Missing last weeks Hangover due to technical difficulties, or better yet, nothing good on cable TV, was a shame, but this week is only slightly better to be completely honest. Thanks once again to SyFy for making this Sunday somewhat salvageable with a few decent (well, maybe decent is being kind) things to check out on the boob tube. Drinking is at an all time high with the stress of the holidays all up in our faces, so I feel it very important to provide some cinema de poop for you all to enjoy this Sunday afternoon.
SyFy brings da funk at 9:00 AM with Never Cry Werewolf (2008). Yeah, I know, 9:00 AM is a lot early for a Hangover movie and I usually never start earlier than 10:00, but them's the breaks kid. Anyways, this is clearly a Werewolf movie if you didn't notice and I personally love werewolf movies, especially when they star Kevin fucking Sorbo. You know, HERCULES, or, God amongst men. If the movie seems familiar from the trailer, then you would be correct in thinking so, because it's pretty much Fright Night minus the Vampires. That's okay; it looks like a fun pile of Werewolf pooh either way.
At 10:00 AM, a film called Johnny Gaddaar (2007) is on IFC. I just kinda stumbled upon this one and it sounded interesting and looks to be that way at least. Johnny Gaddaar is described as an Indian crime-thriller noir-film thingy, which sounds cool enough. The trailer is more than promising, though it looks a little like a Guy Ritchie film, but I like Guy Ritchie films, so there you go.
The Werewolves keep-a-comin' (gross) at 11:00 AM with Cursed (2005) on SyFy channel. This came up on a previous Hangover, so no need to get into it again, but in case it's your cup of tea, I thought I'd provide it.
Pulling into 1:00 PM, Wrong Turn 2: Dead End (2007) is on (thank baby jesus for) SyFy. I have actually never seen this installment outside of bits and pieces, but I loved the first film and have heard great things about this sequel, which also seems to garner a mention from most fans that Rollins is in it. With that said, this shall be my official pick of the week, for this weak week!
At 2:00 PM, plan on taking some time to Meet the Santas (2005) over at Hallmark. This is the long awaited sequel to the smash hit Single Santa Seeks Mrs. Claus and stars Police Academy 4: Citizens on Patrol's Steve Guttenberg and that "I don't know if she's hawt or not" chick from Wings. Looks tight, son.
Already running out of gas at 3:00 PM with Joy Ride 2: Dead Ahead (2008) on SyFy. I didn't even know that there was a sequel to Joy Ride, but I surprisingly enjoyed the first film quite a bit. I am not so sure about this one though...just the trucker's voice alone is enough to send me back to Hallmark for some more Fa la-la-la Lifetime, or wait, that's Lifetime...whatever.
That just about does it...I know there wasn't much, but at least there was enough shit on TV worth telling you about today. Hope you have a very special and merry Hangover this wonderful Sunday afternoon.
Yay! It's time for a brand spankin' new review! While I am balls deep in winter set films and Christmas themed horror over here at CNAMB, I am balls deep in Pink over at Paracinema...The Blog! When I say Pink, I of course mean Pink Eiga! So the balls deep reference is more than fitting. The review of choice for this week is for a film titled Blind Loveand comes to us from Daisuke Goto, a sort of well respected director in many ways, whether or not he makes many a soft-core porn film. Most notably would be a film I covered not too long ago called A Lonely Cow Weeps at Dawn.
Don't be turned off by the subject matter, or the nakedness of it all either - Goto is a wonderful filmmaker and one who deserves a little attention beyond looking at what type of films he does, instead, look at the actual films he makes. No doubt, these films are not for everyone, even as far as genre's go, but to use sleaze and sex in parallel with a tender and heartfelt story is strangely appealing. I'm not even a big fan of love stories or sleazy erotic cinema, for that matter, but mixed together makes for an interesting combination. Hope you all check out the review and to give you an idea of what Blind Love is all about, here is a NSFW trailer!
Now head over to Paracinema to read my review of Blind Love!
