Shae is a college student who suffers from an appalling love life. She’s seeing a middle aged man with a wife and daughter, who quickly ditches her. Just when she thinks she’s at her lowest ebb, Shae then goes on a bender with co-worker Lu in an effort to forget the ex, only to meet a seemingly charming man who violently rapes her when she declines his advances. After another unprovoked attack (yes, really) Shae, with the help of new friend Lu, decides to take matters into her own hands in a rather deadly manner.

Girls Against Boys has an overly simplistic view of the sexes, and it’s with small surprise that I learned the film was written and directed by a man; newcomer Austin Chick. It’s man-hating to its confused core, and although I suspect there might have been some sort of intended feminist perspective, it makes the female characters appear, at best, weak and bland, and at worst, psychotic and unhinged. No-one comes out of this film looking very good and it’s unclear what the directors intention was and if there was supposed to be some kind of message here.

Danielle Panabaker, as Shae, continues along her chosen path of B-movie scream queen, after roles in Friday The 13th (2009), The Crazies (2010), The Ward and Piranha 3DD. She’s adequately doe eyed but her transition from the abused, haunted girl to the crazed, revenge-seeking woman is quite jarring and happens far too quickly to be plausible. There’s no gradual decline and as such it appears unnatural, I’d be interested to know if there should have been more transitional scenes that hit the cutting room floor as it just doesn’t ring true.

Nicole LaLiberte as Lu is phenomenal. She’s unconventionally beautiful and demands the viewers attention whenever she appears. That might go some way to explaining why Panabakers performance fell a little flatter, as she was certainly overpowered by the very dominant LaLiberte. Shifting from sex kitten to vengeful bitch with enviable ease, she’s got a long way to go before she’s a truly incredible actress but she’s well on her way if she keeps this up.

My main issue with Girls Against Boys is the uncertainty at its heart. I can’t quite put my finger on what it’s lacking but there’s definitely something missing. From a feminist viewpoint, the whole thing is a mess, painting all women as one sexual assault away from being a murderous nutjob and all men as domineering chauvinists with the potential to rape. If the message was intended to be a feminist one, showing women as strong, independent and equal to men then Chick has failed quite drastically, with the movie falling into dangerously misandristic territory. If there’s not supposed to be a message at all then I think Chick has failed equally, as, from a personal point of view, I’m not sure a film containing these kinds of rape and revenge tropes should ever be quite so vapid, or viewed as sheer entertainment, as the themes explored are a far cry from entertaining. Maybe it’s because the female leads are so ridiculously sexualised throughout that it’s difficult to argue the feminist perspective on this one? Whatever the case, it sends a very mixed message.

Meeting somewhere in the middle between American Mary and Fight Club, Girls Against Boys isn’t nearly as good as the films it is obviously influenced by. It’s a real shame as there are some neat directorial choices and great edits, as well an offbeat soundtrack that suits the material really well. I’d be interested to see what Chick can come up with, with a better idea that’s fleshed out more satisfactorially, as he’s created a film that looks great and has gotten some decent performances out of his cast.

I wanted to like Girls Against Boys, I really did, but it’s a very average experience. Despite some of the more interesting directorial choices, the film is bogged down in slow-mo scenes that look fantastic but drag proceedings out without adding any sort of depth. With a lead that’s just not relatable enough and a character-180 that doesn’t add up, Girls Against Boys could have been so much better given the sum of its parts. Unfortunately, while it’s worth a watch, it won’t be making many peoples top tens and it does nothing to further ‘women in horror’. A missed opportunity.

Rating: 5 out of 10 stars

Some of the brains behind the first V/H/S are present and correct but the real joy here is seeing what the new directors on board have come up with. Along for the ride this time are Gareth Evans (The Raid), Jason Esiener (Hobo With A Shotgun) and the pairing of Eduardo Sanchez and Gregg Hale (The Blair Witch Project, Lovely Molly) and their segments are all great, without exception. The fourth segment is handled by the marginally less seasoned Simon Barrett who had a hand in writing some of the sections from the first installment so, even before watching, I was pretty amped to experience the whole thing.

The wraparound section (Tape 49) is sufficiently creepy, although marred slightly by some poor acting. It’s cleverly kept to a minimum though, as it’s what viewers of the first will be most familiar with.

First up is Phase 1 Clinical Trials (Simon Barrett); a story about a man who, after losing his sight in one eye following a car accident, is the subject of a bionic eye trial. Sadly, his new computer eye, whilst capable of capturing video (lucky for us, eh?) also happens to allow the wearer to see dead people, of which there is an abundance in this house. This is nothing new to anyone who’s seen creepy Hong Kong horror The Eye, but it’s handled deftly and certainly contained a high number of jump scares. Adding a slutty female character to tick the ‘boobs’ box, it fulfills most of the criteria that a modern audience has come to expect and is fast-paced and full of intensely scary moments.

Second on the roster is A Ride In The Park (Eduardo Sanchez and Gregg Hale); a first person zombie short that doesn’t take itself too seriously. It follows a mountain biker with a helmet-cam who very quickly gets bitten by a bloodied woman in his path. We all know how that turns out, and before long he’s chomping his way through ramblers and party-goers in a woodland cabin. The first person aspect certainly adds a relatively fresh twist and it’s fun to watch the carnage from the perspective of the zombie. This segment has a firm sense of fun and is all the better for it.

The fact that the third segment is, to my mind, the best by a country mile, should come as no surprise to anyone who’s seen the excellent The Raid. Gareth Evans‘s turn behind the lens resulted in Safe Haven; a story about a documentary crew following what seems very much like the cult-driven Paradise Gates. If horror movies have taught us anything, it’s that documentary crews never fare well and this is no exception. Starting out with a brief interview with the head of the organisation, we’re then plunged full pelt into an onslaught of terrifying imagery and utter, bloody insanity and carnage. It’s immersive, bonkers and terrifically well made. Despite some rather hokey CGI towards the end, this is as close to perfect as I can imagine the V/H/S canon of shorts ever getting. The only downside is that it would have made a brilliant feature length movie and that’ll probably never happen now. Regardless, I’m chomping at the bit to see what Evans comes up with next.

The final story comes in the form of Alien Abduction Slumber Party (Jason Eisener) which does exactly what it says on the tin. Aliens in movies can be a very mixed bag but here they’re done with just the right amount of tongue-in-cheek versus genuine terror. The creatures themselves inspire just the right amount of spine tingling chills, although the story itself feels a little thin. It has some memorable moments though, however, to me, it seems an odd choice of short to end on.

Despite some weak moments and a ridiculous over-saturation of the genre, as a whole V/H/S/2 proves that found footage can still be done well if tackled by the right, collective imaginations. It’s not necessarily better than V/H/S but it feels a little stronger overall and is unlikely to leave the bad taste with some viewers that the first did. It’s a formula that could easily be done again, and judging from the increased budget here, has the potential to be turned into a cynical cash-cow but if the masterminds behind it stick to their roots, then I’m excited for the almost inevitable V/H/S/3. Bring it on.

Rating: 7.5 out of 10 stars

After all, this is a world that is very familiar to us. Its inhabitants use smart phones, have flat screen TVs, and live in normal houses, the only strange addition to which, is a high-tech security system that wouldn’t look out of place on the average celebrity mansion, especially seeing as it only really comprises of metal barricades over the doors and windows.

The film opens on the day of the titular “purge”, an annual holiday during which all crime is legal because, in this universe, it’s almost non-existent, and everyone is getting along great (aside from on this particular day, of course). Ethan Hawke is a well-to-do family man, who has struck gold with the aforementioned security system, managing to install one in every home within his exclusive, gated community. He and his family are enjoying the night, barricaded inside their home, when his son notices a bloodied man screaming for help on one of their many surveillance screens, and rather stupidly lets him inside the house. It isn’t long before a masked group of sadistic lunatics come looking for him, and, as is to be expected with this kind of film, if he doesn’t come out, they’re going in.

The Purge isn’t exactly a unique concept. In fact, it’s a lot like Panic Room, but with less Jared Leto and more Ethan Hawke, mixed with The Strangers. The setup falls apart almost immediately, and once it’s revealed that entry can be gained into the property relatively easily, it’s a slow trudge to an incredibly predictable finale. There are no surprises here. Even the jump scares don’t register, as the film follows a fairly obvious formula, which makes it very boring and slow. As with last year’s Sinister, Hawke does a good job of running around, looking frightened, but it’s difficult to empathise when we know so little about his character. Lena Headey is great as his wife, especially when she gets to kick some ass, but sadly, she isn’t given a real moment to shine.

The only real positive is Home & Away alum Rhys Wakefield, who makes the film slightly more watchable, and is an absolute joy as the sadistic gang leader. He communicates entirely through a twisted, Joker-esque grin that corrupts his young, sweet face so much that he doesn’t even really need to wear a mask. Unfortunately, Wakefield isn’t given a whole lot to do here, and his character is dispensed with far too quickly. The moments he is onscreen are still the strongest, and a showdown between he and Headey’s mother would’ve alleviated The Purge slightly, but as it is, the film falls completely flat, after squandering its decent premise with too much wandering around in near-darkness and not nearly enough slicing and dicing.

In one, rather bizarre, sequence, it descends into video game territory, as members of the gang are picked off by Hawke, who has, stupidly, chosen to fight them instead of surrendering the stranger he’s harbouring. There’s a ham-fisted metaphor buried underneath all the bullshit, about the nature of humanity and whether murder is ever really justified, but it simply doesn’t ring true when people are being killed left, right and centre.

There is a sense, towards the end of The Purge, that it could’ve been a much nastier experience, but the desire to achieve a 15 rating, and thus tap into the lucrative teen market, seems to have derailed that plan. Unfortunately, the film doesn’t really work as is, and it certainly isn’t involving or entertaining enough to compensate for its complete lack of scares. It is, essentially, two films; one which tries to warn us about the horrible future to come, if we continue as we are, and another which wants to be a modern, yet severely neutered, version of A Clockwork Orange. If you didn’t get enough of Ethan Hawke wandering around a creepy house in near-darkness last year, then maybe this is for you, but otherwise, avoid at all costs.

Rating: 4 out of 10 stars

Beginning with a fairly shoddy, CGI-heavy shark attack, Bait tells the story, if you can call it that, of several disparate characters all pulled together by fate at a supermarket one day. There’s a shoplifter, her cashier boyfriend, a pair of ex lovers torn apart by the previously mentioned shark attack, a group of criminals out to rob the place, the supermarket manager, and some other people that I cared even less about.

