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 Shadows off the beaten pathIndies, foreigns, docs and shorts...
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SCARED SHITLESS |
VIDEO VISION |
THE WHIP
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| See also: SHADOWS FILM FESTIVAL | Last update 1.Sep.24 | |||||||||||||
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Scared Shitless Review by Rich Cline | 
MUST  SEE
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 dir Vivieno Caldinelli scr Brandon J Cohen prd Lewis Spring with Steven Ogg, Daniel Doheny, Chelsea Clark, Marcia Bennett, Mark McKinney, Julian Richings, Brynn Godenir, Lorna Wilson, Donald Tripe, Marty Adams, Tal Zimerman release Can Jul.24 fff, UK Aug.24 frf 24/Canada 1h16  Is it streaming? |
 Gleefully gruesome, this comical horror movie revels in its practical on-set effects, as a creature causes all manner of grotesque nastiness as it emerges through an apartment block's toilets. Brandon Cohen's riotous script and Vivieno Caldinelli's amusing direction are packed with surprises that keep us laughing and squirming, more than delivering on the promise of that rude title. And as gory as it gets, the tone remains enjoyably offbeat. To help his adult son Sonny (Doheny) deal with his crippling fear of germs, plumber Don (Ogg) takes him along on a job unclogging a toilet for regular client Mrs Applebaum (Bennett). Meanwhile in a neighbouring flat, scientist Robert has brought home something slimy and murderous from his top secret lab, and of course he can't contain it. Soon it embarks on a rampage through the pipework, Don and Sonny find it difficult to keep up with the escalating problem, especially when they begin making some terrifying discoveries. Such as a nest of eggs. Literal toilet humour abounds, including hilarious visual gags, wordplay, plot points and character beats. And the residents of this building are engagingly eccentric, including an older couple (Wilson and Tripe) playing fetishistic games to celebrate their anniversary and another resident (Godenir) who's performing on a live webstream. Half of the fun is that we know where each set-up is heading, simply because the filmmakers are so adept at nodding to the genre. Performances are natural, with a comical edge that undercuts the increasing quantities of blood and guts. Ogg is likeable even as Don fails to grasp the depth of Sonny's anguish, but there's strong camaraderie between them. Doheny has a bit more to do as a smart guy reluctantly trying to overcome his inner demons ("Oh hey, I didn't puke!"). His banter with Clark's sardonic concierge Patricia is consistently funny, adding some superb undercurrents to the mayhem. Indeed, she turns out to be much better than Don at calming down Sonny when he panics. Even if some of the plot points don't quite make sense, and attempts to crank up emotion using a tragedy from Don and Sonny's past is difficult to take very seriously, the brisk running time, steady stream of wonderfully grotesque practical effects and solid characters make this movie thoroughly entertaining. This is the kind of low-key gem that deserves to develop a cult following, and maybe even a franchise.
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Video Vision Review by Rich Cline |
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 dir-scr-prd Michael Turney with Andrea Figliomeni, Chrystal Peterson, Shelley Valfer, Hunter Kohl, Liz Livingston, Gwyneviere Ray, Steave Beale, Christopher Bligh, Cora Cadman release US Jun.24 cff, UK Aug.24 frf 24/US 1h24 Is it streaming? |
 Snappy dialog and a witty use of forgotten video formats add a lot of entertaining spark to this offbeat horror about a demon-possessed VHS player. While the direction is straightforward, terrific camera effects give the film a woozily disorienting tone, pulling us in because the characters are so strongly developed. Filmmaker Michael Turney also gives the audience some genuinely nasty grisliness for good measure. Plus a storming theme song. At the Video Vision workshop, Kibby (Figliomeni) enjoys her job working for Rodney (Valfer), transferring images from archaic tech. When Gator (Peterson) arrives with a project, Kibby and Gator hit it off and begin hanging out. Then an ancient VHS machine is mysteriously delivered, and it seems to begin taking over Kibby's body. As things get increasingly strange, Kibby discovers an eerie videotape featuring Dr Analog (Kohl), who was into something called techno-physics. And now she can see video simply by touching the tape. The question is whether Gator can help her confront Dr Analog. Conversations playfully dig into the characters thoughts and feelings, using earthy humour and vivid feelings to make the film thoroughly engaging. Which of course also adds much stronger intensity to the scary stuff that's going on. Kibby may be dealing with some sort of supernatural menace, but her everyday experience navigating a relationship with a trans man has even more nuance and texture. So when the eye-catching action begins to grow mind-boggling, the film becomes that much more involving and disturbing. The actors take a wonderfully naturalistic approach to the complex dialog, which is funny, insightful and remarkably pointed. With strong charisma, Figliomeni and Peterson build marvellous chemistry as two young people discovering new things about each other, and this is made even more compelling by the fact that we know there's something menacing lurking in the background. The supporting cast also has a lot of fun creating idiosyncratic characters. Turney cleverly deploys a range of vintage 1980s visual flourishes that make the film properly striking to look at, leading to an outrageously surreal final confrontation. Because the film's premise centres around transferring video from previous formats, there's intriguing subtext that relates to the experiences of a transgender person. As Gator says, "If I don't change myself, everyone will be happy, but I'll hate myself." So the only option is bracingly clear.
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The Whip Review by Rich Cline | 
Is it streaming?
|  Without mentioning political parties, it's clear that this British comedy is pointing a finger at heartless policies enacted by the UK's recent Tory government. Neither a satire nor a Ken Loach-style takedown, it's an engaging low-budget heist comedy pitting average people against the halls of power. Without over-complicating things, filmmaker Christopher Presswell keeps the tone light and resists playing up darker dramatic or thriller elements of the story. With the government determined to "put ability back into disability", Sadie (Denovan) is horrified by callous treatment her brain-injured sister Emily (Fozzard) receives from civil servants. Caring for Emily is Sadie's full-time job. Meanwhile, government minister Michael (Knight) refuses to sell this policy, which he sees as monstrous, so Chief Whip Damian (Bullock) forces him to resign. This gives Sadie an idea, and she talks her friend Abi (Wesson) into a caper: stealing Damian's little book of blackmailable secrets. Sadie enlists Michael, while Abi approaches her tech-savvy nephew Jason (Davids). Soon their plan is afoot. Earthy comedy and simple, straightforward plotting sands off the sharper edges of the political premise, but there's enough realism in here to keep it feeling almost plausible. The social care assessor (Dobell) is almost comically cruel, and also shockingly realistic, painfully recognisable to anyone who has faced Tory policies firsthand. So there are probably millions of people who can identify with thoughts about bringing down the government over the 14 years of Conservative Party rule. Performances are relaxed and authentic, reflecting the complexities of normal life even if there isn't much depth in the characterisations or relationships. But the likeable cast highlights each person's motivations while keeping them grounded and believable. At the centre, Denovan has a steely charisma that holds this crazy caper together, so it's very easy to cheer her on. And the ensemble cast around her is just as charming, with Bullock having a lot of fun as the smug villain of the piece. There's a heavy element of wish-fulfilment in this narrative, as it depicts plucky everyday citizens risking everything to take on the powers that be at their own game. Of course, the heist doesn't go precisely to plan, adding some gentle suspense in the final act. Yet while it all feels a bit silly, it still remembers to ask some important questions, especially when one character wonders whether the government should be serving the electorate or its donors.
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See also: SHADOWS FILM FESTIVAL © 2024 by Rich Cline, Shadows
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