High Plains Invaders (2009)

A group of unlikely citizens fight aliens in the west

It's 1892 in a little mining town called Avaranth in Colorado. Sam Danville is going to be hanged for various crimes ranging from train robbery to murder when suddenly a spider looking alien attacks the town. It's up to Sam, the shopkeeper, a female bounty hunter, a nurse, an outlaw, a scientist and the Sheriff to fend them off till they can get away, die trying or save the day.

This begins like a "Night of the Living Dead" setup where they get holed up in the Sheriff's headquarters, only to periodically come out when finding a different way to kill one. The situation is looking hopeless as every time a bug is taken out another pops right back in its place like a weed. To make matters worse, a woman is injured inside and the loud mouthed bounty hunter named Rose postures and all the while threatens Sam that she's going to collect on his reward dead or alive. The nurse and Sam are attempting to rekindle their relationship that went sour from something that happened with his criminal history. With the exception of the bounty hunter and the opportunist outlaw that was formerly Sam's friend, the rest attempt to use the situation for redemption and turn into self-sacrificing heroes no matter the cost to save humanity from space invaders who are drawn there for a specific reason.



This is derivative but to its benefit "High Plains Invaders" is short and also painless in that the main characters don't make very many stupid moves, in part to how simple it's kept instead of going well beyond its means like many Sci Fi Channel/Syfy made-for-TV movies have done in the past. The majority of the film is a pretty straightforward from-one-thing-to-the-next type with a little down time to somewhat personalize the characters in between random attacks. The performances are passable, nothing that you haven't seen before with people trying to survive from something attacking them, albeit kept a little more realistic than over-the-top cinematic. The tone at points rides a fine line between trying to be humorous and serious, but usually more of the latter. Their western accents come and go per scene and occasionally come off as a caricature but the simplistic dialogue is still said with some meaning.


"High Plains Invaders" is catered to the neck deep genre addicts who are given a little taste of a gimmick when two genres are combined. If you separated both portions, then this would be left standing with two below average movies, with the final result itself hitting around middle road. The look of the western times comes with some harsher color templates such as grays and browns to make it feel more authentic than characters standing around on a pristine movie set. Science fiction fans have seen what invasions can do in the modern day with countless movies on the subject. But if anything, how the west is utilized here seems to limit the level of intensity and big action scenes as the resources were less than spectacular compared to modern weaponry such as tanks and aircraft. It makes the events seem somewhat basic: run, hide, shoot, plan, fight over what to do. Sure it's not going to be "Wild Wild West" or even "Independence Day" due to restrained budget reasons, but they don't always take advantage of what they have and get as innovative as one would like to make up for the fact. Even their shoot outs are fairly uneventful the way bullets bounce off the large bug creatures' hard backs like it was nothing. Though the projectiles the creatures themselves shoot come with some gaping wounds from being quicker on the draw than their western counterparts. Comparing then and now, it goes to show that humans haven't changed all that much even when aliens enter the picture. Some are good, some look bad but are really good, and some are just plain ugly despite looking good.

Rating: 4.5/10

Director: Kristoffer Tabori (Pursued, The Accidental Witness, Fireball)
Stars: James Marsters, Cindy Sampson, Sanny Van Heteren, Sebastian Knapp
Link: IMDB

Ravenous (1999)

When your dinner walks, talks and breathes

The studio didn't give this the promotion it deserved back in the day. I remember seeing a preview early on by my guess to test the waters, but then some time later this passed by theaters without even warming the seats. Needless to say I caught this on a rental, and thought it was an effective film that got lost in the shuffle due to not having an established movement to back it up. It also might be that it didn't come with powerful filmmaking names. This was only the second film made in the US by the director--who had to take over after another dropped out--apart from a dominating list of TV projects in the UK. It also comes from a first time scriptwriter. The lead, Guy Pearce, didn't have impacting star power at that point for American audiences. Then it was shot in Europe about a time period in the U.S. that usually comes as either a western, adventure or period drama. It seemed like people--promoters included--weren't taking a chance with this irregular film at first. Though what makes "Ravenous" worthwhile after the fact, is it wasn't trying to fit into horror or even the time period it focused on. It was a somewhat unique film that dodged what you'd expect.

A Lieutenant named John Boyd (Guy Pearce) during the Mexican-American War in the 1840s pretends to be a goner while his men are dying left and right. Despite at first being a traitor, something awakes in him when he gets the taste of blood and he gets the courage to capture the enemy command. He's promoted to Captain but his superior is still disgusted at his initial cowardice and sends him to a place called Fort Spencer in California. There are seven others of various abilities to accommodate travelers passing through. Boyd doesn't quite fit in as he's quiet and contemplative about the traumatic war experience that originally caused him to freeze in his tracks and then afterwards rear at the sight of blood. A man named Colqhoun (Robert Carlyle) suddenly arrived in bad shape with a story to tell about a previous adventure gone wrong that involves six laid up in a cave during a run of bad weather and it resulting in cannibalism for lack of anything else to eat--shoes and belts included. They form a party to go investigate, but not before George, the native American, explaining about the Weendigo (Wendigo): a myth that when resorting to cannibalism, a person can gain another's strength and spirit, only to become even more hungry--or ravenous.

People turn into something else, traps are in place and Boyd has to make a decision to muster up more courage to beat the tempting desire to feed and a competitive force out to consume more flesh on people's backs. With less dialogue and outward personality, Boyd seems to be a character that the filmmakers speak through with morality to put in perspective all the conquering people around him. What's effective here is he can be viewed as either weak or strong depending on where your perspective lays. Since he's always bloodied or bruised up, he can be seen as a martyr that stands up for a cause--or even a weakling that's unable to adapt and conform to a new situation. It's left in the eye of the beholder. He's playing a mental chess match with a madman who is willing to do what it takes to feed an enormous appetite that never ceases. That's the other character in the equation that seems to mirror not what's necessarily happening in the 1800s but rather how far we've taken our drive since. Not to mention our search for easy solutions at the expense of others. That need-for-more message is delivered a little more subtly than turning it into a let's-all-get-along experience. The film can be point blank at times. There are some bloody scenes, though it doesn't always go for broke to put the grizzly subject matter in the audience's face. Shocking, but not to the point of going for superficial sensations to miss out on the contemplative portions. This has a strangely humorous environment in that it's not always laugh out loud as it's just a satirical play on situations that could have been otherwise stiff, grim or gray. Some of the characters carry a more serious tone, while others provide direct amusement or even deadpan humor that gives it a somewhat black comedic taste.

Sometimes this has off-beat, somewhat abstract music that partially carries a tone of the times but in a much more tainted way that would still seem alien to someone in the 19th century. Occasionally it can be loud, to imperceptive in volume or even missing for awhile altogether to let the visuals and dialogue take a turn. It makes it that much more harder to pin down, with anticipation of what will be played next with its unguessable sounds that are a foreign matter on the first passing. The sets and outdoors look like the Americas despite being filmed in Czech Republic. Nature is captured as well as the harsher times of the 19th century without looking too polished and with formal actors in unfamiliar situations. The subject matter is handled rather effectively in that it flows from one transition to the next without jumping into the proceeding portion of the story too quickly. This is a thriller at heart, but it still moves at a steady pace to get a feel for the situation and surroundings. It makes it feel less inevitable than other films like all the revised slashers at that time from "Scream" to "Urban Legend," which fortunately makes it dodge being formulaic, though it still comes with some irony to give it that horrific touch in the face of morbid curiosity.

Rating: 9/10

Director: Antonia Bird (Priest, Face)
Stars: Guy Pearce, Jeffrey Jones, Robert Carlyle, David Arquette, Neal McDonough
Link: IMDB, history of a Wendigo

Historical questions from the Black and Red (Answers below, don't cheat!):

1. In which state did the Oregon Trail begin?
2. What were the people nicknamed in the California Gold Rush?
3. Between what years did the Mexican-American War last from?
4. What was the name of the party in the 1840s that participated in cannibalism on their way to California?




------------

Answers:
1. Missouri 2. Forty-niners 3. 1846-1848 4. Donner Party

The Inheritance (2011)

Their heritage awaits

Ever fancy you were born into a wealthy and successful family: the lazy wish where you wouldn't have to struggle and things are easily lined up? "The Inheritance" is a story that puts a twist on that pipe dream by mixing aspects of ancestry, race, religion, folklore and the supernatural all together into a boiling cauldron of horror and drama with a little bit of humor about scary movies and black stereotypes. This is an original tale that has enough of its own to get by though some homage is given, such as "The Evil Dead" with the cabin in the woods and occult manuscript, "Candyman" with a slave having an injustice but gaining a vengeful upperhand, and "The Wicker Man" with sacrifices for the benefit of the tribe or family.

Five cousins--two woman, three men--from rich, black families dating back to the 1800s meet at an isolated house during a snow storm for a reunion, along with--get this--a "token" white couple that one of the cousins used for a ride. Uncle Melvin (Keith David) left a note that he'll be there tomorrow but left alcohol and ganja behind to have a good time with in his absence. Everybody uses the substances to get loosened up by having fun and games until the prospect of money is brought up for their possible inheritance. Attempting to get the party back on track, one of them picks up a hand drum and rhythmically plays it, while another dances and someone else reads from an ancient looking book found next to it. Suddenly the last words read, "The flesh is the strength," appear on the outside window and the woman dancing freaks when she claims someone was there.

After sleeping off what was thought of as a bad trip, the elders arrive for the "family reunion," which is more like a traditional ceremony with a tale of how the relatives came to prominence. A flashback is shown during the time of slavery in the US with a man named Chakabazz who mysteriously arrived alone on a ship with crew missing. They attempted to lynch him but he survived. Something like a Wong Fei-hung with a dark side, he turns out to be a witch doctor who can help the desperate black community stand up against the intolerant white man and slave owners, help them attain their freedom, as well as give them wealth and prosperity, but all at an evil cost. Because nothing's free, right? Chakabazz accumulates followers who want in and requires the best and brightest of the people's children for a blood sacrifice, and for each generation after to maintain the riches they have to spill more of their own kin's blood. All of this is told to the young cousins who don't take it seriously until more things go awry and get spooky. Though if everything the elders said were true, it makes you wonder why they were even told at all since they're more than old enough to know better and fight back.

This is a story where money is the root of all evil: a young generation who wants a hand out and doesn't entirely care about family relations, and then an older generation that achieves wealth and success but at a price of sacrifices of their own blood relatives. Not really a win-win situation. The story is somewhat confusing at times, which interrupts the experience and pacing. It's mentioned that the current elders were once chosen themselves but it's skips over why they're possessed to the point of enjoying being sadistic--maniacal laughter and all--rather than doing it out of necessity. Though apart from the greed aspect, what's the message or the relating factor? Don't accept anything such as a handout you didn't work for? Don't meet at an isolated location during a storm? Don't trust your distant relatives, stick closer with your intermediate ones? Overall, this just seemed like it wanted to rush through the ground rules with the main intention of showing a bloodbath, except for such an oppressive horror tale you can minus the copious blood as killings are done off screen and there's very little gore.

Eventually this starts to feel padded with filler that goes into a repetitious circle: the elders and these strange straw-henchmen-like things appearing and disappearing and the cousins running back and forth to get away makes you feel like you're being strung along instead of providing answers or even substantial action. It doesn't even delve into if unreasonable traditions should be broken since they made more sense in slave days, or adequately show that these young folks have any growth, hope or strength of character instead of having them fumble around and strike lucky. It feels like the filmmakers bit off more than they could chew and got too far ahead of themselves, even with the ending feeling like a cop out and not as developed from previously having so much time invested in the cousin characters.

Even with everything said, "The Inheritance" had potential, as the performances weren't half bad, the music was well-timed out to lend some feeling, some specific scenes were indeed effective and somewhat creative, and with the budget considered this didn't feel entirely cheap. Though the script, continuity and pacing left some things to be desired. Multiple genres are ambitiously tackled and sometimes it's hard to know what the filmmakers want to portray or make you feel as a viewer. Not to mention random things happen at random times, which can make you scratch your head rather than grab your heart as the suspense and scares can feel somewhat forced at times. Though this does have a few that work more on being uncomfortable than frightening.

Rating: 4/10

Stars: Keith David, Rochelle Aytes, Golden Brooks, D.B. Woodside, Lanre Idewu
Link: IMDB


Historical questions from the Black and Red (Answers below, don't cheat!):

1. Which side proved victorious in the American Civil War? (Extra: Which year did it end?)
2. How many states made up the Confederacy and how many the Union?
3. Who put a cap in President Abraham Lincoln? (Extra: At which destination?)
4. Which ocean provided the slave trade?
5. Which amendment abolished slavery?




Answers:
1. Confederacy, jk. The Union/North. 1865.
2. 11. 25.
3. John Wilkes Booth. Ford's Theatre.
4. Atlantic.
5. 13th.

Island of the Fishmen (1979) - 2 of 3: Westerners in the Wild Trilogy

Island of the goggly eyes

This ambitious film is set in the 19th century, gave a dab of action-adventure with mythology to boot, some shocks of horror and a nod to science fiction if that wasn't enough. "Island of Dr. Moreau" it wasn't entirely, though the initial premise is no doubt given nod to.

The zoom ins, dated synthesizers and blatantly overdubbed sound effects that usually came with campy Italian cinema can give these pictures charm like no other. However, the inconsistent creature effects and cringe worthy miniatures unabashedly shown in close-ups, instead of rolling in the fog or covering up with shadows, were just asking too much from a viewer's imagination. Most of these films have flaws from cheap production to speedy filmmaking, mirroring what was done in the '50s/'60s, but it's just a matter of how many you are willing to overlook (especially by '79). If really easy, this could be more up your alley. If not, take the detour.

The acting and even the English dubbing were of decent and serious caliber to moving this along without being one giant accidental farce; which leads me to believe the producers gave the green light with a tight cast but without realistically scaling back their overzealous production costs. The owner of the island was villainous though a charming and eccentric gentleman, his former Bond-girl (Barbara Bach of "The Spy Who Loved Me") wife was an exquisite treat to look at, and the guest of honor, that got there from a shipwreck, was a commanding and confident presence on screen.

"Island of the Fishmen," aka "Screamers," was not as mystifying as set out to be as an adult fantasy film. Applied to the goals the filmmakers had and their ability to realistically pull them off, the old idiom "less is more" usually works better in these cases, otherwise it's a challenge to step in with both feet and truly let yourself go minus the unintentional smirks.

Rating: 4/10


Director: Sergio Martino (Torso)
Stars: Barbara Bach, Claudio Cassinelli
Link: IMDB


Facts from the Black and Red:

- Actor Claudio Cassinelli died in a helicopter accident in 1985 while on location in Arizona for another Sergio Martino movie called "Fists of Steel/Hands of Steel."

- Mudskippers, snakeheads and Senegal Bichir are fish that can survive for periods outside of water.

- The 1912 accident of Titanic had a total of 1, 517 lives lost, making it one of the most fatal peacetime disasters.