Monday 6 May 2019

Sorry but Only TRUE Metal Fans Will Get This (Lords of Chaos, 2018)


 Hey kids, you know what is really Metal? Being nice to each other.



It is February, the room is dim and as I look around it starts filling up with creatures shrouded in black with hair longer than mine has ever been; cries of ‘hail Satan’ fill the air........

.......The theatre was a full house of metalheads, eager to watch the Sydney theatrical release of semi-realistic biopic Lords Of Chaos (directed by Jonas Ackerlund). A grisly drama based on crime incidents in early 90s Norway involving the members of black metal band Mayhem.

The film paints an entertaining and relatively accurate portrait how a music scene made up exclusively of young, middle-class men can quickly become a stew of toxic masculinity and ngatekeeping 

Lords Of Chaos is brutal- the violence is raw and unforgiving, including a murder and a graphic suicide. It was confronting enough for me to honestly consider covering my eyes. These scenes are necessary and effective, they communicate to the audience the harsh reality of violence. Films can quickly desensitize us to violence and gloss over it, especially with suicide. Its depictions are usually quite passive or happen quickly but the reality of suicide is that it hurts, it’s terrifying, it’s difficult to do and often a slow way to go.
I think films that show these are actually really important. While there is blood and gore, I would say the film’s use of it is actually the opposite of shock value. Will this movie put people off? Yes, but maybe that is the point.

Party time! excellent!
Lord of chaos is very character driven and luckily the cast is up to the challenge. Rory Culkin managed to make a pretentious character likeable and Emory Cohen is fairly terrifying, far from the babyface he is in The OA.

And now for the best part of the film, aesthetically speaking: the church burnings. On the big screen, they were utterly hypnotising. great from a cinematography standpoint and just in general were BADASS MOTHERFUCKING COOL AS SHIT (that's a real film studies term, look it up.)
.
I’d recommend adding Lords Of Chaos to your true crime film collection and I’m giving it an 8.5 out of 10

Wednesday 3 October 2018

When Has Hiding Out in a Cabin Ever Ended Well? (Lost Gully Road, 2017)


Ghosts can be “Nice Guys”  too


After screening throughout Australlia Lost Gully Road (2017, directed by donna McRae) is now available to rent or buy. The film is a supernatural thriller with a lot to say, without saying a lot.

Lucy sets up in an isolated cabin with no access to social media as she is hiding from an abusive ex-boyfriend. As the seclusion takes a toll on her mental health the cabin seems to be haunted by an equally obsessive and abusive spirit. 

Donna McRae has brought us a neat, self-contained haunted house film which gives us a new addition to the Australian Gothic subgenre. A subgenre which is growing thanks to films such as Lake Mungo and The Babadook. Australian gothic has been a more recent term to describe some supernatural horror that comes out of Australia, especially those who employ gothic tropes. Think of films such as Picnic At Hanging Rock- spooky, surreal, isolated. Lost Gully Road fits into this category.

Firstly, Lost Gully Road makes full use of the lush and frankly, gorgeous forest in Victoria, Australia. The films location is mesmerising to look at right down the curling ferns and native birds. How can somewhere so beautiful harbour a ghastly secret? We ask ourselves as we watch the film. Gone is the harsh and dusty outback of many other Australian horror films such as Wolf Creek or Wake In Fright- but what stays is the fear.

Lost Gully Road is a slow burn for sure- lucky for me, slow burn horror films are my favourite. At an hour and 20 it’s not like Lost Gully Road drags its feet in any way. It takes its time and cleverly throws us a few red herrings. The audience is left to double and triple think their perspective on the story, before the film hits us with some gore free but never the less confronting violence. There’s no reason why a film that takes its time to get where it’s going is a bad thing. For those who like a film with non-stop action there are plenty of other movies out there. All I’m saying is that some of my favourite horrors are dark dramas which end in horrific ways.

Lost gully road goes deeper than a haunted house film as it tackles the subject of violence against women through supernatural story. It translates the fear most women have of walking alone at night to people who cannot relate. Turns that vulnerability into something tangible to all genders in the audience. An unseen force which you cannot fight is a terrifying predicament for everyone to experience.
Comparisons to The Entity (1982) have been made but I think this is an unfair comparison. The Entity is exploitative, crude, heavily under the male gaze and seeks to make violence against women titillating. Lost Gully Road is none of those things,  in fact it is a film that directly and purposefully speaks out against them.

Adele Perovic clearly put in 110% into her performance as the film is nearly a one woman show. As our main character Lucy, she brings a lot of genuineness to the role and is a strong and admirable female lead. Perovic translates Lucy’s loneliness and boredom without boring the audience. There were also some great performances from the supporting cast especially John Brumpton who played the terrifying ‘Daddy’ in  2009’s cult hit The Loved Ones.

If you’re looking for an atmospheric ghost story with great characters and an important underlying message then look no further than Lost Gully Road.
I'm giving it a 7/10
Lost gully road is available now on DVD and VOD in Australia and New Zealand on from Umbrella Entertainment
The film is also screening in Los Angeles at LA Femme Film Fest October 13th.

Sunday 9 September 2018

American Pie for Satanists (Bus Party To Hell, 2017)


I’ll pass on this ride, I’m still waiting for the Venga bus- I’ve heard its coming.



Bus Party To Hell (2017, directed by Rolfe Kanefsky) started off so well, the trailer was great, as was the movie poster. I am also a sucker for a theme song particularly written for a film so once the opening sequence kicked off with “We’re on a party bus, party bus to hell!” along with some generic rock chords, I was game for this film.

A bus full of partygoers travel across the Nevada desert to Burning Man festival. When the driver takes a short cut off-road, the sexed up group are attacked by a cult of cannibals, who are dressed (or not dressed, actually) as though this is a Mad Max xxx parody. The cult pick off the bus people in order to bring in ‘the chosen one.’

We begin with an opening sequence full of Tara Reid terribly delivering terrible dialog. She hacks apart some Halloween costume level looking mummies with a machete. This scene is hilariously bad and a lot of fun, and perhaps is the best part of the whole film.
The film has some great schlocky, gory deaths. Heads get split open or decapitated, blood and guts fly and limbs get thrown around. All the cool stuff you’d expect of a decent romp into B-grade cinema.


Midway through, Bus Party to Hell just devolves into softcore porn, basically excluding any audience member that isn’t a 13 year old boy. On top of this the film has a plot device involving  being ‘barely legal’  Here’s a tip- if you’re going to make a joke about someone being underage and “having” to have sex, Just don’t. It is 100% more likely to come off sleazy than funny.

Look I’m not a prude, I just think there are ways to have schlocky nudity (which the film does get right too) and there are ways not to. Fake blood and intestines poured over giant fake tits? Super! Blood orgies in the sand with live snakes? Neat-o! Coercion of a minor into sex framed as a hilarious joke? Yeah, you lost me on that one.

As far as the horror elements go- I liked them. I liked the cheesy dress ups and monster costumes. There is also a hilarious scene with live snakes spiders and lizards ‘attacking’ people but is just a montage of people screaming while lizards just chill on their heads. Its memorable and I wish the film had more of that kind of humour.

Sadly, my bubble was burst with this one. It just left me with a bad taste. It’s a shame as the film had some great one liners and had actors who put on fun performances. Maybe I’m just too cynical for exploitation films these days, or maybe their time is up.

Bus Party to Hell could have been a cult classic in years to come and maybe it still will. It has all the ingredients needed. By now you should know if you’re going watch this movie or not, if what I’ve described sounds like your kind of ‘so bad its good’ then check it out.

I’m giving it a 1 out of 10.

You can watch Bus Party to Hell On Demand on the platforms listed below:






Sunday 8 July 2018

What the hell did I just watch? (Hectic Knife, 2016)


I think I’ve been Tromatised by this film.


When I was asked to review a Troma film I agreed. I had an understanding of the company but  had not seen many  of it's movies. It wasn’t until I actually watched one of their latest acquisitions HECTIC KNIFE (2016, directed by Greg DeLiso), that I really sat down and said to myself: "what the fuck did I get myself into?"

If you want your child to grow up into an apathetic, kitchen knife wielding vigilante who kind of hates himself, despite being somehow unable to die; then name him Hectic Knife. And so, the very, very loose plot of our story begins. Hectic Knife spends his days fighting drug dealers on the streets until there is new nemesis in town: Piggly Doctor. We know Piggly Doctor is the bad guy because he likes to tell us “I'M THE BAD GUY.” Well, this bad guy is blowing up children and only Hectic Knife can save the day- even if he doesn’t want to.

