Review: Condor’s Nest

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

Condor’s Nest
Directed by Phil Battenberger
MBG Films; Lost Galleon Films; Icon Film Distribution;
Voltage Pictures; Strike Media
102 minutes; 2023
www.facebook.com/condorsnestmovie/  
www.Strike-Media.com

German Nazis (as opposed to those who marched in Charlottesville and stormed the Capitol on January 6, 2021) living in South America have long been a trope…well, at least since the end of World War II, anyway. It has come up in the likes of the book The Boys from Brazil (1976) by Ira Levin and the film that followed (1978), and a particularly gruesome pilot episode from the anthology show, “Night Gallery” (1969) called “Escape Route.”

To give a bit of a background, in the real world, the German Condor Legion was a mostly-air force unit of Nazis who fought in the Spanish Civil War in the mid-1930s (thank you Wikipedia). While this has no relation to this particular film, which was filmed in Greensboro, NC, it explains from where the name originated.

Jacob Keohane

Basically, this is an action revenge film. As the trailer shows, in the extended prologue, an American war plane shot down in hostile territory, runs into a group of classic ruthless Nazis, led by SS Colonel Bach (Arnold Vosloo, who played the title character in 1999’s The Mummy and its 2001 sequel, The Mummy Returns). He brutally has the US crew killed, mostly by his own gun, with a lone survivor,

The main crux of the story takes place in various locales in South America, including Argentina and Paraguay, ten years after the events in the prologue, as the sole survivor plane crash, Will Spaulding (Jacob Keohane) is on a one-man revenge mission to kidnap, torture, and kill as many escaped Nazis as he can find while searching for Bach.

Arnold Vosloo

On a psychological and socio-political level, he is so full of anger and thirsty for revenge, he does not realize that he has become what he is hunting, on some level. He is so compromised that he is willing to lie to save a Nazi, Albert Vogel (Al Pagano), from justice to gain information on his target, but cannot see the paradox. He is blinded by his hatred.

When he and Vogel joins forces with Israeli spy Leyna Rahn (Corinne Britti) who wants to bring atomic scientist Vogel to Jerusalem to hang, the search heats up. It also does not help that even the Germans are trying to kill Vogel before he gets to Russia, led by the vicious Fritz Ziegler (Jackson Rathbone, who was Jasper in the Twilight “saga”).

Corinne Britti

Various enemies become compadres is a well-used trope and this uses it multiple times. There is double cross after double cross throughout the story, as Will sets to get Bach, who is hanging out with Heinrich Himmler (James Urbaniak, who played Robert Crumb in 2003’s American Splendor) in said Condor’s Nest, which obviously takes up Act 3 (you do not need a fortune teller or psychic to know this, or even a spoiler notice, as it is in the damn title, fer chrissake).

Held up in the Condor’s Nest (a really nice chateau) is an elite bunch of head Nazi’s planning the Fourth Reich, led by Himmler. Actually, the historical Himmler supposedly died in Europe and never made it to South America, but it works for the story, so why not, right? I mean, they said the same about Adolf, and he was “killed” in Inglorious Basterds (2009); poetic license is a beautiful thing.

Al Pagano

There is the high-action conclusion that is reminiscent of a Rambo film, or something with Schwarzenegger, or perhaps out of The Dirty Dozen (1967), a film I thoroughly enjoyed as a young’n. The film is full of violence, especially gunfire, but surprisingly very little blood nor, it seems, South American characters.

What it does have, however, is lots of cameos that include Jorge Garcia (who will always be remembered for “Lost”) as a bartender, Michael Ironside (1981’s Scanners, 1997s Starship Troopers, and so many great others), and Bruce Davison (1971’s Willard and the X-Men franchise). Even Vosloo’s role can be considered one, though he is one of the main foci of the storyline.

Bruce Davison (right)

Many social and political issues are brought up, such as a hatred for Jews, and the effects of revenge on both the revenger and the revengee, with the border between them a gray area (yes, they even use the cliché – and I’m paraphrasing – “We’re not so different, you and me”). Along with the action, this look at a culture of hatred, especially in the present political times, is also well handled. There is also a nice touch of Germanic mysticism and eugenics.

The scenery is stunning, from impoverished surroundings and historic buildings, to natural wonders likes rivers and forests. Even Peru’s Machu Picchu makes a brief appearance.

