Review: Premutos: The Fallen Angel (2-Disc Extended Director’s Cut)

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

Premutos: The Fallen Angel (aka Premutos: Der gefallene Engel)
Directed by Olaf Ittenbach
IMAS Filmproducktion; Unearthed Classics; MVD Entertainment
106 minutes, 1997 / 2022
www.unearthedfilms.com
www.MVDentertainment.com

As I said when I reviewed the only other film by Bavarian writer/director Olaf Ittenback that I have seen in its entirety, No Reason (2010), his films are basically bat-shit crazy, and I wanted to see this one because of that, rather than in spite of it. This is the “Director’s Cut” of the film, which is longer and has never before been released in North America. More bizarre for the buck.

For this story, the basis of which is told in narrative form over the credits and lots of bloody violence throughout history shown, the titular Premutos is a fallen angel older than Lucifer, who had power over the dead, with instructions on how to raise the deceased. One man in 1943 uses it to try and revive his dead wife and others who become flesh-gobbling zombies, while villagers with torches search for the madman. This is all presented in a 20-minute prologue before our actual story starts. There is already more blood and gore than most slasher films put together.

Ella Wellmann, André Stryi

The protagonist to start, in the modern era, is ne’er-do-well man-child Matthias (the director, Ittenback), who lives with his S&M-interested sister, Rosina (Heike Münstermann) his mom Inge (Ingrid Fischer), and his military-obsessed, Nazi-era-loving father, Walter (Christopher Stacey, who is arguably too young for the role, but what the Hölle). The latter, while digging up his garden for a plant, finds the hidden potion for raising Premutos. Meanwhile, Matthias is having flashbacks to previous lives during the Plague-ridden 13th Century and in Russia for the Battle for Stalingrad during World War II, among other periods, where he was reincarnated as the son of the titular Fallen Angel, each time meeting a bloody and painful end.

Coming to visit for Walter’s birthday party is Matthias’ sister Tanja (Ella Wellmann), who has been away in China, and has been mooning over a lost love, Hugo (André Stryi), now married to spoiled, comic relief Edith (Anke Fabré). They also show up at Walter’s party. Meanwhile, Matthias has some of that Premutos potion spilled on his…sensitive area, so you know that’s not going to be good for the people at the party, but most likely joyous for the viewer.

Olaf Ittenbach

As Matthias transforms into…well, is it the son of Premutos or Premutos himself? – it could be both; given how much Christian myth is also in the story, since Jeebus and “his father” are different but one in the same according to some versions of the Biblical story – he becomes increasingly violent and ugly (reminding me a bit of Rawhead Rex with less of a make-up budget), and the dead rise up from the mortuary to attack the living, including in pub (where someone is wearing a Ramones shirt with the circle design created by Arturo Vega, d. 2013) and, ‘natch, Walter’s party. As a side note, when the zombies attack, there is a sole Black guest, the amusingly named Christian (Fidelis Atuma), who makes me think of Night of the Living Dead (1968)

There is an enormous cast here, and the director has certainly stretched his budget to the max, with weaponry, explosions, a tank(!), and just gallons upon gallons of fake blood, relying heavily on practical SFX. Peter Jackson would, indeed, be proud. The zombies look cool, and on occasion, so does Premutos/son. What was free and well spread was the sharp sense of humor

Christopher Stacey

There is a lot of Christian symbolism, including a back-story scene of Jeebus and the crucifixion/resurrection (thanks to the “potion” administered by Mary). No one in the film seems overly religious, but that doesn’t keep it from getting knee-deep in the imagery. Even without the religious iconography, the style of the film reminds me quite a bit of Michael Armstrong’s classic Mark of the Devil (1970). But there is also a strong influence by the Italian giallo films of Dario Argento and Lucio Fulci, especially The Beyond (1981), with some George A. Romero thrown in for good measure.

There are some fun extras on this Special Edition, including a “Making of Premutos” featurette (50 min.; available in English and German, and also filmed in 1997). There are lots of interviews with the core cast, and especially the director, discussing the motivation of the characters, the philosophy of gore and free speech without getting preachy, and a large focus on the practical SFX, both the good and bad of it, and discussion about the wintery shooting in Prague. The English dubbed version seems to not translate everything, but the gist is easily gotten and it is worth the watch, even at this length.

“Olaf Ittenbach, ‘The Early Years’” (13 min.), is essentially a “Making Of” of Ittenbach’s earliest films, including Deadly Night (Todliche Nacht) from when he was still a teen, and he was still learning and experimenting. With interview commentary by the director, we see scenes that describe what he is discussing; the main focus is on developing his skills as an SFX artist. If these gore effects interest you, this is both a good primer, and it is interesting to see the limitations of the technology at the time compared to now.

There is also the original cut of the film from its initial release available in both German and an English dub international release. Honestly, I did not watch this, but did see the Director’s Cut in its entirely. There are also some Unearthed trailers, including of this one, and a “Photo Gallery.” Also included is a second CD disc of the film’s soundtrack, which is fun.

