Day: October 29, 2014

LFM Reviews Horns

By Joe Bendel. Ig Perrish is in for some Kafkaesque body horror, but at least there will be productive side effects. Those horns he finds growing from his temples are like paranormal sodium pentothal when it comes to getting people to reveal their hidden secrets—the darker and more shocking the better. Sadly, he will employ his grim new talent to find the murder of his lifelong girlfriend in Alexandre Aja’s Horns, which opens this Friday in New York.

Perrish was a pariah in his Twin Peaks-ish Pacific Northwest town, even before the horns. Nearly everyone assumes he murdered Merrin Williams, the love of his life, who had just thrown him over. Unfortunately, he does not have one of those alibi thingamajigs, but there is no direct evidence tying him to the murder. The situation just continues fester until he wakes up with the mother of all scarlet letters sprouting from his head.

Strangely, most people hardly notice the horns and promptly forget them shortly thereafter. Nonetheless, when talking to Perrish in-the-moment, everyone develops a wicked case of TMI, answering his questions with brutally revealing honesty. Weaker characters can also be somewhat susceptible to suggestion. Only a handful of people appear immune to Perrish’s power, including Merrin Williams’ utterly bereft father and their mutual childhood friend, Lee Tourneau, who now represents Perrish as the local public defender.

Based on a novel by Joe Hill (Stephen King’s son), Horns is definitely a genre film, featuring plenty of macabre and outlandish scenes. However, it is surprisingly engaging on an emotional level, especially for a horror film, but even by the standards of conventionally square drama. Viewers will really care what happens to Perrish and mourn the pure-hearted romance that was violently cut short.

Given the horns and all, it is not surprising to find so much religious symbolism and subtext, but the film’s deep moral center comes as another pleasant surprise. While Perrish’s uncanny growths erupt after he spurns God (following an encounter with a highly judgmental clergyman) his salvation will come (if indeed it does) through the honest fate of Williams and her father Dale.

That’s all great, but Horns genre mechanics are also quite strong. Perrish’s supernaturally enhanced interrogations are quite cleverly written and often darkly comic. Yet, Aja still takes care of horror movie business, steadily building the sense of foreboding and genuine suspense.

From "Horns."

Daniel Radcliffe, who used to make kiddie movies, is terrific as Perrish, convincingly getting at his deep-as-the-marrow pain and angst, rather than hiding behind hipster bravado. David Morse manages to be even rawer, providing the film’s moral touchstone as Dale Williams. Juno Temple is almost too spritely for Merrin Williams, but Max Minghella’s Tourneau has some memorable moments too complicated to explain here.

It is debatable whether Horns is really a horror film or a dark urban fantasy, but it should thoroughly satisfy fans of both. It is a strangely powerful film that hits a heck of a lot of bases. Highly recommended, Horns opens Halloween Friday (10/31) in New York at the Village East.

LFM GRADE: A-

Posted on October 29th, 2014 at 11:49am.

More Found Footage for Halloween: LFM Reviews Hollows Grove

By Joe Bendel. Reality TV show crews make convenient grist for found footage horror films, because nobody will be terribly distraught when they are dispatched in supernatural fashion. That is particularly true of the on-air “talent” comprising S.P.I.T., the Spirit Paranormal Investigation Team. They will pick the wrong haunted orphanage for their ghost chasing in Craig Efros’ Hollows Grove, now available on VOD.

Grove starts out with a canned introduction from an FBI Agent thanking us for cooperating with their investigation by reviewing the footage to follow, which doesn’t make sense. Clearly, it is an attempt to shake up the found footage format, so whatever. What we will see is supposedly edited from the cameras of a S.P.I.T. crewmember and Harold Maxwell, a down-on-his-luck would-be filmmaker trying to produce a documentary on his old college buddies who made good in “reality” TV. Of course, Maxwell is quickly disillusioned when he meets retired Hollywood special effects artist Bill O’Neal, who stages all the spooky mayhem seen on the show.

To maintain spontaneity, they never know what surprises O’Neal has in store for them. This will be important to keep in mind when they start taping in Hollows Grove, an orphanage that became a dumping ground for special needs children. Residents were routinely abused, physically and sexually. At least two nurse committed suicide, in the same room, naturally enough. All that’s missing is a Nazi staff director performing black masses in the basement, but for all we know that happened too.

If the studio could successfully sue the distributors of Abby for infringing on The Exorcist, the Vicious Brothers ought to have a cast iron case to make against Grove for “paying homage” to Grave Encounters. However, Efros has a nice wrinkle with O’Neal’s presumed trickery. Since the lads assume all the weird stuff in the early stages is his handiwork, they mug for the cameras, while viewers realize they are majorly in for it. The crusty veteran FX hand also happens to be played by Lance Henriksen, who is as cool as ever in what is essentially a long cameo appearance.

From "Hollows Grove."

So yes, we have seen this before—and seen it better in the recent Taking of Deborah Logan and the original Encounters. Nonetheless, the bickering and bantering of Matt Doherty and Sunkrish Bala as the show’s co-hosts helps keep it fresh. Bresha Webb also adds some style and attitude as their somewhat bemused segment producer, Julie Mercade.

Frankly, the entire ensemble sells the madness relatively well, but the stakes have definitely been raised in the found footage game. There are several creepy sequences in Grove, but the aforementioned films are more consistently scary. It is a passably diverting haunted institution movie, but fans should have better options during Halloween. Those who order it up anyway should be warned there is a stinger, so don’t log off when the credits start to roll. For diehard Henriksen fans (and we know you’re out there), Hollows Grove is now available via VOD platforms.

LFM GRADE: C+

Posted on October 29th, 2014 at 11:48am.

LFM Reviews The Taking of Deborah Logan

From "The Taking of Deborah Logan."

By Joe Bendel. There are three attics in Deborah Logan’s spooky old house, where evil ought to have more than enough room to supernaturally lurk about. However, the best corner for a demonic force to wreak havoc might be within her age-addled soul. A research team shooting a video study of life with Alzheimer’s will end up filming a found footage horror movie in Adam Robitel’s The Taking of Deborah Logan, which is now available on early EST (electronic sell-through), just in time for Halloween, but duly in advance of its DVD release next Tuesday.

Mia Medina’s research thesis postulates that those who care for family members with Alzheimer’s will also face long term health issues of their own, as a result. Sarah Logan appears to be an excellent case study. Dealing with her increasingly erratic mother has her at the end of her tether. Deborah Logan’s tendency to make cracks about her sexuality during lucid moments does not help much either. As a further complication, Mrs. Logan is still proud enough to resent the presence of Medina’s camera crew, but they need the fees provided by her research grant.

Initially, Medina and crew think they are merely documenting Logan’s precipitous decline, but really messed up things start happening. Eventually, Logan is hospitalized when she exhibits violent symptoms not associated with Alzheimer’s. Unfortunately, the madness only gets worse at this point. Oh by the way, you don’t suppose the ritualistic killer who once preyed on children in the neighboring towns could somehow be involved?

Yes, we have been down this dark corridor before, but Taking is shockingly scary nonetheless. Partly it is because Robitel starts the sinister uncanniness slowly, cranking up the intensity subtly and deliberately throughout the first two acts. Frankly, one sly “what the heck” moment is better than a barrage of special effects. Plus, Robitel and co-screenwriter Gavin Heffernan tap into some deeply rooted anxieties regarding the vulnerabilities of age and the resulting deterioration of the faculties. They also play on those traditional horror movie fears of getting done over by a strange unseen force.

From "The Taking of Deborah Logan."

Further aiding the cause is a far superior cast of TV veterans than ordinarily found in more-or-less straight-to-DVD releases. Sometimes funny and sometimes profoundly sad, Anne Ramsay (recognizable from Dexter and Mad About You) is terrific as the exasperated Sarah Logan. Likewise Michelle Ang (who co-starred in several long-running Australian shows) brings attitude and edginess as Medina, while it is truly frightening to watch All My Children’s Jill Larsen portray Deborah Logan’s disintegrating body and soul.

Taking is a way more effective film than skeptical horror fans will expect. It is worth noting it was produced by Bryan Singer, which gives it further genre cred (and some extra added meta awkwardness). Highly recommended for Halloween-inspired viewing, The Taking of Deborah Logan is now available via EST (not a New Age cult in Marin County) and releases on DVD next Tuesday (11/4) from Millennium Entertainment.

LFM GRADE: B

Posted on October 29th, 2014 at 11:48am.