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Reviews
You'll Never Find Me (2023)
Classic horror theatre brought into a contemporary setting
With "You'll Never Find Me", Indiana Bell demonstrates that exceptional writing (especially dialogue) and acting, supported by atmospheric sound- and light effects, is all which is needed to create pure theatre. The minimalistic set (comprising the sparce interiior of a double wide) coupled with the very intentional use of sound (alternating silence and well-chosen dialogue, and a haunting score) truly carries the multilayered themes of this psychological horror with immense effect. A truly terrifying and engaginging visit to the dark recesses of the human condition; reminiscent of the writing of Poe, Jackson and Mamet.
Romancham (2023)
Hilariously funny and at times eerie
"Romancham" (Goosebumps) [2023, India], is a Malayalam satirical horror comedy.
The film is loosely based on "hauntings" experienced by writer & director, Jithu Madhavan, and six of his friends in a house which they shared approximately a decade ago. As such the group unleashes a spirit when they play around with a Ouija board and realises that the spirit can correctly "answer" almost any question.
Madhavan's direction coupled with exceptional acting, by a cast mostly consisting of Tik Tokers / Youtubers and underscored by a perfect soundtrack, creates truly human experience. Hilariously funny and at times very eerie. The film is pure cinematic enjoyment.
Megalomaniac (2022)
Beautifully Nightmarish
Megalomaniac" (2022, Belgium), is a film in the new French raw tradition.
Back story
The film follows the fictitious lives of the two children of the Butcher of Mons, the unidentified serial killer, who killed five women and left their body parts in 15 plastic refuse bags in streets in Mons, a city in Southern Belgium, during March and April 1997. The serial killer, thought to be Smail Tulja, who died in a Montenegro prison, was never caught and the investigation remains open.
Storyline
Felix (Benjamin Ramon) and Martha (Eline Schumacher), lives in the gothic family home left to them by their serial killer father. Felix follows in the footsteps of his father by murdering women at night. He further micro-manages every aspect of Martha's life by creating strict rules for her to follow. Martha works as a cleaner in a factory where she is sexually abused by co-workers, whilst the supervisor turns a blind eye. These events lead to Martha suffering ever-increasing psychological trauma, up to developing disassociative personality syndrome. The turning point comes when Felix accedes to Martha's request for a "pet" and he brings her a woman who is then chained up a bathroom, effectively as a pet. Martha's interactions with the "pet" gives an insight into her mental changes which culminates in Martha seeking revenge on her co-workers and involving Felix in her plan to do so.
Review
Karim Ouelhaj creates a nightmarish world where each scene holds a mirror to the ugliness of "humanity'. Inspiration from the scenes is taken from the Baroque era art works of Delacroix, Velázquez, Bacon, and Van Eyck, which gives the film the distinctive and visceral atmosphere of a never-ending nightmare. This nightmare world and the subtext, which includes the circle of the patriarchy, victim turning into monster, nature vs nurture, and the repetition of history, carries the film. The storyline itself, although uniquely told by focussing on imagery, remains intentionally underdeveloped. Schumacher's acting is superb, and Ramon is able to pull off the cold and calculated self-centred and almost vampirish, role to its full effect. Given the budget and three-week shooting time, the film is a masterclass is underground cinema. As such, the film is one to appreciate for its elements, more than a film which seeks to fully develop characters and storylines.
The Profane Exhibit (2013)
Moments of almost brilliance but way too many minutes of average viewing
The ten year wait is over, but how to review this extreme horror anthology? Let's start with the obvious. Extreme horror anthologies usually suck. Partly this is true of The Profane Exhibit, but then there are also moments (really just moments) of almost brilliance. For most of the directors, these little snippets (most are about ten minutes) do not present their best work or even their most extreme work. Overall it is better than I expected (yes I expected very little), but it's nothing special and falls way short of the 10 year hype. Two snippets stand out for watchable storylines and three for their unique viewer experience (yes there is an overlap). This film is probably only for a select audience. I'd say probably a 6/10 for an extreme anthology.
Romper Stomper (1992)
A cult classic blueprint for the Neo. Nazi / Skinhead / Cult genre
Having rewatched Geoffrey Write's 1992 Australian cult classic, "Romper Stomper" over the weekend, I felt a short review was in order.
Though essentially concerned with the violence and hatred (both racial and towards authority) without the neo-Nazi / skinhead groupings, the film is rather more complex. It thus fits into the "American History X" and to some extent "Green Room" category. A number of themes are explored, most pertinently, the need to belong in the more downtrodden / abandoned youth; the willingness to accept dogma merely not to lose that social tennant of human nature but also the need of group alpha to retain that following. This is done superbly and without wasting screentime or impacting on the overall pace. Though the violence is rather primal and filled with hatred, the cinematography and atmosphering use of Super 16, carries the film themes and the film never merely becomes another proponent of gratuitous violence merely for the sake of violence. Wright (also known for the excellent "Metal Skin" and "Cherry Falls"), did a phenomenal job on both the writing and direction side and the acting, from mostly a rather young and inexperienced cast, was top notch. The three main characters, Russel Crowe, Daniel Pollack and Jacqueline McKenzy (recently in Malignant) really provides career defining performances. Definitely worth a watch or rewatch.
La sconosciuta (2006)
A rather gritty thriller from an unlikely director
"The Unknown Woman" ("La Sconosciuta", 2006, Italy / Fance) is definitely not the type of film which Giuseppe Tornatore (Cinema Paradisso) normally writes and directs. Though essentially a gritty revenge film, Tornatore kept true to his film-making style by principally depicting complex human elements but without losing pace or authenticity. The film is beautifully shot, opting for flash-cut back flashes to depict the traumatic event but not squirming away from extremely violent assaults in current time. Kseniya Rappoport's stellar performance leads a very competent cast and performance. A worthwhile watch.
Shatter Dead (1994)
Interestling take on the Zombie genre but undeveloped
Like many, I've heard that Scooter McKray does great no-budget blood spatter scenes and eventually pulled "Shatter Dead"(1994) up for viewing. Though, the script is very light (if it even existed) and the philosophical message side plate shallow, the film does provide a very different take on the Zombie genre and deserves two points for (somewhat) developing the idea. Bar for the acting by the so-called villain (which was another one point to the tally, decent), the acting disappointed. Cinematography was another one point meh. This brings me to my little gripe with the film. Despite using a lot of the standard Zombie tropes (e.g. Stuck in a vehicle surrounded by Zombies), there was zero suspense in the film. Finally, yes, the blood splatter was pretty decent. 5/10.
O'Hellige Jul! (2013)
Memorable but low budget extreme pshyco slasher
To the best of my recollection, "O'Heilige Jul" ("Christmas Cruelty!") came out in 2013, i.e., before "Red Christmas" and is thus officially Norway's first Christmas horror movie. That said, the Norwegians have made some bloody decent slasher movies and are well known for having an "anything goes" attitude to making extreme horror (e.g., "Fritt Vilt" and "Dead Snow") "O'Heilige Jul!", though picked up by Unearthed was made on a US$ 220k budget and most of the key film crew, including the two directors (Magne Steinsvoll and Per-Ingvar Tomren) also had principal roles in the film. It thus sits firmly in underground filmmaking, and I tend to be more lenient on films made purely for the love of it and the burning need to "make a movie". Small budget films often must deal with constraints like shooting on inferior equipment, zero special effect houses being contracted and key personnel (e.g. Cinematographers and editors) not being industry professionals. It's clear that "O'Heilige Jul!", suffered amongst other things this exact list of constraints and the directors had to be ingenious in how they approached them. For instance, the anamorphic quality of the film (I assume VHS) was embraced to give the film a dirty, gritty (kinda like Schramm) and home-movie type (e.g. The first couple or minutes of Das Velangen Der Maria D.) atmosphere. Similarly, the obvious difficulties in the cutting room were embraced by exacerbating harsh cutting and cleverly adding some industry editing tropes. The film starts our serial killer Santa terrorising the captive member of a household and though it is brutal and fast paced, it is the foresight to cut away from some scenes which creates an additional layer of horror. The second act very successfully moved into character development placing the oddball dark comedy character development of the main supporting cast in juxtaposition to the calculated and sick character of the psychopathic killer. As an aside, the obsession and interaction with his daughter was written superbly. That said, the pace of the second act is way too slow create a cohesive whole and did not work in the greater movie. The third act is classic, though more extreme, final act psychopath slasher film, but with some well-scripted and -directed dark comedy sprinkled in and a great in-house soundtrack. The gore special effects needed a lot more work but did not destroy the film and at times worked pretty well (esp the knife work). Acting was much better than expected. All and all a very decent no-budget psycho slasher. 7/10.
