Review: The Ghosts of Monday

Text © Richard Gary / Indie Horror Films, 2023
Images from the Internet

The Ghosts of Monday
Directed by Francesco Cinquemani
Altadium Group; Jingi; Cleopatra Entertainment; MVD Visual
78 minutes, 2022 / 2023
https://altadium.com/
www.cleopathra-entertainment.com
www.mvdvisual.com

The proliferation of cable “documentary” shows focused on Ghost Hunters has led to a subgenre in that field. Often they are found footage style like Alone in the Ghost House (2015), Ouija Death Trap (2014), and Beyond the Shadows (2020), just to name a trio. Of course, there have been some mainstream “Ghost Hunter” films for decades, such as The Haunting (1962), The Legend of Hell House (1973), and Poltergeist (1982).

So here we are, with a new Ghost Hunter tale that never goes well for the participants, with some relatively strong star power in the form of Julian Sands, who starred in some A-listed films in the 1980s and ‘90s, and has been in cinematic decline in the 2000s as he refocused his career to the stage. But he is enough of a name to grab some attention, especially for genre fans who loved him in Warlock (1989).

Ghost Hunter films tend to follow a basic premise: the group goes to investigate a legendary haunted locale, and find more than they bargained for. In this case, it is the Grand Hotel Gula, located in Cyprus (the country in which this is filmed; in fact, this is the first home-grown horror released out of that island country). Planning on shooting the pilot episode of the documentary series “Ghosts of the Old World,”, the group, led by the show’s host and narrator, Bruce (Sands), are on their way to find the spirits, and not the kind that come out a liquor bottle, which Bruce imbibes.

I am looking forward to seeing this. Ironically, I am not a fan of Ghost Hunter reality television shows, but often enjoy Ghost Hunter films, generally. Go figure! For this one, the title refers to a Monday night in 1990 when 100 people in the dining room were killed by rat poison, though no one knows how, and people have been dying in that location for hundreds of years. The locals avoid the area and the hotel has been abandoned for more than 20 years, but has been recently bought and is being renovated by weird couple Frank (Anthony Skordi) and his wife, Rosemary (Maria Ioannou).

Mark Huberman, Julian Sands

If I have this right, Bruce has been hosting shows for a while, and is a skirt-chasing lothario who it seems most of the women are onto and give him the brushoff. The hot-headed director of the show-to-be, who does not seem happy to be there, is Eric (Mark Huberman). He is with his ex-, the mysterious Sofia (Marianna Rosset), who is from Cyprus and has a history with the hotel; she is also the adopted daughter of Bruce. The crew include cameraperson Jennifer (Flavia Watson) and sound tech Christine (Elva Trill). The liaison between crew and the Hotel is Anna (Kristina Godunova). And where are they all staying? At the Gula, of course. Keep the body count close.

The early tone of the film reminds me a bit of The Sentinel (1977) and Rosemary’s Baby (1968), as people keep feeding Sofia tea with “local herbs,” including the financiers of the Ghost Hunter show, Dom (Loris Curci) and Pat (Joanna Fyllidou). Something wicked this way comes, me thinks. Meanwhile, recurrent shaky POV shots show that everyone from the prospective program is being watched.

Marianna Rosset

Early on, there is the mention of the Cult of Teshub, who was the Hurrian god of sky, thunder, and storms in part, with the Iron Age Luwian and Hittite cultures during the early 13th century BCE (thank you, Wikipedia). Here, it dealt with human sacrifice. There is no subtly that this will be an important plot point going forward into the Second and Third Act, as it is stated more than once. Same with Sofia’s dreams, telegraphing that, in the words of Prof. Pretorious in From Beyond (1986), “Something is coming, Crawford!”

Eva Trill

When the killin’ finally starts, what it nice is that there is a multi-pronged and genre jumping storylines, such as slasher, monster, and cult. Of course, they all tie in together, but it made me happy that it was not just one or the others. When someone gets to meet their maker (colloquially, of course), there is a nice variety. Besides, if you cannot figure out who the bad guys are early on, and probably what is their motivation, well, you just have not seen enough genre films (is it possible to see too many? I say no). There is also a nice reference to the 1953 short story, “The Nine Billion Names of God,” by Arthur C. Clarke.