It has been a while since I posted a bunch of trailers, so here I am, posting a bunch of trailers that are of interest to me and hopefully to your foxy little ass. Great batch though, with a few promising ones, along with a few that are promising to be good. Never can trust a hoe, don't ya know...now on with it already!
First up is the trailer for the Indian film Porkkalam, which translates to Battlefield in English and is written and directed by first timer, Bandi Saroj Kumar. No real details as far as plot goes, which is a little wiggity-wack, but the writer/director promises that this will be revolutionary movie for the Indian film market with it's high-voltage action that strays away from fantasy and is grounded in reality. While the trailer is pretty dope, there is no action to be seen...it's all build up. Can this build up lead to a massive climax? It would be nice.
Next, we got a Russian horror film known as Phobos: Club of Fear! Really? That's your secondary title? "Phobos: Bar of Scared" Even the plot isn't too appetizing with a bunch of jerk offs going to a club, that unbeknownst to them, is an underground bomb shelter...in disguise! When this BOMB club's giant blast door slams shut, the club kids are trapped in total darkness. Now, they are forced to use their glow sticks for light, instead of for fun. I made that last part up. Lame title, lame plot, but the trailer is interesting enough for me to keep it in the eaten babies room long enough to show it to you guys.
If there is one thing I hate, it's "From the Producers of Lassie, comes blah, blah, blah..." However, I do love me a Werewolf movie and the Producers of Dog Soldiers brings us a new one titled, 13 Hrs (or Hours or whatever). The easiest way to describe the idea and plot to 13 Hrs is it’s Cabin Fever, with Werewolves instead of a flesh-eating virus. Malfoy from Harry Potter is in it and I hope he gets his dickhead ass eaten. By a Werewolf, I mean.
Rounding out tonight’s terrible trailer event comes The Reeds. Directed by Nick Cohen, The Reeds was just announced as the seventh pick for After Dark Films Horrorfest: 8 Films to Die For. Another group of 20-year-olds in this one, but instead of a house, or a sick club, these ones are out for a weekend boating trip through the Norfolk Broads. Things get complicated when they get lost in the vast reedy tidewaters, where unknown forces begin to terrorize the lost and terrified group. The trailer is promising and it looks like a survival film of sorts, but what are the characters surviving exactly? We'll find out January 29th of next year when 8 Films rolls around again.
Also, here is a brand spanking new photo from The Reeds...hot chick+gun=I'm in!
At a measly 63, genre icon Dan O'Bannon has sadly passed away from what I gather would have been sometime earlier tonight. One of the best writers of Science Fiction and Horror, Dan O'Bannon will be greatly missed.
I'm a big fan of handheld styled lost footage films and have seen a good deal of them too. From Blair Witch to the imperfect, but effective, The Last Broadcast and all the way to the most recent Paranormal Activity, I love the genre, and something about the filming technique just works for me. Very often, there is some sort of marketing behind these films - Blair Witch clearly did this best with its use of the Internet to make many suspecting cinema goers believe the occurrence on screen were real, even setting up an entire mythos and back story just to suck people in even further. While also using the Internet, Cloverfield did something entirely different, as it was pretty obvious that the events in the one time untitled movie did not happen in real life, but they were able to create a massive amount of interest and intrigue by not showing anything and keeping the secret as to what exactly was behind all the ruckus.
Then there's a film like The St. Francisville Experiment. Hot on the heals of Blair Witch, the filmmakers of The Saint Francisville Experiment claimed in the pages of Fango that the handheld events depicted in the movie were real. I, for whatever asinine reason, believed them, and when I saw the film, it was the fakest shit I had ever seen. It was as unrealistic as you can get, and when you have shots coming from cameras that are clearly not operated by your characters, there is a major problem. I hate that movie.
