Review: The Last Winter (2006)

The Last Winter is director Larry Fessenden’s fourth feature film and his most high profile to date. This film tells the story of a team of oil company workers in the arctic, attempting to establish a base of operations for a controversial new drilling operation. Two things automatically sprung to mind when I first read about this film: environmental issues, and John Carpenter’s The Thing. Let me get both of these out of the way. First, this film does have a strong environmental message. How strong you ask? Well, during the film there is a montage of ecological disasters as one of the characters talks about how we hate our planet so much. Preachy? You bet. Thankfully, this scene is short and the majority of the film is free from such ham-handed sociopolitical posturing. Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for the green thing, but while I don’t mind it being a theme in my movies, don’t hit me over the head with it and don’t stop the film to try and “educate” me, it’s insulting. Secondly, there’s the obvious comparison to John Carpenter’s The Thing, as well as the original The Thing From Another World. Do the films compare? Not really. While both are horror films set in the arctic and feature some kind of “monster”, the monster in Last Winter is very subtle, very CGI, and very spiritual. Oh, and bloodless. So, don’t go in expecting a sweet creature feature. Does this mean that Last Winter is bad? Not at all. As a matter of fact, I found the film quite good for the most part and a definite step forward directorially for Larry Fessenden.



While Fessenden’s previous films haven’t really starred any actors of note, he manages to make a major coup here by casting Ron Perlman as the team captain and main source of frustration and hostility towards our “hero” environmentalist character played by James LeGros. As if their personal views about the environment and politics didn’t put them in enough of a conflict with each other, Fessenden throws in the fact that LeGros’ character is sleeping with Perlman’s ex-squeeze played superbly by Connie Britton. Perlman really steals the show here which is a bit unfortunate for LeGros, whose understated straight man is very well done. However, far be it for me to complain about Ron Perlman eating up the scenery. The man is a consummate actor and a joy to watch in any film.



If you’re not familiar with Fessenden or his previous films, No Telling, Habit, and Wendigo, allow me to prepare you for if you choose to seek out this film. Larry’s films are almost always horror films, but most of the horror is either implied through trippy, psychedelic camera work or atmospheric shots of people staring into nothingness. Now, this is very effective but essentially all of his films are character driven conflict first and foremost. Compared to Wendigo, which Last Winter is essentially a sequel to, Last Winter’s horror elements are downright vulgar in their displays of existence, manifesting in the form of CGI spirits. Unfortunately, for the most part, these CGI critters just don’t work. There are a few instances where they’re effective, but since their presence is simply implied through most of the film, when we do finally see them up close, they’re a bit of a letdown.



Other than the atmosphere and CGI critters, the horror here is found in the idea of the melting permafrost unleashing substances that have been frozen for tens of thousands of years. On top of that, it is pointed out that the oil they are drilling for is essentially the decomposed remains of ancient living beings. This corruption of nature is hammered home by the vague Native American spiritual underpinnings delivered to us by some ethnic cast members. While this part may sound like the preachy bit, I actually found this a fascinating twist on the “nature run amuck” subgenre. So, if you think you can handle what is essentially a bunch of atmosphere and conversations, followed by a bunch of CGI ghosts, then I suggest you give this film a chance. It’s not great, and has a lot of problems, but I found the good outweighed the bad, and perhaps against my better judgment, I liked it.

Noah "Annubis" Soudrette

Review: Lifeforce (1985)

I recently rewatched a horror movie from my childhood, Lifeforce. From Director Tobe Hooper and screen play written by Dan O'bannon and Don Jakoby from the novel The Space Vampires by Colin Wilson. In researching this film a little bit I looked into what else Tobe Hooper had directed, and the list was fairly notable. Aside from his obvious Texas Chainsaw Massacre fame, he directed: Salem's Lot, Poltergeist, and the 1980's remake of Invaders from Mars. Then there are countless TV shows he's worked on episodes of over the years, or particular note is a show that failed but I loved called The Others about psychics banding together to help stem the rising tide of dark spiritual activity occurring. So this guy is impressing me a lot.

