Review of Film Short: Attack of the Killer Chickens

Text © Richard Gary / Indie Horror Films, 2016

Images from the Internet

Attack of the Killer Chickens

Written and directed by Genoveva Rossi

Cluck, Cluck Productions / Impersonation Films

6:23 minutes, 2015

www.facebook.com/attackofthekillerchickens

There is a lesson to be learned from the likes of Gilligan’s Island and Welcome Back Kotter, and it is simply this: if you’re going to go silly, go mad, batshit silly. Happily, Genoveva Rossi and crew have taken that to heart in Rossi’s first directorial outing. The story, spoofing the Planet of the Apes franchise from what I gather from the catch phrase (“It’s the dawn of a new age…a chicken age…”), but it’s more Hens from Space as cheesy and fun chicken puppets start to attack humans in a plot to take over the world. Introduced to a couple (Rossi and Pamela Martin) at the opening, they – and we – come to learn through a hyperactive newscast that chickens, who outnumber humans on Earth, are rising up to avenge their murdered fowl sisters (and brothers). They are becoming more human-like, in an Animal Farm kind of way, thanks to a talking (rooster?) leader (also reminds me of a Monty Python’s Flying Circus sketch about an intelligent sheep named Harold).  

Genoveva Rossi and some of her killer chickens

Anyhoo, in its acceptance of its own absurdity, it’s much easier to just take it as it lays (pun intended), and just have fun with it. The puppets are absurd and obvious, the gore is daftly fun, and the mood – especially the scenes with Mr. Hush himself, rock writer Edward X. Young – are especially enjoyably ridiculous. Only thing missing is Graham Chapman’s Colonel coming through and interrupting the action.

There is a history of killer poultry, such as Turkie in ThanksKilling (2009), with a similar level of insanity and puppet fowl, but here it's a bit closer to Night of the Living Dead (1968) mass attacks than a single, possessed gobbler. Turkie was profane, but the chickens in this film are more urbane, if that is a suitable way of putting it.

In case this isn’t clear, I really enjoyed all 6+ minutes of this goofy excursion. I look forward to the deep-voiced Rossi picking up the directorial helm again, if she can find the time through her numerous acting credits, as this is just so entertaining.

Promo:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WzAl8xBN3Do

Free Film: The Survivors

Text © Richard Gary / Indie Horror Films, 2016
Images from the Internet

The Survivors

Written and directed by Steve Rudzinski
Silver Spotlight Film
37 minutes, 2016
www.silverspotlightfilms.com

Interesting premise here. It starts off with a simple image of cute Cindy (not Sidney) sitting down in front of the television with some popcorn for the evening. As a cool quick easy-to-miss visual, her parking herself down is reflected in the action on the television at the same time, although the person on the television is not her. Anyhoo, the phone rings, and the opening call from Scream (1996) happens (of course, she doesn’t like horror films, so she cannot “play”), and is beset by a quartet of serial killers: Spookface from the previously mentioned Scream, the fisherman from I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997), a white and more literal version of the Candyman (1992), and a woman named Brenda whose affiliation escapes me (perhaps 1998’s Urban Legend, as they mention it indirectly?). They, in turn are attacked by a pair of serial killer hunters.

Steve Rudzinski

I know that director Rudzinski is a comic book fanatic of fanboy level (meant as a compliment), and as such he sets this film up as almost an X-Men vs. Brotherhood of Mutants, with humor.  In fact, part of his real life is playing action heroes and villains such as the Beach Boys… I mean Spiderman at big events. A particularly funny bit involves “Frank” (aka Freddy K), played by Rudzinski with two gloves, rather than one, as he waits in Slasher hell for the chance to go back to Earth.

Apparently, the old guard slashers are being put aside for the new, more recent killers. In other words, this film is a sidebar companion to Rudzinski’s previous films, such as the intelligent and no-reason mass murderous, Everyone Must Die! (aka EMD!; 2012). On the other end of the spectrum (i.e., the good guys) include the presence of the title characters from Capt. Z and the Terror of Leviathan (2014) and even Wolfster, Part I: The Curse of the Emo Vamp (2006; a film I haven’t seen yet, sad to say, also played by Rudzinski, reprising his original role as the avenging werewolf).

The good team is filled with not only heroes from Radzinski films, but also the villains are both also from his previous releases, and others who are veiled mainstream slashers. But mostly what makes this film just so great (especially as it’s a love letter to the fans), is its self-referential humor. There are a lot of laughs built in, though if you’ve never seen any of Radzinski’s work, it may leave you scratching your head on occasion.

Part of the referentiality is the breaking of the fourth wall: not in talking to the audience, but rather things like Wolfie saying, “One of my super powers is knowing that we’re actually in a film,” and then picking up a script to see what’s next. However, there is some much subtler rib-stickers, such as the people playing Spookface including writer/actor Michael Varrati, who has written some amazing films like The Sins of Dracula in 2014 for director Richard Griffin, and Dustin Wayde Mills, who directed the likes of Puppet Monster Massacre (2010) and the more recent Her Name is Torment franchise.

Now, if you haven’t seen the previous films, would you be lost? Not necessarily, as so many of the villain characters are shadows of those familiar to all of us horror fans, both indie and mainstream. Not sure? Well, hell, check it out, it’s short at just over half an hour, and what’s more it’s free at the following site – and make sure you stick around for after the credits:

Short film review: Night Terrors

Text © Richard Gary / Indie Horror Blog, 2013
Images from the Internet

 

Night Terrors
Written, co-produced, FX artist, camera operator and directed by Felix Alvarez
Odd Jobs Productions
Lost Cosmonaut Productions
9:11 minutes, 2012 / 2013
www.nightterrors-movie.com

You certainly gain a lot of bang for your lack of buck on this free short film, available on the Website listed above. It may be under 10 minutes, but you get creature effects, blood, nudity, and lots of digital gore. But let me back up a bit.

We first meet the lovely central character, listed only as the Woman (Krystal Lynn Hedrick) as she’s jogging through a park, the camera affectionately caressing her bit by bit as she bounces along. There is also the scary guy watching her, making lewd faces. You know he’s foreboding because his dark hair is stereotypically slicked back, and he has black circles around his eyes. Essentially, he looks like he stepped out of the film Equinox (1970), or a goth band.

The film is mostly silent, relying on body movement and expression, with rare exception. The best allowance of dialog is while we watch a scene from a film the woman sees on television, called Bloody Mary, which is short, sweet and bloody. Here is where we get the first taste of the heavy use of digital gore.

I promise I won’t delve into the story much, but it’s a totally enjoyable nearly 10 minutes. Yes, there is a strong reliance on cliché, such as the abovementioned greasiness, and the creature make-up is, well, you can see it in the poster, and I can think of three other films off the top of my head that used a very similar style. But for this budget, I have to say it not only looks good, but it “moves” on the villain’s (Izzy Martinez) face well. Special nods to the way they digitally made his mouth enlarge when he is snarling, reminding me a bit of Grave Encounters (2011).

There is definitely a large Latino contingent on this piece, from both behind and in front of the camera, which is not only great, but hardly surprising considering it was essentially put together by the Alvarez brothers, Felix, Alex and Victor (well, I am assuming they are kin). I’ve always liked that about Robert Rodriguez, for example.

Being so short and having two parts to it (the main thread and Bloody Mary), I almost get the feeling that this short is going to be either used to get funding to create it into a longer piece, or reshot once the finances are in place. Either way, I hope this was a good learning experience for the Alvarezes, and they use what they’ve learned to further their work. But no matter what happens going forward, this is worth the viewing.

 

Indie Short Review: 2 Hours

Text © Richard Gary / Indie Horror Films, 2013
Free link to view complete film below review
Images from the Internet

 

2 Hours
Directed, shot and cut by Michael Ballif                                      
26 minutes, 2012             
2hoursthemovie.com

Apparently, from the time one is bitten by a zombie, it takes two hours for the virus to course through the victims system until succumbing and then becoming one. This is the premise of this totally serious zombie genre short that is nothing short of beautifully done.

While feeling guilty about the death of his girlfriend (Brooke Hemsath, who recurs in guilt- and feverish-flashback fashion) the Survivor (Josh Merrill, who also wrote the piece) goes through forests and ruined cities hoping to find a group of other survivors before becoming zombie feeder fodder. Problem is, he has been bit, and has just two hours to find the group and hope they have a cure.

There are some interesting dual aspects to this film. One is that the zombies are both slow and fast. They stumble around looking for victims, but when one is spotted, man, can they run. They’re a bit clumsy on their feet, but they will run you down.

Another duality is the fluidity of that sometimes the film is seamlessly shot as third person, and other times in first person, even looking a bit like a shooter video game.

While the Survivor (as he is named in the credits) silently  and desperately searches for the others while avoiding marauding flesh eaters (more Romero-esk all organ diners, rather than just the cliché brains), we hear his thoughts as the virus slowly but surely starts nibbling at his rationale.

While his deterioration is what makes the core of the film, the visuals are actually quite impressive, with beautiful as well as ugly landscapes, wonderful make-up and gore effects, and for once hand-held camerawork that doesn’t make you want to barf like the Survivor.

Considering the low-budget, small crew, two-year filming timeframe, and all shot on a $500 Canon T2i DSLR, I’m still not surprised this is sopping up Festival awards left and right. Not only do I recommend this, you can watch it just by clicking on the link below. Scary to think what Ballif could do with an actual budget. Kudos, dude.

 

And be sure you stick around after the credits...