Review: Shelter for the Bloodstained Soul

Text © Richard Gary / Indie Horror Films, 2017

Images from the Internet

Shelter for the Bloodstained Soul

Written, directed and edited by Nicholas Wagner

77 minutes, 2016

Free HERE or HERE 

A while back, I saw Nicholas Wagner’s 50-minute film called The Holy Sound (2013; reviewed HERE), which dealt with an object in a cave that had an effect on both libido and aggression, which its characters found to be a quasi-religious experience.

Malcolm Mills

Many of those same themes are present in this release. After a very brief prologue that makes more sense as the film unspools, somewhere in the Deep South we meet redheaded singer and junkie Harvey (Maggie Williams) picking up the stranded and creepy Addison (Malcolm Mills), whose car bit the dust. Add into the mix Harvey’s pal, dealer, and habitual spitter Tex (Reed DeLisle), and we are on our way.

Addison talks a lot of religion goo, but it soon becomes clear that it’s not Jeebus at the center of it (this will drive the Trump-lovin’ Southerners bonkers, I’m sure). Addison smokes this pipe and suddenly the area fills with smoke (or mist, I suppose) and a mysterious and lovely woman appears, who is apparently an angel without a body. And what does she need (this is all in the film’s description, so no spoiler alert)? The burned bodies of people who are involved with sex, but without love (i.e., pure lust, one of the seven deadlies) is what is used as either food or sacrifice, I'm not sure, but either works for me.

Needless to say, Addison is just the start of the cult as he gets both Harvey and Tex smokin’ (which apparently deadens the effects of other drugs), and they become bloodthirsty killers to help raise Cain… I mean the goddess/angel. Into the mix comes redheaded (this is a theme of both films) Cammy (Elena Delia), the self-professed town tramp, who completes the fourth.

From there, the cult is pretty much a unit, but unlike many killer kult films, they aren’t zombie-like in robes chanting and dancing naked around a fire, i.e., they still do drugs and smoke butts a lot. Without any job, I’m not quite sure how they can afford that, but I digress… They all have their personality foibles and remain “human” within their goal to free the dark angel. Things intensify and there are definitely some power struggles among the group, who mostly seemed pretty incompetent in their lives before all this started.

This is as much about human personalities, the past effecting the present, and philosophical meanderings, as much as a blood cult aimed at killing and the raising of this woman into flesh. Throughout the film, there is a lot of dialog (with some action), as nearly all the characters have deep thoughts that sometimes come out as philosophy, and other times sounding like greeting cards. Sitting around a fire, sitting around a beach, or sitting in a bar, the dialog seems to flow more than jab, even when doled out by the oft angry and spitting Tex.

Elena Delia

It makes sense that a lot of this film takes place near the shore, because the tone and pace of it is like sitting on the beach, watching the waves ebb and flow. It’s sort of languid and steady, but there is still the power of even the smallest motion of the water to destroy, wear down, or to change the shape of its environment. Each action in the film has a direct reaction some other time.

The editing, also done by Wagner, is… cautious. This film, even though it’s a murderous one with a decent body count, is not jarring (other than in certain, unexpected moments, such as a gratuitous kill), but nearly everything happens at a set pace throughout. This is also reflected in the languorous music that dapples like the water throughout, or the use of muted colors to show perhaps the dulling of the senses via chemical substances, or the drugged and washed out lives the characters are living.

It’s pretty obvious things are not going to end well for most, as they tend to do in these kinds of tales, but the whole “the more things change the more they stay the same” touch that runs during the course of the film is a nice touch, which I really enjoyed.

Despite the hint of promiscuity, there isn’t a whole lot of it on the screen, and again while the numbers of people who violently shed their mortal coil is relatively decent, the blood and gore is kept to a minimum. There are, however, decent application effects towards the end without being ridiculously hammy and gory.

If you’re expecting something like a Rob Zombie film where a murderous group hijinks it up while blowing people away, this is definitely not for you. However, if you also like stories to have a brain, and you have the patience to wait it out for the 77 minutes for a conclusion that is not ordinary, you may be pleasantly surprised by this sleeper.

Review: Bleed

Text © Richard Gary / Indie Horror Films, 2017

Images from the Internet

Bleed                                     

Directed and edited by Tripp Rhame

Spitfire Studios / Gravitas Ventures / MVD Visual

82 minutes, 2016

www.MVDVisual.com

In an attempt to reach for some originality these days, some features try to combine a bunch of different subgenres together to create something new. Sometimes it fails to work in any of the classifications, let alone a new one. On the other hand, the rare one comes along that takes you by surprise by giving you something that catches your eye and raises an eyebrow.

Bleed definitely falls into that latter group. Director Tripp Rhame takes us on a shady side of rural Atlanta, including a mysterious Civil War-era house (with a round tower – I love those) and a burned down prison, which is actually a real place giving credence to the story and a bona fide creepy vibe, amid its trash and graffiti’d walls. This is especially true when the cast leaves the roofless upper floor, and goes down to the level of the relatively still intact cells.

