Applecart

Applecart - Trailer from Dustin Mills on Vimeo.
Director - Dustin Mills (Her Name Was Torment, Easter Casket)
Starring - Joni Durian (Babysitter Massacre, The Hornet's Sting and the Hell It's Caused), Allison Egan (Theatre of the Deranged II, Snuffet), and Haley Madison (Kill That Bitch, Headless)
Release Date - 2015
Genre - Horror
Tagline - "We all wear masks"
Format - DVD (Personal Collection)

Rating (out of 5):

     Late last year director Dustin Mills announced that he would be releasing a brand new film early in 2015.  The film, Applecart, was promised to be something completely different from his other films.  He had made claims similar to this before when he released Her Name Was Torment and fuck was he right.  The film was released on DVD a few weeks ago but I refrained from buying a copy until I could meet up with Mills at Cinema Wasteland this past weekend.  Sadly, Mills had a situation arise and was unable to attend but I was still able to get a copy of the film from Wes Allen and Josh Miller who were selling copies of the film for Dustin.  I was also able to meet several members of the cast including Miller, Erin R. Ryan, Haley Madison (who I had previously interviewed), and Dave Parker while at Cinema Wasteland.  They were all friendly and polite while I was there but that may have been due to the fact that I had my daughter with me who is always the center of attention.    

     The film is an anthology film that begins with a beautiful woman who decides to take her clothes off to pleasure herself.  This sets the tone for the film.  We then jump to our first story that features a cookie-cutter family enjoying an evening at home when the daughter's best friend comes over to visit and spend the night.  The dad has an unhealthy obsession with his daughter and her friend which has lead to him spying on them.  They are secret lovers and their dad's voyeurism has lead to his wife feeling neglected.  This forces her to take drastic measures to get her family back.  The second story follows a loving son who takes care of his aging father who is unable to take care of himself.  He hires a nurse to take care of him when he is not around.  However, she is a fowl woman that sexually pleasures herself in front of him and pisses in his food before forcing it down his throat.  The old man finally has enough and stands up for himself.  The next story follows a man and his daughter who live alone.  The young girl has a boyfriend that the father does not approve of and to make matters worse, she just found out she was pregnant.   Her father is a religious man and carves a cross into her hand before sending her to her room.  Her boyfriend climbs in through the window and sees what her father had did.  He attacks her father but he can't overpower the man.  Her father strangles her boyfriend and leaves to hide the body.  While he is gone she enters the bathroom to remove the child from her body in the crudest of fashions.  The final story revolves around a factory worker who has a crush on a pretty little thing that refuses to give him the time of day.  He stares at her everyday at lunch but one day she fails to arrive.  After work he visits a co-worker and discovers that he had kidnapped her and has her tied up in his attic.  He tries to convince him to rape her but he likes her too much to do so.  He takes a crowbar to his friend but before he unties her he decides to rub one out.
     When Mills boasted earlier that this film was unlike anything he had released before, I had no idea how much of an understatement that was.  Mills is known for his unique films.  His films always stand out regardless of the story and Applecart is by far the most unique film from his mind to date.  The acting in this one is superb.  Every cast member delivers amazing performances while keeping their roles true to the film.  The film is shot to resemble the films of the silent era so their actions have to tell the story without the use of words.  This demands a lot of discipline and physical acting and this cast pulls if off perfectly.  Their roles are very demanding but they never broke character and pulled them off perfectly.  I also want to note just how sexy this cast is.  Every woman in the film is extremely beautiful even when their face is covered with the mask.  The stories for this one are fun but they may not be that original.  That's the beauty of a Mills film.  The story may be similar to another film but they are always done in such a way that you will swear you had never seen a film like it before.  The anthology angle was a surprise as well.  I assumed this film had a linear story but the anthology series worked very well to the viewer's advantage.  Each segment is a step up from the last but they are all real situations that have taken place before.  However, Mills has such a talent that he can take everything wrong and ugly with the world and turn it into a beautiful piece of art.  Finally, the film does have a few on screen kills but they are not bloody and gore filled murders that most horror fans are looking for.  Instead, they are beautifully shot scenes of death among unusual circumstances.  The film does have a few scenes of decent practical effects as well but none are referring to the kill scenes.  Overall, Applecart is cinematic triumph for indie horror.  The film is visually pleasing and the stories are real but the horror of each tale is overshadowed by amazing acting and beautiful camerawork.  This is one sexy film that needs to be seen.  Check this one out!

Rebound

Director - Megan Freels Johnston
Staring - Ashley James (White Elephants), Mark Schiebmeir (Necronomica), and Liz Bauer (Awaken the Dead)
Release Date - 2014
Genre - Horror
Format - Streaming (Online Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     Horror Society is one of the greatest things to happen to my short life aside from hearing my wife say "I do" and the birth of my beautiful little girl.  Writing for the site has brought about so many great opportunities and has also allowed me the chance to make some really great friends in the horror community.  I am an avid movie fan and writing for HS has allowed me to watch several films before they were released on DVD, blu, and VHS.  Recently, I was asked to check out the film Rebound.  This was a new one to me and I love checking out new films.  I agreed and now you can check out my review below.

     The film follows heartbroken Claire (James) who is traveling across country to be with her family after catching her man riding another woman.  Along the way she starts to mentally break down after continuously thinking about catching her man in the act.  To make matters worse, she has her phone stolen by an old homeless woman and then she breaks down.  A man tows her car to his shop and offers to help her out.  That night she hits the bar and the man meets her there.  After a few drinks she leaves and the man follows and that is when the real terror starts.

     Some movies have a hard time getting the ball rolling.  They start out slow trying to establish the basis of the story before gradually moving the film and then ending on a high not.  These types of films usually push the viewers away if they have low attention spans.  Rebound suffered the same flaw.  The film moves at a snails pace before the story gets interesting and by that point you have already deemed the film unwatchable.  Lucky for the film, it is able to redeem itself.  The acting in this film is hit and miss.  The cast is able to interact with each other perfectly which made the film flow well but a lot of the cast members have a hard time time conveying emotions which is something I see a lot in indie films.  When they are made, sad, excited, or scared they are unable to express that emotion in a realistic matter.  That makes a lot of the scenes have less of an impact.  The story for this one is one we have seen before but with a different spin.  We have seen several films featuring someone traveling across country only to break down and then they are terrorized by someone or something.  However, I can not think of one film where it features a lone girl making the trip before they are terrorized which makes this one stick out from the rest.  Finally, the film does not have any real on screen kills and gore.  The film tries to tell the story of a heartbroken woman who believes life can not get any worse only to be proven wrong.   With that being said, horror fans want blood and so do I so I feel cheated in that aspect.  Overall, Rebound is a slow burning horror flick.  Don't turn it off because it will pick up the pace and kick you in the chest.  The film lacks gore but is very story rich.  Check it out.  

Gleam

Director - Sean Carmichael (The Last Seven Years)
Starring - Sean Carmichael, Kati Salowsky (Cheerleaders vs. Redneck Zombies), and Alexander Gauthier (Dead Bounty)
Release Date - 2013
Genre - Horror
Format - Streaming (Online Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     I usually get extremely excited when I am asked to check out a short I had never seen before.  Shorts have the potential to be extremely powerful and not waste the viewers time.  I have seen several fascinating and amazing shorts during my time at Horror Society.  A few months ago I was sent a short film to review from Horror Society friend David Langill.  I checked it out and really enjoyed the short.  He soon sent me another film to check out but work got the best of me and I completely forgot to check it out.  One day I was going through my Facebook messages when I realized he had sent me the short Gleam to review.  Sorry about that David but here is my review.

     The short follows a young couple that visit a local jewelry shop to get the perfect ring.  They speak to the well cut and groomed jeweler and give him the order for their ring.  They leave and the jeweler goes to his basement with a shipment and we discover that he enjoys torturing beautiful young women before killing them and burning their bodies in a bath tub.

      Some shorts really surprise you with what they are capable of doing in such a short period of time.  Gleam really did throw me for a loop and it was not what I was expecting at all.  The film starts with a perfect cookie-cutter scenario that slowly turns into a dark and twisted little short.  The acting in this one is solid by the entire cast.  The cast is pretty small consisting of just four people.  Only three of the four has actual dialogue and they all did an outstanding, knockout job.  The story for this one is one that I did not see coming but looking back I feel like an idiot for not seeing it.  The film opens like a perfectly shot film that turns dark and gritty.  This was solid for a short but it left me wanting to know more about the jeweler and why he commits these heinous acts.  Finally, the film does not have any on screen kills and gore which is a bit of a let down to considering the story we do get.  More gore and kills would have been fun.  Overall, Gleam is a fun short that switches gears pretty fast and turns a perfect world upside down.  It lacks the bloodshed needed to make the film believable but it is still a fun watch.  Check it out when you can.

Roadside

Director - Eric England (Madison County)
Starring - Ace Marrero (Auteur), Katie Stegeman (Contracted), and Lionel D. Carson (Seven Psychopaths)
Release Date - 2013
Genre - Horror/Thriller
Tagline - "Their fate...is in his hands"
Format - DVD (Personal Collection) (Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     Horror can go so many different ways and has so many opportunities to give the viewer a unique horror experience.  However, most just try to shower the viewer in blood and gore but lack story and substance.  Very few films are able to take stories that are different and unique and make them worth watching.  Several weeks ago another writer at Horror Society shared news about the upcoming release of a film titled Roadside.  The film looked like your typical stranded slasher but when I looked further into it the film did have an unusual spin which sold me on it.  I reached out for a review copy and they were kind enough to hook me up with a review copy.  

     The film follows Dan Summers (Marrero) and his pregnant wife as they travel out into the woods to visit his sister for the holidays.  They stop at a local gas station for a few supplies where they meet a very friendly cashier and a dick customer.  They gather their things and get back on the road until they come across a tree blocking their path.  Dan gets out of the vehicle to move it and before he can get back in his vehicle a voice tells him to stop.  He tries to find where it came from and is unsuccessful.  He starts to head back to his vehicle and the man behind the voice fires a warning shot destroying his headlight.  The man then instructs Dan to stay out of the car and his wife to remain in it.  This becomes a game for the gunman as the weather is below freezing and Dan is not prepared for such frigid temperatures.  The night drags on and the gas is the car starts to run out.  This forces Dan to try one last ditch effort to save his bride and unborn child.

     Sometimes a simple story and execution can go a long way but it does walk a fine line with being an extremely boring flick.  Roadside did a fine job holding the viewer's attention but there was a few instances where the film was almost boring.  The acting in this one is great by the entire cast.  Ace Marrero and Katie Stegeman are a perfect math for each other and have amazing on screen chemistry.  It is this chemistry that makes the film work so well.  With a story this simple you need characters you can believe.  The story for this one is one that is extremely simple and easy to follow.  The fact the cast and crew was able to make a feature film consisting of a man talking to a bunch of trees and is able to hold the viewer's attention is a feat for sure.  Finally, the film does not offer any real on screen kills but we do get one dead body.  Blood and gore enthusiasts will not be happy with this film but someone looking for story will be happy.  Overall, Roadside is a simple hit that may not be appreciated by every horror fan.  Check it out just keep an open mind.  

The Ghouligans

Director - Sean King (The Ghouligans! Super Show)
Starring - Sean King, Pete Bune (The Ghouligans! The Mini-Series), and Michael Koscik (Lost Suburbia)
Release Date - 2010
Genre - Horror/Comedy
Format - DVD (Personal Collection) (Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     Sometimes I get in a mood where I don't want a flick full of blood and guts.  You can only go so far with blood and guts before you lose the viewer.  You need substance to keep them watching and that is why I sometimes want to check out some horror comedies or horror films aimed towards children.  A few months ago I checked out The Ghouligans the Mini-Series.  The show was fantastic and was the perfect demonstration of how monsters with personalities could be just as entertaining as watching a masked slasher cut down horny teens.  The only problem I had with the mini-series was that it ended.  I reached back out to the people behind the show and they was kind enough to send me a copy of the shorts they had put together a few years ago.  If the shorts were half as fun as what I had just watched then it was well worth my time.

     The shorts do not follow a linear story but feature the mis-adventures of the four Ghouligans.  The shorts put them in everyday situations like working on their car, trying to sell a car, trick or treating, playing sports and so forth.  The shorts typically end with a monstrous twist to remind the viewers that they are creatures of the night and not your next door neighbors.

     

     Before I popped the DVD in my Xbox One to check out I had in my mind that these shorts would be just as amazing as the mini-series.  Sadly, they were not but that does not make them bad because they are far from it.  The episodes are fun but they are a crude workprint for what would become the well polished characters we do get in the mini-series.  The acting in this one is on the same level as you would expect.  The characters are fun and over-the-top.  Each cast member is working on finding their character's personality and with each episode we see that character grow.  The story for these are nothing new or original but they are fun and entertaining as hell.  Each short reminds me of a modern day Munsters episode with the Ghouligans doing everyday activities only to have them screw up in hilarious ways.  Finally, the film does have a few on screen kills that are very lackluster and poor in effects.  However, as I stated earlier, this is not the kind of stuff you watch if you want blood and guts.  Instead, the focus of these shorts is to make the viewer laugh and it does just that.  The creatures don't have their signature look just yet.  With each episode they slowly make their way to their now classic look.  Overall, These Ghouligans episodes are raw and crude when compared to their new material but they are still fun non-the-less.  Check them out because you will enjoy yourself.