Category Archives: Movie review

Movie review: Still / Born

01 Sunday Apr 2018

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There’s something uncomfortable about the co-existence of newborn babies and demons. Something wrong. Something taboo. That’s what makes this film so deliciously frightening. Director Brandon Christianson blends purity with terror in this devilishly delightful film.

Young mother, Mary (Christie Burke) gives birth to twins but only one of them is alive.
While looking after her remaining child, Adam, she thinks that a supernatural entity, has chosen her child and will stop at nothing to take it from her.

I anticipated Still/Born to be a cheap and nasty horror. I actually found myself jumping on multiple occasions and having to watch an episode of Friends to get to sleep. After watching countless horrors these effects are rare for me. I think this is thanks to an excellent performance by Burke. She is flawless in her portrayal of a mother coming to terms with the grief of loosing a baby. Her slow but evident decent into insanity is nothing short of chilling.
It’s a shame the film doesn’t quite hit the mark at the end and there are moments where you wonder what the intention and overall twist might be. Nope, no twist. Perhaps that was the point? I’m not sure it was a point well made.

The film explores postnatal depression and the helplessness new mothers experience.
Viewers are constantly wondering if the demon she fears is real or simply a result of her illness.
Horrors that deal with mental illness have to be crafted carefully.
Christianson hits the nail on the head with Still/Born. Postnatal depression is handled with care and shines a bright light on the stigma surrounding the illness.

The Diagnosis:

The film is not groundbreaking or one I’d reserve a Friday night for but it certainly is a chilling and unsettling focus on real issues with a supernatural flavour.

– Breana Garratt

Movie review: Long Weekend

28 Wednesday Mar 2018

Posted by in Australian Horror, Movie review

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Celebrating 40 years this year is this little known gem of a movie.
Scribed by Everett De Roche, who produced some cracking screenplays for classic ozploitation flicks such as Patrick (which also celebrates 40 years this year), RoadGames, Razorback, and Snapshot. (The latter of which is due for a DVD release in April)

The film centres on a couple who are going on a camping trip for one last attempt to reconnect. As the story unfolds though, the couples marriage problems are the least of their concerns as director Colin Eggleston crafts an intricate tale of ecology.

At first it would appear that we are facing a typical story of a couple forced to unite against some strange, psychopathic local, which has been predominant in recent Australian movies like Wolf Creek or Killing Ground.

Instead we see Peter (John Hargreaves) and Marcia’s (Briony Behets) blatant neglect and destructive behaviour towards animals and the environment become so paramount that Nature fights back.

Now, we’re not talking about some trumped up science fiction narrative like M.Night Shyalaman’s The Happening, but a well structured slow-burner of a movie that eats away at the core of what is left of the lead characters humanity.

Some may feel that the characters grate too much and admittedly their flaws as people can find it difficult to connect with them, but it only makes their plight when things turn dire all the more pleasurable as you seriously hope that they receive their comeuppance.
They are so caught up in their own lives that they fail to see the bigger picture around them and the tangled web of paranormal and paranoia that surrounds them with every fateful action they take.

The Diagnosis:
The pace may turn you off as well as wishing that Nature acts more swiftly in dispatching the characters, but stick with it as the labyrinth of despair unfolds.
It’s a cracker of a movie which has as much relevance today as it did back in 1978 about the world and humanities destructiveness.

 – Saul Muerte

Movie review: Annihilation

20 Tuesday Mar 2018

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Annihilation is an all female-led science fiction film about guilt, biology, and the human tendency for self-destruction. So I guess its no wonder Paramount dumped it on Netflix after loosing sleep over its box-office appeal.

It copped some controversy after being caught up in a battle between the studio and director Alex Garland (Ex Machina) for being “too intellectual.” While financially the studio’s fears were confirmed, visually its damn lucky they didn’t water it down. This is a film with a cool plot and some downright lush visuals.

Natalie Portman is Lena, a cellular biology professor who is recruited along with four others to study a quarantine zone in a swampy corner of America called The Shimmer. Lena’s reasons for accepting the mission are more personal than scientific: her military husband is the only person to enter The Shimmer and come out alive. You just know this is going to be a twofold journey: a trek through an alien landscape, and the dark emotional landscape of the protagonist.

The first scene we’re given after entering The Shimmer is the inside of a tent which feels like an odd and underwhelming decision by the director. But when Lena emerges from the tent and announces she remembers nothing since passing through the shimmery wall, it feels like the perfect way to introduce this strange new world.

Without giving too much away, something is seriously not right within The Shimmer. As the scientists begin to join the dots, the film shifts gears into “thriller” mode. But don’t get too excited; while there are some excellent tension-filled scenes – one in particular involving a bear-creature that echoes screams of agony from its latest victim – Annihilation never crosses fully into the horror genre. It’s an enjoyable ride, but nothing to write home about.

It’s the ending that’s the kicker. Garland tackles some complex conceptual territory (at least for this High School Science flunker) that will probably require a debrief with a mate, or at the very least a quick Google. Up until this point Annihilation was lingering dangerously close to being mediocre, but the last few scenes cement it as a Sci-Fi classic.

The Diagnosis:
So is it as amazing as you’ve heard? Probably not. Should you see it? Absolutely.

 
– Ellin Williams

Movie review: Mom and Dad

19 Monday Feb 2018

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Most parents will identify with the struggles that they encounter when raising children, and that strange balance of absolute despair and unwavering love that they have for their own kids.

It’s this balance that writer, director, Brian Taylor scrutinizes and tinkers with, asking the question, what happens when that need to protect and care for your offspring has a switch that is flipped and the desire to kill takes over.

It’s a controversial topic that Taylor lifts the lid upon and not only singles out one family, but makes this a global issue. It’s one that needs to be addressed with no real answer offered up by the director, which is interesting position that he chooses to go with.

Whilst choosing to tell the tale as a global epidemic with parents heading out to murder their children, we’re hit with troubling images head-on when a mother deliberately abandons her child in a car upon the railway tracks, as a speeding train plows into it.
A shocking image that as a parent myself, I found deeply uncomfortable to view, and sets the tone throughout the film, and pushes me to areas that I found hard to take as a result. For that end the movie certainly does its job in presenting some horrific scenes, notably when one mother attempts to kill her newborn in a birthing suite.

The global epidemic plays out like something from Dawn of the Dead, with news bulletins, chat shows, and reports playing out on screens in stages as the story unfolds.
One particularly glorious scene involves a ‘zombie-like’ rampage as hordes of parents scale the school gates and chase their own throughout the grounds, with some disturbing scenes unfolding before you.

Part of this film’s appeal comes with the killer casting of the storylines Mom and Dad, with Nicolas Cage suitably restrained and playing to his age, whilst still giving his ‘ham and cheese’ moment which had become his schtick over the years.

It’s the refreshing presence of Selma Blair though that steals a lot of the scenes, showcasing her delicate, caring mother, to a murderous, gleeful, maniacal figure, who is hell-bent on destroying her kin. Blair’s delivery is wonderfully subtle and as a viewer she plays with your desire for her to show that loving spirit her character displayed in the earlier scenes, and cruelly pulls away from that every time. It leaves you wanting to see more of her on screen again.

It’s worth noting that the children, Zackary Arthur and Anne Winters pull off some strong performances that keep you rooting for them to survive their ordeal, but the final scenes are almost completely stolen away by a Lance Henriksen’s cameo.

 

The Diagnosis:

Some of the director’s style allows the movie to come across as quite sparse in places, but Taylor clearly has a knack for allowing the actor’s room to breathe on screen, whilst delivering a hefty punch.

The subject matter can make you feel uncomfortable in places, but this only makes the movie all the more stronger as a result.
Potentially this film may fall under the radar, which would be a shame as it’s a decent entry into the genre.

 

– Saul Muerte

Movie review: The Ritual

15 Thursday Feb 2018

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A thick Swedish forest looms ahead; dark and foreboding. Four hikers on a boy’s trip decide to cut through it, veering off the path, to get help for their injured mate. Spoiler: this turns out to be a very bad idea. Like the promotional tagline warned; they should have gone to Vegas.

The Ritual is based on the novel by Adam Nevill. It’s the sort of book that plants deep roots into your head that won’t let go. The sort of book that makes you think; “someone should really make this into a film.”

And someone did.

Director David Bruckner (V/H/S) does a killer job creating a genre film of the ancient-Nordic-folk-horror variety. He excels at creating glimpses of things that may or may not be there, unseen things darting between the branches. You’ll find yourself nervously squinting at a wall of trees along with the protagonist.

At first, the bad omens occur in the form of a gutted deer dangling from a tree, then come creepy carvings and a Wicker-Man style twig effigy. But these are nothing compared to the true evil lurking deeper into the shadows.

As the intensity of their situation increases, the already rocky relationship between the men becomes more and more strained. They panic and lose their grip on reality, while we the audience clap our hands in glee from the sheer horror of it all.

You almost don’t want to know what’s stalking them; there’s a wonderful sense of building dread that gets somewhat tarnished when the cause of their distress is finally revealed. This is where the film loses its footing, and the conclusion won’t knock your socks off either.

The Diagnosis:

Not every genre film has to be ‘clever.’ The Ritual proves that when done well, there’s nothing wrong with a good old-fashioned, straight-up scary story.

