WE'RE STOKED TO INVITE YOU TO OUR NEXT indie horror movie night. This month Chris and I are hosting two films that couldn't be more different, but embody everything we love about bringing these films to Boston genre fans.
Up first we present NAILBITER, the latest offering from Patrick Rea and SenoReality Pictures. If you're a fan of old school monster movies and get absolute chills when whatever is lurking in the darkest corner of the room skulks just of of sight, then you're going to love this film. When a mother and her three young daughters take refuge in a storm cellar as a tornado wreaks havoc outside, they soon discover they're not alone. Featuring beautiful creature designs, excellent practical FX, strong performances across the board and a fantastic score Nailbiter will put a smile across the face of anyone who ever grew up on the Saturday Afternoon Creature Double Feature.
Our second act takes a more psychological horror bent. Richard Marr Griffin's latest EXHUMED forgoes the humorous slant we've seen on films like The Disco Exorcist and Atomic Brain Invasion. Debbie Rochon and Michael Thrurber star as the parental figures overseeing the last embers of a dying cultist family. Unable to cope with the real world, the pair will stop at nothing to grow and keep their family together. Shot in beautiful black and white, Griffin crafts a work that will have your teeth setting on edge as the tension builds, offering only the briefest respite with moments punctuated by shocking violence. It's one of the best independent features we've come across in a long time and we're proud to present it.
We'll also be screening a pair of short films from Rea as well as the latest short from Fatal Pictures Familiar.
$10 gets you into both films, and we'll have a link for advanced tickets in a day or so. Here's all the need to know details:
When: FRIDAY MAY 11th 8pm
Where: THE SOMERVILLE THEATER DIGITAL MICROCINEMA, SOMERVILLE MA (in Davis Sq)
Longtime FOATH (come on, it's obvious) Maude Michaud is heading back behind the camera this fall to film her first feature film Dys. Over the past few years the Montreal based filmmaker put out some of favorite shorts, including Red, Hollywood Skin and Snuff. She's also responsible for the web based documentary Bloody Breasts which examines women who enjoy and create horror.
I can't speak for Chris, but I'm stoked to see what Maude comes up with for her feature debut. All of her shorts have that one moment that skeeves the audience out. Given a longer runtime to play with, I know she's capable of crafting unnerving, visceral horror that's going to soil some shorts and cause monocles to fall out at an alarming rate.
In her own words, here's the synopsis for Dys: A strange disease is plaguing the city; classes are cancelled, businesses are closed, all is under a state of emergency. What at first seems like a normal flu quickly leads to blind rage and cannibalistic behavior. Narrowly escaping contamination, Eva and Sam, a young married couple, are forced to barricade themselves in their high-rise apartment despite the palpable tension between them. Now forced into isolation in their small living space, they struggle with their own frailty in a world that can only offer the worst horrors imaginable.
Like any independent project, this one is going to need all the financial help it can get to get to the finish line. Below is Maude's personal plea to reach deep into your pockets and duct off the old checkbook to help make DYS happen. Any of you that can listen to her Quebec accent and not be moved to pitch in a few bucks are probably puppy hating communists that hang around playgrounds in trench coats hoping to diddle children. This clip includes a brief, two minute teaser for the film as well.
For zombie fanatics, season three of The Walking Dead can't arrive soon enough. If October seems an awful long time away, the folks at Tell Tale Games have something to sooth you over until the leaves turn brown and fall off the trees.
The first of five chapters "A New Day" is now available for download for your Xbox 360, Playstation 3 or your Mac/PC. Tell Tale will release a new chapter each month. Individual chapters can be downloaded for $5 or you can buy a "Season Pass" for $20.
The game introduces the character Lee Everett, who players meet in the back of a squad car, on his way to prison when the mayhem ensues. After a car wreck frees him from captivity, Lee has to navigate his way through the chaos; avoid becoming zombie chow; and look out for Clementine, a young girl who may have already lost her parents. Each following chapter will continue Lee's story as he meets up with other survivors, including some familiar faces.
Like the comic and television show, the video game focuses on character interaction and interpersonal drama and eschews the balls-out wall-to-wall zombie approach of the Left 4 Dead or Dead Rising series. As you play through the game, you'll have the opportunity to choose what you say or how you interact to certain characters or situations. How you respond will affect how others see and react to you and will make subtle changes to your story as it progresses through this chapter and subsequent ones. It adds replay value to the game. Lee is a complicated character whose back story is revealed one layer at a time. What gets revealed and to who is up to you through the choices you make. You can choose to be a cold blooded badass or show empathy for others, or play it somewhere in between. This device makes sure the game plays a different way with each play through. The Freddy in Space review says the game feels like an interactive choose your adventure book, and I'm both hard pressed to argue that notion and a bit miffed at myself for not making that connection.
The writing for the story is top notch, and rivals the best the television series has to offer. If you've found yourself frustrated with Rick, Lori and others spinning their wheels and having the same conversations week after week, or react to one another in way's that make zero sense except to ratchet up the dramatics, you'll find this game refreshing. The voice acting is top notch and the reactions and decisions Lee's called on to make sense are all justifiable. If you've ever found yourself shouting at the television at some of the nonsensical things characters say to one another (or as I like to call it "Lori opened her mouth again" syndrome) you'll be very happy with the options the game presents. Plus, and I can't emphasize this enough, I'm about two hours in and so far there's not a sing;e sign of Lori. She must be off somewhere telling everyone she has TO WATCH AFTER HER BOY while Carl wanders out of site to go poke zombies with sticks or get gut shot by the locals.
The game also looks gorgeous. The 2-D animation has a very cell shade feel to it. It looks a hell of a lot like the game System Seven from Nintento'd Gamecube days. The colors are vibrant and punchy, and when the zombie attacks go down, it's a very bloody affair. The zombies have a beautiful cartoonish look
The game's only drawback thus far, at least if you're playing on a console, is the fixed camera angles and clunky movement scheme. It feels like something from two generations ago. If you're like me and don't play PC games, the point-and-click structure will feel odd. It feels a lot like the original Resident Evil game with much better voice acting. All I know is there's some nitroglycerin pills behind a closed door right now and I could really use the help of Jill Valentine, the "master at lock picking". It's not a deal breaker, but there were a few moments I wanted to scream in frustration when there was an object I think I needed or a place I wanted to move to and the game won't allow for it. Somewhere out there is the idea for a fantastic open world zombie survival game (Dead Island isn't it) just waiting to be unleashed on ravenous gamers. the fact that there's a store full of items and I can't get my hand on a single freaking thing to take hold of a just out of reach brick needed to smash a window fills me with rage when I'd rather be filled with pudding. Or bacon.
