Review: Unwelcome

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

Unwelcome
Directed by Jon Wright
Tempo Production Ltd.; Shudder; Automatik; Corner Stone Films; Ingenious Media; Rococo Films; Well Go USA Entertainment
104 minutes, 2023
https://wellgousa.com/films/unwelcome
#unwelcome @WellGoUSA

As a Yank, when I hear the term “redcap,” I think of a valet who will park my car or bring my luggage into a hotel. However, in the UK, as explained by Wikipedia, “The redcap (or powrie) is a type of malevolent, murderous goblin found … to inhabit ruined castles along the Anglo-Scottish border … and is known for soaking his cap in the blood of his victims.” And now, on with the review.

Hannah John-Kamen, Douglas Booth

London couple Jamie (Douglas Booth, who was Nikki Sixx in 2019’s The Dirt, and Romeo in 2013’s Romeo & Juliet) and Maya (Hannah John-Kamen, who was Ornela in “Game of Thrones” and Ava/Ghost in 2018’s Ant-Man and the Wasp) have just found out they are expecting. Problem is they get on the wrong side of an obnoxious and aggressive trio of hoodlums in the neighborhood and need to rethink their living arrangements. From pan to fire on its way.

To escape, they move to a family home in a village in rural Ireland (I do not remember a mention of how Jamie or Maya make a living) to raise the soon-to-be-born bambino. They are warned by a friend of the family, Maeve (Niamh Cusack, of the infamous British acting family) of the “little people” and the daily blood offering to be made to them without fail (e.g., liver is mentioned).

Kristian Nairn

Of course, being young, distracted and very preggo, and the fact that they are city people who do not understand the local ways, the offering is not the highest priority on their minds, as much as getting a hole in the roof fixed. Plus, they are both suffering a bit of PTSD after a violent action back in London. This is not what ever is the Irish word for kosher to the nasty beasties.

The whole place is kinda run down, so the couple employ the local handyman’s family, who are bound to give you the willies. They remind me of the locals from either version of Straw Dogs (1971 / 2011), considering their reactions to the lack of full-blooded Irish of the couple. Heading up the Whelan family is the angrily abusive patriarch Colm (Colm Meany, of 1991’s The Commitments and was Chief Miles O’Brien in “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine”), who insists on being called “Daddy” by everyone, his slow, rarely-speaking, and enormous Lenny-like son Eion (Kristian Nairn, who was Hodor in “Game of Thrones”) who has a thing for Maya, his other, muscular bully son Killian (Chris Walley, who is in the recent Last Voyage of the Demeter), and his daughter Aisling (Jamie-Lee O’Donnell, of “Derry Girls”). A dodgy clan, at best.

The title is a nice double, or perhaps triple entendre, as to who is unwelcome: is it the redcaps who are unwelcome by the couple who have bought the land, or is it the couple who are intruding on the redcaps’ historical property. Then there is a lack of respect by the handypeople who refer to the couple as “Oliver Cromwell,” as the British oppressing the Irish. As Whelan states to Maya and Jamie, after his kids have been obnoxious, “We all need to learn our place.”

On one hand, I feel sorry for Jamie and Maya, because it seems everywhere they go, they get harassed: if it is not the neighborhood toughs, it is the locals, and then the redcaps. Mind you, they are not that innocent, either, as Jamie giving the finger to the first group, and Maya being lax with the daily sacrifices that cause locals to lose their lives. As far as the fixer-uppers, well, they’re just obnoxious malicious twits in their own right.

One thing that drives me crazy about genre films, not just this one, is that when a woman experiences something, the man dismisses it, in this case to “baby brain.” The deeper into the film, the less I liked Jamie. Maya has her own issues, but Jamie proves himself to be toxically masculinist. This is just too common a theme. He is a bit obtuse and has explosive anger, such as his actions with the thugs and the family (mind you, the latter are equally at fault, including the daughter).

There is a strong reference to said Straw Dogs, though rather than boobytraps, Maya enlists the aid of others, which you can see coming, as well as a price to pay for that. The wee beastie redcaps look really good and menacing; from what I understand, they are played by “normal” sized people and then either digitally shrunken or play on sets that are built to make them look smaller. It is a nice touch that while there is a supernatural element to these knife-wielding and literally blood-thirsty creatures, they are not immortal and can be dispatched.

