Reviews: 6 Various Horror Musicals, Part I

 Reviews: 6 Various Horror Musicals, Part I

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

Growing up, I was as much a fan of musicals as I was of horror films. To some extent, I still am. First a guideline on the reviews here. These are films where the music is narrative, not just a band playing (e.g., 2009’s Suck) or music playing over the soundtrack, with one exception. What we have here is horror films where characters break into songs that further the story, or reflect on it in an unnatural way. It should come as no surprise that most horror musicals are also comedies.

Some of these films I have reviewed previously in a more extensive form, and I have hyperlinked to the full review in these instances.

These films below are not ranked, but are listed alphabetically, all from TubiTV, unless indicated. Note that my snark is truly meant to be fun and rib-poking with a touch of stream of consciousness for the shorter reviews. I had just the right low-budget expectation for these films, so I was not blindsided by anticipating a theatrical extravaganza experience. After all, when it comes to the cheese level, there are times when ya want melted brie on toast, and at others, Cheez-Whiz on animal crackers. I enjoyed these films for precisely what they are. Links to the coming attractions for all of them are at the bottom of each review.

 

The Devil’s Carnival
Directed by Darren Lynn Bousman
56 minutes, 2012
There are three interlocking tales based on greed/ego, blind trust (via lust is my interpretation) and grief/suicide, mixed with the telling of Aesop’s Fables. That’s the basic premise, but there is just so much going on at the same time. The carnival is the entranceway to hell, and each person coming through is tested to get to the next step, making sure not to break any of the “666 Rules.” Terrance Zdunich, the writer of the film and its music, plays a very interesting looking Devil, who does not take the obvious road when it comes to the songs. Yeah, “666 Rules” is kinda catchy, but most of the music is dense, off-beat and dissonant. Not only are the songs odd, but so is the whole production, and again, that’s meant complimentary. Everyone in the film seems to be having fun doing it, and there are some “names” in the cast, such as Alexa PenaVega (from the Spy Kids series), musician Emilie Autumn, and Bill Moseley (from House of 1000 Corpses, The Devil’s Rejects and 3 From Hell). The film is definitely dark in tone – though not overwhelmingly so – but that is not surprising considering Darren Lynn Bousman also directed the likes of Saw II through Saw IV, as well as Spiral. For the full review, go HERE. 
Trailer is HERE

 

The Devil’s Carnival Alleluia!
Directed by Darren Lynn Bousman
96 minutes, 2016
This is the sequel to the film above, which is essentially the second war of Satan vs. God (Terrance Zdunich and Paul Sorvino, d. 2022, respectively). Seems the Debbil is dropping off lost soul that belong in Hell (i.e., The Carnival) and shipping them to Heaven to distract God enough to take over. Meanwhile, we also get to hear the devil tell a story about a group trying to get into heaven. Best I can tell, it took place in the late 1940s, or very early 1950s. God is shown as cruel, demanding, and conspiratorial, much as He is in the Old Testament. Also, it addresses the lack of free will allowed in Heaven, something philosophers have been arguing for centuries. It is nice there is a psychological element to the film, rather than just showing black and white God good/Devil bad. The story is used as the lynchpin to explain about the coming incursion, with the film ending just as the war is about to begin. The set design, lighting, and cinematography definitely has its own character, as did the first one.. There is some amazing casting here including Ted Neeley (who played the title character in 1973’s Jesus Christ Superstar; as a side note, there is a nod to JCSS when someone asks, “What’s the Buzz? Tell me what’s happening”), Barry Bostwick (1975’s The Rocky Horror Picture Show), Bill Moseley (Rob Zombie’s Firefly trilogy), and David Hasselhoff (“Baywatch”). While this looks like the second of a trilogy (and it may yet be), Sorvino, who both played God and was a producer, has passed away, and there is nothing listed on the director’s up-and-coming that indicates that it will carry on, but still an interesting piece to watch even as a standalone.
Trailer is HERE

 

Evil Dead the Musical
Directed by Christopher Bond; Hinton Battle
101 minutes, 2007
Yes, this is a tape of the final night (February 17, 2007) of the Off-Broadway version of the infamous Sam Raimi films. The camera is static and in the back (I’m not sure if this is “official” or a cell phone taping), being further away than the trailer indicates, and the sound reflects that. It is recommended to watch this “full screen.” I did not know what to expect, though I knew the soundtrack is quite popular. This play mixes Evil Dead (1981) in the first act, and Evil Dead II (1987) in the second(though there is also a few bits from Army of Darkness, 1992), starring Ryan Ward (Ash), Jennifer Byrne (Linda, Ash’s girlfriend), diminutive and amazingly energetic Jenna Coker (Cheryl, Ash’s sister), Brandon Wardell (Scott, Ash’s best friend), Renee Klapmeyer (Shelly, Scott’s girlfriend/Annie, the professor’s daughter), Tom Walker (Ed, Annie’s boyfriend), and Daryll Winslow (Jake, a local yokel). Now that that is out of the way, let’s get back to the play. It is loyal enough to the story to get Sam Raimi and Bruce Campbell’s approval. The films had comic elements, but this is solidly hilarious. I laughed often, and out loud. Sometimes it is self-reflective (one character yells at Ash, you killed all the demons except the one that makes puns?, for example). Sometimes the lyrics are a bit hard to make out, but generally this is very enjoyable. I was a bit worried about the first set (i.e., the woods), but the cabin and all its accoutrement that plays into the story is great, right down to the moose head. The songs, the dancing, beheadings, the demons, the blood-splatter (first couple of rows is not the place you want to sit). The story is a bit jumbled a bit from its source material, but I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised how much I laughed, as it is well-written. There are lots of songs, with titles like “Houseware’s Employee,” “What the Fuck Was That?,” All the Men in My Life Keep Getting Killed by Candarian Demons,” “Do the Necronomicon,” and “Blew That Bitch Away.” This is available free on YouTube.
Trailer is HERE

