Review: Extramundane

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

Extramundane
Directed by Joshua Sowden
Self Esteem Productions; Deep Sail Media; Indie Rights Movies
94 minutes, 2022
https://sowden-jd.wixsite.com/film

A group of my friends got together last night for some beers (I had an iced tea) and yam fries for the first time in quite a while, due to obvious reasons. Among the group, there is a writer, a photographer, a videographer, a painter, and one is getting proficient on Spanish guitar. They were complaining that since Covid hit, entertainment had pretty much dried up and become bland, and no one was really going out to see movies/concerts anymore. I disagreed and stated that the pandemic has been a boon to independent filmmaking since they were stuck indoors writing scripts, or being forced to find creative ways to make a film with minimal cast, or used it as a theme for their film.

This film hits all three checkboxes. As the director told me, “I shot it as a 1-man crew during the pandemic. It is a true labor of love.” Set in Long Beach, CA, and shot with highly muted colors, it is not quite black and white, but it does have a Noir feel to it. The story centers around Trevor (Brant Rotnem), with his perpetual “Don Johnson-ish” five O’clock shadow, who is hired as a Property Manager, naturally during a time of a pandemic. Timely, as the film takes place in 2020. During the prologue, which could have been a short film on its own, we learn why he was needed to be hired following his predecessor, Steve (Tony Bartele). But there may be more to Trevor than just a manager.

Brant Rotnem

The maintenance manager (aka the super) is a creepy dude named Jerry (Craig Gellis, who looks a bit like Boris Karloff in the late 1930s), who makes himself known to Trevor as he is moving in. I find that when a creepy character is introduced this early on, either he will be the villain of the piece, or a warrior for the good. I am curious to find out (I am less than 15 minutes in…), but of course I will not say in this review. I may give basic plot points, but try to avoid spoilers.

Trevor’s boss is Mr. Gibson (stand-up comic and actor Vinny Coppola, in a nice cameo via Zoom), who is an all-business type (and I’m guessing “connected” to the Families, if ya know what I mean…).

Craig Gellis

What’s fun (though this is not a comedy per se), is meeting the tenants, who have expectations of Trevor, whether it is business hours or not, including Jasmine (Cherie Corinne Rice) and Bobby (Brock Jones), who come across as off-kilter or cultural “Karens.” I lived in a rent-controlled apartment most of my life, and rarely gave the landlord grief unless it was something important; when we moved out about 15 years ago, he told us the rent on the apartment (in Brooklyn, 5 rooms) was going to double for the next people, but he still wished we would stay. But I digress…).

There is definitely someone or something roaming around the atmospherically spooky underground garage, where a lot of this film occurs, a place to avoid if you have Tingchechekuphobia. Especially with the tall, dark, and shadowy figure floating about.

Brock Jones

This film has an interesting way of presenting technology, such as Zoom, texting, and the Internet. In fact, the whole cinematography, done by one-man-crew Sowden, is quite remarkable in that it feels Noir, but avoids being “arty,” although still being a beauty to watch. An impressive example of this is a shot of Trever in a dark corridor, while in the distance is an opening into bright sunlight, and it is all discernable, rather than the camera trying to adjust to either the light or darkness, making the rest either too dark or too light.

People are disappearing from the apartment building, and Trevor is determined to find out why that is happening. Mr. Gibson is unconcerned, telling him to just get the apartment ready for the next tenants. Sweetheart of a guy, eh?

Cherie Corrine Rice

With a single exception, the entire film takes place on the property of the apartment building. Gotta love a mixture of low budget and Covid necessity. It works well, because the building is spacious, but there is still a feeling of claustrophobia that settles in thanks to the lighting, and repetition and size of spaces.

There was another film called The Super (1998) where the titular character tries to figure out why people are disappearing in the building. Similar overarching theme, but different stories.

This is as much a who-done-it mystery as much as a supernatural thriller. While it is not a blood and guts extravaganza (meaning anyone can watch it), it is definitely worth checking out.

 

Horror short bonus review:
Witch
Directed by Joshua Sowden
Self Esteem Productions; Deep Sail Media
5 minutes, 2022
https://sowden-jd.wixsite.com/film

In some ways, this short is similar to the prologue of Extramundane. A man (again, Brant Rotnem, and his facial hair) goes into the basement of his apartment building looking for a broom. When he finds one, anyone who has been to Salem or even seen a coven film, knows this is not the kind of broom that one uses to sweep up dust and dirt. Before long, there is a shadowy figure, and the man tries to escape. Even if you see the ending coming (there are many similar short films like this), it is nicely atmospheric and well shot. Can be watched for free HERE.

