The Redwood Massacre (2014) - An early review.

Get me, I'm probably one of the first people in the world to see in its entirety, a brand new horror film  - a movie that few others have yet to see. Well, that is after the production team, probably some of the actors, the test showing audience, those involved in the artwork, the soundtrack music and the other bloggers & websites that have been given the opportunity to view the early screener on Vimeo. Ok, so possibly I'm a little further down the food chain than my publicist (I.e. Me) would have you believe. Though at least I've seen it before the general unwashed proletariat  public - so yes, get me and my self important delusions of grandeur.....

I first wrote a piece on the making of this particular film a couple of months ago when I first heard about a local creative advertising and video production agency who also make their own feature films, called Clear Focus Movies. In particular, I was rather excited to learn that their latest horror feature, The Redwood Massacre was nearing the end of it's post-production (that's complex movie speak to those who don't know about such things -  stick with me & you'll go far) and that it would soon be ready for release. After much pestering, whining and threats on my part warning that I would stand in a corner and sulk until they agreed, the producer Lorraine Keith finally relented and approved that not only would I receive an invitation to the press screening in September (the night before the very first public screening) at the Belmont Filmhouse in Aberdeen, but that she would send me a link at the earliest opportunity, to the completed film for an early review. 

Now I know what you are thinking "Oh that's alright then, matey boy, an invite to the premier & early screener - hmm,  sort of guarantees a good review of the movie then, doesn't it?"  - and I can see your point, but you would be incorrect. For the fact is that this genre of horror, namely the ‘young and impossibly good looking campers in the woods hunted by a vicious sadistic killer Gore-fest’ quite simply hasn't ever been one of my particular favourite sub-topics of horror movie, quite the contrary in fact. I personally find the slasher film formula boringly over-familiar, cliched and lacking in genuine excitement. Therefore Lorraine and her director husband David, were not guaranteed any sort of positive review, no way, Jose. Besides which, I know in certain walks of life that I'm distinctly easy and cheap, but when it comes to this blogging and reviewing business, well I'm your regular paragon of blooming virtue - honest guvnor and all that your honour.

So on Monday of this week Lorraine took a chance that there may be a window in my social calendar (don't laugh, I went out one evening last month I'll have you know) and told me that the super duper online screener was ready to be viewed by yours truly. After reading her 15,500 word contract that essentially suggested that nowhere in Scotland would be safe for me to hide from her, her hubby and film crew friends if I decided to share the location of the online source, I agreed to her conditions. I did think that making me sign the declaration of secrecy in the blood of my first-born was a slightly extreme request - but the joke is on them as my daughter is away in Ireland so I used the blood of my second born. Another victory to me methinks.....

What could possibly go wrong?.......

It was late in the evening when I sat down with the love of my life (my iPad) and the second love of my life (a vodka and lemonade) and began watching The Redwood Massacre. So before I let loose with what I actually thought about the possible merits of the movie,  let me remind you, or tell you for the first time if you couldn't be bothered to waste your life on my previous blog articles, what the story briefly is about.....

" For five adventurous friends, visiting the legendary murder site of the Redwood farm has all the hallmarks of being an exciting and thrilling camping weekend away.

A popular site for revellers and party goers, each year on the exact date of the famous local family massacre, people from around the country head out to the site to have fun and scare each other. 

Events take a bloody turn for the worse when the innocent campers discover the Redwood myth is in fact a horrible bloody reality, which turns the unsuspecting victims into prey for a mysterious axe wielding maniac that has remained dormant for 20 years.”

When parties go wrong..... 

I will say this immediately and without reservation, this movie is an absolute joy of a slashing gore-fest - in other words, I loved it! The writer & director,  David Keith has previously gone on record to say that his intention was for those who see this film is to experience "a fun 80 minute bloody movie that will entertain from beginning to end...." And boy does this deliver. From the initial moments when we are introduced to the painfully bloody consequences for a young lady in the woods after she becomes a little overly acquainted with the axe of our very own Redwood serial killer, we are transported on a tale of blood, guts and at times, deliciously claustrophobic terror. 

There is no attempt here to add any political or social commentary on today's society and particularly the young people within it. Nor does it have any pretensions of intricate or philosophical dialogue between the cast, and that isn't meant as a criticism because what we have here with The Redwood Massacre is a chilling authentic old fashioned slasher horror with multiple violent deaths and gallons ( and I mean oodles of gallons) of blood and gore.

What's up - the bad man has got your tongue?

What we also have is a movie serial killer that, given the chance may well provide horror fans worldwide something to talk excitedly about, such is the 'menacing killer quality' of this bad, bad man. I'm not saying that the bad man is going to achieve the iconic status of a Jason Voorhees, Leatherface or Michael Myers - after all they have had 40 years to gain their esteemed levels of notoriety. However, in The Red Wood Massacre, we have a genuinely chilling slasher killer who essentially ticks all the boxes for what makes a good genre killer; he has a previously harmless (scarecrow) mask now transplanted into terrorising undertones, an iconic weapon here with his axe (though it is safe to say that he has a plethora of other killing implements that he just can't decide upon which is his favourite, a rather spectacular body count and an inability to stay harmed for long - even after a few gunshots to the head.

He is a killing machine that seems to take a very special pride in using a variety of grotesque and imaginative methods of killing, gutting and disemboweling his victims, and then saving the various body parts for, well, who knows what? He's a brilliant character who may not say much, but his actions speak far louder than any words could, after all, he's not much for conversation - well except for the odd guttural scream or two from his victims in response to the thrusting of his hands into ones chest to pull out ones still beating heart.....Honest to god, I would love to know how many gallons of blood and gore had to be ordered to make the incredibly authentic effects......that is, if they are actually effects......

Erm, there's something on your face....not to the left a bit

I've mentioned the gore quota, there is gore in this movie, and buckets of it at that. I can just hear the conversation that took place back at Clear Focus Movies HQ....

 "Yes that's right, I'm directing a horror movie in the North of Scotland and I'd like some blood, flesh and gore effects delivering please" 

"How much do I need? ......er Lorraine, how much do you reckon, a couple of Tupperware tubs full?

(Mocking whispers can be heard in the background)

"We'd like a truck load of it please...... & make sure it's a big truck!"

Gore lovers will not be disappointed with both the quantity of the stuff but also with the explicit sound effects that accompany each appearance of the stuff. Now I can take or leave gore-fest movies, the horror genre for me is much more than a collection of splatter upon splatter  productions - something occasionally a few of my fellow horror aficionados would be better to take heed of. However  in The Redwood Massacre, I will freely admit that on this occasion, the blood and guts quota is exceptionally well done and for some lovers of the stuff, it will be deliciously nauseatingly effective. I counted at least 5 or 6 times when my reactions were simply 'Awww nooooo, that's just horrible!!!!!!!' - excellent.

It has to be said that a film shot in the North East of Scotland couldn't really help but look good, after all, this part of the world is most definitely gods own. That being said, this is a movie that is wonderfully shot. The camerawork is truly stunning, not just in the outdoor sequences but in the dim and claustrophobic interior scenes which add an intense layer of added terror. The colours and textures of the film are a feast for the eyes. Besides looking good, it all sounds great with a beautifully evocative soundtrack score by Leah Kardos that adds the perfect level of atmospheric chills to the overall experience. 

The acting too is of a good quality (not something that can always be said for low-budget independent productions) particularly from Lisa Cameron as Pamela and Rebecca Wilkie as Jessica. In addition, once again The Redwood Massacre ticks another good slasher box by having a character that is so unlikeable and unrelatable that I was wondering how long it would take (if at all) it would be until she well and truly crossed the bad man's path. So credit should be given to Lisa Livingstone for having the balls to make her character so bloody annoying - after all, another essential tasty slasher ingredient should be at least one or two people in ones movie that one hopes will be killed - and usually the more inventive the better. However, I'm not necessarily saying that her character dies, you'll have to see the film for yourself.

I don't want to sound overly gushing and hyperbolic towards this movie and leave you with the idea that the film doesn't have the odd minus point, because in my humble opinion, it isn't perfect. For all the excellent interplay between the main players I would have preferred a little more detailed back stories for the main characters. We know for example that Jessica Is Mark's ex-girlfriend and that his extremely annoying and whining current girlfriend has also come along for the weekend, but apart from that we know little else about them or the rest of the group and therefore the emotional investment in their safety isn't quite as high as it could have been. There is also a situation with a helpful but dim motorist that feels a little too easily contrived and an appearance from the father of a previous victim that should be far more weighty and important, but ultimately adds little to the overall story & in fact I felt it distracted slightly from the pacing of proceedings.

These however are very minor negatives to what overall is a excellently bloody cinematic  experience. This is a fine slasher film that for the most part is excellently paced and will have you hooked from the very first minute to the very last.

All that is left for me to say that is that thanks to those fucking farmers, no one is safe!

Tickets are (or at least were yesterday, because they're selling quickly) available for the local Aberdeen premier at the wonderful Belmont Filmhouse on the 19th September. If you live in the area then go to the link to book tickets at http://www.belmontfilmhouse.com/showing/the-redwood-massacre/

The Facebook page for the movie can be found RIGHT HERE

Stormfront: Part one of The Quantum Mechanic series - A SciFi novel from Jason Faris

When Jason Faris contacted me recently and politely enquired as to whether I would be interested in reviewing his new book Stormfront, well I was more than a bit pleased, and for a couple of reasons. Firstly, the fact that people ask for my opinion on their creations still gives me a kick. Though I'm not sure if they value it or they're just desperate. I mean, in 'real life' few people ever ask for my views, in fact most people wouldn't even give them the time of day. Well that is except for my students, however they are something of a captive audience who know I'll fail their arses in the blink of an eye if I sense even a feint modicum of disinterest on my blathering and blithering. This situation of disinterest also relates to animals - Neither my two dogs or two cats give more than two toots for my opinions - in fact I'm pretty sure that Molly, my Bengal, is most of the time a breath away from hating me. It's probably best that we don't talk about the incident when it was my considered opinion that we change Molly's food - It didn't go well.

The second reason I was pleased to be contacted was because it was the first time that I had been messaged via my brand spanking new website. Now I won't bore you with how fab the website actually is (but it is), or how it is is meant to act as a further outlet and promotion for this blog (which it is) or even that it also includes a wealth of other goodies of a scifi/fantasy and horror nature (though, it does). I won't even be so crass to mention that link to the website so that you could see for your own eyes (but it's here at.......  http://stuartandrew86.wix.com/fifth-dimension).               Did I mention that I have a new website?......

So essentially, Jason Faris has the (dubious) honour of being the first ever person to be promoted (well as best I can promote) by use of my site. Now while this day may not be talked about in years to come in whispered and hushed tones of reverence by students of the blogging greats, it's still a big deal to me.

It also helped that a small 'window' had appeared in by blogging schedule - the sneak preview of a brand new Scottish horror film and a couple of interviews that are awaiting responses have been slightly delayed. This meant I could sit down with my trusty iPad and read the downloaded ebook.....as long as the cats didn't demand to be fed, that is.

Stormfront is geared to be the first part of a series of science fiction themed stories called The Quantum Mechanic. So let me first tell you a little of the plot before I muse on the quality of the work.

"The story takes place in the near future, and mankind's long awaited convergence of technologies has faltered. Misguided efforts have created multiple crises across the globe, and spawned unthinkable atrocities. Thousands have died, millions are threatened, and international tensions run high.

In an effort to reassure the public, the global community bans all research in these fields. Violations are dealt with harshly, and those responsible are designated as enemies of humanity. But rogue nations persist, and a secret project is launched that results in one of the most heinous acts of terrorism that the world has ever seen. 

But on the day of the attacks everything changes... A man acts to rescue the little girl he loves, revealing superhuman abilities so terrifying that the world is left in shock. Now those responsible for the attack are seeking him, and a struggle is coming to define the future of mankind, and the fate of the world. 

In a future where science has become God, how does the world deal with a man whose abilities cannot be explained?"

Quite simply, this book, the first the Quantum Mechanic series, is pure SciFi enjoyment that gives energetic life to what could have been something of a potentially dry subject matter. I am often dubious about stories that are set just a few years into the future and yet seem to contain outlandish leaps of technology and societal shifts within a relatively short time that fail to logically register. Stormfront, I'm happy to say, doesn't fall into that trap as it deals with the future of warfare - specifically, the future theatre where the wars will take place - with a considered level of maturity and intelligence. If anything, judging by recent and current events in the middle East which are at the moment seemingly ripping the area apart, there may be more than a hint of accuracy to some of the themes contained in the book. 

Stormfront provides an enjoyably uncomfortable & at times horrific multiple time line tale of a near future where the world is embroiled in conflict in which military battles are fought on a human, bio-genetic and computerised level. The several set-piece scenes of violent conflict are extremely well written, the account of the Middle East battle where the allied forces first encounter the bio-mechanised fighters is especially hard-hitting in its graphic description of the terror of warfare and technology. In truth, Faris draws the reader quickly in to the story and barely lets up throughout. 

However, do not form the impression that this book is simply a superficial gung-ho shoot em up and ask questions later tale, it is far more intelligent than that. For a start, no story, regardless as to how interesting the concept may be, can survive without the reader being able to relate to the characters within it. If we cannot empathise with them, like them or simply despise them then the work is irretrievably lost at the outset. Considering that this is the introduction to the series, and so by definition time has to be spent in providing sufficient texture to the characters, the author manages to provide excellent layers to a number of the players. Two in particular are extremely interesting, the complex and tortured Jacob and the young girl Jessica, who witnesses and experiences personal horrors of her own, are both superbly written.

Whilst Stormfront deals with a number of issues, technological advances, religion, war and culture, it doesn't intend to preach. I hope that some misguided people (fools) don't misinterpret this story and try to find some hidden biblical meaning and support within this particular text. The real world isn't the Black & White simplicity that some news stations and politicians would have us believe, it is far more complex with unending textures of grey. 

What this book does well is to simply ask 'what if?'  What if we had the ability to create the perfect killing machine? What if religious and theological certainty (of all forms and dominion) became all consuming? What if ideological certainty overrides the ability to research and explore? What if our understanding of what we regard as normality was challenged?

The book also deals with the concept of faith - but don't let that put you off if you feel that you've had it up to your neck with the religious conflict that seems to constantly surround us in the world. Yes there are questions as to whether it is possible for us to regain lost faith in a god but also questions whether it is possible for us to survive when formerly unswerving faith is challenged. 

Some Fan Art - "Fear on the bridge" A scene from Part I of Book I

These questions of faith are not just theological in nature, indeed, one of the most powerful sections of Stormfront takes place when the faith in scientific certainty is challenged and then ultimately shattered. When the realisation of what the horrifying significance actually may be to the scientists examining the coding sequence for the bio-mechanical creations finally becomes clear, their expectations of reality will catastrophically never be the same for them (or us) again.

It must be said that the story isn't perfect. There are some gaps in the narrative that may well be given shape in later instalments. For example, the opening chapter, while providing some background to the cause of the catastrophic attacks, may well be interesting, the section is slightly overly descriptive and leaves a whole multitude of questions that I don't feel are fully answered. Though the beginning is the weakest part of the book, it is by no means overly detrimental to the narrative and the author certainly quickly tightens up the writing as the story progresses. In addition, the ideological and theological viewpoints are decidedly one sided and western centric. This may be intentional, or may be addressed in future instalments, either way, we shall find out.

However, these are but minor concerns as we must remember that this is the first of a series and hopefully questions of detail and motive will be, if not answered, then at least further developed in the next instalment. By their very nature, a series of books as this tend to become more complex and detailed as they progress, hopefully at some stage the opposing views and philosophy may also be explored and fleshed out.

Stormfront is an enjoyable, exciting and thought provoking story of multiple time lines and characters. The book, while not perfect, still manages nevertheless to confidently transport the reader along an authentic, roller coaster of a ride to a future where humans, the military, technology and faith of all types are challenged. 

I cannot wait to read part two, Prometheus Within - which I believe is available now.........So Jason Faris, Sir......"cough".........signed copy of Prometheus Within, please......"cough"

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jason is in his early forties and currently lives in Kentucky, near the small town Wexton is based on. He shares his home with a very patient wife, several children, and one small and incredibly neurotic dog.

The Quantum Mechanic eBook Series is his first foray into writing. 

The various links to Jason and his work can be found below;

The Website for Jason Faris can be found at : www.quantummechanicbook.com

Twitter is : @quantummech

His author Facebook page can be found at : https://www.facebook.com/thequantummechanicbook

Amazon link: http://www.amazon.com/Stormfront-Part-1-Quantum-Mechanic-ebook/dp/B00KFPP5NW

HEROIN IN THE MAGIC NOW - A Novel By Terry M West

It doesn't take much intuition or intelligence to realise that Terry M. West's new book HEROIN IN THE MAGIC NOW hasn't exactly been a labour of love for him, perhaps labour of pain & hell would probably be a more apt description of what it took for him to write it. But more of that in a moment.

Terry first came to my attention in August of last year when I was asked to review his new book, a collection of six stories entitled A Psycho's Medley. He was already pretty well known to most horror fans as the director of the critically-acclaimed independent horror film Blood for the Muse and Fever Dream’s Flesh for The Beast and his book was a return to the horror genre after nearly a decade. However, for A Psycho's Medley was the first real association that I'd had with his work up to that point. I say ' up to that point' because I not only immensely enjoyed his collection of short stories, but I've also made a conscious effort to keep up with his work since.  

If you have a spare few minutes then you could do worse than check out the article which can be found directly at THIS LINK HERE. Of course, the term ' you could do worse' is entirely subjective......

I will admit that I genuinely enjoyed reading A Psycho's Medley and its journeys into the mind of the psychopath together with their varying forms of insanity, each with their own origins and manifestations of evil. Essentially, it was an accumulation of stories that sat me gently down, asked me if I was comfortable and then introduced me to the very real human monsters that could well be lying there under my bed and just waiting to show me their special brand of madness.

So why, you may be asking, is this current work possibly the result of pain and hell for the author? Well it may be best to firstly relate a little of Terry M.West's background which may then shed a little light on the matter.

As I have already mentioned, Terry has made a name for himself for his much lauded horror fiction. However, before that he had spent a short period of his career on the fringe of the adult film industry. Through a series of events he found himself writing and directing soft-core sex films, a situation he freely admits wasn't a result of arm twisting, he willingly and freely ventured into this world believing that he would be able to pay some bills and bide his time to become the horror writer he believed he would be. In the meantime he would remain untainted. However, as for many before and after him, this association with the adult industry nearly ruined his reputation as a serious artist, he felt tainted and subsequently went into a deep depression that resulted in substance abuse and the disintegration of his first marriage. He slowly began to straighten himself around and left the creative world for a 10 years. He returned in 2013 and to a fair level of acclaim - and not just from myself.The personal demons were behind him.

Maniac Terry has plans for reviewers that he takes a dislike to......

Well, they may indeed be behind him, but it seems that Terry M.West has realised that like all of us, we can leave those demons behind for a while, but eventually their shadows will often raise their heads with a reminder of pains past. Now I don't profess to know Terry very well, he is now a Facebook acquaintance of mine but that won't stop me from being as honest as I can and I know that he won't hesitate to let me know If I am wrong. In essence, it seems that he has felt some sense of responsibility to tell his story - at least his version of it - and with it set some of those personal demons free forever.

As a consequence he was written quite probably the most personal and intensely honest appraisal of himself and his previous life, and placed it all within an imaginary world of magic, make-believe and horror. I will say this now, I read HEROIN IN THE MAGIC NOW in a couple of hours without stopping. I thoroughly and genuinely enjoyed it. However, I will warn prospective readers to beware, because reading this story leaves one with a distinct sense of unease and a pervading sense of something not quite right within ones soul.

So what is the synopsis of the story?..... Well take a look at the little snapshot of spoiler-free info below.

"HEROIN IN THE MAGIC NOW explores pain and hell. The story is set in a dark make-believe New York. The Night Things have climbed onto our shores from the shadows and they are now part of the system.

Gary Hack, a down on his luck porn director with an appetite for heroin, finds himself working in the dangerous world of monster fetish videos.

Gary is made an offer he can't refuse by Johnny Stücke, an immortal crime boss. The video Johnny envisions could be the greatest zombie fetish film ever created. But it could also ignite an apocalypse that could destroy the city.

HEROIN IN THE MAGIC NOW is original, startling and brutal. It will leave a mark inside."

You don't have to be some king of Psychologist to quickly realise that the main protagonist, Gary Hack, is probably barely one or two fictional touches of shade away from being a certain Terry M. West. What he has done is supplant the seedy and insane world of soft-core Hollywood and transplant into a Universe where, with echoes of True Blood, the mythical creatures of historical folklore have come out of the shadows to be part of society. Zombies, Vampires, Werewolves et al have all become part of the day to day (and night to night) existence. 

The Zombies have become the new underclass - begging and whoring themselves in order to 'survive' after being outlawed from mixing in groups of three undead, for fear of the frenzied consequences. Vampires are portrayed here as vain and insecure, Werewolves as gluttons of feeding excess. And within this universe there are those willing to take advantage of the financial, sexual and dominating opportunities that they are now afforded. After all, appetites still need to be satisfied don't they?

The story is full of dark places inhabited by dark characters - both in human and monster form. Gary maybe once was a nice guy, but now finds himself a self-loathing monster of a very human kind, partly of his own creation, fuelling himself on death -  chemically, spiritually and literally. During the story he frequently questions both his own motives and behaviour and those of others around him - yet his weakness and personal demons lead him to constantly make decisions that can only have one outcome - possibly. And yet, there are elements of Gary Hack that are likable, even appealing. There is still an undercurrent of decency, humour and humanity beneath his seedy existence.

HEROIN IN THE MAGIC NOW is an immensely enjoyable read, full of horror with a fair modicum of humour. The characters are believable, which given that they probably are formed from people from Mr West's past is no major surprise, and the dialogue is constantly punchy and laced with biting and sardonic humour. 

It is not comfortable reading, for it deals with an industry that is already full of its share of casualties and fatalities and to it adds a heady mix of monster chills into the bloody gory mix. The story's central strength is that while it is a dark and personal tale that touches on whole range of things, life choices, career choices, greed, lust (to name but a few) - it still nicely soaks these things up in gory yucky blood and places them in a Universe that I would gladly read more of.

The main criticism that I would have is the length of the story, at a little over 50 pages it simply isn't long enough - and before all of you out there shout back "Its a bloody Novella, numb nuts!", I know that.....obviously. However, short stories and novellas always leave me lacking in complete satisfaction and while that may well be a fault on my part, I can't help but feel that a very good book could have become a great book if some characters, particularly that of Johnny Stücke,  had been given the opportunity to further flesh out, if you pardon the pun. 

That, if truth be told, is just a minor quibble for what was a fabulous read. I can just about hear Terry replying "I literally sweated blood in doing this and you wanted MORE!!!??" I can only imagine what a tortuous experience this was for the author in revisiting a part of his life that all but destroyed his reputation, and nearly his own existence. West is not preaching, apologising or excusing his life or career choices, but he certainly seems to have learnt from them . Maybe Gary Hack will do the same.

HEROIN IN THE MAGIC NOW will available on August 31st from Pleasant Storm Entertainment, Inc. It will be offered for Kindle with a trade paperback to follow shortly afterwards. 

Nice Terry with his books - the power drill is under the desk......

Terry M. West is a well known author, filmmaker, actor and artist. He has written several books in the young adult field (most notably the graphic novel series, Confessions of a Teenage Vampire) and he has also written several horror short stories as well as the horror/thriller novel, Dreg. 

His work has appeared (or is scheduled to appear) in FrightNet, Scream Factory, Agony In Black, Lacunae, Jackhammer, House of Pain, Dark Muse, Moonletters, Silent Screams, When Red Snow Melts, One Hellacious Halloween, Deathmongers, Vignettes from the End of the World, Axes of Evil and Zombified 2. He was a finalist for the 1997 International Horror Guild Award for a short story (The Night Out) and he made the 1999 Bram Stoker Award preliminary ballot for a piece of long fiction (Hair and Blood Machine). 

He was also mentioned on the 1997 TV Guide Sci-Fi Hot List. West's books and collections include: A PSYCHO'S MEDLEY, WHAT PRICE GORY?, DEAD AWARE: A Horror Tale Told in Screenplay, CECIL & BUBBA MEET THE THANG and special collectors editions of CAR NEX, MIDNIGHT SNACK and CECIL & BUBBA MEET A SUCCUBUS. 

His work has received glowing reviews. His filmography includes his debut film, Blood for the Muse (based on his comic book of the same name which was a finalist for the 1998 International Horror Guild Award for a comic) and Flesh for the Beast. He has acted in the films The Blood Shed and Gallery of Fear (both directed by Alan Rowe Kelly) and had a starring role in Joseph M. Monks debut film, The Bunker. 

Terry currently writes and paints in southern California with his wife, Regina, and their son, Terrence. Terry is an active member of the Horror Writer's Association. 

Terry's official Facebook page can be found RIGHT HERE

Apocalyptic Conservatory Studios: 2 Careful Owners & Makeover - two film shorts by Mike Tack

PART ONE

There are some things that I adore about life in general; Helena Bonham Carter, red wine, the music of The Libertines, cricket and the films of Terry Gilliam. In the genre of Horror, there are also a number of things that I adore; H P Lovecraft, Stephen King, Adrienne Barbeau, the films of John Carpenter and the Hammer House of Horror - not to mention an arguably unhealthy obsession with The Wicker Man (1973) and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974).

The sub-genre of so-called torture horror (also known by a less flattering term as 'torture porn') has never really played a large part within my personal horror landscape of adoration. There are no high browed elitist explanations for this, It's just that movies such as Saw and it's ilk haven't historically been my horror bag, man.

So when El Presidenti Andy, of UK Horror Scene put the following message up the site's Facebook page earlier this week, my interest was peeked straight away;

"Hi All.

Anyone want to review a brand new UK horror short (15 mins) called 2 careful owners by Mike Tack . It is the follow up to last years great (wait for it) One Careful Owner. You will get a chance to see and review it before it hits the Festival Circuit . Let me know below if interested."

Now, that message to most people would read as being rather reasonable in nature. However, they would be wrong, very very wrong. Hence the reason for my peeked interest. For you see, I saw it as the veiled message, some may say threat, that it actually was. You see, Andy, I've mentioned before, runs UKHS with a fist of iron and a level of autocratic control that would make certain historical world leaders want to sit down and take copious notes on his methods of controlling his writers. For example, he regularly keeps his team of writers chained in the basement of his house and fed only through a trap door when the odd batch of raw beef from his local butcher is thrown down with the accompanying request to "write some horror reviews you scummy lot!". At least I think that it's beef.

Anyhoo, I knew for a fact that the message he wrote had an altogether different sub text and one which he knew only I would recognise. BTW, this is not a case of paranoia - the doctors have said I'm cured of that now.

The real message actually read as follows;

"Oy, Anderson matey boy.

Seeing as I let you out of the basement after that unpleasant incident after the fight over the last raw sausage with the rest of the boys, only on the proviso that you promise to write an article for me of my choosing - well the time has come for you to pay up my old mucker.

You are required to write one of your excuses for an article and try your best to review  a brand new UK horror short (15 mins) called 2 Careful owners by Mike Tack . It is the follow up to last years great (you're a bit thick, I know matey boy, but try and work it out) One Careful Owner. 

This Mike Tack chap seems to really know what he's doing, he only started writing and directed recently. He was at last years Frightfest and decided to stop saying he was going to make a short film and actually do it. Just two weeks later he had filmed his first short – The Domestic.  I know it's all a bit annoying that he's rather good at this stuff, but just suck it up and try not to let your usual feelings of inadequacy and inferiority at your own existence cloud your opinions.

So I want to you pull your finger out and firstly watch the original  which is on youtube for free - just search for miketackfilms and you will find it. I know that you think you're above this type of  sub-genre with your 'classic horror this and classic horror that preaching' - and if you think I wrote that bit in the tone of your whining six year old girly voice, you were spot on.

Believe you me, One Careful Owner was one hell of a 12 minutes , and I don’t want to go into too much detail as it fits a lot in the short run time. But expect some really good gore with brilliant FX and a brutal and ruthless conclusion. The acting is very good, the story interesting and after it was over it left me wanting more which is the sure sign of quality.

Now Anderson matey boy - the next bit of my 'request' is VERY important. I want you to review the follow up, 2 Careful Owners. It will be one of the first reviews before the film does the festival rounds in the next year, so I'm sending you a super secret youtube link so you can watch the movie and then give us your, ahem, thoughts on it. You must on no account pass on the super secret youtube link because by its very nature of being a super secret youtube link, it means it's pretty secret. Got that matey, boy? If for some reason you feel the urge to pass on the link to a 3rd party, then I'll have to tell you what - or rather who - is really in that meat I feed you and the rest of the writers. You must also on no account give away any spoilers. If you do you may end up like one-fingered Larry, whose writing pace has certainly suffered after the 9 spoilers from his last article.

Now on you go and try not to muck things up. Again."

And do you know what? The original was everything that Andy Boss-man said it was, an excellently paced and produced short film. Yes, certainly not for the squeamish, but certainly not a case of putting Gore ahead of acting quality and production. I liked it. In fact, I liked it a lot.

So it was with a little less degree of trepidation that I accessed the super secret youtube link and sat down to experience the next instalment of hammer time.

Having provided crooked car dealer Terry (Clive Ashenden) a rather painful lesson in not selling faulty cars to the likes of his now dead wife, Chris (Richard Nock) now continues his quest for bloody and gory revenge. Thanks to some brief but clever inserts of back story we learn that the death of Chris's wife has a far more complex undertone than first seems. This time he finds that he has a particularly vile villain that he needs to spend some quality time with.

The very understandable instructions I was given in regard to spoilers weren't really needed if truth be told, as I find it a particularly annoying habit of some reviewers who seem unable to resist revealing all and sundry of movie plot. Even reviewers who think they're being clever in saying such gems as "There are twists, but I won't reveal what they are" still annoy me beyond belief. Think about it, Einstein, by saying there are plots twists kind of tells me to expect, oh I don't know, plots twists! Fools.

As a consequence, I don't usually find it too difficult to ignore the lure of a spoiler, though the running time of 15 minutes for 2 Careful Owners does make it a little more problematic than usual. However, what I will say is that a for a brief running time of just a quarter of an hour, the film still manages to answer a whole plethora of questions.

Will we begin to discover the ugly truth about what lies behind the facade of Hammer motors and the conspiracy that it hides? Will we find out who is to blame for the death of Chris' wife and will they face retribution and be held accountable for their actions? Finally, will the viewers of this movie be able to endure more scenes of bloody, gory pain? Maybe.

Yes there are scenes of gory turn-your-face-away-from-the-screen intensity that will satisfy anyone who loves a serous quota of the stuff in their horror experience. What sets 2 Careful owners apart from others of the same ilk is the same quality of acting, pacing and editing of the story that took place in part one. 

The acting in particular is surprisingly good (not something that could be said for all Indie shorts). Messrs Knock, Ashenden and Neil Martin are especially notable.

It would have been too easy for Mike to have tried to pack as much shock value and inventive yet complicated scenes of violence into his 15 minutes at the expense of simply keeping it normal, something that all too many similar genre films also like to ignore.  

It is good to see that he resisted the trap. Because the skill of this production essentially is to place the characters in situations that we can all identify with, and in places that most of us will have been in at some points in our life. You could say that the situations are distinctly run-of-the-mill. The effect is to make the viewer feel as if we are actually included in the scene, albeit as an unwilling observer hiding and skulking in a darkened corner of the garage and knowing if we make a sound we be the next in line for the hammer.....

Has 2 Careful owners changed my mind about torture horror? Well time will tell, especially if there are further stories of this quality of production. I will freely admit that I thoroughly enjoyed this.

Oh and btw, watch and listen out for the rather fine closing credits when you get to see the movie, there is a distinct retro and groovy themed section of music. Nice.

You can access the company's Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/ApocalypticConservatoryStudios

Mike's Twitter account thingy can be tweeted at @MikeTackFilms

The link to the marvellous horror website UKHS, where this piece appears can be located RIGHT HERE

PART TWO

Part one of this piece of blogging wonder appeared in UKHS a couple of days ago, for which Mike Tack then made two very grave mistakes. Firstly he made it quite clear that he liked my article that appeared on Andy's most excellent of horror websites, thereby inflating my already extensive ego. Secondly, Mike not only followed me back on Twitter but also sent me a personal friend request on Facebook - big mistake. Obviously I'll leave it up to time and experience for him to realise what a fundamental error of judgement it will inevitably turn out to be. Poor guy.

Anyhoo, Mike was kind enough (some may call it stalking) to send me a message on FB saying thanks again for the review and had noticed in my profile (some may call it self indulgent waffle) that I was practically raised on Hammer films. This will come as no surprise to my reader who will know from previous ramblings (ad nausea) that the eponymous horror production company had indeed provided me not only with my formative horror experiences, but other formative experiences too from the likes of Ingrid Pitt, Maddie Smith et al. However, maybe the less said about the latter formative experiences the better.

It turns out that Mike also has soft spot for Hammer & monster movies and so sent me a link to a very short film that he recently made, thinking that I may well like it. The movie in question is called Makeover and it certainly does deal with the theme of a Monsters, or to be more specific, the very real monsters that might (well according to Mike's obviously twisted mind) literally lie beneath the surface of some of us. He was quite correct, I did indeed like it.

The film has a running time of 3mins 15 secs so you'll forgive me for not going into any deep nuance of plot. Suffice to say, the production quality, camerawork and editing which made 2 Careful Owners stand out is more than on show here too - a fact that belies the simply unbelievable cost to make the film of just £425. Makeover was made as Mike's entry to the abc's of death 2 competition in 2013 which featured 26 alphabet-inspired methods in which to depart this mortal coil, from a whole heap of horror filmmakers. Yes well done, Einstein - M was for Makeover.

It is a very enjoyable and clever 3 minutes or so with an interesting and well put together premise in regard to what really lies beneath the facade some (or indeed all) of the people who profess to know better in order to run our lives - no I'm not talking about celebrity cook's (though those bastards are certainly not to be trusted), I'm talking about politicians. You may watch Makeover and never look at David Cameron et all quite in the same way again, or it simply may confirm suspicions that many of us have often had about anyone who wishes to spend their existence in seats of power, telling others what to do.

The film is also going to be included in a compilation called World of Death coming this year . 'Hmmm, what is this World of Death that you speak of, Stuey?" Well, I will actually be putting together a piece on the project in the very near future. However, for now I won't say too much as release dates and even teaser trailers haven't yet been released by director and co-founder of World of Death. The plan as I understand is to bring together the talent of over 200 filmmakers from 25 different countries in a compilation of short horror films that will terrorise, astonish, disturb, and excite genre fans across the globe.The idea of bringing a whole collection of Independent talent together is frankly mouth watering. Watch this space for more information.

I'll leave it up to you to decide for yourself about the excellent Makeover, as the YouTube link for is below for you to enjoy - don't worry, it's not a super duper secret link - so you're probably safe.......for now.

Makeover (C) Mike Tack films

Iron Cloud (2014) - The SciFi goodies have landed!

Earlier this month it was my pleasure to view an early preview, via an online screener, of a brand new Polish SciFi short movie by Nikodem Wojciechowski.  As I mentioned in the article of 6the July 2014 - which if you can't be bothered with the hassle of searching through the blog, the piece can be found HERE  - Iron Cloud is 42 minutes of intelligent and exciting science fiction. There are philosophical themes, visual feasts for the eyes and adrenaline fuelled scenes a plenty to make one wish that the film was far longer. Anyway, read the article if you haven't done so already.

Anyhoo, I was happy to find out that Niko isn't perfect, in fact his whole level of judgement was called into question when he decided that he very much liked my review - the doctors are on their way, Niko mate.....hold on. In fact he liked the review so much that he was kind enough to send me today a whole package of Iron Cloud goodies - pictures of which can be seen below.

The Package is received....

When the trust postman dropped the package through my letterbox I was more than a tad excited, then I noticed the return address on the reverse was a Polish one - and I was VERY excited!

The address of yours truly is blocked out in an effort to avoid the inevitable stalking that will come from fans of this blog. I'm a blogger, not a piece of meat, people!

Original artwork from Iron Cloud

The first thing that I took from the package was this A4 sized piece of stunning original artwork form one of the Icon Scenes of the movie as the two brothers first set eyes on the city that they believe will be their salvation. The picture here doesn't do it justice (possible due to the terrible photography from a fool who should stick to blogging methinks). It is beautiful. But what is the writing in the bottom right hand corner?.....

A lovely handwritten message of thanks from Niko.

Aww Shucks.

The complete collection of goodies

In addition to the A4 print is a booklet of movie stills, cast photographs., original artwork , background notes and a whole heap of information about the film's history and production. There are also two DVD'S which I'm itching to see - tonight I shall be mostly watching Iron Cloud on my DVD player.

A page of notes and early drawings - enough to please the geek & anorak in me

Iron Cloud DVD heaven.

The goodie collection - now with the framed poster 

The signed poster is now framed and proudly mounted on my wall, just below my Star Wars movie stills poster. I know, I'm such a geek.

I would likely to sincerely thank Niko for sending me the package of goodies, particularly as I know that he's been very busy as many many packages similar to this have been sent in the past few days. They've been sent to the generous and kind-hearted souls who contributed time and money to help him get the movie off the ground and produced.

Of course, if any other potential reviewer's think that they stand a far better chance of getting a feature in my blog and website if they provide me with goodie incentives - well it may not necessarily guarantee a good review.......but it will certainly guarantee some attention and promotion! ;-)

The Facebook page link for Iron Cloud can be found at https://www.facebook.com/ironcloudshort?fref=ts

Iron Cloud's IMDB page can be found at http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3482684/?ref_=ttfc_fc_tt