This certainly was an insane ride, from the beginning right through to the ironic ending. It was more coherent than I was expecting, I’m happy to say, and it certainly lived up to its reputation. It may be aging like wine over time, because it is so worth the experience.

IMBD Listing HERE 

 

 

 

 

 

                                                                  

Review: Pumpkin Man – The Ultimate Edition

Text © Richard Gary / Indie Horror Films, 2019
Images from the Internet

Pumpkin Man: The Ultimate Edition (aka Night of the Pumpkin)

Written and directed by Bill Zebub
Bill Zebub Productions / MVD Entertainment
90 minutes, 2010 / 2019
www.billzebub.com
www.mvdb2b.com                                               

It’s rare to find someone who is so auteur that they end up creating a subgenre all their own. Director Bill Zebub is one of them. I don’t know if he came into the indie biz out of sarcasm/greed (as he describes in one of his earliest films, Assmonster), but his prolific output has proven that he’s up for the task, if the viewer is up for whatever comes their way.

Sure, that sounds like an insult, but that is not how it is meant, at all. I have a lot of respect for Zebub and his empire of films with titles like Jesus: The Total Douchebag, or Santa Claus: Serial Rapist. They tend to be obnoxiously silly, shot with a devil-may-care attitude (such as the boom mic and its shadow peeking out the top of the frame), and oft times head scratch-worthy, but they will entertain for certain if you’re willing. I am.

There are some constants in Bill’s films, such as:

·       Bill himself being one of the main characters (though here he takes more of a second billing – pun not intended – for the first time I’ve seen), and he will probably wear a Viking hat at some point

·       some scenes will be shot in the woods of New Jersey

·       Christianity will be questioned

·       the acting will vary all over the map; and

·       there will be a lot of nudity and blood.



Shoshana McCallum, Chelsea O'Toole, Pumpkin Dude, Kellyn Lindsay

This film was originally released in 2010 as Night of the Pumpkin, but is now getting a rerelease under a new title and reediting, and lots of extras, which I will delve into later. We meet a bunch of friends (and frenemies) who are meeting for a gathering (a fun conversation ensues between whether it’s a party or a get-together). The three main leads are Jen (Shoshana McCallum), religious fanatic Elizabeth (Chelsea O’Toole) and intellectual atheist Elyse (lovely Kellyn Lindsay). Oh, and Bill (Zebub) is Jen’s annoying boyfriend.

A mysterious Pumpkin Man that has vines that can move independently to snare people has been showing up and killing. There is some talk of a legend, but I’m still unclear about the origin of the creature. Nevertheless, it’s pretty cool looking for a micro-budget film. It chases our crew (and additional body count fodder) into each other’s houses and, as I indicated, the New Jersey woods (perhaps related to the New Jersey Devil?). It’s obviously a guy in a bulky costume, but I’ve seen a whole lot worse that cost a whole lot more. Zebub, who created the mask, did a decent job of the Pumpkin Man that makes it easily identifiable when compared to imitations (in the film, not real life… duh).

As with other four or five Zebub films I’ve seen, this is silly stuff that ends up being bigger than itself, becoming something so over the top that it becomes enjoyable. Yeah, he seems to be fixated on rapes and evil stuff like that, even when it’s Jesus, Santa or a big invisible pumpkin in this case, and I’m still not comfortable with it. At least in films like Ms. 45 (1981) and I Spit on Your Grave/Day of the Woman (1978), there is some revenge and comeuppance. Here it’s just for gratuitous viewing, and that drives me a bit nuts (I once got into an argument with the screenwriter of Street Trash over the unnecessary rape scene when the film first came out in 1987).

There are quite a few extras on the newly released Ultimate Edition, starting with a 49:27 minute “Blooper Reel,” which is really more of a Behind the Shooting Scenes collection. It’s interesting to see how Zebub sets up his shots. At 8:10 is “Cast Interview” where Zebub questions mostly O’Toole and Lindsay on the beach during the last day of shooting (for the opening credits).

From 2008 is the “Director and Slideshow” (22:44) which is really interesting as Zebub fills in just about every plot hole including origins and omissions. The first 8 minutes is the talking, and the rest is the slideshow over death metal music. “Director (New Speech)” is 8:25 and Zebub discusses his own disappointment of the initial release and what led up to the reediting the newest “Ultimate” one. Again, a good monologue. The “Deleted Scenes” is short and sweet at 3:53; this was understandably taken out, but there are a couple of really funny lines in there worth viewing. The last are a batch of Zebub trailers: definitely watch these.

Zebub is self-depreciating about his own films, but I like to think of them as earnest, and the fun the cast seems to be having emanates through the action onscreen, which translates into fun. Again, if you’re one of those who expect blockbuster film-level budget action, you are so lost here, but if you’re like me and can respect the work and effort of the entire project, well, uncap a beer and prepare yourself to a worthwhile experience in WTF World.