Flavia Watson

The killing effects look great and had me cheering. I did not really notice any digi-SFX, most of it being practical and very bloody. My one question is, as they all had cell phones, why at some point did anyone not call the police at any point?

With quite the international and attractive cast (including a nice and gratuitous shower scene), the action is first rate, mostly. Sands, generally a good actor, is both wooden and over-emoting at the same time, often acting with his eyes, eyebrows and a forward tilt of his head. He seems to forget he is not on the stage, but in front of the more intimate camera. However, there are some beautiful shots of the hotel lobby atrium, which is almost another character in the story.

Cyprus did good here. There is just enough of an arty tone to give this some oomph, but not enough to make it opaque or distracting. The few scenes we see outside of the hotel of the city are beautiful; visiting Cyprus is on my bucket list.

This film did not disappoint, and I look forward to more output from the island Republic of Cyprus.

IMDB listing HERE

Review: Frost (2-disc Blu-ray and CD)

Text © Richard Gary / Indie Horror Films, 2023
Images from the Internet

Frost
Directed by Brandon Slagle
JCB Pictures; Multiverse Cinema; Sandaled Kid Productions;
Snow Leopard Entertainment; Cleopatra Entertainment; MVD Visual
81 minutes, 2022
www.Cleopatra-Entertainment.com
www.MVDvisual.com

Humans verses environment is hardly a new subgenre of suspense, as you can go back to the likes of the ABC Movie of the Week, Seven In Darkness (1969) and Jeremiah Johnson (1972), but it has picked up since the success of The Revenant (2015), with Frozen (2010) and Fall (2022), among others. Into this canon now comes Frost.

In most of these films, there is always something “extra” going on to add some spice, be it blindness, a grizzly, or a height. Here, it is pregnancy. Abby (Scream Queen Devanny Pinn, who was also in this year’s Death Count), is pretty far along as we meet her in Pine Mountain Club, California.

Devanny Pinn, Vernon Wells

She is on her way to visit her estranged dad, Grant (The Vernon Wells in full Aussie accent), an alcoholic, after half a decade; he lives in a cabin in the mountains, surviving on nature (hunting, fishing) and selling animal skins. You can tell he’s a tough old coot by the toque he wears indoors. The only other human in the film is Abby’s friend Sasha (Venus DeMilo Thomas), who we see on her phone (Skype? Zoom? WeChat?).

In an ill-fated momentary decision, Abby and Grant decide to go up to “the lake” to fish and bond. You know that it is not going to end well. The hint is a road sign that reads “Icy.” Thanks to dad’s inattentive driving and said icy roads, they end up off the highway and deep into a hillside, far down the track. And then the weather drops (hence the film’s title) and it snows…

While there are momentary shots of post-accident before the – er – accident, this begins the ordeal of Act 2: survival. What is a nice change is that Act 1, where we get to meet the two main protagonists, is relatively short. Too many films spend more than 20 minutes just to introduce the characters, unnecessarily, especially if there is a car ride involved. Here, the drive pre-accident only lasts a few minutes.

There are shattered glass windows so no protection from the cold or other outside inhabitants, locked in their seat belts, branches jutting into the car (and Abby’s shoulder), and two hours till dark when it really gets, well, frosty. Not only that, but they are on the edge of an embankment that is straight down the mountainside. That is the situation, and where it goes from there is where I basically stop talking about details.

This is a tale of, hopefully, survival. But they have a long way to go with no cell phone (left in the house) and no way to be seen from the curvy road above. In other words, like the film 12 Hours (2010), where a guy has to cut off his arm to get out of a situation, you do not want to be there.

Will Grant’s history of being somewhat of a survivalist help? Hinder? Will Abby’s baby stay in utero (I can guess…)? These are the immediate questions that went through my mind, and I will not reveal, so no spoilers.

