Review: Night of the Tommyknockers

Text © Richard Gary / Indie Horror Films, 2022
Images from the Internet

Night of the Tommyknockers (aka Tommyknockers)
Directed by Michael Su
Mahal Empire; Mezek Films; FilmCore; Wildlife Command Center; Alien Donut Films; Gravitas Ventures
87 minutes, 2022
www.facebook.com/nightofthetommyknockers/ 
www.facebook.com/groups/514328295444570

Usually, the Western is its own genre. It is rare that it mixes with others, especially horror. That’s not to say it doesn’t happen. For example, there are some gruesome scenes in Bone Tomahawk (2015) and The Scarlet Worm (2011), or even mixing sci-fi in films like Cowboys & Aliens (2011) and if a bit of a stretch, but Valley of the Gwangi (1969).

Well, rare or not, this new release combines horror taking place in the western genre. So naturally, there are shoot-outs, bank robbers, miners, farming folk, and the like. And then there are the Tommyknockers. Urbandictonary.com defines them as “Miners who have been trapped in cave-ins and pound on the rocks for rescue. It is believed that the ghosts of these miners go on knocking in the mine shafts long after the victims have died.”

That makes sense, as the story begins with some miners finding gold in a shaft after using dynamite, and release a host of said ‘Knockers” on the town. The voracious creatures will eat anything that moves, from horses to humans. They kind of look like the creatures in The Descent (2005), only crouched over like the Universal Pictures’ wolfman of the 1940s, and covered in white fur. Once they are on the loose, the local town is invaded by them at nights.

Bill Victor Arucan, Richard Grieco, Wesley Cannon, Angela Clark

Walking into the mess looking for a bank to rob is the Dirk Gang, led by, well, anti-hero Dirk (Richard Grieco) doing his best poncho wearin’ Clint Eastwood impression, and including Lucky (Robert LaSardo), Maoma (Bill Victor Arucan, who has been in a lot of James Balsamo films of late), Clay (Wesley Cannon), and Betty (Angela Cole). They arrive at nightfall, where all the townfolk that remain are gathered together in the saloon (of course), with Marshal Steed (a gravel-voiced Tom Sizemore); yes, this is a strong cast.

This film is a bit different than the other Michael Su films I have seen as of late. Here, half way in, there is a few killings, but very little gore. There is much more exposition than I have seen, thereby additional dialogue. I am waiting for the savagery to begin in earnest.

By the third act, things pick up immensely. The previous Su films I have watched (and totally enjoyed; you can search my keywords by the director’s name) took a different formula, where the carnage was pretty consistent throughout the film, messing with the typical Act 1 through 3, as I have mentioned in a previous review, but here, it is more of a traditional style (though there are some decent attacks without much gore), culminating in an intestine chomping, neck biting, limb munching third act. Was it worth the wait? Sure!

Tom Sizemore (far right)

Grieco does fine as the strong, quiet type, and Sizemore seems stiff (both physically and vocally), though his acting is fine. Maybe him and Michael Madsen can move to the Screen Actors Retirement Home? It is time. LaSardo is almost the comic relief of the film, and does a smash up job (sometimes literally) as his character lives up to his name. The cast is well assembled, again with two strong women at the front. I really love that about Su, he always has don’t-take-no-shit women, here led by Cole and Jessica Morris, as a townie photographer.

There are some other noteworthy cameos from the B-film world that I was happy to see, such as Sheri Davis, podcaster Shawn C. Phillips, and especially Elissa Dowling, among others. And am I crazy, or did Arucan play two roles, including one of the miners?

There are some nice explosions here as in all Su’s films, and there is a slight sepia tone, which seems to be the “in” thing to do with gothic or western releases these days. The SFX seems to be practical and looks good. The one thing I noticed that I thought was weird is that while the last two acts take place during a single night, occasionally it looked like sunlight coming through the windows. Ahh, low budget filmmaking, though its look mostly manages to push past its budgetary envelope.

Be sure to watch the credits for additional fun.

IMDB listing HERE

Review: Tethered

Text © Richard Gary / Indie Horror Films, 2022
Images from the Internet

Tethered
Directed by Daniel Robinette
4 Leagues Media; Gravitas Ventures
88 minutes, 2022
www.4leaguesmedia.com/films/tethered/
www.gravitasventures.com

It almost seems like there is a subgenre overlapping horror and science fiction of late where two people, usually but not always men, are in the middle of the woods/nowhere, that are quite contentious but end up working together against whatever the antagonist is, be it human or supernatural. On just this blog, for example, I have recently reviewed A Knight’s Tour (2020)l and Woodland Grey (2021) , and then there is are large chunk of Sweet Tooth (2021).

Expanded from a 2017 short with the same title and lead actor, for this bleak tale, we are introduced to blind teenager Solomon (Jared Laufree). He lives on an acreage in North Carolina, surrounded by the woods, many miles from anyone else. Essentially, the forest is his to do what is needed for survival. At the start we see the training by his obviously ill mom (hyper-intelligent Alexandra Paul, of “Baywatch” and 1983’s Christine fame, among others), who gives him the skills on how to survive, including fishing and setting traps for game, like squirrels and rabbits. To enter the woods, he wears the titular rope tied at one end to the dilapidated house, and the other around his waist, to help him find his way back.

The “tether” has a dual role. It both gives Solomon the freedom to roam enough to survive and have a certain level of independence yet “protecting” him from the outside world, theoretically; but then again, it also limits how far he can travel, isolating him at the same time.

As in previous films like The Children of the Corn (1984) and the cult film Jug Face (2013), where there is a cryptid creature lurking in the woods kind of deal, Solomon must “feed” the forest via sharing his food, by tossing half of it into the woods. He doesn’t know why at first, but he is following his mother’s three commandments, of which this is one. But what happens when food is scarce?

After living alone for a number of years, Solomon is lonely, relying on the tape recording to hear another’s voice, i.e., his mother. His attire is in shambles with holes, and he is, well, dirty as all get out. But it is his solitude – the only thing he’s known for such a long time – that weighs the heaviest. Until…

Somewhere deep into the second act, a stranger appears: Hank (Kareen Furgeson). This is when the story really starts to pick up some steam, as these two desperate strangers need to rely on each other, especially with whatever is starting to make its presence known by howling in the forest. Of course, their relationship begins contentiously (as is wont in this trope) until their easy-to-assume bonding occurs. I really don’t think I’m giving anything not obvious away.

There are two types of slow burns employed by cinema, in a gross generalization: there is the kind where nothing happens for a long time and then everything is in the third act, or at minimum after 20 minutes of introducing the characters (i.e., the conversation in the car on the way to the slaughter trope that is overused in other releases), and then there is this kind, where even during the exposition scenes, the tension is still there, and slowly builds to the crescendo.

There are a few moments where some exposition is exposed, such as a birthday sequence, which would fit nicely in the deleted section, and a bit of tightening of the narrative, but overall, it’s a pretty solid piece. The cinematography by Aaron Sorgius is a key character in the story moving forward, even those scenes at night where it is a bit dark viewing; remember, Solomon is blind so he doesn’t need light at night, so most of the lighting is done indirectly by fireplace.

Just a minor, quick quibble: Solomon, as an adult, plays one of those old portable cassette recorders. Errr, where does he get the batteries? It is certainly not plugged in (you can see that there is no attachment), and besides, his cabin doesn’t even have electricity. It’s kind of like in other films – especially found footage, which this release is not – where people have cell phones or cameras that they use often, and yet work for days (I have to recharge mine every night).

 As is common in this subgenre, there is very little humor and feels bleak to the point of giving the impression of being almost post-apocalyptic. The environment we are presented is empty except for a small cast (which helps the budget enormously; no complaint, just observing) and whatever mysterious supernatural cryptid is out there, just in the shadows of the dark, scary woods. That’s why so many horror films take place in forests, because of the shade of the canopy making cool shadows and hard-to-see spots, and who’s to say what is lurking behind that red maple?

