Review: Devil’s Revenge

Text © Richard Gary / Indie Horror Films, 2019

Images from the Internet

Devil’s Revenge: Special Edition Blu-ray and Soundtrack CD

Directed by Jared Cohn

Cleopatra Entertainment / MVD Entertainment

88 minutes, 2019

www.cleopatra-entertainment.com

www.mvdb2b.com

There are certain activities that I will never put on a bucket list, including skydiving, downhill skiing, and spelunking. If you don’t know what the last thing is, it’s crawling into caves, like they did in The Descent (2005); note that this opinion predates that film.

Jason Brooks

We meet John (Jason Brooks) as he and a couple of buddies go digging around looking for an ancient Aztec relic. In Kentucky, I’m just sayin’. He is happy to risk his and the others’ lives looking for this thing thanks to brow beating from his dad (Will Shatner, in a brief, scene chewing cameo), despite the negative affect it has on his wife (Jeri Ryan, still lookin’ good!). The story behind the relic search is a bit convoluted, having something to do with an ancient curse on John’s family back from the days when his family were Spanish conquistadors (Shatner? Latino?).

It seems John’s little expedition may have deadly effects on some of his crew, but even worse than that it has “woken” something evil, that essentially looks like some people dressed like Aztecs and wearing demon masks. Aztec artifacts and the dangers therein were also handled in American Mummy (2014).

Soon John is either being visited by evil Aztec spirits or he is hallucinating a la The Oxbow Incident, but some more people end up eviscerated and John wisely (sarcasm) takes his family back to the cave, to get the relic and destroy the curse on his family that seems to have never manifested before he went spelunking in the first place. Thanks, dad!

Jeri Ryan

Along with his suddenly supportive wife after years of demanding he give up the search, John takes her along with his teenage kids, Dana (Ciara Harris, aka the Yellow costume in the recent Power Rangers Super Megaforce in 2015) and Eric (Robert Scott Wilson, who spend a few years on “Days of Our Lives”), both playing well-younger than their years.

 I would like to point out that I am a fan of the director, and in fact had a mini-Jared Cohn Halloween Eve with some friends, with Halloween Pussy Trap Kill Kill (2017) and Devil’s Domain (2016), both reviewed on this blog at some point.

The special effects vary widely in their effectiveness. The creatures look cool, especially the head honcho when he is howling in profile (is he the devil to whom the title refers?). However, the explosions and blood look digital and not very well done; when things get blowed up real good, it looks like Battlestar Galactica- era FX. I didn’t mind that too much, but it was a bit distracting from the story.

William Shatner

There are definitely some issues I have with the film, one being that it seriously needs some deeper editing. There are just too many shots of people walking through the woods, usually between the car (or camper) and the cave, especially when the family is winding their way back to the cavern. We get it, it’s far. Also. there are certain scenes that are repeated numerous times, especially flashbacks to the Aztec days.

But to me, the weakest point is the writing by Maurice Hurley (d. 2015), who was head writer for the first season of “Star Trek: The Next Generation,” and creator of the Borg storyline. For example, there is Shatner showing up near the cave in a golf cart, of all things. Another is the questionable use of a large number of explosive devices inside the cave, without any damage to the cave itself; surely there would be a cave-in from the percussion of such volatile materials (not to mention the echo effect). Besides, would these devices have any effect on Aztec demons who have returned from the grave for so-called revenge? And what’s with the use of the word “Devil” in the title when none of these creatures are actually Satan (Tezcatlipoca, the Aztec god of evil, is not mentioned)?

Aztec demon

The last thing I would like to quibble about is Shatner’s character. It seems like the script can’t make up if he’s a good or bad person. He certainly browbeats his son to the point of taking enormous risks, and yet at other times he’s made to look like a loving father. Personally, I wanted to seriously smack the dad, or at least send him to the Forbidden Zone of the initial Superman films (yes, I know, wrong franchise). For what it’s worth, Shatner also co-produced and co-wrote the film, though the latter I’m assuming is acknowledging his going off-script and winging it.

The digital extras from the Blu-ray include the trailer, a bunch of other Cleopatra Entertainment trailers, and a 4:20 slideshow of mostly behind-the-scene stills that is among the better slideshows I’ve seen; there are some great shots of the Aztec creatures/demons that give more detail on what they look like. Also included is a second disc of the soundtrack, which sounds decent. Last, the slipcover has four-paneled artwork.

For those into trivia, there is lots of Star Trek people floating around here: of course there’s Shatner; next up is Ryan, infamous as ex-Borg-ite Seven of Nine in “Star Trek: Voyager”; and Brooks has a bit part in 2009’s Star Trek reboot. Last is the writer, mentioned above. Here, you might say the crew has gone to inner space, rather than outer space

Review: Devil’s Domain

Text © Richard Gary / Indie Horror Films, 2017

Images from the Internet

Devil’s Domain

Written and directed by Jared Cohn

Cleopatra Productions / MVD Visual

93 minutes, 2016 / 2017

www.cleorecs.com

www.mvdvisual.com

Beyond the bulimia, it feels eerily like the opening shots of the film were geared towards me. On a walls and doors are a number of LPs covers, including the UK Subs, the Vibrators, Iggy Pop, Nico, and pictures of the New York Dolls, Sid Viscous and Johnny Ramone. Also present are some colored vinyl LPs tacked here and there. Despite the vinyl and related material, I would say this takes place in the “present,” which enlivens Marshall McLuhan’s statement that when a technology becomes obsolete, it comes back as art.

Madi Vodane

Our main protagonist, Lisa (Madi Vodane), is a burgeoning but closeted and in denial sister of Lesbos, who mistakenly misread some signals from her bestie, Rhonda (Brenna Tucker) which has led to her becoming a pariah among her ex-peers in high school. And for that rare moment, most of the actors could pass for the older edge of that age group.

She takes her anger and frustration out through binge eating and forced puking, and, well, taking matters into her own hands. Unfortunately, thanks to an ex-friend and scuzbucket Andrew (Zack Koslow), she’s now being harassed online and cyberbullied. Now what’s the best way to deal with this kind of emotional pain? Well if you’re a genre fan, make a deal with the lovely woman (Linda Bella) who is, (super)naturally, the devil. As a side note, why does Satan often introduce itself in films lately as “I am known by many names”? Perhaps this could be called Lisa and the Devil II, and if so, where’s Elke Sommers? Okay, I both digress and kid…

While her well-meaning step-dad (Michael Masden) tries to be there for her (good luck when you’re a big, tattooed dude dealing with a teen step-girl), Lisa’s mom (the excellent Kelly Erin Decker) is less forgiving and wants to dump her in a rehab somewhere, though it’s hard to tell if it’s for the bulimia or for lesbianism – or both.

Linda Bella

The very tall and very lanky Destiny, aka the Debbil, is much more accommodating, since it’s what Beelzebub (not to be confused with the director Bill Zebub) does until either the contract is in effect, or does not get what it wants. Or in this case, of course, it is both.

This film is interesting from a media theorist’s perspective, especially if you’ve ever read any of social critic (don’t call him a social scientist!), Neil Postman. Almost omnipresent in the film is both media technology and what is now being called new media. The world here revolves around cell phones, websites, mini-cameras, digital flatscreen televisions, and there’s a shout-out to Snapchat. Postman infamously said that technology is a bargain with the devil, because while you get good things out of it, there is inevitably a dark side of things that you lose, most of them unpredictable until later. Cyberbullying is a good example of that.

On many levels, the story is quite bread-and-butter, nuts-and-bolts, and any other cliché expression you may want to add. What I mean is that it’s simple and to the point, which is part of what makes it so enjoyable. This is the third Cohn film I’ve seen, and while they varied in my feelings about them, this is by far my fave. Now he makes a lot of films, and three is half of how many he usually makes a year, but I’ll go with what I know, and enjoying it is, well, what I know.

Michael Masden

The cast hits the notes necessary for the story, with New Zealand newcomer Vodane definitely hitting all her marks, as does just about the rest of the cast. Sure Masden looks a bit like he’s stunned here and there, but something that’s been generally true for a while; I really like the guy, but I wonder what happened to him that made his career end up in micro-budget indies. Desanka Julia Ilic also is in fine form as Kate, leader of the mean girls.

There isn’t much in the way of nudity or sex, though much is implied and shown off-camera with one exception, but I’m totally fine with that. Though it does make me wonder about how I didn’t get to go to a school where everyone, female and male, are attractive. I mean, they call Lisa “fat ass,” but in my Brooklyn school, she would definitely have been one of the elite.

The Devil costume looks interesting, and the gore throughout is well handled and has a nice texture to it. What I mean by that is it is not necessarily too realistic: bones and sinew are fine for more intense films like torture stuff or heavy dramas, but when it comes to a fun flick like this one, despite quite effective moments of tension, having a red gooey mess is perfectly good (and more marketable… I’m just sayin’).

The first extra is the commentary track handled singularly by the director, Cohn. To be totally honest, it’s a mess, don’t bother. He sounds like he’s totally drunk, slurring his words and more often than not, just saying what’s on the screen (to paraphrase: “She’s opening the door now [pause] going inside.”). He mentions “white sky,” whatever that is, more than once; I assume he means it’s sunny and cloudless. There are a couple of interesting bits of stories here and there, but I got annoyed enough to turn it off at the 29 minute mark.

“The Devil Made Me Do It” is a 6:15-minute Behind the Scenes featurette. It’s decent, and kept the interest level up. It’s mostly interviews and overviews of the filming. There’s nothing explosive, but it’s certainly not dull. Next up is an 8-minute Red Carpet Premiere bit with interviews containing most of the cast and the director (in his normal voice) that that is more interesting, as well as a 42-picture slide show that includes a mix of film stills and behind the scenes shots. Last is the trailer, which I find interesting that it focuses in on cyberbullying more than the demon at hand, and I think that works for the piece.

What I learned from the extras is that the seed of the story came from Cleopatra Records, who owns all the music in the picture (including Iggy and the Stooges) and asked Cohn to write a film about cyberbullying. While that was achieved, he took it to another level by adding in the reliance on technology and the fascination with fame that so many teens have nowadays thanks to the rise of instant-viral videos. There is also a nod to peer pressure, as Lisa’s ex-friends Andrew and Rhonda prove they will do just about anything to fit in with the cool crowd. I remember thinking at the time that Andrew would be called nerdish in my school, but he is obviously being manipulated without realizing it, and his moment of rue shows that he is becoming conscious of it.

So, to sum up, with lots to chew on in a peripheral and sociological way, the basic story is one you can watch that is pretty straightforward, but the subtle cultural messages are actually enjoyable rather than getting in the way. Nice job.

Review: Halloween Pussy Trap Kill! Kill!

Text © Richard Gary / Indie Horror Films, 2017

Images from the Internet

Halloween Pussy Trap Kill! Kill! (aka Halloween Hell House)

Directed and edited by Jared Cohn

Cleopatra Entertainment / MVD Visual

82 minutes, 2017

www.cleopatrarecords.com

www.mvdvisual.com

To be honest with all  y’alls, this review is going to be a bit schizophrenic, or at least seeing both sides of the coin, as it were. Take it as you wish, just know it is honest.

 The obligatory story prologue takes place on a Pakistan battlefield in which some US soldiers come under direct attack by the bad guys, including one who has great indignities done to his body and mind.

From there we are taken to a more present Halloween where all-girl “punk” band Kill, Pussy, Kill are playing a show at a club and are preparing to take a van to play their biggest one yet at a festival. Their cliché and bright colored costumes remind me more of the Josie and the Pussycats film with more skin and tighter tops than, say, anything Riot Grrrl. With internal stress brewing within the group and the male manager (white dreads? really? why not a man-bun?) who is trying to keep them all together, they end up in a situation that is thematically more reminiscent of the Saw franchise, Cube (1997), or In the House of Flies (2012).

They are under the control of some guy doing a Jigsaw in another room, playing “games” with the group white sitting in front of video monitors, where they have to make life and death choices or suffer harsh consequences, such as being sprayed with an acidic liquid (don’t worry, I won’t give too much away).

Sometimes it feels like the women aren’t characters, but rather they are just there for the body count. There is very little we know about them, or even learn to care about. This is a flaw of many of these types of films. In the three previously similar storylines I mentioned above, they all gave us people rather than characters who the viewer may not even know what they are named.

When the architect of the whole experiment explains why he’s conducting it, one of the Pussy members says it best for me: “What the fuck is that supposed to mean?” The Saw series was essentially a morality tale about our culture (or at least they started that way), but this one lacks that, though it seems to try to give the “don’t waste your life” message while wasting lives: when I was in elementary school, we had to recite the Pledge of Allegiance at the weekly assembly. If we stumbled with it or seemed unenthusiastic, the Assistant Principal would get angry and scream at us from the stage, “There are boys dying overseas for you, so you better say it again with meaning!” That’s a similarly nonsensical comment as to why these women are put through these rigors.

Among other things, part of the problem to me is that some of it is not very well researched. For example, at some point the nerve gas sarin is used, as we see it fill a room. Even the most basic of research will show that it is odorless and colorless (it’s a florescent hue here). Also, after being sprayed, the effected in this basement torture chamber live, even though the smallest amounts of the gas are extremely toxic (thank you, Wikipedia).

The voice of the villain, who is swathed in bandages, is Dave Mustaine of Megadeth. This is a similar theme to In the House of Flies, where the bad guy is voiced by Henry Rollins of Black Flag (etc.). At least Henry’s is instantly recognizable. Mustaine? Not so much (at least not to me).

Now, before y’all get on my case about the negativity, I do want to say that a bit after the halfway mark, when “new players join the game” (as the swathed one posits), the film starts to get better. However, I find it interesting that the strongest character is a man, as one is also the weakest (his companion). The women vary in strength but tend to get a bit screechy, rather than steely.

Richard Grieco

Part of what improves the story is beyond the basement. We learn that Mr. Bandageface is not alone in this escapade, but has an equally insane nephew, spouse, and possibly…a child? Anyway, the wife is played with extreme gusto by Kelly Erin Decker, who I think makes her scenes standouts. She’s hysterical in a killer statuesque, cute and nerdy-looking way; I want to see a film of just her character. Richard Grieco (who is also a producer) shows some aplomb as the drawling garage owner that brings the group into the situation in the first place. I’m not totally sure, but they seem like the family out of House of 1,000 Corpses (2003), more than The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974) or The Hills Have Eyes (1977).

The basement setting is an old one, again reminiscent of Saw, which seems to be the go-to theme, as the victims go from room to room, with commands that are disastrous to others, and even to the psyche of those who continue on.

There is a smear of gratuitous nudity (not a complaint), but what stands out even more is the gore. It looks flippin’ great. Ron Karkoska does a bang-up job on the makeup effects, all of it practical as far as I could tell. There’s lots of it, as well, so that was quite satisfying.

Also a stand-out is the acting by the whole cast. Although Decker won my heart in her naturalness, that does not take away from any of the cast. No wooden line readings, just full gusto. The big cameo, though, is held by Oscar winner Margaret O’Brien (that young girl who sat by Judy Garland as she sang “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” in Meet Me in St. Louis in 1944), who appears as a drug-induced hallucination. Nice touch having her as an evil grandma!

As for the extras, well, there is a ton, many of them different variations of a “Making Of.” To start, there’s “Basement of Blood” (4:51), “Behind the Scenes” (8:27) that is called “Plot Description” on the menu, and a “Video Diary” (10:03) which focuses on Richard Grieco, how the Kill Pussy Kill band originated, and the final day of shooting (the prologue). A cool featurette is a mock “ZH1 Beyond the Music” (7:32) documentary about the band after the whole situation (with one of the Pussy’s putting on an out-of-context British accent) that is about twice as long as it needs to be. There’s also a nice focus on “Jared Cohn: Director of Horror and Action (6:24)”. In addition are two music videos, one by Jyrk!: “Last Halloween” (4:03) in which the singer seems to be channeling the emo version of Dave Vanian, and Kill Pussy Kill’s “Superstar” (3:22). Last up is a Slideshow (2:10) and the film’s trailer (1:41).

This is conjecture on my part, but I am surmising that the problem is that the director, Jared Cohn, is possibly a bit too prolific? I kinda wish he would focus more on the project on hand and not worry so much about everything else. If he did even two or three films a year instead of five or six, the quality control may be a bit more followed through. I truly respect his work ethic, and some of his films, but I do wish he would slow that mustang down, Sally. I mean that as a positive statement, because his films look good (Director of Photography Pascal Combes-Knoke deserves a huge nod for that, too), from lighting and editing, but it’s the story quality that feels rushed.

I like the hats off to Russ Meyer in this film’s title, but I also appreciate the original name which is often referred to in the extras, Halloween Hell House. But fear not, it can still be used, as they have set it up so it can be a franchise if it catches on. And honestly, compared to what’s out there these days, it could and possibly should. But please, one film at a time! Who loves ya, baby?!

Review: The Horde

Text © Richard Gary / Indie Horror Films, 2017

Images from the Internet

The Horde                             

Directed by Jared Cohn

313 Films / Razors Edge Productions / Traplight Pictures

Gravitas Ventures / MVD Visual

87 minutes, 2012 / 2016

www.MVDVisual.com

When I first heard the name of the film, I thought, “I wonder if it’s a zombie horde or a vampire horde? Perhaps a demon horde?” From the cover it is pretty obvious that at the very least this is a horror action film. You may ask yourself, “Isn’t most horror usually filled with action (if it’s good)?” You may ask yourself, “This is not my beautiful…” oh, sorry, I guess my mind wandered back to the 1980s…

Josh Logan has many shirtless moments

For the action part, we meet handsome ex-Navy SEAL John Crenshaw (real-life bio-chemist and stuntman/martial artist Josh Logan, who also wrote the film) and his beautiful girlfriend, Selina (Tiffany Brouwer). She’s a teacher taking five of her (high school?) beautiful students on a camping trip to take photographs of nature for school credit, including two couples and an angry and spoiled rich gay brat, Riley (Thomas Ochoa, who has specialized in LGBTQ-etc. roles).

Unfortunately, the woods are full of, oh yes, the Horde. It is a large, inbred family, which they call mutants, as they are just genetics mixed with radiation poisoning, in a similar vein to that kind of group in films like The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974) and especially The Hills Have Eyes (1977… I don’t feel a need to acknowledge the remake). They refer to the females they capture as “breeders” and the males as “meat.” Well, that explains a lot towards motivation, doesn’t it? Love it when stimulus is clean and simple. Then add the ingredient of escaped criminals and mad scientists who are out to make some meth to bring in some cash to the congenital mix, and you have a nice formula for said mutations to run amok.

The enforcer of the horde in question is a huge more-brawn-than-brain escaped con with anger issues named Stone (ex-Football player Michael Willig). It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to realize at some point Crenshaw and the much taller Stone are going to go mano-a-mano. But that doesn’t mean Crenshaw isn’t going to have a few licks in beforehand, actually even before his class group even get to the campground (but no details about that, so no worries).

Tiffany Brouwer's Streets of Fire moment

However, the leader of the horde is fellow escapee Cylus (Australian actor Costas Mandylor, known for playing Lt. Hoffman in the Saw series), and Earl, the literal butcher, who makes fresh tongue sandwiches (on white bread) is none other than fellow Aussie Vernon Wells (arguably best known as Wes, the mohawk’d villain in the only Mel Gibson film I can still watch without wanting to puke, 1981’s Road Warrior/Mad Max 2); he has a great nearly-whispered monolog just past the halfway point. You can see that there are some heavy duty heavies in this film. Plus, Bill Moseley (Otis in House of 1000 Corpses and The Devil’s Rejects) and Don “The Dragon” Wilson have a bit of cameos, as well.

There are no huge surprises along the way, as Logan stealthily makes his way through the horde camp, killing without a second thought from his training background; “I’ve done a lot of things for my country I’m proud of, and some I’m not proud of,” he tells Riley at some point early on, an exposition to show he’s a trained military assassin (though I wonder what he does for a living since retiring from service). Actually, it’s easy to cheer for each kill, and it’s nice to root for the good hunter rather than the bad ones (e.g., Freddy, Jason and Michael). While abound in clichés and genre tropes, such as rising out of the water similarly to Rambo, this is still a fun watch. Truthfully, I’m not that much into pure action films with a hero rescuing his lady (in a tied-up situation reminiscent of 1984’s excellent Streets of Fire) by killing and beating everyone up, but this falls big on the plus side because the body count is high, the film looks good, and the action is definitely enjoyable. Logan makes for a formidable and likeable hero (who, of course, is shirtless as much as possible – including the scene that introduces his character – to show off his pack).

One of the mutants

The gore here is impressive, extensive and beautifully handled by a top-notch SFX team. Limbs are often separated, heads are smashed or snapped, and yes, an arm is broken a la Steven Seagal style. Also, the cinematography by Laura Beth Love is worth noting; there is lots of fog lighting giving us Logan in crouching silhouette, ready for the next move.

There are some double crosses along the way that you’re bound to see coming from a mile away, but again, so what. All things considered, part of what makes this film, along with the action of punching, chopping and hacking, is the direction. Jared Cohn is known for some heavy duty B-films, such as Hold Your Breath (2012), 12/12/12 (2012) and a bunch of the Sharknado sequels, so he knows how to frame the film into a positive mode for a genre fan. The lighting may be cliché at times (e.g., the smoky back lighting), but it’s never too dark to see what’s happening (for which I’m always grateful), the sound is solid, and the acting in commendable if sometimes a tad overdone (Riley’s pissy moments, for example).

The extras are kind of short, but shweeet. First up is a 2:28 b-roll (over music) of some of the CK VFX work done in the digital world, most of which look pretty good. That being said, there are a couple of fire tricks that are a bit weak as they look more like fire overlays than whatever it is aflame. Some of the splatter is obviously digi, but that is true for most films these days. Overall, the rest is pretty good. I enjoyed seeing how the effects were built.

Along with the trailer and chapter breaks, next up is the 16:36 “Making Of” (listed as “The EPK” – E-Press Kit – on the Extras page). Including on-set interviews with much of the cast and crew, this was one of the fun behind-the-scenes featurettes I’ve seen in a while. There’s no areas where it lags, but rather it keeps the viewers’ (well, this one, anyway) interest straight through. Somewhere in there Willig says, “It’s a fun ride.” And he’s right.