Category Archives: Movie review

Short Movie review: Jax In Love

08 Thursday Feb 2018

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Cruising down the freeway, with music blaring on the car stereo, we are introduced to Jax, as she sings along in a slightly off-key manner and seemingly without a care in the world.

But who is Jax? Why is she drifting through the desert with a devil-may-care attitude?

This beautifully shot short film, which has been making a mark on the festival circuit and setting tongues wagging enters into the viewers world with an aimlessness that echoes the ever-expanding landscape which marks its setting, somehow lures you in and with each passing frame, we discover more and more to Jax’s complex character.

With Academy Award nominee, Colin Campbell at the helm, this film is in safe hands as he crafts together a story which unfolds smoothly and each reveal feels natural as a result.

Writer Rakefet Abergel has a firm grasp on her creation of the titular Jax, and it should come as no surprise that she takes on the lead on-screen too.
Her shift from naivety and innocence, to a strong, dynamic confidence is a believable one, and in many ways the viewer is left feeling sympathetic to her plight, which is a testament to Abergel’s craftmanship.

The Diagnosis:

A well crafted story that hinges on Jax’s character.
Thankfully both writer and director have the make up to produce a complex figure that is definitely not who she seems.
The journey is an enduring one but with a destination is well worth the wait.

Jax In Love is still doing the festival circuits at the time of writing.

Do yourself a favour. If it’s in your neighbourhood, check out one of the following festivals and catch Jax In Love and many more:

Oregon Scream Week – February 16-17
Hollywood Reel Independent Film Festival – February 21 – March 2
Pasadena Film Festival – March 7 – 14
Indie Horror Film Festival – March 16 – 18

  • Saul Muerte

 

 

Movie review: Victor Crowley

06 Tuesday Feb 2018

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Michael Myers, Jason Voorhees, and Freddy Kreuger.

All names that have made their mark in the horror movie industry and beyond, such was the impact that these characters had in arguably the golden era of the genre.

Since then, filmmakers have struggled to emulate the success and somehow fallen short. The Scream franchise took the genre and gave it a new twist, but this only led to filmmakers trying to repeat this success too and as such we got the torrid I Know What You Did Last Summer as a result.

Now, when you throw the name Victor Crowley into the ring, few people will know you you are referring to, and yet due to director Adam Green’s passion we have now seen 4 feature films based around this grotesque creature, hell-bent on vengeance and bloody mayhem on the Bayou.

It’s attracted staple actors of the horror genre such as Robert Englund, Tony Todd, Danielle Harris, and notably Kane Hodder, who took on the role of Victor for the Hatchet film series.

It is however, the latest instalment that has seen the character’s name take centre stage, thrusting him into the limelight once more and in effect serving as something of a re-boot to the series.

So, why is it then, that the franchise has slipped under the radar?

Well, with closer scrutiny of Victor Crowley, you could understand why, because on face value, it appears to be an example of painful characters, and poor performances. However, as the story unfolds, and the deeper into the swamp we submerge ourselves into, the more the dialogue starts to build in strength and the wit rises to the surface with abundance.

Sure, the characters are incredibly two dimensional, but that only allows their demise when it comes to be sweet. Oh, so sweet.

Speaking of demise, the deaths in Victor Crowley are brutal and savage with enough blood and guts, and gory detail that you’ll laugh, squirm and delight with each gut wrenching kill.

The Diagnosis:

Never judge a book by its cover. It may take a while to warm to but let yourself be taken over by this feature and you’ll be pleasantly surprised.

It’s balls-to-the-wall fun and churns along with a bloody glorious rampage.
Watch it and make Victor Crowley the horror household name that it deserves to be.

 

  • Saul Muerte

Movie review: 3 Dead Trick or Treaters

05 Monday Feb 2018

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The first thing that grips you about Torin Langen’s anthology of Halloween themed horror is that it’s very much his universe.

A sickening, twisted world where the very heart is nothing but a dark and throbbing beast, dripping with stuff of nightmares.

Essentially 3 Dead Trick or Treaters serves up four short stories, each with their own tortured journeys for Langen to share, interwoven by a paperboy lured by curiosity to the films bleak conclusion.

This labour of love project is such a glorious treasure to behold, absent of dialogue which makes the horrific scenes all the more painful to endure.

But like the fore-mentioned paperboy, the viewer feels compelled to know more and this Langen has you ensnared.

From the first chapter (Fondue) and its teen lovers pact that is pushing the boundaries of their companionship to try out something new, something that may push them to the limits of no return; To the Witchery themed chapter (Malleus Maleficarum) that similarly pits a couple who delve into a world of barbarity, but will they both be able to take that journey together or will one of them crack?
(Stash) then takes the voyeur into the next chapter where a homeless trio is forced to the brink of despair in order to survive.
By this stage the theme of rejection starts to ring strong and true, building to the films climax but not before the final chapter (Delivery) plays a master hand of misdirection and and a slight injection of humour.

The Diagnosis:
This is Torin Langen’s playground.
A world filled with lost souls and the tortured, empty vessels of humanity, all searching for some sense of belonging.
They will push themselves in order to find ‘that fix’ whilst battling rejection and depravity.
In doing so, Langen has firmly established himself as an artist that we should watch with keen interest.

– Saul Muerte

 

Catch the screening of 3 Dead Trick or Treaters at the MidWest WierdFest.

You can already purchase discounted day or full festival passes to the 2018 festival here, through the festival’s ticketing partner site FilmFreeway.  (Tickets to individual films will be available closer to the festival, directly via the website of the Micon Budget Downtown Cinema). Go on. Get weird!

 

Movie review: Attack of the Tattie-Bogle

30 Tuesday Jan 2018

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Movie review: Attack of the Tattie-Bogle

It’s fast approaching March and for those crazy folk in Wisconsin it can only mean one thing… the return of the much-anticipated MidWest WierdFest and all the strange mayhem that comes with it.
So it seems fitting that our first film review from the festival line-up should take place in Wisconsin, Attack of the Tattie-Bogle, but first things first, what the fuck is a Tattie-Bogle?
It’s not as the name suggests some kind of potato snot.
No, this is a Scottish term for scarecrow, but although it may bear some similarity to The Town That Dreaded Sundown, this film goes for all out realism with its characters reactions and the ordeal that they are faced with.

Set on Independence Day, where we see a mixed group of patriots, liberalists, and romantics, who gather at a remote cabin to celebrate the festivities only to be forced to use their wits and guile from a rampant and bloody attack.

As the movie winds you in, my first reaction felt a little stifled as the acting and pace felt a little strained and the dialogue, although going for naturalism comes across a little forced at times.

This is all forgiven by the time it reaches the first onslaught, which comes thick and fast, with such brutal savagery it tears apart the senses with stark reality.

Half the group is dispatched with quick severity, which is a good thing as it would have been hard to track who’s who without this swift attack.

From here on in, it’s anyone’s guess who will survive and with each attempt of escape and moment of solidarity quickly snuffed out by the attacker, the tension mounts with incredible unease.

By the films conclusion at just over the hour mark, you certainly feel like you’ve gone through the wringer. And the film satisfies as a result.

The Diagnosis:

Despite some dubious acting and dialogue in places, director Pete Macy offers a delightfully savage look at the slasher genre in which the brutal reality shines through and becomes its champion.

Check this out to see a low budget, bloody film which pits the question of what would you do when confronted with an ambush in a land far removed from your own.

– Saul Muerte

 

Catch the screening of Attack of the Tattie-Bogle at the MidWest WierdFest.

You can already purchase discounted day or full festival passes to the 2018 festival here, through the festival’s ticketing partner site FilmFreeway.  (Tickets to individual films will be available closer to the festival, directly via the website of the Micon Budget Downtown Cinema). Go on. Get weird!

 

Movie review: Tragedy Girls

28 Sunday Jan 2018

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Tragedy Girls invites you on a candy-coloured journey bursting with cheerleaders, glitter, hashtags, and bloody, flinch-worthy slayings.
Yep, the horror comedy genre got a Millennial makeover.

Alexandra Shipp (X-Men: Apocalypse) and Brianna Hildebrand (Deadpool) are perversely likeable BFFs obsessed with two things; each other and their ‘Tragedy Girls’ social media page dedicated to all things murder.

To bump up their online cred, the girls kidnap a serial killer, gushing “we’re your biggest fans, dude!” as he struggles against his restraints and spits out a grocery list of heinous threats against them.
Inspired, the girls gleefully go on a killing spree in their hometown with results reminiscent of something from Final Destination with a Heathers twist.

The death scenes themselves never quite hit those horror high notes, but they never sink to beige level either.
One particularly creative murder in a school workshop involving a saw to the face will make you genuinely concerned for the safety of woodworking students everywhere.

Shipp and Hildebrand are believable teen besties and nail the innocent-looking serial killer facade.
But just when you begin to feel comfortable with the casting choices along comes Josh Hutcherson and you’ll spend a good few seconds squinting at the screen; “oh my gosh- is that Peeta from The Hunger Games?”
It is, and he has a fun cameo as a motorcycle-riding, in-tune-with-his-emotions love interest.

The Diagnosis:

Tragedy Girls is bubblegum horror; you’ll enjoy it in the moment but eventually it will close it’s flavour and you’ll forget about it.
While it succeeds as a fun cautionary tale for the evils of social media, but finds the traditional high-school slasher tropes hard to shake.

Essentially, prepare yourself for #cluelesswithknives.

– Ellin Williams

Movie review: Our Evil

24 Wednesday Jan 2018

Posted by in A Night of Horror Film Festival, Movie review

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There are slow burners and then there’s Our Evil, which trucks along at the pace of a clapped out milk float.
And yes, I’m fully aware of how old that statement makes me but it’s the only analogy I could come up with that gets anywhere close to describing just how slow the pace of the movie is.

There are average cinema-goers who may cringe at the lack of speed, and it is in fairness, both its weakness and its strength.
The longbow that is being pulled is well worth the payoff in my opinion, and could very well be the reason that the film was recognised for its strength in direction at last years A Night of Horror film festival.

Brazilian filmmaker Samuel Galli would take home the “Best Director” award vision, and would the film would also capture the “Best Male Performance” award to Ademir Esteves for his role of Arthur, a man who oozes coolness from the exterior, but deep down holds a secret, that pains him to the core.

Arthur is a man of spiritual nature, who is warned by his mentor that his daughter will become possessed by a demon hellbent on destroying her soul. What would you do when faced with such a proclamation? Why hire a serial killer to protect her of course.

The beauty of this movie is that it somehow manages to ebb and flow through various styles and story-telling techniques that range from the beauty to the most violent and gruesome scenes set to screen.

The fact that it manages to do this with such ease and simplicity without jarring the audience is a testament to Galli’s ability to guide you through each scene that grips you and keeps you intrigued to know what direction he is taking you in.

Added to this is Galli’s decision to use theatre-trained actors and ask them to pair back the performance to the point that it pulls you in further into the dark world that the film is set in. Once hooked, we’re ensnared and taken on a ride that delivers a hefty punch come the conclusion.

 

The Diagnosis:

Galli’s vision is what steers this unique tale that utilises subtle performances to intensify the emotions and anguish on display.

There’s a fine line between, good and evil, life and death, and Our Evil manages to walk that line with perfect balance of both these extremes.

 

– Saul Muerte

 

Movie review: mother!

20 Saturday Jan 2018

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What went wrong with mother!?

 

In order to answer that question, you need to first look at its creator, Darren Aronofsky and his career to date.
His debut feature Pi, would wow the critics of a man who would be driven by madness and obsession with mathematics as a universal language. This idea of obsession is evident in both Javier Bardem’s character and to a degree Jennifer Lawrence’s too in mother!
Two years later that obsession and dedication for the ultimate thrill would transfer into the deeply disturbing and frightening journey of the central characters In Aronofsky’s sophomore outing, Requiem For A Dream. Only this time it would be in the form of alcohol and drug addiction that would ultimately pull their lives apart in pursuit of said dream.
And then again in The Fountain’s quest for the meaning of life through science and medicine which led one critic to describe as ‘rampant, metaphysical codswallop.’
By this time, Aronofsky was in danger of falling somewhere between genius and insanity with his subject choices.
Arguably, The Wrestler would continue this trend with a fine performance from Mickey Rooney, who struggles to fall from grace, continuously being pulled back into the ring and the fame that comes with it.
Natalie Portman would push the boundaries of brilliance in the next feature, Black Swan, that perfectly tapped into the driven ambition of a ballerina and her search for perfection.
Noticing a theme yet?
Noah similarly sees the titular character determined to fulfil his vision in Aronofsky’s first feature to lend itself to biblical matters, so it’s no wonder that he would again try from the ‘good book’ and delve into the story of Genesis for mother!
This re-imagining would be told from the eyes of Mother Earth, (Lawrence) as she will do everything she can to protect her house (the Earth), the man she loves, the creator, Him, or God if you will (Bardem).
Throw in a dash of Man/Adam (Ed Harris), Woman/Eve (Michelle Pfeiffer), their sons, Cain and Abel, and a sprinkle of humanity gone wild, and you have the chaotic, unstable world that is told throughout the movie.
Aronofsky’s world is so infused with biblical images and metaphors that some would argue that it’s laid a little too thick, and its this depiction that could easily sway the viewer away from the movie and in essence drove a lot of people from the auditorium in disgust or displeasure in its initial screenings.
And its this depiction that could easily sway the viewer away from the movie
However, if they chose to stick around to its conclusion, you see a significantly strong performance from Lawrence, who like her character pours her heart and soul into every decision and choices that she makes.
And Bardem’s drive for glory and attention (again not a flattering image of ‘our creator) is one that is truly captivating.

The Diagnosis:
The pain and passion bleeds on every frame and Aronofsky taps once more into this need for humanity to strive no matter what the cost for faith, glory and beyond.
The viewer can be left feeling bruised and battered in the journey on screen, but proves fascinating as a result.
It will be interesting to see where Aronofsky transcends to next in his own quest for spiritual enlightenment and salvation.

Flatliners (2017)

18 Thursday Jan 2018

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Alternate Title: I Know What You Did in the Abandoned Medical Wing

Hollywood loves nothing more than a remake.
In 2017, audiences were subjected to the remake of the 1990 film starring Kiefer Sutherland, Julia Roberts and Kevin Bacon.
Medical students use themselves as guinea pigs in a bold experiment to see what lies beyond death.
By stopping their hearts for a “safe” amount of time to avoid brain damage, they trigger a near-death experience and are then revived to report back about the afterlife. Simples. What could go wrong?

Ellen Page plays a gifted young medical student who is obsessed with finding out what happens after death. (It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see why – she is shown in the beginning of the film in a terrible car accident with her sister who does not survive.)
She ropes in four of her fellow students to participate in the experiment – the playboy (James Norton), the beauty queen (Nina Dobrev), the one under her mother’s thumb (Kiersey Clemons) and, clearly playing well outside of his comfort zone, Diego Luna plays the handsome Spaniard who keeps warning them in his charming accent that what they’re doing is a bad idea.

Four of the students flatline and each comes out with apparently more intellectual gifts than they had before such as the ability to recall obscure medical case histories and how to play the piano.
After they have a drunken snowball fight in the street after a near-miss flatline – ain’t it grand to be young and alive again? – they each start to realise that something has followed them back to the land of the living.

Diagnosis:

This film was brought back to life but clearly flatlined for too long. It is a shell of its former self with none of what made the original so enduringly good.
There were a couple of scares but at its heart, this is really just an expensively produced teen drama with a trailer and poster art that is scarier than any moment in the actual film.

Having mentally flatlined watching the full hour and 49 minutes of this film, I can only report that I saw some terrible, terrible things. Cheesy dialogue.
Terrible acting. A totally gratuitous sex scene. And no, I can’t remember how to play the piano.

  • Vanessa Cervantes

The Love Witch

23 Saturday Dec 2017

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As summer solstice rolled by last night for those on the Southern Hemisphere it seemed appropriate to delve into a movie that is embedded in the occult and then i remembered a little known movie that was released not so long ago called The Love Witch.

It’s something of a shame though, that this film has drifted under the radar of popularity.
And yet one can understand why this film has been lost in the depths of the celluloid art form when more ‘heightened’ and easily accessible popcorn horror is at hand.

The fact that this movie is unique is both part of its beauty and its Achilles heel.
Billed as a comedy horror of sorts, the light-hearted approach to the films direction which is quite subtle at first and can easily be lost as a result.

Coupled with the style that The Love Witch utilises to deliver its message through a 60s love song to a bygone era, with a modern setting and thinking, one could feel quite brainwashed by the experience of a world not far removed from Hitchcock and Technicolor thrillers.

Directed and written by Anna Biller, The Love Witch stands out with her firm grasp of the setting, and beautiful attention to detail.

Following a White Witch, Elaine (Samantha Robinson) whose look is so fitting and perfect that one could be forgiven for believing that she was lifted straight out of the 60s, The Love Witch follows her journey as she dabbles in Love magic to woo men in her pursuit of love and happiness.

Her callous nature leads Elaine into dangerous territory though, as her potion proves to effective, leading men dead in her wake.

It’s only when she meets the ‘perfect man’ that her troubles start to catch up with her.

The Diagnosis:
The battle of the sexes is firmly on display here with a fresh twist on the female gaze and the lengths of absurdity that is evident through a timeless tale.
The Love Witch owes a lot to the strong and beautifully shot scenes.
It’s not to everyone’s taste but if you let the film absorb you, the feeling you’re left with is absolutely mesmerising and deeply satisfying.

  • Saul Muerte

Movie review: Replace (2017)

22 Friday Dec 2017

Posted by in A Night of Horror Film Festival, Movie review

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Taking out the A Night of Horror’s “Best Film” award from this years festival, Replace doesn’t match this accolade at face value, at least for the first few minutes, but as the layers are slowly pulled back, an intelligent and beautiful movie emerges within.

The reason for this initial reaction, is through the level of confusion that the viewer is faced with and the style that director Norbert Keil has chosen seems off kilter. The acting seems to be similarly stifled too, but all this is a deliberate device to echo the feeling of despair that our lead character, Kira is confronted with.

As she unravels her situation, Kira has to face up to her situation, revealing some unwelcome truths along the way.

The topic of the movie, deals with an age-old dilemma, that seems to be more concentrated over the recent years with women in particular. Especially with the developments in social media and this continuous fascination with beauty and youth that faces our society.

Imagine then the gravity of the situation when you discover that your skin ages rapidly and begins to wither away. The impact that this has is immense and one that Kira lands head on, but when she further discovers that she can replace her skin with another’s with immediate effect, her journey then transcends into a murderous rampage, fuelled by the need to stay youthful.

If this isn’t a measure of our times, I’m not sure what is.

The cinematography on display is both stylised and stunning and Tim Kuhn deserves some of the accolades thrown his way for luring the viewer in through a hypnotic gaze in places.

The score is equally as mesmerising with its rhythmic pulse driving through the films narration.

Further praise should also be bestowed upon Rebecca Forsythe who manages to display Kira’s vulnerability, innocence, rage, and desperation, with delicate transition and believability that belies her age.

The Diagnosis:
This latest entry into the body horror genre is filled with intelligence and beauty. A lethal combination that hits the mark through Norbert Keil’s stunning vision.

 

  • Saul Muerte