As
you may have noticed on the blog, my coverage of contemporary
independent cinema is virtually non-existent. That of course, is an
unfortunate oversight on my part. Ladies and gentlemen, today I hope
to rectify that by doing something that I also rarely do; having a
super-duper bumper spotlight on a label that I'm sure you will be
very familiar with. That label (As if you hadn't guessed by now!) is
of course the US-based Wild
Eye Releasing!
Because I'm cheap and unimaginative, I will let the label introduce
themselves!
“Wild
Eye Releasing,
a growing leader in independent cinema since 2008, represents horror,
exploitation, dark arthouse, cult and documentary films from around
the world. It is our mission to bring new and talented filmmakers and
their work to as large an audience as possible, creating both
traditional and digital opportunities for lower budgeted films made
outside the studio system.”
I
recently got in touch with Rob over at Wild
Eye
to see if I could get my hands on a few of their films and boy did I
get quite a selection! Nine titles! I'm thankful to receive a
Check-Disc, but to receive a bundle of releases is really
overwhelming! Anyway, I sound like an arse kisser (which I am!) so
let's get on with the show!
(2011,
dir: Richard Griffin)
“What
is their secret?”
“A
warped and mysterious family are unable to leave the house they
reside in for unknown reasons. When this strange brood decide to turn
their captivity into a sick and violent game, it challenges their
very reality and puts all of their lives in great jeopardy. ”
We're
(the Royal We...) kicking off this mega-post with the oldest film of
the bunch (all titles ordered according to IMDb release dates.);
Exhumed.
I have to say that this was an unusual film indeed and actually quite
unique. The story follows a group of people (referring to themselves
as a family even though only a few are actually related) who live
together in isolation in a boarding with very little contact with the
outside world. At the head of the “family” we have the Governess
(Debbie Rochon, Tromeo
and Juliet),
an off-kilter woman who rules with an iron fist. Her second in
command is the Butler (Michael Thurber, Killer
Rack),
a man who is just as strange, but slightly more reasonable...
slightly. Under their care are the seductive Rocki (Evalena Marie,
Remains)
and the childlike Laura (Sarah Nicklin, Nun
of That).
They all live a dysfunctional, but somewhat comfortable life. That is
until high school student Chris (Michael Reed, Normal)
rents one of the spare rooms and falls for Laura. Unimpressed with
pesky teenage shenanigans that follow, the Governess becomes even
more unhinged and things escalate very quickly indeed.
The
first thing I can say about Exhumed is that it is shot really nicely
in black and white by Ken Willinger (A
Life Among Whales).
The mood for the film is instantly set by the often static and
brooding shots throughout. In terms of story, like I said is somewhat
unique and plays out well with aspects that aren't completely clear
on the first viewing. I genuinely appreciate writers and directors
who either leave some questions unanswered or leave subtle hints
throughout. If you have the patience for a slow-burning story, then
this could be a film for you. That being said, Guy Benoit's (The
Last Halloween)
script does have the tendency to drag in places and there are moments
that do seem a little pointless. Another aspect that did tend to
grate was some of the dialogue and interactions between certain
characters. Speaking of which, performances are solid for the most
part, but I did find Rochon's portrayal as the Governess a bit too
campy, almost in the same vein as the worst of the Nazisploitation
films of yesteryear. Nicklin's performance does tend to grate too.
All in all, this is a quirky little number with its merits. Sold as a
film in the tradition of Hammer, I found this more to have a noir
feel to it, albeit with some horror elements.
Extras come in
the form of two commentary tracks, a behind the scenes featurette and
a selection of trailers. It's clear from the additional material that
everyone had a fun time filming and that's what it's all about right?
You can't choose your family right? Should I move on to the next film
now?
(2012,
dir: Richard Griffin)
“Your
education will cost an arm and a leg.”
“A
small New England college is plagued by a series of brutal, cult-like
murders that share a similar pattern of killings some twenty years
earlier. The lone survivor of a recent attack must team up with a
veteran police detective and his daughter in order to uncover the
secret behind the killings, revealing a legacy of murder and the
occult that has been kept buried for decades on campus.”
For
the second film on this label spotlight Griffin takes on what is for
me a genre I have been burnt on way too many times in the past; the
slasher film. I won't lie, I used stay away from slasher films as
much as I could. That being said, I have found recent appreciation
for classics like SOME of the entries in the Halloween
and Friday the
13th
franchises as well as films like Madman
and Christmas
Evil thanks
in part to documentaries such as Going
to Pieces: The Rise and Fall of the Slasher Film
and the slasher output from Vinegar
Syndrome.
From looking at Wild
Eye's
back catalog, low-budget slashers are available by the bucketload. As
you can tell by the synopsis for this one, it's a fairly
straightforward story with a somewhat Satanic twist. There are a few
clichés here and there, but being a fan of all things cult, I really
enjoyed the occult aspects of this on. Yeah OK, we don't get girls
being sacrificed in flimsy white gowns, but there is plenty of boobs
and blood throughout!
What
let this film down for me for was the story and the attempts at
humour. That being said, I did appreciate Michael Thurber's
performance as the somewhat jaded cop. He's down and out cop with his
past connected to the current events and his dry and dark humour is
enjoyable. That being said, there are events that happen later on in
the film in which he reacts in such an unnatural way. Our protagonist
Josh (Jamie Dufault, Accidental
Incest)
is likeable and all, but can be a tad annoying at times. Don't get me
wrong, Lenny Schwartz's (Scary
Little Fuckers)
script isn't horrific, but I was just not engaged in the characters
or story. There is however, a nice twist towards the end of the film
that works quite well. If like me you are tired of low-budget
slasher flicks, you may want to give this a miss for now, but it's
still definitely worth a watch. For the more sympathetic slasher fan
however, there is a lot there. Just like Exhumed,
this is a very credible low-budget film, but there are some moments
and aspects that do work against it. Oh well, like I said, there's
some really nice gore and boobage throughout so it's not all doom and
gloom!
In terms of extras there are a couple of commentary
tracks, a deleted scene and a trailer so it's definitely a worthy
release for a film that cost around $6000!
(2013,
dir: Benjamin Roberts & Jordan Reyes)
“A
surreal take on the zombie genre.”
“In
the near future, zombies have become a protected, endangered species,
held in captivity and legally wandering the streets free from harm by
the living. But for the loved ones of those who die, sometimes coping
is just too much to handle, especially when not everyone feels the
dead have a right to exist, and are willing to break the law to rid
the world of this new population of the dead.”
Who
does't love zombie films? Classics like Dawn
of the Dead,
Zombie Flesh
Eaters
and Shawn of
the Dead
appear on many lists and mean a lot to many horror fans. No matter
what you think of our flesh craving buddies who may or may not run,
the genre is here to stay. In fact, zombie culture is pretty
mainstream with help from the rising popularity of the television
adaptation of The
Walking Dead
and it's highly inferior spin-off; Fear
the Walking Dead.
You can go to your nearest supermarket and even pick yourself up a
zombie themed t-shirt. Naturally, it's a great thing to see culture
like this being exposed and gobbled up by the masses, but even within
the much more independent and underground filmmaking circles, the
genre itself has become horribly oversaturated. Most films have the
same traits and follow the same formulas, but every now and then, a
film will come along that promises to turn the genre on its caved in
head and offer us a unique experience.
A Plague So Pleasant,
the micro-budget debut from Benjamin Roberts and Jordan Reyes
promises to do just that. Can these budding amateur filmmakers pull
it off?
Yes
and no. The whole concept of zombies being accepted and protected by
society is novel indeed, but it's not really explained brilliantly.
It's believable, but when you take in to account zombie logic (Am I
really using this as an argument!?), it kinda falls flat. In terms of
tone, the film is somewhat humorous, but often falls in to the
conventions we are so already used to. I think the whole unique take
on the zombie film angle is somewhat overselling this one. I will
give credit however to the style. There's some really nice black &
white photography that does add some sense of atmosphere whilst being
aesthetically pleasing at the same time. There are however, scenes
that are shot in colour and I really enjoy how these scenes are
utilised. For such a low-budget film, there's some genuine style.
Even most of the zombie effects are pulled off really nicely.
Unfortunately, I just did not care at all for characters and the
story in general. I personally found this a tough watch in that
regard. Is it a terrible film? No way. There have been much
bigger-budgeted zombie films over the past few years that could not
hold a candle to this one. It's clear there is talent behind the
camera, but if a little more time and thought had been invested in
character development and plot, this could have been a much more
rewarding experience. Overall, the film has its moments, but is a bit
too all over the place for my pretentious tastes!
Just like
the film, the extras are a bit flat too with only a couple of teaser
clips and trailers. That being said, if you're bored of the usual
zombie garbage, this modestly budget amateur effort is worth sinking
your teeth in to!
(2013,
Manny Serrano)
“He's
taking what he wants, Limb, By Limb!”
“Ten years ago, the
sleepy suburb of Havenwood was plagued by a string of unsolved
murders, by a masked maniac remembered only as The Ripper. Now a new
series of killings has begun, and teenagers are turning up dead
everywhere. But can The Ripper be stopped this time around?”
They
say you can't judge a book by its cover. In this case, that is
unfortunately true. Once again, the uninspired slasher genre rears
its ugly head. I can say however, that this film wins the award for
best artwork! Yep, I was suckered in straight away. Maybe the fact
that the film also has a runtime of over 2 hours could have warned me
beforehand. This is another classic example of something we have seen
countless times before blandly retold and amateurishly shot. I know!
I know! How dare I have anything negative to say about a low-budget
film that is also a feature length debut for its director; Manny
Serano (Zombie
Hunters: City of the Dead).
I'm not one of these keyboard critics who likes to bash on directors
because of the quality of their films (except Marian Dora because
fuck Marian Dora!), but there was really nothing too appealing or
engaging about this one and the runtime felt a lot more than it
actually was.
First
of all, the story is quite convoluted and uninspired. A brute of a
killer donned in a clown mask by the name of The Ripper is back after
a 10 year hiatus and local police officers Fincher (Matt W. Cody,
Life
Passion Death)
and Cobb (Byron M. Howard in his only role thus far.) are on the
case. Guess what? Fincher is an alcoholic who is separated from his
wife and child. You guessed it right folks, because of his history
and antics, he gets thrown off the force, but that just eggs him on
that much more. There's really not too much to tell without giving
away the story because hey, I hate ruining the surprise and overall
experience for people yet to watch the film. There are moments that
drag on too long and moments that seem quite pointless. As is the
case, the film is a “throwback” to the eighties and in all
honesty, I think that works against the film. No, it's not just
because I hate throwback films! There are also some sequences that
look like there may have been problems with footage or problems in
the editing suite. Plus points however are a cool looking and
foreboding killer, some nice gore throughout and forgive me for going
all Mr.
Skin
here but, everyone's favourite thing; pretty girls getting naked and
brutalised (sometimes at the same time!). All in all, this was just
not for me. Unfortunately, it seemed to combine a lot of aspects of
what puts me off low-budget slasher movies, but there are elements
that will appeal to a lot of slasher fans.
On the bright side,
there is a commentary track, deleted & extended scenes, a
featurrete, music video, trailers and a faux TV commercial. It's
bitter sweet to see a film like this have so much effort invested in
to the packaging and release, but for the right audience, this is a
bargain!
(2014,
dir: Jeremy Garner)
“Get
the girl... Save the day.”
“A
story of love, leather ... and brutal violence! When the Satan's
Sinners, a vicious biker gang, attack a bride and groom on their
wedding day, they get a fight they never imagined. Now, armed with
some divine intervention and firepower, the murdered groom is out to
save his wife any way he can before she is sacrificed to Satan...
even if it means dying over and over again until the job is
done.”
You
know I said I hate throwback films? Well, this is one of those films.
Instead of a slasher or zombie flick however, we have a good old
fashioned piece of bikersploitation. Thanks to the likes of James
Bickert (Dear
God No!),
the biker film from yesteryear has received a new audience. Does
Jeremy Garner's (Melvin)
effort rank up there? I have to say. That's such a shame because the
concept is really quite original. Nick (Nick Forrest, Lucky's
Treasure)
and Bobby Sue (Sarah Kobel Marquette, Crowbar)
are newly weds who fall foul to the infamous Satan's Sinners lead by
the sadistic Sundown (The Kill Hole) and consisting of such wonderful
chaps like Pedophile Pete (Tommy Hestmark, Proposition) and
Knucklehead (Big Dave Levick in his only credited role). Leaving Nick
for dead and abducting Bobby Sue to perform a ritual, a mysterious
cowboy claiming to be God (Joseph Sullivan, The
Children of Terra Firma)
revives Nick and makes him immortal, kinda. With the help of a
sleazy, big-tittied housewife loving priest (Leif Fuller, The
Darkest Corner of Paradise),
the pair set out to put an end to the madness and save Bobby Sue.
Like
I said, it's a cool concept with some pretty damn cool characters.
Unfortunately, aside from some sleaze and well executed gore, I
really struggled to enjoy this one. This is one of those exploitation
throwbacks that is clearly contemporary, but has film grading and
damage added in postproduction. If they hadn't have gone for the
throwback angle, I would have enjoyed it a lot more. The jokes also
ruined the experience for me. There were some genuinely funny crude
moments, but the rest of the humour didn't really work. Being a film
that cost around $20,000 to produce, there are clear technical faults
and some of the acting is pretty cheesy. If you're a complete
apologist, you could say that it all adds to “that Grindhosue feel,
yo!”. I tip my cowboy hat to those involved because it does have
the feel of a bigger budgeted affair and it is cinematic and doesn't
look like a student film. Another aspect I liked was the music
utilising some down and dirty rock tracks as well as a great synth
score from the very talented Chan Walrus (Hi-8:
Horror Independent 8).
Overall, a film that had style over substance and could have been
something much more entertaining. If it helps, Ehren McGhehey
(Jackass)
also makes an appearance!
Included on the disc are a
director's commentary, deleted scenes and a selection of trailers.
(2014,
dir: Anthony M. Winson)
“Fear
the Unknown.”
“Kate
Beckley was once a best selling crime author, but it's been years
since her last novel following the disappearance of her daughter,
Julia. While attempting to write again in a new home, Kate finds
herself haunted by strange visions and paranormal occurrences –
which become worse each night. Has Julia returned, or is something
more sinister preying on this grieving mother.”
Now
it's time for some good old fashioned tea and crumpets horror from
the UK with Anthony M. Winson's (The
Witching Hour)
House of
Afflictions.
It's the simple tale of Kate (Michelle Darkin Price, Crossing
Paths),
a well-known crime author who hasn't written a book since the
disappearance of her young daughter. With her marriage on shaky
ground and the need to occupy her time, she decides that she wants to
write again and rents the house of Dorothy (Penelope Butler in her
only credited role), an elderly woman looking to make a bit of spare
change whilst she's visiting family. It turns out that Dorothy's
daughter also went missing when she was the same age as well as
suffering the loss of her son. With strange coincidences aside, Kate
continues to rent the house against the better judgement of her
husband John (Stefan Boehm, Being
Human).
As the nights pass, Kate falls victim to what she feels as paranormal
activity. The longer she stays, the worse the situation gets. Is it
all in her mind? Her grief manifesting itself? Maybe there is
something much more sinister a foot? No matter what, the book better
be bloody worth it!
As
I said, the film is a simple tale and reminds me of something you
would see as part of the classic Tales
of the Unexpected,
Ghost Stories
for Christmas
or something similar from yesteryear (Why has there been no revival
of television plays like that!?). You will have seen this story
before, but it's done very well. Most big budget Hollywood films like
this (I'm looking at you Insidious
and The
Conjuring!)
would solely depend on loud and obnoxious jump scares and cheesy
effects. Don't get me wrong, there are those moments like that here,
but thankfully, there is actual tension, a real sense of foreboding
and claustrophobia. There are some genuinely creepy moments and you
do sympathise with Kate, her situation and mental state. What really
works is the pacing of the film. This is a slow-burn for sure. Maybe
one or two moments drag on a little bit, but it never takes away too
much. The film is shot adequately with maybe one or two clumsy shots,
but one aspect that did take me a little out of the film at points
was the sound. There were some sequences that had too much background
noise and throughout the film, sound levels drop and rise. The film
felt at points like a really polished student film and the acting
cements that feeling. That being said, this is a film that had clear
budgetary constraints (a whopping £500 budget according to IMDb!)
and what Winson and his crew have created is amazing. It's safe to
say that with the right amount of resources available to him, Anthony
M. Winson could have a very promising career indeed. Highly
recommended!
Unfortunately, extras are pretty slim with an
alternate ending (Thank god they made the decision to use the ending
in the final cut!), deleted scenes and a selection of trailers. That
being said, still worthy of having in your collection!
(2015,
dir: Cary Hill)
“Death
is the new attraction.”
“The
Fright Land amusement park is on the verge of closing its doors
forever. But the park's owner, Hyde, has one last plan to sell more
tickets... murder. Hiring two backwoods maniacs to break into the
park and hack and slash all his employees, Hyde thinks these killings
will create a media sensation, but he has just unleashed a horror
that no one can survive.”
It's
time for another slasher! SPOILER ALERT! This one sucks too. In fact,
this could be the worst film of the bunch. I'd go more in to the
story, but the Wild
Eye Releasing
synopsis pretty much explains it all! What we have here is a group of
teenagers trapped in the soon to be closed down theme park. I say
theme park, it's more like a glorified swap meet. I say glorified
swap meet, that's being really too generous. Anyway, they are being
stalked and butchered one by one by a couple of brutish hillbillies
and blah blah blah... Basically, the staff like to party and get
down.
Boring
doesn't come close to what I would describe this film as. Not even
Doug Bradley (Hellraiser)
when he was clearly re-dubbing his part looked interested or could at
least save this shoddy slasher. The closest thing to a positive is
that this film (cue the Mr.
Skin
angle again!) is jam packed with eye candy. Notable examples are
Nicole Beattie (Colony
52),
Wendy Wygant (Everyone
Must Die!),
but my personal favourite is the gorgeous and the curvy Kailey Marie
Harris (in her only role unfortunately.). In terms of gratuitous and
pointless nudity, she got this covered. She also looked pretty damn
fine in her costume! Yep, I really have stooped to this level haven't
I? Listen, the film promises to be a great homage to 80's slasher
films. Don't waste your time with this one of that's what you're
looking for. It's safe to say that I'm not really looking forward to
the sequel next year...
On the disc, you get a commentary,
trailers and bloopers.
(2015,
dir: Brett Piper)
“She
has awakened... and she's hungry!”
“A
meteor crashes into a quiet lake in the remote countryside and
awakens a centuries-old beast, who tears through a nearby town and
its inhabitants, who must fight for their lives and stop this Queen
Crab before she can hatch an army of babies.”
When
it comes to creature features, you either love them or flat out hate
them. It seems that every month we are getting low-budget, z-grade
and often self-referential offerings from production houses like The
Asylum.
Yes indeed, the label notorious for ripping (or riffing, depending
how much of a sympathetic cinephile you are.) off whatever is popular
at the time. Of course, in recent years, they have become infamous
for their highly entertaining Sharknado
series. I for one, really enjoy the films even though I have to say I
am becoming increasingly bored with that whole “Oh my god! Let's
make a film that is sooo bad it's good!” trend in filmmaking. One
of the biggest criticisms of the Sharknado
films (and pretty much 90% of the nature run amuck giant creature
feature offerings) is the use of terrible CGI. I'm not going to get
in to the whole debate. I think it's often necessary depending on the
context. I can be very forgiving when CGI is used for an aspect that
can't be pulled off with the budget or manpower at hand, but I
seriously can't forgive CGI gore affects or worst of all; CGI blood!
Anyway, Queen
Crab
is a completely different kettle of fish (does that count as a pun?)
because first of all, this film didn't have anywhere near a budget as
big as something from The
Asylum
(insert another bigger studio name here.) and instead of uninspired
CGI, we have stop-motion and puppetry.
The
crab and how it was pulled off is the star of the show with Queen
Crab.
Not only is it refreshing to see old-school affects in action, but
it's actually executed rather well. Naturally, it's a bit cheesy here
and there, but it works. Unfortunately, everything else about this
film kinda falls flat. The story isn't anything special or unique,
but it's a giant crab movie for crying out loud, so that can be
easily forgiven. If you look at the filmography of Brett Piper, it's
clear this is a man who knows how to pen and direct a profitable
exploitation feature. The cast is made up of newcomers and some
familiar faces to those familiar with Piper's work. Unfortunately,
the acting isn't anything special even by b-movie standards and some
of the dialogue just doesn't work and sometimes drags the film even
more than it does already. That being said, it's nothing horrendous
and I have tolerated worse. It's good to see a director like Piper
giving work to newcomers and old friends a like. My biggest gripe
with the film has to be the sound design. There are times where the
sound levels drop and become muffled and there are scenes where too
much diagetic sound can be heard as well the odd sequence with some
audio fuzz. Thankfully, it's not all bad in the sound department as
there is an effective original score from Jon Greathouse (Deadly
Species)
that does add to both tension and action. Overall, there is much
worse out there and for the budget (around $75,000 according to
IMDb.), I think they pulled off something that not only rivals some
of the bigger studio offerings, but also shows you how effective
practical effects can be for films of this nature. With some tweaks,
this could have been a much more entertaining experience.
In
terms of extra features, Wild Eye have done a good job and there's a
lot to digest. When you watch the interviews, you can definitely tell
it was a fun experience for all involved, which can't be too bad
right? Definitely give this a try if you want something a little
refreshing from the genre.
(2015,
dir: Brian Dorton, Joseph Graham, Manuel Marin, Lee Matthews, Douglas
Conner & Ignacio Martin Lerma)
“Side
Effects May Include: Screaming, Fear and Death!”
“Serial
killers, ghostly phone calls, inner demons, otherworld monsters and
creepy stalkers collide in this frightening anthology.”
From
a refreshing take on a stale genre to one of my favourite horror
genres; the anthology film. The thing I love about anthology films is
the variety you get. Sure, there are classics like George Romero's
Creepshow
and Brian Peck's (friends with Victor Salva perhaps?) The
Willies
that are comprised of shorts directed by the same director, but
concepts like V/H/S
and The
ABC's of Death
series really allow a wide range of different directors to come
together and showcase their work. Sure, the first ABC's
was a scam with already notable directors getting the spotlight over
fresh talent, but it was still an intriguing concept. Naturally, The
Horror Network
is scaled down significantly with only 5 shorts. I'm not going to go
in to each short because I have taken up enough of your time already,
but what I will say is that it is hands down the best film on the
list and one of the better anthology films I have been lucky to watch
in recent years. What I love about it is just how diverse the films
are in terms of plot and style. From the simple opening short 3:00am
to the wonderfully bizarre and disturbing Spanish language Merry
Little Christmas and
ending with the sleazy and blasphemous The
Deviant One,
there is not a dull moment. There are films that are more
psychological and there are films that are much more in your face.
My
favourite of the bunch is Merry
Little
Christmas.
The film stands out not only because of the story and themes, but
because of the style and imagery. To keep the spoilers to a minimum,
what I will say is that the wonderfully grotesque image you see on
the DVD cover comes from this short. It's also refreshing to see
British talent being put in the spotlight with two separate films. I
was genuinely surprised by this one. I was sort of expecting a low
quality selection of crude or throwback shorts, but there's some
really thought-provoking and intelligent concepts throughout. What
more can I really say? This is a wonderful film that has plenty of
memorable moments. It's a film you can return to time and time again
and it's also a film that has me interested in checking out other
films from all involved. I am definitely keeping an eye out for
volume 2. What a fantastic end to what was an interesting selection
of releases indeed.
Unfortunately, extras are pretty light
with this one. All we have is extended footage and a selection of
trailers. I would have loved to have heard a commentary track. Oh
well, still worthy of being added to your collection!
Overall,
I have to seriously applaud Wild
Eye Releasing.
Sure, a lot of the films may not have been anything too special, but
considering the vastness of their back catalog, it's clear that there
are some diamonds in the rough. I think the most important thing
people should take in to account is the fact that a label like this
is a great platform and potential career starter for new and
undiscovered talent. What struck me most about the selection I
received was the fact that directors outside of the US now have a
platform that (from what I have researched so far!) they don't have
back at home. It's great to see British talent being showcased to an
international market when their work isn't being released back in the
UK. I didn't know what to expect and again, I enjoyed only a few of
the films sent to me, but damn, Wild
Eye
are doing a fantastic job and I can see why my peers at Weng's Chop
and the various festivals love the label. So next time you are
complaining about the shit that Hollywood churns out and the next
time you whine about your favourite horror films being remade and
there's no originality or talent anymore, have a look round what's
going on with labels like Wild
Eye.
I used to a dick when it came to indie horror, but I am ever so
slowly having my faith restored in the indie and underground scenes.
All films are available on DVD and VOD directly through Wild Eye Releasing as well as online retailers.
PDx
