ABRUPTIO: Support the online crowdfunder

"ABRUPTIO" is a feature film using puppets. It was written, produced and directed by experienced husband and wife team, Evan and Kerry Marlowe.

**Update** Thanks to all the support for this Crowdfunding campaign, "Abruptio" has moved into the next stage of production! I, for one, am so excited! 


The film is an homage to 70s horror and centres around a man (puppet) waking to find that he has had an explosive device implanted into his neck by a devious mastermind. He must do what he's instructed, no matter how unsavoury, or risk being blown up!


Viewers will be familiar with many of the cast (which includes some personal favourites of mine) including James Marsters, Robert Englund, Sid Haig, Jordan Peele, Hana Mae Lee, Christopher McDonald and Rich Fulcher.


Prop and effects nerds like me will also recognise the name of creature creator Jeff Farley who has worked on many well-known titles including 1989's Pet Sematrary.


The film is nearing the next stages and, if like me you fancy helping out, Kerry Marlowe has recently set up an online crowd fund on Seed&Spark to keep the project moving on (and finance some more fake blood, which I'm fully on board with).


You can find the fund over on www.seedandspark.com - here
You can also find more information about the project at www.abruptio.com


Let's help get this movie made!

[Image: www.abruptio.com]

Hani

Bone Tomahawk

"Bone Tomahawk" (2015, S. Craig Zahler, Caliber Media Company, RLJ Entertainment) is an American horror Western movie featuring two actors I admire greatly; Kurt Russell and Sid Haig.

Set in the 1890s, we follow a group of men, lead by Sheriff Franklin Hunt (Kurt Russell), as they attempt to save two of their townsfolk who have been kidnapped by a brutal, cannibal troglodyte clan.

A gritty hybrid horror which begins as a pretty traditional seeming Western film but eventually delves into some truly disturbing and creative horror gruesomeness. The cast give a stellar performance making each character rounded. The dialogue is good and the film keeps an excellent pace.

Despite the outlandishness of the story and its almost supernatural villains, the film plays out so confidently that it all seems perfectly reasonable and realistic at the time. Kurt Russell cuts a fine image as a strong sheriff with some great facial hair, In fact the whole cast is perfectly suited to their roles.

A genre blending piece which is both entertaining and shocking, "Bone Tomahawk" is a really excellent piece of cinema.

[Image: RLJ Entertainment, et al]

Hani

Night of the Living Dead (2006)

"Night of the Living Dead" aka "Night of the Living Dead 3D" (2006, Lux Digital Pictures, Jeff Broadstreet) is a remake of the George A. Romero classic (I say 'a' as there is more than one). Oh, and it's '3D'... which should tell you all you need to know, really...

Pretty terrible. Except for Sid Haig giving his usual kind, calm & considerately evil psycho performance as Gerald Tovar Jr.

A little too much of the crappy, low budget, cartoon-like 3D effects spoil a perfectly generic low budget snorefest. (this is the highest praise I can bestow, I'm afraid)

They do go quite a ways to explain the events leading up to the zombie outbreak, which the original never completely endeavoured to do, and Barbara's backstory is much more filled out than the original, also.

As well as hokey effects, the film does suffer from a couple of other things, dull plot and too much inclusion of the original film throughout, which is a far superior effort. Surely if the characters had all just watched it, they'd know what was going on?

Boring dialogue and too much stilted cheesiness that just seemed like it was trying too hard, I am afraid I'm not a fan of this film.

I do have to hand it to them they went quite out of their way in setting the scene so that mobile phones and landlines weren't available to call for police assistance, though.

The only good thing about this film is Sid Haig and the legless zombie in the garden.

[Image: Lux Digital Pictures]

 

Hani

 

The Devil's Rejects

"The Devil's Rejects" (2005, Rob Zombie, Cinelamda, Liongate) is the blood-drenched sequel to Zombie's "House of 1000 Corpses".

It wasn't what I was expecting, but you have to hand it to Mr. Zombie that he managed to keep up the blood spurting, degenerate momentum. Not that I was expecting anything less from him, really.

It's a sick ride as we follow Baby (Sheri Moon Zombie), Captain Spaulding (Sid Haig) and Otis B. Driftwood (Bill Moseley) on the run from the police after a large shoot out had them fleeing their cosy, disturbing home.

Being known as "The Devil's Rejects" the small gang wreak some torture and havoc on their way, leaving a trail of mutilated corpses and traumatised on-lookers. But away from their base they have nowhere to hide and there's a vengeance-driven police sheriff, Wydell (William Forsythe) on their tail...

A little different in style, feeling more like a Grindhouse piece than "1000 Corpses" did, "Rejects" delivers the demented goods, but in a different way. Like most violent horrors, it leaves you feeling a bit dirty afterwards, and you're never quite sure who you were routing for....

It feels more complete and rounded off than the first film, but it just didn't quite hit the same ludicrous, twisted and chaotic notes for me.

It did have me looking forward to listening to Rob's new album though!

[Image: Cinelamda & Liongate]

Hani

House Of 1000 Corpses

"House of 1000 Corpses" (2003, Rob Zombie, Universal Pictures) is an entertaining sick-fest from the mind of the great Rob Zombie. I'm a big fan of Rob Zombie as a musician and I like his movies. I wouldn't say I'd watch them a lot, but they're weird and tense and bloody.
This film is no different. It's set in the '70s on the dusty backroads of America where there appears to be a high population of lunatics. The style of the film echoes 'The Texas Chainsaw Massacre', but I'd say it holds its own weight as a movie, too.

Two young couples stop for petrol at a crazy side attraction called "Captain Spalding's Museum of Monsters and Madmen" where they encounter Captain Spalding (Sid Haig), the crazy, but by this movie's standards, friendly nutjob. They go into his museum and the two boys become interested in a local mystery; the missing body of a mass murdering surgeon named Dr. Satan.

While leaving, they stop and pick up a hitchhiking chick wearing a cowboy hat and little else... Her name is Baby and she is played by Rob Zombie's wife, Cheri Moon Zombie. Suddenly the car breaks down (funny that, when you run over a trap...) and Baby convinces Bill (Rainn Wilson) to walk to her home to get her brother to come collect the car with his pickup.

Soon her brother (Robert Mukes) arrives with the car and Bill's friends Jerry (Chris Hardwick), Mary (Jennifer Jostyn) and Denise (Erin Daniels). It's safe to say that they do not enjoy their stay with Baby's crazy family; her mother (Karen Black), brother Otis Driftwood (Bill Moseley), Grampa (Dennis Fimple) and Baby's deformed brother Tiny (Matthew McGrory).

If you've ever flicked through any White Zombie or Rob Zombie cover art, you'll know what to expect. If not, be warned; not for the faint hearted.

This is a rough cut, brutal murder flick. The characters are weird and disturbing and the camera work is bound to cause some kind of seizure if you're not expecting it as it likes to jump between random scary stuff and plot.

I love the opening scene of this movie though, kind of reminds me of Creepshow 2's "Old Chief Woodenhead" story except where the shopkeeper wins.

All in all, this is a flick for fast paced slaughter fans.... it's not a slow burning artful horror, don't watch if you're not a gore hound. Also, it's not serious, so don't go in expecting genre bending lines and awesome character development. It's just weirdos murdering people! But if that's what you're expecting, it's one big crazy ride!

Maybe as a girl I shouldn't like this film so much, considering, but hey, what can I say?

Sid Haig steals the show as Captain Spalding (above), but out of all the characters, Bill Moseley's Otis (below) is the scariest. 

[Pictures: Universal Pictures]