Re-Watch Review:: Blood Rage (1987)
I love all types of horror films but it's no secret that slasher flicks, particularly those born in the eighties, stand as my golden child favorites. It's all because they carried me from fan to fanatical and I can always count on them to bring the fun. No matter how many times haters try to belittle them, there's no changing that a good slasher movie is like a party grenade and it's a party grenade you can enjoy equally with a group of friends as you can alone. Why, just the other day I was feeling down and out and so I threw THE BURNING (1981) into my faithful TV and voila- 90 minutes later I was stinking of joie de vivre. Fellow slasher fans know what I'm talking about.
Long story short, I view the recent blu-ray release of BLOOD RAGE (1987, aka NIGHTMARE IN SHADOW WOODS) as a holy gift from the slasher Gods. BLOOD RAGE is a very special film my friends and I mean "special" in every connotation you can think of. It not only fulfills all slasher film requirements, it also handily adds a few atypical flavors you didn't know you were missing. There's a bizarre subterranean river of disproportionate gonzo melodrama surging through the film (which is as off-putting as it is hilarious) and the flick's limited location (an apartment complex and its adjacent patch of woods) creates a trippily surreal repetitive rat maze quality. You get all the eighties fashions you can ask for, a riveting and righteous synth score, more gore than you're likely to expect (especially if you are used to the heavily edited version like I was) and it's all wrapped up in the very oddest and idiosyncratic of bows. You can list superior slasher flicks all day long if you wish, this baby has got true character and that's worth way more than garden-variety competence to me.
Credibly twitchy LOUISE LASSER stars as Maddie, a mad housewife whose exciting Thanksgiving announcement regarding her recent wedding engagement is dampened by news that her crazy child Todd has escaped from a mental hospital. Little does she know that Todd's twin brother Terry is the true psychopath and he's been living with her all along! Easy to look at new wave mannequin MARK SOPER plays both twins and although he's not always given the best material to work with, he does a fine job of making his duel characters truly distinguishable from each other. Soon Terry is carving up friends, acquaintances, neighbors, bungling mental health professionals and his soon to be step dad with the carte blanche understanding that his put upon bro will take the heat. Will quickly unraveling Maddie discover the truth or will she spend a remarkably inordinate amount of time barking on the phone to unseen and clearly underpaid telephone operators? Both, it turns out! God bless LASSER for having no clue what kind of movie she's starring in and God bless the director for not having the foggiest idea of when to call "Cut!"
I don't salivate over any old release that comes down the pike (especially when I already own an earlier version of it) but I have to say I'm so glad I finally got to view BLOOD RAGE in its best possible form (thanks to Arrow Films). Heck, I even dug the Special Features because instead of dragging out ancient chestnuts, they gave me much needed info on this little known gem! Who knew the flick's Producer MARIANNE KANTER also acts in the film as Dr. Berman, the not nearly nosey enough psychiatrist whose duel talents include participating in the most awkward voice over ever committed to film AND the ability to scream her head off after being chopped in half (spoiler alert). Gee, now that I've seen all of the outlandish gore effects returned to their rightful place within the film, I feel like I've been living a lie all these years! I've been eating chocolate chip cookies with all of the chocolate chips removed! Now, I'm not saying extra vicious kills make BLOOD RAGE a better movie but… who am I kidding? Yes, they DO make it better, way better! C'mon.
In closing, if you're a slasher fan or even if you just adore cult-y micro-budgeted B-films that star peculiar ladies of a certain age chewing through scenery like they're playing to a back row in a galaxy far, far away, BLOOD RAGE is for you! Finally seeing it in its full form is like watching a side dish transform into a main course and I can guarantee yours truly will be begging for seconds of this holiday set slasher once that turkey of holidays Thanksgiving comes back around.
It's a Horror to Know You:: Chris Trebilcock Writer/Director of The Dark Stranger
It's a Horror to Know You: Chris Trebilcock Writer/Director of The Dark Stranger!
What is the first film that scared you?
I started watching horror movies at a young age – Jaws and Halloween were early favorites – but before I really got into them, one traumatic early viewing experience was the Disney cartoon of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow (1949. The final ten minutes, with Ichabod Crane riding his horse home through a dark forest, waiting for The Headless Horseman to appear, was unbearably scary. Even today, it's still a masterful sequence of suspense, done all with visuals and sound effects.
What is the last film that scared you?
Don't judge, but a few years ago I finally got round to watching the remake of When a Stranger Calls (2006). I watched it alone in my parents house… and it really scared me. I thought the remake wisely decided to base the whole film on the first twenty minutes of the original from 1979 and jettison the police procedural middle section. I thought the remake made great John Carpenter-esque visual use of the huge house where all the action took place, as well as playing on the fact that we the audience already know the killer is inside; we're on edge right away, waiting for him to come out.
Name three horror films that you feel are underrated…
Tough one. Let's start with Tightrope (1984). Not exactly a straight ahead horror movie. Tightrope is a highly atmospheric Clint Eastwood murder-mystery that plays like an American Giallo. Eastwood gives one of his most vulnerable edgy performances as a cop wrestling with his dark side as hunts for a serial killer in New Orleans. There are many scary/disturbing moments, like Clint coming home and finding his house keeper crammed into the laundry machine.
Someone is Watching me (1978) Next to Brian De Palma and David Cronenberg, John Carpenter is a huge cinematic influence for me. I love most of his films. This made for TV movie, which he wrote and directed, is not as well known as his other films. Carpenter made it right before he made Halloween and has said that the style of Someone Is Watching me was a training ground for what he did in Halloween. The story is about a woman in a high rise apartment building who is being stalked by someone in the facing building. Nice camera work helps to create a sense of menace and dread.
Psycho III (1986) Anthony Perkins is both director and star of this entry. It's too bad that Perkins didn't direct more because Psycho III is surprisingly stylish and confidently made for a first time director. Darker in tone than the previous two Psycho movies, this film does the impossible by explicitly showing Norman's madness and brutal acts of violence, yet makes us still care for him and root for him to get free from his "Mother" side.
Name three horror films that you enjoy against your better judgment…
Terror at London Bridge AKA Bridge Across Time (1985) David Hasselhoff stars as a cop with a troubled past who deduces that Jack The Ripper is alive and well and stalking victims on his beat. I first saw this when it aired in the mid 80's and it stayed with me. Re-watching it recently, I found the film has its share of cheesy elements but it moves along, has some creepy moments and an overall nutty charm to it.
Out of The Dark (1988). Phone sex workers being stalked by a clown masked killer known as Bobo. The wonderful eclectic cast includes Karen Black, Tracey Walter, Bud Court and Divine. Stylish, darkly funny, suspenseful, some nice twists, yet it doesn't take itself too seriously. Imagine Dario Argento and John Waters teamed up to make a Giallo set in LA.
Swamp Thing (1982). Wes Craven's adaptation of the Berni Wrightson/Len Wein comic. Man, I loved this movie when I was a kid. But looking at it later on, I could recognize some things that were campy, even silly at times as well as FX that have not aged well. But the film has heart and it has Adrienne Barbeau and a nice score by Harry Manfredini.
Chris Trebilcock is the writer-director of The Dark Stranger, starring Katie Findlay, Stephen McHattie, and Enrico Colantoni. The film is available on DVD and VOD in Canada through Raven Banner, and will be released in the US in October by Terror Films. You can also get info about The Dark Stranger at it's Facebook page HERE. Check out the trailer for THE DARK STRANGER below!
Re-Watch Review:: Magic (1978)
Take heart kiddies, for every movie that is not quite as good as you recall there is another film that is way better than you remember. Take RICHARD ATTENBOROUGH'S 1978 deadly dummy opus MAGIC for example; once you adjust to the idea that there's nothing supernatural going on, it's really a fantastic, character-driven, psychological horror movie. My history with the flick goes like this: the notoriously kindertraumatic TV commercial creeped the crap out of me as a critter and then when I mustered the bravery to watch the movie as a teen (in the height of the gore boom), I found it to be as threatening as a splinter. Maybe my bloodthirsty expectations were too high but sorry, the bludgeoning of BURGESS MEREDITH wasn't going to cut it. Flash forward to today-ville and I've changed my plea to semi-obsessed. I'd say the changing of my tune is due to my need for on screen violence lessening and my getting older and relating to the characters more. Plus, I recently very much enjoyed the book that it's based on by William Goldman.
Call me crazy but I think one of life's great pleasures is reading a book that a movie was based on (or one of those tie-in novels based on a script). It's so fun to contrast and compare and every added or altered tidbit is a prize. Goldman's novel MAGIC solidified the film for me and although he certainly did a marvelous job on his adapted screenplay, I now have a better grasp of what was missing in the movie (for me) all these years. Unsurprisingly, my qualms are kindertrauma inclined. The book does a far better job filling us in on the main character's troubled childhood and abandonment by his mother, which goes a long way in explaining his mindset. Additionally, the central love story makes more sense when we are privy to the characters' full history together. Finally MAGIC's sly shell game finale works fine in the book but not at all on screen. Too little effort was made to adjust to the changed medium and I think it would have been better to drop the misdirection and go full on cat & mouse mode. Anything would be better than the film's bizarre last scene that stomps all over what should have been a bittersweet final note.
So there's a couple things I'd rather were done differently but that doesn't mean I can't still love it. At its core, MAGIC is pretty straightforward morality tale about the horror of loosing one's sense of self in an effort to achieve acceptance. ANTHONY HOPKINS portrays Corky Withers, a down on his luck magician who ads an obnoxious ventriloquist dummy to his act in a last ditch effort to save his career. The dummy "Fatts" is basically Corky's dark side, a wooden manifestation of his id. He's sort of like a precursor to an internet troll who "speaks his mind" and becomes popular with those who are cathartically thrilled by hostility but unwilling to pay the consequences themselves.
At first Fatt's cutting aggressiveness is a watershed for socially stumbling Corky and he becomes a magnet for success but his alter ego becomes harder to keep in line and soon there's a question of which persona will dominate. Like many an addict, Corky is left choosing between a mutant-self that promises plenty but threatens to eclipse him and an authentic self whose track record is marred by seclusion and little joy.
Seeing MAGIC all cleaned up on DVD in its proper ratio reveals it's certainly a lot more atmospheric than I remembered. The run-down lake house property that much of the film's later action takes place in, is deliciously dank, gloomy and downright ill-boding. The real stars of the show however are its two (or should I say three?) lead performances. I think we all know what ANTHONY HOPKINS is capable of. Truth told, our guy's weird accent in this movie is so all over the place that it's nearly kaleidoscopic but it matters zero because he's impossible to be bored by. Creepily, his very last line in the film "Kiss the girl goodbye" I swear, is full on, 100% Hannibal Lecter, to the point of giving me chills. It's almost like you can hear Hannibal being born in this movie…I kid you not. The way HOPKINS is able to bring both Fatts and Corky to life is impressive indeed and God bless ATTENBOROUGH for leaving in a blink-and-you'll-miss-it moment with Fatts clearly moving on his own accord, just to keep us on our toes. And then there's ANN-MARGRET who've I've been in love with ever since she sang a lullaby to Pebbles on THE FLINTSTONES as Ann- Margrock. She's every shade of charming and effortlessly pushes the point that MAGIC is as much a tragic love story as it is a horror/thriller.
Geez, I feel like I haven't said enough about Fatts! I totally get my younger self's desire to see him leaping around like a mad monkey slashing folks (as Chucky would soon do) but there's no denying how creepy Fatts is just chilling out, sitting still. The fact that he is designed to vaguely resemble HOPKINS certainly adds much to his unsettling quality and rarely has a non-human been such a scene-stealer. And that voice! That voice, I'm sure has launched countless nightmares. Um, where is the remake of MAGIC? That's what I'd like to know. Talk about your sleeping giants! All you'd need to do is cram some action into the final act, add a dream sequence in which Fatts massacres a busload of children and then cast SAM ROCKWELL and NAOMI WATTS as leads. Throw out a trailer that perfectly mimics the original trailer and then sit back and watch the money roll in! Who could resist it? Not me. Anyway, if you haven't seen MAGIC in a while, watch it again and just prepare to forgive it for not ramping up the thrills in the climax. And do read the book, I highly recommend it! And don't forget to listen to the theme song "Magic" by Olivia Newton John (Don't correct me, my fantasy world is an improvement on reality)!
Traumafession:: Chanter on a Menacing Hot Potato Recording
Hi Kindertrauma,　
I've been batting this particular admission around for a while now while trying in vain to find a full recording of the source, scary bits included. No luck. The closest I can find is the admittedly perfectly innocent song that followed the traumatizing two-second snippet. Oddly enough, or maybe not oddly at all, the fact that I can't now find the trauma fuel for a relisten has made the memory all the worse. Yes, this trauma has lingered for twenty-five years or more. Brrrrr!
The song in question is 'One Potato, Two Potato',' as recorded on one of many cassette tapes of nursery rhymes, songs and stories I used to listen to as a kid. The song itself wouldn't have scared me – fairly gentle tenor male voice, simple instrumentals, harmless lyrics about counting potatoes out of a basket – but it definitely took on a menacing quality due to it being right on the heels of something that did flat-out terrify me. In the immediate lead-up to the song itself, a man suddenly yelps "Ouch! That's a hot potato!"
… Good gosh.
I don't know if the sudden yell, the content (as a child, I was petrified of hot things and the possibility of being burned) or the intense tone of voice this particular gentleman used – it sure sounded intense to me! – or some combination of all three did it, but whatever it was, the end result was that I full-on dreaded that segment of the tape every time it came around. I remember burying my head in the couch cushions or plugging my ears more than once, then trying to time it so I didn't unmuffle them until the scary segment had come and gone… which often led to misjudged timing and yells of abject dismay. aaaah! I remember deliberately asking to listen to the full recording once in a brave attempt to get over my fear of it, subsequently scaring myself silly and making myself cry, much to the confusion of my parents; I had *wanted* to listen to the full tape, after all. I hadn't explained my plan of facing down terror to them before getting on with it, so I can understand why they were bewildered. It was pretty hard to explain after the fact, let me tell you.
I now have the shivers. If I ever do find a full recording of this one, I am *not* sharing it with my niece, who's now about the same age I was when first traumatized by the thing. Yeeeek!
Unearthed:: Unk's Very Own D&D Miniatures!
UNK SEZ: All that STRANGER THINGS watchin' has got me wanting to do something I never thought I would- share my very own D&D figurines! I hand painted these die cast puppies myself around the same time STRANGER THINGS took place (1983)! I even sold them at a local mom & pop hobby shop and made approximately zero dollars!
Here's my favorite! He's some kind of swamp monster. I think I fell in love with such creatures thanks to the KOLCHAK episode "The Spanish Moss Murders" (1974) and wasn't it just a couple years ago when I went mad for that NIGHT GALLERY episode "Brenda"? And then just recently that LAKE NOWHERE kind of slapped me a swampy high five too! Swamp monsters are my pals.
This guy is a "Mind Flayer" I had to look up what the hell color "mauve" was before I could paint him. Maybe I should have dusted him off before I took this picture? He's my second favorite cuz he's Lovecraft-y lookin'.
Hey, a traditional mummy! Gold paint takes the longest to dry, folks.
Who is this? A goblin? I think this is a goblin and he eats dead people. Sad!
These are shabbily painted I admit but who doesn't love harpies and skeletons?
You can't tell from this angle but the dude on the left has an excellent pornstache. I think the guy in the back fell off of a MOLLY HATCHET LP!
Satyrs! They are the coolest! They've got some lady taking off her robe with them! This is scandalous. I could get kicked out of school for such a thing!
Oh boy, it looks like creature from PROPHECY is going to kill that ginger dwarf or maybe they are friends just having a disagreement. I dunno.
Here's a rat guy hanging out with a boar-face, let's sneak past.
Finally a dragon (!) on the right, a troll (?) on the left and a Minotaur missing his axe blade. Oh wait, that's the end! Below is a demon of some sort and look how sad it is that his bottom legs broke off and I glued him to that base anyway. Oh well, at least I kept him!
Traumafession:: Kyle S. on The Haunted River Commercial
Hi Kindertrauma folks,
Great site! I've just recently found it while looking up the "Bunyip Moon" sequence from "Dot and the Kangaroo", and I love that you are covering things that used to spook us kids something fierce.
Below is my contribution…
Kings Dominion- The Haunted River commercial (1980)
Unk's Favorite Stranger Things
Howdy, I'm taking a cue from my old pal Mickster and sharing some of my own STRANGER THINGS favorite things. If you're sick of hearing about STRANGER THINGS, write a letter to your local Congressman and demand better TV shows so that this one doesn't stand out like a beautiful neon sore thumb anymore!
Winona Ryder
I admit that I fell out of love with WINONA somewhere along the line (the day I saw ALIEN RESURRECTION) but we made up eventually (the day I saw BLACK SWAN). Most tend to think of her excellent turns in HEATHERS and BEETLEJUICE when they fawn over her but seeing her hanging around a makeshift fort in STRANGER THINGS reminded me how much territory WELCOME HOME ROXY CARMICHAEAL owns in my heart. Well let it be known that WINONA tops all of her previous gigs and then some in STRANGER THINGS, she brings it full throttle in every scene. She's so exemplary at expressing rage and profound pain at the same time and I think this series makes it obvious that she's just getting started. If I were JOHNNY DEPP, I'd change my tattoo back to "Winona Forever" as soon as possible.
The Score
Thanks to flicks like DRIVE and IT FOLLOWS, synth scores are all the rage but rarely has a latter day synth score fit so perfectly within the context of a story as the chilling beats that pulsate in STRANGER THINGS. You can thank Austin band "Survive" for STRANGER's hypnotic CARPENTER crashing into MORODER awesomeness. Hey, the hairs on my arms are standing up just thinking about it!
The Songs
I know THE BANGLES' cover of "Hazy Shade of Winter" didn't come out until 1985 but it plays over the closing credits and credits don't take place in any specific time so that's OK right? I think so. Anyway life is more enjoyable when you don't sweat anachronisms too much. For the most part ST's selection of songs is pretty spot on and my ears just can't say no to THE CLASH, MODERN ENGLISH and ECHO AND THE BUNNYMAN. Oh and TOTO's "Africa", only a slobbering goon would not dig that tune. There's an official STRANGER THINGS playlist on SPOTIFTY, so check it out!
The Font
Oh geez, for years I've been searching for the STRANGER THINGS title font which I used to find on just about every horror paperback I read back in my youth. I was even thinking of going on Facebook and asking if anyone knew it but I chickened out because I was too scared of being left hanging. Thanks to STRANGER THINGS all I had to do was Google to find out I was one of many wondering the same thing! Turns out it's called ITC BENGUIAT and yes, I've downloaded it for future use.
Ben and Nicole
I, like many, fell head over heals in fascination with Barb and how could you not? But there are two other characters that also lodged themselves in my brain that I found myself wanting more of. Let's hear it for Ben the bearded bear who worked at the diner and gave Eleven french fries and is therefore a true unsung hero! I feel like if he was cast on FARGO he would have hung around much longer. And what about Nicole, the tattling ginger photographer? She didn't have many lines but she made sure to make every facial expression count while glaring and smirking from the background. We need so much more of her in Season Two!
Mickster loves Stranger Things (2016)
Unk Sez: Big thanks to our old pal Mickster (Kindertrauma's very own Eleven!) for taking time out of her busy schedule to share with us her favorite things about STRANGER THINGS. Take it away, Mickster….
It has been a long time since I have been so overwhelmed with joy by a show. When I first started hearing the buzz about Stranger Things, I thought, "Sounds cool, but I don't want to get my hopes up too high." Well, the best way I can describe my experience is the show is like a love letter to people, like me, who adore the 80s. As soon as I started watching it, I felt warm and comfortable as if I were visiting an old friend who I haven't seen in ages. To the show's credit, if a person told me this was a show from the 80s (and I didn't recognize Ryder or Modine), I would believe them because it captures the feel of the early eighties. Here is a short list of the things I loved about the show.
The Boys
Because the show is set in 1983, Mike (Finn Wolfhard), Will (Noah Schnapp), Lucas (Caleb McLaughlin), and Dustin (Gaten Matarazzo) are the age I was at the time. I totally would have been a friend of those guys. There are things about them that remind me of the boys who lived next door to me growing up. I had an absolute blast hanging out with the boys next door. The regular-looking quality of the kids makes them completely relatable, which adds to their charm. I had a similar reaction to Sam (John Francis Daley), Bill (Martin Starr), and Neal (Samm Levine) on Freaks and Geeks (1999). I want to go back in time, be twelve again, and hangout with Mike, Will, Lucas, and Dustin!
Eleven
Millie Bobby Brown (Eleven) is fantastic in this show! She doesn't speak much, but her eyes speak volumes. Her portrayal reminds me of some other characters such as Charlie McGee (Drew Barrymore) in Firestarter (1984), Furface (Sandy the Dog) in Watchers (1988), and Starman (Jeff Bridges) in Starman (1984). In regards to Drew Barrymore's character in Firestarter, the interaction between Eleven and Dr. Brenner (Matthew Modine) made me recall the interaction between John Rainbird (George C. Scott) and Charlie McGee, an elder male gaining the trust of an exceptional child in order to gain what he wants. Now when it comes to Furface in Watchers, it is more of a stretch, but Eleven made me think of this highly intelligent golden retriever just the same. Perhaps it was the way Eleven repeated protected the boys from danger the way Furface protected Travis (Cory Haim) from Lem (Michael Ironside) and the Oxcom (Phillip Wong). Eleven's love of Kellogg's Eggos sparked a memory of a scene in Starman. When Starman (Jeff Bridges) eats Dutch Apple Pie in the roadside café, his reaction is priceless. Later in the film, Starman asks for Dutch Apple Pie again the way Eleven seeks out more tasty Eggos. Bottom-line, Eleven rules and like the boys, I would want her on my side.
The Science Teacher
Mr. Clarke (Randall P. Havens) is the epitome of the dedicated teacher. Some may overlook his contribution in Stranger Things, but it stood out to me because I am a teacher. Mr. Clarke is a science teacher and I am an English teacher, but we (Yes, I know he is fictional!) both pour our lives into our students. Since the show is set in 1983, he is not contacted on his cell phone via Google Classroom like I am, but he takes time away from his date (go Mr. Clarke!) to answer Dustin's questions via landline.
Barb
Last but certainly NOT least; I will briefly touch on Barb (Shannon Purser). I cannot say too much as I want to keep this post spoiler-free; however, I will say Barb deserves more. From what I have seen on the internet after binge-watching the show, she IS getting lots of love. Barb, from yet another person who identifies with you, you are important and valued.
Review:: Lake Nowhere (2016)
It's my duty as a citizen to inform you all about a lil' horror movie that impressed the heck out of me called LAKE NOWHERE. Honestly, I'm not always the best audience for ultra low budget cinema because I can only hold back the bitter critical voice in my head for so long and I've been burned by vapid horror scenester vanity projects way too many times before. Turns out that any trepidation I might have had checking out a recent local screening (shout out to PUFF and Philly's greatest video rental/coffee spot CINEMUG) were completely unwarranted because LAKE NOWHERE is not only the best slasher salute I've seen in a long time but it's also surprisingly effective at delivering genuine chills. There's something incredibly appealing about the entire aesthetic of the flick. It's beautifully shot and almost painterly in its composition and I kept finding myself fantasizing about blowing up certain frames of the film and maybe hanging them over my couch.
Here's a complaint though; it's too short! That's a bit of a compliment too because I just wanted it to go on and on. Thankfully it's padded in the begging in a rather clever way with old school faux trailers for other flicks, each of which I would be very excited to see in the future. As cool as those retro trailers are, they're sneakily misleading. They are presented caked in scratchy VHS damage and noise and they're almost built to sway the viewer to let down their guard thinking they are in for the standard eighties homage. NOWHERE delivers on that level for sure but it also delivers on a bizarrely uncanny and unnerving tone you might not be ready for. Instead of focusing on the usual flippant references and heavy handed nudging towards outdated attire, directors CHRISTOPHER PHELPS and MAXIM VAN SCOY (yes, I'm jealous of that name), set their sights on a morose LET'S SCARE JESSICA TO DEATH kind of atmosphere. As long as I'm title dropping, NOWHERE also triggered freaky/fond memories of two of my favorite cabin in the woods movies, SCREAMS OF A WINTER NIGHT and the original, less funny EVIL DEAD.
I'm not sure if it's an appropriate comparison but for my tastes I enjoyed LAKE NOWHERE a lot more than either segment of the similarly drive-in inclined GRINDHOUSE(2007). I stand so impressed that these young filmmakers were able to capture the authentic tone that so many others have swung and missed at. Furthermore, this baby reeks of having serious re-watch value. Actually, now that I think of it, its short length might be an asset if you view it between two other flicks during a late night marathon. Oh man, I didn't even mention that it's wonderfully blood-soaked and gory in the old school FRIDAY THE 13TH tradition! Is it spoiler-y to say there is a scene involving a head and a neck parting ways thanks to a sharp weapon that made the whole room erupt in cheers and gasps? Oh and the killer! You know I love that THE FINAL GIRLS (2015) flick but I truly did not dig the look of that killer, particularly his dopey mask. The unnervingly amorphous yet consistently striking threat in LAKE NOWHERE has got something so dark, dank and primordial going on, that it really gets under your skin.
Slasher movie homages are a dime a dozen but truly good ones are practically unicorns. LAKE NOWHERE happens to be right up my alley and besides touching all the bases I require in a slasher flick it goes one better by summoning that difficult to describe eeriness something like THE LEGEND OF BOGGY CREEK (1972) is so drenched in. I sure hope that it'll show up in everybody's neck of the woods but in the meantime why not follow LAKE NOWHERE on Facebook HERE to keep up to date. Word has it that it will be available on VOD and DVD August 16th and that's fine by me because I'm surely going to want to watch this gem again come Halloween.
