Psychological Thriller – Zachary Mule

THE DAMNED

(VERTICAL ENTERTAINMENT/LEY LINE ENTERTAINMENT/FIS EIREANN/SCREEN IRELAND/PROTAGONIST PICTURES (89 minutes; Rated R);2024)

“We should not be here,” says Miss Eva (Odessa Young) as the men respectfully call her, in a brief voice-over to start this very grim, unsettling tale of members of a remote Icelandic fishing village struggling with the elements in a hellish late 19th-century seascape. She ain’t a-kidding; only a group of hardy, tougher-than-nails Nordic types could endure the relentless cold and darkness, the isolation and the variable fishing results of being here in this environment. “It was a place of opportunity if you could enjoy the cold,” we’re calmly told, but skepticism would be the healthy response to that upon seeing the dark gloomy skies, the bundled-up participants and the need to drink heavily and crack manly jokes that the bearded dudes here routinely engage in. As eerily beautiful as the cinematography (by Eli Arenoson) is, there’s an atmosphere of doom and ill portent soon after you are immersed in this striking North Sea setting, which the dramatically somber music (wonderfully scored by Stephen McKeon, who serves this tale remarkably well with his sonic choices) enhances at every turn. The only other female member of this crew, Helga (Siobhan Finneran), tells a spooky story by firelight early on, broken up by laughter at the end… but the camera lingers on Eva’s face effectively as she listens to the dark atmospheric tale. You get the sense that things could go on in this manner on almost a daily basis, with an obvious intimacy and mutual dependency anchoring the lives of these villagers.

But things are about to get MUCH worse. In the distance, we see another group of fisherfolks struggling mightily with their own craft, obviously in distress. The humane thing to do would be to go help them, right? But the serious danger in this situation puts Eva and company in agreement that “helping those men would put YOUR lives at risk.” When they think things have calmed a bit, they all row out in their barely suitable rowboat to see if they can salvage some supplies. It’s an absolutely striking scene, reminiscent of scenes from Robert Eggers’ THE NORTHMAN, and as visually and emotionally dark a scene as you could imagine, creepy as hell. Speaking of which, all actual hell breaks loose when some of those desperate villagers, clinging to some large rocks, start trying to reach Eva’s crew and fight for a spot on their still-functioning boat. It’s a chaotic, terrifying and surprising violent scene that will have you questioning the complex morality of the situation and how YOU might behave in this scenario. It’s simply a no-win situation, and the filming by director Thordur Palsson is stunning here – unforgettable, in fact. Again, the many closeups of Odessa Young’s traumatized expressions and barely controlled fear, are memorable. But Helga and company think an evil force of some kind has been unleashed, and who could disagree? Especially after the body count mounts, and a disgusting scene sort of reminiscent of an iconic scene in ALIEN, is the last straw for some of our “heroes.” “The long winters here play tricks on your mind,” a worried Daniel (Joe Cole) says to Eva as he teaches her how to hold and shoot a rifle, in a scene that hints of a possible romantic vibe. That’s followed by a highly energetic scene, very cinematic and reminiscent of the drunken dancing and singing by Merry and Pippin in a memorable LORD OF THE RINGS sequence, when our villagers are in the mood to celebrate a particularly good catch. But that’s the last such moment of positivity anyone will enjoy. Shadowy entities, hallucinations, a shocking suicide and Eva’s understandable declaration that “we have to get RID of this thing,” dominate the film’s final third. If you like seeing characters trying to find HOPE in a reality of hopelessness, this tale should keep you mostly riveted.

THE DAMNED is a lean 90 minutes or so long, and all the characters are absolutely believable, looking and sounding like tormented Icelanders although some dialogue is a bit hard to follow. The setting pulls you right in, and while there are a few horrifying moments, it’s not in any way an “over-the-top” horror movie. It’s more an atmospheric character study of tormented people stuck in a desperate situation, with Odessa Young anchoring the tale in a genuinely credible performance. The ending is not gonna be to everyone’s taste, and clearly was NOT if you go by the “user reviews” on the IMDB page. And this kind of “slow burn” piece of cinema will be too dark or even boring for some. But I found THE DAMNED to be rather hypnotic, immersive, darkly beautiful and rather original in its overall script, direction and focus on exactly where it was going. Admittedly, I tend to be a fan of “grim wary tales,” as you might call this, and I watched it with full attention throughout, struck by how well all the haunting components worked together to keep you hooked like the doomed fish our villagers devote their livelihoods to catching.

CHILDREN OF THE PINES

(TOPBOX PRODUCTIONS/DAME MEDIA/MIDNIGHT JUSTICE FILMS/FREESTYLE DIGITAL MEDIA (92 minutes; Unrated); 2024)

If a title like CHILDREN OF THE PINES makes you anticipate a horror film about cherubic baddies along the lines of CHILDREN OF THE CORN or CHILDREN OF THE DAMNED, well, that’s understandable. Any cinematic outing that focuses on “Children of, well anywhere or ANYTHING,” is bound to be a less than wholesome look at youngsters that are probably up to no good. But writer/director Joshua Morgan’s nifty little thriller has far more substance than your average horror film, and while it DOES have some horror in it for sure, it’s more properly termed a “dark melodrama” than a straight horror film. And in both its pacing and the deliberate way its script unfolds, this is one cleverly made and genuinely unsettling little film. It kept me very interested, despite my initial low expectations, and that’s saying something.

CHILDREN OF THE PINES (DAVID RAIZOR, DONNA RAE ALLEN) (screenshot)

College girl Riley (Kelly Tappan) has been through some troubling issues with her parents Kathy (Danielle J. Bowman) and John (Richard Cohn-Lee), and is less than enthusiastic about visiting them on a winter break at their home in an unnamed mountain town. In a curious bit of voiceover narration, she tells us “Sadness will only ground you, in ways that happiness can only dream of doing.” Nicely open-ended, that. We quickly learn that the parents have a few secrets, one of which is that they’ve provided employment for Riley’s ex, Gordon (Vas Provatakis). That’s annoying enough for our heroine, who is trying to maintain cordial relations with her former beau. But when it becomes clear that the folks have called upon the services of a cult-like organization that uses, shall we say, “unconventional methods” to facilitate healing for this troubled family, things start to get weird. Especially when some creepy young children are suddenly in the mix, and Riley is supposed to welcome them with “mothering” arms. Where did they come from? And what in the world makes Kathy and John think Riley is gonna be okay with these odd young’uns, one of whom is clearly not quite right in the head? The film’s primary tension comes from how Riley tries to manage each new bit of information thrown at her, and figure out what in hell her parents are up to. And possibly the old beau as well. The film impressively takes its time setting the tableau for this series of events, and while most of us have seen enough disturbing horror films to expect certain lousy things to happen in a story such as this, Joshua Morgan reveals himself to be a thoughtful, psychologically tuned-in kinda filmmaker. Issues of alcoholism, domestic abuse and estrangement are brought up, but nothing is driven to extremes the way you might expect. This is a character drama, one in which you get to observe these folks’ behavior yourself, and try to figure shit out right along with Riley.

