SESSION 9 (2001) at 25 - Dread, Danvers, and "Do it, Gordon."

SESSION 9 (2001) d. Brad Anderson (USA)

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Highest marks go to director/co-writer Brad Anderson for cultivating Session 9, an exceedingly tense tale of a five-man asbestos removal team tackling cleanup duty at an inactive mental asylum. When lawyer-in-training Steven Gevedon (who co-wrote the intelligent script) discovers a collection of audio recordings of patient sessions, a haunting dual storyline develops between the events on the abandoned reel-to-reel tapes and the blue-collar crew’s increasing stress with the job and with each other. In addition, the not-quite-dead building has a few secrets hidden within its dark corners.

JAKOB'S WIFE (2021) Blu-ray Review

Jakob’s Wife (2021) d. Travis Stevens (USA) (98 min)

Mouselike Anne (Barbara Crampton), having spent the last 30 years living in the shadow of her small-town minister husband Jakob (Larry Fessenden), is tempted to explore her baser desires when an old flame (Robert Rusler) comes back to visit. But while indulging in a few stolen kisses in the basement of the old deserted mill, Anne encounters an ancient vampire who puts the bite on her, awakening a voracious lust for life and, well, blood. Needless to say, his bride’s newfound empowerment and desire for an undead life on her own terms puts a strain on the man of the cloth’s worldview, as well as highlighting his own latent patriarchal tendencies. Can Anne and Jakob’s marriage survive, not to mention the rest of the congregation, who now look a lot like lunch?

THE MIND'S EYE (2015) Blu-ray Review

Scare-A-Thon Totals to Date:

Total Movies Watched: 29
Total First Time Views: 15
Amount raised for AMAZON WATCH: $2,400.04

The Mind’s Eye (2015) d. Joe Begos (USA) (87 min) (1st viewing)

It’s easy to dismiss and/or diminish writer/director Begos’ second feature merely as “a Scanners rip-off,” but it’s worth remembering that David Cronenberg did not invent the notion of a telekinetic monster (Carrie), nor the idea of an evil organization weaponizing such paranormal abilities nor even the spectacle of exploding body parts onscreen (The Fury did both three years earlier). As such, it seems a bit unfair not to at least acknowledge that Begos is doing quite a lot with a little (as was the case with his debut, Almost Human) and that his film does exactly what it sets out to do, which is to pay homage to what has gone before and tell his own version of the story. I don’t have a problem with that, and I’m a little surprised how many armchair critics have taken the film to task for its “lack of originality” when the horror genre is built upon endlessly recycled ideas and concepts.

THE LAST WINTER (2006) Blu-ray Review

The Last Winter (2006) d. Larry Fessenden (USA)

An unscrupulous American oil company, hell-bent on drilling into the fragile Alaskan tundra, hires renowned environmentalist James Hoffman (James LeGros) to supervise and (hopefully) endorse their efforts. When the "greenie" takes a little long for comfort and profit margins (due to increasingly erratic temperature fluctuations), company man Ed Pollack (Ron Perlman) is dispatched to expedite matters, specifically to get the ice roads approved so that heavy equipment can be brought in. Camp leader Abby Sellers (Connie Britton) is caught in the middle, involved in a romance with Hoffman but intent on getting the project up and running. Just as the imminent war of wills begins its opening salvos, a supernatural presence begins to exert itself over the health and sanity of the various skeleton crew members on site, including resident mechanic Motor (Kevin Corrigan), Pollack's nephew Maxwell (Zach Gilford), cook Joanne (Dawn Russell), go-to guy Lee (Pato Hoffmann), and tech assistant Elliot (Jamie Harrold). Is Nature rebelling against its most potent enemy at long last?

HABIT (1995) Blu-ray Review

Habit (1995) d. Larry Fessenden (USA)

The vampire of legend is eternal, and its cinematic brethren are equally durable and widespread. Even before the post-millennial pop culture phenomena of Twilight and True Blood (among others) but especially in their wake, it’s refreshing and rewarding to encounter an undead feature possessing a genuinely grounded and unique interpretation. As writer/director Fessenden’s Habit (alongside George Romero’s Martin, Abel Ferrara’s The Addiction and Michael Almereyda’s Nadja) shows, it’s not just about bringing the vampire into contemporary settings; since the 1930s, the silver screen has hosted an array of “modern” bloodsuckers preying upon hip and sensible disbelievers. What’s often missing is a true sense of personality, vision and passion, and it is here that Habit delivers with both barrels.

WENDIGO (2001) Blu-ray Review

Wendigo (2001) d. Larry Fessenden (USA)

Commercial photographer George (Jake Weber), his psychologist wife Kim (Patricia Clarkson), and their young son Miles (Erik Per Sullivan) head up to the Catskills for a winter weekend getaway, but the trip is temporarily sidelined when a wounded deer stumbles into their path. When the dust settles, the animal is dead and their car stuck in a snowdrift, while the hunters hot on its trail emerge from the woods none-too-pleased to discover their quarry damaged by the collision. The most antagonistic of these, Otis (John Speredakos), speaks exclusively in sneers and veiled threats, and while the family escape the situation unscathed, the incident casts an ominous pall over their arrival at the cabin and the rest of the evening. The next day, Miles encounters a strange Native American gentlemen (Lloyd Oxendine) in town who, after giving him a wooden totem of the legendary Wendigo, a "hungry, angry woodland spirit," promptly disappears. A tragic sledding accident follows, setting in motion a series of (possibly supernatural) events that will forever change the face of the young family.

NO TELLING (1991) Blu-ray Review

No Telling (1991) d. Larry Fessenden (USA)

Experimental electro-biologist Geoffrey (Stephen Ramsey), hoping to develop a patent for his ethically questionable animal research, heads upstate with his artist bride Lillian (Miriam Healy-Louie) to their government-sponsored farmhouse. Settling into the small-knit agricultural community presents its own challenges for the urban couple, but more disturbing is Geoffrey’s fervent devotion to create “life” in his laboratory – cue vivisections of all creatures great, small, and furry – as opposed to planting seeds within his wife’s fertile body. Enter handsome environmental activist Alex Vine (David Van Tieghem) providing Lillian with a kind presence, receptive ear, and ample temptation, and the stage is set for violence emotional and physical, animal and human.

WE ARE STILL HERE (2015) Blu-ray Review

We Are Still Here (2015) d. Ted Geoghagen (USA) (84 min)

After their teenage son is killed in a car crash, grieving couple Anne (Barbara Crampton) and Paul (Andrew Sensenig) purchase a vacant New England home to escape the painful memories. As the horror fates would have it, though, the new residence – a former funeral parlor, no less – hosts a congregation of restless spirits that may or may not be using their child’s aura to mislead them. To further complicate matters, the local human residents are a close-knit and superstitious lot, believing the angry afterlifers to be demanding of a sacrifice; “This house needs a family,” they say, with forked tongues flicking. Paul and Anne call their hippie spiritualist friends May (Lisa Marie) and Jacob (Larry Fessenden) to help them conduct a séance and things just get livelier from there.

LATE PHASES (2014) Blu-ray Review

Late Phases (2014) d. Adrian Garcia Bogliano (USA)

Retired Vietnam War veteran Ambrose McKinley (Nick Damici) has a disability and a problem. The disability? He’s blind. The problem? He’s been “reassigned” to a retirement community, or, in less politically correct parlance, an old folks’ neighborhood. As Ambrose puts it, “This isn’t where you go to live, it’s where you go to die.” Unfortunately, a bigger problem lies within the first, issuing forth once a month like a wolf in human’s clothing. Yes, Crescent Bay has become the favorite feeding spot of an insatiable lycanthrope, and the old soldier’s new neighbors are being picked off like so many sheep, quite possibly by one of their own. Will he be able to pick out/pick off the shapeshifter in time, or will the cycle of death and mutilation continue?

THE LAST WINTER (2006) movie review

EDIT 11/12/2015: CLICK HERE FOR FULL BLU-RAY REVIEW

Last Winter, The (2006) d. Larry Fessenden (USA)

Via his breakthrough films, Habit and Wendigo, NYC indie director Larry Fessenden fashioned multi-layered characters dealing with supernatural situations...subtly informing viewers what we’re really scared of. In his largest scale effort to date, he approaches a much broader and overtly political canvas (that of global warming).  Unfortunately, by placing the fate of the Earth itself center stage, his usually reliable storytelling techniques lose some of their potency.

Interview with BENEATH Director Larrry Fessenden!!!

 

“I’m on the side of the fish.”

In the nearly two decades since his 1995 festival hit, Habit, was released, Larry Fessenden has established himself as a proud independent godfather of sorts, with his NYC-based production company Glass Eye Pix fostering such rising talents as Ti West (The House of the Devil, The Innkeepers), Glenn McQuaid (I Sell the Dead), James Felix McKenney (Satan Hates You) and Jim Mickle (Stake Land). He also continues to direct (Wendigo, The Last Winter) and act (lending his memorable gap-toothed mug to four to five screen roles each year), seemingly content to thrive outside the Tinseltown web of wheeler dealers. His indomitable spirit remains alive and well, trumping high throttle studio machinery with the power of a simple story well told.

THE BATTERY (2012) movie review

Battery, The (2012) d. Gardner, Jeremy (USA)

Every so often I encounter an independent venture that makes me want to stand up and cheer. And then there are the ones that make me want to devote myself entirely to making sure everyone else sees it.

Writer/star Gardner’s directorial debut is one of those films.

Forget the zombie trappings. Forget that it was made for $6K. Forget that it contains no major stars or studio backing or that you've never heard of it before now. Just watch and revel in the breathtaking creativity, intelligence, resilience and filmmaking savvy on display. The Battery is this year’s must-see horror effort, providing as much offscreen inspiration as it does onscreen entertainment. Go. Find. Watch. NOW. (streaming link available at the bottom of the page)

HABIT (1995) movie review

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Habit (1995) d. Fessenden, Larry (USA)

The vampire of legend is eternal, and his cinematic brethren are equally durable and widespread. Even before the post-millennial pop culture phenomena of Twilight and True Blood (among others) but especially in their wake, it’s always been refreshing and rewarding to encounter an undead feature possessing a genuinely grounded and unique interpretation. Sam (played by writer/director Fessenden) is introduced recovering from the sudden death of his archeologist father, but it’s clear that life has not been going well for a long time. His longtime girlfriend Liza (renowned solo artist Heather Woodbury), troubled by his general aimlessness, has recently moved out. He has few interests or friends; those that he does have, like Rae and Nick (Patricia Coleman, Aaron Beall), cluck disapprovingly behind his back.

MULBERRY ST. (2006) movie review

Mulberry St. (2006) d. Mickle, Jim (USA)

Shot on a budget that wouldn’t cover a Hollywood production’s craft services, Mulberry St. takes an outlandish premise (infected rodent attacks result in hordes of bloodthirsty mutant man/rat creatures) and firmly anchors it through realistic human drama and fully fleshed out characters. It ain't rocket science, but I'm consistently shocked how many independent horror filmmakers fail to grasp this simple equation of thrills, blood spills and emotional investment. Take note, folks - this is how it's done.