Dawning (2009)

A night of potential healing turns way of harm

This is more of a basic and gradual drama with lesser elements of a thriller/horror that plays on emotions with family members in an isolated dwelling that causes tempers and resentment to flair up from their past and also something else in the surrounding woods that acts as an accelerator.

Siblings make the drive out to visit their father and step mother at their remote cabin in Minnesota. This starts out with a slightly condescending air and set of awkward moments with the we-don't-share-feelings-out-loud family. To make relations worse, the sister's dog becomes mysteriously injured in the wooded area and has to be put down. Things are being smoothed over when an injured man with a crazed look in his eye and tattered clothing enters the house in what looks to be a home invasion. He holds the family hostage, not to hurt them outright, but to possibly save them for what's making mysterious noises outside. "Just tell us what you want. If you want to stay, we'll leave." He responds, "You can't leave. If you leave you'll die."


There's a share of in fighting once the tables get turned and they have to establish what to do next. The family was already skating on thin ice, so without a clear solution in sight trust issues arise as each of the members have their share of faults come out and used against one another, along with some fears--alcoholism, violence--having to be faced. This is upfront with the backgrounds of the family but highly elusive when it comes to the underlying darker aspect. A few strange occurrences happen as a layover in the meantime, such as the phones giving off an unknown frequency and someone hearing another say something that wasn't actually said. Some can't stand still and show aggressive tendencies to solve problems, while others stand around and try to talk matters out.

This is a film that starts as an unknown seed and starts to grow and grow with more spiraling events to surround and suffocate its structure till it implodes or explodes. There are some lulls in areas and others that slightly retread over familiar ground, though a share of this steadily builds with a forward motion and still enough room to generate an uneasy atmosphere. I like films that are able to suck you in and make their characters real, which this had enough time and used the right amount of subtleties to make that happen. Time was taken with the character's performances and dialogue and they actually feel familiar with each other to create credibility.


This is essentially two films in one: one with the family and their issues, and two with the strange man and a mysterious entity in the midst; something that's unseen along the lines of "Pontypool" without being exactly alike. Even the subgenre is unknown: just that it ends with violence involving someone you loved but acted selfish and unappreciative towards. The problem is there wasn't always enough of a balance between the two. The clues for the latter are more than just a challenge while watching and at some point you're yearning for more, only to have the credits come a rollin' with more questions than answers. Why this cabin? Why now? Why dawn? Some of the minor components are still there on the surface to get by, so this can still be watched on more of a basic level, just not something that has enough personality to repeat over and over again to uncover more. Where the message gets jumbled is it's not entirely established if bad things wouldn't have been brought to them if they stuck together as a loving, understanding unit of each other, or if this was inevitable and the drama portion was only used to create tension as a layover to frighten the audience from something unexplained. Possibly both, but this could have used further development on the former to carry more of a roundabout meaning.

The verdict: This is worth a watch for a simplistic independent movie that concentrates on a relating human element rather than going the special effects or superficial blood route, but the experience gets off too easily and leaves itself too open to interpretation for what it took so much time building up. With a few more surprises, layers or rules stated this could have been a more impactful experience that I wouldn't have minded returning to since there are already relatable characters in place instead of cut outs.

Rating: 6.5/10

Director: Gregg Holtgrewe
Link: IMDB

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.