The actors are all on their A game, though Davison seems almost uncomfortable wearing the swastika armband, which I respect. I have to admit, I would have loved to hear him yell, “Tear ‘em up!” even if it was in German.

As for the director, Phil Battenberger specializes in war films, from the Civil War (the upcoming Without Consequence through Vietnam (Point Man in 2018). He handles conflict in interesting ways that makes the story compelling here, and keeps the interest without being over the top.

Condor’s Nest is available on iTunes, Amazon Prime, Google Play, Microsoft Store, Rakuten TV and Sky Store, and on disc in April.

IMDB listing HERE

Review: Massacre Academy

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

Massacre Academy
Directed by Mark Cantu
Cineworx
83 minutes, 2021
www.facebook.com/massacreacademy/
www.facebook.com/cineworxproductions/

No matter where you go in the world, odds are that schools are the ultimate caste system; they are brutal, so what better place to focus on cruelty? There are so many films that emphasize on this period, from The Blackboard Jungle (1955) to The Faculty (1998), Murder University (2012), and the recent Blood Pi (2020). For the university in this story, we go to Orrstown, PA (halfway between Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, where it was also filmed) in 1985 for the prologue, and the main story in 1987.

Jess Ulher

Why 1987? The answer is, in my opinion, two-fold. First, it is a nod to the 1980s era of slashers, which many consider the “golden age” thanks to the inevitable wall of VHS Horror in local video stores. Second, no cell phones, which uncomplicates things.

Make no doubt that there are some splashes of dark comedy thrown here and there and can be missed if you turn away, and a signal of this early on is the reference to a sorority, I Ata Pi. Despite that, during the prologue we meet clown-masked serial killer Henry Lee Palmer (Dave Sheridan), who has just murdered a large number of people (unseen) at said sorority house. There were two survivors, Kris (Jess Ulher), and doofus Kyle (Shawn C. Phillips). Again, this is all before the credits end.

I find it interesting how Cantu shows how even though the massacre was horrific, it naturally and quickly gets folded into various forms of local culture, such as in a car commercial. This is meant to be funny, but it actually is quite a social commentary about news cycles.

With a nice build-up to the present story, Kris is having her own PTSD issues with being a survivor, especially with some of the really obnoxious people around her, like mean girl Lori (Valena Zitello) and jock-strap brawn brain Tanner (Lawrence Karl). At least her sister Maggie (Sierra Mitchell) and friend Becca (Christina Krakowski) have her back, kinda, though are a bit self-centered. But between them and the rest of the sorority and fraternity fodder, Pledge Night is going to be a… well, you know.

After a killer end to the first act that is bloody, brutal and a touch humorous, the police are called in, led by the drunken Lt. Hallenbeck (Rick Dutrow), who worked the previous Palmer case two years earlier. You know after the second act, this will lead to a showdown between Kris, Maggie and Becca and the possible copy-cat killer (hey, just look at the poster, will ya?!).

Valena Zitello, Lawrence Karl

The second act is mostly a cat-and-mouse game, ending with a reveal, but it is far from over as the third act picks up the pace of the inevitable chase through a dark building (blue camera lens indicates the time of day).

There are quite a few subtle moments and nods, such as when the machete-carrying killer steps on a Jason-style hockey mask. But despite the elbow in the side and some giggles, this also has some really effective jump scares and some adrenaline inducing scenes. Warning, though: a horrifying toothbrushing scene. Sorry, it’s a pet peeve. Moving on…

There is a bloody mix of “indicated” murder (i.e., off-screen) and visceral gore (on-screen). Not much of the realistic kind, but movie magic in SFX analog form for the fun of everyone. As the film increases, the body count kind of goes down a bit, but the gore level goes up, making up for it.

Sierra Mitchell, Ulher

One of the big positives about this film for me is that it is filled with strong women characters, while it is mostly the men who are bumbling fools (e.g., the Kyle character). There was no need for the lead to have a rescuing boyfriend or even a love interest. That was cool. And none of this running around and tripping over their own feet to let the killer catch up. The masked one gets a fair licking along the way, as do most of the characters, which actually makes it all the more exciting. It’s one of the few slasher films I have seen of late where you might actually root for the victims as much as the murderer. That is impressive.

