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.”
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.
“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.”
I’ve said it before but it bears repeating: I think humor mixed with horror should be in the same proportion as vermouth to vodka in a perfect martini, that is, just the barest hint. HOWEVER, this adorable profile of a daycare for supernaturally afflicted children left me with the perfect wry grin.
This year the Three Corpse Circus really hit its stride with polish and panache and easily the best crop of short horror films they’ve screened yet. The whole evening was enjoyable… for those, of course, who enjoy an evening of gore and terror. A few touches were tasteful, like the costumed vampires who handed out programs while others were simple but greatly appreciated, like projected list of films shown between each movie that reminded viewers of the title and country of origin. The evening was preceded by a zombie walk and the lobby was filled with tables for the local chapter of Zombie Squad, The Great Lakes Association of Horror Writers and the Flint Horror Convention which rounded out the sense of an actual horror community in Michigan.
The films were the stars as it should be at a film festival. I was struck by the “freshness” of the offerings since all but one were made within the last year. Those who have read my reviews of the previous festivals (year one and year two) will remember my embarrassment that so few exceptional films came from the US. I am pleased to note with a quiver of patriotism that this year the domestic product was clearly dominant. U-S-A! U-S-A!! Overall, the movies themselves were of such a generally high quality, a loud disagreement broke out among myself, Elsa and Igor when it came time to choose our favorites.
Igor particularly enjoyed the taut Spanish short “Refuge 115,” a beautifully shot tale of mysterious disappearances in a bomb shelter. The location was spot on perfect and was exceptionally well lit, a necessity since darkness in the tale seethed with malevolence.
Elsa agreed that Refuge 115 was the most consistently scary piece, but she also quite enjoyed “Saw Misgivings” a British farce that depicted the dark hilarity resulting when a housewife discovers a torture-porn head vice and gets it stuck on her head… just as company is expected for dinner. The acting was spot on and its comic timing was immaculate. It was the kind of droll comedy we expect from the British Isles.
I, however, don’t like to laugh.
I am a purist and a snob when it comes to horror and I tolerate only the lightest touch of comedy and only when it’s used to heighten the overall tension of the piece. Otherwise, I’d be extolling the obvious virtues of “Zombie Factor,” a locally produced piece about reality TV after the zombie apocalypse. Its tone perfectly captured the feel of survivor-type television with a healthy dose of the undead. The director was on-hand and answered questions during intermission and he should be justly proud of his work. It really felt like a professionally produced product. Honestly, the only thing I can say against this film is that is was funny, quite effectively so… and with horror at least I am not amused by humor.
With that prejudice in mind, let me highlight the three films that rocked my world.
“Tarnished Gluttony” (2012), a music video, told an eerie Lovecraftian tale of sacrifice. Gorgeous visuals and convincingly bloody with good, yet tasteful gore, this short piece left just enough mystery and wonder unexplained to whet my taste for more. Igor, that grouch, couldn’t get past the soundtrack.
“Familiar” (Fatal Pictures, Canada 2012), the final piece of the night, was a well-shot and perfectly acted tale of middle-aged quiet horror that spirals downward into more Cronenbergian body terror. The effects were nicely achieved and the whole tone of domestic desperation was masterfully portrayed. Damn those Canucks and their National Film Board!
But my favorite piece, the one that I would like to watch again, was the brief gem titled “Green Glass Door,” which depicted a grisly parlor game directed by a serial killer. (It can be watched in its entirety here.) Elsa, Egor and I were talking about it as we left the theatre, puzzling it out. Pay attention to the closing credits if you’re still in the dark. It was for my money the most consistently brutal piece cramming a fist full of convincing executions into its scant seven minutes. The horrific deaths were unsettling, immaculately shot but framed so as not to show too much. And if all that wasn’t enough, I discovered that “Green Glass Door” was entirely shot and edited in 48 hours as part of a Lousiville, Kentucky project. I expect great things from Antonio Pantoja.
I could keep going since there was something interesting about each of the films this year. I left eager for more but quite satisfied. I felt that last night, Three Corpse Circus really started to its promise as a rallying point for the Michigan horror community. I can hardly wait for next year.
If you believe that Christmas, like youth, is wasted on the young then “Rare Exports” is a film you must see. Elsa and I caught it last night at the historic Michigan Theatre in Ann Arbor and though there are a couple more showings today, I suspect “Rare Exports” is destined to become a holiday classic especially among fans of snobbish, dark fantasy.
The setup? An excavation team discovers the resting place of Santa Claus deep within an icy Finnish mountain but Santa ain’t the jolly old soul you might expect. “Rare Exports” is told through the perspective of Pietaari, a young Finn who is just old enough to start questioning the existence of the red suited holiday gift man. At its root, “Rare Exports” is Pietaari’s coming of age tale, where he sets aside his stuffed animal companion to perform an act of heroism that he is still child enough to accomplish. It’s also a father-son story that doesn’t get mushy. The world depicted, in fact, is harsh with no women and little possibility for forgiveness, grace or redemption — but for crying out loud don’t we get enough of that stuff this time of year?
I can’t see how the film warrants an “R” rating — apart from the terrifying elves (complete with full frontal male nudity,) the slaughter and butchery of reindeer and the mid-twisting revelation of Santa’s true being. And a bit of naughty language. “Rare Exports” is not a horror movie by any stretch, more dark contemporary fantasy told with enough wit to keep it amusing. And since much of the dialogue is in Finnish, the mere presence of subtitles earn it high marks on the snob-o-meter. The scenery is gorgeous, well worth seeing on a big screen, even if the big screen also makes the CG look a bit rough. Honestly though, if you’re going to fault a film as inventive as “Rare Exports” for not-so-special effects then you’re simply NOT in the holiday spirit.
Treat yourself this Yuletide season and remember the REAL Santa with “Rare Exports” — and ditch the kids at home with the X-box and the internet.
“…Gruesome Twosome is a joyously campy diversion only slightly above a home movie that manages to achieve some remarkable moments, absolutely NONE of which are the least bit “scary” in the traditional sense…”
“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.
