Category Archives: Movie review

Movie review: The Nun

13 Thursday Sep 2018

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As I write this review The Nun has just broken records by pushing The Conjuring franchise into the no.1 spot for horror movies.
James Wan’s original vision continues to develop and grow beyond its initial premise to scare and delight the masses.
Some clever marketing was behind The Nun’s box office appeal, enticing audiences with the promise to scare and chill to the bone came from its trailer, (essentially one big jump scare) but when you lift back the veil and look beyond the smoke and mirrors, does the film really deserve the hype that it generated?

To Wan’s credit his style has been present throughout all the movies and the production company have often given up and coming or promising directors to weave their magic for a wider audience.
This is why I was quietly interested in seeing how The Nun would fair as director Corin Hardy had been passed the torch to continue flaming the fires of horror.
His debut feature The Hallow, which didn’t exactly ignite the cinematic world, did show promise in a world saturated through pain and sorrow infused with folk mythology. With those ingredients, The Nun looked like it was in capable hands.

Instead we were provided with a series of jump scares knitted together with an incredibly loose plot. Sure, there was plenty of backstory to Valak the Nun, and how that entity was inflicted onto the world, but beyond that it was like watching blood dry on the walls. Moments of congealing perhaps, but still just the same blood and the same wall. At least with Annabelle: Creation (another origin story from the same universe) there were some clever uses of cinematography and effects that tricked the eye and allowed to entertain as a result. The Nun offered nothing and was a huge let down as a result.

If it did have a redeeming feature, it was that the three leads, Taissa Farmiga, Demián Bichir, and Jonas Bloquet were actually pretty decent in their respective roles despite having little to play with. Having said that, it was a little confusing to see Taissa Farmiga, sister to Vera who plays Lorraine Warren in The Conjuring movies, as quite naturally they share similar features and it left you wondering the inherent purpose behind that choice. For me it was distracting but more from the ending of the movie than the main bulk of the film.

The Diagnosis:

A paint-by-numbers horror movie that relied on jump scares and lack of inventiveness. Too often the direction relied on obvious tricks of the trade whilst it tried to weave in a decent backstory to Valak, who was far from sinister or scary compared to her introduction in The Conjuring 2. The success of this movie will mean that a sequel will be in the works, let’s just hope they allow the demonic nun the chance to really let loose.
– Saul Muerte

Movie review: Luz

09 Sunday Sep 2018

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Luz is a film that is ultimately about demonic possession, but it certainly isn’t your typical window into the occult.
It is not some simple, paired down student project shot on a low budget, instead director Tilman Singer offers a minimalistic style reminiscent of playwright Bertolt Brecht and is set in a handful of isolated interior locations.
This adds to the harrowing and strange feeling that is carried throughout the film, all the more haunting for the powerful performances on display. Nora’s odd twitchy movements and the intensity of police psychiatrist Dr Rossini simply add more fuel to the stifled ambience.
Everything is incredibly stylised and each movement no matter how small is charged with emotion or reason. If anything, the minimalism forces the actors to bare their souls on screen that is ironic as the story centres around a demon, hell-bent on taking the soul of our lead, Luz.

The starkness of the décor coming straight out of the heart of the 70s adds to this sense of isolation and bewilderment. This coupled with the awesome retro soundtrack by Simon Waskow thrusts the viewer into a world far removed from their own and into a world of despair.

As the demonic presence homes in on its prey, the more potent the drama becomes and the free fall into madness becomes ever more present.

The short running time of 70 mins only compliments the movie more, keeping the story in a tight and succinct timeframe packing enough depth to the plot line whilst keeping the audience gripped.


The Diagnosis:

Singer manages to balance the highs and lows in a harmony of beautifully constructed cinematography and movement.
The performances are strong across the board and all the components tie together in an interesting and unique approach to demonic possession.

– Saul Muerte

Catch the screening of Luz at the Sydney Underground Film Festival.

Screening times and tickets available below:

SATURDAY 15TH SEPTEMBER – 12PM NOON
SATURDAY TICKET

Movie review: Trauma

05 Wednesday Sep 2018

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Who do they call upon when other ‘Surgeons’ fear to tread? but yours truly, “Howling Mad Moon” Maguire. The assignment presented to me has been described as “the most shocking, brutal and extreme horror film in recent times”, and with a title like Trauma you can only expect some kind of residual scarring after witnessing the events that unfold through its narrative.

This film sure ain’t for the faint-hearted and sets the tone straight away by ramming it straight down your throat in such a confronting way that its not surprising that it has been likened to A Serbian Film in its nature and depiction of humanity at its worst. There’s rape, torture, and incest all within the first scene that leaves you feeling sick to the stomach and grimacing at the prospect of where Chilean director Lucio A Rojas will take his audience next.

Where he does take you almost teases the audience into a false-sense of security to juxtapose the intro, as we see an incredibly intimate scene between two women, breaking the cardinal rule of any horror film, so our hopes of their survival are in doubt, if Rojas were to play by those rules.

But what is survival? It’s as if the meaning of that word is irrelevant in this world in upheaval through the turmoil of General Pinochet’s rule in Chile.
The question should be more about ‘What does it takes to exist?’ as Rojas shines a spotlight on the plight of the country of his birth at a time when the world just turned its head. (This echoed by one of the police officials in the storyline) Rojas does everything he can to deny you this right, by forcing you to watch.
The pain is highlighted further as we journey alongside four female characters in search of a weekend getaway and slowly getting to know each of them through some wonderful character development, only to be crushed by the realisation that their world is about to clash with the dark and twisted underbelly that resides in their haven.

The Diagnosis:

You have to have a strong stomach for this one and the opening scene may turn viewers away. That’s not to mention the harrowing ordeal that takes place throughout the films narrative. If you can brace yourself, prepare to be educated in a time that the world wanted to ignore and forget by a director who has a firm grasp on what that reality means to him and those of his country.

The most shocking thing is that this is just a whisper of time that we bear witness to. There are other stories are left untold are the ones that leave you haunted and scarred by the unknown. Trauma lives up to its name and then some.

– ‘Howling Mad Moon’ Maguire

Catch the screening of Trauma at the Sydney Underground Film Festival.

Screening times and tickets available below:

FRIDAY 14TH SEPTEMBER – 10.30PM
FRIDAY TICKET

Movie review: Christmas Blood

03 Monday Sep 2018

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Personally I find the Norwegian title (Yuleblod) creates more of an impact than its English transcription, but everything else about this film translates superbly for the wider audience, and is a great addition to the Sydney Underground Film Festival.

Director Reinert Kiil (great name for a horror director by the way) is no stranger to the genre, cutting his art with a distinctive Nordic vibe throughout his credits thus far.
The premise of this movie has a killer Santa on the loose, murdering his victims with his trusty pickaxe during the festive season every year. For those who might be turned off by this premise, or are still recovering from the scars that Silent Night, Deadly Night produced in the 80’s, fear not. Kiil delivers a fun, psychological, slasher movie that doesn’t shy away from its nostalgic roots whilst still delivering the sucker punch that fans of the subgenre will love.

Part of Christmas Blood’s lure is in the way it plays its straight and by setting the scene in his childhood town of NordKapp, Kiil is able to draw on what he knows for the setting of Santa’s most recent rampage.

All the hallmarks are there, Killer soundtrack with metal riffs and the psychotic Santa even has his own theme for when he bears down on his next victim, which Kiil does through the use of POV to both direct and on occasion misdirect the audience.

There’s also the stranded females in an isolated location, waiting to be picked off one by one, and Kiil does a great job in making us questions who if anyone will survive. And let’s not forget the hard-boiled alcoholic detective who has been through this before and is destined to try and bring down Santa once and for all, accompanied by the brash, new upstart detective who is hoping to leave his mark in hunting down the notorious serial killer.
And there are plenty of gruesome kills to satiate fans of the slasher genre.

The diagnosis:

Kiil takes the viewer where others have dared to tread but rarely succeeded and offers a decent stab at the slasher horror genre with some yuletide flavour. Expect a fun-ride, great kills, and a Santa who is completely off his sleigh.

  • Saul Muerte

Catch the screening of Christmas Blood at the Sydney Underground Film Festival.

Screening times and tickets available below:

SATURDAY 15TH SEPTEMBER – 11PM
SATURDAY TICKET

Movie review: Tokyo Vampire Hotel

29 Wednesday Aug 2018

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Now in its sixth year the Sydney Underground Film Festival has firmly laid claim to the weird and wonderful world of movies on the festival circuit. In doing so it has provided Australian audiences with access to a unique, colourful and bizarre celluloid landscape that wouldn’t ordinarily see the light of day.

Thank God they do, because films like Tokyo Vampire Hotel fits the criteria perfectly, offering a diverse and delightful skew on the tried genre of vampirism, which is so refreshing to see.

Japanese director Sion Sono provides a theatrical cut to his 9 part miniseries for the festival, with a rich and striking pallet that sometimes feels like it is dripping off the screen.

The characters are instantly iconic and ooze charisma, from the magnanimous Yamada to the sword-wielding K, the latter cutting a familiar figure in Japanese folk mythology and on occasion triggers images of Lady Snowblood to the mind’s eye.

K’s character complements the old and new world of vampire legend, hailing from the Dracula dynasty and charged with locating and protecting soon-to-be 22 year old Manami from rival vampire clan, the Corvins.
Manami becomes the core focus for the warring families as they vie for her pure blood and become victors once and for all.

It’s obvious that this film originated in broken down segments with the pace and energy peppering the narrative at a cracking pace, and constantly pushing the viewer onto the next scenario. The soundtrack also helps to fire the action along thanks to math-rock act Tricot’s catchy upbeat anthems. To Sono’s credit he does this seamlessly and with each instance he up’s the ante and trebles the crazy much to the delight of this reviewer.

The result has us see some beautiful images and strange scenarios from total annihilation by a sugary sweet assassin, armed with crazy dialogue and an endless supply of ammo and arsenal to take out an entire café; to massive gunfights and explosions on the streets of Tokyo; and full-on gore, mayhem, and bloody carnage, as vampires and mortals rip each other to shreds.
It’s a glorious sight to behold and leaves you wanting more from the world that Sono has created on-screen.

The Diagnosis:
Tokyo Vampire Hotel has cult viewing written all over it and deserves a global audience. Go see the theatrical cut while you can.

– Saul Muerte

Catch the screening of Tokyo Vampire Hotel at the Sydney Underground Film Festival.

Screening times and tickets available below:

FRIDAY 14TH SEPTEMBER – 10.30PM
FRIDAY TICKET

Movie review: Mandy

28 Tuesday Aug 2018

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Okay. There are some people who will watch this movie and instinctively think that it’s a pile of artistic wank within the first few minutes, but for those who stick it out through the admittedly slow pace will find themselves lured into a fantastical journey, that leaves you entranced by the sheer bloody beauty that is depicted on screen.

Italian director Panos Cosmatos’ sophomore outing is an attack on the senses that is delivered in a trance-like state, enamoring you by its beauty of rich colours and kaleidoscopic fluidity. This false-sense of sedateness is doubled further with the deep dialogue between kindred couple Red Miller (Nic Cage) and Mandy Bloom (Andrea Riseborough) which lends itself to the hippy-life that they lead in the remote northern wilderness.

Enter cult leader Jeremiah Sand awesomely portrayed by Linus Roache, oscillating between delusional insanity and vulnerability sublimely. From a chance encounter with Mandy, Jeremiah like the audience is intoxicated and feels compelled to delve further into her mystery, so he brings his entourage of devotees and sadistic fucks to rip apart this idyllic sanctuary and claim Mandy for his own. The problem is that perfection doesn’t exist and when Mandy doesn’t meet his expectations, Jeremiah wants to tear it up and destroy everything. By severing open the guts of peace and bliss, Jeremiah unwittingly sours the land of milk and honey and from that moment on, the turmoil and angst that has been contained, pours forth in a devastating form that has no means of slowing down until the balance is restored once more.

The depredation is the trigger for Red to resort to his base instincts and exact pure bloody hell and revenge on Mandy’s tormentors. This dark and twisted journey that Red undertakes is filled with pure anarchy and hatred that it feels only an actor like Cage can portray. The beauty of his performance though isn’t from his stereotypical over-the-top exuberance but in the stifled and restrained approach that he plays his role, which is a testament to both Cage’s acting prowess and Cosmatos’ direction. By ever so slowly dialing up the heat, Red reaches the pique of frenzy at the right moment in the film to make it both believable and a delight to see.

The diagnosis:
Beware of your strive for beauty and perfection. Slice it open and you get a reign of anarchy and destruction.
Cage taps into the life of a man who has his whole world savagely ripped wide open and ventures out on a path for vengeance and fury, delivering one of his finest performances to date.
It’s a visually stunning movie with an amazing cast including a welcome cameo from Bill Duke in the midst of the mind-fuckery that goes on.
Whilst it’s not for everyone, this movie will delight many in its unique style and approach to the celluloid form.

The Big Boss on crack!!

– Saul Muerte
Catch the screening of Mandy at the Sydney Underground Film Festival.

Screening times and tickets available below:

SUNDAY 16TH SEPTEMBER – 7PM
SUNDAY TICKET

Mandy 1

Movie review: Bonehill Road

25 Saturday Aug 2018

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When director Todd Sheets set about fulfilling his dream passion project of filming a practical effects werewolf movie (that was reminiscent of the classic movies of yesteryear such as The Howling or An American Werewolf in London) via an Indiegogo crowd funding, he hardly expected it to gain the massive traction that it finally generated.
The interest and backing from like-minded individuals keen to see a film produced similar to the ones they grew up loving with an old school mentality approach even gained interest from Indiegogo, citing the campaign as a benchmark in crowd sourcing.
The movie is ultimately a B-movie horror, but that term isn’t necessarily something to look down upon, as Bonehill Road is elevated by Sheets’ choice as both writer and director.
The creature effects are impressive and trigger the perfect amount of nostalgia along the way, but it’s the heart of the story that is it’s strongest point and the journey that our two leads, Emily and her daughter Eden are forced to go through in their fight for survival.
They flee from an abusive husband/father only to jump out with the pan and into the fire when they encounter a murderous psychopath who has a number of women tied up in his home. In this one moment, Bonehill Road turns from your typical werewolf flick to a story about female empowerment. A genius stroke from Sheets as it makes the movie not only contemporary and relevant in todays climate, but also cuts to the pointy end of sexual oppression that is so often overlooked in the news and media. The women must bond together in their suffering and rise up against the constant wave of male dominance in order to survive. It’s a shame then that the Gramps character has to make an entrance to help initiate a rescue. It may have been cool to have a gender swap here to and have Granny coming in to aid, and leverage off the classic wolf story, Little Red Riding Hood a touch. Then again, that road has already been travelled to a degree with Neil Jordan’s A Company of Wolves, so who am I to judge?

When the werewolves do come and they do as a pack, as our victims are hold up inside the house, they attack from every where, heightening that feeling of societies judgement and vitriol towards victims of sexual and domestic violence comes crashing through the walls with no direction or safety on the apparent horizon.

Throw in the casting of a name in the horror circuit with Linnea Quigley (Return of the Living Dead) as one of the fellow kidnapped victims and Sheets provides some further leverage in bringing in a wider fan base to Bonehill Road, proving that not only is he one of the most likeable directors in the business but also one of the smartest.

 

The Diagnosis:

Todd Sheets brings a bout of old school werewolf horror to the B movie scene packed with practical effects, and offers a strong heart that beats with purpose offering a fresh take on a tried and tested genre.

 

  • Saul Muerte

Movie review: Slender Man

22 Wednesday Aug 2018

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There are some movies that you can tell will look like turds when they’re released based on the trailer alone, and then there comes the cataclysmic eruption of shit that movies like Slender Man offer that grossly under-estimate your initial reservations.

If you’re thinking I may be coming across a little harsh, then think again. Slender Man fails to deliver a single ounce of originality which is ironic considering the slightness of the ‘boogey man’s name.
This is the problem when you try to create a feature length story based on a creepypasta internet meme. It’s like the producers got together and said “Hey, that would make a great movie”, then sealing the deal without actually considering what that concept may look like in the 93 minutes that ended up in the theatrical cut.
Once greenlit it seems the screenwriter decided to steal from every possible horror movie trait going and try to cobble this together out of… out of fucking nothing!!!

The film plays on the paranoia that supposedly brings about when you watch any of the viral videos on the net, and shock horror he enters your mind and… does what exactly? It’s never really clear, but once he does, you’re fucked. All this sounds eerily familiar to the Samara shenanigans in Ring.

The quartet of girls that the movie revolves around evoke the Slender Man from his slumber but have little to offer in the mix either with incredibly 2-dimensional characters leaving us with little care factor. The cast should be able to deliver with Joey King promising once more, but like her role in Wish Upon, falling short again; The Affair’s Julia Goldani Telles also provides appeal based on her previous role, but we’re left wondering who’s journey we’re supposed to be following, which ordinarily might seem clever, but ends up as a complete muddle. Even the promise of Annalise Basso (Ouija: Origin of Evil, Oculus) ends up being woefully underused.

 

The Diagnosis:

Honestly, this was a painful watch. No originality. No real concept. And a boogeyman that just didn’t scare. Avoid if you can.

 

  • Saul Muerte

Movie review: The Meg

22 Wednesday Aug 2018

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“All shark and no bite”

They promised you big, and big we got, but probably not necessarily what the producers were hoping for.

The BIG question lies in two classification rating. Whilst they strive to appease a wider market with an M rating, those hungry for some blood, guts, and full-on gore will be sorely disappointed. The Meg shark never really scares or shocks the audience and on more than one occasion appears happy to just swim around waiting for the humans to plan time-consuming methods to either tag or destroy the beast.

The movie does spend a hell of a long time building up some backstory to the main protagonists so that the audience will hopefully give a damn about their outcome but a lot of the time leans towards a predictable conclusion.

The main criticism is primarily focused on Jonas’ (Jason Statham) plight. The film set up shows Jonas needing to make a critical decision during a deep sea rescue, which ultimately leaves two of his comrades to die. The issue I found is that we aren’t really ever introduced to these two characters or their relationship with Jonas for this blow to have any devastating impact. This ain’t no Maverick / Goose moment.
Instead we rely on Statham’s angst at this supposed ordeal as he grimaces and tries to pull his best pensive expression.
The result leaves Jonas all washed up and resorting to drink.
So, when an experimental science expedition uncovers an unexplored underwater terrain, which inadvertently sets The Meg free, who should be could back into action to rescue those trapped in perilous depths? None other than our friend Jonas.

There’s some weak plots thrown into the midst, with Jonas’ ex being one of the survivors in need of rescue, but there’s enough of a twist to push the love interest in a different direction before falling prey to a predictable path.
To the writers’ credit though, there is enough interest in the characters to keep you interested… just. And the cast is solid enough to ground some of those characters.

Ultimately though, this is a Statham movie, so it’s not going to ground-breaking but it is going to be entertaining.

The Diagnosis:
Naturally some people will want to compare this movie to Jaws, the Titan of shark movies, but as big as you will make the shark, the result will always fall under the giant shadow that Spielberg’s classic still holds. And no blatant rip-off beach sequence is going to elevate anyone’s belief in that stat, although I did love the inflatable water walking balloon and Pippin the dog for comic value.
Not Statham’s finest hour but worth the plunge all the same.

  • Saul Muerte

Movie review: Another WolfCop

04 Wednesday Jul 2018

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Back in 2014 Lowell Dean followed up his debut feature 13 Eerie, (a straight up horror sci-fi starring Katharine Isabelle), with a more comedy focused horror vehicle about deadbeat alcoholic cop, Lou who is transformed into a werewolf by a strange cult run by shape-shifters.

To say that it was a little off kilter is something of an understatement, but this was part of its appeal. WolfCop provided a quirky, light-hearted comedy with some amped-up, injected B-Horror.
It was a film that was a much-needed addition to the horror landscape with its heart and fur blazoned proudly on its sleeve.
So it was little surprise that it developed a decent following and even less surprising that Dean would look to follow up WolfCop for further instalment, this time titled Another WolfCop.

Returning as the booze-addled lycanthrope, Leo Fafard provides the same shtick that we came to love from the predecessor, but with the chains a little more unleashed.
Coming back to the role of Tina is Amy Matysio who somehow keeps a straight face effortlessly throughout all the mayhem that ensues.
Also returning is Jonathan Cherry as Willie Nelson, which might sound odd for those that have watched WolfCop before, but Dean does his level best to crowbar Willie’s resurrection in order to utilise the same chemistry that made that film so enjoyable the first time around.

Whilst that chemistry is still evident, it feels a little strained in places indicating that the ink may have run dry in the comedy stakes.
I hope that this isn’t the case as I do enjoy the adventures, as wild as they appear, and like the idea of WolfCop being a returning franchise.

Some of the humour slips into crass territory and feels vaguely familiar. It’s only when Kevin Smith appears on the scene as the town mayor that the slight shift in comedy makes sense.
Whilst I have loved Smith’s work in the past, Another WolfCop comes across as a distant cousin to Yoga Hosers or Tusk in places, which isn’t his finest hour.
You do tend to forgive this decision, but only partially as fans of the franchise will be willing to be dragged through the crazed antics in order to see WolfCop ripping it up again.
And hey, any reason to see Yannick Bisson (Murdoch Mysteries) ham it up as the villain of the piece is a good a reason as any.

 

The Diagnosis:

More alcohol fuelled anarchy from the WolfCop team that delivers a hefty punch, but the impact that lands isn’t as memorable as the first outing.
Having said that, it’s still a fun ride and worth it to see Lou Garou and the gang delve into another deranged journey.

 

 – Saul Muerte