All of this brings me to a package I received the other day; stamped with the word CONFIDENTIAL on it, the 8x5 manila envelope contained a letter from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (you know, the FBI!) that asked for my assistance in a missing persons case. On January of 2009, five college students left New York City to spend the weekend in the woods. 48 hours later, all five students simply vanished without a trace. The only lead in the case is a VHS tape that was found. That VHS tape was transferred to DVD and enclosed for my viewing with hopes that I can assist with the on going investigation in some way.
This was truly a nice little touch and a very smart and fun way to market a film, though, I thought it had something to do with my unpaid taxes at first, which is far scarier than anything in any handheld horror film. Now, what is this mysterious film you ask? It's called Evil Things, and it's the newest entry in the handheld horror genre using the lost footage hook. The lost footage thing is getting a bit played out, but the way this film was sent to me in such an involving packaging really brought it up a level and put me in a positive mood to see the movie.
Written and directed by Dominic Perez, Evil Things is a voyeuristic look at how five collage students end up missing while out for a fun filled, albeit, secluded weekend in upstate New York. On the way to their destination the group encounter a menacing van on the snowy and dangerous mountain roads, a menacing van that almost seems to be stalking them. They make it to their destination, which is a beautiful Country home lent to them so they can have the perfect place to celebrate one of the girls 21st birthday. While enjoying their amazing snow filled surroundings, and a whole lotta beers, they soon begin to believe they aren't alone and that someone, a hillbilly, a bear, or maybe even the person in the van from before, is stalking them.
Coming in at only 75 minutes, Evil Things is somewhat slow paced for a major portion of the film. There is a few slight moments of nicely executed threat when they are on their road rage road trip and a few little things happen to stir up a goosebump or two at the house they are staying at, but it's mostly slow goings for a bulk of the movie. With that said, the characters are all very well written (though a lot is improvised), honest and surprisingly realistic. I found myself not being bored because I actually enjoyed my time spent with the group, watching them act like dorky college kids out having fun together, all the while knowing something bad is eventually going to happen.
Another surprising aspect of Evil Things, is the actors themselves. They are all fairly young, late teen to early 20's, but there really is not a bad actor in the bunch. In fact, overall, the entire cast was very solid, with a standout performance specifically from Laurel Casillo who plays Cassy. Very engaging and just as cute, Casillo has a definite star quality to her and she is quite charming and a joy to watch on screen.
While the film is pretty slow to go, it is all payoff in the last 15 minutes. There is a great voyeuristic reveal that was more than effective in tingling my spine, and the whole ending is very tense and pretty well paced with the exception of a scene that is unrealistically dragged out, but has to be dragged out to serve its purpose. Still, the last moments are genuinely creepy and really sold me on the entire film, and this is also where the great secluded location really excels in its lack of protection and ease of access. I do wish there were more of an explanation as to what happens, but ambiguity may be a factor of budget.
I have a few quibbles, one of them being the use of music during the third act of the movie. It is very ambient and low key, but it's there and you really do not want to have a score in anyway in this type of film...even if the score is decent. Another thing that is less of a complaint and more of an observation is when the characters are in the snow covered woods, they more than once make reference to a noise probably just being a bear or possibly a bird. It's winter. I couldn't tell if this was meant to be played comically or not, or possibly this was showing the characters are a bit naive? I'm not sure, but I think that EVERYONE knows that bears and birds go to Bermuda for the winter months.
So in the pantheon of lost footage horror films, Evil Things certainly deserves a place, as it is a solid little horror movie made for less than peanuts. A better term might be peanut shells or peanut shell dust, perhaps? Either way, I had a good time with this one, and I loved the fun packaging that I received it in just to top it all off. With the success of Paranormal Activity, I would really like to see this movie get a bit of a boost and maybe a small theatrical run; it is deserving of such, and I always love to see the little guy do well, so hopefully this cute little campaign helps get the word spread a little bit.
You can learn more about Evil Things the movie, it's actors and the writer director Dominic Perez over at the official website, which has some testimonial videos from the missing kids family's and friends for added mysterious fun. No definitive DVD release date as of this time, but the gears are in motion for one, along with a possible sequel. If any news comes about, of course, you will be the first to know! Thanks to John from Freddy in Space for the heads up on this one.
When people think of Hammer films, they think dignity, respect, atmospheric horror films, elegance, and class. When people think of Hammer films, they think of great actors like Peter Cushing, and Christopher Lee, performers of the highest degree and some of cinemas finest. When some people think of Hammer films, well, they just cannot help but think how bangin' those women were in those movies! I would be a little bit of "all of the above," but my whole reason for being here this fine and frigid evening is to talk about the incredible ladies of Hammer studios, the beautiful women that graced the silver screen and the hearts of many a young man and woman. I recently got my hands on Marcus Hearn's Hammer Glamour (Titan Books), the 160 sticky page tribute to the beauties of Hammer Horror over its reign of cinema terror. Filled to the tippity top with rare and unpublished full color photographs from Hammer's archives and private collections, Hammer Glamour is a lavish celebration of cinemas most amazing women. There are plenty of interviews, some of them new and each actress gets a nice insightful retrospect talking about their careers inside and out of the Hammer studio system.
If there is one thing I love, beside busty women, it is documentaries, books and behind the scenes of film, film history and how things have come to be where they are today. Hammer has one hell of a history and to learn the female aspect of it is quite fascinating. The stories of how films were sold based off a good looking, new starlet on some fake poster for a film not yet written is incredibly interesting. Hammer Glamour and the women behind it were a major part of Hammer's success and they could almost be looked at as the unsung heroines that pushed the company and their films popularity just that one-step further than they did with just the characters of Dracula, or Frankenstein. Hammer intrigued many young people with the threat of monsters and horror, but in a different way, these films also intrigued many a youth with the beauties that were to be found within each and every film.
Some of the interviews are very candid and honest, with some very likable women, others are a little tougher to enjoy, as some of them were not really into doing "horror" movies, which is as always, a let down. What really stands out though, are the photos and there are an abundance of amazing pictures of each and every lady in this book with some very nice candid behind the scenes shots to be viewed. One of my favorites is a behind the scenes shot of Christopher Lee and Stephanie Beacham from 1972's Dracula A.D. where it's clear that Beacham must have said some sort of corny joke and is dying from laughter about it, while Lee has a look on his face as if he cannot believe what she just said. Very candid and kinda cute, it's the type of photo that makes a book like Hammer Glamour work beyond the just photos of good looking girls.
As for the ladies themselves, well, most all of the important ones are here and it just does not get any better than having them go in alphabetical order. Why? Because you start off with the almighty Ursula Andress at A and the book finishes with W and that W can only stand for one woman...Raquel Welch. Talk about perfect 10 bookends! Those being two of my favorites and probably two of the best-known women to come through the Hammer ranks, it's very interesting hearing their thoughts on their Hammer past. My personal favorite of all these women? Well, that comes from the last of the Hammer movies and that's Nastassja Kinski from the film, To The Devil...A Daughter. Cat People indeed.
The presentation is top notch all around, as are the women, so if you're a fan of Hammer films, horror history, and mad hot babes, or even just one of the three, Hammer Glamour is a must.
1974's Black Christmas, while being noted by many as the first true Slasher film, is a movie that is slightly under appreciated by some, well, I more mean under appreciated by myself I guess. I often get "wrapped up" in the "normal" classic holiday films like, It's A Wonderful Life and (another Bob Clark film) A Christmas Story, etc...almost completely ignoring the Christmas Horror that there is to be had. Being a horror fan, that is a bit of a shame I might add. So to sit back and watch Black Christmas after many years was a nice holiday treat and one that would be perfectly enjoyed on cable, meaning, cable stations should run this film once in a while during the holiday season instead of only playing the usual happy holiday fare.
