The Witch (2016) Review

Written by Stu Cooper

As human beings we constantly live in a state of paranoia and wonder when it comes to God and mysterious things that lie deep in the woods. What can't be explained is often accounted for by some belief in God or paranormal force. But what if there was more to it than that? What if man found a way to bond with nature in the unholiest of ways? That's the kind of fear that The Witch prays upon and that is what makes it a unique horror experience.

The Witch was Written and Directed by Robert Eggers. The film stars Ralph Inneson as excommunicated Puritan William as he struggles to keep his family on the right path a midst a series of unfortunate events taking place in the 17th century. William is accompanied by his wife Katherine (Kate Dickie) and his four children consisting of the Cinderella-like teenager Thomasin (Anya Taylor-Joy), Caleb (Harvey Scrimshaw), along with twins Mercy (Ellie Grainger) and Jonas (Lucas Dawson). The film also features a non-human character by the name of Black Phillip, who is a black goat. I guess dogs weren't quite the usual pet just yet. After a positive reaction at Sundance and Toronto film festivals, A24 and DirectTV teamed up to get the distribution rights, deciding to release the film nationally in theaters. The film hit theaters February 19th, 2016 and grossed over 16.7 million at the box office. With a budget of only 3.5 million, the critics and audiences seem to agree that The Witch is something special.

It's the early 1600's and a family appears in front of a tribunal of some-sort. Their colony of Puritans decides that the family is not fit for their community and that they must leave immediately. The father William seems confident that God is on his side and that his family will be guided to a better life. Reluctantly the oldest child Thomasin follows her father into the wilderness. Once the family establishes a camp, they begin building a place to live. First they build houses and stables, followed by the planting of crops. The family even begins raising chickens and goats.

Unfortunately for the family, they are seemingly cursed. One by one things begin to go awry. After the family fails to grow healthy crops or raise healthy animals, they begin to question their favor with the lord. The father continues to be the most strong willed one when it comes to faith. He constantly reassures the son Caleb that they will go to heaven. He even speaks to Caleb about the idea of babies going to hell. As the family continues living on the outskirts, they experience multiple visits from some kind of creature. The creature takes residence inside the deepest, darkest parts of the woods. It's there that the family will discover some of the most disturbing things in the film. Things only continue to spiral downwards leading to people disappearing, possession, and death.

One word I would use to perfectly describe The Witch would be "macabre". It is a slow burning tale of horror that creates suspense through paranoia and a sense of foreboding rather than CGI effects or POV camera scares. I think the film brings back a lost art form in regards to the horror genre. The genre has been overly saturated by CGI ghost movies for the past decade and it desperately needs original eerie films like this one. While the plot of witches and black magic are nothing new, it's the execution that makes the film so strong. The cinematography aides the story by highlighting with creepy long nature shots, exposing the dark lifeless landscapes inhabited by the family. The atmosphere of the film is damp and murky, which sets the tone for the experiences the family endures. The subject matter serves a great historical fiction analysis of religious and spiritual hysteria and the damage it can do. You have many family members in the film who demonstrate extreme and frightening beliefs. That also poses the question of what is more dangerous, the black magic power in the woods or the ones who believe in it? A true horror experience gets into your head, and poses questions like these. It's been too long since theaters were able to engage in a film this dark. It's a far cry from the yearly Paranormal Activity or James Wan Ghost movie. If you can handle a slow crawling tone riddled with bone chilling imagery, then this is a film you'll enjoy.

As a testament to the style this film brings on screen, cinematographer Jarin Blaschke used natural lighting for the entire film. The natural lighting gives the film it's gloomy nature tone and really makes it stand out. The interior shots are often lit by nothing more than candle light. I think this decision was smart because it enabled me to easily get lost in the early 1600's. I found myself completely motionless, staring at the screen without a doubt that I was watching life in the 17th century. That's a rare feeling to stumble upon in a film, and it's the best kind of feeling. A good film always taps into that part of your brain and makes you get lost in the world on screen. If a filmmaker can accomplish this in a horror film it's even better because then the audience member is surprised or scared by the things they see on screen. That is why the imagery in this film holds up and feels so strong.