The film is obviously a satire of all the super hero films which saturate the market these days. It plays with tropes such as the tortured hero with a dark past. I would still rather watch this completely bonkers Troma movie than majority of super hero films that have come out in the last 5 years. Hectic Knife even makes fun of the trope of  the hero learning his skills via ancient training techniques from exotic gurus. It has some amusing flashback sequences that are full of blood.. However, despite his training, Hectic Knife is no batman, he has that in common with Ben Affleck. 

Peter Litvin as Hectic Knife is the best thing about this film. He delivers his lines with perfect amount of monotone and it is fucking hilarious. It is made even more funny with the bananas script. I don’t now how he kept such a straight face. Deadpan is a tough skill to pull off but in this film they got it right. All his lines were a nice break from the over acting surrounding him- this was hopefully intentional. 

Hectic knife is an extremely meta little film - a lot of the jokes involve not only breaking the 4th wall but knocking it down and not giving a shit about it. When this self awareness hit the mark it was great, when it did not it was all I could do not to roll my eyes. The main joke running throughout the movie seems to be scenes going on for too long and the characters commenting on it. Problem is the film is saturated with this joke to the point of the humour being drowned out.

Hectic knife is definitely an exploitation flick, so it does belong here on my horror movie blog. It is full of violence, although comical and not the least disturbing. Stabbings happen in this film about as often as you would expect for a film with knife in the title. Never mind that the blood looks suspiciously like barbecue sauce (turns out it literally was). Add the hard boiled eggs and bagels and Hectic Knife can probably also fit into the genre of cooking show.

Out of respect for every other movie I've reviewed on this blog, I cant give hectic knife a great score out of 10. However, Hectic Knife is a good Troma film; It caters to a niche market and it does well for its intended audience. Does Hectic Knife deserve any film making awards along with mainstream, higher budget films? No. Does it deserve to be bought and played at a bad movie night with good friends who love to laugh? Absolutely!
I'm giving it a 2/10, but for a film that is so bad it's good, I mean it as a compliment.

Here's where you can view Hectic Knife:





Thursday 12 April 2018

The Aussie film that just will not get out of my head (Rabbit, 2017)

Falling down the rabbit hole has never been so mesmerising.


I’m finally getting to write about a film I saw last month. It has been running through my mind ever since I viewed it and has me itching to see it again. Rabbit (2017, directed by Luke Shanahan) is a horror movie but it is also a spellbinding one.

Maude’s twin sister Cleo went missing and she is plagued by dreams of her in danger, possibly being tortured. After collapsing for an unknown reason Maude (Adelaide Clemens) returns home to Australia to find the place in her visions and rescue Cleo. Her search leads her to a caravan park deep in the backwoods. Everyone in the caravan park acts strange and the only trust worthy people seem to be a presentable couple who agree to help Maude find her twin.

The film turns on its head pretty spectacularly, I wouldn’t describe where the film goes as a mere plot twist, rather the effect was akin to that first downward plunge on a rollercoaster. Rabbit is definitely a wild ride. This is a film where going in blind is definitely a good idea so I’m purposely being vague even though I want to dive into how much I loved every aspect of the film.

Rabbit is absolutely beautiful- from the misty Pinetree forest to the ornate and beautiful houses, that being said the beauty of the film is juxtaposed by its utter malevolence. The film is both dreamlike and nightmarish- reflecting its themes (of dreams and twins) perfectly. With it’s strange characters and unexplained situations, along with its themes of child abuse and human experimentation, Rabbit is thoroughly menacing but could I look away for one second? Absolutely not- Rabbit is utterly entrancing

It’s hard to pick one thing the film does particularly well as it gets so many elements of filmmaking right, but the use of sound in this film is a big winner.
Rabbit is a strong example of how right it can go when film makers experiment within the realms of creativity. Aggressive, operatic scores are used throughout and are harsh on the senses, these jarring uses of sound reminding me of an Aregento film. Also, thirteen-year-old me resurfaced and cheered at the eerie Rammstein cover which totally took me by surprise but it was awesome, I had a huge nostalgic grin on my face despite the scene not being funny.

For me, Rabbit had a lot of similarities to other genre films. The crazy plot reminded me of films by Yorgos Lanthimos especially The Killing of a Sacred Deer (2017) and Dogtooth (2009), while the use of children and experiments brought back scenes from French film Evolution (2015, directed by Lucile Hadzihalilovic). Although nowhere near as violent Rabbit also can also be compared to horror classic Martyrs (2008, directed by Pascal Laugier) and brings up similar images to Michael Haneke’s Funny Games (2007). After all these comparisons it is clear to me that Rabbit rejects anything Hollywood or mainstream- looks like Australia can dish out the obscure and frightening as much as Europe can.

It’s something completely unique and I know it will capture the minds of anyone who sees it. People will be talking about it from the time they see it at least, I know I will be. I’m interested to see what else this director can pull out of his hat.
I’m giving rabbit a 9.5/10




Monday 18 December 2017

Who Needs Happy Endings (Book review: The Ruins, 2006 and film review: The Ruins, 2008)

So, there's these things called books-it's like a movie but in your head!


When I was a kid I used to read like crazy, I couldn’t get enough. It’s basically thanks to Stephen King that I love horror so much. Somewhere along the road to adulthood however, I developed the attention span of a potato and thus started watching more movies instead.

With this in mind I was seriously surprised that I finished Scott Smith’s 2006 novel ‘The Ruins’ in a mere two weeks. Let me say this, this book is aptly named because it ruined my poor brain.
The Ruins was also adapted into a film two years Later. I actually saw the movie before I read the book, but in no way did knowing what happens to the characters diminish the suspense of this terrifying read.

Seeking a more ‘off the beaten path’ experience, 6 tourists venture into the jungles of Mexico in search of some ancient Mayan ruins. They find them, but soon discover the ruins are home to a carnivorous, possibly sentient, killer vine. The locals will shoot them if they try to leave and so the story becomes an intense fight for survival atop a desolate pyramid.

Now, I know possibly what you are thinking; a plant? The antagonist is a fucking plant? But such is the way this book is written that you absolutely buy it.  The simplicity of this plot, with it’s minimal characters and one location is one of it’s advantages. Rather than trying to give any back story to the ruins and the plant, the book concentrates on the horror of survival; and what horrors they are. The book makes you confront starvation, dehydration, septicemia and more in excruciating detail.

I love the way this book is devoid of chapters and simply switches from each character’s point of view (seamlessly, I might add). The effect is a continual bombardment of emotions as well as non-stop action and suspense. Not once did I feel like I was getting a break from the onslaught of misfortune.
The Ruin’s characters are well developed. They are all slightly unlikeable but in way that makes them more human. Their story is one which sneaks up on you; not until it is told do you realise how much you had invested in Eric, Stacey, Jeff, Amy and Matias.

The tense narrative had me anxious to find out what was going to happen next. As I kept reading I felt myself getting sicker and sicker. I devoured this book and at the end I sat back feeling the ill effects of such a nihilistic story.
I felt beaten, I remember feeling the same the first time I had finished watching Martyrs (2008, directed by Pascal Laugier). I remember numbly staring at my tv until my brain finally chugged into gear to say “IT’S NOT REAL.”

The film adaption of The Ruins (2008, directed by Carter Smith) has nowhere near the power of the novel, but it has its own merits. I think I’m a bit more partial to it because of the novel, I definitely appreciate it more than the first time I watched it when it came out (nearly 10 fucking years ago-yes, you’re old.) 

A condensing of characters and therefore reshuffling of roles ensures the film is true to the majority of the story while also being a pace the movie needs to be. I will say this about the film it is well paced and never drags. 
Like the novel, the film understands its strength lies in its simplicity. The Ruins is a great addition to the survival horror sub-genre. I know survival horror was originally a gaming term but I think it can rightly stretch to films where humans are battling the elements as well as the monsters.

What I really liked about this film is that they kept the action- and gore- in the light of the sun, avoiding the trope of things only going bump in the night. ‘The Ruins’ is so bright at times you feel like you’re getting sunburnt along with the characters.

Apart from a cringe worthy and really just terrible attempt at a German accent, the cast gives watchable performances, not that fantastic but they carry the film along despite characters being less fleshed out. Reading the book has slightly skewed my judgement, because I cared so much about the book’s characters I knew I was projecting them onto the film’s ones

If could compare both the book and film versions of this story to another book and film adaption it would be The Beach, written by Alex Garland and it’s 2000 film adaption (directed by, Danny Boyle) starring Leonardo DiCaprio. The beginning premise is exactly the same and both stories deal with being sufficiently out of your element. 
Not kink shaming, no wait yes I am

The Ruins however had a lot more body horror, I loved the scenes involving it, especially the one where the vine is whispering “I want to cut it” (oh yeah sorry, did I mention the plant can talk?). I did however notice a definite switch to a male gaze in the scene in alluding to, which I know is hard to avoid in horror. I do question though, why do we need to have a woman walking around in her underwear? She’s clearly meant to be attractive, despite the self-mutilation (wait what?) so there can’t even be the excuse that it was just coincidental. Why couldn’t they have chosen a male actor to do this? To bring this question extra validity I’ll have to add a SPOILER that in the book it is a male character that goes through this. Which means they purposely changed it. The scene has no other difference so I have to assume it was played for using women’s bodies in an exploitative effort to either shock or titillate.

In the end I still think The Ruins is a neat little movie that I can’t really fault too much. It takes killer vines and a fight for survival to the only places they can really go. It does so effectively and to the point. I’d recommend this film as a good popcorn flick with friends or as something to put on when you don’t want to think too hard about what you’re watching. It’s nothing Oscar worthy but it’s fun.
I’m giving the film adaption of The Ruins a 6.5 /10
I really urge you guys to pick up the novel from somewhere. Who knows, you might find it brings the awesomeness of reading back to you too. Whether you love to read or haven’t in a while, The Ruins is an amazing book to experience. I give the novel The Ruins it a 10 out of 10.

Monday 13 November 2017

Never been so glad not to have made it big in Hollywood (Everlasting 2016)

Reaching fame may not be everlasting, but the scars you get along the way are.

Valentina de Angelis as Jessie 

As consumers we need to be aware of the context in which what we consume is being made. Not only does this help us analyse and appreciate the things we love more but it also holds the creators and people involved accountable. Did that 8-page editorial in that fashion magazine come at the price of the model’s safety? Is this new film you’re dying to see enabling predators to slip by without consequences for their behaviour?

Of course, I’m talking about the unearthing of Hollywood’s dark underground which has importantly been going on lately. Although topical, this theme is not a new one. Thriller/horror films (such as ‘Starry Eyes’ and ‘The Neon Demon') have been alluding to it for years.

Everlasting (2016, directed by Anthony Stabley) is an indie film that recognises the exploitation of women for the modelling and entertainment industry is a horror movie in and of itself.

Adam David rocks the guyliner as Matt
The focus of main character Matt’s high school senior film project is his journey to Hollywood to find out what happened to his girlfriend Jessie. The film follows Jessie’s journey to seek fame and fortune in Hollywood as well as Matt’s effort to find the maker of the snuff film Jessie finally got her starring role in. 

A lot of time is spent on us getting to know the teenagers, with their goth inspired fashion and penchant for pushing the boundaries.They think they have it all worked out when in reality it is quickly shown just how naive they are. Watching this tragedy unfold is heart-breaking.

Everlasting flips between the found footage of Matt’s project and regular film showing us the events behind the footage. It’s a little unconventional, takes a bit of getting used to but ultimately experimentation like this is why indie films are so dynamic; because they explore new ways of telling a story.
The film has a dreamlike quality to it; achieved by the wide shots of the locations: the deserts, the streets of L.A, etc. Also, through the constant and perfect use of lighting; the sun is nearly a supporting character which bathes the film in beauty. Everlasting's soundtrack pairs perfectly with this: melodic, haunting and also featuring songs by Crystal Castles and Cold Cave.

Special mention to Actor Pat Healey for making my skin crawl 
The not so hidden gem of this movie is the supporting cast, representing the insidious side of L.A. They all do a great job of blatantly crossing the line into abusive and ultimately getting away with it. They are the is the real antagonists; Their slick words and cameras are their weapons.

The manipulating, the advantage taking, the murder-both emotionally and literally were all terrifying thanks to solid performances.

Ultimately, I enjoyed this film despite the uncomfortable creepiness it left with me. A realistic yet somehow ethereal cautionary tale, I’m giving it a 7/10.

'Everlasting' is well worth checking out now on Amazon                                    
                          


Everlasting on Amazon from SGF on Vimeo.