Review: Mad Heidi

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

Mad Heidi
Directed by Johannes Hartmann; Sandro Klopfstein
Swissploitation Films; A Film Company; SRF (Swiss Radio and Television); Raven Banner Entertainment
92 minutes, 2022 / 2023
www.madheidie.com
www.facebook.com/madheidimovie
www.instagram.com/madheidimovie/

Before there was Pippi Longstocking (1945), before Laura Ingalls (Little House on the Prairie, 1932), and previous to Anne Shirley (Anne of Green Gables, 1908), there was Heidi, first published in 1880 by Johanna Spyri. In this story, Heidi has gone from an innocent and yodeling 5-year-old mountain girl into a strong, angry 24-year-old woman. She is a badass.

From the moment I saw the trailer for Mad Heidi, I knew I wanted – perhaps needed – to see this. Filmed in Switzerland, this is apparently a new subgenre being referred to (by its producers) as Swissploitation. Gotta love it. Mostly in English, there is minimal Swiss German, as well.

Alice Lucy

So, this grindhouse release cannot – and should not – be taken seriously, as it is an extremely broad and violent comedy. Just what the doctor ordered. Films of this nature tend to be called “cheesy,” and in this case, it is quite purposeful, as I will explain later. The film goes out of its way to give it a 1980s release feel (a good start!), right down to the opening credits, and relying on a bunch of different genres throughout, some of which will be noted below in brackets.

Through the prologue and credits, we learn that Switzerland is taken over by Nazi-esque (right down to the Swiss Cross red armband) regime of President Meili (Casper Van Dien, of 1997’s Starship Troopers, sporting a comically-German accent) – aka, “Our Very Swiss Leader” – a cut-throat dystopian dictator who is not afraid to quash a protest through armaments. He also owns the only permissible cheese factory in the country, with the slogan, “Strength through Meili’s Cheese.” Any other brand is illegal, and burned, while the sellers are executed in the street. He is brutally aided by Kommandant Knorr (Max Rüdlinger) – sometimes the “K” is not silent – who says, as he is torturing someone in a dairy-related way, “I love the smell of cheese in the morning!”

Casper Van Dien

There is an interesting mix of Nazi-ism, and what is going on in the States right now. For example, there is a negative “other” branded on the lactose-intolerant who cannot eat cheese, reflecting what is going on with the LGBTQ+ and Trans communities. Republicanism is reflected a lot here, not to mention Meili’s tendency to wear all red clothing. His plan is to take over the world…cheese market.

Meanwhile, there is a grown-up Heidi (relative newcomer Alice Lucy), living in the Alps with her grandfather, Alpöhi (David Schofield). While Heidi seems to be unaware of what is going on in the village, gramps is more conscious. Part of Heidi’s distraction is her love interest [sexploitation], the godfather of illegal cheese, Goat Peter (Kal Matsena). He is pimpin’ his goat cheese in bricks in his white fur coat [blaxploitation] to underworldly figures. See, purposefully silly and smile worthy.

David Shofield

After some tragedies, our feisty heroine is arrested, and sent to a stern prison with Klara (Almar G. Sato), run by an even sterner warden, Fräulein Rottweiler (Katja Kolm) [women in prison] and her sadistic right hand who really enjoys giving a cattle prod, Lutz (Rebecca Dyson-Smith). In the Mengele-ish role is Dr. Schwitzgebel (Pascal Ulli), the Chief Cheese Scientist, out to rid the world of the lactose intolerant (reminiscent of Scott Atlas, Trump’s anti-vax COVID advisor). Naturally, the only food there is cheese (reminds me of a line said by Maude on “All in the Family”: “It’s Cream of Wheat and cheese; it’s light but it binds”). His goal is to form a “perfect” cheese to create a cheese army (think of zombies or Orcs).

Of course, after Heidi escapes and does some kung fu training, she becomes a warrior that is bound to influence a whole bunch of Halloween cosplay outfits. And rightfully so. I will not go into any detail about the fight to save Switzerland, but man, it is bloody and fun. And I mean some really nice albeit cartoonish gore that will have any gorehound cheering.

Max Rudinger

While there is a timeless feel to the film, such as “the new,” Goat Peter referring to Heidi as “Babygirl,” and “the old,” dial phones, it is definitely steeped in the ‘80s, with cassette boom boxes, mad scientist laboratories, explosions, bizarre opening animation and CGI, and everything being excessive.

The scenery is nothing short of stunning. Mountains, switchback roads with enormous drops, green valleys, bridges, and the like. So beautiful.