CHILDREN OF THE PINES (KELLY TAPPAN) (screenshot)

And let’s talk now about Kelly Tappan’s performance here. Some of the first notes I wrote down while watching this were “terrific acting” and “totally naturalistic scene in the diner,” that being a conversation between Riley and Gordon as they get reacquainted before some of the more disturbing stuff happens. Tappan manages to do something all too rare in movies these days: Convince you that this girl exists and is genuinely like people you might know in her reactions and comments. Without being shrill or over the top, she lets you know she is truly concerned about her family and is trying to figure out what to do. When the moment comes where she has “had enough,” you’re totally with her all the way. It’s a marvelous, nuanced performance by this young actress. Her mom, Bowman’s role, is also impressive although I often wonder WHY a seemingly intelligent, thoughtful woman like this would go along with some clearly deranged behavior from her hubby. But then we KNOW this kinda shit happens today, don’t we?

The behavior of the cult that Riley’s parents are being guided by has some serious resonance with stuff we know is going on today, and one of the cult’s reps, the energetically cracked Lorelei (Donna Rae Allen) is believable in a downright icky way. I consider it a small miracle that director Morgan shows so much restraint in this production when he could have cheerfully gone much more over the top. And let it be said that while there IS some shocking violence in the film’s final third, it does NOT go over the top or push the limits. Events stay just on the right side of plausibility, which is disturbing unto itself. And the acting is naturalistic to a fault. The whole cast here impressed me, honestly. And the mountain setting is memorable as well… the film is visually striking, and you absolutely can imagine that all these events are actually happening in this little town. When Riley is walking through a snow-covered pathway, trying not to slip in her little boots, you feel every second of her effort. And you ROOT for her with every step, no doubt about it. That’s testament to Tappan’s anchoring performance, which I won’t soon forget.

I could quibble about the ending, which I wasn’t that wild about, and I sometimes get personally worked up about dysfunctional family dramas, especially when the solutions bad parents seek are clearly bonkers. But there is something genuinely compelling about what writer/director Joshua Morgan has given us here. The degree of realism, the fine acting, and the disciplined script all indicate a filmmaker with loads of promise and the thoughtful nature to look at complex human dilemmas with plenty of empathy and curiosity. CHILDREN OF THE PINES ends up being clearly on the INTELLIGENT side of the horror genre, with a determination to avoid cliches and overused tropes as much as possible. I applaud it for that, and will be interested in whatever Mister Morgan does in the future. Not to mention the charming Ms Tappan.

HEY, MA! WATCH THIS Movies Streaming Video | Kevin Renick | October 10, 2024 | CHILDREN OF THE PINES Cults Danielle J Bowman Digital Release Donna Rae Allen Dysfunctional Family Horror Movies Joshua Morgan Kelly Tappan Movies Psychological Thriller Richard Cohn-Lee Streaming Video Trailer Unrated Vas Provatakis

BODY PARTS

(SCREAMBOX EXCLUSIVE/SIDUS FILM PRODUCTIONS/DHL STUDIO/BLOODY DISGUSTING/CINEVERSE (104 minutes; Rated R); 2023)

The Korean (Heads up: There is reading involved!) horror anthology BODY PARTS (directed by Won-kyung Choi, Byeong-deock Jeon, Jisam, Jang-mi Kim, Gwang-Jin Lee and Wally Seo, but no information is given as to who directed which segment) offers a chilling exploration into the dark depths of cult-like fanaticism and personal vendettas. The film’s connecting thread follows a young reporter named Si-kyung (played by Kim Chae-Eun), who is hired by a detective known only as Mister Hwayoung to infiltrate a sinister cult-like ceremony by a group that worships a figure known as “the Father.” Each of the interconnecting stories focuses on a single cult member who must offer a gift in exchange for their release from their dread existence: The collection of a different body part by the five “participants.” Over the course of five different vignettes, the movie delves into the disturbing backstories of how each came to possess these individual body parts.

The film skillfully builds tension as it reveals the twisted actions that took place for these individuals to attain these specific body parts, starting with a story called “The Reek,” which leads to the attainment of a nose. Following is “Water Ghost Boy,” moving into the eyes. “exorcism.net” shows how Seon-min was able to acquire a tongue. Then we delve into “A Former Resident,” where Gyu-Hyeong was able to attain a torso. The story of what is unfolding with these gifts starts to become more and more in focus with the real motive of why the offerings are being delivered to the Father. When the young reporter is caught, she pleads to Mister Hwayoung for help, but he leaves her alone to face her fate. The betrayal leads to the detective’s own grim demise.

The narrative is haunting, with each character’s story adding layers to the cult’s ritual and its eerie allure. The climax, where the Father grants each member a wish to kill someone they hate, is both shocking and thought-provoking, leaving viewers questioning the price of revenge and blind devotion. The performances are gripping, with the cast (unfortunately, as with the directors, aside from the one exception above, there is almost no information about who played which part) delivering intense and believable portrayals of their tormented characters. The film’s atmosphere is suitably dark and foreboding, enhancing the sense of dread that permeates the story. Overall, the movie is a compelling psychological horror that examines the extremes of human desperation and the terrifying consequences of unchecked fanaticism. It’s a must-watch for fans of the horror genre who appreciate a well-crafted, unsettling narrative with an extra dose of gore, blood and splatter. BODY PARTS premieres on the Screambox streaming platform on July 30

HEY, MA! WATCH THIS Movies | Kasey Lehmkuhl | July 27, 2024 | Anthology BODY PARTS Byeong-deock Jeon Gwang-Jin Lee Han Sang-hyuk Horror Jang-mi Kim Jisam Jo Woo-ri Kim Ahyeon Kim Chae-Eun Kim Min-Seok Korean Kwon Ah-Reum Movies Psychological Thriller Rated R Screambox Wally Seo Won-kyung Choi

THE MOOR

(NUCLEAR TANGERINE/BULLDOG FILM DISTRIBUTION (120 minutes; Rated R); 2024)

I’ll say this for the producers of THE MOOR, a spooky child abduction mystery story set among the bleak, forbidding landscape of the Yorkshire moors: They’re a patient lot. Where most films about hauntings or horrifying events usually do their dastardly “darkness of human nature” deeds in 90 minutes or so, THE MOOR takes its sweet time and puts you through two hours of gothic atmosphere and slow-burn buildup to keep you engrossed. This proves to be a mixed blessing, but you gotta admire first-time director Chris Cronin’s level of confidence and focus in sticking to a particular aesthetic to tell his tale of grim kidnappings in not-so-jolly old England. And while his film won’t command the attention of EVERY viewer, those that can appreciate a mystery story that unfolds more like a literary classic than a conventional scary movie with “jump scares” and shit, will find lots to get lost in here. And without any question at all, child kidnappings is about as terrifying as anything in real life gets… they HAPPEN, and often when they end in murder, which is the case here, the killers are not always found.

THE MOOR (SOPHIA LA PORTA) (Screen Shot)

This particular story begins when two childhood friends go to a candy store to pocket some goodies, with young Claire detailing to her pal Danny how her not-at-all smart plan will take place. When things seem to be taking too long, Claire goes into the store to check things out, despite the fact that the owner does not care for her at all, a fact she makes clear. Danny is nowhere around, and Claire is told that the little boy’s father came and picked him up, a blatant lie. The film then jumps to many years later, when the adult Claire (Sophia La Porta), still traumatized by never knowing what happened to Danny, is in conversation with Danny’s father, Bill (a haunted and credible David Edward-Robertson), who posits that the nearby moors may hold some of the answers they are seeking. Not sure at ALL why he decides this; would a vast unforgiving wilderness be where your average psycho kiddie snatcher would take his pint-sized victims to dispose of? Maybe; I know nothing of such matters. Anyway, Bill wants to investigate the dark and foggy terrain of the moors (a striking landscape that has graced quite a few mystery films through the years) with the help of a psychic (Elizabeth Dormer-Phillips) and an experienced local, Thornley (the great Bernard Hill, who played King Theoden in the LOTR franchise, in one of his last performances), who has maps of the terrain they are seeking to explore and familiarity with the entire nightmarish saga. Of the series of kidnappings that have terrorized the area, Thornley says “Normally it’s around about 10% of young people who leave the area they were brought up in. But since that summer, it’s been about 50%. Personally I think they just didn’t want to see that place out their window anymore.”

THE MOOR (ELIZABETH DORMER-PHILLIPS) (Screen Shot)

He has a point… once the film takes us out onto the actual moors, it’s about as unfriendly and brooding a landscape as you could ever hope to see. Miles and miles of marshy NOTHINGNESS, perpetually in fog or shadow, where you could take a terrible fall, get hopelessly lost, or encounter something you would NEVER want to see in your worst nightmare. The film counts on us being deeply unsettled by this unfriendly expanse, and primed for ANY freaky event or discovery that might take place.

Except… there aren’t that many of them. Suspense builds rather slowly, and there are lots of scenes of our intrepid investigators wandering around in the grim nothingness clearly out of their element, and having a few combative conversations about what is really going on. As a viewer, you may find yourself ASKING what is “really going on,” and longing for a clear denouement. Some documentary style interview segments, a la the BLAIR WITCH PROJECT, try to fill in a few blanks for us, and clearly the film wants us to be open to the supernatural elements presented here, even though we already know a man has been arrested for the child killings and may possibly be released soon. We WANT Bill to learn the fate of his child, and for Claire to start having peaceful nights again once she learns the fate of her childhood friend. And let it be said that the ACTING is uniformly excellent in this film; those Brits do this stuff with class and absolute discipline; you will definitely BELIEVE there is a mystery to be solved here. La Porta and Edward-Robertson are both totally credible.

THE MOOR (SOPHIA LA PORTA, DAVID EDWARD-ROBERTSON, VICKI HACKETT, ELIZABETH DORMER-PHILLIPS, MARK PEACHEY) (Screen Shot)

But how much of this will be “riveting cinema” to you, ultimately? That is a highly individual thing. I really was compelled by the setting of this film, the chance to see the actual MOORS for the forbidding landscape they are, NOT a manufactured landscape. And I also felt I was in the presence of compelling, worthy filmmakers throughout. But was I scared? Was I really keen on the ultimate conclusion to this strange saga? Not so much, frankly. I tend to like my “evil” made straightforward and abundantly clear. So I don’t think most of you will get that from THE MOOR. But as a quietly gripping look at a truly ongoing nightmare, with an imposing natural landscape as one of the clear “villains,” this film is quite powerful in its own way. The “moor,” the scarier. Or something like that.

HEY, MA! WATCH THIS Movies | Kevin Renick | July 21, 2024 | Bernard Hill Child Abduction Chris Cronin David Edward-Robertson Elizabeth Dormer-Phillips England Horror Mark Peachey Movies Psychological Thriller Rated R Sophia La Porta THE MOOR Vicki Hackett

THE GIRL IN THE TRUNK

(SUNRISE FILMS/VERTIGO RELEASING/LONE TOWER VISIONS/A BIGGER BOAT/ROUNOW PRODUCTIONS (90 minutes; Unrated); 2024)

One of the things I love about movies is the chance to experience something from a unique point of view, to live vicariously through a character’s actions, and maybe wonder if you’d behave in a similar manner or completely differently given their challenges in the story. There are so MANY movies out there, of course, that they tend to fall to well-worn tropes of plot development to hold your interest, and that can be tedious. I tend to really like films that show you characters in trapped situations, and to hold your interest by how they build the drama and suspense. A film I reviewed for ZM a couple of years ago was focused entirely on a young pregnant woman trapped in her car on a mountainside in a serious car accident. It was incredibly suspenseful, and when it turned into a horror film in the last half hour, the shocks were well earned. But I’m here right now to talk about THE GIRL IN THE TRUNK, a fairly ingenious little thriller that makes the most of its singular premise. Almost the entire movie consists of the plight and actions of a woman named Amanda Jennings (Katharina Sporrer) who has been kidnapped by an unknown baddie and tossed into the trunk of her rental car. We see a simple shot of her high heel shoes as she unsuccessfully tries to return the car at the film’s beginning, then the furtive actions of a stranger as he quietly gets in that same car without her seeing him. And next we are right in the trunk with her, her hands and mouth taped, trying to figure out what the fuck happened. Amanda has her cell phone, and that becomes absolutely central to the unfolding events. She is wearing a long white wedding dress, and she is a feisty, determined gal who manages to get the tape off her mouth and to call 911 on her phone. The detached sounding male operator asks her a series of increasingly annoying questions, including her location, to which she can only answer “somewhere north of Houston.” When she complains about his questions – after all she can’t give much info being trapped in the trunk of a car – he says “You’re under a lot of stress. but we’re doing all we can.” In the first of many small twists, it turns out the operator is, in fact, her kidnapper, She’s in the trunk and he’s the driver, and their “relationship” is going to evolve through a subsequent series of phone chats.

THE GIRL IN THE TRUNK (KATHARINA SPORRER) (Screen Shot)

So that’s the basic premise, and I gotta say, writer/director Jonas Kvist Jensen does an impressive job of giving us the claustrophobic feeling of being stuck in the trunk of a car, trying to figure out what to do. There isn’t much light, true, but Amanda finds a tool in the trunk that she uses first to poke a hole big enough to see out the back (ingeniously, this allows us to see what happens a few times when the kidnapper stops the car), and later to create an opening through which she can see the driver. In a good example of how cell phones can be used to help move a modern story along, Amanda even manages to snap a photo of her captor, who we’ll soon learn is an ordinary looking, middle-aged white guy named Michael Bellrose (Caspar Phillipson). I don’t think it’s necessary to spill every plot element here, as I think you SHOULD see this movie. But through a series of “games” and tense phone exchanges, we learn that Amanda is a runaway bride, that she and Bellrose have a connection to the same bank, and that getting ahold of her father on the phone turns out to be a key development. Bellrose’s intentions towards Amanda are a bit hazy, but he’s a seriously malevolent dude. When a good samaritan approaches the car offering to help Bellerose with something, the situation goes south in a hurry. And to my knowledge, this is the first cinematic example of a murder being shown to us via a hole in the trunk of a car. Generating even MORE suspense is when our psycho kidnapper tells Amanda she’s going to have company soon, and he slips a scorpion into the trunk through the main opening. This is filmed extremely well, with the critter crawling all over her and her having to maintain the kind of absolute cool that you or I likely would NOT possess. Scenes of this nature in so MANY films can be tiring and insulting to one’s intelligence. Here, it is a marvel of suspenseful pacing, and I wanted to cheer over Amanda’s believable actions. I also loved what happens when a good-natured female police officer stops the car and has a normal-seeming chat with Bellrose. Amanda has to listen to the dialogue without yelling out and risking her life. You’ll THINK you know how this scene is going to turn out, but trust me, you’ll be surprised. Some real thought went into this script and the necessity of getting from “point A” to “point B.” And if you are tired of thrillers and horror films where women either act stupidly or simply act as helpless victims, you’ll enjoy the plucky, sarcastic manner of the heroine here, and how she does her best to one-up the kidnapper mostly through dialogue. At most turns, this film avoids the obvious, which greatly impressed me. And whereas in the typical horror film (and THE GIRL IN THE TRUNK is ostensibly in that category) you’ll have to endure either an unpleasant or simply unbelievable ending, this cool little movie has a solid conclusion, almost cheer-worthy in fact. I found myself amazed at the end, and that doesn’t happen very often.

THE GIRL IN THE TRUNK (CASPAR PHILLIPSON) (Screen Shot)

My only criticism, and it’s basically a small one, is that while Sporrer is clearly a talented actress, her character rarely shows the kind of fear and vulnerability that I would think most women would display in her circumstances. She’s in a clearly desperate situation, and may very well be facing the end of her life, yet she always acts with confidence and resolve. It’s refreshing in a way, but wouldn’t it be more authentic if she lost her cool a couple of times? The “game” that Bellerose keeps her locked into, unwillingly, reveals her to be a more than capable opponent. And Phillipson is definitely a credible baddie, a blandly ordinary creep who insists he is “not really a violent man.” There’s a discernible vulnerability to him that again is somewhat refreshing, and the ongoing dialogue between him and our heroine is fast moving and full of interesting quirks. But overall, this movie is Jensen’s show; he deserves the bulk of the credit for how well this movie works as the writer and director, and I can’t imagine that many other films will be made that so successfully utilize the cramped trunk of a car the way this one does. So thumbs up from me on this surprising little thriller. It’s not flashy, and it’s mostly free of jump scares and the typical bloody violence inherent in this genre. But THE GIRL IN THE TRUNK is a minor miracle, a film that takes one of the most terrifying scenarios any woman could imagine and turns it into something riveting and even thoughtful. This movie beats the odds consistently for films of this nature, and I can only be grateful as a viewer.

HEY, MA! WATCH THIS Movies | Kevin Renick | May 26, 2024 | Caspar Phillipson Horror Jonas Kvist Jensen Katharina Sporrer Kidnapping Movies Psychological Thriller THE GIRL IN THE TRUNK Unrated

THE ANDY BAKER TAPE

(TERROR FILMS/4:02 PRODUCTIONS (69 minutes; Unrated); 2021)

The “found footage” phenomenon in the cinematic universe turned out to be a clever new wrinkle, one that found more creative approaches than the average person might think. THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT turned out to be one of the most purely profitable films in history, having been made on a shoestring budget by Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sanchez, but then utilizing a compelling and unique promotional approach that drew audiences in droves. PARANORMAL ACTIVITY spawned a seemingly endless franchise, and there have been plenty of other movies that utilized the found footage thing successfully. Now we have THE ANDY BAKER TAPE, and while it hardly breaks new ground, it does show you can keep viewers interested in this kind of approach with a suspenseful setup and interesting actors. The film has both, with just two characters, Jeff Blake (Bret Lada, who also directs) and Andy Baker (Dustin Fontaine) holding your attention for a film that lasts little more than an hour. Blake is a culinary specialist hoping to finalize plans for his own show on the Food Network. He recruits his half brother, the titular Andy, to help him scout out some locations and hopefully interact with him in some scenes. This would seem to be a workable enough proposition, except that… Andy turns out to be kind of weird. He can’t seem to simply play to the camera for ordinary questions Jeff asks him, and he gets offended over nothing at all at times, keeping Jeff on edge. Lurking in the past for both men is the death of their father, whom Jeff says was killed in a horrible car accident. And both have the spectre of failure uppermost in their minds – Jeff because of the uncertainty of the offer for his own foodie show, and Andy because of a “deal” he was counting on that… falls through. Which has happened to him before.

THE ANDY BAKER TAPE (BRET LADA, DUSTIN FONTAINE) (publicity still)

We see these two guys checking out eateries in rural America, getting more and more impatient with each other (impatience is a wicked sort of behavioral thing in this movie), and battling at times for control of the big, mostly unseen camera. We’re told right at the beginning, just as with other movies in this genre, that their “footage” was put together from many hours that were “discovered” after the two disappeared. Eventually there are a few bad things that happen, mostly pointing at Andy as being… a bad and disturbed dude. I do count myself as a fan of unhinged behavior, and I don’t need every single thing explained to me. I DO hope for good, believable performances, and thankfully these two actors are quite convincing overall. Lada is a charismatic, dark-haired chap that is convincingly distraught when he discovers that his half-brother is not a trustworthy character. Fontaine is scruffier and harder to pin down in his behavior and motivations, but that’s the point. What do you do when you’re trying to achieve a career breakthrough and a relative seems like he could help at first, but then ends up threatening every single thing? “You can’t pick your family” is the tag line here, and boy is Jeff Blake sorry for THAT!

THE ANDY BAKER TAPE (DUSTIN FONTAINE, BRET LADA) (publicity still)

The quick running time, evocative empty landscapes, and most of all, the conviction in the lead performances make THE ANDY BAKER TAPE a more than worthy view. There really aren’t that many films out there that I’m aware of, that only focus on TWO guys interacting. Seeing ordinary behavior turn into something unsettling and then horrifying, is a more than relevant theme in these crazy times. So yeah, I appreciated this film quite a bit when I watched it in the middle of the night. And it’s without a doubt a worthy addition to the “found footage canon.”

HEY, MA! WATCH THIS Movies | Kevin Renick | August 23, 2022 | Bret Lada Digital Dustin Fontaine Horror Movies Psychological Thriller Terror Films THE ANDY BAKER TAPE

PARADISE COVE

(QUIVER DISTRIBUTION/VOLTAGE PICTURES/CRASHING WAVE PRODUCTIONS/SUNSET PICTURES/THUNDER STUDIOS (144 minutes; Unrated); 2021)

I don’t know, sometimes it’s not that complicated. Despite the fact I’ve been watching more movies than usual in the pandemic era and have in general been predisposed to like most of them, I still require an engaging plot and some kind of cinematic ZIP to push my thumb to the UP position. And the little sucker is resisting efforts to do so when it comes to PARADISE COVE, a new Malibu-set thriller directed by Martin Guigui. The only known star in this thing is Mena Suvari, whom I haven’t seen on screen for a long while. It was good to have a new appearance by her as kind of a guide, and she’s decent here as the restless, aching-to-get-pregnant wife of a guy who just took possession of the shell of his late mother’s beach house in Malibu, which needs – let’s just say – a ton of work. The setting is lovely enough, and our young couple, Knox Bannett (Todd Grinnell) and Tracey (Suvari) are shown admiring the view, playing with their tiny dog, and clinking wine glasses together as they discuss how much they want to have a child and Tracey’s apparent difficulty getting pregnant. Knox doesn’t seem too bothered by anything, and assures his wife that everything’s going to work out fine.

PARADISE COVE (TODD GRINNELL) (publicity still)

It’s a jolt, then, to discover that they have a mysterious squatter living below their abode-in-progress. That would be Bree (Kristen Bauer van Straten), a shifty, wild-eyed woman who looks older than her twenty-something age and is more than well-known to the locals, including a bar maid who telegraphs that something may be amiss with this gal, and to Sheriff Garcia (Ruben Garfias), who sees her mostly as a harmless nuisance. Ah, but Bree is more than just a danger in paradise. She is clearly unhinged, manipulative and not receptive in the least to Knox’s efforts to get her to relocate. A bit of background is provided about a tragedy she endured with a young son, and Knox tries to be sympathetic to her. But she’s not the sort to “work out a deal” with him or anything. And she quickly gets on the bad side of Tracey, too, who hardly wants to set aside her preoccupations with pregnancy and finances to deal with this crazy lady. Sparks are gonna fly, you might say. And sharp knives, hammers and coldly barbed insults are also gonna be utilized. That kinda stuff can definitely impinge on the aesthetic beauty of crashing waves and crying seagulls outside the window. A scene of Bree sneaking into the shower with Knox is downright ludicrous, and it’s sort of where I began losing patience with this film. Although Bree is reasonably attractive, I simply did NOT believe Knox would react as he did in this scene, not after what had already happened. In fact, Knox’s less-than-smart decisions throughout the movie detract from the sympathy he might have earned as the central character. He’s not all that bright, slow at putting the big picture together, and less than a truly reassuring husband for poor Tracey. As an actor, Grinnell LOOKS the part of an in-over-his-head husband, and he fits nicely with Suvari’s mostly plaintive, concerned wife. But he’s missing something in the charisma department, and his performance is simply too low-key in these proceedings. By the time a big confrontation occurs, there has not been enough energy built up to give this “thriller” an actual thrill. You just sort of want to get it over with.

PARADISE COVE (MENA SUVARI, TODD GRINNELL) (publicity still)

I will say that the premise is a reasonably interesting one – the list of movies about deranged homeless females in Malibu is a short one, as far as I know. And Bauer van Straten’s is the notable performance here. She’s a character who is not overtly psychopathic… more someone who gets under your skin by being rude and insensitive, and then starts doing increasingly nasty things without warning until you and your new place are in BIG trouble. The character has some compelling moments, and yeah, she’ll likely creep you out plenty. There’s a bit of “Fatal Attraction-lite” about Bree and her doings here.

