The Descent Part 2: Solid But a Tad Too Familiar

The Descent: Part 2 (2009)
Directed by Jon Harris
Written by J Blakeson, James McCarthy, and James Watkins

The collective groans at the announcement of a sequel to Neil Marshall's claustrophobic monster flick The Descent could be heard echoing through the horror film community like a pack of hungry cave crawlers. However, a faint whisper of hope fought through in the hopes that a continuation might be able to recreate the tension of the first film while delivering an original premise. When it was revealed that Marshall would not direct, but only serve as executive producer, the groans multiplied. It didn't help the cause that upon release on the festival circuit, the film received mixed reviews. Would The Descent now fall victim to the dilution that's been the downfall of so many other sequelized horror films? Did director Jon Harris (editor of the first film) "recapture lightning in a bottle" as a blurb on the back of the DVD box exclaimed?

In a way, the sequel was exactly what it needed to be. Rather than take the safe route of rehashing the original film with a different cast, The Descent 2 picks up a few days after the first left off:

 

(Bummer. This amnesia is messing with my deja vu.)

Sarah (Shauna MacDonald), the only survivor of the original, is in a state of extreme shock when she is picked up by a kindly man in a pickup after scaring the piss out of him. Upon examination by the local authorities, the sherrif demands that Sarah, stricken with amnesia and covered in blood, return to the site of the creature carnage to assist with locating her friends. It seems that Juno (Natalie Jackson Mendoza), last seen being handicapped by Sarah and dispatched by some hungry crawlers, is the daughter of a state senator. The sherrif is compelled to find her whether alive or dead. He distrusts the crazed Sarah from the get go, but hopes being back in the cave system will jog her memory. A team of caving experts joins them in a doomed mission to search the subterranean lair of the cave creatures. They very quickly become trapped in the caves at the mercy of our favorite clan of blind, hairless, and toothy crawlers.

(No, the evolution of the crawlers still does not include the creation of underwear.)

The biggest problem I had with The Descent 2 is that with the exception of a few nice jump scares, there really are no surprises. The entire reason the original was such a success was the air of mystery and danger surrounding the cave systems. A great deal of time was spent with characterization and becoming acquainted with the environment and real fears associated with caving. Once the crawlers were slowly introduced, we had already been treated to an amazingly tense film which would have succeeded whether or not there were any monsters at all. In the sequel, however, there is more of a sense of simply cutting to the chase. What The Descent 2 mostly promises and delivers on is that of a straight up action horror movie. Not that there's anything wrong with that, per se, but now that we're saddled with a less charismatic cast, it's a little more difficult to feel any real fear for the characters.

At the very least, The Descent 2 is an entertaining film. The pacing is swift and there is action aplenty. Despite more action in lieu of atmosphere, the film does not skimp on recreating the claustrophobic feel of the first film. There are many moments of characters in those tight spaces we loved and dreaded so much in the first film. What has changed is the number and frequncy of monster encounters which has mulitiplied to accomodate a variety of crawlers. The filmmakers did not shy away from the gore as many head crushings and gushing lacerations fill the screen with glorious thick blood and grue. Despite the decrease in suspense, the film does deliver many great set pieces. Though it falls short of the first film, at least its obvious that their hearts were in it.

This is not meant to be a negative review. I think The Descent 2 is a nice little Saturday afternoon time waster. Hell, it may have even been a pretty good movie to catch on the big screen. At its best, it is a gory monster action film that delivers on all those fronts. At its worst, it competently presents something we've already seen before.

The Descent: Part 2 Trailer

Lis Fies' BLEEDFEST Unveils It's December 5th Program

Readers in the Los Angeles vicinity should clear their Sunday schedule. Film maker Lis Fies (The Commune) debuts her monthly film festival Bleedfest as a means of advancing the careers of independent female creators working in the horror, science fiction, erotica and exploitation films. The first three months of programming have been lined up, with this month's program focusing on THRILLER films. For lineup info, check the press release below.

Monthly Genre celebration BLEEDFEST FILM FESTIVAL announces schedule for its Thriller installmentDecember 5th, 2010  The schedule for the highly anticipated second BleedFest Film Festival has been announced. It includes a dozen female filmmakers' short films and concludes with international genre superstar's Caroline Du Potet's thriller feature IN THEIR SLEEP, her follow up to the sensational and disturbing INSIDE. Special guests sitting in their own VIP section include World Famous Scream Queens/producers Michelle Tomlinson and Tara Cardinal, prominent journalist/filmmaker Heidi Martinuzzi, Emmy winning filmmaker Barbara Stepansky, and horror filmmaking duo Marichelle and Drew Daywalt. The Bleedy Award, a bronze statue designed by Neal Harvey of RubberGorilla.co.uk, will finally be revealed in a video presentation at the Awards Ceremony. It will be awarded to the In Competition short voted on by the audience, and to the feature IN THEIR SLEEP. All films screened will receive an award certificate and Winner laurels to add to their publicity. The In Competition category is comprised of five short films by female writer/directors. They are BAD GIRLS by the Soska Sisters (sensational feature films DEAD HOOKER IN A TRUNK and AMERICAN MARY), ALGESIA by Cathy Alberich, DEAD BOYFRIENDS by Xstine Cook, MOCKINGBIRD by Marichelle Daywalt, and MORBID CURIOUSITY by Cindy Baer (acclaimed feature film PURGATORY HOUSE). The Out of Competition block screens short films produced and/or written by women. December's BleedFest will feature SCREAM MACHINE written by Julia Camara (screenwriter of Spring 2010's Brazillian sci-fi blockbuster AREA Q), and UP UNDER THE ROOF produced by Danielle Stallings. The Works in Progress section of BleedFest gives the audience top secret first looks at short films by several acclaimed female filmmakers including an Emmy winner, and are screening unofficially to get editing feedback from the audience of genre lovers and and generate buzz with BleedFest's press partners. The festival will have two Open Bar sessions featuring free wine and beer, giving the audience a crucial chance to network. During these breaks, BleedFest will screen trailers of upcoming genre films (World famous Tara Cardinal's actioner LEGEND OF THE RED REAPER taracardinalactress.com), and trailers of genre work that is now available online (Marion Kerr's acclaimed feature GOLDEN EARRINGS indieflix.com/film/golden-earrings-30830/. Music videos by Sophia Segal will also be played at this time. Sunday December 5th, 2010 TIME: 11am-3:30pm  Location: CAP Theatre 13752 Ventura Blvd. Sherman Oaks, CA 91423 $10 cash at door for all day ticket and open bar

NYCHFF Review: French Monster Flick "The Pack" (La Meute)

It’s been a couple years since Inside and Martyrs made their way overseas to shock, disgust and enthrall American horror audiences with their unrelenting brutality, over the top gore and violence and nihilistic endings. Despite rumblings of Daniel Stamm (The Last Exorcist) being attached to a misguided Americanization of Martyrs, by and large the remake gravy train has steered clear of France simply because there’s no way to remake these films in a way that would appeal to the mainstream audience’s taste.

