dougray30 Reviews

Old Friends, A Dogumentary (2022)

When it comes to love, the sky is the limit.

[10/10 · 25 August 2022]

Disposable. Too expensive. Too much trouble to care for. Too many problems. In the modern world these are terms regularly assigned to senior pets, animals with so much life and love left in them. But Old Friends Senior Dog Sanctuary in Mount Juliet, Tennessee knows exactly how valuable these old friends can be.

Director Gorman Bechard first introduced us to Old Friends in one of the storylines of his wonderful film "Seniors, A Dogumentary." But here, Bechard delves into how Old Friends grew from a one-dog foster to their new, state-of-the-art health and wellness facility, and introduces us to many of the people committed to making these discarded dogs' golden years as happy as possible. And you will learn how, along the way, they can save their rescuers in the process.

Staff (with founders Zina and Michael Gooden leading the way), volunteers, fosters, supporters, and dog lovers in general all come together with a common goal: preserving and protecting the love and dignity of these senior dogs, some of whom have led very difficult lives. All these dogs ask for is a chance; a chance to live, a chance to experience true happiness and love, and a chance to give back tenfold all the affection they receive, and a chance to show what a dignified and carefree world can do. And Old Friends has made it their mission to save as many as possible, and either find them loving foster or forever homes, or supply them with a warm, safe, loving place to live out their final years.

There are few things in life that can bring warmth to a human heart like watching a dog discover how to be a dog again. The unconditional love and affection they provide can brighten even the darkest place.

A tapestry of loving eyes, wagging tails, smiles, and open hearts. Watch this film and develop a new appreciation for all these senior dogs have to offer.

Where Are You, Jay Bennett? (2021)

A Latter Day Brian Wilson

[10/10 · 9 January 2022]

Ask any Wilco fan what their favorite album by the band is, and you know they'll say Being There, Summerteeth, or YHF. That, of course, is the Jay Bennett era.

Sadly, too many modern fans of Wilco (and music in general) have no appreciation for how talented Jay was. How influential. How creative. This film takes it upon itself to show you, to teach you. Consider it a Master Class in Jay Bennett appreciation.

Through countless interviews with family, friends, and colleagues - along with fantastic interviews with Jay himself - you get a full picture of his history, development, his ups and downs, his quirks and his generosity. But it's not a false narrative. There's no worshipping at the altar of a false messiah. The people who knew him best reveal the true picture of the man. He was complicated, sometimes difficult, obsessed with details, and sometimes had a bit of a kitchen sink approach to recording music.

Above all, you learn how Bennett worked so hard to be everything he could be to anyone who needed him. He'd wear as many hats as necessary. Like so many of us, he just wanted to be liked, appreciated, and most of all understood.

This documentary is NOT just for fans of Wilco. Any true music fan will love this film.

Cannibals and Carpet Fitters (2017)

Good Quality on a Low Budget

[7/10 · 31 October 2021]

I backed this film on Kickstarter in 2017, and received a signed Blu-Ray about two years ago. But for whatever reason, I never got around to watching it until Halloween weekend when I wanted to watch something new. It was still in my stack of "things to watch." The premise is rather simple: a group of carpet fitters go to do a job in a remote country house (in the UK) and quickly discover the family has designs on having them for dinner, literally. There is a bit of a Shaun of the Dead vibe to this, but mostly in terms of attitude. For a low budget (but not micro-budget) film, the performances are pretty good and the special effects well done; there are a few very nice kills sprinkled throughout. It's nothing amazing, but the action starts early on and the film keeps a quick pace once it gets going. It's generally fun and a good ride.

Squid Game (2021– )

I Guess Nobody Reads Books Any More?

[12 October 2021]

All the praise for this "brilliant" series, full of "original" ideas. Go read The Long Walk and The Running Man by Richard Bachman (i.e. Stephen King). The Long Walk was the first novel he wrote (but not the first of his that was published)...it's over 50 years old, and was published over 40 years ago. Nearly everything this series is built on can be found there in a simpler format.

Pizza: A Love Story (2019)

Pizza - Food, But SO Much More Than Food

[10/10 · 18 August 2020]

This well-crafted documentary is much more than the story of the "Holy Trinity" of New Haven pizza. It's a celebration of the social activity that sharing a pizza is (and was always meant to be). It's a reminder of how pizza was originally a low-cost, critical food source; a sort of "peasant food." It's a lesson on the history of pizza, and how without women and immigrants pizza as we know it would never exist. It's an examination of how ethnic neighborhoods in many cities have been ripped apart by city planners. And it's - as the title says - a love story, the love between pizza and the entire United States. Gorman Bechard hits a home run once again. And remember, it's CHARRED, not burned.