Kal Matsena

Goofy, but smart and obviously made by a group that are hardcore cinephiles, with influences and reflections of the likes of Scanners (1981), Cool Hand Luke (1967), High Anxiety (1977), the subgenre of The Big Bird Cage (1972), The Human Tornado (1976), Sergio Leone’s spaghetti westerns (including some of the score sounding like Ennio Morricone), Star Wars (1977), Crocodile Dundee (1986), Spartacus (1960), and, of course, The Sound of Music (1965). I am sure there are some I missed.

The acting is also reflective of the period it is honoring, with over-the-top dialogue infusing the over-emoting and facial expressions (Van Dien, especially and purposefully). Plus, there is one speech that sounds like it could have been pointed directly to the information deprived MAGA followers.

Katja Kolm

One of the notable aspects of this film is that it is completely independently funded, shot, and distributed. The contributor section of the acknowledgements is almost as long as the rest of the end credits.

Damn, this is a fun film. I highly recommend it to those who like ‘80s cinema, Tarantino, well-written action comedies, and just a need to let it all loose. Very satisfying from beginning to conclusion. Or is it not really the end of the story?

IMDB listing HERE

Review: The Killing Box

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

The Killing Box (aka Grey Knight; Ghost Brigade; The Lost Brigade)
Directed by George Hickenlooper (d. 2010)
Motion Picture Corporation of America (MPCA); MGM; Ronin Flix; Scorpion Releasing; MVD Visual
82 minutes, 1993 / 2023
www.scorpionreleasing.com
www.mgm.com
https://mvdb2b.com/s/TheKillingBox/SR6687

More Americans were killed in the War Between the States, aka The Civil War (1861-1865), than in any other war in which the United States fought either before or after. Both sides were abusive to the other in so many ways, both the northern Union Army, and the slave-loving Confederates. Amazingly, so many years later, the traitorous Rebels are still honored for some reason (“The South will rise again!!”). Their symbol, the Confederate Flag, now stands for treason and racism, but for a while there in the 1970s-‘80s, it was the representation of rockabilly and the good ol’ boys (and girls) of “The Dukes of Hazard.” But I sort of digress…

One aspect you may notice about this film from 30 years ago is that there are many stars that have basically past their prime since that time, and others that were on their upward trajectory.

Let me start right off the bat that wherever the story takes, even in the beginning, the work of director George Hickenlooper is a force to be reckoned with. For example, the opening sequence is shot in sepia (though full color comes after the credits), that brownish tone that was present in early photography. Also, there is no shying away from the blood and gore of that war. Many men had limbs amputated due to the shattering effect of the weaponry and infections that would follow, sans anesthetics, and this is reflected early on.

Adrian Pasdar, Corbin Bernsen

As Capt. John Harling (Adrian Pasdar; 1987’s Near Dark), who is also a preacher, is getting ready to retire, he is called back to duty by General Haworth (a cameo by Martin Sheen) to serve under Col. George Thalman (underrated Ray Wise, of “Twin Peaks” fame). It seems soldiers are being killed via crucifixion, St. Peter style: upside down on an X-shaped cross (e.g., the symbol of the Stars and Bars flag), by an alternative army led by confederate Maj. Josiah Elkins (Roger Wilson). To help Harling, is Union prisoner and confederate leader Col. Nehemiah Stryan (Corbin Bernsen, of “L.A. Law”). As with the tropes of the likes of Hell in the Pacific (1968) and Enemy Mine (1985), two sworn enemies will join to survive.

Seems there are some undead soldiers who are attacking and killing both sides, and when they do, those combatants also become zombies. Not the slow, flesh-eatin’ kind, but nearly human with their intelligence intact. The revenge of those killed, especially Confederates apparently, is a motif that had been used before and after in the likes of Two Thousand Maniacs! (1964) and its remake 2001 Maniacs (2005), and The Fog and its remake (1980; 2005). The difference is that while the Maniacs and Fogs are ghosts, for this film they are the undead; heck, they are even horny. The only ones that seem to not come back are those crucified.

With Thalman in charge, and being an obvious bad guy, the regiment sets out to find the zombies. The group includes a runaway slave, Rebecca (Cynda Williams, who was married to Billy Bob Thornton at the time). This leads to an interesting exchange, where Stryan claims, “God is a Southerner, John,” to which Harling replies, “You think he keeps slaves, too?” The obvious answer is, no he does not keep them, but according to the Bible, he permits people to do so: Exodus 21. For me, the argument is that the whole threat of hell is meant to enslave humanity to God. But I digress, again… Rebecca is more than she appears, being a mute voodoo priestess (and what would the Bible say to that?).

Matt LeBlac (right)

Some of the soldiers, sometimes in cameos, include David Arquette, pre-Sling Blade (1996) Thornton, Alexis Arquette, A.J. Langer (who plays a boy, so this can never be shown in the state where it is supposed to take place), and in his first film role, Matt LeBlanc, who never gets to ask, “How you doin’?”

I have learned (from IMDB) that the dead soldiers were written to be vampires, but the director turned them into zombies having been raised by an evil voodoo entity, so he did not have to do as many night shoots. But knowing this, helps makes sense of certain scenes and dialogue (e.g., biting and not crossing running water). Personally, I think the story makes more sense as blood-drinkers. Just an FYI I am passing on.

Willaims, Bernsen

There is a surprising amount of blood and gore (by René Dashiell Kerby, who also worked on 2003’s Cat in the Hat and Star Trek in 2009) for a film of this level at that time. The cinematography and pacing occasionally looks and feels a bit like an “ABC Movie of the Week,” but it does not shy away from the bloodletting, so I am good with it.

One thing I found frustrating was the lack of the evil entity/entities in the cave that “turned” the soldiers. It is discussed, but never shown. Were they planning on a sequel? I do believe that this would be a good film for a reboot and up the violence ante.

Honestly, with this cast, I was not sure what I was anticipating, but I will admit that my expectations were low. It was much better than I anticipated, even with some slow moments here and there. It also make me think of 30 Days of Night (2007) more than any of the ...of the Dead releases.

This is ridiculous because it is anachronistic, but I was kinda hoping the soundtrack would play Duane Eddy’s “Rebel Rouser” and/or Billy Idol’s “Rebel Yell,” possibly over the final credits. We do, however, get a version of “Dixie” and “Yankee Doodle,” which is more appropriate.

Bonus materials are English Subtitles for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, DTS-HD Master Audio, High-Definition Blu-ray 1080p Widescreen Presentation (1.78:1), and a new 2020 HD Master. Also, there are a nice stack of B-film trailers from the 1970s-1980s, both genre and mainstream, as well as a surprisingly blurry version for this one.

MDB listing HERE

Review: The Long Dark Trail

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

The Long Dark Trail

Directed by Kevin Ignatius; Nick Psinakis
Four Eighteen Films; El Jean Pictures; Cleopatra Entertainment; MVD Visual
78 minutes, 2022
www.Cleopatra-Entertainment.com
www.MVDVisual.com

More than just “Acts,” this appears to be two different films strung together into one story. It is an interesting idea, to say the least.

The backbone of the tale is teen brothers Jacob and the older Henry (the O’Donnell siblings, Brady and Carter, respectively). Stuck in poverty with their abusive alcoholic father, Duane (Michael Thyer), they all live in a one-room cabin in the middle of the woods in Northwestern Pennsylvania, isolated from anyone. In the pre-credits prologue, like the real-life Menendez brothers, they take actions to break away, leaving on their bicycles.

Brady O'Donnell and Carter O'Donnell

The brothers set off to Pithole City (yes, it is a real place; many towns in PA have odd names) to find their mom, Hannah (Trina Campbell), long gone due to Duane’s abuse. The first part of the film is their “coming of age” travels, a quest theme that is classical. There has been, and rightfully so, a comparison with Stand By Me (1986).

Broken up into numerous chapters, we follow the brothers as they obtain (steal) supplies and travel through various landscapes on their journey, from the natural like rocks and woods (filmed in Warren County, in the Allegheny National Forest), to man-made like rusted metal graveyards. The scenery is interesting in its ever-changing views. Through it all, Jacob keeps having supernatural visions, such as a reflection in a river smiling back at him (it is in the trailer).

For the most part, there are a lot of tense moments, such as ultra-violent flashbacks of daddy, but generally it starts as a very slow burn as we get to know the brothers and experience their lives through their eyes. And the occasional dream. The words haunting and moody come to mind in the first section, but that can also result in overdone artiness that is nice to look at, but does not necessarily move the story along or help with short attention spans. Honestly, in some parts, I watched at double speed with the captions on.

Michael Thyer

The deeper they get into the greenery, the more ritualistic symbols start showing up (think 1999’s The Blair Witch Project). The closer they get to Pithole City, the more the vision become gruesome and extraordinarily gory and bloody (thankfully). Images of a cult killing performed by a hooded Zeke (co-director Nick Psinakis) show that the brothers may be in for more than they bargained for, than just mommy dearest.

Speaking of which, it comes to a question of be careful what you wish for (or, in correct grammar: for what you wish; but I digress…). When they meet up, mom is in a vicious cult (Satanic? Other god[s]?) of all women, with Zeke at its head. And why are there no males? Well, that is where the violence comes in.

