Day 6: The Descent (2005)

A Month of Horror

I have always wanted to do a marathon of "HORROR" throughout the month of October, one where I would revisit a new horror movie every day from the first to the thirty-first.  I will revisit the classics as well as new entries into the canon.  There are many movies that define this time of year, and I hope to showcase 31 of them this month...

October 6: The Descent (2005)

It all starts with a cabin in the woods.  The setting of the scene is familiar: a group of women head out into the wilderness for a weekend away, only to have things go horribly, horribly wrong.  The big difference with Neil Marshall's 2005 film "The Descent" is that the entire group is made up of adrenaline junkie women who have planned the escape in order to do some old-fashioned spelunking.

The underground setting that makes up the bilk of "The Descent"'s running time is a big part of the terror that the movie is able to so effortlessly convey.  Everything is filmed in a very tight and claustrophobic manner and it is very easy to forget that you are not in fact there, deep underground, with those women.

"The Descent" is an extremely claustrophobic movie.  I remember watching it with a few friends when it first came out, and we all marvelled at the intense build up of dread that was maintained throughout the film.

It isn't just the peril of natural dangers like cave-ins or becoming lost either.  The women soon discover (as tends to happen in movies such as this) that they are not the only ones wandering the unmapped network of caverns.

There is a palpable sense of dread that builds throughout this movie, one that literally inches you ever closer to the edge of whatever seat you happen to be watching from.  The story itself is fairly simple, but Marshall's execution manages to elevate beyond the typical genre trappings of the stalker and the stalked type of horror we all know.

If you have not yet seen this movie, do yourself a favor.  There is a sequel out now, but I have yet to see it.  One day for sure, but for now, I am content knowing that "The Descent" remains a perfect trip into hell.

Tomorrow, I am going back to the '80s to grease myself up for some boardwalk saxophone action in one of my all-time favorites.

Day 5: Slither (2006)

A Month of Horror

I have always wanted to do a marathon of "HORROR" throughout the month of October, one where I would revisit a new horror movie every day from the first to the thirty-first.  I will revisit the classics as well as new entries into the canon.  There are many movies that define this time of year, and I hope to showcase 31 of them this month...

October 5: Slither (2006)

The "invaders from space" movie is one that has remained just as popular over the years as the slasher, vampire, werewolf and zombie genres.  Originally done as allegories for communism and the dangers of the nuclear age, the movies reamined popular throughout the '50s and '60s especially.

When I first heard of "Slither", I was intrigued: a space invaders zombie film from James Gunn, a guy who until that point had mostly operated under the shingle of Lloyd Kaufman's "Troma Pictures" shingle.  The fact that it starred Nathan Fillion (who at that point I was already a huge fan of thanks to his work in Joss Whedon's "Firefly" and "Serenity") as Sherrif Bill Pardy made it that much more tantalizing.

The movie is definitely an homage to those alien invasion movies from the past, but it is also a film that proudly replicates writer and director Gunn's roots in the "Troma" world.  It is comedic, and crass, and vulgarly disgusting, and it is that fusion of elements that makes this such a fun movie.

With a cast that also includes Elizabeth Banks, Gregg Henry, and Michael Rooker as Grant Grant, the first infected, the film delivers a surprisingly tight story and some excellent practical special effects (that are augmented by non-intrusive CGI).

This is a blast of a movie that is high on laughs, as well as a few chills.  Gunn had written the script for Zack Snyder's surprisingly effective "Dawn of the Dead" remake two years earlier, and this proved to be a more than suitable follow up.

Nathan Fillion's typical charisma and deadpan delivery are the real draws, but the story and effects help reinforce a surprisingly effective body-horror film.  Definintely worth a view.

Tomorrow, I plan to descend into a deep, dark, and terrifying place.

Day 4: Shaun of the Dead (2004)

Day Four: Shaun of the Dead (2004)

A Month of Horror

I have always wanted to do a marathon of "HORROR" throughout the month of October, one where I would revisit a new horror movie every day from the first to the thirty-first.  I will revisit the classics as well as new entries into the canon.  There are many movies that define this time of year, and I hope to showcase 31 of them this month...

October 4: Shaun of the Dead (2004)

I might not be a fan of the term "Zom-Rom-Com", but I am a huge fan of this movie.  For year's, the zombie genre had devolved into echoes of George A. Romero's "Night of the Living Dead", and none of them had the same impact that Romero's seminal black and white effort from 1968 had on the horror community.

What Simon Pegg and Edgar Wright got right with "Shaun of the Dead" was that they chose a different approach when they created what could best be described as a loving tribute to the films that Romero had created up to that point.  Romero himself was such a fan, that he cast Pegg and Wright as zombies in 2005's "Land of the Dead", his first return to the zombie genre he created since "Day of the Dead" in 1985.

"Shaun of the Dead" is a loving tribute, but it is also a movie that can stand tall on proud on its own two shambling feet.  Pegg and Wright wear their hearts on their sleeves throughout, but at no point does Shaun ever feel like just a comedy with zombies.

This is a movie with strong characters who are motivated by real-life situations.  The fact that it takes place during a zombie apocalypse is almost secondary, although it does allow for the conventions of the genre to be gently prodded and mocked throughout the duration of the story.

"Shaun of the Dead" is a film I could watch on a almost daily basis.  It is tender, frightening, and hilarious in equal measures.  This movie holds a special place in my life, and a special place in my "oh crap it's Halloween and I don't have a costume so I guess I will just go as Shaun again" costume repertoire.

Tomorrow's selection is another twisted version of classic Hollywood fare that will leave you squirming in your seat.

Day 3: An American Werewolf in London (1981)

Day Three: An American Werewolf in London (1981)

A Month of Horror

I have always wanted to do a marathon of "HORROR" throughout the month of October, one where I would revisit a new horror movie every day from the first to the thirty-first.  I will revisit the classics as well as new entries into the canon.  There are many movies that define this time of year, and I hope to showcase 31 of them this month...

October 3: An American Werewolf in London (1981)

"An American Werewolf in London" came out when I was six-years-old and while I didn't see it then, when I eventually did, it changed the way I viewed horror movies.  As a film, it was entertaining and terrifying in equal measures.

David Naughton's David Kessler is the titular character of the piece, and the early scenes between him and Griffin Dunne's Jack Goodman were realistic, and sympathetic characters who played excellent hosts as we were introduced to the basics of the story, and the idiosyncratic characters who populated "The Slaughtered Lamb" pub.

Of course, things quickly turn south for the two friends as they venture off the rainy roads and into the moors of Northern England where they are subjected to a horrific attack.  Jack does not survive, but his character does make repeat visits throughout the film, each time in a greater state of disrepair.

The makeup effects used for Jack's slow degradation are some of the best ever, as is the werewolf transformation that David goes through.  In fact, the makeup effects were so stunning, that the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences created a whole new makeup category in the Academy Awards to celebrate Rick Baker's stunning work.

Written and directed by John Landis, "An American Werewolf in London" paved the way for the wide range of witty and horrific films that would soon follow; films that blended realistic characters and dialogue, with humour and horror.  It also created a resurgence for the 'werewolf' genre.

In 1997, a horrible CGI sequel set in Paris was released.  Avoid it.  There is a reason why the original is still widely regarded as one of the all-time great horror movies.  If you have yet to see it, you should stop delaying.  This movie will have you laughing and wincing from start to end.

Tomorrow, we will take a look at a more recent film that takes many cues from this godfather of modern horror.

Day 2: Dracula (1931)

Day Two: Dracula (1931)

A Month of Horror

I have always wanted to do a marathon of "HORROR" throughout the month of October, one where I would revisit a new horror movie every day from the first to the thirty-first.  I will revisit the classics as well as new entries into the canon.  There are many movies that define this time of year, and I hope to showcase 31 of them this month...

October 2:  Dracula (1931)

For day two, I decided to did through the vaults and go all the way back to one of the true originals.  Tod Browning's "Dracula" practically defines horror iconography, from the rich Gothic sets, to the brilliantly defining work of Bela Lugosi as the eerie and commanding Count Dracula.

This film, and James Whale's "Frankenstein" from the same year became the foundation of Universal Picture's classic monsters, a roster that would grow to include "The Wolfman", "The Mummy", "The Creature From The Black Lagoon", "The Phantom of The Opera", "The Invisible Man", and a whole slew of sequels over the year's (as well as the inevitable remakes and re imaginings in more recent years).

The original "Dracula" is a product of its times, but the Gothic imagery and timeless nature of Bram Stoker's original tale have cemented it as a timeless classic, one that has been spoofed, parodied, and imitated to unprecedented levels over the years.

While not the original telling of the story (that honour belongs to F.W. Munau's equally ambient and effective "Nosferatu" from 1922), Browning's version remains one of the most popular horror films of all-time.

When people think of "Dracula", the image that comes to mind is always one of Bela Lugosi's widow's peak and piercing gaze peering out from behind his cape; and his necklace.  Even the voice is intrinsically linked to that portrayal:  "I vant to suck your blood."

The Universal Classics defined what horror would mean to generations of "horror" lovers, and they did so in a way that defined the genre.  It is always good to revisit the classics...

Tomorrow, we will take focus on at the moon.  It will be a howl!

Day 1: Halloween (1978)

Day One: Halloween (1978)

A Month of Horror

I have always wanted to do a marathon of "HORROR" throughout the month of October, one where I would revisit a new horror movie every day from the first to the thirty-first.  I will revisit the classics as well as new entries into the canon.  There are many movies that define this time of year, and I hope to showcase 31 of them this month...


October 1:  Halloween (1978)

Once upon a time, this was a notorious and scandalous movie.  It is widely credited as the birth of the "slasher" genre (although Bob Clark's "Black Christmas" beat it to the punch by 4 years).  John carpenter's "Halloween" was a unique production for its time, mostly due to the fact that the the antagonist, Michael Myers, was both an unstoppable force, and an unknown quantity, whose only goal was to kill.

Although fairly tame by modern standards, "Halloween" truly did redefine the horror movie genre; and it did so by defining what would become known as the "slasher" genre. Without this one movie, it is quite likely that there would not be the wide range of Hollywood killers that exist today.  It is quite likely that there would at the very least be no Jason and no Freddy if Michael Myers hadn't first arrived on the scene to leave a wake of carnage in his silent path...

The twisted beauty of Carpenter's original Halloween is that Michael Myers was a normal kid, from a normal family, who just so happened to flip a switch on Halloween night and become a crazed killler.  There is no reason behind it, no need for explanation.  There are two protagonists in the movie, Jamie Lee Curtis' Laurie Strode, and Donald Pleasance's Sam Loomis.  It is Pleasance's psychiatrist character that brings us closest to an explanation as he refers to Myers throughout as "The Evil".

Rob Zombie missed the point with his remake by turning young Michael Myers into a twisted kid from a broken family.  Michael Myers is a good kid from a good family; not a pet-killing metalhead with a stripper mother, a whore sister, a drunken abuse stepfather, and a long line of bullies waiting for him at school.  By including a shopping list of "serial killer" stereotypes and tropes into the character's back story, Zombie removed the mystique from the unstoppable killer.

"Halloween" is an iconic film:  from the white "Shatner" masked killer, to the brilliant use of every inch of the full widescreen presentation, to the hauntingly simple synth score by the Bowling Green Orchestra (a.k.a. John Carpenter).

"Halloween" is, and always has been, one of my favourite movies.  I admit that this is due in no small part to my love of the season, and the holiday the movie borrows its name from, but the true affection I feel for the story hinges primarily on the incredible ratcheting of tension that builds up throughout the film.

This is a movie that helped define my love of what films were capable of doing.  It is a movie, a series of movies, that exist within the confines of one of my favourite times of year, and they wear the iconography of Halloween proudly.  Starting this project with "Halloween" seemed like the right choice, and the perfect way to set the scene for what is to come.

Tomorrow, I'll be sinking my teeth into one of the all-time classics...

Somerset News: September 2012

SOMERSET NEWS: SEPTEMBER 2012

The Huntsville Film North International Film Festival came to a close on September 22, and I was honoured to be in attendance on the closing day to present our short film "Missing".  For those of you who have been fortunate enough to attend the festival in the past, or even this year, it really is a well-organized and artist friendly event.

We were there for the first annual event in 2010, and were fortunate to take home the antler (the trophy bestowed upon winners) for our short film "The Lake" at that time.  This year, "Missing" did not afford us a repeat victory, but I was thrilled to see the award go to Lewis Hodgson for his film "Morning Zombies" - a film that featured cinematography by Patrick Gilbert, and a starring turn by none other than Kevin Hoffman as the lead zombie (both of whom contributed to "Missing" as well).  Congratulations again to all involved!

The Film North festival is one of my favorite to attend.  The organizers are extremely accommodating and hospitable, and it truly does provide an excellent opportunity to meet and engage with other film makers, both the professional and established, and the similarly situated up and comers.

The post-screening Q&A session featuring (from left to right):

Myself, Lifetime Achievement Award Winner Sheila McCarthy,

17-year-old Director Ben Brook, and Ken Cunningham.

Following our screening, was a Q&A session with the attending film makers, 17-year-old Ben Brook, with "Ostrichsized", and animator Ken Cunningham, with "Zen and the Art of Distraction" (Jim Calarco's "One Wish" also screened, but unfortunately he had to miss the Q&A).  Also in attendance was Lifetime Achievement Award Winner (and incredibly accomplished Canadian performer) Sheila McCarthy, whose outstanding breakthrough performance in "I've Heard The Mermaids Singing" screened during our showcase.  It's always nice to feel like part of the film community (even though I referred to myself as a "hobbyist" during the testimonial video I shot).

I am a film maker, and while I might have a hard time admitting it every now and then, it is something that I am most definitely proud of: when our first film won a cinematography award against an Imax movie; when we won our first International award; and every time our work is accepted and acknowledged by people of discriminating taste - every one of those moments justifies my hobby and makes it worth the crazy amounts of effort that we put in to each production.

So with all the excitement, positive feedback, and networking of the Film North festival, what could possibly be next?

Planning in progress for the weekend shoot.

Up next on the agenda, is a new shoot this weekend on a project called "How To Save A Life".  I wanted to shoot this about a year ago, but I am glad that plans fell through (and then again in the Spring, and the Summer) because we are back to the right time of year for this particular piece.

It's going to be an ambitious shoot, and a quick one with any luck, but I have been thinking about it all week and it is shaping into a solid piece - if the weather holds out.

I'll have an update ready sometime next week.