Oldie-But-Goody-Review, Part 1: The House on Sorority Row

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

The House on Sorority Row
Directed by Mark Rosman
VAE Productions; Scorpion Releasing; Multicom Entertainment;
Trafalgar Releasing; Bloody Disgusting; MVD Rewind Collection
91 minutes, 1983 / 2021
www.MVDVisual.com

I am going to start off with a digression: I find it amusing that in modern films, most of the flashback prologues tend to be set in the 1980s (often in honor to VHS releases like this one), but here, in a film from the ‘80s, it is 1961.

In the present and main section of the story, good girl Katie (Kathryn McNeil) has just graduated college and decides to stick around the campus with a gaggle of her friends to par-tay. It is pretty obvious that this was a bad decision on their parts (well, it is a genre film – from the 1980s – after all). Note that in an early scene, one of them, Diane (Harley Jane Kozak, looking a bit like Jamie Lee Curtis) wears a CBGB tee-shirt! In 1983! RIP CBs, a second home for me.

Kathryn McNeil

The house mother, Mrs. Slater (Lois Kelso Hunt, d. 2018) – who we meet in the prologue (yes, that’s how long she’s been heading the oddly named ПФ – Pi Phi – sorority) – is displeased by the girls not leaving and puts her foot down about closing the house, to which the girls (I think I’m old enough to call them girls) rebel, leading to unexpected circumstances that sets up the slaughter to come.

There are lots of what would now be considered cliches, but part of the fun is knowing that films like these were the originators of those common motifs, even with a number of relatively effective jump scares. And much like the music that was coming out of CBGB then (and especially previously), it was before there was a “uniform” and anything went. This gives more of an imaginative tone to the story and nuanced action.

This was also director Mark Rosman’s first feature (he was in his 20s), so he went all out blowing through his budget, giving him some freedom for a crane shot (was Johnny LaRue jealous?), for example, and some amazing SFX (practical rather than digital). There are also a few stand-out theatrical moments for its time, such as single shot at the party where the camera, one-by-one, finds the main actors. There is also an interesting, drug-induced dream sequence that is quite imaginative and totally entertaining. I also find it curious that after this film, Rosman essentially stayed away from horror, and instead directed things like “Lizzie McGuire” and the “William and Kate” (2011) television film. He did, however, direct a ramped-up remake of sorts, “Sorority Row” (2009).

Lois Kelso Hunt

The central theme and set-up feel like it was adapted as an urban version of Friday the 13th (1980) or perhaps even Friday the 13th Part 2 (1981), both which came out just a couple of years before. Instead of a machete, however, the sharp ends of a cane work equally well. Dr. Beck (Christopher Lawrence) does well in what is essentially the Dr. Loomis role.

During the party sequence, there is a performance by the Washington DC-based Power Pop band 4 Out of 5 Doctors, who look a bit like the glam of The Sweet, and sound influenced by The Quick’s Mondo Deco. They were actually quite popular and influential in their own way. The film was shot near Delaware, using some of John Waters’ crew.

CBGB shirt

 As for the extras, there are two audio commentaries, the first being a good one by the director, Rosman, questioned by profession wrestler Katarina Waters, and the other with the director again, and the stars Kathryn McNeil and Eileen Davidson (who reminds me of Emily Blunt), whose bad girl with great hair character Vickie sets off the whole bloody affair. Rosman’s comments in all his portions are quite similar, but it was good to have the other two actors added for extra perspectives and anecdotes, even if no one mentions the CB’s shirt. The second commentary was recorded around 2009, around the time of the DVD release. There are also individual interviews with Rosman (21 min), McNeil (14 min), Davidson, (7 min) and Kozak (42 min, as it discusses her entire career), and composers Richard Band (45 min; brother of Charles Band, and scored a lot of Full Moon’s releases, which he also examines) and Igo Kantor (10 min, his work is legendary, including for “The Monkees”; d. 2019). Some are interviewed by Waters in a podcast-style titled “Kats Eyes.”

Other extras include English subtitles (so good to follow the film when listening to the commentaries), Storyboards including for the original unused ending, the original black and white opening (that was later monochromed blue before release), a collection of trailers (including for this film), reversible artwork with an alternative cover, and a really nice mini-poster of the film tucked into the clamshell.

One of the noteworthy rarities about this film is that as much as there is definite T&A, nudity, and a sex scene, it focuses more on the sisterhood of our group than, say, them being man-hungry shells. There may not be much exposition on the central characters, but they certainly have different temperaments, and they tend to get along and band together, even as they are picked off one-by-one. The females look close to the ages of their roles, but the men – especially those at the party – look much older, closer to 30 than early 20s (especially the guy who is worried about his grades).

While some of the actions are predictable, especially for the die-hard slasher fan, there are also lots of red herrings and surprises as well. There is a really sizeable body count and the kills are a bit bloody, but there are some nice effects. I enjoyed the way the film was shot, most of the acting is in that ‘80s style of over emoting (note that at least three of the women went on to successful careers, especially in soaps), and the editing and direction is of note. There is a reason this is considered a classic, and rightfully so.

Now, about that gross pool…

Review: CarousHELL The 2nd

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

CarousHELL The 2nd
Directed by Steve Rudzinski
Silver Spotlight Films
77 minutes, 2021
https://silverspotlightfilms.storenvy.com/   

The original CarousHELL (reviewed HERE) was a ridiculously fun and gory release focusing on a murderous wooden carousel unicorn named Duke (voiced by Steve Rimpici), running free with scissors, among other sharp objects, and decimating the original cast. It can be seen on TubiTV, among other venues.

The original is one of director Steve Rudzinski’s most popular films, in part for the sheer madcap level of it, so he decided to make a sequel, for which I am quite happy and looking forward to seeing and reviewing below. Little of the cast from the first film made it to the second because, well, it had a relatively enormous and gory body count, so I’m interested to learn where the story goes from here.

Like other insanities such as ThanksKilling (2009; reviewed HERE), the fact that the story is batshit crazy actually enhances it rather than undermining it. When a film warps reality just a little bit, the credulity of the endeavor comes into question; but when all rules are off from the beginning (e.g., a wooden unicorn creating a hybrid baby with a human), like they did in “Gilligan’s Island,” it is easier to sit back and just accept the weirdness for itself. Rudzinski has done this flawlessly. For a second time.

Duke

Rimpici’s line reading for Duke is hilarious, though the sound of Duke has a different tone than everyone else since it was obviously recorded in a different venue (Phone? Recording studio?). Again, this does not take away from the story or the action, but is easily noticeable, which is why I bring it up.

While Duke is a wooden unicorn who is still capable of amazing feats of dexterity (through excellent cinematography and editing by Scott Lewis), his young son, Robbie (voiced by B. Barnabei), adopted by Ms. Lawrence (Judy HR Kirby), who has an indirect history with Duke, is a (literal) puppet with eyes that close and body that is softer thanks to his human side(created by Cody Ruch and Gabrielle Ventura). Whatever, Robbie looks both cute and well made. You know from early on this is going to be a bonding film between Duke and Robbie, with some growing by both. But in what direction? One can only imagine at 17 minutes in.

Robbie

And did I mention the Nazis yet? We meet a quad of them who have managed to find a way to stay young through stealing souls (reminiscent of 1985’s Lifeforce) since 1944 when the prologue takes place. Naturally, they are ridiculous characters in a Mel Brooks fashion. The leader is Ilsa (co-producer Aleen Isley, who was also hysterical in Captain Z and the Terror of Leviathan, 2014; reviewed HERE), obviously modelled in part from the title character in Ilsa She Wolf of the SS (1975), and her companion in terror, and there is Katrina (also co-producer, Rebecca Reinhart, who often appears in other films as the character Dr. Boobenstein), who is not as smart as Ilsa, but just as deadly. Then there is Katrina’s brother,  bumbling “master of disguise” hot dog cart salesman Klaus (Mark McConnell Jr.) whose stand’s name made me laugh hard enough to stop the film for a minute, and bumbling scientist and scene stealer Otto (Terence Lee Cover). They plan to “take care of” Duke.

I also enjoyed that despite all the weirdness, there is some minor social observations that sort of skims the surface, but is more an elbow in the side than heavy handed, be it commentary on the overuse of social media/cell phones, or the recent “Karen” phenomenon. There are also some Easter Egg nods to other films, such as Aliens (1986), or a self-reflexive nod (as Rudzinski is wont to do) to the first film, referencing Pete’s Pizza.

Even some cliches that have outlived their expiry date work well on a different level here, such as the montage of Duke and Robbie bonding. I laughed all through it because it relies on those very cliches, rather than in spite of it.

There are a lot of subtle moments, such as Duke reading a newspaper while smoking a pipe, as dads do (well, in ‘50s sit-coms, maybe…), or an image of a goosestepping Smoky the Bear type image. It really does help to pay attention to the little details, because Rudzinski and Isley, who also co-wrote the piece, work well with the minutia around the story, adding to the humor. I mean, who can not love lines like “You need to fight for your Reich to party.” Note, however, they do go a bit overboard on substituting “right” with “Reich.” But I’ll include that in the over-the-top level of… well, everything.

Meanwhile, the Nazi foursome are trying to capture Duke, which makes Duke’s “Oy vey” comment all the funnier. They will do whatever it takes to get him, even if it involves Robbie to snare him. The ways they try are quite funny and McConnell makes the most of over-emoting to create different “characters” that are similar enough to make the audience chuckle in their sheer ridiculous nature, but again, that is part of his charm.

Duke is much more “humanized” in this release, whether that is good or bad, but either way, you know the final act is full on furious. Until that point, the body count is small, but done away with gruesomely. Thanks to the Internet (even 100-year-old Nazis have their own fan pages, apparently), there is a chance for what we all came for, beyond the comedy: the killing field.

As with the first film, Duke seems to have quite the arsenal that just seems to show up in his hands… I mean, hooves. This is part of the “Gilligan’s Island” wardrobe vibe I mentioned above. Of course, this makes the killings more elaborate and enjoyable than just, say, gouging with a unicorn horn.

The SFX (also done by Ruch and Ventura) range from amusingly cartoonish (such as obvious mannequins) to really nice and gruesome. There is more time between kills than the first, but the ones that are there are worth the wait. Also, getting to know Duke’s back story has some twists that you probably will not see coming.

Note that the director likes the motif of more scenes during and after the credits (the scroll aren’t very long), so stay tuned for a nice cameo.

It may have been six years since CarousHELL, but it was worth the wait, and I do believe, as indicated by this story, we may not have to wait as long for The 3rd. Meanwhile, this film can be rented or bought at the Spotlight Films link above, and I believe you should without disappointment, if you like absurdist horror comedy with a side of bloody mayhem.

 

Review: The Influencer

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

The Influencer
Directed by Meghan Weinstein
Wizard Cats; Daisy Eagle Films;
Meghan Weinstein Films; Breaking Glass Pictures
80 minutes, 2019 / 2021
www.facebook.com/theinfluencermovie

There is an old Media Theory that states that when a technology is added to a culture, it does not just become part of it, it changes everything. Social media is the recent elephant in the room. Influencers started, arguably, with the likes of no-talents (my opinion) like Paris Hilton, and then exploded with the horrendous (again, my opinion) Kardashian family, who made billions of dollars for essentially doing nothing but saying they like something, or showing up at a party for a fee.

While Facebook (and before that Myspace) was the launching pad for many, other platforms such as Instagram and now TikTok has managed to make stars and produce fortunes for people who, essentially, really do not matter, but millions of followers hang on their every word or deed (and, often, dance). That is where this film starts.

Kasia Szarek

In this dramedy, Abbi Rose (Kasia Szarek) is just such an “influencer.” She is chubby, busty, perky on the outside, and vain about herself and “her brand”; she has a huge photo of herself over her couch, for example. And much like Kim, Khloe, and Kourtney, et. al, after nearly a decade of vlogging, Abbi has 1.3 million subscribers that tune into her every video and pays attention to whatever products she can get for free and promote.

The flip side to Abbi is a conniving, abusive person who is nasty to her unpaid interns who actually produce all her online product, as she wheedles a tremendous payload from a major corporation, Nutrocon, through ruthless negotiations. This is a company that, one of its many octopus operations, experiments on animals for cosmetics. As Abbi’s favorite clothing is fur, this does not pose a problem as long as there is enough cash involved. And the poor interns are just going to see more sandwiches for food rather than pay. This includes new gushing intern Trendygirl99 (Thea Cantos), who Abbi pretty much snubs at all times, not even trying to remember her name.

Janiva Zentz

Act two starts with a bang as the home invasion part of the story begins, with four people (named by a numeral, seemingly a nod to Tarantino’s 1992 Reservoir Dogs), numbered two through five; I am going to guess who is One, and though I will not reveal it, I’ll let you know further on if I was correct. Meanwhile, these masked (at least at first) renegades are subversives on different levels, such as Two (Janiva Zentz), who is a hacker screwed out of a patent, Five (Ian Richard Jones), a chemist who made a meth-substitute to make a living, and Four (Victoria D. Wells), an aggressive sexual-harassment whistleblower on (literal) steroids. They each have a bone to pick with corporate America but are also flawed in their own ways. Luckily, we are given time to get to know their personalities a bit.

This group of kidnappers seem to mostly not know each other outside of, as one refers to it, this assignment. This seems like a twisted-PETA kind of action, such as the motif of releasing lab animals, especially with the philosophy of Three (Shantell Yasmine Abeyderra). But there is something else on their minds

Victoria D. Wells

Thing is, Abbi is way more media savvy than the interlopers, making for an interesting back and forth between them. In their own ways, each group/person has their own power over the others, and that plays back and forth in effective ways. And, without giving anything away, things naturally go sideways between the inter-relational dynamic of the group. Add in some unexpected hitches and visits, and the tension (and humor) builds into the third act.

Of course, this is going to be life changing for everyone involved, but will it be for the positive or negative (or both)? Yeah, again, not going to tell, but it is certainly satisfying. There is a bit of social justice preaching done, but it is not a slamming on the head, but rather well worked into the plot. A more subtle message is definitely women power, as the few males involved in the story are, to put it nicely, jerks. Even with their flaws, the women are strong and confident in their roles in the storyline.

Ian Richard Jones

This film looks beautiful with tons of pastel colors, even with the ever-rising tension level. The photography (by Christiana Charalambous) and editing are superb, and keeps on beat with the background music quite well. This is Weinstein’s first feature (after a number of shorts and tv directorial work), and shows an incredible amount of talent, especially for the budget. The screen is filled with lots of bright colors and flashes of upbeat instrumental soundtrack that occasionally hides the sometimes nasty undertones of Abbi and her kidnappers.

Shantell Yasmine Abeyderra

As for the acting, well, this is an experienced troupe, and Weinstein leads them to do their best successfully. Plus, Szarek has years of professional comic acting under her belt, and she uses that background to her advantage, making Abbi at times both a repulsive personality, and a sympathetic heroine. This is definitely her film, though just about everyone else is not far behind.

The pace is pretty consistent with very little “lull” time, so it is quick paced, (as I said) like beats to music.

Oh, and despite a number of red herrings, I was right about the identity of One, the leader of the house invasion group. So there.

 

Review: The Forever Room

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

The Forever Room
Directed by Kevin Hicks
Chinimble Lore; Freestyle Digital Media
90 minutes, 2021
www.facebook.com/Chinimble-Lore-113167533387607

Yeah we're playing those mind games forever
Protecting our images in space and in time
– John Lennon

Much as director Kevin Hicks (and his partner, Vickie Hicks, who also wrote the screenplay and was Executive in Charge) updated the communicating through time via media (telephone in this case) with his previous feature, Dead Air (2021; reviewed HERE), they now update and mix the escape room and held captive genres with this, their new full length release.

Samantha Valletta

In this psychological thriller, it starts off with Claire (Samantha Valletta), a young woman who is chained by her ankle in a basement somewhere near Ithaca, NY, that has a cot, a chair, a table, some odd and rudimentary clown paintings, a mirror, and a bucket for, well, you know. However, there is naught to read, no music, and nothing but herself to spend the time. She is way angrier than she is scared of her captor, an older woman named Helen (Vickie Hicks). The latter accuses Claire of committing a heinous crime and states, “You have a lot of skeletons in your closet, dear,” which Claire vehemently denies. That’s just the opening (so nothing being given away).

As the film progresses, things are not always what they seem at first, and much of the story is the basis of the relationship between these two women. Claire is confused and angry, and Helen is (mostly) calm and calculating, many of their exchanges being when it is feeding time.

Each conversation builds on the previous one, with bits of information to the audience to fill them in, using small increments. Despite the claustrophobia of the small room in which Claire forcibly occupies, the story is interesting, and the viewer wants to know more and more of what put these two people in this dire situation. Claire doesn’t remember anything before being chained up, but parts of her past are telegraphed by both events that happen to Claire in the room, and the things she hears.

Meanwhile, people keep appearing when Claire is alone, such as Ethan (Kevin Hicks, this film’s director), Rebecca (Nicole Skelly), and a boy named Michael (Luca Iacovetti) who seems to be playing a game of hide and seek with Claire. Why these people are there seem obvious to me, but at 20 minutes in, I will hold off on my initial guesses. Rebecca explains how she is a figment of Claire’s imagination (“Haven’t you ever had an imaginary friend?”), but something dark brings out these three…and a couple of sock puppets. No, I’m not kidding. Possibly it is a bit like Gerald’s Game (2017) in that the imagination runs havoc, perhaps it is dreams, or is it something more sinister or supernatural than that?

Over time, the frequency of the pop-ins increases and become more intense. Sometimes it is incredibly creepy, especially with Ethan and Michael. Rebecca is sort of a Greek Chorus in that she helps with some self-questioning and pieces of exposition for the viewer. Or perhaps it is Claire’s own brain eating itself because she refuses to eat for days on end.

Despite the small, narrow space, the filming work is well staged, almost like a three-camera television shoot, keep the elbow room still tight, but not to the point of, say, an MRI-level or the sewer pipe escape of the main character in Richard Bachman’s (Stephen King) novel, The Running Man.

Vickie Hicks

As with Dead Air, Vickie proves herself to be a naturalistic actor who makes it look easy, with her cigarette smokey deep voice. Valletta manages to keep up with her, making her both empathetic and unhinged in a fearless performance.

The lighting is phenomenal, with shades of primary colors, but not to the Creepshow (1982) level, but more of a realistic tone, and with the editing gives some expansion to the space. Speaking of the basement, this could actually be a one-set play, using shadows and dark spots for characters to “pop” in and out quite easily. It almost seems Vickie wrote it that way.

Kevin Hicks

For a troupe of five (not counting the two puppets), the story stays engaging for the full run time, and even though the space is small, as is the cast, it remains compelling. The final act is full of unexpected moments and answers quite a few questions. A good watch.

The film is available On Demand from Chinimble Lore and Freestyle Digital Media.

 

Reviews: Four Gore Films of Davide Pesca

Reviews: Four Gore Films of Davide Pesca

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

Note that these four films are listed chronologically, rather than in the order in which I watched them. Also, the screener versions that I saw were low rez and grainy, but I am sure if you rent the film, it will be in a much higher resolution. The trailers for all four films are after the reviews.

 

Suffering Bible
Directed by Davide Pesca
Demented Gore Productions
65 minutes, 2018
www.digitmovies.com/

Although this is not a long film, it was the first full feature Pesca directed, and ironically, the last of the four films I watched. The Bible is a very apropos topic for a film centered on gore and body horror, as the book is filled with genocide, incest, child rape, slavery, infanticide, and multiple killings of animals (along with talking serpents and donkeys).

Pesca has a certain style that he employs on all these films, which are short stories stitched together to form a theme. The camera is often handheld (jerky, but not seasick worthy like, say, 2008’s Cloverfield. There is also minimal talking, usually dubbed but occasionally with subtitles, and use of multiple monochrome filters (black and white, blue, etc.), though sometimes he uses an ultra-chromatic filter for colorful effects. But the main focus of all his films is the gore factor, which is ripe and rife, often involving body organs. Pesca does all the SFX himself, and generally it looks really amazing, considering the budget, which is low-Lira…oops, I mean Euros. As for the stories, they are there for the gore, rather than the other way around, and may make you say, che cosa?

There are five stories – or Acts – here, with the bookends (and between each story) being a naked man and a nude woman, individually, with bandages on their heads crawl through a forest on their stomachs. By the end, it’s obvious which Biblical story to which this refers.

As for the stories themselves, the it starts with “Act 1: My Only God.” In this tale, two ex-friends are, well, reunited, for lack of a better term. Truthfully, I am not sure what story this references in the Bible. “Act II: San Toma,” as in St. Judas Thomas. A self-flagellating man (monk?) – an event that was common during the Middle Ages (see Monty Pythonand the Holy Grail (1975) – hallucinates Jeebus appearing on a cross, and he does what a Doubting Thomas would do, but more so. We learn eating the “body of Christ” (not on a cracker) is not always a positive thing.

“Act III: In the Name of the Father” is next. A woman who is sensually attracted to an old book (it looks like a dictionary, but it could possibly be a stand-in for a Bible) and a cross with the image of Jeebus on it, does some damage to herself in self-erotic ecstasy. My question here is, I realize Jeebus supposedly wants us unbelievers to burn for eternity, but does “he” really want his followers to suffer at their own hands this much, as well? Seems more Darwinian. But, I digress…

Next up is “Act IV: The Pact.” As might be expected, a depressed woman makes a deal with a mysterious and devilish woman for riches and beauty, which cannot end well and, considering the context of the film this is in, one might add bloody. The piper must be paid. This is my favorite segment in the film. For the final piece, “Act V: Redemption of the Lost Souls,” we meet three people, an OD’d junkie, a tuberculosis victim, and an old man who was homeless, as they meet their judgments. Were they good or were they bad, and what was their fate? Again, context. There was a brief coda to this one with a gift that I did not quite understand.

There are no real stories here, just vignettes into bloody religiosity, which is a comment on the state of spirituality throughout the last 2000 years, where suffering is equated with religion, to supposedly understand the suffering “the Lord” went through the days before Good Friday for “your sins.” Pesca plays on that rather than narration, and is effective in that mode.

Ironically, most of the people in this film (and the others) about the Bible are tattooed, which the Leviticus poo-poos on as much as homosexuality. Again, I digress…

 

Dead Butterfly: The Prophecy of Suffering Bible (aka Suffering Bible 2)
Directed by Davide Pesca
Demented Gore Productions
56 minutes, 2019
www.digitmovies.com/

This film is a collection of individual scenes related only by their connection to extreme and distorted versions of Catholicism and religiosity. There is very little dialogue, but what there is, is in Italian with very clear captions (i.e., easy to discern; not white on white).

The start is a woman (the beautiful Barbara Sirotti) who receives a gift (a theme which would be revisited in another form in “Dust to Dust” from Grand Guignol Madness: Show Your Fear; see review below) of a liquid in a vial and virtual reality glasses presenting a Christ-like figure that proves to show the opposite of what is happening in the physical world (“Heaven’s Doors”). Then a religious woman puts a chained (and I believed drugged) man through the tortures and then some of Jesus’ last days before befalling her own fate (“The Saint’s Friday”). Another man burying something in the woods befalls a bloody end by a possible ghost with a screwdriver (“The Secret”). After a jewel robbery (including a butterfly necklace) the older woman victim does a bit of voodoo on the younger woman who stole her possessions (“Do Not Steal”). In the last tale, a woman is tortured and beaten by cool looking techno-demons in hell (I believe) for her Earthly crimes, such as adultery and taking the Lord’s name in vain after a desperate act (“The Judgment”; see, this is why I am an atheist),

The gore is explicit and plentiful, as is the top body parts of much of the female cast. While not as sophisticated as Pesca’s later works, as far as the graphics (both SFX and digital FX), it is easy to see the talent in the way the film is constructed. He is also setting up his auteur workings through the type of gore he employs, and the use of vignettes, or original short stories combined with a wraparound that is inserted as bookends, and between each tale that is in black and white, as a man puts sharp objects (hooks, pins, etc.) through his skin on different parts of his body in self-harming religious fervor (“The Angel”); I could not watch these parts, in all honesty.

 

Grand Guignol Madness: Show Your Fear
Directed by Davide Pesca
Demented Gore Productions; Digitmovies Alternative Entertainment; Home Movies
67 minutes, 2020
www.digitmovies.com/

Right from the start, the film lets us know where it is thematically heading with the title card that reads (in Italian): “The sound of the lament caused by suffering is almost identical to the groan caused by pleasure.” Shades of Hellraiser (1987)!

The film is an anthology; a collection of Pesca’s shorts made especially for this release. The framework is that a woman is kidnapped, and forced, through electrodes, to experience the terrible things that happen to the people we see in the shorts, while bound to a chair in a laboratory (“Broken Mind”).

Each story is mostly silent with musical backgrounds, though what little Italian dialogue is spoken does not deter from the stories. They involve the likes of a gift to an online nude model gone wrong (“Dust to Dust”), a nature-loving photographer deciding to go all Dexter on some litterers and polluters (“Save the Planet”), a strip-off contest going horribly wrong (“The Competition”), an obsessive body builder misusing steroids (“Muscles”), a lonely woman who is out to capture a man’s heart (“The Heartbreaker”), and a model in underwear who is posing for a photographer has a negative reaction to the many exposures to the flash of the camera (“Shot my Soul”).

Each vignette has its own style and look, usually through a mostly monochrome or hyper- chromatic filter. The major themes seem to be revenge, stripping, tattoos and fingers in wounds, with an occasional side order of someone holding someone else’s organs.

The effects range from a bit cheesy to very effective, and there is a lot of it as it is the point in the whole exercise, hence the title, which is based on a theater in Paris that ran from 1897 to 1962 that specialized in realistic shows of graphic horror. The title is effective, and it is an interesting watch for a gorehound.

 

Night of Doom
Directed by Davide Pesca
Demented Gore Productions
61 minutes, 2021
www.digitmovies.com/

For this story, Doom is the name of a powdered drug that seems to be similar to Bath Salts in that it causes violent psychosis. According to a newscast, the crime rate is up 40 percent and the drug is rampant in Italy, where this is filmed (it is dubbed into English; note that the trailer below is in its original Italian). While the topic of addiction to Doom is not mentioned, it is (for me) assumed by the desire for it.

That being said, this is as much as about the drug as it is focused on sado-masochism, and snuff entertainment. While not an anthology film, there are a series of vignettes that overlap, and some return, making this somewhat narrative, but also being a bit esoteric in how it is presented.

There are lots of primary colors used for lighting, specifically blue and red, and the camera work is quite imaginative, sometimes with nearly psychedelic green screen backgrounds.

The largest part of the story focuses on a televangelist who, in the name of the Lord, is into B&D, S&M, erotic asphyxiation, and yes, of course, Doom. A bit of it is for himself, but most is for his loved one that he leaves bound and gagged while he is away from home.

The drug is the spine of the film, but the meat and bones is a commentary about religion (heavily leaning towards Catholic; though would Mother Mary have had painted nails?) and S&M, and how sometimes they philosophically satisfy the same needs; though not blatantly stated, it is presented as such in a more subtle means. And that is the only subtly in this film’s actions.

One thing I will mention as far as men and women, they are similarly treated badly, and equally being the perpetrators of the violence (except there is a much better chance that the women will be dressed sexually, if at all).

Amid all the violence, there is a touch of humor here and there, such as the presentation of Miss Bathory Body Lotion that is presented as nearly an inserted commercial. That’s a bloody good joke (pun intended).

I especially like that the person ending up being the main character is not who you might expect, but certainly this actor is the best of the batch. This is definitely low budget (you even get to see the boom mic in one shot), and Pesca managed to do a lot with a little.

This film could fall into the artistic Transgressive subgenre, and I have seen a lot of body horror, but I have to say, thematically, I was more interested in the drug end than the S&M, which is something I have never found appealing. The film is well-made and creative in camera work, visual effects, and SFX – especially on this budget – but even though I enjoy gore effects, which are done well here, the torture stuff was a bit much for me at times. Ahh, I’m getting old.

 

Review: A Ghost Waits

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

A Ghost Waits
Directed by Adam Stovall
Rebecca Films; Arrow Video; MVD Visual
80 minutes, 2020 / 2021
www.aghostwaits.com/
https://arrowfilms.com/
www.MVDVisual.com

Most of us have seen hauntings films, such as Poltergeist (1982) and The Amityville Horror (1979). The spirits are present in the home and they are going to get physical on some level, eventually probably scaring the inhabitants away.

Natalie Walker

This is the job of a particular ghost, Muriel (Natalie Walker), and she is a champ at it. No one will stay at the Cincinnati house, which is – in the alive world – possessed by a management company, owned by Neal (director Adam Stovall). He’s a cranky new dad of twins, and he just wants the problem of constantly rotating lease-breaking tenants solved.

To get the house ready for the next renters, Neal sends his handyman employee, Jack (MacLeod Andrews) to clean up and take care of any issues. It becomes pretty obvious early on that what is there walks alone, and steals his pizza. Jack is a bit of a ne’er-do-well though good at his job, whose own rental is under fumigation, has no family or friends to speak of, can’t get anyone to listen to or help him, and is just floating through life in a job that doesn’t really mean much to him.

It is pretty obvious that Muriel and Jack are going to connect on some level. It takes a while, but these two lost souls are looking for something and someone. While Jack has to contend with an absent boss (yeah, those new twins keep him distracted), Muriel has her own issues with her by-the-book spook supervisor, Ms. Henry (scene stealer Amanda Miller) and a fellow up-and-coming “spectral agent” Rosie (Sydney Vollmer). What’s a poor ghost to do?

MacLeod Andrews

This film definitely has a comic vibe to it, though it is more of a “dramedy.” It is well written, especially the way it uses the soundtrack as another major character, such as songs by the likes of Wussy and Honeyhoney, which was well played.

It is also interesting to see the differences between the two main haunting ghosts. Rosie is newer, and more up-to-date in her language as a teenager, while Muriel talks with no contractions, as in “I do not,” as opposed to the more modern “I don’t”. The viewer may not get that, but will notice something is off in her cadence to modern speech. I thought this was a really smart, deliberate, and subtle choice.

There are also a few references in one (of a few) Muriel-inspired dream sequence for Jack that definitely harken back to Stephen King, such as Jack talking to himself as a bartender, right out of The Shining (1980), and there is also a subtle nod to IT (1990), where the bartender-nee-Muriel mentions being both a clown and a spider in the past. Jack even wears a tee that says “King” on it. However, in one of the commentaries, the director states that was not his intention, though perhaps it was subconscious. It still works, though, for genre fans.

Sydney Vollmer

Another one of the understated points of the film, though written by men, is that the strongest characters here are the women. Jack is kind of weak and generally unmotivated in life, drinking way too much of (not his) beer, and I wonder at some of the choices he makes, but Muriel likes what she does and is, to say the least, fierce. And yet she has a lot to learn in the experience which makes her more independent and a leader (such as over Rosie), taking control of her own life – er – death to make choices. I also like the fact that one of the ghosts, who obviously has been dead a long, long time, is “Ms.” rather than “Miss” or “Mrs.” This pro-women aspect is one of the finer themes of the film for me.

Because, in part, due to the use of sharp shadows, especially on Muriel’s face as she is consistently lit from below (as are all the spectral agents), the film works so much better in Black and White and, again, it was a wise choice. It’s just the right amount of grainy without being hard to see at all, which gives the look a sense of texture. There are also many very long shots, some static and others following the characters, rather than a jumble of quick edits. It works for the pace of the story.

Amanda Miller

I spent nearly two full days with this project. There are so many extras on this Blu-ray, including three (yes, three) full commentaries. The first is with the director and Corrie Loeffler, a friend of his who is mentioned in the “thanks” at the end of the film. Stovall has a tendency to wander off on subjects, but Corrine does really well to reel him back in. Their friendship is evident throughout which makes the commentary more organic. The second is the director with one of Stovall’s long-time best friends and male lead, Andrews (who co-wrote the screenplay with him). This is a fun conversation that discusses the film but also veers off to delve into things like the genre in general and storytelling. It was the best of the commentaries. The last is with Stovall, Cinematographer Michael Potter, Vollmer, Andrews, and Actor/Co-producer Nicholas Thurkettle. Much of the stories told are repeats of previous commentaries and the eight interviews mentioned below, but they do manage to not overtalk each other.

At the film’s first festival showing at Frightfest Glasgow 2020, there is an interview (11 min) and a post-film Q&A (14 min) with director Adam Stovall, both moderated by Alan Jones. The sound quality for the second is a bit echoey, but listenable. Some of the same ground is covered in each, but it is still interesting. The “Outtakes” reel (12 min) is actually quite fun, more than I have seen in others recently, and part of that is the chemistry between the two leads, Andrews and Walker.

There are eight Zoom individual interviews with the cast and crew moderated by critic and programmer tt stern-enzi (an ee cummings fan?), who is the Artistic Director of the Over-the-Rhine International Film Festival and Member at Critics Choice Association; he did a fine job.

Of the cast, there is MacLeod (21 min) who discusses his character and the film’s music, and Vollmer (12 min). For the crew, there is Executive Producers MF Thomas (12 min) and Deborah Parag (7 min) – who is also Adam Stovall’s mother, Director of Photography Michael C. Potter (13 min), Composers Mitch Bain (9 min) and Margaret Darling, who did the original soundtrack (9 min) and, of course, it ends with Director Adam Stovall (30 min).

“Humanity and the Afterlife in A Ghost Waits” (15 min) is an Isabel Custodio-directed featurette that looks at the film’s themes and influences on a deeper, almost academic level, though it never talks above the viewer. Others include the theatrical trailer, an image gallery, along with available English subtitles. There is also a reversible cover and outer case sleeve with artwork by Sister Hyde.

Walker

I have one random question: while Jack is waiting for something to do, why didn’t he paint the outside of the garage, which has peeling paint above the door? Things you notice…

While I thought the ending was predictable, it was really the right way to end this, so I did not let that get in the way of the story. Overall, it was the right length to keep the interest up, and had some really fine moments. The acting is top notch and helps make the film even more enjoyable. This is fun, and may play well as a date night film without being too Hallmarky with over-schmaltz. For a director’s first film, this is quite compelling and a positive release.