my thoughts on.... 'The Ice Cream Truck'

As with all of my reviews of films for The Creepercast, I fully recommend that you check each and every one of them out. I am one man and this is my opinion. I've seen plenty of movies that received reviews that were the complete opposite of how I saw the film. These writers, directors, producers and actors all put a lot of time and love into these projects. They deserve to be seen and appreciated for what they are. Everyone has a dream and I fully support the people that take the time to make theirs a reality. With that being said....

We all know that living in the suburbs isn't always the idyllic Norman Rockwell painting that it appears to be. We've seen countless movies that have proven that the “normal” life, isn't always that normal under the surface. Hell, David Lynch, cornered the market on weird tales of suburbia and the dark underbelly that no one ever wants to talk about. Maybe his tales were a bit more fantastic fantasy, than reality, but the foundation was based on real life. It stems from the fish out of water feeling that we all get, when we move into unfamiliar territory. Marry that with the seedy stories that seem to leak out, over the years, as small town residents move into the city and begin to unburden themselves of their old baggage. More and more, the 1950's, black and white televised lifestyle has been proven to be nothing more than a screenwriters fantasy. Something that lives only in reruns and romanticized memories of days long gone. In Megan Reels Johnston's 2nd directorial and screenwriting outing, she's attempting to re-tell the tale from her perspective. New neighbors, the gossip fiend next door, trouble making kids and a killer ice cream man that seems to be anachronistic? We've all seen it before.... or have we?

In this modern day fairy tale, Mary (played by the very charismatic Deanna Russo) moves back to her old hometown. Opting to take her family and place them into a small town suburban setting, she comes ahead of them, in order to start setting up. Meanwhile, her husband and 2 children stay behind to finish out things back home, before coming out to join her. During her first day there, she meets the neighbors and is quickly invited to a graduation party for one of the local boys, Max (played by John Redlinger). After being harassed by the mover (played by the amazing Jeff Daniel Phillips), she begins to almost feel like she may have made the wrong decision to move. During the course of that same first day, Mary notices an old school ice cream truck, cruising the streets and providing the local residents with sweet dairy treats. It looks like a vehicle out of another time and place. After a very bizarre encounter with the neighbors at the party, Mary continues to get an uneasy feeling about her new surroundings. Things begin to spiral down into a bizarre string of occurrences, which make her question her own sanity as the quiet life she'd dreamed of, may be shrouded in murder and madness.

I'm not sure where to begin with this review and I'm not sure how much to really give away about the story? There's so many positives going on, but there are also so many negatives. First of all, I should really give some kudos to Michael Boateng for his rather effective and well done scoring of this film. It has a very old school feel to it and it underlines the story, as it slowly unfolds. I think I understand what Megan Reels Johnston was attempting to do with this film, but I feel that it really fell short of the mark she was aiming for. Despite having a really excellent cast, who provided some great performances, this film felt like so many student produced movies from when I was in film school. Lots of eagerness to tell a story and a strong desire to buck the Hollywood system, but not enough story telling experience to maintain the core concepts they were trying to convey. The film, itself, starts out very strong and maintained my interest through out. However, it felt like a ride on a horse and buggy, in so much that it was incredibly uneven and had a lot of bumps that took you out of the story. It also failed to provide adequate motivation for the two main “villains” in the story and what was really going on with either of them. The main characters provided the basis of a made for TV movie about strange things going on in a small town, but with a bit more blood. There was a lot of potential here for something really great. It just suffered too much from a desire to be weird for the sake of trying to make the audience think that the movie had more meaning and depth to it, than it actually did. A lot of unanswered questions and a twist ending that felt unsatisfying and as though she didn't know how to end it.

As far as horror films go, this was anything but scary. I don't think that was her intention though. As far as psychological thrillers go, this wasn't intelligent enough to be anything to be remembered. I will give the director credit for moving the story forward and keeping the viewers interest. I legitimately wanted to see how it ended and was intrigued with the overall story development. For me, the credit goes more to the cast and specifically the leading lady, Deanna Russo. She held the entire story together and the chemistry between her and John Redlinger, was undeniable. Beyond that, I don't think this is anything I would recommend to friends or family. The ambiguous ending aside, The Ice Cream Man (played by Emil Johnsen) was confusing and Jeff Daniel Phillips character, was almost too tacked on to be worth mention. He did the best with what he had, but left me feeling like he was short changed in the whole deal. I would give this 3 out of 5 stars, in terms of the film making/cinematography/ and acting, but 2 out of 5 stars for the poor story telling and terrible ending. Therefore, we're going to call this a 2 and a ½ star film, at best. 'The Ice Cream Truck' is a muddled mess of a movie, that had all the ear marks of a sleeper classic, that suffered from too many good ideas gone bad. I only hope that the cast and crew, along with the writer/director, keep working towards another project. This time, I hope that they fully flush out a story and that has a solid first, second and third act. No more incomplete endings and giant question marks at the end. If they can accomplish that, then I think we'll have something really unique to talk about.

