“A horror film that defies all standard conventions by being a romance film. Spring is true love in bloom with an appetite for human flesh!”
Up until friend of the Creepercast, and our Master of Creeps, Bill Oberst Jr. let us know that he spent a few minutes as a stoner Frenchman in the creepy otherworldly film Resolution, we would have had to admit not knowing anything about the writer/director team of Aaron Moorhead and Justin Benson. Today we can proudly say that not only do we call them friends of the show but they have also managed to stretch the bonds of horror again but they've also blended it seamlessly with foreign romance, in a way that Twilight could never do, by maintaining the horror element while intriguing us with history and humanity. Spring is a labor of love for every horror lover and it couldn't have come at a better time. It's almost like they planned it that way...
The story is this (per IMDB)... Evan (Lou Taylor Pucci, Evil Dead, Thumbsucker) is a young American fleeing to Europe to escape his past. While backpacking along the Italian coast, everything changes during a stop at an idyllic Italian village, where he meets and instantly connects with the enchanting and mysterious Louise. A flirtatious romance begins to bloom between the two – however, Evan soon realizes that Louise has been harboring a monstrous, primordial secret that puts both their relationship and their lives in jeopardy.
I have to begin by saying this is a beautifully framed film. The cinematography is not only perfect, but the use of the Naples scenery is both monstrous and impressive. I have never wanted to visit Italy more than after watching Spring. From scenic mountain overlooks with roaring ocean waves, to the vineyards and digs at Pompeii. Every shot perfect for a frame all the way to the end as we fade out on Monte Vesuvius. Larger than life from opening to end, Spring is a cinematographers opus.
What brings Evan to this glorious land of mythical love and monsters is real horror. After watching his mother slowly waste away into death he cracks under pressure and is forced to run for his freedom, deciding to do the one thing we all want to do when faced with the consequences of blowing off the pressure we've wanted to release... he uses whats left of his cash to run away to Europe, namely the Naples valley of Italy. There he blows off more steam with a couple crazy Brits before his eyes catch her. This is where I got a little worried because the tale could go a dozen ways, I should have trusted in Moorhead and Benson to rule out the standard chick flick right way. I mean, they are guys, so that made me fear for the American in an exotic country runs into a vampire and wants to become one to spend an eternity with her as fang friends. Fortunately this is a Benson/Moorhead film and they are a couple guys that not only know the formula, but know how to mix the hell out of it. Louise is something older and much more mysterious, something right out of ancient Italian history and mythology. As for the love angle, not only have the duo payed homage to the strong woman, but also to the man that knows they can be better than what they have been.
Spring is a modern love story, that takes place among the backdrop of ancient history, and just happens to have a very hungry monster. It's an intriguing story full of mystery and blood that uses every tool available to them to push the story along. I honestly want to know though, is Italian immigration really as bad as we are here? Also, the Pompeii footage was brilliant and knowing these guys are true independent film makers I have to believe that they used actual historical icons and Monte Vesuvius victims as part of their story. All this said, Spring is a horror lovers love story.
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