All genres of suspense, terror, and horror will be reviewed by Richard Gary. His address to send preview copies supplied upon request to rbf55@msn.com.
These films below
are not ranked, but are listed in the order in which I watched them, all from
TubiTV. Note that my snark is truly meant to be fun and rib-poking with a touch
of stream of consciousness. I had just the right low-budget expectation for
these films, so I was not blindsided by anticipating a theatrical extravaganza
experience. After all, when it comes to the cheese level, there are times when
ya want melted brie on toast, and at others, Cheez-Whiz on animal crackers. I
enjoyed these films for precisely what they are. Links to the coming
attractions for all of them are at the bottom of each review.
Werewolf
Massacre at Hell’s Gate Directed by James Baack
Great Lakes Artists
Group; INGY Films; Cheezy Flicks Entertainment
80 minutes, 2015
Isn’t it great when a film does a mash-up of others to
combine into something not quite new, but not quite same-old-same-old?
Especially on a budget of spit? For the purposes of this release, it starts
with a man in a suit warning the audience to be prepared to be “terrified,”
similar to the opening of Frankenstein (1931), except in a cozy chair
instead of in front of a curtain. The story proper begins with a curse by a
witch (Claire “Fluffy” Llewellyn, a cult horror writer/poet/actor/director)
back 400 years ago. Of course, that no European ever got to the area of Spring
Grove, WI, back in those days is irrelevant. We next switch over to Iraq as we meet
someone picking up an artifact, a la The Exorcist (1973), and swinging
back to East Troy, WI. Here, the story starts to proceed into its main theme
where a paranormal investigator, Wendy (Wendy Pierson), gets a call from
someone at the Chicago Archdiocese to meet at – of course – Miskatonic
University (does the mythical New England school have a branch in the Midwest?).
We get a lot of inner-thought exposition from Wendy as she drives along. In
fact, between the opening title cards and her thoughts, we don’t have to do
much but sit back and not think too hard. Guess this is good if you’re a stoner
(which I’m not). If you stretch it a bit, one could see her as a reporter
investigating a community of potential wolfies at a closed mental asylum called
Hell’s Gate (near Elkhorn, for this film), much like the Dee Wallace character
in The Howling (1981). Her companion, Ian (Jason Wollwert), does his
searching using a 35mm still Pentax camera. Wait, is this 2015 or 1995? Oh,
sorry, some thinking got in there. There is some odd humor thrown in here and
there, such as someone named Flunky (director James Baack) representing The
Brotherhood of Guns, Jesus and Pick-up Trucks, who wears a weird old man with big
nose mask and a straw-looking wig. You can tell when we are seeing the POV of
the werewolves because of the monochrome red lens. Now let’s talk a bit about
the look of the werewolves: they dress in ordinary clothes, mostly hoodies, and
have hairy gloved hands and a rubber wolf mask on their faces. Can’t get much
faker looking, I’m thinking the crew was aiming to lean towards the Michael
Landon look when he is transformed and wearing his letterman jacket in I Was
a Teenage Werewolf (1957), or, to be kind, Michael J. Fox in Teen Wolf (1985)
without the make-up budget. Their growl sounds more big-cat than canine (random
joke: you feed a dog, they think you’re a god; you feed a cat, they think
they’re a god). Flunky is definitely the comic relief as a southern accented
redneck (in Wisconsin? Then again it does explain Paul Ryan being elected … But
I digress…). The question in the title is as follows: Is the massacre
perpetrated by the werewolves, or are they the ones massacred? Despite the
overdone exposition, there are a lot of vagaries involved. The biggest flaw
with the film is not the acting (which is pretty wooden), it’s not the cheesy
effects (the digital blood splatter and gunfire look amateurish), it’s that the
story feels cobbled together. It’s almost like set pieces that are spliced in
to stretch the story. For example, there is a fun part where a militia group
(said Brotherhood of Guns, etc.) hunts down the werewolves, and suddenly it’s 6
months later and we follow one of the more annoying couples (50 percent of her
dialog is a multitude of “Oh my God!”) onscreen I have seen in a while, Mary
(Tina Biovin) and Paul (Anthony Zielinski), as they walk through the marshes
after their car breaks down and meet up with, well, you know. When we meet
them, the theme changes into another movie. Most of the previous characters
disappear, including Wendy, without explanation. The film is kind of a mess
from beginning to end, but there are some redeeming values, such as the humor,
whether intentional or not.
Trailer is HERE
The Snarling Directed by Pablo
Raybould Shooting Lodge
Productions; Left Films; Wild Eye Releasing
83 minutes, 2018 www.wildeyereleasing.com
This is the British director’s
first feature, other than a couple of shorts, so let’s see where it takes us. Like
a Zenn Diagram, there are three overlapping story arches that all will come
together. For a start, the first circle premise is a well-worn trope: a group
making a horror movie (the zombie genre) end up fighting something evil to stay
alive. Nice thing about a film crew is that more bodies from both behind and in
front of the camera equal a larger kill count, amiright?! The main actor
is also the lead comic relief. Greg Lupeen (Laurence Saunders), is the spoiled
star of the zom-com, and he’s quite the prat. For example, when he smacks a
“zombie” extra actor for real and she loses two teeth, he accuses her of trying
to steal his scene. After a good jump scare to start, this leads into a “Oh,
c’mon” moment of two hikers in puffy coats walking through a foggy park (as
opposed to the moors), and lots of hidden canine messages throughout, e.g., the
song “Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf” and a bottle of Wolf Beer at the bar)
like in The Howling (1981), which is kinda reflected in this release’s
title. This is probably more of a nod to An American Werewolf in London
(1981) than a rip-off, but it feels like the title of a Dave Edmunds album, Subtle
as a Flying Mallet (1976). At some point we meet the second circle focusing
on our three main protagonists: there’s owner (bartender?) of the Dirty Hog
pub, Bob (Ben Manning), his friend Mike (Chris Simmons), and their slow pal Les
(also Saunders in a turn from ThePrisoner of Zenda, a novel written
by Anthony Hope in 1894). They get involved with the film in various roles. The
final circle is the coppers, led by a Detective Inspector (director Pablo
Raybould), the ever-eating officer on the case of the bodies being ripped apart
in is jurisdiction, and the more bumbling bobbies under his command, especially
second-in-command, Haskins (Ste Johnston). This was a surprisingly enjoyable
film with sharp writing, albeit a bit predictable at times (I figured out who
was the werewolf pretty early on), even with the jump scares. But the humor is
well written, with a Monty Python-esque tone mixed with Airplane (1980).
and relies strongly on Ben Manning’s 90-degree editing. I was definitely
entertained all the way through, with strong performances by everyone,
including Raybould’s turn as the DI. It was also nice to see Julie Peasgood,
who was in the Hammer Films’ The House of Long Shadows (1983), as a
smarmy film producer trying to save the zom-com.
Trailer is HERE
Dark Moon
Rising Directed by Justin Price
Pikshure Zero Entertainment;
Uncork’d Entertainment
85 minutes, 2015
At first, I wasn’t going to watch this, as it said it
was the beginning of a trilogy, but then I heard about all the bad reviews, and
couldn’t find out about any following films, so that intrigued me, especially
for a short, snarky review that is this blog’s point. One prescient note is
that Eric Roberts is in it, which does not bode well for anything since the new
millennium, and second is that he does not even get top billing. Using the
opposite of the Jaws (1975) theory of holding off to see the monster,
despite the extremely visually dark opening, we see a CGI wolfie that looks
pretty cool, albeit a bit cartoonish. I’m not sure who picked the costume and
hair design, but whoever okayed it (director Price?) should have left it for
someone else, the prime example of WTF being the look of the male lead, Chace
(Cameron White), who distractingly looks like he stepped out of a ‘90s music
video or video game. It’s pretty obvious that the film is trying to go into a Twilight
(2008)theme more than something as gritty as, say, Dog Soldiers
(2002). For example, there is one beastie, Gecko (Matthew Simmons) who tends to
be shirtless like Taylor Lautner. In fact, there is a lot of mash-ups here, as
it was a “throw it against the wall and see what sticks” mentality. A group of
attractive youths who are werewolves that can change on desire rather than by
moonlight, led by Sin (director Price) that may have been shown as a motorcycle
gang in the mid-‘60s mentality descend upon small-town America, a la 30 Days
of Night (2007) meets TheLost Boys (1987) or Near Dark (1987).
There’s also a mysterious wooden bridge that’s straight outta Silver Bullet (1985).
Every once in a while, you will hear someone’s thoughts narrated, and nearly
every time, it’s superfluous and sounds out of place/distracting; I mean, do I
really need to hear a woman (Deanna Grace Congo) wearing something no one would
ever don for a day at college, trying to pick up weird Chace thinking, “Back in
the game, Amy!” Meanwhile, the werewolves have more than the power to change
shape, they can jump and spin in the air like martial artists in Shaw Brothers
films, crack the sidewalk by hitting it, etc. Oh, and they kill lots of college
students, it seems for the fun of it. Chace, while we’re at it, is infatuated
with the mysterious Dawn (Price regular and top biller Anastasia Antonia; she’s
also a writer so couldn’t she help Price with this story?). To paraphrase northern
witch Glinda, is she good or is she bad? And how does Eric Roberts do? Well,
he’s the most natural actor in the group, but for some reason he goes in and
out of a Southern accent. He has a long speech about hootch that has nothing to
do with the story (sort of this film’s version of Quint’s monolog from Jaws)
that feels like Roberts made it up on the spot, and being the biggest name in
the film despite second billing, they let it remain because it’s more Roberts’
screen time. The rest of the dialog is just as clunky as the acting, and as I
said, the night scenes are way too dark for comfort. But will all the issues
the film has, and there are plenty, the most egregious, in my opinion, is the
third act battles, which have a strong nod to Mortal Kombat (1995),
without the talent of a decent stunt coordinator, especially involving the
scenery chewing (and yes, bare chested) Gecko. Trailer is HERE
A Werewolf in
England Directed by Charlie
Steeds Dark Temple Motion
Pictures; High Fliers Films
85 minutes, 2020 www.darktemple.co.uk
You don’t see too many
gothic werewolf stories. They tend to take place in the “now,” rather than in
the late 19th Century (other than the occasional prologues and flashbacks). Two
travelers and the driver (James Swanton) of their horse-drawn carriage stop for
the night at The Three Claws, an old inn, to get out of the storm. The crusty
elder parish counsellor, Horace (Tim Cartwright) and his prisoner, Archie
(Reece Connolly) are stuck in this decrepit place for the night while the storm
rages on. The inn is run by an older brother and sister, Vincent (Barrington De
La Roche) and Martha (Emma Spurgin Hussey). If this is sounding a bit like The
Old Dark House (1932), you would be right, though it’s more shadows of it
rather than a remake. Like the real-life serial killer, HH Holmes, these
siblings have other plans for our guests, werewolves notwithstanding. Other
guests include the horny Reverend Pankhurst (Mark McKirdy), along with the resident
call girl, Minnie (Jessica Alonso) and her friend, Jane (Natalie Martins). There
is also a drunkard (Rory Wilton). Even before a single wolfen makes an
appearance, there is already almost a full story with the cast as it is, as
murderous minds ferment and take action for a purpose. The werewolves (there
are three) show up at the halfway point, fully exposed: rather than CGI, they
are full body costumes. For a low budget release, they look pretty good, but
they do move kind of goofy, almost like mannikin puppets (is that redundant?), with
arms bobbing up and down. You know it’s going to come down to the beasties and
the survivors at the inn. Some of the kills actually look pretty good,
especially (and again) considering the budgetary constraints. While there is a
lot of action in this, it is still a comedy, but not a broad one. That being
said there are more than a couple of moments involving bodily waste; however,
my favorite line is someone being called a “codswallop,” a legitimate term for nonsense,
and it is one I may actually use in the real world. There is also a bit of
subtle humor, such as a werewolf having trouble breaking through a glass,
French-type door. Even with some continuity concerns, there really is non-stop
action from about the one-third in mark, right to the end. It was a pleasant
surprise. The title of the film is a misnomer, however, as it is singular while
the ‘wolves in question are plural; of course, they are riffing off one of the
most popular film titles in history, An American Werewolf in London (1981),
so it is forgivable.
Trailer is HERE
Werewolves Within Directed by Josh Rubin IFC Films; UBYSoft; Vanishing Angle 96 minutes; 2021
So, what are two popular horror films of the
relatively modern era? Well, there is John Carpenter’s The Thing (1982)
and 30 Days of Night (2007). Okay, so let’s take the evil that arrives
in small towns and put them in an isolated location, which is the basic premise
of both, but in this case, it is the snow-covered burg of Beaverfield, and make
everyone suspicious of each other to be a malevolent werewolf (is there any
other kind outside from reimaginings like the Twilight and Underworld
franchises?). Of course, it is near Christmas in this story, and all the roads
soon become blocked; but not before the arrival of the new Ranger, Finn Wheeler
(Sam Richardson). We are also quickly introduced to a possible love interest in
the very cute mail delivery person, Cecily Moore (Milana Vayntrub). The town is
full of interesting characters like the snotty, Brooklyn transports who are
left-leaning gay couple, the crude car repair shop couple, the
right-wing/Karen-ish couple, the obnoxious capitalist oil company executive who
wants to dig in a local National Forest, the straight-shooting-no-shit-taking
doctor/scientist, and the woman who owns the local Lodge. Then there is the
nutty conspiracy-focused survivalist who lives down the road a-piece. You can
add in a bit of British-style drawing room dynamics as well when just about
everyone is trapped at the Lodge by the weather. The big question through the
film is whether the “werewolves within” is an actual lycanthrope, or a
bad-acting human in wolf clothing. While I figured it out about halfway, I was
unsure about the why. I was genuinely amused throughout, thanks to numerous red
herrings. There is a very fine humor that runs the whole film like a backbone,
which is actually not surprising considering this was created by the same
director of the sharply witty Death to 2021 (2021). The film never
really drags and there are some stand-out performances, especially Michaela
Watkins as the manic and shrill half of the right-wing couple. There are so
many elements to this that go by really fast, it is worth paying attention to
the dialogue, and the images are sharp in both visuals and tone. As a drinking
game, take a sip (I prefer coffee) every time someone used the word “What” as a
complete sentence. Trailer is HERE
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.
These films are not in ranked order, but rather alphabetically listed by first
letter.
