The Nightmarish World of LUDLOW

Battered and worn out, Krista escapes from an abusive relationship, making her way to a no-tell motel on the desert outskirts. While she waits for her sister to arrive and help her sort out the wreckage of her life in a few days time. The combined effects of booze, painkillers and her traumatic experiences create a nightmarish world for Krista, leaving her to question what is real and why she is forced to suffer.

We love independent cinema around these parts, and it doesn't get any more DIY than Stacie Ponder's Ludlow. The entire film takes place almost solely within the cramped confines of a motel room. Aside from a handful of brief appearances, all the heavy lifting is done by our lead actress. The fact that the owner of  the site Final Girl, a blog that has inspired the one you're reading now, helmed Ludlow is what peaked my interest in the film. Shouldering the load in mostly a one woman performance, Shannon Lark's presence is what kept my attention throughout.

Make no mistake, this is Ms. Lark's movie. She's in nearly every frame of the film, and has the unenviable task of being asked to sell the madness she finds herself in but doing so in a manner has to believe that she's really living the experience and can't just "snap out if it" at any time. Ludlow puts its lead in multiple hellish scenarios. We see the physical trauma of her nearly bleeding out or losing her teeth (in the most stomach turning moment in the film). Krista's fatigue also lends itself to more psychological horror, whether it be fear of abandonment as shown in the brief screen time Lark shares with her sister Maddy (Elissa Dowling) or resignation that she deserves no better than what she's just escaped from. Lark's delivers a monolouge towards the end where she justifies going back to her ex in the flat, self-hating tones instantly recognizeable to anyone that's ever listened to excuses one makes for their abuser. Ms. Lark lends Krista a layer of toughness, even in her darkest moments, that it adds a level of intrigue in watching the film. I found myself asking just how evil a son of a bitch her ex boyfriend had to be to break this woman.

Credit also goes to Ms Ponder for her directorial chops as well. Two moments stood out for me. The opening shots of the desert stretching out into seeming infinity while Krista vomits in the middle of the highway set the stage for the emptiness her character feels weighed down throughout her arc. The landscape seems to stretch out forever and it just looks hot and nasty. There's also a terrific audio cue shortly after Krista arrives in the hotel. Ponder draws focus to the sound of a faucet dripping, zooms in on it, amplifies and distorts it until it becomes a weird and disconcerting cacophony of noise, once again hinting at the madness that follows in short order.

If I have a quibble, it's a minor one with the ending. Without spoiling the closing  moments, the film ends in heartbreaking fashion, one that Ponder hints at throughout, yet it manages to provide a wallop when finally revealed. However, within the run time of the film, we've been subjected to a series of nightmarish, grisly scenarios, all through the jumbled perspective of Krista, only to snap back to reality. We have to take it on faith that the last image is reality, that an "ollie ollie oxen free" card won't be pulled moments after the credits roll. A small addition to ground the moment, something as simple as a cell phone ringing in the hotel room, could work as a means to say that this is it, giving the end that much more impact.

Ludlow gets high marks simply because for her first feature Ms. Ponder chooses not to play it safe. The film tackles the dicey subject matter of abuse while injecting heavy doses of surreal Lynchian imagery. It a sixty six minute running time there's no padding. I know that after watching this film I want to see more Shannon Lark. If she announced tomorrow her next project was a sock puppet theater retelling of Driving Miss Daisy done entirely in Esperanto I'd be on board.

Ludlow screens in Boston MA on October 13th as part of the All Things Horror film series. For those that want a peek behind the curtain take a gander at Stacie Ponder's series of articles detailing the production of her film. 

Chris' Update: Where the Hell Did my September Go???

Hey, gang. You may or may not have noticed a pronounced lack of posting from me of late. The entire month of September was pretty much shot due to a surprise health problem. I've been in and out of the hospital for the entire month and it's really chipping away at my sanity. It's about 5 a.m. right now and I have a burning need to post something, anything. Luckily, I have a few steroid influenced things to say, so if you can spare a few minutes, let me catch you up.

You probably don't want to hear all the gruesome details of all the needles, IV's, crap food, and other typical associations here at the hospital (nah, they're treating me ok here), so let me do you a solid and talk about some real HORROR instead. Ah, that feels good. I've missed writing and thinking about horror films and this is the first time I've been inspired to dust off a keyboard in a while. One of the real disappointments for me was missing The Last Exorcism which I'd been very eager to see especially after reading Mike's glowing review. Sigh. At least I have All Things Horror Presents: Four Nights of Fright to look forward to, in addition to many exciting horror events going on around Boston in October.

So, first I simply had to re-watch Dario Argento's Phenomena.



