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Surgeons of Horror

~ Dissecting horror films

Surgeons of Horror

Tag Archives: A Night of Horror Film Festival

Movie review: Our Evil

24 Wednesday Jan 2018

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

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A Night of Horror Film Festival, Ademir Esteves, our evil, Samuel Galli

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: Replace (2017)

22 Friday Dec 2017

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

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A Night of Horror Film Festival, body horror, replace


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: Bloodlands

10 Sunday Dec 2017

Posted by surgeons of horror in A Night of Horror Film Festival, Australian Horror

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A Night of Horror Film Festival, albanian horror, Australian Horror, bloodlands, steven kastrissios, the Horseman

Steven Kastrissios takes us deep into modern Albania for his sophomore outing in the director’s chair.

Paving his way into the horror scene, Kastrissios turned heads with his debut feature, The Horseman, partly for hits ‘extreme violence’ but also for his ability to not shy away from the harsh society that is infused throughout the films narrative.

With Bloodlands, the subject of vengeance is once again at the forefront of Kastrissios storytelling, a subject that seems close to his heart.

In this instance, we are faced with a family struggling to make ends meet and with conflicting interests pulling at their innermost desires. It is only when confronted with a blood feud set by a witch and her mysterious clan that the family must unite and stand together against a common enemy in a brutal fight for survival.

Recently Bloodlands took out 3 awards at A Night of Horror Film Festival for Best Foreign Language Film; Best Australian Film; and Best Australian Director, and one can see why as it this tale of mythology and highly tense drama is a refreshing sight against the anarchy and gore that has been presented of late on our screens.

Cinematographer, Leander Ljarja beautifully captures the Albanian landscape, and Kastrissios slow burn direction allows the tension to build steadily to keep the viewer gripped to its gritty conclusion.

It just feels a shame that the characters feel so two-dimensional in places and this makes the strong concept and themes lost in what would have been thoroughly engaging piece had more care and attention centred on this area.

As such, there are no real shock moments, and the path becomes a predictable one as a result.

The Diagnosis:

A slow-burn horror that is reminiscent of The Hills Have Eyes in tone, but is embedded with Albanian culture, which adds a new flavour to the horror scene. A rewarding watch despite some character flaws.

– Saul Muerte

Movie review – Borley Rectory

29 Wednesday Nov 2017

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

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A Night of Horror Film Festival, ashley thorpe, harry price, paranormal, reece shearsmith, the borley rectory

Declared as ‘The most haunted house in England’, by Harry Price, who happened to be one of the earlier pioneers in paranormal research and along with that statement, The Borley Rectory has been embedded in the psyche of anyone with an interest in things that go bump in the night.

Question marks have been raised about the authenticity of Mr Price proclamation and certain suggestions have been raised about his character with some even suggesting that he was a charlatan, out for profit. Especially when he penned a series of books on the subject.

Questions aside, the history of The Borley Rectory is certainly a strange one and one can only study its background and discover that it’s an odd place where curious and unexplainable things have occurred.

So it’s little wonder that no one has really documented the history before.

Well thankfully director Ashley Thorpe had that curiosity and passion to explore the stories that have decorated The Borley Rectory over the years and transformed it into what can only be described as a masterpiece of filmmaking.

Thorpe is able to transform the mystery and suspense and present the viewer with a unique style of documentary using his own blend of animation.

The style and manner of the film not only flows with ease but could also craft a new and exciting way to present historical documentaries for the digital generation.

Guiding us along the way is the delicate tones of Julian Sands who narrates the tales and characters journeys throughout the film.

The ensemble cast too are simply amazing and deftly underplay their roles to perfection.
Nods especially go out to Jonathan Rigby as Harry Price, Reece Shearsmith (The League of Gentlemen) as V.C. Wall, and Nicholas Vince (Hellraiser) ad Rev. Smith.

The Diagnosis:
With Borley Rectory, Thorpe captures the eeriness whilst also staying informative and engaging. At times the screen feels like it is breathing with a life of its own and lifts the viewer from scene with a sense of unease.

– Paul Farrell

Catch the screening of Borley Rectory at the A Night of Horror Film Festival.

Screening times and tickets available below:

SUNDAY 3rd DECEMBER – 3PM
Buy Ticket from Dendy Newtown Cinemas here.

 

Ashley Thorpe interview

https://player.whooshkaa.com/player/episode/id/157913?visual=true&sharing=true

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