Review: American Mummy (3D)

Text © Richard Gary / Indie Horror Films, 2017

Images from the Internet

American Mummy (3D) [aka Aztec Blood]

Directed by Charles Pinion

TX-2 Productions / Fusion / Inferential Pictures

Wild Eye Releasing / MVD Visual

82 minutes, 2014 / 2017

www.wildeyereleasing.com

www.mvdvisual.com

I have absolutely no doubt that this film, originally titled Aztec Blood a few short years ago, is being rereleased under its new title because of the re-tick of The Mummy series with the diminutive Tom Cruise. If he find out, will he dance in his undies to “We take those old films off the shelf / Rename them to promote ourselves…”?

Tezcalipoca mask

Honestly, I have no problem with any indie, low-budget film doing that (though it may be irksome if a major did it). The possible problem I do see with this, though, is part of me is wondering if it smacks of appropriation. This is supposed to be about finding a remanence of an Aztec culture, a civilization pretty much wiped out through European intrusion in the 16th century (I suggest reading James Michener’s excellent and massive centuries-spanning 1992 tome, Mexico). In this case it’s regarding a god named Tezcalipoca and of… well, I’m not sure if it’s supposed to be the mummy of Tezzy himself or one of his priests The latter would actually make more sense considering Tezzy was one of the four creators of the world; it’s nice they made a film about him rather than the feathered serpent god Quetzalcoatl, another of the four who gets way more coverage.

Suzeiy Block

Anyway, this film should be noted as one of the few I’ve seen to have two prologues that set up the story, which is, essentially that an archeological class from Monroe College (thank goodness they didn’t use the overdone Miskatonic name) is out in the desert somewhere on a excavation, which I’m assuming a Southwestern state considering the film’s title [The director, Charles Pinion, wisely pointed out post-publication that: "Regarding 'American,' I'd like to flip that to the presumption of 'American' only including the United States. Mexico is in fact on the American continent. United States' imperialism (the name Monroe College alludes to the Monroe Doctrine) is central to the under-arching theme, if you will. They find something, they claim it, and they plant a flag there."], after a couple of students come across said mummy. The dig is led by the totally inept Professor Jensen (Suzeiy Block), so it’s a good thing she’s cute; had a boss like that once, but I digress…

Of course, there’s that one student – in films like this anyway – that has an ulterior motive: Carmen (Esther Cantana) is trying to raise the mummy using an ancient Aztec book of the dead. At this point it may be worth noting that there are a bunch of themes used from other films, such as the cabin in the woods/camping in deserted areas tropes, of course the mummy series, and mostly the Evil Dead (1981). Another to add on could be the viral zombie mini-apocalypse, or even Bava’s Demons (1985) and [*Rec] (2007). One could argue for The Thing (1982), but I would disagree due to lack of shape-shifting.

Erin Condry

I will applaud that they do try to build up some context through exposition of the characters, rather than them being merely fodder. Yet it’s still tough to feel deep sympathy, never mind empathy, for most of the characters, though I did for at least one named Connie (Erin Condry, who I’m pretty sure I’ve seen elsewhere in a genre pic that’s not listed on IMDB).

That’s not to say there isn’t a certainly level of accuracy about the characters. I mean, I’ve been to a few academic conferences, and there is a lot of hooking up and abuse of substances that goes on in that world, never mind in the middle of nowhere. In films like this, I’m happy to say that leads to a lot of nudity, though most of the sex is implied. They even manage to have a shower scene in the middle of a desert. For that alone, they get some extra points. Thankfully, it’s an attractive cast.

As Dylan said, “The line it is drawn / The curse it is cast,” and you know that one-by-one the demon fever (or whatever it is) will spread through the group via blood and green tongues. The effects are pretty nice, with lots of blood and even some unbelievable bits look pretty good. It seems most of the SFX are appliances rather than computer generated, and that’s another check mark in the plus column.

Esther Cantana and her green tongue

The acting isn’t necessarily stellar throughout, but there are some fine moments and decent characterizations, though some are a bit over the top; an example is the seemingly unnecessarily thickly-accented Dr. Lobachevsky (Greg Salman, who is also a producer on the film). I could never find a reason why he was Russian in the story, or what his true purpose was to the story as a Russian, as opposed to a scientist of any other nationality.

One aspect I find interesting is the actual lack of motion of the titular character, other than some limb wiggling. As a side note, I think calling it an “American” mummy when the mummy-proper dates back before the Europeans even came to the New World is presumptuous and a bit settler colonialization (or, as I up it at the beginning, appropriation; this is the same mentality that uses the term American Indian, rather than First Nations, as do the Canadians). Getting back to the point, it does sort of leave it open to the interpretation of the viewer whether it’s some kind of genre viral infection (such as was true(r) with the Tomb of King Tut’s “curse”), or the actual mummy having some mystical power raised by the fanatical student and her sycophant.

There are definitely a few holes in the story, the biggest perhaps is why Carmen was so determined to raise the mummy – or his curse, anyway. In other films, such as various Universal Monsters’ version of the Mummy, at least we were told that the person performing the rite was part of a cult following of the person/god/mummy. Well, even from early on, it’s obvious she’s eager to find the thingy, so that’s something.

There are a bunch of extras that come along with this Blu-ray, such as both a 2-D and 3-D version, some minor and quick outtakes and behind the scenes that don’t really add up to much, and a couple of different generations of the trailer. Being a Wild Eye Releasing – err – release, there are also a bunch of other trailers.

This film isn’t brilliant, but it’s certainly enjoyable, and the second half certainly is bloody and has a decent body count. Plus, there is a lot of decent research on Tezcalipoca and Aztec sacrificial procedurals that make it even more interesting. It did keep me pretty entertained all the way through.

Review: Invalid

Text © Richard Gary / Indie Horror Films, 2016

Images from the Internet

Invalid

Written, directed, edited and scored by Dustin Wayde Mills

Blood Sprayer Productions / Dustin Mills Productions (DMP)

71 minutes, 2015

Truth be told, there are three essential reasons why I was looking forward to seeing this film. First and foremost, it was directed by Dustin Wayde Mills, whose works never fail to please, even when it sometimes gets me squeamish. The second reason is Brandon Salkil (okay, and Dave Parker), who often appear in Mills’ productions; Mills,Salkil and Parker are also besties off-screen). Those are the good reasons. The silly yet still honest one is that I was very curious to know whether the title means (a) someone who is lamed (IN-vah-lid), (b) someone who is cancelled out (in-VAL-lid), or (c) both.

There are two, perhaps three central characters in the film. First off, is the titular, Andrew (Salkil) who, thanks to a previous accident, is in a catatonic state of being a “living vegetable” (a descriptor within the story); Salkil – therefore Andrew – is a tall guy, hunched into his wheelchair. The second and central role is his sister, Agnes (Joni Durian), who takes over as caretaker. While not a beanpole, I wonder how she moves him from the bed to the chair and back by herself, but I digress... The lesser third is the physical therapist, Daryl (Parker), who has a bit of a thing for Agnes. I could also add in Daryl’s friend, Jake, whose sole reason for existence here is essentially to help us understand what Daryl is thinking through verbalization, and also to crack wise as the comic relief. He’s played by the director, Mills.

Through the story we quickly learn that Andrew has a way of communicating with Agnes… or does he? How much of this is really happening and how much is in her head, is one of the mind games the film plays with the audience. Is this a kind of Patrick (1978) vibe, or all PTSD? The publicity for Invalid equates it with Italian giallo horror of Argento and Fulci. Well, I can see it more as the former than the latter, as Argento was as much about the internal as the visual, but Fulci was much more about the graphic. I must say I was impressed by the murders here, especially the first one. Now, I’m certainly not saying it’s anticlimactic because the pace definitely keeps up, but that beginning one is just so well done. It’s not gory, just really effective.

Joni Durian

As Agnes, Durian is an attractive woman playing frumpy. Ever notice how many horror film caretakers are plain and disheveled, even all the way back to Julie Harris’ Eleanor in 1963’s The Haunting? Perhaps to make her look sallow, or to set a mood, Agnes is often dressed in yellow, and shot with lemony lighting. I’m guessing a bit of both (again), because when things get tense, the lighting changes to a red tone. More films are using colored lighting as much as music to set the tone of the scene, which works strongly here.

As far as the frumpy part goes, it’s pretty obvious that beneath the huge red frames, the slicker, and the loose clothes, Agnes is quite a catch, even though in the storyline there is a reason why she dresses down. However, thanks to an early shower scene, we get to know the book under the cover, as it were, In fact, there are a few shower scenes with various characters throughout, and plenty of female flesh (no male nudity, though Mills has proven that’s not something he necessarily shies away from).

Salkil doesn’t really need to do much, other than lay as still as possible, though there is a highly dramatic and creepy physical flashback scene. He has proven that he can be a fine, highly emotive actor in both dramatic and comedic roles. Even when he’s completely limp, there is still a feeling of dread or danger, and I chalk that up to both his skill onscreen, and of Mills’ effective use of moodiness.

From his silly (but highly enjoyable; not meant as anything but complimentary) films early on, Mills has come to master the simple less-is-more style of presentation that I thoroughly enjoy. Usually there are no elaborate sets, and the stories tend to be pretty straightforward, but there is always the twist of the knife (sometimes literally) and plot that just keeps you drawn in.

Yet, despite the simplicity, Mills often uses some quirk that you just don’t expect. For example, during a conversation, the film suddenly turns to a moving manga comic style that works to explain emotions that straight dialog has trouble getting through. This is a really nice and surprising touch.

Andrew demands blood, much like the plant from Little Shop of Horrors (1960 or 1986), to make him big and strong, but only from women. I first questioned the gender demand, i.e., what makes women’s blood different from men’s, but the symbolism of loss of virginity – even from a paid escort – shows a deranged mind through subjective experience. I’m hoping this isn’t too much of a spoiler alert.

The only two negative things I could see are pretty petty and, quite frankly, ridiculous on my part. First, there is a scene with Andrew on a respirator, and it is silent. As having been in a room with someone in that condition more than once, I can tell you, it’s quite noticeable. Even if you have sleep apnea, the CPAP machine, which is a junior version of an inhalation device, is noisy. The second thing is I believe that there is too much information given about motive in the trailer. Don’t get me wrong, I am a coming attractions fan from childhood, but I’m glad I waited until after seeing the film before enjoying the teasers (as I tend to do now with those I review).

So, the question of what the title means, as I mentioned in the first paragraph? Well, I would say (c) as yes, Andrew is an invalid, but through events that occur or have occurred (again, or both), Agnes and Andrew’s lives become cancelled, one by the accident, and the second by giving up her life to care for him, another by other’s actions.

A good story, some great visuals, and a finely honed cast a crew make this another peg in Mills’ directorial cap, one that should be worn proudly.

https://vimeo.com/ondemand/invalid