Archive for VAGRANTS

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Halloween movie watch: Hack O’Lantern (1988)

by on October 31, 2020 at 11:10 pm
Posted In: Homepage, Movies, VAGRANTS

I’m usually not a fan of ”so bad it’s good” movies, but, wow…This was unexpected.

A total blind watch as I was settling in to eat my Halloween night pizza and brownies, this had me thoroughly entertained from beginning to end; mostly for the wrong reasons (i.e. it can’t under any kind of proper definition be qualified as ”good”), but without hesitation or shame.

Where was this movie during my formative years during the 80’s as I tried to watch every horror film in the video store?

Even for the late 80’s it already seems like it’s over-exagerating all the 80’s cliches, especially in the hair and wardrobe department. Most notable are: the lead protagonist/antagonist Tommy, who, in one glorious scene, is doing dumbbell curls shirtless in his basement WHILE WEARING A FUCKING BANDANA RAMBO-STYLE (I cheered-laughed to myself). And his…lady friend who appears in two scenes showing off an amazing, spiky pixie-type blonde punk haircut. And her naked body. Twice.

The acting is uniformly bad but in a logical(?) way, partly due to the dialogue. There is one incredible moment during Tommy’s first scene (as an adult) where he literally turns his head RIGHT AT THE CAMERA and leers menacingly in the most exagerated, over-the-top way that rivals the ”garbage day” moment in Silent Night, Deadly Night part 2 as far as iconically bad acting deliveries go. Except this one has no dialogue. I marveled.

Extra special acting mention goes to the *main* baddie, Tommy’s head-of-a-satanic-cult grandad, who appears to have been overdubbed in all his scenes. Amazing.

There is at least one very well-done kill (this is a slasher, BTW), but the FX are uneven with some of the blood splatter looking *exactly* like ketchup (complete with the orange-y color) while other moments being quite decent.

There is satan worship, a random dream sequence/music video, a surprising amount of gloriously-gratuitous nudity, scenes and characters that come and go with no rhyme or reason, butt branding, illogical reactions, plot holes, and it’s never boring.

I’m surprised this isn’t considered more of a cult classic of some kind. As I mentioned, I don’t enjoy bad movies, but sometimes one will hit all the right notes and deliver something special on a visceral level.

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Color Out of Space

by on February 4, 2020 at 12:52 am
Posted In: Homepage, Movies, VAGRANTS

– This is why it’s still worth watching movies, when there are unique works of art like this being made. Yeah, it’s a bit of a bold statement but fuck it, this adaptation of the H.P. Lovecraft story really stood out; though flawless it is not.

– Richard Stanley hasn’t directed a feature-length fiction film in over twenty years, since his two (personal) cult favorites ”Hardware” and ”Dust Devil”. Add this one to the list as a worthy entry in his cinematic oeuvre.

– It won’t be for everyone (like his other films), that’s for sure. But this is the work of someone with a truly distinctive vision. And what a vision it is. And the sounds…

– Nicolas Cage is actually the weakest element. This is one of his unhinged performances for which he’s unfortunately become expected to deliver, which often turns a scene into unintentional (?) comedy. He does for alpacas here what he did for bees in ”The Wicker Man”…

From what I’ve read, his performance was deliberate, as director Stanley apparently wanted him to play it like Cage’s ”Vampire’s Kiss”. For my money, bad decision. His character is odd and over-the-top from the beginning when I think he should’ve been played straight.

– In fact, one aspect that is a bit hit-or-miss is how most of the characters are all a bit off-kilter from the get-go, with some weird dialogue throughout.

– I especially liked the teenage daughter, the Wiccan Lavinia (Madeleine Arthur). Some would complain that her practicing witchcraft brings nothing to the plot, but it’s a great character trait that adds to the overall unique mood of the film as far as I’m concerned.

– A big part of the mesmerizing quality of the film is the incredible score by Colin Stetson, Like Stanley’s other films, the music holds a *very* important place.

– I don’t remember seeing a better lightning sequence than here. Just beautiful. ”It’s drawing the lightning.”

– Honors the works of Lovecraft in its depiction of the unexplainable otherworldly, which is no small feat. The design, setting, and effects are incredibly well designed and depicted. A real achievement on what was apparently a six million dollar budget…

– There are also some very ”The Thing”-esque scenes/effects, which makes sense since *that* film owes some to Lovecraft.

