All genres of suspense, terror, and horror will be reviewed by Richard Gary. His address to send preview copies supplied upon request to rbf55@msn.com.
Wolf Manor (aka Scream of the Wolf) Directed
by Dominic Brunt
The Club of Wyrdd Tales; Mitchell Brunt Films; Wild Edric Media; Francis-Castle
Pictures; Lightbulb Screen Distribution; Strike Media
85 minutes, 2021 / 2022 www.Strike-Media.com @wolfmanorfilm
#WolfManor Film
Whether it is zombies,
vampires or especially slashers, there are a lot of films about low-budget
filmmaking under duress. It’s a meta look at how films are made, and how
someone in the cast, crew, or at the location, is out to getcha. For this release,
if you have not figured it out from the title, deals with a film crew is being
jeopardized by a werewolf.
Who can complain about a
good lycanthropic film, eh wot? There have been a number of noteworthy ones in
the past few years, and happily this one joins the canon. There is something
about the transformation of a man (or woman) to a monster that can be like, say
The Thing (1982), where a person can look normal, but inside lay a
deadly secret. For this British opus, filmed in Leeds, mostly, the monster is
declared at the beginning as it starts in the night of the full moon.
At the titular Wolf Manor,
the now-abandoned home of a magician, The Great Mascalini, in the countryside
of small-town UK, the film crew, led by director Derek (Rupert Proctor), is
making a low-budget vampire film starring washed up once-star, Shakespeare-spouting
Oliver (James Fleet). He is just part of the whole uninspired crew near the end
of a long shoot, who just seem weary of dealing with him and the whole
production in general.
There is a very dry comedic
tone to this, such as two reporters from a Fangoria type magazine who are
on their way to interview Oliver, but first heading to the local pub for
directions, The Blue Moon, and commenting that it should be called “The
Slaughtered Lamb,” before mentioning to the owner that perhaps they should “stay
off the moors.”I am assuming I do not
have to mention the reference. Another is people assuming a severed arm is a
prop; the prop master, Owen (Martin Portlock) steals the scenes he is in
regarding this.
When we finally do get to
see the werewolf, the make-up is really good, and I was impressed with the way
it both walked upright, and ran kind of wolf like on all fours (front being
claws rather than paws).
Obviously, the cast and crew
are fodder, and luckily there is enough to make a decent body count, with some
really glorious gore effects, without being too “technical” in its look. The detached
heads, hands, intestines and other body parts have a realistic look that made
me smile, rather than cringe in details.
One has to wonder if and
who each of the characters are based upon. That is the thing with meta making-of
films, the writer is bound to add characteristics of people he/she/they know. Most
of them are not people you would necessarily want to meet, but the two most
solid characters are just about the only females in the film: the boom mic
operator who they just call Boom, Ellie (Sade Malone), and especially Fiona
(Taila Zucchi), who seems to be the only one with brains in the entire cast,
and for that is one of the central figures in the story, and the most sympathetic
to the audience.
The kills are nicely
spread throughout the story, rather than just being a bloodbath in Act 3, which
makes this more enjoyable with less slow points in-between. Also, there are a
number of jump scares, and some of them are effective, as the kills come out of
nowhere most of the time. What drives the monster is an overwhelming need to
kill, as well as hunger; if a werewolf eats a human, is it cannibalism?
The entire film takes
place in one night, the time of the full moon, obviously, though this is the
UK, and the overcast weather makes this very dark (lighting), both indoors and
out. Oddly, we never actually see any scenes of the film-within-the-film being
shot and instead the story is totally behind-the-scenes, so no bright lights
for the cameras, inside being as murky and full of shadows as the outside. You
may have to squint at certain points to see clearly.
For an indie, lower budget
film, the acting is quite good with just a few moments of scenery chewing by
the lead, Fleet, which is quite purposefully added to indicate he is a big ham.
The ending was partially
what I expected, but then again it also had some surprises mixed in with it. This
was an enjoyable watch, with just the right amount of both gore and humor. And
speaking of the finale, be sure to see the origin story after the credits.
A Brief Interview with Director and Actor Henrique Couto
If one is familiar at all with indie director and
actor Henrique Couto, what will probably come to mind is colorful glasses,
Dali-esque facial hair, loud clothes including Hawaiian shirts, and two
incredibly beautiful, big dogs, Henwolf and Chicano. Oh, of course, then there
are his films.
Hailing from the state of Ohio, one of the things I
like about Henrique’s works is no matter what the topic or genre, they have
heart. Also, he finds actors that fit his characters so well.
I sent him a list of questions, and he was gracious
enough to answer back. Note that my queries are quite random, trying to get to
know Henrique a bit better, as we have only previously “talked” a few times on
Messenger.
* * *
Indie Horror Films: Let me start with a silly
question: Is it pronounced Hen-REEK, or Hen-REE-kay?.| Henrique Couto: You’re close on the first! My family
has always went with a somewhat off-English pronunciation, so it’s Hen-RICK,
but I have never corrected Hen-REEK as I see it being basically the
same.
IHF: To begin in earnest with a simple query: what
brought you to directing? Was it a particular film, or something you’ve wanted
to do since, like, forever? Henrique: Movies were my favorite thing in the world
for as long as I can remember. The first thing I ever wanted, the first ever,
was a TV set. The second thing I ever wanted was a video camera. The first film
I ever saw that I think informed my imagination on the subject was the 1989 Batman,
the scene where the Joker and his thugs ruin a museum full of art while moving
and dancing to a Prince song. That was the first time I actively noticed that
in film there is a rhythm to the presentation style, that made me grow more
curious and then fascinated by the process.
IHF: You’ve been making films since at least 2003, and
acting in them since 2002? How do you direct yourself as an actor, that’s
different from other actors that aren’t you? Henrique: In 2003 I was 15 years old directing movies
in my backyard, so it wasn’t exactly high art by any stretch, but it was where
I began to learn the nuts and bolts of how to do what I do. It’s funny when
you’re some kid with a camera throwing fake blood around your yard, you don’t
realize you’re building a ton of skills that will pay off more later. When it
comes to appearing in my own films, however, it’s a mixed bag. I usually give
myself small roles, something I knock out in an hour so I can get back to
concentrating only on directing. But in my romantic comedy Making Out (2016),
I was actually a bit of a major character, which was challenging because I
needed to remember my lines but also worry about all the other aspects of the
scenes. I find acting comes pretty natural to me and I’ve watched myself back
enough to kinda know when to reel it in a bit. When I did Devil’s Trail (2017),
one of the main reasons I starred in it was because my co-star John Hambrick
and I had great chemistry and we loved to improvise together. I had learned
that just from directing him.
IHF: You are part of big collective of directors and
actors in the Ohio area, such as Dustin Mills, John Oak Dalton, John Bradley
Hambrick, Erin R. Ryan, Joni Durian, and Josh Miller, just to name a few. Many
of them appear in multiple films you have directed. Why do you think that neck
of the woods is so prolific in talent? Henrique: I couldn’t tell you for sure. Ohio is,
however, a pretty big place; a lot of the people you mentioned live 2-3 hours
away, so we collaborate when we are able to make the drive. I think there are
lots of talented people hiding most places and I’m just so honored to be able
to showcase some of them in my work.
John Bradley Hambrick and Henrique Couto on Devil's Trail
IHF: Hambrick seems of be one of your muses. How did
you two connect up? I kind of see him to you, as actor Brandon Salkil is to
director Dustin Mills. Henrique: John Hambrick has everything going for him
in that he is talented, he is reliable, and I like him. I met John and formed
our friendship from making movies and I always have a good time with him. I’ve
also seen his ability as an actor grow so fast before my eyes, I’m really very
proud of him.
Erin R. Ryan
IHF: I guess a similar question would be about Erin R.
Ryan, whom you often share with Mills’ films. Henrique: Erin and I met on an audition for Babysitter
Massacre (2013) and I thought she had a great presence; after that film we
went on a tear working together any chance we could. We just had fun and she
was very reliable, so we kept it going.
IHF: You have also been a Cinematographer for other
directors, such as Dalton (The
Girl in the Crawlspace in2018; Scarecrow County in 2019). How
does it feel to work the camera under other directors? Henrique: I love running the camera on those films. I
also produced so I had some extra duties. Most of the Cinematography I’ve done
has been for first time feature directors, so I sometimes find myself
frustrated, but I always find myself enthralled in collaborating to bring their
films to life. John Dalton is a dear friend and I often joke with him, “I wish
my first film looked as good as yours!”