Extramundane IMDB listing HERE

Review: All Your Friends Are Dead

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

All Your Friends Are Dead
Directed by Ricky Glore and Nicholas Hiance
NKY Films, SRS Cinema
92 minutes; 2023
www.thenky.com/
www.srscinema.com/
www.rickyglore.com

It can be really interesting to see a debut directorial effort (which tends to be in the horror genre), but double the pleasure, double the fun because this is true for both of those who helmed this slasher project.

Ricky Glore

Mixing a few subgenres, such as masked killer, cabin in the woods, and social anxiety, the story wraps around the lead character, Matt Wilbee (co-director Ricky Glore), who is suffering from a severe case of depression. Once a star athlete in high school, he’s now let himself “go,” including having a drinking problem (in the first 7 minutes, he drinks more than I have in 7 years). Though working in a lowly position in a bar cleaning up, he is about to be homeless thanks to drinking his money away.

Despite his present destitute status, Matt was once part of an exclusive group in high school known as The Pack, who he has not been in contact with in years. Deciding to end his life, he inadvertently assembles The Pack one last time in a secluded campground around Bellevue, Kentucky (the filming location), where they last met around graduation, consisting of the imaginatively named perky Sarah Sunnrae (Eileen Earnest), bully Derek Pummel (Jason Ervin), now rich, buff and obnoxiously narcissistic Greg Neighsayer (Patrick M. Johnston), gay Larry Cochran (Chance Kilgour), and Larry’s lonely bestie, Lorie Blotter (Kira L. Wilson). Another good name for The Pack might be The Fodder.

Kira L. Wilson, Chance Kilgour, Patrick M. Johnston

Whereas the first Act introduces the protagonist, the second fills the viewer in on The Pack, and what a pack they are. There is no problem in distinguishing one personality from another, they are all their own beings, be it good or bad. There is also a truer level of angst between them and Matt, as well as between each other. Sparks fly (not necessarily the fun kind) as they stake their egos on their presentations.

I also enjoyed the certain level of meta going on, with discussions about how this would be the ideal setting for a slasher film, which of course this becomes in the third Act when the masked killer comes a-callin’.

Eileen Earnest

There are some nice red herrings to who is behind the mask. Honestly, I figured it out early on, but it was still worth sitting through the film to confirm. Lots of nice slice and dicing going on, with both decent practical effects and over the top CGI (as usual, mostly the splatter).

This is a dry comedy (with some out-loud laughs), dealing with both dialogue and characterizations. The actors give some credence to the parts they play, though sometimes reach a bit over the top. However, Glore seems to be in his element, ranging from sympathetic depression to maniacal.

Of course, as with most slashers – especially micro-budget ones – the instruments of death tend to be long and sharp albeit sometimes gas-fed. Speaking of budgets, the overall tone of the film is not quite minimalist, but definitely has a low-key flair that suits it well. You can tell they got every penny out of their budget. What I like about that is that the film – particularly the story – does not try to be more than it is; in other words, it does not pretend to be artsy or have too deep a meaning, but is out there for the fun of it, as well as getting experience for both first-time directors.

While the release is fun to watch, despite the somewhat depressing life of Matt, it is also worth sitting through the credits for a few reasons that I will not give away. Just ask yourself, “What hath Marvel started?!”

Fans of limited run special edition horror movies will have the opportunity to pre-order the film at the SRS Cinema’s Website (see eAddress above). The disc will include extras, such as a “Making Of” featurette, a commentary by the Director and Producers, the film’s trailer, and a host of other SRS trailers.

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: Guilt

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

Guilt
Directed by William Chaffin
Few Man Crew Films; Brave Runner Films; Indie Rights Movies
75 minutes, 2022
www.facebook.com/Guiltmovieproject

Two quick comments that I will follow up with later. First, this is a relatively short film at 75 minutes (i.e., perfect length) so the action begins pretty right off the bat. Second, this incorporates a mixture of horror and psychological uncertainties, which is right up my alley. Love it when reality and in the mind combine for a bit of confusion on the viewer’s part.

We are introduced to our protagonist Elizabeth Stanton (Anna Hoots) as she comes home to her parents, Ann (Sarah Turner Holland) and Josh’s (Christopher Rowley) house, with luggage that matches her car. Love that bit. But things are not – of course – as simple as that, as she has images/dreams of a demon, smoke filled rooms (I remember the days when music clubs were like that, but I digress…), and murder.

Anna Hoots

Y’see, Elizabeth has a history of schizophrenia but is now off her meds and obviously has a touch of OCD. She is just home from undergrad college with an ironic psychology degree, and wants to live a normal life. However, her college roomie and best friend Victoria (Darby Flynn) is dead and she is accusing Victoria’s boy friend, Kyle (HaRoon Khan), though the police, led by Detective Olivia Mattingly (Liz Fletcher), believe it to be suicide. Also on the case is an ex-priest-turned-Private Investigator, the appropriately named Matt Gravesman (Jared Noble); his business card reads “Paranormal PI.” In an odd conversation together, Mattingly tells Gravesman that she is “not very religious,” even though she has a prominent cross necklace. Anyway, I found that amusing. They are adversaries of sorts at first, which means, I am guessing, they will team up before long.

Through all this, Elizabeth keeps having violent dreams where that robed demon is killing people she knows, and awakes to find out they are actually dead. Is it the demon or a manifestation of her own personality that is knocking people off? And why hasn’t she been arrested, when she admits she was the only one in the room when someone died, other than her demon self that is supposedly trying to possess her? The bodies pile up, an she’s still running around off her meds and claiming she’s not schizophrenic.

The only one who believes her is Gravesman, who used to perform exorcisms when he was still a priest. In certain parts of the film, though not prevalent, there is an undercurrent of religiosity that sometimes feels a bit overdone, but luckily its only in a few scenes, or I would have exorcized this film right out. As with most exorcism films, there are a number of Catholic tropes, such as saying the “Hail Mary” (aka “Ave Maria”) prayer from Luke, along with the general “Our Father” from Matthew (I may be an atheist, but that does not mean I am ignorant).

The demon is leaning on Elizabeth because it is feeding on her guilt of events earlier in her life, hence the name of the film.

The biggest issue I have with this is that it goes against its own philosophy about being possessed when dying, but I will not say who or under what circumstances because that would give away one of the better surprises in the film. However, perhaps they were going for the possibility of a sequel? If that is the reason, then I can relax about it.

Hoots, Liz Fletcher, Jared Noble, David Moak

Despite a few holes such as the couple I mentioned above (the rest are pretty minor), there are some good surprises throughout, which I did not see coming (always a good thing), and I liked the make-up. I also like the bread-and-butter filmmaking of Elizabeth’s dreams being indicated by either smoke or a smoke filter. Sometimes the smoke is a bit on the dark side, giving some nice shadow effects. Speaking of which, the cinematography by Benjamin Paul Rigney, who has worked mostly on shorts, is to the point without drowning in arty flair (including the drone shots which seem to be all of the same street/same height/same angle, arguably shot at the same time; you can tell the difference of time though, by the varied cars traveling the road).

Even so, the film is a stripped-down, meat-and-potatoes (there goes a food analogy again) fare that is what it is, with no real pretentions or artifice. While there is some profanity, there is no nudity, no gore, and I cannot remember any blood, but there is at least a decent sized body count, including some that are not expected.

Overall, this can be an enjoyable afternoon sojourn into the world of priests (and ex-priests), a cool demon, and exorcisms.

IMDB listing HERE 

Available free on TubiTV HERE 

Review: Beyond the Shadows

Text © Richard Gary / Indie Horror Films, 2020

Images from the Internet

Beyond the Shadows

Directed by David James Gustafson

Great Gus Productions

93 minutes, 2020

https://www.greatgusproductions.com/

There is an entire subgenre on the topic of a collective of ghost hunters, ranging from the big budget ones like The Haunting (1962), The Legend of Hell House (1973),  Poltergeist (1982), and The Conjuring (2013), to mostly indies like Grave Encounters (2011), Todd Sheet’s Ouija Death Trap (2014), and this one. The major differences are the smaller funded releases tend to be in the found footage (FF) style; this one is a mixture of both FF and linear (though it all appears to be hand-held camera action).

Brianna Piage Dague, Tyler Roy Roberts, Tyler Ryan

During the extended eight-minute prologue before the opening credits, we meet the ghost hunter crew who host a cable television show called, of course, “Beyond the Shadows.” Led by the dashing family man and aptly-named Drexler “Drex” Faust (Tyler Roy Roberts), they include his assistant and “ladies man” Jonathon Coxman (Sam Olive), and their cameraman, Sammy (Westin Hedin), the latter of whom talks in an annoyingly profane, “bro” and “dude” language that gets on the nerves quite quickly. You may notice that name of the roles are easily identifiable with traits related to the film; it’s a fun game to connect the meanings and the characterizations.

You can see lots of shows like this on cable, as well, such as “Ghost Hunters,” “Ghost Adventures,” and so many others. Where’s James Randi when you need him, eh? We are getting there...

Like many of those programs, “Beyond the Shadows” is a bunch of entrepreneurs (i.e., fakers) trying to cash in on peoples’ fear of the unknown, death and the afterlife. Their next gig, and the major portion of this film, deals with the Chetco River Lodge, Washington State, where a couple of white settlers apparently killed a large number of Native Americans in the mid-19th Century. And, Drex is filled with hubris that you know, if you follow these kinds of films, is going to bite him and the group in the ass.

Gabrielle Malate

For this new venture, they are bringing others along (collectively known as the body count). Of course, there is the detractors and debunkers, in this case Dr. Calvin Harding (Cameron Lee Price) in the Great Randi role, with his assistant Dr. Emma Bright (Stevie Mae), and his own cameraperson and younger brother, Keith (Alex McIntire), to give another angle for editing the film I am assuming; smart move. While most of the film crew are worried about bringing the doc along, they are to be joined by psychic Phantasma Spectre (Gabrielle Malate) and “superfans” hot-for-Drex Ashley (Brianna Paige Dague), hot-for-Drex Rooster (Tyler Ryan) who is an amateur taxidermist in his “gay-rage,” and stoner Lou (Apostolos Gliarmis), who is apparently really into deli-meat sandwiches. Also joining along are the crew’s friend, producer and on-air talent Bryan (Derrick Woodrin), and “groupies” (as Coxman calls them) Holly (Ella Anderson) and Eve (Lindsay Gustafson).

While a dark comedy, bits of it is pretty broad, such as the characterization of Monty (Ty Boice), who runs the Lodge. He is neat, tidy, particular and peculiar. You know he knows more than he is letting on, as he is quite joyous about the hauntings.

Despite the comedy, there is a serious element in here as well, and that is the European/Settlers treatment of the Native Americans. Bryan has a concentrated speech about some of that, which I’m sure will just go over the heads of many stoned and drunk viewers of the film who may consider this part a downer, but I really am glad they are addressing it. This will be a key, underlying theme to the film that will tie everything together.

About the half-way point, the film kicks into a new gear as the group convenes at the lodge, and we get to meet all the new and relevant characters at once. It is a large group of nearly a dozen, so there is a chance for lots of bodies to pile up.

Alex McIntire, Cameron Lee Price

There is tension in the four groups, between the film crew who is trying to put one over on the skeptics, the scientists who not only disbelieve in spirits but are quite perturbed about it all, the uber-fans who are excited to be there in creepy fanboy (and girl) ways, and the psychic (a group of one).

Throughout the film there are flickers to indicate video “noise,” which I am going to guess are subliminal images, but I’m watching this online and my computer doesn’t do frame-by-frame; that’s something you may look forward to doing.

The effects are… well, the physical SFX look good, but thanks to budgetary constraints, most of the killings are done out of camera sight. However, the after-effects look great. There is one major digital FX that looks kind of cartoonish, but being a micro-budget release and the fact they only do that once that I can tell, I’ll let it pass as it did not ruin the experience of the whole film for me. Most of the acting is rather good, with Roberts, Woodrin and Malate coming off the best.

This film is truly a Gustafson family affair, with a few actors and a surprising number of the crew carrying the surname. Kudos for that, as I’m sure that cut the costs enormously (if it was done right).

Anyone who is a regular reader of this blog knows that I am not necessarily a fan of FF films, but combining it with a more standardized format (though handheld), makes it more palatable. As for the story, it was surprisingly interesting and even though there is easily 10 minutes that could have been excised from the final cut (such Racoon’s taxidermy story in the driveway), this kept my interest, especially during the second half. So, dude, if you are a bro and want to see some better-than-Paranormal Activity action, this may be your slice of pie. Shall we put it on in the gay-rage? You can see the full film for free on YouTube HERE. 

Review: The Lurker

Text © Richard Gary / Indie Horror Films, 2020

Images from the Internet

The Lurker

Directed by Eric Liberacki

Forever Safe Productions, FFIILLMM, Silva Shots

80 minutes, 2020

www.facebook.com/thelurkerfilm/

I say this without sarcasm or negativity: another masked serial killer is on the loose, and the end result is not purity test perfection, but enjoyable.

Scout Taylor-Compton (far right) and future body count

Taking place at Crystal Lake High (no, this is not a spoof, nor a comedy) we are introduced to the cast of the school play, Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. The Juliet lead is troubled Taylor (Scout Taylor-Compton; Lita Ford in The Runaways in 2010, and Laurie Strode in the Rob Zombie Halloween remakes) and her Romeo-in-name-only co-star is Miles (Michael Emery). Both Taylor-Compton and Emery are competent and have had a decent career to date, but as other reviewers have pointed out, they have aged out of the roles they are playing. But I’m willing to by-pass this, though it is a bit distracting.

While the performance is on stage, the first of the many kills that leads to a decent body count takes place in the hallway of the school to a guidance counselor (it’s the opening scene, so I’m not giving anything away). What I found a bit strange, and there were a few of these moments, is that the next day, the classes are going on with no grief counselor offered, no sign of the principal, and all while the yellow tape is still up and the crime scene officers are investigating. No one at the school seems to be talking about it much, either. A student was murdered in a bathroom in my high school back in the 1970s, and the school was closed for days, and it was main topic on everyone’s lips for the rest of the semester (true event).

Anyway, the main focus is on popular student Taylor, who has a career in acting envisioned ahead for her, but things have not been going well lately, and when we meet her, she is moody and not very likeable. But she’s a gem compared to rape-culture bully boy Miles. But Taylor seems to have a killer after her who wears a cool raven mask and a cowl, looking straight out of Amadeus (1984). I figured out who was, as the Cramps sang, “behind the mask” at the 17-minute mark, but thankfully, there’s also a nice twist at the end that I won’t reveal.

Michael Emery

This film gives a bit more of a backlight of story on the characters, making many of them not just there for the kills, which I appreciated. As much as I like a large kill number, I want to at least feel like some of the people getting butchered are actually there for a reason.

There is a subplot which is given to us in drabs, at the beginning mostly in silent b-roll; however you know that by the end of the film, it all will be clear, and that works okay, leading up to a not-necessarily expected climax (for me, anyway) that was not deterred by figuring out who is behind the slayings.

At first, the kills come far and between, but by the third act, the pace picks up significantly. And the murders look really good, with some nice physical SFX work without being overly graphic in most cases. Also, the murders are pretty imaginative (not just “I have big knife and I chop”); that being said, I am going to suggest you not see the trailer below because it give too much information and shows too many of the slaughters, which I understand it’s supposed to be the draw, but too much is too much. Why see the film if it’s all there already? Thankfully, I watched the trailer after viewing the film (I tend to do that, especially with indies).

The acting is mostly pretty solid, with some experienced players such as Taylor-Compton, so there is that benefit. Some of the writing is questionable and a bit cliched (such as a group in the woods splitting up to go searching separately). My big question is if you know a killer is after you at someone’s house, why would you go to the empty school rather than the police station? That’s where I would bee-line. Little things like that are bound to draw some groans from experienced slasher enthusiasts (while smiling with glee knowing more kills are on the way).

There’s a few decent cameos throughout, such as Ari Lehman (who has made a career out of popping into pix since being the original kid Jason at the end of Friday the 13th; though with that fancy Dali-esque goatee, he looks like he’s vying to play a Musketeer), triathlete Fast Eddie Huchro, and Rikki Lee Travolta (no relation to John) who sports a distracting Southern drawl for no apparent reason as this was filmed in Chicago.

One of the nice touches is that there is no single red herring here, but rather a slew (pun intended) of them. Lots of obvious killer possibilities to draw you away from what felt like the obvious to me; again, knowing who the killer was did not deter from the twist (which I had also partially figured out, though to be honest, I was not sure of the motive until later).

In summation, while there are some script issues and actors that are distracting by playing teenagers despite their obvious acting talent, this was a nice throwback to the 1980s style of slashers that are flawed, but even with those mistakes are part of what makes the viewing all the more interesting.

Review: Lifeform

Text © Richard Gary / Indie Horror Films, 2020

Images from the Internet

Lifeform

Directed by Max Dementor (aka Brian Schiavo)

Strangewerks Films / Wild Eye Releasing / MVD Entertainment

105 minutes, 2019

www.facebook.com/Lifeform-The-Horror-Movie/

www.wildeyereleasing.com

www.mvdb2b.com

People being inadvertently changed into monsters through nature or science is hardly new. It isn’t difficult to go even further back than, say, The Hideous Sun Demon (1958) to find this subgenre. A big difference, though, is that in earlier versions, it was usually men that were transformed, but as time passed on, it focused more on women, usually the sexier the better. The obvious notation that will be associated with this release is the Species franchise (beginning in 1995) or its lesser cousin Splice (2009), but it has continued, even as recently as Bite (2015).

As for trying to bring back the dead through science hoping with a result of normalcy has also been present for years; again, the obvious touchstone is the Re-Animator films (starting in 1985). These sub-genres tend to be films I enjoy, so when I saw the trailer for Lifeform, I definitely was hoping to get the chance to see it… And, Ta da!

Social worker Sam(antha) (Virginia Logan) is married to stem cell research scientist Hadrian (Peter Alexandrou). Hadrian and his assistant, Chloe (Kate Britton) are working on a project to help heal by replacing cells. They also have the working-close-together-for-a-long-time hots for each other, and Hadrian (man, that’s a clumsy name; perhaps it is to explain indirectly the actor’s accent) is torn between his love for his wife and his attraction for his assistant. While I don’t respect that as I’ve happily been loyal for over a quarter of a century, this really is quite the fetching cast. But I digress…

When Sam catches the two scientists neckin’, she runs out into the New York City street where she promptly has a brain embolism and collapses on the sidewalk (this is all in the trailer, by-the-by). Natch, Hadrian is in remorse, but is still working with Chloe, and they inject her with some test fluids taken from a jellyfish, of all things. Of course, this leads to transformations, brain eating, and lots of tentacles, but more on that later.

 As time passes, Sam mutates more, sexual tensions rise all the way around, and people drop like flies (yes, there is a decent body count).

The film is beautifully shot in widescreen, and while many of the images are dimly lit, it looks really good; many apply a Sergio Leoni-level close-up so at least parts of the face or forehead are out of camera range. Again, good looking cast, so it’s not a problem, other than on occasion (but not often) it’s a bit hard to define exactly what is going on.

As for the logistics, this is a decent story with some interesting subplots regarding the scientist’s boss and family, even with some holes here and there, but the dialogue is bland and could use some punching up. The same can be said for the fetching participants’ not so fetching wooden acting.

The effects run from looking decent (appliances) to pretty cheesy (digital). One of the creatures even looks like pre-Ray Harryhausen stop motion. Actually, considering the obvious budget constraints this film must have been under, this is some decent work (remember how near the end of the first Evil Dead how fake the clay body looked as things goo’d out of it?). And for those who are into this sort of thing, there is a lot of female nudity, especially from the navel and up. Again, not complaining!

Speaking of the carnal phases of it, there are a lot of subtle fetishes thrown in here along with the bare skin. For example, even though the original cells were from a jellyfish, there is a lot of inspiration from tentacle hentai, and also some B&D thrown in, with various women tied to chairs or chained up. Now one of the reasons for the various monstrous varieties that appear is that the creature (Sam) is a shapeshifter (says the publicity), and as an example, one of the more interesting ones is a cross between a preying mantis and scorpion (and a nod to 1956’s The She Creature).

I do have a few quite silly questions here and there that took me out of the story. For example, there is a monster running loose killing people in Park Slope, Brooklyn; have you even been to Park Slope? Even in the middle of the night, it’s a pretty hopping place, even by the warehouses between the Brooklyn and Manhattan Bridges. Also, some shots were obviously filmed on a main Avenue, but it’s like they all appear to be from the same block, if one goes by the scaffolding that seems to nearly always be there. What’s up with that, asks this Brooklyn born and bred boy?

For me, the biggest fault is its length, as it could have easily been edited down to under 90 minutes. But this is only the director’s second feature, and he’s got some learning to do. His first full lengther from 2010, The Shriven, also has similar themes, such as a murderous shapeshifting woman and tentacles (I have only seen the trailer), I say give him a chance. With its flaws, this was still a fun flick.