Serial Review: The Green Hornet (13 Episodes; 2 Discs)

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

The Green Hornet
Directed by Ford I. Beebe (d. 1978); Ray Taylor (d. 1952)
Universal Pictures; VCI Entertainment; MVD Visual
258 minutes (appx. 20 min per episode), 1940 / 2023
www.VCIentertainment.com
www.MVDVisual.com

The last serial I reviewed was 1946’s The Monster and the Ape. And now, here we are with an even earlier one, The Green Hornet. No, do not expect Bruce Lee (d. 1973) as Kato, the role on the television series that arguably made him a household name in North America.

Not counting the extras on this Blu-ray, which I will get to later, there are over four hours of the main attraction. In the day, you would have to wait week-by-week to see the entire piece, which would be over 3 months. Now, it is all in one go, and thanks to the new habit of binge-watching entire seasons of shows, this is quite doable (though it will probably take me a few days to get through all of them, and the extras… I have a life…).

Unlike most modern heroes, such as Batman and Spider-Man, both of which came later, the Green Hornet character started out as a radio series in 1936, created by George W. Trendle (d. 1972), transferring into the serial and adapted by Fran Striker (d. 1962), thanks to its esteem. It was popular enough to snag the original radio series, two different film serials in the 1940s, the infamous television show in the 1960s, and a major film in 2011 with Seth Rogan of all people as the title character. The 13 Chapters of this program are listed below. One of the most recognized theatrical serials released, this is naturally in black and white, but it is a crisp, new 2K scan of the original 35mm master.

In this first of two series, the focus is not exclusively on the enemies of the State (i.e., spies) from the War in Europe, but the good old Racketeers and gangsters. Right off the Bat-man, in an unnamed city, we meet rich newspaper heir Britt Reid (Gordon Jones; d. 1963; note that the voice of the Green Hornet is Al Hodge, d. 1979, who played him on the radio and would go on to portray “Captain Video” on television) and his Korean scientific genius sidekick/”valet” Kato (Keye Luke; d. 1991, known as Master “Snatch the pebble…” Po from the “Kung Fu” television series). In the heavy exposition (as it is the first episode), Reid saved Kato’s life in Asia, and he is now working for him in gratitude; in the opening scene, Kato invents a new and faster car motor, which Reid states, “Wait until I release this on the world.” Wait, it was invented by Kato… Oh, yeah, it is the 1940s. Also helping in the house is brogue-speaking ex-cop/reporter/bodyguard Michael (Wade Boteler; d. 1943) who, unlike Alfred the Butler in Batman, is unaware of the Green Hornet’s identity; he is, however, the comic relief.

The other two main “good guys” are the only returning female in the cast, Reid’s feisty secretary, Lenore Case (Anne Nagel, who would star opposite Lon Chaney Jr. in 1941’s Man-Made Monster; d. 1966) and on occasion, the fast-talking reporter at The Sentinel, Jasper Jenks (Phillip Trent, d. 2001). Notably, there are only three other women who appear, all in a single chapter, and all uncredited. Future star Alan Ladd (d. 1964) has a bit part as a novice pilot (also uncredited).

A line that comes up often is “a new Robin Hood” as the incentive for the vigilante. The Green Hornet’s goal is to wipe out corruption between politicians and a variety of other scams, such as construction company who are using kickbacks to use faulty equipment and materials in their building sites, insurance fraud, a car thief ring, and so on over the course of the 13 chapters, though most of the topics are revolved around transportation. The syndicate is run by a mysterious man on the phone.

Like Batman in the early days especially, Greenie is seen by the police establishment as a bad guy, possibly trying to get rid of the syndicate to start his own. Only a loyal employee sees the good side.

The Green Hornet’s car, Black Beauty, is souped up by Kato (who was originally Japanese on the radio show but switched due to the war in the Asian Theater), makes a buzzing sound like a hornet, that I have learned is made by a Theremin. It is supposed to go 200 miles an hour, but as it speeds past the camera (in sped up footage), the sound is flat, without a doppler effect. Even that is not mentioned in the IMDB list of goofs. Strangely, most people get into their vehicles from the passenger side, rarely from the driver’s. The soundtrack that is worth noting is the nearly constant use of Rimsky-Korsakov’s 1900 “Flight of the Bumblebee,” for obvious reasons.

The acting is completely wooden as is true of nearly all B-films of the period (not just serials), as if doing stage acting, and the dialogue is laughable. However, this is truly fun to watch, and it really is better done than most other serials I have seen. It also mixed footage shot for the series, as well as adding in some historical b-roll (e.g., mining, dam building, etc.), especially in the first chapter. As for the car chases, well it is pretty obvious they play the same footage throughout all the chapters. I am sure this was a wise budgetary decision: remember, the B in B-films could stand for low Budget. These features were not made to make money on their own, but to draw people in with a stream of cliffhangers (a term originated in serials) to see the feature film and its lesser budget companion (e.g., double bill).

It is also fun to check out the tropes of the time, just before gangster films were phasing out for war propaganda and a hint of realism, though one story deals with illegal arms shipments by someone with a slight German accent (Fredrik Vogeding; d. 1942). For example, everyone wears dark suits and ties, fedora hats, and when guns are fired, they are always handguns, with the shooter standing straight up, one foot slightly behind the other, and shooting at waist level. There are numerous fist fights in every episode, and all are unintentionally humorous and cliché. Love this stuff.

Wade Boteler, Anne Nagel, Gordon Jones, Phillip Trent

There are lots of fine, subtle moments, such as the visual of a phone dial spinning melding into another location of a truck tire going ‘round. In another, Chase saying a line and cutting to one of the bad guys saying the same line. It is reasons like this that this serial was so popular.

The extras are on the second disc. They start with Don Blair and Chris Rowe reading from Clifford Weimer’s “I Am…The Green Hornet:’ Chapter Six: The Hornet in Hollywood’” (8 min). This is part of an “autobiography” taken from the perspective of The Hornet, “himself.” It is done with old-radio style vocals discussing the jump from aural to visual. Continuing with the audio aspect are two earlier radio episodes of “The Green Hornet”: “The Parking Lot Racket” (1939) and “The Highway that Graft Wrote” (1940; appx. 30 min each). The last digital extra is a Trivia (e.g., Reid is the grand-nephew of The Lone Ranger) and Photo Gallery. On the physical side is a lengthy booklet written by prolific cultural historian Martin Grams Jr.

Serial title list (disc 1):
Chapter 1: The Tunnel of Terror
Chapter 2: The Thundering Terror
Chapter 3: Flying Coffins
Chapter 4: Pillar of Flame
Chapter 5: The Time Bomb
Chapter 6: Highways of Peril
Chapter 7: Bridge of Disaster
Chapter 8: Dead or Alive
Serial title list (disc 2):
Chapter 9: The Hornet Trapped
Chapter 10: Bullets and Ballots
Chapter 11: Disaster Rides the Rails
Chapter 12: Panic in the Zoo
Chapter 13: Doom of the Underworld

IMDB listing HERE

Review: Nightshooters

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

Nightshooters
Directed by Marc Price
Ascendant Films; Dead Pixel Productions; White Hot Productions;
Indican Entertainment; Lightening Entertainment;
Mop Media; Nowhere Fast Productions
100 minutes, 2018 / 2021
www.facebook.com/nightshootersmovie
www.tribal.film/nightshooters 

I am not quite sure why, but I tend of like films that show mayhem behind the camera at a movie shoot. In this case, we are in London, and the crew is doing some final pick-ups overnight – a very common practice – when the space is clear. Most of the releases that fit into this category tend to be slashers, such as Lights Camera Dead (2007), or even A Serbian Film (2010).

Nightshooters, however, falls directly into the action and gangster film categories, rather than horror. It’s closer to Die Hard (1988) than a slice-‘em-up. That being said, the film-within-the-film that is being made is a nice mix of martial arts and an incredibly visceral and bloody zombie flick, Dawn of the Deadly. Those who wish for the gore, just the opening alone can make you smile (It did for me).

Rosanna Hoult, Kaitlyn Riordan

The location for this film (and the meta shoot) are two abandoned office buildings, high rise towers that face each other, ready for demolition. This gives a great cavernous feel that is both wide and broad, yet at the same time a bit claustrophobic. If you have ever been in a buidling that has been stripped down to its skeleton, you will know what I mean. Same no permits by the story's film crew were obtained.

Both the cast and crew of the meta film are a bunch of characters, including Harper (Doug Allen), a petulant, lecherous and alcoholic lead actor who is so vain he has his own picture on his phone case; Marshall (Adam McNab), a harried director who has no issues with shortcuts or legalities to get the shot, safety be damned; Oddbod (Nicky Evans), a sound guy who likes to complain (though I can’t really see where he is wrong); Kim (Mica Procter), an assistant who can’t get the coffee machine working; an ammo expert, Ellie (Rosanna Hoult); put-upon producer Jen (Canadian actor Kaitlyn Riordan) who amusingly wears an Montreal Expos hat; and a stunt coordinator, Donnie (real-life stuntman and martial artist, Jean-Paul Ly).

Jean-Paul Ly

And while our hearty, dysfunctional crew are setting up for the last night of shooting before the walls come tumblin’ down in the morning, there is something else going on in the building across the way: some gangsters, led by Tarker (Richard Sandling), are taking care of business by fiery execution (as mobsters do).

As they do what comes natural in the gangster world if you have watched such fare as “The Sopranos,” guess who happens to be watching the whole thing in the window across the way? Yep. Of course, the order is given by Tarker to his crew to take care of the problem in their own, initiable, mobster ways: go full Die Hard (see, I mentioned it for a reason).

Richard Sandling

The bad guys group are professional killers. The film crew are not, but they have their own talents, as we learn. It is definitely and us versus them situation, but will it be a Little Big Horn massacre scenario or something else? Good thing is, with this many people involved, it is guaranteed to have an interesting body count number. It does seem strange, though, that there were this many people needed for a mob hit, but who am I to complain about it? The more, the merrier, the more the messier. The practical SFX, done by Lea James, is nicely mixed with some CGI blood splattering.

The acting is top notch, and these are some well-honed talents, but for me the standout is Sandling, who reminds me of some of the gritter work done by Bo Hoskins in films like The Long Good Friday (1980), especially a speech he gives early on before the initial execution. The other bad guy worth mentioning is Nicholas Aaron as O’Hara, second-in-charge.

While technically not horror, as I stated above, there is definitely a level of high action drama with lots of blood and viscera as our tribes do what they need to survive. The martial arts action is actually quite amazing. No ridiculous wire work or spinning to the roof like many modern genre films, but rather more Jet Li solid body pounding work. Ly is definitely fun to watch. Some people have referred to this as a comedy, but I don’t see it, other than a couple of funny lines here and there. But I am totally comfortable considering this a solid action drama with a bit of comic relief.

As the side of advantage changes often and quickly, there is quite a lot of fun cat and mouse games between the groups for a while, as they are both maladjusted and some not so smart, but once the killing finally does begin, it’s graphic and brutal. There were multiple ones that were so impressive, I backed it up to watch again. Wheeeeee.

Mica Procter

The only odd thing in the film that poked my rassoodocks is that Marshall seems to disappear somewhere late in the second act, and then suddenly reappears towards the end of the film with no explanation that I caught.

The film crew aspect can be seen as a subtle commentary on what it is like to work on a low budget, to do whatever it takes to make it work. I have been on one indie set in my life, so it’s not like I have a wealth of experience, but I am assuming that this is pretty much more damn accurate than not, more often than not. On a modern, cultural aspect, while this was filmed three years ago (and now being released on disc and a number of digital and cable outlets after a Festival tour), it is interesting to see the questionable set safety dynamics in a post-Alec Baldwin/Rust period of filmmaking history.

The director, Marc Price, has proven himself with the likes of the zombie epic Colin (2008), and here he continues to do well to mix the gritty gangster style of, say, early Guy Ritchie, and to mix it with martial arts. The filmmaking aspect of this, such as the cinematography by Tom Barker is occasionally mouth-droppingly good, especially the lighting during the fighting scenes, and the editing by Price is tight and tense. The film is 100 minutes long, and keeps the attention for the full time.

 

Review: Silat Warriors: Deed of Death

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

Silat Warriors: Deed of Death (aka The Deed of Death; Geran)
Directed by Areel Abu Bakar
Hi-YAH!; Well Go USA Entertainment; Layar Pictures
102 minutes, 2019 / 2021
www.wellgousa.com/films/silat-warriors-deed-of-death

While the “golden era” of the martial arts films was arguably in the 1970s and ‘80s, it did not disappear: rather it morphed and spread throughout the world. Though not a devotee of the genre, I certainly enjoy it when they come up on my radar, be it almost fairy tale-like, such as Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000) or the gangsta style of Takashi Miike, to the cheesier Shaw Brothers releases.

This film comes from Malaysia, so naturally it has English subtitles, but those who are martial arts fans are certainly used to that; personally, I like the original language rather than ridiculous overdubbing. While we are discussing language, “Silat” is the form of martial arts practiced in Brunei, Indonesia, Singapore, parts of Thailand, Philippines and Vietnam, and of course, in Malaysia (thank you Wikipedia).

The original title of the film, Geran, is translated as “grant,” and in this case it means land given to someone else, specifically a deed to land owned by a particular family. The head of the household, wealthy agrarian widower Namron (Pak Nayan), is a wise man of (Muslim) faith, who has three children: the youngest is his dutiful daughter, Fatimah (Feiyna Tajudin), his oldest son who works the land, Ali (Khoharullah Majid), and of concern is the middle and black sheep, Mat Arip (Fad Anuar).

Mat Arip is a wild child who is an unrepentant gambler, street fighter, pool player, and even a drag racer. Despite some wins, he loses big to gangster/loan shark Haji Daud (Faizal Hussein), owing him 20,000 ringgit (about $5,000 USD). Knucklehead that he is, he has taken the deed (of death, in the title) and given in to Haji as collateral. Problem is, Haji is either buying up all the land in the area or conniving it out of the hands of his “loanees.” There is a big political deal going on to turn the area into residential and commercial properties, which would make Haji extremely rich. Sounds like an American western with the railroad coming through, with Silat fighting filling in for gun showdowns at high noon.

Even after Mat Arip tries to pay back his debt, the loan sharks tell him about interest, all in the scheme to keep the deed (of death), trying to force Namron to sign it over at the land office, as Haji has done with many others.

One of my favorite characters, though, is Mat Arip’s oft-eating and fast-talking best friend and partner, Mi Piang (Taiyuddin Bakar, aka Salehuddin Abu Bakar), who holds the role of both the fool (comic relief) and, in the long run, is often the wiser of the two. He reminds me of the Shorty Farnsworth (Nicky Blair) character from Viva Las Vegas (1964), for some odd reason.

Despite all the cussin’, gamblin’ and fightin’, there is also a strong religious and moral code often laid down by the likes of Silat instructor Tok Malim and family friend Pak Teh (Abinoorizuadin Bin Abdullah) – both of whom seem to talk mostly to Ali, the spiritual center of the film – and say things like “People like that can escape men’s punishment, but God’s law is inescapable.”

And yet, there is a whole lot of fighting. All the siblings get involved in Silat savagery, which is very fun to watch (and no weird “hit” sound effects like in the ‘80s Hong Kong films). What I find interesting is that considering the film is about gangsters, there are no guns visible, and hardly a blade – I was expecting at least some machetes. Sure, every other object that occurs naturally around them is fair game, though (boards, scarfs, bottles, etc.), but it is kept strongly body/skill vs. body/skill.

The film is beautifully shot by first-time director and long-time cinematographer, Areel Abu Bakar (aka Mohd Shahreel bin Abu Bakar). The atmospheric views of the countryside and city, the fight scenes, and the people are well captured, and there are even some artistic points thrown in, especially when numerous people are blowing out cigarette smoke in slow motion and perfectly framed and lit.

While this stands out from recent martial arts releases I have seen (not counting bigger budget ones like, say, the John Wick releases), there are a few minor hiccups. I mean, I really like that under the one kingpin loan shark, there are two or three groups that all focus on different albeit overlapping parts of the film, but keep it consistent and coherent. Things do get a bit overwrought on occasion on the emotional scale (though not Shaw Brothers level), but still there is a nice balance between action, family dynamics, and the occasional preaching. And it does look like it is set up for a sequel.

On a side note, I had a good laugh when one of the gangster henchmen was wearing a tee-shirt with the Nirvana “x”-ed eyed logo. Mat Arip wears one that says “Music: On / World: Off.” I wouldn't mid one of the latter for myself. But I digress...

I am pretty sure this is the first time I have viewed a Malaysian film, possibly even a Muslim one, in this genre. Abu Bakar does his culture and the martial arts cinema proud.

 

Review: The Long Way Back

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

The Long Way Back (aka Pacing the Cage)
Directed by EB Hughes
EBFilms; Breaking Glass Pictures
72 minutes, 2020
https://www.facebook.com/The-Long-Way-Back-552584021456390/

The opening shot is not only beautiful in a harsh way, but sets up the mood right from the start. We see a close-up of barbed wire on a wall, with a clear blue sky, the sound of the wind howling and the soundtrack piano plinking.

Denny Dale Bess

We are at first silently introduced to the protagonist of the story, Max (Denny Dale Bess) as he gets out a prison just west of Atlantic City after six months, and heads back to his old haunts in Alphabet City, on the Lower East Side (LES) of Manhattan. I remember once driving around there with a member of the Dead Boys and his new band, in the early 1980s, and he made me stop and jumped out so he could cop (I found that out later). That’s the kind of neighborhood we are talking about. Max is a seriously flawed human: an addict who is still using, but he claims he is trying to straighten up as he moves into a fleabag hotel. There he meets a neighbor on his way in, Sara (Reyna Kahan).

Mark Borkowski, Ron Rey

Max wants to “move forward,” but there are things holding him back, such as his addiction, and the fact that he ripped off his supplier, “Uptown” Lucius (award-winning playwright Mark Borkowski, giving off a Harvey Keitel vibe) for 20 grand just before he went to jail. So, you can see it is like that iconic line from The Godfather: Part III (1990), when Pacino laments, “Just when I thought I was out, they pullme back in!” Violent and controlling, Lucius has sent out his right-hand man, Johnnie (Ron Rey) to “fetch” Max to settle the score.

The main thread is following Max and Lucius as they spin around each other, with the connection being Johnnie. As the film goes on, the revolving gets tighter and tighter, until they start to collide, as one would expect.

Reyna Kahan

However, expectation here is wisely kept so the viewer (i.e., me) has one anticipates where the film is going, and then, where it actually does follow. Meanwhile, Max keeps trying to improve, and Lucius continues down into the spiral. Also following these men are their relationships, which reflect their current positions. It is all very engaging, watching this cat and mouse game and how it affects those around it.

New York City is practically one of the characters in the story, sometimes appearing beautiful, others leaning more towards how it looked and felt in Taxi Driver (1976). I marveled at how beautiful and ugly the city can be, having moods just like a person. There are some keynote locations used, such as the Landmark Tavern, deep in Hell’s Kitchen. While I have never been inside, I have passed it many a time.

In the neither-here-nor-there rhetorical question department, why is it that nearly any movie that shows someone walking “uptown” (e.g., Upper East – or West – Side), at some point they will be walking under some building scaffolding? Also, in the Special Thanks section of the credits, it is nice to see my old Jersey-based fanzine publisher/editor/writer acquaintance Chip Lamey listed. But I digress…

It is easy to tell the director was heavily influenced by the early, gritty works of Martin Scorsese, such as Mean Streets (1973); there is also a hint of the up-close-and-personal unflinching of Abel Ferrara’s The Bad Lieutenant (1992). Like those, this film is more character based than anything else, with subtle violence and reactions that get under the skin.

Sayra Player, Rey

There are a few interesting secondary characters, such as the manager of the hotel and Max’s friend, Ziggy (Don Striano) and especially Lucius’s tweaking coke-head girlfriend, Mona (excellently portrayed by Sayra Player). She had a stand-out scene with Johnnie that, to me, is an anchor example of good acting and writing in the film. That is not to say the rest of the cast is slacking in any kind of way. Everyone does a bang-up job, which is a rarity in independent, low-budget cinema. If this was released in the ‘80s, it could have easily had played at either art house or mainstream cinemas.

Cinematographer William J. Murray is worth noting, as well. This is especially true in the lighting, such as in Lucius’s apartment, a beautiful mix of shadows and light.

This crime drama is understated in what one might expect, and I liked it even more for that. Rather than an overladen, too long ego-trip, it is short, succinct, and gets the job done. Like I said, it’s more based on the personality of the characters than anything else, which is quite refreshing.

Review: Witness Infection

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

Witness Infection
Directed by Andy Palmer
Mob Goo Productions; Petri Entertainment
82 minutes, 2021
https://www.facebook.com/witnessinfection

One way to look at this is as a comic mish-mash of “The Sopranos” (1999-2007) and Mob Boss (1990) meet “The Walking Dead” (2010-), with a touch of Street Trash (1987). The characters from Saturday Night Fever (1976) are also a good baseline for those presented. I can’t speak for anyone else, but that sounds like a fun combination, under the right helm.

We are introduced to two rival mob families from Jersey, who went into the witness protection program, and by an FBI mistake, both get sent to the same small city of Temecula, California, a real place, 85 miles driving distance south from Los Angeles (Hwy 10 to 71, then 15), known for its wine and resorts; it was also filmed in Lake Elsinore, 35 minutes away (up Hwy 15). But I digress… Needless to say, there are a lot of bowling shirts and jumpsuits. It all reminds me of growing up in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn, where the mob was omnipresent (my story is HERE). 

Vince DonVito, Jill-Michelle Melean, Robert Belushi

Rather than go to war and kill each other, they pull a Dark Ages type deal between them, where Carlo (Robert Belushi – Jim’s son) – who runs a pet grooming shop – and rival gang daughter Patricia (Erinn Hayes) have one week to get married, and then produce a kid. Neither is happy about this arrangement, especially Carlo’s co-groomer, Gina (ex-“MadTV” Jill-Michele Melean), who loves him. If you have already figured out where this goes, it will not matter in the long run.

To make matters even worse, Patricia is the girlfriend of Carlo’s goombah brother, Domonic (Bret Ernst). Shades of A Midsummer Night’s Dream! Rounding it off at this point is Patricia’s bestie and Carlo’s sister (I think), Filomena (Tara Strong, known mostly as a voice actor in some major roles, such as Harley Quinn/Barbara Gordon/Batgirl in various “Batman” cartoons such as “The Killing Joke,” and for the Bronies, she is Twilight Sparkle in “My Little Pony”), and along for the ride is Carlo’s older letch and cinephile cousin and (further) comic relief Vince (Vince DonVito), who has the best line in the film.

Tara Strong, Erinn Hayes

Anyways, there’s a popular street meat food truck selling sausage sangwiches that is having a disastrous effect on people, turning them into zombies, but while stumbling around can also be fast, and definitely with a George A. Romero-style hunger. Oh, and their skin starts to boil and melt, which is where the Street Trash comes in.

While the humor is mostly verbal and pretty consistent, it is worth paying attention because there are a lot of throw-away lines that are easy to miss, and are too good to ignore (even the groaners). Part of the fun is the many other film references, from the verbal mentioning of a few films from The Godfather (1972) to Blazing Saddles (1974), to the more subtle ones like two hit men (Joseph D. Reitman and another voice actor, Gary Anthony Williams) who seem to be right out of Pulp Fiction (1994), down to the suits, the ponytail, the silencers, and especially the nonsensical conversation. Then there’s Rose (Monique Coleman, from 2006’s High School Musical), presenting a fine Pam Grier/Coffy-like (1973) pose, right down to the shotgun, huge afro, hoop earrings, and cleavage; her meta-commentary on blacks in genre films is a hoot. It’s almost like you can make a drinking game out of “Name That Reference.” It is all part of the fun.

Monique Coleman

The first two acts, which are totally worth watching, is mostly comedy, but then the bloodbath starts in earnest in the third act. There is a huge body count, and copious amounts of blood, guns, gore, and guts. The gunshot blood spray looks to be pretty obvious CGI, though most of it is practical SFX, and looks spectacular.

Usually in a film like this, the tendency is to play the characters broadly – usually too much so – but director Palmer manages to squeeze out some really nice performances, even though a bit over the top in stereotypes. This is a good thing. It is not surprising to me, though, because the cast is well-seasons with large amounts of credits on IMDB. Coming out best are the leads, Melean and Belushi, with DonVito close behind. The whole cast is great, but these three stand out.

There is one rather large hole in the story, though: if the plan was to meld the two families with this arranged marriage, why couldn’t Patricia just marry Dom? It would certainly solve the problem. Oh, yeah, that would ruin the tension between the two opposing groups. That being said, this is one of the better zombie films I have seen in a while, especially in the comic vein (pun not intended).

Be sure to watch the end because there are a couple of epilogues and a question I had answered, which I will not give away. Heck, some of the credits are fun as well, especially toward the end. Chomp at the bit, and view away.

Review: Faceless

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

Faceless
Directed by Marcel Sarmiento
Blackbear Studios; Producer Capital Fund; Indican Pictures
97 minutes, 2021
www.indicanpictures.com/new-releases/faceless

Imagine taking a bowl and throwing in the 800 lb. gorilla of face changing movies, Face/Off (1997) and then add in some elements of Old Boy (I prefer the 2003 Chan-Wook Park version, but if you want to keep with the overemoting theme of Face/Off, we can go with the 2013 U.S. remake), stir it vigorously, and you end up with something different than either of them.

After a short prologue showing a low-life gambling addict who is betting on a dog fight under a highway, we meet the protagonist of the story, George (Brendan Sexton III, who has made lots of films, but I recognize him from 2010’s The Runaways), who wakes in the hospital having had a complete face transplant and no memory of how he got there. The operation during the credits and the gauze removal was painful to watch (scalpels and needles are an admitted weak spot for me).

With a Coen Brothers’ languid pace and artistic flair, the film has a dark, almost sepia tone, and a disorienting feel as George tries to figure out who he is, both in the past and now with a new and scarred face that even his parents repel at, giving the audience a taste of his new life and mood.

When a mysterious masked man in a bunny hug – I mean a hoodie – starts popping up in a threatening manner, it seems to be subtly implying that George, a man in a human mask, is meeting a man in a full blanched-out teddy bear mask. Is this real or is it a trick of his mind, possibly the original owner of his new countenance? Or, as his boss askes, “Are you sure it’s not your meds fuckin’ with you?” Is he and the audience being gaslit?

What is obvious and explained early is that pre-face replacement George was a man of questionable actions, and the new George has to reckon with it, much like Geena Davis’s character in The Long Kiss Goodnight (1996) or the titular mystery man in The Bourne Identity (2002; especially in the better 1980 Robert Ludlum novel).

Just who is the mysterious tall, willowy, and beautiful redheaded woman, Sophie (Alex Essoe, who has recently been Wendy in 2019’s Doctor Sleep, and a regular in 2020’s Netflix mini-series “The Haunting of Bly Manor”)? He doesn’t remember her, but she certainly knows him. The bigger question is if she’s connected to George or the original face owner? Or perhaps both?

As is a common theme in these memory loss kinds of pictures, there are flashes of remembrances that make no sense to either the character or the audience due to context, but I have learned to wait it out, because it all tends to come clear by the end as the past and the present come colliding together, usually violently (I am halfway through at this point; yes, I write as I watch).

The gore is brief but graphic, and the scar make-up is incredibly well done. As a sidebar, I must add that with the twisted scar around George’s mouth and bruises around the eyes, he looks a bit like the medical staff in the infamous “Eyeof the Beholder”  episode of “The Twilight Zone” (1960, with Donna Douglas). One of my pet peeves on a lot of action shows, be it film or tv, is that when someone is hurt, they will have a really nasty cut (usually on the brow), and the next “day” it is just a line, and then it’s gone in less than a cinematic week; “Young Wallander” comes to mind as an example. So not realistic, but cheaper on the make-up budget. Here, George gets some bruises, and they are there for the duration, as the main part of the film (post-hospital) takes place over a few days. Not only that, but with wear and tear…and punches, etc., as time goes by he actually looks worse for wear than he did at the beginning. Kudos and thank you to the relatively large make-up crew who did such a smash-up job (pun intended).

Meanwhile, George is having issues with his family and the two thugs out to get their money owed to him in his previous life. As is common in these thriller kinds of films (i.e., non-supernatural), there’s crime, double crosses, and plot twists, all working together to that explosive ending I mentioned earlier. All I can say about the conclusion, though, is that I would have loved a postscript on one year later.

The film does get a bit confusing on who is who and the whys here and there, but generally it keeps the interest, especially by the half-way point. Luckily, the beauty of the visuals kept drawing me in. My one real quibble is that the sound is sometimes either too low or mumbled for my decrepit ears (too many live Ramones [etc.] concerts in my youth).

Whatever the weak points are, they are well overshadowed by the artistic merit that was put into the final work. Overall, its feel reminded me of Blood Simple (1984), a film that I felt had some issues but liked, and it ended up becoming considered as a classic. This has that kind of hallmark, leaning in that direction.

The film is full of bubbling under actors, with lots of credits in both films and television series, sometimes as semi-regulars. In other words, even though this is a solidly independent feature, the cast is strong without any of the usual acting foibles associated with this kind of budgeted film. Combined with director Sarmiento’s skills, this is a strong contender.

The film is available in digital formats, as well as DVD as of March 2, 2021.

Review: Don’t You Recognise Me?

Text © Richard Gary / Indie Horror Films, 2016

Images from the Internet

Don’t You Recognise Me?

Written and directed by Jason Figgis

October Eleven Pictures

80 minutes, 2015 / 2016

www.facebook.com/jason.figgis

In an Amusing Ourselves to Death world, according to Neil Postman in 1985, entertainment becomes our focus, rather than the real world around us, leading to the collapse of culture. Examples of this abound, with some people walking off cliffs in search of non-existent Pokémon Go characters, others drive two-ton machines full speed down a highway or crowded street while texting. There are also those who would rather watch sports than participate in them or other actually important social contract behavior such as voting for a viable leader; they’d rather opinionate without doing the research, or instead watch a woman with three dragons take sword to kings on television. But it runs both ways, as not only are there viewers, but there are also the creators of such distractions.

In Ireland, as we are introduced to this story, is Tony Aiello (Matthew Toman), a slimy Geraldo-style “journalist” with no moral compass, whose purpose in life is to find people to interview, and make them look as foolish in documentaries. With his film crew (Alan Rogers on camera and the cute Emma Dunlop on sound boom), he has lined up his latest victims, obtained from social media contact: the Gallagher family, small-time operators who are willing to let Aiello into their world. But right from the start, the viewer knows that something is rotten in the state of County Dublin. The title of the film even hints at it.

I promise I won’t go into spoiler alert territory, but it soon becomes obvious that while Aiello is playing the Gallaghers for his own gain, the tide will soon turn for ominous reasons.

The Gallaghers and their crew are a nutsy bunch, showing that a level of insanity may run in this family and group, possibly on the Usher level (the EA Poe story, not the singer, so back off). K (Jason Sherlock) is the pretty face that draws the flies to the spider, as it were, but it is brother Daz (Darren Travers) who is in charge of the operation (and it’s Travers who steals just about any scene he’s in). Also aiding them silently in a possible Leatherface nod is Nickey Gallagher, aka Babyface, for reasons that are immediately obvious (played menacingly by the very muscular and intimidating director, Jason Figgis).

If I may pull back and digress here a mo, this documentary style filming is an offshoot of the found footage subgenre, in that those on camera filming the story are actually shooting the film, as well. There is a nice touch as the scenes cut between the two camera, and you hear the differences in the sound from each (the quality changes between the boom and the home videocamera, for example, or those closer to the shooting are louder than those further away). For once, not balancing the sound makes sense.

Starting off slow, the menacing and alarm levels start to kick in at about 15 or 20 minutes (the first of which are used for exposition), and then continue to increase exponentially. By the time everything is explained out, the viewer will cringe, but at the same time has some sense of identification with the retribution-seeking Gallaghers.

Darren Travers as Daz

Joining the family is some friends, including two camera people (video and still), and the hair obsessed Terese (Shauna Ryan), an intense woman who does not take kind to insult and is often saying, “You take that back!” There is actually a lot of repetition of dialog by many of the characters, such as Daz’s insistence to just about everyone, “Are you gettin’ this?!” It actually makes it even more frightening rather than “samey” as you see the level of madness – both in the level of anger and craziness – reaches the crescendo. That aspect also gave it a real feeling, perhaps of improv on the part of the actors. Anyway, it works.

If I could change any one thing in this film, I would add subtitles, as sometimes the accents get a bit thick, but it’s always easy to pick out the oft used “fook.” Perhaps the option will be on the DVD release, but there are parts where I really had no idea what was being said literally, but the intent was loud and clear so I don’t think I really missed anything.

There is little blood in the film, and much of the actual violence is done off-screen, but that does not hinder the level of both malevolence and banality of evil that are present. Bleak has its place in life, and this story certainly lends itself to just that. In fact, it is the quality of the story and the compassion for the characters that actually arises out of that despair, even with the excess violence.

Figgis seems to revel in the bleak, such as in his previous film reviewed on this blog, Children of a Darker Dawn (HERE). That being said, it should be added that he excels in it, as well, even with the feeling that it could have been edited down a bit. However, it is also enhanced by the mostly subtly and dissonant notes of a really fine score by Michael Richard Plowman.

Sure there is no sign of cell phones, nicely making the timing of the film a bit up in the air, but even so the prevalence of technology still manages to make itself felt, as both sides of the table document the situation, including some group shots of both victims and victors, even though in the long run, everybody loses a bit of their own soul, and not just to the image as some religions believe about taking pictures.

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