Review: The Breach

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

The Breach
Directed by Rodrigo Gudiño
Hanger 18 Media; Lightbulb Distribution;
Raven Banner Entertainment; Strike Media
93 minutes, 2022 / 2023
www.strike-media
https://lightbulbfilmdistribution.com/

This film is so Canadian, it should come with maple cookies (they are so good, eh). It takes place in the small town of Lone Crow, in Northern Ontario (filmed in lovely Parry Sound, Ontario).

Based on the novel by Nick Cutter and screenplay written by Cutter and Ian Weir, the main protagonist is the Chief of Police, John “Hawk” Hawkins (Allan Hawco, main character in the series “Republic of Doyle,” 2010-2014), who is one week from retirement (of course). Was his last name derived from the original version of the Canadian group, The Band, known as The Hawks?

Allan Hawco, Mary Antonini

Speaking of bands, the executive producer this film was Slash from Guns 'N Roses who also supervised the score. And there is more relative to the music world, but I will get to that later.

In a well-done pre-credit epilogue, much like a television show, it takes place on the same day as the post-credit film starts, rather than years before. This is actually refreshing for a film. In this way we are introduced to officer Connie Parks (underutilized Mary Antonini) and appropriately named coroner Jacob Redgrave (Wesley French). The coroner is there to check out the body of physics professor Cole Parsons (Adam Kenneth Wilson) that is found, but I will not give out the gruesome details, though we get to see it pretty up-close.

Emily Alatalo

This leads Hawk, Jacob, and guide/tracker/ex-girlfriend of Hawk and previously Jake (no tension there, right?) Meg Fullbright (Emily Alatalo) to head north into the bush to Links Creek on the Porcupine River to find out what happened to Parsons. This leads, naturally in these days of technology, to the overhead drone shot of the lone car on roads surrounded by forest or a boat on a narrow river, with a somber music soundtrack.

While the trio are off on their adventures, Parks (as in parks her butt in the station) holds down the fort, garnishing information on Zoom from a conspiracy-minded friend, Alex (Alex Lifeson; yes, the guitarist from Canadian musical juggernauts, Rush).

Wesley French

The house is abandoned and looks great for those of us who like deserted buildings that are on their last legs; they are fun to photograph. But there is something going on in this house: doors seem to close or unlock by themselves. The soundtrack does well to emphasize the eeriness and creepiness of the joint.

It gets even stranger with the appearance of Cole’s PTSD-affected wife, Linda Parsons (Natalie Brown), and another unexpected guest, as relationships unrealistically develop. And there is a spooky shadow on the wall… Parts of the upcoming plot points are easy to guess, though the steps to that are thankfully murky until they are revealed.

There is a bunch of films reflected in The Breach, such as From Beyond (1986), Bite (2016), Night of the Living Dead (1968), and especially The Fly (1986), one scene in particular. And yet, there is so much more. I have often theorized that when enough pre-used ideas are combined right, it creates something new-ish. In this case it also includes numerous genres, such as police procedural, body horror, sci-fi, cabin in the woods, and one that was unexpected. This has its foot in many different ones, keeping it coherent – not an easy task as previous attempts have shown – satisfying tick boxes in all of them successfully.

The relationships between certain characters are common to give it a “human” touch and possibly to make the characters more likeable, of course, but are completely superfluous to the actual story and burn up time and distract. Sort of like Hooper’s affair with Ellen Brody in Peter Benchley’s book, Jaws, which wisely never made it to the screen; it just did not matter to what was going on, narratively. This is my one gripe, so not bad at all.

Natalie Brown

I must say the film visually looks great, from the cinematography by award-winning Eric Oh, to the set designs. The blood and gore are fabulous, and the prosthetics and make-up effects by Daniel Baker and Chris Cooper are not the same old same old.

With the power of talent here, much from the world of television, it is no surprise that the acting is spot on. In the out-of-context department, it seems a lot of the cast has appeared, at some point on Canadian police procedural “Hudson and Rex” (a guilty pleasure of my own).