Certain questions arise to me. I live in a climate where it gets really, really cold, and have had to wait for an extended period (couple of hours) in a car in -30F. Abby turns on the car (it still works?) for the heater, and then turns on the radio. What? The way to actually do it is turn on the heater until it is reasonably warm, and then turn it off until it gets unbearably cold again, then repeat. You do not waste the battery in cold weather by leaving the motor on, wasting gas, never mind the toll on its life with the radio. And how long would it be before you ate something disgusting because you had to, to survive. Did not take more than a day for Abby. This makes no sense. I once went for four days without eating (while waiting for a medical procedure), and after the first 24 hours, the hunger passes a bit.

Being her father’s daughter, I don’t know if her survival skills are innate or learned, but they are present, given what she has in her small environment. And speaking of situations, the film picks up with the arrival of a big, bad doggie (Shadow; yes, it has a name). The hungry wolf (no singing Duran Duran, please) knows what will satisfy its hunger, and trapped-in-car Abby has to contend with that among other things. It is hard not to think of Cujo (1983), even without the slobber.

There are definitely some extremely squeamish parts to the film, making this more than just a trying to survive story. I would think in one particular centerpiece (aka Act 3), especially for women (I am not meaning that in a sexist way, but situationally), and what brilliant singer-songwriter Christine Lavin might call “sensitive New Age guys.”

The snowy scenery is actually quite beautiful, especially the shots of hoar frost on the trees. There is nice use of drone photography for overview shots of the forest; or perhaps it is stock footage? Either way, it is stunning, even for this city boy.

There is no doubt that this is Pinn’s movie. She is in nearly every scene, and also produced the thing. As vehicles go, this will look great on her demo reel.

This Blu ray Includes Slide Show (mostly screen shots, with some behind the scenes of Shadow), and bonus Trailers from Cleopatra Entertainment but, unfortunately, no subtitles. Especially of note is a CD soundtrack bonus disc, featuring Rick Wakeman (Yes), Geoff Downes (Yes/Asia), Terry Reid, and Front Line Assembly, among others. I did not listen, because I am not a fan of the bands; I’m a folkie punk rocker and am bored to tears by prog rock.

This is more than just a humans vs. nature tale, because there are some gruesome moments. A horror film? Perhaps not, but there are unquestionable surprisingly grisly moments. And that’s what made it for me.

IMDB listing HERE

Review: Baphomet

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

Baphomet
Directed by Matthan Harris
Incisive Pictures; Cyfuno Ventures; Cleopatra Entertainment; MVD Visual
72 minutes, 2021
www.facebook.com/baphometmovie
www.cleopatra-entertainment.com
www.MVDVisual.com

To be clear, “Baphomet is a deity that the Knights Templar were accused of worshiping, and that was incorporated into occult and mystical traditions. The name Baphomet appeared in trial transcripts for the Inquisition of the Knights Templar starting in 1307” (thank you Wikipedia).

Now that is out of the way, just from the name it is not hard to guess that this will have something to do with witchcraft, covens, and the like. Well, you would be right. And who doesn’t love a bloodthirsty cult film, eh wot?

Usually, the cult is introduced either at the very beginning or the very end to this genre’s releases, and here it is right off the bat with the first scene, so I am not really giving anything away. The coven is led by Henrik Brandr (the infamous Giovanni Lombardo Radice, who was in giallo classics by the likes of Fulci, Soavi and Deodato, and one of the main stars of Lenzi’s 1981 Cannibal Ferox; recently he’s been in the likes of the 2006 remake of The Omen, and the underrated 2009 House of Flesh Mannequins), and right from the start you know they are not only up to no good, but prone towards the sacrifice/slaughter of others.