Heojil kyolshim (2022)
Park Chan-wook showing of! Bravo!
"Decision to Leave" (Heeojil gyeolsim) is a 2022 romantic thriller set around an obsessive relationship between a police detective and a murder suspect (brilliantly portrayed by Tang Wei). The inspiration for the film was drawn from the theme song "Aetage" (Mist / Fog) and Park Chan-wook incorporates this theme into every aspect of the film, including dialogue, plot, soundtrack and especially cinematography and editing. The complexity of a number of scenes is mind-boggling; with various timelines and dream / actual sequences all taking place in the same shot / sequence. The film is much more demure and subtle than the films like the so-called Vengeance Trilogy. Park Chan-wook firmly controls the viewer's cinematic experience and does so almost "effortlessly". A true cinematic experience.
Triangle of Sadness (2022)
Satire presented in a smart and entertaining manner
"Triangle of Sadness" (2022), in its first act, relays the simple story of the interpersonal relationship between two fashion models who were gifted a cruise on a luxury private yacht. The second act expands by introducing additional role-players on the yacht and third act centers around the interaction between the survivors stranded on an Island after the yacht sank. As such, it is not the storyline which makes the film worthwhile to watch but writer-director Ruben Oslund's ability to weave satirical social commentary on even the most mundane subjects (e.g. The rich vs poor dichotomy and the battle of the sexes) into the story, and then to just let the camera take the role of a fly on the wall. Apart from Zlatko Buric (Pusher) who delivered a mini tour de force, the acting was competent enough though not spectacular. A fun film for a Saturday night.
Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022)
Not as absurdly delicious as Swiss Army Man, but a close second
"Everything, Everywhere, All At Once" (2022, USA), is the Daniels' first feature film since their uniquely absurd "Swiss Army Man" (2016). Essentially the film focusses on one day in the life the matriarch of a Chinese immigrant family in LA. The first act builds a detailed picture of the contributing factors to her life having become empty and nihilistic, e.g., her conflicts with her husband, father, and daughter but also external pressures such as an IRS audit and a serious mid-life crisis. The second act is introduced by her suffering a meltdown / panic attack which forces her out of inaction. Her introspection is cleverly demonstrated through a deus ex magina process where she is both forced to and assisted in accessing the multiverse and to do battle with the physical personifications of her real-life struggles. The third act culminates in an "acceptance" of her place in the universe. The film is written and directed in such a manner as to create a multiverse which is unique, chaotic, absurd, and funny. The fight sequences are highly over the top and almost continues throughout the two later acts (picture Yeoh in Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon). This however does not detract from the story and tends to underscore (similarly to the fight scenes in "Sucker Punch") the stubborn resolve of the matriarch and her "battle" to rediscover her persona. Direction is tight and focused and the cinematography top notch. Both Michelle Yeoh and Jamie Lee Curtis delivered sterling performances. 8.5/10.
