Review Category: Movie

Director Francesco Giannini walks a fine line considering current events with his narrative feature debut. Set in a US hotel, it features a group of characters falling prey to a violent strain of flu. Feeling comfortable?

Val (Carolina Bartczak) and Branden (Mark Gibson), along with their daughter Kelly (Bailey Thain) are having to check into a hotel while they are moving house. Val sees this as the perfect opportunity to leave her abusive husband. In the parking lot, they almost literally run into Naomi (Yumiko Shaku), who is pregnant and alone. Passing pleasantries in the corridor of the hotel, Naomi reveals to Val that the father of her unborn child was “a bad man”, something Val can relate to. Before long, however, Naomi and other guests at the hotel begin to develop symptoms of the deadly virus they have heard about on the radio…

Hall utilises a very simple premise and sets its stall out early on – we see Naomi struggling in the corridor before flipping four hours earlier – and this time jump is used several times. So it’s a good job that this isn’t where the film’s tension and excitement will come. The main thrust of the action is Val trying to get herself and her daughter away from Branden – a tough ask anyway even before you factor in the deadly flu.

A nefarious character is introduced midway insinuating the virus is a man-made construct, but it’s not until after the end credits that this is elaborated on. As MacGuffins go, it’s an interesting one so it’s a shame it’s not given more screen time.

The attempt to escape for mother and daughter is the real plight, and there are some tense moments, but there’s very little to build on as, while the infected pose a risk of becoming violent, we only see it briefly and they can be mostly stepped over. It’s still an interesting story with a poignant premise, particularly with some of the conspiracy theories some crackpots are touting right now, it just could have been much more.

There are many documentaries about filmmaking. The ups and downs of movie shoots and backroom squabbles. Justin McConnell’s film takes the viewer on his five-year journey of trying to get his visions off the ground.

McConnell’s plight is often related through video diary-type sequences, as well as fly-on-the-wall moments when he’s on the phone brokering deals. There are plenty of talking heads from the business telling their stories too. These range from the well-known (Guillermo del Toro) to the ‘little league’ indie filmmakers who have incredibly valid input to offer, even if it only scratches the surface of the struggles they face.

McConnell is seen fighting to get finance for his dream project – and adaptation of the novel Kane by Michael Prescott – only for things to stall and new avenues explored, but he never gives up the fight to do what he loves. It’s an underdog story in which we don’t necessarily warm to the protagonist until quite late in the tale. It’s a shame that some of the interviews don’t bring as much knowledge to the table as they could have, but there are enough nuggets in there to make it worthwhile. Sadly, due to the time the film covers, several key faces have now left us.

Young directors, writers, and producers might have their eyes opened to the trials that face them, and there’s plenty to learn here, even it’s just as a reality check. There’s plenty for genre fans in McConnell’s doc, too, as a look behind the scenes of how films fight for distribution and even festival selection, which is no doubt where many see these films. It might not be a heart-warming, rags-to-riches story, but the sobering truth is nonetheless entertaining and enthralling.

On Blu-ray and Digital HD on April 12th
Exclusive premiere on ARROW in the UK and US from April 19th

CERT: TBC / RELEASE DATE: TBC

Brazil isn’t the first place you’ll think of when it comes to horror films, save for the brilliant lunacy of Coffin Joe (José Mojica Marins, who passed in February this year). However, writer/directors Armando Fonseca and Kapel Furman have created a film as rich in mythology as it is in blood and guts. Oh, and there are a lot of guts.

A prologue in 1944 shows us Nazis attempting to harness the power of the Mask of Anhangá, only to suffer a bloody fate. Flash forward to the present day, and the Mask has been unearthed and there are several people who want it in their possession: to either misuse it or destroy it. Detective Beatriz Obdias (Natallia Rodriques) is on the trail of some brutal murders, each victim disembowelled and missing their heart. Destitute fruit packer Manco Ramirez (Wilton Andrade) is a descendant of one of the slaughtered Nazis and brandishing the severed hand of his ancestor also wants to end the bloodshed.

With so much bloody violence, it’s a pleasure to report that Skull: The Mask moves at a wonderful pace, with impressive (and fun!) effects and amazingly choreographed fight scenes. One thing’s for sure, when someone puts on this mask, it’s not going to be Jim Carrey-esque japes! The preposterous story is the right side of silly, containing slasher qualities, as well as some neo-gallio. It’s a brilliantly colourful affair with the contrast of the slums of São Paulo awash with crimson light. The Mask monster is a foreboding figure, wielding a cleaver with intestine extensions that bring the blade back to him. A costume party massacre is a particular highlight. With fantastic performances all round, this is fun, gory ride.

CERT: TBC / RELEASE DATE: TBC

We’re seeing more and more anthology films these days. While there are few that match the stakes set by Amicus in the ‘60s and ‘70s, some do stand out as trying to bring something new to the game. Dark Place is one such film, being a collection of short films with a common thread: Indigenous Australians.

Using largely an authentic cast, the tales here vary from strikingly poignant, nightmarish, and, in the case of the final segment, comedic. The strongest sections include the first tale, Scout, directed by Kodie Bedford, which involves kidnapped women put to work as sex slaves (or worse, Hostel-type abuse victims). In a short space of time, it provides plenty of horror and evokes much empathy. Somnambulism and insomnia are utilised brilliantly in Liam Phillip’s Foe, in which a woman sets up a video camera to record her nocturnal self-abuse. Rob Braslin’s Vale Light has a supernatural edge, as a lone parent move into a nice neighbourhood after their previous place ‘burnt down’. Vampiric-types bear their fangs in the monochrome short The Shore, directed by Perun Bonser. The final piece – Killer Native helmed by Bjorn Stewart – is a high point, despite being tonally out of sorts compared to what has come before. It does provide some comic relief after the bombardment of thought-provoking material. It still packs a punch when it comes to pointing out the racial injustice heaped upon the original Australians since the colonies, even if it does so with a wink to the audience.

Dark Place is patchy, but at 75 mins, nothing outstays its welcome, making it a powerful and challenging watch.

CERT: TBC / RELEASE DATE: TBC

Max (Tom Wheatley) runs a successful YouTube psychology show. He plans to film agoraphobic Sarah (Chrissy Randall) over the course of ten days, and is determined to get her out of her house, which she has not left in five years. What he finds is a deep-rooted belief superstition of an entity called ‘Green Eyes’. A folklore character that Sarah believes took her daughter. Highly sceptical but over-confident in his power to help with Sarah’s mental health, Max gets drawn into a series of strange occurrences. Events that will lead to both his and Sarah’s disappearance.

The film is presented as ‘found footage’ of what Max and his partner Nicole (Nicole Miners) have filmed, as well as interviews with Max’s parents, put together by Sarah’s best friend, Penny (Emily Booth). There’s even an introduction from a Professor of Folklore at the start, played by Nicholas Vince, who gives a soothing, trustworthy primer for what’s to come. We’re told right from the start what the outcome is going to be, but nevertheless, it’s an absorbing and effective ride.

Footage filmed at Hastings’ May Day festival Jack in the Green (yep, it’s a real annual event!) adds some flavour to the proceedings, making it feel just as creepy as landing on Summerisle. The format also manages to poke fun at the phenomenon of insincere YouTube ‘presenters’ but the humour doesn’t get in the way of the chills. Directors Sam Casserly and Airell Anthony Hayles build the story up gradually, with stories and unexpected knocking rather than outright scares. This approach allows the legend to get under the viewers’ skin before delivering its foreshadowed suckerpunch. Some evocative illustrations depicting the Green Eyes tale add to the atmosphere. The occasional subliminal flash helps to unease too.

There are great performances from Randall, who realistically conveys the struggles of an agoraphobia sufferer, and Wheatley, who plays the host who doesn’t really believe what he preaches and is quite a prick. They’re Outside is one of the most effective faux-doc/found footage films bolstered by the performances and engaging script.

CERT: TBC / RELEASE DATE: TBC

Patrick Rea’s take on the werewolf legend is a brutal watch, full of mean-spirited folk who you can’t wait for them to get what they deserve.

Lisa (Kristen Vaganos) is a quiet girl who has returned to her small, home town to run the bookstore her grandmother left when she died. She’s beleaguered by Jess (Carmen Anello) and her gang, who make her life a misery. She can’t even report her since she’s the daughter of sheriff (Manon Halliburton), who is an even nastier piece of work. She does try, but gets beaten (and worse!) and left for dead in the woods; food for the wolves, or so they think. Lisa is bitten, but survives and now possesses powers she could never dream of. For Lisa, it’s time to get even.

We’ve seen lycan films often, but I Am Lisa brings a more streamlined look to the snarling beasts, mostly just giving them fangs and strange eyes. This doesn’t make them any less scary or effective, though. Lisa’s a likeable character, as are her friends, but luckily, this doesn’t go into Teen Wolf territory.

Eric Winkler’s script provides some really evil characters, only just stopping short at pantomime level, and Rea’s direction gives us enough to be horrified about without going over the top with showing us (particularly in a nasty scene involving the sheriff’s deputy), which we’re thankful for.

While it might not be the hairy wolf we’re used to, I Am Lisa has plenty of bite and will resonate with much of its audience.

CERT: TBC / RELEASE DATE: TBC

Joshua (Josh Plasse) is on the run. Not from the law, but from a vicious vampire driving an old RV. While speeding across the American desert, he collides with Ariel (Emma Holzer). Panicked, he invites himself into her car and pleads for her to drive. It’s only when she’s faced with the psychotic, supernatural behaviour of their pursuer that she realises his story about vampires might be true.

Director Logan Thomas builds plenty of tension on the roads as Joshua and Ariel are chased by the persistent bloodsucker. It’s when the pair reach the house of Ariel’s friends that the action picks up a gear, though. They’re safety doesn’t last long and they’ve now added another two people to the ‘at risk’ tally.

The film is peppered with colourful characters, including some played by familiar genre faces. Maria Olsen gets to screech as only she can as a cinema usher in the opening moments and Meg Foster is wonderful as a nun who is as sinister as the vampire. Unfortunately, once the cat and mouse chases come to an end, the story descends into the silliness of its own mythology. It’s above-par silliness, at least.

 

CERT: TBC / RELEASE DATE: TBC

Hands up anyone who saw the title and thought this was going to be another cheap straight-to-TV shark knock-out? Yep, us too. It’s a relief, then, to report that this – while not being a completely different beast – has much more to recommend it than what we’ve come to expect.

A forgotten experiment from WW II has been resurrected from its icy burial ground in the form of weaponised, flying sharks. If that’s not terrifying enough the army is made up of zombified soldiers. The mastermind of this diabolical scenario is the now-repentant Dr Klaus Richter (Thomas Morris), who sends his daughters to the front line in an attempt to put right what he started back in the 1940s.

Once you get over the abundance of rather naff-looking CGI, it’s not hard to warm to Sky Sharks. The action and gore is so OTT that you will find yourself grinning uncontrollably. The majority of the environments are computer generated, giving it a cheap yet highly stylised appearance. Nazis used to be a staple of exploitation cinema in the ‘70s, so it’s fitting that another ‘70s trope is revived here too: female nudity. Director Marc Fehse is unapologetic in where he points the camera, and there’s only really one part in which it seems sleazy. The CGI gore is forgivable since it’s presented in such an outrageous way, but the biggest cheer would undoubtedly come in one of the few prosthetic effects, which is a glorious periscope-through-the head gag. The biggest negative for this reviewer was the soundtrack. Rather than complementing the action, it’s quite a distraction. It’s a good job the visuals make up for it.

The numerous cameos from genre names adds an additional layer of credibility, and Tony Todd bags the biggest of the star roles with a perfect turn, even if it looks like his section was filmed during the lockdown! Unless we missed them, sadly, Dominic Brunt and FrightFest directors Ian Rattray and Greg Day may have ended up on the cutting room floor – speaking of FF, it’s a shame the film is opening the festival online as there is one shot in particular that would have brought the house down in Leicester Square.

Like the bastard son of Iron Sky and Dead Snow, Sky Sharks has Nazis at its heart, but in a way that allows the audience to have a little fun. As in those films, the fascists are not included to be celebrated, but add to the somewhat delightful, bad taste sleaziness of it all. Stick through the rather lengthy credits, too, for some little Easter eggs.