Dead Hooker In A Trunk finally in Australia, no FOOLIN'!

Howdy horrophiles! It's the absent rat, back again with the most incredible news I have received this year! This is more than just a review, update or story - this is is the first piece I can write for this blog that is 100% relevant to both my passion for horror and cult films, and the everyday struggle of my life. But let's keep it simple to start with.

By now, if you have not heard of Jen and Sylvia Soska, CJ Wallis, Twisted 

Twins Productions or the film Dead Hooker In a Trunk it's clear you're not too concerned about independent film sensations or the resurgence of the grindhouse style to low budget film making. The little film that could continues to wow audiences and critics and bloggers alike, so it's not my position to write it up yet again, it's awesome and you need to see it and support it and that's all you need to know from me. A simple search will lead you to a plethora of like opinions if you don't want to trust in me. 

Living in Australia is wonderful. We have the most laid back climate, a choice of any weather system you please, and the most diverse and trouble free culture on the planet. One thing Australia does not have enough of is horror and cult film events, screenings or conventions. Knowing this, when I first discovered the Soska sensation at the end of last year through my good friends and mentors Kristy Jett (Geek goddess of Bloodsprayer and Fright-Rags fame) and Hannah Neurotica (the genius gender writer behind Ax Wound and WIH recognition month), my first question to them was "have you had ANYONE in this country interested in the film?" - to which the reply was no.

Something awoke inside me that day, I faced all the inhibitions that prevent myself and most others from nurturing an inkling into an idea, raising the idea to an action and producing a result. I threw caution and fear to the wind, and politely asked Jen and Sylvia if I could look into getting a screening for them. From this point, a lovely friendship of mutual appreciation, support, love and respect blossomed in further communication and my efforts to promote the film and it's beautiful creators. They sent me a copy of their film and gave me the authority to organize something, however small. I remember thinking "well, I won't get it into the Dendy, but a small hall or pub venue will still break it here" - as I continued to investigate a venue and costs, I receive a note from Jen - "GUESS WHAT MOVIE IS COMING TO AUSTRALIA????!!!!"

At the Dendy in Newtown, the one cinema I saw as the ultimate venue for this, on April Fool's Day of all days, as part of the Night Of Horror festival (one of the only ones we have), Dead Hooker In A Trunk will be showing for the first time in Australia, with DVD release following so all my friends down under can enjoy the film I have ranted and raved and driven them all crazy about in the last 5 months. Everything I had hoped to try for is now a reality, and my desire to organize screenings of my own is only stronger after this news. It proves to me that Sydney has the potential to have a scene, and others are already making it happen too.

So if you're in Sydney and free on Friday, come along. I will be sitting right at the front centre, wearing my DHIAT t-shirt and the biggest sense of happiness, pride and joy I have felt in some time. From a day dream, to a notion, to a new friendship, a new direction, the reawakening of a dormant passion, so much has come from this experience - this may seem insignificant, silly or over the top for some readers, those that know about my struggles will agree that this is a fine day to be a rat.

Thanks so much Jen, Sylvia and CJ - it's so wonderful that your film can make it all the way around the world to some people other than me, your number one Australian supporter. Cheers mates!

Till next time

Ratty

WIH Recognition Month - My top 10 memorable performances - Part 2

Howdy horrorphiles! Ratty here to deliver the fantastic (well, it's not really dramatic) conclusion to my top 10 list. This is a list of memorable performances by women in horror films, in every case I feel these actresses were pivotal in the transcendence these movies make from the status quo into the mighty realm of the classic. With these next 5 titles, I am venturing into the world of foreign films, by this I mean anywhere but Hollywood. 


Once again these come in no "order" of merit, for they are all essential viewing, and to me they highlight the importance of a convincing performance when dealing in the currency of terror. Here we go!




Cécile De France in Haute Tension


Haute Tension is probably still my favorite horror film made this century. Alexandre Aja's debut film was a flagship in the new trend of "high impact violence" in horror films, and was poorly emulated time and time again by Hollywood in the following years. It was spared a remake, but re-released in the USA under the awful title Switchblade Romance. Cécile De France's flawless performance in a truly multi-dimensional role as both victim and perpetrator shows us vulnerability, fear, strength and pure insanity. 

Elizabeth Moody in Braindead (Dead Alive)


Peter Jackson's all time splatter comedy opus will never be topped, the gore sequences are the most inventive and brilliant use of traditional makeup and special effects on a limited budget. But if not for the fantastic performances, this is all we would ever remember. No one who has seen this film could ever deny that Vera is the embodiment of the mother from hell, and that's BEFORE she is infected with the rabid monkey-virus and transforms from the undead into a 20 foot tall monstrosity. Poor Lionel! Jackson also featured Elizabeth Moody in Heavenly Creatures and the first Lord of the Rings film.

Manuela Velasco in REC


First of all, I must say I am not a fan of the hand-held camera style shooting appearing more often in films, it is a fantastic concept but requires extreme skill to be pulled off successfully by both the cameraman and the actors, and of course in most cases (Blair Witch, Cloverfield, The Last Exorcism) it comes off hokey and noticeably takes away from the enjoyment of the film. To me REC is an exception to the rule, thanks in no small part to the lead role of Angela Vidal, the news reporter who is trapped in a building where an unknown contagion is sending the residents bonkers. Velasco's beautifully understated performance allowed me the very rare suspension of disbelief I don't usually experience these days. 

Nanako Matsushima in Ringu and Ringu 2

The film that started the explosion of Asian horror films that would grab the Western film-goer by the throat; and provide Hollywood with endless poor remake fodder. It also set the iconic "evil little girl with long hair over eyes" as a standard for many other Asian films to emulate, in most cases poorly. It is a truly eerie, harrowing and inventive film, and the fate of the main character Reiko is what leaves the viewer in suspense with every scene, as she tries to uncover the mystery of Sadako's deadly video tape. I include both the original and the sequel, as in my mind they are equally good and should be watched as one story. Matsushima's terror, especially in the well sequences, is convincing enough to chill the blood of any viewer.

Morjana Alaoui, Mylène Jampanoï and Isabelle Chasse in Martyrs

I only watched this film recently, and was blown away. I had heard about how 

incredibly graphic and disturbing it was, and like many films I waited for all the

hype to die down a bit, and expertly avoided spoilers so I could watch the film 

without someone else's opinion in mind. I did the same thing with A Serbian

Film, which also blew away my high expectations, but to me this is the winner

when it comes to recent shockers. These young women give ridiculously

well crafted performances, I had to end with this example as protest to the 

cheesy "Scream Queen" article that started me writing this to begin with. There

is so much screaming in this film, terrifying, awesome, realistic, cringe inducing

screaming. 

The film has the unique storyline which makes both female leads main 

characters, of course I have included Isabelle Chasse who plays the "creature", 

possibly the finest full body makeup job I have seen in any film. This is not 

to be missed, brutal, upsetting and perplexing from the first minute to the 

explosive conclusion. This is probably the ultimate example of a film which

required extraordinary acting for it to work at all. A triumph.

So there you have it folks, I hope that this reminds you of the tireless efforts 

of all the women of horror, and indeed of film.

Till next time

Ratty

WIH Recognition Month - My top 10 memorable performances - Part 1

Howdy horrorphiles! It's the Ratman, here once again to deliver a safer injection. Today I have decided to contribute an article in honor of Women in Horror Recognition Month and all the wonderful women that make horror so fantastic and eternal. I have been waiting in the wings this month, but after reading an awful piece listing 10 great "Scream Queens" (a list which seemed to judge its winners by how strong an erection they gave the author) I had to create balance in the Force by publishing my own list of 10. 


My list is actually about horror films and memorable performances by women in these films. Films that are essential viewing for anyone who appreciates true method acting, and wants to understand just a little about what it might take from within to create moments of true terror. All of these films sit among my all time favorites thanks to such wonderful actresses. So ladies, I tip my hat to thee. There is no order as they are all superb.


Barbara Hershey in The Entity 


Whether they liked the film as a whole or not, no critic could ever deny the strength of Barbara Hershey's performance in The Entity. The supposedly true account of a woman who was sexually assaulted by spirits would be laughable without something truly convincing from the lead actress. What we get is just that, Hershey immersed herself in the role of Carla Moran, and lay herself bare for the camera, and I speak not of her clothing. This is a true example of a film that trusted in a stellar performance to make it work.

Shelley Duvall in The Shining


Until I saw The Shining (perhaps the first movie to truly terrify me) I always thought of Shelley Duvall as Olive Oyl from the much loved childhood favorite Popeye. A strange parallel can even be made between Olive and The Shining's Wendy, at least in the opening of the film - she is the ultimate submissive, vulnerable and "weak" wife character, dominated by her aggressive husband. Her terrifying ordeal is played out to perfection, leaving most viewers as shaken as Wendy is by Jack's explosion into psychotic violence. This is one of the greatest performances in the history of cinema, in one of the finest horror films ever to be made.

JoBeth Williams, Beatrice Straight, Heather O'Rourke, Dominique Dunn, Zelda Rubenstein in Poltergeist


So many thoughts ran back through my head when recalling this film, so many moments and memories and other things connected to this film. Growing up in the 80's, this was a film so talked about, it probably takes the crown as the film I waited longest to actually see. I cannot choose a single performance from a female in this film for the list, in fact all 5 featured roles were delivered wonderfully, including the least developed character of Dana (Dominique Dunn) - after all that happened, it's a shame that some people only got to know this movie through its controversy, rather than its merits.

Sigourney Weaver in Alien


Science Fiction and horror were rarely mixed in equal doses in a film with any success, until Ridley Scott brought us Alien. Female protagonists were rarely the first to pick up the big guns and come to the rescue via serious ass-kicking, until Sigourney Weaver brought us Ellen Ripley. In my opinion, this film is perfect. It has everything I want in a film, and is crafted with the care and design of a formidable list of talent. I can assume almost everyone who will ever read this blog has seen this film many times over. Sigourney Weaver is the ultimate woman, end of story.

Linda Blair in The Exorcist


As this is one of the most written-about films and performances in all of horror, there's really nothing I can say that is original. This performance, along with Jodie Foster's performance in Taxi Driver, should always be seen as the cardinal example of bravery and strength in a performance by a young lady. I could not imagine what went through Linda Blair's mind as she was made up to be the incarnation of the devil, cursing and bleeding and vomiting and screaming her way into the critics' best lists. Though her demonic voice was performed by Mercedes McCambridge, from this footage linked below we can clearly see this young girl is phenomenally good.


Original voice footage: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GqZcMeX0tZE

I have decided, through my sore back and also for the sake of brevity, to make this a two part feature. Now we have the added element of suspense. Who will take out the next 5 spots on my list? Find out in the next installment (spooky noises)


Ratty

A Place To Cry

This is a very short story I wrote yesterday during a particularly strong bout of anxiety. Further proof that we can overcome the strongest symptoms of mental illness and turn the energy into something creative. Hope you like it!



                                  


He lay tightly curled on the wet floor, clutching at his own knees as though he were holding onto the branch of a tree, trying to save himself from the raging currents of a flooding river. When he opened his eyes for a moment, they saw nothing but a swirling chaos of images he knew could not be real, unless he had been transported directly into a painting by Salvador Dali or Hieronymus Bosch. He managed to see through this illusory blanket of terror, and focused on the place on the wall where he had pressed the tip of his pen to draw a large eye. The eye was simple in design, but its perfectly round iris held the reflection of all the complexities of madness. The liquid which had ran down the wall, leaving its dark shadowy drips on the surface had long dried. But he had outlined the marks with his pen to form teardrops, the glisten of which looked as though they had just streamed from the eyes of a mother mourning a lost child. The inscription above the permanently wide and weeping eye was still a blur, but he knew just what it said, and just how it looked, and just what it meant. "Sometimes we all need a place to cry" - the advice he had inscribed for no one but himself to see. 


The corner of the fire escape was walled in with cheap fibre board, leaving a doorway into a dead corner. His place. The place where his secrets dwelled while he slept, sometimes he felt that they fed themselves on the scraps of rotten food and cigarette butts that littered the floor, growing in their strength and power, ready to invade his shell once it lay shaking on the floor again. They would never be set free from this place, for he would never allow them to see the light of the alley, or the street, or the world, or the universe outside. They would forever be trapped in the black of the ink which was manically applied to the wall by a shaking hand, inside the unblinking prison of the eye, forever waiting. His death was warm, and wrapped around him like a dirty blanket as he closed his eyes for the last time.

Till next time


Ratty

Ten for ten dollars - Being sick never felt so good!

Howdy horrorphiles! Ratty here once again, to transport you back to a better time. A time of wonder, discovery and innocence. A time before the shiny dvd came slicing through the available selection of underrated gems and undiscovered masterpieces existing happily within the universe of the Video Home System, like some unwanted Phantasm ball.

It is some time in the late 80's, the end of an era, what I now like to call B.P.H,D.H'E - Before Please Hammer, Don't Hurt'em. (I was all set to make a joke referencing this album, and the fact that to me it spelled the end of the 80's, only to discover quite spookily that it was in fact first released on January 1st, 1990. CUE THEREMIN!) 

On a handful of occasions throughout my school years, I got sick. Sometimes, to my absolute delight, I got really sick. Pale green, shivering hot and cold, spraying semi digested spaghetti from both ends sick. Sick enough to have a FEW DAYS off school. Call me Joe Hollywood, but let's cut to the chase. Sick young Ratty at home + parents at work + video store = 10 weeklies for $10. 

The best deal around. Ten clamboxes, I could barely carry them home with me in my weakened condition. The wonderful by-product of dollar tapes was the development of my love for B-movies. I was willing to hire out ANYTHING, no matter how bad it looked, and also came to discover that these were the films that always made me feel better. Between watching, vomiting, and rounds of dry toast and flat lemonade, I would always think to myself "I hope I never get better...." Luckily I never did, my sickness for low budget classics and cheesy stinkers prevailed well into adulthood.


So take a stagger down memory alley with me folks, here's ten of the best, ten films I only would have discovered through the magic of serious illness and ten dollar deals. Ten films I still love today. 


Food Of The Gods


Giant rats everywhere!!! Filled with wonderfully unconvincing effects and corny lines, this Bert I. Gordon classic had me wondering if I had torn something in my stomach from doubling over with laughter.







THEM!


More giant creatures, this time the ever popular ant invasion theme. This was one of the first 50's alarmist sci fi films I ever watched, and after exploring the genre, I can safely say this is a top pick - sensational stuff, in every sense of the word.






Eat The Rich


This highly underrated black comedy is worth tracking down for so many reasons if you have not seen it - a ridiculous storyline, lots of amazing cameos, and of course Motorhead.







Terrorvision


TOO RUDE! This is absolutely one of the greatest horror comedies of the 80's. Everything about this film is a win for me. I must have watched it at least 5 times the first time I got it out. That's 20c per viewing!






I Bought A Vampire Motorcycle


This incredible low budget British gem is campy, crazy and genuinely funny. Not enough people have seen this film. Go get it at all costs. The talking turd made me feel a bit more human at the time, too, as it looked a little worse than the ones I was pinching.






Something Wicked This Way Comes


Take note: This is the greatest thing Disney ever did. They made a horror movie for kids, based on the work of one of the finest writers of all time, with an all star cast. This was a film I rented repeatedly, even after it stopped scaring me. Obviously not a B movie in any way, but needed to be included.











Blood Hook


This still stands as one of my all time favourite Troma releases, and one of the first films I saw which was openly gory but in no way scary, nurturing my love for good splatter comedies.






Curse Of The Cannibal Confederates


Another classic Troma release, and the first hicksploitation zomedy I ever watched. This is B heaven. Terrible performances, butcher shop effects and safety scissors editing. Pure gold, a film which made me want to yick as much as the gastro did.






The Astounding She-Monster


Another 50's monsterpiece, well not so much a monster as a scary looking broad in a silvery jumpsuit. Ooooh, frightening! This movie is so lacking in everything, it must be seen. At the time I was not impressed. I'm still not. But I love it!










The Video Dead


If anyone remembers the fancy-as-hell hologram-embedded clambox cover for this movie, you may agree that it was one of the finest examples of cover art making the difference in anyone ever having watched this film. Now used generally as  "poor example" of 80's zombie fare, this movie, with it's ridiculously hokey premise, comical cast of zombies and some really great gore effects is still a favourite with me!







There you have it folks, ten completely random films as I would have chosen them back in the day - I hope you can get your hands on the ones you have not seen, and relive the days of video magic!


Till next time


Ratty