Frightfest London 2015: Mark Murphy Interview

Here we go with the start of our Frightfest 2015 coverage. We're kicking off in fine style with an interview with Mark Murphy, director of Awaiting, a claustrophobic tale of terror set in the remote English countryside. The movie stars mega-talented Scottish character actor Tony Curran who delivers a chilling performance in the role of Morris. He's joined by ex-X-Factor contestant Diana Vickers and Rupert Hill who popped up in 2012's Entity. I'll be running a review of Awaiting after its Frightfest screening and would like to thank Mark for taking the time to answer my questions.

AOTD: Tell us a little bit about your experience shooting Awaiting. How many days did you shoot for? Did the script change at all during the shoot? Were there any disasters or did it all go smoothly? 

MM: We shot for four weeks up in Yorkshire, in the summer, 2 weeks on location, 2 weeks in the studio. Shooting in the studio allowed us to fly through the scenes, but shooting in the forest, in the pleasant weather was great fun. Usually, if it’s a happy shoot there’s aways a great comradery amongst film crews, and this is was exactly that, we had a lot of fun, and a lot beers in the evening. No major disasters, apart from nearly losing the main location a few days before shooting was due to begin, but after I sent a few saucy photos of myself, everyone was happy, and we were back on track. I think we were fairly lucky, the Gods must have been smiling upon us.   

AOTD: Awaiting is for much of its runtime a chamber piece. Did you write the script with what was presumably a very low budget in mind? 

MM: A couple of reasons really, it definitely helped with the budget by keeping the locations minimal, although that being said we had several sets built, which became an expense, but also the heart of the film is about isolation, for all three of the characters, Morris, being a social outcast, Lauren not having anyone in her life beyond Morris, and Jake who gets taken from the life he knows and trapped in the grisly world of Morris and Lauren. 

AOTD: Tony Curran is a well-established character actor while Diana Vickers is obviously better known as a pop singer. It’s an interesting mix. Tell us a little bit about the casting process. What were you looking for and did the cast you ended up with mirror your expectations? 

MM: We’ve got three different generations/sources of actors for sure, and all brought unique and valuable elements to the film. Tony, as you say, is an established Hollywood actor, having worked with Spielberg, Scott, Mann, etc. etc. and he brings a wealth of experience and talent, film is in his blood, and he brought Morris to life as a fantastically charming yet nightmarish character. Rupert has years of TV experience, having been in Coronation Street for six years, and his approach was slightly different to Tony’s, more analytical of the character, and worked hard to get under the skin of Jake. Diana, of course was in X Factor, and had her music career, but she also starred on stage in the West End in Little Voice, so had the acting chops on her. When she auditioned, I wasn’t aware of her singing career, not being an X Factor fan, but my mum was delighted when she found out. All three made the characters their own, and I’m delighted with what they brought to the party. 

AOTD: There’s a particular scene of self-mutilation in Awaiting that I don't want to spoil. I'm sure you'll know which scene I'm referring to. Did you research whether the method used by the character to achieve his grisly goal would actually work or did you simply think, “Fuck it…it’ll look cool.” 

MM: Honestly, a bit of both. I wrote it because I felt it was an imaginative, and original plot twist, but when it came to the prosthetics, we did have to research how and if it would work. I wouldn’t suggest anyone giving it a go, to try and prove me wrong.

AOTD: Tony Curran handles the accent very well and is a truly terrifying and convincing psychopath. Did he bring any of his own ideas to the table?

MM: Well it helped that Tony’s a terrifying and convincing psychopath in real life, so he was able to bring that personal experience to the table… I jest, but Tony did ring me up out of the blue from Los Angeles, a week or two before shooting started. I didn’t recognise the number and he was testing out his Morris persona, it scared the shit out of me, it took a few moments to realise that it was Tony, and not some guy called Morris who I owed money to and wanted to kill me. 

AOTD: Did you ever consider allowing him to keep his native accent? Because surely there’s nothing scarier than a Scottish madman. 

MM: I didn’t want the film to be that scary to be honest, so thought I’d make it less terrifying by keeping him south of the border, seriously, the scariest film character of all time has to be Begbie from Trainspotting. We did play around with the accent, but I wanted it to feel like this is where Tony had grown up, and if we kept it Scottish, then Diana would have to go with it as well, now that would have been scary, a Blackburn girl trying on the Scottish accent. Actually my mother’s family is Scottish, so there were definitely a few inspiring relatives I could base Morris on. 

AOTD: Awaiting isn't your first foray into the horror genre.  Is it a genre you feel particularly drawn to and if so why? 

MM: I don’t think so, to be honest, I feel I let the side down with my first film, The Crypt, I’m definitely very proud of this one though, I’m not genre-centric, the film I’m shooting this summer is a comedy. The one after that, hopefully, a war drama, but who knows, I’ve still got a couple of interesting horror scripts on the table, so may try tackling it again soon. For me I’m more led by the story, if it’s engaging with interesting characters, less so by the genre.

AOTD: Are there any past masters of horror cinema, or just cinema in general, whose work you particularly respect and who have had an influence on your approach to film-making? 

MM: For sure, I’d say my favourite director is David Fincher, and Seven was hugely influential for me making this film. Silence of the Lambs of course is another one, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want Morris to be as chilling as Hannibal Lector, and probably my favourite film of all time is Jaws. I once met David Fincher when Girl With the Dragon Tattoo came out. I told him that Seven was one of my favourite films, he replied; “I hope the police know where you are at all times.” Happy times :) 

AOTD: Are you going to stick with horror or are there other genres you would like to try and would you be comfortable directing from someone else’s script should the opportunity present itself? 

MM: As with the earlier response, I love horror films, but wouldn’t pin myself down to one specific genre, I love films and I love film making, and if I can get to experiment with as many genres as possible I’ll be a hugely happy and lucky guy. Maybe not musicals though. For sure I’d be happy to work on other people’s scripts, although I’d definitely ending up re-stirring the pot to try and put my signature on it. 

AOTD: Awaiting is screening at Frightfest in London next month. Do you have a message for the audience? 

MM: Love me. No, just that I hope you enjoy the film and that it rattles around in your head for a day or two after. If you don’t like it, I apologise profusely and promise my next one will be better.

Frightfest London 2014 - Housebound

I feel an explanation is due. Yesterday we published a review of Housebound as part of our Frightfest coverage which was written by Sam Inglis who is responsible for the brilliant 24 Frames Per Second movie blog (seriously...check it out it's fantastic). Here he occupies the role of my wing man and sometimes, inevitably, we disagree on the quality of a movie. I decided that in the event of my opinion of Housebound being significantly more positive than his I would put up my own counterpoint review. And so it came to pass that I enjoyed the movie approx twice as much as Sam did.  We would appreciate you sharing your opinion. Did you enjoy Housebound or do you share Sam's opinion that its critical success is entirely bewildering? Feedback can be provided either by leaving a comment here or letting us know via our Twitter feed (https://twitter.com/AOTDBlog).  Without further ado he's my 8 out of 10 review. Enjoy.

