A Binge too Far #24: Horrorant International Film Festival 7 report

Fright Nights - Horrorant International Film Festival 7

After two years of having to put Horrorant on hold due to the Covid-19 crisis, Greece’s prestigious international film festival returned, for 11 days, in several cities, with 62 films, among them 25 feature films – all of them Greek premieres – and with several guests that provided the audience with Q&A sessions. Here’s the report.

 

Horrorant found its home at the ΕΛΙΖΕ theater.

The festival was kick-started as usual, with the screening of the previous edition’s winner of the ‘Best Feature’ Award, namely Pledge (2018) and the Opening Ceremony feature, which was Post Portem (2020).

 

A good surprise the festival had in store was a special screening of a group of collected animated shorts including Coin (2019), Deeply Deep (2020), Gholu (2019), Knock Knock (2019), Las Putas Pastillas (2021), Mirror (2019), and Re-Animal (2021).

 

The audience experienced 11 nights of horror

Competition Horror:

 

Several interesting new horror films competed in this category, including The Last Thing Mary Saw (2021), Apps (2021), The Sadness (2021), Llanto Maldito (2021), Hambre (2021), Luz: The Flower of Evil (2019), and the ones reviewed bellow.

 

The Devil’s Tail (2021)

 

The mysterious patient Mr. Moore who had 80% of his body terribly burned, is going through a hellish hospitalization that includes strong medicine and restraining, until one day he disappears from his room with his bed intact. Several years later, a stereotypical nurse manager tells tales that are somehow connected with this tragic and uncanny event.

 

Although the anthology horror picture is a difficult thing to tackle with any success, especially in recent years (the British films from Amicus and the like in the 1970s are now considered classics, but they are the exception), an array of newcomers did just that with this co-production between Argentina and New Zealand. Most of the stories are functioning well enough to guarantee for a good viewing material, combining horror and humor, and they would all work well on their own, had they been offered as short subjects individually. It is not the anthology horror film that will take the independent film world by storm, but it is a very good addition to the much-maligned subgenre.

 

The 100 Candles Game (2020)

 

Four friends that look very ‘alternative’ – in conjunction with this modern horror trend which has the fans taking of over the filmmaking side of things – gather in a house and set-up a 100 candles game in which they each have to tell a scary story. This is another anthology horror co-production between Argentina and New Zealand, and its segments not only work, but are scary as hell, which is all you really need from such fare. It comes highly recommended.

 

Urubu (2019)

 

Tomas (Carlos Urrutia) a photographer, travels deep in the Amazonian forest to get the perfect picture of a rare bird, dragging with him his dysfunctional family that consists of his attractive wife Eva (Clarice Alves) and their daughter Andrea (Jullie D’Arrigo). The marriage will be tested as tensions arise in the first half of the film, but their problems will get much worse in the climactic second half.

 

Directed by Alejandro Ibanez (his feature length theatrical debut, as he had previously helmed only shorts and TV-movies) this is – as per the promotional material – a tribute to the cinematic legacy of his father Narciso Ibanez Serrador, and to be more precise, to the landmark film Who Can Kill a Child? (1976), although this is more prevalent in the second half, while the first half is mostly reminiscent of the Italian erotic thrillers from the 1970s.

 

This is cinema with guts, the like of which we unfortunately don’t see much of – or any – these days, and it is a pity that it won’t have the impact it should, as international genre cinema does not have the place that 1970s exploitation film had in the global landscape of theaters and home video. However, this doesn’t take anything away from the absolute thrill that it is to experience this masterpiece, and you should absolutely go out of your way to see it, as hands down it is my favorite piece that was screened during this year’s program.

 

Al Tercer Dia (2021) poster

Al Tercer Dia (2021)

 

A mother is looking for her son, but things gets worse when she becomes the prisoner of a religious maniac, in this Argentinean genre-bending outing from director Daniel de la Vega. Think of a cross between ‘torture porn’ and a creature feature, but with its biggest inspiration being the classic Don’t Look Now (1973), and you might get a vague idea of what this feature is like, but I recommend seeing it for yourselves to full comprehend its originality.

 

Ex (2021)

 

Entrapped in a virtual world where sharing everything is more important than living anything in real life, this is about a group of teenagers that get in supernatural trouble once a ‘memory’ picture is shared on social media.

 

By combining elements from modern ghost story films and hip subjects such as the dangers of social media, this is doomed to be dated not long from now, but if seen today – like we did at Horrorant – it is quite an enjoyable experience and quite scary at times. Directed by Evgeniy Puzyrevskiy, this is a Russian production, probably the last one that managed to get internationally screened before the widespread cancel.

 

Christos Mouroukis presents Troma's award

#Shakespeare’s Shitstorm (2020)

 

And speaking of Russia, Troma let us know via one of its several introductory videos that it stands with Ukraine (yes, our beloved Toxic Avenger can stop tanks!). Other videos included Lloyd Kaufman’s greeting to Horrorant (needless to say, we are proud for this), as well as the Troma’s now-classic short Radiation March.

 

The movie itself as you might have guessed is another take on the works of Shakespeare – this time it is The Tempest, but Troma had also notably adapted Romeo and Juliet to Tromeo & Juliet – albeit one with a New Jersey spin on it. What’s this spin? The corrupted ‘Big Pharma’ industry is putting lives in danger, essentially allowing dope to destroy our kids in exchange for big profit. What’s more, a family beef and a new drug called The Tempest that just hit the streets generate a shitstorm! It is up to the social justice warriors and soft activists to save the day.