 

  • Ellin Williams

Movie review: Hellraiser: Judgement

13 Tuesday Feb 2018

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Before we even begin to dissect the latest outing from the Hellraiser franchise, we must first look to its writer and director, Gary J Tunnicliffe.
If ever there was a guy completely immersed in the world of Pinhead and his fellow cenobites it’s Tunnicliffe.
Having provided the make up effects for all the Hellraiser films since Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth, Tunnicliffe has also written the previous instalment, written and directed the surprisingly decent short, No More Souls: One Last Slice of Sensation. Hell, he’s even played a cenobite in one of the movies.
Now he turns his attention to the director’s chair, which may have horror enthusiasts a little concerned due to the fact that he’s only really dealt with kid friendly films outside of Hellraiser.
But the very fact that he has been so integral to the look and feel of this world, would lead you to believe that he could very well be the man for the job…

However, as much as Judgement is his movie and the look and feel of it is actually quite beautiful and gloriously bloody in places, it never manages to lift itself from the straight-to-video Budget that we find ourselves.

Ignoring, (if at all possible) that Doug Bradley once again has been left in the darkest recesses of the Leviathan’s domain, never to be Pinhead again.
Instead, we’re left with Paul T. Taylor to take on the notorious role, and although he does an ample enough job, it just never feels right, and you’re left hungry for more as a result.

We are treated to a mere 15 seconds or so of Heather Langenkamp playing the landlady of one of the victims, but her presence is soon forgotten as we forced back into the somewhat rickety plot line.

Speaking of which, here is my main grief about this picture.
We’re treated to a fairly decent beginning, introduced to a character called The Auditor, (played by Tunnicliffe) as he goes around reaping the world of demented souls through a fairly grotesque and torturous process, much to the delight of fans no doubt.
The Auditor soon becomes secondary as we follow two brother detectives and a third female detective as they try and uncover who this serial killer is.
The more we deviate away from the sexual, violent, and depraved world of The Auditor, the cheaper and less authentic the film becomes.

Ever since we were introduced to Craig Sheffer’s Detective Joseph Thorne in Hellraiser: Inferno, it feels like filmmakers are compelled to include some downtrodden and beaten detective into the fold, as they try to uncover clues into the hidden world.
This feels to me like it’s completely missing the point of Clive Barker’s original creation.
Detailing people’s obsession with searching for the ultimate in satisfaction and pleasure; pushing themselves beyond the state of ecstasy into a world of no return.
It is this compulsive, addictive personality that is sadly lacking in these later films, and because of this, Pinhead feels more like a voyeur in his own land, and unable to enact the sheer desolation that sent chills to the bone from the original movie.

The Diagnosis:

It’s a brave attempt to lure people back into the world we came to love, but Tunnicliffe’s vision starts with a good pulse, but whimpers out and dies as he drowns in the history of previous outings.
As a result, we’re forever shackled to the walls without ever feeling like we’ve had our souls torn apart.
Instead, like Pinhead throughout this movie, we’re left wallowing and yearning for the days of yore.

 

– Saul Muerte

Movie review: Day of the Dead: Bloodline

11 Sunday Feb 2018

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I’m not sure what it is about the Day of the Dead storyline that jars so much.

On paper, it boasts an interesting premise of science vs state. Always at conflict in the real world and makes sense that they would come under close scrutiny when faced with a post apocalyptic world full of zombies.

Arguably though, it is the weakest movie from George A Romero’s original trilogy, and yet, it has now mastered two remakes, one released back in 2008 and one Day of the Dead: Bloodline tries to make its own mark on the subject, leaving many to ask, ‘what’s the point?’

The bones of the original film are still present, with an underground bunker containing some civilians reside under the rule of military personnel.

The changes are significant though. The first is a strangely confusing beginning marking the initial outbreak in a typical American street before taking us to a scientific laboratory to essentially show us the outbreak again, but from the viewpoint of lead character Zoe Parker (Sophie Skelton) a medical student who witnesses her friends and peers all wiped out as carnage ensues within the facility.

Before all this occurs though we are introduced to Max (Johnathon Schaech, a creepy patient who has a serious crush on Zoe, and in case you missed the heavy hint, also happens to have a mysterious blood type. Like that’s not gonna come back later.
Just as Max forces him myself in Zoe, the living dead make their entrance, forcing Zoe to go from one ordeal to another.

Both of her worlds will collide again though, as we pick up our story again as we time jump to a few years down the track, where Zoe lives in the afore-mentioned bunker, and formed a relationship with Baca, the younger brother to the Lieutenant running the military outfit, Miguel.
Cue conflict both internally and externally.

It is on a medicinal run back to the laboratory when their troubles really begin as Max who has somehow partially survived, becoming both walking zombie and human, (essentially this version’s Bub) and perhaps the answer to their salvation.

Of course it won’t go swimmingly for the survivors, but by this point everything feels so bland and blah, blah, blah, that we have gone beyond the point of caring.

Schaech gives a decent performance as the ‘villain’ of the piece, but the one small thread that we can hang onto is that Skelton actually gives a solid performance as Zoe, and this keeps you intrigued enough to push you towards the films conclusion, but just barely.

The Diagnosis:
It’s a fairly stable effort, but neither diminishes or improves upon the original film. Characters are two-dimensional and the plot line is weak, leaving you ultimately back to your original thought… what’s the point.

 

  • Saul Muerte

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!