The Uncertain Guest (El Habitante Incierto, 2004): Are You In The (Spanish) House Alone?

A while back, I saw a great Spanish thriller called Julia's Eyes (Los Ojos de Julia, 2010), directed by Guillem Morales. I'm a big fan of foreign films - and of discovering a director's previous works after enjoying a movie they've just done.  So it was only natural that I would eventually come to find The Uncertain Guest (a.k.a. The Uninvited Guest). 
I bought the film (Amazon) sight unseen, which I have only done a handful of times.  But I had read decent reviews (there and elsewhere) and took a chance.  Glad I did, as it turned out to be a really decent, interesting little film. 

Poor Felix (Andoni Gracia, looking more than a little like a more handsome Dudley Moore). Although a successful architect, his longtime girlfriend has just left him alone with a huge house and a broken heart.  He strives to make the most of it, but he feels lonely and it's all he can do not to beg Vera (Mónica López) to come back to him.  As she takes the rest of her things and goes, Felix settles into his sparsely decorated yet spiffy abode and does the usual.  Feels bad for himself and wonders how he will ever live without her. When the doorbell rings, he rushes to answer it, thinking it's Vera coming back to him.  Alas, it's a stranger, asking to use his phone.  The man indicates that the pay phone nearby isn't working, and though most people wouldn't, Felix allows the stranger inside to use his telephone.  [I do realize this is a movie, and people in movies always do stupid things or there would be no plot to speak of, but personally, I've seen waaaay too many horror movies to even remotely think of letting a stranger use my phone. But.......]

Felix shows the stranger to his phone and is rather taken aback when the man asks for privacy.  Felix reluctantly leaves the room and waits patiently. When it seems to be taking a rather long time, Felix enters the kitchen only to discover the man is gone.  Did he exit through the door?  Why didn't Felix see him?  Why didn't the stranger say thank you?  Wait....did he leave at all?

Paranoia sets in. Felix begins to hear things.  Noises that may or may not be the house settling or a cat in the alleyway.  Quiet knocks and bumps in the night have Felix so on edge that he calls in the police (who of course cannot find a damn thing) and finally ends up sleeping curled up in the fetal position in his car in the garage, completely convinced that the stranger has never left and is squatting in his mansion...somewhere.

He ends up relaying these suspicions to Vera, who at first thinks he's crazy and then seems to feel some sort of pity that ends up with the two of them having ex-sex.  As per the norm, this kind of quick bedtime romp never works out, and although Vera does feel some degree of love for Felix, they argue about whether or not someone is actually in the house and the fight doesn't end well.  Felix is alone again, and soon even more certain someone is living in the house with him. 

Thinking that this is where the plot is going is your first mistake.  This movie drifts effectively off into two or maybe even three directions, which will keep you guessing.  One night, when Felix thinks he has caught up to the stranger, he shoots him and locks him in a room.  Searching out the man's identity, he ends up at house nearby inhabited by a woman in a wheelchair that he thinks may be the stranger's wife.  Claudia is engaged in conversation with another man - her brother-in-law - about her hubby having gone missing.

And this is where the film does a total 180.  Felix becomes strangely enamored with Claudia and can't help himself from actually entering her house and living there! For all intents and purposes, he is a squatter with a voyeuristic fascination with the resident female.  There are unexpected comedic moments interspersed with pure creepiness as Felix follows Claudia around her home - it's quite easy for him to move around undetected as she is wheeling everywhere and he is always one step ahead of her. 

The role reversal here is absolutely brilliant.  I loved wondering if Felix was completely off his rocker or just a little bit sad.  I still wondered throughout the film - was there actually anyone ever in Felix's house or is he really just that crazy?  When we meet Felix he is a shattered man, brokenhearted and bereft of all happiness.  He becomes increasingly paranoid, which is rather fun to watch - but then by the end you really wonder how this could possibly end well.  Because let's not forget...... there is a wounded (or dead?) man in one of the upstairs bedrooms of his own house. 

El Habitante Incierto is a great under-the-radar thriller that offers more than your average slash and trash horror flick. It has laudable performances by the lead actors and it's easy to become invested in Felix's life and problems.  I've heard it compared to Hitchcock, and while I won't be that generous, it was full of beautiful cinematography and clever suspense.  Naturally, being a Spanish film it is subtitled - but don't let that deter you or you'll miss some excellent cinematic journeys from around the world.  And this one is a worthy trip.

Shutter (2004) : A Fine Slice Of Asian Horror

I'm very into foreign horror at the moment, and this 2004 Thai film directed by Banjong Pisanthanakun and Parkpoom Wongpoom is one of my favorites!  Forget the remake from 2008 with Pacey Joshua Jackson....this is the real deal and packs a punch in the fright department. 

Professional photographer Tun (Ananda Everingham, the Thai version of Orlando Bloom in the looks department) and his girlfriend Jane ((Natthaweeranuch Thongmee) are driving home after a night of partying with friends.  Jane's behind the wheel and the two lovers are flirting with the intention of a love fest once they get home.  Suddenly a woman appears out of nowhere on the road and they slam into her, sending her up over the roof and onto the pavement as they wreck the car into a road sign.

After both Tun and Jane have a momentary loss of consciousness, they come to and glance around, first checking to see if the other is okay, and then apprehensively peeking behind them to the unfortunate victim. Jane turns to open her door to check on the young woman but Tun grabs her arm, stopping her.  They then make the worst decision of their lives.  Tun screams for her to drive away, and she quickly does just that.  

[Okay, STOP.  It really should be painfully obvious that making that particular decision never bodes well in the course of a horror movie.  We've seen it all before, in films like I Know What You Did Last Summer and Creepshow 2 - NEVER (EVER!) HIT AND RUN!! Because you know you're in for it.  Regardless, Tun and Jane apparently don't watch horror films and they slam the young woman and bolt.]

Soon after, Tun begins to experience strange occurrences.  Apparitions in photographs, disembodied voices, friends that commit suicide without reason.  He even sees (or thinks he sees) a dark haired woman emerging from the sink in his darkroom.  Jane begins to suspect that he is being haunted by the ghost of the woman they hit with the car, but Tun tries to convince himself the events are not supernatural.  He also begins to have severe neck pain, but blames this on the accident. 

For reasons not clear, Jane is not equally as haunted. Perhaps because she initially wanted to help the crash victim, and is wracked with guilt about what they had done.  But it is Tun who is relentlessly pursued by the dark haired ghost. Jane decides to look into the origin of the photographs with the strange figure in them and discovers that in college, Tun had a girlfriend that he kept secret from his friends because they made fun of her for being quiet and very shy. They had a very bad breakup and after Jane draws this whole story out of Tun and they both finally are convinced that this ex-girlfriend, Natre (Achita Sikamana), is holding one hell of a grudge against Tun.   Investigating, they soon turn to a local photography shop owner and discover there is more to spirit photography than meets the eye. 

When some unfortunate secrets are eventually revealed, the film drives off in a whole other direction than what you originally thought. Just when you thought you knew the whole story - BAM!  They slam you with the truth, and believe me, the truth hurts.  Literally.

In Asian horror, there are a few key components that are always dredged up.  The first and most important is there is always one helluva curse.  Add to that a ghost with long dark hair and a penchant for horrible revenge and you've got yourself a movie. Shutter is wrought with tension and at times the visuals (as they so often are in Asian horror) are terrifying and tend to last long after the final reel. 

So while it may seem that Shutter is just another formulaic "J-Horror" flick you've already seen, it's actually a really good take on the vengeful ghost story - and there are some excellent creepy scenes that had me thinking twice about heading to bed alone...in the dark. 

Which should be reason enough to check out this eerie and unsettling film.

Interview With Turkish Director Can Evrenol On His New Horror Short: BASKIN

 ~by Marie Robinson

 Have you ever seen a Turkish horror film? Odds are your answer is “no” due to the country’s strict film distribution laws. On top of that, horror cinema is relatively absent, and the handful of films are do exist fare better as comedies. Istanbul based director Can Evrenol dreams of exposing the world to quality horror cinema, and is driven to see his newest film, Baskin, become the first mainstream genre film from Turkey.

Since Turkey prohibits their 18+ over films from receiving wide release, festivals are essentially the only international exposure Evrenol’s horror films get; but with perseverance he hopes to eventually find a sponsor who will give his film the wide distribution he craves.

Evrenol works on commercials to pay the bills, but his real passion is for the silver screen with a particular taste for the darker side of cinema. He has directed six short films, all of which can be viewed on his website, here (http://canevrenol.com/shortfilms/), with the exception of his latest, Baskin. Evrenol’s films pack a punch—if you were being punched by a baseball bat covered in exposed nails. Atrocious avant-garde, there is no shortage of on-screen slaughter, and don’t even think of praying for a cutaway, they’ll go unanswered. Innovative and disturbing, Evrenol often couples innocence and deviance, splattering any boundaries between them like a skull on the sidewalk. His 2010 short film To My Mother and Father won such awards as Best Short Film of the Year (Boston Underground), Best Lovecraftian Short Film (A Night of Horror), and Most Disturbing Short Film (HP Lovecraft Festival).

Evrenol’s latest, Baskin, was featured at last year’s Fantastic Fest where it was received with bloodcurdling screams (the good kind). It follows a troupe of policemen who receive the call-in from hell. Within a derelict building they find a satanic den where all manners of atrocities are seemingly performed and the most diabolical creatures reside. Tense and terrifying, Evrenol’s quick tour through hell is one of visual splendor. Baskin may only be eleven minutes but one could easily find themselves watching half of it through their fingers. It is a story that I would love to see fleshed out into a feature film. I had the pleasure of speaking with Can Evrenol about the possibility of such a wonderful, nightmarish thing coming to be, among other things:

What does Baskin mean?

Turkish for 'The Raid'. It was the working title, but it stuck. I loved the way it sounded. I didn't want another 'The Raid' in festival circuit, so I thought of just keeping the international title the same as the Turkish title. A good friend Ryan Haysom, director of 'Yellow: A Neo Giallo', said in his feedback that it sounds ancient and Lovecraftian. That was it! I kept it. 

It does have an Old Ones ring about it. There is overt evidence of Lovecraft inspiration in several of your films. Who are some of your other influences?