It's just before Christmas break at a sorority house, when it is discovered that one of the sisters has gone missing when her father comes to pick her up and she never shows. This event results in a search party where there is the discovery of a dead girl's body, but not the body of the missing girl that was the originally being searched for. With a missing woman, a dead body, and a series of menacing phone calls to the sorority house, the police try and figure out what is happening, while the remaining sorority sister vie to stay alive. Kinda.
Back Christmas has a great cast and most of the performances are exceptional, especially Margot Kidder, who plays one of the sorority sisters. She is a very obnoxious, brash, and outspoken - mixed with a copious amount of alcohol, her character is a hot mess and a lot of fun to watch. Olivia Hussey is the films main protagonist and while I think "Hussey is hot," her performance is the weakest of the bunch. Not terrible and it gets better as the film moves along, but at first, she is a bit annoying. Two welcome actors were Andrea Martin, who (looks EXACTLY like Screech Powers in this film) I know from watching SCTV when I was a wee lad, so it was nice to see her. The other appearance is from the sexiest man ever, John Saxon. Complete with funny hat and all, Saxon plays the role of detective, which isn't a stretch for him and he's as fantastic and charismatic as ever.
Being that this is one of the first Slasher films made, director Bob Clark nicely executed some of the inspirational genre staples that are still prevalent even to this very day. Black Christmas is a sort of whodunit to a small degree, but this does give you a few red herrings, something found in Slasher films and even more so, Gialli, which are just Italian Slashers anyways. There is also a stalk and slash element to this film and the advent of the final girl is even prevalent in a way.
Another Slasher aspect that is one of the standouts in this holiday horror is the use of POV. While this is mostly used in the films opening scene (which is the high point of the movie), the POV used is one of the genres best, with a slight fish eyed lens used and a somewhat erratic style created by cinematographer Albert J. Dunk. Dunk devised this awesome effect by rigging up a camera harness that would mount the camera on his shoulder as he walked about the house, stalking the sorority sisters.
Now, Black Christmas starts off with a bang, but quickly hits the skids and gets pretty slow for a good half an hour or so. I think the film picks up the pace a little when Saxon shows up and the calls to the sorority house become more and more disturbing and mean spirited, but even then, there are moments of almost boredom. I can personally deal with the slower pace of the film because I enjoyed some of the performances and the story was still entertaining to a degree, but you're not getting some balls out, err, I should say, "tits out" Slasher film here. This is a classy Slasher (!) and one that burns slowly.
What really keeps me engulfed in this film and the reason I love it most is the unbelievable look of the movie's setting and design. The 70's and Christmas aesthetic are so pleasing to my holiday loving eyes, that it is impossible for me not to swoon for Black Christmas. It's all done in beautiful Technicolor, with the magic of brightly lit Christmas jumping right out at you from the base colors of this era - from orange, yellow, and deep wood/brown colors, I was in love.
Clark has a keen eye for grabbing the essence of Christmas, which he shows in A Christmas Story and clearly here, with Black Christmas. Both with completely different styles and set in different decades, they are able to speak and give off a traditional holiday mood representative of their respective time periods. I am glad I came back to this film as I really appreciated it more than ever and if you like a nice, almost traditional horror film, then grag yourslef a glass of eggnog and warm up next to Black Christmas this holiday season.
Missing last weeks Hangover due to technical difficulties, or better yet, nothing good on cable TV, was a shame, but this week is only slightly better to be completely honest. Thanks once again to SyFy for making this Sunday somewhat salvageable with a few decent (well, maybe decent is being kind) things to check out on the boob tube. Drinking is at an all time high with the stress of the holidays all up in our faces, so I feel it very important to provide some cinema de poop for you all to enjoy this Sunday afternoon.
Clark has a keen eye for grabbing the essence of Christmas, which he shows in A Christmas Story and clearly here, with Black Christmas. Both with completely different styles and set in different decades, they are able to speak and give off a traditional holiday mood representative of their respective time periods. I am glad I came back to this film as I really appreciated it more than ever and if you like a nice, almost traditional horror film, then grag yourslef a glass of eggnog and warm up next to Black Christmas this holiday season.
