A new independent release from Dondi Inferno Productions
In 2036 CV5 was born. A stronger strain that was vaccine resistance. Mothers gave birth to hybrid creatures and mutations. A mere bite or scratch and within 12 seconds you were turned. This was the new normal. Beasts hunted man for food and sport.
Over the last couple of years, not unsurprisingly, there have been many virus-themed films, with RAVAGE NATION being the latest. Written, executive produced, directed by Michael Moutsatsos (THE BUTCHER), and executive produced by Phil Herman. Both are prolific independent filmmakers who between them have created many entertaining micro-budget popcorn horror movies.
However, this time out is a more serious endeavour. An interesting genre entry that depicts the effects of a pandemic from a mostly psychological angle. Consisting of a series of vignettes that are interlinked via characters who cross each others paths. Each with fractured psyches and only just surviving, some violently so, in a world that has become overrun by the mutated infected. Due to the low-budget nature, the focus is honed in on one very small pocket of civilisation in North America. As is quite common with independent movie productions of this type, it was filmed over the course of a year when funding and time permitted.
The locations are utilised and filmed effectively, but a grittier look maybe would have worked more effectively. The choice of black and white cinematography is an interesting one which gives a somewhat dreamlike feel, and an almost art-house aesthetic, but does lead to a distancing from the characters. There is blood and gore, which at times is just out of shot necessitated by the inherent limitations. The cast gives their all, with some being more engaging than others, depicting the psychological effects reasonably effectively. Events move at a pace and at less than 90 minutes it does not feel overlong.
While not entirely successful at times, RAVAGE NATION does bring something different to the themes; with admirable elements that would have benefited a larger budget. But that is the nature of much of independent cinema of this sort. Primarily the passion of the filmmakers and cast is foremost and drives the movie. Within the constrained limitations everyone has to be applauded for what was achieved.
AVAILABLE NOW ON DVD/BLU-RAY AND MULTIPLE STREAMING PLATFORMS
The latest film from Strange Films and CinemaScare Studios.
Following the story of Stanley Elk and events in the wake of his escape from Rivera Asylum, causing the town of Sandpointe and its residents to fall victim, and allegiance, to his home town arrival, while a rogue cop attempts to stop him. They don’t know when or where he will strike, but they know that he will. It is only a matter of time. Will the town be able to band together and take care of this menace once and for all? Or will their efforts end in tragedy…
Quite honestly the slasher movie is not my favourite within the horror genre, so it came as a nice surprise how entertaining this entry was. Now admittedly it does not bring anything new to the table, but it does what it does it well, and with gusto. Written, directed, and produced by August Agulier; and wearing other hats too; as is common in independent film-making, HE COMES TO KILL is primarily a fun film that does not take itself over seriously, at times feeling like a spoof of sorts. Not unexpectedly some elements evoke the HALLOWEEN franchise, but in this case unusually HALLOWEEN: THE CURSE OF MICHAEL MYERS and the recent HALLOWEEN trilogy. There are more references besides, but not being well versed in the slasher genre they were not as apparent. The aspect that did stand out and felt fresh was an off-the-rails, cocaine-fuelled, rouge cop who is hunting Stanley Elk down.
Filmed in a fairly straightforward style, with the main characters sufficiently rounded for the short length. The whole cast give their all and had fun with the material, particularly Joe Casterline as the cop and Virgil McKee as a fairly menacing Elk, becoming far more so when donning the effective mask. Surprisingly his depiction is in the mould of Rob Zombie’s Michael Myers rather than John Carpenter’s original, and this approach is effective.
Working far better when events play out in the half-light and when a darker and more colourful palette is utilised. The kills are just about effective enough within the limits of the budget but could have been punchier with far more blood. The most chilling scene is a well-staged kill just out of shot in the background with its effectiveness grounded in the basis of the set-up that precedes it.
At the end of the day HE CAME TO KILL is enjoyable, never boring, and at only 50 minutes a perfect length with no unnecessary padding, incorporating much that will satisfy slasher fans.
The new movie from Mitchell-Brunt Films and The Club of Wyrd Tales
British-made horror WOLF MANOR is the fourth feature from husband and wife filmmakers Dominic Brunt and Joanne Mitchell. Their 2013 debut, BEFORE DAWN, brought an unusual spin to the zombie genre. With BAIT the following year they twisted the revenge genre. This was followed up in 2017 with a complete change of pace and the Troma-inspired ATTACK OF THE ADULT BABIES. Now, sharing many similarities with the latter, we have this pastiche of classic werewolf movies.
Shooting a vampire movie in an old abandoned house should have worked like a dream. However, with the full moon, the nightmare begins. The body count rises as the cast and crew encounter the mansion’s resident werewolf.