The acting is pretty good for a lo-bud, I’m happy to say. No one is going to win the Oscar, but they all emote well, though the Lori and Tanner characters are a bit stereotypical (this is not a comment on their acting chops); one of the things I liked about the film is that it was brave enough to use accurate looking people (e.g., not a room full of models, male and female), with normal body types; even the adored prom queen is a clumsy roller derby aficionado who is just a bit on the chunky, realistic side.

Christina Krakowski

Delightful cameos include iconic Ferrisa Rose, comedian Jackie Martling who rose to fame on the early days of the “Howard Stern” radio program, and the omnipresent kameo king, Phillips doing his hyper-talk, this time mostly about mammaries. I’d also like to say a nod to a short-lived, but memorable character who I thought was great, Riot Ronnie (Ray Cygryus).

Stick around for the credits, because they are by far the funniest thing in the film, especially Rose’s turn as a newscaster who cannot believe what she is reading. She even lets her New York Italian accent slip in beautifully. It is a perfect sum-up for a really strong slasher indie entry.

Review: Goldstone

Text © Richard Gary / Indie Horror Films, 2019
Images from the Internet

Goldstone
Writer, director, editor, director of photography, composer: Ivan Sen
Lightyear Entertainment / Screen Australia / Archlight Films / MVD Entertainment
110 minutes, 2016 / 2018
www.lightyear.com
www.mvdb2b.com

Goldstone (as opposed to Tombstone) is a small Australian town where three cultures meet: the indigenous population, the white settlers, and the Chinese workers. This trio is bound to cause not just sparks but raging fires. Of course, it’s up to the police to put out those fare-ups, or is it?

Although taking place in modern times, this cop drama that relies heavily on motifs from the original Walking Tall (1973), this is considered by most to be a Western, and I can certainly understand why, with the beautiful Australian Outback being the backdrop, but more on that later. In an off-beat way, one could also say it’s a buddy movie, with the typical trope of two people (coppers in this instance) who don’t like each other initially learn to trust and rely on each other, even if hesitantly.



Alex Russell and Aaron Pdersen

There are a lot of powerful Aussie actors who make their presence felt here (big country, but small film industry). The two leads are Goldstone Sherriff and lone law enforcer, Josh (Alex Russell) and aboriginal federal agent with a sad past and a problem with the bottle, Jay Swan (Aaron Pedersen). character was resurrected from a 2016 film that was a hit in Australia, Mystery Road, and would reappear in the 2018 mini-series, also called “Mystery Road.”

 

This story relies a lot on corruption and questionable behavior on everyone’s part, even the police. But the main source of evil doing that needs to get eradicated is big business in the form of a gold extraction company that is bribing and killing to get land from the Aboriginal people of the area, and who delve their hand in human trafficking for the workers in the desolate areas.



Jacki Weaver and David Whenham

Running the whole evil gold company is Johnny (David Whenham, who played Faramir in The Lord of the Rings films), and his accomplice and lover, Maureen, who is the Mayor (Jacki Weaver, of Bird Box and Silver Lining Playbook fame). Their malevolence is felt before it’s identified to the viewer. In an extended cameo-yet-pivotal role we meet elder Jimmy (David Gulpilili, of releases like Walkabout, Crocodile Dundee, and Rabbit Proof Fence). Bringing in the gravy further is a dispassionate madam, Ms. Lao (Pei-Pei Cheng, from Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon) and the female lead and possible love interest, May (the highly attractive and tall Michelle Lim Davidson).

 

Needless to say, the acting level is superb, and I have no qualms with stating that. Sometimes the accents are a bit theek-ahhs-flyees, and a bit to grabble with, but it’s worth it, even on a subtle level; for example May’s mouth quivers when she speaks, but the Mayor’s teeth are fixed in a way like a shark ready to bite.



Michelle Lim Davidson

While this is a buddy movie offshoot, the police are among the weakest characters as far as flip-flopping morals (the “bad guys” are just flat-out evil with no other shades), and the trafficked women are often in peril (though lots of determination towards a goal all the way around), there actually is quite a gender balance as far as power goes, and that’s pretty refreshing.

 

There is a lot of action in the third act (i.e., the last 20 minutes or so), and I’m happy to say the ending does not follow a formulaic conclusion; the rest of the film is a very slow build-up to the final showdowns. For example, considering the buddy picture aspect, these guys are barely in the same scenes together other than the occasion, until they arm up to the nipples with ammo.



David Gulpilili

There are a lot of gems in this film, such as the photography and scenery. The desert looks beautiful rather than just burning sand and rock, and wherever it is that Jay and Jimmy canoe is just stunning. Plus there are a lot of great overhead shots I’m assuming done by a drone expert (consistent altitude with little movement, which was impressive). Although polar opposites, director Sen uses the desert as a character in a very similar fashion to Scorsese’s presentation of New York City in Taxi Driver: a forbidden wasteland that still manages to hold its beauty like a snake about to strike.

 

There are a few extras here which are worth noting, all of them coming in under two minutes and featuring interviews of the major cast and director, describing anecdotes/motivations of the characters. These are “Detective Jay Swan,” “Alex Russell as ‘Josh Waters’,” “Jacki Weaver as ‘The Mayor’,” “Ivan Sen, writer, Director, Editor, Composer, DOP,” “The Corruption of Goldstone,” and “The Indigenous People of Australia.” Thanks in part to their briefness, they were enjoyable and easy watches. There are also two trailers for this film and two for others.

This may have nuthin’ to do with nuthin, but there are a lot of characters with “J” names in this film, such as Johnny, Jimmy, Jay, and Josh.

Despite the slow buildup, I can certainly understand the attention this film has received, and it is well worth the watch if you like Westerns or gun-based crime dramas.

 

 

Review: Boss

Text © Richard Gary / Indie Horror Films, 2018

Images from the Internet

                            

Boss (aka Boss N****r)

Directed Jack Arnold

Dimension Pictures / 3P Productions /
JACS Films / Kit Parker Films / MVD Entertainment

87 minutes, 1975 / 2018

http://kitparker.com/

www.mvdvisual.com

                                                                                                            

A subgenre that seems to have disappeared since at least the 1980s, is the one referred to as Blaxploitation. This style was so much fun, even when it went a bit over my head (i.e., inside jokes to a specific audience). With pun-ish names like Coffy (1973), Blacula (1972), Cotton Comes to Harlem (1970) and arguably the most culturally successful one, Shaft (1971; “that cat Shaft was a bad mother…”), they tended to be shown in certain neighborhoods in selective markets¸ or on Times Square during its Golden Era, which is where most of my friends caught them. What most people don’t realize is that these films tended to be written and directed by white people who appropriated and cashed in. In this case, the film was written and produced by its star, Fred “The Hammer” Williamson.

While the packaging understandably has a slightly different name than the original that I choose not to say outright because I don’t feel I have the right, the actual film here uses the initial 1975 moniker. What interests me is that this technically came out a year after Blazing Saddles [BS], which is also a Western centered on a black man who arrives in a town that is whiter than gerrymandered Mississippi. What I wonder is, as Richard Pryor was one of the writers of BS, was there some influence in one direction or the other. However, Boss feels more like a one-on-one response to BS, even if you just count the amount of times the N-word is evoked.

Fred Williamson and D'uville Martin

Another influence seems to be the great Spaghetti Westerns that were often in theaters around that time, such as those by Sergio Leone, but also smaller productions such as the Trinity series. Throughout much the film, Williamson has a “Man With No Name” stogie sticking out of his mouth. My guess is that this film was a culmination of all these influences.

It’s pretty clear early on that this and BS definitely overlap, as Williamson’s character, a bounty hunter, becomes sheriff. His sidekick, Amos (the late, great D’Urville Martin, d. 1984) of course is more Charlie (Charles McGregor, d. 1996) than The Kid/Jim (Gene Wilder, d. 2016). Here, Boss and Amos are trying to get Jed Clayton (character villain William Smith getting to show up his muscular arms often) for a big bounty reward, and he regularly comes to that town. He’s sort of the Taggart (Slim Pickens; d. 1983) of this one.

Carmen Haywood

There are only a few white characters that are nice to the new sheriff, and one is the prudish school teacher, Miss Pruitt (Barbara Leigh; her initial BS equivalent is Harriett Johnson/Carol Arthur); she mentions how she’s from Boston and used to love when her Black servants used to sing and dance, the equivalent of saying “Like a member of the family.” This character is definitely a political statement by Williamson, which I applaud, because I remember our elementary school teachers expecting the one Black student in our class to sing, “He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands” in front of the group (she became militantized just before Middle School with a huge afro and dashiki), which in retrospect I am embarrassed to be even indirectly a witness.

Speaking of social commentary, Williamson also bravely takes on the way Latinos are treated, bringing them into town much to the dismay of many of the townsfolk (in BS terms, “…but we don’t want the Irish!”). However, and this is more rear-view mirror thinking because I understand what was happening at the time, both the Boss and Amos kind of abuse their power, too, by being overly strict in a nearly totalitarian way. I’m willing to bet that those for whom this film was directed had reason to cheer watching them get the Man after so many centuries of oppression, but it’s also important to remember that people who are oppressed learn the mannerisms of control from one end of the power dynamic, and may enforce the other way when things get reversed (Boss and Amos mention that they were freed slaves, at some point early on). I believe Williamson’s spirit was in the right place when he wrote this, yet looking back, it seems a bit heavy-handed. I would love to know what he thought about this now.

RG Armnstrong and William Smith

An interesting dynamic is the burgeoning lustfulness of white Miss Pruitt and the Black woman who is the real obvious love interest, Clara Mae (Carmen Hayward). One throws herself at Boss a la Lili Von Shtupp (Madeline Kahn), and the other is more… resourceful . Pruitt shifts from an upstanding prude to a lip-glossed horny-toad in moments of the arrival of Boss. It is when bad man (usually dressed in white; perhaps another social commentary?) Jed’s actions put Clara Mae in peril (gotta be a woman in peril, right?) that starts the third act leading to the violent showdown that you have to know is coming even before starting the film. This was true of Westerns even before The Wild Bunch (1967), and yes, BS sort of ended that way, too. But even gangster Blaxploitation films like Shaft tended to end with a big blowout.

Barbara Leigh
(image not from this film)

There is also a high level of misogyny that goes beyond the Pruitt/Clara Mae rivalry, as women as nearly all seen as fodder for the men to grab, use, rape and generally be in constant hazard, though Clara Mae shows she is smart and wily enough to know how to use her looks to get out of certain situations. What I find amazing, even among films I like across genres, is the way a particular group will be shown in a particular light, but still view women as less than secondary, and merely there for the men to either use, abuse, or ignore, even those they love. I respect Williamson’s take on the Black and White power dynamics he manipulates so well, in the time period in which this is filmed/written, but I’m now also grateful for seeing more powerful female characters of the modern era (even when it comes with exploitive nonsense like Bridesmaids, Bad Moms, and yes, the Melissa McCarthy film, The Boss).

Among the pretty broad acting at times, there are little gem roles, such as a Latina mom, played by the great Carmen Zapata (d. 2014; she kinda looks like a Spanish Tyne Daley), who if you are of a certain age, you saw in multiple movies and television shows. Also appearing as the Mayor is stalwart RG Armstrong (d. 2012), who also stands out, even when spitting out likes like, “I wasn’t questioning you, I was just askin’.” He’s kind of a Trump trickster character who plays sides against others for his own gain.

Carmen Zapata
(Image not from this film)

There is a moment towards the end that took me a bit by surprise, I’m happy to say, and it isn’t an easy ending, but that’s part of some of the moments that make the film special.

There are four extras, which I will describe in the opposite order listed because I followed my interest. First is the 27:09 “Conversation with Fred Williamson,” hosted by Joel Blumburg (d. 2010). Filmed in 2008, Williamson is asked a lot about his football, how he got into filmmaking, and it’s easy to see how much of his persona is built on his personality and self-image (“I never get killed, I always get the woman if I want…”). However, this is a generic interview rather than directed for The Boss, and while it’s interesting, it doesn’t answer my questions about this particular film (e.g., the BS connection, or not).

The Jack Arnold Tribute is 3:49, which is quite lovely. Myrl Schreibman, who was Associate Producer and now UCLA Film Professor, puts some really nice perspective on the director of Boss, as well as some of Arnold’s most important B-films of the 1950s and ‘60s, including Tarantula, The Creature From the Black Lagoon, and The Mouse That Roared. Arnold’s impact today is nicely explained in the brief amount of time.

Next to last is “The Boss Memory” with Schreibman, at 7:53. While he never answers my questions about the Boss/BS, he does tell some fun production stories and anecdotes. The last extra is the original trailer.

This is a particular film in from a particular time of some strong political and social change, and it’s a mostly enjoyable view into that changing world.