Werewolf Rising DVD release & Interview with actor, Bill Oberst Jr.

This week I had three surprises. The first of which concerned the woman I am married to. My wife, it's safe to say, doesn't share my love of horror. In truth, she puts up with my obsession with science fiction with silent mocking though she does actually like the fantasy stuff. However, she doesn't at all like what she refers to as "That sick and twisted nasty stuff that I like to watch" - which sounds a lot creepier and suspicious than I meant it to be when I wrote that....honest. 

As a consequence, she rarely watches any of the material that I'm sent to review, because if there's one thing that she dislikes more than horror, it's low-budget independent horror.

However, she does have a soft spot for Werewolves, well, she likes the soft-core porn fest that is True Blood, so that almost counts I suppose. Actually, if truth be told, I kind of like True Blood too, well I like the actress that plays Tara May.....but you knew I was shallow didn't you?

So when the preview disc from Image Entertainment UK came through my letterbox the other day I was my usual excited self to receive a brand new movie and so proceeded to read through its accompanying blurb. To be honest, I'm not sure why but I wasn't expecting a lot from this particular film - maybe I wasn't in the mood for Werewolves. I also wasn't expecting my wife to suggest, after also reading the films blurb, that she watch it with me. After all she said, Werewolves are cool......really? I did try to warn her that this was one of those Indie films she dislikes so much, but she said that for some reason she had a good feeling about this one. I wasn't convinced, but who am I to argue with her? I've learnt that it's best not to.

So we sat down together a few nights ago to watch a low-budget Independent horror film for the first time ever together. That was the first surprise this week. The second surprise is that we both liked it. For you see, contrary to one or two reviews that you may have seen (one of which who shall remain nameless, spectacularly misses the point of the plot), Werewolf Rising is very much better than I thought it was going to be, in fact I enjoyed it immensely.  I will be honest in saying that its not perfect, there is one significant negative (and it is something of a biggie, I'm afraid) which I'll come onto later. However for the most part, it is a hugely enjoyable film.

But first a brief synopsis.......

Melissa Carnell as Emma....Nicely acted, oh & she's lovely.

"Deep in the sinister woods lives an unimaginable terror, that wreaks death and destruction when the moon is full. 
 
When Emma returns to her childhood home deep in the Arkansas mountains, she’s in need of rest and relaxation, but her problems have only just begun. What she finds is slaughter, fear and the foul pestilence that comes with a full moon.

A bloodthirsty werewolf is tearing through the township, ripping and ravaging all who cross its path; revealing a menacing underworld that few knew existed. Suddenly Emma finds herself plunged into a fight for her life and more – a fight to the finish for her soul."

One factor that sets Werewolf Rising apart is the generally good level of acting throughout, fans of Bill Oberst Jr. in particular will not disappointed as one of the acting stalwarts of contemporary indie horror puts in another deliciously intense and creepy performance of the kind he's well known for. In this movie he's a real nasty piece of work all right and the movie's tour de force.

Bill Oberst Jr sends the cast into raptures with his 

famous Frog impression..

Two of his pivotal scenes 'book-end' the movie, his first takes place during opening couple of scenes on a cold and foreboding country road, for which the camerawork and and lighting is excellent. Oberst from the outset sets a nicely chilling tone for the Werewolf proceedings to come. His final scene, which I won't go into for spoiler reasons, provides a wonderful end to the film and if you wish to scroll down this article he mentions in his interview with me the extremely challenging nature to making that sequence.

The rest of the cast members too are generally good, especially Melissa Carnell as Emma, the revering alcoholic who is haunted by chilling dreams of her youth and Matt Copko as town bad-boy Johnny Lee. Two faces for the future methinks.

The two violent and very satisfyingly deranged scenes book-end a very nicely paced film in which we are treated to the chance to actually get to know a little about the characters, rather than a slap dash dive into the horror abyss. This approach is fast becoming something of a trademark of the film company involved, where previous offerings from Image UK/ Ruthless Pictures (and also a previous blog entry on here) such The Invoking, have also displayed a more measured and patient pace to the plot's proceedings. I'm frankly at a loss to explain one 'review' that suggested fast-forwarding through sections of the film would be advisable to get to the action bits - blimey, talk about well and truly missing the point. Some of us actually like character development, matey and thankfully director BC Furtney seems to agree.

