Horror Short: The Devils Walks Among You (2011)

Written and directed by Ryan M. Andrews
Staring Robert Nolan, Sandra DaCosta, and Katie Uhlmann
Director of Photography Fraser Brown

Alluring and mysterious Lilith Mastema tells of tales in her live spoken word show, showcasing a classic old jazz style to her stage. Tonight's tale is of a late night diner that receives an elliptic customer after closing, whom later reveals himself to be the Devil. The Devil Walks Among You is a short, 8 min run time, thriller that doesn't dwell on literal horror. Unlike you expect the Devil doesn't enter the dinner and upon doing so raises 'hell' but rather in an subtle yet haunting etiquette chills you to the bone with his simple message of walking among us. Often fit with short films is the grab or rather the shock and awe moment, but Andrews script and direction risks for a tame story that flows fealty into its disquieting end. Basically, don't expect an abundance of blood but anticipate a quiet thriller that's more about the essence of horror rather than the incarnation of it.

Robert Nolan again comes in as the sly but ever so charming Devil, another expo in the actors unbound talent. Sandra DaCosta is stunning, a fitting portrait for her cool lounge character as her voice narrates the story with a chilled ease. Ryan M. Andrews direction is crisp and there's little pitfalls in his overall well made short. I may like the style of the film the most though, with the interweave of the 1950's diner and early 1930's lounge den. As a lot of the shots, especially those showing DaCosta, are up close it limits the view of the sets making the photography key in conveying the tone. The detailed design of the diner is accurate in its depiction and the mood lighting in both sets captures the feel. The diner under gray florescent sets you off balance and the lounge is dimmed to tense and focus the mood. Although I rarely do I'd also like to note the costume department who I think dressed their cast appropriately, letting way to more of the characters personalities. The Devil Walks Among You was an enjoyable, well made horror short, that I'd recommend to most for its appreciated style and familiar concept.

Evil Dead (2013)

WARNING: Contains Spoilers

The Book of the Dead rises again when a brother and sister visit their family cabin, their friends and them becoming subjects to possession. Mia, a dissipating drug addict, invites her brother, his girlfriend and their two childhood friends to stay a weekend up at their old family cabin to help her come clean of drugs. Agitation heads early on when Mia's temperament is a rising slope, escalating with every irritation from withdrawal. Its Mia's heavy complaint of a fowl smell coming from the basement though when the friends uncover a collection of dead animals and none other than the Book of the Dead. Eventual curiosity on one of their parts leads to the book being read from and soon enough Mia becomes possessed, her weakened state and soul an attractant to the entity. Violent, vulgar, and lethal her new attitude lands her a spot in the cellar where she tempts and tries to over take each friend. According to the book it needs five souls to collect in order to let the skies rain red with blood and raise the Abomination. And as the book begins taking the friends one by one it's up to Mia's brother David to purify his sister's soul and stop the Abomination from ascending.

Evil Dead isn't a remake nor is it quite a sequel, as such should it be treated. On its own the film is a little dull with a refreshing change in location motive (no underage parties here, this weekend vacation is strictly for emotional purposes) but with run of the mill characters, maybe the exception of Mia. As a sequel most Evil Dead fans will likely hate it, however as I'm not really a die hard Evil Dead fan I'm not here to hold it accountable for it's off centered placement in the franchise. Oddly though as a remake I believe it works the best. The film
has mastered that ability to play homage to the prior films without direct ripping off, as is my general irk with remakes. Instead of copy and pasting iconic scenes from the first film they take the essence of the scene and alter it to be original but yet still apparent as to what they are referencing too. Original writing credits attribute to Diablo Cody and despite that she didn't get credited in the film I believe her original script served as sturdy backbone to the film; without it wouldn't be able to stand on its own. There's humor in the film, but its no horror comedy, and despite it being an fair homage to the first don't think Raimi's roguery or homemade scares are in here, its a far different film.

