Review Category: DVD/Blu Ray

DEMENTIA (1955)

Originally conceived as a short film John Parker’s 1955 experimental feature Dementia is receiving a new Blu-ray release from BFI Video, and it’s certainly interesting if not necessarily entertaining.

Containing no dialogue, Dementia follows a young woman Gamine as she wakes up in a run-down Los Angeles hotel. Wandering into the night she encounters a cacophony of colourful characters from a dwarf selling newspapers featuring the headline ‘Mysterious Stabbing’ to a pimp who may or may not be a malevolent influence.

Stylistically, Parker’s controversial film is impressive; the use of light and framing challenge the cinematic norm and the subject matter ranging from patricide to a recurring theme of female abuse is stark in its bluntness. Gamine – played by Parker’s secretary Adrienne Barrett, the film’s source being a dream she had – is almost bestial in her portrayal, felinely unsympathetic in her actions and mannerisms.

As an historical piece, Dementia is worthy of note, but you sense it would be more at home in a museum than a cinema. The film feels long at 55 minutes, clearly stretched from the original short and the performances are clumsy at times, over-exaggerating scenes in the absence of dialogue.

Only briefly released, this version was picked up by Jack H. Harris and re-released as Daughter of Horror (also included on the Blu-ray) in 1957, but with a new edit and a curious narration that detracts rather than adds to the original.

Noirish, psychological, and unforgivingly bleak Dementia is no easy watch, and will not appeal to the masses.

THE DRIVER

CERT: TBC / FORMAT: DIGITAL, DVD / RELEASE DATE: OCTOBER 19TH (DVD)

It’s the zombie apocalypse (because of course it is) and a small community continue their daily struggle to maintain a life that’s worth living. Among them is The Driver (Mark Dacascos), an ex-assassin who has settled down with his wife Sharon and daughter Bree, doing his best to turn his back on the violent life he once knew while still protecting the ones he loves. Then, when the settlement is suddenly overrun, The Driver grabs his daughter and runs, hoping to find the fabled sanctuary that could keep the one thing he loves more than anything safe from harm.

Let’s get one thing straight: this writer loves Mark Dacascos. One of the nicest guys in Hollywood and a damn find martial artist to boot. He’s made some great movies and put in some star turns along the way. I love him! Which is why this is so hard… because The Driver is just awful. At the top of the list of travesties is the concept. When The Walking Dead consistently proves itself to be the gold standard in zombie storytelling, anything else zombie-related has to really bring its A-game… something that cannot be said of The Driver. With a plot mostly pilfered from 2017’s Cargo and a budget lower than Dacascos’ slipping standards, this slow-moving, cheap-looking movie has very little going for it. Then there’s the acting. Bless Dacascos’ heart, he’s brought in his real-life wife (Julie Condra) and daughter (Noelani Dacascos) to play his on-screen counterparts and while Condra holds up well, with so much narrative emphasis on his daughter, it’s impossible to ignore her distracting lack of acting ability.

With not enough meat on its bones to fill a zombie’s rotting stomach and hilarious panda-eyed walking dead providing more laughs than scares, The Driver doesn’t even get off the starting line, let along enter the race.

Extras include a behind the scenes featurette which is just heartbreaking as Dacascos enthuses about having his daughter on board and how much he loved the script. We can only assume that director Wych Kaosayananda has something on him.

976-EVIL (1988)

CERT: 18 | PLATFORM: BLU RAY | RELEASE DATE: OCTOBER 19TH

Coming right at the end of the 1980s VHS rental boom, curious horrorphiles were attracted to 976-EVIL by its director (Robert ‘Freddy Krueger’ Englund), its star (Stephen Geoffreys, who’d been a hit as vampire Evil Ed in Fright Night), and by its awesome poster art. What they found when they popped the tape into the machine, however, was lesser than the sum of its parts.

Released on Blu-ray in the UK for the first time by Eureka Classics, the movie is very much a product of its time, with dangerous bad boy Spike trying to look out for his nerdy cousin Hoax, only for Hoax to fall prey to a hotline to hell in the form of the titular dial-a-demon. Englund’s direction is all over the place, failing to properly knit together some cool set pieces, but Geoffreys is still a charismatic antagonist, and it’s a shame that he turned down Fright Night 2 to appear in this.

For those who remember the film fondly, however, the Eureka release is a decent package, with commentaries from the director and his set decorator wife, new interviews with special effects producers, and an SD version of the expanded home video release, which included scenes not featured in the cinematic version, which is presented in 1080p here.

The thirty-odd years since the VHS boom have not been kind to many of the movies that found an eager audience back then, and 976-EVIL is no exception, but it will fill a gap in the collection of those obsessed by Fangoria back in the day. Englund only ever directed one other movie, and Geoffreys was out of the business within two years of its release; 976-EVIL was a call they probably never should have made.

THE DEEPER YOU DIG

CERT: 18 / BLU-RAY, VOD / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW

The Deeper You Dig is very much a family affair in more ways than one. Actual mother, daughter and father play all the pivotal characters in this supernatural tale of loss and revenge.

Having squandered her gift for personal gain Ivy’s (Tobey Poser) psychic abilities have all but deserted her. Until, that is, when her daughter Echo (Zelda Adams) is killed by their neighbour Kurt (John Adams). Knowing that her daughter has died Ivy becomes desperate to contact her, and in so doing readily accepts the terrifying conditions that will allow this. Kurt, on the other hand, is in constant contact with Echo. She insists that he tell Ivy what he has done to her, but he refuses telling her to get out of his head. “I’m not in your head… yet”, she chillingly states.

Not only did the Adams Family perform in The Deeper You Dig, but it was written, directed, edited, scored, and filmed by them. The only factor that points to the films indie roots is the fact that it has been shot on an HD digital camera, but despite this it is still a gorgeous looking piece of work. There is a stark beauty to the winter scenes that exudes a chillness and a sense of isolation. All the performances ring true, particularly Zelda Adams who’s aptly named Echo becomes more sinister as she taunts Kurt with her ghostly manifestations.

For a film that treads a well-worn path through the genre The Deeper You Dig adds some pleasing new touches. Echo standing some distance from her mother and talking to her through the car radio is beautifully heart-breaking.

The Deeper You Dig includes a wry and illuminating audio commentary by writers/directors/stars Toby Poser and John Adams, At Home with the Adams Family, an exclusive, in-depth interview with the trio of filmmakers responsible for the film, It’s in the Blood: The Family in the Horror Genre, an exclusive visual essay by critic Anton Bitel exploring the theme of family in The Deeper You Dig and the Adams Family’s broader filmography, Special effects breakdown with commentary by Trey Lindsay, there’s some welcome practical effects, FrightFest TV interview with the Adams Family, Hellbender music videos and, of course, the theatrical trailer and image gallery.

SLEEPWALKERS (1992)

CERT: 18 / BLU-RAY / RELEASE DATE: OCTOBER 26TH

“sleep’walk’er n. Nomadic shape-shifting creatures with human and feline origins. Vulnerable to the deadly scratch of the cat, the sleepwalker feeds upon the life-force of virginal human females. Probable source of the vampire legend.”

With those three sentences the plot of Stephen King’s Sleepwalkers is neatly revealed at the film’s beginning. Mary (Alice Krige) and Charles (Brian Krause who has extraordinary feline features) are an incestuous mother and son, and the titular Sleepwalkers, perhaps the last of their kind. After fleeing California they arrive in Indiana famished but hopeful that they’ll find sustenance. And find it they do in the shape of high school student Tanya (Mädchen Amick). Now if they can only do something about those darn cats.

Sleepwalkers was King’s first original screenplay, and who better to direct the venture than Masters of Horror creator, and frequent King collaborator Mick Garris. Those expecting The Shining or The Dead Zone will be disappointed for Sleepwalkers is strictly pulp, B-movie, material. What distinguishes it from such fare is the self-referential tone of the film. This isn’t an earnest treatise on the human condition. It is darkly humorous, sometimes shocking (some may find the scenes of incest and the attempted rape scene disturbing), and a tongue-in-cheek fun filled horror. Where else might you find a characters demise from an ear of corn, or grin inducing cameos from Mark Hamill and Ron Perlman, as well as comic turns from horror luminaries Joe Dante, Tobe Hooper, John Landis, Clive Barker, and King himself.

