Review: In the House of Flies

Text © Richard Gary / Indie Horror Films, 2016

Images from the Internet

In the House of Flies

Edited and directed by Gabriel Carrer

Parade Deck Films / Bleeding Apple /
Black Fawn Films / Latefox Pictures

89 minutes, 2012 / 2014

www.gabriel.carrer.com

www.blackfawndistribution.com

www.mvdvisual.com

In my youth, I was a huge fan of comix like Eerie and Creepy (Archie Goodwin was my fave). As much as I enjoyed them, I was also a fan of their brain-damaged cousins, the stranger ones that were the low-run rip-offs that reprinted no-name author and artist EC Comics-like tales of murder and mayhem from the 1950s or so. There was one story I remember where this “scientist” kept young couples in love in cages, starving them and meting out just bits of food, and seeing how long it would take for them to turn on each other. I was reminded of that particular tale with this one.

This is also a good example of how one film can be influenced by another, and yet still shine on its own. The premise smacks of Iron Doors (2010; sans the sci-fi element) and the moralizing of Saw (2004) without the brain cancer reasoning, mixed with the television game shows “Deal or No Deal” or “Fear Factor,” but it remains raw and draws the viewer into a ring of hell.

It’s 1998, and a young pre-engaged couple are having fun at Niagara Falls (the Canadian side, of course; if you’ve been there, you know what I mean). They are kidnapped and awaken in a plain basement with a tiny window, a bunch of locked suitcases, and someone giving them directions by voice only on a phone that cannot dial (you heard me) out. I kept expecting someone to say, “Let’s play a game” (actually, at almost the hour point, it is indeed stated).

Over the following days, the two captors make their presence known: Mr. Arm (Ry Barrett) and The Voice (almost instantly recognizable to me as Henry Rollins) are both treating them like dogs (“Apologize”; “No more damage”) mixed with non-religious sermonizing memes (“Envy creates silent enemies”; “You should have taken care of him/her”) on how to be a better person (to Rise Above? Sorry…). While slowly starving them, with just small amounts of food in suitcases that they get to open every few days, the tasks assigned them get harder and harder. No, I won’t reveal any of them, but it is pretty obvious he is watching and listening in to their conversations.

Ryan Kotack

The guy is Stephen (Ryan Kotack), who is a mild looking dude, but full of masculinist behaviours, subtly ordering his mate around and treating her poorly at times (in my opinion; general consensus probably would not see it); he also reacts violently against his “host” in ways that would not help in the big picture. Heather (Lindsey Smith) is placed in the position of subservient to both Steven and The Voice. Smith comes across as a strong woman in a role that makes her the object of both verbal and physical abuse, more so than Steven. Honestly, it pissed me off.

It is made clear that Heather and Stephen are not the first couple chosen for this conundrum (“You’re worse than the others” The Voice tells Heather), so surely then he must know that people cannot survive without water for more than three-to-five days. In the meanwhile, there would be renal shutdown, illness, cramps, hallucinations, etc., few of which are present here after denied water for four days straight, at one point.

The big question about what is happening to our lovebirds is a big why. Is it sadism? Were they hired to take care of them? It sure seemed like they were targeted from the opening scene. Personally, I wasn’t satisfied with the answer, but don’t worry, again, I won’t discuss it and give anything away. Not seeing the bad guys is a nice choice even though it leads more to confusion than conclusion, but I’m guessing that is part of the point, eh? Oh, did I mention it is a Canadian film, shot it Guelph, Ontario?

Lindsey Smith

Despite the whining by me, the film has a really good look, both set and camera-wise, and the lighting and sound are nicely handled, as well. While the editing is also interestingly paced, at the same time, there might have been a bit more terseness if the film was a bit shorter. Okay, philosophically, I believe I understand the thought behind it, since long-held shots add to the tension in a world that has gotten accustomed to bam-bam editing. By the halfway point, however, my tension had turned a bit to tedium on some level, and I really wanted to skip a bit, but this reviewer don’t play that. Unfortunately, it wasn’t a tension of the action, but one of ennui as I kept saying, “Oh, c’mon, this is gender normative even for 1988.”

Despite the phone calls, the film is essentially Heather and Stephen, and both actors do quite fine work. Considering it’s the first (but hardly the last) credit on their IMDB profile, that’s saying a lot. I look forward to seeing them both again in the future.

The first extra is a 40-minute Making Of called “A Fly on the Wall.” It is interesting in parts, but it’s really self-indulgent to expect the viewer to watch that much detail about production. The second is 7-1/2 minutes of the film’s premiere in Spain of all places, at the Bilbao Fantasy Film Festival, that is more a travelogue than anything. Then there is the trailer, some stills, six whatever deleted scenes that average just over a minute apiece, and an English captions option (for which I’m always grateful). The DVD box says there is also a commentary track, but I didn’t find it, quite honestly.

I want to warn couples, do not see this film as a “date,” unless you are accustomed to watching genre types, because I can almost guarantee that a fight will ensue. “What would you do in this situation? Would you hit me? Would you make me hit you?” You see where I’m going, I hope.

Lastly, I should add that this film has been shown at a number of festivals, and has been highly praised by other reviewers.

Review: Seven Dorms of Death

Text © Richard Gary / Indie Horror Films, 2016

Images from the Internet

Seven Dorms of Death

Directed and edited by Richard Griffin

Scorpio Films Releasing / MVD Visual

80 minutes / 2015

www.facebook.com/Seven-Dorms-of-Death

www.mvdvisual.com

I am not sure if this would fall under the umbrella of DC or Marvel (or Archie), but if director Richard Griffin were to be considered a superhero, his power would certainly be taking used-up ideas and bringing new life into them. Wes Craven (d. 2015, RIP) is credited with doing that with the slasher genre when he released Scream (1996), but other than a huge budget, he gets to be the sidekick in my fantasy. Not to take away credit for any of his amazing earlier ground-breaking films, but when it comes to the rejuvenation of a subgenre, it would be hard to find someone to outmatch Griffin, considering the budgetary restraints and sheer volume of his output. I have not seen a single release of his to date that I would not recommend.

Yes, I’ve said this before, and I may repeat it every time I see one of Griffin’s films, that no matter what the genre he tackles (Shakespeare is next, I hear), I look forward to sitting down and turning on one of his films for the first, and even second or more times.

In the video nasty days of the 1980s, during the cheapie VHS phase of indie filmmaking, there was a different mindset to making a movie. Now, shooting, in itself, is no extra cost because it’s all digital, including the editing. Back in the day, though, getting film was much harder, and getting good quality material was even more difficult (i.e., it cost much more; and that expense doesn’t even go into the area of processing). Because of that, it was rare for reshoots, and it was realistic policy to employ as much of the processed film that could be used. If there was an accident, or an anachronism, it was either dealt with in editing, or most likely given an “oh, well…”stance. Fixing it in post was much more difficult, and also highly less likely.

Classic old guy giving the "you're all gonna die" warning"

It is with this premise as a motif that we are introduced to the 1983 Dunwich High School theater troupe, filled with ‘80s cliché characters, such as the pretty boy with attitude, the virgin, the cool/mean girl, the long Jeri-curled black guy, and the weird hippie occultist. Being a horror film based on the that period, there’s lots of H.P. Lovecraft references, a particular metal band mentioned often supposedly to try to connect with its audience of demographically teenaged boys, and some sex, nudity and, that tried-and-true trope that exists even today, the unnecessary-to-the-story shower scene.

It would be nearly impossible to categorize all of the intentional mistakes that were put in the film; blink and you could miss the script person in the scene, or the dead body breathing, or an actor looking for his mark. It’s also pretty obvious that the masked killer is played by numerous people, and the way Griffins concludes this particular cliché is, frankly, hysterical. In fact, the whole film is hilarious because of these inclusions. It may take a few recommended viewings to play Spot the Mistake-ake-ake-ake [supposed to sound like a fading emphasis echo]. Don’t make it a drinking game, though, or I guarantee a hospital visit.

Aaron Andrade as Vargas

The (again, purposeful) overacting, especially by the head police detective Vargas (Aaron Andrade), is so painfully bad that it’s stellar. The virginal heroine is named, of course, Severin (Anna Rizzo, wearing Catholic school girl attire, rather than shiny boots of leather), is nerdy-cute, and tackles the role with gusto. Another standout character is ace Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter for the Pennysaver, Jane Peach (Laura Pepper), who amusingly and effectively brings back the quick-style dialogue reading of the 1940s, often employed by the likes of either Katherine Hepburn or especially Rosalind Russell (as a example, see His Girl Friday [1940]).

The body count is high and the gore is, well, strange. There is a lot of it, but much of it is just plain (and, once again, purposefully) silly. That also makes it part of the fun, whose quotient is exceedingly high in this film. And though taking place in the early 1980s (i.e., was supposed to be filmed then), Griffin still finds a way to work in gender/sexuality politics, and rightfully so, especially in this present political climate, similar to the homophobic Reagan regime.

This is supposed to be, in part, a reflection of the guiallo European films, such as Jesse Franco’s, but for me this comes across as very American, as small companies tried to cash in on the quickly expanding VHS market (whose biggest sellers were horror and porn) as major companies still eyed the cinema showcases, i.e., theaters. However, the ending of this film is straight out of a Lucio Fulci (d. 1996) playbook, especially like The Beyond (1981, aka Seven Doors of Death, along with a multitude of translated names).

The film reminds me of an earlier (and also excellent) Griffin comedic horror film, The Sins of Dracula (2015), though both approach the topic differently. In each release, it’s a theater troupe that’s in danger (here it’s overaged high schoolers; in Sins it is Community Theater) from murder and the occult. This is also helped by the sharp blue and red lighting, which are employed in both. I suggest not seeing one or the other, though, but rather both, as one shows what happens when the film technique is successful, and one where it is played as wonky.

But oh, there is so much more. The framework around the film is that it is being shown on a Monster Chiller Horror Theatre type program called Baron Von Blah’s Celluloid Crypt, with the venerable stage actor Michael Thurber playing the Baron, which mixes a bit of Count Floyd and his own scene stealing Roger Keller character from 2013’s short “Crash Site.” This is meant as a compliment, of course. Within the bookends and inserts within the film, we see fake commercials and promos (e.g., a trailer for Dracula’s House of Sadism), which essentially are shorts (very short) mostly directed by Griffin, but also the likes of Alex DiVincenzo (whose other worthwhile shorts have also been reviewed on this blog, but I digress…).

Michael Thurber as your host, Baron Von Blah

Taken all together, this is a beautifully hot mess, that any fan of the genre will watch with glee in the same way one would watch an April Fool’s version of The Simpsons or Family Guy (also taking place in Rhode Island!), where the references are more visual than just verbal connections.

One can’t help but admire Griffin’s acumen in such an output of films, and his merry band of actors keeps on growing – and coming back – which shows that they know they are dealing with quality product, writing (the main story here by Matthew Jason Walsh), and dedication. And there is so much for the growing fan base to enjoy, as well.

Review: Hank Boyd is Dead

Text © Richard Gary / Indie Horror Films, 2016

Images from the Internet

Hank Boyd is Dead

Written and directed by Sean Melia

Bag of Cats Productions / Loree Lewis Motion Picture Company

76 minutes, 2014

www.hankboydisdead.com

www.facebook.com/hankboydisdead

I have know quite a few “bubbling under” actors in my life. While the cliché is that struggling artists are wait staff in diners and restaurants while they anticipate their big break – and this is somewhat true – but what I have found to be closer to accurate is that there is more of a tendency to work for catering companies, both private and corporate. Some have even gone on to more success running these outfits than acting careers. And that, in part, is the premise of this film. But more on that in a couple of paragraphs.

Major films tend to go for the “easy kill,” as it were, with simple premises that have been proven to satisfy, such as masked killers and the like, repeated over and over. They’ll take a premise from an unexpectedly successful indie film, for example Friday the 13th (1980), or Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974), and then decimate the story into the ground by a matter of redux (A Nightmare on Elm Street No. 25: Freddy’s got COPD; coming soon, probably, to a theater near you). If they don’t do an umpteenth sequel, then it’s either a prequel or a “reboot” to start the series from scratch.

Indies, however, freed from the burden of corporate sponsors, tend to take chances, hence most of why the franchises started out as independent releases. Even with old tried-and-true ideas, they look at things in different ways, such as with this film.

Stephanie E. Frame as Sarah

In this story with comedic overtones, the action actually starts post-murders, and the death of the killer, the titular Hank. He has been found hanged in his jail cell after being arrested for several murders. It’s at that point we meet our protagonist, Sarah (Stefanie E. Frame), an struggling actor who is on her first day of work as a caterer. After years of taking care of her ill dad, she arrives at Hank’s family home to work. Only then is when she learns not only whose house it is, but that she actually went to high school with Hank a decade earlier. Small towns are small towns, even in New Jersey.

As much as Sarah is the central character, it’s the Boyd family (and acquaintances) that are the real scene grabbers, as each is looney in their own way, much in the direction of that old stalwart, Arsenic and Old Lace (1944; if you haven’t seen it, you are missing one of the great horror comedies) or Spider Baby (1967). Mama Boyd is well on her way to dementia, but enough is left to leave some fear in the viewer and an understanding of the family history and dynamics. Carole Monferdini does a stellar jobs shifting from one mode to another, like a light switch, and keeping her character genuine.

Her kids are also deranged, such as the youngest, pretty, wide-eyed and not bright Aubrey (Liv Rooth); her eldest brother is sociopathic (look at those intense and finely manicured eyebrows!) cop David (David C. Wells). We don’t get to meet the middle kids, one a sister who has already died mysteriously, and the titular Henry (ironically named after 1986’s Henry, Portrait of a Serial Killer, perhaps?), aka Hank. The other main character is Ray (Michael Rogan), who is David’s sexual degenerative PO partner.

Papa Boyd is also long dead, but the apples don’t fall far (etc.), and in fact, each generation seems to – er – degenerate, or de-evolve. Are we not men? We are Boyds. As more than one member of the clan is known to say, which in olden days would be put on a shield in Latin, “It’s what my family does” (Quid mihi est familia, FYI). This is especially true as the film continually gears up, eventually going past the tipping point and into ever deeper violence.

All of the acting here is stellar, and not just for an indie, mini-budget production. The reason is that the cast is part of the theater scene in New York (though filmed in Edison, NJ). Pooling the talent of a troupe that has practice working and thinking on their feet, ready to meet the story head on, works well for this production.

There is no nudity, and the blood is kept to a “reasonable” amount, but holding back actually works for the film because it doesn’t become a distraction. Rather, it is more effective due to its use when necessary, rather than “look how many gallons I can use!”

Most of the filmmaking is pretty straightforward, which is a compliment these days. There’s a story and they stick to it. That’s not to say it’s not creative, though. Throughout the film, there are clips from old 8mm family footage and “educational” ones. While some appear random, others mirror what is happening at that moment on a more abstractive level. Other are thrown in so fast and seemingly subliminal, that it’s startling.

I have no problem calling this a black comedy, but it delves into a deeper, more murder thriller than horror. Perhaps noir comedy? Obsidian comedy? One of the problems I have with many horror comedies is that they are rarely story-driven as much as goofy, such as Scary Movie (2000; the first one was smart, the rest, well, not so much), A Haunted House (2013) and any one of a dozen other spoofers like Vampires Suck (2010). When the mix is both comedy and horror or dread that follows a decent plot, that’s what gets my attention more than cramming in as many references as one can because that’s what passes as cool to these hackneyed filmmakers (I’m talkin’ to you, Wayan Bros). Fortunately, this one falls into the comedy/dread category rather than spoof humdrum.

As I said, the film never lets up, but does not weary the viewer with undo tropes. For example, there are no long shots of someone walking down a corridor while we wait for something to eventually leap out at them for a jump scare. What we are presented with, instead, is a taut dynamic that doesn’t pander, and doesn’t let go, right to the end. Plus there are some really unexpected moments. Considering this is the director’s first full length feature, that’s quite impressive.

Review: Rows

Text © Richard Gary / Indie Horror Films, 2016

Images from the Internet

Rows

Written and directed by David W. Warfield

Storysolver Film Lab / Labyrinth 7

Indie Nights Movies / MVD Visual

82 minutes / 2013 / 2016

www.RowsMovie.com

https://www.facebook.com/RowsMovie

www.mvdvisual.com

In this convoluted and revolving story, Rose White (Hannah Schick) is given a task by her dad (Kenneth Hughes) to give eviction papers to a mysterious woman (Nancy Murray) who may be an “enchantress” (aka witch; more on that later). She “bewitches” (drugs) Rose, and the story is on its way. Kinda.

Hannah Schick

Filmed in Delaware, Rose and her questionable friend Greta (Lauren Lakis) – as in Gretel – find  themselves repeating their actions, and nearly always trying to get out of a seemingly never-ending cornfield. Each variation they go through starts similarly, but turns out different once they approach the weird house inhabited (once or still) by the strange woman, with each character playing kind of a different part in the story section, always leading to a result that also changes.

This highly praised film is based on a number of different fairy tales (in case you didn’t recognize the name “Rose White”), such as the Briar (cornfield), Hansel and Gretel being lost in the woods (again, the cornfield), a father that is clueless, a lack of an older positive female/mother figure, a wicked witch (possible step-mother in one variation?) doling out curses, and so on.

Lauren Lakis

There is also a smattering of more modern fictions as well, with influences like Groundhogs Day (1993), Run Lola Run (1998), Thinner (1996), Drag Me to Hell (2009) and The Shining (1980). The circular nature of the story and the “shooting the messenger” (cursing) come together in snippets.

My problem is that, well, rather than being dragged to hell, to me the film just dragged. By about the halfway time, I no longer cared. Watching someone – or sometimes two or more people in some cases – walking through a cornfield really started to wear on me, making me more impatient than filled with dread. As they continued to just walk and walk and walk, my interest began to increasingly decline. But I stuck it through the entire thing, waiting for the end result and explanation.

Considering the opening sequence, I am guessing that the whole thing was a psychotropic-induced nightmare, but it’s not really explained nor resolved. In fact, none of it really makes much sense, other than the most basic premise. There is no feeling of horror, no anticipation, and no angst that reached outside of the characters to me. I was left confused, befuddled, and not sure of what I was seeing, or what it meant to the story.

Nancy Murray

For example, there is a scene where Greta steps out of the cornfield. Shot from the front, she is dressed; shot from the back she is not. Okay, I understand she is supposed to be a seductress at this moment, but the dual shot makes no sense to the story (other than the actress not wanting to be shot topless, I suppose, even though there are many shots of both women being obviously braless, and the camera focusing on them bending over).

Even the direction is pretty solid, with beautiful shots and a languid feel. It’s the story that is the weak point to me. This makes me sad, actually, as there is a lot going for it, and if the plot was stronger, without so many questions that left me scratching my head, it could have been much more powerful to me. Sigh.  

Cinema can be like poetry, with layers (rows?) of symbolism that cloud the context, and often a masturbatory vision for the creators that is deeply meaningful for some, and hard to read for others. It’s not a matter of good or bad, it’s on a different level of abstraction. Perhaps a commentary track could have been used to do some ‘splainin’, as Ricky Ricardo might have said. There are, however, no extras other than the chapters.

Review: Fine Housekeep

Text © Richard Gary / Indie Horror Films, 2016

Images from the Internet

Fine Housekeep

Written, directed, shot and edited by Trevor Bather

Trashmonger Video

57 minutes, 2015

www.facebook.com/transmongervideo

Full movie free HERE

If you will indulge me the flash of ego, I’m a smart guy. I have a Master’s degree from a credible university, a long reach in cinema history, and know how to put together a metaphor. And yet, when it comes to a certain level of esoterica and abstraction, I get a bit lost.

As an undergrad, I had a professor who was into expressionist and surrealistic films by the likes of Stan Brakhage, and would show us their works such as Dog Star Man (1961-64). Without being able to read the films due to lack of narrative storylines, I was completely lost. It’s another reason I’ve avoided James Joyce’s novels Ulysses (1922) and Finnegans Wake (1939). This situation was handled beautifully in a 1963 animated short, The Critic (1963; starring Mel Brooks, and which won an Oscar for Animated Short, by the way). I know I’m digressing, but there is a bit of that here, as well, though I am hardly comparing this film to them.

The Wife

A man with wild eyes credited as The Husband (Ben Kepley) is sitting in his living room. Meanwhile, The Wife (Tyler Antoine), whose face throughout the film is covered in cream (looks like the shaving kind) and has cucumber wedges over her eyes, lolls around on a couch. They are both in a stream of consciousness state (drug induced, perhaps?), daydreaming about themselves in various situations. For example, he imagines himself as Jesus, in robes and carrying a wooden cross medallion (like the size Eastern Orthodox priests wear); she pictures herself dancing with a deranged looking football player?/fan? (Andrew Freud), who is often smacking and pursing his lips. We also follow his fantasy, at some point.

About half way through, there is a nicely done gory scene that is reminiscent of the Black Dahlia murder in 1947 (I’m willing to bet it was an influence), which is actually key to a way to look at this film. Rather than just being surrealistic, it would perhaps be better categorized (if that’s possible) into Transgressive Cinema, a movement come to fruition in the 1980s with the likes of Richard Kern and Nick Zedd. I kept expecting Lydia Lunch to show up at any moment. While the original group used S8mm film, this one is Shot-on-Video (SOV). However, it is the shaky camera, lack of dialog and the repetitive industrial electronic music that help indicate the genre.

Then there’s the Bazooka Joe redheaded serial killer… I call him that because of his tendency of covering the lower half his face with his turtleneck sweater.

In the end, the fault lies not in the stars but in myself. What I mean by that is, much like Black Metal or Electronica, I have very little point of reference. Simply put, I honestly don’t know if this film is brilliant or twaddle. Even with its listed $100 budget, you can tell a hell of a lot of work went into the editing of this baby (did I mention the amount of abuse a baby dolly with a gold-painted head is given in the second act? Uff da!).

Honestly, I wish I could give you a profound and deep analysis of what the cream on the face meant, or what the (lawn) grass “Jesus” had on his lap was for that made him so happy, or even the apparent affection between the football guy and the killer. Not a clue.

I’ve long-time learned that a reviewer or critic (whichever you want to use as a reference) is more a gatekeeper than a gate. What that means is that one could read a review and then go watch it anyway. Never let someone’s opinion (or in my case ignorance) stop or compel you from seeing a work. Decide for yourself. It’s easy in this case, because the film is free on YouTube (see the link above, or the trailer, below).

Reviews: Short Films, March 2016

Text © Richard Gary / Indie Horror Films, 2016

Images from the Internet

Reviews are in alphabetical order, not by ranking

Attic Panic

Written and directed by David Sandberg

3:00 minutes, 2015

The people who brought you the incredibly creepy short, “Lights Out,” are back with a new quickie piece with a similar theme that is well written by Sandberg, and acted by Lotta Losten, who also starred in that film as well. A woman is locked in what looks more like a storage basement than attic, with little wire cages sealed by a gym lock. Something is moving around and as it creeps along, the light bulbs start twisting off by themselves. It’s creepy, short, and well shot. And effective. Little time, and lots of tension. I really like these guys. Interestingly, there is a “Making Of” available on YouTube that’s about twice as long as the film itself, but I didn’t watch it.

Film:

Computer Hearts (Vanessa2 Cut)

Written and directed by Turner Stewart

Hentai Cop Films

25:14 minutes, 2014

www.facebook.com/Computer-Hearts

There is a maxim that states that the introduction of a new technology does not change any one thing, it changes everything, and that all technologies are a “Faustian Bargain”: to accept the good, you must also take in the negative. There is also a discussion going among New Technology scholars on whether it is accurate to compare internet usage such as on iPhones,  and laptops, to addiction. This aspect is explored in this surprisingly gruesome film.  Albert, a chubby telecommuter (played by the director, Turner Stewart), is living with his fiancée, Vanessa (Alix Miller).  But under his user name, Sgtecchi (ecchi, is Japanese hentai slang for “dirty” or “sexy,” FYI), he is not only uncontrollably drawn to a particular animated porn site, but with a particular character, also named Vanessa2 (Dionne Copland), to the point of obsession. He’s missed work and ignored Vanessa, nicely presented as having Miller talk, with no audible voice, as Albert stares past her at his computer. As a two-day period veers on, things take a sinister turn that will effect (and affect) everyone in this three-identity piece. There is bound to be some comparisons to both Her (2013) and Videodrome (1983), and rightfully so, but that’s okay because it goes to some nice and moist extremes. Some of the SFX indicate the low budget, but others are incredible considering the mico-budget. An particularly well-developed and intriguing film, I just want to add it’s worth the view, and also, “All hail the new flesh!” Oh, and although I’ve included it, the trailer below doesn’t really tell you much (okay, anything), but don’t let that fool you, it’s truly impressive.

Trailer:

HI
KNK Acting Institute

Written, directed (etc.) by Bahaish Kapoor

7:21 minutes, 2014

A really nicely done short from India (in English) that seems to rely on the Japanese trope of the possible haunting by a dead child (Vipassana Kapoor). A doctor (Monica Gill) thinks she’s hallucinating, and trying to call a colleague in the middle of the night seeking help, but the apparition keeps turning up. There is a hint of why this is happening, but not much detail. It’s hair-raising and also employs the common Japanese device of the moving elevator. Even though these elements are oft used, it’s effective here.  

Film:

Night of the Slasher

Written and directed by Shant Hamassian

We Make Movies

11:16 minutes, 2015

www.nightoftheslasher.com

Much like Scream (1996) – and I’m going to guess that I’m not the only one who is going to make the comparison – this film plays with the topes of the slasher film. Beautiful Jenelle (Lily Berlina) is acting strange, by drinkin’, dancin’, sexin’ with The Bait (as Scott Javore’s character is credited), and checking off the list of slasher film clichés, trying to draw out a masked serial killer (Adam Lesar). But not just jump scary, this also plays with the genre, such as The Bait mentioning that the schoolmates keep saying he looks like he’s 30 (i.e., actors playing teenagers being older than their characters), and that the Killer is wearing not a white Shatner mask, ala Halloween, but rather a Leonard Nimoy one. It’s both spooky and hysterical, especially if you get the references, and I’m only touching on them. Enjoyable and intelligent from the first frame to the last.

Trailer:

Opus Dei

Written and directed by George Najdzien

Terror Vision Pictures

8:23 minutes, 2015

www.facebook.com/terrorvisions

In the lush countryside of West Sussex, along the southern edge of the U.K., we meet a Priest (Tom Driver) and a cop (Tim Cullingsworth-Hudson). I won’t go into details as this is short and sweet so I wouldn’t want to give the twist(s) away, as this would certainly be more thriller than horror (though the definition of “Opus Dei” scares the crap outta me more than most fictional tales). What I will say is that in its brevity, the actors, especially Driver, are effective in this account that has a bit of a Miller’s Crossing (1990) vibe, but is more present day than flashback. Najdzien, in his first film, effectively presents the viewer with a premise and then sucker-punchers you. Honestly, I figured out the twist before the big reveal, but that didn’t stop it from working. I was impressed by Najdzien’s camerawork, especially one scene where you see the front of a car at an angle, and the trunk close in the windshield reflection, rather than the actual action. Nicely done. I certainly look forward to more work from him.

Trailer:

Tailypo

Written and directed by Cameron McCasland

Red Headed Revolution

14:20 minutes, 2015

www.facebook.com/tailypoterror

Perhaps I’m from too far up in Yankee country (Mason-Dixon wise, not the Bronx Bombers), but I’ve never heard of this Appalachian=based American Folk Horror Tale of an English speaking big cat that comes after people in desolate areas who have taken his tail. What the beastie says, over and over, is “Taily-po, taily-po, give me back my taily-po” (it’s pronounced “-poh,” and in “po’ boy”). Hunting for food in a desolate area free of game (I think there is a hint that the cat is the reason) is a backwoods man, Levon (David Chattam), who shares his cabin and life with his beloved dog, Jasper (Ranger). Taking a shot at some apparent food, all he gets is the tail (enough to make some soup). Well, you know who’s gonna come a-callin’ lookin’ fer it back. Without giving too much away I hope, the creature is a bit reminiscent of the Michael Jackson Thriller werecat, made by puppetmaster Dustin Mills, who knows about these things.  It is man (and dog) against creature, but I won’t say who wins. The fall (spring?) brown-leafed woods of Kentucky fills in beautifully under McCasland’s direction in a story that’s loyal to the folktale, and shot to give a bit of a claustrophobic field, even in the out of doors.  You can see the whole film below:

Film:

Thresher

Directed by Mike Diva (aka Michael Dahlquist) and Sam Shapson

Legendary Pictures

7:41 minutes, 2014

Nick Gregorio is stuck in a room for a reason we are not privy to for a while, locked by a bunch of chains and combination locks. He works on the numbers methodically and takes them off one by one until all but one is left. Time, however, is running out, as demonic creatures are ever moving forward. It takes a while for this to take off, but once it gets going, it does not let up. With CGI backgrounds and creatures, great and small, we get to see and feel his terror. The thingies looked a bit familiar, and then I realized some of the work was done by ScreamerClauz, who did the effects for (and directed) Where the Dead Go to Die (2012). Some imagery is also reminiscent of both The Mist (2007) and John Carpenter’s The Thing (1982), but by no means is the story weighed down by it.

Film:

Trouser Snake

Written and directed by Alex DiVincenzo

Grimbridge Productions

4:50 minutes, 2016

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While being, quite frankly, nonsensical, every moment of this film is enjoyable. And that’s with an estimated $100 budget! The setting is a world that is kind of a mix of mid-1950s “Gee Whiz” dialogue and visuals, and present day bone-jumping horndogs. Perhaps this is a spoof of a “Sex Warning” scare film, though it’s in full and clear color. It shoots back and forth between the narrative of poor Thomas (Alexander Gauthier), a [supposed] teen who is having a bit of trouble you-know-where (read the title, that’s all I’m gonna say). His doctor (Michael Thurber in a facially expressive turn) doesn’t know what to make of the – er – situation, and Thomas’s girlfriend Lucy (Jamie Lyn Bagley, who as I’ve said before, has a wondrous sense of both comic timing and expression; she should be hired on a sit-com) is in the car and ready to take it to the next step…aggressively. There is no explanation for the events (hey, it is under 5 minutes), but who cares. I’m assuming it’s both a satire of a cautionary tale. Screw it; I just know I smiled through the whole thing.

Trailer: