Clearbay_327 Reviews

The Deeper You Dig (2019)

Minimalist, phantasmal and contains motifs form Kubrick and Lovecraft.

[14 June 2020]

An unnamed psychic who lost her gift years earlier is now a charlatan living in rural New York and giving fake Tarot card readings and performing fake seances. She and her 14-year-old goth daughter Echo have a unique and very close relationship, more like friends than mother-daughter. Mother's life is turned upside down when Echo is killed in a tragic drink-driving accident involving a neighbor named Kurt, who then proceeds to cover his crime (the title of the film is from the fact that Kurt has to keep burying the body deeper and deeper). As Mother begins to slowly gain her psychic powers back through a mystical artifact, Echo begins first haunting Kurt and then slowly possessing Kurt. This is the backdrop for the film.

The Deeper You Dig is shot in minimalistic fashion and pays homage to both The Shining and Phantasm and contains familiar themes from several H.P. Lovecraft stories. The eerie setting, the snow, the sense of loneliness creates a sense of dread. This film contains nightmarish phantasmal scenes that depict the dark and unknown side of the afterlife, or the cosmos (if interpreting as a Lovecraft devotee). The antagonist is slowly driven mad, a theme directly from Lovecraft's stories. This all combined is how one can see the influence of Kubrick, Lovecraft, and the creator of Phantasm. The Deeper You Dig is a limited jump scare movie. In fact there are not even lots of traditional scares. Instead, it is a slow-burning, psychological piece with a gory and violent climax and twist at the end.

It's good points far outweigh its flaws... which mainly are that this movie is low budget and has a "film-student vibe". I did not let that stand in my way bur decided to just sit back, suspend reality and just drink it in. For me, the Deeper You Dig a very worthwhile film for a discerning horror fan. Not one that will be burned into my memory but one that was worth the time and effort.

Luz (II) (2018)

Read my summary if this movie confused you

[8 June 2020]

Luz is a very complex and sophisticated art-house film which should be lauded for its boldness, unapologetic approach, visuals and uniqueness.

Rather than recap what film critics are already saying. or point out is flaws, I decided to explain the film in case someone saw it and was confused.

As far as I could see Luz was a medium, or she had the ability to commune with spirits and/or demons. At the very least she was brave enough and knew enough to try to summon one. When she was a student at the all-girls catholic school in Chile, she attempted to perform a rite on a fellow student called Margarita. It was related to Margarita's unwanted pregnancy. Perhaps a way to cause a miscarriage (it doesn't say specifically). This went horribly wrong because Luz inadvertently released a malicious demon (though a blasphemous incantation). It does not say exactly what happened, but we do know that Margarita did not survive (this is revealed in flashback scenes). And the school descended in to chaos over the next few weeks or months, and shortly thereafter shut down.

A decade and a half later Luz is driving Taxis in Germany and picks up a former classmate Nora (both now adults) from the airport. It is revealed in the hypnotism scenes that while in the taxi Nora starts to talk about the incidents at the school in Chile mostly in an accusatory manner, which upsets Luz to the point she starts reciting the blasphemous incantation. Nora tries to strangle Luz (using a necklace) but Luz crashes the cab, but not before completing the incantation. The demon is re-summoned and takes resident in Nora's comatose (or dead) body. The demon then staggers into a bar and starts having drinks with a Dr. Rossini who is on call and just watching TV. he drinks what looks to be Absinthe and it has a very powerful affect on his demeanor and reasoning.

Luz ends up in a police station where she is taken under the authority of Bertillon, a female police inspector. Bertillon pages Dr. Rossini to come help her get to the bottom of it all using hypnosis. Back at the bar Nora (the demon) convinces Dr. Rossini (who is fairly effed up on absinthe) to go onto the restroom (he likely thinks for a sexual encounter) and the demon transfers from Nora to Dr. Rossini, leaving the empty shell of Nora on the restroom floor. This is accomplished from mouth to mouth. Similar to a kiss but lips don't touch. Something that looks like a light (hence the double meaning of Luz, which is the main character's name but also Spanish for light) which transfers from one host to the other.

Dr. Rossini (now hosting the demon) goes to the police station and hypnotizes Luz. Using hypnosis, and using a translator (from Spanish to German), Luz reenacts the events leading up to the car crash. Nora appears in the hypnotism reenactments, but it is logical that she was not really there, but a vision resulting from Luz's hypnotic state (movies foes not say for sure). More details of the rite performed in Chile and its aftermath are revealed. As well as the crash itself.

After a lot of psychotropic sequences (which I will not detail) Dr. Rossini (hosting the demon) takes Bertillon under his influence (i.e. makes a drone out of her) and assumes the form of Margarita (after putting on a dress) . This convinces Luz to approach her and perhaps gain some form of penance (it is not 100% clear but Luz does sing the same song she wrote for her dying mother). The demon (now in the form of Margarita) transfers to Luz via the mouth to mouth method. And then Margarita (now sans demon) reverts back to Dr. Rossini and he kills himself. Bertillon facilitates Luz's (now hosting the the demon) release from police custody killing the interpreter in the process (we hear one gunshot off screen implying she shot the translator; we know it was him because is radio goes suddenly silent) .

In the end the demon resides in Luz, which it is implied that Luz is the most suitable host. It is also implied that the demon is now free to roam the earth in a mortal shell and pretty much do what it wants now. The ending simply leaves us with that.

Again, I believe this was a sophisticated and very provocative film. Despite the pace, which many consider slow. Despite all the psychotropic sequences, which for many are confusing. For me it rates high based on style and substance.

Becky (II) (2020)

Nope ....

[8 June 2020]

TL;DR Dumb and corny. Kevin James not in the least bit convincing. Joel McHale way to too annoying. Overall waste of 1.5 hours.

This was probably meant to be frightening and tense. Instead it was silly. I could not get past the fact that Kevin James was the major bad guy. And I do not think Kevin James could get past that either because he was not at all menacing. Even portraying as a "violent neo-Nazi" we was not all at very intimidating, or convincingly violent for that matter.

Joel McHale... what can one say? He seems like a nice enough guy, but every line was delivered with an radio DJ's voice or as the host of Talk Soup. Every time I heard him talk I just wanted to fast forward just to get by his lines. Not to mention, his character was making some very selfish and foolish life choices. Made me want to strangle him.

The criminals were way to laughable. There were four total. Kevin James plus two worthless sort of hillbillies were nothing but fodder in the end. The forth was a big giant half mute brute that was supposed to be Kevin James' right hand man. But he was off again, on again, off again, on again with the plan so many times I lost count. And I am not even sure what he contributed in the end one way or the other . I feel his character was just thrown in there to fill space.

The girl who played Becky was cute enough and kind of cool, but are we to believe that a girl this age is so psychopathic that her stepmom to be has to warn the head neo-Nazi that she is coming to kill him in the most cruel fashion imaginable? I mean if so, this kid needed serious psychological intervention and possibly belonged in an asylum.

Overall, it was just dumb and too unintentionally comical to be even have a hint of realism. I kept wondering if the director was just taking the piss trying to spoof us with some sophisticated black comedy but in the end, I fear it was just a bad screenplay and a very low effort.

Possessor (2020)

TL;DR Violent and disturbing, anchored by outstanding performances

[2 June 2020]

In this film, set in the near future, brain implant technology allows one person to inhabit the mind, body, and spirit of another. A clandestine corporation uses this technology to assassinate wealthy and powerful people for profit. The film explores what happens when the host starts to fight to regain control from a guest who is not entirely mentally stable, to begin with.

Interesting enough premise. The film is set in a very bleak version of the future where cities appear to be sparsely populated (perhaps from some event that greatly reduced the population such as plague or war; a motif borrowed from Argento's Tenebre). The film relies heavily on psychotropic imagery, and this adds to the overall frightening and confusing atmosphere since most of this imagery is nightmarish (distorted faces reminiscent of David Cronenberg's The Brood, warped colors, bursts of sound and images, blurs, rapid-fire images and strobing flashes of light). The film further relies on ultra-violence as a motif that rivals even the Italian slasher films of the late 1970s and early 80s (such as Susperia, Tenembre, Opera, etc.). Possessor contains explicit sexual motifs including full male nudity and erect penises, which reminds me very much of Antichrist (2009) or The Man Who Fell to Earth (1976). These are juxtaposed with explicit imagery of knives penetrating flesh. All of this results in a nightmare landscape. The ending is purposely left confusing so that that the viewer can arrive at their own conclusions. For some viewers, this will be frustrating.

All of this wraps up into a very worthwhile enough film, but for viewers with a more sophisticated palate (if you are looking for a Blumhouse type film Possessor is not what you are looking for). It is disturbing to be sure. However, it is very well made and anchored by two very outstanding performances from Andrea Riseborough and Christopher Abbott. It also features Jennifer Jason Leigh and Sean Bean in very laudable supporting roles (whether or not Sean Bean dies I will not spoil). Possessor is a "Criterion Collection" caliber film that will give the viewer some satisfaction analyzing and will with you long after you see it.

Baskin (2015)

TL;DR: Brilliant in many ways but bogged down by slow pacing

[1 June 2020]

Having read six Silent Hill graphic novels that greatly expanded the original idea from the Konomi games plus two films, I recognized right away what was going on with Baskin. The team gets sucked into some form of parallel dimension between the material world and a hellish one. The cultists, led by their dark messiah, is right where the two worlds meet. There ultimately is no escape. And I appreciate that. I took it all in with great delight. And as a real Fangoria, practical gore effects kind of guy, I appreciated the blood and guts as well.

My problem with this movie was with its pacing, or tempo. I feel this is probably mainly due to the fact that it is a full-length adaptation of an 11-minute short film. So there is a lot of filler, a lot of long shots and a lot of slow movements and drawn out action/dialogue to stretch out the limited amount of original content. Honestly, almost every single action and most of the dialog was paced much too slow. Guy tells a story... takes too long. Guys joke around... way too long. Guys sing in the people mover... way to long. Running around in the dark with flashlights... way too long. Bad guy makes entrance... too long. Torture porn scenes... each too long. Flashback scenes... too long. Too long or too slow. You get the idea.

It really took away from the enjoyment of it. I really did love the idea of it all, the gore effects, the humor, the music, the actors... even the "Gainax ending". I didn't mind that it is in Turkish. I looked past the fact that a lot of it was filmed in the dark (and difficult to make out everything that was happening) I just found myself extremely frustrated at the tempo of it all, and for that, to me, it rates lower than a movie of this sort normally would.

Edge of Extinction (2020)

Excellent film..

[30 May 2020]

TL:DR Captivating from start to finish. Run time a bit long but totally worth it.

This is more or less a typical post-apocalyptic scenario where some event (in this case nuclear war) causes the collapse of society and tribes, gangs etc. start to form to survive killing, stealing, pillaging. Of course, there are those that also kidnap women and rape them. All this features prominently in the movie. In this film the protagonist is a loner who has managed to do quite well for himself living in relative safety in rural England and is able to horde away a lot of food and supplies. His life is suddenly turned upside down when he violates his own self-imposed rules to help a starving woman, then it all starts to come unraveled. Next we have a lot of brutality, medieval style fights, blood, rape rooms, heads getting bashed in, stabbings armed cannibalistic gangs... a lot of this kind of thing until the conflicts are all resolved. What I liked most about it that it never ever got too bogged down like a lot of movies do. The pacing was good. Just enough backstory. It was sufficiently nerve-wracking, sufficiently violent but not oo much and I liked the main characters. Mostly I like that it was incredibly unique take on post-apocalyptic world but form a very English point of view.

Depraved (I) (2019)

A decent movie....

[30 May 2020]

...not a horror movie IMO bit a very decent scifi fantasy type film. It's going to be good as long as you are not expecting a true horror flick.

Awoken (2019)

Sad to say...

[23 May 2020]

It's neither underwhelming or overwhelming. It's just whelming. Though I did get a kick out of seeing two actors from the Australian feel good series 800 Words in a horror movie.

True History of the Kelly Gang (2019)

Long winded...

[15 May 2020]

And really starts to run out of steam about 1:15 minutes into it but overall a fairly descent movie with really solid actors.

Z (I) (2019)

Finally....

[15 May 2020]

Someone made a horror movie that wasn't either a psychological thriller masked as horror or just some really poorly made swipe at it. This movie kept me on my toes and elicited more than one gasp. Effective use of jump scares... Filmakers take notice. When I say I want a fun, scary movie I mean like this one.

Sea Fever (2019)

Not the worst I've ever seen...

[10 May 2020]

But far from one of the best. Kind of a slow mover. In the end it's a passable diversion. Just don't expect too much.

1BR (2019)

A pretty creepy AF movie...

[9 May 2020]

With some genuinely disturbing parts. And just when you think it can't be much harder to watch, it gets harder to watch. It takes around 30 minutes to set up then the last hour a real rollercoaster ride with a fairly high squick factor. Overall a very satisfying horror/thriller.

The Other Lamb (2019)

Manson-like...

[3 May 2020]

Charismatic and manipulative cult leader. One of the "flock" starts to see through the BS. Things unravel at a brisk pace. You get the idea.

The Lodge (2019)

Not as good as...

[1 May 2020]

...Hereditary, Midsommer, The Witch or even It Comes at Night. But in the end of is still not bad, a pretty deep psycholical horror with lots of subtext on the subjects of purgatory and repentance.

Warning... this is not a supernatural horror or even a horror movie in the traditional sense.

Antrum: The Deadliest Film Ever Made (2018)

Legitimately horrific...

[20 April 2020]

In places. This was one of those "art house" horror movies so don't be expecting a Bloomhouse type movie. Overall it's worth a watch if you can make it to the end without bailing.

Lifechanger (2018)

I get the idea ...

[19 April 2020]

And it wasn't even poorly written or acted. Truth of the matter is that as compelling as an idea it was, it just wasn't that interesting.

From Darkness (2015)

Very hard to get into...

[17 April 2020]

But ultimately worth the effort. Plot moves along slowly and overall it is not easy to keep up with what is happening. One good thing is that it is only four episodes so thankfully not too painful.

The Platform (2019)

Obvious religious imagery

[5 April 2020]

There was a deep religious message in there. That was obvious to me. The apostles Creed says that Christ's was dead for three days and while he was dead he descended into Hell. On the third day he rose from the dead and ascended into heaven. I'm pretty sure it borrows from that imagery. Spanish directors are also many times very deeply religious.

The Dark Red (2018)

Liked it plenty...

[27 March 2020]

For those who didn't get it she was dimensionally shifting there at the end of the film (and so was the old lady) . You have to understand a bit about the fourth dimension to understand. And that's what I liked about it. It didn't pander to the lowest common denominator. Good movie.

Salò, or the 120 Days of Sodom (1975)

Despite the fact that is is often called "disturbing"...

[23 March 2020]

It is actually a really good film. Yeah it gets extreme especially towards the end but there is a bigger picture here about "absolute power". Honestly most of it is not as disturbing as it sounds in writing. Worse part is all the "caca" related scenes. Casual film viewers are more likely to bail on it out of bordum before disgust.

Begotten (1989)

Ok so... Yes the imagery is a gut punch.

[23 March 2020]

But there is something to this film. It is basically a melding of several different creation myths. If it had been portrayed in some benign way no one would even remember the film. As it is this film makes it I to a Hall of Fame of art house films. My advice is to watch not as a frightening film, but as a fascinating one. In other words... Embrace it.

A Serbian Film (2010)

Sounds worse than it is

[23 March 2020]

The first hour is plot. Starts to get weird in last 45 minutes. Most of the gore effects have a "Grindhouse" feel to it. I think there's something to the movie, a deeper message. Truth is by the end of the film was just glad it was over. Not because it was so disturbing, just because it got really corny and ovet the top in an almost syterical way. One thing I can say is that I always heard this was one of the most disturbing films of all times. Not even close. 120 Days of Sodom is worse. Begotten is much worse. Thing is, both of those are actually good films.

Belzebuth (2017)

Definitely better than most...

[15 March 2020]

Non wide-release horror films. I mean at least this one is genuinely a supernatural horror flick and not just a thriller disguised as one. Though the the "theological premise" is woefully outside the pale of orthodoxy if you chose to not try to analyze it this film is an enjoyable little diversion perfect for Saturday night on the couch.

Vienna Blood (2019– )

Basically Grantchester but with...

[14 March 2020]

A Jewish psychiatrist in place of a vicar and set in pre WW1 Vienna not post war England. Thoroughly enjoyable show if you like police procedurals like Grantchester. I really hope BBC commissions further series. This is an excellent quality program.

Come to Daddy (2019)

It's a pretty freaking funny movie...

[14 March 2020]

Well worth watching if you are in a "black comedy" frame of mind.