Review: American Fable

(rogeredbert.com)

Visually compelling and at times, well-acted, American Fable isn't quite the horror movie it was widely marketed to be. Reminiscent of Guillermo Del Toro, American Fable is written and directed by Anne Hamilton. It tells the story of a young girl named Gitty, played by Peyton Kennedy (Cut Bank), who envelops her life in fantastical stories to avoid the realization that her family may be in danger of losing their farm. When Gitty stumbles upon a man being held captive in her parents’ silo, Gitty soon realizes that some of those fantastical stories may be more than meets the eye. American Fable also stars Kip Pardue (Remember The Titans) and Marci Miller (Death Race 2050) as Gitty's parents and Richard Schiff (The West Wing) as the man in the silo.

A lot of the successes of American Fable rely on its actors. Peyton Kennedy in particular, is notably stellar in the main role. For an indie movie with relatively unknown actors and actresses, Hamilton and American Fable lucked out with Kennedy who carries much of the movie on her shoulders. The innocence and sometimes gullible Gitty, paired with Kennedy's youthful facial expressions make for a strong and elastic character. In addition, Pardue and Miller both excel as the caring and somewhat free-spirited parents of Gilly.

Shot in the Midwest, the rural backdrop of American Fable provides for strong visuals through impressive expanses of land and dreamy fields. Much of the film's cinematography is a lush environment of color and shadows. At the very least, it's an appealing film to stare at. Even within the confines of the family's farmhouse, there is something so pleasingly simple, yet fantastical. Like a truly lived in home, there is a warmth there that many horror movies fail to capture or ignore entirely.

At times, American Fable is too fuzzy. With the hefty densities of an elderly woman’s house, Amercian Fable is sometimes a stuffy endeavor to sift through. Where plotlines want to fly, the movie seems all too comfortable clipping feathers in exchange for over-explained and tepid storytelling. With a title so suggestive though, one would expect far more creation, rather than grounded realism.

American Fable isn't necessarily a scary movie. With small inflections of horror dotting the edges of what is otherwise an adult children's book. The movie truly plays out like a fairytale. It's an impressive endeavor for the lesser known Anne Hamilton and for fans of Guillermo Del Toro, there is definitely something to see here. I'll give it 6 out of 10 grain silos.

Best in Show: Final Girls (Part II of II)



(wildsoundmovies.com)

5. Elizabeth Shaw (Prometheus)

When I see or hear things about people's dislike for Prometheus I am stunned. From its visuals to its superb acting, there is really not much to complain about. What makes this matter even more questionable is the fact that the majority of the criticism comes from fans of the Alien franchise universe. Prometheus isn't some cheap, rehashed endeavor and it's certainly not bad, those that feel it is should feel equally ashamed that they feel that way. One of the strongest cases for Prometheus is its amazing final girl. Building on Ellen Ripley's archetype, Noomi Raplace's Elizabeth Shaw is stunning. Her nuanced prowess and ability to command every scene is nearly unparalleled. She's intelligent, driven and complicated. Her character is a multidimensional powerhouse that horror cinema should be thankful for. From the opening scenes to her attempts at escaping the mission that's gone awry, Shaw never falters.



(wikia.com)

4. Erin Hardesty (Texas Chainsaw  Massacre)

How dare I put a remake so high on this list! And to not include the original? Condemnable, but ultimately true to my opinions. I'm here to declare that Jessica Biel's Erin is not only superior to the original Sally, but also far more believable in the role. Remakes get the worst rap, yet the 2003 remake of the classic slasher, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre is a rare and shining accomplishment, holding a candle to the 1974 version. Maybe not as revolutionary or stylistically strong, but the 2003 version is an incredibly scary adventure only propelled farther by Jessica Biel's best performance of her career. Jessica Biel's Erin is stronger and more unrelenting than Sally and every moment she's on screen viewers should be gripping their seats. Sorry, not sorry.




(wordpress.com)

3. Sarah (The Descent)

The Descent is horrifying. By far one of the scariest movies in decades, The Descent has forever been engrained into my brain. And, while I would argue that each of the women featured in this movie are great additions to the stock of strong female characters in horror, the truest star is final girl, Sarah. Her struggles to cope with the loss of family paired with a crazed survival instinct make her beyond entertaining. Her willingness to do literally anything to escape the cave is pretty outstanding (and gory). Sarah is often overlooked on best lists of final girls but I would argue that she is by far one of the best.




(fanpop.com)

2. Ellen Ripley  (Alien)

One of the original, and most prolific final girls of all time is Sigourney Weaver's Ellen Ripley, This of course is for good reason. Where others may be reactionary in space situations, every move made by Ripley is proactive. She's determined and vicious; an unrelenting character with little flaw. If I was ever trapped in space, I would 100% want her on my side. In fact, I wish I had her by my side at all times. Imagine the security you would feel. Ripley is physically and mentally one of the strongest final girls ever and she is definitely the feminist icon we all need every day.





(wikia.com)

1. Sidney Prescott (Scream)

I think if one character beats out Ellen Ripley for the title of final girl, it has to be Sidney Prescott from Scream. I'm sorry to everyone who feels hurt by this statement, but Sidney is not only the first name that came to my head when I thought of good final girls, but is also the only one who knows pretty much the whole time that she is, in fact, the final girl. Her self-awareness and planning skills, one liners and ability to protect or attempt to protect those closest to her is undeniable. Sidney Prescott is the final girl to end final girls and she will never be matched. She is essential to the trope and in every iteration of the trope; she is the one to look to for iconography because Sid is the icon.

Best in Show: Final Girls (Part I of II)

One of the longest lasting traditions of horror cinema is the "final girl." Just as the name suggests, the final girl is a common trope of the character who is the sole survivor of a horror movie. While the specific identity of the final girl has been held to some contention, typically the final girl is a strong, empowered character with the ability to outlast. For instance, in some horror movies, the final girl isn't the only survivor, but instead just the main character and focus point. The final girl is often a topic of discussion and the identity is still talked about in academic circles to this day, while maintaining a strong hold on many modern movies. Here is a list of the 10 best final girls.

(wikia.com)

10. Max Cartwright (The Final Girls)

The Final Girls is a satirical, on-the-nose type of movie that still manages to provide a new dimension to the final girl trope that is so often talked about. Despite its lack of actual scares, The Final Girls is weirdly funny and entertaining and on top of that, Taissa Farmiga's Max is an awesome addition the final girl class. She's simple, but not perfect; cool, but not too cool; and ultimately willing to take on her role and defend herself and friends. The fact that Malin Ackerman's character, Amanda, is Max's mother and former actress and final girl is just one more bonus. Watching the pair figure out an alternative universe in the imaginary Camp Bloodbath is insanely fun.


(frontrowreviews.uk)

9. Erin (You're Next)

You're Next will continue to infiltrate my blog for weeks to come. There are so many great things about this movie and one of those is Erin. By far, Erin is the most on her game. Her character is equal parts satire as it is serious. Far more capable than she should be, Sharni Vinson's Erin grew up on a compound and knows how to use weapons. Whereas other final girls are indescribably effective at staving off death, Erin has a reason and explanation for her skills. She is powerful and determined and at the end of the day, doesn't care what she has to do to come out of the other end.

(wikia.com)

8. Amanda Young (Saw)

Is Amanda Young a final girl? That's definitely debatable. But, what's not debatable is the fact that she is  one of the most compelling products of modern horror. From survivor to villain (if that was a spoiler remember that the original has been out for more than 10 years), Amanda's survival instincts are pretty unstoppable. She's a viciously twisted character with a surprising amount of depth given the lack of it in the franchise. Her escape from the reverse bear trap is one of the most disturbing things on earth, I mean, other than her later being thrown into a pit of needles (which she also survives). Amanda is a quintessential final girl and deserves a spot on any list regarding this.

(beafraid.cl)

7. Dana Polk (Cabin In The Woods)

Like Max, Dana is kind of a joke on the whole final girl trope. She isn't some holier-than-though character and she certainly doesn't match all of the features of a final girl, but nonetheless she is meant to represent one (they'll take what they can get - fit in a Cabin In The Woods joke!). Dana is such a chilled out and normal character that it's impossible not to feature her on this list. She's a great character because of how normal and human she is. She's not a glorified survivor or even that pure and sweet, she's just a girl trying to make it through a set up world. Her character also scores points for making hard decisions and unsuccessfully betraying friends, something a typical final girl would never do.

(gamespot.com)

6. Laurie Strode (Halloween) & Nancy Thompson (Nightmare on Elm Street)

Part of the iconic class of horror's final girls are Laurie Strode from Halloween and Nancy Thompson from Nightmare on Elm Street. The pair works hand-in-hand as strong-willed final girls with particularly solid acting skills. Unlike some of the more over-the-top final girls of yore, both Jamie Lee Curtis' and Heather Langenkamp's characters are scream queens with purpose.

Jamie Lee Curtis, who later joined the actual show Scream Queens, is by far one of the most legendary horror actresses of all time. Laurie is strong in the face of fear. Her character is the epitome of the babysitter-turned-defender archetype and her (and Curtis') influence is noticeable today.

The second icon on this list, Nancy Thompson, is a complimentary pair with Laurie. Perhaps even more confident that Laurie, Nancy is a strategic and fearless focal point. Her plans to end Freddy's terrorizing are something all horror victims should aspire for. Nancy is impressive for a high school student and most other high school horror characters pale in comparison.

The Overlook: Coherence

(imdb.com)

Some of the best horror movies of the past few years have been wildly simplistic. Grounded and slow burning, these mostly indie movies seem realistic because of their practical effects and low-key production. Movies like The Blackcoat's Daughter (fresh in my mind from a recent review) give us the opportunity to feel a part of a movie based on their very realistic atmosphere. Even supernatural and otherworldly films can provide this very intimate and human feel through practical filming and casual production value. 2013's Coherence is one of those movies.

Following a group of friends at a dinner party, Coherence takes a turn for the horrific and complex after a comet is sighted and strange events begin to occur. The movie boasts a strong cast with Emily Baldoni (Grizzly Park) as Emily, Maury Sterling (Smokin' Aces) as Kevin, Nicholas Brendon (Buffy The Vampire Slayer) as Mike and Lorene Scafaria (Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist) as Lee and Elizabeth Gracen (Highlander: the Series) as Beth.

For most of the movie, the guests of the dinner party are led along on a tumultuous ride that is even further steps behind the audience viewing. While viewers are left in the dark, twisted plot of the film, even their knowledge of what exactly is happening is ahead of the clueless characters. Watching them unravel as they attempt to figure out what they once thought they knew is entertaining enough and because of the movie's shorter run time, viewers should stay focused throughout.

Despite it's low budget, the majority of the actors are great acting as disheveled messes. Their varied talent levels (accurately represented in screen time), make what could be an overly fantastical and Lifetime movie-worthy plot, cool and gripping. Beldoni is an especially shining star as the group's most level-headed member.

 

Coherence works best when it examines group dynamics and thought processes. For some of the characters, their willingness to ignore the complexities of the ordeal they face is compelling. What would never happen in real life still makes viewers wonder how they would react if their group of friends were exposed to the insane and frightening nature of the movie.

Coherence should not be missed. Like last year's indie darling The Invitation, this complex and twisty movie offers a lot to look at without very much pizzazz needed. The ordinariness of it, paired with the insane events that occur will leave you questioning what you would do in that situation. If any of this article seems vague, it's because to spoil would be to ruin and I would never want to ruin the coherent Coherence.

Review: The Blackcoat's Daughter

(Wikipedia.org)

Art and horror often go hand-in-hand. For movies attempting to break barriers and excel in critical acclaim, film's often make jumps towards style over scares. Sometimes the payoff of which, isn't worth it. This is the space where we find movies like last year's The Neon Demon and the current wide release of The Blackcoat's Daughter. The release of The Neon Demon while amazing to stare at, received backlash for a lack of plot and substance. The Blackcoat's Daughter works much better. First premiering at the Toronto Film Festival in 2015, the movie does feel weighted by it's long overdue wide release, but the resulting film is still visually stunning and entertaining.

The Blackcoat's Daughter (originally titled February) tells the story of a pair of girls who end up stuck at their boarding school when their parents are no shows. Kiernan Shipka (When Marnie Was There) plays Kat, a fearful, yet equally creepy freshman who is left to the charge of Lucy Boynton's (Don't Knock Twice) character, a rebellious senior named Rose. Simultaneously, the film also features Emma Roberts (Scream Queens) as a young woman named Joan who hitches a ride with a couple toward the boarding school.

Each of the three leads are stunning. Shipka in particular plays her part well. As the fearful freshman with creepy tendencies, Shipka offers a subtle, yet powerful performance and her character Kate is by far the most engrossing part of The Blackcoat's Daughter. That being said, both Roberts and Boynton hold their own and excel. Roberts is great as a somewhat down trodden and unstable Joan; it's a role she is destined to continue playing until the end of time. Then Boynton, who was a brighter spot in last week's Don't Knock Twice, continues to add another strong case for her scream queen status.

As many reviews have noted, The Blackcoat's Daughter is visually appealing. Dreary and dark, The Blackcoat's Daughter uses very little to make a quiet and creeping atmosphere. It has a slow burn that would make you believe that the candle was never lit, and for fans of movies like The Witch. the horror of  The Blackcoat's Daughter will be worthwhile.

The one flaw of The Blackcoat's Daughter, is it's pretention. Less compelling than it pretends to be, The Blackcoat's Daughter offers outstandingly dreary cinematography but comes with a plotline that isn't only difficult to follow, but also not as twisted as they believe it to be. The Blackcoat's Daughter feels like a short film extended past it's intended length. Sure, some scenes are chilling and great, but twists and turns only work if they're viable and people can follow along. I may be in the minority and thinking too simplistically, but The Blackcoat's Daughter has too many inconsistencies to be entirely workable. Without giving away too much, I'll say this: the two actresses meant to resemble one another, look nothing alike. Aside from that, there are definitely additional timing and purpose issues throughout.

Overall, The Blackcoat's Daughter has enough going for it that it's heightened sense of self can be overlooked. It has moments of suspense and is certainly cool to look at. The Blackcoat's Daughter does suffer from some weaknesses, but it's attempts to tell a new and entertaining horror story are fun enough. I give it 8 plaid skirts out of 10.

Review: Havenhurst

(teaser-trailer.com)

Havenhurst is about a woman who moves into an apartment complex for recovering addicts. Once moved in, she notices suspicious occurrences and the frequent disappearance of tenants, including her friend who lived there prior. The movie stars Julie Benz (Dexter) as main character Jackie, Belle Shouse (A Million Ways to Die in the West) as the foster child of fellow tenants, Sarah, and Fionnula Flanagan (The Others) as landlord Eleanor.

Havenhurst plays out like a poor man's Saw. Like Saw, the deplorable residents of Havenhurst have set rules to maintain their stay in the gothic apartments. Unlike Saw however, Havenhurst offers none of the twists and turns that make the gore franchise so effective. Easy to figure out but never so blatant to be intentional, the plotline of this film seems to believe that it's leading viewers on a much more twisted path than it actually is. The basis of the film is simple- tenants can't fall back into their addictive ways or they'll be "evicted." Feel like that was a spoiler? Well, Havenhurst doesn't ever try that hard to hide this fact. In fact, the only thing steering audiences away from this inevitable outcome is weird intersections of potentially supernatural events. These are never fleshed out though, and ultimately fall to the wayside.

There are however, a few saving graces in Havenhurst. For one, the dense and lush surroundings that make up the apartment complex are unbelievable to look at. Lush and intentionally dense, the stuffy and dimly lit rooms of Havenhurst Apartment Complex seem like something out of a Guillermo Del Toro movie. This at least, makes the movie watchable.

Then, there's the acting. A huge, surprising victory for Havenhurst is the fact that, for an indie movie with a small, nearly missed release, the acting is way better than expecting. Even supporting characters like the random fellow tenants are above average, even if their storylines get a little melodramatic. For stars Benz, Shouse and Flanagan, their characters' ability to pull through some of the murkier parts of Havenhurst is noteworthy. Benz in particular, is a strong addition to horror's long history of empowered female characters. She stands out and is by far the movie's best takeaway.

Had Havenhurst been released in the early 2000s, it would certainly be more noteworthy. But, for a movie released in 2017, its plot and characters are too recycled, too practical to stand out past a made-for-TV feel. Havenhurst is interesting without ever being much more than a basic and plain endeavor. It's a shame because as noted, the cast is strong and deserves more than what they were given. The Saw-in-an-apartment-complex Havenhurst needed more suspense, more of a twist or even just better scares to be better than it was. I give it 4 stories of an apartment complex out of 10.

Best in Show: Scary Movie Masks (Part II of II)

(popsugar.com)

5. Captain Kirk (Halloween

Yeah, that's right: after deep, deep research (a Google search) I found out exactly what Michael Myers' mask is. It's Captain Kirk, aka William Shatner. This mask is demented; human and realistic, but also hollow and misshapen. It's the type of mask that can be brought along through remakes and reboots and still strike fear. In fact, prior to seeing the original, I first saw the Rob Zombie remake of the franchise and the more rugged look of the mask terrified me. Then, when I watched the original, I was just as freaked out by the oddity of the mask's features. Halloween is an iconic franchise and while you could argue it's soundtrack or legendary final girl are the reason behind its infamy, the truth is that without his mask, Michael just isn't the same.



(imgur.com)

4. Peachfuzz the Wolf (Creep)

When Creep came out, it quietly bubbled around blogs and discussion boards as a horror movie to watch. Promotion well deserved. Creep is horrifyingly intimate. It's a cat-and-mouse game featuring an eccentric cancer patient hiring a videographer to make videos for the patient's son. Then, like any good horror movie things take a turn for the insane and the twists and turns come into the forefront. One of the things that make Creep so good is its use of a Wal-Mart-looking mask worn by the patient. He calls the mask Peachfuzz and the innocent, yet creepy name left tingles in my spine. Peachfuzz is a scary mask, not because of its disturbing features but because literally anyone could purchase it. Something about the low-level of effort to make something outlandishly scary makes this mask downright bone chilling.

(giphy.com)

3. Pig Head (Saw)

I will never forget the first time the pig mask in the Saw series jumps out. I pulled back so hard that it made my stomach tight. While maybe not as prominent as some of the other masks on this list, the short screen time given to the pig masks in Saw are noteworthy for the very grotesque and unsettling tone they set. The inability to tell if they were supposed to be real or if they were in fact masks is questionable and the black hair that cascaded around them only added to the disturbing features.



(pinterest.com)

2. Dollface, Pin-Up Girl & Man (The Strangers)

Name a more iconic trio, I'll wait. No, but really. When The Strangers came out they became the poster children of modern slashers and for good reason. The three distinct faces each offered a dimension of insanity to the intense horror movie. While more plastic and shiny than the man's, the two women's masks are frozen and clownish. Contrasted with the canvas bag-like mask worn by the man, Dollface's and Pin-Up Girl's masks provide the perfect compliment. The masks of The Strangers provide distinction in anonymity and for that they deserve distinction. Whether emerging from the shadows or appearing under a street light, this set will stand the test of time.  

(wifflegif.com)

1. Leatherface (Texas Chainsaw Massacre)

If The Strangers is the iconic trio, is there a more iconic killer. Leatherface is the epitome of masked slashers. Made from his victims' faces, the disgusting and terrifying look of Leatherface's masks (either the original or the remakes) is enough to stop someone dead in their tracks. There is no horror movie mask that can ever reach the level of Leatherface's. Even the iconic Ghostface mask pales (get it, it's a white mask) in comparison to the bumpy and torn up features of Leatherface's face.