Realm of Souls (2013)

Posted on June 29, 2016 by Emilie Black

A group of filmmakers go ghost hunting at a site reputed for sightings and paranormal phenomena. Once on the site, they take a quick tour and set up before finding cameras and equipment from a previous group. What they find on the recordings is disturbing and also a warning.

Written and directed by Chase Smith, Realm of Souls is a mix of found footage and traditional footage with a touch of night vision and false damage on the found footage. The story is typical of the found footage ghost story/demon sub-genre in horror. It goes in the expected ways: Team goes in woods, investigates, films, disappears, second team finds their work. The writing and directing here are decent but the story feels a lot like “been there, done that”, especially for anyone who watches a lot of horror movies.

The characters or people (as we are supposed to think of them as real people, and not actors playing parts) here are fairly run of the mill for the sub-genre with the added touch they are filmmakers so the found footage is halfway decent, shot in a more stable camera style (thankfully), and with decent focus. There are a few original twists and turns, but most were a bit predictable still. The dialogue needs to be notes here as it does come off mostly natural and not forced or grating as in many found footage films recently.

The cast is composed of some of Chase Smith’s regulars and new faces. Most of them are not going to be familiar to most viewers, which is something absolutely necessary for found footage films to work as a famous face can throw the viewers out of the story and the experience. Once again, Smith works with a big cast here, making it harder for anyone to stand out unless they are absolutely magnificent or completely dreadful. Neither happens here, however no one being really bad is a good thing as so much rests on the cast in this type of films.

The special effects are decent for what can be seen in the found footage and night vision scenes. None of it will revolutionize effects or the genre, but what is there fits with the movie and looks nicely bloody. Added effects that this reviewer could have done without were the fake damage on some of the footage and the blue screens between some of the scenes. The former was an annoyance while the latter just takes the viewer right out of the film while wondering why this is happening. This breaks any kind of tension there might have been and kills the mood of the film far too often. These do not add anything really to the film and distract way too much from the story.

The idea of filmmakers going to tramping grounds to film paranormal phenomena is interesting but the way it’s exploited here makes it lose most interest as the pace of the film is beyond slow, spending far too much time on its too numerous characters instead of the actual creepy and scary parts of the story. The film takes a very long time to get going and but the time it truly does, it’s too little too late and not enough time is spent on building dread and fear to make the reveals any kind of impactful.

Realm of Souls is a well shot but wasted with found footage effects, such as night vision and fake damage, which will most likely only appeal to hard core fans of the sub-genre. The casual viewer and those not into this style will most like be quite bored by the proceedings.

Realm of Souls was produced by Spirit World Films.

Intruder (2016)

Posted on June 27, 2016 by Emilie Black

Elizabeth is a talented cellist living in Portland, trying to make a career-making decision. During a huge storm, an intruder finds his way into her apartment and watches her go through life as normal. As time goes by, his stalking progresses from mild to worse.

Written and directed by Travis Z (Travis Zariwny), Intruder is a well-crafted thriller that plays on the idea of someone being on one’s apartment without their knowledge, stalking them, watching them, eating their food, moving things around. No matter how creative the kills in a slasher or how creative a monster, a realistic situation (well mostly realistic) of something that could actually happen to anyone, that could have been ripped from the headlines, is much scarier and much harder to pull off. The characters feel like real people and speak in a manner that could be someone the viewers know.

Granted, the lead is not someone most people encounter every day (an orchestra cellist) but she is written in a way that makes her believable and makes the viewer care for her. The rest of the characters are good as well, bringing more reality to the story by grounding it in people that could really exist. Most of this story rests on ambiance and on lead character Elizabeth’s shoulders so Louise Linton’s performance is crucial. Thankfully, Linton is quite good, showing the viewer’s nuanced emotions as she goes through life not knowing someone else is in her apartment. Once things start changing, she adjusts accordingly. The Intruder also does very well, giving off a creepy vibe while staying hidden most of the film. For the sake of not spoiling the film, the performer’s name is not going to be given away here.

No one in the cast here stick out like a sore thumb, there are no grating performances or bad ones which is definitely a good thing and a sign of great casting and good directing. As effects/blood are basically non-existent in “Intruder,” the one big important aspect here is the music as it adds to story like special effects do to horror. Having an orchestra cellist as a lead character, there had to be a few scenes of her playing. As someone rather unfamiliar with the instrument, it’s hard to tell if Louise Linton is playing, pretending really well, or just terrible at it, but what can be said is that it sounds very good when it should. The rest of the score adds to the creepy scenes by supporting and adding to the uneasy feeling of watching someone watch someone else without their knowledge.

Intruder is a creepy film with good performances and its music is beautiful. For anyone who’s ever felt like they’ve been watched or stalked, this one will bring back fears and make its effect much stronger. For those who have not, the way this is shot may give you a better understanding of those fears by caring for Elizabeth and what happens to her. This film is effective and works on many levels. For people who tend to stop watching a movie once the credits roll, do yourselves a favor and keep this one going as it has a mid-credit sequence and a post credit scene which are the real ending to this story and bring the whole of the film together. “Intruder” is entertaining and creepy, definitely worth a watch in a dark room, possibly alone to make its ambiance work even better.

The Last Heist (2016)

Posted on June 22, 2016 by Emilie Black

As a bank is closing and its clients are emptying their security boxes, a few stragglers are left in the bank when a group of robbers attacks the bank looking for a very particular security box. Meanwhile, unbeknownst to them all, one of the clients starts picking the group off one by one.

The Last Heist was written by Guy Stevenson whose previous credits are mostly comedies and cartoons making this thriller a departure from his usual work. The writing here is decent and fairly by the book for this type of movie, however, it feels like two different stories (bank robbery and serial killer) put together which makes it harder to keep everything going on working well. That being said, the proceedings are fairly entertaining even though the killer’s presence is given away quickly, soon followed up by their identity. It must be noted that the dialogue is good and feels realistic for most of the characters.

This script was directed by Mike Mendez whose style gets a bit lost here as he excels at bloody, crazy goodness which this movie has plenty of but yet still does not feel like a Mendez movie. Here he gathers all the elements in one mostly cohesive story with plenty blood (practical effects and unfortunately CGI) and a big group of actors of variable talent levels. The pace of the film is good, giving each group of characters their time of screen, helping bring all the elements that could have become two films together while giving them the time they need to develop.

The cast is big and varied, with only a few ladies but they do get some screen time and are not just there to be cute or to be rescued. Of course, with a cast this big, standouts will happen for good and bad reasons. The main standout here is Henry Rollins who always has a strong presence on screen. Here is a good but not the best he’s been. He seems to give a variation of his character in He Never Died with extra touches of crazy added for good measure.

The other two stand-outs are so for much different reasons. Torrance Coombs as Paul, the lead robber, shows talent and leadership while also showing some restraint when needed. On the opposite side of this is Kristina Klebe who usually gives strong performances but here, her character comes off as grating as she tries to look extra tough, like a badass bitch but just ends up coming off like she is trying too hard. Sadly, a lot of the rest of the cast feels under used, such as Nick Principe who would have been more interesting in a part with a bit more meat on its bones and not just as the hired muscle when those who have seen his work know he can do more than this.

Supporting these are the effects which are uneven in quality. CGI blood is almost never good and visibly fake, unless a scene is very darkly lit or the blood is very scarce. The blood here is no different, which can be an annoyance. The practical effects on the other hand look very good and properly gooey. Also, the eyes in jars do look a bit funny, but disembodied eyes usually do.

The film has its issues but is an easy watch and fairly entertaining. It creates a cat and mouse story within a heist story with hostages that are not so helpless. Some of it, like the ending, becomes a bit much, but Rollins and Coombs presences along with an interesting story with plenty twists and a good pace make it worth checking out.

Hank Boyd Is Dead (2015)

Posted on June 15, 2016 by Emilie Black

Accused murdered Hank Boyd has died and his mother wants him remembered with a funeral and gathering at the family home. Sarah is hired to work this gathering for the local catering company. As the hours pass, the Boyd family grows stranger and stranger and Sarah must fight for her life.

Written and directed by Sean Melia for whom this is a first full length feature film, the story seems simple at first: A child murderer has died in a small town and his family is trying to keep a minimum of respect for him at his funeral. However, as more and more is discovered about the Boyd family, the more twisted the story becomes. It isn’t only about Sarah’s survival among this family but also about how crazy can one family really be. The story is fairly well written and unfolds at a good pace, never losing the viewer’s attention but also not exactly feeling like it’s doing anything new with the crazy family aspect.

The acting is decent from the leads and supporting cast. Standouts are Carole Monferdini as the aging and slowly losing it clan matriarch, Beverly Boyd, who alternates between sweet old lady and crazy violent bitch. Her performance is nuanced with a touch of bat shit insane. The other standout if Stefanie E. Frame as Sarah Walsh, the outsider who becomes captive and fights for her life. She shows a range of emotions from boredom to stunned surprise to desperation which adds to the viewers’ care for her character.

Hank Boyd Is Dead is a violent film but there is no gore and very little blood, the horror here is more psychological in nature. Yes, there is violence, but what is meant to shock is the story, the characters’ backgrounds, and the family dynamics, not the physical damage made to others (except in a couple of scenes). That being said, it is a violent film with some disturbing aspects, however for a more jaded audience, it’s not quite enough to have much of an effect.

The film has good performances in general, a fairly good story, decent dialogue, but nothing is really shocking or new. At 76 minutes, it’s a fairly short feature which allows it to not overstay its welcome. The twists are interesting but will be predictable to some. Nonetheless, the film is entertaining while not breaking any new ground in the crazy family with major issues horrific drama sub-genre.

Baskin (2015)

Posted on June 15, 2016 by Emilie Black

Five cops go on a very late night call to the middle of nowhere. On their way, their hit something on the road and crash close to the source of the call, as they head into the property, things take a turn for the very weird. Baskin is based on the short of the same name and is written by Ogul Can Eren, Can Evrenol, Cem Ozuduru, and Ercin Sadikoglu.

The way they built the film with dreams and flashbacks leads to a story that could have been muddled but isn’t as it works with them and integrates them well. Of course, this leads to a story that is not entirely linear and may not be everyone’s cup of tea. The direction by Can Evrenol demonstrates talent with only a few scenes showing that this is his first feature and that his directorial experience is not wide and varied yet. Most of the writers and the director are newer to completely new to making films, yet this shows only very, very scarcely, which is a testament to their pool of talent.

The cast here is also fairly new to the business with two standout performance by Gorken Kasal as Arda, the lead amongst a good group of actors playing cops going on an ill-fated call. Kasal gives a layered performance of a character with a childhood that is still affecting him, while trying to be the best cop he can be, he also shows a good emotional range. Also worth noting is newbie Mehmet Cerrahoglu as Baba, The Father, the cult leader Arda and the cops encounter. Kasal and Cerrahoglu play well against each other. Many scenes in “Baskin” are trippy and visually very interesting, leading to sometimes packing a lot in a quick scene which serves to disorient as much as engage the viewer.

As the film advances, things go from weird to seriously messed up and the gore factor goes through the roof. Blood, guts, everything gets thrown around. The effects for these are of varying quality. For most of the film, the effects are great, done practically and looking quite realistic, especially once put in a darkly-lit, fast-moving scenes. However, a few of the effects, seen in better light and for longer periods, look a bit cheaper, of lesser quality which can break the tension of the scene they are in. Adding to the visuals and the effects is the music which works well here, helping sustain the suspense and raising up the creep factor by underlining the fear felt by the protagonists.

Baskin is a movie once should see as it shows what short film makers can do when expending on one of their shorts such as what happened with Turbo Kid (but much, much darker here). It’s a tense film with scenes to make almost anyone uncomfortable. The story starts off with an effective opening, then keeps things more or less almost creepy until it suddenly amps up the creep factor and then the gore becomes prevalent making for a suspenseful experience with some gross out moments. By the end of the film, more questions have been asked than answered, leaving the viewer to think a bit and come to their own conclusions.

ChicArt Short Films Round Up

Posted on June 15, 2016 by Emilie Black

Sometimes, a bunch of shorts fall in my lap and I gather them for review under a theme. Like the recent piece on the shorts by production company 2AM Burrito, this group came from one company, albeit a PR one: ChicArt.

The style of the shorts here is very different, so this is where the comparison ends. Without further ado, ChicArt repped shorts.

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