Shudder Saturday: The Price We Pay (2023)

It's a pretty standard horror movie trope to put some bad people in a place where they end up being the lesser of two evils. The worse the people, the worse situation they can find themselves in. The Price We Pay, written by Christopher Jolley, developing a story co-created by himself and director Ryûhei Kitamura, makes use of this trope. It has a decent cast to work with, but there's nothing much else brought to the table.

Alex (Emile Hirsch), Cody (Stephen Dorff), and Shane (Tanner Zagarino) burst into a pawn shop to commit a violent robbery. At least one person is killed, and the men flee with a hostage (Grace, played by Gigi Zumbado). Making use of Grace's car, which doesn't look as if it can drive on for many more miles, they end up reaching a farm in the middle of nowhere, somewhere they figure that they can hide out for a while. And that's when things start to go off the rails.

While I have enjoyed the work of both Hirsch and Dorff in many other movies, they're unable to do anythng here that distracts from a weak and tired screenplay. Zumbado is also just as hampered, but has the benefit of not having to go through the standard crime movie grimacing and circular arguments. Zagarino makes much less of an impression, due to his role being "the wounded one" for most of his screentime, but at least viewers get a supporting role for Vernon Wells, which should be enough to make up for some of the failings elsewhere. Tyler Sanders isn't too bad as an apparently timid young farmhand named Danny, and Erika Ervin gets to have fun underneath some face-altering make up.

It's easy to see where this went wrong though, even if you like the cast as much as I do (and I appreciate that many others won't). Jolley is one of those people who has become quite prolific over the past decade, aiming for quantity over quality as he moved from gangster and hooligan movies towards more and more horror project. I can easily imagine him pitching this idea to Kitamura, probably not believing his luck when the director decided to take on the project. While he can deliver great horror fare (the last feature that I enjoyed from him was Downrange, back in 2017), he seems unable here to find a way to twist and freshen the material, leaving him at the helm of a disappointingly dull affair.

It's coherent enough, and it all seems fairly logical (for the premise), but there's nothing to really enjoy here. None of the nastiness is impressive, nor is it presented in a way that could make the gleeful sadism of some of the main characters more fun, relatively speaking, and the technical side of things is what you might call perfunctory. Thankfully, if you watch this on a streaming service, as I did, then the price to be paid for watching The Price We Pay is only the 86-minute runtime, instead of any monetary amount. That may still feel too pricey for some.

3/10

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Debt Collectors AKA The Debt Collector 2 (2020)

If I want to watch a film in which people are kicked in the face then I have some favourite people I like to see in the lead roles. There are obviously big names with big back catalogues (Chan, Yen, Li, etc), but I am less aware of people still putting out the kind of fare that used to make for a perfect weekend movie rental. Michael Jai White does a few, and does them well, but the current top dog is, in my view, Scott Adkins.

I remember quite enjoying The Debt Collector, a film that threw together Adkins and Louis Mandylor, but I didn’t love it. So I didn’t rush to watch this sequel when it first came out, and I was slightly bemused at how things would continue after the ending of the first film anyway. Thankfully, this was another solid Adkins vehicle, and I would say it is slightly better than the film preceding it.

French (Adkins) is now working as a bouncer, but he is getting in trouble for causing too much damage to the fixtures while dealing with violent drunks. One such encounter occurs on the same day that Sue (Mandylor) walks back into his life. Considering how their last “adventure” ended, French is understandably reticent to help Sue with some debts that he needs to collect within the next few days, but there’s the reward of a big payday at the end of it. 

Another film directed by Jesse V. Johnson, once again writing alongside Stu Small, this is an Adkins vehicle that feels as perfectly tailored to the star as any other film he’s been in. I can’t believe there was a time when I didn’t rate Johnson as someone worth your time, but he’s been slowly and surely delivering some of the best “back to basics” action movies over the past five years. His career stretches back way beyond that, but his earlier films seem to be missing that magic Adkins ingredient.

The leads work together even better than they did in the first movie, with Adkins now happy to bash heads together and get the job done as quickly as possible while Mandylor tries to now keep his own violence in the past. Our central pairing should be all you need, considering that most people they encounter end up on the wrong end of a beating, but there are also a couple of good cameo appearances from Martina Sirtis and Vernon Wells. Everyone else, good or bad (mainly bad), plays their part convincingly enough, but the film-makers know to stay close to Adkins and Mandylor, having them be friendly and antagonistic to one another in equal measure.

The fights may not be the absolute best from this director-actor combo, but they’re well done, the pacing is good, and the 97-minute runtime is pretty perfect. All in all, this is another winner for those involved. I won’t be so tardy if they make a third one.

7/10

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The Christmas Tapes (2022)

Co-written and co-directed by Robert Livings and Randy Nundlall Jr., The Christmas Tapes is a Christmassy horror anthology movie that starts off with a bold move . . . providing an important role for Greg Sestero. That might seem a bit harsh, as he's certainly not the worst part of that infamously awful film, The Room, he may always be closely associated with, but it's worth mentioning at the very start of this review. Because it a) shows the faith that the film-makers have in their material, and b) warns viewers that they will have another chance to figure out exactly how they feel about the acting abilities of Sestero.

Sestero plays a visitor who ends up at the house of a family about to celebrate Christmas Eve. Before anyone can say "there's no room at the inn", he has taken charge of the situation, has everyone cowering in terror, and takes time to present his captive audience with a number of amateur video recordings. The first concerns a couple who go camping in the wrong neck of the woods, the second shows a man about to be delivered as a Christmas gift to his kids, by a man dressed as Santa, and the final tape shows a couple struggling to figure out the best way to clear their home of what may be a dangerous spirit. There's one other little story shoehorned in there, but it's so weak that it's not worth spending much time on. Thankfully, it's mercifully brief, but that makes it all the more surprising that it was included.

While not exactly overflowing with familiar faces, this is a film with a cast that generally acquits themselves well to what is asked of them. Sestero, for better or worse, is a name, and he's one of three used throughout the film to give viewers someone to recognise. The biggest, certainly to genre fans, is Vernon Wells, who enjoys himself as the potential delivery man dressed up as Santa Claus. You also get Dave Sheridan, stealing a number of scenes, and almost the entire movie, in the role of Paranormal Perry, a character who plays an integral role in the final tale. I am not highlighting these actors to diminish the work done by others. It's just that Livings and Nundlall Jr. seem to have deliberately planned these "special appearances" to help the pacing of the film, as well as making good use of them in roles that allow them to have fun without straying too far from their comfort zones.

Although this is an anthology movie that doesn't have the risk of too many cooks spoiling the broth, it's interesting that every short tale feels unique. I wouldn't say there's anything here that stands out as being great, but nothing stands out as being awful either (some dodgy CGI and that super-short, almost plotless, story aside). This is a surprisingly solid piece of work. It's maybe not good enough to warrant repeat viewings, or even a glowing recommendation, but I enjoyed it while it was on, and I am inclined to check out anything else from Livings and Nundlall Jr.

Audio quality is inconsistent, but never terrible, and it's a shame that the format basically ensures that the visuals lack any great style or flourishes, but there’s enough fun and creativity here to make it worthwhile. I am not sure if anyone will remember it in a few years time, but it’s always good to have a new festive horror to mix in amongst the numerous established favourites.

6/10

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Kringle Time (2021)

The idea of a children's entertainer with a dark personal life is fertile ground that has been explored in film before, but nowhere near as often as it could have been. So I'm always pleasantly surprised when another film utilising that premise comes along, and Kringle Time is one of those films.

Benny Elledge plays Jerry, the manager of a small TV channel who spends a lot of his time trying to manage the star of the schedule, Kringle The Snowman (aka Herb, played by Vernon Wells). Kringle is a symbol of goodness and joy, but Herb is a bit more of a problem. Things get a lot worse, however, when Herb dies on the show, leaving Jerry to figure out the best way to move forward. He wants to ensure that Kringle can carry on, it's only a man in a suit, after all, but that doesn't take into account the legacy of darkness that Herb has left behind.

Directed by Matthew Lucas, who also came up with the main story idea alongside writer Zan Gillies, Kringle Time is a film that doesn't quite know the best way to approach the material, which is a great shame because there's a lot here of interest. Whether deliberate or not, the revelations discovered after the death of a beloved entertainer feels particularly relevant when considering some of the big news stories of the last 5-10 years. Not only that, one or two characters here eventually have to face up to the fact that they were complicit in the behaviour that should have been shut down as soon as it began. This is a film that feels as if it could showcase the turning tide in the world of entertainment, throughout all sectors, in the wake of the #metoo movement, but it decides instead to keep returning to a much tighter focus on the character of Jerry, his journey culminating in some major life lessons.

Elledge is excellent in his lead role, and Wells is equally good as the scummy Herb. Jeff Wincott is a lot of fun as a Mayor always looking to secure the goodwill of voters, Alyssa Keegan makes a strong impression as the strong-willed Daphne, also looking after the interests of the station. There are some other decent performances from the supporting cast, but nobody stands out, largely overshadowed (quite rightly) by the presence of Elledge and Wells as Jerry/Kringle/Herb.

Lucas has made the film he wanted to make, I am sure. It's just a shame that the film he wanted to make went on a very different path from the film that could have been. The first half of Kringle Time promises so much, a whole new world that has accountability and reparations for those who have been victims of someone who didn't even think they were really doing anything wrong. But the second half forgets all of those things, unironically choosing to have us watch the pain and outbursts of a wronged white man instead. That's a real shame, because it's a well-made film that just suffers from losing focus and heading off in the wrong direction.

6/10

Kringle Time will be showing as a part of the Sohoho Horror Fest - Christmas 2021 (an online event that is on a pay what you can basis).

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Red Snow (2021)

I have been a bit remiss this year when it comes to my usual helping of tinsel-adorned horror during the Christmas season, but Red Snow is one of the few newer titles that I was keen to see. It's worth noting that it doesn't feel very Christmassy though, despite being set during the festive period, and also, unsurprisingly, having a lot of snow onscreen.

Dennice Cisneros is Olivia, a woman who is busy trying to tweak and refine her first novel, a vampire tale. She's spending some time in an isolated cabin, focusing on her work, but the solitude doesn't seem to be helping her. Then a bat crashes against a window. Olivia takes the bat in, looking to help it recuperate, and is surprised to find that it has turned into a man named Luke (played by Nico Bellamy). Luke is obviously a vampire. After the initial fright of that realisation, Olivia and Luke start to get along. Olivia might be able to get information and feedback to help her with her novel, and Luke might be able to stay safe while he heals from an injury.

Written and directed by Sean Nichols Lynch, making his second full feature amongst his selection of shorts, Red Snow is a bit of fun that mixes the traditional with the unique, largely thanks to Olivia first being given a revision of vampire "facts" from Luke. It may not have any real tension throughout, and the moments of straightforward horror are few and far between, but you get enough blood splattered around to make the title accurate.

Cisneros is very good in the lead role, amusingly naive at times before she has to dig down into reserves of inner strength, and Bellamy is a cold and vicious vampire, which adds to the comedy when he has moments in which he is acting "tame" and harmless. Vernon Wells has an enjoyable cameo role, playing a vampire hunter named Julius King, and Laura Kennon is your typical vampire pack leader, named Jackie.

Although he doesn't quite do enough to cover up for his limitations, Lynch puts together a nice bit of entertainment that feels like it is made by someone who knows enough to mock some of the tropes without being outright disrespectful to them. The highlights of the film may be the conversations between Olivia and Luke, making up most of the first half, but the rest is certainly not dull, even if it never quite gets the horror aspect right to make this a successful comedy (if we HAVE to use genre labels, although nobody says that we must, then this is a comedy that just happens to have some vampire characters central to the action).

Cisneros, Bellamy, and Kennon give performances that mark them out as ones to watch, but the main one to keep your eyes peeled for is Lynch, who definitely writes and directs well enough to indicate that he's not far away from making a film in the next few years that could become a firm favourite for horror genre audiences.

7/10

Red Snow will be showing as a part of the Sohoho Horror Fest - Christmas 2021 (an online event that is on a pay what you can basis).

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Innerspace (1987)

An updated version of Fantastic Voyage, but with some better special effects and a fair amount of comedy added, Innerspace is another film from director Joe Dante made in the middle of a period where he could do no wrong (from the late '70s all the way through to the early '90s) . . . unless you were someone always wanting to see a decent, or indeed any, financial return from his films. Because as beloved as many of them are today, many Joe Dante movies only found a fanbase when they were discovered on VHS. The director himself perhaps views the underwhelming box office performance of this one with particular disappointment, having said that positive test screenings were followed up with a poor marketing campaign that didn't clarify exactly what kind of movie it was. An image of a tiny vehicle, and tiny pilot alongside it, being held between someone's finger and thumb may show the miniaturisation at the heart of the plot, but it doesn't reassure people that they will get a lot of laughs and entertainment.

Dennis Quaid plays Tuck Pendleton, a pilot who has volunteered to take part in a groundbreaking experiment. He will be placed in a small vehicle, miniaturised, and then injected into a bunny rabbit. But there are some villains who want the technology, which leads to some chaos, leading to Tuck actually being injected into the butt of hypochondriac Jack Putter (Martin Short). So now everyone wants the tech that is in Jack, and they’re not too bothered if Jack and Tuck survive the process. Once Tuck figures out where he is, he communicates with Jack and helps him avoid danger, also enlisting the help of Tuck’s on-off girlfriend, Lydia Maxwell (Meg Ryan).

Written by Chip Proser and Jeffrey Boam, Innerspace is a wonderful adventure that makes inventive use of the premise to blend a lot of comedy with many family-friendly thrills. Simply focusing on the voyager inside the human body could have been a showcase for special effects, but may have also become quite dull after the initial excitement died down, so having Tuck able to communicate and help Jack is the masterstroke that elevates this above the film it most closely resembles.

Whether you tend to love or hate the films of Dante, and I fall firmly into the former camp, there’s no denying that he excels at creating films that satisfy a wide audience demographic, with younger viewers impressed by FX work, laughs, and thrills, and older viewers also able to appreciate the many references to the history of cinema, and Loony Tunes cartoons.

The other thing that Dante so often does is cast well, and Innerspace certain benefits from superb casting. Quaid is at his cocky, charming, best as Tuck, and this is one of many fine comedic performances from Martin Short that serve to highlight what a superb actor he is. Ryan is at the start of a run of performances that would mark her out as a female lead that everyone fell in love with for a number of years. Robert Picardo, Kevin McCarthy, and Dick Miller all appear, of course, playing The Cowboy, a main villain, and a taxi driver seen in one scene, respectively, and all are as great as ever, with Picardo having the most fun of the three. Fiona Lewis is also a villain, working in tandem with McCarthy, and Vernon Wells is a menacing “henchman” who could easily be part of any James Bond movie (his fake hand providing one of the more amusingly risqué gags in the film). There are also great little turns from Henry Gibson, Wendy Schaal, and a number of other familiar faces.

Arguably the most straightforward family film from Dante during this period of his career, Innerspace is everything you could want from a polished blockbuster. Lots of fun ideas, a cast of memorable characters, great set-pieces, and an ending that is so enjoyable I end up watching the footage that plays out over the credits every single time. There’s also another great Jerry Goldsmith score, and great use of the song “Twistin’ The Night Away”. The only main issue is the pacing of the first half, which could have been tweaked to get to all the fun stuff a bit quicker. 

Sometimes the best things do come in the smallest packages.

8/10

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Noir November: King Of The Ants (2003)

It may be a fairly low-budget, rough 'n' ready movie, but King Of The Ants has a considerable amount of talent involved, both behind and in front of the camera.

Based on a novel by Charlie Higson (still best known to many people for his great work on The Fast Show), it's all about a young man (Sean, played by Chris McKenna) who is always on the lookout for some paid work. He takes what odd jobs he can, with one putting him in contact with a man named Duke (George Wendt). Duke then arranges a meeting between Sean and a local businessman named Ray (Daniel Baldwin), which leads to him being hired for a different kind of job. He's to tail a man (Ron Livingston), a man who may have information that could get Ray in trouble. That's all well and good, until a drunken Ray then asks Sean to commit murder.

There's also the lovely Kari Wuhrer onscreen, as the wife of the man who may or may not end up murdered, and Sean finds her quite attractive. Because she is, but that's all I'll say about the plot for now. I don't want to give away any details or potential surprises.

Directed by the always-entertaining Stuart Gordon, King Of The Ants is dark, nasty stuff. Anyone who, like myself, only knew of Higson through his comedy work may well be shocked that he could weave a tale of such stomach-churning nastiness, but just be thankful that he did it. The final result, presented here in a style that veers between minimalist and slightly fantastical (in one or two nightmare sequences), is a memorable film that takes some common elements and makes them feel fresh again . . . . . . . . . . . . . . even if it does that by bruising them and coating them in blood and fecal matter.

The acting from all concerned is pretty solid, if not always great. McKenna is a likable presence in the lead role, even as his character makes some bad choices. Wendt and Baldwin are both intimidating in different ways, and have the likes of Vernon Wells and Lionel Mark Smith on their side. Wuhrer is quite lovely, which I've already mentioned, and does a decent enough job with her few scenes. And Timm Sharp is a welcome inclusion, playing Sean's friend, and one of the few characters onscreen not carrying around any big secrets.

While not exactly tense, in the traditional sense, this is a movie that certainly leaves you on edge throughout. I know that sounds paradoxical, but I simply mean that the movie often paints such a dark picture that being tense, hoping that characters can turn things around, seems futile. It may also turn your stomach, thanks to the mixture of violence and the sheer depth of despair and hopelessness that it explores. I'd argue that it's the darkest film in Stuart Gordon's filmography (although Edmond is a movie that has evaded me over the years), and that alone should make it worth a watch if you're a fan of the man.

Well worth seeking out. Just don't watch it if you're after something to put you in a good mood.

8/10

http://www.amazon.com/King-Ants-Chris-McKenna/dp/B0001ZX088/ref=sr_1_1?s=movies-tv&ie=UTF8&qid=1415976796&sr=1-1&keywords=king+of+the+ants

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Sci-Fi September: Space Truckers (1996)

Ahem, any fans of Stuart Gordon may also like to check out this lengthy interview HERE.

From the wonderfully demented mind of Stuart Gordon comes this wonderfully demented sci-fi film, boosted by a great cast and a few fun ideas that help to overcome the relatively low budget and occasional-not-so-special effects. The emphasis here is on entertainment rather than any final polishing, and that's just fine with me.

Dennis Hopper plays John Canyon, a space trucker with a fairly reliable, albeit slow, rig. He's a bit behind schedule when he drops off a load of square pigs (for your square meals) and ends up arguing over his fee due to him from company man Keller (George Wendt). One fight later, John ends up having to get away in a hurry. He's joined by the lovely Cindy (Debi Mazar) and a lad who has just passed his test for the trucking life, Mike Pucci (Stephen Dorff). He also has a new cargo, which is supposed to be a whole load of sex dolls . . . . . . . . . . but that's highly doubtful, considering the built-in security protecting it. And did I mention that Charles Dance plays a semi-cyborg psychopath?

Written by Ted Mann, adapting a story that he and director Gordon came up with, Space Truckers is a loving mix of old sci-fi romps - the kind of stuff with bright colours and killer robots - and the blue collar approach to a life spent in space that came along in the 1970s (most notably, I guess, in Alien).

Hopper is great in the lead role, grumpy and set in his ways but not without the sense to see what's right under his nose at times, while Dorff is enjoyable wide-eyed and innocent, and Mazar is tough and cute. Dance is a semi-cyborg psychopath, which I may have already mentioned, and I'll be damned if I didn't love seeing every minute of his over the top performance. Other names in the cast include Sandra Dickinson, Vernon Wells, and Mr. Wendt. Everyone seems to be having a blast, which transfers to the audience.

Gordon directs with his usual steady hand. I'm a fan of the man, having seen how he can make the most of every dollar on every movie that he makes, and this is even more interesting to watch when placed in amongst his filmography. In a way, it seems far removed from most of his other movies (although he has, of course, done relatively straight sci-fi with Fortress and Robot Jox), but it's also absolutely in line with the sensibilities shown in almost everything that he's done. There are some dark moments, there's plenty of humour, and Barbara Crampton graces the film with her lovely presence, in a brief cameo role. There are deadly robo-aliens and other trappings of the genre, of course, but it's almost impressive to see just how far Gordon can shape the material to his own ends.

I'm not sure if others will enjoy this movie as much as I did, but I hope that some people at least give it a viewing. It's certainly not dull, even if you only decide to watch it for that Charles Dance performance.

7/10

Price-wise, Region 2 is the way to go - http://www.amazon.co.uk/Space-Truckers-DVD-Dennis-Hopper/dp/B00030ERYC/ref=sr_1_1?s=dvd&ie=UTF8&qid=1409730107&sr=1-1&keywords=space+truckers

Silent Night, Zombie Night (2009)

Silent Night, Zombie Night is that all too common thing, a great title lacking a great movie to accompany it. It's not a terrible film, it's just that . . . . . . . . . nope, wait, I guess it actually IS a terrible film. Yet it has some aspects that save it from being completely unwatchable.

The plot is as simple as you can get. There's a zombie outbreak. That's it. Two cops (Frank, played by Jack Forcinito, and Nash, played by Andy Hopper) are caught up in the middle of things and that at least distracts them from their argument for a while until they meet up with Frank's wife (Sarah, played by Nadine Stenovitch). You see, Frank isn't a nice guy most of the time and his wife was about to leave him. Frank suspects that she's been sleeping with Nash but that might be his imagination. Or is it?

The biggest problem with Silent Night, Zombie Night might be clear to you after reading the above plot summary. Sadly, writer-director Sean Cain undoes any of his good work by using a zombie outbreak to frame an uninteresting and melodramatic love triangle. It's as if a bunch of zombies just wandered into the middle of a series of As The World Turns.

Cain throws in some decent special effects now and again, there's a fun (though far too obvious) homage to Reservoir Dogs within the first 5-10 minutes and the rare moments when viewers are reminded that everything is happening at Christmas makes for nice juxtaposition. If only it was something that Cain remembered to keep threading throughout the movie.

Jack Forcinito acts mean and tough, Andy Hopper acts nice and tough, Nadine Stenovitch acts with the poor material that she's given, Lew Temple isn't too bad as a family man holed up in his attic after the chaotic outbreak and Vernon Wells and Felissa Rose are just about adequate, I suppose.

While this is no Zombie Nation, it's certainly no The Living Want Me Dead (available to view HERE). I could have marked this one lower, it's really too much filler and very little thriller, but it's clear that the writing and direction may be flawed but Cain tries to paper over the many cracks with his love of the horror genre. And that gets him a bonus point.

4/10

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