THE THING

THE THING (JOHN CARPENTER'S THE THING) (1982)
US
Directed by John Carpenter

CAST:
Kurt Russell - R.J. MacReady
Wilford Brimley - Dr. Blair
Keith David - Childs

PLOT:
     Scientists in the Antarctic are confronted by a shape-shifting alien that assumes the appearance of the people that it kills.

REVIEW:
     One of the fun things about doing reviews is I get to go back to older movies I haven't watched in awhile. Then there's movies I go back and watch every year, just because they're personal favorites. The Thing was one of those movies my dad rented for me to watch on a spring break one year. Well, the movie did a good  job completely freaking me out. Now this was when I was about 12 or 13 years old, but happily that night after watching it, I didn't have nightmares (that was saved for when I saw Alien and Aliens a couple years later). Anyway, I really didn't connect this movie with being a Mythos type till later on, yet here we are at the movies almost 30th anniversary and a "prequel" coming out later this year so this is a good time to go back and re-watch it as well as review it.

     I'm going to start off with the acting in this film. As all the characters aren't giving a back story where they came from, it was up to the actors to make the audience care for them through their actions and personalities and each one pulled it off brilliantly.  What's even more striking is that everyone isn't talking twenty four seven. When something is odd or they can't explain it, the characters just keep quiet instead. This adds a lot more to the characters than one might imagine as you don't know what they are thinking. Kurt Russell, who plays R.J. MacReady, to me gives the best performance of his career in this film. Nothing he does is hammed up, he speaks more softly, yet with authority, plus he can't stand computer chess. Kieth David, who portrays Childs is very effective as the pissed off black guy. Yes, I know that's basically type casting him, but that is exactly what David is playing and does surprising well.

     One of the main reasons this movie works so well while others built around the same premise is because of the setting of the film. The isolation that is present in the film is palatable to the audience as there really is nowhere to run. All the scientific team can do is stay in one place and rely on each other to help them stay sane in their environment. So what happens when an outside presence is introduced  that can take the shape of the living around it is really no surprise as they're trapped. As the paranoia sets in as the team finds out that there is a alien presence among them that is killing and taking on that said dead form. No one is what they seem and that  helps feed the unease among the characters as well as drive some to madness. Even in scenes you know will go bad, the shock of watching it happen doesn't really fade over time, no matter how many times this movie is watched. Part of the reason for the tension that is built up during these scenes is the score by Ennio Morricone. I say this because with most horror movies when something bad is about to happen, the music swells to a forceful level which basically lets the audience know something is about to happen, and in return kills part of the surprise. Morricone though went the opposite way and killed the music so where all that you here is the background noises and characters talking. This might not seem that big of a thing, yet in reality it just adds to the tension of the screen.

     Another aspect of the film is the special effects. While CG creatures is what is mostly shown on movie screens now, nothing will ever replace practical in camera effects. The reaction of the cast is real when they can actually see and interact with something in front of them. I'm not saying CG effects are terrible, in fact I love what is possible with CG now, but it can never replace practical in my mind. The closest I can put the creature in the film is a shoggoth from Mythos stories made real as it is always taking on a new form. Thank you Rob Bottin for this nightmare creature. But I would be remiss to not mention Carpenter himself who brought all these elements together and put it on screen for all to see, as this is his movie and unlike other movies during that time it has withstood the test of time to become a classic not in just horror, but also in films in general that still has the power to scare, shock,and gross out viewers after all these years. Besides, I love the nihilistic ending where you don't know if Childs is really himself or the Thing. 

BEST DEATH:
     Dr. Cooper's forearm mini-meal.

BEST LINE:
     You gotta be fucking kidding.

FUN FACTS:
     Kurt Russell was almost injured in the scene where he blows up the alien Palmer with a stick of dynamite. Apparently, he had no idea exactly how big of an explosion it would produce, and the reaction that he has in the movie is genuine.

     Both Nick Nolte and Jeff Bridges turned down the role of MacReady.

      This is the first film in what Carpenter calls his "Apocalypse Trilogy". In order they are:
     The Thing (1982)
     Prince Of Darkness (1987)
     In The Mouth Of Madness (1994)

     For a scene where Dr. Copper arms are severed, a real-life double amputee stand-in was used wearing a mask in the likeness of Dysart. The audience focuses on the bloody stumps while the mask goes unnoticed.

WITCHES: THE DARKEST EVIL

WITCHES: THE DARKEST EVIL (THE DUNWICH HORROR) (2009)
US
Directed by Leigh Scott

CAST:
Griff Furst - Professor Walter Rice
Sarah Lieving - Professor Fay Morgan
Dean Stockwell - Dr. Henry Armitage

PLOT:
     In Louisiana, the thirty-five year old single mother Lavina delivers a evil into the world. Ten years later, Dr. Henry Armitage and his assistant Professor Fay Morgan discover that portlas are being opened to bring forth the Old Gods and must enlist the help of skeptic Professor Walter Rice to help them.

REVIEW:
      When  I first heard they were making a a new version of The Dunwich Horror I must admit that I wasn't that excited about it. Then I found out that Jeffrey Combs and Dean Stockwell were both cast to be in it. Needless to say, my expectations were slightly raised due to this. You have Combs who just seems like if there is a American produced Lovecraft film it seems as if he will be in it. Then there's Stockwell who was in the 1970's version of the movie. Problem was, I just couldn't find the movie no matter what. Maybe it was a sign that I shouldn't try to find it. And here we are two years later and you're reading my review of it. So hold on, it's going to be a bumpy ride.

     Wow. I have never seen Dean Stockwell act this bad before. If he was trying to show emotion I could not tell as  every single face gesture was exactly the same. Well the only time it changed was after he got a face to face meeting with Yog-Sothoth. The after effect is just laughable it's so bad. Now as for Jeffrey Combs as Wilbur Whateley I can't tell if he hated being in the role or just couldn't decide what to do with his character for most of it. I really don't want to hate on Combs, but his acting was nowhere near where it should have been. Thankfully, all was not completely terrible on the acting front, the two bright spots in the whole movie were Griff Furst's Professor Walter Rice and Sarah Lieving's Professor Fay Morgan. These two were the most believable actors in the whole movie's run time as it actually seemed they were having fun in their roles. The one draw back is Furst's delivery of the most stupidest line in the whole movie. Yep, it is groan worthy!

     Now on to director Leigh Scott. I don't know what he was trying to do but the only time it worked is when the two Professors went into the Ward house. Other than that the camera work is shotty and jumpy. The action scenes are unwatchable or just isn't shown at all. It seems as if Scott watched Rob Zombie's House Of A Thousand Corpses before he made the movie, the reason why I say this is that whenever the movie goes to the Whateley house, the camera gets really jumpy, the film fades to black, and there are time slips which just confused me as it seems like all these things were put in for no reason, except to make the Whateley family seem more weird than they all ready are. There was just no reason that I could see Scott filming these scenes that way as it is confusing and to me is lazy.

     My biggest problem with the movie is that, even though it is based on a Lovecraft story it doesn't mean it will be better by throwing in all the Old Gods and Deities names. By doing this it seems like the writer was trying to impress the people that would watch this movie and it get's old quickly. Now for the special effects. Well they do have some in there, but it's all crap for the most part. Also to the writer, explain how exactly Stockwell got the power to shoot lighting out of his fingertips please. I really want to know. And as for the creature Yog-Sothoth, what was with the purple cloud he was always surrounded in. It made it look like the creature was made out of a tennis ball with paper machete attached to it. I could go on, but I'm not going to. So I'll just say it's best to avoid this movie if at all possible.

BEST DEATH:
     It's kinda sad that there really isn't any deaths shown in great detail on screen, so I'll just show put a picture of Combs' final moment instead.

BEST LINE:
     That is not dead can eternal lie,
     And with strange aeons even death may die.

FUN FACTS:
     A afro'd Dean Stockwell, who plays Dr. Armitage in this film, played the role of Wilbur Whateley in the 1970 version.

     Filmed in Lafayette, Louisiana.

LA HERENCIA VALDEMAR

LA HERENCIA VALDEMAR (THE VALDEMAR LEGACY) (2010)
ES
Directed by Jose Luis Aleman

CAST:
Daniele Liotti - Lazaro Valdemar
Silvia Abascal - Luisa Lorente
Laia Murall - Leonor Valdemar

PLOT:
     When property appraiser Luisa Lorente is sent to assess the Valdemar Estate and mysteriously disappears, her boss hires a private detective to uncover what has happened to her. Through the investigations the dark history of the estate is uncovered.

REVIEW:
     Seeing as that I'm trying to review mostly Mythos movies this month, I decided this would be a good time to finally watch this movie I've been sitting on for over eight months now. Another reason why is that I finally was able to get a copy of part two, which I've been trying to get hold of for at least six months. Even though I'm reviewing this movie now, I'm going to wait toward the end of the month to post the review for part two. Hope you don't mind to much. Anyway on to the review for La Herencia Valdemar!

      Even though the movie starts off with the disappearance of a property appraiser Luisa, the film just sets in motion the hunt for her. The main story is the background of the Valdemar estate and how it became the way it did. The story is paced out slower than most horror movies, and yes it is deliberately done this way. The film is all about the build up and the payoff at the end. I know that most new horror fans these days are used to something big happening every seven minutes (thanks Michael Bay for that) yet with this one there is one fast paced scene about 20 minutes into the movie and then the rest of the film is a build up for the end. While everything is explained, it never once makes the viewer feel stupid or dumb. This is probably one of the smarter horror movies I've seen. And yes, even though the film starts out in modern times, the main story  plays out in the past giving the background of the house and how it came to have it's reputation. This might seem boring, yet to me this just added to the story and made you care for the main characters but it also helps sets up the story for part two.

     While the story is the main reason to see the film, it would have failed if the acting wasn't up to the same level. Thankfully the main actors were all good in their roles for the most part except for Paco Maestre as Aleister Crowley. Something just seemed off to me about the character, excluding that Crowley was a scary and weird man to begin with. Yes, he seems like he is in complete control of all situations, though him coming and almost begging to use the Valdemar house just doesn't seem right for some reason. Another character that I had a problem with was the Bram Stoker character. Yes, in real life Stoker had a interest in the occult, mesmerism specifically, yet I don't see the man as being shy and quiet. I know these might seem like I'm being nit-picky, but I just couldn't get these two things really out of my head after each was introduced. One of acting highlights was Jose Luis Torrijo as Damaso. Though he seems nice to begin with, as more is shown of him, he starts to give out a more sinister presence in the small screen time he is giving. Also look for a very good final performance by Paul Naschy as the caring family butler in the past.

     Some of the main draws for this film is the atmosphere and the Gothic setting. Nothing is overly bright and shadows penetrate every scene. This comes in handy during the end when the summoned creature from the failed Dunwich Ritual appears and before it takes over a corpse. Even though the creature is CG when it first appears, it feels natural, although it's from another dimension, as well as it doesn't stay on camera long, which also helps the effects. A lot of characters are introduced at the start of the film that do not show up for the rest of the run time of the film, this might turn people off, yet this is only the first movie of a two part series so they will be back in part two. I'll be reviewing part two at the end of the month as a wrap up piece for this month of mostly Mythos movies, yet when viewed on it's own La Herencia Valdemar is a amazing film full of atmosphere, strong story and a very strong  feature for a first time director. So if you like slow build up of story with a strong pay-off at the end try to find this movie as it is a entertaining film set up like classic horror movies and not recent ones.

BEST DEATH:
     Luglio Fuchini's burning need for water.

BEST LINE:
     Actually it's known as the "Avoided House".

FUN FACTS:
     The movie was the last film of Spanish actor Paul Naschy, who plays Jervas in the film.

     Paul Naschy talked to Jose Luis Aleman to include Christopher Lee in the cast but was unable to due to that Lee was working on other projects at the time.

     Belle Gunness was a sadly well-known serial killer of Norwegian descent who may have killed more than 40 people including her own children.

NECRONOMICON

NECRONOMICON (H. P. LOVECRAFT'S NECRONOMICON: BOOK OF THE DEAD) (NECRONOMICON: TO HELL AND BACK) (1993)
UK

PLOT:
     H.P. Lovecraft, the well-known horror writer, is looking in the late thirties after the book Necronomicon. He finds it guarded by monks in an old library. He then start copying stories from it, which unfold before his eyes.

REVIEW:
     It seems like a lifetime ago when I first saw the movie. I rented it so where the person I was seeing at the time and I could watch it. It seemed like a good choice considering she liked horror movies, as did I, but I got the added bonus of it being a movie based on stories by H. P. Lovecraft. When I originally watched it, I must say I wasn't that impressed. Now that the movie is two years shy of  being 20 years old, and I haven't watched it in about 16 years, I thought it would be a good choice to go back and review it. As the movie is split up into four separate stories basically, I'm going to give a quick review of each segment. Yes. It will make the review longer, but I think it will make the review flow better instead of trying to cram to much into a overview of the whole movie.

THE LIBRARY (WRAPAROUND)
Directed by Brian Yuzna

CAST:
Jeffrey Combs - H.P. Lovecraft

     Even though this story is mostly just about Lovecraft reading some of the stories in the Necronomicon, it also bridges the whole movie together into one, as after each story it goes back to the library where Combs' character is copying stories from said book. The movie ends with Lovecraft disturbing the natural order of things, as do all who read out of the Necronomicon, and having to fight off multiple monsters. While Combs is the reason to watch these segments, it is also the weakest story wise in the movie. Even though monk stretching the bars is really cool, the whole end part is ruined really by a weak last creature that was suppose to be shocking, I think. But the dimension tunnel was really cool looking though it came from though.

THE DROWNED
Directed by Christophe Gans

CAST:
Bruce Payne - Edward De Lapoer

     A tale of death and failed resurrection. This story is the best acted of movie thanks to Bruce Payne, and his ability to display loss and regret without overdoing it, or chewing scenery. It also has the best creature in it of the whole movie. Even though Payne is the main strength of the story, it is the story itself that is a let down as it doesn't truly has the time to build up any real tension that it is trying to. Christophe Gans, who directed this segment, though adds a style that isn't seen anywhere else in the movie and doesn't try to go overboard with any real fancy shots and because of this, the story plays out nicely, though a little slow.

THE COLD:
Directed by Shusuke Kaneko

CAST:
David Warner - Dr. Madden
Bess Meyer - Emily Osterman

     This segment is probably the most even of the four, yet it is also the most average at the same time. I should mention that most things I've seen David Warner in, he seemed to be playing almost the same character and the same can be said here as well (though I did really like him in Waxworks!) Warner plays a man that cannot be away from the cold for to long, less he starts to die. Even though Warner is the big name in this one, Bess Meyer is the main character as a abused runaway who is taken in by Warner's character who finds out that immortality has a price, and is infectious. The Cold also has the coolest death in the whole movie, even though the plot twist is easily seen.

WHISPERS
Directed by Brian Yuzna

CAST:
Signy Coleman - Sarah
Don Cafla - Mr. Benedict

     I'll go ahead and say that the first time I saw the movie, this was the segment I hated the most. Now though, it's my favorite. The reason for this is that to me, it has the whole Lovecraftian atmosphere and otherness down pat. It is also the darkest of all four stories. Part of this has to do with Coleman's Sarah trying to figure out if she wants to keep her unborn baby while pursuing 'The Butcher'. It's because of her inability to keep work and home life separate, she in turn is responsible for the death of her lover. The story just has a creeping doom feel to it as you know that at each turn things will get worse, and does it ever. As a side note, this is the only segment that has the character going insane after all that has happened or is happening, which is a plus. Also Don Cafla is great in his role of the easily ignorant Mr. Benedict. Easily the bloodiest of the bunch as well.

     While far from a perfect movie, Necronomicon is a fun anthology movie that has great ideals, but yet each segment has flaws that keep them from becoming great, so it just rests easily on the average side of horror movies. 

BEST DEATH:
     Dr. Madden's gooey meltdown!

BEST LINE:
    That is not dead which can eternal lie, and with strange aeons even death may die.

FUN FACTS:
     The stories the segments are based on are:
         The Drowned - The Rats In The Walls
         The Cold - Cool Air
         Whispers - The Whisperer In Darkness

     Christophe Gans went on to direct the amazing Le Pacte Des Loups (Brotherhood Of The Wolf) and the under-rated Silent Hill.

     Necronomicon has only been released on DVD in France as a double disc edition and Germany as a single disc release.

     Shusuke Kaneko went on to direct Azumi 2: Death and Love and the two live action Death Note movies.

HOUSE OF BLACK WINGS

HOUSE OF BLACK WINGS (2010)
US
Directed by David Schmidt

CAST:
Leah Myette - Kate Stone / Nicky Tarot
Katherine Herrera - Robyn Huck
Michael Klug - Steve

PLOT:
     After a tragic act of violence cuts short her music career, Kate Stone is returning to a city full of ex-fans and ex-friends. Taking shelter with her last friend, a struggling artist named Robyn Huck, the two women work to restore the aging courtyard apartment building Robyn has inherited.

REVIEW:
      I'll admit I've never truly been a big fan of independent films. I think the main reason for this is that most of the time they look just like a a home video recording with bad special effects and even worse sound. Yes, I know a lot of directors got their start from doing independent features or shorts and they do all they can to make the production as professional as possible. Then on the other side, you have young filmmakers who are making truly terrible home made horror movies just to see females naked, which is where a lot of the stigma of indie films come from the way I see it.Yes, some directors truly want to tell a story that they think is great, but that could also be their downfall, as they try to go with a first draft script they wrote and don't go and tighten it up, which all scripts need. Okay, I'm pretty sure I bored you enough with my views on indie films, so here's the review finally.

     The two main actresses in the movie,  Leah Myette as Kate Stone and Katherine Herrera as Robyn Huck, I would have to say did a much better job as the movie went on which I was quite happy about. Myette when the movie began didn't seem to know what to do or how to act in certain scenes, yet as the film progressed it seemed as if she grow into her role. Even though the more intimate scenes it seems she still had trouble with, but she seemed to have a decent grasp on what she was doing when the more horrific scenes happened. As for Herrera, I would have to say that she was the better of the two leads in the movie, even though Myette has more acting experience,  though when she has her argument with Myette's character, I think she was supposed to be in a semi trance, but what gets put on screen is what looks like she's reading cue cards. While these are small gripes, my biggest disappointment was with Michael Klug.  I have to say opening your eyes as wide as they can get doesn't make you seem crazy. Also, please Mr. Klug, You were stabbed in the heart, stop fucking shaking!

     The look of the film is the one major drawback to me as it has that bright, unfiltered lens look of a home movie. Yes, I know that this is a independent movie, yet it's obvious that director David Schmidt has a video editing suite because the cuts in the film are clean and well put together, bridging each scene to the next. While this does help the movie, to me what would have helped out even more was if Schmidt had run the finished edited film through a grain filter or at least cut back on some of the color that is visible as it's almost too bright, as it's like watching a Disney movie. The main reason I'm mentioning this is that the color and look so is nowhere near his effort on The Lovecraft Syndrome, which looks very professional compared to House Of Black Wings. Also if the static shots of the building were used less it could have helped speed the movie up and make the story seem tighter. Thankfully the atmosphere and background noise helped lend a aire of tension through the first part of the movie that helps combat this.

      I know it might seem as if I didn't like the movie, yet in fact I liked it a lot. The story was very strong and interesting. Even though the more weird stuff didn't really start happening until about half way through, it was the relationship between the two main characters as they try to help each other out that kept me interested enough to keep watching. Like all truly good Lovecraftian movies, it's is the build up of the characters and their pathos that help the story along. As a plus, once the more supernatural aspects start appearing it just keeps building and the movie starts to move very quickly. What surprised me even more is what Schmidt pulled off in this area, specially the creatures when they are shown, though sometimes too brief, used to great affect. If Schmidt keeps on the way he is, I'll keep trying to watch what he puts out, as he is a strong storyteller and has great potential in my opinion. 

BEST DEATH:
     Though it's not a death, I did like the fingerless hand nightmare scene. It was my first real surprise of the movie.

BEST LINE:
     She's in a girl band. The Angry Cunts.

FUN FACTS:
     David Schmidt's  previous films include the well-received horror shorts Grave Invitations and The Lovecraft Syndrome.

     You can watch The Lovecraft Syndrome for free online. Just follow the link:
The Lovecraft Syndrome