Fans of sloppy 70′s schlock, rejoice! Thanks to DVD replicating technology so cheap that even the major studios are willing to master their obscure catalog titles to disc and totally burn you a copy for a reasonable price, more and more lost gems from all eras of film history have been receiving the disc-on-demand treatment. And thank the gods of b-horror that one of MGM’s latest “Limited Edition Collection” titles is the William Sachs classic The Incredible Melting Man. Previously only available on cheap bootleg DVDs mastered from poor VHS sources, MGM has finally unleashed this monster the way it was meant to be seen, and threw a theatrical trailer on the disc, too!
For those unfortunates who have not seen this film yet, a quick synopsis: Astronaut Steve West (Alex Rebar) returns from a mission to Saturn, the only surviving member of his crew. West is kept in a military hospital, but he soon escapes, driven mad by the voices in his head and the fact that he is melting. As in “melting like a candle,” his skin and muscles sloughing away as he tracks sticky footprints behind him. The only thing that will slow his melting is fresh blood, so Steve begins knocking off random passersby in a desperate attempt to keep from melting away to nothing.
As Steve wanders around getting into unpleasant interactions with a very unlucky fisherman and some massively traumatized children, he is pursued by Dr. Ted Nelson (Burr DeBenning), who also has to deal with some trouble at home. Yes, The Incredible Melting Man has time for both a guy melting all over and/or killing people as well as some drama on the home front. Inevitably, all this melting must come to an end, but not before Steve West has managed to drag as many people down with him as humanly possible. Seriously, being a melting man is undoubtedly pretty horrible, but Steve West does not handle it well at all.
The Incredible Melting Man is maybe best known today for its appearance on an episode of Mystery Science Theater 3000, but it was also an early showcase for the makeup and effects work of a young Rick Baker. The effects are obviously one of the film’s main selling points, as writer/director Sachs gives the audience plenty of time to take them in. And now that we finally have this film on DVD, there’s no better way to take them in– simply put, this transfer looks amazing in contrast to the previous murky VHS-sourced releases of the film previously available. It’s even presented in 16×9 widescreen! Even if you have already seen the movie, it is absolutely worth watching again just so you can actually see what Baker’s makeup looked like!
Fans of low-budget 70s horror films will find a lot to like in The Incredible Melting Man, but for anyone who doesn’t like watching MST3K movies without the commentary, it might be rough to watch. In that case, perhaps a case of cheap beer and some chatty friends may be in order. In any case, no one should miss out on seeing this lost classic. Hopefully MGM will unearth even more gems like The Incredible Melting Man as they continue their “Limited Edition Collection” dvd-on-demand service!
Indiscretion (2016)
Originally published on Film Monthly 28 March 2017
It’s frustrating that the major film studios haven’t done much to capitalize on the box office success of the Fifty Shades of Grey films. The closest any mainstream studio has come to the softcore drama or erotic thriller are the films in Sony’s new annual Fall series of PG-13 thrillers starting with 2014’s No Good Deed and continuing with 2015’s The Perfect Guy and 2016’s When the Bough Breaks. But the film industry tends to be cautious when it comes to courting female viewers. One hit movie based on an 80s toy line and they’re ready to build a tentpole franchise and bet the farm for the next decade, but get a $100 million opening weekend largely from a female audience and things move a lot more slowly. Some smaller production companies and independent filmmakers have been more in tune with the market demand for more erotic films, and the new thriller Indiscretion is among these. Appropriately, the film was picked up for distribution by Lifetime and is now being released on VOD. There’s even a pitch-perfect “retro” trailer that deftly mimics the look, tone, and sound of 80s and 90s video store trailers. But can the film deliver the trashy goods the trailer promises?
Child psychologist Dr. Veronica Simon (Mira Sorvino) is married to Louisiana politician Jake Simon (Cary Elwes), whose career is on the rise despite rumors of infidelity. Veronica and Jake have been married for twenty years and have built his platform together after Veronica set aside her own political ambitions to give birth to their now teenage daughter Lizzy (Katherine McNamara). One fateful evening, Veronica meets sculptor Victor (Christopher Backus, Sorvino’s real-life husband) at an art exhibit. Her friend and colleague Dr. Harper (Melora Walters) is also at the party and warns that she formerly treated Victor, but Veronica is immediately drawn to him. The following weekend while Jake is out of town, Veronica buys one of Victor’s sculptures from the gallery and invites him to dinner, and before she knows it she’s swept up in a weekend fling. Or at least that’s how she sees it–when she tells Victor she can’t see him any more, he becomes unhinged, and soon begins stalking her.
The storyline of Indiscretion is nothing new. Anyone who’s seen any late-night cable thrillers of the 80s and 90s will know pretty much exactly how things are going to play out. Judging by the “retro” trailer and Jay Shaw’s alternate poster for the film, the marketing team clearly knew their reference points. Unfortunately the film falls far short of delivering what the trailer and posters promise. This is an oddly chaste “erotic thriller,” with absolutely no nudity and only a couple of sex scenes that rely much more on the power of suggestion than actual erotic imagery. In the post-Basic Instinct heyday of the erotic thriller, countless studio films were released on home video in “unrated” versions that promised footage too hot for the silver screen. If the version of Indiscretion hitting VOD is their “unrated” version, the cut that aired on Lifetime must have been virtually identical. There are only a handful of profanities and a minimum of violence, almost as if the film was specifically tailored to air on cable with as little alteration as possible.
Since the film can’t rely on the typical selling points of the erotic thriller, it has to bank on its other qualities. That’s certainly not going to be the story, since anyone who has seen one of these “obsessed lover” thrillers will know almost beat-for-beat what is coming. The framing device of Veronica on an interview program set after the events of the film also makes the end of the story pretty obvious early on. Director/co-writer John Stewart Muller puts the New Orleans locations to good use and there’s a touch of surreal menace in a masquerade party scene, but otherwise there’s not much else in the way of visual flair. The performances are fine and Backus is sufficiently creepy as Victor turns against Veronica, but it would have been nice to see more of Melora Walters (although to be fair, this is a legitimate complaint against almost any movie with Melora Walters). Ultimately, Indiscretion feels like a made-for-Lifetime version of the kind of films its marketing department so cannily conjured with its trailer and poster. Those of us hoping for a real revival of the erotic thriller will have to wait and see if Warner Bros.’s upcoming Unforgettable helps prove the form can still be relevant at the box office.
Inside (2007)
Originally published on Film Monthly 6 April 2008
Since the release of Alexandre Aja’s High Tension in 2003, it seems as though French filmmakers have been intent on beating the Great American Horror Film at its own game. While forerunners like Trouble Every Day and In My Skin appropriated horror themes and graphic imagery while maintaining an academic detachment from the genre, the films that followed have been unapologetic horror pictures. Alexandre Bustillo and Julian Maury’s brutal, uncompromising Inside may well be the ultimate expression of this new wave of French horror.
Sarah (Alysson Paradis) decides to spend Christmas Eve, the night before she is to be induced into labor, alone with her thoughts and her unborn child. Four months have passed since Sarah and her husband were involved in a car accident that killed him and left her alone. Sarah is disturbed by a Woman (Béatrice Dalle) at the door who
seems to know all about her life and before long, the Woman is inside the house and determined to take Sarah’s baby by whatever means necessary–including quickly dispatching anyone who happens to interfere.
The film takes this simple, familiar plot and gives it a decidedly different spin. It is merciless, with the directors staging scene after scene of unbearable tension. Each time they provide a release, the catharsis is more horrific and violent than the last. It’s a difficult film to watch, and exhausting. But there’s clearly more going on here than just mindless gore for its own sake–it’s beautifully shot and meticulously designed on every level. The minimal set, perfect lighting and cinematography, unsettling sound design and the excellent performances by the two leads take the film to a level of artistry virtually unheard of in the horror genre, French or otherwise. The film ends on a profoundly haunting and disturbing image that is also deeply moving.
