Tag Archives: Madd at the Movies

Nightmares Film Festival

Serious Baggage

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The Curse of Tahu’a

Screens at 4pm Friday, October 16 at Nightmares Film Festival.

by Hope Madden

Thanks to a script full of surprises and one very committed performance, Benjamin Busnel’s The Curse of Tahu’a provides gripping, unpredictable thrills.

Moea (Marie Kauffmann) works in an air traffic control tower on a small Pacific island. The little airport is closing due to a massive incoming tropical storm, but before Moea can lock up, she gets a distress signal. A tiny plane that should not have been allowed to take off from a neighboring island is now in danger and the pilot needs Moea to help her land.

Kauffman gets two opportunities—two scenes—to act alongside other flesh-and-blood performers. The rest of the film’s 90 minutes, she spends alone in that glassed-in tower talking on the radio or a phone. That’s a tall order for an actor, but Kauffman impresses.

Moea is not your standard heroine, and neither Kauffmann nor Busnel go out of their way to warm you to her. She’s unpleasant, disliked, a bit harried, and deeply damaged, all of which Kauffmann—thanks in large part to a clever script light on exposition—conveys authentically.

Scripting with Myriam Dupuis, Busnel leads you to believe that you know where things are going early with the distressed airplane, but then he zigs when you expect a zag and suddenly things get supernatural.

It’s again mainly due to Kauffmann that the turn works without feeling silly. She navigates a script that upends one common trope or genre cliché after another to deliver a tense nightmare.

This is efficiency in filmmaking: barely more than a single set, barely more than one face on the screen, streamlined storytelling, effective sound and set design, and anxiety that increases with the storm. Busnel’s feature debut announces him as a filmmaker worth seeking out.

Nightmares Film Festival

Don’t Answer

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Death Came Knocking

Screens at 3pm on Sunday, October 18 at Nightmares Film Festival.

by Hope Madden

A slow build, a single location, and 16mm camerawork combine to craft an intense, uncomfortable throwback horror in writer/director Eric Yoder’s Death Came Knocking.

The film opens with hard drinking, tough talking Aunt Carolyn (Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2’s Caroline Williams) stopping by her sister’s old house to pick up the car. The LA house is being demolished in favor of a new mall, and while cousins Julie (Jacqueline Barone) and Aaron (Mario Silva) pack up, Aunt Carolyn will drive the car cross country to her sister’s new home.

It’s an organic way to deliver backstory, and then we’re alone with the two young adults who do a little packing and a bit of dancing while they snap Polaroids and smoke indoors (because it’s the 1970s, and that happened then).

Then the doorbell rings. Aaron wisely sends the man at the door away, but Julie lets him in because women in 1970s movies always do the dumbest things. But Yoder makes the most of his aesthetic, drawing clear comparisons to the Savage Cinema of American 1970s independent horror, most explicitly, Wes Craven’s Last House on the Left.

Slowly, Yoder tightens tensions as the film moves from a horror of manners toward a home invasion flick. First, it’s Daniel (Rey Marz), then his pregnant wife Marlene (Bix Krieger), and soon enough, Daniel opens his case, and we meet Jasper, the ventriloquist dummy.

And nobody wants that.

Marz delivers an expert performance, aw-shucks good guy one minute, amused sadist the next. The period aesthetic and practical effects help the film overcome some plotting and pacing issues, and the unapologetic violence certainly shocks, but also feels fitting in a film so entirely influenced by Seventies horror.

Shudder Premiere

More Trick than Treat

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Hallowarrior

by Hope Madden

It’s hard not to root for Milly Shapiro to survive a horror movie. In writer/director Ben Sottak’s Hallowarrior, we see Shapiro as desperately lonely teen Pumpkin. Pumpkin’s been alone—truly alone—for four Halloweens now, since some kind of plague swept through and claimed everybody else, as far as she can tell.

So, this Halloween was going to be her last. She put out decorations, lit candles, watched the old home movie where she carved pumpkins with her family, and prepared. But then, a noise on the front porch. And suddenly, Pumpkin’s wish for a family comes true.

It’s a Halloween miracle!

Pumpkin may not have seen as many post-apocalyptic movies as some of us, which would explain a lot. Royce (AJ Bowen) only contains his hostility when he notices the piece Milly’s packing. Thalia (Shannyn Sossamon) seems more nurturing and understanding but angry young Wendy (Ajani Russell) wants to shake some sense into Pumpkin.

