Body Melt

HOLY CRAP! heheheheheh


Now, BODY MELT isn't a great film, but if you're a body horror fan and love practical effects films from the 90s, you're going to want to check this one out!

Classic "evil scientists come up with a medicine / vitamin with horrid side effects" plot that really makes little to no sense, but after you sink into the madness of it, you just kinda accept it all and wait for the gore and goo to fly again. And fly it does.

Evidently, the film was based on four short stories by the writer/director Philip Brophy and it feels like several stories woven awkwardly together. However, you're really not here for the story in this one. The story is a bit of a mess, honestly. It's all over the place and is disjointed and odd. However, the "HOLY CRAP! That was SO F%^&* GROSS!" factor makes this WELL worth a viddy!

Australian madness! This is a new favorite for sure!

SHUDDER - I'm in love with you

I can't get rid of my SHUDDER account. They keep adding new content and I LOVE IT SO MUCH!!!!  :) Seriously, I sign in and POP! more new content. Stuff that I've been wanting to see, but that I have not wanted to actually own. Now I can stream it and enjoy.

Some of the recent titles I've managed to viddy below!


 


Ghosthouse
This was a fun, silly little Italian romp. A creepy little girl and a doll haunt an old home. It had some nasty moments and some REALLY funny moments to giggle about. (Too bad it's not a comedy :::grin)  Well worth a viddy. 

 

Witchery
A horrible movie. Really horrible. But, entertainingly horrible. All the worst from 1988. David Hasselhoff....Linda Blair..."acting" through a bad script about a witch trying to bring Satan into the world? I think that was it. heh Just a mess. Again, well worth a viddy.


 





 


Mother's Day
Backwoods horror from the 80s - what could be bad about that. Fun characters doing awful things to people. Another good one for the revenge horror sub-genre. A mother and her two sons terrorize three ladies who are trying to enjoy some hang out time in the woods. Lady violence, sadly, but that's soon turned around and payed forward!

 
New York Ripper
This one was on my TO WATCH list for a long while, but afterwards I kinda wish I didn't watch it. The female violence aspect was a bit much for me. I just don't dig that sort of thing. However, as a horror, it delivered. Some really nasty stuff from horror master Lucio Fulci. The lovely Alexandra Delli Colli also stars, which is a plus for sure. Hubba hubba! :) The story? A giallo romp with a mysterious killer doing away with people...and a man missing some fingers on his hand noir style.





The Erotic Rites of Frankenstein
Wild Jess Franco stuff!

A blind bird woman with green feathers stuck to her hear and there
Silver spray paint Monster sprinting
Mad monster party with ghouls, goblins....skull face people...
Smart severed head gag - holding up the actresses head, but never showing the neck.
SCIENCE! hehehehe
Lots of staring.
Lots of nude women.
"AMAZING" dialogue.




Zombie Holocaust aka Dr Butcher MD (recut)
More Alexandra Delli Colli goodness here. She and Ian McCulloch fall through the bizarre plot. Colli works in a hospital where someone is eating bits of people. A plot is discovered leading her and a small band of travelers to an island where these cannibals are from. But wait....what's that? ZOMBIES! Yes...zombies start appearing and the plot thickens and manages to hold up nicely! 
Honestly, title aside, this is a really engaging film with a lot going on to keep the viewer happy. And, some of the WORST ADR screams ever inserted into a film! hehehe  Check it!

The Stendhal Syndrome

The Stendhal Syndrome is not one of Argento's stronger movies, but it's a movie that is packed with interesting parts. I believe that may be the best way to approach this film - viewing it as a film of parts and halves.

According to the WIKI:
Stendhal syndrome, Stendhal's syndrome, hyperkulturemia, or Florence syndrome is a psychosomatic disorder that causes rapid heartbeat, dizziness, fainting, confusion and even hallucinations when an individual is exposed to an experience of great personal significance, particularly viewing art.

The spoiler free review is simple.

Dario's daughter, Asia Argento, plays Det. Anna Manni. When we meet her, she's rather frantically exploring a museum and we're not sure what she's doing there. She strolls through, viewing the paintings and artworks with a sort of crazy desperation. She collapses after seeing artwork come to overwhelming life before her. As she starts to come to her senses, we find out that she's a detective on the trail of a serial rapist/murderer. Unfortunately, it seems she's the object of his obsessions - a pet project. She catches up with him, but he gets the upper hand and has his way with her violently. And so begins their odd, destructive, violent, and horrifying relationship.

I won't say much more to avoid spoilers.

Hitchcock had to be the influence for this film - there is a Hitchcock vibe throughout the film in the introduction of characters, pace, lighting and framing, and plot development. It's very interesting to compare this to something like Vertigo which is another film of halves. There are Brian De Palma aspects to the film as well, especially in the lighting and the use of shadows. Of course, Dario Argento is no stranger to fantastic lighting - I would never say that he was just copying other directors. Not at all.



The Stendhal effects in the film are rather wild. Artwork slowly slips into life with sounds and vibrancy, then eventually Det. Manni actually interacts with the artwork and is able to move inside the art itself. There are some stunning scenes in this film.

Asia is adorable as always and manages to stretch a bit as an actress here. She really gives her all and runs a full range of emotion from whimpering, helpless damsel to aggressive wildcat.  I thought she did a grand job working with the acting tools at her disposal.

Thomas Kretschmann plays a wondrous horror as the rapist. He went on to play Dracula in Argento's Dracula 3D...which I actually kinda liked, though everyone HATED it! hehehe  My expectations were subterranean. He's a monster in Stendhal as well - an evil creature. Marco Leonardi is also in this, though his acting and the role is a major step down from CINEMA PARADISO, I have to say.

Now, I watched this as part of my GIALLO OCTOBER fest - now to be referred to as...wait for it....

GIALLOCTOBER FEST 2016!   :)

However, this really doesn't fit into my definition of classic giallo or even horror to be honest. More like "giallo light"or classic thriller. However there are still giallo-like elements at play here. And, the film is very heavy on some major dramatic elements as well.

The subject matter is rough, for sure. Very hard to watch. Brutal acts of violent rape are portrayed, albeit as tastefully as they could possibly be. I'm not even sure there is any nudity in the film. There are several non-sexual acts of violence as well, but unlike other Argento films like DEEP RED, they are not overplayed and could possibly be counted on one hand, really. Another interesting aspect of the film.

The film is long. Too long. It could have easily told the same story with a tight 90 to 100 minute running time. At roughly 2 hours in length, it's easily split into two stories. However, the time isn't completely wasted. Argento looked like he was trying to create something beyond what he had before artistically and it shows. It's visually interesting throughout and packed with visual and audio style choices that add to the overall "edge of sanity"feel of the film.

It was obvious to me that Dario Argento was trying to make a statement with the film. The last few scenes of the film really hit home for me and helped to erase any lingering feelings of the film's running time being too long or the story being thin in parts out of my mind - it's a powerful wrap up for a story that was surprisingly deep and effective.

Other Argento films should be watched before this, but The Stendhal Syndrome should definitely be part of any Argento fan's viewing list. Check it!

A great soundtrack as well! (below)

Black Mountain Side - A slow burn that's worth the wait

SPOILER FREE as usual.

The other day, I got another "blind Twitter follow" from a man named Nick Szostakiwskyj. I get these a lot. An unspoken, "Oh! You like movies?! I make movies! Check one out, please!" I actually appreciate this. It means folks are making an effort.

So, I checked out his Twitter page and website and they both looked really professional. One of the images on the site drove me to look up the film Black Mountain Side.

Intrigued, I checked out the trailer ( ...which I do not recommend that you do!! Seriously ) and immediately went to Amazon and added it to my watch list for that very night.

