Deadtime (2012)

Sex, drugs, and murder

By: JWBM

The trailer for this film looks like a promising drama, murder-mystery with a music angle. One could surmise there'll be blood, surprises, some risque scenes, and, of course, attitude—it's a rock 'n' roll story after all. 

A group of English musicians—who look like they don't get along from the get-go—are brought to a large maze of a recording studio till the sparks fly and a groundbreaking album is produced. A slasher premise is hinted at; you know the drill: cell phone reception weak, something terrible happens, and so much is at stake that it becomes a stalemate till those still standing are forced to go into survival mode when a head-cocks-this-way-and-that killer is on the loose. Once the doors are locked behind, the viewer is soon treated to a nauseating soap-opera with back and forth bickering that's neither interesting, or entertaining. The movie then jumps into more tone changes than vegetable varieties at your local supermarket. The plate isn't always set with a smooth-blend, more like, "Hey, now we're a drama; a music video; faux documentary; the romance is on; tongue-in-cheek sarcastic; oh, horror movie, right." Nothing looks back; the momentum is always forward. Though one has to ask themselves, what audience is this tailored to? The only one with that in mind after the fact is the marketer of the trailer who realized the actual movie was all over the place. 

The filmmakers intentions may have been in the right place here, as this feels like something that may have worked on paper, or even as a graphic novel where the rough kinetics of it all would have tied in better. It's over the top, it's different, and attempts to be creative, though it's not a seamless experience. It's not "Demons" or "StageFright" with a purposeful "cheesy" formula going on, but with certain worked through scenes and tones that you can get behind. Instead it dances from one scene to the next, and then manages to fall flat on nearly every one of them. Its idea of exposition is to cut and paste. I mean, it jumps feet first into an escalating drama, then tries to backtrack its motivations related to it. But ultimately drops it to go into other avenues such as some steamy scenes, rock 'n' roll antics, someone getting chased or killed, or even some random offshoot of the dark arts. The villain is weakly motivated enough to feel more uncomfortable than terrifying when this person goes all crazy. 

I'm all for films with zany plots and various twists and turns, though this feels more like an overambitious film that tries desperately to fill space; while successful in doing just that, the scenes that transpire tend to come with a case of the hiccups that only get worse and worse. If it's any consolation, it looks like it was fun for those behind the scenes. I just can't recommend this film for the casual viewer as it's most likely going to be a frustrating experience. 

Rating: 2/10

Director: Tony Jopia

Actors: Laurence Saunders, Carl Coleman 

Info: IMDB link

Trailer: Youtube link

Playback (2012)

Home movies used to be a time of innocence

By: JWBM

This is a horror film that mixes a ghostly tale from the past with video technology of the present. Back in '94, a young man by the name of Harlan Diehl films himself going "Amityville Horror" on his family. Now in 2012, a group of pretty and privileged seniors are making a shoe-string budget horror film to re-enact the murders without actually knowing all that much about the inner details. Julian—the director—digs a little further into this hush-hush story that the town would rather forget, but eventually finds himself neck deep to escape the clutches of something more sinister.

The biggest issue with "Playback" is it's too caught up with little subplots and substanceless filler. The pacing is likened to an everyday high school drama-lite that attempts to evolve into a more serious horror film. The two tones feel separate enough that one could draw a distinguishable line between, rather than providing a smooth overlap that would lure one in. I can see the logic: to get to know the characters and to make a surreal situation feel real, though it also never attempts to make them interesting past what they look like on the outside.

This plays out more as a cut and dry, back and forth experience: one moment things are a fun and promising party, to the next attempting to play investigative journalist, to then actually concentrating on the horror. About two-thirds of the way through, when things should be coming to a heart-racing culmination, it starts to lose its bearings and has trouble gaining momentum. You're left to watch the creepy post-graduate guy drive around town in his kidnapper's looking van in a fit of self-loathing, while the hopeful main star simultaneously attempts to put the pieces together of the mystery surrounding the Diehl murders.

The coolest set-up this movie had going for it was the opening when the murders were taking place. The atmosphere was at an all time high with these nightmare-like first person shots and a scratchy effect layered in. You had no idea what was going on, though it grabbed you by the throat and didn't let go. Sure there's gore and violence sprinkled about, but it's not as effective as, say, building up to it to make the audience feel the impact. The horror formula that follows after feels muddled; your brain works more to connect the dots than to find a way to run and hide. Then there are other awkward side-plots such as the character of Frank Lyons—Christian Slater—being a random pervert who pays for tapes of girls of questionable age.

As many cliches and predictable moments as there are, this isn't an outright terrible film. What saves it in areas, is the acting is mostly natural, the dialogue has a certain smoothness to it, and the direction and editing while the individual scenes are played out have a certain flow. It's just not able to come together as a whole and overcome being an overall average horror experience due to a focus that is either here or there.

Rating: 5/10

Director: Michael A. Nickles (Do You Wanna Dance?; This Is Not a Film)
Actors: Johnny Pacar, Ambyr Childers, Toby Hemingway, Christian Slater
Info: IMDB link
Trailer: Youtube link

The Day After Trinity (documentary - 1981)

The sky was the limit

By: JWBM

Anyone who's seen imagery or heard stories from World War II wouldn't argue that it was anything less than primal, traumatic, gruesome, and life-changing for all involved. Each side—whether they were Axis or Allies—had goals in mind to come out on top. One could say this war was a technological and scientific race: from aeronautics, code breaking, chemical warfare, weaponry, to, here, bomb making. Decisions were often made higher up in the food chain and then carried out by those people handed down their orders to follow. Every attack at that point had a counter; what made the proposition of the atomic bomb different was it would have a total one-sided success rate. Once it was dropped, everyone on the opposing side should start saying their respective prayers.

In the beginning of the war, Albert Einstein proposed to the US government that German physicists were well on their way to developing the atomic bomb. US Major General Leslie Groves appointed Robert Oppenheimer—a highly respected American scientist—to lead teams towards beating Hitler and his physicists to the punch. This led to a remote area in New Mexico that would be not only secretive, but would also be used in case there was fallout if successful. Eventually all walks of the scientific elite came together and formed a community that would make it their set goal despite budget or having a social life outside of the complex. The sky was the limit—literally.

One of the most important points made in this documentary and one that some of the scientists grappled with once the smoke cleared, was what could a bomb of that size do on its own, and what would happen if it was dropped on living, breathing persons? All this manpower, time, and resources poured into this project, and more importantly all those young, countless soldiers' lives lost. Germany was out of the picture now, but Japan would not cease fire despite efforts to come to a deal made by then President Harry S. Truman. It was a decision not for the feint of heart, nor one without a compassionate heart. What took years to develop, now came to fruition and was being used before anyone could think twice about it. The impression was that the American people—who had friends and family involved with the war—could go back to their lives. Oppenheimer felt otherwise about something so quickly and massively destructive.

It's interesting to hear the thought processes that led up to the atomic bomb. Though being made in '81, this is a slower moving documentary than most nowadays might be accustomed to. A share of the people being interviewed are dry and slightly eccentric academics that speak freely and at their own pace. There are no rapid edits or gravitating music to sway the viewer. It takes on one word and point at a time without jumping around. Though, in that regard, one can be assured that these were the direct opinions and viewpoints of those involved. This mixes science and politics; something that looks like oil meeting water. The latter half of this documentary focuses on just that: Oppenheimer's rise and fall from both politics and science due to a series of complexities.

Director: Jon Else
Info: IMDB link
Trailer: Youtube link

White Light, Black Rain (HBO documentary - 2007)

How does one survive after the impossible?

By: JWBM

From the ordinary and mundane, to instant destruction and calamity— flames, death, and horrifying imagary to those still alive—these are the accounts of the fateful days in August 1945 when two atomic bombs were systematically dropped and detonated on the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan during the tail end of World War II.

One could argue using the bombs was a culmination of events leading up to it: from possible payback for Pearl Harbor, or even what the Japanese military did to Nanking, with senseless rape, destruction, and death tolls estimated to be 200,000. Though, without getting too political—if that's possible for a depiction of war—this HBO documentary hones in on the regular Joes and Janes of Japan and the US, then examines how it impacted them then and in the time since.

"Little Boy" and "Fat Man"—as the bombs were called—caused near obliteration. It was a miracle that anyone survived; many didn't leave in one piece: in body or mind. All that they knew at that time vanished in an instant, like a colony of oblivious ants devastated by a stick of TNT. Except these people had names, personalities, families, and lives to look forward to. The ones that moved on and lived a full life, despite the obstacles, were able to share their thoughts and how it affected them. Some describe it point blank, while others have trouble repeating the words that come with an inseparable feeling of trauma, or with permanent imprinted images in their heads. Many have extensive injuries, such as missing appendages, unexplainable medical issues, and deep scars. The amount of will power and endurance some of these survivors went through—and are still going through—during their recovery period is commendable.

"White Light, Black Rain" is clear, concise, and moving. It gives room to breathe over other documentaries that were held back by time constraints, available resources,  adequate budget, or a lack of focus. It sticks to a dedicated purpose to those who survived without attempting to take on other aspects that can't be changed or that would steer the tone into another direction. There are whys and hows talked about here, though its sights aren't on military history or to dissect blame. It's going for an intimate and compassionate look at these peoples' lives that were blessed enough to have another purpose after something so nightmarishly chaotic. My favorite interview was with Katsuji Yoshida of Nagasaki who goes on to talk about his mother's support and love, along with his gotta-move-on outlook, and ability to smile wide despite people's unfavorable looks and treatment. Others, due to plastic surgery, may look fine from the outside, but may be sole survivors from an extensive family, haven't been able to have children of their own, or seek constant treatment from something that has baffled doctors throughout the years since.

Some of the imagery and spoken descriptions are intense with detailing the aftermath. This isn't a feature to put on for a happy Saturday afternoon, though if you're looking for another perspective to these events at the end of World War II that comes with a message, then this does an excellent job at giving viewpoints with enough emotion to affect one for days.

Director: Steven Okazaki (Living on Tokyo Time; The Lisa Theory)
Info: IMDB link
Trailer: Youtube link

The Hunt for Nazi Scientists (PBS documentary - 2005)

Allies versus Axis: A race for technological advancement

By: JWBM

Towards the latter portion of World War II, technological advances were heating up to a boiling point. More clever and destructive means were being invented and employed to get an upper hand in the war. It was to the point of being a coin toss of who could have come out on top, or who would have been crushed savagely by boots below.

Jewish physicists—that fled from Germany to the United States—warned the American government that Nazi scientists were on the track to inventing the atomic bomb; considering they were the first to split the atom, along with to discover nuclear fission. The US didn't waste time and implemented their own action plan: "The Manhattan Project." A man by the name of Robert Furman was recruited to head a parallel mission to dismantle Hitler's nuclear program with the objective to halt head Nazi physicist Werner Heisenberg in his tracks.

Meanwhile, Germans were simultaneously attacking European targets with neighborhood-flattening self-guided missiles that were near impossible to stop once the course was plotted. It was unlike anything anyone has seen before, or knew how to react fast enough to handle. British intelligence assembled their own team—30 AU—to stop or capture German rocket engineers, including their leader: Werner Von Braun, a Major in the SS; along with Hellmuth Walter, inventor of advanced fighter planes that could put a spin on things to come. Once the dust settled after the war, there was controversy due to their expertise being too tempting not to exploit by the US and Russia.

This uses a combination of interviews with living persons of interest, archive footage, re-enactments, and voice over to tie it all together. There's a high quality and seamlessness to it. For the most part, it keeps a steady momentum by highlighting certain pivotal points. However, it acts more as an overview—you won't get an exact time line, or the means to show everything or everybody behind the scenes. By being a little longer, it could have benefited by showing Russian, Italian, and Japanese points of view. That's where a lengthy history book would end up filling in the gaps to the rest where this medium—PBS' "Secrets of the Dead"—might pose a challenge as a televised event. It seems more to loop you in to a specific window of history that was classified and secretive for decades after the war. I found myself engaged and captivated by all this technological advancement in such a short time; while other portions then showed the grave consequences those led to. It was a mixed time in history, where scientific advancement was at an all time high level, no doubt, though things nearly escalated to a point of no return.

Director: Mark Radice
Info: IMDB link
Trailer: Youtube link
PBS: Episode link

Night and Fog (documentary - 1956)

One of mankind's darkest chapters

By: JWBM

When one reflects on the rise of Nazism, it's commonly viewed as the extreme of one group of people deciding that other groups are inferior and must be experimented on or extinguished outright. It feels surreal to think it was taken to this level in the 1930s and '40s—a time when technology, sciences, and the arts were all flourishing and attempting to make us more enlightened human beings. While there were specific atrocities and nightmarish realities that led up to and were a cause to intervene with a second World War, this documentary is essentially a haunting reminder and remembrance of people and places. 

This French made film—released in 1956—opens the doors to concentration camps and what they were capable of with earlier archive shots, along with some present footage then. These were ruthless, uncompassionate machines that stripped identities, robbed all hope, and made those cast under its shadow have a sense of worth to that of compost. To me, this was one of the clearest indicators that the bubble we live in can pop at any time. We're all just a thin layer away from being exposed to the darker side of humanity if not checked. 

Reading excerpts and hearing testimonials is one aspect to get the message through as to what happened, though seeing the amount of frail, nearly lifeless people on the verge of death before your eyes is a harrowing experience in itself. What got me after a culmination of scenes, was where people died as mere skin and bones, and were then bulldozed into a ditch of sorts like a soon-to-be-forgotten waste of space and resources. It makes the mind race as to what those people would have become, and how another could so easily crush another if given free reign. 

This documentary is eye-opening and is known for providing the naked truth as to what happened in visuals and commentary. This would be a no frills work if it weren't for the steady background music and poetic tellings of these people and places. It can be harsh and relentless with the amount of suffering and travesty shown, though it's purposeful in its intent and would be a disservice if it held back. This piece isn't necessarily well-rounded as a reporting tool of the surrounding events: there are no interviews, spoken first hand accounts, or even variants in tone. Being only 32 minutes in length, it often gets to the point and moves on; occasionally jumping around and providing some unintentional overlap. There isn't necessarily hope or contrast here either, though, if history took a different turn, things may have been decades of further inhumanity. With that, the message is clear. 

Director: Alain Resnais

Info: IMDB link

Trailer: Youtube link

Candyman 3: Day of the Dead (1999)

Dia de los rubia

By: JWBM

Direct to video, without Clive Barker involved, and a move to Latin fused neighborhoods of Los Angeles with the Day of the Dead around the corner, what can one expect of the third installment of the Candyman franchise? Well, don't hold your breath.

The daughter of Annie Tarrant—Caroline—finds herself living alone in the heart of Boyle Heights L.A. She's an artist who has an upcoming gallery with original paintings that her grandfather—the Candyman himself—painted before his public execution for loving a woman not of his own race in a time when the white man had an all-time high track record for hate and prejudice. According to some of the L.A. detectives in this story, not much has changed. You guessed it, all this attention and the fact that no one listens and has to test the waters by reciting Candyman's name five times in front of a mirror calls him back in full hook-through-the-back fury. Soon, the towering man in a trench coat and a knack for a stadium-deep voice goes around saying mean-spirited and potentially incestuous things such as, "Be my victim" and "There's no reason to live." Might as well be a Valentine's Day poet for the lonely and depressed.

Literally, the only excitement this movie has going for it is of the sexually tantalizing kind. Or at least it wants to hope so. If it's any indicator, the lead was on "Baywatch" a year earlier and walks around with bountiful blonde hair, and in panties every other chance she gets. There was a point where Caroline came in on a family member in the tub with a slashed neck, and the filmmakers even had to show the attractive relative on display topless. I mean, that's not even a fair shake of your senses. I guess if you know your movie has zero credibility going for it, then you might as well go for gold. Yeah, yeah, hot people die and have murderers come after them—the '70s Spanish/Italian horror features were king of this—though this just doesn't have anything else of worth to show for itself. It then tries to get the gears going mid-way through with a kind of race-against-the-clock feature with weak attempts at romance thrown in, and a failed attempt to include the Mexican culture, including the celebration of Dia de los Muertos. This is a festive and interesting event in real life, though it seems out of place here.

It's a pain to see what the series has been reduced to. One could smell trouble before even throwing this one on. After seeing part three though, it makes you want to put on the first film to show how the story was once brilliant, full of mystery, and included a kind of unshakable and unrivaled atmosphere for a horror film in the '90s. This is nothing of the mentioned, and is not worth the time or investment.

Rating: 3/10

Director: Turi Meyer (Sleepstalker)
Actors: Tony Todd, Donna D'Errico, Jsu Garcia
Info: IMDB link
Trailer: Youtube link

Candyman: Farewell to the Flesh (1995)

Gumbo, honey, and a pinch of blood

By: JWBM

This is a series known for compounding general fears: from its blind-sided, hook-to-backside attacks; making the sight of an innocent ol' bee a deadly act in itself; and generating additional fear to those lost and dilapidated areas few ventured into before, but now are forced to endure them.

From Cabrini-Green in Chicago to the French Quarter in New Orleans, this film is more of an origin story to interweave past and present characters. Ethan Tarrant—who's father was viciously killed years earlier—is now the prime suspect when an author of the Candyman stories ends up as a gory decoration on the floor of the men's room in a seedy Louisiana bar. His sister, Annie—a middle school teacher—makes a grave mistake by calling upon Candyman in front of her whole class in order to relieve tensions with one of her so called "strange" students with a penchant for dark artwork. Soon, the boy ends up missing and Annie ends up scrambling to find him while also attempting to put the pieces together before any more people meet the end of a meat hook.

There are certain films that still hold up and become rewatchable again and again for particular reasons: whether that be something as simple, though alluring, as the setting the filmmakers put you in, or be it something as gravitating as the story and what transpires from scene to scene. The second installment was actually the first film I saw of the series back in the '90s when it came out on VHS. It seemed like a new concept that got stuck with me over the years. Then I saw the first film that started it all. "Farewell to the Flesh" has most of the same general aspects as the '92 film, along with a return of key players—from main villain, Tony Todd, to composer, Philip Glass—though as far as progressing the momentum forward, I feel like it made some steps backwards.

Instead of being a unique and different take on the slasher genre, this treats it like one of the pack: a by-the-numbers feature that's not terrible by any means, though not always adventurous either outside of its formulaic trappings. This doesn't seem to have the same flow as the first film that—while loose at points—was still an edge-of-your-seat affair that never lost its sense of mystery or terror. The difference is like being cornered against a wall with a lunatic hovering their finger just over the trigger of an AK-47. Whereas the second film is like being held up with a Walther PPK and an aim-this-way-that-way, unfocused attitude from the gunman. "Jaws" taught us that if you make it seem like your villain is anywhere and everywhere, your audience is always with you and searching. Instead, Candyman makes sudden appearances when it suddenly suits the occasionally disjointed plot. You could actually safely take a snack break and return to where you left off without skipping a beat; or, say, being capable of making the hair prematurely white.

The biggest shortcoming of "Farewell to the Flesh" is how it feels less ambiguous to the first—could it be all inside Helen's head, or the real deal?—and more towards a formula of a one-body-down-another-to-go, main-character-must-dodge-the-murder-weapon feature. It does go into different avenues: such as giving sympathy to its monster, having the main actress show some genuine emotion from time to time, and giving an attempt at some personality to the old and festive city of New Orleans with a flavor of its own. Though with all things considered, it never fully steps out of the shadow of the first film to be an equal or greater force.

Rating: 5.5/10

Director: Bill Condon (Sister, Sister; Murder 101)
Actors: Kelly Rowan, Tony Todd, William O'Leary
Info: IMDB link
Trailer: Youtube link

Candyman (1992)

Hook and honey: pain and pleasure coalesce

By: JWBM

This film was a dark and intense force when it was released in the early '90s. There are certainly dated attributes of the time going on here, though what separates it from your typical horror of a few years earlier in the '80s, is it's not doing them on purpose, or putting them in your face either. It's not a fun movie, or one you walk away with an invigorating feeling like others that were pure surface entertainment. Like some of Clive Barker's other stories turned films—such as the primal and evil-drenched "Hellraiser"—it's at the complete end of the spectrum of being sinister, violent, sadistic, and engrossing for all the wrong reasons of what we should be watching at the cinema. It's guaranteed you're going to see something that's going to challenge your senses for better or worse—that's for sure.

This is a simple tale of an urban legend. A go-for-glory graduate student: Helen—attempting to make a splash with her thesis—picks a local Chicago tale to stir up the past with a man with hook for a hand and a fondness for bees and murder. She finds herself in a housing project called Cabrini-Green that's outwardly stricken by neglect and inwardly full of graffiti, drugs, and broken dreams. Soon she gets more than she bargained for when she looks to be the prime suspect when a few people's insides end up as a crimson interior paint job gone wrong. Is it her blind and obsessive ambition to get her work to the masses, or the work of some other supernatural horror? The story is both tight and loose in that it can be calculated, and then in the next breath blurry and just out of grasp. In one instance, you'll feel the moment by moment, and then in the next feel a jarring disconnect to this nightmare of an experience. I feel this works for how ambiguous the plot is regarding this establishment that either uses an urban legend as a reasoning for their troubles and woes, or it's the real deal and it's as terrifying as it seems in both regards.

The setting in Chicago is as much a character as anyone else in the story. There are frequent aerial shots to show the bustling traffic and momentum, accompanied with Phillip Glass' organ, choir, and piano-centric score to give an ominous and haunting reminder as to what's to come. It's unlike any other horror music that's out there: both harmonious and hypnotic; minimalistic yet personable; it's everything this film needed to create this heavy-handed ambiance that you can't shake even after the credits. The film has this strange dreamlike atmosphere throughout: a surreal feeling where the air is lighter, shadows and sounds extend past their usual scientific scope, and the dreary possibilities are endless; like looking into a mirror of a mirror of a mirror that's each showing further happenings and events that are interconnected and just as weird and threatening as the next.

This has a heavy, oppressive tone, though it's also mixed with some every day realism. The difference between this and other urban legends is it acts more out in the open compared to your typical mysterious ghost-like figure in the shadows. It's capable of creating an apprehensive presence with one of the characters alone to the dark like any good horror tale, but also be equally unsettling with people around in broad light. It slowly creeps, no doubt, but it also pops out in a glorious feat of blood and gore to show you it's alive and ready for distasteful action. It's the contrast of being in an everyday setting such as a waiting room, or walking to a store, then suddenly finding yourself swimming against the current of a blood filled tidal wave that came crashing down in a place you once found comfortable and non-eventful. What you won't find here is compromise for any of your typical safety barriers.

Tony Todd—as the Candyman himself—pulls off one of the most memorable villains of the '90s with a display that breathes all that is dark and supernatural. His character has a graceful way of dishing out some of the worst pain and torment imaginable, while also being this strangely gravitating force sent from the deep realms of a bleak abyss that you can't wait till he emerges again. His voice has an unmistakable cadence to it that seems to surround you from all sides and pull you in like a predator that enjoys the hunt with a pleasurable chuckle and a smooth grin.

What's great about this film is when it goes for something you can count on it to have a slow build to get under your skin, then suddenly take it even further to make one jump out of their skin and flee with vulnerable terror. There's no higher meaning or purpose here, except cool and intriguing ideas refined to an expert degree. And, well, of course, to scare the living crap out of you. It has an unshakable, foreboding atmosphere that lingers with you after. You know it's not real, but the filmmakers made you think otherwise. That's real magic right there.

Rating: 8.5/10

Director: Bernard Rose (Paperhouse, Chicago Joe and the Showgirl)
Actors: Tony Todd, Virginia Madsen, Xander Berkeley
Info: IMDB link
Trailer: Youtube link

The Omen (TV pilot - 1995)

Scientifically evil

By: JWBM

Instead of being born to evil, or being just another relative to Damien Thorn, the premise of this short lived '90s TV pilot is going for a kind of "ER" meets "Outbreak" vibe, though with a sort of unexplainable possession angle to tie in the mediums. The tone is going for a cross between scientific and spiritual, with it being more of the former. An evil force is capable of traveling from person to person with mixed results: some inexplicably die, some live long enough to do some kind of malicious deed, and others fully embrace the force and turn into evil masterminds to carry out maximum chaos and carnage. A hard-nosed reporter who's wife mysteriously died years earlier, a professor of epidemiology, an all-knowing old man on the hunt, and a nurse recently in a coma find themselves with a commonality at a hospital in Boston that has a military secret about to be unleashed if not for some keen intervention.

Not all TV pilots are fully fleshed out. Like a potential date, they are essentially an overview of what's to come: it might not be love at first sight, though great things may come from it if you stick around from some initial characteristics that stand out. I feel like the filmmakers here gave it their best go for the material at hand. The story has a steady pace to it, the actors show some feeling behind their roles, and there's potential for more to come. The action at points felt a little rocky, such as a reporter going from do-what-it-takes-to-get-the-scoop, to John McClane responsive and being a pivotal force to stop dark entities from having their way. The biggest hang-up, though, is that this has little to do with "The Omen" franchise. It was a wild and fresh idea from anything before, no doubt, however it feels like it was also trying desperately to keep up with the times of what was happening in '95 with the medical and scientific approach over a more good versus evil one of the '70s when the first was released. Yet, it still felt more entertaining than the fourth in the series if that tells you anything.

Rating: 5/10

Director: Jack Sholder (The Hidden, A Nightmare on Elm Street 2)
Actors: Brett Cullen, William Sadler, Chelsea Field
Info: IMDB link
Trailer: Youtube link

The Omen Legacy (2001)

Tales of eerie coincidences and prophetic alignments

By: JWBM

Up to the point of this documentary, "The Omen" series—four films, and a stand-alone TV pilot—proved to be a mixed bag. Hands down, what catapulted the idea and cemented it into the minds of the general public as a dark force not to be reckoned with, was the first film, which—after four decades—still holds up to this day. The others came with their own moments to shine in the darkness, along with areas that should have remained in an unseen idea drawer.

The format of the documentary takes on each incarnation with a sort of scene by scene reshowing to recount the motivations, reasons, and the unexpected that came before, during, and after filming was a wrap. In some respects, it demystifies some of the movie-making magic, while other tid-bits seem to add more mystery to the overall dark aura of the franchise. Anything from Donner's technical input into Katherine Thorn's  infamous fall from the banister, to David Warner's almost superstitious aversion to seeing his character of Jennings decapitated through realistic looking means at that time. Some of the shots of the first film initially being released were interesting to see: how it could have been a huge success, or a flop to audiences at that time. This was back in a period when you were doing something new and daring and then having to create a market for that as well. Something the remake 30 years later didn't have to do. There's still some honesty from some of those interviewed, such as Lance Henriksen—who starred in the second film—going on to say that the producers were looking for anything out of the ordinary to use in their marketing campaign to upsell the films.

"The Omen Legacy" is more of a glossed over retelling than a deep analysis. It's much more for someone to get inspired to watch the films again, versus someone who has them fresh in their mind to then watch this after. You can see the enthusiasm and feel the aura surrounding the films, though if you're looking for something to knock your socks off after experiencing these films several times over, the content feels lighter than you'd expect for an hour and forty minute documentary.

Info: IMDB link

DVD extras include: trailers for films 1-4, plus a seven minute promotional of "Damien: Omen II." 

Omen IV: The Awakening (1991)

A spit in the eye to righteousness

By: JWBM

"For many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not confess the coming of Jesus Christ in the flesh. Such a one is the deceiver and the Antichrist." - 2 John 1:7

There are those, like myself, that wanted to see the series through. We clung to the edge of our seats with morbid fascination as the story of Damien Thorn unfolded: with those close enough by his side to feel the flames, or with those left to the cold trail on his path towards total superiority. What was thought to be a final chapter in the early '80s, spawned into a fourth part in '91 with a made for TV movie produced by Harvey Bernhard of the first three films.

Jumping right into it with a young and hopeful couple mysteriously unable to have kids, they head to local church to adopt what they think is God's little, innocent gift to their home. Soon enough, the wife, Karen, becomes suspicious that her little bundle of joy could be a basket of ruin when people inexplicably end up dead. Similar to the first and second film, the husband is connected in politics and begins to set the stage for their less-than-holy child, Delia, to possibly someday go from high chair to a throne of dark power.

"Omen IV" took the platform from the first and essentially attempted to do an updated version from the early '90s with a few different variations. Though instead of coming across as edgy, it's as if they forget to sharpen the knife. Cuts are eventually made, but it makes for a jagged, silverware-against-polished-porcelain noise that's cringing to the senses. On paper I'd imagine this looked to be another worthy addition to the franchise, however, played out, it doesn't have a flowing personality to it. Rather, it feels like a concocted persona imitating its parent: the result being a disjointed experience that's noticeably pieced together; like a collection of scenes, rather than a cohesive picture that flows as one unified experience.

What made the original film so great was that it was a simple story that played on moral fears, along with a dividing point of how far we would go to love and protect our child despite the implications or odds. What once was fresh and ferocious as an idea of having a little monster in your midst you'd never suspect, feels tired and lacking in imagination beyond the square box it made itself home to here. The film never makes you suspend your disbelief even for a second. It feels too comfortable—like a co-worker that's become complacent enough to shamelessly turn in shoddy work and shadow right behind everyone else.

There was a switch of directors at some point. If I had to guess, it was right up to the point they went to the psychic fair—you read that right. There's more overacting, and downright silly moments going on—wordless, cartoonish bulging eyes to boot—to lose the audience in one fell swoop. If Time were embodied, the rest of the experience can be summed up as about as exciting as crawling through a rose garden in the dark with a person just out of reach talking out of order. The score has tendency to feel intrusive to what's actually shown. It can make the overall tone conflicting and confusing: from more whimsical and magical than anything scary or dark. The most menacing or captivating music is that of Jerry Goldsmith's from previous films.

Few actors manage to captivate beyond their roles. Faye Grant comes with the most layers to her character of, Karen, and in areas gives a natural delivery that doesn't just feel like a warm body, or that she's just woodenly delivering her lines. But, even so, with the poor dialogue, direction, and editing, there's only so much even the most talented actor can pull off. Some things do line up and show some unpolished potential, though with all things considered, aren't enough to make up for it.

This isn't the worst film out there, but it does certainly have its hangups and pitfalls that make the experience tiresome, rather than exciting. It falls into shortcomings similar to the second film: in that the audience is well aware of the nature of the little devil, but constantly plays on everyone else being slow on the upkeep. Surprises start to dwindle, and eventually begin to feel like hopeless attempts to capture your attention. They play on resentment and frustration from no one seeing what they see. It could have been a pulse-pounding thriller with good and evil pitted against each other similar to "The Exorcist III" of the year before. Yet, they don't make it a sweating-at-the-palms experience, or even an engaging cat and mouse game. In almost every respect it feels like a gimmick and a lazy capitalization of the series in that regard.

Rating: 3.5/10

Director: Jorge Montesi, Dominique Othenin-Girard
Actors: Faye Grant, Michael Woods, Michael Lerner, Asia Vieira
Info: IMDB link
Trailer: Youtube link

Omen III: The Final Conflict (1981)

Seeing is bel... an early grave

By: JWBM

"Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves." - Matthew 7:15

This installment takes on a more mystical approach of how the prophecy is shaped: you have your secret holy league that each carries an ancient dagger of Meggido; astrologers are reporting strange alignments and phenomenon; faith is either questioned or strengthened by dividing and conquering by the great deceiver and his devout followers. Many have wondered over the last two millennia how the battle of battles will be fought. There are those for them, against them, or will be forced to endure the ordeal and make a decision. A recurrent theme in "The Omen" series is seeing is believing. To a good many, these are mere words on paper; here, few assume it will happen, or their time will be the One.

This is a world that's already been foretold: anything to interrupt or otherwise end that timeline has grave consequences—for the Antichrist is only getting fiercer and growing taller as the bodies pile at his feet. Instead of possessing an intimidating and obvious forked tongue and horns on his head, he's entrusted with respect and position, not to mention is gifted with charm, and always knows how to say the right thing at the right time to gain his way or influence. If you already didn't know, but suddenly find out, your fate will be sealed for you. Chances are those who stand their ground or aren't satisfied with turning a blind eye will get more instant pain and suffering than anyone. That's the duality of these films, in that they can work to scare either in an ingrained moral sense, or with foreboding action.

One of the strengths of this film—that the second missed—is that it moves with you. There is a certain intriguing and suspenseful, moment-by-moment aspect that you can get lost or affected by. It no doubt deals with similar subject matters and motifs, though the direction begins with the tone all over the place to generate some realism, to then gripping the reigns tighter and tighter, rather than just guiding loosely throughout and expecting the audience to follow along at the same pace. This sets mood with a sure foot. Some of the setups and situations are basic, but carry more weight as a result. There are some downright disturbing and chilling scenes, either from something as simple as Damien having a dark prayer with the Lord of the Underground, to seeing a head paint the back wall red to a group of unsuspecting people.

With any film that is heavy on aesthetics, you're going to get certain aspects swept along with everything else. The flow has to move in a general direction at times, with certain aspects highlighted and heightened to stand out. The holy group going after Damien, and certain other characters, come across as such: there to establish a purpose, but not necessarily come with memorable personality. The monks' strategy hardly puts one on the edge of their seat; one could look at it as either Damien is a greater force than any being on earth, or to illustrate the holy league's Top Dog is a force to come.

Sam Neill gives the part of Damien a certain presence and command. The role comes with the most dynamic, in how there's just the right tone, look, or phrase to smooth or dismantle the situation at a flash of the eyes. However, there are times that he also sounds a little bit stiff—being born in Ireland and growing up in New Zealand—with balancing the British and American accent with any bit of volume when the pacing of the film starts to heat up. The love angle with Damien was an interesting inclusion. It could have been a huge risk to the overall tone, or felt like it was thrown in. Though the way it's played—with a back and forth of, "Is this real?" or "Is this fake?," or a little bit of both—was brilliantly executed.

Some say there are certain subject matters that are in bad taste to bring up at the dinner table. In this case, the main themes of the film are a double-whammy with politics and religion. Though, deep at its core is a through and through horror movie with some memorable performances, thematic music, build-ups, plus a number of shocks and surprises to keep you on your toes.

Rating: 7.5/10

Director: Graham Baker
Actors: Sam Neill, Rossano Brazzi, Lisa Harrow
Info: IMDB link
Trailer: Youtube link

Damien: Omen II (1978)

Death by glare

By: JWBM

"Forces from him shall appear and profane the temple and fortress, and shall take away the regular burnt offering. And they shall set up the abomination that makes desolate." - Daniel 11:31

With the second installation—to take on the teenage years of Damien—we get a change of pace with all new actors, but one, and some fresh faces in the filmmaking crew. Lessened is that relentless, dark and looming atmosphere from the first film, and in its place is an attempt to go for more everyday realism to establish some background of the characters. Some major themes here are politics, severing ties, and mastering a fight to the death without throwing a punch.

One portion of the tale shows the upbringing of Damien under the wing of his rich and powerful uncle, Richard, who spearheads Thorn Industries—a sort of global powerhouse with hands in this and that—along with an almost humanization of the Antichrist while he attends a prominent military academy and finds out who his true friends and enemies are. I felt that was a clever move to give a slight pull and tug dynamic to what's just conceived as an embodiment of evil. Though if pushed deeper—instead of hovering around the surface—this story could have burrowed under your skin, and remained a permanent scar when thinking of the personification of the son to darkness. For a movie about Damien, it should have focused more on him rather than using this as a pedestal for things to come. There's still shreds of life to him, and some different hues and shades. Though it doesn't seem to last long and resorts back to stoic looks, and a that-person-knows-too-much-and-must-die film.

What becomes its undoing is that it feels like a sequel instead of a stand alone film. It turned "The Omen" into a franchise with a predictable formula. One you can count on, sure, but not one that will surpass anything the first established already. It works in areas to put you in the moment from the acting to the generous score—with a return from Goldsmith to pull a few more spellbinding variations—but in other areas it feels a somewhat stale echo to the past. It was a tough balance to strike, in that the story expands on itself, and at the same time attempts to go for more horror and shocks. At points it loses its sense of mystery when it steps out in the open: fighting in the hallways with unparalleled powers, or answering back smugly in the classroom as if everyone around is a lesser being. It felt more to sell you the allure of it all, then pull the rug out from under when you realize how much of a monster he's grown up to be. It's also conflicting seeing this, in that the audience is repeatedly told who he is, but by the time the characters catch up to realize what's going on, the impact of it at that moment is lessened.

The film generates a particular modus operandi: a sort of Antichrist pyramid, so to speak, that establishes who's where in the pecking order. If you find yourself at the bottom, you'll soon get a haunting visit from a raven—with Latin chanted theme to set up the inevitable—which is a sure trip to the casket in more than one piece. As horrific as the deaths are, they still come with easy to guess certainty of who's going to get an early demise, or, on the other hand, who's in conspiracy with the dark side. It turns a potentially gray film, into a black and white one. Guess the more low-key and practical way of making every opposing person inconspicuously deaf, dumb, mute, or blind isn't as entertaining.

Rating: 6/10

Director: Don Taylor (The 5-Man Army, The Island of Dr. Moreau)
Actors: William Holden, Lee Grant, Jonathan Scott-Taylor, Lance Henriksen
Info: IMDB link
Trailer: Youtube link

Dead Dudes in the House (1991)

Nothing fiercer than a possessed old lady

By: JWBM

What looks to be some lost and forgotten low-budget horror film that has all of the glaring attributes of the year—hairstyles and clothing included—and plays out to a one-by-one-they-die type of film... is, well, exactly that. If you were expecting less, you won't get it. If you were expecting more, you'll get it in different variations of the genre, rather than something profoundly off the charts. It's not new, per se, but somewhat innovative, and still comes with its own memorable personality. It plays on a formula that works, because it's fun, somewhat daring, and just plain ol' entertaining for one guilty pleasure or another. Take your pick.

The plot is fairly simple: a group of adults with nothing better to do help out one of their pals fix up a mansion in the middle of the woods. Things start out innocent enough, till one of them desecrates a head-stone: from there on out, it becomes a need-to-get-out, fight for survival. This comes with its own rules that don't apply outside of this film. Such as sound doesn't travel, the dead aren't really dead, and old women have the cunning of a vicious predator and the strength of Schwarzenegger in his prime. There's nothing more chilling than an all-too-calm hunched-back elderly lady with a talent for creative violence. Her voice goes from sweet innocence to might-as-well-dig-my-own-grave creepy by the time you see what she's capable of.

This shifts in and out of fairly amateur looking filmmaking—from the acting, story, setups—to other scenes that are somewhat impressive in how simple but effective they are. Often times with shoe-string budget features, you get a redundancy of certain aspects. One of the familiar trappings is forced drama between the group to create tension. In a rare move that does work in its own twisted way, this uses a guy who should rightfully be promoted to the kingpin of jerks. He's a professional smart-aleck that gets I-can't-believe-he-said-that-laughs from his off-the-cuff commentary, or his back-and-forth with the others who look annoying enough to deserve it.

The film wastes little time to step up the ante. In under 20 minutes, blood is already splattered on the walls. Like beaten and battered bowling pins just waiting to be knocked down, the characters get it in unique ways. However, the film does start to lose a little steam and become repetitive when it goes from a kind of haunted house/slasher to a sort of survival horror to give the audience a person to root for. This is the kind of experience that's best enjoyed with a group who can point out its pitfalls while simultaneously going along for the entertaining ride that is "Dead Dudes in the House."

Rating: 7/10

Director: James Riffel
Actors: Victor Verhaeghe
Info: IMDB link
Trailer: Youtube link

(Writer's note: the front DVD cover is cringe-worthy, showing six unrelated actors to the film and looking about as trendy and upbeat as an episode of "Saved by the bell." The much cooler looking VHS version, "The House on Tombstone Hill," grabs your attention over this eyesore. Troma needs to get up on showing the real dudes and dudettes involved. There's also conflicting dates: from IMDB's site with '89, Troma's site saying '91, and another version having '92.)

The Omen (1976)

Evil has a name

By: JWBM

"This calls for wisdom: let the one who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man, and his number is 666."

Looking back, certain films don't always capture the same glory and wide-eyed thrills as they did on, say, opening night or that year to follow. With time and talk, some movies lose their staying power and initial charm. Take the big reveal in "Soylent Green." It ended up being so iconic that the film is not the same experience viewed through fresh eyes. Then there are others with a dark twist—that you've probably heard of off-hand, or have seen imitated in later films—that still hold up even years later from not only being groundbreaking, but bringing to the table a careful measurement to go along. "The Omen" is one such film that can be put on for repeated viewings and still make you keep at least one light on before bed—maybe even going so far as to do a birth mark check on one of your friend's misbehaving kids. It has all of the shocking and sinister staples you'd expect, though this manages to turn an ordinary flame to a raging fire, drawing you closer in with face aghast to wonder the infernal possibilities.

What's great about "The Omen" is the pacing doesn't mess around. It dives right into the dark heart of it and stays persistent throughout. It plays out as a simple tale, but deals with larger subjects that paint a horrific picture of looming apocalypse. It uses deep-rooted fears and instincts related to our children, and combines that with ingrained morals and common-place symbology we'd see at the center of any town church. Throughout the film, Jerry Goldsmith's score manages to slowly creep and crawl, and then engulf the listener by crashing down from all sides. It effectively creates this sense of dire urgency as it all unfolds and goes deeper into the too-late-to-turn-around dark crevices and intricate folds of evil. What's unique, is Goldsmith takes your everyday, long-standing catholic mass and inverts it into a devilish Gregorian chanted black mass. With Latin infusions such as "Tolle Corpus Satani" and "Ave Versus Christus" one can't help but sign the cross and hope for protection.

"Then I saw another beast, coming out of the earth. It had two horns like a lamb, but it spoke like a dragon." 

A share of the story is seen through the eyes of Robert Thorn—played by Gregory Peck. He's your suit-and-tie, dignified U.S. ambassador to the U.K., with loving wife, energetic kid, fancy house, and security detail to keep it all in check. One could argue that his role isn't relatable, though I feel by making him morally sound and an example to look up to, it further demonstrates the breaking of tradition, routine, and shattering the everyday person's dreams and ambitions. If a guy at the top can't make it happen, or is threatened by something as just a "little boy," where's the hope for me as the guy at the bottom? Besides losing a child, the next worst feeling as a parent is to secretly suspect your little one is anything but a sweet peach. Thorn's son—Damien—comes with an innocent glint in his eye and smile: is it all mistake, or is there some truth to this looming threat who can handle a mean tricycle?

We know some children aren't forward thinking in their actions. We call it "growing up" or simply "bad behavior": what ensues is some kind of example or discipline till the child knows better. Though, what happens when a kid does something knowingly bad, bordering on outright maliciousness? "The Omen," like "The Exorcist" or "It's Alive," made us look at our shorter counterparts a little bit differently when considering the backbone of where behavior stems. It also brings to life the Book of Revelations—yep, the one and only book of books—in a way that made you ponder much uglier possibilities over your old woodcuts, stained glass, and paintings of the past going for carefully placed and detailed artistic merit. Not that there's anything wrong with that. But what's more likely to make the hairs stick up on the back of your neck, or look over your shoulder in a real sense of paranoia, but a living manifestation of something that can walk, breathe and strike from all sides and at any time. Maybe even from your own neighborhood... or home.

Rating: 9/10

Director: Richard Donner (Salt and Pepper, Lola)
Actors: Gregory Peck, Lee Remick, David Warner
Info: IMDB link
Trailer: Youtube trailer

Note from Black to Red: This marks the 200th review on this site!

Looking Glass (2018)

A fresh start, a sour experience

By: JWBM

"Looking Glass" feels like the filmmakers switched places. Like a guitarist did a swap with the drummer, and the drummer is now singing. Music is produced, but something feels unnatural in how it all comes together. This attempts to go for a mystery-thriller vibe, but ends up coming with so little content—and then holding back that content to keep it mysterious—that its story feels thin, haphazard, and without artistic merit at times. It comes with little foreshadowing, character development, or bigger use of its setting. It plods to the point that, when something does happen, it feels like you're getting thrown a stale cookie for watching this long.

The movie in a nutshell: Need a change, so bought a motel. I cleaned and repaired stuff at my new motel. I'm an electrician after all! Guests come and go. Better with my hands than with small talk. I stay out late. The Sheriff pays a visit; he likes coffee. I stay in and watch people through a secret peep hole. Should I? The wife and I are hitting the sheets now. I still watch people. Should I? Let's see what happens. Someone threw a dead animal in the pool. I took care of it myself. I got a visit from the Sheriff; he switches to tea. I stay out late. Drama with the wife. Weird people. No more drama with the wife. The end. If you found that insufferable, consider saving yourself an hour and forty three minutes and thirty two seconds and skip this film.

The more you know the characters, the less you want to know them. Can't say it's solely the fault of the actors, but rather a faulty script, and even faultier directing and editing. The character of Ray—played by Nicolas Cage—has the personality of a no-frills, on-the-cheap Sears catalog lamp. Your choices are gray. Choose wisely. His wife—Robin Tunney, as Maggie—does little of anything exceptional or gravitating, except maybe exits the screen with different variations. There's an attempted backstory that simultaneously brings them closer but also creates a bridge between. However, one can't help but feel that it was cut and pasted in to create some forced tension. It eventually culminates into a heated moment to show off some potential acting skills; at that point it's a little too late. I could understand if this came with some building mood to keep it afloat. I mean, it made its attempts with the oddball locals with an undercurrent of... your guess is as good as mine, but it just ends up coming across as awkward in a let-me-position-my-index-finger-closer-to-the-stop-button kinda way.

Rating: 3.5/10

From Black to Red recommends instead: "Blue Velvet" to show how mystery, weirdness, and atmosphere coalesce into a memorable, intriguing, and exciting experience.

Director: Tim Hunter (The Far Side of Jericho, Control)
Actors: Nicolas Cage, Robin Tunney
Info: IMDB link
Trailer: Youtube link

In Darkness (2018)

A hitman and a blind woman walk into a coffee shop

By: JWBM

A professional musician, who's lost her sight as a little girl, lives alone in an apartment in London. As of late, there's been muffled commotion heard from the upstairs quarters where another woman, Veronique, lives. One night, the arguments culminate and Veronique ends up dead. Detectives arrive on scene to investigate and ask the blind woman, Sofia, if she has any information regarding Veronique's sudden death. Soon, Sofia gets slowly pulled into another world when it turns out Veronique may have had more than a few dark secrets.

This is a mystery-thriller that's all about that don't-look-back pacing and didn't-see-that-coming revelations. It's played out with more low-key jabs to earn points, rather than serving up a series of bigger blows. This starts out on a high: delivering pulsating, memorable music, a consistency of creative camera angles, and a certain atmosphere to cement itself as a murder-mystery. Natalie Dormer, as Sofia, comes with the most dynamic to her character. She plays a confident woman who takes on the world in one moment, and then in the next is overly hard on herself when taken down a peg by uncontrollable situations around her. She's a fighter and a survivor despite the odds—that's for sure—though there's a troubling underscore to her that one can't quite put their finger on.

The ultimate intention of "In Darkness" is to entertain. It's saddled between reality and a make-believe world never seen before, or possibly experienced again. It's full of tantalizing scenes and situations to keep your senses alive. Though think too hard on it, or go back for another viewing expecting deeper layers, and you might be disappointed. I mean, they pick a traumatic moment that makes little connection if paused and pondered on as to why that would have lined up the way it did. Instead of delving deeper, the characters just keep reimagining it in similar ways, as if that will make it more rooted as an event.

The main villain is a two-dimensional Jekyll and Hyde without the mental turmoil to solidify him: either doing the nice guy with a foreign accent bit, or the utterly evil guy who mysteriously preys on blind women, but nothing in between to cement him as a living, breathing person you may fear or respect through the barrier of the television set. There's also the go-between, soft-and-hard hitman, Marc—played by Ed Skrein—that's going for Mr. Charm. He has a light edge of danger, but is almost too safe and predictable in that he does exactly what you'd expect him to, and always shows up when needed.

What starts out on a high and with a share of great potential, winds down to a finale that doesn't materialize with stable legs once all of the smoke and mirrors clear. The film feels emotionally powerful at first, but ends up being just a flash, a bang, and ultimately a let-the-senses-go distraction for an on-the-fly, don't-look-back Thursday night.

Rating: 6/10

Director: Anthony Byrne (Short Order, How About You...)
Actors: Natalie Dormer, Ed Skrein, Jan Bijvoet, Joely Richardson
Info: IMDB link
Trailer: Youtube link