Welcome to the darker side of AICN! Mark L. Miller aka Ambush Bug here with another AICN HORROR: ZOMBIES & SHARKS column. Still trying to catch up on all of these Halloween releases, so here’s another column of horror film reviews for your browsing pleasure!
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On with the horror reviews!
(Click title to go directly to the feature)
Retro-review: THE EARTH DIES SCREAMING (1964)
PANDORICA (2016)
THE ID (2015)
FRANCESCA (2015)
THE WINDMILL (2016)
And finally…Light’s Out: Revenge of India!
New this week on BluRay from Kino Lorber!THE EARTH DIES SCREAMING (1964)
Directed by Terence FisherWritten by Harry Spalding
Starring Willard Parker, Virginia Field, Dennis Price, Thorley Walters, Vanda Godsell, David Spenser, Anna Palk
Reviewed by Mark L. Miller aka Ambush Bug
Hammer director Terence Fisher directs this goofy, yet engrossing outer space invasion flick, THE EARTH DIES SCREAMING.
Well, instead of screaming, the earth kind of slumps over and passes out like a drunken collegiate when invading alien robots arrive. The opening scene is reminiscent of VILLAGE OF THE DAMNED as on person after another topples to the ground signaling a massive death toll that, in this movie at least, seems to go across an entire county. Only a handful of survivors inexplicably are unaffected by the phenomenon. Those survivors witness robots walking verrrrrrry sllllowllly through the streets of the small English town, eliminating any survivors sloth-like enough for them to catch up to. These survivors, which include an American pilot (Willard Parker), a damsel in distress (Virginia Field), an asshole (Dennis Price), a drunk (the always fun Thorley Walters), and a young couple about to have a baby. Banding together, they try to battle these aliens and find someplace safe.
Let’s start with the good. There are some really great sequences Fisher sets up in this film which show that the budding filmmaker was destined for bigger and better things with this film. One sequence where Virginia Field escapes from her captor (Dennis Price) and finds herself hiding in a house from the slow moving robots and their milky-eyed slaves is about as scary as they come. Sure the sequence has been repeated in many a horror film, but when Field hides in the closet and watches the alien slave make its way slowly through the room, it will definitely send chills. Other moments of tension are set up in this film well and the opener where everyone falls dead is gripping as well.
The problem is that the monsters in this film are so damn goofy. They look like what happens when you drop a magnet into a drawer filled with nuts and bolts and move so slow that its laughable. Anyone with the mobility above a paraplegic would be able to outrun these guys. On top of that, the cast does their best to let these robots catch up to them. Field herself has an annoying tendency to leave doors wide open so her pursuers can walk right in after her. This happens so many times it could be a drinking game. And speaking of drinking, I loved the drunken gunfight Thorley Walters has with one of the gun-toting slaves. Sheer goofy glee.
So while this film see-saws from goofy to intense, I have to recommend this one as a delight of an old school alien invasion film. It’s done on the cheap, but acted and directed fantastically. The climax, along with the aliens, are absurd, but still, you’re bound to have a blast with THE EARTH DIED SCREAMING. It’s also a great Tom Waits song, BTW. See below!
New this week select theaters, On Demand and on DVD from MVD Visual!PANDORICA (2016)
Directed by Tom PatonWritten by Tom Paton
Starring Jade Hobday, Marc Zammit, Adam Bond, Luke D'Silva, Bentley Kalu, Amed Hashimi, Laura Marie Howard, Macaulay Callard, Adam Ford
Find out more about this film here and on Facebook here
Reviewed by Mark L. Miller aka Ambush Bug
There is something to be said about a promising premise and the gumption to film a large scale sci fi epic on a micro-budget. That’s exactly what PANDORICA does and here’s hoping the folks behind this film gets some additional backing for the sequel it teases during the credits, as the ideas here are strong and well developed enough to really go into some interesting places.
The opening scrawl has the balls to say “A long time ago…” and continues to explain that the earth’s civilization has fallen and tribes of survivors are scattered across the world. One tribe in particular, the Verosha, have a tradition of sending three warriors raised from youth to be a leader to be sent out into the surrounding jungle with the current leader. After a series of challenges and battles, the one who returns alive is deemed the leader of the tribe. Three young warriors; the impulsive Ares (Marc Zammit), the compassionate Thade (Adam Bond), and the uber-tough Eiren (Jade Hobday) join their elder leader Nus (Luke D'Silva) on this ritualistic rite of passage only to find themselves hunted by giant man-monsters named Three, Six, and Nine (Bentley Kalu) who haunt the woods and murder anyone leaving the village. As the dangers of the jungle whittle away the four warriors, only one warrior is left to return to the tribe.
While this film is basically a bunch of people with warpaint running around a wooded area, what makes it stand out is how beautifully this area is shot by filmmaker Tom Paton and how much action he gives with so very little budget to work with. The film has fun with incorporating modern technology in with seemingly ancient times, much like STAR WARS gave the people of Tantooine a look of more primitive times, yet peppered in technology suggesting that it is a relic of a landscape that once might have been thriving with technology and civilization.
The lead, played by the kick-ass Jade Hobday, is quite good. And while the action scenes could use some polishing in terms of onscreen hand to hand combat, Paton does a decent job of making the pace of the film move at a hectic clip. All in all, this film borrows from such films as DOOMSDAY in its look, while I feel it is the low fi sister film to APOCALYPTO as it tells a tight and fun story that is frantically fast movie. PANDORICA is a film I want to support as the filmmaker obviously has a vision and the success of this movie can definitely help develop that vision into a reality. Best of luck to the filmmakers and to the readers, give this little sci fi actioner a shot.
New this week on BluRay found here and here!THE ID (2015)
Directed by Thommy HutsonWritten by Sean H. Stewart
Starring Amanda Wyss, Patrick Peduto, Jamye Grant, Malcolm Matthews, Karen Leabo, Brent Witt, Stefanie Guarino, Erin Astin, Ryan Bouton
Reviewed by Mark L. Miller aka Ambush Bug
Sometimes horror doesn’t need a supernatural monster or an alien menace. Sometimes horror wears a human shape and comes from possibly the darkest place on earth—the human mind. That’s the cause of the real world horror story that plays out in THE ID, a fantastic psychological horror tale from Thommy Hutson, who brought us ANIMAL and was the man behind both the CRYSTAL LAKE MEMORIES and NEVER SLEEP AGAIN which delved in deep into the FRIDAY THE 13TH and A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET series.
A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET’s Tina aka Amanda Wyss plays Meridith, a woman dedicated to taking care of her sickly father (Patrich Peduto); so much so that she has pretty much given up on any life that doesn’t involve taking care of him, despite his constant berating verbal abuse. But when Meridith gets a call from a boyfriend from high school in town for their reunion, Meridith gains new hope about finding a life outside of taking care of her father. Her father, though, has different plans.
So while this might sound a bit like the setup for a Lifetime movie, Wyss and director Hutson take it to a more authentic level. Wyss is absolutely riveting as the worn down Meridith. She is able to convince the audience of the complex feelings she has about being dedicated to her invalid father, but also wanting a life of her own. This is a complex conflict of emotions and Wyss is able to convey them with much ease. While she did a fantastic job in A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET and was damn cool in BETTER OFF DEAD, but it’s been quite a while since I’ve seen Wyss on screen and despite the years, she really shows her talent taking on the horrific treatment she gets from her onscreen father in this film. Wyss’ performance is what makes this film worth seeking out.
If you’re looking for big effects, big budget, and big ramifications, this is not the movie that you should be looking for. This is a film about the subtleties. It’s a film about the horror of conflicting emotions. It’s a tale of terrible things happening in the real world. THE ID is a horror film that immerses the viewer into the horrors of one horrifically pressured person. So while there are no jump scares or monsters leaping from the shadows, THE ID is filled with the darkness of the human soul, which to me, is much more terrifying than any imaginary spook most can think of.
"The Id" Official Trailer #1 - HD from Hutson Ranch Media on Vimeo.
New on special edition DVD/BluRay from Unearthed Films!FRANCESCA (2015)
Directed by Luciano OnettiWritten by Luciano Onetti & Nicolás Onetti
Starring Luis Emilio Rodriguez, Gustavo Dalessanro, Raul Gederlini, Silvina Grippaldi, Evangelina Goitia, Juan Bautista Massolo, Florencia Ollé, Fernanda Cerrudo, Idiel Idiaquez, Juan María Onetti
Find out more about this film on Facebook here
Reviewed by Mark L. Miller aka Ambush Bug
Paying homage is often a decent route to go in terms of horror as there are plenty of great material to plum from. But the best homages take elements of a specific subgenre and update it for modern audiences. While FRANCESCA is a great example of how giallo horror used to be. It’s got a mysterious shrouded lady, a mystery with all kinds of twists and turns, and the blood drips bright red. But while FRANCESCA feels like a film unearthed in a specific period of time, it also falls into a lot of the trappings of that era. And while some might find it quaint, I would have rather the filmmakers made improvements and filled in those holes (much like the recent THE EDITOR did last year in this year) rather than repeat them.
FRANCESCA tells the sordid story of a series of murders where the killer leaves silver coins over the eyes its mutilated victims. Two investigators painstakingly attempt to crack the case which involves numerous suspects of despicable demeanor. Meanwhile, the murders continue and become more gruesome and ties to an abusive history of the killer are unearthed.
The fun thing about FRANCESCA is that it uses all of the same old giallo goodies that fans of the genre know and love. The mysterious woman in red killing the folks is something straight out of Bava’s cookbook as are the numerous red herrings tossed around and the attention to police procedural business which equals the attention given to the murders themselves. These are fun nods to the giallo genre. Another amazing aspect of this film is that it is filmed in a washed out manner so that only the blood reds come out vividly and everything else occurs in a dreamlike black and white. This grainy filter gives the entire film a dirty and antique look, once again, making it feel like it was dusted off and remastered rather than recently made and released. I love the way this film feels like a relic in every sense of the word.
Most of the times in giallo, the murderer is obvious to everyone but the detectives or on the other extreme, the murderer is so out of the blue that you can never predict it. These trappings occur here in FRANCESCA as well and on one hand, it’s kind of quaint to see this aspect carry over into. But while there is an endearing quality to that, I also am a firm believer that even throwbacks can push the genre forward and I would have loved to see there be a tighter mystery and a little more depth here. Instead of depth, Onetti tosses in some music video-esque dream sequences, which are nicely realized, but add very little to the story. As is, FRANCESCA is a well polished and luxurious example of a specific type of filmmaking, but with little substance beyond that. I left FRANCESCA disappointed as I felt I have seen this movie before over and over with little added to the table.
I really think filmmaker Luciano Onetti is a talented one. He is able to exemplify an age old era of horror that often doesn’t get the respect it deserves, especially since it was so influential in such American horror films as FRIDAY THE 13TH, SILENCE OF THE LAMBS, and SE7EN. Those films did a great job of lifting elements well established in the Italian Giallo genre and pushing the medium forward into quality territory. FRANCESCA just kind of bows down to that era and mimics it, which felt less substantial that I was hoping for.
New this week in theaters and On Demand!THE WINDMILL (2016)
aka THE WINDMILL MASSACREDirected by Nick Jongerius
Written by Nick Jongerius, Chris W. Mitchell, Suzy Quid
Starring Noah Taylor, Charlotte Beaumont, Patrick Baladi, Ben Batt, Fiona Hampton, Adam Thomas Wright, Tanroh Ishida, Mattijn Hartemink, Stijn Westenend, Bart Klever, Liz Vergeer, Edo Brunner, Donnya Zidan, Femke Lakerveld, & Kenan Raven as The Miller!
Reviewed by Mark L. Miller aka Ambush Bug
While it doesn’t really bring a lot new to the table in terms of stalker/slasher films, THE WINDMILL does do it rather well.
A group of travelers, including a plucky Australian runaway (Charlotte Beaumont), a neglected child and his phone-addicted dad, an Asian tourist, a thug on the lam, a more long in the tooth Noah Taylor and a few others take a windmill tour bus through the countryside of Holland to waste a few hours. But when the bus breaks down, they happen upon a decrepit windmill that is occupied by a very large and very savage killing machine by the name of…the Miller!
Having the last name of Miller, I took great joy in seeing my last name shared with this masked marauder with a rope and scythe. And the Miller is a formidable movie villain with immense strength and an unquenchable appetite for gore. The film delivers greatly in the red stuff, as the Miller decapitates, shreds, and dismembers most of the occupants of the bus. An Amsterdam version of Jason Voorhees, the Miller makes for an ominous villain and I’d kind of love to see more of him in another THE WINDMILL film.
That said, the story is rather weak. While there is a touch of cleverness framing this film at the beginning and the end, the middle meaty part is a pretty by-the-numbers, kill one person in a gory and imaginative way and then kill another until there’s hardly any left fashion. It’s a tried and true method of horror storytelling, but one that felt somewhat archaic and made me feel this is more of a throwback film that modernizes the brutal kills we didn’t get in the MPAA edited F13 films. That said, the ending of THE WINDMILL is pretty ballsy and definitely will cause a shock.
Decent acting, a fun premise, a wickedly brutal villain, and a taste for 80’s slasher gore makes THE WINDMILL a refreshing, albeit familiar little horror story. I’d recommend it to folks who love the 80’s slasher craze because it hits all the right buttons. Just don’t look for much by way of new ideas.
And finally…how about another LIGHT’S OUT radio play? I knew you’d like that. Here’s one called “Revenge of India” and it’s another one that’ll make you pull the covers to your nose. Enjoy!
See ya next week, folks!
Ambush Bug is Mark L. Miller, original @$$Hole/wordslinger/writer of wrongs/reviewer/interviewer/editor of AICN COMICS for over 15 years & AICN HORROR for 5. Follow Mark on the Twitters @Mark_L_Miller and on his new website collecting posts for AICN HORROR as well as all of the most recent updates on his various comic book projects on MLMillerWrites.com.
A quick plug for my own work. I have a new comic book coming out this December called THE JUNGLE BOOK HOLIDAY SPECIAL: BAGHEERA’S SECRET. It’s a one shot reteaming my original JUNGLE BOOK artist Carlos Granda and myself (the same team who created PIROUETTE) and it is available to order now via Previews order# OCT162113. I’m getting pages of this book by the day and this book looks absolutely amazing so far. Fans of jungle adventure are going to love it! Please support me by telling your local comic book store to order tons of issues of this comic! Much appreciated, folks.
Look for Johnny Destructo, Stephen Andrade, Christian DiBari, and my own ramblings about random horror films on CultPop/PoptardsGo and Ain’t It Cool on AICN HORROR’s CANNIBAL HORRORCAST Podcast every other Thursday (or so…)!
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