Werewolf Rising looks and sounds great. The excellently eerie and atmospheric Carpenter-esque soundtrack by Trevin Pinto is nicely off-set by the solid direction of Furtney, as well as the camerawork & cinematography (Ernesto Galan) throughout with both the blood and guts sections and the sprawling landscapes all looking excellent. I'm not sure exactly what part of the the States it was shot in, but it certainly has a distinct resemblance to areas where The Invoking was filmed, though I may be wrong about that - I often am.

Perhaps the major weakness of this film, and the factor that I'm sure many viewers and critics alike will focus on, is the Werewolf. On occasion it simply isn't convincing enough. There are moments when we get a furtive glimpse of it when it is lurking behind the bushes and tree's and the lighting and cinematography makes those brief glimpses pretty effective. The head shots too of the creature look convincing and skilled which at these points make an effective monster. However, it is when we see the Werewolf in full body action, well to be polite, it lacks any convincing quality at all. I appreciate that budgetary constraints would have meant that huge amounts couldn't be spent on the effects or costume, and I certainly don't want to belittle the talents of the efforts of the designers involved because it obvious that a huge amount of time and effort has gone into the making of the creature's get-up. However, I can't help feeling that it would have been far better to have avoided any full on views of the creature and simply left most of it's appearance to the viewers imagination. It's the one factor that stops this film from being regarded as very good, father than simply, good.

That being said, This is a movie that surprised me in it's pacing, atmosphere and overall level of acting quality enough to make me want to watch it twice. So enjoy it for what is is, and don't get too high and mighty about the Werewolf effects. If that wasn't enough, my wife enjoyed the film too.

Oh and by the way - this is one of the films that you simply MUST watch through to the end of the credits.

Werewolf Rising, comes to DVD from Image Entertainment UK on 22 September 2014.

The Facebook page for Image Entertainment UK can be located HERE

Werewolf Rising can also be found on that Twitter thing at https://twitter.com/werewolf_rises

Interview with Bill Oberst Jr.

Through a series of events during the undertaking of this review, I managed to snare one of the Main actors in Werewolf Rising on Twitter. As Bill's was the standout performance in the film I was about to go into what I like to call 'Stuey pestering mode' which essentially entails me making an absolute pest of myself until the poor victim relents and falls weeping into a heap while accepting my begging for an interview or the like. As it turns out, Bill is an absolute gentleman and the epitome of niceness as he generously agreed straight away to do an interview thingy - This was the third surprise of the week. 

Firstly, a little bit about the man, who in  2012, a British fan poll for the site Erebus Horror named Oberst "The King Of Indie Horror."

Bill Oberst Jr. 

Bill is arguably most well known for a Daytime Emmy Award-winning performance in Take This Lollipop and a ratings-winning role on CBS-TV's Criminal Minds.

The Season 9 episode of the CBS-TV series Criminal Minds, "Blood Relations," in which Oberst guest starred with Adrienne Barbeau and Tobin Bell, was the evening's most-watched program on television on its April 2, 2014 premiere. Oberst played a deformed serial killer (whom series fans dubbed The Killer Woodsman) in one of the series most outright "creepy" episodes.

He is perhaps most widely-known internationally as the face of director Jason Zada's Take This Lollipop, awarded a 2012 Daytime Emmy Award by the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences in the category of "New Approaches-Daytime Entertainment." Oberst has been seen by well over 100 million viewers worldwide in the role of a predatory online stalker in the interactive application for Facebook users.

His individual awards include a 2013 Best Actor Award at Pollygrind Film Festival in Las Vegas, a 2012 Best Actor Award at Shockfest Film Festival in Hollywood, a 2012 Golden Cobb Award for Best Rising B-Movie Actor, a 2012 Baddest Villain Award at ZedFest Film Festival in Los Angeles and the 2013 Monstey Award for Great Historical Monster Moments.

His shared awards include a 2013 International Critics Award at the Deauville Film Festival, a 2013 Audience Award at Phoenix Film Festival, a 2013 Audience Award at New Orleans Film Festival, a 2013 Copper Wing Award at Phoenix Film Festival, a 2013 Best Feature Award at Unreal Film Festival....believe me, the list gies on.

For a more detailed biography of Bill's career, visit his IMDB page at         http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2454994/

So here is the interview with the marvellous individual that Is Bill Oberst Jr.

Q) Many thanks, Bill for taking the time out to answer a few of my questions. For those misguided souls who may not be familiar with you, can you tell us a little about your background prior to your acting career?

A) Stuart, before I prattle on, I must thank you for your blog and for supporting "independent-minded" film. I quite enjoyed your interview with Adrienne Barbeau http://stuart66.blogspot.com/2013/04/an-interview-with-and-appreciation-of.html 

I had the pleasure of working with her on an episode of CBS-TV's CRIMINAL MINDS this year and in-between torturing her with barbed wire, I peppered her with my fanboy questions. She was so gracious. I caught that same spirit reading your chat with her.

As for me, I am your typical childhood-geek turned adult-actor. The bio on my IMDb page http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2454994/ boils it down pretty well: I am fascinated by angels and I play devils. 

Er, Bill - you have something on your chin...no, to the left a bit

Q) I seem to recollect reading somewhere that one of your biggest influences for becoming an actor was Lon Chaney's 1925 performance of The Phantom of The Opera.  It was indeed genius & is in my top 10 movies of all time (his is the profile pic for this blog's FB page). Why did it resonate with you?

 A) I am looking at Lon Chaney right now, Stuart; I have that famous picture of him in a soaking wet costume after filming the drowning scene of PHANTOM on my desk. It inspires me. Chaney was a tough old bastard who'd done a hundred films before he hit it big. He gave a ride to a poor hitch-hiking day player named Boris Karloff at Universal. Chaney told him, "The secret is to be unique - do something in pictures that no one else can or will do." 

While I enjoy and study all of Lon Chaney's work, his Erik in PHANTOM OF THE OPERA touches my soul and excites my spirit. I feel Erik's rage at being born a freak; I perversely (and cathartically) delight in his mocking words to Christine "Feast your eyes! Glut your soul on my accursed ugliness!" I was a boy of 13 when I first saw that unmasking scene on a 16mm projector at Halloween in a local Mason's hall. My heart stopped. I read some years later that seeing this cinematic moment in 1925 made Ray Bradbury know that he wanted to spend his life writing fantastic fiction. Chaney haunts me. Oh how I would love to play him one day.

Q) I interviewed Jasper Cole a little while ago, who like you has a distinguished resume in horror films and I asked him why horror still seems to get a bum deal when it comes to critical respect. He was at a loss to explain why, even though financially they are arguably the most successful genre. Why do you think this is so?

A) Karloff said that the genre should more properly have been labelled "terror;" since the word "horror" refers to a repulsion, while "terror" is akin to fear. Lately I see the term "thriller" being used more by younger directors whose films may include horrific elements but who don't want to have the "horror" label. 

Horror is about one thing and one thing only: death; our inevitable, impending, death in the body. Our bodies die and they rot. That's a messy, hard and very fearful truth. Like erotica, horror deals with base fears and longings. These films make money, but they get no respect because everything in our society denies the truth that horror films slam into your face: death is coming and you can't stop it. Ain't no pocket in a shroud. So horror is treated as entertainment's dirty little whore - trotted out to turn a trick and make a buck and then told it should be ashamed of itself. That's the truth.

Q) My least favourite horror genre is found footage & favourite tend to be more psychological (The original Wicker Man is my all time favourite). Tell me about what floats your particular horror boat. 

A) We are birds of a feather in this respect. I hate found footage with a passion. I am bored by slashers. But give me a film that delves into the darkness of the mind, with some supernatural element thrown in for good measure, and I am in horror heaven. As a fan I want to be surprised, I want to be terrified and I want to think. I wish it were easier as an actor to find the magic bullet projects that do all of those things.

Getting ready to kick some Zombie ass - It's good to be President.

Q) A few of the movies you've been in, such as Abraham Lincoln vs Zombies, have been pretty bad. Your performance though in it has been generally regarded by all as excellent. How difficult is it to be focused, dedicated etc if you know a script of film just sucks chunks?

A) The only part of a movie that I have any control over is my performance. Whatever I do will be around forever. So I had damn well better focus on doing my job to the best of my ability and keep my nose out of other people's part of the work. I love what I do and I try to do it so that if I were the one watching it , I'd be entertained. The rest of it is out of my hands, thankfully so, since I'm a control freak by nature. Letting go of what I cannot control is healthy. 

Q) Any genuine career regrets?

A) Yes. I've degraded women a little too much, I think. Some of that is inherent in the modern horror genre, of course, but I want to back off on it a little in future. We are all God's children and women are not the enemy of man. They drive us crazy, of course, but we drive them crazy too. I don't think it is entirely healthy to have kids watching films in which "bitch" is the primary method of referring to a female.

Q) And your proudest work?

A) I've made a handful of movies that my mother could watch and enjoy, including two Hallmark Channel movies, the CRIMINAL MINDS guest star role and a docudrama about the American Civil War. I just did a talking dog movie with Dean Cain that will be out this Christmas, and that will fall into this same family-friendly category. I love horror and I love the dark material, but it's also nice to be able to say "Mom, this is OK for you to watch." 

Q) I believe that you're a man of faith. Have you ever had to reconcile that with some of the downright nasty arseholes that you've played or is that a silly question as it's just acting?

A) No it is a good question. I'm a follower of Jesus and I love his parables. They all had an antagonist. You can't tell a good story without an antagonist. Onscreen I am frequently the very representation of what we can be at our worse; with our selfish selves at the centre of the universe instead of a loving God. I take this responsibility seriously. If I am gonna play evil, I'm gonna by-God play evil and not fool around. That's my job.

Just a normal Saturday night in LA

Q) How did your part in Werewolf Rising come about?

A) Jesse Baget, whose Ruthless Pictures Studios produced WEREWOLF RISING, had previously hired me for his BLACKWATER VAMPIRE. On that set, I told him how much I wanted to be in a werewolf movie. 6 months later he called me and said, "I got that werewolf movie you wanted." Luckily the film's director BC Furtney, was willing to indulge me, as well. They are both great guys.

Q) I have to say that I thoroughly enjoyed the film & particularly your performance which is deliciously nasty & twisted, Yet you haven't seen it yet. Is this due a dislike of watching yourself or just by chance?

A) No, it is due to the fact that nobody has sent me a copy of it yet! You guys always get the films before we actors do. I'll see it when it comes out. Until then I will have to rely on your opinion, and "nasty and twisted" is pretty much what BC and Jesse were aiming for. Me too! So I'll take that and be grateful for it.

Q) Without giving anything away for those yet to see the film, you've mentioned to me the difficulty in filming the final scene. Tell us about the slime & the frostbite!

A) Without giving anything away, as you so wisely say, I will say temperatures that night were below freezing, which may add a layer of interest for viewers who care about such behind-the-scenes info. We shot quickly to avoid frostbite, and all ended well, but hot water never felt so good. That's the business. It was great fun.

Q) Almost finally - And this is very very important (Jasper Cole got this wrong, but I forgave him): Alien or Predator?

A) Jasper is my buddy (and one heck of an actor, by the way) and I may join him on your List Of Shame for this, but I must say PREDATOR.

Q) And finally finally, the next time you're over in the UK then pop up to Aberdeen - there's a pint of Guinness (or whatever is your poison) with your name on it!

A) Guinness will do just fine, thank ye very much. I will take that as gospel. 

So there you have it - not only is Bill a fine actor and bastion of independent horror, he turns out to be absolutely nothing like many of his characters - 'no shit, Sherlock' I hear you say. He is a professional and rightly proud of his craft. To give you an idea of how much he cares - I hope that he doesn't mind me mentioning the first thing he asked me after I had told him that I had just seen the film. He was genuinely anxious to know how his last scene had come out due to the extreme cold of the night on which it was filmed and hoped that the conditions hadn't detracted from his performance. I suggest that you see the film and you'll see that he has absolutely nothing to worry about.

I have to thank him once again for being so kind, helpful and downright complimentary in my somewhat pitiful attempts to be a proper interviewer.

I also want to make it abundantly clear that the review of the film and my overall opinion of Bill's stellar performance in it was done well before the interview - I may be many things (ask my wife) - but I'm not a sycophantic reviewer. For example, it is quite clear from his catastrophically wrong answer in regard to the Alien/Predator question that he is actually far from perfect  - but what the hell, he's forgiven......though not quite enough to keep him off my list of shame :-)

Thanks Bill. You are a gentleman.

Two Indiegogo movie campaigns; The Door & Demonsbane

Two Indiegogo campaigns contacted me this week to ask if a little bit of promotion for their respective projects could be sent their way - and if there's anything that this blog achieves in terms of promotion, it's probably little. However, I have always said that size doesn't matter so onwards and upwards, as it were.

THE DOOR

Well what can I say.....

The first campaign is from a chap from Toronto, Canada - Patrick McBrearty - who has recently completed filming a low-budget horror film called The Door. Patrick has previously made two feature length movies, a no-budget horror Psycho Ward in 2006 and in 2010 he made an action film called Bounty Hunters. 

Now to be perfectly honest (as always am of course) I hadn't heard of, or seen either of those films, which is probably more a reflection of a lack of knowledge on my part rather than whether the films are actually any good. I also have something of an issue with action films (for which I blame without hesitation, a certain Mr Michael Bay) and therefore Bounty Hunters in all likelihood would never have been one to cross my path. However, when Patrick mentioned that the movie starred former WWE women's wrestling Diva Trish Stratus, well then I think I may make it my main aim in life to watch it. I'm not a fan of wrestling at all, but I decided to Google (as it were) Miss Stratus out of curiosity.... and lets just say that my interest was peaked....

Anyhoo - although I hate to say it, that's enough of Trish Stratus for now, let's get back to the subject at hand. The details I have about the plot of The Door are brief, so don't blink;

"At his new job as a security guard, Owen has only one task - "Make sure that door never opens". Unfortunately, when a buddy goes missing, Owen and his friends must search beyond the mysterious door..."

The Teaser trailer was released last week, initially to a select audience who had signed up for a subscription newsletter email thingy from Patrick's website, of which I was one of the few. As with the synopsis, the clip is very brief, with a running time of just 39 seconds. However, having watched it a couple of times now, I'm pretty certain that there is enough there to inspire further attention. Patrick contacted me yesterday to say that the response to the trailer has been, in his words "Amazing". Now I know what you're thinking - "well he would say that wouldn't he?" 

All I can say is that you should visit the link at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_dFRcQMkn1U&feature=youtu.be and make up your own mind. 

The principle photography for the movie was completed in June and initially funded in full by Patrick and his wife. The aim of the Indiegogo campaign that Patrick has just started is to raise funds and/or awareness (guess which part I'm doing) for the all important post-audio work that entails bringing on board a professional post audio house and composer. 

The ultimate goal is to have all the post-production work completed by Halloween of this year where it is planned to premier in Toronto - which sadly means that unfortunately i won't be able to make it over from here in Scotland......oh well......cough.....signed DVD, Patrick......cough!

The various links to Patrick and his movie can be found below. I would recommend that if nothing else, you click the link to the Indiegogo page. On there you will find more information about his efforts as well as a very funny 2 and a half minute pitch video staring the man himself and I believe, his wife. Included is also the movie’s teaser trailer as a part of his pitch.

The Indiegogo page for The Door can be found RIGHT HERE

The website and blog for The Door can be found at http://www.thedoormovie.com

The twitter link thingamajig is https://twitter.com/pmcbrearty

The Facebook link thingamajig is https://www.facebook.com/thedoormovie2014

DEMONSBANE

I was only contacted today via my blog's Facebook page (you know the one that you could find RIGHT HERE) by Tony Lucas who very politely asked if I could do something to help and so decided to include this crowd funding project also in this piece. Tony advised me that he is currently working on a horror comedy short film and was looking for some help in promotion. 

I must admit, compared to The Door, I know very little about Demonsbane, partly due to the newness of the project with the campaign only being released this week -  but I know what you're thinking -  "Knowing little has never stopped you before from blathering and blithering, has is matey boy?" Well I'll ignore that comment for now and pass on to you the few pieces of information about the project that I know.

As I've mentioned, this is a brand spanking new project, Demonsbane is a short horror comedy which the makers suggest will have a similar theme to works such as 'John Dies At The End'. At the moment Demonsbane is being touted as a short film of approximately 16 to 20 minutes in length, with a possibility of the project developing into a series.

The synopsis that I have so far is similarly brief.......

"When lazy, useless Arnold finds a succubus draining his brothers blood, the unlikely hero discovers that he’s in fact Demonsbane; born to slay demons and rid the world of evil, a role he fumbles through."

The film is being produced and directed by Helen Serruya, who has a number of credits to her name . She is a producer and actor known for Kiss Kiss (2010), Prey (2011) and Guerrilla (2012), in addition to being the producer for the TV web series Demens.

In addition to that, the other information that I've gleaned from Tony is that Arnold the lead is played by Eddie Mann, Zak the Co Star role is played by Darius Ryan, Cassie the sexy succubus is played by Victoria Grove. 

I have to admit it here and now - he had me at the words 'sexy succubus'....

If the team raise their Indiegogo target of £6000 they state that their intention is to create something really special and if they raise even more then they will put it into the production so that they can go even further and make the film even better. There will be a strong supernatural element so much of the money will be spent on special effects, make and lots and lots of blood! - yum.

The Indiegogo page for Demonsbane can be found RIGHT HERE

The Facebook page thingamajig can be found at https://www.facebook.com/demonsbanefilm?fref=ts

The new twitter link is @demonsbanefilm

So do what you can for these two new ventures - either support them with financial contributions or by simply helping to raise publicity and awareness if you can.

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