Colin Ward and Rebecca Weaver

As the story starts, Henrik’s son, the creepy Aksel (Stephen Brodie), asks to buy the land from well-to-do (from the looks of the house) Jacob (Colin Ward), who seems to overreact in anger to the request. Sure, Aksel is a bit pushy, but Jacob seems hellbent (pun intended) to be pissed off. Naturally, this will not end well by the conclusion; it is easy to tell even from this scene five minutes in. To paraphrase the words of that great philosopher Edward Norton, this brings “a pox on them and all their ancestors.”

This affects Jacob’s family dearly, including Jacob’s wife, Elena (Ivy Opdyke), their pregnant daughter, Rebecca (Rebecca Weaver) and her husband, Mark (director Matthan Harris). If he will not give up the land, expect to be knocked off one by one, often through Henrik’s spells or by a mysterious, brutish figure dressed in black (massive Nick Principe; I have been a fan since 2014’s Collar). 

Charlotte Bjornbek

With all the mayhem of the first act, the real focus of the film comes into effects with the introduction of "white" witch Marybeth (solid acting by Charlotte Bjornbek), as it settles into the final battle of good versus evil, or as I like to call it, playtime.

The violence throughout the story is plentiful, the blood and gore are gruesome and the SFX is incredibly well done. Same with the costuming and make-up. There is a nice, high body count, some of it coming quick, others lingering in close-up.

Dani Filth

There is a fun Skype cameo by Dani Filth, vocalist and lyricist of the metal band Cradle of Filth, among others, as an expert on the Occult (which Filth is in real life, as well). The role is not taxing, and he does well with it. It is odd to see him without beard or make-up, but that does not take away from the role.

There are a couple of holes here and there, but the storyline is fluid and I am happy to say that there were times I was grateful that it dodged some cliches, such as using certain good-person-who-ends-up-being-evil motifs (I could think of at least two they avoided). Most of the acting is decent, and it is well shot with good editing and lighting.

Giovanni Lombardo Radice

Basically, there is no wild steps taken out of the narrative flow, though some surprises, and it truly is a case of you getting exactly what you would expect for this genre. It’s like comfort food in that it is cozy yet enjoyable.

There are lots of extras included, such as a Dani Filth backstage interview (9 min.), which is actually before a concert in Dallas rather than during the filming. It covers a wide range of topics, including the filming, getting tattooed, and his band, Cradle of Filth, which is a fun watch. This is followed by a music video by TANK, featuring 5-octive range Filth, called “Shellshock.” If you are a fan of Filth, you know the style. However, I would recommend seeing it after watching the film, because the only visuals are from Baphomet, and it shows too much of the action and can ruin the story with spoilers.

The Deleted and Extended Scenes (13 min) were rightfully excised, but are entertaining to watch, as is true with the Outtakes (7 min), which could also be called the Blooper Reel. If you like that kind of thing, you will not be disappointed. There is some Behind the Scenes pictures, character art and storyboards by the talented artist Jason Millet, the teaser trailer, and a nice selection of Cleopatra Entertainment film trailers.

To me, though, the takeaway lesson of the whole megillah, genre film or real life, is never, ever go paddle boarding by yourself.

Review: Verotika (3-disc Blu-ray/DVD/CD Soundtrack set)

Text © Richard Gary / Indie Horror Films, 2020

Images from the Internet

Verotika

Directed by Glenn Danzig

Dark Risen Pictures; UFO Pictures; Cleopatra Entertainment; MVD Entertainment

90 minutes, 2019 / 2020

www.cleopatraentertainment.com

www.mvdentertainment.com

Heavy music and horror films have always had a symbiotic relationship. This is especially true with independent films of the genre, who oft times use metal or punk for their soundtracks. Metal star Rob Zombie took it a step further and started writing and directing, and has built up quite the canon now of more than half a dozen of his own films, mostly on the Firefly family and revamping the franchise of the classic Halloween.

Now enter Glenn Danzig, vocalist of heavy punk bands The Misfits, Samhain and Danzig (and who officially becomes a senior citizen this year). But he also has his own decade-old comic book imprint of erotic EC Comics-style short horror stories from which these tales are adapted, likewise by the name of Verotika, which is the background work for his directorial debut with this release. It’s exciting news.

Kayden Kross

Critics have been harsh with this film, to say the least, but I am going in open minded. Sometimes the heart is bigger than the end result, but to me, that’s also a part of it. Most reviewers tend to look at all releases on the same level, but I keep my expectations on what is accomplished more than what is missed. Here we go.

Right off the start, we are introduced to our host, Morella (Kayden Kross), with upside-down Iron Crosses on her cheeks, as she performs a violent act on a chained woman that I’m sure was meant to invoke an iconic scene from Fulci’s Zombie (1979). It’s a bit overdone, but most horror host(ess) bits historically tend to be like that, from the likes of Elvira and Zacherle; they have more cheese than a Whole Foods store.

Ashley Wisdom and Scotch Hopkins

The first story is “The Albino Spider of Dajette,” which I am assuming is supposed to take place in France, considering the attempt at accents. Poor Dajette (fluffed-lipped Ashely Wisdom) has eyes instead of nipples on her ponderous bosoms, which freaks guys out. Her tears after being rejected by some abusive guy change a white, cartoonish-CGI spider into a six-armed man (Scotch Hopkins) who kills for her by reading her subconscious. Oddly, he kills women, rather than the doods that abuse her. This is a world where women are prostitutes and men are machismo morons. There’s lots of Creepshow (1982) kinds of primary color lighting, and close-ups of faces. The editing is kind of choppy, and the line reading stunningly wooden, but the downfall for me is the pretentiousness of the dialog. It tries to elevate itself into some kind of lyrical poetry or art, but falls flat, right from the beginning.

The story not only makes little sense, but has no explanations. I mean, how did a particular group (I don’t want to give away too much) know that the spider man with six arms was “the neckbreaker” murderer, and why were they fascinated by Dajette’s eye/boobs, but not that the guy had six arms? I actually have so many more questions, but I can’t ask them here without giving away too much. It’s a rocky start.

Rachel Alig (with knife)

After a very brief visit with Morella, we’re off with “Change of Face,” the second story. Loosely an homage to the French film from 1960, Eyes Without a Face (or perhaps even more laxly with 1974’s The Texas Chain Saw Massacre?), a mysterious and scarred dancer (Rachel Alig) has a predilection for killing women and stealing their faces… then wearing them… while stripping… wearing a schmata to cover her face. Wait, what? Now, I’m not a strip club denizen, but being the featured dancer and having three people in the audience does not seem like a good career move. But that’s just me, I guess…

Alice Tate

The last story is “Drukija: Countess of Blood,” freely based on the true story of Countess Bathory (also the source for other films, like 1971’s Countess Dracula, with the late, great Ingrid Pitt [d. 2010]). Drukija (Alice Tate, who has a really interesting look and outfit to die for, in a cosplay scenario) has a thing for virgins in the Middle Ages ‘hood of Hungary; of course, if you know the Bathory story, it’s not for nurturing but rather “bathing.”

I realize that odds are Danzig was going for a Hammer Films look in this segment, but he doesn’t quite achieve that, as he tends to “linger” a bit too long. Shots of Drukija bathing in a peasant girl’s blood, both of them starkers, stays longer than a relative at Thanksgiving, letting tedium build (much like the dancers in the previous “Change of Face”), which is not for what scenes like this are intended.

This story actually does not really have a plot, but is a series of set pieces to show women bled, eviscerated and chopped up. Even the torturous level of gore in 1970’s Mark of the Devil at least had a narrative to justify its actions, such as it was.

Perhaps what Danzig should have done is start off with some meat-and-taters films to get his hands dirty and figure out what he wants and what he is doing, even if there is some artistic ambience thrown in to elevate it a bit, and then experiment with a goal in mind that is achievable at an earned level of experience. Perhaps his life of fame and right wing conspiracy posturing has given him the confidence that is beyond his skills.

It’s easy to cry “sexist” when seeing this, even though the main character of each of the three stories and its wraparound is female. But so are nearly all of the victims. The men are just there to make the rest of us look like drooling, sex-obsessed maroons.  Naturally, there is a scene in a strip club (which looks like a music video stuck in to expand the time without really adding much to the story, as with the insertion shots in 1979’s Caligula), a porno theater, and a fetish modeling shoot (with a 35mm film camera as its recording medium?).

Perhaps the problem is actually me, that I’m no longer a super-horny and hormone-ridden teen (or young adult), and I want to get to the meat of the matter (pun intended) of the story and the mayhem that it entails, rather than just hanging out watching near-nekkid people rubbing themselves on poles like DJ Trump does to flags. Both are pointless to the situations at hand.

Part of the issue may be that Danzig tends to use severely augmented hardcore adult actors of varying acting talent; being that Danzig is a fan of David Cronenberg, who used Marilyn Chambers in Rabid (1977), that may be the paradigm he used (and gives him a reason to hang out with them in fanboy form).

The biggest problem, though, in my opinion, is that he both wrote and directed the film, and with the kind of ego he’s been known to postulate, he may not be inclined to listen to others because he knows what he wants. With a lack of experience in filmmaking, more often than not it is important to have a middle person between the writing and the directing for editorial purposes. I have said this before in other reviews, and I stand by it. The editing is also on the choppy side, with a few continuity issues; but that’s somewhat easier to forgive with a relative newbie to feature films, rather than his experience with his own music videos. I’m hoping when a sequel comes out, and it should, there will be more cohesion.

This box set comes with three discs: a Blu-ray and DVD of the film and extras, and a really nice metal-based soundtrack CD (see listing below).

CD Listing:

Danzig: Eyes Ripping Fire

Ministry: Dancing Madly Backwards on a Sea of Air

Jyrki 69: Close Your Eyes

Vile a Sin: Crimson Lust

Fantôme: Je Suis a Toi

Pink Velvet: Allez Prenons Un Autre Verre

Kore Rozzik: Can't Stop Won't Stop

Switchblade Symphony: Gutter Glitter

Vile a Sin: The Return

Studio 69: Il Est Juste la

Review: Get Gone

Text © Richard Gary / Indie Horror Films, 2020

Images from the Internet

Get Gone

Directed by Michael Thomas Daniel

Future Proof Films / Sweet Nelly Productions / Phoenix Worldwide Entertainment / Cleopatra Entertainment / MVD Entertainment

91 minutes, 2019 / 2020

getgonethemovie.com/

www.facebook.com/GETGONETHEMOVIE/

www.cleopatraentertainment.com

www.mvdb2b.com

Back in the late 19th Century, a family known as the Black Donnelleys moved from Ireland to Ontario, living off the land. The problem was that the property they cleared and farmed did not belong to them. They just figured since no one was taking care of it except them, they would get the squatters rights deed since the landlords were not around. They found out the hard way that this was not the case, which led to a bloody “war” between them, and the owners and local government, leading to numerous deaths. Yes, this really did happen.

What does this have to do with Get Gone? Well, the premise is somewhat similar. Here, the Maxwell family has lived on a farm for three decades and now the local government and the Mining Company that owns the land wants to frack it. This sets up another bloody and revenge-filled confrontation.

Lin Shaye

For the Maxwells, there’s Mama (horror stalwart-of-late Lin Shaye in a full, non-cameo role, who is better known as the backbone of the Insidious franchise) and Daddy Don (underrated character actor Robert Miano), the huge Patton (Weston Cage Coppola… gee, I wonder if he’s related to any other actors/directors…), and mentally challenged film cover boy Apple (Bailey Coppola), who likes to wear masks. Y’see, the water they’ve been a-drinkin’ has been affected by the drilling in the area over the years, and they’ve all gone a bit plumb loco. The sons have a genetic mutation that makes their skin look like they’ve been slathered in Zinc Oxide. Then there’s Pug (Joel Macha). In general, think more of the siblings in Spider Baby (1967) than the buffoons of the classic Mother’s Day (1980).

Robert Miano

Between the family and the Mining Conglomerate is the de facto hero of the film, local ranger Rico (Rico E. Anderson), who sympathizes with the family, but is legally obligated to the Company.

But there is another complication added to the mix: a group of podcasters who produce shows about revealing the truth behind other podcasters’ faking of murder and supernatural goings on are on a camping trip that is supposed to be for team building (how can a podcast channel afford that, I wonder). Led by the zealous Rocks and Roots guide, they wander into the Oregon woods (around Cascade Locks, where it is filmed) and run straight between the squatters and the Mining Company, both of which have blood on their minds and hands. Luckily, most of the podcasters are superfluous and shallow characters – not to mention unlikeable Brett Kavanaugh-types – and make part of a nice body count.

Weston Cage Coppola

References abound from other films, with the likes of the obvious The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974), though one could easily add House of 1,000 Corpses (2003) without the weirdness, or correlate the Marshalls with the feral family from The Hills Have Eyes (1977), but there is a significant different in tone and especially the purpose of their homicidal tendencies. Another trope that is used here is one that is in too many films to mention, the local who warns the team building group off, only this time he’s a drunk, and no one pays any attention to him.

The acting level is varied, but sufficient, with some good moments and clumsy ones, much of which could also be said about the dialogue. One thing I liked, though, is that it takes to task the overuse of sexist language and behavior that is oft present in genre releases, and other verbal negative ticks such as something being “so gay.” So, back to the acting, most do fine, though Cage Coppola goes from pretty good hulking villain to ridiculous wide eyes crazy that’s laughable (like his dad, Nic).

Bailey Coppola

A consistency with all these groups as units, it’s a local vs. stranger dichotomy. Essentially it is the former fighting against the latter two, be it the family, the Corporation, or the reluctant campers, though for the team building group it’s more a matter of being in the wrong place at the wrong time led by the wrong team leader who brings them to camp on questionable private land. Why this triggers such violence I’m not sure, but perhaps it literally could be in the water.

Rico E. Anderson

This is definitely low budget, and the obvious way to tell is that there is no gore to speak of, hardly any blood, and no nudity.

The DVD extras are minimal, being chapters, a bunch of Cleopatra Entertainment trailers (mostly of films that have been reviewed on this blog) including this one, and a nice and large stills gallery that is mostly behind-the-scenes shots with a few being taken directly from the film itself.

If you wonder about the origin of the title, “get gone,” it is something that is said numerous times by Cage Coppola’s character. The reviews on IMDB are consistently either “It’s the best” (10 out of 10) or “It’s the worst” (1 or 2 out of 10). The polarization is enough of a red flag. Truthfully, it’s neither. While not a film that will probably be considered a future classic, I’m certain, it does do the job. Neither brilliant nor all that bad, it kept my attention even with the exploitation of overused tropes that the filmmakers probably hope will be recognized by the audience; this is a common rookie directorial mistake but oft forgivable if not egregious, which it is not, here.

Review: The 27 Club

Text © Richard Gary / Indie Horror Films, 2019

Images from the Internet

The 27 Club

Directed by Patrick Fogarty

Cleopatra Entertainment / MVD Entertainment

97 minutes, 2019

www.cleopatraentertainment.com

www.mvdb2b.com

Though I am not a musician, I still remember the feeling of relief on my 28th birthday, knowing I didn’t become a member of what has become known as the “27 Club.” This seems to be the terminal age for a lot of people in the music biz, including Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, Jim Morrison, Kurt Cobain, Amy Winehouse, Brian Jones, blues musician Robert Johnson, Canned Heat’s Alan “Blind Owl” Wilson, the Grateful Dead’s Pigpen, Big Star’s Chris Bell, D. Boon of the Minutemen, Kristen Pfaff of Hole, and so many others. In most of these cases, it’s a matter of meeting the Master through misadventure (drugs, suicide, car accidents, etc.).

Maddisyn Carter

The main thing about this film and others like it, is that you know exactly where it is taking us, and whom it is going to affect; the big question and what keeps us watching is the how the final comeuppance will arrive. Hey, it’s in the title, and the big hint is given in the first act. We just need to stick around for the ride to get to the conclusion of the deal with the… devil? Demon?

The question(s) behind the film, of course, is oft asked: how far are you willing to go to achieve your goals, and do the ends justify the means? For many it’s quite an easy question. For me, well, not so much.

The main protagonist in the film is Jason (Derrick Denicola), a music lover and student who is writing a paper for teacher, Professor Crawford (the Todd Rundgren), who gives odd vibes right from the start. Jason is convinced that the so-called 27 Club has something behind it, and when Quinn Scott (Travis Grant) of the band Saturn’s Return, the latest rock star in the film’s prologue to join the list, he is even more determined to find the answer. So much so, in fact, he wears a Saturn’s Return tee shirt through at least the first half of the film over several days.

Todd Rundgren on the left

As a brief aside, Jason has some cool stuff on the walls of his room, including album covers by the likes of the Damned, Iggy and the Stooges (Raw Power), and of course Todd Rundgren. Now my theory is that Jason is being influenced by Prof. Crawford because in a record store scene reminiscent of High Fidelity (2000), Crawford suggests the same Damned and Iggy albums to a patron who is interested in an Everclear colored vinyl. But Crawford/Rundgren is so cool, he’s actually wearing a tee from the West Coast post-punk industrial noise band Chrome; I still have my Chrome LPs, FYI.

Somehow, Jason manages to hook up with the sister of his best friend’s (Zack Kozlow) girlfriend, an aspiring singer named Lily (Maddisyn Carter), who is a mess on so many level (personality, indulgences, etc.) though lovely to espy. Lily has a strong desire to make it in the biz, but will she go above and beyond, as it were, to kick start her career rather than sabagoogee it?

In smaller roles, it’s nice to see actors Nick Principe as a massive crony to a mad Satanist, and as a news reporter, Kelly Erin Decker, who stole every scene in which she appeared in during Halloween Pussy Trap Kill Kill! (2017).

Derrick Denicola

All the actors involved here hit the marks without having to rely on histrionics (in other words, they can act), which is probably a good thing especially since there isn’t a character here that is totally likeable, even the main two. I’ve mentioned Lily, but Jason is no cotton candy either; he may be just as focused on his goal of finishing his paper as Lily is with her career, but he does some pretty skeevy things in his own right, such has filming himself having sex without telling his partner. But it’s not just these two as no one seems to have any sense of boundaries or be aware of personal space. I find no fault on the writers of this film, though, as having been involved with the world of musicians, this tends to be true as a general rule.

One of the interesting ideas about this film is having other, more infamous members of the 27 club speak in between scenes hidden mostly in the shadows, such as Jimi, Janis, Jim, Kurt and Robert Johnson. This is a cool idea as a concept, but for some reason it doesn’t really work too well, I’m truly sorry to say. This may be because what they say gets lost in the echo/reverb, and does not really translate or contribute to the story. Perhaps if what they said related to what was happening to our main characters at the time it would be a better fit, but it remains as an interesting concept.

The extras are two brief (about 2 minutes) interviews with the two leads, Denicola and Carter. There is also a photo slideshow which are just some screen grabs, the trailer, and a bunch of other coming attractions from the Cleopatra label, many films I have seen and enjoyed. That being said, this is a three-disc set, the first two each being a Blu-ray and DVD version of the film (which is also available in single disc, as well). The third is the soundtrack CD, with bands such as Geri-X, VV and the Void, Die Klute, the Anix, and of course Todd Rundgren (featuring Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross). This should not be surprising as Cleopatra has a music wing, and I’m willing to bet most of these bands are on their label. Personally, as a music snob myself, I was not impressed by most of it, but my tastes remain with proto- and first wave punk.

Despite the predictability of the ending, the story was told well by some decent writing and acting, and kept my interest. Nice way to spend an afternoon with some tortured souls.