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IR Film Review: CRAZY OLD LADY [Shudder]
The concept of "Crazy Old Lady" takes the very real aspect of dementia and takes it to a horror structure degree. It never takes itself beyond its means and is anchored by a vivid performance of actress Carmen Maura as Alicia, the mother/grandmother in question. There is a slightly abstract nature to the proceedings which take place mostly inside a dreary and yet almost gothic house that Alicia lives in.
IR Film Review: THE DRAFT! [Shudder]
"The Draft!" [Shudder] which in many ways once its concept comes into play is quite inventive, if not a little on the nose. The film follows five college kids who comes out to what seems more like an abandoned villa in a jungle looking for haunted elements. The key here is that there becomes an awareness, which is maybe not quite given its due possibility with anticipation until the very last minute but it does speak to how the language, even in lower budget filmmaking, has evolved...with the right writing, even in a global setting.
IR Film Review: THE LAST SACRIFICE [Shudder]
The aspect of witchcraft in a modern setting is balanced in ideas of perspective and fun but many times not in the actual practical intent of witchcraft in the sense. "The Last Sacrifice" [Shudder] speaks to a murder of Charles Walton in 1945 under mysterious circumstances under consideration or rumors of witchcraft. He was a simple farmer apparently in a quite space of England but he was found pitchforked and the case per se was never solved. The documentary explores different parts of the story including the town's supposed cover up and an investigator's progression of the case some years later.
IR Film Review: GHOST TRAIN [Well Go USA]
The tenets of South Korean horror are usually good in using a setting or object to create a mythology. "Ghost Train" uses that in a similar way. What does work well is the build of this one to almost tell a Twilight Zone nature of a couple different people who have been affected by the train. It is not so much about the train itself but the station it inhabits which has its own past.
IR Film Review: NIGHT PATROL [Shudder]
"Night Patrol" is an interesting play upon the cop/gang genre by placing it within a deeper genre context but not avoiding what the film is really about. Directed by Jordan Prows, an AFI alum, the film delves into the gangland structure of Los Angeles with a similar vengeance of something like "Training Day" but a different track.
IR Film Review: PRIMATE [Paramount]
"Primate", helmed by "Welcome To Raccoon City" director Johannes Roberts is an interesting play because of its build but also the ethical and empathetic considerations it brings into play. Its focus works on college age girls returning to Hawaii where one of their fathers is doing research on primates. The initial texture because of its setting has a "Jurassic Park" dread to it but on a much smaller scale.
IR Film Review: HELL HOUSE LLC - LINEAGE [Shudder]
The aspect of found footage horror is about uncovering those stories which haven't been seen before. With "Hell House LLC: Lineage" which is talked about as the final film in the series (which perhaps might turn out ironically not to be true), director Stephen Cognetti gains some space back in the final act but gives up the found footage using more classic film techniques to less end. However for the most part, the film, despite some visual flairs at the end, is quite unscary.
IR Film Review: TOGETHER [Neon]
The idea of togetherness in the modern world is an interesting conundrum especially with more single people of all genders into their mid-40s. It might be a bank of individualism. It might be the continuing element of egocentric society (though that might just be cell phone and social media related). "Together," a new body horror/psychological thriller of sorts starring real life couple Alison Brie and Dave Franco tests this in many ways.
IR Film Review: 28 YEARS LATER [Sony]
The conceit of "28 Years Later" is a concept of how life has changed against the backdrop of the rage and the ideas at play. It is split into two parts. The crux of the film is Spike who is the eyes through which the new generation will see this quarantined world.