For $5 you'll get between two to three hours of gameplay your first time through. Add in the fact each decision has an impact how your game plays out and you have a tremendous value for you money. Once all the chapters have been released you have a full length game at less than half what most retail for. It tells a fantastic story, right up there with the best of Kirkman's work, and promises to add more with each subsequent month. Plus, and I can't stress the importance of this enough, so far it is a LORI FREE EXPERIENCE. That alone makes it worth the price of admission. This is a must own for fans.
Perhaps it's the climate.
Perhaps the presence of some of the most beautiful women in the world
that leads to such a laid back demeanor. Whatever the reason (and
granted I have limited exposure in this area), horror films from
Argentina imbue grim subject matters with a sense of whimsy and fun
that stands in marked contrast to what usually arrives on my
doorstep. Penumbra, now available VOD via IFC Midnight, is the
latest example.
Margo (Cristina Brondo)
wishes to unload her unused apartment as quick as possible. When her
twitchy realtor Jorge (Berta Muniz) offers her four times the asking
price if the deal can be closed within an hour, her greed and desire
for a quick buck outweigh the common sense alarm bell ringing in her
head warning her something is amiss. As they wait on the arrival of
the contracts and the client, the mysterious Salva. While the rest of
the city awaits the upcoming solar eclipse, Margo, Jorge and an
increasing gang of weirdoes and miscreants engage in their own odd
ballet in the apartment. Despite a startling number of strange noises
and odd coincidences, along with the sketchy vibe Jorge and his
compatriots give off, Margo is in it for the cash, and is determined
to see things through.
Don't let the film's
poster and trailer fool you. While this looks like standard torture
porn gussied up with sexy South American accents, the film plays
displays a more lighthearted, comedic flair. I'm not sure why
marketing still feels the need to push this angle as it has played
itself out, and genre fans have by and large turned their back on
torture for torture's sake. The Saw films died on the vine three
years ago as returns petered out with each installment and the Hostel
films have been relegated to straight-to-video status after the
second one laid a turd burger in theaters. Nevertheless, Penumbra's
trailer gives off a strong whiff of The Strangers. The film
feels a heck of a lot more like the under appreciated Bill Murray
classic The Man Who Knew Too Little than
any of the films referenced above. The film's score goes a
long way towards establishing the lighter tone. Tense moments are
accompanied by an upbeat jazz score with only faint hints of the
harsh strings normally found in this fare.
It could be my warped
sense of humor but I appreciated the vibe of the film. It may drive
less patient fans nuts, as the first sixty minutes of the ninety
minute runtime focuses on a Margo counting dollars in her head,
blissfully unaware of any danger while the intruders shoot each other
furtive glances and try to figure out the best way to be rid of her.
Most of this section consists of Margo teetering close to the truth
while her guests think fast on their feet and invent stories about
similar real estate deals or give their best reassurances that the
contracts and client are both on their way. The almost languid way
Margo goes about her routine-calling clients, berating coworkers,
blowing off her kindly neighbor and setting up a late night romance
with her married lover-contrast the increasing sense of frustration
and panic the strangers struggle to conceal. Their once in a life
time plan that has the narrowest of windows of opportunity is
threatened by this unaware interloper they never accounted for.
Meanwhile, smaller, seemingly innocuous acts-Jorge uses up Margo's
cell phone credit, Margo can't find her keys, two of the new arrivals
lie about not carrying in boxes with them-all seem harmless at face
value but are all means to the group's sinister end.
Even when the third act
kicks into overdrive with the best decapitation this side of Betsy
Palmer, the hostage takers make the whole “kidnapping and ritual
sacrifice” experience a pleasant affair. Poor Margo's only mistake,
aside from being a self consumed she-bitch, is being in the wrong
place at the wrong time. The last act does have some nice tense
moments to it, and there's a great payoff to the film that I won't
spoil here.
It helps that Brondo
gives a fantastic performance as an uptight, bitchy type-A
personality who has a sneering contempt for anyone she deems beneath
her-in this case the real estate agent, coworkers, her elderly neighbor and the homeless man that asks for change. You can't help but wish for terrible things to happen to her. In her own mind she's the queen bee, and everyone should treat her accordingly. It makes own insignificance with regards to the final act all the more humorous. She has the
gumption to feign outrage on a call when a coworker insinuates she
sleeps with her clients while keeping her top one on the other line
so she can book a midnight “appointment” at his hotel room. In
one amazing scene she retaliates against a homeless man who catcalls
her by tasering him into a stupor, then launching into a vicious
speech about how the homeless are the cockroaches of the earth while
bystanders listen in horror at her unhinged speech. Despite the latex
thin veneer of politeness she affords her house guests, her grasping,
greedy natures bubbles just under the surface, and the intruders
exploit this weakness to a “T”. You can't help but hate her, but
you can't take your eyes off her either. It's a standout performance
and kudos go to Brondo for milking the role for all it was worth. I'd
love to see more of her, and I'm not just referring to more scenes
with her tied up in a chair with her clothing torn open and her bosom
oiled up. Though now that you mention it...
If I had to sum up
Penumbra with one word it would be: “Pleasant”. I don't know if
that's enough for most horror fans who might find the proceedings too
slow and exasperating. I had a blast with the film. I'm all for
films going the quirky route, and every now and then you need
something that's a bit more whimsical without going the rom-com
route. If you're looking for a good double feature, pair this film with Ti West's The Innkeepers and settle in for a night that leans more towards humor than horror.
Penumbra is now available
through various Video-On-Demand services.
If there's one thing year spent as an altar boy combined with four years of Catholic High school taught me, it's that nothing can wear you down like Catholic guilt. Heck, I was taught from an early age that the moment I exited my mama's hoo-ha as a burping, shitting, squealing mess I was already unclean with the stench of sin simply because a pair of hippies once at an apple-and that was YEARS before I found my dad's secret stash of Playboys.
The folks behind the upcoming indie Heretic looks like they know a little something about the way the crushing weight guilt can press down from above and grind one's soul out like a spent Pall Mall. The trailer has a lot of promise and teases some truly creepy moments. enjoy the teaser below and keep your eyes peeled for this one around Halloween time this year.
In an indication of the thoroughness of Crystal Lake Memories, almost one hundred pages of pass before the name Jason Voorhees even comes up. Clocking in at 800
pages with additional multimedia supplemental material, Crystal Lake
Memories is an essential purchase for anyone that loves the Friday
franchise or slasher films in general. The book originally came out
as a hardcover in 2006, but new written material as well as other
goodies round out the digital publication.
Bracke digs deep in order to
provide a comprehensive look at the Friday films. Everyone you would
expect to see are on board: creator Sean Cunningham, producers Frank
Mancuso Sr and Jr, composer Harry Manfredini and FX guru Tom Savini,
Kane Hodder and Betsy Palmer all make significant contributions.
Bracke also managed to get extensive information from every writer
and director of the film and received contributions from just about
every person that acted, produced or worked behind the scenes in
every film. Special attention is paid in the early installments as to
how the ground breaking kill shots progressed from story board to
screen. Bracke is less than curator, culling through thousands of
hours of interviews in an attempt to create a cohesive narrative and
intriguing asides.
While each movie receives
extensive coverage, the first film gets special attention. The story
of how Friday the 13th became a phenomenon is far more
fascinating than anything in the films themselves. Cunningham is
quick to admit the movie always was an “exercise in commerce”.
Hoping to cash in on the visceral horror of Halloween, he crossed his
fingers the film would clear enough money to allow him to make more
family oriented films. In a time where megaplexes screen four movies
across a dozen screens, the book looks back at a period in time where
the blockbuster film was just starting to gather steam, and there
were still a large number of independent cinemas that would take a
chance on a low budget flick like Friday. Going even further back,
Bracke details Cunningham's earliest work film borderline hardcore
porn flicks that housewives would flock to in the “porn chic”
area. There's also plenty of details about the trio of Boston pseudo
Mafia types that funded the first film.
Aside from the fascinating
loom at independent filmmaking thirty years ago, the dirt is what
makes Memories a must read.
Everyone involved in these films understood they weren't making high
art from the get go. The low budget/high profit formula dictated
non-union sets and working conditions that could only be filled by
just off the bus actors that didn't know any better than to say no.
Directors like Steve Miner (parts II and III) and Tom McLoughlin
(part VI) come off as taking great pains to take care of their
inexperienced cast and crew and deliver fun, audience friendly films.
At the far far FAR other end of the spectrum Danny Steinmann (part V)
that come off as ultra sketchy slime bags one step away from being
barred from living within 100 yards of a school (Steinmann would
never work again after completing part V). It becomes apparent that
he could never shake the sensibilities he learned from shooting
hardcore porn and grind house flicks. There's
tales-told-out-of-school like Ted White (Jason in part IV)
threatening to kill director Joe Zito for making them work in
freezing cold conditions. Rob Hedden (part VIII) laments the fact
that budget slashing led to the bulk of his story being excised and
his film known more to fans as “Jason Takes A Cruise Ship”. The
general vibe everyone involved gives off is “We knew we were making
turd burgers from the start, but by and large it was a blast”. It's
that kind of honesty and lack of pretense that make the book
enjoyable.
Far
from being a scan and dump of the print version, the e-book takes
advantage of the format with the inclusion of a host of multimedia
features. There are embedded video interviews and audio tracks from
the sound track. Photos have been cleaned up and look gorgeous blown
up on the iPad screen (there's two versions of the book for Kindle
owners, with and without the enhancements). There's also material
that would make inclusion in print to costly. Storyboards, script
excerpts, MPAA notes, revisions and personal photo galleries can be
clicked on, blown up, swiped through at the touch of a button. Their
inclusion add depth to the work as a whole and show off the tehnical
capabilities of the format.
The one shortfall of the
book is the same as the film series it covers is known for. Like the
Friday series, the book slides in to a formula that it repeats with
each chapter. First there's the introduction of a new set of
creators, each of whom express a desire to bring something fresh and
exciting to the series despite being hampered by both the budget and
the orders from above to deliver what the crowd wanted. We meet our
new cast, then follow the filming schedule. Depending on the
installment, the cast and crew either bonded quickly (I, II, III, VI,
VII & VIII especially) or were at each others throats and wished
they could have a few go rounds with the director with Jason's
machete (IV and V especially). After filming wraps up, we hear the
details of each struggle with the MPAA as the gore effects are
trimmed down. Then we get the release, the box office numbers and the
call from above to go ahead with the next installment. While there's
an exhaustive amount of info, once you get six hundred pages in, it
gets to be a grind to get through the latter installments.
The Friday franchise will
always have a special place in the hearts of horror fans. Even as a
sequel to the reboot sits in limbo hell, and it's been over a decade
since the “classic” version was on screen, just say the name
“Jason” to even a non horror fan, and chances are they'll mention
the guy behind the goalie mask. Crystal Lake Memories
shines a spotlight on nearly everyone that made that happen. It also
provides a nice snapshot to a simpler, less demanding,
internet-fueled era of horror filmmaking. It's a solid buy,
especially at $13.
Crystal Lake Memories Is Available via iTunes and the Kindle Bookstores.
House Call is a solid
short about the dangers of killing a man whose mama has sway in the
dark arts. Written and directed by Eric L. Wilson, it contains both
subtle and over the top scares.
The acting is decent,
with the best performances coming from Janet Gawrys as Mother, and
Michael Jordan (yes, that's his real name) as Steve, who has the
double duty of playing boyfriend and man possessed by the spirit of
ex, dead boyfriend.
What really strikes you
about the flick is the special effects. It's always nice to see
effective, CG work in short films from up and coming filmmakers, and
House Call contains some decent ghost wisps. Hell, the ghost wisps in
The Fog remake were enough to trick me into thinking that movie
wasn't a steaming pile of shit, for a little while at least. People
don't give credit where credit is due with genre films and special
effects workers. Sure, hobby reviewers such as myself and other crazy
obsessed film fans will look up who did the special effects, but it
seems the casual moviegoer will never bother to find out who created
those cool special effects they casually commented that they liked
after a film. Did this just become a rant? Okay, reel er in
Sean…ehem…the make up work by Tony Wash was cool, and the special
effects by Emre Cihangir were awesome.
Of course, I just skimped
over talking about all sorts of other talented people involved, such
as the cinematographer Mike Bove, and the editor…oh damn, Emre
Cihangir had double duty on this beast. Right on, man.
One other thing, thank
you House Call, for showing a woman in her pajamas. So often, ladies
in houses in horror flicks are just walking around in a thong with
stilettos or something, and while I'm hardly against this, it isn't
realistic, and tends to take me out of the proceedings. Look, nudity
is cool, but if you're just throwing it in to make up for a lack of
film making prowess, why wouldn't I just go watch a porn? I want to
be scared, and boobs don't scare me. Unless they belong to that old
woman from the Kubrick version of The Shining, in room 237.
So, if you want some cool
ghost wisps, and some fun one-liners based around anniversaries, go
check out House Call.
(Sean lives a quiet life, with a world of darkness locked away inside his fevered mind. He grew up in Central Massachusetts. In his free time he writes for his blog www.spookysean.com, and creates fiction your parents wouldn’t approve of.)
If there were an academy
award for most accurate film title, the makers of Some Guy Who
Kills People would need to start rehearsing their acceptance
speech post haste. It's the story about the kind of anonymous schlub
most folks pass by every day and never give a second thought too. We
see these people trapped in dead end jobs without giving a thought to
how they wound up there. If we pass them in the street, we'll barely
take notice as they go about their ways with their heads down, eyes
locked forward and clothing chosen with the specific purpose of
allowing one to camouflage themselves from the teeming masses. While
we live in a world where it seems everybody is climbing over one
another for their fifteen minutes of fame, no matter what degrading
steps are taken to achieve it, even the people that keep their heads
down and try to go about their business without being noticed have a
story to tell.
Kevin Corrigan plays Ken
Boyd, a thirty something introvert just out of a stay at a psychiatry
hospital. He's returned home to live with his acerbic mother (Karen
Black at her venomous best) and to work a dead end job at a retro
themed ice cream scoop shop where he's often called upon to don a ice
cream cone body suit and stand outside handing out coupons. His
troubles stem from a traumatizing bullying incident that's flashed
back to throughout the film. The experience left him withdrawn and
unable to connect easily with others; his only outlet being his
sketchbook where he pens violent revenge fantasies.
Corrigan is the perfect
choice for the role. He's one of the premier “that guy” actors
working today. You can't quite place him at first, but as soon as you
look up his IMDB you'll do an “oh year, I remember him in that”.
Some Guy provides the perfect
opportunity for Corrigan to take leading man status. His portrayal of
Ken has a sad sack charm to it. There's a good guy inside him, but
it's buried deep down under layers of crushing self doubt and
insecurity. As Ken's life begins to improve-his young daughter tracks
him down and becomes a constant, warm presence in his life and he
strikes up a burgeoning relationship with a woman new to town-he
still can't rise above the darkness that surrounds him. Even when
things are at their best, Corrigan has a look of simmering rage just
underneath his surface.
Corrigan
gets support from a stellar supporting cast. Karen Black is
phenomenal as Corrigan's acerbic mother who always has a smoke ready
for her fingertips and putdown for Ken at the tip of her tongue. Lucy
Davis (Shaun of the Dead, The Office)
brings just enough nervousness and baggage to her role that you'll
buy into her looking past Ken's dotted, troubled past. Newcomer Ariel
Gade gives a fantastic performance as Corrigan's spunky daughter. It
was a role that could have come off more cloying than charming, but
Gade does great work as a young girl just trying to get to know her
father. She's sweet, smart and Ken sees enough of himself in her to
want to soldier on.
Perez and Levin flip the
formula on slasher films. Instead of focusing attention on a generic
group of victims lined up for slaughter by an oft-offscreen madman,
the writing/directing pair show them briefly in flashback scenes and
their kill scene. The victims are an afterthought. In the brief
moments we do see them they inspire neither empathy or sympathy in
the viewer (one victim's wife confides in Bostwick's character that
she's glad her husband is dead). However, unlike a film like Leslie
Vernon: Behind the Mask, Perez
and Levin aren't interested in a deconstruction of the horror genre.
They simply create a fantastic character study on a nice but damaged
man.
The
true standout of the cast is Barry Bostwick (Spin City)
as the town sheriff. This could have easily been a role that was
played for dumb laughs: “Look at this hick cop!” Every time it
looks like the film is heading in that direction, Bostwick pulls back
from the edge, revealing a character much more in control and on the
ball than the genre usually allows. He also has some of the funniest
moments and lines in the film and he looks like he's having a blast
with the material. The film has a throwback feel to it, especially
when it comes to the humor. A brief scene of Bostwick singing along
to an 80's pop song while hauling ass to a crime scene, sirens
blazing looks like it looks like something you'd see in a mid
eighties zany comedy.
Despite
the grim, sometimes depressing nature of Some Guy, it's one of
the funniest films I've seen this year. From visual gags (it's tough
not to laugh at the sight of as grown man in a basketball costume) to
Black's scathing putdowns to the over the top nature of some of the
kills, this is a fantastic comedy. Those looking for the traditional
stalk-and-slash formula may come away disappointed. The killings are
by and large an afterthought, and despite a couple good visual gags,
a lot of the bloodletting occurs off screen. It's also a shrewd and timely social commentary on the affects of bullying, not just in the moment, but on the harmful effects years down the road.
The
one quibble I have with the film is a resolution that puts a nice bow
on things. It looked like the film was heading down a dark path but
pulled back from the edge for a more Hollywood friendly ending. I'd
be interested to know if studio interference led them to go the way
they did, or if Levin and Perez just caught up in rooting for their
character too much.
I
was able to catch a festival screening of the film at BUFF a few
weeks back. This review has sat half written since then. It wasn't an
easy film to review. I love the movie, but there are so many layers
and motivations to it that it defies giving a pat summary to. It
should see the light of day this fall (either through a theatrical
release or VOD/DVD) but I wonder how the typical horror fan will
react seeing as how genre films that aim to dig deeper and go off in
unexpected directions (like Cabin in the Woods)
are increasingly met with tepid numbers by fans that want something
more straight forward. There's always going to be a crowd that
appreciates a smart thriller that treats its audience like adults, it
just seems like that number is dwindling. Years ago films like John Landis' American Werewolf in London could combine wit and horror and draw in crowds. Let's hope Mr. Landis lending his name as a producer helps bring an audience to a terrific indie that deserves to be championed.
On the heels of the DVD
release for her feature debut Trippin', Devi
Snively and her crew at Deviant Pictures show no sign of slowing
down. This week marks the release of Snively's web series, Martini
Mom & Devil Spawn.
In the
director's own words, the new series is a genre mashup of Rosemary's
Baby and Absolutely Fabulous. Cynthia Dane stars as the martini
swilling lady on the prowl whose life takes an unexpected turn for
the bizarre when she plops a gristle and gore covered hellspawn from
her lady bits moments before hooking up with her latest youthful
conquest.
Snively's
best work combines over the top gore gags with a sense of humor that
suggests to her audience that “this is all a good bit of ridiculous
fun now, isn't it” that winks with, not at, her audience. Martini
Mom is no exception and in Dane she has a fine leading lady that's
well up to the task of playing up the campy nature of the material.
She combines the tarted up, oversexualized desperation of a Hollywood
“MILF” with a vaudeville sense of comic timing and humor through
facial expressions.
Martini
Mom has a ton of charm to it that will appeal to anyone that has a
love for the TV Land sitcoms of yesteryear. From the lounge act
inspired soundtrack to an apartment setting that would appeal to both
June Cleaver and Hugh Hefner, there's a retro charm to the work. Dane
and costar Gillian Shure share a breezy chemistry that allows them to
riff off one another and trade one liners and zingers back and forth.
The
first season of Martini Mom & Devil Spawn is a self funded work
that deserves your look see. Check out the first episode below then
head over to the official site (linked above) for future episodes,
news, behind the scenes info and details on how you can help make
future installments happen.
Nestled in picturesque (and pleasantly spooky) Providence, Scorpio Films Releasing - helmed by prolific filmmaker Richard Griffin and his partner Ted Marr - has been churning out high quality, high entertainment genre love letters for over a decade. No era is safe from their pointed humor and dizzying array of cleverness in the face of microbudgets. Where most "throwback" projects fail, Griffin's crew succeeds in paying homage to classic sci-fi, horror, and exploitation by balancing humor, a keen eye for detail, and a true love for the films they're referencing. Films like The Disco Exorcist (Mike's Review), Nun of That, and Exhumed (My Review) prove that solid technique, witty writing, blasphemy, and the occasional naked breast can overcome most monetary deficiencies. I dare you to watch any of those films and not crack a smile! I know Mike and I are more than a little giddy when we hear of a new project by the company.
This go around, it looks like the gang is taking on the 80's slasher with their latest film MURDER UNIVERSITY. Despite a plethora of current films that claim to pay homage to that once lucrative genre, I'd wager that Scorpio Films Releasing delivers a truly refreshing take. Richard Griffin tackles his films with a near scholarly approach, but without taking things so seriously it gets bogged down in pretentiousness. With 12 features now under their collective belts, Murder University is sure to hit all the right notes, deliriously hacking away at convention with a subversive edge. If you weren't excited enough, Griffin states, "Extreme graphic violence, action, sex, nudity, comedy, a musical number... hell, anything and everything we could throw at the audience, we did! The performances are top-notch, and the movie has a scope that most low budget films could only dream of." Clearly Griffin and his cohorts succeed because they care deeply about their audience and their forebears in exploitation cinema.
The film is written by acclaimed playwright turned screenwriter Lenny Schwartz of the Daydream Theater. He says of Murder University: "It certainly is the bloodiest thing I have ever written and it is filled with things I have never done in the theater: blood, sex, extreme violence and nudity. And that positively fills me with glee."
Synopsis: A series of brutal, cult-like murders are taking place at a New England college. Josh Greene, a shy freshman, is the lone survivor of a series of murders that are reminiscent of a similar string of killings some twenty years prior. As he seeks to uncover the secret behind the attacks, he is joined by Detective Forrester, who was instrumental in halting the bloodshed before, and his daughter Meg, who had barely escaped being a victim previously.
Starring Jamie Dufault, Michael Thurber, and Samantha Acampora, MURDER UNIVERSITY is the company's most violent and gory film to date. It will premiere in late July of 2012. As always, check here for screenings, trailers, and any other information. Be sure to attend our screening of Griffin's Exhumed (Double Feature with Patrick Rea's Nailbiter) on Friday, May 11, 10 pm at the Somerville Theater in lovely Somerville, MA.
I should have known what I
was getting myself in to when the poster touted “and DANE COOK”
as a selling point for Detention. The
only time anyone should ever want to see Dane Cook in a film is if
it's of the snuff variety. It's a sad commentary that as far as all
of the horrible misfires in Detention, Cook's performance sits roughly in the middle of
the pack. Don't get me wrong, his performance as a jaded,
student-hating high school principal is still worse that a mouthful of
cold sores all bursting open at once. It's just that this vapid, glossy
torture-to-watch film gets annoys on so many levels that your forget
Cook's even in the film the moment he's off camera.
Blame
that magnificent bastard of a film Scott Pilgrim vs. The
World for Detention
existing. Director and co-writerJames
Kahn does his best to ape the visual flair and style of that film but
comes up with a cheap imitation of the real thing. Where Edgar Wright
has a real affinity for the geek culture that allowed audiences to
invest in the characters in between the eye popping visuals,
Detention is content to cram pop culture references down your pie
hole in the shallowest possible way. One gets the idea that Khan
simply took crib notes while shotgunning a Saturday afternoon
marathon of I
Love the 90s and
tossed every reference he recognized on to the screen. The film is
more than happy to remind you how self aware it is and frequently
breaks down the fourth wall to titled asides that
explain the backstory about characters you don't give a fuck about.
Detention
is
like going to the local carnival and gorging yourself on as much
cotton candy as possible. It's light, empty calories that never fill
you up, and leave you hunched over with stomach cramps wondering “Why
the fuck am I eating this?” as you stuff one wispy puff of spun
sugar down your throat after another until crashing from a toxic
sugar overdose.
The
film opens with Taylor, your standard high school hot chick/mean
girl addressing the audience her rules
to live by which include bulimia on Mondays and Wednesdays. She's the
embodiment of everything you hate about teenaged girls and by her
third ear splitting shriek about how someone in her family is ruining
her life I was mortified that I was going to have to follow this
creature on screen for ninety minutes. Moments later she had her
throat slashed by Cinderhella-the slasher killer that shows up every
so often since in theory this film spoofs horror movies. For the
briefest of moments things were looking up.
The
problem is every character in the film is painted with the same broad
one dimensional brush. We meet our heroine Riley as she wakes up late
covered in french fries. She's your brooding, unpopular alternagirl
complete with a homemade “This is what a feminist looks like”
wife beater tee, a spot on the debate team and wavering commitment to
vegetarianism. In short she has “the worst life of anyone ever on
the planet”. She's every bit as unrootable for as Taylor, just in a
much different way.
Characters
don't have dialogue in Detention so much as they shout catch
phrases at one another in a manner that suggests Orwell's concept of
“Two Minutes Hate” juxtaposed with Jersey Shore stretched out
over ninety minutes. The film plays cute by having two characters
sitting next to one another text each other rather than talk. There's
a meta within meta scene where our teens watch a leaked online work
print of a film about a movie where kids watch a bootleg of a movie
in order to figure out where the killer might strike next. There's
references to the Smurfs, Roadhouse, Kriss Kross, Sting, Luke Perry, and Fraggle Rock for starters. There are homages to The
Breakfast Club
and a hundred other playing cute moments that just feel heaved onto
the screen with no rhyme nor reason as to their inclusion. There's a
six minute montage involving a student that's been in detention every
day for nineteen years where circling camera pans turn back the
calendar to poke fun at the music and fashion of yesteryear that's
excruciating to sit through.
Also,
for a film so weighted towards style over substance, the CGI work in
the kill scenes is unforgivably bad. There's a decapitation and a
hacked off arm that would give a SyFy film from the late 90's a run
for its money in terms of sheer awfulness. While it's a spoof and
the gore is hardly the point, it's unforgivable to put something that
poor looking in a finished product.
What's
a shame is there are kernels of good ideas here and there. While
the plot is bare bones there's a nice pastiche of ideas
involving a serial killer ripped straight out of cinemas and a
taxidermied grizzly bear that doubles as a time machine, along with
body swapping and even aliens. When the third act puts the slightest
damper on cramming every moment with a late 80's early 90's reference
(and as much as Kahn would like you to believe the early 90's are
back, I'm telling you we're not there yet. Believe me, I wish they
were and I have the flannel and Superfuzz/Bigmuff vinyl to prove it)
it's actually pretty charming,. It it hadn't spent the first hour
doing everything inits power to piss me off, it may have one me over.
My
first thought upon leaving Detention was I needed to go see Cabin in
the Woods first thing in the morning just to wash the awful taste of
this film out of my mouth. I've had a nice little run where I've been
lucky to see Cabin,
John Dies at the End
and Some Guy Who
Kills People
in a short amount of time. These are all films that play with
expectations and genre tropes to varying degrees and bring something
fresh to the table. Detention
desperately
wants to be that film but the only knows how to amplify the elements
of the films its aping, creating a loud lurching mess of a movie.
Avoid at all costs.
The wait is over. For three
years the Joss Whedon penned/Drew Goddard helmed Cabin In The Woods
languished on the shelf as MGM sorted out their messy financial
situation. Worth the wait and brilliant in its execution, Cabin
takes the elements of horror
films that we as fans both express our love and exasperation for and
tweaks them, rearranging the parts in such a manner that it may
change the way we look at any horror film going forward. Even the
opening scene which features an innocuous conversation between office
drones Richard Jenkins and Bradley Whitford runs against expectations
before the title smash cuts loud and large, filling the screen.
The
tag line says it all: You think you know the story.
A group of college aged friends/genre stereotypes set out for a
weekend getaway at a remote cabin that's you guessed it: far off the
grid, not listed on any map and a lonely place where cell phone
signals go to die. We have our prototypical good girl Dana (Kristin
Connelly), her outgoing best friend and bombshell Jules (Anna
Hutchinson), the best friend's alpha male boyfriend Curt (Chris
Hemsworth), the new love interest Holden (Jesse Williams), and the
goofy stoner tagalong buddy Marty (Fran Kranz). But once the friends
arrive on the scene, we learn things are amiss. The two office drones
mentioned earlier? They're part of a much larger, unnamed and shadowy
organization that is pulling the strings behind the scenes, carefully
maneuvering each player into position for a larger game they're
unaware they are a part of.
To
say much more than that is to spoil the joy that is Cabin
In The Woods. Goddard explores
the question we so often ask as genre fans-'Why the hell are these
people acting so stupid?'-and does so in such a fun, creative way
that you can't help but grin from ear to ear when watching how he
lays his cards out. What if every move you made was dictated by the
slightest detail, whether it be your hair product affecting your
personality, or a random stranger behind the curtain manipulating the
way moonlight spills between the tree line, inducing an amorous mood
in a young couple?
While
the idea that our characters' strings are being pulled by Whitford
and Jenkins' crew seems to be a huge twist, it's spelled early on in
the first act. The true surprises come from how our characters react,
and as the film progresses, how far the Company's reach extends and
what their motivations are to begin with. While many films take
twists and turns, Cabin is the first film in a long time where I had
zero idea which way it was headed by the third act, and resigned
myself to just sit back and enjoy the breakneck pace it sets in the
final course. Yet the twists never feel forced. While I couldn't see
the next dot on the story's map, once I arrived, it was easy to look
back and see how each move, each decision made justified the arrival.
There are no cheats. By the time motivations are revealed you'll look
at certain members of the cast in completey different ways.
Anyone
who's been a fan of Whedon or Goddard's work in the past won't be
surprised by this. The Mutant Enemy fingerprints are all over the
film, and the evolving mythology reminded me of two aspects of the
Buffyverse, just more fleshed out and with a much larger scope to
play with. The barracks that house the puppet masters draws
comparisons to The Initiative in the fourth season of Buffy, just
give much more leeway with the budget than the fledgling WB network
could afford. Further, fans of the spinoff show Angel will
get immediate flashbacks to the law firm of Wolfram & Hart, which
served as the primary behind the scenes antagonist throughout the
show's run. Like Jenkins and Whitford's social engineers the firm's
lawyers, mystics and shamans expended all their energy guiding the
champions in place in order to trigger specific events without our
heroes knowledge.
It's
obvious from the way Goddard and Whedon play with the many cliches in
horror that they have tremendous knowledge of and passion for the
genre. The basement scene alone, where our group stumble upon a
cornucopia of standard “cursed” artifacts (shelves filled with
creepy dolls, a puzzle box, a charmed necklace and a diary filled
with cryptic passages and a Latin incantation) is brilliant in the
way its framed, lit, shot and plays out not only in the basement but
the scene it sets off back in command central is worth the price of
admission on its own. Cabin packs its runtime with all the trappings we've seen before-the creepy hillbilly gas station attendant, the unkillable monster, the couple that wanders off to have sex and is punished for it-yet nothing plays out in the exact manner we've come to expect. It's a film we as horror fans have waited for
for a long time as it lets us poke fun at ourselves for caring about
this material so passionately yet also reminds us why horror is so
important.
In
the end it's not so much that Cabin In The Woods breaks
new ground as much as it backtracks over previous footsteps, then
heads out in a direction just slightly askew from the main path. It's
certainly a film enjoyed by knowing as little as possible about it
before heading in, yet is also infinitely rewatchable. When the
year's end rolls around, expect to see this near the top of many
lists.
By this time tomorrow I'll have seen
Cabin In The Woods. If the tweets I've read from people whose opinion
I respect are to be believed, I imagine I'll walk out of my first
viewing some time around noon, walk back up to the box office window,
plunk down another Hamilton and catch it again. I'm that excited for
this movie.
So far I've managed to avoid most full
reviews of the film, and what I've read assures me that this is an
“open love letter to the horror genre”. Most reviewers have
managed to sing the film's praises without delving to deep into the
plot details, warning readers it's a movie best gone in to cold.
Yet whenever the rare negative review
pops up, the writer feels obligated to spoil key moments in the film.
The Village Voice review describes the closing shot of Cabin in the
first paragraph. The Hollywood Review spoils a surprise cameo in it's
title subheading, effectively dulling its impact (imagine how pissed
you be if a review of Zombieland spoiled the voice of
Garfield's awesome cameo in its lead). Of course, some writers seem
to have watched a different film. As Badass Digest points out in their article discussing the same topic, Rex Reed of the New York
Observer describes scenes that don't exist in the film: “Vampire's
circle the moon and suck the hot stud's blood”. Perhaps Mr. Reed
mixed his notes for an upcoming novel that's a mashup of horror and
mommy porn, but no such scene exists in the film (the column’s
author Devin Faraci also points out that he's caught Rex catching up
on shuteye at many a press screening). Going back further, in the
second paragraph of his two-star review of James Gunn's Super
Roger Ebert reveals the fate of
Ellen Page's sidekick character, spoiling what should have been a
shocking moment.
So far I've manged to avoid the above
reviews. What galls me is these don't come from the amateur ramblings
of your rank and file blogger. These spoiler filled reviews come from
professional critics with years' worth of experience under their
belts that aught to know better. It's one thing for your average
schmoe banging out a review during a break from his mind numbing
office job to type the review equivalent of a grade school “What I
Did On Summer Vacation” essay (for example: “First the characters
showed up at the cabin in the woods. Then the killer showed up. Then
the kids got killed one at a time in gruesome ways. Then the last
girls discovers the killer is her long assumed dead cousin. Then she
kills him and gets away. The gore was awesome.” ). It still makes
for a crappy read, and really why do you want to run an article
that's little more than a Netflix envelope synopsis stretched out of
eight hundred words, but it's almost understandable. While I count
our band of merrymen among that group, since we've earned negative
dollars doing this, I'd like to think we act with a modicum of
professionalism.
What I can't fathom is why someone paid
to cover films would take such a hackneyed and lazy approach as to
just blurt out on the page key moments. It's as if they can't
comprehend why a film has garnered such positive press and have
nothing in their arsenal except to ruin it for those who haven't had
the chance to see it for themselves, thus tempering audience
enthusiasm before setting foot in the theater. Not that every film
relies on going into it as cold as possible to enjoy it, but film's
like Cabin In The Woods make
an implicit agreement with its audience: You come into it thinking
you know what's going to happen, and we're going to twist those
expectations every which way until your head is spinning.
I understand that it's impossible to
discuss a film without mentioning specific events that occur, but one
can make an argument for a work, both in the positive and negative,
without revealing key moments or twists that rely on the element of
surprise to work. It's a big fuck you to their readerships: “If I
can't enjoy something, then you most certainly will not either.” I
can only imagine the smug look on the face of Mark Olsen when he hits
send on a review that can't get past the first sentence without
giving out the final shot. “That'll show 'em.” It's possible that
the tactic comes from a place of feeling pissed off that other people
are enjoying something someone else missed the boat on or point of,
and it's simply a way to lash out. In the case of Cabin, there seems to be a disconnect between those that enjoyed the film and understood what Goddard and Whedon were hoping to do in tweaking the horror genre on the nose, and those who didn't think it was as clever as other by half. It's in this divide that those speaking out against the film are divulging the surprises left best unsaid.
So here's my simple, urgent plea to
those of you who draw a paycheck doing this: Stop doing this. I can't
make it much simpler that that. When the urge hits, shut the
keyboard, have a tall, cold beverage of your choice, then come back
when your head is clear. This will lower your chances of being torn
asunder by angry fanboys by 99.99 percent.
Taking over seven screens across three theaters in three separate towns in the Greater Boston area, the both annual Independent Film Festival of Boston is a cinema junkies wet dream.
While I'm sure there are those of you reading excited about the prospect of catching Mike Birbiglia's "This American Life" segments brought to life on screen (Sleepwalk With Me) or can't wait to circle pit in their seats to All Ages: The Boston Hardcore Film, there's two pictures in particular that are going to have genre fans hopped up.
From the Bloody Disgusting Selects imprint comes V/H/S-the first horror anthology film to incorporate the "found footage" technique. Not only that, it boasts individual segments from current fan favorites Ti West (The Innkeepers), Adam Wingard (A Horrible Way To Die), David Bruckner (The Signal), Glen McQuaid (I Sell The Dead) and Joe Swanberg. It garnered mostly positive buzz and SXSW (and inspired a fantastic Twitter war between BD's Brad Miska and Fearnet's resident crank Scott e Weinberg) and this will most likely be the area's lone chance to catch the film before the fall's limited theatrical run.
The film uses a wrap around story of a pair of kids that break into a house only to stumble onto a room filled with old, homemade movies on VHS. Curious, the hooligans start watching the videos with each one getting progressively more bizarre. I can't wait to watch each director try to one up their buddies in their allotted segment.
Also playing is Bobcat Goldthwait's latest God Bless America. Another in the burgeoning line of spot on satirical comedies from he of the shrieky, neurotic voice, this one follows a man with a terminal illness and a teenage girl as they go on a cross country killing spree that targets fame obsessed pseudo celebrities and rude douche bags. It's available on VOD right now but I'm going to hold out for the theatrical screening. I know I'm going to love it.
The warming weather can only mean one thing-the summer movie season is nearly upon us. Granted, that season keeps getting pushed forward and now seems to begin in April, but no matter. Listed below are five genre films I'm looking forward to in these coming months. Unlike last year where horror fans sat through an unbearable dry spell in between Scream 4 in the spring and whatever studios dumped out of the vaults in August, there's a lot more to look forward to this year. Without further ado:
Cabin In The Woods After
sitting on the shelf for nearly three years while MGM tried to sort
through its tattered financial situation, this film finally sees the
light of day this Friday. While it's entirely possible this film
could collapse under the colossal weight of expectations and serve as
a reminder that there's a world of difference between those of us who
devour the web for info, plan vacations around film festivals and
worship at the altar of Whedon and the casual movie fan that might
look at the trailer, scratch their heads and plunk down their cash
for American Reunion instead, I have a gut feeling that this
Goddard/Whedon jam is going to go over gangbusters with we horror
nerds. Roughly two billion sites have used the phrase “an open love
letter to the horror genre” in their reviews, which is a lot more
appealing than “seeing this movie hasn't absolutely proven to cause
syphilis, but one can never be too careful”.
The gorgeous Mondo poster which, sadly, I'll probably never own.
Prometheus The
trailer caused me to simultaneously geek out in short pants and bum
me out at the same time. The geek out factor stems from the
possibility that in a summer season already crammed with sure fire
move awesomeness, Ridley Scott's attempt at revisiting the world of
Alien might just sneak
up on everyone and be the biggest treat of all. On the downside, like
a spoiled tween that can't help but search the attic for his
Christmas gift, thus ruining the surprises the day holds in store.
But then again, FACE HUGGING SPACE MADNESS!
Argh!
The Loved Ones About
a year ago I wrote the same damn thing about how much I was
anticipating this Australian import that looks like it takes all the
best bits of a kooky eighties coming of age teen comedy and hurtles
it on an out of control freight liner that's heading for an
inevitable collision of a brick wall constructed solely of the mad
lunatic ravings of a sociopath that's perfectly content to decorate
house and home with strewn body parts. Luckily, Paramount has picked
up the release rights to the film stateside, and despite a silly
marketing gimmick where we're supposed to vote on what cities will
actually screen the film, I have full confidence that come June I
will be grinning ear to ear while munching on some sour Patch Kids
whilst enjoying the best prom film since Carrie.
Lovely Molly Eduardo
Sanchez hasn't done much since 1999's The Blair Witch
Project scared up two hundred
and fifty million dollars behind one of the first viral marketing
campaigns and first “found footage” style of horror movies (if
there are any Cannibal Holocaust or Last Broadcast fans diehard fans
out there that want to punch me in the stomach, I understand). That
film still remains the most terrified I've ever been in a theater,
and for that alone I'm excited to catch this spiritual successor.
Lovely Molly finds the director revisiting familiar themes whether or
not it's supernatural activity or characters losing their marbles
that's at the root of the problems. While not a found footage film,
the action switches to first person whenever Molly suspects the
entity is around so she can “capture” it on film. Other reminders
of BWP (at least from the trailer) stem from the appearance of a
“confessional” type scene with its lead actress and freaky doings
in the basement.
Rather than post the standard trailer, here's a quick look at the "story behind the story" used as buildup before release:
REC 3: Genesis I
know some fans are disappointed that the 1st
person camera point of view angle gets dumped in this film, but I
believe that aspect had been taken as far as it can go with the first
two films (which really should be enjoyed back to back in one
seamless experience). The creative team from the first two have split
the duties between them for parts three and four, with Paco Plaza
doing sole duty on this film. The trailer promises chaotic mayhem and
the shots of a bug eyed and blood splattered bride wielding a
chainsaw make visions of a female Ash swim around in my head.
Yeah, this one isn't strictly horror (though Goldthwait is calling it a horror film, it looks more like a bleak comedy//social satire) but fuck it, I'm totally ok with that. Shakes The Clown has been one of my favorite comedies for years (and has my all time favorite quotable filthy line when the woman who played Ester on Sanford & Son describes her lady too had as having peanut butter like qualities: "Brown, creamy, and easy to spread") and World's Greatest Dad served notice that Robin Williams can still bring the thunder when a direcotr has him tone down his antics/hides his coke stash from him.
God Bless America moves off the festival circuit, where its earned rave reviews, is now out via VOD prior to getting a limited theatrical run in May courtesy of Magnolia Films. Though wildly different in tone, it has a similar, nasty, vigilante vibe as Scorcese's Taxi Driver or James Gunn's bleak "superhero" comedy Super.
When Frank ( Joel Murray) discovers he has terminal cancer, he takes out his frustrations with the fame obsessed pop culture by gunning down any Z-grade reality stars, pseudo celebrities, religious zealots, bigots and any other member of the me-generation that would push their mothers down a flight of steps for a chance at fifteen minutes of fame. Armed to the teeth and joined by a teenage sociopath (Tara Lynne Barr) the pair embark on a cross country killing spree and take out the garbage that many of us have daydreamed about exterminating for years.
Earlier this year Chris reviewed the latest psychological horror short from the folks over at Fatal Pictures, Familiar (check out his review here). It's one of the more disturbing shorts we've received, and is a fantastic companion to last year's short film Worm. Robert Nolan once again gives a gripping lead performance where his hangdog expressions mask the boiling rage we hear through his constant inner dialog.
The film has started to make the festival rounds, and producer Zach Green recently posted this brief excerpt. As you can see, lead actor Robert Nolan manages to straddle that razor thin line between black humor and cringe inducing paranoia with his inner ranting and railing against his humdrum wife and family.
FAMILIAR is playing the following events in the near future:
Though it can be jarring to think of it, we truly live in a
youth-centered culture. Even though
there are statistically more adults than children around, we are still
culturally focused on what goes on before you become an adult. So many films, and television shows are about
high school, and the ins and outs of that peculiar time in your life. I often wonder if we go back to that time
because it is such a unique and artificial construct. When else do you spend most of your days with
people who have grown up in the same town as you? For the rest of your life you will be
hard-pressed to find a group of people that have had a similar collective
experience. And it is in this collective
experience that differences between people really stand out. Excision
is a brilliant film that examines one girl who forcefully stands out.
Pauline (in a phenomenally unsettling performance by
Annalynne McCord) is one odd kid, both at her school and at home. She is delusional, convinced that she will
grow up to be a surgeon, though she does not actually seem that interested in
getting a jump on her academics to fulfill that dream. She is physically awkward, with dirty hair,
acne, and a lanky body. Pauline is
sarcastic, verbally aggressive, and indifferent to her fellow classmates. Not only does she not fit in at school, she
also does not fit in at home. Her father
seems to have a genuine affection for her, but neither he nor her mother knows
how to relate to her. They are
religious, and concerned with their appearances, and preoccupied with their
other daughter Grace’s health. Grace is
very sick with Cystic Fibrosis. Though
this impacts their lives day-to-day, the whole family, including Pauline, seems
suspended in a state of denial about how sick Grace really is. By not processing this grief as a family, the
wedge between Pauline and the rest of them grows wider and wider. Add in Pauline’s developing sexuality, and
the fact that she is a burgeoning sociopath, and the film blossoms into a vivid
character study.
As a formerly awkward teenager I tried desperately to relate
to Pauline. This is where director
Richard Bates Jr.’s extraordinary directing comes in to play. He presents Pauline, at first, as an
ostracized kid, who just can’t get along with any one. But (and here is where the horror comes in)
Pauline is actually so much more than that.
Littered throughout the film are Pauline’s super sexual, violent,
delusional, often surgically themed dreams.
Pauline appears to be a female Napoleon Dynamite in the making, but with
our views into her psyche we see that she is far more pathological than the
typical sympathetic teen. I found myself
reacting to her emotionally, at first with empathy, and then frantically
backing away from her, so as to distance myself from this monster, only to find
myself again feeling sorry for her yet again.
The fact is that Pauline’s classmates are jerks, but not nearly as bad
as the classmates in Carrie. And
Pauline’s family life is a little off,
and she is forced to go to counseling she does not want, but her parents are
not abusive or mean. It is this balance
of Pauline’s life being frustrating for her, but not terrible, that makes this
seesaw of emotions fluid. Bates knows
exactly what he is doing by pacing the film as he did. The audience is constantly flipping their
view on Pauline, while working towards a gut-wrenching, sad and yet disturbing
climax. It is rare to have a director
exert so much control over his audience’s emotions scene-to-scene. The fact that this is Bates’ first feature
film makes that all the more impressive.
Another impressive feature of Excision is the cast. I am
so accustomed to well-cast horror films being a parade of “where are they now?”
former stars. And while that is always
delightful, I was completely blown away by the super star cast of Excision. Traci Lords plays Pauline’s overly religious,
but still sympathetic mother. John
Waters is Pauline’s reverend and ad hoc therapist. Malcolm McDowell, Marlee Matlin,
Ray Wise, and Roger Bart all round out the astounding cast.
While this film does turn to horror in a terrifying, though
not alienating, way, it would be a pity to spoil anyone’s first experience with
the film, so I will say no more. I was
fortunate to catch a screening at this year’s Boston Underground Film Festival,
and there Bates assured us that the film will be distributed within the
year. I will certainly catch this film
when it gets a wider release, and I am really looking forward to a closer read
of the brilliance of Bates’ film.
(Deirdre Crimmins lives in Boston with her husband and two black cats. She wrote her Master's thesis on George Romero and works too much.)
