Review: Him Indoors (2012)

A couple of months ago, writer/director Paul Davis (who was behind the fantastic An American Werewolf In London documentary Beware The Moon) posted on Twitter (@kesslerboy) that he was looking to raise funds for a short film he was making, and set up a Sponsume page. The short would be a stepping stone and showreel for funding for his proposed full length feature previously announced, Silent Night of the Living Dead. Intrigued, I checked out the info and, liking the premise and admiring his Werewolf doc I put my money where my mouth is, and donated.

Gregory Brewster (Reece Shearsmith) is facing eviction after his mother's passing. She cared for him, and looked after all his needs as he suffers from agoraphobia. As well as the day to day things a mother would do, she always got a steady stream of people to house for Gregory to kill. Oh, yeah that minor point. Nice boy Gregory is a serial killer. So how to kill different people when you are afraid to leave the house? Well, delivery men provide a wonderful resource. As we meet Gregory he is preparing for a dinner date with the new neighbour, Lizzie (The Woman's Pollyanna McIntosh). "I had planned to do Italian" he tells the bound pizza boy in front of him, but removing his helmet to reveal he is an Asian, "But it looks like we're having Indian, instead"

Davis' script is witty and the humour pitch black, perfectly played by Shearsmith, who has had plenty of experience in dark, sinister yet funny characters (League of Gentlemen and Psychoville). Even at only 11mins long, the film manages to pack plenty into the narrative and and even a little peril, as Lizzie turns up at Gregory's a day earlier than he planned, throwing his carefully orchestrated arrangements into turmoil.
Of course, mental illness problems like agoraphobia are not really a laughing matter, but Davis handles this fantastically, drawing humour from the irony of a house bound serial killer rather than going for cheap and cruel laughs. Everything is so well executed (pun intended) that you wish it was a hell of a lot longer.
I would like to think the name Brewster was chosen as a nod to the murderous old women in Arsenic and Old Lace, but even if not, there's several things for the horror fan to look out for in the house decor, including a Rondo award and there's an appearance (of sorts) of American Werewolf alumni David ("You made me miss") Schofield, a fabulous actor who I have had the good fortune to have seen on stage a few times.

If Davis can make Silent Night of the Living Dead as enjoyable as this, then that will be an instant classic. This short is destined to be remembered fondly for many years to come, and if there's any justice, the doors should start being thrown open for a man with a definite vision, and thankfully, the talent to back it up.
The film is making its way around the film festivals (after premiering at FrightFest in London recently) including Manchester's Grimmfest, so keep an eye open for it and if you get the chance, DO check it out.
Oh, and pay attention to the end credits, and spot my name in there :)

Check it out.. I'm up there with Hitchcock and Tarantino!

10 out of 10

Retro review: Killer Party (1986)

We open on a misty graveyard, and a funeral being held. The overly camp minister is quoting the Wizard of Oz to the mourners, and as they leave - now in daylight and not at all misty - he bids them "try and have a nice day!". One mourner goes back in to pay her last respects, only she doesn't, she curses the dead woman and for that, she is dragged into the coffin by the re-animated corpse within. She is then put, still screaming into the fires of the incinerator.

Only this turns out to be a film at the drive in. Not impressed with her date's wandering hands, a young (very 80s looking) girl goes to get some popcorn. She finds the concession stand deserted. Helping herself, she heads back to the car, only to be confronted with all manor of corpses, mangled and mutilated faces and worse - an 80s hair metal band playing amongst the popcorn!

Double bluff - this is merely a music video being watched by young students. All pre-credits.
After this somewhat shaky start, the film settles into more standard frat house fare, with three girls pledging to get into their chosen sorority, and having to do gross out initiations. Add to this the boys pulling Porky's type pranks, mainly involving getting the girls nude and filming them.
The main initiation is going to be at a party being held at the long closed frat house where a youngster was killed twenty years previous, his grave even being in the front garden of the place. 

Sadly, you have to wait nearly and hour before the titular party and the ensuing body count, but the build up (when the film is not goofing off) is not too bad, with a couple of killings by assailants unseen, and some more bluffs.All topped off with a demonic possession. What's not to like?
Killer Party is one of the many slasher type student films from the 80s, only this has a slightly different pedigree since it was allegedly started in 1978 but then closed down when going over budget, only to be finished in 1984, then shelved for another two years. Apparently the more gory sequences were cut from the film before release, but to be honest, it doesn't really miss them as the level of shocks/gore left in balance out the (admittedly amusing at times) comedy moments.While not going for an out and out spoof, the film walks the line between being tense and titter-some.

 The band in the opening sequence, White Sister, were a hotly tipped band at the time - I even saw them as a support band once - and while the song used isn't their best (instead, check out 'Dancing On Midnight' from their 'Fashion By Passion' album that appeared in Halloween 5) it is by no means terrible. There's much worse music in this film. There's appearances from a couple of actors worth spotting, Paul Bartel (Eating Raoul) is one of the faculty in the college, Jason Warren plays his usual 'fat kid who doesn't get any' like he did in the two Screwballs films, and Ralph Seymour, previously seen in Just Before Dawn and Ghoulies has one of the main male parts.
It's directed by William Fruet, who also made 'Death Weekend' (1976) and 'Spasms' (1983) before heading into TV work on stuff like Goosebumps,  War of the Worlds and Poltergeist - The Legacy.

The film has just been released by the 'Warner Archive' on their (quite expensive) 'made to order DVD-R' range, and actually looks very good. While it's no worse than all the other college kids get slaughtered films out there, but no better either.
6 out of 10