Rare Flix: Mesmerized (1986)

 A hidden gem from the VHS Era?  This is Mesmerized, a Film that I found randomly on VHS.  When I saw it, I was like 'what is this movie and why have I never heard of it?!?'  Well, you get the results of my searching.  This is a semi-biographical tale of a woman from New Zealand who faced a murder rap for her husband.  Oops, already SPOILERS.  Oh well.  Naturally, this Film stars such famous New Zealand Actors as Jodie Foster and...John Lithgow.  Yeah, so this is an RKO Picture- and yes, that was still a thing in 1986.  There was some local controversy as a number of New Zealand Actors could have gotten such juicy, local-related parts.  It's kind of like how they made a Film about MLK Jr starring a British Man as him, a British Actress as his Wife AND with a British Director.  The Film was not much of a big deal at the time, but got a bit more attention (and a new VHS release) after Silence of the Lambs.  So is this a hidden gem?  Should you find a VHS Player for it like I did?  To find out, read on...

The Film begins with the woman- Foster- on trial.  Will they find her guilty?

I should note that I'm using a Streaming Copy for Caps as my copy is, well, not great.  It's a VHS Tape from 1986- what do you expect?!?

Said woman is the product of an unmarried couple and not even given a name for a while.

When she comes of age, she's married off to an older man- Lithgow.

It's funny that a 17 year age gap like the one between Lithgow and Foster here is 'bad' in 1986, but a 39 year age gap would be just peachy in 1999 with Entrapment.

After waiting for her to arrive (they married officially when she was 16), the guy has pent up, well, everything and spies on his new-wife while she changes.

I feel like you're doing Marriage wrong there, champ!

After about a Month of marriage, she's really unhappy.  Oh and Lithgow's Brother is a bit younger and actually not an asshole.

Desperate, the pair escape together, but get stopped on the train.

In a scuffle, it seems that Foster has killed the brother...so she returns home, no indebted to Lithgow.

However, it turns out that he isn't dead.  That was a good 5 minutes of tension, Movie.

Lithgow and his Dad hide the proof from Foster, just not going as far as to actually *destroy the evidence.*

Oh and his Dad was one of the Kryptonian Judges in Superman 2.  Neat!

Things seem like they are going better as Foster gets pregnant with Lithgow's child.

Things take a turn for the worse when the baby dies in childbirth.  Yeesh!

The pair continue to live unhappily together when a Doctor teaches the pair about hypnosis right the hell out of nowhere.

This sure won't pay off later!

Lithgow gets really sick and dies, with the Father blaming Foster for his death.  That brings us up to date with the Intro.

The Trial shows that Lithgow died from ingesting chloroform, but wasn't forced to so, clearing Foster.

However, we learn that she had been prepping Lithgow for the hypnosis in his weakened state and 'suggested' that he intake it.

In the aftermath, she leaves New Zealand and meets up with the Brother, whom she learned was alive thanks to the letter that Lithgow didn't think to destroy.

They lived happily ever after together...maybe.  The Film is coy about whether this is real or fictionalized, so...make up your own ending, I guess.

A Film that isn't quite what it is promised.  That's a sin by the Producers and Marketing Department though.  They really want you to think that the Film is a dark Thriller.  Yeah, not so much.  It's by no means a Comedy, but it is much more of a Character Drama.  The Marketing issues are mostly due to the whole Silence of the Lambs thing.  If you know that, you can enjoy the Film more.  Foster doesn't *really* try to do anything other than a soft English accent, while Lithgow goes all-in on the New Zealand accent.  Given the nature of that voice, I'm not sure if he's really good or really bad.  Is he doing an accurate impression of a voice that, well, sounds silly to us Americans?  Is he doing a bad version of a voice, making it sound extra silly to us Americans?  You decide!  I can't.  The Plot is alright, but feels like they both rush and run too slowly.  They rush through key times- like all of the pregnancy- and then run  too slowly through other times.  Why do they rush right to her trying to leave with the Brother (which is a month or so in)?  Why do they linger on Lithgow having his teeth removed to (not) save him?  Oh right- schadenfreude.  The Film is fine, but pretty banal.  It's also very dreary, given the subject matter.  I was hoping for something more scandalous for an obscure VHS discovery...but at least I got to see a young Billy the Kid.  

Next up, I prepare to watch an Oscar-winning Film by watching one that probably didn't even get a Saturn Award.  That's my style!  Stay tuned...

Quick Reviews: The Devil's Rock (2011)

Another Film involving WWII, Nazis and the supernatural?   Alright then...

The Movie tries really hard to sell you as being historically-accurate.

It kind of blows that by the Lead being a New Zealander in England...leading to them having to explain why he's even there.

It is all about 2 Soldiers leading a Commando Raid on a small Base on the eve of D-Day.

If nothing else, it makes for a good Tourism Video.

After hearing a woman's cries, the Lead goes in, while the other man is hesitant to stick around.

The latter's wariness is validated when he finds a Book on the occult and a bunch of bodies!

It all goes sour as a surviving Nazi captures them and reveals a strange prisoner.

She's, well, a Demon.

Can she be destroyed?  Can he work with the Nazi?  Should he?  To find out, watch the Film.

A Film with a little Budget, but big potential.  Here's what you need to know- the Film was originally going to be solely-funded by the Director mortgaging his House!  They thankfully got some money from the New Zealand Film Board, but this isn't exactly a big-Budget blockbuster.  That means that they only use about 5 people, stay inside for 90% of the Film and use limited make-up work.  You have to know that to judge the Film properly.  With that out of the way, the Film is nice and atmospheric, giving you long bits where the Actors play off each other well.  It is far less about the big moments than building and building dread.  There isn't *that* much Story and the Characters could really be fleshed out sooner.  The Lead, in particular, is pretty unremarkable until they finally give him some backstory to flesh him out.  The pay-off is eventually worth it, although you do have to slog through some drawn out bits in the First Act especially.  It still doesn't *quite* reach 90 minutes either, so bear that in mind.  All in all, Rock is an interesting Film that could have been truly great.  I know that it is sacrilege to say this online, but it could do with a Remake that treats it with the same care...but also has a few more Million behind it.  No matter what, it does feature a man with a name so great that it must be fake...

A decent-enough Thriller.  It has a pretty damn-small Budget though, which allows it to only go so far.

New Flix: Deathgasm

Loud, proud and dumb.  Today's Film is Deathgasm and...need I say anymore?  I mean, I'm going to, but...do I need to?  This New Zealand-based Comedy is in the vein of Rock & Roll Nightmare, Black Roses and...well, every John Fasano Film of note.  By the way, Fasano apparently still has a Film in Pre-Production...despite him being dead since 2014.  Good job, IMDB!  From the guy who does Digital Painting for WETA comes a Movie about a Demon-summoning Rock Song.  Makes sense to me!  This one is all sorts of crazy and ridiculous.  Is it good though?  To find out (without SPOILERS), read on...

This dude loves Metal, but his life sucks right now.  Can it get any better?

Well, he manages to form a band called Dethgasm (why no 'A' in the Band Title?) and find a girl he likes.

There is some sort of conspiracy involving this Cult and some magic words...which now is in the hands of, well, guess.

Unfortunately, the magic words on the sheet get turned into a Song that mutates everyone else in Town!

So now the Town is full of Demons and Demon-like Zombies.  On the plus side, they have fashion sense.

Can our heroes be competent, well, heroes?

Or is everyone pretty much doomed?  The Town is 99% Deadite, so...probably not.  The End.

Silly, bloody fun.  This one is pretty clear about what it wants to be.  The Action involves blood vomiting, head explosions and a dildo or two.  Figured it out yet?  As per usual, I won't judge a Movie too badly for being what it wants to be.  It sure is convenient that all of the big Action takes place at night though, right?  The big thing here is whether or not you find the Characters endearing or not.  If you don't, this is pretty much just a dumb, shallow Action Film with lots of wacky moments.  If you give a shit about them, you at least get emotionally-invested in this dumb, shallow Action Film with lots of wacky moments.  The Film is exactly what you expect to get with a Title like Deathgasm.  Is it too much at times?  Sure.  Regardless, it is what it is and it ain't no more.  Be warned- not everyone will take to it like I did.  There may be, well, some side-effects...

Next up, a Holiday Film in time for a Holiday!  Why pick one Story when 10 will do?  Stay uned...

Quick Reviews: Turbo Kid

This one comes with all sorts of hype and I was really sold on the idea.  I hope that it lives up to it all.  This is...

In a bleak future, one young man tries to survive by scavenging and holding onto things he loved as a kid.

Unfortunately, life is really tough in the Wasteland and people die every day.

Seriously, there is A LOT of death in this Movie.  It is bloody as hell!

A cruel Warlord who calls himself Zeus (Michael Ironside) controls the nearby land and has a pretty dark way of keeping the resources flowing.

When our hero finally finds someone to love again in the Wasteland, he must become Turbo Kid (or at least the closest iteration he can) to save her!

Even with some help, can Turbo Kid be the hero that he needs to be to stop the Road Warrior-esque threat of Zeus and his evil men?

Or is he just plain doomed?  Well, you can probably guess...but you probably still won't see everything coming.  No SPOILERs.  The End.

What a good surprise!  Like many Films from the Indy Circuit, this one came with alot of hype.  Naturally, I was hoping for the best, but expecting the worst.  Such is the danger of these Films.  Thankfully, this crazy Film totally lived up to it all!  The Plot and Setting, while not wholly-original, are very fun and satisfying.  You don't need a complex set-up to explain why it is the Wasteland- not after 30 years of Mad Max clones anyways.  The Story here is nice and simple- Villain bad, heroes good.  There is more to it, but the simple heart of it is such.  There are plenty of nice twists and turns along the way that I obviously won't give away too.  The big thing for and against the Film is the ridiculous level of violence here.  Why it works: it is ridiculously-over-the-top and eye-catching.  Why it may not work for everyone: it is ridiculously-over-the-top.  Did I mention that it is ridiculous?  It is best described as 'Riki-Oh in the Wasteland' and is easily the goriest thing I've seen this year since the good parts of Zombieworld.  If you love crazy stuff like me, you're going to totally love this one.  While it borrows from many other Films (and is an expansion of a 2011 Short Film), it makes its own crazy mark.  Speaking of borrowing things, I can't help but see a connection between the look of the Villain and another one.  Ironically, this Film is about how Water is scarce, while the other has the opposite problem...

Easily one of the most fun, crazy and original Films I've seen this year.  Good, good stuff.

New Import Flix: What We Do In The Shadows

Despite what one Film says, Vampires don't Suck.  Today's Film is What We Do In The Shadows, a 2014 Horror Comedy from New Zealand.  The Film is a mix of Dracula, The Odd Couple and This is Spinal Tap.  Interesting combination, huh?  The basic Premise is that a Documentary Crew was given the right to shoot a quartet of Vampires in their 'flat' as they prepare for the yearly gathering known as The Masquerade.  You can't sue me, White Wolf!  With one half of The Flight of the Conchords behind this (Jermaine Clement), you know that this is going to be quirky.  The question at hand is this: is it good?  To find out (with very limited SPOILERS), read on...

A Documentary Team is allowed to follow some lovely folks around for a few months before they attend a big event.  Unfortunately, they are Vampires.

 The group of Vampires are trying to adjust to life in the modern world, but are still pretty cool about the idea that they have to kill humans and drink their blood for sustenance.

When they get a new housemate (no SPOILERs), things in the house get more complicated as he doesn't quite fit in.

There is also an issue with some local Werewolves (led by At Midnight regular Rhys Darby).

The Documentary style allows them to play with the focus.  For example, one of the group has a Familiar/Slave who sets up people to be killed and cleans up after them.

All of this builds towards the Masquerade, but there's no guarantee that they will all make it there (and back) in one piece.  To find out more, watch the Film.

Despite my low expectations, this one was quite good.  Don't get me wrong- I don't hate Jermaine Clement or anything.  I was just unsure of what to expect as far as the tone, so I didn't get too hyped up.  The worst kind of Bad Movies are Bad Comedies, so I didn't want one of those.  Thankfully, I got nothing of the sort.  The movie isn't always laugh-out-loud funny (at least for me), but it is consistently-entertaining, clever and engaging.  The Film plays with some Vampire Tropes well- like having them sketch each other in their outfits in lieu of mirrors- and turns some other Tropes into Vampire ones- like making being a Familiar like being in 'the friend zone.'  In that respect, it does quite well.  One thing I will note is that they do a couple of time jumps and change the Story in big ways when they do that.  It is a little bit of a cheat, but not an unforgivable one.  What Documentary Crew would just cut out 6 Months of Footage though, to be fair.  In spite of minor gripes, the Film is fun, fresh (even if it is just an expansion of their 2006 Short Film) and different.  I wasn't expecting it to be this good.  To put things in perspective, imagine how much more pleasant waking up your spouse/roommate is in comparison to what Viago has to do...

Next up, I return to my roots- trashy Horror Films.  With babes and bugs, this one is sure to be interesting.  Stay tuned...

Strange Killers: Black Sheep (2007)

Thank you, Chinese Calender Makers.  There are some Movies that you don't see often enough.  You may own them or know someone that owns them.  Even so, you stop and go 'I haven't seen this in a while.'  Black Sheep is one of those Films.  If you haven't seen it, you should.  I won't SPOIL it all here, so don't worry.  Here's the gist if you haven't seen it: killer sheep.  Need I say more?  I shouldn't, but I will anyways.  The Film is very much in the vein of a much more famous New Zealand Director- Peter Jackson.  This is good, fun Peter Jackson, mind you, not 'My Films must be 12 Hours long, since I have to inject my own Characters into a Story that I think is perfect all on its own' Peter Jackson.  I'm talking about his fun, crazy stuff like Brain Dead, Meet the Feebles and Bad Taste.  Good shit.  In this Film, a Brother with a fear of Sheep must return home to settle the estate run by his Brother.  Things go awry, however, as Science meets Nature in a big, bloody mess.  To find out more, read on...

As a young man, our hero is scared of Sheep- thanks to a prank by his brother.  That's why he hates New Zealand- since Sheep statistically out-number people at least 3-to-1.

In the present, he must return to help settle the dad's Estate after his death.  He's not happy about it.

Meanwhile, some people trying to put a stop to Farming run across some freaky creatures.

The groups eventually unite and learn that the Sheep are bigger, meaner and uglier thanks to Genetic Engineering by the Brother.  He wants to breed the biggest, most productive ones around.

He leaves them to die, but discovers a bite on his hand from earlier.  That can't end well, right?

They escape and try to warn people before the Sheep get loose and go on a rampage.

You see, the Brother invited a whole bunch of business people to sell them on the Sheep and...crap.

Oh and you'll see more of these people soon in a different Induction.

With all hell breaking loose, our heroes try to make it out alive.  If it works in Looney Tunes...

Without SPOILing too much, I will tell you that some weird mutant people show up.  It is fun and gross.  Go see the Film to find out more.  The End.

This is weird.  This is crazy.  This is ridiculous.  I love it.  It is admittedly a niche Film.  So what?  This is a Film about killer sheep, mutant Sheep People and the humans that get in the way.  It is not a serious Film.  At the same time, it is not a tongue-in-cheek that constantly feels the need to nudge you in the ribs and go 'Funny, right?  It is just silly and doesn't feel the need to make a point of it.  The mix of playing it serious while the situation is silly is what always tends to do it for me.  That make sense?  Good.  Everything about the Film feels as authentic as a movie about mutant Sheep can too.  I love the gross-out effects, even though I know that it will be too much for some of you.  It never goes too far into the 'try to make you vomit' territory that alot of the more recent stuff (like Saw) does.  It just shows off what they can do with Practical Effects.  I will get off this Topic before it seems like I'm going on another diatribe about Practical Effects vs CG.  I will just say this: this Movie rocks.  You should see it.  Go ahead.  I will leave you with this reminder that all films shot in New Zealand now have to have big, scenic shots...

Next up, I attempt to redeem the original Version of a Film.  After Uwe Boll's Remake, this inherently has to be better.  Stay tuned...