Smile (2022) #499

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"Smile", a dark and haunting psychological thriller that offers some new ideas for the horror genre. The film examines the mental breakdown of Rose, a therapist who works in a hospital's psychiatric ward. Some blame her mental decline on working too much while others believe that she's suffering from the same mental disorders that plagued her mother, who had finally succumbed to suicide. The truth is that she's been cursed, or marked, by an evil force that is taunting her until it finally possesses its victim, causing them to kill themselves violently in front of a witness.

It was a normal day in the psychiatric ward for Rose until Laura was brought in. She was having a manic episode, reportedly suffering from insurmountable stress ever she witnessed her professor kill himself in front of her nearly a week before. She begs for Rose to just listen to her, that she is seeing people that others can't, and that she needs help. Rose begins to respond her as if she is delusional, and Laura realizes that Rose does not believe her. She pleads and pleads but suddenly stop. Laura's behavior abruptly alters, she quiet and smiling directly at Rose, and before Rose can react, Laura takes a shard of clay from a broken flowerpot and fatally cuts herself. Afterwards, she is interviewed by police detectives, one of which is a former boyfriend of hers named Joel.

The next day, Rose finds one of her patients with the same creepy smile that Laura had on her face. He begins to scream at Rose that she's going to die soon, but when she calls for help, he's found to be sleeping. Rose is given some time off to recuperate but soon Rose starts to see vague images in the darkness and strangers in the distance looking at her. Random people as well as those she knows begin to smile at her, and as her hallucinations continue, those in her life become concerned and afraid of her. Looking more closely at the details surrounding Laura and suicide she witnessed, and with some help from Joel, Laura learns that there is a pattern of suicides with a single witness going back for a few months. 

The pattern seems hopeless and that her time is running out but a glimmer of hope arises when she learns that one person survived the curse by killing someone with a witness present; the witness then continued with the curse. After contemplating this option, Rose realizes that she can just face the evil alone, and if she died alone, the curse might be broken. Returning to her childhood home, Rose has a final confrontation with the evil entity, as well as her own personal demons.

"Smile" is the natural evolution of horror movies like "Ringu" and "It Follows", where the lead character becomes cursed and the only way to survive is to pass it along on to a new victim. In "Ringu", the video must be shown to someone within seven days, and "It Follows" is about finding a new sexual partner. "Smile" is about violent death and the unfortunate soul who watches it. "Smile 2" has just been released with great reviews, so I can't wait to see how this mythos continues.

Jakob's Wife (2021) #498

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"Jakob's Wife" is so much more than just a well-made vampire movie, it offers a serious examination of the dynamics of a married woman working through the struggles that had slowly developed over the years. While the husband thinks everything is fine, she wife is living a life of regret and boredom. This is perhaps one of Barbara Crampton's finest performances, as this script gives her plenty of dynamics to work with. She gets to be quiet and demure and then sexy and commanding. This may also be the most screen time that she has in a single film. Co-starring Larry Fessenden, watching these two old friends on screen together again is a pure joy.

To say that Anne is a rut would be an understatement. She feels trapped, underappreciated, and that she's wasted her youth after she married Jakob, the minister in the small town that they live in. When her old high school crush takes the opportunity to work with her renovating the old mill, Anne's temptation flares in the moment. Unfortunately for her and her old flame, they are attacked by the Master, a Nosferatu/Barlow looking vampire that had made the abandoned mill it's new lair. 

Over the next few days, Jakob notices that his wife is acting different, and he naturally suspects that something happened between her and her ex. While Anne begins to experience life as a vampire as she slowly turns, Jakob finds the vampire nest when he is attacked by a former parishioner. He rushes home just in time to clean up the mess that Anne makes after devouring a curious neighbor. Jakob loves his wife, so together they try find a way to move forward and free Anne from the sway of the Master. Does she belong to Jakob or the Master ultimately, or does she become the master of her own destiny?

This film has fantastic makeup and practical visual effects. It also has some memorable body horror moments, something that is often skimmed over in monster movies when it's such an obvious choice. For example, Anne's bite puncture begins dripping blood while she is taking a bath, so heavily that you can hear the drops hitting the bath water. Another moment is when she is having her teeth bleached at the dentist office. Her sensitivity to bright UV lights causes her face to alit and scorch and blacken her skin. Once she feeds, a horrific body mutilated moment in itself, she heals back to her pale, pasty new normal.

Abigail (2024) #497

 

“Abigail” quietly hit the theaters for a few weeks before becoming available on streaming and digital purchase. Much like other films after Covid, its theatrical run was limited but it still managed to build up some notice. It’s a quirky little film about an anonymous group of paid specialists on a job to kidnap and ransom the daughter of some ultra rich businessman. Details of who she is are left vague but all these six specialists need to do is keep the girl safe for 12 hours and then walk away with a $50 million payday. Seems fine until they begin to be killed by an unseen foe...

Melissa Barrera, best known for her roles in "Scream" and "Scream 6", leads the cast as Joey, a former army medic and recovering drug addict. She is one of six specialists, all who are using fake names to keep their anonymity from each other. Other roles include a marine sniper, an ex-cop, a getaway driver, and so forth. Joey becomes hesitant when the target is revealed to be a child but promises to keep the girl safe while she is with them. In return, haunting and ominous, Abigail merely states that her father doesn't care about her and that she's sorry for what is going to happen to them. The group soon finds out that they've kidnapped the daughter of a godlike crime lord, and their chances of pulling of this ransom are highly unlikely. Before anyone can leave the remote mansion, they are using as a hideout, they find that they are locked in and unable to escape.

After the driver is killed by an unseen assailant, paranoia grows as the remaining five strangers point fingers at each other. When the sniper is found mutilated a short time later, the crew goes to Abigal to demand answers. This in when Abigail reveals her true nature as a vampire and attacks her kidnappers. They try to fight back with classic vampire weapons, all of which seem useless against her speed and agility. Joey is able to use a tranquilizer, the same one she used Abigail during the kidnapping, and this works long enough to lock her in a cage. While in the cage, Abigail reveals that she knows who each one of them is and it was her plan to lure them here in revenge for wronging her father, hoping that such an act will get his attention.

Double crossing, turning in vampires, domination, and sunlight are all a part of the narrative as Joey tries to survive the night. When Abigail's father finally shows up, will Abigail be happy or will there be hell to pay for the disruption? Will Joey escape or become the newest member of the family, or dinner?

"Abigail" is a fun thrill ride brought to life by two horror film directors, Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillet, known for "V/H/S", "Southbound" and "Ready or Not", among others. It's a solid vampire movie and is worth a watch during the Halloween season.

Late Night with the Devil (2024) #496

 

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Released with much fanfare, "Late Night with the Devil" came out in earlier this year, 2024, and proved that David Dastmalchian,(as seen in "The Belko Experiment"), has the ability and presence to take a leading role and run with it; he's engaging and fun to watch trying to keep the show going as it slowly grows more chaotic. With a solid supporting cast, including Michael Ironside as the Narrator, "Late Night with the Devil" is a must-see movie for Halloween!

Late night talk show host Jack Delory is burning out on trying to take the light night crown from Johnny Carson. Throughout the 1970's, Night Owls with Jack Delory comes close but never overtakes the master of light night tv. In a documentary form of exposition, the viewers learn that Jack and his wife had been making regular visits to The Grove, an esoteric cultlike camp for the elite and rich. Jack's wife is diagnosed with cancer, and her appearances on Night Owls brings in ratings, but after her death, Jack is too heartbroken and leaves production for a while. When Jack returns, the show has barely any ratings at this point, but he has a plan. During his sixth, and possible final season, Jack stakes everything on his 1977 Halloween night special, hoping that this will be enough to save the show and finally fulfill his dream of being number one. 

Ensuring his show is perfect for Halloween, Jack has prepared a full-on Occult Themed show which includes a psychic, and supernatural denier, and a girl who had survived a death cult that worshipped the demon Abraxas. It’s a full hour of pure entertainment, or so he and his producer believe. What could possibly go wrong?

The show begins with a standard opening monologue from Jack before he introduces the medium Christou, who performs some simple speaking with the dead tricks. Then Carmichael Haig is brought in, offering a hefty check to any who can prove that magic and the supernatural are real. Haig then begins to dissect how Christou act is fake. Christou then becomes unusually sick and is rushed to the hospital where he is pronounced dead. Not letting that, or weird connections to wife deceased wife, will stop Jack from the big event, the cult survivor Lily and Dr. June Ross-Mitchell. Using Lily as a conduit, will they be able to contact Mr. Wiggles, the demon that supposedly is possessing young Lily? What harm could come from that?

"Late Night with the Devil" has a narrative that is peppered with little hints and clues throughout, making a second or third viewing just as enjoyable as the first. Everyone has something to gain from someone else, and no one is really much of a saint in this film. In the end, who, if any, do we really feel sorry for?

Wes Craven's New Nightmare (1994) #495

My second favorite entry in the "Nightmare on Elm Street" is "Wes Craven's New Nightmare"! There is so much to love about this film besides merely bringing more Freddy to the world. "New Nightmare" resets the tone back to a more serious, suspenseful slasher, foregoing the silly quips and one-liners. We get to see most of the original actors such as Robert Englund, John Saxon, and original "Nightmare" final girl Heather Langenkamp, and director Wes Craven. More so, these fine people all play a version of their real selves in the movie, creating a blur between fiction and reality.

Looking back, it's obvious that "New Nightmare" is the precursor to "Scream", two movies where Wes Craven examined horror movies in a very meta manner. The main difference between these two films is that "New Nightmare" had a finer scope, looking in at only itself while "Scream" played with all slashers that came before it. In real life, Heather had an obsessed stalker that was forced her to move out of the country; in the film she has a stalker who continuously calls her on the phone. Also in real life, her husband worked as a special effects artist, and so here movie husband is directly inspired by him. One of the producers portrays a version of themselves, attempting to convince Heather to star in one more Elm Street film.

In the world of "New Nightmare", the cast and crew have moved on from the Elm Street films and are working on various other projects. Robert Englund is still an actor but spends his free time painting. Heather is happily married and raising a young son Dylan. Heather still takes on some acting gigs and her husband works in special effects. Life is nearly normal in L.A for Heather, except for the violent earthquakes, the random phone calls, and the nightmares she's beginning to suffer from. When her son Dylan begins to become increasingly traumatized by a version of Freddy, horrible "accidents" begin to take place, starting with the death of her husband. The more Heather tries to find a reason behind the nightmares she shares with her son and Robert, the more likely it seems that the concept of Freddy Krueger is trying to force himself into the real world.

 

The blending of reality and fiction is best displayed by Heather and John Saxon's interactions. As the movie progresses, they naturally begin referring to each other as Nancy and Dad, as if they are crossing over into the fiction of the films. Another smart move with this production is in the makeup and creating a more organic, damaged looking Freddy Krueger character that is referred to as the Entity. This is the specter that is haunting Wes Craven himself, and when Heather seeks answers from him, she discovers that what he writes is coming true, much like Sutter Cane from "In the Mouth of Madness" which came out two years later.

Favorite moment - Heather is at the park with John discussing her concerns about Dylan. Dylan is off playing by himself on the park structures. Heather realizes that Dylan is standing on top of a high platform, raising his arms into the air. He falls but she's there to catch him. He looks at her and says "God didn't want me".

The Children (2008) #494

 

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US film makers are very hesitant to show violence against children, which is understandable movie taboo, so to have a British film that is all about violent children meeting violent ends is an unusual find, and "The Children" is such a movie. The violence is expertly alluded to and not actually shown in most moments during this film, but it leaves the viewer feeling that they've seen more than they have. The horror of course comes from seeing your children trying to kill you and having little choice but to react violently in return. At 85 minutes, the movie is a brisk and well-paced thrill ride.

Elaine and Jonah, along with their young children Miranda and Paulie, are going to spend the New Year's Eve holiday with Elaine's sisters' family. Elaine's oldest daughter Casey is also brought along against her will; she would rather spend the time with her friends rather than a group of young rowdy kids. They soon arrive at Chole and Robbie's house, and they and their two children come out to welcome everyone. Paulie, the youngest amongst the children, vomits as he gets out of the car but Elaine believes its due to motion sickness. Over the first night, all of the young children become sick, looking pale and acting oddly. 

First the family cat goes missing, but the adults don't notice. Then during lunch, Miranda unexpectedly attacks her aunt. Robbie quickly takes the other kids outside to deescalate the situation while Jonah takes Miranda upstairs. While outside, Robbie's son Nicky sets up a garden rake in the way of Robbie's sled. Robbie is fatally injured and the children run into the forest during the chaos. Casey was in the forest, trying to sneak off to a party when Robbie is hurt, and sees Leah laughing and cutting something bloody.

As the four children attack the three adults and Casey, they are forced to fight back or get killed by their loved ones. Blame is quickly appointed at each other. Jonah thinks Casey is to blame, while Aunt Chloe thinks her sister and Casey have gone insane and that the children are not at fault. Eventually Elain and Casey try to escape by driving away, but not before Casey begins showing the tale tell signs of the illness the young ones had.

Salem's Lot (2024) #493

A movie stuck in the mire of the film industry, "Salem's Lot" has finally arrived after being shelved and forgotten by the powers that be, and now that it's here its receiving a lukewarm reception, from "it was ok" to "it's pure trash". Diehard fans of the book or the original made for tv film from 1979 have vocalized the most vitriol for this version, and while I adore the book, this movie would be fine if it didn't share the same title. It suffers from the well-intended missteps that "IT pt2" made by rewriting the ending for a modern audience. I still enjoyed the movie recommend at least giving "Salem's Lot" a chance so you can make your own conclusion.

The movie begins with the clever use of visual exposition explaining the arrival of Barlow and Straker, their purchase of the Marsten House and the opening of their antique shop, and the rumored history of the Marsten House, all displayed by various newspaper headlines and articles. This saves the movie a great deal of screen time and keeps the audience engaged during a normally tedious process. The movie's first scene opens within the antique shop with Straker giving instructions on the arrival and handling of the mysteriously heavy box that is to be delivered. Next we see two men making the delivering, being spooked the entire time.

The next day, we are introduced to Ben Mears, played by Lewis Pullman, staring up at the Marsten House, the source of inspiration for his next book. Ben is a successful writer who lived in Salem's Lot when he was younger. In the book the history of the house plays a larger role but here it is simply made out to be the creepy house on the hill. Ben goes into town to try and rent the house and learns that someone had just bought it and moved in over the last week. At the agency, Ben meets Susan, the relators assistant? Ben and Susan run into each other later at the local library, where Susan loudly announces that she will be going to the drive-in, alone. 

Mark Petrie, the new kid in school, is introduced in the classic showdown with the class bully, swiftly neutralizing the bully, showcasing his high intelligence for an 11-year-old. The fight is broken up by Matt Burke, the only teacher in school that seems to care. That night, Mark has two new friends visit his house, Ralphie and Danny. The two brothers walk home but are attacked by Staker, who kidnaps Ralphie as a sacrifice for his master, the vampire Barlow. At the Marsten House, we see Ralphie offered to Barlow, a Nosferatu looking vampire. A search is made by the town to find Ralphie, and it's indicated that Danny has no memory of the attack. Danny falls ill, and while dies while in the hospital, a victim of pernicious anemia. The night of Danny's funeral, the gravedigger Mike is bitten by Danny, beginning the slow but steady spread of vampirism throughout Salem's Lot.

It soon becomes apparent to Ben, Susan, Matt, Mark, and Dr. Cody that something is wrong in "the Lot" and seek help from Father Callahan. Bodies go missing, vampires are flying up to windows asking to be let in, and crosses glow brightly when in the presence of a vampire. The novel becomes purely inspiration for the second half of the film as characters are switched in certain events and the order of events are mixed around. Once again, if you haven't read the book, this is still an entertaining movie even if plays it a little loose on how active a vampire can be during the day. The big showdown takes place at the local drive-in, where Ben and Susan had their first date. It's an interesting idea that is full of action and close calls.

Salem's Lot was Stephen King's second published book, inspired by the horror comics of his youth. The book is full of secondary characters, fully fleshed out, who help showcase the steady spread of Barlow's curse and influence in the small town. Their presence is not necessary but does add greatly to the overall appeal and love of the book. This film already feels rushed and the inclusion of these characters was just not possible. Had they been included and the run time increased or presented as a mini-series rather than a movie, the end product may have been more in line with the book, looking past the obvious new ending of course.