Initially I was excited to see Shiloh Fernandez as a lead character as I loved him in Deadgirl, but he actually disappointed me a little. There was no bad acting but overall uninspired, as was Fernandez's David. He didn't embrace that last man standing like in the first film, but rather took the very typical approach of being a skeptic and then went about stumbling through the rest. Jane Levy is at the top of the pack with her performance of Mia but its also a given with her character being the only one with an arch. Again, as I said none of these young actors are bad, by any means, but their characters lacked depth and they didn't bring any further dimension on their own. Therefore leaving Mia with the most back story and more meat to her character. Levy was steady as the withdrawing drug addict but delightfully wicked as demon Mia, another testament to Raimi's original piece. Before the films release the filmmakers made an adamant statement that there will be no CGI in the film, and it pays off as it looks absolutely stunning. Between the special effects, relying on old school makeup, and the dense mood lighting the production of the film alone is worth seeing.

It's a fair statement to say that if it hadn't been for the second go at the ending I would not have cared for the film as much. The initial hour is entertaining, the blood and antics being the only glue to hold you to the film, but it's pallid and offers little else. It's SPOILER Mia's Resurrection or exorcism, what have you, and her final face off towards the Abomination that actually puts this into Evil Dead category. The final sequence is immensely gory, offers the only real suspense moment in the film, and has the style of Bruce Campbell. From that I really liked the ending and wished the rest of the film had been in more of that style than the approach they decided to take. However, I don't want to hate on the filmmakers, as I do believe they tired to make an original concept and a high production horror film. There's no illusions that this was partially made to make profit off a very successful horror series, but in that they didn't just throw away craft to produce a film. They actually tried and that's what counts. Don't take it for anything other than what it is as Evil Dead isn't a masterpiece but it's fabulously entertaining and I'd say see it. In theaters or at home.

Horror Short: Out of the Night (2013)

Written and directed by Skip Shea
Staring Gwendolyn Callahan
Director of Photography William Smyth

Lost in a sullen neighborhood a wealthy woman is lured out of her car by falling hundred dollar bills, despite the shadows she's seen skulking in the fog. Out of the Night is similar in Shea's previous short film, Microcinema, in that it uses its events as an analogy for a more deeper understandings of the human condition. As voyeurism and obsession was the topic of the former the latter helms topics of greed, desire, and how in light we view strangers. The woman in the film is lost, scared, and likely at the other end of the tracks, however her lust of money leads her out into the night to gain more wealth even with the figures hidden in the fog. Of course for those who don't look so deeply the surface level horror is done well with the fear of being lost at play as well as the sense of dislocation. We never find out where the wealthy woman has wander off too, whether it be an odd neighborhood or some city of the afterlife.

Shea has a way of taking our expectations as an audience as well as the expectations of the character to offer us a different alternative. His films have a knack for unveiling the illusions of reality and exposing the often brutal truth. Not all is so bleak as Shea's dark humor is subtly placed in the film, mostly near the end. Gwendolyn Callahan is great, her role consists of no dialogue but her often lurid expressions fill in that utter terror of being lost in a neighborhood that vastly differs from her own. The score was taunt, lucidly attendant to the chilling atmosphere that's been set. The photography is simply gorgeous, utilizing classic black and white. There's a really exceptional image of Callahan vanishing into the fog; it fluently lacing around her, dissolving her figure into the darkness. I really liked Out of the Night, however it was a film I had to watch a few times to fully grasps the concept. In that I do recommend with a little hesitation as this film will likely go over a few people's head. But if your like me and you love reading into horror with deeper meanings than I'd say don't miss it.

Out of the Night will premiere at the SENE Film, Arts & Music Festival on Sunday April 28th at the Cable Car Theater in Providence, Rhode Island. For more information you can visit - http://www.senefest.com/dramatic-short-films.html

Press Release: New Sci-fi Horror Film 'Science Team'

A bastard child of science-fiction and horror! 

