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“Surviving the Night: The Strangers Return in a Relentless Battle for Survival – A Review of The Strangers: Chapter 1”

21 Tuesday May 2024

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The Strangers: Chapter 1, the latest installment in the iconic horror franchise, attempts to resurrect the chilling atmosphere of the original while introducing fresh faces and a new narrative arc. Directed by Renny Harlin and penned by Alan R. Cohen and Alan Freedland, this film marks the beginning of an ambitious standalone trilogy, set within the same universe as its predecessor.

The plot follows Maya (Madelaine Petsch) and Ryan (Froy Gutierrez), a couple on a road trip celebrating their five-year anniversary. Their journey takes a sinister turn when they encounter three masked strangers in a small town. Stranded in an Airbnb for the night, they find themselves hunted by these psychopaths, leading to a nightmarish fight for survival.

While The Strangers: Chapter 1 boasts the iconic look of its villains and promises of a revitalized franchise, it struggles to break free from the formulaic constraints of its predecessors. The plot feels like familiar territory, relying on well-worn horror tropes without offering much in terms of innovation. However, the film’s tense atmosphere and relentless pacing keep viewers on the edge of their seats, even if the narrative feels somewhat predictable.

The performances by Petsch and Gutierrez anchor the film, portraying a couple caught in a terrifying ordeal with believable fear and desperation. The supporting cast, including Gabriel Basso and Ema Horvath, adds depth to the ensemble, although their characters feel underdeveloped amidst the chaos.

Visually, the film delivers a gritty and claustrophobic experience, effectively capturing the sense of dread and isolation permeating the narrative. Harlin’s direction keeps the tension high, utilizing tight spaces and ominous lighting to heighten the suspense.

Despite its shortcomings, The Strangers: Chapter 1 serves as a decent entry in the franchise, setting the stage for future installments. With promises of more to come, it remains to be seen if the subsequent chapters will offer a fresh take on the familiar premise or succumb to the pitfalls of repetition.

The Prognosis:

The Strangers: Chapter 1 may not reinvent the horror genre, but it offers enough thrills and chills to satisfy fans of the series while leaving room for improvement in its sequels.

  • Saul Muerte

Movie Review: Imaginary (2024)

08 Friday Mar 2024

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Is Blumhouse starting to lose its killer shine?

Having launched the first Paranormal Activity feature back in 2009, the production house built by Jason Blum hit its stride through the 2010’s with Insidious; Sinister; Get Out; Happy Death Day and a whole heap of genre features that tapped into the modern cinema-going audience. With a blend of old school horror fused with trendsetting twists on classics, Blumhouse made a significant mark. We’re now 15 years on and the machine that was churning out feature upon feature for the next generation in horror cinephiles to lap up and it would appear that the cogs are starting to rust from grinding out sublime movies that upon scrutiny are starting to pale in comparison to groundbreaking, thought-provoking films that built up the reputation of Blumhouse Productions. This slump could be traced back to David Gordon Green’s curious direction for the Halloween trilogy; one that could be a metaphor for the Blumhouse catalogue thus far, come out swinging and hitting hard, before trickling into unnecessary padding, before a shambolic, misguided outcome that degrades the name that initially made a franchise great. 

That’s not to say there have been some nuggets of gold in the mix, with The Black Phone and M3GAN proving to be a hit with the box office, (the latter being only the start of last year) but when the outlet is great, doesn’t necessitate that the quality will match and we get the mishits of Insidious: The Red Door; The Exorcist: Believer; Five Nights at Freddy’s; and (the as yet-not-watched by this writer) Night Swim. 

So, where does that place things for their latest venture, Imaginary that was released this week? A tale of a blended family, each member hosting a traumatic past move into Jessica’s (DeWanda Wise) childhood home in a vain attempt to put their tragic history behind them. All this changes though when the youngest step daughter, Alice (Piper Braun) finds an old teddy bear in the basement that she takes on as an imaginary friend. What appears to be an innocent childhood play experience comes into question when some dark turns are taken, leading the family into a journey that will test their strength. 

On paper, this concept is a solid one and Director Jeff Wadlow (Truth or Dare; Fantasy Island) spends some quality time building on character; something that directors and creatives are prone to neglect for the sake of pace and drama. It’s a shame then, that all the build up is for nought as he is let down by poor performances, some downright wet in places. This would be borderline forgivable if it wasn’t for the fact that the storyline is equally weak and let down by shoehorning in recogniseable moments from signature movies in the past such as Beetlejuice; Labyrinth; and Child’s Play. There’s one thing to make nods to creativity that has inspired, but before too long it becomes obvious that you are drowning in unoriginality. 

While this may be another misfire for Blumhouse, all is not lost and this could very well be the lull before another hit comes along, especially with Leigh Whannell’s The Wolf Man, and sequels to the psychotic killing doll M3GAN 2.0 and The Black Phone 2. Time will tell.

The Prognosis:

Imaginary by name but sadly not in the telling. Jeff Wadlow once again directs a lacklustre turn from behind the lens and a downward turn for Blumhouse. No originality and one that seems content in coasting along rather than creating a unique voice for the horror genre. Is the modern production giant resting on its namesake? One can only muse for now.

  • Saul Muerte

Imaginary is currently screening at cinemas nationwide.

Movie review: Saw X (2023)

29 Friday Sep 2023

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Upon its 10th instalment, the Saw franchise poses an interesting timeline for John Kramer (Tobin Bell) and his devoted followers in order to continue the journey through the various physical and psychological traps that the numerous victims have had to endure. I realise at the time of writing that the Saw film series has become an essential entry into the horror genre with its iconic visual conundrums, and a serial killer with a mantra to cleanse the world of the mistakes we make and thereby absolving humanity through an excruciating ordeal. Besides perhaps Scream, there hasn’t been a horror film series through the 2000s that has had the kind of impact and idiosyncratic themes that lure its audience in. There are some that may say that the franchise has strayed a little from the initial premise, getting lost within its own compendium of complexities focusing on the elaborate persecution devices. The last instalment, Spiral: From the Book of Saw starring Chris Rock promised to take the series into a whole new direction, and expand the metaverse while keeping the mystery and brutality of the original at its core. It also posed the first in the franchise not to star John Kramer in its fold, so it is somewhat surprising that the latest venture, Saw X marks a return of the serial killer and some other notable faces to boot. Although Rock’s multiverse vision was thwarted by lower than expected box office return, which could be why Twisted Pictures and Lionsgate Films chose to jump back into the realm, and pull into what made the series so great? That question probably speaks for itself, but let’s delve a little deeper.

The most prominent decision was to try and add a little empathy towards our loveable villain, a tricky concept to execute when we’ve spent eight stories of the macabre which does exactly the opposite. We love Kramer’s exploits because of his cold-hearted and callous approach to retribution. So, to try and fill a back story into his plight and facing the cancer demon that threatens his life, sits as an uncomfortable juxtaposition to his exploits. It is for good reason, but we’re treated to some meaty exposition to Kramer’s personal ordeal as he is conned by a group of experimental medics who promise a false dawn in treating his brain tumour. There’s even some tongue-in-cheek quips on his road to supposed salvation. One the half an hour / forty minute rug is pulled from under his feet, Kramer pulls out the WD-40 and oils down the elaborate machinery and sets to work enacting revenge on those who wronged him and the twisted fun truly begins. One thing’s for sure… never piss off John Kramer. 

The traps themselves are delightfully disturbing albeit primitive when compared to the lengths that we’re used to. Then again, this fits nicely into the timeline, presumably set between Saw and Saw 2. It is however, the reintroduction of Amanda Young (Shawnee Smith) that adds heart to the piece as she is being taken under Kramer’s wing and we’re not only reminded of her tragic story arc yet-to-come but also of Smith’s performance range, which has been much missed in later additions to the series. She also counter-balances Kramer’s personality who is consumed by his mantra. The moments of inner conflict that Amanda experience throughout the torture sequences is fundamental to hanging the false integrity that pilots Kramer, and the problematic stockholm syndrome facet that Amanda is presented with.

The Prognosis:

This latest instalment of the Saw franchise plays out like a love song to what made the series so great. While it never quite reaches the height of the macabre and twisted delights of the original trilogy, it does paint the story with a familiar trait, rekindling our love for the world of Saw with John Kramer and his cohorts. If you can be patient enough to sit through the opening act, fans of the series will be treated to some dark fun and relish in Kramer’s disturbing approach to retribution. 

– Saul Muerte

Movie review: 3 From Hell

24 Thursday Oct 2019

Posted by in MonsterFest, Movie review

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iKSmju739P4

Last we left our intrepid psychopaths, the remnants of the Firefly family were driving headfirst into a hail of police gunfire, to their death, or so we thought.

As Rob Zombie’s latest B-Movie inspired flick kicks off we find out that Baby Firefly (Sheri-Moon Zombie), Otis B. Driftwood (Bill Mosley) and Captain Spaulding (Sid Haig) somehow survived their run in with the law, with 20 bullets a piece, and for the past 10 years have been rotting in jail, unable to relish in the full extent of their depravity.
The public perception has shifted in their favour with people from all walks of life calling to “free the 3”, their actions aimed not at the heinous acts against individuals but against the system that created them, though Warden Virgil Harper (Jeff Daniel Phillips) keeps a keen eye on them, antagonising them when appropriate.
Sadly, as you may or may not know, Sid Haig’s health had deteriorated by the time Zombie decided to pick back up with these characters, and as a result, Haig has only a brief scene with a reporter early on in the film before his Chaotic Clown Captain Spaulding is sentenced to death and exits the film.

So now, with Otis busting rocks on the side of the rock and Baby constantly harassed by her guards and other inmates the table has been set, we just wait to see how these killers get loose, and sure enough the empty place in our triumvirate of terror is filled by Otis’ half brother Winslow Foxworth Coltrane  or “The Wolf” as he likes to call himself (followed by a howl), busts Otis from his chain gang and the two high tail it out of there.