For some reason, I just couldn't shake the need to watch Dario Argento's Phenomena (aka Creepers). I feel it's an often overlooked classic, mostly due to a chopped up version that had been floating around rendering incoherent what was already a bit of a mess. A few years back Anchor Bay put out a nice intact version and that's the one I'd recommend checking out if you haven't seen this yet. For those unfamiliar, the story follows a very committed Jennifer Connelly as a boarding school student who attempts to solve a series of brutal murders with a telepathic ability to communicate with insects. Yep, she talks to bugs and they love her! I personally think Phenomena is an excellent horror film and one of Argento's scariest. What it lacks from Argento-isms (red herrings, convoluted story) it makes up for in atmosphere and mystery. There's something sinister about the wind rustling through the trees in key dark scenes that really gets me. The nasty, crusty special makeup effects are provided by the always reliable Sergio Stivaletti. Yeah, I think this is one of my faves.

Next up, Frank Henenlotter's sadly forgotten Brain Damage.



I'm pretty sure Frank Henelotter is one of few horror filmmakers who still has the ability to shock. Bad Biology (highly recommended) was his triumphant return to horror filmmaking after a long lay off, and the man hasn't lost a beat. If anything, he has become more tenacious and provocative. Everyone knows Henenlotter from the Basket Case series, as well as the excellent Frankenhooker, but not enough praise is lavished, that's right lavished on the often overlooked Brain Damage. I don't even believe it has received a DVD release of any sort, and that's a true crime. Brain Damage is the story of Aylmer, a penis-like monster with the ability to chemically make pretty colors in the brain's of downtrodden New Yorkers. The drug-like haze makes life tolerable and folks will do anything to appease Aylmer for a fix. Unfortunately, Aylmer often has a hankering for juicy human brains and trades happy color fun times for his share of the meat. Plenty of sleaze and grue in this one, but not at the expense of caring about the characters.

Why not a little of Joe Dante's The Howling? Sure, I'll take some!



Joe Dante is the man! No, it's not shouted enough, so let's hear you loud and clear. JOE DANTE IS THE MAN! When people rattle off a list of favorite filmmakers, I bet Joe Dante rarely comes up. I think one of the main reasons is that he seems so humble and low key and would just rather have a few laughs, knock out a good movie, and kick back with some beer afterward. Now based on his filmography which includes great stuff like Piranha, Gremlins, Explorers, Twilight Zone: The Movie, and the upcoming 3D horror film The Hole, you may be surprised that I think his strongest attribute is sublety. I know that sounds crazy considering this is the man responsible for Gremlins 2: The New Batch, but there's something about the very sly humor and camera movement that shows Dante is very alive behind the eyes. The Howling is still potent after all these years, mostly due to a pretty timeless John Sayles script which explores repressed human animal desires. Boasting a great cast, the film is powered by some incredible werewolf transformation sequences by the master Rob Bottin.

A surprising little supernatural read in S.E. Hinton's Hawkes Harbor.



Browsing the bookshelf outside of my room, I noticed a hard back copy of an S.E. Hinton book I'd never heard of. I've always been a big fan of her teen angst and complex emotional novels like The Outsiders, Rumble Fish, and That Was Then, This is Now and was curious about what she was up to these days. Turns out Hawkes Harbor (2004) is part adventure, part exploration of brutal mental health practices, a complicated character study, and a supernatural horror story all in one. It's a very engaging read with some incredible characters and one that I can heartily recommend. Hinton has created characters with such depth you can really feel them burning on the pages as you are compelled to keep reading.

For now, I'll probably be in the hospital for a few more days, but as I keep improving, I'll be certain to share more of my thoughts on all things horror.

Handicapping October: Week One

It's here!

With Halloween season just about to kick off, your local cinemas are releasing horror films en masse over the next month. It's a welcome return to form from days when horror movies and October release dates went hand in hand. It seems like August and January became the dumping ground for Horror the past few years. Both of Rob Zombie's Halloween films dropped in August, which is akin to releasing A Christmas Carol in May. This year we're getting dosed with horror, grindhouse and exploitation flicks every Friday. In fact, you could argue the well received Devil kick started the season at the end of September.

Each Monday for the next month, we'll take a brief look at what films hit at the end of the week, and guesstimate a to how they'll do.

Let Me In

Synopsis: A lonely, frequently picked on twelve year old boy befriends the equally strange new girl who's moved into his apartment building, only to discover that she's not everything she seems.

The Skinny: The Americanized version of the Swedish masterpiece Let the Right One In, which is arguably the best vampire film of my lifetime. When this film was first announced, the online reaction was overwhelmingly negative, to the point where fans seemed offended by the mere notion that this film would be updated for the states rather than receive a wide release in its original form. However, through a steady release of short clips, inspired casting and a promise to put a unique stamp on the material by exploring themes the Swedish film left out, anticipation and expectations for this film are high. The most important factor in the film's success is the child actors chosen for the leads, and here the film hits it out of the park. Chloe Grace Moretz stole the show as Hit Girl in Kick Ass and though the film wasn't widely seen, Kodi Smit-McPhee was just as impressive in The Road. From what I've seen, he has the off kilter aspect of Owen (Eli in the original and novel) that hints at the darker nature of the boy. 

The verdict: I'm undecided if vampires are still "in" or if the backlash might be on its way. The fact that the film isn't draped in melodramatic romance should provide a boon for those looking to escape the Twilightization of nosferatu. I think this one has legs, and will open in a strong second place behind david Fincher's The Social Network. 

Case 39

Synopsis: Family services worker Emily Jenkins thinks she has seen it all until she meets her newest, most mysterious case, troubled 10 year old Lilith Sullivan. Emily's worst fears are confirmed when the parents try to kill Lilith, their only daughter. Emily saves her and decides to taker her in herself until the right foster family comes along. After a short time, she begins to suspect the girl may not be so innocent after all. 

The skinny: Paramount shelved this title for three years, which never bodes well. After a limited release overseas proved profitable, the studio decided to finally pump it to theaters domestically. Aside from the always reliable Ian McShane, the cast does nothing to excite me. This stars Renee Zellweger's first foray back into horror since Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation, and for my money, there's not a less interesting actress in Hollywood outside of Nicole Kidman to helm a film (it looks like audiences are starting to agree as her last few flicks have tanked). For your male lead you have Bradley Cooper aka, the unfunny guy that really lucked out Vince Vaughn was unavailable to star in The Hangover. I'm a sucker for creepy kids on film, but the fact that the stars have avoided promoting the movie like it might give them herpes also doesn't bode well.

The verdict: I see this finishing of the top five, perhaps even the top ten films for the weekend box office. 

Hatchet 2

Synopsis: After Marybeth escapes from the clutches of Victor Crowley, she learns the truth about his curse and heads back into the haunted New Orleans swamp to seek revenger for her family. 

The skinny: Adam Green's Hatchet is a fun foray in old school 80's gore and gazongas, but I've always felt the over the top love for the film in the horror community is a bit overblown. Still, Green released one of the best films of the year in the new on Blu Ray Frozen. The early reviews have been super positive, with promises of a weird as hell Crowley love scene and fan favorite Danielle Harris slipping in to the lead role. 

The Wild Card: AMC theaters has stepped up and is screening this film in all its unrated glory. It's a limited release, so the total dollar amount probable won't be enough to crack the top ten, but if the dollars per screen average is high enough it could bode well for the future of both Green and hardcore horror fans alike. 

The verdict: The online chatter for this film is awesome, which means no one will show up. I hope to God I'm wrong on this one because I think Green is a handful of new genre directors that feels like "one of us" ans could go one to entertain the hell out of horror fans in the decade to come. 

Sorry For the Lack of Updates

Just getting back from a week-long trade show. 12 hour days pounding he floor, followed by meet and greets and dinners do not make for creative outbursts.

TerrorThon '10 is among us!

For horror peeps in the Boston area, it's a special, spooky time of year. Our lovely month of October is nearly here. Some friends of mine are kicking off the horror holiday season early with TerrorThon '10, a nine-day splatterific feast-ival of carnage at the Somerville Theatre.

With a combined 40 years of horror and sci-fi event production and programming experience, J. Cannibal & Garen Daly bring you TerrorThon'10: 9 Days of Horror.

From September 24th through October 2^nd, you can attend U.S. premieres, cast and crew Q&As, cult classics, live performances, after-parties, and plenty of opportunities to win prizes!

Festival highlights include:

• Godfather of Gore: the US premiere of the Herschell Gordon Lewis documentary! A Q&A with director Frank Henenlotter (Basket Case, Bad Biology, Frankenhooker) will follow.

• Spookadelica: A live American spookshow, brought to you by Something Weird Video, who will be filming the event for a documentary.

• Screenings of contemporary cult classics: Human Centipede and Dead Snow

• Outstanding local films with cast & crew!

• New England premiere of TUCKER & DALE vs. EVIL

• New England premiere of THE REVENANT

• The epic 10th installment of the annual zombie party, J. CANNIBAL'S FEAST OF FLESH

Feast of Flesh this time around will be featuring one of my favorite weirdo films, Night of the Creeps! I can hardly wait to see this film on the big screen; it'll be a true cinematic treat, combined with the lovely ghouls from Black Cat Burlesque and live music from Planetoid. Feast of Flesh starts at 10pm on Saturday, October 2^nd at the Somerville Theatre. Tickets are $10 in advance or $12 at the door.

Check out the official schedule at the Canniblog. Don't miss it!

Shorts review: Night of the Punks

If everything comes in cycles, then I think we’re in line for a throwback to 80’s horror when the scares were infused with a heavy dose of humor and schlock film went arm in arm with the rambunctious energy of punk rock. Judging by his latest short film writer/director Dan Riesser feels the same way.

Night of the Punks tells the story of a DIY band playing their first road gig. Unfortunately for Spike, Kenny, Nick, Mikey and merch girl Sarah, they should have taken a closer look at the rider provided by shady club promoter Raymond. Not only is the club virtually empty without even a hastily Xeroxed black and white flyer promoting the show, but the only club goers, aside from a young couple cheerily serving as cannon fodder, are a group of demonoid punk rockers hell bent on getting their monthly human sacrifice.

