Phantasm V: Ravager (2016)

"The Final Game Now Begins."

Ever since my dad introduced me to the first Phantasm, way back in nineteen-eighty... something... I've been a huge PHAN of the Phantasm franchise. So yes, this review is extremely biased.

But how could it not be? It's the fifth film in a franchise that prides itself on being abstract, dreamlike and intentionally confusing with its story. One needs to be at least semi-familiar with the lore in order to even begin to understand what's going on here. I really want to emphasize that this is absolutely NOT the place for newcomers to start with the series. Go back and watch the previous moves, IN ORDER.

In general, the series follows two main protagonists; Mike, played by A. Michael Baldwin, and Reggie, played by Reggie Bannister. Jody (Bill Thronbury) is an on-again, off-again main character as well, though he is rarely in this particular installment. Together they chased down and attempt to defeat the Tall Man, played by the late Angus Scrimm. Though we are initially introduced to the Tall Man as the mortician of Morningside Cemetery, we soon discover that he is actually an extradimensional being who is collecting the dead and creating an army; for what purpose, we are never truly shown. Besides the expected henchmen, The Tall Man weapon of choice is a multitude of flying metallic spheres that are equipped with blades and drills. He can also travel in between dimensions via portals made from two magnetic poles that resemble a tuning fork.

Still with me?

Phantasm Ravager picks up where the fourth movie (Oblivion) left off, which Reggie re-emerging from the tuning fork portal in the desert. See what I mean about needing to know the lore? Anyway, the main theme here is that Reggie's reality keeps getting disrupted. One moment he's on a desert highway, the next he is in a retirement home, being told by Mike that he has dementia. Before he can come to grips with this reality, he suddenly finds himself in a post-apocalyptic wasteland where The Tall Man has apparently taken over the world. Despite being tossed back and forth between multiple dimensions, Reggie manages to get his bearings quick enough to continue his search for the Tall Man, who always seems to be one step ahead of him.

The movie is open-ended enough to interpretation that it has sparked controversy in the Phantasm community as to whether or not this movie negates all the events of the previous ones. Personally, I don't believe that it does, and I believe that it's kept ambiguous on purpose.

Phantasm Ravager is a labor of love, for better or worse. There are moments in the film when it becomes very apparent that they had a limited budget, but tried their best to push it for the sake of telling the story that they wanted to tell. Personally, I admire the ambition, but I am biased because I have been rooting for it for the last decade. Your mileage may vary.

That said, everything you'd expect from a Phantasm film is here. The Tall Man is a little more chatty in this installment, but I enjoyed his back-and-forth with Reggie. We continue to get more of his backstory as well. Reggie Bannister brings his A-game to the table and is always a treat to watch. There are gory kills via the silver balls. The badass 1971 Plymouth Barracuda is present. There is glorious b-side horror camp. There are cameos for the fans. There is a general vertigo-inducing sense of surrealism throughout. This definitely a movie that you're going to want to watch more than once to get the full impact of the story. Maybe even three times.

What else is there to say, except: "BOYYYYYY!!!!"

Watch the trailer: 

 

Superprism - House Of The Dead (2017)

Superprism
House Of The Dead

House Of The Dead is much more active than your average atmospheric dark ambient. Rather than stretched out drones that cause uneasiness, this is clearly meant to be a score for accompanying scenarios such as hosting a Halloween party or a night of table top role-playing.

Make no mistake: this is an album, not a soundscape. Each song is short and sweet, only a few venturing past the two-minute mark, yet every one has its own distinct theme. These pieces do not blend together. They do, however compliment each other quite nicely. The album creates an imaginary narrative as it flows from one possible scene to the next. As with real soundtracks, not every reflects a scene being drenched in horror; there are softer moments here, more hopeful moments there.

Honestly, it's at times a little too upbeat and new agey to conjure up nightmarish images of an abode filled the re-animated zombies. But on the other hand, this makes the album as a whole feel more fleshed out (please excuse the pun) and worked to its advantage.

I found the music engaging enough that I didn't feel the need to wait until I'm dressed in a costume and on my way to go trick-or-treating in order to enjoy listening to it. However, that certainly wouldn't hurt.

Listen To And Buy The Album Here

The Void (2016)

"There is a hell. This is worse."

When you become aware of the existence of The Void (Directed by Steven Kostanski and Jeremy Gillespie), you will most likely find that there are a few common phrases accompanying the buzz. Terms like "80's throwback", "John carpenter", "H.P. Lovecraft" or "body horror". This is not without good reason. The Void is indeed a love letter to all of these things. Fortunately, it is more than the sum of its parts and stands on its own as a unique film, destined to become a cult classic.

We follow the story of Daniel Carter, played by Aaron Poole, a cop who crosses paths with a young distraught man late at night. He takes the clearly traumatized person to the closest hospital, which is barely open and operated by a skeleton crew. Here we meet nurse Allison (Kathleen Munroe), Daniel's estranged wife, along with a couple of other staff. This includes Kim, played by Ellen Wong, who is basically the human embodiment of the phrase "I literally can't even". In the waiting room are a young, nearly-due pregnant woman and her grandfather.

The film takes but a few minutes to introduce us to the characters before pulling us straight down into the abyss of madness. The hospital is suddenly surrounded by ominous cult members, who stand silently in their white hooded robes, but attack anyone who try to leave the building. The inside of the hospital isn't much safer as strange and horrific things start to happen without warning.

The tension really ramps up when a no-nonsense duo break into the hospital, hell-bent on killing the young man that Daniel brought in. Turns out this person, named James (played by Evan Stern), may be connected to all of the strangeness. Actor Daniel Fathers plays Vincent, a very intimidating man who cares much more about stopping the spread of the madness with his shotgun than making smalltalk. He, along with his partner Simon (Mik Byskov), complete the ensemble cast take the terror to new heights. When Vincent suggests to Simon that they could just burn the place down with everyone in it, you really believe that he is capable of such an act.

Meanwhile, the dead are being re-animated and transformed into horrific mutations. There is a doctor performing unspeakable operations. And there emerges a gateway to another dimension.

The main draw for horror fans such as myself is definitely the practical gore effects. This movie wears its inspirations like a badge, and we love it all the more for it. John Carpenter's "The Thing" is an obvious influence for the creature designs here. That said, the body horror is unique and memorable. This is no rip-off. Everything, from the shapeshifted and barely-recognizable re-animated humans, to the detailed and dreary set pieces, are visually stunning.

Thematically, the story takes cues from a variety of sources, including H.P. Lovecraft, Hellraiser, and Silent Hill. The film is heavy on atmosphere, inducing an oppressive sense of cosmic dread that fits perfectly within the story.

Speaking of which, the story lays down some intriguing groundwork, but keeps it ambiguous. It isn't interested in answering all of the questions that it puts forth. Rather, it asks us to take the same increasingly-desperate journey that Daniel does. It is my opinion that the concepts presented are underdeveloped on purpose. This kind of cosmic horror works because it emphasizes our own insignificance, as well as our inability to comprehend threats that our greater than our natural world. Therefore, over-explaining the lore would take away the mystery that makes it so scary.

In my opinion, The Void succeeds in doing exactly what it sets out to do. It answers the call of horror fans thirsty for something surreal, Lovecraftian and gruesome. It walks the line between telling a compelling story without giving the audience too much, and it's layered and subtle enough to reward multiple viewings.

Watch the trailer:

Kammarheit - Asleep And Well Hidden (2016)

Kammarheit
Asleep And Well Hidden

 

Slow, lazy movements in the dark. That is the kind of vague imagery that this dark ambient music conjures up as I listen to it. There is an ecosystem here that, though sluggish and at times barely distinguished, is unmistakably alive.

This music is not afraid to slowly wrap it lumbering arms around you, squeezing so gently that you will be lulled into a kind of sedated state. If you let it, this album will become your entire environment; a shapeshifting terrace that can transmute a dark, starry night into a lonely industrial warehouse with such ease that you will barely realize it is happening.

Minimal drones ebb and flow effortlessly, making the listener feel as though they may be drifting slowly down a dark, endless river. Short, higher pitched quivering noises give the impression of catching glimpses of tiny and fluttering shadows that dance in the dark, just out the listener's view.

Though there are the occasional bending of metal or distant, ghostly cries (particularly with the song "The Poignant"), this album is overall more focused on embracing you than frightening you. If you like dark ambient, it's quite comfy.

Listen to and buy the album here

The Monster Project (2017)

"Do you believe in monsters?"

Right off the bat, I'll be honest. I hate found footage films. Everything is usually too dark, often green, and generally one big, jumbled mess. During what's supposed to be a tense chase scene, I always find myself saying "gee, this would probably be scary if I could see anything." But at least I'm aware of this bias, and so I'll try to keep that in mind as I review this.

That said, the above complaints are a pretty good description of The Monster Project. It's uneven, chaotic, and generally unappealing too look at.

The film is split into two main halves. The first half tells the story of Devon (Justin Bruening) the dudebro and Jamal (Jamal Quezaire) the black guy, two amateur film makers who are rising in the Youtube ranks with their fake monster sighting videos. Devon decides to take things to the next level by interviewing people who believe they are real monsters. They find a skinwalker, a vampire, and a girl possessed by a demon. Along for the ride is Bryan (Toby Hemingway) the junkie and Murielle (Murielle Zuker) the love interest.

I give them accompanying stereotypes because the movie REALLY wants you to know that they are in fact paper-thin stereotypes. Jamal says things like "shit you be trippin!" and "oh hell naw!". Bryan is pretending to be clean when he's (gasp!) still using. Murielle's either the angry ex-girlfriend or the damsel in distress ("protect Murielle! Don't let anything happen to her!" they shout to each other during chase scenes). You get the idea.

ANYWAY, eventually we slog through the padding of the first 40 minutes, and are eventually rewarded with the second half of the movie. This is, of course, when all the monsters show up to be interviewed. As you would expect, the skinwalker begins to wolf out, kicking things into high gear. The girl haunted by the demon gets all cgi-scary-faced, and the vampire girl just starts attacking for... well, no reason. She's just a bitch I guess.

Eventually two characters get bitten by the wolf and vampire, respectively. I don't have to tell you what that means for them; you already know. You know because you've seen it a millions times. But apparently the movie thinks you don't know, because you're supposed to be on the edge of your seat as something weird starts happening to the werewolf victim's back. *Yawn*

It's at this point that they run through the corridors of the very large house, slamming doors behind them, looking for another exit, etc. One guy conveniently has a video camera on his head, so much of these sequences play out like first-person. video games. There are times when, were you to walk in on someone watching this movie, you would swear that they were playing Outlast. I honestly was expecting Markiplier to start commentating.

Then there's the twist ending. Come on, you all knew there had to be one. Whew boy, let me tell you... at first I was pleasantly surprised! I honestly did not see that initial twist coming. But then the movie went on for another 10 minutes, and got more ridiculous with each passing minute. By the end, I lost count of how many times I rolled my eyes.

So there you have it! The acting was... aight. The special effects were uneven, the practical being much better than the cgi. Jamal's character deserved better than the dialogue he had. The jump scares were often cheap and undeserved (a loud glitch in the video quality, for example). And, as with all found footage movies, there were times when I found myself saying "why would someone record this moment?"

Honestly though, it wasn't horrible. It's just that with a premise such as this, I expected something more clever.

Watch the trailer:

 

From A House On Willow Street (2017)

"Evil has an address..."

Sometimes, a horror film introduces an antagonist that is memorable, threatening, and sometimes even iconic. Other times, the main antagonist isn't in the script. Rather it is the script itself.

From A House On Willow Street has all the components of a good, scary movie. The premise is certainly intriguing; four criminals kidnap a young woman in order to demand a ransom from her parents. What the kidnappers don't realize, however, is that the girl has strings attached. Bloody, demonic strings. Needless to say, by the time they realize that they are in over their heads, it's too late to turn back.

The characters in the story each have enough of a backstory to make them distinguishable. The movie begins with a fire, and cuts to a woman with burn scars. This introduces our main protagonist, Hazel, played by Sharni Vinson. Katherine (Carlyn Burchell), the hostage, is suitably creepy. We quickly find out that there is more to her than meets the eye, and her story develops over the course of the entire film. Carlyn effortlessly shifts from distressed to menacing as the script calls for. The other main characters, Ade (Steven Ward), Mark (Zino Ventura) and James (Gustav Gerderner), are serviceable enough.