 

Happiness of the Katakuris (aka Katakuri-ke no kofuku)
Directed by Takaski Miike
113 minutes, 2001
A mixture of the love of family, death-death-and-more-death, horror, crime, comedy, dancing, and a snappy soundtrack; yes, we’re off to a Takashi Miike off-kilter special treat. The six-member Katakuri family moved out to the countryside to try and make a go at a Bed and Breakfast called the White Lovers’ Guesthouse, but are waiting for patrons to finally show up. The problems begin when they do eventually come. And go. Through no fault of the Katakuri tribe, the customers rarely seem to last a night without meeting their maker by different means. Since the family doesn’t want to ruin their reputation before they have the chance to be successful, they must figure out what to do with the growing pile of bodies. This is actually very dark and humorous at the same time. For example, in Miike fashion, some the characters include a sumo wrestler and his obviously underage uniformed schoolgirl girlfriend, a TV announcer who has a bug climb into his nose, violence, zombies of a sort, and as I said, a nice body count. And did I mention the Claymation yet? For the full review, go HERE.
Trailer is HERE

 

The Incredibly Strange Creatures Who Stopped Living and Became Mixed Up Zombies!!? (aka The Incredibly Mixed Up Zombie; Diabolical Dr. Voodoo; The Teenage Psycho Meets Bloody Mary)
Directed by Ray Dennis Steckler
82 minutes, 1964
Often Ed Wood is opined as “worst film maker,” though his films have become cult classics. Lesser known for the same reasons is director Ray Dennis Steckler (d. 2009). Along with this doozy, which cost $38,000 to make (about $370,000 in today’s dollars), he also directed other “Grade Z” cults classics like Wild Guitar (1962, with Arch Hall, Jr.!), Rat Pfink and Boo Boo (1967), and the music video for Jefferson Airplane’s “White Rabbit” (1967). For this hot mess, shot in “Bloody-Vision” and “Hallucinogenic Hypnovision,” Jerry (the director, using the stage name Cash Flagg) and his best girl, Angie (Sharon Walsh, the director’s spouse at the time), along with Jerry’s pal Harold (Atlas King, looking remarkably like Arch Hall, Jr.) go to an Amusement park (The Pike, Long Beach, CA; closed 1968) run by the evil fortune teller, Madame Estrella (Brett O’Hara). Her sister, Carmelita (Erina Enyo), is a stripper at a music and comedy club called the Hungry Mouth that is connected to the park, where much of the tunes in the film originate. She’s an alcoholic on the verge of being fired, and so the Madame hypnotizes Larry to go out and kill Carmelita’s competition. Eventually, the Madame’s acid-scarred “pets” (previous hipnoteeze, i.e., the titular zombies) get loose and wreak havoc on the dancers and patrons of the club. The acting is horrendous and the writing is on equal level, but the filmmaking by Steckler is well ahead of its time, with twirling images, weird editing, and playing with the film itself. This is especially true during an extended dream sequence. Because of when this was shot, four years before Night of the Living Dead (1968), the zombies were murderous, but not cannibalistic; they are hunched over and disfigured (make-up by Tom Scher) but move quickly. Like other films of the time, filmed just as the Beatles were hitting, the music here reminds me a bit of the ballads that were sung often in the Avalon/Funicello beach franchise, which was popular at the time. When I worked as an usher in a movie theater in Brooklyn in the 1970s, the Bloody Mary version of this film played on Halloween, and we minimum wage staffers had to run through the theater wearing masks at the point when the monsters were loose on-screen. One of my fellow ushers got punched in the face by a Tony Manero type, and that ended that. Things were different a dozen years earlier when this was released.
Trailer is HERE

 

Little Shop of Horrors
Directed by Frank Oz
94 minutes, 1986
Yes, I know, at a budget of $25 million, this is hardly an independent work, but if you did not know, it is based on a black and white, low budget film by the same name, put out by Roger Corman in 1960 (which included Jack Nicholson’s very first role ever in the dentist’s patient/victim played by Bill Murray in the remake). I fell in love with the off-Broadway soundtrack (on cassette) from 1982. This film, though, is quite different in that many of the original songs are changed, dropped, or new ones added for the film, though in an instant, I would take “Mean Green Mother from Outer Space” for “You’re the One That I Want.”. This is a blast with catchy music and fun acting, though it is incredibly bloated by “name” actors to grab an audience, much like the film (1978) adaptation of the play (1972) Grease (and both were huge successes). I was one of those snobs who was disappointed in the new conclusion of the film, preferring its original ending, but director Oz was too afraid to offend a sanitized general audience who would think it to be too negative. Still the film is a beauty, especially scenes like “Skid Row” and “Suddenly Seymour.” I thought Steve Martin was horrendous as the doctor (and I am a Martin fan from his earliest of days of “The Ray Stevens Show" in 1970 (which isn’t even listed on IMDB!). Surely everyone now knows the story of Seymour, his sweetie, Audrey, and the ever-growing venus flytrap from outer space, Audrey II. This film was a huuuuuge success and is beloved by many. I really enjoy parts of it, and others, such as the dentist scenes and John Candy’s cameo (and I’m a Candy-man fan). If you have not seen it, it is worth it. This film is available on Freebie TV, NBC, SYFY, USA Network, Bravo, E!, Telemundo, OXYGEN, Prime Video, Redbox, or Vudu on your Roku device; the non-musical 1960 original is on TubiTV.
Trailer is HERE

Review: Satan’s Little Helper

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

Satan’s Little Helper
Directed by Jeff Lieberman
Intrinsic Value Films; Synapse Films; MVD Entertainment
96 minutes, 2004 / 2022
www.MVDEntertainment.com/
Yeah, I know, the focus of this film is on Halloween night, and we are well into the seemingly never-ending Xmas season. But my assumption is that whoever is reading this is a horror fan, and it is Halloween all year ‘round. I will take this film in that – er – spirit.

The main focus here is on the Whooly family, who live on the fictious Bell Island. There’s the mom, Merrill (Amanda Plumber!!!), Dean (Wass Stevens), sister theater majors Jenna (Katheryn Winnick; Lagertha from “The Vikings”) and her new boyfriend Alex (Stephen Graham) who have come home for the holiday, and especially nine-year-old Douglas, aka Dougie (Alexander Brickel).

Joshua Annex

Dressed like the debbil for Halloween, Dougie is obsessed with a handheld video game called “Satan’s Little Helper,” where his avatar helps Satan kill people. The game is above 8-bit, but lacking by today’s standard. He is fixated on this theme, and hopes to meet the red guy on Halloween and help him. Meanwhile, he is totally possessive of his sister, and is not happy about Alex (something tells me a future action will occur).

While Winnick dresses like a Renaissance slut (and lookin’ good in it) and Alex decides to also dress like Satan hoping to bond with Dougie, while Dougie is walking the Halloween Day streets looking for the real Satan. But he does find the next best thing: a non-speaking serial killer in a devilish mask (Joshua Annex). Actually, the mask looks great. He goes to various houses, kills the occupants, and puts them out in front of the house as Halloween decorations, right in public. In this way, Dougie fulfills his fantasy of being this Satan’s little helper.

Alexander Brickel, Annex

While everything that has happened before is enjoyable (other than a pet killing), it really picks up in the second act, when Dougie brings the killer home, and he is mistaken for someone else, so is incorporated into the family unit. Yet, still, he manages to get around the town with Dougie long enough to cause numerous deaths and damage; Dougie so fixated, he has trouble distinguishing reality from the game, so he does not believe the carnage to be real, even as he watches, and in some ways, participates.

The devil comes home to roost when he returns to the Whooly house – er – and all hell breaks loose. And let me add, Dougie is not the sharpest stick in da woods. Actually, none of the cast seems to be fully conscious. For example, and I will not give it away, but there is a thematic device is that is used twice. People will probably figure it out at least the second time (I did on the first, but I’m a stable genius). You would think one of the characters who was involved with the first one would recognize the pattern for the second one. But nooooooo.

Katheryn Winnick, Annex

Despite this, I have to say this is the first slasher film I have seen in a while that made me smile in its imaginative take. Yes, there is a sense of humor to the whole thing, but my enjoyment went beyond that.

The SFX is practical (thanks to a low budget) and looks really great. The acting is also worth noting (did I not say Amanda “Honey Bunny” Plumber?). The Dougie character is a bit annoying, but I do believe it is not the fault of the actor. The cast also works well together.

Amanda Plumber (far left), Annex, etc.

To start off the extras is a full commentary by the director, Jeff Lieberman. His tone in kind of flat and monotone here, unlike on some of the other additions, but the information is worth the listen. He is still an engaging speaker (though the sound was a bit low and I had to turn the volume way up), and there are a lot of good stories – just the various locations and how they were all edited together alone was fun – also giving some info on the film that I did not catch during the first viewing. Worth the watch.

Next is a “Behind-the-Scenes of Satan’s Little Helper” featurette (5 min), obviously done in 2004, when the film was released. With narration, they dissect three scenes and show the viewer how the magic was done. Fun. This is followed by another featurette, “The Devil and the Details: Making Satan’s Little Helper (33 min). This brings us into 2022, giving us interviews with the director, other crew members such as the guy who designed the mask, and an adult Dougie (who’s “look” is similar to middle period Weird Al Yankovic). Interspersed with scenes from the film that are relevant to the conversation, it makes for some compelling viewing, unlike many other featurettes I have seen of late.

“Mister Satan's Neighborhood” is a tour of the filming locations with director Jeff Lieberman (32 min). Showing some towns in Westchester, New York, and Connecticut, Lieberman (holding the killer’s Satan mask throughout, even talking to it) takes a very detailed look at some of the locations, but also tells some (in Dougie’s words) cool anecdotes about filming in these spots. More detailed than most, though he did not show any of the Maine spots. Filmed in 2022 by Synapse Films, this is, again, one of the better location shot mini-docs I have seen of late. The last extra is the film’s promotional trailer, which gives away too much of the fun.

Lieberman’s history is that he is mainly known for four films out of his career in the horror genre: Squirm (1976), Blue Sunshine (1978), Just Before Dawn (1981), and this one. His films are a bit quirky, lean toward black humor, and are exceptionally enjoyable. That is especially true for Satan’s Little Helper.

IMDB listing HERE https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0380687/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0

Older trailer without as much given away:

Review: Val

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

Val
Directed by Aaron Fradkin
Social House Films; Dread; Epic Pictures; MVD Entertainment
81 minutes, 2021
www.epic-pictures.com
www.mvdb2b.com

If I may start with a digression, as a fan of printed text, having started my real-life career as a typesetter, I am totally impressed by the hard kerning of the “V” and “A” of the title, though I may have tilted the “L” towards the “A” at the angle of the “V” for consistency. Still, it’s a beautiful thing. Okay, end of digression.

So, when is a good thing too much, and the hunter-and-hunted game become reversed, where the person in charge finds out, well, their leverage is not as powerful as they imagined? It’s a premise that’s been around at least since “The Twilight Zone” episode with Sebastian Cabot, “ A Nice Place to Visit.” One could even include The Last House on the Left (1972; 2009) or even Straw Dogs (1971; 2011). But it is the supernatural element that takes it to the next level.

Misha Reeves

In this very dark comedy, criminal-on-the-run Fin (Zachary Mooren), looking like a French Adrian Brody) breaks into the enormous house of the titular Val (Misha Reeves). To start, the power dynamics, of course, are on the side of Fin, knife in hand and threatening scantily-clad redheaded and cleavage-bound Morren.

Val makes her living as a dominatrix, and when Freddy (Erik Griffin), a gangster-type John shows up, things do not go down too well. But will he stay down? Figure it out yourself, or better still, just watch the film. Meanwhile, the relationship between Fin and Val don’t exactly heat up in that way, but the dialogue is quick and witty, with Val trying to charm and assert (as that is her profession) and Fin is untrusting but despite weird and unexplained things happening around him, Fin doesn’t seem to question too hard about the unnatural stuff going on. Perhaps it is Val’s seductive tone (and attire) that are distracting. Most of the plot is the rapport, good and bad, about them that is the core of the film.

Zachary Mooren

While no particular religious denomination is discussed, the central theme of the film is about the Biblical question of whether or not we have free will, as much as what/who is good and what/who is evil. Fin is coerced more often than not by certainly more than one character, but is that still a choice?

It also uses a very colorful palate that increases in intensity as the story unfolds, especially highlighting on reds, with Reeves’ hair and lips being the central focus, most of the time.

Kyle Howard, Reeves, Sufe Bradshaw

It is hardly surprising that this is a comedy and the timing is so sharp since many of the cast are actually comedians and have a history of comic acting. Some of this comes across especially in the scenes with the two police officers investigating, level-headed Office Daughtry (Sufe Bradshaw) and her doofus partner, Officer Myers (Kyle Howard).

The set for most of the shoot is actually a supposedly haunted mansion in Ojai, California, that was both rented by-the-day, and also served as a place to stay for the cast and crew. Fradkin uses the space incredibly well, making it feel expansive for Val and claustrophobic for Fin at the same time.

There are some nice extras on the Blu-ray, starting with the “Behind the Scenes: The Making of Val” featurette (7 min.). Led by both the director/co-writer, Fradkin and the co-writer/executive producer Victoria Fratz (an engaged couple), it is short and sweet, and more importantly gets the job done. They talk about the production jointly, from how they came up with the idea through pre-production and then the filming itself. It is light and fluffy, and enjoyable.

Next up is a Q&A let by Josh Milligan after the online premier of Val on “Popcorn Frights,” from Dread Central’s channel (40 min.). Via Zoom, it includes Fradkin, Fratz, lead actors Reeves, Mooren, and stand-up corpse, Griffin. There are lots of good stories about the production, though not much about the plot, but since so many of them come from world of comedy, the talk flows well with humor and good heartedness. I also found it interesting that initial filming ended three days before the COVID lockdowns in March 2020.

Also included are two of director Fradkin’s shorts, “Happy Birthday” and “The Ballerina.” I have seen both of these before on YouTube and was very impressed. They both center on obsessions with mirrors and human frailty. I especially liked the latter. Lastly is a couple of trailers for this film, and others for Dread, as well as chapters and a choice for English subtitles.

While playing with comedy and high drama, the acting is (purposefully, I believe) a bit intense, sort of like watching a sit-com style of over-emoting. Not to the level of “Third Rock From the Sun’s” John Lithgow, but the characters are intense and it is played up for humor, and that is nearly a hamming situation.

Please, do not get me wrong, this is an incredibly fun film, from beginning to end, whether you see the ending coming or not. It also has some of the best use of mannequins I can think of since Exhumed (2011).

Review: Killer Nun

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

Killer Nun (aka After Midnight)
Directed by Roberto Albanesi; Luca Bertossi; Davide Cancila; Francesco Longo; Daniele Misichia; Nicola Pegg; Davide Pesca; Eugenio Vallani
Demented Gore Productions; Moonlight Legacy Productions; Wild Eye Releasing; MVD Visual
85 minutes, 2018 / 2021
www.wildeyereleasing.com
www.MVDVisual.com

The original name for this Italian (with English subtitles) anthology is After Midnight, but it is certainly no surprise they changed the name to Killer Nun, considering the success of The Nun (2018), from The Conjuring franchise. I am totally fine with that. However, the one problem is it is too easy to mix up the title with the also-Italian giallo film, Killer Nun (1979; reviewed HERE). There is also a series of videogames with the same name. 

The opening piece is by Daniele Misichia, who gives us “Vlog: L’ultimo video di Sara (“Vlog: The Latest Video of Sara”; 2016). We meet a fast-talking vlogger Sara who is responding to her needing to block some of her viewers due to some sexist remarks. The rest of the film follows what happens after that. It’s a bit bloody, but there are some nice jump scares thrown in. Simply presented with a single camera in almost real time, it’s compelling, though read the captions quickly because she speaks fast. I really like when the topic of technology is current, unless it’s a “throwback” film.

For “The Taste of Survival” (2018), Davide Pesca presents us with a post-apocalyptic world after “the bomb,” where there are few survivors. One of them, a woman, is being chased by a trio of radiation scarred men interested in, well, you know. Is there a saviour for her, and if there is, what is the motive? One can easily guess, but the gore is graphic and well done in a Spaghetti Western motif (one character even has a bit of a Lee Van Cleef vibe). The look of the film is a bit washed out with a muted red lens, making everything nearly monochrome. This is both a mood piece and a gore-fest, so many should be pleased. I was.

There is a very good reason why the main character has “Nyctophobia” (“Fear of the Dark”; 2017). Francesco Longo offers a non-verbal (other than laughing) tale of strange hauntings around him, and eventually explains why. It is a mystery that is fun to try and figure out, and the make-up is quite spectacular for an indie short release. With sharp editing and a blue night filter, we see his fear and come to understand it over time. A couple of nice jump cuts and scares, and some really nice false endings are also prominently featured. It’s nicely atmospheric.

“Nel Buio” (“Into the Dark”; 2018), by Davide Cancila, boons us with a woman who has PTSD after… well, I won’t say, but her diligent brother has been taking care of her for a year. But as they must in genre films, the past has a way of catching up, whether it is memories or the shadow of things that were, and this jump-scare laden tale does a decent, if somewhat convoluted, way of doing just that. This story also tends to use the blue filter night lens that is almost monochrome.

The demonic nun finally comes in with Luca Bertossi’s “Io non le credo” (“I Don’t Believe Her”; 2017). Evil nuns, demons or priests do not surprise me in an Italian film, where the Vatican understandably still has hold, and tales of possession, devils and demons are part of the core of the Catholic culture. Have you ever seen an Episcopalian Exorcist or a Lutheran Devil film? I have found only the Baptists and especially the Evangelicals are as obsessed with evil creatures as the Catholics. This piece is short, but it is beautifully shot with almost still-picture-quality posing. And, yes, a blue night lens. A man feels his house is haunted by demons, and he calls in a priest to cleanse it. But will the priest be able to find and face the evil? Watch and see.

This time with a sepia-tone or blue monochrome – and sometimes none! – a woman is kidnapped by someone in a mask and an apron in “Escape from Madness” (2018) by Nicola Pegg. In a scene reminiscent of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, she wakes strapped to a chair at a table while someone cooks some questionable meat. In fact, there is a lot that is, well, let’s just say a homage to the Saw. But adrenaline is high for the entire story, and the ending is satisfying. While I would not make the choice in real life that was made by the central character, and would have stuck with the rock-paper-saw original plan (not going to give it away), the way it’s done is a lot bloodier, so I also aesthetically approve.

To be honest, when I first started watching Roberto Albanesi’s “Che serata di merda” (“What a Shit Night”, 2018), I thought it was the weakest of the batch, but at the halfway mark, when the film becomes meta-existential, I understood what I missed in the first half, and it became one of my favorites on the reel. Go figure. An annoying couple is being visited by a vengeful ghost, who has a hysterical conversation with one of the couple’s friends, the director playing himself. I actually went back and watched this whole short over and appreciated it a lot more. No color filter, too.

The final tale is “Haselwurm” (“Hazel Worm”, 2011), presented by Eugenio Vallani. For clarification, a hazel worm, or slow worm, is a legless lizard, that is not a snake, and not poisonous. For this story, it is so much larger, like a Komodo dragon, and has attacked a couple, biting the man. While not poisonous, that’s not to say that the bite doesn’t have an effect, which I will not reveal, but it does produce some nice SFX work. The story is a bit slow-and-steady paced and kind of predictable somewhat – though the ending was better and slightly different than I expected – the cinematography of what I assume is the Alps and in general is beautifully done. And yes, there is use of blue and sepia filters.

Many stories have to do with the nighttime and use monochrome filters, as I have said before repeatedly. If you watch the trailer below, it almost seems like the film is in black and white… or blue and white.

Even though it is inaccurate to the contents within, there is a great piece of horror art on the DVD cover. The extras are three company trailers (not for this film, though), and chapter choices.

Some of these shorts have existed independent of this collection, while others seem to be created specifically for the anthology. It’s all good, of course. What is part of the fun is that while some of these stories have been done before in some form or another, the Italian touch and influence makes them different just enough to make it almost like a fresh coat of paint on an old car: you’re driving in a similar direction, but everything feels shiny, with muted colors.

Review: Malefice - A True Story of a Demonic Haunting

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

Malefice: A True Story of a Demonic Haunting.
Directed by Billy Lewis
Orange St. Films; Scarenetwork.tv
91 minutes, 2021
www.scarenetwork.tv/

Let me start off by showing my hand: I am a religion skeptic. I believe there is no real evidence for the existence of a god, let alone the devil. I have never been a Christian, and was not raised in a Christian household. However, I do believe “good” energy attracts “good” energy, and “bad” attracts “bad,” even though I have no real basis for that belief, which is just as reliable as the Judeo-Christian heritage.

That all being said, I approach this documentary with the question of whether or not it is a Christian film. Sure, nearly all exorcism films have Christian elements, especially Catholic, as is the nature of the – err – beast, but there is a difference between, say, The Exorcist (1973) and the unintentionally funny and obscure Christian demonic possession film from the early 1970s, The Enemy.

Sean Austin, Eric Connor

What I am assuming is also driving this film (again, before seeing it) is the number of “psychic” and “supernatural” reality television shows that are readily available and common on cable. In fact, the head of the team here, Sean Austin, was the lead investigator on The Travel Channel show “Ghost Loop” (I do not believe I have ever seen it, as I do not watch TTC).

This film, we are told, was shot over a four-day period in a maskless COVID-19-heavy January 2021, on an acreage somewhere in Northern Ohio; the cast and crew drove up from North Carolina. We meet the two protagonists, Austin and “clairvoyant” Dave Spinks, who are heavily into prayer, start off by explaining a previous experience at the house in 2015, as we hear an electronic voice phenomena (EVP) recording of a demon and his victims talking. Honestly, the believability is already getting close to being out the window for me, but that does not mean it is not fun.

This definitely is preachy, and is directed towards the Catholic Christian god (apparently, if you envision in your mind’s eye a white dove, a female passes over to heaven, and for men, it’s a white horse), ignoring all the other thousands of gods that are worshiped around the world. But then again, Ohio is a “Red” state, so no surprise there.

Ralph Sarchie

Ten minutes in, we get a sermon on God and Jesus from Zoom guest star Ralph Sarchie, a Catholic Demonologist (and Austin’s mentor) who is a retired NYPD Sergeant, and was the model used in the film, Deliver Us From Evil (2014; Eric Bana played him). At this point, I am not sure if this is a film denouncing demons or an excuse for promoting Jeebus.

After the 30-minute or so introduction, Austin and Spinks return to the house with buddy and paranormal investigator Eric Conner (who wears crucifix earrings and says “dude” a lot). And what is their purpose? In the words of the film’s publicity: to rebuke the demon by “sending it back to where it belongs…HELL!” Will they succeed? I’m not tellin’.

Almost immediately there are sounds and screams (EVP). And while they do react to it, they also seem pretty damn calm. One of the questions I have is whether or not the three folks involved believe in this. I honestly would say, both yes and no. On one hand, I do believe that they are certain of God and the Debbil, and they are doing a service to try and convert the unbelievers. On the other hand, whether this story is real, I’m not convinced. If a demon is threatening them, especially Austin and Connor starting at about the halfway mark, they sure do not seem to feel overly nervous if this was real. Perhaps it is because they have JC on their side? Or perhaps foolish bravado? Or they are performing a narrative to preach?

What really got under my skin though, personally, is how anti-abortion the film is (fetuses are repeatedly referred to as “babies,” who are “screaming out”), with the “bad guy,” Robert (either influenced or possessed by a demon) having been an abortionist at the turn of the 20th Century, when the house was a brothel. Apparently, the demon made Robert enjoy his work, and torture women. Could it be any more of a Catholic pro-birth agenda (rather than pro-life)?

There are lots of images of a hillside with a huge cross on it that looks right out of a Hallmark card. And there aren’t just hints of religious fervor, there are actually sermons, like I said, and devotions, such as “The Lord’s Prayer” from “Matthew.” Despite the compelling and enjoyable story, there are so many hiccups and God stuff; it is distracting, for example, when Austin repeatedly says “Oh, shit” such as after a EVP conversation with the demon, and even the occasional F-bomb. Austin explains that anything in threes (such as knocking) is a mockery of the Holy Trinity, and their aim is to twist the human’s “free will.” Nearly all religions in the world do not have a holy Trinity, so does that mean every other religion is wrong? And even if they believe that, well, so does most other religions (my god can beat up your god).

There is an interesting meta-aspect of this documentary, which is not uncommon in ”reality” shows; in this case, the director, who calls himself a skeptic, describes what it was like to shoot the film, and events he found odd. I find this kind of aspect interesting, as the crew looks at its own production.

Through the first three days, there are lots of voices and sounds through the EVP, and the fourth is the actual exorcism of the property, which is essentially, you got it, more praying. Does the ritual work? Watch the film, and then you tell me. Maybe in 2025 or ‘26, after another five years or so, they should go back and follow-up. I would be interested in that.

Is this something that can be seen as a pseudo-event, in the words of Daniel Boorstein, or something more sinister? Either way, let’s talk about the production itself for a moment. Billy Lewis actually did a bang-up job here, putting the transcriptions of the “voices” from the EVP on the screen, making it easier to follow along. That was a really smart thing to do; as with every supposed EVP I have ever heard, it is really hard to make out (though sometimes the voices are suspiciously clear). Is it a case of we hear it because it is on the screen? Couldn’t tell you, but I am grateful they did that, otherwise it would be too distracting by trying to focus on that rather than the story.

As for distracting, the film is actually nicely compelling for the most part, but it is way too preachy to be completely comfortable. It comes off more as a religious propaganda tract than a fun flick to watch on a Saturday night, but even with that being said, it took a bit to get into it, but as time wore on and I was able to somewhat weed out a bit of the religious talk, I started to enjoy it more. Again, it is put together really well all things considered, and may be your cuppa if you like spirituality reality shows and/or need conformation of your beliefs. You just know this will be recommended in churches across every Red State, especially below the Mason-Dixon line, even though it is Catholic-based rather than evangelical.

The film is exclusive to the spankin' new streaming platform, ScareNetwork.tv.

Review: Red Letters

Text © Richard Gary / Indie Horror Films, 2020
Images from the Internet

 

Red Letters
Directed by Jim Klock
Code 3 Films; Terror Films
86 minutes, 2020
www.terrorfilms.com

Lately, I have been on a few Theists vs. Atheists boards, which are always interesting. This actually fits in well for this release, in which the two lead characters are on either side of this issue.

Retired homicide detective turned PI Jim Knowles (the film’s director, Jim Klock), who helps the police with “dark” murders, and also retired Professor of Theology and Knowles’ friend and reluctant occasional partner Mike Gaston (Mike Capozzi) – no need to explain which is the believer and which is not – are hired by the police to investigate the strange disappearance of a deputy investigating a burglary (at exactly 3 AM on November 1, the day after Halloween, which is, of course, the Catholic-based All Saints Day; personally, I think it would have been cooler to be at 3:33, but that’s just my own musing that has nothing to do with nothing). But this is fiction placed in a particular subgenre of horror, so it "obvious" who, in this story, is "right." That’s just a given. But let’s go on and start the film…

Jim Klock and Mike Capozzi

This story follows a perspective I really like, in that after the Deputy’s disappearance, we mainly follow the two lead characters for a day, so we learn about events as they do. For me, this is a smart way to keep us knowing just what they know, and to work on the case with them, as it were.

Unlike many films, indie or mainstream, this is well written in that the characters are quite human rather than mere stereotypes. For example, the partner of the deputy that disappears discusses his guilt about being afraid of going after the officer. This is a very realistic touch, which softens the character and makes him sympathetic rather than being just a coward. Or is there more? That’s a question that is consistent throughout the film, as it rightfully should be in any police procedural, as well as one in the Satanic subgenre especially (since he is the Prince of Lies, as it were).

So, what is the philosophy of the film: is it pro- or anti-God/Satan? Well, that’s pretty easy to figure out, if you’ve seen The Exorcist and The Omen (I am going to assume that’s a yes). And is it preachy about it? And is there a Right-Wing slant to the film, as Knowles jacket has a “Blues Lives Matter” American flag patch on his jacket? Well, more about all that later.

Meanwhile, did I mention that Gaston has visions when he touches objects? It’s no wonder he’s a believer, and he’s certain Satan is a-foot. Or is it a-hoof? But no one sees and hears as much as a homeless man named Robin (Robin F. Baker), who is a prophet in touch with the Lord that we are introduced to at the start of Act 2, which drowns a bit in dialogue about matters Holy.

The visions help show that, of course, things aren’t always as they appear, and good Christians can be called into question as they show a dark side. But is that out of some long-term sinister belief system or fear? These are all questions to lead the viewer on the journey to the truth within the film’s boundaries. Sometimes beliefs are shown in subtle ways, such as Knowles being a non-believer and the only smoker in the story, showing he doesn’t care about the world by repeatedly littering with the butts, even when there is a garbage can right there (sorry, personal pet smoking peeve).

The first couple of Acts are a bit slow and paced, and could use some editing, though there are a couple of decent jump scares. But as is natural in genre cinema, it isn’t until the third Act that things really start hopping.

The film is pretty well acted, and considering the vast amount of dialog, such as the extended soliloquy of Robin at a diner, it is held up by Baker’s acting chops. The body count is relatively low as is the blood flow, but the tension in the last Act (as opposed to the Bible’s “Acts”) works well to keep up a bit of tension.

And is it preachy? Well, yeah, a bit, but not to the level where I felt like I was being beaten over the head like those ridiculous Left Behind releases. There are lots of Bible quotes and a letter from Paul discussed, and I assume Klock, who also wrote the film, is a believer, because his character (who does not have faith) states at one point, “I don’t believe in the Man upstairs.” Most atheists or agnostics would respond, “I don’t see any proof of a Man upstairs” instead, leaving the burden of proof on the believer. The end title card actually answers the question of preaching, though.

The photography is pretty straightforward most of the time, with one and two person shots, with lots of headshots. But somewhat often, a lovely time lapse or overhead of a beautiful forest can take the viewer by surprise by its beauty, considering it was shot near Atlantic City, NJ (I promise you, this Brooklyn boy will not mock NJ here).

Overall, it’s a decent film that’s nice to look at and a respectable cast that is only hindered by the amount of talking in ratio-to-action. I haven’t seen Klock’s other four films, so I don’t know if the religiosity is a trend or a one-off, but I’d certainly be willing to see more, even as an agnostic non-Christian myself who doesn’t mind a bit of Gods and Devils in his viewing stories. But remember, there are over 3000 gods out there, and this is taking only one of the Christian perspectives, which means all the others are “wrong.” That’s hubris, but with good cinema, I’ll let it stand.

You can find the film exclusively, for now, at the Kings of Horror site on You Tube.

Review: Terror in Woods Creek

Text © Richard Gary / Indie Horror Films, 2020

Images from the Internet

Terror in Woods Creek (aka Deadlines)

Directed by Tracy Lee Staton

Roadkill Entertainment / Wild Eye Releasing / MVD Entertainment

94 minutes, 2017 / 2020

www.facebook.com/tracyleestaton/

www.wildeyereleasing.com

www.mvdb2b.com

In the small Virginia town of Woods Creek, population under two grand, there is an evil that recurs every 50 years or so. No, it’s not the Creeper from Jeepers Creepers, this is more of an old school, Biblical evil from the pits of hell that has come to visit. We are introduced to the Drifter (Royce Hobson), a cool lookin’ dude with smashing early ‘60s sideburns, a big smile, and eyeliner.

Royce Hobson

What is it about devilishly and deliciously joyous supernatural evil men that you can spot them a mile away by their eyeliner? Sure, the sideburns scream “watch out,” but it is the eyeliner on these squinty-eyed dudes that make them so obvious; it’s quite the common trope. But one other thing to note is if your satanic guy is wearing eyeliner, he is going to be a fun character to watch. He is so cool and malevolent: he constantly smokes, yet still often has a cigarette tucked behind his ear at the same time.

Anyway, back in 1962, the town was visited by this very same Drifter – as we see in the prologue – while the whole joint is going crazy and killing either others or themselves, right out of Cronenberg’s The Crazies. After that we pop up to 50 years later, and it is 2012, and guess who has come back with his ‘burns, eyeliner and a cool retro ’65 Buick named Ruby bearing a license plate that proclaims “Burn One”?

The modern town is filled with people with cutesy homage names, such as Police Detective Smith Wesson (Robert Barger Jr, who looks a bit like Stephen King in Creepshow) and the priest is Father Fulci (John Johnson).

Whatever their nomenclature, everybody is just sweatin’ out ‘tude in this film, from the relatively good people to the absolutely bad ones, such as news reporter Tippi Thompson (Jaclyn Vames), said police detective, the abusive garage guy Jesco (Matthew Ewald, who also writes horror-themed novels you can check out), and especially The Drifter. Though I should point out while this covers both sexes, the women come out better in general numbers than the male of the species. An exception is the heinous High School Principal (Camille Keaton of the 1978 classic I Spit on Your Grave / Day of the Woman, in a stand-out cameo). The most likeable person, though, is the busty bartender, Bobby Jo (Katherine Tryon, who is also an Executive Producer).

Oh, and did I mention on top of all this, there is also a person in overalls and a potato sack over his head tied on by twine around the neck that is going around helping others meet the boat at the River Styx? He walks around with (and uses) an axe, and is called “Potato Sack Jack.” To me, his conversation with the Drifter is one of the high points of the film.

Beneath the story is an underlying dark sense of humor that shows its head in the form of mostly dialog, but also some of the deaths are kind of humorous, in a sick way. Some killings are “Good, they deserved it!” and others are “Damn, I liked that person.” It’s more balanced when they do that.

Most of the film is just menacing and murder, but the truly magickal and supernatural part of it does not really come until the third act, even though there are a-plenty of killin’ throughout. Nearly all of the actual murders are done off-screen, but this is a story-based tale, so that is okay. Still the “after” SFX look pretty damn cool.

As far as the acting goes, well, Hobson and Ewald definitely comes off the best. Some of the acting is kind of a mix of hokey and wooden, but with all the drawls, it all works out. Part of this is that is seems like the director employed a few of the locals (i.e., not professional actors) in Buena Vista, VA, where it was mostly filmed.

Robert Rydland and Matthew Ewald

There is a good contingent of the cast that also does double duty as the crew, especially Tryon and Johnson. And I know I shouldn’t make anything out of this, but the director being female made me happy (I bring it up because it does not happen often enough, and I want to recognize and encourage that). With the exception of Tryon’s constant cleavage, this is a pretty balanced film, and sexist behavior is pointed out often and sometimes indirectly (it was also written by Staton), even if it isn’t stopped until after the fact, such as Jesco’s relationship to his girlfriend and regarding female travelers who stop by his gas station. Kudos for that.

The extras include the trailer for the film, and a 6-minute Outtakes short, which is actually a Blooper reel. These tend to be fun, and this one runs just long enough not to get tiresome. There is also a full-length commentary track with the director, executive producer Cory Grier (who has a small, recurring role in the film), and star Barger; thankfully, they don’t talk over each other and are respectful. I love when that happens. The conversation between them deals mostly with anecdotal and cursory information about the film, such as what the shoot was like, set locations, and stories about the actors; there is little philosophical discussions on what the film means, or plot points. That’s okay, because as it is, it certainly kept the interest up.

While there are issues with the some of the points in the film, this is a nicely put-together release, with fine editing, lighting, and all those other technical bits. This is Staton’s third film and first feature, and she shows a lot of promise, which I hope I get to enjoy for years and features to come.