The Basement

The Basement

       The Basement tells the twisted tale of a deranged murderer named Bill known as the Gemini Killer. When the Bill kidnaps a man named Craig, he plays several different personas and forces Craig to play the killer so Bill can role play his own capture and brutal interrogation for the crimes he has committed. 

       The script for The Basement is surprisingly strong and clever. The film is largely a series of scenes between the two actors (Jackson Davis and Cayleb Long) telling the story of the Gemini Killer in a completely original way. At the same time, each scene reveals more about Craig as he pretends to be the killer in the role that has been forced upon him. It's interesting to watch Craig's character desperately navigate his situation in order to survive as long as possible. It's during the process of this navigation that Cayleb Long's performance as Craig grows stronger causing the tension of the film to grow stronger with it. 

       Jackson Davis as Bill, the Gemini Killer, does an excellent job portraying the several characters that inhabit his many personalities. Davis impressively adopts different physical traits and accents for each character and is believable in each role. He has fun and goes all out for each character but never goes over the top, which I'm sure would be an unintentional temptation for many actors. It helps that Davis has just a hint of madness in his eyes that makes each character unpredictable and that much more frightening.
       Cayleb Long does a fine job as the kidnapped Craig and it's hard to watch some of the brutal torture he endures. He earns the sympathy necessary as the straight character trying to survive a harrowing situation. Both actors enhance the others performance with their strong on screen chemistry and ability to successfully play off the other through eye contact and active listening.
       Although I loved where her character ended up, Mischa Barton as Kelly, Craig's wife, feels wasted throughout the film. Her character spends the film rightfully wondering where her husband is and being suspicious of her best friend that he and her are having an affair. She has little else to do with any semblance of characterization coming too late in the film. She is ultimately a necessary character, but it's a shame to see an actress with Barton's talent wasted on such a largely thin character.
       The Basement is a smart thriller with a tight script. It's smoothly paced and it kept me guessing the entire run time wondering how it was going to end. But it was the performances of Long and Davis that elevated this film to heights that exceeded my expectations. The Basement is currently in limited theatrical release and on video on demand and I highly recommend it.

Skeletons in the Closet

Skeletons in the Closet

       Skeletons in the Closet is the name of a late night horror TV show featuring The Widow and her dead husband, Charlie, who provide Elvira-like commentary to B-horror movies. Jamie, an 11 year old girl with a slight obsession with horror, is the their biggest fan and never misses an episode. Her horror viewing pleasure is interrupted when her parents go out for the night and leave her with an annoying new babysitter, Tina. Will Tina ruin Jamie's night? Or is Tina in for a surprise? Find out in Skeletons in the Closet!
       I absolutely loved the beginning of this film! The first 15 minutes are some of the most enjoyable moments I've had this year watching a horror movie. The spot on 1980's feel and set up and introduction to Jamie and her favorite show, Skeletons in the Closet, took me right back to when I was a kid staying up late to watch Tales From the Crypt on Saturday nights. Alaina Karner gives a wonderful performance as Jamie and she reminded me a lot of Drew Barrymore in E.T.
       Ellie Church as The Widow also does a fantastic job in the film and I would love to see more of her character along with her dead husband co-host, Charlie (Adam Michaels). The two have a very entertaining relationship that had me thinking, “get these two a web series!” Rounding out the strong start to the film was Elizabeth Stenholt as Tina, Jamie's babysitter. Stenholt nails the gum smacking, bored, Punky Brewster-ish 80's kid and reminded me of a young Jill Schoelen (Popcorn, The Stepfather).
       With this set up, everything about the film seemed to be firing on all cylinders and I was excited for what was to come. At this point the film shifts gears to focus on Chop Shop, the anthology film being presented by The Widow and her dead husband on Skeletons in the Closet with Jamie watching on in delight and Tina rolling her eyes. This is where the film stumbles and failed to live up to its magical start.
       Jamie and her horror themed show had a wonderful 1980's vibe with the filmmakers going out of their way to create a VHS look with 'ADJUST YOUR TRACKING' messages and static lines traveling down the screen. Everything was perfect and I loved every minute of those scenes. Despite being presented on a beat up looking VHS tape, when Chop Shop becomes the focus, the film feels and looks like a horror movie from today. It didn't gel at all with the show Skeletons in the Closet presenting it or in the world of Jamie watching it.
       This mismatch in style and drastic change in tone left me confused. It also didn't help matters that Chop Shop wasn't nearly as interesting as the set up or the characters introduced early on. The first film of the anthology Chop Shop is somewhat interesting and has a passable 1980's vibe. The following 2 parts just don't share the same aesthetic and it really brings down the enjoyment of the movie. The more screen time that was used up on Chop Shop the less interested in the film I became.
       The little girl, Jamie, is underutilized to a fault. She's adorable and captures the little kid in all of us staying up late watching horror movies. As the film cuts back to Jamie during commercial breaks, a news bulletin warns of an escaped patient from a mental institute in her town. However, the script never really follows up on this in any meaningful way. The more interesting moments are with Jamie and her babysitter and it's a shame that those moments and story are cut so short for the less interesting Chop Shop film. It could have been a lot of fun if the film shifted gears again to focus on how Jamie and Tina would deal with the escaped mental patient. However, there is a nice little surprise at the end that I didn't see coming.
       Perhaps if the film within the film, Chop Shop, had the same 1980's aesthetic as everything else in the movie, Skeletons in the Closet could have been a huge winner. It's just a shame that such effort and great attention to detail felt lost when paired with the forgettable film within the film. Skeletons in the Closet is not entirely a film to write off: it did create some pretty cool characters and have some great moments. Although as a whole I didn't very much like the film, I'm intrigued enough by The Widow and her dead husband, Charlie to see if Skeletons in the Closet could win me over with another presentation.

e-Demon

e-Demon

       A group of college friends from around the country get together on a video-chat to hang out and catch up for a night of fun. When a prank pulled by a couple of the friends trick the rest of the group, they don't realize that what follows is not a prank at all until it's too late as an escaped demon transfers itself digitally to possess the group one by one. Not knowing who to trust, the group's night of fun turns into a nightmare. 

       e-Demon has a very simple set up when one of the character's grandmother speaks of a trunk in the home that must not be opened and this, of course, entices the character, Mar (Ryan Redebaugh) to open it. Unknowingly to Mar, the black magic is released and the dark force spreads through the group causing mayhem and acts of violence.
       This video-chat format of cinematic storytelling is becoming more popular with films like Unfriended and the newly released Searching. I'll admit I was skeptical of this type of format for a film but I've found it to be quite an effective delivery system. e-Demon takes advantage of the format by merging technical glitches like pixelation and blurring into supernatural happenings. The film also uses muffled, distant yelling and sounds from other rooms to great effect while the webcam focuses on an empty space. It's especially chilling when the distant sounds stop and all that stands between an empty room and someone entering it is silence.
       Another positive consequence of the webcam/video-chat format is the atmosphere and performances. e-Demon has a natural feel to it with realistic and familiar settings that make the characters feel like real people. All of this adds to the uneasiness of the situation and builds the tension as the story unfolds. And because the film is essentially one long scene, the story does unfold in a minute by minute manner. There's also nothing the other characters can do because they are all so far away from each other living in different cities. They, like the viewer, can just watch in horror as things escalate into chaos.
       Some of the dialogue is a little clunky at times as the script attempts to have characters explain what may be happening. The film also suffers from introducing the know all character at the end of the second act who understands black magic and explains to the group exactly what's happening. With the format of the film and the internet at the fingertips of each character, why not just have the group search and put the pieces together themselves? This would have kept the tension high and introduced some form of teamwork as the film begins to lag just a bit at the 2/3rds point.
       Overall I was pleasantly surprised by e-Demon and really enjoyed it. The film brings together the devil and modern technology by suggesting the old belief that a picture steals a small part of the soul. If that's the case, does video capture the entire soul? e-Demon makes for a great Halloween season watch and releases on video on demand on September 14 with limited theatrical runs in Los Angeles on the 14th and New York on the twenty first.

Amazon Hot Box

Amazon Hot Box

       While visiting South America to “save the turtles”, an innocent college student (Kelsey Carlisle) is captured and thrown into a banana republic prison run by the evil Inga Von Krupp (Ellie Church). From here, she must fight for her life against a crazed group of fellow inmates as well as Von Krupp’s twisted experimentations and her nightmarish torture machine.

       Amazon Hot Box is one hell of a fun movie involving banana republics, undercover agents, filthy and lawless prisons, voodoo experimentation, and much, much more. There’s so much glorious madness going on in this movie that is handled perfectly by writer and director James Bickert. The film is a fast paced and highly entertaining nod to schlock 70’s cinema that is bursting off the screen with filthy color and no shortage of eye candy. It's the type of presentation and layered, overlapping story lines that we've come to expect from Bickert (Frankenstein Created Bikers).

       With so much going on and a lot that could have been explored a little more, my only complaint, (if you could call it that), is that I wish the film were a little longer! I would have loved to see more of Jordan Phipps as Agent Sixx or perhaps a look at more of the evil experiments that Inga Von Krupp and her mad scientist Dr. Greeley (Paul McComiskey) were cooking up in the bowels of their lawless prison. A dinner scene shared between the two is just a darkly comic glimpse into how twisted these two are and it successfully left me wanting to see more of them.

       The film's technical aspects are very impressive as it sounds and looks fantastic. I had a blast with the practical effects and the wonderfully old, dark and dirty setting for the prison. The fight scenes are playfully choreographed and full of acrobatic kicks and punches until they inevitably end in a wonderful, over the top and gory demise. Everything about the movie is pure fun, schlocky, tongue in cheek goodness.

       Tristan Risk makes a beautifully twisted entrance as inmate Val. Establishing her dominance over the new inmates right away by demanding a grotesquely demeaning act from the newly captured Penny (Carlisle), we know right away that Val is neither good nor bad. She is her own animal and plays by her own rules...to a point. And Risk has a devilishly good time with the role, owning it and stealing every scene she's in. Risk was born for these types of roles.

       Another stand out amongst the cast is Jordan Phipps. Every time she's on screen she radiates a powerful screen presence and has the natural allure of a movie star. Whatever "it" may be that makes someone an undeniable star, Jordan Phipps has "it". If a Barbarella re-make is ever in the works, someone please give Phipps a call: she’s a very talented modern day bombshell.

       Overall, I highly recommend Amazon Hot Box if you’re looking for a fun, cheeky, brazen good time. Grab some beers, roll some joints and let the good times roll, Amazon Hot Box is a blast.

Johnny Gruesome

Johnny Gruesome

       After rebellious high school student Johnny Grissom is murdered during a drunken joy ride, fellow students start getting killed one by one. While the school and town thinks an unknown killer is on the loose, Johnny's friend Eric begins to suspect Johnny has returned from the grave. But it's no longer the Johnny Grissom he knew, it's Johnny Gruesome out for revenge. 

       What struck me most about Johnny Gruesome was how the film pulled together the best parts of the horror films of the 1990's and eighties. The film has a manipulative light and breezy feel, like the middle class, suburban high school vibe of the 90's, but features 1980's staples like wonderfully applied, gory looking makeup and a heavy, guitar driven, Alice Cooper-esque rock soundtrack. Add in Johnny's black and loud flaming skull painted car and Johnny Gruesome is a winning mix of fondly looked upon times in the horror genre. 

       Writer and director Gregory Lamberson has always known how to effectively blend subtle humor with horror and Johnny Gruesome is no different. There are plenty of funny moments in the film that jive nicely with the vengeful, dead teenager walking around on screen. One such scene shows a freshly risen Johnny stumbling across the screen in the background while 2 gravediggers shoot the shit talking about the weather and drinking beers waiting to cover the grave. Johnny's friend Gary (Chris Modrzynski) is very funny as he nonchalantly discards a human head he finds in his locker. His character is a nice balance between the conflicted Eric (Byron Brown II) and Johnny's mourning girlfriend, Karen (Aprilanne). 

       A lot of the success of Johnny Gruesome lies on the shoulders of star Anthony De La Torre as the title character, Johnny Grissom, aka Johnny Gruesome. With his tall, thin frame and long hair, De La Torre embodies the perfect look of a black clothed, rebellious high school teenager with an attitude. The makeup application on De La Torre as Johnny continues to further rot after rising from the grave is expertly done by Craig Lindberg, giving Johnny an appearance that reminded me of a more twisted illustration from the Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark books. Everything about the character works and I give a lot of credit to De La Torre. 

       Another standout performance is Byron Brown II as Eric, the conflicted friend who was unwillingly swept up in the cover up of Johnny's death. He works his way through the film constantly bothered by the death of his friend and we can see he is struggling to do the right thing. Brown does a great job showing how uncomfortable and ashamed he is being involved in what happened and as the story unfolds he gains the sympathy of the viewer. 

       While seeking his revenge, Johnny shows no mercy on those who killed him or wronged him. He successfully earns his nickname of Gruesome as he brutally kills his fellow classmates in bloody and violent ways, the best of which involves a popular jock and a basketball hoop. 

       There may not be many scary moments in Johnny Gruesome, but it's a quickly paced and fun supernatural revenge flick that has a great soundtrack, excellent makeup and perfectly cast characters with personalities. With the DVD following in January, Johnny Gruesome hits VOD on October 16 and will make for a good night of Halloween movie watching.

Diane

Diane

       When a man finds the body of a dead singer in his backyard, he gets sucked into an investigation that assumes he is responsible. While insisting on his innocence, he quickly becomes infatuated with the singer. 

       Diane is largely a character study of a troubled man named Steve (Jason Alan Smith) who gets caught up in an incident that puts him in a bad situation. The camera often lingers on him as he works through what's going on or as he talks with law enforcement or the people in his neighborhood. As an often misunderstood and injured vet who lives alone, Steve's outlook on life has faded. He has very little joy in his life and this is reflected in the washed out look of the film. 

       Diane seems to haunt Steve as he often falls asleep and has bizarre dreams about being in a relationship with her. He admits to the police that, even as a corpse, she is the most beautiful woman he's ever seen. Or perhaps it is Steve who haunts the memory of Diane? The film cuts back and forth between Steve's life as he deals with the ongoing investigation and bizarre visions/dreams that show himself and Diane in a relationship. These dreams present themselves sometimes as memories, further muddying the waters as to what, if any, Steven's relationship to Diane really was. 

       Jason Alan Smith is perfect for the role of Steve. He has a stony gaze and a sharp, angled face that makes it seem like he could be hiding something. But at the same time he has boyish, trustworthy eyes. His facial characteristics and bad leg, (which causes him to walk with a cane), make Steve a hard character to figure out; one you root for and are cautious of. While we feel for Steve, he's also a hard character to like. He's a well conceived character that adds depth to the already intriguing story.

       The film creates a wonderfully eerie and engrossing mystery about a broken, lonely man who finds a connection with a dead woman whom he did not know. Carlee Avers as Diane is perfectly cast and serves as the catalyst for the film. Without her being extremely likeable, Steven's connection, (borderline obsession), with her wouldn't feel genuine or believable. With her limited screen time, Anvers is compelling and as charming as ever. The viewer, along with Steven, easily falls in love with her as he has his visions of Diane being alive. 

       Unfortunately the film falters in its final act. After a strong set up and such care given to a back and forth mystery about what happened to Diane and who killed her, the film seemingly painted itself into a corner. The revealing of the truth feels less than satisfying after the screenplay sets up a story that could have led to multiple outcomes; some that could have been supernatural, some that could have been psychological, and some that could have been detective driven. What the film ends up offering feels flat and deflates the power, intrigue, and romance of what came before it. Because of this anticlimactic final act, I can't say Diane is worth watching, and that's a shame because the beginning, middle, and acting was so good.