If the title wasn’t a giveaway, then just  few minutes of viewing will tip you off that Night of the Punks skews far more towards the “...of the Creeps” and  “…of the Demon” than Romero’s work and I for one am all for it. As someone that’s spent nearly eighteen years carousing in dingy rock clubs and DIY basement spaces (good lord has it been that long?) I appreciated the humorous jabs at the scene. The film gets moments right like the bit where a pair of tweens, all decked out in their Crass patch covered hoodies are in tow for the rawk show with their minivan driving soccer mom. I’ve been those kids.

What the film lacks in scares it more than makes up for in laughs and cartoonish gore effects. Whether it’s green blood spewing demons getting nearly decapitated by a drum symbol, or a reminder on the promoter’s notepad as to what night the human sacrifice is scheduled. The antics and reactions of the threatened band lent a Saturday morning cartoon level of humor to the whole affair. I half expected Kenny to yell out “Zoinks!” while getting a mouthful of demon juice.  Dominic DeLeo (The Soup) lends an air of surreal humor to everything as the shady club promoter skulking in the shadows, seemingly nonplussed by the hijinx going on around him. Riesser gives his film eye popping colors that recalls old school EC Comics.  

You can’t have a rock and horror combo without the music. In the case of Night of the Punks, Murderland provides a dose of pogo punk in the vein of the Misfits and The Queers.

I love my horror one of two ways. Either scare the bejesus out of me with an atmospheric tale of psychological terror or give me something goofy to munch popcorn to. Night of the Punks falls squarely in the latter camp. In twenty minutes the short delivers carnage, hokey laughs and a splash of gratuitous nudity. Sign me up

Night of the Punks is currently making its way through the festival circuit before its eventual DVD release. All Things Horror is screening the film as part of our Four Nights of Fright series in October. Horror fans in the Boston area should check the film out when it screens as part of our short film program October 20th at the Somerville Theater. 

NIGHT OF THE PUNKS (2010) - Grindhouse Trailer from Irrational Films on Vimeo.

We've got FOUR NIGHTS OF FRIGHT Lined up this October

Hey all,

Please take a second to click to our page detailing our October movie nights. We've rented the digital screening room at the Somerville Theater every Wednesday night as a way of celebrating the Halloween season.

You need not worry that we've watered down our programming as a way to cram the schedule. Chris, Izzy and myself have lined up some kick-ass indie features every week.

I'll update the page as we get closer to each night, but take a look now for a quick glimpse at what we've lined up.

FOUR NIGHTS OF FRIGHT at the Somerville Theater

The Friday Five: Favorite Freddy Kills

After listening to the Horror Etc Elm St retrospective and soaking up the amazing 'Never Sleep Again" documentary, I've been on a bit of a Freddy kick. I thought I'd use this week's Friday Five to revisit some of the best Freddy kills. Unlike most slasher films, where a creative kill is one where a pitchfork is substituted for the tried and true butcher knife, Freddy had a real panache when it came to executing a kill. The nightmare world Kruger inhibited allowed for outstanding visuals. So like we always say-without further ado, we present the five best Elm Street Kills

5. Jack Sparrow gets pulled under a sea (of blood) Who would have thought fresh faced Johnny Depp would rise above his teen horror roots and become one of the biggest draws in Hollywood? To horror fans, you'll always be handsome but dippy Glen, the poor sap that just couldn't stay awake and wound up getting sucked through your mattress.

4. "Welcome to Prime Time Bitch!" There's no way I'm topping Freddy's best one liner in the whole series
Sorry the quality is so crappy on this one-for whatever reason embedding has been disabled on the better looking versions of it. You can find it in two seconds on YouTube. This scene was Elm Street firing on all cylinders. From Freddy's taunt coming out of dick Caveat's mouth, to the screen dissolving to static to Freddy delivering his best line before smashing the girls head through the boob tube, you could point to this scene as the moment when Freddy transcended the horror genre and truly became a pop culture icon.
  

3. Freddy Comes "Out" (A Nightmare on elm Street part two) While most fans rip Freddy's Revenge as a weak follow up to the first, I have a soft spot for the film. Maybe it's because I saw this one first or maybe it's just Jesse's sweet dance moves but I love this movie. No matter what side of the fence you fall on, there's no denying the moment Freddy claws his way out of Jesse's body and promptly guts Grady still looks cool as hell. from the nod to American Werewolf, to Freddy shedding Jesse's skin like a snake, the effects still hold up today.


2. Tina's goes for a spin (A Nightmare on Elm Street Part 1) Speaking of holding up-it's been more than a quarter century but Tina getting tossed around the room still looks amazing today. The room was built on a pivot, which allowed the whole thing to be flipped upside down by a hand crank. Meanwhile all the filming equipment and crew were bolted to the "floor" of the set. If you need further evidence as to how practical done right blows away CGI compare this scene with the laughable attempt at recreating it in the reboot.



