Review Category: Movie

by Martin Unsworth

Writer/director Alex Kahuam’s new feature following the impressively disturbing Forgiveness is an ambitious piece filmed in one continuous shot, which grabs the viewer and doesn’t let go.

James (Ted Raimi) is having a bad day. He’s having massive money problems and is under pressure to sell the family factory or face dire consequences. As various people visit him throughout the day, he’s on a rollercoaster of emotions. To make matters worse, he has his daughter’s upcoming wedding to contend with. As the day unfolds, things spiral more out of control.

Far from being a gimmick, the fluid camerawork (by Ernesto Lomeli) puts us in the centre of an increasingly nightmarish farce. The visuals are nothing, however, without an able cast, whether it’s the motley crew who arrive for a wedding fitting or those who come to negotiate the sale of the business, many of whom have money issues of their own. It’s good to note that the one-shot aspect doesn’t distract from the potent storytelling and the powerhouse performance from Ted Raimi. It does, however, show an immense amount of planning that is executed perfectly.

Where Kahuam’s previous film was a mighty grim affair, there’s plenty of humour in Failure!, albeit of a very dark tone. Raimi appears to be a natural at playing desperate and downbeat, but there are other subtle elements to his character that gives him a surprising depth. It feels like he’s on-screen almost constantly, a big ask when you take into account there couldn’t be any cuts. We can share in his sadness, tension, and anxiety while not approving of the things he does. The stakes we face in real life might not be as high, but we can sympathise with his situation. James is trying his best to do the right thing, but the situation constantly gets out of hand and escalates dramatically. Even though he does a lot of immoral things, he wants to be loyal but is slowly coming to terms with how things are going to roll.

Failure! is a dialogue-heavy film – think a more natural and less showy Tarantino – that’s both engaging and engrossing and deserves a wider audience and shows that the young director has plenty of promise.

Failure! had its world premiere at Pigeon Shrine FrightFest on August 28th.

by Martin Unsworth

Before getting into this documentary’s purpose, it spends some time acquainting its audience on Bruce Lee, the real McCoy. In the potted 10-minute prologue, you learn all you need to about the legendary martial arts star, but it’s the characters that the studios scramble to find someone to pick up as the star of their movies that is the focus here. Yes, Brucesploitation was a thing. And while the real Lee was a master of his craft who was taken seriously and took his fighting the same way, the cash-in films took kung fu to fantasy levels at times, whether they were Bruce Li, Lai, Le, or any other variation.

Director David Gregory (Blood & Flesh: The Reel Life & Ghastly Death of Al Adamson) has collected an impressive selection of the ‘fake’ Bruce Lees. Their story is a fascinating one, and we learn plenty about them as well as the way the Chinese film industry worked at the time.

Even if you’ve never seen a Bruce Lee film before, let alone a Lee clone picture, Enter the Clones of Bruce will pique your interest enough to want to track them down. You can’t ask for any more from a documentary.

Enter the Clones of Bruce had its European premiere on August 27th

by Joel Harley

An unflinchingly brutal account of the atrocities which unfolded one night on a college campus in 1978. Actor Devanny Pinn (Pretty Boy, Truth or Dare) makes her directorial debut with this grisly American horror story based on true events. If you know, you know. If you don’t, you will by the end.

Pinn approaches the true story of a serial killer from a fresh perspective, watching the events play out over a period of 24 hours. True crime buffs will likely recognise the specifics as ‘Patrick’ (Jeremy London) goes about his horrific business.  But Pinn is more concerned with the victims than the monster, at least at first, and spends plenty of time with her characters – real people – free of sensationalism or the male gaze. Drawing a contrast between the horrors which are to come and the groovy seventies’ accoutrements, it’s an unsettlingly slow build, working towards a horrific endgame.

When the night falls, the gloves come off, and the killer’s crimes are depicted with unyielding savagery. Every bone-crunching act of violence is deeply felt, made all the more upsetting for its basis in reality and the preceding time spent getting to know these people and their lives.

If its big ‘reveal’ leaves an unfortunate taste in the mouth, then that’s because, up until then, The Black Mass felt better than that. An atypical true crime biopic; heartfelt, angry, and uninterested in using its killer’s name for cheap shock value.

The Black Mass had its world premiere at Pigeon Shrine FrightFest on August 27th, 2023

by Joel Harley

It’s Liz Hurley versus the Pied Piper of Hamelin. This is the long and short of what you need to know about Anthony Waller’s supernatural horror film, in which a plummy history teacher (Hurley) and her teenage daughter (Mia Jenkins) relocate to the small German town of Hamelin following a horrifying act of bloodshed.

The star of Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery and Bedazzled is no stranger to the deeply silly genre movie and, make no mistake, Piper is a deeply silly genre movie. Waller and co-writer Duncan Kennedy bring with all the bells and whistles – including a scene in which Liz (playing a character named Liz) is attacked by a horde of rats on a train, shepherded by The Piper (or at least a vision of) himself.

Of course, The Piper’s thing is fiddling – sorry, piping – unsuspecting kiddies to their doom, and that’s where teen Amy comes in. As she falls for handsome local Luca (Jack Stewart), Amy begins to uncover the town’s dark past… and the sinister lies of her own mother. The heavy-handed score and some silly line deliveries ruin the modern fairy tale vibe Waller is going for (Hurley’s trying to call the cops on the Pied Piper of Hamelin is one for the ages), but its silliness is generally quite affable – a feature rather than a flaw. Whether Waller and Kennedy intended it as such is another matter, but it’s a sticking point that works in the film’s favour.

While the film doesn’t stray far from its Syfy/Hallmark-level performances and effects, a surprising meanness of spirit separates this one out – particularly where the murder of children is concerned. That and Liz Hurley, whose charmingly wooden performance somehow makes the daft shenanigans of the story an easier pill to swallow. Well, it is Liz Hurley versus the Pied Piper of Hamelin.

Piper had its world premiere at Pigeon Shrine FrightFest on August 27th, 2023.

by Martin Unsworth

Writer/director Dominic O’Neill takes a cue from Stephen Volk’s legendary BBC drama Ghostwatch with this modern homage that does a similar thing but with a twist.

A Halloween live broadcast is taking place at an allegedly haunted house with amiable host Gerry (Mark Claney), kids’ presenter Michelle (Aimee Richardson) adding some enthusiasm, and a DJ (Dan Leith) broadcasting on the radio from the attic. During the times when the live feed takes a break, we see some of the drama behind the scenes (“I wanted Eamon Holmes and Tina Campbell!”).

While the comparison to Ghostwatch is unavoidable, Haunted Ulster Live has plenty of differences that set it apart. The presenter, Gerry, is wonderfully earnest, and the bickering that goes on when the cameras are off is brilliant (and probably closer to reality than some would like!) The attention to detail with the live presentation is impeccable – right down to the signal at the top of the screen, signalling the oncoming advertising break and the naff ads themselves.

As things get out of control – both in the house and with the crew – there are some genuine shocks and an impressive, creepy conclusion.

Haunted Ulster Live had its world premiere at Pigeon Shrine FrightFest on August 26th

By Martin Unsworth

A title like this is certainly going to open up a massive debate with fans. Everyone has a particular year that’s a sweet spot in their memories when it comes to film and TV. But this documentary – originally a four-part TV project (which explains the four chapter headings), now compiled together to make an almost three-hour extravaganza – makes a good case that 1982 could be in the running.

Obvious films are covered, from Steve Spielberg’s E.T: The Extra-Terrestrial to John Carpenter’s The Thing, Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner to the likes of Tron and 48 Hrs. A remarkable array of talking heads wax lyrical about what they loved about the releases that year and make an impressive argument to the doc’s raison d’etre. There are the usual type of people you expect on this kind of thing, from the likes of Mick Garris and Roger Corman, but there are also luminaries such as Ron Howard and William Shatner.

Director Roger Lay Jr does a good job of keeping everything on-topic and flowing well. Despite the length, it’s never less than engaging and will have you wanting to go back and check some of the films out again. However, if you weren’t born in 1982, it’s a great insight into how fabulous we had it back then.

1982: The Greatest Geek Year Ever! had its UK premiere at Pigeon Shrine FrightFest on August 26th.

by Martin Unsworth

Nicholas and Sarah (Johnny Vivash and Kathryn Louise) are mourning the passing of their child when they are selected to take part in a revolutionary trial that will see their family complete. Dr Abner (horror legend Catriona MacColl) offers them a chance to raise a baby that has been created by a company better known for genetically produced meat. There’s a catch, though. The child will not be theirs; it will remain the property of the GEO group. The couple soon find they have problems with young Isaac, and Sarah leaves home. Nicholas must fend for himself, keeping Isaac’s issues a secret – particularly from Dr Abner, who would take the boy away if she knew…

Set in an unspecified future, this debut feature from Tariq Sayed, Isaac is a brooding, haunting picture that plays on the genuine fears we have of meddling with genetically modified products. While the creation of a child is still the stuff of science fiction (for now!), the talk of GM food (particularly the replacement of real apple trees) is all too real, making the horror of the situation even more terrifying.

Johnny Vivash is remarkable as the anguished father who wants to do the best for what he considers his offspring, no matter how bad the situation is or how much he despairs the situation. He’s a mesmerising presence and easily carries being the primary focus throughout. Likewise, it’s great to see Catriona MacColl on screen in a meaty (pun intended) role.

Showing very little, Isaac manages to build tension and fear within its simple confines. The ethical nightmare is as chilling as the physical. The brooding, often discordant score from William Sullivan gives a folk horror flavour to the sci-fi horror concept.

Isaac had its world premiere at Pigeon Shrine FrightFest on August 26th.

by Martin Unsworth

A sailor (Davide Tucci) has some shore leave in a small Greek town to look for his father, who walked out on him when he was a child. He becomes friendly with Aliki (Daphne Alexander), who waits tables in the local café bar. His visit coincides with an attack on the village by some strange sea creatures.

Konstantinos Koutsoliotas’ film is a fun monster romp with a Lovecraftian feel with some genuinely likeable characters. Koutsoliotas isn’t afraid to take his time getting to the action, but this is to its favour as we’re introduced to everyone properly and we get a feel for the vibe of the village. If you had to liken Minore to anything, it would be a Mediterranean version of the 2012 Irish film Grabbers, with the occupants of the small village banding together to defeat a monstrous foe.

Minore manages humour and horror perfectly, even having some quirky animation to illustrate an old woman’s story (which has a fantastic pay-off). The rudimental effects add to the charm (there’s a face-off moment that’s particularly fun!). It’s a modern Euroshocker that has the feel of yesteryear. An off-beat winner.

Minore had its European premiere at Pigeon Shrine FrightFest on August 26th.

by Martin Unsworth

This mid-length short/mini-feature feels as though it’s a lost relic from the golden age of folk horror. Something half-remembered from a late-night showing on regional ITV. It’s written and directed by Sean Hogan, who has made a name for himself as the author of several books, including England’s Screaming. Like that novel, this is steeped in the love of the horror genre and British tradition, this time from the 17th century.

Squire Marlow (Mark Carlisle), his servant Pike (Richard Rowden), and two locals, Holt (Harry Roebuck) and the rather drunk Ransley (James Swanton) are carrying the coffin of the Squire’s son across the dark and unsafe path to the church. They are doing this at night to prepare for the next day’s funeral. As they walk, rumours and bitter tensions arise between the men, and things get out of hand.

Presented in immaculate monochrome (with just an effective splash of colour at the climax), To Fire You Come at Last is well shot by Paul Goodwin and Jim Hinson, particularly impressive since the majority takes place at night. As the simple drunkard Ransley, Swanton seems to be having a great time channelling the spirit of Seth Armstrong (ask your parents) and is definitely a highlight. The film is an ode to the M.R. James-style shorts we’d get at Christmas and is a great addition to the pantheon of British folk horror.

To Fire You Come at Last has its European premiere at Pigeon Shrine FrightFest on August 26th.

 

What links a gory sci-fi horror film, a TV documentary about a mysterious filmmaker and a news report on a spate of horrific murder-suicides? Aside from the identically cheap aesthetic and curiously wooden line deliveries, they all happen to be on tonight’s telly schedule.

An account of one night’s television broadcast in small-town America, Michael Hurst’s Transmission plays like a feature-length horror version of Rick and Morty’s Interdimensional Cable. Where that one was linked by the show’s voice talent and distinctive animation, Transmission does so less intentionally. It shares a low-fi aesthetic across its channels, whether it be a black-and-white sitcom, doofus puppets, or the actual news.

As the world’s first channel-flipping horror film, Transmission has novelty going for it, with an interesting throughline in the work of filmmaker Frank Ross (Vernon Wells, giving an enjoyably bristly performance through ‘interview’ footage) and the conspiracy behind his disappearance. Bookending this film, an unseen channel-hopper dips in and out of Ross’s final work – also called Transmission, and the core movie-inside-this-movie. Sure, it’s essentially just Event Horizon crossed with In the Mouth of Madness, but it’s also this unique anthology’s strongest work.

The idea is perhaps undermined by spending too long on each segment between channel hops, but better this than some channels, which only dilute the mood and (in the case of the raunchy ’80s teen comedy) irritate. In case you didn’t get the idea, talking heads continue to espouse Ross’s signature style – interlinked stories coming together with a shock twist at the end. Geddit?

While Transmission’s ambition is occasionally outstripped by its budget, the idea is uniquely engaging and should keep viewers hooked to the end.

Transmission had its world premiere at Pigeon Shrine FrightFest on August 26th, 2023