Tag: horror reviews

Retrospective: The Thing (1982)

Post author By Film Overload
Post date July 31, 2022
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“Somebody in this camp ain’t what he appears to be” says MacReady (Kurt Russell) as he and his fellow researchers stuck out in the desolate Antarctica squabble over a shape-shifting parasite that takes no prisoners in the quest for power. Rose-tinted glasses are a great shield, but deep down the seedy underbelly will eventually swell, and before you know it, complete hell on earth will be released. The Thing revitalizes that sense of fear over unknown territory that lies beneath every individual to devise one of cinema’s greatest hits.

When it comes to such a classic, it’s assumed that the road to success was an easy sail, yet, whilst John Carpenter’s terrifying alien feature is a flawless rendition of sci-fi extremes, the production was filled with bumps and jolts. A string of everybody’s favourite filmmakers including Tobe Hooper (joined by writing partner Kim Henkel) and John Landis were all invited to recreate the novella Who Goes There? (1938), which had already been adapted in Christian Nyby’s The Thing from Another World (1951). The arrangements for production were made, but something was missing, that special touch, however, when Carpenter and scriptwriter Bill Lancaster put pen to paper and opted for a touchingly dark and menacingly brutal narrative arc, the cameras began rolling and the rest is history.

It’s no surprise to anyone that the 1980s were a whirlwind of a time for horror, flocks of people were either greedy for the startling nature that horror had to offer, whereas others were actively campaigning for the ‘nasties’ to be axed, done, and dusted. Needless to say, the appetite for The Thing was more than turbulent. And since the mainstream media (which at the time controlled the marketing and awareness of new releases) were not eager to sing Carpenter’s praises, The Thing stayed in the dark for many years.

The production was no walk in the park either. The twelve weeks of filming in the harsh Alaskan grounds with plenty of mishaps, including camera lenses freezing due to the cold, and actor Keith David breaking his hand the day before filming.

To follow on from the turbulent events that came across during production was the unfortunate reputation that clung onto the film thanks to the rocky reputation expressed by unfair reviews and a damning case of word-by-mouth. As soon as The Thing hit theatres the feedback from major outlets including Roger Ebert, Variety, The New York Times, and The Washington Post all obliterated the fine craftsmanship that had gone into making this genre defining classic. The bleak tableau of cynical mindsets and the void of formulaic arcs left a stain on those who were lucky enough to see it in cinemas upon its initial release. Ironically, for a time that would publicly blast horror for not being original and more like a gory slapstick, The Thing’s devotion to marrying intense character dynamics with an analogy-ridden path was simply ‘too much’. From a retrospective point of view, the only thing that was excessive about the film is how much it has to offer; whether it’s the masterful practical effects or the haunting atmosphere, The Thing aims to be *thee* ultimate spectacle.

The basis for The Thing surrounds an American research station in the faraway and foreign land of Antarctica where snow takes up every ounce of space, and where permanent habitation ceases to exist. The immediate vastness is a daunting facet alone, furthering the velocity of events the team eventually endures. With the aid of an anamorphic lens, the idea of an airy vacant setting is forced upon the viewer, with the stretched, wide frame providing ample space for action to be seen, also subtly showing ‘too much’ bare room around the characters, almost insinuating that there is bound to be someone or something imminently creeping into the frame all of a sudden.

This premise of suggestion is a theme that runs throughout The Thing’s veins, with uncertainty, precariousness, and ample amounts of delusion infecting the entire course of reason amongst the characters. Tiptoeing alongside the effectiveness of the atmosphere is the deliberately conspicuous and savage research team including the unpolished helicopter pilot MacReady (Russell), Childs (David) the in-house skeptic mechanic, Blair (A. Wilford Brimely) the paranoid biologist, and Nauls (T. K. Carter) the quick-thinking cook. In what can best be described as a motley crew of personalities is a variety of identities that outwardly play out as clashing souls whose inner dynamics pave the way for disaster to strike, however, internally a much more complex picture is being painted than what meets the eye.

Each character is assigned a general emotion that protrudes further than any other feeling, the characters are simply puppets in Carpenter and Lancaster’s plot to manipulate the viewer into a state of complete shock and fear over the unfolding narrative. The Thing invites the viewer to go on an emotional rollercoaster, with MacReady’s brash feistiness embodying our fight or flight response, Child’s uncertainty and mistrust representing the hastiness that we feel over every new spectacle, Blair’s irrationality epitomizing the panic experienced as we also learn of the parasite’s ferocity, and Naul’s curiosity sparking our need to unravel the origins and motives of the assimilation.

The Thing plays out with an air of fluidity that seems so natural, and whilst that was the goal, behind the scenes Carpenter meticulously plotted out every little detail to enhance the horror and ultimately conjure a trance-like spell over anyone brave enough to watch it.

Above everything, one aspect that will forever remain synonymous with The Thing’s cult classic reputation is the outstanding effects. Considering the entire premise surrounds a creature feature show, the design of the monster itself was of utmost importance to Rob Bottin, the lead effects creator. Originally, Carpenter wanted “the thing” to be of one design, a whole being, not a shapeshifting leech. In fact, when Bottin initially expressed his ideas of the various forms the monster would take, Carpenter was more than unsure about going down that valiant route. However, the surreal design soon won him over and the thirty five person team went to work in creating one of cinema’s most infamous creatures of all time.

The 1980s didn’t have mountains of technology to aid in the graphics, instead handy work and dedicated creative geniuses would spend hours moulding full body casts of actors and glueing together faux flesh to fashion severed bloody limbs. One of the most impressive scenes shows the crew’s dog assimilating into a gigantic extraterrestrial being complete with multiple snarling dog heads crowning the top of a bubbling pile of viscera filled with mutating blobs and more than enough blood and slime. To form such a grotesque but fascinating effect, Bottin enlisted the help of fellow effects artist Stan Winston to construct a large hand puppet from makeup artist Lance Anderson’s body. The puppet would then be layered with latex foam and hooked up to wired legs and radio controlled eyes to force the alien-like movements expressed by the thing. Even the mass pile sat below the creature was given its texture from mayonnaise, melted bubble gum and plenty of K-Y Jelly.

In true old-school fashion, no CGI blood spurts were to be had, instead, Anderson would have to wear a blood-squib suit which would eject plenty of fake blood on cue.

Blood, sweat, and tears went into concocting the visual feast that The Thing has to offer, with Bottin being hospitalised from exhaustion over literally working for nearly 24 hours everyday just to achieve the perfect aesthetic for the film.

Upon a modern perspective, the bumpy road The Thing traveled down for its first couple of the years wasn’t down to poor filmmaking or lack of inspiration, the sole reason was that viewers were just not ready for something so monumentally confrontational, a product that dares to end on a gloomy note and not succumb to the Hollywood flow of moviemaking. The legacy of The Thing is still felt to this day, forty years on. Comic books, video games, miniseries, and prequels have all come and gone within the last twenty years, with Blumhouse Studios even releasing a statement in 2020 confirming that The Thing is getting the now-standard remake treatment.

In a landscape where seemingly everyone’s true colours can be exposed and evil is more free than ever, John Carpenter’s 1982 showstopper is more important now than ever.

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Tags a wilford brimley, Dead Northern, Horror, horror film festival, horror films, Horror Movies, horror reviews, John Carpenter, john landis, kim henkel, kurt russell, scifi horror, t k carter, the thing, the thing 1982

Curiosity Corner Reviews

The Power of Music in Horror- Part 2

Post author By Film Overload
Post date July 24, 2022
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An individual’s predisposition to fear is mainly connected to sound. The sudden appearance of a horror film’s threat, whether it’s a demonic creature or a knife-wielding boogeyman, their presence is always going to stir a reaction. However, it’s the audio cues that first unleash the terror and sheer panic amongst the viewer. Before Freddy Kruger makes an appearance in his victim’s dreams the faint scratching sounds of his bladed fingers arise to our attention, followed by the recurring twisted nursery rhyme of “One, Two, Freddy’s Coming For You”; the basis of reaction can all be traced back to the power of music within the film.

The 1990s were a time when horror films thrived in maximalism, ensuring that no theatrical stone was left unturned. The costumes were always exaggerative of the storyline, the background and setting were beyond dramatic, and the music was crucial in setting the tone, with an emphasis on curating a soundtrack that would be as impactful as the dynamic seen on screen.

The character of Dracula has gone through leaps and bounds of representations. The Count has been parodied and trivialized (e.g. The Monster Squad [1987] and Waxwork [1988]), and he’s also been made darker and almost feral (e.g. Dracula [1931]). Out of the countless adaptions, one film that is timelessly recalled is Francis Ford Coppola’s Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1992). Coppola eroticises and sensualises the entire plot by granting a god-like capacity to Dracula where his power transcends beyond blood-sucking, instead his grandness is all-encompassing to the film’s entire environment as if Dracula surpasses the barrier of the screen and has a hold on the viewer. The deliberate hazing is accented by composer Wojciech Kilar’s enigmatic score that fuses large orchestral structures to be both melodically gentle but still ostentatious and lord-like as if the music was formulated by an immortal being, Dracula himself, a character both charming and deadly.

The boastful score takes over the screen and demands nothing but full attention. In what can be considered a bold move by creating a dominating score, a sense of might is pushed towards the horror movie soundtrack, allowing for future films to spiritually feed from Coppola’s and Kilar’s forcefulness in fashioning powerful music for further films to come.

Horror as a subject can be pliable, what works for some might not work for others, however, one factor that runs throughout is the means to jolt a fright, whether that be a playful fright or a deeply souring fear is totally individualised. As the early 1990s were shaping there was an influx in ‘family horror’, films where mature audiences would feel nostalgia for their discovery days of the genre, and younger viewers would be excited to be introduced to the world of horror. Films such as Hocus Pocus (1993) and The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993) saw phenomenal amounts of success across the board that still lasts to this day. Both of these films’ signature relies heavily upon the music featured. Hocus Pocus saw Bette Midler performing the Halloween classic “I Put a Spell on You” (Jalacy “Screamin’ Jay” Hawkins), which remains a spooky season staple for many. Alongside Hocus Pocus was Danny Elfman’s composition for The Nightmare Before Christmas which was awarded a Golden Globe for Best Original Score (1993) and also featured on the US Billboard charts at No. 64.

Skipping back a few years, no matter the genre cinema was thriving on big powerful movie ballads seen in the likes of Dirty Dancing (1986), Mannequin (1987), and The Bodyguard (1992). Amidst all these love songs came a rising popularity for creating movies that revolved around its sound. That isn’t to say that other cinematic elements were being surpassed, it just meant that a strong focus was also placed upon the soundtrack.

Quentin Tarintino is the perfect example of a filmmaker who uses music as a character. And when it came to his and director Robert Rodriguez’s From Dusk Till Dawn (1996), the music played one of the largest roles in the film. The irreverently charged horror is known for its chaotic characters, purposefully sleazy setting, plasmic-coloured green blood and gore, and a killer soundtrack. The dark southern score is laden with rock and blues anthems that keep the film from seeming like a peep show. The range of musical numbers features bands including ZZ Top, Tito & Tarantula, and The Mavericks. But the most quintessential tune that is synonymous with the film is “After Dark” (Tito & Tarantula), also known as the song that plays during Santanico Pandemonium’s (Salma Hayek) dance scene with an Albino Python. After Dark encapsulates the film’s entire ambiance, where the moody tones are spiked with velvety vocals and deadly lyrics that tell the story of forbidden wants and bumps in the night.

From Dusk Till Dawn is so engrained with the idea of music that even the scenes themselves are heavily based on the importance of music as a filmmaking tool. Particularly during the scene where the on-stage band (also played by Tito & Tarantula) start using a human torso as a guitar during a mass brawl at the infamous bar ‘The Titty Twister’.

Mary Harron’s American Psycho (2000) helped redefine and recontextualize the use of music in horror in the early 2000s. The film follows Patrick Bateman (Christian Bale), a murderous city swindler who has an odd penchant for music, especially whilst he is committing his deadly deeds. Artists including David Bowie, The Cure, Phil Collins, and New Order amongst many others appear on the bold and ambitious soundtrack that to this day is still used as a cultural reference. The film toys with the omnipotent power of Bateman who somehow carries out wildly violent acts in an open manner without much of a guise, with the film’s most fluorescent and upbeat songs (including Huey Lewis and the News’s “Hip To Be Square”) playing over his psychopathic killing/monologue scenes. To nicely meld the theme of desensitisation into the plot, the pop and New Wave music is strategically and continuously peppered throughout the film, making the surrealness of his dark actions being committed in a well-lit and mainly open environment seem even more dreamlike.

A couple of years down the line from American Psycho was 28 Days Later (2002), a rattling zombie movie that dials up the bloodcurdling terror to a ten from the very first scene. Director Danny Boyle leaves no room for air as the lightning-fast flesh-eaters are constantly on the hunt, and always capture their prey with ease. To go with such a heart-pounding, exhilarating narrative is the post-rock soundtrack that also combines orchestral swells to fill in the gaps. 28 Days Later’s setting ranges from a desolate London town to empty motorways and army barracks abandoned thanks to the ‘rage virus’ sweeping the country. The silence and stillness of the apocalyptic landscape are filled by the loud and ferocious songs composed by John Murphy consisting of electric guitars and bleak, depressive droning sounds, particularly “In the House, In a Heartbeat” which begins with deadly slow riffs before erupting into a stirring melody.

Although the following trend has been around for a while, it wasn’t until Insidious (2010) that the creepy remix of child-like songs became a popular sensation for horror marketing. Tiny Tim’s cover of the 1929 song “Tiptoe Through the Tulips” features in James Wan’s Insidious as the titular theme, playing during one of the most alarming scenes from the film, showing a mysterious ghost boy dancing to the ominous song before vanishing in thin air. The distorted wave of vocals in an oddly high pitched yet masculine timbre is genuinely haunting, like something that you would hear playing in your worst nightmare. Since social media has become a playground for dance and audio trends to thrive, “Tiptoe Through the Tulips” has seen a ressuragnce in popularity, particularly featuring on abandoned tour videos and paranormal excursion clips. The intense and petrifying song is rather ironically frigthening as it was originally intended to be a family friendly hit with no shadow of darkness intended. However, it just goes to show you that horror cinema really does have a power in deceiving the atmosphere with music alone.

Disasterpiece may not be a name familiar to the masses, but their scoring for David Robert Mitchell’s It Follows (2014) is a tranxfixing feat pushing the boundaries between screen and viewer. The film takes on a figuratively and literal attachment story where a curse is placed upon victims after acts of intimacy, akin to a ghostly STD. Naturally, the horror of the narrative remains closely fixated to the protagonists, keeping the terror close to home at all times, almost suffocating the audience. To meet the deep personable elements, the scoring too brings a sense of erratic tension to the forefront, where the ticking sounds reminiscent of clock chimes, combined with industrialised synth melodies mimic the overtly present themes of entrapment, doom, and unavoidable mortality.

It Follows avoids the traditionalised use of common soundscapes in favour of upsetting any sense of familiarity the viewer may have had. In a similar line to this is Jóhann Jóhannsson’s melodramatic score for Mandy (2018), which delivers a feast for the ears with every fibre of its being. The presentation seen in Mandy is on its own enough to be fully controlling and visually arresting; when the elements of music are incorporated, any means of affect are amplified to the extreme, with the tinny, industrial tones working alongside psychedelic chargings to create a phantasmagorical palette for the senses.

Powerful contemporparty soundtracks do have one goal in common, which is to stay true to classic genre scoring elements whilst employing a new flavour that is foreign to the listener’s personal soundscape. In a way, this consideration has always been the case. Take for example Fabio Frizzi’s work, the Italian composer and frequent collaborator of Lucio Fulci would consistently marry two polar opposite musical genres (band and orchestra) to birth a theme song so enriched in chaos and commotion that its impossible to break away from the horror unfolding on screen. Frizzi’s scoring for City of the Living Dead (1980) and The Beyond (1981) truly immerses cinema as an audiovisual medium, all in an ode to break away from traditionality and opting for refreshingly original scoring.

Within recent years the use of music within horror has reached a new means where the contextualisation of sound itself is a key plotpoint. This element has always been popular, with films such as The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975) thriving in the notion of music. Essentially the subject of sound has always been an integral part of horror.

Additions from modern autuers including Gaspar Noé and Edgar Wright have always relied on the impactfullness of scores to survey the depths of terror, with Noé’s dance studio based extravangaza Climax (2018) using hypnotic numbers playing over extensively long movement shots, and Wright’s nostalgic score for Last Night in Soho (2021) enlisting the help of 1950s-1960s hits to convey a twisted narrative rife with equal amounts of terror and sentimentality.

This idea of reusing hit songs in a new light has been repeated throughout cinema for decades, but when it’s done correctly the effect can be significantly influential over a film’s finished result. One horror that utilises this aspect with flawless execution is Jordan Peele’s Us (2019). Us’s composer Michael Abels remixes the 1995 song “I Got 5 on It” (Luniz), quickly becoming the film’s official theme song. Abels flawlessly highlights the hard-hitting beat and rhythmic structure at the film’s most tense moments, including the heavy home invasion scenes, almost using the beat as a siren or pounding drum that emotively and psychically jolts even the most stern-faced of viewers.

The power of music in horror can be asphyxiating, it can be deliberately troublesome, and it can completely make or break a film. For decades music has been a contraption to manipulate and assemble whatever emotion the film demands.

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Tags Dead Northern, horror film festival, horror films, Horror Movies, horror music, Horror news, horror reviews, music in film, the power of music

Curiosity Corner Reviews

The Power of Music in Horror- Part 1

Post author By Film Overload
Post date July 17, 2022
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Cinema challenges…it moves, it motivates, it’s humorous, it’s frightful, but most importantly it challenges. The form of which moving images bond to create a film is one that has been studied for decades, particularly in the bounds of visual vs auditory importance. Whilst imagery is a key basis for the resulting composition, film is in fact a mere spectacle without musical arrangements and instrumental structures.

Announcing the history of sound within horror goes back to silent cinema, the time when seemingly noiseless dynamics were not important in regards to the power of music in contemporary cinema. Although the finished product did not emit sound, there were melodic compositions placed over the film to fill in the silent gaps and assist in creating a sinister ambience. As cinema progressed and creatures from the night made their stage presence clear, gothic arrangements utilising the roaring tones from organ instruments became more noticeable, particularly within the Hammer retellings of the reign of villanery seen from the Universal Monsters. Yet, despite the association that classic monster movies have with horror cinema’s sound legacy, it is arguably Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho (1960) that fully opened the door for horror to be seen as an audio visual hybrid.

Hitchcock’s deceptive feat conquered the audience’s attention like no other film at the time, switching the entire plot up when it had just started getting juicy, resulting in a scene so memorable, so prolific that it will remain in the horror hall of fame for seemingly years to come. The infamous shower scene saw Janet Leigh at her most vulnerable state whilst a crazed maniac attacks her in a frenzied manner. The scene is brimming with quick cuts and various shots (over 60 of them) and is accompanied by Bernard Herrmann’s orchestral piece titled “The Murder”. Hitchcock originally intended Psycho to have a minimal amount of pieces playing, but his mind was changed once he heard Herrmann’s heightened soundtrack, equipped with screeching violas and violins screeching, almost mimicking the sound of a knife being sharpened.

Pyscho’s “The Murder” has become the theme tune for the entire film, with anyone recalling it immediately humming the slashing jabs made by the plethora of insrutments, somewhat becoming just as famous as the film itself. The idea that a film’s music is just as potent as the feature is an aspect that has continued within horror, particularly with William Friedkin’s The Exorcist (1973).

As the 1970s kicked in, the horror market was in full swing with the rise of slashers, possession flicks, and exploitation experiments disrupting the flow of family friendly entertainment. And one film that has kept its exceedingly bold reputation throughout history is The Exorcist. Now, to denote such a monumental film’s status on one particular aspect is nonsensical, however, when it comes to this nightmarish religious journey, the score is one of the most vital factors in its ranking.

The theme consists of a strange remix of Mike Oldfield’s “Tubular Bells”, which begins with high pitched tones followed by a falling low rhythm that goes up and down like a terrifying roller coaster of sound. What makes those ringing bells so touching is the use of asymmetrical sound. Just as Oldfield follows an off-sync beat to replicate a turbulent symphony, John Carpenter also employs this technique in what can be defined as horror’s most instantly recognisable themes.

Halloween (1978) has seen a dozen films follow on in the franchise, with all of them having a defining feature whether that be halloween masks, the classic Michael Myers boiler suit, or the various returns of Jamie Lee Curtis. However, Carpenter’s alarmingly haunting score takes the number one spot! The electrical ring that bounces in and out of pitch never meets a resolution, instead a disjointed movement is created, ensuring that a sense of peace is never once felt. Carpenter could have thrown in all the bells and whistles to heighten the score, but instead opted for a simple method that delivers just as much of a startling punch as any grand orchestra.

The 1970s was possibly one of the most experimental times for horror as no particular boundaries were set when it came to creative freedom. Horror filmmakers such as Tobe Hooper, David Lynch, and Wes Craven just went for it, creating an ethos reliant upon what they want to make, not what they “should” make. Aligning with that view are the soundtracks seen within films such as Jaws (1975) and Suspiria (1977), who respectively put horror movie music on the map. Jaws’s award winning score gets right under the skin, making the listener feel as if the flesh-hungry shark is genuinely after you, with the heartbeat-like rhythm intensifying the closer the beast gets to its prey and the high register melody being almost alien to the ear.

In a similar line to the unfamiliarity heard within Jaws soundscape is Goblin’s soundtrack for Dario Argento’s Suspiria. The loose giallo flick is instantly remembered by many thanks to the haunting whispers and witchy curses heard within Goblin’s pieces. The progresive Italian rock band comprises deep baselines and continuous synth notes to not just build up intensity, but to also keep that tension going for long after watching. The film constantly messes with reality, blurring surreal barriers with the film’s actual events, forming an elixir pot for chaos to ensue. Goblin’s continuous hazing of rhythm purposely distracts and contorts the situations even further, aptly aiding in the unearthly route that Suspiria takes.

This next film holds the title for being one of the most mainstream controversial horrors to date, with Cannibal Holocaust’s (1980) hidious excursions and unspeakable exploits still accompanying the film to this date. It would be easy to believe that the film’s composer Riz Ortolani would conjure a soundtrack filled with violently smashed together tones to even further disrupt the viewer, instead Ortolani created the most surprisingly dulcet soundtrack to have ever come from a disturbing horror. The melodies are gentle, almost akin to a lullaby, lulling the viewer into a false sense of security and distorting the overall narrative to be somewhat surreal.

Cannibal Holocaust’s airy juxtaposition is not the only horror to feature an overtly drastic difference between visual and audio, with American Werewolf in London (1981) being jampacked with carefully selected tunes to set the scene. John Landis’s upbeat soundtrack had no qualms in apperaning too on-the-nose, with songs such as “Blue Moon” (Bobby Vinton) and “Bad Moon Rising” (Creedence Clearwater Revival) playing over the werewolf transformation scenes, nicely pairing the cheery songs with the mabare body horror escapades being graphically presented on screen.

As time progressed so did movie music. The 1980s still dominates pop culture to this day; the soundtrack for the decade bounced between melodic ballads and free-spirited pop to punk inspired shredding and metal mania tracks. As film largely takes shape based on the environment surrounding it, it’s safe to say that 1980s horror was brimming with some of the most creative scoring ever seen, with The Lost Boys (1987) being true to this theory in every way possible.

The Californian vampiric beachside setting of Santa Carla sets up the perfect playground for composer Thomas Newman and director Joel Schumacher to take the viewer through a creepy carnival of 80s hit songs paired against dark and stirring arrangements. The film has become synonymous with Echo & the Bunneymen’s cover of The Doors “People are Strange”, INXS and Jimmy Barnes chart topping “Good Times”, and the film’s main theme original song “Cry Little Sister” that goes above and beyond in emulating the The Lost Boys moody, leather clad aura. Not to forget to mention the absolute iconic cover of “I Still Believe” (The Call) performed by Tim Cappello, or the shirtless saxophone playing bodybuilder as many may know him.

Another section of movies that saw an influx of interest thanks to music is comedy horror, particularly those who unlike Cannibal Holocaust stayed on the lighter side. Ghostbusters (1984) may not appear on every ‘horror movie list’ as technically the supernatural ventures won’t necessarily send shivers down your spine, yet, there’s just something so classic and synonymous with the Ghostbusters theme song and halloween culture that it’s impossible to not alert the film’s significance.

Appropriately named “Ghostbusters” is Ray Parker Jr’s. smash hit that was even nominated for an Academy Award (57th) for Best Original Song, where the catchy chorus will have even the most stern audiences singing along. On a similar note is Beetlejuice’s (1988) use of Henry Belafonte’s “Day-O” in which an elegant dinner party is ruined by the guests uncontrollably singing Belafonte’s hit in a bizarre and ultimately hilarious fashion.

Over time the use of music in cinema has metamorphosed to suit the times, whether that be the inclusion of classic songs from the thirty years prior to highlight a character’s personality, or even the addition of newer musical genres to spice up the screen. However, one thing has not changed at all, and that is the integral importance and power that music holds over cinema.

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Tags Dead Northern, horror film festival, horror films, Horror Movies, horror music, horror reviews, music in film, the power of music

Reviews

Horror milestones: The big movie anniversaries this year

Post author By Film Overload
Post date July 10, 2022
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Creepshow (Directed by George A. Romero, 1982)

Creepshow is a highly regarded classic that hasn’t once been pushed aside in either popularity or cultural significance even after an entire 40 years. This timeless gem was created by two of horror’s most devilish minds, Stephen King and George A. Romero, with legendary effects artist Tom Savini also joining the macabre team. What inevitably works so well within Creepshow is the anthology method of filmmaking which allows for plenty of short films to unfold, all encompassed by an overarching story, which in Creepshow’s case regards a young boy, Billy (Played by King’s son Joe Hill) who is scalded by his domineering father for reading a horror comic, leading to the comic book’s host ‘The Creep’ coming to life and showing Billy what true horrors lie ahead. Over the years, Creepshow has inspired multiple sequels and a TV series on Shudder following the same anthology format.

The Thing (Directed by John Carpenter, 1982)

John Carpenter needs no introduction, with staples such as Halloween (1978),The Fog (1980), and Christine (1983) all residing in his densely rich filmography. However, one of the most important and groundbreaking entries to come from his work (and the 1980s in general) is The Thing, a body horror spectacular that shows off a plethora of fascinating practical effects like it’s participating in a gory pageant show. Quite surprisingly, upon its initial release the film was rather bashed by seemingly everyone, apparently it was too ‘nihilistic’ for audiences. However, just as Carpenter says himself, the film was incredible, but the cinematic territory of the time was just not prepared for something so intense, unpredictable, and electrifying. The film would purposefully take its time in setting up a cushty relationship with the characters and divulging into the backstory, only to disrupt any sense of harmony in the most shocking and gnarly way possible. As The Thing turns 40, it’s more important than ever to look back on how the land of film has changed overtime and how previously thrashed horrors have come back with a bigger bite than ever before.

Poltergeist (Directed by Tobe Hooper, 1982)

“They’re here”… That famous quote that terrified audiences for years still rings as eerie today, 40 years on. And whilst ghost movies have gone through leaps and bounds since then, Tobe Hooper and Steven Spielberg’s sensational collab is just as gripping and action-packed as it was when it was first released. Poltergeist transformed the ghost story from being one set in a grand manor occupied by Victorian spirits to one that shows an unstoppable force that fashions itself to suit its victims fears. Hooper takes his time is dissecting all of the madness and mayhem, leaving no horrific stone unturned.

Candyman (Directed by Bernard Rose, 1992)

Based on Clive Barker’s short story The Forbidden (1984) is Candyman, a legendary take on injustice through the lense of a meticulously startling premise. The entire idea that a creature from the great unknown will appear before you upon muttering their name is not an alien concept within filmmaking, urban legends such as the ‘Bloody Mary’ hoax all stir that urge to connect with something beyond reality; through Candyman implicating that this barrier can be broken in the comfort of familiar surroundings makes the boogeyman lore even more terrifying. But, rather than the film focusing too much on the above gimmicks, a tale of retribution and moral corruption is additionally explored, creating a narrative that stands the test of time.

Army of Darkness (Directed by Sam Raimi, 1992)

When Army of Darkness is reminisced upon 30 years after its release it’s easy to see it as a simple irreverent ride that has no trouble in standing out. And whilst part of that sentiment is true, this third entry in The Evil Dead franchise also served as a stepping stone in creating the action horror hero, as well as cementing the franchises reputation of managing to deliver the rare combination of gory frights and absurd comedy all at once. As the years have progressed, Army of Darkness is largely responsible for all of the expanded works to come from The Evil Dead, including a span of successful comic books, a video game focusing solely on the Army of Darkness events, and a TV series titled Ash vs Evil Dead.

28 Days Later (Directed by Danny Boyle, 2002)

Zombies have enough potent power to knock spiny tingling fear into even the most ‘nerves of steel’ viewers, with their rotting skin, appetite for brains, and expressionless persona making for the perfect creature feature. The undead are visceral enough on their own, but when these attributes are combined with supersonic speed and senseless rage a recipe for gory success is created. Danny Boyle’s 2002 zombie extravaganza 28 Days Later brought the weakened, overdone genre back to life in what can be described as a chaotically violent and nail-biting display of how horror can both provoke a pure visceral reaction whilst also leaning in on the social disposition zombies originate from. The film expertly weaves in the common notion of morbid curiosity, and how the downfall of society is due to humanity, not some act of god. 28 Days Later is grounded in realism, making it beyond terrifying and a fright to remember.

Dog Soldiers (Directed by Neil Marshall, 2002)

Neil Marshall has become a horror extraordinaire with his features Dog Soldiers and The Descent (2005) creating an acclaimed ridden tidal wave amongst critics and viewers alike. And whilst The Descent reigns champion on nearly every genre list, it’s important to remember where Marshall’s journey began. Like all ghouls and goblins, werewolves have a long running history in the genre, with films such as The Howling (1981) and Ginger Snaps (2000) focusing on the bestial connection within the body, but rather than Dog Soliders placing the horror in second place to favour a story dripped in empathy towards the beast, Marshall emphasises the sheer fear and teeth-chattering terror that werewolf’s exude. Dog Soldiers quintessential Britishness, including plenty of dark off-kilter humour, combined with Marshall’s talent for grounding the dread in such a brutal way ensures that this lycanthrope masterpiece will remain of utmost cinematic importance for many years to come.

The Ring (Gore Verbinski, 2002)

Hideo Nakata’s Ringu (1998) perfectly displayed the early 2000s underlying fear of technology taking over through the guise of an Onryō ghost origin story. And whilst remakes receive a rocky reputation, Gore Verbinski’s retelling of Japan’s number one horror film was both a financial triumph and a kickstarter in the J-horror era of cinema. Summoning a beyond bleak atmosphere that surveys heavy melodramatics and themes of guilt and hopelessness is the film’s attention demanding cold palette that acts like a spell, positioning the viewer to unearth their own feelings of loss and doom. Above everything, what allows The Ring to be held as such a highly regarded 2000s horror is Verbinski’s dedication to retelling Ringu under his own unique interpretation without butchering or over-westernising the original’s motives.

Sinister (Directed by Scott Derrickson, 2012)

Scott Derrickson is hot off the press at the minute with his latest feature The Black Phone (2021) receiving endless deserving praise. However, let’s not forget his 2012 showstopper that has been named as one of the scariest films according to a 2020 study. Sinister wielded intensely disturbing imagery found within the reels of super 8 footage, alongside the hauntingly memorable character design of Bughuul (Nick King), the resident boogeyman for the film. Across the horrific journey that Derrickson takes the audience on is a keen sense of deliberate misdirection, where the origins of Bughuul and the third act’s fate remains very much in the dark until the very last minute, ensuring that plenty of hair raising tension is to be had.

The Cabin in the Woods (Directed by Drew Goddard, 2012)

Although it seems like yesterday when the movie scene was all about the latest meta-horror The Cabin in the Woods, it actually turns out that it has been a whole decade since this self-referential puzzle was released. The feast of raunchy humour, throwbacks to beloved classics, and overarching sense of pandemonium over the whole ‘world is ending’ commotion results in a film that is so complexly winded that it’s hard to not want to congratulate Drew Goddard for managing to put on such a circus so flawlessly. Amidst all the dynamic effects and scenes is the film’s way of throwing in something for everyone, whether it’s gigantic arachnids, zombie rednecks, or a merman, The Cabin in the Woods has it all!

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Tags 2022 horror, 28 days later, army of darkness, candyman, creepshow, Dead Northern, dog soliders, Horror, horror anniversaries, horror film festival, horror films, Horror Movies, horror reviews, poltergeist, sinister, the cabin in the woods, the ring, the thing

Reviews

Fan favourites from Dead Northern’s 2021 Film Festival

Post author By Film Overload
Post date July 3, 2022
No Comments on Fan favourites from Dead Northern’s 2021 Film Festival

Dead Northern Film Festival 2022

With the 2022 fest just around the corner – Dead Northern’s editor in chief reflects on the of the favourites from the 2021 festival!

Wyvern Hill (Directed by Johnathan Zaurin, 2021)

Beth (Pat Garrett), begins showing signs of early Alzheimer’s, leading to her daughter and son in law taking her in. Little do they know, something much darker lurks beneath the surface.

Wyvern Hill illustrates the bold, wickedly deceptive, and shocking tales that can come from a narrative surrounding a small knit of characters, with director Jonathan Zaurin proving that independent cinema can go above and beyond in every single way. Throughout the film, a plethora of juxtaposing themes are featured including loss of the self and the psyche of disjointed minds, however, rather than Wyvern Hill biting off more than it can chew, the wildly ambitious result is sublime, ensuring that the viewer is both alarmed and intrigued the entire time. Adding even more richness to the film is the valiant imagery that can flip from quaint mute tones to daring neon lighting, again infusing an almost psychedelic aspect into the traditional ‘ghost’ story.

Among the Living (Directed by Rob Worsey, 2021)

After a deadly mutating virus demolishes nearly all of the population, a struggling older brother along with his little sister has to travel across a ruined England to find safety with their father.

Tarnished landscapes due to zombie infestations and ruined connections with the human world, only finding comfort in the small moments between battles is a combination that was destined for the zombie movie. Throughout Rob Worsey’s independent feature, Among the Living, an entire world is created where hardships and sibling relationships are thoroughly explored with an emotive and an all-consuming outcome. As we explore the frightful landscape alongside the pair, it is difficult to not form a heartfelt connection, leading to every risky situation or harmful circumstance to be more heightened than ever.

Red Snow (Directed by Sean Nichols Lynch, 2021)

During Christmas, a vampire novelist (Dennice Cisneros) gets caught up in a battle against bloodsucking vampires.

Red Snow masterfully toys with audience expectations through playing the viewer by delving into entirely original territory through the overarching premise of whether the titular protagonist Olivia (Dennice Cisneros) can actually trust her new house guest Luke (Nico Bellamy). When it comes to vampire films, the standard outlook focuses on gothic architecture, velvet capes, and lusciously lined caskets, however, in keeping with the modernisation of the vampire tale, director Sean Nichols Lynch sets the film at a cozy cabin during the festive period, with tinsel covered christmas trees and plenty of fluffy snow. And whilst Red Snow does make light of the contrasting narrative aspects, the film isn’t afraid of dipping into darker territory and delivering a frightful scare.

The August Club (Directed by Daniel Richardson, 2020)

Jack (Lucas Byrne) and Noah (James Grainger) finish school for the summer, and with nothing better to do they head to the park, only to be dared by local bullies to venture into a creepy house occupied with an ancient secret.

The August Club combines horror nostalgia with creative effects and a keen urge to bring back fun and exciting horror to the market. Many genre fans will look to Goosebumps, Scooby Doo, Tales from the Crypt, and Doctor Who for provoking their initial interest in the weird world of horror; filmmaker Daniel Richardson reintroduces these vibes back to indie cinema to both create an exciting adventure with plenty of twists and turns throughout, as well as showcasing how British horror excels in using a unique blend of dark humour and naturally eerie settings to create a memorable venture.

Zomblogalypse (Directed by Hannah Bungard, Tony Hipwell, & Miles Watts, 2021)

Three survivors from the zombie apocalypse keep a video blog of their day to day life and decide to create a thrilling action feature to keep themselves entertained.

Zomblogalypse began as a web series in 2008 detailing the zombie apocalypse in a lighthearted, but equally gruesome way. Over the years, the success of the series not only conjured a wide fan following, but also a full feature length picture filled with irreverent undead antics and some serious laugh out loud escapades in this surreal, entertaining, and captivating zombie found footage hybrid. The exciting peaks that Zomblogalypse hones in on is of course extremely entertaining, but the film does not stray away from the gory aesthetics that zombie films are known for. The effects are more than brutal and generous, with tons of putrefying flesh, bloody wounds, and flailing limbs appearing in the spotlight more than once.

The House That Bleeds (Directed by Ben Ellis-Nicholson, 2021)

Alex (James McFadyen) and Lucy (Stephanie McNeil), an expecting couple move into an old ‘fixer-upper’ to start their new life as a family. However, the house holds a terrifying secret.

The House That Bleeds is an incredibly unexpected fright that delves into completely eccentric territory, whilst also remaining truly artistic and inventive. From the get-go, the basic idea of a possessed house is a true classic, creating a cushty environment for director Ben Ellis-Nicholson to display true terror, however, in keeping with the film’s noteworthy dexterity, Ellis-Nicholson swaps live-action actors for puppets! In this Muppets-meets-Amityville Horror epic, there are plenty of surprises all encased in a dreamlike and unearthly manner.

Eject (Directed by David Yorke, 2019)

Kate (Elena Saurel), discovers a USB port lodged within her wrist that uncovers a whole new world where she is offered the chance to change her fate. But, the dark cost of such drastics alterations might not be worth it.

When it comes to sci-fi laden stories there isn’t much that hasn’t been repeatedly covered, however, David Yorke’s Eject manages to be entirely unique, plunging a level of pure originality into the genre. As the short progresses Yorke tackles the current societal panic of technology taking over and the loss of human interaction. The narrative motive alone is truly terrifying and personable, which is made even more pronounced due to the labyrinth-like setting and exceptional cinematography that transports the viewer to an unknown world.

Burn the Bitch (Directed by Kieran O’ Toole, 2021)

Rob (Joshua Diffley) is dragged from his comfort zone to a loud concert filled with people, whilst there he meets his dream woman Daria (Carlotta Morelli), however, their blossoming connection is not exactly what it seems.

Having solid groundwork with a thriving story is certainly an aspect that Kieran O’ Toole’s Burn the Bitch completely nails. And whilst the narrative is a key component to any short, O’ Toole refuses to stop just there as this short is beyond a visual rollercoaster that relishes in enigmatic imagery lit with giallo-like tones, where every aspect of horror is exemplary and made extremely memorable. Coupling up with the film’s vivid exposition in the detailed characters who are so balanced and elaborate that a full length film could easily come from this renowned short.

Hold Your Breath (Directed by Kameron Gates & Tommy Weber, 2017)

During Molly’s (Emily Sweet) midnight swim, the unexpected happens, leading to a fight of the fittest between herself and a masked assailant.

Hold Your Breath is a spellbinding take on the psychological horror sub genre. Joining the deep and dark explorative story of the human psyche is the film’s exceptional cinematography that has such a high level of quality attached to it the entire time. The rich landscapes, along with the attention commanding narrative allow Hold Your Breath to be both cinematically affluent and hauntingly arresting.

Koreatown Ghost Story (Directed by Minsun Park & Teddy Tenenbaum, 2021)

A young woman (Lyrica Okano) is offered the opportunity to pursue her every want and need, but at a damning cost.

Koreatown Ghost Story truly shows that short films can be as bountiful, explorative, and effective as any full length feature. Throughout, both a mystery plot and a supernatural story are followed, with the viewer deliberately being unsure of what exactly is happening until the very end; in turn creating a sense of discombobulation and eeriness. Amidst all the unpredictability is the cinematic expressiveness, from the slightly sporadic characters to the detailed set that mimics the setting of a large blockbuster film on an independent budget.

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Reviews

Review – The Black Phone (2022)

Post author By Film Overload
Post date June 25, 2022
No Comments on Review – The Black Phone (2022)

Audiences have become rather accustomed to quick-buck, bright and bloody horrors that come about every couple of months from large studios, where nearly every moment of tension is ruined by a falsely acquainted jumpscare, and a lack of believable performances. Honestly, this is exactly how I believed The Black Phone would turn out. Never have I ever been more wrong!

The Black Phone follows Finney (Mason Thames), a middle schooler who along with his sister Gwen (Madeleine McGraw) have become a form of careers to their widowed alcoholic father, Terrence (Jeremy Davies), making sure that he doesn’t cause too much harm once he begins bingeing. Together they fight through the hardships, especially as Terrence has a penchant for berating Gwen over her psychic dreams. Amidst their other daily struggles of school bullies and playground antics Finney is captured by The Grabber (Ethan Hawke), a local masked kidnapper. All alone with no help in sight, it seems that Finney is destined for death, however, a mysterious black phone and Gwen’s visions may hold the key to his survival.

Adapted from Joe Hill’s (son of genre proficianado Stephen King) short story of the same (2004) is Scott Derrickson’s latest feature that calls back to one of his previous horror’s Sinister (2012), in being a shockingly gut wrenching delight that will have you peeking through the gaps of your fingers as you sit on the edge of your seat. The boxes are ticked in all categories, whether it’s the creepy performance from Hawke playing the bloodthirsty local kid-snatcher, or the illustrious whodunit mystery that goes on in the background as the cops race against time to get to the bottom of the killings before it’s too late.

As with most classic auteurs in the making, Derrickson uses his common collaborators Hawke and writer C. Robert Cargill to plunge The Black Phone into a refreshing territory that holds up for the entire film. The film transports us back in time to Colorado circa 1978, where kids would play out on the streets unequipped with no phones in sight, feeling safe amidst the presence of strangers, however, it is this exact uniformed trust that The Black Phone uses as a backbone for terror to ensue, constatnly toying with our knowledge that times are no longer as simple and Finney should definitely not be walking home alone with an unknown boogeyman lurking about. And although we sit waiting for the ‘big surprise’ of The Grabber’s appearance, what we are not prepared for is how petrifyingly wicked the prowler truly is.

Hawke’s career spans across a plethora of films including Dead Poets Society (1989), Reality Bites (1994), and Boyhood (2014); Whilst these works portray his outstanding capabilities, his recital of a maniacal deranged serial killer in The Black Phone is a career-distinguishing extravaganza, exhibiting Hawke’s duality of being a deeply disturbed individual whose depravity also oozes a sense of childlike giddiness. Convoluting the story even further is the dark land that the film doesn’t neescarly assert, but is suggested throughout. Finney’s ghostly conversations with his captive chums allude to The Grabber’s motives as somewhat being connected to a regressive state of adolescence, where he doesn’t see himself as a grown man abducting little boys, but instead a fellow child. Here, Derrickson very much leaves further analogy and the dissection of what The Grabber is ‘capable’ of doing to the viewer’s imagination. Hawke’s performance is more than commendable, but it’s important not to forget all of the other characters that make the film what it is. Spiritually joining Finney in the basement is the titular gang of fellow victims who include a small town bully, a local baseball player, and most importantly Finney’s own friend Robin (Miguel Cazarez Mora), who over the course of the film becomes Finney’s ghostly sidekick, keeping him motivated to escape the cell and tackle his inner fears.

The surveyance of suggestion is another feature that is pushed constantly throughout the film. Gory imagery does not always equate to an overused gimmick to get a visceral reaction, instead it can be used as a rather quintessential and necessary plot device for cinema, especially in the works of zombie features or body-horrors. The Black Phone delicately works with heavy material without becoming too infatuated with the sensory elements. Yes, you will feel a shiver as you come to terms with how The Grabber has anihilated his victims, but the reaction isn’t thanks to a harsh show-and-tell, instead, Derrickson takes his time in unravelling the backstory and fleshing out the grounds to conjure a narrative that employs your own imagination, forcing the misdeeds to stay in your own psyche for long after watching. Through The Black Phone continuously telling not showing, we mould the story around our own fears and worries, making the film memorable and beyond personable.

In keeping in touch with Derrickson’s pathos of personalness is the setting and time that the film uses to force a further level of despair into Finney’s chances of escaping. During the 1970s and early 1980s there was an influx in abductions, raising the now too familiar saying of ‘Stranger Danger’ into public domain. During this time, milk cartons were plastered with missing posters, meaning that the threat and knowledge of alarming events were in the family home, not just a distanced and avoidable event on the news.

As with any major event, cinema took ahold of these panics and manifested the terror into works of media, with recent entries including Prisoners (2013), The Captive (2014), and I See You (2019). Films akin to these mystery dramas with heavy doses of horror have had a slight rehaul over the years, with studios opting to position the ‘missing kids’ narrative during one of the more notable heights of worry– during the 1970s/1980s. Rather than Derrickson using nostalgia and retro framings as an easy trick to hone in on the trend, the vintage aesthetic is used appropriately and to the film’s utmost advantage. In honour of the throwback vibes Finney becomes entirely hopeless, with zero social media to track his location, nor any savvy list to keep track of neighbourhood creeps.

Everything, whether it’s the dim layer where Finney is held, the retro style complete with grainy intercuts of 8mm footage enlightening viewers of Gwen’s visions, or even the foreboding score that knows exactly when to quieten before erupting into a thunderous peak- The Black Phone has it all, making it not only one of 2022’s most standout films so far, but also a strong contender for being one of Blumhouse Productions best releases yet.

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Tags Dead Northern, ethan hawke, Horror, horror film festival, horror films, Horror Movies, Horror news, horror reviews, jeremy davies, joe hill, madeleine mcgraw, mason thames, scott derrickson, the black phone, the black phone review

Top Horror

Sun, Sea, and Slaughter: Top Ten Horror’s to Watch This Summer

Post author By Film Overload
Post date June 18, 2022
No Comments on Sun, Sea, and Slaughter: Top Ten Horror’s to Watch This Summer

**1- Midsommar (Directed by Ari Aster, 2019)**

Dani (Florence Pugh) travels to Sweden with her anthropology boyfriend (Jack Reynor) and his friends to celebrate the town’s annual Midsummer Festival.

Ari Aster may have begun drawing heaps of attention thanks to his incredibly dark short film The Strange Thing About the Johnsons (2011), but it would be nearly a decade until he reached pivotal success with Hereditary (2018), and then the infamous Midsommar, which received praising reviews from both tough to please critics and cinema goers. The film takes its time to unravel, where the horror is delayed to focus the attention of Dani’s inner psyche and what it means to feel lost and lonely even though she is surrounded by people. Like its folk predecessors The Wicker Man (1973), and Penda’s Fen (1974), Midsommar is rooted both physically and metaphorically within nature and the allure of innocence that secretly hides ancient secrets. The anonymity that Midsommar possesses is one of the many reasons behind its success, with the harmonious town of Hälsingland creating a sense of safety. Akin to the earthy aesthetics that Aster creates, the film takes inspiration from the dark nature that lies within humanity, especially conflicting emotions of grief, desperation, and guilt.

**2- The Fear Street Trilogy (Directed by Leigh Janiak, 2021)**

The town of Shadyside is terrorised by an infamous evil that has been plaguing the town for centuries.

R. L. Stine’s Goosebumps series just may be the igniter that started many horror fan’s love of the morbid and macabre. However, Goosebumps wasn’t Stine’s only creepy venture as his Fear Street novels also garnered plenty of success. And rightly so! In 2021, Netflix dropped the news that Leigh Janiak would be writing and directing an entire trilogy based on the Fear Street books, with every film being released one week after the after. The first entry acts as a solid introductory point where nostalgia is the keen focus all thanks to the slasher-like vibes that run throughout. The sequel goes back in time and utilises the cabin in the woods vibe that dominated 1980s horror, and last but not least the finale acts as an overarching binder that moulds together everything that Fear Street has been working towards, nestling the trilogies place as an absolute must-watch that has a bit of something for everyone.

**3- The Lost Boys (Directed by Joel Schumacher, 1987)**

The lively, sunny town of Santa Carla may seem like a haven for the sweet life, but a gang of cruel vampires take over and cause utter mayhem.

The Lost Boys is not an unfamiliar entry on this list for any horror fan, some might even say that Joel Schumacher’s vampire flick is one of the most notorious blood-sucking films to come from the 1980s. This praise may seem far fetched from a glance, but The Lost Boys is an unmissable thrilling descent into gory antics and wicked effects. The Santa Carla beach setting lays the path for a tale rife with coming-of-age bonding, beachside parties, and beyond entertaining vampire escapades.

**4- Summer of 84 (Directed by François Simard, Anouk Whissell and Yoann-Karl Whissell, 2018)**

Set in the summer of 1984, a group of teens suspect that their local police officer may be a serial killer.

Summer of 84 perfectly wraps together what modern audiences loves about 1980s horror; it’s the whole aspect of adventure, and a sense of freedom that allows the characters to explore the land of the films narrative, almost akin to beloved throwback films such as The Goonies (1985) and Stand By Me (1986). Keeping up with this theme is Summer of 84’s heartfelt basis that lies at the bottom of the grisly horror, just like 2017’s IT remake, the film puts friendship at the heart of the journey, meaning that the threat of this murderer on the loose becomes so much more real and menacing, forcing the audience to actually care about what happens to the group.

**5- Jaws (Directed by Steven Spielberg, 1975)**

In a bid to stop a killer shark from ruining the tourist buzz in Amity Island, a group head out into the ocean to capture the deadly beast

Summer and horror may seem like a world apart, with gruesome fates and sunny skies contrasting against one another. However, this clash wouldnt last for long thanks to Academy Award winning director Steven Spielberg combining slow burning terror with the creature feature to create one of cinema’s favoruite horrors. Set in the beach town of Amity Island is a story that made audiences scared to go out into the ocean for years, fearing that a great white will come along and snap them up. Besides the hysteria that Jaws caused (including the supposed reaction of neurosis in one audience member…), the film offers a tidal wave of good old fashioned fun to be had amidst all the jumpscares and impressive effects, making it one of the most quintessential summer films.

**6- Aquaslash (Directed by Renaud Gauthier, 2019)**

Wet Valley Water Park becomes the centre for the graduation class of Valley Hills High to celebrate their upcoming futures. However, it’s not long until their gratuitous debaucheries are interrupted as a mad killer sets their sights on killing as many of the students as possible.

Keeping in theme with the water-based frights is possibly one of horror’s most under-recognised entries in recent years– Aquaslash. Fresh from Fantasia’s Film Festival in 2019 is this Canadian gem that unearths a new-found fear for waterparks, with the film’s daring third act being grossly horrifying enough to even make professional fright-seekers wince and cover their eyes. In order to ensure audiences’ shocked reactions as the film’s conclusion hits, we’ll keep it brief, however, just know that this irreverent, outrageous film is sure to be a surprise.

**7- The Ruins (Directed by Carter Smith, 2008)**

Two couples go on a romantic vacation to Mexico, where they are invited on a trip to a Mayan temple where they find themselves entangled within the hungry vines of the Mayan jungle.

The 2000s harboured a reputation as being rather contentious for a while, and whilst over the years this era has received plenty of praise for its slasher-inspired, teen-based, overly cheesy movies, many films from this period still remain fairly undetected by the masses. One of these entries include The Ruins, a sun-soaked, fable-filled, earthy horror that explores the vengeance of the elements. The nature of the film itself allows for brave levels of hysteria and uncertainty of actions to thrive, but what makes the film become really elevated is the surprisingly graphic body horror, whose visuals remain etched in the viewer’s mind for long after watching.

**8- The Town That Dreaded Sundown (Directed by Charles B. Pierce, 1976)**

A fictitious retelling of the 1946 Moonlight Murders, whose perpetrator stalks their prey at night killing them in the most horrific ways possible.

The Town That Dreaded Sundown has remained somewhat timeless, which is a bold statement considering it has been forty-six years since its release. Yet, those decades have not been without controversy for Charles B. Pierce, in fact the film came across as so raw to the true story that a lawsuit was filed against the film’s marketing team, as well as Pierce being involved in a court trial after someone involved in the true case tried to sue him for privacy infringements. This highly heated hit has a foreboding atmosphere that fails to quit, as well as crafting such a terror stricken aura that any form of security the viewer may have found is completely jolted, alarming the senses and creating a memorably horrific film.

**9- The Burning (Directed by Tom Maylam, 1981)**

In upstate New York, Camp Blackfoot becomes the playground for a vengeful serial killer who is hellbent on creating a world of hell for the unlucky campers.

Cabin, camps, and creepy caretakers were at the forefront of horror in the 1980s. One of the film’s that started this trend included Friday the 13th (1980), leading to many filmmakers drawing inspiration from the success of Sean S. Cunningham’s work, with movies such as Madman (1982), Sleepaway Camp (1983), Cheerleader Camp (1988), and later hits such as Cabin Fever (2002) all becoming staples in the summer horror realm. But one horror that didn’t just copy and paste the teen-summer-slasher was Tom Maylam’s The Burning. The general concept of a crazed killer targeting a group of unsuspecting victims is a classic method that is destined to provide a fun ride for the viewer, however, where The Burning really shines is within the special effects orchestrated by none other than the legend himself Tom Savini. Throughout, super gnarly gushing wounds and smashed heads feature, leaving no stone unturned when it comes to the gore factor.

**10- Turistas (Directed by John Stockwell, 2006)**

A group of vacationers travel to the Brazilian Coast where the bright nightlife and climate makes the trip seem like a dream, that is until they are unknowingly drugged and find themselves stranded in the middle of nowhere with no belongings left. They eventually travel to a supposed safe haven where imminent rescue is promised, however, they soon realise that it is all a deadly trap.

Holidays are a chance to kick back and relax, leaving inhibitions at the door. But, at the back of everyone’s minds there is a lingering worry that being in an unfamiliar land where there are language and cultural barriers can lead to nightmarish consequences. Turistas is aware of exactly that, as it preys on very real worries, leading the viewer anxious to let their guard down abroad ever again. All of this paranoia would not be as effective if it wasn’t for the genuinely powerful performances from Melissa Geroge, Olivia Wilde, Josh Duhamel, and Beau Garrett, who all nail that paranicked fear, making Turistas so much more than a cheap thrill.

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Reviews

A24’S Men is 2022’s most controversial film yet – Review (Spoilers)

Post author By Film Overload
Post date June 11, 2022
No Comments on A24’S Men is 2022’s most controversial film yet – Review (Spoilers)

The newly widowed Harper (Jessie Buckley) embarks on a solo trip to the countryside to escape from her worries. However, once she arrives a string of bizzare events unravel a world of horror…

Folk horror justifies the human body to be connected to an ethereal being that is one with nature, as if the soil beneath a character’s feet is a reasoning, an aid in their emotive flow. Men, Alex Garland’s latest feat, is an earthy experience that assaults the viewer’s senses through compartmentalising what they may or may not have believed about gender politics, and how the very source of a threat runs deeper than anyone may have previously understood.

Beware spoilers ahead…

Known for Ex-Machina (2014) and Annihilation (2018), Garland’s filmography thrives in the communication between humanity and otherness. That otherness in his previous work has been primarily communicated through science and creatures, and these sci-fi-like stories all have one thing in common- each piece resonates with something higher that can not always be understood in the everyday, where tales of grief, despair, sorrow, and self-condemnation thrives.

Men elicits its own message in a convoluted but mesmerising way. The impactful gut punch swung at the audience within the first scene acts as a warning shot to the entirety of Men’s harsh reflection about the cycles of abuse. With the rest of this narrative portion told in flashbacks, it is slowly revealed that Harper’s escape to the countryside was a means of therapy, a place of solitude to heal from the loss of her abusive husband. A tumultuous debate ensued when Harper informed her partner James (Paapa Essiedu) that she wanted a divorce, with the presumption being lumped on his controlling behaviour. James reacts in a callous manner that far too many people have experienced, touching on the deep wounds from the more ‘quieted abuse’.

He begins with carefully telling Harper that her absence will result in his suicide, coinciding her to being his emotive murderer. Their argument continues after he catches her texting a friend that she is scared of his behaviour, resulting in the discussion becoming heated when he knocks Harper straight across the face, blasting her into the kitchen cupboards and leaving her with a bloody nose. Rightfully so, Harper kicks James out of the marital home before he makes his way to the upstairs balcony and falls (or as it’s suggested) ‘lets himself go’ from the railings, plummeting to his death right in front of Harper.

The suffering experienced in a domestic situation is not always as obvious as soap operas make it out to be. Slowly persuading social exclusion, demanding to see someone’s phone, controlling what attire is and isn’t suitable, and hanging a warning of ominous events over an individual’s head is what can go on behind closed doors without anyone else ever knowing. Men implicates this subtlety that harm can harbour. Harper’s past with James is just the tip of the thunderous iceberg that Men touches upon.

As Harper enters the grounds of her idyllic home for the next two weeks, Geoffrey (Rory Kinnear), the keeper of the manor is introduced. His tweed layered outfit, buckled front yellowed teeth, and upper-class clipped tones all scream true to the country-gentlemen stereotype. Here, as it will become clearer later on, Garland has not fallen trap to easy labelling of a character out of sheer ignorance, Geoffrey’s precise aesthetic and tone is very much deliberate, lathering up the scene for the unbearably gruesome horror to ensue as the film progresses. At first Geoffrey seems harmless, almost awkward, and very eager to make Harper feel comfortable and safe all on her own. Whilst a woman shouldn’t have to wear a metaphorical coat of armour to feel safe when solo travelling, it seems that Geoffrey is concerned that Harper, or Mrs. Marlowe (emphasis on the Mrs.) as he calls her, has not brought ‘hubby’ along for the trip.

After Garland has denoted adequate time to develop the background of Harper’s disposition, the viewer is welcomed into Men’s true motives. Lush emerald fields and abundantly leafed trees frame Harper as she ventures out on a walk through the forest. The land swallows her stature and becomes all-encompassing to the frame, illustrating the sheer vastness of Harper’s seclusion and tethering her to nature, encasing her with the trees as if she is part of the shrubbery. It suggested that Harper has been disconnected from herself ever since her widowing, becoming stricken with the grief and guilt that was forced upon her.

As her journey into the forest deepens, her demeanour becomes lighter and more at ease, finding comfort in the breeze of the cool wind amidst the evergreen architecture. This happiness continues after she makes her way down a muddied trail to the abandoned railway track. The outside of the tunnel is bleak and dauntly lit, highly juxtapositioned against the previous scenes of open brightness. However, her boost of merriment from the walk encourages her to walk into the disused channel where she discovers the echo effect that the tunnel makes. Since she’s finally feeling spirited again, glee takes over and she creates a quaint melody, singing little calls down the tunnel. All is finally well. That is until her vocal sessions receive a reply…A loud screechy reply at that.

The cathartic bliss is interrupted within this one single moment. And from this point forward all hell is unleashed. As the film unravels it turns out that the reply Harper heard was from a naked, gaunt man who stalked her back to the cottage. However, as Garland slowly reveals, this stalking event does not take up the entire film, instead this horrific incident is barely a drop in the ocean compared to the following events. This brief climax in the first act opens the door for a string of chilling encounters to occur. The male police officers assisting Harper in dealing with the assailant are easy to shift the blame, the priest who she bumps into whilst exploring the village is quick to judge, a rude schoolboy who she unfortunately meets is rude and threatening, and the male townspeople she witness at the local pub are all majorly eerie, enacting a silent dread that has become increasingly familiar to many over the years.

Despite the rise in awareness and rights, there has been an insurgence of violence towards women, with the primary assailant being men. These antagonists are not always overt boogeymen lurking around corners. No…They could be (as Garland rather unabashedly exposes) a friendly neighbour, a religious vicar, it can be a young boy, a stranger who you may have simply crossed paths with, they could even be a respected police officer-a figure of the law.

Harper’s relationship and the reasons as to why she ends up in the countryside in the first place is just a means to an end, shielding the true meaning that Men possesses. Many have argued that Harper’s damsel-in-distress status is a receding factor in the cinematic representation of women. Her panicking, paranoia, and trepidation is largely seen as steps put in place to make her weak. And of course with Garland being a man himself, Men has become the target point for heavy scrutiny. Yet, one could argue that by constantly pushing on-screen women to be powerhouses, devoid of emotion (especially considering Harper’s circumstances), and completely fearless, then a similar pressure is once again placed upon the female viewer. Audiences want women to be absent of trauma, but at the same time, the true pathology of a person (female or male) depicts a variety of emotions all at one time. The comments degrading Garland’s work, and more importantly Buckley’s performance, as being ‘too-sentimental’ is in itself the sort of criticism that Men actively wants to disavow. Harper feels how she wants to feel, reacts as she sees fit, and is determined to do whatever she wants, no matter who it may displease. In the horror genre fear and anxiety are the driving forces behind the film, so why would Harper not be a bundle of nerves in this situation? I know I would!

Whilst Men can stir passionate debates about representation and the censorship of feelings (as seen above), what also needs thorough examination is the ‘why’s’ behind the film’s message. Rory Kinnear, known for his roles in Black Mirror (“The National Anthem”) and the Daniel Craig saga of James Bond films, plays the role of all the men in the village. Through all of these numerous character performances being synched together by Kinnear’s presence, it’s hinted that no matter the age, career, or appearance the danger is always there. Thus, inflicting an additional layer of context into Men. Its as if Garland is playing on the current social climate’s phrasing of the political standpoint- “Not All Men ”. Of course, these matters deserve more than a mere nod here, but to keep matters simple, in summary it can be argued that Garland decides to target the prolonged toxic masculinity trope.

Moving on, Kinnear is not the only shining star that graces the screen with the presence of pure talent. Jessie Buckley tears the barriers between screen and viewer, persuading us that this film is not a veil or a sheer piece of entertainment, but an important step in modern horror. Buckley willingly goes through such stern emotions of melancholia and utter desolation, and in doing so she drags the viewer directly into the horrid events, heightening the already nervous sense of fear and granting Men with an ubiquitous power.

Men builds a tower of fear through alerting us of the dangers out there, whether that be the everyday threat from the residential creeper, or the seedy underbelly that lurks within the least suspecting character. The entire pretext Men grounds itself within is both human nature and the outdoors itself, with the phallic tree stalks, the dominating masculine presence, and the constant symbolism of ‘father nature’ stalking Harper wherever she goes. In a bold, but refreshing sense these undeniable mankind-like features are purposefully juxtaposed with feminine touches from the rounded ripe fruit that falls from the trees, the red painted innards of the cottage, and the film’s unforgettable conclusion.

Arguably, the mixed reviews reading Garland’s stance towards misogyny as detrimental to any progress made can be sympathised with. However, I would argue that Garland did not set out to make a propaganda piece confirming his stance, instead Men screens a small portion of gender politics as a discussion piece, not a tale that aims to immigrate his own ethos into the mix. We are invited to sit back and witness, and make up our own minds about what we think is going on- making Men more of an experience as well as a film.

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Tags a24, a24 films, alex garland, Dead Northern, folk horror, horror film festival, horror films, Horror Movies, horror reviews, jessie buckley, men 2022, men a24, men film review, rory kinnear

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Top Ten Must-See Troma Movies

Post author By Film Overload
Post date June 4, 2022
No Comments on Top Ten Must-See Troma Movies

1- The Toxic Avenger (Directed by Michael Herz & Lloyd Kaufman, 1984)

A measly nerd (Mark Torgl) residing in New Jersey finds himself transforming into a ginormous monster after falling into a barrel of toxic waste.

If there was one singular film totally synonymous with the entire Troma legacy, then the film at hand would be The Toxic Avenger, the key to the company’s legacy and long-lasting success. The basis of the film’s existence came about in quite a typical fashion for Troma; Kaufman got wind that horror movies were apparently ‘no longer popular’ after reading an article at the Cannes Film Festival. So, with a boost of gumption and an upcoming production company backing him up, Kaufman and Herz concocted the idea of a swampish monster who would take on a hero persona to tackle those up to no good. The 1980s mainstream media would constantly belittle the horror genre, but Kaufman and Herz’s efforts were still met with solid reviews, leading to flocking audiences desperate to see this weird and absurd creation. Over time, The Toxic Avenger has built an entire franchise running behind it, with comic books, sequels, tv-series, a range of merchandise, and an upcoming reboot directed by Macon Blair and starring Peter Dinklage, which is due to be released later next year.

2- Combat Shock (Directed by Buddy Giovinazzo, 1986)

Frankie Dunlan (Rick Giovinazzo), a war veteran who fought in Vietnam is living in despair with his argumentative wife and deformed baby. The gritty poverty that he lives in, along with his less-than-perfect home life forces him to lose touch with reality and descend into insanity.

During the golden age of Troma came Combat Shock, a wild, wacky, and enthusiastic exploitation flick directed by Buddy Giovinazzo. Even those completely unfamiliar with Troma will probably have heard of Combat Shock being thrown into filmic conversations every now and then, primarily thanks to its nihilistic, drastic take on wartime history, particularly the Vietnam War. Whilst, Giovinazzo is certainly not the first filmmaker to tackle this important world event, he is however one of the only creators who have depicted such events in a radically chaotic and torturous way.

3- Cannibal! The Musical (Directed by Trey Parker, 1993)

A man on trial for cannibalism tells his story of how his deeds all went down through songs, performances, and dramatic flashbacks.

This cannibalistic, flesh-frenzied, meat-eating musical is nothing short of completely trippy. It was slightly based on the true story surrounding the self-confessed ‘Colorado Cannibal’ Alfred Packer, the film boards gruesome, grizzly visuals, epic settings, and surprisingly uplifting songs to create a film, unlike anything anyone would ever expect. Director and writer duo Trey Parker and Matt Stone (Now known for creating South Park) originally came up with the film’s premise for a project for a film class where they had to compose a trailer. The short garnered a lot of attention, encouraging the pair to raise a tidy budget of $125,000 to shoot a full-length movie. After the project wrapped and editing was complete, Cannibal! The Musical did not get a general release. However, in 1996 Troma saw the grave potential in the darkly spirited musical and picked it up. Over the years, Troma considered the film to be one of its best releases, even including it in the 2008 launch of the ‘Tromasterpiece Collection’.

4- Father’s Day (Directed by Astron-6, 2011)

Ahab (Adam Brooks) becomes hellbent on seeking revenge on the man who murdered his father.

Although Troma has its ties with the 1980s slasher hit Mother’s Day, 2011’s aptly named Father’s Day holds no relation to the classic; instead, this extravaganza is much more obscure, depraved, and downright hilarious. Father’s Day is directed by the team known as Astron-6, composed of Adam Brooks, Jeremy Gillespie, Matthew Kennedy, Steven Kostanski, and Conor Sweeney. The collective is responsible for must-sees such as The Void (2016) and Psycho Goreman (2020). Similar to Cannibal! The Musical, the film was conceived as a short film, but demand would take over, with the eventual full-length feature premiering at the Toronto After Dark Film Festival where it would receive a whopping total of 8 awards, including Best Film, Best Director, and nearly every Fan’s Choice award going. It’s difficult to pinpoint just one of the many reasons why the film is both one of Troma’s best features and a standout Grindhouse-like film, but a starting point is how far Father’s Day is willing to go whilst still remaining quick-witted and comedic. Throughout the violent journey expect plenty of mutilation, decapitations, and incest.

5- Terror Firmer (Directed by Lloyd Kaufman, 1999)

A maniac killer is out on the prowl at the same time as a film crew is shooting a low-budget feature in New York. To stop the madman on his path of destruction the crew bands together, resulting in tons of bloodshed and chaotic mania.

Grimy b-movies including Peter Jackson’s Braindead (1992) and Michael Muro’s Street Trash (1987) are distinct setups for that niche subgenre of horror that often gets overlooked and downgraded as total schlock. Terror Firmer understands this critical reception and uses it as a blueprint to create the most gnarly and gross-out b-movie to ever grace Troma’s books. The film was birthed by Douglas Buck, Patrick Cassidy, Kaufman, and James Gunn, and was based on the autobiography book written by Kaufman and Gunn titled ‘All I Need to Know About Filmmaking I Learned from The Toxic Avenger’ (1998). This gory voyage utilises the meta trend that soared through cinema during the late 1990s, setting the perfect scene for gruesome kills and humorous quips throughout.

6- Tromeo and Juliet (Directed by Lloyd Kaufman, 1997)

Filmmaker Tromeo (Will Keenan), falls head over heels for Juliet (Jane Jensen), the daughter of his rival.

William Shakespeare’s tragedy, Romeo & Juliet is an embracing tale of forbidden love, battling families, and the tortured fate of life without romance. Troma’s Tromeo and Juliet is an ‘interesting’ adaptation of the said play, except it follows a much more alternative route, depicting violent bodily vandalization and explicit phallic fantasies. Across the board, Kaufman’s vision may not be to every individual’s taste, but it is certainly a feast for Troma fans, with James Gunn’s script steeping the film in nightmarish scenes that dare the viewer to keep watching throughout all of the madness.

7- Class of Nuke ‘Em High (Directed by Richard W. Haines, Michael Herz, Lloyd Kaufman, 1986)

A group of students from Tromaville High mutates into hideous freaks after toxic waste finds its way into their water supply.

In the same lines as The Toxic Avenger, Class of Nuke ‘Em High is one of Troma’s most defining hits, with four sequels following (one [Return to Return to Nuke ‘Em High AKA Volume 2– 2017] even premiering at Cannes Film Festival). And just like The Toxic Avenger, this film acts as a loose sequel, also being based in Tromaville and being soaked in visceral, green sludge that makes every violent act even more audacious. Adding to the genre-defying theme are the electric-like sci-fi elements including the threat of nuclear plants, radiation fears, bodily mutations, and dominating creatures–all commanding the screen, creating a lingering fandom that refuses to stop.

8- Citizen Toxie: The Toxic Avenger IV (Directed by Lloyd Kaufman, 2000)

The Toxic Avenger (David Mattey) arises once again to save Tromaville from his evil counterpart The Noxious Offender.

Troma is rife with sequels, prequels, trilogies, and entire franchises. And out of all of these continued films, one of the best has to be Citizen Toxie. Just like the original–The Toxic Avenger–Citizen Toxie has plenty of bold gravitas and a keen sense of what Troma fans adore, tons and tons of madness. Quite impressively, the fourth installment features some stellar cameos from the likes of Eli Roth, Stan Lee, Corey Feldman, and Lemmy from Motörhead. Similar to nearly every Toxic Avenger film, the lack of societal correctness is a deliberate strategy to both provoke the comfort that resides in mainstream cinema and to create a film that soars past what anyone could possibly expect.

9- Blood Sucking Freaks (Directed by Joel M. Reed, 1976)

Magician, Sardu (Seamus O’Brien), kidnaps a string of people to use for his magic show. Little does the audience know that the torturous tricks are actually real.

Blood Sucking Freaks is possibly one of Troma’s most controversial films, and that’s saying a lot considering some of their other titles include Chopper Chicks in Zombietown (1989) and Surf Nazis Must Die (1987). Joel M. Reed’s nightmarish extravaganza was picked up by Troma in 1981, where they would make certain cuts to the film to receive an R rating, however, the version they ended up releasing depicted extremely graphic content, leaving no stone unturned through every scene, even including visuals of botch amputations, head crushing, teeth-pulling, and healthy doses of general torture. Of course, the censor board was not happy with the release of such content, but like with any cult classic, this made Blood Sucking Freaks all the more fun.

10- Poultrygeist: Night of the Chicken Dead (Directed by LLyold Kaufman, 2006)

A fast-food restaurant is taken over by zombie chickens after the building was constructed over an ancient burial ground.
If the name of Kaufman’s 2006 feature doesn’t give you enough information already, Poultrygeist: Night of the Chicken Dead is a demented, unreal, and shockingly absurd descent into mayhem. In the essence of true independent filmmaking, the film was made possible by the pure devotion to the cinema, with Kaufman and Herz partially self-funding the film just to get it made. Along with this, most of the crew were volunteers who were fortunate enough to see the adverts on Craigslist and other messaging boards looking for a pair of extra hands to help out on a film set for a legendary production company. However, this hard work wasn’t in vain as the film was a rip-roaring success, with its reception making it a firm favorite for Troma fans.

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Troma – Over 45 years of independent cinema

Post author By Film Overload
Post date May 28, 2022
No Comments on Troma – Over 45 years of independent cinema

Conducting strange experiments that fuse together sci-fi and horror with a dash of absurd comedy is Troma Entertainment’s specialty. Troma is a production and distribution company that literally gives you as much bang for your buck as possible thanks to their sporadically glorious films that truly stand out amongst the rest.

During his time at Yale University, Lloyd Kaufman first dipped into the world of film when he produced his friend Robert Edelstein’s micro budget feature Rappaccini before going onto direct his first film titled The Girl Who Returned (1969), a black and white exploratory feature. Kaufman’s debut toured the film societies across the likes of Harvard, Yale, and a variety of other universities on the east coast, sparking a keen passion for cinema deep within Kaufman. During his postgraduate years, Kaufman would begin to work for Canon Films, a production company who would later produce hits such as The Hills Have Eyes Part II (1985) and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 (1986). Here, Kaufman would meet John G. Avildsen (Rocky (1976) The Karate Kid (1984)) leading to their collaboration on the 1970 thriller Joe, which would be nominated for Best Original Screenplay at the Academy Awards.

A short while after his introduction to film, Kaufman would direct his second feature Battle of Love’s Return (1971), receiving high praise across the board. Whilst Kaufman was setting up a budding future as a filmographer, fellow Yale student Michael Herz would begin to feel his own interest in movies emerging. Although Herz pursued a career in Law, the connection between the two sparked a growing urge to turn their passion into a much bigger venture. Leading them to work together on Sugar Cookies (1973) where Kaufman would co-write and produce, with Herz also serving on the production crew.

This collaboration was certainly a success, but no one could have known that this pairing would lead to one of America’s most notorious independent production and distribution companies.

Troma’s baby steps on their journey to triumph started off with producing racy comedies including Squeeze Play! (1979), Waitress! (1981), Stuck on You! (1982), and The First Turn-On! (1983), all of which cemented their still solidified b-movie reputation. As the years progressed so did Troma’s manifesto. To nobody’s surprise the 1980s and horror have a convoluted, but loving connection with one another, thanks to the rise in censorship, home video, and cult cinema. More importantly, the 1980s saw Troma Entertainment reach new bounds with The Toxic Avenger (1984). The film pushed Troma into the forefront with its camp tone, quick witted humour, gross-out gore, and cartoonish horror vibes that were unlike anything else at the time. From this moment on, Troma navigated away from the raunchy specials and led the way for b-movie horror to excel and become a fully fledged subgenre in its own right.

Overtime, The Toxic Avenger has spun an entire mixed media franchise including video games, multiple sequels, a stage production that premiered on Broadway as well as theatres across the globe, various action figures and merchandise, a TV series, and most recently a brand new adaption coming some time next year starring Peter Dinklage, Jacob Tremblay, Kevin Bacon, Elijah Wood, Taylour Paige, and Julia Davis.

With The Toxic Avenger under their belt, Troma was set! But, their 1984 smash hit was just the beginning in a long line of farce splatterfests. With The Toxic Avenger still fresh on the scene, Troma used the lingering spotlight to crack on with a string of similarly wacky sci-fi’s with Class of Nuke ‘Em High (1986) being their next feature to reach great heights. This time round the film was centred around the students of Tromaville High after their water supply is infected with toxic waste, causing them to mutate into freakish humanoids.

Within the next couple of years Troma released a string of other films including the obscure Surf Nazis Must Die (1997), Troma’s War (1988), Rabid Grannies (1988), and Chopper Chicks in Zombietown (1989). From the titles alone, it’s clear to see that Troma had nudged themselves nicely in a niche market of cinema that may get critically blasted as being ‘trash’, but is undeniably entertaining, devilishly memorable, and a barrel of laughs. With this impossible to categorise cinema comes a level of cult-style appreciation that may not appeal to the masses, but rather those with a taste for defiant works of colloquially misunderstood art.

As time moved on so did Troma, and with this came a quiet period for Troma’s production, but all of this changed with the release of the fan favourite Tromeo and Juliet (1975), which unsurprisingly is a very unleashed retelling of the Shakespeare tragedy that thrives less on the endearing battle of romance, hardship, and family values, and more on the ‘love’ side of the story, as well as causal doses of dismemberment, decapitation, and mutilation for good measure. And just like that, Troma was back with a vengeance. Even major media outlets notoriously difficult to please such as The New York Times and Variety saw the magic that Troma cinema withholds, granting the film with pleasant reviews and a burgeoning reputation. To make matters even more gratuitous, Tromeo and Juliet was screened at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival, the Mar del Plata Film Festival (where it won an award for best film of 1997), and the Fantasporto festival. As the 2000s hit, Troma released another string of outrageous and courageous films including the ever so graciously named Poultrygeist: Night of the Chicken Dead (2006) that followed a batch of zombie chickens unleashing a wrath of hell.

Within the last couple of years, Troma has seen a resurgence in popularity with the remake influx booming a new generation’s interest into cinema’s most unconventional production company. Going back in time to 1980, Lloyd Kaufman’s brother Charles directed and co-wrote Mother’s Day, with Lloyd producing. Although during its initial release, the film was banned by the BBFC in the UK as part of the video nasty crusade, a remake was ordered in 2010 starring Rebecca De Mornay, Jaime King, Briana Evigan, Deborah Ann Wolf, Shawn Ashmore, and the Kaufman brothers who made a cameo in homage to the source material. The remake performed well upon its release, even slotting itself in the UK’s top ten box office chart.

In Troma’s indisputable distinct style, they launched the TromaDance Film Festival that has very, very strict rules- there must be no V.I.P’s (everyone is treated equal), there is no entry cost, nor is there an admission fee; it’s all about the celebration of filmmaking. The event originally coincided with the esteemed Sundance Festival to even further boast their unique braveness of shedding away from the mainstream time and time again. The festival is open for submissions around the world, with the most creditable entries being released on DVD by Troma. Alongside the event, Kaufman offers workshop-esque lessons to budding filmmakers, providing teaching classes and cameos for those interested in pursuing the dark art of indie cinema.

Troma has become so infiltrated in all things cinema that many do not realise how influential the company really is, or how much of a significant part they play in kick-starting fan favourite performer’s and director’s careers. Many of their releases aided in the journey for stars such as Samuel L. Jackson in Def By Temptation (1990), James Gunn (Tromeo and Juliet), Marisa Tomei (The Toxic Avenger), and South Park (1997-) creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone via Cannibal! The Musical (1993).

As it stands Troma still thrives in the home video market, encouraging the in-person viewing experience of picking up a tape or a DVD from time to time. But, for the ‘tech-heads’, Troma has a streaming site service titled Troma Now that provides keen movie-goers with many of the greats from their company. To this day, Troma’s influence can be felt amongst the likes of current parody-based theatrics such as the Sharknado and Birdemic franchises that use immensely surreal visuals edging on the comedic side with entirely implausible narratives that will have even the most wondrously minded of viewer’s bewildered.

Even though it has been decades since their first feature, Troma shows no signs of stopping their madness just yet, with their latest feature Shakespeare’s Shitstorm (2020), a hilariously crude parody of Shakespeare’s The Tempest currently making the round at film festivals and conventions. Their ability to still churn out hit after hit just goes to show that Troma is still relishing in its ability to traumatise its viewers, ensuring a memorable experience with every filthy film watched.

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