Welcome to the new home of Creepercast.com. Where we let the fear creep in with all things horror genre. News, Reviews, and more! STAFF:
J.P.: Editor (EIC - Editor in Cheif), Writer (CC - Content Contributor);
Joel Kenyon: Editor (AE - Assistant Editor), Writer (CC - Content Contributor); William S Mayfield: Writer (CC - Content Contributor)
A dark and fatal secret's revelation turns an elderly woman's house into a place of love and death.
Director/Writer: Les Mahoney; Stars: Bill Oberst Jr., Rachel Alig, Laura Lee
Marion Rogers aka Granny (Glenda Morgan Brown), an elderly lady in the small town of Haley, reluctantly accepts the mysterious Rebecca Torrance (Rachel Alig) as her live-in caregiver, but eventually the two form a strong friendship. Rebecca soon sells Granny on the idea of turning the house into a guest house for travelers looking for free accommodations, which, in turn, leads to revealing Rebecca's dark and fatal secret. A strange love triangle forms when Rebecca and Ted, a guest at the house, fall in love. This leads to a violent confrontation.
At Granny's House is a decent concept with a serial killing, home invasion, captivity premise that works well. Rachel Alig may have over played the sinister nature of the care giver before we get to see her intentions. But she was perfect once we got to know her. Glenda Morgan is a delightfully mischievous Granny and I truly enjoyed her depth as a character. Bill Oberst Jr, of course, stole the scene yet again as the quizzical investigator. I'm telling you our Master of Creeps needs to always have the lead role in everything he does. Yet, we applaud his humbleness stepping into so many films as a supporting actor. Now, I'm not a fan of when a director casts himself (or his significant other - looking at you Rob Zombie and Tim Burton) in lead roles but but I'll let Les slide on the love interest role, no matter how overdone it was.
You can watch At Granny's House today at the link below.
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....
I have an older brother, who's kind of the opposite of me. Very outdoorsy and into hunting and being a man's man. From the time we were kids, we never really got along all that well. However, in times of trouble, somehow I knew he'd still have my back. Over the years, we've lost contact and I'm not sure if that connection will ever be re-established. Why do I bring that up, during a review of a horror film? Because this film touched on that very same issue with the two main characters. Granted, family is always going to have its strained relationships. It's part of the structure that makes up the family unit. Typically in horror films, we see the family as non-existent or as a dysfunctional unit that either supports or creates the monster we see on screen. In 'Devil in the Dark', the monster isn't part of the family, so much as it's what's been affecting the family from a distance. Not in a direct way, but as a deep seated fear from childhood. One that isn't talked about or even fully remembered. Not unlike a trauma that goes unnoticed by others, until it rears its ugly head at some point. Perhaps that's what the writer, Carey Dickson, was using the monster as a metaphor for? The strain between family members due to something ugly that happened in the past or the friction from dissimilar siblings? Either way, it created an interesting backdrop for a film that is hard to classify.
'Devil in the Dark' tells the story of Adam and Clint. Two brothers who haven't seen each other in 15 years. Adam comes back into town to reconnect with Clint and his family and it's clear from the beginning that there is distance that has grown between them. Clint is still living in the family home, that they grew up in. One that's located in their hometown. A small, rural community that hasn't changed much in the passing of time. Through a series of flashbacks, we learn that the boys father was not unlike Clint, himself. A hunter and a man's man. Also, married with two kids, who is trying to make his two sons get along, as best he can. When Adam arrives, the plan is to take a 6 day hunting trip into the mountains, to try and have some quality time with Clint in order to repair the relationship that has been lost over the years. Once in the mountains, it's clear that there is something else in the woods with them. Something that Adam has encountered before. Before long, things begin to escalate, as the hunters soon are becoming the hunted.
Directed by Tim Brown, 'Devil in the Dark' is an unusual film. Not in the overall themes or the story line, but in the way that it's constructed, in order to tell the tale. I had a hard time pinpointing what it was about this movie that made it feel so disjointed. Not that it was a bad film, quite the opposite. Rather that it felt like all of the moving parts weren't moving together. Our two main characters, Adam (played by Robin Dunne) and Clint (played by Dan Payne), are believable in their relationship as brothers. Very clearly being cut from different cloth, but family all the same. They played out, what was essentially, a very simple story of two men being hunted in the forest. Not a new story, to the jaded horror film buff. What made this something else was the pacing and the music. It had a very slow burn from the beginning. Using actual songs to lay the background for events that were yet to unfold. At times, almost feeling like a heartfelt drama, with the style of music that was chosen. Then, interwoven within the fabric, was this very dark, orchestral score that felt ominous and larger than life. Full of deep tones and large swells of darkness. It created an emotional response to things that hadn't even happened yet and set the stage for what was to come. This was also a very beautifully shot film. Using wide overhead shots to give you a clear understanding of the expanse that was the mountainside they were hunting on. I'm not sure what kind of budget this movie had, but they used it wisely, to create a grander scale to the story, which ultimately was about two brothers just trying to survive.
As the last few minutes of the film came to a close, I found myself feeling a bit incomplete. As of there were many unanswered questions and like I'd just been dropped off the edge of a cliff. Despite this, it was still an interesting journey to take. Using the horror genre as a way to tell a deeper story. One about how blood is thicker than water. How, regardless of the overwhelming fear that Clint may have had, he was not going to leave his brother behind. One of the scenes during the third act, summed this up rather beautifully. When Clint was finally able to get a minimal cell phone signal, he called home to his wife to tell her he couldn't leave Adam behind. She could only make out pieces of what he was saying, but you could see it on Clint's face, how much it was tearing him apart inside. The thought of possibly losing his entire family, not just his brother, but his wife and kids too. All in all, this film fell a bit short of what I think it was aiming for. The creature felt almost tacked on and unfinished, as we never really saw a true motivation or explanation for its actions. We are also left with a monumental cliff hanger that almost felt like a jump scare. 'Devil in the Dark' still deserves a 3 out of 5 star rating. As it did what it set out to do and had a lot of impressive qualities that shouldn't be ignored. I'm curious to see what Tim Brown has planned for his next project or what other stories Carey Dickson has to tell. They both have a lot of promise, that just didn't quite seem to come to fruition in this film. Even with all of that being said, it did leave me questioning my decisions made with my brother, in the past. Perhaps that was the goal all along.
on VOD March 7th!
If you like this film, check out: 'Blair Witch' (2016), 'Evil Dead' (1981) and 'Evil Dead' (2013)
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....
Anthology films. Some people love them and some people hate them. I'm in the love camp, more often than not. Where as I enjoy my full length horror films, sometimes it's nice to see what an encapsulated scare fest can be like. Cases in point: 'Creepshow', 'V/H/S' or 'Trick r' Treat'. All great examples of how to make an anthology work and to even use a middle story, as a device, to tie them all together. Thus, creating a cohesive narrative that spans the full run time of the film. With that being said, I was excited to hear about 'XX'. There have been some great female directed horror films in the past, so the idea of an anthology film with all female writers and directors, seemed like a no brainer to me. I did my best to stay away from any trailers or other reviews of the film, as I wanted to take the ride without any preconceived notions. To me, that's the best way to see any film. Last night, I had the chance to finally partake in the four course meal that is 'XX'. I had no expectations and no idea what I was about to be in for.
*SPOILERS* ahead! It opens with some very creepy stop motion animation. From what I could gather, by the end of the film, it was being used as a way to tie all the stories together, although I'm not quite sure to what end? Perhaps they were going for a child's room, filled with dolls and things that have come to life? In the end it didn't work for me. The first film was entitled 'The Box'. Directed and adapted for the screen by Jovanka Vuckovic and taken from an original story by Jack Ketchum. It tells the tale of a little boy who is privy to what's inside a gift wrapped box, that a man on the subway shows him. After seeing what's in the box, the boy stops eating. Not just for a day or two.... forever. His parents blow it off at first, just thinking he's not feeling well or having some kind of emotional issues. But over time, they realize there is something more going on. Soon, he tells his sister what was in the box and then their father. Before long, only the mother is still eating. By the end of the film, we find the mother in search of the man with the box, to find out what was truly inside. Next up, was 'The Birthday Party'. Co-written and directed by St. Vincent, who shares the writing credits with Roxanne Benjamin. This short, tells the story of a woman who is preparing for the birthday of her daughter. The little girls father seems to be away on business, but the mom soon realizes that he's died in his office from an overdose of sorts. Not wanting to spoil the party, she proceeds to try and hide the body from sight. Eventually deciding to put it smack dab at the head of the table, in front of the birthday cake, hiding inside a giant panda suit. What could go wrong? Next, was 'Don't Fall'. Written and directed by Roxanne Benjamin. In this film, we find 4 people out in a desert like area, camping for the night. During their hike, they find strange paintings on the side of the rocks. Once night falls, the creature depicted in the paintings, comes to call. Taking each of them out, one by one. Finally, we have 'Her Only Living Son'. Written and directed by, the celebrated, Karyn Kusama. Our last tale, is of a mother who has been hiding her son away from the world. As he's become a teenager, his personality has started to change. On his birthday, she's realizing that he's becoming more and more violent. The mother becomes worried that maybe her past has started to catch up with her. Everyone around her seems to be in on the changes that are occurring, as we find out that her son may be more than he appears. As the tension mounts, something evil rears it's ugly head and what was to be a celebration for his date of birth, soon becomes something entirely different.
On paper, this should all work. 4 great writers and directors, all pooling their talent to make something amazing. The problem is, that it just doesn't work. As I mentioned earlier, the middle segments fall short. Feeling more like a tacked on addition to pad the running time of the film. Which still only comes in at an hour and twenty minutes. In 'The Box', the question kept running through my mind, why didn't the doctors try and feed the family members by IV or some other method? Especially, by the time they were in the hospital? In 'The Birthday Party', as much as the mother was wanting to avoid scaring her daughter for life, she ultimately did it anyway. In 'Don't Fall', it just felt crammed into too small of a space. This could have been a feature all it's own. And in regards to 'Her Only Living Son', it was well done, but a little unclear as to the ending. So many unanswered questions. Perhaps, that was the idea of any or all of the films? I'm not entirely sure. There were so many things that just seemed to be done without thinking them through. I know that all of the people involved were trying to make something great, but it almost seemed as though, they were trying to hard to just get things done. With a little more time and some additional minutes to fill in the gaps, this could have been amazing. There is no one alive, that would expect this type of film to be less than two hours. You need that time to build your world and give the characters time to breathe and move inside of it. Instead, you get bite sized portions that only leave you feeling hungry in the end.
I wanted to like 'XX', I really did. It's not that it was awful or anything that I regret spending time on. I simply wanted more from it. The studios wanted to push the all woman director angle, but the real thing to keep focused on, was the story telling. All of the moving parts worked, as a whole. They just were too small to make the machine function properly. If I am to rate the film, as a complete work? I would give it 3 out of 5 stars. If I'm to break it down into sections, 'The Box' earns 4 out of 5 stars and by far was my favorite of the group. It built up a nice bit of tension and left me wanting more. I'm expecting greater things to come from Jovanka Vuckovic and I always love Jack Ketchum's work. 'The Birthday Party' gets 4 out of 5 stars. It was certainly the most entertaining, in terms of being almost a black comedy. 'Don't Fall' gets 4 out of 5 stars'. This has the earmarks of a bigger story to tell. Finally, 'Her Only Living Son' gets 3 out of 5 stars. Karyn Kusama has already made a solid name for herself. You could see why, with this short, but it was just too incomplete, in my opinion. Also, the middle animation bits gets 1 out of 5 stars. A pointless plot device that was unnecessary and did nothing to further the stories or the plot. While this won't go down in history as another 'Creepshow', perhaps this could be the start of something better for the next installment? I'd love to see this continue, but with more love and care put into it. Anthology films are having a nice little resurgence right now and I only hope that this trend continues for years to come.
If you like this kind of film, check out: 'Creepshow', 'Southbound' and 'Trick r' Treat'
#3 Bill Oberst Jr as Simon Leach in 'Children of Sorrow' (2012)
Desperate to discover what has become of her sister, Ellen (Hannah Levien) infiltrates Simon Leach's (Bill Oberst Jr.) cult. All she knows is that her sister was last seen joining his group in order to find herself, only to go missing after joining. Ellen is welcomed with open arms and although her initial intent is to search for her sister, she finds herself drawn to Simon's magnetic personality and message of love and acceptance. However what she soon discovers is that she, along with all of the cult's companionship-hungry members, are being manipulated to a more sinister and dark end than she could have predicted. 'Children of Sorrow' takes us behind the scenes of creating and maintaining a cult with the ever brilliant Bill Oberst Jr.
A fully immersive audio play that encourages you to run from zombies and collect items. Perfect for a late night run filled with adrenalized zombie action. We strongly suggest listening loudly to become fully apart of the action! Check out the video and website then download the app, you'll be on your to physical fitness in no time so that when the real zombie apocalypse is upon us you'll be ready!
This is in no way a definitive list of horror films that will be released this month but gives us something to look forward too.
Directed by Greg McLean
In theaters 3/17/2017
Action Horror about a group of American expatriates living in Brazil who find themselves trapped in their workplace where they are forced to kill each other or be killed themselves.
Directed by Daniel Espinosa
In theaters 3/24/2017
An international crew discovers life on Mars. Stars Ryan Reynolds, Jake Gyllenhaal, and Rebecca Ferguson.
Directed by Sean Carter
3/24/2017 on VOD
A family are forced to play a life and death game by a group of intruders who break into their home.
