All genres of suspense, terror, and horror will be reviewed by Richard Gary. His address to send preview copies supplied upon request to rbf55@msn.com.
Showing posts with label Australian cinema. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Australian cinema. Show all posts
Wrath of Souls (aka Aiyai:
Wrathful Souls; Aiyai: A Wrathful Soul) Directed by Ilanthirayan Alan Arumugam
GVKM Elephant Pictures; Aiyai; YSA Screen Media
83 minutes, 2020 / 2021 www.aiyaifeaturefilm.com/
https://phoenixworldent.com/films/wrath-of-souls-featured/
www.facebook.com/aiyaifeaturefilm
It seems in the last decade,
Australia – in this case, Brisbane, Queensland – has been bursting with genre
releases, I am happy to say. Like their European counterparts, they tend to go
for the pure silliness of the likes of SheBorg(2016) to the dark and moody Rage(2020). This spookfest is closer to the latter, with artistic hauntings and a tone of
dread.
For those interested,
the term Aiyai is a Tamil word for a woman, or any variety of birds,
especially pigeons (thank you Google), both of which come into play here.
Kabir Singh
Like Dellemorte Dellamore/Cemetery
Man (1994), we are introduced to Kiran (Kabir Singh) briefly in a prologue
after something mysterious has occurred, and then the film is in flashback bode
until the storyline catches up. He has just obtained a position at an old
graveyard/chapel/funeral parlor, where it is his job to maintain and clean,
including the crematorium. Joyful start, right? His co-worker and office
manager, Darren (William Wensley) is a total Aussie cliché; I half expected his
floppy hat to have corks hanging from it. Also, there is something off about
him, naturally, as well as the parlor director Albert Fischer (Richard Huggett).
There is also burly and extremely sour landscape maintenance man, Michael
(Craig Ingram, who grumpily steals every scene in which he appears and is
underused).
Through a series of
flashbacks, Kiran worked in an East Indian restaurant. He has some violent confrontations
with a pimp (ex-AFL-er and ranked barefoot water skier Ozzie Devrish) and his lackey
(Marco Sinigaglia) when Kiran helped the pimp’s abused drug dealer, Sarah (Pennyanne
Lace) whom the pimp is demanding to bring more money. These clashes lead to the
cemetery position. Lots of quick edits project the dire situations and the
violent turns of events. Of course, this is all background to what is yet to
come in the following acts.
Pennyanne Lace
In fact, once all the
background information is presented and we have an idea of the troublesome
spirit that is Kiran, the second act starts in spooky earnest when he begins
his mortuary job. Shadows swirl, gray ash and messes mysteriously materialize,
and the dissonant background soundtrack begins. And this viewer’s attention is
grabbed.
This isn’t your run of
the mill poltergeist that merely moves chairs flinging across the floor and slamming
some small cabinets; rather, this one is hell-bent on flinging and fighting, death
and destruction. You know, the fun kind. We see some quick glimpses of the
beastie. It also has a hold on Kiran, possessing him and turning him into a
nearly werewolf-ish creature. This is not the usual Catholic-based possession,
I’m happy to say (hasn’t that been done to – er – death?). That is part of what
makes this so interesting. As it is not European-based, again Catholic, there
are better chances of being caught by surprise due to it being a step away from
the familiar. This reminds me more of The Changing of Ben Moore(2015), than, say, The Exorcist (1973).
Tahlia Jade Holt
While wilding Kiran
settles up with old adversaries, he’s being cared for by his overly protective student
girlfriend, Sara (Tahlia Jade Holt) and muscle-strapped roommate Felix (Vinod
Mohana Sundaram), and is wanted for questioning for murders by a police duo,
led by Detective Blake (Vicky Loughrey).
The interesting
question for me for part of this is as follows: is the wraith out to avenge
Kiran’s trials and tribulations, or is it seeking revenge of some kind of its
own? With all the stories tying up by the third act, the answer is quite clear
and not all that expected, despite clues given throughout the story.
