HORROR YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED: WE GO ON (2016)

WE GO ON (2016)

Original slant on a haunting flick finds a man named Miles (Clark Freeman) suffering an almost fatal car accident. Even when his injuries are healed, Miles finds himself living with his mother Charlotte (Annette O’Toole) and living in fear. Not only is Miles timid about driving again, but now terrified of dying. To try to ease that fear, Miles takes out an ad promising $30,000 to anyone who can give him definitive proof of the afterlife. Initially he finds nothing but disappointment from the various scientist, paranormal experts and psychics that apply, until a strange phone call gives proof to the old adage ‘be careful what you wish for.’

Flick is co-directed by Andy Mitton and Jesse Holland from their script and story. It has a very interesting and clever premise with a man suffering a close call and now being terrified of death. He will go to any lengths to prove there is an afterlife to alleviate that fear, and as this is a horror film, that pursuit comes back to bite him. Mitton and Holland provide some very spooky scenes, even when Miles is scammed by con-artists, as some of those sequences are still creepy, before being revealed as fraud. When Miles gets a phone call from a mysterious man, things get even creepier, especially when we learn who this man is and what his intentions are. It then takes the film in an interesting new direction, when to free himself from what he’s gotten himself into, Miles is faced with a moral conundrum. Miles is forced to confront his morality, as well as, his mortality. He is also forced to confront some truths about his own past, as well. The resolution to Miles’ tale is interesting to say the least. A solid idea well carried out in both script and direction. As with Mitton’s The Witch in the Window, there are some make-up FX which are well rendered and it appears all the FX are in-camera. If not, any CGI is very subtle. This is a spooky and disturbing flick that asks some interesting questions and goes in some provocative directions. The duo of Mitton and Holland prove that the spookiness in Yellowbrickroad was not a fluke and is even more well-honed with a solid and less ambiguous story. The flick is not for everyone, as with any paranormal themed film, it depends on your beliefs in such as to how effective it will be for you.

There is a small but solid cast. Yellowbrickroad veteran Clark Freeman is very good as Miles. He is a man terrified and living in fear and wanting to find a way out. This puts Miles in a position to find definitive answers to some age old questions about life and afterlife and is even morally challenged as well. The actor handles all these facets of Miles’ journey very effectively. Annette O’Toole is very good as his caring mother Charlotte. She is very protective of Miles and is probably more skeptical of the answerers to his ad than he is. Jay Dunn is appropriately spooky as the author of the phone call, the mysterious Nelson. There is more to Nelson than meets the eye and that’s all that need be said. In support, we have good work from Laura Heisler as Nelson’s girlfriend Alice, veteran John Glover as a scientist and Giovanna Zacarías as a psychic who might be more legit than Miles first believes. A good cast that take the material seriously and give down-to-earth performances which suit the tone and material.

Overall, Andy Mitton and Jesse Holland prove they are filmmakers to watch in the indie film arena. They have come up with an intriguing and original slant on the haunting scenario, carry it out effectively and take it in some provocative directions. The film has some very spooky and disturbing moments, as well as, some thought-provoking questions. It can be low key at times, but the slower burn keeps it from getting theatrical and that keeps it grounded…and it’s all the more effective for it. Another flick that can be found on Shudder.

-MonsterZero NJ

Rated 3 and 1/2 (out of 4) cellphones on which to receive ominous messages!

 

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MONSTERZERO NJ’S 15 ORIGINAL HORRORS ON SHUDDER YOU SHOULD BE WATCHING!

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At this point, Shudder is almost a must have for horror fans. There is a lot of spooky content from classic movies to original flicks and series. So to help navigate this awesome streaming service, here is a list of 15 original horrors you might want to watch!…

(To find the reviews for the films listed below, just type the title in the above right search engine!)_

Harper (Katie Stevens) finds herself in the wrong Halloween haunt in the Shudder original Haunt.

 

-MonsterZero NJ

IFC MIDNIGHT’S “THE WRETCHED” RULES THE BOX OFFICE!

IFC MIDNIGHT’S THE WRETCHED RULES THE BOX OFFICE FOR THE FOURTH STRAIGHT WEEK!