– I often complain about the (to me) incomprehensible super-success of films like ”It”, which is generic and by-the-numbers at best. THIS is what a genre film with an actual singular style, vision, and personality really is.

See it on the big screen while you still can…

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Fantasia 2019: Darlin’

by on August 3, 2019 at 2:01 pm
Posted In: Fantasia, Homepage, Montreal, Movies, Summer Festivals, VAGRANTS

Darlin’

I’ve seen very few films this year at the fest but this is the one I was anticipating the most when I saw it on the list. The Woman (2011), directed by Lucky McKee, was a standout that year and remains one of my favorite horror films in recent years. For those not in the know, Darlin’ is the third film in a series, with The Woman being the second, a sequel to Offspring (2009), which was itself an adapted sequel to the Jack Ketchum book The Offseason.

The Woman was quite different in style, tone and storytelling to its predecessor, so I kept any expectations at bay for this one. McKee, who was a big part of The Woman’s qualities, didn’t return for this one. The project was written and directed by The Woman herself, Pollyanna McIntosh, who played the role in all three films.

It’s not necessary to have seen the previous films to understand or appreciate this one, though it does help in understanding more of the feral characters’ backgrounds and existence if one has. There’s no recap or explanation so one has to just accept the presence of mysterious cannibalistic feral people wandering the rural areas…

The woman is out to kill…men. Coincidentally.

It’s unfair to just compare the film to its predecessor(s), especially a revered one as is my case here, so I won’t. In a nutshell, two seemingly homeless women show up at a hospital where one is hit by an arriving vehicle and admitted, while the other disappears back from where she came. The patient, who has a bracelet with the word Darlin on her wrist, is immediately named such by the staff, as it’s evident that she is quite feral and doesn’t speak in any known language.

The decision is made pretty quickly that Darlin’ will be put into the care of a local catholic home under the care of The Bishop and the nuns. The plan is to socialize her and document the process to profit the home. This agenda is laid out pretty much from the beginning and so is the nature of The Bishop, who is obviously *the* character you’re supposed to hate.

Left- great performance, middle: great performance, right: if I had a mustache, I’d fucking twirl it while giggling maniacally

Essentially, this is a big Fuck You to The Church. It’s evident from the first scene with The Bishop, whose performance shows no subtlety at all. He’s obviously scum, and portrayed as such. He’s not out to help Darlin’, but to use her. All of this is obvious from the start. There’s also a none-too-subtle anti-patriarchy stance throughout, since most male characters are presented in a (forced) negative way. The Woman, in her quest to track down Darlin’, ends up killing only men, most of them having previously displayed at least some kind of negative behavior, just so it can sort of be justified that they should be killed (even though that behavior is oblivious to The Woman, who basically just kills them because they’re in the way or for their meat). Early on, she slits a (random, to her) homeless man’s throat in his sleep so she can cut some meat off him, but there was a point made to have shown him gratuitously call someone a whore not long before. The intent is not lost.

Now I don’t have a problem with a film having an agenda, but the tone here was a bit too on-the-nose and uneven for my tastes, especially since the main focus of the story, Darlin’s education and socialization, is dealt with serious care. For the most part, the story is engaging and is helped immensely by the performance from its lead, Lauryn Canny. She gives a terrific performance, at odds with some of the broader, more exaggerated ones from Bryan Batt (The Bishop) and others.

The one likeable male in the movie. Is it a coincidence that he’s gay?

I guess the uneven tone didn’t work for me. The satire and (dark) comedy (which I didn’t like) is at odds with the more serious aspects (which I did). That being said, there’s more good than bad here, and the bad is all dependent of how one takes the approach to the performances of some of its characters and the handling of its social issues. I mean yeah, ‘’The Church’’ might be evil and all, but is it better to be a cannibalistic killer?

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Festival de la Bête Noire: Les Affamées

by on February 24, 2019 at 12:09 am
Posted In: Blogs, Homepage, VAGRANTS

One of the very first productions from the theatre troupe Les Choreutes, this is a solid and promising play from the young artists.

This is the first play I’ve seen from the Festival de la Bête Noire horror theatre festival playing at Mainline theatre. Since I was familiar with the venue I knew to expect a small, cozy setting akin to the Fringe Fest.