1.Kruger meets Kafka (A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master) This tops my list due to the sheer meanness of Debbie's death. First Freddy snaps her arms off at the elbow in what must be excruciating pain. As Debbie screams in agony, roach tentacles pop out through the openings her bones tore through, and her arms flop to the floor like useless hunks of meet. Follow that up with her skin being pulled off by the trap goo as she turns into a cockroach before Freddy delivers the coup de grace and you have the most sadistic moment in the franchise.

Horror Movie Pet Peeves: Beginning at the End

*I've noticed a surly edge to my writing these past couple weeks. Chalk it up to having a new dishwasher that flooded our condo, ruined our new floors and forced the three of us to evacuate home for the comfort of a Hotel for the past ten nights. Thank god for home owners insurance, double Hilton points and new kitchen & bathroom floors (helloooo nice new ceramic goodbye 1970's vinyl). Still, I've pretty much hit my wits end. Onward and upward. 


Can I just say how much I hate the cinematic method of opening a film at the conclusion of events, then flashing back in time and telling the tale of how we got to that scene? After rewatching The Strangers, a film with as nerve wracking a first half as you'll ever find, and being pointed to an indie horror short that used this same backwards conceit, I was reminded how much it sucked me out of the film.

The Strangers opens with a 911 call playing over a scene of carnage. A house is completely overturned. Bloodstains cover the floors and walls. In the middle of it all we have a motionless, gore stained couple lying on the floor. Then we cut back to the night before, when said couple are making their way to the home. When an odd girl knocks on their door to ask "Is Tamara home?" the film really picks up. This act in the film is filled with nail biting moments. I wish the trailer hadn't spoiled it, but the scene with Liv Tyler standing in the kitchen, completely oblivious to the presence of a hulking dude in a suit and sackcloth mask looming in the back ground ala Michael Myers circa 1978 just fills me with chills.

Would you believe he just wanted to borrow a cup of sugar?

Everything after the the couple know for sure that they're being hunted down is a big yawner. I already know they're going to end up dead on the floor. Unless something really awesome happens, like one of the masked kids tags in The Iron Sheik who then proceeds to stomp a mud hole into Scott Speedman with his patented curled steel toe boots then breaks Liv Tyler in half with the dreaded Camel Clutch, is an afterthought. All the tension and atmosphere created in the first half goes bye-bye, and we're left with a run of the mill slasher movie without the crowd pleasing kill scenes. A good horror film relies on its audience investing in the fate of its leads. If I didn't already know the couple would end up dead by the film's end, then the moments where they try to escape or call for help would carry much more weight.

It's a move that smacks of a director that lacks confidence in the development of his characters and their ability to move the story along. It's almost as if he's telling his audience they're too stupid or he's not skilled enough to get you through the first fifteen minutes of two people having a normal evening before a piece of feces punches a fan. we have to get a quick tease before the action really starts.

A movie like Memento can get away with this construct for a couple reasons. First, Christopher Nolan is a flat out genius. Second, the twists the film takes when moving backwards in time help setup why we get the opening scene. The same goes for Irreversible. We're treated to a horrific scene were one man bashes the ever-loving snot out of another man's skull with a fire extinguisher until all that's left is some pulpy grey matter and bone fragments. On its own, that's an amazing horrific acts. however, as the film reverses itself we come to understand why this happened and can even justify this opening carnage.

The above are examples of two clever, unconventional films. Masked kids hunting down a middle class couple  in order to play stab the tail on the donkey simply doesn't work when the film begins at its end.

I just wanted to throw this caption in to say the French home invasion film "Them" does the concept just a little bit better if you're in to that sort of thing...

Film shorts: Enter the Dark

Enter the Dark

written & directed by Todd Miro

A pair of friends, a Friday night and a ghostly presence in the house. Todd Miro’s new short Enter the Dark proves once again a good ghost story simply needs to put emphasis on the story and not flashy effects or big budgets in order to provide some fun and scares.

Charles has a problem not covered by homeowner’s insurance. His home has come under siege by a ghostly presence. Strange noises emit from the walls.  Frightening shapes appear just outside one’s peripheral vision. The film provides a credible real world explanation why Charles doesn’t pack up and leave. Anyone familiar with the putting the terms “negative equity” and mortgage together will empathize why he’s sticking it out.  Charles has already sent his wife and daughter to stay with family and has enlisted his longtime friend Rob to play Ghost Hunter with him and determine the root of the problem.

Of course, Rob thinks his buddy is putting him on, and is much more interested in pounding down margaritas than playing Venkman to Charles’ Spengler. As the two investigate the house, Miro uses simple, creepy effects to dial up the ghostly atmosphere. A simple child’s toy that gets a case of the giggles and seemingly answers questions posed to it provides the first hair-on-the-back-of-the-neck-stands-up moment. Little moments like this begin to add up until Rob can’t deny something other worldly is going on in the house. It’s a terrific change of pace to watch two grown men soil their underwear as opposed to the standard genre far which would find women and children heading for the hills. After tracing the source back to the attic, the events culminate in a grisly fashion for one of our two friends. The film ends with the viewer wondering just how up front one friend was being with the other with regards to what they knew about what’s going on in the house.

