Review: My Monster - 2009

I was very impressed by Ronny Carlssons first film in this trilogy - Video Geisteskrank (well, there’s really two movies, not three) and my hope were sky high for this one. But I’m afraid it’s a little bit too odd for my tastes, it’s very well made as an art film and the visual stuff is amazing. There’s no holds barred there what so ever! If you have seen the cult film Begotten or I Never Left the White Room a film that I know to be one of Ronnys main influences you know what I’m talking about! There are strange colours or just something that looks plain odd. Unfortunately I feel this ruins the film a bit, there are too much form but on the other hand, it wouldn’t work at all without this visual excellence. The story is very shallow and the visuals are needed to give it a special boost so to speak.

It’s a very loose connection between this and Video Geisteskrank but this movie has some of that gruesomeness that made Video Geisteskrank so scary too! I don’t feel it in my marrow in the same manner but it’s there. I think it’s a bit more “difficult” to understand and that’s why it doesn’t appeal to me as much as it’s predecessor. However, it can be found on the anthology DVD Experimental Films Through the Lens of a Shitty Camcorder.

6/10

Review: Hanger - 2009

Hanger
Director: Ryan Nicholson
2009
Horror

Eighteen years ago a boy was born. He was thrown in a garbage container and left to die. His mother was a hooker and as she got pregnant she wasn’t to any use for her pimp anymore, no one was prepared to pay to bang her. The pimp solved the matter by aborting her unborn child with a hanger. Unfortunate for her she didn’t survive the procedure – and the child? Well, somehow he manages to survive and was taken care of by a homeless bum. Now, eighteen years later, the revenge is coming…

In Gutterballs, which I wrote about a little while ago, was not spare on showing genitals. At least not male ones and here it’s no less. Perhaps this is because it’s the same man – Ryan Nicholson who has directed this. I’d say it’s fairly probable that he likes having that kind of sleaze in his movies. This movie doesn’t contain as much male genitals though, but there are a couple of scenes with female ones. If they’re real or faked with latex I can’t really say, but it look really good. And in a couple of masturbation scenes there is no doubt!

"a future cult classic"

The theme is undeniable sexual, but it didn’t have to be. There are plenty of other films with revenge themes without having visible genitals and works fine anyway. But in the same time this represents something a little bit unusual and I think it make the whole thing a bit charming. The actors are pretty weak but there is something pleasing with the weird characters. I would call many of them retarded or mentally challenged and the dialog is pretty funny. The talk about pornography and categorizes it in different categories. They work at a garbage disposal place and collect whatever appeals to them; they all have different tastes in what arouses them.

There are also a couple of pretty explicit perversions in the movie, quite nasty to be frank, and this is not even a particular disgusting film. But a couple of scenes are a bit hard to see and that says a lot when it comes from an experienced critic with a soft spot for different flicks with challenging scenes.

I’m pretty pleased with the picture really. It’s not a masterpiece but the best I’ve seen from Ryan Nicholson so far. I will be interesting to se if he can do even more shocking films in the future. I think that he’s a movie maker I will have a good relationship to, or at least his movies. I hope for the best and I think that this will be a future cult classic!

Review: Newsmakers - 2009

Polisstyrka X7

Aka: Newsmakers, Goryachie Novosti

Director: Anders Banke

2009

Action/Thriller

A well planned robbery escalates to violent gunfight with the police, so was it so well planned? Perhaps it was coincidence that made thing go as they did? What follows is a cat-and-mouse game where the media covers everything and when the Russian police look like stupid cowards new measures is needed to emend their image. A new project takes its beginning, the military and the police will be the main characters in a new reality show. Cameras are put on all the Special Forces when they’re about to storm the house where the bad guys holds a family hostage. But how much of the material is manipulated? How much is made just to make the police looks better than they really are? Now it’s time to settle the score, not with guns but in the media…

If you look at this just as an action movie you’ll find that there’s a lot of action in the first few scenes. Then it becomes a hostage drama really. It's hard to say how many minutes of action there is in the opening scenes but it’s very well made. It's says a lot coming from me as I don’t like gunfights a lot. But here is realism and a presence in the production that makes it exciting and entertaining. In fact, there’s a really brutal intro the film!

But I don’t think you should see this as a strict action movie or thriller for that matter. There are multiple levels of plots and Meta stories here. I really like the idea with the reality show with the police as participants. It might not be new; it’s been around in some parts of the world for a very long Time (e.g. USA). But this is a bit different, not just because it takes place in Russia and is in Russian but it sure makes thing better. I can’t really tell when the film takes place but it has to be after glasnost and it visualizes a society going down the drain with criminal behavior that the police can’t handle.

Then we have the propaganda, which never left the Russian society, at least not if we are to believe our own westerns propaganda. In other words, you could see this as a political film from multiple views. You can also see this as a film that tells the story of how everything must be shown on TV, how much of the reality shows that are the truth and so on. The ratings rules of course. Much of this is axioms of course but it’s still fun to see the story told.

Obviously you can also choose to see the film two dimensionally, as a hostage drama where possibly the Stockholm syndrome is ventilated as a side issue. There might not be any crush on the kidnappers or so but perhaps some feelings of belonging with the kidnappers. The kidnappers also have a function as warning examples by the way. They repeatedly encourage the kids in the hostage to not to become like them. It’s kind of fun and definitively a yank on society.

I like this movie but I think it’s important to see the full range of it. If you just see it shallowly you will miss depth and interpretations. The only problem that I have with it is that it’s a bit hard to remember who’s who. The characters aren’t strong enough. But on the other hand, I haven’t seen Dai Si Gin which this movie is a remake of, if might be a trademark the filmmakers have tried to imitate?

Review: No Right Turn - 2009

No Right Turn

Director: David Noel Bourke

2009

Drama/Thriller

Monella (Sira Stamp) is a self-destructive young artist who meets Nina (Laura Bach) and her husband, Johnny (Tao Hildebrand) by accident. The fact is that she dismisses a rape attempt on Nina by a couple of thugs. She starts socializing more and more with Nina and Johnny and realizes that everything is not quite right between the couple. Johnny seems quite unaware of Nina’s life as a whore as she sleeps with everyone and everything as often as she can. According to her she likes to get fucked and if she paid for it, so much the better. Johnny on the other hand is a courier in the drug business and puts away money in a locker downtown.  Nina wants to get her hands on the money and involves Monella in plans to steal the key to the box which Johnny wears around his neck and maroon him after that. But who is manipulating who in this double triangle drama and who is who when it finally comes to having it their way?

When it comes to low budget movies, one can never be sure what to expect. That low budget movies not always have to be amateurish is, however, once and for all proven with this one.  Although some less talented filmmakers tend to use unusual angles for the camera shots it works just fin in this one. Choosing odd angles is a way to make the movie interesting even if it’s not budgeted enough to spend a lot of money on lighting and such things. At the same time, it is a dangerous balancing act, to do it in the wrong way will get an opposite effect, and would just look cheep.

                            

This one works right on the spot even if it’s balancing on the edge from time to time. Its looks interesting both when it comes to the angles and the lighting, even though it is not entirely conventional in this aspect. This also applies to the story itself, which obviously is the film-noir inspired. However, it has not fallen into the trap of using all the classic ingredients at once, and thus escaped from to make a film full of clichés. The music is perfectly chosen and is an example of how to reinforce the feeling or tone of the film in a seemingly simple way. There are different music styles in the more noir inspired parts than the rest of the movie.

The character gallery is completely unprecedented, and although the acting is not on top all the time, the film still manages to balance right the edge in this regard. I am impressed by the vivid imagination required to write the weird characters because I’ve written a few stories in my life, I know how much commitment it takes to do it properly. Writing a story is one thing and to spice it with interesting - and credible characters are something completely different.

By the way, I was very impressed by the stunning opening scene, which is very important. If the viewer gets as interested of the opening scenes as I was, there is a little more time to build characters before the lack of pace gets obvious. This might occur a few times during the 91 minute length of the movie but I still find it very well made and would surely recommend it to the noir fans!

Review: Warning!!! Pedophile Released - 2009

Warning!!! Pedophile Released

Director: Shane Ryan

2009

Drama

After six years imprisonment Malaci is released from prison. The accusation is sexual molestation of the twelve year old Echo, a crime that he denies. He claims that the only thing he ever wanted was to be near her like in any other relationship. She has waited for him during his time in prison and now they can finally reunite. This seems far more difficult than they ever could comprehend when there are suddenly notes all around with his face on, warning the neighbourhood about his release. He is a released Pedophile!

This is probably one of the hardest en toughest reviews I’ve ever written. Pedophilia is such a delicate subject to deal with and even the most subtle sentence may be misinterpreted as some sort of excuse for a disgusting behaviour. But keep in mind that this is just a movie and that it creates hypothetic situations where one needs to choose sides on a philosophical level if we’re going to get somewhere. The thing is to identify your own emotions and analyse the situations in a rational way.

                                                 

The point with the whole movie seems first and foremost be that it’s the sexual deviance that should be punished, not plain love. And even how immoral it may sound that’s exactly what this movie is all about, a love story! Two people want to be together, even if their difference in age, he eighteen and she twelve, makes it more or less impossible. What’s behind the accusations against him that eventually send him to jail aren’t exposed by the movie. If there’s any sexual molestation or not is something you have to figure out as a viewer yourself. But if the accusations are true I would say that the rest of the movie is about the Stockholm syndrome. How ever I doubt that this is the case even if she waits for his release so that they can be together again.

But in either case this is definitely a very provocative movie that really puts the viewer on a hard test. Is it possible to ignore you disgust for the situation itself and look for deeper meanings beyond the obvious plot? It might just be mutual love between the two? In either case the movie claims that the girl, who is twelve at the time of the accusation, loses herself in a spiral of decadence while she waits. She discovers the world in the mist brutal and ruthless way.

This is visually accomplished by rather bothersome cinematography that spins and turns more or less all the time. It’s a successful way to show her journey through life but quite disturbing to watch (which is probably the point anyway). And it’s just this voyeuristic feeling that almost the whole movie emphasises on. There’s not a whole lot of direct plot so you’ll just have to figure things out for yourself with this palette of emotions to help guide you though it.

Shane Ryan and Kai Lanette, which is also directed and/or wrote the movie plays the two biggest roles as Malachi and Echo really well! But since the film is divided into three segments and most of it is designed to visualise Echoes fate during different times she carries the biggest load along with the cinematography.

Review: The Life and Death of a Porno Gang - 2009

The Life and Death of a Porno Gang Director: Mladen Djordjevic

2009 Drama

                                                                                                               

Marko is a young filmmaker with great artistic ambitions. However, it’s not so easy to get into the film industry and his ideas are shattered by producers who see no profit in his artistic projects. He makes contact with an adult film director and after a few days, he is offered to work for him. Marko does not forget his artistic ambitions and makes a rather bizarre pornographic story. This is not appreciated by his employer. Marko gets a new idea - a political pornographic variety show in Belgrade! A brilliant idea but the police shuts down the place on the opening night. So, Marko and his gang go on the road, the countryside might be more interested in the pornographic show. It is not exactly a success but there are at least those who appreciate the show. Soon, he receives an offer. A German producer convinces him that the really big money isn’t in pornography, at least not common one. No, he should make snuff movies – where people die for real on camera.Reluctantly Marko convinces the rest of the gang to go into the snuff making industry, an industry he knows nothing about but now the question is if he ever can get out of it...

Not long ago, another Serbian movie - Srpski film , caused a fierce debate around the web. I would lie if I didn’t say that it divided people into two sections, or really three sections - those who loved it, those who hated it and the others who had an opinion whether it should be banned or boycotted by the market. The film was obviously provocative, it was debated whether the film benefited or not from this. This didn’t attract the same attention at all, although I find this far more provocative and socially critical than Srpski film.

This is more humorous that the anxiety in Sprski Film. At times it feels like a black comedy in all the misery and it’s not nearly as obvious this film has to be shocking. It doesn’t have obvious disgusting scenes, which of course makes this film a more serious reflection, where the viewer is forced to think to understand the social criticism.  I'm not saying this is not the case with Sprski film, but it is a movie that you probably will find provocative whether taken as a socio-political message or not!

"Far more provocative than Srpski Movie"

So this is a more difficult film to feel disgust when viewing. Despite the title, it does not contain much pornographic material. A few isolated clips of gay sex and that’s all there is, more or less. It’s noticeable, but made in such a way that it only seems natural that it’s there. The entire film has such a documentary feel to it and it simply feels like it should contain those clips and scenes. It doesn’t really feels like there are any actors in the movie at all, it feels as if the actors are themselves – real people – and that’s quite unusual I think!

If I were to grade this it would be very high and getting higher the closer to the end as it gets. The movie gets better and better for each minute until it reaches climax. The actual pornography story that opens the film is certainly entertaining but it is not until the more sober elements come into play that it gets really masterful. This is a politically provocative film at its best!

Review: Worm - 2009

Worm

Director: Richard Powell

2009

Comedy/Short

Geoffrey Oswald Dodd is a plain teacher and lives an ordinary life with content. He happily teaches his students and to grade their papers and there’s nothing special going on at all. At least that’s the outer image that people see, in reality the truth is somewhat different. He’s plagued with dark thought about (in his mind) the retarded students in the class and wants, beyond anything else, to bang the only bright thing in his class – Lillian, and to blow the head of the other student with his gun, and to finally blow his own brains out all over the blackboard.

I’ve written comedy above, but that doesn’t mean that this movie makes you quiver with laughter. It’s not slapstick humour in any way or something like that. No, it’s more like a very black film with subtle humour. The main characters situation with life it so twisted that it’s impossible not to be entertained by the absurdness of it. The dialog, or rather the monolog, that’s in the main characters head is amazingly well written and there is no way to not admire the inventiveness of it. Or really the paradox between the exterior of the calm teacher and the inner voice. A very entertaining contrast!

The acting might not be top notch, but it’s certainly good enough to deliver the story in a convincing way. That is even if it’s obvious that this is a movie with a very low budget and that everything that could have been visualized only takes place in the mind of the viewer. With that said it’s not hard to conclude that the movie, more or less, lacks special effects. Instead it makes good use of the twisted plot and illustrates sick states of mind with fitting music. And there is the monolog of course!

I’m undoubtedly looking forward to what Richard Powel can think up the next time! We have review his short Consumption here on the site in the past and with these two movies done there’s no limit for what can be done!