Disturbing Films

Big Nothing

noreply@blogger.com (BrettMullins) — Sat, 02 Jun 2012 19:39:00 +0000

By Brett Mullins

Released: 2006

Directed by Jean-Baptiste Andrea

Of all the things to find in a well made, lesser known film, two recognizable faces starring as a comedic duo is likely not to be high on the list. Such is the case with Big Nothing as David Schwimmer (Friends) and Simon Pegg (Shaun of the Dead) portray Charlie and Gus, two guys who attempt to blackmail a man of the cloth for his frequenting a child porn site. This simple plan goes awry as a result of both the buffoonery of the characters and the intricate mess they have waltzed into.

Big Nothing begins as though it were a feel good comedy: the redemption of an intelligent man’s career so he may provide for his family. Once the plan to blackmail is hatched, the tone takes a turn to the dark side foreshadowing events to come. As the film progresses, the comedic elements are substituted for death and shock. By the end, the audience will be left empty and speechless, yet with somewhat of a sense of closure to the story.

This film features outstanding performances, especially from Pegg who takes on an interesting American-esque accent. Alice Eve (The Raven) joins on as the third cohort shortly after the plan is hatched. She brings an element of common sense and mystery to the seemingly simple characters of Charlie and Gus.

The direction of Jean-Baptiste Andrea was powerful and in many ways comparable to his previous film, Dead End. This film was able to retain originality and convey emotion to the audience. If a film can evoke happiness, laughter, and emptiness within an eighty-some minute runtime, then that film is likely one worth watching.

Rating: 9/10

The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974)

noreply@blogger.com (BrettMullins) — Tue, 29 May 2012 00:24:00 +0000

By Brett Mullins

Released: 1974

Directed by Tobe Hooper

After learning of the possible desecration of their grandfather’s grave, Franklin, Sally, and three of their friends embark on a road trip to visit the cemetery. When they arrive, they explore their grandfather’s old farmhouse. The characters wander off and visit a neighboring house where quite a few horrors await. Bad things follow.

The Texas Chain Saw Massacre is a film that cannot easily be placed into any one genre. The audience is presented with an initial tense tone, by way of the opening disclaimer, followed by the typical ‘kids riding in a van to a spooky destination’ set up. This is until the gang picks up a crazed hitchhiker who turns the tone again to very tense. This appears to be the general formula for the plot that is employed rather effectively. By the film’s conclusion, the audience has been blindsided several times and by the conclusion are likely to be left without words for some time.

The film’s effectiveness is derived solely from the atmosphere. The protagonists are rather weak and can be described as annoying at best. One may argue that their vagaries are such that the audience can easily imagine themselves in the situation; however, even if this were the case, a reason to care about what happens to the characters is sacrificed in the process.

TMC features surrealist elements that drives much of the film’s tension. This is best exemplified in the final fifteen minutes of the film, where the audience witnesses the screaming antics of a horrified Marilyn Burns. What the protagonists lack in, well, character, Leatherface and his ilk more than pick up the slack. The intrigue that these characters bring about is what saves the film from mediocrity.

Considering the extreme shifts in tension, it is no wonder why this film is regarded as one of the all time greats of the horror genre.

Rating: 7/10

Child's Play

noreply@blogger.com (BrettMullins) — Tue, 22 May 2012 23:16:00 +0000

By Brett Mullins

Released: 1988

Directed by Tom Holland

In a last ditch effort to escape from the police, a serial killer enacts voodoo to transfer his soul into a doll. It just so happens that this brand of doll is the most popular item of the holiday season. The doll ends up in the hands of a young boy who becomes the prime suspect in a series of murders.

Child’s Play is not so much a horror film as it is a strange and somewhat comical tale. The opening scenes of the film produce doubts as to the quality of the continuity and the storytelling; however, by the conclusion, there is a sense of closure from the rather wild explanations of the events. This is refreshing since a lesser film would have had the serial killer’s soul inexplicably transferred to the doll (think Jack Frost).

A large portion of the film is focused on the interactions between the child, Andy, and the doll. This builds an atmosphere of suspense, because the audience knows Chucky, the doll, will eventually come alive and begin the slashing. This tension feels as if it is straight out of a Poe-esque short story.

The acting is quite sub par with the exception of Alex Vincent’s performance as Andy. This is unusual, because child actors are generally the ones that hinder the film.

Child’s Play is a unique take on the genre that leaves room for improvement for similar titles to come.

Rating: 6/10

Scream

noreply@blogger.com (BrettMullins) — Thu, 17 May 2012 02:38:00 +0000

By Brett Mullins

Released: 1996

Directed by Wes Craven; Written by Kevin Williamson

Scream is a film that drastically changed the horror genre. The film is self aware in a way that allows for a more realistic slasher experience while satirizing cliches from the past. The plot is rather simple: one year following the slaying of her mother, Sidney becomes the seeming obsession of a killer picking off teenagers one by one.

Scream is a difficult film to review. With that being said, any review of this film is likely to get caught up in the historical significance and not provide an accurate account of the film itself (this review included). There are so many things going on in this film that it’s difficult to choose where to begin.

Wes Craven should be commended on a job well done; not only is Scream an effective slasher film, it is able to turn the genre on its head and crack several jokes along the way, often at Craven’s expense. One scene in particular exemplifies this: Sidney and her friend are talking on the porch when the camera zooms to the woods where the villain pops out for a second as he runs between trees. Though this scene is rather odd and provides amusement, it hints at the audience of a bloodbath to come.

This film did so many things well that they often overshadow the flaws, which were rather minor yet affect the film’s tone. These include awkward camera angles and several of the comedic diversions. Though meta-gags have their appeal to fans of the genre, their novelty is diminished somewhat nearing the film’s conclusion.

The acting was well executed. Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, David Arquette, Rose McGowan, Jamie Kennedy, and Matthew Lillard all deliver great performances.

Scream remains a great film that provides an effective critique of the slasher subgenre and enough action to appease newcomers.

Rating: 8/10

Prom Night (1980)

noreply@blogger.com (BrettMullins) — Sat, 12 May 2012 18:59:00 +0000

By Brett Mullins

Directed by Paul Lynch

Six years ago, a young girl died as a result of four bratty kids being, well, bratty. A man with a troubled past is wrongly harassed and committed to an institution for the act. Now, it’s prom night and the sixth year anniversary of the girl’s death. As prom begins, an unknown individual takes revenge on the four that were responsible.

Prom Night is a rather strange slasher film. The film builds for nearly an hour before the action begins, which only lasts for the final twenty-five or so minutes. This film appears to lack depth; however, as things progress after the action begins, a deeper plot emerges.

The acting was painfully average; though only so because of the better performances of Leslie Nielsen, Jamie Lee Curtis, and Robert Silverman. It was especially odd to see Leslie Nielsen’s performance as the high school principal and Curtis’ father.

Compared to typical slashers, the antagonist in Prom Night differs somewhat. Though they lurk around in the shadows killing off characters much the same, this killer is less precise and appears not to be unstoppable. It’s only through the incompetence of the would-be victims that they do not get away. Further, the audience is able to sympathize largely with the killer’s motives and such.

Prom Night proved to be an interesting watch; however, it is difficult to get over how strange this film is, all around.

Rating: 6/10

Hell Night

noreply@blogger.com (BrettMullins) — Thu, 10 May 2012 16:49:00 +0000

By Brett Mullins

Released: 1981

Directed by Tom DeSimone; Written by Randy Feldman

Four fraternity/sorority pledges spend the night in a haunted mansion to fulfil their initiation requirements. The upperclassmen have planned a night of gags and trickery on the unknowing freshmen. As the evening of pranks begins, the mysteries surrounding the history of the mansion are somewhat revealed.

Hell Night combines early slasher themes with haunted house elements. This is garnished with a creeping slow pace that will likely put the audience to sleep. To compound this, the film is weak on both story and character development, elaborating little on what is going on once the slashing begins. Hell Night’s dilemma can be thought of as a drawn out, underdeveloped story consisting of characters the audience knows and subsequently cares little about.

Despite these weaknesses, Hell Night is not as predictable as one might assume. Though the main characters are rather stereotypical, they venture down avenues not explored fully in the traditional horror film structure. While the acting is also rather weak, the main characters have an odd appeal to them.

In the end, this film is overcome by the vast amount of filler scenes and lack of any explanation of the backstory. In the last twenty minutes, a new character appears on the scene and complicates matters for no adequately explored reason; I doubt anyone but perhaps the filmmakers know who this character is! It’s rare and unfortunate that a horror film inspires sleepiness and boredom.

Rating: 3/10

Cherry Falls

noreply@blogger.com (BrettMullins) — Tue, 08 May 2012 00:23:00 +0000

By Brett Mullins

Released: 2000

Directed by Geoffrey Wright; Written by Ken Selden

The quiet town of Cherry Falls, Virginia, is visited by a killer that targets virgins from the local high school. After the news breaks out to the public, the students become hypersexualized and plan a sex party to elude the apparent danger.

Cherry Falls follows in the footsteps of Wes Craven’s Scream by providing a satirical account of the cliched ‘slasher’ storyline. This film plays on further cliches in horror films regarding sex, in the sense that, in Cherry Falls, the individuals abstaining from sex are the ones dying.

Further comparisons can be made between this film and Scream. Both films are strong in plot and with the twist. Cherry Falls, however, does not provide the iconic characters associated with the Scream franchise.

Brittany Murphy’s lead performance as Jody, daughter of the local Sheriff, is convincing. Her subtle suggestiveness regarding many of the characters builds the foundation of the hypersexual tone. Two other performances are noteworthy, though the entire cast did an excellent job: Jay Mohr as Mr. Marliston, a high school English teacher who somewhat becomes the subject of Jody’s flirtation, and Michael Biehn as Sheriff Marken, Jody’s father.

Despite the effective tone, enthralling plot, and well executed twist, the film’s ending is lackluster. In retrospect, the conclusion is not so memorable anyway.

Cherry Falls is an effective slasher that should be mentioned alongside Scream in discussing the all time greats of the genre.

Rating: 8/10

Maniac

noreply@blogger.com (BrettMullins) — Sat, 05 May 2012 18:47:00 +0000

By Brett Mullins

Released: 1980

Directed by William Lustig

Maniac is a slasher film shot from the perspective of the killer. Frank Zito leads a double life: during the day, he is an artist; by night, he stalks, murders, and scalps women. Frank often concludes the evening by returning home and conversing with the blood covered mannequins that populate his apartment.

After reading this introduction, one may wonder what conflict was featured in the film. Unfortunately, this question will go unanswered, because there is no major discernible story or plot in Maniac. The audience is presented with a series of seemingly unrelated instances in which Frank butchers several individuals.

Joe Spinell, who portrays Frank, looks the part rather well. It is interesting to see a portly, unkempt man act as the killer. It is often the case with traditional slashers that the villain is slender and masked. The best part of this film is Frank’s mad face when he is physically overpowering his victims. His eyes bulge from his head and his face turns blood red.

Barring Spinell’s interesting performance and some special effects from Tom Savini, this film is nothing special and hardly features any story at all. Frank’s character does not have the depth to hold this film together by himself. This leaves the audience to ponder on thoughts of what could have been.

Rating: 3/10

Megan Is Missing

noreply@blogger.com (BrettMullins) — Thu, 03 May 2012 16:28:00 +0000

By Brett Mullins

Released: 2011

Written and Directed by Michael Goi

Unless you have lived under a rock for the past decade, you have heard something about internet predators charming naive children and subsequently kidnapping them. Megan Is Missing is a film about just that.

Megan and Amy are two girls in their early teens, 14 and 13 respectively. Though they are both straight A students in the classroom, Megan spends her time partying, doing drugs, and partaking in promiscuous activities, while Amy leads a modest, innocent life spent fantasizing about the future. Trouble begins for the two girls once they meet a new guy on a chat room and begin conversing with him.

Megan Is Missing features an unique storytelling technique, which one can think of as a modified mockumentary. The film switches between webcam conversations, surveillance cameras, handheld cameras carried by the characters, and clips for a news show. The film seems to be put together by an omniscient viewer which makes it a rather unique experience.

In this alternation between perspectives, the tone of the film often shifts with each new shot. The mood shifts from mundane, to comedic, to disturbing, and back to mundane. In this respect, this film shares many of the same criticisms put forth regarding the film Razortooth: “There are several scenes in this film where the tone and pacing shifts drastically from one extreme emotion to the next. In doing so, the pacing comes to a complete halt as the tension and such starts to build from scratch.”

Despite these hindrances, Megan Is Missing provides a few moments of absolute shock and awe. For viewers willing to struggle through the rest of the film, these will likely vindicate the uneven acting and tone. Most audiences, however, should probably avoid this one.

Rating: 4/10

Special

noreply@blogger.com (BrettMullins) — Tue, 01 May 2012 06:23:00 +0000

By Brett Mullins

Released: 2006

Written and Directed by Hal Haberman and Jeremy Passmore

A lonely and depressed meter maid, Les, joins a trial drug study on a whim. The drug produces unexpected results, and Les begins to develop superpowers, such as levitation and telepathy. Seeing this as a calling of sorts, Les quits his job and assumes the life of a crime fighter.

Special could have went many different directions; luckily, it stayed clear of the popular comic book superhero approach and, instead, went for the bittersweet, emotional drama. The directors elect not to keep the audience in the dark, which allows the audience to become further connected to the characters without the worry of some future revelation.

Michael Rapaport (Deep Blue Sea) delivers an excellent and likable performance as Les. Josh Peck (The Wackness) and Robert Baker portray brothers that own a comic book shop that Les frequents. In particular, Peck’s performance was outstanding; until this film, I had only known him as a Disney actor.

Several elements of the film would be recognized as strikes against other films, such as a shakiness present in nearly every shot and somewhat repetitive music and sound effects. While these attributes build onto the character of Special, they limit its potential. This is likely the result of an excellent idea and crew operating on a limited budget.

Special is comical, depressing, and relatable to the audience and is well worth a watch.

Rating: 7/10

The Ward (2010)

noreply@blogger.com (BrettMullins) — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 21:32:00 +0000

By Brett Mullins

Released: 2010

Directed by John Carpenter; Written by Michael and Shawn Rasmussen

The Ward is a psychological thriller set in the 1960s. Kristen is brought to North Bend Psychiatric Hospital after burning down an abandoned farmhouse. After she is shown her room and night falls, Kristen becomes terrorized by a ghost.

The Ward does not build the strongest atmosphere though plot development and such as one would expect from a John Carpenter film; however, the audience cannot escape the creepiness of the hospital setting. Since the film is set in the 1960s, the characters, design of the buildings, and such are rather similar to Girl, Interrupted.

Jared Harris portrays Dr. Stringer, the head psychiatrist at the hospital. Stringer is reminiscent of Harris’ performance in the Resident Evil series as Dr. Ashford, a determined, albeit mad, scientist. The Ward derives much of its effectiveness from its connections to other films. Besides the films mentioned above, The Ward pulls heavily from other mind bending films to construct its plot.

This film has a few twists and turns and will satisfy the audience. Though the film pulls its elements from related films, it manages to do so in an enjoyable manner that warrants a viewing. Compared to Carpenter’s best, this film is rather sub-par; however, compared to the rest of the horror and thriller genres, it manages to be quite above average.

Rating: 7/10

Funny Games (1997)

noreply@blogger.com (BrettMullins) — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 15:58:00 +0000

By Brett Mullins

Released: 1997

Written and Directed by Michael Haneke

While visiting their vacation home in the country, Anna and Georg, a wealthy, middle-aged couple, are held hostage along with their son by two sadistic individuals. Though this description may sound generic, this film is nothing of the sort.

Director Michael Haneke has given the audience a difficult task in analyzing this film. As one peels back the layers of the plot, they reveal (in order, for the most part) typical gore horror themes, a satire of the genre, an intelligent play between social class and violence, and villains quite different from the typical psychological thriller. It suffices to say that there is a lot going on here.

Though seeming to lag at points, Funny Games has an unbreakable tension that makes the audience cringe but not in the traditional ‘someone took a machete to the face’ manner. This is accomplished by the excellent performances from the entirety of the cast and specific techniques such as breaking the fourth wall occasionally by the two villains. This creates an experience that is painful for the audience to watch, which accounts for the majority of the mass of negative reviews surrounding this film.

The villains are two twenty-something guys dressed in uniformly white golf outfits, featuring short shorts and gloves. This attribute somewhat catches the audience off guard, because antagonists are generally portrayed as lower class individuals. In a sense, this is similar to much of the fascination with American Psycho.

A minor but important element that likely goes unmentioned is the German language. While German has been criticized as an angry language, one cannot deny its ability to effectively articulate emotion throughout the film. Perhaps, this is a result of being a native English speaker, but this element gives the film an exotic and extra-expressive dimension that is rarely seen in cinema.

Rating: 8/10

Friday the 13th Part 2

noreply@blogger.com (BrettMullins) — Sat, 14 Apr 2012 00:07:00 +0000

By Brett Mullins

Released: 1981

Directed by Steve Miner; Written by Ron Kurz

Friday the 13th Part 2 makes much less sense that the original. The film opens with a recap of Part 1 followed by the protagonist and seeming lone survivor taking an ice pick to the head at the hands of Jason; talk about closure. The film introduces the a second group of counselors who have set up camp in the vicinity of the infamous Camp Blood. As a night of drinking commences, Jason shows up with revenge in mind.

If Part 2 could be described in one word, it would be ‘frustrating.’ Following the interesting introduction with the ice pick and such, the audience is plagued with questions as to what exactly happened at the end of the first film and why an apparent feral man is concerned with removing a tea kettle from a hot burner. These questions often take backseat to the plot; however, not much is going on in the film other than characters the audience barely know being hacked to bits one by one.

While the film wasn’t terrible, technically speaking, it is difficult to overcome such plot inconsistencies. It is such that the other elements of the film cannot overcome this gross handicap, and the audience’s interest is hindered as a result. It is as if the makers of the film threw everything together at the last moment. The particular scene which illustrates this point the best is where the counselors are gathered around the fire, and the lead counselor tells of a spooky, yet silly ‘ghost story’ (as most of them tend to be) involving the nearby area. It just so happens that this story is the entire basis of the film and its many sequels.

Rating: 3/10

The Wave (2008)

noreply@blogger.com (BrettMullins) — Sat, 07 Apr 2012 20:13:00 +0000

By Brett Mullins

Original Title: Die Welle

Released: 2008

Directed by Dennis Gansel

German High School teacher Rainer Wenger is less than enthusiastic about being assigned the topic of Autocracy during special project’s week. After students reject the idea of autocracy being a threat to democracy in modern day Germany, Wenger constructs a social experiment to illustrate how easily these ideas can emerge. The experiment spirals out of control and threatens the lives of those participating.

This type of film can only be effective if the audience is able to connect to the story on some emotional level; otherwise, the plot might as well be presented as a lecture. The characters are flawed in the sense that they are human and are susceptible to mistakes.

Jürgen Vogel and Frederick Lau deliver excellent performances as Mr. Wenger and Tim, a seemingly obsessed participant in the experiment, respectively. The dialogue between these two largely builds the basis for emotional involvement from the audience.

Many of the side plots, however, are not as effective. The most prominent of these plots involves a conflict between a love interest and the unity born from the experiment.

The Wave presents an idea that many of us would brush aside as absurd and argues it quite well. By the end of the film, the audience is left with a handful to think about; the film offers a strong dose of political philosophy and social psychology.

Rating: 7/10

Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon

noreply@blogger.com (BrettMullins) — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 00:19:00 +0000

By Brett Mullins

Released: 2006

Directed by Scott Glosserman; Written by David J. Stieve and Scott Glosserman

Leslie Vernon is a mythic serial killer in the making. Hoping to join the ranks of Freddy, Jason, and Michael Myers, Leslie gives full access of his planning and eventual night of mayhem to a trio of documentary filmmakers.

This film combines elements of found footage and traditional slasher films to provide a unique visual experience. One moment, the audience is experiencing the scene from the perspective of the camera crew; the next, the view is in third person more like a traditional film.

This alternation between film techniques allows the audience to explore the character of Leslie Vernon. In being viewed from the third person perspective, Leslie appears to be much like the boogeyman of a typical slasher film: masterful at stalking his victims, executing brutal slayings, always being one step ahead, etc. From the perspective of the film crew, however, the audience is able to connect with the elements of humanity within Leslie and identify him as an antihero. This analysis of Leslie’s character illustrates but the tip of the iceberg, so to say, of the intricacy of the plot.

Behind the Mask functions both as a homage to and revision of the slasher genre. This film is set in a universe where the events of Haddonfield, Elm Street, Camp Crystal Lake, etc. all occurred. Throughout the film, Leslie and his mentor, Eugene, detail the roles and rules, so to speak, when involved in these scenarios. One can consider this film to be in direct competition with Wes Craven’s Scream in this regard.

The revisionist elements come as a result of changing the audience’s expectations and desires for the film’s conclusion. In many slasher series, often after the number of sequels fails be counted on one hand, the audience begins to root for the killer at some point (see Halloween V). Behind the Mask complicates matters a bit in that the audience can see both sides of the equation: a sadistic killer wiping out a group of oblivious teens, and a passionate man exhibiting antihero qualities. This shakes up traditional cliques and such to produce a feeling of watching something new and, more simply put, awe.

The acting in this film is quite superb. Nathan Baesel’s portrayal of Leslie Vernon is nothing short of excellent. Angela Goethals also delivers a great performance as the leader of the documentary crew. Robert Englund (the original Freddy Krueger) makes an appearance as the Dr. Loomis inspired Doc Halloran.

Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon is a film that can be appreciated by all audiences. Its stylistic and storytelling elements are well executed enough to gain approval from newcomers to the genre and innovative and well grounded enough to please the staunch critic.

Rating: 10/10

April Fool's Day (1986)

noreply@blogger.com (BrettMullins) — Sun, 01 Apr 2012 20:41:00 +0000

By Brett Mullins

Released: 1986

Directed by Fred Walton; Written by Danilo Bach

A slasher film themed after a minor holiday does not sound like the most appealing plot ever conceived. That being said, April Fool’s Day is an 80’s slasher that manages to be interesting, clever, and not just another duplicate of the overused Halloween formula.

Nine college students spend the weekend at their fellow student Muffy’s soon-to-be-inherited mansion on a secluded island. On the ferry ride over and throughout their stay, the line between celebratory pranks and horrific accidents becomes blurred.

From beginning to end, April Fool’s Day feels like a trip through a haunted house; frights and suspense are around every corner. The interesting aspect of this film is that the audience quickly is unable to differentiate between the numerous gags and tragic murders. This allows for a high level of tension, because the audience does not fully understand the reality of the situation.

The acting is top notch all around. Deborah Foreman’s portrayal of Muffy was especially well done. The same goes for the film’s production value and direction.

There was a bit of confusion throughout regarding the characters. It’s often difficult to keep track of ten different people when they’re all around the same age and introduced close to the same time. As the film progressed, it became easier to identify the major players; however, I still don’t know who Buck is.

April Fool’s Day is a fun slasher that is rather creative and a notch above other films of the era.

Rating: 7/10

Dead of Winter (2007)

noreply@blogger.com (BrettMullins) — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 01:56:00 +0000

By Brett Mullins

Released: 2007

Directed by Brian McNamara

Dead of Winter is a ‘bad trip’ film chronicling the journey of a college-aged couple through the frozen wilderness following a car accident. Matters are further complicated since the couple was returning home from a New Year’s party while high on both meth and LSD.

This film, which also goes by the name of Lost Signal, is based on the true story of a Nebraskan couple who shared a similar experience. This story was featured on a popular Dateline-type show, which gave the audience (those who have heard of it, that is) some sort of a connection with the plot.

Discussing the film’s plot is a bit difficult, because there’s not much there. It’s rather clear what’s going on the entire time, with the exception of a twist toward the end that is terribly illogical. The few attempts of building ‘who-done-it’ tension largely fail to even be recognized by the audience. When the police inquire as to the whereabouts of the now lost couple, a big deal is made about one character slipping them LSD; no one seems the least bit concerned about the meth.

Story aside, the film featured interesting snowy-night visuals that were not too blue shaded (those who have seen Underworld know what I’m talking about). Most of the scenes filmed in daylight, however, looked washed out.

Despite the ineffectiveness of the Dead of Winter overall, it inspired a bit of abstinence with regard to hard drugs.

Rating: 3/10

Genesis (1998)

noreply@blogger.com (BrettMullins) — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 22:34:00 +0000

By Brett Mullins

Released: 1998

Written and Directed by Nacho Cerdà

Genesis is a thirty minute short that features no dialogue. Haunted by the untimely death of his wife, a sculptor constructs a stone replica in her image. This sculpture exhibits unusual properties that test the beliefs of this obsessive artist.

Director Nacho Cerdà presents this strange tale with stunning visuals, which are emphasised by the lack of dialogue. Despite this, the sculptor’s emotions were conveyed perfectly to the audience though the acting of Pop Tosar and the wonderful score.

An element that plagues both short and silent films is ambiguity, which is quite prevalent in Genesis. Generally speaking, an effective plot must have some level of ambiguity. Films that exploit this element and leave the audience clueless as to what exactly they have just viewed are often examples of premature actualizations or just sloppy script writing. For further examples, see Eraserhead.

Being a short, Genesis can somewhat wiggle out of this condition while remaining to be an effective and interesting film.

Rating: 6/10

Editor's Note: This film is separate from the short Aftermath, also from Cerdà. These two are often considered the same film as a result of being packaged together in a compilation of the director's work.

Chillerama

noreply@blogger.com (BrettMullins) — Sun, 25 Mar 2012 03:31:00 +0000

By Brett Mullins

Released: 2011

Written and Directed by Adam Green, Joe Lynch, Adam Rifkin, and Tim Sullivan

Chillerama is a Creepshow-style anthology film that brings together some familiar names and faces from the horror community to produce two hours of B-Movie madness.

During its last night of operation, a drive in movie theater presents a night of films that are so lewd and crude that they have previously been banned. These over-the-top titles include ‘Wadzilla’, ‘I Was a Teenage Werebear’, ‘The Diary of Anne Frankenstein’, and ‘Deathication’. It just so happens that a zombie outbreak occurs during the showing and mayhem ensues.

Chillerama is a strange and widely varied film. In an attempt to provide a fair review, I’m going to present the segments individually below:

Wadzilla
A man with a low sperm count is offered a drug in a trial study that produces an adverse effect: one large aggressive sperm! It grows to gigantic proportions and runs amok throughout 1950’s New York City.

Adam Rifken pulls the trifecta by writing, directing, and starring in this entertaining short. Wadzilla derives much of its humor from poking fun at the cultural norms of the 50s/60s era. This time is often thought of as a period of high morals (though it was quite the opposite), so it is comical to see the barely clothed women, constant chain smoking, Ron Jeremy as Captain Fatso, a clown advertising children’s cereal, and a giant sperm monster.

Being the first short in Chillerama, Wadzilla provides several laughs and high hopes for things to come.

I Was a Teenage Werebear
Ricky is the typical (by film standards) 1960’s Californian high school student, except he doesn’t quite have his eyes out for the ladies. After being bitten by the mysterious Talon, Ricky begins the transformation into a Werebear!

With the exception of effectively illustrating the current levels of homophobia in today’s culture, I Was a Teenage Werebear doesn’t do much well. This musical short became difficult to watch after the first few minutes. After the opening tune, the film slowly dragged on to a confusing and lackluster conclusion. This is not to say that it did not provide a few laughs along the way; the short just did not live up to expectations.

The Diary of Anne Frankenstein
Soon after Anne learns of her seemingly mad grandfather, Dr. Frankenstein, the Doctor’s work is procured by Hitler who uses it to produce a monster.

This black and white short proves to be the high point in Chillerama and will likely be the reason the audience will view the film a second time. Joel David Moore portrays a comical yet crazed Hitler who is all too strange (he really likes puppies). While the rest of the cast speaks in German, Moore’s Hitler speaks German sounding gibberish, though it is correctly subtitled in English. This film is all one could ask for in an anthology of the sort.

Deathication
This is the fourth and final short that is cut, well, short just after the introduction. After a long and hilarious disclaimer from faux-director Fernando Phagabeefy, the film turns into a literal poop fest. It’s a compilation of scenes depicting individuals defecating in a comical manner. This is one of those scenes that would get you kicked out of a public library. Deathication is funny and does well to build up to the climax of the film.

Zom-B-Movie
This is the film that weaves all the other shorts together. Zom-B-Movie is the tale of a zombie outbreak that occurs during the final night of operation at a drive in movie theater. The establishment is run by a creepy man named Cecil (Richard Reihle) who seems to have lost everything.

This short proves to be an excellent introduction and conclusion to Chillerama and is interesting enough to hold the audience’s attention between the other shorts. Much like my comments on The Diary of Anne Frankenstein, this is all one could ask for with this type of film.

Chillerama is both a fun and weird film to watch if for nothing else than the wealth of film references. This is one of those films that is just too hard to rate; however, I will offer up that it is well worth a watch.

This film was screened at the 2011 Buried Alive! Film Festival.

The Cabinet Of Dr. Caligari (1920)

noreply@blogger.com (BrettMullins) — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 02:14:00 +0000

By Justin Hamelin

Released: 1920

Directed by: Robert Wiene

One of my all-time favorite horror films, The Cabinet Of Dr. Caligari starts off with a young man named Francis (Friedrich Feher) telling the tale of him and his fiancée Jane’s recent horrors at a fair.

Werner Krauss portrays one of the most iconic names in horror, the maniacal Dr. Caligari, in what many consider one of the first true horror films in cinema history.

The film revolves around the doctor who has a mysterious exhibit at an annual fair in Holstenwall. The Cabinet Of Dr. Caligari features the creepy looking doctor controlling his somnambulist Cesare, played spectacularly by Conrad Veidt (Casablanca, The Man Who Laughs).

After Dr. Caligari proclaims his somnambulist can prophesize the future, the zombie-like Cesare awakens to tell a young man he will be dead by dawn. The next morning comes and the young man is found dead. Francis, who accompanied the victim to the fair the day before, suspects Cesare is the murderer. Thus begins Francis’ vigilante investigation on both the sleepwalker and the mad doctor.

The next night, Cesare sneaks into the room of the beautiful Jane, intent on killing her. Cesare shows a glimmer of humanity by not stabbing Jane, instead abducting her and running from a pack of outraged townsfolk who are hunting down the murderer. One final spark of humanity comes when Cesare gives up and gently lays Jane on the ground, then running for a bit more before dying of exhaustion.

Amidst all this, Francis is still hot on the trail of Dr. Caligari, bringing a group of policemen to Caligari’s abode to investigate. This brings forth one of the most suspense-filled moments in the film, in which we realize Cesare is not in Dr. Caligari’s possession at that time and the doctor successfully eludes the policemen. Caligari dashes into an asylum, and Francis quickly catches up to him. This is where Francis makes a mortifying discovery, only to slip into madness himself.

These days, we are suffocated with CGI effects and mindless story lines in far too many horror flicks. People seem to not realize the magic and work that went into films of yesterday, particularly this one, which is nearly 100 years old. It’s interesting to note this film was the first German film acknowledged in Steven Schneider’s “1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die” book. A silent film where all backgrounds were painted on paper and shadows were painted on, The Cabinet Of Dr. Caligari packs a fantastic psychological punch and it certainly deserves all the credit it receives and then some.

My Grade: 10/10

Zombie Week 2012

noreply@blogger.com (BrettMullins) — Sun, 18 Mar 2012 19:32:00 +0000

Disturbing Films is pleased to announce our second annual Zombie Week from March 12th - 17th. This year, we are teaming up with The Blood Sucking Geek, Mansion of the Macabre, The Sick House, MK Horror, Miss Twisted, and Maven's Movie Vault of Horror to bring you several reviews of Zombie related films from the community that knows it best.

Here is our lineup:

Brett
American Zombie
Rammbock: Berlin Undead
The Serpent and the Rainbow
Resident Evil Apocalypse

Justin
The Horde

Zombie Week '12 Reviews from our Friends:

The Blood Sucking Geek

Tombs of the Blind Dead (1972)
Return of the Evil Dead (1973)
The Ghost Galleon (1974)
Night of the Seagulls (1975)
Messiah of Evil (1973)
Zombie Holocaust (1980)

Maven's Movie Vault of Horror
Devil's Playground (2010)
The Dead (2010)
Undead (2003)
Pontypool (2008)

MK Horror
The Evil Dead
Evil Dead II

Mansion of the Macabre
Mutants
28 Days Later
Zombieland
Dead & Breakfast

Miss Twisted
Deadgirl (2008)

The Sick House
John Russo - A Legend Among Zombies

Guest Review: Dead & Breakfast by Mansion of the Macabre

noreply@blogger.com (BrettMullins) — Sat, 17 Mar 2012 23:05:00 +0000

By Mansion of the Macabre

Written and Directed by Matthew Leutwyler
Starring: Ever Carradine, Gina Philips, Erik Palladino, and Bianca Lawson
OUR RATING 4.25/5.0 CTHULHU'S

Dead & Breakfast is a 2004 Zombie Comedy/Musical. Six friends, Christian (Jeremy Sisto), David (Erik Palladino), Kate (Bianca Lawson), Johnny (Oz Perkins), Sara (Ever Carradine), and Melody (Gina Philips), are traveling in an RV to their friends wedding in Galveston, TX. They are running late and become lost so they decide to stay at a Bed and Breakfast in a little town called Lovelock. The film is narrated through music by one of the towns locals (Zach Selwyn), which offers a very unique feel and highly entertaining technique.

The B&B is owned by the enigmatic Mr. Wise, played by none other than David Carridine. After doing drugs David is very loopy and insults the chef causing him to become angry. Later in the night, David awakens from his drug induced nap and wanders into the kitchen to find something to eat. Johnny follows and turns on the light to reveal the chef has been brutally murdered. David freaks out and swears to Johnny that he did not do it. When the friends regroup and attempt to wake up Mr Wise, they discover that he too has died of a heart attack. They are unable to call for help because the phone is out so David rides into town on a borrowed motorcycle to notify the local sheriff. The Sheriff (Jeffrey Dean Morgan), and his Deputy, Enus (Mark Kelly), immediately suspects someone in the group is the killer so he takes away the keys to the RV and orders everyone to stay in town until he can sort it all out.

There is also a mysterious drifter in town (Brent David Fraser) who becomes the prime suspect and is arrested. He warns Sara and Christian that Mr Wise was in possession of an ancient wooden box called the Kuman Thong. Which is cursed with an ancient evil. Sara remembers seeing it back at the B&B. While Christian and Sara are at the Sheriffs office the rest of the group wanders to the local "hodown" looking for a drink. Meanwhile Johnny gets locked out of the Inn and climbs up the gardeners ladder to get through a window. In doing so he unleashes the ancient evil from the "Kuman Thong Thang" which possesses him and causes him to become a cold blooded killer. Not just any killer either. You see, everyone Johnny murders becomes a Zombie Minion that does whatever he tells them too. Meanwhile back in downtown Lovelock, Christian and Sara are talking with the local historian and librarian who explains to them that she witnessed Mr Wise performing a dark ritual in the cemetery using the remains of his infant son. Christian and Sara arrive back at the barn where all the townsfolk have gathered for the "hodown" as does Johnny and his undead minions! A massive blood bath takes place as everyone starts becoming Zombies including the musical narrator.

Dead & Breakfast is a very unique and entertaining film. Not all that scary but intentionally campy and hysterically funny. I highly enjoyed the musical interpretation and the zombie dance sequence during the climax, that was like something from Michael Jackson's Thriller. This is one of my favourite Zombie films and I highly recommend it to anyone. I have never seen another horror comedy like it.

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Guest Review: Zombieland by Mansion of the Macabre

noreply@blogger.com (BrettMullins) — Sat, 17 Mar 2012 21:04:00 +0000

By Mansion of the Macabre

Directed by Ruben Fleischer. Written by Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick
Starring: Jesse Eisenberg, Emma Stone, and Woody Harrelson
OUR RATING 5.0/5.0 CTHULHU'S

Zombieland is an amazing American Horror/Comedy. The film begins with a loner college student (Jesse Eisenberg) who explains that a bad strain of "mad cow disease" has mutated and caused its victims to become flesh eating zombies. Our hero learns this first hand by bringing a strange young woman to his Texas apartment. She transforms into a zombie and attempts to kill him. He defends himself using a toilet seat cover to smash her head. He then finds himself the soul survivor of his University and his city as the populace is now swarming with the undead. He manages to survive using his own set of rules, which becomes a running joke throughout the film. For a full list follow this link: http://www.horror-movies.ca/horror_16631.html

After totaling his car from a hilarious zombie encounter, he finds himself on foot. While leaving the city he encounters a very eccentric gunslinging traveler on the highway (Woody Harrelson). The two agree to travel together and decide to keep their personal names to themselves since they both figure the chances of outliving one another are slim. Instead they refer to each other as "Columbus" and "Tallahassee". Referring to where they are each from. Jesse Eisenberg (Columbus) Is trying to reach his parents in Ohio, and Woody Harrelson (Tallahassee) is mourning his dead dog and searching for the worlds last Twinkie. The chemistry between the two is electric and entertaining, and the film has the feel of a road movie as well as a zombie horror.

When our two heroes clear out a local grocery store of infected, we learn that Tallahassee likes to use a banjo "This really brings them out" as a zombie weapon. In a back room, they encounter "Wichita" (Emma Stone) and her younger, 12-year-old sister "Little Rock" (Abigail Breslin). The two play an act as innocent victims but are in fact cons who have little trouble scheming Columbus's and Tallahassee's weapons and vehicle away from them and leaving them stranded. Bent on revenge, Tallahassee soon finds a Hummer filled with weapons, and the two warriors follow in pursuit of their assailants. Soon enough they find their former vehicle stranded. In an attempt to capture the two sisters and regain their stolen goods, the girls turn the tables and our would be heroes find themselves outwitted yet again. A wild western standoff of sorts ensues until Columbus suggests they all just ride together. Witchita and Littlerock are headed to Pacific Playground, an amusement park that is supposedly zombie free. After learning from the girls that Columbus, OH is infested with Zombies, Columbus and Tallahassee reluctantly agree to escort the ladies the rest of the way.

This film is supremely entertaining with lots of laughs as well as plenty of Zombie horror and action. I felt it hit on all marks and has become one of my favourite Zombie films. If you have not seen this movie then I do not want to spoil the ending or the fact that this film also has one of the greatest and darkly funniest celebrity cameos in the history of cinema! Hint, his initials are BM. All in all, great film. Well worth the watch. Guaranteed to keep you laughing, screaming and entertained. If not, then you better check your pulse. You just might be a Zombie.

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Guest Review: 28 Days Later by Mansion of the Macabre

noreply@blogger.com (BrettMullins) — Sat, 17 Mar 2012 16:57:00 +0000

By Mansion of the Macabre

Directed by Danny Boyle, and Written by Alex Garland

Starring: Cillian Murphy, Naomie Harris and Christopher Eccleston
OUR RATING 5.0/5.0 CTHULHU'S

28 Days Later is a groundbreaking and fantastic Zombie film, if you can truly call it a Zombie film. There has been some debate to that point and we here at The Mansion would like to settle that dispute. In the traditional sense, Zombies are dead humans whom for unexplained reasons have become reanimated and react on simple neurological impulses. The creatures in 28 Days Later are living humans whom have become infected with a virus called Rage, which transforms them into aggressive and violent creatures that attack without provocation (Not that undead Zombies react differently).

In the film, Jim (Cillian Murphy) awakes in a London Hospital to find himself alone. Not just alone, but perhaps the only living soul on the planet, or so he thinks. He discovers from a Newspaper that a group of activists released some experimental apes and in so doing caused the spread of a Virus or Plague that has consumed the whole population into blood thirsty Zombies in only 28 Days. Jim eventually teams with a group of survivors attempting to find a safe haven or simply trying to live. Living on only sugar and canned goods, the group has to outlive the virus, its victims and each other in an attempt to find safety and understanding in the apocalyptic world that they now find themselves in.

The movie is not only an analytical glimpse of human behaviour but is also a brilliant take on the Zombie Apocalypse. These are not George Romero's rotten slow moving corpses, The 28 Days' Zombies are terrifying and dangerous creatures that can run at super human speeds, offering a brand new dimension of Zombie Horror.

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The Serpent and the Rainbow

noreply@blogger.com (BrettMullins) — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 18:34:00 +0000

By Brett Mullins

Released: 1988

Directed by Wes Craven

Anthropologist Dennis Alan travels to Haiti in search of a drug that turns the user into a ‘zombie.’ He joins forces with a local psychiatrist to sift through what is science and what is superstition in a society dominated by brutal rule and ancient belief.

The Serpent and the Rainbow is a strange and at times surreal experience. The Haitian setting provides a familiar yet distant background that pulls the audience out of their comfort zone. This allows for a number of disturbing ‘dream’ sequences that bring the element of horror into the film.

For a film this off key, the acting is well done. Bill Pullman (the President from Independence Day), Zakes Mokae, and Brent Jennings are excellent as they play Dennis Alan, the iron-fisted Dargent Peytraud, and a gambler and conartist Louis Mozart respectively.

Though this film has a strong cast, high productions values, and a mysterious setting, it is not without its flaws which are all related to the plot. When making a film about the supernatural, the filmmakers must establish the metaphysics or parameters of the unknown so the audience can follow and understand events. This film does not have this consistency.

The Serpent and the Rainbow has several spooks and wincing moments; however, the story fails to pull together in the end.

Rating: 5/10