With top notch production values, Johnny Kevorkian's "Disappeared" is nothing less than a well crafted masterpiece. This oustanding original first feature is a grippingly scary oddysey that will disarm even the most die hard veteran fans of horror films. The film delivers on all counts. When Matthew hears chilling voices on the recording of a news conference about his brother's disappearance, he begins to question his sanity. Ignored by his troubled father, Matthew (Harry Treadaway) visits a clairvoyant who reveals a history of missing children in the area. When a friend's sister is also abducted, the ghostly voices guide him to an underground labyrinth and a terrifying confrontation with the killer. What strikes with "The Disppeared" is the growing tension and suspense accompanied by some well built progressively shocking moments. You are immediately inmerse into the story as you feel for the young lad that has just lost his sibling heading down the path of cronic mental illness until plot points begin to unfold in such unimaginable twist and turns that at times it leaves the viewer exhausted, yet yearning for more. Anything less than a moderate theatrical release for this film would be a cinematic injustice. As of the writing of this review, this film is still available for distribution. However, this is one film distributors need to pull out all the stops, and dig deep into their wallets to give this film a well deserving wide release for mass consumption.
ALMOST BANNED IN FRANCE DUE TO I'TS HAUNTING BRUTALITY, "MARTYRS" IS THE KIND OF FILM NIGHTMARES ARE MADE OF.
(Reviewed at Screamfest '08) Making its Stateside debut, Pascal Laugier's "Martyrs" was the grand finale to a spectacular constellation of fine horror films. "Martyrs" however, is not like a "SAW" or "HOSTEL" in which there are creative forms of torture served for your viewing pleasure, this film has an art house feel to it that leads into the bowels of depravity. It's demonstrates how evil man can be for the share pleasure of scientific research. It reminded me of a brochure that I received depicting the horrors of how animals are slaughtered for human consumption. If that is a brochure you'd rather not digest before dinner, "Martyrs" is the type of film you may not want to view on a full stomach. Brilliantly executed in ways better described only as experimental, Pascal Laugier takes us to the end of the tunnel, the last stop, to a place where there is no longer any separation between humans and animals, predators or prey, it' a place so dark, you will no longer have to image for now it has been recorded on celluloid. All the "SAW" or "HOSTEL" or any other torture porn created to date has nothing on "Martyrs". Why? Because they French know their cinema business like no other. They leave nothing up to the imagination and nothing is too taboo for them whereas here in America, filmmakers tend to like to draw certain lines when it comes to making horror films for shock value. "Martyrs" is one of the few crossover films that could play at a horror film festival, as well as a intellectually artsy festival or a gay & lesbian festival alike. It covers the gamut in storytelling and that is what makes this film so powerful and so inherently haunting ,it will carve many putrid memories in your phsyque long after viewing. Lucie, a 10 year old girl, is found wandering in the streets, bruised and bloodied. Unable to say who did this to her, or why, she is placed in a hospital where she meets Anna, another young girl who had been abused. Fifteen years later, with Anna’s help, Lucie sets out to get revenge on her attackers. When she believes she has found the couple who abused her, she confronts them . . . and that is when the terror truly begins. I would not recommend this film to folks with weak stomachs.
Bits of HORROR (the shorts)
(Reviewed at Screamfest '08) 
Creating scares is no joke. Second to comedy, making a good horror film that delivers must be contructed with a lot of thought to avoid the cheese factor from bleeding into your work. Thanks to the careful programming of festival director Rachel Belofsky (this woman is a one person wonder), we do not have to worry about the cheese factor. In fact, the programming is so tight, air will not get into the tight windows of that haunted house. The Shorts program I include such a tight compilation of caffeine inducing jolts that you'll have no need for Starbucks for weeks to come. Desserts never looked so good for a brother and sister in Rory Kindersley's Butcher's Hill as the curious children realize these treats were just bait to delightfully lure them to the "other side". Kurtis M. Spieler's "Circulation" is a tawdry tale of never ending self assasination. "Eel Girl" helmed by Paul Campion is a refreshingly twisted picis version of "Lady in the Water" with a better story in its short format that its feature competitor bomb."Fold" and Marc Riba & Anna Solanas's animation "Violeta" left me wishing both films could be seen in feature formats. They were both terrific.The only short I found lacking the ump needed to compete with its rival shock shorts was Christian Filippella's "Thermae 2'40". The music kept building the suspence throughout, but unfortunately with very little pay off. For those hanging, no pun intended, on route 66 (Santa Monica Blvd here in Los Angeles,California), Highway 191 in Arizona, you will find this freeway to be a road trip in which you can only pray your car won't stop on you. "Sandman's Box" has some good moments yet it had as many story holes as it did moments. After celebrating his victory on a very important case, attorney Michael Perez (Rene Rosado), gets attacked, beat up and robbed by two individuals. After being left unconscious, Michael is confused for a homeless person and kidnapped by three masked men. Michael is forced to play a game, called “Sandman’s Box”, and compete with Chris (J.W. Cortes), a homeless man, where the winner of the game is the last one alive. Unfortunatly we are never given a clear reason of why his own friend, after celebrating with him, would want to volunteer to be a part of his owns co-worker's torture. By far the most disturbing short of the entire festival is hands down Julien Zenier "Snip". This short makes the "Saw" and "Hostel" series seem like Nickelodeon television for horror fans. If you can stomach watching the another side of dismemberment at its best, this is one not to be missed. Overall,all these shorts would make a great anthology of horror for the dvd market. I hope someone sees the potential in making a feature compilation out of these.
WITHIN "100 FEET" OF HIS WIFE, AN ABUSIVE HUSBAND IS NOT QUITE READY TO CROSS OVER (reviewed at Screamfest '08)
By far, one of the best entries of this years "Screamfest", Eric Red's "100 feet" finds a young woman, Marnie Watson, is granted early release from her prison sentence for manslaughter (killing her husband - a violent NYC cop - in self defense) on condition she wear an electronic ankle bracelet and remain within her home, effectively under house arrest, for the remainder of her sentence. Her late husband's partner keeps tabs on her from a patrol car parked across the street, hoping she'll violate probation and he can send her back to prison. But the 100-foot radius her ankle bracelet allows isn't the worst of her problems. Her dead husband --now a malevolent ghost--is still in the house, where he died -- intent on savage revenge. The acting, story telling and scary moments are nothing short of outstanding. With terrific performances by Marnie Watson and Bobbie Cannavale, this ghost story is not to be missed. Intense, startling and down right scary, you will leave the theatre with renewed faith in the horror genre.
TORTURED SOUL SEEKS REDEMPTION IN "THE DISAPPEARED"
| SALO or the 120 days of Sodom: Pasolini's masterpiece in disguise (DVD Review-)
|
PICTURE OF DORIAN GRAY -(Reviewed at Outfest 2007)
|
Defending "CALIGULA" DVD Review
|
|
| 12th EDITION OF LOS ANGELES LATINO FILM FESTIVAL REACHES NEW HEIGHTS With a pletora of films,nightly industry events, panel and industry seminars the Los Angeles Latino Film Festival has become one of the most important industry events to attend. This year, the festival showcased an incredible filmmaker's villa at the rooftop of the Arclight Cinemas in Hollywood. Celebrities, filmmakers press and industry all gathered for business, networking and glamour. The Festival became a hub of activity with an inviting ambiance. The Filmmakers Café, live musical performances and other events stimulate constant traffic at the Festival venue, and cater to as many facets of society as possible. LALIFF offered industry workshops, panels, labs, networking receptions, educational programs, and hosts some of the best Galas in Tinseltown. For more info on this yearly event go to www.latinofilm.org.
|
CREDULITY KEEPS US FROM ENTERING "THE GATES OF HELL" (reviewed at Screamfest '08)
DIRECTOR: Kelly Dolen
|
O
Duncan Roy's "The Picture of Dorian Gray" stars David Gallagher ("7th Heaven") as a young handsome elite gentleman who has everything but eternal youth until his friend Basil changes things a bit.. "The Picture of Dorian Gray" is the classic tale of vanity written by Oscar Wilde updated and adapted by Duncan Roy. Artist Basil Hallward has become obsessed with Dorian Gray whose beauty is the focus of a new portrait /art installation. When the young Dorian sees the installation for the first time he resents the portrait wishing it would grow old and ugly instead of him. Henry is the cynical, intellectual friend and agent of Basil Hallward who befriends Dorian in spite of his friendship with Basil. Henry is responsible for Dorian's transformation from angel to devil.The film was eloquent,lyrical, poetic and very artistic. I saw and loved Duncan's previous work AKA and thoroughly enjoyed "Dorian Gray". I have seen several versions of Dorian Gray and found this one to be original, entertaining and disturbing. I applaud the filmmaker for his innovative choices and I know, not hope, that this film will get distribution and released in theatres soon for everyone to enjoy. I look forward to Duncan's future great works. "Dorian Gray" is still screening in the festival circuit.
Unfortunately Kelly Dolen's "Gates of Hell" fails to deliver the goods. I'm suspecting this may be due to the collective dumb choices the characters made so often, it kept my suspension of disbelief at bay. Most good horror films succeed because of smartly written characters getting caught up in situations beyond their control or immediate resolution. At times, some scenes were just plain laughable and other were horror was meant to be induced appeard too campy to create any kind of scares. Five filmmakers set out to make a film within the grounds of a haunted property unwittingly stumble across the estates heinous truth and find themselves caught in a relentless struggle to survive against a brutal antagonist. If the logline sounds like a Troma film is because it lacks the credulity needed to create the weight to conjure up the proper suspense and mystery. Unintendedly throughout the film I kept cheering for he antagonist as I thought of many more gruesome ways they could have expired the protagonists. Even though the film did have its moments, with an interesting idea to its benefit, it was definitely a missed opportunity. I actually enjoyed this film, but I'm sure not with the intent the director had. This movie could have been filled with real seat cringing scary moments.