I am not going to lie:
the ending actually pissed me off a little bit, but despite that, for a debut
feature, Arumugam shows he knows his
way around a story, and how to shoot it. That the film has won over a dozen festival
awards attests to that. The cinematography is superb, with changing angles, a
sense of both metaphorical and physical darkness, and the camera is used in
both even-handed and occasionally jarring ways. Plus, there is some nice use of
the increasingly ever-present drone shots.
William Wensley and Singh
The effects are effective. There isn’t a huge body count as it is not a
slasher kind of story, but much more personal. Not a ton of blood and almost no
gore per se, but enjoyable deaths nonetheless.
Despite this being a directorial introduction, Arumugam has assembled
an accomplished and dedicated cast that holds up to scrutiny. There is not a
weak spot to be seen, which is rare for both this budget and the director’s
industry influence.
The film was reportedly shot for US$3 million and employs the use of purposefully
jerky edits that work, along with the occasional jump scares. But mostly it is
the feeling of dread that runs through that makes this beyond just an ordinary ghost
story. Arumugam has two films in the works, and I am looking forward to them.
The film has recently been released in North America on Amazon Prime
Video, Google Play, InDemand (Comcast and Cox), Microsoft Store, Vudu, YouTube
Rentals and Hoopla.
Cult Affairs Directed by Nate Thompson 6:23 minutes, 2021 It feels like this film is only a mere snippet of a longer story, but is
still incredibly effective. A man, Mr. James (Nygel Sejismundo), is bound in
what looks like a barn, and is being talked to by the “cult leader” (director
Nate Thompson). The leader, in a deep, slow voice, explains that the man has crossed
into an indiscretion that the cult he leads finds unfavorable. Honestly, you
could have switched the story to be a mob boss and a rival and hardly changed much
and it would still work, but I’m grateful for the choice the director took
here. While the whole atmosphere is being set up, it’s a full minute before we
hear any dialogue… well, monologue, considering the tape across the man’s
mouth. The image is on the dark side, but for here it works beautifully to set
the mood for the piece. The camerawork is well done, though the image is a bit
grainy (I believe purposefully) like a VHS tape (an homage?). The two leads
look very young here (even with Thompson’s numerous tatts), which makes this
all the creepier. As with his previous and first short, “What Lives in the Dark”
(2020), Thompson seems to have some common motifs, such as the dimness of the light,
and old, scratchy 78 RPMs from over 70 years ago on the soundtrack (I’m
guessing public domain). Anyway, as far as this new release goes, while I would
love to see the full context of it in a feature, it really is worth the view. Film is HERE
Every Night I
See Them Directed by Ryan Godoy 5:27 minutes, 2021 Oh, you will see where it is going pretty quickly, and yet, the film is
well worth the watch. A young man who is a recent widower is afraid to go to
sleep because, well, see the title. A friend comes over to help him. That’s the
simple premise that pays off well. Shot in wide screen, the director uses all
of the time to build suspense for the end. And even if you do know what to
expect for the inevitable jump scare, it looks so good. Film is HERE
Sinister
Symbiosis Directed by David Black Dramatica Diablos 17:33 minutes, 2020 This Australian
short was presented on the television series “Dramatica Diablos,” hosted by Count
Funghoula (the intro and outro seen here, with the director/comic book artist
as the Count; as a side note, I was amused by the name, as fongulo is
Italian for “fuck you,” and no, I didn’t need to look it up as I grew up in
Bensonhurst, Brooklyn). This is a beautifully shot film that relies heavily on
body horror. We are given some title cards throughout that explains the basic psychology
of what is going on here (e.g., Sadism, Masochism, Narcissism). We start off (don’t
worry, I won’t give away much) with a man, David (again, Black), heavily
chained to a chair while his extremely long-haired sister, Anastasia (Anastasia
C. Kouloukas) does some truly horrendous things to him. Part of the fascination
is the wonder of just how far they will go in their game. The film is quite
graphic in its violence and body parts, but the SFX is nearly all spectacular.
I definitely winced a few times, but really wanted to stick it out to find out
what happens. Film is HERE
Smiling Woman 2 Directed by Alex Magaña 2:12 minutes, 2021 I really
enjoyed the first “Smiling Woman” short from 2019 (reviewed and linked HERE), so when I learned that the director has started to make a series, I got very
happy very fast. This one starts off right where the first one left off (though
you do not need to see the first one to get it, I recommend it), with the same
main actor, Ariel Fullinwider, as the Woman in Yellow seeks fresh victims in a
new conquest. This one does explain a bit more of what happens when the Woman
in Yellow meets her next victim. It short and entertaining as heck. The
consistency of cell phones and jerky movements keeps the theme going well. Film is HERE
Smiling Woman 3 Directed by Alex Magaña 2:09 minutes, 2021 Again, this
picks up where the previous one left off, with the continuation of the cast in
the previous film. For this one, the Woman in Yellow v.3 literally strikes
close to home, as a woman tries to avoid her in her own apartment. It is a bit
reminiscent of the now iconic “Lights Out” from 2014 (reviewed HERE) I am really enjoying this series, which is essentially a similar story told in
different settings, that is well-linked by common actors. Film is HERE
Smiling Woman 4 Directed by Alex Magaña 3:27 minutes, 2021 This is the first
of the series that has no one connected to the previous film, but nevertheless,
the story stays consistent, so I’m good with it. This one stars the well-known
Felissa Rose as a nurse named Angela (nod, nod, wink, wink). She is the target
of the Woman in Yellow this time. But with a name actor, will the WiY win? Either
way, as with the previous three, this one is definitely entertaining. The whole
series is on YouTube, and worth the watch. Film is HERE
Girt by Fear is a six-episode
Web series of connected short films from Australia. I first became aware of it
when one of the stories was included in a horror anthology called Dark
Whispers – Part 1, which collected the works of Aussie women directors. I
thought checking out the Web series might be a fun endeavor, especially since
all these have a warped sense of humor about them. All the episodes are free HERE.
Part 1:
Nightmare on Australia Street: 4:07; directed by Yiani Andrikids A man in his 20s
(Caspar Hardaker) is trying to invite his dicey friends to the Halloween party
to end all Halloween parties. He’s so into getting the invitation online, that
he completely ignores the advance of his girlfriend (Pearl Spring Voss).
Personally, I think she could do better. Anyway, the Internet goes out and he
tries something innovative, to the effect of… well, you’ll have to see. It’s a
really fun and quick short, and a great opening shot across the Web.
Part 2: It Came
from Outer Suburbia: 8:04; directed by David Ma Andy (George Zhao)
has been invited to a Halloween party (same as the first part). He’s obsessed
with space travel and dresses up like an Astronaut for the shindig. His parents
are afraid of him becoming “Australianized” and even possibly being – dare I
say it – gay. But there is a family secret that will be revealed that is quite
fun. The prosthetics are quite well done, though I question the “pink for girls
and blue for boys” motif. There are some definite underlying gender politics at
play here, which is amplified by it being an immigrant family known for
tradition.
Part 3: Only
Wankers Left Alive: 7:42; directed by Yiani Andrikids Flower (Steph Tsindos)
and Taylor (Michael McStay) are a couple on their way to an art gallery opening
and an act of performance art. They could be considered less hairy hipsters,
but they are definitely obnoxious and full of their own privilege. When they
come across some scraggy person spitting up blood, they just continue on their
way rather than trying to help. That type of self-involved people. It kind of
not hard to see where it’s going when they pick up a woman artist from Romania
(Sarah Jane Kelly) – you know, Transylvania – for a tryst and a bite. But
figuring that out at the half-way point only made me lick my lips for more. And
the end was both a surprise and worth the staying around for. I had a good
laugh at this one.
Part 4: Little
Share House of Horrors: 9:02; directed by Madeleine Purdy I was going to call
this a black comedy, but perhaps a better description might be “green humor.”
A young woman, Maeve (Georgia Wilde) gets ahold of a plant from a dicey shop
owner (scene stealer Colan Leach) and brings it home to the house she shares
with three others, two of whom are hopeless potheads (Travis Jeffrey and Thuso
Lekwape) getting stoked before the party. She believes in all things natural as
far as food goes, and they are into the natural stuff you smoke. The two doods
mock her and suffer the unintended consequences that’s a toss between what the
story is named for, and, say, Trolls 2 (1990), but with more credibility
and less camp.
Part 5: I Was
a Teenage Chogmog: 10:07; directed by Yiani Andrikids The bog Chogmog is
essentially a werewolf. Chas (Abe Mitchell) finds out about the creature from
an old and drunkard hunter type known as The Jolly Swagman (Tony Martin) in a
bar after Chas cheated his not-so-swift friends (including one with the worst
moustache I have seen since 2018’s She Kills) in a game of pool by
losing and then reneging on the bet. This is a film more about karma than
beasties, but they definitely Zenn Diagram together well. The prosthetics,
again, look top-notch, and there is a lesson to be learned by everyone here.
Part 6: It Terror
Australis: 13:29; directed by David Ma Stella (Freyja
Benjamin) has an obnoxious girlfriend (Jenna Sutch) who doesn’t hesitate to get
her fired for kissing her on the job…and what’s a little bit of shoplifting,
eh? Those cheeky lesbians. Like every other story in the series, this is just
before the arrival at the party. But for the final episode, we actually get to
see the shindig proper. There are themes and characters from each of the
previous tales, as people in the earlier bits are present. But as the title of
the tale tells, this is a party of terror. Will our intrepid young lovers
survive this night of danger? Seeing is, of course, in the pudding, i.e., you
really should watch the series.
All the stories are
about change of one kind or another, whether it’s wearing a costume or becoming
something. And that’s what Halloween is all about, amiright? This is a
really short and enjoyable series, which I completed in under and hour, and was
so worth the time. I am looking forward to a possible second season.
Dark Whispers:
Vol 1 Directed by Angie
Black; Jub Clerc; Lucy Gouldthorne; Katrina Irawati Graham; Janine Hewitt;
Briony Kidd; Isabel Peppard; Marion Pilowski; Madeleine Purdy; Megan Riakos;
Kaitlin Tinker Deadhouse
Films; Hemlock and Cedar Films; Gold Hawk; Stranger With My Face 100 minutes, 2021 https://www.darkwhispersanthology.com/ https://www.facebook.com/darkwhispersanthology/
Nice. This release not
only comprises short films made by women, but also exclusively from Australia.
Perhaps they should narrow it down further to Wednesday afternoon between 3 and
4 PM? I kid because I am impressed. There are 10 stories here, so let’s break
‘em down and see whuts whut.
The wraparound story,
“The Book of Dark Whispers,” is directed by Megan Riakos, who curated the
anthology. In it, a woman, Clara (Andrea Demetriades) finds her grandmothers
book with the title of this piece that has been passed down to her mum, and now
that mummy is no more, she is the owner. She then proceeds to read it, giving
us an opening and framework for the stories we will be seeing. These tales have
been gathered together for this anthology.
First up is Angie
Black’s “Birthday Girl” (2008). In this short tale, a sad woman (Sarah
Bollenberg) takes an elevator in a hospital, and is visited by a spirit. This
story is not scary, but rather is sad as you can feel for her. It’s beautifully
shot, with lots of close-ups of her face. It was very touching and beautiful.
Next up is “The Man
who Caught a Mermaid” (2014) by Kaitlin Tinker. What happens when a delusional
older man (Roy Barker) who collects classical LPs and is obsessed with fishing
– specifically to catch a mermaid – actually nabs one? Why, he chains her (Bilby
Conway) up in the garden shed, of course. She is both scary and, in a way,
beautiful (thanks to Sharp FX), and our anti-hero is fixated on her, in a male
gaze kind of way. Is he any better than someone who kidnaps women and puts then
in a secure place, even if she is half fish? And what happens when his lonely
wife (Verity Higgins) finds her? These are the questions answered in this fish
tail – I mean tale. The make-up is stupendous, and the filmmaking is spot on. This
one, with a really nice twist or two, kept me on the edge of my gills.
For a step in a
different direction, Isabel Peppard gives us “Gloomy Valentine” (2006) a
stop-motion animation tale. Without dialogue, we meet the sole character, a
humanoid-like doll with a porcelain face and a rag, sewn body. It is after a hard
break-up with another human-like character. Slowly, her pain starts to manifest
around her, threatening to swallow her up. The artwork is beautiful, and the
action is smooth, rather than jumpy, as can be with this kind of animation. The
backgrounds are worth paying attention to, as well, as the detail is nicely
handled and interesting to look at. I watched it twice, once for the character,
and then again for the “sets.”
Similarly, in the
wraparound, between each short piece, we see the stories slowly and
increasingly start to influence Clara’s world in small and then more tangible ways.
Like Talking Tina, this is a book that will not go away.
Briony Kidd’s “Watch
Me” (2016) deals with ego. An aging actress (Astrid Wells Cooper) likes
attention. Craves it. She says, “When people stop looking at me, I fail.” But
failing seems to be the least of her problems. It seems she needs to have
somebody looking at her at all times, such as her failing relationship with her
boyfriend (Tosh Greenslade) or a compromised assistant (Jazz Yap). What happens
when there are no eyes to admire her, to acknowledge her existence. That is the
premise of this story. It’s short and works well. Cooper does a good job at
both loving the limelight and fearing the alone.
From the Aboriginal side,
there is Jub Clerc’s tale of “Storytime” (2005). A tween girl, Cecelia (Verna
Lawson) is out hunting overnight with her grandparents, some other men, and a
group of kids around her age. Over the campfire, they hear the tale of a local
creature, the Gooynbooyn, who kidnaps kids. Being that this is a campfire tale
within a film about stories is an interesting idea in itself. When Celia and a “dare
you” boy named Jhi (Jhi Clarke) set out to find the creature, that’s when the
terror level rises a few notches. Beautifully shot among the gnarly mangrove
trees helps to put the viewer in a state of unease. Cryptid stories tend to be
fun, as is this one.
The big guns come out for
“The Ride” (2011), directed by Marion Pilowsky. Filmed in England, it co-stars the
well-known Aussie screen actor, Anthony LaPaglia, known for the many American shows
he’s been in, such as “Without a Trace” and “Murder One.” He plays a Brit
driver who picks up a university student (Ed Speelers; no small pataters
either, having been a regular on “Downton Abbey”) at a deserted crossroad in
the middle of farm country. The driver quickly proves himself to be a right
wing, sports crazy racist who asks uncomfortable questions, such as whether the
student has slept with “black girls.” Total Trumpite type. The action really
begins when he hits an Asian man walking on the side of the road. Report it to the
police? While the student freaks out, the driver calmly explains that it’s easier
just to bury the dude. Kind of a reverse The Hitcher (1986). After, when
he hooks up with his girlfriend (Emer Kenny, known to me as Bunty from the “Father
Brown” series) back in the city, is where the knot is tied in the story. You’ll
probably see it coming about 30 seconds before, but still worth the wait.
Another story in a
story is Katrina Irawati Graham’s “White Song” (2006), dealing with Indonesian infamous
ghost, Kuntil Anak. In Indonesian with noticeably clear subtitles, this time it
is the spirit that is telling the tale, of a young woman, Raesita. She is a
painter who is distraught at the death of her husband. She wishes her misery to
end and that is where the Kuntil Anak comes in, telling Raesita’s story as well
as her own terrible life in a patriarchal violent past. She is the only voice
heard as she narrates in poetic fashion, while the dreamy images float by the
screen in lovely sequences that seem lighter than air, despite the heavy topic.
The whole story is elegiac and trance-like.
Told in black and white
is Lucy Gouldthorpe’s “Grillz” (2015). Short and sweet, this is the story of
Milla (Melanie Irons), who I must say, I almost wish actually existed. She scours
the Internet dating scene and picks the scuzziest of men. And then, well, you’ll
have to see. When she chooses a dentist (Tosh Greenslade, once again), it is
for other reasons. What is a girl to do when she doesn’t like a mess? This is a
black comedic tale with a nod to the side of the nose as it explores not only
the Internet dating world and its precariousness – for both sexes – it also
shines a light on the kind of toxic masculinity that would have no problem emailing
dick pics. Very effective and fun to watch.
I was going to call
this a black comedy, but perhaps a better description of Madeleine Purdy’s
“Little Share House of Horrors” (2016) might be a “green comedy.” A young woman,
Maeve (Georgia Wilde) gets ahold of a plant from a dicey shop owner (Colan Leach)
and brings it home to the house she shares with three others, two of whom are
hopeless potheads (Travis Jeffrey and Thuso Lekwape). She believes in all things
natural as far as food goes, as they are into the natural stuff you smoke. The
two doods mock her and suffer the unintended consequences that’s a toss between
what the story is named for, and, say, Trolls 2 (1990), but with more
credibility and less camp. Original part of the “Girt By Fear” Web series, it’s
a fun tale of eco-power. And you can’t get cancer from this like windmills (snicker).
The final story is by Janine
Hewitt, titled “The Intruder” (2005), which is a fun ghost story, in the
classic gothic style, though taking place in the late 1960s or early 1970s (clothing
and a rotary dial are the indicators). Zoe (Asher Kendie) is in fear of a
stalker in her home, when she is visited by her friend, Angela (Bree
Desborough). With the electricity out and lightening flashing as the sole
light, it is a spooky situation that is also from the heart, as Angela asks Zoe
for forgiveness. The story is well told, shot, and acted, and the ending has a curious
back story. I actually wished this one was longer.
A lot of these stories
are centered around loss: of a child, a parent, of a loved one, and especially of
oneself, in various forms. Usually in a multi-storied anthology, there are a
couple of clinkers, but not here. Each one is both individualized (even with
the recurring theme I mentioned), in tone and style, and covers a wide gambit
of emotions. A really fine collection, and I can honestly say I am excitedly hoping
for a Volume 2.
Nazi Undead (aka Living Space) Directed by Stephen
Spiel Tru Dot Films;
Monster Pictures; Jingai; MVD Entertainment 80 minutes, 2018
/ 2020 www.facebook.com/livingspacefilm/ www.mvdb2b.com
Have Nazi’s ever really
gone away from the social or cinematic consciousness? Just looking at genre
films alone, dead/ghosts and zombie Nazis have been present for decades, in
films like Shock Waves (1997) and Dead Snow (2009), or footage of
them marching at the White House in MAGA hats. (November 2020). Wikipedia has a
whole bunch of them listed (HERE), and
there is even a book about it called Nazispolitation! The Nazi Image in
Low-Brow Cinema and Culture (by Daniel H. Magilow, Elizabeth Bridges, and Kristen
T. Vander Lugt, [Eds.], 2011).
This Australian film
is not in that Wikipedia list, just to show the topic goes beyond that inventory.
Originally released in 2018, it is now getting a wider release, including this Blu-ray.
Georgia Chara
Brad and Janet…. I mean Brad (Leigh Scully) and Ashley
(Georgia Chara) are an American couple of overaged college sweethearts (you can
tell by his letterman jacket) somewhere on tour in Germany, taking a rental car
to a getaway at a castle (I did this at Schloss Petzow, an hour southeast of
Berlin, but I digress…). They are obviously not getting along mainly because,
well, he’s a jealous and controlling dick (did I mention the letterman’s jacket?)
who doesn’t even help her with her luggage. Everybody sing: “Macho, macho putz…”
But as is typical, guys like that in films like this don’t listen to smart
women, all to the lack of their betterment.