At this moment you would think we kick into high gear but it stills takes a surprisingly long time for adoptive brother and sister to be reunited, but at last, after a impromptu dinner party from hell at the Warden Harper’s home, Otis convinces the Warden to break Baby out himself.
Strangely once the gang are back together the film seems to throw out what story we’ve had so far and escape south of the border, down Mexico way where the final act can play out seemingly in isolation of anything else that’s happened, sans one death earlier in the film.

As usual the film is littered as Zombie’s movies usually are with “hey it’s that person” actors, Danny Trejo, Clint Howard and Dee Wallace to name a few and it seems like everyone’s having a good time on set which is always relieving to see after the studio nightmare that Zombie experienced on the Halloween remake. Here he’s back playing with some of his favourite toys but after The Devil’s Rejects, which many consider (myself included) to be Zombie’s high watermark, this film can’t help but pale in comparison.

Prognosis:

Initially what feels what might be the thrust of the film, the public’s relationship with mass murders, Charlie Manson, Ted Bundy, Natural Born Killers, the Crime Channel, is quickly dropped in favour of a muddled plot, that stalls time and time again.
The vibe feels torn between its previous two entries without ever reaching the heights or horrors of either.

Haig’s charismatic presence is sorely missed and his replacement just feels like Otis-Lite.
Despite this, it’s still an entertaining time hanging out with these characters even if there isn’t a plot to back them up.
I hope this isn’t the final chapter, not because I want more but because if Zombie’s going to raise these characters from the seeming dead I wish it was for a more worthy finale.

  • Oscar Jack

Check out the special halloween screenings on October 31st in cinemas across Australia & New Zealand curtesy of Fangoria x Monster Fest here.

Retrospective: Saw – 15 years on

19 Saturday Jan 2019

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Strip away all the torture devices and wash away all the blood-soaked, gore-infested mayhem that the franchise has become synonymous for and some of you maybe questioning what’s left? But with James Wan and Leigh Whannell’s original film that kick-started the whole Jigsaw frenzy the audience were treated to an exercise in constrained drama, flickered with tense, psychological elements that quite rightly projected the writer and director partnership into the Hollywood limelight as a result.

Part of Saw’s brilliance comes from the low-budget constraints that were placed on the making of the movie. Once the creative duo realised that the cheapest way to shoot a movie would be to have two actors in one room, this germ of an idea developed into the final product and the birth of Jigsaw and his twisted vision of justice.

Apparently the Jigsaw character began when Whannell feared that he had a brain tumour and pondered the notion of what he would do or need to do if he were only to have a year or two to live. This was the leaping point into the dark recesses of Jigsaws’ mind.

It’s this tightly shot, well structured movie that allowed Wan to develop his technique for manipulating lights and shadow to trick and deceive the audiences’ eye. He would harness this skill further with his sophomore film Dead Silence before working on his masterpiece, The Conjuring.

It wasn’t that easy getting budget for the movie though. With no luck gaining interest from their homeland in Australia, Wan and Whannell tried to taut their project in Los Angeles, but even then had to shoot a short feature to provide a proof of concept before getting any decent interest.
You have to applaud their bravado to. So intent were they in getting their vision made, they insisted on having both directing and acting duties respectively. In the end it took newly formed production outfit, Twisted Pictures to give them their desires and have been behind every Saw movie since.

So with one half of the acting team already cast in Whannell as the photographer with a complex past, the team needed a decent actor opposite him as Dr. Lawrence Gordon, a Doctor with an equally dubious past. In steps Cary Elwes, normally associated with his comical roles but proved worthwhile in this serious performance, more than holding his own and providing gravitas to the scenario.

The masterstroke comes with the casting of Tobin Bell as Jigsaw aka John Kramer, who simply owns his role and has propelled himself into horror movie history with his performance as the disturbed yet brilliant mind behind the various traps and tortuous devices throughout all the Saw movies.

So with the narrative played out with Adam and Dr. Lawrence wake up in a bathroom, chained to the floor with nothing but a corpse, a revolver, and a tape recorder to guide them on a journey that will test their metal and push them to the very limits of their intellect and perception.

Saw would be released in front of a Sundance audience for its initial premiere where Lionsgate picked up the distribution rights and the rest is history.

Since then, Wan has established a firm career in the director’s chair to the point hat he has been given the chance to give DC movies some decent crowd with Aquaman, and Whannell more recently carved his own success with Upgrade.

So for those who may have been apprehensive about checking out the origins of Jigsaw, before the bloodbath began, I’d recommend going back to the original source as you maybe pleasantly surprised by this outing with a clever, psychological thriller that is an example of how to shoot a low-budget movie with a lot of smarts and a decent narrative to keep the audience hooked.

It still stands strong 15 years on and my bet is that this will still be the case in another 15 years.