Doctor Sleep: Director's Cut (2019) #475

 "Doctor Sleep" is the sequel that we never knew we wanted. It is not a cheap cash-in like so many sequels are; case in point, the movie came out twenty-nine years after the "The Shining". This film builds upon the reality that the Stanley Kubrick film first establishes, complete with near perfect, young look alike actors filling in for Shelly Duvall, Scatman Crothers, and even Jack Nicholson. "Doctor Sleep" is rich in nostalgia in a good way as we revisit Danny, Wendy, Jack, Dick and our favorite haunted hotel and find out how they've grown over the past forty years. 

I've read both "The Shining" and "Doctor Sleep" and I have seen "The Shining" more times than any other Stephen King adaptation. The film follows the first half of the novel almost faithfully before taking a decidedly different turn...for the better. Director/Screenwriter Mike Flanagan, known for "Hush", "Oculus" and "Gerald's Game", adapted the Stephen King's story to follow the events from "The Shining" film and not from "The Shining" novel. This means that the Overlook Hotel is still standing and was not blown apart from the boiler exploding. Just like the actors, the Overlook Hotel looks nearly exactly the same, just forty years older. This is where the showdown between good and evil takes place in the very epic finale. 

A major theme in both books and both film is dealing with alcoholism. Mr. King has been very open about his struggles with substance abuse in his past and it feels like "Doctor Sleep" is a way for him to share what it could feel like. Just like his father, Dan Torrance is a full blown alcoholic, and when we first see him as an adult, he is hitting rock bottom. Luckily for him, he is able to find a fresh start when he hops on a bus and ends up in Frazier, New Hampshire. He befriends a man named Billy Freeman who helps him find an apartment and a local support group. Dan becomes sober but does battle some temptations throughout the story. The most intense temptation takes place in the Overlook, as Dan shares a deeply personal conversation with the ghost Lloyd the bartender. This scene is easily one of my favorites in the film.

Besides alcoholism, the other villain in "Doctor Sleep" is the Trueknot, a vagabond group of psychic vampires. They track down those with the shine to feast upon their power, which comes forth like a mist from the victim's mouth. Pain and fear cleanse the shine, makes me more delicious. But sometimes they recruit and turn those with a gift that the Knot could use to their gain. The newest member of the Trueknot is Snakebite Andi, a young teen who can hypnotize someone with a single word or phrase. They are led by Rose the Hat, a truly evil and sly antagonist. The concept could have come across as campy but that is not the case here; they are truly terrifying.  

Mr. King has written several different characters in various books who have a touch of the shine. In this story we are introduced to perhaps the brightest shine of them all, Abra. Growing up, she uses her powers not knowing that she is special, scaring her parents when she psychically plays the piano when she should be sleeping or imitating a magic trick that she saw a party magician perform. She even reaches out to Dan and leaves friendly messages on his large black board wall in his apartment. What I love about how this character is that she knows that she is powerful; she is never the damsel in distress. Ignoring the warnings from Dan to hide herself, Abra uses her powers to search for a young boy whom the Knot had feasted upon. When Rose the Hat learns of Abra, the two have more than one psychic tug-of-war with Abra winning each time. But when Rose the Hat becomes involved directly and the Trueknot comes to claim Abra, the young girl knows that she will need Dan's help

Again, my favorite scene is when Dan battles the temptation to drink and to face his past with his and his father's weakness.

The Void (2015) #474

Few films present cosmic dread and utter horror in such an effective way as “The Void”. From the very first scene the mood is set, from the violent death and follow through to the eerie background music and the credit sequence, the viewer is made aware that they are about to watch something special. With its indescribable creatures, a haunting silent cult, and cosmic dread that leaves you feeling that humanity is just a speck in the void, pardon the pun, it’s easy to compare this to something that could have been written by H.P. Lovecraft. And with its use of practical effects and make-up, spooky and unsettling soundtrack, and no-holds barred violence in the vein of “The Thing” and “Prince of Darkness”, it feels like this could have been directed by John Carpenter. The two masters of cosmic horror would be proud of writers/directors Jeremy Gillespie and Steven Kostanski.

 

The film is set in a desolate backwoods hospital that is nearing its scheduled closure. The emptiness and seclusion creates an immediate sense of dread, and when mysterious cult members arrive like phantoms in the parking lot, the horror escalates to chilling heights. Inside the hospital people become possessed without reason, unknown monsters lurk in the basement, and two armed strangers take the hospital staff and patients hostage. From every angle fear and dread seep throughout the film, “The Void” is a non-stop thrill ride into the unknown. 

Cosmic horror is at the forefront of “The Void”, leaving the characters feeling insignificant and hopeless. The first sign are the mysterious cult members, silent and haunting as they wait patiently around the hospital. How many of them are there and what are they planning to do? What have they done before the movie begins? The second example of the cosmic horror are the monsters; creepy, malformed, and deadly

When a sherif deputy comes across a man crawling along the street covered in blood, he quickly takes him to the nearest hospital. The hospital is operating with a skeleton crew as it prepares to permanently close down. Before anyone can even breathe, chaos ensues when a nurse becomes possessed by something and two strangers with a gun come looking for the blood covered man. Everyone becomes trapped when mysterious cultists surround the hospital. Finally, a bizarre basement is discovered hiding dark, hidden dangers.  

Mandy (2018) #473

“Mandy” is psychedelic mind trip of colors, false messiahs, drugs, bikers, and a Nicholas Cage that you’ve never seen before. The movie will leave you wondering what you just saw and additional viewings may not help answer any questions, although the film will still be fascinating. It’s a unique film that caught the attention of many and currently holds a 91% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes 

There is no better way to describe Nicolas Cage’s performance in “Mandy” as anything other than elemental; he is a force of pure energy. He is finally able to tap into whatever zone he enters mentally when he steps in front of a camera now days and completely let go. There are moments where he is allowed to be calm and reflective and other times where he literally gets to scream and let all of his rage and anguish flow. No one ever saw this performance coming and those who haven’t, prepare yourselves for a brand new kind of Nicolas Cage.

The film’s story is nice and simple, which allows the events that take place to have their own weight and importance in each scene. Red and Mandy live a simple, quiet life in the mountains of the Pacific Northwest. Red works as a logger and Mandy works as a cashier at a gas station. They have deep philosophical conversations that lead you to believe that they are both recovering from past traumas. Everything is going fine until one day when a van drives by Mandy and one of the occupants, Jeremiah Sand, sees her and becomes obsessed. Jeremiah happens to be the leader of a hippie cult that calls themselves The Children of the New Dawn, and Jeremiah truly believes that what he wants is his with the permission from god himself. He has members of his cult kidnap her, which begins a violent, manic turn of events as Red seeks vengeance and does not allow anything to get in his way.

One thing that makes this movie so odd and yet wonderful is that you have no idea what is supernatural and what isn’t. Is Red merely a man seeking revenge or is he some kind of immortal? Are the bikers really just mind fried junkies or actual demons? What other atrocities have the Children committed to satisfy Jeremiah? There are no back stories save one, and that teases the audience in the best way in this film. What I do know is thaT this movie will leave a little imprint scarred on your brain that reads “Mandy and Red we’re here”.

The Invisible Man (2020) #472

 

The film “The Invisible Man” proves that you don’t need a big budget to make a big, incredible movie. Star Elizabeth Moss has the performance of the year as Cecilia Kass, a victim of domestic abuse who believes that her ex Adrian is still tormenting her after his apparent suicide. Leigh Whannell wrote and directed the film, updating and modernizing this adaptation from the novel of the same name. With a budget of only $6 million, “The Invisible Man” took in a box office total of $134 million and have earned more if not for the pandemic closing theaters down earlier in the year.

Elizabeth Moss had her work cut out for her in this film, spending most of her screen time fighting against an unseen force. Her physicality is spot on and completely believable as she’s thrown around and struggles against the invisible assailant. Her range of emotions are also upfront and center, starting the movie as an already beat down and abused woman. She finds the strength to leave her abusive boyfriend and start a new life. When unexplained occurrences begin around her, Cecilia’s composure and resolve are pushed to their limits.

The narrative in “The Invisible Man” is smart and sharp, keeping the theme of abuse and manipulation as the central focus throughout. Cecilia is framed several times and takes the fall. But Cecilia isn’t the only character to fall victim to Adrian; Adrian’s brother Tom expresses how he was used and Cecilia’s friend James is led to believe that Cecilia is a threat to him and his daughter. 

The explanation for the invisibility in “The Invisible Man” is clever and believable. Can’t share too much without spoiling anything! The special effects and use of CGI is used sparingly and wisely, relying on Elizabeth’s great acting and physicality to make the most of the action sequences. This is most definitely a movie that I’ll watch several more times over the next year or two. Action packed and suspenseful, “The Invisible Man” is a must see for 2020.

Brightburn (2019) #471

What if Superman had been born evil? This simple premise is the foundation for the 2019 film "Brightburn", written by James Gunn's brother Brian and his cousin Mark, and directed by David Yarovesky. "Brightburn" stars Elizabeth Banks ("Slither") and David Denman, and special cameo but Michael Rooker.

Just like Superman, Brandon crashed landed on Earth and was found and adopted by Tori and Kyle Breyer, a young couple who couldn't have children of their own. They raise him well and he turns out to be a typical, awkward preteen. One night, Brandon wakes up and is drawn to the family barn, to where Tori and Kyle had hidden Brandon's ship. This is when his powers begin to manifest and he starts to realize that he isn't as limited as everyone else. Brandon is devastated when the girl who he has a crush on calls him a pervert, causing him to begin acting on his feelings. Later, when he does discover the ship hidden inside the barn, he becomes encouraged and begins chanting "Take the world". Kyle becomes suspicious of his son and only Tori believes that Brandon is still her innocent, little child.

Jackson A. Dunn is perfectly cast as Brandon, portraying him with all of the wonder of his new powers while having moments of conflict of what he should do compared to what he is learning that he can do. The transformation between innocent preteen to an unemphatic killer who sees himself as untouchable. Although he's developing his powers, Brandon is still just a 12 year old boy who is still learning on how to deal with his feelings. This is the tilt on what makes Brandon turn into Brightburn and Kent into Superman. 

The visuals for "Brightburn" as fantastic, including his outfit that he creates. It's simple, homemade, and utterly frightening. The special effects work well and the scenes are graphic and detailed. I love the scene where he flips a truck and examines his handiwork. I was impressed that the trailers for the film did not give away too much, leaving the context unspoiled while showing some of the action sequences. The music for the end credits is Billie Eilish"s aptly titled radio hit "Bad Guy".

The Belko Experiment (2017) #470

 

"The Belko Experiment" is an ultra violent, gore filled film written by James Gunn ("Slither" and "Guardians of the Galaxy), and directed by Greg McLean ("Wolf Creek"). The star studded cast includes John Gallagher Jr ("Hush" and "Cloverfield Lane"), Michael Rooker ("Slither"), John C. McGinley, and Sean Gunn. It had received mix reviews when it was first released but remains a favorite among genre enthusiasts. 

The film opens with everyone heading into work at the Bogota, Columbia branch of the Belko Industries. The office building is secluded from the rest of the city and is surrounded by fences and armed guards. This is all for the protection of the mostly American staff. All staff members receive a small tracking device that is planted near the base of the skull in case they fall victim to kidnapping or demand of ransom. For some odd reason, all of the guards are new and no one knows where the previous ones are. Once everyone has reported to work and their day begins, an unknown voice comes over the intercom speakers and announces that two employees must be killed or else there will be serious consequences. Panic ensues, people try to escape but they find themselves trapped in the building. When the time elapses and no one has been killed, four random employees die killed when their "trackers" detonate. Further instructions are given to kill or be killed, and the building fall into utter chaos.

The film explores the morality of what people would do in a situation like this, and how those who consider themselves in power prey on those without. In this case it's the management team and those who see their lives as more important that others who try to control the situation and decide who gets to live and who gets to die. It's a gut wrenching scenario to watch as the employees who are old, single, or who do not have kids are lined up to be executed. But not everything goes to plane because not everyone agrees with what the few have decided...

What makes this film interesting is watching those who don't want to follow the orders to kill. They try to find ways to escape, to cope and manage their stress, and try to fight back. Mike, played by John Gallagher Jr, tries to protect his girlfriend/coworker Leandra, ensure that no breaks into the gun locker, and tries to flag down help from the outside world. The people who are trying to do the right thing are the ones whose deaths come most shocking as the experiment comes to it's epic conclusion.

Session 9 (2001) #469

 

"Session 9" is a dark, haunting psychological thriller about a team of asbestos removers working in an old asylum and how one the the team members comes across tape recordings of one of the more puzzling cases that took place there many years ago. Directed by Brad Anderson and starring David Caruso, Peter Mullan, and Larry Fessenden.

Gordon owns an asbestos abatement company that wins a highly sought after contract to clean out a large abandoned mental hospital with it own infamous history. Part of the contract that Gordon agreed to was that his team would finish the job in only one week, much to the dismay of the team's supervisor Phil. Before the project even begins, the team members have their own personal demons to contend with. Phil is dealing with a breakup with his girlfriend, Hank has a gambling problem and is sleeping with Phil's ex, Mike who is a law school dropout with an anger problem, and Gordon's nephew Jeff who has an extreme fear of the dark. It's not long before the project starts to fall apart, including Hank's disappearance and Mike finding a set of tapes from the sessions of one of the patients. 

The narrative's pace is steady throughout so it never feels too slow or fast and the scenes build well upon each other while the session tapes act as interludes. It feels like a proper ghost or haunted house story, achieving a chilling and frightening atmosphere without gore and violence. This movie makes you think and multiple viewings offer hidden clues that you may have missed previously. It's all about the interpersonal relationships and the rundown hospital.

The movie was filmed in Danvers State Hospital in Massachusetts. The hospital itself greatly inspired Anderson's script as well as a real life trial concerning a man who violently killed his wife after she burnt his dinner one night. The crew had no need for sets, using what was already left in the hospital. The hospital has since been demolished, but not before leaving a part of it's legacy on film for all horror fans to enjoy