After an incident on a dark road while being lost
(yeah, he’s driving), they end up at a house. No Frank N. Furter here,
but swings move by themselves and doors slam shut with no one there. Ashley is
also having flashes of Final Destination (2000-etc.) type dreams and
images, so she wants to leave, but mister letterman jacket won’t listen.
Leigh Scully
This is no ordinary home, but the spiritual resting
place of a family whose equally dick Herr Hauslehrer (Andy Mcfee, who
was in the also dark tale of 2005’s Wolf Creek) was a World War II Nazi SS
officer, and now their vindictive and malevolent ghosts are roaming the place,
causing malice, mischief and mayhem; I won’t give specifics, but some are
horrific, but look great, thanks to a SFX team led by Stephen Boyle.
If you have seen Wolf Creek, or some of the
work of Peter Weir, you know just how bleak and oppressive Australian cinema can
get. The house is quite small, so there is a strong feeling of claustrophobia,
and the tight quarters make the ghosts popping in and out effective for jump
scares, even after numerous times.
Needless to say, Nazi insignias are everywhere, on
walls, on knives, and with graffiti on a shed wall. The latter, however, seems
to me to be a bit anachronistic, as that was not a “thing” back in 1945, and
having someone having done it in modern times kinds of takes away from the
whole “lost in time” premise. Still, it’s not enough to divert my attention
away from the story.
Andy Mcfee
Nazis – especially dead (or undead) ones – are easy villains.
There is no need for any kind of soft-soaping or giving an empathetic side, because
in this cinematic world, there is no “good people on both sides.” What is the
motivation for the killings? Well, for the original murders, it was probably a
matter of death and “honor” before giving up to the enemy (the Americans or
Russians, perhaps giving this a 2000 Maniacs [1964] revenge vibe). For
the modern era, it could be because they are American, or it may just be anyone
foreign trespassing on Deutschland soil, which is the reference of the
film’s original title, Living Space.
The blurb for the film gives the indication that the
house is some kind of time warp (maybe they are Brad and Janet…), stuck
somewhere between then and now, which would explain why the house is in
relatively good shape, just as it was in 1945, yet time has not had an effect
on the edifice at all.
The multiple time and special loops that run through
the story are really well done, even with a nod to Satanic (2016) and Groundhog
Day (1992), possibly Run Lola Run (1998), or the more recent Inoperable
(2017). That being said, it is not just a rehashing of old themes, as
director Spiel manages to throw some updating and modernizing into the genre
framework in effective ways.
Not counting the ghosts, there is a small body count
as there are really only two living humans in the main story, but the time
factors mean more than one event per character; again, I’m trying not to give
too much away.
So, the story is, as I indicated, a bit dark (usually
if there are Nazis abound it’s either dark or an extreme comedy, like Mel
Brooks), but it is well put together and told. From the editing (especially the
nightmare sequences) to the practical SFX, this release actually was way better
than I was expecting it to be. While the title is a bit more marketable, it also
gives the impression of a B-film. That being said, it’s still better than its
original title, which doesn’t give a clue about anything, even the genre in
which it is placed.
There are no stunning extras, just chapters and stereo
options, but make sure you watch at least the beginning of the credits to
marvel at the SFX work.
There is an increasing level of
religious fanaticism in the world. No matter what the religion, the belief is
that if one doesn’t believe what they do, they are considered Others (outsiders)
who deserve at most death, at least to be kicked out of the country. The US,
Canada, and most of the Middle East are all either run by hyper-religious
characters or they are in the serious running. And that is scary as fuck to me,
as someone who does not hold religion in any realistic regard.
David Hov
That disbelief is what drives our main
protagonist, Frank (David Hov). He and his pal / cameraman Clint (Leon Kowalski)
run an atheist vlog debunking psychics, ghosts, and yes, God. This includes the
wonderfully angular-toned Meredith (Mikaela Franco), whose look seems to be based on Diamanda Galas, and displays some real
knowledge, but she has a warning for our hero about the following: Frank’s
scientist girlfriend and co-atheist vlogger, Sarah (the lovely Elly Clapin), is
experimenting on ending death. Of course, Frank wants to experience the process
to prove there is no God, and Meredith cautions him to ixnay to the
xperimentnay. Sarah also puts the kibosh on it. But, as in real life, men just
don’t listen to women who are wiser than them.
So of course, it’s Halloween night that
the reluctant Sarah puts Frank through the Flatliners (1990) type of
experiment in front of the vlog camera and crew during a live broadcast. You
know it’s not going to end well in the long run obviously, or there would be no
film. When Frank is in the astral plane, it starts a competition for his –
well, let’s say soul – between the light and the dark forces that will have
worldwide implications. And that’s as far as the story as I’m willing to tell.
Mikaela Franco
There is a nice strong plot at the
base of the events with some weirdness and Harry Potter type stuff floating
about it, obviously wanting this to be a franchise, or possibly a television
series. It definitely has its moments of darkness, but the upbeat electronic
music and positive mysticism that seems to start out with the healing powers of
Resurrection (1980) and goes off into the X-Men level of strengths, such
as telekinesis, projection, and others.
Despite butting heads, you know Frank
and Meredith are going to join forces (figured that out about 20 seconds into
their first meeting) to fight the – err – forces of evil, but the big question is
(and I will not answer it, you’ll have to see it) will they succeed? Meredith, we
learn, has a bit more up her sleeve than we know at the onset when they are on
opposite sides. But even as allies, try to get the guy to listen to a woman
when she gives him warnings. Toxic masculinity at it’s finest.
Elly Clapin
What raises
questions to me is what side of the story the writer falls on; in other words,
is this a pro-Christian/religious take, or just a cinematic telling of the
possibilities of the supernatural? There are some slight indications of the former,
such as shadows that produce crosses, be it a streetlight, or my favorite is
when Clint’s shadow intersects a horizontal line, producing said cross at his
introduction to the story.
The category I
would describe this film would be Dark Fantasy, which tends to be a bit black
and white as far as good and evil goes. Either you are or you ain’t, though
switching from one to the other is a viable choice (think Anakin Skywalker becoming
Darth Vader); there’s just no gray area in between.
This works
both for and against the storyline here. On the positive, it’s easier to like
the characters that dwell in the light (especially with that inspirational synth
music behind them), as there are few conflicts other than those working on
Frank. The other side is a bit of predictability which is inevitable. While I
pretty much guessed the outcome, the ride was interesting, especially with some
nice double-crosses along the way.
A demon
One of the aspects
I really liked about this particular story is the updating of the powers to include
modern technology, especially computers and cell phones, as the transmission of
controls. These are indeed the modern magic wands that transform, with coding
being the updated version of spells. With every technology, as social theorist
Neil Postman stated in 1993, we have a Faustian Bargain with our electronic equipment,
each containing both the good and equally bad (or, as John Culkin said in 1967,
“We shape our tools and, thereafter, our tools shape us”).
Let’s call
this a thriller, because I would not necessarily call this “horror” despite the
presence of demons and beings of light/goodness; as I said this is a darker
version of a lot of the shows you may see on cable. There’s no blood other than
a couple of cuts here and there, and most of the tension relies more on the story
than the visuals, which are often quite stunning thanks to some nice camerawork.
Let me add that the Aussie countryside mixed with camera drones gives us a beautiful
view. But even beyond that, the film is shot well, and the editing is nicely
done.
As for the
acting, there is a bit of ham boning here and there, and straight out of “The
Manny,” it seems like scenes were produced for Hov to be shirtless and show off
his pecs, but the end result is a film that a fan of sorcery can watch without
having to cover their eyes to avoid seeing some body bits flinging around with
red internal gravy shooting out.
While the
story can get a bit convoluted at times, it’s mostly a straightforward tale of
the clash of good and evil, and it can be family-friendly depending on the clan,
of course.
