INNER GHOSTS - Some behind the scenes special effects.

Last week saw my inaugural INNER GHOST article , where I was rather pleased to announce that The Fifth Dimension is to be the UK representative for this brand new Independent horror film from Portugal. 

As well as providing a few tit bits of information about plot I mentioned that one of the perks of being the ambassador type person was that I would be given access to some exclusive pictures to pass on the readers. 

So when the films producer, Paulo Leitem, sent me a quick message earlier today suggesting that he send me the first of some exclusive images, I wasn't really too sure what to expect.

I must admit for some reason I didn't expect was the first photo that I looked at seemed to resemble a slice of human skin. However this (as you can see for yourself in the picture) is just what it is, albeit a piece of synthetic skin that the film makers have developed for some scenes. Something tells me that these particular scenes may not be for the front-hearted.......thank god! 

The rest of the sneak preview exclusive type pictures that I received related to two of the featured actors from INNER GHOSTS. So being the type of sharing caring individual that I am , I thought that it would therefore provide a good opportunity to begin introducing you to some of the names that will grace this film.

CELIA WILLIAMS will play HELEN.

CELIA WILLIAMS is a British actress born and brought up in England. She studied at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama before spending two years living in Brazil, since when she has been living and working in Lisbon. She performs in English and Portuguese, and also, once, in French. Her work has taken her very often to the UK, to London and to Edinburgh, to places all over Portugal from Bragança in the north, to the Algarve in the south, to Madeira in the Atlantic, and also to India. She has performed in a variety of genres including tragedy, drama, mystery, comedy, musicals, opera, radio, television series and feature films. Among many major roles on stage are Jean Cocteau's THE HUMAN VOICE in London's West End, THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK, DON'T WALK ABOUT WITH NOTHING ON, and BE MY BABY, also in London; Paulina in DEATH & THE MAIDEN, Elizabeth I in MARY STUART, Nora in A DOLL'S HOUSE, Stephanie in DUET FOR ONE, Gertrude in HAMLET and Judith Bliss in HAY FEVER IN LISBON.

Celia's work in Portuguese includes various roles in TV soaps and series, for example EQUADOR and UMA FAMÍLIA AÇOREANA, O ÚLTIMO DOS MARIALVAS, APANHADOS NO DIVÃ and AUTO DA BARCA DO INFERNO for the stage, and the films PASSAGEM POR LISBOA and A MORTE DE CARLOS GARDEL. Her first venture into horror was ten years ago when she played the protagonist in MRS. DEVENPORT'S THROAT, a short film, part of a series written and produced by horror icon David McGillivray. She is now excited, and a little afraid, to take on the role of Helen in INNER GHOSTS.

The woman's head in the picture to the right is a realistic replica of actress Celia Williams. Now I may not be the brightest spark on the planet but judging from the state of the replica I'm pretty sure that poor old Celia's character who will be quite possibly enduring some serious violence.

This seems to tie in nicely of the premise of the story that I'm allowed to share with you. This battle between mother and a Demon, essentially two longtime enemies who are about to meet for the last time.

Celia plays Helen - a woman who is conducting psychological tests on ghosts in an attempt to develop a revolutionary therapy for patients in the  terminal stage of Alzheimers . What Helen does not know is that a Demon who has been looking for her has now found a way to reach her. And it wants something only she can give him.

The story will get deliciously violent as the Helen and the Demon play cat and mouse in an old apartment. This picture seems to suggest very very violent!

Also included is a photo of Teresa Sousa (Wardrobe) doing wardrobe tests on actress Celia Williams.

Celia is looking slightly worried in this photo, methinks.  It may have something to do with the replica of her head that we've just seen.

Don't worry Celia, its only a demon you're facing. What could possibly go wrong?

PHIL TOWN will play STEINMAN.

PHIL TOWN was born in Windsor, in the South-East of England, and has been living in Lisbon since 1990. He began acting in the mid-1980s in amateur reviews, and since being in Lisbon he has appeared in a number of plays produced by the theatre group The Lisbon Players, notably as Lennie Small in Steinbeck's OF MICE AND MEN, Dr Rank in Ibsen's A DOLL'S HOUSE, Tubal and Old Gobbo in Shakespeare's THE MERCHANT OF VENICE, and Luka in Chekhov's THE BEAR. He is also a voiceover artist and provided the English voiceover for the 1989 Brazilian short ILHA DAS FLORES, which won a Silver Bear at Berlin.

Asked about why he acts, he says: "For the buzz of interpreting words on the page and making them into a believable character, and to push the limits of my experience – both technically as an actor and psychologically/ emotionally as a person. And to enjoy the response from the audience – when it's a positive one, naturally." As for his beliefs, he says he is neither religious nor spiritual. So what comes after life? "Probably oblivion, but we'll see..."

On INNER GHOSTS, Phil will play Steinman, a man who thinks he is destined for greatness...

The final picture sent to me is of a man's head which is a realistic replica of actor Phil Town. Now I have it on good authority that Phil's character will also be the victim of lots of bad and rather nasty violent happenings.

While I'm sure that Phil is a very nice man, I must admit that I'm rather looking forward to seeing what particular violent delights the film has in store for him and the rest of the cast. Sorry Phil!

To read more about INNER GHOSTS visit their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/innerghosts?ref=br_rs

You can follow the film on Twitter via @Innerghosts

The official INNER GHOSTS website can be found at http://innerghosts.com

Valley of the Sasquatch (2015)

UPDATED - SEPTEMBER 2016

In the last day or so it has been announced that U.S. distribution for the film will come from Uncork’d Entertainment and the film’s title will be changed to Hunting Grounds. It should be noted though that the film will retain its original title and poster art  in foreign territories. 

"After losing their home following a devastating tragedy, a father and son are forced to move to an old family cabin. Neither reacts well to being thrown into this new world. 

The son's attempts to relate to his father are complicated when two old friends arrive for a weekend of hunting. 

This trip into the forest will unearth not only buried feelings of guilt and betrayal, but also a tribe of Sasquatch that are determined to protect their land."

Well slap me in the face with a wet fish and call me Josephine. In the 2 1/2 years that I've been scribbling my self-indulgent ramblings here on this blog I had never actually written a piece on a Bigfoot type creature. That is, until this past week when two films about that very chap came along in quick succession. The first of them was the Australian version of the mythical creature, The Yowie, which featured in my previous blog article but one for the review of the marvellous Throwback (2015) which has recently found its way into DVD & Bluray here in the UK.

A few days after posting the Throwback piece I received a messaged from a familiar name to Fifth Dimension readers (well, reader), that of John Portanova. Though if indeed this is actually the first ever blog article that you've read from me then just where the hell have you been??!!??!! Having said that, it's not too late to run away now, you know. I won't think any less of you. In any case, if you haven't read any of my quite remarkable scribblings you probably aren't aware of the two previous films that I've championed from John and the other main players in the Seattle-based production company, The October People. Both The Invoking and The Device were both excellent examples of complex characterisation plus an intelligently patient narrative - the former being a tale of supernatural terror, the second, a story of Alien abduction.

Er, guys..........behind you!

The message that I received from John saw him reaching out because his new film "Valley of the Sasquatch", starring Jason Vail and Bill Oberst Jr, (another old friend of the Fifth Dimension.....whether he likes it or not!) recently had its world premiere at the Nevermore Film Festival. In addition to that, the next screening is at the Crimson Screen Horror Film Festival in May. 

Now, not only was this Johns very first film as director, he was producer on The Invoking & The Device, but I know for a fact that he is also something of a Sasquatch obsessive so consequently the subject matter of the film is very close to his heart. If you add to that mix the inclusion of the fabulous Bill Oberst Jr. as part of an excellent cast (more of which later) then what option did I actually have but to accept? If all that wasn't enough, Johns cunning ploy of using the words  "I've enjoyed the writing you've done on previous films I've been involved with, so I would love to read your opinions on Sasquatch" at the beginning of his request, well.........Sneaky bastard - he knows I'm a pushover with flattery.

However, what John may not know is that while I may be something of a sucker (steady on) for a good old 'lost mythical monster who attacks overconfident vulnerable lost souls in the land that time forgot' type of adventure story genre - and if it's not a proper genre description, well it blooming well should be. 

The famous Roger Patterson footage

However, if truth be told, there isn't one solitary molecule within my physical make-up that actually believes in the reality of such creatures. That non-belief may seem something of a controversial statement to make to some people I've met through writing this blog........cough......, sorry, John.....cough......because there are many otherwise normal people out there that genuinely believe in this stuff. And who is to say that I'm right? Because judging from the seemingly endless books one online sources of sightings and statements, I may be outnumbered in my beliefs.

The fact is that I simply do not believe in Bigfoot/Sasquatch, the Yeti. Yowie or indeed anything of the like. Nor do I believe that we've already been visited by extra-terrestrials or intrepid time travellers. However, I do love stories about such things, especially well made and thoughtful stories. And so here I am.

Once again, The October People don't dissapoint. For a start we have their now trademark appreciation of measured character development and respectful treatment of the subject matter. To begin with there is the nicely intelligent story of complex and fraught relationship between father and son.  As the father, Roger (Jason Vail) confidently conveys the feelings of a man who has not only seen his wife's life end but also is witnessing his own existence wither away into unfulfilled regret. His son, Michael played by Miles Joris-Peyraffitte provides a nice performance as the boy who sees his opportunities of an academic future being replaced by the prospect of experiencing the same banal existence of his father. 

In fact, such is the authenticity of their relationship, it somewhat reminded me of my own experiences with my father. Well,  except for the moving to an old Cabin in the woods and being attacked by a tribe of Sasquatch, that is.

The team taking a break during filming to do 'The time Warp'

Once the pair have relocated to the delapidated cabin in the woods we are introduced to the bullying and slightly unhinged friend Sergio (excellently played by David Saucedo). Added to the group of misfits is Will,  Rogers' more successful brother who is played by the excellent D’Angelo Midili (The stellar performance from The Invoking). If that wasn't enough there are an inspirational couple of sub-plots featuring Bill Oberst Jr. as Bauman who experiences his own particular brand of excruciating encounters with the Sasquatch tribe and you have a veritable gluttony of textured characterisation. 

I really don't want to become overly sycophantic but Bill Oberst Jr's performance alone is pretty much worth the cost of seeing this film. It's been my pleasure to get to know ever so slightly this man who throws himself so much into a part that he often has little recollection of the experience. His role as Bauman is a tour de force.

Bill perfecting his best Sasquatch killing look.

So, the plan for our little group of social misfits is for them to go on a nice relaxing venture into the wilds for a weekend of hunting and drinking. What could possibly go wrong? Well, erm, plenty as it turns out. Because don't worry, you adrenaline horror freaks, proceedings get more than a little exciting in the third act as the plot quickly moves into a by the seat of your pants  'Assault in Precinct 13 with Sasquatch' scenario.

Valley of The Sasquatch is the respectful and sympathetic treatment of Bigfoot-lore. This may seem strange thing to say coming from a confirmed Bigfoot cynic such as myself but that having my philosophy shouldn't mean that you don't treat the subject matter in a proper and respectful way. This considered approach in the film shouldn't really come as any surprise given the fact that John Poronova is a confirmed cryptozoologist and his inherent Sasquatch passions as such could have resulted in a story that lacked the required menace and horror in an effort to provide a level of authenticity. Thankfully, the horror comes at a satisfying level.  I don't regard myself in any way an expert in Saquatch history, but if any of the stories told as conversation pieces in the film have any basis in history then I may have to do some further research of my own. 

Night time is the best time to catch the Sasquatch

What Portonova does do is to nicely provide the creature(s) with a more sophisticated mode of behaviour and doesn't just portray some one-dimensional blood-thirsty monster in the woods psychopath which some films of this nature have done. It's nice to see someone with a genuine appreciation (some may say obsession, eh John?) of a subject dear to their heart. 

The result in this movie is to provide overall an authentic and eerie Bigfoot. There is no convoluted CGI here so yes while we do have a man-in-a-suit the lighting & filming provide for the most part a convincing monster. I say 'for the most part' because there are a couple of occasions where the Sasquatch effect is less than convincing, but not enough to detract overall.

The only other negative gripe I would have is that  D'Angelo Midili's character seemed somewhat underused. Midili is his usual excellent self but the part itself seems slightly underwritten to my eyes. Once again however, but a small negative.

What we have with Valley of the Sasquatch is clearly something of a labour of love for its maker. Contained within are more than enough thrills, chills and blood all wrapped up in an intelligent narrative. The acting is of a good standard, the story feels fresh and original whilst the action set pieces are simply terrific. I swear that the final hold-out in the cabin will have even the most hardened Sasquatch cynic on the edge of their seat!

More information on the company that is The October People can be found at www.theoctoberpeople.net

The Facebook page for Valley of The Sasquatch can be found at https://www.facebook.com/valleyofthesasquatch/timeline

This article can also be found via the 5D website www.5d-blog.com. There you can find a veritable feast of blog articles, news items, pictures and and other mouth-watering salutations to the gods of the geeks and the nerds. We have now inherited the earth, you know.

There is also a newly launched forum on the website designed for ANYONE involved or interested in the Independent film industry related to genres of Sci-Fi, fantasy and horror. Feel free to register and contribute - Everyone is welcome!

In addition the 5D website now has PayPal Donate button. Any donations kindly made will be fed directly back to help with a podcast materials, competition prizes and other general costs etc. If you wish to contribute to the exciting growth of the website & blog then we here at 5D headquarters would be eternally grateful. If you would like your contribution to be acknowledged publicly then simply send a message via the website’s contact section and we’ll send you some love!

If all that was enough to entice to 5D land, should any of you fine people out there wish to advertise on the 5D website then contact us now!

Fifth Dimension becomes UK ambassador for new Portuguese horror film: Inner Ghosts

We Brits have our rich historical wealth of horror cinema, the Italians have their Giallo, the U.S has Carpenter/Hooper et al and the Portuguese have, er.........well, it beats me actually just what the Portuguese have in terms of silver screen horror. 

Well that my friends is about to change.

Is my great pleasure to announce that The Fifth Dimension is to be the UK representative for a brand new Independent horror film from Portugal, called INNER GHOSTS. To say that I'm excited about this would be quite something of an understatement, though there would be some who know me who would argue that it doesn't really take that much to excite me. However, the fact is that as a consequence of being the UK rep it means that anybody who reads this blog (it's ok, you don't have to own up to it) will in some cases have some first exclusives in terms of news, information and goodies - Now THAT is exciting!

Anyhow, the plan is that over the next days, weeks and months I will be bringing you information about the filming of INNER GHOSTS itself (which begins later this month in Lisbon) and the planned crowdfunding campaign that will include some rather mouth-watering contribution incentives. Then as 2015 further progresses it will hopefully see me being able to let loose some nuggets of interest and excitement about the post-production and subsequent release the film.

As you can imagine I have been sworn to super secret secrecy about the plot development and other planned surprises along the way, both in terms of filming and the Crowdfunding campaign. The rumour that the film company, Bad Behavior, have actually taken my children and pets as collateral in order that I don't divulge any secrets is something that I couldn't possibly comment upon without having to consult my lawyer. All I will say in regard to that quite frankly vicious rumour is that a bonus of my current situation is that I'm now able to fit a new writing desk in a recently available bedroom in my house. I also seem to be spending far less on dog and cat food.

