Monthly Archives: October 2018

Movie review: Terrifier

04 Thursday Oct 2018

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Back in 2013 Art the Clown was first introduced to our screens in all his shocking glory as part of Damien Leone’s horror anthology, All Hallows’ Eve.

Thanks to Dread Central, Terrifier was given a limited theatrical release, but this unfortunately didn’t include Australian shores.
Instead, Terrifier came across my bloody and broken radar through the horror vine thanks to some tuned in people after my own heart.
It harkens back to the days of video stores when you come across a gem of a movie, enticed by the vhs cover, in this case gloriously shoving the fucked up clown front and center. It’s his movie after all and boy does he own it.
In some ways it feels like Leone decided to let go of the leash and let his twisted creation run amok without a moments hesitation. The end result is sheer bloody mayhem that would turn those with a weak disposition into a quivering wreak and no doubt reaching or should I say retching into their vom bag.

All this should send the hardcore horror fans into a state of ecstasy at the mere thought of a horror film that isn’t afraid to go dark and push the boundaries of taste in the gore department. No doubt most of you are already aware of this movie.

For those yet to be imitated, Terrifier starts off with a television journalist interviewing one of Art’s victim, scarred beyond recognition but has lived to tell the tale.
We also learn of Art’s disappearance from the morgue, setting up the notion that he is on the loose.

With a shock moment unleashed, the story picks up proper with two female characters, Tara and Dawn who are stranded in the city after their car has a flat tyre.
The warped journey as only just begun though as they encounter Art at a dodgy kebab shop, who takes a shine to Tara before marking his territory.
Feeling rightfully unnerved, the girls seek out rescue from Tara’s sister Vicky, who they entice out to be their saviour.
But will she make it to them in time, or will Art unleash his next canvas using their mutilated bodies?

The Diagnosis:

Terrifier is balls to the wall gross out fun that isn’t for the faint of heart. Sure, there are some shaky moments throughout but this makes the movie all the more gritty. For those eager to delve into a world of gore and brutality, Art the Clown is your perfect remedy.

  • Saul Muerte

Movie review: Cargo

03 Wednesday Oct 2018

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Cargo is a zombie film – supposedly filled with gore, scary bits, and tension. Which it is. However, unlike your stereotypical low budget Z movie, Cargo has some real, raw emotions presented by all the characters; accompanied by some absolutely stunning shots of rural Australia. Some scenes in this film are beautiful – human beautiful and scenic beautiful.

It starts with a family of 3, Andy (Martin Freeman), Kay (Susie Porter) and their baby daughter Rosie (played by something like 4 separate babies, because child labour laws exist for a reason).

We find our threesome slowly flowing down a waterway on a riverboat, which (it is soon implied) is not theirs (ie: they’ve knicked it). They then discover another young family camping on shore, with the father being played by Andy Rodoreda; the actor who portrayed Martin Freeman’s character in the original Tropfest short that THIS film is based on.
Which must have been a weird experience for him, but if he wanted to hold onto his part, he should have been more famous. Its called show business and not show charity for a reason…

Anyway – from Andy & Kay’s dialogue and various other tell-tale signs – like Rodoreda threatening Freeman off with a gun (probably because he stole his role…) we get the impression an apocalypse of the Z kind has happened, and humanity is hanging by a thread with survivors quickly running out of options.
That’s when “the incident” happens (which you just KNEW it would) that changes everything between Andy and Kay (and their daughter). And soon incredibly tough decisions of the “what would you sacrifice” kind have to be made. What would you do? And perhaps more importantly…what wouldn’t you do…?
It is this theme that fuels the movie, and it takes a powerful performance to pull it off. With Freeman they get it.

Set against the backdrop of Australia’s unique beauty, it is clear that a lot of thought has gone into the cinematography. From a native plant in the corner of the screen, to the sun accentuating the features of the actors; every frame is truly a painting.

The Diagnosis:

Cargo is a well thought out, beautiful, tension filled zombie film that will do something very few horror flicks can, because whilst the best ones make you scared or tense, very few can also make you cry. Cargo will do all three.

  • Charlie Owen.

Movie review: Amityville: The Awakening

01 Monday Oct 2018

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From all accounts the feedback that I had received about this movie weren’t exactly glowing, so I went into watching this with low expectations. It can’t be that bad, surely?

The Amityville franchise is the curse that keeps on giving. Now with 18 movies in based on the Amityville hauntings and another movie with an imminent release, it now boasts the most movies of a horror movie franchise, so it’s little wonder that the response is lacking as the filmmakers search the bottom of the barrel only to find grease and grim with little hope of any originality or substance.

Starring Bella Thorne as Belle who unwittingly moves into the infamous Amityville house with her mother (Jennifer Jason Leigh), her younger sister, and her twin brother who is brain-dead and on a life support. There are the usual trappings of inner turmoil amongst the family members that has caused a rift and pushed Belle to explore her gothic leanings. Of course once in the cursed abode, strange happenings occur namely around the twin brother James as he is deemed to be a weak vessel for the entity to exhume.

As with these kind of movies, there is a tendency to stick to the usual tropes to scare and delight but director Franck Khalfoun offers nothing new to the fold. The script does try to go “meta” with deliberate acknowledgment to the original movie and the others that have been inspired to go to the Amityville source, this attempt just falls flat on its face. As for the scares, they fail to materalise and as such we are left wallowing with the characters, hoping for something, anything to happen to make the 87 minute running time worth it.

The diagnosis:

This movie was D.O.A. Whilst it tries to resuscitate the Amityville name for a new generation, the offer is weak and boring to watch. At least Jason Leigh’s ring in performance keeps you hanging in there… but even that is a struggle.

  • Saul Muerte