FALL is a Visceral Thrill Ride

FALL (Blu-ray Review)

2022 / 107 min

FROM LIONSGATE

Review by Tiger the Terrible😺

While I wouldn’t exactly say I’m afraid of heights, I certainly avoid precariously putting myself in places where falling any more than a few feet is a distinct possibility. That probably comes with age and an increasing awareness of my own mortality. I had no such trepidations as a teenager, when my buddy Karl and I decided to try climbing a 300-foot radio tower in the middle of the night, for no other reason than it seemed like a good idea (and we were drunk). That’s a far dumber motive than the two main characters in Fall have for doing the same thing.

We never actually accomplished our mission, however. Karl fearlessly elected to go first, but discovered the hard way that parts of the tower base were indeed electric. He made it up about 10 feet before getting his ass zapped back to Earth and laid unconscious for several minutes. Terrified, I briefly considered leaving his corpse behind and claiming ignorance of his whereabouts. Then he woke up, at which time we came to the mutual decision that solid ground was a damn fine place to be.

That same realization doesn’t occur to Becky (Grace Carolyn Currey) and Shiloh (Virginia Gardner) until after they climb to the top of an abandoned, 2,000-foot TV tower, then get stuck when the ladder breaks apart. Not only are they miles from the nearest town, they can’t get a phone signal at that elevation (I’m not sure if that’s how phone signals work, but I can accept it for the sake of the story). Fall’s dim first act establishes these friends’ reasons for such a stunt, which has Shiloh coercing Becky to face her fears and get on with life after the latter’s husband dies during a previous climb. 

Extreme pole dancing.

Being an obnoxious YouTuber who specializes in high-risk stunts, Shiloh might be considered the movie’s de facto antagonist, especially in-light of an unnecessary revelation at about halfway mark. And speaking of unnecessary…despite prominent billing, Jeffrey Dean Morgan (as Becky’s estranged dad) is largely gratuitous, his character existing to pad the story with manufactured drama.

But once the superfluous narrative baggage is set aside to focus on Becky & Shiloh’s predicament, Fall is a nerve-wracking, high-tension thrill-ride…maybe even a masterpiece. If “Best Picture to Physically Affect the Viewer” was an Oscar category, this film would be a shoo-in. While the special effects are occasionally wonky - the ravenous buzzards, in particular - we’re stuck 2,000 feet in the air right with these girls and feeling a queasy, relentless tingle in our crotches. The ride only grows more harrowing when food and water become an issue and they’re forced to resort to extreme measures just to stay alive. 

Sure, Becky & Shiloh’s situation is entirely of their own making, but considering I was once ready to try the same thing for absolutely no legitimate reason, their dubious decision is somewhat relatable. The conclusion is a little anticlimactic, but throughout most of its running time, Fall works tremendously as pure sensation, a gripping visceral experience similar to a rollercoaster ride. Viewers even remotely afraid of heights may consider this the scariest horror film they’ve ever seen.

EXTRA KIBBLES

MAKING-OF FEATURETTE

AUDIO COMMENTARY - By director Scott Mann & producer James Harris.

MUSIC VIDEO - “I Have Never Felt More Alive” by Madison Beer.

TRAILER

NOSFERATU: The "Monster" Turns 100

NOSFERATU 100th Anniversary Edition (Blu-ray Review)

1922 / 82 min

FROM REEL VAULT

Review by Josey, the Sudden Cat🙀

Historically, vampires come in three flavors…romantic, tragic and monstrous. Though based on Bram Stoker’s Dracula, the 1922 silent classic, Nosferatu, eschewed the novel’s romanticism and inherent sexuality to present the first onscreen vampire as an inhuman monster. 

Unlike a majority of vampire films which followed in ensuing years, the title creature (chillingly performed by Max Schreck) is rat-like in appearance. Not only that, his victims don’t turn into the undead themselves…they die when he’s finished feeding. As such, Nosferatu is one of the few early vampire movies that can be considered pure horror. Watching the film 100 years later reminded me just how seldom we get truly monstrous bloodsuckers anymore.

"Uh...you're out of toilet paper."

Still, Nosferatu remains hugely influential. From an aesthetic standpoint, it is one of the most important horror films ever made, establishing a gothic blueprint that’s been followed - directly or indirectly - ever since. While never particularly scary, it remains a haunting film filled with indelible imagery, and pretty much required viewing for anyone professing to be a classic horror fan.

Nosferatu has been released on Blu-ray before, most notably a 2-disc restoration from 2013. This 100th Anniversary edition has no supplementary material, but the overall transfer quality is pretty good. It also features a sparse-but-interesting new piano score by Keith Taylor. I suppose those weaned on the likes of 30 Days of Night will find the film a little quaint, but the concept of the “monstrous” vampire truly began here.

WARNER ARCHIVE Rings in the Spooky Season with Two Horror Titles

DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE and MARK OF THE VAMPIRE (Blu-ray Review)

FROM WARNER ARCHIVE COLLECTION

Review by Josey, the Sudden Cat🙀

Just in time for Halloween, Warner Archive unleashes a couple of new-to-Blu-ray terror titles. One is the definitive adaptation of a classic story. The other is far less essential, but both have been nicely restored.

DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE

1932 / 96 min

Earlier this year, Warner Archive released the 1941 version of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. While that film has its moments, overlength and a campy performance by Spencer Tracy tended to undermine the tension. The 1932 version, however, is classic sci-fi/psychological horror. Even 90 years later, it remains the best adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson’s novel.

Fredric March is excellent as the title character(s) and won a well-deserved Oscar for his performance (making Dr.Jekyll and Mr. Hyde the first horror film to win in a major category). He’s amazing to watch, managing to gain our sympathies as Jekyll and our repulsion as Hyde. The latter is one of early horror cinema's more disturbing creations, not just because of the make-up effects (and still-excellent transformation scenes), but his overt sadism and cruelty toward Ivy (Mirian Hopkins), the object of his animal lust.

Released pre-Code, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde was pretty risque and brutal for its time. The film implies more than it actually shows, but it's obvious that Ivy is repeatedly sexually assaulted. There’s an air of hopelessness to her character that’s difficult to shake (which is perhaps scarier than the film’s traditional horror elements).

EXTRA KIBBLES

2 AUDIO COMMENTARIES - 1) By screenwriter/historian Steve Haberman & filmmaker/historian Constantine Nasr; 2) By author Greg Mank.

“HYDE AND HARE” - A terrific Bugs Bunny cartoon from 1955.

“THEATRE GUILD ON THE AIR” - Audio only, radio broadcast from 1950.

MARK OF THE VAMPIRE

1935 / 60 min

Despite the title, Bela Lugosi and direction by Tod Browning, Mark of the Vampire is not the film you think it’s going to be, nor does it come close to the atmospheric artistry of Dracula. It’s ultimately a shaggy dog story masked as a horror film, and considering the talent on both sides of the camera, pretty inconsequential.

In a small village where vampire legends loom large, a man is murdered in his house, discovered with a couple of puncture wounds on his neck. The local doctor declares him murdered by a vampire, but Inspector Neumann (Lionell Atwood) thinks that’s hogwash. Vampire expert Professor Zelen (Lionell Barrymore) believes Count Mora (Lugosi) killed the man and now his daughter, Irena (Elizabeth Allen), is next.

Running only 60 minutes, Mark of the Vampire doesn’t overstay its welcome, but despite a few fleeting attempts at creating atmosphere, the film looks and feels pretty stagy, exacerbated by histrionic emoting from most of the cast. Barrymore is kind of fun, while Lugosi generally just stalks around the set in his cape, never interacting with the main cast. And without providing spoilers, the climax shares more in common with a Scooby-Doo episode than horror movies of the day.

EXTRA KIBBLES

AUDIO COMMENTARY - By Kin Newman (who’s always interesting to listen to) and Stephen Jones.

“THE CALICO DRAGON” - 1935 MGM cartoon short.

“A THRILL FOR THELMA” - An amusing cautionary short from 1935, demonstrating why crime doesn’t pay.

DISNEY PRINCESS: BEYOND THE TIARA: Great for Fans, Cynics Steer Clear

DISNEY PRINCESS: BEYOND THE TIARA (Book Review)

2022 / 192 pp

FROM EPIC INK

Review by Fluffy the Fearless😺

Written by Emily Zemler, Disney Princess: Beyond the Tiara is a must-read for fans…not of just the movies, but the music, collectibles, merchandise and video games inspired by them. 

The title is pretty accurate, as early chapters of the book provide a pretty thorough history of the films featuring Disney princesses, from the early fairy-tale adaptations through the more recent films, which display more cultural and racial inclusiveness. As frequently indicated by the author, people behind the scenes and interviewees, each princess serves as a reflection of the times in which they were created. In that sense, we see a definite evolution. 

Each princess is profiled in detail…who designed them, gave them voices and - most interestingly - some of the real-life figures who inspired how they look and speak. Being someone who loves reading about classic Hollywood, I found the story of these films - and their cultural impact - to be the best part of the book.

Whether purists want to admit it or not, movies are only part of the story. Further chapters explore Disney’s history of parlaying their princess properties into toys, music, collectibles, video spin-offs, live-action remakes, TV shows, books, etc. Some will undoubtedly find these chapters to be a disheartening example of modern capitalism run rampant, but while there’s no denying that “Disney Princess” is a powerful brand name - now more than ever - the studio’s been doing this since the ‘30s. 

Zemler writes with a great deal of reverence for the subject and the book itself is attractively designed, loaded with colorful photos, sketches and screenshots. I especially like the individual profile pages that summarize the characters' personalities and inspirations. While cynics and those expecting anything in the way of critical analysis should steer clear, Disney Princess: Beyond the Tiara makes a great coffee table book for fans.

INTO THE DEEP Feels Like a Throwback

INTO THE DEEP (Blu-ray Review)

2022 / 91 min

FROM LIONSGATE

Review by Tiger the Terrible😼

This feels sort of like a throwback to the old video store days when you’d find a lot of steamy thrillers you never heard of. You'd grab one anyway because even if it sucked, there might be enough skin & sex to keep things interesting. And who knows…maybe there’d be the off chance it might actually be good. I don’t know if I’d call Into the Deep a good movie, but after a meandering first half, it has its share of lively moments, even if some are the result of the protagonist’s epic stupidity.

The protagonist in question is Jess (Ella Rae-Smith), a free-spirited girl who meets a vacationing stranger, Ben (Matthew Daddario). He’s got a pretty nice boat, where they party for the rest of the night (among other things). When she wakes up the next morning, they’re at sea, which initially alarms her, but after Ben innocently claims he thought it would be romantic, she’s suddenly cool with it. Then they get down ‘n’ dirty on the deck.

"If you think the boat's impressive, wait'll I show you my dinghy."

Their little tryst is interrupted when they rescue another girl, Lexie (Jessica Alexander). Three’s company, as far as Ben is concerned, but Jess is more apprehensive. However, both Ben and Lexie convince her to join the party. When Jess awakens after passing out, Lexie has Ben tied up and claims he once drugged and assaulted her on this very boat. Ben says she’s crazy. For much of the middle act, Lexie’s not sure who to believe and keeps waffling back and forth over who’s more convincing (even after Lexie has shown her Ben’s Polaroid stash of past conquests in compromising positions).

A few early subplots go nowhere, like Jess’ estrangement from her dad and a run-in with an angry ex-boyfriend. There are also some superfluous flashbacks that explain her general fear of water, which ultimately have no bearing on the story. But while Jess never comes across as the brightest crayon in the box, her quandary is interesting (though the audience figures out who to trust long before she does). 

The performances by the three leads are perfunctory, but they look good in swimming suits - and out of them - a definite selling point for those who go in for this sort of thing. Plotwise, some suspension of disbelief is required. Implausibilities aside, though, Into the Deep is nothing particularly deep, but fairly entertaining if expectations are kept in check...much like those sexy selections we took home in the '90s.

PARANORMAL ACTIVITY: THE ULTIMATE CHILLS COLLECTION: One of Horror's Great Franchises?

PARANORMAL ACTIVITY: THE ULTIMATE CHILLS COLLECTION (Blu-ray Review)

2007-2021 / 626 min (7 movies)

FROM PARAMOUNT

Review by Josey, the Sudden Cat🙀

A strong argument could be made that Paranormal Activity is one of the greatest horror franchises of all time. But before Jason & Freddy fanboys get out their pitchforks, just hear me out.

None of these rank among the best horror films ever made. As someone who’s seen just about everything the genre has to offer, I wouldn't even rank one in the top 50, nor do I think any of them are future classics. Not only that, the novelty of found footage became old hat a long time ago, overused by would-be auteurs armed with more ambition than talent (or resources).

But even though it wasn’t the first found footage film, Paranormal Activity was the first good one, with a simple story that exploits the inherent visual minimalism of video to great effect. Oddly atmospheric, deliberately paced and mostly free of special effects, what it lacks in blood and a body count is compensated by slow-building tension, with one of the mothers of all jump scares putting an exclamation mark on the whole thing.

Par for the course, the law of diminishing returns certainly applies to the sequels, and I’d be remiss if I didn’t acknowledge that, aesthetically, they dish-out more of the same. But in the context of the franchise, none of them completely screw the pooch, either, mainly because they still provide legitimate reasons for these characters to be filming everything they do. Found footage is never used as a cost-cutting gimmick. It’s integral to the narrative, even as later entries began to rely on the type of special effects and on-screen violence that bigger budgets allow (most notably, Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension).

Even so, this isn’t just the same movie made over and over again. The first three sequels build on the events of the original, creating a story arc involving Katie (the original’s “antagonist”), time-hopping portals and a malevolent entity known as Tobi. Even the inevitable prequel (Paranormal Activity 3) ends up being a vital part of The Ghost Dimension’s story rather than a cynical attempt to milk a brand name. Sure, there are occasions when the series threatens to crawl up its own ass with these complexities, but unlike the Saw franchise, the pace, tone and structure of remain constant: The innocuous first act, the increasingly insidious presence and, of course, the downbeat climax where most of the characters meet a horrible demise.

When termites go unchecked.

Of the sequels, Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones, is arguably the best one because it offers a different setting and characters - as well as welcome doses of humor - with only brief allusions to what’s already transpired. So while the film is certainly part of the PA universe, it works just fine as a stand-alone film. Conversely, Next of Kin, is more of a spin-off than a sequel. Though similarly structured, it’s a Paranormal Activity film in-name-only. Still, even this one is watchable...and easily the most violent of the franchise.

Unwavering consistency makes the Paranormal Activity franchise greater than the sum of its parts, each entry delivering more-or-less as promised while contributing just enough new story elements to justify their existence. Seven films in (and an eighth on the way), the concept may be wearing out its welcome for some - understandably so - but that’s not the same as shitty sequels tarnishing otherwise decent franchises. That’s why it deserves mention among horror’s best.

Paranormal Activity: The Ultimate Chills Collection is a terrific boxed set, 10+ hours of cinema vérité creepiness for longtime fans (or the merely curious). Not only is it a great way to get all the movies at once, this is the Blu-ray debut of Next of Kin (and as of this writing, unavailable separately). It also comes with an ninth disc featuring a brand new feature-length documentary about the entire franchise, as well as a faux security window sticker to amuse the neighbors. 

EXTRA KIBBLES

UNKNOWN DIMENSION: THE STORY OF PARANORMAL ACTIVITY - Bonus disc featuring an excellent feature-length documentary spanning the entire franchise (though shot while Next of Kin was still in production). 

EXTENDED UNRATED VERSIONS - Of Paranormal Activity 1-6.

3-D VERSION OF PARANORMAL ACTIVITY: THE GHOST DIMENSION

DELETED SCENES - From every film.

WINDOW STICKER - Round window sticker that read, “Monitored by PA (Paranormal Activity).

REVERSIBLE COVERS

KITTEN COLLECTIBLES #7: The Bond Board Game

A Treasure Hunt by D.M. ANDERSON💀

In addition to watching and writing about films, I’m something of a memorabilia collector. Cursed with a teacher’s salary, I ain’t out there bidding on Dorothy’s ruby slippers or anything, but certainly enjoy haunting local shops for a variety of movie-related stuff. Or when feeling particularly bold, I’ll occasionally overpay for some retro relic on eBay.

More often than not, I leave stores empty-handed. But every now and then, I’ll find a small treasure that doesn’t completely empty my wallet and give it a new home in the Dave Cave.

There’s a little antique store in my area called Foxtrot Vintage. Being only a five minute drive, it’s the one I visit the most often, usually on Starbucks date night with the wife. One of the vendors appears to specialize in really old toys, and during my last trip, I found this baby…

In 1965, Milton Bradley produced a James Bond board game based on the film, Thunderball. I actually learned of this last year when I saw it at another out-of-town vintage store, but the box was pretty beat up, so I passed, especially since they were asking thirty bucks for it. Of course, I repeatedly kicked myself the whole drive home, realizing it would look pretty cool if I created a framed collage of the board & game pieces. 

But lo and behold, here it was for only twelve bucks, similarly weathered, and I suspect it might even be the exact same one from that other out-of-town store. I think it also might be missing a piece or two. But, hey…it ain’t like I was gonna cart it out for family game night. 

SCREAM 2: A Killer 4K SteelBook

SCREAM 2 (4K UHD SteelBook Review)

1997 / 120 min

FROM PARAMOUNT

Review by Josey, the Sudden Cat🙀

Considering the self-aware nature of the original Scream, one would assume that the novelty of its concept wouldn't have been conducive to a sequel, to say nothing of a long-running franchise. But not only is Scream 2 a worthy follow-up, it surpasses the original in some ways, largely because it’s a sequel.

What’s really surprising is that Scream 2 was produced and released less than a year after the first film. In the horror genre, such a quick turnaround is generally the sure sign of a cash grab. Horror fans - slasher fans, in particular - tend to be a conservative bunch who prefer their sequels to dish up more of the same, only bigger and bloodier. 

Director Wes Craven and screenwriter Kevin Williamson appear well-aware of this, so while managing to meet audience expectations without completely succumbing to them, Scream 2’s meta aspects are largely related to the inevitability of horror sequels, even cynically acknowledging their overall inferiority and reluctance to stray from a tried-and-true formula. 

Never purchase doors from IKEA.

By superficially sticking to its own formula with acute self-awareness, Scream 2 ironically ends up being one of the best horror sequels ever made. Though even this franchise would ultimately experience the law of diminishing returns, Scream 2 fully justifies its existence - and the return of all the first film’s surviving characters - with great writing, sharp direction and an opening sequence that’s as shocking as it is clever (providing what might be the ultimate commentary on both slasher films and their fans).

This 25th Anniversary SteelBook does not include any new supplemental material, but the overall picture and sound are a big improvement over the original Blu-ray release. The case itself also features impressive new artwork, so if aesthetics are your thing, it’s worth grabbing.

EXTRA KIBBLES

4K, BLU-RAY & DIGITAL COPIES

AUDIO COMMENTARY - By director Wes Craven, producer Marianne Maddelena & editor Patrick Lussier.

MAKING-OF FEATURETTE

2 MUSIC VIDEOS

OUTTAKES & DELETED SCENES

THEY CRAWL BENEATH...and in the Garage

THEY CRAWL BENEATH (Blu-ray Review)

2022 / 88 min

FROM WELL GO USA

Review by Josey, the Sudden Cat🙀

At the very least, They Crawl Beneath isn’t quite the Tremors rip-off it appears to be. In fact, the simplicity of the basic concept is kinda cool.

An earthquake unleashes a bunch of mutated, oversized and venomous nematodes. During the same quake, dedicated cop Danny (Joseph Almani) and his flaky uncle, Bill (Michael Para), become pinned under the car they were working on in the latter’s garage. Bill dies instantly, while Danny’s stuck, unable to free his legs. Since his phone dies, neither his fellow officers nor estranged girlfriend Gwen (Karlee Eldridge) are aware of his predicament. 

Worse yet, some nematodes have found their way into the garage. Danny has to make-do with whatever is within reach to fight them off and try to escape from beneath the car. That-alone has the makings of a tight little thriller. And indeed, the parts where Danny squares off against these slimy little beasts is pretty fun. Considering an obviously limited budget, the film manages a good amount of claustrophobic tension with these scenes. 

Danny suddenly wishes he bought a parrot instead.

Elsewhere, however, the narrative is weighed down by unnecessary baggage, namely the subplots involving Danny's strained relationship with Gwen and, even worse, the revelations of Bill’s past (which have absolutely no bearing on the story or outcome). One gets the impression they were included to pad out the already brief running time. During the entire first act, the dialogue is almost embarrassingly clunky, exacerbated by pedestrian performances. Pare, in particular, is almost painful to watch.

But They Crawl Beneath is ultimately saved when the narrative sheds all the peripheral noise to simply focus on Danny’s fight to survive (Almani’s performance even kicks it up a notch or two). The creatures themselves resemble the Dune’s giant sandworms, and while they aren’t always convincing, at least they aren’t rendered in CGI. I think most creature feature fans would prefer a bit of creative puppetry over something fired up on a laptop.