John’s Horror Corner: Demons (1985; aka, Demoni), a deliciously cheesy Italian zombie-like outbreak of chunky gore and green goop.
MY CALL: Outrageously cheesy and rich in well-paced gore, this is an Italian treasure. You can’t call yourself a gorehound if you haven’t seen this yet. MORE MOVIES LIKE Demons: The Return of the Living Dead (1985) and Night of the Demons 1-2 (1988, 1994) offer comparably cheesy fun with similar but more clearly told demon contagion stories. Fans of wacky Italian cheesy gorefests would likely enjoy 80s Fulcian gore in the form of City of the Living Dead (1980; aka Paura nella città dei morti viventi, The Gates of Hell), The Beyond (1981) and The House by the Cemetery (1981), which form Fulci’s Gates of Hell trilogy; and then Zombie (1979).
This Italian treasure opens with a mildly meta scenario. A menacing figure in a partial steel Phantom-esque mask hands out tickets to a special event to whatever strangers pass by. Invited to this mysterious screening of a secret movie, our cast of victims convene upon the theater for a horror movie whose events parallel events transpiring in the theater, much to everyone’s horrible detriment.
Our cast of characters include: George (Urbano Barberini; The Black Cat), Hannah (Fiore Argento; Phenomena), Kathy (Paola Cozzo; Demonia, A Cat in the Brain), Ingrid (Nicoletta Elmi; Deep Red, Baron Blood), Carmen (Fabiola Toledo; A Blade in the Dark), Rosemary (Geretta Geretta; Shocking Dark) and Tony (Bobby Rhodes; Screamers, Demons 2), among others.
After trying on a demonic metal mask displayed in the theater lobby, a woman (Rosemary) cuts herself and transforms into a monstrous, green goo-spewing demon with gnarly claws. She gashes someone else who, after a bout of running and screaming, likewise suffers a disgusting bursting pustule, talons emerge slowly dislodging her fingernails, fangs force out her bloody human teeth, and she becomes the next afflicted “demon.” Although, however “demonic” they appear, they behave much more like faster, smarter zombies.
Every bit as contagious as a zombie outbreak, our movie patrons are inexplicably trapped in the movie theater and must fight to survive. Tony (our obvious ‘heavy’) leads the scrambling patrons but all too soon they encounter yet more infected demons! And with each new victim, another demon… in deliciously cheesy fashion.
One of the coolest things about this movie (except, of course, all the chonk-tastic gore) is that we recognize the different demons for reasons more than the actors’ faces. Each victim that dies in a certain way is now a demon that looks that way, much like we loved recognizing the Hare Krishna zombie in Dawn of the Dead (1978).
This bonkers movie starts out strong. Despite a lull in the middle, the pacing has good frenetic energy. Whenever a scene calls for blood, there’s a lot of it. The pulsating pustule bursts are really gross and graphic and gooey, as are the lacerated flesh effects. Throats are ripped open, eyes are gorily gouged into chunky refuse, a woman is brutally scalped by hand, a stabbed demon douses a woman in its gooey gobbledygook gore, and a demon even tears its way out from inside anotherinfected person’s back! From there, we wander into a zany katana-dirt bike slashaganza.
This movie ends much like Return of the Living Dead (1985), with implications of the beginning of the Armageddon welcoming sequels. I had a blast from start to finish, so I’m happy to report at least one good sequel (1986). Director Lamberto Bava (Shock, Demons 2-3) and co-writer Dario Argento (Suspiria, Inferno, The Mother of Tears, The Church) are experts in gory Italian fare. If that’s your flavor, you’ll love Demons.
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Deep Blue Sea – The Podcast – Episode 29: Title Drops, Emo Sharks, and Flare-to-Dynamite Ratios
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Jay and Mark are joined by Matthew Stewart (of the Simplistic Reviews Podcast – @simpletweeters) to discuss “Time to Kill,” the 29th chapter of the Deep Blue Sea DVD. In this episode, they discuss emo sharks, space pirates, and flare-to-dynamite ratios. Enjoy!
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The Guyver (1991; aka Mutronics), a darker, grittier monster-fighting Power Ranger movie for adults.
MY CALL:This is essentially a Power Ranger movie for adult fans who want something darker, more gritty and monstrous. As dumb as it may come off to many viewers, this is still pretty fun to watch. I enjoy it for its cast, diverse monster effects, and willingness to commit the loose premise of a kids show turned into a very mature PG-13. This easily could have gone off the deep end (even more). MOVIES LIKE The Guyver: Well there’s a sequel: Guyver 2: Dark Hero (1994). And for a weird curveball I’m going to suggest Zeiram (1991).
Before the days of Pacific Rim’s (2013) Jaeger-battling Kaiju, we already had a taste for live-action takes on Anime’s monster-battling robots and cyborgs. Falling in similar vein and based on 80s anime, The Guyver follows tropes we’d see all the way into the Power Rangers, but as a solo act like a non-super-sized Ultraman (1966-present).
We open with a detailed exposition dump… So mankind was created by aliens (yeah, that old yarn…) and man was created with a special gene allowing them to transform into monstrous super soldiers. Aiming to capitalize on this, Fulton Balcus (David Gale; Re-Animator, Bride of Re-Animator) is one such gene-bearer and starts the Chronos Corporation to develop this alien technology for world domination. His plans for political dominion smack of Wesker’s goals in the later Resident Evil sequels, and his tour of the facility reveals its sick experiments. And courtesy of Brian Yuzna, we have a small reunion with Jeffrey Combs (From Beyond, Re-Animator, Lurking Fear)!
Honoring the Anime of its basis, there is a seriously deliberate cheese factor. Our corporate goons feel like silly caricatures not far from Beebop and Rocksteady, led by the sinister Michael Berryman (Deadly Blessing, The Hills Have Eyes) and his tough right-hand woman (Spice Williams-Crosby; Star Trek V). They track down a scientist trying to escape with “The Unit,” a special bio-armor that enhances its wearers abilities tremendously. The scientist transforms into an ichthyoid Creature from the Black Lagoon monster and, in kind, Berryman transforms into his unique (and much tougher) monster form. The unit eventually falls into the hands of our hero Sean (Jack Armstrong; Student Bodies), a young temperamental martial artist who learns of the nefarious goals of the Chronos Corporation. Coming to his aid is Mark Hamill (Child’s Play) playing the most down-and-out private detective-looking CIA agent ever.
The monster fights are really silly. Though all have toothy maws and deadly claws, they go at each other like it was a wrestling match between The Rock and The Undertaker as they punch and headbutt and throw each other about. In many ways it reminds me of Godzilla or Ultraman or the Power Rangers battling monsters, but with the hokey mutated zest of The Toxic Avenger (1984). Yeah, the fights aren’t good in terms of choreography and they feel written for laughs (and for a young audience), as do the score and dialogue of the monsters during these fights.
But as much as the fights feel like Saturday morning cartoons, there are still moments of mature intensity—like when Berryman’s monster rips out the third eye of the Guyver from its gory socket and apparently kills him. Still, the comedic air dominates the film and keeps things light, despite the occasional Guyver elbow blade gorily slicing into a monster. There are even goofy sound effects during the fights.
Truth be told, as lame as all the fights are, the incredible diversity of monster effects is astonishing. Awesomely detailed rubber monster suits and transformation scenes abound, and the effects have producer Brian Yuzna (Society, Bride of Re-Animator, Beyond Re-Animator, Necronomicon: Book of the Dead, Faust, Return of the Living Dead III) to thank.We see six goons and four scientists in full body make-up/suit in completely unique monster forms. Mark Hamill gruesomely turns into a grasshopper monster whose mere sight is far from kid-friendly. But then there’s a cutesy happy ending.
As dumb as it may come off to many viewers, this is still pretty fun to watch. I enjoy it for its cast, diverse monster effects, and willingness to commit the loose premise of a kids show turned into a very mature PG-13. This easily could have gone off the deep end (even more).
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The White Tiger: A Thrilling Drama That Features a Star-Making Performance From Adarsh Gourav
Grade – A – The White Tiger is a thrilling drama that features a star-making performance by Adarsh Gourav.
Adapted from Aravind Adiga’s 2008 New York Times bestselling novel of the same name, The White Tiger is a thrilling drama that tells the story of the rise of Balram Halwai (Adarsh Gourav), a man determined to become his own master. Directed/written/produced by Ramin Bahrani (99 Homes, Chop Shop), The White Tiger feels like a drama mixed with a crime story, and then formed a darkly humorous and vibrant comedy. While many will be familiar with the rise to fame framework, they hopefully will be surprised by the confident storytelling that features many memorable moments featuring Johnnie Walker, driving, and entertaining narration.
The White Tiger begins by introducing us to Balram, a sharp kid who lives in a rural village in India. He steps up when others don’t, goes out of his way to learn English, and picks up on every conversation he hears at the teashop he works at. One day, when he learns that Ashok (Rajkummar Rao), the son of a local landlord has returned from America, and he and his wife Pinky (Priyanka Chopra Jonas) will need a driver. Balram borrows money from his grandmother to get driving lessons, and he becomes Ashran’s personal driver. After several months as the families number two driver, Balram takes advantage of a (don’t want to spoil it) situation, and becomes the families main driver. From there, the group moves to New Delhi, and Balram’s life becomes much more interesting.
Hopefully, when the year-end awards roll around, people will see Adarsh Gourav’s name on some lists. His performance is wonderful, and he’s able to pull off wide-eyed optimism, crushing depression and calculated ambition within one scene. He’s super watchable, which is important because almost every frame is focused on him. You will find yourself rooting for the guy as he watches, learns and plans his way to the top. Also, I’m not going to spoil anything, but, don’t expect Goodfellas or City of God rags-to-riches shenanigans that end with a gut-punch finale. While Balram’s journey isn’t wholly admirable, it also isn’t dragged into a 45-minute trek into self-created hell.
The White Tiger is a thrilling drama that feels refreshing and fresh. The cinematography Paolo Carnera (Gomorrah, ZeroZeroZero) creates an interesting atmosphere of centered shots and strategic framing (that showcase how close the rich and poor are in cities), that give the film a welcome dose of prestige. If you are looking for a movie that features excellent acting, direction and cinematography, I totally recommend you check it out The White Tiger on Netflix.
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John’s Horror Corner: Dead in the Water (2018), a serviceable SyFy original creature feature at sea.
MY CALL: Although far from great, this was a pleasantly surprising SyFy original TV movie. The acting and creature effects were more than sufficient to entertain me through this otherwise very familiar story. MORE MOVIES LIKE Dead in the Water: Well, first off, Sea Fever (2019) did it better. Looking for much better horror at sea? Try Uninvited (1988), Deep Rising (1998), Virus (1999), Ghost Ship (2002) or Harbinger Down (2015) for above water horrors; Underwater (2020), The Rift (1990), Deepstar Six (1989), Leviathan (1989) and, although all Sci-fi and no horror, I’d still strongly recommend The Abyss (1989) for submerged horrors; and Cold Skin (2017) or The Bay (2012) for horror with a view of the water. I’d completely skip Death Ship (1980) and Blood Vessel (2019), although there are fans out there who praise their atmosphere (and I’m not one of them).
Right away we’re reminded of the SyFy original-ness of this movie by the shots of CGI ocean, CGI ships and CGI ship propellers. There’s a lot of CGI, and it’s not good quality. Get used to it.
The all-female crew of a ship 600 miles from shore rescues a stranger (Brandon Auret; District 9, Elysium, Chappie) from the icy waters only to have him turn on them in a violent paranoid episode. After killing him, examination reveals strange markings on his body indicating some sort of disease.
THE CREW: Dana (Nikohl Boosheri; Altered Carbon), Kat (Nicole Fortuin), Gwen (Bianca Simone Mannie; The Watch), Rusty (Skye Russell), Erika (Tanya van Graan; Tremors: A Cold Day in Hell, Raised by Wolves, Starship Troopers 3, Death Race 2-3, Critters Attack!), Sparks (Christia Visser; Planet of the Sharks), Michelle (Amy Louise Wilson; Troy: Fall of a City)
Meeting the characters is nothing special, the writing is pretty basic. But the acting isn’t so bad. The real enemy of this movie is the initially sluggish pacing. But once we hit the autopsy scene… that’s the turning point of the movie (from boring to fun). It may not have come close to capturing the gravity of such iconic scenes from Alien (1979) or The Thing (1982). But the autopsy was gross, uncomfortable, and cultivated good tension building up to a somewhat predictable (but still satisfying) reveal: the creature inside the stranger!
From there we follow familiar beats from Sea Fever (2019) via The Thing (1982)… the distrust among possible infected crew members, the infection is spreading, learning more about the nature of the creature, and realizing this cannot reach the mainland! The squid-ish life leech reminds me of the early stages of the alien in Life (2017) in terms of movement, resilience and behavior.
The special effects were decent enough. The infected individuals were gross with writhing worms in the face and the rubber monster and its long tentacles were well-done for a TV movie.
Director Sheldon Wilson (Stickman, Screamers: The Hunting, The Hollow) is no stranger to direct-to-DVD filmmaking, and I think he did a good job here for the budget and script he was dealt. I was really pleasantly surprised by this SyFy original movie. Way more entertaining than expected and the monster was kinda’ cool.
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John’s Horror Corner: Sputnik (2020), a thoughtful, tense, atmospheric Russian Sci-Horror creature feature.
MY CALL: This is top-notch science fiction, complete with horror like action and a fantastic monster, and gift-wrapped in an atmospheric thriller. Huge recommendation. I loved this! MORE MOVIES LIKE Sputnik: The best double-feature suggestion I have for this would be Life (2017). Distantly related, much less pithy, and more to the tune of grimy 80s Sci-Horror are such movies Moontrap (1989) and The Dark Side of the Moon (1990).
Set in Soviet Kazakhstan 1983, this film’s opening very much has the vibe of the ending of Life (2017), only much calmer, as a two-man re-entry pod returns from Earth’s orbit with one survivor. We learn our astronaut survivor Konstantin (Pyotr Fyodorov; The Blackout, Dead Mountain: The Dyatlov Pass Incident) has amnesia after an incident occurred in space prior to his landing, much as in Species 2 (1998). Doctor Tatyana Klimova (Oksana Akinshina; The Bourne Supremacy) is recruited to examine him and safely separate the internal alien passenger from its human host.
Director Egor Abramenko’s first feature film is crafted with high proficiency. The photography, cinematography and editing are solid, boasting some great shots of outer space and slow tense panning shots of the ship interior. Even considering the more basic military installment sets and drab palette, this movie looks great! I’m especially impressed with the dialogue. The writing is thoughtful and mature, free of exposition dumps, lean and natural. I don’t speak Russian, but the acting felt great. Most enjoyable for me was how frequently we find the DNA of other celebrated Sci-Horror films peppered into this while still feeling wholly original.
The alien creature’s emergence smacks of The Hidden (1987), but its appearance and behavior feel closer to Life (2017) and Prometheus (2012). Meanwhile, its host (Konstantin) has no idea why he is held against his will and studied in a military research facility, much as in The Fly II (1989); nor does Tatyana know the military’s motives. Some story components even feel like faint echoes from Aliens (1986). All familiar components, but all delivered fresh and in packaging we haven’t before seen.
Learning about the alien’s behavior is an interesting process—I love it. It unfurls in mystery as much as action. And for that, this film thrives as much on its drama and suspense as it does its science fiction. I came in expecting a wild monster movie. But this has proven to be a much richer, deeper story. At times this feels as much a pithy crime or medical thriller as it does Sci-Fi.
I LOVE this movie. The story and characters are great! The alien creature is highly impactful and nuanced, from its movement patterns to its biology. Likewise, Konstantin and Tatyana slowly unveil their own history and secrets as so unfold the true nature of the alien parasite.
Endings to movies like this are hard to please. This ending I thought was slightly disappointing yet still highly satisfying in different ways. Overall, the ending suited the movie very well. Solid film! I give my highest recommendation to Sci-Fi fans as well as Sci-Horror fans.
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Grade – A – Our Friend is a heartfelt film that features excellent performances, solid direction, and a lot of heart. The dramatization of its source material has turned several critics off, but I really appreciate the emotion and drama.
Based on “The Friend,” a 2015 Esquire article by Matthew Teague, Our Friend tells the story of a man named Dane (Jason Segel) being a very good friend, to his friends Nicole (Dakota Johnson) and Matt Teague (Casey Affleck). Spanning 15+ years, Our Friend uses nonlinear storytelling to tell the story of two evolving relationships that go through ups, downs, and more of both. The first relationship is between Nicole and Matt, who meet in New Orleans, get married, have two kids, and move to a suburb in Alabama. The other relationship is the friendship between Nicole and Matt, and their friend Dane, who manages a sporting goods store in New Orleans, and comes to their aide (for several years) when Nicole is diagnosed with cancer.
What makes Our Friend work so well is how it explores friendship, grief, and loss in a mature and intimate manner. Director Gabriela Cowperthwaite (Megan Leavey, Blackfish – excellent documentary) and writer Brad Ingelsby (The Way Back, Out of the Furnace) do a commendable job of letting intimate moments breath, which allows the experienced cast to shine. Our Friend is loaded with “small” personal moments which feel refreshing and give the characters room to become three-dimensional people who have flaws, imperfections and eccentricities. I love how Cowperthwaite includes character-developing hiking trips, and intimate moments on porch swings, that make us like and understand the characters more. Also, kudos to cinematographer Joe Anderson (The Old Man and the Gun) for creating an interesting visual palette that utilizes symmetry, wide-angle lenses and door frames expertly.
Dakota Johnson and Casey Affleck are reliably solid as the married couple in need of help, and their performances are layered and likable throughout. The standout performance belongs to Jason Segel, who imbues his character with a believable dose of ennui, enthusiasm and melancholy. Several reviews have labeled his character as a “loser,” (which is super lazy), this is incorrect as Dane is clearly suffering from depression, and struggles with constant self-doubt. The highlight of the film comes when Dane goes on a long hiking trek in the middle of nowhere, and has an interaction with a fellow hiker named Teresa (Gwendoline Christie), who sees through his façade, and helps him through his current doubt of sadness (it’s really neat).
If you’re in the mood for a solid drama that features excellent performances, it doesn’t get any better than Our Friend.
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John’s Horror Corner: The Black Cat (1981; Gatto nero), Lucio Fulci’s reimagining of Edgar Allan Poe’s classic story.
MY CALL: A retelling of Edgar Allan Poe’s story in a very wacky “Fulcian” manner. Entertaining for fans of 80s Italian horror—but it doesn’t even make it into my “Top 2” Black Cat movie adaptations. MORE MOVIES LIKE The Black Cat: Fans of Fulcian gore may continue with City of the Living Dead (1980; aka Paura nella città dei morti viventi, The Gates of Hell), The Beyond (1981) and The House by the Cemetery (1981), which form Fulci’s Gates of Hell trilogy; and then Zombie (1979) and Demonia (1990). For more movies of The Black Cat, go for The Black Cat (1989; Il gatto nero), Two Evil Eyes (1990) and Tales from the Darkside: The Movie (1990).
We open with an introduction to a cat, a lot of cat POV shots, and a curious car accident death scene. But this Italian classic reaches far beyond mere superstition. This cat very quickly feels a lot like Michael Myers stalking twentysomethings and interrupting their sex scene by cutting the electricity.
A creepy professor (Patrick Magee; Tales from the Crypt, Asylum) skulks about the cemetery and speaks to the dead, summarily creeping out the locals. The professor and his murderous black cat have a dark dependency on one another—and a psychic connection. He claims the cat will one day kill him, and he seems strangely at peace with this notion.
The over-the-top Italian-ness is prevalent. People foam at the mouth for no other reason than to inform us they’re dying, a man sprints from his food truck around a lake to murder a total stranger (no clue why!!!), and bodies are discovered bloated and half-eaten by rats. When the town drunk turns up dead in a freak accident, the remaining cat claw marks on his hand identify the true cause of his death.
The strange deaths continue and the professor knows… it was the cat! And soon a local photographer (Mimsy Farmer; Autopsy, Body Count) becomes a firm believer in the evil of the cat. But no one wants to entertain theories about murders committed by cats.
There is a satisfying twist to the story, but the finale’s surrounding execution just wasn’t there. Teleporting cats and needlessly long attacks by bats-on-strings just don’t cut it for me anymore. But despite the “meh” ending, this was alright; certainly entertaining even if not something I’d recommend. Two Evil Eyes (1990) did a more satisfying job of it, whereas Tales from the Darkside: The Movie’s (1990) take on Edgar Allan Poe’s The Black Cat is untouchable in its greatness. So Fulci doesn’t even earn a spot in my “Top 2” Black Cat movie adaptations.
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John’s Horror Corner: The Beach House (2019), a taste of cosmic horror and oceanside wildlife.
MY CALL: Among cosmic horror films, this movie does a lot with a little. The budget cannot carry the effects we’d “like” to see, but I enjoyed what I watched anyway. MORE MOVIES LIKE The Beach House: Hard to say… I’m reminded of Growth (2010), Sea Fever (2019), The Color Out of Space (2019), Annihilation (2018), The Mist (2007) and even Honeymoon (2014), all for very different reasons. But none of these movies are actually “similar” to The Beach House.
This was low in my queue until I listened to the largely spoiler-free pulp review in Beyond the Void Podcast’s episode 215: Top 30 Horror Movies of 2020.
This is the story of a couple, a vacation, and a sort of journey. Emily (Liana Liberato; Haunt) is brought to Randall’s (Noah Le Gros; Depraved) family beach house for what seems to be an attempt to privately mend and salvage their relationship. As we come to understand their common dynamic, their rather normal issues of misunderstanding and their imbalances, an atmosphere of calm apprehension is cast.
Much to their surprise, another very hospitable couple happen to already be staying in the house. Old friends of Randall’s father, Mitch (Jake Weber; Dawn of the Dead, The Haunting of Molly Hartley, The Cell) and Jane (Maryann Nagel) couldn’t be nicer company. That is, until an evening of friendly indulgence leads them to something otherworldly.
Things get weird. Events with jellyfish, slimy goo and subdermal worm infections transpire. The worm infection is gross, invasive and uncomfortable. And the oddities spiral deeper.
I feel like a lot was done with a limited budget—a lot. It’s like Brian Yuzna (Society, Bride of Re-Animator, Beyond Re-Animator, Necronomicon: Book of the Dead) was forced to make a Lovecraftian movie using no more money for special effects than the change under his couch cushions. Thankfully the characters and writing were so good, I hardly noticed the few special effects. Tactfully and purposefully, the weird unnerving tension serves viewers well. Some other gross effects ensue, but again, it’s not an effects-driven film.
I finished glad that I watched it. But I wouldn’t recommend it for reasons of scariness or gore or effects, or even the story. This gets recommended because the characters were good and the tension was enough that I didn’t notice the low number of effects. The ending is neither awesome nor bad, but the ending isn’t really an ending to what’s going on. It’s just the ending to these couples’ weekend. Writer and director Jeffrey A. Brown ushers in his first feature film and does a fine job. I’d be very excited to see his next foray into horror or science fiction.
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The Movies, Films and Flix Podcast – Episode 340: Con Air, Bunnies and Seating Charts
You can download or stream the pod on Apple Podcasts, Tune In, Podbean, or Spreaker (or wherever you listen to podcasts…..we’re almost everywhere).
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Mark and Adam discuss the 1997 action classic Con Air. Directed by Simon West, and starring Nicolas Cage, John Malkovich, Ving Rhames, John Cusack and Dave Chapelle, this bonkers film focuses on what happens when a bunch of criminals have to fight a determined Nicolas Cage. In this episode, they talk about seating charts, rocks, and the excellence of Nicolas Cage. Enjoy!
Make sure to check out the Con Air seating chart that I created in anticipation for this episode!
If you are a fan of the podcast, make sure to send in some random listener questions so we can do our best to not answer them correctly. We thank you for listening, and hope you enjoy the episode!
You can download the pod on Apple Podcasts, Tune In, Podbean, or Spreaker.
Movies, Films & Flix 