Speak No Evil (2022)
Jordan Peele meet Marain Dora
Speak No Evil (Goscie), 2022, is essentially an indictment against the impotency of middle-class Western Europe; told through two families who meets during their vacations in Tuscany whereafter the Dutch family invites the Danish one to spend a weekend with them. The eerie and sometimes cringeworthy interaction between the couples during the second act is brilliantly written and acted and the direction retains the atmosphere throughout the second act. The third act is somewhat reminiscent of a Marian Dora film and does not seek to create a backstory but purely emerges the viewer into a largely visual experience of an incident depicting polar opposite human conditions. The climax is pure Dora and not for sensitive viewers.
Das Verlangen der Maria D. (2018)
Reviewed as a double feature with Pesthauch der Menschlichkeid
'Dead Centre of Desire' has been widely interpreted and various reviewers have alluded to Maria D being a play on the Marian Dora (and variations thereof) nom du plume. This might be taking things a bit too far as Dora tends to focus on a psychological aspect / defect of the human "animal". Unlike Melancholia der Engel and in keeping with most of his films neither 'Dead Centre of Desire' nor 'Blight of Humanity' presents themselves as complex cinematic works. The films are in esse someone holding up a camera (well someone who really knows how to get exceptional angles out of an SLR or mobile phone) to a scenario. Time is not wasted on creating a backstory or developing complex characters. The focus is on a scenario which will confront more than entertain. ''Dead Centre of Desire' does have a very distinct atmosphere and a more, dare I say, complex storyline than 'Blight of Humanity'. Dora wrote basic accompanying music which works well with the pace of 'Dead Centre'. The inside ('Dead Centre') vs Outside ('Blight') juxta positioning of the films is very interesting, and the detailed cinematography associated therewith rather beautiful. The raw violent third acts are also shared, but obviously the "human" condition which plays out, plays out consequently to different mental conditions. The films are true underground cinema, true Dora and as such not intended for all audiences.
Pesthauch der Menschlichkeit (2018)
Reviewed with Das Verlangen Der Maria D as a double feature
'Dead Centre of Desire' has been widely interpreted and various reviewers have alluded to Maria D being a play on the Marian Dora (and variations thereof) nom du plume. This might be taking things a bit too far as Dora tends to focus on a psychological aspect / defect of the human "animal". Unlike Melancholia der Engel and in keeping with most of his films neither 'Dead Centre of Desire' nor 'Blight of Humanity' presents themselves as complex cinematic works. The films are in esse someone holding up a camera (well someone who really knows how to get exceptional angles out of an SLR or mobile phone) to a scenario. Time is not wasted on creating a backstory or developing complex characters. The focus is on a scenario which will confront more than entertain. ''Dead Centre of Desire' does have a very distinct atmosphere and a more, dare I say, complex storyline than 'Blight of Humanity'. Dora wrote basic accompanying music which works well with the pace of 'Dead Centre'. The inside ('Dead Centre') vs Outside ('Blight') juxta positioning of the films is very interesting, and the detailed cinematography associated therewith rather beautiful. The raw violent third acts are also shared, but obviously the "human" condition which plays out, plays out consequently to different mental conditions. The films are true underground cinema, true Dora and as such not intended for all audiences. 8/10.
Occhiali neri (2022)
The most beautifully constructed colour saturated opening sequence followed by recent Argento giallo
As a well-documented Dario Argento fanboy, I really rooted for the film to be on par with his 70s and early 80s cult classics. The opening sequences (and most of act one) were indeed made up of beautifully colour saturated- and uniquely constructed scenes; shot in an elevated 'Profondo rosso' style. However, the too thin storyline, lack of suspense and ridiculous snake- and mauling sequences did not work at all and merely made "Occhiali Neri' another Argento homage to his earlier work. It's worth watching solely as a beautifully shot example of classic (albeit toned down) Argento Giallo, which makes it still deserving of a 7/10.