Alex Lifeson (on Zoom)

The director, Rodrigo Gudiño, is the founding editor and publisher of the Canadian horror fiction magazine Rue Morgue, and this may not be his first time behind the lens, but it is his first feature length release. An excellent start.

The Breach is available on Sky Store, Virgin Media, AppleTV, Google Play, and Amazon.

IMDB listing HERE

Review: Extramundane

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

Extramundane
Directed by Joshua Sowden
Self Esteem Productions; Deep Sail Media; Indie Rights Movies
94 minutes, 2022
https://sowden-jd.wixsite.com/film

A group of my friends got together last night for some beers (I had an iced tea) and yam fries for the first time in quite a while, due to obvious reasons. Among the group, there is a writer, a photographer, a videographer, a painter, and one is getting proficient on Spanish guitar. They were complaining that since Covid hit, entertainment had pretty much dried up and become bland, and no one was really going out to see movies/concerts anymore. I disagreed and stated that the pandemic has been a boon to independent filmmaking since they were stuck indoors writing scripts, or being forced to find creative ways to make a film with minimal cast, or used it as a theme for their film.

This film hits all three checkboxes. As the director told me, “I shot it as a 1-man crew during the pandemic. It is a true labor of love.” Set in Long Beach, CA, and shot with highly muted colors, it is not quite black and white, but it does have a Noir feel to it. The story centers around Trevor (Brant Rotnem), with his perpetual “Don Johnson-ish” five O’clock shadow, who is hired as a Property Manager, naturally during a time of a pandemic. Timely, as the film takes place in 2020. During the prologue, which could have been a short film on its own, we learn why he was needed to be hired following his predecessor, Steve (Tony Bartele). But there may be more to Trevor than just a manager.

Brant Rotnem

The maintenance manager (aka the super) is a creepy dude named Jerry (Craig Gellis, who looks a bit like Boris Karloff in the late 1930s), who makes himself known to Trevor as he is moving in. I find that when a creepy character is introduced this early on, either he will be the villain of the piece, or a warrior for the good. I am curious to find out (I am less than 15 minutes in…), but of course I will not say in this review. I may give basic plot points, but try to avoid spoilers.

Trevor’s boss is Mr. Gibson (stand-up comic and actor Vinny Coppola, in a nice cameo via Zoom), who is an all-business type (and I’m guessing “connected” to the Families, if ya know what I mean…).

Craig Gellis

What’s fun (though this is not a comedy per se), is meeting the tenants, who have expectations of Trevor, whether it is business hours or not, including Jasmine (Cherie Corinne Rice) and Bobby (Brock Jones), who come across as off-kilter or cultural “Karens.” I lived in a rent-controlled apartment most of my life, and rarely gave the landlord grief unless it was something important; when we moved out about 15 years ago, he told us the rent on the apartment (in Brooklyn, 5 rooms) was going to double for the next people, but he still wished we would stay. But I digress…).

There is definitely someone or something roaming around the atmospherically spooky underground garage, where a lot of this film occurs, a place to avoid if you have Tingchechekuphobia. Especially with the tall, dark, and shadowy figure floating about.

Brock Jones

This film has an interesting way of presenting technology, such as Zoom, texting, and the Internet. In fact, the whole cinematography, done by one-man-crew Sowden, is quite remarkable in that it feels Noir, but avoids being “arty,” although still being a beauty to watch. An impressive example of this is a shot of Trever in a dark corridor, while in the distance is an opening into bright sunlight, and it is all discernable, rather than the camera trying to adjust to either the light or darkness, making the rest either too dark or too light.

People are disappearing from the apartment building, and Trevor is determined to find out why that is happening. Mr. Gibson is unconcerned, telling him to just get the apartment ready for the next tenants. Sweetheart of a guy, eh?

