As a new annual tradition, my boyfriend and I make an effort to see ALL After Dark Horrorfest movies in the theater (and it IS new, this is just year II for us).
http://www.horrorfestonline.com/
I'm not sure how many other people are doing the same, but if you
are, let's post movie reviews, thoughts, recommendations, etc. Maybe talk about previous years' movies and the whatnot.
I know that not all After Dark movies are great cinema per se, but I think that it's actually a pretty important medium to introduce indie cinema to the general public. I support the indie horror film maker all the way, for better or for worse (and I DO know that there is a
worse - Mark and I currently have a deal with the Industry, knowing full well that, if we go into a movie without any expectations or knowledge of it, there is a good 70% change that it will be awful; I call it the
70% Deal).
SO
On to the MOVIES.
My biggest complaint of the Fest so far is that, unfortunately, there aren't a whole lot of options for Horrorfest theaters. The closest one to us is in Revere, MA, which isn't even the
arm pit of Massachusetts - no, it is the
asshole of Massachusetts. After weeding through the insipid pedestrian cretins riddling the main lobby, we reached the designated horrorfest theater to see...
Autopsy
Hershel Gordon Lewis, eat your heart out.
Literally.
What began on a rather derivative and boring note (teens on Mardi Gras Break get into a car crash on their way home and are immediately taken to a backwoods hospital where the atmosphere is just...
off) soon turned into a phantasmagorical promenade of blood, guts, and gore that made even the most jaded horror movie fan grin in veritable glee.
I hesitate to describe this movie as "splatter punk" as it has a macabre element of exploitative realism that diverges from the over-the-top splatter humor that generally emerges from your classic splatter punk films (i.e.
Evil Dead II or
Dead Alive).
Autopsy instead pays homage to classic schlock and Grindhouse cinema that came before - The innards and entrails of Hershel Gordon Lewis escalated to a level that, surprising, left both me
and the boyfriend cringing - with happiness.
The story is basic: Teens on break get kidnapped and taken to an abandoned hospital where they are tortured by a sadistic doctor (
Robert Patrick, by the way, is BRILLIANT in this role), an iconic and creepy nurse (an obvious and well-done nod to the iconic Nurse Ratched), and two believably fearsome cronies (played with Grindhouse vigor and excellence by the veterans Michael Bowen and Robert LaSardo). But this is
not just torture porn. While I was wary at first, Director Adam Gierasch has an obvious eye for composition and a mind for all schlock that has come before.
Autopsy is a fun if not
disturbing romp into the modern splatter genre with esoteric nods to influences that came before.
What's truly impressive about this movie is not
just the scenes of gore, but its surprising ability to maintain a high level of pure
shock throughout the entire film. I was also impressed that amidst this Grindhouse homage, our antagonists are so well acted that they create a true atmosphere of fear and suspense - our villains were truly threatening.
The downside: While this film was fantastically grotesque, it
did take a while to get there. For the first half an hour or so, I thought that the director was overreaching, the story was derivative, and the atmosphere muted and ineffectual. In retrospect, these "gaffs" were obviously intentional and meant to purposefully surprise the viewer when the actually horror sets in (both the gore AND the suspense).
WARNING: Not for the faint of heart. There was some TRULY disturbing imagery in there. However, if you're a fan of Grindhouse, schlock, splatterpunk, Hershel Gordon Lewis, etc. - Then this movie will absolutely delight you. It is SO refreshing to see modern filmmakers reinvisioning the genre and raising the
shock bar to new heights.
4.5/5
(This is
almost a 5/5, BUT while the movie was fantastic, it took a little while get there - now that I know where it's going, I think that subsequent viewings will only get better and better though).
...
Slaughter
I think that I would classify
Slaughter as an urbanoia slasher film. Faith (Amy Shiels) is a teen who has moved to Atlanta to escape her abusive boyfriend. LUCKILY, she quickly runs into Lola (Lucy Holt) a teen seeking club life and partying to escape her abusive dad and makes a fast friend. Thus the victimized duo lives and works on Lola's farm while Faith explores the suspicious
goings on in Lola's dad's slaughterhouse.
What really stuck out to me immediately about
Slaughter was the believable and sympathetic characters in Faith and Lola. I thought that the dynamic, story, and portrayal of the two girls was well-done and I found myself truly caring for both of them. I was impressed by the performances from both actresses and, in a way, wished that this was a coming-of-age film
instead of a horror film.
Slaughter was extremely well-directed. Director Stewart Hopewell has an eye for composition that makes most of this film truly beautiful.
Also, I thought that the soundtrack to the movie was fantastic. From somber indie tunes to blue grass, I want to OWN this soundtrack. Great for building the lonely mood of the film, I thought that it was successful and gorgeous.
HOWEVER
The horror aspect of this film was derivative, predictable, and, ultimately ineffective. I think that Hopewell would have done well with some serious editing (take a little off the beginning to get to the horror
sooner and take a little off the end to get the belabored Last Battle over with). While I was fascinated by the lives of Faith and Lola, most of the initial "suspense" of the film was caused from Faith's
curiosity as opposed to circumstance. The classic DON'T GO INTO THE WOODS turned into DON'T GO INTO THE SLAUGHTERHOUSE which, of course she did. As a viewer, I have little sympathy for a horror character who is doing something so blatantly STUPID to the extent of losing my sympathy for them. Hey - Curiosity killed the proverbial cat.
Another issue I had with the film was its overt heavy-handedness. Both girls live on a farm with pigs. The pigs are DIRTY and FILTHY. Meanwhile, all of the men in their lives are EVIL. EVIL MEN. DIRTY PIGS. Yeah, I
get it.
Overall, the movie was just...
boring and flat. I'm tired of Urbanoia themes and equally as tired as the DON'T GO INTO THE WOODS syndrome. While this movie isn't the
worst that After Dark has had to offer (definitely still a leg up over last year's
Nightmare Man,
Lake Dead, and
Unearthed put together), it's definitely not the best. I have a difficult time
completely panning this film as the direction, cinematography, and acting were so compelling, but, overall, I was disappointed.
2.75/5
...
On the plate for tonight:
The Brøken
Du saram-yida (Voices)
Perkins' 14