Now, let me get the small negatives out of the way right off the bat. There are not many, but they will make some people run around screaming. ::grin::: 

This is a slow, SLOW burn. It's like Carpenter's THE THING with several of the action, pulse pounding scenes removed from the first and second acts. Folks sit and talk and you soak in their conversations as the wonderfully shot film spins along crafting it's story. There were a few moments where I wished they went to the "show, don't tell" mode of film making - it might have helped the pacing a bit. Actually seeing some of the things that are talked about after they happen when the characters regroup here and there might have boosted the energy of the film a bit. 

Based on what I've seen from horror fans, this will make many people crazy. They'll bark at their screens yelping, "THERE'S NOTHING HAAAAAAPPENING!!!!" and will start tearing at their skin like wild animals.
To them I say, "Do us all a favor and don't watch this film. I can't take hearing your commentary on it, honestly. Go watch SAW XXI and be happy."  There IS stuff happening, you just need to listen and work it out without seeing jump scares, things popping out at you, and blood spraying 20 feet in the air.


The only other caveat I have about the film is that things are NOT spelled out for you. If you want that, you won't find it here. There are expanses as wide open as the films bleak and beautiful landscape - again, superbly shot  - in the film. If that makes you crazy, skip it. 



And, that's the end of the negatives. Let's move on to why I really loved this film. 


This is a very THE THING like tale. But, more along the lines of the original book WHO GOES THERE? by John W. Campbell, Jr.. It's a character and story based movie that has moments of shock and horror, not the other way around.


Archaeologists uncover a massive underground structure in Northern, "REALLY OUT IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE" Canada that dates back ten thousand years. The team brings in an expert to bless the find and get them much needed funds to continue their research.  As the find is verified and debated, things start to slowly and steadily break down.


This is another film where it feels like you are reading a book. (In a good way) You're allowed to really sink into the story and character development washes over you as the tale unfolds. There were several moments where I ended up saying things like, "Well...this is bad," out loud to my wife who was next to me on her phone. THAT is another check in the PLUS column for this film.

My wife is NOT a horror fan. She can stand them at times, but more often than not, she stands up and says, "Enjoy your movie - I'm off to bed," and is gone by ten minutes in. However, BLACK MOUNTAIN SIDE had her completely invested by the midway point. She was positing theories and wondering what was happening right along with me. Wen the movie ended, we had a very interesting series of conversations about the plot, scenes, and what we thought happened at the films climax. All around the midnight out, two hours after her usual bedtime. She really enjoyed the movie which is saying A LOT. 

Nick Szostakiwskyj nails both the Direction and script. The film looks fantastic and the script is riveting, really. It's one of those film stories that doesn't lay it all out for you, but that you find yourself thinking about long after the film is over. Theories spun through my mind all last night and this morning about the movie.

The cast was fantastic as well. In some of these smaller budget films, the cast stumbles through dialogue as they make an effort to play out an emotional range they are not capable of hitting while choking out lines of memorized dialogue. However, these folks do it effortlessly. They are not only believable as who they are playing, but they manage to deliver some very intricate dialogue to the point where I found myself wondering if they found actual archaeologists that happened to do acting as well. :::grin::: 

 If you're a fan of remote chillers, story, and tales of madness and the supernatural, you really owe it to yourself to fire up BLACK MOUNTAIN SIDE, settle in with a whiskey or cup of tea, and let this grand tale wash over you like a warm blanket of creepy! :)  I plan to revisit this film again in the winder months...when it's cold...and dark...

Excision

Dear lord.

I watched EXCISION recently and, when it ended, I just stared at the screen with my jaw slack muttering, "Damn...that was dark...."  It's a very interesting and disturbing film.

AnnaLynne McCordplays Pauline - a REALLY disturbed teen with a blood fetish, really. Blood and internal body exploration. She has hyper-stylized sexual fantasies involving cutting people open and playing with their insides. She seems fine, right? :)

 Her sister as lung disease and her mother - amazing Tracy Lords performance - spends her time cooing over the sickly sister, bitching out the husband and getting all over Pauline's case on the daily .

The film has this strange mix of horror and comedy that works really well. AnnaLynne McCord transforms from her real life persona (she's usually a hot bombshell type) into this mess that is Pauline with her slouchy, slightly cave woman-like performance. It's really wild. Someone equated the film to a bloodier MAY and I agree completely. That would make a fantastic double feature if you could stay happy and together through the pairing.




The film is riddled with dark spots where you just KNOW this girl is really sick and needs help she is clearly not getting from home nor the Priest her mother is sending her to for guidance. (Played by John Waters!) You're laughing and wincing through the film, but always thinking things are relatively light, but knowing that there is a dark, dark ending planned for these folks. It's looming and you can tell. When you reach the end, it's as if you've been riding this fun roller coaster and you've just shot up the last hill and 70 mph...only to see that the tracks are no longer there and you're sailing through the air.

Whoa....what a messed up little film this was. It stuck with me for days afterwards. I kept saying, "Man...that film really messed me up."

Check it out of you like this sort of nightmare. :)

The Taking of Deborah Logan

Wow.


Ok...in a nutshell. This film does what many...MANY others have tried to do in the past. There are many elements we've seen before.
Faux documentary style footage. Cameras mounted on walls that we see footage from. Hand held camera footage with people running about and shouting things. BUT....The Taking of Deborah Logan does it all a lot better than many of the films I've seen of late.

The factors? More real world applications of the above and a better execution. The acting backs it all up as well. So, we have many of the same elements with a feel that makes it seem far more realistic than some of the other docu-footage films I've sat through and been sad about once they are done.

Example? Towards the end of this film I stood up, moved towards the TV and  folded my arms in front of my chest staring intently at the images on the screen. Then at one point I said, "Wait....WHAAAAT?! Holy CRAP!" out loud at the TV.

At another point I said, "Oh....fuck YOU guys!" and laughed because the filmmakers TOTALLY got me with a jumper. And, at yet another point I physically backed away from my screen a few inches and groaned, "Oh man...that's messed up."

The film is friggin creepy. It has a fantastic "spine" to build off of story wise and it makes use of every once and inch of it. Simple setup - a documentary crew is on site to film Deborah Logan as she fights Alzheimer's with her daughter in the family home. When Deborah takes a quick and unexpected turn for the worse, things get interesting. Nuff said.

And the acting. Holy crap.

Jill Larson

Anne Ramsay

Jill Larson turns in a frigging wondrous performance as Deborah. Riveting. Anne Ramsay plays her daughter, Sarah, and she is equally grand. Very believable and super solid performances that I never scoffed at. The rest of the cast was fab as well, though I have to say they were overshadowed by the performances of Larson and Ramsay. You know what they didn't do? They didn't fail the film and that's huge. In some of these films, the acting of a few misplaced folks completely KILL the film - ripping the viewer away from their involvement in the story into a realm of tearing their acting apart and bemoaning their presence.  Everyone felt "real" here and that was huge. Great casting all around.

And....Adam Robitel. Bravo, man. REALLY nice work.  Really knocked it out of the park with this one. There's a great interview with him on THE INSIDERS, but you should listen to it after watching the film.  He's a smart guy that is bound to do, more grand things in the future.

"FINE! Don't mention ME by name. I did a good job, too. Michelle Ang. I'M Michelle Ang! :)

Ok ok ok...Michelle Ang was good as well. :)



Man...I really enjoyed this film. Is it for everyone? No. In this internet anonymous world we live in, I'm sure people will bash SOMETHING about this film. 

"There's too much TAAAAAAlking...."  Whaa...quiet. I'm trying to listen to actual plot and character driven story. Go play with your CGI ghosts and silly jump-scares somewhere else. :)

"They are just doing stuff like Paranormal Activity."   Whaa...so are thousands of others, but the difference is these guys are kicking arse at it like Oren Peli did with the original.

Like story?  Good acting? FRUCKING CREEEEEEEPY scenes and genuine WTF?! moments?

Check out The Taking of Deborah Logan at once!    

Currently available on NETFLIX, AMAZON and iTunes at the time of this posting.