There is also an effective level of blood and gore during the last act, without it being over the top. As for the acting talent? These are seasoned actors with multiple relatively large credits, so there is no slacking in that department.

The cinematography is lush and beautiful, with indoor set pieces that look appropriate for a long-misused, out of the way country cottage, and the way the camera lovingly plays with the woods, sometimes with mist, is almost a character in of itself. And yes, there is some mandatory drone work as a car is driven on narrow highway roads through the forests.

Other than this being a tad too long and could use some tightening up here and there, the ending was not what I was imagining, thankfully, and while they did choose another trope, it was not something I was necessarily expecting, and I like that.

IMDB listing HERE

Review: Double Feature of Don’t Look in the Basement; Don’t Open the Door

Text © Richard Gary / Indie Horror Films, 2018

Images from the Internet

Both these films have been combined in a two-disk Blu-ray / DVD package “Grindhouse Double Feature” by VCI Entertainment and MVD Visual. Both were directed by Texas native S.F. Brownrigg (aka Brownie Brownrigg), who died in 1996 at age 58. Both of these were shot with local talent “deep in the heart of…”

www.vcientertainment.com

www.mvdvisual.com

Don’t Look in the Basement (aka The Forgotten)

Directed by S.F. Brownrigg

Camera 2 Productions

89 minutes, 1973 / 2018

First of all, not fer nuthin’, what can you say that about a film (or at least title) that inspired an early, great Ramones song, am I right?! 

I actually remember seeing this film when it came out, coincidently a few months after I first saw the Ramones, but I digress… While I don’t recollect the story very well, being over 40 years ago, I am surprised at how much I’m remembering of the images as I’m watching it. The fact that it’s made that much of an impression on me after all this time must stand for something, I guess.

Though I have to admit I thought it was silly at the time, I have a lot more film history under my belt and can look at it in a new perspective. And fortunately, I don’t recall the ending, so that’s a bonus.

Rosie Holotik

The film takes place at Stephens Sanatorium, a private retreat for the insane, where the cast of interesting and diverse characters include a woman who thinks her baby doll is real and threatens anyone she deems a threat (Camilla Carr), an African-American man who has the mind of a child (top-billed Bill McGhee; d. 2007), a judge who likes to reap his own justice in any manner he deems correct at the wide-eyed moment (Gene Ross), a nymphomaniac (again, remember the time period and genre) looking desperately for love (Harryette Warren), a guy who thinks he’s in the army called Sarge (Hugh Feagin), and a man who is a brat, acting like Dennis the Menace (Jessie Kirby). Meanwhile, the inmates truly are running the asylum, apparently, as the staff keeps getting killed off. Though one appropriately named Dr. Masters decides to do an Al Haig and puts herself in charge. It’s all sketchy. On top of all this, a new nurse is schedule to come at any moment. Oh, and this entire paragraph takes place before the opening credits. Yep.

Annabelle Weenick looking very Miss Togar

Looking like she just stepped out of a period Swedish Airlines Stewardess commercial, psychiatric nurse Charlotte Beale (statuesque Playboy centerfold model Rosie Holotik) has arrived on the eve of two staff deaths, and manages to talk Dr. Masters (Anne McAdams, aka Annabelle Weenick, d. 2003) into keeping her position. Of course, there’s more going on than meets the marquee.

As I watched the film, there was so much I remembered, even after so many years, including the last shot, and in particular one of the gruesome deaths, which in my memory was much more shocking than the actuality after decades of ever more detailed and close-up mayhem. There is a key point I figured out early on, though honestly I don’t really know if I remember the big shocker or I figured it out, but it is effective.

Gene Ross plays a judge in both flms

Don’t get me wrong, this is a nicely bloody film in the Grand Guignol style of Hershell Gordon Lewis (though not that graphic). The style of the film is very similar to a lot of the mid-1970s to early 1980s films that came back to light with VHS, such as Mother’s Day, Maniac, and even The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, including the mostly bad acting (well, perhaps not bad as much as over-the-top theaaaahhhtrical emoting, often with the eyebrows and teeth), ridiculous storyline and a conclusion that is a bit up in the air.

But please, let me point out, because this is important for films of this period, that is why we like them, rather than in spite of it. They were goofy fun¸ and easily enjoyable without working the brain muscles too hard.

Don’t Open the Door (aka Don’t Hang Up)

Directed by S.F. Brownrigg

Camera 2 Productions / Jefferson Productions

85 minutes, 1974 / 1979 / 2018

While the Don’t Go to the Basement was Grand Guignol, this film’s style is closer aligned to the Giallo murder films from Italy, which started to show up at US theaters around the same time by the likes of Dario Argento. All one needs do is look at all the really creepy dolls to get that vibe.

There is a bit of overlap with the cast here from the former film, but that should be no surprise for an indie release. However, in the leading role is fetching Susan Bracken as Amanda, a woman with a strong personality who has left her doctor boyfriend, Nick (Hugh Feagin) after a fight, to take care of her ailing grandmother. Of course, something murderous happened in that house 13 years earlier in 1962 when she was a little girl, and you just know it’s going to come back to – well, haunt is the wrong word as there are no spirits, but you get my drift.

When she comes back, of course there are a bunch of men who want to control her decision to put her grannie in a hospital and offer to buy her house, including a judge (Gene Ross), a doctor (Jim Harrell, d. 2000), and Claude (Larry O’Dwyer), a curator of old houses. Luckily, she still has enough of Nick still wrapped around her cute finger to get him to come and sign grannie into the hospital… if she lasts that long.

Susan Bracken

As the second act begins, Amanda starts receiving phone calls harassing her. Remember, this is the period before you could see whose number was calling (barbarous!). All you see of the mystery caller is a close-up of his mouth, or some of his face in silhouette. A half hour in, it’s pretty obvious who is the mystery caller.

The old “he’s calling from inside the house” cliché was pretty young at the time, and they project that pretty fast, so I really don’t feel like I’m giving away much. There’s also a bit of misogyny (again, the period) where the caller asks Amanda to make “I’ll have what she’s having” noises on the phone. This is the creepiest thing in the film for me, and made me uncomfortable. Much of the story is kind of a comeuppance for Amanda, starting off brash and self-confinement, and ending up, well, less so. This is also a theme that is dated, but if I can theoretically accept the that-was-then of Katerina putting up with Petruchio, I guess I can think of this as part of the culture at the time (if this was released now, it would grind my gears).

Real, creepy dolls abound

As far as quality of film, this one is a vast improvement from the first, from the way it is shot using shadows and angles of the house to the benefit of the actions, the editing is pretty hot, and some of the dialogue enjoyably sounds a bit like the banter in those Spencer Tracey/Kathrine Hepburn films, giving a subtle sense of humor. The reason I say this is because, in part, Amanda kinda dresses the Girl Friday part, including the Bob ‘do and make-up.

Even with some of the same actors, the quality of the work is better, as well. The story is more filled out (though there are still some big holes, such as her not getting that the caller is seeing her, considering he is describing her actions and clothing, so to look for holes in the wall).

Sadly, the on-screen career of Susan Bracken (daughter of B-level movie star Eddie Bracken, whom I’ve always enjoyed watching) didn’t amount to much, this being her second and last film, but I would have been happy to follow her career. She does well going from one extreme emotional stance to the next.

* * *

Don't Open the Door's more artistic look

The collection’s commentary extra is for Don’t Look in the Basement, hosted by film historian David Del Valle and genre filmmaker David Decoteau. Along with interesting second hand yet knowledgeable stories about the making of the film, they also discuss the genre of the period and the effect of drive-ins on rural cinema culture. Normally I would not be very interested in so many personal stories that don’t directly relate to the making of the film, but in this case it really works because their connection to Texas independent cinema and being able to take something very local and give it a meaningful context. There is a bit of repetition, but overall it’s a good conversation that doesn’t sound smug or talks down to the listener. It is especially nice to have an explanation about the poem part relating to “little men.”

Other extras include the trailers for the two films, a collection of other grindhouse coming attractions put out by VCI Entertainment (I am a trailers fan, especially from that period, FYI), some deleted scenes from Don’t Open the Door of which about half were rightfully taken out and the others interesting in context of the story, and some handwritten production notes by the director.

What both these films have in common is that on some level they both deal with some insanity, and also its focus on what happens to a “normal” person pushed to the extremes dealing with that intensity. While …Basement is the more well-known of the two, I enjoyed both films; however …Hang Up was better overall for the reasons I have been mentioning. As a combo package, it’s all the more bettah to compare.

