Spikes (Splinter, 2008)

Splinter_PosterPolly and Seth are looking for a cheap motel after ruining their tent while camping, only to run across Dennis and Lacey, criminals on the run whose car has broken down.  After they hit an animal on the road, they have to replace the tire, only for one of them to contract a bizarre virus or parasite that looks like an oily splinter.  It takes over the host, turning them into some sort of strange spike covered creature.  They then find themselves trapped in a gas station trying to keep the monsters out and determine a way to escape.

This film very smartly keeps it’s premise small.  A weird zombie inducing parasite could easily be used in a big actioner, but the focus on the four characters trapped allows their arcs to  build dramatically.

The visual of the monster is really cool and unnerving. It has a take on Evil Dead 2’s severed hand that is less comedic, but still effective.

I really enjoy this film, it is a great bit of indi horror and deserves more recognition.

 

Tripping Further

Welcome to March! I have been contemplating this feature for awhile. Since I see a lot of films on Blu-Ray, streaming and 4k Ultra HD Blu-Ray, I plan to review some releases covering not just the film itself, but the full release. I plan to focus this a bit on older films hitting 4k for the first time.

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I will explore the special features, the picture and audio quality.  Is it worth it? What is included? Does the film benefit from the higher resolution?  I hope anyone reading will enjoy and appreciate these reviews and will find them helpful if they are unsure about buying a certain film. Especially in a case where they might be double (or quadruple) dipping.

The first review will be dropping in the next few days.

How Can This Go Wrong?! (the Possession Experiment, 2016)

The_Possession_Experiment_PosterBeginning with a tragic attempt at Exorcism, the Possession Experiment leaps ahead about 20 years and introduces us to a theology student choosing to do a thesis on the inviting of a possession. Surely, this is a wise move.

After discovering the tale of a coverup of an exorcism that went horribly wrong Brandon convinces his stoner class partner to conduct an experiment in which he will call upon a demon to possess him and stream the entire thing online.

This, of course, sparks an outcry from the local religious community. His father reveals that Brandon has connections to the failed exorcism that he had never been told about.

The film is an attempt at a modern spin on exorcism and possession stories, but it is heavily informed by stories outside that genre. At one point it becomes more of a combination of a slasher and resident evil styled monster flick.  When the big twist comes, it all  feels pretty…well, too little too late.

The character motivations seem to be very lacking. There is nothing in the script or performance to sell the audience on the notion that Brandon has real solid emotional reasons for exploring this dark material. He has no real sense of faith, nor an apparent desire to debunk possession. He just thinks it will make a cool thesis…I guess?

The Posession Experiment actually holds a lot of potential as a s[iritual horror film….but it never comes close to exploring it.

To Rule Them All (The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, 2001)

LOTR_Fellowship_PosterJohn Rogers, one of the writers of the abysmal Catwoman film once also wrote “There are two novels that can change a bookish fourteen-year old’s life: The Lord of the Rings and Atlas Shrugged. One is a childish fantasy that often engenders a lifelong obsession with its unbelievable heroes, leading to an emotionally stunted, socially crippled adulthood, unable to deal with the real world. The other, of course, involves orcs.”

And the Lord of the Rings is definitely one of those book series that had legions of admirers.  Ralph Bakshi has adapted the three books into two animated films in 1978 and 1980. And there were a lot of false starts until the late 90’s.  The first plan was to try and make one film…then they thought they could convince a studio to do two…but somehow, Peter Jackson convinced New Line the only proper way to do the film was to adapt each novel and film them back to back.  They then took it a step further and released the special edition DVDs.  These sets were expanded to include many scenes not used in the theatrical releases.  My reviews will be of the Expanded Editions.

The story of the Lord of the Rings is that long ago the evil Lord Sauron tricked the leaders of the Elves, the Dwarves, and Man, creating powerful rings for them all…secretly creating the one ring that would rule them all.  In a battle between Sauron and the final alliance of men, dwarves, and elves, Sauron was defeated.  Instead of destroying the ring, Isildur keeps it for himself. He is eventually killed.  The ring was then lost to time.  It was found by a creature who hid with it in the mountains.  It eventually fell into the hands of the Hobbit Bilbo Baggins. He has had it ever since.  The Fellowship of the Ring is the beginning of the final push to destroy the ring.

The wizard Gandalf the Gray calls upon Frodo, nephew of Bilbo for this task. He sends Frodo on, promising to meet in a small town.  Frodo is accompanied by his friend Samwise (or more simply, Sam).  Soon after leaving, they are joined by fellow Hobbits Merry and Pippin.  As they go on their journey, they pick up help from the mysterious ranger Strider (Revealed to be Aragorn, a descendant of Isildur).

When Frodo is wounded by a Ringwraith (the souls of the original nine kings of men who were enslaved to Sauron), he is whisked away to the Elvish city of Rivendell. There they meet up with what are to be the final members of the Fellowship of the ring, the Elf Legolas, the Dwarf Gimli and Boromir, son of the Steward of Gondor.

They find themselves constantly under attack, primarily from Sauroman, a wizard like Gandalf, but having chosen to serve Sauron. Using magic and a new generation of Super Orcs he tries to stop them at every turn.

Filmed in New Zealand, almost every shot of this film is awe-inspiringly beautiful. The Hobbit Shire has been carefully created bringing the environments of the book to life in a vibrant way.

Along with the sets, the film’s costumes are incredible.  Everything has power and weight.  The craftsmanship of the weapons and costumes immerses you into this world.

The visual effects have withstood the test of time.  A lot of Weta Workshop’s work is a combination of digital and practical.  But unlike far too many movies, the digital is groundbreaking and almost never distracting (except in it’s dedication to looking natural).  The Fellowship of the Ring broke new ground in its digital work to create massive armies that seemed to move without being duplicated.

The film also uses a lot of practical tricks to create the illusion of different heights.  Both Hobbits and Dwarves are supposed to be significantly smaller than the rest of the cast, and in spite of actors who are as tall as anyone else in the cast, using perspective tricks, smaller actors as stand-ins they manage to create a nearly seamless illusion.

And then there is the cast.  Some scoffed when Elijah Wood was cast as Frodo.  The books describe Hobbits in a fashion that insinuates, they are naturally a bit hairy and pudgy.  But Wood (and really the other hobbit actors) are rather attractive.  But They all do quite well.  And Wood and Sean Astin really sell the deep and heartfelt friendship between Frodo and Sam.  Frankly, I love the fact that the films capture this love.  Films featuring male relationships can often be quite superficial.

Ian McKellen, so compelling as Magneto in the X-Men films carries great weight here as the wizard Gandalf.  He is warm, yet can seem stern and menacing when necessary.  And he brings a sense of grandeur so necessary for such a character.  Viggo Mortenson brings a quiet nobility to Aragorn.  And Cate Blanchett’s Galadriel as an unearthly and elegant beauty.

This is not to suggest there are no flaws.  While not as large of an issue here, Gimli can often be reduced to comic relief (the same with Pippin and Merry). On the other hand, the storytelling is more expedient than the books. Often, Tolkien can seem a bit obsessive in his world-building, with sudden diversions into poetry and legends and language of Middle Earth.  The filmmakers wisely cut the Tom Bombadil sequence.  While this is a fairly loved section of the book, the screenwriters are correct that it undercuts the narrative of the Ring to suddenly have a character who is not impacted at all by it.  Especially so early in the story.  Personally speaking? I don’t care for that section of the book, and so I did not miss it within the film.

The Fellowship of the Ring is s very strong adaption of the book, full of epic adventure. It was a risky venture that paid off quite well for the filmmakers and the studio.

 

 

Just Because… (Warcraft, 2016)

Warcraft_PosterSo…apparently, a horde of angry and evil Orcs travel through a portal to take over the world of Azeroth.  Some of the Orcs side with the humans, because “Not All Orcs” or some such.

To be honest? I watched this movie based on the popular Blizzard Entertainment open world game twice.  I know people got super immersed in the game.  I have never played it and do not know much beyond it is kind of like D&D…? And after two viewings, I remember very little about it.  My last viewing was actually less than 24 hours from when I am typing this.  And I absolutely have no strong memory about the film.  Which is disappointing.

I remember it had Jesse Custer and Tulip from Preacher in it.  And Ben Foster. And a sexy orc woman. Kind of a taller, more muscular Orion Slave Girl from Star Trek. Some magic powered guy talked about how he renounced his vows and wants to still help the kingdom fight the evil orcs. Lots of fights that did not make a whole lot of overall sense.  Or rather the plot seemed remarkably inconsequential.

I kind of hate writing these types of reviews.  I actually don’t like spending a tremendous amount of time tearing movies down.  Certainly, so movies are so ridiculous that they inspire hilarity.  And that can be a bit fun to write.

But Warcraft?  It is a competently made film.  It has a perfectly good cast.  And this is from Duncan Jones, a director who I think is quite talented. And yet, it just was…painfully forgettable. Not a good sign since, according to IMDB, the title is actually Warcraft: The Beginning.

The Original Haunted Palace Rebuilt (House on Haunted Hill, 1999)

House_on_Haunted_Hill_1999_Poster1999’s remake of William Castle’s House on Haunted Hill began a series of remakes of mid to late 1950’s horror films. This one keeps the core idea.  An eccentric rich man and his estranged wife throw a party, offering a million dollars to whomever lives through the night.

Stephen Price is an amusement park owner with a rather disturbed relationship with his devious wife Evelyn.  She wants a party thrown in the restored Vannacutt Psychiatric Institute for the Criminally Insane.  Years ago it was run by Dr. Vannacutt who performed ghoulish and cruel experiments.  One night his patients revolted, violently killing the Dr and his staff.  The Doctor’s last act was to set of a mechanism that locked down the entire facility and set it ablaze, killing all but five employees.

After dumping his wife’s party guest list for his own, Price does not notice the list changes yet again.  When the guests arrive, both Stephen and Evelyn are shocked as they do not recognize them.  Everyone is greeted by Pritchett, the nervous caretaker who tells everyone just how many people have died there. He wants his money and plans to leave.  He refuses to stay in the asylum overnight.  But he gets trapped with the confused guests: movie executive Sara, athlete Eddie, disgraced reporter Melissa and the Doctor Blackburn.  Everyone has secrets and deceptions.  When the planned horror get overtaken by the ghosts and demons of the fortress it becomes a battle for survival.

Geoffrey Rush does a great job as the Vincent Price inspired role of Price and his poisonous banter with with Famke Janssen’s Evelyn is every bit as biting as in the original film.  This part is almost purely lifted from the original film, especially the dialog.

The changes from the original allow for surprises and while the heavy use of digital effects are somewhat dated, they do some creative things.  The dark spirit that represents the house is made of human bodies intertwining to create a unique shape.  Jeffrey Combs has no lines, but his diabolical doctor is effectively chilling.

The addition of the asylum backstory allows for a creepy vibe, as well as the updated addition of how the guests were selected.  Chris Kattan is the primary comic relief, and I found his Pritchett to have a bit more vibrant of a personality than in the original.

The remake also manages to give the audience information a bit better than the original, relying on in story moments rather than talking heads.  The film also opens with the asylum revolt, turning into an unsolved mysteries type of show (hosted by Peter Graves!) story about the devastation, which is very well done.

Overall, House On Haunted Hill is a pretty effective remake, both fun and exciting.

It Conquered the World (It Came From Another World, 2007)

Mihm_It_Came_From_PosterThe A-Rockin’ Scientist  Professor Jackson is back!!!   Along with the Canoe Cops!!!! Wait one second…

Associate of Professor Jackson Dr. Frasier is in the woods when he witnesses a meteorite fall to earth.  He goes to investigate and appears to be attacked by a force from the meteor.

Professor Jackson is called in to determine what has happened to Frasier.  He goes out and is assisted by the Canoe Cops, Sven and Gustav.  They locate Dr. Frazier, who seems unaware of just how long he has been gone.  They bring him home and Professor Jackson runs tests to see if he is okay.  But of course, he isn’t.  Because there would not be a frickin’ movie if he was fine.  Frasier is possessed by an alien intelligence that seeks to rule the earth.  He uses mind control on the Professor’s girlfriend and escapes to set his diabolical plans in motion.

Again, Professor Jackson must save the world..but can he stop the evil alien fiend being that has possessed his dear friend?

This one has it all.  A ping-pong ball eyed alien! Romance!  A Canoe Paddle Battle! Science! Josh Craig returns to the role of Professor Jackson, this time with an even more pronounced Shatner inspired vocal pattern.  It is a bit over the top but is also a lot of fun.

Like the Monster of Phantom Lake, the budget reads in the film as “No Budget”.  As noted, the evil alien is actor Mike Mason with what look to be ping pong balls for eyes. As a semi-sequel, Jackson and Elizabeth are the only characters to return.  The film acknowledges his love interest Stephanie…with a single line noting she is dead.

This one has more jokes slipped into it, as well as a musical number.  This time around it is a slickly produced song…but played off as being performed by the cast.  There are split screens, clearly different singing voices and far more instruments than the cast members are playing (the song was performed entirely by Mihm).

It Came From Another World is an enjoyable romp.

Humanoid From the Deep (The Monster of Phantom Lake, 2006)

Mihm_Monster_Phantom_CoverChristopher R. Mihm’s debut is a tale of toxic waste and teens in danger.  Professor Jackson (a professor of science!) and his assistant Stephanie have come to the woods of Wisconsin to study the local frogs.  Meanwhile, a group of teens is on a camping trip to celebrate graduating from high school.  Unbeknownst to any of them, a local company has its employees dumping toxic chemicals into the lake.

When the shell-shocked veteran Michael “Lobo” Kaiser falls into the toxic lake, he is mutated into a giant algae monster that begins to attack those around the lake.  It falls to the Professor and Stephanie to figure out how to stop the monster.

The Monster of Phantom Lake features a monster that looks like it was made from paper mache and duct tape…and this works within the confines of the film.  With large round and unblinking eyes, the mouthless creature successfully evokes a b-movie monster from the 50’s.

The teens are noticeably not teens and their dialog sounds like what adults in 50’s Hollywood thought teens sound like.  The dialog, in general, is quite campy and dated, such as when the professor cheerfully notes he does not pay much attention to the talk of women.

Then there are goofy additions like the Canoe Cops Sven and Gustav.  The joke is they get around in a canoe.  And they have Norwegian accents.  This aspect is a very Minnesota thing.

What brings it all together is a sense of sincerity.  Mihm is not mocking the films of the 50’s.  Instead, he is looking back fondly.  This is not to say they lack humor.  The laughs, including the dated language and cheap effects, are intentional. They are simply not derisive.

There is a warm-hearted charm to the Monster of Phantom Lake and it’s simplicity, looking back to a far complex time for movies.

Welcome to The Mihmiverse!!!!!!

What is the Mihmiverse?  If you have to ask?  Well, um, you probably do not know what it is.  So, here we go!

The Mihmiverse is the creation of Minnesota local Christopher R. Mihm.  His films are loving homages to a bygone era of horror and sci-fi…specifically the films of the 50’s and 60’s.  These are films he grew up watching with his father.  When his father passed away from an aggressive stomach cancer in 2000, Chris found himself returning to these films and the memories of watching them with his dad.

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This led to the inspiration to try and create a film in the vein, in part as a tribute to his father.  Having long been interested in production (of all kinds, Chris played in bands through the years and also had worked at a local cable access station).  Working with friends, the final result was the Monster of Phantom Lake.  Ever since that first film in 2006, Mihm has put out a movie each year.  This year sees the release of the Demon With the Atomic Brain.

Before we begin the journey through the twelve films (as well as a review of the Monster of Phantom Lake, the Musical!) I want to be fully transparent here.  I knew Chris back in High School when we worked at a movie theater together.  We lost touch, and then a couple years back ran into each other at the Crypticon Convention where he had a table.  I approach these films honestly, and you certainly do not have to take my word for their entertainment value.  The Mihmiverse has a loyal fanbase that predates me.

I was skeptical a few years ago, because I have not watched a lot of old school fifties horror and sci-fi.  I was not quite sure I would be all that into watching a bunch of black and white movies.  I had even seen Chris’s booth the year before but passed it right on by thinking “Eh, not for me”.  But I bought a couple of the films because we were having a good time reconnecting, and I felt I should at least try them.  And by gum, I really enjoyed them. They were not snarky and derisive, they were relishing in their silliness and simple sets.  Their slapped together monsters (except they started to get better and better at that, creating some genuinely cool looking monsters) and the sincere but at times stiff acting (but some of Mihm’s regulars are pure gold in my opinion) all lead to a real charm.

This is not to say the films never take a shot or two at certain elements. They repeated poke at the archaic sexism of the times.  There are plenty of modern film references the the stuff that appeared in film and TV of our youth.  The films have a sense of humor about themselves but it is not a vicious mockery.  And that is what made me want to highlight the Mihmiverse this year.

If you are interested in checking out any of the twelve films Christopher R. Mihm has made, you can purchase them directly through his website or (if you would like to check them out first) you can rent and stream them on Amazon.

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