That said, however, there should be no mistake: this is one of the most gruesome and brutal horror films ever made. Not since Nacho Cerdà’s infamous “Aftermath” have I been in a theater with an audience so terrified. It’s that intense. Near the end of the film, just when it seems like Bustillo’s script is about to explain too much, there is a series of events that forces the audience to reconsider everything that has come before. Unlike the clumsy, film-ruining twist in High Tension, this one actually compels multiple viewings. What is perhaps even more amazing is that the film truly deserves them. It’s concrete proof that there is art to be found in the most horrific places.
The Invitation (2015)
Originally published on Film Monthly 16 July 2016
Karyn Kusama’s career as a feature film director has certainly been unique. After her debut feature Girlfight made a huge impact on film festivals in 2000–including a win at Sundance for Directing and a tie with Kenneth Lonergan’s You Can Count on Me for the festival’s Grand Jury Prize–Kusama was enlisted to direct the big-screen live action adaptation of the cult animated series Aeon Flux (2005) for Paramount. The film was not the hit the studio likely hoped it would be, and Kusama did not return to the director’s chair until Jennifer’s Body in 2009, scripted by Diablo Cody. While that film hit theaters in the middle of a twin backlash against its screenwriter and star Megan Fox, it has subsequently gained a cult following. Kusama’s latest film The Invitation is another major departure from her previous work, further establishing her as a director doing fascinating work in a wide variety of cinematic terrain.
Will (Logan Marshall-Green) and his girlfriend Kira (Emayatzy Corinealdi) have been invited to a dinner party being thrown by Will’s ex-wife Eden (Tammy Blanchard) and her new husband David (Michiel Huisman). Eden and David still live in the house where Will and Eden lived with their son who died in an accident, and Will has not returned to the home since. Already on shaky psychological ground in the house, Will becomes even more upset when Eden and David and another couple at the party begin to tell the other guests about the group they’re in called The Invitation. Banding together people through their shared grief, The Invitation appears to the others to be a cult but Eden and the other members swear it’s helped them in tangible ways. David shows the group an unsettling recruitment video and they play a game taught by the Invitation designed to make people uncomfortable. As the evening continues the tensions heighten, and Will has to decide if The Invitation is the creepy cult he thinks it is or if he’s just dealing with some serious unresolved issues.
Taking place almost entirely in one house over the course of a few hours, The Invitation starts off relatively low-key. The tension begin coiling early, assisted by the claustrophobic nature of the location and a slate of excellent performances. The film is expertly paced, ramping up slowly through a series of flashbacks and character interactions that elegantly reveal much about the characters and their relationships to each other. The large cast ably gives each of their characters a distinct personality, often having to do so in the space of only a few moments of front-and-center screen time. The house in which the story takes place is initially warm and inviting, but its deep shadows reflect the treacherous emotional terrain Will deals with while his friends chat and joke over glasses of wine. In short, Kusama and her collaborators have crafted a spellbinding psychological thriller with a serious gut-punch of an ending. No doubt anyone paying attention to her work is once again waiting impatiently to see what she does next.
An Irish Exorcism (2013)
Originally published on Film Monthly 20 May 2015
Ireland has not traditionally been a hotbed of horror cinema, but some recent productions have made an impression on international genre fans. It was probably just a matter of time before an Irish filmmaker tackled the “found footage” style of film that has been a staple of independent genre cinema of the last decade. Eric Courtney’s An Irish Exorcism manages to capitalize on both “found footage” and the enduring popularity of exorcism-related horror films. There have been no shortage of either of these kinds of films over the last several years, and there have even been a number of other films that are both, putting An Irish Exorcism in a crowded field of independent productions. Under the best circumstances, it would have to bring something really exceptional to the table to stand out. Unfortunately, other than its country of origin, there’s not much to set it apart.
Lorraine (Aislinn Ní Uallacháin) is shooting a documentary about exorcism for a school project with her friend Cathal (Dillon White). The day they interview Father Quinn (Paddy C. Courtney) about the subject, they stumble upon the local exorcist Father Byrne (Brian Fortune) preparing to meet with Maura (Elaine Hearty) to discuss a possible exorcism for her daughter Lisa (Anna Davis). Father Quinn is accommodating, and Maura grants Lorraine a brief interview after her meeting with the priests, but Father Byrne is clearly uninterested in having a camera anywhere near him or the exorcism process. Maura agrees to a follow-up interview at her home, but before Lorraine and Cathal can finish shooting, the priests arrive to visit with Lisa and determine what needs to be done. Determined to get spectacular footage for her documentary, Lorraine and Cathal stick around even after being asked firmly to leave. However, Cathal is later drafted to help assist in the exorcism while Lorraine uncovers the dark secrets of Maura’s family by snooping around her house. Is Lisa possessed, or is she suffering from some other kind of horror?
An Irish Exorcism follows the blueprint of post-Paranormal Activity “found footage” films pretty closely. Probably too closely, given that Lisa is never seen until nearly the 40-minute mark, and the first show of her demonic power is that she makes a throw pillow move without touching it. The opening of the film is made up of Lorraine and Cathal talking about whether or not they believe in exorcism, attempting to interview people on the street for the documentary, and getting repeated stern talkings-to from Father Byrne. There’s just not much of interest going on for the vast majority of the film’s running time, and even though the cast is good, they just can’t make up for the narrative inertia that bogs the film down. Once the supernatural action starts, it’s mostly made up of lights being flipped on and off and cupboards and drawers opening on their own, along with a lot of screaming and video “glitches” that obscure what is happening on the screen. Maybe this would scare a young viewer who hasn’t seen much horror cinema, but diehard fans will likely find this more amusing than disturbing.
Of course, the exorcism subgenre is one that divides audiences by its very definition: either you’re terrified of these kind of stories, or you absolutely aren’t. It’s arguable that no amount of technical finesse or showmanship could convince someone who isn’t scared of demons and such that this kind of story is frightening. There are some moments of effective sound design, but all too often An Irish Exorcism leans on jump scares in which the person holding the camera (usually Lorraine) sees or hears something and shrieks. That’s not scary, it’s startling, and this is a depressingly common mistake made by these type of films. Another common misstep is that the movie doesn’t so m
uch build to a crescendo, it just sort of suddenly gets much louder in the last couple of minutes before its abrupt ending. Ultimately, other than the accents of the cast, there’s just not much about An Irish Exorcism that’s memorable or particularly different from countless other low-budget “found footage” exorcism movies. Only hardcore fans of Irish cinema or “found footage” completists need apply.
Isolation (2011)
Originally published on Film Monthly 9 November 2011
Like many film fans, I believe the best way to approach a film is to know as little about it as possible going in before first watching it. The ideal situation– to know absolutely nothing about a film before seeing it– is all but impossible. But sometimes even knowing the most general details about a movie can spoil some of the experience. Take Isolation, for example: chances are good that you already know it’s a film that fits into the horror genre. Knowing that, you automatically start to watch the film and read it in a specific way. And for genre-savvy viewers, Isolation may prove to be a frustrating experience.
There is a brief scene of interaction between Amy (Eva Amurri) and her father Lawrence (Gregg Henry) in which he attempts to console her about something that has happened to make her upset. The film then cuts abruptly to Amy in a bed in a large hospital room, with radio snippets suggesting that an outbreak of a highly contagious virus may be why she is in an isolation unit. After some foggy time floating in and out of consciousness, Amy wakes and meets intern Jake (Joshua Close), and shortly afterward meets her doctor, Dr. Sloan (David Harbour). Details about why Amy is in the hospital are scarce, at least partially because Amy is so agitated that she can’t let Dr. Sloan finish a sentence, but the gist is that she collapsed and was brought in to the hospital, where she has been resting for days.
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