Nick Psinakis

I will not go into details here, but needless to say, in the final act, things get a bit dicey for the brothers dos. I understand how people can get sucked into cults (e.g., the Manson Family, the Heaven’s Gate, Jim Jones’ The People’s Temple, Scientology), but why this group exists and how scarred Zeke keeps control, is a mystery to me. Maybe that is why I am an Agnostic Atheist?

There is also an interesting soundtrack, including Bluegrass banjo music soundtrack, which I personally really enjoyed as a fan of the style since forever, but seemed oddly out of place for the northern-based film. Other music is off-beat singer-songwriter and, yes, moody and haunting dissonant instrumentalizations. Nearly all of the music is the output of the co-director, Kevin Ignatius. In fact, this is majorly a family affair, since there are a lot of Ignatiuses and Psinakises scattered through the credits. I respect that.

There is also some playing with time, with jumps of minutes, hours, or even days. On occasion, especially near the end, this is a bit jarring, but it is not hard to follow, so that is a strong plus.

Briefly, there are some extras on the Blu-ray. The first is the “Behind the Scenes/Blooper Reel” (4 min); it is okay, but nothing spectacular. Next is a featurette with “Artist R.L. Black” (2 min). Narrated by co-director Psinakis, he describes how Black’s work illustrated part of the end credit. Black’s work, by the way, is fantastic. Then there is the mostly behind the scenes Slideshow (3 min), this film’s Trailer, and a number of Cleopatra Entertainment brand trailers.

The ending is a bit unsettling for me, and not the direction I would have gone if I was in the shoes of the participants. But it is possible that this has been left as a cliff-hanger, either opening up the possibility of a sequel, or leaving it open ended for the viewer to decide. If there is a part two, I would be interested in seeing it.

IMDB listing HERE

Review: Invitation Only

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

Invitation Only (aka Jue ming pai dui; 絕命派對)

Directed by Kevin Ko
Three Dots Entertainment Company; Unearthed Films; MVD Visual
95 minutes, 2009 / 2023
www.unearthedfilms.com
www.MVDVisual.com

Tell me if this sound familiar: a group of working class people get an opportunity to mingle with the rich, only to find they are there for nefarious and painful reasons.

In Taipei, Taiwan, limo driver Wade Chen (Ray Chang), after catching his obnoxious client/boss, CEO Yang (Jerry Chih-Wei Huang) in an indiscretion with a model, Dana (adult star Maria Ozawa) for whom he is infatuated, gets an invitation from Yang to an exclusive gathering of rich people “networking.” The other four invitees are Trumpish Legislator Lin (Joseph Ma), pianist Richard Kao (Ying-Hsuan Kao), Holly Ho (Vivi Ho), and cute banker Hitomi Liang (Julianne Chu).

Ray Chang

The party is run by an American with a soul patch (never a good indication in films like this), Warren (Kristian Brody) – did I mention that there are three languages in the film: Mandarin, English, and Min Nan – who comes across as a motivational speaker when he repeatedly says, “May your dreams become a reality.” But, of course, it is easy to guess he is not talking about careers, but vicious desires to hurt another human. We also learn why these five were chosen.

Wade makes a connection during the party with Hitomi, but while at a gambling session, Wade connects with his model infatuation. Personally, though Hitomi does not seem to mind it, I would have stuck with Hitomi, because that seems a bit more realistic than a magazine and billboard model. But at least it gives the film at least one shot at some nudity.

Julianne Chu

Once the party gets going, someone with a white mask and nice sharp knives (these would startle Crocodile Dundee) begin to make mince meat out of the quintet and others systematically at first, but then the means of death start to ramp up. It really is not hard to figure out who is behind the mask; pick one from Column A and one from Column B.,

Along with the increasing ultraviolence, there are also the tension filled moments between, which are almost as unnerving. Of course, this spearheads very effective jump scares. This leads to as much slasher film as body horror, as some are done away with quickly via sharp objects, while others…

Maria Ozawa

The setting is very industrial, like a warehouse, so there are lots of wide pull-down doors as in storage unit corridors, and rooms with tons of objects stowed away in haphazard ways as, say, a messy garage. These both give the feeling of emptiness, and claustrophobia, depending on where the action is taking place at any particular time.

The one aspect that all these stories is that the rich class torture average people in a social sense of privilege. That is why politicians have no desire to really help their constituents, because they feel they are above them. You think Trump cares about his voters beyond their voting numbers? His tax cuts for the rich answer that. And this is the mentality of nearly all these films, from “The Most Dangerous Game” types where people are hunted down like animals, or self-righteous reasons for torturing and killing for the likes of perceived vanity, or wanting to get ahead.

You can see this in films like the Hostel franchise or La Petite Mort (2009), as people pay money to enjoy seeing (or participating) in the torture of innocents. There is even a porn version of this concept where it is sex rather than mutilation, in Café Flesh (1982).

Extras are a bunch of trailers from Unearthed Films, including an English and a Spanish version of this film, a photo gallery, and especially a “Behind the Scenes” featurette (6 min). This is a mixture of interviews with the four leads separately, some “making of” shots and clips, and filled with humor and good natured happiness about making the film. The Blu-ray release is available in either Mandarin or dubbed into Spanish, with English subtitles (I chose the original Mandarin).

Will our protagonists escape? Will the antagonists get their way? Thing is about films like this, it could go either way. Whichever, this is quite the gorehound highway to an adrenaline rush. The gore is proficient and numerous. A perfect way to relax on a Saturday night.

IMDB listing HERE

Review: Nightmare Symphony

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

Nightmare Symphony (aka Nightmare Symphony: The Peacock’s Tale)
Directed by Domiziano Cristopharo and Daniele Trani
Enchanted Architect; 8-Films; DiabolikDVD; Reelgore Releasing; MVD Visual
78 minutes, 2020 / 2022
www.mvdvisual.com

The main director of this film, Domiziano Chrisopharo, is a name that is familiar to me, as I have reviewed three of his many previous films: House of Flesh Mannequins (2009), Museum of Wonders (2010), and Red Krokodil (2012) 

His work is seriously underappreciated, and from what I have seen, his name should be as familiar as Argento or Fulci. They are odd, dark, and eminently enjoyable, on the side of weird and highly influenced by giallo. Hopefully, this one will live up to my expectations.

This was filmed mostly in Pristina, East-Central Kosovo by and Italian crew, but recorded in English (DTS_HD Maser Audio 2.) with some Italian and Albanian, and a German overdub is also available on this Blu-ray. The subtitle choices are English SDH and Swedish. That this us steeped in a giallo, right down to the theme music by Fabio Frizzi (Fulci’s A Cat in the Brain and The Beyond in 1981 among others; Kill Bill Vol. 1 in 2003), should be no surprise as this was written by Antonio Tentori (who penned Fulci's 1990 A Cat in the Brain); this release has a similar theme.

Frank LaLoggia and Antonella Salvucci

After an opening prologue in Rome with a gratuitous and ferocious shower scene (Antonella Salvucci) that is steeped in giallo lighting and mood – and violence – perpetrated by someone in a peacock mask (Federico di Pasqual) – who has no crystal plumage – we are introduced to our central character, struggling film director Frank LaLoggia playing a version of himself (who looks a bit like my dad at a point in his life), an American living in Italy (with a red passport rather than blue) as he travels to Kosovo, giving him a chance to let us know about his charity of spirit (how the film got the rights to a Disney film clip, I do not know; is Mickey now public domain?).

Poison Rouge and Hasan Lushi (foreground)

In a meta-film storyline (the film shoot within a film is getting to be quite common these days), Frank is a director who is trying to finish up a project, The Peacock’s Tale, and make his investor, Fernando (Hasan Lushi), who arrives with his girlfriend Lola (Poison Rouge, who also directed the cult classic body horror, American Guinea Pig: Sacrifice, in 2017) and the screenwriter, Antonio (screenwriter Antonio Tentori), happy. The problem is they both want different things, and Frank is in the middle. He has come to Kosovo to do the post-production work, including with editor Isabella (also Salvucci). LaLoggia actually was a director of a trio of cult classic films in the 1980s and 1990s. We get to see some footage (including backstage) of his Fear No Evil (1981, though he claims it as 1970 in this film). That was a cool addition,

Merita Budakova

Frank is constantly being set upon by a drunk neighbor (Iimi Hajzeri), a hyper-aggressive actor looking for work, David (Halil Budakova), or being stalked by a mysterious woman (Merita Budakova; she could definitely play Monica Lewinsky). As we meet all the characters around Frank, someone else in a peacock mask (Blin Budakova…yes, there is a number of cast members with that surname) is starting to kill people who surround Frank, some close associates, some not as much. But each one is appropriately gruesome, and in various ways, as is befitting a giallo. As for the killer, there are numerous nice red herrings throughout.

Of course, this is a giallo, so the question is bound to come up: what is real, what is not, what is psychosis? Pressure can sometimes make that distinction a gray area left open for the viewer to decide. Lucio Fulci (d. 1996) was famous for opaque endings that did not harm the story proper. Note that this film is dedicated – and rightfully so – to Fulci. After all, the title of this film is a nod to the French name of Fulci’s A Cat in the Brain, which was called Nightmare Concerto.

But more after this commercial break: There are a few extras on the Blu-ray, but nothing too overwhelming. First is the Making Of, which is actually a Blooper Reel (9 min) which was okay, albeit mostly in Italiano. This is followed by a couple of interview tracks. The first is with director Chrisopharo (14 min), which is in accented English. He discusses, among other things like narrow budgets and the growth of the film’s idea to fruition, the influence of Fulci. The other is with screen writer Tentori (6 min), which is in Italian with subtitles. He talks about the actors, and naturally, Fulci. I found the second one more engaging, without taking anything away from Chrisopharo. Along with the soundtrack I mentioned earlier, the last two extras are the Teaser and the Trailer.

Okay, getting back to the meat of the matter, having Americans as leads in Italian giallo films is certainly not new. For example, there was John Saxon (d. 2020) in The Scorpion with Two Tails (1982), and Jennifer Connolly and Donald Pleasance (d. 1995) in Argento’s Phenomena (both these films to be reviewed here, soon).

The cinematography by co-director Trani, is exquisite and arty without being overdone. The scenes of the city, and the like are just lovely, even the slummy areas. Long tracking shots abound, rather than MTV-ish quick-cuts that have become the norm, sadly. Giallo has proven that Sergi Eisenstein (d. 1948) is only sometimes right, that editing equals action, but not always, or here.

There were two distractions for me. The first was that so many of the scenes were filmed either at night or in an unlit room, using a dark blue filter, which made the action (and some killings) hard to see. The second, and I do not really blame anyone because it helps with the budget, there were obvious product placements, such as a particular soda-pop, whose logo is seen prominently in a number of times in more than one place.

This release gives me every reason to stay a Domiziano Chrisopharo fan.

IMDB listing HERE

Review: Maniac Driver

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

Maniac Driver
Directed by Kurando Mitsutake
Akari Pictures; Reelgore Releasing; 8 Ball Films; DiabolikDVD; MVD Visual
75 minutes, 2020 / 2022
www.mvdvisual.com

Although this film is Japanese in origin and language (with subtitles), it may be inspired by the real Hong Kong serial killer portrayed in Dr. Lamb. He was also a taxi driver serial killer.

The opening credits’ title states this is a “Japanese Giallo.” Well, the opening sequence screams of it, as a woman in a spandex bathing suit sensually strips in a shower, and is murdered by the titular, Fujinaga (Tomoki Kimura). The color palate (by Shuji Hamamoto and Mitsuo Kojima) is correct for a Giallo, with lots of primary colors, a knife, and a helmeted killer. Actually, what the opening made me think of was a cross between Italian Giallo and the ending credits of What’s Up Tiger Lily? (1966).

Tomoki Kimura, Iori Kogawa

The tone of the over-thought narration describing the city definitely smacks of Taxi Driver (1976). Kimura even looks a bit like a younger DeNiro; heck, there is even a scene with him in front of a mirror holding a weapon and giving the whole “You talking to me?” speech. I have no doubt this was meant as an homage, rather than a rip-off.

While this definitely has a retro-Giallo feel, there is a Japanese spin on it. For example, as a businesswoman is being chased, she takes off her jacket so the film camera can get her braless bouncing, there is a close-up slo-mo shot of her backside where you can see her underwear beneath her overly short skirt, and, of course, by the end of the scene, her top is exposed. To be fair, in the body of the film (pun not intended), there is also male nudity.

The driver is depressed after his wife was murdered and he was stabbed in a home invasion by someone with the same helmet as him. This sours him on society, and both wants to die and to kill. But, how much of his killing his customers is real and what is fantasy? This is a territory touched on in American Psycho (2020).

The nudity and sex is a-plenty here, so it is no surprising that many of the women/victims in this film come from the world of adult cinema, such as Saryu Usui, Ayumi Kimito, and Ai Sayama (as is stated on the back of the Blu-ray box. Through fantasy and memory, this turns out to be quite a softcore flick. There is also extraordinarily little actual dialogue, with most of the philosophizing happening in the driver’s head. It ranges from injustices, to positive feminism, to despair.

Slowly, as his anger as desperation grows, he starts looking for a victim to take out his perceived vengeance on society and to end his own miserable life. Meanwhile, we see him taking customers in his cab numerous times, through a cab-cam with somewhat blocked faces. Did you know that DeNiro drove a cab in New York for two months to get a better idea of what the character goes through?

There are a lot of shots of Tokyo and the editing (John Migdal) and cinematography (Makoto Hayashi) is noteworthy, such as the city reflected through the moving hood of the dark taxi. Most of the shooting is normalized, but the fantasies are in high-art Giallo colors and lighting techniques. The music during these sequences are also interesting, in a distorted way.

Things pick up when he meets his (adult) “Jody Foster” in the form of injured Mayumi (Iori Kogawa), and he finally sets in motion to carry out his idea for a murder/suicide. Heck, there is even a long-haired villain (Yoshiki Kondô) who is reminiscent of Harvey Keitel.

When the reality is revealed and the facts are finally shown, well, some of it took me by pleasant surprise. The ending nicely sums it up, but I won’t tell…

The extras on this Blu-ray are as follows: an Audio Commentary by the director, Kurando Mitsutake, who fortunately is very fluent in English, so no subtitles needed (born in Toyko, grew up in Fresno, CA). He skillfully goes back and forth between descriptions of what is happening on the screen, and anecdotes about the whole process and the cast/crew. Worth at least one listen. We also learn that the title is a mash-up of insane serial killer flick Maniac (1981), and said Taxi Driver.

The “Maniac Driver: Behind the Scenes”-featurette (30 min) is exactly that, mostly setting up shots (and then we see what they filmed), and includes some brief interviews with the main cast. It is very basic but kept my interest. Finally, there is a Trailer (in English) and Slideshow, along with a nice 4-sided box insert cover with images of the film’s original posters. There are also subtitles available in three languages.

There is a prestigious amount of nudity, sex, and violence, not to mention blood and some gore (SFX by Yoshinari Dohi). The story is a bit weak and repetitive at times, and seems to circle around the point, but by the third Act, it is quite a ride.

IMDB listing HERE

For some reason, the trailer on YouTube is captioned in German:

Review: Mind Leech

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

Mind Leech
Directed by Chris Cheesesmith and Paul Krysinski
Cheesesmith Productions; Dog Darnel Productions; Mind Leech Productions
60 minutes, 2023
www.mindleech.com/

1998. What a year to be alive. Bill Clinton was presi… oh, wait, this film takes place in Provinstate, filmed juuust East and North of Toronto, Ontario, so Jean Chrétien was Prime Minister, the economies were up, it is Christmas Day, and it was a great time to be living in a small town in a rural area. Until…

In the pre-credits summertime prologue, two guys (director Chris Cheeseman and Hugh Goodden) start things rolling thanks to Chem Corp, who told them to get “rid” of a container of a strange substance, and their own yahoo-for-cash mentality, contaminating a lake.

Steff Ivory Coover and Misccha O'Hoski

When we pick up the story with the New Year a week or so away, something is affecting and killing the local wildlife. We learn this through two police officers, Deputy DJ Thompson (Steff Ivory Conover) and Sherriff Ben Paley, Jr. (Mischa O’Hoski).

The action really starts quite quickly (remember, this film is only an hour in length) when a large and slimy worm-like creature (the titular leech) attaches itself to ice fisherman Craig Hoser (yes, Hoser; co-director Paul Krysinski) head, taking over his mind. There are bound to be references made to Cronenberg’s Shivers/They Came from Within (1975), and Henenlotter’s Brain Damage (1988). And like those two, this is a very dark comedy. For example, the name of the town is a mix of Province and State, covering both countries. There is also a shot in a barn that is bound to remind the viewer of Alien (1979).

The parasite causes Craig to go on a killin’ spree, full of blood and gore, but that should come as no surprise. While this was the feature debut of both directors, much of the key players have worked SFX on some major horror fare over the last few years, such as Spiral (2021) and Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City (2021). Here, the SFX are handled by Chris Cooper.

This was filmed in the middle of winter. Man, it looks cold. Then again, as I write this, it is -30F out my door (pre-windchill), so I can comprehend and appreciate. That is dedication. It is a relatively toasty 69F in my house, with hot soup warming on the stove. But I digress…

Of course, this is not a stationary creature – they never are – and has more than one victim, as it moves around (or is moved around by its host). As it forces its human victim to drive from place to place, it is quite erratic, bringing up memories of a less blissful Frank Parnell (Fox Harris) from Repo Man (1984).

I love it when a film knows its own correct length, without trying to pad it out to “feature” duration. This keeps the filler to a minimum, and there is a lot more action per minute. This is especially true with low budget film making.

O'Hoski

Despite the low costs, the creature looks really good; most of the time it is relatively immobile while attached to its victim. Still, the 3-foot long leech look teriff, especially the close-ups of its face, or where it is attached to the human it has commandeered. When the viewer realizes the aim of the creature, it makes total sense.

While there are some actors here with previous listings, for others this is the first acting notch on IMDB, everyone is really impressive, especially Conover, who seems to have played herself in earlier work than in a scripted part.

A truly decent creature feature that should be a wowzer on the Festival trail, and I recommend it if you get the chance to see it. Fun.

IMDB listing HERE

Review: Super Z

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

Super Z (aka Super Z: Smart-Ass Zombies!)
Directed by Julien de Volte and Arnaud Tabarly
La Ruche Productions; MVD Visual
80 minutes, 2022 / 2023
www.facebook.com/SuperZ 
www.MVDVisual.com

Zombie-love in the States is obvious, but it is also far flung across the world, such as Train to Busan (2016) in Korea, and in Europe, there is the recent Ever After (EndZeit) (2018) from Germany. Those films, however, are dead serious (pun intended).

On the other hand, there is Super Z, hailing out of France, which is a bloody and gory comedy. There are not too many zombie comedies in general, though there are the likes of Aaah! Zombies!! (aka Wasting Away) and Bong of the Dead (2011), not to mention the infamous Shaun of the Dead (2004), which even predates this release. This feature is based on the directors’ 2014 short film, “The Foodies.”

Audrey Giacomin, iJohan Libéreau, Julien Courbey, Florence Bebic-Veruni

In French (with subtitles), of course, this multi-level story of death, flesh and lust starts in a laboratory called The Purgatory, of a corporation led by Le PDG/The CEO (Jacques Boudet, who has had a long and storied career in French cinema). There is even a picture of himself on his desk. He is assisted in this endeavor by the over the top Le savant fou/The Mad Scientist (Jean-François Gallotte), who gleefully tortures the people/zombies on whom he works. As you may notice, some characters are expressed as their titles or roles, rather than their given names.

But the scientist has taken an extra step on his own and has made them more than just killing and eating machines, he has given them sentience, so they are aware of what is going on and can even talk. However, that is mostly trash talk, taunting like the French guards in Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975), except full of vulgarity and profanity.

Fabian Ara

The main test subjects are a family of four: “father” Gertre (Johan Libéreau), “mother” Stephana (Julien Courbey), and “daughters” Marcelline (Audrey Giacomini) and Georgette (Florence Bebic-Veruni). After they escape the facility, along the way, while having – er – dinner, they manage to turn a young man into one of them, Yvon (Fabien Ara), whom they adopt. The transformation takes only seconds. Yvon confuses me, though; is he supposed to be a teen? He plays his role like a man-child a la Lou Costello or a Jerry Lewis character (remember how popular Lewis was in France?). He is into rap, wears his extended cap sideways, pants hanging below his butt, and has his name on a gold chain. And he’s a bit annoying; no where as interesting as the foursome family. I do have to concede, though, that the “young” daughters are also played by adults.

Sent after them is Le mercinaire/The Mercenary (Lauren Bouhnik) and his cousin, La cousin (Jo Prestia, who also has quite the filmography), out to hunt and kill the escapees. This scenario, in some twisted way, reminds me a bit of Harriet Beecher Stowe’s 1852 novel Uncle Tom’s Cabin, with the hungry foursome as the escaped slaves being Eliza and her family, and Le mercinaire as Simon Legree.

Holed up in a cabin (see?), the extended zombie family fixes it up and feeds of people going by on a nearby walking path in joyous and bloody ways. Some family dinner table scenes are hysterical for both normality and – er – not (more on this later), and yet is extremely and disturbingly full of blood and gore. They plot their revenge against the world of humans, but what happens when one of them becomes infatuated by living, tooth-impaired, Augustine (Marion Mezadorian)? There is a definite Romeo and Juliet aspect to it, including a balcony scene. Smart.

While the excitement lasts throughout, with very little lulls, it also picks up significantly in the third Act when the mercenaries show up at the CEO’s insistence to do away with what he considers a failed experiment(s).

Lauren Bouhnik

You can see the influence of other films throughout, such as an homage to the ending of Mother’s Day (1980), which made me smile. Another interesting aspect of the film is that as absurd as it is, there is also a “normal” aspect of it, such as the zombies drinking wine, smoking, taking drugs, sleeping (and snoring), loving and arguing. I really enjoyed that. To them, even though they despise the living beyond the food aspect, they are not much different in so many ways.

But what is most notable is the gore effects and make-up, which look phenomenal. These were handled by Stéphanie Couste, Harold Levy, Cédric Martin and Vanessa Ricolleau. It does not surprise me it took four people, because there is a lot going on here, from zombie make-up, the gore SFX, and body parts.

Taunting a second time...

Sexually, it is quite crude, with masturbating and zombie sex, among other aspects I will not discuss because I do not want to give too much away. This film just revels in absurdist humor, which is bound to make some laugh, but will also guarantee some will find repulsive in both visuals, comments made by characters, and the degree of wit (mostly low level). But I found it quite fun and full of great moments. Also, their voices are quite growly and screechy, almost as though their voices have been sped up. This is especially true of Stephana. I am grateful for the English subtitles, because even if it was in English, I may have trouble making out the dialogue; however, the subtitles are not the best, being all white, but still appreciated, as I was with the film in general.

IMDB listing HERE