Cherie Corrine Rice

With a single exception, the entire film takes place on the property of the apartment building. Gotta love a mixture of low budget and Covid necessity. It works well, because the building is spacious, but there is still a feeling of claustrophobia that settles in thanks to the lighting, and repetition and size of spaces.

There was another film called The Super (1998) where the titular character tries to figure out why people are disappearing in the building. Similar overarching theme, but different stories.

This is as much a who-done-it mystery as much as a supernatural thriller. While it is not a blood and guts extravaganza (meaning anyone can watch it), it is definitely worth checking out.

 

Horror short bonus review:
Witch
Directed by Joshua Sowden
Self Esteem Productions; Deep Sail Media
5 minutes, 2022
https://sowden-jd.wixsite.com/film

In some ways, this short is similar to the prologue of Extramundane. A man (again, Brant Rotnem, and his facial hair) goes into the basement of his apartment building looking for a broom. When he finds one, anyone who has been to Salem or even seen a coven film, knows this is not the kind of broom that one uses to sweep up dust and dirt. Before long, there is a shadowy figure, and the man tries to escape. Even if you see the ending coming (there are many similar short films like this), it is nicely atmospheric and well shot. Can be watched for free HERE.

Extramundane IMDB listing HERE

Review: Resurrection Corporation

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

Resurrection Corporation.
Directed by Alberto Genovese
1844 Entertainment; Loboarts Productions
77 minutes, 2021
www.facebook.com/resurrectioncorporation/
www.1844entertainment.com/resurrectioncorporation/

While this is a simply-animated cartoon, the look and feel of it may seem familiar: the graphics were based on the 1920 Wiene film, Das Cabinet des Dr. Caligari, on the 100th anniversary of the original film’s release. While the story may differ, the feel of the German abstraction masterpiece is present. I recommend watching the trailer for Dr. Caligari (HERE) to catch you up beforehand, though it is not necessary for this release.

Note that there are two versions of this film, one in dubbed English, and the other in its original Italiano with Inglese subtitles. I watched (by choice) the latter, though I non capicse the language..

The artwork is very crude, which is appropriate for the German Expressionistic motif of the visuals (and story). The bending buildings, uneven windows, and twisted streets really do look like they came right out of the original Caligari. The movement of the characters is minimal, almost like shadow puppets, but the flat look is striking and extremely effective. This film also seems to take place in Germany around 1920, indicated by the horse-and-carriages and clothing. One would almost expect Sigmund Freud to show up at some point.

Bruta and Caligari

In an opening that could have been straight out of Universal’s Frankenstein (1931), our titular anti-hero, Caligari (voice of Antonio Amoruso), who is a mortician rather than a psychiatrist, has dug up a corpse with the help of his assistant, Bruta (Paola Masciadri), for an experiment to revive him back to life. Caligari looks like a younger version of his 1920 namesake, and Bruta, with her facial scars, is a bit reminiscent of Sally from The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993).

Like the original, this film is broken up into chapters (as opposed to Acts) with title cards. The translation is a bit rough at times, as it does not capture all the spoken dialogue, such as missing a “please” here, a “yes” and “understand?” there. Nothing too over-the-top that I could catch with my extremely limited knowledge of Italian, and I was easily able to follow the story.

The problem facing the good Mortician is that the titular Resurrection Corporation, run by Potriantow (Alessandro Blanchi), has figured out a way to resurrect the dead and charge them for it, so the town is full of undead zombies (not the flesh-eating kind). This takes the business away from Caligari, who at one time was a powerful business person, but now a forgotten relic.

Naturally, he is angry about the corporation and the undead who are no longer needing his services. He is trying to find his own formula to bring the dead to life, and cash in on that, and naturally take business away from the corporation. It is a premise we see in real life, as Blockbuster wiped out the small video stores, or Amazon is killing, well, nearly everything. While the story is fantasy, its theme is alive and well in the real world.

Caligari and Bruta set out to find out how Potriantow obtained his knowledge through set pieces put into chapters, including a visit to a sex-obsessed mad scientist, Viktor Lazenbhy, who’s castle interior looks very much like the Count’s in the original Dracula (1929), or perhaps more accurately, Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens (1922).

If it isn’t clear, despite the style and some of the characters, there really is not much that links the original story of Caligari and this Caligari. However, what that does do is give the opportunity for the plot to veer in weird and various directions, and that it does. Events keep occurring that makes the viewer (i.e., me) think, “Well, I wasn’t expecting that.” Of course, that is all the more betterer because there is a surprise around every chapter.

One of the enjoyable elements is the humor that is both subtle and prevalent throughout the film at the oddest moments, such as a turtle being faster than the bloodthirsty demon snail creatures out for revenge that are called upon by… well, I’m not going to give it away.

It is good to pay attention to the backgrounds. You may see a lot of momentary a-has, such as a poster on the wall of the likes of Edgar Allan Poe, or Cesare, from the original Dr. Caligari. There is even a showman character named Bob Wine (Erik Martini), whose real name is Robert Wiene, the actual name of the director of the original Caligari. The film has lots of delicious wink-wink moments like these.

The film is also filled with a surprising amount of full nudity (female), sex and gore. The latter is especially prevalent, as is expected from modern German shock cinema, which focuses strongly on body horror.

The film gives an impression that it may be open for a sequel, which I would endorse, but to be honest, this is the director’s third film, the last being Sick Sock Monsters from Outer Space (aka Dolcezza Extrema, released by Troma), from 2015, and his first was L’invasione degli astronzai, from 2009. That would mean that possibly his next one might not be until 2027. I am not holding my breath.

Meanwhile, this film is available on Amazon Prime Video in the United States and the U.K.

 

Review: Gravedigger Dave's Halfway House

Text © Richard Gary / Indie Horror Films, 2020

Images from the Internet

Gravedigger Dave's Halfway House

Directed by Keith Tyler Hopkins

Hexagon Motion Pictures

72 minutes, 2020

www.HexagonMotionPictures.com

https://www.facebook.com/HexagonMotionPictures/

www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/B086H5SXZG/ref=atv_dp_share_cu_r

I love a new blade on an old saw. What I mean by that is while this is an anthology film, it has a brand new bag in that some of the stories are “real” documentary, and some are made up. It is up to the viewer and a child to decide which ones are the doc and which ones are the fict.

Filmed in – and centered around – Duluth, MN, we are given a tour of what could be reported hauntings (I won't say real because I don't know if I believe in ghosts or not at this point in my life, or made up for the film. 

Matt Rasmussen

We are introduced to the host, titular Gravedigger Dave (Matt Rasmussen), who tends to shout his name like a sportscaster, “Gravedigguh Daaaaaaave.” That’s a bit annoying after the first time, but generally Rasmussen has an engaging personality and a sideways enigmatic smile that makes him likeable. So, Daaaaaaave (okay, from here on in this review, it is “GD,” which is of course how religious fanatics say “goddamn”; seems appropriate). The acting is a bit stereotypical horror-host over the top (Elvira, Ghoulardi, Zacherly, for example) but again, it comes across more as charming than cringeworthy.

GD is looking to hire someone, and applying is a young girl (April Dressel) of under 10 years, aka The Kid. Her job interview consists of GD telling her stories and she has to give a thumbs up or down on whether or not she believes it to be true.

This device gives the viewer both a wraparound function and a segueway to each of the tales, and GD a chance to “host” the stories. Ah yes, the reports, and don’t worry, I won’t give much away. The documentary part, and the underlying source for the accounts are from the very real Duluth Paranormal Society.  They’re a group such as the ones you see in films like Poltergeist (1982) and Grave Encounters (2011) that check out the mysterious bangs and clangs of supposed hauntings (ghostbuster Harry Houdini was the first one I know of to do that nearly a hundred years ago). That alone fascinated me, as much as the spooky stories about – err – spooks.