'The Ice Cream Truck' will be released in theaters and on VOD August 18. (This just became available to stream on Amazon Prime on August 11th)



If you'd rather see some other, better, suburban nightmares, then check out: 'Blue Velvet', 'The Stepfather' (1987) and 'The House of the Devil'

my thoughts on.... 'Devil's Domain'

As with all of my reviews of films for The Creepercast, I fully recommend that you check each and every one of them out. I am one man and this is my opinion. I've seen plenty of movies that received reviews that were the complete opposite of how I saw the film. These writers, directors, producers and actors all put a lot of time and love into these projects. They deserve to be seen and appreciated for what they are. Everyone has a dream and I fully support the people that take the time to make theirs a reality. With that being said....

Some movies, after you finish them, leave you feeling confused and uncertain what just happened.... and why? Tonight, I witnessed the movie known as, 'Devil's Domain'. As to why it was called that, I'm not entirely sure. There were so many different things going on in this film, but none of them seem to make sense. I mean, the overall story was coherent and there were some interesting and good things going on. However, in the end, I just don't know what to make of it? Was it an allegory on bullying? Was it preaching to us about the dangers of reality television? Could it have been a warning about being careful what you wish for? I'm just very unclear on the whole thing. Written and directed by Jared Cohn, a man who has a pretty healthy resume. This is not his first film and looks like it won't be his last. He's also an actor and is quite active in the film making world. The lead actress, who plays Lisa, Madi Vodane is very charismatic and enjoyable to watch on the screen. Linda Bella, who plays the “she-devil”, is pretty well cast and they both do the best with what they have. Even Michael Madsen, who seems to have fallen out of the good graces of Hollywood, was convincing in the minor role that he played. (Speaking of which, if you want to see a recent film of his that was excellent, check out 'The Lumberjack Man'. It was fantastic!) There was just some major failings that can't be overlooked.

The film tells a cautionary tale about Lisa. A high school girl, who's failed attempt at making a friendship with her best girl friend, into more of a girlfriend, winds up making her an outcast. This puts a huge target on her back, as it seems like the entire school has turned on her. When a note, looking like its written in blood, falls on her desk. She signs a death warrant on some of the people who've done her wrong. The first to go, is a girl who's 'poofed' away to a red room, where she's chainsawed to death, while being Snapchatted to the entire school. They all assume it's a hoax. Nobody ever talks about it again. Back to Lisa.... She's bulimic, unpopular and headed down a path towards suicide. When her next door neighbor shoots spy cam footage of her binging, purging and then masturbating, it spirals her out of control. After coming home from her massive public shaming, she is contemplating ending her life. While cruising Facebook, a new friend seems to appear, Destiny. This new friend quickly invites her to come and meet her. She sends a car to pick her up and Lisa winds up at a rather shady looking location, full of people who appear to be 'hangers on' of Destiny's. They have a little love making session and Destiny reveals that she's the devil in disguise. She tempts Lisa into signing a pact, that has no real clear definition of what the payment will be, just that Lisa will be famous and can get revenge on her classmates. Just prior to this, a couple more people die. Nobody says anything and they just seem to disappear. Things go from bad to worse, as Lisa soon realizes that this is not just a game, but a real life deal with Satan, that has real consequences. (None of which include the mentioning of any of the multiple high school students being horribly murdered by the devil.) It all ends, eventually, with the truth of the deal coming out.... she's to have the son of Satan and bring about the end of the world? What's a girl to do?

'Devil's Domain' is a mess of a film. Outside of the enjoyable performance of the lead and some solid practical effects, the rest of what transpires is not very good. I legitimately can't tell you what the purpose of this film is? It's very simple in it's execution and story line. It almost feels like it's trying to be a modern, younger take on 'Rosemary's Baby', but in a more direct and violent kind of way. Sadly, it doesn't have any of the cache or suspense that Roman Polanski's film did. There's also some major issues in the plot and it doesn't feel very satisfying when it's over. Like when you eat an entire bag of chips and dip. It may have been kind of fun here and there, but you end up on the couch feeling like you made a huge mistake that you can't take back. I also, seriously, feel like Jared Cohn was trying to make something with a deeper meaning behind it, but a good idea isn't enough to carry a film if you can't flesh out the script enough to make it make sense to the viewer. I, also, kept waiting for something to happen with all of the deaths in the film. Like maybe the police would come to suspect Lisa being behind them or that it would somehow be blamed on one of her bullies. Instead, that piece of the film is just swept under the carpet with no explanation. Like the deaths of the bad people didn't matter and there were no repercussions for them. Maybe the devil can just make it all just go away, like it never happened, but then you need to explain that to the audience. Perhaps I'm just grasping at straws and picking apart the movie too much, however, I want to leave a movie with something more than an empty pit in my stomach.

If I was to say something positive about 'Devil's Domain', it would be that it serves as a good palate cleanser. I can honestly say that whatever the next film is that I watch, it will seem good in comparison to this. I'm not a film maker and don't claim to be one. I'm not a frustrated screenwriter and I'm just giving my opinion on what I saw, but I've seen enough horror films in my day and read enough books about them, that I know what makes a good film. I respect Jared for setting out to make something that he wanted to make, but that doesn't make it good. This is barely a 2 out of 5 star film and that is solely based on the leads and the special effects. Even the music, which is made up of quite a few larger named artists, isn't utilized in a way that moves the film forward. Not too mention the horribly out of place use of Onyx's song 'Slam'. What teenager in 2016 has any clue about that song or would want to hear it played at their house party? I even saw Sticky Fingaz name being boasted about being in the cast. If he's got a role in this film, even if it's just at the party, he's so well hidden that I didn't even see him. There are so many other great independent horror films out there, that you can spend your time on. I can't recommend this as being one of them. Only watch this, if you want to see if you can determine the purpose of it being made.

This film is now available to rent on VOD, with a Blu-ray release set for July 17.



If you want to see a similar story, done better. Check out: 'Rosemary's Baby' or read the Bible

my thoughts on.... 'The Cabining' (an original Creepercast site review)

As with all of my reviews of the independent films that we get sent here at The Creepercast, I fully recommend that you check each and every one of them out. I am one man and this is my opinion. I've seen plenty of movies that received reviews that were the complete opposite of how I saw the film. These writers, directors, producers and actors all put a lot of time and love into these projects. They deserve to be seen and appreciate for what they are. Everyone has a dream and I fully support the people that take the time to make theirs a reality. With that being said....
Back in the day, I went to film school. Columbia College in downtown Chicago, to be exact. I had greater aspirations of making it big with my creative screenplays, living in Chicago and enjoying a life of unbridled success. While I was there, I also studied directing and producing, in an attempt to be a more well rounded film maker. During the course of my studies, I came across a lot of different ideas and concepts for screenplays. Some really good and some not so much. I myself came up with several that I look back on now and cringe and other one's that I wish I would have seen through to the end. This movie reminded me of those days. Collaborating with a partner on some projects and sometimes working on your own. It's never ceased to amaze me how some ideas seem amazing and original in the beginning, but end up just really being re-hashes of old concepts and ideas that have been seen 100 times before. Then.... just when you think the muse has died, a massive burst of inspiration hits you and you write the next great American movie. 'The Cabining' isn't the next great American movie, but it takes a fun and VERY entertaining look at the whole process, but with a very stabby twist.

'The Cabining' is the brainchild of Steve Kopera (writer/director) and David Silverman (co-writer). It stars Steve's brother, Mike Kopera as Todd. The oddly charming Bo Keister as Bruce. Angela Relucio and Melissa Mars as the lovely Mindy and Celeste. Luce Rains in a fun little turn as our potential killer Jasper. Then, from left field, we have a mystery guest star.... Mr. Richard Riehle as Sarge! The main cast is surrounded by other very talented actors and actresses who provide a strong support system and who play just as important a role as our leading men and women. The storyline feels a bit similar to some films you may have already seen, including some moments that smack of 'Tucker and Dale vs. Evil'. I am not saying that in any negative way, just an observation that made things a little distracting at times. Other than that, the story moves along at a quick pace and never makes you stop and wonder what's taking so long?!?! The murders are entertaining and frequent enough to hold even the most jaded movie goer ransom in their seat.
Our basic storyline tells us the tale of Todd and Bruce. It begins at the end, with Bruce caught in bed with a woman with a knife in her back and Todd thinking he's murdered her. After Bruce tries his best to convince Todd that he didn't do it, we suddenly flashback to before it all happened. Back to where we meet two screenwriters who are on the verge of writing the movie that will change everything for them, but they're running out of time. The money is almost gone and their screenwriting group basically told them that what they've written so far, a movie called 'Bloody Hell', is crap. They need a change and a bit of inspiration. Sarge, the man who's funding the hopes and dreams for Todd and Bruce, tells them that if they don't produce something soon.... he's going to give all of his money to Todd's cousin. Bruce gets the bright idea that if he takes his unemployment money and invests it in a trip to Shangri-La, an artists resort, everything will change. They'll write the script they've been dreaming of and everything will good again. Despite Todd's misgivings with the idea, he reluctantly goes along. Soon, their fellow artists starting dying off.... one by one. Seemingly by accident, but the police are involved soon anyway. As the bodies pile up and the accusations fly, you'll never see the twist ending coming! Or will you?

