Review: Jethica

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

Jethica
Directed by Peter Ohs
Visit Films; Spartan Media Acquisitions; Pretty Ideas; Lightbulb Film Distribution; Strike Media
72 minutes, 2022 / 2023
www.strike-media.com

Love-obsessed stalkers fall into two categories: the first is the ex- that cannot accept that it is over, the second is the one who is delusional and believes there is a connection between the two parties, when there is none.

After a 20-questions type prologue that introduces Elena (Callie Hernandez, who has some major credits such as the recent Shotgun Wedding, 2016’s Blair Witch, and Alien: Covenant in 2017), one of the three four characters of the story, we are told the events as a flashback.

Callie Hernandez, Ashley Denise Robinson

From LA, she moves to New Mexico to live in a trailer in the middle of nowhere (near Mountainair). Not even a forest, so this is a cabin in the…desert? The introduction to her domicile there is obviously a homage to the opening of Evil Dead (1981), perhaps signaling to the viewer that something unearthly is afoot. Also noteworthy is a later scene reminiscent of “The Hitchhiker” episode of “The Twilight Zone” (1960, with “The Farmer’s Daughter” herself, Inger Stevens).

New Mexico is a beautiful place. Much of what we see is open fields that go on for miles. It is winter there (hence the coats) in the film, and desolate as you can get. Actually, it reminds me of the Canadian prairies in the spring. There is an old joke that says if you stand on a cigarette box, you can see a dog run away for three days. This is the type of landscape that we see a lot in the film. It makes sense as the backdrop is a symbol of the desolation of emotions felt by the main characters, including Elena’s odd acquaintance, Benny (Andy Faulkner), who looks as windswept as the environment.

Going to get some gas in town, Elena runs into an old California high school mate, Jessica (Ashley Denise Robinson), on the run from a stalker, Kevin (Will Madden), an classmate in college, who keeps tracking her down; it is obvious to see where this is going, but as it is the main focus of the plot and its selling point, I do not believe I am giving anything away here.

At some point, the film takes an unexpected supernatural element that I will not discuss, but it is both disturbing, and yet, amusing (this is a very bleak and dark comedy…when it wants to be that).

The cast and directors are given co-writing credits, indicating that this was mostly ad-libbed around a pre-conceived storyline. Sometimes that does not really work, but in this case, it enhances the experience of tying the story and the language used in a lovers’ knot.

Though there is humor and the supernatural involved, the main word I would use for this is minimalism. The film is shot very serenely, considering the action, and there is a lot of decent dialogue (kudos, especially if I am correct about the ad-libbing). The landscape, which is a character unto itself, is reflective of the pace of the story, wide and vacant, yet poignant.

Will Madden

The same could be said for the excellent cinematography and editing by the director, lovingly showing the beauty of the plains. I moved from the city to the prairies, and its starkness and the quiet nature of the scenery is almost startling.

Equally haunting and understated is the soundtrack by John Bowers, which is subtle throughout the story, lulling and wrapping itself around the action, rather than startling with loud dissonant notes, as in most supernatural films.

What I especially liked was the way the story twists and turns, in ways that are completely unexpected. There were bits I figured out, but it definitely went in a direction that was happily unanticipated. This is also helped by the excellent acting all the way around, especially by the ironically named (to the story) Madden.

There is no blood and gore, little violence, a jump scare or two, and plenty of dialogue, as I said. However, this film is story-based, and it is incredibly enjoyable. The only thing that confuses me is the title; although it makes it easier to look up on search engines.

Considering the small cast, it has a “filmed during Covid” feel, but that could just be my projection. I have stated this before, that my theory is that Covid has made filmmakers more creative by forcing them to use limited interactions and spaces.

Amazing for a release that only cost $10,000. And stick around after the credits.

Available on AppleTV, Amazon, Sky Store, Virgin Media, Google Play and RakutenTV.

IMDB listing HERE

Review: Fortress of Sin

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

Fortress of Sin
Directed by Paul Chomicki and Christian Voss
Ragged Sky Productions; Cinema626; The AKG Adjacent; Wild Eye Releasing; MVD Entertainment
73 minutes, 2022
www.facebook.com/groups/3174577106153279 
www.wildeyereleasing.com
www.mvdvisual.com

“They got guns

We got guns

All god’s chillren got guns…”

– The Marx Brothers, Duck Soup (1933) 

This film has been a back burner project of love for star, co-writer, and co-director Paul Chomicki for literally decades. With the help of his buddies Christian Voss and Long Island director Dave Campfield, his dream has become a reality.

Stories of fathers looking for daughter who have become involved with serious situations is not new, including Hardcore (1979) starring George C. Scott. But Chomicki updates it and adds in ritualistic elements to up the ante. While Chomicki is mainly known for off the wall comedies, such as the Caesar and Otto franchise, he sets down some serious roots here.

Paul Chomicki

In the prologue, Alyanna Blackwater (Katie Otten) escapes from a violent religious cult in Nevada (around Hay Spring) called the Church of Ascension (aka Ascend), run by spooky “Father” Lucien Reed (Avi K. Garg). Her disappearance is discussed over the radio newscasts throughout the first act. You know this will be expository information for what is to follow.

Meanwhile, Harry (Chomicki, with his thick Long Island accent) is down on his luck. He is an unemployed alcoholic who lives alone, and separated from his wife, Krista (Rae Hartwell). He is also estranged from his daughter, Robin (Jama Bourne), though the division between the two is not really examined here; she wants the connection, he does not. When she vanishes, leaving a cryptic message on Harry’s phone, he sets out to find her.

Katie Otten

Harry heads north towards a First Nations/American Indian reservation (Cheyenne), where he believes her to be held by the (white) cult, in a desolate part of the state (not surprising, as Aboriginals were screwed out of their lands and placed in places that tended to be nearly inhospitable, both in the US and Canada). But more about that later.

There is a large, mixed and overlapping bag of goodies here, from a religious cult (non-Satanic for once) to human traffickers, to scavengers, and each one more dangerous than the other. Add Harry searching for Robin and a revenge-fueled Alyanna, and you have violence, mayhem, and a bit of a time clock as Harry needs insulin, and soon. Also searching for Robin in a separate-but-equal storyline is Sherriff Ritter (co-director Christian Voss).

Christian Voss

The landscape is stark, and we see numerous (and beautiful) abandoned buildings and ruins among the windy plains to its desolate and disparate foothills. Voss’s cinematography brings the area to life, to symbolize a form of near death.

The social commentary is deep and widespread through the story. It explores the dangers of cults and how they prey on the lonely and scared/scarred, and how it is easy to fall victim. But more central to the story is the long history of the plains (and of Western Canada, as well) as far as the incredibly substantial number of Indigenous women who go missing every year. There is an organization dedicated to this occurrence called Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (MIWW). It is of overwhelming numbers. Currently, I am watching a television program based on a series of novels by Louise Penny called “Three Pines,” which centers around this topic.

There are some decent gore effects, though it is happily limited, as this is more about the story than a splatterfest. Most of the body effects are SFX, while there is some CGI used sparingly, such as a rainstorm.

I have always known Chomicki as a comedy actor in slapstick films, so it is good to see him get serious. While his acting remains in a certain range, he shows that he can manage the drama as well as the goofiness, when needed. The rest of the cast also does well, including Dave Campfield, who literally phones it in (Zoom on a computer and by cell phones), in a role that’s key to the story, however.

While recognizing this is a life dream for Chomicki as lead actor (rather than co-lead), he has done himself proud. The film is a good B thriller with bit of violence and a social conscious. I like that.

Be sure to stick around after the credits. Perhaps a sequel, with Disney nurse Scott Aguilar? I am hoping.

IMDB listing HERE

Review: Ravage Nation

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

Ravage Nation (aka Ravage III: Ravage Nation)
Directed by Michael Moutsatsos
Dondi Inferno Productions
87 minutes, 2022

Before I even start, please note that the fact that this is the second chapter in the series should not matter, and I will explain below within the review.

 When idjits refuse to get mass vaxxed, as with the COVID virus, the disease has the chance to mutate. So far, we have been fortunate that until now, the mutations have been slightly lesser in severity. But what if they got worse, instead? That is the premise, in part, of this film.

Jake Scozzaro, Ed Gage

By 2036, most of the population has been wiped out by CV5., Let everyone thank the likes of Trump, DeSantis, Bobert, Greene, etc., for this. According to the text scrawl that opens the film, mothers gave birth to human mutations in the forms of beast-like creatures, which hunted humans. If they bite or even scratch you and you live, you turn into a flesh-eating zombie yourself in a mere 12 seconds. All this info and exposition is presented before the credits (it also appears in the trailer, below).

The mutants tend to be people with either extreme white make-up on, or animal heads (masks), and they go around either capturing and killing humans on their own, or murder them in gangs, often with axes or sledgehammers, for some reason: a pragmatic choice may be that because the mutants wear thick gloves, I am guessing to help with the make-up expenses, rather than having to show the misshapen hands. If this is true, I respect that.

Rather than a narrative storyline, we see vignettes of people being killed, many bound up beforehand. The film is mostly monochrome, usually black and white, and the slaughters in red. These fragments are not exceedingly long, so if you tire easily, a new one is coming up very shortly.

Because Act 1 of this film is episodic, it really does not matter that there were two previous releases. There are very few returning characters, except perhaps one of the main ones from the previous releases, Dean (Jake Scozzaro), who has multiple personality disorder (they are legion, including one from my home town of Brooklyn, NY) – think of Split (2017), without The Beast – perhaps derived from PTSD resulting from the effects of the first two films (which I have not seen), after what happened to his family, shown in the prologue. He dominates nearly the entire Act 2. Amusingly, he kills a chained zombie who wears a tee-shirt that says “Vaccinated.” Perhaps a Right-Wing commentary, as they claim you will catch COVID even if you had your shot(s)? That is true because too many, as I said, have not had their shots to neutralize it communally. Also, one character discusses how COVID was invented by the Chinese as a chemical weapon, a solid Republican talking point. Again, I politically digress, but at least you know where I stand…

There is some humor here and there, seemingly to revolve around a ventriloquist’s doll called Marv, who not only Dean has conversations with, but so does a guy named Stan (director Michael Moutsatsos), who not only talks to Marv (and hears answers), but also to imaginary people. When Dean and Stan get together at a picnic table with Marv to play cards, it feels like sitting in on an ad-lib, off-the-wall conversation.

Another returning character is survivalist Silver (Ed Gage) who is into martial arts; however, his appearance in Act 3 is more of an extended cameo, though he does get to show off his “moves” with fists and a sword.

Another aspect I found of interest is both the external and internal actions of the two food groups, as it were. The mutants kill humans randomly but like to eat babies. This leads me to a question: if a mutant, also known as a hybrid, eats a human, is that cannibalism, as they are both the same and varied species? Anyway, the mutants mostly seem to work together (not counting the lone wolf zombies who are mindless eaters, as they should be) to slaughter the humans they consider inferior. However, the humans kill mutants, zombies, and other humans, the latter for the competition of food, I guess. In this scenario, the mutants seem more cohesive, socially.

While there are some squeamishable scenarios, the gore looks decent, but, though the level of violence is quite strong, shown steadily throughout the entire film. For me, I did not mind the monochrome, but the way the red filter is used gives a “tell” that a kill is about to occur, kind of ate away at the surprise value, even if it was obvious what was coming.

The ending is a bit up in the air, but considering the storyline, such as it is, it makes sense to leave it open ended, because a title card at the end informs of a Ravage Domination sequel. There is not an easy resolve for the world situation as it depicts; no fixes. Sort of like the end of The Planet of the Apes (1968) with Charlton Heston yelling on the beach, or I guess a better choice may be Night of the Living Dead (1968).

Though the film occasionally feels amateurish and cobbled together (yet it has won numerous festival awards), it certainly is entertaining. I may have to go back and watch the first release, and see the origins of the events that are recounted here.

IMBD listing HERE

Review: Death Knot

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

Death Knot (aka Tali mati)
Directed by Cornelio Sunny
Matta Cinema; Kathanika Entertainment; Well Go USA Entertainment
101 minutes, 2021 / 2023
www.rhythmicfilms.com/
https://wellgousa.com/Death-Knot.
#DeathKnot @WellGoUSA

“Momma told me not to come” – Three Dog Night

Indonesia is slowly but surely becoming a hotbed for Asian horror, especially thanks to the push of companies like Well Go USA Entertainment. After all, who cares about subtitles, right? Personally, I like ‘em.

Cornelio Sunny, Eidike Sidmore

The film was first-time directed and co-written by Cornelio Sunny, who is also the principal protagonist. After the chilling prologue, we meet Hari (Sunny) and his sister, Eka (Widike Sidmore), who is married to the annoying but sometimes charming Adi (Morgan Oey). The three cosmopolitan characters who live in Jakarta, head off to a small agrarian village where Hari and Eka’s estranged-for-years mom (Djenar Maesa Ayu) has recently died in the prologue. On a cultural note, I find it interesting that on the drive up (thankfully not a long “road trip” scenario as is common in many genre films that start in one place and the main action is in another), both men sit up front with the sister in the back. Perhaps I am too Woke? But I digress…

There is obviously something afoot and mysterious as the villagers are evidently not very keen on their mom, with only less than a handful of fingers of people show up for the funeral: Mrs. Hesti (Very Handayani), Mr. Darno (Landung Simatupang), and mom’s sketchy money-focused brother, Rahman (Rukman Rosadi).

Morgan Oey, Sidmore

This delves deeply into local folklore, surrounded by superstition and poverty. Think about the “Christians” in the Deep South who use their religion like a sword against anything they think is “of the devil” (or evil, e.g., Democrats, though they constantly vote against their own self interests). Here, the mom is considered a “shaman,” or a witch in Western terms, who danced in the woods at night, at supposedly sold her soul to the debbil. Her deep dive into the rituals is what drove her now late husband and the two siblings to the city when they were young. The village is both familiar and strange to them (e.g., the need to ask for directions).

There are lots of local evil deity films (i.e., folklore), where the gods live in the woods, such as JugFace (2013) and The Burned Over District (2022). Here, “he” possesses people, or as the title suggests, he influences villagers to hang themselves. Like the gathering of crops, this amassing of souls is also called “The Harvest,” which the viewer learns through the exposition of a villager.

While this is a bit of a slow burn until the third act, it is creepy as hell and effective in its goal of making the viewer a bit anxious, aided by the subtle and dissonant background sounds and music.

There are a lot of day-for-night shots, with the use of a dark blue filter, as is the norm these days. Also, there are many yellow tones, especially inside rooms with lamplight. Hari’s room in the city is immersed in a yellow motif, for example. I also find it interesting that in many of these folklore storylines, it follows the maternal lineage rather than the masculine of our modern culture, even when the god is considered a “he.”

Also, the scenery and set pieces are stunning to look at, with cloudy mountains in the background and old huts and farms or forests in the foreground. The cinematography and editing, really help to enhance the story.

There is little blood as this film comes from a country that is approximately 87 percent Muslim (though, surprisingly, there is some cussing), but do not be deterred, because there are old god or gods (but not Cthulhu) that pre-date Allah, Jeebus, or Yahweh, spiritual possessions, ghosts, generational curses, violence (especially during the expected Act 3), sacrifices and suicides. While there is a lot of dialogue, and the film could easily have been trimmed a bit (Asian films tend to be a little longer than Western ones, but shorter than those from India), the tension is kept up throughout, and that is fine with me. An excellent debut by Sunny.

Death Knot will be available on Digital, Blu-ray and DVD after January 17, 2023.

IMDB listing HERE

Review: The Grandmaster of Kung Fu

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

The Grandmaster of Kung Fu (aka The Grandmaster of Kungfu)
Directed by Cheng Si-Yu
Zhonglele Pictures; Well Go USA Entertainment; Hi-YAH!
75 minutes, 2019 / 2023
https://wellgousa.com/films/grandmaster-kung-fu
www.hiyahtv.com
@WellGoUSA; #TheGrandmasterOfKungFu

Many of the Chinese kung fu/martial arts films of late that date back to a dynasty period, even a later one, tend to be stylized to the point of art, such as Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000). This is a natural progression of the old Shaw Bros films of the 1970s-‘80s, but you may wonder whatever happened to the down and dirty fighting of those good old days?

In Mandarin and Japanese (with English subtitles) comes this little ditty that is relatively new to the canon, but has that old time feel, without being VHS blurry images that we all had to get used to when we rented them from the local video store. The period in which this takes place is the end of the Qing Dynasty, which was essentially during World War II, when Japan invaded China and decimated many of the people and cultural icons. It is also the focus of the story, as Japan tries to take over Tianjin, a city dedicated to the martial arts. If the city is wiped out, there are less warriors fighting for their home turf.

When Japan invaded China in 1931, it lasted until the fall of the Japanese Empire in 1945. Japan’s brutal reign over China was short-lived, but was replaced by so-called Communist China in 1949, and was modernized under a different brutal regime. This is also the time period of Ip Man (2008, also released by Well Go USA Entertainment). But enough with the contextual history lesson.

The protagonist of this story is Huo Yuanjia (former World Wushu Champion Du Yuhang (aka Dennis To). He is a lowly porter (with a large house, for some reason) with a wife (Mei Xue) and young child. Of course, he is a master at a specific kung fu, which is not recognized by the official wushu (an umbrella title for a form of kung fu; the other being kuoshu) association of Tianjin, and its new president, Zhao. His becoming the head of the group is the opening sequence of trial by fist and feet. Still, Huo manages to get a single disciple, Chen Zhen.

In comes the Japanese, led by trigger happy Commander Yoshida Masaichi and his Aikido sword wielding superior Colonel Takeda Kamesaburo, who takes over the association’s building to open a forbidden Japanese martial arts school. Of course, just minutes in, it is easy to tell that at some point it will be a fight between Yuanjia and either Masaichi or Kamesaburo in a match of Chinese kung fu vs. Japanese budō. Following the narration of nearly all these kinds of films This is a Chinese martial arts standard, and rightfully so.

Du Yuhang is very likeable, and his style is reminiscent of Donnie Yen (Ip Man). It should come as no surprise that he played the Ip Man character a year later in the prequel, The Legend is Born: Ip Man (2010). As far as the other actors, interestingly, the Japanese are played by Chinese actors, and the Japanese language is dubbed in. The film also stars Gao Xuemei, Yang Yongfeng, Li Ruoxi and Zhuang Han, but I do not know who played which role.

The film relies on a few cliches, such as the championship tournament, Japan’s overreach and malevolence, the final battle, and the one-against-many opponents (including Ninjas!). Because of this there are some formulaic narratives, but hell, we watch this stuff for the, well, Hi-YAH! quality. In this case, the action is both well-choreographed and shot/edited. There is a bunch of wirework, as is par for the course, but no ridiculous flying through the air or jumping from one roof to another. While obvious, it is done only within fights and not over-emphasized (e.g., no jumping from the ground to the top of a building).

My one complaint is that sometimes the subtitles roll by too fast for my aged eyes. But what the hell, it is the action sequences that are the backbone of any martial arts film, and this definitely delivers.

This is director Cheng Si-Yu’s first film and has since made the likes of Land Shark (2020). I am hoping he goes on to do a crime drama, or another martial arts release set in the Feudal period. Meanwhile, there is this gem.

A Hi-YAH! original, the film is available on the Hi-YAH! martial arts streaming service (link above), as well on Blu-ray and DVD.

IMBD listing HERE

Review: Blades in the Darkness

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

Blades in the Darkness (aka Kthetrat e Shqiponjes)
Directed by Alex Visani
Aspide 1 Productions; J&K Media Partners/Unimaginable Productions
84 minutes, 2022
www.facebook.com/BladesInTheDarkness/
www.instagram.com/blades.in.the.darkness/

I do believe this is the first time I am reviewing a film from the Balkans, and I am excited. It is in Albanian and mostly Italian, with subtitles. Unlike some, I love subtitles; comes from seeing to many live, loud bands in my youth.

Taking place in the Albanian capitol of Tirana, the prologue is set in 1997, after the fall of communism in the area, and the rise of the infamous and bloody civil war that followed. In a supposedly abandoned bunker stumbled young Matia (Matia Çobanaj) meets the Commander (Francesco Rossini), and especially the Commander’s Wife (Manuela Arcuri), who are hiding out in the bunker, which sets up the story to follow, and will intermix back and forth for a while with the present.

Emir Jouka

Back in modern day, arriving in Albania from the UK – but speaking Italian – is Adrian (Ermir Jonka), his girlfriend Nua (Ilirda Benleri), and Giulia (Ingrid Monacelli) and her boyfriend Davide (Endrit Ahmeta). Carrying their money in a leather bag (you can see that this is not a good idea, of course), they plan to open a restaurant in an abandoned bunker with the help of Adrian’s restauranteur cousin, Ilir (Arnold Damazzeti), who is a bit of a sketchy character, into MMA-style kickboxing (as a participant, not viewer).

Ilirda Benleri

Thanks to a betrayal by one or two of the group, with Romanian mobsters and drug dealers and money owed, their savings are gone, but some do not know it yet. This leads to them meeting up with the now insane and murderous Matia as an adult (Lorenzo Lapori, also a co-writer and fight coordinator), who had been sealed behind a wall. Years of loneliness and a seemingly perpetual 8mm propaganda film (200-foot reel, or 20 minutes) has made Matia – now known as Eagle Man in the credits – a bit tetched in the haid. He does, however, have a couple of cool and rusty knives and reminds me a bit of Kruger’s infamous claw (he even tends to run it along a wall), except one big blade for each hand. And, as the film shows, he is not afraid to use it on associates and indiscriminates alike. Yes, he is both mad, and angry, having his childhood and life taken away from him for a cause that never recovered (think of the roundly defeated Confederates or Nazis who hoped their evil beliefs would rise again.

There is a bit of a crime drama mixed in at some point, as the abandoned bunker where Eagle Man is captive behind a wall, is being utilized by a gang of drug dealers – we see a mound of bricks of white powder, perhaps representing the wall of evil that held Eagle Man captive – and their molls, more commonly known as the body count when Eagle Man flies to coop, blood and sorrow will follow.

Arnold Damazzeti

Into this scenario comes our Italian crew from England, hoping to make a new restaurant by recycling and transforming the very same bunker. As I have quoted before, Marshall McLuhan famously said when an object becomes obsolete, it comes back as art. Or in this case, a fancy eatery. While they may have served bird on the menu, they become the prey of an Eagle.

Our two couples arrive at the nest – I mean bunker – late at night, and that is where I end my descriptions, and the battle for life and death (mostly the latter, of course, as this is a literal slasher film). Somehow, in my head, I keep mishearing Creedence Clearwater Revival singing, “Down in the Bunker / Killing in the streets / The Eagle Man’s a-playin’ / Killin’ with knives so sweet.”

Lorenzo Lapori

Eagle Man is actually quite an interesting character by himself. He is as physically filthy as the Pig-Pen character from the Peanuts cartoons from literally years of not bathing, he wears the long coat and boots of the defeated army, his hair is long (though his beard not as much), and he is extremely scarred thanks to a meeting as a youth with some barb wire. Like most genre serial killers, he does not speak (though he does scream), probably from decades of loneliness. His anger comes out in the brutality of his kills. Most modern slashers, the killers like Jason and Michael are stoic, or punsters like Freddie, but this is pure rage. And then there are the cool booby-traps.

A certain level of disbelief is definitely needed around the Eagle Man, mostly pertaining to longevity. For example, he runs the projector constantly, but the bulb has not burned out, he eats food from cans, but how large a supply did they have in 1997 to the present? How does he shave (most of) his beard? How many gas drums does he have for the generator; perhaps he is Jewish, and this is a Hanukkah tale? I kid…

Manuela Arcuri

What I find interesting is that as brutal as Eagle Man is, and he really is, he is also a sympathetic character, rather than a one-dimensional killing machine. The murders are brutal and look great, without being overly graphic (i.e., not body horror), though there is a nice amount of blood to keep the customers satisfied. Hell, they even find a way for (female) nudity and a gratuitous sex scene.

While the acting is top-notch, it is the cinematography by the director that stands out for me, especially the last shot. Despite most of the film being in an ill-lit bunker, it was all clearly seen (thank you, blue filter). The bunker itself is both a maze and claustrophobic at the same time. Well done.

IMDB listing HERE

Review: Disturbing Behavior

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

Disturbing Behavior
Directed by David Nutter
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer; Hoyts Partnership; Beacon Communications; Behavioral Problems Productions; Village Roadshow Pictures; MVD Rewind Collection
84 minutes, 1998 / 2022
www.MGM.com
www.MVDvisual.com

Yeah, I know, with a $15 million budget, this is hardly indie filmmaking, especially with the relatively top-tier talent behind it. But it is a cool film that is now being released in High Definition (1080p), so here we go.

Controlling and adapting human behavior in cinema is usually done with aliens or demons possessing a body, such as in The Faculty (1998) and Fallen (1998). But there is also a genre of scientific experimentation to achieve the “perfect” person, be it Captain America (pick a film, any film), The Stepford Wives (1975) or even as recently as Get Out (2017).

Nick Stahl, Katie Holmes, James Marsden

In the Island town of Cradle Bay, WA (filmed on beautiful Bowen Island in British Columbia, a place I have vacationed). Things are going weird. Long-haired, pot-smoking, wild child Gavin (Nick Stahl) has witnessed a homicide by a member of the High School’s Blue Ribbon Club of another free-spirited woman; you can tell by the Devo tattoo on her ankle).

Into this mess, comes newcomer (there’s always a newcomer in high school dramas) and the film’s main protagonist, Steve (James Marsden, who was 25 when this film about high school was made, and looks every year of it) and his sister, Lindsay (a young Katherine Isabelle, who would go on to star the now horror touchstones, Ginger Snaps in 2000, and American Mary in 2012).

The Blue Ribbons

As with most schools, there are factions, like the nerds, the metal heads, and the stoners. When I went to high school, I was at the table of wimpy kids that nobody really bothered with because the factions in my Brooklyn school were more racially divided. But I digress… One of the groups is the aforementioned Blue Ribbon club, named because these were the “good” kids who all wear similar blue jackets. They look and act like jocks, but there is something creepy about them.

Into this pool comes Steve, a typical overage cinematic teenager with some parental issues, but not really a shit-stirrer, but not easily cow-towed, either. He’s not like, say, Richard (Tygh Runyan), who is a trouble maker and fights against authority (you know, sideburns, leather jacket, smokes and calls teachers “peckerhead” one day, and is a Blue Ribbon the next.

But there is definitely something off about the Blue Ribbons. Whenever they feel lust (remember high school?), their eye glows red and they become ultra-violent, because they are being “bad.” They are a tightly insulated group who react negatively and often violently to anyone who is not in their “club” (hence, Devo girl). Their clique is run by the obviously villainous school Edgar Caldicott (Bruce Greenwood).

Bruce Greenwood, Marsden

Thrown into all this mishigas, with the help of resident philosopher and loose cannon Gavin, Steve meets “town trash” Rachel (Katie Holmes looking her best, even with that weird crooked smile), who is Gavin’s friend. The three bond while Gavin understandably lusts after one of the Blue Ribbons, Lorna (Crystal Cass, in her only film role).

Perhaps it was the sign of the times, but I find it interesting that when the male Blue Ribbons get horny, they instantly act violent outwardly and damage anyone around them (as is seen in a supermarket melee, but when the females get turned on, the first reaction is to self-harm. I would really like to question the writer of this film about that.

Chad Donella, Marsden

Meanwhile, it’s up to Steve, Rachel, albino stoner/drug dealer and comic relief U.V. (Chad Donella, who has some of the best lines in the film) who is sort of a more mellow Spicoli, from 1982’s Fast Times at Ridgemont High), and coming out of left field with a cinematic device that can be predicted a long time on, custodian, Andy Newberry (Nick Stahl), to save the world… well, at least Cradle Bay High School from the likes of Dr. Caldicott and police officer Cox (Steve Railsback in an underused role). You know the showdown is coming in the third act as some of our top cast is up for being the new Blue Ribbons. While I am sure it will be exciting ( am nearing the end of Act 2, as I write this), the means that will change the battlefront power is already obvious.

Extra! Extra! That’s what this Blu-ray has!! The biggie is the full commentary by the director, David Nutter. Typical of most, Nutter (who also directed the “X-Files”) describes the process, what scenes mean, hiring and working with the actors, etc. He’s a bit monotone, but never flat as he keeps the focus to keep this worth watching.

Crystal Cass (center)

The Deleted Scenes part is actually quite extensive and worth the watch. They are not just clips, but some of the 11 are enlightening, especially the one with Steve’s mother, which explains an important motivating action later on. And most enjoyable was the last, which was the original ending of the film (both work). The viewer can choose to watch these as they are, or with a commentary by Director David Nutter. Along with audio options of English and French 2.0 Stereo and optional English and French subtitles, the rest of the digital end is the original theatrical trailer among other coming attractions. On the physical end is reversible cover artwork, collectible mini-poster, and limited-edition slipcover for the first pressing only.

Now do not get me wrong. This is a hell of a fun joy ride of a film, right through. It has aged a bit though, but still fits into the whole teenage paranoia scenario to a tee; however, it is an early example of a formula that has been used and reused many times since. As I said, the 3 Act is action packed albeit predictable, and I had a lot of fun with it. Hell, it has been 20 years since I first saw it, and I will probably see it again without that much of a time span.

There’s a really nice coda at the end that’s, again, obvious, but still made me smile. If this was to come out now, they would probably have put it after the credits.

IMDB listing HERE