Monthly Archives: August 2022

Movie review: Who Invited Them (2022)

30 Tuesday Aug 2022

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Having watched Shudder’s latest exclusive and original feature, Who Invited Them, I was immediately struck with how much I dig Ryan Hansen as a performer. Here he plays Adam, one half of a couple who have recently bought well into an influential neighbourhood. Now wanting to show off this asset, Adam and Margo (Melissa Tang) throw a housewarming party to celebrate with friends and who they consider to be the social elite from their contacts. 

Beneath this affable exterior however is a more sinister and unsettling characteristic that they both share, and it is this that writer, director Duncan Birmingham, along with the mysterious “neighbours” Sasha (Perry Mattfeld) and Tom (Timothy Granaderos) wish to expose.

Once the party has settled, Sasha and Tom hang back and slowly work together to find the cracks and flaws in Ryan and Margo’s world to break them. At first, they tease and play with their would-be victims, like predators toying with their prey. Soon, they begin to dial up the trauma and crank up the tension between them all.

The Prognosis:

It’s fairly slow-paced, but Birmingham’s exposure of society under the lens of a wealth facade is delicately tweaked out to a macabre and destructive end.

Where it mars a little, it’s in some of the forced performances that at times don’t ring true (Hansen excluded) and this jars the flow of the dialogue in places. There are some nice comical moments in the mix of the lurid lamentations. It leans heavily into the unbelievable by the films’ end which some may embrace and others will turn away from.

  • Saul Muerte

Who Invited Them? is steaming on Shudder from Thurs 1st Aug.

Retrospective: The Last House On The Left (1972) 50th anniversary

30 Tuesday Aug 2022

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Fifty years ago, horror history was made as an integral part of the genre came to fruition. The Last House On The Left would see the creative combination of Wes Craven as Director for his first feature length film, and Sean Cunningham as producer. Cunningham would of course go on to spearhead Friday the 13th and Craven would herald notable works such as A Nightmare on Elm Street and the Scream series to name but a few. Amongst the crew would be another essential creative, serving as production assistant and an uncredited cameo to boot. 

It is not just about the crew, all of whom were on the cusp of greatness, but the steps taken to produce a gritty and hard hitting tale of revenge.

TLHOTL was born out of the basis of The Virgin Spring by Ingmar Bergman, and a response to how the bloody realism that Western movies were being depicted by at the time. Craven seeking to distil the glamour attached to such violence and to provide a much more realistic depiction would strike a chord in the popular mainstream. The fact that the vengeance is carried out by the parents would also flip the switch on everyday Americans pushed to the limit of despair, and take on justice of their own proceedings; much like Craven would review again in his follow up feature, The Hills Have Eyes.

Where most movies would look to have the next generation or youths providing the answer to lifes’ torment and with it the hope for humanity, here would see them as either the threat or the victim. It is the parents who take on the role of judgement and through their misguided understanding of their children, seek retribution.

Pivotal to the graphic nature depicted on screen is the portrayal of the antagonists, Krug Stillo (David Hess, who would also provide the soundtrack to the film); Fred Podowski (Fred Lincoln); Sadie (Jeramie Rain); and Junior (Marc Sheffler), who all sink their teeth into their respective roles and ground the violence and despair with disturbing realism. This is further strengthened by the innocent carefree Mari (Sandra Peabody) who falls headlong into a world which she has no control over, and has everything ripped away from her. It should also be noted that some scenes were questionably pushed beyond the limits of decency; a sign of creative freedom at the risk of the players involved. Furthermore, keen observers will recognise familiarity in the lead protagonist Krug’s name, extended to Kruger to take on an alternative threat in the realms of horror in A Nightmare on Elm Street.

Its initial release would spark protests due to its content, but the film would gain business at the Drive-In theatres alongside the double billing of Mario Bava’s Twitch of the Death Nerve. Plus a decent hook tagline of “Repeat. It’s only a movie… It’s only a movie” to draw punters in.

Looking back at it now, TLHOTL has its obvious flaws, namely through some of the performances and the comical tones from the flappable police force. One of whom cinephiles will notice is Martin Kove who would go on to play sensei John Kreese from The Karate Kid franchise. What it does hold is the brutality and uncomfortable scenes that make you shift and squirm in your seat. These moments still are difficult to view even with a modern lens, and this is why it stands strong half a century later.

  • Saul Muerte

Listen to the Surgeons of Horror podcast on The Last House on The Left

Movie review: Crimes of the Future (2022)

27 Saturday Aug 2022

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For a director considered one of a kind, and creating a unique vision for film with the birth of venereal horror, it seems interesting that David Cronenberg should return to the horror genre having been absent from the scene for 23 years. And yet, his latest entry, Crimes of the Future, (which shares the same title as his 1970 feature, but there the similarity ends) bears all the hallmarks of these earlier films in his canon of work combined with his more recent and psychological ventures. Where Cronenberg built his name through the physical and sensual characteristics of humanity, his other fascination in the metaphysical realm and human psyche has risen to the fore. 

There are familiar themes at play here with the advancements of humanity through biotechnology in this instance, but still the harbouring of infectious disease to remind us of our own frailty. The twist though is that infectious disease has been eradicated and humankind has been left with pushing the boundaries of morality without the risk of harm that can come about through surgical measures. These actions are now considered an art form; Cronenberg’s playground, a balance of art and physical horror with an intellectual bent, firmly in the mix. Confrontation is always at the heart of Cronenberg’s features, his curiosity to look at the way we shift and squirm a prime scrutiny of his work. In the opening scenes Crimes of the Future forces us into the realms of discomfort when a mother smothers her child with a pillow because she believes him to be inhuman.

In the film’s journey, we primarily follow Saul Tenser (Viggo Mortensen), who has an accelerated evolution syndrome, where he can develop new internal organs. This leads him to perform live surgical procedures carried out by his partner Caprice (Lea Seydoux). Much like Max Renn in Videodrome, Tenser is driven by his pursuit of truth and this exploration spirals deeper into a loss of control and a fatal resolution.

Tenser weaves his way through an investigation that sees him employed by a governmental agency to infiltrate a group of radicals. This sees him rub shoulders with the National Organ Registry where Timlin (Kristen Stewart) and Wippet (Don McKellar) work. Timlin is immediately enamoured by Tenser and is sexually drawn to him. 

There’s also Lang (Scott Speedman) who is the father of the afore-mentioned boy killed by his mother. Lang’s story is also a tragic one, driven to investigate his son’s condition that allowed him to consume plastics with no detriment to the human body. 

All these avenues intertwine into one complete examination of the human soul, immersed in a world where the physical is no longer a barrier. With no obstacles in place, what does it mean to be human? A question that continues to guide Cronenberg’s pursuit.

The Prognosis:

Mortality is and always be the vessel of David Cronenberg’s interests, be it through venereal horror, metaphysical horror, or sensual and intellectual obsessions. His latest vehicle is a culmination of them all, and through his uniqueness Cronenberg manages to project potentially his most complete image of himself, but in doing so, some of that identity gets lost in this portrayal. Without the edges; Without the pointy edges of quirkiness; David Cronenberg, much like his own lead characters, Max Renn; Seth Brundle; Beverly and Elliot Mantle, become lost in his pursuits and finds his own personality engulfed into obscurity.  Yet I still find myself drawn by his vision.

  • Saul Muerte

Retrospective: The Mole People (1956)

27 Saturday Aug 2022

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Universal Pictures would round out 1956 with another sci-fi horror entitled The Mole People, which these days may evoke visions of The Underminer from The Incredibles.

The production house’s only other genre feature that year was the final instalment to the Creature series, The Creature Walks Among Us. Retrospectively looking back now, I find that The Mole People has little residual effect on my cerebellum. This says a lot about the feature and it’s slow demise from horror into science fiction, a mantle that would give way to upcoming British horror production outfit, Hammer Films.

Loosely based on the concept of a hollow Earth where an alternate human race has evolved and existed deep beneath our planet’s surface.

Part of its dissociation from the audience stems from the narration at the beginning of the movie, detailing the premise of life underground, by Dr. Frank Baxter to add weight to the theory and ironically ground the movie in a hypothetical truth. Instead it just distances us from the story with an unnecessary breaking of the fourth wall.

When the story does pick up however, we follow John Agar as Archaeologist Dr. Roger Bentley who along with his associate Dr. Jud Bellamin (Hugh Beaumont) discovers a Sumerian albino race. This ancient race keep mutant mole people as slaves to harvest mushrooms to er ahem.. serve as a “food source”. Yeah right.

This primitive race is devoted to Ishtar, Goddess of Love, Fertility and War, and it is to this divine presence that they sacrifice young women from their tribe. This also paves way for the love interest in the movie when Bentley falls for intended oblation, Adad (Cynthia Patrick), a fair-headed damsel in distress. 

Apart from their blind devotion, these underground dwellers are also addled by any source of light. Their choice of abode, in the darkness, has led them to be afflicted, and it is through the archaeologists’ flashlight which keeps them at bay; at least until the High Priest (Alan Napier) discovers the use of this tool and that their Godly pretence is a falsehood.

It is the film’s climax however that potentially leaves the biggest mark of ambiguity, when fleeing towards freedom and life above ground, Adad who has chosen to joining Bentley and Bellamin, is suddenly stuck down, when she begins to question her intent. A feeling of unease swiftly follows when the realisation that there will be no happy ending, and the wonderment around the exact purpose of the film.

The Mole People is currently available as part of a blu ray double feature alongside, The Land Unknown at Umbrella Entertainment.

  • Saul Muerte

Movie review: So Vam (2021)

24 Wednesday Aug 2022

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On face value, So Vam starts off as a tough watch due to its low budget restraints, but beneath its paltry appearance, there is an important and integral theme at play here.

At its core, the film is a stark and honest depiction of being ostracised by society as told from the LGTBTQ+ community. The tale is all the more stronger as its author and visionary is trans  filmmaker Alice Maio Mackay, who adds her own personal touch to finding her own community in an almost unforgiving world. Her directorial debut feature heralds a maturity that belies her age at 17 years, but her voice and position allows the truth of her experiences to shine through.

The scene is set in an Australian town where young gay guy, Kurt (Xai) feels he is constantly an outsider and often the victim of those who ridcule him for his identity. Kurt hangs onto the dream of one day becoming a drag queen, where he can showcase his talents on the stage and live in the big city. What he doesn’t expect is to find his tribe among the vampire kind.

When he is one day stalked and killed by a bloodsucker,  only to be brought back to life by a gang of rebellious vampires, hell bent on ridding the old world of bigotry and pain. It is here that he finds a kinship and with it a new found confidence. In finding his way though, he must equally find how his vampire ways must blend with his family and friendship ties. Can these two worlds exist or must he part ways with one over the other?

The Prognosis:

Director Mackay paints a perfect metaphor for transitions and change for a community trapped by their identity through the tale of vampire mythology. Despite its limitations, there is measure to be had here and a narrative that has been crafted with a learned voice. One that pays dividends to sit up and listen to, marking an exciting entry into the LGTBTQ+. With another film released this year (Bad Girl Boogey) Mackay clearly has plenty more stories to tell. It will certainly be interesting to see how she harnesses her craft further.

  • Saul Muerte

So Vam is currently streaming on Shudder Australia and serves as a great companion piece to Death Drop Gorgeous.

Movie review: Glorious (2022)

23 Tuesday Aug 2022

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For her first solo directorial feature, Rebekah McKendry has chosen a bold and interesting choice to play out her tale. Wisely the setting takes place primarily in one location which helps to keep budget to a minimum, but in doing so you are reliant on the talent on show. Thankfully, McKendry has the physical talents of Ryan Kwanten and the mental prowess of J.K Simmons on show to pull off the narrative.

Speaking of narrative, Glorious picks up with a broken and dishevelled Wes (Kwanten) after what appears to be a messy break up. Heavily hungover, he enters a public bathroom to shake off the blues and find a way back into Brenda’s heart, but what he doesn’t expect is to encounter the omniscient presence of Ghatanothoa (Simmons) coming from the adjacent stool.

This is no ordinary confrontation however; more one that was designed with Wes in mind to carry out a deed that Ghatanothoa relies upon. And with it, Wes is thrown into a world of torment and despair, forced to face his own failures and demons, to overcome them for the greater good. The question is, will he be able to prevail, or continuously struggle against it all and fail at his final hurdle. One thing is for sure Ghatanothoa won’t let it be easy for Wes, locking him shut in the public toilets, to literally sort his shit out.

The Prognosis:

There is a lot to pack into the short running time, but McKendry wrangles out some solid performances and makes the most of the meagre budget to pull out all the smoke and mirror acts throughout.

The effects are meagre but handled well with flashes rather than all out gore, and this again is a testament to McKendry’s ability to deliver a succinct film. 

  • Saul Muerte

Glorious is currently streaming on Shudder Australia.

Movie review: Day Shift (2022)

19 Friday Aug 2022

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On face value, Day Shift should be one of those movies that could hook you in with its premise that is essentially a spin on the buddy cop movie, but with vampire hunters instead of cops. It also boasts an intriguing cast with Jamie Foxx and Dave Franco as its leads and with a notable supporting role from Snoop Dogg. The style would try to tap in worthy horror comedies from the 80s but the result is a strange mix of genres that never quite mesh together and seem right,

Down-on-his-luck Bud Jablonski (Foxx), has been serving as a vampire hunter for the last few years in San Fernando Valley. All this time his wife and 10 year old daughter have been led to believe that he is a pool cleaner, and that his odd behaviour has started to take its toll on their relationship. Having already been thrown out of the Guild of vampire hunters because of his unorthodox approach, Bud is forced to go back with his tail between his legs and beg for another chance. Thankfully he is aided by his friend and renowned hunter, Big John Elliot (Dogg) who holds some sway with the company, but there’s a catch. Jablonski must team up with wet-behind-the ears Seth (Franco), a desk clerk who plays everything by the book and is employed to catch Jablonski breaking the rules, so that he can get kicked out of the Guild for good.

The extra barrier and darker threat to Jablonski finding his feet is that he has upset one of the head vampires of the valley, Audrey, now intent on bringing him down and ruining him.

The action sequences throughout the movie are nicely played, so hats off to director J.J. Perry who has crafted his work as a stunt coordinator for a number of high profile flicks including John Wick 2. His knowledge in perfecting stunts on screen really paid off with his delivery for his debut feature in the directors chair. 

The issues arise in the lack of chemistry trying to be perfected by Foxx and Franco, but in their defence, the dialogue and screenplay lets them down a little and often misses the mark in the final product. Often it feels like it is all too content in resting on the sizzle of other movies, that it neglects to have a personality of its own.

The Prognosis:

This is a middle of the road action comedy horror, that offers plenty of bang, but not enough substance to really have any lasting impact on its audience.

  • Saul Muerte

Day Shift is currently streaming on Netflix

Retrospective: Event Horizon (1997)

14 Sunday Aug 2022

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Paul W. S. Anderson has divided audiences since his sophomore feature, Mortal Kombat became a commercial success. Since then, he has been commonly associated with his Resident Evil obsession having produced six instalments and directed four. 

It is however his third feature film that has arguably gained wider cult status and now celebrates 25 years since its release. It is also the movie that made me sit up and expect great things from him as a director. 

It heralds a lot of things for a science fiction horror to warrant the following it currently receives. It has a cracking concept centred in the year 2047, around a rescue mission to the titular spaceship which happens to be carrying an experimental engine that creates a rift in the space-time continuum. The question is not only where did it go? But also, what did it bring back with it when it mysteriously appears again in the orbit of Neptune?

It is further emboldened by a strong cast with Laurence Fishburne as the stoic Capt. Miller, headstrong and in juxtaposition to the unhinged designer of the Event Horizon, Dr. Weir played the always brilliant Sam Neill.

Accompanying the duo is a worthy crew in Kathleen Quinlan’s medical technician, Peters; Joely Richardson’s communications officer, Lieutenant Starck; Richard T. Jones as rescue technician, Cooper; Jack Noseworthy as chief engineer, Justin; Jason Isaacs (a little underused in my humble opinion, but there are a few characters up for the chopping block here) as medical doctor D.J.; and Sean Pertwee as pilot, Smitty. All of who carry around their own personal demons that claw their way to the surface to haunt them, as hell breaks loose.

Initially a box office failure, Event Horizon would find its audience in the home entertainment scene, who would forgive its flaws, predominantly in the final third of the movie, and embrace the special effects on show combined with the psychological breakdown of the human mind… in space!

I, for one, find myself drifting back to this movie time and time again, and consider it one of my guilty pleasures. I still remember the cinematic experience, clearly one of the few who enjoyed it at the time. I also remember a friend of mine from university being deeply moved by the experience, stating it one of the most shocking movies he’d ever seen.

Whatever your experience of it, the cult following keeps on growing and I’m curious to see if Amazon and Paramount will greenlight the TV series that was discussed in 2019, with You’re Next director Adam Wingard potentially overseeing things.

Until then we must continue to claw our way back into the feature film and soak up the crazed ambience, and crackfire performances on show. 

  • Saul Muerte

Retrospective: X: The Unknown

14 Sunday Aug 2022

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As we stride into the second hand half of the 1950s, Hammer Film Productions were taking significant steps towards iconic horror territory. Straight off the back of their successful release of The Quatermass Xperiment, the British horror film company were looking to repeat their success. Initially this was to involve bringing back Professor Quatermass into the fold but his creator Nigel Kneale was none too eager to comply after the way Hammer had treated his character.

So in steps, Jimmy Sangster currently working with Exclusive at the time with an idea to turn the current trend for science fiction on its head away from outer space and to inner space where something comes bubbling beneath the Earth’s surface. Producer Anthony Hinds then gave Jimmy the go ahead to write a script.

The combination that they were aiming for was that blend of science fiction, human endeavour and exploration into the unknown and a menacing presence that would then take over the local town and threaten humanity.

The result was something a little underwhelming as far as the creature in question was concerned but the formula and tension created on screen in the lead up to the climax.

Those with keen eyes would have noted two directors attached to the feature, the first, Joseph Losey (The Go-Between) who had been residing in Britain after being ostracised from Hollywood due to his political ties with the Communist Party USA. It’s not quite clear why he didn’t complete the picture but there have been strong whispers that it may have been due to star Dean Jagger, who strongly opposed this position.

With its notable fears around the threat that the Cold War posed, X: The Unknown managed to capture this on screen and the impact it had on even small town in Scotland. 

The ingredients that were mashed together would be play a significant role along with the Quatermass films to complete the trilogy, raise interest from across the pond and pave the way for history to unfold.

  • Saul Muerte

Movie review: The Long Night (2022)

13 Saturday Aug 2022

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Fear the darkness inside you.

This is the bold tagline that director Rich Ragsdale and his creative team wish to instil fear into their audience with for his feature debut behind the lens. 

In order to evoke any sense of trepidation however, you must first look at two essential ingredients; chemistry and atmosphere. Both of which are sadly lacking here. 

It takes a full 30 minutes of wading through our two leads Grace (Scout Taylor-Compton – Halloween) and her boyfriend Jack (Nolan Gerard Funk – Truth or Dare) struggling to connect on screen. 

Grace is driven by the quest to find the parents she has never known. Following an ominous lead, the couple end up at a remote house surrounded by curious totems, shrugged off as a Southern thing and there’s no sign of their host. 

It’s not until Jeff Fahey’s cameo however as local Wayne, that things heat up and some gravitas is brought to the screen. It’s brief but enough to shake Taylor-Compton’s performance a little and give her more substance to the character. 

It is not quite enough though to ground this movie and propel the action forward despite the sinister looking satanic cult that have encompassed the property. These figures seemingly rely on their menacing presence and the odd mysticism to generate apprehension, but beneath their outer shell is a vacant entity; a symbol of the film as a whole.

Having said that, the movie does boast some nice imagery in places, a signature of Ragsdale’s eye for detail from his days as a cinematographer. It also has a worthy snippet from Deborah Kara Unger, who is always a welcome addition.

The Prognosis:

The Long Night offers a painfully slow descent into a nightmare that struggles to find its roots in terror.
There are moments of promise but all of this is squandered by lack of substance or flair.

  • Saul Muerte

The Long Night is currently available on DVD and VOD (iTunes, Google Play, YouTube Store, and Fetch TV) and released by Eagle Entertainment Australia.