The Doktor filmed this video on our recent visit to Atlanta, Georgia to attend the World Horror Convention. It’s 1:46 seconds of a slow, steep ride down an escalator which appears to be lit a light green for added eerie effects. Although I do not suffer from escalaphobia or acrophobia (I rather enjoy both escalators and heights), my grip on the handrail was steady and tight the entire time. I may have held my breath as well!
Take a trip with us to the underworld on the escalator to hell, or at least, the bowels of the MARTA system!
If you are among those who need a good mouthful of horror to get rid of the saccharine-sweet taste of Valentine’s Day, you’ll want to attend the Three Corpse Circus‘ upcoming evening of short horror films at the Corner Brewery in Ypsilanti, MI. “Til Death do us part” will bring together a collection of films about love and relationships, but don’t expect all flowers and hearts– at least, not beating hearts. The show runs from 8 – 11pm on Tuesday, February 10, promising an evening of horror, love and beer.
The promo poster features a still from “Dead Hearts” which played at the Three Corpse Circus in October 2014, a movie that incidentally stole my heart. The ending of the film filled my nose with sniffles and eyes with tears– and who would have expected that from a film that included a first kiss in a mortuary, a blind karate expert, and Little Red Riding Hood taking on a werewolf gang? I cannot wait to watch it again.
It’s always delightful to see what the Three Corpses provide for an event– and this theme and time of year is rife with possibilities. I’m looking forward to having my heart broken, played with, torn up, and stabbed. It’s Valentine’s Day; who’d want anything less from the movies?
We got a SURPISE in Columbus… The Impy chills in the Torpedo Room, Columbus
When Elsa and I traveled to Columbus to award Jason Tostevin this year’s Impy, we weren’t prepared for our reception. The Impy recognizes cinematic achievement in short horror films produced in Midwest, but the rules somewhat jokingly note “with the possible exception of Ohio.” The genuine Buckeye hospitality we were shown made us seriously consider revising that proviso. Honestly. What could (nearly) prompt a change of heart in this second-generation Wolverine? In addition to his artistic skill, Jason Tostevin, producer of “I Owe You” and mastermind of “Hands Off Productions,” also throws a great party.
We convened at the Gateway Film Center, an impressive cinema destination in the heart of Columbus, adjacent to the Ohio State University campus. For this celebration, Tostevin gathered some of the principal talent involved in making “I Owe You” such a dark gem.
Elsa happily reports that actor Brian Spangler (who played “Cam”) is as handsome in real life as he is on-screen. She was also not surprised that he fronts a band (Barefoot Swagger.) Brian has also appeared in several previous Hands Off productions, including twisted romantic horror tale “Til Death (2013)” and “Help Wanted” which was produced for the 2013 Columbus 48-hour Film Festival.
(View Brian’s other IMDB credits here.)
I was particularly pleased to meet Randall Greenland whose script provided a tight narrative cohesion. Many short films have a keen visual style and some even feature great acting but Randall’s economical and expressive script pushed “I Owe You” to the winner’s circle. Randall is also a long-time member of the team and has provided many scripts for Hands Off Productions. (View his IMDB credits here.)
Tostevin has assembled a team of folks who enjoy each other’s company and that sense of easy collaboration comes through in their films.
Randall Greenland, Jason Tostevin (with Impy), Brian Spangler and Trista Caruso
Jason has also found creative ways to work with other independent filmmakers. While taking his films to festivals, Tostevin encountered many remarkable short films that he knew wouldn’t get screened widely due to their brief running times. Tostevin worked with other award-winning directors to collect seven admirable films in “Seven Hells (2014)” a feature length anthology that premiered at the Gateway Film Center in the fall of 2014. Check out a teaser for Seven Hells here. Included in this collection is his own piece “‘Til Death,” a comedy-horror short about the unintended morning-after consequences that four guys discover after killing their partners. “Til Death” has won over 100 awards in various festivals, making it perhaps the most winning-est short in Ohio film history. Check out the “Til Death” listing at IMDB here. “Seven Hells” was such a success that Tostevin plans another anthology film, this one collecting various romantic-horror films suited particularly well for Valentine’s Day. I like a guy who finds ways to spread horror all around the calendar.
The Torpedo Room, inside the Gateway Film Center, Columbus, Ohio
Jason chose the perfect location for this award celebration, namely The Torpedo Room, a steampunk-Jules Verne themed restaurant located inside the Gateway Film Center. I immediately fell for the decor of brass portholes, woodcut sea monsters, leaded glass and a view screen that looped classic Verne inspired movies. The Torpedo Room is a fully licensed restaurant featuring fun food and drink. I had a brussel sprout pizza and a blood orange wheat beer. The Torpedo Room’s concept is the design of Columbus restaurant legend Elizabeth Lessner whose other clever eateries include Dirty Franks Hot Dog Palace and the Surly Girl Saloon all heavily themed, fun eateries. (Elsa and I added them all to our growing list of Cool Things to Do Next Time in Columbus. Before meeting Jason, I couldn’t have imagined such a list was possible.) One clever way The Torpedo Room partners with the Gateway is in creating special drinks to tie into the current running shows. Elsa and I are always scoping out what we call “Weird Date Nights,” and having the Torpedo Room inside the Gateway makes the traditional dinner and a movie easy and enjoyable.
Jason also arranged a personal tour of the Gateway Film Center. This modern day movie palace features both state of the art digital projection as well as not one but two theaters capable of showing 35mm prints. (Yes, there’s a difference.) While traversing the hidden innards of the building, I asked if the Gateway, like most theatres, was haunted and I learned of “Barry” (named after “Barry Lyndon,” of course) a good-natured spectre who occasionally unplugs devices and moves small objects. The Gateway makes great use of this facility to celebrate film, from independent features to classic gems to contemporary blockbusters. A couple of their on-going programs might particularly appeal to readers of DailyNightmare. The “Nightmares from the Crypt” film series screens lesser seen horror films worthy of a second look while their “Nightmares on High Street” series shows the best independent contemporary horror. I was particularly interested in their monthly “Show us your Shorts” event which is like an open-mike night for film. The first ten participants get to share their short film with the audience who votes for their favorite. Winner takes home the ticket sales for the night. What a great way to inspire filmmakers and foster a sense of camaraderie. The Gateway Film Center seems committed to making film a fun communal event.
Elsa and I chatted, munched and filled our list of cool Columbus must-hit locations, but we had one last question for our gracious host. We at the DailyNightmare believe horror is best seen against a backdrop of hope. What gives Jason Tostevin hope in this world?
My personal relationships make me hopeful. Some of the best, most supportive (and challenging, in the best way) people I’ve met have been on the film festival circuit; we’ve become an international network of indie filmmakers who promote and support and look out for one another. That’s pretty special and makes me optimistic.
In life, my wife and kids make me hopeful. Seeing my girls grow up in a world where there are real social issues being talked about and acted on — where most people agree that my daughters, when they’re grown, should be paid the same as men, that they don’t need to marry (but they can, including if they’re gay), that they should be free from men’s sexual expectations, that bullying is bad — has me optimistic that they’ll live in a world with better men and women than their parents did. And that’s kind of why we do it, right — tell stories and create a new generation. So the world gets better?
On this note, Elsa and I bid adieu to Jason Tostevin and the wonders of Columbus, assured in the fact that this year’s Impy had found a worthy home.
IndieHorror.TV relaunches on October 30 with a full weekend of independently made horror films. After a short hiatus of re-organizing, IndieHorror.Tv is now broadcasting through ChromeCast, allowing them to give a later audience a satisfying viewing experience.
IndieHorror.TV is a local gem with international reach. It’s a station that broadcasts pretty much anything in the horror genre. They don’t position themselves as judge or jury on quality, but instead, they chose to be a free-for-all offering of as much programming as possible. IndieHorror.TV’s goal is to provide a showcase for independent horror filmmakers to share their work and a resource for fans to explore and discover what’s out there.
Director Robert Poole remains committed to sharing both short films and feature films with horror fans worldwide. Check out IndieHorror.TV’s Halloween Weekend schedule and find the films you want to see. The station remains committed to supporting horror fans and horror filmmakers. Tune in and return the favor.
Lawson Deming may have shuffled off this mortal coil in 2007, but Sir Graves Ghastly, the campy horror host he portrayed from 1967 – 1983 on TV2 in Detroit, lives on as a fond memory for thousands of metro area residents. This weekend, the historic Redford Theatre, celebrated the career of this lovable vampire with a special showing of “The Wolfman (1941)” with all the trimmings. The film itself was a crisp 35MM print and, interspersed throughout, were skits from the original show as well as vintage commercials for Faygo, Mr. Belvedere and Busemis pizza. During intermission, there was a laugh-off as contestants tried to mimick that classic Graves “nyah-ah-ah” as well as an art ghoulery of children’s drawings, a beloved segment of the original show.
Three of Lawson’s sons also attended the tribute, traveling in from Cleveland, Baltimore and Los Angeles, to share their loving memories. With so many contemporary celebrities proving themselves to be personally reprehensible, it was great to learn that off-screen the guy in the cardboard coffin was a loving father who enjoyed fishing and gardening.
The little touches made this tribute note perfect. Before the show, we were serenaded by a theatre organist while a slide show ran images of Halloween from the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s. Snapshots of kids in their dime-store costumes, ads for candy and TV shows like “Bewitched (1964-72)” and “The Addams Family (1964 – 66), even the occasional Wacky Package or Trading Card vividly set the stage for an evening of Hallowe’en flavored nostalgia. This was Pop Culture from an era before Entertainment was Big Business reaching its cynical tentacles into every pocket. Sir Graves Ghastly and his ilk were more “Mom and Pop Culture.” I had to grab a souvenir of the evening, a t-shirt emblazoned with “I Dig Graves,” one that was produced on the spot.
I am embarrassed to admit that this was the first time I’ve visited the Redford Theatre. It won’t be the last time I visit this grand old time movie palace, rich with (mostly) restored chinoiserie. The auditorium is done up like the courtyard of an Asian palace, complete with twinkling stars overhead. The lobby has chandeliers shaped like Japanese lanterns. The concession stand popcorn comes with real butter! This noble structure hosts a robust film series, too. Find any excuse to see a film there, perhaps the Hallowe’en showing of “Ghostbusters (1984)” or the midnight movie of “Evil Dead 2 (1987).” (Trivia Tidbit: the original “Evil Dead (1981)” had its WORLD PREMIERE at the Redford.)
As Sir Graves exhorted us every Saturday afternoon so many years ago, “Happy Hauntings!”
The Winner of the Second Annual “Impy” award for Cinematic Excellence in Short Horror is “I Owe You” directed by Mike McNeese for Hands Off Productions of Columbus, Ohio. We state pretty clearly in our rules that the Impy recognizes excellence in Midwest Snob Horror for films screened at the Three Corpse Circus, defining “Midwest” by a list of qualifying states “with the possible exception of Ohio.” However, we at the DailyNightmare, based in Ann Arbor, MI, are over-joyed to make an exception for this fine film. I hope the talented folks at Hands Off don’t mind that, in lieu of a cash prize this year, we’re offering a gift certificate at the M Go Blue Gift Shop.
All kidding aside, let me enumerate the glories of this cinematic gem. “I Owe You” is a taut thriller, telling the story of two friends estranged for five years whose paths cross again after a tragic event. Will they settle old debts or seal their own doom?
“I Owe You” features a great economy of effect, like the best thrillers. The camera work is masterful without being showy or mannered. Smooth tracking shots give energy to the scenes. Each shot matters to the narrative whole. The actors are all solid, especially the two principals, Brian Spangler and Johnny Diloretto, who convey a believable repartee and character mannerisms. They sold every line.
And each line in “I Owe You” matters. Many films at the Three Corpse Circus had an equally strong visual sensibility and some even had acting of a similar excellence. What propelled “I Owe You” to the forefront, in our judges’ opinion, was the clean storyline and the spare expressiveness of the script, penned by Randall Greenland. I sincerely didn’t see it coming.
For its uncluttered look and feel, great performances and killer screenplay, we at DailyNightmare.com are extremely proud to award this year’s Impy award to “I Owe You.”
A hard core crowd of horror fans and film lovers braved the autumn rains to attend the Three Corpse Circus retrospective bash Terrors & Treats at Bona Sera last night. Festival mastermind Chris Anderson screened a selection of highlights from the last five years, choice shorts from around the world. Since I am a die-hard attendee of the Circus, I’d seen many of these works before but another viewing felt like seeing old friends. The films ran the gamut from stylized Brazillian weirdness to body horror, from amusing to unsettling but a dozen different kinds of horrific fun.
Did you miss out on this party? No worries. The Circus is in town all week with various events.
Tonight, at the B-Side in Ann Arbor, Three Corpse Circus and First Friday present Lights Out, a horror film festival, followed by music with Byrdrock and Tek-Mazter. Admission is $5, but the first 25 people get in free.
And later tonight is Circo de Tres Cadaveres Extravaganza, a MIDNIGHT MOVIE of the quite insane Spanish-language horror films from the past five years showing at the State Theater. This stuff is crazy.
Saturday is an afternoon showing of the Greek feature film, The Runaway Day, at the State Theater at 1:30pm. It’s not your mega-mart horror, not even Hollywood genre horror. This is a different look at the end of the world.
Saturday night is another MIDNIGHT MOVIE at the State Theater, this time featuring the best splatter and gore films from the past five years. Honestly, this style isn’t my favorite but there are a couple true gems in here that I can’t resist.
Sunday of course is the Big Top, the full day of horror films, puppets, fashion and fun at the Michigan Theatre. The three blocks of movies start at 2pm, 5pm, and 8pm.
Festival passes will get you into all of the festivities. You can get your tickets ahead of time or at the door and put some Three Corpse Circus into your weekend!
The Three Corpse Circus, that annual festival of international short horror films, is rolling into Ann Arbor this week with several days of entertainment.
The Big Top event, so to speak — a whole day of short horror — happens on Sunday, October 5th at the historic Michigan Theatre. The Opening Ceremony kicks off at 2pm, followed by a block of films; the “Animated and Weird” films begin at 5pm and “Grindhouse II” block starts at 8pm. This year, the delightful marionettes of Dreamland Theatre will be performing in the lobby. Tickets are on-sale now and at the door.
I’ve viewed some of the offerings and I can honestly say this is the best crop of submissions thus far. The Three Corpse Circus show on Sunday will feature 30 films from 13 countries– the Corpse’s widest reach to date.
I’ll be on-hand –wearing my purple suit– to award the second annual Impy Award for cinematic excellence. This prize is a handsome statue by sculptor Jeremy Haney plus a cash award. Wanna know who wins this year? Take your seat.
But there’s also a long midway of fun leading up to the festival.
On Thursday the 2nd at Bona Sera Underground in downtown Ypsilanti, the festival kicks off with Terrors & Treats, a free showing of highlights from the first 5 years of the Three Corpse Circus and party.
On Friday, Oct 3 at 7pm, Three Corpse Circus and the B-Side present Lights Out, ahorror film festival followed by music with Byrdrock and Tek-Mazter. Admission is $5, but the first 25 people get in free.
On Friday at midnight at the State Theater, the Three Corpse Circus will present a MIDNIGHT SHOWING of Spanish-language horror shorts in their Circo de Tres Cadaveres Extravaganza! For some reason, Spain has been cranking out inventive, twisted visions and this program will give the audience a peek into that storehouse. I have always depended upon the kindness of subtitles.
Saturday at the State Theater at 1:15pm , 3CC will sponsor the showing of its first feature film, The Runaway Day. This is NOT a traditional genre “horror” movie, though this movie from Greece promises to leave the audience chilled and mystified.
On Saturday, at midnight, follow the Circus to the State Theatre for another MIDNIGHT SHOWING of splatter films. I am normally NOT a fan of this sub-genre but I’ve seen a couple of the pieces that will be screened and I’m impressed. A low budget sometimes forces a clever take on stunts, special effects and cinematics. Prepare for cringes and chuckles mixed in with this block.
For more details, check out the Three Corpse Circus on the web and on Facebook. The Circus comes to town but once a year — get your tickets and settle back for a great show.
The Three Corpse Circus is soliciting submissions for their 5th Annual Film Festival coming up in October, 2014.
The Three Corpse Circus event brings together horror artists and fans to enjoy their passion for the macabre at a day-long film screening.
Their objective is “to promote talent and honor success in the horror genre and to build a thriving horror community in Southeast Michigan that is connected to the world.”
The Three Corpse Circus ONLY accepts original films that fit the description of horror, sci-fi horror, nightmare, weird, suspense, thriller, and/or horror-comedic. Content that would be considered discernibly pornographic will NOT be accepted. The broad categories shown at the event include animation, documentary, experimental, fantastic, fiction, terror, horror, science fiction, weird, strange, and nightmare. There’s truly something for everyone.
All films must be submitted by August 9, 2014. Films submitted after July 11 pay a late fee. Any submissions received after the deadline may be considered for next year’s festival.
Notification of acceptance into the 2014 film festival will occur no later than August 24th.
For more details about joining the Circus, visit the Three Corpse Circus’ submission link at Festhome.
Roughly half way through “A Spell to Ward Off the Darkness (2013)” is a prolonged shot of a man fishing on a lake while a rainstorm gently builds around him. The shot is stable with the only movement provided by the boat as it drifts around in mid frame. Raindrops delicately splash in the foreground and, in the far distance, a bolt of lightning flashes too far away to be heard. The shot stretches out for several minutes, and it’s a testament to the transformative power of the movie, that by this point in the movie, I didn’t want this shot to end. “A Spell to Ward off the Darkness” is in a sense a spiritual travelogue, if not a cinematic vehicle for spiritual pilgrimage, best seen in a temporary commune of the like-minded that occur from time to time in movie houses and at festivals like the Ann Arbor Film Festival.
Why the hell am I reviewing a “spiritual travelogue” on a horror website? Regular readers of The Daily Nightmare know we examine Midwest Snob Horror as these products reveal the glories and travails of the human condition. “A Spell to Ward off the Darkness” is in no way a genre horror movie, despite the title’s intimation of both witchcraft and cosmic darkness, and despite the final scenes where the central figure dons corpse paint to front a black metal band. This is a movie about the durability of hope and the fragility of its specific expressions. But if you are a horror fan you would do well to see this movie. The endless, brain-eating parade of apocalypse-porn movies of recent years has slowly eroded our will to imagine a better life, a better life together, a better life together that may only appear fragmentarily, temporarily, and from time to time. “A Spell to Ward off the Darkness” examines three possible utopias, strung together roughly by a central figure’s pilgrimage. Sort of. An analysis here is appropriate because horror is best portrayed against a backdrop of hope.
The first provisional utopia is a commune somewhere in Eastern Europe. (End credits reveal it to be Estonia.) Time for these dozen or so members is measured in long moments of reflection, music, naps, sauna baths, cigarette smoking, and the construction of a geodesic dome from plans to a completed structure. The courage of the filmmakers is to let shots run until the magic happens. For instance, in one shot a woman leisurely smokes a cigarette on the porch when, about a minute in, a plume of woodsmoke from the shack felicitously wafts into the frame, revealing beams of dappled sunshine that entirely reconfigure the image, creating a cathedral of light that frames her. These long gazes into the oft overlooked moments of life provide an antidote to the manipulative, barrage of short shots quickly edited that assail us in so much commercial culture.
The central figure is a black guitarist who I believe does not speak a single word throughout the film. He smokes a cigarette in the nearly completed dome before embarking on a period of Thoreauvian solitude that forms the second possible utopia. This second section of the film presents some of the most striking images, one of my favorite being a closeup of an ant colony, miked so closely to detect their thrumming activity. But my double-plus good favorite shot of the entire film lingers on the fire that consumes the central character’s shack at the end of this section. I just LOVE watching shit burn down, something I first realized watching Tarkovsky’s The Sacrifice. Maybe I should talk to a therapist about that predilection.
The final segment of the film focuses on the central figure as he fronts a black metal band. The camerawork is sinuous — in contrast to the sometimes jerky hand-held footage of the commune sequence — gliding amid the musicians, as the singer wails both plaintive and feral and the guitars and drum pound, complex and intense. The corpse paint on the performers liquefies with their sweat during the performance. Only in this final section are there faces of older people, scattered in the audience. As a middle aged guy myself, I was left wondering if the yearning for hope, for community is a young person’s dream. The central figure does not rest at this utopia either but wipes off his makeup to head out into the darkness, perhaps toward an enigmatically pulsing light.
The key insight I took from the movie was the allusion, made rather early on, to the notion of a temporary autonomous zone, that moment of free-play and synchronicity that sometimes occurs at a good party, or a good rave. Individual utopias emerge and pass away, but that yearning for a better way of life is an enduring ground of human hope.
I can hear the gore-hounds grumbling already. Sure, “A Spell to Ward off the Darkness” could be dismissed as experimental but it’s a successful experiment. In absolutely no way could it be called a thriller, though the sense of wonder and tenuous encouragement it kindles is, I suppose, a kind of thrill. Do not be deceived; it is NOT a horror movie in any sense but for cry it out loud, take a break from watching yet another re-made slasher film or still-born undead re-hash, could ya? See “A Spell to Ward off the Darkness” preferably in the presence of others with open hearts and open minds. If you absolutely have to counter-act its message with a bit of gloom, maybe make a double feature of the evening and watch “Until the Light Takes Us” about the grimmer side of first generation Norwegian black metal.
Halfway through the presentation on green burial options, I was fully creeped out but not at all by the practical and creative alternatives presented by Merilynne Rush of After Death Home Care. I was terrified by the fact of my own death in a way that was rather embarrassing. I write horror fiction, review horror culture, heck, I even collect skulls and skull-shaped sculpture. I’ve buried both my parents and, within the past four months, watched my brother-in-law die at home, at peace and surrounded by love. My earliest childhood memories are of family gatherings at the funerals of obscure relatives. I know death, right? But the photo of a hole in the ground ready for a shroud burial, a bare cavity in the earth, one without marker or protection from the elements, and I was side-swiped by the fact of my own fragility, mortality and insignificance. And this reaction really brought home the point of the presentation: how many important decisions do we make based on unexamined fears?
I am also no stranger to green alternatives. I’ve tended a compost pile since I was 7, grown at least some of my own food ever since and the grand “circle of life” is a potent metaphor in my imagination. Except, perhaps too often, I imagine the circle going on around me without fully realizing the realities of my own “passing away.” We don’t simply “pass away;” we leave a very corporeal residue. As a culture, we’ve fallen into certain habits for dealing with these physical remains. Embalming, I learned, became popular during the Civil War as a way to ship soldiers’ bodies home for funerals. Ms. Rush’s presentation taught me, however, that in most cases, dry ice can chill and preserve a body more than long enough for public services. Those services can be very personal affairs. Home funerals were common in this country less than a hundred years ago. The photos she showed of such home funerals– all with the complete consent of family — depicted dead persons surrounded with stuff of their lives, a guitar, a hand-decorated coffin, their own bed. The bodies looked peaceful, oddly wholesome, naturally dead without the professional interventions of a mortician. Bodies can be washed and dressed at home and the presenter noted that the task is often an opportunity for those grieving to understand and accept the reality that their loved ones are no longer there. I was surprised by how few legal requirements are actually involved and there are more in Michigan than in other states. If I understand it correctly, only two signatures are needed for a home funeral but getting those particular signatures on those particular documents during a time of grief can be a challenge. Green alternatives to conventional burial don’t just happen without a bit of forethought. The guidance of an experienced consultant like Merilynne Rush of After Death Home Care surely would be helpful.
The ecological impact of our deaths continues on long after our burial, however. Conventionally maintained cemeteries require continual investments of gasoline and attention to tend the grounds perpetually for visitors who might not ever come. Ms. Rush showed various green alternative burial places including a full conservation site that looked like a prairie dotted with saplings. And I found this image as hard to cope with as the one of a naked grave. Weird, right? I feel most alive when I am wandering that very kind of terrain. I have often joked about wishing to be composted when I die, but that humor must have masked some deeply seated fear of passing away without a trace. I found it oddly comforting that State records meticulously record the precise locations of all burial locations. I might dream of becoming as famous as Edgar Allen Poe, whose grave was visited by anonymous libation-bearing stranger every year on his birthday but seriously, is such a nebulous and unlikely dream really worth the real and predictable costs of a traditional grave? I wonder yet again, how many of my life choices are guided and constrained by such unfounded hopes and unexamined fears.
The presentation was hardly dour and grim memento mori. Merilynne exuded a peaceful, reverent demeanor, very conducive to discussing these hard options. She also played a segment of Caitlyn Doughty’s “Ask a Mortician” video podcast. We at the DailyNightmare LURV Doughty’s Order of the Good Death and have linked to her videos in the past. A little humor and good will goes a long way when dealing with such sensitive, final issues.
Are you intrigued by greener alternatives to traditional funerals and burial? If you’re in SE Michigan, you’re in luck. After Death Home Care is sponsoring a showing of the movie “A Will for the Wilderness” a feature length documentary, at the Michigan Theatre in Downtown Ann Arbor, June 1st at 1:00. The film records one man’s attempts to be treated in death according to the values he held in life. Read more at the After Death Home Care site here. in ways that better align with his values in life
Tucked away in the thumb of Michigan is an old cemetery where my people are buried. I visit it usually once or twice a year, pause in front of the stones like a solitary family reunion. My beloved grandmother who taught me how to bake bread, the grandfather I never knew, my uncle who tucked a baby chick under his jacket, my aunt who had all the cats… and also my mother and father are there. But of course, they aren’t there. They’re in my heart, my oh so perishable heart. In a hundred years, it’s unlikely many will have such memories to attach to these very permanent markers. Merilynne Rush’s presentation certainly got me thinking about how I might better request treatment in death according to the values I held in life. I was startled to find that some facets of this question seriously creep me out, a devoted horror-hound. This terror intrigues me. This Memorial Day, consider your notions of what should happen to your remains after death if for no other reason than such unexamined fears shape our behavior in life.
Everyone has one good love song, one good novel and maybe one good movie in them, and the real achievement of digital culture is that more folks– everyday regular folks like you and me– can have the opportunity to record that one good song, write that one good novel and even make that one good movie. I wish I could say that “Blood Orgy at Beaver Lake” was the one good movie destined to the folks at Silver Bullet Pictures. I can’t. It’s crap. But let me celebrate the 3 and half things I really sincerely LOVE about this weird, half-camp/half-bullshit horror movie, okay?
The first thing I celebrate at the top of my lungs to all that will hear, and that’s the poster for this film. The poster for “Blood Orgy at Beaver Lake” is probably the best movie poster I have ever seen in my whole life. The guy at The Lost Highway does excellent work. I have his rendition of a Hellraiser and a Trick ‘r Treat, but he really out did himself with this poster for “Blood Orgy at Beaver Lake.” It does everything a great trailer does: it sets the tone, hits some of the high points and makes you really, really want to see the movie. If you get absolutely NOTHING out of this review, get your ass over to their website and buy the poster. Buy two and give one to your gramma.
The second thing I unabashedly love about “Blood Orgy at Beaver Lake” is that it’s a complete feature length movie, and for that matter, it’s not the only complete feature film made by those weirdos at Silver Bullet Pictures. Digital video means that every idiot with a cell phone can shoot and edit a movie, but to be honest, not many folks do. It’s a drag to shoot enough footage, a severe bummer to edit it down and Lord save me from the drudgery required to produce a DVD, even if I must question if any time whatsoever was spent writing, directing and acting this piece of shit. Most poseurs wimp out long before half way through and never even complete a single film, let alone a full length feature. Silver Bullet Pictures have a half dozen complete feature films including Blood Orgy at Beaver Lake, available on DVD and in some cases even on VHS. I’ve sat through several of them, including “Heavy Mental VHS” which received distribution by Troma– which should give you a really good indication of the aesthetic operating here.
The third thing I abso-fucking-lutely LOVE about “Blood Orgy at Beaver Lake” is that Silver Bullet Pictures are based in the Detroit area. How many kids in Detroit grow up thinking they’d like to, I dunno, work at a casino or move someplace warm. Kids my age thought they’d work for Fords. These folks make goddammed movies, for fuck’s sake. How cool is that? Making a movie is a gazillion times cooler than any stupid party you had planned for Saturday night. These folks actually DO the stuff that you dream about doing.
The half point is that I sort of get “trash culture,” the campy, nearly bizarro weirdness that seems to guide Silver Bullet Pictures. If I squint and drink a lot of beer, I can frequently make it through a whole movie, say one distributed by Troma pictures, without suffering a blast of anal leakage. Lord knows, I’ve championed John Waters since the first time I saw Polyester but honestly, too many folks hide behind John Waters’ coat tail, IHMO without having the authenticity of being gay, outré and stranded in 1970’s era Baltimore. Too many folks borrow Water’s aesthetic and are too afraid to hang their balls on the line and actually attempt to MEAN something. Am I just being Midwest sentimental to think that “Blood Orgy at Beaver Lake” lands a bit on the positive side of that divide?
Saints preserve me, but I have the perverse sense that if Silver Bullet Pictures continue to make movies–and I summon all infernal powers and heavenly forces to help ensure they do keep at it–eventually they will find their own weird and express the uniquely bizarre and disturbing reality that is found in southeastern Michigan. Until then, when they produce that one good movie that I can champion without reservation, at least buy the poster for “Blood Orgy at Beaver Lake,” willya?
Be prepared for a unsettlingly creepy and weirdly gory viewing with The Woman (Bloody Disgusting Selects), directed by Lucky McKee, based on a book by Jack Ketchum and Lucky McKee, also titled The Woman. If you expect to be surprised, you’ll be in a good position for watching this seemlingly straight-forward story about a family that takes in a feral woman.
The Netflix description had setup certain expectations for me which the movie destroyed coming out of the gate. The description on the envelope claimed we would watch the family breakdown as they attempted to “civilize” a feral woman, but from the first scene the family dynamics alone sent a shiver down my throat.
A sticky, icky candy-coating shines right from the scene where the family are guests at a barbeque. From his perch on the deck, the father gazes out at his miserable and uncomfortable teenage daughter and scolds his wife. Around the corner, the adolescent son practices free throws, while ignoring a group of boys tormenting a little girl. You can’t put a finger on it yet, but there’s something wrong in this house.
The action gets rolling when the father finds a wild woman living in the woods. He immediately prepares for her capture by putting the family to work on clearing an outbuilding, a project which they all undertake immediately and without question. Back in the woods, he traps the woman, knocks her out, and then takes her to the building and restrains her. He enlists his family in the project of helping “fix” her.
Ultimately, “The Woman” is a film that’s as much about power as it is about horror. The movie delivers both the gore and violence one expects from a horror film, but it packs the emotional punch of a well-rendered drama as it explores the power inequalities within the family and between the sexes. Don’t be surprised if certain dialogues make you cringe just as much as the scenes of bit-off appendages or torn-off skin. Like with any good film, expect the ideas in the movie haunt you in the days that follow.
Think of vampires portrayed in films, and you’ll likely picture the suave, sexy kind that seduce their victims. It’s hard not to – Hollywood has been churning out these handsome bloodsuckers since Bela Lugosi‘s charming Dracula hit the screens in 1931. Though less common, the reluctant vampire is one we’ve even seen before. But one who’s also shy and socially awkward? This is what makes Boya’s character in the 1995 Canadian horror-comedy Blood & Donuts the rarest breed of all.
Having crawled into a bag for hibernation back in ’69, Boya is awakened when a golfer’s stray ball knocks down the shack it was stored in. He jumps into a nearby taxi and asks to be taken to a local cemetery, where he digs up his belongings, and then wanders off the find a room to rent. Meanwhile the taxi driver, Earl, is back at his favourite donut shop, but has been getting harassed by some local thugs. Boya ends up at the donut shop by chance and is able to intervene, saving Earl from a beating with his vampiric strength and agility. He quickly befriends and falls for Molly, the beautiful waitress, and thus begins his involvement in both humans’ troubles.
Devoid of the major laughs or scares you’d find in most horror-comedies, Blood and Donuts is a subtler (but still an enjoyable and unique) take on the genre. It’s lighthearted and filled with characters you can root for – one’s you love even though most of the actors gave pretty poor performances. The few scenes where Boya gets mad and transforms into a terrifying vampire are great, and the campy quality of the rest of the film keeps the ball rolling. Horror fans will also enjoy the cameo appearance of the legendary David Cronenberg, who plays the crime boss.
Though frequently forgotten on many “best Canadian horror” lists, in my books Blood and Donuts is a must-see for those with a penchant for either Canadian horror or 90’s cult comedies.
Good Neighbors (2010) is not often labelled as a horror film. You’ll usually find it listed under drama and thriller, but it has pretty much everything you’d want in a good horror flick: murder, suspense, and creepy characters. What it lacks, and I salute its creators for this, is a lot of the blood and gore that currently dominates the horror genre.
Set in 1995 Montreal, our tale focuses on three people that inhabit an apartment building. Victor, the new arrival, is a teacher who has returned from a stay in China. He befriends Louise, a waitress, and Spencer, a man left crippled and wheelchair-bound after an accident. A serial killer has been preying on the young women of the area, but the trio soon discovers that none of them are who they seem and one of them may be tied to the deaths.
Now without giving too much away, I’m going to say that the strongest, most unsettling thing in Good Neighbours is the characters. From the get-go they seem like mostly agreeable people, but their flaws and potentials as suspects are slowly revealed: Victor is the seemingly friendly guy who creates a fantasy relationship between himself and Louise, and goes so far as to tell others they’re engaged. Louise, with her affection for her cats, first comes off as a kind animal-lover – but one who only cares for animals. Last we have Spencer, the handsome man who was dealt a cruel hand, but who harbours some very dark secrets. With no one to root for, it’s a strange but satisfying story to watch.
One of my only gripes with this film is the choice to set it in 1995. While there was some added tension with the backdrop being the 1995 referendum (in which Quebecers voted to not separate from Canada), the costumers and production designers did little (if nothing) to make this look like the 90’s. Nit-picking, I know, but it felt kind of lazy that there were three lines of dialogue that were meant to completely transport us back in time.
Griping aside, I recommend this film to anyone with a penchant for smarter, less action and murder-packed horror. Be warned, though, that watching the trailers will actually kill much of the mystery – so if you’ve yet to see it, steer clear and take my word for it. You’ll be in for a better ride.
Fangoria Magazine announced that Scott Schirmer’s award winning feature “Found” will receive distribution by The October People and that makes me smile a broad, toothy grin. Elsa and I watched “Found” at the IndieHorror.TV First Anniversary Party, and I’m looking forward to seeing it again.
Found presents the best qualities of independent horror, including a smart, self-aware storyline that examines real-life anxieties while ratcheting up the stakes with some well-motivated gore. Why aren’t there more horror movies that critically examine the effects of horror movies as insightfully as Found? Fans of the genre will appreciate the nod to VHS video nasties of yesteryear while civilians will appreciate a coming-of-age tale depicted at that tender moment when an overly curious boy learns the horror and the power of brutality in everyday life. I could quibble about, maybe, some over-exposed backgrounds in the print I saw but there was evidence of well-considered shot composition and cinematography throughout, qualities all too often over-looked in low budget cinema. Found isn’t dumbed-down to a test-market perfect blandness which means there are some sharp edges that will chaff some viewers. For instance, the film seems to thematize race in a way I didn’t quite understand — maybe it’ll be clear on a second viewing — but I appreciated seeing a couple non-white faces…even if their heads eventually appeared in the bowling ball bag. It’s a gutsy, nearly reckless choice to cast youngsters in important roles (Proof text: Anakin Skywalker) but the lead actors of Found pull off the challenge of making sometimes extreme interactions feel normal. I could totally believe these two young men were brothers.
The digital revolution has allowed nearly every bozo with a cellphone to make their own horror movie– including me. If you’ve seen a schlocky home-made slasher and think that represents independent horror, please track down a copy of “Found.” This new distribution deal with The October People makes that search just a bit easier.
“Sins of the Father,” my short horror film about an unintended victim of corporal punishment, is available for your viewing pleasure at YouTube and at the link below.
Why did I make a movie when I’ve got such an soft reviewing job being the Guy who Hates Everything? Couple reasons:
I’m a tech at an alternative high school and one of the true joys I’ve had this fall has been providing hands on technical support for a film-making class. There’s a certified teacher who’s really in charge, but I’ve had the opportunity to do all sorts of magic and mischief. I’ve shown folks how to do storyboards by writing a tale about a lonely inter-galactic dragon; I’ve had a chance to portray an enthusiastic Frenchman and I’ve helped students use green screens to visit Paris and clone themselves. This Christmas break, I decided to treat myself and make my OWN short film.
And the second reason is because Bloody Cuts UK is sponsoring a contest for 3-minute horror films with some KILLER prizes, namely the “Bloody Cuts Who’s There Film Challenge.”I’ve blogged about Bloody Cuts before — in particular reference to “Suckablood” — since I’m rather a fan of short horror films. The panel of judges they’ve assembled is first rate including Drew Daywalt (whose work I gave a shout-out to in my review of the Three Corpse Circus) the Soska Sisters (makers of “American Mary”), some new-comer named Joe Dante and others… but I gave a real fan-boy squee when I heard Ryan Connolly was involved. His “Film Riot” video podcast gives great practical advice about film-making while being entertaining as heck. I’d show it in class… but it’s not boring enough for school.
I’ve watched some of the other entries and frankly, I don’t stand a chance. If you’ve got a few spare HOURS to kill, do a search for “Who’s There Film Challenge” on YouTube. There have been over 50 entries made just today! And the glory of watching them, like watching a festival of short films like Three Corpse Circus, is that even if one entry isn’t your cup of tea, you only have to wait three minutes for another one.
I will likely produce a “Making Of…” video this week where I provide a list of all the mistakes I made along the way, but right now, I feel great to have something I can share.
Neil Sedaka sang it right years ago: breaking up is hard to do. There are the memories, good and bad, the sort that linger and haunt a person in the middle of the night. There’s the loneliness and now having to do everything on one’s own. The mixture of emotions are enough to drive a person crazy: relief, sadness, regret, disappointment. And then there’s the what-if’s: what if I’d paid more attention, been more supportive, more trusting? Could we have made it work? A major split-up is the kind of event that rocks a person’s foundations.
The 2010 indie horror thriller A Horrible Way to Die takes a unique, pulse-pounding look at the messy aftermath of a relationship and considers the question of what could make the newly single girl’s suffering any worse.
For Sarah, the answer is a horrible secret she’s trying very hard to keep to herself as she progresses through the difficult stages of recovery. She’s moved to a new town, having left her past behind. There’s a new job and a new apartment, decorated a lot like the old one, with pretty white christmas lights hanging in the bedroom. A new relationship appears possible too, so she has to figure out if that is something she wants and is ready for. Most significantly, there’s her new resolution: staying sober after years of existing in an alcoholic fog.
Her big secret is that her ex-boyfriend is a notorious serial killer, the kind with widespread name recognition, a famous mug, and a few fans. When the news breaks that he’s escaped from prison and launched a new cross-country killing spree that appears to be headed her direction, Sarah doesn’t know which way to turn. She can’t be certain if her quiet, anonymous life is keeping her safe or putting her in more danger.
Even as a horror fan, I’m a romantic at heart, so I found that the relationship stories heightened the tension and terror of the movie. But don’t expect a sweet story or a happy ending; there’s gore, violence, and murder enough to keep anyone occupied. The real strength of this film is the solid acting from Amy Seimetz as Sarah and AJ Bowen as the escaped murderer Garrick Turrell. We see their relationship in blurry flashback form, the stuff that memories are made of, and we wait anxiously for their paths to cross again. Given the title, we don’t think that will end well.
What better way to get in the proper mood for the Halloween holiday season than indulging in the cinematic brilliance of that master of horror movies, Vincent Price.
Happily, the historic Redford Theatre in nearby Detroit, Michigan will host a Vincent Price Film Festival on October 4 and 5, welcoming devotees to witness five classic Price films projected on the big screen.
Tickets are a bargain. The cost is $5.00 per show or $13.00 will get you into all three shows.
The following gems are on the menu:
Friday October 4 at 8pm:
• Diary of a Mad Man (1963) followed The Raven (1963)
Saturday October 5 at 2pm:
• House of Wax (1953)
Saturday October 5 at 8pm:
•8 p.m. Saturday: Masque of the Red Death (1964) followed by The Tingler (1959)
“Other” probes the under-expoited subgenre of body horror, with themes made particularly relevant by current health care debates in the US. A maverick doctor, Patrick, is struck with a terminal condition which provokes radical and risky procedures for self-medication with unintended consequences. “Other” weighs in a just 15 minutes long but we wouldn’t have wished it a moment longer. The piece recalls favorable memories of Cronenberg, especially The Fly and Aronofsky, especially Pi.
The mood of “Other” is controlled and consistent featuring an ambience that felt cramped, echoing the death sentence inflicted by the illness, and cluttered with the bizarre medical equipment that Patrick has desperately cobbled together. We at the Dailynightmare are not generally fans of voice-over but the technique works to great effect here, especially with the touch of irony that the doctor’s comments are recorded on cassette tape. The sound work is also impressive ranging from jarring to nearly uplifting as the true consequences of the experiment are understood. Though the Impy goes to the director — yes, yes, we’re mired in 20th C auteurist presuppositions over here, get over it — but “Other” features actual honest-to-goodness acting by David Steiger. The appearance of, y’know, real dramatic portrayal of character is rare enough in horror films, but it is double-plus wonderful to find in a single actor screenplay. Steiger as Patrick is by turns desperate, exhultant, smug, tortured and deranged, and all he has to react against is some cleverly blinking bits of set dressing and a glob of nauseously pulsing tumor. The prosthetics and make-up were, frankly revolting, but demonstrated an internal logic beyond the mere gross-out. As Patrick peers into a mirror in the closing moments, the wounds on his torso range from fresh and seeping to ones that have scarred over and have started to heal. Well-done… and yuck!
For its attention to detail, intriguing themes and, oh yeah, disgustingly thought-provoking premise, we at The DailyNightmare.com are extremely proud to award the very first Impy to “Other.”
. Maybe I should talk to a therapist about that predilection.
” about the grimmer side of first generation Norwegian black metal. 
” was the one good movie destined to the folks at 
and a 
, but he really out did himself with this poster for “Blood Orgy at Beaver Lake.” It does everything a great trailer does: it sets the tone, hits some of the high points and makes you really, really want to see the movie. If you get absolutely NOTHING out of this review, get your ass over to their 
” which received distribution by Troma– which should give you a really good indication of the aesthetic operating here.
but honestly, too many folks hide behind John Waters’ coat tail, IHMO without having the authenticity of being gay, outré and stranded in 1970’s era Baltimore. Too many folks borrow Water’s aesthetic and are too afraid to hang their balls on the line and actually attempt to MEAN something. Am I just being Midwest sentimental to think that “Blood Orgy at Beaver Lake” lands a bit on the positive side of that divide?
, directed by Lucky McKee, based on a book by Jack Ketchum and Lucky McKee, also titled 
. If you expect to be surprised, you’ll be in a good position for watching this seemlingly straight-forward story about a family that takes in a feral woman.
hit the screens in 1931. Though less common, the reluctant vampire is one we’ve even seen before. But one who’s also shy and socially awkward? This is what makes Boya’s character in the 1995 Canadian horror-comedy 
the rarest breed of all.
(2010) is not often labelled as a horror film. You’ll usually find it listed under drama and thriller, but it has pretty much everything you’d want in a good horror flick: murder, suspense, and creepy characters. What it lacks, and I salute its creators for this, is a lot of the blood and gore that currently dominates the horror genre. 
takes a unique, pulse-pounding look at the messy aftermath of a relationship and considers the question of what could make the newly single girl’s suffering any worse. 
