Blu-ray Review: Horsehead (2015)

Boy oh boy, is this movie ever going to divide audiences.

On one hand, Horsehead is a gorgeous, surreal, living nightmare that held us in an almost hypnotic state for most of its runtime.

On the other, it's confusing, scattered, and overly ambiguous at times, while being fairly simple to decipher in the same breath. I could easily see someone calling it pretentious and ridiculous, and they wouldn't necessarily be wrong for doing so.

We, however, didn't find this movie to be pretentious or ridiculous at all. In fact, we found it to be quite the opposite. 

After the death of her grandmother, Jessica returns to her family home in the French Countryside to pay her respects. Going home isn't easy for Jessica, for a few reasons: she doesn't really like her Mother; her Mother doesn't really like her; and she's been having recurring nightmares since childhood that seem to revolve around her family, their old house, and a creepy dude wearing a Horsehead. So, it's pretty safe to assume that her weekend trip home is probably going to suck.

SWEET, SWEET JESSICA.

She arrives home to find that her Grandmother is laid out in the room next to hers for the wake (?!?), which not only gives her even worse nightmares, but leaves her bedridden with a fever. Like anyone else would do, Jessica grabs a bottle of ether, and repeatedly doses herself with it in an attempt to discover what her nightmares are all about, using the technique of lucid dreaming. Sounds legit.

OH LOOK, SHE MADE A FRIEND.

In her dreams, she makes out with her Mother; takes a sexy bath with the younger visage of her Grandmother; is chased around by Horsehead; makes friends with a wolf; and finds herself constantly submerged in water... all of which has to do with a horrible family secret involving bunch of things that we'd rather not spoil for you here.

A truly confusing and compelling experience that feels like an acid trip ensues.

WHY DOES THIS PICTURE REMIND ME SO MUCH OF MARTYRS?

If nothing else, Horsehead is a bold movie. We also happen to think that it was beautiful and hypnotic, as well as crazy and disturbing, but above all else, it's bold as hell.

Told mostly from the dream state of Jessica, Horsehead is a movie that isn't always easy to decipher. You can basically figure out what's happening from early on (the movie isn't very subtle), but it also made us ask plenty of questions, many of which were never clearly resolved. It's basically a movie about the relationship between a Mother and a Daughter which has suffered greatly due to something horrible that happened in their past. To say any more about the plot would needlessly spoil things for the uninitiated, even if it's not really the plot that moves this movie forward and makes it work so well anyhow. No, this is a movie where the visuals (and their aesthetic) reign supreme.

THAT LOOK IN HER DEAD EYES SAYS "RUN."

From the opening scene, until the credits roll, Horsehead is a visually stunning movie. It's definitely got a Neo-Giallo feel about it, what with the MANY close-ups of eyes, the visceral gore, and the Argento-like use of colors that set the tone and mark certain characters. Even the scenes set in the waking world have a sharp sensibility about them. It's almost like you're actually watching someone's nightmare come to life on-screen. To call it surreal and disturbing is putting it mildly.

The star of the show is Lilly-Fleur Pointeaux, who despite having 33 credits on her young resume, is a newcomer to us. If Horsehead is any indication, then she's as talented as she is beautiful, which is saying a lot, because she's really, really hot. She does a great job in this one playing the drugged-up victim who is constantly haunted by her dreams, and she does an excellent job at getting naked as well. Good for her, on all counts. 

SO, SO DIRTY.

Horror fans should instantly recognize Jessica's Mother (Catelyn) as Catriona MacColl; the star of Lucio Fulci's Gates of Hell Trilogy (City of the Living Dead, The Beyond, House by the Cemetery.) She does a solid job here, and it's great to see her face in something creepy again. Most people, however, will probably not recognize Murray Head by name though; back in 1984, Head released the massive pop hit One Night in Bangkok. Until now, we had no idea that he was an actor, let alone a good one. What a nice surprise.

If there was one thing abut the movie that we didn't like, it was Winston's voice: not only was it obviously dubbed, but it felt odd and out of place, almost cartoonish. Also, the big showdown between the wolf and Horsehead was rather lame, as it was over in what seemed like 3 unremarkable seconds..

AH, CATRIONA!

While it's not going to be for everyone, Horsehead both intrigued and entertained us for its entire runtime. It also messed with our minds, so there's that too. If you like the average surreal, cinematic mindfuck, then this movie should more than please you, as it is actually quite above average in many ways.

Like we said above though, Horsehead will not be for everybody, so watch accordingly.

B

Horsehead will be available on Blu-ray, DVD, and VOD from June 23rd.

Lilly-Fleur Pointeaux, Catriona Maccoll, and Gala Besson are the stuff of pleasant dreams, not nightmares.

VOD Review: Spring (2015)

(aka Before Equinox.)
Release Date: March 20th, 2015.
Country: USA.
Rating: NR.
Written by: Justin Benson.
Directed by: Justin Benson, Aaron Moorhead.
Starring: Lou Taylor Pucci and Nadia Hilker.

Back in 1995, Richard Linklater gave the world a sweet little movie called Before Sunrise, in which a young Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy walked around Vienna, talked, and fell in love. Its sequels, Before Sunset (2004) and Before Midnight (2013), continued their talky romance. They were all pretty good films, if you like that sort of quiet, character-driven drama.

I mention those movies because to me, Spring is essentially the Before Sunrise of the Horror genre. And yes, in its own way, it's every bit as good as the aforementioned Linklater films.

*We're going to keep the plot details of this one fairly vague, so as not to ruin its twists and developments for you.

After the death of his mother, and pissing off some local Gang Bangers, Evan hops on a plane to Italy, determined to become an olive farmer like he's always dreamed about. There he meets Louise, a sexy, sassy Italiano donna who gives him a boner in his sad little heart.

YES, WE AMERICANS ARE ALL THE SAME.

What Evan doesn't know, is that Louise is a woman with secrets; dark, creepy, slimy, Cthulhu-like secrets. As a sweet romance blooms the two, those very secrets come to light and threaten to not only derail their new found love, but they might just see Evan end up as dinner.

FEMALE EJACULATION IS NO MYTH.

Can Evan and Louise ever hope to be together? Will Louise eat Evan, because, evolution? Will Angelo rat out Evan out to immigration? Far be it from us to spoil anything for you here, but suffice it to say that happy endings are for suckers. Like us.

AMORE.

There's really not much about Spring that we didn't like. This is a quiet, almost ethereal movie that plays more like a dark romantic fantasy than it does a true Horror film, and therein lies its beauty. This is the story of two people (one man, one monster) that engage in a love affair that seems doomed from the get-go, and even though the consequences of their love may very well be dire, they go for it anyway. They're both lonely and distraught, each in their own way, and even though they're completely different beasts (no pun intended), they end up finding some much needed common ground in their mutual despair.

WHO WOULDN'T FALL IN LOVE WITH THAT SCENERY AROUND THEM?

It's nice to experience a "Horror" movie that is more about its characters and their sad condition than it is blood & gore set pieces for a change. Spring focuses more on the humanity of its characters than it does the potentially dangerous situations that they find themselves in, and it does so with a calculated patience that makes it all truly compelling. By the time the movie arrives at its climax, it really doesn't even feel like much of a Horror movie anymore. It's an odd movie in that way, but it's that very oddity that makes it work so well. It really is a beautiful movie, both visually and aesthetically.

WE LIKE THEM SEXY AND SCARY.

Spring is absolutely Lou Taylor Pucci and Nadia Hilker's show, and their performances are ultimately what make it such a good watch. Seeing as how their back and forth banter carries so much of this movie, we're grateful that the chemistry between them felt so genuine. Pucci we know and love from movies like Evil Dead, Carriers, and Horsemen, and he's as good in Spring as he was in any of them. He's not only talented, but there's something about him that is just likable, and he's taken himself to another level with his role in this one. Nadia Hilker, on the other hand, is a bit of a revelation to us, but we found her to be just as likable in this one as was her co-star.

Our biggest complaint about Spring was that the dialogue felt stilted at times, especially when it came to Lou Taylor Pucci's character. The way he behaved and spoke didn't feel natural to us, and we wished that the writing had been a little bit tighter in that respect.

WELL, THAT ENDED HORRIBLY...

True love knows no bounds. Also, old Italian farmers are pretty chill.

"ALLE DONNE, EBREI GIOIELLI DEL MONDO!"

If you go into Spring expecting a typical monster movie, you're most likely going to be disappointed. It is a monster movie, to a point, but that monster is love, which in all honestly is every bit as terrifying as any bloodthirsty creature could ever be. I really hope that this review hasn't painted Spring as some sort of sappy, overly-sentimental love story, because it's not that at all. It's smart, disturbing, and at times, even emotional, but it never panders to its own sentimentality, and for that reason, we can't help but love it. Rent it, and enjoy.

B+

Spring is available now on VOD.

Nadia Hilker and Augie Duke give us Spring fever.

VOD Review: Digging Up the Marrow (2015)

(aka The Ray Wise Show.)
Release Date: February 20th.
Country: USA.
Rating: NR.
Written & Directed by: Adam Green.
Starring: Ray Wise, Adam Green, Will Barratt, and Josh Ethier.

As gory and over the top as Adam Green's Hatchet movies were, we were expecting Digging Up the Marrow to be cut from the same cloth; after all, it's a movie about deformed monsters, so isn't it reasonable to expect that maybe those monsters would rip some people apart or something?

Unfortunately, this is not the kind of  movie where monsters rip people apart.

Writer/Director Adam Green loves monsters. In fact he loves them so much, that not only does he want them to be real, but he's determined to prove that they are. When he receives some crazy fan mail from a guy who claims that monsters are real, and that he can prove it, Adam jumps on the chance to finally prove that he's right.

HE TALKED TOO MUCH.

The guy, Willian Dekker, tells Adam about a place called The Marrow; a place where the deformities and rejects of our world go to live amongst each other, have families, and just be happy. The Marrow is underground, and it's really hard to find an entrance to the place, but Dekker knows where one is, and he's always watching it. He also might be insane, which is probably not good for Adam or his safety.

SHIT JUST GOT REAL.

Dekker invites Adam and his cameraman out into the woods at night (of course) to watch the entrance to The Marrow with him, and Adam can't resist the chance to exploit the guy, all while treating him like he's some sort of loon... because Adam is a bit of a dick. From that point on, things get crazy and creepy.

MAYBE HE JUST WANTS TO BE FRIENDS?

Watching Digging Up the Marrow was a pretty enjoyable experience for us. It's a bit of a laid back movie, with most of it involving people talking rather than doing all that much. The way that it laid a foundation for the whole "there are monsters among us" premise though was fun, and at times, and even a bit creepy. The Mockumentary style that Adam Green used for this one gave him a lot of freedom to make things feel more real and natural, even including interviews with other Genre talent to bring that point home.

When we did get some action involving the creatures that live in The Marrow, it was pretty effective and unsettling. The creature designs were pretty spectacular, and even though you only get to seem them a few times, and some of them only in quick flashes, they felt real and threatening. We especially liked the dude with the pumpkin sack on his head. He was creepy.

Aside from its fun premise, the thing that really carried this movie was the performance of Ray Wise. That guy is a fantastic actor who can go from crazy to broken-hearted to scary, with ease, and he does so all throughout the movie. Above all else, he's fun to watch, as his absolute deadpan delivery makes for some great darkly comedic moments and scenes... and its self-aware, tongue-in-cheek vibe is what really makes the movie so enjoyable.

WHERE'S LAURA PALMER, RAY?

Adam Green is not the best actor, and playing opposite of someone as talented as Ray Wise, it really shows. The way he plays himself as a kind of asshole-ish jerk probably didn't help things very much.

WHY IS HE SUCH A SMARMY LITTLE D-BAG IN THIS MOVIE?

What was with that ending? We're not going to spoil the final scene for you, but the way that it built and built, and them ended in such a "Huh?!?" kind of way, was disappointing. We still can't figure out what was "screamed" either.

EVEN THIS SWEET OLD COUPLE WAS BAFFLED BY THE ENDING.

Digging Up the Marrow is a gore-free endeavor, though it does boast some really great creature designs, both physically and on paper.

MONGOLOID OUT OF NOWHERE!

A quick shot of a girl sleeping in her panties, but that's it.

Don't ever try to "dig up the marrow." Also, maybe don't trust crazy old men who beg you to come into the dark woods with them at night to look for "monsters." We did, and we've been in therapy since we were 8-years-old because of our naivety.

YOU KNOW WHAT YOU DID!

Fans of Adam Green will most likely love Digging Up the Marrow, as you can plainly see that it was a labor of love for him to make this movie. The premise may feel cheesy, but the way that Green lets it unfold, along with the excellent performance of Ray Wise, makes it a good kind of cheesy. It's not perfect, and it certainly could have "done more" with its exciting premise, but it's definitely enjoyable enough to give it a rent on VOD.

B-

Digging Up the Marrow is available now on VOD, and will hit Blu-ray & DVD on March 24th.

Rileah Vanderbilt is in this.