WOLF MANOR from the outset is an unapologetic, loving homage to the likes of AN AMERICAN WEREWOLF IN LONDON, THE HOWLING, and many other werewolf films; with more than a passing reference to them. Most apparent this time out is the lack of subtext that typifies a Mitchell and Brunt film. This is not to say that is a bad thing at all. Quite the opposite. WOLF MANOR is a knowing, entertaining, laugh-out-loud, blood-soaked ride that never for one second takes itself seriously. Intentionally there is no character depth or arcs, with each lined up specifically for the set-piece kills. From the very first scene the light-hearted tone is set as these one-dimensional characters are introduced and, almost SCREAM style, we are told what to expect over the next 80 minutes. Never fear though, with all this talk of comedy and fun, there is blood, gore, splatter, and horror courtesy of the effective throwback werewolf design and practical effects created by Shaune Harrison and Paula Anne Booker, with a sprinkling of CGI.
A stalwart of British TV and stage James Fleet (who some may recognise from the classic BBC comedy series THE VICAR OF DIBLEY) in his first horror film, hilarious as a pompous Shakespearean actor, heads up the game cast, some of whom will also be very familiar to the UK audiences, who wholeheartedly threw themselves into it. With Brunt even having an amusing cameo. The fun that was so evidently had on set is there on the screen. Everyone involved understood that they were not reinventing the wheel but creating a fun, comedic, B-movie horror. There also are numerous film industry in-jokes, as would be expected of a film about movie-making, that smack of an element of realism.
Mitchell and Brunt were brought on board late in the day by producers/writers Pete Wild and Joel Ferrari when previous director choices did not grasp the aim of their script. This meant there was a mere five weeks of pre-production before filming began in May 2022 that would last three weeks of night shoots with the final cut needing to be ready for the world premiere at Frightfest three months later. An impressive achievement for any movie let alone a low-budget one such as this.
WOLF MANOR admittedly has flaws, but those aside it is a thoroughly enjoyable, unpretentious horror with broad strokes of comedy that does not pretend to be anything other than entertaining. Ultimately its charm lies in the fact it can be felt, like their previous films, Mitchell and Brunt adore the horror genre with a passion. A horror movie made by fans for fans. An often used phrase but so true in this case.
Horror hounds that want a thoroughly bloody entertaining and laugh-out-loud throwback will find WOLF MANOR is not a bad way to spend 80 minutes.
Make sure to hang on for the mid-credits sequence too…
Released in the UK by Lighthouse Film Distribution across all major Digital platforms and on DVD
MY BLOODY ASYLUM STANDOUT GENRE FILMS AND SERIES OF THE PAST 12 MONTHS
As has become customary with the selections several lesser-known gems are highlighted, falling not neatly within any one evident genre, and some may well have been released prior to 2022 or yet to have had a release outside of festivals. All are more than deserving of inclusion because in each there is much to admire. Some just because they were so much fun and an absolute blast!
Without further delay here we go with my picks:
* Reviews can be found under each poster image *
THE AMUSEMENT PARK
BARBARIAN
THE BLACK PHONE
BRIGHTWOOD
CRIMES OF THE FUTURE
DARK GLASSES
IF I CAN’T HAVE YOU
INSIDE N0. 9: THE BONES OF ST. NICHOLAS
MAD GOD
MAYA
MEN
MONGREL
PARANORMAL ACTIVITY: NEXT OF KIN
THE PARKER SESSIONS
PREY
RONDO AND BOB
THE SANDMAN
SOMETHING IN THE DIRT
STUDIO 666
TITANE
WEDDING ’93
SPECIAL MENTIONS:
IF I CAN’T HAVE YOU
SHE MADE A MONSTER!
THE AMUSEMENT PARK
A ‘lost’ George A. Romero movie from the 1970s which he was commissioned to produce about elder abuse and the importance of giving respect to older people. Little knowing that the master of horror would go full-on experimental and deliver a nightmare ride unlike any of his other movies. Filmed in 1973 yet going almost unseen until it was rediscovered in 2017 and given a 4k restoration, with Shudder eventually acquiring the rights. All at once Romero and writer Walton Cook created a terrifying and touching meditation on old age that evokes CARNIVAL OF SOULS. Far more than just a curio, this is among one of Romero’s very best.
BABARIAN
A whole lot of unexpected exploitation-inspired fun with surprising twists and turns that make for a unique mainstream horror treat that takes no prisoners – pun intended.
THE BLACK PHONE
Brilliantly co-written and directed by Scott Derrickson, adapted from the short story by Joe Hill, this was not what was expected. Mason Thames and Madeleine McGraw impressively anchor the whole and are equal to an understated Ethan Hawke, who is all the more disturbing for pitching his role so and, like Anthony Hopkins in SILENCE OF THE LAMBS, his presence is write large and felt even when off-screen. An effective, and emotive horror of substance and one of the very best Blumhouse.
David Cronenberg returned with his first film in six years and to the body horror genre he made his own throughout the 70s, 80s, & 90s. Starring Vigo Mortenson, Leya Sedoux, and Kristen Stewart. And while not up there with his very best CRIMES OF THE FUTURE still delivers and then some.
DARK GLASSES
While not matching classic Dario Argento this was still his best film since SLEEPLESS over 20 years ago. Delivering what you would expect from his movies. All in all, it is great to see that one of the masters of horror is still making films into his 80s. I for one hope this is far from his last and will be excited to see any new Argento movie.
Phil Tippet (STAR WARS, ROBOCOP) is among the masters of stop-motion animation and his 30-year labour of love is unlike any film you have ever seen. Surreal and horrifying. A mind-blowing work of artistic genius.
Alex Garland’s third directorial feature and follow-up to his exceptional yet sorely overlooked 2021 series DEVS was one of the most audacious mainstream movies of recent years. Full of themes and metaphors that will fuel discussions for years. Jessie Buckley and Rory Kinnear, arguably never been better, in a surreal fever dream, and entertaining ride that culminates in an unforgettable finale.
Link to watch the full film on Dust YouTube channel can be found here too:
The PREDATOR franchise winds back 300 years and delivers one of the best installments thus far since the original. Dan Trachtenberg returns to the simplicity of 1987’s PREDATOR, similarly and crucially never complicates the narrative, from a screenplay written by Patrick Aison. Set within a Comanche tribe of 1719 it paints a vivid picture. Tension, suspense, and horror combine with characters fleshed out just enough to make for a hugely engaging and enjoyable 100 minutes.
Having been a fan of Neil Gaiman’s graphic novel and magnum opus since first reading them over 20 years ago, when hearing that Netflix was to produce a live-action series I was, to say the least, underwhelmed and did not hold out much hope. Happily what was created was faithful to the original comic book masterpiece with some tweaks that worked wonderfully. THE SOUND OF HER WINGS, wherein we are introduced to the character of Death, was one of the standout episodes and the point that it was evident that justice was going to be done to Gaiman’s original vision. Season 2 is now highly anticipated.
A riotous practical effects ride for horror fans regardless of whether you are a Foo Fighters fan or not. Dave Grohl has shown a comedic side in some of their music videos, and to be fair he is the only one that can act, so he is quite rightly front and centre. Everyone seems to have had fun and that translates to the screen. And clearly, the band are horror and comedy fans too.
TITANE
After her excellent debut, RAW, Julia Ducornau delivers an even more assured follow-up. Agathe Rousselle and Vincent Lindon are remarkable in a film that is surprisingly empathic in its unexpected humanity. One of the all-time great Cronenberg-style body horrors. Yet it then morphs into a touching and sweet story of parental and child love.
LAST DAY DEAF30th ANNIVERSARY RETROSPECTIVE OF DAVID LYNCH’S MASTERPIECE
One of the greatest TV show to movie of all time… and more turns 30.
A spoiler free review to mark this anniversary of the prequel to the ground-breaking, influential, and iconic series, and one of my favourite films
Dedicated to all my friends across the Twin Peaks fandom and in loving memory of Julee Cruise, Angelo Badalamenti, Lenny Von Dohlen, Al Strobel, and John Neff
TWIN PEAKS: FIRE WALK WITH ME is as ever a gruelling experience that gets under my skin and hits harder than any other movie. Yet strangely it was much misunderstood and maligned in 1992, but like all great art has come to be more appreciated in the intervening decades.
Realistically and honestly depicting the horrifying tragedy of Laura Palmer. Frankly a far more appropriate title maybe would have been FIRE WALK WITH ME: LAURA’S STORY which would have possibly taken away assumptions it would be like the show. Lynch brilliantly, and relentlessly immerses the audience in an absolute, terrifying living hell as only he could envisaged; which was only touched upon in the show by way of Special Agent Dale Cooper’s investigations.
Sheryl Lee’s performance is unquestionably one of the best never to have been bestowed with any awards. Beautifully described by Mark Kermode as operatic. Grace Zabriskie said of Lee uninhibitedly bringing Laura to life “She gave everything she had, she gave more, she gave more than she could afford to give, and she spent years coming back.” From first appearance to last this was no performance but a total immersion into a character who was also very close in age to Lee at that time. So it is not at all surprising it deeply affected her.
MR GEEKY 