 

#Shakespeare's Shitstorm

With Lloyd Kaufman at the helm, as well as in several roles, this will have the New York legend going out with a bang if he decides for it to be his swan song. It is an absolute chaos, of seemingly endless scenes of people partying with drugs, vomit, blood, piss, semen, and excrement, but Troma as always is keen to offer well-masqueraded social commentary as well. This time the target is the ‘politically correct’ obsession, the capitalist threat, the Big Pharma, the media, the white house, the social justice warriors, and everyone that would stand on Toxie’s way and beyond! This is a masterpiece that is firing on all cylinders, and I consider it to be one of the most important works of art of recent years.

 

La Forma Del Bosque (2021)

 

This co-production between Argentina and Uruguay was directed by Gonzalo Mellid, is your typical ‘cabin in the woods’ story in which two siblings and their weird grandfather have to face a paranormal entity. Although no masterpiece by any stretch of the word, it is an enjoyable effort that at its mere 87 minutes of running time, it never outstays its welcome.

 

Offseason (2021)

 

Upon receiving a letter, a young woman (Jocelin Donahue) arrives at a small seaside town where she gets entrapped in a horrible nightmare. Directed by Mickey Keating, this Shudder Original may not be very original, but it is thrilling, tense, and most importantly scary. It is not the horror film that will change the history of the genre, but it is outstandingly eerie, coming highly recommended.

 

The Red Book Ritual (2022)

 

Another co-production between New Zealand and Argentina that opts for the anthology format, this time revolving around the titular game that is about to unleash an evil witch. Not a game changer, but a very welcome addition to the subgenre, this is enjoyable enough and at a mere 83 minutes long it never outstays its welcome.

 

Konstantinos Chatzipapas and Filip Jan Rymsza

Mosquito State (2020)

 

Wall Street wolf and computer engineer Richard Boca is working on a ‘model’ that keeps on resembling the operational methods of mosquitoes, essentially driving him deeper and deeper into madness, as well as the nightmares of body horror. Although too original to be pigeonholed to any genre, this resembles a distant cousin of an orphan David Cronenberg film, but its constant social commentary elevates it to something really outstanding. Directed by Filip Jan Rymsza, this is one of most unique U.S. films I’ve seen in many years.

 

Luz: The Flower of Evil (2019)

Luz: The Flower of Evil (2019)

 

Set in a Columbian mountain (where this Columbian production was shot on location), this tells the story of a local priest who introduces to his community a young boy as their savior, but it looks like he brings doom and despair with him. Directed by Juan Diego Escobar Alzate, this indie production has become a film festival sensation around the globe, thanks to its awkward stance on female sexuality and the overall peculiar shooting style. It is a masterpiece, it is original (the screenplay in particular is odd and genious), and it deserves to be seen by a wider audience.

 

Competition Panorama:

 

Several new independent features competed in this category, including Nikolina (2020), Dark Cloud (2022), Glasshouse (2021), and the ones reviewed bellow.

 

Emboscada (2020)

 

Bodies are lost and found, appear and disappear, under mysterious circumstances in this Mexican thriller from director Rene Herrera. Peculiar in terms of storytelling and awkward in terms of execution, this is difficult to get but it is an enjoyable journey. I only wish it had downplayed the gangster element and went for a more full-on horror approach, but it is still quite strong as it is.

 

Slumber Party Massacre (2021)

 

Trish Devereaux [Schelaine Bennett from Monster Hunter (2020)] the sole survivor of a serial killer’s 1993 rampage (as seen in the same-titled 1982 film and re-enacted masterfully here in a pre-credits sequence) lets her teenage daughter Dana [Hannah Gonera from Spell (2020)] in present day Los Angeles to go on a field trip with her girlfriends, but unbeknownst she goes to the exact same location to face the same serial killer [Rob Van Vuuren from Tremors: A Cold Day in Hell (2018)] who is alive and killing according to a famous true crime podcast. Will the lot kill him or be killed?

 

Director Danishka Esterhazy [I Was Lorena Bobbitt (2020)] perfectly captures the tone of the franchise (which it wasn’t that easy, considering that the original series ran from 1982 to 1990, and the second rendition from 2003 to 2011) and does so with plenty of affection for its spirit. Essentially a feminist slasher (like the original), it somehow goes a step further to objectify the male figure and create a free-for-all homoerotic fantasy. However, this being the fan service that it is (it pays its respects by including several ‘Easter eggs’ not only from the original film, but also its sequels), only super fans will ‘get it’ and the rest will be dumbfounded by the sheer stupidity of it all.

 

Muerto Con Gloria (2021)

 

The titular young woman is working in a bookstore and has no real personal life with sex being absolutely absent from her life. That is until one night she is visited by an invisible ghost with the most and has passionate intercourse with her.

 

Directed by Mauro Sarser and Marcela Matta, this is mainly a comedy with only the ghost aspects giving it some elements of horror, but light as it is – especially in comparison with the context of Horrorant – it is enjoyable, it works, and surprisingly never gets tiring even at almost 2 hours long. It was a nice break from the constant horror we were experiencing for eleven days.

 

Vivian Papageorgiou receives Hansel's award

Greek Shorts:

 

Horrorant always showcases Greek horror short films, and this year we had the pleasure of watching That Night (2020), Stay Safe (2020), Love (2022), Wicca Book (2020), as well as the ones reviewed bellow.

 

Hansel (2020)

 

Written and directed by Vivian Papageorgiou (her second short subject to be screened at Horrorant Film Festival) this is about a young boy facing a mysterious man that comes from the nearby forest. Seemingly inspired by the works of Tim Burton; this excellent dark fairytale benefits from stunning production design.

 

Michelle Coverley receives The Wick's award

International Shorts:

 

Horrorant always showcases international horror short films, and this year we had the pleasure of watching Noite Macabra (2020), T’Es Morte Helene (2020), La Penumbra (2021), Hopes (2019), Casa (2020), Nuisible(s) (2020), Guardian Angel (2019), Mama (2021), El Bosque Del Silencio (2019), Aamama (2020), Horrorscope (2019), Part Forever (2021), Stalker (2019), as well as the ones reviewed bellow.

 

Lili (2019)

 

The titular actress is auditioning for a role, until the man behind the camera becomes a creep and harasses her. But she just won’t take it. Directed by Yfke van Berckelaer, this excellent one-shot (we need more of these) is a perfect #metoo-inspired addition to the revenge horrors cannon.

 

Scriptum (2021)

 

Directed by Marco Leonato, this horror short comes from Spain and it is about an author who is suffering from a writer’s block much to his editor’s angst, until one day he finds the inspiration he was searching for, but it may prove deadly. Clocking at a massive 20 minutes long, this manages to never drag. It wears its Alfred Hitchcock inspiration proudly on its sleeve and it benefits from ace performances from the two female leads.

 

Tebori (2020)

 

Directed by Silvana Zancolo, this highly erotic Italian horror short is about a hip couple that gets entrapped in the dangers of social media when they get involved in a dodgy auction. Scary, sexy, and above all enjoyable, this was a joy to watch.

 

Sonrisas (2020)

 

Directed by Javier Chavanel, this horror short comes from Spain, and it is about a young man who upon accepting his girlfriend’s invitation to meet her family he gets introduced to some very strange people. Eerie and in the spirit of a Twilight Zone episode (if you could imagine one with gore), this is well-made and enjoyable.

 

El Juego (2019)

 

This stunning monster movie from Peru is effective, atmospheric, and scary. Directed by Rogger Vergara, there is not too much plot to speak of, but surprisingly for a short film the special effects are stunning (and mostly of the practical variety, as we like them) and the mood is eerie.

 

Koreatown Ghost Story (2021)

 

Although technically a U.S. production, this short – as revealed by its title – has a full-on Korean flavor and it is a Faust-like story about a woman that accepts a macabre deal in order to make her life’s dreams come true.

 

Salpicon (2021)

 

Hailing from Mexico, this 8 minutes short by director Marcos Munoz is about a zombie breakout from the perspective of a man trapped in a public bathroom and suffering from diarrhea.

 

No Podras Volver Nunca (2020)

 

Coming from the renowned horror-producing country that is Spain and directed by Monica Mateo, this is a very interesting short about an interracial couple that upon saying goodbye during a totally conventional day, something will put them in a horrifying reality. This is one of the most well-made and intense shorts I’ve had the pleasure of watching at this year’s fest, and it’s a shame that I can’t tell you more for fearing of getting into spoiler territory.

 

La Tueur Du Lac Maudit (2020)

 

This French short from directors Laurent Ardoint and Stephane Duprat (the two of them also star in it) is a fun meta-take parody of the slasher tropes and the film festival circuit.

 

The Wick (2020)

 

Set in 19^th Century England this British short film tells the eerie story of a witch trial. It is always hard to make a period piece in itself, let alone in the short film form, but this one does this really well. Based on a real story and inspired by the many similar cases through the ages, it provides us with stark realism, resulting in eeriness. It is an important work that I would love to see in feature length form.

 

No Apto Para Menores (2020)

 

This sweet and humorous short from Spain was directed by Daniel Noblom and it tells a story from two perspectives.

 

Closing Ceremony feature:

 

Meander (2020) poster

Meander (2020)

 

Following a hitchhike with a mysterious man (Peter Franzen), Lisa (Gaia Weiss) wakes up in a block of miniscule tunnels full of deadly booby-traps. Will she manage to get out in one piece, or alive at all?

 

Writer/director Mathieu Turi [Hostile (2017)] employs the setting of Cube (1997) and the ethics of Saw (2004), albeit in sci-fi manner, and I only wish he had a larger budget to pull it off, as the potentional was there and begging for it. It premiered at the online version of the Sitges Film Festival.

 

The Awards:

 

K. Chatzipapas at the opening ceremony

Best Feature (International Competition): Mosquito State (Filip Jan Ryszma)
Best Feature (Panorama): Las Noches son de los Monstruos (Sebastian Perillo)
Best Director: Filip Jan Ryszma (Mosquito State)
Best Screenplay: Piros Zankay, Gabor Hellebrandt & Peter Bergendy (Post Mortem)
Best Actor: Carlos Urrutia (Urubú)
Best Actress: Mariana Anghileri (Al Tercer Día)
Best Cinematography: Nicolas Caballero Arenas (Luz: The Flower of Evil)
Best Special Effects: The Sadness
Special Mention Lifetime Achievement Award: Lloyd Kaufman and Troma Entertainment

Best International Short: The Wick
Best Greek Short: Hansel
Best Animated Short: Mirror

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Static Age #21: Out of this World (1962)

 

Out of this World (1962) R2 DVD box art

This Static Age’s spotlight goes to Out of this World (1962), the British sci-fi anthology series broadcasted on ITV. Hosted by Boris Karloff, it ran for 14 episodes (including the pilot), but as was the case with may shows from the era, the tapes were erased and all episodes are considered lost, aside from the sole surviving ‘Little Lost Robot’. That episode, based on Isaac Asimov’s story is about a loyal robot that takes a command literally (“get lost” it is told) and becomes confused. Directed by Douglas James, this is as naïve as television sci-fi was in the 1960s, but it made me wonder what the rest of the episodes would look like. Other episodes were based on the works of Philip K. Dick and Clifford D. Simak, so we can only wish that one day they will get unearthed (although I’m not holding my breath). This was a spin-off from the legendary Armchair Theatre (1956 – 1974) series, which we will tackle at some point in the future via this column.

 

And now, let’s switch our focus towards some recent series…

 

Lethal Weapon - Season 2

Further adventures of buddy cops Martin Riggs (Clayne Crawford) and Roger Murtlaugh (Damon Wayans) are available on the 2^nd season of Lethal Weapon (2016 – 2019), which is once again fun and exciting (most of the stunts and explosions are of cinematic quality), but also very problematic for this day and age when it so blatantly glorifies the cop and the heterosexual family (and its dubious values).

 

American Gods - Season 2

The 2^nd season of American Gods (2017 – 2021), based on Neil Gaiman’s same-titled hit novel (and executive produced by the author) takes us again deep into rural America where we will witness the doings of several fallen and decadent gods. It’s obvious though that America’s greatest god is money. Benefiting from a great cast that includes Crispin Glover (although everybody speaks as if they’re in Twin Peaks, and that without David Lynch behind the camera) and Emily Browning (a very strong actress and an absolute doll), this is masterfully directed and comes with operatic violence that will haunt you for a long time. Plus, the gods are having explicit sex with each other and humans alike, but would you expect any less from divine lust?

 

American Crime Story - Season 2

The 2^nd season of American Crime Story (2016 – present) is about the murder of fashion design extraordinaire Gianni Versace (Edgar Ramirez) by his boyfriend and all-around compulsive liar turned serial killer Andrew Cunanan (Darren Criss). Based on the book ‘Vulgar Favors’ by Maureen Orth and adapted for the television screen by Tom Rob Smith, this perfectly captures the world of the 1990s Los Angeles luxurious gay scene and beyond.

 

Following a couple of mediocre if fun seasons, the 3^rd season of Slasher (2016 – present) is gruesome and intelligent. Offering plenty of gore (as well as a bit of nudity) while focusing on the harsh reality of modern life with our meaningless addiction to social media (mostly the morbid side of the phenomenon) and equally meaningless desire for acceptance by a society that is corrupted in several ways. The series stalker The Druid is back to take out racists, wife abusers, and other scum (as well as some innocents along the way). Mean-spirited in its violence, but kind in its representation of queer culture, this show has matured really well.

 

Also, please allow me to speak a word or two about some recent documentaries…

 

Tales of the Uncanny (2020)

Produced by Severin Films, director David Gregory’s (who also produced, with Kier-La Janisse) Tales of the Uncanny (2020) documentary takes you on a chronological journey of anthology horror films, from their literary origins to the present day indie outings and everything in between, by combining talking heads clips from experts and filmmakers as well as film clips.

 

Produced by Severin Films, writer/director Kier-La Janisse’s (who also produced, with Winnie Cheung) documentary Woodlands Dark and Days Bewitched: A History of Folk Horror (2021) packs more information on its subject that a coffee-table book ever could, and with an epic running time of more than 3 hours, it covers everything you ever wanted to know about the old religion and its many depictions on celluloid and beyond. Aiming for an academic and historical approach, this is rarely fun, and it should be viewed as a serious scholarly document that needs to be studied carefully. It comes highly recommended.

 

Troma's VHS Massacre Too (2020)

Thomas Edward Seymour’s VHS Massacre Too (2020) released by Troma, is a sequel to the award-winning documentary, this time offering a little more nostalgia for videocassettes, but mostly switching its focus towards the reality of the current state of independent film by offering some historical background and several interesting ideas (by people such as Lloyd Kaufman and Debbie Rochon) on how the scene could manage to survive. At a neat 77 minutes long, it is a sweet treat and it comes recommended.

 

And finally, this time around I enriched my bookshelf with literary classics such as Robert Louis Stevenson’s Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and Other Tales (1886, 1884, 1885, 1882, 1888, 1883, 1894, 2006, 2008, Oxford University Press), Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray (1890, 1992, 2001, Wordsworth Editions), M.R. James’ Collected Ghost Stories (1904, 1911, 1919, 1992, 1997, Wordsworth Editions) Gaston Leroux’s The Phantom of the Opera (1909, Wordsworth Editions), George Orwell’s Coming Up for Air (1939, 2021, Αίολος), Vladimir Nabokov’s Lolita (1955, 1959, 2000, 2006, Penguin Books), Ira Levin’s Rosemary’s Baby (1967, 2010, 2012, Anubis), William Peter Blatty’s The Exorcist (1971, 2011, Anubis), J.G. Ballard’s Crash (1973, 2019, Κέδρος), Stephen King’s Different Seasons (1982, 2012, Hodder), Cujo (1981, 2011, 2021, Hodder), Clive Barker’s Books of Blood Volume 1 (1984, 1988, 1998, 2018, Οξύ), Books of Blood Volume 2 (1984, 1988, 1998, 2018, Οξύ), Books of Blood Volume 3 (1984, 1988, 1998, 2019, Οξύ), Books of Blood Volume 4 (1984, 1988, 1998, 2020, Οξύ), Books of Blood Volume 5 (1984, 1988, 1998, 2021, Οξύ), Books of Blood Volume 6 (1984, 1988, 1998, 2022, Οξύ), Salman Rushdie’s The Satanic Verses (1988, 1998, Vintage Books), Joe Hill’s NOS4A2 (2013, 2014, Bell Best Seller, Χάρλεκιν Ελλάς Εκδοτική ΑΒΕΕ), and Clive Barker’s The Scarlet Gospels (2015, Bell Best Seller, Χάρλεκιν Ελλάς Εκδοτική ΑΒΕΕ).

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A Binge too Far #23 - Celluloid Debauchery from your Good Friend Chucky

Promotional art from Child's Play (2019)

Cult of Chucky (2017)

Cult Of Chucky (2017)

 

Convicted to a mental institution for the crimes committed by Chucky in the previous film [Curse Of Chucky (2013)[, Nica Pierce (returning Fiona Dourif) has been made to believe that the titular serial killer turned toy never lived (or killed, for that matter). However, when her psychotherapist (read: psycho the rapist) Dr. Malcolm Foley (prominent TV actor Michael Therriault) introduced a Good Guy doll (the basis of Chucky’s reincarnation via voodoo for dummies, as if you didn’t know) to the group therapy sessions, soon Chucky makes his presence known, in bloody manner. In the meanwhile Andy Barclay (Alex Vincent) has grown up to become a gun fanatic (who can’t keep a relationship past the second date because they Google him and they find all sorts of weird shit that he did in the previous films) that keeps Chucky’s head in his apartment, confined, in order to keep himself happy by torturing it. It was inevitable that a cult would form, and this is not a spoiler on my part (it says so in the damn title), although it would be much more suspenseful if Universal had went with a less revealing title.

 

Writer/director Don Mancini did the impossible and managed – for once – to successfully turn a franchise from horror to comedy and back to horror again. He also managed to do another impossible and aside from keeping the storyline about a very confined set of characters, essentially creating a family of people, he also kept it within the family with most people in front of the camera and behind the camera as well. Speaking of the storyline, this is mostly set within a clinic, and it is very reminiscent of ‘hospital horrors’ including Halloween Ii (1981) and Halloween: The Curse Of Michael Myers (1996), and as such it also happens to be of the ‘slow burn’ variety (by all means, this is a very hypotonic film). The music goes for a Psycho (1960) mood, and so do the titles in the beginning, but this is where the similarities end. Other than that this is a very modern film, and it is keeping up with the Blumhouse horrors that are so popular nowadays and it delivers several well-staged jump-scares. If anything, producers Ogden Gavanski  and David Kirschner (who has been with the franchise since the beginning) has managed to once again keep the budget low and the concept high. While certainly not the ‘best’ franchise in horror history, we are all happy to have this monster doll terrorize us once in a while.

 

Child's Play (2019) poster

Child’s Play (2019)

 

Down on her luck, single mom Karen Barclay (Aubrey Plaza) is struggling through double shifts at the local big store in order to provide for her son Andy (Gabriel Bateman). One day she brings home a secondhand Buddi doll (This is actually a great reference, as the original film’s doll was based upon the My Buddy dolls that were popular amongst 1980s kids), the one that all the kids want, thanks to aggressive all-day advertising on television. Andy is hesitant at first, but he accepts the high-tech gift – and names it Chucky (Mark Hamill provides the voice); you see, the doll can connect with all your smart devices and do all sorts of things. However, this particular doll was programmed by an angry Vietnamese factory employer to be faulty on purpose, and the malfunction goes as far as generating murderous instincts, especially if anyone tries to hurt Chucky’s friends.

 

This reboot of the Child’s Play franchise (1988 – ongoing) leaves behind the possessed doll of the original series, and takes a more up to date approach that revolves around the dangers of technology. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 (1986) plays on a television screen, so it is also pretty easy to see where this is going aesthetically as well: the kills are imaginative and the end result is overall fun. On another note, the soundtrack by Bear McCreary is pretty epic, and maybe a bit too bombastic for a film of this scope (as in budgetary means; the film was made on a modest $10 million budget, and it went on to gross $43 million).

 

The project was announced on July 2018 by MGM and early on it was made known that the original series’ people (creators, stars, etc.) would not be involved. The shooting lasted from September to November 2018, followed by some pick-ups in December of that same year. The marketing department went bananas in April 2019 and released several posters in which Chucky was killing or otherwise menacing the toys from Toy Story 4 (2019). The film was made available to the public on June 2019.

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A Binge too Far #22: It duo (2017 – 2019)

Eerie image from It (2017)

 

It (2017) poster

It (2017)

 

Apparently Stephen King’s Greek edition of The Shining is out of print, but I happened to find a stash of copies on a kiosk near a metro station, and I bought one of it for a mere 5 euros (European money). As I have told you several times through this column, I rarely enjoy fiction, and it is my least favorite genre when it comes to books, so there is no point in letting you know whether I liked my new find or not. Coincidentally, a few days later I watched the Stephen King film under review.

 

There’s not much that can be said about this film that hasn’t already – the internet is literally stuffed with reviews and opinions about it by everybody and their mothers – so I will keep it short. It is of course about a group of kids (most of them nerds) that are being severely and roughly bullied at school (we are talking of bullying of the toughest kind, and knifings are included), and as if that is not enough, they also have to stand up against a mysterious and monstrous figure that goes by the name of Pennywise, and although it can seemingly take any form it likes, it mostly appears as an evil clown.

 

This is a great film and it can easily be included amongst the top-5 of the decade. Its movie magic is such that not only it can appeal to hardcore horror fans but casual ones as well. Hell, from every perspective (be it cinematography, or sound design) it is so well-made that it can appeal to everyone. Or maybe not, because it is also scary as shit! Definitely, if you needed to see one horror film in 2017 this should have been it (pun totally intended). I watched it with my wife, and we concluded that it should land at least an Academy Award or two. As it is apparent there is a Stephen King renaissance going on, and the timing couldn’t be better. Following the endless reports of kids being bullied at school, King’s novels that are always sensitive about this particular subject couldn’t be more appropriate for this era. The film is so empowering for the underdog that it will have you jump off your seat and take the side of the bullied kids. And this is important filmmaking.

 

It Chapter Two (2019) poster

It Chapter Two (2019)

 

27 years after the event of the first film and the first half of Stephen King’s same-titled book, the Losers Club is now grown up and separated with each member living his/her own life. That is until a series of events brings them together and it soon becomes apparent that Pennywise (returning Bill Skarsgard) is back and is after them.

 

The murderous clown as a spirit/ghost or overall supernatural entity that preys on your fear is simply put one of the best ideas in the annals of horror, and Andy Muschietti provides us with another winner adaptation that is already a classic and essentially a commentary on bullying and fighting back. By employing modern horror movie tropes (yes, jump scares and grotesque imagery) as well as more traditional cinematic tools (such as what I would call visual poetry), this is one of the best horror movies of the decade and it should be missed by nobody. Monster kids get extra motivation, because other than the main monster – the clown – you also get several other creepy manifestations of evil that include a spider-legged head and small-winged creatures.

 

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Movie Review: Wrestling Queen

Mr. Peabody, if you please, set the wayback machine to a celebratively spectral time in early '70's sports...when gritty, no-holds-barred wrestling, and the equally raw, 'bash & dash' world of roller derby were the respected, underground competition-reveling form of sports entertainment, for the moment...a time when, although a clearly choreographed, performance-driven form of sporting combat, still made quite an impression upon devotedly eager viewers...gasp-induced witnesses to wincingly excruciating blows, tosses & holds...the rampant spray of sweat, spit & blood...and the echoing of repeatedly wet, pounding sounds...slamming home, not unlike that of continuously stricken, well-tenderized meat...the humble, albeit no less grueling and compelling beginnings of a national pastime, which has since evolved into quite literally, an institution...

Oh, yes...as it probably was, with folks in many homes other than mine, when I was a kid, it was a time when me and my late Mom...bless her soul...vehemently (...and growlingly) commandeered the boob tube from my Dad's regularly scheduled western movie broadcast, each and every Saturday afternoon, for two or three hours, tuning into the higher-ranged UHF, for what was essentially and stereotypically monikered as the rousing gladiator sporting events for the middle-to-lower class. And as if mass gathering in front of the TV wasn't satisfying enough, there was always the odd weekend evening, city-bound roadtrip...a mere matter of clambering into the car, and jutting out to the Olympic Auditorium, in the heart of downtown Los Angeles, to first-hand gawk and cheer these battered, albeit celebrated 'warriors' in the ring (...or on the track, if the flavor of the moment, was roller derby). It is this very gnashing, almost embracingly regressive spirit, which one, oh-so privy to this time, cannot help but harken back to, when viewing the gritty and candid, 1973 wrestling documentary, and seldom-seen drive-in theater-flavored oddity, called "Wrestling Queen"...

"The Sword and The Sorcerer" debuts on Blu-ray and 4K!

Meet Talon, a daring mercenary who conquers castles and dungeons alike with his lethal three-bladed sword. But when Talon learns that he is the prince of a kingdom controlled by an evil sorcerer, he is thrust into the wildest fight of his life. Can Talon rescue the beautiful princess and slay the warlock? Filled with brutal battles, plucky maidens, savage monsters and more! 

Static Age #20: Ghost Stories for Christmas (1968 – 2010)

 

Ghost Stories for Christmas (1968 - 2010)

This Static Age’s spotlight goes to Ghost Stories for Christmas (1968 – 2010), the ‘Expanded Six-Disc Collection’ (Region 2, PAL) featuring ‘all 12 episodes of the classic A Ghost Story for Christmas series, the entire Classic Ghost Stories series (presented by Robert Powell), the M R James episodes of Spine Chillers (presented by Michael Bryant) and three of the Ghost Stories for Christmas with Christopher Lee installments from 2000. Also included is a 48-page booklet with essays and full credits.’ With total running time of ‘over 12 hours’ worth of content’ this is the perfect Christmas gift, so this is the perfect time of the year to take a look on it.

 

Disc One includes, the legendary chiller Whistle and I’ll Come to You (1968) which by combining art-house and experimental elements with truly eerie aesthetics it deserves its status as a horror classic; its remake Whistle and I’ll Come to You (2010), which is focusing mainly on modern horror atmosphere and as such it works, so much that I’d dare to say that it is somewhat better than the original; a short video of Jonathan Miller and Christopher Frayling discussing the 1968 original; a really long introduction by Ramsey Campbell; Neil Brand reading M R James’ original story; and Ramsey Campbell reading one of his stories that were inspired by M R James.

 

Disc Two includes, the classics The Stalls of Barchester (1971) and A Warning to the Curious (1972); filmed introductions by director Lawrence Gordon; and Ghost Stories for Christmas with Christopher Lee – ‘The Stalls of Barchester’ by M R James and ‘A Warning to the Curious by M R James (2000).

 

Disc Three includes, the classic Lost Hearts (1973), the eerie The Treasure of Abbot Thomas (1974), and grim The Ash Tree (1975), all with filmed introductions by Lawrence Gordon Clark.

 

Disc Four includes, the classics The Signalman (1976), Stigma (1977), and The Ice House (1978), as well as two filmed introductions by Lawrence Gordon Clark.

 

And now, let’s switch our focus towards some recent series…

 

Elves - Season 1

The 1^st season of Elves (2021 – present) is about the Christmas vacation of a Danish family (this Netflix original was made in Denmark), who comes across a cute creature which also happens to have a jailed but mean ancestor. By combining Steven Spielberg-like storytelling and relatable teenagers, this is overall well-done and engaging. At a mere six 24-minute-long episodes, this makes for a quick and fun view, and is binge-worthy.

 

The 1^st season of Russian Doll (2019 – present) is about 36-year-old hip New Yorker Nadia Vulvokov (Natasha Lyonne) who works as a software engineer and spends her free time partying and using exquisite drugs. After leaving a social gathering she gets killed in an accident, but comes back to relieve her last few moments again and again. This is one of the most original shows on Netflix so far, with intelligent dialogues, and an honest depiction of the upper class drug culture. At only eight 25-minutes-long episodes, this had me wishing for more, and it looks like we’re getting some really soon.

 

Doctor Who - Season 12

The 12^th season of Doctor Who (2005 – present), might be this run’s best one yet. ‘Revolution of the Daleks’ brings back our favorite enemies that we had missed so much in the previous season. ‘Spyfall: Part One’ and ‘Spyfall: Part Two’ nods at a franchise that I’m quite sure you are aware of, as it brings aliens against the MI6, who inevitably ask for The Doctor’s aid. ‘Orphan 55’ has alien monsters attacking a holiday resort. In ‘Nikola Tesla’s Night of Terror’, The Doctor (Jodie Whittaker) meets Nikola Tesla (Goran Visnjic) and Thomas Edison (Robert Glenister). ‘Fugitive of the Judoon’ is featuring the rhinoceros-like aliens. ‘Praxeus’ is one of the best and most complicated episodes of this season, featuring anything, from an eco-horror plot to a gay romance subplot. The action in ‘Can You Hear Me?’ begins emphatically enough in ancient Syria. ‘The Haunting of Villa Diotati’ is about the birth of the Frankenstein novel. ‘Ascension of the Cybermen’ is featuring a full-on attack by its titular villains. Season finale ‘The Timeless Children’, is a journey of epic proportions, revealing many things about the Doctor that did not know and never would have thought as being possible (the magic of sci-fi) and is featuring stunning CGI work.

 

I Know What You Did Last Summer - Season 1

The sole season of the Amazon Original I Know What You Did Last Summer (2021), is a remake of the same-titled slasher classic from the 1990s, and this one too is about a group of teenagers (albeit this time more queer and feminist, to catch up with the times) that get involved with an accidents which they cover up and are a year later stalked by an unknown assailant. Serious when it needs to be and fun for most of the time, this consists of 8 episodes that are worthy of a binge, although a lot of it contains drug use, smoking, nudity, sex, and whatnot to guarantee for a more adult viewership.

 

Also, please allow me to speak a word or two about some recent mainstream films…

 

Shang-Chi and the Legend of...

Marvel’s Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021), directed by Destin Daniel Cretton, may be very welcome for introducing the screen’s first Asian superhero in a U.S. blockbuster (played by Simu Liu) and include some of the most stunning stunts in recent years (both of the martial arts and the CGI variety, as well as combinations of thereof), but the end result is weak and tiresome at over 2 hours long.

 

Made on a massive $110 million budget, Marvel’s Venom: Let There Be Carnage (2021), manages to look cheaper than a SyFy production. Serial killer Cletus Kasady transforms into Carnage (Woody Harrelson) and goes after the man who put him to jail, namely Eddie Brock who needs to once again become Venom (Tom Hardy). Directed by Andy Serkis, this has the feel of a b-movie noir made by people who don’t really know how to approach this kind of cinema. Before 1991 we used to stare at the big screen in awe during all the stunts featuring motorcycles and helicopters etc., but now with these lame video CGI we stare in disbelief as they all look like video games.

 

The Matrix Resurrections (2021) promo art

Lana Wachowski’s The Matrix Resurrections (2021) is the belated sequel to the action film trilogy from 1999 – 2003 that changed cinema forever (for good or worse is debatable amongst critics and fans alike) and with more crucial top-notch technology at its disposal as well as a whopping $190 million budget, this works miracles not only on the spectacle department – something that was expected – but also on the storytelling one, as similarly to the original film, great mythos is created. I’d go as far as to say that this is the best in the series. Featuring returning stars Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Ann Moss, as well as newcomers Jessica Henwick and Christina Ricci.

 

Parasite (2019) poster

The Academy Award Winning Parasite (2019) directed by is a social drama about a poor family who bullshits its way into working for a rich family in order to live behind the misery of a basement apartment. Supposedly a commentary on capitalism and class injustice, this preachy anomaly is boring and at over 2 hours long it becomes a torturous experience, maybe even more painful than what the main characters have to go through during the film’s gory finale, which cannot salvage much.

 

In terms of monster movies, I really wanted to review Orion Pictures’ The Prodigy (2019), which is clearly about the possession of a young boy by something sinister, but as the film itself refers to the event as an ‘incarnation’ kind of thing, I couldn’t possibly built a strong case for inclusion on the reviews bellow. Saying anything more specific about the plot would spoil the fun. Genuinely creepy and absolutely captivating, this should not be missed by any fan of recent horrors.

 

Us (2019) stunning poster

Undoubtedly though, this year’s best film has to be Us (2019), which is about a vacationing Black family, that gets terrorized but what appears to be themselves. A modern masterpiece really, that is as atmospheric as it is visceral, and it is featuring one of the best soundtracks in recent years. Who’d knew that Blaxploitation horrors would make a comeback, disguised as art horror?

 

The aesthetics of many monsters involves Gothic sensibilities, and a modern master of such intentions is director Tim Burton, who may have somewhat lost his touch in the last few years, but his latest, Dumbo (2019) is a very pleasant surprise. Telling the adventures of the titular baby elephant who is separated from his mother and now has to perform his flying-with-his-ears-as-wings abilities in a circus in order to find her again, this is a very touching drama, the likes of which we would like to see more. The soundtrack by Danny Elfman is absolutely magnificent too.

 

Avengers: Endgame (2019) poster

Speaking of big budget stuff, I recently had the opportunity to watch Avengers: Endgame (2019), in which the titular superheroes indulge into some time manipulation business in order to un-fuck the world (a very common theme in today’s mainstream cinema that is all too inspired by the climate change and other such menacing happenings). After watching it I came to the conclusion that Disney cannot really satisfy my appetite for popular culture; it’s just that their films are not suitable for my delicate taste. In reality, the biggest change Marvel brought to cinema is the studio system. Seriously, I know that this is a Marvel film, and although I have seen all of them (despite remembering not much from any of them), I have no idea who these directing Russo guys are! They’re not John A. Russo, that’s for sure.

 

But now that the market is flooded with all kinds of superheroes (based on comic books or otherwise), filmmakers can do all sorts of unique things, such as comedy superhero films (you know at which Marvel property I am referring to) that are maybe not that original (considering you know of which 1980s Troma property I am referring to), it became possible to do a superhero horror movie and Brighburn (2019) is just that. However the James Gunn-produced original (it is not based in any previously franchised property, for a change) by being a cross between super-villain origin story and a possessed kid Blumhouse kind of standard, fails to succeed in winning either genre’s fans and it looks a bit mediocre at both, while it is never captivating.

 

Possum (2018) grim poster

There is a film I loved so much that I couldn’t bring myself to properly composing a review of it; it is much more difficult to write 1,000 words for something you liked, rather than 10,000 words on something you hated. Case in point the slow and atmospheric Possum (2018) which is about a puppeteer who returns to his home and now has to face stepfather and the numerous secrets of his family. Reminiscent of David Lynch’s best moments, this is mesmerizing and captivating, and one of the eeriest films to see the light of the day from Great Britain in the last decade. Highly recommended.

 

Finally, The Secret Life Of Pets 2 (2019) is about further adventures of several domesticated animals, and it is featuring hard-to-achieve animation, mainly because there are so many different species on display. Another winner from Illumination Entertainment, it may not be as fun as the original because that film was mostly about the pets’ behavioral goofs, while this one is mostly about the admittedly standard story.

 

The Endless (2017)

Inspired by the works of H.P. Lovecraft, The Endless (2017) has brothers Justin (Justin Benson, who also directed and wrote the screenplay) and Aaron (Aaron Moorhead, who also directed), going back where they had experienced a U.F.O. death cult as kids. Cosmic horror galore, but the end result is boring.

 

Blumhouse’s latest (and also promoted as the last) entry in the Purge franchise, entitled The Forever Purge (2021), directed by Everardo Gout, is following the story of a family of Mexican migrants and their struggle with racism and adjusting in the U.S., but the bigger picture is a group of right wing extremists who aim to “cleanse” the States by continuing the purge long after its official wrapping time. Many years since the first film, series creator James DeMonaco returns with a surprisingly original concept, making a winner entry, as well as killer commentary on the unofficial civil war the western civilization is understatedly going through right now.

 

Ghostbusters: Afterlife (2021)

In Ghostbusters: Afterlife (2021), a younger generation of science geeks discover the tools of the trade of the eponymous heroes of our childhoods, now old enough to be their grandparents and equally irrelevant and forgotten, but when multiple threats of the paranormal kind (in the form of ghosts, of course) make a spectacular appearance, the new generation works with the old one for the good cause of trapping the enemies. Directed by Jason Reitman (who also wrote the screenplay with Gil Kenan), this takes a while to get things going, but once it does the whole thing becomes super fun and absolutely respectful to the 1980s legacy.

 

Marvel’s Eternals (2021), directed by Chloe Zhao introduces us to the titular superheroes and their war against the evil deviants through space and time. Weak and far too long at over 2 and a half hours long, this is somewhat salvaged by its strong cast that includes Angelina Jolie and Salma Hayek.

 

John C. Donkin’s The Ice Age Adventures of Buck Wild (2022) are about the heroic attempts of the titular weasel (voiced by Simon Pegg) and his two possum friends (Aaron Harris and Vincent Tong) to take down the evil empire of the Lost World ruled by a genius dinosaur. Stunning animation and weak story are the order of the day in this modern Disney feature, which is nonetheless fun enough to not outstay its welcome.

 

The Many Saints of Newark

Alan Taylor’s gangster epic The Many Saints of Newark (2021) is about the story of mob man Dickie Moltisanti (an excellent Alessandro Nivola), as witnessed by a young Tony Soprano (played by Michael Gandolfini). This prequel to the renowned 1990s series, has all the tropes of a Scorsese masterpiece and while its focus is of course organized crime, the story also benefits from the cultural and historical backdrop of the time and place (New York). The cast is great and it also includes Jon Bernthal, Ray Liotta, and Vera Farmiga.

 

And finally, I would like to let you know that I enriched my bookshelf with the following additions…

 

I recently ran out of books and money to buy new ones, so I went for a raid on my wife’s bookshelf, from which I picked up and read Edmund Crispin’s The Moving Toyshop (1946), Hermann Hesse’s Demian: The Story of Emil Sinclair’s Youth, Neil Gaiman’s American Gods (the best novel I’ve read in ages; a real page turner), Coraline, and The Ocean at the End of the Lane, Madame M’s Creepy Little Bedtime Stories and Eerie Little Bedtime Stories, Agatha Christie’s The Sittaford Mystery, and Ransom Riggs’ Miss Peregrine’s Peculiar Children trilogy (Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, Hollow City, and Library of Souls) and their continuation (Tales of the Peculiar and A Map of Days: The Fourth Novel of Miss Peregrine’s Peculiar Children). I also borrowed Ian McEwan’s The Children Act (2014), from a friend.

 

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