So to hopefully wet your appetite, let me tell you a little of what I can at this moment in time about the film, the producers and cast.

Some background 

INNER GHOSTS is produced by Bad Behavior, a film company created by two self-confessed hardcore horror aficionados whose intention from the very beginning was to work to produce a body of work that would not only rival the classics of other European and American horror, but  would also see Portuguese horror at the forefront of a new vanguard of classic horror. The producers in question are;

Paulo Leite, a Brazilian/Portuguese writer and producer trained at the prestigious European Producers Workshop from the EAVE (European Audiovisual Entrepreneurs). Paulo has nearly 20 years experience in the TV and film industry. I also know that Paulo works some ungodly hours, a fact that I can testify to first hand after holding a Skype conversation with him at 1 in the morning this weekend!....... Slave driver.......

Gabriel Augusto has over 10 years of marketing and branding experience for a number of prestigious Portuguese companies. As yet I have no idea if he also likes to hold conversations with his team in the early hours of the morning.

What I do know is that they are about as confident an anybody I've ever met in the Indie film world that they are into a winner with this film. Of that they are absolutely certain.

"Well that's all well and good, I hear you say. But what about the really important information for the horror movie fans, the film itself????" Well ignoring the fact that the voices in my head seem particularly strong today, they do make a very good point. So let me enlighten you just a little.

A brief plot outline

"If ghosts can think and remember who they are, then the physical brain is not the only place where we store our inner selves.

Helen is asked to train two young women into the art of communicating with the dead. But Helen's days as a medium are long gone. In fact, she gave up that life 15 years ago when she lost her daughter. Today Helen is a different woman dedicated to her career in brain research. Things start to change when a visit from the other side offers her the design of a device that can do some amazing things. But to everything there is a risk.

INNER GHOSTS is a fascinating story created by horror fans to horror fans"

Blimey, sounds good, eh!!??

PROJECT INFORMATION

Below is some filming and technical information about INNER GHOSTS for your perusal. I literally have no idea about what the hell some of that technical stuff means.......
 

Directed by JOÃO ALVES.

Produced by PAULO LEITE and GABRIEL AUGUSTO.

Written by PAULO LEITE.

Director of Photography: MIGUEL SALES LOPES.

Special Make-up Effects by JOÃO RAPAZ/OLD SKULL.

Music by HUGO CARPINTEIRO.

Edited by MICAEL ESPINHA.

Title: INNER GHOSTS.

Genre: HORROR, SUPERNATURAL.

Language: ENGLISH.

Shot on Location in: PORTUGAL.

Countries: PORTUGAL/BRAZIL.

Runtime: 90 MINUTES.

Shot on: RED DRAGON.

Technical Specification: 4K / Anamorphic

Main Deliverables: DCP (2K and 4K), DVD, BLU-RAY, VOD, TV AND FOREIGN LANGUAGE MIXES.

So who's going to be appearing in the film?

I'll be writing about the cast in far more detail in the next INNER GHOSTS blog update plus in due course hopefully an interview or two. Though with filming due to start in just two weeks I may have to bide my time with that.

In the meantime I would ask you to buckle up & enjoy the ride as we witness the metamorphosis from page to screen of what I expect to be a fabulous piece of horror cinema. Oh and while you're at it, please help to spread the word about the INNER GHOSTS and its upcoming crowdfunding campaign, more about which will be appearing soon right here.

To read more about INNER GHOSTS visit their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/innerghosts?ref=br_rs

You can follow the film on Twitter via @Innerghosts

The official INNER GHOSTS website can be found at http://innerghosts.com

Throwback (2015) - some classy Aussie Sasquatchploitation!

Beware - there be Sasquatchploitation within this Blu-Ray cover.....

This week I had something of a pleasant surprise. No, I'm afraid Helena Bonham-Carter didn't finally decide to ignore my emails of adoration and agree to meet me for a quick coffee and sandwich at the nearest supermarket (yes I'm a classy guy). The surprise actually concerned the subject of a movie I watched a few days ago. Let me explain.

I'm a sucker (steady on) for a good old 'lost mythical monster who attacks overconfident vulnerable lost souls in the land that time forgot' type of adventure story genre - and if it's not a proper genre description, well it blooming well should be. However, if truth be told, there isn't one solitary  molecule within my physical make-up that actually believes in the reality of such creatures. That non-belief may seem something of a controversial statement to make to some people I've met through writing this blog, because there are many otherwise normal people out there that genuinely believe in this stuff. The fact is that I simply do not believe in Bigfoot/Sasquatch, the Yeti or indeed anything of the like. Nor do I believe that we've already been visited by extra-terrestrials or intrepid time travellers. However I do believe that one day Helena Bonham-Carter will on day fall for my cunning ploy and meet me for that Bacon sandwich & coffee any day now......

I also include in my 'list of disbelief' a certain Loch Ness inhabitant that is purported to exist just 100 miles along the road from me. Nessie doesn't exist and it never has, except that is to feed a grateful local economy (and yes, I have indeed bought a toy Nessie on my visits, so sue me). However, I do love the stories of these mythical creatures, I really do. The only problem is that when low-budget productions make films of any monster genre, the one area of concern is the monster itself. Essentially, a movie lives or dies on the quality of its particular creature - and all too often what should be an excellent piece of film making is all too often let down by the glaringly obvious man-in-a-monster-suit running around trying to be all fierce-like.

Guess who?..........

So I was feeling slightly reticent when Australian director, Travis Bain mentioned that I might be interested in watching and reviewing his brand-new Aussie Sasquatchploitation feature Throwback, which has just been released across the UK on Blu-ray and DVD. However, the reticence I had about watching another potentially problematic low budget Indie monster feature was immediately lessened by the nature of his request. To be frank, the term 'Aussie Sasquatchploitation feature' would be more than enough to grab even my notoriously bad attention span. If Sasquatchploitation isn't an actual term then i may well try and patent it myself......but I'm probably too late as usual.

Anyhoo, Travis then went on to further to pander to my materialistic nature by suggesting that it may be better to watch Throwback on DVD or Blu-Ray instead of a super secret online screener. The reason being that it would enable me to see both the rather extensive range of extras that the release contained and to take full advantage of the stunning locations that the film takes place in. "Hmmm, bold claims indeed" I thought to myself. I decided to take up the challenge and test this claim in my own inimitable way. In the process I also get a free Blu-Ray. Boost!

So how's about I throw a little synopsis your way before I go any further? Ok then.

A fabulous retro-style movie poster for Throwback

"Throwback is about two modern-day Australian treasure hunters, Jack (Shawn Brack) and Kent (Anthony Ring), who go searching for the lost gold of the legendary bushranger "Thunderclap" Newman (Andy Bramble) in the remote jungles of Far North Queensland. But instead of riches, they find a different kind of legend: a ferocious Australian monster known as a Yowie, Australia's answer to Bigfoot, and a savage battle for survival ensues. Thrown into the mix is a feisty park ranger named Rhiannon (Melanie Serafin) and a burnt-out ex-homicide detective named McNab (Vernon Wells).

Inspired by classic Technicolor jungle films such as The Bridge on the River Kwai, Run for the Sun and The African Queen, as well as '70s bigfoot films such as The Legend of Boggy Creekand Creature from Black Lake, with a healthy dash of Predator thrown in."

So is Throwback actually any good? The answer, apart from a couple of areas which don't work quite as well as others, is a resounding yes. I'll discuss the couple of negatives shortly but suffice to say is that I found this a hugely enjoyable cinematic experience. Hence, this was the surprise I mentioned earlier, yes there may or may not be a man in a monster suit, but it works very well. Very well indeed.

As I watched the first few minutes my immediate words were "Thank f*** that I watched this on a high definition Blu-Ray thingy!" It is a definite full-on visual treat. It could be argued I suppose, that having the backdrop of the jaw-dropping Queensland tropical forest as ones movie canvas means that the end result cant help but look good. I would suggest (and I'm certain so would be the film makers) that it would be disingenuous to say so. Yes, while the area  featuring in the film may well be a stunning part of Australia (That's down under, you know) it still has to be filmed with a fair degree of skill and dedication - and boy does Travis Bain succeed in this regard. Quite simply, the cinematography is astonishingly beautiful from the beginning opening shots which immediately show off the landscape in its breathtaking glory.

Nah, nothing much to see here - well apart from the stunning shot, that is....

As you would expect, the overhead shots are typically lovely, showing off the expanse of unbelievable distance and size of the outdoors in this part of the world. It is when we come to the forest's interior scenes that Travis employs  the camera to its full excellent effect, skillfully combining a sense of impending and increasingly dangerous claustrophobic tension and all nicely wrapped up in ever increasingly beautiful woodland landscape. 

I'm not wanting to be overly hyperbolic or sycophantic , but some of the shots produced in Throwback more than hint at a potentially great filming talent here.

Unusually for an Indie movie the cast performances are consistently solid and convincing, particularly from the two male leads, Shawn Brack (Jack) and Anthony Ring (Kent) as the two friends travelling into the deep forest in search of the mythical treasure that had been seemingly abandoned by a legendary Aussie outlaw. ....but we know the real reason why the outlaw left the loot behind, don't we kids? Oh yes we do. Anthony Ring seems particularly to revel in his role as the decidedly more 'complex' of the two main characters.

Vernon Wells going native

In addition, genre aficionados will be delighted (as I certainly was) to see the legend himself that is Vernon Wells to appear in the proceedings as a particularly eccentric police officer. It must have been something of a coup for Travis to have landed the instantly recognisable face from amongst such movie behemoths as Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior, Commando, Inner Space, and Weird Science , to name but a few.

Perhaps best of all is the role of the of the fabled Yowie itself. As previously mentioned, far too often a good monster film is suddenly let down when the creature itself, or rather a a badly filmed man-in-a-suit appears on screen. Thankfully, the Yowie is filmed skillfully, with only fleeting glimpses of the creature that contrives to provide a convincing and chilling monster. It seems that Travis knows his move making history rather well in taking in the influence of Spielberg and Ridley Scott in 'showing the audience less in order to create more'. 

The regular couple of readers of this blog will no doubt recoil in disbelief when they hear that I've undertaken a reasonable amount of research for this piece - don't worry it won't last. I'm sure I'll be back before too long to my usual flying by the seat of ones pants in a kind of making it up as one goes along sort of way. The thing is that I noticed early on when doing some reading on the filming of Throwback that the filming process had taken an unusually long time - approximately two years in all. 

This lends itself to perhaps one of the minor criticisms of Throwback is that the pacing, particularly in parts of the films middle  section, occasionally falters, not in any majorly destructive way, but just enough to detract slightly from the overall enjoyment. However, after the said research, I'm full of admiration for the dedication and sheer tenacity of Travis and his crew for not only managing to finish the film, but also to limit as much as possible any major detrimental effects on the final product. 

I can't imagine the headaches & chaos for a low budget filming process that the leading actress falling pregnant halfway during filming must have caused, but it must have almost been a deal breaker in terms of even finishing the film. As a consequence large sections of Throwback had to be restructured and rewritten to accommodate the fact that half the actress's scenes hadn't yet been filmed. I'm firmly of the opinion that this contrived to make what could have been a great film merely a very good film and its to Travis' credit that he has never used this as an excuse for any effects the convoluted filming process may have had the final product.

Yowies can't go in the water, right.......right??!!

So considering the filming problems encountered the movie needs to be commended in being constantly entertaining and containing a number of exciting set pieces, a couple of which include the mandatory inclusion of imaginative and amusing ways of killing and dismembering. I would say that while the movie cheerfully delivers in providing a good level of genuine thrills and chills there is a constant feeling that the level of horror could have been increased a little. I would suggest that Throwback is more 'adventure' movie rather than horror movie. This however is but a minor negative consideration in what is mostly a fun-filled roller coaster of an adventure experience.

All in all Throwback is a visually stunning film that, while never taking itself overly seriously, nevertheless succeeds in producing more than enough thrills and chills to satisfy  those of us who love a damn good monster movie - and this is a damn good monster movie. It may not be perfect, however what imperfections there are may well be due more to a combination of the original budgetary constraints and unexpected cast and filming problems than to any lack of talent on the filmmakers part.

I always view with an element of suspicion those who say " blah blah blah is worth the cost of the thing on its own". However in this case I will throw aside any sense of hypocrisy, because the array of extras available here on their own would genuinely be worth the price of the DVD.

DVD Extra Features

Behind the scenes

Disaster for Shawn Brack as he loses out in the Semi-finals

of the Queensland 'Simon Says' championship.

If there was ever a University tutorial masterclass in how to make a series of informative and fascinating series of of 'making of' pieces to accompany a DVD, then this should be included. The clips (all seven of them) not only serve to inform the viewer of the complex logistical task of filming a low-budget film in often challenging conditions, the result also further shows off the frankly stunning environment of the bush (that's an Aussie term for forest, you know) in all its glory. In total the clips on their own add up to oven an hour of genuinely fascinating and illuminating viewing experience.

Alternative Ending

When the movie played to a test audience the reaction to the original ending was, I'm led to believe, less than enthusiastically received. As a consequence Travis filmed a new ending with a bit more bang for your money. I must admit that I like both versions for very different reasons.

This did get me thinking about this 'test screening' malarkey and wondering whether I should employ a similar device when writing my blog articles. Maybe getting somebody to read them first and point out the numerous inaccuracies, omissions, spelling mistakes, grammar mistakes and overall woolly and rambling narrative might be a good thing. Hmmmm, on the other hand, maybe not - I don't think that anybody has THAT much time on their hands.

Shawn redeems himself in the final of the 

Queensland 'standing still like a statue' competition.

Audio Commentary

Another slice of of informative and entertaining insight into the filming process and the particular challengers faced by the low-budget Indie filmmaker is provided with a nice commentary featuring Travis and actor Shawn Brack (kent). As something of a compulsive nerdy commentary lover, it's refreshing to hear a genuinely enjoyable narration. All too often with some films, what comes across is the obvious feeling from this involved that the commentary is nothing more than a contractual obligation that needs to be simply got out of the way. Not only are there interesting nuggets of information about the numerous challenges they faced in actually putting the film together, there are also some very funny stories of the experience of working with Vernon Wells and dealing with on set pregnancies.

Travis Bain short films 

In addition to the Throwback related extras there is the inclusion of three earlier short films made by Travis Bain. Each of the shorts; Daniel's Jack, Full Moon, Dirty Laundry and Parrot Ice Tours provide a nice snapshot of Travis's maturing directional style.

If that wasn't enough there is still awaiting a veritable plethora of tasty Throwback extra morsels to experience such as Famous Monsters Film Festival Q&A and video blogs , Radio interviews, Deleted scenes , Throwback Trailers and the redoubtable Vernon Wells reading as except from Henry Lawson’s The Hairy Man  - All excellent stuff.

Throwback is currently available now in the UK.

The Facebook page for Throwback can be found at https://www.facebook.com/throwbackmovie?fref=ts

The official website for Throwback can be checked out RIGHT HERE

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