Review: Condor’s Nest

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

Condor’s Nest
Directed by Phil Battenberger
MBG Films; Lost Galleon Films; Icon Film Distribution;
Voltage Pictures; Strike Media
102 minutes; 2023
www.facebook.com/condorsnestmovie/  
www.Strike-Media.com

German Nazis (as opposed to those who marched in Charlottesville and stormed the Capitol on January 6, 2021) living in South America have long been a trope…well, at least since the end of World War II, anyway. It has come up in the likes of the book The Boys from Brazil (1976) by Ira Levin and the film that followed (1978), and a particularly gruesome pilot episode from the anthology show, “Night Gallery” (1969) called “Escape Route.”

To give a bit of a background, in the real world, the German Condor Legion was a mostly-air force unit of Nazis who fought in the Spanish Civil War in the mid-1930s (thank you Wikipedia). While this has no relation to this particular film, which was filmed in Greensboro, NC, it explains from where the name originated.

Jacob Keohane

Basically, this is an action revenge film. As the trailer shows, in the extended prologue, an American war plane shot down in hostile territory, runs into a group of classic ruthless Nazis, led by SS Colonel Bach (Arnold Vosloo, who played the title character in 1999’s The Mummy and its 2001 sequel, The Mummy Returns). He brutally has the US crew killed, mostly by his own gun, with a lone survivor,

The main crux of the story takes place in various locales in South America, including Argentina and Paraguay, ten years after the events in the prologue, as the sole survivor plane crash, Will Spaulding (Jacob Keohane) is on a one-man revenge mission to kidnap, torture, and kill as many escaped Nazis as he can find while searching for Bach.

Arnold Vosloo

On a psychological and socio-political level, he is so full of anger and thirsty for revenge, he does not realize that he has become what he is hunting, on some level. He is so compromised that he is willing to lie to save a Nazi, Albert Vogel (Al Pagano), from justice to gain information on his target, but cannot see the paradox. He is blinded by his hatred.

When he and Vogel joins forces with Israeli spy Leyna Rahn (Corinne Britti) who wants to bring atomic scientist Vogel to Jerusalem to hang, the search heats up. It also does not help that even the Germans are trying to kill Vogel before he gets to Russia, led by the vicious Fritz Ziegler (Jackson Rathbone, who was Jasper in the Twilight “saga”).

Corinne Britti

Various enemies become compadres is a well-used trope and this uses it multiple times. There is double cross after double cross throughout the story, as Will sets to get Bach, who is hanging out with Heinrich Himmler (James Urbaniak, who played Robert Crumb in 2003’s American Splendor) in said Condor’s Nest, which obviously takes up Act 3 (you do not need a fortune teller or psychic to know this, or even a spoiler notice, as it is in the damn title, fer chrissake).

Held up in the Condor’s Nest (a really nice chateau) is an elite bunch of head Nazi’s planning the Fourth Reich, led by Himmler. Actually, the historical Himmler supposedly died in Europe and never made it to South America, but it works for the story, so why not, right? I mean, they said the same about Adolf, and he was “killed” in Inglorious Basterds (2009); poetic license is a beautiful thing.

Al Pagano

There is the high-action conclusion that is reminiscent of a Rambo film, or something with Schwarzenegger, or perhaps out of The Dirty Dozen (1967), a film I thoroughly enjoyed as a young’n. The film is full of violence, especially gunfire, but surprisingly very little blood nor, it seems, South American characters.

What it does have, however, is lots of cameos that include Jorge Garcia (who will always be remembered for “Lost”) as a bartender, Michael Ironside (1981’s Scanners, 1997s Starship Troopers, and so many great others), and Bruce Davison (1971’s Willard and the X-Men franchise). Even Vosloo’s role can be considered one, though he is one of the main foci of the storyline.

Bruce Davison (right)

Many social and political issues are brought up, such as a hatred for Jews, and the effects of revenge on both the revenger and the revengee, with the border between them a gray area (yes, they even use the cliché – and I’m paraphrasing – “We’re not so different, you and me”). Along with the action, this look at a culture of hatred, especially in the present political times, is also well handled. There is also a nice touch of Germanic mysticism and eugenics.

The scenery is stunning, from impoverished surroundings and historic buildings, to natural wonders likes rivers and forests. Even Peru’s Machu Picchu makes a brief appearance.