While the short’s premise invites comparisons to Paranormal Activity, it’s really a different beast. The night vision camera gets a workout when it comes to creating some scary moments-shadowy figures flit in and out of sight, and the washed out looks make for an eerie feel-but most of the work is traditional camera work. Miro has the technical jobs to take what would appear to be a ho-hum typical middle class dwelling in daylight into a cramped holding cell with no easy exit under the cover of darkness. While our two leads might not be addressing the Academy in the near future, they do a credible job coming across as two longtime buddies left fumbling in an unexplainable situation.  Overall, Enter the Dark delivers everything I look for in a horror short. It quickly sets up the players and situation. It builds up gradual scares, each one slightly topping the one before it. The ending delivers exactly what I want out of a horror short-that punch in the gut moment where I had some idea of what was coming but man it paid off when it plays out on the screen. Keep your eyes peeled for this film as it makes its way through the horror festival circuit.

Enter The Dark trailer
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Do "Exclusive" Preview Clips and Trailers Ruin Movies for You?

I know we live in an age where almost any bit of information can be had with a few keyboard strokes. I also understand that anyone connected with the media, whether it’s television, radio, larger online news sites or just simple blogs, want to be the first to “break” coverage on a story or event in order to boost ratings and traffic.

That said, how do people feel about the constant stream of “exclusive” clips that come out in the weeks before a film’s theatrical release date? Have we reached a point where the proliferation of clips spoils the movie going experience? Rather than get potential fans fired up for the film, does the easy access to huge chunks of the film, especially when purported to be the “best bits”, actually cut into the box office? By the time a film actually hits theaters, it seems like half the movie has already debuted online. What am I spending ten bucks for?

Maybe I’m just an old fart, but watching out of context film clips on a laptop monitor with the image shrunken down to half the screen size and audio streaming over tinny micro speakers can’t hold a candle to letting a film reveal itself on the big screen. I mean, bully for Matt Reeves being willing to release a new clip of Let Me In every other day to prove to the horror community that he didn’t screw this one up, I’d just rather wait a few weeks to see the finished work as a whole.

Trailers aren’t exempt from ruining films either. If I were a director I’d wring the neck of the person in charge of cutting my trailer if it were guilty of one of the following: it laid out the whole plot of the film from start to conclusion, essentially providing a cliff notes version of the movie rather than an advertisement; if it gave away every “big” moment in a film; if it spoiled the ending of the movie. Horror and comedy are the two genres affected the most by spoiler heavy trailers. Anyone reading this can easily look back on any number of movie going experiences where the big jokes had been seen so often in trailers and TV spots that the impact is ruined once you plop down money for tickets. it’s not unusual for a horror film to experience a 70% decline in attendance between the opening and second weekend. The days of rolling out a film gradually and letting positive word of mouth sustain its run for a long stretch has gone by the wayside.

I’m genuinely curious what other readers have to say about this trend. Do you devour every piece of news, every viral video and any rumors posted prior to release dates? Or do you try and catch a non-spoiler filled teaser or two before heading to the multiplex? Does the easy access to previews help or hinder your movie going experience?

An Indie Horror Update: Dead Hooker in a Trunk, The Commune, How My Dad Killed Dracula & Thirsty

Chris and I have been running our screening series for nine moths now, and with October looming, we're shifting to a weekly event for the month in order to cram in as much indie horror goodness for Halloween as possible. I thought now would be a good time to give a quick shout out to some of the films we've screened that have moved on to bigger and more awesome things. 

First, congrats have to go out to Elisabeth Fies, the writer/director of The Commune. She just received word that Netflix has picked up her film, and it will be available for rental starting next Tuesday. This is huge news as it allows her indie film to reach a much wider audience. 

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The CommuneThe Commune: A New Cult Classic(2009) NR

While spending the summer living with her father (Stuart G. Bennett) and the creepy members of his dysfunctional commune, beautiful and virginal teenager Jenny Cross (Chauntal Lewis) discovers that she's at the center of a frightfully sinister ritual and tries desperately to escape. Written, directed and co-starring Elisabeth Fies, this disturbing psychological thriller also stars David Lago, Adrian Lee and Cindy Baer.

Genre:

Psychological Thrillers, Mystery

Format:

DVD 9/14/2010

Speaking of a wider audience, March's feature Pig Hunt was chosen as one of eight films released on DVD by Fangoria as part of their Fright Fest imprint. You can read Chris' original review, here but suffice to say if you watch one film with a 3000 pound man eating pig that's under the control of naked hippie pot farmers that are in constant conflict with a gang of psychotic rednecks, then make this your film. Right now it's exclusively available for rental at Blockbuster, but it's also up for purchase as well.



This has been a terrific year for Andrew Kasch. Not only did his critically acclaimed exhaustive documentary on the Nightmare on Elm St series Never Sleep Again come out, but his comedic short slasher film Thirsty (staring Wrong Turn 2 & upcoming Knights of Badassery director Joe Lynch) has been chosen as part of the upcoming horror anthology The Black Box. 

One of my favorite short horror films HOW MY DAD KILLED DRACULA is now available for digital download. Fans of things that are awesome have three ways to watch this kid-friendly short at home or take it on the go Click the above title to link to the site for purchase:


$1.99 nets you the standard definition version of the film, which is compatible with any Mac/PC  Phones - iPhone,iPhone 3G,iPhone 3GS,iPod Touch,iPod Classic,Droid,PalmPre 


$2.99  - 720p HD/5.1 which is compatible with any Mac/PC  Playstation3/Xbox 360, iPad  Phones - iPhone4, HTC Evo, Droid Incredible, Samsung Epic, Samsung Galaxy, Droid 2

$3.99 - 1080p HD/5.1 which is compatible with Playstation3/Xbox 360

Both HD purchases include a Standard Definition file.







The twin Soska Sisters continue their march towards global domination as Dead Hooker In A Trunk has recently been accepted at pair of interational film festivals: The Abertoir Festival in the UK and the CineFantasy Festival Curta Fantastico (that name makes me want to salsa dance) in Brazil.

Dead Hooker in a Trunk - Exclusive Clip
Uploaded by dreadcentral. - Full seasons and entire episodes online.

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Some Quick Thoughts on The Poughkeepsie Tapes

I’m not sure I have it in me for a full review of this film. Part of it is the content, but the larger issue is how I viewed the film-on a laptop, streamed through MySpace (hey they’re still around?) with about four total inches of screen (blowing it to full screen caused way too much pixilation for anything to be considered a passable image).

The Poughkeepsie Tapes is presented as a documentary with two main components. Interspersed with the talking head FBI interviews is footage from the eight hundred hours worth of videotapes the killer left in his wake.

The footage on the tapes is the draw of the film. We bear witness to the systematic kidnapping, physical and psychological torture and eventual dismemberment of victims. What sets the Poughkeepsie Tapes apart is it breaks one of the cardinal rules of most modern horror-that little kids are untouchable. “Ed’s” first victim is a young girl he snatches right from her front lawn. While we don’t see what happens after he throws her in the car, we see crime scene photos and learn her barbaric fate. This sets up one of the more unnerving scenes later on, when a pair of girl scouts knocks on his door. Knowing that killing kids is on the table, every second of the later scene becomes a nail biting experience. The footage works, and while the grainy, often out of focus VHS footage can be frustrating to watch at times, it adds a definite sense of realism to the proceedings.  

The film focuses on the abduction a young woman Cheryl Dempsey, who was beaten and kidnapped by Ed. For whatever unknown reason, Ed takes a shine to Cheryl, and decides not to immediately dispose of her. Instead, he verbally, mentally and physically breaks her will, all in front of the camera. It’s cringe worthy viewing (he goes as far as to taunt the girl’s grief stricken mother outside her home). He continuously dehumanizes her, eventually turning her into a walking talking anime doll, and forces her to become a participant in his crimes.

Thankfully, all the acting outside of Ed’s home video collection is so atrocious; it gave me a respite from the nearly overwhelming grimness of the film. In particular, I’d like to thank Ron Harper for his portrayal of the stodgy FBI professor. He delivers his lines about wanting to become a profiler in order to “take the bastards out” with such ham fisted earnestness that if you listen very closely, you can hear Charlton Heston clapping his approval from the other side. 

The film did something very few films do nowadays. It unnerved me to no end. I did something I hadn’t done since I first watched Inside just about a year ago. I turned the deadbolt to the front door of our condo.  I can take a fair amount o blood, guts and gore. Movies like Hostel and the Fulci eye gouging stuff have no effect on me. But there’s something about the added layer of realism, and the relentless toying with helpless victims excruciating to get through. I’m not surprised the planned theatrical run was scrapped (the trailer ran before Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning) as there’s nothing further removed from a popcorn film. I am a bit perplexed as to the lack of any sort of home video release plans, especially since writer/director had a small hit with Quarantine (hey it did make some box office bucks) and the intriguing looking Devil. Search this one out streaming online if you’re looking for something outside the norm.  

The Friday Five: Netflix Instant Watch MADNESS!

Maybe you noticed, but the updates have been a bit threadbare this week. I can only chalk it up to one thing-the massive influx of HOLY CRAP THIS IS ON INSTANT WATCH update from Netflix this past week.

I’m going to assume not everyone is a massive tech nerd like myself, and that our average reader doesn’t Google “NETFLIX INSTANT” news five times a day (at a minimum) looking for any kernel of info about what’s next with the service. When the news broke last month that Netflix inked a deal with Epix (MGM/Paramount/Lionsgate) which will vastly expand their catalog of streaming titles, I did a Snoopy dance in the middle of the living room.

