Review: Captain Z and the Terror of Leviathan

Text © Richard Gary / Indie Horror Films, 2014
Images from the Internet

 

Captain Z and the Terror of Leviathan
Directed by Steve Rudzinski  
Silver Spotlight Films / MVD Visuals                           
74 minutes, 2014          
www.captainz.com
www.sliverspotlightfilms.com
www.MVDvisual.com

With a name like Captain Z & the Terror of Leviathan, there are things that are going to be assumed, the most obvious of which is that this is going to be a really terrible film, or a WTF hoot. Thankfully, this very generously falls into the latter.

For those who didn’t grow up in the Wheeling, WV, area, Captain Z is a commercial character that has been seen on local television for decades to promote a store that buys and sells jewelry (think about it, “Arg, matey, sell us your treasure”). It was started by co-writer and actor Zoltan Zilai’s dad (get it? Captain Z? There ya go), and is now played by him. Having worked with Pittsburgh-based writer/director Steve Rudzinski before on Everyone Must DIE! [reviewed HERE], it makes sense he tapped Rudzinski to complete an idea to use his Captain Z (aka Captain Zachariah Zicari) character in a more full-blown production. Rudzinski picked up the challenge.

Apparently, as the expository prologue provides, 300 years ago to the year (1714), in picturesque Wheeling, WV of all places, four humans possessed by demons – two of which are not overly bright – try to raise the dark god Leviathan to bring destruction on the puny mortals of earth. All they need is an amulet, a redheaded woman (I wonder, does it have to be a woman? What about a redheaded man? Oh, yeah, cleavage factor, right… okay, onward) and a sentence-long incantation, and Leviathan rises from…the Ohio River? Thanks to the quick actions of the good Cap Z and Rosa, his sidekick chicken (you heard me), the demons are vanquished into a void that also drags the good pirate along with ‘em.



Heather, Captain Z and the Professor

Some credits later, we are introduced to a motley crew of (mostly) slackers who work at a museum giving tours to celebrate the 300th anniversary of the saving of the town (“Captain Z Days”). Among them are the interesting looking but nowhere near intelligent Heather (played with charm by Madison Siple), the intelligent yet abrasive Samantha (Cerra Atkins), the enthusiastic Neal. (Josh Devett) who dresses like the Captain at the museum, and his dad, who is the monotone, slow-burn curator of the place, Sterling (cinematographer, editor, etc., Scott Lewis). Along comes a spi… I mean a professor of mysticism, played snarkily and humorously by Rudzinski (in a role similar to the Giles character in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, except with cool appeal), who arrives searching for the amulet that has been missing for 300 years.

Of course, the very day he shows up, it’s found by a family of rednecks who read the incantation on it and are instantly possessed. The leader of the quad is played by the buxom Aleen Isley, and among the rest is Seth Gontkovic, who nearly steals his scenes, as he did in EMD! as DJ Pink. He wears a bright and obvious copper-colored wig, for some reason, like he’s trying to look like an adult Opie Taylor. Like many of the others in this film, Seth is a regular in Rudzinski’s endeavors. I say when you find people who work out, keeping them close is a good thing. When the demons return, it also brings back the loveable Captain Z.

Aleen Isley as Vepar

The game is afoot to get back the amulet, and have the good Capt. get adjusted to the new-fangled contraptions (he really wants to drive/command a car) and cultural mores. He a somewhat good man in a strange situation; as he states to a pirate groupie (Lacy Brooks in a fun turn, who also does much of the great make-up effects) at a wild beer- and drug-fueled party, “I’ve done some bad things, but not evil things.” Honestly, his “arg” and “mateys” get a bit tiresome at times, especially how bad his accent is, but hell, this movie is a broad comedy so I’ll let it be and take it for what it is.

There is easily a Pirates of the Caribbean meets Demons vibe going on here, but the jokes are sometimes really good. For example, Heather collects “deformed jelly beans,” and another cries out after being interrupted, “Dude, I’m trying to bang your sister!” There is also a very brief homage to Mel Brooks’ High Anxiety (1977) when someone comments in a throwaway line, “I got it; I don’t got it.”

Played over the top just enough to be broad without being cartoonish, the acting here is quite substantial for this kind of gig, and nods to one and all. The gore effects are not over the top, but are quite well done throughout, most accomplished with appliances rather than using digi (with a rare exception being a Dustin Mills’ CGI creature). As with other Rudzinski productions, the women are not model types but have real curves and the occasional chunky parts, which is appreciated. Besides, there is ample cleavage to keep the viewer happy, if that’s a thrill for ya.

The extras are two commentaries (which I didn’t get to hear), a long segmented interview short with the director and some of the actors (Lewis comes off as charmingly abrasive), some of the Captain Z Jewelry commercials through the years, a blooper reel, and lots of others.

There is obviously room left at the end for the next adventure of the professor and the pirate, apparently dealing with vampires. Is this film outlandish? Most certainly. Is it goofy? Hoooh yeah. Is it worth seeing? Most definitely. This isn’t necessarily something you’d watch as a companion of, say, Robert Wise’s The Haunting (1960), but would easily be seen with the likes of The Puppet Monster Massacre (2010) or The Disco Exorcist (2011). Actually, it would play well with The Pirates of the Caribbean series, though bang for the buck spent by the production, this might win.

 

Review: Skinless

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

 

Skinless (aka The Ballad of Skinless Pete)
Directed, shot, edited and scored by Dustin Wayde Mills
Dustin Mills Productions
80 minutes, 2013 / 2014
www.Facebook.com/DustinMillsProductions
www.DMPStudios.com
http://dmp.storenvy.com

On many different levels, this film is a bit of a turning point for Dustin Mills Productions. Up until now, the releases by director (among other titles) Mills has either been a horror comedy or has strong elements of humor. This film is different in that it is serious, from the first minute on. There is still a few (meant to be) moments of uncomfortable titter, but this film is done straight.

Essentially, this is a four-person piece, at least three of them we get to see full frontal, but I’m getting – er – ahead of myself. Of the foursome, three have appeared in previous Mills productions. The newest is Allison Egan (not to be confused with Brit actor, Alison Egan). The first shot starts right off with her in the altogether as Olivia, the girlfriend of the soon-to-be-skinless titular character. As with many of Mills’ female cast members, she’s tattooed and looks like she could beat the shit outta you and enjoy it, but remains attractive. Her character has little back story, but her screen time is limited, so onward.

Returning for a third time is Dave Parker, also known as the horror vlogger, MrParka (yes, one word). He was in Easter Casket, and also Bath Salts Zombies as an addicted stoner, but in this more serious role, he does fine. His role of Neil, who controls the money to be meted out to scientists in order to insure profit for the shareholders, is pivotal, but again, not much screen time. Parker looks a bit young for the role which he is portraying, but I’m okay with that (like I deserve to have a say, right?).

Erin R. Ryan

The female lead is Erin R. Ryan, who also starred in Mills’ last film, Easter Casket. She’s still-full-skin Pete’s roommate Alice, and less-than-secret love interest. She is also a scientist and is, in fact, research partner with him. Ryan is an attractive woman with a firm jaw and is capable of being both strong and vulnerable in the same scene.

Pete Peel (really? Peel?) is the protagonist anti-hero, strongly played by Mills’ hetero-life/work-partner and recurring lead actor, Brandon Salkil. Petey is looking for a cure for cancer because his shoulder has a ridiculously large melanoma (looks like a silver dollar sized hole). Not sure why the girlfriend, Olivia, never noticed it. As Nirvana once said, “Oh well, nevermind.” The important thing is that he’s on a literal deadline to find the cure, and he thinks he may have found it in a worm whose secretions melt, well, you know. And despite threats from Alice and Neil, I don’t think I’m giving anything away (read the title of the film) by saying that he injects the experimental serum into himself.

So far, the story is going along strongly, we’re somewhat emotionally tied to the two lead characters in a star-crossed lovers way, and you just know the big bang is coming. And as always, Mills does not disappoint.



Brandon Salkil

From here, though as enjoyable as the film is, and it truly is, there is some resemblance to Cronenberg’s version of The Fly (1986). First healing strength leading to the body disintegrating yet still strong, twitching, bodily fluids to melt food and people, and of course the love interest trying to reconcile with the whole thing. While Cronenberg had a budget of $15 million, Mills does damn fine with a few thou and opens it up in ways that are new, partly by slowly closing the story into a tight knot.

Let’s talk about that last part. One of the things I truly like about Mills’ work is that he knows how to make a small budget go a long way. For example, nearly all of this film, with the exception of one scene¸ takes place in a single house, and mostly in the attic and the basement. This works well with giving the mild yet palpable feeling of claustrophobia, a device that syncs well with what is happening to Pete, as his world gets smaller.

Everything feels increasingly intimate, with a large percentage of the dialog between the two leads, Pete and Alice, the Invisible Man style clothes and mask Pete wears, and much of the surroundings being quite bare and stark. I’m not sure if it was budget constraints, the house they managed to get to for the shoot, or a director’s choice for mood, but it works.

There obviously isn’t a very high body count with a cast of four (though if you look at it in percentages, that’s another story), but the gruesome effects for all involved is incredibly enjoyable. Sherriah Salkil (Brandon’s spouse who also contributes to the films in various roles) and Mills do a great job with the make-up. It looks way better than the budget implies, and I would say this filmmaker’s best gore effects yet. Still stringy rubber innerds¸ but the blood and masks look way ahead of past films, and that’s saying a lot considering how accomplished they looked before.

Since this is a Mills film, there must be a discussion of the one thing that is recurrent in all his releases: puppets. He keeps it down to a minimum, being a worm, a dog (or what’s left of it), and melted bodies. Sure, the dog looks similar to the one in Bath Salt Zombies, but it kicks butt (or bites leg?).

 If there was any one complaint on my part (as I am wont to do), it is that when Brandon wears his mask, it is sometimes hard to make it out. If a bigger budget was on the table, I would say re-dub the voice.

The visuals are quite compelling. The editing is tight, the cinematography sharp (and HD), and even the lighting is solid. And the gore level is high and sticky. Mills has a talent for making fake blood (too many films are the wrong color or consistency), and he is not afraid to apply it.

The one true piece of comedy that appears in this film is over the credits, in the song “The Ballad of Skinless Pete,” by Mike Fisher, an inappropriately folksy ballad that is the opposite of the metal shards that usually accompany a Mills release.

Microbugets can either put a crimp in a film’s style, or it will present the opportunity to be creative with what one has. This film definitely falls into the latter category. That being said, if you’re a band and you need a music video and can pay for it, or just want to support the genre through an up-and-comer, checks out Mills site above and help finance his next project, called SpiderClown. I am already anticipating it.

 

Red Band Trailer:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7DBt17RMoM0

Favorites and Not Favorites of 2013

Text © Richard Gary / IndieHorrorFilms, 2014
Images from the Internet                            

Truthfully, I think Best Of and Worst Of lists are full of shit. It is just so subjective that who cares who the particular gatekeeper is, using terms of absolute just seems too hyperbolic and un-General Semantic.

However, I am totally comfortable with the terms Favorites and Not Favorites, which is more acknowledging of what is actually being stated. Splitting hairs? Don’t care. Sometimes a Favorite can actually be a not great film, but incredibly enjoyable. Similarly, a Not Favorite can technically be well made, but either doesn’t touch me or seems to fail its purpose.

There will be no mainstream films listed here, as they get enough press (e.g., Evil Dead, World War Z). Truly indie, DIY cinema needs and deserves more attention, and that is the point of this blog, innit.

Also, I think when dealing with the indie film scene, it is important not to just get locked into year of release, because many were filmed over years due to budget constraints, are just getting distributed recently, or due to the lack of availability (or even knowledge they exist), they may not come across my vision in the year of release. Instead, my parameter is that these are the ones that are my “… That I’ve Seen This Year.”

With each film, I will link it to the review so you can find information on where to see the film, and their trailers. With one exception, this is in no particular order other than alphabetical. The most important thing to remember is that this is my opinion, not fact, so please, everyone, don’t take anything personally one way or the other.

Favorites

 

2 Hours
Directed by Michael Ballif

The only short on the list, coming in at just under half an hour, 2 Hours focuses in on the main character, who has been bitten by a zombie and has that length of time to find a group that may have a cure before becoming a ghoul himself. Using first and third person cameras angles, inner deteriorating narrative, and some wicked SFX and gore, this is worth checking out, especially since you can find it for free on YouTube
[Reviewed HERE]


The Ballad of Skinless Pete
Directed (etc.) by Dustin Wayde Mills

The director of such enjoyable films (seriously) as Puppet Monster Massacre and Night of the Tentacles, Mills reaches a new level with this sorta-kinda retelling of The Fly. Dustin is dedicated to his craft, that is certain, and with an often recycled cast that has become comfortable with each other, such as his stalwart Brandon Salkil, he is comfortable making us at ease (in a good way) in ways the body functions. His female cast is usually realistic looking women who are not afraid to show it all, and of course there is always puppetry in some evil form or another. I always look forward to new releases by Mills.
[Reviewed HERE]


Exhumed
Directed by Richard Griffin

By far my favorite film of the year. Griffin, known for such stunning genre stretchers as The Disco Exorcist, has reached a career high (so far) with this one. Most of his films are comedies, but this one is solid black and white noir that is creepy from beginning to end. He also gets some stunning performances from his cast, including a wonderful dramatic turn by Debbie Rochon, usually known for horror sex comedies. The story of an isolated group in an urban setting as it spirals into implosion is claustrophobic and riveting. Woody Allen has repeatedly tried to switch from comedies to more serious faire, but hasn`t yet succeeded. Griffin, however, has with this one.
[Reviewed HERE]


House of Bad
Directed by Jim Towns

More of a crime / murder / slasher mystery than outright horror, this tale of a trio of sisters from the wrong side of the cabin who are holed up and on the lam never lets up. Their shady past invariably catches up to them as they disintegrate as a unit, until all hell breaks loose. The cast, consisting mostly of the three main characters, is edgy and unyielding, making this an intense feature that is worthy of the big screen. Their outdoorsy setting is just a cover for the concrete in the hearts of those involved. In short, it’s a blast.
[Reviewed HERE]


Mold
Directed by Neil Meschino

Honestly, this film is more fun that great, but it is a lot of fun. A gooey joy ride from beginning to end, it would actually make a fine joint feature with The Ballad of Skinless Pete and/or Street Trash (1987), though the tones are quite different. This is a goofy comedy with some over-the-top acting, a storyline that is somewhat implausible, and just chock full of great effects. It doesn’t get boring for a second, even if it’s for ridiculous reasons. A great party film.
[Reviewed HERE]


Murder University
Directed by Richard Griffin

This is the second feature on this list by this director. It is a slasher comedy, but it has some solid acting, good writing including some original and unexpected moments in the genre, and is sharp as a tack on production. The gore level balanced with the humor is at just the right amount and looks great, without beating you over the head with it (pun intended). The story is about a shy guy who ends up at a college where many, many, many mysterious murders occur. It is a fine mix of humor, smarts, and sharp objects.
[Reviewed HERE]


Profane
Directed by Usama Alshaibi

Artsy fartsy cinema is not something usually expected in indie horror, but this one has bite, in a BDSM mode. We follow a dominatrix of Islamist background through Chicago as she tortures clients, has conversations with taxi drivers in apparently neverending snow, and in a very subtle touch, is being haunted by a djinn. There is no blood or gore, but it is kind of uncomfortable watching real domination scenes with naked men being tortured for cash (that spiked heel in the scrotum, oy, just not my cuppa). But on the other hand, under Alshaibi’s helm, the visuals and spirituality that surround the story is simply beautiful. Again, this is not an outright The Haunting of [fill in the gap] mode, but it is much more understated and delicate, exactly opposite of the lifestyle shown which can overshadow it (i.e., what you’re like bound to remember more).
[Reviewed HERE]


Not Favorites

Bad Meat
Directed by Lulu Jamen

Sadly, this is an absolute mess. A project that was started and not completed was revived when some of the actors became known through their television series work, so they pieced it together into an incoherent mess. The story of camp counselors who become infected by some kind of sexual rabies through, well, bad meat looks like it could have been a very fun ride, from the footage that was shot, and that’s what makes this so pitiful. Nothing is explained, key complete sections are obviously missing, and fates of characters are left hanging in the wind as one minute they’re there and the next, what? I actually thought there was something wrong with my DVD and that it was skipping until I read other reviews (I almost never do this) to find that, yep, that’s the film. Really, really sad and pathetic.
[Reviewed HERE]


Fear the Forest
Directed (etc.) by Matthew Bora

There is definitely a fun level of this Bigfoot on the murderous prowl flick, but it is bogged down by some terrible writing, plot black holes, some mediocre acting, and a really bad costume. If this was a comedy, it would have worked better and be more…accommodating to the questions it raises, but as a serious horror film, it just does not reach its potential.
[Reviewed HERE]



Iron Doors
Directed by Stephen Manuel

There are a lot of festival awards that have been linked to this film, including best film, best actor, etc., but it left me totally cold. Yes, it’s shot well, and the acting is fine, but I felt no connection to either of its characters, there is no explanation for the events or why it is happening, and the questions it raises left me disinterested rather than curious. It has the same isolation vibe as most of 1997’s Cube, but without the gore, or story really. This is a perfect case of what I was talking about in the introduction regarding a film that is technically fine, but does not engage me.
[Reviewed HERE]


Sexsqatch: The Legend of Blood Stool Creek
Directed by Chris Seaver

This may sound like an oxymoron, but despite it being included here as not being a good film, it is still a fun one. The characters are moronic, the writing is WTF, and the dialog ranges from dodgy to hysterical. Actually, I think this one did reach its goal of trying to be a goofy mess, but where they fail is the lack of a real story, and the use of sex is more of a tease than actuality, as you never see any body parts (other than ample cleavage, and boob grabs). The sex appears only in talk (such as, and this is a paraphrase, “Oh, last night we really went at it”). Fun but unfocused and way too meandering for its own good, and despite it being in this column, this could be an indecent way to waste some time.
[Reviewed HERE]

Review: Murder University

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

                            

Murder University

Directed by Richard Griffin
Scorpio Rising                  
96 minutes, 2012 / 2013
www.WildEyeReleasing.com
www.MVDvisual.com

 Okay, I’m going to admit it. Richard Griffin is becoming one of my favorite indie horror directors. He has covered many different sub-genres in his films such as The Disco Exorcist (2011) and the stunning Exhumed (2011), and now this one, which is homage to ‘80s slasher movies. Of course, the comparisons are inevitable with the Scream franchise, but I’m not going there; I don’t really feel a need to do that because the Wes Craven film had a budget of about $15 million, and this was shot for a mere $6,000, and yet accomplishes so much.

This picture follows many of the formulaic cliché’s that crop up in these kinds of films, but it is rarely done as well, in this tongue-in-cheek way. For example, there is the obligatory “prolog” that sets up future events. This takes place in 1983, at a college in Massachusetts (though was filmed in Rhode Island, as is most of Griffin’s releases). Most of the time, the rest of the film is in “the present,” but this one is set just a year later, with anyone hardly caring about the ghastly events that took place on the campus of “Murder U’ (i.e., “murder you”). Apparently there is a devil masked (and hooded cloaks, of course) group using sharp objects such as axes and knives to create some serious damage.

But let me back up a bit for a moment to make a comment on that opening sequence.  Did not see the surprise coming; I let out a big laugh and a wow, which is quite the statement after having seen slashers since Joan Crawford’s Strait-Jacket! (1964). This moment alone tells you that you are not going to see a standard, run-of-the-mill chop-em-up.

The story is written by Lenny Schwartz with flair towards both the gruesome and the funny bone. Most of the comedy is not played for broad laughs, but rather it’s done smartly and on occasion, such as a running joke with the main character’s mother. My favorite though, and this was extremely subtle, was the password for getting into a frat party by saying a password to a redneck (wearing a Stars and Bars toga) at the door, which is a line from James Brown’s “Say It Loud, I’m Black and I’m Proud.”

But the writing is only one of the pillars that make this a strong and multiple (festival related) award-winning film. Another is the look of it. The picture is HD and clear, including the night scenes. The use of RGB colors for the lighting, especially in the night and forest locales is beautiful, giving it a nice ‘80s Creepshow (1982) feel, but with a clearer and sharper image, and applied subtly (there’s that word again) rather than garishly, as most use it.

The next pillar is the acting. Griffin tends to use many of the same folks in multiple releases, and this seems wise (though I miss the team of Reed and Nicklin). Many of the cast come from the New England the-yay-tah crowd, so they know how to nail a scene quickly and accurately. Yes, there is a bit stage overplaying here and there, but it seems less as time and films go on. The three main characters are strong in both writing and presention.

Michael Thurber

Griffin stalwart Michael Thurber is solid, period. Sure, he was a bit goofy in The Disco Exorcist, but his Exhumed performance was a nuanced tour de force. Here, he plays the aggressive, loner, verbally vulgar police detective Forresster with a deeply buried soft spot. From what I understand, this slovenly character, who wears a Columbo-type overcoat, is far from Thurber’s real personality (he wore a tux to the film’s premier, for example), but his naturalistic acting ability makes the detective come alive.

Samantha Acampora

His daughter and co-sleuth, Meg, whose mother had been killed by the demon-masked killers when she was a wee lassie, is portrayed by the very fetching Samantha Acampora. With those lips and doe eyes, man, I would have had such a crush on her in college. Luckily, she’s a naturalistic actor, and takes the kind of female-lead-yet-support role as if she were part of that personality, which is falling in love with the central character, Josh.

Jamie Dufault

I know I’ve seen Jamie Dufault, somewhere, but I cannot remember where. However, here he takes the lead. Though obviously diminutive (most characters tower over him), he creatively works both the shy-virgin and passive-aggressive sides of his character with conviction.  Josh is a shy lad with a sad secret who is starting college (like much of his classmates, he’s obviously older than the part he’s playing, but that’s pretty endemic in the genre, so I’ll move on).  He is a wide (blue) eyed youth who leans towards sweater vests (there is some kind a running motif where many characters wear horizontal striped shirts, including a Freddy Kruger colored one worn by Meg) and deer-in-headlight reactions. But you know there is an itch tugging inside him (again, the genre). One thing I found interesting, and this really has nothing to do with anything per se, but Jamie has a couple of interesting “tells,” where he will either turn his head or lick his lips as the excitement level is ramping up, or a key comment is about to be spoken.

There is also an exceedingly large support cast (all the better for sizable body count), and I need to comment here. Again from a theater background, they run from the average looking to the attractive (e.g., Elyssa Baldasssarri and Tonya Free). Plus there are a number of outstanding basically secondary or even tertiary characters which stand out, such as Sean Sullivan as a leather jacketed insane thug, and especially Aaron Peaslee as a tool DJ, Juicy K. Thunder (who, in a throwaway line, mentions his college radio show called “Morning Mishegas”); check out his dancing in the DJ booth in the background at a gay strip club (where Forresster frequents for – er – coffee). You may not notice him at first, but if you do, he’ll steal the scene. Oh, and there is also a police investigator who looks alarmingly like (but is not) disgraced ex-Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich.

Griffin has quickly developed into a decent filmmaker. His shots inside a particular modernistic building are a good example. He uses the frosted glass stair landings in a way to show movement that is quite lovely, and the first time we see Josh walking through the building, the stairs and floors almost look like an MC Escher drawing.

Along with the remarkably large body count, there is also a fair number of gore scenes (without being “gore porn”) which are sometimes amusing, but most times well done. The only effect that gave me pause was a scalping that looks good for the effect itself, but it almost looks like the knife isn’t really touching either the head or the scalp. Otherwise, every other effect, from different levels of beheadings with a knife to more subdued killings (such as using shadows, or in one case, showing someone at knee level). What is also nice is that these killers are not gender specific. In other words, it’s not just females that are hacked, but rather everyone within range, including some guy getting an ax (the weapon of choice here), well, let’s just say sharp edge up.

The extras include some trailers (including two of Griffin’s I mentioned here) from Wild Eye Releasing and a deleted scene. There are also two commentaries. One of them includes a number of the cast (excluding the two male leads) which occasionally gets overwhelming trying to tell who talking, though it’s still worth a listen because they do manage to put out a lot of information. The other track is the director and writer, which is more interesting, though I suggest listening to both if that interests you.

It’s nice to see a horror film with humor that doesn’t rely on Adam Sandler-level toilet jokes, but rather is quite intelligent, along with some twists and turns that have some originality to them. And besides Thurber’s perfect nuances, Dufault has a delicious sense of timing, and can spit out dialog that is clear and emotive/empathetic. There are lots of surprises here, but one that isn’t is the consistency of Griffin’s output, as all his films have a shine on ‘em. I look forward to seeing the projects that came after this, including Dr. Frankenstein’s Wax Museum of the Hungry Dead and especially Normal.

 

Review: Pelt

Text (c) Richard Gary / Indie Horror Films, 2013
Images from the Internet

Pelt
Written and directed by Rowan Spiers-Floyd
11:04, 2012
www.pelt-the-film.com

A lot can be said in a film this short, especially under a skillfull hand.  Director and writer Rowan Spiers-Floyd accomplishes this goal in just over 11 minutes and three key actors. True, this is a student film (and an award-winning one at that), but it shows a masterful eye on many levels.

Self-described as a “dark fairy tale,” the story takes place in the period of the expansion of the West. We are presented with a mysterious tale of greed, fear and cowardliness.  In a wilderness fort, two men go a-huntin’ for, well, pelts on a winter’s day. The setting and effect of the film is enhanced by its locale, Fort Clatsop at the Lewis and Clark National Historic Park, located in Astoria, Oregon.  Seen in mostly medium shots, it has a nearly claustrophobic feel, even though much of it was filmed outdoors. The lighting and the mood is key, and Spiers-Floyd uses it to its utmost.  Whether you find the story scary or not, it’s shadowy and strange atmosphere is effective.

Davis, Newman and Eastwood

During their expedition, the two come across an animal carcass. When Fredrick (Jeffree Newman) asks Rufus (Adam Elliot Davis) if he can keep the pelt so he can afford to marry Rose (Jennifer Eastwood), the woman Rufus also desires, well, it doesn’t go well for the requestor.  Okay, let me digress here and posit that what I am stating here is in the description, so I’m not being a “spoiler.”

This is where the film takes a turn for the strange.  First Nations/Native American tales tell of creatures in the woods called a skinwalker (sometimes identified as a windigo), who were known for being able to take on other appearances. The creature is never named in the story, nor even explained, but that doesn’t matter; what is important is the flow of events that follow.

Spiers-Floyd is certainly helped by his actors, who do not either under- or overplay their roles despite the dramatic and supernatural undertones.  I also acknowledge and like the double-entrendre of the title.

The film looks beautiful, with crisp shots thanks to Page Stephenson, and clean editing that seems to take classic lengths of time rather than the staccato post-MTV method. It gives you a chance to read and feel the subject’s emotions, without telling you what you are supposed to get out of it.

I look forward to Spiers-Floyd’s output. If this is a beginning BFA (Bachelor of Fine Arts) project, just think what he may be able to do with a budget and the ability to work on something full-length.    

The video can be found free HERE

Reviews: The Bloody Ape; Blitzkrieg: Escape From Stalag 69

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

These two films were both directed by Kevin J. Crocker.                            

 

 

The Bloody Ape
(aka Son of Sweetback vs. Kong)

Directed by Keith J. Crocker          
Wild Eye Releasing                        
77 minutes, 1998 / 2009
www.WildEyeReleasing.com
www.MVDvisual.com

The director, Keith J. Crocker, is well known around the exploitation film scene. In his younger days, he used to publish the fanzine Exploitation Journal, and I still have a couple of copies. He knew his stuff, so it only makes sense for him to direct a film. You might say it was inevitable.

Despite being shot in the early ‘90s, he used grainy, past-expiration-date stock Super 8 film to give it that appropriate ‘70s stock look, which works like a charm. Gathering friends and family together, he made this movie. On the surface, this is a bit of a skidmark; however, apparently my opinion on this has changed dramatically. But let me continue.

Picking up where Roger Corman kinda-sorta left off with his Poe films, this is an – er – adaption of Poe’s Murders in the Rue Morgue, where a sideshow barker releases an ape named Gorto to enact revenge on those who have mistreated him. But rather than being attractred by the chimes of a charm bracelet, this bloody ape is after supposedly exotic banana (or, in some cases, banana scented soap!), given by said Sideshow Bob, or in this case Lampini (Paul Richici).

This shmendrick the-not-so-magnificent is fed up. He’s been cheated by car repair shops, ripped off by a rabbi, and rejected by his girlfriend (Arlene Hanson, looking like she just stepped out of The Sopranos). His boiling point reached, his answer is a guy in a – well, decent gorilla suit for the almost nil budget.

Shot in parts of Long Island near Hempstead, the local accent is thick and heavy, making Joe Dellesandro sound cultured. When fellow LohnGylndeh (Commack) Rosie O’Donnell was still doing stand-up, she once said that no one would have taken Albert Einstein seriously if he had a New York accent. Well, these characters are no Einstein, but her point is made valid here. As a Bensonhurst boy, I can relate.

With one exception, there is no character here that is likeable, such as: the garage mechanic, (Larry Koster, who actually worked in the station in his scene) is a racist who hates everyone and bullies his way through his job (Latinos, American-Americans, Jews, you name it); the Rabbi tries to sell glass for diamonds – note that this is the second film I have seen recently where the payas was connected by a band over the head like rabbit ears – in a painfully stereotypical anti-Semitic manner with a terribly fake Hassidic accent; and the bigoted police officer, LoBianco (George Reis – who also plays Gorto most of the time – wearing incredibly fake costume store facial hair), the lead officer in charge of investigating the murders. convinced that when people are seeing an ape, that it’s actually a black guy.

The film borrows from a lot of other exploitation classics, such as 1968’s Night of the Living Dead (for example, the black hero’s character is named Duane Jones), 1969’s Night of the Bloody Apes, and 1980’s Night of the Demon (thanks to Horrorpedia for that last lead), showing that Crocker knows his stuff. He’s sort of like Tarantino without the filmmaking gene.

The gorilla rampage is a bit silly, actually, murdering women by slashing with a knife, disemboweling, while naked in the shower, or doin’ ‘em doggy style (most of those topless who are killed – i.e., nearly every female – were local strippers). There are a few men ripped apart, too. The gore is appropriately fake for the style they were going for, so it’s effective, I guess. And did I mention the ape drives a car (taking it from Crocker’s real-life then-fiancee) down a busy street without anyone noticing?

Yeah, this is a terrible film, and yet so earnest. The dialog is dreadful, the acting mostly non-existant, and the direction apeshit, but it is still amazing to watch in its dreadfulness. I’m not sure if the nearly first half which is mostly talking and no ape presence is more interesting for the WTF moments, or the second half that has lots of ape and more WTF moments.

I was a bit disturbed by the xenophobic anger by many of the characters and was turned off by that for a while, but during the lengthy featurette of 2008 interviews with the (male) cast and crew, and during the commentary, Crocker explains that the point of the nasty characters is that everyone in the film is miscommunicating and lacks the skill to relate. This actually makes sense to me, though he could be bullshittin’ about it.

There are plenty of extras thrown in, such as a commentary by the three main hubs of the film (Crocker, Reis and Richichi),the aforementioned featurette, a short and moody film by Crocker, lots of artwork and stills, and a couple of Crocker trailers (including this one).

Worth watching? That’s a tough one. If you have the tolerance to sit through the first 15 minutes and it keeps your interest, well, yeah. But if you’re used to mainstream cinema with no patience for Outsider status, just keep walkin’.

 

 Blitzkrieg: Escape from Stalag 69 – Special SS Edition

Produced, written and directed by Keith J. Crocker                   
Wild Eye Releasing                        
135 minutes, 2008 / 2009  
www.Blitzkriegthemovie.com
www.WildEyeDVD.com
www.MVDvisual.com

The death camp torture sub-genre has been around since at least the ‘60s, be it taking place in South America, Soviet Russia, or Nazi Germany. Some examples include SS Experiment Love Camp (1969), The Big Doll House (1971), The Big Bird Cage (1972), and Terminal Island (1973). Even the majors got a bit involved with The Night Porter (1974), and to some extent, Paradise Road (1997). However, the 800 lb. gorilla of this genre is the Ilsa series (Ilsa: She Wolf of the SS in 1975, Ilsa: Harem Keeper of the Oil Sheiks in 1976, Ilsa: The Wicked Warden [aka Greta the Mad Butcher] in 1977, and Ilsa: The Tigress of Siberia, also in ’77, all starring the lovely and bodacious Dyanne Thorne as the titular character).

So for his second (and so far last) full length feature, Keith Crocker bravely tackled this torture porn style. It was a brave choice, no matter what the outcome. And how did he fare? Well, this is no Spielberg, but then again, it’s not even early Romero. However, it is far more advanced than his previous effort of a decade earlier, The Bloody Ape. Thankfully he uses a better camera and in most cases, a better cast. Oh, and much more attractive women than the literal Long Island strippers from the last film.

The basic premise of this sub-genre, in a grossly generalized way, is that the (pick a nationality) in charge inflict cruelty on prisoners, mostly women but not only, and at some point they revolt and kill most of their abusers in escaping. Feel free to let me know if I’ve missed anything there.

We meet Helmut Shultz (Charles Esser) hiding in Argentina in 1955. After escaping from the Mossad, he goes to a catholic church and confesses the sins of the past to a priest, played by The Bloody Ape’s lead, Paul Richici, unintentionally funny due to a thick New York inflection. Actually, Esser’s German accent is pretty amusing as well, as with most of the cast, to be fair).

In flashbacks we see that he was kommandant of the titled Stalag, helped by his corpulent sidekick Wolfgang (Steve Montague, who has appeared in other auteur films such as Bloody Christmas [reviewed HERE] and I Spill Your Guts, also filmed on Long Island [reviewed HERE], both in 2012), and co-run with Helmut’s lustful redheaded sister (in an equally emotionally immature Ilsa mode), Gordana Jenell, who strangely has a mild Eastern European accent (for the story; in real life, Jenell was born in Montenegro). Perhaps Crocker was figuring his audience would assume an accent is an accent? I rib rather than rub in.

Meanwhile, Helmut, an emotional man-child mad doctor-wannabe, has been doing experiments and has created a hybrid human/ape man – wait, didn’t the Nazis want to promote a superior race rather than a lower, base one? – that we never see (except in the deleted clips). For the time being, his co-ed camp gives lots of reasons for abuse of both genders.



Tatiyana Kot

The main hero of the story is Natasha, played by the extremely lovely and often full monty’d Tatyana Kot (the actor was born in Siberia!). She is a Russian freedom fighter who was captured after shooting Nazis in the woods with a machine gun, while wearing only boots, and is consequently tortured by those running the camp – and a visiting Japanese soldier – before leading the required revolt.

During both the worthwhile commentary and making of documentary/interviews, Crocker clearly states that this film is not torture porn, but rather he is trying to make the audience feel the visceral pain of the characters, be it the rack, bamboo under fingernails, castration (two of them!), and the application of what looks like a taser. I believe him and admire his conviction, but let’s face the reality here. The audience that is going to be watching this kind of film is not the Drop Dead Diva type, or even Grey’s Anatomy. Rather, they are out for a body count and not trying to save the whales, as it were. Mind you, I remember Sam Peckinpah (d. 1984) saying the same thing about his films, but what do you think of when you watch The Wild Bunch (1969)? Exactly. I am certainly not denigrating Crocker or his creed in any kind of way, as I truly feel what he believes, but I also know the demographics.

Another thing Crocker states, which I admire, is that he actually does manage to use these horrific actions as a platform to showcase the abuses of both the Nazi and Stalinist eras as a reminder of those regimes. There are lots of anachronistic moments that one needs to get through, some of which addressed in the commentary, which I thought was brave, but the point about the those time periods is presented with just a shade of lecturing, similarly to the way Romero did about consumerism in Dawn of the Dead (1979).

As with Crocker’s previous release, this one was filmed on Long Island, in both the counties of Suffolk and the western Nassau locale of Smithtown. Thanks to the area’s war reenactment groups, the cast is flushed out with soldiers in real uniforms, and there are lots of authentic WWII memorabilia floating around (though I wonder about some of the reversed swastikas). Shooting the film guerilla-style on the grounds of a closed asylum helps give the right feel of desolation needed for the story.

Again, there are a lot of extras included here, including commentary with Crocker, Kot, and others, a making of cleverly titled “Nazis Over Nassau,” the original short that Crocker made that inspired this full-length release titled “Schindler’s Lust,” stills, outtakes, trailers, and more.

If I had one real complaint about this film is that it is too long, at over two hours. From what I understand, it is already significantly cut from its pre-edit stage, but there is definitely more that could have gone, including the rest of the mostly-excised ape-man subplot, the whole bit with the mustached, hippie-like guard that wants to send a complaint to the higher-ups about the abuses, and quite a few Tarantino-eqse dialogs that went on way too long.

I’ve seen quite a bit of these type genre films (such as those listed at the beginning), and truthfully, it’s not one of my favorite styles – I’m more into straight horror than the human monster – but all things considered, this one is effective and gets the job done with a touch of humor, empathy and better cast and effects. If you like this stuff, I would happily offer this up and a choice.

The trailer from The Bloody Ape was taken down from YouTube; you can find it HERE.

 

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0YrjIC32sQg