“The Doors” is surrealistic journey by Kenneth Smith that plays with the notion of what might happen to someone who has just died and, well, might not know it yet. There is no dialogue, the soundtrack is minimal (but effective), and there is only one main character. And although it clocks in at around 9 minutes, Smith manages to chock it full of suspense, location shots, and a couple genuinely creepy moments.

I especially enjoyed the various locations in which he shot this film. A deserted small town main street, for example, was expertly shot and greatly increased the production value of the film…something important for all indie filmmakers to consider. That, coupled with a well shot surreal scene in a bedroom featuring smoke billowing underneath a door and a fire-like like cutting through the darkness helps give the film quite an impact.

However, I couldn’t help but feel that the acting, although there were no words, was a bit amateurish. The fact that there was hardly any dialogue meant the actor had to get by mainly body language alone…which is harder, in my opinion. It just came across as stilted in some sequences, and not completely natural. The editing also had a dis-jointed feel about it. While I could see that lending itself to this type of film, I’m not sure that was meant in this case. I can’t exactly put my finger on it, but I think it had to do with constantly using fade outs for transitions.

Over all, I applaud Smith’s efforts here. I think the film is a great exercise in taking a simple, but effective concept and playing with it in a unique way. You can see more of it here: http://www.myspace.com/thedoorsfilm

A few weeks ago I went to check my mail and found a small envelope with this DVD in it. I’m never one to turn away free stuff, so I thought I would check it out. Admittedly, I didn’t expect much from it…mainly because indie films vary widely in their sense of style, production value, and well, taste. But heck, it was only 11 minutes long so even if it was horrible, I wouldn’t be wasting too much time. Well, I can tell you this…it certainly wasn’t horrible. In fact, it was pretty damn good!Cheerbleeders is a short film by Peter Podgursky that tells the tale of an outcast, Penny, and what happens when she turns her nerdy friend Devon into an “unspeakable evil…the most popular boy in school.” What I liked most about this film is Podgursky’s ability to take an otherwise full-length film and squash it down to a mere 11 minutes, all the while keeping the main plot points intact. I almost felt as if I were watching it in fast-forward, but without losing any details of the story along the way. Another thing that helped carry this film was the acting. For a short film with a small budget, it seems like no expense was spared in getting quality actors to lead this film. While I’ve seen bigger movies with worse (much worse) acting, the actors playing Penny and Devon shine in their roles and make the film believable.

From the concise and succinct storytelling, to the fine acting ability of the lead actors, Cheerbleeders is a small movie that thinks big…in every way. Check out more at www.cheerbleeders.com

As a side-by-side comparison, I popped in the regular version of the disc (new release – just not Blu-Ray) and instantly noticed the difference between the two. In that case, Blu-Ray makes all the difference…it’s just better in all ways. Especially the audio…that is where I was most impressed.

The extras are pretty cool as well. The new documentary fills in some of the gaps from the extras on the prior release, but there’s not much new to say about the film. All in all it’s a great release. If you have a Blu-Ray player, I highly recommend picking this up…it’s a great transfer and in widescreen (for the first time, I believe). If you don’t have a Blu-Ray player, I wouldn’t run out to buy one just for this movie…but pick up the standard version of it as it’s still better than the earlier disc.

Let me know what you think and make sure to post a comment and tell me what got you into horror!

Thanks again and Happy Halloween!

Ben

Well, it’s that time of year again…October. As much as I hate seeing summer go, somehow by September I’m usually ready for a change. Even though that means winter is close by, there are still those few months of autumn in between where everything is just right. It’s not too hot or too cold, the leaves start to turn painting the skyline with brilliant shades of red and orange, and of course, there is Halloween…the day every horror fan counts down to every year.I usually try to make the most of this month by doing all sorts of things that helps bring out the Halloween spirit. Putting up decorations is a good way to get things going, and of course there is carving jack-o-lanterns, getting costumes, etc. But there is one thing I do every year that kind of signifies the beginning of the season for me…and that is watching Silver Bullet.

I know, that sounds weird. Silver Bullet isn’t necessarily the epitome of a Halloween movie, nor is it even a great movie (certainly not King’s best adaptation), but for some reason it works for me. Although I could bore you with all my theories as to why that is, I will say that I think it started when I was 11 and watched this movie while home alone one Wednesday evening. That was the night my parents went to choir practice at church and left me home alone. Coincidentally, those were also the nights that Fox showed horror movies. Needless to say, I spent many a Wednesday night glued to the television scaring myself senseless, waiting for my parents to come home…good times indeed.

So one night (October 26, 1988 – but who’s counting? ) I tuned in and saw Silver Bullet. I don’t think it was the first time I had seen it, but it was definitely one that I remember the most. For as cheesy as that movie is, I’ve always liked it. Maybe it’s the fact that it takes place over the course of a year so you see the town change with the seasons. Or maybe because it had a cool werewolf, and I’m a sucker for werewolves. Or perhaps it’s because Corey Haim had a kick-ass wheelchair that I wished I could take for a spin. Who knows…all I know is that I liked it, and that night it just felt right.

I ended up taping the movie that night and when the next year rolled around I watched it again. The next year, I did the same thing…and so on, and so forth. And every year, I watched the same recording…commercials and all. It just became this ritual and eventually October wouldn’t feel the same until I popped that in the VCR and watched it. 

Now, almost 20 years later, I don’t think one year has gone by where I did not watch Silver Bullet at least once in October. However, gone is that old ratty tape and in its place a pristine version of the film on DVD. Sure, it’s uncut with all the blood and foul language…but it’s not the same. It doesn’t have all of those old commercials on it, or that cool trailer for Halloween 2 that Fox was airing on Halloween night, or even that kind of bad tracking that comes with old tapes. But it still does the trick and helps me get into that Halloween mood.

So this weekend I plan on kicking off my October with a late night viewing of Silver Bullet. Of course now it will be in my own house, with my wife and daughter sleeping soundly upstairs. But I will be down in my room, lights off and basking in the glow of the tv. And for an hour and a half, I’ll be 11 years old again.

Ok, The Devil’s Rejects DVD has been out for some time but I just had a chance to watch it…about time, too since it’s been on my shelf for about a year! Damn, that two-disc set rocks! I only saw this film once in the theaters and walked away thinking it was decent and though I enjoyed it, I wasn’t blown away. That said, I like Rob Zombie’s work and was surprised to see just how much of a departure The Devil’s Rejects was from House of 1000 Corpses…perhaps that’s why it didn’t grab me at first, because I wasn’t sure what to make of it.

However, the DVD really changed my view of the entire film. I enjoyed it much more the second time around and the documentary disc completely blew me away. It’s rare to see such an in-depth documentary accompanying any film, let alone a horror film. Not only did I take away a greater appreciation for the making of the film, I gained more respect for Rob Zombie as a filmmaker.

Face it, you either love the guy or you hate him. But honestly, both sides have to agree that Rob Zombie is a man with vision and the talent to bring that to the screen. You don’t have to like his films to know that. Plus, he’s totally willing to admit mistakes and be frank with what he likes and doesn’t like which are honorable traits for anyone.

So, when you’re at the theaters next week watching Halloween (and you know you will be – even if you hate RZ), give it a chance and open your mind to what he has to say. You don’t have to like it, but don’t put it down based on any pre-conceived notions you might have concerning his films. I never thought I’d say this, but I’m looking forward to this movie. As a diehard fan of the original (diehard is an understatement – it is THE reason I’m into horror), I thought it was too sacred to “remake”. But I’m willing to let that go to see what someone else can do with it. We all know the sequels haven’t done the series justice…so how bad can this one be?

I promise not to bore anyone to tears here with yet another review-type blog, but from time to time I may mention movies I like, or just want to comment on. After all, I happen to like horror

Anyway, I just had a chance to check out Going To Pieces: The Rise and Fall of the Slasher this morning for the first time. For those who haven’t seen it, it is a documentary on, well, the slasher genre.  I haven’t had a chance to finish it but so far it’s been rather entertaining. It seems like people are finally getting it “right” when commenting on the slasher genre.

When I was growing up I had a thirst for any sort of article, book, news story, etc. that had to do with horror movies. Most of the time, writers focused on sexual undertones that these movies supposedly contained and the psychology behind the killer’s motivation. And my favorite, the old “Do drugs and have sex and you get killed” philosophy that so many of these so-called professionals held on to when psycho-analyzing these films. 

Gimme a break.

I’m not saying you can’t apply those theories and have them work in pretty much any slasher film. Of course the virginal girl almost always survives, and yes it almost always works out the killer was wronged in some way which aids in their motivation to kill. But do you really think the people who wrote these films thought like this? Umm, no…

As soon as movies like Halloween gained public interest, producers everywhere were clamoring for the next best slasher.  It happens in all genres and across different mediums. It’s this reality that is the focus of Going To Pieces: The Rise and Fall of the Slasher. and that’s why I like it. It makes no excuses for those money-grubbing studios who just wanted to cash in on a trend.

That isn’t to say that exploiting a trend is bad. Afterall, movie producers have a right to earn money and wouldn’t make any if the public didn’t line up for these flicks time and time again. And even though the constant release of one crazed-killer themed movie after another was ultimately the reason for this genre’s demise, it was sure fun while it lasted!

That is also something that Going To Pieces: The Rise and Fall of the Slasher covers, and does it well. You get the inside scoop on why these movies were made, and how they ended up becoming so popular. And even though you may have heard these stories many times before, it’s still fun to reminisce about a time when movies didn’t have to rely on computers or quick edits to jolt an audience. And for as cheesy as the slasher genre is (and was), I love it, dammit…and always will.