Whether the description being told is real or not, it’s done in documentary style. Sometimes it’s pretty easy to tell the fake stories, and if one learns anything from these kinds of films (especially the found footage type), it’s to not look at the person talking, but in the dark spaces behind them.

As well as stories about things that go bump-crash-pow in the night, there is also footage of abandoned places that, whether haunted or not, look really cool. This is a pet love of mine, to go to abandoned places and take photos (barns, buildings, houses, etc.). It is amazing how many of them look like Ellis Island did in the 1970s, before the renovations to turn it into a tourist attraction (yes, I went to the site back then). That feature alone makes this interesting viewing. With the stories that go with them, even better. We hear of ships, a hospital, a couple of museums, and of course a cemetery, and their apparitions associated with them. There is even a really creepy wedding photo.

Some of the stories include shorts the director has worked on, such as “Boots” (2016), “Take Your Non-Vaporous Apparition to Work Day” (2017), and the enjoyable “UNDO” (2017); these are easy to tell that they are fiction by the way they are presented (i.e., more structured than found footage), but I don’t care, quite honestly. It’s the tales of terror that I am going for, and if it’s documentary style or more classically linear storytelling, I’m in, as long as they hold up.

While definitely eerie in the telling, whether live or fiction, there is also underlying a strong sense of humor, some of it deep and dark, and other times quite broad, but it all works. This is actually a fine release that gets many jobs done, depending on the tastes of the viewer. I know I found it more engaging than any of the Paranormal Activity franchise, and it does not try to be anything demonic like The Conjuring films either. It’s a trip into the imagination of the “real” and the “fantastic” without implying it is anything other than what it is, and I respect that so much.

Also, I was quite happy with the conclusion The Kid gave when it came to judge what was what. I am hoping this is just the beginning of a string of Gravedigger Daaaaaaave releases (if not, one might say, “Dave’s not here, man”) as I am fond of both anthologies and supernatural documentaries. Here, you have both. Bravo. Meanwhile, I ponder whether GD is named after the more sedate Dave Matthew’s and his song “Grave Digger”…

Review: Book of Evil

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

Book of Evil

Directed by James Coleman, Vincent Coleman, Michael Del Rossa
Coleman Films / 3:00 AM Productions / Wild Eye Releasing / MVD Entertainment
90 minutes, 2018
www.wildeyereleasing.com
www.mvdb2b.com

The Coleman Brothers, James and Vincent, have been making short films for a while now, so it makes sense that they would combine some of them together into a compilation. This is an excellent way to showcase one’s work as a shorts director(s).

The wraparound premise, as there apparently must be one, is that an author has a one-day deadline to hand in a manuscript that he hasn’t really successfully started yet. Locked away in some cabin with an old Underwood manual typewriter, he’s flustered until some supernatural occurrences begin to occur around him, inspiring the short stories that are this film.

It starts off quite strong with the James Coleman directed “Squatters,” from 2016. At around 40 minutes, it’s an incredibly intriguing story about three paramedics who end up at an old, run down house. There they encounter the inhabitants of the place, a bunch of cannibalistic rednecks who insanely and gleefully slaughter and torment their prey. Considering how dark the scenes are both figuratively and literally as there is no electricity, the visuals are pretty clear without losing the moodiness. The violence is in high gear and the tension can be cut with a chainsaw. There’s also a definite Mother’s Day (1980) vibe going on, especially towards the end. It’s an incredibly well structured start to the compilation, and I hope it can be maintained throughout the other three stories.

“Paralysis” from 2015 is 10 minutes long, and directed by both James and Vincent Coleman. The topic is sleep paralysis, and whether or not it’s in the mind or possibly a doorway to another world. It’s a bit predictable, but there are some really cool moments and jump scares that are effective, even if you figure out where the story is going. Again, much of it happens at night, but it’s always clear what the action is at any time. There is a low body count, but a high gore score that’s well done. Even as a kid, I had a fear of closets at night (door must be closed for me to sleep), and this one plays into that well.