As usual, Eureka! is generous with the special features. The two audio commentaries which both feature director Mick Garris and with film historian Lee Gamblin, and Mädchen Amick and Brian Krause respectively are a joy to listen to. Garris is honest, personable, and entertaining with his recollections regarding the making of the film, the cat wrangling in particular. There are several interviews with the cast who clearly had a good time on the production, behind-the-scenes footage and an FX featurette.

When Sleepwalkers was initially released in 1992 it was critically mauled, but the intervening years have seen the film positively re-evaluated. This is a carnival ghost train ride of a movie, not a visit to an art gallery, and as such it’s purr-fect Halloween viewing. Get it? Purr-fect, cats…!? I’ll get my coat.

THE DARE

CERT: 18 / DVD, VOD / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW

The Dare is a hybrid of Saw and biographical serial killer fare, such as See No Evil. It is competently produced on a decent budget through Lionsgate (always trying to recreate the formula that made the Saw series successful) but is ultimately a mundane affair.

Jay (Bart Edwards) promises his wife that he is going to work less and spend more time with the family, after yet another work conference. A hooded figure breaks into his house, knocks him out, and he awakens, chained to the wall of a dark room with security guard Adam (Richard Short) and ‘goth’ Kat (Alexandra Evans, she basically doesn’t have a character but is edgy and wears black). A body builder with a skin mask periodically enters ‘daring’ one of them to do something nasty to the other, eat an insect or cut another piece out of poor old Paul (a dying man with his mouth sewn shut). This is interspersed with a young boy being indoctrinated by nasty farmer Credence (perennial villain Richard Brake), who tells him he needs to cut people to let the evil out. Ridiculously, the three of them suddenly realise they met on holiday when they were 13, where they met a strange boy, whom they made do nasty dares, the last of which got him abducted by Credence.

Despite the holes in some of the logic of the story, it ends up fitting together quite well, the acting is decent, and the gore is well handled. However, what makes the scenario of; ‘people waking up in strange room’ interesting, is; who are these characters? Why were they chosen? What do they need to do to escape? The Dare just doesn’t deliver satisfying enough answers to these questions.

THE OTHER LAMB

PLATFORM: DVD, DIGITAL DOWNLOAD | RELEASE DATE: OCTOBER 26TH, OCTOBER 16TH (MUBI)

The shadow of Charles Manson looms ominously over this, the latest feature from Polish director Malgorzata Szumowska. It’s evident from the off that something isn’t quite right about the all-female community living in the woods. Living under the supervision of a man known only as The Messiah, these women and girls attend to their daily duties while singing the praises of their long-haired and bearded man. Selah (Raffey Cassidy) has never known any different, but even she realises that something might be amiss here. As the Flock goes on the move after being banished by local law enforcement, Selah sets upon the long and difficult road to liberation.

No sleazy exploitation picture this, Szumowska’s slow-and-steady coming-of-age tale is a chilly thriller with more in common with the work of Yorgos Lanthimos than Tarantino. Eagle-eyed viewers will notice that the film even shares a lead in actress Raffey Cassidy; magnetic as the conflicted young Selah. What the film lacks in pacing, it makes up for its gorgeous cinematography, making the most of its remote woodland setting and icy colour palette (filmed in Ireland, pretending to be America). Visually, it’s The Handmaid’s Tale crossed with Shyamalan’s The Village. Tonally, it’s not far off either.

Viewers expecting the thrills and spills of your traditional horror film about woodland cultists may be disappointed – The Other Lamb is a slow, torturous battle for emancipation. Its story is not especially original and the storytelling is muddled at times, but that doesn’t make this film any less powerful. This is provocative, disturbing, and deeply unsettling cinema… and all without a single jump scare or flamethrower in sight.

THE LAST WAVE (1977)

CERT: TBC / FORMAT: BLU-RAY / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW (AUSTRALIA)

As the Australian weather takes an unpredictable turn, a lawyer (Richard Chamberlain) is tasked with defending five Aboriginal men accused of murder. As he tries to understand their culture, he has a series of dreams involving one of the men (David Gulpilil), who is seemingly trying to tell him something. As he probes deeper, he becomes convinced the constant rain (including spates of black rain, large hail, and showers of frogs) is a sign of the coming apocalypse.

Peter Weir followed up the hit Picnic at Hanging Rock with this low key, brooding look at indigenous folklore and, way ahead of its time, climate change. Chamberlain is superb as the lawyer out of his depth but determined to get the men off their murder charge. Strange shaman and a hidden, sacred underground site add to the otherworldliness of the tale. Bolstered by some gorgeous cinematography by Russell Boyd, The Last Wave has arguably become more enjoyable and essential as years have passed. Largely and cruelly forgotten, it’s a deliberately paced, stunningly visual think piece that deserves a bigger audience.

Aussie label Umbrella Entertainment has released the HD version with a wealth of great special features. Interviews with the producer, Jim McElroy and Boyd are fascinating, but the most engaging and rewarding is a video call (filmed during the lockdown) with star Richard Chamberlain. Now in his 80s, he is still recognisably the star he was and has plenty to say about the production and working with the director and crew.

The film is ripe for rediscovery, and this release more than does it justice.

MONSTER FORCE ZERO

CERT: TBC / RELEASE DATE: VOD OUT NOW

Adam Singer, Aeon Cruz, and Dalena Nguyen are the cosplaying creators of a comic book, who accept an invitation for a costume battle that turns into something much bigger in Monster Force Zero, the debut feature from award-winning short director Nathan Letteer. Featuring turns from former WWF and WCW wrestler Pat Tanaka as a wise, old janitor, and Star Trek: Voyager’s Garrett Wang as himself, Monster Force Zero is a light-hearted genre romp, which spins out from the convention floor, through the sexy after party (as if!), and finally into a battle for the future of planet Earth.

Letteer clearly has an affection for the Comic Con culture, and the film never feels as though it is mean-spirited. Rather, these are real people having an adventure as a result of their hobby, and as much as the world might like to classify that hobby as geeky, the cosplayers and comic creators on show here are nothing to be laughed at, except when they want you to. Some of the cast are more polished than others, but this matches the lo-fi, 1980s aesthetic of the piece, like some last-minute grab from the convenience store VHS rental section that you can never remember the title of years later but that worked perfectly well at the time.

There’s a lot to like about Monster Force Zero, the debut feature from award-winning short director Nathan Letteer, and while it has its shortcomings, they’re easily overlooked because it’s obvious how much fun everyone is having making this film. Monster Force Zero is eighty-five minutes of silly fun, and there’s plenty of room for that in 2020.

TREMORS: SHRIEKER ISLAND

PLATFORM: DVD, BLU-RAY, DIGITAL DOWNLOAD | RELEASE DATE: NOVEMBER 16TH

Considering their straight-to-video status and their lack of Kevin Bacon, you’d be forgiven for writing off the abundant sequels to 1990 cult hit Tremors. Forgiven until now, that is, because we’re telling you that they’re well worth the time of anyone who enjoyed the first film.

Much like Inspector Clouseau, who debuted as a supporting role in The Pink Panther before taking centre stage in the sequels, the Tremors movies quickly honed in on Burt Gummer, the oddly loveable, survivalist gun-nut played by Michael Gross in the first film. Gummer is the lead character in all six subsequent movies (not to mention appearing in the short-lived TV-series).

The franchise took something of a downward turn after the original creators stopped having any involvement, starting with Tremors 5: Bloodlines. This also marked the introduction of Travis, the estranged son of Gummer, played by Jamie Kennedy. Travis returned for the sixth movie but is noticeably absent here – noticeably because of how blatantly his character has been re-worked into a ‘new’ character played by Napoleon Dynamite’s Jon Heder. Contrived as it all feels, Heder is a welcome upgrade.

In Shrieker Island, humans are no longer the most dangerous game; Graboids are. A wealthy hunter has been shipping them to his private island, but inevitably, things go wrong and Burt is drafted to save the day. Coming from largely the same creative team as the previous two movies, this one features a more confident and playful feel than the franchise has had in a while. While it’s far from the best that Tremors has to offer, there’s plenty of Graboid action, a handful of great gags and a surprisingly emotional climax which ultimately renders Tremors: Shrieker Island much closer to perfection than you might think.