Housebound is an extremely satisfying and, for a first feature, surprisingly confident exercise in cinematic misdirection that has gathered a healthy amount of buzz as it's bounced from festival to festival in the wake of its debut at South by Southwest in March 2014.  Even if it isn't quite as perfect as the close to 100% positive word of mouth would suggest it really doesn't fall too short of living up to the critical response and puts New Zealand director Gerard Johnstone firmly on the radar as a talent worth watching.  It's even received plaudits from none other than Peter Jackson; a guy who knows a thing or two about how to deliver a great low-budget horror flick complete with a side-order of humour.

The story opens with a badly botched attempt to break into a cash point which results in wild child Kylie being sentenced to home detention for eight months.  So it is that she finds herself a prisoner in her childhood home with only her motormouth mother and taciturn stepfather to keep her company.  The house itself appears to be haunted and it soon becomes apparent that it comes complete with one of those pesky violent histories with a young girl having been brutally murdered during its previous existence as a halfway house for disturbed adolescents.  With the scene set thusly writer/director Johnstone takes the audience on a twisty-turny, relentlessly fun journey from spookfest to murder mystery with energetic, always entertaining results.

Chief amongst the many things Johnstone gets right with Housebound is the casting. Ex-Neighbours actress Morgana O'Reilly hits precisely the right note as the errant daughter and makes Kylie's transformation from disrespectful wastrel to heroine completely believable.  There's also quite a lot of physical stunt-work in the last half hour of the movie and she really throws herself into it.  Her long-suffering and slightly dippy mother Miriam is brought to wonderful life by Rima Te Wiata, another veteran of Aussie soap, and the back and forth between parent and daughter is consistently entertaining thanks to an often amusing script. Glen Paul-Waru, who plays Amos, the security guard charged with overseeing Kylie's detention and who also happens to have a keen interest in all things paranormal is less effective but not disastrously so.  Perhaps this is a result of his having less acting experience.  He has some off moments but overall he's decent and his character is so amiable that it's easy to forgive his momentary shortcomings.

The other star of the movie is the house itself.  Full of strange noises and lights that tend to switch off at the least opportune moment it provides a wonderfully atmospheric backdrop and as its various secrets are revealed becomes only more effective as Housebound spirals towards its action packed conclusion. It helps that in Simon Riera the movie is gifted with a cinematographer who delivers some fine hand held camerawork, full of clever fast-cuts,  without ever straying into the intolerable realms of shakey-cam where, more often than not, it becomes impossible to follow the flow of the action from one moment to the next.  Overall it's a handsomely lensed movie.

The only problem I had with Housebound is less to do with the quality of the movie and more an issue with it being marketed as a horror comedy.  The humour here is largely derived from the characters and the dialogue rather than from the situation and, with the exception of one scene near the end, I found myself smiling along with it rather than laughing. If you go in expecting it to be uproariously funny in the style of Braindead you might be a bit disappointed. It's not that kind of movie.

There's much I'm unable to say about this wonderful addition to New Zealand's sadly limited history of horror cinema. There are twists and turns that are so intrinsic to the movie's effectiveness that to go into any more detail than I already have would be to insult the film-makers and deprive its future audience of much of the fun it has to offer.  Housebound is an exciting ride, packed with ghoulish surprises, that despite being close to two hours long hurtles along at such a pace that it feels so much shorter.   Highly recommended.

Steve's Score:

Frightfest London 2014: Truth or Dare

Dir: Jessica Cameron

Truth or Dare has a strong, simple concept: a group of friends who call themselves the Truth or Dare Devils  and have become popular through uploading dare videos to youtube are kidnapped by Derik (Ryan Kiser), their biggest fan and forced into a deadly version of the eponymous game, all of which is being filmed and uploaded to their channel.

Jessica Cameron's feature directorial début does work on a level of commentary; it has things to say about obsessive fandom and the way fans increasingly are able to feel like they know their idols, thanks to social media. Happily, Truth or Dare is no po-faced examination of these issues, nor is it a moral panic film about the perceived dangers of the net, rather Cameron and co-writer Jonathan Scott Higgins use their theme as a hook on which to hang a fun, funny and increasingly extreme 80 minutes of horror.

Their are two great advantages to basing the entirety of a film around a game of Truth or Dare: it imposes a structure, with the characters each taking their turns, and the dramatic stakes are built in, as either option is likely to lead to something unpleasant, be it a secret being revealed or dare that is difficult to stomach or achieve.  Cameron takes full advantage of both of these virtues, building the horror and the stakes turn by turn as the games becomes ever more extreme.  This also allows the film to deal in different kinds of horror; from the shock of the opening to the psychological horror of early revelations to the visceral, painful, gore of the last 15 minutes.

The biggest directorial choice here is that of the shooting style and, thankfully, Cameron opts not to shoot the whole film as found footage (though she does make use of the camcorder that the group's captor is using during the game).  The great virtue of this choice is that it means that we can focus on the story, rather than on the mechanics of the film's style.  The screenplay isn't always completely plausible, especially the amount of dark secrets in this one room and the idea that the videos being uploaded by Derik are getting 400,000 hits within about 20 minutes.  That said, the screenplay builds effectively and delivers a lot of nice shock moments, particularly a cool one for Cameron herself, responding nonchalantly and unexpectedly to an extreme dare.

The performances are a mixed bag, but there are some real highlights.  Ryan Kiser's twitchy mania lends an unpredictability to Derik that sets the film effectively on edge right from his first appearance and Jessica Cameron and Heather Dorff are increasingly effective as the film ratchets up the punishment being doled out and reveals more and more about their characters.  The other performances have their moments, but don't, overall, match up to the three leads, it's here that you can sense a little time and budget pressure on the film.

Truth or Dare isn't the most visually interesting of films, but that's more down to the single setting and the turn based structure, which, effective as it can be from a story point of view, also lays down a visual template for the film that doesn't always work to its advantage.  However, the film is never dull and, when it comes to what horror fans are likely to care most about; the gore effects, acquits itself very well.  There are, again, a couple of glimpses of possible time pressure in the visuals, especially in one glaring (if brief) continuity error, which really should have resulted in another take.

Overall, Truth or Dare isn't a masterpiece. Its origins as a project conceived and made by a group of friends are clear in the sometimes scrappy feel of the project, but Jessica Cameron and crew largely turn this to their advantage.  The somewhat frenzied atmosphere after the group are kidnapped papers over some of the film's rougher edges, and throws us right in with the characters.  It's a fun, engaging, nasty little film and promises interesting things to come from this team.

Frightfest London 2014: Housebound

Dir: Gerard Johnstone

Housebound, if the critical reaction so far is anything to go by, appears to be on track to be one of the big hits of Frightfest, but it left me extremely disappointed, and not a little baffled as to why it's had such a great reception so far.

Kylie  (Morgana O'Reilly) is in her mid-twenties and after a botched cashpoint robbery she is sentenced to eight months house arrest at her estranged Mother's (Rima Te Wiata) home.  Kylie's mother has long believed the house is haunted, which Kylie dismisses until she begins to hear noises.  After one incident Kylie's probation officer Amos (Glen-Paul Waru), who is interested in the paranormal, begins investigating the history of the house, eventually drawing Kylie in to what seems to be developing into a murder mystery.

Housebound is essentially a film of two halves, neither of them especially original or notably brilliantly executed.  In its first half it develops into a very standard issue noises off haunted house movie; creaking pipes, creepy props and the odd boo scare.  The second half switches focus slightly, becoming a murder mystery (but not a terribly well developed or interesting one) with horror undertones.  I've also seen reviews allege that Housebound is meant to be a horror comedy.  I'm not sure where anyone gets that impression, but I can only recall one thing I'd call a joke.

Morgana O'Reilly is okay as Kylie, but she's not an especially interesting or enjoyable character to follow.  Kylie treats everyone around her (Mum, Stepfather, probation officer, psychiatrist) with contempt and evolves only minimally as the film goes on.  You can't blame O'Reilly for turning in a one note performance when that appears to be what was on the page, but one note it is.  The only character you can really root for here is Amos, (and Glen-Paul Waru does a nice job in the part) but the film does less and less with him as it goes on and he stops fulfilling its exposition needs by motivating Kylie (a bit).  By the end, Housebound seems to be chucking things at the wall to see if they'll stick, and for me they seldom do, especially in the case of a character introduced late in the day to no story purpose but to be a red herring (also, where does he get his make up?)

In a murder mystery there is often a balancing act between seeding your solution so that it doesn't arrive out of the blue and tipping your hand too early.  Housebound doesn't strike this balance well, instead it simply seems to run out of characters who could have been responsible, before surrendering to a very rote stalk and slash ending.

There are a few nice ideas in Housebound, but several are poorly used.  The fact that Kylie is tied to the house by the ankle bracelet that enforces her house arrest is an idea that promises much drama, but it's only used once and the twist with Amos' character, while a fun moment, means it can't pay off a second time.  Only a couple of scenes stand out as being truly effective. First is the one joke I recall, which starts by playing on a typical shower scene and has a neat payoff.  Secondly there's a decent suspense scene as Kylie searches the house of her leading suspect in the murder.  These moments are fine, but they hardly add up to much when combined with the rest of the film.

Housebound isn't terrible, if it were I actually might have had more fun with it, instead it's a rather dull exercise that walks two well traveled paths and isn't especially interesting company on either journey.

Sam's Score

Frightfest London 2014 - Jessica Cameron Interview

When I approached Jessica Cameron to request access to a screener of Truth & Dare I honestly didn't know what to expect of the movie. Female horror director's are few and far between and female horror directors who are willing to give the guys a run for the money in terms of bringing the nasty are in even shorter supply. So it was with dark delight that I discovered that Truth or Dare doesn't just deliver in terms of shocks but at times surpasses most of its peers without breaking a sweat. This is a movie that doesn't break taboos so much as it tears them into a bloody, ruptured mess, sets fire to the remains then pisses on the ashes while all the time laughing like a maniac. Oh...and it's a lot of fun at the same time. Anyway...here's how the interview went.

AOTD: Did you see Truth or Dare as an opportunity to prove that female horror directors can go toe to toe with the gents when it comes to shock factor?

JC: I did. I actually didn't intend to direct this when my co-writer Jon Higgins and I drafted the script. We originally went out to 6 indie directors and I was surprised that it was the male directors who had the biggest problems with the content. I didn't want to change the story or "water it down" (cause I hate that) and Devanny Pinn was actually the first to tell me that I should direct it. After I thought about it I realized that I was the only one who WANTED to tell this story as it was written in all its glorious, violent detail.

AOTD: You co-wrote the script with Jonathan Scott Higgins and you're working with him again on Mania. How does the collaborative process work for you guys?

JC: With Truth Or Dare we actually worked a lot closer to each other. With Mania I have given notes but its been a very different process. Jon and I have both been working on so many other projects this year that he really took to the general concept and went nuts with it. He's a great writer and I am much more of an idea kinda gal. I have these cool concepts and ideas but without Jon to connect the dots I would be lost. 

AOTD: Tell us a little bit about the casting process. How did you guys go about filling the roles and what were you looking for in your actors besides the ability to convincingly deliver agonising screams?

JC: When Jon and I were writing it we wrote it with a few people in mind. Luckily for us they all loved the script and wanted to do the film.The few remaining roles we cast via auditions. We intentionally tried to write a script with as few actors as possible. When your making a low budget feature film keeping the cast small is crucial. We held in person auditions as well as accepting video ones. 

I get asked by actors all the time how they can submit to my films but the reality is I cast who I know, who I think is talented, will be a joy on set and promote the film afterwards. The best thing an actor can do is politely email me their headshot and resume, with all their links and then stay involved in my film world. Every time an actor likes the status on my films facebook page its a reminder that they are engaged and involved, its the polite way to remind me that you are still there.

AOTD: How comfortable (or uncomfortable) were they with some of the more extreme moments?

JC: I tried to be very honest and upfront so that everyone knew  what they were getting into from the start. I think that helped a lot. It's important that everyone from the actors to the crew know what to expect as far as what you are filming. Some of the actors were definitely more comfortable then others but all were very professional about it which is key when filming such delicate scenes. We tried to work at each actors comfort level, work at their speed. I was really smart about casting actors whose personalities would mesh which helped a lot too so that they could bond and as a result like and trust each other in those delicate scenes.

AOTD: What were the main challenges you faced bringing your original vision to the screen intact on what must have been a very tight budget?  Did the shoot go smoothly?

JC: The shoot went pretty smoothly. I am a huge fan of having a plan B and plan C for EVERYTHING and there were certainly times when this was needed. But overall it was pretty smooth. I really focused on getting the best team and one that I felt would work well together. I think that this is crucial when it comes to having a successful shoot. One bad apple really can spoil the whole bunch, so aligning the right team for the right project is crucial!

The biggest challenge was getting the best technical quality without a budget  and limited crew. We shot long hours, worked hard and really  just focused on getting the best quality that we could.

AOTD: Truth or Dare has been hitting the festival circuit pretty hard. How critical do you feel this is to independent film-makers and do you enjoy sitting in a room full of horror geeks and gauging whether they are digging your movie or is it a bit of an ordeal?

JC: I think film festivals are wonderful for creating "noise" for your project and also getting film makers to connect with the horror fans directly. For me its been really encouraging to see their reactions face to face. When you give your everything to a project, and then you get to see people really appreciate it,  it warms your heart.

It is very hectic though to be doing it ALL yourself (or in my case with my producer Jon Higgins). There is just so much to do when it comes to the festival circuit - submitting and filling out all the forms, promoting, attending, marketing, etc. Its a full time job all by itself!

AOTD: Truth or Dare is your feature debut. What do you think you’ve learned from the experience?

JC: I learned so much. First of all the importance of post production - your post team is so important. As an actor you like to believe that you create the character, and though this is true I really got to see how characters and the story line can be adjusted through the magic of editing. I also leaned about when to push back and stick to your guns and when to compromise.

AOTD: The indie horror scene has been jumping for the last several years.  What movies have particularly impressed you and why?

JC - There are so many great indie genre films in the last few years. Some of my favorites include:

American Mary - The Soska's really made a powerful and beautiful film, with strong subtext. Their ability to create these strong female characters who are unlike any we have seen before is impressive.

Excision - Ricky Bates really was able to pull amazing performances out of his cast, and its such a unique story with an ending that even I did not see coming.

You're Next - Adam Wingard and Simon Barret really worked to tell an original take on the classic "home invasion" story line. They characters were all unique and I liked how they incorporated so much into this tight script.

AOTD: Three great choices there. I love them all but especially Excision. What do you think of the current state of mainstream horror?

JC: I think mainstream horror is pretty boring and generic, over all at least. For me the indie horror scene is producing much more original and interesting content. So much of the studio produced films are generic, or repetitive these last few years. The studios are so much more afraid to take a chance with an original story/ cast/ sub-genre/ etc.

I love that the indie scene is where the directors and producers seem to be taking more risks and creating original content.

I am honored to be a part of it!

AOTD: Moving forward do you intend to juggle directing with acting and what does your immediate future hold in regard to both?

JC: You know after "Truth or Dare" I honestly did not think that I would direct again. Its just so much more work, you have to spend years on the same film, etc. Acting is so much easier and quite frankly you get so many more accolades. However I am a sucker for a great story, and as a horror fan I feel that there are stories that are not being told currently in the genre world. So I want to help bring them to life in whatever capacity I can, be it as an actor, producer or director.  
I have announced my next directing gig, "Mania" which is a "Fucked up Lesbian Love Story". I just fell in love with this twisted tale and knew that I was not right to act in it. So I opted to get behind the camera again. Its much more of a character piece, its a cross between two of my favorite films "Thelma and Louise" and "Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer".

AOTD: Truth or Dare is screening at Frightfest in London this week. Do you guys have a message for the audience?

JC: One of the most important messages I try to get out there is if I can make a movie, anyone with the passion and desire can too. Just get off your ass and do it : )  I mean I did not go to school for film, or acting for that matter and just  put all my time/effort and energy into it and its been an amazing experience. Everyone should follow their dreams, you only get to live this life once!

And of course - beware Youtube stars and their crazed fans.

AOTD: I just want to finish up by saying thanks for taking the time to do this. I think Truth or Dare is going to kick ass at Frightfest and I hope you have a really awesome time there.

Frightfest London 2014 - Lucky McKee/Chris Sivertson Interview

Lucky McKee and Chris Sivertson, co-creators of All Cheerleaders Die (review coming next week) were kind enough to agree to answer some questions as part of our series of pieces on this year's Frightfest event which kicks off today in London. Here's how that went.

AOTD: Can you guys tell us a little bit about the original version of All Cheerleaders Die and what led to that becoming something of a lost movie?

Lucky/Chris: The original ACD was us having our first go at a feature length film fresh out of college. We came up with a simple, aggressive idea and just went for it, teaching ourselves how to make a movie from soup to nuts. It was an incredible learning experience and made all the better by the fact that we were working as a team, learning how to collaborate, learning from each other's discoveries along the way. Once we finished the film we didn't really push trying to get it distributed and before we knew it we were on to our solo professional careers, so the movie just sat and aged like wine over time. It's a nice little time capsule for us and we are very interested in releasing a special edition of it sometime down the road for those curious about it.

AOTD: Any chance of it turning up as an extra on the DVD/Blu-ray release of the 2014 version when it hits or is it something you're both happy to leave buried?

Lucky/Chris: No. We definitely want it out there, but we want it to be something special, so we're going to take the time to put together something that's really worth the audiences while.

AOTD: Following on from the previous questions can you tell us a little bit about the gestation of this new version? How much DNA does it share with the 2001 version?

Lucky/Christ: There are similarities in the base idea and a few strange connections here and there, but for the most part, this new version is it's own animal. We're different people now, and the new film reflects that.

AOTD: How does the collaborative process work for you guys? Does having a partner during the writing and directing process make things easier or does it present its own set of challenges?

Lucky/Chris: It's pretty fluid. We've been helping each other on our individual works over the years, writing scripts together, you name it. We've been collaborating since we were in our late teens, so it's a special thing. We have a unique dialect and sense of humor between us and that comes out when we work together. This film isn't much like our own personal films. It's a different deal entirely. 

AOTD: The tone of All Cheerleaders Die is quite erratic; at times shifting suddenly to jolting effect. Are there any movies that influenced the tone of the movie?

Lucky/Chris:We were very excited about exploring tone shifts…or "mood swings"…within this story. Our influences are films that play outside the box structurally. Films that unfold in a different way than the standard hero's journey. We were also determined to not have this movie explain itself too much. We just let it be what it is.

AOTD: It looks like it was a fun movie to make. How did the casting process go? Was it a smooth shoot? What was the on-set dynamic among the actors like?

Lucky/Chris: The casting was extensive and is one of the great and exciting parts of putting together a film. A good actor makes us look like better writers and directors. We were on the lookout for people that would give the story more dimension and…most especially…give us more ideas to play with.

AOTD: Both of you guys have separately adapted Jack Ketchum novels. What is it that attracted you both to his work and are there any novelists other than Ketchum either of you would like to adapt?

Lucky/Chris: Sure. There's a bunch of great books out there. Many I would love to adapt, but as time goes on, it seems those opportunities are rare. It costs money to get the rights to a book and unless you pay for it yourself, you can end up losing control over things a bit which isn't very attractive. Personally, I've been trying to concentrate on material that I create and/or create with people I know and trust deeply.

AOTD: What do you guys think of the current state of the horror genre?

Lucky/Chris: It's as fine as it's ever been. There's good new horror films every year. It's one of the more consistent genres, I think.

AOTD: What's next for both of you guys both? Is a sequel to All Cheerleaders Die a possibility?

Lucky/Chris: It's definitely a possibility. We'd very much like to get into it, but we'd like to see how this one does first. Enough people need to want it, y'know? Otherwise, I'm just working on new stories, trying to build up a bunch of options for myself over the next couple years. Lot's of new exciting stuff to share before the year is out.

AOTD:  All Cheerleaders Die is screening at Frightfest in London this week. Do you guys have a message for the audience?

Lucky/Chris: The last time I was at Frightfest it was one of the best audience experiences I've ever had with one of my films. It was pretty hard to beat. And the presentation was phenomenal. I'm hoping lightning strikes twice with this new film, which is made with one of my oldest and dearest friends. This is not a Lucky McKee film…it's not a Chris Sivertson film…it's a McKee/Sivertson film and it's a whole new thing. One we're very proud of.

AOTD: I just want to finish off by saying thank you for allowing us to ask you guys some questions and wish you both all the best for Frightfest.

Frightfest London 2014 Preview - Main Screen Part Two

Here's another trio of recommendation from this year's packed Frightfest main screen line-up. More main screen action to come tomorrow night plus we'll be diving into the Discovery Screen line-up.

The Babadook

Directed by Jennifer Kent

REPULSION meets ‘The Gruffalo’ in writer/director Jennifer Kent’s Sundance acclaimed debut feature as the unresolved traumas of a conflicted mother and disturbed son manifest as a malevolent entity threatening to consume them both. Amelia (Essie Davis in a stunning performance) and her son, Sam, have had a raw deal in life. Her husband Oskar died six years prior while driving her to the hospital pregnant with Sam, and his birthday is a particularly painful reminder. But this year things worsen dramatically. Samuel’s been having nightmares, and when a mysterious pop-up children’s book appears on his shelf titled ‘Mister Babadook’, he is finally able to put a name to the terror. Amelia tries to handle Sam with patience, understanding and sedatives, but his increasing feral aggression and her growing lack of sleep lead them inexorably towards the darkness. Prepare for horrific chills fuelled by grief, madness and monsters in the closet.

I remember when The Babadook intially appeared on my radar. The title of the movie alone filled me with curiosity. Such an unusal name.  Then I saw the trailer and that initial interest caught fire and Jennifer Kent's debut became one of my most anticipated movies of 2014.  There's something about the monster in the closet or under the bed that has never quite left me even though I'm now an adult of 44.  I still find myself sometimes startled awake by a noise in the night only to find myself staring, hypnotised at that patch of darkness that seems just that little bit more dense than it ought to be.  I even find myself closing the wardrobe door in the bedroom I share with my wife rather than leave it ajar.  An overactive imagination some would call it and they'd probably be right. But always that tiny little voice in the back of my mind whispering, "what if".  Garnish that with the fact that I have step children today complete with the multitude of worries and concerns that come with that and this movie taps into both distant childhood terrors never forgotten and adult concerns for the safety of your loved ones.  That's a potent brew right there and the success of The Babadook on the festival circuit with both fans and critics alike suggests it gets the mix just right.  This is one not to miss.  (Oh...and how cool is that poster?)

The Green Inferno

Directed by Eli Roth

From genre guru Eli Roth comes a post-modern celebration of the notoriously lurid and savage Italian cannibal genre as popularised by director Ruggero Deodato, his HOSTEL 2 star. Roth’s long-awaited return to the director’s chair after this six-year absence finds politically attuned, if naïve, NYC university student Justine roped into a campus activist group’s idealistic plan to travel to Peru to halt the annihilation of an endangered tribe by a corrupt construction company. But after a horrific plane crash that leaves half the radicals dead, the survivors are drugged, taken hostage and caged by the very tribe they were trying to help. Worse the mountain clan are cannibals and they are ravenous. Tapping into dark fears of man’s inhumanity to man with grisly humour and brutally matter-of-fact style violence, this jungle holocaust delves into bleak and thought-provoking horror with the disturbing aplomb Roth fans have come to recognise and appreciate.

Eli Roth is one of the most devisive figures currently working in the field of horror cinema.  Although I distance myself from the opinions of horror fans who think he's an overrated hack who is 100% ego to 0% talent I'm also not entirely comfortable with the idea that he was ever, or ever will be, the future of horror.  Cabin Fever and the first Hostel movie were fun but flawed.  I am, however, a huge fan of Hostel II and consider it to be a subversive gem of a genre movie that's far cleverer than most people give it credit for.  The Green Inferno represents Roth's homage to a genre I'm widly unfamiliar with.  The Italian cannibal movie.  My lack of knowledge results from my not having the stomach for unsimulated scenes of animal cruelty (something that will change soon when I finaly work up the nerve to watch Cannibal Holocaust).  At least that won't be an issue here but I have no doubt The Green Inferno will prove as polarising as his previous movies and for that reason alone this is a must see just so you can join in the debate afterwards.

Starry Eyes

Directed by Kevin Kolsch & Dennis Widmyer

In the city of dreams, a desperate actress will do whatever it takes for the role of a lifetime, no matter what the cost. Determined to make it in Hollywood, reluctant waitress Sarah Walker (superb Alex Essoe) goes on countless casting calls in hope of getting her big break. After a series of weird auditions at the mysterious Astraeus Pictures, she lands her dream part. But with this opportunity comes bizarre ramifications that will transform her both mentally and physically into something beautiful… and altogether more terrifying. From Travis Stevens, producer of CHEAP THRILLS, an occult tale of ambition, possession and the true cost of fame and fortune. Skilfully and scarily showing the ways in which tarnished Tinsel Town can turn a sweet starlet into an ego-maniacal monster, this nightmarish tragedy reveals for all to see what it means when actors talk about putting their soul on the screen.

I really like the look of this.  Starry Eyes exudes a real Lynchian vibe that's obvious even from the trailer with echoes of both Mulholland Drive and Inland Empire coming through.  I'm a big fan of occult horror, an obsession I can trace back to a Saturday night screening on BBC2 of the Hammer adaptation of Dennis Wheatley's brilliant The Devil Rides Out.  Of particular note is a reportedly startling central performance courtesy of Elex Essoe as a fame hungry wannabe who sells her soul in exchange for success.  Add to this the production sass of Travis Stevens who has been involved in some truly striking genre movies over the course of the last several years including previous Frightfest hit Cheap Thrills and Starry Eyes starts to look like something that could potentially be one of the hits of this year's festival.

Faults

Directed by Riley Stearns

A subversive, psychologically disturbing back comedy marking the feature film debut of director/writer Riley Stearns, who cleverly employs the considerable talents of his wife Mary Elizabeth Winstead to play Claire – a young woman who appears to be under the grip of a mysterious new cult called ‘Faults’. After a rough divorce that has left him without any money, foremost cult expert Ansel (Leland Orser) is on tour giving seminars about such brainwashing. Approached by Claire’s distraught parents, he agrees to help them, and their daughter’s de-programming seems to run smoothly enough. However, the more Ansel spends with Claire the more he starts to doubt she’s actually brainwashed. Maybe there is something to ‘Faults’ after all? From this point on an unpredictable battle of wills begins; the question being raised, just who is being deprogrammed? Bizarre, unsettling and gripping, this proved a sleeper hit when shown at SXSW.

I can't say too much about Riley Stearns' debut feature Faults without running the risk of spoiling the various surprises it has in store for the lucky Frightfest audience. What I can say is that it's excellent and there's no doubt in my mind that what we have here is one of the highlights of this year's festival.  Featuring a couple of remarkably controlled performances courtesy of Mary Elizabeth Winstead and Leland Orser (both outstanding) and gifting them with a tight, character driven script, this is a slow burn indie gem that I'm already itching to see again. Considering he only had a few shorts to his name before now I'm truly impressed by Stearns' direction here. Faults delivers a beautifully orchestrated battle of wills, unfolding with uncommon subtlety and restraint for an utterly absorbing 90 minutes. Do not miss this and look out for our full review sometime next week.

Frightfest London 2014 Preview - Main Screen Part One

It's Frightfest time again and I'm gong to waste no time with waffle and get straight into my recommendations.  Here are the movies that I think horror fans should be checking out starting with what the main screen has to offer.  If you're attending the festival please let us know either via the comments section below or via our Twitter account what movies you're most looking forward to this year.

The Guest

Directed by Adam Wingard

Hold on tight for a slick, fast, fun, killer thriller. A brilliant homage to 1980s action flicks and slasher horror given a sharp twist by YOU’RE NEXT director Adam Wingard, it showcases ex-‘Downton Abbey’ actor Dan Stevens in an inspired star-making turn. He plays David, a soldier arriving on the bereaved Peterson family’s doorstep, claiming to be the best friend of their son who died in action. Inviting him to stay, at first the charming veteran seems the perfect guest, always happy to help out. But then the random killing starts and when suspicious daughter Anna investigates army records she learns that no one called David even existed. What's going on and can the family stop the cold-blooded lethal weapon in their home committing even worse atrocities? Giddily violent, superbly directed. Join THE GUEST list for an absolute nerve-shredding blast.

You're Next was one of the most memorable horror movies of last year and found a well earned place in my year end Top 10.  It provided a brutal shot in the arm for the  home invasion sub-genre of fright flicks which have been popping up with some regularity over the course of the last ten years and, in Sharni Vinson's Erin, delivered one of the best final girls in recent years.  That was my first experence of Adam Wingard as a director and it put him firmly into the top tier of fresh new masters of horror alongside Ti West, Jim Mickle and Mike Flanagan (to name only a few).   I'm always up for a new twist on the slasher genre and The Guest certainly sounds like it's going to deliver on that front.  Plus I'm intrigued at the prospect of a Downton Abbey ulumnus being front and centre as the villain in a movie that I have no doubt deliver on the mayhem front if Wingard's last movie is anything to go by.  The comparison to 1980s action flicks is likewise intriguing. I've little doubt The Guest is going to be one of the highlights of Frightfest 2014.

Dead Snow 2: Red Vs. Dead

Directed by Tommy Wirkola

HANSEL & GRETEL WITCH HUNTERS director Tommy Wirkola does the impossible with this sequel to one of FrightFest’s most popular 2009 attractions. He improves on his Nazi zombie original in clever ways that do not betray the core conceit of witty non-stop action, heartfelt emotion or crowd-pleasing carnage in this stoked up to the gore max continuation. After a quick précis of DEAD SNOW, sole survivor Martin crashes his getaway car in the mountains after fighting SS officer Herzog for control of the vehicle. Waking up in hospital Martin discovers he's blamed by police for all his friends' murders, he's had Herzog's severed arm attached to his shoulder by mistake and he now has the zombie creating power. Something he needs when Herzog's dead army advance towards the small town of Tarvik and he must resurrect the Nazi leader's most hated Russian adversaries for the deadliest and bloodiest combat.

Given my love for most things zombie it's truly remarkable that I hadn't watched Tommy Wirkola's Dead Snow until the inclusion of this sequel as part of this year's Frightfest line-up was announced.  The first movie is a tour-de-force of undead Nazi mayhem that lovingly pays homage to the cabin in the woods genre with a lot of style and no small amount of blood and entrails.  It was hugely entertaining and stuffed full of the sort of practical gore effects that seemed custom built to make me grin like a madman for 90 minutes.  Dead Snow 2: Red Vs. Dead is reportedly bigger, more inventive and delivers that all to uncommon thing: a sequel that is better than it's predecessor in every way.  Given how good Dead Snow was the prospect of a bigger, gorier, more wildly entertaining sequel has me very excited indeed.  This is exactly the kind of movie that demands to be seen in a packed hall full of ravening horror freaks.  I practically guarantee this is going to be one of the highlights of this year's festival.

Housebound

Directed by Gerard Johnstone

Like THE LOVED ONES? Then this one’s for you. Gore, guffaws and a scary whole lot more lie in wait for permanently pissed-off Kylie Bucknell, forced to return to the family house when the court places her on home detention. Her punishment for a botched ATM raid is made all the more intolerable by the fact she has to live with her over-bearing motor-mouth mother Miriam who's convinced the house is haunted. But after dismissing Miriam's superstitions, rebellious Kylie too starts hearing unsettling whispers in the dark, creaking floorboards and strange bumps in the night. Has she inherited her mother’s overactive imagination or is there indeed evil afoot between the windows and doors? Find out in this TALES OF THE CRYPT-style Kiwi comedy chiller sporting a great sense of local humour, pitch-perfect cast chemistry, a fiercely fun tone, a very creepy atmosphere and a good deal of splatter mayhem.

I know very little about Housebound but mention of The Loved Ones hooked my attention immediately.  New Zealand is, of course, home to Peter Jackson who has given this movie his blessing, describing it as "bloody hilarious". Now...if the director of Braindead, which to my mind is neck and neck with Evil Dead II as the best horror/comedy ever to spring forth from the sick, demented imagination of a human being, is talking this up as something special...well...any horror fan would do well to sit up and take notice.  The trailer certainly seems to evoke something of the energy and humour that Jackson so expertly harnessed in his early, more ardently blood-soaked endeavours.  If the movie succeeds (and reportedly it does) in maintaining the off-kilter thrills and humour that are evident in the trailer I think we could be looking at another Antipodean classic.

Late Phases

Directed by Adrian Garcia Bogliano

From the director of PENUMBRA, COLD SWEAT and HERE COMES THE DEVIL, a freshly horrifying take on the werewolf genre. Crescent Bay is not the best place to live out one’s golden years. Once an idyllic retirement community, the gated hamlet has been beset by mysterious deadly attacks. So when blind, cranky war veteran Ambrose McKinley (superb Nick Damici from STAKE LAND, WE ARE WHAT WE ARE and COLD IN JULY) moves in, the residents are put off by his abrasive personality, especially when his guide dog is mortally wounded on his very first night. But it’s his grizzled take-no-prisoners attitude that’s needed to survive the sinister secret the secluded tight-knit neighbourhood is harbouring. For beasts that are neither animal nor man roam every full moon and with the local priest in complete denial over what is truly going on, Ambrose cannot wait until dark before the howling begins.

Why are there not more great werewolf movies? If you trawl the last decade of horror cinema you'd be hard pushed to find a single shining example (feel free to correct me).  For my money you'd have to go back to 2002 and Dog Soldiers for anything that could be labelled a classic example of this much maligned sub-genre.  Could Late Phases be a contender for the first great werewolf movie since Neil Marshall's low budget marvel?  It has a fine pedigree.  Director Adrian Garcia Bogliano is an interesting talent who's 2012 Mexican shocker Here Comes the Devil played successfully at festivals the world over and was met with a mostly positive reaction from critics.  Here too we have Nick Damici who via his frequent collaborations with Jim Mickle, most notably on the outstanding Stake Land, is fast becoming one of my favourite genre regulars.  I have a good feeling about this one.

Among the Living (Aux Yeux Des Vivants)

Directed by Julien Maury & Alexandre Bustillo

First they gave us INSIDE, then LIVID and now French fear directors Julien Maury and Alexandre Bustillo offer their most intense nightmare to date. It's the last day of school before summer break and 14 year-old troublemakers Victor, Tom and Dan leave early to explore the countryside and commit petty crime. Ending up on the scenery-strewn back-lot at the abandoned film studio, they witness a masked figure dragging a kidnapped woman into an underground lair. Running home and getting punished for their truancy, no one believes their crazy story. But the mysterious maniac has followed them and plans to silence them forever, even if their parents get in the way. Let the twisted terror begin in a deft combo of Stephen Spielberg, Stephen King and THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE that features gorgeous cinematography, unpredictable thrills and pulse-pounding horror that manages to fire on all chilling cylinders.

Here's a true story. My wife isn't the biggest fan of horror cinema but this does't stop me relentlessly subjecting her to movies that I consider classics of the genre.  So it came to pass that on a Friday night approx two years ago I suggested that we sit down to watch Inside, Julian Maury and Alexandre Bustillo's astonishingly visceral, relentlessly intense, taboo-incinerating debut.  I have no idea what perverse notion possesses me and makes me constantly subject my long suffering wife to these kind of no-holds barred shock-fests (Martyrs and Irreversible are in her near future) but to her credit she hasn't divorced me yet.  As the end credits rolled on Inside I looked at her and asked her her opinion.  She looked at me, eyes wet, physically shaken and said, "I hate you!"  I knew right there and then that I was correct in considering Inside to be a genre movie of considerable power and effectiveness.  Maury and Bustillo delivered again with their sophomore effort Livide and I have no reason to believe that with Among the Living they will do anything other than complete a hat trick of modern horror classic.

Frightfest Glasgow 2014: Wolf Creek 2 - Review

Mick Taylor (John Jarrat) is on a bloodthirsty rampage again in this, the long overdue sequel to Greg McLean’s terrifying 2005 feature debut which introduced its unsavoury, tourist loathing mass-murderer to the world and ensured that most of those who experienced it would think twice about exploring the Australian Outback.  In his sights this time are a couple of arrogant cops, a pair of German backpackers and an unlucky English tourist who is rewarded for his heroism by becoming the focus of the movie's lunatic protagonist's aberrant attentions for the last 2/3 of the movie.  Good fun guaranteed.

Wolf Creek was a tremendously effective horror movie but only those gifted with a dark and twisted sense of humour could possibly describe it as remotely amusing.  Wolf Creek 2 is, to a large extent, a very different beast and none the worse for it.  There are legitimate laughs to be found here in abundance and the majority of these come courtesy of pig hunting Outback boogeyman Mick Taylor.  The shift in tone from the grueling, unpleasant exercise in sustained torture (both psychological and physical) that McLean mined so effectively in the first movie to something which doesn’t so much dip its toes gently into more humorous waters  as take a bold leap into a deep, dark lake of pitch-black comedy is negotiated with 100% success.  It’s wonderfully refreshing to see a sequel that’s unafraid to explore new territory.  It’s doubly impressive to find one that does so as successfully as this.  I’m not trying to suggest that Wolf Creek 2 is torture porn Monty Python style but it is frequently funny and even goaded a few belly laughs from the audience I saw it with.

This new comedic edge doesn't mean that Greg McLean has lost the mean streak mojo he unveiled with Wolf Creek.  There are some nasty surprises here.  An extended scene three-quarters of the way through the movie sees Mick strap his latest victim to a chair and subject him to a quiz (subject: Australian history) with every wrong answer costing the poor guy a finger.  There’s also a moment early on in the movie that is guaranteed to make every guy in the audience gasp, cross his legs and silently scream NOOOOOOOO!!!  The second act of the movie also features some nicely staged automotive carnage as our favourite Outback psychopath attempts to elimate our hero in a stolen truck.  It’s during this chase sequence that Wolf Creek 2 throws it’s most outlandish, over-the-top gag into the mix when a troop of kangaroos stray into the path of Mick’s stolen wheels and he steps on the gas, ploughing through the unfortunate beasts all the time laughing like the mad bastard he is.

All the actors are superb with Ryan Corr particularly excelling in the role of Wolf Creek 2’s final guy, the increasingly desperate Paul Hammersmith.  The movie is never more entertaining than during the final act where Paul finds himself trapped in the killer’s lair and a verbal and physical game of cat and mouse ensues between victim and killer.  The desperate bonhomie that develops between the two generates a lot of the already mentioned laughs but the humour is at all times cut through with a constant sense of dread.  John Jarratt was fantastic in Wolf Creek but here, armed with a pin-sharp script courtesy of Greg McLean with assistance from Aaron Sterns (script editor on McLean's deeply underrated Rogue) which arms him with some of the finest audience pleasing one-liners I’ve heard in some time, he becomes one of the most entertaining onscreen psychopaths in horror history.  I’m not sure if there was any improvisation going on here but I wouldn’t be surprised.  Jarratt is never less than convincing as the last man you'd want to meet in the middle of nowhere.

It almost goes without saying that this is a gorgeous movie to look at.  The Outback is a gift to any cinematographer and there's an ever growing list of movies that take advantage of the location.  Here it is captured in all its rugged, desolate and often spectacular glory.  A place both beautiful and deadly.  Toby Oliver has an incredibly gifted eye for shot composition and the end result is a movie that looks amazing regardless of whether the camera is wandering through the vast emptiness of the Australian wilderness or winding it's way through the claustrophobic slaughterhouse tunnels of Mick Taylor's labyrinthine hideaway.

This movie is the rarest of beasts.  A horror sequel that didn't leave me gnashing my teeth in frustration and cursing the unholy gods of genre cinema for allowing such a travesty to be born.  If you loved the first movie don't expect more of the same.  Expect better.  On this evidence Greg McLean isn't interested in wasting his time with a simple retread.  Instead he's delivered a sequel that not only adopts a different but entirely successful tone to the movie that spawned it but does so in a fashion that has me itching for another installment that will further explore the sick and twisted mind of Mick Taylor.  Wolf Creek 2 is  macabre and often hilarious gem of a movie.  See it at the first opportunity.  Hopefully on a cinema screen which is where it belongs.

Steve's Score:

Frightfest Glasgow 2014: Proxy - Review

Note: Much to my regret I didn't see this film at Frightfest Glasgow, but as it played there this review is part of our coverage.

Dir: Zack Parker

Proxy presents a challenge to a critic.  There is a lot here, a lot that I want to talk about, but the nature of the film is such that if I tell you too much I'm concerned that you won't have the same experience with it that I did, and I want you to have that experience.

A good place to start any film review is, perhaps, with the first words that come to mind when you think back on the film you're writing about.  In the case of Proxy those words are 'Oh...Fuck'.  It seemed that every twenty minutes or so during the film's two hour running time I was saying those words, and they have come to essentially define my reaction to it.  The first of these 'Oh...Fuck' moments comes right at the beginning of the film, as heavily pregnant Esther (Alexia Rasmussen), leaving her latest doctor's appointment, is grabbed from behind, dragged into an alley and beaten by an assailant, who then takes a brick and beats her around the bump, killing the baby.  It's here that it becomes clear that Proxy is, at times, a horror film of an especially confrontational nature.

From there the film evolves, changing tone and focus several times, but never far from another moment that has that sort of impact, if not always in the same visceral way.  The other event (that I can talk about) comes when Esther goes to a support group for bereaved mothers.  There she meets Melanie (Alexa Havins) and the two hit it off.  One day, after Melanie fails to attend the group, Esther sees her in a department store, and also sees something that convinces her that Melanie is more like her than she had initially expected.

Perhaps what is most intriguing and impressive about Proxy is how co-writer and director Zack Parker juggles tone.  At times it appears to be a sad and reflective drama dealing with the loss of a child, but soon elements of visceral violence and disturbed psychology begin to intrude from all sides, also including Esther's girlfriend Anika (Kristina Klebe in a brittle and sometimes scary performance) and Melanie's husband Patrick (Joe Swanberg).  The quietness of the tone of most of the film allows the shock moments to be much more impactful than they are in more gore soaked films, which are often simply numbing, but when those moments come they seem to flow naturally out of the narrative, not to simply be inserted for shock value.

The performances help immensely with this balancing act.  It would be unfair to talk about exactly how Esther and Melanie are similar and exactly how each of them is hiding something, be it a motivation, a lie or a personality trait, truly dark.  This makes it difficult to tell you exactly how good Alexia Rasmussen and Alexa Havins are.  Havins has, perhaps, the tougher role; she is quite outwardly simple for most of the film's running time.  Her motivations, even after the first revelation about her, aren't hard to read so much as they are hard to empathise with.  It is towards the end that Melanie really begins to shift and there begin to be profound questions about whether she has been shaped by events or there has always been something off about her.  This is one of several things about Proxy that will likely reward a second viewing.  

While Havins has the harder role Alexia Rasmussen certainly has the showier one, but she plays it in a very down to earth way which accentuates the disturbing side of her character.  There is something distant about her from the beginning but when it becomes clear that this is a state not brought about by her trauma but more like a default for Esther your sadness and sympathy for her turns to something much more unnerving.  Rasmussen is brilliant here; I've not been so struck by a horror film performance since AnnaLynne McCord's in Excision (which Proxy shares more than a little with, in impact more than in execution).

It's also worth mentioning Joe Swanberg, he may be better known as a writer and director, but he's proven to be a capable actor both in his own films and for other directors.  Here he's probably the closest thing we have to an audience identification point and he's excellent, believable as a man being slowly driven to breaking point by loss and by his wife.  There is, however, one moment I'd have liked Parker to explore further with his character... what exactly is going on in that basement.

I've not seen any of Zack Parker's three previous features, but you can bet that I will be as soon as I can.  For me, Proxy is best in its least stylised moments; the department store scene, for instance, needs no fancy camera tricks or score to unnerve us.  When he does go more stylised Parker's images are always effective but sometimes (as in a mid-movie home invasion) it's just a bit much.  The super slow motion in that scene is reminiscent of Thriller: A Cruel Picture in both its pace and the fact that it is effective for a time, but after several minutes it feels a little self-indulgent and the point seems overstated.  It would, perhaps, work better without the slathered on score that is a problem at a few points, but ultimately the moment goes from being an effective shock to an indulgent art piece that seems dropped into the middle of the film.  However, the rest of the time Parker keeps the direction stylish and taut, sometimes breaking that tension effectively, as in a funny cutaway in the film's closing moments and he draws strong performances from all of his key cast.

As I said, I wish I could get into specifics with this film as there is much to discuss and I would love to have that conversation with some horror fans.  My recommendation is this: see Proxy.  See it ASAP and see it with an audience, then come and discuss it in the comments under this review.

Sam's Score: