Frozen (2010)

Adam Green is something of an oddity in today’s genre climate. On one hand he’s a horror geek who produced the fun, yet shallow, Hatchet movies; on the other he’s given us top-quality character based horror like Spiral. As disposable horror go, the Hatchet movies are very much top quality entries, but they aren’t going to be remembered for originality or stand as a testament to his creativity skills. Green’s career took an interesting turn with Grace, which he produced. Grace is a highly original and equally disturbing horror film that proved that the man has an eye for a good script. Now comes Frozen, a small little movie about a group of friends stuck on a ski-lift… doesn’t send chills down the spine does it? But you’re in for a damn unpleasant surprise.

Three friends, Dan, Joe and Dan’s girlfriend Parker, are enjoying a day on the slopes. After cutting a deal with the ski lift operator for a reduced fare they further push their luck and demand one last run down the slopes as the park is closing. Reluctantly, the operator agrees and they go on their way. As they get further up the mountain, down below a serious of blunders result in the park getting shut down, while they’re stuck up in the mountain, 100 feet from the ground. Panic immediately sets in, but as time passes the horrifying realisation that they are stuck up there for five days kicks in and they have to figure out how to get back down to safety.

The simplest stories are often the most effective, and in the case of Frozen it certainly holds true. Three characters attached to a chair 100 foot above ground, hardly a complex scenario for a labyrinth-like narrative, but that’s where Frozen excels, it’s this stripped down approach that holds our attention for the films runtime. Due to the stories self-imposed limitations director Green has time to develop his characters and our affections for them before piling on the risk and danger. With its cold visuals playing off the icy landscapes perfectly, tension and danger are constantly assaulting the audience subconsciously. It’s this menace that truly haunts us as the film plays out.

Green’s appreciation for the films limitations truly pay-off. As the scenario grows increasingly worse, we share the characters despair because like them, we have no idea of what to expect. We know what they know, we have no insider knowledge of how things will play out and we suffer the ordeal every bit as much as the protagonists. It’s this cold, even heartless, approach that may alienate some viewers – this is by no means a enjoyable film in the traditional sense – but as an exercise in fear, tension and desperation the film is a triumph.

Those looking for a truly frightening film will find more than they bargained for here, those looking for the thrill-seeking jollies of Green’s previous effort, Hatchet, will sorely be disappointed; here he displays a true maturity as a filmmaker and as a great talent worth watching in future. That is, if he can stay away from the goofy elements of his debut that made him an overnight success: fun as that may be, there’s no merit to them and are forgotten within minutes, Frozen however, will stay with you long after watching and hold up to repeat viewing. Frozen is without a doubt one of the finest horror films to see the light of release in 2010 and comes highly recommended.

Frozen is out now to buy on Blu-ray or DVD.

The Loved Ones (2010)

Australian cinema really has come into its own again as of late. No longer the exploitation industry it used to be in the 70’s and 80’s it’s now a country producing some of the most exciting, thrilling and challenging films in the world. From films like The Book of Revelation to Coffin Rock and The Horseman to Van Diemen’s Land, it’s a country that continues to release impressive and daring material that remains underappreciated in Australia as much as it is outside of the continent.  Horror films like Wolf Creek have really brought attention to the dangers of the outback, but that’s a fear older than Australia itself. Director Sean Byrne however, has something far more delicious in store for us here with his feature debut, The Loved Ones.

Brent (Xavier Samuel), a depressed teen who enjoys a spot of self harming after the death of his father could never have imagined the trouble he finds himself in once he turns down a prom request from the school loner, Lola (Robin Mcleavy). On the night of the prom he is kidnapped by a man and held hostage. Turns out that what Lola wants, Lola gets and Daddy doesn’t take too kindly to anyone who doesn’t give in to her. It’s going to be one hell of a night for poor Brent.

There’s simply no describing how lusciously delirious this movie is. Lola and Daddy are destined for cinematic legend, they’re a duo so warped and deranged it’s hard not to get sucked up into their world. The film captures their mentality perfectly through the visuals; imagine a David Lynch film crossed with the teen-angst of Heathers and you’ll have a taste of what the film’s aiming for.  It also remains as unpredictable as a Lynch film, pending you haven’t seen the spoiler heavy UK trailer – avoid it if you can! – and it’s within this unpredictable craziness that the film thrills.

Equally as thrilling and unpredictable is new-comer Robin McLeavy. She embodies insanity here, but there’s a sultry side to Lola that attracts us to her. It’s this image of a blood-drenched girlie-girl that lingers in the memory, viciously screaming like a spoilt brat if she can’t get what she wants one minute and violently attacking the next: it’s this sassy psychotic that will bring Lola into horror legend. Then we have Daddy, a sickening paternal figure that will stop at nothing to please his daughter, even if it means ruining his happiness in the process.

