Review: Motion Detected

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

Motion Detected
Directed by Justin Gallaher; Sam Roseme
Asterlight; Freestyle Digital Media
www.freestyledigitalmedia.tv/film/motion-detected/
80 minutes, 2022 / 2023

As much as this is a thriller (rather than horror) about a fear of one’s environment, it is also an acknowledgement of a dread of AI technology in what is supposed to be the sanctity of the safety of home. A recent subgenre has focused on home invasions, such as with Becky (2022), but those deal with the human element. This is more in the line of Demon Seed (1977), as self-aware digital manipulation rather than, say, robots are the issue. But it seems there may be even another side to this.

After a quick prologue that gives a whole new meaning to the idea of the monster in the closet, we meet Eva (Natasha Esca) and Miguel (Carlo Mendez), who are house hunting in Los Angeles after moving from Mexico City thanks to some violence by a gang called El Diablo that occurred there. The shady real estate agent, Julie (Katelyn MacMullen in a cameo, who has been Willow Tate on “General Hospital” since 2018 for over 450 episodes), is a bit of a cliché for these kinds of films, although usually appearing in renting haunted houses in the trope.

The casa in question is a “smart house” that has controls, cameras, security systems, and so much more, run by – get this – Diablo Controls. The voice (Jasmin Walker) of the system talks in a steady monotone, reminiscent of a female version of HAL in 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), or even Siri and the “Read Aloud” feature on Microsoft Word. Wonder where this is going… Hmmmm. Meanwhile, PTSD-ridden Eva is stuck alone in the house on the first night by her husband who returns to New Mexico for a business trip. ‘Natch. So now we know who is the main character.

Eva is struggling to figure out her own paranoia and fear, and the new system in the house. Plus, bad dreams are not helping. Meanwhile, something glitchy this way comes as a digital, staticky looking CGI figure is seen roaming about.

A nice touch is a mixture of possibly malevolent technology and perhaps something else, mixed with an older Latinx religious aspects as Eva visits the dark, mystical version of Christian voodoo (if you will) Templo Santa Muerte, a real place on Melrose. Love it when both religion and technology mix in a story, with it being in conflict rather than on the same side. Another thing I noticed is that although they had all the modern tech, such as phones, computers, etc., there was no television in the house. Again, hmmmm. 

There is a bit of overlaps from previous films, seen in moments that could have been influenced by the likes of the Paranormal Activity franchise (starting in 2007), spooky kitchen action via Poltergeist (1982), and Prince of Darkness (1987).

There is no doubt that this is Esca’s film, as she is in nearly all scenes. She carries the role well, being both sympathetic and still giving a vibe of strength within the PTSD from the past (other than giving into a vice or two under stress). Everyone else in this limited cast is there fleetingly, including Mendez, such as Diablo technician Ray (Roland Buck III), Eva’s on-line therapist Dr. Olivares (KIimberli Flores), nosy neighbor Nancy (Julie Brister), and rattled co-Diablo client Reed (Bob Clendenin, a semi-regular on “Scrubs” and “Cougar Town”). A cast this minimal gives me the impression it was possibly filmed during the COVID period.

My one issue with it, though, is that it is too long for the actual story, with a lot of roaming around the house and grounds with dissonant music playing on the soundtrack. It was the only time I was truly distracted and taken out of the story. And this has nothing to do with anything really, but why do so many genre films have gratuitous scenes of someone brushing their teeth? It seems to have replaced the nude shower moments that used to be so prevalent. Pet peeve, sorry.

On the other hand, the soundtrack is sparkling, filled with Latin music that is both contemporary, and yet feels somewhat traditional at the same time (think of the equivalent of a new band who plays classic rock).

My feeling is that they are thinking of doing this as a franchise, for three reasons: first, there are a lot of users indicated that use Diablo Controls, so that leaves room for many more stories. Second and third, is the what and why of Diablo. What is the reason for this all happening, and what is the motive behind it. Perhaps they will continue with the stories, or perhaps, at some time do an origin piece, all of which I would be interested in seeing.

This is an enjoyable entry into the ghost in the machine category, stretching the envelope a bit here and there, mixing and matching genres and tropes effectively. A great start for the directorial debut of both Gallaher and Roseme, who are known more for screenplays and producing.

This film is available on Digital HD and VoD, including iTunes, Amazon, Vudu, Comcast and Verizon.

IMDB listing HERE

Horror Shorts Reviews: October 2021

Horror Shorts Reviews for October 2021

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

Filmmakers, please note: usually, I do not review films (unless requested) that appear on sites like Alter and Screamfest, because they have a known platform, which is great, while I would rather focus on films with no sponsored online affiliations.

 

Answer Your Phone
Directed by Benji Wragg
Crazy Moo Films; Taymaynari Productions
5:47 minutes, 2021
In this Australian short, a stressed young man (Oliver Midson) is on his way home with his phone getting messages from his abusive partner, Nancy (Rhiannon Newman; were her parents fans of Fleetwood Mac?), repeatedly asking where he is. However, he’s lost his car keys and rushes home the best he can. The tension is palpable, and when the payoff hits at the end, one understands the whys, if not the hows. I would like to have seen this stretched out a bit more, to get additional background to the story, but even as it is, it is effective. There is very little dialogue, and most of that is text messages. Lots of shorts seem to focus on the cell phone as a cinematic device to deliver the goods. Technology is both a life changing and yet also a trending object.
Full film HERE 

Beggar’s Night
Directed by Henrique Couto
Weekly Spooky
6:13 minutes, 2021
Alphonse (John French) is an angry farmer who sounds like he is from below the Mason-Dixon who has some issues. He needs to eat “heart friendly” (pizza without cheese? Personally, in this regard I agree with him), and he does not believe in that Satanic worshiping holiday at the end of October. You are not going to get any candy from this dude, even if he scarfs it down himself. Beggar’s Night is a regional Ohio term for going Trick or Treatin’ the nights before the 31st. But just because he does not follow local tradition, what about the spirits that do just that? Lessons to be learned and a night of scares is in store, under the monochrome blue light of night. This is shot quite lovingly with some wonderful editing skills. For such a short piece, the SFX make-up and creature designs look amazing. The timing of this release is perfectly – er – timed. Get yer Beggar’s Night/Halloween jollies on with this one.
Full film HERE  

Dead Frequency
Directed by Cindy Stenberg
Swedish Ghost Lovers
3:28 minutes, 2021
A man (John Hägglund) is living in a run-down small house that is under renovations in the middle of the woods in Sweden (where this originates). While chillaxin’, he hears a disjointed woman’s voice on a small walkie-talkie (I have a pair of those). The words coming out are full of static. They could be in Swedish, but it’s so garbled anyway, it really does not matter. This leads to some nice jump scares and a cool ending that I won’t give away. The director, Stenberg, who also appears in the film, manages to make a lot with a little time. The angles and shadows kick this up to another level. Enjoyable; just long enough to get the viewer engaged, but short enough to blast it away.
Full film HERE 

 

Parking
Directed by Abhishek Sachidanandan
3:19 minutes, 2021
There is a reason why so many films that want the viewer to feel uncomfortable, from horror to action genres, take place in lonely tiered indoor public parking garages. The light is gloomy, there is a feeling of dread, and who knows who or what is hiding behind a column or a vehicle. Mixing the place with technology, a man (Aloysius Shadi) gets into his car and starts to back up to pull out, when his car’s rear sensor beeps at him that there is something behind him, but nothing shows in the rearview mirror. The tension builds in this non-verbal scenario with the car doing all the “talking” through its sensors. Sometimes all you need is a simple idea and imagination to make an effective short story, and this one works for both.
Full film HERE 

 

Stall
Directed by Ryan Shovey
Creepy/Cool Pictures
6:59 minutes, 2018
My mother once actually said to me that the scariest thing was having to badly use the washroom when none was available. So, even though the entire film actually takes place in a public bathroom, the spirit of my mom’s comment is a focal point. A woman (Ariel Monica Putman) is in dire need of a loo, and there are two stalls: one is for handicapped, one not. The not one is occupied by an unseen and mysterious woman who apparently uses crutches. Irony? This puts our heroine in a dire situation of whether to hold it in (not a good option) or use the handicapped stall (personally, if the regular one was in use, I would enter the handicapped one in an otherwise empty bathroom without a second thought because desperate times/desperate measures…but she’s more socially conscious than I am). In this tale, however, there is a supernatural element, natch, and lights flicker, weird sounds abound, objects move on their own, and locker doors swing open. This is a nice, spooky tale and it is very well shot (without being claustrophobic considering the space) and acted. Putman uses body language quite well. While there are some really spooky moments, for me the cringiest thing was Putman kneeling on her bare knees on a public bathroom floor to peek under the stall door.
Full film HERE 

 

Unwelcome Guest
Directed by Andrew Johnson
11:50 minutes, 2020
A young man (the director and writer, Johnson) who is a photographer rents a house in the woods once owned by a State-executed serial killer. It’s a lovely, idyllic place surrounded by trees and has a lake close by, but of course that is not all that is attached. It’s a genre film, after all, right? The imposing ghost of the Lake Gillian Killer (Andrew’s dad, Eric) keeps popping up through the night doing evil things like rolling out the toilet paper. There is an almost subtle comic element to this film more than a frightful one that actually makes it a bit of fun. Johnson’s over-the-top emoting helps in that. The film comes off as a lark, meaning it looks like it was a lot of fun to shoot, and that gets expressed to the viewer. There is no dialogue but facial expressions and body language say a lot here. For me, the scariest thing about the film is just how much the central character is immersed in technology. For a country getaway, every move he makes involves some sort of electronic equipment, be it an HD TV, listening to his playlist as he sleeps, the camera plugged into a computer, and so on. For me, this was more invasive into the life of the “guy in the blue striped shirt” (as he is credited on IMDB) than the ghostie. A good, safe watch for othse who are easily scared.
Full film HERE 

 

The Visitor
Directed by Mark and Lindsey Palgy
Enjoy Cult-Classics; De4th Race Productions
6:40 minutes, 2021
An author with a writing block leaves his wife behind to take a solo weekend in the country to inspire him. You can see the affection between them. But what happens when you meet yourself in an Us (2019) kind of situation? The question presented is, simply, what is a natural response to that? And will your hairbun eat his beard? (Sorry, that’s a What’s Up Tiger Lily? reference from 1966). And what is the larger picture and meaning of it all? These are all questions that are answered in the film. It’s a nice little gimmick that works well. The ending was a pleasant surprise, as well. It is also well shot, with snippets of objects and close-ups, mostly, when needed. An interesting cinematic motif used is that the soundtrack is music, and when people talk, it is silent and we get subtitles; are people in Kentucky hard to understand? Could be the vocal track did not work well, or something else happened, and this was a smart way around it. Well, these Kentuckians know their stuff.
Full film HERE

Review: Suicide Club

Text © Richard Gary / Indie Horror Films, 2019

Images from the Internet

Suicide Club

Directed by Maximilian von Vier

Proportions Productions / Princ Films / Wild Eye Releasing

92 minutes, 2018

www.wildeyereleasing.com

 “It hath often been said that it is not death, but dying, which is terrible.”

– Henry Fielding, in Amelia (1751)

When I teach people about computers at a beginner level, I talk about both the good and bad sides about the technology, such as with telecommuting. Sure, it’s great not to have to go out on a snowy, cold day, but it’s also isolating. For some that aspect alone has either its positives or negatives.

The relevance related to this film is because our protagonist, Liz (Klariza Clayton), who goes by the screen name Nightowl, is s self-shut in. She may be young, she may be cute, but she hasn’t set foot outside her apartment flat in months (her job deals with computers, making that possible). While satisfied with that, she is also depressed and desires to end it all, but doesn’t have the courage to do so. The messy apartment is bathed in dark, blue lighting and little else. She also keeps in touch with the world through her computer, cell phones and the television. She truly is a child of media, which inundates her life and makes it possible.

To make her existence manageable, she keeps tabs on what is going around in the neighborhood through her window and a few pairs of binoculars. Her neighbors all think she’s bonkers, but it is through this odd way she meets Josh (Adam Newington), who rocks a Zac Efron handsomeness.

Through her depression, Nightowl is a member of an online chat group that promotes suicide, but it seems anyone on there rarely does anything about it except whining about how miserable they are. Seems kind of adolescent to me, but there is definitely a punk vibe going on, with people having screen names like Deaddboy. It is through this group that Liz gets onto the dark web and onto the site of the titular Suicide Club. Once you join, you are asked to either give a name to have someone killed, or just wait around and they’ll kill you for not nominating someone. So, it’s more of a murder club than a suicide one. And, natch, whomever the masked murderers kill, gets recorded and the video is sent to the other members. In a very Tarantino way, the killers have “names” like Mr. Black, Mr. Brown, etc.

Even without the killers and this dark website, Liz’s neighbors are a bit on the creepy side, which we get to see in a Hitchcockian Rear Window (1954) kind of way. But instead of a broken leg, it’s a wounded soul that keeps Liz inbound. She’s constantly biting her nails and fidgeting about the place, with a pained look in her eyes, the source of which we learn later (won’t give it away).

Most of the images we get to see and hear are the darkness of Liz’s flat, and what she sees through her binoculars. There is some “technology” shown to the viewer in that messages she receives may be on the computer screen or floating in the air for our enlightenment. This is a nice touch. I also like that we are told how long it is between scenes by a title card that may read “+18 hours” or “+24 hours.” This is really smart and gives more of a timeframe for events that are happening as they unfold.

Despite the claustrophobic settings, it never felt oppressive to this viewer, and in fact, it reminds me of an octopus with the apartment as its body and what Liz espies as it’s tentacles, reaching beyond the boundaries of the confined space.

The philosophy of the Suicide Club, i.e., their reasoning, may sound familiar to fans of a certain horror franchise, but this is not just “we’ll torture the characters in set pieces and figure out the story later” kind of thing, but rather it’s the plot that drives the killings, which are secondary. There’s not a whole bunch of blood and guts (nor nudity), but the story holds up the actions, and in this  pump out yet another film in the chain and reel in the cash day-and-age, that’s refreshing.

The action and tension keeps going throughout, even in Liz’s bored and/or restless moments, and with modern technology as it is, it’s easy to identify with her emotions. We’ve all been so frustrated with working our computers that we probably want to throw the damn things out the window at least weekly, so when she hits a brick wall, though she’s a computer geek, even those of us who use the machines minimally can feel it palpably.

With a fetching cast, a good storyline and some powerful performances, this leads to a fun rollercoaster ride from beginning to end. Even the editing is worth nothing, as the time gets played with numerous times to set a mood and yet still zip things along. Worth a viewing.

Review: Devil’s Domain

Text © Richard Gary / Indie Horror Films, 2017

Images from the Internet

Devil’s Domain

Written and directed by Jared Cohn

Cleopatra Productions / MVD Visual

93 minutes, 2016 / 2017

www.cleorecs.com

www.mvdvisual.com

Beyond the bulimia, it feels eerily like the opening shots of the film were geared towards me. On a walls and doors are a number of LPs covers, including the UK Subs, the Vibrators, Iggy Pop, Nico, and pictures of the New York Dolls, Sid Viscous and Johnny Ramone. Also present are some colored vinyl LPs tacked here and there. Despite the vinyl and related material, I would say this takes place in the “present,” which enlivens Marshall McLuhan’s statement that when a technology becomes obsolete, it comes back as art.

Madi Vodane

Our main protagonist, Lisa (Madi Vodane), is a burgeoning but closeted and in denial sister of Lesbos, who mistakenly misread some signals from her bestie, Rhonda (Brenna Tucker) which has led to her becoming a pariah among her ex-peers in high school. And for that rare moment, most of the actors could pass for the older edge of that age group.

She takes her anger and frustration out through binge eating and forced puking, and, well, taking matters into her own hands. Unfortunately, thanks to an ex-friend and scuzbucket Andrew (Zack Koslow), she’s now being harassed online and cyberbullied. Now what’s the best way to deal with this kind of emotional pain? Well if you’re a genre fan, make a deal with the lovely woman (Linda Bella) who is, (super)naturally, the devil. As a side note, why does Satan often introduce itself in films lately as “I am known by many names”? Perhaps this could be called Lisa and the Devil II, and if so, where’s Elke Sommers? Okay, I both digress and kid…

While her well-meaning step-dad (Michael Masden) tries to be there for her (good luck when you’re a big, tattooed dude dealing with a teen step-girl), Lisa’s mom (the excellent Kelly Erin Decker) is less forgiving and wants to dump her in a rehab somewhere, though it’s hard to tell if it’s for the bulimia or for lesbianism – or both.

Linda Bella

The very tall and very lanky Destiny, aka the Debbil, is much more accommodating, since it’s what Beelzebub (not to be confused with the director Bill Zebub) does until either the contract is in effect, or does not get what it wants. Or in this case, of course, it is both.

This film is interesting from a media theorist’s perspective, especially if you’ve ever read any of social critic (don’t call him a social scientist!), Neil Postman. Almost omnipresent in the film is both media technology and what is now being called new media. The world here revolves around cell phones, websites, mini-cameras, digital flatscreen televisions, and there’s a shout-out to Snapchat. Postman infamously said that technology is a bargain with the devil, because while you get good things out of it, there is inevitably a dark side of things that you lose, most of them unpredictable until later. Cyberbullying is a good example of that.

On many levels, the story is quite bread-and-butter, nuts-and-bolts, and any other cliché expression you may want to add. What I mean is that it’s simple and to the point, which is part of what makes it so enjoyable. This is the third Cohn film I’ve seen, and while they varied in my feelings about them, this is by far my fave. Now he makes a lot of films, and three is half of how many he usually makes a year, but I’ll go with what I know, and enjoying it is, well, what I know.

Michael Masden

The cast hits the notes necessary for the story, with New Zealand newcomer Vodane definitely hitting all her marks, as does just about the rest of the cast. Sure Masden looks a bit like he’s stunned here and there, but something that’s been generally true for a while; I really like the guy, but I wonder what happened to him that made his career end up in micro-budget indies. Desanka Julia Ilic also is in fine form as Kate, leader of the mean girls.

There isn’t much in the way of nudity or sex, though much is implied and shown off-camera with one exception, but I’m totally fine with that. Though it does make me wonder about how I didn’t get to go to a school where everyone, female and male, are attractive. I mean, they call Lisa “fat ass,” but in my Brooklyn school, she would definitely have been one of the elite.

The Devil costume looks interesting, and the gore throughout is well handled and has a nice texture to it. What I mean by that is it is not necessarily too realistic: bones and sinew are fine for more intense films like torture stuff or heavy dramas, but when it comes to a fun flick like this one, despite quite effective moments of tension, having a red gooey mess is perfectly good (and more marketable… I’m just sayin’).

The first extra is the commentary track handled singularly by the director, Cohn. To be totally honest, it’s a mess, don’t bother. He sounds like he’s totally drunk, slurring his words and more often than not, just saying what’s on the screen (to paraphrase: “She’s opening the door now [pause] going inside.”). He mentions “white sky,” whatever that is, more than once; I assume he means it’s sunny and cloudless. There are a couple of interesting bits of stories here and there, but I got annoyed enough to turn it off at the 29 minute mark.

“The Devil Made Me Do It” is a 6:15-minute Behind the Scenes featurette. It’s decent, and kept the interest level up. It’s mostly interviews and overviews of the filming. There’s nothing explosive, but it’s certainly not dull. Next up is an 8-minute Red Carpet Premiere bit with interviews containing most of the cast and the director (in his normal voice) that that is more interesting, as well as a 42-picture slide show that includes a mix of film stills and behind the scenes shots. Last is the trailer, which I find interesting that it focuses in on cyberbullying more than the demon at hand, and I think that works for the piece.

What I learned from the extras is that the seed of the story came from Cleopatra Records, who owns all the music in the picture (including Iggy and the Stooges) and asked Cohn to write a film about cyberbullying. While that was achieved, he took it to another level by adding in the reliance on technology and the fascination with fame that so many teens have nowadays thanks to the rise of instant-viral videos. There is also a nod to peer pressure, as Lisa’s ex-friends Andrew and Rhonda prove they will do just about anything to fit in with the cool crowd. I remember thinking at the time that Andrew would be called nerdish in my school, but he is obviously being manipulated without realizing it, and his moment of rue shows that he is becoming conscious of it.

So, to sum up, with lots to chew on in a peripheral and sociological way, the basic story is one you can watch that is pretty straightforward, but the subtle cultural messages are actually enjoyable rather than getting in the way. Nice job.