Review: Grindhouse Gutmunchers

Text © Richard Gary / Indie Horror Films, 2017

Images from the Internet

Grindhouse Gutmunchers

Deadly Indie Entertainment / World Wide Multi-Media (WWMM) / MVD Visual

150 minutes, 2017

www.worldwidemultimedia.net

www.mvdvisual.com

This double-DVD set contains two repackaged anthology films, including two bonus movies, from the pro-KISS and Alice Cooper, liberal-antagonizing Scarlet Fry (this liberal reviewer still likes him, even though disagrees often), who owns and runs the World Wide Multi-Media (WWMM) organization that puts out some amazing and oft overlooked releases. In other words, there is a heeeeell of a lot to see here.

But first this message: there are varying levels to cinema, with the top of the chain being the multi-million dollar sagas, and at the bottom some kid with a camera filming his friends. Scarlet’s work, especially the earlier stuff shot on VHS, is closer to the former than the latter. And yet…no, wait now… and yet, his output is so much fun that it really doesn’t matter in the long run. Personally, I would rather see one of these relatively amateurish anthology collections than, say, any of the Paranormal Activity films, or some of the same old rehashing of older films again and again. There is quite a bit of originality here, through the cheesy effects, corny jokes, and the occasional questionable acting skills. But I’ll delve into all that in a bit more detail as we go along.

DISC ONE:

Scarlet Fry’s Junkfood Horrorfest                                                      

Directed by Brian Crow and Walter Ruether (aka Scarlet Fry)

Chained to the Wall Productions / Chemical Burn Entertainment

75 minutes, 2007

From the brief opening segment, which is not technically part of either the wraparound or the six stories that make up the main body of the film, we are introduced to a stoned out drug dealer sitting by a dumpster, who is approached by a woman who demands him to give her some dope. He gives her a bag and she gives him a warning that it better be the real thing. What it turns out to be is the video tape that is Junkfood Horrorfest. What makes this even more special, I’m sure especially to Fry, is that the junkie is played by Calico Cooper, the talented and attractive offspring of the infamous Alice. This is quite the coup for Fry, and certainly a thrill for us.

We are then introduced to the wraparound, hosted by Scarlet Fry – who uses his own name (stage name anyway) – as a hillbilly kidnapper with a partial leather facemask (assuming human). Every anthology film of Fry’s/Ruether’s has himself, sometimes with others, as some form of host to introduce the tales in Tales from the Crypt fashion (though comics have been doing it since at least the late ‘40s, of course). It’s filled with puns and groaners, as it should be, and I’m cool wid it.

Before I start on the stories, I have to say that even though it was shot on video (I’m guessing sVHS), it has a very clean and nearly digital look that made me happy, too… well, on my television anyway, which still has a cathode tube… don’t judge me; rather, send me bucks to get a newer one!

                                                           

Scarlet Fry hosting

As with the other films on these discs, I won’t go into great detail because these stories are about 10 minutes each so that my going into great depths would reveal too much of the shenanigans. However, I will pick out some standouts.

There are some stories that are merely there, it seems, as an excuse to show some appliance effects, more than dependent on an actual narrative, such as “The Bloodthirsty Butcher” and “The Devil Made Me Do It” (with the very cute Sasha Lightstone). In many, the acting is quite borderline, some of it even terrible, but there are shining moments, such as the psychological study with Fry doing a solo in “Wasted Life.” I can see some people may see this particular non-action filled piece as the weak link in the film, but I thought it was among the strongest for just that reason. Fry does a great job in stoicism (yes, that’s a compliment).

A couple of the stories, the aforementioned “Wasted Life” and the trippy-albeit-obvious-ending “The Solution,” (which I enjoyed), as with a surprising number of other short horror films, have little to no dialog. This can be viewed as a good thing, as some of the dialog can be cheesy, and others downright (purposefully, I’m sure) offensive. For example, there is the totally nonsensical (and my least favorite) “Griptape Spank,” where a gay man pays a trio of skater duuuudes to hit his thonged ass with their boards, hence the title. One of the duuuudes is afraid of being thought of as enjoying it too much. The “F” words are thrown around a lot (no, I mean “fag” and “faggot” – and “gay,” as in “that’s so gay,” while we’re at it). Even in 2007, using these terms is of questionable taste (what, me PC?). I also believe that is the point of the story, to be offensive, so in context I guess it’s acceptable? I just believe that many people viewing this may actually share the sentiments espoused, rather than thinking about it. Truth is, even if the term wasn’t used, it’s still not among what I would call the best of stories.

Considering the age of the film and the assumption of its (lack of) budget, the effects look really decent, most of the time. Yeah, there’s some fakey looking stuff, but much of it looks beyond its budget, such as with (again) “Wasted Life,” and the final piece that was added on later in an amusing way (i.e., the sixth tale), “Love is Blind,” which is one of the better written bits, though not the best acted (Danielle Fisher definitely comes out the better through most of it).

                                    

As an early film, there has to be some forgiveness, especially considering the constraints of budget and acting (for most of the cast, this is their only credit listed). Believe me, I've seen much, much worse from people who have had more filmmaking experience than Fry at this point in his career. In all, it’s a good introduction to his work and this DVD(s) collection. Oh, and stick around after the credits for some cool outtakes.

Scarlet Fry’s Horrorama

Directed by Walter Ruether (aka Scarlet Fry)

Black Mass Entertainment / Pegasus Productions

27 minutes, 1989

Going back even further in time is this collection made when Fry was a mere 19 years of age. There are five tales shot on VHS, although that is pretty obvious from the visual video noise.

Once again (though this predates the feature above), Fry hosts our viewing under his own name in a gruesome Lon Chaney London After Midnight-ish outfit with nicely designed and disgusting teeth (especially when he eats in them).

Considering his age at the time, this release actually looks better than it may sound in my description. Yeah, it’s amateurish, grainy (again, VHS), and the story are not too deep which is reflected in the acting ability, but it has heart and some laughs (it is considered a comedy).

For example, “Manwich” and “Kiss Kiss Me New Wave Zombie” don’t really have proper stories, just set pieces, though the effects look decent (except for the wigs which have an ‘80s hair band level of poofiness). For “A Day in the Park,” an abusive tool finds a gun in the park and puts it to questionable use (“when you have a hammer everything looks like a nail” syndrome?).

The twist in the opening – and best – sequence of “In the Sack” is a hoot. Llana Lloyd (who also wrote this, I believe) is in Rhonda Fleming territory while waiting for her date, a putz who purses his lips (now it would be called duck face) and keeps popping his collar. The acting here is atrocious from all involved, but it’s still satisfying. The last piece, “R.I.P. Rest in Peace” is another subliminally (or perhaps pretty blatant) anti-gay screed as a leather-clad motorcycle hoppin’ woman (well she dresses like it, anyway) in Captain Sensible “Wot” mode is woken from her sleep by her effeminate hubby (also played by Fry) who is ineffectively trying to chop a log.

Thing is, ya gotta start somewhere, and this definitely shows some promise that was pushed forward. I’m glad Fry has kept making films, because you can certainly see some growth along the way. This is also what makes the collection fun, as you can see the trajectory of his career so far.

The last film presented on the first DVD is a somewhat fuzzy rerelease of the public domain cult horror classic from 1962, Carnival of Souls. Definitely worth watching, even if it’s to see that, yeah, even back then sometimes the acting and filmmaking are not up to A-level speed, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be a benchmark. The intro and outro of the dreamy CoS is presented as a television program called “Scarlet Fry’s Cinemacabre, with three horror hosts making snarky comments and bad puns, led by Fry again, in a costume that looks more Boy George than horror (though for some of us, it’s a negligible difference).

Also added on are a few trailers for the films on this DVD.

DISC TWO:

Scream Machine: Unrated

Directed by Walter Ruether III

Deadly Indie Entertainment / World Wide Multi-Media (WWMM)

71 minutes, 2015

The main feature of the second disk has already been reviewed by me during its pre-DVD release, HERE. 

But there are also some nice extras on the disc that were not included when I saw it the first time (yes, I watched it again). There are also two different trailers for Scream Machine, but the smile-maker for me is a five-minute outtake compilation of Lloyd Kaufman trying to get through a promo for the film. It’s hysterical.

It takes a particular mindset to watch films of this caliber, and I know most of the people who are reading this are just of that ilk, so sit back and enjoy. Yeah, there will be some “WTF” and mocking comments, but that’s part of the fun, and more than likely there will be some amusement and certainly some on-screen disembowelments for all to enjoy.