You Won't Be Alone (2022)
Witches and solitary confinement used decently to explore the social contract and humanity
"You Won't Be Alone" (2022, set in Macedonia) is writer and director Goran Stolevski's full film debut and presents a theme where a child essentially grows to the age of 16 without any real contact from the outside world and then (her being taken as a witch) having the ability to shape-shift, most pertinently, between the sexes and age. In juxtaposition hereto the old witch vicariously takes in these experiences (something which society precluded her from partaking in).l. This dualistic social experiment and the "lessons" taken from it in the greater application of the "contrat sociale", coupled with the inherent qualities which makes man human makes the film compelling (albeit slow) viewing. The storyline in as far as the developing of the witch as an entity and the interactions by her within society effectively becomes a vessel to carry secondary storyline and unfortunately this story is underdeveloped and rather flat, not to mention the cause of periods of essentially dead screen time. The acting is definitely better than average, though the atmosphere suffers from the "Eggers effect", though without the masterful handling of cinematography and score. In fact, the score tends to be overly ambitious with abrupt changes. All thus despite, the film builds a bond with the viewer and retains that bond over a period in excess of two hours; this is no small feat. Apart from decent gore elements, the film has little horror elements and would resort more in a drama category.
Housewife (2017)
Very different from Baskin but an interesting artistic endeavour
"Housewife" (2017, Turkey) is largely a style over substance psychological / cosmic horror film., with some very decent gore elements. Stylistically it presents homages to amongst others Lovecraft and the films of Argento and Faci. The influence of the latter two can be seen in inter alia the use of colour, metaphor, and camera angles. From a substantive point, one gets the impression that the intention was to create several causal nexuses and then to intentionally leave the ending open-ended, to invite viewer interpretation. The problem is twofold, (1) the ratio d'etre can only be one of two things or a combination of both, and (2) the input data is insufficient to reach a definitive conclusion either way. Simply put, the concept is not complex enough to leave it open-ended. That said, the film remains interesting enough to compel the viewer to interpret the metaphors and other audio and visual cues. The first act is especially well developed around cues, and some are well utilised throughout the film. An example would be the conclusion by the mother of the main character that her older sister's first menstrual period means she is bound to be impregnated to fulfil the needs of the cult and would thus suffer something she did not wish upon her child. Other aspects, e.g., the knife, the portrait, the longing for forgiveness from the sister all contribute to the hypnotism / induced dream state creating an opportunity (either actually or subconsciously) for a life changing moment for the main character, i.e. To "elevate" herself from "housewife". On the other hand, the cult is given an objectively tongue-in-cheek treatment (e.g., sexual gratification of a cult leader being paramount to the existence of the same, members of the cult demonstrating a childlike exuberance, the wearing of druid-like clocks by the upper echelon; the need for sacrifice for the greater cause). One can just as easily believe that the main character "tripped her tits off on schrooms" and had dreams / visions dominated by her childhood experience and current psychological state, as one can believe that either the main character or her sister had a birthing role to play in the cult and their mother wanted to save them from that. So, fun can be had with analysing the film despite a somewhat haphazard storyline. Acting was competent enough, though sub-par dialogue, which now and again popped up, could likely have been prevented by not opting for an English soundtrack, similarly ambiance and timing. Though "Housewife" mimics certain dream state elements found in "Baskin" (2015), the films differ greatly in almost every other aspect, demonstrating Evrenol's capabilities as a co-writer director. 7/10.
Vinyan (2008)
Heart of Darkness meets Lord of the Flies
Vinyan (2008), is premised six months after the infamous 2004 Tsunami where a couple is working through their child having gone missing during the Tsunami. Without going into the story, the couple ends up "slipping" into Burmese jungle to search for their child where they encounter a group of feral children of approximately their child's age. The interplay between the environment and the mental impact of the loss of child forms the central theme in a film , which is essentially a homage to "the Heart of Darkness" by Joseph Conrad, with a good helping of "Lord of the Flies" by William Golding scooped in. Fabrice du Weltz (director and co-screenwriter) teams up with his Calvaire cinematographer, Benoit Debie (who also works often with Gaspar Noe). As in Calvaire, the visual storytelling is enigmatic and conveys a dark, desperate, and ominous atmosphere which is perfectly complimented by using silence and lingering facial closeups. Though comparisons can obviously be drawn to Copolla's Apocalypse Now, as both films rely greatly on the influence of nature and tribal elements with culminates into insanity, Vinyan tells the "female" side of the "Heart of Darkness / Apocalypse Now" coin. This makes Vinyan compelling watching as it does not merely piggyback onto the "cruelty to locals culminating into insanity" theme, but hauntingly visualises a similar result flowing from the pain of loss. That said, the film is replete with metaphors and homages and though all serving very specific purposes, they might be regarded as pretentious by some UK / American audiences. Acting is top notch and Emmanuelle Beart delivered a tour de force performance. 9/10.
Breeder (2020)
Though thin on storyline, its still a very decent gore offering.
With Breeder (2020) Jens Dahl, who wrote Pusher, elevated a rather predictable schlock / grindhouse offering to something decent. Yes, the acting "ran" out, but as it started off decent, I tend to blame the script for that. The cinematography, editing, set design, gore effects and direction all punched way above the film's weight class. In fact, Dahl did such a good job at setting up the film, that he might have created expectations which were never the intention of the film. Seeing the film as a tightly directed homage to the grindhouse genre (as pointed out somewhere else) with some solid nods to early New French Horror, would be more in line with the true nature of the film.
Engel mit schmutzigen Flügeln (2009)
A simple yet almost artistic sexploitation film
"Angels with Dirty Wings" (2009, Germany, "Engel mit Schmutzigen Flügeln"), is another low-budget sexploitation offering by the German husband-and-wife team of Roland Reber and Maria Anna Eich. This offering focuses on the "live your truth" principle, which two of the Angels (the only ones we know off) seeks to instil into a candidate who applied to join their MCC. The stoic Angels "guides" the initiate through the staggered and stilted sharing of philosophical ideology. The initiate's truth essentially boils down to her shagging anything which moves and by doing so exercising control in the situation and thus in her life. As such, the storyline is not complex nor the message of the film, which in more complex films would need to also rely on aspects such as, cinematography, editing, atmosphere, clever symbolism etc. This despite, most filmmaking aspects worked pretty well and more than mere traces of an intentional and artistic atmosphere is created. Acting could have been a lot better (esp. By the stoics) and the script substantially more refined and developed, but given the available budget and substantial task sharing, the film works well enough. 6/10.
Cheuuat gaawn chim (2009)
When a film which relies on editing ends up being cut more than 20% by censors and still works
"Meat Grinder" (2019, Tailand, "Chueat Kon Chim"), intended to be released as "Human Flesh Noodles" ("Kuai-tiao Nuea Khon"), is written and directed by Tiwa Moeithaisong, who best known for his work as a cinematographer. As such, Moeithaisong was also responsible for the cinematography and editing. The editing is crucial to telling the non-linear story of mental illness stemming from various abuses suffered by the main character, i.e. But (competently portrayed by Mai Siriwimol). That said, the fact that all references to the "noodle" industry had to be cut in Thailand and South-Korea (as well as some of the gore and violence), diminished the full effect sought to be achieved through clever editing. This as can be seen by comparing the film to the UK (so-called 'uncut') version and the later directors cut (also called "the uncut version") which are both much "cleaner" (e.g. Less censor blurring and speeding up / slowing down) and closer demonstrates Moeithaisong's abilities in the cutting room. The premise, i.e., folks who wronged / annoyed But ending up as protein in ramen, is not new nor complex. Where the film succeeds is in telling this story in an arty way, which almost puts the viewer in the unbalanced mind of But. As always, non-linear storytelling will mostly not find favour with most audiences and there is some gore (done well) which could upset sensitive viewers. 7/10.
I Never Left the White Room (2000)
Schneider at his gory psychedelic best
The 2000 version of "I Never Left the White Room" (2007), then called "My Crepitusa" (la August Underground, 2003, where Schneider acted, co-directed and co-edited with inter alia Vogel), was Michael Todd Schneider's film school project and feature film debut. As such, the 2007 version demonstrates, as the name of the film implies, substantially increased editing prowess, which contributed greatly to the film's unique psychedelic arthouse blend of madness and artistic endeavour. I understand (and have unfortunately not yet had my hands on a copy), that MagGot's 2021 reboot demonstrates even higher cutting room skills. That said, there is little, bar for a seemingly underdeveloped script, which Schneider did not elevate to its highest potential on a truly limited budget. As always I stand in awe of writer, director, producers who takes up a major acting part. And when they do it this well, one might be tempted to infer a healthy degree of genius into the project. To quote, Schneider, the film essentially represents the "internalized journey of a man trapped inside...". I might add that said journey has some really decent gore (created by MagGot FX) which works brilliantly with the editing effects like slowing down, speeding up, texturing and over-saturation. The bridge scene does this especially well. The soundtrack, where Schneider again contributed (as Porcelain MagGot) is engaging, interesting and unsettling enough to work well into the total project. Acting in general was decent and Schneider himself did very well. As far as psychological gore goes, it truly hits the mark.
Bliss (2019)
The vampirism of art explained through choas
Bliss, is the second film produced and directed by Joe Begos (VFW, being the other one) released in 2019. The film seeks to balance style vs. Substance, with some great camera angles, "interesting" editing and great gore effects (very much a grindhouse homage) vs. A different take of the vampire sub-genre. The symbolism of the painting which the main character has to finish, despite her being in an artistic slump, and how she is willing to do whatever it takes to complete it, even if it destroys her and others, is very well portrayed. The film is fast paced and the drug fuelled irrational atmosphere is very well portrayed (reminds a bit of Gaspar Noe's 'Irreversible' but for US audiences). Acting is natural and direction very tight. Apart from the symbolism aspect playing out well in the third act, the third act draws out a bit and the end has a bit of a deus ex magina feel. Still really a very worthwhile watch.
Habit (1995)
One of the five best vampire films out there.
Larry Fessenden wrote, edited, directed and produced, this NY tale. He also acts as the main character (Sam) who suffers from long term alcoholism and the recent loss of his father coupled with his girlfriend leaving him. Sam meets (we presume) a woman whom he later concludes to be a vampire. It is here where the film becomes interesting, as two possible scenarios are perfectly balanced by Fessenden, is Sam merely losing his mind (no women or there is a woman but she is not a vampire) or is the woman actually really a vampirre? The acting is not just good for an Indie film, it's brilliant. The script is beautiful and the directing to the point. I don't know how Fessenden does all of this. One of the better vampire films around.
February (2015)
Decent use of atmosphere and a non-linear storyline to tell a dark tale of mental illness caused by loneliness.
February ("The Blackcoat's Daughter", 2015, Canada / USA) is one of two films written and directed by Oz Perkins (son of Anthony Perkins), the other being "I am the Pretty Thing in That lives in the House", which follows a style over substantive theme mainly carried by atmosphere. In both cases the use of colour, pace, cinematography and the music of his brother (Elvis Perkins) is used very well to achieve a good eerie and bleak atmosphere. February focuses on mental illness caused mainly by loneliness. There is an attempt to draw the viewer into believing the insanity of the main character, ie that she is possessed by the devil, but the breadcrumbs are sufficient to steer one back to the reality at hand. With the odd visceral murder sequence and tense moment, the film skirts just on the border of a psychological horror / thriller. Acting (esp Kiernan Skipka from "Mad Men") is top notch and the non-linear storyline is well scripted. Direction is similarly extremely hands-on and ensures that atmospheric intention remains the main focus.