31 by 31 Challenge #17: THE SEVENTH VICTIM (1943)

A strange, sinister, and melancholy descent into loneliness and tragedy, The Seventh Victim is an anomaly among the films of its time, even other Val Lewton productions. Instead of setting out from the real world and slowly finding ourselves drawn into the supernatural, this film peels away the paranormal bit by bit until we're left with a very human source for despair, making the already baffling ending even more horrifying and morose.

The Seventh Victim (1943)
Released: August 21, 1943
Director: Mark Robson
Screenplay: DeWitt Bodeen & Charles O'Neal

Tagline: "ROBBED OF THE WILL TO LOVE"

Cast:
Tom Conway as Dr. Louis Judd
Jean Brooks as Jacqueline Gibson
Kim Hunter as Mary Gibson
Hugh Beaumont as Gregory Ward
Isabel Jewell as Frances Fallon
Ben Bard as Mr. Brun
Mary Newton as Mrs. Reddi

A young woman searches for her missing sister, her only remaining family, who, unknown to her, has become involved with a group of devil worshipers in upscale Greenwich Village. The Seventh Victim is part of the Val Lewton cycle, a series of horror films produced by RKO in the 1940's that involved ordinary people drawn into the strange and supernatural; only this film eschews that formula to provide an all-too-human face for evil. It's difficult to discern where the plot is going all the way up to the abrupt ending, but the uncertainty makes for a strangely captivating little movie.

The Seventh Victim is a complex and compelling noir mystery wrapped in a horror film. The mystery of what happened to Jacqueline, and later, how to untangle her from the Satanists' web, is full of secret spouses, shady business dealings, and shadowy secret societies. The devil worshipers are an odd, kooky bunch who seem slightly remorseful that they've chosen to hail Satan, until a bizarre and tragic turn of events sucks the fun right out of our sophisticated group of villains. Then the film's true core is revealed and it is one of genuine despair. About looking at life and looking at death and being unsure which of the two one prefers and which to choose.

Though plotted as a traditional noir mystery, the emphasis of the film is on atmosphere. A pervasive sense of dread hangs over the movie from the moment we're introduced to the noose, and its shadow looms over the remaining runtime, a disquieting sense of inevitability tailing the characters at every turn. The characters in this film, whether hero or villain, are lost souls. They're wandering around looking for meaning and grasping for answers. Some of them find safety at boarding school, others in psychological medicine, some in religion, and some in romance. No matter where these characters align, we know that reality is too depressing for them to handle, and so what we're seeing play out is a confused, desperate grab for stability.

Even the Kim Hunter character, naive but mature Mary, is filmed and presented through a dreamlike gauze, making complete empathy for her character unobtainable. Hats off to the director, the RKO production team, and Val Lewton for keeping this steady, ethereal aura throughout, maintaining that consistent tone of dread, especially since the film was mangled so much from conception to completion. Like most 40's movies, the film hints at rather than shows, leaving the viewer to fill in jagged gaps with unseemly possibilities. Unlike other contemporary films of the time, however, it ends on an unsettling and unexpected note that is devastating, bleak, confusing, and brutally pessimistic.

The Seventh Victim is a beguiling and rewarding movie, unlike the other films of its ilk at the time, like Cat People (1942) and I Walked With a Zombie (1943), the heart of this movie is a black one. The arresting images and morose mise-en-scene undercut both the 40s melodrama in which this film existed amongst, and decades of future horror and experimental film-making. I'd bet good money David Lynch is a fan, as kernels of this movie can be observed fully popped in Mulholland Drive (2001) and Twin Peaks (1990-1991; 2017). Though the odd one out in terms of influential horror films from the 1940's, it is still without a doubt amongst the greatest offerings of that subdued and curious decade.


The Seventh Victim
5-Totally Terrifying
4-Crazy Creepy
3-Fairly Frightening
2-Slightly Scary
1-Hardly Horror

31 by 31 Challenge #16: BASKIN (2015)

Visually beautiful, as well as being a complete surrealist mind-fuck of an acid trip that would make David Lynch cry tears of joy, Baskin (2015) is a disorienting splendor of gore and mayhem. Buckle up. 

Baskin (2015)
Released: September 11, 2015
Director: Can Evrenol
Screenplay: Can Evrenol, Cem Ozuduru, Ercin Sadikoglu, Eren Akay

Tagline: "Enter a world of suffering and madness"

Cast:
Ergun Kuyucu as Boss Remzi
Muharrem Bayrak as Yavuz
Gorkem Kasal as Arda
Fatih Dokgöz as Apo
Sabahattin Yakut as Seyfi
Mehmet Cerrahoglu as Baba / The Father


Turkish police officers make a horrifying discovery inside an apartment building. A minimalist but effective logline, drawing interest and leaving a world of possibility for the story. Or a demonic world, in Baskin's case. The Turkish word "baskin" has several English translations, among them "descent," "attack," and "sudden," all of which are equally applicable to the film. As the officers degrade their wait staff and regale each other with tales of female conquest, one of them starts to feel unwell. In the bathroom, he finds a frog in the soap dish. Called to a deserted nearby village where strange things are said to happen, their experiences only get weirder.

Baskin  is a gorgeous film. It's lighting and style are reminiscent of Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977), lots of deep blues, splashes of red, coupled with clever and expert camera work that taps into the subconscious of the viewer, letting us know that things are not quite what they seem for our five protagonists. I'm thinking in particular of a scene where our heroes' police cruiser careens down the road at night and the camera flips upside down, suggesting a symbolic turn of events before a literal crash with destiny.

There are great touches like this throughout the film, which is carried by excellent actors in each of the particular roles. Gorkem Kasal, playing Arda, is the clear standout and the audience's focal point. You never doubt his sincerity or delivery. The whole film feels so earnest and sincere, even in special effects. The makeup is all old-school and practical, and there's tons of gore. But buckets of blood can't wash away the less than stellar aspects of an otherwise presentable production.

It's in story elements where Baskin flounders a little. There's great set up of an oppressive atmosphere, interesting characters, and an emotional mystery we're invested in uncovering more about. The adrenaline starts to pump in our veins as, ever so slowly, we are teased with information about these characters, their backgrounds, and their situation. Then we enter the abandoned building, the hellish nightmare world envelops our heroes, and the film hits a wall. All these great threads and plot points that were starting to build and intertwine with one another are abandoned for the sake of visually arresting gore. And there's nothing wrong with visually arresting gore. Or even refusing to tie up loose ends. But you have to still provide an emotional payoff for the viewer as a counterbalance, and I think this is where Baskin fails. It's all just about the gross-out factor once we get down into the darkness.

It's still a beautiful film, arresting and fascinating throughout the first two acts, but Baskin can't keep the momentum going in the finale. If there had been something different hiding in that basement, perhaps, the trajectory might have maintained peak force. In the end, the metaphysical gets sacrificed for the carnal, but this is one case where we didn't need the story to stay grounded. We needed it to soar, soar, soar. 


Baskin
5-Totally Terrifying
4-Crazy Creepy
3-Fairly Frightening
2-Slightly Scary
1-Hardly Horror

31 by 31 Challenge #15: THE HOUSES OCTOBER BUILT 2 (2017)

Though the fount footage subgenre and paranormal investigators motif had become stale by the mid-2010's, The Houses October Built (2014) was a sleeper hit thanks to its realism and authentic presentation of the world of "extreme haunts," full contact immersive experiences that blur the line between entertainment and psychological torture. Maybe even physical torture. How does the sequel stack up? Let's investigate...

The Houses October Built 2 (2017)
Released: September 22, 2017
Director: Bobby Roe
Screenplay: Zack Andrews & Bobby Roe

Cast:
Brandy Schaefer as Brandy
Zack Andrews as Zack
Bobby Roe as Bobby
Mikey Roe as Mikey
Jeff Larson as Jeff


Recovering from the trauma of their ordeal last Halloween--which involved kidnapping and apparent attempted murder--by the mysterious group the Blue Skeleton, who take "extreme haunt" to another level, five friends decide they must face their fears in order to move on with their lives. Heading back out on the road to visit more haunted house attractions, signs of the Blue Skeleton start appearing again and a new, fresh terror is just around the bend...

If you are a fan of the first installment, you might be surprised to see the same characters' names appear on the cast list for the sequel because, SPOILERS, they all die and/or get left for dead. Well Houses October Built 2 retcons all of that and brings all five of our heroes back into the RV without too much wear and tear. Only Brandy shows any real signs of PTSD and reluctance at volunteering to put herself back in a dangerous situation, and so has to be tricked by her friends into joining the road trip so that the guys will be able to get sponsors for their burgeoning business (a Final Girl is interesting, Four Final Dudes are not). The crew is back, searching for the most over-the-top extreme haunts in existence.

Houses 2, like its predecessor, is a meta-film. This go-around, it is also a love letter to some of the most famous names and faces in American haunt culture. The group travel to and namedrop real extreme haunted attractions, including Ohio's "Haunted Hoochie" and Philadelphia's "Terror Behind the Walls" (I've been, and I definitely recommend btw). There's cameos from actual organizers, artists, and researchers that work with and in these haunts to create waking nightmares. It's an illuminating peek behind the curtain for people who don't really just how much organization it takes to put on these incredible attractions, and just how big their culture has become. In this fashion, Houses 2 is a send-up and celebration of all things Halloween, particularly in how this holiday can create a sense of community among artists, scarehounds, and horror freaks, much in the way the first film was as well.

There's a fun turn the story takes this time around where our heroes' documentary is inter-cut with voyeuristic footage of the group, letting us know that the true subject of this exploration is not the haunts anymore, it's the people hunting them down. The retconning that resets the board opens the door to some inconsistencies and plot holes, and if you scrutinize too close you start to wonder why you should even care about any of these people because the film doesn't make any sense but I think the trick here is to watch Houses 2 not as a horror film but as a horror documentary. It works far better this way, with each visit to a haunt just a chapter in a larger wrap-around story that the Blue Skeleton confrontation at the end ties up as neatly as can be expected. 

The extreme haunt phenomenon is on the rise. It's fascinating to experience, to read about in analytic texts like Margee Kerr's Scream: Chilling Adventures in the Science of Fear (author and book both featured in this film), and to watch here in Houses 2. People are voluntarily paying to be subjected to potentially traumatizing experiences; the privilege to be emotionally rocked in the confines of a supposedly safe space. Is it a jaded mentality commonly attributed to millennials? Adrenaline-addicted experience over possessions mentality? Something else entirely? It's titillating territory to explore, and The Houses October 2 is the perfect place to begin your hunt.


The Houses October Built 2
5-Totally Terrifying
4-Crazy Creepy
3-Fairly Frightening
2-Slightly Scary
1-Hardly Horror

31 by 31 Challenge #14: THE HOUSES OCTOBER BUILT (2014)

Found footage has been a horror subgenre that seemed to burn bright and fade fast. Aside from a few milestones that utilized the format in creative and forward-thinking ways, found footage has mostly been repetitive, lazy, and uncreative. On the plus, it's a great genre to work in for low-budget and indie filmmakers, a group of artists whose creativity is often more unrestrained than mainstream and studio moviemakers. It's from these minds that we can still get creative found footage. Or, at the very least, a genuine effort to deliver something unpredictable.

The Houses October Built (2014)
Released: October 10, 2014
Director: Bobby Roe
Screenplay: Zack Andrews, Bobby Roe, & Jason Zada

Tagline: "In the search for the most extreme haunt, the haunt found them"

Cast:
Brandy Schaefer as Brandy
Zack Andrews as Zack
Bobby Roe as Bobby
Mikey Roe as Mikey
Jeff Larson as Jeff

Beneath the fake blood and cheap masks of countless haunted house attractions across the country, there are whispers of truly terrifying alternatives. Looking to find an authentic, blood-curdling good fright for Halloween, five friends set off on a road trip in an RV to track down these underground haunts. Just when their search seems to reach a dead end, strange and disturbing things start happening around them. Soon it becomes clear that the haunt has come to them.

First off, the fact that there is a found footage horror film about amusement park terrors, haunted house scares, and the haunt subculture of America is amazing. Halloween and horror go hand in hand and diehard fans love to see horror movies taking place in, around, or about All Hallows' Eve. It's just our jam, and it's why genre lovers have added The Houses October Built to their season lineup since its release. With the basest ingredients, this is a great Halloween movie. It captures the aura of autumn and the chill factor of this spookiest of holidays without being overly cloying about either. It feels and looks like real-world Halloween.

The reality factor, always a necessity for any convincing found footage film and rarely one that achieves its goal is heightened by convincing performances from the capable cast. Zack is the spirited ringleader always pushing the friend group into their crazy schemes and plots, Brandy is the logical mom-friend happy to have fun but also always on the lookout for when its time to call it quits, and Jeff is charismatic but underused. The life of the group and the movie is Mikey, an opinionated jokester who draws you into his onscreen presence. We all know guys like Mikey. They're great to have around in large groups because they always make sure the fun keeps flowing. This is a seasoned group, committed to behaving how people actually behave (as far as the script allows, of course), which is unusual in most found footage fodder. 

Found footage has become so soulless since it boomed into the horror mainstream with The Blair Witch Project and reached critical peak with Paranormal Activity, but with The Houses October Built you'll find a well-structured movie that doesn't rely on standard scares, is brave enough to provide you with intelligent, capable protagonists who feel like individuals and not just "characters," and an engaging story. Are there missteps? Of course. Some of the maneuvers feel flat or ill-thought out at times, but the movie is still a break from the pack. It's not quite B.W.P. greatness, but I'd comfortably rank it alongside other strong found footage gems like Trollhunter and [REC]. So even if you're sick to death of found footage, give this one a try. You'll be pleased with the Hallowed atmosphere, interesting, relatable characters, and terrifying sense of realism. 

Just, you know, maybe watch it *after* you've gone to your local haunted house. If you're still around, that is...


The Houses October Built
5-Totally Terrifying
4-Crazy Creepy
3-Fairly Frightening
2-Slightly Scary
1-Hardly Horror

31 by 31 Challenge #13: THE CELL (2000)

A strange, chaotic sort of sci-fi horror film, The Cell has been polarizing among horror cinephiles since its release. Is it total Jonathan Demme rip-off or brilliant trailblazing surrealist horror? Does it have to be either? Could it both? Could it be neither and just sort of a weird little creature of a film somewhere in the middle? Let's see...

The Cell (2000)
Released: August 18, 2000
Director: Tarsem Singh
Screenplay: Mark Protosevich

Tagline: "Enter the mind of a killer"

Cast:
Jennifer Lopez as Dr. Catherine Deane
Vinent D'Onofrio as Carl Rudolph Stargher
Vince Vaughn as Special Agent Peter Novak
Jake Weber as Special Agent Gordon Ramsey
Dylan Baker as Henry West
Marianne Jean-Baptiste as Dr. Miriam Kent

A psychotherapist specializing in a controversial invasive therapy agrees to journey inside the mind of a comatose serial killer in the hopes of saving his latest victim. Able to access the psyche and subconscious mind as though they were physical landscapes, Dr. Catherine Deane is a former social worker turned pioneer in the field of psychotherapy. She's currently hoping to bring her current patient, a young boy trapped in a coma of his own making, out of stasis when she's called upon by the FBI to enter the mind of recently captured serial killer Carl Rudolph Stargher. Stargher's obsessive and strange methods of abduction, torture, and murder have led the FBI to believe he has one victim still out there and still alive, but that time is running short. Stargher is the only person who knows where she is and his own brain disorder has left him in a coma. Catherine is their last hope.

The Cell is a visually gorgeous film that comes off a little dead in its delivery. The dream sequences are puzzling, horrifying, beautiful and extravagant ephemeral moments that would make David Lynch incredibly proud, but they can't save dry acting and obvious copycating the plot from other, more accomplished brooding serial killer horror films. Vincent D'Onofrio's dedication to the role and to his craft is admirable, but Jennifer Lopez is flat in delivery and Vince Vaughn is grating every second he's on screen (isn't he always, though?).

The story is a subpar recycling of both Silence of the Lambs and Se7en, but without the shock and nihilistic dread of either of those superior films. Scenes meant to be deeply disturbing, like the Buffalo Bill wannabe killer suspending himself over his victims via hooks and chains, come off as odd instead. In the end, Vince Vaughn finds the Catherine Martin-character through what should have been a simple check that any rookie detective would have run the instant they captured Stargher. It renders the deep dive into the psycho's subconscious an unnecessary risk, even if it was stellar to watch.

Overall there's interesting stuff happening in this curious little film, i.e. the visuals, but there's nothing that really grounds your interest in those bits where we're not being treated to a Lynchian version of a 90's music videos. There's just not enough focus, not enough chemistry, and not enough substance. You can see the moments where the movie wants to break through and become something more--the discussions about what makes a child into a monster and the blame factor we do or don't place on mental illness come to mind--but they never blossom out the way the dream world sequences do. I'd say, if you have a night where you can't quite figure out what else to watch, throw this movie on mute while you're doing a puzzle or catching up on emails or wondering why Jennifer Lopez looks like a whitewashed geisha in this movie's poster.


The Cell
5-Totally Terrifying
4-Crazy Creepy
3-Fairly Frightening
2-Slightly Scary
1-Hardly Horror

31 by 31 Challenge #12: 1922 (2017)

Thomas Jane tackles another Stephen King outing in the latest Netflix adaptation of the author's chilling novella. But as is often the case with page to screen transitions, and in particular with King's stories it seems like, the audience is left wanting.

1922 (2017)
Released: October 20, 2017
Director: Zak Hilditch
Screenplay: Zak Hilditch (based on the novella 1922 by Stephen King)

Cast:
Thomas Jane as Wilfred James
Molly Parker as Arlette James
Dylan Schmid as Henry James
Kaitlyn Bernard as Shannon Cotterie
Neal McDonough as Harlan Cotterie
Brian d'Arcy James as Sheriff Jones


A simple yet proud rancher recounts the dark and twisted events of his life in the year of 1922, including the murder of the wife for financial gain, the deception of his son, and the complete unraveling of his life, home, and sanity thereafter. We've got a whole host of familiar King tropes here, including paranoia as a result of extreme guilt, possible hauntings, and rats. So. Many. Rats.

This is going to be a divisive film among both diehard King fans and the general horror community. We've had a very successful year for King adaptations, on the whole, including much praised It and Gerald's Game, another Netflix project. This film isn't quite like those, relying heavily on atmosphere to the point where it doesn't feel like a King story at all. Not to say that King tales don't create good mood or setting--hell that's part of the reason It works as well as it does--but this is an altogether different kind of atmosphere. It's all about character here. There's little plot and so instead the movie is a slow, methodical look at the idea of guilt and the consequences of a compromised morality. 

The James homestead, our primary setting, is richly brought to life by the film's gorgeous cinematography. It becomes a character in and of itself, oozing a sinister, almost omnipresent aura. From a technical standpoint, the film is well crafted and visually satisfying. Thomas Jane is also great as the unhinged good ole boy farmer driven deeper into rage and regret by his actions. His onscreen presence is mesmerizing and we are drawn to him as our focal point not because the script demands it, but because he earns that attention.

The film isn't without shortcomings, though. It's overlong by at least 20 minutes, possibly even an entire half hour. A common critique in recent years is that King's work is too drawn out and the reader loses interest well before the going gets good. It seems that problem can apply to King adaptations as well; while the look and feel of the story are right, the movie dwells too long on uninteresting points and takes its sweet time telling a story that could have been told in half the time. Maybe that's somewhat the point, to emphasize the meandering effects of grief and denial and their slow consumption of this man and his family; but it's just not interesting enough to warrant all that extra time, no matter how strong the acting or how professional executed the cinematography. 

1922 is an assured and confident film, and that's always fun to watch. It trusts the audience to follow along on a psychological minefield, but dwells too much on the protagonist and thus fails to develop all of our supporting characters and nurture that oh-so-important emotional connection with the audience. It leaves the entire film feeling a bit underdeveloped, despite the gems it offers in terms of presentation and style. 


1922
5-Totally Terrifying
4-Crazy Creepy
3-Fairly Frightening
2-Slightly Scary
1-Hardly Horror

31 by 31 Challenge #11: THE BABYSITTER (2017)

Did you ever sit down and wonder to yourself "What if John Hughes made a horror movie?" Well I'm pleased to say that Netflix has provided the answer to your quandary, and it's the giddy little heartfelt gorefest you didn't know you needed.

The Babysitter (2017)
Released: October 13, 2017
Director: McG
Screenplay: Brian Duffield

Tagline: "Dream girls can be a nightmare"

Cast:
Judah Lewis as Cole
Samara Weaving as Bee
Robbie Amell as Max
Hana Mae Lee as Sonya
Bella Thorne as Allison
Andrew Bachelor as John
Emily Alyn Lind as Melanie

When 12-year old Cole stays up past his bedtime as part of a dare to spy on his hot babysitter, he discovers that she is the leader of a Satanic cult of teenagers that will stop at nothing to keep him quiet about their murderous activities in his living room. The Babysitter joins a growing list of impressive horror comedies that have graced our screens, big and small, in the last few years. Others include Cooties, The Final Girls, and What We Do in the Shadows, among a few others. These films are all quality, they're all entertaining, and they all know how to make a send-up of the genre that's filled with just as much love as it is humor.

The Babysitter is gory, it's funny as all hell, and it is also surprisingly touching. It's a silly story with a crazy plot, but somehow it all works, and I think a big part of that is that this film allows time for sentimentality to coexist in the story alongside the nonsense and the slicing and dicing. Cole and Bee have such a sweet, endearing friendship. It's genuine, even with all of Bee's Satanic tendencies and her willingness to do awful things in order to keep hr cult's secrets. It's this friendship that makes the movie sing, and gives it that John Hughes-esque touch mentioned earlier.

Samara Weaving, aka Bee, is the standout for sure. She has great range and can switch Bee from tender to insane just by shifting her eyes. It's great stuff. Given her position as the film's ultimate baddie, you feel that you should hate her, but just like Cole, you can't quite bring yourself to despise her or want to see her dead. And she's working with a great cast. Robbie Amell is surprisingly funny, and Andrew Bachelor has equally great comedic timing. He delivers these one-liners that will have you rolling. And Judah Lewis rocks it as Cole, the heart of the movie and excellent stand-in for all of us when we were in that phase where we wanted to grow up but just didn't quite know how to do without sacrificing our identities. Good on you, kid.

The Babysitter is a pleasant surprise and definitely worth your time. My podcast co-host Miss Mel and I gave it a view on a whim as part of our Boos and Booze segment (you can listen to that episode on iTunes and SoundCloud soon) and expected to be completely underwhelmed, but just ended up laughing, cheering, and noting how clever the movie was throughout the runtime. So, sober or otherwise, stay up past your bedtime and give this one a watch.


The Babysitter
5-Totally Terrifying
4-Crazy Creepy
3-Fairly Frightening
2-Slightly Scary
1-Hardly Horror

31 by 31 Challenge #10: HAPPY DEATH DAY (2017)

Going into Happy Death Day I expected a decent offering of entertaining schlock--which is always great candy and popcorn fare during Halloween season. What I did not anticipate was that I would be entertained, yes, but that the execution of the fun and mayhem in this quirky 80's slasher homage would be so...good! I was so happy leaving the theater. So very happy indeed.

Happy Death Day (2017)
Released: October 13, 2017
Director: Christopher B. Landon
Screenplay: Scott Lobdell

Tagline: "Get up. Live your day. Get killed. Again."

Cast:
Jessica Rothe as Theresa "Tree" Gelbman
Israel Broussard as Carter Davis
Ruby Modine as Lori Spengler
Rachel Matthews as Danielle Bouseman
Charles Aitken as Gregory Butler
Rob Mello as Joseph Tombs

First Time View?: Yep...then second...then third...then fourth...you get the idea

Happy Death Day was an unlikely winner at last weekend's box office, surprising movie pundits and critics alike. Though most reviewers agree yeah, it's not Citizen Kane by any means, but it takes the slasher conventions of yore and gives them a darkly humorous twist to produce a horror comedy in the vein of Tucker & Dale vs. Evil (2010) and Heathers (1988). The result is a fun, creepy, well-made, well-acted, and visually appealing little film that will delight lovers of all things slasher and all things 80's.

College student Tree Gelbman finds that she is reliving the day of her murder over and over again, able to retain her memories of each replay while those around her are unaware of the deja vu. She struggles her uncover the identity of her masked killer while making it through the day alive, believing that if she can just survive the night her life will move forward. But as the resets start to mount, Tree finds that this task is going to be more complicated than she thought.

Jessica Rothe puts on her game face as Tree in a star-making turn (I think we'll see a lot more of her in the future) highlighting all of Tree's flaws without making her seem a complete jaded and narcissistic asshole. Her comedic timing and control of her facial features are masterful and you can't help but groan along with her at the incredulity she feels when she realizes she's been killed--again! Those kills are clean but sharp and used to great comedic effect as Tree begins to barricade herself in her room, deck out in camo to stalk potential suspects, and just generally scheme different ways to avoid her assailant. 

The killer reveal is manageable if you pay close enough attention, but the road to that unveiling is a genuine rollercoaster--laughing and screaming and unexpected turns and that's exactly how a fun, only semi-serious slasher should be. I spent most of the film having no clue what would happen next, and it was such a treat. The structure of Happy Death Day allows you to switch your brain from analytical mode to enjoyment mode and just embrace the ride. Because every aspect of the film is just right and nothing about it is obnoxious (which would have been a VERY easy trap to fall into given the college setting, unusual, cheeky premise, and the abundance of slasher tropes) you don't feel any unease or guilt about letting yourself fall fully into the world of this film. The slasher genre is paid homage here with love and care rather than meanness or cynicism.

The creative team made the absolute best of their budget and story and the result is a clever mashup of Groundhog Day and Scream that is pure glee from opening credits to the final reel. If you like Halloween but can't quite handle intense gore or psychological terror, check out this movie. Only fun frights and good laughs to be found here; the kind of movie you'll want to watch again and again and again and again and again...


Happy Death Day
5-Totally Terrifying
4-Crazy Creepy
3-Fairly Frightening
2-Slightly Scary
1-Hardly Horror

31 by 31 Challenge #9: A DARK SONG (2017)

A web of mystery spins in and around this fantastical Irish horror film to produce a beautiful, haunting masterpiece of power, love, the occult, and the bleakest of tragedies. Come on in but remember, you cannot leave until we're done...

A Dark Song (2017)
Released: April 28, 2017
Director: Liam Gavin
Screenplay: Liam Gavin

Tagline: "Not everything can be forgiven"

Cast:
Catherine Walker as Sophia Howard
Steve Oram as Joseph Solomon
Susan Loughnane as Victoria Howard

First Time View?: Yes


A determined young woman and a damaged occultist risk their lives and their souls to perform a dangerous ritual that will grant them each what they most wish for, assuming they can survive the ritual's demanding procedures and sinister consequences. This simple summary does nothing to convey the brilliance and the chilling ennui of the film, so I shall do my best to capture what exactly makes this film one of the best new horror films I've seen this year.

A Dark Song is that rare horror film, indeed that rare film in general, that can live comfortably in either the commercial sector or the arthouse world. It's grounded and attainable yet still experimental and unusual. It's a slow burn, and I'll admit I'm partial to those types of horror movies (love me some Session 9 and some Let's Scare Jessica to Death), but it's so psychologically engaging it feels like a blockbuster thriller. You'll get your stabbing and your gore and your scares, but it all comes packaged with well-crafted visual design, emotional storytelling, and raw performance.

Catherine Walker is brilliant as Sophia, conveying such a profound sense of deep trauma at Sophia's loss of her only child, and the almost pitiable desperation she has to get even the most minute moment of closure. It's very difficult for an actor to portray grief for any sustained period of time on camera, let alone for an entire film, but Walker's portrayal is one that is always believable and nuanced. She's aided by an equally great performance from her co-star Steve Oram, who plays the sleazy occultist Joseph. He's a detestable character, for the most part, and Oram commits wholeheartedly to the unsavory persona of his character while also managing to bring out the light in Joseph and tease the audience at the possibility of redemption for the purported occult expert. 

Aside from a brief scene with Sophia's sister, Sophia and Joseph are the only characters of the film, so a whole hell of a lot depends not only on Walker and Oram's performances but on their chemistry as well. Their relationship must carry the story. Lucky for us viewers, nothing is simple or easy between these two, and the drama and tension are plentiful. In order for Sophia to reach the altered state where she can communicate with the dead, she must partake in a grueling ritual guided by Joseph, involving fasting, water torture, Latin chants, and a myriad of others means of "purification." It's all very BDSM, with Sophia agreeing never to refuse Joseph's instructions and follow his rules and regulations to guarantee the success of the ritual. There's an uncomfortable sequence where Joseph tells Sophia that ritual sex will be involved and we can see Sophia wonder the same thing we are at that moment--is it really part of the magic, or is it all just for Joseph's sick pleasure? Does it even matter? Because a grieving mother will do anything to see her child again. It's fascinating to watch the dynamic shift between these two as the film plays out.

And of course, we're driven forward by the question of how this charade will end. The film is careful to provide just as much cause for doubt as it does belief, so the audience is never sure if the ritual is actually working. Until the ending, that is. It's a very mystical and intriguing finale that at first glance might seem to confirm the veracity of the magic, but on closer inspection, there's many explanations for what Sophia experiences and what she finds at the conclusion of her journey. Either way, it's not at all what she was hoping for...

I've seen A Dark Song compared to a Rembrandt painting and I think this is an excellent and accurate descriptor. It's a very meditative, very Baroque sort of movie, with shades of Hitchcock and Fisher and a little Bergmann, using lots of linear shot progressions to heighten the gothic atmosphere reminiscent of those old Hammer films so many of us watched on TCM during late nights at our grandparents. Everything is calculated and nothing is superfluous in the screenplay, yet the film still retains emotional heft and doesn't come off as cold or technical in the least. It's a hypnotic, rare, and beautiful masterpiece, and I suggest you invoke it at your earliest convenience...


A Dark Song
5-Totally Terrifying
4-Crazy Creepy
3-Fairly Frightening
2-Slightly Scary
1-Hardly Horror

31 by 31 Challenge #8: FRIDAY THE 13TH PART II (1981)

The legend continues to form--we've added Jason but not the hockey mask--with one of the most interesting sequels in horror history. For a proper deep dive, check out Episode 35 of the podcast over on iTunes and SoundCloud and for all the other bits and parts, read on here...

Friday the 13th Part 2 (1981)
Released: April 30, 1981
Director: Steve Miner
Screenplay: Ron Kurz & Phil Scuderi

Tagline: "The body count continues...."

Cast:
Amy Steel as Ginny Fields
John Furey as Paul Holt
Marta Kober as Sandra Dier
Bill Randolph as Jeff
Stu Charno as Ted
Steve Daskawisz & Warrington Gillette as Jason Voorhees

First Time View?: Not on your life (or Jason's)


Five years after the horrific massacre at Camp Crystal Lake it seems that Jason Voorhees and his demented mother are firmly in the past. Ambitious Paul Holt opens a new camp across the lake from the infamous site, ignoring warnings from the locals to stay away. A group of new sexually-charged counselors show up for training, including child psychology student Ginny Fields all seems well at first. But Jason has been hiding out in the deep depths of the woods for years, waiting and watching. And now he wants revenge.

Director Steve Miner (who would go on to direct Part III and then later jump ship to direct the much beloved Halloween H20) doesn't stray too far from what Sean Cunningham set up in the original Friday the 13th (1980) but he really doesn't have to in order to create a strong sequel that's every bit as intense as the original if not as creative. Part 2 is a curious sequel in that it was one of the first of its kind in the slasher subgenre and sort of wrote the rules for what we could expect for the dozens and dozens of follow-up installments we would get in franchises from Halloween to Hellraiser to Nightmare on Elm Street to Child's Play. 

This is also our official introduction to Jason Voorhees, now legendary and arguably the most popular of all horror movie slashers, possibly horror movie villains in general. It's not quite the Jason we recognize as he is sans hockey mask in his first outing here, but we see that classic Jason ingenuity that fans come to know and love throughout the franchise. Jason is the MacGyver of slashers. He can kill you with just about anything in the room.

And using only one eye, too. 

The film can feel jarring and awkwardly edited at points, but that's due to studio interference rather than artistic choice. Miner and special effects chief Carl Fullerton (who replaced Tom Savini from the first Friday) assumed that they were going to be able to get away with just as much nastiness as the first film did but were completely unaware that the MPAA was cracking down on Paramount to tame things down a notch in the wake of part one. 

All in all, Part 2 is a fun, curious sequel that cleared the path laid down by the original for a juggernaut horror franchise that currently clocks in at twelve installments. For more insight into how Part 2 influenced the slasher subgenre, the paradox of establishing yet breaking the rules of horror, the badassness of Final Girl Ginny Fields (played inimitably by Amy Steel), and the thoughts of my cohost Miss Mel on these and other topics, listen to Episode 35 of the Splatter Chatter podcast, available on SoundCloud and iTunes. Happy trails, campers!

Friday the 13th Part 2

5-Totally Terrifying

4-Crazy Creepy

3-Fairly Frightening

2-Slightly Scary

1-Hardly Horror

31 by 31 Challenge #7: BOYS IN THE TREES (2016)

A coming-of-age story all taking place over one night--Halloween night, to be specific--involving ghosts, werewolves, bullies, creepy forests, life, love, romance, death, and the power of imagination. Interested yet?

Boys in the Trees (2016)
Released: October 20, 2016 (Australia)
Director: Nicholas Verso
Screenplay: Nicholas Verso

Tagline: "Nobody gets us...that's half the fun"

Cast:
Toby Wallace as Corey Matheson
Gulliver McGrath as Jonah
Mitzi Ruhlmann as Romany
Justin Holborow as Jango
Terence Crawford as Mr. Matheson

First Time View?: Aye, mate



Halloween, 1997, last night of high school for Corey, his domineering friend Jango, and their skater gang. Childhood is over and the world of adulthood beckons. But Corey's past has unfinished business. Business that must be resolved tonight. When he encounters Jonah, a former childhood friend now victimized by Jango's cruel and insatiable bullying, Corey takes pity on him and agrees to walk him home for old times sake. The two estranged teenagers find themselves reviewing memories, dreams, and fears with one another in what soon turns into a surreal and dangerous game that will leave them both drastically altered.

Boys in the Trees is a nostalgia-fueled Halloween romp that will speak to the spirit of all true 90's kids, fans of Stranger Things, and lovers of the spookiest time of year, no matter your age. The story unfolds slowly, revealing truths and mysteries to us as we progress. From the beginning, there is a promise of conventional horror thrills that is denied in favor of delivering something decidedly different and unexpected, but it achieves the same effect. Suspense is still generated in surprising and meaningful ways. The final turn loses a bit of the film's careful balance and leaves the ending feeling a bit uncanny but not full-on phony. It's not the most well-calculated move for the story, but it's not a hole in the ship either.

In many ways, Boys in the Trees is a love story. Not romantic love, perhaps (though there are a few subtle hints that present the possibility and sexuality is a running theme), but the deep and sweeping love of first friendship. Corey and Jonah's bygone kindship is something we come to understand was once binding, special, and powerful, something lost to the winds that echoes on this Halloween night, this night of the dead, as all lost things do. We're treated to a few flashback scenes that confirm this and play out an important plot point, but not until late in the film so we really come to understand this early on based solely on the performances of the actors playing Corey and Jonah, both of whom are phenomenal, committed, and real. Toby Wallace, in particular, does an excellent job at communicating a mixture of surprise, guilt, and confusion as Corey discovers how much he still has in common with his old friend and pain at the buried truths that come to light during their time together. 

The film isn't heavy on scares, and the ones that do pop up are more creepy that frightening, but it's all in keeping with the tone and thematic overhaul of the film's message. It's more focused on showcasing the trials and tribulations of growing up set against a Halloween backdrop. Nicholas Verso is a confident and assured filmmaker who conjures up surreal scenes and dreamscape imagery that wavers back and forth between sinister and ethereal, chief among them a memorable Day of the Dead-themed house party. The runtime might be a bit long, and the melancholic metaphors might seem obvious at first but by the time things wrap up and come full circle, the emotional imprint becomes deeply affecting.

Boys in the Trees is reminiscent of The Halloween Tree, a story about souls moving between places on Halloween night when spirits cross into this world with ease and if we are not careful, we may also cross into theirs. The narrative is dark, forcing us to confront uncomfortable truths about ourselves and our world and how toxic masculinity so easily traps boys and slowly destroys them, body and soul, before they're even aware of themselves as functioning humans. Verso doesn't let us look away from these hard truths, lingering on looks, songs, and feelings to make his point, but despite the heartbreaking turns in the story, the film ultimately ends on an uplifting note of hope and optimism. In Boys in the Trees, we are called to remind ourselves that no matter how deep our pain may be, we must still remember to dream. To dream very, very big. 


Boys in the Trees
5-Totally Terrifying
4-Crazy Creepy
3-Fairly Frightening
2-Slightly Scary
1-Hardly Horror

31 by 31 Challenge #6: RAW (2016)

(In)famous even before it was released, Raw (2016) caused moviegoers at last year's Toronto International Film Festival to vomit and flee the scene in disgust, shock, and/or fear of passing out. Now that's quite a reputation to live up to. Few horror films have ever reached this strange pinnacle of terror and revulsion wherein gross physical reactions are produced, and the ones that have are notorious for doing so--think The Exorcist (1973), Cannibal Holocaust (1980), and The Green Inferno (2013). Raw certainly pushes its viewers over the edge, but is there enough to situate it among the ranks of these notorious giants? Read on and see...

Raw (2016)
Released: March 10, 2017 (U.S.)
Director: Julia Ducournau
Screenplay: Julia Ducournau

Tagline: "What are you hungry for?"

Cast:
Garance Marillier as Justine
Ella Rumpf as Alexia
Rabah Nait Oufella as Adrien
Laurent Lucas as Father
Joana Preiss as Mother

First Time View?: You bet



Justine hails from a family from vegetarian veterinarians (sounds like a hidden track from The Music Man), and enters her first year of vet school where her older sister studies ready to live up to the family legacy. Hazing for the newbies begins right away and Justine is forced to eat raw meat for the first time in her life. Afterward, unexpected consequences begin to arise as Justine's true self begins to emerge. 

I'll say this right off the bat: despite the questionable aura surrounding Raw due its reception in the festival circuit, this movie is much more than just a vehicle for shock and depravity. There's lost of preconceptions surrounding the film because of the unintentional reports that followed it at Cannes and TIFF, and the only way to distinguish fact from fiction is to see it for yourself. After reading this review, of course.

Raw certainly uses body horror and extreme images in the style of French New Extremity horror films like Inside (2007), Irreversible (2002), Martyrs (2008), and Frontier(s) (2007), and it can be nauseating at times, but as in those films before it, context is everything. Raw is coming-of-age drama wrapped in horror and so the gore involved is not meant to be cartoonish or excessive, but instead is a tool to communicate each step of intensification in the story as Justine progresses down a path that is both nightmarish and grotesque. The New French Extremity movement was said to have petered out a decade ago, but I think that Raw might be a herald of renaissance for the style. 

Justine's story is a quest of self-identity similar to many of our own, yet vastly different in the outcome (I hope). In entering vet school at only sixteen, Justine is balancing between unencumbered freedom and tyrannical repression under her parents, who told her how to dress, how to behave, and even what to eat. At school, the sheltered vegetarian is exposed to all sorts of wonders and temptations she didn't know existed. Sex, drugs, parties, boys, meat. We get the sense that Justine wants to explore these things responsibly, but the intense hazing and lack of self-control and self-discipline from having been raised in such a dominating environment spells disaster for cautious curiosity.

Sibling rivalry with older sister Alex doesn't help matters, either. The relationship between the two women is central to both the plot and the emotional resonance of the film. As an older student in the same program, Alex partakes in Justine's hazing, symbolizing a far larger struggle between the sisters for parental affection, scholarly praise, and the burning desire to have a friend in one another that becomes complicated by their abilities, status at school, and reputation to their mother and father. It's a very real depiction of being and having a sibling, and all that entails. Nothing is two-dimensional between the women. They are allies but also competitors, confidantes yet tormentors, each capable of outshining the other but each trapped in the shadow of the other as well. 

As for the gore, it's aesthetically essential and even philosophical at times, but it is in no way political. The line between human and animal is blurred, crossed, and then obliterated, but it doesn't come off as preachy. There's no "vegetarian agenda." In fact, the presentation is at times so cold it feels clinical, though is likely intentional given the setting of the film at a vet school and the atmosphere induced by the stark lightning, bare cement walls, and void-like use of shadow and space. The film encourages us to explore consciousness, morality, and power through the dialogue and visual representation of animals in the film. 

The ending is powerful, and almost employs its own three-act structure to guide us towards the final minute, which has caused division and debate among the film's fans. The film lingers on a question of what one does with the power of self-realization. In this case, every answer is terrifying. I applaud director Julia Ducournau and wish her a long and successful career (she's only 33) for crafting such an energizing yet violently sad piece of film. Not to mention casting it to perfection with Garance Marillier and Ella Rompf, who deliver spectacular, enveloping performances that are committed and authentic from start to finish.

Raw is brutal and extreme, yes, but it is also full of compelling and harrowing subtext and depth. There's all sorts of complex themes and messages to pick out here--consumption as sexual awakening is one I didn't have time or space to explore but is apparent and intriguing--but it's also an engrossing and wild ride. If you have the stomach for it, that is...


Raw
5-Totally Terrifying
4-Crazy Creepy
3-Fairly Frightening
2-Slightly Scary
1-Hardly Horror