Leave it to the French to demonstrate that even when they’re making what could be a simple Monster Movie takes a boat load of twists and turns before even delivering the fiends. While it’s by no means as brutal or over the top as the twp previously mentioned films, nor is it concerned with providing a “message” to its audience ala Martyrs, it is a hell of a lot of fun, and should provide an instructional blueprint to Hollywood who seem unable to develop any new horror film of interest.

See, at first I’d had no idea The Pack was supposed to introduce any sort of monsters. We start by following Charlotte (Emilie Dequenne), a hot but damaged in a mid nineties tail end of the grunge era sort of way woman that’s taken to the wheel of her beat up station wagon in order to leave behind the crap hand life had dealt her. But trouble, as it’s wont to do, manages to hitch a ride, first in the guise of a motorcycle gang of miscreants. They seem intent on harassing the young woman until she picks up Max (Benjamin Biolay), a greasy hitchhiker that’s also stepped straight out of the grunge era. Perhaps they bonded over Mudhoney demos in an unused scene, but the pair strike up a quick friendship on the aimless drive and stop off at an off road Saloon for a bite to eat.

This is where the twists start. Our roving gang of biker hooligans make their way inside and after intimidation doesn’t work on Charlotte, the “threat of anal rape” card get played on her newfound friend. Since the owner of the establishment La Spack (Yolande Moreau) doesn’t want to add Poop Soup to her menu, she busts put trusty Mr. Shotgun and gets the boys to leave. Unfortunately, it’s not too much longer before Max wanders off to use the boy’s room, and doesn’t come out. Rather than thinking she’s been ditched, Charlotte searches the toilets and the local area, asks a local retired cop for help and ends up staking out the Saloon. When she thinks it’s safe, she sneaks back in, discovers a hidden room behind the bathroom wall and promptly gets knocked out with a shovel to the head for her efforts.

So NOW we’ve gone from a raging gang of terrorizing bikers to something more akin to Frontiers (a film I love) as she wakes up in a cage next to an Asian kid who can only repeat the phrase “John Wayne” over and over again. It turns out Max is La Spack’s son, and despite taking a liking to the girl, he’s a mamma’s boy through and through, and there’s work to be done. This is where the film veers towards your everyday French extreme torture territory, and while it’s nowhere near as over the top as your Insides of the world, it gets uncomfortable watching the mountain of a woman that is La Spack absolutely manhandle Charlotte. There’s also a complete “WTF?” scene where a chained up Charlotte is getting force fed a dodgy looking black sludge through a tube strapped to her mouth.

The end result of the torture, the cages and the forced tube feedings is to prep Charlotte and “John Wayne” as a midnight meal for the titular creatures. Apparently they’re the reanimated remains of Mrs. La Spack, and had met their doom when the mineshaft they’d been working in collapsed. They somehow mutated into carnivorous monsters that burrow out of the earth for their meal of human meat. The Pack’s monsters look like eyeless versions of the cave dwellers from The Descent with the Predators overbite and Michael Myer’s fashionable affinity for blue jump suits thrown in. They make quick work of the boy though they leave Charlotte untouched before heading back underground. While they don’t get a ton of screen time, they are terrifying creatures, able to punch holes through spinal cords and rip limbs out of sockets with the minimal effort or say, taking a Kleenex out of the box.

Where the film excels is in character, character and let me say it again, CHARACTER. Starting with our final girl Charlotte, it’s easy to see how Dequenne won best actress at the NYC HFF for her performance. She’s equal parts smart, badass and wistful romantic underneath a damaged exterior. Check out the embedded extended sequence below and tell me an American actress that’s going to appear that cool and defiant simply by drinking a cup of coffee? And since every hero needs a foil, The Pack provides a great one in Mademoiselle La Spack, our saloon owner and keeper of the hell spawn. There’s something so effortless about her performance, where she makes the vilest acts seem as matter of fact and commonplace as taking out the trash or doing the daily crossword puzzle. There’s a terrific moment where the old bird is casually cutting up and disposing body parts without giving a second thought to her actions. It’s a wonderful black humor type of moment. Whether she’s kicking the snot out of Charlotte during one of her ill fated escape attempts, or cackling at the biker gang despite having her hand blown off, she dominates every scene she’s in. Add in Phillipe Nahon (High Tension, Irreversible, Brotherhood of the Wolf)as an absolute blast as Chinaski the retired police captain turned creepy old man that’s a staple in any horror film. His appearance alone is a howl he seems to be going as an unmade bed for Halloween and he proudly sports a tee shirt advertisement: “I FUCK ON THE FIRST DATE”. Yet as cartoony as he initially comes off, he manages to crack the case, and unlike most keystone kops, he manages to survive way past the point you think he’d go down.

If I have a complaint about the film it’s the ending. It seems that it doesn’t just share the look of the monsters in common with The Descent; it also has the cheat ending. We see what we think is the end, which would have been ballsy and set itself up nicely for future installments. Instead we find that’s simply a fantasy, and though the last shot looks awesome, it sets up far more questions about the logic of how that would happen rather than wrap up the film.

Ending quibbles aside, everything else about the film works for me. It’s good to know the French can work a fairly standard monster flick and still make it more interesting and worth multiple viewings. I don’t know what the American release schedule looks like, but you can save this to your Netflix queue and cross your fingers that it gets here before some Hollywood schmuck decides to tackle it with Samuel Bayer directing Dakota Fanning in the ill advised remake.

Book Review-Knuckle Supper & A Junkie's Lament on Vampirism

It’s tough to keep the vampire genre down. Watered down might be another matter, but there’s no doubt that bloodsuckers run neck and neck with zombies as the most popular subject matter in monster land. With countless films, literature, graphic novels and television shows that focus on vampires as the prime subject matter, it gets exceedingly difficult to find a fresh take on an old villain.

Drew Stepek’s new novel, Knuckle Supper (official site), manages to be original by putting a new spin on conventional staples if vampire myths. Unlike recent novels and movies that have simply discarded any of the rules they regarded as inconvenient, Stepak tweaks the norm so that our monsters are still recognizable. For example, sunlight may not cause his vampires to burst in to an open pit barbeque, but exposure to daylight causes enough pain that they stay indoors until nightfall. It’s unclear as to whether or not they live forever, as they tend to get themselves killed far before questions of immortality would come in to play. Stepek’s vampires act like overgrown, unsupervised children and simply give in to any vice they see fit. The end result is a far more haggard and churlish creature, one that is as far removed from the romanticized matinee idols found in Twilight or True Blood. They still need blood to survive, but these vampires revel in bloodletting, shooting up pimps and prostitutes in order to achieve a sensational high.

Stepek sets his novel in the dingy underbelly of Hollywood. There’s no picturesque small town or romanticized Nu Awlins backdrop. In its place is something akin to the Los Angeles Guns ‘n Roses sang about in Welcome to the Jungle. Heading past the red carpet premieres and party scene are the busloads of youngsters with broken dreams of stardom that had been chewed up and spit out by the system, and after falling through the cracks of decency of society have turned to pimping and whoring to survive and to scrap enough together for their next fix.

When we first meet our lead vamp RJ, he’s busy locking an underage hooker into his bathroom before turning his attention to her pimp. There’s no sense of the gang delivering justice to a dirt merchant who makes a living turning on young girls to smack before turning them out for tricks. Nope, it’s simply the wrong place at the wrong time for him, as Stepek wastes no time delivering a brutal end to the scum. The vamps simply need to eat, and desperately want to get high, so before they deliver the killing blow, they shoot the junkie pimp up suck down his blood in order to bring themselves to bliss.

You’d think the girl locked in the bathroom will simply be an afterhours snack for the gang, but RJ takes a shine to the young girl, who goes by the age appropriate moniker of Bait. The two connect with one another, and Bait soon learns she can manipulate RJ with tales from her awful upbringing to get what she wants from him, like money for a new iPod. She’s also genuinely curious about the vampires and it’s through her constant interrogation of RJ that we learn the “rules” of Knuckle Supper’s vamps.  

The influence of the film The Warriors can be seen in Supper’s territorial landscape. Like the colorful gangs of the film, the novel’s vampires each have a gimmick that makes them easily identifiable. RJ has to navigate his way amongst the different vamp factions which include a Rastafarian gang and a gang of preppy vamps that use their outfits of knit sweaters and white khakis to lure norms into a false sense of security before getting ripped into a million pieces. A million more times terrifying is a group called the Batwangers. These gangs of tranny vampires get their meals by luring straight guys in for blowjobs, then biting of their wangdoodles. Yikes.   

While it took a while to keep my interest, the book gains steam as it goes on. Things pick up for good after RJ’s gang discover a duffel bag full of heroin on a pair of crooked cops and snitch vampire they’ve been sent to dispatch. A brief warning though: if you’ve been conditioned to think that all modern day vampire stories can solely deal with a fanger with a heart of gold, you’re in for a nasty surprise. Stepek’s tackles drug addiction, violence, incest, rape and revenge in a straightforward, non-romanticized fashion. This is easily one of the most violent books I’ve read in years, and it delivers vampire fiction the swift kick in the ass it’s sorely needed for years.

There’s also an altruistic reason to pick up Knuckle Supper. Ten percent of the profits have been earmarked for the organization Children of the Night. This charity works to rehabilitate children between the ages 11 and 17 that have suffered as child prostitutes.  This is a pretty cool move on the author’s part, and something more artists should consider doing as they research their projects and profit from some of the worst ills in our society.

Click here to purchase KNUCKLE SUPPER from Amazon

Ingrid Pitt (1937-2010): Celebrating the Life of a Legend

We missed making a post yesterday when the horror world received sad news of the passing of the great Ingrid Pitt. A bonafide legend, the Poland-born star graced the frames of many important films and was a staple in the production of numerous notable Hammer Films. A concentration camp survivor, she quickly found her way in Hollywood making her debut in Dr. Zhivago, followed by Where Eagles Dare. She can also be seen in several episodes of Dr. Who.

The stunning actor was perfect for the alluring characters she played with a commanding presence and ethereal good looks. I wish I had more time to construct a fitting tribute to Ms. Pitt as she is worthy of volumes. Anything I type here today will understate her significant contributions to outstanding films like The Wicker Man, The House that Dripped Blood, Countess Dracula, and her most famous role as Marcilla/Carmilla/Mircalla in The Vampire Lovers.

Not satisfied with merely being a horror film icon, Ingrid also wrote several fiction and non-fiction books, including: Eva's Spell, The Autobiography of Ingrid Pitt: Life's a Scream, The Ingrid Pitt Book of Murder, Torture and Depravity, and, of course, The Ingrid Pitt Bedside Companion for Vampire Lovers.

All Thing Horror would like to take this opportunity to celebrate the life of this legend with a few posters and clips from the career of the venerable, vivacious, and voluptuous Ingrid Pitt. Visit Pitt of Horror for more information about the life and career of Ms. Pitt.

The Vampire Lovers Clip



Countess Dracula Trailer

The Best Shorts From the NYC Horror Film fest (part one)

Here’s a quick look at some of my favorite short films from the NYC Horror Film Fest. It’s by no means complete, and they’ll most likely be a follow up in the next few days. For example, Patrick Rea screened two films (“Now That you’re Dead” & “Get Off My Porch”) that I love, but I’m doing a more in depth look at his shorts as a whole in December.

Stay tuned here for updates as to when these films will screen in your area or make their way online for streaming and downloads.

The Living Want Me Dead (dir. Bill Palmer) Easily one of the most crowd pleasing of sorts, as evidenced by it taking home the Audience Award.  It also serves as a very important PSA for the horror loving crowd: Even in these harsh economic times, never ever take financial advice from a hobo.

See, our protagonist Howard has fallen on some harsh times, and has decided to earn cash by acting as a guinea pig for the government. You know those body sprays that make claim one squirt and fine looking vixens will be shedding their clothes by your night stand and feeding you grapes while running their hands through your chest hair? Imagine a result the exact opposite of that.  Poor Howard finds that his new scent turns anyone that catches the slightest whiff into rabid killing machines hell bent on using his internal organs for outer fashion wear.  Now it’s off to the races for Howard as he beelines through his suburban neighborhood, trying to avoid getting killed.

A proposed sequel to Dead Hooker In A Trunk: "Dead Cat In A Bag" 

“…Want Me Dead” is a near perfect horror short, and as I said elsewhere it packs a feature film worth of awesome sauce into a twenty minute run time. Palmer fills the screen with tremendous visual jokes, such as Howard’s kitten launching himself in murderous rage and oversized Christmas decorations used as weapons. It helps that the two leads (Adam Conger as Howard and Tony Nunes as the slacker buddy Teddy) share fantastic rapport and one lines-Teddy’s comment about having his backyard turned in to the scene of a hate crime is particularly hilarious. There’s also the matter of the gore. There’s a lot of it in this film. From a speeding bus turning a man in to a meatsack puree, to vomiting zombies this one is sick and twisted from beginning to end. Speaking of the end, it seems to have been left open for future installments. I for one would love to see this story march on. 

Remote (Marc Roussel) This is the first of two Canadian exports on this list. Remote had one of the more unique stories of the festival, and it was ne that could have been easily botched or come off as cheesy. Instead, what we got is a tense thriller that has one completely invested in how it will turn out for the characters. Our leading man Matt wakes up on the couch one evening after his television turns on by its own power, filling the screen and room with white noise. Flicking through the channels, he comes across a station showing the inside of his house thirty years ago, and finds himself being watched by a young coed  who seems just as shocked as him. The two start talking and trying to figure out what the hell is going on. While the two strike up conversation, Matt does what any of us would do when Justine leaves the room to pee. He Googles her.

What he finds freaks him out. He discovers that Justine was murdered thirty years ago, that evening and that the killer was never caught. Roussel does a nifty job of amplifying the tension here as Matt tries to do anything in his power to warn Justine, especially after a shadowy figure makes his way across the screen. Can Matt actually change events that happened decades ago? And shouldn’t he pay a little more attention to what’s going on in his own house?

The short works because of the chemistry of its two meads-Ron Basche and Sarah Silverthorne. They never over dramatize the discovery that they can see and communicate with one another from either side of their set. Sure, they’re appropriately freaked out at first, but after a bit they settle in and hit it off. Roussel’s also smart to not waste too much time on focusing why they can see one another. Marc comes up with some convoluted explanation involving the snowstorm until they both agree he’s full of shit.

Recollection (dir Federico D’Alessandro) This short is like a favorite theme park ride you can’t wait to go on. You know the path it’s going to travel, and can see all the chills and high points laid out clearly before you even step on, but you also know that going on the ride is going to be a blast, and one you’re going to experience over and over again. From the first frame of film, it’s pretty clear what lies at the end of the line, but Recollection gets so many of the little details right, and creates such a sick and twisted atmosphere in a compact run time that it was my favorite straight up horror short of the festival. A man wakes up in a shallow grave with a massive bump on his noggin. After stumbling around-and this is the key word here friends, there’s none of this waking up with a concussion yet being able to sprint from danger like Usain Bolt-he makes his way into a murder hut. The dingy basement holds all sorts of horrors in store, not the least of which is a woman bloodied and chained who has also suffered the further indignity of having her eyes plucked from her sockets. While our hero tries to save the woman he has to contend with trying to figure out who he is and how he ended up left for dead in a freshly dug grave AND with the guy who put him there to begin with. When he finally comes to his senses and realizes who he is, it’s like a switch goes off, making for a chilling final few frames of film (which our blinded actress completely sells with her last line as well).

Choreomania (dir. Louis Paxton) There were only a handful of zombie shorts at this year’s festival, and this Scottish import was definitely the most unique amongst them. See, rather than being turned into a flesh eating member of the living dead from a bite, here a simple touch causes the infected to turn in t mindless spastic dancers. All our working class hero wants to do is set about his day, but everywhere he turns, he’s besieged by lumbering booty dancers. There’s some fantastic humor here outside of just the visual execution of the concept, such as a group of wanna be hip hoppers driving around with the bass bumping, and our protagonist asking if that’s a smart move given the circumstances. Even better is the scene at the end, which treats the audience with the insight as to how our zombies see themselves-with a devil may care attitude and patrons of a sock hop. Zombie films get to be a drag after awhile, so it was great to see a funny new spin on the genre.

Laura (dir. Gailien Guibert)THIS is how you do a turn-the-tables-on –your-attacker story. The short opens with a blank screen and the sounds of a boxing gym while an instructor barks orders to work the jab. Keep this in mind as we cut to our young French Canadian Laura who is having a very bad day. Bills are piling up, with no end in sight, and it looks like she’s about to get tossed from her rundown apartment. Wanting to escape the city, Laura takes to her car for an afternoon of angrily singing along to some rock and roll and making a beeline to a secluded swimming hole with the hopes of clearing her head. Of course, as these things go, whenever you THINK you’ve got the woods to yourself, lo and behold there’s a deranged loon watching you in the underbrush simply biding his time before he knocks you out with a wrench.

Remember the boxing instructions earlier? Seems are killer picked the wrong lady to mess with because in a stunning turn of events she gleefully beats the ever loving snot out of the would be assailant. Laura takes out every bill collector’s final notice, every cockroach she’s spotted in her sink, every morning the jalopy of a car wouldn’t start in the winter’s cold and channels it all in to her fists and feet of destruction, literally ripping a new orifice into her attacker’s body by the end of the short. 

Help Support "Bleedfest" and Indie Film Making

Elisabeth Fies (writer/director of The Commune) is passionate about helping and developing her fellow female film makers. Coming off the success of this past summer’s one-off “Bleedfest”, Ms. Fies has decided to make this a monthly event.

The first Sunday of each month, BLEEDFEST (official site) will screen shorts, music videos, features, student projects and works in progress from female writers, directors and producers. It’s not limited to horror, as programs will be dedicated to science fiction, exploitation, thrillers, suspense and other genre staples. There will be Q&A’s with the film makers, workshops, networking opportunities as well as a red carpet walk and photo op.

You know what all of these things are? Awesome.

You know what all of these things aren’t? Cheap.

That’s where you come in readers.

I can tell you from experience that renting a theater, especially on a weekend, isn’t inexpensive. Chris and I just got a quote back for an event we want to promote and the cost for a measly TWO HOUR block knocked me on my ass. BLEEDFEST is delivering four hours of programming each month AND an open bar for ticket holders. While you could take the short term view and say “I’m nowhere in the area of this event, what good does contributing to this do me?” I’m asking you to take a longer view. Events like BLEEDFEST will allow more film makers to have their work screened, and in turn have more awareness raised to their projects. The better films will have a higher profile with greater opportunities for future festival screenings and possible distribution down the road. It's going to provide a step in ushering young, hungry film makers willing to push boundaries and release projects worth getting excited over. Most importantly, it's going to help level the playing field, and knock over the "Boy's Club" mentality that horror/genre films are often accused of having. 

If you’re more of a “me me me” person, then you should know that a contribution for as little as five bucks nets you a link and permission to Elisabeth’s short film THE CONSUMED online. Twelve bucks gets you a pair tickets to an event (I mentioned the open bar right?) and perks go up from there with larger contributions.

The fundraiser goal is an extremely manageable one. BLEEDFEST is hoping to raise $600 to help cover costs of promotional materials, a dedicated banner for future events, program printing costs and theater fees.

You can help BLEEDFEST succeed via donation at INDIEGOGO. There are 13 Days left to contribute.

CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT & CONTRIBUTE 

Twisted Twins Tease American Mary

Every now and then a nugget of great news makes its way into our inbox and this is definitely one of those times.  At the moment, our favorite sisterly film makers from the Great White North are pushing their debut feature Dead Hooker in a Trunk through a seeming endless array of festivals, where audiences are hooting and hollering for Jen and Sylvia’s particular brand of Grindhouse mayhem.

So you’d think the pair would rest on their laurels a bit while the inevitable good word comes down that the film has been picked up for some sort of theatrical or video release. You’d be dead wrong my friends.  We just received a sneak peak at the teaser for their next feature film American Mary. I hate to tell you, but you’re going to have to wait a bit longer to see it, as it will be made available to the public December 11^th.

So how does it look? Admittedly, it’s difficult to tell a lot from a one minute teaser but I came away wanting to see more. Without giving away plot or story details I’ll say that it has a much darker tone than the action-oriented and often darkly humorous DHiaT. It reminded me a bit of the short film “Fantasy” from Izabel Grondin, though I’d have to see more to see if the shoe fits. It appears the talented duo look to flex their muscles a bit with their sophomore effort.   

Make sure to check out the trailer yourself Saturday the 11^th at the Twisted Twins Production site.

Enter the Dark: Jumping at Shadows

Enter the Dark (2010)

Written and Directed by: Todd Miro

Official Site

Watch Enter the Dark on Indieflix

The success of Paranormal Activity ushered in a whole slew of verite style supernatural home movies. That film and its sequel were monstrous successes, so it was inevitable that others would follow suit. Even though the film has collected fans and spawned imitators, there has been a backlash. This particular style of filmmaking, often referred to as the "shaky cam" technique, hasn't been embraced by all filmgoers. Complaints range from unsteady cameras causing motion sickness to the derivative nature of the stories as being unoriginal. Sure, these grievances are legit, but the thing I appreciate about this style is the sense of urgency. Not many films over the past decade have been able to raise my blood pressure in quite the same way. What better way to get feeling of being there than a scary ghost story?    

Mike already posted a review of Enter the Dark a while back, but I figured since we are screening it on December 1 as part of All Things Horror Presents, I'd do my own brief take on the film.

As a short, Enter the Dark can be thought of as being a compressed or digest version of the types of scares provided by the films I mentioned above. At a sparse 17 minutes, it surprisingly contains a great deal of frightening moments. If you don't have patience for a lot of exposition, well this is the short for you. That's not to say the story isn't well-developed. There isn't a feeling of things being incomplete. However, those who sit impatiently waiting for something scary to happen in the feature length efforts might prefer this format.

Two friends ditch a night of beer drinking to investigate a series of disturbing paranormal events going on in the house of Charles, a video gear head. His buddy, the sarcastic Rob, reluctantly agrees to help Charles videotape the investigation, though he'd rather be knocking back a few cold ones. When Charles reveals that his wife and child have left him due to the disturbances, Rob remains skeptical in the face of increasing proof of an otherworldly presence. After a frightening night of encountering cold rooms, ominous shadows, and a child's voice communicating through toys, the two men face an evil presence that has bigger plans than mere paranormal parlor tricks.

Though the characters are using a camcorder to capture the events, I'd be hesitant to refer to it as "shaky cam" in style.  Most of it is lot is composed with a fairly steady hand. The film is effectively creepy with an atmosphere that kept me looking over my shoulder constantly. Miro utilizes the location to hairaising effect capitalizing on all the tight and dark corners available. The writing and acting is very strong which allows the viewer to become invested in the story despite wondering why anyone would stick around in such a situation. It's all driven by a curiosity we share with the characters that has us simultaneously hoping to see a ghost, but secretly crossing our fingers that we never do.

While I admit there are a number of duds out there obviously existing just to cash in, there have been numerous solid entries utilizing this technique. Being a fan of PA as well as the Blair Witch Project, I'm very excited to see what kind of work can be produced by innovative filmmakers on very small budgets. Ghost stories are the ones that still get me, often leaving me unnerved in the relative safety of my own home. After seeing such solid efforts as Lake Mungo, In Memorium (both pre-dating Paranormal Activity), and now Todd Miro's creepy short Enter the Dark, I have nothing but high hopes for the possibilities.

Enter the Dark is available to watch streaming on Indieflix

Enter the Dark Trailer


Enter The Dark Trailer from Todd Miro on Vimeo.

December 1st-El Monstro Del Mar Invades the Somerville Theater!

Has it been a year? I guess so.

In two weeks Chris and i end our first year of bringing in indie horror movies with what is sure to be the most crowd pleasing of any film we've brought in this year-and we've brought in some doozies!


Seriously, about three years from now you're going to hear a coked up Quentin Tarantino talk about how he got a jonesing to make a monster flick and this is one of the films he's going to rip off pay homage to. If you prefer your ladies straight of the rock and roll pinup variety and you prefer your monsters to have a Lovecraft meets Jaws flavor, then get your butts to the theater in tow weeks.

Stuart Simpson’s El Monstro Del Mar (official site)continues Australia’s tradition of over the top no holds barred exploitation cinema. A bevy of beauties inspired by Russ Meyer’s B movie classic Faster Pussycat! Kill! Kill! are forced into epic battle with what can only be described as the love child of Medusa and Cthulu. But don't take my word for it, take it from the official synopsis: Three gorgeous but deadly hired killers, Beretta, Blondie and Snowball, hole up in a small beachside community to keep a low profile. But this town has a dark secret. The local old sea baron, Joseph, tries desperately to warn them to never go into the water. But these crazy vixens listen to no one, especially no crazy assed old fool.  So the Kraken awakes! Now, along with Joseph and his beautiful grand daughter, Hannah, they must fight for their lives against this furious creature of the deep as the sea rises in a tidalwave of blood.

As always, we round out the evening with a trio of short horror films. 

Todd Miro’s “Enter the Dark” tells the tale of two friends passing up Friday night beers in order to do a little paranormal house cleaning. 

Bill Palmer’s “The Living Want Me Dead” proves you should never take financial advice from a hobo when a medical lab rat discovers his new body spray turns anyone around him into a rabid lunatic hell bent on tearing him to shreds. The short played the NYCHFF in the primo Saturday evening slot as part of the program that screened A Nightmare on Elm Street and won the Audience Choice Award. It packs a feature film worth of awesome sauce into a twenty minute run time. 

Finally, Patrick Rea’s “Get Off My Porch” takes a hard hitting look at the sleazy underbelly of the Girl Scout cookie racket. The film also recently played the NYCHFF after winning the Wizard World short film competition as voted on by fans and automatic slot in the festival. 

As always, this is a super cheap night out. Five bucks gets you a feature and an hours worth of shorts. Get there early and visit the Museum of Bad Art in the bowels of the theater. Get loaded at the theater's bar (or sneak a flask in, I won't say a word). Do whatever yo have to to get there, and get so loud and rowdy that the people watching Morning Glory in the next theater over demand a refund. 

The night starts at 8pm, you know the drill. 

Tales From Beyond the Pale: Horror Radio Best Listened by Candlelight

Tales From Beyond the Pale: Radio Plays for the Digital Age
Created by Larry Fessenden and Glenn McQuaid
Download Episodes of Tales from Beyond from Their Site
Glass Eye Pix

Those close-knit geniuses at Glass Eye Pix have done it again. Not only have they churned out some of the most original and creative horror films over the past several years (I Sell the Dead, Satan Hates You, House of the Devil), they are now putting out some truly gut-churning radio plays with the help of some of horror's most promising talent. For a mere $2 a pop, you can download a 30 minute play that is the perfect length for listening in a variety of circumstances. The length is also appropriate for fleshing out a great story and characters while not overstaying the welcome in listener's ears and busy lifestyles. There really is no excuse for passing this up, especially considering the quality of sound, writing, and talent.

The best part is that these are totally new and original stories! Creators Larry Fessenden and Glenn McQuaid have obviously put a lot of thought and love into this project, and I for one would like to see it succeed. Having finally downloaded and listened to two of the first four broadcasts, I have to say I'm hooked on what can truly be described as a macabre endeavor on the parts of all involved.

I just can't say enough about the quality of audio and sound design on these broadcasts. My hat is off to the foley artists who really did a great job in crafting believable sound environments. Since this is the single most important aspect of a radio broadcast, I felt that important to mention. I'm going to go out on a limb and suggest that you listen to these in a darkened room by candlelight, preferably on a dark and stormy night.

Before delving into my brief recaps of the broadcasts, I just wanted to take a moment to mention the stellar poster artwork for the series done by Gary Pullin (Rue Morgue). If you have a moment, check out his amazing work here:

Ghoulish Gary Pullin's Site

First up is Sarah Langan's pyschological horror romance Is This Seat Taken:

Is This Seat Taken
Written by: Sarah Langan
Directed by JT Petty

Award-winning horror novelist Sarah Langan (The Keeper, The Missing) starts things off with a story about a demented courtship that begins on a Long Island train. Cassie Kooka is studying Robert Benchley as a potential research subject for a book. In order to get close to him, she approaches him one day and pretends they were former high school classmates. To hook him, she reveals she secretly had a crush on him. Robert, full of self-loathing and suicidal tendencies, is skeptical, but the two form a relationship based on sex and psychoanalysis. Things get hairy when Cassie reveals her true intentions with their relationship, one that escalates into shocking violence.

Voiced by Joe Swanberg as Robert, and the sultry-voiced Vonoia Lanian as Cassie, the story moves along at a good pace allowing the relationship between the two to grow naturally, but with enough room to pepper some fucked up conversations within the bizarre dating game. Things get ugly when it's time for Cassie to meet the parents.

Next listen is Simon Rumleys' British and Proud:

British and Proud
Written and Directed by Simon Rumely

I expected nothing but a truly fucked up story from Simon Rumely (The Living and the Dead, Red, White, and Blue), and I certainly got it. Rumley's tale involves a recently wed couple, Sabastian, a British man trouble by nightmares, and Zalika, a young woman of African descent. Ignoring warnings from his new brother and sister-in-law, the newlyweds travel to Africa to meet Zalika's family. It appears that Zalika's father has a strange pre-occupation with Great Britain and will go to any lengths to be a part of the Queen's majesty.

Again, another compelling tale that benefitted greatly from the quality of sound and talent. This one is ghastly and darkly humorous, although I do question myself laughing at such horrible things.

from the NYCHFF-Ticked Off Trannies With Knives. It's What you Think It Is.

When you walk into a film called "Ticked Off Trannies With Knives"  (official site) you have a fairly solid idea as to what sort of entertainment you're in for. I have my doubts that anything I'd say in this review is going to sway someone on the fence to see this film. In fact, I'd  be hard pressed to imagine there are any fence sitters when it comes to this flick. You see the title and know within about a millisecond if its up your alley.

Ticked Off Trannies treads familiar exploitation/revenge ground, with one twist. I'll give you three guesses as to what the twist is, and the first two don't count. That's right, we've got trannies! When we first meet our grew of exotic dancing transsexuals, they've stepped out for a to the local bar cruising for men, because, as Rachel graciously puts it her "asshole has been empty for months". The bar scene is my favorite bit of the film, as the back and forth between the ladies is snappy as hell and each of them have their own diva moments.

Soon Rachel and Emma have found two ready go to guys, but there's a catch. They've got a friend and he needs a lady too, because as they put it "they can't run a train". The girls convince down in the dumps Bubbles to tag along, and before you know it the three of them have made their way to the back room of an off route warehouse. Unfortunately for the ladies they've been tricked. The third mate, "Boner" had recently beaten and raped Bubbles after she "tricked" him into getting urned on by a trannie.

This is where the film suffers as it struggles to find a consistent tone. The light and campy tone from the club scenes give way to a brutal beat down that leave two of the women dead and Bubbles in a coma. There's some nasty stuff here as Boner looms over his second-time victim, wielding a bat cluttered with her dead friend's hair and blood.

The problem is, the VERY NEXT SCENE with Bubbles coming out of a coma also plays for big laughs. There's the punny names for the doctor and nurse-Conny Lingus and Phil Latio-and Rachels great speech about getting pain over with quickly, like when she rips the duct tape off her tucked in genitals after work each night with one quick pull. The two dead friends are relegated to an afterthought here (which is too bad because Jenna Skye's Tipper was a hoot and deserved a better send off). The revenge portion of the flick is about to kick off, as the girls' club owner pal takes them out in to nature to teach them the ways of kung-fu and self defense. Hilarity, in the form of gargantuan Pinky La Trimm decked out in full kabuki wear, definitely ensues.

Note to any future film makers dipping their toes in the grind house and exploitation waters. The campy trick of "missing" reels and an apology from theater management was kind of cute in Planet Terror, but you shouldn't feel the need to include the gimmick in your film. It's nearly 2011. It's okay to make your own exploitation film without having to resort to cheap nods just to pander to the audience.

The final act, of course, is our ladies exacting their revenge. This is where director Israel Luna shines. The trio of cretins break in to Bubbles' house determined to finish the job. In an incredibly tense standoff, Boner tells the restrained  woman the three choices she has when it comes to her death, going so far as to make her choose a card tied to the means of her demise. It's dark and disturbing stuff, much more akin in tone to Last House on the Left or I Spit On Your Grave. It just feels wildly out of place with the tone of three quarters of the film. Of course, Bubbles' friends come to her rescue (The movie isn't called Ticked Off Trannies With Knives Stuck In Them after all) and its goes down in crowd pleasing over the top fashion.

So is TOTWK a good film? Kinda. The campy parts are really campy with each one liner out sassing the one that precedes it. I'd love to see these ladies in characters with their own online show giving fashion shows and Sex In The City the MST3K treatment. The exploitation bits don't hold back and can measure up to any expectations you'd have for a revenge fantasy film. The problem is unlike chocolate and peanut butter these two great tastes don't always go best together. It's definitely worth a watch, though it needs a willing audience to really be enjoyed. This should be a staple on the midnight circuit in college towns, though it would probably have to be kept out of the red states else they sympathize with Boner.



*I'll note here only briefly that the inclusion of this film at the Tribeca Film Fest sparked controversy amongst the transgendered community. Their feeling was the film made light of their lifestyle and the women in the film were drag queens, not actually transgendered. There was also concern that middle America, who don't typically having day to day dealings with transgendered people, will come away from the film thinking that the community is comprised of knife wielding, gun toting man hating loonies. While it's true you can never underestimated the stupidity of most people, I would like to think that most people can tell the difference between fiction and reality, and those that can't make the distinction could be quietly euthanized when no one is watching.

Opening program from the NYCHFF: Bereavement plus short films

I mentioned this in my Yellow Brick Road post, saying that the emphasis in the feature films I caught during this years festival put a larger onus on exploring characters and motivations over gore for gore's sake. Even a film like Bereavement, which in less talents could easily devolve a standard hack-and-slash formula and still at least be enjoyable, takes care to peel back the layers on its killer, examining what drives the man to commit atrocities.

Graham Sutter (Brett Rickaby), a recluse living on the barren remains of his families once prosperous cattle slaughterhouse, needs companionship. Taking his cue from what any self respecting psychopath would do, he kidnaps a young boy. In this case his choice Martin (Spencer List) is special-as his mother explains to a new nurse's aide-Martin can't feel any form of pain. He could be cut, punched, his limbs can be broken, and he'll carry on like nothing happened. Of course, while she's explaining to the new aide how Martin needs to be carefully watched at all times, she's left him completely alone outside,and easy prey for Sutter. Sutter now has a young apprentice and companion that he can teach the craft to so to speak.

The story fast forwards five years to the early 90's, as Allison (the impossibly lovely Alexandra  Daddario) has come to live with her uncle Ted (Michael Beihm aka JOHNNY RINGO) his wife Karen (Katherine Meisle) and young daughter Wendy (Peyton List...sister of Spencer aka Martin) after her parents die in a car crash. Intermixed with scenes of Graham continuing to kidnap, torture and murder young women, all the wile using Martin as a reluctant accomplice, we learn more about Allison and she soon strikes up a relationship with Will, the alleged town bad boy, but really just a misunderstood kid who had the unfortunate luck to walk in on his mom's suicide and has been left to handle his wheelchair bound booze bag of a dad.

Rickaby's portrayal of Sutter, along with the odd twists his relationship Martin takes lift this above the standard hack and slash formula. Sutter's first few scenes hold true to standard tropes, with him being the strong silent type, and Mena filming him without revealing his face, reminiscent of the truck driver in High Tension. As the film continues and the bodies pile up, Sutter's inner turmoil and psychosis externalize themselves. There's two way conversations with character's that aren't there and his repeating of a mantra: "If they can't feel, then they have no fear, but if they have no fear, why do they run?" He's torn by his actions, seemingly looking for a way out, but these invisible demons keep pulling him back in. Rickaby gives his killer a sense of turmoil and empathy rarely seen in the genre. By the end, you begin to feel the slightest twinges of sympathy for the man.

Spencer List also turns in a remarkable performance for a child actor as Martin. He plays off his inability to feel physical sensations with a nearly catatonic stoicism. His character is a complete blank slate, simply absorbing the horrors in Sutton's murder hole over the course of five years. There's a Michael Myers quality in his personality, and List uncannily resembles the young unmasked Myers physically. It's easy to imagine a Dr. Loomis like character taking a crack at analyzing the boy and coming up with the same impression that nothing good lives behind those eyes.

I had the opportunity to talk with director Stevan Mena after the screening and he shared some of his own insights on the film. He spoke about trying to convey the felling of being trapped. There are obvious examples in the film, such as Sutter keeping young Martin under lock and key. There's also the two teenaged characters in the film. William is trapped by his invalid father's inability to care for himself. Alison had to leave the comforts of Chicago for the podunk trappings of her uncle's small town.

The film goes to some brutal places. Mena takes care to develop Alison and her extended family. Knowing that she's been recently orphaned makes the climax all the more of an emotion punch in the gut. There's also a scene involving a kidnapped waitress that i one of the darkest murders I've scene on film. The sight of the girl getting yanked around on a meat hook by one leg while she screams in agony was stomach turning.

Bereavement gets a limited theatrical run beginning in February with hopes of earning a wider release. Hopefully this finds its audience. Most "smart" horror films play the terror elements close to the vest, choosing to develop their antagonists but downplaying the on screen violence. Bereavement pulls no such punches, providing an intelligent in depth look at a tortured killer and examining the effects of his actions as a father figure, twisted as it is, for his kidnapped protege. 

For the shorts program, Written By (dir. Karni Baghdikian) was the highlight. It's a comical story set in the early nineties of two screenwriters that are woefully past deadline on delivering their next scrip to the studio. One of the comes up with a genius solution-he has the producer lock them in an office for a weekend, during which time they'll bang out their masterwork. Of course, he doesn't let his partner in on his idea until they're padlocked inside, at which time the other freaks out due to his overwhelming claustrophobia. But there's no time for phobias as there's a movie about an evil clown doll to write. The doll manages to look alternatively hysterical and creepy as hell depending on how its lit, but no matter the case it brings out the worst in these two half wits. Before long the one in charge of shaping the script is bawling out the idea man for always ignoring his ideas while the idea man is ranting about how his dialogue always gets cut out. Rather than agree to disagree, things soon devolve into a blood spattered free for all reminiscent of the Terry Funk vs. Mick Foley barbed wire wrestling matches in Japan. The good news is the script gets delivered. the other good news is this short is a hoot, hitting all the write comedic notes and providing enough zany over the top gore and bloodshed to appease the hardcore horror fan. The bad news is clown dolls are still disturbing as hell.

Inferno (dir. Jarid Boyce) I need you to do something for me while you read this brief review. don't think about peanut butter sandwiches. Got it? It's very important while you read this to NOT think about peanut butter sandwiches. This was a pretty stylish and haunting short concerning deals with the devil and the punishment for past sins. A man wakes up to a mysterious phone call (We've got Jigsaw voice going on people!) where the caller alternately teases our lead by asking him if he can still hear the screaming and offering to heal his wife who seems to be suffering from an all consuming fever. The caveat-our man must never look in to the satchel case he needs to deliver. Of course as soon as you ask someone to do that, what do you think is going to happen? That bag, my friends, is going to get opened and it is not going to be pretty. We know from the get go that this is a rigged deal, that no matter how far our man travels down the road to deliver the bag, it will only stretch out that much further, never so much as providing a tantalizing glimpse of the end. It's reminiscent of Triangle in its theme. What stands out is the sound and Foley design. The noise that spring out of that bag from are ear splitting and hideous.

from the NYC Horror Film Fest: Yellow Brick Road

Two days in to the NYC Horror Film Festival and I'm noticing a large shift in tone from the features of last year. 2009 was the year of the splatterhound, with over the top gooey slasher films like Sweatshop, Must Love Death and festival best picture award winner Revenant ruling the first few days. This year, two of the three features have been grounded more in psychologically tormenting audiences. While there haven been shocking moments of bloodshed, there's been a greater emphasis on the characters and what makes them tick. This is a change I accept with open arms.

Yellow Brick Road left me with an eternal gratitude, and I mean this in the highest complimentary way, that I live in the urban jungle of Grater Boston. The sprawling and uncharted woodland landscape of New Hampshire literally swallow anyone that enters it whole, and help create on of the most unnerving viewing experiences I've been fortunate enough to sit through this year.

In 1940 the town of Friar, every man woman and child, up and left their homes, taking minimal possessions with them as they wandered off in to the woods. Later, the US Army enters the mountain paths in a search attempt, only to find everyone either vanished or slaughtered, with the one lone survivor completely bonkers and unable to offer any coherent explanation of the events. Though the town eventually repopulated, no one spoke of what had happened, and the coordinates of the path were sealed. The only hint of the trails existence was a rock that had the words "yellow brick road" chiseled into its face.

Seventy years later a biographer needs to scratch the itch that is the mystery of Friar. He's determined to write a book on the subject, and to walk the same paths the doomed townspeople walked. Despite getting stonewalled by the current residents of the town, Teddy (Michael Barnes) eventually finds a young girl working in the local cinema that offers to show him where that path begins if he agrees to let her accompany him. Along with his wife Melissa (Anessa Ramsey), a brother/sister cartography team, a ranger and an intern they head off on the path. They also bring a psychologist and their best friend Walter (Alex Draper) in order for him to determine if the stress of the trip cracks anyone up.

It's not long before things begin to go wobbly. Instruments begin to fail (the GPS tells them they're passing through Guam), the map coordinates don't seem to add up and most bizarrely of all, ragtime music begins to loudly emanate from the woods. While all of these things play for laughs amongst the group (with the exception of Walter, who is freaked out and wants to turn around) at first, soon the overbearing music and the growing sense that there's no end to the Yellow Brick Road begin to chip away and the mind set and physical well being of the group. Once they start own the path to madness, they find there's no leaving it despite any direction they choose to turn.

First time directors Andy Vitton and  Jesse Holand take the lessons learned from early Polanski films when it comes to creating a slowly suffocating atmosphere and apply them here. However instead of restricting the setting to a closed in urban apartment where the walls slowly suffocate the inhabitants, the young directors go in a completely opposite direction. The backwoods and their complete lack of boundaries overwhelm the research party with a complete sense of isolation from the outside world that wears the group down.

The violence in the film takes a while to get going, and even then only comes in brief moments. At last night's screening there were three moments (I won't spoil them here) that elicited multiple "Oh gods" from the audience as they almost come out of nowhere. I'll only say this as a brief warning-you'll never look at The Scarecrow from The Wizard of Oz quite the same way again. Vitton and Holand are far more concerned with breaking down the hikers mentally first, and achieve something many films lack but few often pull off. There's an overwhelming sense of helplessness that grows in the third act of the story. YBR achieves the vibe where audiences believe no matter what direction the cast turns , or how far they wander in different directions, the woods will simply expand on itself and continue to swallow them up. As their bodies and minds break down the hikers come to understand this as well. While most films show its victims struggle for survival far past the point of them making it out intact (or if they do, they'll be quivering messes of jelly unable to function in the real world post-credits roll) the characters here come to grips with the helplessness of their situation, often choosing to abruptly end their own journey rather than continue. Only Teddy feels the need to have his questions answered as he blindly pushes on, far pas the point where even he believes there's an answer or an end to the road.

YBR is a film that will divide horror fans. It's detractors will point to the slow pace of the film. It could be argued that trimming ten minutes and change from the run time would make for a more cohesive story or at the very least hold the attention of audiences used to more frenetic pacing in today's films I'll simply sate that if you're looking for a film that will keep you guessing as to what will happen next, or just want to see what it takes to snap sanity as sharply as bending a stiff piece of kindling over one's knee, then this film is essential viewing