At nearly 20 minutes long, 2016’s “Carving Season” gives the Coleman Brothers a chance to take a – err – stab at the slasher genre, as they introduce a masked killer who carves the likeness of his victims into a pumpkin before introducing them to his machete. For a short piece, there is a nice introductory segment that flows quite well into the actual story; this is nicely handled in a swirling fashion. There is no explanation as to the why this is happening, though there is a hint of the supernatural, if not The Omen (1976) meets Halloween (1978) influence.

The last story is “The Midnight Man” (2015) another Coleman Bros special clocking in at 17 minutes. At a party, a Wiccan (Goth) woman is mocked by the group, and she enacts revenge by conjuring up the titular demon to avenge her hurt feelings. This could have been a comment on bullying, but rather it’s a take of gore and burning flesh… and something involving a body orifice I have never seen before that was quite enjoyable.

There are three extras, including the Wild Eye Releasing gaggle of Trailers, which are always appreciated and enjoyable (one of my fave things about their releases). But the first is an “Intro From the Directors,” a 3:32 three-way Q&A with the Coleman Brothers (and their muscles) and Del Rossa. They play it cute and uncomfortable being in front of the camera, but what they say is interesting. Next up is the full length commentary, again with all three directors and three of the crew. It gets a bit noisy here and there as people want to contribute their thoughts at the same time as others, but mostly James Coleman and cute actress Laura Morelock, who appears in many of the shorts, take the lead and keep the info going.

The “Squatters” short is a multi-award winner at festivals, and it’s not hard to understand why. The other three were part of the “Viral Fear Fest” television mini-series in 2015-16 (which I did not see). The muscular Coleman Bros. (et.al) have shown they know their way around a script, a camera, and get some really fine work out of their actors, so there is no reason not to believe they are on their way up. I look forward to the ride.

 

 

Review: Inner Demon

Text © Richard Gary / Indie Horror Films, 2018
Images from the Internet

Inner Demon (Unrated Version)

Written and directed by Ursula Dabrowsky
Demon Girl Productions / South Australian Film Corporation / Saylavee Productions / Terror Films / MVD Entertainment
84 minutes, 2014 / 2018
www.mvdb2b.com

This South Australian film has won a bunch of awards, and I can certainly see why. Anyone familiar with horror from Down Under, such as 2005’s Wolf Creek, knows that the genre tends to lean towards the darker side of events, be it human or supernatural.



Sarah Jeavons

Within the first few minutes of this release, the tension if ramped up and stays at high gear throughout. But first we meet two sisters, teenage Sam (Sarah Jeavons) babysitting her younger sis (Scarlett Hocking) when they are kidnapped by a serial killing couple, Karl (Andreas Sobik) and Denise (Kerry Reid).

With Sam in the trunk and thanks to some smart resourcefulness (such as always keeping her weapon close at hand rather than leaving it behind after using it, even when falling short in the follow-through), she escapes into the woods. Note that this is in the description on the box, etc., so I’m not really giving away any spoilers here). It’s when she believes she has found a safe haven (though my fellow genre fans will know better… and again, printed on the box), of course, she’s gone into the lion’s den without Daniel.

I’ve professed before that sometimes when tension is overused, rather than keeping up the adrenaline, it tends to become wearisome after a minute or two. Dabrowsky skillfully manages to make every moment count, and rarely winds down the volume of tension, yet continually keeps it interesting.



Andreass Sobik

The main focus of the film is more the human monsters in the serial killer forms of the reluctant Denise and cold-hearted Karl, who seems to kill out of need more than any real personal satisfaction, as he never seems to be happy about his actions – but also does not want to stop. Both Sobik and Reid are totally believable in their roles, and Sobik portrays an ideal and soulless human monster that cannot control his own inner demons (figuratively speaking).

Of course, the film is focused more on Sam, even when she’s rendered relatively helpless (nope, not giving it away). Jeavons does a bang-up job, and even with the camera often focused on her white tee cleavage, her acting skill shines through.

There definitely are some squishy flesh moments (one in particular hard to watch for me), so the application SFX (didn’t notice any bloody CGI) was effective. It’s not a huge cast with essentially five main characters, including a neighbor, scraggly haired Wayne (Todd Telford) who I’m pretty sure is having an affair with Denise, but it’s more implied (red dress) than spoken. Or perhaps Denise is looking for a way out. Again, it’s left kind of open. Anyway, my point is the onscreen kill factor is relatively low, but incredibly well done.

By the time the supernatural element shows up in the last act, well, I felt that was the weakest element of the film as it felt like it was almost unnecessary. The human serial killers story would have actually have been sufficient with some tooling with the story. Don’t get me wrong, I love a good supernatural or even creature feature (not the latter, here), but it almost felt like when the cake is excellent, and there’s too much icing added on to it. Note that this is a personal thought, and I respect this film a lot. Just seemed almost out of place for me.

The accents are thick as black flies, and at times muttered, so I highly recommend turning on the captioning while you’re watching. Speaking of which, the extras involved how you want the sound, captioning, chapters, and three label trailers (including for this film).



Kerry Reid

While Aussie cinema can be dark (even comedies like Muriel’s Wedding), I have found that (as a gross generalization) women directors have a slightly different eye, and approach a subject in a more subtle way than many male directors who seem to like to use the sledgehammer style. For example, the volume of gore is not outrageously used, so when it is, it’s highly more effective. Don’t get me wrong, as I said, there are some nasty, squishy scenes here, but it’s presented sparingly in a very effective manner.

So, to sum up: dark film, great acting, scary human characters, and a bit of the supernatural towards the end that will either feel right or out of place, depending on your perspective. As the director stated for the Etheria Film Night website: “Horror audiences are so bored with most of the horror films that come out because they are so predictable. I know I am, so I decided to take liberties with the narrative, push the boundaries, experiment, and come up with something different. But this means the audience has to work at understanding what is happening. It’s a risk, but one I decided was worth taking in order to offer horror fans a fresh perspective.”

My only real “has to work at understanding” question is the how of the supernatural. That being said, this is a strong piece of cinema, and I have no problems recommending it to genre fans.

 

 

Review: Dark Vale

Text © Richard Gary / Indie Horror Films, 2018

Images from the Internet

  

Dark Vale

Written and directed by Jason M.J. Brown

Wild Eye Releasing / MVD Visual

90 minutes, 2017 / 2018

www.wildeyereleasing.com

www.mvdvisual.com

Let me start off with the obvious, in case there are any questions: this British film is not the video game, and has no relation to it. Honestly, I’ve never played the game, but now I have seen the film, so let’s move along.

In our household, we tend to watch a lot of British television mysteries. In England, they have a different sense of the temporal, such as with literature such as Dickens, which has a history of an author being paid by the word rather by action. It could take a whole paragraph for someone to open a door (for example, it could be “He reached for the door knob, his hand hesitating over the round globe of metal. The coldness on his hand felt like…” etc.; that kinda thing). Of course, this isn’t true of everything from the Isles, as with films such as 28 Days Later... (2002) that is at Mach 10, but generally things take a bit longer there, and I believe it is culturally expected to be that way.

For a non-Brit who is used to Americanized MTV speed editing and shorter attention spans, this can be an issue, something for which I am occasionally guilty as well. This film is closer to the Dickens than the music video in its pacing.

Darren Randall

It’s also a much smaller film in scope of cast. While there are other, peripheral characters that pop in and out occasionally, especially in the mandatory and in this case gratefully expository prologue, this is essentially a two-and-a-half person cast. The main protagonists are a couple, Leah (Cara Middleton – no relation to Kate, I assume, though she does bear a resemblance to Indian actress Priety Zinta) and Tom (Darren Randall); the “half” is the seen-in-spurts murderous ghost of Lady Lucy (Chloe Clarke).

The first third of the film is the audience getting to “know” the couple who have been together for a while, but only now just talking about moving in together. They go on a vacation, and on the way back, their car breaks down on a backwoods road in… The Vale (da da-da-DA) of the title. They walk to the house down the road and start going through stuff, and when they hear footsteps in the hall, they hide. Wait, what? If I was in someone’s house, especially if I didn’t know them, (a) I would call out asking if anyone was there, (b), I would not go through their possessions, and (c) if I heard footsteps I would check to see if it was the owner, not go slinking under furniture, especially if I didn’t know the Lady Lucy legend. This felt either disingenuous to me at least, fookin’ rude at most. But what do I know; I live in Canada, eh?

The ssssssllllllloooooowwwww pace (note that this is an observation, not a complaint) gives the viewer a chance to think about what is happening and to notice small things. For example, Ben walks into a cathedral and the candles blink on. It’s obvious to tell, however, that the film is just shown backwards due to the wafting candle smoke going downward. Still, a nice and easy way to get a decent effect.

I’m tempted to call the film arty, and on some level it is, but it is not so overpowering that it gets in the way to make the film obtuse. Don’t get me wrong, I have some issues with the it, which is far from perfect, and I’ll get into that a bit more in a mo, but the level of art actually aides in the texture and mood of the film, especially considering it appears to be all shot on a single camera. I do believe this is what one might call an old fashioned gothic ghost story, rather than an Insidious style of shock-a-thon.

The plot borrows liberally from the likes of Wuthering Heights and the first season of “American Horror Story.” And like Cathy and Heathcliff, Leah is annoyingly needy and whiny, and Tom is overly macho and overbearing. Perhaps there’s a bit of Lost, too, if The Vale is some kind of purgatory?

Thing is, by the end I had, in the words of a character from the TV show “Girls,” so many follow-up questions, even trivial ones that built up in their mere volume, such as (and I’m trying to pick some that won’t be spoilers) how does a light, tan backpack stay clean after years of use; who stocked the basement with that much food and tea candles; and how did they manage to get out when our protagonists are stuck there for years? And why would a ghost be scared of fire when it had nothing to do with her death? And why did Tom only run into that guy who gave him instructions once? And why would the footprints be seen walking towards the flour spread on the ground rather than from? And how could a walkie-talkie or mobile phone still be charged after an extended period? I could go on for a couple of more paragraphs.

Cara Middleton

Perhaps my post-graduate education has failed me, but I just don’t get so much of this. Maybe it’s artier that it appears and I’m getting lost in the zeitgeist of the whole enchilada? There are successes as I can see in that it is atmospheric and with rare exception, it’s pretty gray other than the occasionally sunny day, which stands out for that reason

As for the nitty gritty for those interested, there is almost no blood, a small body count, and no shots of naughty bits, which isn’t necessary to keep my attention, but for those who keep track, well, there ya go. Actually, considering the use of mood, having those elements may actually take away what they are going for in the long run, and I believe it was the right choice on all accounts.

Along with a whole bunch of trailers (including for this film) that have the general theme of people going to a building where there are malevolent ghosts, there are two other extras. One is a 28:17 “Making Of” which is essentially the setting up of shots, with any real interview with cast members (Randall and Clarke) starting at 13:00 and lasting the most interesting 3 minutes of the piece. It is, however, the only chance to get a decent view of what Clarke looks like, even if under the white pancake make-up and a veil.

Last up is the full length director’s commentary, including Randall and executive producer Martin Farmilo. It’s okay, nothing very earthshaking, but some good stories about the personalities, the shooting, some explaining what you’re looking at, and a bit of self-backslapping; though personally, I would have liked to hear more about motivations of actions onscreen.

The film looks good, and there are some smart moments, such as Leah walking around in the dark with a lantern where you can only see her and the light, and rather than popping in the ghost where you expect it, they hold off. That’s a wise choice, of which there are quite a few. This has gotten some really nice reviews, but overall I was hoping for a bit more, I guess. Not a bad film, but there are a few gaps in thought.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0mppQaTp3P0