Yule Love It: I Trapped The Devil (2019)

Urgh, how many times does it happen? You go round to visit relatives during the Christmas holidays, they seem a bit edgy, and then you go and find out that they've only gone and bloody trapped the devil in their basement. That's all well and good, Uncle Brian, but are you putting out any more Doritos to let us mop up this home-made salsa dip or what!

Written and directed by Josh Lobo, his feature debut coming along a couple of years after his work on the wonderful Dave Made A Maze, I Trapped The Devil is exactly what I just described. Minus the Doritos dilemma. Matt (AJ Bowen) and Karen (Susan Burke) drop in to see Steve (Scott Poythress). Steve doesn't seem too relaxed, and it is eventually revealed that he has trapped the devil in a room in his basement. That's hard to believe, of course, and the film plays out as Matt and Karen try to help Steve, all while becoming more and more wary of whoever, or whatever, has been trapped.

In many ways, Lobo has done himself proud. He's assembled three good cast members, sensibly created a premise that forces everyone to stay in a single location, and has a good idea right at the heart of things. Unfortunately, he doesn't do enough with any of the elements. The idea isn't ever explored in a satisfying way, nor extrapolated to turn into something that had the potential to be ten times more interesting, the cast spend too many scenes (almost the entire movie, really) just arguing with one another, and even the location is mistreated. You don't get enough geography reminding you of the exact dimensions of the house that the main characters are in, and there are sequences showing visions that could step outwith the confines of the building yet don't.

In fact, it's a very good job that Lobo managed to attain the services of Bowen, Burke, and Poythress, all of whom do their absolute best to make the script work. They can't quite manage it, but nobody could. Instead of interesting philosophical tangents and musings on good and evil, and what can be done to stop one while promoting the other, Lobo is happy to have characters effectively go round in slightly decreasing circles. Some details come out while viewers wait to see how things will end, but they're revealed and then discarded, like so many ripped paper hats after a lively dinner party.

The technical side of things is where the film also wins some points. Despite the obvious low budget, Lobo creates some interesting moments, creating the atmosphere of a feverish nightmare throughout, with a couple of standout images in the aforementioned visions.

I may seem a bit harsh on this, I Trapped The Devil certainly deserves praise for at least trying something a bit different from so many other horror movies, and also having it set on Christmas Eve, which you could also choose to consider as a deliberate choice, considering what is celebrated at that time of year. Is that what Lobo intended? I'm really not sure, but he gives us a couple of good scenes and a great last minute. It's just a shame that the journey wasn't any better.

4/10

You can buy the movie here.
Americans can buy it here.

Satanic Panic (2019)

Written by Grady Hendrix (arguably best known for his outstanding work on the wonderful Paperbacks From Hell book), Satanic Panic is the feature directorial debut from Chelsea Stardust, after a number of years directing shorts, as well as a number of various roles in the movie industry. All I can say is that I hope she is already developing her next feature, because this is an absolutely brilliant bit of entertainment, happy to take a diversion or two into some very wild territory indeed.

Hayley Griffith stars as Sam, a young woman at the start of her career as a pizza delivery driver. That start is not looking too promising. She doesn't get any tips, she ends up roped into helping customers with small tasks that shouldn't be any of her concern, and then, worst of all, she ends up the potential virgin sacrifice at the heart of a ritual being led by a ruthless and powerful coven leader (Danica Ross, played by Rebecca Romijn). Can she survive the night? And will anyone actually give her a decent tip?

With a script full of great lines of dialogue, in the form of both venomous one-line insults and amusing exchanges between characters, and a fantastic brisk pace from start to finish, Satanic Panic is a film full of easy pleasures, and a lot of laughs. Thankfully, and to the relief of many horror fans, it also delivers on the satanic part of the title. Although not ever really scary, it's nice to see something put together that feels as if equal care has been given to the moments of horror and gore in between the many chuckles. At least one set-piece has an impressive commitment to what is being shown that should make viewers squirm and wince, and the infrequent gore gags are expertly realised to show plenty of blood flowing without churning any stomachs.

It also helps that the casting here is practically perfect. Although Griffith is very likable in the lead role, and is given a great co-star to work with in the shape of Ruby Modine (who plays a young woman who was the original potential sacrifice), there is an impressively large shadow cast over the proceedings by Romijn, giving the best performance I have seen from her as a leader who has to balance the black arts with social standing, rivalries, and her own family. Arden Myrin is also a lot of fun, the number two who may hope to one day be number one, and there are great supporting turns from the likes of AJ Bowen, Jordan Ladd, Jeff Daniel Phillips, Jerry O'Connell, and others.

Although it can feel like 90% of horror film festival highlights are horror comedies (and I first heard about this after it was received very well at a number of festivals), Satanic Panic also deserves some extra brownie points for not being another of the seemingly unending comedic riffs on slasher or zombie movies. I also enjoy many of those, don't get me wrong, but it's always good to see something willing to take a path less traveled.

8/10

You can buy the movie here.

Creepshow III (2006)

Creepshow was a fantastic anthology horror movie. Creepshow 2 was a lesser, though still enjoyable, sequel. Creepshow III isn't quite as bad as I remember, but it's certainly a big step down from the first two movies.

Five stories, that's what we get this time around. Back in line with the original, after the second movie pared things down to three stories plus a fun wraparound tale. The makers of the movie were obviously hoping to make up for the lack of quality with some extra quantity. They may not succeed, but they come close, with only the second and final tale really outstaying their welcome.

First up, we join a young woman named Alice (Stephanie Pettee) who shows just how unpleasant she is before having her life made a lot more troublesome by a new universal TV remote control being used by her father.
The second tale is all about a young man (AJ Bowen) who finds a radio that starts to guide him through his life and push him into making some tough decisions. Things look as if they'll all end well, but only if he follows the advice of the voice speaking to him through the radio.
Third is my favourite. A call girl named Rachael (Camille Lacey) heads off to meet a client (Victor, played by Ryan Carty). But Rachel isn't really the best woman to call when you're feeling lonely and in need of physical contact. She likes to make contact with one of her many knives. Things don't look too good for Victor.
The fourth tale is the funniest of the lot, although all of the stories have some dark humour running through them, as a Professor (Emmet McGuire) invites two former students to his home to meet his new wife (Bo Kresic). The two students know that the Professor has always had a wicked sense of humour, and they start to think that they are having their legs pulled.
Last, and least, is a tale about a horrible doctor (Kris Allen) being haunted by the ghost of a homeless man who ate a bad hot dog. Yes, you read that right. I'll say no more about it.

With bad acting from almost everyone involved, AJ Bowen is the exception, as you'd expect, and no real care taken with the script or direction (both coming from Ana Clavell and James Dudelson), I can understand why fans of the previous Creepshow movies may view this as a bit of a slap in the face. It doesn't feel like a Creepshow movie.

As a standard anthology movie, however, it doesn't do too badly. People wanting to be more critical of the movie have a fair point when they mark it down for not living up to the name that it's cashing in on, but I felt that the good almost outweighed the bad. Almost. The humour running through every story may not always be successful, but it's occasionally enjoyable and at least shows that those making the movie remembered that it was supposed to be fun. The special effects are pretty solid, and there are some nice, gloopy moments here and there that should please gorehounds.

I've kind of painted myself into a corner here, getting a bit too defensive without articulating everything as well as I could/should. I guess, as ever, it's just a reminder that sometimes even a movie that so many others consider awful can do enough to make for a mildly entertaining time-waster.Not one to pay good money for, but if you get the chance to see it for free, or dirt cheap, then you might enjoy a few moments. Or you may just end up hating me for reminding you of its existence.

5/10

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Creepshow-DVD-James-Glenn-Dudelson/dp/B001B182OI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1381151387&sr=8-1&keywords=CREEPSHOW+3

Chillerama (2011)

Chillerama is an anthology movie mixing a little bit of horror with plenty of comedy and plenty of that old grindhouse/drive-in cinema style. We've seen plenty movies in this vein recently - Grindhouse seemed to lead the resurgence but I'm happy as long as we keep getting fun flicks like Black Dynamite, Machete and Hobo With A Shotgun - but for every film that takes care to emulate the style and still throw some great content onscreen we seem to get one or two that just use the trappings to excuse a low budget that could have been put to better use. Or something that just misfires like Nude Nuns With Big Guns. Chillerama really falls in between the two extremes and, like many other anthology movies, it's a mix of good and bad.

The basic wraparound premise involves a bunch of folk going along to enjoy themselves at the last night of their local drive-in cinema. But there's danger between the cars as well as on the big screen and in between each story segment we catch up with the action as a strange condition develops amongst the cinema patrons.
But what's the cinema actually showing on this final night? Well, first up we have "Wadzilla" (written and directed by Adam Rifkin), the demented tale of a man (also played by Adam Rifkin) with such a low sperm count that he only tends to produce one at a time. When he receives medication to strengthen that sperm there are unexpected side effects and it's not long before one giant monster sperm is destroying New York City. The second tale is "I Was A Teenage Werebear" (written and directed by Tim Sullivan), another demented tale but this time all about sexuality, acceptance and teenage angst. And then it's on to "The Diary Of Anne Frankenstein", the segment written and directed by Adam Green and worth bonus points for the title alone. The fact that it's about Adolf Hitler (played by Joel David Moore) trying to make a giant monster that will help him win the war guarantees fun. There's the promise of "Deathication" but it proves to be just a tease as we then get carried away into the finale of the ongoing "Zom-B-Movie" (written and directed by Joe Lynch).

With the talent involved behind the camera and a cast that includes an eclectic mix of Richard Riehle, Joel David Moore, Ray Wise, Lin Shaye, Eric Roberts, Ron Jeremy (?!?), AJ Bowen, Sean Paul Lockhart, Anton Troy, Kristina Klebe, Kane Hodder, Kaili Thorne, Briana Mackay, Corey Jones . . . . . . . . well, you can't say that those involved didn't give things a good try.

Sadly, while some of the humour works and a lot of the madness is impressively outrageous, there's a lot here that doesn't hit the mark. A lot of references are scattered throughout the movie but a lot of lines of dialogue are also spoken by cine-literate characters who rarely seem to use their own words (or, at least, that's how it feels). "Wadzilla" is a lot of fun but it's almost too over the top compared to the beginning of the movie and suffers because the tone hasn't been set for it. "I Was A Teenage Werebear", I'm very sad to say, is the weakest segment. It has some fun referencing the likes of Rebel Without A Cause and Grease but the treatment of the material is coarse and too heavy-handed in a way that ends up being off-putting. Camp material can be absolutely great entertainment, especially delivered by someone like the great John Waters (for example), but Tim Sullivan doesn't get it right. Which is a shame, as I like Tim Sullivan. Redemption comes in the second half of the movie, however, with both "The Diary Of Anne Frankenstein" and "Zom-B-Movie" making up for plenty. There are still mis-steps, and the fact that the film clocks in at about the two hour mark doesn't help at all, but the fun is in full swing and viewers are completely accustomed to the vibe of the film by the halfway point.

So it's nowhere near as good as many other movies I could mention (and, indeed, already have) but it's nowhere near as bad as the very worst you can watch either. Which makes it decidedly average.

5/10.

http://www.amazon.com/Chillerama-Unrated-Richard-Riehle/dp/B005G02LD8