zrammedia's Reviews

Blair Witch (2016)

9/10

Solid sequel, and nail-biting stand-alone film

17 September 2016

Blair Witch took the right approach as a follow-up to the original Blair Witch Project. It continues the story as Heather's younger brother, who was four at the time of his sister's disappearance, sets out with a larger search party to find some answers. You don't need to have seen the first film to enjoy this one though: all the backstory is summed up in the first few minutes.

As a stand-alone movie, Blair Witch is superior to most mainstream horror being released today and as a sequel, it carries the torch well, offering fans new insight into the hauntings in the Black Hills. Intriguing elements open up more discussion whether the Witch is real, imagined, or something altogether different. The film even touches on a weird mind-bending alternative that I was not expecting. Like the the original, nothing is blatantly explained, but left to audiences to interpret. We had a fun and lively discussion after the movie tossing about various theories.

Cons: Blair Witch didn't build a sense of dread the way the original did with its interviews of local townsfolk. After introducing the cast, this story gets us right to the woods. Plus, with a larger cast this time, it was harder to identify with the characters.

Overall, this is an outstanding film to get your heart racing. The last half hour is intense, scary, and should have you on the edge of your seat. It was a lot of fun!

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Pod (I) (2015)

8/10

Solid indie thriller

11 September 2016

I seem to be in the minority here, but I really enjoyed Pod and I don't quite understand its low IMDb rating. Most of the negative reviews criticize the film for its lengthy scenes of dialog and lack of action or horror. I think the problem is expecting Pod to be a horror or sci-fi film that it isn't trying to be, possibly due to its trailer.

The lengthy scenes of dialog and conflict were precisely what I enjoyed most about the movie. It's a solid script willing to take its time establishing the dynamics between all three siblings. Once brother and sister Lyla and Ed meet with their brother Martin, Pod unfolds as a psychological thriller. The tension grows until all hell breaks loose in the final act.

Lauren Ashley Carter delivers a superb performance as Lyla, portraying a young woman in conflict with her family, yet conveying a real emotional connection to her siblings. When the action comes late in the film, Carter reaffirms my belief that she is THE Scream Queen of modern indie film.

Brian Morvant also delivers a strong performance as the mentally unstable Martin. Is he schizophrenic or are his ramblings actually true? Morvant plays these scenes with conviction and believably.

I was fascinated by the story and very anxious watching and wondering how it would unfold. Pod takes risks with its main characters in a way most big-budget films won't dare. Don't watch this movie expecting a sci-fi or horror film that plays out as you would expect, but rather take the time to enjoy the dialog and appreciate the performances.

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Darling (II) (2015)

9/10

Avant-Garde Beauty

5 September 2016

Like visiting The Museum of Modern Art, Darling needs to be approached from the right state of mind to connect with it. Its value lies more in how its story is told rather than the details of the narrative itself; a kind of filmmaking that hearkens back to expressionist films of the 1920s. It's exciting that micro-budget indie filmmakers are now able to reach audiences via steaming services and attempt these kinds of artistic explorations that you simply won't see from larger productions, let alone Hollywood.

The story is simple and classic: A young woman takes a job as a caretaker of a haunted mansion and weird things begin to happen. But the film only uses the narrative as means of providing us with familiarity while focusing our attention on its visual presentation.

And Darling is all about the visuals; the script can't be more than a few pages. Long periods pass with a single, well-composed shot creating a sense of wonder and uncertainty in the viewer. The choice of black & white cinematography allows the camera to always be in control, reminding us that everything we see is slightly unreal, especially when moments of powerful violence happen. If it were shot in color, the gore would have been the message and distracted us from the artistic statement.

Darling is not for everyone, and horror film aficionados may be disappointed or consider it pretentious. And it does start off slow: it took the first 15 minutes for me to relax and not try to rush it.

Lauren Ashley Carter is captivating in the lead role, appearing in nearly every shot. She conveys a shifting range of emotions causing me to feel sympathy for her seeming innocence then later repulsing me by her brutality. She gets the avant-garde nature of this production and finds the right tone in every scene.

Look for Larry Fessenden (Habit) in a bit part toward the end.

I recommend Darling for the vision it attempted and mostly succeeded at presenting us with. It's not a typical horror film, but something to be watched and admired for its beauty and simplicity.

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Morgan (2016)

7/10

Entertaining, but lacking emotional connection

3 September 2016

Moran is a fun, entertaining thriller that kept me engaged for the entire 90 minutes. I probably would have rated it a bit lower if it weren't for the clever twist ending that I honestly didn't see coming. In fact, that alone makes me want to re-watch the movie to pick up on clues that were sprinkled throughout the movie.

Anya Taylor-Joy is well cast as Morgan and she does a good job expressing the conflicting and confusing emotions of an AI human who is only five years old and still learning. After watching this and The Witch, I look forward to future Taylor-Joy movies.

However, Morgan would have been improved with better character development in the supporting cast. Or maybe just pare down the size so we could feel sympathy for them. Paul Giamatti's character for instance, wasn't much more than an extended cameo and could have been eliminated.

I would have loved to have seen more of the day-to-day life that Morgan lived at the institute, how she was treated, and how she related to the staff. As it is, we only see Morgan as she is presently with just a few video clips of her as a "child". More insight into her five years of life would have been fascinating.

So while I was entertained for the entire film, I never felt any real emotional connection that would have made Morgan awesome.

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Crawl or Die (2014)

8/10

An indie gem. Experience claustrophobia like never before.

28 February 2016

Warning: Spoilers

Crawl Or Die is an indie gem. I ran across it on Amazon and was intrigued by the premise and the poster. What sealed the deal for me was the fact that Oklahoma Ward, the director, made himself available for questions on the IMDb message board. Brave move to connect with an audience at that level. It makes me respect the guy and gives me insight to the fact that he is very proud of his movie.

As he should be. This film was clearly made with fun in mind. The opening title card appears 17 minutes into the film with a freeze frame and a single word, "CRAWL", establishing what you can expect for the rest of the movie. As the seemingly endless tunnel grows narrower, the focus of the film narrows to Tank, a badass member of a special rescue team charged with protecting the last fertile woman on earth.

There is an alien monster fast on the heels of the crawlers, but the real menace is the the tunnel itself, which is harrowing and relentlessly claustrophobic. Typically, tunnel scenes in movies are shot with cutaways or are designed over-sized in order to accommodate proper Hollywood lighting. Not here. Ward wisely keeps the camera inside the tunnel with the actors. At times it's dark and hard to see what's happening. Other times it's disorienting. There are no scenes outside the tunnel, and that's what makes it feel as if we are also enduring this nightmare. For over 60 minutes we get no relief from the dread of the ever-tightening tunnels or the uncertainty of what lies ahead.

There is a point where Tank must make an important decision regarding the "package". It is a startling but honest reaction. It's the kind of moment that wouldn't happen in a big-budget Hollywood production, but a risk that is worth taking by an indie filmmaker.

Kudos also to Nicole Alonso for conveying a real sense of determination and strength and while putting herself through what looked like a very grueling and painful ordeal.

Crawl Or Die won't appeal to a mass audience, nor is that its intention, but it's a great way to spend 90 claustrophobic minutes feeling like you are a part of the action and wondering if you could survive.

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