A convent is disrupted by the arrival of a strange woman coming in from an incessant downpour which has already been causing unease among the nuns. Her presence will trigger, as is literally announced by a narrator, the beginning of the end.

The stage and costume design, simple and effective, is to be commended. There is an immediate mood set within the first moments, strongly aided by the sound design which, for the first half or so, consists of a constant thunderstorm. The nun’s costumes (I wouldn’t necessarily call them habits) have effectively been designed as all uniformly dark. Along with the set lighting, the use of candlelight is extremely effective.

The acting is uniformly excellent and is the most impressive aspect of the play, especially in its earliest moments. At first it almost seemed as though this was going to be a dialogue-free, highly choreographed physical piece as the opening scene consists of a stylistically staged performance meant to show the sextet of nuns praying. The first interaction is silent, then we realize this is because the character in question, Juliette (Gabrielle Labadie) is either mute or has taken a vow of silence.

What follows is the most interesting and engaging portion of the play as we get to learn of the nuns’ recent plights brought on by the apocalyptic weather, some of their past personal traumas, and the stranger’s (Alma, played by Laurence-Anaïs Belleville in the most impressively physical and dance-oriented performance) past leading up to her arrival at their doorstep.

Once the more overt horror aspects start taking place, things become a bit more standard and somewhat rushed, as much of the action is told instead of shown and much seems to happen quite rushed. The soundtrack also changes from the previous natural sounds to an actual score which though well-done, isn’t as effective as I think it would have been had they kept with what was already established. Can’t fault them for actually having a horror score for a horror play, though.

This is essentially my one gripe against the play, that with such a good, initially well-paced and well-characterized build-up, the main action seems to be missing a lot of weight on its way to the conclusion. At forty-five minutes, it could benefit to have this aspect expanded on and developed for, easily, at least an extra fifteen minutes. We just don’t see the initial chaos brought on by Alma. Nor is the subtext of hunger (or desire) implied by the title and narrator ever fully developed.

That being said, what remains is a thoroughly well-executed, darkly beautiful and moody piece. A bit too brief, but benefitting immeasurably by its talented and memorable performances. I don’t think I was the only one who thought there could have been more to the proceedings as once it was obviously over, everyone around me was still hesitant to get up and leave, as if we were still expecting more. With performances like these aided by a well-conceived vision, the experience still ends up leaving one…sur sa faim.

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Film Review: The Hornet’s Disciple and the Scars She Left

by on September 10, 2018 at 1:39 am
Posted In: Blogs, Homepage, Movies, VAGRANTS

2014’s The Hornet’s Sting and the Hell it’s Caused ended with the doors wide open for a possible continuation, but this is not it. Instead, ridiculously-prolific underground filmmaker Dustin Mills decided to write a meta sequel in which the first film exists as just that: a film.  Had it been a straight sequel, we likely would’ve gotten a more different storyline than the first (considering how it ended). As it stands the basic structure is fairly similar, but with new characters.

Here we have Rose (Roni Jonah), a camgirl and photographer who employs models for online shows. She’s also a huge fan of the original film and is now emulating the M.O. of its main antagonist, which means that she lures the unfortunates who respond to her ads to their death.

The latest of these, and our main protagonist, is Finley (J. Ania Lupa), who is down on her luck and is easily seduced by the promise of good money for sex videos. Until Rose exposes her true intentions to eventually kill her on camera for the enjoyment of her paying online customers. There will be much abuse until that happens.

The first part of the film takes its time in showing the initial meetings between Rose and Finley, and these scenes are terrific as Rose charismatically and professionally establishes a relationship of trust with Finley, a somewhat shy girl for whom this is new territory. Rose is so good with her that we can’t help but completely empathize with Finley and understand how easily she gains confidence. As played by Jonah, there isn’t a hint of menace or otherwise out-of-place behavior coming from her. She’s a total pro at what she does and comes across as someone who’s been doing it enough to be really good at it and how to deal with her models. She could make anybody with some hesitation at ease for the work at hand. There is a great dynamic between the two, with the extremely confident and personable Rose motivating the unassertive and seemingly introverted Finley.

Speaking of which, J. Ania Lupa is the real standout here. Her performance is authentic, making her character completely believable and effortlessly making her empathetic and likable. Hers is a fully-realized character with a perfectly-realized personality, that doesn’t solely depend on what information we learn from her but comes from the performance itself. I personally thought that Lupa’s performance was the best and most memorable thing about the film, which definitely elevated the level of interest one will have for a story when there is a protagonist which we become genuinely attached to. I’ve seen enough films and worked on my fair share to have noticed that this kind of charismatic presence doesn’t happen most of the time. Add to that the uncomfortable (to say the least) situations Finley finds herself going through and the near-constant nudity the role required and that makes it even more notable.

The film’s subject matter, like the first, delves toward ‘’torture porn’’ category but the emphasis is more on psychological and emotional abuse than all-out gore or graphic violence. There are montages of Rose’s previous ill-fated victims (including an all-too-brief cameo by Mills regular Erin R. Ryan) but they also stay away from slasher-type violence. As I mentioned before, it follows the structure of its predecessor very closely, but this *is * a sequel so it’s to be expected that things would stay similar. The dynamic between the captor and captive is quite different this time around, mostly due to the relationship established in the first act and the different personalities the characters have this time around. Considering the conclusion, the doors are once again open for a possible sequel, but like the first film. In fact, considering how the first basically set itself up to be continued, there could theoretically be two different continuities (one fictional, one ‘’real’’) if Mills wanted to pursue them.

As far as underground DIY projects go, there is a lot of care evident here. Not surprisingly coming from Mills, whose work I’ve been following and enjoying for a few years now. This is essentially a two-person show taking place in one location, a smart concept when you have no money (I should know, I’ve done it a couple of time. Use what you have) and executed well. Mills does all his shooting and editing himself so he comes up with some pretty effective aesthetics on a (no) budget. This type of stuff never ceases to amaze me, as it’s all a labor of passion.

His next project is slated to be the less-serious Slaughterhouse Slumber Party, which will feature Lupa, Jonah, and Ryan. Count me in.

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Fantasia 2018: Tigers Are Not Afraid

by on August 12, 2018 at 1:57 am
Posted In: Blogs, Fantasia, Homepage, Movies, VAGRANTS

Following an opening text which gives depressing stats on the disappearances caused by the Mexican drug cartels and the orphan children left in its wake, we are introduced to our main protagonist, 10-year-old Estrella, as gunshots violently cut short the school day in the middle of a class given on fairy tales. As the students lie on the floor waiting for the unseen mayhem to end, Estrella’s teacher tries to comfort her by handing her three pieces of writing chalk that can be used to make three wishes.

When Estrella gets home, her mother is missing. There is no one else. She uses her first wish to ask for her mother’s return (hence the original title of Vuelven, which translated as ‘’Come Back’’), which she does, but as a horrifying ghost. Estrella then seeks the company of a group of homeless boys led by Shine, who has a vendetta against a particular local drug gang.

It’s hard not to compare this to some of Guillermo Del Toro’s work, particularly Pan’s Labyrinth, especially with the overt use of fairy tale tropes used within a realistic environment with very real-world threats. The fantastical elements (mainly revolving around the three wishes) are subtly integrated so that their influence may or may not be rationally explained, and most of the time they are experienced by only one character. The point of the movie isn’t of the ‘’is it real or imagined’’ variety, though. This is a story of orphans of the drug war, and told through their eyes; it is never explicitly said why the cartels kidnap and kill the people they do, or what they do to the children they then take. When Estrella stumbles on, and rescues, some children who were locked in cages, we aren’t told why they were there. The children don’t know, so we don’t either. But it doesn’t matter why, just that they need to be rescued. The orphans have their own theories about how these evil men are Satanists and cannibals and that’s the reality of their ongoing battle as far as they’re concerned.

The film would be fantastic even if it weren’t for the fantasy elements, which are integrated perfectly well in the narrative and in the direction by Issa Lopez. The supernatural occurrences are mainly horror-themed, which is fitting considering the subjects explored.  The horrors caused by the Mexican cartels are all too real and it’s hard to make any imagined horror worse by comparison.  The young cast is incredible and the characters well-drawn.

The movie managed what few can’t: bringing me close to tears by its conclusion. It’s an unexploitive, cinematic wonder that sheds a light on a subject that we don’t hear often from the media. Its survivors find solace and courage in fairy tales and stories, but in a world where the monsters aren’t bound by the rules.

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Fantasia 2018: Rondo

by on August 1, 2018 at 3:06 pm
Posted In: Blogs, Fantasia, Homepage, Movies, VAGRANTS

‘’Fun’’ being a descent into depravity and violence.

A Morgan Freeman-sound-alike narrator sets the tone: that we are not supposed to take this seriously. Emotionally-damaged, alcoholic war vet Paul (Luke Sorge) is introduced as our main protagonist, encouraged by his sister Jill (Brenna Otts) to see a therapist. Things quickly take a turn for the comically unconventional when the pregnant therapist wastes no time in strongly suggesting that what Paul needs is some kink in his life. A few minute in their first session and she’s giving him a time and place to go to for a ‘’special’’ evening, complete with a password to gain entry. Paul barely questions any of it and follows the instructions, literally not knowing what he’s getting himself into. From then on, the fun begins.

Rondo is a comedy, but its style and execution is as deliberate as any straight thriller of its noir-themed inspirations. Every shot is stylishly-composed, and if it weren’t for the almost- constant humor, remains effective in creating a genuine thriller vibe. There are shades of DePalma which are especially enjoyed, being a fan of his 70’s and 80’s work. Likewise, the art direction and photography are impeccably singular.

The acting is uniformly excellent, with special mention going to Gena Shaw who was the stand-out.  There is at least one major twist that happens fairly early on that was unpredictable and kick-starts the rest of the events leading into the climax.

Things culminate in a scene that I’d describe as blood-squib porn, the likes of which we haven’t seen since 80’s-90’s-era Paul Verhoeven. Big, wet, explosive bullet impacts. It’s a chear-worthy-scene for lovers of well-made practical effects and a clear celebration of it; as stylishly shot as the rest of the film and in gloriously-fetishized slow-motion, emphasizing each impact on the vivtim’s body as well as the incredibly well-performed reactions of the actors. This scene alone is pure cinematic joy for lovers of the genre.

Director Drew Barnhardt has a great filmmaking style and knows exactly what he’s going for. And although a (very dark) comedy, Rondo is not a parody but fits into its genre perfectly well. One has to have a tolerance and/or particular appreciation of graphic screen violence and dark subject matter in order to enjoy it as it’s meant to. It’s terrific filmmaking, genuinely funny and tense, unabashedly violent, and I for one was thoroughly entertained.

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Fantasia 2018: La Quinceanera

by on July 30, 2018 at 2:00 am
Posted In: Blogs, Fantasia, Homepage, Movies, VAGRANTS

Actually season one of a web series, shown in its entirety which is the length of a feature-length film. Alejandra sees her fifteenth birthday celebration, or quinceanera, disrupted by the arrival of a Mexican cartel group, the Del Rios. The reasons for their presence have to do with Alejandra’s father, for reasons that are revealed via flashbacks throughout the episodes. And when I write ‘’disrupted’’, I mean that almost the entirety of the guests and staff are brutally killed by the vicious gang, leaving only Alejandra, her mother, grandmother, and brother alive. Thus begins their quest for revenge.

This is a bloody, fast-paced, crowd-pleasing exploitation action flick, uh, series. The characters are treated with care and the performances credible, with Mia Xitlali as Alejandra giving a great turn as the young girl who quickly becomes a vengeful woman. The violence is brutal but many moments are of the ‘’fuck yeah’’ variety that are meant to be entertaining more than realistic. The structure is made more interesting with its initial use of some non-linear storytelling through the use of multiple flashbacks, which also means we get into the action really quickly before having certain things explained to us a bit later (such as Alejandra’s brother’s role in the events that led to the quinceanera massacre.

The downside is that as it stands, it’s completely open-ended. This being a series it’s understandable since it’s meant to be continued, but the story is far from finished. It’s all leading to a final confrontation that we don’t get to see. Still, if you’re a fan of violent b-movies the likes of which used to make up a big chunk of the ‘’action’’ section of the video/DVD store, you will be served. It’s also straight-faced, with no hint of parody or campiness, but done with a definite love of the genre.

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Fantasia 2018: Hurt

by on July 29, 2018 at 8:14 pm
Posted In: Blogs, Fantasia, Homepage, Movies, VAGRANTS

Why do we like to be scared? Or seek out horror imagery? And enjoy watching fictional violence? Not everyone does, sure, but us horror fans do.

I went in seeing Sonny Mallhi’s Hurt fairly blind. This was the world premiere and there was no trailer, and the descriptions were vague. A few pictures, of people wearing masks. Just enough to grab my interest. The masks looked creepy.  The less known about the premise, the better, as the first act culminates in a sly use of misperception, playing with our expectations.  This is ultimately what director Sonny Mallhi manipulates throughout the entire film: our perception.

The continuing set-up remains unconventional, as we are led to follow a number of characters until eventually settling on who will be our main protagonist (who is also revealed as someone who is not what they initially appear to be, in a creepy scene all done in close-ups). Soon enough, things are confirmed (after the first act tease) : we are in slasher-film territory. But things are not that simple, or standard.

At first, the style is reminiscent of the ‘’mumblecore’’ type of filmmaking (handheld camerawork, sometimes unfocused, naturalistic lighting), but this is also part of the misdirection. The framing turns out to be very deliberate, showing us what Mallhi wants to when he wants to, both to give or keep information and to create the mood that he’s going for. The pacing is slow and focuses on our main characters (of which there are very few) in a realistic and intimate way. Slowly, this starts to create an uneasy, subtly dreadful feeling.

Eventually, this becomes a stalk-and –slash film, with emphasis on the stalking. We’ve seen this type of thing many times before, but not quite like this. On the surface, it has more in common with classics like ‘’Black Christmas (1974)’’ and ‘’Halloween (1978)’’ than the more typical slasher film, with the emphasis on mood and suspense rather than multiple kills and gore, but then the genius of its intention is revealed. We think we know what’s going on, but…

It’s impressive how Mallhi ultimately tells his story. It’s also impressive that he manages to do what most films of the genre are supposed to and usually try: to actually be scary, and with a story that’s deceptively straightforward and that we’ve basically seen many times before. Or so we think. The ultimate subversion of our expectations, carefully and patiently constructed throughout, is at once genius and simple.

There’s a meta analysis of our relationship with horror at the core of Hurt, which is Mallhi’s whole point. Not necessarily horror movies per se, but our desire to be scared and to scare. As such, deciding to set the story on Halloween is perfect, and it’s one of the best uses of the holiday I’ve ever seen in a horror film; not just in the way to make the surroundings and visuals scarier (the design of the masks is terrific) but also to help explore its themes. There is a lengthy sequence taking place in a haunt fair that turns out to be crucial is so many ways to both the events following it and their meaning.

As it turns out, this unconventionally-shot, familiar story is interested in asking big questions. Its structure is brilliant. Its subject fascinatingly explored. Its conclusion incredibly satisfying. It’s also immensely helped by its lead performances (especially Emily van Raay) which are completely believable.

One of the biggest surprises I’ve recently seen coming from the genre. Sonny Mallhi sticks a mirror in its intended audience’s face, while giving us exactly what we crave.

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Fantasia 2018: A/S/L

by on July 25, 2018 at 4:53 pm
Posted In: Blogs, Fantasia, Homepage, Movies, VAGRANTS

Our main predator.

This eight-minute short film played before The Dark, with which it shares some surface similarities, which I won’t get into because spoilers.

We begin on a man sitting at his computer, chatting with a seemingly underage girl. Obviously, he’s a predator. Easily, he makes plans to meet up with her at her place. Pretty heavy set-up. Once the predator gets to the girl’s house, however, the tone shifts a bit and we’re obviously not meant to take what’s happening all that seriously (in that respect, it has more in common with The Ranger than it does with The Dark), as the film uses familiar horror movie language but in a more playful manner. Anybody who’s seen a few genre films will recognize the deliberate lighting, camera movements and performances that are meant to evoke more of a sense of familiar fun than actual scares. We know something unnatural is going to happen, even though the predator doesn’t (but painfully should).

Without spoiling the climax, it didn’t really surprise me. Again, once you’ve seen enough horror films (and shorts), you tend to see things coming. The direction and lighting is really well-handled. The performances are also excellent, with the younger performers coming across perfectly for what they are going for. For a short film, it gives horror fans what is expected on a surface level, i.e. the ingredients are there. Should the idea be somehow developed into a longer story, there could be something with a bit more substance to offer.

Dig this nice one-sheet.

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