EseDupOSxxbEDWt-grS_8ofcGjIxTrXLUyjo1STbc7XTXFRUAzSmRUtjCijUpsxy6x0Bh8Uttlcm_T8vITJOedJ-2md9taJ7NuZnidPx2lRh2j/w200-h200/p24015475_i_h10_aa.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Grant Masters</i></td></tr></tbody></table></span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">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.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">The small cast gives me
the impression that this was filmed during COVID. Or perhaps it is budget constrains.
Or both?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">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.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">IMDB listing <i><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt12816912/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0_tt_2_nm_6_q_wolf%20garden" target="_blank">HERE</a></i><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/JHQWfHv7LUw" width="320" youtube-src-id="JHQWfHv7LUw"></iframe></div><br /><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><br /></p>Robert Barry Francoshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17403914616932689149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5357058400646807069.post-8370083373672845362023-04-25T01:00:00.058-06:002023-04-25T01:00:00.152-06:00Review: Lovers Lane<p><span style="font-size: medium;"><i><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;">Text © Richard
Gary / Indie Horror Films, 2023<br /></span></i><i><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;">Images from the Internet</span></i></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOK_X9LU3bjhToo_hSdT7nQ27RtCC1bVnbLaWgBsmfGgP8hxb0tQZEk8VXE3inBBXcpSRYte11eFSNC9F1yXC-JSK2fzdbyHMIgXn1xzecLIWuIj06KqH_d5HZgOg5LoQJQA9KTdx2sf4xCzJOOKaS_TOKieHNTmMhG35KR_xvMGdCs5cWIYdErPJr/s2022/AV465.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2022" data-original-width="1609" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOK_X9LU3bjhToo_hSdT7nQ27RtCC1bVnbLaWgBsmfGgP8hxb0tQZEk8VXE3inBBXcpSRYte11eFSNC9F1yXC-JSK2fzdbyHMIgXn1xzecLIWuIj06KqH_d5HZgOg5LoQJQA9KTdx2sf4xCzJOOKaS_TOKieHNTmMhG35KR_xvMGdCs5cWIYdErPJr/w319-h400/AV465.jpg" width="319" /></span></a></i></div><p></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Lovers Lane</b> <br />
<i><span lang="EN-US">Directed
by Jon Steven Ward<br />
</span></i><i>First Look International; </i><i><span lang="EN-US">Arrow Video; MVD
Visual<br />
90 minutes, 1999 / 2023<br />
</span></i><span class="MsoHyperlink"><i>www.facebook.com/loverslanemovie/<br />
www.ArrowVideo.com<br />
</i></span><a href="http://www.mvdvisual.com/"><i>www.MVDVisual.com</i></a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">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.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">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.</span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="768" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkKDkoRNYF7Ht1H6BBxh9wxP9P_b3JEbw4CgiYp-cBn72TFfxjQ0H4ZcDDfUy1GLDxyQ19ED1Peeb8nW7FqHBHCq4Jqhw_R4zsu9ENqd5ulYse73QTTdp8cU36ALxUVQfqi3yaGjKTUfOZFxynkzgkl7SCsfWybnOXYRB5ZhZxeaMJoLE8lyta0jBZ/s320/53532609.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Diedre Kilgore</i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">Much like the theme to<i> </i>the
<i>Halloween</i>-esque<i> </i>franchise, 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).</span>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">Michael is part of a group
of friends; most of the females (including a nearly unrecognizable Anna Farris,
the year before <i>Scary Movie</i> 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 <i>just</i> starting to be a social thing.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">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.</span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><o:p><span style="font-size: medium;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1HJQosSFIO7-QCpIfEEqHWbpuYmRyzMlBku4X31F1tTyu-Xu5y-RJNTdrz_ZNxQ9grM8GdmspHIbIRk4yDo8YZNiQzBtHfXDFefr4im_sPgooW7LPpxGzUVF2bAErsWzRCO5262t4RF4dCB0OqYjOBTkrwl75X3djwulrSpmA2Gu3XOtkOlwg9-YO/s400/image-w1280.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="400" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1HJQosSFIO7-QCpIfEEqHWbpuYmRyzMlBku4X31F1tTyu-Xu5y-RJNTdrz_ZNxQ9grM8GdmspHIbIRk4yDo8YZNiQzBtHfXDFefr4im_sPgooW7LPpxGzUVF2bAErsWzRCO5262t4RF4dCB0OqYjOBTkrwl75X3djwulrSpmA2Gu3XOtkOlwg9-YO/w400-h225/image-w1280.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Anna Farris, Erin J. Dean</i></td></tr></tbody></table></span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">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.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">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 <i>Hell Night</i> for me. Of course, there are jump
scares when this happens, but I come to expect it, so it is hardly effective.</span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><o:p><span style="font-size: medium;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVRGDnQ9aABz4rDvGWkyB9IUqeMBGAfg2qa8kwS2-yaGIID3ifU6YJbbuuYbMdkCDYWHIk2vkbCYNSBb5zk7j7pcodN4BNgw2CZ5KbkfVwznfbVt5RZmtogmu3QiXJtBiuPjGxdEcbyjAcL1SPOG8YkRlviHd_lJofdLL_o4UArc1YyoURc6RvPs_E/s350/Love-Hurts-movie-film-horror-Valentines-Day-2022-1.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="350" height="229" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVRGDnQ9aABz4rDvGWkyB9IUqeMBGAfg2qa8kwS2-yaGIID3ifU6YJbbuuYbMdkCDYWHIk2vkbCYNSBb5zk7j7pcodN4BNgw2CZ5KbkfVwznfbVt5RZmtogmu3QiXJtBiuPjGxdEcbyjAcL1SPOG8YkRlviHd_lJofdLL_o4UArc1YyoURc6RvPs_E/w400-h229/Love-Hurts-movie-film-horror-Valentines-Day-2022-1.webp" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Sarah Lancaster</i></td></tr></tbody></table></span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">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.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">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,
<i>moidahs</i>).</span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><o:p><span style="font-size: medium;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEictt83xyzCIsn7ieMm-LqG-zwS8TGuR2gO7li3xwh-9W9vSiP1kmPRS00q2r1IxNxuZNHPdaYiucS6rwLPTnLhe1NPhfV3uqYsb67rOCljIKDxQDyocZDOoiVSfRLb6tLEM_YSl4dwbyxMjRTn2Xbz7gAjDMsHvnFj2mk30hbr1HTCbGAg8__mrAHq/s384/h280_48195888.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="280" data-original-width="384" height="291" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEictt83xyzCIsn7ieMm-LqG-zwS8TGuR2gO7li3xwh-9W9vSiP1kmPRS00q2r1IxNxuZNHPdaYiucS6rwLPTnLhe1NPhfV3uqYsb67rOCljIKDxQDyocZDOoiVSfRLb6tLEM_YSl4dwbyxMjRTn2Xbz7gAjDMsHvnFj2mk30hbr1HTCbGAg8__mrAHq/w400-h291/h280_48195888.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Matt Riedy</i></td></tr></tbody></table></span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">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.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">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.</span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><o:p><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF5tUumNgS4ncdnbQsiU2zPlrJEg0ke9-f8lOwIE8mKSYhArJm3n-ptKqM09R3ZrOtL7NgG5oj3J4Px1ssExlTWvus3F6IV_uRDgqy_6bkrkKbGexiqSNz2e7d1_psqEcQDRz26yJFA3v9AXyghJOFeZOTccnyGZ2SqkOQ_IuAw0ph-HMS66Jt-d7R/s480/hqdefault.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="251" data-original-width="480" height="209" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF5tUumNgS4ncdnbQsiU2zPlrJEg0ke9-f8lOwIE8mKSYhArJm3n-ptKqM09R3ZrOtL7NgG5oj3J4Px1ssExlTWvus3F6IV_uRDgqy_6bkrkKbGexiqSNz2e7d1_psqEcQDRz26yJFA3v9AXyghJOFeZOTccnyGZ2SqkOQ_IuAw0ph-HMS66Jt-d7R/w400-h209/hqdefault.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></div><p></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">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.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">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.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">IMDB listing <i><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0187251/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0" target="_blank">HERE</a></i><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/bBZgmirfawc" width="320" youtube-src-id="bBZgmirfawc"></iframe></div>Robert Barry Francoshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17403914616932689149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5357058400646807069.post-24211333980698776172023-04-23T12:42:00.049-06:002023-04-26T12:51:50.426-06:00Review: Woman of the Photographs<p><i><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Text © Richard
Gary / Indie Horror Films, 2023<br /></span></span></i><i><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Images from the Internet</span></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;"><o:p><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></o:p></span></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_rbqKPq-jXh2gIpdjVqRb1L_s_EBcQeo_hfVVkvT6BSG9PhAfAepsfO90Kmb_STA0ZUS42hyQ3byPoPCEiAgqnjCWg7dv143zEhRQ-5PIzP4jZs8ENbVxMluNiVaGjmaxCfEz1X-c2IEpJR6rnNhvMWzHr6UJYn6WszV6tDzk_yUdxZGtNf8Ddliw/s1770/EP-202210.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1770" data-original-width="1500" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_rbqKPq-jXh2gIpdjVqRb1L_s_EBcQeo_hfVVkvT6BSG9PhAfAepsfO90Kmb_STA0ZUS42hyQ3byPoPCEiAgqnjCWg7dv143zEhRQ-5PIzP4jZs8ENbVxMluNiVaGjmaxCfEz1X-c2IEpJR6rnNhvMWzHr6UJYn6WszV6tDzk_yUdxZGtNf8Ddliw/w339-h400/EP-202210.jpg" width="339" /></a></span></i></div><p></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Woman of the
Photographs</b> (aka <b>Shashin no onna</b>;
<b><span lang="EN-US" style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "MS Gothic"; letter-spacing: .4pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "MS Gothic"; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">写真の</span></b><b><span lang="EN-US" style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "MS Mincho"; letter-spacing: .4pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "MS Mincho"; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">女</span></b>)<br />
<i><span lang="EN-US">Directed
by Takeshi Kushida<br />
</span></i><i>Motion Picture Exchange; Pyramid
Film; </i><i><span lang="EN-US">Epic Pictures; Dread; MVD Visual<br />
89 minutes, 2020 / 2023<br />
</span></i><span class="MsoHyperlink"><i>https://epic-pictures.com/film/woman-of-the-photographs<br />
https://womanofthephoto.com/en/<br />
</i></span><a href="http://www.mvdvisual.com/"><i>www.MVDVisual.com</i></a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">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.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">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.</span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><o:p><span style="font-size: medium;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMzhGoPohISXujtRqDNs9PVVoPW9RXIs7JdOK9S3J35_Q0Q6unhgoh5s6blQqV8U7e9l3mj36muTbP9DsjCivleYLbCPFI5wvjuZWJFRZhzJBG-JPEu-j2ERacvn2AnsFoibEUMW1Figrl4AMENY8mt2lSXi6TFeGrBde_Xvcpk0XdkWAXC-rLTJnu/s1669/014415_1669x939_638131249522857672.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="939" data-original-width="1669" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMzhGoPohISXujtRqDNs9PVVoPW9RXIs7JdOK9S3J35_Q0Q6unhgoh5s6blQqV8U7e9l3mj36muTbP9DsjCivleYLbCPFI5wvjuZWJFRZhzJBG-JPEu-j2ERacvn2AnsFoibEUMW1Figrl4AMENY8mt2lSXi6TFeGrBde_Xvcpk0XdkWAXC-rLTJnu/w400-h225/014415_1669x939_638131249522857672.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Hideki Nagai</i></td></tr></tbody></table></span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">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.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">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.</span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><o:p><span style="font-size: medium;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSJJJ9OuqKN3W_g-N9uCPrVsAosilwNGY97Dtx7QZzV-dDE0maKBhpwz9_Jsy4AfpoPqxBQBM69S7SsFrwKbr8Dqrm5k2S6pRKV1K_2ksqm_vALrU3iU_Qvj0Cl6LQrp4iF9leB1DSkLiC7x83XrLdZQGG-r3o3UY3jtJ4xE7hj07b-gmMOwhf0lLr/s1024/woman-of-the-photographs-film-065-1024x512.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="1024" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSJJJ9OuqKN3W_g-N9uCPrVsAosilwNGY97Dtx7QZzV-dDE0maKBhpwz9_Jsy4AfpoPqxBQBM69S7SsFrwKbr8Dqrm5k2S6pRKV1K_2ksqm_vALrU3iU_Qvj0Cl6LQrp4iF9leB1DSkLiC7x83XrLdZQGG-r3o3UY3jtJ4xE7hj07b-gmMOwhf0lLr/w400-h200/woman-of-the-photographs-film-065-1024x512.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Itsuki Otaki</i></td></tr></tbody></table></span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">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).</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">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.</span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><o:p><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPL87W5R-znf0IvVVghWnXM5lW-K8NxfATtoiFKyhS-sdFXLrwghs36R9pq13Xt_WpRkKmTi8nre-oLXHb7gnMmopMCOPbuxMin2GacRTuZp2S17m-xIjhVWt3Oyn6tudfx1NZQfrD-py1uQrwCVlDsrZPPDKDvFITsPvAMxwvRDHagp5p6BasVbcV/s1000/woman-of-the-photographs-film-044-1000x600.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="1000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPL87W5R-znf0IvVVghWnXM5lW-K8NxfATtoiFKyhS-sdFXLrwghs36R9pq13Xt_WpRkKmTi8nre-oLXHb7gnMmopMCOPbuxMin2GacRTuZp2S17m-xIjhVWt3Oyn6tudfx1NZQfrD-py1uQrwCVlDsrZPPDKDvFITsPvAMxwvRDHagp5p6BasVbcV/w400-h240/woman-of-the-photographs-film-044-1000x600.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></div><p></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">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).</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">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.</span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><o:p><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMDGfrr_VZtW_tTPA6qbQMECXUtT2UG8RnHqcZrP5aHT7wMy7kts_pLg98p4-DhY3zHegBZj_4_ztumsIRHCw2srxQ1k-S-LAdbC3Qz0Nfma_SwYoC1FEC58Wvmo-miOueDrh4kKfYFWvJR7JWJKESc4CYIsG5e8N2Y8pNL_a-RnAYwlOzyfm_nADo/s1920/MV5BZDQyNGZlNGEtYzQ2Yy00YjRlLTliYzktNDZkMjFlNTU2ZGY5XkEyXkFqcGdeQWRpZWdtb25n._V1_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1920" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMDGfrr_VZtW_tTPA6qbQMECXUtT2UG8RnHqcZrP5aHT7wMy7kts_pLg98p4-DhY3zHegBZj_4_ztumsIRHCw2srxQ1k-S-LAdbC3Qz0Nfma_SwYoC1FEC58Wvmo-miOueDrh4kKfYFWvJR7JWJKESc4CYIsG5e8N2Y8pNL_a-RnAYwlOzyfm_nADo/w400-h200/MV5BZDQyNGZlNGEtYzQ2Yy00YjRlLTliYzktNDZkMjFlNTU2ZGY5XkEyXkFqcGdeQWRpZWdtb25n._V1_.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></div><p></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">The extras start with interviews
(16 min; Japanese with subtitles), including the director, <span lang="EN-US">Kushida, and the
main actors, </span>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.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">This is followed by a short
film, “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z5vxLXvBeRw" target="_blank">Voice</a>” (<i>Koe</i>; 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 <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H-uwuH_Qix4 " target="_blank">Norman McLaren</a>. 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.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">This is director <span lang="EN-US">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.</span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: medium;">IMDB listing <i><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt13129114/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0" target="_blank">HERE</a></i><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/I_dND6QDYBY" width="320" youtube-src-id="I_dND6QDYBY"></iframe></div>Robert Barry Francoshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17403914616932689149noreply@blogger.com0