The highlight of the film was Ralph Inneson as the father. His deep voice definitely adds to the eerie nature of his character. It also helps that the film is historically accurate in terms of speech and atmosphere. The characters speak in a dialect that serves the time period, and adds to the mythos of the characters. When you hear Inneson deliver a prayer in Old English tongues, it sends chills down the spine. Another sign that this film knows how to tap into terror of another form. The constant state of paranoia that the characters operate under is another sense of tension in the film. You have people pointing fingers, constantly accusing each other of committing sin in thought. It brings to light a form of terror that is ancient, but still relevant. One could easily compare this blind faith fear to current day political situations, especially in an election year. It all comes down to wondering if the devil is whispering in people's ears. Besides the stand out performance from Inneson, you have to give props to Anya Taylor-Joy as the oldest daughter Thomasin. She is essentially the focus of the film and given her limited acting experience, I was very impressed. She conveys a sense of fear and isolation throughout the film that is very believable. She also has a puritan blond beauty to her, that makes her appear to be one of the most innocent characters in the film. She is also one of the only characters who seems to be level headed. She is often trying to get her family to snap out of whatever faith driven state of anxiety they are in. Joy does a fine job in the role, and given the reaction the film has garnered so far, I have no doubts she has a future in horror.

The Witch was shot in a mere 25 days, which I found to be an astounding feat. It is a testament to the devotion of the Director and especially the cinematographer. The cinematographer had to constantly work around the weather in order to keep the film in natural light. Not only does The Witch feel like a solid macabre horror film, but it's a true achievement in horror. If anything it can serve as inspiration for future filmmakers to create original scripts on low budgets and take them to festivals.

Overall the film is quite enjoyable. It is certainly on the slow side and I wouldn't recommend diving into it if you're about to crash for the evening. If you have an open mind or a fascination with witches, you will find this film interesting. If you already have a knowledge of Puritan life, then you may find the film disturbing on a totally different level. Patience is required for viewing, but since it only clocks in at 100 minutes, it will come to an end just as it starts to peak. It is not quite as intense as something like Lords of Salem, but it makes a lot more sense.

31 Days of Monster Mania: Day 21: BEETLEJUICE

Written by Stu Cooper

We are breaking into the final 10 entries in Monster mania, and before we know it Halloween will be over. Let's all give one collective sigh right now. Have no fear tho, you are in good hands. Today I am talking about one of the most iconic horror films of all-time. This film came out of the mind of Tim Burton and into the hearts of pretty much every human being who has seen it. This film launched Michael Keaton into mainstream success and led to him playing Batman. Today's entry is all about the ghost with the most, "BEETLEJUICE"!

"Beetlejuice" came out in March 1988. The film was a critical and financial success across the board. The film had a 15 million dollar budget and made over 70 million in the box office. The film was Directed by Tim Burton and it absolutely shows. The music is also provided by Danny Elfman. With those two teaming up, you can't fail. "Beetlejuice" stars Michael Keaton as a bio-exorcist dead guy who tricks newly dead souls into requesting his help. He is somewhat like an evil genie. Adam (Alec Baldwin) and Barbara (Gina Davis) are two townspeople who recently died in an accident, and are still inhabiting their home. New residents move into the house and the couple decides to seek out the help of Beetlejuice (Keaton).

The couple of Adam and Barbara are what you would consider the modern middle class happy couple. They seem to live in a very small town where everyone knows your name, and they own some type of local store. They live in a absolutely beautiful home on top of this hill. The home is shaped very bizarrely, almost warped. Part of that Tim Burton style charm you will see throughout the film. The couple die when their car goes off a bridge. Not realizing they are dead the couple head back to their home and after a series of tests, they come to realize they are no longer alive. Upon realizing this Adam actually finds a book called "Guide to the Recently Deceased" which supposedly tells them all they need to know. The book is overly complicated and the couple gets very confused about where to go from there. They then meet their undead counselor, and she tells them NOT to contact Beetlejuice, and to scare the residents out of the house.

