With cover art featuring a giant brain with a face it was only a matter of time before IT CAME FROM 1980 X got its pause on this flick. Straight out of the vaults of VHSPS (that’s the Video Home System Preservation Society to the uninitiated) we bring you the 1988 classic feature of hypnosis, teen angst and most of all… a man eating brain controlled by none other than Dr. Carl Hill or at least David Gale. It’s mind over matter as the tag line says.  Get ready for an effect filled, 80′s fashion sense swaddled affair complete with bright shining 80′s boobies. 1980 X! X! X! VHS junkies get your head cleaners ready. Make sure your tapes are rewound (or face the $.50 penalty). We’re going to give you something to think about (Pun You!)

Straight from the back of the VHS:

Imagine a pulsating mass of grey matter, exploding in size and strength as it controls human minds and devours bodies. Could never happen? Just watch! “Independent Thinking,” starring Dr. Anthony Blake, is a hot new TV program. But as the show’s ratings continue to soar, so does the suicide and murder rate among its viewers. What they don’t know is that Dr. Blake is teamed with an alien brain and plans to gain control of all humanity. Filled with sensational special effects, THE BRAIN is shock cinema at its best. Now that’s food for thought!

Where to begin? I’ve only watched this movie for the first time the other evening. I had passed the cover in the hallowed halls of my beloved Strictly Video in Hackettstown, NJ (RIP) many a time specifically in the dollar rental file. It was folded up, devoid of VHS beauty inside its bleak cover. I guess you don’t need much more than a picture of a brain with sharp teeth and beady eyes alongside an ominous font-ed titled, THE BRAIN. Well, I didn’t both to pick it up like many a film that I just didn’t get to before the VHS boom waned. I can tell you now that this was an error.

From the outset VHSPS does a fine job of preserving the VHS experience. The credit menu features a Ramones hit and once you hit Play the trailers for Iron Eagle 2 and Red Heat are a must watch. I remember both these trailers showing on television. Not having been a fan of the Iron Eagle series I can tell you that seeing the trailer for Red Heat was a total trip. I think it’s high time I rewatch some classic Arnold movies. He’s been out of office long enough. The whole VHS package was put together by IVE (you know the logo all too well) and the film was put out by Brightstar Films. I can assure you that people did not understand creative naming conventions in the 80′s, especially film producers.  These guys put out Humongous and American Gothic as well. Classic VHS covers so at least you knew somebody took a marketing class and hired a decent artist. They also put out Mondo Nude… classy. I urge you to follow the hyperlink to their website and try to rediscover these talented individuals (only half kidding… this film was quite good).

The Brain is as funny as it is gross. It’s filled with the most delicious type of one liners. It’s not as shocking as its advertising would suggest but rather has the effect quality of a B rate Henonlotter picture. It tries to be The Deadly Spawn in grotesqueness but fails. It doesn’t fail start you giggling. The creature effects aren’t exactly terrifying, but they are unique. I myself have a singing and crawling brain on my desk at work that comes to life when the motion sensor is triggered. I can only assume that The Brain is the inspiration for this delightful Halloween decoration. The teeth are a dead giveaway. I like to think of the brain as a sort of enlarged Mad Ball. Scariest damn thing in the movie? The teddy bear with the tentacle that shoots through it and attacks that poor suspecting young lady and her mother. It made me think of the opening scene in Dolls.

The synthesize based musical score is composed by Paul Zaza. His work included A Christmas Story which means he must have been rubbing elbows with Bob Clark of Black Christmas fame. He’s also the genius behind Porkys and Prom Night (yes the original). While the 80′s is full of memorable synth hits and attempts to copy the pants off of Mr. John Carpenter, this one is a bit more eerie. It’s not a driving carpenter line. I’d also like to note that one of the members of the sound effect crew decided to use a synth hit from the movie Halloween. You know the one. The big one! Well, I didn’t know that had become stock fodder (if indeed it had), but it was certainly effective at grabbing my attention.

Writer/Director team Ed Hunt and Barry Pearson worked on this flick and Bloody Birthday. I can safely say that their style carries through both films. The Brain is a more professional endeavor or at least it looks like they were given a few extra shekels with which to play. I’m a die hard Bloody Birthday fan. The comedic sensibilities are similar. The sense of playfulness is not lost on these fellas. They’ve created a movie that probably makes the average schmuck a little queasy, a little tense. That’s not to say you can take the film seriously by any means, but there are sequences that don’t involve a giant brain attacking people. The audience is clearly defined as late teen or college crowd, looking to make out, but if it doesn’t work out in the nookie department at least they can laugh together. It’s not an easy combination. Too far in either direction has proven to a be a failure for any flick. Given the lack of proper DVD release and nonexistent rental or box office numbers I guess we can deem that the general public didn’t find the chemistry to their liking. 

I want to stress that we are not talking about a top quality production despite having some veteran folks around. David Gale of Reanimator fame was the most notable for me. The roll of playing the doctor with questionable morals who gets himself involved with devious scientific research and practice beyond the control of man. Tom Bresnahan plays our “hero, if you can call him that. He comes from a varied background having shown up in a Disney film and an uncredited extra in Class of Nuke’em High. It’s nice to see him to on to succeed in Ski School and Twice Dead. Cynthia Preston, the heroine of the picture, is every dork’s dream girl. Not only did she star in this absolutely off the wall sci-fi/horror creature feature, but she popped up in the Zelda TV series, Friday the 13th the series and Captain N: The Game Master. She was also in Prom Night III!

I always like to offer up a few memorable lines to get your ready for just what might be in store for the 1980 X experience. One in particular stuck out. “Well there’s tow of them. They’re not apples, but they are round.” The two dollar question asks, To What was our beloved protagonist referring? Go!

What I truly love about 1988 is that I remember it. I remember watching TV and seeing my sister, three years my senior, going off to school with strange baggie sweaters and rolled jeans. This film embraces all of the hip, late 80′s fashion. I think of Teen Wolf. In fact the lead reminds me a bit of Stiles from Teen Wolf. A rebel. A party animal. He wears a leather jacket, but his hair is well groomed. He might as well be wearing slit sunglasses. All the computers either look like screen shots of the Atari 2600 or are clearly painted inserts. It’s like watching Weird Science on a very low budget. You’d think the filmmakers just discovered Oscilloscopes with the fervor with which they are displayed. Did I miss something or were reform schools/programs all the rage? I mean look at Nightmare on Elm Street 3, Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure… popular films of this age gave children to “the authorities” to “correct them”. 

New The Brain sells for about $55 (so says Amazon), but you can go over to VHSPS and get it for $10. It’s worth every penny. The packaging alone will leave you feeling nostalgic and intrigued. International Video Entertainment put the thing out in 1989 and Lionsgate apparently has the rights to this gem. Somebody feel like getting a petition together for its release?

Note: The Brain was also known as Satanic TV. A. That’s totally an 80′s title if I’ve ever heard one. B. Bitchin’.

In this edition of the Dead Air Podcast from the Liberal Dead crew’s Jeff Konopka featuring Shawn Savage, the guys discuss The Divide, what they’ve been watching and exactly ZERO news. Why? Because there’s not much a-brewin’ that requires an in depth discussion. The Avengers box office romp has received too much press already. While I have not as of yet seen The Divide I can assure you simply from listening to the music selection, knowing that it involves a post-apocalypse/nuclear incident and having the awe inspiring star power of Michael Biehn at its helm, we can be assured a good time. Shawn can’t stop watching and/or talking about it.

As always there will be a spoiler section at the end of the podcast so if you haven’t seen the movie and don’t want to have the entire thing annihilated for you, please skip this section (you have been warned).

The guys have been watching an eclectic bunch o’ flicks and not all of it horror, so here goes the weekly watch report:

-Shawn says that the Men In Black 2 Blu Ray is a treat for fans (even if the movie is a bit hokey in his opinion).

- Gremlins and Gremlins 2 hit Blu Ray. Check your players for little green men. Enjoy the awesome presentation and don’t feed it after midnight. (Clearly getting the disc wet is out of the question as well).

-Shawn also caught the film version of 21 Jump Street and said it was very self-aware and funny despite initial perceptions. These things can either go one of two ways, but I think you know that.

- The Mother’s Day Blu Ray hit the shelves just in time for Mother’s Day. Awesome flick. Good blu ray release (read the review or go back and check out the previous review on the Dead Air podcast)

-The Divide also found its release (listen to the full podcast to find out what you’ve been missing from the director of Fronter(s).

-Jeff watched the very competent release of Starman which he will review for the John Carpenter Retrospective podcast. Don’t miss it or one of the Bridges Brothers will find you. We’re not telling you which one.

-Jeff also watched Against the Dark. May want to avoid this one.

-Shark Attack 3 is one of the best bad releases ever (or at least in recent memory). Italian exploitation  meets bad dubbing. We love the stock shark footage genre.

-2 Headed Shark Attack was also on the docket. Shark week in May?

-The big debate this week (or rather awesome rant) from Jeff involved a discussion about the quality of Blu Ray and how older releases suffer from the transfer to this format from 35mm. Jeff completely debunks this myth, argues that people who think that the transfer from superior source material is inferior to DVD can’t possibly have seen good Blu transfers and overall have been misinformed. Since it isn’t really feasible to have 35mm projectors and prints in our homes, Blu Ray is the next best thing. For sure. Listen to the rant. And then listen to it again so you make sure Jeff doesn’t go Hulkamania on your ass. The key phrase (or secret word if you will) is “Mexican Soap Opera”.

Beyond that we have our feature review in which the guys discuss the in’s and out’s of The Divide. It’s got one of my favorite musical scores of the year (and if I don’t repeat that five or six times this month then you know that I’m surely dead). Shawn is VERY passionate about this movie and both Jeff and Shawn give it a positive review although Michael Biehn does offer up a few melodramatic lines that might not be your cup o’ tea.

Did You Know?: The Divide was filmed sequentially. Listen to the podcast for more juicy tid bits like this.

As always, find the wonderful world of podcasts as distributed by The Liberal Dead HERE including this episode. Make sure to subscribe and, if you are so inclined, rate and review the darn thing.  Find us on FaceBook HERE

If you should visit us via iTunes make sure you rate the cast and leave a review. We love feedback. If you’ve got a film you’d like to see reviewed or have questions for the crew, let us know.  We’re gluttons for your criticism.

Having never been in a high security mental institution I can only imagine what the interaction between cook and patient really is. I keep thinking of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest… Nurse Ratchet. McMurphy. Chief. It would seem to me it’s a rather humorous place to be if you just take the Ken Kesey angle (until Billy kills himself… then it’s no fun for anyone). Maybe the institution of Asylum Blackout is more like Arkham Asylum from the world of Batman. Dark. Demented. The patients ready to get out and exact revenge, insanely, on a staff that cared too little. Mostly I think of the thorazine shuffle. I think of heavily medicated folks drooling on themselves meandering about their padded cell. With that in mind, when I tell you that Asylum Blackout didn’t quite do it for me, it’s not for the lack of effort of the cast or crew. It’s just not believable to me and it’s not crazy enough to titillate my chaos nerve. We’re not talking about the Dead Pit, but if you’re looking for Batman Begins and the Scarecrow this might not be for you.

The whole thing is about a group of mental patients who takeover the asylum during a power outage (that would be the blackout) during a violent thunderstorm. It’s up to the kitchen staff of this institution to survive until the power can be rested from the lunatics who are stalking the staff. It’s not the first time in cinematic or horror fiction history that  the lunatics have run the asylum. You can go back to Edgar Allen Poe or even Tales from the Crypt (comic or Amicus movie) for some earlier examples. I’ve already told you that it didn’t feel real to me, but it wasn’t all bad.

Some of the torture/murder sequences are quite graphic with edgy screaming that actually did have me unnerved. I had to turn down the volume a few times to prevent my wife from waking up; I wonder if she had strange nightmares?  If there was a time during this film that I felt most aware of the chaos it was at these key moments. If you plan on watching Asylum Blackout keep an eye out for these sequences. There’s even a use of the infamous Wilhelm Scream. You know, the infamous scream for Star Wars. Using this scream in a serious horror film always leaves me raw and destroys any realism or tension. Poor choice Alexandre Courtes.

There’s a late 70’s/early 80’s shooting style and cinematographic feel to this puppy. It’s not as obvious as say The Sleeper or other retro-ilk, but it’s got a score that had me thinking “older”. There’s a graininess at times (which could just be the transfer I watched) that wasn’t Grindhouse, but it did offer a stylistic shot in the arm to the film that kept me watching. It’s not uncommon to get a review copy of a film that might not be up to distro quality (to prevent you naughty pirates from having a good copy). We’ll have to wait for the full release to see.

The cast is a battle tested. These aren’t A-listers or B-listers, but definitely a few C’s. Dave Legano has shown up in Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince, Snatch… even Batman Begins. Rupert Evans was in Hellboy and Agora. Anna Skellern was in Siren and the Descent 2 (which I still haven’t seen).  The acting is quite good. I feel that they uphold the suspension of disbelief quite nicely save for some dialogue snafus that are clearly not the fault of the actors. As I said before, this film doesn’t do it for me, not because the acting let me down, but because it didn’t build that sense of madness that an asylum should inspire.

I urge you to check this one out for yourself. This is one of those “it’s not you, it’s me” movies. While it didn’t pull on my heart strings or maybe I should say nerve endings, it has merit. It’s dark, foreboding… like a dog on the prowl. You might find that the violent moments, the lunatics and in fact the asylum itself does make you feel a bit mad. You can enjoy IFC Midnight’s newest offering:

Now In Theaters and Available Nationwide on IFC Midnight Cable VOD and Digital Outlets (SundanceNOW, iTunes, Amazon Streaming, XBOX Zune, Playstation Unlimited)!

SKR’s Queen of horrorcore Razakel teams up with the Queen of KYP Lyssa Cer to form The Manson Theory, with their self titled debut EP. Featuring the Complete SKR & KYP Roster, Daniel Jordan, and the biggest underground female collaboration in history! Presented to you by SKR, KYP & THESICKBEATS.COM

Tracklisting :

1.Intro
2.Bordello Of Hell (produced by SickTanicK)
3.She Wolf Part 2 (produced by Le Chum)
4.Spell On You (produced by Komatose)
5.Shut It Down (produced by Malphas Prophecy)
6.The Manson Theory ft Daniel Jordan & Stitch Mouth (Produced by SickTanicK)
7.Doll House Part 2 (produced by Stitch Mouth)
8.Too Sick Serial Killer (Produced by C4)
9.Murderess Row ft Lyssa Cer, Deniz, Wednesday Night, Kilo Crackroxxx, Ms Lector, Murda Queen, Molly Gruesome, Ruby, Lil V, Miss Kisa & Razakel (Produced by THESICKBEATS.COM)
10.Real Family ft SKR & KYP (produced by SickTanicK)

(Pre-order Now)

In the mid to late 90′s I watched quite a few films about growing up, being different, having the price $6.66 show up everywhere and being a girlie in a “man’s world” breaking out of the traditional mold society likes to poor us into. While Entrance is not exactly a film about growing up, being on the youth fringe and trying to find yourself in a world wholly alien… it actually is just about those exact subjects; it’s about questioning reality as it happens to you and what you let it do to you. I’m not sure that you’ll find it an experience that will assist you on your inner, personal journey if you’re young and lost, but it might help you to avoid one of the classic youth blunders: assuming that your the crazy one and the world ain’t out to get you. “Just because you’re paranoid, don’t mean they’re not after you” – Nirvana. IFC Midnight’s new offering is a delicate dance between the strangeness you feel in the world and the strangeness in the world that wants to have its way with you.

Synopsis (from IFC Midnight to avoid spoilers):

ENTRANCE is a subtle psychological thriller centered upon Suzy (Suziey Block), a young woman in Los Angeles who can’t get comfortable in her own skin. She’s haunted by nostalgia, has no real friends, and finds herself wandering aimlessly through life in the city. Suzy now feels stuck, her part-time-turned-full-time job at a coffee house was never meant to be forever. With each day she finds it increasingly difficult to put on a smile for strangers while making their lattes. Her alienation begins to stretch into the deeper corners of her life. She comes to find herself unable to connect with anyone, let alone her roommate Karen, whose life Suzy wishes was her own.

Soon, what should be the simplest of everyday interactions twist and distort into the threatening. Suzy can’t shake the gnawing suspicion that a true menace grows just outside her field of vision. She falls hard out of love with the city, but it doesn’t want to let her go. When she scrambles to take control of her life, her anxiety rises to a fever pitch that boils over into awaking nightmare.

While Entrance isn’t a Greg Araki film and the level of introspection isn’t supposed to make you question your personal identity, your sexuality or even some of the “big questions” concerning the essence of being, it does offer a look at the personal relationship of an “fish out of water” in a strange environment. What does it mean to belong? How do you know if your experience of belonging or conversely the feeling of being isolated isn’t all in your head? One of the things I love most about this film is that you keep expecting the character to have an epiphany. You expect personal growth. Without spoiling, there is not personal revelation. No one is a unique snowflake in Dallas Hallam and Patrick Horvath’s journey into the dark side of the reality you see in front of you every day, the world you live in.

This novice cast puts on plays the slow burn card well. It’s well acted and Suziey Block shines, especially in the closing minutes of the picture. Entrance is fairly quiet, and I wouldn’t expect dialogue rich performances that leave you quoting your heart out. Where they exceed is in building tension. Block draws your sympathy early. The loner. An outcast or at least the feeling of the outcast. When a few out of the ordinary things happen to her and the whimpers begin you’ll feel sympathetic which is not an entirely easy feeling to have for the victim. By the end you’ll be chasing the credit to figure out who put on those fairly memorable performances.

The moments of tension build slowly. Entrance is like a balloon ready to burst by the last ten minutes of the film. It bursts which typically  makes audiences feel relieved. When suspense breaks you feel like you can let the air out of your lungs to actually talk about the film… or scream if the filmmakers of done their job. Entrance offers no such luxury. Get ready to hold your breath all the way through the credits. Get ready to ask a lot of questions, none of which will be answered and this is clearly by design.

While I do not believe this to be intentional, the style of shooting seemed to offer a near Point of View perspective from our protagonist. You can really get into her shoes. The cinematography won’t leave you feeling overly enthused, but if you can take anything from the filming style, try to imagine yourself walking through this strange world. It’s the world you see every day, but you are not a part of it. You have to make sure the shadows are really shadows. The angles almost offer a feeling of claustrophobia and make looking to the Block’s perphery to find the baddies easier. There’s nothing supernatural about this picture. It’s all in your head and in the lens.

I’m going to recommend this one to the art house crowd who like the indy coming of age pictures of the 90′s because they’ll make you feel nostalgic. I’ll recommend this one to the folks that like realistic, nearly unfantastic portraits of terrifying reality. It’s a slow ride, but well worth the head on collision (which I hope to have carefully avoided while teasing you into watching). I watched it a second time to make sure I didn’t miss anything immediately after finishing. I didn’t. Make sure you check your blood pressure toward the end of the film. It’s brutal and have you yelling at the screen trying to help Ms. Block.

Note: Please enjoy the opening credit music as much as I did. I doubt there’s a soundtrack out there, but you might find it a nice edition to your alternative melancholy piano durges.

In Theaters and Available Nationwide on IFC Midnight Cable VOD and Digital Outlets (SundanceNOW, iTunes, Amazon Streaming, XBOX Zune, Playstation Unlimited) on May 18, 2012.

A few months ago I had the absolute pleasure of viewing Familiar, the new short film from Fatal Pictures. Familiar took me back to the era of Cronenberg and reminded me that directors don’t take chances on body-horror anymore. I mean, why not? Freudian horror is something that everyone has to experience (repression, sexual desires, YOUR MOTHER).

I was given the opportunity to talk to Zach Green, (co-owner of Fatal Pictures and producer of Familiar) and I asked him a few questions in regards to Familiar as well as his role behind the scenes.

