Cinema Head Cheese - Movie Reviews, News, a Podcast and more!: July 2024

9th Horrorant International Film Festival - Fright Nights

The 9^th Horrorant International Film Festival – ‘Fright Nights’ that primarily took place at the prestigious Elize theater of Athens, but also and as per usual traveled to other cities in Greece as well, was a great success on all fronts, including the quality of the program and the record ticket sales. The fact that we also had legendary filmmaker Mario Bava as a guest of honor was a pleasure, and the fans showed their appreciation and love.

As usual the festival opened with last year’s best picture award winner, namely Hongsun Kim’s Project Wolf Hunting (2022). The opening ceremony was accompanied by the screening of Carlota Pereda’s The Chapel (2023). The closing ceremony was followed by the screening of Park Dong-hee’s Drive (2023).

The Chapel (2023)

A young girl (Maia Zaitegi) tries to communicate with a spirit named Uxoa that is bounded for centuries in a hermitage, and in order to achieve her strange deed, she asks for help from a medium (Belen Rueda). Directed by acclaimed filmmaker Carlota Pereda, this lavish Spanish horror production was the best possible way to kick-start this year’s terrifying festival proceedings. Atmospheric and eerie, without resorting too much on jump scare, but rather to its uncomfortable tone, this was screened out of competition, and rightfully so as otherwise it would win way too many awards.

Competition Horror

Here’s my commentary of Horrorant’s main block.

The Cursed Island (2023)

A group of vacationing influencers and other such annoying characters have the brilliant idea of spending a night at a deserted and forbidden island. Once they get there they find an abandoned village and break a local spell, unleashing a spirit that will doom them. Directed by Eu Ho and hailing from Malaysia, this is formulaic and it features heavily stereotypical characters, but it is done well and won’t hurt fans of the genre that would like to experience just a little more ghost action.

Body Parts (2023)

A young woman joins a cult and is soon doomed by the sacrifices that some of its members must do. Hailing from South Korea, this award-winning paranormal horror may be lacking in the story department (it is a bit formulaic), but is extremely stunning when it comes to visuals, offering creepy and disgusting imagery that will haunt you. An exceptional and refreshing addition to this year’s program, this is strong Asian horror and it comes highly recommended.

ClearMind (2024)

Directed by Rebecca Eskreis, this U.S. independent feature is sold with a poster and a tagline (‘Revenge is not a multiplayer game’) that is targeting the horror crowd, yet in its heart it is a room comedy about people talking a number of topics while mainly projecting their frustration as middle-aged professionals. It aims at making some sort of commentary on artificial intelligence gone wrong, but it doesn’t have the legs or the depth to elevate into something outstanding. Yet, at its mere 85 minutes of running time, it never outstays its welcome and it was a decent addition to this year’s festival program.

The Syndrome (2021)

Yegor (Ilya Korobko) and Karina (Darya Melnikova) find themselves in peculiar situation as they try to find a solution to a terrible epidemic in St. Petersburg which has its residents committing suicide one after the other, after seeing a mysterious figure of a man in white. Written and directed by Vyacheslav Rudenko, this is extremely eerie and unsettling. It was shot in Russian, but the English dub was screened at the festival.

My Mother’s Eyes (2023)

Hitomi and her daughter Eri are both classical musicians (they play the cello, in particular), and one day they get involved in a traffic accident leaving Hitomi blind and Eri paralyzed. With the aid of cutting-edge technology (VR goggles and the like) the two of them share one strange vision. Written and directed by award-winning filmmaker Takeshi Kushida (who also produced, with Shin Nishimura and Yosuke Sato), this is your typical slow-burn Japanese horror film which takes its time to unfold, before the wild and gory finale that leaves everyone in the audience speechless. Visceral, bloody, and challenging, this is poetically macabre cinema at its best.

Pandemonium (2023)

Following a freak car accident, Nathan (Hugo Dillon) realized he is dead and is now wandering the depths of hell, getting to meet and know other tortured souls with horrible pasts. Written and directed by Quarxx (who was in attendance during the screening and the awards ceremony) and boasting breath-taking Lucio Fulci-like visual sensibilities of netherworld nightmares, this is breath-taking atmospheric material and easily the best film we’ve seen this year.

You Shall Not Sleep Tonight (2024)

A young boy is suffering from some very realistic and eerie nightmares of a monster that lives in his closet. His parents try to calm his down and explain that it’s all his head, but maybe there’s more to it and the fear is connected to demons from the past. Hailing from Argentina but shot in English (with some awkward accents to boot), this keeps a perfect balance between paying homage to classic horror tropes and resorting to modern-day ‘jump scares’ tactics, and is one of the most well-crafted films we’ve seen at this year’s program.

Motel Melati (2023)

Hailing from the unlikely Indonesia (a country that had strong genre output in the 1970s, but not too much in recent times) Losmen Melati (the film’s original title), directed by Mike Wiluan (who also penned the screenplay, with Freya Bennett) and Billy Christian, is about a group of travelers that find shelter in a secluded motel, which turns out to be haunted and brings them face to face with their inner fears and secret past. Creepy and full of jump scares, this production has nothing to be jealous of from Hollywood big budget horrors by Blumhouse and the like.

Breathing In (2023)

Set in 1901 and amidst the sociopolitical turmoil of South Africa (this film is a local product and was made in that country), the screenplay by Jaco Bouwer (who also directed) and Reza de Wet is centering on a wounded general who seems to find a place for rest in the form of a small house run by a strange woman and her daughter. He will soon find out not only why he was invited in, but also the reason the – seemingly – two innocent women have survived for so long amidst the dystopian chaos. Scoring distribution by XYZ Films (a major player these days, especially when it comes to offbeat releases), this is the most lavish production presented at this year’s festival, but it is also the most atmospheric, gaining most of its effective points due to its dark bleakness.

Monster on a Plane (2024) crew awarded!

Monster on a Plane (2024)

Shot in English, this German production written and directed Ezra Tsegaye benefits from its great and simple premise of having a (Critters-like) monster set loose on an airplane, wrecking havoc and causing gory deaths. It keeps a perfect balance between practical effects and cheap CGI, resulting in a very entertaining blend that at times resembles recent Troma output and at others the usual SyFy creature-fests. Concepts in the vein of Snakes on a Plane and the like never get old, and since I spoke with some of the cast and crew that visited the festival, I can assure you that their hearts are in the right place in regards to making this. We need more stuff like this, and we need more Killer Condoms as well.

Note: Simon Sandquist’s Carousel (2023), Oskar Mellander’s Cancelled (2023), and Victor Ginzburg’s Empire V (2023) were also screened as part of this block, but I didn’t manage to review it in time for this article.

Panorama Competition

The ‘Panorama Competition’ was another excellent block made available in this year’s festival that showcased great films from a variety of horror-related genres and subgenres, and here’s my thoughts on them.

Black Bits (2023)

After meeting at a bar, Dora (Jordan Alexandra) and Beth (Yvonne Mai) become a couple, and decide to combine their skills in crime. Once they tackle a perfect heist, they seek ‘a safe place’ (an obvious double meaning to that) in the form of a secluded house in the woods, but it turns out to be a trap set up by men and artificial intelligence. This co-production between Poland and Italy (as it is awkwardly claimed in the credits) was shot in English and directed by Alessio Liguori. It has a Most Dangerous Game setting, but it is modernized with the dark web involved and all that. It is also feminist in its approach, and the most serious thriller Minerva Pictures has released in recent years.

Nina of the Wolves (2023)

A mysterious solar storm – in the vein of The Day of the Triffids (1963) – is disabling all electricity, causing societies to fall and life as we know it to take u-turn. The focus here is on the titular young girl (Sara Ciocca), who is born on a mountain and is, in Raised by Wolves (2020 – 2022) manner, is raised by wolves! This Italian production was released by Minerva Pictures and it is one of the most serious films in their recent catalogue, in terms of tone and quality. Directed by Antonio Pisu and featuring stunning production values and cinematography, as well as Hollywood-styled storytelling, this is a very enjoyable film within the spectrum of the fantasy genre.

Skinford 2: The Curse (2024)

Written and directed by Nick Kacevski, this sequel to a film that resonated very well with the festival’s audience last year, takes us on another journey through underground clubs of dubious morals and people that can’t die. It’s another welcome action/horror showdown from Australia, full of well-staged shootouts and generally good CGI. It is sexy and entertaining, and once it’s over it’ll have you asking for more.

Unspoken (2024)

A Chinese old man (Hanyu Zhang) is traveling to rural United States to grief for his recently-murdered daughter and catches the killer. This lavish co-production between Canada, China, and the United States is perfectly plotted by Daming Chen (who also directed) and Peter Walters owes a lot to Fargo (1996) and maintains a perfect balance between the true crime and thriller genres. Deep, thoughtful, and with plenty of things to day about family and loss, this is a masterpiece of genre cinema. The stunning cinematography alone makes it one of the greatest visual experiences we had at this year’s festival.

Note: Kike Narcea’s I’ll Crush You All (2023) was also screened as part of this block, but I didn’t manage to review it in time for this article.

First Look

Making films is always hard, but making your first film is even harder, and since our festivals has its eyes always open to new talents, we managed to tackle via this block several pictures from debuting directors; the results are good and the future looks promising.

Tenement (2024)

Manga artist Sorya (Thanet Thorn) goes back to her native Cambodia to properly mourn the recent death of her mother, but what she discovers aside of grief is terrible secrets from the past that will haunt her beyond belief. Written and directed by the team of Sokyou Chea and Inrasothythep Neth, this semi-folk horror is strong on atmosphere and benefits from the excellent use of decadent rural locations (Cambodia is not known for its horror cinema output and the results here look refreshing), adding extra eeriness to the proceedings. Some of the visuals echo the works of Dario Argento, and overall what we have here is a very well-crafted macabre film.

Deus Irae (2023)

Claiming the possession and exorcism horror subgenres with a storm, writer/director Pedro Cristiani’s debut feature from Argentina is expectedly focusing on a trouble priest that doubts his own faith, but the film goes much deeper and becomes a visceral extravaganza that echoes the body horrors of the 1980s. It is a strong and challenging journey that descents the viewer into a decadent version of a visual hell, and as such it is an outstanding work of cinema.

Hangar (2023)

Three young and attractive women visit a remote Italian country side when upon looking for weed they find company in the form of two local Italian men, who propose hard partying. One party leads to the next, which is set in a secluded and secret military base, but the drugs take their toll and dreams turn into nightmares. Directed by Luca Tartaglia (who also produced, with Umberto Massa) this Italian film was shot (mainly) in English (presumably to appeal to the international market) and is raw, sexy, fun, and above all very entertaining. If you ever wondered what a Gaspar Noe film would look like with a lower budget and more generous violence and gore, this horror goodie will give you a good idea.

The Redeemers (2022)

Two religion cult door salesmen end up accidentally killing one of their potential followers, and in order to dispose the body they have to masquerade as role-playing gamers with a group of weirdos, resulting in a torturous experience. Written and directed by Miro Laiho (who also produced, with Pekka Ollula) and Niko Kelkka, Lunastajat (the film’s original Finnish title) is a hilarious horror/comedy that works mainly because the subject matter is funny, but also because the violence is quirky.

Clawfoot (2023)

Janet (Francesca Eastwood) is a stunning and rich housewife who receives an unexpected visit from an unknown contractor (Milo Gibson) claiming that her husband sent him for some maintenance work. Upon accepting the stranger in their posh villa, he starts manipulating her step by step. However, once Janet is joined by her equally stunning best friend Tasha (Olivia Culpo) his plan will prove difficult to materialize, and the situation may turn deadly. Directed by Michael Day, this dark comedy/horror hybrid is fun, sexy, entertaining, and one of the best films we’ve seen this year!

Note: Anglee’s Couples to Hell (2024) was also screened as part of this block, but I didn’t manage to review it in time for this article.

2^nd Exploitation Tribute

I was the curator of this block, in which I had the pleasure of working for a second year with Vinegar Syndrome, in order to bring three exploitation film classics on a big screen in Athens. We had the pleasure of screening Massage Parlor Murders! (1973), Angel (1984), to appreciative audiences who asked for more and we could do no less than promising exactly this, for next year.

Massage Parlor Murders! (1973)

Set in the titular institutions located at New York’s 42^nd Street and during its most fascinating decade, this is about two detectives (George Spencer and John Moser) who follow the trail of a serial killer that is slaughtering young female masseurs. Failing at resembling a mystery thriller at all fronts (even though the audience doesn’t know the killer’s identity, there’s not much tension in the proceedings) but succeeding at being a perfect time capsule of an era long gone (full of marquees for films the likes of which we’ll never get to see again and seedy establishments you can no longer find in any civilized city), this is featuring charming gore effects and murder set-pieces (Herschell Gordon Lewis would be proud) as well as surprisingly attractive starlets. Directed by Chester Fox and Alex Stevens this was a personal pick and seeing it on a big screen was a dream come true.

The Boogeyman (1980)

A young boy is stabbing his mother’s abusive boyfriend, and twenty years later – now mute – is still haunted by the terrible event that also involved a mirror causing him and his sister nightmares. Motivated financially and inspired aesthetically from the success of John Carpenter’s seminal Halloween (1978), but with an extra supernatural touch, Uli Lommel’s cult opus is now considered a classic. Featuring a quick appearance by the legendary John Carradine, as well as some of the most bizarre murders, this is 1980s horror/exploitation entertainment at its best. It was a hit at the box-office, resulting in two mediocre sequels.

Angel (1984)

15-year old Molly Stewart (Donna Wilkes) is an excellent student by day and a Hollywood Boulevard hooker by night, under the code name Angel. When a serial killer (John Diehl) is murdering two of her colleagues, she joins forces with the detectives assigned to the case, in order to catch him. Directed by Robert Vincent O’Neil (who also wrote the screenplay, with Joseph Michael Cala) and distributed by the legendary New World Pictures this horror/exploitation hybrid is rated R, but remains quite ‘clean’ other than a few murder set-pieces and some brief nudity (it feels like a ‘safe’ movie throughout). It was an outstanding success at the box-office and expectedly spawned two sequels. It wouldn’t fly in the current ‘politically correct’ climate (drag queens, underage prostitutes, and many more are on display here), so the absence of any remake action is safely guaranteed.