The Dead
Record Directed by Nate
Thompson Novaland Films; Spooky
Films; Nate Thompson Videos 16:34 minutes, 2022 In Toledo, OH, a record and film store proprietor, appropriately named
Louden (the director), has just closed up and is restocking, when there is a knock
on the door and a mysterious stranger (Kenny Urban) with a wicked smile drops
off a package that contains an LP, with a warning. The vinyl is a rarity (only
50 pressed) and of course, it comes with a curse. The film flows quite well as
it swirls around the aisle of the store, following Louden and his friend Sammy
(Dakota Musarelli) as they talk. As a collector myself, the conversation
between the two feels very accurate, though the way Louden physically handles
the record, especially being a rarity, is shocking to me (no true collector
would handle a rare record by the vinyl, but only by the edges), but I digress…
I have to admit I had to watch it twice, because I kept getting distracted by
trying to see what were the albums in the cases, but that’s okay since the
story was interesting enough to watch both times. And the character of evil
here (Madeline Malice) is effective in the story. The ending was a bit obvious,
as are most horror shorts, but it leans more to the psychological as much as for
the shock values, which makes it a fun listen and watch. The soundtrack is
definitely dark metal, opening the film up with a blast, which was another nice
touch. I actually jumped at that. This is the second of Nate’s short films I
have seen, and I am duly impressed. I am looking forward to seeing his feature release
of Cult Affairs. Full film HERE
Ignore It Directed by Sam
Evanson McMuffin Creative 6:33 minutes, 2021 A family’s home has a recurring and unwanted guest: a ghostly woman who
will kill unless she is ignored. The family does its best over the dinner table
to be as normal as possible while the spirit is among them. The parents and the
two children try their best but, you know… This is a pretty good thriller based
on more than one jump scare, and the effects are well done. A strong point is
the background music which is consistent (and, of course, dissonant), keeping
the mood going. There is obviously little background to the story other than
this is not its first appearance. I don’t know how they know to ignore it, but
that’s part of the missing exposition that really isn’t needed anyway, since
this is, after all, a short. Very effective with an excellent cast. Full film HERE
Let Them Eat Directed by LaShaunte Wade Dark Creeds Productions 15:16 minutes, 2021 When Megghan (lanky Lauren Molina) and her husband Kyle (Roman Jacob Bolyen) has Kyle’s co-worker and mistress, Julie (Lindsay Miller) over for dinner, there’s a lot at – er – steak. Megghan is on the verge of opening a new restaurant and Kyle is a successful lawyer, with high aspirations for their lives to get richer and tasty. Things quickly get twisted and weird, but the film takes its time to unfold, relatively speaking for a short with three people, mostly sitting around eating and drinking. There are subtle events and conversations that tell the viewer that there is something off, but it is certainly not what one might be expecting, and that’s the fun of this piece. It paces itself well, and doesn’t try to rush anything. The visuals are pretty stark and the VFX are quite stunning, and does not rely on jump scares to be effectively horrifying. An actor, dancer, model, and chef, this is the director’s first film, and it shows an immense sense of talent and purpose. I look forward to her future work. Full film HERE
Mother Father
Monster Directed by Sean Breathnatch Ego Productions
Ireland 9:06 minutes, 2019 https://www.facebook.com/MotherFatherMonster A gothic tale about an energy drink? Well, the first part of that question
is accurate. Mr. Wolsey (Mark Lawrence) is hired at an Irish stately home (the
Charleville Forest Castle) to be a butler and tutor in the 19th Century. Upon
his arrival, the deeply dimpled and stern Lady Charleville (Irene Kelleher)
warns him, in Pandora Box/Bluebeard fashion, that he must never enter a
particular upstairs room. The film is highly atmospheric, as gothic films
should be, and the castle – even in a state of neglect – is reminiscent of the
setting of The Haunting (1963), full of turned wood staircases and musty
rooms. It’s mood and texture are quite stunning, and the editing is sharp.
While some of the story may seem obvious to anyone with a history of genre
films, there were still a few pleasant surprises that quite make this worth the
viewing. Full film HERE
Poster: TBD
The Thing Next Door Directed by Marcus
Kelly 9:22 minutes, 2020 A twenty-something (Bethany Russell) lives on her own in a nice house.
The people next door have mysteriously disappeared. And what’s that glowing red
light and slime trail that starts to show up in her house? In this dialogue-less
short, we don’t get to learn too much about the protagonist, who is the only
character in the film (other than a brief shot of a policeman played by the
director), shows lots of emotion, conveying how she feels well through her
facial expressions. The film is shot
quite beautifully (but what’s with the insects and toothbrushing so common in house-bound
horror shorts?), especially one transition between a drain and a full moon. From
the sounds of whatever the thing next door is, I was imagining it looks like a Cthulhu
kind of deal, as this almost comes across as a radio story for the eyes, with
the b-roll standing in for narration. Lots of use of both the filmmaker’s and
the viewer’s imagination. I quite liked this meat and potatoes release. Unfortunately,
I could find no poster, no photos of the film to include in the review. If I
get one, I will add it in later. Full film HERE
Within Directed by Rory Wood 16:42 minutes, 2021 A troubled couple, David (David Lewis) and Tegan (Lisa Chandler), are
walking through the woods around their house outside Vancouver when their young
teenage son, Ben (Ridley Havok McLeod), finds a spider-like creature about a
foot long near a den. This has a marked effect on David, as he starts staring
into space and drinking heavily at home. He seems to be either obsessed or
possessed by whatever is in that den, which we see in bits and pieces. As with
other cryptid forest creatures such as in Jug Face (2013), it must be fed,
as David goes all Jack Torrance. This is an excellent creature feature with
beautifully handled photography by Kyle Gherman (especially around the dinner
table). The film is long enough for the viewer to get a sense of the
relationships between the characters, and make them relatively real, rather
than just present. Totally enjoyable. Full film HERE
Room 203
Directed by Ben Jagger Ammo Entertainment; Vertical
Entertainment; Voltage Pictures
104 minutes, 2022
www.vert-ent.com/ https://ammo-ent.com/
Apparently, 203 appears in many films on hotel or room
numbers, if one does a Google search. According to one numerology site, “the number 203 resonates with freedom and experience…203 energy also resonates
with relationships, with infinite possibilities, and with creative expression [and]
can give rise to unanticipated and intense experience.” Also, 203 is a prime
number (for those fans of the 1997 film Cube).
In this case, the pre-furnished Room 203 is located in
an apartment building in Shreveport, Louisiana. It’s quite a lovely place, with
a huge stained-glass window (leading to an amusing TS Eliot reference) giving a
nice light and an imbuing an almost religious tone, presenting what looks like
Knights Templars in battle. But the prologue shows that there is the presence
of evil rather than good (not that any religion is necessarily good).
This sets up the tone for the rest of what is to follow.
Francesca Xuereb, Vicktoria Vinyarska
We are introduced to blonde Kim (Francesca Xuereby),
who is moving into the apartment, despite the reluctance of her parents. Mind
you, she is on her way to start college as a journalism major (psych minor), so…
Kim is to share the place with her lifelong friend (and “bad influence,”
according to Kim’s mom, who’s a real peach), brunette wannabe actor Izzy
(Vicktoria Vinyarska). The different hair colors can symbolize a few things,
such as classical good (light, or pure) and evil (dark or troubled), or it
could just be to help the viewer immediately distinguish between the two as we “meet”
them.
Thanks to renovations,
the top floor (20th, I am assuming) is empty, except for Kim and Iggy’s flat, and
the obligatorily weird and robotically edgy landlord, Ronan (Scott Gremillion) who
lives down the hall. Then Kim meets video journalist major Ian (Eric Wiegand,
who reminds me a bit of Thurston Moore of the band Sonic Youth), and, ‘tah-dah,’
new boyfriend.
Thanks to the film’s prologue introduction, we know
two key elements about the apartment, one being that one of the walls has something
weird and mysterious happening, and the others are a locket that is more than a
piece of metal and a miniature music box.
After some Izzy sleepwalking with the music box and
other weirdness, Kim starts to get suspicious that something in the apartment
is off. For a journalism student, it took her a while, but her and Ian start
their research, which of course leads to some…research, if you get mah drift.
This comes as no surprise, even if it is pretty fast. Canoodling comes quicker
than realizing something is amiss and wanting to figure it out, which seems strange
to me.
This could have easily been a Sigle White Female (1992)
roommate from hell situation, but in this case the hell part is a bit more
accurate as the story progresses past the first introductory act. There are a
lot of layers in the film, even though it’s a bit of a slow burn with a bunch
of jump scares, such as possession, ancient curses, a creepy industrial
basement space, and a resident evil entity called The Morrígu, “a figure from Irish mythology… and it has been translated as ‘great queen’ or ‘phantom
queen’… is mainly associated with war and fate especially with foretelling
doom, death, or victory in battle. In this role she often appears as a crow … and
[is] a shape-shifting goddess.” (Thank you, Wikipedia.)
As the third act unravels, we learn the truth behind
secrets (one I should have seen from a mile away, but missed completely) and then
there is the battle between, natch, good an evil.
A quibble I have here, and is too common in indie
cinema these days, is that some of the film is quite dark. Even the apartment,
at night, the old table lamps are just not bright enough; personally, I would
buy higher wattage bulbs and brighten the place up a bit. To be fair, you can
make out what is happening, but I had to have my monitor tilted at just the
right angle to see the events unfolding, such as in the basement.
My big question, though, is as follows: Kim calls the
apartment “affordable,” but I am wondering how the two women can afford it with
what seems like no apparent means of support; certainly not from Kim’s apathetic
parents. Kim is a college student who Zooms her classes (it takes place as the
Covid pandemic was kicking off in Spring 2020), so perhaps a scholarship? Izzy
goes on some auditions, but those don’t pay. My other query, and this is trite
and silly, but It’s a pretty big space, with at least two bedrooms, a living
room, a kitchen, and a bathroom, so shouldn’t it be Apartment 203 rather than
Room 203?
All-in-all, with a relatively slow first couple of
acts with some fun bits thrown in and lots of expository of present events and
shady information on past ones, the third act is compelling and comes to a pretty
satisfactory conclusion.
The film is available on all major VoD platforms,
including iTunes, Prime Video, DirecTV, Cox, Time-Warner, Dish, Vudu, and
Google Play.
Wow, there are a lot of films in the past few years
where the day repeats over and over, each time with different results, such as
one I recently reviewed from Serbia called Incarnation.
The title of this film refers to a digital (flip)
bedside clock that announces the time to re-awaken, at 6:45 AM. This particular
clock is in a Bed and Breakfast on an island accessible only by ferry, where a lusty
couple, Jules (Augie Duke, who has a Deborah Walley/Donna Pescow vibe) and
Bobby (Michael Reed), have come for a long weekend getaway. Bobby has a history
on the island, but does not remember much.
The island setting for the film is actually the Jersey
Shore, including Ocean Grove, Asbury Park, and Seaside Heights. Thanks to some
creative filmmaking, it feels like an island, with the Atlantic Ocean filling
in for the body of water supposedly surrounding the locale. There is, however,
a nice nod to the location when one of the characters smokes a brand called “Jersey.”
The owner of the place is the smarmy and disturbing Gene
(Armen Garo), who creepily listens at the couple’s door while they, well, knock
boots. This is a beautiful house among many others packed in together, rather
than a middle-of-nowhere cabin, which is refreshing, relatively speaking
(isolated cabins are more of a worn tale than repeating days).
Despite all the woo-hooing between them, this is a
couple with some issues. Bobby is a bit of a hothead and lothario, and Jules
has a deep resentment of him due to a past indiscretion. This causes them to
intermittently have tension and being loving.
But the tagline for the film is “Vacation. Die.
Repeat,” so it should come to no surprise that at the end of the day, there is
no good coming. After a tour of the town, including a stop at a bar where they
exchange words with a drunken woman, Brooklyn (Sasha K. Gordon), our intrepid
couple meet a grisly demise at the hands of a cowled assassin (Joshua Matthew
Smith). That is until it is suddenly 6:45 AM the same day (you saw that coming,
I am assuming).
In Final Destination mode, Bobby remembers what
happened as a possible dream, and events aren’t exactly the same as
things are worded differently in conversations (e.g., in the first, Bobby
complains about the bathroom, in the second, Gene mentions the bathroom first).
Jules, on the other hand, does not remember anything, which is a bit confusing.
Gene tells of a similar murder to the one Bobby and Jules experienced in the
first incarnation a couple of years before (during the second 6:45 around). To
me, this set up some ideas of the direction of the film and where it may go. I
hope I’m wrong since I’m only 30 minutes in, and have lots more 6:45’s to go.
As is the case, each iteration gives more clues, more
details to help Bobby possibly avoid a horrible fate for him and Jules. Is it a
dream within a dream? A memory before death, as in “An Occurrence at Owl Creek
Bridge”? Ghosts like The Others? Fan mail from some flounder? Or perhaps
it is something totally different. It has me curious. Especially why he knows,
and she does not, since they are both involved.
One of the aspects of the film that I find intriguing
is each 6:45 has shadows of the previous ones, but the more times it repeats,
the further in the outfield it goes, with some actors playing different people at
some point.
While Bobby is trying to figure out the mystery and
Jules is annoyed at his behavior as he does, there seem to be others who have
some idea what is going on, both giving clues and making it more confusing for
everyone watching. Oh, and Bobby, too. Not even halfway through, and I am
really curious for some solutions I am guessing will start coming and making
more of an impact in the third act. One thing I can definitively say is that
each time is bloodier. In fact, by some of the last scenes, the film has
moments that are nothing less than gruesome in the context of the story.
Most films with the time repeating theme have subtle
supernatural elements (like Groundhog Day), but this one has both feet in
the psychological genre as we explore the relationship between Bobby and Jules.
I figured out the ending a bit late in the game, and it was well worth the
wait.
The two leads are incredibly solid in the acting
department. I have been a fan of Reed since The Disco Exorcist (2011),
and this role is reminiscent of Normal (2013). He can be an intense
actor, as he is here, with Bobby taking the viewer down a road of angst and alcoholism.
Duke more than holds her own as they have fine chemistry, and are a believable
couple, even with the other dynamics that are swirling around them. There are
also a couple of interesting cameos by rappers/actors Remy Ma and The 45 King
The Jersey scenery is beautiful, and with events
occurring numerous times, we get to see some detail surrounding the area. But
man, it looked cold (I’m guessing early spring before tourist season) as the
wind whips around them on the beaches and in other open spaces. While the
camerawork by Lucas Pitassi is fluid and occasionally imaginative, it’s the
editing by Sam Adelman that caught my attention. This includes some interesting
split screen shots that are peppered through a few of the incarnations, perhaps
indicating the fracturing of the relationship, or of a personality.
This is the kind of movie that it may be a good idea
to watch twice, to see all the missed clues that possibly went over the audience’s
heads the first time. Luckily, the film holds up under multiple views.
Disorienting
Dick
Directed by Richard Griffin Reasonable Moving
Picture Company; Scorpio Film Releasing
88 minutes, 2022 https://www.facebook.com/ScorpioFilmReleasing
Historically, director Richard Griffin likes to reuse cast members in phases.
For a while it was actors like Sarah Nicklin, Michael Thurber, and Michael
Reed, for example. Then, overlappingly, it was those such as Elyssa Baldassarri
, Jamie Dufault, Johnny Sederquist (aka Ninny Nothin), and Anna Rizzo, and
lately it’s been Samantha Acampora, Sarah Reed, and especially Graham Stokes.
The last two also appear in his latest opus, the strongly LGBQT(etc.) themed Disorienting
Dick. Stokes full frontal nudity in the first shot gives the viewer a – er
– taste of things to come.
Graham Stokes
This is also a very sharp political commentary as we
meet Dick’s mom, the appropriately named Maureen Whiteman (Leslie Racine Vazquez),
a Qanon, conspiracy-focused, money and power-hungry politician running for
Mayor in a city in Rhode Island (where this is filmed), who is reminiscent of Sarah
Palin, Lauren Boebert or Marjorie Greene (though Maureen is intelligent, unlike
those others). The mock political ad at her introduction is both ridiculously
over the top, and yet quite scary as it is also reflective of a certain level
of Republican “values” as they stand today; it is also a theme that permeates the
whole film. The subtle Ayn Rand reference by Dick is also telling.
Leslie Racine Vazquez
Dick, in the meanwhile, has a fiancée, Pat (Sarah
Reed), who wears a Jesus sweatshirt, but it’s pretty obvious that it isn’t
going to last as Dick becomes, in the words of the film, “oriented” (rather
than converted). You just know it’s going to conflict with his mom. I am
enjoying the political aspects of the story so far, rather than it being more
of a gay romp like Griffin’s previous (short), Gay as the Sun (2020;
reviewed HERE), which also starred Stokes.
Sarah Reed
While Dick is in the closet and having wild, softcore
fantasies about men, his mother finds out his desires, and has him taken to the
“Clinic for the Terminally Dandy,” an evil right wing conversion therapy
organization (conversion therapy, by the way, is now banned by our neighbors to
the north, in Canada; in the United States, only Washington DC has barred the
practice on adults). It is run by the evil doctor Hyde Hippocampus (Terry Shea),
dressed in black with a black eye patch on his right eye and his Nurse Rached-type
nurse assistant, DeFarge (Amy Thompson). Advanced treatment includes the “Lindsey
Graham Initiative.” Sorry to give some of the jokes away, but it’s just a smidge
of them, and I am trying to clarify that this is a smart film as well as smutty
(meant in a good way).
But that’s not the whole story, as Dick keeps getting
kidnapped back and forth between the conversion therapy and a competing “Clinic
for the Fabulously Dandy” run by the twin of the other doctor, Jekyll
Hippocampus (also Terry Shea) but with bright red clothes and a red eye patch
on the other eye, and a non-binary nasty also Nurse Rached type, Atari 2600
(Albert Lin). Therapy includes such things as “Jungian Interpretive Dance.” At the latter institute, they try to get Dick out of the closet. Between the
two, no wonder he is so disoriented.
Amy Thompson, Vazquez, Terry Shea, Stokes
The set designs and clothing in the second, positive
clinic, by Margaret Wolf and Angela Shulman, are bright pastel colors, which
reminded me of the original “Star Trek” series. In the conversion one, the
color theme is muted and white, with no pizazz. The director once told me that
the comparison of the gay sex in his film The Sins of Dracula (2014; reviewed
HERE) was hanging of the chandelier type, whereas the straight couple sex was
missionary and boring. This is a similar idea here.
Perhaps I am reading too much into the story, but it almost
seems like the percentages are flipped, where 90 percent of the characters are
some shade or degree of gay or bi, and 10 percent are straight. It is an
interesting concept. In all, this is a morality play on what is right and
wrong, with the philosophically metaphorical devil on one shoulder and an angel
on the other, with one leaning toward straight and one towards being gay, but
in this case, which is on which side? In fact, Jesus and the Devil appear in
the film momentarily as that inner battle is in play (having those two in a
Griffin release(ing) is nothing new (in fact Michael Reed has played both in
different films of his, but I digress…).
Albert Lin, Shea
While some of the acting is appropriately over-emoted,
thereare a lot of really brave performances, by the likes of Victoria Paradis,
Vazquez, and especially Stokes. The writing is especially sharp with both
political and social commentary that does not drag the story down in any way, and
at times quite biting (no pun intended); and the sex and nudity is all male on
male and sometimes quite explicit, though not as much as, say, Shortbus (2006).
The single lesbian scene is, not surprisingly, unseen. DD has a definitive
direction in which it is going, and it follows true to its path, and I respect
that, a lot.
There are a lot of elements going into this basic
story, including sock puppets (you read that correctly), but deep down, it has
a single theme. The last line of the film sums up the philosophy of Disorienting
Dick in one sentence quite well (I will not give it away). You should definitely
find out for yourself. Maybe the viewer might even learn something about
themselves.
Want to get my attention about a genre release? Well,
there are lots of ways, of course, but one is to mention HP “Lovecraft-inspired.”
Yes! Bring me some of those tentacled Old Gods.
The focus of this story is on Silvia Carroll, who is
missing (but not with Meagan). She and her creepy stoic boyfriend, Jacob (Matt
Blackwell) were star graduate student researchers at the local university (Miskatonic
was not mentioned; there is also no indication of it being in New England, as
this is filmed in Kyle, Texas), under the direction of the wonderfully named
Dr. Rathbone (Dimitrius Pulido). Seems they were studying the tunnels of their
town that branch off a road overpass above a stream, and she disappeared. Silvia’s
twin sister, the thick-make-up-wearing Sam(antha) (cute Kristin Cochell), is on
a quest to find her missing sibling.
Jordan Michael Brinkman, Kristin Cochell, Paula Marcenaro Solinger
Also in the equation is the police in the form of hard-bitten
– and a bit cliché – Detective Richie (Marvel Comics artist/writer Val Mayerik,
who co-created Howard the Duck and Man-Thing). He suspects Jacob of some shenanigans
about Silvia – as does Sam – and is peripherally doin’ some ‘vestigatin’. Joining
in the search proper is Sam’s friend – and ex-girlfriend – Lucy (Paula
Marcenaro Solinger) and her present boyfriend, Noah (Jordan Michael Brinkman),
all of whom, of course, distrust Jacob. Though I will not reveal the answer,
early on I wonder if Jacob becomes the villain or saves the day.
The four head out into the tunnels after the early expository
first act that introduces everyone and their personalities (e.g., who is on who’s
side). Silvia talked about other dimensions before her disappearance, and once
they are in the tunnels, things…change. It reminds me of Grave Encounters (2011),
where corridors and rooms transform as you pass through them. Here, tunnels
become houses and back into tunnels, day is suddenly night, and people start
seeing things. One confusing thing to me is how Jacob knew where the bathroom
was in this mysterious abode; either it’s a continuity error, or he knows more
than he is letting on. Hopefully, it’s the latter.
That’s when the tentacles come in. The introduction is
almost like Japanese tentacle Hentai, or something the W.A.V.E. Video company used to produce. The tentacles are slimy and have a hook at the
tip; but more importantly, they are practical SFX rather than digital, so they
look pretty cool. Soon, the group becomes tentacle fodder and the other-dimensional
creature becomes stronger. For a long time, you see the tentacles, but not the
creature itself (perhaps Cthulhu?). Which brings me to the point of the further
influence of Lovecraft. These inspirations are both direct and indirect, but
sometimes both, such as the mention of The Hound of Tindalos, which was created
by Frank Belknap Long, and used in a story by Lovecraft (I’m not a Lovecraft scholar
though I am a fan; I just used Wikipedia).
Matt Blackwell
When we see the full creature back in the tunnels at
some point near the third act, it reminded me of the space alien from an
episode of “The Outer Limits” called “Cold Hands, Warm Heart.” In other words,
it was an enjoyable SFX design.
I have to say, the film is quite imaginative, in a
kind of mind-fuck way, and I mean that as a compliment. There is no consistent
narrative as the space and events change dramatically and often, and yet the
story can be followed. That being said, it does not talk down to the viewer.
There are parts you may be scratching your head over (as I did a couple of
times), but stick with it, it’s worth the watch.
Helping with that is the interesting and creative cinematography
by Anthony Gutierrez, considering the limited space and lighting in the tunnels.
Usually when a picture is dark, I whine about it, but here it actually works to
made the passageways even more ethereal and claustrophobic. They walk around
with flashlights, so we see only what the director wants us to see. Most of the
photography is single-camera (often focusing on a particular person, rather than
a group) that is often hand-held, but not in a found footage kind of nausea-inducing
shaking.
Is this creature from another dimension? From space?
Only in the imagination of one of the characters? More to keep the viewer
intrigued. While there are some plot cliches, one of which I saw coming early
on, there are also quite a few surprises as well, which I genuinely enjoyed.
The acting is occasionally stilted here and there, but mostly everyone does a
decent job of it. The dialogue is occasionally complex, especially Blackwell’s,
but he handles it respectably.
There are a lot of little details that are presented
to us, such as a recurring Nefertiti statue (she was the wife of King Tut) that
has its eye whited out as a reference to later events. Also, the cast is
relatively small with six main characters, but they all mostly get used well.
This is the director’s first feature after a few
shorts, and it is definitely a push of the envelope for a relative newbie.
There are indications of growth on work to come, and I for one welcome it.
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