This movie, Lifeforce, is one of a few horror movies from my childhood that have made very lasting impressions of me. Its one of the horror films that scenes and concepts from have always influenced my horror tastes and will always bubble up to the surface of my mind. So I was a little worried about re-watching it after 20 some odd years of not having seen it. But I was still blown away at how engaging this movie is. Now let me say from the beginning that this story has some flaws, and I'll go over them later, but I feel its strengths and unique vision far out way any narrative flaws.

This movie is essentially Dracula in space. OK, the head vampire is female, and OK, there are 3 vamps rather than 1; but the broad strokes are the same. Instead of people dying on a sea going vessel as Dracula's coffin is transported to London, its people dying on a space shuttle as space coffins (all clear and glass-like) are transported back to London. Then the vamp escapes, and manages to turn some other people into vamps, and they turn to friends, and they turn to friends, and soon its like a vamp pyramid scheme! Until finally one lone S.A.S. hero and one lone scientist find that thing that will stop the vamps, and its used. Of course it seems like the vamps are stopped, but maybe they aren't. This film could have been sequalled easily, but thankfully was not. I like narratives that live the after story to my imagination.

So, strong points. If you follow the basic broad strokes of the Dracula narrative, just up dating image and making certain things more contemporary (while still keeping the pre-destined love thing, but reversing genders) its hard to go wrong. The creature and physical effects are great! Those drained of life by these "Nosferatu from another planet" are dessicated mummies, that in 2 hours get up and try and suck someone else's lifeforce out. And these victims are cool and creepy looking. For the time this film was made (1985) these were top notch physical effects. Not to mention it has cool light effects for the energy form of the vamps and the visual of life force being taken. Think of a mix between ball lightning floating around, drawing smaller ball lightning out of people and you'll come close. Again, for 1985 this was cutting edge stuff, and still holds up well today as it was used effectively. Third, the acting is so very awesomely British, its hard not to love it (even if it is over the top at times).

Now, to the weak points. It is a rehashing of plot points from Dracula, so some would hit it for that. The acting is a bit over the top. The biggest weak point I found was certain problems with the plot. I'm fine with astronauts bringing back alien life forms, that makes complete sense. What doesn't make a lot of sense to me is the veritable lack of security where they are kept. This is set in the U.K. so I don't know what their military is like, I can only think of how the military is in the USA. I can't see alien lifeforms being brought onto U.S. soil and not being kept under strict lock and key by the military. Add to this that fact that the compound these vamps are kept on has "zero" panic alarms (maybe I've just watched too much SG-1, but I feel compounds housing potentially dangerous shite should have a panic button in each room) so when the vamps are scene by an administrator over CCTV, he has to run down several levels of stairs to go and see the girl vamp finish her midnight feeding and then escape. I'm not saying she couldn't have escaped from higher security (since that's kind of crucial to the plot) but it would have seemed less like a joke in the long run. That's my only really major weak point for the movie, that the military wasn't in on guarding these aliens from the beginning.

So to wrap it up. I loved this movie, even after 20+ years since my last viewing (and that I was a child when I last saw it). Its a cool 1980's space rehashing of Dracula, with a hot chick naked through out most of the movie and great F/X too. If you call yourself a fan of Tobe Hooper because of his first movie (I think it was set in Texas), then you owe it to yourself to watch another (very different) film from him. And I nominate this one!

Jesse "Baron Ironfury" Stevens

Chuck Wilson's Underrated Horror Classics: Crawlspace (1986)

He seduces them in his mind and traps them in his crawlspace.

Today’s Underrated Classic is the rarely seen or talked about Klaus Kinski tour-de-force, Crawlspace from 1986 (not to be confused with the 1972 made-for-TV film of the same name). The film begins with a young girl traveling up the stairs of an apartment complex stopping at Mr. Gunther’s (Klaus Kinski) room. The door is ajar and inside she discovers several bizarre things: rats in cages, a film projector, a white cat and…a woman in a cage. Suddenly Mr. Gunter appears from out of the shadows to calmly point out that the woman cannot speak (he cut out her tongue) and that it is, “a shame…I liked you”, suddenly releasing a booby trap that impales the girl. He then plays a game of Russian Roulette (in a scene that plays out several times throughout the film) and after “wining”, he proclaims, “So be it” and quickly flips over a For Rent sign. Queue the opening credits, which play over POV shots traveling through the air ducts, aka the “crawlspace” of the apartment building, which will play a key roll later in the movie.

We then cut to a scantily clad woman, Sophie (Tane McClure) who is undressing, while a creepy man watches outside her window. Unbeknown to her/them Mr. Gunter is watching them both through the air duct. Seems the two are playing a little home invasion/rape sex fantasy with Gunther watching on. The next day a young college student, Lori Bancroft (Talia Balsam), arrives to inquire about the apartment; Gunther is quickly (and creepily) enthralled with her and demands that she take the room. A couple of the noisy neighbors, Jessica and Harriet (Barbara Whinnery), comment on how Gunther only rents to young attractive women (“What is his secret?”). He retires to his hidden room and writes (again, another reoccurring scene-namely to introduce his back story) in his diary before trying to feed his captive, Martha (Sally Brown), who in the process passes him a note asking him to kill her. (“I can’t kill you…who would I talk to?”)

The tenants all meet for a little booze and sweets party, which of course is watched by Gunther, who releases a trap door that sends a rat into their room, scaring the girls and turning Gunther on. Later he watches Lori, making noises that she mistakes for another rat. When she goes up to complain, Gunter really tries to lay on the charm, but she declines. We get more voice over back-story in which we discover that his father was a Nazi, who sent his wife and young son to live in South America. Gunther grew up and also became a surgeon, but after discovering his father’s diaries, in which he recounted how he killed patients, Gunter begins to experimenting and eventually killing his own patients. At first the killings were to put severely/terminally ill patients out of their misery, but soon became an addiction, producing in him a god like sensation (“Killing is the only way I feel alive…killing is my heroin, by opiate, my fix.”). That night Gunther interrupts the fantasy lovebirds and kills Hank before he can recreate another fantasy booty-call. Once again Gunter plays roulette-seems after every murder he does this, and if he lives he continues killing.

The next day a strange man, Josef Steiner (Kenneth Robert Shippy), from his past arrives-seems Steiner’s brother was a former patient/victims of Gunther’s and he has spent the past few years tracking him down; trying to convince everyone that Gunther is a murderer. Steiner produces a photo reviling that Gunther’s father, one of the top Nazi experimental surgeons, was executed for war crimes and also produces a photo that shows that Gunther himself was a Nazi Youth.

Gunther is disturbed and begins upping his watching/stalking antics, becoming increasingly violent and brazen in each. He also begins constructing a slew of killing machines and booby traps. That night Jessica (Carol Francis), the soap opera star, brings home a date: some rich douche who starts to put on the moves but can’t complete the deed because of Gunther’s noise-making from the air duct-which again is mistaken for rodents. He attempts to leave but becomes Gunther’s next victim. Steiner returns to interview Gunther’s tenants, namely Lori, who finds him intrusive and refuses to cooperate. Steiner is then lured into Gunther’s room were he falls victim to another booby trap. After one final round of roulette, Gunther falls completely off his rocker: putting on makeup, dressing up as a Nazi while watching Hitler propaganda films, and going on a final killing spree of everyone in the building.

The ending plays out like Halloween (1978) in which Lori (humm…) slowly discovers all the bodies and then must confront Gunther in one long, dragged-out fight/chase involving several twists and surprises-and more nods to Hitchcock and De Palma than you can shake a stick at! As I mentioned earlier, this is a Kinski tour-de-force, outside of his films with Herzog (which are all incredible) this is probably his best performance: subtle, sinister, charming, creepy, sympathetic in the beginning and just plain psychotic towards the end. Even his calm voice-overs added a nice touch to a character that is extremely flawed yet likable. The movie is also a character study, not just of a person going insane, but also of the Serial Killer-something that was being wildly talked about at the time. Crawlspace was released the same year as Manhunter, which dealt with many of the same themes and ushered in the serial killer vs. profiler/forensic trend, which continues to be popular in movies and especially television today. I could also discuss the whole “voyeur” concept and symbolism, but that would be too pretentious don’t you think?

While the body count is high, there is very little gore, as much of the killings occur off screen-yet you do witness the aftermath, as Gunther tends to collect “parts” which he displays in jars. Perhaps he is constructing the perfect person, a la The House that Screamed (used again in May). The film is heavily influenced by Hitchcock and De Palma, even using the composer Pino Donaggio (frequent collaborator of De Palma) to write the score. The film was shot by Sergio Salvati, who is mostly known in horror circles as the DP on all of Fulci’s best films. The movie was directed by David Schmoeller, who also directed Tourist Trap (1979), as well as the classic Puppet Master (1989), and produced by Charles Band, the legendary “hack” producer behind about a million direct-to-DVD titles released through Full Moon.Fans of serial killer films, Hitchcock/De Palma-style thrillers, or Kinski should definitely check this out. It was released on one of those double bill Midnight Movies DVDs from MGM a few years back (with The Attic, another underappreciated film) but is now OOP, but you can get it from Blockbuster On-Line or possibly Netflix.

Sam Raimi Returns

As some of you may or may not know, the Evil Dead films are some of my favorite horror films of all time, true American classics. Well, after years of making some pretty damn fine Spider-man movies, Sam Raimi is finally returning to horror. Raimi's new film, called Drag Me to Hell, is a story about a young woman who falls under an evil curse. Originally, when I first heard about this project, it was set to star Ellen Page, and I almost creamed my pants. However, she had to pull out before filming and was replaced by Alison Lohman.


Quite the little cuite, no? So, while I was a little disappointed there, I was still pretty psyched. Well, then I heard that the film would be more of a mood piece than a gory, crazy horror show. I became very depressed by this. While I was still sure that the film would be good, I simply figured it would be more like The Gift, than Evil Dead. So, while I was sulking, the San Diego Comic Con was going on. At said con, Raimi brought a clip from his new flick, and some wonderful soul recorded it from the audience. Obviously, the clip was pulled pretty fast. So, I figured I would post it here for all my pals out there to see, and to educate anyone who may not know about the film. Enjoy this kick ass clip, which has totally renewed my faith in this film. Keep in mind, this is a pretty poor quality recording.

Review: The Dead Pit (1989)

Do you like zombies?

Do you like movies set in insane asylums?

Do you like incredibly hot chicks who spend the whole film in their panties and a t-shirt?

Well, if you don't, there must be something wrong with you! For those who are not familiar with the film (like myself until recently), this late 80's cult classic zombie film has apparently had a dedicated following ever since it hit video store shelves with its famous light up video cover. The Dead Pit was the directorial debut of Brett Leonard who went on to direct such turd piles as Lawnmower Man, Virtuosity, Sigfried and Roy's the Magic Box, Man-Thing, and Highlander: The Source! Whew! Talk about living down to your potential. While it is somewhat heartbreaking that Leonard's best film is his first, The Dead Pit should still stand for a long time after he's gone as a simply damn fun little picture.


The story concerns a mad neurosurgeon who is killed after it's discovered he's been performing bizarre surgical/quasi-satanic magical procedures on his patients. We then jump forward twenty years to see a young woman, with a bad case of amnesia, named Jane Doe being admitted to the same mental institution. Soon, the buried secrets of Dr. Ramzi and his experiments begin to surface as Jane's forgotten past begins flooding back. Basically what you'll get is a pretty amusing slow burn thriller with a balls to the wall final act when the zombies finally come out of Ramzi's pit. One of the biggest attractions of this film for me is the the female lead Cheryl Lawson. Lawson apparently started out as a stunt woman but she gives a solid performance here, mostly in her underpants. So, not only is she talented, she's also a real knockout and can scream with the best of them. Think a sexier Heather Langenkamp. Plus, we get to see her boobs.


Another notable feature of the film are the zombies themselves. There's really no set of "laws" that apply to these zombies. Do head shots kill them? Who knows. The fact that they're a combination of surgery and evil magic make them quite unique in the annals of zombie film history. The other thing about this film I really loved was that it was set and filmed in a real decrepit insane asylum. I've always had a love affair with abandoned buildings and particularly asylums ever since I saw Brad Anderson's superb Session 9. Plus, I'm a big H.P. Lovecraft fan and the Danvers asylum from Session 9 is mentioned in a few of his stories. This creates a nice blend of 80's cheese, low budget horror, and creepy atmospherics, resulting in a film that, while not a cinematic masterpiece, has ended up on my fun flick short list.



Now, many of you who know the film, or who may never have seen it, know of it primarily from its distinctive VHS video box that we all saw numerous times on the Blockbuster, Movie Gallery, and mom and pop video rental shelves. For those who've never seen the film, the lead zombie, Dr. Ramzi, occasional has red glowing eyes; this ties into the whole supernatural/magic/satanic angle of the film. There's no doubt that this was a truly great video cover (see the above photo), that was probably responsible for most of the films cult success. However, if your pissed that the DVD does not feature the same cool light up googlie eyes, I'd suggest you take it up with Bill Olsen, owner of Code Red DVD. You can hear his hilarious thoughts and feelings about this issue in the video below.

(as heard on Dead Pit Radio)

Anyway, box art aside, you can probably tell that I really enjoy this film. Its nothing special in the long run, but I just can't help but love it. It's perfect for a boring weekend afternoon, a party with friends, etc. So please, support Code Red DVD and go pick up the exclusive 2-disc special edition at your local Best Buy (for only $14.99!). You'll be glad you did.

We Now Interrupt Your Regularly Scheduled Program... UPDATE (8/4)

The weekend numbers for the film are in, and, if spun correctly, don't look too bad. Check out Bloody Disgusting's article on it here.

Instead of the usual capsule reviews, I've decided to do an emergency post on a horror news story I've been following. The crisis at hand concerns the new adaptation of Clive Barker's short story, Midnight Meat Train. Bloody-Disgusting reports:

"I've been sitting in the back seat watching the stories unfold regarding Lionsgate vs. Clive Barker about his film The Midnight Meat Train. We reported awhile back that the film was slated to open in limited theaters on August 1st, which is all fine and dandy, until I found out that the film is opening in dollar theaters... yeah, $1 theaters. "They're dumping it at mostly dollar theaters (the second run theaters, so it'll make even LESS money)," writes B-D reader Brian W. (one of a handful who wrote in). "It's playing at a Dollar Theater in Norwalk and Oklahoma and Idaho. Check MovieTickets.com if you don't believe me. " The question is, why does Lionsgate want the movie to make less money than it would normally in limited theaters? I'm going to investigate this further as something seems off." - Mr. Disgusting at Bloody-Disgusting

Well, no information has come to light as yet on why they're burying this film. All the early reviews have been fairly positive. It's a Barker adaptation, directed by Ryuhei Kitamura of Versus fame. All signs point to a winner. The only thing I can figure is that there are some bizarre internal politics at work in Lionsgate and this has nothing to do with the film itself, but some assholes personal problems. This is all too common. I myself joined the letter writing campaign to Lionsgate and all we can hope is that the list of Dollar theaters continues to grow, and that this film is a huge hit on DVD, thus delivering a swift kick to the balls of the idiots at Lionsgate behind this move. I will now list the theaters this is currently confirmed to be playing at:

Thanks to DreadCentral.com for compiling this list.

Western US

Tiffany plaza 6 in (Denver, CO)
Temeku Discount Cinema (Temecula,CA)
Cinemark Movies 10 (Cathedral City,CA) (Tickets Online!)
La Mirada Dollar Movie 7 (La Mirada,CA)
Cinemark Movies 12 Lancaster (Lancaster,CA)
Bell Canyon Pavilions 8 (Phoenix,AZ)
Superstition Mall (Mesa,AZ)
Cinemark Movies 8 (Provo,UT)
Cinemark Valley Fair 9 (West Valley City,UT)
Cinemark Movies West 8 Cinema (Albuquerque,NM)
Cinemark Sugar House 10 (Salt Lake City,UT)
Cinemark Movies 8 Theatre (Albuquerque,NM)
East Pointe Movies 12 (El Paso,TX)
Cinemark Movies 12 (Springfield,OR)
Westgate Mall Cinema 6 (Amarillo,TX)
Gateway Movies 8 (Federal Way,WA) (Tickets Online!)
Cinemark Movies 12 (Laredo,TX)
Cinemark Movies 16 (San Antonio,TX)
Northpark 7 (Oklahoma City,OK)
Robinson Crossing 8 (Norman,OK)
Crossroads Movies 8 (Oklahoma City,OK)
Cinemark Round Rock-Discount Movies 8 (Round Rock,TX)
Cinemark Movies 8 (North Richland Hills,TX)
Palace Theatre West (Wichita,KS)
Starplex Irving Cinema 10 (Irving,TX)
Movies 8 (Lewisville,TX)
Cinemark Tandy 10 ILittle Rock, AK) (Tickets Online!)
Nuart on Santa Monica August 15th at midnight

Eastern US

Carmike Maxi-Saver 12 (West Mufflin, PA) (Tickets Online!)
Cinemark Movies 10 (Rochester,NY) (Tickets Online!)
Millcreek Cinema 6 (Erie,PA)
Cinemark Movies 8 (Youngstown,OH)
Cinemark Willoughby Hills Movies 10 (Wickliffe,OH)
Cinemark Movies 10 (North Canton,OH)
Cinemark Movies 10 (Lynchburg,VA)
Silver Cinemas - Macomb Mall (Roseville,MI)
Cinema 10 (Mansfield,OH)
Carmike Blue Ridge 14 (Raleigh,NC)
Starplex Cinemas - Mesquite Cinemas 10 (Mesquite, TX)
Cinemark Movies 16 Warren (Warren,MI)
Cinemark Movie 12 (Columbus,OH)
Danbarry Dollar Saver Huber Hgts. (Huber Heights,OH)
Danbarry Dollar Saver S. Dayton (Dayton,OH)
Cinemark Movies 10 (Matthews,NC)
Kerasotes Richmond Cinema 10 (Richmond,IN)
Coventry 13 (Fort Wayne,IN)
Danbarry Dollar Saver Cinemas W. Hills (Cincinnati,OH)
Danbarry Cinemas Turfway (Florence,KY)
Carmike 10 Lexington (Lexington,KY)
Cinemark University Park 6 (Mishawaka,IN)
Washington Market Movies 8 (Indianapolis,IN)
Cinemark Movies 8--Greenwood Corners (Indianapolis,IN)
Greentree Cinema 10 (Clarksville,IN)
Premiere Nasa Dollar 8 (Premiere Cinema Movies) (Webster, TX)
Carmike Movies 7 (Knoxville,TN)
Marcus Regency Cinemas (Racine,WI) (Tickets Online!)
Carmike 10 (Birmingham, AL)
Touchstar Colonial Promenade 6 (Orlando, FL)
Carmike Palm Cinema 3 (Lakeland, FL)
Stockyards 8 (Omaha, NE)
Cinemark Movies 10 (Fayetteville, GA)
GTC Town Center Value 10 (Lawrenceville, GA)
Venture Cinema (Duluth, GA)

UPDATE: B-D Reader Matt Smith sent in these flyers for you guys to post around your city:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v354/toxicmirror/mmt2color.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v354/toxicmirror/mmt2bw.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v354/toxicmirror/mmt4color.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v354/toxicmirror/mmt4bw.jpg


I have made the two closest theaters to my hometown of Cincinnati in bold font for your convience. Please, get the word out and spare a dollar to go see this film as soon as possible. This could be a serious make or break moment for R-rated horror films in general. I'll see you at the Turfway theater on Sunday!