Skew (2011, Sevé Schelenz)

Skew is a new "found footage" horror film that has been making the rounds at film festivals over the past year.  Being the hermit that I am, I was fortunate to receive a screener of the film.  Ever since seeing The Blair Witch Project in the theater I have been a fan of this sub genre and jump at the chance of seeing new "found footage" films.

Skew is about three friends, Rich (Richard Olak), Eva (Amber Lewis) and Simon (Rob Scattergood) who go on a road trip to their friend's wedding. Rich and Eva are dating and we learn that Simon and his girlfriend (who was supposed to come on the trip) are having some problems in their relationship.  Simon brings along a videocamera to record the trip, much to his friends' dismay.  As their trip commences, strange things start happening and soon people (and animals) that they meet along the way start dying.  Simon finds a connection with the murders but is afraid to tell his friends.  To complicate matters more, Simon and Eva start showing that they have feelings for each other, causing a rift between the trio.

Skew reaffirms my faith in the "found footage" genre by featuring everything that makes these films great.  It is filled with creepy atmosphere and effective camerawork, some jump shocks and also complicated characters that are far more developed than your normal horror film. Sometimes the build up for these films drags and you can't wait for something to actually happen, but the interaction between Skew's characters is just as gripping as the rest of the film.  The actors excel at their roles and make the film believable.  This is simply one of the best "found footage" films I've seen.

RATING:  9/10

Skew is now available to stream on NETFLIX

Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011, Rupert Wyatt)

Who doesn't love Planet of the Apes?  Whether it be Charlton Heston seeing the crumbled Statue of Liberty or Roddy McDowall's roles as Cornelius and Caesar, you can't deny the awesomeness of this series.  Though many thought the series was dead with Tim Burton's needless remake, we can now rejoice at a proper continuation to the Ape saga with Rise of the Planet of the Apes.

Rise of the Planet of the Apes stars James Franco as Will Rodman, a scientist who is working on finding a cure for Alzheimer's disease.  Just when he thinks he has perfected the serum, the ape that was being tested goes crazy and smashes the lab.  The project gets shut down but Rodman continues experimenting and finds a cure, which he gives to his father (John Lithgow) who is suffering from the disease.  The second test ape he used, Caesar, begins getting much smarter than normal apes and after being sent to an ape sanctuary, he starts teaching the other apes in hopes of rising up against mankind.

I'm sure everyone has their favorite Apes film and I wouldn't be surprised if most people would say the first is their favorite.  Though it was definitely a classic, I much prefer Escape and Conquest of the Planet of the Apes to the original.  Rise of the Planet of the Apes shares some similarities to Conquest but they are two completely different films.  Considered a prequel and also a reboot to a new series of Apes films, Rise of the Planet of the Apes was brilliant.  The story was very modern (as I'm sure the originals were in their time) and though it was definitely science fiction, not once was my belief dispelled while watching the film.  That to me is the most important aspect of why Rise of the Planet of the Apes was so successful.  The cast here is first rate, especially Franco and Lithgow but the real star was Andy Serkis's motion capture performance as Caesar.  I usually poo poo CGI but the unbelievably realistic Apes created for this film are amazing.  In some ways this film surpasses the originals and overall I'd say it's tied as my favorite Apes film with Escape and Conquest.  The Rise of the Planet of the Apes DVD from 20th Century Fox is a must have for fans of the film with three very enjoyable extras - Deleted Scenes, Mythology of the Apes documentary and The Genius of Andy Serkis.  Even if you aren't a fan of the series, you will find something in this film you will like.

RATING:  9/10

To Be Twenty (1978, Fernando Di Leo)

Released this year by Raro Video for the first time in the U.S., is To Be Twenty (Avere vent'anni) from the master of Italian Crime films Fernando Di Leo.  Though nothing like his classic polizioteschi films included in Raro's Fernando Di Leo Crime Collection, To Be Twenty is no less interesting (and shocking).  Being a fan of Di Leo, I had to see this one especially after hearing about its controversial ending (which luckily wasn't spoiled before watching it).

 

To Be Twenty stars Lilli Carati as the loud mouthed, promiscuous Tina and the beautiful Gloria Guida as the more soft spoken Lia.  After being left behind at a hippy beach party, the two decide to hitchhike to a notorious commune where they can live for free and have all the free love they want.  When they get there, they realize that the owner Nazariota (Vittorio Caprioli) is nothing more than a scam artist and the girls are forced into prostitution if they want to stay (something they don't seem to mind).  Their "Young, Hot and Pissed-Off" ways eventually catch up with them in a shocking ending that has to be seen to be believed.

 

Contrary to what I've read, the ending, though definitely shocking, is less unexpected than I had originally thought it would be.  Without giving anything away, the girls are actually pretty annoying and unlikeable and to see their selfish and careless ways catch up with them is almost like a sick sort of justice (though perhaps a little harsher than what they deserve).  From the synopsis I had read, I expected the girls to be more innocent in their wild ways, which turned out to be not so true.  One thing I really liked about the film is how the Lia and Tina's personalities are revealed as (or become) the exact opposite of our initial impressions.  We find Tina to be all bark and no bite while Lia's quiet personality turns out to be more carefree.  I have read that Di Leo's intention with the film is to show the power of feminism and free love, but for me the end result was the exact opposite - that free love and selfish actions will end in disaster.  The supporting actors in the film all helped flesh out the story with one of my favorites, Ray Lovelock, playing the burnt out druggie Rico and Giorgio Bracardi as the no-nonsense commissario who busts the commune.  Raro's 2 disc presentation of To Be Twenty is another example of why we are so lucky to have them finally releasing films in the United States.  We are graced with the director's cut of the film (featuring the notorious ending) as well as the theatrical cut, which drastically changes the film into an incoherent mess.  Unfortunately though the theatrical cut's presentation is much better with a beautiful transfer while the director's cut is a little more worn, though still very watchable.  Despite this, the extended cut is definitely the one to watch regardless of condition.  Also included is a photo gallery, director filmography/biography and the film's screenplay.  The best feature though is a half hour documentary on the film featuring interviews with Di Leo and some of the film's cast and crew.  Definitely a good companion to the film.  Overall, the film isn't perfect but it is definitely a fascinating example of an exploitation film with a message (despite how obscured the message is) and is a must have for fan's of Fernando Di Leo.

 

RATING:  9/10

 

To Be Twenty is available directy from Raro Video HERE

 

 

Murder Obsession (1981, Riccardo Freda)

Murder Obsession (Follia omicida), just released by Raro Video, is a hard film to categorize.  Sure it's a horror film mostly, but it also has supernatural/occult elements as well as a hint of giallo mixed in for an added kick.  This eclecticism shouldn't be surprising though considering the various genres director Riccardo Freda dabbled in - everything from horror (The Horrible Dr. Hichcock) to spaghetti westerns (Death Doesn't Count the Dollars) to sword and sandals (several Maciste films).  Two things that attracted me to this film, besides the genres presented, were Stefano Patrizi, who I have enjoyed watching in several polizioteschi films and Anita Strindberg, the beautiful star of many fine giallo films.

 

Murder Obsession stars Patrizi as the horror film star Michael Stanford who, along with his girlfriend Deborah (Silvia Dionisio) decides to visit his estranged mother.  Along for the trip are some of the cast and the director of their current film.  Michael's mother (Strindberg) is overjoyed to see her son for she has been very lonely since Michael's father was killed.  We soon learn that it was Michael who killed his father when he was a child and after spending many years in a psych ward is now starting to have strange visions and blackouts.  Soon, each of the guests start dying one by one and Michael is the main suspect.

 

Murder Obsession was a weeeeeeird film.  The mixture of different genres worked well for the most part, though the one major supernatural scene had some flaws.  Granted it was supposed to be dream-like, I'm not sure fake giant spiders and bats on strings can constitute dream-like.  The real chicken having his head cut off though was definitely cringe-worthy and effective.  I have two other minor gripes with the film, the first being a couple of the major deaths in the film (one by chainsaw, one an axe to the head) were pretty poorly done.  The second, which is just me being picky is the film's title, not only does it not really pertain to the film but it just sounds awful.  Other than that, I actually enjoyed the film.  As I mentioned previously, I liked the cast a lot.  Even Laura Gemser who I've only previously seen as eye candy in Joe D'Amato's sleazefests held her own.  The film also had a decent story with a lot of suspense and I really couldn't guess the ending until the big reveal - and even then it kept you on the edge until the final disturbing frames.  Raro's DVD is quite satisfactory and other than a little bit of grain, the picture is very good.  The film is presented in English with a few scenes that abruptly switch over to Italian (with English subtitles), which was a little distracting but didn't really detract from the film.  Lastly, this DVD comes with a 10 minute interview with makeup FX man Sergio Stivaletti who worked on the film.  Though not without its flaws, Murder Obsession is a fun watch with more than enough gore, atmosphere and plot twists to please most horror fans.

 

RATING:  7/10

Wanna see a Toxic Avenger 5 music video?

The band is called Reason and they made the song for the Toxic Avenger 5 soundtrack, titled "The Toxic Avenger" (No joke, they've been in contact with Troma for 3 years about it). Now they are making a music video for it. But before they do that they need to raise money.

Here is the link to help: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/reasonofficial/reasons-the-toxic-avenger-music-video

Legendary singer Sean Peck is featured on the song and they also got Dennis Woodruff to star in the music video, and in the fundraising video.

So help out this worthy cause if you can.

All God's Creatures (2011, Ryan Cummings & Frank Licata)

 

All God's Creatures is an independent, micro budget film ($25,000) that made its premiere at the 2011 Hoboken International Film Festival.  Though not available on DVD yet, I was lucky enough to receive a screener from the producer.  It's always fun getting screeners of low budget, indie films because you never know what you are going to get (and I've received plenty of stinkers before).  Occasionally, a film really stands out and reminds me how important independent films can be in this world of Transformers and pointless remakes.  This is one of them.

 

All God's Creatures stars Josh Folan (who also wrote the screenplay) as Jon Smith, a seemingly normal young guy who works at a coffee shop.  Though looks can be deceiving because Jon has a little problem...he likes to bring girls back to his apartment, kill them and dismember them.  After a few meetings with some innocent victims, Jon meets Delia, another seemingly normal person who has her own secret life.  Delia is a prostitute who posts ads on Craigslist.  She is trying to get some money together so she can take her sister out of the abusive home she is currently living in.  After initially rejecting Delia, Jon finally relents and opens up to her (without revealing his biggest secret).  He soon decides that he will quit his murderous ways so he can be with Delia.  However, the past soon rears its ugly head and they both must face their demons.

 

All God's Creatures was a disturbing, violent film focusing on addiction, acceptance and the power of love.  I couldn't help but be reminded of American Psycho when introduced to the character of Jon, but the film is much more than just some yuppie who kills people.  It was really a love story that happened to focus on two characters with dangerous secrets that were willing to give it all up for each other.  The dialogue was well written and the story had some nice unexpected twists.  For such a low budget picture, the cinematography and the acting were both very professional and I didn't find myself confused or bored as I normally am.  Usually a film like this would show its budget but All God's Creatures is an exception.  Overall, I enjoyed the film and hope that it gets wider distribution.

 

RATING:  8/10

 

http://www.allgodscreaturesfilm.com/

 

 

 

Streets / Angel in Red (2011, Shout! Factory)

Released last month by Shout! Factory, here is another great disc from what is probably my favorite line of DVDs out there - Roger Corman's Cult Classics.  This line features films either produced, directed or distributed by Roger Corman over the last 50 years (though most of the titles are from the 70s and 80s).  Streets and Angel in Red were both released in the early 90s and both deal with similar themes of trying to make ends meet in the slums, doing what ever you have to do to survive.

 

Streets stars a young Christina Applegate as Dawn, a teenage streetwalker who we later find out is also a heroin addict.  She witnesses another prostitute being attacked and after being spotted by the attacker, she narrowly misses being killed.  A young runaway named Sy (David Mendenhall), who is aspiring to be a musician comes to her rescue and together they wander through the dangerous streets trying to avoid the attacker, who is looking for them....and who is also a cop!

 

Angel in Red tells the story of Mickie (Leslie Bega of the Sopranos fame), a young streetwalker who lives with her brother Robby (Jason Oliver).  Robby was abused by their father and now has brain damage.  Sharkey (Jeffrey Dean Morgan in his screen debut) plays Mickie's dangerous pimp Sharkey, who Mickie loves and Robby looks up to as a father figure.  After beating up one of Mickie's prostitute friends and after another gets beat nearly to death for not making enough money, they try to leave Sharkey which starts him on a rampage.

 

Streets and Angel in Red both provide a frightening look into the dark underbelly of life on the streets.  Streets has a great cast, an interesting story and a lot of action.  Applegate proves that she is more than a one trick pony by displaying a lot of emotion and not just being "the dumb blonde".  David Mendenhall and Eb Lottimer also do a more than adequate job supporting Applegate.  Angel in Red, which is actually a remake of another Corman Classic film, 1985's Streetwalkin' (starring Oscar winner Melissa Leo and Pet Semetary's Dale Midkiff).  Though basically a re-tread of the original with not much more to add, the main standout in the film is a very young Jeffrey Dean Morgan who plays the psychotic pimp Sharkey.  Though Dale Midkiff's performance in Streetwalkin' is terrifyingly brilliant, Morgan definitely holds his own.  Interestingly enough, director Katt Shea went on to popularity with a few more films with women as the leads (Poison Ivy with Drew Barrymore and The Rage: Carrie 2).  

 

RATING:

Streets:   8/10

Angel in Red:  7/10

This is  a nice entry in the great Roger Corman Cult Classics line, which is a Shout! Select title, meaning it's only available directly from Shout! Factory HERE