During the current state of various lockdowns only a few drive-ins around the country are open for business and one film playing many of those drive-ins is IFC Midnight’s The Wretched! As a result, this indie horror film has ruled the box office for four straight weeks! With the recent re-opening of more drive-ins, The Wretched  expanded it’s screen total and brought in $236,334 for this past Memorial Day weekend, bringing it’s box office total to $598,943 as of 5/25/2020. Not bad for a movie released during a pandemic! For our review of The Wretched click HERE!

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source: Box Office Mojo

 

BARE BONES: PRIEST (2011)

PRIEST (2011)

Priest is set in an alternate reality where man has been at war with vampires since the beginning of time. Now in a Blade Runner meets the Vatican future, the church rules over the populace and the vampires’ threat is overcome by holy super soldiers, called Priests…or so they think. When the vamps rear their fangs again and the church is too arrogant to believe it, a rebellious Priest (Paul Bettany) goes to meet the threat himself, as his fellow Priests are sent to stop him.

Flick is directed by Scott Stewart from a script by Cory Goodman, based on a comic book mini-series of the same name by Min-Woo Hyung. At less than 90 minutes, this genre mash up doesn’t take much time to develop characters, or it’s cliché ridden story. It’s edited at a rapid fire pace and definitely looks like a patchwork of scenes from a much longer movie. Stripped down to bare bones, Priest is a lean mean action machine, but without a strong story or characters to endear ourselves, it’s a hollow machine. Priest makes good use of it’s moderate (by today’s standards) budget, although the CGI ranges from good to SYFY channel quality. The film does not make good use of a decent cast, including Karl Urban and Maggie Q, as their roles are paper thin. The action is fine, if unremarkable and director Stewart brings his flick in very by-the-numbers, giving no real energy to the proceedings or performances. There is some basic entertainment value, but the general feeling here is that this could have been so much more had the filmmakers aspired to deliver something less superficial than the two dimensional comic book we got. It looks good, at least here is that.

-MonsterZero NJ

HORROR YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED: THE WITCH IN THE WINDOW (2018)

THE WITCH IN THE WINDOW (2018)

Flick opens with mom Beverly (Arija Bareikis) sending her son Finn (Charlie Tacker) from New York City to Vermont to stay with his estranged father Simon (Alex Draper). Finn saw something traumatic online and his mom wants to get him out of the city and away from such negativity for the summer. Simon is flipping a house in a rural area, though secretly hopes he can bring his family back together there. Local electrician Louis (Greg Naughton) tells Simon that the house was once owned by Lydia (Carol Stanzione), a woman said to be a witch, who may have murdered her own family and then herself died in the house. Soon Simon and Finn begin to hear and see things in the house, as they renovate and come to believe Lydia may still be there and want her house back.

Flick is written and directed by Andy Mitton, who was one of the filmmakers on the spooky indie Yellowbrickroad. It does vaguely evoke the 1976 Burnt Offerings, and has a familiar basic story, but is definitely it’s own thing. Mitton crafts a slow burn haunted house flick that has some very thick atmosphere, for a film that avoids the classic tropes of the genre, yet remains very effective. There are no fog shrouded nights, full moons, or even any blood or gore. Most of the film takes place in broad daylight and Mitton still achieves some solid chills. There are maybe only two jump scares in the film and they are all well-earned, not cheap. Things get really freaky in the last act, for reasons that won’t be spoiled here, and while the ending is quite subtle, it is also very effective. That is what is so refreshing about Andy Mitton’s supernatural chiller, is that it achieves a very spooky tale without falling back on familiar tropes, or relying on an abundance of SPFX. Aside from Lydia’s make-up, there are no visual FX, no blood, no gore and no CGI. It’s all done in-camera with some really impressive cinematography from Justin Kane, an atmospheric score by Mitton himself, good direction and solid performances from the small cast.

As for that cast…one of the reasons this flick works so well, is because the performances are all very good. Alex Draper does a really good job as a flawed, but loving father who wants to bring his family back together. His love for his son is evident and his need to finish this house, despite the warnings, is heartfelt. Charlie Tacker is good as Finn. He’s a typical rebellious 12 year-old, but one caught in the emotional turmoil of being in the middle of a parental separation. This brings about the not unexpected behavioral issues. Tacker and Draper have really good chemistry and their scenes together crackle with authenticity of a real father/son relationship. Arija Bareikis is solid as mom Beverly, a woman who may be a little over-protective, but loves her son. Greg Naughton is good as the very scared electrician and neighbor, who may not be telling Simon everything, despite all he has told him. Finally, Carol Stanzione is very spooky as Lydia, despite having only one word of dialogue…in her original form anyway.

In conclusion, Andy Mitton delivers a spooky and subtle movie without falling back on the clichés of this type of flick. He accomplishes some solid chills with some simple camera work, atmosphere and the performances of his actors. It’s a slow burn and a bit of a familiar story, but one that requires no CGI or SPFX, aside from some simple make-up. It’s a good example of it being the filmmaker, not all the bells and whistles, that a spooky flick makes. Available to stream on Shudder and certainly recommended.

-MonsterZero NJ

Rated 3 and 1/2 (out of 4) hammers used to renovate a witch haunted house!

 

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MONSTERZERO NJ’S 20 SUMMER THEMED HORRORS!

Are campers Constance (Deborah Benson) and Warren (Gregg Henry) being stalked by vicious mountain folk? Chances are good in Just Before Dawn!

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Memorial Day Weekend 🇺🇸 is here and that means the start to the summer vacation season!…It also means camping, barbecuing, swimming, cabins in the woods, summer camp and maniacs in hockey masks! Halloween isn’t the only time of the year when things go bump in the night, as these 20 fright flicks prove! (…and no, I didn’t forget the cabin set Evil Dead films, they take place in the fall!)

To find the reviews for the films listed below, just type the title in the above right search engine!

A summer marina job is the least of his worries as Ben might have a witch living next door in The Wretched!  Photo: IFC MIDNIGHT

 

HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY FROM MONSTERZERO NJ! 🇺🇸

-MonsterZero NJ

TOMB OF NOSTALGIA: MEATBALLS (1979)

MEATBALLS (1979)

(Remember, clicking the highlighted links brings you to other reviews and articles here at The Movie Madhouse!)

Classic Canadian 1979 comedy is the first starring role for SNL alumni Bill Murray and the first big hit for director Ivan Reitman (Stripes, Ghostbusters). The flick takes place at bargain basement Camp North Star and is basically the misadventures of head counsellor Tripper Harrison (Murray) and his staff and charges during summer camp. There really isn’t much of a story, aside from North Star’s competition with the elite Camp Mohawk and Tipper’s bonding with lonely misfit Rudy Gerner (Vamp’s Chris Makepeace in his first film).

It’s a light and breezy comedy as directed by Reitman from a script by four people, including the late Harold Ramis. Odd it took so many to write the screenplay, when it barely has what’s considered a story. It’s almost just a series of comic skits, till the Olympiad competition between the two camps, and maybe that was the intention. It’s fun, though not outright hilarious and extremely tame by teen coming of age comedy standards. It is very nostalgic to adolescence, the summers of childhood and the comedies of this time. No better example than Murray’s advances on cute councilor Roxanne (Kate Lynch), which would be outright sexual harassment nowadays and not portrayed as cute and funny, as it is here. It’s a good time and a classic, though not quite as funny to an adult watching it all these years later as it was when seen as a kid.

While there is a large cast of characters, it’s Murray’s show. His horny, mischievous teen in a grown-up’s body act that he made his early career on, is in full swing. His slightly offbeat humor is also coming to bear and we can see his lovable weirdo persona forming. Makepeace is sweet and sympathetic as the insecure and quiet Rudy. He and Murray get along well here and they make a good team. The rest of the cast are all fine in their roles as councilors and kids, including Harvey Atkin as the much harassed camp director Morty.

Overall, It’s not as laugh out loud funny as one might remember it, but then it is aimed at the audience it portrays, with a PG rating and thus very tame in language and sexual hi-jinx. It’s dated, but still fun and very nostalgic and one can see Murray developing the persona that would make him a star in the 80s and 90s, before he moved into indie film roles in more recent decades. Certainly worth a revisit if it’s been a while since you’ve seen it. Brings back memories and that alone is a noble purpose four decades later.

-MonsterZero NJ

Rated 3 (out of 4) meatballs.

 

 

 

 

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BARE BONES: COWBOYS & ALIENS (2011)

COWBOYS & ALIENS (2011)

Cowboys & Aliens was a big disappointment back in the summer of 2011. It had everything going for it. A really good cast, an amusing concept with lots of potential and Jon Favreau at the helm. So what happened? The story, based on Scott Mitchell Rosenberg’s graphic novel, is just plain weak. From the aliens’ reason to being here, to all the conveniences that are used to move things along, the script is lazy and ho-hum…and it took six people to come up with that script and story. It takes this clever premise and utilizes it in the least interesting way possible. The top notch cast, including Daniel Craig, Harrison Ford and Olivia Wilde, is wasted as all the characters are cardboard, two dimensional clichés and the performances have no energy or life to them. Another question need be asked…is where was the Jon Favreau that brought such energy and life to the Iron Man films? Even the dialog scenes crackled with energy in those movies and Favreau drew lively performances from his casts. Cowboys & Aliens is directed by-the-numbers and without any passion or excitement and there is no chemistry developed between any of the actors or their characters. When we finally get some action during the final confrontation, it’s too little and too late. Even the showdown between Wild West and Outer Space is pretty routine, as far as action sequences go, and there is little suspense or intense drama to what goes down. The FX at least are good, but the designs of the antagonists and their craft are nothing we haven’t seen before and are fairly forgettable. In fact, the whole film is fairly forgettable.

-MonsterZero NJ

BARE BONES: BATTLE-LOS ANGELES (2011)

BATTLE: LOS ANGELES (2011)

Flick has Earth once again invaded by an aggressive alien army. This movie focuses on the city of Los Angeles, in particular the efforts of Staff Sergeant Michael Nantz (Aaron Eckart) and his platoon of Marines, to hold off the invaders and rescue as many civilians as they can.

Sure Chris Bertolini’s script has all of the combat/invasion flick clichés accounted for, but Director Jonathan Liebesman (The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning, Wrath of the Titans), takes them and turns them into a first rate, kick-ass action flick, that also has the dramatic impact to back up all the explosions and FX. Those FX are top notch, too, along with a strong cast led by Aaron Eckart and Michelle Rodriguez. Eckart proves his diversity again, by playing an everyman action hero with a performance filled with heart, soul and plenty of two fisted heroics when called for. The supporting cast, including Michael Peña, is also equally up to the challenge and this flick is a first rate example of how talent in front of and behind the camera, can turn a cliché ridden script into an intense thrill-ride. This flick blows the shallow and dated Independence Day right out of the water! Highly recommended!

-MonsterZero NJ

BARE BONES: P2

P2 (2007)

Flick takes place in NYC on Christmas Eve where pretty executive Angela Bridges (Rachel Nichols) is the last one to leave the office. She gets to the parking garage to find her car won’t start and the building is now locked down. Those are the least of her problems, as she is trapped inside the building parking levels with psychotic parking attended Thomas (Wes bentley). The deranged man apparently has had his twisted eye on her for some time and will do anything, and to anyone, to impress/keep her.

Film is directed by Franck Khalfoun (the Maniac remake) from a script by he, Grégory Levasseur and Alexandre Aja (Piranha 3D, Crawl). It’s a well made thriller that is basically one long cat and mouse game. Angela continually tries to evade and escape Thomas, while the unhinged attendant tries to reacquire her after she initially gets away from him. It’s made even more difficult on Angela as she is scantily clad, barefoot and handcuffed and Thomas has the security system and a Rottweiler at his disposal. There are also a few casualties along the way, in his pursuit of his obsession, though body count is minimal. Rachel Nichols makes a really solid and resilient heroine, though Bentley is simply missing a strong threat factor, despite all the creepy and homicidal things he does. Sometimes he’s a little too over-the-top and thus more silly than scary. Things like his Elvis obsession don’t help. Despite being a nut, he comes across as kind of a wuss. There is never any doubt as to who is going to come out on top here and thus it’s not as suspenseful as it needed to be to really work. It’s entertaining enough, but there should have been more intensity and tension and it all leads back to Thomas simply being a weak villain.

-MonsterZero NJ