NIGHTBREED (1990) Director's Cut Blu-Ray Review

November 22, 2014, 4:34 am

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Nightbreed (1990) d. Barker, Clive (USA)

Based on his novel Cabal, Clive Barker’s follow-up to Hellraiser exhibits as many of that film’s strengths (vivid, original storyline, exemplary makeup effects) as its weaknesses (uneven performances, gore without scares, jarring jokes). Craig Sheffer stars as Boone, a troubled mental patient whose implication in a series of violent murders leads him to Midian, an underground “other-world.” Within this subterranean city, we encounter the “Nightbreed,” a wonderfully grotesque collection of freaks and mutants (wonderfully realized by makeup designer Paul L. Jones) that populate the shadows of the human world, unable to venture into the light.

Legendary Canadian director David Cronenberg also makes a rare appearance in front of the camera, lending a spooky aloofness to the role of Boone’s psychiatrist, Dr. Decker.

Painting his monsters as the sympathetic characters, Barker attempts some fine points about the human tendency to hate (and consequently destroy) anything we find foreign and/or ugly. Unfortunately, even in the restored and long-awaited “Director’s Cut” (now available from Shout! Factory in a DVD/BR combo, or a sold-out Limited Edition that includes the original theatrical release), his message is often drowned out by effects-for-effects’-sake and smart-alecky dialogue, diminishing the emotional resonance.

With two-dimensional characters (whiny heroes, growling Nightbreed, bullish cops, redneck good-ol-boys), viewers might struggle for anyone to identify with, forced to content themselves with the noisy, cartoonish mayhem, extraordinary art direction, and latex creations by a venerable team of makeup technicians, including Bob Keen, Geoffrey Portass, and Kate Murray.

Shout! Factory’s October release of Barker’s much tampered-with passion project restores 40 minutes of never-before-seen footage while excising scenes included in the theatrical release, bringing the runtime to a healthy 121 minutes. (This is nearly 20 minutes longer than the theatrical cut, 20 minutes shy of the “Cabal Cut” that made the rounds a few years back at various fan conventions and events.)

It’s also fair to say that the makeup has never been shown off to greater effect, with this “print” mastered from the original camera negative. The fact that all of the latex trickery holds up nearly 25 years later is a testament to the craftsmanship on display. Whether or not the story satisfies, there is no denying the artistry of these creatives at the heights of their abilities.

The supplements, as to be expected, are rich and bountiful, beginning with an audio commentary track by Barker and restoration producer Mark Alan Miller. The two have quite the job on their hands, pointing out the various changes and alterations, while also explaining the original genesis of the project and its subsequent pummeling at the hands of the studio, but they manage somehow.

Next up is the grand buffet known as "Making Monsters,” a 42-minute collection of interviews and behind-the-scene footage from makeup artists Jones, Keen, and Martin Mercer. Since the monsters are where the real attraction lies for, this will likely be the first stop for most geeks o’ the ’breed and they will not be disappointed. There’s also an interesting featurette called “Fire! Fights! Stunts!,” which is truth in advertising as it covers the 2nd Unit chores handled by Andy Armstrong in all its inflammatory glory.

The crown jewel, however, is Greg Carson’s Tribes of the Moon: Making Nightbreed. This feature-length (72 min.) doc excels in behind-the-scenes footage and 35-years-later talking-head segments with cast members Sheffer, Doug Bradley, Anne Bobby, Simon Bamford, Hugh Ross, and Christine McCorkindale. One might have wished, however, that Carson would have sought out a few genre scholars to discuss the film’s lasting legacy and how its studio-mangled failure essentially ended – with the exception of 1995’s Lord of Illusions– Barker’s reign behind the camera. Considering the passionate fanbase, deeper exploration of the subject would have been appreciated, but paired with the other featurettes, one gets a fairly comprehensive notion of what it was like to be there in Midian during those heady days and nights of 1989.

Nightbreed: The Director’s Cut DVD/BR combo is available now from Shout! Factory and can be ordered HERE. (The 3-disc Limited Edition has sold out at this time. That’s why they call it “limited,” folks.)

https://www.shoutfactory.com/film/fantasy/nightbreed-the-director-s-cut

--Aaron Christensen, HorrorHound Magazine

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THE VINCENT PRICE COLLECTION II Blu-ray Review

November 23, 2014, 5:24 pm

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Classic film aficionados and horror enthusiasts will relish the 4-Disc Blu-ray release of Scream Factory’s THE VINCENT PRICE COLLECTION, Volume II, perfectly timed for this year’s holiday gifting season. This extraordinary collector’s set is an essential movie collection for every home entertainment library and brings together SEVEN Vincent Price masterpiece classics, featuring the first-ever Blu-ray movie presentation of HOUSE ON HAUNTED HILL (1959), RETURN OF THE FLY (1959), THE COMEDY OF TERRORS (1963), THE RAVEN (1963), THE LAST MAN ON EARTH (1964), THE TOMB OF LIGEIA (1964) and DR. PHIBES RISES AGAIN(1972).

Brimming with a bevy of chilling bonus content including audio commentaries with producer/director Roger Corman, actor Brett Halsey, actress Elizabeth Shepherd, film historians, original theatrical trailers, rare photos and archival materials, this highly-anticipated Blu-ray collection also includes a 32-page collector’s book, featuring an essay by author and film historian David Del Valle.

Click the links below to be taken to the individual film reviews

HOUSE ON HAUNTED HILL (1959)

RETURN OF THE FLY (1959)

THE COMEDY OF TERRORS (1963)

THE RAVEN (1963)

THE LAST MAN ON EARTH (1964)

THE TOMB OF LIGEIA (1964)

DR. PHIBES RISES AGAIN (1972)


The Vincent Price Collection II is available now from Shout! Factory. Click HERE to order today!

https://www.shoutfactory.com/film/film-comedy/the-vincent-price-collection-ii



--Aaron Christensen, HorrorHound Magazine

MONKEY SHINES (1988) Blu-ray Review

December 15, 2014, 6:22 pm

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Monkey Shines (1988) d. George A. Romero (USA)

Following the lackluster reception of 1985’s Day of the Dead, Romero had a difficult time getting his feet and his next project. He found both – or rather they found him – in the form of producer Charles Evans (older brother of Paramount honcho Robert Evans) earmarking him to script and helm the screen version of Michael Stewart’s novel about a paralyzed accident victim Allan (Jason Beghe). In a classic science-gone-awry scenario, the “Helping Hands” support group provides him with a full-time live-in assistant, a small capuchin monkey named Ella who just happens to be Allan’s scientist pal Geoffrey’s (John Pankow) pet project, if you’ll pardon the expression. See, Ella’s been injected with a serum derived from human brain tissue in order to make her brainier; before you can say “Monkey Say, Monkey Kill,” Ella starts inexplicably sharing Allan’s headspace and all who arouse her new boyfriend’s ire meet with untimely ends.

It’s all a bit silly, but rather than embrace the goofiness, Romero & Co. stumble by attempting to generate authentic pathos for Allan’s situation, taking it all too seriously to be genuinely fun. (Additional demerits for Beghe’s ridiculously fake beard.)

Unfortunately, the serious tone does not extend to the ostensible scenes of terror, which waver between campy and corny, although credit must be given to Tom Savini’s tech team (which included future superstars Greg Nicotero and Everett Burrell) for holding up their end of the bargain with convincing monkey hands and heads to perform the more outlandish stunts. Editor Pasquale Buba also deserves a medal for his exhausting labors, piecing together appropriate animal behavior takes. It is to their credit that the film works as well as it does.

The performances range from fine to adequate to meh, though it’s somewhat surprising to see how many future stars arose from the box office flop’s ashes: Stanley Tucci, Stephen Root, Janine Turner, and current Chicago P.D. frontman Beghe. Oddly enough, it was Pankow who probably had the most buzz at that point, having recently played second fiddle to William L. Peterson in To Live and Die in L.A.

With all the grousing listed above, one might be surprised to hear of Shout! Factory’s recent hi-def resurrection of the bungle that represented the first of Romero's two Orion-released failures, leadingto a seven-year fallow period (at the end of which was 2000's Bruiser, with which no one was happy). However, it is in the abundant supplements, detailing the behind-the-scenes struggles and studio mishandlings that the gold lies on this particular patch of Blu. In addition to a terrific feature commentary track with Romero and stellar genre scholar Stuart Feedback Andrews, there is the excellent 50-minute retrospective feature (produced by Michael Felsher’s Red Shirt Pictures), An Experiment in Fear: The Making of Monkey Shines featuring the writer/director, actors Beghe, Pankow, and leading lady Kate McNeil, executive producer Peter Grunwald, Buba, and f/x guys Savini, Nicotero, and Burrell.

Typical of a Romero set, everyone has fond memories of the creative process, in spite of the frustrations arising from the endless takes (never work with children or animals!) and the revised ending, imposed by studio execs following some less-than-ideal test screenings. (The original ending is included as its own special feature here, and in spite of the Pittsburgh legend’s frequent protestations to the contrary, I’m going with the suits on this one, George.)

There are other deleted scenes, make-up tests, a vintage making-of piece, plus theatrical trailers and TV spots to round out the package. Ultimately, the analysis of this so-so effort from the much beloved director is more interesting than the feature itself, and in that respect, S!F’s release earns its place on collector’s shelves as a worthy upgrade.

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

https://www.shoutfactory.com/film/film-horror/monkey-shines


--Aaron Christensen, HorrorHound Magazine

SHAUN OF THE DEAD (2004) DVD Review

December 17, 2014, 12:03 pm

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Shaun of the Dead (2004) d. Edgar Wright (UK)

Edgar Wright’s crowd-pleasing feature debut, a zombie comedy romance (or zom-rom-com, as pundits immediately dubbed it), instantly earned its place alongside such luminaries as The Return of the Living Dead and Peter Jackson’s Braindead (aka Dead-Alive). It was, quite simply, one of the best horror films – not to mention comedies – in years, as well as a winning tale of friendship and true love.

Simultaneously sending up and celebrating not only Romero’s zombie flicks but a host of other cinematic efforts, the movie’s complete investment in the onscreen situation with nary a wink to the camera is its true triumph, elevating it beyond the sophomoric hi-jinks of Scary Movie and its ilk. There is plenty of gore for the fans, sharp witty dialogue, and wonderfully drawn characters fleshed out with gusto by the cast of loveable wackos. The hilarious relationships (what is up with Ed’s infatuation with Shaun’s Mum?) are utterly believable and we grow to so love these characters that when they meet their unfortunate grisly ends, we truly feel a sense of loss – surely a rarity for a movie of this genre, especially one with such a high body count.

When I first saw Shaun in the cinema back in ’04, the Dawn of the Dead remake had just come along (perfect timing, guys) and so the pseudo-homonymic (is that a word?) title gambit was fresh in everyone’s ears and eyes. But I was expecting something along the lines of a spoof, with the tropes of zombie film lore trotted out and skewered for our, ahem, amusement. Instead, what my popcorn-crunching compatriots and I got was a brilliant, witty, affectionate, raucous, clever, and splatterific love letter to Romero’s flesh-chomping zombi-verse and the genre fans that had grown up loving it.

I immediately went again the same week – accompanied by several fence-sitters who had had similar trepidations – and darned if it wasn’t even better the second time around, because Wright has jammed the picture with inside jokes flitting all around the perimeters of the frame. In short, it is a feast for the eyes, ears, and, dare I say it, soul of horror fans everywhere.

The plot centers on its titular protagonist (played with skittish energy and aplomb by co-writer, longtime Wright friend, and star-in-the-making Simon Pegg), a semi-slacker in his late 20s whose life consists of muddling through his retail day job, playing video games with his pudgy hedonist pal Ed (Nick Frost) and hanging out at the pub with his increasingly frustrated girlfriend Liz (Kate Ashfield). On the fringe are Liz’s friends Dianne and David (Dylan Moran and The Office’s Lucy Davis), a not-so-happy couple who offer bouncy enthusiasm or withering commentary in equal doses. It’s a great central core of characters, and it is to Pegg and Wright’s credit that each are given their moment (or moments) of heroism, further endearing them to the viewers’ hearts. The supporting cast is no less brilliant, with Penelope Wilton as Shaun’s loopy mum Barbara, Peter Serafinowicz as Shaun’s priggish flatmate, and Bill Nighy in a priceless turn as Phil, the authoritarian stepdad from hell.

One suspects that with this much talent before and behind the camera, this sitcom-ready scenario would be entertaining enough to sustain our attention for the film’s 104 minute running time. But why let twentysomething angst suffice when you can throw staggering hordes of the undead into the mix? (Why, indeed. Who doesn’t think that Must Love Dogs couldn’t have been just that much better with a bit o’ the Bub? Who wouldn’t have welcomed a Savini biker cameo in The Notebook? How can you call a flick She’s All That without having the heroine fend off a trowel-wielding tyke? Ah, but I digress…) When people in the London suburbs start falling over dead and rising up peckish for a wee bit o’ human noshies, the challenges of job security and romantic entanglements must take a back seat to surviving the onslaught...with the stage set for a grande bouffe of daring verbal byplay, physical chicanery, and eye-popping, viscera-spraying zombie mayhem.

When the film hit DVD the following year, I introduced several more folks to the joys of London-accented flesh munching, but had never delved fully into the disc’s special features, so preoccupied was I with getting more and more people aboard the “USS Shaun.” But to commemorate Shaun's 10th anniversary, I decided to break it out for a full tour, and I’m happy to report that as passionate as the film is towards the genre it pays homage to, Universal’s release itself packed just as much loving care into its bells and whistles.

For any aficionados watching the movie (shot in 2.35.1 Anamorphic Widescreen, in homage to John Carpenter), it is immediately obvious that Wright and Pegg – who had previously worked together on their hit BBC series Spaced – are huge fans of horror, with an endless stream of allusions to Romero’s “Dead” pictures alongside nods to genre flicks such as An American Werewolf in London, Army of Darkness, 28 Days Later, and many, many more. Some are overt, such as when Ed shouts “We’re coming to get you, Barbara!” to Shaun’s mum over the phone, or the Dawn of the Dead opening and closing credits music cues; others are more obscure (such as the cough-and-you-miss it reference to crop trials, from Let Sleeping Corpses Lie.) One can watch the film a dozen times and pick up something new on each viewing, and that’s without even going into the homages to non-genre films like Every Which Way But Loose, The Deer Hunter, Sam Peckinpah’s Straw Dogs or Guy Ritchie’s flashy crime thrillers.

However, if you don’t have the fortitude to watch the flick a dozen times (though if you don’t, you need to toughen up), Pegg and Wright point out the majority of these references in their hilariously geeky and enthusiastic commentary track. Any that are not touched upon therein are illuminated in the “Zomb-o-Meter,” a Pop-Up Video-like subtitle function that points out numerous fun and frenzied facts as the film runs. (Who knew that Serafinowicz was the voice of Darth Maul in Star Wars: The Phantom Menace? Not me.) The cast commentary with Pegg, Frost, Ashfield, Davis, and Moran is slightly less enlightening and engaging, although there are a few choice moments such as when the actors trot out their best Bill Nighy impression or reference Spaced.

These latter features are but the tip of the DVD treats smorgasbord that awaits eager fanboys (and fangirls, of course) in the Special Features Menu. We’ve got “Raw Meat,” which trots out Pegg’s video diary, audition tapes, special f/x comparisons, makeup tests, promo featurette, and an extraordinary segment with a pudgier Pegg and Wright showing off their “idea flip chart” for the film in 2001. The “Zombie Gallery” has a solid assortment of photos, poster designs and the Shaun of the Dead 2000 A.D. comic strip, while “Missing Bits” has deleted scenes, extended versions, a hysterically misguided attempt to cut down on profanity by substituting “funk” for the f-word.

The glorious “The Man Who Would Be Shaun” segment has Frost and Pegg playing out a scene in their best Connery/Caine accents and, finally, as much of the info comes to the onscreen characters via the telly, these faux programs are also given their full moment in the spotlight in “TV Bits,” such as the Jerry Springer-like Trisha show and an interview with members of the rock group Coldplay for their upcoming concert, “Zomb-Aid.”

In conclusion, draw a pint, grab a packet of Hog Lumps, and settle in with your friends from the Winchester, where the Queen (on the jukebox) is loud, the records are flying in the backyard, and love and zombies conquer all.

Cheers.

(Portions of this review originally appeared on the Kitley's Krypt website.)

TALES FROM THE CRYPT (1972) / THE VAULT OF HORROR (1973) Blu-ray Review

December 18, 2014, 9:50 am

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The anthology film has been making a comeback over the past few years, with offerings like ABCs of Death, V/H/S and its sequels, The Theatre Bizarre, and the just-announced Tales of Halloween. The short form appears to be back in vogue, which sits just fine with this monster kid; I loved Twilight Zone, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, The Outer Limits, etc. because I enjoy a good set-up-punchline approach to horror. During the late 60s/early 70s, the British film company Amicus cranked out seven of these omnibus efforts, packing each story with massive star power due to the short shooting schedule. In their ongoing re-releases of MGM’s Midnight Movies catalogue, Shout! Factory has now dropped two of the most popular in the series onto shiny new Blu-ray, both based on EC Comics’ classic titles and inspired by stories from the same.

Tales from the Crypt (1972)d. Freddie Francis (UK)

Boasting arguably the most uniformly solid collection of individual tales – as well as one of the crummiest wraparound stories – this Amicus omnibus (the fourth and most financially successful in the series) continues to hold up quite well 40+ years after its release. For reasons they cannot explain, five disparate individuals pull in to visit a museum of sorts, and find themselves face to face with the Crypt Keeper (a somber Ralph Richardson, a far cry from Kevin Yagher’s cackling puppet design from the subsequent HBO series).

Over the next 90 minutes, the hooded one unfolds each visitor’s destiny: Murderess Joan Collins must face a murderous Santa Claus in “All Through the House”; Ian Hendry leaves his wife and family to be with his mistress, only to crack up literally and figuratively in “Reflection of Death”; In “Poetic Justice,” Peter Cushing plays badly abused rubbish collector Arthur Grimsdyke (one of his most gentle and empathetic performances) who gets his heart-ily deserved revenge on antagonist Robin Phillips; “Wish You Were Here” has Richard Greene finding an Oriental statue that grants wishes…and wishes that he hadn’t; and sightless Patrick Magee leads a revolt against heartless taskmaster Nigel Patrick in “Blind Alleys.”

Amicus co-founders Milton Subotsky and Max Rosenberg produced, with Subotsky delivering the script based on stories from EC Comics’ Johnny Craig, Al Feldstein, and Bill Gaines. The film was a smash release for the company, the most popular of Amicus’ anthologies (though not, as reported on the film’s IMDb page, the second-highest grossing film of 1972).

Trivia: Cushing’s tale has a particularly macabre verisimilitude: Grimsdyke is a widower who communicates with his wife through a ouija board; Tales was the first picture Cushing had made following his wife Helen’s death, and it is her photograph to which he speaks in the film.


The Vault of Horror (1973)d. Roy Ward Baker (UK)

Like its more-famous predecessor, this Amicus anthology (the sixth, following 1972’s Asylum, also directed by Baker) provides an impressively solid quintet of entertaining horror yarns – covering elements as diverse as vampirism, voodoo, and (furniture) varnish – bound together by a laughably weak wraparound story. (A building elevator takes five upper class twits to a mysterious marble-floored sitting room, so they decide to sit down and tell each other their dreams?? Puh-lease.)

But the ghoulishly comic tales themselves are loads of fun, whether it’s nefarious Daniel Massey tracking down his on-and-offscreen sister Anna Massey in “A Midnight Mess,” gap-toothed neatnik Terry-Thomas driving new wife Glynis Johns over the brink in the funniest of the bunch, “A Neat Job,” or Curt Jurgens as a immoral magician seeking new illusions in India with equally nasty spouse Dawn Addams in “This Trick’ll Kill You.” (The special effects for this third offering are particularly iffy, especially considering the sleight-of-hand subject matter.)

“Bargain in Death” features Michael Craig as a struggling horror writer who plans to bilk his insurance company by faking his demise, a clever plan complicated by a pair of overachieving medical students in search of a corpse of their own. The showstopper that concludes the proceedings, “Drawn and Quartered,” is also the darkest of the bunch, with Tom Baker (aka every child of the ’70s’ favorite Dr. Who) as a brooding artist out to revenge himself against the critics and art dealers who have done him wrong. (That same year, Baker memorably appeared as the evil wizard Koura in the Ray Harryhausen classic, The Golden Voyage of Sinbad, opposite John Phillip Law and Caroline Munro.)

Subotsky again handles script duties, and Hammer veteran Roy Ward Baker (The Vampire Lovers, Scars of Dracula) does yeoman work shepherding his stars through their paces, nothing flashy but energetically paced and covering the seams in the meager budget as best as possible.

Up to now, Vault has experienced a rather ignoble legacy on home video, both its VHS and DVD bows serving up the clumsily edited U.S. theatrical version, signified most explicitly by the ridiculous freeze-frame conclusion of “Midnight Mess.” However, Shout! Factory has finally offered horror fans the chance to see the whole she-bang, pairing the uncut widescreen version as a double feature with Tales, while also offering the cut theatrical version alongside an uncut 4:3 matted version (decidedly strange, but there it is) on a separate disc. Not much in the way of special features, just theatrical trailers and an alternate opening title sequence for Vault under its "Tales from the Crypt II" moniker, but it’s a pleasure to see these classics finally available in such fine form.


Tales from the Crypt and The Vault of Horror are available now on Blu-ray from Shout! Factory and can be ordered HERE.

https://www.shoutfactory.com/film/film-horror/tales-from-the-crypt-vault-of-horror-double-feature



--Aaron Christensen, HorrorHound Magazine

THE DEVICE (2014) DVD review

December 19, 2014, 6:11 am

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The Device (2014) d. Jeremy Berg (USA)

Movies about extraterrestrial visitors never seem to go out of style, and Seattle-based quadruple threat (writer, producer, director, cinematographer) Berg delivers a pleasantly lo-fi effort that elicits favorable comparisons to The X-Files in terms of claustrophobia, conspiracy, and out-of-the-kit creature effects.

Two estranged sisters visit their parents’ lakeside cabin to scatter the ashes of their recently deceased mother, with the younger, Rebecca (Kate Alden), still potentially suffering effects from being “kidnapped” several years prior. Despite Abby (Angela DiMarco) and her workaholic husband Calvin (David S. Hogan) best efforts to keep an eye on her, Rebecca wanders off one morning and comes across a black spherical object located near the wreckage of some kind of craft.

Seeing the metallic ball as a ticket to untold riches, Calvin pockets it and brings it home against the ladies’ protests; in the days that follow, he will become increasingly obsessed with his newfound treasure while Abby suffers increasingly disturbing visions of a strange humanoid figure lurking in the shadows.

While the script, co-written by Berg and producer John Portanova, occasionally suffers from clumsy exposition and the annoying habit of the characters constantly referring to each other by name (“Look, Abby.” “What is it, Calvin?”), The Device is quite well-shot and professional-looking top to bottom. The three main performances skillfully cover a wide emotional range, and old-school monster kids will appreciate the throwback approach employed in depicting the interstellar menace. Even though there aren’t a lot of genuine scares, fans of alien abduction tales will appreciate the estimable creep factor and fine craftsmanship on display.

The DVD and Blu-ray, now available from RLJ Entertainment, includes three commentary tracks from the filmmakers, actors, and Fire in the Sky screenwriter Tracy Tormé.


--Aaron Christensen, HorrorHound Magazine

Fool's Views (11/1 – 11/30)

December 20, 2014, 11:38 pm

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HOLY CRAP HE'S BACK!!!!!

Howdy folks!

Only watched 20 films during the entire month of November, 11 of which were consumed over the course of two separate days over at Kitley’s Krypt. First, there was the relatively impromptu Pete Walker film festival (due to Jon’s upcoming Evilspeak article), followed a mere six days later by the epic annual gobblerfest known as Turkey Day. Come to think of it, another four of the remaining nine movies were seen in a single day, having taken myself to the multiplex. Of the remaining five, two were classic Spielberg comfort food watched with the femalien and one was Another Robert Redford Movie, leaving only Monkey Shines (reviewed for Shout! Factory) and Now You See Me (watched while killing time during a platelet donation that preceded – and almost pre-empted – the Walker-thon). No, there’s no real method to the madness, but I do leave a pretty solid paper trail.

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

Enjoy!



HORROR:

Horns (2013) d. Aja, Alexandre (USA) (1st viewing)

I’ve not read the Joe Hill novel that this is sourced from, which generated a lotta love in the community, but this film version, while handsomely mounted and performed, feels inert, overlong, and half-baked at the core. Daniel Radcliffe plays a young fella named Ig who has become his small town’s pariah ever since the mysterious murder of his girlfriend. One morning, he wakes up with a pair of curled ram’s horns growing out of his head and everyone he encounters feels inclined to share their deepest, darkest secret feelings (and occasionally acting on them). A dozen wacky episodes and an equal number of flashbacks later, Ig finally tracks down the real murderer...who ends up being exactly who you thought it was all along. Speaking of devilish goings-on, it’s interesting that Aja became a major Hollywood player at the same moment that he became incapable of making an interesting genre flick. Coincidence? At least this one isn’t a remake.

Jaws (1975) d. Spielberg, Steven (USA) (6th viewing)

From harrowing opening sequence to breathtaking climax, Spielberg’s hugely successful masterpiece of suspense scared audiences out of the water and into theaters in record-breaking numbers. The plot itself is simplicity enough: The locals of the northeastern island town of Amity start turning up as fish food when an enormous great white shark materializes, leaving fear and body parts in its wake. Peter Benchley’s adaptation (with Carl Gottlieb) of his own bestseller charts the wise course of creating vivid characters as memorable as the scenes of teeth-chomping terror. Armed with the top-notch trio of Roy Scheider as the local sheriff with a healthy fear of water, Richard Dreyfuss as a feisty oceanic expert, and Robert Shaw brilliant as the gnarled shark hunter Quint, nary an onscreen moment is wasted. Famously plagued with technical problems during production, Spielberg ratchets up the tension time and again, each thrill more nail-biting than the last, ably assisted by John Williams’ Oscar-winning, instantly iconic musical score. By focusing equally between its engaging, likeable human protagonists and the monster’s mayhem, a modern horror classic emerges that still stands as the high-water mark for aquatic terror four decades on.

Monkey Shines (1988) d. Romero, George A. (USA) (3rd viewing)

***CLICK HERE FOR FULL REVIEW***




PETE WALKER FESTIVAL:

Frightmare (1974) d. Walker, Pete (UK) (3rd viewing)

Thanks to a viciously twisted screenplay by frequent collaborator David McGillivray and stellar work from a cast that includes Rupert Davies, Deborah Fairfax, and Kim Butcher, 70s Brit horror icon Walker hits the bullseye with this tale of youth gone wild, dysfunctional families, flawed legal systems, old homicidal habits dying hard, and no good deed going unpunished. Sheila Keith’s unforgettable turn as a deeply disturbed mater takes this one over the top.

House of Mortal Sin (aka The Confessional) (1976) d. Walker, Pete (UK) (2nd viewing)

Having stuck it to the flawed British legal system twice in one year (Frightmare and House of Whipcord), Walker and McGillivray turn their razor gaze on The Catholic Church this time around, with a twisted tale of evil priest Anthony Sharp terrorizing lovely Susan Penhaglion (Patrick, The Land That Time Forgot). Excruciating tension and an array of nasty murders deliver the horror goods, with terrific turns from horror vets Stephanie Beacham (The Nightcomers), Mervyn Johns (Dead of Night), and yet another stellar Sheila Keith performance as Sharp’s housekeeper who matches him perversion for perversion.

Schizo (1976) d. Walker, Pete (UK) (2nd viewing)

Gorgeous ice skating star Lynne Frederick’s well-publicized marriage plans are given a bit of spice when the man she had sent away to prison for murdering her mother decides to pay a visit. In following a giallo-like path, playing up the whodunit element of a recent spate of killings, Walker and McGillivray don’t quite match the dark heart of their previous efforts and the twist ending is fairly easy to figure out, but it’s still a well-produced bit of madness. Plus, Jack Watson, playing our primary suspect, looks distractingly similar to yours truly, right down to the narrow eyes, lined cheeks, and balding, reddish hair. Now I’m just sorry we never got to do that father/son movie we were destined to make.

The Comeback (1978) d. Walker, Pete (UK) (2nd viewing)

Faded pop star Jack Jones plays a faded pop star who heads to England to produce a new album; unfortunately, he quickly finds himself embroiled in the investigation surrounding his ex-wife’s murder (a nasty bit of business that sets a nice bar of nastiness that the rest of film never approaches). Murray Smith handles screenwriting duties this time, which unfortunately involves a lot of bitching about the recording business and Jones’ sloppy romance with Pamela Stephenson. Sheila Keith is back again as the crooner’s caretaker, mostly to serve as a red herring, but we’ll take her any chance we can. Trivia: Jones sang the theme from TV’s The Love Boat. Double Trivia: Stephenson appeared as a cast member of Saturday Night Live during its 1984-85 season. Triple Trivia: That's David Doyle as Jones' cross-dressing manager, who played Bosley on Charlie's Angels.




TURKEY DAY:

The Atomic Submarine (1959) d. Bennett, Spencer Gordon (USA) (1st viewing)

"It's Alive" (1969) d. Buchanan, Larry (USA) (1st viewing)

Amok Train (aka Beyond the Door III) (1989) d. Kwitny, Jeff (Italy/Yugoslavia) (1st viewing)

Bloodstalkers (1978) d. Morgan, Robert W. (USA) (2nd viewing)

Raw Force (1982) d. Murphy, Edward D. (Phillipines/USA) (2nd viewing)

The Brain (1988) d. Hunt, Ed (Canada) (1st viewing)

It Came from Hollywood (1982) d. Leo, Malcolm / Solt, Andrew (USA) (1st viewing)

Celebrated my 10th year of Turkeys with the Kitley’s Krypt Krew. It's been pretty remarkable to watch the day after Thanksgiving evolve from two guys sitting downstairs alone, eating hot dogs and leftovers, into a massive bash that people look forward to all year and sometimes drive hours to attend. Read Jon’s full recap HERE.

http://www.kitleyskrypt.com/turkeyday.htm#2014



CIVILIAN:

All the President's Men (1976) d. Pakula, Alan J. (USA) (3rd viewing)

The Year of Redford continues, and William Goldman’s extraordinary adaptation (of the Bob Woodward/Carl Bernstein book about their investigative Watergate reporting that brought down a president) shows the superstar at the peak of his powers. Produced by WildWood Enterprises (Redford’s production company, who had optioned the book) and billed as a “Robert Redford/Alan J. Pakula Film,” he shared billing with co-star Dustin Hoffman by having his name first on the posters and Hoffman’s first in the film, and the two work together as agreeably onscreen. Jason Robards won his first of two Supporting Actor Oscars in as many years, playing Washington Post editor Ben Bradlee.

Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) (2014) d. Iñárritu, Alejandro González (USA) (1st viewing)

Technically astonishing, with its illusion of no cuts, but this film about a manic bunch of shallow, self-absorbed “creatives” ultimately ends up celebrating its own eccentricities a little too enthusiastically for my tastes, with every actor playing right in their comfort zone. Yes, Michael Keaton is 100% invested and carries the film admirably, but is he really doing anything that we haven’t seen him do before? I don’t know, I guess I get tired of handing out accolades and Oscar nods for comeback roles. Welcome back and all, but now go out and actually impress me, please. This is just Keaton at his Keatonnest, just as Edward Norton is playing a thinly disguised version of himself. Plus I didn’t like anyone, even the ever-likeable Emma Stone. Maybe that was the point? I don’t know. I just know that it left me cold, appreciating without enjoying. Plus, I hate hate hate that “or” outside the titular parenthetical. HATE IT.

Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977) d. Spielberg, Steven (USA) (4th viewing)

Pure sci-fi magic that still holds up today. We miss you, Melinda Dillion – someone give her a job!

Gone Girl (2014) d. Fincher, David (USA) (1st viewing)

Oh, it had me right up until the end. And then it lost me. And all who included this among their October Challenge horror offerings...shame on you. Not. Horror. At all.

Nightcrawler (2014) d. Gilroy, Dan (USA) (1st viewing)

Jake Gyllenhaal is frickin’ dynamite as a sociopathic socially awkward loser who turns out to be a news-footage capturing savant, one not to be underestimated intellectually nor expected to hold to accepted moral standards. It’s a showcase performance that consistently surprises – hell, Gyllenhaal doesn’t even look like himself, a magic trick accomplished by employing a whole new set of actor tools without observable effort. I’m glad that the critics and awards entities seem to have taken notice.

Now You See Me (2013) d. Leterrier, Louis (USA) (1st viewing)

Who would make the best bank robbers in the world? Magicians, according to this fanciful but ludicrous thriller starring Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Mark Ruffalo, Morgan Freeman, Isla Fisher, and Dave Franco. Fun and flashy, but dumb; Dumb, but fun and flashy.


2014 Totals to date: 357 films, 180 1st time views, 232 horror, 47 cinema

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THE DARK HALF (1993) Blu-ray Review

December 22, 2014, 6:53 am

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The Dark Half (1993) d. George A. Romero (USA)

Aspiring writer Thad Beaumont (Timothy Hutton) has reached a certain level of fame and success cranking out hard-nosed genre novels under the pen name of George Stark. But now Beaumont thirsts for “respectability,” something that eludes his popular but critically dismissed alter ego, and believes his latest effort will provide just that. At the same time, an erstwhile fan (Robert Joy) discovers the link between Beaumont and Stark and threatens to expose the secret unless some monetary compensation is forthcoming. With the support of his loving wife (Amy Madigan) and publishers (Rutanya Alda, Tom Mardirosian), Thad decides to publicly put Stark to rest, even staging a fake burial for the papers. However, the decision sparks a series of increasingly violent murders of the author’s intimates and associates, all implicating Thad. The evidence proves particularly damning since the killer claims to be none other than George Stark, who shares an uncanny resemblance – right down to his fingerprints – to you-know-who.

As of this writing, Romero hasn’t made a movie in five years. That’s the same amount of time that passed between 2000’s Bruiser and Land of the Dead in 2005, but his greatest fallow period was just prior to that, following a pair of studio duds released by Orion Pictures. The first, Monkey Shines (1988), wasn’t a true “studio” picture, produced independently and then acquired by Orion. The second, however, an adaptation of Stephen King’s bestselling novel (of course, at that point, anything King wrote was an automatic bestseller), The Dark Half, was born within the system and some – including Romero – might say that it died there as well. From the initial casting to the rushed shooting schedule to the forced reshooting of the climax (as had happened with Monkey Shines), the suits were in Uncle George’s hair day-in-day-out, the interference largely responsible for the film’s ho-hum critical and box office reception.

The plot of both the novel and Romero’s faithful adaptation is clearly inspired by King’s real-life struggles with his own prolific nature, fame, and pigeonholing as a “horror author.” (In 1985, it was revealed that the author had published five novels under the pseudonym “Richard Bachman,” and it was to this alter ego that he dedicated The Dark Half.) However, it quickly becomes clear that this is no mere Jekyll/Hyde retread; Stark is a real corporeal threat, Thad’s dark side made flesh, and none too pleased with being prematurely laid to rest. Hacking and slashing his way toward his creator/doppelganger, this “high-toned sonofabitch” intends to keep his name on the byline.

On the commentary track for Shout! Factory’s recent Blu-ray release, shared with the affably knowledgeable Stuart Feedback Andrews, Romero cites his litany of disappointments and frustrations of the project, beginning with returning to “the devil you know,” i.e. Orion Pictures, who had already been authors to numerous headaches for the writer/director five years prior. The studio nixed several of Romero’s casting choices for the challenging dual role of Thad/Stark, including Gary Oldman, Willem Dafoe, and Michael Rooker (who eventually assumed the role of sympathetic but tenacious lawman Alan Pangborn, assigned to the case), with Hutton finally accepting the part. However, the Oscar-winner (for 1980’s Ordinary People) proved more than a handful, demanding separate trailers for his two characters and requiring cast and crew members to refer to him as “Thad” or “George” depending on the day. Over two decades on, you can still hear Romero’s annoyance dealing with his “method actor.”

Further complicating matters was the tension between Rooker and co-stars Hutton and Madigan, born of an inability to remember lines (the actor was doing a play in New York and traveling back and forth to the Pittsburgh locations). But Romero’s biggest disappointment in the final product lies with the extensive special-effects shots involving thousands of sparrows (signifying the collision course of Thad’s two halves), and that’s without factoring in the last-minute test-screening-prompted reshoots. The director isn’t shy expressing his disdain for the lackluster and overreaching digital effects or the fact that Christopher Young’s musical score for the climax had to be cobbled together from previous cues! (Orion was already entering bankruptcy proceedings and plugs were being pulled right and left.)

However, for this reviewer, the primary reason The Dark Half didn’t and still doesn’t work is Hutton. Despite the best efforts of makeup men John Vulich and Everett Burrell, Hutton’s Stark is a caricature of evil, mannered without menacing, a tired collection of sneers and snarls and fake foreheads and eyebrows. The actor does fine in his milquetoast wheelhouse, but – as Andrews points out several times on the commentary track – it’s impossible not to wonder the difference a superior villain played by Oldman, Dafoe, or Rooker would have made. (The studio’s concern that Rooker wouldn’t have been convincing as the kinder, gentler Thad is thoroughly dispelled by his turn as Pangborn, a man with both spine and heart.)

As with their release of Monkey Shines, the biggest attraction of Shout! Factory’s BR is the opportunity to hear the creative team discuss theories on why the film failed to take wing. With his 35-minute documentary “The Sparrows are Flying Again: The Making of The Dark Half,” Red Shirt Pictures honcho Michael Felsher assembles an enormous roster of talent which includes Romero, Rooker, Joy, Alda, Vulich, Burrell, Young, VFX supervisor Kevin Kutchaver, second unit director Tom Dubensky, and editor Pasquale Buba. The discussion is lively and enlightening, with our estimation growing for the effects artists and their creative solutions – the “sparrow head” hammers smashing through walls a particularly noteworthy touch – while also realizing that maybe a maverick like Romero could never have been at home working within the Hollywood machine. (This was the final film shot in his beloved Pittsburgh; he headed north to Toronto for Bruiser and never returned.)

There are also a number of deleted scenes, an animated storyboard sequence for the original ending, and additional vintage behind-the-scenes clips showing the monumental task that a decade later would have been rendered seamless with a few more computer keystrokes. Theatrical trailers, TV spots, and a still gallery round out the generous supplements.

The Dark Half is available now from Shout! Factory and can be ordered HERE.

https://www.shoutfactory.com/film/film-horror/the-dark-half


--Aaron Christensen, HorrorHound Magazine

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Fool's Views (12/1 – 12/14)

December 30, 2014, 12:32 pm

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'Tis the season, suckers....

Hello, my friends!

The first two weeks of the last month of the year were bountiful, with Blu-ray screeners, holiday favorites, a healthy assist from the Chicago Public Library in the civilian department, and another Round of Redford. There were a few clunkers in the mix, but overall I’d say it was an enjoyable spread.

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

Enjoy!


HORROR:

The Dark Half (1993) d. Romero, George A. (USA) (2nd viewing)

***CLICK HERE FOR FULL REVIEW***

The Device (2014) d. Berg, Jeremy (USA) (1st viewing)

***CLICK HERE FOR FULL REVIEW***

Phobia (2013) d. Abel, Rory Douglas (USA) (1st viewing)

A case study of mundane microbudget horror, with an intriguing premise (following the car accident that kills his wife, an agoraphobic man begins seeing troubling visions) flattened out by amateur if enthusiastic performances, not-so-special effects, predictable plot twists, and ho-hum cinematography, capped by loopy DVD art that has nothing to do with the film. I give them credit for making an honest-to-Godzilla competent movie, but it’s the kind of training-ground effort that doesn’t deserve distribution in an already crowded marketplace. That said, I look forward to seeing what Abel and his cohorts come up with next, since they obviously have skills – a dose of narrative risk and genuine inspiration might yield something of note.

Shaun of the Dead (2004) d. Wright, Edgar (UK) (6th viewing)

***CLICK HERE FOR FULL REVIEW***

Tales from the Crypt (1972) d. Francis, Freddie (UK) (6th viewing)
The Vault of Horror (1973) d. Baker, Roy Ward (UK) (2nd viewing)

***CLICK HERE FOR FULL REVIEW***



CIVILIAN:

A Christmas Story (1983) d. Clark, Bob (USA) (4th viewing)

I came to this flick later in life, but it’s a slice of holiday magic that gets better with every viewing. Flawless performances all around, with Jean Shepherd’s narration of his original story the glue that holds it all together. Endlessly quotable and effortlessly performed with warmth and heart.

Jobs (2013) d. Stern, Joshua (USA) (1st viewing)

I’ll be honest, I don’t know much about Steve Jobs, but through no fault of Ashton Kutcher (who’s quite serviceable), the script portrays him as a complete nutcase whose only inherent gifts are the ability to say “Do it better” and flim-flam and/or alienate everyone in his immediate circle. I kept waiting to learn what made the man special or how/why he became one of the most powerful entities in the tech industry, but despite decent performances from the large ensemble, it’s just a parade of sociopathic behavior from start to finish.

Ms. .45 (1981) d. Ferrara, Abel (USA) (2nd viewing)

A superb blend of exploitation and art-house, anchored by Zoe Tamerlis’ instantly iconic central performance as a mute seamstress-turned-vigilante waging war on the misogynistic world surrounding her. Ferrara’s follow-up to The Driller Killer is satisfyingly entertaining on its sleazy revenge-thriller premise alone, while inspiring deeper thought and commentary for those inclined to do so.

Mud (2012) d. Nichols, Jeff (USA) (1st viewing)

Having caught people’s attention with his terrific apocalyptic thriller Take Shelter, writer/director Nichols secures a top-notch cast that includes Hollywood heavyweights (Matthew McConaughy, Reese Witherspoon), veteran character actors (Joe Don Baker, Sam Shepard), and fresh young talent (Tye Sheridan, Jacob Lofland) to weave a marvelously immersive tale of adolescence and friendship. Suspenseful, charming, mysterious, and thrilling.

Nymphomaniac, Vol. 1 (2013) d. von Trier, Lars (Denmark) (1st viewing)
Nymphomaniac, Vol. 2 (2013) d. von Trier, Lars (Denmark) (1st viewing)

In the telling of one woman’s story of sexual awakening (and sleeping), everyone’s favorite cinematic enfant terribles embraces CG technology to superimpose the heads of recognizable actors (Charlotte Gainsbourg, Stacy Martin as her younger iteration, and Shia Labeouf) onto the bodies of professional porn actors in order to present the illusion of the characters having intercourse without trick angles. The problem is that as the viewer, we still know that it’s all trickery, and the “how’d they do that” factor pulls us out of the story more so than if he’d just used hardcore inserts (as he did with AntiChrist). That said, the narrative odyssey is a compelling one, and while some might question the need for such an epic telling (we watched the seven-hour director’s cut), it was never boring nor did it feel exploitative. The ending is such a colossal misstep that it’s tempting to believe von Trier included it just to have the final “fuck you.”

Pitch Perfect (2012) d. Moore, Jason (USA) (1st viewing)

I don’t understand the appeal of Anna Kendrick, but as she keeps landing leading roles and becoming a larger star in the Hollywood firmament, I figured I’d check out this surprise hit as further research. Arrrrrrrrrgh. Hey, I like musicals, but the performance sequences are the only worthwhile element in this uber-thin “comedy” about collegiate a cappella groups competing for a national title. Kendrick runs the narrow emotional gamut between her usual sunny grin and sunnier snark, while her cartoon character co-stars warble hither and yon. Thank you, next.



REDFORD FEST 2014 CONTINUES:

The Natural (1984) d. Levinson, Barry (USA) (2nd viewing)

I didn’t realize that they’d changed the ending of Bernard Malamud’s book when I saw this in theaters 30 years ago. I just knew that it was a perfect Hollywood fantasy. Revisiting it, there’s no way they could have denied Roy Hobbs or his fans the WonderBoy ending we deserved. It may not be realistic, but it’s right. And wow, what a cast. Robert Duvall, Wilford Brimley, Robert Prosky, Glenn Close, Barbara Hershey, Kim Basinger, Richard Farnsworth, Michael Madsen, Joe Don Baker, and an unbilled Darren McGavin supporting Redford in a role that both acknowledged his age (48) and celebrated his undeniable presence.

Out of Africa (1985) d. Pollack, Sydney (USA) (2nd viewing)

Another one I hadn’t seen since it was originally released, but I can understand why it didn’t make as big an impression on me back then. There is so much subtlety in the relationships between Meryl Streep’s Karen Blixen (aka Isak Dinesen) and the men in her life that the teenager that I was could never have picked up on. Whether it deserves all its Oscar gold may be open to debate, but it’s a compelling and complex story of a time and a place far removed from our millennial lives, which makes it a pleasure to experience through Pollack’s expert lens. Redford is absolutely perfect as the idealist hunter who loves the unspoiled land and its people, but can’t bring himself to “belong” to anyone or anything.

Up Close and Personal (1996) d. Avnet, Jon (USA) (1st viewing)

This was one that I had passed up because the trailers looked horrible. I was right to have done so, because it’s as silly an expose of the media business as can be imagined, with a romantic comedy shoehorned in for good measure. However, what was genuinely stunning was learning that most of the critics of the day gave it a passing grade, calling it ridiculous and fanciful, but that Redford and Michelle Pfeiffer provided enough classic Hollywood star power to make it worthwhile. I’m sorry, but no no No No NO NO NO. The comedy sucked, the plot sucked, the fact that the gritty real story (of Jessica Savitch) was completely Tinseltowned sucked, with Pfeiffer coming off as a complete dingbat that no one would allow on camera, least of all Mr. “News is Sacred” Redford, even if he did want to get in her pants (although based on the non-chemistry between the two, that’s a stretch as well). Three stars, Roger Ebert? COME ON.


2014 Totals to date: 373 films, 189 1st time views, 238 horror, 47 cinema

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DOLLS (1987) Blu-ray Review

December 31, 2014, 9:56 am

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Dolls (1987) d. Stuart Gordon (USA)

“They Walk. They Talk. They Kill.” Following the success of Re-Animator, Gordon’s second directorial feature shot for Full Moon (though released a year after From Beyond due to the extensive post-production special effects work) was this dark fairy tale of murderous children’s playthings combined with the “motley crew of rain-drenched travelers taking refuge in old dark house” horror staple. While her parents (Carolyn Purdy-Jones, Ian Patrick Williams) are portrayed as over-the-top unfeeling monsters, little Judy (Carrie Lorraine) provides one of the few sympathetic turns as the plucky youngster who appeals to the kindly, mysterious dollmakers (Guy Rolfe and Hillary Mason) who reside therein.

Judy attempts to warn the grown-ups about the dolls’ graphically depicted homicidal tendencies towards the other guests, which include two rebellious Brit hitchhikers, played by Cassie Stuart and Bunty Bailey (of a-ha's “Take on Me” music video fame), but of course, being a youngster, no one will believe her. Except perhaps portly Ralph (Stephen Lee), whose child-at-heart tendencies may be the only thing that keeps him from being put through the miniature meat grinders.

The robust performances suit screenwriter Ed Naha’s storybook narrative, although Lee does occasionally teeter over the edge into melodrama. The admirable doll effects, brought to life via a mixture of puppetry and Dave Allen’s stop-motion animation, yield some excellent scenes of suspense and mayhem, and the broad ensemble performances balance the comedy/horror scales out nicely.

Not a huge financial success, but uber-producer Charles Band would revisit the theme time and again via Puppet Master, Demonic Toys, Dollman and their prolific sequels and team-ups.

Shout! Factory’s new Blu-ray looks fantastic, and the extras – most ported over from the 2005 MGM release – round out the package nicely. The first audio commentary, featuring Gordon and Naha, ought to be taught in “supplementals” class for home video, full of anecdotes and fond remembrances, with gentle humor and all references immediately clarified for those not in the know. They are especially generous in celebrating Rolfe and Mason, citing the former's Mr. Sardonicus and Mason's memorable turn as the blind seer in Don't Look Now.

It’s such a top-notch job that it unfortunately makes the dull, lifeless second track (with actors Lee, Purdy-Gordon, Williams, and Lorraine) pale by comparison. Lee seems especially lost, misremembering details and just generally sounding like someone’s grandpa who’s late for naptime.

New to this release is the 40-minute retrospective “Toys of Terror: The Making of Dolls,” with Gordon, Purdy-Gordon, Williams, Band, and special make-up effect artists Gabe Bartalos and John Vulich extolling the charm and craftsmanship that has made the film an enduring cult favorite. (Lee unfortunately passed away of a heart attack in August this year.) There are also theatrical trailers, a photo gallery, and a storyboard-to-film comparison.

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

https://www.shoutfactory.com/film/fantasy/dolls-collector-s-edition


--Aaron Christensen, HorrorHound Magazine


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Fool's Views (12/16 – 12/21)

December 31, 2014, 12:49 pm

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AC after nine Hellraiser movies....

Back again!

This week was relatively quiet, right up until I headed up to Oshkosh to hang out with the gang and bear witness to my first “Franchise Marathon,” a long-standing tradition of amigos John Pata, Eric Egan, and Ashley MerCleod who have endured such epic series as The Amityville Horror, The Howling, Leprechaun, Children of the Corn, Saw, Final Destination, and so on, all in one sitting. This time around, well, let’s just say it involved a certain puzzle box…

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

Enjoy!



HORROR:

Dolls (1987) d. Gordon, Stuart (USA) (3rd and 4th viewings)

***CLICK HERE FOR FULL REVIEW***

Se7en (1995) d. Fincher, David (USA) (4th viewing)

While it still packs a punch, I must admit that Fincher’s rebound from the debacle of Alien3 loses a bit of its power on subsequent viewings. Morgan Freeman enters his “sage elder” stage as Detective Somerset, dancing intellectual (and acting) circles around Brad Pitt’s mannered hothead Mills, while Kevin Spacey’s John Doe sets the stage for the kind of laconic-with-power performances that would come to characterize his later career. The real star is Arthur Max’s highly detailed production design, meticulously moving us and our heroes deeper into Doe’s metaphorical Hell. Still worth seeing, but perhaps not the classic I once felt it to be.




THEY WILL SERIOUSLY, HONESTLY, NO-KIDDING-AROUND TEAR YOUR SOUL APART: OSHKOSH HELLRAISER MARATHON

Watched all nine of the Hellraiser movies in one afternoon, in the company of friends John, Egan, Ashley, Sam, Mary, and Kyle. Outside of an organized theatrical event like the Music Box of Horrors or The Sci-Fi Spectacular, I don’t know that I’ve ever seen nine consecutive films in one sitting (although we did do all eight of the non-Rob Zombie Halloweens a few years back). The unfortunate detail is that, like that ill-fated Michael Myers-athon, they were THESE particular nine movies, only one of which could be called particularly good and several of which that fall into the “categorically bad” dump bin. Oh, and Dimension? My three-year-old niece shows more imagination in one afternoon of preschool than your entire marketing team has shown in nearly two decades.

I’m sure there are websites out there dedicated to Pinhead and his pals, so I’m not going to bother with any kind of comprehensive recap. Just a few quick thoughts:

Hellraiser (1987) d. Barker, Clive (UK) (5th viewing)

At a time when masked killers with sharp implements were all the genre had to offer, writer Barker made his feature debut with this awesomely gory tale of a mystical puzzle box that functions as the key between Hell and Earth. While he definitely has some interesting philosophical ideas underlying his directorial debut, Barker establishes his gruesome tone within the first five minutes, as a man is graphically torn to pieces courtesy of some very nasty hooks on chains. The film then introduces the unfortunate man’s brother and his family and we quickly find that in this world, the dead don’t like to stay dead. Makeup master Bob Keen provides a gross-out moveable feast with such delicacies as a corpse regaining its corporeal form layer by gooey layer, several juicy hammer-to-skull moments, and more of those nasty hooks. But the main attraction is the startlingly original Cenobites, grotesque demon creations who come calling whenever someone solves the puzzle box to “tear your soul apart.” (Their ominous leader, played with gusto by Doug Bradley and later dubbed “Pinhead,” would soon become as iconic in the horror realm as Michael, Freddy, or Jason.) Most of the human performers acquit themselves nicely amidst the viscera, particularly Clare Higgins’ conflicted wife-turned-murderess. Only Andrew Robinson, as her husband, is unconvincing – too sleazy to be nice, too wimpy to be threatening. In the end, though, it’s Barker and his striking visuals that are the real stars of the show.

Hellbound: Hellraiser II (1990) d. Randel, Tony (UK) (2nd viewing)

Lesson one when dealing with nightmare logic: Don’t try to explain it. Some amazing visuals and a lively performance by Kenneth Cranham as Dr. Channard don’t quite even the scales between the dopey storyline and substandard acting. But hey, there’s William Hope, aka Gorman from Aliens, and Ashley Laurence is back as feisty young heroine Kirsty Cotton.

Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth (1992) d. Hickox, Anthony (USA) (2nd viewing)

Dropping the serious tone from the first two films, the director of Waxwork (and Waxwork II) was handed the reins and well, things just got silly. As would become the defining trait of most of the subsequent sequels, had it not been a Hellraiser movie, it probably would have been a lot more palatable. However, for you Doug Bradley fans out there, the actor is afforded abundant screen time both in and out of makeup as Pinhead and his human alter ego Capt. Elliot Spencer. Not great, but fun if you’re in the mood for cheese.

Hellraiser: Bloodline (1996) d. Yagher, Kevin (as Alan Smithee) (USA) (2nd viewing)

As evidenced by the infamous directing pseudonym, Yagher was quite unhappy with the final product, hampered by studio interference and another director replacing him after he left the project. That said, there are a lot of positive elements, particularly the first 2/3 of the narrative which detail the origins of the mysterious puzzle box, called The Lament Configuration for the first – and only – time in the series. It’s only when we head off to outer space (this happened a lot in the late 90s) that things fall apart, with Bradley given oodles of nonsensical monologues to utter in his sonorous manner.

Hellraiser: Inferno (2000) d. Derrickson, Scott (USA) (1st viewing)

Oof. The first of several sequels that started out as other scripts only to be transmogrophied into a Hellraiser flick for purposes of name recognition, and it’s one of the worst. Craig Sheffer’s narration is so gruff that subtitles are required, and even then, none of us had any idea what was going on. Something to do with a dirty cop and a serial killer and child abuse...maybe? Derrickson overcame this embarrassing debut and went on to deliver worthier efforts like The Exorcism of Emily Rose and Sinister.

Hellraiser: Hellseeker (2002) d. Bota, Rick (USA) (1st viewing)

A better storyline this time, with a man finding the world around him crumbling after his wife (played by, wait for it, Ashley Laurence, back for her fourth Hellraiser movie) dies in a car crash. More mystery/thriller than horror, and Pinhead feels particularly out of place. I guess it says something that I can’t really remember much more than it was a hell of a lot better than Inferno, but I do remember remarking I’d be willing to watch it again.

Hellraiser: Deader (2005) d. Bota, Rick (USA) (1st viewing)

A strange cult called (really?) "Deaders" has the power to revive the recently deceased and intrepid reporter Kari Wuhrer attempts to infiltrate them to find out how it’s all done...but I don’t think we ever got a satisfactory answer. Something about their leader belonging to the bloodline of the French toymaker who created the box, which made them want to challenge the Cenobites for dominion over Hell...maybe? Not bad, but muddy.

Hellraiser: Hellworld (2005) d. Bota, Rick (USA) (1st viewing)

This was actually more fun than the previous installments, since it basically turns Pinhead into a slasher who utilizes Saw-like traps and sharp implements to bump up the body count. I’m sure fans were bummed since it basically follows the Friday the 13th : A New Beginning gambit that Pinhead isn’t really Pinhead, but hey, you’ve got Lance Henriksen, Doug Bradley, and Superman-in-waiting Henry Cavill, and a fun meta look at the Hellraiser universe. Dumb but entertaining.

Hellraiser: Revelations (2011) d. Garcia, Victor (USA) (1st viewing)

This one got a lot of hate due to it being the first Hellraiser film not to use Bradley as Pinhead (which painted a virtual target on the back of replacement Stephan Smith Collins, subjecting the actor to a wealth of undeserved abuse). The fact that it’s a lot sleazier and low budget than the rest – looking like it was shot on a DSLR – probably didn’t help either. Barker announcing online that he disassociated himself from the project was a further nail in the coffin. The other Cenobites look like they bought their masks down at the corner drugstore. Finally, it was common knowledge that Dimension Films needed to crank out another one in order to retain the rights to the title, so this was commercialism at its most blatant. That said, there’s plenty of blood and guts and sex and boobs and at 75 minutes, it’s the shortest one in the bunch, which worked for me since I can’t say I’m really a fan of the series overall, or of Pinhead as a horror icon. He’s got a good look, but unless he’s slinging the hook ‘n’ chains, you’re more in danger of him talking you to death.




CIVILIAN:

A Midwinter's Tale (1995) d. Branagh, Kenneth (UK) (3rd viewing)

Based on his superb grasp of timing and lovably eccentrics on display here, it’s a shame that writer/director Branagh didn’t turn his hand more to comedy. (Yes, he did do adaptations of Much Ado About Nothing, Love’s Labour’s Lost, and As You Like It, but they’re not particularly, well, funny, so maybe not.) Even so, fans of Waiting for Guffman should get a kick out of this literate love letter to amateur theatricals, as a neurotically insecure egomaniac (Michael Maloney) assembles a company to perform Hamlet...in an old deserted church...in the boonies...at Christmas. Endlessly quotable and full of charm and heart.


2014 Totals to date: 386 films, 194 1st time views, 250 horror, 47 cinema

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Fool's Views (12/22 – 12/31)

January 7, 2015, 12:44 pm

≫ Next: Dr. AC's 2014 Horror Wrap-up Extravaganza!

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And ... that’s it, folks!

We’ll be coming at you with the “Best of 2014” wrap-up soon, but it was a jam-packed 10-day finish with more hits than misses. Special thanks to the SAG nominations, the Chicago Public Library, the holiday season, and my pal Tery’s cinematic pirating finesse.

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

Enjoy!



HORROR:

The Kindred (1987) d. Carpenter, Stephen / Obrow, Jeffrey (USA) (1st viewing)

I must have passed this one on the VHS shelves of yore a hundred times, but since no one had ever recommended it nor had I ever read anything of note about it, I never bothered to make much effort to track it down. Now I’m wondering why the hell it doesn’t get more love? I mean, you’ve got Oscar winners Rod Steiger and Kim Hunter classing up the joint, some kickass makeup f/x and creatures from Michael J. McCracken (who lent his goo-flinging skills to the equally underrated Ticks), attractive babes like Amanda Pays (Leviathan) and Talia Balsam (Crawlspace), a fun science-gone-awry plotline, and great poster art to top it all off. Not great, and the science is waaaaaaay dodgy, but pretty darn fun.




CIVILIAN:

Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) (2014) d. Iñárritu, Alejandro González (USA) (2nd viewing)

I’ll admit that the overall technical achievement was even more impressive the second time around, realizing that these actors had to pull off full takes in addition to all the other rigamarole, and the ambiguous commentary on personal relevance in an ever self-absorbed world resonated stronger, but the fact remains that I still don’t like and/or care about any of these characters. Everyone does a fine job, but it all feels like much ado about nothing, which admittedly may or may not have been the point.

Black or White (2014) d. Binder, Mike (USA) (1st viewing)

The complex issue of race in modern times is addressed handily through a deeply complex scenario involving the child of a mixed race union, with everyone genuinely concerned with the individual’s best interests while also realizing the symbolism of her ultimate fate in the increasingly tangled custody proceedings. As the child's grandfather, Kevin Costner (who also produced) anchors a strong ensemble of players, including Octavia Spencer, Anthony Mackie, Andre Holland, and an eye-catching turn from Paula Newsome as the no-nonsense judge.

Chef (2013) d. Favreau, Jon (USA) (1st viewing)

Likeable but lightweight story of a high-end culinary wizard’s “struggles” with integrity, family, and technology. Breezy food porn segments break up the barely dramatic mini-arcs (seriously, nothing bad ever happens to anyone, with insta-happy resolutions every 10 minutes), and the characters are about as deep as a crepe pan, particularly Sophia Vergara as Favreau’s perpetually sunny, smiling, supportive ex-wife.

Coherence (2013) d. Byrkit, James Ward (USA) (1st viewing)

A group of friends meet up for dinner and drinks the night a mysterious comet passes overhead. And. Crazy. Shit. Goes. Down. Smart but accessible no-budget “alternate reality” sci-fi/fantasy in the vein of Timecrimes and Primer that challenges and engages without breaking its internal logic. Here’s hoping this one builds a cult following, because it's one of my faves of the year.

Edge of Tomorrow (2014) d. Liman, Doug (USA) (1st viewing)

Fun high-concept time-travel piece that failed to find its summer audience despite the presence of A-list stars (Tom Cruise, Emily Blunt, Bill Paxton) and Liman in his whiz-bang wheelhouse. Some blamed the title, which was subsequently replaced by its “Live. Die. Repeat.” tagline for home video, but I fear that Cruise’s box office appeal outside of the Mission: Impossible franchise may be fading, despite doing consistently better work than the previous decade. He’s great here, showing off considerable comic timing and vulnerability by playing against his natural supercool, and Blunt matches him step for step. Worth your time.

Flash Gordon (1980) d. Hodges, Mike (USA) (4th viewing)

“Flash!! Ahhhhhh-aaahhhhh!! He’ll save every one of us!” Mike Hodges helms this over-the-top rendering of the comic strip and 30s movie serial hero, with the game cast of Sam J. Jones, Melody Anderson, Max Von Sydow, Timothy Dalton, and yummy Ornella Muti giving it their all and Queen’s joyously bombastic musical score carrying the day. It ain’t great art (though it does boast great art direction), but it’s a heck of a good time.

Infernal Affairs (2002) d. Lau, Wai-Keung / Mak, Alan (Hong Kong) (1st viewing)

Also known in Hollywood circles as “the movie that Martin Scorsese and screenwriter William Monahan somehow managed to bloat into a 150-minute Oscar-winning Hollywood prestige pic called The Departed,” the original high-concept HK thriller of two moles – one in the criminal underworld, the other in the police force – and the ongoing attempts to flush out their counterpart is terrific popcorn entertainment that never pretends to be anything else.

The Theory of Everything (2014) d. Marsh, James (UK) (1st viewing) Fine biopic of Stephen Hawking, with Eddie Redmayne and Felicity Jones well-paired as the famed scientist and his supportive bride wrestling with the forces of the universe, including love, companionship, and neuromuscular complications.




HOLLY JOLLY HOLIDAY FARE:

The Ref (1994) d. Demme, Ted (USA) (3rd viewing)

While it occasionally succumbs to cheap sitcom gags, there’s a lot to like about Denis Leary’s breakout role as a beleaguered thief who kidnaps bickering couple Judy Davis and Kevin Spacey on Christmas Eve. Snark and snarls prove the perfect counterprogramming to saccharine schmaltz.

Scrooge (1970) d. Neame, Ronald (UK) (3rd viewing)

My personal favorite film iteration of “A Christmas Carol,” with a super game Albert Finney mugging up the joint in the title role, droll Alec Guinness as Jacob Marley, and some mighty catchy musical numbers (“Father Christmas,” “Thank You Very Much”). Side note: I stitched 300 cotton balls together for this year’s Christmas photo while watching.

HOW RED WAS MY REDFORD:

Brubaker (1980) d. Rosenberg, Stuart (USA) (1st viewing)

The Clearing (2004) d. Brugge, Pieter Jan (USA) (1st viewing)

















Wrapped up this year’s review of the steely star’s output (16 in all) with a double feature 24 years in the making, both with Bob in flinty, flawed, idealist hero mode. The first is a dramatization of the real-life story of warden Thomas O. Murton, who sought to reform the notorious Arkansas Tucker & Cummins prison farms, butting heads with the prison board, politicians, guards, trustees, prisoners, and pretty much everyone else. Sturdy but uneven (and ultimately unsatisfying) yarn elevated by a terrific ensemble (Jane Alexander, Murray Hamilton, Yaphet Kotto, David Keith, Joe Spinell, Matt Clark, and an early film appearance by Morgan Freeman). The later effort casts Redford as a self-made millionaire taken hostage by white collar failure Willem Dafoe, while loyal wife Helen Mirren waits at home with CIA agent Matt Craven for ransom demands. Doesn’t really add up to a satisfying whole, asking more questions than it answers, but there are a number of intriguing sequences en route, with solid performances all around.


2014 Totals: 399 films, 203 1st time views, 251 horror, 47 cinema

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Dr. AC's 2014 Horror Wrap-up Extravaganza!

January 8, 2015, 5:41 am

≫ Next: Civilian 2014 Wrap-Up and Year-End Stats!

≪ Previous: Fool's Views (12/22 – 12/31)

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Friends and fiends, it’s that time of year again!

First off, I’m going to come right out and say it: 2014 was not my favorite year for horror. Not only do I feel that the quality of the films themselves was lacking, but my enthusiasm for them was the lowest it’s been in recent memory. Whether the former had anything to do with the latter remains open to debate, but I felt like I spent a lot of time writing about movies that didn’t rock my world, with the majority of them being “assignments” as opposed to efforts I was genuinely passionate about. The bright lights occasionally shone through, but I found myself returning to known quantities (i.e. my personal video library) to restore my mood as the thrill of the hunt for new frights often left me cold.

"What do you mean we have to watch the special features for Return to Nuke 'em High now?"

Case in point: I could only find seven films that qualified for a “best of” list, and two of those were technically released pre-2014. Sure, there were a few major releases that slipped by (Dracula Untold, Wolf Creek 2, Annabelle), but I couldn’t work up the enthusiasm to actually track them down. And of these top seven films, there’s not one that became an instant all-time favorite, the closest being Housebound and Jug Face. (I don’t care how many big-time critics are going bananas, The Babadook wasn’t all that, folks.)

Now, looking at many of my comrades' year-end wrap-ups, I realize that more and more smaller independents are going the VOD route, which could account for my missing them. (I have yet to pay for a streaming movie and I'm not all that enthused to start now, but the times, they are a-changing.)

Another source of frustration this year was the "love it/hate it" mentality, with no room for moderation. I couldn’t believe how many people were blowing their collective loads over films that had enormous gaping holes in logic and narrative, with The Sacrament, Godzilla, Contracted, and Proxy immediately coming to mind. Even more confounding, when these shortcomings were pointed out in conversation, their champions simply replied that they didn’t care if the story didn’t make sense or if the characters were unrealistic or if there was no cohesive tone. I don’t even know how to have a discussion with someone giving a rave to a film that they openly admit has problems. In my world, if it has problems, it doesn’t get a rave. End of story.

"He's right, you know..."

With that wet blanketing out of the way, here’s my rundown on The Year That Was. Each of the films listed below was encountered by your humble narrator for the first time over the past 12 months. To acknowledge as many as possible, I've broken them down into various categories in alphabetical order, with my top pick denoted with an asterisk. (*)

OH MY GOD WILL HE NEVER STOP TALKING??? GET ON WITH THE LIST!!!!

If you are curious about or want to celebrate/debate why a certain title landed in a certain category, please leave a comment and we’ll go at it. Also, if you’re interested in reading the original review – and really, who wouldn’t be? – just click on that film’s title to be taken to the corresponding blog entry. Above all, have fun!




TOP HORROR RELEASES OF 2014

The Babadook
*Housebound
Jug Face(limited release in 2013)
Oculus  
Under the Skin 
*Video Nasties: The Definitive Guide (2010 UK release)
Witching and Bitching











MICROBUDGET DIVISION

7th Day
Almost Human
Babysitter Massacre
Beyond the Grave
Bled White
Chrysalis
Demon Resurrection
Godzilla: Battle Royale
*Pieces of Talent
Restoration
WNUF Halloween Special









HONORABLE MENTIONS

Asmodexia
Lucky Bastard
Dead Shadows
Exists
A Field in England
In Fear
Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones
The Purge: Anarchy
The Strange Colour of Your Body’s Tears
Willow Creek









WE’VE GOT (BIG) ISSUES

Compliance 
Dead Snow: Red vs. Dead
Godzilla
Proxy




















INOFFENSIVE TIME WASTERS

Chastity Bites
The Device
Horns
The House in the Alley
Phobia
Return to Nuke ‘em High
Time Lapse















NOTABLY INFURIATING/INSULTING/INEPT

Contracted
The Dead 2: India
Mr. Jones
Patrick (2013)
The Sacrament
The Squad
Wax
















FAVORITE HORROR DISCOVERIES OF 2014

Bad Moon (1996)
Bait (2012)
*End of the Line (2007)
Kuroneko (1968)
Mother Joan of the Angels (1961)
The Night Digger (1971)

















CHEESE, PLEASE

The Atomic Submarine (1959)
*The Brain (1988)
The Capture of Bigfoot (1979)
Cellar Dweller (1988)
Dungeonmaster (aka Ragewar) (1984)
Forest of Fear (aka Toxic Zombies) (1980)
Gamera vs. Jiger (1970)
Grim Prairie Tales (1990)
The Kindred (1987)
Mardi Gras Massacre (1978)
Puppetmaster III: Toulon’s Revenge (1991)
The Wasp Woman (1995)









WHAT THE $%^@^(*%%$*) DID I JUST WATCH? (IN THE BEST POSSIBLE WAY)

*Amok Train (1989)
The Beast in Heat (1977)
Death Spa (1989)
Frozen Scream (1975)
Gestapo’s Last Orgy (1977)
“It’s Alive” (1969)
Urotsukidoji: Legend of the Overfiend (1989)













“WILL THIS NEVER END?” ENDURANCE TESTS

Final Exam (1981)
Hellraiser: Inferno (2000)
Human Experiments (1979)
Love Camp 7 (1969)
The Navy vs. the Night Monsters (1966)
Queen Kong (1976)
The Possession of Virginia (1972)













WORST HORROR VIEW OF 2014

Happy Camp (2014)




















AC’s FAVORITE BR/DVD REVIEWS OF 2014

Forgive the self-horn-tooting, but in a year where inspiration was sometimes hard to come by, the following releases had me going above and beyond the call, dusting off reference books or surfing the web for additional trivia and information (or digging out the thesaurus to refine a particularly stinging criticism). In a perfect world, all Dr. AC reviews would come up to the standard presented below, so feel free to sample (or nominate one of your own!)

The Beast of Hollow Mountain
Bloody Moon
Curtains
Gestapo’s Last Orgy
Happy Camp
Queen Kong
The Sacrament
Sleepaway Camp
Thirst
Video Nasties: The Definitive Guide








Back in a flash with Civilian Views, End-of-Year Stats, and much, much more, so stay tuned!


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Civilian 2014 Wrap-Up and Year-End Stats!

January 9, 2015, 4:33 am

≫ Next: CANDYMAN: FAREWELL TO THE FLESH (1995) Blu-ray Review

≪ Previous: Dr. AC's 2014 Horror Wrap-up Extravaganza!

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Back again!

Having addressed the horror genre in the previous entry(hey, this is HORROR 101 after all), it’s now time to give the civilian flicks their moment in the sun. As before, all titles listed were encountered for the first time from January 1 to December 31, 2014 (i.e. no repeat viewings were eligible), with top picks denoted with an asterisk. (*) 

TOP CIVILIAN RELEASES OF 2014

*Blue Ruin

Boyhood

Coherence

Frequencies

Guardians of the Galaxy

Mystery Road

Nightcrawler

The One I Love

The Overnighters

The Raid 2: Berandel

HONORABLE MENTION

Calvary

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes

Edge of Tomorrow

Gone Girl

I Origins

Nymphomaniac Vol. 1 and Vol. 2

The Theory of Everything

2013 OSCAR BAIT SEEN IN EARLY 2014

12 Years a Slave

*All is Lost

Captain Philips

Enough Said

Mud

Philomena

The Wolf of Wall Street

FAVORITE CIVILIAN DISCOVERIES

Before Sunrise (1995)

Dredd (2012)

Fat City (1972)

Frozen River (2008)

How to Survive a Plague (2012)

Red Road (2006)

Tyrannosaur (2011)

Waiting for Superman (2010)

*The War Game (1965)

The White Buffalo (1977)

WORST CIVILIAN VIEWS OF 2014

Redacted (2011)

Up Close and Personal (1996)

Let the OCD madness begin!!!

2014 TOTALS

399 films (372 titles, 27 repeats)

203 1st time views

251 horror (227 titles, 24 repeats)

48 cinema

(2013 Totals: 306, 240, 185, 69)

(2012 Totals: 607, 520, 362, 166)

(2011 Totals: 640, 419, 355, 59)

(2010 Totals: 364, 253, 242, 45)

(2009 Totals: 472, 276, 289, 38)

(2008 Totals: 384, 278, 226, 39)

(2007 Totals: 409, 284, 260, 40)

NOTABLE 2013 VIEWING MILESTONES

---11 Gamera movies

---8 Hammer Dracula movies

---9 Hellraiser movies

---16 Robert Redford movies

---12 Chicago Critics Film Festival screenings

---Have now seen all 72 official Video Nasties (except Women Behind Bars)

---A whopping 27 repeat views within the same year. (Ah, the fate of the BD/DVD critic.)

FIRST MOVIE OF 2014

The Abyss (1989)

LAST MOVIE OF 2014

Edge of Tomorrow(2014)

MULTIPLE VIEWS (BY CHOICE)

Birdman (2)

Dead Snow: Red vs. Dead (2) (both in cinema)

Death Spa (2)

Dredd (2)

Godzilla: Battle Royale (2)

Gojira (2)

Guardians of the Galaxy (2) (both in cinema)

King Kong vs. Godzilla (2) (U.S version and original Japanese version)

Singapore Sling (2)

MULTIPLE VIEWS (DVD/BR REVIEWS W/ COMMENTARIES)

Night of the Demons (3)

Return to Nuke ‘em High (3)

Witchboard (3)

Bloody Moon (2)

Darkman (2)

Demon Resurrection (2)

Dolls (2)

Evilspeak (2)

Final Exam (2)

The Final Terror(2)

Patrick (2)

Ravenous (2)

Sleepaway Camp (2)

Strange Behavior (aka Dead Kids) (2)

Thirst (2)

MOST-WATCHED DIRECTORS

Noriaki Yuasa (7)

Sidney Pollack (5)

Roger Corman (4)

Terence Fisher (4)

George A. Romero (4)

Steven Spielberg (4)

Pete Walker (4)

Rick Bota (3)

Freddie Francis (3)

George Roy Hill (3)

Ishiro Honda (3)

Shuseke Kaneko (3)

J. Lee Thompson (3)

Rob Zombie (3)

EARLIEST FILM

The Phantom Carriage (1921)

LONGEST STREAK OF SEEING FILMS FROM EACH YEAR

1953 – 2014

SEEING DOUBLE
 

Cat People (1942, 1982)
Godzilla (1954, 1956, 1998, 2014)
Nightmare (aka Nightmare in a Damaged Brain) (1981), Nightmares (aka Stage Fright) (1980)
Patrick (1979, 2013)

GOING A-Z
 

Came close to seeing movies starting with every letter of the alphabet – missed X and Y this year.

COUNTRIES OF RECORD: 29

Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, Norway, Philippines, Poland, Russia, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, UK, USA, Vietnam, Yugoslavia

VIEWINGS BY MONTH

January – 22
February – 18
March – 31
April – 34
May – 40
June – 31
July –  36
August – 27
September – 17
October –  81 (October Challenge)
November – 20
December – 40

TOP VIEWING YEARS

As has been the pattern since I started recording these stats, the previous year (in this case 2013) racked up the most viewings, primarily because many of the films that premiered that year didn’t receive wide release until this year, especially in the direct-to-video departments. That said, it was the closest the margin has ever been between the current year (2014) and the one just prior. Plus, whereas the 70s usually reign supreme when looking beyond the current decade, it was interesting to see 1981 popping up in fourth place, even if many of those viewings were dictated by Shout! Factory’s release slate. Speaking of which, the numbers in parentheses are the number of individual titles, i.e. minus repeats.

2013: 46 (44)

2014: 42 (38)

2012: 15 (13)

1981: 16 (12)

1976: 11

2011: 9

1979: 9 (8)

1989: 9 (8)

1990: 9 (7)

1982: 8

1973: 8

VIEWS BREAKDOWN BY DECADE

1920s – 1

1930s – 2

1940s – 9

1950s – 20

1960s – 25

1970s – 65 (66, 1 repeat)

1980s – 54 (68, 14 repeats)

1990s – 36 (38, 3 repeats)

2000s – 30 (31, 1 repeat)

2010s – 113 (119, 6 repeats)

That’s all, folks! On to 2015….

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CANDYMAN: FAREWELL TO THE FLESH (1995) Blu-ray Review

February 17, 2015, 5:21 pm

≫ Next: GIRLHOUSE (2014) movie review

≪ Previous: Civilian 2014 Wrap-Up and Year-End Stats!

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Candyman: Farewell to the Flesh (1995) d. Bill Condon (USA)

An unnecessary sequel to the 1992 mini-classic that basically tells the vengeful hook-handed boogeyman’s (a top-billed Tony Todd) origin story all over again, relocating the action from the housing projects of Chicago to the sultry climes of New Orleans. Screenwriters Rand Ravich and Mark Kruger – working from executive producer Clive Barker’s screen story – deliver a much weaker narrative this time: The daughter of a Candyman murder victim (Kelly Rowan – not Kelly Rowland of Destiny’s Child and Freddy vs. Jason fame as I first thought) seeks answers to free her brother, jailed for the killing of a sleazy author (who lays out the “say his name five times in the mirror” legend in the opening minutes to catch latecomers up to speed). What follows is a string of gory slayings and murky investigations, with Rowan’s character ultimately discovering a closer personal connection to her bee-spewing nemesis than she could have imagined.

Farewell marked Condon’s return to the feature film arena after a series of direct-to-cable projects (viewers would do well to seek out his 1987 debut Sister, Sister), but nothing in the pedestrian jump-scares and uneven performances on display here would suggest that his very next project would attract such name talent as Ian McKellan and Brendan Fraser for his Oscar-winning James Whale biopic Gods and Monsters (1998).

Condon, who had previously written the scripts for Strange Behavior (aka Dead Kids) and Strange Invaders (with Michael Laughlin), kept his streak going by penning the adaptation for 2002’s Best Picture winner Chicago before landing back in the director’s chair for his big Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn double-down payday. (His erudite commentary track here gives the impression of one who views the sequel as a necessary step in his artistic journey, and seems not at all embarrassed about its presence on his now-venerable resume.)

Todd is in predictably fine form, using his sonorous voice and imposing physical presence to great effect. Rowan, by contrast, is weak and wan, unfortunate qualities for one’s lead protagonist. Veteran character actors Matt Clark (a slimy sno-cone huckster with a side line in exposition) and Veronica Cartwright (as Rowan’s saucepot mom) lend able support, though neither are in the film long enough to make much of an impact. The frequently underused Bill Nunn, who at this point deserved to be in better projects, thanklessly plays the thankless role of father to one of Rowan’s wayward students with an unexplained psychic link to Candyman. As Rowan’s lover, Timothy Carhart (forever immortalized as Harlan, the would-be parking-lot rapist from Thelma and Louise) meets a particularly prolonged and grisly end.

With lots of pointless (get it?) gore-strewn impaling capped by an unaffecting climax/flashback to Candyman’s tragic demise, everything feels a little thin this time around. Philip Glass’ haunting musical themes make a welcome return to the fold, but it’s hard to get too worked up about what amounts to a repeat performance. Douglas White and Allan A. Apone serve up the grue with enthusiasm, but it feels more than a little gratuitous and overcompensatory, and I’m not sure at whose feet to lay the blame for the chintzy climactic CG splintering and shattering of the Big C. (What’s really scary is that apparently this installment is still leaps and bounds ahead of 1999’s Candyman: Day of the Dead. Nope, still haven’t seen it and not in any big hurry to complete the hat trick.)

Even so, Shout! Factory (through their Scream Factory imprint) has once again served up a bountiful high-def presentation with ample supplements. A 25-minute chat with Todd reveals the very cool dude persona that has made him a convention fave for nearly a quarter century, as well as the serious artist both celebrated and trapped by the genre. (There are also some fun insider stories to be shared, including how Virginia Madsen used to be hypnotized by director Bernard Rose on the 1992 original whenever she encountered Candyman in order to deliver the desired performance.)

The 10-minute chat with Cartwright, who has her share of genre credits (The Birds, Alien, Invasion of the Body Snatchers), is a bit on the breezy side, with the affable actress recalling wardrobe and weather from the Farewell set and not much more. For a featurette entitled “Down Memory Lane with…”, I’ll admit I expected a little more.

Candyman: Farewell to the Fleshis available now from Shout! Factory and can be ordered HERE.

https://www.shoutfactory.com/film/film-horror/candyman-farewell-to-the-flesh


--Aaron Christensen, HorrorHound Magazine

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GIRLHOUSE (2014) movie review

February 18, 2015, 10:09 am

≫ Next: THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA (1989) Blu-ray Review

≪ Previous: CANDYMAN: FAREWELL TO THE FLESH (1995) Blu-ray Review

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GirlHouse (2014) d. Trevor Matthews / Jon Knautz (Canada)

Struggling with both her father’s recent death and university tuition, foxy but decidedly “good girl” Kylie (Ali Cobrin) hits upon a novel solution: why not take up residence in a mansion of many rooms and even more cameras for a Big Brother-ish site where the chicks get hired for the clicks they inspire? What sets the titular abode apart from every other reality/porn channel out there is its canny combo of everyday goings-on with the occasional striptease or private one-on-one chat sessions with the lovely ladies. Unfortunately for them, a slovenly, tech-wiz psychopath dubbed “Loverboy” (played by the mononymic Slaine) gets a little too turned on by Kylie’s arrival, an unhealthy obsession that grows in direct proportion to his sexually fueled violence. Before you can say “Survivor,” the fetching femmes are being stalked and (messily) slaughtered, but since the location of the GirlHouse is top-secret, no one can help – they can only watch.

Despite screenwriter Nick Gordon's inherently voyeuristic set-up, Knautz and Matthews (writer/director and writer/producer/star of Jack Brooks: Monster Slayer) are positively restrained in their depiction of this virtual den of vice. Yes, there is the smattering of gratuitous nudity, but it’s only a smattering - if I had to level a single criticism at this serviceable slasher, it’s that everything needs to be dirtied down a notch or ten.

Are we really expected to believe that this is the top-rated sex site out there, where the action never gets raunchier than lingerie-clad hotties making goo-goo eyes at their webcams or strategically draped romps in the sack with their hardbody beaus? (The biggest offense being their treatment of Cobrin, our sweetcheecks lead, never even giving us a glance at the goods supposedly driving certain boys wild enough to kill everyone in sight.)

Luckily, even though the peter meter flies at half mast throughout, the body count is high and the scenes of violence strong as Loverboy literally uses every tool in his toolbox to smash, spindle, and mutilate the fine flesh of the fairer sex while using a rubber sex doll's head to hide his face. (Nice touch, that.)

There’s a pretty disposable love story between Kylie and her nerdish secret admirer from high school (Adam DiMarco), but it does feed the plot and provides the suspenseful juice for the splattery third act. And though they may not take it all off early or often enough, there’s no denying the attraction factor of the curvaceous multi-racial cast , all of whom look as good as they scream.

Roll call: Alyson Bath (blonde bitch Devon), Elysia Rotaru (wild child Heather), Alice Hunter (brown sugar Kat), Chasty Ballesteros (saucy Asian Janet), Nicole Fox (lipstick lesbian Mia), Zuleyka Silver ("recovered" junkie Anna)

Ultimately, this is a reasonably effective body-count movie that generates more bloody thrills than expected, with special kudos to the opening sequence showing how li'l Loverboy became the twisted fella he is. It's only unfortunate that things feel so sanitized in the flesh department (the action you're seeing here in the frame grabs? Yep, that's about it) because this could have been a genuinely memorable updating of the stalk n' stab goodies of the '80s, the slasher this instant access generation deserves.

Completely gratuitous dildo shot. Because that's how we roll in 2015.

GirlHouse is available for streaming now from eOne Entertainment, with a DVD release in the not-too-distant future.

--Aaron Christensen, HorrorHound Magazine


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THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA (1989) Blu-ray Review

February 19, 2015, 5:29 am

≫ Next: Dr. AC's 2015 Oscar Rundown

≪ Previous: GIRLHOUSE (2014) movie review

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The Phantom of the Opera (1989) d. Dwight H. Little (USA)

Aspiring young soprano Christine Day (Jill Schoelen) auditions for a new opera production with a strange and unusual composition discovered by her friend in a dusty music library, "Don Juan Triumphant." Courtesy of an errant sandbag nearly clocking her onstage, Christine is transported into a dream (or is it a memory?) of a previous life in London, one where she is the object of a mysterious and malicious figure's affections. Said figure being the resident "theatre ghost," Erik Destler (Robert Englund), an ambitious composer who has sold his soul to the devil in exchange for musical magnificence. (There's also the added bonus of Satan having horribly disfigured Destler's visage, so that his music is all that anyone can ever love.) Erik hides in the shadows, coaching Christine through her windows at night and eliminating anyone who threatens her ascension to fame and fortune. The unwitting starlet finds herself at the center of a spate of bloody murders, wondering at what price her success...and when will her benefactor come to collect?

By the time the cameras were ready to roll on Phantom, Englund had carved out an enviable degree of pop culture visibility, thanks to the extremely successful Nightmare on Elm Street franchise (by then in its fifth installment, with the Freddy's Nightmares TV spin-off heading into its second season) and his role as its scarred but increasingly loveable face. It's not surprising, then, that he was eager to stretch beyond the razor glove and into the footsteps of such silver screen luminaries as Lon Chaney, Claude Rains, Herbert Lom, and Maxmillian Schell (not to mention Michael Crawford, the star of the soon-to-be-worldwide Broadway musical sensation). He was paired opposite Schoelen, a lovely young actress in the Demi Moore mold whose star also seemed to be on the rise with her strong "final girl" turn in 1987's sleeper hit The Stepfather.

Heading up the affair was director Dwight H. Little, coming off the boffo box office of Halloween 4 (although its success likely had more to do with the return of the Shatner-masked killer than with any flashy camera moves or deep character examinations), with a cast populated by strong character actors like Alex Hyde-White (son of Wilfrid), a then-unknown Bill Nighy, stage legend Stephanie Lawrence, and future SNL-breakout Molly Shannon in her screen debut. With Child's Play wunderkind Kevin Yagher designing Englund's complicated makeups (which sometimes included a "normal" makeup over the gruesome ickiness), all the proper elements seemed to be in place. But when the film premiered in late November, it struggled and soon disappeared from cinemas.

So, why didn't Phantom find any love at the box office? There are probably no concrete answers, but my feeling is that a) the public really wasn't ready to embrace Englund outside of his red and green-striped sweater, b) this was a completely different aesthetic than the increasingly jokey, splattery Nightmare flicks that had brought him such adoration, and c) the poster art, which looks suspiciously like another Freddy feature, complete with its “An all new Nightmare!” tagline.

In spite of Yagher's (and estimable on-set collaborators John Vulich and John Buechler) impressive contributions – which included Englund's tortured artist stitching together human masks from the skin of his victims in order to pass amidst polite society – this is more a Hammer-on-steroids, Gothic-romance-with-a-body-count, epitomized by Englund's, er, robust style of performance. (Say what you will about Hammer, but the leading performances were always well-grounded, saving the hammier turns for the supporting cast.) The star is more than game, but his sneering, bursting-at-the-seams portrayal never feels like a real human being; it's an (intentionally) melodramatic approach that never quite gels with the other elements at play.

This is not to say there aren't some deliciously oogey set-pieces or that the film is not without its merits. In particular, Nighy shows off glimpses of the sardonic, heightened sensibility that has made him an indispensable element of so many millennial offerings, elevating lesser material with a raise of an eyebrow or a withering bon mot. Schoelen, with her scratchy Sunday-morning sorority girl vocals, is a tough sell as an opera diva but she lip-synchs it like a pro and is never less-than-fetching to look at. The production values are also extremely high, with John Bloomfield's sumptuous period costumes amidst Tivalar Bertalan's repurposed sets from the Budapest production of Three Penny Opera (starring Roger Daltrey and Raul Julia) which was itself directed by Phantom's producer, Menahem Golan. (Bertalan also served as production designer for the film.)

Shout! Factory's recent BR release of Phantom definitely shows off these sterling technical aspects at their finest, and the supplementary materials - including an audio commentary track with Little and Englund - help viewers who might not initially have been in tune (I know, hilarious, right?) with the film 25 years ago appreciate the efforts of all involved. There's also a lovely 35-minute retrospective, "Behind the Mask," that offers up interviews with most of the major players, including Englund, Little, Schoelen, Hyde-White, Vulich, Buechler, Yagher, screenwriter Duke Sandefur, and composer Misha Segal. (Segal’s score is quite exemplary and worth discovering on its own. Here’s a LINK – you can thank me later.)

The Phantom of the Opera is available now on Blu-ray from Shout! Factory and can be ordered HERE:

https://www.shoutfactory.com/film/film-horror/the-phantom-of-the-opera

--Aaron Christensen, HorrorHound Magazine


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Dr. AC's 2015 Oscar Rundown

February 20, 2015, 12:57 pm

≫ Next: MOTIVATIONAL GROWTH (2013) movie review

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Just in the nick of time, here is my completely subjective take on the Oscar race.  These are not in any way to be seen as my handicapping, so don’t blame me if you don’t walk off with the office pool.  Who does win is completely out of my control.  Who I feel should win?  That’s another story, and I’ve noted my picks with an asterisk (*).

Read on…

 2014 Academy Award Nominees

Best Picture

American Sniper

The notion that this has become a huge hit is confusing and a little troubling in its implications, as it's no better than numerous other films to examine the Iraq/Afghanistan conflicts, or their after-effects on military personnel. Those whose takeaway is that Chris Kyle is an unqualified hero might be missing the point, because I don't know that Eastwood's storytelling is that black and white. Or maybe it is. Either way, I wasn't really captivated by the film as a whole.

Birdman

I’ll admit that the overall technical achievement is undeniably impressive, realizing that these actors had to pull off full takes in addition to all the other rigamarole, and the ambiguous commentary on personal relevance in an ever self-absorbed world resonates stronger with every viewing. But the fact remains that I still don’t like and/or care about any of these characters. Everyone does a fine job, but it all feels like much ado about nothing, which admittedly may or may not have been the point.

Boyhood

Terrific cinematic experiment that bucks convention in all the right ways. Watching the actors growing up onscreen before our eyes is dazzling in a way that multimillion dollar effects could never be, and yet somehow it never comes off as a stunt. Linklater's choice to avoid seminal moments in favor of those odd little bits that in explicably stick in our brains forever is the true stroke of genius - what could have been banal is instead brilliant. Defies expectations and overcomes its unique gestation to become more than a gimmick, but it may be too quiet to earn the big trophy.

The Grand Budapest Hotel

Wes Anderson’s supreme cinematic achievement (to date) is so magnificent and bizarre and hilarious with an excruciatingly perfect (and enormous) cast, but it might be too darn wacky to appeal to the mainstream. Which is a shame, since it’s pretty extraordinary on every level – hard to ignore excellence this blatant.

The Imitation Game

This did very little for me, perhaps because I've been familiar with Alan Turing's story for nearly three decades and perhaps because it was told in such conventional fashion. But good ol’ Harvey Weinstein made sure people saw it and that it got its nomination, dammit.

Selma

I may be one of the few who thinks that Selma didn't deserve any more nominations than it got, even though I do think it's worthy of its Best Picture inclusion in the expanded field of eight. The directing is fine, the performances are fine, the cinematography is fine, etc. It could have been nominated in other categories, and if Weinstein would have been behind it (or if Oprah still had her TV show), it probably would have. But there’s not a lot of brilliance on display here – the real-life story is the thing that packs the punch.

 The Theory of Everything

The story of Stephen and Jane Hawking rises above the biopic standard, wrestling with the forces of the universe, including love, companionship, and neuromuscular complications, but ends up being only satisfying instead of exemplary.

Whiplash*

Probably the most emotionally engaging of the bunch, a breathtaking examination of the relentless pursuit of excellence at any cost, with two electrifying lead performances that threaten to ignite the screen. I've not talked to anyone who hasn't loved loved loved it, and I'm thrilled that it has been recognized as more than a great showcase for J.K. Simmons.

Best Director

     

Alejandro González Iñárritu, Birdman

Richard Linklater, Boyhood

Bennett Miller, Foxcatcher

Wes Anderson, The Grand Budapest Hotel*

Morten Tyldum, The Imitation Game

This is an extremely exciting three-horse race between Iñárritu, Linklater, and Anderson, all of whom genuinely brought something new and visionary to the table. By comparison, Tyldum and Miller's work feels positively pedestrian. No, wait, that's right, their work WAS positively pedestrian. Tyldum's nod is a testament to Harvey Weinstein's influence (see also Keira Knightly), but Miller – who served up a wildly inert thriller – is a real head-scratcher, especially when Damien Chazelle's work on Whiplash is RIGHT THERE BEGGING TO BE NOMINATED. Wait, you're going to deliver some innovative editing and musical choices and terrific performances and and and...? Sorry, our boy Miller's going to occasionally dial down the vocal tracks and replace them with music. The choice is clear. Ahem.
 

Back to the deserving trio, my money is on Iñárritu's visual pyrotechnics (that unbroken take gambit is a pretty good one) to take the top prize, but stretching out your storytelling out over a decade is pretty solid as well. (Linklater might have to "settle" for a screenwriting statuette, although that’s no gimme either.) What's nice is that neither approach feels inherently gimmicky, but actually enhance their respective films and fit the narrative's aesthetic. And then there's Anderson's grande bouffe that is Grand Budapest, a marvelously extravagant exercise in style and ensemble where everything is pitched to absolute heightened perfection. What's equally interesting is that all three are quirky in the best possible ways, taking decided risks and challenging expectations and delivering a multitude of rewards. In a perfect world, they'd split that beautiful bald gold guy equally betwixt them, because in any other year, any of them would be the shoo-in.

 Best Actor

     

Steve Carell, Foxcatcher

Bradley Cooper, American Sniper

Benedict Cumberbatch, The Imitation Game

Michael Keaton, Birdman*

Eddie Redmayne, The Theory of Everything

Carell's undeniably transformative performance is almost too mannered and low-key freakshow, more of a showcase than a real person. One has to wonder that if another actor had played the part (i.e. one not already primarily identified with broader comic roles) whether this nomination would stand. Feels like the ol’ “So, this guy can do more than comedy” nod. (Personally, I would have rather seen Jake Gyllenhaal get the nod for Nightcrawler, who managed to break new terrain without makeup stunts.) 

While Redmayne's expert mimicking of Stephen Hawking's physical characteristics were the more attention-grabbing, I enjoyed his subtler touches, acting through the disability's cage. It's a well-layered turn, and even if Daniel Day-Lewis did it first with My Left Foot, that was over a quarter century ago. 

Cooper once again surprises with his range, and it's a (thankfully) less manic turn than his previous nods in Silver Linings Playbook and American Hustle, but honestly, all I kept thinking was "How'd he get so darn beefed up without getting super muscular?" 

Cumberbatch's turn as Alan Turing - like the movie itself - feels busy and well-intentioned and perfectly competent, but hardly inspiring. 

Keaton's vanity-free, sanity-free turn as a neurotic Hollywood star trying to retain a sense of relevance in the shadow of his blockbuster past plays a bit like a greatest hits of the actor's vocal and facial tics, but that seems in keeping with what amounts to a career acheivement Oscar. Considering he's almost a lock at this point, it's nice that he crushes the tailor-made role and that it will likely hold up years from now.

Best Actress

   

Marion Cotillard, Two Days, One Night

Felicity Jones, The Theory of Everything

Julianne Moore, Still Alice*

Rosamund Pike, Gone Girl

Reese Witherspoon, Wild

I haven't seen Cotillard's film yet, so I can't speak to it. Jones does a nice job holding her own as the less flashy Hawking, and it feels like her nod is more an acknowledgment of that feat than anything else. I would have never thought to nominate Pike as a leading role, and it's too bad because she would have stood more of a chance in this year's super-weak supporting category. That said, even within this flashy part, I feel her limitations as an actress; it'll be interesting to see how many more notes are in her range as her career progresses.

Witherspoon brings her innate likeability to a deeply flawed character, and hits all the emotional highs and lows that a film about an emotionally (and occasionally literally) lost woman in search of her way back would offer. But it really is Moore's year, as she's more than deserving both at this point in her career and for her brave/fragile performance as a linguist slowly succumbing to Alzheimer's. 

That said, if there were any justice, Alex Essoe would be in the mix for her go-for-broke turn as Starry Eyes' neurotic actress caught up in cultish insanity; ditto Scarlett Johansson as an extraterrestrial predator whose evolving humanity proves her undoing in Under the Skin.

Best Supporting Actor

     

Robert Duvall, The Judge

Ethan Hawke, Boyhood

Edward Norton, Birdman

Mark Ruffalo, Foxcatcher

J.K. Simmons, Whiplash*

Duvall's nods for the SAG Awards, Golden Globes, and Oscars had critics scratching their heads, because while he's as capable as ever, the movie is utter claptrap and he's never morethan capable as ever. Feels like someone said, "You know, we haven't nominated Bobby in a while," and it was a done deal. 

I also don't understand Ruffalo's nod - he's good as former gold medalist Dave Schultz, the rock to his more emotionally damaged brother, but it's hardly revelatory work for the actor and the turn is hardly memorable. 

Like his co-star, there wasn't a moment when I didn't feel like I'd already seen everything Norton was bringing to the table from his previous works - it all serves the piece, but I wasn't wowed in the way that others seem to be. (Yes, I give credit for the long take scenes played out in their entirety, but that also feels a bit like congratulating an actor for actually memorizing his lines.) 

Ethan Hawke is similarly oh-so-very Ethan Hawke, but I'll give him credit for crafting a cohesive performance over 12 years. 

It's all a moot point though, since Simmons has been leading the pack and sweeping the awards since that "Little Drummer Film That Could" first bowed. The good news? It's all deserved. Such a pleasure to see this screen veteran sink his teeth into the part, finding infinite subtle shades around his seemingly sadistic, monstrous core.

Best Supporting Actress

    

Patricia Arquette, Boyhood*

Laura Dern, Wild

Keira Knightley, The Imitation Game

Emma Stone, Birdman

Meryl Streep, Into the Woods

What happened here??? Such a weak category this year, with the exception of Arquette. Granted, I haven't seen Into the Woods, but I find it hard to believe that Streep is SO good that we needed to nominate her again. Knightly, who has turned in solid work before, is utterly vanilla as a puzzle-solving wiz and has only Harvey Weinstein's uber-campaigning to thank for her nod. Emma Stone is fine as a messed-up wild child, but like everyone else in Birdman, I felt like I'd seen it before. But it's nothing compared to my bafflement at Dern's nomination. I mean, WHAT THE HELL. She's barely in the movie and her cameo serves more of a reminder that Laura Dern exists (she's been absent from the active Hollywood roster for a while) than anything else. 

Which leaves us with Arquette, who deserves to win anyway for her well-crafted character arc under truly unique circumstances. She just deserved a stronger field. (Personally, I would have bumped everyone else, putting Naomi Watts for St. Vincent, Adrianna Barrazza for Cake, Nymphmaniac's Stacy Martin, and Carmen Ejogo for Selma, which would have also succeeded in getting a few minorities into the mix. But hey, no one asked me.)

Cinematography

     

Birdman, Emmanuel Lubezki*

The Grand Budapest Hotel, Robert Yeoman

Ida, Lukasz Zal and Ryszard Lenczewski

Mr. Turner, Dick Pope

Unbroken, Roger Deakins

It’s gotta be Birdman, but damn if Grand Budapest doesn’t earn its slot. I’d be happy with either. In other news, we’ve got Deakins nominated for his 12TH FREAKING OSCAR WITHOUT EVER WINNING.

Costume Design

     

The Grand Budapest Hotel, Milena Canonero*

Inherent Vice, Mark Bridges

Into the Woods, Colleen Atwood

Maleficent, Anna B. Sheppard

Mr. Turner, Jacqueline Durran

I’ve only seen Grand Budapest, but I have a feeling that’s all I really needed to see. The ancillary awards might be where the Academy shows their love to Anderson. That said, three-time Oscar-winner Colleen Atwood don’t play around.

Foreign Language Film

Ida, Poland

Leviathan, Russia

Tangerines, Estonia

Timbuktu, Mauritania

Wild Tales, Argentina

Been hearing good things about Ida since it came out last year. But haven’t seen any of them, so I don’t really have a horse in this race. No vote.

Makeup and Hairstyling

Foxcatcher, Bill Corso and Dennis Liddiard

The Grand Budapest Hotel, Frances Hannon and Mark Coulier

Guardians of the Galaxy, Elizabeth Yianni-Georgiou and David White*

Yes, Carell’s nose is amazingly lifelike, holding up to extreme close-up scrutiny. But does it deserve to beat out the cadre of Galaxy’s creatures or GBP’s vast populace, especially since both of them were vastly superior films? I think not.

Original Score

The Grand Budapest Hotel, Alexandre Desplat*

The Imitation Game, Alexandre Desplat

Interstellar, Hans Zimmer

Mr. Turner, Gary Yershon

The Theory of Everything, Jóhann Jóhannsson

Didn’t see Interstellaror Mr. Turner, but Desplat kinda killed it with Grand Budapest. Only hitch: he’s also nominated for Imitation Gameand Harvey’s push may help split the votes.

Adapted Screenplay

American Sniper, Jason Hall

The Imitation Game, Graham Moore

Inherent Vice, Paul Thomas Anderson

The Theory of Everything, Anthony McCarten

Whiplash, Damien Chazelle*

Haven’t seen Inherent Vice, but from the turmoil it created upon release, I have a feeling that P.T. Anderson is going to be happy just to be nominated. Of everything else, though, this is the Academy’s chance to reward Chazelle for Whiplash. Here’s hoping they do. Then again, Hollywood may feel it’s worth honoring a fallen gay hero with Imitation Game, especially with Harvey Weinstein yelling in their ears.

Original Screenplay

Birdman, Alejandro G. Iñárritu, Nicolás Giacobone, Alexander Dinelaris, Jr. & Armando Bo

Boyhood, Richard Linklater

Foxcatcher, E. Max Frye and Dan Futterman

The Grand Budapest Hotel, Wes Anderson; Story by Wes Anderson & Hugo Guinness*

Nightcrawler, Dan Gilroy

This is maybe the toughest category of the night, with not a loser in the bunch, though I’d definitely put Foxcatcher at the bottom of the heap. (Seriously, is there anyone who really loved that movie?) I’d like to show Nightcrawler some affection, but it’s going to come down to our three Best Director nominees and whether the Academy wants to go “sweep” or “share.” All three are magnificent scripts in their own right, and brilliantly realized on screen. If I had to choose, I’d probably go with Grand Budapest, purely for its epic scope and ensemble of memorable bit parts.

 Animated Feature Film

Big Hero 6

The Boxtrolls

How to Train Your Dragon 2

Song of the Sea

The Tale of the Princess Kaguya

Further emphasizing how little time I spent at the multiplex this year, I saw none of these, nor did I see the category’s reputedly egregious exclusion, The Lego Movie. I will say that the trailer for Big Hero 6 made me laugh pretty hard, so there’s that. No vote

Documentary Feature

Citizenfour

Finding Vivian Maier

Last Days in Vietnam

The Salt of the Earth

Virunga

Nope. This year’s Oscar pool is gonna be rough. No vote.

Documentary Short Subject

Crisis Hotline: Veterans Press 1

Joanna

Our Curse

The Reaper (La Parka)

White Earth

Well, obviously, I saw all of these. (That was a joke.) No vote.

Film Editing

American Sniper, Joel Cox and Gary D. Roach

Boyhood, Sandra Adair

The Grand Budapest Hotel, Barney Pilling*

The Imitation Game, William Goldenberg

Whiplash, William Goldenberg

Dammit, another tough category. I want to go with Whiplash, but Budapest and Sniper were both pretty busy. It’ll depend on who the voters want to make it up to at this point. (Note: Eastwood’s popular flick hasn’t gotten a gimme yet, so maybe?)

Original Song

Everything Is Awesome, The Lego Movie

Glory, Selma*

Grateful, Beyond the Lights

I’m Not Gonna Miss You, Glen Campbell: I'll Be Me

Lost Stars, Begin Again

So, do you go with the consolation prize for The Lego Movie or for Selma? I’m banking on voters wanting to try to patch things up by making the latter “the Oscar-winning story of MLK,” but come ON. Just try to resist that beat.

Production Design

 The Grand Budapest Hotel, Adam Stockhausen (Production Design); Anna Pinnock (Set Decoration)*

The Imitation Game, Maria Djurkovic (Production Design); Tatiana Macdonald (Set Decoration)

Interstellar, Nathan Crowley (Production Design); Gary Fettis (Set Decoration)

Into the Woods, Dennis Gassner (Production Design); Anna Pinnock (Set Decoration)

Mr. Turner, Suzie Davies (Production Design); Charlotte Watts (Set Decoration)

Oof. I’m sure Into the Woods is grand, ditto Interstellar. Still, Grand Budapest and the multitude of exotic locations are going to be tough to beat.

Animated Short Film

The Bigger Picture

The Dam Keeper

Feast

Me and My Moulton

A Single Life

Dunno. No vote.

Live Action Short Film

Aya

Boogaloo and Graham

Butter Lamp

Parvaneh

The Phone Call

Still dunno. No vote.

Sound Editing

American Sniper*

Birdman

The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies

Interstellar

Unbroken

Hmmmmm. There were a whole lot of fffffffwhpt! bullet hits in Sniper, but sci-fi and fantasy usually make for a broader palette. Then again, both Peter Jackson and Christopher Nolan are hugely successful, so no one may feel the need to make it up to them.

Sound Mixing

     

American Sniper

Birdman

Interstellar

Unbroken

Whiplash*

Birdman and Sniper are the only two films nominated in both sound categories, which is often how these things go. So, maybe Sniper? But damn I’d like Whiplash to win everything it can.

Visual Effects

Captain America: The Winter Soldier

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes

Guardians of the Galaxy*

Interstellar

X-Men: Days of Future Past

So, do we honor the motion control majesty of Apes or the sheer awesomeness of Galaxy? I’m going with the latter.

See you Sunday!!!

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MOTIVATIONAL GROWTH (2013) movie review

February 21, 2015, 6:12 pm

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Motivational Growth (2013) d. Don Thacker (USA)

Ian Folivor (Adrian DiGiovanni) is a depressive shut-in who, following an ill-fated suicide attempt, finds himself being given life lessons from The Mold, an expanding fungal growth in his bathroom (a superb alliance of puppetry and Jeffrey Combs’ mellifluous vocal performance). Soon, the thesaurus-enhanced smooth-talking goop is large and in charge, leaving Ian desperately trying to maintain sanity in between bouts of channel-surfing on his sometimes-deceased television (named Kent) or keyhole-stalking the comely next-door neighbor (Danielle Doetsch).

Chicago-based writer/director Thacker explodes onto the scene with his debut feature, one that rattles viewers’ synapses with an ever-changing view of reality and dazzles practical effects lovers with a wealth of impressive latex and karo syrup splatter. DiGiovanni is outstanding in the central role; even with all the enjoyably cheesy throwback bells and whistles, the movie wouldn’t survive without his committed, charismatic turn as the luckless loser. Doetsch is all quirky loveliness, a dream girl in more ways than one, while Ken Brown, Pete Giovagnoli, and Hannah Stevenson offer memorable support.

Thacker delivers numerous terrific trick shots of his increasingly ungrounded protagonist floating, flying, and floundering through space and time, whether it be gravity-defying intervals in the commode or popping up in Kent’s TV-show worlds (ranging from public-access aerobic classes to cheesy sci-fi soap operas). All of this is underscored by Alex Mauer’s authentic, ear-blistering Commodore-64 soundtrack, emulating the arcade and home video games of the 1980s.

With its technical expertise, ambitious scope, and original vision, this is a terrific example of microbudget filmmaking, both smart and sloppy in all the right ways.


--Aaron Christensen, HorrorHound Magazine


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DIGGING UP THE MARROW (2014) movie review

February 23, 2015, 8:16 am

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Digging Up the Marrow (2014) d. Adam Green (USA)

I’m not sure if the Hatchet man was trying to take the piss out of the found footage movement or just too damn busy producing his TV show Holliston to bother getting it right, but his latest offering is lame as lame can be. The former proponent of “old school horror” now jumps aboard the faux-documentary express, playing “writer/director Adam Green,” happily spending his days creating material with his pals and weekends hobnobbing with various genre celebs at conventions. Among the celebs that appear as themselves – stiff, mannered versions of themselves – are Kane Hodder, Tom Holland, Mick Garris, Don Coscarelli, Lloyd Kaufman, and Tony Todd. By now, we’re all thinking, “Wow, that Adam Green is pretty cool,” or at least that’s what I think we’re supposed to be thinking. (I remember when I also thought Adam Green was cool, having met him back in 2007 during the pre-release tour for Hatchet. This was, of course, before I realized I didn’t really like any of his movies.)

Anyway, Green (or “Green”) is approached via email by a fevered fan who claims to have discovered a subterranean rift where honest-to-Golly monsters reside. Sensing an opportunity for a freakshow at worst and a chance to see some real creatures at best, the director and his trusty cameraman Will Barratt meet up with our mystery man ... and that’s where it all falls apart. In his infinite wisdom, Green has cast Leland Palmer himself, Ray Wise, to play his strange hermit, thereby tipping his hand that it’s all a big joke. But he then proceeds to play it straight, as though we’re not supposed to know that it’s Ray frickin' Wise playing a character while everyone else is playing themselves.

"No, just pull your hat down a little more, Ray. No one will know it's you."

I quite literally spent the next 80 minutes wondering what the hell Green was smoking when he thought this was a good idea. If you’re going to cast the imminently recognizable Ray Wise to play your wacko (and hey, I love the guy, so why not), then your wacko needs to be named “genre staple Ray Wise, who may or may not have a screw loose.” But nope, Wise’s character is named “William Dekker” and we’re just expected to go along with it.

I could almost forgive this if Green had anything new or novel to bring to the table ... but he doesn’t. It’s the same old clichéd “Let’s go check this out, plant a few security cameras, catch a few strange images, everyone thinks it’s a joke, we aren’t getting the full story, oh shit, what was that, oh shit, this story is real, but now it’s too late and ... SCENE” that we’ve seen played out a billion times before. Yes, there are a couple of cool latex monsters (based on Alex Pardee's artwork) that oh-so-predictably show up in the final reel, but by then the goodwill train has run out of steam and fallen off the tracks.

The sad thing is that Green’s fans will likely still rally around the film, perpetuating this substandard schlock out of some misguided sense of loyalty. For me, his “one of us, fan-made-good” act has long since lost its luster; I have no trouble believing that the obnoxious, pushy, self-serving onscreen persona we are presented with is pretty close to the real McCoy these days. Not someone I want to spend another 98 minutes with.

Speaking of running times, and just to add insult to injury, the screener link I was “granted permission” to view needed to buffer so often that I ended up clicking over to watch a different (better) film every time it locked up – and ended up finishing the other one first. Movie reviewing – it ain’t all gravy, folks.


--Aaron Christensen, HorrorHound Magazine

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