 

Chip returns home to find that his mother has been brutally murdered. A sessile space alien with telepathic powers is now living in her house rent free. Science Team, an anti-alien organization, must now eliminate the extraterrestrial threat. Drama ensues. People die. Inner and extraterrestrial demons are engaged. Men in pink suits use cool-looking technology. Events culminate in a destructive orgy of violence of such an epic intensity that people's minds are literally blown out of their heads.

 

Science Team is currently fundraising for their film through Indiegogo. There you can see a three minute teaser and help them reach their goal by donating.

 

You may follow them on Twitter. Or on their Facebook page.

 

The Most Irrelevant Post Since Irrelevant Post Friday

If the title for this post and the title for the Midnight Son post got in a fight, I think this one would win on sheer stupidity. Though, it's hard to say as "How Do You Like Your Midnight Son Served?" is also fairly awful in the history of posts on this blog.

There's nothing more appropriate that to start an Irrelevant Post, that's on a Saturday mind you, than
an irrelevant comment about the titles of my blog posts going at it in a fight. This being the case as this post is really just random, most of it consisting of nonsense with a little of it actually having a purpose. I'll attend to the most important first and is that my computer went down this week and was just fixed today. I'm a little behind because of this, the two days I had off work I wasn't able to do anything constructive. But that being said it works now and I'll try to catch up as much as possible within the next week.

Next I do have five reviews for you that I plan on posting within this month and next. I also have three Horror Shorts, so check back on Sundays if you would like to read those. I'm basically just saying with this paragraph that I'm not dead, you know my usual excuse for absence. 

I've been debating about whether or not I should share this with you but you are my followers (or random google people who find me because of The Human Centipede) and I believe your opinion is just as important, if not more, as mine. I'm really considering of moving this blog. No actually I am moving this blog. At this point its the self-host vs the second party. Blogger is getting on my nerves. No, actually Google is getting on my nerves. But it's also just a matter, to be quite frank, to shit or get off the pot. Meaning that I'm serious about my writing. Not so much reviews as I do love writing them but I really need to start focusing on what I'd like to do with my writing and my own site might help this. Having a self hosted site would acquire a lot of work but I ultimately feel that I can organize it better with one. There's a lot of other reasons for it that I wont go into but this is something I'd very much appreciate input on.

Finally for some REAL irrelevancy I saw Jurassic Park 3D and you should go see it because it kicks ass. I've actually never seen a real 3D film (excluding those red and blue glasses, and the Terminator Ride at Universal Studios), so I was tripping out a bit because I didn't realize that the intent of it now is to make you feel like your actually in the film less than watching it. There's been a lot talk about this and the direction that cinema is taking, the masses are eager but us nostalgic movie lovers are in denial. I draw from it that I LOVED seeing Jurassic Park in 3D but only because I have seen it before and it was insane to watch it like that, I wouldn't watch a newer film, necessarily, because it distracts. That's just my two cents.

Honestly the intent of this post was that I felt away from this blog because of the computer breaking and just wanted to post something, even if it's just an Irrelevant Post...on a Saturday. Regardless enjoy your day and go see the new Evil Dead or Jurassic Park. Or save your money and see Zombie's Lords of Salem this week. Either or, happy Irrelevant Post Friday. Saturday.

TDHorror Retro Review

"These characters are hoot with their actor counterparts also suitably enjoyable. You'll recognize Robert Englund (!) in a pre-Nightmare and V role, Sid Haig who regally gets killed by his own arm, and veteran actor Ray Walston. I didn't care for Erin Moran or rather 'Joanie loves Chachi' as the psi-sensitive character who in turn renders useless, her ability not being remotely helpful and her character reflecting the same abhorrent tendencies from that of her TV alter ego. But it's Taaffe O'Connel as Dameia who gets the infamous, brutal, and erotic sex scene with the worm, where she dies via orgasm"

Yes I actually used the word hoot. Sue me. As usual you may read the rest here.

Holiday Horrors: 28.06.42.12

 

Happy Easter.