Category Archives: Movie review

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

Movie review: Alien: Covenant

22 Friday Dec 2017

Posted by in Alien franchise, Movie review

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Some time has passed now since Ridley Scott’s latest chapter in the Alien universe was released.

As with most movie franchises that have been so immersed in our psyche and reawakened the nostalgia in us all when the latest adaptation hits the screens, we yearn for that ‘magic moment’ that connected us to the world in the first place.

It only exasperates things further when in this instance there have been two successes from the outset and have left such a strong mark that many have tried to replicate but fallen short of every time, even Scott himself with his prequel Prometheus, which many felt fell short of their expectations.

For good or ill, Scott has chosen to delve deeper into his journey and provided us with Covenant, the true beginning of our favourite Xenomorph.

The trouble lies with trying to provide the audience with all that we fell in love with offering something new in the mix at the same time.

A fine line to walk along and one that will guarantee some unhappy punters regardless.
The journey does carry on where Prometheus left us and David’s (Michael Fassbender) search for the ultimate creation in a God-like pursuit.

When the crew of the Covenant, an ark carrying human cargo to their new Eden, are woken early from their hyper sleep, their troubles begin. Despite a form of salvation appearing in a transmission originating from an inhabitable planet, their journey takes them further down the rabbit hole.
Cue new creatures and a world within David’s playground.

Some fine performances are on display with Fassbender’s dual role of David and Walter, alongside Katherine Waterston’s Dany (the voice of reason and hope), Billy Crudup’s faith driven leader of the group, and Danny McBride’s pilot Tennessee.

Much more could have been made of Demián Bichir’s Sgt Lope and his talents are criminally wasted, but one could put that down to an over-populated cast who one can’t really differentiate as the film goes on. Their expendable for a reason but our care factor is non existent when they are knocked off one by one as a result.

As far as offering something new to the genre, Scott does provide us with some fascinating creatures and a possible hint and something less tribal and intuitive is on hand only to be squashed by the ‘outsiders’. But one can’t help but feel that there is something missing to this tale and if rumours are to be believed that the next venture may completely be remiss of the xenomorphs, then we are left scratching our heads and pondering the end game to Scott’s vision.
It’s little wonder then, that some traditionalists are campaigning for Blomkamps’s vision for an alternate take on the universe to become a reality.

The Diagnosis:
Whilst there are plenty of entertaining moments in this film with some strong performances from the cast and ultimately an enjoyable narrative, the faithful fans of the original movie will be disappointed in this latest direction.
Recommended for those who have never drifted into the Alien universe before, but what does that say when you’re effectively alienating your fan base in a quest for one man’s vision?

  • Saul Muerte

Movie review: Life

13 Wednesday Dec 2017

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When life gives you lemons you make lemonade or in this case, when Life gives you aliens you get a carbon copy of everything you’ve seen before, and yet it’s strangely watchable despite its obvious flaws.

When a six-man crew encounter evidence of life on Mars, they get more than they bargained for.

Starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Rebecca Ferguson, and Ryan Reynolds who all turn out solid performances as the storyline ticks along at a fairly decent pace.

It’s just a shame that Life doesn’t offer any smart alternatives in the process of its narration.

The only glimmer of difference comes in sacrificing one of its key players in a semi-shock twist moment.

By the films conclusion though, it tries to pull another trick but this resolution could be seen from a mile off and the audience is left disappointed as a result.

The Diagnosis:
Most cinephiles may note the comparisons with Alien and other sci-fi horror movies if its kind, but it is a great attempt at a modern entry into this genre and has enough energy and pace to keep the momentum moving along.
This combined with the strong acting make it compelling viewing despite its flaws.

  • Saul Muerte

Movie review: 47 Meters Down

11 Monday Dec 2017

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Or a more accurate description would be ‘Just barely brimming above the surface’, as this movie never really dives any new depths in Shark horror films.

It would appear that this is a tough task to take on, as many souls have ventured into the big blue to tackle one of humankind’s greatest predators. However, since Spielberg’s classic Jaws invented the term ‘blockbuster’ back in 1975, those pretenders have been left drifting with no sense of direction at all.

While director Johannes Roberts (F, The Other Side of the Door) does his best to weave through the tension surrounding two sisters who attempt a cage dive for the first time, only to plummet to the ocean floor.

As there oxygen runs low, they must brave the shark infested water in order to survive.
Australian Claire Holt cuts a fine performance as the fearless Kate and one can see her career escalating beyond The Vampire Diaries from which she became a household name.

Where as Mandy Moore’s Lisa grates, and as twee as she may appear to be, by the end of the movie you’re wishing that she would become shark bait so that we don’t have to endure her shrill voice in every panic-driven scene.

On a lighter note, it was refreshing to see Matthew Modine back despite little screen time.

His role as the boats captain has a subtlety to it that only an actor of his expertise can pull off whilst still being believe able. His presence is a welcome relief during the scenes when the girls are submerged, albeit in the occasionally voice across the comms system.

The diagnosis:
With the promise of a sequel in the works titled 48 Meters Down, it must be doing something right, and whilst it is watchable, this hardly blows you out of the water.
Best advice would be to get tanked and watch with some mates.
At least then you can rely on the good company.

 

  • Saul Muerte