The go live date for the new titles was September 1^st and just a few days in the selection has gotten way better. The Godfather trilogy is up there (though shame on you if you don’t already own it) More recent titles like Iron Man and GI Joe have just gone up. I could go on for a long while, but for today’s edition of the Friday Five let’s give horror heads a few good reasons to batten down the hatches during Hurricane Earl while having furious mouth sex with Pop Secret while watching some flicks. I’m trying to stick to tittles that have just gone up over the past couple weeks, and this is by no means a complete list. So it’s up to you faithful readers to comment below and tell me what I’ve missed.

      Friday the 13^th Parts 1-6

Can I go on record and say that I prefer Sackface Jason over Hockey Mask Jason. Yes I know the Detroit Red wings goalie mask is the iconic eighties slasher symbol, but goddamn if that first moment Jason bolts upright in bed to scare the piss out of Terry still doesn’t elicit an “oh crap” from many a viewer. The look is a terrific nod to “The Town That Dreaded Sundown” and along with the fact that Jason actually hauls ass in this one, it makes me appreciate part two as the best of the series.  I pulled a parts one through four mini-marathon last night, and have the feeling it’s going to spawn some sort of retrospective in the near future. Along with Dawn of the Dead, Friday the 13^th (the original, and the not so “final chapter”) remain the works most of us appreciate the gorgeous practical FX work of Tom Savini for.   

  

Girly

This is a twisted British gem from 1970. I snagged it for rental on DVD just before it hit streaming and am excited that it’ll now be at my perverted little finger tips where ever a high speed internet connection takes me. Imagine if the twisted redneck family from Texas Chainsaw were transplanted to late sixties London and you have a little bit of an idea of what’s in store. Vanessa Howard is unbelievably sexy as an early twenty something with the mind of a school girl as she lures hobos and gigolos back to the family estate for her mumsy, nanny and brother.  The family plays children’s games with their guests, which result in dire consequences whenever the proper “rules” of said game aren’t followed. It seems a bit dated in places now, but the gallows humor and the fascinating exploration of how the prim remnants of Victorian society looked aghast at the free lovin’ swinger generation deserves a look see even today.

Man Bites Dog

This 1992 French fauxumentary can be tough to get through at times. A documentary crew follows Benoit, an affable serial killer roaming the streets of Paris. What makes this film so disturbing is the nonchalant way Benoit goes about his work, whether he’s explaining the ratio of stones to body weight one needs to properly sink a corpse or blithely waiting for an old woman he’s shocked in to a heart attack to die. Along the way, Benoit waxes rhapsodic on architecture, the place of the poor in society, his views on race and love, etc etc, revealing himself as a pompous aggrandizing blowhard with a psychotic streak a mile wide. On a deeper level, the film addresses the media’s obsession with violence, and our own fascination with the dark corners of humanity. Even accounting for the compressed streaming video, this black and white film looks stunning. 

The Prowler

This film gets next to no love when people talk about their favorite early eighties slashers and I’m hard pressed as to understand why that’s so. Tom Savini may outdo his previous work on Friday the 13^th with his work here-I’m hard pressed to think of many kills on par with the knife through the head scene early on in the film. Granted, it follows the beats of My Bloody Valentine a little too closely at points (right down to the killers attire) but it still gets high points for injecting a little “whodunit?” element to the proceedings, something that would sadly go missing from so many films that followed up on the Friday craze as the decade progressed. I liked the days where a horror movie mixed the best elements of Scooby Doo with some good old fashioned knifings. Granted, the plot doesn’t make a lick of sense here, but sometimes you just have to check your brain at the door. Bonus points for streaming in HD

5.      

The Burrowers/City of the Living Dead

Little bit of a cheat here because I’ve never seen the City of the Living Dead. I have read enough about it to put aside my disdain for Italian horror* to watch Fulci’s mindfuck of a movie. From the intestine puking scene to his utter disregard for his performers comfort and safety (he has zero issue covering his actresses in real maggots and vomit in order to get the results he’s hoping for) I have to check out this piece of zombie gorenograpy sooner than later. Again, bonus points for HD streaming.

I have seen The Burrowers and while most of my friends prefer Dead Birds when it comes to nineteenth century American frontier themed horror I have a lot of love for this horror western. Not only does this underground civilization of giant slug like creatures devour their prey; they also paralyze some of their victims, leaving them hidden to rot under the baking hot Western landscape, fully aware of the tragedy that awaits them. There are some creepy and effective sequences, great performances and villainous turns by the army leaders and the film looks gorgeous, especially the wide shots of the untapped frontier. The film ends for a depressingly bleak ending that works perfect for what’s preceded.

 

*I’m about two films away from a long winded diatribe about how overrated Italian horror is, and how you’re all a bunch of suckers for falling for the inherent awfulness of these films. I mean, I guess Suspira is a highly regarded classic if you don’t look for things like a competent plot, strong acting performances, non-stilted dialogue, editing that’s not botched to the point where it looks like the film was cut my an overactive five year old suffering an epileptic fit or…you know what,  forget that. That movie sucks dog balls. "Oh, but the ocular trauma in Italian horror is amazing!" you argue. Well, my eyes definitely hurt when trying to get through some of these films.