Aaaaaand, we're back! I would like to give you some fluff and bullshit about why I haven't reviewed anything lately. I'd like to use the excuse that I've been to busy but that's not true. The truth is, for a while, independent films just beat me down. Most that we were getting were lackadaisical and uninspired and quite frankly, weren't even worth wasting the time to review them. I pride myself on being brutally honest when it comes to reviewing and it started feeling more like I was just beating a dead horse. However, I am also stubborn as hell and refuse to let the website that I put so much effort into for so many years simply dry up and die. So.... onward and upward!!
Fifteen years after a gruesome triple homicide devastated their Little League baseball team, four friends (Erin Hammond, Marshall Caswell, Mathew Dunlop, Nick Sommer) reunite to commemorate their dead coach and fallen teammates. A mystery unfolds as the secrets from their past return to haunt them and a vengeful killer, hidden by an antique umpire's mask, returns to even the score.
I have to admit, I didn't have high hopes for this one. For some reason, the artwork and title of the film didn't give me a great feeling. Yes, I'm a judgmental bitch, BUT, I am completely ecstatic to say that I was wrong.
The film is well shot and the acting, for the most part, is on point and much better than you normally see in lower budget indie films. However, the film is not without it's flaws. There are some flashbacks that drag on a little long but are needed to round out the story. As always, I appreciate the use of practical effects and the majority of them were well done, there was a face smash effect that blew me away, but there were also some that fell a little short (final scene). However, none of those things take away from the overall watchability of the film. Written and directed by Nick Sommer and Drew Rosas, Billy Club is an old fashioned slasher with a little bit of comedy mixed in to make it an enjoyable ride.
Uncork'd Entertainment invites you to a hotel of horrors this September with Brad Douglas’s highly anticipated thriller/chiller Besetment.
Besetment stars Abby Wathen (The Bay) as a young woman who takes a hotel position in a small town where she ends up fighting for her life.
Amanda Millard, struggling and desperate for a job, takes a position at a hotel in a small town in Oregon. It’s a creepy, back country kind of town but owners Mildred Colvin and her son Billy seem nice enough at first. It’s not long before Amanda discovers their real intentions, and her struggle to make a living becomes a nightmarish fight for her life.
Besetment won first place at the recent Rhode Island Vortex Horror Film Festival.
Abby Wathen and, Marlyn Mason (The Trouble with Girls) star with Michael Meyer, Douglas Rowe, Lindsea Kline, Greg James, Hannah Barefoot, John T. Woods, Sonya Davis, Max Gutfreund, Liam O'Sruitheain, Sadndra Doolittle, Tanner McCullough, Ashley Layton, Nona Bigham, and Edward Simper in a Brad Douglas film.
Besetment hits DVD September 5.
Studio: Uncork'd Entertainment Director: Brad Douglas Cast : Abby Wathen, Marlyn Mason
Horror genre distributor Terror Films is releasing I Know You’re in There today, August 18th!
I Know You’re in There was written and directed by Robert Lawson Gordon. The film stars: Will Hurst, Grainne McDermott, Mindee de Lacey and Karin Lee. In the story, Tom Redding (Hurst), after his mother’s suicide, discovers that he has a sister named Chloe (McDermott). Chloe is catatonic and completely paralyzed. Later, Tom takes her on a trip to their dead mother’s isolated home partly - in hopes of documenting her rare illness. Their bonding time is disrupted by unexpected twists into madness as a supernatural evil presents itself.
The film has been met with some critical acclaim. Wicked Channel has stated: “…the story is kick-ass and the suspense in the film is ever present.” Peter ‘Witchfinder’ Hopkins of Horrorscreams Videovault states: “if you like…a story that keeps you hooked, check out I Know You’re in There.”
In their ongoing effort to bring the best and most diverse indie horror content to the masses, Terror Films will release this film across multiple digital platforms. Platforms include: iTunes, Amazon Instant/Prime, Vudu, Google Play/You Tube, X-Box Live and many others. The release begins with North America and will be followed up by a worldwide digital release on idlix.
Johnny Macabre and TheBloodShed have announced the launch of www.IBleedIndie.com- a first of its kind VOD website dedicated to promoting American indie and international horror films.
There are many indie film makers who don't want to deal with sales agents and distributors. They choose instead to self distribute. And this choice says nothing of the quality of the films themselves as there are some amazing horror movies released in this manner. But, while it leaves the film makers with full control of their movie, it also severely limits what they can do with it. One area it limits is their VOD options. A self distributed film's only real options before now have been creator-operated Youtube or Vimeo channels.
This is where IBleedIndie.com comes in. The site offers a PPV platform for indie horror films, all the while allowing the film makers to keep all rights to their film in non-exclusive agreements where they receive 90% of all revenue from rentals.
We launched with over 100 feature films with more on the way and a good handful of short films as well. Features on our site rent for 72 hour periods for $3, shorts for $1. Select films are also available for digital download.
We have films from literally dozens of amazing indie horror film makers and have even gotten on board several indie-friendly distributors like Wild Eye Releasing, Brink Vision, Self Destruct, Cinema Epoch, SGL, and Artsploitation. Titles include: Japan's HORROR STORIES, AMITYVILLE: THE VANISHING POINT, the Romanian shocker BE MY CAT: A FILM FOR ANNE, the Slovenian KILLBILLIES and the American ALL HELL BREAK LOOSE.
I have always felt that if a movie can stay in your thoughts after the viewing it has succeeded. Horror movies in particular I think are successful this way. I have movies on my must watch list for those who haven't seen them that I hesitate to re-watch myself because of this reason. They affected me, stayed in my head and possibly disturbed me somewhat. I appreciate the ones that elicit this reaction if it is integral to the plot. Yes gore and violence for gore and violence's sake are fun too for us horror fans but something that is beyond eye candy is needed now and then to feed the soul.
2015's Stray directed by Nena Eskridge is not my definition of a horror movie. It is however an extremely honest and sincere effort that will elicit feelings from the viewer. This, as I said previously, falls under my definition of successful as a film. It is an extremely slow burning plot that builds and builds to an even more extremely sad ending. I hesitate to call this movie depressing because that suggests its of poor quality. Depressing maybe the most accurate description though. While not an overly shocking ending or horror movie gory payoff at the end, it creeps up and "gets you in the feels" for lack of a better description.
Stray centres on Jennifer, played by Gabrielle Stone. She's homeless and we see her do what she must to survive and get what she wants. Jennifer is a complex character who reveals more and more of herself emotionally as the story goes on. Gabrielle does an excellent job as she shows us every side to herself, changing how you feel about her every step of the way. Once her basic needs are fulfilled she attempts to fill other voids in her life. Such as a relationship
She stumbles upon Greg, played by Dan McGlaughlin, and once her sights on set on him, nothing gets in her way. Greg's girlfriend Sarah (Samantha Fairfield Walsh) see's what Jennifer is attempting but becomes powerless to stop her. Greg's mother Edna (Arita Trahan) sees something else in Jennifer, and relates to her somewhat. This all leads to the characters getting caught in Jennifer's wave of destruction whether intended or not. I hesitate to say much more at risk of spoiling your own feelings and opinions of Jennifer. She ranges from "Fatal Attraction" to relatable and the key to the plot is the discovery along the way. Her story is what leads me to my depressing description when I could relate to Jennifer's hopelessness in the end.
The film itself is of great quality. It does not feel like an indie picture at all. I did find the slow burning plot almost painful at times but like any good picture everything is justified by the end. Every actor does an excellent job with their role. Nena Eskridge does a great job of directing and gets some great camera angles and shots. I wouldn't call this a must watch movie and quite frankly if you are feeling sad or depressed I would encourage you not to watch it because it is so successful at taking you on Jennifer's journey. I think this was a very well done movie and is worth a watch. Don't expect true horror but please keep an open mind and be wary of who you help along the way.