The actors are all on their A game, though Davison seems almost uncomfortable wearing the swastika armband, which I respect. I have to admit, I would have loved to hear him yell, “Tear ‘em up!” even if it was in German.

As for the director, Phil Battenberger specializes in war films, from the Civil War (the upcoming Without Consequence through Vietnam (Point Man in 2018). He handles conflict in interesting ways that makes the story compelling here, and keeps the interest without being over the top.

Condor’s Nest is available on iTunes, Amazon Prime, Google Play, Microsoft Store, Rakuten TV and Sky Store, and on disc in April.

IMDB listing HERE

Review: Guts on the Chainsaw

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

Guts on the Chainsaw
Directed by Ryan Cavalline
Legend Hunters Films
80 minutes, 2023
https://legendhuntersfilms.com/

“The hills are alive, with the sounds of shotguns…” as it once said in a Mad Magazine spoof, I believe. This is a case of genres-in-a-blender, but I will get more into that later.

Nova (Nikki Carlson) is a woman who is cleaning out from substance abuse after an earlier trauma, looking for a purpose to her life, and trying to escape from recurring nightmares that reflect the ending of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974), with a chainsaw wielding man in a flesh mask (I do believe the mask was also used in Cavalline’s 2021 film Myths & Mutants), chasing her down a country road, swinging the ‘saw around wildly. This is an icon moment that’s repeated as much as vampires rising stiffly from a coffin, a la Nosferatu (1922).

So, what does Nova do, to help refocus her life? Take a multiple days-long solo walk around Beaver Run Dam’s forest area in the Delaware State Forest in Eastern Pennsylvania, a place she is not even familiar, and cannot read a map, naturally. And why is she roving around the woods sometimes without following trails, just randomly roaming? Oy. Even in reality, I would never, ever do that. Stick to the trails only (and stay off the moors…sorry, I was distracted…). Please note, I don’t mean this in a sexist way, I don’t think anyone should be traipsing around the deep woods by themselves, especially off trail. It is good for there to be at least two people in case something happens, such as an accident.

Nikki Carlson

As she walks, one can feel the backwoods inbred cannibals being just around the corner, even though there is no indication of it other than the dream. I do not think I am revealing anything, honestly, given the name of the film, the location, and the dream. Anyone with even a low level experience with these types of films can almost smell it. Now, to be clear, I am not in any way complaining. I honestly like these kinds of films.

Getting off my soapbox now, even pretty early on there are some nice murders by, yes, silent masked killers, such as a farm couple (the woman has amazing hair), though I wonder why their german shepherd did not come to their rescue. He just sort of vanishes (i.e., s/he’s not killed, for those who hate that sort of thing).

Intercut (no pun intended) into the story every so often is “news” clips about hikers that have gone either missing or murdered along the Appalachian Trail, for example. These are b-roll dramatizations narrated by Robert Slone (a director of documentaries whose topics include JFK’s assassination, Patty Hearst’s kidnapping and Vietnam). The film is, allegedly, based on “Pennsylvania folklore,” a pet topic of the director (does he know about the Small Town Monsters brand? May be right up his alley, though they deal more with cryptids than chainsaws).

Nova runs into some kooks along the way, such as a guy really into possum jerky (called The Hermit by someone), as well as an expositionary hiker who warns her about the people living in the woods, and how they were effected by radioactivity waste buried in the ground that had an effect on them. Radioactivity causing cannibal mutants? Sound familiar? He even says, “These mountains, they have eyes.” As that wise philosopher once said, “A nod’s as good as a wink to a blind bat” (say no more!).

The first half, at least, is mostly her walking and walking, with occasion action shots in-between. The action finally starts to really pick up when Nova is chased by those in the woods, and she cannot get reception on her flip-phone (when was this filmed?). While the appetizer killings are appealing, of course the main course will be in the third act when the action is revved up to 11 (sorry about the This is Spinal Tap reference…).

Like the Marilyn Burns character of Texas Chain Saw Massacre, Nova naturally winds up in the home of The Family, full of misfits, cross-dressers (glad this is not Tennessee), and other murderous types; however, the house is immaculate, unlike the Sawyers’. Time for revenge…and guns and masks and chainsaws. Plus, Nova gets to dress like Lara Croft at one point. That was an enjoyable visual.

The acting is pretty low-key, but not wooden (with one exception), not overly filled with dialogue, and just about everyone does their jobs nicely. The effects are a mixture of practical and digital, which mostly look okay, but the digital is pretty obvious, and the occasional practical at times (such as the guts in the first killing) looks questionable, though at others looks really good. For its budget, though, it is effective.

My main quibble about the film is sort of meta, in that there is little information on who played which role, which is true both in the end credits and on IMDB. That is why I had to be so vague in the descriptions above.

The film is obviously low budget, and there are some continuity errors, but overall, it was a good watch, especially the last third, despite the reliance on some well-worn tropes. It also sets itself up for a possible sequel, which I would gladly watch.

IMDB listing HERE

Review: Invitation Only

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

Invitation Only (aka Jue ming pai dui; 絕命派對)

Directed by Kevin Ko
Three Dots Entertainment Company; Unearthed Films; MVD Visual
95 minutes, 2009 / 2023
www.unearthedfilms.com
www.MVDVisual.com

Tell me if this sound familiar: a group of working class people get an opportunity to mingle with the rich, only to find they are there for nefarious and painful reasons.

In Taipei, Taiwan, limo driver Wade Chen (Ray Chang), after catching his obnoxious client/boss, CEO Yang (Jerry Chih-Wei Huang) in an indiscretion with a model, Dana (adult star Maria Ozawa) for whom he is infatuated, gets an invitation from Yang to an exclusive gathering of rich people “networking.” The other four invitees are Trumpish Legislator Lin (Joseph Ma), pianist Richard Kao (Ying-Hsuan Kao), Holly Ho (Vivi Ho), and cute banker Hitomi Liang (Julianne Chu).

Ray Chang

The party is run by an American with a soul patch (never a good indication in films like this), Warren (Kristian Brody) – did I mention that there are three languages in the film: Mandarin, English, and Min Nan – who comes across as a motivational speaker when he repeatedly says, “May your dreams become a reality.” But, of course, it is easy to guess he is not talking about careers, but vicious desires to hurt another human. We also learn why these five were chosen.

Wade makes a connection during the party with Hitomi, but while at a gambling session, Wade connects with his model infatuation. Personally, though Hitomi does not seem to mind it, I would have stuck with Hitomi, because that seems a bit more realistic than a magazine and billboard model. But at least it gives the film at least one shot at some nudity.

Julianne Chu

Once the party gets going, someone with a white mask and nice sharp knives (these would startle Crocodile Dundee) begin to make mince meat out of the quintet and others systematically at first, but then the means of death start to ramp up. It really is not hard to figure out who is behind the mask; pick one from Column A and one from Column B.,

Along with the increasing ultraviolence, there are also the tension filled moments between, which are almost as unnerving. Of course, this spearheads very effective jump scares. This leads to as much slasher film as body horror, as some are done away with quickly via sharp objects, while others…

Maria Ozawa

The setting is very industrial, like a warehouse, so there are lots of wide pull-down doors as in storage unit corridors, and rooms with tons of objects stowed away in haphazard ways as, say, a messy garage. These both give the feeling of emptiness, and claustrophobia, depending on where the action is taking place at any particular time.

The one aspect that all these stories is that the rich class torture average people in a social sense of privilege. That is why politicians have no desire to really help their constituents, because they feel they are above them. You think Trump cares about his voters beyond their voting numbers? His tax cuts for the rich answer that. And this is the mentality of nearly all these films, from “The Most Dangerous Game” types where people are hunted down like animals, or self-righteous reasons for torturing and killing for the likes of perceived vanity, or wanting to get ahead.

You can see this in films like the Hostel franchise or La Petite Mort (2009), as people pay money to enjoy seeing (or participating) in the torture of innocents. There is even a porn version of this concept where it is sex rather than mutilation, in Café Flesh (1982).

Extras are a bunch of trailers from Unearthed Films, including an English and a Spanish version of this film, a photo gallery, and especially a “Behind the Scenes” featurette (6 min). This is a mixture of interviews with the four leads separately, some “making of” shots and clips, and filled with humor and good natured happiness about making the film. The Blu-ray release is available in either Mandarin or dubbed into Spanish, with English subtitles (I chose the original Mandarin).

Will our protagonists escape? Will the antagonists get their way? Thing is about films like this, it could go either way. Whichever, this is quite the gorehound highway to an adrenaline rush. The gore is proficient and numerous. A perfect way to relax on a Saturday night.

IMDB listing HERE

Review: Nightmare Symphony

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

Nightmare Symphony (aka Nightmare Symphony: The Peacock’s Tale)
Directed by Domiziano Cristopharo and Daniele Trani
Enchanted Architect; 8-Films; DiabolikDVD; Reelgore Releasing; MVD Visual
78 minutes, 2020 / 2022
www.mvdvisual.com

The main director of this film, Domiziano Chrisopharo, is a name that is familiar to me, as I have reviewed three of his many previous films: House of Flesh Mannequins (2009), Museum of Wonders (2010), and Red Krokodil (2012) 

His work is seriously underappreciated, and from what I have seen, his name should be as familiar as Argento or Fulci. They are odd, dark, and eminently enjoyable, on the side of weird and highly influenced by giallo. Hopefully, this one will live up to my expectations.

This was filmed mostly in Pristina, East-Central Kosovo by and Italian crew, but recorded in English (DTS_HD Maser Audio 2.) with some Italian and Albanian, and a German overdub is also available on this Blu-ray. The subtitle choices are English SDH and Swedish. That this us steeped in a giallo, right down to the theme music by Fabio Frizzi (Fulci’s A Cat in the Brain and The Beyond in 1981 among others; Kill Bill Vol. 1 in 2003), should be no surprise as this was written by Antonio Tentori (who penned Fulci's 1990 A Cat in the Brain); this release has a similar theme.

Frank LaLoggia and Antonella Salvucci

After an opening prologue in Rome with a gratuitous and ferocious shower scene (Antonella Salvucci) that is steeped in giallo lighting and mood – and violence – perpetrated by someone in a peacock mask (Federico di Pasqual) – who has no crystal plumage – we are introduced to our central character, struggling film director Frank LaLoggia playing a version of himself (who looks a bit like my dad at a point in his life), an American living in Italy (with a red passport rather than blue) as he travels to Kosovo, giving him a chance to let us know about his charity of spirit (how the film got the rights to a Disney film clip, I do not know; is Mickey now public domain?).

Poison Rouge and Hasan Lushi (foreground)

In a meta-film storyline (the film shoot within a film is getting to be quite common these days), Frank is a director who is trying to finish up a project, The Peacock’s Tale, and make his investor, Fernando (Hasan Lushi), who arrives with his girlfriend Lola (Poison Rouge, who also directed the cult classic body horror, American Guinea Pig: Sacrifice, in 2017) and the screenwriter, Antonio (screenwriter Antonio Tentori), happy. The problem is they both want different things, and Frank is in the middle. He has come to Kosovo to do the post-production work, including with editor Isabella (also Salvucci). LaLoggia actually was a director of a trio of cult classic films in the 1980s and 1990s. We get to see some footage (including backstage) of his Fear No Evil (1981, though he claims it as 1970 in this film). That was a cool addition,

Merita Budakova

Frank is constantly being set upon by a drunk neighbor (Iimi Hajzeri), a hyper-aggressive actor looking for work, David (Halil Budakova), or being stalked by a mysterious woman (Merita Budakova; she could definitely play Monica Lewinsky). As we meet all the characters around Frank, someone else in a peacock mask (Blin Budakova…yes, there is a number of cast members with that surname) is starting to kill people who surround Frank, some close associates, some not as much. But each one is appropriately gruesome, and in various ways, as is befitting a giallo. As for the killer, there are numerous nice red herrings throughout.

Of course, this is a giallo, so the question is bound to come up: what is real, what is not, what is psychosis? Pressure can sometimes make that distinction a gray area left open for the viewer to decide. Lucio Fulci (d. 1996) was famous for opaque endings that did not harm the story proper. Note that this film is dedicated – and rightfully so – to Fulci. After all, the title of this film is a nod to the French name of Fulci’s A Cat in the Brain, which was called Nightmare Concerto.

But more after this commercial break: There are a few extras on the Blu-ray, but nothing too overwhelming. First is the Making Of, which is actually a Blooper Reel (9 min) which was okay, albeit mostly in Italiano. This is followed by a couple of interview tracks. The first is with director Chrisopharo (14 min), which is in accented English. He discusses, among other things like narrow budgets and the growth of the film’s idea to fruition, the influence of Fulci. The other is with screen writer Tentori (6 min), which is in Italian with subtitles. He talks about the actors, and naturally, Fulci. I found the second one more engaging, without taking anything away from Chrisopharo. Along with the soundtrack I mentioned earlier, the last two extras are the Teaser and the Trailer.

Okay, getting back to the meat of the matter, having Americans as leads in Italian giallo films is certainly not new. For example, there was John Saxon (d. 2020) in The Scorpion with Two Tails (1982), and Jennifer Connolly and Donald Pleasance (d. 1995) in Argento’s Phenomena (both these films to be reviewed here, soon).

The cinematography by co-director Trani, is exquisite and arty without being overdone. The scenes of the city, and the like are just lovely, even the slummy areas. Long tracking shots abound, rather than MTV-ish quick-cuts that have become the norm, sadly. Giallo has proven that Sergi Eisenstein (d. 1948) is only sometimes right, that editing equals action, but not always, or here.

There were two distractions for me. The first was that so many of the scenes were filmed either at night or in an unlit room, using a dark blue filter, which made the action (and some killings) hard to see. The second, and I do not really blame anyone because it helps with the budget, there were obvious product placements, such as a particular soda-pop, whose logo is seen prominently in a number of times in more than one place.

This release gives me every reason to stay a Domiziano Chrisopharo fan.

IMDB listing HERE

Review: The Ghosts of Monday

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

The Ghosts of Monday
Directed by Francesco Cinquemani
Altadium Group; Jingi; Cleopatra Entertainment; MVD Visual
78 minutes, 2022 / 2023
https://altadium.com/
www.cleopathra-entertainment.com
www.mvdvisual.com

The proliferation of cable “documentary” shows focused on Ghost Hunters has led to a subgenre in that field. Often they are found footage style like Alone in the Ghost House (2015), Ouija Death Trap (2014), and Beyond the Shadows (2020), just to name a trio. Of course, there have been some mainstream “Ghost Hunter” films for decades, such as The Haunting (1962), The Legend of Hell House (1973), and Poltergeist (1982).

So here we are, with a new Ghost Hunter tale that never goes well for the participants, with some relatively strong star power in the form of Julian Sands, who starred in some A-listed films in the 1980s and ‘90s, and has been in cinematic decline in the 2000s as he refocused his career to the stage. But he is enough of a name to grab some attention, especially for genre fans who loved him in Warlock (1989).

Ghost Hunter films tend to follow a basic premise: the group goes to investigate a legendary haunted locale, and find more than they bargained for. In this case, it is the Grand Hotel Gula, located in Cyprus (the country in which this is filmed; in fact, this is the first home-grown horror released out of that island country). Planning on shooting the pilot episode of the documentary series “Ghosts of the Old World,”, the group, led by the show’s host and narrator, Bruce (Sands), are on their way to find the spirits, and not the kind that come out a liquor bottle, which Bruce imbibes.

I am looking forward to seeing this. Ironically, I am not a fan of Ghost Hunter reality television shows, but often enjoy Ghost Hunter films, generally. Go figure! For this one, the title refers to a Monday night in 1990 when 100 people in the dining room were killed by rat poison, though no one knows how, and people have been dying in that location for hundreds of years. The locals avoid the area and the hotel has been abandoned for more than 20 years, but has been recently bought and is being renovated by weird couple Frank (Anthony Skordi) and his wife, Rosemary (Maria Ioannou).

Mark Huberman, Julian Sands

If I have this right, Bruce has been hosting shows for a while, and is a skirt-chasing lothario who it seems most of the women are onto and give him the brushoff. The hot-headed director of the show-to-be, who does not seem happy to be there, is Eric (Mark Huberman). He is with his ex-, the mysterious Sofia (Marianna Rosset), who is from Cyprus and has a history with the hotel; she is also the adopted daughter of Bruce. The crew include cameraperson Jennifer (Flavia Watson) and sound tech Christine (Elva Trill). The liaison between crew and the Hotel is Anna (Kristina Godunova). And where are they all staying? At the Gula, of course. Keep the body count close.

The early tone of the film reminds me a bit of The Sentinel (1977) and Rosemary’s Baby (1968), as people keep feeding Sofia tea with “local herbs,” including the financiers of the Ghost Hunter show, Dom (Loris Curci) and Pat (Joanna Fyllidou). Something wicked this way comes, me thinks. Meanwhile, recurrent shaky POV shots show that everyone from the prospective program is being watched.

Marianna Rosset

Early on, there is the mention of the Cult of Teshub, who was the Hurrian god of sky, thunder, and storms in part, with the Iron Age Luwian and Hittite cultures during the early 13th century BCE (thank you, Wikipedia). Here, it dealt with human sacrifice. There is no subtly that this will be an important plot point going forward into the Second and Third Act, as it is stated more than once. Same with Sofia’s dreams, telegraphing that, in the words of Prof. Pretorious in From Beyond (1986), “Something is coming, Crawford!”

Eva Trill

When the killin’ finally starts, what it nice is that there is a multi-pronged and genre jumping storylines, such as slasher, monster, and cult. Of course, they all tie in together, but it made me happy that it was not just one or the others. When someone gets to meet their maker (colloquially, of course), there is a nice variety. Besides, if you cannot figure out who the bad guys are early on, and probably what is their motivation, well, you just have not seen enough genre films (is it possible to see too many? I say no). There is also a nice reference to the 1953 short story, “The Nine Billion Names of God,” by Arthur C. Clarke.

Flavia Watson

The killing effects look great and had me cheering. I did not really notice any digi-SFX, most of it being practical and very bloody. My one question is, as they all had cell phones, why at some point did anyone not call the police at any point?

With quite the international and attractive cast (including a nice and gratuitous shower scene), the action is first rate, mostly. Sands, generally a good actor, is both wooden and over-emoting at the same time, often acting with his eyes, eyebrows and a forward tilt of his head. He seems to forget he is not on the stage, but in front of the more intimate camera. However, there are some beautiful shots of the hotel lobby atrium, which is almost another character in the story.

Cyprus did good here. There is just enough of an arty tone to give this some oomph, but not enough to make it opaque or distracting. The few scenes we see outside of the hotel of the city are beautiful; visiting Cyprus is on my bucket list.

This film did not disappoint, and I look forward to more output from the island Republic of Cyprus.

IMDB listing HERE

Review: Becky: Special Edition

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

Becky
Directed by Jonathan Milott and Cary Murnion
Yale Productions; Bondit Media Capital; BoulderLight Pictures; Buffalo 8 Productions; Quiver Distribution; Redbox Entertainment; MVD Visual
93 minutes, 2020 / 2023
www.MVDVisual.com

I am actually kind of surprised this film came across my desk, as it were. It was a middle-sized release (as opposed to the low-budget indies I usually get to review) that played in theaters less than 20 years ago, and had some relatively name power in its cast that was not just cameos. The three biggest names are Mall Cop (2009) Kevin James playing against type (if this had been an LGBTQ theme, I would have said something about “King of Nazi Queens”), Joel Hale of “Community” taking a serious turn, and up-and-comer Lulu Wilson in the titular role, known mostly for “The Haunting of Hill House” (2018) mini-series, who was 13 at the time of Becky’s filming. There is also a ton of extras in this Blu-ray, which I will get to later.

Lulu Wilson, Joel McHale

After a full minute of production company credits, we are introduced to Becky being interviewed by the police, with the rest being in flashback. The jarring music that seems to be influenced by The Breeders’ “Last Splash,” is a nice transition to the main, dissonant story.

The direction and editing (by Alan Canant) of the opening sequence, which introduces both convict Dominick (James) and schoolgirl Becky (Wilson) is incredibly well done, as they flip back and forth to show that both are unconventional. For Dominick, it is violence for the White Nationalist Brotherhood cause, and for Becky, it is pretty easy to see that she is a bit disturbed, beyond being a teenager and that her mother (played by her real, uncredited, mom) recently died of cancer.

Wilson, Kevin James

What is also interesting to me is that both of these main characters are accompanied by two tall individuals: for Becky, it is her dad, Jeff (Hale), who is almost 6’4”, and for Dominick, it is fellow escaped inmate Apex (ex-professional wrestler Robert Maillet), who is almost 6’11”; he. should be pegged in the second season of “Wednesday” as Lurch

In this mixture of the cabin in the woods, home invasion, and revenge tale, Becky and Jeff go to their little home away from home in the middle of nowhere (filmed near Burlington, Ontario) to re-bond after their tragic events, with their dogs, Diego (looks like part bulldog and pitbull?) and Dora (corso). Joining them is Jeff’s “friend,” Kayla (Amanda Brugel, another television actor known for a comic role as the minister on “Kim’s Convenience”) and her young son Ty (Isaiah Rockcliffe, who seems almost superfluous to the story). Becky is not too pleased; this soon after her mom passing, honestly, I don’t blame her. And with Kayla and Ty being people of color, I am sure that is not going to go well when, knock, knock, guess who is at the door? Well, it ain’t the fairy godmother.

Amanda Brugel

The other two escapees bringing up the rear are non-Brotherhood members Cole (Ryan McDonald) and Hammond (Lane McDougall). Like much of the cast, these two guys are Canadian. Bad for the cabiners, great for Becky’s body count. Once she gets her knitted teddy bear huntin’ hat on, she means business as something inside her mind snaps. Speaking of which, all things considered that this was a theatrical release with some actors known for comedy, it is pretty damn gruesome.

All 5’ of Becky becomes a killin’ machine as she goes up against the four killers who are in search for something that was left in the cabin before they went to jail nearly a decade before, and they are determined to get it at any means. But Becky has other plans.

Other reviewers have compared Becky to Kevin in Home Alone (1990), but whereas the extreme violence against the two crooks were played for laughs (though it would have killed them in real life), Becky is more determined not to harm them, but to end their lives. And she is on the brink enough to go for that desire.

Robert Maillet

For the aforementioned extras, which there are many, it has introductions to the film from directors Jonathan Milott (19 sec) and Cary Murnion (13 sec). They don’t really say anything in that short amount of time to make it worthwhile, but they make up for it with the featurette ‘Two Heads are Better than One: Directing Becky with Jonathan Milott and Cary Murnion’ (41 min). Filmed separately, they show how they work together, from inception through all the other usual aspects of filmmaking, such as casting, music, SFX and other anecdotes to keep it interesting.

A couple of short but decent interviews are “No Laughing Matter with Joel McHale” (14 min) and “The Fight of her Life with Lulu Wilson” (14 min). Well, it is more of them individually sitting in chairs and talking, but both bring something to their stories, be it humor and/or some level of innocence yet strength in Wilson’s case. Then there are the two Fan Art Galleries and Behind-the-Scenes Photo Galleries

The last biggie is the full Audio Commentary with actress Lulu Wilson and co-screenwriters Ruckus and Lane Skye. While it is mostly interesting, the sound level is a bit low and occasionally distorted, so it is hard to make out in parts. Unfortunately, this is a common problem on commentaries with three or more people. On the technical side, this Blu-ray has 5.1 Surround and 2.0 Stereo Lossless DTS-HD Master Audio, and a 1080p High Definition Widescreen Presentation (2.39:1)

While the cinematography by Greta Zozula is beautifully shot, my one negative comment is that the cellar and night scenes, especially near the end, are just a bit too dark for my old, tired eyes….and my television.

There are so many actors that are popular for their comic roles, but I find they excel in high drama, like Robin Williams, Jim Carrey, and even someone who I think is horrible on the funny side but quite good on the dramatic end, Adam Sandler (let’s see how well egocentric and unhumorous Pete Davidson is at portraying Joey Ramone). This is true for both Joel Hale and especially Kevin James, whose previous roles have been more goofy than funny (again, Paul Blart, Mall Cop).

I can see her stringed hat, and yellow and black striped shirt becoming a cosplay subject, or a Halloween costume. Meanwhile, upcoming later this year is The Wrath of Becky. It has big shoes to fill, but I believe it is capable.

IMDB listing HERE

Review: Nightmare Man

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

Nightmare Man
Directed by Rolfe Kanefsky
Valkhn Films; Paradigm Pictures; Delusional Films; Ronin Films; MVD Visual
87 minutes, 2006 / 2022
www.mvdvisual.com

It should come as no surprise that the centerpiece of this film is second generation Scream Queen Tiffany Shepis. But she is so much more than just that, she is a force of nature. I have reviewed a number of her films over the years, including Model Hunger (2016) and The Black Room (2017, by the same director), and even Caesar and Otto’s Paranormal Halloween (2015). Heck, she goes back as far as the “classic” Tromeo and Juliet (1996), among other Troma flicks, which is where I first became aware of her. But before most of those, there was Nightmare Man.

The center of the film, however, is a couple trying to conceive: Ellen (busty Blythe Metz, who gets to have a gratuitous shower scene in the first five minutes) and toxic masculinist know-it-all Bill (Brazilian actor Luciano Szafir, who was once married to singer/television personality XuXa). To help “get it up” in William’s words, they try a fertility mask, which ends up being a horned, ugly thing, that you just know is going to be nuthin’ but trouble.

Tiffany Shepis, Hanna Putnum, Blythe Metz

This leads to the personification of the Nightmare Man (Aaron Sherry), who keeps cropping up in her – er – nightmares. For this, Bill is on the way to take her to a mental hospital as paranoid schizophrenic, but along the way, trouble occurs, forcing her into the woods and a lone cabin near Big Bear Lake, California, with some participants (the body count) that she befriends. But can they stop The Nightmare Man? I am now 15 minutes into the film, and I have a guess about the ending. I will state later if I am right or wrong, but will not disclose what that is.

Jack Sway, Shepis, James Ferris

In the cabin are two college friends, Mia (Shepis) and Trinity (Hanna/Johanna Putnum) and their respective boyfriends, loveable doofus Ed (Jack Sway, who has no IMDB credits since 2008; he wears a shirt for an earlier Kanefsky film from 1991) and macho man Jack (James Ferris). Being a Kanefsky release, there is a strong sexuality (more than sensuality) element to the film, which interplays (and sometimes inter-cuts through editing) of both. He is both known for his softcore as his horror work, so they usually combine in some ways. For example, every female in the story gets to strip to their bra at some point, and most show their ”goods” as well. To be fair, there is also male nudity (from behind).

About halfway through, I now know I was wrong. I have a second guess, but I certainly hope I am mistaken, because it is too obvious (which is why I had the first guess).

I do not usually talk to the screen – you know, “get out of there!!” “Don’t do [whatever stupid action]!!”) – but in this case, after a bit of carnage, someone goes into the woods by themselves and hears a rustle and says, “Somebody out there?” even after being warned about the killer. I sarcastically said to the television, “Well, duh! You deserve to die!”

The gore SFX looks good, reminiscent of the early Friday the 13th franchise. While not overly bloody, the kills are nice and gruesome. Definitely retro to the ‘80s, which is appreciated. There are also a few well-done jump scares.

There are quite a few extras included, two of which are new for the Blu-ray release. The first is the featurette, “There’s Something Out There: The Making of Nightmare Man” (26 min). This includes interviews with writer/director Rolfe Kanefsky, Tiffany Shepis and Blythe Metz, producer Esther Goodstein, and makeup effects artist Jeff Farley. It is well done and worth the watch, discussing the likes of origin of the idea, casting, anecdotes, and on-set tensions, all told with a wink of the eye. Another newbie is the Film Score Audio-Only Track (unplayed by me).

Archival from the previously released DVD in 2007 includes another, similar themed featured, “Creating a Nightmare: The Making of Nightmare Man” (22 min), with the difference being that this is mostly behind the scenes of the filming, with some interviews, audition reels, SFX, and includes a gag reel. with interviews from writer/director Rolfe Kanefsky, all with a sense of humor. Also, there is “Tiffany's Behind-the-Scenes,” (18 min) which is mostly shot and narrated live-on-camera by Shepis. It is pretty damn funny.

Of course, there is an Audio Commentary with Kanefsky, Shepis, and Goodstein. You can tell they had fun doing it. They joyfully discuss what is on the screen, personalities, shooting anecdotes, incontinuities, and the usual stuff. Again, worth the watch, though there is the occasional talking over each other. Then there are the Extended Scenes (16 min), which were good but right to be edited, and the “Flubbing a Nightmare Gag Reel” (7 min).

Finally, there is a Promo Reel (5 min), which is like an extended trailer, and Stills Gallery On the tech side, this is a 1080p High-Definition Widescreen Presentation (1.78:1) with 5.1 Surround DTS-HD Master Audio, and English Subtitles for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing.

While this is not a comedy, there is definitely some humorous lines here and there, mostly spouted by Shepis, who has a natural comedic talent that is often overlooked (also, the role was written specifically for her). The acting overall is quite decent, though Shepis is more of a natural talent and excels in this regard, and please note that I am not just saying that because I am a fan. It is why I am a fan. Same is true with some of the better Scream Queens, like Debbie Rochon. There are also a couple of really nice cameos by Robert Donovan (who was also in The Black Room and Night of the Tommyknockers), and especially THE Richard Moll, who is almost unrecognizable, even with the height.

As for my guesses, they were both right and wrong. There was an element to the story that I was not expecting, which not only was a wonderful surprise, but tied everything up nicely.

IMDB listing HERE