Mirror Mirror (1990)

Mirror Mirror is pretty unknown to most horror fans, but it’s a pretty decent flick nonetheless and boasts stars like Karen Black and Yvonne De Carlo among its cast! I had heard that it was along the lines of Carrie and The Fury, so I decided to give it a try, especially since the lead character is considered a “goth” (I did a piece on goths in horror films over at my personal blog if you feel like taking a look).

Mirror Mirror tells the tale of gothy Megan (Rainbow Harvest), who moves from L.A. to a small town with her mom (Karen Black) after her father’s death. Megan finds an old mirror in her room and insists on keeping it, even though it’s a creepy old thing. She then starts school but runs into the usual gaggle of cheerleaders and jocks who don’t appreciate her funerary attire. She makes friends with good girl Nikki, but the popular kids still make Megan’s life a living hell. Soon, Megan discovers that the mirror gives her powers and she can make things happen to those that ridicule her. Pretty soon her enemies are dying left and right and the mirror’s powers become too powerful for Megan to control. Can Nikki save Megan from the dark side and whatever lives on the other side of the mirror?

Mirror Mirror might share some similarities with Carrie (shy outsider, weird mom, psychic powers, a friend who tries to save the lead, etc.), but it stands on its own quite well. I really enjoyed all the characters and the story; they still felt unique even though they were obviously influenced by other films. Megan was a fun character, though I initially thought she would have more backbone and actually stand up to the annoying popular kids rather than running away and hiding from them. Gotta love her goth look, which looks heavily influenced by Beetlejuice’s Lydia (it doesn’t help that Rainbow Harvest looks a lot like Winona Ryder). I also loved the over-the-top performance by Karen Black as Megan’s unstable mother (good god, that pastel pink lipstick has GOT to go!) and seeing Yvonne De Carlo as an estate dealer who tries to help Megan once she learns the truth of the evil mirror.

Plus, there is quite a high body count, and while the deaths aren’t necessarily gory or bloody, most of them are still pretty neat. Standouts include the shower scalding scene and a garbage disposal death! There are several bloody scenes, including a gushing nose bleed scene and the mirror itself, which regularly oozes blood.

Director Marina Sargenti uses an interesting blue palette for most of the film and sets up varying POV shots that keep the viewer engaged. I especially liked the POV shots of the demon behind the mirror looking out at all those that approached it. The screenplay, written by Annette Cascone and Gina Cascone, also deserves props, especially for its twist ending!

Mirror Mirror is an interesting flick that deserves to be seen by more people. It certainly wears its influences on its sleeve, but it still manages to be intriguing in its own special way. If you are looking for an early ’90s gem, check out Mirror Mirror!

Available from Amazon!

Sick Girl (2009)

Sick Girl is an independent production that I eagerly looked forward to seeing. I mean, how can you go wrong with a twisted and disturbing story who’s synopsis describes the crazy lead character as someone who “wants to f**k her older brother, protect her younger brother and torture everyone else out in her barn”?!

I was looking forward to a brutal characterization of a take-no-prisoners female character, but when I finally got around to seeing this flick I was pretty let down. It features plenty of disturbing and shocking imagery, but that’s pretty much all the film offered and therefore was devoid of any depth or real reason for even being made.

In Sick Girl, Izzy (Leslie Andrews) is left to care for her little brother Kevin (Charlie Trepany) after her older brother leaves to fight in the war overseas. Their parents passed away many years prior and the only adult in Izzy and Kevin’s life is big biker Barney (John McGarr), who looks after Kevin while Izzy is off terrorizing people. And terrorize she does – she blows away a random bunch of Catholic schoolgirls on a bus, teaches her brother’s bullies a lesson and even castrates a random dude. She’s got her own little torture barn out behind her house, where she brings victims she wants to get a little more intimate with. Yup, Izzy is a sadistic killer, but neither Kevin nor Barney has any idea about her crazy, murderous streak.

The film felt like it was made solely for shock’s worth, but hardcore horror fans won’t really be fazed by most of the violence in Sick Girl and more mainstream audiences won’t pick it up in the first place. It just feels like an unbalanced, pointless exercise in “shock cinema” that ultimately fails in the end.

The acting ranged from mediocre to pretty competent. I thought Charlie Trepany (as little brother Kevin) and John McGarr (as gentle giant Barney) did a consistently good job with their characters, but I can’t decide if I liked or loathed Leslie Andrews’ acting as Izzy. At times it felt like she was more wooden than an actor in a school play, but other times her far-away stare and sudden violence felt very real. Or was it the character that was really that disjointed? Either way, I am torn on Andrews’ performance.

I will say that I enjoyed the gritty, natural look of the film. The rural atmosphere, with its rolling fields and red barns, was a nice break from the urban atmosphere of most “disturbed killer” movies. The stark, empty setting complemented the emptiness and loneliness of Izzy’s character. Director Eben McGarr (who also wrote the film) perfectly captured the washed-out, naturally lit look of ‘70s exploitation flicks.

So, the film looks pretty, but what is it trying to say? That life’s not fair? That some of us just can’t handle the stresses of life and snap? The message definitely isn’t clear, and in fact the lead character of Izzy isn’t even sympathetic. Izzy is so f’ed up that you don’t feel sorry for her, and in fact, begin feeling sorry for her intended victims, even though they themselves are far from innocent. In fact, in her barn Izzy has tied up a horny teen, a bitchy schoolgirl and a sadistic bully. Her punishments for these predators turned prey include castration, rape with a handmade strap-on and allowing a starved rat to eat someone’s face off (while they are still alive). You end up feeling sorrier for these victims than for Izzy. And is she just trying to protect her family or does her violence extend to anyone and everyone? These guidelines are never really set up, so by the time the disturbing conclusion rolls around, you really don’t feel anything at all. There is no emotional impact, and I for one was glad the movie was finally over and that I never had to watch it again.

I love a good, shocking movie, especially when so many play it safe. What makes shocking cinema so good, though, are the underlying themes and ideas that really make you think long after you’ve seen the films and been bombarded with their disturbing imagery. Unfortunately, Sick Girl fails to accomplish this and just shows disturbing imagery for the shock value and nothing more. Which, to me, made it a displeasure to watch and very forgettable upon its conclusion. Sorry, Sick Girl, but I just wish someone had put you out of your misery before I watched you.

Order it on Amazon!

Book Review: Evil at Heart by Chelsea Cain

Chelsea Cain books appeal to a wide variety of readers, from people who aren’t necessarily horror fans and usually read books like Tuesdays with Morrie to hardcore horror aficionados. Whichever camp you fall into, Cain’s “Beauty Killer” serial killer books promise to entertain and shock you.

The third novel in the “Beauty Killer” series, Evil at Heart, is no less tense than Cain’s previous two efforts – Heartsick and Sweetheart – and continues the saga of infamous and gorgeous serial killer Gretchen Lowell. As with all of Cain’s books, I could not put down Evil at Heart!

The book picks up two months after Gretchen Lowell escaped prison and Detective Archie Sheridan, who had a very complicated relationship with Gretchen, is in the loony bin. Archie is drawn back out after bodies, each with Gretchen’s signature hearts accompanying them, start popping up again. Joining Archie are Detective Henry Sobol and Oregon Herald reporter Susan Ward,  who discover that a network of Gretchen Lowell “fan clubs” have sprung up. Could there be a copycat killer or is Gretchen finally back to her old ways?

Evil at Heart is a relentless read that begs to be read from start to finish. The book opens with a bang as eyeballs and other body parts are found at a rest stop restroom outside Portland and it’s not long after that when bodies gruesomely start showing up at Gretchen’s old crime scenes. Cain definitely has some great tableaus of gore in Evil at Heart, gruesome enough for an old gorehound like me to be impressed!

Cain lessens these horrific scenes with humor peppered throughout the novel and a social commentary on how the media tends to glamorize villains. The book describes how Gretchen Lowell has become a media sensation – she is plastered over every magazine and newspaper, women get the “Beauty Killer” manicure (pink nails with blood red French tips), coffee cups that say “I’d kill for some coffee” with Gretchen’s picture on them are sold, women cut and dye their hair like Gretchen’s, tour buses take tourists to her crime scenes and there is even a movie being made about her. This makes for some darkly humorous commentary on our own society and our own anti-heroes we tend to sensationalize.

Many characters from the past two books return, namely detectives Henry and Archie and spunky journalist Susan, and it’s nice to see them all back. Gretchen isn’t featured as much in this novel, but her eventual appearance will leave you riveted! To understand the characters, it does help to have read Cain’s past two novels but even if you haven’t Cain takes the time to explain the relationships between the characters and some of their pasts so you get the general gist of the series. Cain also introduces some intriguing new characters, some who are into scarification, suspension and other body modification cultures – and she gives us plenty of squirm-inducing descriptions of these practices as well!

The story itself is fast-paced and entertaining. I really wasn’t joking when I said I couldn’t put it down – I so desperately needed to find out what was going to happen that I finished it in a day! Now, you may want to take your time and really drag out the suspense, but I just couldn’t wait! And the ending is quite a doozy, filled with a mysterious revelation that I can’t wait to see what Cain does with in her next book!

Evil at Heart is another “Beauty Killer” novel that will keep you on the edge of your seat and is highly recommended for all Gretchen Lowell fans, whether you’re a horror fan or not!

Order it on Amazon!

Book Review: Hammer Glamour by Marcus Hearn

Titan Books is releasing the gorgeous hardbound coffee table book Hammer Glamour on September 29^th, 2009 and I was lucky enough to get a sneak peek at the lasciviously luscious book! Here is the description from the book’s dust jacket:

Over 50 years ago, with the release of The Curse of Frankenstein and Dracula, Hammer Film Productions ushered in a whole new era of blood and barely retrained cleavage in glorious colour, mixing sex and horror with a style and panache that made the small British company world famous.

As well as making international stars of Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee, Hammer quickly became renowned for the stunning actresses who graced its films. Whether it was an exciting new discovery making her screen debut, an exotic foreign beauty, or a Hollywood star, glamour was an essential part of the Hammer formula. From Barbara Shelley baring her fangs, to Ingrid Pitt baring all – not forgetting Raquel Welch in a fur bikini – Hammer knew that “sex sells”.

Bursting at the seams with an astounding collection of rare and previously unpublished photographs from Hammer’s archive and private collections worldwide, and featuring many exclusive new interviews, Hammer Glamour is both a lavish celebration of Hammer’s female stars and a fascinating insight into a bygone era of movie publicity.

Filled with sensual, full-color photographs, Hammer Glamour is like stepping back into Hammer’s heydays of the 1950s,  ‘60s and ‘70’s where horror was filled with voluptuous sex kittens and cheesecake pinups. These sirens of sinema oozed sexuality yet also a certain innocence and playfulness. Hammer certainly didn’t show much restraint when it came to nudity, especially when censorship was relaxed in the 60’s and 70’s, but despite this their leading ladies all exude a sense of style, classiness and timeless beauty.

Where most Hammer books usually just focus on famous leading men like Christopher Lee or Peter Cushing, it’s refreshing to see the ladies of Hammer horror get their recognition in Hammer Glamour. The book evokes a bygone era of glamour and sensuality. I also appreciated the many different looks of the actresses featured within the pages; whether girl-next-door or exotic, blonde or brunette, short or long locks, every actress featured within the pages of Hammer Glamour celebrates the diversity of glamour!

Hammer favorites featured in the book include “glamourpuss” Stephanie Beacham (Dracula A.D. 1972), exotic Martine Beswicke (One Million Years B.C., Slave Girls, Dr. Jekyll and Sister Hyde), classical blonde beauty Veronica Carlson (Dracula Has Risen From the Grave, Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed, The Horror of Frankenstein), vampy twins Mary and Madeleine Collins (Twins of Evil), “buxom redhead” Hazel Court (The Curse of Frankenstein, The Man Who Could Cheat Death), “smoldering sexpot” Vera Day (Quatermass 2), beautiful brunette Caroline Munro (Dracula A.D. 1972, Captain Kronos Vampire Hunter), coquettish Kate O’Mara (The Vampire Lovers, The Horror of Frankenstein), iconic Ingrid Pitt (The Vampire Lovers, Countess Dracula), bombshell Barbara Shelley (The Camp on Blood Island, The Secret of Blood Island, Dracula Prince of Darkness, Rasputin the Mad Monk, Quatermass and the Pit), nymph Madeline Smith (Taste the Blood of Dracula, The Vampire Lovers, Frankenstein and the Monster From Hell) and, perhaps the most well-known of them all, the stunning Raquel Welch (One Million Years B.C.).

I especially liked reading about these ladies’ early films, careers and later lives in the informative biographies that author Marcus Hearn has masterfully written. Reading through the actresses’ biographies you also get a sense of the Hammer studios’ timeline and rise to success as well as its eventual decline. I really love how Hearn gave the reader both an idea of the actresses’ lives while also giving the reader a history of Hammer and how the filmmaking business was run back then.

Besides the insightful antidotes, the real stars of the book are the stunning photographs. Voluptuous vamps, sexy starlets, pouty pinups…the glamorous photographs have it all! Whether promotional pictures for films where the actresses are decked out in corsets and flowing dresses or glamour shots where they are modeling bikinis, all of the photographs are richly decadent!

Overall, Hammer Glamour is a rich book overflowing with the phenomenal female stars of Hammer horror films. It’s full-color pages filled with photos are stunningly gorgeous and its biographies on the stars, with exclusive interviews, give the perfect overview on their lives and careers as well as giving us a peek into the bygone golden era of Hammer films.

Hammer Glamour is a must-buy book for all fans of Hammer cinema, the history of horror and horror’s infamous leading ladies of years past.

Order it on Amazon!

Bad Habits (2009)

Bad Habits is a stylishly filmed Australian flick that harbors a much more complex, surreal storyline than its nunsploitation roots would lead you to believe. It is a film that is elevated far above the usually trashy, exploitative films that it pays homage to.

The synopsis of the film, from the official site, is as follows:

Sister Marie Fenche (Sandra Casa) is a woman on the verge of collapse. Barely able to distinguish reality from fantasy, Marie’s life is thrown into turmoil when she awakens one morning, alone in a room with a corpse in the bathtub. Is she being set up or did she kill the man herself? The truth is not even Marie knows for sure.

Bad Habits is a journey straight into the subconscious of its protagonist; a place where reality and fantasy intermingle so completely as to be entirely indistinguishable. Marie’s only grounding in this confused world is Jamie (London Gabrielle), an innocent young nun who is both equally enamored and repulsed by her.

Jamie can only help so much, however, and Marie’s world comes crashing down when she encounters a mysterious stranger who triggers dark and dangerous memories.

Unable to sleep and addled by pills Marie releases her final grip on reality as her dementia leads her deeper and deeper into a world of violence, sex and drugs.

Bad Habits’ story, written by Dominic Deacon (who also directed), is a mysterious, surreal and nightmarish trip through the fractured mind of the lead character, Sister Marie Fenche. The film isn’t just a crude, perverse exploitation flick, but goes deeper to examine the confused mind of Marie. Sure, there are lesbian nuns, nudity, drug use, sex scenes and bloody murders, but the flick is far less exploitative than it touts itself to be.

The character of Sister Marie Fenche is so interesting because she has no moral compass. As a nun, she is supposed to be holy, but she is anything but! She drinks, fights and fucks her way through each night without a single care for the consequences. She is addicted to heroine, pills and Lord knows what else. She can’t tell the difference between right and wrong or reality and fantasy. She kills indiscriminately, but does it all while looking damn good!

Speaking of looking good, Bad Habits has a very stylish noir/pulp thriller look to it despite its low budget. The film has an amazingly polished and professional look to it as well. The film’s grim tone is set by the gritty atmosphere of the film. Each scene is bathed in shadows and shades of gray and blue. The only breaks in the bleak atmosphere are the jarring splashes of red as blood flows from the multiple murders that occur in the film. It’s not that the film’s focus is on gore, but we do see our fair share of slit wrists and throats, stabbings, shootings and so on.

For a low budget film, I was mostly impressed with Bad Habits. Even the acting by everyone involved was top-notch, something usually unheard of in no-budget film. Despite this high praise, the film did have its problems. The biggest problem was the pacing. The film is broken up into three segments, the first called “Lizard in a Woman’s Skin” (a nod to the Fulci film), the second “So Sweet…So Perverse”, and the last and final part “Crazy Hot”. I felt that breaking the film up into segments was pretty unnecessary, especially since most of the film is surreal anyway and the audience never knows if what they are seeing is real or just a figment of Marie’s fractured mind. They also break the film up and slow down its already languid pace.

Overall, Bad Habits is a much more sophisticated film than it gives itself credit for. Despite some pacing problems, the film is beautifully filmed, expertly acted and contains a mysterious, interesting story. The surreal quality of the story reminded me a lot of David Lynch’s experimental films, quite an accomplishment for an independent film!

Visit Bad Habits’ Official Site!

Book Review: Sacrifice by John Everson

Sacrifice is author John Everson’s astounding sequel to his debut novel, Covenant, but it works extremely well as a stand-alone book as well (I have never read Covenant, though after Sacrifice I am eagerly going back to read it!).

With Sacrifice, Everson delivers a nonstop assault on the senses, mixing sex, violence, taboos (a nun becomes a sexually charged, sadistic killer, the hero falls in love with our 15-year-old heroine), solidly developed characters, a frenzied pace and scads of grisly ritualistic killings. There are so many perverted, debased acts in the novel that it definitely isn’t for everyone, but even I, who usually thinks that mixing sex and violence tends to be more exploitative than scary, enjoyed Sacrifice and its shocking tableaux.

From the book’s back cover:

They’re coming. They are a race of sadistic spirits known as the Curburide, and they are about to arrive in our world, bringing with them horrors beyond imagination. The secret to summoning – and controlling – them has fallen into the hands of a beautiful, sexy and dangerously insane woman.

Ariana has dedicated her life to unleashing in our realm through a series of human sacrifices, erotic rituals of seduction and slaughter. As she crosses the country, getting ever closer to completing her blood-drenched mission, only three figures stand in her way: an unwilling hero who has seen the horrors of the Curburide before, a burgeoning witch…and a spiteful demon with plans of his own.

The book is a nonstop thrill ride, and I had a hard time putting the book down once I started it. It immediately throws you into the intrigue of Ariana and her sexually-charged but viciously executed conquests as well as the story of our reluctant hero Joe, who is trying to escape a past encounter with the Curburide and has been burdened with the demon Malachai. When Joe picks up young Alex, who has been able to see and communicate with dead people her whole life and has her own dark past, it’s not long before Malachai reveals they must work together to stop the Curburide. Ariana is no longer working alone, though, and has picked up Jeremy, a man who is finally ready to release all his pent-up tension and aggression. There is a lot going on within the novel, and never once does author Everson allow you to catch your breath. He keeps it all steadily forging forward until you reach the unbearably tense climax, where I felt like I just couldn’t read fast enough to get to the conclusion!!

Everson does an excellent job developing all the characters, including the villains. Even though Ariana is a horrible person for wanting to unleash the Curburide on the world, I still felt inexplicably drawn to her and wanted to see what she would do next. I also very much enjoyed her back story about being a nun and finding out about the Curburide. Her sidekick, Jeremy, was also fleshed out enough where I could understand his actions and why he ultimately chose to join Ariana. Unlike most other novels, time is taken to tell the story from Ariana and Jeremy’s (the villains) side as opposed as just telling it from Joe and Alex’s (the heroes) perspective. As for Joe and Alex, both of their pasts are complex and time is taken to tell about both, without ever slowing down the fast pace of the novel. Both of their pasts contain tragedy that they are both trying to escape. There is also the awkward budding romance between Joe and Alex, which is unnerving and creepy since Alex is only around 15 and Joe is in his late 20’s. I could have done without this inappropriate romance, but in a way it made the characters of Joe and Alex more real as they each faced their temptations.

The aspect that Sacrifice never falters in is its shocking descriptions of gore. The ritualistic killings are disturbing by themselves, but what happens after the victims’ throats have been slit is even more disgusting! Let’s just say that the Curburide thrive and gain power from sexual perversion and Ariana definitely wants to please them. Besides spending a little quality time with the bodies, there is also a very specific arrangement of their organs she must adhere to in order for the ritual to work. By the time she’s done with them, the floors, walls and even ceiling are coated with bits of grue and different bodily fluids.

Sacrifice is a thrilling and shocking piece of genre fiction that deserves to be on every horror fan’s shelf. It’s got enough gore and perversion to shock even the most deviant of minds, but it also has well-developed, realistic characters and an extremely engaging and fast-paced storyline. John Everson is an excellent horror author and I don’t hesitate to call him the future of horror fiction!

Buy it on Amazon!

The Substitute (2008)

Hailing from Denmark and distributed stateside by Ghosthouse Underground, The Substitute (aka Vikaren) is surprisingly NOT your typical evil-teacher-terrorizing-students horror film. Instead, it is a refreshingly tense and exciting movie that defied my preconceived notions.

One warning about watching this film, though – make sure you turn off the god-awful English dubbing and instead watch it in its original language with the English subtitles on. The dubbing is horrible and just ruins the film. Consider yourself warned!

The film begins with a narrator telling us that Earth is the only planet that has the complexities of “love,” and an alien race wants to figure out what all the fuss is about and if love is truly the most powerful weapon of all. So, an alien life force travels down to Earth, lands on a poultry farm and takes over a woman’s body to try and figure out what “love” is all about – and hopefully take some specimens of humans back to the home planet to plan Earth’s demise.

Meanwhile, in a nearby town, young Carl (Jonas Wandschneider) is mourning the death of his mother, along with his father Jesper (Ulrich Thomsen) and young sister Sofie (Olivia Stenderup Garre). Carl is a loner in his six grade class, often bullied by the bigger students. When Carl’s class learns that their teacher will be out sick for the next few weeks, they are ecstatic, thinking they can just slack off and take it easy. When their substitute arrives, though, they are in for a nasty surprise. Their substitute, Ulla Harms (Paprika Steen), seems to have the ability to read minds and tells them that she intends to whip them into academic shape…with some very aggressive, mean tactics. The kids sense that something isn’t right about Ulla, and they soon discover the terrifying truth about her.

Can Carl and his classmates convince their parents that Ulla isn’t human before it’s too late?

Ok, I know that the synopsis does no justice to the film, instead making it sound like a Faculty rip-off, but believe me when I say that this Substitute is a much better, very different film! The story, written by Ole Bornedal (who also directed) and Henrik Prip, has the perfect balance of suspense, humor and horror. I really enjoyed the development of the characters, especially Carl. The death of Carl’s mother really adds depth and pathos to the story. That, in turn, is balanced by the humor that comes into play with Carl’s classmates and Ulla’s character. Ulla’s character is both terrifying and amusing, especially when she tortures the kids in such a quick, nonchalant attitude! And I love the kids reactions – “You’re a teacher! You’re not supposed to say that!” There is one scene where the kids break into Ulla’s house and catch her eating a live chicken that is just priceless! The great thing about the scene is that it is both extremely tense and hilarious!

The acting is also a wonderful surprise. Fans of Danish cinema will recognize Paprika Steen and Ulrich Thomsen who play Ulla and Carl’s father Jesper, respectively. They were recently both in the critically acclaimed Fear Me Not and they both shine in this film as well. Steen is terrific as Ulla, whether she is snapping orders at the kids or pulling the wool over the parent’s eyes as to what she really is. She gives a very menacing yet entertaining performance! Jonas Wandschneider as Carl also gave a stellar performance, bringing lots of different emotions to his damaged yet spunky character. And all of the kids in the film were just awesome! Each brought their own distinct personalities to their performances and came across as very natural!

Though this movie hardly spills any blood, I thought the special FX, especially one revealing Ulla’s true tentacled nature, were well done! In addition, a mysterious photograph, a shiny sphere that things crawl out of and some shapeshifting all make for some tense, exciting moments. There is no gore and precious little amounts of blood, but this film just didn’t need those things to make it entertaining. It’s fun and original on its own without needing too much red.

I was pleasantly surprised at how enjoyable The Substitute was. It doesn’t seem that in Hollywood they make too many horror films with young kids as the protagonists, so right off the bat the film felt unique. Also, it really was a great mix of horror and humor. I was on the edge of my seat yet laughing my ass off at the same time! Now that’s entertainment, folks! I hear that there are already plans for remaking this film, so get out there and see it NOW! Accept no substitutions for The Substitute!

(Just remember to turn the dubbing OFF!!)

Available from Amazon!

Stuck (2008)

When I first sat down to watch Stuck, I must admit I was skeptical of the film.  Surely director Stuart Gordon is a master of horror, having filmed such films like Reanimator, Castle Freak and Edmond, but a film that features a guy stuck in a windshield for most of its running time sounded rather dull to me, though the true story that the film is based on is downright chilling. Just see the Wikipedia entry on it below:

Chante Jawan Mallard is an African American woman from Texas who was convicted and sentenced to 50 years’ imprisonment for her role in the death of a 37 year old homeless man, Gregory Biggs.

The incident occurred on October 26, 2001 when Mallard’s car struck him; at the time Mallard was believed to have been driving while intoxicated by drugs and alcohol. The force of the impact sent Biggs flying through the windshield, lodging him there.

Mallard then drove home, leaving the injured Biggs stuck in her windshield, and parked her car in her garage. She then went inside, had sex with her boyfriend, and over the next day or so checked on the man still stuck in her windshield. After the accident Mallard did not notify the police or get Biggs any medical attention. 

The film follows the true story pretty accurately with the exception of characters changed and a very different conclusion to the true life tale. Brandi (Mena Suvari) works in a nursing home and is on the verge of a major promotion. She goes out that night to celebrate with her drug-dealing boyfriend and best friend, but parties a little too hard and while under the influence of drugs and alcohol, hits down-on-his-luck Thomas Bardo (Stephen Rea), who is crossing the street. Bardo crashes through her windshield and remains lodged there. Panicked, Brandi heads home and leaves the bloodied Bardo stuck in her windshield for the night…Though she promises to get help, Brandi tries to figure out a way to get rid of Bardo while Bardo tries to escape.

Stuart Gordon is back to fine form with the exquisitely gripping Stuck. It is a suspenseful and horrifying film that is unrelenting from its first few scenes to its explosive finale. I didn’t have high expectations of this film going in, but it thoroughly impressed me with its conflicted, well-developed characters, stellar acting and fast pacing.

First off, the characters are very well rounded out and presented as extremely sympathetic. First, you have Thomas Bardo who is currently unemployed and has been kicked out of the skeevy hotel he was staying at. At an employment office he waits for hours for an appointment before being told he isn’t in the computer so they can’t help him. With no place to go and no money, he tries to sleep on a park bench but he is kicked out by a police officer. As if his day couldn’t get any worse, he is then hit by Brandi and sails through her windshield. While Brandi is set up to be the villain in this film, we can’t help but feel for her too. She is genuinely sweet to her patients at the nursing home and really cares for them. When she hits Bardo she has the very human reaction of covering up her mistake instead of ‘fessing up to it. We also feel bad for her when she is reprimanded by her slimy superior. When Brandi and Bardo go head-to-head, you really are at a loss as to who to root for, because both are sympathetic characters. Of course, Bardo wins our sympathies in the end because Brandi is basically just letting him die.

As for the acting, that is the absolute highlight of the film. I’m not a big Mena Suvari fan and I wasn’t diggin’ the whole ghetto-fabulous-wannabe/corn-row look, but she played the character of Brandi just right, with the perfect balance of sweetness and venom, cluelessness and resolve. The actor that really stole the show, though, was Stephen Rea as Thomas Bardo. Without him, I don’t think the film would have been as effective. He absolutely captures the forlorn desperation of Bardo and makes it easy to root for him.

While I thought this film’s storyline would be its weakest point, it actually impressed me. Gordon paces the film so that it’s packed with suspense and there isn’t a second to be bored. There’s always that tug-of-war between Brandi and Bardo that keeps things tense, but other characters added to the mix, like Brandi’s boyfriend Rashid (Russell Hornsby) and her friend Tanya (Rukiya Bernard), really give the movie additional depth and complexity. There is also plenty of black humor that will have you chuckling throughout the horrifying ordeal.

And horrifying it is…the fact that the story is rooted in reality adds to the ugly truth of human nature and shows us just how nasty we can get when it comes to our own preservation. Not only that, but there are several cringe-worthy scenes, including the car crash in slow motion, which shows Bardo’s leg snapping against the grill and him going through the windshield, many of which are drenched in blood. Though the film probably won’t satisfy gorehounds out for a cheap thrill, the gore portrayed is very realistic and works extremely well for the film.

Stuck is an unrelenting and thrilling cinematic horrorshow that shows us just how low people are willing to go to save their own skin and that your bad day can always get worse…

Available from Amazon!

Book Review: Heartsick by Chelsea Cain

I’m going to have to agree with great author Chuck Palahniuk (and about a bazillion critics) when he says, “With Gretchen Lowell, Chelsea Cain gives us the most compelling, most original serial killer since Hannibal Lecter.” Not only does Cain create an iconic serial killer (who, by the way, is only a subplot), but with Heartsick she weaves an engaging and exciting story populated by memorable main characters, a gloomy setting and enough twists and turns to satisfy any fan of thriller fiction.

Detective Archie Sheridan is a damaged man. For ten years he was part of a Beauty Killer Task Force, obsessively hunting down a notorious serial killer. Well, the tables were turned when the killer, Gretchen Lowell, finally tracked and trapped him. She lovingly tortured Archie for very long ten days, leaving him physically and emotionally broken. After carving him up, breaking all his ribs, stabbing him, cutting out his spleen, pumping him full of hallucinogens, slowly killing him with drain cleaner and stopping his heart, Gretchen, for no apparent reason, called an ambulance on the tenth day and allowed herself to be arrested. After pushing away all that used to be important to him (his family, his career), Archie is now addicted to pain killers and to his visits with Gretchen every Sunday in hopes she’ll give up the location of her more than 200 victims as well as for some twisted comfort.

After a two year leave of absence, Archie is called back as the old members of his task force are reassigned to a new serial killer case. Young girls from the Portland area’s high schools have been disappearing, only to be found naked, dead and, strangely of all, bleached days after their abductions. While on the case, Archie asks that Susan Ward, a young, pink-haired newspaper reporter for the Oregon Herald, to document the case and get his story out, hoping to purge himself from Gretchen. Susan’s got some past secrets of her own, though, that may tie into the After School Strangler case…Will the spunky reporter and the tortured detective be able to solve the case before more teenage girls die?

The main focus of the book is the current After School Strangler case at hand. Between the perspectives of main characters Susan and Archie, Cain also takes us back in time to show us the gruesome torture Archie suffered at the hands of Gretchen Lowell. This back and forth between characters and time periods is done skillfully by Cain, and really keeps the reader engaged and the pace moving along at a fast clip.

The characters are one of the strongest aspects of the book. From the horrifyingly intriguing serial killer Gretchen Lowell to the tormented Archie Sheridan and the determined but flawed Susan Ward, Cain gives us well-developed and realistic characters. Even the secondary characters, like FBI profiler Anne Boyd and Archie’s boss, Henry Sobol, are fleshed out to the point where we feel like we know them. I genuinely liked all the characters and cared what happened to them. Even the evil ones like Gretchen Lowell and the After School Strangler, whom I didn’t necessarily root for, were made morbidly fascinating by Cain.

As for the story, Heartsick is definitely not your typical serial killer novel. It’s not some noirish tale of gumshoes going after the bad guys and saving the damsels in distress. Those hardboiled novels are all well and good, but Heartsick takes a different, more terrifying look at serial killers, and, even more so, at our own flawed psyche’s.

Cain, with her luridly vivid descriptions of Archie’s torture and the washed-up bodies of the After School Strangler’s victims, definitely knows how to paint a nausea-inducing picture, but also knows how to tell a whole-heartedly engaging story. Once I started reading Heartsick, I found it almost impossible to put down! Hopefully Cain will write more books about Gretchen Lowell and Archie Sheridan, because she already has a fan of her books right here!

If you are looking for a fast-paced, gruesome and fresh serial killer story complete with interesting characters and a new iconic serial killer, look no further than Chelsea Cain’s Heartsick.

Available from Amazon!

The Cleaner (2007)

I admit it…I’m a neat-freak. I cannot rest until every square inch of my humble abode is arranged just so and devoid of dust, dirt or debris. On the off-chance that I get busy and can’t clean up, I’ll devote an entire day to picking up the slack and cleaning EVERYTHING.

And while I’m taking out trash that includes DVD and In ‘N’ Out wrappers, energy drink cans, coffee grinds and dust bunnies, Grace, the lead character from The Cleaner, is taking out the trash of an entirely different sort in this short film.

Grace (Kristin Burke) is a pretty redhead who just happens to be obsessive about cleanliness. Everything must be clean and germ-free in her world. She carries disinfectant wipes and hand sanitizing gel wherever she goes to rid herself of that not-so-clean feeling she always gets. Her co-worker Paul (Chris Angelo) likes to harass her about her condition while her husband (Owen Thomas) feels like he can’t even touch her without her needing a shower. One day, Grace gets fired from her job and comes home early, only to find her husband in bed with another woman (Shannon Lark). Right away, Grace snaps into cleaning mode, snatching the filthy sheets from Vicki, the other woman, and throwing them in the washer. Her husband calls her a freak and tells her he is leaving her…she can have everything but he wants nothing to do with her anymore. Grace finally comes to the realization that she isn’t the dirty one, but everyone else is, and decides it is time for some heavy-duty spring cleaning…

The Cleaner may only be a 22-minute low budget film, but for how well it is made it ranks up there with any big budget film. I’ll let you in on a little secret. I actually know the filmmaker, a fact most reviewers would be loath to reveal because they may be more likely to skew their reviews towards the positive when they know the filmmaker. I am usually hesitant to review anything a friend has done due to the fact that I’m honest. And in being honest, sometimes you lose a few friends. Still, I was eager to see what Michelle Fatale had done with The Cleaner and I am pleased to say, friend or foe, no one can deny that The Cleaner is a very fine film.

Every detail, from the acting to each shot within a scene, is meticulous and clean. This is no sloppy, low-budget offering by a couple of frat dudes with a camera, gallons of fake blood and a few naked girls. The Cleaner is a polished, engaging and high-end tale of obsession and revenge. And it’s damn fun, too.

The script, penned by Michelle Fatale and Craig McGee, draws you into the story from the opening credits that show a perfectly put-together suburban home to the sly, winking-at-the-camera closing scene. Everything in the film is believable and there are no plot holes – two major things that most horror movies sadly seem to lack. The character development is done well and even though the film is only around 20 minutes long, it still gives us characters we care about.

In low-budget films, I’m usually used to bad acting, but not in this film. Like everything else the acting is top-notch. Grace is portrayed by Kristin Burke as isolated and kind of an ice queen, but we still empathize with her character. I couldn’t help but root for Grace when she seeks her revenge and starts “cleaning up” the neighborhood! Shannon Lark as Vicki also does a remarkable job, though her screen time is indefinitely shorter than Burke’s. She does not waste the time she has, though, giving it her all and really playing spectacularly against Burke’s character. The men of the short, Chris Angelo as co-worker Paul and Owen Thomas as Grace’s husband, play their sleazeball parts to a T. It was a pleasure seeing them both get their due at the end of the film.

Which brings me to the gore portion of the film: Grace uses industrial strength cleaning products on different areas of the human body, all with the same result…death! The revenge scene was pretty much my favorite within the film, with Grace getting nitty gritty on us and taking out the trash! The special FX are handled appropriately for a low budget film and look great!!

I don’t normally kiss ass and I’m usually hardest on my friends, but I was very impressed by Michelle Fatale’s The Cleaner. Despite the low budget the short film looks professional and has high production values. The acting, writing and direction are impressive for any film, not just good because it’s a low budget film. I highly recommend this film and look forward to its success in the future!

Clean freak or not, it looks like I “cleaned up” with The Cleaner!

Little Erin Merryweather (2007)

Little Erin Merryweather is an original and unique horror film that blends a slasher flick with fairy tale elements. I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the film, from the cinematography to the acting to the script and story.

The film opens with an eerie rhyme about a little girl (Jillian Wheeler) and what her father (Josef Wille) does to her while reading his favorite fairy tale to her…and a brutal murder of a college student on a snow-covered campus. The boy is stalked through the woods by a red-hooded killer, attacked, gutted and has his intestines replaced with stones.

From there, we meet Peter Bloom (David Morwick, who also wrote, directed, produced and edited), a writer for the college newspaper who finds out about the murder in all its grisly detail. He is also a psychology student in Dr. Paula Sheffield’s (Elizabeth Callahan) class and lately they’ve been studying serial killers. Peter is convinced that the school has a serial killer on their hands and tries to convince his two buddies, Teddy (Brandon Johnson) and Sean (Marcus Bonnee), who also work for the paper, to do an investigative report on the homicide. The bumbling police officer (Frank Ridley) is doing a horrible job tracking down the killer and soon, more males are murdered by the same modus operandi. Peter decides to take matters into his own grubby little hands and enlists the help of his professor, Dr. Paula, to compile a serial killer profile and figure out the significance of the stones.

Meanwhile, Peter has a crush on Erin (Vigdis Anholt), who is in his psychology class and works at the library. She seems like an intelligent, nice and pretty girl, but there’s more to her than meets the eye…

Can Peter figure out who the killer is before he is next?

From the title of the film and from the way the story unfolds, you know that Erin Merryweather is the killer. There’s no big reveal at the end or any silly Scooby-Doo-like twist…just a very straight-forward, creepy story.

The major appeal of the film comes from its fairy-tale-like resuscitation of a creepy nursery rhyme that is like a spin off of Little Red Riding Hood gone horribly, horribly wrong. Accompanying this back story are beautiful illustrations (done by illustrator Kelly Murphy) that show places within the story that slowly fade-in to the real live location. The setting of the snow-covered, isolated campus also helps to up the creeptastic ante.

Another plus is the superb acting in the film. David Morwick and Vigdis Anholt both do a tremendous job in the lead roles. Elizabeth Callahan also does a great job in her role as the psych professor. I was very impressed with the quality of the acting in the film and hope to see more of both Morwick and Anholt in the future.

The script is intelligent and doesn’t insult you by crafting throw-away, unbelievable characters or situations. Penned by Morwick, (who amazingly shared the duties of a lead role, directing, writing, editing and producing) the script is tight, believable and has absolutely no plot holes. Most horror films nowadays are written with just boobs and blood in mind, but not so with Little Erin Merryweather. Morwick takes the time to develop the characters, make the audience care about them (even the killer) while managing to keep the film full of tension.

The film does have its jump scares, but it mainly relies on suspense and tension as opposed to being “scary.” Erin’s transition from sweet, shy library chick to dolled-up psycho killer is definitely a shock to see and definitely satisfying. Just don’t expect to see gore in this film – most of the death scenes are either obscured or happen off-screen. There’s not much of the red stuff flying around either, but I’m definitely not complaining. Subtle horror is much more my cup of tea.

The direction (again by Morwick – what a multi-tasker!) is stunning, especially the opening scene with the little girl, any of the scenes in the woods, and the opening kill scene. The stark white snow makes a perfect backdrop to the killer’s blood-red cloak. Just like Morick’s acting (and writing), I hope to see much more of his direction in the future.

Little Erin Merryweather is a new release that should definitely be seen by more people, ones that appreciate a wondrous, whimsical slasher when they see one!

Available from Amazon!

KatieBird: Certifiable Crazy Person (2005)

Imagine that at 16 years old you find out your father is a serial killer. Your father has been torturing and killing people in the red shed in the backyard since before you were born. Now, imagine that instead of screaming your head off and running, you follow in your daddy’s footsteps to kidnap, maim, torture and kill…this is the premise of KatieBird: Certifiable Crazy Person.

After her daddy’s funeral, KatieBird (Helene Udy) and her shrink/lover (Todd Gordon) return to her dimly lit apartment. KatieBird is distraught over her father’s death, and wants only the undivided attention of the Doctor. She wants to explain to him her close, loving relationship with her father, and the secret they both shared. Her therapist thinks he’s heard it all before and wants her to just let it all go. He knows that her father was a serial killer and that it profoundly affected KatieBird, but he believes she can move on and put it behind her. He is bashed over the head with a vase, chained up to the bed, repeatedly raped and slowly tortured as KatieBird forces him to listen.

Young KatieBird (Nicole Jarvis) grows up with just her father (Lee Perkins), who won’t let her go near a certain red shed until he deems her ready. Father and daughter share a loving relationship, the father being patient with KatieBird while KatieBird abides by his rules. When KatieBird (Taylor M. Dooley) hits the teen years, she is heartbroken over a boy she is crushing on when he goes out with someone else. With this realization that the world can be a cruel place, Daddy decides she is ready to begin her education in serial killing. He lets her enter the shed and she sees what he’s been up to all these years. Filled with wonderment, KatieBird continues the family legacy of killing by quickly learning the ropes from her father. Her first victim is Kevin, the boy who shunned her for another girl. KatieBird lures him into an orchard with the promise of a little hanky panky. She stalks him before jumping out completely naked, trusty hammer in hand. After making him strip, bashing him in the knee with the hammer and otherwise humiliating the boy, KatieBird has Daddy help her take Kevin back to the red shed. Daddy gives her a whole chest of goodies to experiment with – the claw hammer, a saw, a pair of pliers and a handy little dentistry device that keeps a mouth wide open. A whole lotta teeth-pullin’ goes down, as well as a good use of a saw. Through the process of her first kill, KatieBird also discovers the pleasures of pain. In present day, KatieBird is continuing her sadomasochistic preferences for killing on the Doctor as she explains to him her beginnings as a serial killer.

A psychological look into the origins of a serial killer, KatieBird tells an original, intense story but I still have mixed feelings about the film. On one hand, it is original, stylish, well-acted and directed and is disturbing and unsettling. On the other hand, I believe it has been over-hyped, has a story that is stretched far too thin, needs better editing, better pacing and has an overpowering and annoying soundtrack.

As for the good, KatieBird definitely proves that women can be just as scary as men in the role of the villain. I love seeing horror movies in which a woman character defies the damsel-in-distress stereotype. We need more serial killer movies like this that show women can be just as vicious, crazy, calm and horrifying as men can be. KatieBird loves the power over her male victims and forces them to have sex, burns them with cigarettes, mutilates them and tries to find the truth they are hiding from.

The three females that play KatieBird in three different stages in life do a fantastic job, with special mention going to Taylor Dooley, who plays the teen KatieBird. Her expressive range of emotion portrays the blossoming killer perfectly. Dooley gives KatieBird awe, curiosity and a sense of wonderment at killing that gave me the chills! Lee Perkins, who plays the father, was also very impressive. The sense of calm and purpose that he evoked made me both fear and like the guy!

One thing I must mention is the style of the film, where each scene is fragmented by frames. I found this to be pretty stylish and a good metaphor for the mental collapse and splintering of KatieBird’s psyche, but because it is used throughout the entire movie it does get a little annoying and loses impact. Many people find the frames downright distracting, but they did not ruin the entire movie for me and actual infused more flair into the film.

The cinematography is also worth mentioning for its stylishness and beauty. The horror of the scene in the orchard is beset by the beautiful fall foliage in the background. Alternately, the red shed is lit with harsh fluorescent lighting, giving everything a dark, grim feeling. The adult KatieBird’s apartment is dark and dingy, also giving it a foreboding feeling. The torture scenes are shot in close-up, focusing on the terror of the individual and on the pleasure of KatieBird. The cinematography reflects the film’s unsettling atmosphere.

Now, for the bad…the film has a pretty shaky start, which left me wondering when the actual horror would start. The first thirty minutes felt like forever to me and were extremely slowly pacing. Some other parts of the film have pretty shoddy pacing as well, and I felt some scenes needed to be trimmed down.

The story itself seemed stretched thin over the 100 minute run-time. There just wasn’t enough there to fill the time, so many scenes seem unnecessarily long. I really wish they had shown more of KatieBird’s teenage years, but perhaps that will come with the possible sequel.

The real caveat that almost ruined the film for me was the score! Every scene contains the intrusive and in many places inappropriate score. It is overkill and overpowers too much of the dialogue. A movie’s score or soundtrack should complement it, not drown it in a mess of weird growling and metallic sounds. It really took away from the atmosphere, something which music is supposed to heighten!

Though KatieBird: Certifiable Crazy Person has its flaws, it still had me glued to the screen. There is no denying that it packs a wallop and is one of the most disturbing, vicious and unnerving films I’ve seen. It gives me hope that more women will be cast in ballsy roles like the character KatieBird.

Available on Amazon!

Twisted Sisters (2006)

Twisted Sisters is a low-budget English/German production that I liken to a one night stand…it’s a fun romp, but in the long run entirely unmemorable.

Jennifer (Fiona Horsey) leads a charmed life – she has a loving fiancé, parents who give her anything she wants, a job she is passionate about and she just found out she’s pregnant! Only, the trouble is that the police have fingered her as the main suspect in several grisly murders. Seems that Jennifer, or someone that looks exactly like her, has been seducing men, sleeping with them and chopping off their penises and bollocks! Witnesses have positively identified Jennifer as the killer and the police even have surveillance video of her with a victim. Finally, Jennifer’s parents tell her that she was adopted and has a twin sister named Norah (also played by Horsey) who was recently released from a mental institution. Norah’s childhood was the opposite of Jennifer’s and now Norah is after Jennifer’s happiness and is determined to make her feel her pain.

Twisted Sisters had a lot of potential, but it borrows too heavily from Brian DePalma’s Sisters and other “evil twin” movies to truly hold its own. The acting is decent, especially for a low-budget flick, but some of it could have been better. The standout in this film is definitely Fiona Horsey, playing the dual roles of Jennifer and Norah. She does a great job of creating (and maintaining) two completely separate characters. At one point I even wondered if they had cast real twins to play Jennifer and Norah! Horsey has acted in several of director Wolfgang Büld’s productions and seems very much as ease in front of the camera, whether playing goody-two shoes Jennifer or tart Norah.

The direction and cinematography of the film are pretty plain, with the exception of some interestingly framed shots. The plain shots don’t detract from the film, as they show us what needs to be seen, but they also don’t add much. While the story apes DePalma’s Sisters, it doesn’t steal his style (which, interestingly enough, DePalma borrowed heavily from Hitchcock).

There are some neat gore scenes, including evisceration by firecracker and finding a penis in a toilet. The blood is good ‘n’ plenty, but it never goes overboard. Gorehounds might be a little bored by the lack of truly squirm-inducing gore, but they won’t be disappointed.

I did enjoy seeing a killer that wasn’t male and victims that weren’t female. It sure was refreshing to see a woman given a chance to extract some vengeance and to see men be terrified for once. Most guys who have seen this movie say they cringe at the castration scenes – maybe now men will know what it feels like for women to watch another woman be raped and/or cut up on-screen by a male killer! You know how often women are portrayed as victims in horror films? Much more often than men are portrayed as victims, I can tell you that! I think it’s high time that the men in the audience are made uncomfortable instead of the women.

Twisted Sisters is an alright film, but one horror fans have probably seen many times before. It has solid acting and decent gore, but lacks an original story. If you want a fun, noncommittal evening, though, by all means check out Twisted Sisters.

Available on Twisted Sisters!

KillerKiller (2007)

KillerKiller is a great low-budget film from England that piles on the tension to an already engaging plot and interesting characters.

A group of incarcerated mental patients awake one morning to find themselves alone with all their cell doors wide open. The mental institution they are housed in seems to have aged overnight – the paint is peeling off the walls, there are bits of trash everywhere and the whole place is decayed. There are no guards, no doctors and no other patients around, so their first thought is to just walk out the front doors. It’s not that easy, though, as an impenetrable mist surrounds the mental institution. They are now stuck in the institution until they figure things out. They better hurry, though, as someone or something begins killing them off one by one…

The opening scene alone started things with a bang. When it starts, you think it’s your typical slasher flick – a masked psycho is stalking a blonde babysitter in the house. The babysitter decides to take a shower (doesn’t everyone take a shower when they are supposed to be watching someone’s kids?) and undresses. The psycho creeps into the bathroom, shiny knife raised and ready to strike…only when the babysitter whirls around, she herself is holding two very big butcher knives and repeatedly stabs the psycho to death (as her naked body becomes covered in blood…ya, thought you guys might like that). Not only that, but it appears she is some kind of demon as her eyes go all crazy-like! This first scene alone grabs you by the titties and doesn’t let go. It pokes fun at the slasher genre a bit and then turns it on its head! If this opening doesn’t grab your attention…well, you must already be dead!

The story is fresh and original. The pacing is just right as more and more is revealed about each violent serial killer as the story progresses. Character development, funny dialogue and scenes of carnage all seem to be in balance here, with director Pat Higgins not relying on one or the other too much. The dialogue is witty and clever. There’s even a great exchange between two men about what constitutes as going too far with an analogy of butt plugs used to illustrate a point. These great moments of dialogue populate the film and add to the already engaging storyline.

The characters themselves are all played to manic perfection by the cast. The two leads, Dutch Dore-Boize and Cy Henty, stand out. Dore-Boize plays Lawrence, a regular hot-head and self-appointed leader of the group. Dore-Boize crackles and sparks on screen, giving Jason Stratham (whom he resembles) a run for his money. Henty plays Rosebrook, the supposedly wrongly convicted man, who appears to be the most stable in the group. The rest of the cast includes Richard Collins as child-like Perry, James Kavaz as Harris, Rami Hilmi as Wallis, Scott Denyer as Samuel and Danny James as Victor as two killers who worked together to kill cheerleaders, Nick Page as the hulking Nicholas and Danielle Laws as the demon Helle. All of the cast do a wonderful job with their roles and I can’t say a bad thing about any of their performances.

As the killers are killed one by one, we are treated to some neat flashback scenes of their crimes. When the demon Helle decides to kill someone, she takes them back to the scene of their last crime and plays the part of their last victim. Only this time, she’s in control and kills them as they killed others. There are stabbings, drillings, knifings, an operation and a great number of other bloody ways to go. The film wisely stays away from turning into a gorefest, but instead features a lot of blood splatter.

The direction by Pat Higgins is really terrific…every shot is well done, clean and professional looking. This guy definitely knows what he is doing, and it shows in his film. Per Higgins’ direction, the atmosphere of foreboding and dread seeps into every frame. The music used throughout the film should also be mentioned here, as it adds to the tension as well.

KillerKiller is a great indie film from England that deserves some attention here “across the pond.” The tension is so prevalent throughout the film that by the end my fists were clenched with my fingernails embedded into my palms.

Available on Amazon!

Eat Your Heart Out (aka Skinned Alive) (2007)

The sh*tty poster art does not do this flick justice! 

'Til Death Do Them Part...Or APART!


This Valentine's Day, instead of getting your sweetheart the typical and tired candy and flowers, be a little creative. Get them this wicked little film that shows the real meaning of "until death do us part," or, in the case of this film, "until death do us APART!"

Jeffrey (Jack Dillon) is a lonely insurance salesman who has bad luck with the ladies. His mother died recently, with Jeffrey constantly by her side throughout her illness. He now wants nothing more than to find a woman that he can cherish and spend the rest of his life with. With his love life going nowhere, Jeffrey begins hiring call girls to keep him company. He wants to connect with them, but each of them turn him down when he asks for a follow-up date. Meanwhile, men throughout the city are being torn apart and devoured by a hooker (Melissa Bacelar). She enjoys seducing them and then eating them alive! A man (Joshua Nelson) is currently searching for this hooker, whose name is Pandora, as she killed his brother. Jeffrey tries a different escort service and, in a twist of fate, they send him Pandora. The two have an immediate connection and before long are deeply in love. Pandora soon reveals to Jeffrey her secret - that she needs the flesh of men to survive! Also, the stalker out for revenge is hot on Pandora's heels while Jeffrey's sister believes that Pandora is a creation of his mind. The question is, how far will Jeffrey go for true love?

Eat Your Heart Out is a wonderful low-budget film that features lots of bloody gore, an interesting story, great acting and a well-written script. The gore here was quite impressive for a low-budget film. The first scene alone, where Pandora bites off the lip and lower jaw of a client, made me squirm! We also get nipples being torn off, intestines spilling out of a very large man, fingers severed, lots of blood, torture and of course lots of flesh-chomping. There's plenty of gore to please any fan!

The story itself is interesting and original, with a few nice twists and turns. It was nice to see a new breed of the undead, spun in a very creative way. The characters are very well-developed and the acting is top notch. Dillon as Jeffrey and Bacelar as Pandora do a wonderful job and have the right chemistry together to pull off their performances. I also enjoyed Nelson as the man torturing his way through informants to find the killer hooker. He brought a real intensity to the screen and I look forward to seeing him in other films.

I cannot stress what a gem this indie film is...it's got the right amount of gore, humor, conflict, solid acting and an engaging storyline to keep any horror fan entertained. Oh, and of course it's got the sexy Melissa Bacelar as well as a slew of other scantily-clad actresses! Whether you are spending Valentine's Day with a special someone or boycotting the Hallmark holiday, this twisted tale of love will add some much needed blood splatter to your evening!

Order it on Amazon!

Chainsaw Sally (2007)

Finally being given wider distribution after being picked up by Shock-O-Rama, this little gem should be in every chainsaw lovin’ horror fan’s collection. Drenched in blood and oozing sex appeal, Chainsaw Sally is one indie film that doesn’t disappoint! What can I say, I absolutely loved this movie!

By day, Sally (April Monique Burril) is your average small town librarian, dowdy and severe, shushing patrons who get too loud. By night, though, she dons her fishnets and her and her trusty chainsaw seek out those who have done her and her family wrong. She slices and dices through someone who is too loud in the library, a girl with an overdue book, a sleazy asshole in a bar and a local ice cream store worker who can’t spell “malt” to save her life (literally). Sally lives with her flamboyant and cross-dressing young brother Ruby (Alec Joseph), who tends the house and cooks up dinners made from the victims’ bodies. When they were younger, Sally and Ruby’s parents were brutally murdered by a trio of escaped mental patients. Their father (played by Gunnar Hansen, the original Leatherface) was shot and their mother was beaten and raped as Sally and Ruby watched. Before dying, their father took a chainsaw to the assailants and told Sally they were bad men and deserved to die. Looking after her brother since then, Sally has taken it upon herself to kill people she deems as “bad.”

Enter greedy developer Harvey Benton (David R. Calhoun) and his slutty attorney Cynthia Prescott (Kristen Hudson), who plan on developing the property Sally and Ruby live on. The owner of the property, Steve Kellerman (Mark Redfield), arrives in town and starts digging a little too deep into Sally’s family history while being enticed to sell the property to Benton. It’s time for Sally to oil up her chainsaw and stock up on supplies from local hardware store owner Mr. Gordon (Herschell Gordon Lewis) to protect her family!

April Monique Burril does a fantastic job playing Sally. One minute she’s a quiet librarian and the next she’s stabbing a rowdy guy with a paper tack! She’s much like a superhero – by day she’s a librarian, and by night she’s a sexy, chainsaw swingin’ avenger! Alec Joseph, playing Sally’s brother Ruby, is a real scene-stealer with his fantastic clothes, glitter makeup, high heels, boas and clever quips. The rest of the cast, including Calhoun, Hudson and Redfield, all do a great job as well. The story itself is solid and interesting, giving each of the characters complete and well developed back stories. The well-rounded story and three dimensional characters all give credibility, believability and add a whole lotta entertainment to the movie.

Chainsaw Sally is a low budget film and therefore does have some problems, most notably that the chainsaw blade on Sally’s instrument of doom never spins or smokes. These problems are merely a trifle, though, and didn’t damage my enjoyment of the movie. For an independent film, it is extremely well made, especially the development of both story and characters and the skill in the way it was shot. Props must be given to director Jimmy O Burril (April Monique Burril’s husband), as Chainsaw Sally is only the second film he has directed (his first was Silver Scream in 2003). Burril does a great job directing this movie and I never would have guessed this was only his second feature film!

The killings in Chainsaw Sally all kick some serious ass and while lacking gore, the movie makes up for it in blood splatter. In one particularly nasty scene, Sally seduces the ice cream shop girl (Jennifer Rouse), handcuffs her, and after failing to correctly spell “malt,” carves it into her stomach with a large knife before dumping a large amount of poison down her throat. The girl’s insides liquefy and spill into a metal bucket beneath her. In another scene she cuts a man’s penis off with a straight razor and then sticks a sparkler into the bloody stub.

It is refreshing to see a female serial killer who is intelligent as well as ruthless and isn’t just there to showcase her breasts. Chainsaw Sally is a character we come to understand, like and cheer on! I wish there were more films that featured serial killer babes like Sally that are both violent, bloody AND feature an intelligent, sexy leading lady.

Chainsaw Sally is a very fun film with great cameos (Gunnar Hansen AND Herschell Gordon Lewis!), a solid cast, an entertaining story, lottsa blood and a fantastic lead character that any horror fan would enjoy. If you haven’t seen it yet, I highly recommend ordering a copy for your bloody enjoyment!

The Shock-O-Rama DVD will be released February 27th, 2007 and comes packed with great extras. They include a commentary with director Jimmy O Burril and actress April Monique Burril (“Sally”), a Making Of Documentary, interviews with both Gunnar Hansen and the Godfather of Gore himself, Herschell Gordon Lewis, the Silence music video by the band Piss Ant, a Sally Artwork Gallery and much more!

Order on Amazon!