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Attack of the Corn Zombies (2023)
An ultra low budget masterpiece.
Following up the serious paranormal romance film Desperate Souls, comes Acrostar's latest period piece, Attack of the Corn Zombies. Set in the 60's, a small town eats some bad corn and guess what happens? You can guess by the title.
The plot is pretty straightforward. After a farmer uses a special ingredient in his fertilizer, who we don't see but we are introduced to his wife, icon Lynn Lowry, the town turns into the walking corn dead. Literally, corn starts to grow from the infected.
For an ultra low budget film, Corn Zombies looks impressive. The film looks like it could have come straight from the 60's with film scratches and film burns. The zombie makeup by Metcalf and Hefner are top notch and are impressive for a low budget film.
With a title like Attack of the Corn Zombies you'd probably be expecting characters that are paper thin and one dimensional. That's definitely not the case, for this is written by Steve Hermann and as with the cheesy It Came from Somewhere, Hermann finds a way to write characters you care for. The character development is surprisingly good and you feel when they meet their zombie demise and that's due to Hermann's writing.
Attack of the Corn Zombies is a fun, enjoyable, seventy five minute romp that proves that Acrostar films is becoming a formidable low budget company.
Desperate Souls (2023)
A well written succubus love / psychological thriller film.
Desperate Souls is as close as you can get to being two different genres in one film. First half romance and the second half more of a psychological thriller than horror.
The movie begins with the introduction of Moira the succubus, played by indie film scream queen Angel Bradford as she seduces a down and out man named Kevin, played by Nathan O'Brien.
Move forward and we meet our protagonist Devin, played by Joe Rosing in conversation with his therapist Racheal, played by Sarah Dolan. It's here we establish Devin has mental issues such as depression and suicidal thoughts. When Moira, who is seen existing in a void, senses Devin, she becomes drawn to him. Knowing that falling in love with a mortal can have consequences, Moira resists, only coming in Devins dreams to make love to him and not fully taking his soul. Eventually, she gives in and takes on human form to be with him. This is when the film makes a turn and becomes a psychological thriller as an over jealous Moira makes sure that no one gets between her and Devin.
The acting of Angel Bradford and Joe Rosing are convincing and they do have chemistry, but it's Bradford's portrayal of Moira that is the stand out performance. Appearing in low (and even some lower) budget indie films, it's this film she gets to spread her wings (no pun intended) and show she is a very capable actress when given the chance. There is one scene between them that is acted extremely well and brings everything together nicely, for the most part (more on that later).
While Angel and Joe do a great job as leads, Magdalena Conway as the suspicious Rebecca and Jake Yanko as her sex driven boyfriend Dan, try, and most of time succeed, in stealing the film every scene they're in. The rest of supporting cast, Jamie Apple, and Mia Katz, are there for fodder, but, instead of being in the film just to fall to the hands of Moira, they have backstories that blend in with the rest of the film.
For an indie film, Desperate Souls is well written, and for the most part, flows at a good pace. The score from Tony Parsons is haunting, yet beautiful. I will get this out of the way, I did not like how the film ended for it made little sense. I'm not going into spoiler territory, but I was really disappointed.
Overall, Desperate Souls is a refreshing change from the usual indie films released or coming soon. It's not a perfect film for there are some issues sprinkled throughout, but they don't distract from the film itself.
I'll give Desperate Souls a 7 out of 10.
It Came from Somewhere (2022)
A trip back to the 1950's.
I'll start this review with a statement. The indie film world needed a film like this. Now that that's out of the way, on with the review.
It Came from Somewhere is one of those films where you sit back and enjoy it for what it is. A campy, cheese filled sandwich that oozes the cheese out of the side of the bread after you take a bite. When the opening minute of the film, actually before the actual film even begins, featured ads from a drive-in theater I knew I was in for something different. What makes this film stand out is how it was filmed. No 4K, no wide screen, instead shot in B/W, 4:3 ratio and adding to the look, screen scratches and blemishes are scattered throughout the film. It really appeared as if it was filmed in the 1950's.
Okay, so it looked as it was filmed in the 50's you ask, how was the film itself. Bad, and I mean that as a compliment. The acting was over the top, the opening monologue made absolutely no sense but that was intentional (an homage to Plan 9) The sets, I don't want to spoil anything but the interior of the spaceship, priceless. The creature, Space-Clops, is exactly what you'd expect in a film like this. I must add, not all of the film is good bad, there are several tender moments between a young girl, Mary, and space-clops that came out of no where and I wasn't expecting. That brings me to this. You kind of care about the characters and what happens to them, something rare in B films of the decade. There's horror, a love story, and a short tempered alien vaporizing everyone she sees and what you get is an enjoyable film.
Credit to where credit is due. Hermann and the cast did a remarkable job bringing the 50's back, Mystery Science Theater 3000 would be proud.
As a side note, I managed to catch four references from 50's B films, older films, and a film from the 80's, throughout its 1 hour runtime.
Blood Sisters: The Body Conundrum (2022)
Worth checking out.
I binged watch all five episodes of this vampire comedy / drama series on YouTube and I have to say, this show is surprisingly good. It took a few episodes to find its grove and it was with this episode where the show settled in to what it wants to be IMHO. At first the episodes focused on holidays, Christmas, Valentines Day and April Fools which worked and didn't work. A nice mix of dark, sometimes sexual humor and drama, it's a unique concept that I believe will get even better as it continues. The acting is fantastic and there are moments throughout that I genuinely laughed out loud.
Morium: Another Day in Hell (2021)
Opens your eyes to the effects of bullying
This was the one film(s) from Hermann that I've been waiting for since I first saw it listed on IMDB. I've watched Hermann's other short films, In the Dark and The Doll and while they did have some issues, In the Dark more so, they were enjoyable to watch. Like In the Dark, Morium has a deep meaning within the first episode.
The opening episode introduces us to the three main characters, Nathan, Lexi, and Stacy, High School students going through a day of school. What makes this different from your typical teen school film is that Nathan and Lexi feel the wrath of bullies. We see several instances of bullying from Nathan's backpack getting pissed in by the jocks to the verbal assault on Lexi from the school's cheerleaders. Between the two, Lexi's bullying is the worst. Stacy on the other hand holds her own and is the strongest of the three. This brings me to the last minute of the episode. It is heartbreaking, depressing, and tears at your heart as we watch how Lexi and Nathan deal with the bullying. I've watched a lot of indie films and this ranks up there as one of the best endings I've seen.
As far as the acting goes, Hermann seems to have an eye at finding the right actors for the roles. Taydem Shoesmith does a remarkable job as Lexi. Maverick Risley is fantastic as Nathan, but the one I really liked was Emma Norville as Stacy. Her spunky attitude brought balance to a somber story. The bullies, played by Sophie Oldford, Magdalena Conway (In the Dark), Wilson Hines and Jake Yanko played their roles perfectly to the point where you hated them, yet wanted to know more about them. Then there's the compassionate teacher Ms. Yule, played by Anna Roemer, who knows that something is going on with Nathan, but has her hands tied as Nathan refuses to admit he's being bullied.
Morium does have its issues. Editing is rough in a few spots but not enough to take you out of the story. A majority of the sound is fine, but, a few spots it suffers.
Morium: Episode One will definitely grab your attention with the opening teaser and when the teaser for the next episode rolls around you can't help but wonder, when. Despite a few technical flaws, Morium is a well written, well acted and compelling story that will really open your eyes to bullying and how it affects the victims.
The Doll (2021)
Creepy, extremely short film, with a surprising ending.
After reviewing Steve Hermann's first film In the Dark, I was surprised when The Doll came up on his IMDB page and knowing how much I enjoyed In the Dark I needed to check this out.
Lilly's sister would rather talk to her friends on the phone than play. Lilly decides to head off into the woods on her own and that's where we meet Carrie sitting on a picnic bench. The angle in which Hermann shoots Lilly walking up the lonely doll is unsettling. A doll by itself on the picnic bench in the woods in by itself would give me the creeps. To make matters worse, Carrie begins to have a normal conversation with Lilly. This is where I'll end it due to not spoiling the ending.
A good film is made better with good acting. Like In the Dark, the cast here is fantastic. Delilah Hefner plays Lilly so innocently and adorable that what happens to her only adds to the ending. She was a delight to watch.
A newcomer, though I see her listed in Hermann's Morium, is Miranda Kilpatrick who plays Lilly's sister Kimberley, though her name is never mentioned in the film. Straightforward sister who's friends come first before her sister. A good performance, especially at the end when the realization of what happened hits her.
I gave high praise to Taydem Shoesmith for her role in In the Dark and as the voice of Carrie, she doesn't disappoint. Her monotone, yet creepy voice was perfect for the blond haired doll.
Overall, it's really short. Like six minutes or so, but once again Hermann is able to pack a lot in in such a short amount of time. His writing and directing style gets to the point without wasting any time. Now I eagerly await to see his biggest project, Morium.
9/10.
In the Dark (2021)
Debut indie director's film makes you think.
I've watched many indie films in my lifetime, some bad, some pretty damn good. So I figured, why not start reviewing them. My first review is a short film from new indie filmmaker, Steve Hermann.
In the Dark is one of those short films, that when it's over you sit and think, it can't end here. Unlike so many indie short films I've watched, In the Dark has an underlying message that is cleverly interwoven in the story that if you don't pay close attention, you will find yourself lost. This isn't just a psychological horror film, it's a horror story of what goes on in the mind of a person who suffers from different mental disorders.
Taydem Shoesmith shines as Jessie as she shifts through different hallucinations from people in her life after being bitten by a zombie. It's Shoesmith's performance that engages us as we view what she thinks of herself and how she believes others view her.
Her first encounter with her sister, played nicely by Magdalena Conway, gives us a hint that Jessie's fear of losing someone leads to her thinking of committing suicide to end her own pain like her sister did.
We immediately shift to her father played by Pete Berwick. Instead of a creepy ending, this sequence is meant more to dive into Jessie's personal relationship with her father and a set up to, without a doubt, the best sequence in the film, but not before we see Jessie back in the room, starting to show signs of turning.
Next to Shoesmith, Beth Metcalf's Snappy the clown stands out as she gives Jessie a tour of her own mind. It is here that we get an insight on how Jessie views herself through Snappy's maniacal, and creepy tenure.
Next up is Jessie's friend Sam, played compassionately by Paige Bourne. Sam is Jessie's voice of reason, that is until we find out that....just watch.
The final sequence finds Jessie hearing gunshots outside her room. I'm going to end it right here because what happens next took me completely by surprise.
Does In the Dark have its flaws? It has a few, but they never take you out of the experience. I would say it's biggest flaw, and why it's been knocked down a few stars, is that it should have been a full length movie so we could get deeper into Jessie's mind. I wanted to know if Jessie WAS the reason her mother left. Who's picture was turned over on the table? Who raped her sister? Maybe these are questions purposely left open for the viewer to decide. Nonetheless, In the Dark will keep you engaged for 16 minutes.
A quick note, at the beginning of the film, pause to read what's on the tablet.
7/10.