BARE BONES: UNKNOWN DIMENSION: THE STORY OF PARANORMAL ACTIVITY (2021)

UNKNOWN DIMENSION: THE STORY OF PARANORMAL ACTIVITY (2021)

Documentary written and directed by Joe Bandelli starts us off with a brief history of found footage horrors from Cannibal Holocaust to The Mcpherson Tape, to The Blair Witch Project. We then meet Oren Peli who details how he got the idea for the first film, in this now classic franchise, from his own experiences hearing strange noises in his new home. He details the casting of Katie Featherston and Micah Sloat, who then join the documentary to give anecdotes of their own, on filming the first Paranormal Activity on a shoestring budget and with what barely could be called a script. The film then takes us on the long road to its eventual theatrical release, with interviews from various producers and horror journalists, as the film becomes a box office smash, and a franchise is born. Bandelli then brings in a host of actors and filmmakers as he takes us on the journey of the making of the film’s sequels, leading up to the recent seventh film that was still filming when this documentary was completed.

Bandelli crafts a fun and informative look at the history of one of modern horror’s most famous and successful movie franchises from the perspective of those involved. The writer/director brings in a host of talent from behind and in front of the cameras, to give a detailed and entertaining look at how what was basically little more than a home movie, turned into a near billion-dollar movie franchise. If you are a fan of this series, it is fun to see the stars from the original film, and all the sequels, return these many years later to describe their time working on the flicks, and even some honest commentary from the people involved on what led the series into its decline in the later installments. If you are a fan of the Paranormal Activity films and are curious about how it all came together, this is definitely a recommended watch on Paramount+.

-MonsterZero NJ

BARE BONES: HAIL TO THE DEADITES (2020)

HAIL TO THE DEADITES (2020)

Hail to the Deadites is a documentary from writer/director Steve Villeneuve that takes a fun look at the Evil Dead franchise’s loyal and dedicated fan base. The film travels from convention to convention and puts the spotlight on some of the movies’ most avid fans, as well as features interviews with the series’ cast members like Betsy Baker, Ellen Sandweiss, the late Dan Hicks, Kassie DePavia and the man, the myth, the legend himself, Bruce Campbell. It’s a fun and interesting look at the fans of one of horrors greatest and most recognized franchises and the effect that loyal fandom has had on the talent involved with those movies, such as FX legend Tom Sullivan. If you are one of these diehard fans and want an entertaining look at some of your peers and how you have affected the lives of the actors you idolize, then this is a nice companion piece to the classic horror film series. Documentary is now available to stream on Shudder.

-MonsterZero NJ

BARE BONES: HELL OR HIGH SEAS (2021)

HELL OR HIGH SEAS (2021)

Documentary tells the story of Taylor Grieger, A Navy Veteran diagnosed with PTSD, who decides to accomplish a long-time dream of sailing around the dangerous waters of Cape Horn. Along with him is his high school friend Stephen O’Shea, and for part of the journey, fellow veterans Kellen Warner and John Rose. The men battle the tumultuous seas while Taylor battles with the tumultuous emotions inside himself.

Heartfelt and emotionally intense documentary is directed by Glenn Holsten and written by O’Shea and Holden. It starts out with introducing us to Taylor and his battle with the dark and troubling emotions caused by his condition. It then delves into the preparations for this harrowing 200-day, 10,000-mile journey on some of the world’s most dangerous seas. It’s not long before we are on the small sailboat and sailing on the unpredictable seas with Taylor, Stephen and company. It is not an easy journey, as it starts out with a massive hurricane directly in their path, and along the way there is nightmarish weather, fights between friends, pirates and critical damage to their craft. As we watch these men brave hazardous conditions, we are also made startlingly aware of just how many of our brave veterans come home with PTSD and sadly, how many take their own lives upon returning to civilian life. It’s not only a tense adventure of man against the elements, but a heartbreaking and eye-opening wake-up call to what our returning heroes are struggling with…and how Taylor and Stephen are trying to make a difference and make all of us aware. An intense and involving documentary with a powerful message. Documentary is now available for streaming on Vudu and Apple TV.

UPDATE: Now available to stream on Amazon Prime Video!

-MonsterZero NJ

BARE BONES: ALICE IS STILL DEAD (2021)

ALICE IS STILL DEAD (2021)

Heartfelt and sad documentary is directed by Edwin P Stevens, who co-wrote with Meredith Mantik and Joe Raffa, and focuses on his family dealing with the grief and loss of his sister Alice Stevens, who was gunned down on 11/3/13 along with her boyfriend Forrest Ison. The documentary paints a picture of a little girl adopted into a family, but growing into an emotionally troubled young woman. It tells the story of a girl growing up into womanhood, never really finding her place and not only getting into trouble, but into abusive relationships. It covers the murder itself, where she and her boyfriend Forrest, were shot and killed and the subsequent arrest of the suspects and the resulting trials. It then follows a grieving family through their loss and pain trying to deal with not only the painful emotions evoked by the brutal killings, but also unresolved issues between family members and the troubled Alice. It’s heartbreaking to watch and very effective in that the pain of her loved ones is on display and some of them will never have closure with some of Alice’s behavior and choices. The story is told through family interviews, with some very heart-wrenching testimony, especially from her older brother, director Edwin P. Stevens. The actual footage from one of the trials is an emotional wringer. It is hard to sit through. You can understand why this family will never be the same, even as they try to move past the pain…but Stevens does still end it on a hopeful note. Alice Is Still Dead is a documentary that may not be for everyone, but it is a well made, powerful and sometimes very emotionally intense film from Edwin P. Stevens.

Be warned!…there are some very graphic autopsy and crime scene photos shown that are not easy to look at. Documentary is now available to stream on Tubi.

-MonsterZero NJ

BARE BONES: THE ACID KING (2021)

THE ACID KING (2021)

Documentary covers the story of  Ricky Kasso, who in 1984 murdered his friend in an alleged Satanic ceremony. Filmmakers Dan Jones and Jesse P. Pollack start us out describing the town of Northport, Long Island of the time, to give us some background and then go into Ricky’s upbringing and how a dysfunctional family life set him on a path to doing and selling drugs—hence the nickname “The Acid King”—grave-robbing and practicing Satanism. We also get some background on eventual murder victim Gary Lauwers, a troubled young man himself, and what sets him on a path to being friends with Kasso. It’s chilling as Jones and Pollack paint a grim picture of a group of troubled youths who gravitated towards each other—including Jimmy Troiano who allegedly assisted Kasso in the killing—and began a relationship tainted with drugs and dark behavior. This vivid and disturbing picture is painted through interviews past ands present, with people who knew Kasso and some of his associates, and were there at the time—including the only witness, Albert Quinones. It is unsettling to hear the accounts of those who knew there was trouble coming from Kasso and those he associated with, and detail an escalating behavior pattern that led to murder. Some of the local folklore and social conditions also figure into this unnerving story and is necessary to give us, the audience, a complete background on what led to the tragic events of June 19th, 1984.

Once the horrific crime is documented, we are then told of the disturbing events that followed, such as Kasso’s proud displaying of the victim’s body to his peers and the eventual arrests and trial, not to mention the Satanic panic that it inspired. It’s a very disturbing look at a true and very tragic occurrence and the media shockwave that was a result. If there is any flaw this chilling documentary has, it is that at almost two hours in length, it is a bit overlong and could have lost some runtime, and still had plenty of very effective material to tell the story. The second half dealing with the events after the murder, including the media frenzy, goes on way too long and the grip the documentary had, starts to wane. Otherwise, this is a very unsettling look at a horrible real-life event and the witch hunt-like aftereffects that followed. The Acid King will be available on VOD on 11/9/21!

-MonsterZero NJ

BARE BONES: ANVIL-THE STORY OF ANVIL (2008)

ANVIL: THE STORY OF ANVIL (2008)

Anyone who is a fan of music, especially heavy metal, should watch this fascinating, funny and sometimes sad documentary about the infamous Canadian metal band Anvil, from writer and director Sacha Gervasi. Though listed as inspiration to countless other bands, true success has eluded original Anvil founding members Steve “Lips” Kudlow and Robb Reiner, in their 30 plus years (now 40) together, and this documentary follows them as they continue trying. With a doomed European tour and efforts to put together their 13th album, the band simply refuses to quit despite constant adversity and disappointment. As a metalhead and former band manager myself, this brought back a lot of memories and had me rooting for these old rockers who won’t give up or grow up! Party on dudes!

NOTE: Since this documentary premiered in January of 2008, Anvil has changed bass players a few more times and recorded five more albums to date!-MZNJ

-MonsterZero NJ

BARE BONES: THE BOOKSELLERS (2019)

THE BOOKSELLERS (2019)

Fascinating and amusing documentary focuses on the rare book world in New York City and the people who collect and sell them. The documentary by D. W. Young is narrated by indie film queen Parker Posey and takes us on a tour of, not only a variety of rare book shops, but an array of eccentric and interesting people who collect and sell rare and out of print books. It does a good job of capturing these people’s passion for the printed page and gives us a nice sense of the history behind rare book collecting. It also touches on the effect of corporate chains like Barnes and Noble on the mom and pop book store, as well as, the expansion of this overlooked sub-society with the inclusion today of more women and minority collectors.

It’s not for everyone, it’s a bit slow moving and maybe ten, or so, minutes too long, but for those interested in underground and off the beaten path sub-cultures, this is a very entertaining look at at world the exists within one of the greatest cities on Earth. If you like documentaries and are always looking for a new and interesting subject, this now streaming on Amazon documentary might be worth your time. If you do check it out, watch through the credits for a funny post credits anecdote.

-MonsterZero NJ

BARE BONES: LOVE, ANTOSHA (2019)

LOVE, ANTOSHA (2019)

Love, Antosha is a heartwarming and heartbreaking documentary on the life and career of actor Anton Yelchin. A career and life cut way too short by the tragic accident that took his life in 2016. The documentary details his growing up wanting to be an entertainer and career as an actor with interviews from his parents Irina and Viktor, along with his friends and co-stars, like Star Trek’s Chris Pine and Jennifer Lawrence. It shows a passionate young man, who was tireless in both his pursuit of his dreams and in his acting, once that career ignited. Unknown to many, he suffered from cystic fibrosis and he battled it’s effects constantly while he continually worked. Despite his ailment, he starred in 69 film and television roles, from the age of 11 till his untimely death at only 27 years-old. Garret Price’s documentary portrays a man loved by his family and co-stars, a man whose passions went from acting to directing to music and photography. The documentary is filled with interviews from many celebrities who all paint a picture of an energetic and driven young man, but also a loving, quirky and kind one that made friends everywhere he went. Yelchin is most recognized for portraying Ensign Chekov in J.J. Abrams Star Trek reboot series, but showed great versatility in a variety of independent films as well. A talent sadly gone far too soon. Documentary also features narration from actor Nicolas Cage reading words written by Yelchin himself.

-MonsterZero NJ

BARE BONES: HAUNTERS-THE ART OF THE SCARE (2017)

HAUNTERS-THE ART OF THE SCARE (2017)

Haunters is a fun and sometimes disturbing documentary focusing on the folks who set up extreme haunts at Halloween…and some of the individuals who go to them. Writer/director Jon Schnitzer interviews some small time extreme haunt makers whose mission every Halloween is to terrify people as much as possible. One such entrepreneur, Russ McKamey, runs a haunt that may cross some lines, but Schnitzer let’s you decide if that is so for yourself. He shows how the people work hard to put these attractions together and then shows us the eager customers willing to be bound, gagged, blindfolded, manhandled, dunked under water and covered in all sorts of who-knows-what. It’s hard to tell who is more disturbed, the haunt creators, or their excited to be frightened clients. The interviews and footage are equally fun and disturbing and also give us a look at what effect this horror hobby has on the makers and their families. While you consider if these haunts are unethical or dangerous, you have to at least appreciate the creativity and effort put into them. A fun and fascinating documentary from Jon Schnitzer.

-MonsterZero NJ

BARE BONES: FOR THE LOVE OF SPOCK (2016)

FOR THE LOVE OF SPOCK (2016)

This is a heartfelt and fun documentary about the legendary Leonard Nimoy and the equally iconic character that made him famous. It’s told through the eyes of his son Adam Nimoy, using all sorts of footage and interviews of his father and many of those who worked with him. It touches on Nimoy growing up in Boston and deciding to become an actor and then his path to playing one of the most famous characters ever on Star Trek, Mr. Spock. Adam Nimoy relates his father’s story…and that of his Vulcan counterpart…with a genuine affection and seems to have a good time going back in the past to tell it. Adam also doesn’t shy away from the less glamorous parts, such as his relationship issues with his famous father, Nimoy’s drinking, as well as, his own substance abuse problems. If the buoyant tone of this flick falters a bit, it is here during these segments. The story is what it is, though and Adam Nimoy doesn’t hide some of the more bitter moments behind the larger than life character his dad is known and loved for. Ultimately we get a portrait of a ambitious man, who had his flaws, but worked hard, genuinely loved his fans and family and rediscovered some of the relationships damaged by his successes and excesses, in time to repair and enjoy his family life before his passing in 2015. If you a fan of Star Trek, Spock and Nimoy, watching this documentary is the logical thing to do. Not perfect, but very sincere.

-MonsterZero NJ