IHF: What is the appeal of acting to you. Do you ever
want to help out the directors with advice? Henrique: Acting is fun! It’s playing and pretending.
It’s also a lot of intense work and heavy thought but also just a blast to do.
So, I jump at any opportunity I get honestly. As far as helping directors with
advice, I love to talk shop with directors and try to help them find their way
whether we are working together or not.
IHF: While I first became aware of you with 2009’s
anthology, The Faces of
Shlock, you seemed to hit some level of stride and fame with Babysitter
Massacre. What do you think changed, or did it feel like making any other
film? Henrique: Faces of Schlock was my first film to
get national exposure, but Babysitter Massacre was something special. It
was a love letter to the films I adored as a teenager, but it was also a
desperate film: I was desperate to be successful, desperate to make a film that
delivered. I was working part time, barely paying my bills, but I had this
opportunity with Camp Motion Pictures to create this wild, bloody film, and I
didn’t want to disappoint. I think that youthful energy fed into the film
itself and made people connect with it on a deeper level.
IHF: That same year you came out with another popular
film, the comedic A
Bulldog for Christmas. Is doing a horror film a different headspace than a
seasonal comedy, or do you approach all your films the same? Henrique: Films are as different as they are the same.
I’d say every horror film is as different from other horror movies as they are
from comedies. I mean you may have less makeup effects or a smaller cast but overall,
they all have unexpected challenges and you never truly know what you’ve gotten
into ‘til you’re out there doing it.
IHF: Similarly, the following year, 2014, you came out
with Haunted House on
Sorority Row and Awkward Thanksgiving. I see a pattern here… Henrique: Awkward Thanksgiving was basically
all the ideas I had for Bulldog for Christmas that were NOT
family friendly, haha. So, I made a holiday film that was raunchy and
ridiculous and hilarious. Haunted House on Sorority Row is a good
example of how different two horror films can be if you compare it to Babysitter
Massacre. Both horror movies, similar cast, but so massively different in
tone and style.
IHF: In 2015, you came out with a very “straight”
western, Calamity Jane’s
Revenge. I don’t know too many genre directors that have done westerns, so I
wanted to know if and how it felt different to you, compared to comedies or
horror. Henrique: Making a western was fun; you just slap on
the costumes and the guns and start running around making it. I remember
getting the first shot of a cowboy with their gun up and their hat tilted, and
I thought, “Whoa, this is a western!” I made some style choices that fed into
my influences from spaghetti westerns, but the movie found its own groove as we
went.
IHF: In 2017, you did a found footage style release, Devil’s Trail. How was the FF
experience, compared to blocking and shooting a film? Henrique: Devil’s Trail was my third found
footage film. What I love about making a found footage project is how it is
captured and what types of cameras you are using is part of the story itself.
You tell a story as much with why people are filming each other as you do with
who they are. In many ways you can film scenes incredibly fast, but in other
ways you don’t have as much control and you have to think your shots and
choices out very deeply. You may do scenes in a found footage movie where you
don’t cut for more than a minute or longer, as to where on a narrative feature
you wouldn’t go longer than 20 seconds.
IHF: Lately, it seems you have really been getting
into podcasts, having three running at once (Spooky Stories, Boggy Creek: The Bigfoot Series,
Popcorn Fodder). How are they different from each other? Do you like
podcasting as much as filmmaking? Henrique: Boggy Creek: The Series is a TV
series produced by Fred Olen Ray and directed by me, available on Prime Video. Popcorn
Fodder is also a TV series available on various outlets that I host. I have
two podcasts: Weekly Spooky, which is a new short story audiobook every week,
and This Show is Awkward, which is a talk show featuring myself and
musician/comic artist Michelle Antisocial. Podcasting is very fun and allows a
lot of engagement with your audience.
IHF: Do you like podcasting as much as filmmaking? Henrique: Comparing it to filmmaking wouldn’t be fair.
Podcasts are a long term commitment, but you maybe only put an hour or two in a
week, as to where films you work all at once, get it done, then move on. I
enjoy podcasting and find it relaxing because the pressure is a lot lower, but
filmmaking is a deep passion for me.
Henwolf and Chicano
IHF: Love your dogs, by the way. Very cute. Thank you
so much for your time. It was a pleasure getting to ask you these questions,
and I look forward to seeing your upcoming films. Henrique: My pleasure, thank you for the chat!
* * *
Between this article being written and its publication,
Couto’s Christmas-themed horror short, Christmas Presence (can be seen
for free HERE; film reviewed by me HERE), won the New York PBS Thirteen “Reel
13 Shorts” contest on January 13, 2021. It received over 300 more votes than its
nearest competitor. Congrats, Henrique!
I am proud
to say that I have now reviewed all of the films of James Balsamo that he has directed and released to date: Hack Job (2011), I Spill Your Guts (2012),
Cool as Hell (2013), Catch of the Day (2014), and Bite School (2015). He has
two more scheduled for next year, 60 Seconds to Die and Killer Waves. This does
not include the multiple ones he appeared as an actor (though I did write up
2012’s Bloody Christmas and his sneeze-and-you-miss-it cameo in 2013’s Blood
Slaughter Massacre). These can all be seen by searching this blog.
Balsamo’s
specialty for most of his films is the goofy self-centered fish out of water,
usually played by himself. Much of it could seem just plain silly, but if the
viewer actually pays attention, there is a lot of sharp dialog and action, with
lots of gore and nudity. They are definitely a fun ride.
Another of
his forte is having guest cameos. As Balsamo travels around going to genre
conventions, his up spirit, the joy of what he’s doing, and his general personality lends
itself to other actors and musicians being willing to record a visual bit that can be
included in his films, often of which is humorously belittling Balsamo either verbally or physically. Some of them obviously are filmed in the street or hotel
lobby right at the convention site, which will somehow be included in his
latest project. That actually says a lot about the joy of being a genre writer,
director and actor; he’s not just in charge, he’s also a fan. I’ve seen some of
the selfie’s he’s done with various artists and his ecstatic expression is
identifiable as truth, which usually says, “Holy fuck, I can’t believe I’m
standing next to so-and-so!”
Balsamo is
one of the new breed of guerilla filmmakers who grab a camera (or more than one) to a
location and shoot away, especially in Long Island locales, but as his releases
are getting increasingly popular, and he attends more and more conventions (make sure
you go by and say hi at his table…and pick up a film or tee-shirt or two), his
loci for taping is ever expanding.
Not only does
Balsamo make films, he also releases them under his own brand, Acid Bath
Productions, which has one of my favorite logo animations used at the beginning of
all his releases and trailers. But I’ve rambled on enough. Let’s meet the man
behind the cannoli:
You’ve
been an actor longer than a director. What was the moment that made you want to
make films as well as act?
James: I
started out at a young age to aspire to star in horror films. But since I
didn’t know anybody who made horror films, I decided to go to film school and
make my own damn movie. Five feature films later, now I get to hack and slash
on screen and off camera (when the craft service table runs out of doughnuts).
What drives you to make films?
James: While
filming topless women and partying with some of the rock stars and celebrities
in my films are a great perk, what really drives me to make them is my love for
cinema. But let’s be real: mainly it’s for the boobs and partying at this point
in my career.
You’ve made five three comedies (Killer
Waves is in production) and one drama.
Why the change with the tense I Spill Your Guts?
James: After
a not so enthusiastic response after my first film, Hack Job, I set out to show the world that I had more ideas than
just fart jokes and naked women and made a captivated military thriller – I Spill Your Guts. After the film’s
release, critics of Hack Job quickly
did a 360 and praised the film for its great dramatic overtones. But like I
said, a lot of people are just like me: we really like fart jokes and boobs so
that’s what I went back to. After three horror-comedies, I’ve decided to go
back to a thriller with Killer Waves,
which promises to be the most brutal film I’ve made.
You tend to have some very attractive women
who both are willing to be naked and can actually act in your films. Why are
you so lucky?
James: Our
casting process is really complex. A lot of work goes into the entire process
and it involves a series of auditions and usually a lot of debate. I’ve always
had a charm with the ladies but of course on an Acid Bath Productions set, all
of our actors and actresses are treated with the utmost respect when doing nude
scenes.
Tell us an anecdote about working with the
late Dave Brockie, the lead singer of Gwar (d. 2014).
James: Dave
Brockie was an amazing guy to have worked with. He will truly be missed. Dave
came to set excited about the project and before he got into his Oderus [Urungus]
costume, Dave played a role out-of-costume as a diner owner. We handed Dave his
wardrobe, which was brand new, and he said he really wanted it to look
authentic. We were filming in a club that had a kitchen and Dave put his hand
under the grease trap and was wiping the dirt and grime all over himself and
his clothes. He was a true method actor.
How do you get so many major named stars of
both cinema and music to appear in your films?
James: A
little bit of chloroform goes a long way. Acid Bath Productions is a growing
name in the industry so we’re seeing a lot of these rock stars and celebrities
are excited to work with us and be in an Acid Bath film. If that doesn’t work,
we usually kidnap a loved one and hold them for ransom until they do a cameo.
Debbie Rochon is one of my faves. What is it
like to work with her?
James: I’ve
known Debbie for almost a decade now and not only is she always stunning to
look at, but she has such an amazing sense of humor and such a great presence
to her. The last time I filmed with Debbie she was playing a psychic and made
an actress lick a dried goat penis (read: beef jerky). If you haven’t seen the
scene, its hilarious goodness is in Catch
of the Day.
Do you usually shoot with one camera, or do
you occasionally shoot with more?
James: Catch of the Day was the only film shot
primarily with two cameras. Obviously there are always a bunch of cameras
shooting different angles, but we try to stick with one primary camera. Though
you’d be surprised how handy the extra footage from the other cameras can be!
According to IMDB, your last film, Bite
School, cost $60,000. Really?
James: No,
it actually cost more than that. Blowing up cars and driving through walls
seems to drive up the production bill. Don’t remind me – or my bank account.
Have you ever had to deal with a prima donna
actor/actress? How do you handle that situation?
James: Like
I said, a lot of work goes into the casting process and we’ve been lucky that
we haven’t had to deal with such an incident, but when the time comes we do
keep a machete on set.
You’re very loyal to Long Island, and your
Italian heritage, yet you’re not afraid to make fun of both, as well as other
races. How does your nonni feel about that?
James: She’s
89 and kicking. She loves it, but she does occasionally need to beat me with an
Italian bread to keep me in line, but I’ll always be her little meatball.
The characters you play tend to be drug- and
alcohol fueled airheads with some position of power. How close is that to
reality?
James: I
know the first step is admitting you have a problem, so let’s move past that
and say I am far from the characters. But drugs aren’t really a problem as long
as you can afford them, am I right?
You also act in other people’s films. Do you
ever get the urge to grab the camera and show them how it’s done?
James: I
always restrain my urge to start directing other people’s projects if they’ve
hired me as talent. I respectfully hold that position, unless of course they
ask for my opinion and then I’m more than happy to show them or just take over
the show.
Frank Mullen is another one of my favorites
who appear in your films. His characters definitely have a similarity to one
another. How parallel are they to him? I always thought he would be a great
addition to “Blue Bloods” or “SVU.” Discuss.
James:Yes, Frank embodies that character. I don’t
usually even have to give him a script, I just let him yell at people in real
life and happen to be there with a camera to capture it. In all seriousness,
Frank is a great actor and we’re happy to have him as part of the Acid Bath
family. I’m not the biggest “Blue Bloods” fan, but Frank is truly a brilliant
actor and I’m happy to call him a friend. I’m sure he’d ace any role he was
cast for. If you haven’t seen him perform in Suffocation [Frank’s band - RG], you’re
definitely missing something special.
Is there anyone in particular you want to
have in your films that you haven’t been able to get yet, and why?
James: We
have a couple of people in the works, so I don’t want to give away too many
secrets just yet. And that would tip them off that the creepy noises they hear
in their house at night is me.
Any other amusing story you want to share?
James: After
filming with ECW legend Balls Mahoney [Jonathan
Rechner – RG], he heard that I was a varsity wrestler back in high school
and challenged me to a wrestling match. Mind you, the night before, Balls
Mahoney wrestled and broke his arm when fans threw all their chairs in the
ring. So literally part of his bone looked like it was about to pop out of his
arm and so I’m pleading with him that I don’t want to wrestle him because he
clearly has a broken arm but he persists. Being a man of honor I couldn’t just lie
down and let him pin me, so I wrestled a one-armed Balls Mahoney and pinned him
not once, but twice. Fair match. (Have you ever seen that guy swing a chair?)
Cinematography and directed
by George Cameron Romero MVD Visual / Benetone Hillin Entertainment 75
minutes, 2014 www.mvdvisual.com
If
you were an infamous and exacting horror director, how far would you go to make
a scene successful? Would you give in to the mystic black arts to get your cast
“motivated”? This is just one of the questions that is raised by this film by
Cameron Romero, proving genes run deep (just ask Jason Reitman, Brandon
Cronenberg or Jennifer Lynch). To get past it since I already brought it up, there
is a second-long homage to Cameron’s dad in a video store shelf panning shot
(shown twice, but that’s okay).
Ian Hutton
A
found footage in documentary style, Romero mixes these to a mostly successful
level, giving a nice twist to the subgenres. The plot is that film auteur (a cinematic
version of, say, Phil Spector, who makes everything he or she directs their
own, hence the auteur/author descriptor)
named Charlie Buckwald (Ian Hutton) who has made an exorcism film called Demonic, and then disappeared with the
only DVD of the completed film.
BJ Hendricks
The head
of the studio sends his impulsive and not-to-bright ne’er-do-well son, Jack
Humphries (BJ Hendricks, who inexplicable has Southern accent considering Jack
grew up in Hollywood), to find Charlie and retrieve the lost film. In that
framework, Jack is an unsuccessful filmmaker himself (can’t even get a break
from his studio head dad, for example). How incompetent is Jack? After
following around Charlie and then losing him, he asked the camera guy what he
should do next (in my opinion that was a smart bit of insightful writing).
With
elements of Hideo Nakata’s Ringu (1998)
and Lamberto Bava’s Demoni (1985), we
are given a strong hint pretty early on that things don’t go well for Jackie-boy
(if it weren’t so close to the beginning, I wouldn’t mention it). Thanks to a
provided clue that is no mystery at all who sent it though it dumbfounds Jack
(as in “he don’t know Jack shit”), he tracks down the very edgy and neurotic /
paranoid Buckwald (Hutton does focused director and nutzoid both pretty well
and manages to make them both believable). The reason why the sender didn’t go
to get the DVD unaided is questionable; yes, I understand the familial
relationships (this comment will make more sense when you see the film), but it
doesn’t jibe with the ending.
Much
of the story is kind of predictable, I admit, but it was still an enjoyable
ride nonetheless. Part of this is due to the high quality of acting, much
stronger than most indie films and certainly better than the early works of,
well, any of the daddies listed above.
Madeline Merritt
Top
credit is given to name actor Tom Sizemore, obviously being a gentleman and helping
a bro (i.e., a crew member; probably a Romero) out. He plays a version of himself
(at least I hope it’s a “version”), having been an actor in the
film-with-a-film Demonic and giving snarky
and insulting answers while interviewed at a bar. With a voice that sounds like
three miles of gravel road, he belittles poor Jack, questions his manhood, and
is definitely a hostile witness. It also sounds like his dialogue was ad
libbed, and if that’s so, it’s hysterically funny if not painful for the mistreatment
of Jack. His screed against the number of deaths associated with the film and
how it’s a lie, like the conspiracy theories surrounding The Exorcist (1973) show the actor’s/character’s need for ego
dominance.
Watching
Jack’s work post-editing, it’s easy to see why he’s unsuccessful. Though
familiar with some of the filmmaking equipment Charlie has horded in his family
home owned by his late parents (tell me again why he was hard to find?), he
doesn’t really show much knowledge of how they are used. Romero, on the other
hand, obviously grew up on sets and around the art of cinema magic, and it
seems like he is at ease with the ways to make a story work, even one with
holes that took three writers. Don’t get me wrong, the film is well crafted
around dialog and scenery, there just needs to be more cohesion to the story.
That there are two scenes in the film in which one includes two-camera editing
rather than the one, hand-held camera of Jack’s, and another where the camera
is obviously handheld, but the camera guy is no longer there for a private
conversation.
As I’ve
said a number of times before, when you look back at some of the early works of
some auteur genre directors, yes, including daddy, there have been questionable
moments in both acting and directing, but here, Romero puts together a really
solid cast, keeps the interest going even with the issues in the story, and to
me that shows quite a bit of potential. Romero has a half dozen or so films
competed including this one (his latest to date), and hopefully he has the
opportunity to keep stretching out.
