Merry Christmas to you all!!

Creature 2013 – 2013 – No, I’m not sure I get it..

Director: Ronny Carlsson

Short/Art House

I can’t remember when I started to get absorbed by the films of Ronny Carlsson. He has made some brilliant movies and I was so taken by one of them that I decided to co-fund its release. Somehow I managed to mention that in every review I’ve made about his movies since then. I guess I’m proud of my contribution to film history! But it also means that I compare everything he does to that one movie which isn’t necessarily a good thing. Its my problem of course, not Ronnys and it shouldn’t really affect what I’m thinking about his creations but I can’t help myself. I want to experience the same magic all over again one more time in my life!

I really like the style of this one; it was filmed using a cell phone just as the previous Goodbye Little Betty. It makes it look gritty and cheap which suit the film very well. There’s a major difference between the two though, this one has sound and even dialog. I can’t say that I’m used to that in a Ronny Carlsson film. Its not much dialog mind you but there are a few sentences here and there. I’m glad to say that these are in Swedish and even what sound like natural dialect to me. I hate when there’s none natural dialog in movies!

But… I’m not sure I got the story… I mean, I get that the female lead is experiencing something overwhelming but I can’t exactly say what. But that’s also the beauty of it. Why do you have to know every thin in detail to appreciate a movie? Why can’t the metaphors simply speak for themselves? We really don’t have to see everything the characters are experiencing! I’ve said it before and I’m saying it again (and again). Less is more every day of the week!

That doesn’t apply to the editing of this film though. The editing is also done by the Writer-Director Ronny Carlsson and emphasizes the bad feelings we feel when watching the woman descent into darkness. He did a marvelous job here. I imagined this took quite some time to get right! And there’s the usual Midas touch of suiting music to the imagery that Ronny Carlsson always seems to get just right!

7/10

                                                                                                                                                               

The Cohasset Snuff Film – 2012 – Is this the real deal or not?

Director: Edward Payson

Thriller

The story is basically about a seventeen year old kid named Colin Mason. He gets a film camera to use on his schools years book project but he uses it in quite another way. He films himself gruesomely murdering three of his class mates – and publish the films on the internet!

The filmmakers claim this not only to be based on true events – and it looks pretty authentic to be honest, but also to be so called “found footage”! I have a hard time grasping that it could be such a film, which should mean that real murders are included. There’s a thin line between entertainment and a documentary but that would place this movie itself very close to true and genuine snuff! I don’t believe it!

I wasn’t sure if it was based on true events though. I did some fast research on the subject since I didn’t want to rule it out. There are a lot of sick and twisted people out there, why shouldn’t anyone commit murder and film them for their own amusement or to make money from it? I think that one of the questions the film tries to ask its audience! It’s pretty obvious that there’s also a comment in there for those of you (or those of us) that seek out the most gruesome stuff on the internet just to watch it. Remember those Russian guys that killed someone with a screwdriver a few years back and filmed the whole thing? That found its way on to the internet. The film asks you – why do you watch such things? Why do you seek it out? Does that make us monsters?

The film itself isn’t that graphic. I like that it’s kept on a realistic level. Had they gone over-the-top with buckets of blood the whole point would be lost. As it is now the film still is chocking! It makes you think about what going on in the world, starting with the viewers own perspective.

It isn’t your typical run of the mill horror flick. This has something more to offer. I personally like when the flicks try to get under your skin without doing it too much. I don’t know how many times I’ve claimed it but less is more any day of the week when it comes to serious, frightening, realistic movies! So if you think you’re going to see a flick filled with special effects and gruesome murders think again. This might not be for you. But on the other hand, if you’re after something that might challenge your mind, this might just be the right movie for you!

7/10

Naprata – 2013 – A Serbian found footage film

Director: Mladen Milosavljevic

Horror

The film starts out with a documentary team seeking a man knows from an online clip. The clip shows him beating his mother and as their goal is to capture violence against women, it’s very interesting for them. Soon, however, they discover something much more sinister. There’s a local legend of an ancient demon and they ‘even soon finds out how to summon it. This story seems to be far more interesting as they starts to follow it. But as the old saying goes – It’s better to believe than to be convinced!

If I hadn’t got this film sent to me I never would have heard about it. It’s not like I investigate by turning every stone to find all Serbian Films I can. I’m sure there are lots and lots of them out there that’ll never see the light of day. They’re still interesting for a small amount of people but they’ll never get as well known as Sprski Film or Life and Death of a Porno Gang. This doesn’t mean they’re less interesting but if you don’t seek after them you’ll never find them. The majority of easy to get film comes from the USA, that’s a fact.

But I’m glad I got this! It’s an interesting film in many aspects. First of all I think they’d done very well with the found footage thing, or a mockumentary as it really is. It seems legit even though it’s obviously not! Its fiction and nothing else, the interviewed people seem to be very, secret at first, then concerned about the legend and even more so about the teams desire to capture Naprata on camera! There are very specific rules to follow if a summoning is to be made safe. Can the team follow the instructions to the letter or not?

The version of the film that I saw was with the dialog in original Serbian and subtitled in English. Neither is my first language and I was confused a few times by the subtitling grammar. It’s not a big deal but as I don’t know a word of Serbian I’ll have to depend on the subtitles to tell me what I need to know. There were a couple of questions there on however the translation was correct. But on the other hand, I already forgot what it was, so I guess it wasn’t a biggie.

I think there’s too many found footage movies being made nowadays. It seems to be in fashion and I think that very few of them really go all the way making them believable. This one pass the test and it also has an interesting storyline and some suspense as well. There’s no need to tell a supernatural story of this kind if you can’t deliver suspense. But I think they did a fine job of that here. Believable mockumentary, good acting, and suspense. This one is a winner!

7/10

In Bocca Al Lupo – 2004 – In the Mouth of the Wolf

Director: Christos Mouroukis

Short/Horror

According to IMdB, this short horror flick was co-produced in Greece and Spain. The dialog, even if there’s not much of it, is in Spanish. I don’t mind. The most important thing about a movie isn’t which language it’s in but since I like to understand what’s going on I needed the English subtitles, thanks!

The title translated into something like In the Mouth of the Wolf, which is an expression very similar to the way of wishing for good luck by the phrase – break a leg. Having got that clear to me I understand the context of the flick much better. It makes total sense that the title wishes the lead female good luck, with an ironical tone, as she’s really beyond all hope. She’s lying on the floor, bloody, and there’s this guy ready to beat her up some more. At the same time we see her smoking a cigarette and talking about what’s happening to her. I interpret that as her visualized thoughts really. It’s done in a very clever way!

It’s a very intense little thing even if it's just a few minutes long. As usual these short movies are more or less one scene, a small fragment of something that could’ve been a story on a much larger scale. I wish this was a longer movie actually! I think that the director, who also plays the part on the killer by the way, could keep it interesting for an hour and a half. This short story has such a promise!

As always when it comes to these short flicks, it’s hard to fit them into a grading system. It’s not really fair to compare them with longer more complex movies. But you have to take them for what they are and compare them with their own peers so to speak. This is a quite suspenseful and thrilling little piece that I’m glad I was able to see!

8/10

The Devil Knows His Own – 2013 – Something I had not expected!

Gravestone Entertainment

Director: Jason Hawkins

2013

Horror

I had not expected this flick to be so well acted and to be filled with such genuine scares. It may not be true for every single shot and the actor won’t get any academy awards for their work but it’s been a long time since I’ve seen something this scary coming out from a low budget film. There are plenty of films that try to be scary and use gallons of blood to achieve the effect, this one doesn’t! To tell you the truth it’s kind of a relief that the main thing this flick is built on is suspense. I’ve always loved suspense and all the best horror movies in history is based on suspense, not gore! I’m so glad this is old school in that sense!

The story revolves about these couple of siblings that inherits a house from their grandmother. They don’t have a lot of happy memories from her to say the least. In fact, all they have is memories of her molesting and abusing them, both physical and psychologically. She had them carry masks of their faces and even constantly told them that they were unwanted since their mother disappeared. All these memories comes back when they visits the old house once more for the funeral arrangements. They are both grown up now but still so very fragile and on the verge of a mental breakdown.

Some of the elements could be interpreted as exploitation, such as the sister being a lesbian and married to another woman. But it’s not like that at all, it just seems totally natural. It may have something to with the grandmother’s abuse of course as we learn that the sister has been “sewn up” during childhood. Is this a statement in the debate of genital mutilation? Could be, but it doesn’t matter if this is the intent or not. What do YOU think? There are no really sexual scenes to be found, almost no topless shooting and that kind of stuff. This movie doesn’t get caught in that trap!

The brother on the other hand have had drug related problems and guess what, he’s hooked up with a junkie. She’s on a cleaning up program with medication and stuff but still a problem child just like him. I think this could be an example right out of reality! And you could use this as a way to build the movie too. Visions caused by abstinence. But it doesn’t go their either, just for a short visit. It’s a bit cleverer than that and more like the classic suspense horror movies. Lots of inspiration may have come from The Amityville Horror since there’s a haunted house in the center of the story, I don’t know. Certain are that the stories have similarities.

There are excellent choices of music throughout the movie. Almost at all occasions it emphasizes on the suspense. A small minus is maybe that there also are segment where there should have been music. Silence is a great way of delivering suspense too but it’s hard to get it to work if the story isn’t absolutely top notch and by that I mean absolute masterpieces like Michael Hanekes Funny Games, the kind of stories that comes out in a movie maybe once or twice every year and no more. Extremely uncommon in other words!

The ending sequence is really something extraordinaire! Everything that the film has built up to that point gets released and we, the audience, stand amazed! After that the imagery is so arranged that we get something to think about too. A film that manages to do this properly is unusual, but this one nails it. I have no idea what to make of the final scene. It makes me wonder…

8/10

Sinister Visions – 2013 – A perfectly named anthology!

This is a five part movie. Each segment has a very sinister theme. Some are supernatural, some demented and some plain sadistic! So there are a variety of stories told here. I find it hard to connect them to each other but I’m not sure there is a general idea anyway. There doesn’t need to be as long as each part does its job. Five very different stories directed by three directors, Kim Sønderholm, Henric Brandt and Doug Gehl. It’s filmed on location in Sweden, Denmark and in the USA.

I feel that all the actors are a bit weak throughout the picture regardless of segment and director. But that’s to be expected from a low budget project like this. What you need to look for is other production values. The effects are generally good and in the first episode – Succubus, they are very imaginative. There’s not so much blood but there are a creature no one has ever seen before. You will be amazed! It’s not totally serious and I don’t think none of the segments are. Especially not the next one called My Undead Girlfriend. It’s almost a little too ridiculous for my tastes but it still delivers what it’s supposed to do so I won’t complain about it.

Mother Knows Best seems to have borrowed some of its plot from another famous movie. I can’t say which one without giving away some of the twist. Well, it’s fairly obvious anyway. The main character is obviously demented and the movie I’m thinking about is Psycho! There you have it! Now you have to figure the rest out for yourself. I wasn’t too impressed with this storyline since I found it a bit too easy to figure out. I would have liked it to be more sinister so to speak, a bit more wicked!

Almost without noticing the anthology then skips over to the next part, again with a demented theme. A bit different but still demented! This woman refuses to realize what is and what isn’t in A Woman Scorned. This is probably the most demented tale but actually my least favorite in the anthology. I don’t know why, it’s probably because it’s a bit low paced and that it comes right before the crescendo that the last story provide.

This is by far my favorite and the one with the least amount of humor attached to it! I like when you get a truly gruesome tale where the director hasn’t hidden anything under layers of humor. You could say that this is the part of the anthology or that they saved the best for last. Genital Genocide is about this sexual offender that’s about to get electrocuted. Sitting in the electric chair we get to see his crimes, he gets to see the audience disgust and we gets to see how badly they want to get their hands on him. He wants to trigger some commotion one last time and I think it’s safe to say that he succeeded!

5/10

Agent 88 – Deadly Alzheimer Assassins have never been more fun!

I got a chance to see an episode of this, as I understand it, web series last night. I laughed my ass off! Not only is it extremely well made, brilliantly acted and funny. It’s also high paced with no time to recover between hilarious takes. I short, I loved it!

You can get it here: Chill.com

Trailer: Sinister Visions - stay tuned for the review!

Horror anthology SINISTER VISIONS will be released on DVD on August 13 by Chemical Burn Entertainment and is available for pre-order at all major retailers right now. The official trailer has however just been released and it gives a pretty good taste of what is to come. Please view and enjoy.

SINISTER VISIONS consists of five grueling horror stories to make your bones freeze.

Are you ready for a terror attack combining both succubi, women possessed by demons, serial killers in electric chairs, aggressive zombies, avengeful crazy women, men with very deep emotional scars and ofcourse a fair amount of amputation and gore? Add a bunch of dark humor to the mix and you have SINISTER VISIONS!

SUCCUBUS is about a beautiful young blonde, Emma, studying to become an archeologist. On an excavation trip to Syria she finds something in the sand that is about to change her life completely. She hurries home hoping to be able to escape it, but she is about to get wiser.

MY UNDEAD GIRLFRIEND is a twisted story with a lot of morbid, dark humor, telling the story of the day Keith woke up next to his girlfriend who had out of the blue turned into a flesh eating undead and tonight he is about to meet her parents for the first time! This day is going to be a bit out of the ordinary!

MOTHER KNOWS BEST is the story about Carl, a somewhat shy man preparing for a date with his childhood sweetheart, Rebecca. Carl’s mother has quite a few objections about the date and she is not too shy to express them, though.

In A WOMAN SCORNED we meet Gail tied to a bed by Holly. Gail have had the nerve to start a relationship with Richard, who unfortunately is Holly’s former husband – and Gail does not approve at all!

Finally, GENITAL GENOCIDE presents us to serial killer Charles Albert Harris who, sitting on death row waiting for the switch to be turned on, takes us through his crimes while the audience of the court room listens. Harris wants a last reaction out of the audience that consists of many relatives of his audience – and a reaction he gets.

SINISTER VISIONS is a collaboration between filmmakers from USA, UK, Sweden and Denmark and features works from skilled writers such as Garry Charles, Stefan Bommelin, Henric Brandt, Rasmus Tirzitis, Cody Cather, Doug Gehl and Lars Egholm Fischmann while the directing has been in the capable hands of Henric Brandt, Doug Gehl and Kim Sønderholm.

Starring: Kim Sønderholm, David C. Hayes, Michael Harrelson, Debbie Overbey, Rob Douglas, Rick Dyer, Daren Palacio, Bart Overbey, Brian Weir, Liana Hubbard, Tori Montgomery, Pamela Ricardo, Peg Thon, Kat Herlo, Miriam Yeager, Nadia Bond, Lars Bjarke, Ralf Beck, Pontus Olgrim, Camilla Löjdström, Andreas Rylander, Stefan Jonasson, Babs Brinklund, Mehrnaz Bagheri Beiknejad, Mette Løvendahl, Toke Lars Bjarke, Nadine and many, many others.

Review: Brucesploitation flick - Bruce Lee fights back from the Grave - 1976

At least the cover art kicks ass!

Bruce Lee fights back from the Grave

Regi: Doo-Yong Lee

Action

1976

This is the worst kind o Brucesploitation there is. They haven’t even bothered to edit in scenes with Bruce Lee anywhere in the picture. What you get it is lightning hitting Bruce Lees Grave and that’s all…it’s over in like thirty seconds.

The rest of the film regards a Kung Fu instructor tracking down a few thugs which he believes has murdered his friend. He has to fight his way past each and every one of them and eventually finds the mastermind behind it all. It’s kind of a storyline you would expect from Bruce Lee so I guess they got that right. As a matter a fact I think it reminds me a bit of Way of the Dragon. Or perhaps I wanted it to remind me of something so bad I interpreted it that way.

The star of this flick is Bruce Lea, you can’t but be impressed by the innovative ways these guys try to make it seem like this is a lost flick with the genuine Bruce. This and a lot of other films that is. It’s not all terrible but I don’t think there’s a reason for anyone to watch this more than once. It’s rather pointless! I come to think of a quote from another movie – King of the Kickboxers, where the cop and hero of the movie have to watch some genuine death movies. He doesn’t realize that the actions in the movies are for real an comment them to be “like Bruce Lee movies – without Bruce!”. That’s kind of how I feel. The movie would probably have been bad with Bruce Lee in it, but now it doesn’t even have that! Avoid!

2/10

Short films of Jeremiah Kipp

I got a query if I was interesting in reviewing a few genre short films by Jeremiah Kipp. I didn’t think about long, I always thought that writing about flick you know nothing about is the most rewarding. If I could choose I’d write about stuff like this all day long. Short flicks or feature films that almost no one knows something about. I like writing about blockbusters and big budget films as much as the next guy too, but when people send their work to me it’s like Christmas time really. I just love getting stuff for consideration!

Contact

Contact – An about eleven minute long tale. As always, the short flicks are always the hardest to figure out. There’s no time to develop an in depth story with dozens of characters. But there’s not always a need to either. This particular story might revolve around one single event but it’s still pretty intense. I really like the imagery that Jeremiah Kipp delivers. There’s no need for much dialog and the few lines that are in there serve a purpose. I get the feeling that this is an exercise in suspense and it’s a successful attempt at that. At the end I can think of multiple solutions to what this film is really about. Pay attention and I think you will too.

Crestfallen – Short flicks also has the advantage that you can watch them a few times without wasting too much time. Imagine an epic film with a duration of  two and a half hours and that you see that three or four times in a row before you realize what’s it about and what to write about it. It’s an impossible task really! But with this six minute piece it’s different. If you don’t pay enough attention the first time you can easily make up for it right away. Not that the plot is very hard to figure out in the first place. I think it’s very well told using the imagery. There’s not much doubt about the storyline even if it’s not told entirely chronically. Maybe that’s just what appeals to me with this one, which I like very much. The sounds and the music emphasize the imagery very nicely! It’s quite an emotional tale which proves that you really can tell a heartwarming story in six minutes!

Drool – for me this is a very sensual… no sexual piece! It’s about four minutes long and kind of strange to watch. There are basically two bodies rolling around in some sort of gel. It may be a metaphor for something else but I interpret is more or less as a sexual act. I think what we see is the final stage of an intercourse with a mesmerizing orgasm ending. How much can be done I four minutes? Well, it’s not about what; it’s about how! It looks great but to be honest this one is a little too arty for me to enjoy at the fullest. A great play with the imagery though! There’s no dialog at all, and it’s not needed.

The Days God Slept

The Days God Slept – This one is hard to figure out. I mean there must be some morality to it right? Some bottom line, something the film is supposed to tell us. I’m not sure if I get it at all but that doesn’t mean that the ten minute long film isn’t good. I really like it! It shows the same degree of mastering the imagery. There are plenty more dialog in this than all the others short flicks put together. It seems to be a somewhat bigger production and there’s certainly a nice vibe to it. I just wish I could figure out what it’s really about. It obviously has something to do with religion and something else not usually connected to belief in God or a supreme being. There’s this stripper which claims that things are both precisely and not at all as they appear. I think this clue is very important and I based my solution of the movie around that, which, of course, doesn’t mean that I can put my thought into words.

Overall I really like the short films of Jeremiah Kipp! As I’ve said over and over again, the imagery is the strong side of these flicks, the thing that really stands out. There is acting way superior to the acting of most short – amateurish – flicks. This of course means that this is not amateurish at all! It seems to me that Jeremiah Kipp knows exactly what he wants and makes I happen! Very Nice!

Reunion Film seeking Production support through CrowdFunding site Indiegogo

Reunion is an independent thriller/horror film spearheaded by a diverse team of professional industry veterans.

It's a cold, stormy and thunderous night. Trapped in his own home, former rock stars Brad Norton and Grant Foley prepare for the return of their infamous band when a strange woman, Mia, shows up at their door looking for her son she calls "Alan." Unbeknownst to them, she is guided by a dark spirit and is convinced Brad kidnapped her long-lost son.

The filmmakers have assembled an experienced crew from Emmy-award winning TV shows, studios such as Lionsgate, and feature films such as "Pirates of the Caribbean," "Star Trek: Into Darkness," and "The Dark Knight." Starting with a rock solid screenplay written by Bert Havird and led by Producer Thelonius Alexander and Director Shawn Chou, the philosophy of the filmmakers was to look for undiscovered talent that wouldn’t break the bank. After laboring through months of casting, they recruited talented up-and-coming actors Sarah Schreiber, Cara Santana, Reign Morton, Arielle Brachfeld and Leif Gantvoort. The independent movie also features a young heartthrob Jack Turner in his debut as well as veteran actor-producer Maria Olsen, who plays Mia, who is best known for her role as Mrs Dodds/The Fury in Fox’s “Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief”.

“We rely on our team’s passion and dedication to bring our vision to life,” says Shawn. “The most important thing is to tell a story about a ghost who tries to reunite his lookalike twin with this mysterious murderer. It’s filled with twists and turns. Ultimately, we ask tough questions about why people repress their memories to cope with life.”

Jack adds, “It's an incredibly interesting relationship to investigate with all its myriad complexities, amnesia, abuse and sexual tensions, and Maria is wonderful to act with.”

The Trailer 

The film has plans for theatrical distribution and aims to break new boundaries in the thriller/horror genre. And why not? They have a great script, cast, crew, and an established formula in place. Join Team Reunion on their journey.

Reunion is raising $75,000.

Indiegogo Link: http://bit.ly/197Hr2W

Way Down In Chinatown Premiering at Hollywood Fringe Festival June 15th

WMM Fest and 2013 Hollywood Fringe Fest present: Post-Apocalyptic Noir Feature Way Down In Chinatown

THE BEST GODDAMN MOVIE SINCE ERIK VON STRONHEIM PRESENTED ‘GREED’ TO WARNER BROS. IN 1926

June 03, 2013 – Described by the director as the ”best damn thing out of old Hollywood town since VON STRONHEIM’S GREED”. The 2013 Hollywood Fringe Festival in conjunction with We Make Movies’ WMM FEST is proud to present a preview screening of feature film WAY DOWN IN CHINATOWN. Written and directed by EMK (alias for director Eric Michael Kochmer, a protégé of experimental filmmaker/artist George Landow aka Owen Land) - and co-produced by Maria Olsen of MOnsterworks66, who can also be seen playing Bob - WDiC chronicles over-sexed theater couple, playwright Victor and director Jessica Mitchum who while creating a performance piece about the apocalypse begin experiencing the world slowly falling apart. They are slowly seduced by an underworld created to preserve the few who will survive an on-coming apocalypse brought on by worm-people. The theatrical preview will book-end the Hollywood Fringe Festival with appropriately timed midnight screenings on June 15th, and 29th 2013.

WDiC stars Stephanie Sanditz (Strangers with Candy) and Justin Dray (Lake City) with sparkling cameos by Lisa Loring (original Wednesday Addams) and Nancy Wolfe (Helter Skelter). The film has already polarized critics with claims that audiences will either “…love or hate [it] but whatever your reaction, it’ll get the grey matter working harder than any movie you’ll see this year.”-Knifed In Venice. Some find it “avant garde at its finest”-Gemini Moon, while other critics find it “…a stream of nonsense …”-John Sandel.

Tickets on sale now at http://www.hollywoodfringe.org/projects/1216 More information at www.waydowninchinatown.com

We Make Movies (www.wemakemovies.org) is a Los Angeles based film collective of over 2000 filmmakers dedicated to making some really cool shit. WMM gears their energy toward empowering independent filmmakers and providing the resources and connections that will help them get their movies made. Since 2009, more than 40 shorts and 6 features were developed, produced or directly funded through WMM. The group alternates free weekly writers workshops, improv nights, and industry guest interviews in an effort to help filmmakers get feedback on their work, try new ideas, and learn what's working for others. #wemakemovies @wemakemoviez

Media Contacts:

Sapna Gandhi Nicol Razon HWFF PR

sapna@wemakemovies.org 

nicol@wemakemovies.org 

PR@hwff.com

The 2013 Viscera Film Festival Official Selections

Anniversary Dinner - USA

Directed by Jessi Gotta

Synopsis: A survivor of the zombie apocalypse is about to discover that 'Til Death Do Us Part' was just the beginning.

Dead Crossing - LOS ANGELES PREMIERE - Canada/Mexico

Directed by Gigi Saul Guerrero

Synopsis: A Mexican family attempting to cross the border with a group of immigrants encounter a vicious and terrifying secret involving the way the United States deals with illegal immigration.

Eternal Springs - WORLD PREMIERE - USA

Directed by Kate Rhamey, Allison Rohm

Synopsis: Erma, a deranged old woman who thinks she's eleven years old, captures young women to be her dolls.

Halloween Bash - WORLD PREMIERE - USA

Directed by Jenn Wexler

Synopsis: A mean girl bent on playing tricks receives a mysterious Halloween treat.

In the Dark - USA

Directed by Helen Truong

Synopsis: As the only survivor of a psychological experiment that killed her fellow participants, a woman must find the courage to face a terrifying truth -- one that will finally set her free or trap her forever.

My Brother’s Keeper - UK

Directed by Jen Moss

Synopsis: Holed up at the end of the world with her well-meaning but dim-witted brother Jo (Alex Esmail), Jess (April Pearson) isn’t sure what will destroy her will to live first: the zombies or Jo’s incessant optimism.

No Place Like Home - WORLD PREMIERE - Japan

Directed by Nicholas Humphries

Produced by Mai Nakanishi, Christine DeJoy

Synopsis: What happens when Dorothy's desperate wish to go home faces a most unexpected turn where she finds herself in zombie apocalyptic Kansas?

Orange County Hill Killers - USA

Directed by Katie Downer

Synopsis: Storytelling and reality are blurred when four teenagers enter the infamous Blackstar Canyon.

Outbreak - LOS ANGELES PREMIERE - USA

Directed by Maddison Lopez

Synopsis: A toxic plant explosion releases a fume that does strange things to nearby high school students. Everyone's trying to get out alive.

Phantom Limb - WORLD PREMIERE - USA

Directed by Lark O. Arrowood

Synopsis: Jeffery has always suspected that something was wrong with his body. We find him in the eye of the storm, on the verge of collapse. He is disheveled and beginning to suspect that he has made a grave error.

Self-Portrait - Canada

Directed by Jovanka Vuckovic

Synopsis: In the process of taking off her make-up, a young woman reveals her true face.

Slumber Party - USA

Directed by Jenn Wexler

Synopsis: A dark wish becomes a nightmarish reality when best friends play a game of Bloody Mary.

The Meeting - US Premiere - Canada

Directed by Karen Lam

Synopsis: In a weekly meet-up, four serial killers confess their sins and hope for redemption. But all hell breaks loose when a newcomer pops in, and threatens to join the group...

**This film was made by a member of the Viscera Staff.**

Other films that will be joining the 2013 Viscera Tour include:

Estigma - Spain

Directed by Sara Ibáñez Mayor

Synopsis: A girl commits murder in a bath, but the crime may not be over... still.

Fashion Victim - Canada

Directed by Caroline Trudel

Synopsis: A woman awakens in her party dress & heels. The sounds of distress she hears make it clear she needs to find a way out fast. Will her attire impede her ability to escape? Will she be fashion’s latest victim?

Racist Zombies - USA

Directed by Jennifer Treuting

Synopsis: The only thing worse than zombies is racist zombies. A comedy short by The Charlies.

Shelter - USA

Directed Eve Edelson

Synopsis: A battered woman finds an unusual way out of a very unusual relationship in a night of cosmic justice in an animal shelter.

WHY CAN'T I BE THERE??

Rape/Revenge flick review: MR RAPE'S FIRST DATE - 2013

Mr. Rape´s First Date

Director: Nik Box

2013

Horror/Short

Set in the future. The world has become a different place to live in. Censorship has taken such a leap forward that all entertainment is now forbidden. Crime rates have dropped and education has increased for 99 % of the population. However, the remaining 1 % lives like outcasts. One day Mr. Rape finds an old 14” monitor and immediately starts to hear voices from it, telling him what to do.

Before we get into the political aspects of this, speaking of the censorship going too far, I’d like to ask you a question. How do you keep your audience interested during a somewhat dull introduction to the future world? You can just state the facts and hope that the audience won’t become bored. The answer is of course by showing a woman’s tits and some pubic hair alternating from hip to hip. If you can alternate the grainy black and white imagery into negative colors once in a while to you make sure your audience is interested.

I figure there’s a political statement to be said here. Stay the fuck away from censoring everything; let the people decide for themselves what’s good or bad for them. Less government involvement and more individual thinking is the way it should be. Is the TV really to blame for all the things that has gone bad to the world? Nik Box seems to make a point of this! Maybe the education rates have gone up in the future where the flick is set but it seems to be a damn boring world. Maybe the boredom creates the violence rather than the old saying – violence creates violence. It’s an attractive idea nevertheless.

The film is made in grainy black and white and it has a silent movie feel to it. I don’t think it’s some kind of hommage to the old movies but it looks very good. I really like the voyeuristic feel to some of the scenes. At first when Mr. Rape sneaks around it’s obvious but even later we get the feeling that we – the audience, are the true voyeurs!

There is sex and there is violence in the flick, it’s even quite disturbing. But it’s never a pornographic film. Sure, we get to see some tits but that’s all. We get to figure the rest out for ourselves. I really like the music choice for the rape scenes. I realize that it’s not for everyone with loud punk rock music put it gets your attention and it certainly makes you wake up when something happens.

I think this is an interesting little piece, and I think there is something to be told. Some of the scenes are a complete mystery to me as far as metaphors goes, some are spot on. I have no idea if my interpretation of this is intended but I hope so, it brings some much more to the movie that just a straight forward shocking movie. Oh! And yes, there is a revenge involved!

6/10

You can get it here: http://www.deadgoodfilmslike.co.uk/

Sci-Fi (ish) Flick Review: Way Down in Chinatown - 2013

Way Down in Chinatown

Director: Eric Michael Kockmer

2013

Sci-Fi

To be honest with you I can’t really say what this flick is about. And I’ve seen it twice already! The main characters seem to be a play writer and his wife. At first they appear to be setting up a show but I don’t think they’ll ever get to it. The audition a bunch of people but that’s it! They get disturbed by something; I think it may be Armageddon actually. There are a lot of very odd characters but I don’t know what their purpose is or if they’re a metaphor for something. They seem to talk with each other as they were from another dimension or another world or something, I don’t know. They might as well be doomsday angels. Not that they look like angels though. Everything seems to spiral down into total decadence! I kind of reminds me of the feel in Dark City, strange characters running around with all the truths but hiding it from the masses!

The makeup is splendid! It looks just like it’s made as homage to the early German expressionism, i.e. Fritz Lang and Robert Weine. It’s not as stylish as Tim Burtons might have done it (nor as expensive) but the dark shadows under the eyes and so on are very entertaining for me! Then add the fact that it’s filmed in black and white and you realize of course that it’s a very artistic film after all. And as such the storyline might not be as important. I’m fully content with it being “weird”.

When I watched the opening credits there was one name that made me keeping attention. Most of the names are mere strangers to me but I know Lisa Loring! I mean, I don’t know her but I most certainly know who she is! I paid close attention to see if I could actually recognize little Wednesday Addams from the original Addams Family series. I mean, how old was she there? Five? I had to rewind the film and cheat a bit, luckily the credits roll in order of appearance, to recognize her but when I finally laid my eyes on her knowing it was her I could see some resemblance!

But once again, what is this movie about? Is it really about the end of the world? Could it be that this couple has marital problems? Are they dying? I really like the possibilities even if I can’t really figure them out!

So, we have the strangeness. We have fantastic makeup; together with the black and white that makes it a bit noir-ish. And we have… the acting! It may not be a realistic movie, far from it, but there’s a charisma among the actors that makes them interesting. Even the really small parts actually. For me it looks sort of like it was a theatre play and not a movie. I think this is quite deliberate as the main characters are in that business. I’m not totally overwhelmed by the editing but if the impression of a play, rather than film, is intended it’s very successful. Otherwise there’s too many fade outs for my liking. It has a bit too much scene for scene feeling to it and lacks the natural flow of a general movie.

6/10

Finnish Horror Flick Review: BEHIND THE CROSS - 2012

Behind the Cross

Director: Tomi Kerminen

2012

Horror/Art-House/Short

The plot or storyline are really too hard to put down in words so I won’t even try to capture it in a few sentences. Instead I’ll incorporate as much as I can in the text below. I don’t think there’s one straight storyline that’s told here though and I think the viewer brings lots of him- or herself into it. If you really want this to be about a straight forward serial killer I guess it could be. On the other hand you can probably interpret some childhood issues into it (as I did) and most definite there’s religious aspects here. That’s probably the hardest bit to comprehend for a straight forward viewer – religion and violence. For someone like me (and probably most of those who’ll read this, who have seen countless violent and controversial flicks, it’s not a big deal. I rather like when the two subjects are connected with each other like in an oxymoron. What’s really going on behind the cross?

These days there’s been so many shocking news about the Catholic Church, pedophilia and stuff that there’s really a need for something like this to come and question it all. I guess this film takes it a bit further than a mainstream film would do but I say it’s necessary! I don’t think it necessarily had to be so hard to understand but on the other hand, flicks that don’t give you an easy answer right away are almost always preferable over those who do!

The technical aspects here are very good! During the opening and closing sequences it’s almost like a music video being played. It does not hurt to be a fan of brutal metal either I guess. There aren’t so much of the in the movies though, which is more art-house and experimental. I love the concept! The only downside of it for me was the acting which doesn’t hold up to the high standards of the “behind the camera” stuff. I realize that it’s must be hard to write, direct, produce and act in the movie of course. You just can’t be as talented in all areas; sometimes it might be better to choose what your best at! But on the other hand, most of the small parts – girls in captivity and stuff like that, are really good and convincing!

I don’t know what to tell you more. I found it quite good as a whole and I’d gladly recommend it to anyone who can take the religion/violence combination. And as an extra teaser I’ll give one scene away (sort of). You have to be pretty desperate to jerk off during grabbing a mannequin’s breasts…

8/10