Trilogy Of Perils Unknown - 2047 - R'lyeh

Trilogy Of Perils Unknown - 2047 - 7/10

Three part anthology film launches in the subterranean depths.
The vast Vatican library descends lower and lower, from modern works to ancient grimoires to scrolls.

 
Mordecai, acquirer for hire, finds and appropriates the allegedly apocryphal, “De Tribus Impostoribus.”
Once banned as heretical by the Catholic hierarchy, the hierarchy later declared the work a hoax.
Except Mordecai’s client, the Deep State, knows otherwise.
Second chapter shifts next to high adventure!   Deep in the Himalayas.
A ruined empire, a civilization in loathsome decay.  The prize, the journals of Prestor John.
Indiana Jones buffs will love this section!
The tone darkens in the final section as the Deep State saddles Mordecai with three “helpers.”
A tramp steamer, manned by mutes, sails to 47°9′S 126°43′W in the South Pacific, and then waits.
Days elapse, the sea is glass, until a predicted alignment occurs, whereupon the waters boil and a jagged isle rises.

 
Devotees of R’lyeh can foretell the potential slaughter once the dreaming lord rouses.
Leaving Mordecai trapped between the omnipotent state and unleashed terror,
Film offers something for everyone, though the transitions could be better, and the ending is disheartening.

Campaign In Aghartha - 2047 - R'lyeh

Campaign In Aghartha - 2047 - 7/10

Ignoring the briefings of military advisors, a deranged national leader declares war on the Underworld.
Not crime syndicates, not the Yakuza, Triads, Mafia, Bratva, drug cartels, Spectre.
Rather, the Hollow Earth.
Vowing to “secure border security” (sic), the great one orders a division of Spelunk Marines to the polar opening, guarded from time immemorial by descendents of Pangaea.
The narrative (stupidly) lags to permit pointless dalliances between younger Marines and a clutch of haunting Pangaean maidens, who prophesy doom.
Thankfully, a grisly encounter with the first guardian marks the onset of numerous “dooms.”

 
Blood and bullets ensue, along with unbelievable gore.  Entrails and tentacles.
Imaginative (and highly troubling) photography bathe this sequence (NOT for the squeamish).
Observant viewers will notice a gradual softening and darkening of landscapes from this time onward.
The Marines push deeper, confront the even older civilization of Aghartha.
Since none there understand English, soldiers begin shooting.
Not before priests, however, implore the god they worship, the dread lord of R’lyeh.

 
Military tactics confront annihilation.
Beheadings, dismemberment on a mass scale, incredibly realistic, I might add.
The plot, if one is charitable enough to term it such, becomes incoherent.
Special note must be paid to the sound design, in particular the low frequencies.
Many sequences were all but silent, though the subwoofers throbbed like mad, evoking an almost palpable foreboding.
(In the audio commentary, the director noted the eerie look was achieved using hundreds of hanging paper lanterns.)

Elvis Vs Cthulhu - 2047 - R'lyeh

Elvis Vs Cthulhu - 2047 - 7/10

 
Everyone’s favorite villains, property developers, are at it again.
Their target this time is the Black Sands Orphanage!  In breathtaking Hawaii.
After the board of directors decline multiple offers, the developers meet on the beach at midnight and invoke dread Cthulhu.  They beg the Great One to destroy the orphanage, devour the children, and leave the black sands red with blood.
Three pretty counselors, Julie, Jackie, and Jennie, all wearing matching white go-go boots, call for a hero.
Elvis.
The King arrives, forty years after his disappearance, and true to his Southern roots, he knows how to wield a chainsaw.
Between relentless battles, he manages to romance each lovely lady and sing classic songs such as:
“Tentacles Of Love,”  “Stand Against The Shadow Of Time,”  and  “Beach Barbeque Rumble.”
A winner!
Don’t miss the closing credits where the Lord Of R’lyeh vows to return while the King sings  “Bop bop a lula, gonna pop ya Cthulhu.”

Edgar Allan Poe: Buried Alive - 2016

Edgar Allan Poe: Buried Alive - 2016 - 8/10

 
Much of Poe's ill reputation stems from the slanderous first obituary, penned by a jealous rival.
Critical appraisal has erased the slurs of literary incompetence, much of the character assassination abides.
This documentary crafts an honest portrait of the man, his abilities and shortcomings.
Professional successes were often followed by self-destructive failures.
His perverse propensity for making enemies was a root, and alcohol a malignant companion.
Denis O'Hare does wonders as the brooding Poe, reading from journal entries, letters, poems, stories, in a gentle Southern cadence.
Interviewees include scholars, descendants, historians, writers, and two actors giving theatrical readings.
Photography at times reminded me of a Guy Maddin film, sweeping from spare and dreary to unexpected, vibrant lushness.
Quality primer for newcomers, Poe fans will enjoy, as well.

The Call Of Cthulhu - 2005 - USA

The Call Of Cthulhu - 2005 - 7/10

 
Creative adaptation of HP Lovecraft story into a black and white, silent movie.
Created by the H P Lovecraft Historical Society.
Extremely faithful to the work, plot follows our narrator going through his uncle’s journals of dark cults, madness in asylums (Arkham), and the sea going quest.
Nephew sets off toward mysterious ocean coordinates as the stars align and mighty Cthulhu arises.
Cheap watery sets, cheaper rubber monster - - Who cares?  Ed Wood could not have done so well.
Great fun.

In Fabric - 2018 - UK

In Fabric - 2018 - 7/10

 
Older woman, Sheila, looks to buy something new for a blind date, so she visits an odd fashion house.
(How odd?  The employee - “A purchase on a horizon, a panoply of temptation.  Can a curious soul desist?”)
Store staff remind one of Victorian governesses.
Meanwhile, Sheila’s home is slipping from her rules, while her employers start to “coach” her.
How about the new red dress?  The one that leaves a rash on her?
(“In apprehensions lie the crevices of clarity.”)

 
Strange television commercials, a bizarre retail underbelly, Plasticine encounters.
Later, perhaps coincidentally, another dress wearer, runs afoul of the employer.
(“Darings eclipse the dark circumference of caution.”)
Unexpected, off-kilter humor proves funny and unsettling, in a world that is downright weird.
This is the third film I have seen by writer/director Peter Strickland.
The first, Berberian Sound Stage, I did not care for.
The second, The Duke Of Burgundy, I appreciated more than I liked.
This one, I did like, but it is overlong and suffers from an excess of ideas that he cannot array properly.
Should be of particular interest to, as it seems to borrow from, the cult of Ligotti.

The Whisperer In Darkness - 2011 - USA

The Whisperer In Darkness - 2011 - 7/10

 
A second winner from the HPL Historical Society, first being The Call Of Cthulhu.
Filmed as 30's B/W, in the Universal world. Good sets, score, even effects.
When one realizes their budget was 350K, you can appreciate how much was accomplished.
Plot built steadily, though it was slow and a couple of scenes would have benefited from trims.
Otherwise, nice job if you are in the mood for cerebral horror, using a vintage template.

Dead Time: Kala - 2007 - Indonesia

Dead Time:  Kala - 2007 - 7/10

 
“Narcolepsy?’’ asks the judge.
“Yes,”  says Sari.  “Every time Janus tries to make love, he gets overexcited and falls unconscious.  I cannot stay married.”
That’s one of the tiniest sideplots in this wild film mixing Horror, Crime, Noir, legend and prophecy.
Janus not only suffers narcolepsy, but he sees visions, and conceals a hushed phrase that cannot be shared.
While police investigate a series of brutal murders, supernatural forces gather.
Highly entertaining Joko Anwar film has great sound and always arresting visuals.
This obscure gem is a tour de force, though the fusion of styles may be off-putting to pure Horror fans.

November - 2017 - Estonia

November - 2017 - 8/10

"Kratt" - a magical creature in Estonian mythology.
A creature formed from household implements by its owner, who gave the devil three drops of blood to animate the kratt.

 
18th century (?) villagers skirt the edges of starvation and utter poverty.
Through religious faith, or witchcraft, they claw an existence.
A few have kratts that steal for them.  If not, well, everyone steals.
Relatives from the afterlife visit, as does the Plague (who can be easily fooled), as does the Devil.
Inside this black n white, hallucinatory display, wind several stories of obsession and obsessive love.
Reminiscent of the experimental Book Of Days by Meredith Monk, as well as works by Sergei Parajanov.
For the classically curious, many of these folktales were told earlier in the ballet "Kratt" by Eduard Tubin.
Visionary, despite the slow pace, with jaw-dropping photography.  Film borders on the sublime.

Peony Lantern - 1968

Peony Lantern - 1968 - 7/10
AKA - Botan Dōrō  //  牡丹燈籠

 
Elders arrange for the third son to marry a recent widow, and profitably join two families.
To their dismay, the male prefers to teach poor village children, and stalls on any alliance.
That night, during the summer festival, he encounters two females who alter his fate.
He falls deeply in love with the beautiful courtesan, not realizing she and her attendant are ghosts.
Haunting story of temptation and obsession.
The compositions are spare but immaculate, and this benefits from a lush orchestral score reminiscent of Herrmann.
 

The Descent - 2005 - USA

The Descent - 2005 - 7/10

 
White knuckle horror thriller, unsuitable for the claustrophobia types!
Six females who share wilderness, survivalist trips head to the Appalachia caverns (OK, North Carolina).
After a stiff forest hike, they reach the gaping hole in the earth and rappel down.
Personalities run from the reckless one, a controller, a grieving one, and the narrative rolls easy.
As the women descend deeper, and see evidence of previous cavers, the unease tightens.
Again, the friends take awhile until they realize things do go bump in the night.
By then, well, this is a horror ride.  Expect misfortune.

High intensity smash from Neil Marshall makes this viewer wonder how his cinema career stalled.
After four films, and no I didn't care much for Doomsday, and Centurion lacked budget, Marshall now seems relegated to television.

Vampyres - 1974

Vampyres - 1974 - 7/10

 
One of the best Hammer films never actually made by Hammer.
Two beautiful women prowl a lonely road from overgrown woods.
They stop passing cars, hitch a ride, and take them to a deserted manor house.
Wine flows, bit of bedroom romping, followed by slaughter.
Gory Horror with abundant nudity, sexy and erotic.
Filmed at Hammer’s house, Oakley Court by independent Essay, which might explain why there was much more blood and flesh.  Censors had a field day but current versions are fully uncut.
These are not elegant, romanticized vampires.  Their savageness seems typical of the excessive 70's.

 
Director Larraz’s audio commentary, in his heavily accented Spanish, is as enjoyable as the film itself.
He dishes the dirt of difficult players, and how much more graphic sex and violence he originally wanted.
Money problems, tight shooting schedules, distribution issues, thoughts on American vs European styles.
The version that finally passed he termed as the Vatican edit.
Narrative drifts into incoherence at times, and he confesses a cool image was more important than explaining everything.
Right on.

Vampyres - 2015

Vampyres - 2015 - 5/10

 
Faithful remake of Larraz’s 1974 classic.
Two female vampires hunt desolate woods and forlorn highway for fresh meat.
The “older” female lures a man to her bed and keeps him as sex pole / plasma bag.
As in the original, there is copious nudity, debauched romping, streams of red.
Slow going, however, with only the breath of a plot.  The interiors are austere.
The 1974 was “Hammer”  Horror (though it was not a Hammer film.
This 2015 is Euro Horror (ie:  arthouse).  While it does boast a third act, less is explained.
Acting is hit and miss, as are the characters themselves, meaning no one is memorable.
Female predators in both versions are a mix of carnivore and succubus, and in the latter version - torturer.

The Velvet Vampire - 1970 - USA

The Velvet Vampire - 1970 - 6/10

 
One man's poison ...
Elsewhere, a reviewer (and Corman fanatic) dismissed this as one of Roger's WORST films.
Making it must-see for me.  I watched and was mesmerized.
Young couple at art gallery (the Stoker Gallery) meet the alluring Diane (LeFanu).
They accept her invitation to visit her Mojave Desert ranch.
The high desert is in the middle of nowhere, diversions include seductions and death.
Interesting locations, imaginative dream sequences, hypnotic music, nudity, and references for horror insiders.
Although lumped into the "lesbian vampire" genre, it is not as smutty as Franco, and lacks the brio of Rollin.
If anything, this reminds me of the swinging, swappin' films of Radley Metzger (Score, Lickerish Quarter), reworked into surreal horror.
Unfortunately, Velvet Vampire bears the limitations of Corman's all too typical hasty production.
An audio commentary by Celeste Yarnall is entertaining, talking about Corman, Elvis, Star Trek, and the vagaries of fate and fame. 

Wer - 2013 - South Africa

Wer - 2013 - 6/10

 
Horror yarn of the hairy outsider.
We’re talking serious back hair here, as well as full beard, and shaggy hair.
Don’t even get me started about his king sized hands.
After a happy camping family is mauled (middle of the night, middle of woods, stupid city people), an unscrubbed mountain man - with a Romanian accent - is apprehended.
Interrogations, tests, and each night the moon gets fuller and fuller, until,
Oh, my God!  There’s a full moon out!  And wer is short for -- aarrggh!

Nightmare Cinema - 2019

Nightmare Cinema - 2019 - 6/10

 
Anthology horror is mixed bag, but when it hits – oh, when it hits, this strikes gold.
In each, a pedestrian walks the late night, deserted avenue, passing under the movie house.
On the marquee, the individual’s name and a cryptic title.  The empty booth offers a ticket.
The first tale is classic 80's slasher, energetic, faithful, funny, laced with twists.
Next is cosmetic surgery (females I sat with cringed), featuring Richard Chamberlain (still alive!!!) as the soft spoken surgeon of vast experience and additional suggestions.
Followed by the good priest, the beautiful nun, a class of children, and the dark presence.
The fourth is psychological horror and disintegration.  While I equated it with Cronenberg, the end credits were dedicated to Charly Cantor, nudging me to seek out this hitherto unknown individual.
Final sequence … well … you’ll find out.
While derivative, the enjoyment level on this is pretty good.  Mickey Rourke plays the “projectionist.”
Perfect to dip in and out.

Confession:  I misread and thought this film was associated with Mark Gatiss, which tempted me.
Wrong.  Mick Gariss, of whom I have several dismal books.  Watch this, avoid his writing.

Trick R Treat - 2007

Trick R Treat - 2007 - 6/10

 
One of the better films focusing on Halloween, specifically trick or treating.
Four separate narratives interweave back and forth.
All themes struck:  monsters, curses, murders, costumes, sex.
Suspicious neighbors, annoying children, horny teenagers, bickering couples.
Funny, stabbed with violence that spurts from nowhere.

Halloween Party - 2019

Halloween Party - 2019 - 6/10

 
A new computer virus hits the dorms.
Enter your true fear.  If you don’t, you will soon die from it.
Of all the nonsense!  Guess what happens to scoffers.
Despite prevalent “F” word usage, this has no gore and limited tension.
Midway, there is a sequence with a documentary film, that reveals an inspired backstory.
Otherwise, watchable if disposable.

The Eclipse - 2009

The Eclipse - 2009 - 7/10

 
Irish ghost story for adults.
Ciarin Hinds’ character cares for his two children; their mother has died.
He has begun glimpsing shadows down the staircase, hearing noises in the closet.
Meanwhile, he shepherds writers for an annual literary fair. One has written about ghosts.
Winner of many awards, this was a good film to view with lowered lights.
Be advised this was not a blood soaked, screamfest.
No dead teenagers, no dead wet girls.
Troubled souls encountering shadows. Somber, melancholy film.

Messiah Of Evil - 1973

Messiah Of Evil - 1973 - 6/10
AKA - Night Of The Damned

 
Inventive B-horror, that boasts surprising visual style and unexpected plot turns.
Daughter (and friends) try to track down her missing father, an artist.
Last known residence, his stylish home in a remote coastal town.
The burg seems somnambulant, sites and places are often empty.
When buildings do fill up, citizens are listless.  For a while.
Good "deserted village" film, and worth a watch if it shows up late night.
I forget who the director was, this was his best directorial effort.  (His directing ended with Howard The Duck.)
Sadly, Joy Bang's last film to date.

Forbidden Siren - 2006 - Japan

Forbidden Siren - 2006 - 6/10
AKA - Sairen / サイレン

 
One of those J-horror films from their last great cycle that included Ringu, Juon, Kairo, Dark Water, several others.
Unfortunately, this is not at the same level, though the first two thirds of the film hold promise.
A writer (teacher?), his daughter and troubled son arrive at the remote Japanese island of Yamijima.
The inhabitants are a taciturn, dour lot, and the isle is a mix of superstition and leftover WWII Americana.
Island Yami also has a sinister history.
Villagers have rules, the main two being - do not venture out at night, and - NEVER outside when the sirens wail.
Will our newcomers obey those rules?
The opening is atmospheric, and an uncanny strangeness is compelling.
Excellent sound design of music, and the wind moaning and shrieking through the metal towers.
No "dead wet girls" which was a point for me.
Other viewers loved the ending - I thought it sputtered.
"Dogs will become gods - Live will become evil."

Night Of The Devils - 1972

Night Of The Devils - 1972 - 6/10
AKA - La Notte Dei Diavoli

Lumber dealer, Nicola, has car trouble while searching for a remote sawmill.
He finds an isolated cabin, and a family who will put him up for the night.
They are superstitious, windows and doors are heavily barred, and they are sharpening stakes.
Nicola, a city dweller, tries to reason, then scoffs.
Really!  What’s there to be afraid of in the deep woods at night?

 
Well shot horror, with a curious mix of tropes.
May be too slow for impatient souls, but for “Hammerish” fans, this should satisfy.

Mill Of The Stone Women - 1960 - Italy

Mill Of The Stone Women - 1960 - 6/10
AKA - Il Mulino Delle Donne di Pietra

 
Euro horror tale, set in the 1800s, is more Gothic mystery.
Young Flemish writer travels to famed professor’s windmill to research details for a soon to be published monograph.
He meets old friends, his childhood flame, the hot tavern singer, and the professor’s exotic daughter.
Meek mannered she is not, the daughter soon puts a move on the writer and has her way with him.
Complications ensue.
Beautiful yes, but there is something not right about the girl.
Slow, but OK mystery, borrows a page or two from classic stories, and has excellent production values.
Note:  An Italian film, my copy was dubbed in French, though from time to time, dubbing switched to English.
Moreover, the English subtitles, whenever the English language began, the subs switched to French.

Coma - 2005 - S Korea

Coma - 2005 - 7/10
AKA - 코마

Surprisingly, there are few Asian dramas that are Horror themed.
There are a couple that touch on elements, such as Vampire Prosecutor, but none go as full bore as this neglected gem.

 
Five episode K-drama, set in a closing hospital.  Expect dark and deserted corridors.
Everything of value has been relocated and salvage employees scour floor by floor until they come to the door with the heavy steel bar, padlock, chains.  In the finest traditions, they break into the sealed room and unleash ...
First episode follows the insurance agent, handling the closure and dealing with patients, particularly one in a coma.
The agent had actually been there ten years earlier, so there are flashbacks showing what happened ten years ago and what in now unearthed.
Second episode, same night, follows the head nurse once the sealed room is open and flashes back to when she was a young nurse.
Third episode, the police detective.  Fourth episode - you get the pattern.

 
Atmospheric sound design, inspired use of minimal budget, clever lighting.
Each episode reveals more grim history.
Halloween fare for spooky hospital fans, revenge seekers, dead wet girls.
Excellent, self-contained Horror series.

If necessary, I reworked English subtitles that came off low rez YouTube versions.
I tightened dialogue, fixed grammar and syntax errors.
Subs = https://subscene.com/subtitles/coma-2005-1/english/1182758

Ghoul - 2018 - India

Ghoul - 2018 - 6/10

 
Grisly horror set in the near future of India.
Tensions with Muslim inhabitants have escalated dramatically and the nation has become a police state.
Potential terrorists could be anywhere - or anyone.
Terrorists, dissidents, forbidden book types, are rounded up and suffer enhanced interrogation.
Dark, brutal series follows guards and prisoners in an underground fortress, cut off from an outside world that is perpetual night, endless rain.
First episode is probably the best, establishing the narrative, though truth to tell, the gloom and dread never let up.
Oh yes, one of the prisoners had summoned darkness from beyond.

Vampire Prosecutor - 2011 - S Korea

Vampire Prosecutor - 2011 -  6/10
AKA - Baempaieo Geomsa  //  뱀파이어 검사

 
First season of wildly popular series.
More "prosecutor" than vampire, as the lead character employs his abilities to uncover bad guys, nails 'em in the courtroom.
Early episodes displayed a harder edge than later ones, though the story with so-called martial artists was a hoot.
Unlike most K-dramas, there was no romantic subplot - praise the Lord.
Slick production values, lab work done in flashy multi panels, fairly good action sequences.
Adult humor, too, rather than typical 12 year old sniggles, a true plus.
Typical of drama fare, the series was self contained, though the door was left open for subsequent series.
The finale concluded an arc and loose thread from the opening installment.
Momentum slags as series builds, emotional payoff questionable.
Well worth tracking down, nevertheless.  Proper subs a must, consider joining translation forum, if necessary.
 

The Void - 2016

The Void - 2016 - 6/10

 
Horror flick explodes out the door (literally) and the pace and tension seldom let up from there.
Local cop picks up tweaker tumbling from nearby woods, races to the hospital.
The hospital is closing (most of it has relocated) so staff is slim and supplies low.
Oh, and it appears no one paid those derned power bills cause the lights start to flicker ...
just as a pack of white robed, knife carrying spooks surround the place.
There are about ten characters who separate out - what is the matter with them! - and often the peril to each interweaves back and forth.
This is basically a revved up drive-in beast, with a ton of imagination and scenes to burn.
Despite budget limitations, and a couple WTF moments, this is a fairly ripping ride.

Edgar Allan Poe: Love, Death, and Women - 2010 - UK

Edgar Allan Poe: Love, Death, and Women - 2010 - 6/10

 
Curious documentary on the writer's female influences.
Actress mother, child bride, fellow poet, and the last attempted fling.
Film follows Poe's well known chronology, literary career, as well as social skills shortcomings.
Actors play the women, reading from letters and poems.  Narrator reads Poe.
Story is intercut with silent films (I could not recognize) and experimental shorts.
In some ways effective, in other ways distracting.
Likewise the score.  Ambiant music is mixed with Pink Floyd, The Cure, others.
Perhaps not the first-choice documentary on Poe, and it does have odd moments, yet the theme of the four women in his life provides a unique slant.

Oculus - 2013

Oculus - 2013 - 6/10

 
Junior gets released from psychiatric ward after years of "observation."
Seems he whacked ole Pa - after - Pa went nutzo, and starved and murdered Ma, then tried to kill the kids.
Both children survived, by the way, and the adult sister greets her brother in the parking lot.
He wants to heal, she wants revenge.
See, she thinks it was the ornate mirror that was responsible.
Or there was malevolence within.
So she tracks down that looking glass and hangs it in her house!
Film swings back and forth between timelines, and shows the gradual disorientation and disintegration of our modern warriors.
Oft used horror premise is obvious and predictable.
Solid advice - when faced with supernatural evil, flee!