 

Review: Twilight People

Text © Richard Gary / Indie Horror Films, 2018

Images from the Internet

Twilight People

Directed by Eddie Romero

VCI Entertainment / MVD Visual

81 minutes, 1972 / 2018

www.vcientertainment.com

www.mvdvisual.com

I have two converging thoughts about this release in a general way, before I get into specifics. The first is that I remember in the early-to-mid-1970s when there was a host of Philippines-shot films that were showing up in the theaters, though I was too young at the time to realize they were mostly directed by the same guy, Eddie Romero, including Women in Chains (1973, also known as Black Mama, White Mama). Most of his output at that time were about people being held against their will (either convicts or kidnap victims), and them being tortured and/or turned into some kind of monster, such as animal or zombie.

My second thought is about handsome actor John Ashley. He started out mostly in shirtless in a bunch of beach and gangster films in the early 1960s, and ended up making numerous horror films… wait for it… in the Philippines. And yes, for Eddie Romero, such as Mad Doctor of Blood Island (1968), Beast of Blood (1970), Beast of the Yellow Night (1971; I remember cutting out of school to go see it), and this one, each directed by, yep, Eddie Romero. These even helped create a sub-genre called the Blood Island Films.

Now, while these films get accolades now, and Romero has won lots of awards (especially from the Philippines), the truth of the matter is most from this period and genre are cheesy messes; but the good side of the coin is that is also part of what makes them such a joy to watch. It is one solid WTF moment after another, be it story, make-up effects, acting, and so on. But I’ll get more into detail as I go along.

Sporting Tom Jones-level sideburns, soldier of fortune, adventurer and man-about-town Matt Farrell (Ashley; d. 1997) – who is repeatedly called by his last name throughout – is kidnapped while SCUBA diving by blond Robert-Shaw-in-From Russia With Love-wannabe Steinman (Jan Merlin, who perennially played bad guys, especially in Westerns) and the luscious but icy looking brunette Neva (Pat Woodell, who played Bobby Jo in “Petticoat Junction”; d. 2015). The man behind the plot is Dr. Gordon (Charles Macaulay, better known as Landru to “Star Trek” fans, and Dracula in Blacula; d. 1991).

Okay, so now that is out of the way, Farrell is brought to Dr. Gordon’s island fortress (where did he get the money?), to which Farrell presciently asks, “What is this circus?” It’s a good question because the good doctor wants to help science and humanity by combining humans with animals. If it sounds like HG Well’s The Island of Dr. Moreau (enjoyable book, by the way), you wouldn’t be the first to agree, and I would not either; hell it says it right on the back cover of this edition. But to add to the mix, I would say it also seems to rely some on 1958’s She Demons, also set on an island with a doctor playing havoc with the human form (mostly female, of course).

Pat Woodell and Pam Grier

Unlike those other two, however, this film really can’t seem to make up its mind to its genre, exactly. Okay, it is a horror, especially the Mad Scientist type, but at some point it’s a war film and a bit of a Western. There’s also some humor thrown in here and there, but I’m not sure if it’s intentional or not; either way, I’ll take it. And enjoy it.

Most of the humor lies in the transformed creatures, including a panther woman (an early role for the great Pam Grier), an ape man (Kim Ramos), a real bat man who steals his scenes (Tony Gosalvez), and a surprisingly touching romance between an antelope man (Ken Metcalfe) and wolf woman (Mona Morena). Oh did I mention that these two aren’t the only romance that develops in the plot? Of course, in a post-James Bond world it will come as no surprise. Near the end, though, is a nice twist.

There is actually a large albeit subtle level of sensuality/sexuality that surprised me a bit, even for its time period (Hammer Films was releasing cleavage-fests by then). There’s a (clothed) love scene, an almost rape, some formidable décolletage by Grier, a tight tee, Woodell is always in full makeup even in the jungle all night, and there is even some strong suggestion about mano-a-mano-amor. Of course, the only rolling-on-the-ground hand-to-hand combat is between two females (girl fight!): panther woman and wolf woman, who you might say were at it like – err – cats and dogs.

Wolf Woman and Antelope Man in love

So there is a ridiculousness level to the film, such as the make-up (by Tony Arteida), sometimes the acting, guns with never-ending amounts of bullets, the animal sounds on the soundtrack that are dubbed to supposedly be “dialogue” by our (mostly) friendly humanimals (even though they never match up to anything), and lots of story holes. What I mean by the latter is that things happen that are never explained (wait, you had the drop on him…), or the editing is confusing, and the whole finale is a “Hunh? You’re ending it here?”

It might be wise here to let you know that while there isn't a large amount of gore, there is some nice bloodletting, though the blood is a really bright shade of red. Being humanimals, there is a lot of throat-tearing.

The basic extras are the theatrical and TV trailers, but there is also a 58:40 minute interview with the director, Eddie Romero (d. 2013), that a bit dated as it looks like it was transferred from a VHS). It’s a single camera focused on the director as he answers off-screen questions about how he got into the film industry, discusses Filipino cinema history, and supplies anecdotes about his own films. He’s personable and it’s interesting; that being said, it’s a tad long, albeit historically important.

Na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na Bat Man

Also included is a full-length commentary by film historian David Del Valle and low-budget genre director David Decoteau. Luckily, there are English subtitles available, so you can watch the film with the commentary and still follow the story. Their conversation is more film history, both horror and Filipino, than about this film directly, but I still recommend watching the feature first without the comments, and then listening to it to avoid distraction to either. It’s a bit dry, but I’m used to academic kind of lectures and certainly find film history interesting, but I would understand if it wasn’t everyone’s cuppa. While it definitely is thought-provoking from a film nerd point of view, and they discuss Filipino cinema in detail as well as the numerous actors, they don’t address the two key plot questions I have, which I won’t give away here.

Oh, and did I mention the package comes with both a 2K format Blu-ray and a DVD? This has definitely been cleaned up, and the picture quality is stunning in both.

My biggest question about this film though, is simply this: is it Twilight People or THE Twilight People. I have seen it both ways. Either way, it’s a hooterville-and-half.

Review: Badass Monster Killer

Text © Richard Gary / Indie Horror Films, 2017

Images from the Internet

Badass Monster Killer

Written and directed by Darin Wood

TFO Productions / Wildeye Releasing / MVD Video

96 minutes, 2015 / 2017

www.badassmonsterkiller.com

www.wildeyereleasing.com

www.mvdvisual.com

After watching this enjoyable spoof/nod to the exploitation / Blaxploitation / sexploitation genres, I had an interesting discussion with a friend while I was trying to explain the basic premise to someone who (a) has not seen the film, and (b) not really into the styles it’s based upon. He said that if a film is purposefully over-the-top, then it loses its association with others that are unintentionally so-bad-they’re-good. My response was that it depends on the attitude of the secondary feature. If it is trying too hard to the point of where it becomes something else, and it becomes so-bad-its-bad, yes, I agree. This is true of films like A Haunted House [2013], or the likes of Vampires Suck [2010]. But there is a fine line where it works, such as Richard Griffin’s Seven Dorms of Death [2016], or this one.

This picture is from the director whose last release was The Planet of the Vampire Women [2011], which was a nod to ‘50s sci-fi (e.g., Queen of Outer Space in 1958) mixed with ‘70s sex sci-fi (such as Spaced Out in 1979). Now, he’s delved a bit deeper, and come up with a fine mashup that is both head scratching WTF? and laugh-out-loud Say What? As I proceed through the review, I will delve a bit into its references.

Amelia Belle and Jawara Duncan

The basic premise revolves around a hyper-cool brother who is a police officer for the Department of Supernatural Security named Jimmy Chevelle (Jawara Duncan). Did I mention this takes place in Camarotown? Anyway, along the way he meets women who fall for him and become sort of an army. Most reviews claim this is based on the Blaxploitation style of Shaft [1971]; early on, we even see the Loveshaft Hotel in the background. To be fair, this could also be a reference to H.P. Lovecraft, as this takes place in his mythos with references to Cthulhu and the Great Old Ones. Or, this is strange enough that the hotel name actually be a cross between both. But more than Shaft, I would posit that it’s closer to Dolemite [1975], and the better for it.

His subject of investigation is a sect that wants to bring back said Great Old Ones via weed that makes you susceptible to them (a motif also used in Todd Sheet’s Dreaming Purple Neon). Heading this group of miscreants is Reverend Dellamorte (Ryan Cicak), a goateed white guy with a thick southern accent – fighting the black guy…get it? – and wearing what I think is a full-length, sleeveless black leather dress. Now, to be fair, his gang of goof-ups include Latinos and African-Americans, so I’m not sure if my mind is interpreting more than I’m seeing. Still, it works for me, even with that inconsistency.

The dialog is hysterical, and occasionally repetitious, in a running gag form (Wood did a similar thing, also successfully, in his previous film around the term “vampire”). The word diabolical, for example, may be in every other sentence. Duncan is really good at spitting out strings of script in an amusing way, making it not feel repetitive as much as humorous. For example, every time he meets a woman who is in danger, he says to her, “Take it easy baby, I’ve got everything under control. Listen ‘cause I’m only gonna say this once: I work for a very top secret branch of the government that exists to do battle with supernatural, diabolical forces that most people don’t even know exist. Now, if you’re cool with that, later maybe you and me can get it together, but right now I got business.” This inevitably leads to a kiss between them before he fights whatever is the threat.

There is a lot of good writing and fine Dolemite-like moments. For example, when some guy is in the street screaming hysterically, Chevelle snarks to him, “What the fuck is the matter with you? Hunh? I’m in there trying to come up with the plan of how to keep the Earth from being enslaved by fucked up creatures from beyond and shit. How’s a brother supposed to concentrate with you out here screaming like a bitch!? Don’t make me beat yo ass!”

In case you’re wondering, I’m actually not giving away too much because there are a lot quotes that could be used as examples.

Another incorrect comparison, in my opinion, is to the film Sin City [2005], since nearly all of Badass is shot in green screen (other than two solid sets), with all the buildings and other objects leaning towards the center. This is more reminiscent of the work of Jimmy ScreamerClauz. If I may digress for a sec, check out some of the signs in the background for a laugh, such as Arkham Sam’s Liquors. So, back to the background art: I can understand the comparison, but it doesn’t hold up for me. Sin City was like a comic book, while this is more cartoon. Okay, another way to phrase it might be the latter is more Wally Wood, while this is more Basil Worthington. Both films take place in a world that couldn’t exist in real life, but SC went for more realism; BMK isn’t interested in any form of reality, it’s nearly surrealistic.

Which brings me to the monsters. Each one looks fake as can be, with cheesy digi-art or rubber limbs when they interact with the actors. They also look silly, again like something from the mind of Worthington. But in this context, they are fun to watch, like bad stop-motion. I mean, they’re right up there with the creatures from The Giant Claw (1957) or From Hell It Came (also ’57). In this completely produced and processed world, I thought the monsters were smile-worthy rather than cringe-.

As for the music by Phillip Baldwin, it’s a nice mix of funk and ‘70s porno chic-a-wah-wah, but if you listen carefully, the lyrics are exactly matching what is happening on the screen. It’s hysterical and incredibly well done.

One might expect – and one would be right – that the acting is a tad over the top. And again, it works here. It’s not so broad that it becomes as cartoonish as the backdrop, but it’s definitely what I call the John-Lithgow-on-a-sitcom level. As I said, Duncan is perfect in the role, able to handle both the smolder and the sass (and afro) to just the right tone for the film. Sometimes Cicak is a bit too Snidely Whiplash, but I understand it. I was almost expecting him to literally say, “Mwah-ha-ha!”

Most of the cast is female (not a complaint), though a majority seem to be strippers, hookers, a crime boss named Lola Maldonado (Amelia Belle; Maldonado is also a surname used in his previous film), and cops. For me, a standout was the Liz Clare, who has done some strong work in other productions, as well.

The Army of Foxes

A chunk of the action takes place in a strip joint, and even beyond that there is dancing, lots and lots of go-go style dancing. You see a street? There are women dancing in the shot. As overtly macho as the men are, most of the women need to be rescued until Chevelle trains them into an army of “foxes” (one black, one Latina, one white). Other than Chevelle’s boss, an exception is Maldonado, who is strong and smoldering from the beginning, but still has trouble resisting Chevelle’s funk-a-wonk-a-wong-wong mojo. This theme does feel a bit like Sin City to be honest.

The first extra is a 6:23 Deleted Scenes that were rightfully taken out, though most of it is related to the infected pot theme that doesn’t go anywhere in the story anyway. However, it is interesting to see the green screen sets to realize how much work went into the background. This is followed by a 14:40 onstage Q&A at a showing during the H.P. Lovecraft Film Festival. It consists of a few of the crew, including Wood, and some of the cast, specifically Duncan and Cicak. The sound is kinda fuzzy, seemingly recorded on a cell phone, so it picks up the fuzz from ambient room echo. Still, the info given is worth the listen. The last two extras are versions of the trailer.

I have no idea of H.P. Lovecraft had a sense of humor, but if he did, he would have gotten a hoot outta this, especially the battle of good vs. evil at the conclusion. How long this review is just an indication of how much I enjoyed it.

Review: Helga, She Wolf of Stilberg

Text © Richard Gary / Indie Horror Films, 2016

Images from the Internet

Helga, She Wolf of Stilberg
AKA Helga, la louve de Stilberg

Directed by Alain Garnier (AKA Patrice Rhomm)

Eurocine / MVD Visual

93 minutes, 1978 / 2016

www.mvdvisual.com

Of all the strange exploitation subgenres that have arisen (e.g., girl gangs, women forced into a life of crime), one of the weirdest and most violent towards them is the girl-in-prison one. While there are such films that predate modern exploitation/sexploitation, it came to popularity in the late ‘50s after the birth of rock’n’roll brought the fear of a world of juvenile delinquents, and showed the degradation of the sex. That being said, the bar was upped a notch in the ‘70s with the popularizing of the next level up, women in prison camps. They had lovely titles like The Big Bird Cage (1972), Love Camp 7 (1969), and the most infamous being Ilsa, She Wolf of the SS (1975), which led to a series with essentially the same character played by the powerful Amazonian screen presence of Dyanne Thorne.

The formula for the genre is exceedingly similar: women get physically and mentally abused (men get tortured and/or emasculated), and at the end, usually with the outside help of men, the prisoners rise up and kill their tormentors. If you’re familiar with this kind of film, I am really not giving anything away. Even if you are not, it’s pretty obvious early on.

Malisa Longa is Helga

Taking place in a South American dictatorship, this is actually a French production, with Patrice Rhomm at the helm, using the pseudonym Alain Garnier; he directed genre films under a few different names during the 1970s. The hand is played heavily from the start, as the country’s dictator condescendingly proclaims to redheaded Helga (Italian actress Malisa Longo) that she is a woman, so naturally she doesn’t understand politics (ironically I am watching this as the Hillary/Bernie race narrows down). He is also massaged by the only other woman in the room, who is also the only Black person present, as he smokes his stogie (no, his cigar...Jeez!).

But then again, Helga is administered to in a full frontal shower (she is nude often). But her male lover is a Che-looking wannabe. The love scenes are solid soft-core porn, and are shot like the Euro style of the harder version, replete with cheesy music consisting mostly of horns. No surprise as Rhomm also did some hardcore directing under the name Homer Bingo (kid you not).

The locus moves to the castle/camp for political prisoners at about 15 minutes in, and all the captives are not only women, but quite lovely, of course. It is there that the brutality begins with a kind of nondescript rape scene where the woman tries to fight off the attacker by mostly keeping her arms stretched out to her sides and throws her head back and forth.. She later complains to her compadres, who blame her for it (can you tell this was directed by a man?), that they are being forced to “let those stinking swine make love to us.” Whaaaaaa?

One of the women has a dubbed thick (fake sounding) New York accent: “Shut yer trap! You beddah not tawk,” she says in a high-pitched, nasal voice. Later one, the one black woman of the group will show to have a very deep, Southern accent, y’all. Their “uniforms” are overcoats with nothing underneath, and knee-high leather boots, some with high heels, obviously all the better for doing hard labor. Helga also has a set series of clothing, such as a thin blue bathrobe, and a combo silk red top and tight leather pants. Sure there is sometimes a random lingerie item, but it’s pretty steady.

Patrizia Gori as Elisabeth

Joining the crew is the redheaded daughter of the rebel leader, Elisabeth (the lovely Patrizia Gori), who naturally is surly and you know is going to lead an uprising, if her character lives that long (I’m not saying).

There definitely are some questionable moments of illogic, such as when we see a guard pacing in front of the six feet of caged door to the room where the (naked) prisoners sleep, yet one walks over to another bed to ask about Elisabeth, who has been selected by Helga as her new lover. Where is the guard in all this? It’s not like he has much to do other than watch for movement. Also, while this is supposed to be the subtropical South American back-territory, it’s obviously European woods, and castle (supposedly built by a French landowner). This is typical of these films, where you have to suspend a few gold coin of disbelief, but then again, noticing these kinds of things are part of the fun.

After a gang rape and thrashing, Elisabeth quickly falls for one of the guards (Richard Allen, aka French adult actor Richard Lemieuvre), who is a friend of her father. A relationship develops quickly and sends Helga into jealous rage.

Compared to Ilsa, Helga is hardly as fearsome, as she is often talked back to by her soldiers, lovers, and even prisoners. Longo is attractive, yes, but she is not as intimidating a presence as the wild-eyed Thorne. Sure there are whippings (clothed), manacles, and some rapes (all but one off-sceen), but the sheer torture porn and castrations of Ilsa are not present (nor is Uschi Digard, but I digress…).

I won’t press the point about the ending, which is left on a curious freeze-frame, but it had me truly laughing that it lasted for about two minutes, while theatrical Wurlitzer music swirled. Talk about a dichotomy!

After the film, wait a bit as there are some deleted scenes from the original print, mostly due to either restrictions by censors or just bad quality negatives. The only other extra is the film in its original French (which I did not watch).

As these kinds of films go, while harsh to the naïve viewer, compared to many of its subgenre mates, it’s actually quite mild. The Linda Blair 1974 television film Born Innocent was more shocking. Yeah, this is vile and violent, but in a matter of degrees, it’s not as hardcore as many of the others.

But was it fun to watch? Well, honestly, rape scenarios have never been a fave, though quite prevalent in this oeuvre to justify the actions of the last act, but as a whole, this was a good viewing. As this is the first time this film has been released on DVD in North America, adding this to the canon is the historically right thing to do, as well.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wT6aj4rJnmw

Two Real Crime Film Reviews: House on the Hill; My Name is A, By Anonymous

Text © Richard Gary / Indie Horror Films, 2015
Images from the Internet

The reason I have put these two reviews together is because they both deal with infamous crimes from unlikely killers, one the slovenly serial murder Leonard Lake, and the teenage child murderer, Alyssa Bustamante. They also take different perspectives of the crime, but mix either real or aped images of the criminals involved.

House on the Hill

Directed by Jeffrey Frentzen
itn distribution / North 40 Productions / Options Entertainment / MVD Visual
83 minutes, 2012 / 2014
www.mvdvisual.com

The story this film is based on is well known and documented. In essence, during a year or so in the mid-1980s, shlubby, bearded and balding 40 year old Leonard Lake and his “soul mate,” also chubby and rumpled Chinese national Charles Ng lived in a rural and deserted area outside San Francisco.



The real Charles and Leonard

In their compound, they built a cell to hold women and a torture chamber attached to the house to, well… It’s estimated by the amount of bones found on the property that they had killed and buried approximately 15 to 25 people, both men and women, straight and gay. This included some entire families. Usually the men and at least two infants were done away with right off, and for the women, it took a lot longer.

 

Though quite obviously effective, poor Lenny and Chuck never had the pop sensation cool factor of, say, Ed Gein, Jeffrey Dahmer, or John Wayne Gacy. These guys were unattractive inside and out.

Now, nearly everything I’ve learned about Lake and Ng (L and N) is found online on Wikipedia and sites like that (yes, I read them before seeing the film). Apparently, every victim in this film is either given another name as they aren’t included in the list of known victims, are multiple stories concatenated into single people, or are the conjecture of the filmmakers. This includes the two women who are the main focus of the story: first, there is Sonia (Naidra Dawn Thomson), the only victim who lives to tell the tale (indicated early on in the film, as the main action is told in flashback), and Karianna (Shannon Leade), both of whom are drugged at a party and awaken in the bad place. They are kept around by L and N for cleaning, frequent rapes and other physical abuse, and for Sonia to videotape all the mistreatments and demises.

Yes, we get to see quite a bit of brutality, very little sex, and even less nudity, which confused me. Anyway, people are stabbed, drowned, beaten to death, etc. in sort of a parade fashion. We are introduced to a character with a photo of the actresses’ face and a name / date who they supposedly play went missing. Then comes the abuse, with lots of talking in between, threatening, demanding of money, and then death. Why Sonia and Karianna are left to live so long while others are dropped around – make that in front of – them, is not really explained.



Stephen AF Day as Leonard

Actually, there are a few issues I have with director Fretzen’s first time out in a feature. For one thing, he can’t seem to make up his mind if this is a roughie or an art project, as sometimes the camera will just stay on the subject, and other times, we get the odd angles, the filtered lighting, and the switch between color and black and white depending on the time period. For example, there is some artistic albeit sledgehammer symbolism, such as a dripping faucet being a metaphor for a life slipping away.

 

The actors who play Leonard (Saskatoon-born Stephen A.F. Day) and Charles (Sam Leung) play their roles excellently, but they are, quite frankly, too good looking for the roles. Rather than roly-poly dorks who look harmless, Day and Leung look intense, with Day appearing too young for the role and ruggedly handsome, and Leung seems kind of like a dashing “badboy” hoodlum from a TV show like Buffy. The real killers are much creepier because of the unassuming way they looked.



Sam Leung as Charles (with Erin M. Young)

There are also little anachronistic things like the camcorder that is used is more modern than the correct time period. In 1985, when L and C were captured, I bought my own camcorder that was then top of the line, which was $700 and weighed 7 pounds that rested heavily on the shoulder. The one in the film, if I’m not wrong, is a much smaller s-VHS that was introduced in 1987 (man, I love the Internet!). Also out of sync is that Sonia’s (Thompson’s) back is full of tattoos, and that certainly didn’t become mainstream before 1985.

 

What drove me most crazy was mixing the history up, such as how they got caught, which is mostly right, but a key point is off (i.e., they were not in the same place). That isn’t that bad by itself, I admit, but it seems to be an issue through a lot of the actual events, rather than the conjecture of the killings we see; as Ng was found guilty of seven deaths because the other bones were not identified, there is more we don’t know about victims than we do, giving the writers ample room to stretch that part to fit the film. Again, I don’t have an issue with that, but dicking around the known parts is what I find…off-putting.

One of the things I really liked about the project is that interspersed through the film is actual footage of Lake, videotaping himself admitting about building the cell room, what he expects from his women / slaves, and this gives us an insight to the real twisted thoughts of this unkempt killer.

While I know I’ve been hard on the film, I would also like to point out, again, this is the director’s first time at the helm. Sure, he and much of the crew and cast have been involved in serial killer films before, such as the Frentzen produced Killer Pickton (2006) and Black Dahlia (2006), but that’s not the same as being in control of the product. It’s good that he has found a niche in the serial killer subgenre, and I look forward to his growth in bringing us more mayhem.

 

My Name is A, By Anonymous

Written and directed by Shane Ryan
Mad Sin Cinema/ Rainy Day Parade Productions
Wild Eye Releasing
90 Minutes, 2012 / 2014
www.wildeyereleasing.com
www.mvdvisual.com

I shot a man in Reno, just to watch him die.

–        Johnny Cash, “Folsom Prison Blues”

This is certainly not the first film about real life teen thrill killers, nor is it the first to use an artistic frame for it. For example, there was Hitchcock’s Rope (1948), a fictionalized version of the teen Leopold and Loeb murderers, and Peter Jackson’s Heavenly Creatures (1994). This is also not the first movie to use a pseudo-documentary (i.e., handheld cameras) to give a realistic feel to the film. However, that also does not mean this film is either repetitive or derivative.



Kate Marsh as Alyssa

The true story is about Alyssa Bustamante (Katie Marsh), a bored 15-year-old girl from a rough background who viciously murdered a 9-year-old girl, Elizabeth (Kaliya Skye). Her story made the headlines around the world in 2009 for two reasons: first, of course, is the shocking brutality of the assault of a young life, and second, that in a technological world, so much of her life over the previous year had been recorded on the ever present cell phones.

 

If you look up Alyssa on YouTube, you can see a lot of that footage, from which some of the film is based upon (i.e., copied), such as the touching of an electrified cow fence wire (a safeguard system much more intense, I might add, than one for constraining horses), or donning Alice Cooper inspired make-up and pointing a finger-gun to her own head while sticking out her tongue. In a 24-hour televised news world, the original selfies were played on major outlets repeatedly for weeks as her trial was followed as intensely as was Andrea Yates, who drowned her five kids in Texas and found not guilty by insanity, or Casey Anthony, found not guilty of murdering her toddler daughter.

We see the incessant relying on the need to film oneself to make oneself real, whose reality is a mixture of David Cronenberg’s Videodrome (1983: “Television is reality, and reality is less than television”) and Gus Van Sant’s To Die For (1995: “You aren’t really anybody in America if you’re not on TV”). This film also gives breath to a feeling of ennui of its characters: no matter what is happening or how hard life is treating them, there is a feeling of Other that permeates the day-to-day narcissistic filming. These are life issues and possibly cultural mental illnesses that Bustamante had in common with Leonard Lake and Charles Ng, though the body count differed substantially.

There is an interesting mix of self-shot filming (i.e., supposedly shot by the characters of each other) and other times recorded by an unidentified “third person,” mostly likely just meant to be cover shots of both of the main teen actresses, although the hand-held shakiness remains the same.



The real Alyssa

The film follows three concurrent storylines, as it were. The first is Bustamante and The Sidekick (Demi Baumann), and occasionally Alyssa’s brother, as they ramble through their lives, Bustamante bullying her friends and relations in small ways that would eventually explode into self-destruction through the annihilation of another. We don’t realize we can see the state of her mind, as in real life, she came from a family of poverty, violence and substance abuse.

 

A second story follows The Performer (Teona Donikova), a sad teen who imagines herself in the limelight as a highly stylized singer (we are shown an entire imaginary music video from her mind), rather than the suggested abusive relationship with her dad (no moms are seen in this film). The third follows The Angst (Alex Damiano), who is full of anger both towards the world and herself. We are shown that through her bulimia, her self-derisive selfie-videos (vidfies?), and a monolog aimed at God. We also see in bitter detail the sexually violent relationship she has with her dad.

Of course, all these stories come together at an important story intersection. Hints of the level of personal destruction are shown throughout, and realized in the third act (titled “The Final Chapter”). I have to say, I figured out where the director was going with the ending about 10 minutes before the answer, which is probably around the time the viewer is expected to have that aha moment.

Both these films and all four stories here deal with an either an ideal or a nadir of one, expressed through the ego machine of a cell phone camera and small cameras, as characters perform for themselves and for others. It’s personalities that are more performativity than “real,” often without the participant even realizing how shallow their vision of the world becomes, full of ego and the Self. Running through all is also a banality of evil, instilled by the overwhelming technological desire for both information input and output (feeling the almost addictive need for selfies is an example of both).

As with House on the Hill (see above), there is some speculation and changing of the story to fit the film; it should also be noted that this is “Inspired by the true crime.” During the end credits, Director Shane Ryan does acknowledge that people were blended and liberties were taken. For a piece of cinema that was filmed in four days on $300, and was largely shot by the cast, it does have both a chilling aspect to it (especially the abusive scenes, be it inter- or intrapersonal), mixed with an almost facile feel to the everydayness of some of the actions between the characters. It’s the contrast, in part, that makes this so compelling, and for me more so on a second viewing.

Extras abound on this DVD, running nearly twice as long as the film itself. Along with a deleted scene and some alternative scenes, there are trailers for it and a bunch of other films, such as Portrait of a Milk Carton Girl and Abducted Girl: An American Sex Slave. The highlights though are two different version of the piece, including a 20-minute early cut from 2011 that is mostly without dialog called “The Columbine Effect” (under the directorial pseudonym of Bone Shin) that is mostly confusing if you haven’t seen the full feature, and an hour form of it as well called “Me, Myself and Us.” It’s a completely different cut and order of events (except the ending chronology), and while it’s decent, it’s not up to the full feature, and is rightfully and thankfully in the extras section.

Then there are two earlier short films directed by Ryan. One is the nearly 5-minute effective tribute to Japanese gore from 2011 called “Oni-Gokko” (translated as “Tag”), which could be seen as a tribute to Japanese director Takashi Miike, or possibly the “Guinea Pig” series, with just enough gore and artistic merit to raise some eyebrows. The other short is the 16-minute “Isolation” from 2001. It’s a moody piece mostly in black and white about poor 16 year old Billy (played by Shane Ryan in his directorial debut; I’m guessing a student film). Missing his mom who was murdered when he was younger to the point of depression, we follow him and his thoughts as he walks through a desolate town, possibly bleaker because of his emotional state. You can see a lot of a theme going here if you compare the short with the feature.

Ryan seems to specialize in Kids (1995; I’m certainly not the only one who had this connection as I have since found many reviews comparing them) style films dealing with teens in trouble, including pedophilia, the sex trade and other forms of teensploitation – honestly, none of which I’ve seen, so I won’t comment on them directly – but here he has found a niche of teen murders that works well. This has a very ordinary-everyday Creep Creepersin feel to it (he is thanked in the credits), and is all the more scary for both the actions and lack thereof, and especially for the viewers’ reaction to the mixture of the two.

 

 

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zSTyvCk7zvU