Found – 2012 – Bloody and violent!

This is a fairly violent and bloody movie, but it’s not a horror movie in essence. That’s my opinion anyway and I’ll tell you why. There’s a serious message to be told here and it’s done by letting us watching youngsters watching horror moves. Very violent horror movies I might add.

The essence in my book is about exclusion though. We have this kid, Marty, that gets bullied in school that finally fights back and is made the bad guys for it. Ok, I don’t agree with violence but there is only so much you can take. The bottom line is that you shouldn’t have to apologize for standing up for your rights. Kids might be kids but that’s no excuse for picking on other kids. And besides, Marty wouldn’t get into the fight if it weren’t for his older brother, Steve. It was him who encouraged Marty to strike the other kid if being bullied.

The older brother is an interesting case too. I don’t know what his mental status is but he sure has issues. He seems to hate people and his mom and dad in particular. At times he seems to have a split personality and he likes to chop people’s heads off. He keeps them in a bag in his closet. Marty has found that bag of course and as he looks up to his brother he’s fascinated by it. He dreams about what it must be like to chop of another person’s head.

This brings us to the video violence part. Both Marty and Steve are into bloody and violent flicks. Steve is maybe ten years older and has a collection of violent horror flicks. He lets Marty borrow them from time to time. Marty is especially fascinated by one called Headless, which features a killer in a skull mask. He chops off women’s heads and then has sex with them. The heads that is! It’s totally macabre!

You can imagine the mess Marty’s in. His brother seems to be a psyched killer, he’s bullied at school and he’s starting to fight back towards them who hurt him. He’s starting to stand up for himself. The horror flicks certainly doesn’t help, even though he loves them. He’s all alone. He had one friend but after he leaves him too he has no one – except for a protective big brother!

The script is very complex and it’s hard to describe the film. I like the small and tiny development that drives the story. I think the actors are very good except for a few times when their lines aren’t very convincing. But considering the budget was $8000 I guess you can’t have it all.

I guess the bottom line is about bullied children but the mental status and/or illness of the older brother is in focus too. I like flicks that focus on both things and thus this is a great flick in my book. One of the best I’ve seen recently actually.

8/10

Wakey Wakey – 2012 – Don’t blink, you might miss something!

Director: Adrian Goodman

Art-house

First off, I think this is the first time I got a screener sent to me from Australia. Not that it really matters where the movie is from for still, its half way around the world and that is kind of cool. That’s a reminder to never ever say that the internet hasn’t got a worldwide impact – because it has! My friends over at filmbizzaro.com have a quote on the front of the cover which says that Wakey Wakey is one of the best films of the year. I’m intrigued!

It’s basically not a very easy film to follow. It’s a bit art-house and it’s certainly not a film for everyone to enjoy. It’s shot in beautiful black and white and the main characters are odd to say the least. At first I couldn’t figure out if they were sister or lovers (or both). One of them wears a helmet at all times, well almost all times. It gives a bizarre impression but also creates an interest. Why? Does this have something significant to do with the plot or is it just to make things strange? After a while it’s clear that there’s a logical explanation for it as the woman suffers from narcolepsy. It still looks very strange when she walks around with it on but it makes sense, really!

So, one of them suffers from narcolepsy, what about the other one? She is far more difficult to figure out. But it seems like she gets off on seeing her sister(?) passing out so that she can create photo shots out of the events. It’s a very odd fetish to be sure. The imagery is designed to make us more interested as the movie goes along. I for one feel an urge to figure out what the heck is going on. It’s not obvious I can tell you. The thing is that you need to pay attention to what’s happening at all times. If you blink you might miss something; some important part of the puzzle.

So we can establish that it’s a very odd movie shot in beautiful black and white. The women, the two main characters which are almost the only thing in front of the camera for the whole movie, are wearing heavy makeup and looks a bit Goth to me. I don’t know if this is a metaphor for something erotic but I guess it could be. The whole atmosphere of it is kind of arousing I think. But speaking of metaphors, these may very well be elements that aren’t really there. Some things that’s just present in the minds of the women or in one of their minds. I’m not even sure both of them exist. However, both Laura Wheelwright and Fabiana Weiner are excellent in their parts!

But that’s the fun part. I really like it when you can’t be absolutely sure on what you see; when the movie ends and you’re not certain what you saw. There are a lot of interpretation possibilities here and once the film is over you aren’t much closer to the answers than you were in the beginning.

8/10

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

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

Zombie Flick Review: Gangsters, Guns and Zombies - 2012

Gangsters, Guns and Zombies

Director: Matt Mitchell

2012

Comedy/Horror

Nothing could have gone wrong in the final robbery of Tony and his gang. Everything is thought of – except the apocalypse. No one thought that their escape route would be blocked by hungry zombies… They need an alternate plan and Tony DO has an alternate safe-house far away from the city. Getting there is another business of course.

At first I thought this might be a cool merge of genres but I soon realize that it’s nothing more than a disaster. There’s nothing entertaining about it at all. There’s not even a descent broad to look at… I’m exaggerating of course, there’s nothing ugly with the present chick but it’s still not enough to make this worth my while. I was hoping for something a little more serious, why do all zombie flicks these days have to be so ridiculous? It’s not funny and it’s not scary, so what it the point?

To be honest there are some scenes where the makeup effects guys have done a good job and the old lady’s – the grandmother’s – language is a bit funny. She cusses and swears in every other sentence and is not ashamed to admit that she’s a racist. It’s not enough though. It’s, like I said before, ridiculous and nothing more. I understand why this is available on BD as such a cheap price. It might be of interest to any diehard fan of British zombie comedy but not to anyone else. At least I would advise against it!

2/10

Horror flick review: Smiley - 2012

Smiley

Director: Michael J. Gallagher

2012

Horror

The urban legend says that a masked killer will appear behind the person you’re chatting with over the internet if you type “I did it for the Lulz” three times. Ashley is about to find out just how real the legend are when she witness one of the murders. She gets obsessed with Smiley, as the masked killer is called, and investigates what’s really going on. The more she discovers the more terrified she gets. Is it really true?

This is the movie you get if you mix Candyman with A Nightmare on Elm Street and then top the cocktail with some of Wes Cravens Scream. It’s not all bad but the part before the opening credits which I suppose is there to make us ask for more, is very weak and not very interesting at all. I feel that the acting is quite bad in this teaser but thankfully it gets better later on.

I expected a slasher of some sort and that’s partly what it is too. But since the urban legend revolves around an internet phenomenon the killer is only visible through the video chat. For the victims he kills he’s real enough though. The kills are quite boring but there is something about the movie that is actually quite scary. It’s something I can’t really put my finger on but as one of the main aspect of the movie also is mental illness or at least the human psyche it does a lot for me. I like it when you can’t really tell what in the imagination of the main character and what is actually real.

This is where A Nightmare on Elm Street comes into the picture. Obviously there’s no Freddy Krueger but Smiley seems to exist only in fantasy too, just like Freddy. But when the dreamer awakes there are still some evidence of the dream – like torn cloths and such things. It’s not as prominent as in A Nightmare on Elm Street of course but it gives a nice touch.

It’s quite entertaining but what really makes the trick is the involvement of the twists of Scream. This is not very prominent either but still makes the movie a success. The twists and turns that comes when the film is about to end might not come as a total surprise but is still not what you’re expecting. It’s a straight forward film with a twist or two towards the end but they do make a difference! Oh, and the Candyman part is obviously that you need to repeat “I did it for the lulz” a certain number of times. But I guess that isn’t uncommon for an urban legend anyway.

7/10

Short Flick Review: The Shower - 2012

The Shower

Director: Gianluca Minucci

2012

Short

What we see is in essence a woman taking a shower. She get is, put on the water; soap herself, wash of the soap and climbs out of the shower. This is made really sensual by beautiful music and it’s a very beautiful scene to watch. Although we get to see her breasts and some pubic hair I would not consider it a sleazy short of any kind. It’s extremely tasteful and kind of sexy and there are no strings attached. We might expect to see more of her body but at the same time we realize that this isn’t going to happen. Absolutely adorable! It’s about 8 minutes long and doesn’t contain more plot than I already have described. It’ll be hard to rate it so I won’t…

It can be viewed HERE!

Independant Flick Review: Kiiling Heat - 2012

Killing Heat

Director: Daniel Dahl

2012

Action

When JD gets fired from his job he goes to visit his old pals Gordon Goldman and John Walker in Thailand. They promise him a wonderful time filled with alcoholic beverages and as much pussy as he can possibly want. It’s starts out well enough, the booze is clearly no problem to get. The heat may have something to do with his erection problems though and he gets laughed at by some of the local prostitutes. The next day he picks up a couple of lady boys, not knowing what they are. As soon as he realizes each of them actually have a dick he escapes his room quickly. Why can’t he just get laid? The frustration gets on his nerves and when Gordon and John has to attend an important business meeting he goes out to get absolutely shit drunk! He eventually passes out and when he wakes up again he’s in the middle of the jungle with no memory of the night before. Where is he? Why is he there and how does he get back to the city?

This was sent to me by Kenny Wang who plays the character of JD. I believe that he’s also involved with the script and a whole lot other things in the movie. I got a warning early on that it was an extremely independent film and that I should treat it as such. My fears of that it being complete crap grew but I thought that I should give it a shot. It’s the very least I could do and who knows, it might be a real gem!

Well, the acting is really bad and the main characters English pronunciation is even worse than that. But apart from that it’s a real treat for underground film fans. I especially like the choice of music which emphasises every scene! The story is very interesting but I don’t know why. If there were any logic in this world it wouldn’t be since the plot is very shallow and the characters pretty flat. But something makes it worth my while to keep watching. It might be the political incorrectness that begins at almost the exact point where the film does. The Thai people is referred to as monkey throughout the film and the women seems only be good for one thing. I absolutely adore the sense of humour that this movie delivers. I most definitely  don’t agree with the domination the “weaker” that the movie proclaims but I realize that the films makers don’t either. It’s just a way to make a movie enjoyable an it fits well in the concept.

You could say that the movie has two parts. First JD and his friends party all day long and all night long for a few days. Everything seem to be a bliss (apart from JDs erection problems maybe). Then the second half of the film begins. This is where it gets really violent and where JD tried to get himself back to the city. He is hunted and he shots to kill his enemies. The only problem I have with that is the total lack of remorse. Not one time does he seems sorry for killing another human being, but then again, they’re just monkeys anyway…

In general I’m very poor a remembering quotations from other films but here I recognize a few borrowed ones. There might be more, and that is my full conviction, but there are at least Big Badaboom from The Fifth Element and Come to Thailand, let’s get together, have a few laughs paraphrased from Die Hard. Since it’s a movie filled with clichés I like these borrowed lines. It adds some humour to it! And as I said, I think that there’s more, I just can’t remember lines that good.

It’s too bad it’s a major spoiler to reveal what the who point of the movie is. It comes as a semi surprise at the very end but rest assure that there’s no holds barred when it comes to this flick. I can guarantee that you will be shocked when viewing what these Norwegian guys made out of a budget of $5000!

8/10

Review: Cell Count - 2012

Cell Count

Director: Todd E. Freeman

2012

Horror/Sci-Fi

If you get the decease you’re as good as dead. Russell’s wife Sarah’s got it and she has no chance of surviving what so ever… except for the chance Dr. Brandt offers Russell. He has the choice of seeing his wife suffocate by her own blood and vomit and to pay tens of thousands of dollars for the hospital costs or join in with his wife in a little experiment. Dr. Brandt is very convincing and promises that Sarah will be free of the decease within weeks. But Dr. Brandt fails to inform them of the side effects. Maybe the decease itself isn’t so bad after all, maybe the curse is worse?

I get the feeling that this is set somewhere in the near future but it could very well be told as a present time story as well. It’s not really important just as long as you don’t expect space traveling and serious futuristic technology. All in all it seems pretty realistic actually. Apart from a few details as the decease for instance. The cure is kind of out of this world as well but that’s not very important. What is important is the suspense and the experiment itself! What’s it all for and what results and conclusions are Dr. Brandt hoping to find?

The film doesn’t give you too much information, which is a good thing; just enough to keep it interesting. The pace might be a bit slow to begin with but after half the movie or so that’s no problem anymore. The suspense takes over and the questions that the movie has accumulated begins to really take over you mind!

We get some answers of course, otherwise it would not have been such a great movie I think, but there are still unanswered stuff at the end. That bothers me a bit since I feel like the missing bits and pieces are very important! They might very well turn the whole purpose of the film upside down depending on the truth. The entire timeline might get different if the answer is told in a different way. Maybe this is an intentional move but the director to make us think about it after the film has ended. After all, some of the most interesting films I’ve seen leaves something for the viewer to think about.

If we were to talk about the acting and makeup effects for a while I wouldn’t have much to say. I have absolutely nothing to complain about. I think all of the actors portray their rolls trustworthy. And the makeup effects are done the same way. It might not be pretty but it’s always realistic!

It is a love story about a man who gives everything up for the woman he loves. But it’s also a story about a sadistic doctor when seeks a cure for an incurable decease. Why he does this is one of the remaining questions. I don’t think its money, possible fame but not probable. I wish that the ending scenes would have given one more clue. But it’s still a great movie and it will be graded as one!

8/10

Review: Gut - 2012

Gut

Director: Elias

2012

Drama/Horror/Thriller

Something is missing in Tom's life. Every day he goes through the motions, becoming increasingly detached from those around him. His best friend Dan thinks he has the answer, a mysterious video he's got to see to believe. What Dan shows him leaves Tom unsettled, flooding his mind with disturbing images and desires, and binding the two friends together with its ugly secret. As he tries desperately to forget what he saw, Tom's mounting feelings of guilt and disillusionment quickly give way to paranoia and fear. One video soon follows another and another, blurring the line between reality and voyeuristic fascination, and threatening to dismantle everything around them. 

I did not write the above description of the film but I found it being so informative that there was really no need to rewrite something original for the sole purpose of this review. Maybe I would have included that the film that might solve Tom’s problems and fascinates Dan is some kind of snuff-porn where a woman gets cut open with a scalpel. There’s really no need to leave this information out as the movies title kind of gives that away anyway.

The whole atmosphere in this movie within the movie is sexual but there’s no actual footage of sex or sexual encounters. Nor is there any real evidence of sexual arousal by the viewers of it. There is insinuated fascination but not really arousal. This means that the film is not there just to shock us but also to frighten us, which it does over time. To begin with Dan tells Tom that he ordered it online somewhere but later confesses that someone just sent it to him after he wrote his postbox number in some forum.

When Dan gets another DVD, and then another and another we realize that this is not sexual at all. At least not for the viewers. Tom and especially Dan can’t let go of it and feel themselves forced to watch. The fascination gets more prominent but we realize more and more that something about this is totally wrong. (when someone sends us DVDs of women being cut open we should feel kind of awkward don’t you think?).

What good about it is that there is a presence of the question what is real and what is not? Soon the DVDs start showing women that they know being cut open. Here stops the fascination and terror begins. Why are they receiving these DVDs? Who is sending them, and why? Are they even real?

The friendship of Tom and Dan are soon in jeopardy. They cannot support each other more than to a certain point. They just want the whole thing to end. In the end it’s all about mental instability and the need to protect ourselves. Looking out for number one and your own family is the prime directive. Your friends are really secondary!

I was surprised how well acted this was. Neither of them will get an Oscar nomination for their work but they portray the characters very satisfactory. The same thing goes for the directing and the visual effects are very good also! It was an exciting experience watching this and I feel that the suspense was there almost all along, which is truly uncommon for a low budget movie like this.

7/10

Photos by Will Serber, © Gut Productions, LLC