Me:  Zach, state your role within Fatal Pictures.

Zach: My role in Fatal Pictures is being the acting Producer first and foremost; I did edit on Consumption & Worm. One half of the Canadian Film Production Company entitled FATAL PICTURES INC (www.fatalpictures.com).

Say hello, everyone!

Me: Familiar calls back to some Cronenberg-ian themes with body horror and Freudian repression. What is your take on that?

Zach: When Richard was writing Familiar, David Cronenberg really wasn’t an influence. A lot of people make that similarity and I can understand why.

Me: You are based in Canada. Is there a certain way you view American horror? It’s OK, you can be mean if you want.

Zach: No I don’t look at American Horror any different than I look at Canadian horror. If it’s a good film, it’s a good film, regardless of the background of the filmmakers. But, again, I’m not the biggest horror fan, so I’m sorry if my answer sucks.

Me: What are you doing right now to get awareness for Fatal Pictures?

Zach: I am trying to get Familiar at as many Film Festivals as I can, as well as trying to get acclaim for the film. The internet has been a great tool.

Me: Are there any festivals you will be screening the film at?

Zach: Familiar had its World Premiere in Toronto via FANGORIA’S FRIGHT NIGHTS on March 2nd. The film played before the very controversial Japanese Film, Battle Royale. Later in March, it went on to screen at A NIGHT OF HORROR in Australia. It also went on at ChicagoFearFest April 13-14 where Familiar won BEST SHORT FILM, Texas Frightmare Weekend May 4, 5, 6, Dark Brides Film Festival May 3rd-6^th, and Fantaspoa Film Festival thus far.

Me: What is the next step for Fatal Pictures? Will you go on to full-length films?

Zach: The next step for FP is currently promoting Familiar on the film festival circuit. Yes, we do plan to go onto full length films our upcoming feature film debut from Fatal Pictures will be entitled Worm.

Me: What made you decide that you wanted to be a producer rather than a director, writer, or actor?

Zach: Right now I only have an interest in being behind the scenes and hiring/finding the talent, crew, managing the budget, and promoting on the backend. That’s just where my main interest and strengths are and that’s where I succeed best as of now.  Not to say one day I won’t direct a film, I actually plan too.

Me: Do you feel like you are finally getting recognition as a company because of Familiar?

Zach: Well, I do feel Familiar is getting a great response thus far. Richard and I are very pleasured to see the film getting into great film festivals and getting some great critical acclaim. Not to mention the award Familiar just took at ChicagoFearFest 2012, for best short film.

Me: One of the biggest selling points for me in Familiar was the use of practical effects. Is that something you want to see more of in films?

Zach: I personally prefer practical effects to CGI. I know Richard is also a bigger fan of practical effects as well, but sometimes to make your day, it is faster and sometimes easier to do it in post. I do think the practical effects on Familiar were top notch. Big thanks to The Butcher Shop.

Me: Where can people find out more about Fatal Pictures and what you’re up too?

Zach: Thank you very much for taking the time to do this interview with me. I greatly appreciate it. I urge everyone reading this to go over to The Fatal Pictures Official Website (www.FatalPictures.com) to get all the up to date news and content regarding Fatal Pictures. Please follow us on Twitter @FatalPictures as well!

Well, that’s it. Don’t forget to check out my review for Familiar and try to get your ass at one of their showings. Zach is a gentleman and his company deserves some love!

Apartment 143 is an extremely well done found footage/haunting film, which in many ways is far superior to the ultra popular Paranormal Activity franchise.  The story revolves around Alan White (Kai Lennox) and his two children, four-year-old Benny (Damian Roman), and teenage daughter Caitlin (Gia Mantegna), as they struggle with the strange phenomenon that has taken over their home. Desperate for answers Alan hires parapsychologists, Dr. Helzer (Michael O’Keefe), Paul Ortega (Rick Gonzalez), and Ellen Keegan (Fiona Glascott), to come investigate the apartment, setting into motion an unforgettable investigation.

The pace of this film is perfect, unlike many similar genre flicks, not much time is wasted on building up to the investigation itself. Instead, viewers are tossed into the setup almost instantly, and cleverly fed needed information through conversations that take place during the teams stay within the apartment. Viewers are never really given the chance to lose interest in what is going on, because from start to finish they are given exactly what they came to see. Each set piece is spaced just right, giving viewers just enough time to ease back into their comfort zone, before the next burst of activity occurs, leading to some authentically tense moments.

The film also showcases stellar use of camera angles, adding a higher degree of realism to the investigation. Cameras are mounted in each corner of rooms, to limit the number of blind spots, just like in a real life investigation. These long full room shots also cause viewers to constantly scan each room, always on edge and expecting something out of the ordinary to occur, causing even the most casual scenes to have a level of uneasiness to them.

Another factor that sets this film apart from others in the same sub genre is the level of respect that is shown to the field of paranormal investigation. Many similar films feel the need to stereotype every investigator as either strange recluses, or over the top nerd characters. Each of the investigators in this film is highly professional and friendly folk, who approach the field from a scientific view. The only aspect I found unlikely in terms of realistic portrayal of the field, is the fact that the four year old is present for a large section of the investigation, I think you would be hard press to find a team that would recommend a small child’s presence in such a potentially dangerous situation.

Apartment 143’s only real down falls are rather nit picky at best, but there are moments where they try to hard to emphasize that you are seeing through the eyes of cameras by poor use of dust on the lens, or ultra cheesy interference effects. Sometimes the dust and effects are visually disruptive, making it hard to focus on what is going on. The ghost effects are also rather cheesy, but can be looked past thanks to strong writing and story telling.

Overall, Apartment 143 is a great addition to the haunting subgenre, and is highly recommended to fans of the paranormal that have been looking for a more true to life approach for the genre. Apartment 143 is currently available via VOD and will have a limited theatrical release starting on June 1^st.

Sporting one of the most fantastic scores ever laid down by a synthesizer, Christine is the focus of this installment of the John Carpenter Retrospective series. Jeff Konopka and Jesse Bartel discuss the finer points of automotive maintenance, mileage and murder! Spend the next 45 minutes to an hour with team Carpenter.

I think there are a number of lessons to be learned by watching Christine. Nerdy kids with cars are more dangerous than nerdy kids without cars. Nerdy kids with cars get girls. Nerdy kids without cars live longer. Nerdy kids with cars disobey their parents. Nerdy kids with cars drink and drive and don’t pay attention to the 10 and 2 rule. Um… nerdy kids with cars go on to direct episodes of Dexter and also star with Rodney Dangerfield in films featuring Oingo Boingo. Absolute power corrupts absolutey. Absolute vodka tastes good with OJ and Cranberry juice.

Discussion will include:

It’s about a car that kills people. John Carpenter films have been bringing father and sons together since he broke in the late 70′s (Freudian? Maybe Jeungian). Both our hosts discuss the film with a fresh perspective on it having not seen it in years and providing keen insight into what works, what doesn’t work and what needs a look under the hood. Stephen King fans unite over the adaptation Carpenter actually got to do (he was kicked to the curb for Firestarter).

Please enjoy one of the sexiest trailers in the history of the genre.

As always, find the wonderful world of podcasts as distributed by The Liberal Dead HERE including this episode. Make sure to subscribe and, if you are so inclined, rate and review the darn thing.  Find us on FaceBook HERE

If you should visit us via iTunes make sure you rate the cast and leave a review. We love feedback. If you’ve got a film you’d like to see reviewed or have questions for the crew, let us know.  We’re gluttons for your criticism.

Teachers… leave those kids alone. Let your pupils read Stephen King and other horror novels. We are the future. Join us!

Also, the car is family.

What I find amazing about this particular episode of the John Carpenter Retrospective is that Jeff Konopka and I didn’t explode in some kind of strange awe inspired alien, human hybrid, gore oozing love fest from all the praise we gave The Thing. It’s near impossible not to give this movie the highest marks a horror film could possibly withstand. What’s more, it’s not only scary, effect driven and anxiety inducing, it’s a hot bed of socio-political commentary of the best caliber.

If you’ve seen this flick before make sure to take a listen to this installment. We definitely spoiler it up proper so please don’t listen if you want to keep this remake classic virgin to your horror-lovin’ eyes. I’m hard pressed to find die hard fans of the genre who haven’t as of yet seen this picture, but then again, I’ve also found horror fans who think that all remakes are terrible simply because they are remakes. Here’s the remake that flushes the haters rule book straight down the crapper.

Special points of interest/conversation include a discussion of the soundtrack, Rob Bottin as an effects maestro extraordinaire, a brief recollection of the Cold War and McCarthyism as well as a the neo-McCarthian movement. We also discuss vagina chest monsters and head-spider combos (would you like fries with that?).  Enjoy the warm feelings of Carpenter love for this first installment in the apocalypse trilogy (the other two to follow in good time).

As always, find the wonderful world of podcasts as distributed by The Liberal Dead HERE including this episode. Make sure to subscribe and, if you are so inclined, rate and review the darn thing.  Find us on FaceBook HERE

If you should visit us via iTunes make sure you rate the cast and leave a review. We love feedback. If you’ve got a film you’d like to see reviewed or have questions for the crew, let us know.  We’re gluttons for your criticism.

Stay tuned to the Liberal Dead for the next installment of the John Carpenter Retrospective which will be released this week featuring Jesse Bartel and Jeff Konopka talking about one of my personal favorites, Christine.

Keep watching the skies… wait… WRONG MOVIE. Doh!

Darren Lynn Bousman has been a busy boy as of late. From his humble beginning doing the follow up to Saw (very humble, right?) to Repo: The Genetic Opera (which I put in my DVD player at least once a month but do not actually watch) to Saw III… Saw IV… 11-11-11… Devil’s Carnival and of course, less we forget that the remake craze is still in full effect, Mother’s Day. We are here to discuss the Blu-Ray release of the remake of the Troma classic hillbilly horror, cringe-fest. We’ll briefly go over my thoughts on the “remake” (because it ain’t a prequel) and then we’ll get into the combo packagey-goodness.

For the uninitiated, Mother’s Day was an early Troma release directed by the brother of one of Troma’s founders Lloyd Kaufman, Charles Kaufman. It’s the mother knows best, backwoods torture and sadistically ravage a group of co-eds headed into the woods for a little R&R. It’s funny and perverse. It’s Troma people. If you don’t like Troma or maybe can’t appreciate movies like Blood Sucking Freaks (an early Troma release) you really have no room to be watching horror films that involve the last name Kaufman anyway. The recent release of Mother’s Day is only a remake in basic principles. Yes there’s a mother who manipulates her children into doing some pretty nasty things to a group of unsuspecting yuppies, but it’s polite and sophisticated. Bousman’s Mother’s Day is an attempt to bring the good ol’ Saw-loving torture porn into your own home without the aid of Jigsaw or that damn tricycle. It’s effectively shocking, low on the one liners, high on the hotties and may have enough gore to satisfy the Saw fans but lacks the sense of humor of its predecessor. It’s nice to know that in the 30 years since the original films release that we don’t all view our mother’s as crotchety old ladies in rocking chairs with faces half removed (see original cover art for details).

I’m a fan of both movies for different reasons. I enjoy the comedy and brutality of the original. It’s artwork is incredible and has stuck with me since I was a video store monger at the ripe age of ten. I can’t tell you how many times I picked up that damn cover only to have my parents remove it from my innocent fingers tips. While the original is brutal its narrative falls off the tracks at the first sign of a fork in the tracks. What you end up with is an 80′s style hillbilly slasher without the charisma of a film like Last House on the Left which brutalizes its victim with more suspense, tact and all out perversity. Not to say that Last House on the Left is a hillbilly pic of course, but if the main design is to shock the audience the Last House turns up the voltage like an AC/DC riff from Angus while you might get a bit Kipp Winger from Mother’s Day.

The remake or maybe it’s best to switch over to “re-imagining” at this point since it’s not the same film at all, is sub par when compared to films of a similar type released in recent memory. Some hate the term “torture porn” but I embrace it. It’s a nice marketing strategy that shows off our favorite special effects guys talents This doesn’t go quite as far as say Saw or Hostel. It just ain’t that brutal. This would be soft core torture porn. That’s not to say that soft core doesn’t have it’s place on Cinemax or in the sub genre. Sometimes it’s nice to keep the graphic penetration out of the camera eye. There’s plenty of brutality but this one might be more accessible for the those of us who might not be students of Mr. Wan and Mr. Roth. We must give most of the credit to Rebecca De Mornay for portraying deary ol’ mom. Cast anyone else in that role and Bousman’s Mother’s Day couldn’t be as effective. She is the ultimate special effect.

So that’s how I feel about it in a nutshell and since we here at the The Liberal Dead have sounded off on this release in prior articles and podcasts I’ll leave it at that. A good flick for some. Others will hate that attempt to remake a classic piece of Troma. Others still will find it a jump on the new shock cinema band wagon.

The Blu-Ray/DVD combo release is fine I suppose. There’s nothing that really had me stirred up about the packaging or the presentation. The special features are standard fare, but at least for a price tag under twenty bucks (while it’s on sale of course) you’re getting the blu-ray and the DVD. I’ve heard it said that the quality in the transfer appeared to be lacking although I didn’t necessarily find this to be the case. In fact I found the audio to be an excellent source of actual seat-separated-from-ass jump scare. It’s some fine audio, but if you’re going to take any issue with the actual release, it would probably be best to point the finger at the actual movie production rather than the distribution there of. I could use a nod to the classic cover art. Personal preference of course that would be wholly inappropriate given the differences between the original film and this release.

What you have here is a piece of one of Anchor Bay’s better release in the remake cycle. It’s got actors that can inspire if you let them. It isn’t a frame by frame recap of Charles Kaufman’s original and shows some prowess when it comes to the gore galore (all I should have to say is “head shot” to those of you who have seen the film). If your a tech junkie and want to wax geek about the overall pixel ratio than I’m not your man. The casual viewer will enjoy this purchase and if you’ve got a half way decent set up, you can make use of the blu-ray transfer. It’s light on the extras or rather it just ain’t packing the big rubbery extras you might be looking for in a release that owes its namesake to a much older film.

Mini-Rant: Distro and Production Companies… we want cover art and we want it now!

Also, Happy Mother’s Day… probably not the best gift for mom, but maybe you can show it to your mum and thank her for not being THAT mum.

I’m trolling a bit here, but I couldn’t help but laugh at this kid when I saw his video posted on Dread Central. This child goes on about how we, the people, should boycott the film, Madison County. Madison County is a new slasher that was directed by Eric England and is most notable for its pig-head wearing killer. Our own reviewer, Kevin Lovall, enjoyed it quite a bit, but I have yet to see it even with his recommendation.

This kid, who is named Jack (?), goes on about how Eric England is mean….and that’s about it. Jack also says to not buy the movie even though he pre-ordered it (and he doesn’t know how to cancel?). It’s all very silly and it’s a type of video that is very common on YouTube. You know, where people spit out poorly backed opinions and are not convincing at all. If anything, this child makes me want to go buy the movie just to spite him.

Just have a laugh with me. That’s all I ask.

I got your attention, didn’t I? While it’s shocking that this teaser for David Schmoeller’s, Little Monsters has a murdered three year old in it, the story of this film is fascinating to me. Two boys murder a girl and are then sent to separate juvenile facilities. When they turn eighteen, the boys are released back into the world with new names and identities. The film follows their journey in a world where they are labeled monsters (and rightfully so) and how they deal with their past actions. Sure, it’s a fucked up teaser, but its done “tastefully” and judging by what Schmoeller wants to do with the film, he is not just going for shock-value.

The film will be playing at Fantaspoa this year, so I guess we shall have to wait to see what people think about it for a bit longer. I know I will be wanting to get my hands on this when it starts getting distributed.

No. Fred Savage is not in it

Go HERE if you want to listen to the podcast about the newest horror phenomenon that got the horror folks jumpin outta their pants in back into the movie theater. Having written a review about the damn movie I think ya’ll know my humble opinion on the subject. If not than this podcast will serve to create a delightful positive synergy around Drew Goddard’s first offering in the director seat. This week on Dead Air Jeff Konopka, Shawn Savage and James Harris discuss the finer points of newsworthy horror, what we’ve been watching and our feature, The Cabin in the Woods.

Note: We will not be posting the trailer to The Cabin in the Woods because it gives too much away. Don’t let this movie get spoiled for you. See it in the theater.

Instead enjoy this montage demonstrating with great ease how you too may build your own cabin in the woods:

We now return to our regularly scheduled podcast update which is already in progress.

The Konopka family is now feeling much better after a bout of plague thus the reason for the week’s lapse in podcastage (the John Carpenter retrospective to be specific). No need to worry. We’re back this week!

Some highlights from the program will include:

-James getting over his stage fright on air. It’s like shock therapy talking to these two aviators of the internet airwaves

-Penumbra: the advertising will not leave you feeling very Roman Polanski.

-Dark Night of the Scarecrow from 1981 holds up and the DVD/Blu Ray release is out now. Make sure to check out this classic and the IT CAME FROM 1980 X article that is alluded to in the podcast. (also check out our previous entries in this series Gore-met, Microwave Massacre, Demoniac, Mortuary… shameless plug).

-The Divide is this year’s Bereavement… It will take you by surprise. Shawn has watched it three times this month. Maybe more by now

-The Killing Jar a squandered opportunity

-Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol fails to impress Shawn. It’s Tom Cruise on a motorcycle… like Top Gun.

- The Innkeepers is out on Blu Ray and the Liberal Dead is running a rad giveaway to celebrate its release. Go pick up Ti West’s newest spook flick.

-Jeff watched The Thing until he couldn’t tell if he was a human or an alien copy of himself. He has a petri dish waiting for testing (if you dare).

-There’s a lengthy conversation about the The Toy. Don’t miss it. I won’t give it away. Spoiler free discussion of the Toy with guest mention of … Danny Trejo?

-The Streaming Dead is a new column by Jeff. It’s going to go through the wild west world of Netflix and try to make sense of it. First edition up now. Make Netflix meaningful again.

-Jeff saw the Muppets. (See previous podcast where Kristy RAVES about it).

-The Beginning of the End: The Last Exorcism – Hatchet men at work. Giant Grasshoppers. 50′s B Sci-Fi. The Laster Exorcism. The Lastest Exorcism. You get the idea.

-Wrong Turn 5 stars Doug Bradley. Cenobites go to West Virginia?  Stay tuned for a conversation of the financial viability of the WT series.

-What movie features a woman with a giant vagina making people’s heads explode? Listen to the podcast.

-Will Hannibal be the next horror TV show? What would it look like? Who would play Hannibal? Will Anthony Hopkins make a cameo as Hannibal’s father?

-Silent Night, Deadly Night gets a remake that will be called Silent Night. Hang your stocking with care now!

As always, find the wonderful world of podcasts as distributed by The Liberal Dead HERE including this episode. Make sure to subscribe and, if you are so inclined, rate and review the darn thing.  Find us on FaceBook HERE

If you should visit us via iTunes make sure you rate the cast and leave a review. We love feedback. If you’ve got a film you’d like to see reviewed or have questions for the crew, let us know.  We’re gluttons for your criticism.

Stay tuned for some contests that you can only get in on if you follow Dead Air. Make sure to put a review up on iTunes. It takes only a minute, but can only further the cause of the podcast.

Ladies and germs… the Director of The Cabin in the Woods, Drew Goddard. His eyes know what scares you. Get familiar with this mug. We hope to see it again soon.

Welcome to Madison County, a quiet close knit town up in the middle of nowhere. Just like any small town, Madison County has its own hometown legend. In the case of this town it is a ruthless serial killer of approximately 33 victims that to this day has still never been caught. ‘Madison County’ is eerie, entertaining and an all around good time. I would say this is a perfect example of a true horror masterpiece achieved with a minimal budget, once again proving you can still make a truly remarkable film without a Hollywood budget.

The story begins with a group of kids venturing out on a road trip to the infamous Madison County in order for James (Colley Bailey of Donner Pass) to interview the author of a tell all book regarding Madison County’s history which he is doing his thesis on. When they arrive in Madison County they find that the entire town will not speak of the man they are seeking, as well as deny the existence of Damian completely, claiming him to be nothing more than merely a fictional character conceived by the imaginative mind of the books author. Refusing to believe what they have been told by the townspeople they decide to venture into the town further in search of the author and the truth behind the legend of Damian.

First off, let me say that I found this to be a truly remarkable feature film debut by Eric England. The film has depth, emotion, and an overall creepy undertone that keeps you the in perfect state of mind to veer throughout the kids’ journey into the heart of this town and its deadliest secret. The cast of mostly unknowns also do a remarkable job for the most part. I find it a rare treat when you actually feel for the characters in a horror film, as it is quite often not the case in this type of film. I found myself actually being upset when characters would be killed which really brings a unique vibe to the storytelling process that is often completely absent in the slasher genre. The one known star of the movie is Nick Principe, who many probably know as the technologically savvy killer Chromeskull of the ‘Laid To Rest’ film series. He naturally plays the ever creepy Damian, eerily equipped with a giant pig’s head and tattered overalls.

Everything about this movie I felt was done exceptionally well, from the score of the film, the grainy film style, and just the overlying creepiness accompanying the film throughout. Considering the budget of the film was apparently only $70,000 I think this is truly a remarkable contribution to the low budget slasher genre and will hopefully be used over time as a comparison to what can be accomplished with a limited budget and no name cast when you really put your heart into it. I highly recommend everyone take a trip down to ‘Madison County.’

‘Madison County’ will be released on DVD via IMAGE Entertainment on May 8!

Tagline:They ooze. They Slime. They kill.
Original Title: Slugs, muerte viscos
Released February 1998

For the second installment of The Liberal Dead’s look at the animal attack sub-genre, we will be taking a look at the 1988 Juan Piquer Simon (Pieces, The Pod People) film Slugs. Based on a 1982 Shaun Hutson novel by the same title, the film revolves around a rural community that becomes over run by carnivorous slugs. Unforgettably cheesy dialog, graphic gore, and a ton of laughs make this a must experience flick for fans of old-school 80s splatter.

This is most certainly one of those, so good its bad type of flicks. Best viewed with friends and perhaps some sort of mind-altering substance. The dialog is so hilariously poorly written and delivered that it is impossible to walk away from this film without memorizing some lines for future use in awkward conversations. One of the most strangely composed conversations being one that takes place between Mike Brady (Michael Garfield) and Kim Brady (Kim Terry) about the passing of some so called adored friends.

Kim Brady: Did you hear? About Harold and Jean Morris? Mike Brady: Nope, why? Kim Brady: They are dead. Mike Brady: Ah, come on now…  Kim Brady: Yeah, I heard it on the news. There was some sort of explosion in their greenhouse. They were both inside. Mike Brady: Wha-Wait a second how’d this happen? Kim Brady: No one knows. Mike Brady: Ah, Jesus. They were nice people. I liked them a lot. Kim Brady: I know, I did too. Mike Brady: [long pause as Brady looks down at the garden] so what are you doing out here anyway?

Slugs also features one the funniest death in horror movie history, a chain of events that start simply with a man putting on a gardening glove, that escalates into an highly complex domino effect death sequence that would make even Rube Goldberg proud. While this movie is very humorous, it is also has a large number of authentically cringe worthy scenes that are sure to leave some viewer’s stomachs churning. A beautiful example of 80s practical effects, there is no shortage of blood and latex found within the movies running time.

Slugs, truly is a perfect blend of just the right amount of laughs and gross out moments, creating a classic b movie experience packed full of good times. Leaving behind a wake of bodies and mayhem in its slimy snail trail, this genre classic can currently be viewed via Netflix instant view.

I’ve always been bothered by The Wicker Man. I saw it for the first time in my early 20s. I had always heard about it but never taken the plunge til I dated my first mutual film nerd. He loved it. He also loved movies like The Last House On The Left and The Hills Have Eyes, so maybe I should’ve taken note. I’m willing to bet I am one of the only people you’ve ever met who feels the same way about those two films that I do about The Wicker Man. What can I say, I guess I’ve always been a weird bird when it comes to certain films. There’s sometimes a strange distinction between what upsets me and what doesn’t. For example, A Serbian Film. So many people get up in arms about the child abuse themes. For me? The baby looked fake so I was completely taken out of it. E.T. on the other hand…puts me in tears. So upsetting watching E.T. being taken away from his new family. So now do you see who you’re dealing with?

So if A Serbian Film left me “meh-ey” and E.T. killed my soul, why would The Wicker Man get under my skin? Much like my disdain for Wes Craven’s early films, The Wicker Man leaves me with a dirty, sick feeling. With all of them, the sexuality is so overt and rightfully so. Even someone like me who loves porn (yes I said it, I ain’t ashamed) can be skeeved out by these then there has to be something to it right? Well in The Wicker Man it isn‘t relegated to the sexuality. Although I do get a little antsy when Britt Ekland dances seductively outside of Sergeant Howie’s door. It’s more than that, it’s mixed with the cult undercurrent that progresses as the film does. Maybe it’s the Atheist in me that gets skeeved out as well. It’s terrifying to think of how religion can sour a brain. What I’m getting at is that 1973’s The Wicker Man bothers me in an uneasy way. It’s not a film I enjoy watching by any stretch of the imagination. Especially the ending. Leaves such a helpless feeling.

So when I was given the chance to check out The Wicker Tree, the follow-up to The Wicker Man, at first I was unsure if I wanted to give it a go. But curiosity got the better of me and I took Anchor Bay up on their offer. On a side note I have to say I was very impressed that they overnighted a copy to me, that was a welcome surprise as opposed to other companies who don’t take the speedy approach. Needless to say I didn’t have much time to overhaul my expectations, so I went in pretty blindly. I purposefully didn’t find any information on this one other than that it was written and directed by original director Robin Hardy. And not to give too much away, but that’s really where any similarities end.

I watched The Wicker Tree twice in a row, and I was still left sort of lost. The film plays out as a closer relative to 2001 Maniacs than the long awaited follow-up to The Wicker Man. It starts with us meeting Beth Boothby and her fiancee Stephen. They’re a lot bit country and a little bit rock n roll; missionaries on their way to help bring the word of Christ to the people of Scotland. Though a moot point, it seemed strange to me because Scotland has always been a primarily Christian country. However once you find out that they were invited there, it makes a bit more sense. A bit. I don’t like to get lazy when it comes to talking about movies, especially new movies that people are interested in knowing if they should spend their hard earned money on. But I really don’t know how else to sum up my thoughts on The Wicker Tree except for bullet pointing out some plot points.

*Beth and Steve are committing themselves to chastity. Well, trying to, Steve is pretty horny.

*Beth is a singer, and she ain’t bad. But she’s trying to shed her stereotypical trailer trash past and career.

*As in the original the townsfolk are plotting against them.

Spoiler alert! Steve macks it to another chick, they convince Beth she’s something special, they attempt to sacrifice them both much as Sergeant Howie was in the original. I won’t say whether they succeed or not. The ending actually resembles a Tales From The Crypt episode more than anything.

So after all of this, you might expect I’m going to tell you to stay away from it. No, not exactly. Is it high art? No. Will it compare in any capacity to the original? Not on your life. Is it a fun film? Actually, yeah it kind of is. Like I’ve said, if you like films in the vein of 2001 Maniacs you’re going to really like this one. It’s that film but with Scottish accents. If you’re expecting something to compare to the original, then avoid this because they’re two completely different films. If you highly respect the original, this one will irritate the hell out of you. On the other hand if you’re indifferent you’ll likely be forgiving. Christopher Lee has a cameo, but blink and you’ll miss it. All in all I say stay for the laughs, not the deep symbolism or dirty cult feelings, cause you won’t find them here kid.

Now that we’ve barraged you with information in regards to The Innkeepers, which is being released to DVD/Blu Ray tomorrow, we wanted to let you know about another DVD being released on the same day.

Darren Lynn Bousman’s 11-11-11, now subtitled The Prophecy, will be released on DVD tomorrow, the 24th of April. We’ve discussed the film in the past. We had a group discussion on the podcast, as well as a written review from Jesse Bartel. The consensus seems to be that 11-11-11: The Prophecy is one of the weaker films in Bousman’s body of work, but perhaps you’ll enjoy it more than we did. Below is an excerpt from Jesse’s review. Pick a copy up for yourself, if you’d like, and let us know if you disagree.

So what makes 11-11-11 so bad? Well, for one, it is boring and lacks spark in just about every part of the script. It is a shame because the director, Darren Lynn Bousman, is talented enough and I enjoyed his remake of Mother’s Day. 11-11-11 relies almost entirely on jump scares; these jump scares mostly deal with people just appearing out of nowhere. The dialogue consists of the main character denouncing god and having the other characters try to “win” him over. Over and over again, that is all you hear. It doesn’t help that the main character is a cliché writer who pops pills and is TORMENTED by his past. You thought seeing 23 everywhere in 23 was bad, wait till you see all the 11’s densely inserting themselves into this film, it’s just annoying. The acting is laughable and plot holes abound. The ending will have you ripping you hair out at its stupidity, not to mention the preachy pseudo-Christian message.

Check out some bonus features from the DVD below:

Deleted Scene

Behind The Scenes

Scary House

Thanks to some behind-the-scenes magic by Miss Kristy Jett, The Liberal Dead has come into possession of something special to give away to one lucky reader. The Innkeepers is the new film by Ti West, director of The House Of The Devil. In the film, Sara Paxton and Pat Healy are two hotel attendants at a closing, supposedly haunted inn. The duo double as amateur paranormal investigators, trying to unlock the Yankee Pedlar Inn’s haunted secrets.

Leave a comment below, telling us what you think of Ti West as a filmmaker, along with your email address, and one of you will be chosen at random(via random.org) to win this awesome prize pictured below. This nifty little gatefold edition of the movie is in Blu Ray format, so make sure you either have the ability to play the disc yourself, or have access to a Blu Ray player at some capacity. A winner will be chosen and contacted on May 1st, so hurry and get your entries in.

Narcissism is a short, 34 minute film directed by Daniel Onoda and it’s about a guy named Daniel who finds a time portal in his newly acquired apartment. Sure, it sounds a little out there, and it is, but it is done well (to an extent). A friend of mine pointed me towards this little gem, and after my viewing, I felt compelled to show this film to the rest of you. It has time travel and murder, how could I keep it a secret?

Sure, the science of it falls apart in the end and it’s very much an amateur film, but I feel it’s worth sitting through. Maybe it’s because I have a fascination with time travel that I was attracted to Narcissism while I watched it, but I think it carries its weight in other ways too. Regardless of the “science,” it’s done well and I hope you can appreciate it like I did.

Watch the movie, and let me know your thoughts on it.

Ti West is no stranger to making a suspenseful horror film. In 2009 he brought us The House of the Devil, and now he takes his masterful grasp of what suspense truly is and brings it to The Innkeepers. The Innkeepers tells the tale of the Yankee Pedlar Inn in its last weekend of operation. Two front desk clerks, Luke (Pat Healy) and Claire (Sara Paxton) explore paranormal phenomenon and try to understand the strange occurrences in the Inn along with exploring human nature at its core along the way. The film also stars Kelly McGillis as a former actress turned psychic who ends up at the Yankee Pedlar Inn. But then again as Luke so fittingly says, “Nobody just ends up at the Yankee Pedlar.”

The film hit VOD and select theaters late last year but on Tuesday, April 24th it hits DVD and Blu ray. Over the past few months it’s been hard to not see spoilers or everyone’s personal review on the film. You have the die-hards who take it at face value for what it is, a slow burn horror film which takes pleasure in the build-up maybe even moreso than the pay-off. Then you have the side of fans who are irritated at the fact that they didn’t get their gore or thrills the way they wanted to. Recently in an interview with Pat Healy, he spoke on this subject quite openly and makes a great point as well, “There’s this big thing now in film criticism, both amateur and “professional,” where it’s fair for people to judge a film on what it’s not. ‘Well, I thought it was going to be this and instead it was this,’ but this film, is it successful on what it actually is? Yes, I think it is. I’m biased obviously. I will say I have noticed a difference between people who have seen it in a theater full of people as compared to the people who see it at home; it’s just a different experience. Still, the best way to see a horror movie, or a comedy or an action film is with an audience. You get to see that way that so much of the thrill is the ride itself, and you’re not just sitting there waiting for the pay-off at the end or the twist- you just went on a great ride. At the end of a roller coaster they don’t tell you that the roller coaster you were on is really a spaceship. You just had fun because you were on a roller coaster. That’s the pay-off- the journey. And on those terms, I love the film.”

While the film may not have the blood and spills flowing as much as it has dialogue and emotion, it demonstrates quite clearly what Healy is saying. We’re taking a journey, not a destination. So many critics do indeed like to judge a film on what it isn’t rather than what it is. At face value, The Innkeepers is a taut thriller, slow paced, but by design. There is nothing half-presented in this film. Everything is calculated. It’s not a film that wants you to leave unfulfilled, quite the opposite. Forgive it if it doesn’t apply the same conventions of the last four films you paid money for in a theater, but recognize that this film doesn’t need those commonplace tricks to present its story.