Review: Wolf Hollow

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

Wolf Hollow
Directed by Mark Cantu
Mezek Films, Big Bell Productions; Hinds Productions; Cineworx
80 minutes; 2023
#wolfhollow #FollowTheHollow #mezekfilms
#pittsburghfilm #cineworx2023

Of his thirteen films to-date, be it features or shorts, so far, I have seen/reviewed three of them (this will be the fourth), each of a different genre. There was action thriller Elite (2017), post-apocalyptic anger infection Night Zero (2017), and slasher Massacre Academy (2021). This time at bat, it is the lycanthropy field.

While saying it fits into the werewolf canon is true, there are so many horror genres mixed together here in a Horror ghoul-ash. Y’gotcha cabin in the woods, backwoods hunters and murderers, and even the meta-filmmaking (a group shooting a film within the film). The latter with werewolves has been done before as well, such as Wolf Manor (2021). But every film is different, and I am looking forward to this, as a werewolf fan.

Lynn Lowry

Filmed outside Pittsburgh, PA, some of the scenery is quite awe inspiring, showing off the forests and mountains of, I am assuming, Oak Hollow Park. You get to see less of it as time goes on due to it being night, but meanwhile, enjoy.

With a prologue that reflects on themes from both The Howling (1981) and Blade (1998), we are off to a bloody start that had me smiling. A year later, there are two storylines that are bound to converge. First, there is the film crew heading to said Wolf Hollow to make their movie, starring washed up diva Marla Taylor (The Lynn Lowry, of 1971’s I Drink Your Blood, GA Romero’s The Crazies in 1973, Cronenberg’s 1975 Shivers, and more recently, Debbie Rochon’s 2016 Model Hunger, among so many other classics). The second is that a larger township is commandeering a local area – yep, said Wolf Hollow – and plans to kick out the Neuri (the name means the nervous system) family, run by matriarch Evie (The Felissa Rose, most famous as Angela in 1983’s Sleepaway Camp, but has become a major actor/producer in the indie film field). The town leaders are quite obnoxious and condescending about the land grab (i.e., their “tough nuggies” attitude).

Brian Ceponis, Feissa Rose (foreground)

There is tension all around: for the Neuri family: a member of the clan who has run away to New York, Ray (Noah J. Welter) has returned with the young and green film crew (e.g., one just graduated from NYU Film School), bringing additional tension between him and his brother, Bart (Brian Ceponis), who is struggling financially, along with his wife Evie. As for the potential filmmakers, well, it is one argument after another, as they try to placate their spoiled faded star, Marla. I love that many of the strongest characters are women, though it seems to me that even though there tends to be more women victims in horror flicks, they also tend to be the fiercest (check out Carol J. Clover’s amazing book, Men, Women andChain Saws: Gender in the Modern Horror Film). 

With all the arguing going on with both sides and each other, it makes it hard to find a connection with some the characters, who tend to be a bit flat at times, though mostly undefined personalities. But with mishaps and anger comes the night, and the filmmakers are trapped in their trailer while the beasties beat on the door, metaphorically and eventually literally. But that should come as no surprise.

Christina Krakowski

It should be quite apparent to anyone who has a history of watching creature features to figure out who are the werewolves. It starts with a slow burn first half (after the prologue), but then it just spins the dial up. A major saving quality to the film is that once the action really starts, about a third of the way in, it does not let up. It is wolf-brutal with, to paraphrase Arlo, “blood ‘n gore ‘n veins in the teeth.” While there are few surprises throughout the film, and parts are predictable, that does not take away from the fun factor: there are a lot of wolves, though you see one at a time. My guess is that there was only one suit that was used over and over. This would make total sense given most indie’s budget constraints.

That being said the wolfies, designed by Midnight Studios FX, looks great, seeming to be modeled on those in The Howling (no complaints there), with the exception of the head of the lycanthropes, who’s initial change looks more like the human/cat face in Sleepwalkers (1992). The overall gore effects are also quite well done, if sometimes a bit dark (remember, it is night when the action comes).

Noah J. Welter

Most of the main characters are likeable, though some of the cast is almost interchangeable given such little exposition background (more time for action, I guess). Some of the personality standouts include the meta film’s director, Alex Romero (Christina Krakowski) – filmed near Pittsburgh, of course she is named Romero, duh – and her beau, Ray (Noah J. Welter), brother of the head of the Nuri clan. Another role of note is scene stealing Lucky Steve (Brandon Krum), who is the comedy relief of the film crew, and definitely has the best lines. There are a lot of local police who tend to blend into each other, even those at the higher level, but a standout is Officer Mills (Valena Zitello).

The question that nagged me for a while is why Ray brought the crew to Wolf Hollow, whether it was to see family, to get comeuppance to the clan, or was he a Judas Goat. It becomes clear by the end, and I ain’t spillin’ the beans.

It is pretty apparent that the director, Mark Cantu, is a big Wes Craven fan. There are many references to Craven’s cult films, such as the RV trailer-under-attack-by-bloodthirsty-locals as in The Hills Have Eyes (1977), and one of the wounded characters comments, “I’m feeling a little woozy here,” arguably the most requoted line from Scream (1996). I believe Craven would have been proud to have his work referenced here.

IMDB listing HERE

Review: Massacre Academy

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

Massacre Academy
Directed by Mark Cantu
Cineworx
83 minutes, 2021
www.facebook.com/massacreacademy/
www.facebook.com/cineworxproductions/

No matter where you go in the world, odds are that schools are the ultimate caste system; they are brutal, so what better place to focus on cruelty? There are so many films that emphasize on this period, from The Blackboard Jungle (1955) to The Faculty (1998), Murder University (2012), and the recent Blood Pi (2020). For the university in this story, we go to Orrstown, PA (halfway between Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, where it was also filmed) in 1985 for the prologue, and the main story in 1987.

Jess Ulher

Why 1987? The answer is, in my opinion, two-fold. First, it is a nod to the 1980s era of slashers, which many consider the “golden age” thanks to the inevitable wall of VHS Horror in local video stores. Second, no cell phones, which uncomplicates things.

Make no doubt that there are some splashes of dark comedy thrown here and there and can be missed if you turn away, and a signal of this early on is the reference to a sorority, I Ata Pi. Despite that, during the prologue we meet clown-masked serial killer Henry Lee Palmer (Dave Sheridan), who has just murdered a large number of people (unseen) at said sorority house. There were two survivors, Kris (Jess Ulher), and doofus Kyle (Shawn C. Phillips). Again, this is all before the credits end.

I find it interesting how Cantu shows how even though the massacre was horrific, it naturally and quickly gets folded into various forms of local culture, such as in a car commercial. This is meant to be funny, but it actually is quite a social commentary about news cycles.

With a nice build-up to the present story, Kris is having her own PTSD issues with being a survivor, especially with some of the really obnoxious people around her, like mean girl Lori (Valena Zitello) and jock-strap brawn brain Tanner (Lawrence Karl). At least her sister Maggie (Sierra Mitchell) and friend Becca (Christina Krakowski) have her back, kinda, though are a bit self-centered. But between them and the rest of the sorority and fraternity fodder, Pledge Night is going to be a… well, you know.

After a killer end to the first act that is bloody, brutal and a touch humorous, the police are called in, led by the drunken Lt. Hallenbeck (Rick Dutrow), who worked the previous Palmer case two years earlier. You know after the second act, this will lead to a showdown between Kris, Maggie and Becca and the possible copy-cat killer (hey, just look at the poster, will ya?!).

Valena Zitello, Lawrence Karl

The second act is mostly a cat-and-mouse game, ending with a reveal, but it is far from over as the third act picks up the pace of the inevitable chase through a dark building (blue camera lens indicates the time of day).

There are quite a few subtle moments and nods, such as when the machete-carrying killer steps on a Jason-style hockey mask. But despite the elbow in the side and some giggles, this also has some really effective jump scares and some adrenaline inducing scenes. Warning, though: a horrifying toothbrushing scene. Sorry, it’s a pet peeve. Moving on…

There is a bloody mix of “indicated” murder (i.e., off-screen) and visceral gore (on-screen). Not much of the realistic kind, but movie magic in SFX analog form for the fun of everyone. As the film increases, the body count kind of goes down a bit, but the gore level goes up, making up for it.

Sierra Mitchell, Ulher

One of the big positives about this film for me is that it is filled with strong women characters, while it is mostly the men who are bumbling fools (e.g., the Kyle character). There was no need for the lead to have a rescuing boyfriend or even a love interest. That was cool. And none of this running around and tripping over their own feet to let the killer catch up. The masked one gets a fair licking along the way, as do most of the characters, which actually makes it all the more exciting. It’s one of the few slasher films I have seen of late where you might actually root for the victims as much as the murderer. That is impressive.

The acting is pretty good for a lo-bud, I’m happy to say. No one is going to win the Oscar, but they all emote well, though the Lori and Tanner characters are a bit stereotypical (this is not a comment on their acting chops); one of the things I liked about the film is that it was brave enough to use accurate looking people (e.g., not a room full of models, male and female), with normal body types; even the adored prom queen is a clumsy roller derby aficionado who is just a bit on the chunky, realistic side.

Christina Krakowski

Delightful cameos include iconic Ferrisa Rose, comedian Jackie Martling who rose to fame on the early days of the “Howard Stern” radio program, and the omnipresent kameo king, Phillips doing his hyper-talk, this time mostly about mammaries. I’d also like to say a nod to a short-lived, but memorable character who I thought was great, Riot Ronnie (Ray Cygryus).

Stick around for the credits, because they are by far the funniest thing in the film, especially Rose’s turn as a newscaster who cannot believe what she is reading. She even lets her New York Italian accent slip in beautifully. It is a perfect sum-up for a really strong slasher indie entry.

Review: Night Zero

Text © Richard Gary / Indie Horror Films, 2017

Images from the Internet

Night Zero

Written and directed by Mark Cantu

Lost Empire; Cineworx; Tredd Productions;//; Dreaming Droids Productions; MVD Visual

81 minutes, 2017

https://www.facebook.com/NIGHT-ZERO-322401744861444/
www.mvdvisual.com

First of all, right off the cudgel let me posit that Night Zero is a great title. For those who don’t know, when the word “zero” follows a noun, it usually means “where the destruction began,” such as the first known to die of AIDS being called “Patient Zero.”

As the prologue shows, there is some kind of explosion that releases a chemical gas – it’s ambiguous by whom – with a toxin that increases the person’s rage, and also takes away all inhibitions. Thereby, the infected becomes extremely angry and violent without the compulsion of socially constructed guilt. One might think from the trailer that this is yet another zombie movie, but rather it’s more insanity with the blood lust, without the need to consume said blood or body parts. Just Me Smash!

Dawnelle Jewell, Monisha B. Schwartz, Katie Maloney

For the meat of the film, we are introduced to three couples who come together to celebrate the moving away of Sophie (Dawnelle Jewell) and Eric (Vincent Bombara) from a small-ish town in Pennsylvania (more on that in a sec) to Boston. Joining them are interracial couple Monica (the fabulously monikered Monisha B. Schwartz) and Danny (Umar Faraz), and the two main protagonists who are on the verge of separation, Nina (Katie Maloney) and CJ (Eric Swader).

For the first 20 minutes or so, we get to hang out with these three pairs, as they talk, argue, talk, argue, celebrate, and then talk some more. For an action film, there is a lot of conversation at the onset, but I have come to believe that when cinema historians look back on the horror genre of this period, they will come to the conclusion that the first 20 minutes of most films is basically lead-up time and exposition.

This all takes place in a burg about 20 miles away from Pittsburgh (actually filmed an hour south of Steel City). Of course, Pittsburgh is a touchstone town for this kind of story as most of the …of the (Living) Deads took place in that area, thanks to the godfather of the modern zombie and violently looney genres, George A. Romero.

There are many film references and hallmarks that are reminiscent of others that came before. Let’s start with the local, mainly being the trapped in the house as the infected try to get in of Night of the Living Dead (1968), and the diseased violence of the Crazies (1973). But here, those effected by the gas can run (though we don’t see much of that), such as in 28 Days Later… (2002). Like 28 Days, neither that nor this is a zombie film per se, but rather both pertain to a disease or infection, and this is certainly closer to 28 Days than to NotLD. There is also the cabin-in-the-woods claustrophobic feel and fear of Cabin Fever (2002), and the last is the slow, inevitability of On the Beach (1959).

Eric Swader and Umar Faraz

Especially once the film gets on its hind legs, there is a lot to like about it. For example, whether you like them or not, the main characters feel like real people; they make good or bad choices, but mostly it feels realistic, such as Monica wanting to go home even though there is extreme danger in the streets and a greater possibility of absorption of the gas. They also turn on each other out of fear, even after years of friendship, which also feels accurate to me. But on a more subtle note, the audience begins to wonder about how much of the anger this group exhibits among itself is the onset of the toxin, or just righteous indignation and anxiety.

What especially impressed me was that while the cast is certainly attractive, they also have more of an everyday look, rather than as if their second jobs are models. For example, while low on role credits in IMDB, Maloney would be more believable to me as Tonya Harding in the new film, I Tonya, than poster queen Margot Robbie (plus, I believe Maloney would do a great job of it).

Writer (and director) Mark Cantu wisely adds two characters later on: a cop (Mike Dargatis) and a scienist (in this case, the ironically named Tom Mirth), who both help with exposition and to be the connection to what is happening beyond the door – which is locked, but never barred, even with all the glass.

Going against the grain, I’m guessing in part due to direction and budget constraints, this is more of a thriller than a gorefest, into which it could easily have waded. There is some violence, and there are spurts of the salty red stuff, but it’s kept at a minimum and is not a key part of the zestiest. It’s more about how the characters interact with each other and their situation that is the locus focus.

For me, the one flaw is that the protagonists are trying to avoid being seen by whomever is out there, yet walk around with flashlights on making themselves targets. Me? I would turn off all the lights to avoid attraction, but they’re swinging the huge torches around, even when not needed, such as waking through the center of town.

Despite the budget and a few of the actors with limited credits, the cast is quite strong and work together well. With a mixture of good writing, editing that isn’t in hyper speed, and a wise use of the unseen (such as being able to hear the screams and sirens from outside without needing to drive the audience into it), Cantu comes up with a film that is subtle and one that becomes more interesting as time passes over its single night.

Review: Elite

Text © Richard Gary / Indie Horror Films, 2017

Images from the Internet

Elite

Directed by Mark Cantu      
Live Wire Films / Lost Empire Films / MVD Visual
90 minutes, 2017
www.lostempirefilms.com
www.mvdvisual.com

It’s not often I get to review a straight-out action film with no horror involved, so I was glad to get the opportunity with this military crime drama focusing on drug dealing gangs, and specifically the take-down of a drug lord from down South of the Border. Yes, this is a potential Trump wet dream where the bad guy is from Meh-hee-ko (a bad hombre), and it’s the special forces of the United States that is out to take him down.

Allison Gregory

Most action films of this type follow an almost regimented formula (at least until the reveal), and this one is no exception. After a prolog about a mission gone bad where the good guys lose, we pick up the story two years later with a new Naval Covert Ops Command Special Agent and “registered Republican,” Abbey Vaughn (the square-jawed Allison Gregory, rocking a Frances McDormand-meets-Erin R. Ryan look), who is brings retired Bourne-level super-agent Sam Harrigan (Jason Scarborough) out of retirement. He’s grumpy, he’s drunk, he’s sequestered himself in some far off locale in rural Texas, and he has a beard. Of course, he doesn’t want to come back, but events get him to shave his head and he’s back on point to take down the drug lord and his minions. This is a trope that has been overused a bit much, but it gets you to the point of action. And, being an action film, that’s the point, right?

Right off the bat, Vaughn shows herself to be a bit of an amateur (she’s no Clarice Starling), such as entering a bad-guy bar solo, without back-up. Whenever I see this done on a TV show, where the lone cop/good guy runs into a situation where they should just wait until back-up arrives, I think, “This character is an ass, and deserves to die.” But they don’t. Vaughn seems to get roughed up or threatened somewhat regularly early on (and it’s not hard to predict her family will be probably be put in danger at some point...I write this 17 minutes into the film, so I don’t know for certain yet). She’s gonna need big strong man Harrigan to rescue her, or at least be a mentor. You can tell this was written by dudes (Cantu and Scarborough) right off. I’m waiting for the mansplaining (it comes in at 50 minutes, FYI, but it’s acknowledged and tempered in a somewhat positive light, or possibly even mocked).

Also, just because Harrigan is the star (and co-writer), even though Vaughn’s name come first in the credits, it seems pretty ridiculous that for most of the film he’s the only one who can take care of himself. I mean, there is Vaughn and another (African-American male…from Brooklyn yet) agent (Shawn Brooks) who cower under a table while Harrigan takes care of a bunch of knife and gun-tottin’ thugs himself. This is a bit too Seagal / Van Damme / Rambo egocentric without the star power to back it up, in my opinion. More on this later.

What I also fine disconcerting is the weaponry and its use. Everyone has a gun, that’s no surprise, being law enforcement vs. drug gang (never mind that it’s Texas), but nearly all the firepower is hand guns, especially in the first two-thirds of the film. Drug cartels and enforcers would most likely have high powered assault rifles that fire multiple rounds per second, not bam…bam…bam. On top of that, nobody seems to hit very much (people or, say speeding away cars), so there is very little collateral damage, even from a couple of feet away. This is a bit of a throwback to the Schwarzenegger days where he would stand in the middle of a room with dozens of people firing at him, and he would kill with every shot while none hit him. Here, even Harrigan’s (and Vaughn’s) guns tend to miss, despite multiple rounds. And yet he tries to tell Vaughn how to shoot though she’s supposedly a marksperson. The feminist side of me is getting grumpy.

Jason Scarborough

I was trying to figure out the political stance of the film. While it’s quite heteronormative, at the same time there are some swipes at conservative politicians, but also seems to fall in line with the present administration’s attitudes about “bad” people coming from Mexico and the belief that they bring crime with them (or the desire to do so). Perhaps it’s my own prejudice that sees that, being suspicious as this is from (and filmed in) San Antonio, Texas. I’m not sure, but I can easily see both sides of the liberal/conservative spectrum either questioning some parts of this, or agreeing with others.

One of the enforcers for the cartel is played by WWE-wrestler Mike Dell, who is also known as Dr. Corbett. He handily kills people with his bare hands. You know at some point, as this is the paradigm they are following, he is going to cross fists with Harrigan. Even before it happens, I’m going to guess that Harrigan starts by losing, and then wins. Won’t say if it’s true or not, you’ll have to watch for yourself.

Towards the end of the film, Vaughn becomes stronger after a personal loss, and ends up mostly being able to handle herself. However, there is one other core character I would like to talk about at this point, a cyber babe named Jazz (Ione Europa Rousseau) who is sort of a more punk version of the Abby Sciuto character from NCIS. At first they have her playing the doofy Joe Pesci role from Lethal Weapon 2 (etc.), even giving her the “Do I get a badge/gun?” lines, but she is my favorite here, and proves that she can kick frickin’ ass. I want to see a film of just the background story of her character. Jazz is arguably by far the most interesting and nuanced one here. Other standouts are Jason Lee Boyson as capo Guapo; his being a stand-up comic certainly helps with his line delivery, and James C. Leary as Benedict (who was a semi-regular on the later-seasons of Buffy the Vampire Slayer under tons of make-up).

Generally, the acting is decent, and when actually connecting, the kills look pretty good. Most of the hand fights are pretty good (the villains are usually MMA fighters in their non-film lives), especially Mills, who comes across as quiet and intense, stealing the camera’s view whenever he’s onscreen.

One of the things I appreciate is that while a lot of the film’s story is formulaic, the expected double crosses actually worked really well (that they happen, not who they are), and even though I wondered about it at some point, it still managed to take me a bit by surprise because I was expecting it to be one of two people, and it was neither.

Other than three enjoyable trailers from LWF, the only extra is a full-length commentary with Cantu, Scarborough, and Gregory that while not brilliant, is chock full of information about the creation of the story, certain scenes, and fun anecdotes. It’s the bad jokes and the occasional talking-over that puts a slight damper on it. Still, I would recommend the listen if you enjoy the film.

Despite it all, this is actually a decent watch for this genre, either in spite of or because of it being formulaic. The story may have holes, but the basic premise works due to it following so close to the rules. Hell, it actually makes more sense than most of anything with Seagal or Van Damme, which are just ego pieces. This can’t rely on that, so it needs to be a bit stronger, and it is that. For a straight-out action film, the skin is more important than the bones, meaning that the action/what you see, trumps out the basic story/structure. This fits the menu quite well for a nice fast paced, fast food film.