 I have to admit, the ending took me by surprise. I was expecting a different direction, but found the conclusion both rewarding and a bit confusing about the “how.” This is the director’s first feature film, and he shows quite the skill set that he gained from a number of shorts he helmed. I hope he gets to spread his wings in full-lengthers in the future and show more of what he is capable of doing.

This film is available on DVD and Blu-ray, and digitally on Comcast/Xfinity, Spectrum, AT&T, Cox, Dish, Verizon, Frontier, SuddenLink, Mediacom, Armsstrong and TelusClick.

IMBD Listing HERE 

 

 

 

Screener:
https://vimeo.com/613954181
Password: TETHEREDV1FINAL

Review: Autumn Road

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

Autumn Road
Directed by Riley Cusick
The Last Motel; Gravitas Ventures
95 minutes, 2021
https://gravitasventures.com/

I am the kinda guy who likes Halloween, whenever it appears. If I were to watch a Halloween-themed film in, say the dog days of summer, it would make no difference and I could like it the same. Also, I am willing to guess that will be true for most of those who are reading this review.

The reason I bring this up is because even though this film is opening just in time for Thanksgiving, it is heavily Halloween based, with its central location a “haunted house” themed deconsecrated church. In the extended prologue that is nearly long enough to be an act, it is run by a man and his two twin teen sons, nice guy Charlie and twisted bro Vincent (played by real twins Ranger and Jonas Lerway), with some help from their friend, Winnie (Maddy-Lea Hendrix). After Winnie goes Poof (no real mystery as to how or why since it is telegraphed and then given away in the prologue, but not on this blog), life is different for everyone.

Riley Cusick

A few years moseying down the road, hot-headed, possibly homicidal Vincent and glasses-wearing so you can tell them apart Charlie (both played by the director, Riley Cusick) still runs the Halloween house. While Vincent gets into fights with guests, Charlie is quick to defend him, though both are protective of each other in their own ways. It is not a healthy situation for either of them. The third character in this study is Laura (Lorelei Linklater), who happens to be Winnie’s older sister by three years. An actress who has not found success but has had some recent heartache, she comes home and gets re-hooked up with our odd brothers, both of whom take a shine to her in their own way. Needless to say, she is full of questions about Winnie.

The main focus of this release is the triangle of Laura, Charlie and Vincent. Along the way there will be some blood shed, some other strange characters – such as a diner regular (George Welder) who reminds me of the evil entity Bob from the original “Twin Peaks” series (1990) – and a situation where something eventually has to give way.

Lorelei Linklater

This is not a typical masked killer slasher, though there is a mask and a body count, but more on the direction of the film later.

The film is filled with long, static shots and lots of conversations, not just snippets of dialogue. Rather than it being in the “here’s some obscurities to show how cool I am,” Tarantino way, the talking is used for character building, which is absent way too often in genre films.

There is a nice use of color palates. Not the garish ones of primary colors that tend to be trendy nowadays (I call it the Creepshow factor), but, for example, in one shot, a character is wearing a mustard yellow colored top, drinking from a mustard yellow beer can, and sitting beside a lamp base that is, yep, mustard yellow. It is actually quite subtle rather than loud. The tone of most of the film is on the dark side, but so is the storyline, which is definitely a slow burn tension builder.

The use of technology for portraying twins is a lot easier now than it was when Cronenberg did Dead Ringers in 1988, where he had to physically cut the negative to make “two” Jeremy Irons. Now the studio magic is all done digitally and quite seamlessly with CGI software like Photoshop. Also, Cusick does really well in differentiating the brothers, and not just with glasses, or different hair styles (Vincent combs it in the middle), but also intensity. For example, much like Wes Bentley’s character in American Beauty (1999), Vincent rarely blinks (as with the owl mask he often dons), giving a subtly layer of unease that many people will not catch, but will still subconsciously feel.

While this is obviously Cusick’s film, both behind and in front of the camera, for his first feature (other than some shorts before this one), he has assembled quite the accomplished cast, though the main focus is on the three main characters. Linklater (who resembles a young Janeane Garofalo) holds her own, though she is on some level in a state of shock through most of the story with PTSD, so her emotional range is reigned in significantly, but is still likeable, despite Laura’s role being over shadowed by der twins.

Maddy-Lea Hendrix

Technically a masked slasher film, but much more of character studies than anything else, its pace may be off-putting for those used to the likes of the Halloween or Friday the 13th franchises where there are a certain number of kills per X minutes, but those of us who like some background and development, even when that precludes any major surprises, this is a well thought-out, put together release, and hopefully just the beginning of Cusick’s feature journey.

 

Review: Lake Eerie

Text © Richard Gary / Indie Horror Films, 2017

Images from the Internet

+

Lake Eerie                              

Directed by Chris Majors

Savage Beast Films / Solid Weld Productions /
FilmRise / Gravitas Ventures / MVD Visual

103 minutes, 2016 / 2017

www.lakeeeriemovie.com

www.savagebeastfilms.com

www.mvdvisual.com

Let me start of by stating that the name of this film is brilliant, and I wonder why I’ve never heard of anyone else using it. Kudos on that!

When I think of Lake Erie, I tend to think of the New York end of it, having so many friends along it’s east shore. In actuality, the Great Lake touches on four states (not counting Ontario to the north): Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Michigan. It is the latter, in the town of La Salle, where this was both filmed and takes place (in the family-owned domicile of the director). It’s a huge house just off the lake, in this story recently bought through a repossession auction by a young woman who has moved off the farm to forget the recent death of her husband. Having been abandoned and untouched since 1969 when its previous dashing anthropologist owner mysteriously disappeared, it gives the widow, Kate (Meredith Majors, the director’s spouse who also wrote the screenplay), a way to start over and get some therapy through painting (and a large amount of prescription pills apparently, considering the number she downs in the course of a few days).

Meredith Majors

Soon after she is given the keys by the realtor (Marilyn Ghigliotti, who rose to some fame as the female lead in Kevin Smith’s overrated 1994 debut, Clerks), most people in the area have already packed up from the Lake for the season (i.e., post-Labor Day). That is, except for the nice lady who lives a few doors down, Eliza (Betsy Baker, who will forever be associated as the demonically laughingLinda in 1981’s classic The Evil Dead). I quickly got the heebie-jeebies about her, just from the constant use of her calling Kate “Dear.” Not a good thing for a neighbor in a horror flick having to do with spirits and demons (1968’s Rosemary’s Baby comes to mind).

Sadly, this “tell” is endemic to the writing of the film, which makes questionable moves throughout, even when trying to strike some originality. More on that later. Kate makes many, many, questionable choices. For example, on the first night, she is on the main floor and sees a huge and unknown man (Allen Sarvin, better known as wrestler Al Snow, who has been making quite a nice dip into the indie horror film market) in a cowl and cape in her living room, and does she run out the door, which is rightthere? No, she runs into the kitchen to grab a long knife, high-tails it up the stairs, and then takes a pill and promptly goes to sleep to have a sex dream about her husband and another woman. In the morning light, does she contact the police? No, she goes on with her day calmly and has some muffins with Eliza. Whaaaaaaaaaaa?!?

Annemijn Nieuwkoop

I won’t go into much more of the story, as this is all still the first act, which ends with the introduction of Eliza’s niece, Autumn (Danish actress Annemijn Nieuwkoop, who also goes by Anne Leigh Cooper), who is obsessed with Harrison (director Chris Majors), the archeologist who used to own the joint.

There are some definite issues with the story, which is quite lackadaisical in its approach. I mean, if you need to grab a kitchen knife two nights in a row (your first two nights) – once because of the big dude and another after a nekkid woman (Victoria Johnstone) rises from the lake and goes into your house – and then you go speed upstairs and fall asleep after taking pills, rather than getting leaving the house – even after a kinder spirit tells you that you are in danger and to get out…twice – then it’s hard to feel some kind of empathy for that character.

Lance Henriksen

It’s nice that the story tries to throw the “Is it real or in her head?” motif, which always is a fun twist. Here, we are given that by the appearance of Kate’s Pop (legendary Lance Henriksen, who pretty much sleepwalks through his one scene, and still manages to steal it), who wants her to come back to the farm because he thinks she needs help. Actually, what Kate needs is, well to be honest, acting lessons. This is Meredith’s (since both star/writer and director have the same last name, I will be impertinent and use the first) initial starring film role, and she does not seem to be up for the task. She looks cute in an everywoman kind of way with a smack of a Jane Alexander vibe, but her acting is, well, wooden. I’m betting she’d be fine in a best friend or neighbor role, but she cannot carry a film on her own at this point in her career. What I mean by that is that she looks like she is wincing when trying to emote, and you can almost see her thinking (i.e., pausing too long) between showing a feeling or speaking a line.

Betsy Baker

But she’s not the only one, to be fair. Most of the cast seems to be polar opposites in either being in a daze or a bit over the top, such as Nieuwkoop; though to be fair, the part written for her is as an avid fan of the previous owner who disappeared before she was even born, though she comes across more as a chipper and giddy teenaged-level cheerleader than a true scholarly researcher as she claims. Again, you can tell from the dialog part of this is definitely how the role was designed. She’s kind of the reverse of Henriksen’s underplayed role. I do have to say, that despite the “dear” business, Baker comes off the most competent (and I’m not saying that because she’s exactly two days older than me), although the role itself is clichéd.

There are few surprises in the story, including the conclusion, but for me the biggest problem here is in the editing of the text. I’ve said this a number of times regarding other films as well: rather than being well over an hour and a half, it would have behooved the writer and director to narrow it down to about 80 minutes. Considering the long stretches where nothing really important to the story happens, this could have been done with no ill effect on the plotline (please, if you can’t do text chopping, give your ego a rest and call in someone who can!). Yet with all that extra time, there are still plot questions that arise that haven’t been answered.

For example, if you’re dealing with an eternal ancient Egyptian underworld/eitherworld, why are the guardians/demons dressed in modern clothing, rather than galabeyas at the least? I mean, I have my own from when I visited Egypt back in ’93, so shouldn’t the snake-eyed guardians of that place have them as well? Also, on a feminist perspective, considering this was written by a woman, why is the only nude scene a woman, and not including Kate’s husband? These were just two of the many questions that ran through my head during watching the film.

The only DVD extras are chapters and English Captions (always a fave of mine). And yet, the nagging question that remains at the end is, surprising to me as hopeful, will there be a sequel called The Eerie Canal?

Review: The Ladies of the House

Text © Richard Gary / Indie Horror Films, 2017

Images from the Internet

The Ladies of the House       

Directed by John Stewart Wildman

Wildworks Productions / Soaring Flight Productions / Femmewerks Productions /

Gravitas Ventures / MVD Visual

93 minutes, 2014 / 2016

www.wildworksproductions.com

www.MVDVisual.com

I have wanted to see this film for a while now, so I’m glad for the opportunity. I have only been to a strip club once for a bachelor party, and it seemed like the only one who was more bored than me were the strippers. But this film is another kettle of fish, more because of what they do at home than on a stage.

In this story, three bros go to a club to celebrate a birthday. Two brothers, the birthday boy Kai (RJ Hanson) and Jacob (Gabriel Horn), who don’t really want to be there, and their macho moron pal Derek (Samrat Chakrabarti), the latter of whom refers to the trio as “Cowboys and Indian.” Yeah, the deep, sensitive type.

Michelle Sinclair

During the performance of one of the strippers, Ginger (Michelle Sinclair, aka real-life adult star Belladonna), Derek slaps her butt, and then pressures the brothers to follow her home, where she shares a house with three other dancers. His intention is to pay her for sex as a present to Kai. The banter between Derek and Ginger on the front steps is nothing short of cringe worthy, especially if you have any social or moral conscious. Yeah, this is a genre film, but it made me feel uncomfortable and squeamish, so the writers (husband-and-wife team Justina Walford and the director Wildman) successfully hit the mark with that one. It’s obviously meant to do just that, so when they get into the depths of the story, it’s not like the guys are innocent flies in a web (even the mentally challenged Kai has a bit of “Lennie Small” from Of Mice and Men in him). Ten minutes in, and I’m looking forward to the comeuppance, especially Derek’s.

Of course, things go awry, and when the other women come home, that’s when the second act begins and the picture kicks up into a much higher gear. These are certainly not women you want to trifle with, that is for certain, as the guys learn, one by one, becoming prisoners.

Brina Palencia

As time goes on this tragic start leads to a revenge-fuelled carnage. But I’m getting ahead of myself. It comes down to the three bros against three of the women, being the strange and childlike Crystal (the very cute Brina Palencia, who has sort of a Jill Banner vibe from 1967’s Spider Baby), the determined Getty (Melodie Sisk, rocking the look of the muscle-making woman in the “We Can Do It” poster), and the “matriarch” leader, Lin (Farah White). While mad, they are more cunning than reactionary. They have obviously dealt with men in such a fashion before, as they have a calm routine way of… dismantling.

With the film having a catch phrase like “They’re dying to have for your dinner,” well, it’s no surprise what the end result is supposed to be (won’t say one way or another what is the actual ending, so don’t worry). The cannibal women subgenre is not a new one, such as The Cannibal Girls (1973), the goofy-yet-fun The Cannibal Women in the Avocado Jungle of Death (1989), and the even more recent Model Hunger (2016) and The Neon Demon (2016). There is also the stripper horror subgenre, with the likes of Zombie Strippers (2008) and Stripperland (2011), but this is something else. Despite there being a history – albeit small – in this subgenre, this is a pretty original storyline. That being said, there is a very nice gender-reversal nod to an iconic bit from the original The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974).

Melodie Sisk

One of the things I like about the film is that while it’s technically not a horror film, relying more on terror and suspense, it certainly does not shy away from a bit of violence and gristle here and there (well done by Oddtopsy SFX, led by indie effects maven Marcus Koch); when it does, because it is not the main focus, it comes out as a bit more shocking and welcomed, without wearing out its welcome.

                                       

The four female leads are spot on, with just the right amount of sexiness (minimal nudity) and cold-hearted determination. They are to be feared, but without losing their humanity; that is, even considering their dietary regimen before these tools enter their lives and abode. And then there’s Piglet (Frank Mosley).

Yet through the carnage and chopping and caging and slicing and hacking, somehow, on more than one level, this remains… a love story?! This shows some solid directing by an ex-actor of genre films himself (Wildman starred in the amazingly titled and even more gloriously goofy cult classic Sorority Babes in the Slimeball Bowl-O-Rama, in 1988). The lighting, the angles, and the gore, all look and feel glorious.

Farah White

The original ending to the film is included in the extras as an alternative deleted scene, but I have to say, the non-linearity (or, as the director might have said, lineerity) of the final product is much more subtle and effective, and fits in well with certain aspects of the film throughout.

There are some quite enjoyable extras, such as a few deleted scenes, which were right to be deleted as they would have changed the tone of the film (the finger one, especially), yet they were not like many of the deletes I have seen that were just a waste of time; rather it was an interesting choice and it helped me appreciate some aspects of the film because they were excised.

The other is a series of seven interview segments with members of the cast and crew – both singular and in groups – that lasts between three and 13 minutes a pop. Most of it was interesting. While it didn’t change anything in knowing more about the story, that’s okay, because it’s also nice to see the cast as themselves. I would have liked a bit more anecdotes about the filming, but again, they were enjoyable and had no trouble sitting through all of them.

This is hardly what one would necessarily call a date movie, depending of course on whom you are relating, but for the genre fan, it was an entertaining film (even with the uncomfortable ants-in-the-pants early scene described above). Considering it was the first feature directorial by Wildman, that is even more amazing. If you decide to do another film, my suggestion is keep the same lighting, cinematography and editing people, as they helped relate your vision so spot on. They did an amazing job.

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