Doll Boy (2010)

Doll Boy
Billy Pon (2010)

The movie starts with a van driving along a road with nice Country music in the background and it draws my thoughts back to the classic Texas Chainsaw Massacre. The van contains a bunch of tied people who have no idea what nightmares they will be part of. They are thrown in an abandoned building, a playground for Doll Boy and his merciless sledgehammer.

Doll Boy is a true, brutal and appalling slasher and Sergio Gracida who act Doll Boy make it just perfect. Without mercy he kills his victims totally without regret or sympathy as he looks like a big baby in his doll mask, absolutely marvelous. Imagine yourself lying on the ground with a big motherfucker standing over you raising a sledgehammer above his head for a final blow. I can feel this shorty is the best part of a long feature film but I would have liked to see more because I really liked the character Doll Boy. I think this could have been a new Jason, Freddy or any other serial slasher if Billy Pon worked on it a bit more. I asked him if he had any plans for making a feature film with Doll Boy and I got the answer.

Billy Pon: As for a entire feature featuring Doll Boy, maybe. But actually Doll Boy is a character from my "Circus of the Dead" world. He will have a very cool chameo in my first feature "Circus of the Dead". Doll Boy the short was a sort of a "test" to see if I could make a decent horror project. It was shot over the summer on weekends. I was blown away from all the positive response it has received. if you like Doll Boy you'll love "Circus of the Dead", imagine another handful of Doll Boy characters... you'll get to meet Pepe the Chainsaw Juggling Mime!

On a side note about the 2 "Grindhouse" trailers: Mister Fister will be made after Circus of the Dead! The Circus of the Dead trailer was made 6 years ago for the "Grindhouse (Planet Terror/Death Proof) Fake Movie Trailer Contest". It is not what the actual movie will look like. The script was wrote years after the trailer was produced. The movie is more like the Texas Chainsaw Massacre from 1973.

I got this movie from Billy and it was a great day when I opened the package I found something more inside. Included with the movie I found a coloring book with accompanying pencils, a nice complement to the film. It´s an awesome slasher short worth checking out.

Billy Pon: The movie will be available in the store on my website BloodyBill.com, the coloring books, posters and t-shirts will also be for sale there.

Links: Bloodybill.com, Facebook: Doll Boy, Circus of the Dead, Mister Fister

Bloodline (2011)

Bloodline
Edo Tagliavini (2011)

A family with two young daughters, Sandra and Giulia is out in the forest for a nice picnic together but when the daughters have some fun they witness a murder. The strange killer discovers them and tries to catch them. Sandra gets hurt by a trap and manages to hide in some brushes but hear how the killer catches her sister Giulia.

About fifteen years later Sandra and Marco (a photographer) are sent to a mansion just there Giulia was caught by the killer for making reportage on a movie by Klaus Kinki (Most people can probably draw parallels with that name or?), a sleazy director making an “uncut erotic movie”. Sandra really don´t feel good about go to the mansion because the dark past but after a while there seems to be a reason for her to come back. She starts to see visions of her sister and a dark secret is hides in the mansion. The strange, masked killer is back.

First I would like to Marco M. at Euro Obscura for letting me see a screener of this fantastic Italian movie. At the moment it´s only released in Italy but at the end of the year it will be released in other countries as well and that’s good news. The movie starts really creepy in the woods when we get a first introduction to the masked killer chasing his victims. He has a really brutal and butcher-like outfit that has a good first impression to the viewer. The story is quite good and not too complicated to understand, because sometimes I can feel that the story can be irritating complex and I don´t like that. What make the movie so damn good “for me anyway” is that I can feel a presence from the good old eighties in the movie especially when the demon like zombies attack the living. It feels like a moderns eighties movie.

All the actors/actresses make a fantastic work and it’s really fun to see Klaus Kinkis passion for what he´s doing. The sleazy part is really nice as well but it could have been a bit more because they are certainly making an erotic movie and the scenes are sexy, hell yeah it is indeed, especially the nurse scene. Good looking sexy women are always a pleasure to see. The man behind the special effects is the legendary Sergio Stivaletti and I don´t think I need to say that the special effects are outstanding. A genius at work is always a pleasure to see. Stivalettis assistant is David Bracci is a new talent and is behind the special effects in Eaters. Something is definitely happening in Italy again.

Links: EuroObscura, Official Bloodline Homepage

Familiar (2012)

Familiar

Richard Powell (2011)

First I would like to thank Zach Green for given me the opportunity to see this movie and Jörgen Lundin for the recommendation.

The film centers around John Dodd (Robert Nolan) who hear a voice calling into questioning John's life. The voice urges that it is time to start living for real and start a new life. The theme of the movie is probably something that can be drawn to yourself several times during your life. We all get to this point in life when we realize that “What have I done to my life, everything is going on and on the same way every day, no glow in the relationship and so on. Have we really achieved the goals and dreams of our life?

This was my first reflection during the movie but towards the end my mind and perception got challenged of what the movie really is about. The voice he hears in his mind is a creature living inside him who leads John to conduct terrible actions in changing his life. He realizes this and tries the otherwise unavoidable end to stop this. This movie has a deeper thoughts then just a movie with a gory ending.

A short film cannot get much better than this. It’s a masterpiece in photo, acting, special effects, everything is perfectly created so if you have the opportunity to see this shorty, I think absolutely you should sacrifice 24 minutes of your life and see this gem and make reflection about the story.

Links: Teaser, Clip, IMDb, Fatal Pictures Inc.

Interview : The Last Tape

Poster made by: Peter Ryberg Larsen

This interview was conducted by Avery Frawley through e-mail in September 2011. Thanks a lot Avery & Tim for letting my publish this awsome interview with the team behind The Last Tape, a new Horror movie coming later this year from the land of Gore, Germany.

Avery Frawley: Thanks to you! I appreciate your time and candor!

Thanks a lot for the interview, Avery! We appreciate what you do and have done for us and our project!

AF: First off, what got you into horror films? What inspired you to make your own film?

Isabelle Fitzgerald: My interest for horror movies has come to life when I was a teen. Films like „Ginger Snaps“ and „Halloween“ have started it all. Inspiriration came later, from diverse amateur movies. You want to create something on your own and try out how far you can go.

Johannes Kluger: The first spark has probably been the „Troll“-Movies my mother has recorded on VHS for me when I was a child, believing they were fantasy-films. Anyhow, I’m more of a person that’s generally interested in movies than a horror-fan.

Tim Rabenstein: It all started in my earliest childhood – when I was seven and my class was learning the alphabet, we had to write a short story... mine was a scary tale about a costume party that hadn’t been visited by costumed horror figures only. The first hobby I remember has been collecting images out of TV-magazines, showing stills from horror movies and everything else creepy or gory; this was when I was still in elementary school, too. A little later, when I was about twelve years old, I started collecting horror movies on VHS, which my grandmother recorded for me. And so it went on – you could say I’ve been growing up with this hobby, if I haven’t been born for it.

My inspiration for making my own movie? It’s the standard answer: I want to move people, change them, distract them from everyday’s problems, make them enjoy themselves; I want to move myself, change myself, distract myself from everyday’s problems, make me enjoy myself. Furthermore, I think of cinema as the perfect medium, my medium. I used to be a “music-affectionate” person, and even though I still love music, I nowadays prefer films a little.

AF: When did you begin production of The Last Tape?

The first serious thought about our own movie came up in winter 2009/2010. At the 20.02.2010, our first meeting took place, with the group of people working on the project still changing until we had our team together.

AF: Who’s your favorite director, horror film, and otherwise?

I.F.: While there are various movies that have moved and shaped me, there isn’t one single director I especially prefer. A short list of films: Ginger Snaps, Water Ship Down, Halloween, Rob Zombie’s Halloween, The Last Unicorn.

J.K.: I like Lynch, Kubrick, Noé, Nolan, Fincher, but also Gregg Araki, Gus van Sant, Lars von Trier, Jim Jarmush and many more. I like older films and German films, too, so I have to mention Wim Wenders, Ingmar Bergman and Fritz Lang.

T.R.: There is no single favourite, but there are some directors whose movies I buy without thinking about it: David Lynch, Andreas Bethmann, Gaspar Noé, Stanley Kubrick, Rob Zombie, Darren
Aronofsky, Lucio Fulci and a few more.

AF: Do you collect horror and cult films on various home video formats?

I.F.: Not so much until now, I’m more interested in books and paintings.

J.K.: I’m not much of a movie-collector. You should see my library, though…

T.R.: You could say so. I lovingly collect DVD’s, I always try to get the release with most special content on it. Plus, I don’t have stopped collecting VHS’s.

AF: Whose movies influences do you attribute to the production of The Last Tape?

I.F.: -

J.K.: Wild at Heart, Party Monster, Enter the Void, Elephant and many, many more.

T.R.: There is no way I could answer this question – you know, all the movies you have seen (whether you’ve liked them or not) influence a project like ours.

AF: Do you hope to one day reach the ranks of such film makers as Andreas Schnaas, Andreas Bethmann or Jorg Buttgereit?

I.F.: -

J.K.: In Germany, we use to say: Hope is the last thing that dies.

T.R.: Let me answer it this way: Personally, I don’t care about how many people are going to like our movie and how many people are going to hate it. To me, it is important for a “fan-community” to build up, people who follow our work out of interest, who judge it and who appreciate what we do. Furthermore, I like movies that polarise – which means: Whoever loves and supports my art has my gratitude, but so does whoever critizes it in a meaningful way. I don’t give a fuck about everyone else.

AF: What do you hope to accomplish with the release of your film, and subsequent future films?

I.F.: -

J.K.: To me, it’s about self-realization through the arts and about having fun. Money and fame may not be unwanted, but to me, they aren’t important.

T.R.: Another one of those questions… firstly, I’d like to create a sanctuary for people, take them into another world. Furthermore, there are some philosophical thoughts in TLT which are worth being contemplated. Whoever is able to say: “The movie gave me something” (be it an escape from everyday’s routine or some “wisdom of life”) also shows me that I have reached my goal.

AF: How would you describe your artistic process? Do you even approach your work with an artistic feeling?

I.F.: By all means, yes. I think that every way of implementing your thoughts, be it through writing, sound or images, shows an artistic vein. Progress? Well, I realize that the team of TLT starts every day of shooting a little more organized than the one before. I think that this is a huge progress.

J.K.: TLT is our first movie, as you know, so, there is a huge progress noticeable throughout the shooting process. Being amateurs, our goal has always been to make the best of our script. While there hasn’t been an artistic approach by means of a certain image we had in our minds before shooting a scene at all times, it has been there quite often.

T.R.: By all means, yes. To me, creating a movie is one single creative process, from the beginning to the end. Of course, having fun is most important – having fun being creative.

About “progress”: It’s our first movie, so we’ve started with a tiny bit of half knowledge, which is becoming an adept, experienced basic knowledge slowly but surely.

AF: T.R., you’re a fan of Necrophagia and various death metal groups. Is there a way in which you’ve incorporated your love for music in your film?

I.F.: -

J.K.: I appreciate Neofolk and there will be some songs in the movie, so, yes.

T.R.: It’s half-true: Necrophagia simply are a really awesome band with nice and freaky people, whose music impresses me like fuck. I don’t have much else to do with Death Metal, really – I just think that Necrophagia manage to create music with the atmosphere of a good Horror-/Splattermovie. Oh, before I forget: Thanks a lot to the German band Eisregen – not really a death metal band, but there are references – at this place: For their music, their lyrics and for being extremely close to their fans, which is something you don’t have a lot nowadays.

It’s quite a common fact among film fans that the soundtrack of a movie can judge it as nearly the only judge – to answer your question: Yes, we have been able to incorporate our love for music into our movie – a big thank you to all the bands and musicians who have contributed to TLT in such a brilliant way! You know who is meant.

AF: What do you think is in the future of you? Any new projects?

At the moment, we’re trying to keep our thoughts in the here and now, and while there isn’t much we can already tell you: Yes, new projects are being planned, ideas for short movies await their realization as much as ideas for our next full-timer.

AF: When do you suspect the first film, The Last Tape, to be completed?

If everything works as we wish, in the middle/at the end of 2012.

AF: Any special plans for a release? You’re based in Germany, which is where hartboxes (hardboxes) are made, any plans for a special limited edition hardbox? Also abroad, here in the U.S, VHS seems to be making a comeback, with all the recent VHS re-releases coming about, are there any plans for such an edition?

While we’d really like to release limited hardboxes and VHS’s, the latter being very fitting as regards to the content of the movie, the choice will probably not be ours (for the time being, at least).

AF: Thank you all! I appreciate the answers you’ve given me! I’m sure the fans will do that, too!

Thank you, again!

Links: Facebook, The Last Tape

The Hounds (2011)

The Hounds (2011)

Roberto & Maurizio del Piccolo

Four friends, Sarah, Dave, Martin & Jake decide to take a trip a weekend for a pieceful camping in the woods. Martin is late and sleeping after the party during the night so the friends decide to go on their own. After they have set up the tents they stumble across a corpse which is buried right beside their tents. Something mysterious and terrible resides in the forest and soon they will have a horrible weekend they'll never forget.

This is one of the best indie movies I have seen for some time now. The structure of the film's story is exciting, realistic and makes you wonder what´s going on and you have to wait ´till the end to get all the pieces put together. It's not just the friends we follow, but also an alcoholic cop with a dark past chasing some criminals. What link has the friends, the cop, the criminals and the corpse in the woods to each other? I will not reveal, but all are woven together at the end.

The music and the photo are absolutely magnificent. The music is written by Pierluigi Pietroniro and had a very strong influence on me during the movie. The higher the suspense in an excellent manner that gives you an unpleasant feel that something soon will happen and it does, but not always. I love when its close-ups and mysterious music, and you sit there holding your breath and waiting. I must also point out that the photo and the color of the movie is incredibly beautiful in the forest. It´s difficult to describe in words but it's just like Eaters with its gray and gloomy photo, we here have the opposite with strong and bright colors.

If we look at special effects, they do exist with but it's not a film based on the special effects and gore, instead it’s based on suspense and mystery. The gore is actually a piece of the story.

A highly recommended movie a dark and creepy night with some friends or your girlfriend.

 Links: Facebook, Moviedel Productions

Turbo Zombi: Tampon of the Dead (2011)

Turbo Zombi: Tampon of the Dead
Jochen Taubert & Christian Witte (2011)

Sometimes it's not easy to write an honest review. This is such a case. I got this movie from Martin Hentschel which also acting in the movie. The movie is German spoken and without subtitles. Usually that does not always play such a big role in the case of a low-budget indie splatter, but this movie is a comedy. It feels that I would like to understand what was said to be able to laugh even more. We´re invited to various fun events, zombie and a variety of blood splashing and that was enough for me to go through the movie without any major problems. A lot of nudity are shown on the screen too, so it's definitely an adult comedy. I will try to make an attempt to explain what I think the movie was all about.

Two brothers Jockel (Christian Witte) and Honky (Martin Hentschel), are sitting in a air traffic control tower and witness when a meteor crashes a short distance away. They decide to investigate what has crashed to the ground and head out to search. Meanwhile, some brave young friends discover the meteor and start to take some pictures when a crab like creature appears. One of the boys is a bit too curious and the creature jumps up onto his face as from the old classic Alien movie. Then the two brothers appear and an alien swarm of the crab liked monster crawls throughout the bushes. Honky picks up a bazooka and blast away both humans and aliens. An alien survive and get into the mouth of the Honky which later turns into an Alien zombie. Soon walk the dead in the city and Jockel arm himself with a saw blade and a belt full of bloody tampons and sets off to save the world.

I assume this is German sense humor and a subtitle in English had been in order but they´re working on it right now I have been told. I believe it´s a good decision to try to distribute the movie outside their home country. I´m sure it will be appreciated for some of us horror geeks who want to sit and laugh a bit sometimes. For anyone who knows the indie scene in Germany will see many familiar names in the production. Thomas Kercmar, Martin Hentschel, Stefan Svahn, Dirk Glücks and among the zombies we see Marc Rohnstock, Martin Rüdel, Thomas Sender & Mario Zimmerschitt. Marc Rohnstock & Stefan Svahn are also responsible for the special effects. I will give this movie a second chance when subtitled because I love the combination of humor, nudity, bad cgi and of course the disgusting tampon eating zombies…

Links: G.U. Film Medien Verleih Jochen Taubert Martin Hentschel

Deadly Detour (2010)

Deadly Detour (2010)

Mike O´Mahony

Two carloads of friends are heading to Florida on a forest road when one of the cars gets engine problem and stops. They decide to split up. While some take the working car to try to find some help the other pick up a box of beer and heading into the forest for drinking, fucking and smoke weed. Someone is watching every step they take and soon the slaughter begins.

Does this sound familiar? Yes, nothing new in this story directly but there´re some exciting and disgusting sequences that make you smile a bit here and there. The movie opens quite well in my opinion with some blood and guts that tells what you might be able to expect, but then it´s important to continue on the same path and it does for sure. After the opening scene, it becomes a bit slow and it takes far too long before the next victim dies in cascades of blood. If only I had known what would happen in the movie, I could easily sit and wait, or maybe go for a sandwich while the young people harping on each other. Those of you who read this and buy the movie, keep up the good mood, it gets better for sure.

If our freaky butcher should be able to kill our friends freely we have to get some spread of the bunch and that has Mike done well with a nice, funny but maybe in a bit predictable manner. The “Great beer drinking giant” wants to fuck his chick and the others do not want to see this (and I can understand that), so they leave and take the beer and head deeper into the forest. Then the next couple of our horny friends want to fuck as well, and the last poor guy who´s left without a woman to put his dick into go further extended in the woods alone, to have a good time on his own. Oala, now our friends are enough spread out to be killed without the others seeing or hearing anything.

We are offered many delicious scenes as head stomp, stabbing a pussy with broken bottle but we will also be involved when our beer hungry giant is shitting after he completed his sexual activities. How strange it might sounds but these disgusting events make the movie a bit funnier to watch. It´s disgusting but also a bit creative (behind the scene footage hehe) but quite fun actually. If I remember correctly, this occurred in Zombie Women of Satan as well, it might be a new trend going on haha

When you think the movie is over, a sequence that itself makes this movie worth buying, if you like independent low-budget splatter horror of course. The mad butcher is chasing the remaining woman who he have saved for last of some reason. They reach a stationary bus with engine failure and hold your breath now. It is full of blind unknowing travelers. Now all the blind dudes will be slaughtered, and it´s done in a humorous but also brutal and bizarre manner including a pregnant woman's gets her fetus rammed out and then she get strangled by the umbilical cord.

This is a movie for us who enjoy low-budget indie movies with blood and guts without much of a plot. A sometimes entertaining flick with some humor mixed with raw and brutal killings.

Links: Facebook Maniac Films Trailer