Monthly Archives: February 2024

Movie Review: History of Evil (2024)

23 Friday Feb 2024

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Set in the not too far dystopian future, History of Evil is something of a curiosity. The US has become a fascist state where civilians have taken siege of the law in the name of God and Country. So, we’re presented with a family on the run; The mother, Alegre (Jackie Cruz) an outspoken author against the regime; her daughter, Dario (Murphee Bloom); and the father, Ron (Paul Wesley). Aided by Trudy (Rhona Dents) the family is forced into hiding, and smuggled to a remote location with aim to reach the border and freedom. Just when you think that their life is harrowing enough, their chosen place of refuge provides a slight twist in the tale, marked by a disturbing past, it carries a dark energy that will slowly ebb away and its new residents until it finds a chink in their armour and worm it’s way into their soul.

Partly presented as a gritty drama, the shift into supernatural horror brings forth images of Stephen King’s The Shining where the family seek shelter from the external forces only to be confronted by those within. The balance of their precarious situation and its impact on the psyche is one that is constantly in question and throw the young daughter the elements are there to chip away and set up a haunting tale.

The Prognosis:

The issue with History of Evil is the method that writer / director, Bo Mirhosseni choses to execute his vision, who slowly draws out the narrative to presumably build up the tension. Instead, it ticks along with an ambling pace that ultimately slips into vacancy, where he runs the risk of checking his audience out of the narrative.

The premise is there but it unfolds with little care and the resolution, though impactful, still sets you adrift and pondering the relevance and purpose of it all.

  • Saul Muerte

History of Evil is now streaming on ShudderANZ.

Movie Review: Baghead (2024)

21 Wednesday Feb 2024

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For some, Baghead walks a similar line to the massive Australian hit by the RackaRacka boys, Talk To Me, with its focus and obsession with reaching out and connecting with lost loves, families or friends in the afterlife. Where the latter made waves in the horror genre, was in one measure the manner in which it was able to tap into the popular geist of a modern audience and scrutinise the obsession, addiction, and all-round youthful ignorance when compelled to delve into matters beyond explanation. Tie this in with a grief ridden compulsion to seek the truth and you have a tale fraught with tension and danger.

In the case of Baghead, the audience is presented with a young lady, Iris (Freya Allen – The Witcher) who is seemingly drifting through life with no real purpose. Her aimlessness is somewhat explained when we learn of her estrangement from her father, (Peter Mullan). Iris must come to terms with the gulf that lay between them, and one that will forever be exposed when she hears of her father’s untimely death. The news is one of mixed emotions, but also comes with the discovery that she has inherited a run-down centuries old pub in Berlin. Believing that she may be able to turn her luck around, Iris flies out to identify her father’s remains, and it is then she finds out that there is more than meets the eye about this dilapidated drinking establishment; one that comes with a shape-shifting creature that resides in the basement. This entity can transform into the dead and for a period of two minutes can reconnect loved ones to their lost kin. As always there is a perilous journey at hand when one dabbles with the unknown and if you don’t adhere to the rules, then the Bagheaded creature can turn the table. What is her true motive and can she really be contained in the basement?

The Prognosis:

Baghead is an entertaining story that delves into all-too-familiar terrain. While it treads this path of predictability, there are still a number of twists and turns to keep you gripped along the way. As always, Peter Mullan is painfully enigmatic on screen, exposing the darkest and most vulnerable components of the human soul. His supporting role helps to elevate the narrative to a degree, but the feature and its close proximity to the successful release of Talk To Me, means that it is doomed to fall under its shadow. For that, Baghead will no doubt slip into mediocrity and be lost among the plethora of average horror flicks.

  • Saul Muerte

Movie Review: Midnight Peepshow (2024)

19 Monday Feb 2024

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I’ll say, straight off the bat, that I’m not the biggest fan of Horror anthologies, where there is a series of short stories interwoven with a greater arc that unites them all. The result is usually a mixed bag, with one or two strong entries and the rest flailing in the wind and easily forgotten.

So, to say that I was a little apprehensive is a fair statement when I came across this straight to VOD release, hoping to tap into the dark Web world and ensnare viewers with a bent or intriguing interest.

It’s an ambitious move considering the low budget attached to the feature and the constraints that come with it, as audience members drawn to this style of film, will be hoping for a gratuitous, gore-laden torture fest. Too heavy and you lose your average punter, too laid back and you’ll lose your core group, first drawn to the movie.

Where Midnight Peepshow excels is in the manner that it ensnared you, enticing you down the rabbit hole with a warped metaphor of Alice in Wonderland, tempting you to chase the Black Rabbit.

We’re presented with three tales to embark upon as we’re guided through various tales of mistrust, sexual masochistic vibes and debauchery.

The first tale, Personal Space (Directed by Airell Anthony Hayles) aims to set the precedent with a home invasion with a twist, as a couple are forced to endure a harrowing ordeal and their relationship is pushed to the limits.

The second is just as tense but with a more comedic tone as 3 guys and a girl awaken to find themselves bound and tied and only through a series of gruesome tasks can escape be possible. Presenting them with their challenges entitled, Fuck, Marry, Kill (Directed by Andy Edwards) is an unseen Gamesmaster, voiced by Zach Galligan.

Before, rounding out the trio of macabre narratives, The Black Rabbit (Directed by Jake West)  a man tries to win back the heart of his wife and follows her deeper into the dark Web only to face the most horrifying experience that he could have imagined.

The Prognosis:

The bond that ties the stories together may feel a little loose and unconstrained, but the journey is a twisted mix of curiosity, dark humour, and monstrosity that can only lead to ruin. It may struggle to ignite some passionate voyeurs, but there’s enough of a scent to lure you in and lean into the dank milieu from the three creators, despite its misgivings.

  • Saul Muerte

Movie review: Dario Argento Panico

03 Saturday Feb 2024

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One could argue that no one has crafted such an impact on the horror genre nor weaved a unique style into the fold than Italian Maestro, Dario Argento. Director Simone Scafidi attempts to fashion a visual insight into the auteur’s life and work through a series of archival footage and mixture of interviews from industry admirers such as Guilermo Del Toro; Nicholas Winding Refn, and Gasper Noe; long-time collaborators, Michele Soavi and Lamberto Bava; and family members such as his sister Floriana and daughters Asia and Fiore. All of whom offer their own take on what made Argento such a remarkable talent. That’s not to say that Scafidi isn’t willing to look deeper into Argento’s character, skirting around some of the less than desirable attributes that can be carried by gifted and driven disposition. It’s an area that sparks the potential to venture into the lengths that an individual may go to in order to create their vision. This issue is that Scafidi merely dangles this observation before the viewer, little willing to venture below the surface of Argento’s veneer.

That being said, there is plenty to stoke the fire of creativity on show, and Dario Argento Panico produces a window into a remarkable career, including moments with the man himself, talking through his own observations and reasonings across a multitude of highs and lows, starting with his impactful beginnings and the animal trilogy, The Bird With The Crystal Plumage; The Cat O’Nine Tails; and Four Flies on Grey Velvet, including the Three Mothers trilogy, Suspiria, Inferno, and The Mother of Tears. Just the tip of the iceberg, but one that we can gracefully skate across an absorbing collection of works.

The Prognosis:

Dario Argento Panico is a documentary that testifies to the remarkable talent that the director has provided in the celluloid world. It will no doubt grip cinephiles and fans of Argento’s work, but there is lost potential here, where the director is all too willing to skim the surface, neglecting the urge to cut deeper into the character, and the balance between greatness and the sacrifice one makes to achieve high standards, damning all that may fall between. There are moments that Scafidi dalliances with the heart of an auteur and one can only wonder how far he would have pushed the knife, to cut open and dissect the things that maketh the man.

  • Saul Muerte

Dario Argento Panico is currently streaming on Shudder.