Couple A

So, a couple (Sarah and Matt, aka Couple A) who are expecting a baby shortly, unknowingly move to a rural area in the south that has some The Wicker Man / Rosemary’s Baby / Grave Encounters vibe secret Satanistic-type sect happening. They are joined by her best friend and new beau (Bree and Dave, or Couple B), and her wayward brother and new (to Couple A) bohemian girlfriend (Eric and Skye: Couple C) for a weekend at the house. I have to say that this is one of the most beautiful cast overall I’ve seen in a while. Not only that, but each of the eight principles have a bubbling under career that is about to pop, and have made some noise in mainstream Hollywood and beyond.

Couple A is Chelsea Crisp (from “Fresh Off the Boat”) and Michael Steger (The Magnificent Seven remake), Couple B comprises Brittany Isibashi (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows) and Elimu Nelson (Love Don’t Cost a Thing), and Couple C is made of Lyndon Smith (“Parenthood”) and Riley Smith (“Frequency,” “True Blood,” “Nashville” and the “90210” remake). These are some heavy hitters. And if that wasn’t enough, the local scarred deputy is played by none other than David Yow, more commonly known as the lead singer of the punk band The Jesus Lizard.

As with most films about a group, even in their 30s, the males tend to be a bit on the tool side. One is a stoner who won’t listen when warned by his scared girlfriend, one keeps yelling “boo” and trying to scare his partner in the name of a joke after she asks him to stop, and the third is trying to control his partner through anger and guilt. I must add that on the level of most of the “asshole guys” genre paradigm goes, this one is relatively tame, but there were a few times when I said, out loud, “Really?!” at their behavior. The women are all relatively strong(er) characters – even with one being diagnosed as bi-polar – but part of their problem is that the guys just won’t heed their advice. To the Bro reading this, it’s true that part of the reason why the women in your life insist that they are right is because most of the time they are. If they say they need to leave, go with ‘em. Especially if you’re in this kind of situation… so, let’s continue on with the basic plot:

Rajinda Kala as the vengeful Kane

Learning that there is a prison somewhere in the vicinity that burned down with the inmates still inside in 1979, the men decide to check it out, bringing the women with them. There they run into spookies both of the deceased type and of the local yee-haw cult kind. While some of the horror is telegraphed so you see it coming, it still suffices to say that this is a genuinely creepy film, considering the amount of overused tropes that are employed, such as walking through creepy buildings with flashlights, which is wisely done in small doses at a time, and the torch is not the only light source, a pet peeve of mine (i.e., you can still see peripherally somewhat beyond the beam).

Have to say, the effects are top-notch and creepy as hell (with arguably one exception where the prosthetic didn’t adequately match the source person; not going to give away who), and my only real complaint is about the lighting, that it is a bit dark when we see the physical SFX, which makes it harder to appreciate the incredible handiwork it deserves (might want to back up a bit and use freeze-frame, as I did). There are both appliances and digital at work here, and it’s done quite well and worth the attention you should give it.

Couple C

As these are young but seasoned actors, it should come as no surprise that the method is superb. What’s nice about this kind of film is that the cast has experience, but are still not there yet in their careers where they are holding out for huge paychecks. Some have worked together before; plus, as we learn from the extras (more about that later), the three “couples” bonded and became good friends in the real world, and that camaraderie definitely shows in the final product. They are willing to take chances with their characters in security and trust with/in their fellow thespians.

Even with the few clichés and story parts that come as no surprise, again, this is a nice suspenseful piece that flew by, and has just the right amount of tension to keep you on your toes without becoming wearisome. It’s enjoyable throughout.

The extras are, essentially, a series of fun interviews lasting from five to ten minutes between the lead actors (sans one, though Yow is included to make up for it) and the director; however, there are two of Crisp, who is the lead.

What I find hard to believe is that this is director Rhame’s first feature. He’s been in the business for a while and has his own production company in Georgia. That learning experience shows in this final product. I’m certainly hoping that he continues creating films, and perhaps even gets some wider distribution, because if this is any indication, we have some great stories to watch ahead of us.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_2ZtMBCI2kQ

Review: Bubba the Redneck Werewolf

Text © Richard Gary / Indie Horror Films, 2016

Images from the Internet

Bubba the Redneck Werewolf

Directed by Brendan Jackson Rogers

And You Films / Two Rubbing Nickels / MVD Visual

80 minutes, 2014 / 2016

https://www.facebook.com/bubbatheredneckwerewolf

www.mvdvisual.com

Southern humor has been the subject of film fodder for decades, at first sequestered in the Drive-In circuit, but breaking out into the mainstream in the mid-sixties, with Smokey and the Bandit stoking the fires to big box office.

Most films with a Southern fried bent tend to be political dramas, murder mysteries, or balls-out/boobs-out yee-haw broad comedies. From the title, I’m going to assume you realize that this film doesn’t fall into the “political” or “detective” range. After all, one of the first images you see is a sign that states, “Beware of dawg,” in front of the Barkham Asylum Dawg Pound. While I was totally impressed with that pun, that does tell you which kind of swamp you’re putting your steel-toed shoes into. It should be noted, at this point, that this is based on a comic book series that originated in the 1990s, which would explain a lot.

Filmed in Deland, FL, about halfway between Daytona Beach and Orlando, the story all takes place in Broken Taint, Florida, part of Cracker County, where the drawl is deeper than the thoughts. Which brings me to our hero, the shlubby, balding and thick as a stump Bubba (pre-werewolf Chris Stephens), who works in a go nowhere job (happily), hangs out at the local saloon to buy the cheapest booze they have, and has an unrequited love for Bobbie Jo (Malone Thomas). But she’s involved with town bully, Dangerous Dwight (David Santiago), a man who proudly knows how to cut arm holes in his shirts.

Bubba will do anything to get her back, including making a deal with the Devil (excellently played by Mitch Hyman, also the comic book’s creator), who turns him into the titular wolf-man (post-wolf Fred Lass). Now, this isn’t a Lawrence Talbot full moon kinda werewolf, but rather one who is in the skin, as it were, permanently. Is he scared? Is he evil? Does he terrorize the town? Hell, most people think it’s pre-wolf Bubba with a beard. Ironically, the only one who doesn’t recognize him is Bobbie Jo! And now that the Devil’s in town, he’s going to make due.

The humor here is quite broad, and definitely geared towards a certain audience; it’s completely Trumpville, as equating college students with zombies, and Bubba makes a meal out of a “liberal Democrat” (off-screen) as a throwaway punchline. Even so, this is quite funny. I’m sure there’s a joke or two I didn’t get as a New York liberal Democrat, but all of it still comes across as good natured and fun. Speaking of which, make sure you read all the posted signs that appear often throughout the film, even if you have to freeze-frame, or rewind a bit.

Some of the cast comes across as locals of where it was filmed, and many parts are the actors’ only IMBD listing. Either this is a relatively fresh cast, or they are using pseudonyms due to the title. Even so, the acting is quite at the right level (though the one really over-the-top is humorously done by the director himself). In a broad comedy, however, this is a given, so I had no problem with any of it. It should also be noted that some of the cast was also some of the crew. It all part of the tight-knit world of indie filmmaking that I love so much.

This whole creature feature is not really scary, but I wouldn’t necessarily recommend it to young’uns for the following reason: while there is no nudity, there is a lot of innuendo, and plenty of blood and gore. Sure most of the splatter is highly digital looking, but it is still effective, and that doesn’t count some of the more gruesome appliance effects, which look really good. The gore aspect is not surprising considering it was written by Stephen Biro, who directed the intense American additions to the Guinea Pig series. Of course, however, this being a broad comedy in the modern period, there are the fart jokes, the vomit jokes, the drool jokes, and the ones involving (dog) shit. Again, appropriate for the genre.

What about the werewolf, you may ask; how did he look? Quite decent actually, in a non-threatening way. Wouldn’t want to meet him in a back good, but in this context, he’s a happy camper to be around, as long as you don’t try to mess with him. The make-up was designed for the actor, who manages to show emotion through it, which is a compliment to Lass. The overall appliance is okay, but he makes the most of it.

The humor is broad enough that it can incorporate other nods, such as one to Abbott & Costello, which fell a bit flat to me. But at the same time, when not dealing with bodily fluids (and gasses), the humor is quite warm and works well, usually.

I have to give a nod to the music by the Blast-Offs. Their stuff is a mix of rockabilly, old time country, and those “Hot Rod Lincoln” kinds of talk-songs with a doot-doot-doot backbeat.

For extras, and there are lots, so let’s start with the 16:08-minute “From Page to Screen: the Making of Bubba the Redneck Werewolf.” It’s the usual mix of on-set interviews, behind the scene b-roll, and covers several topics, including the stage from comic onward, the make-up, the music, some great anecdotes, and reactions by the cast/crew. It was all so very well done so that I enjoyed it throughout the length.

Next is a sweet and neat 2:39 minute Blooper Reel, and a 3:03-minute Deleted Scenes. While I agree with all of the snips, I’m glad they put this in. Doesn’t add anything to the story, but still sets some nice moods.

Lastly, there’s the Make-up Process featurette at 2:37, which is b-roll played over some of the Blast-Offs material, the title song video again by the Blast-Offs that is made up of a mix of behind the scenes b-roll and film clips, and the trailer.

I would like to add one final thought, and no disrespect is meant for anyone, but if I was a fictional character living a fictional life in this fictional town, and I would have walked into the bar where most of the action takes place, my choice would have been to cozy up to the bartender, Jamie Sue (Sara Humbert). Just sayin’.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yy86IgcrAWA