After a random, completely unexplained, computer generated tsunami, the characters find themselves trapped inside the supermarket, and after a few more torturous scenes of pointless exposition, realise that they’re not alone. They’re joined by a shark with a bottomless appetite for human flesh and the ability to teleport. Or possibly several different, slightly peckish sharks; it’s never made clear. As our roguish cast of misfits realise their situation, they’re forced to band together to escape the supermarket via a range of hideously impractical means.

The cast of characters range from ‘horribly unlikable’ to ‘blank and unlikable’ to ‘unlikable with a severe case of Wandering Accent Syndrome’. It’s tough to place 50% of the accents at any one time and the range even includes cheeky Cockney and broad Yorkshire. From the same character. The decision to make almost half of the cast perform using stilted American accents can only be to gain a wider audience but simply results in making the whole thing more puzzling. Along with the tremendously poor dubbing used frequently throughout the film, even the true Australian accents start to sound fake.

Some of the actors are clearly quite embarassed to be involved, while others are providing such ‘big’ performances that they might as well be in a different movie entirely. All of these elements add up to a very uneven movie-watching experience.

The sharks themselves are, surprisingly, not all that terrible in comparison to everything else, but that’s a little like saying “Nazi’s sure sucked, but those uniforms, man, they were snazzy”. It’s the slightly less shit topping on a really, really shit cake. When watched in 3D as intended I can imagine the CGI looking passable, but in my chosen ‘incongruous stuff flying at screen 2D’ viewing mode, I have seen more convincing computer animation in a cut scene from a PS2 game, and because of that there’s no threat, and no tension.
Therein lies Bait‘s biggest problem.

It doesn’t work as a horror film, or as a thriller, and when the closest genre it comes to fulfilling is comedy, you know something has gone quite seriously awry. For that reason alone, I refuse to write Bait off completely. Put simply; I had a tonne of fun watching this movie. It’s not even entertaining in a ‘so bad, it’s good’ way, Bait is simply bad, but there is enjoyment to be gleaned from it’s badness. If you’re in the market for an instantly forgettable slice of CGI-filled Aussie trash, then get drunk, pop Bait on and prepare for laughs-a-plenty, for all the wrong reasons.

Rating: 3 out of 10 stars

Janet Slate (Julianne Michelle) has had enough of her mad alcoholic mum, out-of-work popstar Maddie Slate (Rebecca De Mornay), and has left home. Leaving her sister Lara (Mischa Barton) to look after mad mommy, Janet rents a flat… without seeing it. Don’t ask. It’s ridiculous.

After moving into Apartment 1303 (not 1408 or Room 237 or Apartment 143) she instantly realizes her mistake. The electricity fluctuates, the neighbours have a creepy teleporting schoolgirl, the building superintendent literally says “let me see your tits”, the flat smells of dead meat and the previous tenant in the flat apparently killed herself. But might still be there.

Unfortunately the fact that Janet moved in without even seeing the place means you lose all sympathy with her instantly. I mean, what a twat. She deserves to get attacked by a mad ghost. Which she does.

There are distinct changes between the original film and Taverna’s remake and none of them are an improvement. The original throws us straight into the story – hello insanity, goodbye sister – whereas the American version focuses waaaaaaay too long on Julianne Michelle’s idiotic Janet, who bumbles about the flat, getting spooked by the ghost/landlord/creepy-teleporting-schoolgirl before bonking her boyf then taking the quick-route to the ground floor, via the balcony. Kersplat.

The original also ensured the sisters’ mother was at least remotely sympathetic, whereas this version has Rebecca De Mornay deliver an over-the-top alcoholic washed-up popstar character with no charm and zero believability.  It’s woeful and distracting stuff. This is such as shame as De Mornay is normally fantastic, having provided memorable turns in both Mother’s Day and Identity. As waste of a great talent.

Despite the focus being on Janet, once she’s lobbed off the 13^th floor it ensures Mischa Barton gets to stretch her acting chops as she investigates her sister’s death. Barton does a terrible job with a poor script, humourlessly wandering through the film and appearing to have literally zero sorrow over her sister’s death.

It’s a thankless role that we’ve seen a thousand times as Lana slowly sheds her scepticism in favour of a more supernatural explanation, investigating the ‘crime’ herself. What really happened to her sister? Was it suicide brought on by the awful wallpaper or was it – perhaps – an insane ghost of vengeance?!

I bet you can guess the answer!! Yeah, so that’s the plot. Seriously. There’s little else to this or the original.  Woman is suicided by ghost-bitch and sister investigates. Creepiness ensues. The end.

Talking of the end… bloody hell, what a mess. Honestly. It just unravels into a bafflingly confused attempt to create more mystery but just turns out confusing and bizarre and oddly predictable.

Perhaps the irredeemable and unforgivable horror sin here is the maddening lack of mystery. You instantly learn what’s going on, the ghosts are VERY visible and there are almost no surprises (apart from the end… which is just confusing).

Oh, and apparently the film is in 3D, but not on my DVD screener. I’m sure having things flying at the screen won’t improve the storyline or characters much, although it might make you flinch a bit. Which is scary… right?

Right?

Apartment 1303 isn’t all terrible. There are some interesting moments, some chilling ideas, Madison McAleer is excellent as teleporting schoolgirl Emily and it’s thankfully short, running at sub 90 minutes. And it’s in 3D, which is super special and awesome… right?

Right?

Hello?

Rating: 2 out of 10 stars

Though he’s not the most obvious choice to play a villain, wide-eyed cutie Elijah Wood is the titular maniac. However, it should come as no surprise to those who enjoyed him as cannibalistic Kevin, in Sin City, that Wood relishes the bad guy role, even when he’s not technically onscreen. He is Frank, a lonely young man who inherited a mannequin restoration business. Though he’s passionate about his work, Frank prefers to use human hair to make his mannequins come to life. They ultimately fuel his fantasies, as he attempts to cope with the grief caused by his troubled upbringing and, in particular, his relationship with his mother.

The story is told almost entirely from Frank’s point of view, which gives a significant insight into his emotions, making him strangely sympathetic as a character. We follow as he stalks, murders and scalps young women, lovingly restoring his mannequins afterwards. Slight glimpses are given of his frantic, crazy eyes, in bathroom mirrors, or shop windows, but he is only shown fully after scalping – or, in one, very memorable sequence, midway through.

The film is essentially a twisted love story, between Frank and Anna (Nora Arnezeder), a friendly local artist, who unwittingly gets close to him after using his mannequins in a show. The two go to a special screening of the horror classic The Cabinet Of Dr. Caligari, after which Anna remarks that she is glad the female lead survived to the end, and it’s almost impossible not to hope that she does, too.

Although it’s rough and suitably bloody, Maniac is undeniably gorgeous to watch, especially in its lovingly dark portrayal of Los Angeles, which is handled with much the same care that Frank shows his mannequins. The score could’ve been devised by Daft Punk’s twisted cousins, as it comprises low, techno hums, or overpoweringly pounding bass, depending on whether Frank is hanging back in the shadows, or attacking. Certain scenes are so quiet, so incredibly understated, that the score almost disappears beneath the weight of it all. But, much like Frank; it’s always there, waiting to strike, and helping to establish the palpable tension throughout.

The POV shooting style is quite inventive. It shouldn’t work as well as it does, and it is jarring at first. However, thanks to Wood’s strength in the central role, it feels natural and, unlike found footage, it isn’t gimmicky. Frank is fleshed out and, indeed, likable enough, that it never seems as though anything is missing, which is a common problem with found footage. In less capable hands, his character might have been almost ghost-like, but here he is perfectly three-dimensional, a terrible mixture of sadistic evil and pathetic loneliness. The first shot of his eyes in a windscreen mirror – kick-starting a shockingly sharp opening sequence that sets the tone perfectly for the rest of the film – is absolute perfection, and the same intensity is present in each glimpse of him.

Comparisons have been made between Maniac and Drive, especially as the posters were so similar that certain fans assumed that of Elijah Wood was a mock-up, inspired by the film. Maniac does bear certain similarities to Drive, mostly in the gorgeous shots of Frank driving around L.A., but it has a lot more bite to it, and the story, though similarly dark, is far more sinister and affecting. Put simply, Maniac will make you think and feel things, and it will stay with you long after the credits roll.

Maniac is a rare gem, because it is near perfect, both as a horror movie, and a piece of cinema, which is almost unheard of nowadays, especially with the omnipresence of found footage, torture porn, et al. It is gorgeously shot, wonderfully scored, expertly acted. The story is involving, heartbreaking, shocking, unsettling and moving, all at once. Elijah Wood gives the performance of his career, in spite of the fact he’s barely shown on camera for more than a few minutes. The denouement is slightly too neat, but even it cannot take anything away from what is essentially already a classic. Who knew a remake could be a must-see in its own right?

Rating: 10 out of 10 stars

The basic premise will be familiar to most horror fans, as originality isn’t exactly Crawlspace’s strong suit. Stop me if you’ve heard this before: a troupe of crack soldiers is sent to investigate/clear out a government facility. It quickly becomes apparent that said facility has been the site of shady government experiments on people. Needless to say, shit hits some form of rotary blade and chaos ensues, as the test subjects wreak bloody revenge on people who aren’t really responsible for their current predicament unless you are casting the net stupidly wide.

“So if the plot is so seemingly banal, is this even worth a watch?”, I hear you muttering to nobody in particular. The short answer is yes, yes it is. What it may lack in originality, Crawlspace more than makes up for in execution. As would be expected, the effects are pretty top notch, with the exception of a couple of regrettable uses of CGI blood, and what really stood out for me was the quality of the sound design. The sound track and effects are so well done that they contribute more than you would think possible to giving the film a real sense of tension and dread. I am well aware of how important good sound design is, but this is that rare example of good sound design improving the production value of a movie tenfold.

The direction is pretty on point as well, with the shots within the titular crawlspaces feeling genuinely claustrophobic, and a particularly nicely filmed reflection shot. Go watch it; you’ll know what I’m talking about.

Crawlspace is not without its shortcomings however. The plot and some of the more stodgy parts of the writing do combine to make it feel more like a bad video game adaptation rather than a standalone movie, albeit with far better pacing, and some actual moments of terror (I’m looking in your direction, Dead Space and other triple A ‘horror’ games), and the use of CGI blood and a solitary Wilhelm Scream early on did crack the immersion somewhat.

In spite of this, Crawlspace is a decent enough take on the horror/action/sci-fi genre that everybody knows deep down that they love, and it’s all very nicely done, if a little hollow.

Rating: 5 out of 10 stars

Wrong.

Alas, this is not the case for Brad Anderson’s Session 9. It certainly starts off well; the team are introduced to the Danvers State Hospital as uneasy relationships are formed and developed, before they venture foolhardily into the languishing edifice. So far so good. There’s even a hint at the supernatural too, just to spice things up, and the asylum itself is just pure, sprawling, rotting magnificence.

This, however, is where it seems to fall apart. As the team split up to tackle the immense workload, a number of them discover their own little treasure troves left over from the hospital’s heyday; including a hoard of valuables and a collection of nine tapes documenting a patient’s therapy sessions. Now these, along with a handful of moments scattered throughout the movie, all serve to misdirect the audience into following a few different pathways to explain the murders that take place. The trouble I found with it, however, is that the large majority of these red herrings never seem to have enough substance to warrant anything more than a cursory thought. So much so that, when the ‘big reveal’ takes place at the end, I never once found myself entertaining any other explanation than the obvious one; even when other theories were presented online.

This is my main issue with the film; it poses itself as a psychological horror designed to keep the audience guessing, but the end just seems underwhelming. I won’t go into specifics for fear of spoiling it for you, but it just strikes me that, for saying it seems deliberately engineered to mislead the audience, there’s very little ambiguity about it in the end.

As with a number of both famous and critically acclaimed films including The Shining, The Thing and other films starting with the word ‘The’, the location of Session 9 is almost a character in itself; acting as a catalyst that amplifies the sense of mistrust between the team. It is, however, criminally underused. I know due to health and safety restrictions the filmmakers weren’t able to use as much of the hospital as they’d have hoped, but still, aside from a handful of shots it doesn’t actually feel as threatening as it deserves to. There’s a certain decayed beauty to it, of course, but due to the fact that the film is predominantly set in broad daylight it just doesn’t lurk as much as it should. There’s no sense that some malevolent entity (whether imaginary or not) is hiding, just out of sight, in the shadows, simply because there are no shadows in which it could hide. And for a film that relies very much on the location to build a sense of foreboding – a film whose very tagline is ‘Fear is a place’ – this is rather a disappointment.

It certainly has its moments, though; the discovery of the nine tapes is a particular highlight. They document interviews between Mary Hobbes, a woman with disassociative identity disorder, and her doctor. In these tapes, Mary intermittently switches between identities; a change of voice the only indication. We hear from the naive, child-like Princess and from Billy, an older brother figure…but both personalities are united in their fear for the mysterious Simon. There’s something very unnerving about hearing Mary’s many voices scratchily emanating from the old tape recorders, and when Simon makes an appearance it certainly packs quite a punch.

All in all, Session 9 is not a bad film, not by any stretch; it is, however, just not quite as engaging (both emotionally and intellectually) as it could and should have been. It had all the right ingredients, for sure, but in all the wrong proportions. Because of this, the resulting Session 9 pie is rather unappetising and flavourless, and just not that scary.

…I fear that metaphor got away from me somewhere.

Rating: 5 out of 10 stars

This is a tough film to write about without spoiling the only redeemable part of the film, so I will start off positive by saying that there is quite a nice pay off that at least leaves you feeling somewhat satisfied with the film. Aside from this clever(ish) ending, there is little left to enjoy. The film is mean spirited to the bone, seemingly genuinely devised to cash in on the ‘torture porn’ buzz and the success of the Hostel and Saw films. What those films have that this film lacks is a sense of story, whether it be satirical in the former or moral questioning in the latter.

In The Tortured, what you get is what is described above; a couple kidnap their son’s killer and torture him. That is it. Sure, there are some arbitrary side plots and a few by-the-numbers inconveniences thrown in the mix, but nothing you couldn’t predict from a mile off.

The film is very shallow, genuinely existing because it thinks so little of the blood-and-guts crowd that they will soak up any old drivel given to them, as long as it is covered in enough of the red stuff. No, it just doesn’t work. There are fantastically fun bloody films out there, like Braindead or Dawn of the Dead, and there are nasty torture films out there, like the Guinea Pig or Faces of Death series. The Tortured stumbles on the line between the two extremes. It is a tough watch but at the same time, it is a slick production. It’s hard to tell if it wants to repulse you or to sell popcorn, though the latter seems like a safer bet.

It’s hard to tell why such proper actors are in this thing (which really should never have risen above micro-budget rough indie level), but they are. Christensen and Metcalfe give decent performances, but there just isn’t enough to hold your attention for the full 79 minute run time. The big shocker here is just how subdued Moseley is, but by the end of the film, you get the impression he wasn’t exactly involved for the love of it.

Director Robert Lieberman comes from a predominantly TV background, and writer Marek Posival has no other writing credits bar a short, so it is difficult to tell who is responsible for the uneven nature of the film. The story that should be compelling and gut-wrenching (in an emotional way), but the drama is constantly underwritten by violence and predictable plotting.

People talk about Human Centipede 2 being gratuitous violence, but I think that only gets the short end of the stick because it goes the whole nine yards. I’d argue that The Tortured is a far more deprived film, not because it is more graphically violent (though it definitely is more violent than your average horror flick), but because its intent is so heartless. Look at a brutal film like Martyrs, which walks all sorts of lines, but ultimately has a purpose, whereas this film pretends it has a purpose so it can drunkenly swagger over into ‘hey man, isn’t this sick?’ territory. People talk about sequels and remakes being done for a quick buck, but right here is the ultimate ill-informed cash-in.

The Tortured is technically competent and acted appropriately, and maybe some people will enjoy its shamelessly exploitative ways, but be warned, there is no slapstick fun or moral weight here, but a total vacuum where the film thinks it’s cleverer than it is. Don’t let it fool you. It isn’t that smart. It solely exists to try squeeze another few bucks out of the gore crowd. Do yourself a favour, skip this and go watch Saw part 52 instead.

Rating: 3 out of 10 stars

Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters begins much the same as the classic Grimm story, with the young siblings finding their way to the house of candy in the middle of a dark forest where they’re captured by an evil witch, who plans on fattening them up and eating them. They manage to outsmart the witch (in a very gruesome way) and escape. This is where the similarities end. Hansel and Gretel become the titled witch hunters, travelling the land slaughtering witches and protecting the towns they are ravaging. It’s not going to be winning any screenwriting awards, but it never intended to. It’s a fun and lighthearted film, but don’t misunderstand; it is most certainly NOT for children. Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters is well aware that it’s the ballsy cousin to fairy tale counterpart Snow White and the Hunstman, but it revels in it’s R-rating, and for this reason, it shines.

In terms of the characters, both Renner and Arterton make their characters their own. Yes they’re these two badass witch slayers, but they’re very much human, and very breakable. Hansel gets pounded by massively powered up witches and battered by trees, and Renner makes it not only cringe worthy, but hilarious. Gretel is by no means a pushover either. The unique thing about her character, and Gemma Arterton‘s great portrayal, is that she’s considered an equal among men. She is a real, empowered woman, who frankly doesn’t take any shit from anyone; witch, man, or otherwise. It was so refreshing to see a fairy tale heroine actually back her words up, and kick some ass. Yes I’m looking at you Snow White and the Hunstman.

The witches themselves are a great take on the classic foe. They ride around on broomsticks, have wands, warts and a truly wicked way about them. But they are also incredibly powerful physical beings; often resorting to physical brawling, most of which poor Renner bears the brunt of. Lead witch Muriel is played by the brilliant Famke Janssen, and you can really see she revels in being the bad guy.

A personal favourite character of mine though is the troll, Edward. It’s a stroke of genius giving him such a human name, as he really is that. The animatronics are superb, and I found myself genuinely feeling for the poor big guy, under the whip of the witches.

Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters can best be described as a fun romp. Don’t take it too seriously, just sit back and enjoy the great action scenes, killer one liners, and great visuals. It’s no classic and regrettably it is somewhat let down by a weak, and predictable storyline, but I personally think it’s a greatly understated film for what it is. It’s fun for the sake of it, and the cast play their parts great.

It’s a film that doesn’t give a shit, but in the best way possible.

Rating: 6 out of 10 stars

What originally got this film noticed was the involvement of two Italian heavyweights: Dario Argento and Lamberto Bava. Dario played more than just producer here as he got cast members that he was familiar with. Lamberto is the son of legendary Mario Bava (A Bay of Blood/Twitch of the Death Nerve). These two giants together must have had fans of the time in a state of giddy expectation for Demons.

The acting is questionable. The two boyfriends don’t warrant much sympathy based on the actors abilities. Bobby Rhodes as Tony the pimp is so over the top he becomes the films anti-hero as a hard-as-nails takes-no-shit ‘manly man’ who spits out one-liners. “Sit here and shut up!” is a stand out. It is Tony who susses out that the movie they are seeing is somehow responsible for the nightmare they find themselves in. He rallies the others to fight back despite his often blunt attitude (“What are you waiting for you son-of-a-bitch?!”). Geretta’s performance, once she turns into a demon, is another over the top performance as she runs around foaming at the mouth and jumping on people. The rest of the cast and their characters are not developed as much as they should have been.

The gore effects are very good and often disturbing which keeps up the films frenetic onslaught. One woman transforms into a demon in lingering close up. Rosemary rams her fingers into the eyes of a blind elderly man in a cruel moment.

The film does not take itself too seriously as it is often close to parody. The viewer will have to ignore the many plot-holes – the creators certainly did. There are some that are so big a bus could drive through them (or in the case of Demons ; a helicopter smash through them). The reason why the horrific scenes on the theatre screen somehow become ‘real’ for the characters is never explained. Or why these people were chosen to attend, more so in the case of Cheryl – (she receives her invite after she is chased by a man with a half metal face. Again, never explained). There is a sub-plot about drug-taking punks that seems to exist to only create more victims to kill once they arrive, later, at the cinema. The end is puzzling too.

Demons was followed by an official sequel (Demons 2, 1986) and a whole bunch of films that claimed to be Demons 3, Demons 4 and so on, in a similar vain to the confusing and many Zombi movies.

The movie is certainly flawed but has strong points too. A horror film has never been so much fun to view.

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars

Made for approximately $25,000.00 and released in 1983 The Deadly Spawn is an exercise in low-budget excess. Conceived by producers Ted Bohus and Tim Hildebrandt this 16mm cult classic emerged, drenched in blood, during the horror video boom of the 1980′s as an effort to pay tribute to the alien sub-genre of 1950′s science fiction.

A large meteor crash landing to Earth in small-town America is witnessed by two campers nearby. After the duo stumble across to the crash site they soon become eviscerated spawn-fodder after their investigation goes horribly wrong. It’s not until the next morning, during a seemingly never-ending rainstorm, that Sam (James Brewster) and his wife Barbara (Elissa Neil) discover they have taken in an uninvited otherworldly murderer via an open window in the basement of their farmhouse. The very same deadly spawn that had feasted on human flesh the previous night…

Sam and Barbara, now the latest victims of the hungry, and quite frankly pissed off alien phallus that remains hidden in the basement, are merely leftovers for the spawn offspring that have developed and are spreading out in search of blood.

The last hope of the farmhouse now relies upon Sam and Barbara’s b-movie fixated son Charles (Charles George Hildebrandt), and his study obsessed scientist brother Pete (Tom DeFranco), who remain oblivious to the horror that awaits them down in the basement. Can these two brothers unite and stop the alien-terror from devouring an assortment of occupants in this small America town? Unlikely!

Filmed on location in New Jersey, Douglas McKeown‘s The Deadly Spawn seemingly plays out as serious science-fiction, but undoubtedly has it’s tongue placed firmly in cheek, emphasized strongly by the amount of splattering gore that is tossed around. Severely underrated, The Deadly Spawn almost suffered obscurity when it was unfairly retitled as Return of the Alien’s Deadly Spawn. Under this title the movie was re-released alongside a plethora of otherworldly exploitative slices of cinema which attempted to cash in on the success of Ridley Scott’s 1979 science fiction/horror masterpiece Alien. What made The Deadly Spawn stand out above the crowd during this time however was it’s clever use of practical special effects.

Special make-up effects artist John Dods worked extensively with his dedicated team to design and create the monster-mechanicals that helped secure The Deadly Spawn cult status. Abandoning the typical “man-in-a-suit” design usually employed on a tight budget, John Dods opted to take a different direction ultimately resulting in a mixture of animatronics and puppetry that ensured Dods’ professional breakthrough into the industry.

Unfortunately impatience can grow due to the inconsistent pacing that has plagued certain sections of the The Deadly Spawn, and you may find yourself becoming distracted as occupants of the farmhouse continue with “business-as-usual”; oblivious to the horror below. Stick with it though because the writing can become unpredictable at times, ignoring the rules set by other more well known movies in the horror and science-fiction genres.

The Deadly Spawn may take it’s time preparing you for the final act but through the ingenious use of John Dods special make-up and monster effects, Douglas McKeown respectable direction (for what has become his only feature film) and admirable acting from an enthusiastic cast, this low-budgeted exploitative epic has spawned a dedicated cult following, and deservedly so. They’re here and they are HUNGRY!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars

Why am I so pessimistic? Well, just a couple of weeks before finding out about the remake, I happened to test drive the original (trying to scratch an Asian horror itch). The film starts out with an awful lot of promise, being about a cursed apartment where everyone who lives there is haunted and dies (typically by nose-diving from the window on the 13th floor). The bulk of the story follows a girl who moves into the apartment to clear out her deceased sister’s belongings after she fell victim to the spooky goings on, flashing back to what happened when she killed herself in front of a group of guests, and the search for the sinister origins. Not exactly originality to write home about, but enough to have great potential creep factor.

That’s why it is so disappointing at how quickly the film sinks under its own silliness. Every Asian horror cliché is on show here, from the creepy little girl to the long black haired ghost. In fact, the whole thing boils down to a Ju-On: The Grudge inferior knock-off, which isn’t too shocking, since it is based on a novel by the same author. The problem with the film is that, even way back when in 2007, we were all growing so tired of the typical J-horror tropes that set us on edge the years previous with The Ring and The Grudge films.

There has been plenty of academic writing on Western audiences being scared of the nihilism or outright inescapableness of their scenarios (in Asian cinema, if you are cursed, you are cursed, whereas Western mythology traditionally gives a redemption option), and it is only normal that there is only so far that plot thread can be taken before an audience tires of the genre.

It is with this in mind that Apartment 1303 is a potentially great film lost to the popular plot of the day, with tension and scares being paint by numbers, and twists being surprising only in that you didn’t think the film would actually be so stereotypical (though I do absolutely love J-horror’s unwavering casualness to subject large groups of people seeing supernatural events happen, as if ghosts are as normal as watching someone get hit by a bus). I actually gave the film a lot of leeway, hoping the ending might bring things all together in a not-so-expected way, but instead I was treated to a stupidly laughable, disastrous FX-filled finale (and let’s not even start on the bad-hair day puns) that will only leave you screaming ‘STOP BEING SO PREDICTABLE!’. Heck, it made Mama’s final act look impressive by comparison.

The remake came out in Russia at the end of last year and is preparing to come out in the US and UK in the next few months direct to DVD or VOD. The initial US trailer is horrendously laughable, but it seems like a very early rough reel trailer, as opposed to this new one, which is slicker, and seems to promise a lot more, but if you have seen the original, you know the trailer is really only focusing on one section of the film, and it isn’t the section that made the original Apartment 1303 fall down flat on its face.

Chop this one up to minor thrills only worth catching if it’s on TV.

Rating: 4 out of 10 stars

As a fan of the source material, it was with some apprehension that I approached the movie adaptation of underground graphic novel Bad Kids Go To Hell. On paper, it’s billed as The Breakfast Club meets The Grudge, and while not too far off the mark, that description affords the film more weight than it perhaps deserves. While entertaining, BKGTH does nothing new, and the characters will most likely aggravate the average viewer. That’s not to say it’s without merit though.

The movie is propelled by a simple story that quickly becomes needlessly convoluted. A group of ne’er-do-wells end up in Saturday detention where they are locked in the library for the day by their arrogant teacher. Opening with our protagonist surrounded by the bodies of his classmates and teachers, we know from the first moment that everyone meets a sticky end, the hour and a half that follows is there to key us into exactly how the events transpire.

Populated almost entirely by newcomers, with knowing turns from Farscapes Ben Browder and Judd Nelson in the most tongue-in-cheek role in recent memory, all of the cast is more than able. The script, however, is hackeneyed and trite, so it never quite makes the impact that I imagine was intended. If this film had been made ten years previously, I think it would have been much, much more effective than it is in 2013. As it stands, the dialogue seems outdated in a modern world, and the whole thing suffers from a sort of “try hard” feeling that I just can’t shake.

The soundtrack to the film is set to “Project X” volume and tempo, and, from my perspective, I think it may alienate those looking beneath the shiny surface. On that note, the film definitely looks slick, even with a comparatively miniscule budget, but it also showcases the sort of terrible CGI that’s become synonymous with low budgets coupled with lazy filmmaking, and it’s certainly to the detriment of the overall look of the film.

What Bad Kids Go To Hell boils down to is the sort of movie that teenagers may love, and that an older audience might enjoy as a guilty pleasure. Judd Nelson as the Principal of the high school, in a very obvious and intentional nod to The Breakfast Club, is a standout, both in his role and in the delivery of the character, and the film is almost worth watching for him alone, even in his criminally brief screen time.

The real crime in Bad Kids Go To Hell is the distinct lack of morals, however. There’s barely a sympathetic character present during the running time, and the only ones that are, are so put-upon that it’s difficult to muster any real affinity with them. The whole film is somewhat morally abhorrent, which is no real shock in a film within this genre, but potentially taints the gratification one might glean from the film.

Bad Kids Go To Hell is a film that I enjoyed, but it’s a film I wanted to love, and I couldn’t quite manage that kind of allegiance to it. It’s dated, showy and overly convoluted but it’s also relatively compelling and serves as fantastic throwaway entertainment.

Altering the story ever so slightly from the graphic novel, Bad Kids Go To Hell is chock full of cliche, while seemingly trying to subvert the very same cliches. It’s not necessarily a success in this field but if you settle yourself in for an hour and a half of dry humour, funny, if archaic one liners, and interesting visuals then you could do worse than watching this movie. For all its faults, and despite my better judgement, I still came away with a smile on my face.

Rating: 6 out of 10 stars

Tokyo Gore Police is set in a hedonistic future world vision of Tokyo, where extreme violence is a part of everyday life. Self-harm and mutilation are actively encouraged; so much so, cutesy adverts are interlaced throughout the whole film giving a view into a ‘fashionable self-harm’ culture. The story follows Yuka (Eihi Shiina), a member of a privatised police force, tasked with tracking down and exterminating ‘engineers’; malformed criminals who, when suffering wounds, mutate body parts into gruesome weapons. When I say gruesome, I mean full-on stomach churning. But hey, who wouldn’t want a three foot mutated penis gun that trumpets like an elephant, right? As the story progresses, more about Yuka, her past, and how she became part of the police force become clear. Throw in a moral ‘who is the real monster’ undertone, and you’re set for a true assault on the senses.

In terms of the level of violence, it’s on another level. I consider myself of a strong stomach, but the obscenely high levels of blood (although comical the vast majority of the time) registered a substantial level of wincing in my twisted mind. The concept of the engineers’ mutations is the real genius play though. It gave the filmmakers complete creative freedom to show the most whacky and wonderfully stomach-churning abominations, and I found myself willing the bad guys to get minced up just to see how they mutated. The film constantly pushes the boundaries of fetishistic, sadistic, and masochistic violence, and at no point did I become bored of the violence, as it was ever changing.

Eihi Shiina plays the part of Yuka magnificently. She will always be best known for her incredibly unsettling performance in Audition so had a high pedigree coming into this film. She plays the role quietly and calmly, and in the face of the comical over the top violence, she’s the level-headed constant that keeps the film on track. The supporting characters do their part well too, amalgamating a mix of serious to downright slapstick.

The soundtrack has the ever predictable shredding guitar solos when there’s a fight scene, reminiscent of any Japanese hack-and-slash game, offset by emotional soft violins when there’s a particularly deep moment in the story.

Tokyo Gore Police is definitely a worth a watch, if you’re of a strong stomach. Sadly it is somewhat let down by a relatively weak storyline and is predictable from start to finish. For the most part though, you’ll be too busy enjoying/wincing at the buckets and buckets of blood and fiendishly twisted executions throughout. The death count is through the roof in this; each one more imaginative than the last. Carried throughout by a strong performance by Eihi Shiina, it’s a film I’d highly recommend; and if you liked it, check out The Machine Girl, or the highly acclaimed (and personal favourite of mine) Ichi the Killer, for the same twisted levels of violence.

Watch it, wince, and go back for more.

I did.

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars

The premise of the film is quite original; a group of strangers, from varying backgrounds, all of whom are particularly down on their luck, agree to take part in a dinner party game, thrown by the brilliantly-named, wealthy eccentric, Shepard Lambrick (played by The Frighteners’, Jeffrey Combs). The heroine of the piece is Iris (Brittany Snow), a tough young woman, who is struggling to care for her terminally ill brother. She accepts an invitation to the party in the hope that all of her financial woes will be sorted once she “wins” the titular game.

But it quickly becomes apparent, during a drawn out but effectively unsettling first challenge, that the game will be much more high risk than usual, as participants are forced to, among other things, stab each other, and risk drowning themselves in a barrel of water. The tension is palpable throughout, as watching the film almost feels like being part of the game itself. It’s a difficult experience, but incredibly involving, also.

Would You Rather would be in danger of being a bit torture porn-esque and repetitive, if it weren’t for Lambrick, who injects some much-needed humour into the otherwise gloomy proceedings. In less capable hands, his role could’ve been relegated to little more than a caricature, but Combs knows exactly how to play it, somehow managing to mix complete evil with a madness that borders on the ridiculous, but also makes him strangely likeable.

Lambrick laughs maniacally throughout the proceedings, commenting hilariously every now and then to his sadistic butler, Bevans (no, really), for example, when he scoffs “We’re playing a game” in response to an elderly woman’s need for urgent medical attention.

Without Combs the film wouldn’t quite work, as Snow, a more than capable actress, is quite drippy in the role of Iris, in spite of the fact that she is quite obviously being set up as the ‘Final Girl’. Though the situation is indeed dire, it’s irritating to have Iris constantly weeping throughout the game, especially when she’s an otherwise strong woman who accepts each challenge remarkably well, in spite of the odds against her.

The story is fleshed out via flashbacks, which wouldn’t usually work, but given the fact that most of the action takes place in a dining room, they serve to make the world of the film slightly more three-dimensional. It’s supposed to feel suffocating, claustrophobic and helpless, and for the most part, it does, but it’s easier to empathise with Iris once we get a glimpse of her daily struggle. One of the strangest elements of Would You Rather is the inclusion of ex-porn star turned actress, Sasha Grey. Unfortunately, her reputation precedes her, and she somehow manages to overact, even when she has virtually no dialogue to deliver. However, when she does speak, Grey alternates between sounding like a normal human being, and Miley Cyrus on crack.

There are literally moments when she forgets that she’s supposed to have a Southern accent, and others where everything she says is over-pronounced. If you’re not impatiently awaiting her death for every second she’s onscreen, trying to look menacing with her emo fringe constantly in her eyes, I applaud you.

Would You Rather is an inventive slice of impressively nasty horror madness, in which it is easy to lose yourself. The leads are strong, the tension palpable, and the threat real and, at times, stomach-churningly horrible. Combs and Snow are equal parts lunatic miscreant and desperate saint, giving us someone to root for and hate, depending on the current mood.

However, much like the game itself, Would You Rather is a slightly unsatisfying experience. The tension is built effectively throughout, with a decently spooky, yet slightly intrusive, score running underneath everything, and the dining room is a perfectly claustrophobic setting. But, it becomes apparent about halfway through that there is really only one plausible outcome, and the attempt at a shock in the last few minutes is jarring. This is easily one of the most interesting and unique horror films in recent years, and thankfully, there are no falling plates or severed limbs to dilute the rather unique, quite terrifying, premise. Its “shock” ending is somewhat annoying, but thankfully doesn’t detract from what’s come before.

Would You Rather is a tense, gruelling experience, with enough shocks to keep even the most seasoned fans guessing, and a few laughs to alleviate it from being too much of a downer. A must-see, especially for those who want something a bit smarter than the usual fare.

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars

Gorepress‘ own Clive Barker fans Mark Pidgeon and James Simpson (with trusty voice recorder in hand) were lucky enough to have an exclusive sit down interview with some very important people before the last ever UK screening of Nightbreed: The Cabal Cut. In attendance was restoration director Russell Cherrington, actors Simon ‘Ohnaka’ Bamford, Hugh ‘Narcisse’ Ross and Nicholas ‘Kinksi’ Vince. Thanks go to James Watson for making the interview possible.

Interviewers: Mark Pidgeon – MP, James Simpson – JS

Interviewees: Simon Bamford – SB Russell Cherrington – RC, Hugh Ross – HR, Nicholas Vince – NV,

MP : How has the Occupy Midian exprience been for you?

RC : It started at a screening in North Carolina when the lead actors shouted out that we should “Occupy Midian” and get people to know this film. It went from one screening to getting requests almost everyday to screen it; it’s just built and built. We have over 13,000 signatures on our petition so if anyone wants to sign that it’s occupymidian.com or search us on Facebook. Its a great way of showing that fans can make things happen. When we first arroached Morgan Creek about doing it they laughed in our faces saying “Who would want to see that (the Cabal Cut)?”

MP : Well, Morgan Creek changed the whole tone of the movie, so how was it trying to get back to what Clive Barker wanted with a film version of Cabal?

RC : It was released by 20th Century Fox but Morgan Creek ‘did everything’ in regards to creating Nightbreed; they also had the battle with Clive when they thought they had another Hellraiser-type movie, when that wasn’t the case. When Clive presented the first rough cut they panicked and said “Woah, this is not what we want! If you want this released you MUST do re-shoots.” So, as Clive after this had said publicly that his version is better than what had been released, the film has been ‘supressed’ with tactics like the fact it has never been released on DVD here (Great Britain). In America it’s only DVD by demand, manufactured in some back room.

SB : I had to get mine from Germany where it is called ‘Cabal’.

JS : Have you looked into avenues of release like Kickstarter or other crowdfunding websites?

RC : Absolutely, but whatever we do and say Morgan Creek still ‘own it’. They have given us permission to screen it, to show there is an audience out there and by doing that they will release it. There are plans to release it now but Morgan Creek will be involved.

MP : How have you found working with them?

RC: As said, they laughed at first but not any more. Now there are people wanting this, and seeing it Morgan Creek are thinking in dollar signs and money. After three screenings, one being a big sell out in LA, they became supportive and they phoned me up and said “Yeah, Nightbreed!”

SB : That’s a real difference, they phoned you up instead.

RC : Yeah, that was when they agreed I could screen it for a year, which ends in late October.

JS : For this to be the final UK screening, is that an indicator that the interest has warranted an official release or is it because of the deadline?

RC : We finish in Erie, PA on October 20th, and it will be screened all over until then. Nothing else in the UK; a lot more in the US at festivals more than conventions. Australia is ready. Highly likely we will do Japan. But I cant do any more after October 20th. There is a company who may do a limited one week release of it at a chain of cinemas at some point but that’s not for certain.

MP : How has it been travelling and meeting all these fans?

NV : It’s been really enjoyable. For Simon and I, we were on Hellraiser, we were used to meeting fans and being at conventions. They would sometimes ask about Nightbreed and that was interesting.

SB : For ten years we did just Hellraiser, yet I always took Nightbreed photos to sign that no one really noticed. Then all of a sudden people would say to me “Oooh, I remember Nightbreed!” The interest came back into it and Clive mentioned that those films, er, with the vampires and teens?

Everyone : Twilight?

SB : Yeah! Twilight started a whole interest with the baddies being goodies; monsters being good. That’s what Nightbreed is about and it has helped in a lot of ways.

MP : It’s that idea of the bad being good that made Nightbreed ‘stand out’ for so many upon its release.

JS : I saw Nightbreed when I was 12 and have to admit that the idea of the monster being good was something I couldn’t understand. It’s only been since then, as an adult, I understand what Clive was ‘doing’.

SB : At the original screening we were half-and-half which didn’t make it clear. People are different.

RC : With Ray Harryhausen dying yesterday I told Clive; not knowing, he hadn’t heard and he was very upset. Clive said that without Ray‘s work there would be no films like ET and Close Encounters of the Third Kind; I think that goes for Nightbreed too. They influenced this film too.

MP : Re-reading the book, Cabal, it is like a grim fairytale due to its dark undertones; is that more in the Cabal Cut?

RC : I became a Clive Barker fan since I could read. I remember a friend gave me The Damnation Game on paperback and I hadn’t even read Books of Blood (Barker‘s early work) as I was too young. The book just blew me away and I got everything. I was a huge fan of Clive‘s from then. I saw Hellraiser at the cinema, I’d finished work and went straight to see it. I read Cabal and saw the film which was a disappointment. So when the opportunity came to change that, it was great. My biggest geek-out moment was when I had finished the edit and had it on DVD. I went downstairs by myself and watched The Cabal Cut on a huge TV. I was the first to see it as it was, and not even Clive had seen it! I had pins and needles, goosebumps, just everything. I took it to Clive and at first he didn’t watch it as his assistant forgot, so I handed a copy to Mark Millar who got Clive to see it. Clive sent me a message saying “This is the most amazing film I have ever seen, you have made my film for me!” He only wanted 4 little trims to happen and that’s it.

JS : To the three actors, what did you think when you heard your original performances would be restored and seen for the first time in decades?

HR : It was extraordinary. In this cut you will see my character is decapitated. When there was test screenings in LA the reaction to that was bad so they, the studio, decided my character shouldn’t be ‘killed off’. So when we did re-shoots a little after this my part was greatly enhanced. Actually, I’m not too sure I like this Cabal Cut now! (laughs) There isn’t much footage of the decapitation as it was difficult to shoot.

RC : In this we see your (Hugh‘s) head on a spike! That was in the novel as well.

HR : It was; that was very weird having my head cast taken for it. There is actually a photo somewhere of me holding my own head in my hands.

NV : As you mentioned, its very much like a grim fairytale and that was always my take on the book and original script. It’s a very European folktale and there’s something dark and nasty in the woods. Watching this cut was extraordinary, to see so much of the story.

MP : In Nightbreed, despite being in heavy make up you could still perform, whereas in Hellraiser you sort of, well, didn’t?

(laughs)

SB : In the Hellraisers it was odd because Clive kept shouting “Do less, do less!” The more you tried to do anything, in fact Doug (Bradley) said this, the more pantomime it seemed due to the make up. It’s better to do nothing at all. Let people imagine.

MP : What was it like to have to use prosthetics again in Nightbreed?

NV : He (Simon) didn’t have any!

SB : I just had my nipples.

JS : That’s why the film was cut! Nipples.

SB : Yeah! (laughs)

NV : It wasn’t much different. I was taken to the studio at 4am and had five hours of make up. But on Nightbreed you could talk and interact.

SB : You were cut off in Hellraiser, it was bizarre, but on Nightbreed you could see the set and actors!

NV : On Nightbreed the crew introduced themselves to me, I just said “You did two movies with me! You have no idea because you’ve never seen me out of make up before!” (laughs) For me the great joy of Chatterer was, yes it’s difficult, but it was MINE and my mask work. The way you bring it to life and make it believeable, I enjoyed that challenge. On Nightbreed, Kinksi is a nice guy. Chatterer…not so much!

JS : I’ve shown my wife photos of the Chatterer and she’s so scared from them she won’t watch Hellraiser!

SB : You should try showing it to your grandparents (laughs). “But grandma, its the only film I’ve made!” My mam watched it with her hands over her eyes. “Mam, watch! These are the bits I’m in!” (laughs)

JS – With Nightbreed and Hellraiser – are the fans different in some ways?

SB : I’d say they’re from the same stock. Clive has such a huge amount of fans and he deserves them, he sees life in a different way. I was reading something and, er, actually its in Barbie Wilde’s book (The Venus Complex, Comet Press)…

HR : Just 6.99! (laughs)

SB : …about how outsiders see things differently in life and I think Clive can do that with being gay. He has said that with being gay you grow up being an outsider so you always see life from a different viewpoint. I think that’s true; you always perceive things differently.

NV : With being an outsider and Clive only being a few years older than us…

JS – But you’re ‘only 40′ aren’t you?

NV : (laughs) Yes, you’re so nice! We lived through the AIDS thing; people labelled as monsters certainly helps this stuff from Clive.

SB : Clive grew up as a gay; even as a kid he was an outsider and it made him think “I can go one of two ways, be bullied or become an outsider.” I believe he used that to his advantage.

NV : With your Hellraiser / Nightbreed fans question I think its because were very lucky with Clive. We are lucky to have worked with him and I was lucky enough to work on some of his comics too. I am very grateful to Clive.

SB : You’ve gone on to write ‘What Monsters Do‘ as well!

(Simon cheekily holds up Nicholas’ book. Everyone laughs)

NV : Cheaper than Barbie’s! (laughs) Her’s is thicker mind. More for your money.

HR : You’re planning a sequel too!

NV : Yes, a sequel! ‘Other People’s Darkness and Other Stories‘. Out next month! I should pay you guys commission for mentioning it! (laughs)

JS : Could you talk about the proposed Nightbreed sequel from that time?

SB : It was already in the script. Ready to go.

RC: With some things, they have to make money, and with what happened with the movie stopped Clive on a sequel. However, in the last week he has said he wants to write about the Nightbreed again, and it’s because of The Cabal Cut and the fans. I don’t think we have seen the last of the Nightbreed. There is talk of a TV series; I wont get shot for saying that as it’s been ongoing for a while. You will have more Nightbreed and Clive wants more too.

JS : Thank you for your time everyone, we know you’re very busy so it was great of you to talk to us.

RC : Feel free to record anything later on tonight, too.

JS : Is that permission to get my video-camera out and record bootleg copies of The Cabal Cut to sell?

(laughs)

SB : Its all on tape, they can make their own version!

RC : The Cabal Cut is a bootleg in some ways.

Visit OccupyMidian.com for more info and to find out if a screening is happening near you!
Check out James Watson’s Film Club at The Forum, Darlington

Speaking personally, the impact Ray Harryhausen had on me permeates several parts of my life, and gave birth to my lifelong fascination with monsters. One of my first memories is sitting on my grandfather’s knee, being allowed to stay up late to watch Clash of the Titans, at 5 years old. I was terrified, but my Grandpa was with me and helped quell that fear. Fear quickly turned to fascination that has stayed with me to this day. This bore fruit, when at age 24 I completed my Masters thesis ‘From Beowulf, to Buffy, and Beyond: The Evolution of the Medieval Monster.’ A solid year of researching monsters from all ages and cultures, comparing their depiction in the past and how they’d evolved in modern time often brought me around to one name: Ray Harryhausen. This shows the true influence of the man in modern cinematic society. To call him the godfather of his field just doesn’t seem to do him justice. I even dug up my thesis and gave it a read through in the wake of Harryhausens passing, and found him referenced in the text no fewer than 18 times. My academic life’s work has always surrounded monsters, the ‘other’, and their impact on society and entertainment, and Ray Harryhausen has been with me every step of the way. For that, i am truly thankful.

Born in 1920, growing up in Los Angeles, California, Harryhausens first experience with the monsters that would shape his life and career was seeing 1933 creature feature King Kong. After the creative itch hit, he spent his early years experimenting with stop motion model animation inspired by Willis O’Brien, the model animator on King Kong. We have a lot to thank Wills for, because without him urging Harryhausen (following an arranged meeting) to progress his work and hone his skills as a graphic artist, we may never have seen the wondrous works of the subsequent decades.

In 1947 Harryhausen was employed as an assistant animator on Mighty Joe Young alongside Willis O’Brien. Harryhausen took on the main bulk of animation duties, and their combined efforts netted O’Brien the Academy Award for Best Special Effects. This was surely a sign of things to come.

Harryhausen’s first feature film solo effort was the now famous The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms in which a ferocious Godzilla-type mister wreaks havoc, killing untold amounts of people. This film was released in 1953, and was considered the peak of stop motion animation and visual effects. You can just imagine the effect it would have had to those viewing it. As such, it’s no surprise that it was a major international box office hit for Harryhausen and Warner Brothers.

The 50′s also birthed the term ‘Dynamation’, a marketing term for Harryhausen’s unique methods of experimenting with colour stock to overcome the problems in color-balance-shift, and his unique style of having model animated characters interact with the live action world.

This unique, iconic, and frankly brilliant style resulted in what is often considered his masterpiece; 1963′s Jason and The Argonauts. There are few people I have encountered in my lifetime who haven’t seen this film, or at least part of it. It’s the film with ‘that scene’ in it; the iconic skeleton fight scene. This was the pinnacle of stop motion to live action interaction, and I personally think it’s stood the test of time. This scene, where seven stop motion skeletal warriors take on 3 actors has never been surpassed by a single individual, and it’s unsurprising, considering the, more than, four months it took to complete. Add to that such other iconic scenes such as the hydra battle, and it’s easy to see why Harryhausen and his work has touched so many people over the years and remains just as iconic as its first showing way back in the 60′s.

Harryhausen revised the Sinbad Character from earlier years to create The Golden Voyage of Sinbad (1973) and later, Sinbad and the eye of the Tiger (1977). Both films were great box office successes the latter really showing Harryhausen’s popularity, considering 1977 saw the release of a little known film called Star Wars.

1981 saw the release of the Greek epic Clash of the Titans. This is a film that is truly close to my heart, as it was the film that as I say, birthed my love of everything monster related. In terms of monsters, Clash of the Titans had it all. Pegasus, the monstrous Kraken, giant scorpions, and perhaps most famously of all, an incredible depiction of Medusa. Having studied these monsters as a classics student, I regularly go back to this film and marvel at just how right he got it. Not only did the film showcase his talent, the Harryhausen name even carried enough weight to get legendary actor Laurence Olivier on board, playing Zeus no less. This film always has been a personal favourite of mine for several reasons. It ignited my love of monsters, effectively changing my life, it brings back some truly nostalgic personal memories, and Harry Hamlin‘s acting (don’t get me started) aside, it’s a bloody brilliant film.

Clash of the Titans was Harryhausen’s final film, as post release he and long time producer and friend Charles H. Schneer retired from active filmmaking. Following this retirement, Harryhausen focused on his trilogy of books, Film Fantasy Scrapbook, An Animated Life and The Art of Ray Harryhausen.

In his later life, Harryhausen remained close friends with Ray Bradbury until his death in 2012, and Charles H. Sneer who passed away in 2009.

In 1986 he created The Ray and Diana Harryhausen Foundation, a charity that not only works to preserve Harryhausen’s vast collection, but also promotes the art of stop-motion animation.

In the wake of his death, the real influence he had on the entertainment world became truly apparent with the tributes paid to him.

Some are as follows:

“I think all of us who are practitioners in the arts of science fiction and fantasy movies now all feel that we’re standing on the shoulders of a giant. If not for Ray’s contribution to the collective dreamscape, we wouldn’t be who we are.”

-James Cameron

“Ray has been a great inspiration to us all in special visual industry. The art of his earlier films, which most of us grew up on, inspired us so much.” “Without Ray Harryhausen, there would likely have been no Star Wars”

George Lucas.

“He is one of the true greats, if not the true great of stop motion animation. The unique craftsman has been my mentor and inspiration since my earliest childhood memories.

“The Lord of the Ringsis my ‘Ray Harryhausen movie’. Without his life-long love of his wondrous images and storytelling it would never have been made – not by me at least”

Peter Jackson

“Ray, your inspiration goes with us forever.”

Steven Spielberg

“He is one of the true greats, if not the true great of stop motion animation. The unique craftsman has been my mentor and inspiration since my earliest childhood memories.”

Nick Park

The pedigree of those paying tribute speaks for itself, and says more about the man than I ever could.

Ray Harryhausen died on 7th May 2013 at the age of 92 years old. The world of cinema will forever be changed by him, for the better. Without him, there would be no Star Wars, there would be no Aardman Animation. It’s only when you look back, you realise how much this great man brought to the world. He has left behind a legacy that may never be equalled. He changed the world, my world, in a way words cannot do justice. So I come full circle, eagerly awaiting this summer’s big creature feature Pacific Rim, knowing full well that without the life and works of Ray Harryhausen, it wouldn’t have been made.

You will always be an inspiration. I salute you, and I thank you.

So instead of sending it to the authorities in Japan much as the basis for Guinea Pig 1 The devil’s experiment did, he decided to re-film it to protect all participants and show the world the gory escapades of a lunatic dressed as a samurai/Geisha as he butchers an innocent woman into tiny pieces. As you do. Of course, this was all just elaborate stories, as if this had any inkling of being true the Japanese police would have raided Hino and he would be behind bars for withholding evidence.

This is much gorier than Devil’s Experiment, with a little higher production values, it’s much of the same but if you are actively seeking out the Guinea Pig films you aren’t going to mind at all. Unlike many other entries into the series we are greeted with a brief warning and Star Wars style rolling credit introduction to Hideshi Hino’s reasoning behind making the “documentary”.

The film starts with a young woman being attacked late at night and knocked out with chloroform by a manic florist; that was an important side note as his aim is to create a perfect “flower of flesh and blood” which not a lot of viewers actually make a connection to, adding a goal and aim to the otherwise pointless graphic violence.

As she awakens, much to her despair she is restrained on a bed in a grotty room with a rather awesome Genki painting above her which depicts a victim wrapped in tentacles, the soundtrack is used to effect with minimal sounds over the recording; dripping water and the frantic sharpening of a samurai blade add to the atmosphere and tension in the movies early stages. It’s evident that this is trying to be more than the first entry in the series and is actually endowed with sets and a reason for the carnage.

Things take a turn for the bizarre when the viewer finally encounters the murderer in full; Samurai style helmet, missing and decaying teeth, and crazy eyes make for an all encompassing villain. The meticulous way that he puts on his work gloves examines his tools and prepares his victim is astounding. Shots linger on his caressing of the tools as the woman screams in the background out of view. The sacrificial killing of a chicken is the killers way of setting off proceedings, I am sure this was only included because of the cannibal movies from Italy, as an homage of sorts, and it sets up the tone nicely.

Our killer then drugs the panicked woman which he then explains to her that it will allow her to feel everything that he is doing to her but will render her unable to move or scream. This unrelenting sequence is an excellent tool for the viewer to experience the fear that he is inflicting to the victim; her tears and fear are realistic and I’m very surprised this is Kirara Yugao’s only acting role to date.

At around the 15 minute mark the real carnage begins, as the killer disrobes our helpless victim and once again leaves her; the film fades suggesting that several hours have passed. The killer then breaks the fourth wall by addressing the audience directly to explain about the acts which shall pass; this is disjointed and makes you feel a little uneasy. Letting the viewer know that the payoff is about be shown, enticing them to continue watching, indulgent. The dismemberment of the woman slowly begins and the effects shine as our Samurai cuts off the woman’s hand at the wrist in a gloriously sadistic shot. The camera work is heavily on the actions, and the bizarre adjoining scenes of narration add to the suspense.

Being told what is going to happen next is a fantastic addition to this movie and works incredibly well in this setting. The amount that Flower Of Flesh And Blood has influenced Hostel also becomes evident, shots of tool benches in amongst the carnage lets the viewers imagination run wild with fear and, I dare say, excitement. The full dismemberment encompasses around 25 minutes of the short 42 min running time, all of them gruesomely vivid and accompanied by lashings of gore.

The details will remain sparse here about the actual act itself, as giving too much away will detract greatly for this viewing experience. Needless to say there is a fantastic payoff for those that can stomach it till the very end. After the deed is completed our killer then arranges the victim much like a floral display, then sits down to have a cigarette which likens the torture to a sex act. The censors will have had a field day on this one.

This film works much better as a narrative than some of the other entries in the guinea pig series and although its plot is threadbare the shock factor and realism will keep people debating for years. The film garnered so much shock on emergence that the cast and crew had to quickly cobble together a making of documentary as to falsify any claims that Kirara was actually murdered on set.

Unearthed Films have included this documentary on the disc alongside the movie, which is enjoyable. This is a perfect introduction to the Guinea Pig series much more accessible than Devil’s Experiment, and a far superior film than the Devil Woman Doctor forth entry into this series.

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars

Metro Last Light
Platform: PC, PS3, Xbox 360
Release: 17 May 2013

This game’s predecessor Metro 2033 was an underrated hero of the horror market, labelled a cult classic because of its sorely low impact when first introduced in 2010. Based on a post-apocalyptic science-fiction novel, it chewed on the very notion of survival horror, asking players to survive in the wake of a nuclear holocaust. Metro: Last Light takes place in the same ruins of obliterated Moscow, where a population of survivors take solace underground in the metro. With flavours of Fallout 3 and Dead Space, this is one series to get acquainted with.

The Last of Us
Platform: PS3 exclusive
Release: 14 June 2013

For PS3 parents, this promising trip into post-apocolyptic America has been earmarked on the calendar for a long time. From the hands of Naughty Dog who brought us the beautiful Uncharted series, this sees them take hold of that character blend they do so well and let it lead us down the path to Halloween Town in what promises to be a compelling horror venture. This is a game of survival with a rich storyline that is just as much about the decisions you make as it is about fighting to stay alive. So no, this is not the place to come for scares, that’s for sure. This is for those of you who have time to invest in a story. Try the demo on May 31st and see what you think.

Amnesia: A Machine For Pigs
Platform: PC, Mac
Release: Autumn 2013

For those of you who read Phil’s fantastic review or played the demon yourself, the ground breaking Amnesia: The Dark Descent no doubt left a lingering impression on your nerve-endings. We loved it here at Gorepress HQ and leapt for sadistic joy when the sequel was announced. Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs is set for release in Autumn with brand new characters and locations, whilst still in keeping with their genius premise of placing you on the knife-edge of constant anticipation. But their new baby has sprouted into a monster of a creation that Frictional Games were originally due to release last Halloween. Can we forgive them for the wait? We’ll see when the new brat hits the shelves.

Outlast
Platform: PC
Release: Summer 2013

What lurks behind the secretive walls of Mount Massive Asylum? Journalist Miles Upshur wants to find out. With only a camera at his disposal, all this game asks of you is survival: and it’s a tall order. Imagine if you were unarmed in Condemned; that will give you an idea of what this experience will feel like. Brutish patients chase you through endless broken rooms and corridors, force you into cramped hiding places and leave you to watch them sniff you out in the dark. All sounds very promising, but I am holding my tongue until its release date. The question hanging over its head for me is whether Outlast can really scare, or simply knows how to make you jump, which is all I’ve seen it do in the trailers so far.

State of Decay
Platform: Xbox 360
Release: June 2013

An open world zombie survival game sounds like sweet, sweet music to mine ears. In this flesh-eating sandbox you will find yourself with the tools and the freedom to answer one of life’s important questions: How would you survive a zombie apocalypse? Now’s your chance to find out. Will you fight for supplies, raid police stations for weapons or build a stronghold with fellow survivors? State of Decay reacts in real-time with consequences to your actions so there is genuine pressure to choose wisely. Released on Xbox Live Arcade next month (we hope) add this to your ‘must-have’ list.

Routine
Platform: PC
Release: Autumn 2013

If you want to put your gaming prowess to the test, this interesting morsel could be right up your alley. Routine is a gauntlet of sci-fi horror set on an abandoned moon base. Using only one life, you must try to get as far as you can to discover what happened to the crew, with the very real threat of death looming over you. You’re corpse is dragged right back to the beginning of the game, should you die, and you have to start all over again. Tedium is sure to rear its ugly head with this one, but If you think you’re up to it keep an eye on the Lunar Software website (http://www.lunar-software.com ) for updates on the now postponed release date.

Among The Sleep
Platform: PC, Mac
Release: Late 2013

Re-imagining the archetypes of the horror videogame is a tough gig. But Krillbite Studios have decided to try their hand at it by putting the player in the shoes of a two-year-old. Among The Sleep taps into that natural vulnerability we have all experienced as children and takes us back there, experiencing the horror that shadows and noises in an empty house can bring. As you crawl with hands in front of you, or totter up to large, imposing furniture, there are threats that an adult simply wouldn’t access. The idea is clever, its enough to get people talking, and I really hope they pull it off. But you will have to wait patiently for the release date as creators are still holding down part-time jobs in the background to fund this project. Expect it later this year.

The Evil Within
Platform: Xbox 360, PS3, PC and next gen consoles
Release: 2014

“I want users to get so scared that their hands are in a cold sweat on the controller,” that, my friends, is straight from the mouth of Resident Evil creator Shinji Mikami. He is talking about his newest venture, The Evil Within, a groundbreaking project that vows to return to what survival horror always should have been. Considering Mikami left the RE franchise because of the action-packed direction it was taking, he is a man of his word.

The Evil Within begins at the scene of a mass murder, and Detective Sebastian Castellanos is called in to investigate. But one by one, he witnesses the brutal deaths of the policemen around him and loses consciousness. He wakes to find the modern world has morphed into a dark, twisted pseudo-reality, pitting Castellanos against his worst fears. What began as a simple manhunt reveals itself as a much more enthralling search for evil itself. So – are we excited? You bet your ass. And for those of you with any doubt about how good this game is sure to be, let Mikami reassure you: “I’ve found my focus and once again I’m striving for pure survivial horror.” Have you heard anything sweeter?

Let me just state that, although comparisons will undoubtedly be made, I’m going to review this as a completely standalone title, so comparisons to the live action remake will not me made, save this: Blood: The Last Vampire is everything its live action counterpart is not, and in short, I loved it.

I’ve given you a brief synopsis of the main premise of the film, and it’s hard to go into too much detail without completely spoiling the short (48 minutes) film, but Saya, the aforementioned ‘Original’ is employed by a department of the US secret service to investigate an American high school situated on an US air base in 1966, where it is believed a Chiropteran has infiltrated the school. Whether staff or student, it’s not known, so Saya is packed off in a cliched Japanese School uniform and a sword (cleverly hidden) strapped to her back. As you can probably guess, the story takes a turn for the sinister as a plot unravels that genuinely had me pleasantly surprised and gave a new take on the Vampire franchise.

In terms of animation, it’s dark, gritty and really gives that 60′s vintage feel, combined with great sounds, that really give a thoroughly authentic visual and aural experience. What I liked about it, is that there wasn’t an outward Japanese (big eyes small mouth) feel to it, but had its own unique style that seemed to me to be an amalgamation of eastern and western animation styles.

Saya herself is a fantastic character. At times she seems completely devoid of emotion; a ruthless single-minded killing machine, but by the end of the film we realise she’s so much more. She’s a caring individual, torn by her choices and the fact that she is effectively ‘doing as humans do, killing her own kind’. This is a moral they throw in, but it’s expertly timed and doesn’t feel at all cliched.

Saya is supported by some fantastic characters including Mahiko, the school nurse who plummets headfirst into the conflict, but really comes through as a supporting character, and is the humanistic element of the film, that we could all associate with if we were thrown into the situation.

The Chiropterans are beautifully animated, have personalities of their own, and have a grotesque and twisted elegance to them. They look like mindless beasts, but are anything but. The battle between Saya and the Chiropterans is as much a battle of wits as it is steel on fangs.

In terms of the ‘Subbed or Dubbed’ debate, so often dubbed films are dumbed down and lose their subtle nouances in translation, but Blood: The Last Vampire eliminates this problem. They make Saya bilingual. When she needs to speak English, she does, and the same for Japanese. In fact, I’d say the Japanese/English ratio is around 60/40.The English is done well too; not over the top, not over explaining the given situation. Subtle, and true to the feel of the entire film.

Blood: The Last Vampire is a beautifully stylised and gripping film. It flows so effortlessly, and although some will be let down by the short running time, I think it’s perfectly paced and does not need to be any longer. It’s a completely different take on the vampire franchise and I found it both moving, and refreshing. It spawned the also fantastic Blood+ anime series, as well as the not-so-noteworthy live action film; but the less said about that, the better.

Get out there, watch it, and enjoy a true masterclass in how Anime horror should be done.

Rating: 8.5 out of 10 stars

Released in 2006 to little fanfare, but lots of festival buzz, Behind The Mask takes the form of a mockumentary in which a small crew of documentary filmmakers follow and interview a budding serial killer named Leslie Vernon. Leslie is affable, handsome and smart. He is also planning a big “kill” in his hometown of Glen Echo and allows the crew access to every step of his plans. Along the way, he explains and deconstructs all the familiar aspects of the slasher movie and why they exist.

The decision to set Behind The Mask in a world where the slasher movie antagonists that we all love, are recognised as being real, is a stroke of genius on the part of writer/director Scott Glosserman. Leslie namechecks Jason Voorhees, Michael Myers and Freddy Krueger as though they’re his heroes and it’s brilliantly done. It’s one step shy of breaking the fourth wall and winking at the camera from time to time but it is never overdone and never once does it feel smug. Instead, it becomes increasingly obvious that the film was made by people who know a great deal about the genre and want to share their enthusiasm with a willing audience who can participate in the joke, and who will appreciate it for what it is.

Nathan Baesal as Leslie is nothing short of wonderful. He has the ability to go from personable to eager-to-please to imposing in the blink of an eye and has the sort of expressive face that begs for more lead roles. It’s amazing that he hasn’t worked on more feature films since as he really is that great. Angela Goethals helps complete their uncertain double act as the interviewer, and the only member of the documentary crew that we see on screen until the third act. She’s the perfect innocent but inquisitive female lead. The rest of the cast is perfectly able and there are a handful of cameos from Robert Englund, Kane Hodder and Zelda Rubenstein to keep the fans happy too, as well as a great turn from The Walking Dead‘s Scott Wilson.

Overall Behind The Mask : The Rise Of Leslie Vernon works on several levels. It descontructs the slasher conventions that have become something of a joke whilst acting as a textbook slasher film too, and the fact that it achieves both is incredible when on paper, it’s the sort of thing that could just as easily have ended in disaster, in less capable hands. Slashers have become so commonplace in horror that the experience of predicting exactly what happens can almost be more fun than the films themselves but Behind The Mask succeeds in being a fun mockumentary, a social commentary on horror and its fans, as well as a genuine slasher movie in its own right; no mean feat. If I had to come up with a negative, about the only thing I can think of is that the Leslie Vernon as serial killer mask and outfit could have been done a little better but considering budget constraints, the wardrobe department has still managed to come up with something reasonably fresh and certainly iconic. The mask doesn’t look like anything else I’ve seen, and wouldn’t look out of place next to a hockey mask or a painted William Shatner mask at all.

Sadly, the reason it’s so successful is probably also the reason it will never receive the wider audience it deserves. Those less familiar with the genre will no doubt feel alienated and wonder what the joke is. Without the knowledge of what it is that’s being broken down it’ll float over a lot of heads and therein lies the flaw; it’s for horror fans and horror fans alone. Behind The Mask : The Rise Of Leslie Vernon is fun, clever, well made and should be held in much higher regard than it is, amongst fans of film instead of just fans of horror. It goes a long way to proving what can be done with a little budget and a lot of imagination, and actors that are hired for their talent rather than their star power. I, for one, look forward to seeing if the rumoured prequel comes to fruition.

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars

We held a small, private party and had a blast, but we had an urge to take it to the public and share the fun. That’s exactly what we did this year. With a helping hand provided by The Lady Luck bar in Canterbury, we were given the opportunity to host an entire day. From 3pm to 8pm we screened Gorepress favourites Troll 2, Stake Land and The Thing, all of which went down brilliantly.

With seven of the local Gorepress crew present, we then held our own slant on the Horror Movie Quiz, compered a little drunkenly by Rosetta and I. Despite jovial accusations that we’d made it a little too difficult, the general consensus was that we’d created an enjoyable quiz, with all of the available tables booked and an admirable turnout.

Winning our quiz with a grand total of 26/40 were a local team of filmmakers. The quiz was rounded out by a picture round on Horror TV Shows as well as spot prizes and Best Team Name and Best Costume announcements.

The whole experience was tiring, stressful and so, so much fun. If we play our cards right, hopefully we’ll be able to host another next year, as well as other events in the future. Viva la Gorepress!

Dorff plays Ritchie Donovan, a down on his luck professional thief who, on the back of a heist gone tits up, reluctantly accepts another job from Russian (yes I said Russian) mob boss Sean Pertwee. He is charged with retrieving a sacred cross from an office block, and is teamed up with a motley pair of ‘Russian’ gangsters. While on the heist though, things go even more to pot, when all is not what it seems, hostages start losing their heads (literally), and an altogether more supernatural air descends on the movie.

That’s about all I’m willing to give away about the plot, as I’m not entirely sure there was actually much of a plot here. It’s a muddled mess of a movie, that just tries too hard to shock and be funny at the same time.

In terms of casting, Dorff aside, it’s a predominantly English cast, including the lovely Jaime Murray of Hustle and Dexter fame, and the aforementioned Sean Pertwee. One of the gimmicks of the movie, that as far as i’m concerned fell flat on its face is that they all play Russians. I can’t tell if this was supposed to be an in-joke, but it just reminded me of everyone speaking in an Irish accent in Alexander just to humour poor Colin Farrell. Past the first 5 minutes, it just becomes an irritation, and not even the beautiful Murray pulls it off.

The soundtrack is mediocre at best, and had that kind of Oceans Eleven ‘they know something we don’t know’ vibe to it. I was half expecting Jaime Murray to look at the camera, and wink at us a la Hustle. It would have at least fit the mood.

The gore is plentiful, but it’s just not convincing. There’s only so many times you can see people get impaled and lose limbs in various ways before it just becomes dull.

The real big let down to Botched though is its comedy. It just tries too hard. Some films are born for subtlety, and some for balls-to-the-wall buckets of gore. This was trying for the latter, but fell so wide of the mark. It’s this try hard aspect that throughout the entire film, i envisioned a blacked up Robert Downey Jr whispering in my ear “they went full retard, you NEVER go full retard“. Add to this, the fact Dorff plays his role completely deadpan and relatively competently that further makes the rest of the cast a joke.

Botched is a film that tries incredibly hard, but doesn’t deliver on much. The gore, the gimmicks, the story; it’s just not there. I only laughed at a few points and i’m quite sure others will be challenged to take anything away from this film. That’s how best to sum this film up: A challenge to watch, and I don’t think it will be long before Botched is lining the bottom of bargain bins up and down the country.

Rating: 3.5 out of 10 stars

A claustrophobic horror mainly set in one apartment and an adjoining tunnel, it follows Callie, a recovering drug addict, who returns to stay with her pregnant sister Tricia, who is in the process of declaring her husband dead in absentia (TITLE WARNING!) after he inexplicably went missing seven years ago. Trying to move on with her life, Tricia is haunted by
visions of her dead husband, while Callie is drawn to the tunnel and the odd occurrences that seem tied to it. It quickly becomes clear that Tricia’s missing husband and the mysterious tunnel may be linked in ominous ways.

The film is low budget, has no name actors in leading roles, and leaves an awful lot to the imagination – and it’s all to its benefit. Director Mike Flanagan has carved out a fantastically tense piece that is more in tune with the likes of The Shining or Jacob’s Ladder, eschewing the current trends of ‘more is more’, and instead lets the audience fill in the blanks in their heads. Keeping the action to relatively few locations, it makes everything intimately familiar very fast, and had me feeling like I was trapped by some invisible boundaries that were closing in more and more as the film went on.

No one here is underwritten. We watch these characters be real people in an unreal situation, which is refreshing after so many horrors with characters that being called 2D would be generous. Katie Parker and Courtney Bell give remarkable performances as the two sisters, and Guillermo del Toro regular Doug Jones has a small role as someone returning from the netherworld of the tunnel. The weak links are the male leads of Dave Levine as Tricia’s detective boyfriend, and Morgan Peter Brown as her husband Daniel, showing some amateur acting chops, but thankfully they are not poor enough to take away from the story. I even found Levine to be the character I most latched on to in terms of sympathy.

Hey, if a film with some dodgy acting can still enthrall me, it must being doing something right.

Being shot digitally, the aesthetic of Absentia takes a little bit of getting used to, and straddles the line between gorgeous cinematography to home-video level, but in general, the film knows its restraints and plays them to its strength. There is a beautiful score running under the whole thing, and a minimalist feel to the proceedings that forces you to pay attention to the detail, instead of overwhelming the eye with jumps everywhere. Speaking of jumps, there are a few, but not enough to even consider it a party film. No, this is more of an individual experience, placing you in the characters shoes as they realistically battle an unfathomable force.

It’s a shame Absentia isn’t more known. It garnered lots of buzz on the festival circuit, but now that it has hit home video, with its awful standard cover art, it is being sold short. Hopefully word of mouth can continue for the low-budgeter and it will hit a resurgence and get to be a cult classic, because it deserves it. There is a lot of unintelligible tripe out there trying
to slip under the radar under the guise of ‘indie horror’, hoping people will excuse a lot of problems with the films because of this. Absentia, with a modest shooting budget of about 25 grand, shows that budget is no excuse for a poor film. If there were more films like Absentia, the horror world would be a better place.

Not a perfect film, but a mighty worthwhile one.

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars