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DVD Review: Wes Craven’s ‘My Soul To Take’

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My Soul to Take (2010)
Distributor: Momentum
DVD Release Date (UK): 4th April 2011
Directed by: Wes Craven
Starring: Max Thieriot, John Magaro, Emily Meade
Review by: Stephanie Scaife

I’ve never been entirely convinced by Wes Craven’s reputation as one of the “Masters of Horror”, being that by my calculations; only approximately 5% of his output is actually worth the film reels it’s printed on. Yes, he may be responsible for Last House on the Left and A Nightmare on Elm Street, but also let’s not forget The Hills Have Eyes 2 (both of them, seeing as how he has a writing credit for the dreadful remake too), Shocker, Vampire in Brooklyn and Cursed. Although I will admit to a soft spot for The People Under the Stairs, mostly due to the pairing of Everett McGill and Wendy Robie as the sadistic parents. You may also be surprised to learn that I am also not particularly keen on Scream. Sure, it was doing something different at the time and it brought about a resurgence in the genre, but I’d give that all up if it had meant I wouldn’t have had to be subjected to the subsequent self-referential horror trend that followed (I Know What You Did Last Summer, Urban Legend etc.) and anyway, the whole Scream thing probably owes more to Kevin Williamson than Craven.

Back to My Soul to Take, which is the first film both written and directed by Craven since Wes Craven’s New Nightmare in 1994. Due to this there was a fair amount of hype surrounding the release, and also a fair amount of disappointment following. I was expecting it to be rubbish, but was shocked by just how rubbish it is.

 The set up starts off with an introduction to our killer, The Ripper, who in 1994 killed six people in the town of Riverton using his special knife that inexplicably has “vengeance” engraved on it. We soon learn that Abel, a local good guy father/husband type actually has a multiple personality disorder and after arguing with his multiple personalities and finding the knife in question in his own house he realises that he is The Ripper himself. After killing his pregnant wife and being shot multiple times by the police he still manages to escape from a firey explosion.

Fast forward 16 years and we are introduced to a group of teenagers who call themselves the “Riverton Seven” due to the fact that they were all born on the night that the Ripper disappeared. Every year they each take turns to make a stand against the soul of The Ripper to protect themselves and the town from his return. This year it is Bug’s (Max Thieriot) turn but he panics and the police end up breaking up the party, then because they weren’t able to go through with the ritual The Ripper returns to knock the kids off one by one in true slasher style. There’s also some weird stuff about a condor that I didn’t really understand or see the point of.

This film has almost no discernable redeeming features; it is convoluted and nonsensical yet still almost entirely predictable. The writing is bad, the acting is bad, it isn’t scary and the death scenes are all lame. Also, your initial hunch about the identity of the killer is probably correct so there’s no real mystery either. This is a lazy, dull slasher film and I’m just glad that I didn’t have to sit through it in 3D.

Should you be some kind of horror movie masochist or a crazy Craven completist, then the DVD is out in the UK from Monday 4th April.

DVD Review: Fantastic Factory Presents ‘Faust: Love of the Damned’

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Faust: Love of the Damned (2000)
Distributor: Arrow Video
DVD Release Date (Fantastic Factory boxset): 18th April 2011
DVD Release Date (Individual): 9th May 2011
Directed by: Brian Yuzna
Starring: Mark Frost, Jennifer Rope, Jeffrey Combs, Andrew Divoff
Review by: Keri O’Shea

This is one of the harder reviews I’ve had to write in a while because, even after taking a day to think it over, I feel so sorry that I disliked this movie. I really wanted to like Faust: Love of the Damned much more than I did (Brian Yuzna! Jeffrey Combs! Sleazy rituals!) However, every time I started to have fun viewing it, something would come along to detract from that. The most unequivocal thing I can say about Faust is that it’s a flawed experiment, and an unusual choice for Arrow Video to re-release considering their thus-far sterling selection of classic horror.

Based on the controversial comic book of the same name, we see the fate of one John Jaspers (Mark Frost), a guy who sold his soul to a mysterious individual called M (otherwise known as Mephistopheles) so that he could avenge himself on the people who killed his girlfriend. Thing is, M didn’t tell him that he would be literally taken over by his new-found killer instinct: in fact,  M explains, until something comes along to replace his nihilistic bent, Jaspers must go on killing on M’s behalf. We encounter Jaspers shortly after he’s dispatched a banquet hall full of diplomats, thus bringing himself to the attention of Lieutenant Margolies (Combs) and Dr Jade de Camp (Isabel Brook) who both want to get to the bottom of this case, and the now-catatonic guy responsible for so many murders. Dr de Camp uses music to unlock wounded psyches and she gets lucky with a familiar metal CD: soon Jaspers is talking. He recounts how, despite all his unwitting crimes, he successfully exercised free will during his last murderous spree, in so doing thwarting M’s plans for him. He’s now in danger. M doesn’t want him to get in the way of a very important Walpurgisnacht ritual he’s got lined up, either: guys who transform into savage, flying devils have a habit of scuppering the best-laid plans. Dr de Camp becomes the love interest, Mephistopheles must be stopped, and so on.

You know what this film reminded me of? The Mask. This is a horror version of The Mask: there’s the transformation, the same gurning, the same one-liners, only here we have some occult material thrown in – or “mystic bullcrap”, as the sadly-underused Combs puts it – and some sex scenes.  The film is energetic, it seems to be self-aware, but it deals with its clumsily-explored themes and clunky dialogue by simply whirling the viewer along at an uneven pace, throwing up various bits and pieces of plot devices and then dashing along to the next. I know it’s a comic book adaptation – I wasn’t expecting a treatise on free will here – but the film would not have suffered for having a better handle on its many plot elements. After all, if you’re going to use child rape as a way of moving the action along, it pays to consider what you’re doing and how you’re doing it. You should also remember that when you use plot devices such as these, it makes it problematic for the audience to just kick back and treat the movie as a romp.

Admittedly, it’s not all bad – I’m not a fan of the original comic, but you can definitely see that this is a comic book adaptation. With its grisly set pieces, caricatured characters and sinister cityscapes, it’s easy to imagine this in four colours, and femme fatale Claire (Mònica Van Campen) is good fun, providing the film with most of its female flesh. I’m a sucker for Satanic ritual in horror cinema, too, so I was definitely diverted by these scenes. Sadly, the decent moments are lost in a fug of piecemeal music video stylings and achingly trite catchphrases. Faust: Love of the Damned is too messy to be as much fun as it should be, and that’s a shame, considering what we know Yuzna can do.

Editor’s Note: as well as being released individually on May 9th, Arrow are releasing Faust: Love of the Damned as part of the Fantastic Factory Presents, a boxset highlighting the work of Brian Yuzna’s Spain-based production house The Fantastic Factory. Other titles in the set are Yuzna’s Beyond Re-Animator, Jack Sholder’s Arachnid, and Paco Plaza’s Rosamanta: The Werewolf Hunt. Look out for our reviews of all of these in the near future.

Review: Takashi Miike’s ’13 Assassins’

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13 Assassins (2010)
Distributor (UK): Artificial Eye
Theatrical Release Date (UK): 6th May 2011
Directed by: Takashi Miike
Starring: Koji Yakusho, Takayuki Yamada, Goro Inagaki
Review by: Ben Bussey

Japan, the mid-1800s: it is a time of peace. The samurai are a dying breed, no longer needed, or so it would seem. But there is trouble in paradise, in the form of Lord Naritsugu (Inagaki). As brother of the Shogun he is protected from on high, not subject to the law; fortunate for him, but unfortunate for anyone who crosses his path, as he’s a ruthless sadistic maniac who thinks nothing of venting his frustrations on whomsoever he lays eyes on. After hacking, slashing and raping his way through much of the land, driving a respected man to hara-kiri, Shogun official Sir Doi (Mikijiro Hira) decides enough is enough. Unable to do away with the Shogun’s brother by official means, he tracks down ageing samurai Shinzaemon Shimada (Yakusho) with the offer of an urgent, top secret mission: Naritsugu must die. Shinzaemon accepts, and sets about assembling a group of the finest samurai he can find; no mean feat with so few of them left.

Call it The Dirty Dozen meets Shogun Assassin; call it Inglorious Basterds in feudal Japan; call it Miike’s most accessible work to date. All these labels are applicable, and not one is a negative. 13 Assassins is an exhilarating, rip-roaring historical epic, an absolute triumph of cinematic spectacle. And it’s probably the last thing most viewers would antcipate from the man who gave us Audition and Ichi The Killer.

In a way it might be helpful to not think of this as a Takashi Miike film at all. If you go in looking for his trademark excess and insanity, you might come out a bit underwhelmed. I suppose the key thing with Miike is – at the risk of being trite – to expect the unexpected. His most celebrated films (in the west at least) would seem to be the work of a director placing little or no boundaries on himself. By contrast, 13 Assassins shows definite restraint. Oh, there’s some bizarre stuff here without a doubt – a limbless woman writing with a pen in her mouth, a most novel use of cattle, and echoes of Ichi’s Kakihara in the emotionless cruelty of Naritsugu – but by and large the action plays out in a fairly straight fashion; quite violent and bloody, but no more so than most Hollywood historical epics – Last of the Mohicans, Gladiator et al – and as such unlikely to alienate audiences reared on such mainstream fare.

Indeed, you can hardly get more conventional than the core premise of an old war hero being called out of retirement for one last mission. Shinzaemon is even fishing when we first meet him. Unassuming in nature and appearance, but absolute in his commitment and, of course, hard as nails, it’s a tremendous tough guy role and Koji Yakusho fits it like a glove. Forget The Expendables – this is one old guy you really wouldn’t want to mess around with. Nor do the other twelve assassins disappoint, particular standouts being Takayuki Yamada as Shinzaemon’s nephew Shinrokuro, and Yusuke Iseya as a thief enlisted as a guide: while initially seeming to be just the comic relief, he proves to be every bit as key to the final battle.

Did I just mention a final battle? Oh yes. And oh, sweet lord Buddha, what a battle it is. The final forty five minutes – yes, FORTY FIVE MINUTES – of the movie sees the titular thirteen ambush Naritsugu and his armed guards, who of course outnumber them many times over. 300? Lord of the Rings? Pah. 13 Assassins puts them to shame, with a grandoise and relentessly visceral showdown notable for its lack of slo-mo, wire fu or obvious digital trickery. It’s wonderfully shot, wonderfully edited, and wonderfully performed by all concerned.

In doing away with the dark, perverse elements which have pigeonholed Miike as a ‘torture porn’ director in the eyes of western audiences, 13 Assassins stands up plainly and simply as the work of a master craftsman. Let’s face it, you can’t make as many films as Miike has (70+ and counting) without learning a bit about the craft of filmmaking. Scratch the surface and the man’s signature themes are there, most notably in Naritsagu’s use of violence in a bid to fill some kind of existential void; another excellent performance in Goro Inagaki, his final scenes being particularly engaging. But it’s just as rewarding to kick back and enjoy this as the excellent men-on-a-mission movie it is. It’s gruff, macho, brutal, beautiful, and highly recommended.

DVD Review: Killer Scarecrows in ‘Husk’

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Husk (2011)
Distributor: After Dark Originals
DVD Release Date: 21st March 2011 (UK), 29 March 2011 (USA)
Directed by: Brett Simmons
Starring: Devon Graye, Wes Chatham, C J Thomason, Tammin Sursok
Review by: Ben Bussey

Scarecrows; surely one of the most powerful, yet astonishingly underused boogie men in horror film history. In many respects they’re not too different from mummies, but scarecrows don’t lie in sarcophagi deep inside pyramids thousands of miles away, or tucked away in dusty old museums; they’re out there in the fields for all to see, considerably more tangible, considerably closer to home. They’re lifesize and seemingly lifeless, but who knows what lies behind those expressionless sack faces? It really is remarkable that more filmmakers haven’t taken advantage of the inherent iconic power that scarecrows have. Happily, Brett Simmons recognised the gap in the market and moved in with this tale of cornfield carnage. Less happily, he didn’t approach it in the most interesting or creative fashion possible.

It’s not too surprising to learn that Husk is a feature length remake of a short film Simmons made back in 2005, as the core premise, while good, feels very thinly spread. It all kicks off somewhere between Children of the Corn and Texas Chain Saw Massacre, as a carload of college kids – on their way to the hedonistic vacation they’ve been planning all year, of course – are making their way down an empty, seemingly endless road with seemingly endless fields of corn on either side. Taken unawares by the local wildlife, they swerve and crash; and when they come to, one of their number is missing. The standard debates ensue: maybe he went to get help, maybe they should wait or him to come back; maybe he’s hurt, maybe they should go look for him. But soon enough circumstance leads them all into the corn, within which they soon locate a ramshackle house and,yes,some rather lifelike scarecrows. But surely the house is deserted, and surely the scarecrows are just scarecrows… right?

As you might have gathered, it’s hardly the most groundbreaking setup. It doesn’t help matters that it’s also really bog-standard aesthetically. Husk very much follows the cosmetic conventions of the more mainstream end of contemporary horror; the glossy cinematography and shock-horror score could have been lifted directly from any Platinum Dunes film. Subsequently, the film has such a feeling of “been-there, done-that” that all efforts to do something new and unique seem doomed to fail.

This is a real shame, as it’s not as if such efforts have not been made. It is apparent that writer/director and cast have put a great deal more work into giving their characters depth than tends to be the case. Whilst the group could certainly be broken down into archetypes – jock, nerd, cool guy etc. – the film is not content to leave them as such (unlike, say, the recent disappointment Altitude). This is a far more likeable ensemble than we usually see in movies of this ilk, whose actions and dialogue do not make you wish immediate horrible death upon all of them (once more, unlike Altitude). And while there is of course no question that most if not all of them will indeed meet a horrible end, the order in which they meet that end does defy expectation to an extent.

Even so, whilst killer scarecrows are a sad rarity and three-dimensional protagonists even more so, most if not all of that goodwill is killed by the stale, obvious stylistic approach taken by Simmons as director. Husk had the potential to be something really special, and that only makes it hurt more to see it fall short. Yes, we need more scarecrow movies, but better ones than this would be appreciated.

 

UK DVD Review: Altitude

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Altitude (2010)
Distributor: Anchor Bay Entertainment
DVD Release Date (UK): 14th March 2010
Directed by: Kaare Andrews
Starring: Jessica Lowndes, Juilianna Guill, Ryan Donowho, Landon Liboiron, Jake Weary
Review by: Ben Bussey

This is not the film that the above image, or the DVD cover art below, would suggest it is.

That is the image that sold this film, the premise which got fan pulses racing: a five-seater aeroplane versus Cthulhu. It’s a staggeringly cool idea, one which suggested the possibility of breaking new ground in midrange-budget horror. In the wake of Cloverfield and Monsters, the doors seem to have blown wide open on relatively inexpensive giant creature features, so the time seems just right for something Lovecraftian to be brought to the big screen.

Damn, it’s tough writing this in the wake of At The Mountains of Madness getting shit-canned.

Unfortunately, Altitude is not an especially Lovecraftian horror movie. Disregarding the supernatural element entirely for the time being, Altitude actually has more in common with the likes of Frozen, Buried and 127 Hours; young people trapped in a seemingly inescapable situation in a confined space, where death seems certain. As an ensemble piece, Altitude naturally shares the most ground with Frozen, down to its unusual blend of claustrophobia and vertigo. However, still disregarding the supernatural element for now, there are a couple of key things that Frozen did which Altitude doesn’t. Firstly, it was shot in as practical a fashion as possible, with the actors really sitting on a chair lift in the dead of night freezing their extraneous appendages off. Now, obviously I can’t badmouth Altitude for not shooting in a real plane in real storm conditions thousands of feet in the air; that would be unthinkable. But then there’s that other key thing Frozen did that Altitude didn’t: it went to the trouble of crafting layered, lifelike, relatable characters who the audience could grow invested in, and whose fate they would give a damn about. And that’s where Altitude crashes and burns, literally before it’s even taken off.

Youth-oriented horror films have a long and illustrious history in putting together thoroughly unlikeable ensembles who you can’t wait to see killed horribly; not necessarily a problem in your bog standard slasher, wherein you can rest assured that at least one will be dispatched every ten to fifteen minutes, before which you might have at least seen them naked. Altitude, however, fancies itself a serious horror movie, and to be fair there is much about it that does work; as previously stated it’s a great premise, and aesthetically it’s pretty good too, with nice cinematography, a decent score and very good SFX considering it’s not a big budget film. But at heart, Altitude is about five people trapped together, and the drama that unfolds within, owing to both internal and external factors. The external factors are fine; sudden storm, mechanical failures in the plane, mysterious monster in the sky; that’s all good. But the internal; the personal dilemmas and personality clashes? Good God…

I realise that in order to make characters relatable there is no prerequisite that they should be likeable, but seriously, these kids; I wanted them all dead, immediately. Not only that, but I found it almost impossible to believe they would all get on the damn plane to begin with. Landon Liboiron’s Bruce is terrified of flying almost to the point of hysteria, and with good reason (I won’t spoil it here, but believe me you’ll figure it out); when being up in the air naturally gets to him, it’s hard to feel any sympathy. Julianna Guill (AKA the only cast member of the Friday the 13th remake that you can remember) mentions in the extras that she never gets offered the kind of ‘arty’ girl role she plays here, and watching this you will understand why. Jessica Lowndes fares marginally better as the amateur pilot who gets them all into this fine mess, as does Ryan Donowho as an emo rock star wannabe; while both still have major arsehole-ish tendencies, neither is entirely unsympathetic.

But then there’s Jake Weary as the jock boyfriend of Julianna Guill. I don’t know whether to congratulate Mr Weary on his work here or not, for if the intent was to create the most thoroughly detestable prick ever committed to celluloid who you are anxious to see die a horrible death from the first moment he opens his mouth, then mission accomplished. Yes, every horror ensemble has its heels, but this guy takes it to another level. It’s borderline inconcievable that any of the other characters would willingly stand within two hundred yards of the insufferable twat, let alone share a six foot plane with him for upwards of an hour. He never shuts up, never shows any redeeming qualities, and never stretches beyond two dimensions.

Indeed, despite the cosmic horror elements and big Shyamalanesque finale, when all is said and done Altitude is a thoroughly two-dimensional excercise. It certainly demonstrates that Kaare Andrews has some chops as a visual stylist, and with a fully baked script I’ve no doubt he could have given us something really special. But it’s clear that all the energy has gone into making the film look good, rather than forging a real emotional connection with the viewer. The end result, as I should think I’ve made clear, is a thoroughly frustrating and unsatisfying experience.

The Fiend (1972)

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Distributor: Odeon Entertainment
DVD Release Date: 7th March 2011
Directed by: Robert Hartford-Davis
Starring: Patrick Magee, Tony Beckley, Ann Todd, Suzanna Leigh
Review by: Ben Bussey

A small congregation sits in a crumbling suburban church. All clad in garments drab and dirty enough to have stepped directly out of a Charles Dickens novel, they are hysterical in their repentance, obsessed with finding salvation, and quite clearly functioning on a low level of mental health. Their domineering minister preaches the usual; sin, hellfire, eternal damnation and the like, and his subjects willingly cower under his thumb. It’s a sorry sight to say the least; but when they burst into song, it’s a remarkable sound. The hymn is akin to a gospel-flavoured power ballad, and the congregation hit their notes and harmonise as well as any Motown band. And intercut with this, we see a terrified young woman running for her life through the dark back streets of swinging London, before an unseen assailant grabs her, drowns her in the Thames, strips her corpse and leaves her floating in the water in a notably cruciform pose.

So begins one of the most fascinating, unconventional British horror films of the early 70s which, until watching it for this review, I had never even heard of.

I’m not entirely sure why Odeon Entertainment opted to go with the title The Fiend for this DVD; Beware My Brethren is the title used in the film itself and the accompanying trailer (the only extra, along with an Odeon Entertainment trailer reel). Beware My Brethren would also seem the more appropriate title, given its obvious allusions to the film’s religious themes. Unsurprisingly, however, it was that very religious element that got the film in a spot of hot water on release, resulting in cuts which have been restored here for the first time. As such, the sleeve notes say, most of the people involved in this film would rather forget it, regarding it a rather shameful entry on their CV. It’s too bad that actors and filmmakers sometimes feel that way about films which genuinely challenge the audience and push the boundaries. For that is just what this film does, and it really holds up today.

In stark contrast to the supernaturalism of Hammer and Amicus which, in the UK at least, still dominated the genre in the early 70s, The Fiend plays out in a more kitchen sink reality. Tony Beckley is Kenny, presumably the Fiend to whom the title refers; a grown man who still lives with his mother (Ann Todd), not only living according to the rules of their little church but literally living in the church itself. It is immediately apparent that this arrangement is less than healthy, and is clearly contributing to Kenny’s fragile state of mind. Having spent his life being force-fed puritan ethics by a domineering matriach, Kenny is now compelled to bring down the wrath of God on the sinful; or, more specifically, pretty young women of loose morals. Yes, this guy beat Jason Voorhees to the punch bowl by a good nine years. Indeed, along with the notorious Peeping Tom and the lesser-known Hammer film Hands of the Ripper (plus that certain black and white flick with Janet Leigh, which was of course directed by a Brit), this film could lend some weight to an argument that Britain invented the slasher genre.

But is it necessarily Kenny who is the Fiend – might it not be the Minister played by Patrick Magee? A really nice bit of understated menace, Magee plays it totally straight, helping to anchor this arch melodrama in some sembelance of social realism. While the brethren portrayed here is clearly a caricature, there can be no question that such fanatical and desperate congregations do exist, and so too do such megalomaniacal figures as this Minister.

Less effective are the supporting characters. Suzanna Leigh (who I primarily know as the foxy school teacher in Lust For A Vampire) is an investigative journalist whose ditrict nurse sister, played by Madeleine Hinde, happens to care for Kenny’s mother. At her sister’s insistence, she plots to infiltrate the brethren and publish an expose on their dangerous ways. Clearly designed as hip and groovy chicks for the young audience of the day to relate to (they’ve even got the word ‘Gear’ plastered on the wall of their swinger’s pad), they’re almost as laughably anachronistic as Stephanie Beacham and co. in Dracula AD 1972. Predictably most of Kenny’s victims don’t fare much better, all coming across as deficient in common sense and overly eager to take their clothes off.

Still, The Fiend is a film of considerable power and atmosphere that is clearly atypical of its era. The mission statement of Odeon Entertainment’s Best of British line is “to release some of the forgotten classics from the Golden Age of British Cinema.” Whilst it may be debatable as to whether for Britain the early 70s really was all that golden an age, I’d say forgotten classic is a very applicable label to The Fiend. Here’s hoping this DVD release goes some way to changing that.

DVD Review: Fulci’s ‘The Beyond’

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The Beyond (AKA E tu vivrai nel terrore – L’aldilà/7 Doors of Death) (1981)
Distributor: Arrow Video
DVD/Blu-ray Release Date: 14th March 2011
Directed by: Lucio Fulci
Starring: Catriona MacColl, David Warbeck, Cinzia Moreale
Review by: Nia Edwards-Behi

What can one really say about Lucio Fulci without resorting to hyperbole? Be it through over-stating his nonsensical narratives or accurately reflecting his gory set-pieces, Fulci’s horror films are rightly celebrated for their glorious excesses. The Beyond is undoubtedly one of the best-loved of Fulci’s horror canon, if not of all his various films.

Telling the tale of city girl Liza’s (Catriona Macall) torments as she moves into a Louisiana hotel she’s inherited from a rich uncle, The Beyond is thin on plot but all the better for it. Supernatural gubbins about the book of Eigon, Seven Gates of Hell and the titular Beyond aside, the film is a string of gore set-pieces that satisfy on every level. The Beyond features an impressive number of eye-gougings, even for a Fulci film, and features one of the greatest head-shots of all time. Crucially, though, the scenes that aren’t bathed in viscera are just as gorgeous to look at, even if they mostly function solely to further the perfunctory plot. Fulci’s masterful camerawork ensures a great level of tension in a film that is more about spectacle than it is spooks – I find myself holding my breath through the scene which sees Liza investigate the mysterious room 36 of the hotel, only to have my heart-stopped by the great jump-scare at its end. I might not find the characters to be all that engaging, but at least when they’re scared, I’ve usually jumped out of my skin too.

I certainly can’t claim to be Fulci’s greatest admirer, compared to many, but The Beyond is undeniably a pinnacle of Italian horror cinema. As such, it makes sense for this new edition by Arrow Video, who are currently the pinnacle of adoring DVD packages of well-loved films.

What’s wonderful about these Arrow editions is that idea of adoration is easily perceived in the generous extra features that accompany the great transfers of the films. Individual interviews with Cinzia Moreale, Catriona MacColl and Giannetto di Rossi all reveal a great affection for the film and its director, as well as presenting affable and talented people – the interview with di Rossi is a particular highlight, covering not only his work on The Beyond but also other Fulci favourites such as Zombie Flesh Eaters, and other cult classics like Living Dead at the Manchester Morgue. A wonderful feature, which clearly takes advantage of Arrow’s access to Italian horror stars for some of their other releases, sees several reminiscences of knowing Fulci, including contributions from Dario Argento, Daria Nicolodi, Sergio Stivaletti and Fulci’s daughter Antonella. A sense of frank honesty and genuine affection is evident throughout, and makes for a fitting tribute.

The DVD starts with a short compilation video promoting Arrow Video’s releases thus far, using the usual retro Arrow ident imagery. It’s a nice reminder of the good work Arrow have done in putting together a great collection of cult films together, and The Beyond is a great addition to it.

Review: A Reckoning

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A Reckoning (2009)
Directed by: A.D. Baker
Starring: Leslie Simpson, Axelle Carolyn
Review by: Nia Edwards-Behi

Editor’s note: this review was previously published at Nia’s blog Cannibal Hollywood.

A Reckoning is a small film, but thoroughly grand. It’s horror and melodrama and poetry for the same reason: it’s a meditation on the human condition. Despite its desolate, gorgeous landscapes and lonely protagonist, this is no simple last man on Earth tale. It’s difficult to synopsise A Reckoning. It tells the tale of a Man who appears to be utterly alone in the world, and as a result has created people made from straw with whom to interact – be they the children he teaches in a dilapidated school, or  the revellers and barmen in a run-down club. For me, the film is far more about one man’s isolation than it is any apocalyptic future, and as such the film is an effective metaphor of a struggle for mental health as much as it is a thrilling, but ambiguous, drama.

Naturally, the film relies heavily on the central performance of the Man, and it’s safe to say that Leslie Simpson fully embodies the role. As a disturbed, lonely creature, the Man’s desperate interactions with the straw people who co-inhabit his desolate world are as touching as they are tragic; his attempts to leave his confines more so. Simpson’s performance never falters from being utterly compelling, carrying the hefty weight of the film with ease.

The desolate landscape of the film is stunningly brought to life. DoP Adam Krajczynski brings out the beautful and the beastly from the various natural landscapes on offer, from snow to seaside, while endowing the cracked man-made structures with a crumbling beauty all of their own. Director Barker must be commended for his truly affective direction, some of the Man’s most frightening and touching moments framed in a such a way as to maximise emotional impact through something of an intimate distance. We feel for the Man throughout, but even in absolute close-up, we’re never particularly close to him.

A Reckoning is, perhaps, not for everyone. The pace is slow, precise; and it certainly doesn’t offer any easy narrative answers. For a film made independently and on a low budget, it successfully avoids that trap that many fall into: it never once looks cheap. Make-up effects are sparse but effective, and most importantly of all, character is at the film’s core.

For me, A Reckoning is a unique film that should be seen by many, and I sincerely hope that others will soon have the chance to do so.

For more information on the film, see http://areckoningfilm.com or follow @areckoningfilm on Twitter.

UK DVD Review: The Last Victim (AKA Dear Mr Gacy)

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The Last Victim (aka Dear Mr. Gacy) (2010)
Distributor: Anchor Bay Entertainment
DVD Release date: 7th March 2011 (UK)
Directed by: Svetozar Ristovski
Starring: William Forsythe, Jesse Moss
Review by: Stephanie Scaife

John Wayne Gacy was responsible for the rape and murder of 33 teenage boys and young men in and around the Chicago area during the period of 1972 – 78, making him one of America’s most notorious and well known serial killers. After 14 years on death row, Gacy was finally executed by lethal injection in May 1994. The Last Victim is based on the book of the same by Jason Moss, who as a student befriended Gacy and formed a regular correspondence with the killer during the weeks and months in the run up to his execution.

The Last Victim (known more commonly as Dear Mr. Gacy) is the first English language film by Macedonian filmmaker Svetozar Ristovski and was made for Canadian TV then released straight to DVD in the UK and US and it certainly shows in the look and style of the film. The lurid UK DVD cover is also perhaps slightly misleading, The Last Victim isn’t really a horror film and there is very little in the way of gore, and despite being advertised as “the true story of John Wayne Gacy” it’s actually far more concerned with Moss.

It would be better described as a psychological thriller and what this film really has going for it is the performances from the two lead actors, William Forsythe (Once Upon A Time in America) as Gacy and Jesse Moss (Ginger Snaps) as Jason Moss. It examines their manipulative cat and mouse relationship to great effect. Moss is an ambitious criminology student who wants to write his thesis on serial killers; his professor is less than enthused by the idea claiming that it’s an oversaturated area that’s difficult to get a new and original take on. The determination to stand out from his peers and to truly get inside the mind of a killer drives Moss to extreme lengths. He decides to pose as the typical kind of victim Gacy targeted; a damaged, abused and potentially homosexual kid, in the need of help and friendship. Moss takes himself to the brink, ostracising himself from his girlfriend, hanging out with rent boys and at one point, under Gacy’s manipulation, he is almost driven to murder proving rather uncomfortably that they are more similar than Moss would like to believe.

This is by no means a great film, but much like the protagonist, it attempts a new take on the serial killer genre. I was unaware of Moss and his relationship with Gacy but this film is an adequate effort to bring his story to the small screen. If you’re interested in the subject matter or if you are looking for a decent thriller to waste away a few hours then I’d recommend giving this a go. But if you’re looking for a serial killer movie with lots of gore then you’ll more than likely be disappointed by this talky character study that with the exception of a couple of brief flashbacks stays away from what makes Gacy so infamous.

DVD Review: Sharktopus

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Sharktopus (2010)
Distributor: Anchor Bay Entertainment
DVD Release Date (UK): 14th March 2011
Directed by: Declan O’Brien
Starring: Eric Roberts, Sara Malakul Lane, Kerim Bursin, Liv Boughn
Review by: Ben Bussey

At a top-secret lab in a top-secret location, a top-secret military bioengineering division are working on a top-secret project. Headed by the father-daughter duo of egomaniacal tyrant Nathan Sands (Eric Roberts) and gifted, warm-hearted genius of genetics Nicole Sands (Sara Malakul Lane), the team have created S-11, a revolutionary hybrid of two of the sea’s greatest predators: I think you can make an educated guess as just what those might be. Intended as the next great American superweapon, they believed they could keep the beast under control. Guess what: they were wrong. Before you know it, S-11 is free, and hungry, and on the hunt.

Pardon me while I break with convention a little. Generally if we include the trailer in the body of a review we leave it until the end. This time, I’m putting it right here, and I humbly request you watch it before you read on.

There you have it. You’ve now essentially seen Sharktopus.

Let’s face it, that’s where this new wave of creatue features does its real business. They’re no longer the stuff of the drive-in, or the grindhouse, or the rental store, or even cable television: they’re the bread and butter of Youtube. I for one have never seen the fabled Megashark Vs Giant Octopus in its entirety; I’ve seen the shark take down the plane in the trailer, so why do I need to see any more? Likewise, I have little motivation to see Mega Python Vs Gatoroid, as I’ve already had the distinct pleasure of watching Tiffany and Debbie Gibson beat each other up women-in-prison style. Now, I think it’s fair to say Sharktopus doesn’t really have any money shots to match either of those iconic moments. And you already know that, as, having seen the trailer, you’ve seen all the bits worth seeing. There is nothing to Sharktopus beyond what you get in the two minutes above.

Having said that; if the trailer brought a smile to your face, the movie just might do the same.

When you see the words ‘Roger Corman Presents’ above the title, you get some indication of what to expect. Corman even gets a little cameo appearance here, casually standing by as Sharktopus takes down a hapless bikini-clad treasure hunter, then walking away unscathed with a little gold in his hand; a fair representation of how the man himself fares with these movies, I should think. And such are the most entertaining moments in the movie, when Sharktopus pops up out of nowhere to grab and gobble anyone doing anything fun by the water, be it swimming, jet-skiing, or (as seen above) bungee jumping.

Not that there’s anything to quite rival Piranha 3D’s paraglider incident. Indeed, while this movie may walk a similar path of ridiculous waterbound monster action to that of Alexandre Aja’s hit of last summer, this is by comparison a very tame, almost family friendly affair, with very little bloodshed, and all bikini tops staying on. I guess this had to be the case, given that it’s a SyFy TV movie.

It goes without saying that the creature is ridiculous, the CGI is third rate, the performances are feeble, the sound and camerawork flat; all that is part and parcel. We shouldn’t expect anything different from such a film as this. That it’s by and large played pretty straight is also part of the gag, and I suspect no one was enjoying themselves more than Eric Roberts. He turns in the same supervillian performance here that he’s given in everything from The Specialist to DOA: Dead or Alive to The Expendables, but I can’t help getting the feeling he had the most fun on this one. Sure, his sister’s got the Oscar, but when they get together at family gatherings which do you think is the object of more ridicule: this movie, or Eat Pray Love? Hmm… well, I know what it’d be in my house.

Should any questions remain as to whether or not Sharktopus is for you, I’ll reiterate: just keep watching the trailer. If you feel inclined to watch an 80 minute version of that, then go right ahead. If you feel the 130 second version will suffice, I can’t say I blame you. But what the hell, there are giggles to be had either way.

DVD Review: Island of Death

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Island of Death (1975) (AKA Island of Perversion/Devils In Mykonos)
Distributor: Arrow Video
DVD Release Date: 21st March 2011
Directed by: Nico Mastorakis
Starring: Bob Behling, Jane Ryall, Jessica Dublin, Gerard Gonalons
Review by: Keri O’Shea

Ah, how to describe Island of Death? It’s fair to say there’s nothing quite like it: a pair of sexually-depraved, murderous characters rape and kill their way around a sleepy Greek island in a film somewhere between A Clockwork Orange and a tourist board commercial. Banned for its violent content during the UK’s Video Nasties cull in the 80s and only just released uncut by Arrow Video, it’s one of those terrible films you nonetheless have to see (and may even find bizarrely compelling).

A man lies close to death in a lye pit: helpless, thinking over his life until that point and being refused help by his female companion, Celia. But was it always so? We flash back to happier times: the man, Christopher (Bob Belling), and his ‘wife’ Celia (Jane Lyle) arriving on the picturesque Greek island of Mykonos. It all seems innocuous enough: they meet some of the locals, do a spot of shopping, take a few photos…

But when an afternoon stroll turns amorous and Christopher decides upon simultaneously having sex with Celia whilst calling his mother in London, you start to get the impression that our Chris might be a bit wrong in the head. The call was traced, too, and we see that police in London are keen to catch up with the pair. Perhaps this isn’t your common-or-garden package holiday after all.

From here, an array of variously gruesome, silly or nasty scenarios takes place. Celia and Christopher have very jaded appetites, and Christopher especially alternates between puritanical and batshit-crazy with amazing speed (his knitwear is a good indicator of the danger we can expect: just as poisonous creatures often display ‘warning’ colours, so does Christopher via his frankly shocking wardrobe). Various sexual encounters – mostly photographed either by Christopher or Celia – are followed by the murder of the ‘sinful’ party. Celia is just not getting the same kick out of their activities lately though, and together with the fact that the cops are in pursuit, it looks like their fun and games are under threat.

Island of Death has a reputation: this is no doubt largely conferred by its former banned status. However, in its way it’s an incredibly naïve film, one which operates a kind of tick-box depravity. As the director later admits, the idea was to shoehorn as much creative violence and sex into the film as possible. Incest? Check. Gay and lesbian sex? Check. Bestiality? Sure, the more the merrier!  We end up with a series of grotesque characters being bumped off in increasingly ugly ways with only a very loose plot to link what’s going on. However, even knowing that Island of Death was nothing more than an exercise in deliberate shock value to make as much cash as possible, I find it impossible to hate the film. It’s cheap, nasty, yet still watchable in a mesmeric ‘what the hell else are they going to throw at us?’ way. The weird contrasts within it are entertaining, and – dare I say it – there’s even some evidence of technical skill: the film’s voiceover, the use of still shots and photography as a medium and the cinematography are all innovatively-handled. There’s a strange – probably accidental – atmosphere here too, which, combined with a watchable cast of largely amateurs and tourists and that soundtrack, gives us something memorable, even if perhaps for all the wrong reasons.

The Arrow release has a host of special features and some of these are more interesting than the film itself. Director/writer Nico Mastorakis provides an engaging audio commentary and also appears in an interview where he comes across as personable, honest and very down-to-earth. He tells us that Island of Death came about thanks to a conversation about The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: here was a film made on a shoestring which nonetheless made Tobe Hooper a fortune. Hey, thought Mastorakis: I could make a film with even less money than Hooper, make it more violent, and maybe make even more profit!  He also shares some opinions on censorship which would have most of us giving an inward cheer. The DVD also offers footage of a Q&A with Mastorakis – very much on good form – at a showing of Island of Death at the Dublin Horrorfind film festival in 2010, and a chance to revisit the film’s soundtrack over memorable scenes. Look out for the original trailer, too.

I’m not going to pretend that Island of Death is some lost classic or an example of misunderstood genius. It isn’t. But its weird blend of different elements definitely puts it in the so-bad-it’s-good category for me, and if nothing else it’s an interesting document of just what a filmmaker will do to try to ensure his B-movie makes money.