Tag Archives: Grindhouse

Take a Stand with VFW: Joe Begos Scores with Brutal Siege Thriller

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Last year, Joe Begos impressed with his trippy indie horror-thriller, Bliss. In fact, Bliss was a solid enough effort to make my list of 10 best movies of 2019. Now Begos is following up his modern take on the vampire with an ‘urban siege’ movie in the tradition of Assault on Precinct 13. Though it’s hardly an original premise, Begos’ VFW promises a neon-coloured, ‘Midnight Movie’ splatterfest for Grindhouse fans.

Synopsis

In a decaying urban wasteland, ‘Hype’ has become the street drug of choice among addicts. However, Boz – a ruthless gang leader – has a stranglehold on Hype’s supply, thus commanding an army of mindless junkies. When a street girl steals Boz’s suppply for revenge, she runs to the nearest refuge – a local VFW pub. As Boz unleashes his personal army on the run-down bar, a band of aging war veterans bands together for one last bloody war.

VFW a Lean, Bloody Action Thriller

If Bliss was a dreamy, hallucinogenic experience, Begos’ VFW is a lean punch to the gut. Exhibiting continued growth as a filmmaker, Begos efficiently sets up his story ensuring all the pieces are in place. Once things let loose, Begos expertly revs and slows the mayhem down, giving viewers a brief chance to catch their breath. Despite the movie’s modest budget, VFW boasts some relentless action set pieces. Occasionally, VFW’s limitations do creep up in some of the closer-shot fighting scenes. But by and large, Begos shows a steady hand and ability to innovate. As a result, VFW elicits a compelling amount of adrenaline and tension.

…the practical gore effects far outpace the movie’s budget.

And where VFW clearly impresses is with the intensity accompanying its action. Gorehounds and fans of hard R-rated action will find plenty to enjoy. There’s enough head-exploding, bone-crunching, and bloodletting to firmly place VFW among an impressive roster of ‘Midnight Movie’ cult classics. Like Begos’ handling of the action scenes, the practical gore effects far outpace the movie’s budget. When one of the veterans impales someone through the throat with a flagpole, you know you’re watching something special. Similar to Bliss, Begos captures all his Grindhouse mayhem with a mix of neon lighting, washed out colours, and grimy camera shots.

VFW Homages Assault on Precinct 13 with Enough of Its Own Ideas

It’s a fine line between homage and ripping off source material. Most seasoned horror and cult movie fans will recognize VFW’s basic story template. In both story and spirit, VFW references John Carpenter’s Assault on Precinct 13, which itself was homage to Rio Bravo. Other 80’s ‘urban decay’ movies are imprinted into this movie’s DNA. Charles Bronson’s Death Wish III, for instance, comes to mind. But Begos does more than just recycle old ideas. Specifically, Begos’ use of forgotten war veterans gives the brutal thriller relevancy and, perhaps, a bit of subtext. Some decent dialogue and a feeling of genuine camaraderie among the main characters further elevates this B-movie thriller.

Veteran Cast Not Too Old For This Shit

Let’s face, you’re not watching ‘Midnight Movies’ for the acting. Nevertheless, Begos assembles a strong cast of veteran character actors and rising stars. Leading the ‘hey, I know that guy’ cast, Stephen Lang (Don’t Breathe, Avatar) excels as a tired, gritty, but loyal veteran. Even amidst waves of blood and gore, Lang ‘feels’ like a real person, bringing a needed human element to the story. Martin Kove (The Karate Kid, Cobra Kai), William Sadler (Bill and Ted’s Bogus Journey), and Fred Williamson (From Dusk Till Dawn) round out what feels like genuine camaraderie. In particular, Williamson always brings a fun, intense B-movie quality to his work.

…Dora Madison once again proves she’s a rising genre star.

On the other side of Begos’ siege thriller, Dora Madison (Bliss) once again proves she’s a rising genre star. She has a both a look and an intensity to her performances that begs for more screen time. If there’s a problem in VFW it’s simply that Madison’s ‘enforcer’ outshines the movie’s central villain. Travis Hammer’s Boz isn’t nearly as compelling as Madison. Other familiar faces pop up including David Patrick Kelly (The Crow) and, yes, even George Wendt (Cheers).

VFW Reinforces Joe Begos as a Rising Genre Star

And just like that, 2020 has its first genuinely good indie horror-thriller. Begos’ VFW impressively walks that fine tightrope between homage and retread. While VFW clearly references Assault on Precinct 13, it also distinguishes itself, ultimately standing on its own. Much of its success lies with Begos’ unique visual style, the no-holds-barred violence, and attention to character and relationships. Overall, VFW perfectly taps into its ‘Midnight Movie’ origins, setting Begos apart as a rising genre filmmaker.

THE PROFESSOR’S FINAL GRADE: A-

I Spit On Your Grave: A Remake No One Wanted

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If there was a movie begging for a remake … I Spit On Your Grave was not that movie. Most film pundits consider director Meir Zarchi’s 1978 ‘rape-revenge’ film to be among the most controversial movies made. Following its release, critics trashed it while some countries outright banned it. In the 1980’s, for instance, England put I Spit On Your Grave on its infamous ‘Video Nasties List’. But the backlash would eventually give way to apathy. As it turns out, the 2000’s horror remake craze wasn’t going to be put off by decades-old backlash. After all, if they could remake The Last House on the Left, why not another 1970’s Grindhouse movie? And so Steven R Monroe remade Zarchi’s exploitative thriller. Though it avoided the controversy, 2010’s I Spit On Your Grave proved to be as equally vile.

I Spit On Your Grave Remake – Better Production Values, Same Filth

Zarchi’s original movie is a notoriously violent movie. Similar to Wes Craven’s The Last House on the Left, I Spit On Your Grave’s major set-piece is an excessively long scene defined by sadistic sexual violence, humiliation, and torture. It’s a scene that needlessly goes on for close to 30 minutes. While Craven was a masterful horror filmmaker, Zarchi a largely talentless director. In addition to low production values, I Spit On Your Grave is a clumsy, suspense-less piece of exploitation trash. Zarchi evidence no craftsmanship or style. It’s an ugly looking movie that doesn’t amount to more than filming awful things being done to people. Acting, editing, picture quality – it’s as ‘bottom-of-the-barrel’ as you can get.

Acting, editing, picture quality – it’s as ‘bottom-of-the-barrel’ as you can get.

Comparatively, Monroe’s remake looks much better. At the very least, the 2010 I Spit on Your Grave does a halfway decent imitation of a professional movie. Moreover, the remake boasts much better acting. And the remake’s ‘Grand Guignol’ revenge finale benefits from better effects and more creativity. That is, Jennifer Hill’s vengeance wouldn’t feel out of place in any Saw sequel. Unfortunately, Monroe’s technical upgrades are pretty much the only improvements. Specifically, the remake wallows in the same excessive sexual violence as the original. In fact, the 2010 movie may dwell on this scene longer than Zarchi’s take. The fact that the remake ‘looks’ better just makes it more complicit in its violence.

Original and Remake Have Nothing Interesting to Say About Their Violence

In 1978, Marchi fancied his Grindhouse movie as something of a ‘feminist revenge fantasy’. Originally, Marchi incredulously called his movie, Day of the Woman. To his credit, Monroe doesn’t try to make the same false equivalency. Neither movie has anything interesting to say about their own violence. Other movies have failed in this regard. Prestige movies like Natural Born Killers and Straw Dogs struggled with the same problem. How do you make a movie that critiques film and/or human violence without indulging in it? To date, Michael Haneke’s Funny Games may be the only movie to pull it off. I Spit On Your Grave doesn’t come close. It doesn’t even really try. The original and remake are the same movie with different budgets. Both movies are content to celebrate the violence against women they claim to repudiate.

The original and remake are the same movie with different budgets.

Yes, horror should be transgressive. But there’s absolutely no artistic merit to running a camera continuously on horrifying acts. Some might argue that each movie’s revenge finale serves as a form of catharsis or makes the movie ‘feminist’. But does either argument justify the sheer length of the rape scene in each movie? Was there really no other way to vilify the antagonists or decry misogynistic violence? By 2010, one has to wonder why remake a badly dated sub-genre if you didn’t have anything new to say. On the other hand, Coralie Fargeat’s Revenge illustrates how the concept can be done right.

Unnecessary Remake to An Ugly Movie

By the end of the 2000’s, filmmakers must have been desperate to dust off I Spit On Your Grave for a remake. Maybe they thought the lurid subject matter might go over better after over 40 years later. And perhaps they had a point. The remake somehow did well enough to justify two sequels. If there’s anything good that can be said about these movies it’s that they’re still better than Marchi’s dreadful direct sequel, I Spit On Your Grave: Deja Vu. For some reason, Netflix has added the remake and its first sequel to their Netflix and Chills lineup. It’s an odd choice considering all the good horror movies missing from the streaming giant.

Eli Roth: Ranking the Grindhouse Master’s Movies

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Eli Roth is one of the more divisive filmmakers in the horror genre today. Though his filmography is relatively small, Roth has had his hand in numerous projects, including AMC’s recent Eli Roth’s History of Horror. In the early 2000’s, Roth emerged alongside filmmakers noted for pushing the envelope of onscreen violence including Rob Zombie and Alexandre Aja. He helped popularize the ‘Torture Porn’ horror subgenre with a return to 70’s exploitation style. While we still haven’t gotten that promised Thanksgiving movie, we can still re-visit and rank Roth’s existing work.

Death Wish

Roth’s second remake, Death Wish, recouped its budget. Barely. Regardless of box office receipts, few would label the effort a success. And critics absolutely hated hit. Some will point to the movie’s timing. A movie about a gun-toting vigilante released amidst a wave of real-world mass shootings undoubtedly hurt it. More importantly, Death Wish is a tone-deaf update that fails to adapt its premise to a contemporary setting. A lot has changed since Charles Bronson shot up New York City in the early 1970’s. Ultimately, Death Wish just doesn’t feel like an Eli Roth movie.

The Green Inferno

Don’t all it a remake. It’s a homage. Eli Roth loves himself some grindhouse cinema. And what’s more grindhouse than cannibal horror movies. The Green Inferno is Roth’s tribute to Ruggero Deodato’s controversial Cannibal Holocaust. In fact, Roth even named the movie after Cannibal Holocaust’s movie-within-a-movie. Though it’s a love-letter to grindhouse cannibal movies, The Green Inferno looks far more professional and slick. As a result, Roth’s gore, of which there is an abundance, is captured in all its glorious detail. Too bad most people won’t be able to stomach it. With no likeable characters and a xenophobic screenplay, The Green Inferno feels like leftovers.

The House With a Clock In Its Walls

You can’t blame Eli Roth for wanting to expand on his filmography. Following the success of the Goosebumps movie, Roth jumped on the young adult scares wagon. While it’s not a bad effort, Roth is clearly hampered by the juvenile source material. In addition, Roth doesn’t seem to have a handle on the bigger budget effects. None of the visual pop or feel as inventive as they should in this kind of movie. Yet to some extent, Roth manages to sneak in some of his dark humor. Neither outrightly terrible nor excellent, The House With A Clock In Its Walls is kind of forgettable.

Knock Knock

Not a lot of people seemed to like Knock Knock. I’m not one of those horror fans as I rather enjoyed Eli Roth’s first remake effort. Not surprisingly, Knock Knock is an update of a 1970’s erotic thriller, Death Game. Its story of two young women showing up unexpectedly at a married man’s home and seducing him while his family away is kind of a clever subversion of the home invasion subgenre. On the one hand, Roth’s attempt at some commentary on our social media age doesn’t quite hit its mark. But Ana de Armas and Lorenza Izzo’s performances are a lot of fun. A Keanu Reeves is Keanu Reeves.

Cabin Fever

What a directorial debut! Cabin Fever is vintage Eli Roth. The grindhouse filmmaker subverts hillbilly horror with his tale of college students contracting a flesh-eating virus. At the time of its release, horror was shifting away from the slasher-lite post-Scream movies to more explicitly graphic fare. And with a movie about a flesh-eating disease, Roth doesn’t skimp on the gore. But its Roth’s dark humor that distinguishes Cabin Fever from other ‘Torture Porn’ movies and the insipid remake. There are some truly strange bits to the movie that give it a memorable ‘midnight movie’ vibe.

Hostel Part II

An argument could be made that Hostel II is actually the better of Eli Roth’s Euro-vacation nightmare movies. First, Roth expands Elite Hunting’s world, fleshing out what’s an unnerving mythology. Second, Hostel II flips the genders of its protagonists, with young women as the central characters this time around. Though Roth has never been particularly good with social commentary, Hostel II does explore the misogyny of its male villains, even flipping power dynamics at its conclusions. With the recent rise of the ‘incel’ subculture, you could almost accuse Roth of being prescient. Of course, Hostel II has plenty of grotesque death scenes, including a memorable shout-out to Countess Elizabeth Bathory.

Hostel

In spite of the arguments in favour of ranking the sequel higher, Eli Roth’s Hostel deserves the top spot in his filmography. Based on sheer shock value alone, Hostel was a visceral experience that had few comparisons in North American cinema at the time of its release. Alongside Saw, Hostel popularized the 2000’s ‘Torture Porn’ trend. None of Roth’s movies are traditionally scary, but Hostel is arguably his most suspenseful work. There’s also some subverting of expectations with who does and does not survive. And for gorehounds, Hostel is a movie that stands up to multiple viewings. To date, it remains one of the better horror movies of the 2000’s.

Hellbilly Rob Zombie – His Films Ranked From Worst to First

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With all the news trickling in about the upcoming sequel to The Devil’s Rejects, 3 From Hell, it’s a good time to re-visit Rob Zombie’s filmography. Admittedly, I have been a huge fan of Zombie’s music from his days with White Zombie. Both Astro-Creep 2000 and Hellbilly Deluxe remain among some of my favourite albums. Given his obvious affection for horror and exploitation cinema, Zombie seemed like a natural fit for directing horror films.

In the 15 years since the release of House of 1000 Corpses, Zombie has sat in the director’s chair for six feature length films. I recall reading somewhere that Zombie was “the best filmmaker to have never made a good film”. To date, critical acclaim has alluded Zombie. This, if for no other reason, makes Zombie an interesting horror case study. His work is equal parts frustrating and compellingly watchable.

6 – 31 (2016)

Rob Zombie and killer clowns! With such an off-the-wall premise, 31 should have been a gonzo film for hardcore fans. Instead it was a big step backwards for Zombie as a director. In addition to being a dark and ugly-looking film, 31 is crammed with all of Zombie’s worst excesses. Its characters are uniformly foul-mouthed, unlikable hicks. Brutal and mean-spirited violence replace tension and scares. In spite of Zombie’s usual flair for orchestrating carnage, even the violence in 31 falls short. Jerky camera work and poor lighting lose much of the action. Richard Brake, as Doom-Head, is the lone bright spot. His psychopathic killer is equal parts charismatic and menacing.

5 – Halloween II (2009)

In many ways, Halloween II is everything frustrating about Rob Zombie’s movies. There’s so much to like for horror fans; I want to love Halloween II. Free from John Carpenter’s original blueprint, Zombie had a wide canvas to work on for his sequel. On one hand, he crafts a wholly unique mythology in his re-interpretation of Michael Myers. In the first 10 to 15 minutes, Zombie also creates some truly suspenseful moments that are well balanced with the brutally explicit violence. In addition, Zombie’s use of Moody Blues song Nights in White Satin is haunting. Tyler Mane makes the role of “The Shape” his own. And scream queen Danielle Harris’ arc in the sequel is heartbreaking.


Halloween II is a strange case of an utterly watchable film that just isn’t that good.

Unfortunately, Zombie’s excesses derail the film. Much of the violence in Halloween II is excessively ugly, even by Zombie’s standards. His Haddonfield is populated with vile characters. Malcolm McDowell’s Dr. Loomis isn’t just despicable, it’s like he’s playing an entirely different character from the previous film. By the climax, it buckles under the weight of its own convoluted logic. Halloween II is a strange case of an utterly watchable film that just isn’t that good.

4 – Halloween (2007)

Poor Rob Zombie. Regardless of the creative direction he took, Zombie was going to take flak just for re-making John Carpenter’s Halloween. No one was ever going to make a Halloween film that would eclipse Carpenter’s masterpiece. Nonetheless, Zombie managed to make at least half of a pretty good movie with his Halloween. While the decision to spend the first half of the film exploring Michael Myers’ origins does directly contradict everything that makes the character frightening it also serves as a completely compelling narrative on its own. In fact, Zombie’s Halloween only falters in its second half when he’s pigeon-holed into a straightforward remake. For approximately an hour, Zombie offers up a brutal, unflinching look into the birth of a monster.

3 – House of 1000 Corpses (2003)

Zombie’s directorial debut, House of 1000 Corpses, is a mixed bag. Extremely violent and wildly colourful, House feels like a first-time directorial effort. To some extent, Zombie struggles in the shift from making music videos to feature length movies. For instance, Zombie uses too many jarring edits that disorient. Tonally, the film makes some wild jumps from gritty exploitation horror to supernatural nightmare. Zombie also straddles a precarious fence between homage and overt imitation. Yet in spite of its limitations, Zombie delivered a visually impressive and wild horror outing that introduced cinema to the scariest clan since The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.

2 – Lords of Salem (2013)

Some fans will take issue with Lords of Salem being ranked higher than House of 1000 Corpses. Notwithstanding personal preferences, Lords of Salem is highly underrated. It was a significant step forward for Zombie as a filmmaker. For perhaps the first time in his filmmaking career, Zombie showed restraint, focusing more on atmosphere than grindhouse shocks. While he’s clearly cribbing on Ken Russell’s The Devils, Zombie actually instills a steadily increasing sense of dread. The Lords’ ‘song’ is haunting and the ending is a ‘mind fuck’ that references Kubrick in all the right ways.

1- The Devil’s Rejects (2005)

The Devil’s Rejects still stands as Zombie’s horror masterpiece. If you’re a fan of 1970’s grindhouse exploitation films, you’ll agree that The Devil’s Rejects belongs at the top of this list. Shifting gears from the colourful, supernatural roots of House of 1000 Corpses, Zombie opted for a grittier vision, taking the sadistic Firefly clan on the road. Without a doubt, the violence is uncompromising. You would be hard-pressed to find a scene that elicits as much discomfort as the hotel room scene. In addition, Bill Moseley, Sheri Moon Zombie, and Sid Haig effortlessly blend menace with hypnotic charisma. Lastly, it wouldn’t be a Rob Zombie film if there wasn’t an effective incorporation of music. In this case, Zombie makes fantastic use of Lynyrd Skynyrd’s Freebird for the film’s final bloody massacre.

Mandy Mesmerizes With Dreamy Visuals and a Wild-Eyed Nicolas Cage

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Italian-Canadian film director Panos Cosmatos waited awhile before following up his debut feature, Beyond the Black Rainbow. Based on the buzz his latest release, Mandy, generated at the Sundance Film Festival, it was worth the wait. Considered a mix of surrealist horror and action, Mandy has steadily built anticipation based on its trailers and word-of-mouth. On September 14, it finally became available on streaming services along with a limited theatrical release. Now does 2018 have another classic, like Hereditary? Or is Mandy just an exercise in hype?

Synopsis

Set in 1983, Red Miller (Nicolas Cage) lives in the isolated wilderness of the Shadow Mountains with his girlfriend, Mandy (Andrea Riseborough). This idyllic existence is soon shattered when Mandy has a chance encounter with cult leader Jeremiah Sands and his followers. Sands’ obsession with Mandy ends with a vicious and tragic assault on Miller’s home. Now with nothing left to lose, Red Miller seeks out bloody vengeance against Sand’s depraved cultists.

Mandy is Less a Story, Than an Experience

First and foremost, the above synopsis does not do Mandy justice. Film-goers looking for a straightforward revenge film, a la Death Wish, may be disappointed. Yes, Cosmatos appropriates the basic narrative of the revenge film. There is a brutal act of violence that sets Red Miller on a path of vengeance. Yet Mandy is not a movie driven by story. Rather Cosmatos has crafted a film that is better described as an experience.

Mandy is an absolutely distinct visual movie experience.

Mandy is an absolutely distinct visual movie experience. Cosmatos saturates his revenge thriller in dreamy red and blue tints. As a result, the movie feels like a psychedelic trip or hazy dream. Like the best surrealist movies, Mandy is more like a nightmare than a coherent story concerned with hitting specific plot points. While there is no sense of urgency to the two-hour film, it’s far from boring or dull. Quite the opposite, Mandy is engrossing, even in its more reflective moments. This is a movie about about emotions that hypnotizes you with its visual style.

Cosmatos Brings Back the Midnight Movie

Above all else, Mandy feels like the perfect midnight movie. From its dreamy and psychedelic atmosphere to its punctuated moments of violence, Cosmatos has crafted a grindhouse film vibe. Over the two-hour runtime, Mandy takes its time building to its over-the-top bloodletting. In fact, Mandy does not have as much as violence as some reviews suggest. But when those violent moments happen they feel appropriately shocking. Furthermore, Cosmatos drenches each of these scenes in buckets of blood and practical effects.

…Cosmatos drenches each of these scenes in buckets of blood and practical effects.

As for its villains, Jeremiah Sand and his followers are among the more distinct characterizations of cultists committed to film. They are are an appropriate mix of bizarre and menacing, channeling a Manson Family vibe. Without giving away too much, Sand’s ‘demonic monsters also give Mandy another distinct visual feeling. Cosmatos uses these mysterious characters sparingly, also opting to keep them largely in the shadows. Like the rest of the movie, Cosmatos never makes it clear who or what these characters represent, but damn if it all doesn’t somehow work.

Wildly Fun Performances Fitting of a Grindhouse Film

Today, audiences are more likely to associate Nicholas Cage with Internet memes. In the years following the ill-fated Wicker Man remake, Cage has become somewhat of a punchline. It’s easy to forget that Cage is a talented actor whose delivered some impressive performances (Leaving Las Vegas, Adaptation). In Mandy, Cosmatos lets Nicholas Cage go ‘full Cage’ Most importantly, Cosmatos’ story requires Nicolas Cage to go ‘Full Cage” to fully achieve its midnight movie feel. And Cage obliges, turning in a fantastic wild-eyed performance. He is all emotion, channeling rage and loss in equal measures. It’s an unhinged performance that is much more fitting of the material, unlike Cage’s role in the earlier 2018 release, Mom and Dad.

Veteran character actor Bill Duke also shows up for a brief role. But in those five minutes or so, Duke reminds filmgoers just how underrated he can be in movies. Duke turns in a performance that is both weary and ominous. As good as Cage is in Mandy, Linus Roache may be the unsung hero with his role as cult leader, Jeremiah Sand. He gives a bizarre, transfixing performance that reminds us how cultists can exert such influence. Simply put, Roache mesmerizes whenever he is on screen. It’s an impressive feat to stand out in a movie that is so memorably bizarre.

Mandy Is Another Winner for the Genre in 2018

Ultimately, Mandy is a lot of things. It’s a surreal and trippy movie that evokes the best characteristics of midnight movies. For Nicolas Cage, it’s a return-to-form that could signal a comeback. For horror fans, we have yet another critically well-received movie that shows how creative and distinct the genre can be with the right talent involved. Mandy is a psychedelic-fuelled nightmare that more than lives up to its advanced hype.

THE PROFESSOR’ FINAL GRADE: A

Revenge Spins An Exploitation Subgenre on Its Head

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The rape-revenge thriller has a controversial place within the larger horror genre. Films like The Last House on the Left and I Spit On Your Grave courted controversy way back in the 1970’s. While both of these films have been remade in the last decade, critical attention on sexual violence in media has only intensified. Critically-acclaimed HBO show, Game of Thrones, has been frequently centered out for its graphic depictions of sexual violence.

Amidst these socio-cultural concerns, horror-streaming platform Shudder is releasing its latest original movie,  Revenge. The latest entry to the rape-revenge sub-genre, critics generally had good things to say about Revenge last fall at the Toronto International Film Festival. In addition, Revenge is potentially distinguished from its predecessors by virtue of the fact that it is written and directed by a woman.

Synopsis

Jen is a young , intelligent, an beautiful woman. She also happens to be the mistress to married millionaire, Richard. The two secret lovers arrive via private helicopter to Richard’s desert’s house for a weekend together before his friends arrive for a hunting trip. To Richard’s disappointment, his friends – Dimitri and Stan – show up a day early. Following a night of drinking, Stan sexually assualts Jen . When Richard refuses to let her leave, Jen escapes but is cornered, pushed off a cliff, and left for dead. Miraculously surviving her fall, Jen turns the tables and begins hunting her tormentors.

Revenge is a Visually Stylish and Suspenseful Thriller

Director Coralie Fargeat deserves a lot of credit for distinguishing Revenge from similar films. Fargeat infuses her movie with an excess of of genuine visual flair and style. Each of the movie’s action scenes are well-choreographed and edited. There’s no shaky cam reducing the comprehensibility of what’s actually happening. In addition, Robrecht Heyvaert’s cinematography bathes the desert landscape in sun-bleached colours.

Despite working with a familiar narrative, Fargeat still manages to leave you wondering what and how things will transpire.

Horror fans will be pleased with the grindhouse gore in Revenge. A cauterization scene involving a cut-open beer can may have some viewers squirming uncomfortably. Despite working with a familiar narrative, Fargeat still manages to leave you wondering what and how things will transpire. A desert road showdown with Stan, for instance, introduced far more tension and doubts about the film’s conclusion that I would have anticipated. And the climatic ‘cat-and-mouse’ chase through Richard’s house offers a truly tense ending to Revenge that ought to prompt a lot of white-knuckling.

A Powerful Subtext Among the Grindhouse Violence

In addition to infusing Revenge with some dazzling visuals and suspense, Fargeat works in an interesting subtext. Prior to the rape scene, Revenge almost plays out like your standard Hollywood ‘buddy’ sex comedy. The camera objectifies Lutz’s Jen, while Richard’s friends – Stan and Dimitri – could easily substitute for a Stifler-type character from the American Pie films.

In addition to infusing Revenge with some dazzling visuals and suspense, Fargeat works in an interesting subtext.

Fargeat’s handling of the actual sexual assault scene instantly distinguishes Revenge from films like Ms. 45 or I Spit on Your Grave. While the scene clearly establishes what is about to transpire, Fargeat does not focus on the act violence. Instead, she opts to show the reaction of Dimitri, Richard’s other friend, who is aware of what is happening but walks away. For a moment, the camera lingers on Dimitri as it appears he has some doubt before he turns on the television. The decision to focus on the ‘bystander’ and his apathy says a lot about the entitlement and misogynistic attitudes that contribute to sexual violence.

Revenge Gives Its Female Protagonist Agency

Following the rape scene, Fargeat flips the buddy ‘fantasy’ narrative on its head. Revenge gives its female protagonist, Jen, agency.  In an interesting twist, Jen indulges in the male-oriented fantasies characteristic of so many action films. Some viewers will take issue with Jen’s inexplicable survival as well as the almost preternatural feats she performs.

Yet these aspects of Revenge are in keeping with its subtext. There’s not much different here from what you would find in a Rambo movie. In fact, Jen’s survival from the fall and the cauterization scene directly call back to scenes from First Blood and Rambo III. Arguably, it’s these parts of Revenge that elevate the movie to a form of criticism of the male entitlement and fantasy that fuels real-world sexual violence.

Coralie Fargeat is a Filmmaker to Watch in the Future

Revenge is not a perfect movie. A few scenes would have benefited from some trimming in the editing room. With regards to criticisms of the rape-revenge subgenre, Revenge may still service an outdated and toxic narrative. But in the movie’s defence, Revenge uniquely spins this exploitation subgenre on its head while delivering a visually stunning overload of grindhouse gore. Matilda Lutz is outstanding in her restrained performance. Writer-director Coralie Fargeat also announces herself as a filmmaker to watch out for in the future.

THE PROFESSOR’S FINAL GRADE: A-

Downrange: Survival Horror That Goes for the Jugular

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The term ‘downrange’ is a military term referring to a combat zone. It’s an apt title for the Ryuhei Kitamura horror-thriller that merges survival horror with slasher film sensibilities. Downrange debuted last September at the Midnight Madness event of the Toronto International Film Festival. Earlier this week, the horror-streaming platform, Shudder, made Downrange available for horror fans.

Synopsis

Downrange is a lean film with a straightforward premise. Six college students on a road trip suffer a blowout along an isolated stretch of country road. They quickly learn the blowout was no accident. A sniper perched hidden in a tree along the road has targeted them, picking them off one by one. As the day stretches on and their numbers dwindle, the students must make a desperate bid to survive.

Maximum Tension from a Minimalist Approach

With its simple premise, Downrange wastes little time getting things rolling. Director Kitamura has fun teasing the audience in the opening minutes. Characters stand out in the open and pace the roadside after the blowout. This gives you a few minutes to guess which character will be the first casualty, knowing it’s coming sooner or later. Whether it’s survivors trying to put their car in neutral in order to roll and use it as cover or an unsuspecting family driving into the ‘downrange’, Kitamura manages to wring out several suspenseful sequences from his minimalist concept.

Of course, with such a simple premise and its single location setting, Downrange can’t avoid having a few dull stretches. The film’s middle-act drags at times and, in these moments, the lack of character development hurts some of the momentum and tension in Downrange. Fortunately, these lulls are pretty brief and while there isn’t much in the way of character development, Kitamura still manages to create a few emotionally poignant moments. Watching a boyfriend collapse after being shot and falling side-by-side with his dead girlfriend is the kind of brief touch that adds enough of a human element to elicit some empathy for the killer’s victims.

Downrange Goes For the Jugular

Few recent horror films can boast the same ‘take no prisoners approach’ that Kitamura adopts in Downrange. There’s a lot of violence in Downrange and it’s filmed with a gloriously gonzo inventiveness. The first two kills are stretched out to maximize the shock – the sight of one character pulling her hand away from her face to reveal a gory hole in her eye socket is particularly disturbing. Bullets leave gaping and mangled bloody holes. Blood spurts from wounds in bright red splashes. A rolling car crushes a head with brutal, colourful detail. Overall, the gore effects in Downrange are outstanding and among the best in any horror release so far in 2018.

There’s a lot of violence in Downrange and it’s filmed with a gloriously gonzo inventiveness.

Downrange’s blood and gore is also accompanied by a wickedly perverse sense of humour. When the sniper shoots the gas tank in a family’s car, it’s not enough to just blow up the father – he has to stumble into the road, burning alive. A dehydrated survivor has their hand shot as they try and grab a bottle of water. And Kitamura forgoes any perceived horror film rules about the characters that audiences may believe are off-limits or safe.

A Few Plot Contrivances Weigh Things Down

More than a few plot contrivances and horror film tropes crop up in Downrange. Cellphones work intermittently, if at all, which while possible seems more than little convenient for the one-note plot. The police are incompetent and useless, serving to only increase the film’s final body count. These convoluted story bits culminate in a climax that’s a little too over-the-top. Kitamura leans a little too much on the ‘superhuman killer’ trope. For a movie whose strength was its threadbare, white-knuckle approach, it feels a little unnecessary.

…the final moments of Downrange offer a clever and funny twist …

All that being said, the final moments of Downrange offer a clever and funny twist, though some viewers may groan. In addition, Kitamura seems to have sneaked in some commentary on gun violence with his twist ending. When the camera lingers on blood covering the handle of a rifle with superimposed flashbacks of the film’s victims may it rings a little hollow. This is coming from a movie that has spent a lot of time revelling in violence.

A Perfect Survival Thriller for Horror Fans

Regardless of a lack of compelling characters and short stretches that drag, Downrange is bloody thriller with a sick sense of humor. Kitamura is a dynamic, stylish director and he films his violence with a flair that’s missing from a lot of horror movies. Simply put, Downrange is the perfect survival thriller for horror fans who appreciate more hardcore films.

THE PROFESSOR’S FINAL GRADE: B+

Cabin Fever: The Remake You Didn’t Know Existed

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While scrolling through Netflix recently for a late-night horror fix I discovered the Cabin Fever (2016) remake. It’s a film that flew completely under my radar. Rather than watching the remake first I decided to pull out my copy of the original Cabin Fever. It’s been sixteen years since Eli Roth emerged on the horror scene. His tale of five college students ravaged by a flesh-eating virus in a remote cabin was a minor hit. No one would ever mistake Cabin Fever for a horror classic, but it makes for the perfect midnight film. How well would a re-imagining of Roth’s B-movie bloodfest fare when held up to the original?

Cabin Fever (2002) A Fun Homage to 70’s Exploitation Films

The original Cabin Fever was a divisive film among critics and horror fans. Yet Eli Roth’s debut film had some idiosyncratic charms that separated it from other horror films at the time. Roth, like Quentin Tarantino and Rob Zombie, has a fondness for the grindhouse cinema of the 1970s. In Cabin Fever, Roth uses the same B-film aesthetics.

Much of what makes Cabin Fever work are its idiosyncratic ticks in storytelling and characters. 

Much of what makes Cabin Fever work are its idiosyncratic ticks in storytelling and characters. The film’s party-loving Deputy Wilson or Dennis, the mullet-haired boy who randomly screams “pancakes” before inexplicably performing kung fu moves in slow motion are the seemingly random bits that make watching  Cabin Fever memorable. You may love or hate these quirks, but you can’t accuse Roth of being boring or generic.

Perhaps best known for his contributions to the “torture porn” horror subgenre, Roth uses the flesh-eating virus narrative to maximum effect. Roth assaults the audience with several scenes of gut-wrenching violence. You’ll never look at shaving the same way again after the original Cabin Fever. However, Roth films his violence in a tongue-in-cheek manner. The carnage winks knowingly at the audience, never feeling mean-spirited. There is a dark sense of humor permeating the film that separates it from other low-budget horror efforts.

While the performances nothing special, they’re better than what you can often expect in B-films. The characters may feel generic but that’s largely in part to Roth poking a little fun at exhausted horror film tropes. Cabin Fever is a minor horror entry but it still makes for fun late-night viewing.

Cabin Fever Remake Will Make You Want To Tear Off Your Own Flesh

The Cabin Fever remake is directed by someone who credited as ‘Travis Z”. It stars no one you will recognize. Most importantly, the Cabin Fever remake accomplishes the phenomenal task of being worse than the original. Yes, the remake nosedives on every imaginable aspect of film-making. It somehow accomplishes this feat while following the exact script. This is a carbon copy remake. In fact, the remake so closely follows the original that one wonders why the filmmakers even bothered.

It’ll be be easier to start by pointing out what the remake does well. The production values are adequate; the camerawork is competent. Everything else is a boring mess. The acting is wooden and devoid of charisma – you will miss Rider Strong. Cabin Fever’s original characters weren’t likable, but at least they were memorable. I could could distinguish one character from another. Even minor characters from the original film are stripped of any quirks that made them stand out. Pacing, tension, and suspense – not in this film. I still don’t understand how they made almost the exact same film, but made it feel longer and duller. I paused the remake a few times just to check how much time was left.

Even the gore effects feel cheap and underwhelming in this pointless go-around. If you are going to remake a film about a flesh-eating virus rooted in 1970’s splatter exploitation movies, you need gross, practical effects. What’s really missing from the remake is Roth’s dark humor. No, it doesn’t always work in the original. But Roth dumps buckets of blood onto the screen with a devilish grin. Travis Z delivers the flesh-eating gore in the remake with a straight face and the overall effect is flat.

Time to Board up This Cabin

There wasn’t much to deliberate on when comparing the two versions. The 2016 remake of Cabin Feveris the definition of a pointless remake. It has no redeeming qualities of which to speak. If you’re a fan of B-horror or 1970’s splatter films, stick with Eli Roth’s original vision.