The Night of the Virgin

THE NIGHT OF THE VIRGIN  ((La noche del virgen (original title)) is a wild, wild ride. Director Roberto San Sebastián and writer Guillermo Guerrero really hit a home run with this horror comedy playing on SHUDDER at the time of this posting. Man...I love SHUDDER! :)

It's a story told in basically one location. Poor Noco (Javier Bódalo) is stuck at a club alone on New Years Eve. His hopes of "hooking up" for the new year are a mere countdown away from never happening. But then he sees Medea (Miriam Martín) and things start to look up. Sure, she's older than him, but she has a great body and....well....she's looking right at him.
They go back to her place and that's where we're going to camp out for the rest of the film. Medea's apartment is a wreck. Dirty, filled with roaches, and horrid. Medea herself seems to be running hot and cold - being sweet to Nico one moment, then being harsh with him the next. But, poor Nico is still hanging in there for the promised sexual encounter, no matter how horrible the apartment or Medea's actions.
But, what is it that Medea really wants from him? And, will her boyfriend, "Spider" (Víctor Amilibia) eventually get through the front door to kill poor Nico?

The film hits on all cylinders. When SHUDDER and the viewers there were talking about how disturbing and gross it was, I had to roll my eyes. I mean, horror folks here this kinda crap all the time. "It was SO GROSS that people left the theater.....passed out....threatened to take the makers to court!" Most of the time, this is far from the case for a horror movie lover. We've usually seen it done before - more often than not done better as well. But, this film delivers. It does get pretty gross.

I believe the comedy elements work really well, even if you're not usually a lover of foreign comedy. They are simple, cute, and sometimes painful.  Javier Bódalo is a show stealer with his wild teeth and crazy facial expressions and motions. The physical humor is hilarious as well as we watch our hero get battered and abused on screen. As the action ratchets up, so did my laughter and mutterings of, "Ok...yeah...that's really gross!" while I laughed and winced at the same time.

This is a slow burn, but it's SO worth a viddy. It's a funny and gross journey you'll really dig.

The trailer isn't TOO spoilery, but I'd probably aim to watch the film without looking at the trailer. That being said, the trailer is a fun edit! :) 

Terrifier

Damien Leone's follow up to ALL HALLOW'S EVE is a wild ride. TERRIFIER is a fun watch.

The plot is simple. Old Art the Clown is at it again. He strolls through the night until he stumbles onto two unfortunate post-party gals who are too drunk to drive. He follows them to a diner and the fun begins.

The plot is super light, but you're really not visiting Terrifier for it's plot. It's all about Art the super freaky clown dispatching folks in inventive ways. And there are some ways in this film for sure. It's packed with shocking violence and fear, but somehow manages to avoid feeling too mean doing it, which really surprised me because...it's SO violent. 

Art is a great character. He's creepy as all get out, but manages to be endearing when he's doing his silent schtick and mime work. The acting all around is really solid and helps to sell the whole of it.

If you're looking for a good, old fashioned slasher horror flick, this is it! Check it! 

The Forest of the Lost Souls

This spoiler free review will be rather short - I don't want to give things away for this one.

First...the elephant in the room.

If you are looking for a fast paced gore fest...don't watch this one. Just move along. Nothing for you to see here. :::grin:::  This film takes it's time to tell a story and gives you visually stunning images to go along with it's deep, philosophical discussions as things build and build.

This is the first feature film for writer/director José Pedro Lopes and it's a fantastic effort bringing in three awards to date from the Brooklyn Horror Film Festival, Fant, Bilbao Fantasy Film Festival, and Triple Six Horror Film Festival and the awards are well deserved.


Without saying too much about plot, I'll give you a very brief overview.

The titular FOREST OF THE LOST SOULS is very similar to Japan's Aokigahara, also known as the Sea of Trees. A place to go to commit suicide - filled with bodies and sadness. Two strangers meet in the woods - both there to end their lives. The discussion that follows leads to some rather interesting happenings. I'll say no more.

The film starts out slow for sure. It lets the viewer discover things. See the surroundings. Do a bit of wondering. That wondering time is very important throughout the film. There's not a lot of clumsy exposition walking the viewer through what's going on. I LOVED that. Nothing makes me more crazy while watching a film. Especially horror.

"Hmmm....the guy in the mask - HE must be the SON of the Baron who...as we all know....had a mistress in the village. She disappeared shortly after they met. Remember?"

This film has none of that. It tells it's story and lets you figure things out. And, it gives you everything you need to do so.

As I said, the film is shot beautifully. The black and white is perfect for the subject matter. It plays off like a modern day Bergman film - moody and dark and full of things lurking in the corners. There's a richness to the visuals that I found to be very pleasing. The cinematography was stunning.

The film is a foreign language film...unless you're from Portugal, of course. However, the film isn't heavy on dialogue, so those who fear subtitles need not be too scared. It's a drama with horrific moments that hits every point it makes an effort to hit. The acting is fantastic and all the characters seem real and well rounded.

The film stars Daniela Love, Jorge Mota, Mafalda Banquart, Ligia Roque and Lilia Lopes. It is produced by Ana Almeida with production companies Anexo 82, Studio 2203, Creatura and Agenta a Norte.

I highly recommend this...I'm going to say it again... "thinking person's horror film". I believe film lovers, horror lovers, and mystery lovers will enjoy this immensely. Well worth a viddy!

Hitting theaters August 3rd, 2018

https://deadline.com/2018/06/wild-eye-releasing-sets-portuguese-horror-film-the-forest-of-the-lost-souls-as-debut-theatrical-release-1202415581/

Mohawk

Ted "WE ARE STILL HERE" Geoghegan has another film out and ready to enjoy. I enjoyed MOHAWK immensely. While not a horror film like STILL HERE, there are some horrific moments for sure.

The story involves Oak and Calvin Two Rivers of the Mohawk tribe and Joshua Pinsmail, a British officer, late in the war of 1812. The officer is trying to recruit the Mohawks to help fight on the side of the British, but plans are hampered by the actions of Calvin putting the American enemy on their trail deep in the woods.

This is an action adventure with dramatic undertones. The balance struck by Ted Geoghegan is fantastic.

The strength of the film is really in the characterization, story, and the fact that you actually care about the characters and their actions. There are no obvious computer effects or bombastic scenes, yet I found myself riveted to the screen after the first five minutes.

The story is super tight and intense. It's not a big story - not in the slightest, but it's a powerful one. Native American involvement in the war of 1812 is very interesting indeed (some more on that can be found here) and this film is a small segment of that story talking about the Mohawk, the British, and the American's and how war tore them all to pieces. There's also a small, supernatural element that plays a part in the story, but don't walk into this thinking you're going to see a lot of that aspect. This is really a story about people and what they do to each other. The horror of war.

I guess the American's are the more horrid of the group, though Calvin does some rather bad things as well. I love the fact that the wrongs are rather balanced. There are no sides here that are "pure as the driven snow" - everyone has something they've done wrong.

The acting is frigging amazing across the board. Everyone give their all here - most likely pleased to be working with a talent like Geoghegan and a great script by him and Grady Hendrix. The fact that actual Native American people were playing Native American's made me very, very happy as well.

Hezekiah Holt

Man...I want to call out each actor here. They are all amazing. Ezra Buzzington's fantastic, driven American officer Hezekiah Holt is a definite stand out as is the giant, pro wrestler Jon Huber as Lachlan Allsopp. They are American's fighting for their country, but their actions are also driven by hate and disgust for the people they are fighting and anyone that helps them. It's a sad reflection on aspects of today's climate for sure.

Oak

But, I was in awe over Eamon Farren's British officer Joshua Pinsmail and the amazing and haunting Kaniehtiio Horn as Oak. They were fantastic on screen. The way they interacted with each other was grand as well. Believable and intense. I was hanging on every move and phrase they'd utter. And talk about powerful female leads! Oak is an amazing character - strong and majestic.

Now, there are some real moments of violence in here as well, horror lovers. Never gratuitous,  but some of them had me cringing for sure.

Am I gushing over this film too much? I hope not, but I just loved it.

This film is a must see. Period. 

Calvin Two Tivers

The Passion of Paul Ross

I watched THE PASSION OF PAUL ROSS and, while it is not straight up horror, it has elements that were definitely horrific and strange enough to cause some flashback movie visuals through the evening. I think that counts for something for sure. 






The film is a strange mix of visuals, scenes, and character interactions. It tells the story of the titular Paul Ross and his strange, metaphysical journey. It's packed with dream logic and jarring visuals that really sunk it's claws into me and didn't let me look away from the screen. 


To quote the site: 
An aging artist discovers that his seemingly perfect suburban life is actually a prison conjured by unknown forces.


And, while it is definitely that, it's much more. 



Like Bryan Enk's other feature THE MOOSE HEAD OVER THE MANTEL   which I loved, the film has a feel of a play. I love the presentation. That play-like quality feels more present and in person which added to the intensity for me. That combined with the Twilight Zone / Twin Peaks vibe made me very happy. I choose these to get a general feeling only - this film is very much a unique creature, but the visuals are very Peaks in tone.

The other part of this film that made me happy is that it never fell into...how to say it? Pothead babble film plot? You know - that, "Duuuuuuude....what if you were in a prison...but it was like...the prison of your own....miiiiiind. heh! Whoooooaaaa...."   I've seen far too many films with their heads wedged firmly up their own arses when it came to a more philosophical plot. 

The Passion of Paul Ross avoids all that fakery and provides a storyline that not only makes you think hard about various things like spirituality (No...this isn't a Christian film. At least it doesn't come off that way if it is :) )   , but also tosses in some interesting elements that I have not seen in a film in a long while - subtle ghost overtones. Operative word here being subtle. No "beyond the veil" mist filled rooms or Darth Maul-esque demons. It's simplicity allows for the viewer to really sink into the tale being told. 

And now...the downsides. Just a few, really. 

Yes, this is a micro-budget film. ($15,000 USD ) Don't hate.  Enk was the writer, Director, Producer, light tech and many other things on here without question. He did what he needed to do to get the film made and not only got it made, but made it highly entertaining and solid. 

There are some hinky sound moments and a point where I thought the camera was going to be blown over, but non of that took away from my viewing experience. It does need to be called out, however. I know some horror fans are delicate flowers that have a tough time watching films that aren't tossing jump scares and digital blood at them from time to time. ::::grin::::

There is also a set piece at the beginning that goes on for a bit, but it has a point. You may start watching and think, "Is this a music video?"  Hang in there - it makes sense. Just enjoy the lovely tones of Amy Beth Coup - she a great singer! 

And...that's about it for negatives, honestly.  Very minor!

I've seen quite a few screeners of late and I've had to pass on writing reviews for about 75% of them just because...well...they made me angry, actually. This film was the polar opposite. I enjoyed it and immediately thought about a re-watch that very day to go back and pick up on the subtleties! 


Lastly, the acting was a lot of fun. Steve Bishop and Becky Byers are so much fun to watch on screen and run through every emotion in the book with a grace that I found to be very pleasing.

The aforementioned Amy Beth Coup's delightful singing voice was grand.

Hell, the whole cast was pitch perfect for the tone of the film and  looked like they had a ton of fun making it. Their commitment to the oddness really sold the feature and added to the overall feeling of unease and dream-like bizarreness.

Do yourself a favor and seek this film out. It's a lot of fun!   I'll post details about how and when to get the film as soon as I learn more.


The Passion of Paul Ross (2017) - Official Teaser from Third Lows Productions on Vimeo.

• Bryan Enk

  Director

  The Moose Head Over the Mantel, The Big Bad
• 
  
• 
  
• Bryan Enk

  Writer

  They Will Outlive Us All
• 
  
• 
  
• Bryan Enk

  Producer

  The Moose Head Over the Mantel, The Big Bad
• 
  
• 
  
• Steve Bishop

  Producer
• 
  
• Steve Bishop

  Key Cast

  “Paul Ross ”

  Scarlett Mecca and the Pentagram Girl
• 
  
• 
  
• Becky Byers

  Key Cast

  “Amity”

  Play Hooky
• 
  
• 
  
• Matthew Gretzinger

  Key Cast

  “Wilson Shand ”
• 
  
• Amy Beth Coup

  Key Cast

  “Natalie Lord ”
• 
  
• Kim Long

  Key Cast

  “Light-Haired Woman”
• 
  
• Jason Hugh Smith

  Key Cast

  “The Intruder ”
• 
  
• Gregory Bobak

  Key Cast

  “Bartender ”
• 
  
• Julie Konrad

  Key Cast

  “Johanna”
• 
  
• Aaron Sinclair

  Key Cast

  “Party Man ”
• 
  
• Maggie McKeon Vendely

  Key Cast

  “Party Woman ”
• 
  
• Joshua Detamore

  Key Cast

  “Gerry”
• 
  
• Keenan MacRitchie

  Key Cast

  “Terry”
• 
  
• Brendan Coomes

  Key Cast

  “Barry”
• 
  
• Bob Dawson

  Key Cast

  “Brad”
• 
  
• C.C. Snyder

  Key Cast

  “Joe ”
• 
  
• Dirk Manning

  Key Cast

  “Suburban Man ”
• Yuri Lowenthal

  Key Cast

  “voice of Radio DJ ”