Adam and Barbara attempt to scare the new residents out of the house, but they quickly realize the people cannot actually see them. With one exception, the daughter. The incredibly dark depressed daughter is played by the classic Winona Ryder. She plays Lydia Deetz. She for whatever reason can actually see the ghosts, and later on she can see Beetlejuice. Her depressive dark side must be so powerful that it actually attracts the dead. That's quite bizarre, but you will have no issues rolling with it. Lydia immediately finds Adam and Barbara endearing and cooler than her actual parents. Lydia agrees to help the two ghosts find a way to scare off the new residents. After some failed attempts the couple gives in and calls upon Beetlejuice. What ensues after this point in the film is pure madness. Michael Keaton's opening monologues as Beetlejuice are some of the most unforgettable lines in movie history. I can't tell you how many times I've quoted some of the things Beetlejuice says. Beetlejuice immediately seems creepy and perverted, but hilarious. The couple seem to immediately regret calling him for help. They see him do some pretty gross stuff but they have no choice. They inform him of the current situation and he offers his help.

The new couple inhabiting the house is played by Catherine O'Hara and Jeffrey Jones, two memorable 80's comedy actors. They would be accompanied throughout the film by their fashion and poltergeist guru friend Otho played by Glenn Shadix. The three of them together absolutely personify greed and 80's yuppie lifestyle. You find them very easy to hate, and it's easy to root for Beetlejuice. Beetlejuice wrecks a dinner party via dance routine, chases them in the form of a snake, and even puts on a little horror show for them. While mostly petrified, the couple actually find a way to spin this into a chance to make money, and they propose building the town on the fact that there are ghosts everywhere.

After Lydia sees what happens and the couple fails at their attempts to scare off the new residents, all hope seems to be lost. At this point the yuppie couple begins shopping out the town to various potential investors, and at one point they have over several guests to perform a summoning of sorts. Otho reads the book for the recently deceased and decides to give this undead thing a shot. He performs a spell that causes Adam and Barbara to resurrect in physical form. Unfortunately for them it's zombie physical form and their bodies are decaying. The couple and Otho show they actually have a heart and immediately regret doing this, but it's too late, the spell can't be stopped. Lydia is forced to call upon Beetlejuice for help, on one condition. She must marry him. She quickly agrees to save her friends lives, and Beetlejuice returns to action. Beetlejuice quickly disposes of the guests, two of which I'm pretty sure he kills. He makes the awful art work of the mother come alive and take the couple hostage. At this point a wedding is being performed. Adam and Barbara appear to be going back to their normal selves but aren't able to stop Beetlejuice. It seems that Beetlejuice has won until Barbara storms into the room on a sandworm and essentially knocks Beetlejuice back into the dead world.

After the insane events that take place, the yuppie couple agrees to live in harmony with Adam and Barbara. Lydia adopts them as a second set of parents, and celebrates by communicating with the dead some more. It's a really bizarre film, but somehow it works. The film has an incredibly unique look and the acting is so spot on, you don't question it for a second. Michael Keaton as Beetlejuice is one of the best film performances in history. You don't think about it being him at all, and the lines are so good you believe in him. The little nods or dances that Keaton does while in character are even good. The dance Beetlejuice does into the zombie brothel is one of my favorite parts. It's truly a classic film full of great one liners, insane dream like sets, and a unique concept. The film also had great make-up effects, so much so that it actually won the film an Academy Award for Best Make-up! Also a side note to indicate how lovable this film is, the actor who played Otho sadly passed away in 2010, but at his funeral he actually requested that they play "Day-O" from his famous Beetlejuice scene. Talk about one last tribute! That had to be a moving experience.

The film would see so much success that it would even spawn a cartoon and several toy lines. There was also a video game for the NES (Nintendo Entertainment System) but it was horrible, so I wouldn't recommend it. The cartoon was a bit different than the film and the character's perverted side was obviously toned down. Beetlejuice actually uses curse words at one point in the film, so i'm surprised the reception for the cartoon was so positive. Different times, different rules I guess!

Overall the film itself is an absolute gem in every way possible. You have one of those mysterious winning combinations that really stands the test of time. I've watched this movie countless times and I always laugh. The attention to detail in the film is great, especially in the waiting room scenes. You get to see all sorts of people who died of different things, stuck in their form of death. You have a guy smoking cigarettes who is all burnt up, you have a guy who works in the file room because he is flat as paper, and you have the couples legal council who has a slit throat where smoke comes out when she inhales. It's all so brilliant and fun. It really makes you think of this whole universe of the undead where everything is goofy. I can't recommend this film enough, it's a Halloween home run!

Monster Mania Day 19: Bordello of Blood

Written by Stu Cooper

Day 19 in the Monster Mania review-a-thon is once again about "Tales From The Crypt"! The series returned to the cinema again in "Bordello of Blood". The film was the second in a planned trilogy. Unfortunately due to poor box office reception the third film was straight to dvd and had little to do with the universe. "Bordello of Blood" was heavy on the comedy and was not nearly as scary as "Demon Knight". I think that was the cause for the poor box office numbers and the bad reviews. I myself find this film quite enjoyable and a solid entry in the Cryptkeeper's book of tales. Let's dive into this film and talk about why it's worthy of Monster Mania!

"Bordello of Blood" starred Dennis Miller, Angie Everhart, Corey Feldman and Erika Eleniak. The film was released in August 1996 and made about 5.5 million total gross in theaters. The film was once again independent from the comics, but still an entry into the cryptkeeper's universe. The story was written by Bob Gale with some contribution by series creator William Gaines.

"Bordello of Blood" is a vampire movie at it's core. The film tells the story of an ancient vampire prostitute by the name of Lilith. This "Lilith" is a reference to the mother of all vampires. A scumbag version of Indiana Jones known as Vincent travels to the jungle with his associates in search of Lilith. Once he finds her tomb, he takes a key full of blood (the same one from Demon Knight) and pours it on Lilith's dead skeleton. This causes the skeleton to regenerate, and it attacks all of the migrant workers that got conned into helping Vincent. After she eats a few guys she regenerates her entire figure, which happens to be an extremely hot red headed woman. Vincent uses the key to keep her under control. She is deathly afraid of the key. This sticks with the demon theme established in "Demon Knight".

We are then introduced to Catherine and Caleb Verdoux, two local residents who are brother and sister. Caleb is a rebellious punk rocker type played by Corey Feldman. Caleb heads out to the local hole in the wall bar with some of his friends. While getting drunk and acting like total morons, the group is confronted by a skiddish biker who tells them there is a local brothel that the boys should checkout. Caleb and one other friend are the only ones interested in going. The two of them head out to the brothel, and it turns out the location is a funeral parlor. The boys knock on the door and are welcomed in by a igor-esque mortician. The mortician is a servant of Lilith's who lures them into the brothel. The boys are confronted with an army of beautiful lustful women and they see many other local gentlemen engaging the women. The two of them break off with women of their choosing only to be confronted by Lilith. Lilith then exposes her true intentions when she begins eating the boys alive! She LITERALLY eats one of their hearts out. It's quite a disturbing visual moment. For whatever reason she decides to keep Caleb alive, and he becomes a vampire minion of hers. I have to admit the brothel cover is quite clever and would totally work. Men get stupid when surrounded by beautiful women, and there are a lot of horny men out there. That's a lot of meals.

After her brother goes missing Catherine decides to approach the police. The police don't offer her much help so she enlists the aid of a goofy private detective named Rafe Guttman. Rafe is incredibly sarcastic, witty, and curious about the unknown. He offers to help Catherine track down her brother and that's where the real story begins. Rafe follows a trail of bread crumbs around the town which leads him to the brothel.

Meanwhile Catherine goes to work at a church. This is where we meet Reverend Current. Current is a corrupt self righteous televangelist and Catherine is his assistant. He cuts really cheesy sermons and often performs music while having giant lasers shot out around him. He is about as hammy as it gets. The thing that makes Current so great is the casting. He is played by horror icon Chris Sarandon who played Jerry Dandridge in the original "Fright Night". You find yourself rooting for his character despite him being a horrible human being. As the film progresses we find out that Reverend Current is so corrupt that he is even involved in Lilith and Vincent's plan. The Reverend craves more exposure, which is exactly what he would get if he confronted and dealt with the world's first vampire.

Rafe invades the brothel and barely escapes with his life. He goes to warn Catherine and the two of them team up. Meanwhile Lilith manipulates Vincent into destroying the key, which now makes Lilith immortal. Rafe and Catherine are eventually confronted by the vampire version of Caleb. He attacks Rafe and Catherine, and captures Catherine.

Rafe is caught by the police and locked up. Shortly after Reverend Current helps out Rafe and seeks forgiveness for being selfish. He vows to help Rafe defeat the vampires and repents for his wrongdoings. The two of them fill up squirt guns with holy water and lead an assault on the brothel. What happens beyond that point is an absolute bloodbath set to "Ballroom Blitz". It's a really fun scene in a fun film. After battling the army of vampire prostitutes Rafe and Current are confronted by Lilith. I don't want to spoil of the ending of the film, it is a gory bloodbath with a sprinkle of fun.

"Bordello of Blood" is the epitome of cheesy horror. The film is incredibly goofy and gory. You get to see some pretty twisted stuff that exists in a rather silly universe. Dennis Miller delivers most of his lines as if it's stand up, but you don't really care because he is battling hot vampires and Corey Feldman. Let's also not forget that Feldman played The Frog Brother in "The Lost Boys" so there is a bit of irony in his role. Angie Everhart as Lilith is truly unforgettable. She has no acting experience, and she doesn't need much, but what lines she does have are delivered well. She oozes sex appeal and is incredibly intimidating. You really get the vibe that she is a mature woman who has seen and done a lot of things. Most red blooded males would fall for her tricks, so that makes her a pretty scary villain in my eyes. The scares themselves are few and far between. The scare factor is mostly gore related. "Demon Knight" had a very dark subplot and a dark vibe, where as "Bordello of Blood" is almost like a Simpson's Treehouse of Horror tale. The tone of the film is borderline slapstick. Despite it's change in tone, I loved the movie. I'm actually sad that it performed badly because a third entry in theaters would have been nice. If you're a fan of "Tales from The Crypt" and horror comedies, this would be a great choice.

Film Enimga: 31 Days of Monster Mania: Day 16: Ultimate Spider-man: Web Warriors Halloween Special

Written by Stu Cooper

Last year I covered the Ultimate Spider-man Halloween special which ended up being incredibly entertaining. Last year Spider-man had a run-in with a werewolf,Frankenstein, and Dracula! It will be hard to top that. This year's special is called "Halloween at the Museum" and apparently features an animated version of a Disney show called "Jessie". I don't keep up with modern children's shows other than a few cartoons, so I have no idea who these people are. It really feels like those old Scooby Doo specials where they have a random celebrity appearance like the classic Batman or Harlem Globetrotters. These kids are not quite as cool. Although immediately I notice one of the kids in the group is in a Doctor Octopus costume, which gave me a brief smile.

The special starts with Jessie and her group touring a local museum late at night. The group accidentally messes with an archaic sword and it activates some kind of ghostly spirit. The spirit collides with Spider-man, and the opening credits hit! Definitely feeling like a scooby doo episode. Messing with the sword ends up waking up a witch who thanks the group for their help, then immediately threatens to destroy and conquer them all. Spider-man quickly subdues the witch and doesn't take her seriously. She gets free of her webbed restraints and proceeds to go psychotic. She casts a spell that causes parts of the museum to come alive!

For some reason this museum is full of the most nightmarish exhibits imaginable starting with a giant worm that attacks Spider-man and Jessie. Also There's one kid in Jessie's group who seems to be a gigantic Indian stereotype. He makes mention that in his homeland, they have cobras instead of worms. Cause he's Indian...get it? Pretty low-brow stuff. The next monster they encounter is a gigantic Jack'O Lantern demon who I'm assuming is the Ghost of Sleepy Hollow. Also a bit unusual that any museum would have a Sleep Hollow exhibit, but I went with it. Later Spider-man beats up some cave men who kidnap Jessie, then he immediately has to fight living dinosaur bones. It seems to be a "Best of" random Scooby Doo-esque villains.

After running the museum gauntlet Spider-man, Jessie, and friends are confronted by the evil witch again. The witch remains confident she'll conquer the world despite the fact that Spider-man just whooped all of her monsters. The witch demonstrates her power by summoning a gigantic dragon to attack the group. While Spider-man fights off the dragon, Jessie uses the special sword to battle the witch. Jessie throws down a bunch of one liners and whips out some Sailor Moon fighting moves, tho she is not a super hero. Despite Jessie's fighting skills the witch shrugs Jessie off and vows to black out the sky, and turn the world into a modern Camelot. After befriending the indian boy, the dragon decides to turn against the witch and distracts her while Jessie puts the sword back into the magical spot. This imprisons the witch once again. Basically teaching the lesson that you should never...ever touch the museum exhibits.

The special goes by rather quickly and is only 30 minutes compared to last year's one hour special. This special felt pretty generic and definitely aimed at a younger audience. Not much to take from this special, and no legendary villains or monsters to be impressed by. I would say this is a sad excuse for a Halloween special and you'd be better off seeking out the "Spider-man and Friends" Dracula episode or last year's special. If you're a fan of the Disney show Jessie, you may feel differently. The special mainly focused on her and since I've only seen that show in passing, I had little frame of reference for it. It seemed pretty lowbrow and dumb, but then again this is a children's show. Give it a shot if you see it on a Saturday afternoon.

Monster Mania Day 2: Lovely Molly

Written by Stu Cooper

For Day 2 I decided to continue the theme of underrated horror films with "Lovely Molly". "Lovely Molly" was a paranormal horror film released in 2011 directly to DVD. The film was available on redbox for a short time and is now streaming on Netflix, which is where I discovered the film. The story follows a young newlywed named Molly, played by the beautiful Gretchen Lodge and her husband as they move into her parent's old house. Molly's husband is a truck driver and has to leave a lot, so the film primarily follows Molly as she stays in the house alone. Soon after moving into the house Molly begins experiencing some very eerie disturbances. It starts off small with noises and whispers but escalates into violence eventually. We also see a first person perspective throughout the film provided by the couple's handheld camera. The viewer does not know who is operating the camera until the end of the film, so there is another layer of creepiness added on. The catch to all of this is that Molly is a recovering heroin addict and she relapses. So you are left wondering if all of these paranormal experiences are real or just hallucinations caused by her addiction. This is an idea that was later used in the Evil Dead remake. I can't help but wonder if the writer of that film was a fan of this one.

"Lovely Molly" is a slow disturbing paranormal thriller and it's a great watch if you are home alone and want to scare the hell out of yourself. I wouldn't recommend it for a date night movie because it is a pretty heavy handed film that features tones of rape,incest,drug use, and some pretty graphic violence. Unless of course your partner is already pretty open minded, then it works! The film portrays the slow descent of a woman into lunacy. Losing my mind has always been a big fear of mine so perhaps that's why I felt so disturbed by the film. Another scary thing to note is that the guy who played Molly's husband, Johnny Lewis, actually went insane in real life after this film. He killed his landlord, her cat, and then himself last year. He was also featured on Sons of Anarchy, One Missed Call, The O.C. and several other films. It's always extra eerie when an actor dies after filming something that involves demons/ghosts (The Exorcist, Poltergeist). Overall the film accomplishes exactly what it sets out to do, make you uncomfortable and creeped out. The film also introduces a new element to the tired paranormal genre. It leaves you feeling paranoid and it also has several interpretations. I think even Peter Venkman would have trouble sleeping after watching this movie.

Monster Mania Day 1: Pontypool

Written by Stu Cooper

Day 1 of my 31 Days of Monster Mania features one of my favorite underrated horror films entitled "PONTYPOOL". The film was released in 2008 and really went under the radar. I didn't actually discover the film until 2010. Most of my friends and family have not heard of the film when I mention it, but every time I've shown the film to someone they usually find it creepy or intriguing. It's actually based on a novel written by Tony Burgess which I haven't had the chance to read, but according to the reviews I've seen the film is actually superior (which is a rarity). The plot of the film revolves around a disc jockey by the name of Grant Mazzy (what a name) played by Stephen McHattie, who works in a small dim cold town called Pontypool located in Ontario. Over the course of one day Mazzy experiences a series of strange occurrences. I can't get into too much detail about these occurrence because they are critical to the surprises in the film but I can tell you that it is absolutely chilling. The entire film basically takes place inside of a radio station and we hear about the events unfolding outside of the station through a series of phone calls from witnesses. The concepts in the film open a new can of worms in terms of what we define as "horror". Gore is traded in for psychology and it pays off.

Grant Mazzy has a voice that is incredibly crisp and attractive to the ear, so it's no problem that he is the focus of the film, and that we never really leave his surroundings. This is a film that takes a simple idea and makes it mind-blowing. You will find yourself re-watching the film to pick up on smaller details. The film is a truly compelling horror entry and it takes an approach we haven't really seen before. It has a very warped weirdness that reminded me of a Cronenberg film. I was left with hair standing up on my arm and chills going down my spine. That is a feeling that is hard to come by the older and more jaded I get. I can't recommend this film enough. It's currently streaming on Netflix and it's about 5 bucks to buy on dvd, so no excuses for missing this one! If you are like me you will find yourself forming theories and explanations in your head for hours after viewing the film. If you watch it you'll have to comment with your theory of what the truth in the film is!

31 Days of MONSTER MANIA!

Written by Stu Cooper

(Image by Chris Fischer)

Today is October 1st and that means the road to Halloween begins now! I have loved and cherished Halloween ever since I was a young child. I've always found horror films to be more fascinating than other types of films, especially the horror gems of the 70's and 80's, and of course the Universal monster movies. Since I have so much love for this holiday and the spirit that comes with it, I've decided to do 31 blog entries in 31 days. Not just any type of blog entry tho, 31 days of...MONSTER MANIA! That's right folks 31 days full of horror movie reviews, horror game reviews, horror comic reviews, and of course some weird gems thrown in to get you in the mood for monsters! So check back right here at Film Enigma everyday this month for a new entry in the countdown. Readers beware...you're in for a scare!

Mother's Day Review

Written by Stuart Cooper

Mother’s Day (2012)

Starring Rebecca De Mornay,Jaime King,Deborah Ann Woll,Shawn Ashmore,Kandyse Mcclure

There is nothing more unique and special than the relationship between a mother and her children. The film “Mother’s Day” takes this idea to the extreme. I’m going to review the 2012 version of the film, but keep in mind it is a remake of a 1980 Troma film written by Charles Kaufman. I have not seen the original, but from most critics and fans I’ve talked to, the new version is considered far superior. I will watch the original at some point and let you guys know! The film is loosely based on a real life incident referred to as the “Wichita Massacre” where a group of home owners and their guest were sexually abused and killed in a home invasion. Now this real life incident took place in 2000, 20 years after the original film, but from what I understand the new version of the film borrowed a few details from this case. After reading the details of the case I did notice quite a few similarities but it is a rather depressing news story to read, so I would not advise researching the topic unless you want to be depressed. The actual film was completed in 2009 but due to various distribution problems the film just now saw a complete release. “Mother’s Day” stars Rebecca De Mornay (Risky Business, The Hand That Rocks The Cradle) as the mother, remake scream queen Jaime King, True Blood’s Deborah Ann Woll, Shawn Ashmore (X-men trilogy, Frozen), Battlestar Galactica’s Kandyse Mcclure, and quite a few new faces. The story revolves around a deranged mother who raises stolen babies and turns them into heartless criminals. The family loses touch with each other and had a back-up plan in case anything went wrong, unfortunately that plan is to meet at their old home, which is now owned by a young couple. The couple is throwing a party at their new home when the children arrive and are just as surprised as the guests. The criminals immediately begin holding the guests hostage and that is where the nightmare begins.

The film really pulls no punches when it comes to brutality. As with most home invasion films (Last house on the Left, I Spit on Your Grave) the viewer is subjected to various acts of torture, sexual abuse, and twisted humor. The family consists of 3 brothers, 1 sister, and the mother who clearly heads the operation. One of the brothers was critically injured in a robbery earlier in the evening and thankfully for him one of the guests is a doctor who is of course forced to help the dying brother. There is an older brother who is the more reserved and logical one of the group, then there is a younger brother who appears to have undiagnosed A.D.D. and probably a few other mental disorders. The younger brother is really the one the guests have to worry about, he is very eager to fire his weapon and create chaos. The film is definitely one of those “what would you do” situations where the audience will find themselves yelling at the screen giving the guests advice on how to escape and survive. The main plot point comes when the mother of the family finally arrives at the house and informs everyone that there were several packages that had been shipped to that address over the past couple months and these packages contained money, and they simply wanted their money. The couple that moved into the house swears that they had never received any kind of package addressed to the family, let alone any amount of money. The mother does not believe the homeowners and the torture games begin. Rebecca De Mornay absolutely nails the psychotic mother role and brings a whole new level of creepiness to the film. The character she portrays is deceivingly sympathetic towards the house guests, but don’t let it fool you because she proves herself to be a true monster by the end of the film. The mother spouts off lots of motherly advice and even helps prepare a chocolate cake for the guests to snack on, while at the same time subjecting them to horrific physical and psychological torture. I believe the casting for the mother role was perfect and she definitely becomes the strongest character on screen, rightfully so. The True Blood alumnus Deborah Ann Woll plays the daughter in the family and she is actually fairly apprehensive about their actions compared to the rest of the family. She seems to be the only member of the family that feels like what they are doing is actually wrong. This angle is explored quite a bit in the film and makes for interesting tension between her and the members of the house. The final character I’ll comment on is Beth, played by Jaime King. Jaime King is casted in almost every horror remake, so I was not shocked to see her appear in this film as a central character. This character I actually did not care for because of the direction the character ends up going in the film. She of course makes many stupid decisions as with most scream queen characters, but when you get to the end of the film I’m sure you will find yourself disliking her as much as I did. Get used to this actress because she will be appearing in yet another horror remake when “Silent Night Deadly Night” comes out later this year.

The film itself actually looks great. There are several cuts that will cause you to jump. The story also takes place during the middle of a giant storm that is so bad that most of the town is actually evacuated to shelters, thus explaining the lack of police and neighbors interfering in the story. This makes for a rather eerie feeling evening full of killers stalking the characters in the rain, which is almost a staple of horror films at this point. The soundtrack is also rather good. One of my favorite groups “The Heartless Bastards” has a great track on the score that is definitely worth a listen.

Overall “Mother’s Day” is a pretty memorable home invasion flick that will most likely stick with you at least for a few hours. Rebecca De Mornay really shines as the mother and I am actually more inclined to follow her career after watching it, just to see what else she is capable of. The film keeps a solid level of intensity throughout the entire film and really comes to a peak in the climax of the film when several important details are revealed. I definitely recommend checking this one out and it is actually rather cheap at Wal-Mart right now, so I’d even recommend a blind buy. It’s only 10 dollars on DVD and 15 on Blu-ray and I’d say it’s worth every penny. The film is also available at RedBox. If anything you could at least have a movie to watch every year on Mother’s Day, and it will certainly make you appreciate the positives…and negatives of having a family.