Review: The Tank

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

The Tank
Directed by Scott Walker
Corner Stone; Ajax Pictures; GFC Films; Happy Dog Entertainment; Ingenious Media; Well Go USA Entertainment
100 minutes, 2023
https://wellgousa.com/films/tank
www.hiyahtv.com
#TheTank @WellGoUSA

To be honest, I found the title a bit confusing: an armed military vehicle, or something like a septic tank? Well, it is kinda-sorta more like the second. But what it holds is hardly bodily discards. Remember, this is a horror film. What is more, it is a creature feature, always one of my favorite genres.

After a quick prologue, we meet lizard/amphibian expert Jules (Luciane Buchanan) and Ben (Matt Whelan), who have a young daughter, Reia (Zara Nausbaum), and own a struggling pet shop in Oakland, CA. Much to their surprise, they have inherited a property on the coast of Oregon. What is even more startling is that this was filmed in New Zealand. You would never know it by the lack of accents and the place descriptions, though much of the cast is from there. Cool.

Luciane Buchanan

It would not be revealing anything to say the three head up north to check the place out, to see whether they want to sell the house that has been vacant (of humans) since 1946. I mean, otherwise this film would be about 10 minutes, right? It is right on the Pacific (hence, “the coast”) and the view is spectacular (I drove down the coast of Oregon a few years ago, and can attest to its beauty), but it is surrounded on all the other sides by woods, and it is a long drive up a crap road to get to it (once you get past the fallen tree across the road, so you have to walk part of it and expose yourself to what lies beneath).

Once we finally get through all the exposition of the first part of the film, things begin to get a bit bumpy. They find the lid to the titular buried water tank/well beside the house, which leads to a series of caves (which reminded me of the well at Barnaby’s house in 1934’s March of the Wooden Soldiers…too obscure?). There is something making screaming noises and that creaking sound that has been appearing in so many films since Ju-on (The Grudge, 2002) – or was it used first in Ringu (The Ring, 1998)? – reverberating through the whole house. Speaking of which, and I have said this before because it is such a common trope, someone walking through an environment (in this case house) in the dark with a light, should never be longer than two minutes, or the tension dissipates into annoyance.

The body-suit creature looks great (not CGI, as well), designed by Weta Workshop and donned by contortionist-extraordinaire Regina Hegemann. That almost makes the whole thing worth it by itself. Not too flashy and unrealistic, but a specimen of evolution.

This film definitely has some issues, beyond that it would be a much better 80-minute film than one that is 100 minutes. For example, there is too much projection of what is to come a few times, such as Jules explaining about reactions of amphibians to their surroundings, early on in the storyline; there are at least three or four that I caught.

Buchanan, Matt Whelan

But what I found most egregious, was how many fights with the creature went on underwater. Sure, the camera followed them down and was shot from under the surface, but the liquid was so murky, I could not make heads or tails of what was happening other than movement. Did the human succumb? Did the creature get polished off? Could not tell until the conclusion of the incident when one or the other raised their heads above the liquid level.

A smart aspect was to set the brunt of the story in 1968, when there were no cell phones or computers, though considering how isolated was the location, there probably would not have been service anyway. And since no one had lived in the house for over 20 years, there was no working telephone.

 

Buchanan, Zara Nausbaum

Another plus is the cast: Whelan and especially Buchanan fill their shoes well and have some chemistry. Nausbaum does not really have much to do, other than cry, whimper, and scream, but she does that quite well.

I am fine with the low body count (this could almost be considered more of a thriller than a horror), but for those that are taken over to meet Osiris, the blood and gore look superb.

The release is definitely a mixed bag, considering how I felt about watching it. I love a creature feature film, generally, and was not disappointed by the beastie, nor the basic storyline – despite its many “tells” – but it took too long to get its ass in gear.

The director and writer, Scott Walker (not a member of the Walker Brothers, who sang “The Sun Ain’t Gonna Shine Anymore”…I bet he is tired of hearing that), has one other feature under his belt previously, The Frozen Ground (2013), starring Nicolas Cage and John Cusack, which was well received. I am looking forward to Walker’s work going forward, even though he seems to put out a film every decade or so.

Oh, and stick around for partway through the credits.

IMDB listing HERE

Review: Day Zero

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

Day Zero
Directed by Joey De Guzman
Reality MM Studios; Regal Entertainment; Well Go USA Entertainment
82 minutes, 2022 / 2023
https://wellgousa.com/films/day-zero
www.hiyahtv.com
#DayZero @WellGoUSA

This release is not to be confused with Night Zero (2017), as Day Zero also goes for the almost-zombie throat.

Remember back in the late 1960s and early ‘70s when the Philippines was a place that released numerous “B” horror releases (many starring John Ashley; d. 1997), be they cheesy, such as Mad Doctor of Blood Island (1968) and The Twilight People (1972)? 

Well, this has shown the quality has quite improved for Filipino fright flicks (presented in Tagalog, Filipino, sign language, and some English, with easy to read English subtitles) over the years, and are still cheesy fun, but a lot more sophisticated, professional looking, and relatively make more narrative sense (relative to the topic at hand).

Brandon Vera

As the prologue tells us, there is an outbreak of dengue fever “also known as break-bone fever, a viral infection that spreads from mosquitoes to people” (paraphrased from Wikipedia). But like Covid, for this imagining, it has mutated into turning people into (fast) flesh-biting zombie-ish creatures; they are not into eating as much as biting and infecting, sort of like Korea’s Train to Busan (2016). While they are merely hyper-infected, they look like classic zombies; the make-up is incredibly well done. Though they can run, they move quite spasmodically and only communicate through screams. It can seem a mix of [Pick a time of day] of the Living Dead and …28 [pick a timeframe] Later, with a bit of [*REC] (2007) thrown in for good measure. And of course, we cannot forget the granddaddy of all violent bite infection flicks, Rabid (1977).

Our central character is the heavily tattooed former U.S. elite soldier Ramon “Emon” Marasigan (Brandon Vera, aka “The Truth”; retired Filipino-American World Kickboxing Association [WKA] Super Heavyweight Champion, ONE Championship Heavyweight World Champion, WEC 13 Heavyweight Grand Prix Champion, and inducted in the Grappler's Quest Hall of Fame). He is in a Filipino prison for aggravated assault. Hell, he is so big, he could cripple me with a strong stare.

Mary Jean Lastimosa

His estranged wife, Sheryl (Mary Jean Lastimosa) and young, deaf daughter, Jane (Freya Fury Montierro) wait in what looks like some overcrowded poor area at a seven-floor walk-up apartment building. Due to the outbreak, Emon breaks out (see what I did there?) of prison with his friend Timoy (Pepe Herrera). Meanwhile, Sheryl gets separated from Jane in the apartment melee. It was pretty obvious that the story would be the quest of the three finding each other again.

Also understandable, thankfully, is that there will be a lot of fighting by Emon, be it prisoners, zombies, or what all. And it certainly does not fail in that regard: MMA-style moves, crude objects (e.g., boards), and eventually tactical armory (see the trailer).

Pepe Herrera

The cinematography by Mo Zee is quite well done, with some camera effects that work well with the storyline and keeps the eye on the screen. This is a gross generalization, but Asian cinema really does present action scenes with pizazz.

Vera acts his role well, albeit mostly stoic or angry (though there are some emotional moments), but most of the major cast, including Herrera and especially Lastimosa, project their fear and angst well without it being cartoonish. Most of the action, once Emon and Timoy get out of prison, is set in the apartment building (hence the [*REC] reference), giving a feeling of grime, purposeful bad lighting (no electricity) though easy to see for the viewer, and a sense of claustrophobia. The single location helps with the budget, and I respect that, as well as “locks” the viewer into the locale. The set design for these scenes is excellent.

So is the SFX, which uses great prosthetics, and while there is some CGI, most of it is practical. For those interested, like me, there is a lot of it spread throughout the film. Technically, there are three acts, but each is ruthless.

While this is a relatively serious film, there is some subtle humor that occasionally crops up, almost like easter eggs, such as one zombie wearing a tee that says, “Vin Scully is my homeboy”: baseball is huge in the Philippines. Also, as with most sidekicks, Timoy is a bit of a comic relief, but hardly a stereotypical screw-up.

There is an underlying premise that not all monsters are – er – monsters. While the band of survivors get picked off one by one, there is also brutality brought by grief and anger. Who needs to be infected to become violent when someone has lost a loved one? I believe that characterization is a real side of humanity sometimes. It is not really cynicism, if you just look around at the attitude of some televangelists and members of the US Senate about the LGBTQ+ populations.

On a side note, I wonder about films like this: if one can escape from the crowded apartment building, in a heavily populated neighbourhood, how would one get away, even in a vehicle? There are 114 million people living in the Philippines. Would it not be more realistic to pull a The Mist (2007) in that situation (but have enough ammo)? I would definitely want a quick out.

Once the action starts, which is right at the beginning, it is rare that the action lets up. We see our main group and others fight the transformed and infected. In a world where zombie (relatively) films are a dime a dozen, even though there are some formulaic moments, this is a good watch, full of action, violence, practical SFX, gore, and so much more.

IMDB listing HERE

Review: Young Ip Man

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

Young Ip Man (aka Young Ip Man: Crisis Time; 少年叶问之危机时刻; Shàonián yè wèn zhī wéijī)
Directed by Liming Li
iQIYI; Flying Youth Pictures; Lajin; Hi-YAH!; Well Go USA Entertainment
79 minutes, 2020 / 2023
https://wellgousa.com/films/young-ip-man
www.hiyahtv.com
#youngipman @WellGoUSA

While I could be wrong about this, it seems as much like the last 50 or so Amityville and [fill-in-the-blank]nado films do not really have anything to do with the original productions other than name usage, I wonder if that is true with the term “Ip Man.” Paraphrasing from Wikipedia, “Ip Man, born as (Y)Ip Kai-man (1893-1972) was a Hong Kong-based Cantonese martial artist and a grandmaster of the martial art of Wing Chun when he was 20. He had several students who later became martial arts masters in their own right, the most famous among them being Bruce Lee.”

“Ip Man” started as a series of films starring martial art legend Donnie Yen that was rightfully quite successful. Yen became iconic in the role. For this Chinese release in Mandarin (with English subtitles), Zhao Wenhao picks up the titular position as Ip Man.

Zhao Wenhao

The film opens with a bang, detailing the escape of villain Ma Long, who was set for execution for previous but not described felonies. One scene is reminiscent of Enter the Dragon (1973). Lots of shooting, stabbing, explosions, car chases, and so on. Nice way to begin, before we are even introduced to Ip Man, who is studying martial arts in said Hong Kong. We also meet his friend, Xuehu, who is wanting to impress his girlfriend, Xiaofeng.

Ip Man is also studying in a college. As this is set in 1917 in Hong Kong, which was under British rule, the school is hosting the First Xinsi Cup English Speech Contest. It is here we meet Yayun, a cute, yet spoiled rich girl who has a thing for our titular hero.

Before the contest can begin, all the students are kidnapped within the enormous building (shades of 1988’s Die Hard) by Ma Long and his gang, which includes assassin Ma Wei (Pantheras Freedman), and Xuehu, who is in need of money to buy a present for his sweetie. The purpose of the action by our villains is to hold the son of the British Police Commissioner for ransom, and possibly other nefarious reasons.

As you may have guessed, there is a socio-political component to this film, with high reliance on a dislike of the British rule in Hong Kong (much as the UK was the enemy in films about the American Revolutionary War). I have seen a number of Chinese martial arts releases which took place in the 1930s where Japan was the enemy after their invasion, but it is interesting to see it pointed at British colonialism.

Another interesting aspect is that in many of these films, the henchmen are anonymous and throw-away “machines” in the cog of the event (1997’s Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery had fun of this with Will Farrell’s character), and while most here fit that ilk, having Ip Man’s masked buddy Xuehu one of the crew makes it a bit more human.

Something I do not understand, and again, this is common for many films, is that doors are locked, but nobody thinks about breaking a window to escape. I was wondering if this was a cultural thing about destroying the property of the authorities, but they seem to have no qualms about wrecking furniture, and, in fact, break windows during fights.

Despite the drastic situation (which in the States, attacks on schools seems commonplace lately), and some decent martial arts fighting), the film actually starts a bit on the light side, often using humor, or being careful not to be too Die Hard deadly. For example, machine guns open fire on a crowd, and an explosive goes off, and yet, no one is killed. This could have been a fine John Wick intense moment, but that is not the direction of the film, which is action-based, rather than slaughter. The viewer sees lots of fights, but few killings onscreen, making those that are there more compelling. I say this not as neither a positive nor negative thing, but as an observation.

There is also a bit borrowed in theme from Kill Bill; Vol. 1 (2003), especially the House of Blue Leaves sequence, including Leng Yu, a female assassin using a chain with a deadly point, a la Gogo Yubari.

This is the director’s third feature film, and second “Ip Man” release (the first being 2019’s Ip Man: Kung Fu Master). One of the things that made Donnie Yen so iconic as Ip Man, other than his long black jacket, was his stoicism. That is one thing that is lost here, but perhaps it is because he is so young yet and has to learn the hard lessons that would bring him to that point.

There are quite a few fights, increasing in number as the film progresses, with some wire work, but not over the top (e.g., no one jumps from one storey to another). It is nice to see where Ip Man first developed his “trope” of numerous punches within seconds to the chest. I also like that sometimes things happen for reasons that are not expected, such as previous relationships.

Overall, as martial arts films go, the storyline is a bit thin and mostly follows a formula. Yet, this was a fun watch throughout; tropes are there because they are popular, after all.

As a note, as stated on IMDB: “This is supposed to take place in 1917, but the cars, clothes and many items are from at least two decades later.”

IMDB listing HERE

Review: Unwelcome

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

Unwelcome
Directed by Jon Wright
Tempo Production Ltd.; Shudder; Automatik; Corner Stone Films; Ingenious Media; Rococo Films; Well Go USA Entertainment
104 minutes, 2023
https://wellgousa.com/films/unwelcome
#unwelcome @WellGoUSA

As a Yank, when I hear the term “redcap,” I think of a valet who will park my car or bring my luggage into a hotel. However, in the UK, as explained by Wikipedia, “The redcap (or powrie) is a type of malevolent, murderous goblin found … to inhabit ruined castles along the Anglo-Scottish border … and is known for soaking his cap in the blood of his victims.” And now, on with the review.

Hannah John-Kamen, Douglas Booth

London couple Jamie (Douglas Booth, who was Nikki Sixx in 2019’s The Dirt, and Romeo in 2013’s Romeo & Juliet) and Maya (Hannah John-Kamen, who was Ornela in “Game of Thrones” and Ava/Ghost in 2018’s Ant-Man and the Wasp) have just found out they are expecting. Problem is they get on the wrong side of an obnoxious and aggressive trio of hoodlums in the neighborhood and need to rethink their living arrangements. From pan to fire on its way.

To escape, they move to a family home in a village in rural Ireland (I do not remember a mention of how Jamie or Maya make a living) to raise the soon-to-be-born bambino. They are warned by a friend of the family, Maeve (Niamh Cusack, of the infamous British acting family) of the “little people” and the daily blood offering to be made to them without fail (e.g., liver is mentioned).

Kristian Nairn

Of course, being young, distracted and very preggo, and the fact that they are city people who do not understand the local ways, the offering is not the highest priority on their minds, as much as getting a hole in the roof fixed. Plus, they are both suffering a bit of PTSD after a violent action back in London. This is not what ever is the Irish word for kosher to the nasty beasties.

The whole place is kinda run down, so the couple employ the local handyman’s family, who are bound to give you the willies. They remind me of the locals from either version of Straw Dogs (1971 / 2011), considering their reactions to the lack of full-blooded Irish of the couple. Heading up the Whelan family is the angrily abusive patriarch Colm (Colm Meany, of 1991’s The Commitments and was Chief Miles O’Brien in “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine”), who insists on being called “Daddy” by everyone, his slow, rarely-speaking, and enormous Lenny-like son Eion (Kristian Nairn, who was Hodor in “Game of Thrones”) who has a thing for Maya, his other, muscular bully son Killian (Chris Walley, who is in the recent Last Voyage of the Demeter), and his daughter Aisling (Jamie-Lee O’Donnell, of “Derry Girls”). A dodgy clan, at best.

The title is a nice double, or perhaps triple entendre, as to who is unwelcome: is it the redcaps who are unwelcome by the couple who have bought the land, or is it the couple who are intruding on the redcaps’ historical property. Then there is a lack of respect by the handypeople who refer to the couple as “Oliver Cromwell,” as the British oppressing the Irish. As Whelan states to Maya and Jamie, after his kids have been obnoxious, “We all need to learn our place.”

On one hand, I feel sorry for Jamie and Maya, because it seems everywhere they go, they get harassed: if it is not the neighborhood toughs, it is the locals, and then the redcaps. Mind you, they are not that innocent, either, as Jamie giving the finger to the first group, and Maya being lax with the daily sacrifices that cause locals to lose their lives. As far as the fixer-uppers, well, they’re just obnoxious malicious twits in their own right.

One thing that drives me crazy about genre films, not just this one, is that when a woman experiences something, the man dismisses it, in this case to “baby brain.” The deeper into the film, the less I liked Jamie. Maya has her own issues, but Jamie proves himself to be toxically masculinist. This is just too common a theme. He is a bit obtuse and has explosive anger, such as his actions with the thugs and the family (mind you, the latter are equally at fault, including the daughter).

There is a strong reference to said Straw Dogs, though rather than boobytraps, Maya enlists the aid of others, which you can see coming, as well as a price to pay for that. The wee beastie redcaps look really good and menacing; from what I understand, they are played by “normal” sized people and then either digitally shrunken or play on sets that are built to make them look smaller. It is a nice touch that while there is a supernatural element to these knife-wielding and literally blood-thirsty creatures, they are not immortal and can be dispatched.

There is also an effective level of blood and gore during the last act, without it being over the top. As for the acting talent? These are seasoned actors with multiple relatively large credits, so there is no slacking in that department.

The cinematography is lush and beautiful, with indoor set pieces that look appropriate for a long-misused, out of the way country cottage, and the way the camera lovingly plays with the woods, sometimes with mist, is almost a character in of itself. And yes, there is some mandatory drone work as a car is driven on narrow highway roads through the forests.

Other than this being a tad too long and could use some tightening up here and there, the ending was not what I was imagining, thankfully, and while they did choose another trope, it was not something I was necessarily expecting, and I like that.

IMDB listing HERE

Review: Legend of Gatotakaca

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

Legend of Gatotakaca (aka Satria Dewa: Gatotakaca)

Directed by Hanung Bramantyo
Horizon Film Entertainment; Netflix; Lumine Studio;
Satreia Dewa Studio; Well Go USA Entertainment; Hi-YAH!
129 minutes, 2022 / 2023
www.instagram.com/gatotkaca_official/?hl=en
https://wellgousa.com/films/legend-gatotkaca
www.hiyahtv.com
#LegendOfGatotakaca @WellGoUSA

When I see a name of a release or character like this, I tend to run it through Wikipedia. From this, I learned that, in Indonesia, where this film originated (abbreviated quote): “Ghatotkacha (Sanskrit for "Bald Pot") is a prominent character in the story of Mahabharata. He was important fighter in the Kurukshetra war and caused a great deal of destruction and killed many demons.” He has been the subject of many films, mostly out of India.

The "real" Ghatotkacha 

The name may not roll off the English tongue very easily, but he is a warrior hero. In the action-filled prologue, we are introduced to the child Yuda, who is sought by a band of assassins. Their purpose it to find an heirloom with mystical powers, a medallion called Brajamusti.

To be honest, I am not familiar with the Indonesian god-myth culture, nor their ancient literature, such as the referenced Mahabharata (~400 BCE-400 CE) here, in a similar way they may not be familiar with, say, Beowulf (~1000 CE), Grimm’s Fairy Tales (1812), or the ancient mythological pantheon of gods of Greece, Rome, or Scandinavia (Odin, Thor, etc.). It might be good to either have Wikipedia open to throw in some of the names or terms, or just say screw it and enjoy it as it lays, as one would with the Dynasty days films of the Shaw Brothers.

After the prologue, we focus on now college student Yuda (Rizky Nazar). His mother Animbi (Sigi Wimala) is suffering from memory loss, his father Pandega (Cecep Arif Raham , from John Wick Chapter 3), disappears at the beginning, and whose best pal (Jerome Kurnia) is assassinated by a masked man with superpowers during college graduation. Yudi knowing Silat (Indonesian martial arts) does not help. Yet.

Through a learned source, Arya Laksana (Edward Akbar) and his daughter, obvious love interest Agni (Yasmin Napper), Yudi learns that the gods of the Mahabharata are real, residing in the home of the gods, Kadewatan, where Lord Shiva (aka Batara Guru rules); think Asgard and Odin. In fact, it may be helpful to imagine this is part of the Indonesia version of the Marvel Universe (MCU). The stories of Dr. Donald Blake becoming Thor after finding his source of power, his hammer Mjölnir, in a cave. I realize that the story may sound complex, but even if you don’t know the fictional characters, the storyline is quite easy to follow. For example, if you were to sit down and watch any of the MCU films, you can mostly follow along even if you have never picked up a comic book. Going forward, I will use the MCU and DC Universe (DCU) myths equivalency in brackets.

The two gods in question in this story are Pandava [Thor], and his descendants who use their power for good, and his rival Kaurava [Loki] and his lineage, who use it for, well, you know. So the Pandava group [Justise League], such as archer Dananjaya (Omar Daniel) [Green Arrow] and young Gege (scene stealer Ali Fikry) are under threat of the Kaurava one [The Legion of Doom], to restore to power an evil upper echelon god, Aswatama via his masked and his mysterious cowled underling with superpowers to steal souls [Emperor Palpatine and Darth Vader] and bring the coming of the evil gods, which is scheduled for (wait for it) 2023. Mr. Cowl is helped by Beceng (Yayan Ruhian, who was in John Wick Chapter 3:and Star Wars: Episode VII: The Force Awakens). There is a lot of exposition given to the viewer throughout.

Of course, the sworn enemy to stop this is…good guy Gatotkacha. And who is the reincarnation of said Gatotkacha who will emerge with the help of the medallion? Pretty obvious. And that is when the action really picks up. There are some good fights in the early part of the film (including some wire work), but it is also filled with lots of talking, to explain what is going on to the uninformed watching it (e.g., me).

Agni is being pursed by marriage by bully Nathan (Axel Matthew Thomas). I can see where this is going as the lamb’s blood on a door frame. Same to be said about who is the unknown “Vader” villain. Through most of this, the medallion’s powers are minimal, post-human rather than superhuman, until the final fight.

There are lots of reflections on other films than the three I mentioned. For example, there is a bit of The Power Rangers, Mortal Kombat, and even Shazam!, thanks to the medallion.

The film is enjoyable but has three issues: first, if a bit hard to follow at times; second, they try to put too much into one film (the MCU and DCU 3-hour mega-extravaganzas tend to do this a lot), but the weakest link is its length. It does not need to be this long, nor complex. As I said, it is easy to view it for what it is and leave it at that. I mean, I did not read the Lord of the Rings books (never made it past page 25 in the first one), and it was also overcomplex, yet I enjoyed the films for what they presented. If one just goes to see it as an action film, well, there is plenty of that, along with mucho exposition and talking. I believe that perhaps maybe even the younger Indonesians may not know the legends well, and that is part of why it is so wordy with explanations.

Who the masked, unnamed villain is, came as no surprise to me as I figured it out early on. And, of course, it is setting up for either a sequel or a franchise. Understandable.

The film debuts exclusively on the martial arts streaming service Hi-YAH!, before landing on Digital, and Blu-ray.

IMDB listing HERE

Review: Project Wolf Hunting

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

Project Wolf Hunting (aka Neugdaesanyang; 늑대사냥)
Directed by Hongsun King
The Contents On (TCO); Cheum Films; Contents G; Finecut International; Well Go USA Entertainment; Hi-YAH!
122 minutes, 2022
https://wellgousa.com/films/project-wolf-hunting 
#ProjectWolfHunting @WellGoUSA

I am no expert on Asian horror cinema, even though I enjoy it, but it seems since Train to Busan (2016), Korean cinema has taken blood, gore, and violence up a notch. It is nearly as though they are in competition with Japan and Hong Kong to be the hardest edge. Well, this film definitely has that in mind.

A cargo freighter has been reassigned to ship a large number of extremely violent criminals (serial killers, gangsters, murderers, necrophiliacs, and the like) that have tried to flee justice and extradite them from the Philippines (where this was filmed) back to Korea for sentencing.

Right from the beginning, before the credits, this starts with a bang and a leg up on the body count pedestal, setting up the premise of why the boat is in play. The convicts of both sexes are easily identifiable by sight, but forgive me if I get a name or two incorrect listing them.

This crosses many genre boundary lines, which is impressive, from crime drama, escaped prisoners (c’mon, that is a given), body horror, creature feature, and mutilation. But more on this later.

The lead criminal is the multi-tattooed sociopathic serial killer, Park Jong Du (Seo In-Guk, who really seems to be relishing the role). He is part of a gang that has also infiltrated the ship to steal a whole bunch of moolah from the cargo hold. Also captive is Do Il (Dong-Yoon Jang), a laid-back martial arts expert. Meanwhile, deep in the bowels of the ship, a doctor is brought along to deliver a serum to what looks like a rotting and maggoty cadaver, but you know there will be another layer to that. He is accompanied by a very nasty nurse, personality wise, who has no idea of his actions.

Once the prisoners escape their bonds, the bloodshed is practically enough to keep the boat afloat on its own; yeah, I know it is a ship, but “boat afloat” sounds better, doncha think? My question is though, if the convicts escape, where will they take the ship? They certainly cannot go to either Korea or the Philippines, and I cannot imagine China or Japan taking them. Maybe they all can get to Carnage City coz they are heading to a bloodbath.

Besides, how many will survive once Alpha (Gwi-hwa Choi), the revived Frankenstein’s monster-ish (green skin and all) super strong creature gets loose? The body count is literally in the multiple of dozens by various gory means.

Most of the actors, from what I understand, are major players in Korea, and it shows in the performances in this film. Sure, there is a bunch of yelling, as in just about every Asian film ever made, but there is also subtly, such as with the policewoman, Jung So-Min (cute Lee Da Yeon).

Part of what makes this film so powerful is that, even though some plot lines are predictable, at the same time most of it – especially during the explosive middle and third act – certainly caught me by surprise a number of times, both in story plot, and who lives and who dies. There are a multitude of influences here, such as the isolation with a killer monster as in Alien (1979), the uprising of convicts such as No Escape (1994), and the genetically enhanced human through science of Seobok: Project Clone (2021; also from South Korea).

The SFX, both practical and digital, is nothing short of stunning, with more blood than, say, the lawnmower scene of Dead Alive/Braindead (1992). That is saying a lot. According to IMDB (see the link below), more than 1.5 tons of “blood” was used. Now, to be truthful, it looked a bit watery, but shit, it is beautiful and plentiful. The photography is also quite exquisite, in wide screen, as well as the editing. On occasion it is a bit hard to see all the action due to the narrow spaces in which the film was shot, but it may still take your breath away.

Either this was filmed on an actual ship, or the set designer deserves an Oscar. Much like the corridor scene of Oldboy (let us get real, the original 2003 version), the spaces tend to be tight with pipes all around; it could only be more squished if it were a submarine. They make the use of the space they have and use it to its ultimate purpose.

Literally, from the beginning to the end, there is barely a wasted moment, even at the full two hours running length. Great storytelling, amazing bloodletting, spot on acting, and a wonderous mix of genres. The director, Hongsun King, who also wrote the screenplay, does a masterful job.

Available on Blu-ray and DVD, Project Wolf Hunting features an all-new English dub (I saw the Korean language version with subtitles), along with bonus content including “Behind the Scenes” and “Making the Alpha” featurettes.

IMDB listing HERE

Review: Row 19

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

Row 19 (aka Ryad 19)
Directed by Alexander Babaev
Central Partnership; KIT Film Studios; Monumental Film; Red Media; Lka Film; Well Go USA Entertainment
78 minutes, 2021 / 2022
www.wellgousa.com/films/row-19

Hmmm. Sometimes one must separate art from what is going on in the world. Normally, I would boycott things Russian at the moment, in solidarity with Ukraine, but this is an independent film, so I will give it a shot. Plus, it is being publicized by an American company, Well Go USA Entertainment, so here we go – er – well.

I recently saw a German film called Blood Red Sky (2021), which starts with a very similar premise: a troubled woman on a plane with a preteen, when weird things begin to happen. Except, in this case, of course, they are speaking Russian (subtitles alert). In the prologue, a woman and her preteen daughter are sitting in a near empty airliner, which crashes in South Central Russia. The daughter is the only survivor and becomes, of course, a media sensation.

Marta Kessler, Svetlana Ivanova

For the main crux of the story, it is 20 years later, and the girl is now a woman, Katerina (Svetlana Ivanova), who has her own preteen daughter that is about the same age she was when she crashed, Diana (Marta Timofeeva, aka Marta Kessler).

Of course, for our story, a similar situation occurs: Katerina and Diana are on a nearly empty plane that needs to be deiced traveling to the center of the country (to visit grandpa and his big dog), sitting in the same seats (the titular Row 19) in the same order (mom on aisle, daughter in center). We also start to get to meet others on the flight, as I am sure we will get to know their motivations for being on that very voyage.

Wolfgang Cerny

But there are also strange things happening on the new flight, like the cryptic acting and blank stares of the stewar… I mean flight attendants, to there being someone named Evgeni, as there was on the one that crashed. Some of the others on the flight are an ex-reporter, Alexey (Wolfgang Cerny), who sits across from and befriends Katerina and Diana, and an uptight, whiskey-drinkin’ right-wing business man, Nikolay (Anatoly Kot), the seemingly psychic bearded “hipster” Pavel (Denis Yasik) who is constantly drawing frantically in a notebook, along with an elderly couple, which includes Evgeni (Ivan Verkhovykh, whose wife, Galina (Iringa Egorova) is afraid to fly. I can’t speak for any other Russian plane or airline, but there are no televisions on the backs of the seats, considering it’s an hours-long flight.

With horrifying dreams and flashbacks, things seem to be repeating for the now adult Katerina that echo 20 years ago, or is it all in her head as the plane flies through a lightning storm and bad turbulence? I once flew through turbulence so bad I hit my head on the overhead even while buckled in, so I could empathize the fear.

One by one, the people on the plane start to perish in sometimes gruesome ways, all reflecting on a “witch” (Yola Sanko) who was on the first plane. Is this some kind of Final Destination deal, or are they all really dead or in Purgatory already like in Carnival of Souls (1962) or Jacob’s Ladder (1990)? Whatever it ends up being, it is effectively creepy as hell, and plays well with memory, imagination, and/or destiny. How much of it is real and how much is in Katerina’s mind? And what is the darken shadow person(s) that keeps popping up, and the little prescient girl (Katerina’s past self?) that Diana keeps talking to that only they can see, individually? Katerina says it clearly that her visions are “becoming more and more real. I’m starting to confuse reality with my nightmares.”

The tube of the plane is claustrophobic, and yet due to the lack of people, it also feels quite roomy at times. But no matter what, there are feelings of déjà vu and that there is nowhere to escape whatever fate has in store for the survivors, which decrease as time goes on. There are a lot of really nice effects and even some blood, and it all works well in the story, which is taut right to the end.

The acting is solid all the way around, including the two young girls who hold their own with the adults. Ivanova is especially a stand-out. The cinematography by Nikolay Smirnov flows well, and the effects by Eugene Antsiferov and Nikita Ovchinnikov, which are quite complex considering all that is going on, are outstanding.

This may not be for people who are afraid to fly, or are politically triggered by what is going on in the world, but as a piece of art on its own, it is quite thrilling. I understand there is also an English version floating around somewhere in the sky.

IMBD Listing HERE 

 

Review: 6:45

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

6:45
Directed by Craig Singer
Storyboard Media; Cascrater Film and Media; Well Go USA Entertainment
96 minutes, 2021
www.645movie.com/
www.facebook.com/645movie/

Wow, there are a lot of films in the past few years where the day repeats over and over, each time with different results, such as one I recently reviewed from Serbia called Incarnation. 

The title of this film refers to a digital (flip) bedside clock that announces the time to re-awaken, at 6:45 AM. This particular clock is in a Bed and Breakfast on an island accessible only by ferry, where a lusty couple, Jules (Augie Duke, who has a Deborah Walley/Donna Pescow vibe) and Bobby (Michael Reed), have come for a long weekend getaway. Bobby has a history on the island, but does not remember much.

The island setting for the film is actually the Jersey Shore, including Ocean Grove, Asbury Park, and Seaside Heights. Thanks to some creative filmmaking, it feels like an island, with the Atlantic Ocean filling in for the body of water supposedly surrounding the locale. There is, however, a nice nod to the location when one of the characters smokes a brand called “Jersey.”

The owner of the place is the smarmy and disturbing Gene (Armen Garo), who creepily listens at the couple’s door while they, well, knock boots. This is a beautiful house among many others packed in together, rather than a middle-of-nowhere cabin, which is refreshing, relatively speaking (isolated cabins are more of a worn tale than repeating days).

Despite all the woo-hooing between them, this is a couple with some issues. Bobby is a bit of a hothead and lothario, and Jules has a deep resentment of him due to a past indiscretion. This causes them to intermittently have tension and being loving.

But the tagline for the film is “Vacation. Die. Repeat,” so it should come to no surprise that at the end of the day, there is no good coming. After a tour of the town, including a stop at a bar where they exchange words with a drunken woman, Brooklyn (Sasha K. Gordon), our intrepid couple meet a grisly demise at the hands of a cowled assassin (Joshua Matthew Smith). That is until it is suddenly 6:45 AM the same day (you saw that coming, I am assuming).

In Final Destination mode, Bobby remembers what happened as a possible dream, and events aren’t exactly the same as things are worded differently in conversations (e.g., in the first, Bobby complains about the bathroom, in the second, Gene mentions the bathroom first). Jules, on the other hand, does not remember anything, which is a bit confusing. Gene tells of a similar murder to the one Bobby and Jules experienced in the first incarnation a couple of years before (during the second 6:45 around). To me, this set up some ideas of the direction of the film and where it may go. I hope I’m wrong since I’m only 30 minutes in, and have lots more 6:45’s to go.

As is the case, each iteration gives more clues, more details to help Bobby possibly avoid a horrible fate for him and Jules. Is it a dream within a dream? A memory before death, as in “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge”? Ghosts like The Others? Fan mail from some flounder? Or perhaps it is something totally different. It has me curious. Especially why he knows, and she does not, since they are both involved.

One of the aspects of the film that I find intriguing is each 6:45 has shadows of the previous ones, but the more times it repeats, the further in the outfield it goes, with some actors playing different people at some point.

While Bobby is trying to figure out the mystery and Jules is annoyed at his behavior as he does, there seem to be others who have some idea what is going on, both giving clues and making it more confusing for everyone watching. Oh, and Bobby, too. Not even halfway through, and I am really curious for some solutions I am guessing will start coming and making more of an impact in the third act. One thing I can definitively say is that each time is bloodier. In fact, by some of the last scenes, the film has moments that are nothing less than gruesome in the context of the story.

Most films with the time repeating theme have subtle supernatural elements (like Groundhog Day), but this one has both feet in the psychological genre as we explore the relationship between Bobby and Jules. I figured out the ending a bit late in the game, and it was well worth the wait.

The two leads are incredibly solid in the acting department. I have been a fan of Reed since The Disco Exorcist (2011), and this role is reminiscent of Normal (2013). He can be an intense actor, as he is here, with Bobby taking the viewer down a road of angst and alcoholism. Duke more than holds her own as they have fine chemistry, and are a believable couple, even with the other dynamics that are swirling around them. There are also a couple of interesting cameos by rappers/actors Remy Ma and The 45 King

The Jersey scenery is beautiful, and with events occurring numerous times, we get to see some detail surrounding the area. But man, it looked cold (I’m guessing early spring before tourist season) as the wind whips around them on the beaches and in other open spaces. While the camerawork by Lucas Pitassi is fluid and occasionally imaginative, it’s the editing by Sam Adelman that caught my attention. This includes some interesting split screen shots that are peppered through a few of the incarnations, perhaps indicating the fracturing of the relationship, or of a personality.

This is the kind of movie that it may be a good idea to watch twice, to see all the missed clues that possibly went over the audience’s heads the first time. Luckily, the film holds up under multiple views.

IMBD Listing HERE