DVD Review: THE CABIN (2013, aka BLOODLINE)

Brett Ethos (Matt Thompson) is about to be ordained in his church, but is having second thoughts, not helped by recurring nightmares. His friends convince him to go for a weekend away in a remote cabin that his recently deceased grandfather left him. 

His friends, Kevin (Jesse Kristofferson) and Davy (Christopher Frontiero) - along with Kevin's girlfriend Chelsi (Gina Comparetto) - decide to make his last weekend as a 'free man' even more awkward by inviting his ex, Katie (Kimberly Alexander), whom he hasn't seen for several years. Things begin to go wrong when it turns out Brett is a descendent of one of the original settlers who murdered a Native American tribesman some 250 years earlier. A curse placed by the tribe's Shaman, evoked when he arrived at the cabin wearing a talisman heirloom puts him and all his friends in danger.

Originally entitled Bloodline, The Cabin is an entertaining, if unmemorable shocker.  

There's jump scares aplenty, and while the situation and characterisation is very two dimensional, it at least doesn't take the predictable 'cabin in the woods' type scenario.

Thompson does well as writer, director and star, but one gets the feeling he should have took a step back or brought someone in to give the story a little more polish.

As such, it does contain some uninspired dialogue, but it's an engaging and acceptable way to pass the time.

There's the usual array of obnoxious youths, with adequate if not spectacular acting from the young leads. It's interesting to see Jesse Kristofferson, son of the legendary actor/songwriter Kris, and he certainly has his father's looks, and Christopher Frontiero plays the wise-cracking annoying hanger-on of the group well (he essentially is Franklin from The Texas Chain Saw Massacre). However, sSome viewers may be wishing for more bloodshed and thrills when the story meanders on through the redemption theme, while not delving too deep to derail the story.

It's certainly worth having a look at, but nothing spectacular unfortunately.

7 out of 10

DVD Review: YOU ARE NOT ALONE (2010) Directed by Mark Ezra

It's very easy to groan when faced with yet another found footage film, but thankfully, You Are Not Alone (previously known as House Swap) manages to be absorbing enough to overcome the shortcomings and annoyances of the format. 

As one would expect from the original title, our main characters, Matt (Nathan Nolan) and Ginny (Evie Brodie/Bicker) have swapped their luxurious Los Angeles home with a British couple, in order for them both to draw inspiration for the work; Matt being a writer and Ginny a musician. With the book that he's writing being about King Arthur, it's only natural they choose to swap for a house near Glastonbury in Somerset. The place is a gorgeous, sprawling, if a little untidy, mansion. It is full of wood panelled walls, creaky stairs, and a resident stalker who won't leave them alone.

A very simple premise that works really well at building tension and despite stretching credibility a tad when Matt (and later Ginny) insists on picking the camcorder up whenever they hear a noise, the result is mostly a success.

From the very early scenes there's a presence in their videos which they don't seem to notice (it's very clear to the viewer though, almost to the point of obviousness), and although this is a tired trick to spook the audience, some of the occurrences work rather well, and there are some genuine scares. It succeeds in preying on that perfectly normal fear of your home - or holiday home - privacy and safely being violated. That sense is always heightened in a strange place, and the film manages to tap into that almost straight away without resorting to using clichéd stereotypes of we don't like outsider-type villagers.There's also a cinematic taboo broken when the pair discover a rogue bowel movement on the downstairs toilet floor. Yuk, indeed.

Aside from the moody and tense interior scenes, we do get some lovely views around Glastonbury, particularly the famous Tor, which dominates the skyline.

The villain of the piece, despite being given a little back-story, is never really fleshed out as it keeps strictly to the found footage formula, and the brief glimpses we get are merely of a hooded man.

Additional cameras are set up around the house as surveillance, which at least allows for a different perspective to the events. While deftly made by director Mark Ezra (one of the writer/directors behind the '80s slasher classic Slaughter High), the familiarity of the formula prevents it going that extra step into being fully immersive. Who knows how effective it would have been as a more conventional narrative feature with a full, atmospheric score to compliment the shocks and moody visuals. 

Note that although the packaging states the film is rated 18, the BBFC website has the certificate as 15, so don't go expecting anything too extreme in it, other than bad language and anxiety/fear. There's little or no gore, just well-handled scares - and that's not a bad thing. 

 

It appears the film has been gathering dust since it was made in 2010, and one can't help but feel it would have gone down better had it come out then, rather than after years of the same type of film essentially stealing its thunder. As mentioned, it's a notch above the usual attempt at the format, with some genuinely effective shocks and a brooding, gripping atmosphere; certainly worth checking out.

7 out of 10

DVD review: Slice & Dice: The Slasher Film Forever documentary

Over the past few years, the documentary film has gone from being a tacked on DVD extra to the more standard  long-form. Although the slasher film subject has been tackled before (2006's Going To Pieces), director Calum Waddell, a brilliant genre journalist and behind many of the fantastic extras on the Arrow Video releases, does a good job of avoiding re-hashing the same subjects. He also utilises his much lower budget by using mostly trailer footage and interviewing some of the rarely seen genre figures, such as British legend Norman J. Warren (who is a fantastic bloke, as anyone who has ever attended The Festival of Fantastic Films in Manchester will attest), Scott Spiegel (Intruder), Christopher Smith (Severence/Creep) and Alex Chandon (Inbred).

The film is well edited (by Naomi Holwill) so there's no repetition in the talking head soundbites and there's a unique visual style to the presentation.We don't miss the lack of actual film footage either, due to prudential use of trailer footage. Most people who will have any interest in this will no doubt have seen most of the films anyway, and there's not many spoilers for those who haven't.                         
While the film itself is a brisk but packed 75 minutes, there are more than enough extras spread over the two discs to make up for it. Among the best sections are an engaging commentary from Waddell and Justin Kerswell (author of the fabulous Teenage Wasteland: The Slasher Film Uncut)  a Q&A with Norman J Warren and James Moran, from the Glasgow premiere of the film. The bonus 'out-take' interviews are an extended look at some of the interviews used, which vary in length, but are still of interest; Corey Feldman especially coming across a lot more informed than you'd expect (despite his dodgy hairstyle).

Disc two is just as packed, with its own 37 minute documentary, Don't Go In The Backwoods, a look at the sub-genre within the slasher genre, and over twenty trailers (covering most of the famous slasher films and some obscure ones) with optional commentary.

For horror fans, this is a wonderful package, with plenty to dip in to, and lots to spend your time absorbing.  And there's even a reversible sleeve, which is hidden away behind the standard packaging.
8 out of 10

Review: John Cooper Clarke - South of the Border live DVD

Recorded at a sell out show at the Royal Festival Hall, London in 2010, this is the first official recording of a full John Cooper Clarke show. John has been a cult figure on the British music and cultural scene since he burst onto the punk circuit in the mid '70s, with hits such as Gimmix! Play Loud! (released on coloured triangle shaped vinyl) and I Married A Monster From Outer Space.

During 2010 was the subject of a documentary, eventually screened on BBC3, and released on DVD - Evidently, John Cooper Clarke - which is in itself well worth checking out (available on Amazon) and while following John about the makers filmed the London show among others.

If you are unfamiliar with John, he was billed as the "punk poet" (a title he doesn't like), and had hit albums and singles with his poems set to music. He is a former heroin addict, (who shared a house with the Velvet Underground's Nico at one point) and appeared opposite the Honey Monster on the Sugar Puffs adverts (a accolade also shared by Henry McGee). John's shows are just him a microphone and a plastic bag of notebooks with his prose on. More a stand up comedian now than straight poetry recital, and genuinely funny in a way modern so called comics could only dream of.
Coming on stage to the Saint theme tune, his Salford twang still present, and uncompromising in his observations, which range from child like wordplay to highly intelligent prose. His poems appear on the National Curriculum, and it's about time he got the recognition he deserves.
With an 85 minute running time, and with a machine gun delivery there are more gags per second than any slick stand up desperate to peddle their DVDs of their tightly honed shows every Christmas. You know, the ones that appear in the pound shops a few months later.

As well as the full show, which you will find yourself re-watching over and over to catch the lines you missed while laughing too much, there are two short extras; a clip of the soundcheck and, more importantly (especially if you are familiar with my interests) a recording of the classic song 36 Hours, recording in Sheffield with Frank Sidebottom on keyboard and guitar. Frank toured with John in 2009 and 2010, and it was his last major appearances before the untimely death of Frank's creator, Chris Sievey. This alone is worth the price of the DVD.

Anyone of a certain age will remember John and enjoy this, those too young to be around during punk, should buy this, and the documentary and learn how comedy and word play can be done.
10 out 10.

American Grindhouse (2010)

An new documentary on the still in vogue genre of "grindhouse" Over the past few years a few films have come out in the forced 'style' of the grindhouse film, kick started by the Tarrantino/Rodriguez film, which was a brilliant idea, with it's fake trailers and missing reels, but was not a big hit with the cinema paying audience. (hence the release of the two films separately). More and more films are having the style applied, some very good (Hobo With  A Shotgun) and some horrendously bad (the Norwegian I Spit On Your Grave rip off Hora).
A collection of talking heads and film clips that benefits from being a little more in depth than some others I've seen and takes us from the dawn of cinema to the 'usual suspects' of the 70s classics and beyond.

With contributions from two of my favourite directors, John Landis and Joe Dante. American Grindhouse is easy to watch, and very informative. Narrated by Robert (Jackie Brown) Forster in a dry 'obviously just reading it' tone but the input from the academics and directors more than makes up for it. People like Fred Olen Ray, David (Last House) Hess, William (Maniac - also behind Blue Underground DVD) Lustig, Jack (Spider Baby) Hill, the wonderful HG Lewis, blacksploitation star Fred Williamson and in what was probably his last interview before his death in 2009, Ilsa director Don Edmonds, amongst others. The winner of 'tache of the doc goes to the wonderful Ted V. Mikels although Landis' beard always entertains.

One particular section intercuts the shower scene from Psycho with the bath scene in Blood Feast, to show the similarity the two movies, no matter how much of a difference in quality there was. There's plenty to learn, even if you've seen other 'midnight movie' type documentaries, and the DVD is packed full of extras in the shape of trailers and stills galleries. In fact there's so much I haven't gone through them all yet. Its also a great documentary to add films to your shopping list of must see movies! There were at least a dozen I hadn't seen that I must track down!!

Don't be afraid! It's only Don Edmonds director of the Isla films

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Uncle Russ at work.

Very highly recommended. It's available on Region 1 DVD, but also in a double pack with another good documentary Nightmares In Red White And Blue.  
9 out of 10

La Herencia Valdemar II : La Sombra Prohibida (2010)

After a wait that seemed forever, but has only actually been about 11 months, the follow up of the story started in the superb La Herencia Valdemar (The Valdemar Legacy) has hit DVD. (*Spain only again so far...*) For a more in depth look at the first film, check out my Starburst Magazine Column from July/Aug. La Sombra Prohibida (The Forbidden Shadow) starts with a quick re-cap on the first film, then is straight into the story of the missing taxation expert Luisa (Silvia Abascal), who has escaped her captors, only to be almost run over by her boss Eduardo (Rodolfo Sancho), who is en-route to the Valdemar house at the insistence of the company owner, the sinister looking Maximillian (Eusebio Poncela).She takes refuge in an old gypsy woman's caravan, but is soon back in the clutches of the bad guys. Lots of things happen very quickly and sadly, the story telling in this second part is a little too jumbled to recap without having too many spoilers. There is a new character introduced in the shape of Santiago (Santi Prego) who is both creepy and slightly sympathetic. He attempts to help the stricken good guys but things are not always what they seem..

Paul Naschy's role as the servant Jervas is kept to only a small number of scenes, but you can see he is not very well so it's probably fair enough (the film is dedicated to the legendary actor's memory), the 'flashback' scenes as such are kept very brief, basically just to set up the rest of the story.

I was really looking forward to this film, as the first part was such a fantastic little tale and well executed (in my opinion) but I'll be honest, I was very let down. Like I said, the story got kind of puddled, I think they tired to do much in the short time they had, and the much anticipated appearance of Cthulhu (not a spoiler - it's on the poster and was in the "continued..." section at the end of the first film) is spectacular, but far too short. The visual effects don't seem as strong in this part either, which is surprising.
It's certainly not terrible, but coming after such a strong first film, I had hoped the story would have had a better pay off. The modern day part of the story I guess just wasn't as well thought out as it should have been. A shame. A wasted opportunity. 6 out of 10

Retro review: Captain Clegg (1962)

It's 1176, on a remote desert island a pirate ship leaves a man tied to a stake, his ears slit and his tongue cut out. A sign above his head reads "thus perish all who betray Captain Clegg"

After the credits, we move to 1792, and the area of Dymchurch on the Romney Marshes, over looking the seas to France, where many smugglers bring their bounty of wine and brandy to out-wit the hefty taxation laws. A little like nipping over to Dover on the weekend ferries, then. There is something more to fear in this area though, as many have told of the Marsh Phantoms who strike fear into those unfortunate enough to see them. Dymchurch is also the last resting place of the notorious pirate Captain Clegg, whose grave states he was hanged at Rye.

Old Tom Ketch

Our introduction to the village is a startling one, Old Tom Ketch (Sydney Bromley, a familiar face - he was one of the tramps slaughtered in An American Werewolf In London), a local is out on the moors when he suddenly surrounded by some hideous spectres on skeletal horseback. Terrified, he falls into a lake and drowns.

The following day, while the village preacher, Reverend Dr Blyss (Peter Cushing, perfect as always) is giving his sermon, the men of the Royal Crown are marching into town to check on reports of smuggling, and fiddling the King out of the taxes! (oh how times haven't changed, eh?) Led by Captain Collier (Patrick Allen, owner of one of the most famous voices in the UK) and backed up by a Navy boss (David Lodge, another familiar face from UK comedies) they set about searching the local tavern ran by Mr Rash (Martin Benson) and then the ever busy coffin makers, Jeremiah Mipps (played by the ever reliable Michael Ripper, and in role much bigger than he usually had). The men fail to find any trace of illicit wine or brandy, even when using their prototype sniffer dog, in the shape of the Mulatto* (Milton Reid, a brilliant character actor who would later appear in Bond films and genre wise he was in The Blood On Satan's Claw and Dr Phibes Rises Again), the stocky bald man seen left to die in the pre-credits sequence. It seems he was rescued by Collier and his men as they were on Clegg's trail, and has been used by them since, as a way of finding hidden wine, and a source of amusement later for the horrendous soldiers.

What they failed to find was a maze of connecting corridors and tunnels that covered up that the villagers, were in fact, smuggling and funding the poor of the village with the proceeds. The Rev Bliss being in charge of the whole operation. A minor sub plot involving the ward of Rash, Imogene (Yvonne Romain) and Harry, the local hunk (Oliver Reed) serves its purpose but to go into detail would probably reveal too much of the plot.
The film was released in America as "Night Creatures" (and it is this title that is on the DVD release) because apparently that was the name of the film Hammer had sold to the US distributor (they had planned to make a version of Richard Matherson's I Am Legend - later filmed as The Last Man On Earth, and The Omega Man - but the UK censors promised that it would have been banned) So, they took the Russell Thorndike story of Dr Syn and the Scarecrow of Romney Marsh and made the film. The Syn character was changed to Blyss since Disney were making their own version of the story (which is why it might sound familiar).
The story is fairly predictable, but still a whole load of fun and the acting is first class all round, remember this is long before Oliver Reed had turned into a caricature. Cushing is at his best as the Vicar hiding a secret with a wicked grin, and Ripper excels in his expanded role. The film is a brilliant rip-roaring adventure with a few spooky and atmospheric moments with the phantoms on the marsh and the creepy scarecrow but it's not technically horror. Even bearing that it mind it's a brilliant movie and one well worth checking out!

Martin Benson, the legendary Michael Ripper and Patrick Allen

The DVD looks fantastic and the colours are stunning, far better than you'd expect for its age, and certainly better than than the last time I saw it on TV from what I recall. A mention must be made too for the brilliant score by Don Banks, giving the legendary James Bernard a run for his money.
8 out of 10.

 

(* A Mulatto is a term used to describe the offspring of mixed race coupling in the bad old slave days, not a particularly nice expression, but it is how the character is named in the book and film, so I left it. No offence was meant or intended)