And these three are the nice ones.

Sossamon is particularly effective, languidly menacing and just convincing enough as a maternal figure to convince a lonely kid.

Shapiro succeeds as that lonesome, naïve Pumpkin. Her innocence is frustrating but never forced. Pumpkin’s awkward, needy chemistry with Wendy likewise carries an authenticity that helps the film overcome some of its shortcomings in pacing.

Once “Wax and the boys” come calling, Hallowarrior should be hitting its groove, but we get so little in the way of character or story development, the film doesn’t develop the kind of dread it could. Though the stakes are as high as they could be, you don’t feel it.

Still, each of the new guests is creepy in their own way and there are a couple of impressive (and one incomprehensible) kills.

We’ve seen the end of the world from a lot of perspectives. Pumpkin’s is different, and thanks in large part to Shapiro’s performance, Hallowarrior is a fine addition to the end of times canon.

Outtakes

Villain Diaries: Marsten House

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New Listing!

Welcome to the Marsten House. This historic home atop Pabsquitty Hill overlooks the charming New England hamlet of Jerusalem’s Lot. A notable presence that watches over the town like a benevolent king, this auspicious property has fascinated residents for generations! Its colorful history is as vivid and storied as that of Jerusalem’s Lot itself.

Plus, ample cellar space to store antiques, sideboards…whatever you like!

And what a lovely town for sketching, antiquing, and getting to know your neighbors! A picturesque lake near the property is cozy, and the surrounding woods are ideal for late night nature walks. You never know who you’ll meet on those twilight hikes! 

A monument to history, the Marsten House has loomed over the town for decades, holding the essence of Jerusalem’s Lot in its very bones. And in its stone foundations, in its wooden beams, in the glass of its windows, the plaster of its ceiling, the Marsten House cries out for new ownership.

There’s a kind of character the Marsden property attracts. Colorful. Memorable. You?

Contact Crockett Realty (under new management!) with inquiries.

*By Hope Madden. Voiceover by Riley Wolfington. Audio production by George Wolf. Art by Michael Anthony Carroll.

Disclaimer: Villain Diaries is a non-commercial work of fan fiction and parody. All characters, names, and elements from the film belong to their respective copyright and trademark holders. I don’t own them and I’m not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by the creators, studios, or rights holders. This piece is an original creative commentary inspired by their work. It is shared for free, for entertainment and critical purposes, and earns me no money. If you’re a rights holder and have concerns, please contact me at maddwolf95@gmail.com and I’ll respond promptly.

Nightmares Film Festival

Life’s Only Gettin’ Greater

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Flytrapper

Screens 2pm Saturday, October 17 at Nightmares Film Festival.

by Hope Madden

Forty-five seconds into director Drew Britton’s Flytrapper and I was hooked. Co-writer/co-star Georgia Lee King cuts the most fascinating figure as Crystal, a psychopath who is defiantly, delightfully, dorkishly certain of herself.

Crystal’s days of marauding and cutting sick rap beats are interrupted by an unannounced visit from her BFF, Melonie (Leah Piescinski).

Britton’s approach is naturalistic. Nothing feels staged, takes linger, and a very lived-in relationship emerges between the two leads. But this is not your average scary movie. Flytrapper is like if Ken Loach made Napoleon Dynamite as a grisly, female led horror.

The humor is so natural and delightful that the sudden bursts of violence really startle. King’s performance is ferocious and funny with surprising depth and vulnerability. Piescinski’s quiet turn never steals the spotlight, but offers something authentic and tender. The pair’s chemistry and delivery are the secrets to the levity.

You never feel as if Flytrapper is mocking these two characters in the way that other films centered on social misfits sometimes do. King and Piescinski understand Crystal and Malonie so well that, while you can never predict where the story is leading, the surprises land as natural—albeit misguided—choices they would make.

The movie looks great, too. Set in a small, lakeside town with no air conditioning in a sweaty summer, Flytrapper immerses you in an environment that suits its tale. You feel dropped into a town where most shops are still cash only, where WIFI is hard to come by and the surveillance state is still miles and miles away.

It’s a gorgeous, low-fi environment where friendship, murder, and musical creativity flourish. But Britton does lean into absurdity now and again with gloriously weird dream sequences.

It’s an odd combination, but it works wonderfully to deliver a genuinely unique cinematic experience.

Outtakes

Villain Diaries: Candyman

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Daniel, 151

Artist at Cabrini Green

Lives in Chicago

Less than a mile away

Dreaming | Painting | Sweets | Beekeeping 

Sweets to the sweet! Lover of street art, whispers in the classroom, writing on the walls seeking …you. It was always you. Be my match. The pain, I can assure you, will be exquisite. Our names will be written on a thousand walls. 

They will say that I have shed innocent blood. What’s blood for if not for shedding? I came for you. Come with me and be immortal.

Allow me at least a kiss. Just one exquisite kiss.

*by Hope Madden. Art by Michael Anthony Carroll.

Disclaimer: Villain Diaries is a non-commercial work of fan fiction and parody. All characters, names, and elements from the film belong to their respective copyright and trademark holders. I don’t own them and I’m not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by the creators, studios, or rights holders. This piece is an original creative commentary inspired by their work. It is shared for free, for entertainment and critical purposes, and earns me no money. If you’re a rights holder and have concerns, please contact me at maddwolf95@gmail.com and I’ll respond promptly.

Outtakes

Villain Diaries: Mayor Vaughn

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Welcome, my fellow Amityvillains! 

No…er..not villains..vill-e-yuns. Amity-villites. 

Fellow citizens of Amity, welcome to another beautiful Fourth of July weekend! As you know, we in Amity have made our name through friendship, and this weekend gives us another chance to meet many new friends who will come to spend those summer dollars and enjoy our wonderful beaches! 

Yes…about the beaches…I’m happy to report that under my supervision, we have caught and killed a fish that was apparently annoying some swimmers. Now, the Chief and his rich friend with city hands have both assured me that there will be no more trouble of that sort, and this will be one of the best holiday weekends Amity has ever had! 

So remember, for safe beaches and attention getting sportcoats, Vote Vaughn! 

Now go swimming!

*by George Wolf. Video starring Ralph Scott in partnership with Mills James Productions. Art by Michael Anthony Carroll.

Disclaimer: Villain Diaries is a non-commercial work of fan fiction and parody. All characters, names, and elements from the film belong to their respective copyright and trademark holders. I don’t own them and I’m not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by the creators, studios, or rights holders. This piece is an original creative commentary inspired by their work. It is shared for free, for entertainment and critical purposes, and earns me no money. If you’re a rights holder and have concerns, please contact me at maddwolf95@gmail.com and I’ll respond promptly.

Outtakes

Villain Diaries: Operations

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To: All

Fr: Operations

Re: Spring Rite

It’s that time again. You can feel the electricity—excitement, worry—and that’s normal. It keeps us sharp. Teams all over the world—Japan, Sweden, Brazil—are feeling that same electric current today. But for us, worry is overrated. We have the talent, the skill and the precision. We are the failsafe because our outcomes are near perfect.

So, who will it be this time? The majestic unicorn? Demon ballerina? Zombified pain worshipping backwoods idiots? Merman? It doesn’t really matter, does it? So long as the sacrifices are young and they make the choice for themselves. 

That’s where you come in: Chem’s well placed neurotoxin, the Harbinger’s old school warning, the perfectly timed cave in. If we do our jobs, the sacrifices will choose their doom, and one by one, the ritual will be fulfilled.  

It’s a big day, and one worth celebrating. We work hard all year long for this. So, get your bets in, have fun, and remember: What we’re doing is important. There is nothing more important.

We offer this work in humility for the blessed peace of their eternal slumber, as it ever was.

*by Hope Madden. Voiceover and audio production by George Wolf. Art by Michael Anthony Carroll.

Disclaimer: Villain Diaries is a non-commercial work of fan fiction and parody. All characters, names, and elements from the film belong to their respective copyright and trademark holders. I don’t own them and I’m not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by the creators, studios, or rights holders. This piece is an original creative commentary inspired by their work. It is shared for free, for entertainment and critical purposes, and earns me no money. If you’re a rights holder and have concerns, please contact me at maddwolf95@gmail.com and I’ll respond promptly.

New In Theaters

The Great Pretender

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Other Mommy

by Hope Madden

A great deal goes unspoken in Other Mommy, a horror film informed by the complex idea that it’s what breaks your heart that makes you human.

Jessica Chastain is Aurora Martin, mommy to 7-year-old Bela (Arabella Olivia Clark). Chastain is also Other Mommy, a mommy-shaped entity who wants Bela’s permission to become human.

If a lot of this sounds familiar—a child, unhappiness in the house, an imaginary friend who’s less imaginary than demonic—credit director Rob Savage and writers Nathan Elston and Josh Malerman for complicating the tale with fairly realistic (if unreasonably wealthy) human damage.

And, of course, Chastain for being game for some serious freakiness.

Jay Duplass keeps things grounded in tenderness as Daddo, the one reminder that humans can be wonderful. A strong supporting cast includes Karen Allen, Sean Kaufman, and Arian Moayed, but Savage’s investment in Clark to keep us engrossed pays off.

She reminds you of a very young Mckenna Grace. Her soulful attention and authentic performance create real tension. The youngster carries a lot of this film and manages beautifully.

Other Mommy spins a cautionary tale about tricksters, letting the wrong person into your heart, people who aren’t as they seem, and the generational damage done by less-than-ideal parents.

Like a lot of imaginary friend horror films, Other Mommy writes itself into a bind it can’t entirely escape. But the cast mines the script for a backstory they wear in their gestures and behaviors, and Savage throws enough random insanity at you that things never feel predictable.

It’s not an uncontested win, but Other Mommy delivers creepiness that picks a particular scab.  

Fright Club

Fright Club: Killer Furniture

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Cursed objects, carnivorous appliances, or just ugly furniture in the wrong place at the wrong time, sometimes that living room set is killer. On a special Fright Club recorded live at the Blue Couch Bookshop, Hope reads a bit from her novels Roost and Killer Pictures, signs some copies, and then she joins George to count down the best killer furniture in horror.

5. Killer Sofa (2018)

A lot of movies about flesh hungry furniture are bad. Writer/director/kiwi Bernie Rao’s Killer Sofa is bad, often charmingly so, but inescapably bad. Plus, it’s a recliner, not a sofa.

A very mediocre dancer (Piimoi Mei) arouses the dybbuk living in her newly salvaged recliner. It kills a lot of people.

The absurd humor is often delightful, and at about an hour and 15 minutes, the film ends before it wears out its welcome.

4. Battle Heater (1989)

Jôji Iida tosses the chaos of punk rock, a DIY spirit, and Japanes mores in a blender and the resulting slurry is this tale of a salvaged space heater hungry for human flesh.

What is going on in this apartment building? Insanity waits cheerfully in every flat and, as the weather turns colder, there’s even more carnage than usual.

3. Oculus (2013)

Mike Flanagan’s 2014 new effort follows a pair of siblings looking to prove that their childhood family horror was actually the fault of a cursed mirror.

Flanagan braids present day events and flashbacks effectively, not just to illustrate the ghastly deeds of the siblings’ youth, but to emphasize the growing madness of the brother and sister as they revisit the scene of the crime and set about proving their theory.

Flanagan has some real skill weaving the rational world with one full of madness, and he knows when to rely on FX and when to be craftier with his scares. 

2. Hausu

If Takashi Miike’s Happiness of the Katakuris were to marry Pee-wee’s Playhouse, this would be their offspring.

A spoof of sorts, Hausu tells the story of six uniform-clad high school girls named Gorgeous, Fantasy, Sweet, Melody, Kung Fu, and Mac. The nomenclature alone should clue you in on the film’s lunacy. The giggling sextet spend spring break at an aunt’s spooky house – or, in fact, a cheaply made set of an aunt’s spooky house. Not a single thing that follows makes sense, nor is it really meant to.

Expect puppets, random musical sequences, remarkably bad backdrops, slapstick humor, and an amazingly sunny disposition given the sheer volume of human dismemberment. Humans are attacked by a piano, mattress, mirror, and grandfather clock, among other unnaturally sinister furniture.

1. The Coffee Table (2022)

A remarkably well written script fleshed out by a stunning ensemble becomes utter torture as you want so badly for some other outcome. Co-writer/director Caye Casas ties threads, builds anxiety, plunges the depths of “what’s the worst that could happen?” and leaves you shaken.

David Pareja and Estefania de los Santos craft indelible, believable, beautifully flawed characters so convincing that their experience becomes painful for you. Casas salts the wounds with dark comedy, but the tenderness and tragedy collaborate toward something far more crushingly human.