Tag: Horror

LATE NIGHT WITH THE DEVIL – Review

Being an avid fan of “old school” horror (almost a “monster kid” since I devoured “Famous Monsters of Filmland” magazine, built the Aurora model kits, and scooped up the Super 8 Castle Films abridged versions of the 30s ad 40s Universal classics), I try to keep an open mind to the newer films, even the “sub-genres”. One of those is the “found footage” chiller that probably established itself with its biggest hit THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT. It opened the floodgates for jittery, shakey phony home video slightly “tweaked” via software trickery. The multiplexes are so bombarded that I almost dread a new one. Oh, but an Aussie filmmaking duo has come up with a new “twist’ that keys right into another bit of nostalgia: classic TV not from the “golden age’ of the 50s, but the often “schlocky” stuff of the 70s. Plus it’s not from daytime or prime time (8 to 11 PM EST). I mean what kid 47 years ago wouldn’t try to sneak downstairs to the massive 19-inch console TV, sit close to the screen so you can keep the volume low (and not wake up the parents), and gaze at the “forbidden fruit” of LATE NIGHT WITH THE DEVIL? Oh, the night school day is going to be rough…

The big “conceit” is the existence of a talk show host who tried to topple the “king of late night” Johnny Carson and his “Tonight Show” on NBC. In the opening prologue, we learn of a seedy “upstart” syndicated network, UBC, and their “jewel”, the live show “Night Owls with Jack Delroy”. Its host (David Dastmalchian) is a slightly awkward Chicago DJ who’s now the headliner in the network’s NYC hub. Naturally, there’s a band and a dweeby stooge/sidekick, Gus McConnell (Rhys Auteri). It hit the airwaves in 1971, and soon…made no headway at all against Johnny. Jack’s constantly on the verge of cancellation, despite the influence of his membership in a private secretive millionaire’s club “The Grove”, until he interviews his wife, Madeleine (Georgina Haig), who is in a losing battle with breast cancer. After she succumbs, Jack leaves his show… temporarily. When he returns Jack decides to set the show apart from the landscape of late night by tackling controversial, often exploitive topics and courting confrontation (telling several guests to “hit the bricks”). This all sets the stage for the unaired Halloween show of 1977. After a twitchy monologue Jack brings out a “speaker for the deceased” Christou (Fayssal Bazzi) whose segment takes a truly dark turn when he’s rushed away to a hospital. Perhaps his exit was spurred on by a heated exchange with magician and paranormal debunker Carmichael Haig (Ian Bliss). But this is nothing compared to the night’s “big get” as Jack brings on scholar/author June Ross-Mitchell (Laura Gordon) and the subject of her book “Conversations with the Devil”, teenager Lilly D’Abo (Ingrid Torelli), the only surviving member of the Abraxas satanic cult. Actually, a demon they worshipped, Lilly calls him “Mr. Wriggles”, can speak through her. Soon the show goes completely “off the rails” when Jack pressures June to set up a “session” with Lilly and Mr. W, mostly to humiliate Haig. From then, the Neilsen Ratings are the very least of Jack’s troubles…

One of the busiest character actors, bouncing in and out of several franchises and genres (he’s in the MCU, the DCEU, Dune, the recent Dracula spin-off, even OPPENHEIMER), Dastmalchian truly gets a chance to shine in the lead role as the in-over-his-head Delroy, employing his comic “chops” in the TV monologue sets before settling into weasily desperation and the dread of his plunge into televised Hell. Perhaps Jack was most comfortable riffing into a radio mike since Dastmalchain conveys a near-constant “flop-sweat” making it clear that this guy would never dethrone Carson. He’s certainly not helped by Atueri as the cringyly awkward “second banana” who is easily rattled and demeaned. One of his main bullies is the producer of the show, Jack’s manager and “right hand” Leo Fiske (Josh Quong Tart) an arrogant, unethical opportunist. Much of that is true for Bliss as Haig, a pompous gasbag who fancies himself as a modern Houdini, though he’s playing his own “con” while flaunting his righteous superiority. Gordon is quite good as the morally conflicted doctor who truly cares for her patient despite the blatant exploitation of her trauma. And as that patient, Lily, Torelli effortlessly goes from a sweet helpful young woman to a taunting harpy who could be the conduit for fiery chaos.

Oh, the Aussie duo I mentioned earlier are the Cairnes Brothers, Colin and Cameron, the film’s writing and directing “tag team”. They truly score a “hat trick” with their third feature as they tread a fine line between satire and terror. Working with their artisans they carefully recreated the tacky period from the polyester suits (and massive neckties) to the TV set furnishings complete with multi-color graphic backdrop walls, and even the “stay tuned, we’ll be right back” art card “bumpers” (supposedly made with AI). Once we settle in and stifle our nostalgic giggles, the story shifts gears into nightmare territory as we become invested in the often caricatured “guests”. There’s even a nice nod to horror flicks of that era with the use of practical effects involving puppetry, prosthetics, and mood lighting (when they go to “commercial” the backstage footage is in docu-style handheld monochrome). Sure, we’re kind of stuck in the studio, but it never feels claustrophobic or “stage” as the feeling of dread increases By the final denouncements, we’re left to ponder the fate of the principals and how or who put everything “into motion”. It all makes for a most interesting exploration of TV talk show terror in the imaginative and audacious LATE NIGHT WITH THE DEVIL.

3 Out of 4

LATE NIGHT WITH THE DEVIL is now playing in select theatres.

NIGHT SWIM – Review

You know might feel really great, and completely relaxing, after surviving the often stressful end-of-the-year holidays? Why a refreshing dip in the pool of course! Oh, but you’re not near an indoor facility, so you’ll have to wait out the long frigid winter until the temps are near ninety or so. Well, how about making a virtual splash at the multiplex? And this “cement pond” doesn’t shut down with the sunset. But doing “laps” alone in the fluorescent lit waters can be pretty spooky. And that’s the inspiration for the first new horror flick of 2024, which may just make you “swear off” any notions about taking a NIGHT SWIM. Marco…Marco…


This tale of soggy terror begins with a flashback to the early 1990s. Late one night a girl of eight or nine spies her ailing brother’s motorboat doing circles in the deep end of the family pool. When she can’t raise her folks, the youngster decides to try and “fish” it out with the cleaning scoop, causing her to fall in, and disappear…and we’re in the present day. Former pro baseball player Ray Walker (Wyatt Russell) is checking out a possible new home with wife Eve (Kerry Condon) along with kids Izzy (Amelie Hoeferle) and Elliot (Gavin Warren). They’re not impressed with the “accessible” (Ray’s sidelined due to MS) townhouse that their real estate agent has shown. But on the drive home, they spot a gorgeous two-story house with a big swimming pool. Thinking the pool will be great for his physical therapy, Ray, along with Eve, makes an offer…which is quickly accepted. After they’ve unpacked, the family begins fixing up the pool until an odd dark brown bile oozes out of the drain. A “home aquatic ” expert informs them that a natural spring is just under the pool floor, and his crew can fix any potential seepage issues. Soon after the whole family enjoys the relaxing waters until…the weirdness really begins. Cider, the family cat, vanishes leaving his kitty collar floating under the diving board. Then Ray begins having memory flashes while underwater which leads to his health miraculously improving. But when things take an ugly turn at a big neighborhood pool party, Eve does some digging. She learns of the young girl in the flashback, and of other disappearances over the previous seventy or so years. Will her family become the latest victims in the pool’s twisted history?

Following up her stellar work in 2022’s THE BANSHEES OF INISHERIN (she won a coveted St. Louis Film Critics Assoc. award), Condon provides a strong family matriarch, who’s ready to do the research and the legwork to get to the bottom (or deep end) of this mystical pond. Her Eve wants to be encouraging to her family, especially her stricken hubby, while trying to keep the peace, especially with her squabbling siblings. Condon even gets a chance to hone her action “chops” in the truly breathtaking finale. She’s a good parental partner with Russell, who gets to show his easy-going warmth as the father who may need as much nurturing as his kids. Ray’s frustrated as he recalls his “glory days’ until something “in the water” gives him renewed hope. And Russell builds on Ray’s underdog status making his turn to his darker impulses in the third act terrifying and heartbreaking. Hoeferle is quite effective as the big sister yearning to pursue a first love, while uneasy about her new surroundings and those eerie nights practicing for the school’s Christian swim team. As the somewhat timid and awkward kid brother, Warren projects a real vulnerability as he struggles to follow in his dad’s cleats and navigate his new environs. The film also sports a couple of nifty supporting turns by Nancy Lenehan as the loopy, clueless real estate agent and Jodi Long as the creepy, nearly unhinged former owner of the house.


Expanding on his 2014 short of the same name director and co-writer (with Rod Blackhurst) Bryce McGuire strives to establish an engaging family dynamic to fuel the story’s moments of deadly danger and mystery. Unfortunately, the domestic sequences feel sluggish, making viewers frustrated as they wait for another spooky “soaking” of suspense. The pacing also lets us ponder the more absurd and illogical aspects of the plot. The opening incident happened thirty years ago and nobody in the neighborhood, or the suburb, remembers. Wouldn’t the police, or at least one of the former owners, have shut down the pool after so many have vanished? Then the pool’s loopy secret is slowly revealed with elements of the 80s COCOON along with some biblical riffs. Finally, the last act payoff is amped up with another scary-possessed parent targeting the kids (done more effectively in last year’s EVIL DEAD RISE). Plus many of the terror “shocks” feel “watered-down” to get an inclusive PG-13 rating (maybe an unrated home video version is in the works). Ultimately the movie upholds a tradition of starting the new movie year with a “quick buck” chiller to fill the multiplex at post-awards time (at least last January’s M3GAN had a sly satiric bent). It’s an easy cliche, but NIGHT SWIM just doesn’t float, but slowly sinks. Alright, everybody out of the pool…


1.5 Out of 4

NIGHT SWIM is now playing in theatres everywhere

SALTBURN – Review

A scene from SALTBURN. Courtesy of Amazon/MGM

Oscar-winning writer/director Emerald Fennell bowled audiences over with A PROMING YOUNG WOMAN, her intelligent, taut thriller directorial debut. This year, Emerald Fennell brings us SALTBURN, a star-studded dark comedy dealing with the British class divide and privilege, with an unsettling, horror film slant. Even the film’s Gothic script title treatment sets the mood for this contemporary twisty thriller.

Set in the mid-2000s, SALTBURN stars Barry Keoghan as Oliver Quick, a bright scholarship student at Oxford who is eager to fit in socially with the upper crust as succeed academically. The academics are easy for Oliver, but social class aspirations are another matter. Finding himself on the outside, persistent Oliver eventually is befriended by handsome, charming, aristocratic Felix Catton (Jacob Elordi), one of the most popular students at his college. When Felix learns the working-class lad has nowhere to go for the summer break, he generously invites Oliver to spend the summer at his family’s sprawling estate, Saltburn.

There is a “Talented Mr. Ripley” aspect to this tale of an ambitious outsider worming his way into the upper crust but SALTBURN takes a different turn, into psychological horror with unsettling obsessive sexual overtones, some homosexual, plus a fair amount of nudity. This is not a film for everyone but it does deliver on the psychological horror thrills and features some startling, visually rich cinematography, gripping scenes and top-notch acting. Still, SALTBURN is not for the faint of heart.

Nobody does class snobbery like the Brits, where the class divide, not just wealth, still matters so much more than here. Felix tells Oliver to just relax and be himself, and that his family is “nice,” but really, you immediately know British aristocrats inviting an ordinary Brit into their world has the potential for things to very wrong.

Tension is in the air from the start, but things unfold in unexpected ways in this twisty plot. Oliver is indeed welcomed by Felix’s father, Sir James Catton (Richard E. Grant) and Sir James’ younger wife Elspeth (Rosamund Pike), and more coolly by Felix’s sister Venetia Catton (Alison Oliver). It turns out the family has a history of taking in guests, and Oliver is not the only house guest this summer, joining a woman consistently called “poor dear Pamela” (Carey Mulligan), who is going through a rough patch, and an American-born, biracial cousin named Farleigh Start (Archie Madekwe).

What looks like an ordinary aristocratic family at first turns out to be more eccentric than expected, setting up some uneasy dynamics. Actually, Oliver knows the cousin, another Oxford student, but Farleigh has not been as nice to Oliver as Felix – nasty, in fact. Farleigh is angry that Felix brought this socially-inferior scholarship student home for the summer, and Farleigh constantly reminds Oliver of his aristocratic superiority to him. But Farleigh himself is a bit of an outsider, as the child of a wayward sister who was taken into the family by Felix’s father. Sir James supports his nephew and pays for his Oxford education but Farleigh has no money of his own, depending on an allowance from his uncle. The last member of the Saltburn household is Felix’s sister Venetia, a beautiful woman but emotionally unstable person, who helps things start to go wrong, as they must, in this tense set-up.

While the eccentric family has this habit of taking in “strays,” the house guests are there only as long as they amuse the aristocrats, despite the polite assurances and seemingly warm welcomes. But what starts out looking like it will be an “aristocrats behaving badly” tale, soon goes down unexpected, dark rabbit holes. Things get very crazy at stately old Saltburn.

Every aspect of this creepy thriller is top-notch, including the brilliant photography, twisty story, and the performances by the gifted cast. There are some bloody moments, staged with stunning visual style, lots of creepy tension, and death comes to visit as well, in this horror-tinged, chilling psychological thriller.

Barry Keoghan has delivered a number of striking performances in supporting roles, most recently in BANSHEES OF INISHERIN and THE GREEN KNIGHT, films which have showcased his range. SALTBURN gives this talented actor a chance to shine in a lead role. And shine he does as the complicated Oliver, a character whose layers are peeled back in the course of this psychological thriller. Keoghan wrings every drop from this creepy tale, including startling, carefully-lit final scene that has him dancing through the grand house.

As charming Felix, Jacob Elordi delivers a strong performance, even more so than he did in PRISCILLA, where he plays Elvis Presley, and seems destined for stardom. Elordi’s Felix means to be kind, unlike some other family members, but he is inherently clueless due to his privileged upbringing, holding people to high standards that are easier for him to meet than some others less lucky.

While Felix appears the most stable of the Catton family, his sister Venetia is its biggest emotional mess, which helps trigger some of the madness that follows, and Alison Oliver gives a fine performance in the role.

Richard E. Grant is perfect as the unfailingly polite aristocrat Sir James, who plays the role of enforcer behind the scenes when needed. Rosamund Pike is gracious but cool as Elspeth but there are hints of a wilder past. Carey Mulligan is wonderful in her smaller role as “poor dear Pamela,” stylishly-dressed but emotionally weighed-down by a traumatic past. As cousin Farleigh Start, Archie Madekwe is great, as the snarky and bitter character, going from arrogant confidence to desperation as events unfold.

SALTBURN is an incredibly-polished film, with brilliant photography, nail-biting tension, excellent performances and taut pacing, but the nature of this disturbing tale means it is not for everyone, as noted earlier. For the right audiences, SALTBURN is a class divide, creep fest trip well worth taking.

SALTBURN opens Wednesday, Nov. 22, in theaters.

RATING: 3 out of 4 stars

THANKSGIVING – Review

Thanksgiving Parade from TriStar Pictures and Spyglass Media Group, LLC THANKSGIVING

Back in 2007, Quentin Tarantino rounded up some pals for a release called GRINDHOUSE, intended to re-create the experience of going to a drive-in for a schlocky double feature, complete with jingles for the snack bar and fake trailers for other movies. Funny thing about the way that turned out.

The GRINDHOUSE package did fairly well at the box office but the trailers eventually outstripped its performance by a wide margin. Robert Rodriguez’s MACHETE clip turned into two wildly successful (okay, highly successful for most, wildly for me) comedic gore-fests, with a third on the way, and boosting Danny Trejo into the stratosphere of celebrity status. HOBO WITH A SHOTGUN (great title, pretty entertaining movie) became a cultish outing for Rutger Hauer. Two other trailers stayed as such – Edgar Wright’s DON’T and Rob Zombie’s WEREWOLF WOMEN OF THE S.S. Eli Roth’s THANKSGIVING teaser preview is now the third of the quintet (HOBO wasn’t included in all versions of the GRINDHOUSE release) to spawn features.

In the others, much of what was in the trailers was repeated in the movies. Same for THANKSGIVING, though the original was set in the 1970s, and this one is current. Patrick Dempsey plays the sheriff in this holiday horror/comedy yarn. The family that owns a big box store in Plymouth, Massachusetts, opens its Black Friday sale on Thursday night, causing anger among many, and a mob of customers waiting outside to rush in for the bargains the moment the doors open. When the owner’s (Rick Hoffman) teen daughter Jess (Nell Verlaque) and some of her friends are seen through the glass doors jumping the gun, the crowd goes nuts and storms the store, killing and injuring quite a few of their fellow townsmen while fighting each other for the merch they crave.

Skip ahead a year. The disaster led to multiple lawsuits and claims by the victims, spurring gestures of atonement by the ownership that still left many grudges simmering. The town, as usual, celebrates its Pilgrim heritage with a parade, and many people donning those period costumes, including masks of their first mayor, bearing a fortuitous (for the audience) resemblance to the face covering on the dude from V FOR VENDETTA. Despite the previous disaster, they plan to open on Thanksgiving night again, but with more security in place. Many are displeased. Or worse.

The early social satire about greed, consumerism and Black Friday feeding frenzies soon yields to standard slasher traditions, as a mayorally-masked figure starts killing folks off in a variety of gruesome ways, with the owning family and those young friends primarily targeted. In a mashup of the SCREAM and FINAL DESTINATION franchises, there’s suspense in “who was that masked man?” and delightfully complex and graphic methods for racking up his (or possibly her) body count. The faint of heart should pick another movie.

Roth’s concept unfortunately outpaces its execution. The entire cast consists of all the standard types doing all the standard things in completely unmemorable ways. Some of it seems like an homage; at other times, a grimly amusing genre spoof. Also, most of the proceedings are severely under-lit – presumably to ramp up the foreboding factor, but actually obscuring the action, leaving viewers less sure of who did what to whom in more than a few scenes. Given Roth’s solid horror credentials, including CABIN FEVER and the HOSTEL series, one might reasonably expect a punchier finished product. Despite its shortcomings – including an odd ending – slasher fans will still find about as much carnage as they expected when they bought the tickets. And isn’t that what matters most?

THANKSGIVING opens Friday, Nov 17, in theaters.

RATING: 2 out of 4 stars

FIVE NIGHTS AT FREDDY’S – Review

With only a couple more months left in 2023, will it be the movie year of the toy? Considering the BARBIE box office bonanza…probably. That’s especially true if you throw video games into that category. We’ve seen those Super Mario Brothers, a nifty true-life thriller on the making of TETRIS, another non-fiction sports flick involving the motor-racing world of GRAN TURISMO. And now we go from brightly colored pixel ‘shrooms to whirring-blade-fueled horror. Really, a game that elicits fear as you rack up the points? Oh yeah, this one is so popular there has already been at least one cinema rip-off (using those Saturday morning funsters THE BANANA SPLITS which this official fan club member did not appreciate). It’s kinda’ how THE SWORD AND THE SORCERER beat Conan to the multiplex by a few weeks in 1982. Well, now here comes the “real deal”, based on the gaming smash, and its follow-ups, from 2014. So, can moviegoers handle FIVE NIGHTS AT FREDDY’S? Grab a slice and collect those tokens!

It all begins with an unlucky security guard making his final late-night “rounds” in the food and fun emporium. After the main title we meet the main hero, Mike Schmidt (Josh Hutcherson). as he loses another job, this one’s security at a mall. It seems an incident triggered a childhood memory in which he saw his kid brother Garrett vanish forever from a family picnic. Now, the only family he has (the parents are long gone) is his kid sister Abby (Piper Rubio) whose behavior has her grade school teacher concerned. She’s retreated into her drawings and talking to her invisible friends. Mike’s gotta get a new job, otherwise, haughty Aunt Jane (Mary Stuart Masterson) will swoop in and grab custody (along with the government moola). His only chance is an odd supervisor at an employment service, Mr. Raglan (Matthew Lillard). He thinks Mike is perfect for an all-night security slot at a long-shuttered kiddie franchise, Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza. After getting a neighbor teen girl, Max (Kat Conner Sterling) to watch Abby, Mike takes the job. The joint is creepy with its old arcade games and empty pizza boxes, but nothing is more unnerving than the life-sized animatronic figures in Freddy’s band. Naturally, Mike drifts off to sleep, but something new has been added to his abduction nightmare. Five mute children appear to block his way. He jolts awake and gets the feeling that something is watching him. Meanwhile, Max picks up a “side hustle” with Aunt Jane. She and her pals will break in at Freddy’s, trash the place, and cause Mike to get fired. So will this plan work? And what will happen to Mike and Abby during those remaining nights at Freddy’s?

Hutcherson excels at giving Mike a constant vibe of sweaty desperation. He’s haunted by his past and full of dread about the future, Can he take care of lil’ sis? Or hold down any sort of job. His nocturnal childhood “cage” may have just found a “key” through Freddy’s place. But this release may just endanger the one person he strives to protect. As that person, Rubio as Abby has more energy than most “spooky” kiddies in other flicks. She conveys a dark sense of humor while standing up to her often too possessive “big bro”. Masterson is superbly “hissable” as the prime villainess here, a wicked aunt rather than a wicked stepmother, who’s even more snarky has she :plays nice” with Mike and Abby. Also, there’s a nice turn by Elizabeth Lail as a sympathetic policewoman whose beat just happens to include Freddy’s. There’s a bit of a romantic spark between her and Mike, but Officer Vanessa’s main mission is to put him on the “straight and narrow” while providing the proper “tools” for his deep dive into the old place’s mythos. And it’s great to see Lillard out of the “Scoobyverse” as the off-putting “red herring” (or is he), Raglan.

To quote uber-producer of modern horror, while with Seth Myers, Jason Blum, “We made this for the fans”. And so, for newbies (guilty) you may be perplexed, and more than a bit bored. as those same fan(atics) squeal and scream with delight with every game reference or cameo. This makes it difficult to compare, but the end cinematic results come off as another rather toothless (of course it’s rated ‘”PG-13″) time waster. It’s stunning how all the big “kills” (including major characters) are done “off-screen” with the discovered carnage hidden away from view. Director Emma Tammi does her best work in the scary pre-dawn moments at the “fun place”, but can’t hold our attention during the talky daytime set-ups, since many of the principals are one-note despite the team of screenwriters which includes her and the game’s creator Scott Cawthon. The biggest problem is that the game’s main focus, Freddy and his crew, don’t get a lot to do. This is a shame since the producers eschewed CGI for some nifty puppetry from the talented artists at Jim Henson’s creature shop (they made a menacing cupcake). The pre-teen crowd should have a blast yelling at the screen during Halloween group outings or slumber parties but horror “hounds” may be dreading (howling perhaps) a sixth day after FIVE NIGHTS AT FREDDY’S.

1.5 Out of 4

FIVE NIGHTS AT FREDDY’S is now playing in theatres everywhere and streams exclusively on Peacock

PERPETRATOR – Review

Yes, it’s getting darker a bit earlier and the temps are finally (whew) easing up and cooling off. So many folks are thinking of Fall, and aside from sweaters and pumpkin spice everything, Halloween is on their minds (and in the aisles of several retail chains). And we’re ready for some good scary flicks, and not family-friendly fare like the failed reboot of HAUNTED MANSION. Now we’ve already hit the high seas with Dracula, maybe we could get a modern twist on the classic monster folklore. Is the setting for this flick another rotting ship or a decaying estate or castle? Nope, it’s a locale even more frightening, high school (Carrie White and Buffy Summers would heartily agree). And the villain? For this gory lil’ indie, it’s not clear exactly who or what is the actual PERPETRATOR.

Could it be nearly eighteen-year-old Jonny (Kiah McKirnan)? After all, she’s committing a bit of B&E (breaking and entering) when we first meet her on the dark, cold streets of Chicago. After a trek to the van of her “fence” to sell the “merch” and build up the bucks for a getaway, she’s back in the squalid basement apartment (perhaps they’re “squatters) she shares with her nervous dad. He’s noticed that her weird nosebleeds have become more frequent. And due to his own “plasma issues”, he decides that she needs to travel across town to live with his sister, her aunt Hildie (Alicia Silverstone). Jonny feels an unsettling “vibe” from her as she enters the dark, gothic brownstone. But there’s little time for a reunion as Jonny must get her attire ready as she enrolls in a fancy nearby prep school. Of course, that place is another level of creepy. The manic Principal Burke (Christoper Lowell) delights in staging “massacre drills”. The school nurse’s face is nearly covered with various bandages. And it seems that there’s a new missing female student every other day, as the bulletin board is filled with “Have You Seen…” flyers. This leads to more strange dreams for Jonny complete with eerie blood imagery. Over the next few days, she befriends several of the other young woman and eventually they zero in on a possible suspect in the disappearances. Jonny offers herself as “bait”, but will her bizarre blood behaviors and quirks lead to a capture or another flyer with her face?

Though the role referred to in the title is unclear, the story is carried by the compelling Ms. McKirnan. She’s up for the demands of Jonny, whether being tough (standing up to loads of jerks) or vulnerable, as she begins to open up with a classmate. Through the sneer and eyeliner, McKirnan lets us see the confusion in Jonny’s eyes as she tries to deal with the changes in her mind and body (this is puberty from Hell). She makes us eager to join her on Jonny’s journey. A bonus is her unique “hair accents” since her ‘do changes radically with each new scene. Oh, and her work with Silverstone really “crackles”. The iconic CLUELESS star delivers a quirky, mannered performance as the haughty, aristocratic Hildie (channeling a bit of Dame Judith Anderson from REBECCA or Gale Sondergard is loads of “B” flicks). On the opposite end of the intensity spectrum, there’s Lowell who takes the energy level past 11 as the nutty, frantic overlord of the school (he’s so happy during the “drills”). Kudos also to Melanie Libard as a mystery woman from Jonny’s past.

Certainly, there’s a lot going on in writer/director Jennifer Reeder’s newest fear flick (she’s bounced between indie shockers and shorts). The story moves along well despite several absurd plot conventions (a “grab” in front of the house). Many ideas are in play, but feel like scenes from several different stories, very different in tone. Is it a “coming of age” horror allegory (much like the recent BONES AND ALL)? Is it a variation of the “teen girls in peril” ala SPLIT? Or perhaps a riff on the 80s teen comedies with the cool but not that popular kids versus the uptight adults in charge. Thrown in is also a same-sex romance that feels hastily tossed in and forgotten. We even get a spin on inherited “mutations” though it may also be mystical powers (her blood is very…busy). The mystery elements aren’t too difficult to solve despite the full-head rubber mask and muffled speech of the “grabber”. And the humor falls fairly flat (really, a whole auditorium chanting the same obscenity). The Windy City locales add to the smothering gloom, much like Hildie’s “crib” and the school. We get an attempt to “tie up” and explain things in the last moments, but the denouncement feels hurried. The attempt to create a new “spin” on horror mythology is admirable, but the finished film is much less than the sum of its scenes and visuals for this PERPETRATOR.

2 Out of 4

PERPETRATOR opens in select theatres and screens exclusively on Shudder beginning on Friday, September 1, 2023

THE LAST VOYAGE OF THE DEMETER – Review

Time to put away the toys, the comics, and even the big WWII history book at the old multiplex for this week’s new (but a tad old) release. I say “old” since it springs from a literary classic, one that has inspired so many cinematic adaptations (actually it has left its “mark” on all manner of media). I seem to recall its main character as a possible game show trivia answer as to which fictitious creation has been played by the greatest number of actors (he’s close behind Sherlock Holmes, I believe). So, what’s the “hook” with this? It’s not just a “straight” retelling. No, the filmmakers have taken one chapter of the original novel and have expanded it into a feature film since it’s often just a minute or two in most versions. And so now we’ll get the full “scoop” of how that “king of the vampires”, Dracula. insured that this was THE LAST VOYAGE OF THE DEMETER.


This terror tale takes us back almost to the beginning of the last century, 1897. as we follow a speeding caravan through a twisty mountain pass on their way to a nearby seaport. That’s where the good ship Demeter is preparing to depart. Captain Eliot (Liam Cunningham) is there with his eight-year-old grandson Toby (Woody Norman) to assign the First Mate Wojchek (David Dastmalchian) the task of acquiring more crew members for the journey to London. Several old salts line up for the chance, but none are more eager than Cambridge grad, Dr. Clemens (Corey Hawkins). Wojchek rejects him (“those smooth hands…he’s not been working on the seas”). Then the wagons arrive via that caravan with massive wooden crates that “spook” some recruits. That and a near accident with Toby. prompts Eliot to hire Clemens. The young lad bonds with the doc as they meet the truly “motley” crew, who have dreams of a big bonus if they arrive in England earlier than agreed upon. Ah, but don’t spend that money yet. As the sun sets, strange things occur. The livestock perish, not from rabies but from something that has ripped them apart. When Clements explores the nearby cargo hold, he finds that the crates are filled mostly with dirt. But that’s not as surprising as the discovery of a near-comatose young woman, Ann (Ainsling Franciosi). Clemons attempts to cleanse her diseased blood through several transfusions. But will this weaken him and his shipmates as they discover that the animals were merely appetizers for the night creature that walks the deck under the moonlight? Can they possibly destroy him before his evil overtakes all of London?

For a vampire flick to truly soar (on bat-wings,’ natch) it requires a formidable force for the light, and here, rather than the ship’s captain, it’s the charismatic Hawkins as Clemens. From his first scenes, gambling near the dock, he projects a fierce, steely intelligence as the doctor fighting ignorance on all fronts. But he also has a real charm and warmth, whether bonding with young Toby (almost like a little brother) to his concern for the tragic Anna. Once she’s regaining her strength, Franciosi proves to be a great ally to Clemens as she pushes past her fears and channels her anger over being her village’s “sacrifice offering” to a monster. Cunningham exudes the proper gravitas as Captain Eliot while giving us a glimpse of his desire to be done with sea life. His weary eyes only brighten when he views his beloved offspring. But his other “ship son” is the surly Dastmalchian as the tough, cagey, and ever-alert Wojchek. Perhaps the most colorful of the crew is the entertaining Jon Jon Briones as the ship’s cook whose zealotry and fanaticism are almost as much a danger as the shadowy predator played with sneering animal savagery by Javier Botet.

As I mentioned earlier, screenwriters Bragi F. Schut and Zak Olkewicz have expanded on the “Captian’s Log” chapter of Bram Stoker’s novel. And they “flesh it out” with great imagination, making their crew more than just a transport for the book’s title character. They also do well with tough tasks as they create suspense even though we’re aware of the outcome, much like prequels in an ongoing movie franchise. Along the way they make the usual vampire story tropes fresh, especially in the sequences involving exposure to the sun. Best of all may be their take on the count himself. He has no need to be “wrapped in human skin”, no seducing or deceiving as he appears as a hellish “bat demon” (with perhaps a hint of the classic NOSFERATU vibe), who blends into the shadows before striking like the speed of a cobra. And be warned, no one is safe from his insatiable thirst. Kudos must also go to the costumers and art directors for transporting us back to the turn of that century and making us feel as though we’re on that grimy “working boat”. Director Andre Overdal gives the story a real sense of urgency in the opening port scenes while creating a heavy tone of impending doom. The mood on deck combines the beauty of the pounding waves with eerie foreboding, especially in the cargo hold as the crates become objects of menace. Unfortunately, after we’ve seen several “meals”, the pace slackens and the film’s focus softens (perhaps tighter editing would help). Still, the final showdown is impressive, though the epilogue seems out of sync with the rest of Stoker’s epic. But fans of the horror classics will enjoy this expansion, though the flood of gore isn’t washed away by the sea foam splashed up by THE LAST VOYAGE OF THE DEMETER.

3 out of 4

THE LAST VOYAGE OF THE DEMETER is now playing in theatres everywhere

TALK TO ME (2023) – Review

As the Summer is reaching its final weeks are you looking for a super cool fun activity that will take your big late-night party to another level? Sure, “Spin the Bottle” and “Five Minutes in Heaven” are a bit of naughty fun, but where’s the danger? There’s certainly none in the classic board games (moving an icon from one square to the next) or the variations of pantomime. Aha, there’s the creepy ole’ Ouija board, but that’s too old-fashioned. Perhaps that’s why the kids in this flick from “down under” have come up with something that’s more of a direct “channel” to the “other side”. Plus it’s got a limited length, so it makes for an ideal online video (hey, they’ll risk anything to go “viral”). Now once the needed props are set up, the participants only need to recall a couple of commands, beginning with “TALK TO ME”. Then watch out!

The main teen in this terror tale is seventeen-year-old Mia (Sophie Wilde), who is dealing with a most difficult time at home. She’s growing more distant from her papa Max (Marcus Johnson) after the recent death of her mother, his wife Rhea. The tension drives her to the family of her BFF Jade (Alexandra Jensen), her kid brother Riley (Joe Bird), and their single mum Sue (Miranda Otto). A series of weird videos of a party game has made them curious, so they sneak out while Sue is away to join a gathering. After a few beverages, host Joss (Chris Alosio) and pal Haley (Zoe Terakes) pull a strange object out of a backpack. It’s a life-sized sculpture of an open hand (Joss insists that the clay covers a real severed human hand). The “game” has strict instructions. The volunteer grasps the hand as though starting a handshake. Then they must say “Talk to Me” which allows a spirit to enter the holder. A candle is lit as the next phrase is uttered, ” I let you in”. Then the “gamer” speaks as the spirit complete with white eyes, gravelly voice, and pale, discolored skin. At exactly the 90-second mark, the gamer must release the hand and the candle must be blown out, otherwise the possession could be permanent. Jade’s boyfriend, who is Mia’s ex, has a most embarrassing time with the hand. But it makes Mia wonder whether this could put her in contact with her dearly missed mother. Another private party is set up, and Mia nearly succumbs to the spirit realm. But then twelve-year-old Riley pleads to give it a whirl. Despite the misgivings of Joss and Haley, Mia convinces them that it will be safe. And things naturally go horribly wrong. Now Mia must find a way to “get back in” and rescue the tormented soul of Riley. But could her efforts cost her her life? And what happens when Rhea begins to guide Mia?

Wilde ably leads the ensemble of screen newcomers as the story’s heroine, the troubled Mia. In the opening scenes, her body language conveys her relationships, stiff, brisk with her father, loose, and inviting with her “second family”. Her questioning eyes hint at her concern over losing her BFF to her ex, though she tries to toss it off with a casual shrug. Jensen as Jade is a thoroughly smitten bundle of emotion, seeming to spring to life with each new call or text from “him”. Riley as played by the youthful Bird is “chomping at the bit” to keep up with his “elders” and break out of his “babysat by Mia” constraint. Terakes and Alosio try to project a “too cool” indifference until their “ticket to party royalty” begins to “amp up” the emotional stakes. The seasoned screen vet of the cast is Otto, who is torn between protecting the kids and being the “cool mom” rather than the wet blanket. She almost feels like the surrogate parent to Mia which adds an extra level of pain to their falling out.

Even the talent behind the camera is new to feature films. After making a big impression with several online videos, the team of twin brothers Danny and Michael Phillippou begin this horror tale with a bombastic opening, as we are tossed right into the last moments of a previous terror tale of “the ceramic hand”. It’s quite the flashy intro as it appears to be one continuous shot. From this “shot out of a cannon” prologue, the movie lets us catch our breath as the clever script by Danny with Bill Hinzman and Daley Pearson presents a group of teens, like many of their peers, who live through and for social media, aching to go viral and ecstatic as their viewing numbers climb. And kudos for creating the hand as a unique “hook”, a more visually potent entry device than a dusty book or totem. Viewers may have a difficult time in those early scenes as the kids chatter non-stop and over each other (hopefully your theatre sound system won’t garble those Aussie accents), but once the games begin, the brothers really dish out some great atmosphere via lighting and audio effects, as those “gamers” speak in raspy tones ala THE EVIL DEAD and THE EXORCIST, while writhing in their chairs (did I mention that they’re tied up with ropes at the start). Plus those demons are truly hideous sweaty deformed horrors, which are only seen by those holding that hand. Those looking for a voice in terror cinema will be swept away by the Phillippou twins who have unleashed a new “nightmare fodder” with the inventive TALK TO ME.


3 Out of 4

TALK TO ME is now playing in theatres everywhere

THE BLACKENING – Review

Antoinette Robertson as Lisa, Grace Byers as Allison, Jermaine Fowler as Clifton and Dewayne Perkins as Dewayne in The Blackening. Photo Credit: Glen Wilson. Courtesy of Lionsgate

A group of college friends gather at a cabin in the woods, for a weekend reunion of sorts. What could go wrong? Well, we know what could go wrong, but the twist in the comedy-horror film THE BLACKENING is the all-black cast and the comedy-horror film’s determined satiric skewering of that old horror film knack for killing off the Black character first. But like the film’s tagline says, they can’t all die first.

In fact, THE BLACKENING leans much more into satiric comedy than horror, having fun with every little horror trope, not just the racist ones. But it does whittle down the group of friends as it goes and provides some jump scares. On one level, the humor is smart and knowing but it has plenty of quick, broad humor. If it is GET OUT meets SCARY MOVIE, it favors the latter a bit more, from the director who brought us BARBERSHOP and RIDE ALONG, Tim Story.

The talented all-Black cast includes Grace Byers, Jermaine Fowler, Melvin Gregg, X Mayo, Dewayne Perkins, Antoinette Robertson, Sinqua Walls, Jay Pharoah, and Yvonne Orji, with a lone exception – a white policeman (James Preston Rogers). The long -time friends are the usual assortment of lovers and ex-lovers, old best friends and old enemies, the big ego guy and the shy guy, and someone no one likes. While director Tim Story keeps things on the funny side, he also keeps the pace fast so there is hardly a moment between bits. This is essentially an ensemble film, although each cast member has their spotlight moment, and it is often the whole cast of characters working together in scenes. Or those who are left at least.

A lot of the mayhem starts in the game room, which is filled with tons for familiar board games and more, which makes it a draw for the game-loving guests. But there is a certain unfamiliar board game on table in the center of the room, bearing the name of the movie, “the Blackening,” with some disturbingly racist content. As the victims fall, the terrified people remaining race from place to place (as everyone always does in horror movies) while they try to figure out who is doing this, and why. Is it a murderous stranger? A racist madman? Is it that white cop? Someone they know with a grudge? One of them?

The humor is sharp and satiric, delivered in a rapid-fire manner. The film has its roots in a sketch by the comedy group 3Peat on Comedy Central in 2018. While the humor works for any audience, it is particularly geared to delight a Black audience, with winking in-jokes and more. There are moments of pointed humor, playing with all those horror tropes like the room full of games.

Real scares are scarce but the room itself is has its sinister side, with its creepy racist game and the fact that the green door is sometimes locked, sometimes not, and the door itself is sometimes hidden. But for the most part THE BLACKENING pours on the comedy, making use of all that horror film potential with humor squarely aimed at a Black audience in particular. This is broad humor for the most part, often delivered rapid fire, with the occasional sly joke. With the movie’s fast pace, hardly any horror film cliches escape un-skewered

THE BLACKENING is not a high-concept twist on the genre like GET OUT was (nor does it intend to be) but is a light and crazy comedy-horror film that focuses laser-like on those characters often killed off first and pokes fun at the genre’s flaws. Anyone can enjoy is horror movie fun, but it is a special treat for Black horror fans.

THE BLACKENING opens Friday, June 16, in theaters.

RATING: 3 out of 4 stars

BEAU IS AFRAID – Review

Joaquin Phoenix as Beau in BEAU IS AFRAID. Courtesy of A24.

BEAU IS AFRAID – and confused and feeling guilty and often fleeing in panic, as he is caught in a world of bizarre events, in director/writer Ari Aster’s nightmarish fever dream of a movie, BEAU IS AFRAID. And mostly, Beau has mommy issues. This unsettling horror mind-trip, with a touch of darkest humor and surrealist fantasy, has the prefect star, that master of madness, Joaquin Phoenix, who plays an anxious, nervous man who might be prone to hallucinations who sets out to do a seemingly simple thing: visit his mother.

Craziness is afoot and there is plenty for Beau to be afraid of in Ari Aster’s BEAU IS AFRAID. The weird, imaginative and sometimes darkly humorous BEAU IS AFRAID is a squirm-inducing experience from a director who is scary good at creating unsettling movies, whose previous films MIDSOMMAR and HEREDITARY are striking examples of stylish psychological horror. While some films defined as horror are more bloody than actually scary, this is one that is truly scary, like the director’s previous two. BEAU IS AFRAID is masterfully-made, creative and often visually beautiful (particularly in a haunting fantasy sequence in the middle) and brilliantly acted, but it is a crazy, sometimes unsettling experience. While it is a creatively impressive film, it is not something for everyone, nor perhaps even an experience one would repeat.

Despite it’s nearly 3 hour length, it never drags and keeps up an almost breathless pace as the terrified Beau flees from one danger after another, and it is a tour-de-force performance by Joaquin Phoenix, with fine supporting work from Patti LuPone, Nathan Lane, Amy Ryan, Parker Posey and others.

In BEAU IS AFRAID, Beau Wasserman (Joaquin Phoenix), an anxious, solitary man, is just trying to travel to home to visit his mother, but is beset by a host of obstacles that evokes the trials of a modern odyssey. But unlike Odysseus’ travels to get back to his loyal wife and comfortable home, Beau’s destination is to visit a mother with whom he has a toxic relationship. Sort of Freud meets Homer.

Beau lives alone in a modest apartment in an impoverished, chaotic and crime-ridden area of a big city, one that seems to be a cartoonish version of all the violent stereotypes of a crime-filled New York. Beau is seeing a psychiatrist ((Stephen McKinley Henderson), who prescribes a new medication with a warning of side effects. This therapy session early in the movie gives us a glimpse into Beau’s troubled relationship with his strong mother (Patti LuPone), as her timid only child. Although the therapist questions the wisdom of Beau’s plan to visit her, Beau is determined to see his beloved mother, on his parent’s wedding anniversary, which is also the anniversary of the death of the father he never met. On his way back to his apartment, Beau stops at a street-side vendor to buy a little white ceramic figurine of a mother and child as a gift for his mother.

Visiting his mother seems such a simple thing but everything goes wrong that could. A series of unfortunate events, starting with an alarm clock that does not wake him, prevent him from catching his plane. Calling his mother, he gets a response that suggests Beau has been unreliable in the past, which both doubles his guilt and resolve to get home. But even more disasters ensue, as Beau tries to make his way through a remarkably malevolent world.

The film starts out with such over-the-top absurdities and dark humor, that the audience is forced to laughter. But the laughter becomes more nervous and uncomfortable as the film unfolds, until it fades away entirely in the later part of this journey of delirious horror.

Beau is buffeted by multiple horrific events which increase his fear and often his sense of guilt, and generally send him running in panic. At one point, he is essentially trapped in the suburban home of a seemingly well-meaning couple (Nathan Lane and Amy Ryan) who had accidentally hit him with their car, sharing space with their resentful teen-aged daughter Toni (Kylie Rogers), which shortly descends into an unexpected madness. A flashback to Beau’s youth, and a cruise with his mother in which the pubescent Beau (Armen Nahapetian) meets a girl (Julia Antonelli), gives insight on his toxic relationship with his mother (played at that age by Zoey Lister Jones), in a gorgeously-shot Freudian interlude.

The flashback is one of many with uncomfortable scenes skirting some disturbing stuff. The film purports to be an exploration of modern life and its challenges, and there are a host of awful forces surrounding Beau, starting with a crowd gather on a city street, who are urging a man on a skyscraper ledge to jump, and a corpse laying in the street, ignored, near his apartment, and later a deranged war veteran intent on murder pursuing him through the woods. But, for the most part, it is all about his mother. While the movie plays with stereotypes about overbearing Jewish mothers, Beau’s issues with his mother goes well beyond that and deep into creepiness – enough to make you wonder about the writer of this script.

Still, it is hard to overemphasize the impressive cinematic and visual artistry (from director of photography Pawel Pogorzelski) in this film, despite the squirm-inducing events taking place. One particularly impressive example of the visual artistry comes midway through the film, in a fantasy sequence that provides the audience (and the character) with a welcome break from Beau’s trials in the film. An escape into the woods leads to a magical fantasy sequence, in which Beau meets a traveling theater troupe and while watching their play, becomes a different character on a very different life journey, putting Joaquin Phoenix in a partly-animated and color-drenched landscape. This beautiful, creative fantasy sequence provides a respite from the terror of the Beau’s experiences and a relaxing breather for the audience, as well as the film’s highlight. After this delightful interlude, however, we come back to Beau’s nightmare journey.

Whether what is happening in this whole film is only in Beau’s imagination, whether it is all a nightmarish fever dream, the result of his new medication, a hallucination of a mentally ill mind, or some combination of those things, is never made clear in this crazy film. One has to admire the film’s artistry and the director’s skill and that of the actors but this film is an unsettling experience.

Casting Joaquin Phoenix for this role is the perfect choice, and in fact, the whole cast is impressive as well. Phoenix gives the kind of tour-de-force performance he is famous for, in this case, not as a villain but as a victim. Whether he is a victim of his own weakness, a mentally ill mind, a domineering mother, a series of unfortunate events or just evil afoot in the world, is not clear, but it sure falls hard on the unprepared Beau. Patti LuPone gives a powerful performance as Beau’s mother, a strong personality who has a host of her own issues, and represents some classic bad parenting. Nathan Lane and Amy Ryan play a weird couple who are obsessed with their son who was killed in the military yet ignore their angry teen-aged daughter.

At nearly 3 hours, BEAU IS AFRAID has all the earmarks of being yet another of those films that incubated during the Covid lock-down, joining a line of inward-gazing, and often long, films by major directors that were released last year and this. Among those are Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu’s visually lush BARDO: FALSE CHRONICLE OF A HANDFUL OF TRUTH. BEAU IS AFRAID has several things in common with the rambling, surreal BARDO, but where that film is an imagined biography, here the major tone is terror.

BEAU IS AFRAID is impressive as cinematic art and a nightmarish psychological horror film that fits in well with director Ari Aster’s previous works HEREDITARY and MIDSOMMAR and features a perfectly-cast Joaquin Phoenix, but it is an intense experience that is not for every audience and one that is even more disturbing than the previous two. Frustratingly, nothing is really resolved in this story, although we do get the answers to a few questions, and little is really revealed about Beau’s or his mother’s inner life or motivations.

BEAU IS AFRAID opens Friday, Apr. 21, in theaters.

RATING: 3 out of 4 stars