The Living and the Dead (2006)
* * ½In an English manor house, a young adult son suffering from schizophrenia is determined to prove he can take care of his invalid mother better than an outsider nurse. This one is going to be a matter of taste. Performances pull no punches and the frenetic camerawork and disconnected soundscape certainly ring cinematically true, but there’s also a strong whiff of exploitation to the direction which places it firmly in horror. Lodge Kerrigan’s dramas about schizophrenia, Clean Shaven and Keane used a similar technique to better effect. This got me thinking about
Angst, which goes down the dark path with its mentally disturbed lead but avoids exploitation with simple, bold directing decisions instead of flashy style and sentiment.
13 Beloved (2006)
aka. 13: Game of Death
* *There have been a number of these Fear Factor horror films lately, the best one being The Game. The best of the recent batch is Cheap Thrills and Nerve is one I still debate watching. This one from Thailand has some big problems. The main character gets paid after completing each task, but he’s told up front if he doesn’t complete all 13 he loses all the money. So, why pay small dividends if it’s an all or nothing deal? The tone is terribly off, with much of the events played for laughs, which doesn’t work when your film has dead pets and parental abuse. What ultimately sinks it is a muddled finale that tries to make the games part of a personal story that doesn’t work, like a bad Hollywood rewrite. In brief, 13 Beloved < 13 Tzameti.
The Hamiltons (2006)
* * ½ Debut from a pair of filmmakers who call themselves The Butcher Brothers is about a suburban family with some deeply dark secrets. Having recently lost their parents the remaining siblings quickly unshackle all sense of morality, including but not limiting themselves to having kidnapped women in their basement. I had a lot of trouble getting onto the wavelength of the filmmakers. Don’t know if it’s the inexperience or sloppy storytelling, but the first half is a few interesting ideas slowly searching for a purpose. I wouldn’t be surprised if the Brothers have a better film in their careers, maybe even one that gets me to like this film more.
Poultrygeist: Night of the Chicken Dead (2006)
* There was a time when I could enjoy Troma, but that doesn’t seem like a remote possibility now. Considered by many to be their best film because it’s directed by the company’s chief, Lloyd Kaufman, (who acts in the film and does a good job of it), and it incorporates many genres including musical numbers. I thought it was painful, mainly because the visual humor is so gross it’s deadening. Compare this to Cannibal: The Musical by Trey Parker, distributed by Troma but made independent of them. Parker knows how to blend horror, rude humor and songs. Poultrygeist is what you get when all of that goes horribly wrong.
Black Water (2007)
* * * - Okay Killer croc in Australian swamp told in a minimalist style. (Not as minimal as Open Water but more than The Shallows.) This means few characters with few plans, mostly hoping to wait out the danger, which can be trying for some, but there’s still enough tension and suspense to make this a decent film for patient viewers. Later the same year, there was an Australian killer croc swamp film with a much larger budget. Looking forward to comparing the two because that one (called Rogue) is up next.