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BIG BAD WOLVES (2013) movie review

January 14, 2014, 7:45 am
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Big Bad Wolves (2013) d. Aharon Keshales / Navot Papushado (Israel)

After their stellar slasher debut, Kalevet (aka Rabies), hit DVD in 2012 following its extensive and wildly successful festival run, horror fans have been eagerly awaiting a follow-up from Israeli writing/directing team Aharon Keshales and Navot Papushado. With this disturbing yet darkly funny kidnapping tale, they’re not bound to disappoint many, although their tendency toward third-act cuteness and contrivances undercuts what could have been a masterpiece of grueling tension and terror.


Someone is abducting, raping, and murdering young girls and the stymied local police are growing desperate in the face of public outcry. The lead detective on the case, Micki (Lior Ashkenazi), is convinced that shy and reserved schoolteacher Dror (Rotem Keinan) is the culprit, but when a leaked video of his brutal interrogation techniques go viral, he is forced off the case and Dror goes free. However, Gidi, the father of the latest victim (Tzahi Grad), now has a face upon which to focus his rage and pain, while Micki continues his own unauthorized investigation. The winding paths of these three men – all fathers to young daughters – lead to Gidi’s secluded cottage basement, where duct tape, sharp implements, and a keen sense of revenge deliver their own brand of justice, right or wrong.


Keshales and Papushado aren’t shy about acknowledging their inspirations, and there’s definitely more than a dash of Quentin Tarantino lurking around the corners. (Ironically, QT declared BBW “The Best Film of 2013” after seeing it.) After nearly a full hour of grim purpose and suspenseful pursuit, things take a turn toward black comedy once Dror is bound to a moldy couch – as the knives literally come out, so does the snappy banter, deflating the carefully cultivated atmosphere.


Some might argue that this shift was necessary, but the scene of Gidi baking a cake while Buddy Holly’s “Every Day” plays bouncily on the soundtrack is far too blatant in its “look how clever we’re being,” and the film never quite recovers its footing. (Said cake-baking also includes a forehead-smackingly artificial plot element, one that both conflicts with and compromises what has gone before. Surely, they could have come up with something else; hell, I would have been happier with a convenient case of narcolepsy.) The ambiguous final moment is also a bit of a puzzler, showing us Keinan’s daughter either at peace or in great danger, with no real indicator as to which is the truth and no justifiable reason for the confusing coda.


But while not a perfect beast, it’s still pretty damn great. Giora Bejach’s cinematography is gorgeous and engrossing, the utterly mesmerizing slow-mo bucolic opening contrasting with the frenetic foot chases that follow. The isolated woods, used to such excellent effect in Kalevet, are back, the distance from outside interference (or aid, depending on one’s point of view) both striking and chilling. Haim Frank Ilfman creates a haunting musical tapestry, unveiling the melodic strings and stings in equal measure.


The three lead performances are all excellent, with Ashkenazi providing the middle moral ground between Grad’s stolid menace and Keinan’s quaking protestations of innocence. It’s a terrifying modern fairy tale, one that shows considerable growth and polish from Keshales and Papushado, who continue to lead the rising Hebrew Horror wave.


Big Bad Wolves is slated for a limited theatrical release (including Chicago’s Music Box Theatre) this Friday, January 17, from Magnolia/Magnet. Check their website for dates and locations.


--Aaron Christensen, HorrorHound Magazine
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CAT PEOPLE (1982) Blu-ray Review

January 22, 2014, 5:28 pm
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Cat People (1982) d. Paul Schrader (USA)

After years in orphanages, Irena (Nastassja Kinski) reunites with long-lost sibling Paul (Malcolm McDowell), who soon reveals a more-than-brotherly attraction to her. Seems the two are the supernatural offspring of panthers, doomed to mate only with their own humanimal kind, as any other coupling results in fanged-and-clawed death for their unsuspecting partner. Needless to say, this throws a wrench into zookeeper Oliver's (John Heard) romantic designs on the exotic female newcomer.


The same year that they remade RKO’s trailblazing The Thing from Another World, Universal dug further into its vaults to give Paul Schrader (hot off American Gigilo) a crack at updating the 1942 Val Lewton/Jacques Tourneur masterpiece. Like The Thing, his and screenwriter Alan Ormsby’s efforts met with mixed reviews and middling box office upon their initial 1982 release, but have gained a similar cult appreciation over the past three decades.


But whereas John Carpenter crafted a near-perfect film that has since been acknowledged as a genre classic and one of the finest remakes of all time, Cat People remains a troubled, uneven picture, uncomfortable within its own shapeshifting skin. For every moment of inspired brilliance – such as the visually impressive red-filtered vistas, with a twisted and regal tree as their centerpiece and large jungle cats panting heavily on the branches – there is a clunker that sends us heading for the litter box.


Attempting to cash in on the success of An American Werewolf in London and The Howling, Ormsby’s painfully convoluted man-into-beast screenplay displays none of the fun or wit of its hairy brethren. Additionally, there are a wealth of head-scratching moments, such as Kinski's third-act pursuit of Oliver's zookeeper gal pal Alice (Annette O'Toole). She's not a romantic rival as Jane Randolph was in the original; it's just that Kinski needs to pursue someone (and because we need the obligatory reprise of the famous swimming pool sequence). Another is how the hell McDowell - having gone from human to panther to human again - gets out of his zoo prison. Then there's Kinski's inexplicable "vision" of her ancestry. And and and...


For his part, Schrader seems less interested in telling a horror yarn than in getting his female lead out of her clothes, which he does with great frequency.  In fact, there is a lot of skin on parade amidst the uninspired gooey, gory bits: O'Toole gets naked,


McDowell gets naked,


Heard gets naked, several of McDowell’s female victims (including The Crazies’ Lynn Lowry) get naked, and Ed Begley Jr. gets his arm ripped off.


Makeup master Tom Burman shows off his superb transformation effects with a very game Kinski, but Schrader ruins the coup de grace with a clumsy jump cut to a real panther (or painted cougar, as several cast members inform us on the behind-the-scenes interviews). Similarly, other “special” effects, such as McDowell’s filmed-in-reverse leap onto a bed railing feel mannered and forced.


Kudos must be given for trying to create a different atmosphere than the original’s noir-ish brand of haunting mystery and suspense, but Kinski in the buff, a swampy New Orleans backdrop, and Giorgio Moroder’s moody score do not for this viewer a modern classic make. The 118-minute running time is telling - Cat People is a horror film that doesn't want to be a horror film, but rather an erotic arthouse thriller...about cat people.  While I don’t revile it nearly as much as I did upon my first encounter – where I labeled it “blasphemous” a la Marcus Nispel’s Texas Chainsaw Massacre remake – I’ll still take the original any day of the week. Not because I’m a purist, but because it’s a far superior movie. 


Shout! Factory delivers the Blu-ray goods in the form of the aforementioned interviews, gathering remembrances from Kinski, McDowell, Heard, O’Toole, Moroder, and Lowry that are both entertaining and enlightening. We hear of McDowell hair-dyeing woes, Lowry’s repeated tumbles down the stairs that sent her to the hospital, and O’Toole’s jogging-induced ankle fracture. All seem quite pleased with the final results, it should be noted, especially Moroder who gleefully recounts of how he and collaborator David Bowie knocked out their Golden Globe-nominated title theme (aka “Putting Out Fires with Gasoline”) in a matter of hours between breakfast and lunch.


One minor beef with the interviews is that they are broken into individual segments, with no “Play All” option, and each has the same 30-seconds credits crawl. One would think that they’d realize that anyone interested in special features is going to want to watch the entire lot in one go. A still gallery and theatrical trailer, along with David Levine’s reversible cover art, round out the package.


Cat People is available now from Shout! Factory and can be ordered HERE.

http://www.shoutfactory.com/product/cat-people-collectors-edition-exclusive-poster


--Aaron Christensen, HorrorHound Magazine
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DIE, MONSTER, DIE! (1965) Blu-ray Review

January 23, 2014, 7:51 am
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Die Monster Die! (1965) d. Daniel Haller (UK/USA)

Having wrapped up their extremely successful run of Roger Corman-directed Edgar Allan Poe adaptations – fondly referred to as the “AIPoes” – American International Pictures set their sights on another highly influential horror writer, H.P. Lovecraft. (In actuality, they’d already adopted his “The Case of Charles Dexter Ward” in 1963 and turned it into Edgar Allan Poe’s The Haunted Palace, but I digress.) Corman’s able art director Daniel Haller took the helm for screenwriter Jerry’s Sohl’s reworking of “The Colour Out of Space,” whose drive-in ready retitling of Die, Monster, Die! was only the first of its many woes.


In the original story, one of his best, Lovecraft introduces readers to the Gardner family, whose lives are forever changed by a mysterious meteorite that lands on their back forty and begins to exert a strange mutating power over their crops, livestock, and eventually the family itself. Sohl keeps this basic concept, but then creates a bothersome “romantic hopeful comes to visit family tortured by dark secrets” device stolen wholesale from Richard Matheson’s House of Usher and Pit and the Pendulum scripts.


In this case, it’s American college student Stephen Reinhart (Nick Adams) coming to visit his best girl Susan (Suzann Farmer, granted “introducing” billing, despite it being her fifth credited film role) in England, only to be rebuffed by her stern, wheelchair-bound father Nahum (Boris Karloff) who demands that Stephen leave immediately. Susan’s ailing mother Letitia (Freda Jackson), within her veiled bedchamber, intervenes and pleads with the young beau to take her daughter away from this hellish place before it’s too late.


Despite game performances from all involved, Die, Monster, Die! is ultimately undone by its generic and uninspired approach. The effects of the meteorite – kept squirreled away in the basement – are erratic and highly selective. Jackson’s face and hands appear to be turning into a spongy mold, while the Witley’s faithful manservant Merwyn (Terence de Marney) simply keels over one night after bringing out the dinner rolls. Karloff shows no ill effects at all, despite the fact that he’s spent the most time fussing with the space rock...well, not until it’s time for the big finish wherein he transforms into a glowing featureless stuntman that stalks Adams and Famer throughout the house. (Karloff was stricken with severe lung damage during the shoot, and his knees had deteriorated well beyond the nimble gait seen here.)


Adams, who kaiju fans might recall from the same year’s Invasion of Astro Monster aka Godzilla vs. Monster Zero, uses his wiry, intense heroism well, although Farmer (Dracula, Prince of Darkness) is relegated to the thankless role of helpless lady fair in need of rescue. Gravel-voiced Irish character actor Patrick Magee (A Clockwork Orange) shows up for a quick cameo as one of the town’s many frightened villagers, quaking about the grand old mansion on the hill and its dark past, but he’s not around long enough to help or hinder much.


In spite of the film’s faults, Shout! Factory’s BR presentation is quite excellent, with sharp images and AIP’s ubiquitous colored filters popping with renewed life. As always, the DTS-HD sound is clear and strong, (although it does seem to be only mono sound), allowing Hammer vet Don Banks’ score to provide the expected swells and stings. A theatrical trailer is the only other special feature.


Die, Monster, Die! is available now from Shout! Factory and can be ordered HERE.

http://www.shoutfactory.com/product/die-monster-die


--Aaron Christensen, HorrorHound Magazine
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THE NEANDERTHAL MAN (1953) Blu-ray Review

January 29, 2014, 8:23 am
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Neanderthal Man, The (1953) d. E.A. Dupont (USA)

You wouldn’t think that a nearly forgotten, cheapie black-and-white paleontological twist on the Jekyll/Hyde mythos would ever find itself in line for the Blu-ray treatment. But stranger things have happened, and so, thanks to the generous souls at Scream Factory, we are witness to the unearthing of The Neanderthal Man (paired with that equally unsung “cowboys meet dinosaur” epic, The Beast of Hollow Mountain).


Dedicated scientist Professor Clifford Groves (veteran character actor Robert Shayne) is mocked by his contemporaries for his wild theories regarding evolution. Determined to prove his naysayers wrong, he develops a serum that causes the subject to revert back to its prehistoric form. This impressive if outlandish plot device allows mild-mannered housecats to transform into giant (striped) sabre-toothed tigers and human subjects into drooling, ape-like beasts, both of which proceed to terrorize the countryside. Small town game warden George Oakes (Robert Long) seeks the aid of big city bone collector Dr. Ross Harkness (Rocky Jones: Space Ranger star Richard Crane) to end the hairy scary reign of terror.


The by-the-numbers mad scientist plot is nothing new, but it’s still enjoyable to see genre vets like Beverly Garland (Not of this Earth, It Conquered the World, The Alligator People) pursued by rubber-masked menaces, and the in-camera transformation sequences utilize the same colored filters that wowed audiences two decades earlier with 1932’s Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde starring Fredric March. Granted, the clumsy results are more titter-worthy than terrifying, but in an era where time-lapse photography had become the norm – and certainly to our modern morph-weary eyes – it’s refreshing to observe this oft-neglected technique in play. (Both man-to-beast and back again, since the same footage is recycled and reversed.)



Equally entertaining, though probably not for the reasons the filmmakers intended, are the outrageously fake insert shots of a fanged-up tiger face (especially since the live footage clearly shows our beast absent any tusk-like appendages) and the go-for-broke emoting by select female cast members, in particular Doris Merrick and Joyce Terry as the misguided scientist’s fiancée and daughter, respectively. There’s also Garland’s completely gratuitous cheesecake scene, where her vain waitress character suddenly doffs her clothes to strike a swimsuit pose on a rock for the pleasure of her photographer beau, and some hilariously dodgy sign language between Terry and the Groves’ houseservant played by Mesa of Lost Women’s Tandra Quinn.


While not much effort seems to have gone into cleaning up and/or restoration of the print (scratches and fuzz abound) for this Scream Factory release, the fact that people can actually see a genuine monster movie – made during one of the genre’s more fallow periods – which had been relegated to a footnote in the most comprehensive of movie guides is reason for rejoicing. However, as is often the case tracking down long-hidden treasure, the thrill of discovery is not always equivalent to that of the hunt, so manage those expectations now.


The Neanderthal Man is available now from Shout! Factory and can be ordered HERE.

http://www.shoutfactory.com/product/beast-hollow-mountain-neanderthal-man-double-feature


--Aaron Christensen, HorrorHound Magazine
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THE BEAST OF HOLLOW MOUNTAIN (1956) Blu-ray Review

January 29, 2014, 3:05 pm
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Beast of Hollow Mountain, The (1956) d. Nassour, Edward / Rodriguez, Ismael (Mexico/USA)

I’ve been a fan of dinosaurs and giant stop-motion beasties for as long as I can remember. Growing up in an age before Netflix, YouTube, VHS, or cable, the monster kid that was the young Doc was relegated to poring over the TV Guide every week to see what, if any, new thrills our local programmers had in mind for us, either via the 3:00 matinee movie or Friday and Saturday night’s helping of Creature Features. (Considering Mama AC didn’t let us watch hardly any television, it’s a bit perplexing as to why she kept purchasing the TV Guide in the first place, but I’m glad she did.) In order to be better informed as to which titles to be on the lookout for, I would haunt my public library and make extensive “to-see” lists from the various monster movie guides. As I whittled my way through the various big bug flicks, kaiju stompathons, and Ray Harryhausen showstoppers, one title that never seemed to wind up on the docket was the infamous “cowboys meets dinosaur” epic, The Beast of Hollow Mountain. Ultimately, about ten years ago, as I was completing my “Monster of Arts” degree, I broke down and bought a bootleg VHS version – something you’ll not have to resort to thanks to Scream Factory’s DVD/BR combo, released yesterday.


“Based on an idea by Willis O’Brien” (the genius behind the original 1933 King Kong's groundbreaking effects), this Mexican/US co-production has met with scorn and derision over the years, primarily for the fact that nearly an hour transpires before we actually meet the onscreen behemoth. No doubt, dino-hungry youngsters’ patience must have been sorely tested by a standard western yarn about an American cowpoke Jimmy Ryan (Guy Madison) in a Mexican village dealing with prejudice, romance, and the challenges of cattle ranching. But, honestly speaking, the oater melodrama isn’t bad at all, and there are numerous impressive tracking shots and dollies that evoke favorable comparisons to John Ford and Howard Hawks.

"It's muy dificil to say 'I love you' with all those kids screaming 'When's the dinosaur show up???'"

Co-directors Nassour and Rodriguez display a knack for location and atmosphere, as well as creating likeable characters and dramatic conflicts. There’s also one hell of a street brawl between Madison and Edward Noriega, his rival for sweet senorita Patricia Medina’s attentions. It isn’t Shakespeare, but it more than does the job, and if we didn’t know there was a snarling dinosaur waiting around the corner – thanks to the title and the colorful poster art – the oversized reptilian menace might have come as the mother of all twist endings.


According to Mark F. Berry’s indispensable tome, The Dinosaur Filmography, Beast marked several “firsts” when it premiered in 1956. Obviously, its unusual dramatic structure set it apart from most giant monster movies, and it was the first stop-motion dino flick to be shot in widescreen Cinemascope (trumpeted as “Regiscope” by its sibling producing team of Edward and William Nassour) and in color. It was also the first to feature replacement animation – such as that employed by George Pal’s Puppetoons – where numerous figures were created, each with a slightly different pose, and substituted with each frame to create the illusion of movement as opposed to a poseable armature being articulated from shot to shot.


Berry reports that there are some discrepancies regarding who is responsible for the special effects – O’Brien had no involvement in the production, and the credited effects artists, Jack Rabin and Louis Dewitt, only handled the compositing of the live action with the completed animation – but most evidence points to cinematographer Henry Sharp providing much of the conventional stop-motion work, while sculptor Henry Lyon constructed the replacement figures and handled the animation thereof.


While nothing about Beast assures it “must-see” status, the childlike pleasures of the vigorous and energetic 16-minute Allosaurus-rampaging conclusion are hard to deny. With its elongated tongue flicking and undernourished forearms flailing, this upright chomping machine has personality to spare. Granted, the insert shots of an anonymous crew member walking in size-94 quadruple-wide dino boots or the limp foam rubber arms poking into a crevice after prey are pretty goofy....


But the animated sequences of the beast menacing a cabin or hoofing it double-time down a mountainside had me giggling like a 9-year-old on nitrous oxide. (And yes, it’s entirely possible I might have rewound/rewatched these moments a dozen or so times in succession.) There’s also a gnarly crumbling double-mounted hillside descent that will have any viewer with a pulse groaning, “Oooooh!!” and hoping the stuntmen involved had their insurance policies paid up.


The good folks at Scream Factory understand their target audience well, as they’ve placed the eighth and final chapter stop on their brand new DVD/BR combo right at 1:03:44, just as The Great Lizardo takes center stage for the remainder of the film (although you’ll need to rewind to the 59-minute mark to catch its grand first appearance, which includes frightening some banditos, starting a stampede, and munching an unfortunate bovine). Put this sucker on a loop with the similarly themed (and Harryhausen-animated) The Valley of Gwangi (1969) at your next party and let the good times roll!


The Beast of Hollow Mountain is now available from Shout! Factory (paired with 1953’s The Neanderthal Man) and can be ordered HERE.



http://www.shoutfactory.com/product/beast-hollow-mountain-neanderthal-man-double-feature


--Aaron Christensen, HorrorHound Magazine
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WITCHBOARD (1986) Blu-ray Review

February 6, 2014, 10:14 am
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Witchboard (1986) d. Kevin S. Tenney (USA)

Growing up in the 80s as I did, I have many formative memories of early MTV-era, where big hair and bodacious babes ruled the airwaves. And, like many a red-blooded heterosexual teen, I was gobsmacked in late 1987 by the sight of a certain fiery-maned, negligee-clad lass frolicking in, on, over, and around David Coverdale’s two Jaguar XJs in the video for Whitesnake’s “Here I Go Again.” Even before the days of the interwebs, word quickly spread: the unattainable beauty in question was one Tawny Kitaen, and I missed many a class while waiting to catch a glimpse of her in a pre-YouTube era. (She’d already made a splash in the 1984 Tom Hanks movie, Bachelor Party, but I hadn’t seen it yet.) So, when I learned that there was a haunted Ouija board movie out there on the video shelves starring “that girl,” I made a point of tracking it down.


After moving into her new home with her boyfriend Jim (Todd Allen), Linda Brewster (Kitaen) hosts a housewarming party and, in a friendly gesture, invites her snooty ex-boyfriend Brandon (Stephen Nichols) to attend. Despite her good intentions, the festivity is wrought with tension between the romantic rivals, who we learn used to be childhood friends before the luscious redhead entered their lives. Brandon produces a Ouija board as a party game and lures Linda into joining him at the planchette, but things go awry when Todd ridicules the spirit of a ten-year-old boy, causing the board to flip into the air and Brandon’s tires to explode. The next day, Linda uses the board again (alone), and soon finds herself obsessed with her new beyond-the-plain companion, and, as the bodies start piling up, exhibits signs that she has been possessed by the malevolent tot. The two hunky guys must put aside their differences if they hope to save Linda’s soul...and their own lives.


Witchboard was the feature debut from USC film school wunderkind Kevin S. Tenney, who already had a student Emmy to his name and a three-picture deal with Ivan Reitman before graduating. Considering the low budget and relative inexperience of everyone involved, there’s a lot to admire in the flashy cinematography, excellent production value, and attention to character over cheap scares or gore. That said, it’s still a pretty slow-moving and uninvolving affair further hindered by Allen’s off-putting lead performance. We are told several times that Jim has problems with intimacy (he can only respond “I know” when Linda tells him “I love you”), but being emotionally stunted doesn’t have to equate to being an obnoxious jerk. The result is a lack of identification with our protagonist, which no number of beefcake scenes featuring Allen’s manly hairy chest can help.


On the flip side, we have the handsome Nichols – who went on to enjoy great fame as Steve “Patch” Johnson on the daytime soap Days of Our Lives– over-emoting as though there was a bet on. (We learn on the commentary track that Tenney encouraged such histrionics, wanting there to be a large contrast between Allen and Nichols’ characters. Mission accomplished, Kev, except that now there are two unpleasant acting choices going on.) In the middle, there is the lovely but lightweight Kitaen, who does her best with the fanciful material, remaining an engaging presence even as she slips into paranormal thrall. The worst offender in the acting stakes, by far, is Kathleen Wilhoite’s punk rock spiritual medium Zarabeth, trotting out lame Valley Girlisms and stupefyingly unfunny examples of “psychic humor.” Only Burke Bynes, as a pleasantly off-key police detective, seems to find the middle ground between quirky and appealing.


Tenney’s capable grasp on the mechanics of filmmaking is evidenced by a number of impressive crane shots and well-staged action sequences – one character’s demise-by-sundial is particularly memorable – and in spite of the errant thesping noted above, the final result remains fairly entertaining. Even when an ambitious shot doesn’t come off successfully, such as a climactic POV crash through a window onto a parking lot below, one has to admire the youthful moxie. (There’s also Kitaen’s tastefully shot shower scene to recommend, which avoids being completely gratuitous by actually serving the plot.) The film found an appreciative audience both during its theatrical release and on VHS, spawned two sequels, and has now been brought screaming back to life by the good folks at Scream Factory in a deluxe edition DVD/BR combo, stuffed to bursting with tasty supplements and goodies galore.


The commentary track that Tenney shares with Nichols, Wilhoite, and James Quinn (who plays Allen’s ill-fated construction worker pal), while filled with good-natured conviviality, comes off a little strained – we learn a few enjoyable bits of trivia, but it’s a long road of labored jokes and needling absent friends to get there. Oddly enough, it is Wilhoite who proves the most able moderator, asking pertinent questions to keep the track on track. The other commentary with executive producer Walter Josten, and producer Jeff Geoffreys is a more sober and informative affair – not to say they don’t all have a good time reminiscing about their first major success, but Tenney has calmed down considerably, making it a better ride.


There’s also a 45-minute making-of doc, “Progressive Entrapment,” produced by Aine Leicht, which gathers all the major players together for some fond reminiscences. Allen and Kitaen express their deep affections for one another, while Nichols remains effortlessly charming and pleasantly craggy. Tenney, who co-produced the special features, seemingly had the foresight to shoot a lot of behind-the-scenes footage during a time when such a thing was not considered de rigueur. Much of this footage appears in additional interview blocks with Allen and Nichols (each lasting more than 20 minutes), as well as a vintage making-of piece that shows how some of the more difficult effects were accomplished.


With a still gallery, trailers, and more, this is a supremely satisfying package that should cause Witchboard fans to dissolve into paroxysms of Steel Breeze-infused ecstasy while giving those who are not as overly impressed with the final product a fuller appreciation and context for the film overall. Hats off to Leicht, Tenney, and all involved.


Witchboard is available now from Shout! Factory and can be ordered HERE.

http://www.shoutfactory.com/product/witchboard

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SINGAPORE SLING (1990) movie review

February 9, 2014, 10:18 am
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Singapore Sling (1990) d. Nikos Nikolaidis (Greece)

One rain-soaked night in a timeless, nameless land, a man arrives at the doorstep of a secluded house in the woods with a bullet in his shoulder. Two voluptuous women, having just returned from digging a hole in the backyard, take him in. What follows is a surefooted combination of jaw-dropping, exploitation-rich, often direct-address narrative content (kidnapping, murder, sexual S/M games, madness) with Aris Stavrou’s pristine black-and-white noir-styled cinematography.


The thrill lies in discovering a filmmaker who clearly knows how to make phenomenal, “socially acceptable” art, but who chooses instead to follow his own creative compass.




The result is a one-of-a-kind cult picture that will likely repel all but the cinematically courageous, although those willing to take the ride will be richly rewarded.


Do yourself a favor and avoid reading critical details about the plot and set-pieces beforehand; writer/director Nikolaidis’ truly original vision should be seen with as clear a palate as possible, although a preliminary screening of Otto Preminger’s 1944 noir classic Laura, while not essential, will definitely enhance the experience.

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EDEN LAKE (2008) movie review

February 9, 2014, 10:27 am
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Eden Lake (2008) d. James Watkins (UK)

Seeking a weekend of isolation and romance, an appealing young couple from the south of England (Kelly Reilly, Michael Fassbender) find themselves locked in a war of wills and retaliation with a group of rebellious adolescents on the shores of the titular vacation spot.


What distinguishes writer/director Watkins’ – who has already given us the hidden camera freakout My Little Eye two years before and would later showcase Daniel Radcliffe in Hammer’s 2012 version of The Woman in Black– tale from the wealth of “survival” movies is that the escalating violence between the protagonists and antagonists feels justified, truthful and well-charted, rather than simply a case of “we hate outsiders.”


Brutal and gripping throughout, Eden Lake is an expertly crafted feel-bad movie that delivers true horror within entirely believable circumstances – it’s all too easy to picture ourselves within the our “civilized” heroes’ shoes, and their intelligence and resourcefulness makes it all the easier to invest in their desired deliverance from this tender-faced Hell.


The chilling coda, all the more disturbing for its implications than for any onscreen bloodletting, is the razor-laced bow on the black heart-shaped gift box.

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Fool's Views: 1/1 – 1/26

February 9, 2014, 11:32 am
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Look here, Doc, you gonna write these Views or aren't you???

Howdy folks,

The Doc’s office has been open, but 2014’s viddying schedule has been sporadic at best. The Year of HIDDEN HORROR has been taking up an inordinate amount of time in terms of promotion, fulfilling orders, and general merriment, but, additionally, I just haven’t been in the mood to (*gasp*) watch movies. It could have something to do with the fact that every time I settle in to catch a flick, I get distracted by A) a project left undone, B) an assignment incomplete, or C) general guilt or worry about A or B. I’m sure it’s just a phase and that things will return to their regular pace at some point, but for now, we’ll have to make do with the following 18 movies, many of which fall under the “obligatory viewing” category (promotional screeners or SAG Award nominations), although I did enjoy a few “just for fun” flicks with blood brother John Pata while he was in the neighborhood applying the finishing touches to his latest Head Trauma Production, Pity.

As always, feel free to leave your two cents worth – we’ll make sure you get some change back.

Enjoy!


HORROR:


7th Day (2012) d. Koch, Jason M. (USA) (1st viewing)

***FULL REVIEW HERE***





Beast of Hollow Mountain, The (1956) d. Nassour, Edward / Rodriguez, Ismael (Mexico/USA) (2nd viewing)

***FULL REVIEW HERE***





Cat People (1982) d. Schrader, Paul (USA) (3rd viewing)

***FULL REVIEW HERE***





Die, Monster, Die! (1965) d. Haller, Daniel (USA) (2nd viewing)

***FULL REVIEW HERE***





Eden Lake (2008) d. Watkins, James (UK) (2nd viewing)

***FULL REVIEW HERE***





Singapore Sling (1990) d. Nikolaidis, Nikos (Greece) (3rd viewing)

***FULL REVIEW HERE***







CIVILIAN:



12 Years a Slave (2013) d. McQueen, Steven (UK) (1st viewing)

There’s no denying the skill and artistry on display in this shocking true story of black musician Solomon Northrup (Chiwetel Ejiofor) who was kidnapped from his family and denied basic human rights for a dozen years, and McQueen’s penchant for uncomfortably long, unbroken takes is well served by a heaven-sent ensemble cast. The entire production is top-notch in every capacity, and the emotional toll is as devastating as it should be. Hard to believe how short a time ago this shameful period in American history was, and how deeply ingrained such injustices were to people’s daily lives.





Abyss, The (1989) d. Cameron, James (USA) (2nd viewing)

I hadn’t revisited JC’s flawed but technically dazzling underwater sci-fi epic since being underwhelmed during its original theatrical release, so I decided to give it another go. My reaction is pretty much the same: solid actors (Ed Harris, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, Michael Biehn) chewing their way around clunky dialogue while being upstaged by some gloriously innovative CGI effects. The third act is sunk (get it?) by a particularly preachy and sentimental conclusion, and the extended home video version only exacerbates the problems. Don’t think I’ll be going down a third time.





Blazing Saddles (1974) d. Brooks, Mel (USA) (5th viewing)

Popped this in to serve as background noise while I packaged up HIDDEN HORROR contributor copies, thinking that since I knew nearly every line by heart, I wouldn’t feel the need to actually watch it. Fat chance. The first half of Brooks’ astounding one-two punch of 1974 (followed that same year by Young Frankenstein) is ribald, raucous, risky, and rib-shatteringly funny, filled to bursting with endlessly quotable lines served up by a peerless band of players. A true classic and one of the finest comedies ever made, full stop.





Blue Jasmine (2013) d. Allen, Woody (USA) (1st viewing)

The Woodman riffs on Tennessee Williams’ A Streetcar Named Desire, aided by his usual impressive assortment of skilled interpreters, but though an entertaining trifle, it’s neither as funny or clever as its critical reception would have you believe.





Captain Phillips (2013) d. Greengrass, Paul (USA) (1st viewing)

Though his once-innovative you-are-there style has been effectively appropriated by many a Hollywood pretender, Greengrass (United 93) still knows how to deliver the true-event thriller goods. In spite of an occasionally shaky Boston accent, Tom Hanks delivers an impressively layered interpretation as Richard Phillips whose vessel was commandeered by Somalian pirates in 2009 resulting in a tense showdown of wills and political gamesmanship. Kudos to screenwriter Billy Ray (adapting Phillips' book) for providing the antagonists with rationalization for their criminal acts, creating three-dimensional characters instead a faceless gang of thugs in the process. The closing moments (featuring Hanks and a military medical team) are crushing in their emotional immediacy and authenticity.





Enough Said (2013) d. Holofcener, Nicole (USA) (1st viewing)

A great and mature romantic comedy, featuring the somehow still-underrated Julia Louis-Dreyfus as a single mom eking out a living as a personal massage therapist who stumbles into a tentative relationship with a likeably gruff single dad (the late James Gandolfini, gone waaaaaaaaaaay too soon). The admittedly large plot contrivance that provides much of the latter half’s dramatic tension becomes much easier to swallow when presented by such engaging performers, including Toni Collette, Catherine Keener, and young talents Michaela Watkins and Tavi Gevinson.





Ice Castles (1978) d. Wrye, Donald (USA) (4th viewing)

Sure, it’s an unabashed melodrama about a young figure skater (Lynn-Holly Johnson) straining against her small-town ties and overprotective father (Tom Skerrit) while struggling to negotiate the choppy romantic waters of her relationship with childhood love and aimless rebel Robby Benson, but darned if it doesn’t still deliver the goods. The skating sequences are lovely and energetic, and the cast does a fine job handling the sometime schmaltzy scenarios. (Colleen Dewhurst, in particular, deserves special kudos for turning an underwritten character into a fascinating and quirky underwritten character.) The femalien did point out, however, how completely creepy Johnson’s underage character’s seduction by adult journalist David Huffman really is – something I had never noticed before.





Nebraska (2013) d. Payne, Alexander (USA) (1st viewing)

I’ve been a fan of Bruce Dern for a long, long time, but I’m genuinely surprised at the amount of critical love for his turn as an irascible and delusional Montana senior convinced that he’s won a grand prize from a Publisher’s Clearing House-type establishment. Not that he doesn’t create a memorable, humanized characterization – it’s just that I was never surprised by any of his choices, subtle or otherwise. Granted, he’s definitely due for some Oscar love (this represents his first nomination in a 60+ year career), but it feels more like a career achievement recognition than a genuinely revelatory performance. The supporting cast, including June Squibb, Stacey Keach, and Rance Howard, are entertaining but shockingly artificial by comparison. As Dern’s well-meaning son, Will Forte is given nothing to do but remain level-headedly frustrated by the antics around him – a thankless and uninspired straight man.





Philomena (2013) d. Frears, Stephen (UK) (1st viewing)

Judy Dench is predictably terrific as an aging Irish woman attempting to track down the child she gave up for adoption decades prior, but I was wholly unprepared for Steve Coogan’s (who also co-wrote the script with Jeff Pope and shared producing duties with Tracey Seaward and Gabrielle Tana) brilliantly layered and nuanced performance as an disgraced journalist looking to ride Dench’s “human interest” story back into public favor. Based on a true story as infuriating as it is shocking, one that doesn’t do the Catholic Church’s increasingly unflattering image any favors.





Runaway Train (1985) d. Konchalovskiy, Andrey (USA) (5th viewing)

Terrific character piece about two escaped convicts (Eric Roberts and Jon Voight, both Oscar-nominated) in the Alaskan tundra who get themselves onto a full throttled freight train…and then can’t get off after the conductor dies of a heart attack. The boisterous scenes between the odd couple are riveting master classes in full-blooded scenery consumption, with proud It’s Alive poppa John P. Ryan not far behind as the tenacious warden bent on recapturing his quarry. It’s only when we leave the haunting imagery of the four-engine behemoth blazing through the snow-covered mountain scenery and dip inside the civilian railroad control room that the stench of bad acting hits like a dead rat caught in the heating ducts. Based on a story by Akira Kurosawa.


Same Time Every Year (1981) d. Lincoln, Fred J. (USA) (2nd viewing)

Three lawyers head off on their annual “convention,” leaving their respective hot and horny wives behind with home fires burning. But not to worry, everyone finds consenting partners to while away the hours. Perhaps the only adult movie in memory that I’ve watched front-to-back in its entirety...twice. (First time for review, and this second time at the behest of my beloved bride in need of some mindless giggles.)

***FULL REVIEW HERE***





Side Effects (2013) d. Soderbergh, Steven (USA) (1st viewing)

There’s more than enough meat and gristle in the onscreen condemnation of Big Medicine; it’s too bad no one told screenwriter Scott Z. Burns (The Informant!, Contagion) whose outlandish plot twists tainted my final assessment of this experimental prescription drug thriller. That said, the first hour that follows Rooney Mara’s suicidally depressive lass – wife to recently released white-collar criminal Channing Tatum – and her treatment by upwardly aspiring M.D. Jude Law is engaging stuff. With Soderbergh directing in his usual detached, chilly manner, preventing any deep emotional identification with the characters, I found myself wondering what a more “sentimental” director like Ron Howard might have done with the material.


2014 Totals to date: 18 films, 8 1st time views, 6 horror, 0 cinema
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HIDDEN HORROR news and reviews!!

February 11, 2014, 3:53 pm
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Howdy, folks,

I've been keeping a fairly low profile with regards to not using this blog space to promote HIDDEN HORROR...but then I remembered, "Oh, yeah, I actually WANT to tell people about the book and people who are regularly visiting this particular realm of cyberspace might actually WANT to know what's going on with it, how to purchase it, etc." So, while this will absolutely not turn into an ongoing commercial for HH, I am going to share some good news from time to time, for those who are not regular frequenters of our Facebook page or who might have missed the latest bit of exaltation from our little dark corner of heaven.

For starters, here are links to some of the first reviews we've received:

iHorror.com
http://ihorror.com/hidden-horror-book-unearths-unheralded-horror-gems/


Doc Terror
http://www.docterror.com/2014/01/hidden-horror-from-dr-ac-review-horror.html



Flick Attack:
http://www.flickattack.com/2014/01/reading-material-hidden-horror/


The AntiSocial Club:
http://insanislupus.blogspot.com/2014/01/review-hidden-horror-celebration-of-101.html


Terror from Beyond the Daves:
http://terrordaves.com/2014/02/09/book-review-hidden-horror-a-celebration-of-101-underrated-and-overlooked-fright-flicks/#more-23688





Here's a link to Filmmaker Magazine's interview with the Doc:

http://filmmakermagazine.com/83295-hidden-horror-an-interview-with-dr-ac/






And here's a terrific little write-up about the HIDDEN HORROR book launch party, held Dec. 19 in Chicago, IL at Spyner's Pub, courtesy of Dave Fuentes:

http://terrordaves.com/2014/01/23/chicago-horror-talents-revealed-at-hidden-horror-launch-party/




Sales-wise, HH has been doing VERY well on Amazon.com, bouncing in and around the "Top 20 Movie Guides and Reviews," and even breaking into the Top 10 on occasion. But being a huge fan of independent resalers, I'd love it if people requested their local bookstore and/or library to order their next copy of HIDDEN HORROR. Keep those brave souls alive and thriving!

If you are living in the Chicago area, visit

Laurie's Planet of Sound (4639 N. Lincoln Ave., Chicago, Illinois 60625)
(http://www.lauriesplanetofsound.com)

or

Quimby's (1854 W North Ave, Chicago, Illinois 60622)
(http://www.quimbys.com).


In New York, patronize Forbidden Planet
832 Broadway, New York, New York 10003
(http://www.fpnyc.com)

In Oshkosh, WI, go to House of Heroes
407 N. Main St., Oshkosh, Wisconsin 54901
(https://www.facebook.com/pages/House-of-Heroes-Comics-Games/144704011792)



Additionally, there will be an AUTHOR EVENT at Dark Delicacies in Burbank, CA, on March 8 at 2pm. Dark Delicacies is located at 3512 West Magnolia Blvd, Burbank, CA (818) 556-6660 (http://www.darkdel.com)


Ask your local bookstore carry HIDDEN HORROR! If they do, tell us, so we can pass along the good word!



That's about it for now! We return you to your regularly scheduled programming....
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RONDO HATTON AWARDS nominations closing this weekend!

February 12, 2014, 6:19 am
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Howdy, monster kids.

It's that time of year again - time for The 12th Annual Rondo Hatton Classic Horror Awards. Make your horror voice heard - the "for your consideration" deadline for nominations ends this Saturday, February 15.

If there's something you really dug, be it a particular indie horror movie, artist, podcast, blog, website, article, magazine, or, I don't know, book that you'd like to give a pitch to, now's the time to do it.

Visit http://monsterkidclassichorrorforum.yuku.com/topic/50670/TWELFTH-ANNUAL-RONDO-AWARD-NOMINATIONS or you can email David directly attaraco@aol.com)

The various categories can be found here:http://rondoaward.com/Drop 'em a line and SHARE THE SCARE.

As you were!

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NIGHT OF THE DEMONS (1988) Blu-ray Review

February 12, 2014, 2:30 pm
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Night of the Demons (1988) d. Kevin S. Tenney (USA)

I missed a lot of the “classic” 1980s B-movies in their prime, only catching up with them much, much later on home video and at a more advanced stage in life. As a result, they don’t often carry the same sentimental nostalgia that they do for many other horror fans my age, although I have come to appreciate their cheesy appeal in a way that the younger version of me probably couldn’t have. When I finally took the plunge and rented Night of the Demons about 10 years ago, though all-too-familiar with its hag-adorned video cover art over the years, I found it to be “not bad,” with Steve Johnson’s exceptional makeup effects (in his first solo effort) balancing out the dumb-dumb characters and logy first act. After recently sitting through it a couple more times, in honor of Shout! Factory’s recent DVD/BR release, I have a much greater sense of appreciation for Kevin Tenney’s sophomore effort – it really is one of those special films that gets better with each viewing.


The set-up is Low Budget Horror 101: a group of wild ‘n’ crazy teens head off to a secluded dwelling (a decrepit funeral parlor) off the beaten path, one with a very sketchy backstory of murder and mayhem, to get drunk, get laid, and paaaarrtaayyyy. Of course, sometime during the festivities, they decide to engage in some activity bound to rile the spirits (in this case, a sitting séance gazing into a mirror), and things proceed to go predictably bonkers.


We’ve got one of every flavor: the cute virgin (Cathy Podewell), her blockhead beau (Lance Fenton), the token black guy (Alvin Alexis), the obnoxious slob (Hal Havins), the bad girl (Amelia “Mimi” Kincade), the tramptastic slut (Linnea Quigley), the foxy Asian chick (Jill Terashita), the bad boy complete with tough guy accent (Billy Gallo), and a couple of bland white kids to knock off early (Allison Barron, Philip Tanzini). None of this motley crew are particularly likeable, nor are they likely to be partying together, but c’est la cinema du ‘orror, no?


To be perfectly honest, during my recent revisit, I was still as annoyed as ever during the first half, put off by the grating characters and uneven acting (which continues without respite for nearly 45 minutes before any actual demonic action occurs). But once the latex starts hitting the fan and bodies start piling up, the movie earns a surprising amount of goodwill, splitting my face into an appreciative smile at the over-the-top thrills and chills. (This is the unrated version with a few extra special red sauce goodies.) By the end, I had been won over, but all-too-aware of the slog I’d endured to get there.


Then a funny thing happened as I went back to listen to the two (count ‘em, two) audio commentary tracks: knowing what I was in for, I accepted the braying and belching and whining and general chicanery. As my discomfort abated, I began to appreciate the complex camera moves and shots (hello, shattered mirror pieces on the ground reflecting a separate cast member in each shard) and the bouncy rhythm of screenwriter/producer Joe Augustyn's dialogue.


I started enjoying the heightened performances that had struck me so false, and once the second act kicked into gear, I found myself respecting Johnson’s innovation and resourcefulness even more than before. Night of the Demons is a true funhouse ride, and unlike many horror efforts, familiarity is its ally – we love knowing what’s coming around the corner so we can scream all the louder (except Quigley’s lipstick/boob moment, which remains the film’s best shock and deserves to be preserved, spoiler-free, for all future generations).


To say that Shout! Factory has outdone themselves is a bit of a cliché at this point, but darned if Aine Leicht and her team haven’t served up the finest banquet of extras any Demons fan could hope for. One of the aforementioned commentary tracks, featuring Tenney, executive producer Walter Josten, and supervising producer Jeff Geoffray) has been ported over from the 2004 Anchor Bay release, but it still holds up well, as the team still seems quite proud of their Witchboard follow-up. The new track, featuring Tenney, Havins, Podewell, Gallo, and Johnson, finds a different, more jocular tone while still remaining undeniably engaging and informative.


But these are just the warm-up for the feature-length making-of doc, “You’re Invited,” which is a deliciously comprehensive retrospective, detailed and chatty and filled with great stories. Leicht (who produced and directed, with Tenney on board as co-producer) assembles interviews with nearly all the primary cast and crew members into a cohesive and well-paced trip down the Hull House rabbit hole. Especially enjoyable is the attention given to the animated opening credits, which were nearly nixed when the final price tag was determined, but which aid immeasurably in setting the wickedly wacky mood.


My only quibble lies with Johnson’s late introduction; with his effects so integral to the film’s success, it seems odd to go nearly 45 minutes into the doc without adding him to the conversation, especially since he turns out to have some of the best stories! But this is a very minor complaint, and where Leicht’s Witchboard supplements satisfied, her efforts on Demons soar. Take note, distributors: this is what special features ought to be – special.


Other extras include extended chatty interviews with Kinkade and Barron, several behind-the-scenes photo galleries, posters and storyboards, trailers and radio spots, and a promo reel, all wrapped up in Nathan Thomas Milliner’s saucy new cover illustration.


Night of the Demons is available now from Shout Factory and can be ordered HERE:

http://www.shoutfactory.com/product/night-demons-collectors-edition
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HIDDEN HORROR news and reviews, Part 2!

February 27, 2014, 8:33 am
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DARK NIGHT OF THE SCARECROW screenwriter J. D. Feigelson approves of Terror Dave Fuentes' essay

Howdy, folks,

Sorry it's been a little quiet over here at the Doc's office - promise we'll have some more Views soon, but we've been busy in the lab whipping up some more dynamite since HIDDEN HORROR keeps exploding all over the place.



First, a few more rave reviews:


and more....!

THE HORROR SECTION:
http://www.thehorrorsection.com/2014/02/hidden-horror.html


MOVIEPIE:
http://www.moviepie.com/index.php/books/item/7556-hidden-horror-a-celebration-of-101-underrated-and-overlooked-fright-flicks


CINEMA SENTRIES:
http://cinemasentries.com/review/hidden-horror-book-review-a-new-guide-for-horror-hounds/index.php


SHATTERED RAVINGS:
http://matthewscottbaker.com/blog/2014/02/book-review-hidden-horror-a-celebration-of-101-underrated-and-overlooked-fright-flicks-by-aaron-christensen/


HEY LOOK BEHIND YOU!
http://networkedblogs.com/U08m1


(Visit our earlier post for even more great virtual ink spillage)





We also got the chance to chat with some awesome folks on the airwaves about the book, its contributors, and the joy of geeking out:

NICK DIGILIO - WGNRADIO 720 CHICAGO:
http://wgnradio.com/2014/02/13/101-underrated-and-overlooked-fright-flicks/


TERRY AND TIFFANY DUFOE - CULT RADIO-A-GO-GO
https://archive.org/details/CRAGGLIVEAaronChristensen (scroll to the 2:10:00 mark to hear the interview, but it's all good stuff)





Brian Kirst of Big Gay Horror Fan posted some fun videos from the official HH book launch last month, talking with various contributors about their selections:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pm_ZbtelJtQ&list=UUpdj4IGm3aAGlUPryhYyrAA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rv1sbzNykLo&list=UUpdj4IGm3aAGlUPryhYyrAA




Keeping the awesome flowing, HIDDEN HORROR is now available on Barnes and Noble.com, the Rue Morgue Shoppe of Horror  (especially convenient for Canadian fright fans), and in good old-fashioned bookstores coast to coast!

Dark Delicacies - Burbank, CA (Author event Saturday, March 8 at 2pm!!)
http://www.darkdel.com/

Laurie's Planet of Sound - Chicago, IL
lauriesplanetofsound.blogspot.com/‎

Bucket O' Blood Books and Records - Chicago, IL
www.bucketoblood.com/‎

The Book Cellar - Chicago, IL
www.bookcellarinc.com

Quimby's - Chicago, IL
www.quimbys.com/‎

Plan Nine Video - Bloomington, IN
https://www.facebook.com/planninevideo‎

House of Heroes Comics and Games - Oshkosh, WI
https://www.facebook.com/pages/House-of-Heroes-Comics-Games/144704011792

Forbidden Planet - NYC, NY
www.fpnyc.com/‎


More stores are joining our happy band of maniacs every day. Please ask your local page peddler to order in a copy or two for their prospective nightmare seekers! (We're available through Ingram.)  Once your bookstore is carrying HH, drop us a line to let us know so we can ring the dinner bell!





Finally, we'll be kicking off the convention season March 21-23 at HorrorHound Weekend (http://www.horrorhoundweekend.com/) in Cincinnati, OH. Come find our table in the dealer room and say hey!

And now, back to our regularly scheduled babbling....

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GRAND PIANO (2013) movie review

March 1, 2014, 10:48 am
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Grand Piano (2013) d. Eugenio Mira (Spain)

Returning to the stage for the first time in five years, former wunderkind concert pianist Tom Selznick (Elijah Wood) is wrestling with an understandable case of stage fright. But with his glam actress wife (Kerry Bishé) looking on from the opera box, he’s poised to make a grand success (recovering from his last disastrous public appearance, where he blew the crucial climax of the “Unplayable Sonata”) until he turns a page in his musical score mid-concert to find a red-pen-scribbled note: “Play one wrong note and you die.” Soon, the red dot of a laser-sighted rifle is dancing alongside his fingertips, while a menacing voice (John Cusack) via earpiece goads him toward perfection. But why?


Grand Piano isn’t a bad little thriller, per se, but it’s an extremely convenient albeit stylish one that asks viewers to swallow a whole lot of hogslop in terms of plotting, character, etc., assuming that we’ll just give over to the silliness and go for the rollercoaster ride. To that end, director Eugenio Mira and cinematographer Unax Mendia have a high old time sweeping the camera up, down, and all around, with panoramic wide shots swirling down to close-ups of the titular instrument’s innards plunking and vibrating against one another. The dizzying effect is clearly meant to evoke the age-old “Hitchcockian” chestnut, but the cinematic wizardry on display cannot mask the contrivances and sheer silliness of Damien Chazelle’s script, and unfortunately, we’re given just enough time to breathe and consider just how wackadoo it all is.


For example, it’s a mighty strange piano concerto that includes so many extended rests that the star of the piece can leave the stage, run down to his dressing room, and have a prolonged conversation with the prospective assassin before returning just in time to make his cue. Also, Selznick is talking loud enough to be heard on the phone, but the other musicians can’t hear his end of the conversation? Not to mention the fact that the concert itself is an extremely odd duck, with the piano raised high on a platform, the conductor (Don McManus) making congenial chatter between movements, etc. This kind of nitpicking persists throughout, forcing the audience to simply switch off their brains in order to swallow the real-time hokum.


Wood is a capable enough performer, with the former hobbit doing his own impressive ivory tickling, but at no time do we pick up any authentic “tortured genius” vibe. Instead, he comes off as a dime-store neurotic in a tux, more worried about picking up his prom date than any deep-seated pathology. Cusack, who spends 90% of the movie as a disembodied voice, is entirely adequate, although his unmistakable tones considerably dull the mystery. Going along with the overall whimsy is the notion that bland blonde Bishé is “the hottest star of her generation,” while her pals Tamsin Egerton and Downton Abbey’s Allen Leech are each given one relentless note to play (entitled rich bitch and whipped slob, respectively) to provide cutaway diversions from the main stage’s action. ’80s fans will rejoice to see Alex Winter (Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure) back on screen – he’s not given much to do, but it’s fun while it lasts.


Grand Piano is handsomely mounted with great production values, but like many half-baked enterprises, the immaculately manicured exterior can only mask the internal deficits for so long. The somewhat soggy end results still have their appeal, though Chazelle probably should have let his “Phone Booth/Speed at the Concert Hall” high concept cook a little bit longer before presenting to company.


--Aaron Christensen, HorrorHound Magazine
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BURNT OFFERINGS (1976) movie review

March 1, 2014, 11:13 am
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Burnt Offerings (1976) d. Dan Curtis (USA)

With their young son (Ben's Lee Harcourt Montgomery) in tow, Karen Black and Oliver Reed (irretrievably miscast as a “normal” couple) rent a country mansion for the summer and soon become entangled in mysterious goings-on. Predictably directed by TV vet Curtis (Trilogy of Terror) with every surprise telegraphed by Bob Cobert's agonizingly familiar woodwind score, this criminally inert entry in the haunted house pantheon is boring to the point of catatonia.


Saddled with lugubrious pacing, bizarre dream sequences, and a twist ending apparent from within the first fifteen minutes, the cast stumbles around the house for the 116-minute running time looking for the plot and the point. Reed has a couple of fine moments as the wary husband, but even he can’t do much with Curtis and frequent collaborator William F. Nolan's leaden dialogue. (“This house is destroying us!”)


The final tree-falling, chimney-crumbling moments have their rewards, but who can stay awake that long?


Along for the bumpy ride are Burgess Meredith, Eileen Heckart, and a spry Bette Davis, who seems to be having the most fun of anyone. Save yourself a couple hours and check out Robert Marasco’s excellent source novel instead.
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ALONE IN THE DARK (1982) movie review

March 1, 2014, 6:14 pm
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Alone in the Dark (1982) d. Jack Sholder (USA)

Slasher fans, why settle for just one crazed killer when you can have three or four? During a citywide blackout, inmates of an asylum for the criminally insane liberate themselves and proceed to have a high old time in the outside world. Top-billed Jack Palance and Martin Landau are two of the merry murderers (alongside gentle giant Erland van Lidth), while Donald Pleasence plays a head therapist as bonkers as his patients.


Dwight Schultz (soon to be cast as “Howling Mad” Murdock on TV’s The A-Team) holds the movie together as best he can as the bespectacled new psychiatrist in town, struggling to keep his family (a handful in and of themselves) safe.


Making his feature debut, writer/director Sholder’s dialogue is not the sharpest, nor does he do anything wildly creative behind the camera, choosing instead to simply give his cast of veterans the freedom to chew scenery to their hearts’ content.


There are several noteworthy scenes, including an under-the-bed menacing of nubile babysitter Carol Levy, the literal bumping off of a bicycle messenger, and a dramatic final showdown at Schultz’ family home, a la Straw Dogs.


If one was to lodge a complaint, it’s that much of the suspense is sucked out of the abundant array of “creative” deaths by Renato Serio’s heavy-handed musical score, which consistently tips off the scares much too far in advance.


Producer Robert Shaye quickly went on to much bigger things as producer of the Nightmare on Elm Street film series (and would hire Sholder to helm the much maligned first sequel).


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THE ATOMIC MAN (aka TIMESLIP) (1955) movie review

March 1, 2014, 6:37 pm
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Atomic Man, The (aka Timeslip) (1955) d. Ken Hughes (UK)

A reasonably effective sci-fi programmer, although the conceit of a man’s mind having slipped into the future – such that he is answering questions 7.5 seconds before they are asked – isn’t really put to much use and plays out only as a device to sustain the mystery surrounding a Cold War spy plot. Adapted by Charles Eric Maine from his novel, the story revolves around a nuclear scientist Stephen Raymer (Peter Arne) who is fished out of the Thames and, despite the bullet in his back and a brief moment of flatline, revives in hospital but absent any memory. Further complicating matters is the fact that the scientist’s doppelganger is continuing his experiments without anyone being the wiser!


Gene Nelson does a fine job as a fast-talking American reporter, and he’s well-matched with gorgeous news photographer Faith Domergue who, for whatever reason, loves the ill-mannered sap. More espionage yarn than genre flick, but one that should satisfy fans of Hammer’s black-and-white thrillers.


Trivia: The same year this film was released, Domergue starred in three other sci-fi mini-classics, This Island Earth, It Came from Beneath the Sea, and Cult of the Cobra, securing her place in sci-fi history.


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BAD MOON (1996) movie review

March 2, 2014, 10:45 am
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Bad Moon (1996) d. Eric Red (USA)

I’ll admit to having passed up this fuzzy wuzzy flick a few dozen times on the video shelf (remember those?) due to its lackluster moniker and poster art, and probably would have never thought twice about it had it not been for my recent acquaintance with James Newman’s recent terror-ific tome, 666 Hair-Raising Horror Movie Trivia Questions. Since James had seen fit to dedicate no fewer than six, count ‘em, six puzzlers to this DTV title, I figured that if I wanted to get a passing grade in lycanthrope class, I’d better check it out. (To be fair, longtime lycan expert Craig J. Clark had reviewed it on his blog back in 2008, but I don’t know that we knew each other back then.) To my surprise, it proved to be an entirely watchable popcorn flick, with one of the more impressive practical werewolf suits - supervised by f/x ace Steve Johnson - trotted out since the shapeshifting heyday of the 1980s. (However, the less said about the dodgy morphing sequences, the better.)


While on expedition, explorer Ted (Michael Pare) and his hot bod girlfriend (Johanna Marlowe) have a too-close-for-comfort encounter with a bipedal wolf-monster, one that grievously injures Ted while putting him back in the singles dating pool. Recovering from his loss and wounds, he contacts legal eagle sister Janet (Mariel Hemmingway) and asks her to visit, fearing that he’s been cursed by the beast’s bite and seeking some kind of human connection.


She invites him to live with her son (Mason Gamble) and the family German Shepherd, Thor. Even knowing the risks, Ted agrees, determined to remain human as long as possible and armed with heavy tensile steel handcuffs to try to chain the animal fury within.


Adapting Wayne Smith’s novel Thor, writer/director Eric Red’s (best known for scripting The Hitcher and Near Dark a decade earlier) greatest challenge lies in creating a story where the lead character is a dog, but he manages to keep it from turning into a horror-tinged Lassie episode. The acting is fair-to-middling from all involved (except canine star Primo, who is terrific), but 6’5 stuntman Ken Kerzinger, who donned the iconic hockey mask a half-dozen years later for Freddy vs. Jason, makes for an imposing creature and served as coordinator for several of the snazzy stunts.


While it might not prove the quintessential wolfman feature (and I don’t know that it deserved to have more questions devoted to it than, say, Dog Soldiers or Ginger Snaps– only one each, James?), the pace is brisk, the gore plentiful, and the final pawno-a-pawno battle royale between the faithful four-legged guardian and the snarling sibling delivers the hairy scary goods. Worth checking out.


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Fool's Views (1/27 – 2/16)

March 2, 2014, 12:18 pm
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Use 'em or lose 'em, Doc.  Your choice.

Howdy, folks,

I gotta say, this has been the weirdest winter ever, both in terms of extreme temperatures and logy viewing parties on my part. I mean, when the polar vortex comes to town, shouldn’t it just be a natural reaction to just chill out, flip on the tube, and let the good times roll? In years past, when the weather wasn’t nearly as harsh, I’ve been known to bang out 50-60 movies in January without batting an eye. Yet, here we are with February in the rearview mirror and I have yet to crack the 45-flicker mark or even make it to the multiplex. Oh, the times, they are a-changin’. Granted, much of this has had to do with the ongoing promotion and celebration of HIDDEN HORROR (see Exhibit A), but even the Oscar race hasn't been able to spur the enthusiasm of days gone by.

That said, I’ve enjoyed the fine cinematic diet prompted by the good folks at Shout! Factory and Kitley’s Krypt, not to mention a little dose of nostalgia that sent Burnt Offerings (ergh) and Alone in the Dark (yes!) into the player in between bouts of filming a couple of horror shorts myself. Note: do not sign on for any future projects that involve lying dead in a snowbank in one’s undergarments. It just ain’t worth it.

As always, feel free to leave your two cents worth – we’ll make sure you get some change back.

Enjoy!



HORROR:


Alone in the Dark (1982) d. Sholder, Jack (USA) (3rd viewing)

***CLICK HERE FOR FULL REVIEW***





Bad Moon (1996) d. Red, Eric (USA) (1st viewing)

***CLICK HERE FOR FULL REVIEW***





Burnt Offerings (1976) d. Curtis, Dan (USA) (2nd viewing)

***CLICK HERE FOR FULL REVIEW***





Night of the Demons (1988) d. Tenney, Kevin S. (USA) (2nd, 3rd and 4th viewings)

***CLICK HERE FOR FULL REVIEW***





Witchboard (1986) d. Tenney, Kevin S. (USA) (2nd, 3rd, and 4th viewings)

***CLICK HERE FOR FULL REVIEW***




KRYPTIC ARMY JANUARY MISSION: OPPOSITE DAY


Atomic Man, The (aka Timeslip) (1955) d. Hughes, Ken (UK) (1st viewing)

***CLICK HERE FOR FULL REVIEW***





Neanderthal Man, The (1953) d. Dupont, E. A. (USA) (1st viewing)

***CLICK HERE FOR FULL REVIEW***




CIVILIAN:


Dredd (2012) d. Travis, Pete (USA) (1st viewing)

A year after hearing it praised by Video Junkie's illustrious Thomas Sueyres, I finally lucked into a screening of this belatedly lauded action flick that banishes all memories of the 1995 Stallone debacle with 200% more style, blood, violence, explosions, and 300% less Rob Schneider. Karl Urban (forever doomed to be “Dr. Bones McCoy of the new Star Trek franchise”) does a fine job of low-wattage badassing while Leda Heady and Olivia Thirlby deliver two strong female roles in the form of terrifying warlord MaMa and new Judge recruit Anderson, respectively. Yes, it resembles The Raid in some ways, but that’s hardly a bad thing.





Laura (1944) d. Preminger, Otto (USA) (2nd viewing)

Having revisited Singapore Sling last month, I decided to break out this classic noir to see how much it might inform my recent viewing of Nikos Nikolaidis’ mind-fuckery, since references to Preminger’s film abound. Truth be told, there wasn’t much new insight to be found, but I’ll accept any excuse to watch Dana Andrews, Gene Tierney, Clifton Webb, Judith Anderson, and Vincent Price all do their thing in service of a detective story about “a man who fell in love with a corpse.”





Nashville (1976) d. Altman, Robert (USA) (2nd viewing)

Such a brilliant kaleidoscope of narrative filmmaking on every level, minus casting Henry Gibson as an Opryland icon. The poor guy acts the hell out of the role, but he just can't sing it. Even if you don't like country music, there's no denying that some of those folks (even back in the 70s) could sing. All of those 70s stalwarts (Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, Charley Pride, Hoyt Axton, George Jones, Buck Owens, etc.) may have had their vocal idiosyncrasies, but they were in their own zone and they sold it. I never got that from Gibson, whose Haven Hamilton is supposed to be an industry superstar. Had it been a story about people *wanting* to be country stars, that would have been different. I understand the film is not explicitly about the music, but about the characters. That said, the archetypes that Altman is riffing on were innately talented, which is what Gibson lacks. Had he been a Johnny Cash in talent, his disingenuous behavior off stage would have been that much more poignant.


2104 Totals to date: 32 films, 12 1st time views, 17 horror, 0 cinema
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DARKMAN (1990) Blu-ray review

March 3, 2014, 11:18 am
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Darkman (1990) d. Sam Raimi (USA)

Scientist Peyton Westlake (Liam Neeson, in his first leading role) is working diligently to uncover the secrets of a new synthetic skin, frustrated at his inability to stabilize it past the 98-minute mark. But when his girlfriend Julie (Frances McDormand) uncovers a corrupt businessman’s (Colin Friels) payoffs to government officials, the noble egghead lands in hot water (or more accurately, boiling acid) at the hands of hired thugs led by the sinister and ruthless Durant (Larry Drake). Awakening in a hospital burn ward, the presumed-dead Westlake escapes and resumes his work, hoping to restore his ruined visage, wreak vengeance on those responsible, and try to become human once again.


Like most horror fans, I came to Darkman wanting more from this Raimi guy, having experienced the high-energy splatstick treats of Evil Dead and its much-beloved 1987 sequel. However, sitting in the multiplex, my impression was that the movie didn’t know what it wanted to be, heightened performances and cartoony set-pieces resting uncomfortably within a fairly realistic action setting. I recognized the comic book sensibilities at work, but the final results felt juvenile and off-kilter, lacking any gravitas or depth even within the fantasy genre it inhabited. The dialogue was hokey, the acting false, and the tone erratic, though one had to admit it moved like a freight train and the climactic scenes of our heroic scientist-turned-monster clinging to a helicopter cable while zigzagging through a maze of skyscrapers was awesome in the extreme, especially when backed by Danny Elfman’s zingy score.


With the benefit of hindsight, it’s easy to recognize Raimi’s first studio feature as a natural evolutionary step from his bare-bones beginnings, a journey that would ultimately yield the high-powered visionary that brought Spider-Man to the screen with such verve and style in 2000. It’s also worth remembering that in the interim, the director learned better how to direct actors in subsequent efforts like The Quick and the Dead, A Simple Plan, and For the Love of the Game.



Revisiting Darkman, one sees a young filmmaker eager to pour every wild, inner-12-year-old idea onto the screen, regardless of whether it serves the overall vision or not – it feels immature and joyously so, with cackling villains, damsels in distress, flawed heroes, and lots of crazy zooming camera angles and big bam boom action sequences. It’s akin to handing a kid a new paint set and watching every single color be used two and three times over, with Raimi attempting to write optical checks that technology (or Universal’s budget) couldn’t yet cash. Likewise, the emotional heft that he and his four (!) screenwriting collaborators try to conjure with these thin characters falls flat, a backyard melodrama with wooden swords played out on a souped-up jungle gym.


If it sounds like I’m overcriticizing, the intent is merely to provide context within which the film can best be enjoyed. Upon realizing that Raimi was indeed exorcising every nascent impulse and creating a comic book movie before there was such a subgenre (from whole cloth, no less, as opposed to a character with a preexisting mythos), it’s much easier to appreciate the accomplishment at hand. Accepting the immaturity on display and viewing the myriad camera set-ups as graphic novel panels, the zany mess takes on a slightly more developed framework.


But even at face value (get it?), one can have nothing but the highest respect for Tony Gardner’s elaborate makeup effects, transforming Neeson’s features into a mass of charred and broken flesh and bone, while the array of synthetic masks (which Westlake creates to impersonate his enemies) are great fun to watch collapse into hissing and bubbling puddles of goo. This was Gardner’s highest profile gig to date, following apprenticeships with Stan Winston and Rick Baker, and he is quick to praise Neeson’s enthusiasm for acting through the layers of latex and appliances during his supplementary interview on the new Shout! Factory Blu-ray.


Another coup for the S!F team is landing the big Irishman himself, gracious and humble as could be, for a short chat about working with Raimi and about what the film meant for his career. It’s clear that the monstrous side of the character appealed most, as Neeson gives over entirely to the savagery and demonic glee during the latter scenes, while his “human” moments feel more stiff and awkward. McDormand and Drake are also given time in front of the camera in featurettes of their own, both clearly thankful for the opportunity to break out of their respective on-screen ruts (McDormand as beleaguered southern women, Drake as gentle giant “Benny” character from L.A. Law). There are also vintage making-of on-set interviews with all three performers, as well as a fresh-faced Raimi.


Other supplementals include discussions with production designer Randy Ser and art director Philip Dagort with “Dark Design,” as they reveal magic tricks both elaborate and simple (the construction site visible from Friels’ character’s office window is actually a stitched-together drape of eight enlarged photographs of the L.A. skyline). “Henchman Tales” gives stalwart character actors Danny Hicks and Dan Bell time to reflect on their wacky villains and how Raimi would ask them to perform comic bits that seemed ridiculous at the time (Hicks’ hopping one-legged assassin, for example), but paid off in front of audiences.


The pièce de résistance is the Michael Felsher-moderated audio commentary with director of photography Bill Pope (The Matrix, Spider-Man 2 and 3, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World), making his feature film debut after creating such historic music videos as Metallica’s “One” and Bangles “In Your Room.” Pope gleefully recounts how his director would constantly joke and take credit for cast and crew members’ ideas, as well as discussing the “Raimi Playbook,” where the shooter had broken down several signature moves and assigned them letter values. (Ex. Dolly push in = A, Dolly push with Dutch angle right = B, four-frame-per-second slow-mo acting = C, etc.) It makes for a very fun and energetic track, and viewers will gain new respect for many of the groundbreaking techniques on display.


Other extras include the original theatrical trailer (complete with its memorable “Who is Darkman?” marketing hook), TV spots, and several mouth-watering behind-the-scenes still galleries, all wrapped in Gary Pullin’s new retro-styled BR cover art.


While the film itself is a slippery beast, it’s definitely found its way into many fans’ hearts, and this latest Shout! Factory release is definitely worth the price to add to your collection. Unlike the ever-updating editions of The Evil Dead, this definitive version of Darkman is the last you’ll ever need to buy. Purchase now by clicking HERE.

http://www.shoutfactory.com/product/darkman-collectors-edition


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