Don't try to tell me you know anything about pizza if you haven't seen this film.

Host (II) (2020)

Did We Watch the Same Movie?

[3/10 · 2 August 2020]

I simply can't fathom all the love for this movie. It's not AWFUL. The banter between friends is kind of fun. And the idea is okay. But friends dragging laptops around their homes (even the apartments are bigger than my little house) while checking on strange noises goes beyond suspension of disbelief. And there's no build to the story (although granted,, they didn't have time for one). There's a jump scare or two, and it goes fast enough with the short run time, but...I just don't get these 10-star reviews. I feel like they watched one of the other movies called Host that fill up the results box on IMDB when I type a search in.

The Lamb (2016)

Proof of Concept

[8/10 · 28 June 2019]

Burkett's work is always shot on "zero budget" so certain issues are to be expected, like a few moments when dialogue is lost to the musical track. Still even with that this was a very interesting short, and makes me wish he could do a feature-length version. Any zero-budget horror short that leaves you wanting more is a victory.

What it Takes: film en douze tableaux (2018)

The Future of Country Music? Or the Future of Rock and Roll?

[10/10 · 27 October 2018]

To make a good documentary, you need to be flexible. You can't go into a project with a fixed set of opinions and directions you will be taking. You need an idea - sure - but you have to be ready to let the film go where the subjects lead you.

To make a good rock doc, you need talented, interesting, and engaging musicians who are more than just the notes they play. You need to tell the story, even though you don't really know what the story is going to be.

Gorman Bechard accomplishes both feats mightily with "What it Takes." He proved his mettle long before with classics like "Color Me Obsessed." And it seems like just a short while ago he brought us the power of "Who is Lydia Loveless?" which also included some of the best live performances I've seen in recent years. Rather than rest on his laurels, another knockout punch is delivered with Sarah Shook and the Disarmers in "What it Takes."

As he explains, Bechard wanted to focus on a relatively unknown band, and follow as they fought the battles to get their first real break. And in Sarah Shook and the Disarmers he had a terrific band, great songs, and more energy than Nikola Tesla dreamed of. But a funny thing happened on the way to the documentary: Sarah Shook and Disarmers get their break before filming even begins...in part by way of a music video Bechard did for them, which is featured by Rolling Stone. And before you know it, the ride has started before everyone had a chance to strap themselves in.

I won't spend a lot of time describing the music. You owe it to yourself to experience it for yourself. "What it Takes" will make a great introduction to that. You can call it what you want: outlaw country, rock and roll...the category isn't important. It either breathes fire or it doesn't. Sarah Shook does.

Like any great filmmaker, Bechard didn't fight to keep his focus on the story he planned on. Instead the film becomes not just the story of the band, and the story behind the band, but also a detailed look into the pressures of the making of their second album "Years," and the need to follow up on the rave reviews the first album "Sidelong" continues to receive.

In Sarah Shook, Bechard shows us a formidable personality built of half whiskey and half dynamite. Bringing us along the journey, she reveals the events and tribulations that made her into the person she is today. We're also given a close but hands-off view of her songwriting, and how the recording process works. A thought becomes a song becomes a track on the album, lyrics woven with the musical talents of five individuals.

There is a strong sense of family in this film. But not just the dynamics of the band; that is the central family to be certain, but each person has their own family to love, care for, and worry about. The balancing act of part-time band to full-time musicians is brought in full focus, as each must contend with their jobs, separation from their families, and the close quarters the musical family is squeezed into in the studio and on the road.

A band like Sarah Shook and the Disarmers is a much different animal than a group of twenty-two-year-olds giving music a whirl in hopes of hitting it big before settling into their "real" careers. Sarah, Eric, Phil, Howie, and Aaron have already had ups and downs before we ever get to them. Breakups, bad record deals, and a more mature outlook on life and family give a unique perspective on a band discovering that they stand on the edge of success. Do they have what it takes? And more importantly, are they ready and willing to make the sacrifices going all-in require?

It's worth your time to find out. Besides, how can you resist a film with the tagline "A vegan, pansexual, atheist, civil-rights-activist singer/songwriter and her band of seasoned virtuosos walk into a county/western bar..."?

Who Is Lydia Loveless? (2016)

Today's True Rock and Roll, Chaotic and Magical

[10/10 · 28 November 2017]

I watched a special screening of this film (so I had no exposure yet to all the extras on the DVD itself). When the credits ended I had to stay seated for a few minutes just to absorb the energy and feelings I had.

If you're already familiar with Lydia Loveless, the live music alone is worth the cost of admission ("More Like Them" gives me chills every time I hear it). If you're NOT familiar with Lydia - or you are but only in a small way - you will learn so much about her, and the band. But this documentary is SO much more than that.

It's a study of the way a "family" of five band members holds things together while maintaining individual identities.

It's a lesson in the economics of music, and the differences between being a "star" and being an artist and a critics favorite and making enough money to live.

It's a beautiful peek into the process of how pages of scribbled lyrics becomes a song, and then a different song, and then a completely different song...and then in the studio it takes shape into a work of art.

It's a diary of how Lydia Loveless has grown from a teenager just wanting to please everyone to a woman who has learned allowing input and ideas from her band is not a criticism of her craft.

Gorman Bechard has done some great work in the past, but this is the finest documentary he has ever filmed. The interviews are relaxed and off-the-cuff while maintaining honesty. You're really just watching conversations, not self-aware canned answers to obvious questions. The live music is as powerful as if you were standing in the audience. And like all great documentaries, so much of what you learn is simply shown to you instead of spoken. The film is an experience, not a lecture or a history lesson.

Lydia Loveless is an amazingly talented person, and the Patron Saint of the Socially Awkward. When I wasn't feeling my heart pulled out I was laughing hard and loud. And sometimes I was doing both.

I've ordered a copy for myself plus copies for gifts. I've already seen the film, and I'm still counting the days until the DVD is released. That's not just because of the long list of extra material I want to enjoy. It's mainly because I desperately want to watch this again.

Buy this film. Watch this film. Love this film. And when you play it, play it LOUD.

Update: Now that I have the DVD in-hand, I can also say the extras are tremendous. After you've watched the movie, make sure you enjoy the commentary track between Gorman and Lydia, as well as all the other bonus material. Too often the bonus features are ignored by the casual viewer. Don't make that mistake!

Altered Minds (2013)

A Few Twists, A Few Turns, and Secrets Uncovered

[9/10 · 15 June 2016]

I've seen Altered Minds described as a psychological thriller, which is in part accurate. I prefer to think of it more as a psychological mystery. I went to public school with the Writer and Director and Producer Michael Z. Wechsler, so I already had made a mental note to see this film when it was released. A small crowdfunding campaign for additional production costs let me back it and get an early copy of the DVD.

The film stars Judd Hirsch as Dr. Nathaniel Shellner, a Nobel Prize- winning psychiatrist now 75 years old and slowly dying from cancer. As his family gathers for his birthday celebration, chaos begins to ensue as youngest son Tommy exhibits a worsening mental instability and paranoid accusations directed at his father. Tommy (Ryan O'Nan), who was adopted by the family as a youngster, is joined at the get- together by fellow adopted children Julie (Jaime Ray Newman) and Harry (C.S. Lee, who many will recognize from his role on the Showtime series Dexter). Also in attendance is the Doctor's faithful wife Lillian (Caroline Lagerfelt) and eldest child Leonard (Joseph Lyle Taylor) who is the only natural child.

As you would expect, one has to tread lightly when reviewing a film like this because of the need to avoid any spoilers. The focus of the celebration quickly moves from Nathaniel to Tommy, and even though his rantings and stories sound fantastic they begin to have an effect on his two adopted siblings as well. As Dr. Shellner's work has focused on traumatized patients – especially those from war zones or former military personnel – the adopted children have vague memories of their lives before being rescued and brought to the United States. And there is the usual tension between adopted children and the one natural child. Tommy becomes more and more insistent about his claims, and soon it becomes clear there may be more to the family history than meets the eye.

Shot on a moderate budget, the home and surrounding winter landscape is quite beautiful and captures the isolation the family is experiencing; there is no world but the family itself at that moment, and the microscope can only be turned within. Ryan O'Nan does a rather good turn as the troubled Tommy. His role is one that could have easily succumbed to overacting but I found he managed to walk the tightrope successfully. To my surprise, the acting I was least impressed with was that of my personal favorite Judd Hirsch and of Caroline Lagerfelt. Granted, both characters are quite reserved in personality, but I never was fully convinced by their moments of strong emotion, whether love or anger or despair. I think Mr. Hirsch played his Dr. Shellner a touch too analytically, and perhaps that reflected onto his wife's character.

Wechsler enjoys some clever misdirection in the plot; at least enough to muddy the waters and allow you to focus more on what is happening and less on trying to guess the answers to all the looming questions. Not everything succeeds fully, but there is enough which works to make Altered Minds enjoyable and entertaining.

Overall I think most fans of this genre of film will enjoy Altered Minds, and it is good enough for me to forgive Wechsler for writing a negative review of the Romero/King masterpiece Creepshow back in 8th Grade. Considering how much I love that movie, you should be able to see I give Altered Minds more than a simple passing grade.

A Dog Named Gucci (2015)

One Voice CAN Make a Difference...and the Fight is NOT Over

[10/10 · 3 May 2016]

If you are familiar with the work of Writer and Director Gorman Bechard, it may be from his early dark comedies like Psychos in Love and Friends (with Benefits). Or perhaps the moody You Are Alone (which was based in part on his novel Ninth Square). More recently Bechard has made a name for himself in music-focused documentaries, notably Color Me Obsessed: A Film About the Replacements and the upcoming Who is Lydia Loveless?

With that kind of track record, A Dog Named Gucci may seem to be quite a departure. But it only takes a few minutes of the film to realize this is a subject he understands and cares deeply about. And it takes a special craftsman to tackle the topic of animal cruelty, and more specifically the struggle to enact tougher laws against it, without simply going the easy route of tear-jerking horrors and melodramatic soundtrack music.

I'm not trying to say you won't cry when you watch this film. If you have any kind of heart, you will. But you will also be inspired to stand up and be counted, to speak out for those who have no voice. And you will have a much better understanding of just how difficult it was to get many of today's laws in place, and just as importantly you'll see that laws serve no purpose when time and again prosecutors choose not to pursue cases, or judges let the guilty off with a slap on the wrist because…well, because, after all, it's just a dog.

Most of the film tells the story of Gucci, who became the face of animal cruelty in 1990's Alabama (and beyond). As a ten-week old puppy, Gucci was owned by a 15-year old runaway. As "punishment" for refusing to date a local teenager, a group of males took Gucci from this girl, hung him by his neck, doused him with lighter fluid, and set him on fire. Doug James, an Adjunct Professor who was in the process of selling his home up the street, had been standing on his porch awaiting a prospective buyer. Hearing the dog's cries, he and another neighbor rescued Gucci – still aflame – from under a house, doused him with water to extinguish the fire, and returned him to the girl. But she knew there was nobody she could turn to who could help this poor suffering creature, so she begged Doug to take him and help him, which he did. Gucci was eerily quiet all night, and Doug didn't expect him to survive to the next morning. But Gucci was a fighter, and he did survive.

With this nightmare begins a 15-year fight to change the laws against animal abuse in Alabama. The prosecutor found he had to charge the thugs with destruction of property (pets being considered nothing more at the time) because the laws were written in such a way that setting fire to a couch carried a heavier punishment than strictly being charged with animal cruelty. Building a large following through the state and the south, Gucci became the face of the movement to change those laws and make animal cruelty a felony in Alabama.

Bechard's direction style puts all the horrors Gucci and the other dogs he features suffered through right on the table, but is careful to keep the story moving in a forward direction. Instead of 90 minutes of happy endings, focus is constantly redirected at how difficult it is to get laws to change. The "Gucci Bill" as it became known took 16 years before it was finally passed and signed. Along the way exclusions had to be inserted about the right of a landowner to shoot a dog with a BB gun if it is going to the bathroom on his property. The details of how the debates are shaped, and how asinine some of the arguments against it become, will motivate and energize you to be more involved in strengthening the laws of your own state. Other cases are looked at that were used as rallying cries to change laws in North Carolina and Ohio; South Dakota became the 50th – and last – state to make animal cruelty a felony only a few years ago.

And, of course, the fight doesn't stop there. Bechard never hits the audience over the head with anything, never browbeats. He just spells out the facts, and displays the human emotion and the faces of those who have suffered. Animal abuse is a major problem in this country; it isn't just kids throwing rocks at stray dogs. Public pressure is the only way to make sure cases are actually prosecuted, and that punishments are handed down by the judges in a serious fashion. One poor dog who gets just a moment on the screen had been blown up by explosives; the guy who did that to him received 10 continuances on his case and eventually just had to receive psychiatric treatment. The interviews with prosecutors and animal control officers are bright lights focused on what people need to do if this problem will be treated more seriously. The public must keep the pressure on local and state politicians, and need to show support for prosecutors when they are trying cases against animal abusers. As one woman says, in a courtroom there is often a group of people sitting behind the defendant…but for the victim, nobody. And these victims cannot speak for themselves.

Seven Dorms of Death (2015)

Get Ready for Some Good Laughs...Making the Best out of the Worst

[9/10 · 22 April 2016]

According to Enid in "Ghost World" there are three kinds of bad: bad, so bad it's good, and so bad it's gone past good and come all the way around to bad again. With Seven Dorms of Death, director Richard Marr and writer Matthew Jason Walsh attempt a death-defying feat: make a parody of the last category, and in the process bring it all the way around to good again.

At first blush you might not realize how difficult that goal is to reach. Shows like Mystery Science Theatre 3000 took the worst of the worst in cinema and merely made it fun to watch by cracking jokes along the way. And clearly making a terrible movie isn't very hard; studios have been doing it for decades. But to make a movie so bad that it's good on purpose is probably harder than making a good one in the first place. After all, humor is a very subjective and elusive thing; you need to go just far enough – or a step too far – but no more. And even though you're trying to be stupid and unskilled and just plain awful, you have to do it intelligently. The whole process is as contradictory as the realization that to inoculate yourself against a disease you must inject yourself with the very disease you wish to avoid.

As their target, Marr and Walsh selected the early 80's horror genre, one that flooded the pre-Blockbuster video stores and local UHF stations that suddenly were syndicated by early cable TV. I'm not talking about the Shot on Video films with $500 budgets, or the wide-release slasher films. No, here I mean the mind-numbing movies so bad they quickly found their way to the television horror shows, and later to USA Network's "Up All Night" (where Gilbert Gottfried's pre and post-commercial bits were 100 times better than the piece of crap you were watching).

Not satisfied with just the genre, they also decided to wrap the movie with a Count Floydesque horror host (but with less of the slapstick), Baron Von Blah (played with gusto by Michael Thurber). We join his "Celluloid Crypt" as they are to begin showing their second and final feature of the evening, the awful Seven Dorms of Death. Because this is a "restored" copy of the film from a recovered VHS tape, we'll be subjected to occasional channel changes, previews of coming attractions (which you can find on Youtube and enjoy for yourself in extended format), 80's-era local business commercials, poor reception, and some behind-the-scenes conversations between the Baron and his crew. But that's all part of the fun (for us, anyway).

Seven Dorms of Death brings us to a small college in New England, where the drama department is preparing to put on a play. Unfortunately, the last time (and only time) this particular play was put into production, the college's auditorium burned down and the entire cast and crew were killed. But that was over 100 years ago, and the head of the Drama Department has no fears that any such catastrophe will stop his production.

There isn't a lot of mystery about where we're all headed; the opening murder scene is a combination of horrific acting, stunted dialogue, and a ski-mask-clad killer armed with a potato peeler who is suffering from a loud and heavy couch none of the characters seem to notice. That first killing also reveals we're to expect confused and unbelievable special effects common in the genre, where close-ups of killings have little similarity to the longer shots. Wound locations change or disappear, blood goes from a tidal wave to a few drops, and the screams or moans of victims bear no resemblance to the movement of their mouths.

The characters are a line-up of the usual 1980's suspects, but mashed together to allow multiple clichés in a limited cast. We have the flamboyant professor and director of the play, the sexually-active Geri-curled male lead and his bouncy girlfriend (who is never seen without her Walkman), the drug-using Karate Kid- looking stagehand, the shy glasses-wearing clumsy virgin who has psychic visions, the long-haired Satan worshiper, the jock (except in this case the jock appears to be in his 50's and has suffered a previous coma), and the crotchety old janitor who warns everyone about the death curse the play is under. And soon we meet the two police detectives who are committed to solve the mystery before there are any more deaths (including Aaron Andrade in delicious full-blown overacting mode as Vargas). There's even a Pulitzer- prize-winning female journalist who claims to be as strong and independent as Bonnie Franklin but sounds like a classic 1940's male reporter from any random black and white film.

The humor is a mixture of in your face and hilariously subtle. Corpses keep breathing. Heads change from flesh to mannequin and back again with each cut of the film (as do Popsicles and other little genius touches). Strings and fishing line are blatantly attached to props. Scenes end in mid-sentence of continue past the shouting director's "cut!" Guns never need to be reloaded. Booms appear and disappear from the shot at will. It's the kind of multi- layered fun I enjoy in comedies from Drop Dead Gorgeous to Chasing Amy to the Christopher Guest company films…every time you watch them you discover a little something you haven't seen before. I really think I'll find that to be true with Seven Dorms of Death.

Flesh for the Inferno (2015)

Another Success from Scorpio Films

[7/10 · 14 March 2016]

Flesh for the Inferno is the latest film from Scorpio Film Releasing and the wonderful director Richard Griffin. Teaming up with screenwriter Michael Varrati again (The Sins of Dracula) and many of the terrific Scorpio Films regulars, I expected more of the usual comedy horror the troupe has entertained us with for years.

Only a few minutes in I was reminded that just as often Griffin has chosen to play it straight, with movies like Normal and Exhumed. Flesh for the Inferno is more of a cross between the two; some 80's- style horror combined with the well-timed sarcasm and humor that elevate Scorpio Films from some of the other independent horror flicks out there. In the process, we get a tip of the hat to such varied chillers as A Cask of Amontillado and the original Evil Dead.

As is often the case, they waste no time and jump right into the fun. The great Michael Thurber brings his Catholic youth group to a run- down Catholic school, which years earlier had been the scene of both molestations and the cruel murder of a group of nuns. The teens are there to clean up some of the mess before construction crews arrive on a future date to begin renovations. Little do they know they are soon to encounter the vengeful nuns, who have pledged their souls to Satan in exchange for revenge.

Many of the Scorpio regulars appear. Jamie Lyn Bagley is Meredith, an over-pious snide group leader. Jamie Dufault is Noah, Michael Thurber's nephew who happened to visit during church group weekend; lucky him. We even get appearances from Sarah Nicklin as a soap- opera-obsessed prostitute and Aaron Andrade as…well, as a rather evil individual.

The real powerhouse in this movie is Anna Rizzo as Kat. Granted, she gets some of the meatier scenes and best lines, but if she couldn't handle them they'd be wasted. She quickly jumps back and forth between terror and sarcasm with ease. Jamie Lyn Bagley's character also is fun to watch, and Michael Thurber beings the skills he always does. Thurber is truly a talent; whether he's playing Dr. Frankenstein, Dracula, or a role that requires more nuances he always seems to hit the nail on the head. Here he walks the tightrope of friendly, upbeat, pious and throws in just a hint of uncomfortable creepiness. Too much of any of these ingredients would cause him to lose his balance and fall to the ground below, but as always he crosses safely. Scorpio is lucky to have him.

The effects are much gorier than many of Griffin's films, and rather well done. I found the possessed character who bashed its head over and over into a window until the entire face was flattened to be deliciously gruesome and disturbing. Something else that happens with that body soon afterward confirmed my suspicion that it may have been homage to The Evil Dead.

There are some of the usual running jokes I've grown to expect and enjoy in most of Griffin's films. There's a gag about whether one of the characters is gay, another about whether people are REALLY sure a corpse was dead, and there's a character who spends half his time assuming every female wants to have sex with him and the other half fascinated with banging pots and pans together in the kitchen. Varrati keeps the humor tight and intelligent, but not to the point of taking himself (or the characters) too seriously.

Richard Griffin has managed to avoid the trap he set for himself when he built his reputation from early successes like Pretty Dead Things and the masterpiece Disco Exorcist. Instead of going Troma and making every film formulaic, he continues to vary his choices and experiment with different flavors. Like a great wine or a delicate perfume, his films have a variety of aromas and ingredients. He has his favorites which help identify his signature, but even they can be moved around to a new level within the finished product. I look forward to the upcoming Accidental Incest and Seven Dorms of Death to see what new concoctions he has cooked up.

Lake Eerie (2016)

Delicious Performance by Betsy Baker

[7/10 · 12 March 2016]

Lake Eerie is less horror and more a mixture of suspense and sci-fi. It was written by Meredith Majors (who also stars) and directed by Chris Majors (the duo is currently working on a new film, Echo of Evil).

The plot of Lake Eerie is in some ways slow to develop, but a lot of that has to do with the deliberate choice to reveal things sparsely rather than poor pacing. Kate Ryan (Meredith Majors) is recovering from some personal losses and crisis and has moved from Idaho to the shores of Lake Erie for a new start. She chooses an old house, including all the aged furnishings and belongings of the prior owner. Although it has been taken care of, the home has been unoccupied since the 60's. Soon she learns the prior owner was an archaeologist who was investigating some curious artifacts. And quickly strange things begin to happen, leaving Kate to try and decide if her mental instability is rearing its ugly head, or if she is being confronted with forces she cannot explain.

The real gem in this film is without question Betsy Baker, who plays nosy and eccentric neighbor Eliza. Horror fans might recognize Betsy's name, but if you don't, her most famous role was as Ash's girlfriend Linda in the original Evil Dead. Even to this day fans encourage her to thrill them with her "We're gonna get you, we're gonna get you, not another peep, time to go to sleep" chant. In Lake Eerie, Baker is a tour de force, savoring her scenes the way a wine aficionado enjoys a rare vintage. It helps that she and Meredith Majors have very good on-screen chemistry, dancing between friendly banter and strained frustration.

The great Lance Henriksen makes an appearance as Kate's father, left back at the Idaho farm and worried about the well-being of his troubled daughter. He doesn't get a lot of screen time, which is a disappointment. Henriksen is in many ways a next-generation Peter Cushing: he can play a range of characters and no matter how goofy the dialogue he might be given it sounds believable and powerful when it comes out of his mouth.

If I have quibbles with Lake Eerie, the first is in some of the supporting cast. Anne Leigh Cooper as Eliza's niece Autumn has to jump between excited, upbeat college kid to serious researcher and she never really finds a comfortable middle ground between the two. Ben Furney, in his scenes as Kate's former husband, seems like oil to Kate's water; they simply don't carry any believable emotion as a loving couple.

My other complaint would be the resolution of the story. Admittedly a portion of this is because they wanted to leave an opening for a possible sequel. So I can allow a partial pass for that transgression. Obviously I can't give you a lot of detail, because I want to avoid any possible spoilers.

Lake Eerie isn't Hellraiser or Poltergeist quality, but it didn't have the budget or commercial backing for that kind of punch. But it is enjoyable, so if you get a chance to pick up the DVD or watch it on Amazon Video or some other On-Demand service I say go ahead.

Oh, and Victoria Johnstone as "The Countess" can visit my nightmares anytime.

Crush the Skull (2015)

Hilarious and Suspenseful Low-Budget Fun

[8/10 · 21 December 2015]

CtS was a low-budget horror film I backed on Kickstarter some time ago. As is often the case, it takes many months before you get to see the finished product (if ever…there are still projects I backed in early 2014 that haven't delivered). I can't remember exactly what made me choose this film as one to support. I think it was a combination of the plot and the prominence of humor in the film. Actually the film's budget was rather large for Kickstarter standards, about $75,000 (I've backed films with budgets below $1,000 if you can believe that).

The film is the brainchild of Viet Nguyen and Chris Dinh. Chris also stars in the film, while Viet served as Director. The plot is somewhat simple: Ollie (Dinh) and Blair (Katie Savoy) are a loving couple who happens to make their living by breaking and entering into upper- class homes. When what is supposed to be their final job before a year of traveling goes comically wrong, they are forced to go into debt to a local gangster and resume "work" to afford their payments. Because time is of the essence, they agree to join Blair's screw-up brother (Chris Reidell) and his "crew" (the hilarious Tim Chou) in a robbery of a vacation home. Unfortunately, the target property is the lair of a serial killer…and once they break in, they cannot find a way out.

Tight dialogue, great humor and good acting are what pull this film together. There are some suspenseful moments, but things never get too serious, and unlike most low-budget horror films the blood is kept to a minimum. Crush the Skull is one of those movies you need to pay attention to as you watch it or you'll miss some of the ongoing gags and subtle humor. You'll still enjoy the more obvious jokes and fun, but the effort you put into the details will be well worth your while.

The characters are well developed and their personalities dictate their actions and the kind of laughter they inspire. The "basement" sets are very well done, and above all the post-production work on sound and music lift Crush the Skull to an even higher level. Those two areas are often shortchanged in the low-budget world, but this team marshaled their resources well and the finished product is much better for those efforts.

I don't think Crush the Skull is available on DVD or on-demand yet, but I believe it will be shortly. Watch for it, especially if you enjoy dark, intelligent humor mixed with your suspense and horror.

The House on Pine Street (2015)

An Entertaining Film on a Low Budget

[8/10 · 11 May 2015]

I was one of this film's Kickstarter backers, so I had the privilege of watching it on DVD before it is available to the general public. I don't want to go into the plot because I detest spoilers. This was a first-time feature film, with a relatively small budget, but you wouldn't know it by the quality of the finished product. The acting is spot-on, the direction good, the sound quality is flawless (which, if you watch a lot of lower budget films, you know sound is often a disaster). Excellent cinematography, terrific casting, and the editing is first-rate.

Watching a film like this at home on DVD is not the same as in a crowded theater. I didn't find "The House on Pine Street" to be a SCARY film. I did enjoy it, and found it to have a few scares within. Mostly it is higher on the creepy factor, with a sense of unease woven throughout. They avoid the most obvious clichés, and the well-rounded characters give the film a depth that is sadly missing from many of its kind.

I recommend The House on Pine Street as a thinking person's horror movie. You won't jump out of your seat (well, maybe once or twice), and you won't see blood spurting everywhere. Plenty of other films to take care of those needs. THOPS doesn't try to be anything it's not; it ignores the standard definitions of genre and does its own thing, successfully.

Flannel Pajamas (2006)

Successful and Realistic

[8/10 · 21 January 2007]

I was first introduced to this movie by seeing the trailer every time we went to see a movie at The Angelika in the past month or two. That trailer captured my attention for two reasons: the intensity and honesty I saw on the faces of the actors, and the over-modulation of the musical score which rang to the point of distortion. Regardless, it seemed clear this was a movie we were going to go see when it came out. A talky movie following a failed relationship? Sounded like my life (a few times over)! I suppose how much you enjoy this movie depends on what you expect to get out of it. There is no great resolution, no massive personal growth or moment of sudden clarity. Like any relationship which ends, it all depends on how you look at it. You can continue to expand the picture until it all loses focus, or you can narrow in on single moments. There is no right and wrong.

The film follows the relationship of Stuart and Nicole (Justin Kirk and Julianne Nicholson) from meeting on a blind date to dating to marriage and ultimately to separation. Stuart basically sets the stage for the relationship when he declares at the first date that neither he nor Nicole are "evil" (a term he uses to describe Nicole's best friend). He's right - they aren't, they are two kind people who love each other (in some ways) and who want to build a life with each other. Yet throughout the film it becomes clear that love alone is not enough to sustain a relationship. Much like real life, the film is a collection of scenes where people do what they feel is right at the time, even what the think will be right in the future...but good intentions can't erase the facts that often we develop relationships with people who simply aren't suited for us. A successful relationship requires love, commitment, hard work, understanding, and more than anything similar direction and similar priorities.

Maybe Stuart and Nicole and both a bit too selfish - they both seem to act out of pure self-interest, Nicole using "I want" frequently and Stuart setting down his own rules and agendas and expecting Nicole to follow them. Perhaps they each carry too much baggage. They both give in to each other without really meaning it, the kind of actions which result in built-up resentment. More than anything, I noticed that the characters refuse to cry in front of each other. To me, that was enough to doom the relationship.

In a Q&A session after the film, writer/director Jeff Lipsky explained that they deleted more than 50 scenes in an effort to keep both characters on a rather even playing field. His greatest reward is that people leave the theater arguing over who is more to blame for the failure of the relationship. And those arguments are not split by gender. In the end, there is more than enough blame to go around. The story is about 50% quasi-autobiographical, but the most powerful scenes are fictional (such as the conversation between mother-in-law and son-in-law in the cafeteria).

The performances are all strong, and particular attention is paid to Stuart's brother Jordan (Jamie Harrold), who is mentally unstable and quite flamboyant, often overshadowing his sibling. I'm a bit too much like that character though, and with a nice collection of funny lines he is the hardest to dislike. Personally I preferred the performances of Nicholson and of her mother (played by Rebecca Schull).

Overall the film is quite good, certainly successful in its own way, and it stays with you...some people might not appreciate that, but I do. As Mr. Lipsky says, he wanted to give you "something to chew on". He accomplishes that, and more.

Oh, and as the credits ran, there was the same haunting song from the trailer...and the damn thing was STILL over-modulated to the point of semi-distortion.