This is a great little indie horror comedy that does well to balance both things and make a lot out of a smaller budget. It has a great soundtrack and the overall sound in the movie, is done really well. Great editing and I really love the establishing shot when they get to Shangri-La, it's brilliant. There's a couple of lighting issues here and there, but you're just nit picking at that point. This is a very self aware, movie within a movie, sort of. It's fairly sharp and the dialogue is somewhat natural. I could have used slightly better performances out of our leads, but I've see some indies that were far far worse. If you have some time to kill and have access to a copy of 'The Cabining', I recommend you sit back and enjoy. This is a 3 ¼ out of 4 star movie that shows promise of bigger and better things to come from Steve Kopera, David Silverman, Mike Kopera and Bo Keister. There was genuine love in the making of this movie and it came shining through in every scene.
The last two things: 1) the character of Monroe, could have easily been played by Michael Parks 2) Stick around through the credits, for an amazing performance by Mother Acid!

If you like this, check out: 'Tucker and Dale Vs Evil', 'Detention' and 'Shaun of the Dead'

my thoughts on.... 'The Lashman' (an original Creepercast site review)

As with all of my reviews of the independent films that we get sent here at The Creepercast, I fully recommend that you check each and every one of them out. I am one man and this is my opinion. I've seen plenty of movies that received reviews that were the complete opposite of how I saw the film. These writers, directors, producers and actors all put a lot of time and love into these projects. They deserve to be seen and appreciate for what they are. Everyone has a dream and I fully support the people that take the time to make theirs a reality. With that being said....
I don't remember the first horror movie I ever watched, but my earliest memories them are from the monster magazines that used to sit in a forgotten box in the family room closet. A full page ad for 'Motel Hell' or a special effects article on 'Friday the 13th', I grew up on slasher films. They were everywhere in the 80's, you couldn't escape them.... just like you couldn't escape Michael Myers. For me they've always been the workingman's horror style. Simple, clean and brutal. There was never any need for a huge exposition on why the killer was killing or an elaborate plot to massacre the teenagers. It was all about sex, drugs and mayhem. If you had a mask, a distinct weapon and possibly a holiday to trigger your killing spree, then you had all the makings of a decent slasher film. It wasn't rocket science.
Over the years though, the art form was lost. It seemed that writers and directors kept wanting to re-invent the wheel. The problem is, why would you try and improve upon something that was already proven and tested and practically perfect? I get the Wes Craven methodology of wanting to breathe life in the genre and doing it by making it self aware. However, you can't over think a slasher movie, otherwise it'll lose the one thing that makes it a slasher.... simplicity. There's always exceptions to every rule and I fully understand this. Anyway, I've spent far too much time explaining my feelings on this particular genre of horror, but I wanted you to understand that I have a particular love of these types of movies. I always have. The only other horror genre I love more, is the zombie movie. But I'll save that discussion for another review.

'The Lashman' is an independent slasher movie written, directed and produced by Cameron McCasland. It's a simple throwback to the time when you had a handful of “teenagers”, a masked killer and a weekend in the woods. I've started to see these types of nostalgia movies popping up left and right in the past few years. People are going back to the well to appeal to the long since repressed memories of the movies we grew up with. The ones that we used to watch on VHS and hope that our mom didn't catch us or that the tracking would hold out during the upcoming sex scene. Cameron has filled this movie with references to the movies that came before. Like the crazy man in the beginning of the movie that's warning the kids about The Lashman. Not unlike Crazy Ralph from the original 1980 classic 'Friday the 13th', as played brilliantly by the late Walt Gorney. Or the scene where Jan looks out at Billy and asks him, “See something you like?” just like PJ Soles did in 'Halloween' (1978). These are just a couple of example's, but they're littered throughout the movie and I can appreciate Cameron for all the time and effort and subtle nods to each and every one of them.
The plot of 'The Lashman' is pretty straight forward and about as basic as you can get. 5 young people head out into the woods to spend the weekend at a cabin, where they plan on drinking and having sex. Once they get there, Billy tells them all a story about a madman nicknamed 'The Lashman'. A deranged killer who had been stalking the woods ever since he was beaten to near death with a whip, but was saved by a gypsy who gave him powers to seek revenge against those who'd wrongly wanted to kill him. The campers all take it at face value and think of it as just another local urban legend. What they don't realize is that The Lashman is all too real. He's already killed and is ready to kill again.

The movie opens with a couple being killed, but leaves us with very little clue as to how or why. From that point forward, it's about an hour before any more killing occurs. Before you dismiss this movie outright for not delivering a steady body count, let's take into consideration that Cameron is using all of this time to establish his characters. Given them each a personality and a back story, so that when they're killed.... you might actually care about them. Sadly, the constant talk and massive amount of time spent building up to the climax, made me lose interest in the characters that I was supposed to be caring about. I honestly think the movie would have played better, if there would have been some random slayings leading up to the finale. Nice idea, poorly executed. I think it fails because of the poorly written script and because of the wooden acting. Everyone seems as though they're doing a table read in the woods. 'The Lashman' also suffers from some serious pacing issues. It stutters and makes it difficult to get into the characters and scenes. A big chunk of this is due to the almost non-stop sound issues. I understand that it's a low budget movie and you have limited resources to work with, but Cameron's been making movies since 2008.... I would expect him to know better by now? Also, I'm not sure if the use of shaky cam was the best idea. It makes a movie, that was already showing it's amateur pedigree, even more low budget.
Despite the problems with this movie, it also has some good things going for it too. Cameron has a firm grasp on what needs to be done behind the camera to make professional looking establishing shots. It's very well filmed and edited together. That's one of the few things that kept my attention the whole way through. He also has a fairly compelling background story for 'The Lashman'. Sadly, the character himself is massively underwhelming. He's basically a reject from the cast of 'Tombstone', with bloody bandages over his face.... in a duster. How could this ever be scary or menacing? I have no clue. Perhaps the thought process was based about his weapon of choice, the bullwhip. This was supposed to be the hook, the thing that set this one apart from all the others. Too bad this weapon doesn't lend itself well to the slasher genre. Maybe if the whole thing was treated more as a satire, then I would have gotten the joke. The idea of a slasher, with no weapon for actual slashing. Irony perhaps?

In the end, 'The Lashman' leaves more to be desired than to be praised. I give Cameron credit for bringing his vision to life and making the movie he set out to make, but I'm left feeling like I deserved a deformed killer in a mask. If this is truly going to be a throwback to a simpler time, then give us the killer we expect and deserve. Not just a man who looks like a cross between 'Darkman' and the Marlboro Man. I'd give this movie 2 out of 5 stars. Both of which are for his cinematography and effort, not for the end result. 'The Lashman' doesn't need or deserve a sequel, but it's set up in the end for one anyway. I'm hoping the gypsy curse will wear off long before then.
Oh, yes.... one final thing. If you've going to have your lead actress scream at the end, make sure she keeps screaming until you say, “Cut!” or edit the shot so it looks like she's screaming until the credits roll. That is all.

If you want other original 80's slashers, check out: 'The Burning', 'Friday the 13th' (1980) or 'Madman' (1982) also if you want an amazing series of over the top 80's throwbacks? Watch the 'Hatchet' trilogy.

my review of.... 'Deathgasm' (an original Creepercast site review)

As with all of my reviews of the independent films that we get sent here at The Creepercast, I fully recommend that you check each and every one of them out. I am one man and this is my opinion. I've seen plenty of movies that received reviews that were the complete opposite of how I saw the film. These writers, directors, producers and actors all put a lot of time and love into these projects. They deserve to be seen and appreciated for what they are. Everyone has a dream and I fully support the people that take the time to make theirs a reality. With that being said....
When I was in high school, I was a bit of a conundrum. I guess you could say, in a lot of ways, I still am a bit of an enigma. A riddle, trapped inside of a question. A big, hot mess of a mixed up soul. The point is, I walked a fine line back then between being a complete nerd and a semi cool guy. Granted, I was in a very small high school and there was blurred lines between the main branches of the high school clique brigades. I most certainly wasn't one of the cool kids, but I hung out with them. It was too damn small of a place not too. I also could be just as easily found playing Dungeons and Dragons, as I would be drinking it up at the Saturday night house party. I loved all sides of the high school spectrum. For me, there was no lines that couldn't or shouldn't be crossed. Life was too short to not love everything that made you feel good. Made you feel alive. One of my lifeblood's from the day I was born, is music. All kinds. There is something in every genre that I can appreciate and love. However, in high school, there was a transition period when hair metal was on the way out and alternative/grunge was kicking down the doors to my heart. A midst all the chaos and confusion of that ongoing struggle, was pure metal. Not your run of the mill kiddy stuff, but true metal. Obituary, Fear Factory, Death, Helmet, GWAR, Voivod and the list goes on and on. While I was in my car driving to and from school, it was mostly back and forth between Extreme, Nelson and Guns and Roses, but then that slowly shifted to Nirvana, Smashing Pumpkins and Pearl Jam. However, on the weekends, I hung with my metal head friends and we went to see shows on a regular basis. So, here I was, in the middle of a mosh pit with Obituary on stage and me feeling just as at home as if I was playing D & D with my best friends. This was my life. This was me.

What's the point of all of this nostalgia? Well, it's because this movie spoke to me. Spoke to me on all the levels of my high school experience. It screamed volumes about walking that fine line between nerd and metal head. The love of the cheesy horror films of Sam Raimi or Peter Jackson. The desire to fit in and to be someone more than you were. All of these themes played out in the movie 'Deathgasm', to near perfection. The only things that I didn't experience, that the characters in the film did? Living in New Zealand and summoning demons from hell. Other than that, spot on.
Written and directed by Jason Lei Howden, best known for his visual effects works, this was his first full length feature and holy hell, it's a masterpiece. This is a love letter to everything that made horror fun back in the 80's and early 90's. It's like he took every element from all of the greatest genre pieces of our time, threw them in a blender and then poured us a frothy glass of awesomeness. With a groundwork built upon an incredibly fun story line, he layered it with amazing practical effects, top notch actors and some pretty kick ass music. It's like he lept inside the head of every kid I hung out with in high school and took a survey on what they'd want to see in a movie and this was the result.

'Deathgasm' centers around a group of 4 guys who don't really know each other too well in the beginning, but soon form a bond and metal band. Meanwhile, one of them has eyes for a beautiful girl who runs in a different circle of friends, but he's slowly bringing her to the dark side of the tracks. Along the way, the guys discover an old record sleeve, containing an incantation to summon a demon apocalypse and a way to turn them into demons themselves. It's written in the form of a song, but before they can decipher the language it's written in, it's already too late. They've played the song and started a chain of events that they really don't want to stop, even if they fully understood the repercussions. It feels like a younger and less heavy take on some of the themes from Rob Zombie's 'The Lords of Salem'. Music = summoning of evil. Just throw in a little bit of 'Trick or Treat', 'Brain Dead' aka 'Dead Alive', 'Evil Dead 2', 'Return of the Living Dead' and some 'Demons' to taste and you've got a pretty good idea, what kind of roller coaster ride you're about to embark on. This is THAT movie.
It starts off feeling a bit like 'Detention', but quickly pushes that aside and becomes it's very own animal. Complete with some fantastic music, some hilarious references and one liners, killer artwork and some really well done editing and transition points. 'Deathasm' fires on all cylinders from the time the credits roll until the last little 'stinger' scene after the credits. Which, trust me, you'll want to stick around for. I should also mention that each character gets their own little individualized intro that makes me love them even more. I mean, I don't know how else to put this into words other than, from start to finish, 'Deathgasm' lives up to all the hype you've been hearing and then some.

If you're looking for something new, fresh and incredibly fun, then this is the one film you need to see this year. Not sold yet? I'll give you three words: double chainsaw fight! Oh and did I mention a cloud sequence where evil is pouring from the sky and the opening happens to look like a giant anus? This is going to be a cult classic, mark my words and here is your chance to get in on the ground floor, kids. You'll never look at dildos the same way, after seeing this film.
All in all, I'd give 'Deathgasm' 5 out of 5 stars. This movie has everything a metal head could ever want and everything the jaded horror fan has been looking for. I don't heap this much praise on too many films these days, but I have to give credit where credit is due. Jason Lei Howden hit the ground running with this one and I am anxiously awaiting what comes pouring out of his head next. Opening everywhere on October 2nd, 2015, this is not one you're going to want to miss. What more can I say? Lace up your combat boots, strap on your spiked wrist bands and trow the devil horn high in the air. This is 'Deathgasm'.

If you like this one, check out: 'Detention', 'Tucker and Dale vs. Evil' or 'Bad Taste'

my thoughts on.... '7th Day' (an original Creepercast site review)

As with all of my reviews of the independent films that we get sent here at The Creepercast, I fully recommend that you check each and every one of them out. I am one man and this is my opinion. I've seen plenty of movies that received reviews that were the complete opposite of how I saw the film. These writers, directors, producers and actors all put a lot of time and love into these projects. They deserve to be seen and appreciate for what they are. Everyone has a dream and I fully support the people that take the time to make theirs a reality. With that being said....
Serial killers have fascinated people, for as long as the term 'serial killer' has existed. Even more than the horrific acts they commit on other human beings, people have wanted to know the how and why of what drove them to do such monsterous things. Were they born that way? Was it a learned behavior? Nature vs nurture? Some killers have opened up and revealed their inner most secrets, others have been laid bare on the silver screen by writers willing to enter the mouth of maddness. However, no matter how many books are written or films produced, the public never loses it's bloodlust for serial killers. I, myself, even went through an extended serial killer phase. I read multiple books, online articles and watched a ton of documentaries and film adaptations. It was so incredibly fascinating to delve into such a twisted and dark side of the world. To enter into a place that I could never imagine going and that I wondered how anyone else could live there on a daily basis? Eventually, my curisoity passed and I turned my desire to study maddness, into a passing interest in the macbre reality of insanity. I still enjoy the occasional study of serial killers and watching a movie about real or imagined monsters that live next door. The ones hiding in plain sight, but I tend to mix it up a bit more than I used to.

In the movie, '7th Day', it takes the mold of the modern day killer and gives a it slight twist. Just enough to make it feel fresh, but not quite far enough to make it a classic. There were many moments were I could see beyond it's smaller budget, by the use of interesting dialogue or well laid out shots. It was the kind of movie, where as I was watching it, I could have imagined myself creating the same movie. It made me long for the days of film school, where every one of my peers wanted to make the next big thing. Wanted to re-invent the wheel or to say something that people would latch on too. The reality is, that it's a one in a million opportunity that many of us will strive for in this life, but only a small handful will achieve. I do think that Jason M. Koch has some things about his film making style that show he has those skills. Perhaps his 'Citizen Kane' hasn't come along just yet, but he has an eye for setting up a shot and gets the best out of what he has available. When your audience can sit and watch what you've created and lose themselves in the story and completely over look the problem areas, then you've succeeded at what you've set out to do. I found myself doing that on several occasions. Wanting to learn more about Allen and what was motivating him to do what he does. That's a credit to Mark Leake, who wrote the script and Mark S. Sanders, who played the main character of Allen. They worked well together to bring a fully formed character to life.
The basic premise of '7th Day' is a simple one. Allen is a man who doesn't see himself as having a problem. He can stop any time he wants, but yet he has the compulsion to kill and do horrific things with his victims. He's a dishwasher by trade, but a "hunter" by birth. An avid watcher of the news, he generally stays to himself, but when he opens up to those around him, it's obvious that he's socially unstable. The only thing that seems to interest him, outside of killing, is his co-worker Denise. He feels that they have a connection that will someday bring them together. However, she barely knows he exists and would prefer to keep it that way. Allen lives next door to Bill, a suspected pedophile and all around waste of space. The two hang out on occasion and Allen refers to him as his friend, but it seems that he's more of an illusion of a friend. Someone to keep up appearances and to help keep his secret life safe. Allen murders at will and completely at random. Whatever he see's that he thinks will give him the feeling of being alive, is what he kidnaps, tortures and kills. There is no escape. Meanwhile, he's never truly alone as Allen has a phantom interviewer, who is allowing him to tell the story of his life. It's clear that only Allen can see the creature, but he's there with him at all times. To capture every waking moment of his twisted day, as we count down to the inevitable '7th Day'.

All in all, this is a huge step up from my first review for The Creepercast of'The Lashman'. Granted, the sound is a bit spotty, like in 'The Lashman', but much more consistent overall. There's some real moments of genius in this and there's other times where I feel like there was things that were there, just for shock value. One of my favorite parts of this movie was during the flashback's about Allen's family growing up. Particularly about his father's suicide. This was the best shot in the whole movie. It felt like it could have been taken straight out of Vincent Gallo's 'Buffalo '66'. It was a master stroke and executed flawlessly. In this movie, Allen's character has a constant monoluge going on. Several times, we see the phantom interviewer to make sure and establish what Allen is seeing in his mind. However, there are times where a little more interaction with others, could have proved more insightful. There were also some things that felt uncessary or unexplained. Like when Allen shoots the husband of a potential victim in the head and ran away. It had seemed like there was a plan there, but that it backfired and we never found out why? It was like, suddenly the monologue stopped. There were also several over the top gore sequences, which I think were meant to be there to spotlight how mundane his regular life is and to make the shocking parts stand out even more? But more often than not, they felt gratuitous and unecessessary. I wanted more of Allen falling further from reality and maybe a slower build to the over the top gross out could have proven more effective. Some of the more positive things about '7th Day' were in the victim that, although dead, lived on through his television. She spoke to him periodically and it was obvious that she was the voice of reason and his inner monolouge keeping him on the fringe of santiy. It was a nice touch that really felt quite original to me. I also liked that he didn't live in a clean world. Allen's world was disgusting, dirty and down right foul. No one would ever notice all the horrible things he was doing with the complete decay all around him. Everything was dirty and falling apart. I also appreciated his different ways of coping with being who he was. The way even he was intimidated by his drug dealer, showed that he was human at his core, but still a monster within.
The last thoughts I have on '7th Day' are this: 1) Did we really need the last kill to have the little bit of extra gross out? I won't give away what exactly happened, but it was one of those moments that felt ham fisted and forced. 2) What was with the ending? We get one giant question mark as to what was really going to happen on the '7th Day'? It was incredibly unsatisfying. I left the whole experience feeling a bit let down and hungry for more than I was given. 3) What actually happened to Bill? Did I miss the part where we find out his fate? At the end of the day, I enjoyed '7th Day'. It was a breath of fresh air, in a garbage dump of a place. The character of Allen was well thought out and played superbly and sublimely by Mark S. Sanders. The story was simple, but effective and I think with some minor adjustments, this could really be something special. I'm giving it 3 1/2 stars out of 5 and recommending that if you're looking for something a little different than you've seen before, then you should give this little independent nasty a try. Just take my word for this and don't eat a meal while it's on.... trust me on this one.

If you'd like to see a few other movies, that I think helped inspire '7th Day', check out: 'Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer', the 'August Underground' trilogy or 'C'est arrivé près de chez vous' aka 'Man Bites Dog'

my thoughts on.... 'Body' (an original Creepercast site review)

As with all of my reviews of the independent films that we get sent here at The Creepercast, I fully recommend that you check each and every one of them out. I am one man and this is my opinion. I've seen plenty of movies that received reviews that were the complete opposite of how I saw the film. These writers, directors, producers and actors all put a lot of time and love into these projects. They deserve to be seen and appreciated for what they are. Everyone has a dream and I fully support the people that take the time to make theirs a reality. With that being said....
Hey kid, want to see a dead body? Then keep reading....
In our continuing coverage of the upcoming Christmas carnage this year, tonight I curled up next to a roaring fire, with my two basset hounds and settled in with one of my early presents, Dan Berk and Robert Olsen's film, 'Body' (2015). Taking a few pages out of the Hitchcock playbook, these up and coming film makers have created a simple, slow burning and very satisfying piece of cinema to enjoy after wrapping all your gifts on Christmas eve. It's not heavy handed, it doesn't try to hard to be hip and it never gives you a moment to really catch your breath. Don't let the pacing fool you, I found myself on the edge of my seat for the entire ride. It just proves that you don't need non-stop murder and mayhem to make an incredibly effective film. This one boasts a very small body count and an equally small cast, but each and every one involved is committed to the story and the way it's being told. That makes me believe that we've got more great things to come from this writer/director duo.

'Body' (2015) opens with a frantic 911 call, as the credits slowly roll by one by one. Initially, you're a little thrown off, as you have no idea what's happening or why? However, before you can really understand what's happening, we cut to the outside of a suburban home decorated for the Christmas holiday season. Inside we meet Holly (Helen Rogers), Cali (Alexandra Turshen) and Mel (Lauren Molina), three teenage girls who are all lazily gathered around a heated game of Scrabble. It's a Friday night and due to the holidays, everything is closed. The girls have spent the night drinking and eventually getting a little high. In an effort to liven things up, Cali suggests going out and finding something to do. Mel and Holly are a little hesitant, but soon find themselves driving down a darkened road to an unknown destination. Before long, they come across a truck on the side of the road, surrounded by flares. In an attempt to help, Cali slows down, only to find a rather frightening looking, bearded man. They quickly keep moving, as none of them really want to let some strange man in the car. Soon, they've pulled into the driveway of a very large, very expensive home.. Cali tells them that it's her uncle's place and he's away, so it's okay for them to hang out inside and continue where they left off from before. More drinking and being teenagers continues, until they realize that someone else has shown up to ruin the party. Before they even have a chance to assess the situation, they opt for making a run for it. In all the chaos, they knock the man (played with subtle brilliance by Larry Fessenden) down a flight of stairs and are soon left with a conundrum no one ever wants to be in.... do you call the police and report that you've killed a man or do you try and cover it up and protect yourself from what the consequences that might soon follow?
Like a present, neatly wrapped under the tree, you're going to have to wait until you see the movie to find out what's inside. A large part of the reason this film works so well, is based on the premise that you don't know what's going to happen next. You can shake the package all you want, but when your main characters are 3 teenage girls with limited life experience outside of what they've seen on TV and in the theaters, you'll never known what you're going to get next. With that being said, I highly recommend that you avoid the trailer and any other early reviews, before watching this one. In my humble opinion, the decision to tell a story that we've seen before, but from a different perspective and in a modern world, lends itself to a rather unique outcome. One that creates a very fresh feeling and take on a classic morality tale. What would you do, in an impossible situation?

As a former film student and long time lover of the art form, it's not always easy to find something new or that I haven't seen before. 'Body' (2015) accomplishes this using elements from a lot of other source material and putting it so seamlessly together, that I was hard pressed to really pull it apart until long after it was over. I'm still puzzling out all the nods to other genre's and film makers that Dan Berk and Robert Olsen paid homage too. It's a virtual patch work quilt of all the things that make for an enjoyable movie going experience. I think a large part of it was the casting decisions that were made and the commitment of the actor's to the source material. It felt well thought out and didn't have any wasted moments. That's saying a lot, based on Hollywood's current expectations for what makes for a good movie. I really can't find too much at fault with this film. If I had any criticisims at all, it would be with the portrayal of Mr. and Mrs. Greenberg (played by Dan Brennan and Kimberly Flynn). They felt a little tacked on and bit ham fisted, but I understood why they were necessary to drive the plot forward. Josh (Ian Robinson) provided a bit of comic relief and Ben (Adam Cornelius) added some additional tension, but the main characters overpowered both of them in the small bit of screen time each of them had.
All in all, if you're looking for a Christmas movie that doesn't feature any killer Santa's or mythological demon creatures that are out to steal your children, then you really can't go wrong with 'Body' (2015). It may be set during the holiday season, but the story is timeless. It's one that we've all pondered over, during those quiet down times, but would never admit to thinking about. It's a cautionary tale to anyone who thinks that the perfect crime exists or that two wrongs make a right. I'm giving this film a solid 4 out of 5 stars, for creating something much bigger than the sum of it's parts. There's not a lot in terms of actors, sets or complicated storytelling. This one is a concentrated formula of all the right elements mixed together into a virtual plate of milk and cookies, but instead of them being left out for Santa.... they're all for you. So put on your favorite pair of footed pajamas, cuddle up under a nice fleece blanket and watch this one with the lights off. 'Body' (2015) is the gift that may not have been on your list of presents this year, but it might just be the best one you get all season.

If you like this film, also check out these slow burners: 'Stuck', 'The House of the Devil' and 'Shallow Grave'