PARADISE COVE (KRISTIN BAUER VAN STRATEN, TODD GRINNELL) (publicity still)

But ultimately this movie is somewhat of a tiresome watch, despite the scenic setting. Nobody is genuinely likable, the plot pushes at the limits of credibility a bit too often, and Knox and Tracey, while you basically ROOT for them, are kind of a bland, unromantic couple. The film lacks any big or genuinely impactful scenes that would make you invest more deeply in these characters. And as a so-called “thriller,” there’s a paucity in that regard, also, except for one or two sudden moments. Mena Suvari fans might enjoy seeing her in a sizable role like this, and some may find the film an okay diversion. But my stomach felt empty at the end of the movie and so did my brain. Not exactly “Paradise,” in other words, for my cinema-loving self.

PARADISE COVE is available now On Demand.

HEY, MA! WATCH THIS Movies Streaming Video | Kevin Renick | February 10, 2021 | Digital On Demand Kristen Bauer van Straten Martin Guigui Mena Suvari Movie Trailer Movies PARADISE COVE Psychological Thriller Ruben Garfias Streaming Video Thriller Todd Grinnell Unrated

WAITING FOR YOUR CALL: THE TIMOTHY WOODARD, JUNIOR INTERVIEW

TIMOTHY WOODWARD, JUNIOR (photo credit: EVAN DE NORMANDIE)

Timothy Woodward, Junior is an actor, a writer, a producer and a director. He has done at least one of those jobs, and in some cases, most of those jobs on a variety of TV shows and film projects, including STUDIO CITY, HICKOK, BEYOND THE LAW, AMERICAN VIOLENCE and THE FINAL WISH.

Woodward’s current project is THE CALL, a psychological horror movie set in 1987 and starring the wonderful duo of Lin Shaye (THE FINAL WISH and the INSIDIOUS franchise) and Tobin Bell (the SAW franchise) as a seclusive couple who, after being tormented by four teenage pranksters (played by Chester Rushing, Erin Sanders, Mike Manning and Sloane Morgan Siegel), suffer a horrible tragedy. Edward Cranston calls the four to tell them that his wife, Edith, has died and has named each of them in her will. There’s a catch, however. For them to collect the money, each of them must go to a room in the Cranston home and make a phone call… to Edith, who had a telephone buried with her. If the youths can stay on the line for one minute, they will get their inheritance. Along the way, each must face their biggest fears and regrets. The film is a dark and brooding character study that occasionally brings to mind the lurid Slasher flicks of the 1980s in vivid splashes of red.

After a brief run at drive-in theaters in October, THE CALL will be available on DVD and Blu-Ray on December 15 at the usual outlets. This brief phone interview with Timothy was conducted on October 2, the day of the film’s theatrical release.

THE MULE: So, we got ten minutes. Let’s jump right into it. Watched the movie last night. I liked it… a lot. I’ve gotta say, a lot of stuff made sense to me that didn’t make sense in the trailer. Primarily, the press release said that it was set in 1987 and I couldn’t, for the life of me, figure out why such a bizarre… I mean, why pick 1987? And then… I mean, this is an homage to those classic Horror/Slasher movies from that time period.

TIMOTHY WOODWARD, JUNIOR: Yeah. For sure. And, you know, I turned four years old in 1987. That was the first year I watched my first ever Horror movie. So, that’s also why I picked that year. Could be the setting, ‘cause it was originally kind of generic ‘80s, so I picked ‘87. I just thought there was a lot of Horror that was coming out around that time. I kinda started setting out the sort of ‘80s Horror vibe.

THE MULE: Yeah, it worked really well, too.

TWJ: Thank you. I think we’re gonna release another trailer that’s gonna have more of an ‘80s vibe. We had two and we were going back and forth on which one we were gonna use. We didn’t want people, when they saw the trailer, to think that we were using the ‘80s almost as a crutch. So, we wanted to kinda catch people with the hook and then potentially release another one where we kinda focus on, you know, the more… as we get closer to the movie, the uniqueness instead of violence in the trailer.

THE CALL (Lin Shaye) (photo courtesy: CINEDIGM)

THE MULE: Sure, sure. The one thing I gotta ask you, man: Working with Lin and Tobin had to be just absolutely incredible. How did you snag them for this work? I know that Lin had… she’s got a production credit in there but, other than that, how did you end up choosing them for these roles and how was it to work with them?

TWJ: So, I got the script, actually, from Lin’s manager through Lin. They were already producers on it and they gave it to me to direct. I worked with Lin on THE FINAL WISH. Jeffrey Reddick (producer on both films) and I had a really good rapport and working relationship on that movie and they liked what I did. They came to me and said, “Hey, look, we’ve got this script and we’d like you to direct it, maybe come on board as producer. What do you think?” And I wanted to work with Miss Lin again… in a heartbeat so, I read it, liked the concept and we started punching up the characters and, I think a couple months later we were in production, ready to go.

THE CALL (Tobin Bell) (photo courtesy: CINEDIGM)

And, you know, the idea of Edward Cranston… we were trying to figure out… there’s this couple, revenge that has to happen, there’s… if you’ve seen the film, there’>s probably things that aren’t in the trailer, it’s not just a straight they break windows and a revenge thing by any means. So, you wanted someone who would feel suspect a little bit, did he have anything to with this. Someone, you know, who just fit and Tobin had come across in conversations between me, Gina (Rugolo, another producer on the film) and Lin and he just felt like a perfect fit from the start. I’m just so glad we went that direction because I think he did such a great job and Lin and him had such good chemistry immediately. Which, you usually don’t see people just walk on set, you know, never really met in person or worked together before in person and they’re iconic like that, in a certain genre, and then they just click and they disappear into their characters like they are just who they are, you know. They look like they fit, they feel like they fit and those scenes were so easy because their chemistry was so good. It was just point the camera and shoot.

THE MULE: Yeah. That’s amazing that you got into production so quickly. That almost never happens.

TWJ: Yeah, we were lucky that we were able to do it, to pull it off.

THE MULE: The… uh… I’m gonna put “teenagers” in quotes here, but they all really pretty much hit the spot with their characters and the horror aspect, their horror at what was going on… from originally, >you know, the whole prank thing… there’s a backstory there that’s just amazing.

TWJ: Thank you, man. Yeah, that’s something that I carved out… even while we were filming, I was coming up with different situations and ideas for that because the backstory in the original script wasn’t fleshed out much for each character, it wasn’t much more of a blueprint. The two weren’t originally brothers and we said, “Hey, let’s make them brothers.” I worked with Jeffrey Reddick and Patrick – Patrcik Stibbs, who wrote it and Jeffrey Reddick, who was a producer – and, I was like, “Let’s make these guys brothers and, then, kinda create a situation for all of them where it’s just a little bit more personal.” You know, the idea is, hopefully you think one way about a person, then you feel another way in another moment. And it makes you feel for them or you don’t. It’s just to make them feel more three dimensional, so they didn’t just feel like complete cardboard characters until you feel like, “Hey, I understand why this person may be this way.” I can understand what this person’s going through.

THE CALL (Chester Rushing, Erin Sanders, Mike Manning, Sloane Morgan Siegel) (photo courtesy: CINEDIGM)

THE MULE: Right. I was actually going to say that, without giving anything away, all four of those characters come with baggage that kinda makes sense for… the way they turned out. Let’s put it that way.

TWJ: Yeah. Definitely. Yeah, for sure. And, their story for why they’re doing what they’re doing, you know… again, can’t give away too much… but, you feel one way, you think one way and then, it’s something else and the trailer tells you something completely different. That’s kind of the idea, we want you going in not really knowing exactly what it is you’re going to see and exactly who to pull for and in what way and be just… entertaining, you know. A psychological war. Psychological war is important to me because I think that’s… the idea of living in your mind and repeating your worst nightmares and your dreams… I mean, your fears on loop and repeat, that’s pretty terrible thing to be, you know.

THE MULE: And, it does work on that level, as well, as far as psychological horror, psychological thriller, whatever you want to call it. And, not only is it an homage back to those very bloody ‘80s kind of Horror things, but even back further than that when the horror wasn’t actually shown on screen, it was just intimated. I mean, it works really well because there’s stuff going on in that… in the final third of that movie that really… it sets the standard for stuff to come, I think.

THE CALL (Brooklyn Anne Miller) (photo courtesy: CINEDIGM)

TWJ: Yeah. That was the idea and it’s just a little bit… people are like, “Well, you got Tobin from SAW and SAW was gory… ” and people kinda automatically assume from the trailer that it’s gonna be really just this… gory film and I’m going, “You may be surprised. It’s not going to be just like you think.” It’s very different… on purpose. It was done that way because I think your mind can imagine way worse than what I can show you. If I can show you a piece of it, your mind can go other places, you know. So, that’s the thing about it. Whether it’s JAWS and the shark, you know… if you see it all the time it becomes this way… But, we wanted to pull out spots in a few areas to make your mind go, “Oh, shit!” and just let you wonder what they’re going through. Even at the end of it, ya know.

Actor/Creator Features/Interviews DVD/Blu-Ray HEY, MA! WATCH THIS Movies | Darren Tracy | December 12, 2020 | Chester Rushing Creator Interviews DVD/Blu-Ray Erin Sanders Gina Rugolo Horror Jeffrey Reddick Lin Shaye Mike Manning Movies Patrick Stibbs Psychological Thriller Slasher Movie Sloane Morgan Siegel THE CALL THE FINAL WISH Timothy Woodward Junior Tobin Bell

UP ON THE GLASS

(GRAVITAS VENTURES/SAVE THEM WILD DOGS (96 minutes; Unrated); 2020)

Wow. I remember a review of the Viggo Mortensen film A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE, in which the writer used the effective line “You won’t know what hit you” to summarize the dastardly plot. That’s how I felt at the conclusion of the genuinely compelling new film UP ON THE GLASS. I really don’t want to give away much here, because this film is worth experiencing on your own, without knowing key details beforehand. It manages to be suspenseful, visually appealing and non-formulaic throughout most of its 90-minute running time, and that is quite an achievement. So here’s what I can say. Jack DiMercurio (Chase Fein), the main star of this unique film, is a restless, introspective sort who is not given to explaining his emotions or thoughts very easily, and has an uncertain employment history. He’s agreed to spend some time at the lake house of his old friend Andy Shelton (Hunter Cross), who’s a bit too abrasive and honest, but is a successful businessman who seems to have good intentions. Andy’s wife Liz (Chelsea Kurtz) is only talked about for the first portion of the movie. We learn that Jack may have once been involved with her and gets moody when her name comes up. We also have to endure the obnoxiousness of a third friend, “Mose” (Steve Holm), who joins his old buddies for the weekend. At first you think this movie is going to be a character study of these three friends, starting to feel their ages, drinking too much, and questioning each other’s life choices. They’re in a beautiful setting along Lake Michigan, enjoying the shoreline and the imposing sand dunes Andy takes them to so they can lose themselves. “There’s space out there. Men need that,” Andy tells his pals. But though we’re shown some memorable scenery, and these guys overall seem to be basically likable, friction soon develops. Andy pushes Jack to share more than the latter is comfortable with. “I think you’re TOO smart,” he tells him matter of factly. “It trips you up. You overthink things.”

UP ON THE GLASS (Chase Fein, Hunter Cross, Steve Holm) (publicity still)

For this part of the film, I was admiring the believability and charisma of the characters, especially Jack, and the bright, striking cinematography by Mark Blaszak. I was intrigued. But then there is a sudden, rather implausible event that changes the entire nature of the film. Hopefully no one gives it away to you because, despite this didn’t-see-that-coming development, the film trades on a different kind of suspense and a couple of pretty rich themes from then on. Although we’ve been treated by this point to the appearance of a couple of lovely women from town, store employees Becca (Jessica Lynn Parsons) and Kate (Nikki Brown), their part in the story is mostly minimal. Not so when Liz shows up at last. Chelsea Kurtz does a fine job investing Liz with depth of character and conflicting emotions. She and Fein have clear chemistry and authentic-sounding conversations, and there is some seriously good acting going on here, as a sense of buried romantic potential must compete with a few other developing themes. You sort of WANT these two to get together. A dripping faucet in the kitchen, which Jack promises to fix at least twice, provides a metaphor for the passing of both time and opportunity, and these two terrific actors really do make you want to see what will happen in the next scene. The grim nature of reality, however, prepares you to expect bad stuff. Director and co-writer Kevin Del Principe shows plenty of command with his helming of this tale, and he has the patience to trust that most audiences will take the ride, slow though it may be at times. I think he has the makings of an exceptional filmmaker.

UP ON THE GLASS (Chelsea Kurtz) (publicity still)

I simply can’t say a word about the ending. I watched this film early in the morning, letting a couple of its big surprises wash through me, and I want to enjoy my feeling of sheer admiration, something I don’t feel near enough these days after I screen a film. You do NOT get a neat resolution of anything with UP ON THE GLASS. It does almost nothing that you want or expect it to do. It certainly gives you a couple of complex characters with shifting motivations. And it creates its own brand of intense suspense that for me was truer to what might happen in real life than a dozen bigger budget films. And I liked all six of the principal actors, with something pretty unforgettable being captured here by Chase Fein. He’s an actor to watch. Judging from a few less enthusiastic reviews on IMDB, not everyone was enamored with Del Principe’s directorial vision, however, and you certainly could be forgiven if you don’t like the main plot twist or the way you’re left hanging at the end. But I genuinely admired this film for how it avoided the obvious at most turns, and tried to hint at much bigger themes and character conflicts than what we usually get on screen. I won’t forget UP ON THE GLASS, that’s for sure, and I plan to follow the careers of virtually everyone who played a part in making it.

DVD/Blu-Ray HEY, MA! WATCH THIS Movies | Kevin Renick | October 26, 2020 | Chase Fein Chelsea Kurtz Drama DVD/Blu-Ray Hunter Cross Jessica Lynn Parsons Kevin Del Principe Mark Blaszak Movies Nikki Brown Psychological Thriller Steve Holm Unrated UP ON THE GLASS Video-On-Demand

THE CLOCK, ISSUE ONE

(Matt Hawkins/Colleen Doran; 32 pages; TOP COW PRODUCTIONS/IMAGE COMICS, 2020)

Writer Matt Hawkins’ new series, THE CLOCK, continues his string of hard science fiction books. Like the others (STAIRWAY, WILDFIRE and THINK TANK among them), this story is based on hard science facts covering genetics, world populations and weaponized diseases, rather than the speculative realms of time travel, robot uprisings and the like. THE CLOCK in the book’s title is the World Population Clock, with the over-reaching plot of the story being delivered in the last page of the first issue. On a school field trip to the Smithsonian Museum, a teacher is explaining that the clock keeps track of the ever-increasing overpopulation of the world and how some fear that it is becoming a serious problem with predictions of dire consequences if something isn’t done to slow the growth. The final panel is a close up of a young man asking, “Then why’s it going backwards?”

THE CLOCK, page 19 (written by MATT HAWKINS, art by COLLEEN DORAN and BRYAN VALENZA)

The answer is sobering: A new, virulent form of cancer has reached epidemic proportions in an amazingly short period of time, with no apparent cause and no cure on the horizon. In that span, hundreds of millions of healthy people have contracted and succumbed to various forms of this aggressive new cancer. The first issue of this limited series starts with an ambassador and his son, Jack (no last name that I could find), in Nigeria, where pockets of the populace seem to be immune to this quick-metastasizing strain of the disease. With a caravan full of food and much-needed supplies in tow, Jack, a leading cancer research scientist, is hoping to discover what physical or environmental factors are protecting these people from becoming infected. In trade for the supplies, the tribal leaders agree to various blood tests and environmental studies. As the samples are gathered and the people celebrate their unexpected windfall, the encampment is attacked by a rebel militia. And then things get scary!

THE CLOCK, page 20 (written by MATT HAWKINS, art by COLLEEN DORAN and BRYAN VALENZA)

Jack’s wife, Evelyn, dies, another victim of the viral outbreak. In a devastating scene at the cemetery, Jack’s nine year old daughter says, “At least Mommy won’t be lonely, Daddy. Lots of people are going to Heaven today.” Colleen Doran’s full page splash shows Jack and daughter Kimmie at the center of no fewer than nineteen funerals. As Jack tries to juggle the intense feelings of loss and guilt, the suddenness of becoming a single father and the strain of trying to find a cure for the disease that took his wife, he is called before a Senate committee to explain the massive expenses he has accrued on various trips in search of, not only causation but, ANY possible cure for what has very quickly become a worldwide epidemic. Grilled by one of the Senate’s bulldogs, Jack stuns the committee with a proclamation that, unabated, the virus will cause the deaths of half of the world’s population in a year’s time. Leaving the hearing, Jack is, seemingly, bumped into by a commuter in a hurry. However, picking himself up from the floor, Jack notices a piece of paper with his name on it. The paper holds one cryptic sentence, “Your wife was murdered.” Suddenly, the research scientist is faced with the realization that the cancer for which he is seeking a cure has become… weaponized! As the clock is, literally, running down for the human race, can Jack find the cure and the government or governments behind the conspiracy?

THE CLOCK, page 21 (written by MATT HAWKINS, art by COLLEEN DORAN and BRYAN VALENZA)

Doran’s artwork (ably assisted by colorist Bryan Valenza and Troy Peteri’s unobtrusive lettering), like Hawkins script, is not overbearing and allows the reader to digest the story, while maintaining an artistic flow that keeps those readers involved. While a lot of comic book stories feature an inevitable “happy ending,” THE CLOCK seems to be moving in another direction, with a plot that may end up as another cautionary tale, highlighting the truth that most of the world’s governments could not care less for their constituents as long as the leaders have everything they could possibly want or need. A harsh truth that most of us learn far too late. While this first issue of THE CLOCK is not infused with a lot of action, it does promise an exciting ride. Bring on issue two!

Comics TWO GEEKS WALK INTO A BAR | Darren Tracy | January 7, 2020 | Bryan Valenza Cancer Colleen Doran Comics Conspiracy Thriller Image Comics Limited Series Matt Hawkins Medical Thriller Political Thriller Psychological Thriller Science-Fiction Top Cow Productions Troy Peteri Weaponized Diseases

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