Lamberto Bava Tribute

The Horrorant International Film Festival is proud to have brought legendary Italian filmmaker Lamberto Bava for the first time in Athens, Greece as our guest of honor. Mr. Bava was a pleasure to have at the festival and he was very kind with his many fans who wanted a photo taken with him or their Blu-ray discs signed. He was also very generous with providing lengthy introductions and Q&A sessions before and after the screenings of his classic films, much to the awe of his excited fans. Lamberto Bava is a living legend, and we now know that he is also a good friend of Horrorant. We were honored to present him with Horrorant’s Lifetime Achievement Award.

L to R: Christos Mouroukis, Lamberto Bava

Macabre (1980)

Set in New Orleans, this is about a blind landlord (Stanko Molnar) who suspects that the attractive woman (Bernice Stegers) that recently rented a room in his house may be having a love affair with the corpse of her recently-deceased husband. Approached by the already-established filmmakers Pupi and Antonio Avati, with a screenplay they based on a then-recent news story, newcomer Lamberto Bava (who had so far only worked as an assistant director for other renowned filmmakers, such as Ruggero Deodato, and his own father Mario Bava) made his directorial debut with this peculiar thriller, that is exactly what the title describes, absolutely macabre. Subtle, quite, and slow at times, this is a great work and is tonally approached perfectly by Bava.

Italian horror cinema legend Lamberto Bava

A Blade in the Dark (1983)

Horror film composer Bruno (Andrea Occhipinti) resides in a posh Tuscany villa in order to get inspiration for his next work, but the wider area is haunted by a serial killer, whose identity may be hidden in Bruno’s latest movie. Originally conceived and shot as a television series, this ultra-gruesome giallo was deemed too violent and gory for broadcasting, and was re-cut as a feature film and it met with enormous adoration by horror fans (who appreciated it particularly on home video). Produced by Mino Loy, Lamberto Bava, and Luciano Martino, and written by Dardano Sacchetti and Elisa Briganti, this may have come a bit late into the game (gialli were pretty much old news by 1983), but the stylized murders shot on 16mm do the trick and deliver a very satisfactory thriller. A young Michele Soavi makes his debut in front of the camera, as well.

L to R: K. Chatzipapas, L. Bava, C. Mouroukis

Demons (1985)

Set in a movie theater in Berlin, in which the patrons get attacked by zombie-like demons, this is heralded as the last true masterpiece of the golden age of Italian horror. Written by Dario Argento (who also produced), Lamberto Bava (who also directed), Dardano Sacchetti, Franco Ferrini, Demons benefits from excellent pace and eerie atmosphere. The practical gore special make-up effects by Sergio Stivaletti are absolutely fascinating, while Claudio Simonetti provides one of his most memorable scores (the soundtrack is enhanced further with the addition of several rock tracks by acts such as Motley Crue and Accept). The scenes featuring the motorcycle and the helicopter are worthy of the admission price alone.

Greek Shorts

Unfortunately I did not manage to see this year’s Greek short films in time for this article, but these were Blue Whale (2023), A Girl Plays with Knives (2023), Comet 2060 Chiron (2023), and I Karekla (2024).

International Shorts

Unfortunately I did not manage to see this year’s International short films in time for this article, but these were La Noche Dentro (2023), Humormatic (2024), Turno de Noche (El Lugar Equivocado) (2023), Raton de Biblioteca (2023), Co-Haunting (2023), For Pete’s Shake (2023), La Compania (2024), Lo Que Sangra (2024), Metobo Zombie (2023), Sincopat (2023), Selfie (2023), Los Complices (2023), La Croix (2023), Ponle Fecha (2023), Hado (2023), La Companera (2023), Tenebres (2023), Cultes (2023), Bebes (2023), Mi Zona (2023).

The Awards

Best International Short: Sincopat and Selfie

Best Greek Short: Comet 2060 Cheron

First Look Award: Tenement

Panorama Award: Unspoken

Best Special Effects Award: Monster on a Plane

Best Cinematography Award: My Mother’s Eyes

Best Screenplay Award: Motel Melati

Best Female Lead: Aleaxandra Gottardo (Motel Melati)

Best Male Lead: Sven Ruygrok (Breathing In)

Best Director Award: Quarxx (Pandemonium)

Best Feature Award: Pandemonium

Lifetime Achievement Award: Lamberto Bava

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