Veerhoeven, Cronenberg, Lynch, and Kubrick are some of my favorite directors that immediately come to my mind when asked. Unfortunately I wasn't introduced to Lovecraft until the age of 25. My first ever memory of 'horror literature' is probably an early 80's animation of Swan Lake. I remember I was fascinated and terrified when I heard Tchaikovsky's music fade in for the first time! My inspiration comes in many mediums of literature, be it computer games, or graphic novels - and of course the most horrifying of them all, life itself. 

Your talent and ambition is solidifying you as an important filmmaker not only to your country, but to the genre, as well. How did you find your place in horror, and what brought you to the decision to make horror movies?

Well, thank you! It's great to hear such kind words coming from you. I think it all happened when I shot my second short film 'The Chest'. I was watching plenty of Fulci, Romero, listening to Slayer and reading Lovecraft at the time. But even before that, one can say my first short film 'Screws' is a dark adaptation of one of my favorite Turkish short stories. And even way before that, when I was 7, I was in love with the cassette covers of Iron Maiden, Manowar and Over Kill. 

Have you ever thought of relocating?

I was based in the UK for about 9 years. I loved it. But every city in the world has its pros and cons when compared to the crazy, crazy Istanbul. It's a beautiful city. Especially when you grow up here all your life and build your whole network around it. But it's also disturbing and things keep getting darker and darker lately. I recently returned here where I pay the bills by shooting TV commercials, and most importantly where I'm most resourceful. 

What is next for you? Any plans for a feature film?

I struggled to find sponsors for a horror feature film here for 2 years after the success of my short film 'To My Mother and Father' in 2010. But to no avail. I dropped it. Then came 'Baskin'. It too became successful in Fantastic Fest and Sitges. Eli Roth and Richard Stanley loved it in Sitges. I had priceless feedback. It is also successful here at home. It is nominated as the best short film to SIYAD, Turkey's most prestigious film critics' award. 

But still, it seems impossible to find any sponsors for Baskin The Motion Picture. It will be in Turkish language, so foreign sponsors are distant to it. Censorship and conservatism in Turkey is growing more extreme and more illogical day by day. A wide cinematic release would be a miracle. Although films like Hills Have Eyes, Texas Chainsaw, or Martyrs do get small cinematic releases here, a Turkish film could draw more heat and therefore can have less of a chance for a wide release. Funding by the ministry of culture with the content at hand is out of question. There are no respectable Turkish horror films to follow. Neither sponsors, nor serious filmmakers touch it with a 10 feet pole. It seems impossible to meet a fellow like-minded private Turkish money man who would invest in a crazy horror picture. So it seems like a dead end. 

But I do have a hunch that all these negative circumstances can work for the film when it
gets made, and it can have a huge reputation for being so crazy in such a political and cultural atmosphere! That will be the uniqueness of it.

I do have a new plan now. Currently I'm in the works for shooting a non-horror feature film this summer. And I hope to use the money I make from this film, for making Baskin the Motion Picture, next year. Fingers crossed. 

*Keep an eye out for Can Evrenol, and in the meantime, watch the trailer for Baskin below.

http://vimeo.com/71899005

Magic Magic (2013): A Shattered Sense Of Reality

~Review by Marie Robinson

Horror is a very welcoming genre—almost greedy. In horror we like to accept a very broad spectrum of sub-genres. But what do you call a film that couldn’t be considered just a stark horror film, is heavily psychological - but isn’t necessarily thrilling… I could call this film a psychological drama, but that doesn’t sound right, either. Let’s just call it Magic Magic.

Chilean director Sebastian Silva has only been making films for a few years, but from what I have seen I have gathered a heavy indie vibe to his flicks, almost comparable to Diablo Cody. Another trait I can compare in these two is actor Michael Cera.

Michael Cera is known for his oddball, deadpan comedic roles and while he certainly maintains that in Magic Magic, this is the darkest performance I have to see him in.

It takes place in Silva’s homeland of Chile, where Alicia (Juno Temple, Killer Joe) is visiting her cousin Sarah (Emily Browning, Suckerpunch, The Uninvited), an American exchange student. The two cousins are supposed to accompany Sarah’s strange group of friends to a secluded country home for a holiday but Sarah dips out last minute under some suspicious pretenses related to school. So Alicia is left alone with three complete strangers. And when I say strange, I mean it.

Alicia is particularly perturbed by Cera’s character, Brink, who likes to push his boundaries around the young girl. The stress of being in a foreign country, basically alone, and other unseen elements in Alicia’s mind begin to unravel her, and it becomes difficult to determine what is a threat, what is real, and what is not.

I was immediately intrigued by the trailer, which puts emphasis on Michael Cera’s character who is, indeed, incredibly chilling. His unsettling performance was certainly the best, which isn’t necessarily surprising given that he is the most acclaimed actor in the humble cast, but it is always nice to see an actor doing something different and proving that they are malleable to roles.

Juno Temple, who I’ve seen only in Atonement, did a wonderful job acting the difficult and unconventional role she is given. Although the audience does have some sense of dramatic irony, one feels that they are right alongside Alicia in her uneasiness, which quickly becomes panic.

This film is bizarre and had a slow, droning pace, but it is really quite unique. There isn’t much action and the climax is fairly muted, but you can tell that there was meticulous care put into the film making. And that is precisely what I loved about Magic Magic—the details. They are small and hard to catch, but when you do they are fantastic. It’s in the sound, the script, the acting and the cinematography. I wish I could tell you specifics but then it would ruin the fun of you seeking them out and would perhaps prevent you from paying attention, and this film deserves all of it!

As for the title, the most obvious explanation for it is the unusual climax of the film… which you will have to see for yourself!
Magic Magic is now on DVD!

Trifecta Of Terror! : "The Eyes Have It" Handicap

For my second foray into the Trifecta of Terror, I've chosen three films that all have the eyes as a pivotal plot point. If you forget how this works, see the original post right here, it explains what we have going on.

In short, I'm picking three movies and putting them in the order of, let's say superiority.  Sometimes this is harder than others. But in this case, I think I've got it down right. 

First up, the winner of said handicap:

THE EYE (2002)

This is not the wretched remake starring Jessica Alba, it is the original film directed by the Pang Brothers. It packs a punch and should be on any discerning horror fan's life list.
Mun (Angelica Lee) is a classical violinist who undergoes cornea transplants to correct her blindness. She is overwhelmed at first, and getting used to being able to see puts considerable strain on her.  While still in the hospital, she sees shadowy figures standing in corners, and in one case it seems the strange shape is escorting a nearby patient out of the room.  To her horror, the patient turns up deceased the next morning.

 She is assigned an attractive psychologist (Lawrence Chou) that takes a special interest in helping her adjust to life with sight.  Everything seems to be going along swimmingly until she realizes she is still seeing what just may be ghosts, and that they give the impression that they are predicting death.  Everywhere she turns, these phantoms foreshadow death. (There is one particular unsettling scene in an elevator that had me clutching the edge of the couch.) Naturally, Mun begins to realize that perhaps she is seeing these "visions" due to the cornea transplant, so she and her shrink set off to find the donor's family and determine if their assumptions are correct.  What they find is that her donor, a lonely girl with psychic abilities, could predict deaths from her visions. And the unwanted talent has somehow been transferred to Mun.
THE EYE  is a real favorite of mine, as it evokes a seriously creepy atmosphere and tension runs high throughout. It may not be for everyone, as there is no real gore to speak of and it does travel at a slow pace, but for me, it's plain to see (sorry) that this is one of the better films to come out of Asia.

Next, the second "place" film:

JULIA'S EYES (Los ojos de Julia)  2010

As you may have guessed, I'm a big fan of foreign horror.  This Spanish film is no exception to that.
Julia (Belén Rueda, The Orphanage) returns to her sister Sara's home after a feeling that something is wrong. She'd be right. Sara has hung herself in the basement, apparently depressed because a sight-restoring operation did not work. Julia, also afflicted with the same eye ailment, is certain there is more to the story than meets the eye (sorry). She feels an inexplicable presence close-by - and is sure this person (?) is responsible for Sara's death somehow. The film opens up into a full-fledged mystery, but is never far from the unnerving horror at its root.  Julia starts to struggle more and more with her own vision as she tries piecing the puzzle of her sister's death together. As shadows emerge and disappear, her husband Issac (Lluís Homar) fears for not just her sight but her sanity, with every twist in the story seemingly causing Julia's eyesight to deteriorate just a little more, until she has absolute fits of blindness when pressured to solve the apparent murder.
The search for an "invisible man" that supposedly had a hand in Sara's murder eventually forces Julia to rethink what may have happened, especially after her husband is found hanged in the same basement. 
In her time of anguish, a donor is found for her own eye operation. But afterwards, it is only when Julia is truly blind (because the bandages from surgery cover her eyes) is she able to unravel the secret regarding Sara's death.  Using her other senses she sorts through the clues until a final showdown with the dubious killer has her fighting not just for her sight, but her life. Great stuff!

And our "show" (3rd place finisher) film is: 

THE EYES OF LAURA MARS (1978)

A true product of the late seventies, THE EYES OF LAURA MARS  has Faye Dunaway portraying the title character, a sophisticated and famous fashion photographer. Her photo shoots are different from the standard variety in that she has elaborate sets depicting violence, causing a ruckus within the profession.
Unfortunately, Laura begins to see the deaths of friends and business colleagues through her lens.
Enter a young Tommy Lee Jones as Lt. John Neville, a detective on the case who isn't the only one who finds it unusual that Mars' fashion shoots mimic the recent murder scenes. 
As more and more of Laura's friends fall victim to the killer's black gloves (a giallo shout-out if I've ever seen one!), she and John Neville randomly fall in love. She tells him of the vision she has of the killer coming after her and he (like all good movie boyfriends) gives her a gun and a peck on the cheek, wishing her well.
What makes TEOLM so intriguing (besides the garish 70's clothing and music) is Dunaway's over-the-top performance (as per her usual) and some of the almost laughable dialogue. It's a camp classic if there ever was one. And even though it's relatively effortless to figure out the killer, it's always fun to watch Dunaway scream while running.  She does it so well.

Thale (2012) : The Real Reason To Avoid Scandinavia

Review by Marie Robinson

Of what little I have seen so far, I think I already love Norwegian horror. There is such a weirdness to it, a blunt tribute to the country’s folklore. The first Norwegian horror film that I can recall seeing is Trollhunter (2010), which is downright amazing and I have just viewed my second. It is entitled Thale (tall-eh) and it was released at the beginning of this year.

Directed by Aleksander Nordass, it stars brothers Elvis (Erlend Nervold) and Leo (John Sigve Skard). Before I continue let me just say that I watched a version that was very poorly translated into English, so I really only have the most basic understanding of this film and a lot of this is speculation. Okay—here we go.

Leo has that unfortunate job of being that guy who cleans up crime-scenes and has recently gotten his brother a job alongside him. They are at a house cleaning up the bloody remains of an elderly man (and Elvis’ resulting vomit) and it becomes instantly clear that there is some tension between these two. They have been out of touch for some years and are having trouble falling gracefully back into each others lives.

Elvis decides to do some poking around in the house and forces the door of a cellar, finding cans of food that have long-expired. Deeper within the basement he finds a strange room—you know, one of those with the newspaper clippings and drawings/photographs tacked all over the walls. There is a desk with a pile of cassette tapes and a tape player and a bathtub full of a milky substance.

Even though Leo instructs him over and over again not to touch anything, well… he’s just got to! Right?!
He starts playing one of the tapes and it seems to be some sort of audio journal, a recording of a man talking, and a woman screaming. This recording awakens something; the water stirs in the tub and a woman emerges from the water.

She looks seemingly normal, except there is a strange look in her big brown eyes, and she doesn’t speak a word. Leo, who seems to always keep his cool, insists that they wait for his boss (I’m assuming) to arrive before they decide what to do. While they wait, Elvis tries to get close to this woman—Thale—and maybe shed some light on her story. Although she cannot speak, Thale can project memories into Elvis’s mind through touch, and through this gift her past begins to unravel. But someone—or thing—is definitely watching, and there is a secret presence that lingers in the woods that surround the isolated house.

The questions that arise in Elvis’ (and our) mind(s) are: Was Thale kept here as a prisoner or for protection? What does everyone want with her? Is she of this world?

Even though I couldn’t have full comprehension of Thale because of the shitty subtitles I enjoyed this low-budget picture. The atmosphere is there—dark, dank; all of the mystery and the secretiveness are almost palpable. There is also a great sense of suspense—a real one, not that cheap, jump-scare shit.

These actors have done little else, and nothing mainstream, but I can honestly say everyone gave a good performance. The cinematography was good, the special effects… more like something you would see on a SyFy original flick, but I don’t think it took too much away from the film.

The real reason I was dying to see this film was because, of course, it was based on a folktale. And I don’t think I am giving anything away by giving you some background on the folktale—I have an obligation as resident expert.

The creature in question is called a Huldra, or Skogsrå (meaning Lady of the forest), and is a female forest creature. They exist in several different countries folklore, but we will focus on the Norwegian aspects of the Huldra since this is a Norwegian film! Hobbies include hunting and seducing men—sometimes killing or kidnapping them. They are often beautiful and naked and have a cow’s tail. The Huldra are usually feared by humans and are considered to be evil; many tales are told with a message to avoid them. There is also a creature almost identical to the Skogsrå in Swedish folklore called the Tallemaja, which means Pine Tree Mary. First of all, that’s just a fun name, but also the first bit, “Talle”, which means “pine” is pronounced exactly like Thale, so maybe this is where the filmmaker got his inspiration for the title character.

One more tidbit is that there are two places in Norway named after the Huldras. There is Hulderheim on the island of Karlsøya that means “Home of the Hulder” (a Hulder is a male Huldra) and there is Hulderhusan on the island Hinnøya, which means “Houses of the Hulders”.

This film is pretty hard to film at the moment, and seemingly impossible to find with a decent translation, but if you get a chance, I recommend that you watch it!

In Their Skin (2012) : Thou Shalt Not Covet...

Is there anything more frightening than a home invasion? While examples of this sub-genre of horror have been done several times before - with many of those films being top notch - there always seems to be room for more fear-inducing cinematic outings of this nature.

In previous movies like Funny Games (both the original in 1997 and the remake version of 2007), À l'intérieur (a.k.a. Inside, 2007), Ils (a.k.a. Them, 2006), and the eerily effective 2008 film The Strangers, they have scared people shitless and made many think twice about being alone in an isolated home out in the boondocks.

But there is one thing I can say about these types of films. They scare me.  After all, what is more frightening that someone breaking into your home (and your life) and wreaking havoc? It's a primal fear in all of us - being invaded, hurt, even possibly killed - in our own home.  The thought of that fractures us to our very being - because we're supposed to be safe in the comfort of our own home, right?

All of the above referenced titles have made me so uneasy - so tense - that I couldn't get them out of my head for days after I watched them. So when I was given the opportunity to see the newest home-invasion flick, the IFC Midnight production  In Their Skin, I jumped on it.

Directed by Jeremy Power Regimbal and starring Selma Blair, Josh Close, James D'Arcy, and Rachel Miner, In Their Skin starts out quiet, with subtle nuances that map out a family's grief and recent heartache. We find out early-on that the Hughes family is struggling to put their lives back together after the death of their young daughter, and have come up to their rather swanky family cottage in the woods to attempt to get back to the normalcy that is their life. We are privy to the fact that a couple's marriage is skating on thin ice and this might be their last chance at redeeming happiness.

When they are awakened very early one morning by loud noises in their yard, Mark (Close, who also co-wrote the film) is startled to find a couple and their son rooting around in their yard.  They introduce themselves as the The Sakowskis, a family "just down the lane".  They have come to the Hughes house to meet their neighbors and bring them some fire wood. Huh?? After a blundering conversation that is more awkward than neighborly, the Sakowski's have somehow invited themselves to dinner at the Hughes'.  Believe me when I say: it is obvious to anyone watching that something is just not right with the Sakowskis - which the Hughes' are about to find out. 

Bobby (D'Arcy), Jane (Miner) and their son Jared (Alex Ferris) show up for dinner and eagerly  meet Mark's wife Mary (Blair) and son Brendon (Quinn Lord).  Almost immediately Bobby begins to ask personal (verging on intimate) questions about Mark and Mary's lives.  Jane is a mousy, ungraceful stray that takes all her cues from Bobby - who scolds her on occasion for doing or saying inappropriate things. It's obvious that she doesn't think for herself for fear of heinous repercussions. The dinner is disastrous, and the tension between the two couples could be cut with a knife. The conversation turns towards all the blessings that have been bestowed upon the Hughes family due to their well-paying careers and affluent lifestyles. Jealousy rears its ugly head oh so gingerly, but it is apparent that the Sakowski's are green-eyed and anxious to live their own lives like Mark and Mary.
Soon, Jared and Brendon head upstairs when Bobby suggests they check out Brendon's room, giving the adults the opportunity to become even more uncomfortable.

Bobby spills wine on himself seemingly on purpose, and is happy to be able to take his shirt off and replace it with one of Mark's.  As if this isn't weird enough, we soon are privy to the two boys upstairs activities, which ends up including Jared holding a knife to Brendon's throat. Screaming ensues, children are comforted, and the Sakowski's are asked to leave - nicely at first, then forcefully when it seems they don't want to make their exit.

Things take a hideous turn for the worse when the family dog is let outside after the Sakowski's have left.  A gunshot is heard, and then another - and Mark urges his family to hide out in the bathroom while he checks it out. Needless to say, the next thing we know, Bobby and Co. are back and ready to take over.  And I'm being completely literal here.  In a twist that is different than most other home invasion horror movies, it appears that Bobby and Jane don't just want to invade the Hughes' home - they want to live their lives.  There is a very chilling scene just after a violent outburst in which we see Jane imitate Mary with an intentional yet uncanny creepiness that makes the bizarre couple's intent glaringly obvious.

In Their Skin isn't breaking any molds here within the home invasion sub-genre, but what it does have going for it is fine performances by all the leads. I didn't even recognize Rachel Miner right away - the last thing I'd seen her in was Penny Dreadful (2006). James D'Arcy is a British actor whose next role is as Anthony Perkins in the upcoming Hitchcock (2012).  He's got crazy down pretty good here in this film, his Bobby is so eerily bizarre, so disturbing, that it sets the stage for the entire film. And though I've never thought much about Selma Blair's acting ability, I've reconsidered and would have to say this may be some of her most honest work.

If I were to find a fault with In Their Skin, it may be the almost unbearably slow pace.  I'm all for building tension - and this film has it in spades - but there is so much quiet time here that when you do have a bit of violence it can be a bit off-putting. But the suspense is palpable and causes an anxiety that doesn't show up in most horror films. The reason for that is simple: it could happen to you. And just as The Strangers warned us before, the reason could simply be because you were home.

In Their Skin opened in limited release November 9th.

Mindless Movie Monday: The Pack (2010)

Review by Marie Robinson

Greetings, my ghastly readers! I have been slacking my bum off lately because I just started school up again. I hope you haven’t taken my absence the wrong way.

Just yesterday I watched a French film—The Pack (la Muete)—hailing from 2010. I was kind of going for a mediocre, easy-to-digest film at the time and this little eighty-four minute flick suited my mood perfectly.

It starts off with our protagonist, Charlotte (Emilie Dequenne), a pretty but angsty young woman cruising down the road. Her plan is to drive until the sun goes down and her stack of heavy metal CDs run out. She is being tailed by three extremely unsavory motorcyclists, one on them a presumed ex-love. To avoid them, she pulls over to pick up a hitchhiker (Benjamin Biolay). I don’t know how things are in France, but I have always had the common sense not to pick up strangers off the side of the road, especially when you are a lonesome female. Anyway, she thinks this is a good idea and takes off with the quiet, dark-haired, nameless boy.

Darling Charlotte seems to be toting this “bad-ass, chain-smoking, don’t-give-a-fuck” attitude, traits that I would usually like in a woman, but goddamit she will not stop making stupid decisions. I mean REALLY stupid. As fatigue sets in on the long drive, she decides to take a little napsy-poo in the passenger seat and let Stranger Danger McGee drive! I mean, I’m sure that’s what any of us would do, right? NO!!!

Tall, dark, and creepy drives them up to a small backwoods saloon called La Spack. Charlotte and the hitchhiker settle in and have a cup of coffee, a couple packs of cigarettes (seriously, these two never stop smoking); they’re tellin’ some jokes, havin’ a great time, and guess who shows up.

Oh, you already know it’s those biker douche bags, come to start some trouble. As some sort of fight/rape is about to ensue, La Spack, herself (Yolande Moreau, who I recognized instantly from Amelie), appears with a rifle and chases the bikers out of the place. Charlotte sits down to collect herself while hitchhiker goes to the restroom. 

After several moments pass and stranger boy has not returned, Charlotte goes to investigate. She doesn’t find the boy, but she does find a mysterious door that has been covered over with wallpaper. When she asks La Spack about the door, the woman simply answers that it has always been locked up.

When night falls, Charlotte returns to the saloon, breaking in to unlock the covered door. She succeeds in opening it, but is unable to explore her findings because she gets a two-by-four cracked over her head.

This girl… she is just so dumb! I’m not saying that she deserves to wake up in a basement, in a cage, imprisoned by La Spack and her son—the hitchhiker, but come on, what was this chick thinking. I guess she was just trying to be nice, seeing if little hitchhiker (Who’s name is Max, by the way) was okay…

This movie was entertaining enough, original enough, but it wasn’t anything special. Granted, it is writer/director Frank Richard’s first and so far only film.
The character development is unsteady and confusing; one minute someone is good, the next someone is bad. The action and suspense lacks grip, the soundtrack is terrible, and there are countless plot holes. It is no surprise we didn’t hear any Oscar buzz about The Pack, but it is a film that you can pop on if you are killing some time, or brain cells; no thought required.

Duh! I forgot to mention the pack, itself. When you hear that phrasing, the first thing you probably think of is werewolves—but that is not the case in this film. It actually refers to these blind, pale, fully clothed ghouls that live in the dirt and rise only to feed on human flesh. They look to me like a cross between the cave dwellers in The Descent and the Pale Man from Pan’s Labyrinth. Sounds cute, right?

This little jewel is streaming on Netflix!

The Road (2011): Filipino Terror Comes To America

 Review by Marie Robinson

Greetings, multos! That would be the Filipino word for “ghost”; I use it because today I shall be reviewing a Filipino horror film called The Road. This film is directed by Yam Laranas, who has directed two other horror films called The Echo (2004) and Patient X (2009), neither of which I have ever heard of because The Road was the first Filipino movie I had ever seen. In fact, it is the first Filipino film to ever have a commercial release in U.S. theaters. Although it didn’t hit the screens in my town, I was thrilled to pick it up at the local video rental store.

Our film starts out with Luis (played by TJ Trinidad), a police officer at an award ceremony in his honor. At the ceremony, a woman approaches Luis, asking about the case of her two missing daughters. This particular case is news to Luis, so he asks for her daughters’ names—Joy and Lara—and then proceeds to reopen the twelve-year-old case…

This film is split up into three parts, and each takes place in a different point in time, each exactly ten years apart from the last. The first part is set in 2008 where a teenage girl named Ella (Barbie Forteza) is convinced by her cousin, Janine (Lexi Fernandez), and Janine’s boyfriend, Brian (Derrick Monasterio), to sneak out and take her aunt’s car for a joy ride. Ella is hesitant, because it is clear that she is not fond of Brian (or at least pretends to be), and none of them have a license. She changes her mind, however, not wanting to leave the two alone to do what teenagers will do in their parent’s cars.

With Brian driving, the three begin cruising down the highway, until Brian spots a cop, causing him to panic and turn off onto a street. Ella pleads that they turn around and go home, but Brian gets out of the car and opens a gate, leading to a concealed darkened road.

Ella sits nervously in the backseat, the country road is lined with only thick trees; the only light they have is given by their headlights. A red car drives up behind them, and passes. Ella tells them that she didn’t see a driver in the car. Brian scoffs at her until the same red car passes them again, and it becomes clear that there indeed is no one driving the car, but there is someone in the backseat.

The car begins to chase them, trying to run them off the road, until their pursuer swerves and crashes into the trees. They stop, getting out of the car to look at the wreck, but when they approach the car it has become ancient, as if it had been abandoned there for years, and then it bursts into flames.

The three get back into the car, driving on, but it seems they are trapped in an endless loop. When the car stalls, Janine and Brian get out to walk, but Ella insists on staying in the car, too afraid to face to open road. Cousin of the Year Janine leaves Ella behind to walk to dark road with Brian, but it isn’t long they are paying for it, as they are tormented by a ghost—a woman, with a bloody plastic bag over her head.

Part one was my favorite by far in the film. It had the feel of an urban legend and I was really diggin’ it. The other two parts take place in 1998 and 1988. In fear of running this article to long I shan’t be summarizing them to you, but at the same time it will give you all a reason to go out and see it!

The Road had beautiful cinematography, with clever angles that induce tension, suspense, and fear. The film is very emotionally charged, and successfully so. The soundtrack is understated but effective, and although it is sometimes a little difficulty to judge when it comes to foreign language films, I believe that all the actors did a wonderful job.

For my first Filipino film, I am very pleased! I was reading user comments on the film on Get Glue, and a few people were saying that the ending was predictable, but I didn’t see it coming! Maybe I’m dumb, but I think you should see this one for yourself. I hope my fellow Americans and I get to see more Filipino films as time progresses. The Road was also released in Belgium and Singapore, as well as the Philippines (duh).

The Balete tree is thought to be favored by spirits...

I came across an urban legend surrounding a road in the Philippines called Balete Drive. The road is surrounded by huge, beautiful trees called balete trees, which are thought to be haunted themselves. This particular type of tree is believed to be very adored by spirits, and are often inhabited or surrounded by them. There is also a ghost, called the White Lady, who haunts Balete Drive. Because of her, locals strongly advise not to travel the road at night, and if you do to have the backseat fully occupied, and not to look back in the mirrors. She wears a long white gown, with long hair around her shoulders, but her face cannot ever be seen, as it is usually covered in blood.

I wonder if the filmmakers were inspired by this tale when they made the movie?

There's No Place Like (Dream) Home...

To call Pang Ho-Cheung's Dream Home extreme is probably an understatement of epic proportions.  First off, I want to make sure you, the reader, understands that we are talking about Dream HOME, not the Daniel Craig shit-fest: Dream HOUSE.  (While I love Daniel Craig, that movie blew harder than a hot air balloon...)  This is the 2010 horror film from Hong Kong, and certainly the one you want to get your paws on.

Getting right to the point, Cheng Lai-sheung (Josie Ho, also one of the film's producers) is a Hong Kong resident working two jobs to make ends meet and to save enough to buy a condo in a prime location by the harbor.  The tale is told in flashbacks that go back and forth but not so much as to confuse the viewer.

We learn that part of the reason Cheng wants that very specific location is to make sure her dying father has a view of the water, as he was a seafarer and loves the ocean. It also has something to do with a period in time when she was a young girl and had a friend who was forced out of his home.  It's obvious that by the time she is in her 20's she has become near-obsessed with this certain place and will do anything - and I mean anything - to get it.

We've all wanted something. Whether it is a car, a house, or just the latest Tarantino on DVD or tall non-fat mocha. But few of us would ever go to such extremes to make something our own.

Cheng has an obvious imbalance somewhere, to strike out at every turn to make sure this condo becomes hers.  But while this movie has been labeled a blood bath, it is not without its merits and substantial plot.

While Cheng's friends are out partying, spending money, and getting laid, Cheng is saving every ounce of money she brings in working two jobs, squirreling it away to put a down-payment on a fantastic and truly out-of-her-reach waterfront condo.  We are shown in flashbacks her younger years and the struggles she's been through to get to this point.  As a child, she was forced to share close quarters with her brother and less-than-fortunate family, watch as the government evicts good neighbors from their rat-infested quarters, and be dealt an unfair hand in life. As mentioned, she now works two jobs and has no social life at all, just to attain her far-reaching dream.  Her father is ill and needs an operation, and even her rat-fink married lover won't help her by giving her some cash to help her afford his medical care.  (Of course that only goes to show us how selfish Cheng really is: if her father was that gravely ill, why would she not use some of her savings to pay for his surgery?)

The problem is, she is SO determined to have said swanky place that she resorts to murderous rampages, taking out any and all comers that interfere with her plans of ownership.  And here's where the gore-hounds will relish this film.  There is so much body fluid expelled in this movie that it is inexplicable how it ever got the okay to be produced.  Blood spews from slit throats and stabbed wounds like the mighty Mississippi. And as if the red stuff isn't enough, there is vomit (which I hate and is almost intolerable here). Lots of vomit. And there's sex.  I don't think I need to elaborate there.

There really is no element of surprise here.  After the first initial murder, we're pretty aware that Cheng is fucking bat-shit crazy.  We know she is going to go to any means possible to get that goddamned condo.  She offs everyone that gets in her way and some that don't.  I don't think it's spoiling things any to put that statement out there. It's the entire film. The violence, the gore, the unbelievable madness - it's all just twisted together like a pretzel.  It is, however,important to the film makers that we understand why she has went off the deep end. And so we have our flashback scenes to make it all seem justifiable.  As if that makes it okay for Cheng to spill someone's guts and let them die slowly.  With intestines and body parts strewn across the floor, it's clear Cheng has issues.

Worse yet, she has no remorse.  At the moment she finds out the condo has been sold out from under her, viewers will squirm - knowing what she has already done in order to procure this ridiculously over-priced real-estate.  But only those who randomly chose this film to watch will be utterly shocked.  Films like this get watched by word of mouth, not by swift and skilled marketing ploys.

Here's the thing. Truthfully, I am in love with this film.  I'm not saying it's the next best thing since sliced bread.  I am saying as someone who appreciates both gore and substance, it rocked my boat. This film is fucking nuts. But in a good way.  It's a balls to the wall exploitative gore-fest by every stretch of the imagination.  But the acting is good, the plot is relevant and current, and despite the sometimes confusing flashbacks, it moves along at a rapid pace.

And you seriously have to see the death-by-vacuum scene.