The film is also surprisingly brutal. Brent is tortured and tormented in pretty explicit fashion, but it never crosses the line into straight exploitation. It’s graphic, it’s bloody but it’s never too excessive or discomforting that it alienates us. It’s thanks to this control from Sean Bryne that The Loved Ones ranks as not just the freshest horror film of the year, but also the most enjoyable. It’s a film that’s as sexy as it is shocking and as funny as it is violent; it’s everything horror should be. None surprising then that the film has been completely shafted by distributors, on a global level it would seem, getting the straight to DVD treatment here in the UK, the US still has no release date and the film is only just hitting cinemas in its native Australia! The Loved Ones is contender for horror film of the year; hopefully its audience will find it and cherish it on the home entertainment scene. Still, it would have been a treat to see this on the big screen! Highly recommended!

The Loved Ones is out to buy on Blu-ray or DVD now!

The Human Centipede (2009)

Tired of re-makes and sequels? Pained by the thought of conveyer-belt horror being churned out, not just Hollywood, but by Indie production companies and faux-underground auteurs that seem to think that fake-snuff movies are the future for the genre? You certainly aren’t alone, mio amico. When news of Tom Six’ debut The Human Centipede hit the World Wide Web, my interest was instantly raised; what was a Human Centipede? How do you make one? Are they safe? Can I have one? After seeing the trailer for the film, I instantly decided that having one would be wrong and somewhat amoral, but I did want to see the film still– as nasty and twisted as it appeared to be!

Two annoying American tourists, Lindsey and Ashley, breakdown in the middle of some woodland while looking for a club called ‘Bunker’. They are accosted by some German perv who propositions them, but refuses to lend a helping hand in fixing their flat tire. Too add to the cliché, they decide to wonder off into the woods in order to find help… or a road. What they find is a nice secluded house of the mad Doctor Heiter, who specializes in separating Siamese twins; only he's shifted focus from separation to attachment. We can see from a photo that he has successfully made a Dog Centipede and now aims to do the same with these American girls. All he has to do is find a suitable third part, which he does in a Japanese touris, Katsura.


Taking the most clichéd of horror clichés, Tom Six manages to avoid boredom and tedium by creating a great air of unease and mystery from the off-set. There’s also a great sense of dark humor powering the film that is evident from the start; what with the mad doctor trapping bait by shooting a trucker with a dart gun while he takes a roadside dump. When we first meet our American tourists, they come across as air-headed bimbo’s whom you secretly wish bad things upon, which is where the dark humor strikes once again, as bad things do happen to these poor girls; very bad things.

This is the beauty within the grime; the set up is so familiar that you’ve already figured out what the character will do next in vein attempts to escape; but much like the doomed protagonists, Director Tom Six is playing with us as the villainous doctor is his captives. They aren’t going to escape and neither are we – the horror will play out, and we will watch and endure it. The idea of the human centipede is revolting enough, but when the doctor begins to describe how he will achieve his goals, the stomach will start to feel queasy. Then the harsh realities of what would occur, in such a situation as this, start to arrive as the film progresses and it isn’t pretty; but then again when has the consumption of excretion ever been portrayed as pleasant? Let alone scar tissue exposed to such bodily discharge – revolting stuff indeed. Yet for all the revulsion the film remains gripping and engrossing.

Taking our fear of medical procedures to new sickening heights, The Human Centipede is a film that will be required viewing for genre fans whom believe they have 'seen it all'. The film itself is like an extended version of a Tales From The Crypt episode, so some viewers may loose interest after the first hour. Which is understandable, as it's a film with little to say and even little less to show after it's initial premise, we get to see the Centipede within the first half hour of the film, once seen the gimmick will soon wear-off and the story really has nowhere to go after that. Luckily, Deiter Laser gives a hugely enjoyable performance as the demented Dr. Heiter. Given that he's in the majority of the films run-time, had the role been cast to a lesser actor the film wouldn't be half as enjoyable and watchable as it is.

Tom Six is due to start production on the films sequel, which will apparently make this outing look like a child's movie, as long as he has more to say in this outing I can't see why the sequel can't better the original,. outside of it's great premise, lead performance and confident direction, The Human Centipede does begin to outstay it's welcome, even at ninety minutes. I wouldn't call the film a disappointment in the least, it's a solid little entry into a new decade of horror; but it's a film that was in need of a much needed kick in the ass in terms of pacing, Six goes hell for leather for forty minutes then falls into lackluster for the next half hour before picking back up the pace in the films admittedly gripping climax.

Highly recommended indeed, just don't expect to have your world moved, there's a talented man waiting to bloom; if this film hints at anything, it's that of a brave new voice in the horror community. One that has been brought up on Cronenberg movies, while having a love for the Japanese horror explosion of the late 90's/ early noughties – Takeshi Miike in particular – and is fully aware of the fear we have of traveling abroad.

Theatrical Trailer: