The Housemaid (2010)

Im Sang-soo is no stranger to controversy in his native South Korea. With films like Tears and The Presidents Last Bang landing the director in hot water for their depiction of teenage sexuality (Tears) and a blasting depiction of Politicians (Presidents Last Bang). So you can rely on the man for shock value, as well his strong visual style of story telling. With his latest release The Housemaid, he’s produced the most sexually explicit mainstream film to have come out of his homeland…

Eun Yi (Jeon Do-yeon), is hired as a nanny/maid for a disgustingly rich family who are expecting twins. The mother (Seo Woo) is due to deliver within weeks of Eun Yi’s employment so Eun Yi takes care of their first born, Nami (Ahn Seo-hyeon) while the mother worries about her figure. The husband (Lee Jeong-jae) is smitten by the new maid and it isn’t long before he’s moving in on her. An affair is sparked and when news that Eun Yi is pregnant breaks, it threatens to not just destroy their relationship, but will affect all of those within the household.

The first thing that grabs the viewers’ attention is Im Sang-soo’s glorious visual style. Each frame is a composition to be marvelled, a shot as simple as a man in a hallway has never, and should never look as beautiful – decadent in fact – as it does here. Each frame is a loving composition that leaves the viewer in awe. You could say that Sang-soo is using these exquisite visuals to hide the films flaws, which is a valid point as the film does have its issues with its rushed finale; but the visuals are essential to the film not just for aesthetics, but it helps us fall in love with the world that Eun-yi herself becomes infatuated with.

The Housemaid is a slow-burner, very little actually happens, its narrative progression is through dialogue and not set-pieces. Character actions are witnessed, but the consequences for these actions are escalated through dialogue driven confrontations which gradually builds and builds until the film literally explodes in the finale. This is the films biggest flaw, the pay-off is built-up throughout the film, yet the finale does come across as rushed. It’s the only flaw the film has, but if you’re caught up in the movies spell, which is hard not to be, it’s forgivable but others may be left disappointed.

The actors are all on form here, with Jeon Do-yeon giving a no-holds barred performance that has seen her rightly rewarded with various accolades on the festival circuit. Lee Jeong-jae also delivers a fantastic performance as a man who has it all and believes he’s entitled to everything within his household regardless of others feelings; he’s a detestable fella, yet his charisma is hard to deny; witness his Patrick Bateman-esque sexual prowess and try and hold a grudge against him.

The Housemaid may not be the masterpiece the original 1960’s version is, but as an erotic thriller the film ranks as one of the genre’s finest. A movie that is truly titillating and thrilling, the film excels with its visual-seduction as the characters sweat the screen up. It may be too slow for most, but for those with patience and appreciation for beautiful compositions and a sold story, there is plenty here to appreciate. It’s bold film and one of South Korea’s best of 2010.

You can buy the Korean DVD for The Housemaid here.

Cherry Tree Lane (2010)

Paul Andrew Williams has been a director to watch for British cinema fans since his powerful debut in 2006 with London to Brighton. Dealing with such pleasant acts as child prostitution and drug addiction, it was the perfect introduction for a no-holds barred director such as Williams. Two years later he returned with The Cottage, the complete opposite to his debut. The Cottage, by comparison, was a throwaway horror comedy about a couple of would be kidnappers whose choice of hideaway really couldn't have been worse. It was no-brain horror goodness that shocked fans of his debut, but now he's back with Cherry Tree Lane and he's giving audiences another horror film with the social realism that drove London to Brighton. Prepare to be depressed.

The story is a simple one. A middle-class couple are held captive by three, angry, young men who want to murder their son for reporting a crime in which a cousin of one of the youths was the perpetrator. Problem is, he's not home and the youth decide to kill time by terrorising his parents while waiting for him to return.

So, enjoyable premise it is not, but that's not to say the film isn't worth the discomfort the film will cause, and believe me when I say you'll be left destroyed by this film. The film has been labeled as a brutal, unflinching horror film – which it very much is – but the actual onscreen violence in minimal; all be a few slaps and some punches, every other act of violence is not shown. As with another British film that dealt with disillusioned youth menacing the rich, Thomas Clay's The Great Ecstasy of Robert Carmichael, Paul Andrew Williams has applied the ol' Hitchcock favourite of 'what you don't see is worse than what you do see' (and which was lacking in the horrific finale to Robert Carmichael) and has pushed it to the limit.

By using nothing but sound and characters facial expressions to get across the message, Williams masterful restraint has created one of the most uncomfortable viewing experiences in some time. With ever increasing graphic images finding their way into modern horror films, it's refreshing to see a film that is prepared to put it's effort into destroying it's audience by using the their own imagination rather than relying on the special effects team. It's nothing new by any means, but it's all to rarely seen in movies these days outside of Michael Haneke's filmography.

As an exercise in film-making, Cherry Tree Lane is a success but the film as a whole doesn't work as well as it could have. Williams knows he's using a tabloid hot-potatoe with lower-class youth victimising a middle-class couple, but he has no answers or input as to why such events actually happen. He seems more content with using it as an additional tool to mind fuck his audience with, which relegates the film to basic exploitation, as he certainly doesn't have a message or suitable reason for the films brutality. Some may take offense by it, some will not be able to appreciate his film-making abilities regarding violence and others may actually anticipate more brutality than what they'll have been given.

Cherry Tree Lane may not be as important as it might like to appear, but it's certainly an exercise in terror unlike most in the genre. Fans of the technical side of film will likely appreciate it more than a viewer just looking to push their limits of horror; but it's a worthwhile endurance test for anyone who enjoys being manipulated by a film-maker as there's no real substance to the film outside of it's creative inventiveness. It does show Paul Andrew Williams as a film-maker who continues to grow and with each passing movie shows us what he's capable of, needless to say I'm excited for his next movie.

Cherry Tree Lane is out buy now on DVD.

Heartless (2010)

It's a tight rope to walk when trying to create a fairytale for adults. Sure we've had some attempts that have managed to pull it off effortlessly, who can deny the power and beauty of Geillermo del Toro's  Pan's Labyrinth? But for every Pan's Labyrinth we also have Snow White: A Tale of Terror or Rumpelstiltskin to contend with. As fun and cheesy as Rumpelstiltskin is, it fails to have the desired effect of all fairy tales; that of caution and distrust. Philip Ridley however has made a welcome return to film-making with a triumphant new fairytale that hits it's marks perfectly and gives us yet another gripping adult fairytale that ranks as horrific and affecting as anything in Pan's Labyrinth.

Jamie (Jim Sturgess) is an east-end photographer haunted by his birthmark. A large, heart-shaped blemish covering most of the left side of his face, it is the cause of much ridicule that is the creator of the introverted, shy man he is today. With news reports of escalating incidents of random violence carried out by hooded youngsters wearing demon-like masks. One night, he and his mother are attacked by this gang and his mother is murdered, swearing revenge Jamie set out to find who is responsible for his mothers death. Once he meets the sinister Papa B (Joseph Mawle) however, Jamie is offered everything he longs for, all he has to do is re-pay Papa B back when he asks him to. Needless to say, he's in for more than he bargained for.

What makes Heartless such a rewarding film is it's layers. I've given a brief outline of the film, but to know more would likely ruin it's twisted charm and appeal. This is a movie that was designed for repeat viewings, it's secrets aren't going to be revealed to you on first viewing; you have to re-visit and re-evaluate the film with the knowledge acquired upon previous viewings. Everything shot in this film applied itself to the character of Jamie, from the films colour scheme to the actual locations, each symbolize an aspect of understanding Jamie; even the belongings in his home add characterisation. It's also here where the fairytale aspect creeps in as Jamie's room is contains paintings of such classics as Beauty and the Beast and Peter Pan.

As hard as director Ridley has been working behind the camera with his crew for the film unique look, none of that hard work would have been futile hadn't the cast been up to snuff. Luckily Ridley has been blessed with a fine supporting cast to help aide Sturgess, who himself has given his best performance to date her. Timothy Spall and Ruth Sheen both give heartfelt turns here as Jamie's parents, while Eddie Marsan and Joseph Mawle provide the necessary malice the film needs. Clémence Poésy and Noel Clarke round the cast as Jamie's friend and love interest; both give memorable performances and Poésy provides the film with a welcome glimpse of light and softness.

Heartless is a dark film, not just visually but the subject matters the film covers are equally as heavy on the senses. It's not a happy film, situations spiral from bad to worse and just like all good fairy tales, no one will make it out intact, and this goes for the audience too. This is also the films biggest flaw, it's a cold film and may distract viewers from coming back to it and giving it the essential second viewing; where you'll find yourself re-watching the film while discovering another. Philip Ridley has returned to film-making with a bang, this is tough-as-nails stuff that's excellently acted by its ensemble cast and a welcome return to one of British cinemas reclusive talents. Here's hoping we don't have to wait 15 years for the next one!

You can buy Heartless on Blu-ray or DVD now!

Glasgow Film Theatre: October 24th...

Calum Waddell has announced the awesome line-up for a one-off event in the Glasgow Film Theatre on October 24th 2010. Here's the line-up...

This event off with the UK premiere screening of Frank Henenlotter's freaking fantastic documentary HERSCHELL GORDON LEWIS: THE GODFATHER OF GORE:



A special, pre-DVD release screening of ISLAND OF DEATH with Greek exploitation legend Nico Mastorakis in attendance for an audience Q and A!



Next, the UK premiere of the EXPOSE remake (now re-titled STALKER) with star Jane March in person.



At 8pm we'll be rounding off the evening with a big screen showing of Lamberto Bava's DEMONS.

And you'll be geting two-for-one guests on this because before DEMONS we'll be continuing the video nasty vibe by showing a trailer reel from 1980's CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST followed by a Q and A session with the star Francesca Ciardi (AKA Faye Daniels) making her first UK public appearance.





Followed by a special appearance, and Q and A, with Mr. Sergio Stivaletti - the effects man behind DEMONS, DEMONS 2, PHENOMENA, OPERA, THE CHURCH, CEMETERY MAN, THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, MOTHER OF TEARS.... you bloody name it! He also, of course, directed WAX MASK, taking over from the late Lucio Fulci.

So: one day, a quartet of guests, four films - all for £22 or £18 conc. No autograph fees or anything - come, drink, watch movies, shop at the Arrow stall, win some freebies, enjoy yourselves. As always we aim to make sure you get your money's worth!

Evil Dead UK Blu-ray!

Sony Pictures have announced the UK Blu-Ray debut of Sam Raimi's classic Video Nasty, The Evil Dead! It's one tasty looking package...

Director Sam Raimi’s Cult Horror Classic Available
For the First Time Ever on Blu-ray Disc!

THE EVIL DEAD

Featuring Hours of Innovative New Bonus Features, Including All-New Cast & Crew Commentary & Interactive Picture-in-Picture Commentary

On October 11, cult horror classic THE EVIL DEAD rises to terrifying new life across the globe on Blu-ray Disc, courtesy of Sony Pictures Home Entertainment.

Featuring digitally remastered high definition picture and sound, plus hours of innovative new bonus features, this is the ultimate way for fans old and new; good and evil; alive and un-dead to experience this groundbreaking horror favourite!

Before conquering the global box office with his smash hit Spider-Man series, director Sam Raimi changed the face of horror with this spine-tingling tale of a group of college students facing off against forces of evil at an isolated cabin. At the time of its release, legendary horror author Stephen King called THE EVIL DEAD “the most ferociously original horror film of the year.”

Now, horror fans around the globe can experience the terror in the woods like never before with nightmarishly vivid 1080p HD picture and hauntingly crisp 5.1 Dolby TrueHD sound.

In addition, this stunning new high-def transfer comes loaded with thrilling new bonus features, including all new commentary with Director Sam Raimi, Producer Rob Tapert, and actor Bruce Campbell, plus the interactive Picture-in-Picture commentary “Join Us! The Undying Legacy of The Evil Dead.” Additional bonus features include the featurettes “One by One We Will Take You: The Untold Saga of The Evil Dead,” “Treasures from the Cutting Room Floor,” “At the Drive-In,” “Discovering Evil Dead,” “Make-Up Test,” “Ellen and Drama Teacher” and “On-Stage Interview.”

THE EVIL DEAD will be available on Blu-ray Disc for RRP £17.99.

Synopsis
Five Michigan State University students venture into the hills to spend a weekend at an isolated cabin. There they discover an ancient Sumerian text, known as the “Morturom Demonto”; roughly translated as “The Book of the Dead.” While searching the basement of the cabin, the students find and play a tape recording of demonic incantations from the book, unwittingly resurrecting slumbering demons that thirst for revenge. The characters are then possessed - one by one - by the spirits of the Book.

THE EVIL DEAD was written and directed by Sam Raimi (Spider-Man trilogy, Drag Me To Hell) and produced by Robert G. Tapert (Drag Me To Hell, The Grudge). Its cast features Bruce Campbell (Evil Dead 2, Army of Darkness), Ellen Sandweiss (My Name is Bruce), Hal Delrich (Crimewave), Betsy Baker (TV’s “Southland”, “E.R.”) and Sarah York (TV’s “Dangerous Women”).

It has a run time of approximately 85 minutes and is rated 18.

Blu-ray High Def Bonus Material

* All New Commentary with Director Sam Raimi, Producer Rob Tapert, and actor Bruce Campbell
* Picture-in-Picture: Join Us! The Undying Legacy of The Evil Dead
* One by One We Will Take You: The Untold Saga of The Evil Dead
* Treasures from the Cutting Room Floor
* At the Drive-In
* Discovering Evil Dead
* Make-Up Test
* Ellen and Drama Teacher
* On-Stage Interview
* Make-up Test

The Blu-ray Disc version of THE EVIL DEAD is BD-Live enabled, allowing users to get connected and go beyond the disc via an Internet-connected Blu-ray player and download content.

Animal Sanctuary: Not Cute. Some Fluffy.

On Christmas Eve, 1896, Georges Méliès created the horror film with ‘Le Manoir du diable’. Everything about early genre films was born here, the gothic castle, witches, Christianity overcoming Satan etc etc. It also touched on an issue that would become a staple of the horror genre in its later period, with it’s depiction of an animal, in this case a bat, turned into an evil, threatening force.

Whereas in early horror films the animal itself was not the threat, as with ‘Le Manoir du diable’ the threat comes once the bat has transformed into the legendary Mephistopheles of the ‘Faust’ tale. But as time progressed and the 50’s brought with it a wave of science-based disaster-horror films featuring giant scientific experiments gone wrong, it became apparent that the creatures of yore were no longer frightening to the majority of moviegoers.

Then came Alfred Hitchcock’s ‘Psycho’ in 1960 and it all changed. No longer was the ‘unbelievable’ scary for audiences. The fear of ‘us’ became the ultimate fear for audiences as cemented by George A. Romero’s legendary ‘Night of the Living Dead’ in 1968, and remains so to this day. There was also another milestone during this period from Hitchcock, ‘The Birds’ in 1963. Not only did we have to be afraid of those around us, but of other creatures: creatures as seemingly unthreatening as seagulls became potential harbingers of doom … and they wouldn’t be the last.

Since those menacing seagulls et al attacked, filmmakers have upped the anti from movie to movie. Exploitation cinema was also there to fill the audience’s desire for more animals running amok with a staggering variation of animals loosing their marbles, from 1972’s ‘Frogs’ from George McCowan; which sees a household being terrorised by not just the titular amphibians but also lizards, birds and more surreally butterflies! And who could forget William F. Claxton’s 1972 carnivorous killer rabbits epic ‘Night of the Lepus’?

Hell, the modern Hollywood blockbuster was born from this pandemic with Steven Spielberg’s ‘Jaws’ in 1975; changing the movie industry forever and shaping it into what we know it as today, cheers Steve! Of course the film industry are always keen to cash-in on success and ‘Jaws’ was no different. All kinds of fish have lost their marbles in filmland, such as killer whales in 1977’s ‘Orca’, octopus in the same years ‘Tentacles’ and barracudas in err… ‘Barracuda’ from Harry Kerwin in1978!

Now, it’s all good and well to find ‘inspiration’ in another movie, but certain filmmakers, well… certain Italian filmmakers, felt that imitation was indeed the sincerest form of hackery and actually ripped ‘Jaws’ off entirely. The father of the ‘Inglorious Basterds’ himself, Enzo G. Castellari was the first inline with 1980’s ‘Great White’ which managed to reframe from ‘referencing’ whole lines of dialogue and even managed to top ‘Jaws 2’ highlight set-piece, involving the shark attacking a helicopter. It was later ‘referenced’ itself by trash cinema icon Bruno Mattei in…

1995’s ‘Cruel Jaws’. Truly a film that needs seeing to be believed! Not only does it rip lines of dialogue straight from Spielberg’s blockbuster, but it also lifts actual footage from fellow rip-offs ‘Great White’ and Joe D’Amato’s lazy 1989 effort ‘Deep Blood’! It’ll never see the light of day in the UK or US, but it can be had for those willing to risk their sanity.

Marine life, Birds, rabbits, butterflies and lizards were just the tip of the iceberg though as audiences have been terrified by electrically juiced up bloodworms in Jeff Lieberman’s grossly effective 1976 outing ‘Squirm’. The same year also saw cult legend Christopher George fending off an 18-foot man-eating bear in, equally cult-worthy, William Girdler’s ‘Grizzly’.

George and Girdler re-teamed in 1977 for ‘Day of the Animals’ which sees the depleted O-zone layer causing a chemical shift in animal life. Animals such as mountain lions, black bears, German shepherds, and birds of prey all lose the plot. Also that year, William Shatner had to defend a small Arizonan town from thousands of hungry tarantulas in John "Bud" Cardos’ epic ‘Kingdom of Spiders’.

1978 saw the last worthwhile forays into the Nature Amok subgenre, with Joe Dante’s horror-comedy ‘Piranha’, capturing the absurdity of the genre to perfection while Australian, Colin Eggleston created a genre masterpiece with ‘Long Weekend’. His tale of a reckless couple whose selfish treatment of their surroundings catches up with them in the most frightening of ways remains an under-looked genre film to this day.

From there the subgenre dwindled with only a few worthwhile titles finding their way to the screen. Roger Corman produced 1979 effort ‘Up From the Depths’ from Charles B. Griffith is a guilty pleasured cheese-fest featuring a killer shark-like critter that will cause many a laugh. As will James Cameron’s (yes, him) ‘Piranha II: The Spawning’ from 1981. An Itlaian-American co-production starring the incomparable Lance Henriksen is as entertaining as it is improbably – flying Piranha?!

1982 saw James Herbert’s novel, ‘The Rats’ transferred into ‘Deadly Eyes’ by ‘Enter the Dragon’ and ‘Black Belt Jones’ director Robert Clouse. Giant killer rats, the produce of contaminated grain (!) go on a rampage in Canada. This Golden Harvest production would be one of the last guilty pleasures of the Nature Amok subgenre, that seemingly died out… until recently.

As re-make fever continues to fester in the horror community, Nature Amok titles have suffered the same fate as some of the horror genre staples like ‘Texas Chainsaw Massacre’ and ‘Dawn of the Dead’, they’ve been… re-imagined, for a whole new generation. With the recent release of Alexandre Aja’s re-make of ‘Piranha’ scaring up big bucks at the box-office, maybe we’ll see more re-imaginings of these guilty pleasure?

But fret not hardened horror fans, original Nature Amok titles are still being produced, and just like the bygone era that birthed them; they remain as underappreciated now as they did then, Carter Smith’s 2008 shocker ‘The Ruins’ being one such title. There’s also Carlos Brooks 2010 feature ‘Burning Bright’ which is currently creating buzz within the horror community.

After nearly 50 years worth of cinematic animal madness, the genre is long overdue a fresh take and ‘Burning Bright’ is just that. Here we have an animal most people wouldn’t care to bump in to, a Bengal tiger, not only is it already known as a prestigious man-eater, but this tiger hasn’t been fed in days! Enter a caring sister and her autistic brother, locked in their waste-of-space step-fathers house which just happens to have been boarded up for an incoming hurricane, and unleash the tiger and watch the fun and games unfold.


Mashing the Nature Amok subgenre with the Home Invasion subgenre, made famous by the likes of Bob Clark’s 1974 seminal ‘Black Christmas’, Robert A Endelson’s 1977 grindhouse classic ‘Fight for your Life’ and Michele Heneke’s 1997 arthouse wonder ‘Funny Games’ is a bold and ingenious realisation. It’s also one that pays off and creates a truly original horror movie in a genre awash with re-imaginings and sequels.

‘Burning Bright’ has just been premiered at Filmfour’s celebrated Frightfest and makes its DVD debut courtesy of Momentum Pictures on September 6th.

Burning Bright (2010)

Kelly (Sorority Row's Briana Evigan) and her autistic younger brother, Tom (Charlie Tahan), are startled to discover that they've been trapped in their step-father Johnny's (Garret Dillahunt) house-come-safari park with a starving Bengal tiger; recently purchased from a circus (an enjoyable cameo from Meatloaf) that could no longer control it. With a hurricane raging outside, Kelly must stay one-step ahead of the hunter in order to save herself and her brother.

Burning Bright is a very welcome experience. Shelved for nearly 2 years while the market gets bombarded by re-makes of superior movies, this little gem sat gathering dust – great! Taking two classic sub-genres, the nature runs amok and the home invasion movies and bundling them into a brisk eighty minute exercise in tension that is a pleasure from start to finish. It may not be a classic but it will certainly prove a welcome change from the norm.

The film spends the first half hour introducing us to the three characters and the awkward dynamic they have. Kelly wants to put Tom into specialist care so she can go to college, but alcoholic Johnny has used the money saved to purchase the tiger for his Safari park, and to take care of some other unresolved business involving the dead mothers will. Due to the incoming hurricane the house has been completely boarded down, so Johnny unleashes the tiger in the house and hits his local bar. From there on the movie is non-stop tension as the siblings try to escape.

There are several well orchestrated set-pieces, the best being Kelly's first encounter with the tiger in the basement; Kelly hides in the laundry shoot as the tiger prowls below, Kelly's sweat drops down and the tiger picks up her sent and it isn't long before it knows where the next meal can be found. Due to the claustrophobic environment, the constant threat of violence can be felt throughout the final forty minutes and really elevates the film and makes you wonder why it's taken so long to be released? It also helps that they chose to use a real tiger and kept the CGI to a minimum, this added realism really adds to the impact and gives an authentic sense of menace watching the it stalk around the house.

Briana Evigan really impresses, she's pretty much in every shot of the movie so a lot was depending on her performance and she provides a fantastic turn here. The scenes with her and the tiger were filmed separately and cleverly edited together, so it's a credit to the young actress that she gives such a convincing portrayal of fear when there wasn't anything on set to be afraid of... Well, except Garret Dillahunt, who can play creepy and off-putting in his sleep and provides another solid performance here. When is he going to get more substantial roles? He's one of America's finest character actors and deserves more than the type casting he's currently facing!

Don't expect an out-and-out bloodbath, this is a restrained effort that focuses more on atmosphere than kills. The tension is well executed and will have viewers palms sweating on more than one occasion. If you're attending this years Film4 Frightfest in London then you should do yourself a favour and experience this on the big screen, the film premiere's on Friday 27th August at 10:45am and has a follow up showing on the 28th at 9pm. Those who can't make it can find the DVD in stores from 6th September. If you're tired of re-makes and want an enjoyable slice of original horror then you can do worse than Burning Bright, it's an enjoyable thrill-ride that will entertain those looking for atmosphere over claret.

You can pre-order the DVD here.