The score and sound effects are nice. The soundtrack offers underlying tension when called for, and accompanies jump-scares effectively. At one point, a sudden silence emphasizes how creepy the ambience had been up until that point. The visual effects are decent. There is some obvious cgi, with varying results. There are both ghost zombies and real, possessed zombies that have memorable designs.

There are some paint-by-numbers scares to be had here. Nothing that really stands out, but they work. The gore effects also don't disappoint when they pop up.

What absolutely kills this movie is its script; particularly the dialogue. Right from the beginning I found myself thinking, "movie is trying so hard to be a Joss Whedon movie with witty banter. But it is SOOOOO NOT a Joss Whedon movie with witty banter."

Witty banter works in other films when there is  sense of camp or light-hearted winking at the audience. Here, there is none of that. Everything is so over-the-top serious that it becomes unintentionally silly. "There is something very wrong with that house on willow street" is a line that is spouted with absolute, one hundred percent seriousness.

There is so much forced camaraderie, which wouldn't be so much of a problem except for the fact that there is simultaneously so much forced internal conflict within the group. Everyone's trying to be a badass, but no one takes each other seriously. They are trying to generate tension but there are no stakes because no one has more power than the other, so everyone just comes off as being extra bitchy.

About two-thirds of the way through the film, it abruptly suffers from a severe case of over-explaining itself. This works against the films narrative because the more rules you set for your baddie, the more you limit him. So it becomes more difficult to ignore when you contradict those rules. For example, we're asked to care that one person is threatening to unchain a demonized Katherine. However, if she can already manifest zombies that infect and possess living people, all while chained up... how does this threat hold any weight at all? Katherine is all-powerful; unless the script suddenly decides she's not. Then she just lies still and takes a beating from a wrench. You know, after we've already seen her literally stop bullets.

Did I mention that I didn't like the script?

It's a shame that the finished product ended up as unimpressive as it did, because the general concept has a lot of potential. As it is, however, I honestly feel it would have been better off as a novel rather than a movie.

Watch the trailer:

Cryo Chamber Collaboration - Cthulhu (2014)

Cryo Chamber Collection

Cthulhu

Uneasy, yet soothing ambient noises lull you into a state of calmness. You begin to hear sounds that carry the vague, yet recognizable oceanic themes. Noises carry a wet coating. Metallic creaks remind you of the sounds you might hear while on a submarine. You close your eyes and let this enigmatic soundscape pull you down into the dark, watery abyss. But this is just the beginning...

"Cthulhu" is a 12-artist collaboration effort to pay tribute to the iconic Lovecraft creature that dwells in the sea, each person a member of the dark ambient label "Cryo Chamber". You can tell that this is a supergroup effort. This one hour and twenty minute-long sound collage is a lumbering, shape-shifting monster that goes through many changes throughout its runtime.

There are moments of quiet solitude, portions of threatening rumbles, bits of slow and brooding beats, as well as the occasional hint of a melody. The tone, however, remains consistent throughout. H.P. Lovecaft's cosmic dread is omnipresent, as the music simultaneously communicates the vastness of isolation and the crushing oppression of the deep ocean.

If you are new to the genre, I actually recommend that this not be your first dark ambient album. There is nothing easy about the listening experience here, and the constant shift in atmosphere may give you a sense of anxiety. However, if you know and love the genre, you will be well-rewarded.

Listen to and buy the album here

Housebound Movie Review (2014)

"Terror gets domesticated."

Housebound is a horror comedy that manages to be interesting, suspenseful, and funny all at the same time.

Kylie, played by Morgana O-Reilly, gets caught while robbing an atm machine. We soon find out she she has been leading a troubled life of crime and drugs, and is sentenced to live with her mom for 8 months. To ensure she doesn't escape, Kylie is forced to wear an ankle bracelet that will alert the police, should she walk past the perimeter of the property.

Immediately it becomes apparent that Kylie and her mom Miriam, played by Rima Te Wiata, don't get along so well. Though Miriam tries to make room in her life for her daughter's presence, it's very clear that Kylie's resentful attitude quickly begins to drive her crazy. She eats all the food in the house, hogs the television, refuses to do any chores, and generally goes out of her way to be a general nuisance.

 

When Kylie discovers that her mom believes that there is a ghost living in the house, she adds mockery to the list. That is, until she begins to experience seemingly paranormal occurrences herself. Compelled by the strange events happening to her, Kylie, her mom, and her probation officer Amos (Glen-Paul Waru) unravel a mystery that has many twists and turns. To say anything more than this about the plot would spoil the fun.

And fun this movie is! Housebound gleefully revels in the fact that it is a horror comedy. In my opinion, it sometimes dips a little too deeply into the cheese. But then again, humor is subjective. Other times, the comedy comes in brief flashes amidst otherwise suspenseful scenes, which I found to be much more effective. There are also a bit of satirical jabs at the genre itself, not the least of which dealing with amateur ghost-hunting.

That's not to say that Housebound is without scares; far from it. The house itself is sufficiently creepy, having dark, vintage-styled wallpaper, and being filled to the brim with books, furniture and knick knacks. When Kylie wanders around in the basement with nothing but a flashlight in order to investigate the strange noise, as cliche as that sounds, the scene is effectively dripping with tension. Of course, what would a horror movie be without jump scares? Some are rewarding, but a few feel really cheap. Particularly early on; it was almost as though director Gerard Johnstone was afraid of losing the audience's attention.

Even with its flaws, Housebound is a ton of fun to watch. The performances are great and the mystery of what's actually going on is an intriguing one. It can't be too easy to effectively mix comedy and scares into one entertaining flick, but this movie succeeds at it.

 

Watch the trailer:

The Hallow Movie Review (2015)

"If you trespass upon them, they will trespass upon you."

The Hallow is a creature feature that takes its inspiration from Irish folklore. At its heart, this movie is an environmental cautionary tale that warns against the danger of trespassing on and violating nature. That said, it is not preachy. It simply uses this angle as the premise for the main conflict.

Adam and Clare are a young couple who have just moved into a remote house located by a forest. While a run-down fixer-upper of a home may not be the most ideal place to raise their baby, Finn, the surrounding forest provides job security for Adam, who is an arborologist and intends on cutting down trees with black fungus. The problem is that the townsfolk are against this, for they believe that the trees belongs to magical forest folk known as The Hallow, or as one policeman phrases it, "fairies, banshees and baby stealers".

The movie takes it's time to establish its main players and premise, and it is not afraid to let the viewer stew in a vague sense of dread before kicking off the action. However, once it gets going, the film grips you with its tension and takes you for a thrill ride! The meat of the conflict manages to combine a few different ideas, such as monster movie, home invasion, and even body horror, and transmute it into a unique and memorable story. It's also not afraid to pull from Irish folklore and give those ideas a modern twist.

Joseph Mawle as Adam had quite an interesting role, as his character goes through a transformation that is smartly kept ambiguous, leaving the viewer questioning his decisions. Bojana Novakovic, who plays Clare, is very convincing as a mother who struggles to overcome the horror of the situation in order to do whatever it takes to protect her child from the creatures. Speaking of which, the monsters were very well-designed, and effectively scary. They showed off some unique abilities that made sense as to their nature.

An a side note, this movie is absolutely gorgeous to look at. The forest is a vibrant green, its branches letting occasional streams of light into its darkened paths. Director Corin Hardy certainly wanted his film to have visual appeal, and it shows.

On the downside, the potential for exploring more of the Irish folklore definitely had me wanting more. The movie would tease me with a reference to iron on windows, or a huge fairy tale book that we were allowed to glimpse a few pages of. It felt like there was room for a lot more enrichment. The same goes for the creatures. Don't get me wrong; they were mighty effective at being threatening. But I expected the final act to ramp up their size and scope and go all-out. That never happened. Ah well, can't have everything.

Still, what the film did offer was a tension-filled jaunt with plenty of scares, that continuously upped the stakes and gave a satisfying conclusion. It's definitely an above-average monster movie.

Watch the trailer: