Nina of the Woods (2020) #448

 “Nina of the Woods” was one of the selected feature films that was screened at the 25th annual H.P Lovecraft Film Festival. This was the movie’s regional premiere although the festival itself was being streamed this particular year. The film follows a small reality TV series production crew filming an episode concerning a Bigfoot like creature. They hire a young actress and a local guide to take them deep into the woods. The cast comes across as genuine and not as your typical horror movie tropes. It is a slower movie but I found it very enjoyable and a nice counter balance to some of the more chaotic films that deal with similar themes.

"Nina of the Woods" is similar to recent films like "In the Tall Grass" and "Blair Witch" in that all three story lines are about the cast of characters becoming lost and dealing with a bizarre twist in time. What sets "Nina of the Woods" apart from the crowd is it's mystical, serene approach. The scenes are beautifully filmed with subtle imagery, the pacing isn't erratic when the characters become lost, and there isn't a need for jump scares to remain entertaining. 

Megan Hensley plays Nina, the primary character, who returns to the forest where she lived as a small girl. She is an inspiring actress and after an awkward and insulting audition, she is offered the role of "local girl" to make the episode appear more authentic. She only agrees after her agent urges her to take the role. Through flashbacks, we see that she was taught to respect and hold nature in high esteem, and that every living thing gives back the cycle and to each other. As Nina and the production crew travel deeper into the forest, she comes to remember more of her forgotten past. 

Housewife (2017) #447

“Housewife” was one of the feature films screened at the 24^th annual H.P. Lovecraft Film Festival. Its single screening was filled to capacity and was well received by those in attendance. There is an overtly obvious nod to Lovecraft’s style of cosmic dread in the film as well as use love of cults. I enjoyed the film well enough and was glad that I chose this film over the other offerings at that time slot.

“Housewife” is the second feature film from Turkish writer/director Can Evrenol. His first film, “Baskin”, was seeped in folklore and symbolism which made that particular movie possibly somewhat confusing for people unfamiliar Turkish culture. “Housewife” feels slightly more approachable for the average viewer; it’s not as visually dark, there is less, if any, hidden Turkish references, and the cast speaks English, although with slight to thick accents.

 “Housewife” may be an ode to the stylish European horror films of the 1980’s and 1990’s. The visual palette and the use of colors in “Housewife” help draw the viewer in; warm amber and orange hues conflict with scenes of shades of blue and black, from moments of innocence and sex to trauma to hypnosis. The first two thirds of the movie are focused on trauma, memories, and sexual connection while the ending is purely unexpected horror.

Narratively “Housewife” is a chaotic tale about a woman named Holly who is barely tethered to reality ever since her childhood when she witnessed her mother kill her sister and father. She has a phobia of toilets, she is lying to her husband about wanting children, and her former best friend ran off with a cult. When that friend comes back into her life and is invited to meet the cult’s leader, Holly and her husband lives’ and turned upside down from revelations from the past and a very cultish, cosmic future. 

Celebrate H.P. Lovecraft!

In honor of the 25th anniversary of the H.P. Lovecraft Film Festival, here is a list of several of the movies that have been screened at the festival over the years. I have personally seen each of these at the festival, often for the first time. I always look forward to the festival and the experience of watching these films surrounded with other fans of Lovecraft and horror movies in general.  

If you would like to attend this year's festival, it is streaming worldwide. Here is the link to learn more!

Tickets for the H.P. Lovecraft Film Festival

Color Out of Space

"The Thing"

  

"From Beyond"

"Beyond Re-Animator"

"Dagon"

"Uzumaki"

"Marebito"

"Lifeforce"

Color Out of Space (2019) #446

H.P. Lovecraft was a pulp magazine writer from the 1920’s and 1930’s who left behind a small treasure trove of fantastic short stories after his death. Since the mid 1980’s, Lovecraft’s popularity has grown to incredible heights. Because of this, movies have been slowly adapted from his stories. Scores of independent and amateur films have been produced and shown at film festivals around the country but only a handful of adaptations have been big budget spectacles, which include director Stuart Gordon’s classics “Re-Animator”, “From Beyond”, and “Dagon”. Finally Lovecraft’s classic “Color Out of Space” has received the royal treatment.

Before it's theatrical release, “Color Out of Space” was screened for the loyal fans at the 24th annual H.P. Lovecraft Film Festival in Portland, Oregon in October of 2019. Returning guest of honor Richard Stanley, the film’s director and  co-writer, was full of pride as he presented his film to a sold out audience with appreciative standing ovations. Mr. Stanley was also on hand for a Q&A session. Those in attendance know what many others have come to know, that “Color Out of Space” is one of the best, craziest, and most fun film adaptations of an H.P Lovecraft story ever made.

At first glance, seeing names like Richard Stanley, Tommy Chong, and the ever unpredictable Nicholas Cage attached to a Lovecraft project may cause anyone to have serious doubts about the film being any good, but those names are exactly why this movie works. Mr. Stanley has been a fan of Lovecraft since he was a child. I had a chance to talk to him briefly at the 23rd annual H.P.L.F.F and he told me that he had been working on this script and fine tuning in for quite some time. His version of this well known story stays true to the nature of the narrative while adding visuals and events that add, and not detract, from Lovecraft's original vision. Casting Nicholas Cage as Nathan Gardner is perfect; it's a role that allows Mr. Cage to go all out crazy as he is known to do and horror movie fans are still talking about his recent role in the film "Mandy". Tommy Chong rounds out the noticeable casting choice as Ezra, a reworked version of Ammi Pierce. This is one of the biggest changes from the source material but it fits in perfectly in the narrative of this film. 


 

The rest of the supporting cast bring their respective characters to life and help make this particular film amazing. Joely Richards (Event Horizon) plays Theresa, Nathan’s wife, and Madeleine Arthur, Brendan Meyer, and Julian Hilliard were cast as the Gardner children, Lavinia, Benny, and Jack. Naming Madeleine’s character Lavinia, and having her performing a magical ritual in her opening scene was a clever nod to another well known Lovecraft character from the short story “The Dunwhich Horror”, a detail that I’m sure most Lovecraft fans will notice at once. 

In this adaptation of Lovecraft’s famous short story, an unusual meteorite crashes on the Gardner family farm, releasing an evil, malicious force that corrupts the land, animals, and the family themselves. There is a fair amount of high quality special effects as well as a few surprising moments of gore and body horror.

There is also a gracious amount of purple and pinks representing otherworldly color, so please accept that fact and enjoy the film.

The Dead Zone (1983) #445

“The Dead Zone” was released in movie theaters back in October of 1983. At this point, Stephen King was a well established writer with nine published novels, with four of those adapted in to films; his work was well known but he was still being discovered by a legion of new fans. Those first few films were directed by highly respected directors such as Brian De Palma, Stanley Kubrick, and George A. Romero, so it was only appropriate that an equal master of horror helmed this adaptation. David Cronenberg was brought on as director, having made his an impressive repertoire of films in the horror sub-genre of body horror.

I have read the novel and was pleased that the script was basically a streamlined version of the original source. Several scripts were presented to be considered, including a version from Mr. King, but Cronenberg found it to be “too brutal”. “The Dead Zone” was one of the more restrained stories that Mr. King had written at this point so it only made sense to carry over that restraint to the film version. Overall, the main beats of the original story help move the narrative forward from beginning to end. 

A major focal point of both the novel and film is the moral question if you would kill someone if you knew that it would save countless other lives. The example of going back in time to kill Hitler before he rose to power is asked and examined in both mediums. The novel does spend more time debating this moral dilemma while the film has Johnny ask the question before deciding what course of action to take.

Christopher Walker is perfect as Johnny Smith, a young teacher in love who is nearly killed in a tragic car accident. Mr. Walker’s physical mannerisms and his unique speech style are well suited for this particular role. Brooke Adams plays Johhny’s love interest Sarah, Herbert Lom is Dr. Sam Weizak, Johnny’s doctor who helps to identify Johnny’s psychic ability. Tom Skerritt is the perfect Sheriff Bannerman, the main law man in Castle Rock who is at his wits end to solve a series of grisly murders. The cast is rounded out with Martin Sheen as Greg Stillson, a popular but dangerous politician who keeps Johnny awake at nights.

Nightmare on Elm Street 3: The Dream Warriors (1987) #444

Nightmare on Elm Street 3 Trailer

A total 80's classic, "A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors" is a solid movie that truly represents the horror genre at that time; a big name franchise with a well known villain, complete with "witty" one liners and catchphrases, a returning final girl, and numerous victims killed off in bloody and gruesome ways. Original cast members Robert Englund Heather Langenkamp reprise there roles as the unforgettable Freddy Krueger and survivor Nancy, and are joined by a new cast of potential victims including Patricia Arquette and Laurence Fishburne.

"A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors" picks up right where the original left off. Nancy Thompson is now a psychologist specializing in dream therapy. She begins working with a group of teens at the local hospital, all of whom are experiencing nightmares with a common theme, Freddy Krueger. She also discovers that a new patient, Kristen, has a unique ability to bring others into her dreams. When the patients begin dying, supposedly by committing suicide, Nancy teaches the teens how to fight back within the dream world. With help from Kristen, her father, and Dr. Neal Gordon, Nancy is confident that they can finally destroy the spirit of Freddy Krueger.

While watching this film, I noticed a few details that made me truly appreciate the experience. First was the dialogue, it wasn't Oscar worthy but it wasn't as dreadful as so many teen slashers were during this time period so that's a plus. What really impressed me about the dialogue were Freddy's lines; it seemed that  he didn't really talk as much in this film as he did in the other films. He still delivered some one-liners to his victims, and these weren't too cheesy or cringe worthy yet. He felt more reserved with his speech and reminded me of Pinhead from the first two "Hellraiser" movies. 

Another aspect I appreciated were the practical and special effects used. The make-up ascetics used on Robert Englund are top notch and clean looking. Some of the special effects hold up decently well considering that the movie was produced in 1987 and look comparable to some effects used in today's movies. One scene near the end of the film uses some very outdated stop motion animation, but instead of looking horrible, I found it nostalgic and endearing; I'm sure I wouldn't have been so kind while watching this ten years ago.

Halloween (2018) #443

Halloween Movie Trailer

In 1978, John Carpenter introduced us to masked killer Michael Meyers and Laurie Strode, one of the most famous final girls in any horror movie. Forty years later both Michael and Laurie in 2018’s film simply titled "Halloween". At first glance, it feels like a path that’s already been on. To celebrate the twentieth anniversary of the original film, we saw the return of Laurie Strode as Michael's primary focus in "Halloween H20: Twenty Years Later". The movie itself does a fine job of ignoring the previous installments of the "Halloween" franchise, taking place twenty years later after "Halloween 2", and wrapping up the the series in a more than adequate fashion. So why do we need this new chapter? Because it's finally been done right.

The original “Halloween” was written, scored, and directed by the incredible John Carpenter who has returned as a producer, offering his spiritual guidance and wisdom regarding the script. Mr Carpenter also helped score this movie as well, presenting a haunting rendition of his original score. The music in this movie is absolutely perfect as ambient tones and sounds as well as the general theme enhance the mood and fill in the quiet moments.

  

While it’s great to see Michael Meyers on the big screen again, the real star of “Halloween” is Laurie Strode, played by the outstanding Jamie Lee Curtis. She is dominant, she is fierce, and she owns every second of screen time that she is given. From the first moment you see her, you feel her pain and her sorrow, having spent everyday for the past forty years waiting and preparing for Michael to return. Her character is reminiscent of Lynda Hamilton’s portrayal of Sarah Connor in “Terminator 2”; both women tried to lead normal lives but their paranoia and other symptoms of ptsd ultimately ruined their relationships with their children. Through Jamie’s gut punching performance, you are given more reason to care about her daughter Karen (played by Judy Greer) and granddaughter Allyson (played by Andi Matichak). Each character is fully developed and gives the audience the rare opportunity to actually care about the characters in a horror movie.

                              

“Halloween” is full of nostalgic moments, drawing ample inspiration from the original with a unique twist, subtle references and setting certain rumors to rest, and little details in staging; they even use the same font for the opening credits! But this film provides its own special moments, including the best dialogue during a babysitting scene I have ever seen. The most important choice that the film makers made was ignoring the sequels and reboots and choosing to set the movie directly after the original “Halloween”. This is the film that we wanted and the film that is worthy enough to properly celebrate the fortieth anniversary of this franchise.