Review of Masters of Horror 12 (Last Episode of the Season): John McNaughton's "Haeckel's Tale"

Holy Crap! A Zombie Orgy! Literally.
The picture and headline for this review should give you an insight into the latest and last entry to "Masters of Horror" season 1. Don't worry they gonna come back again in later this fall will some old directors line-up and possible some new ones. Originally they were gonna show the Takashi Miike's short called 'Imprint", but of course I was like that will be awesome. It was to be Miike first English language film and another venue to get him into the homes of America by the great people at cable. Well Showtime didn't give in, and we all know why. Miike's short was disturbing and deemed inaccessible for even cable's standards. I some what knew this would happen, but was so excited to see it. Instead they made John McNaughton's short the last and end of this season, and what an ending this one has. Probably not as gruesome or more shocking as Miike, but you got make due with what you got. Miike's short will be released by Anchor Bay, as so the rest of the shorts will be released through Anchor Bay, but for Miike's film it will be hard unrated special edition! Awesome!

So McNauhgton("Henry:Portrait of a Serial Killer","Mad Dog and Glory", "Wild Things") is the last on the roster and what a conclusion. Originally for George Romero and Roger Corman, but both dropped out on the last minute and McNaughton was a replacement. And Why Not? He deserves to be on that roster as much as anyone. Based off a short story from the weird Clive Barker and written teleplay from "Masters of Horror" creator Mick Garris. The short starts out with "In Association with George A. Romero", like it was some kind of disclaimer. I can see why, because it wasn't a rip-off or homage to him, but McNaughton taking Romero ideas and Barker's and giving his all.

The story is simple. A tale set in old England where church belief and science was still debated openly and ran the democracy of scientist tryin to have test on dead bodies. McNaughton has worked with this actor on ABC short lived one-hour show that was scripted and produced by Ben Affleck. The show being "Push, Nevada" starring Derek Cecil, McNaughton used him to play the role of the budding scientist Ernest Haeckel who has an interest of re-animating the dead and the magic that is used by a local merchant called Montesquino. Played by none other than the seemingly character actor Jon Polito who shows Haeckel his magic and is still unimpressed. After learning that his father is dying from a illness he is set to travel and visit him on his death bed. He is later stopped by and old man who offers him shelter and is introduced to his young wife who he makes a move on.

The whole trappings with a set design that echoes a Hammer films and a smoke machine on a grave site. The dialogue is fare on the English wording that eschews a B-movie late night horror film, but the performances are really good especially the woman who plays the wife of the farmer. As the atmosphere gives you that tingle you wonder how this old man got such a young woman. The movie goes more into at what she does at night to be pleasured since she can't by the old farmer. Haeckel, of course, is a curious young chap and wants to know the answers to everything since he is an arrogant scientist saying goes of curiosity killing the cat, cliche it may be, but the proof is in the twist! I saw it coming, but didn't think they were actually gonna do it.

Haeckel try to find answers and is sworn by the old man to stay in the house, no matter what noises you hear. He later ask the old man what's going on and why is the miss out side making all those noises. He finds out that she had a husband who died and she visits the site periodically!YEAAHHH! We all know where that's going to. SO he follows the voices all the way to the grave site and sees Montesquino(of course) resurrecting the dead. What he also sees is the old man's wife having sex with her dead husband, but not just him. Their is just a slew of zombies all waiting their turn to have sex with her. It's necrophilia to the max! It's like a gang-bang zombie orgy, I was sitting there in the house just saying "I can't wait to die!" it was true horror erotica!

Haeckel tries to stop this madness, what a fool, and accidentally kills a few people in the process. The ending or twist which is predictable but such a crowd pleaser, I won't give away but all I can say is "Zombie Baby". Throughout all the mayhem that played out like "Children Shouldn't Play With Dead Things", directed by Bob Clark, it just fades out with a "THE END". Like that's it, that's the whole season, like it was a whole 12-Hour movie with different narratives but one true passion for horror. I gotta say it was a great way to the season, it was the 'Decalogue" for horror fans. If it ended with Miike's short that would have been a great ending, but McNaughton beat him to the punch and he knew what he was doing!

I'm gonna keep this one short and just give an actual criticism, that McNaughton displayed a treatment of macabre that was eminent in a lot of Hammer and Amicus films and daring as a Pasolini film. McNaughton say he doesn't work in any genre and it is true at his work because this movie is rather not horror, comedy, transcendental genre mixing, erotica or even a zombie film. It's just a true master executing a unique story without being mere excess and shockability. It's true macabre and McNaughton knows what the hell he's doing(the Same with rest of the directors who are enlisted with the series)! This is Aliye Nyoka saying "See You Next Season for Masters of Horror, until then PEACE!"

Not A Movie You'll Find Comedy In, But It's There!

Bottom: Kevin Zegers and Felicity Huffman in "Trans America".

A movie that treads in hard subject and dark territory that it still finds a sense of humor throughout the whole ordeal. Not talking about being a transexual and trying to get an operation, not that whole factor. But discovering you have a son whose mother you had a long time fling with back in college who died and left a boy out on the streets and ended up tricking for a living. Then you're gender confused and realize you want to a woman and suddenly find out you have a son and not tell him you're his actual father until the time was right. As a concept that could have played out as a melo-drama or serious dram for that matter instead Duncan plays with it and makes sweet road comedy. He doesn't tiptoe around those facts but finds some sort of laid back humor that is found in a road comedy. It's road movie with re-awakening characters that you find in a Wim Wenders movie except without the minimalism.

I have nothing against transexual, let alone their culture related to cinema. Regularly I'm use to them as cliche's in an after school special type movie about the favored that wants to be a woman. That's pretty sad, but I don't go out and check out a lot of movies relating transexuals. As serious this movie gets with harsh subject matter, that isn't all that bad, but for the characters because you end up liking them. You don't pity them, but want them to get better. That's the trapping for a road movie and it consist of running into trouble and crazy characters and finding oneself. This whole is not just a road comedy, but can be looked at that way. Instead it's just pure character study.

Felicity Huffman gives a great performance, being a human playing man who wants to be a woman. A lot actresses wouldn't touch this role, let alone an actor who wants to play a man trying to be woman. Well actually, their would be some male actors to take that challenge, but instead they went a woman. Who cares of the actual gender of the actor, Felicity Huffman fills this persons shoes. It is a daring role and she gives it with great detail that it looks real.

The story of transexual of Bree who is undergoing psychiatry to get a finalize okay on a operation to turn him into a woman. He gets the okay(it's funny I'm calling Bree "he") but then a egg drops on him and discovers through social services that he has a son. Bree later takes the boy and tries to get some answers out of him and leaves out the fact that he is the father and a transexual. Bree discovers that his son is living under a rut and is tricking out on the street and wants to be an aspiring gay porn actor. Kevin Zegers plays Toby, and gives straight forward performance that isn't outlandish and exploitive given the facts of Toby. He literally does a good job. He gives Toby more realism than a trite cliche, given his background some would know how his character was going to play out. Duncan Tucker doesn't go that way and instead let's Toby make his choices that doesn't give him pity but reason.

The movie goes from Bree taking a cross country from New York to Los Angelos to get her operation and to find a place for Toby. Possibly his old town, since he learns Toby has a step father. That doesn't go as planned and they go all over the country when Toby discovers the truth about Bree. He doesn't discover Bree is his father, but that he is man.

Through their cross country adventure I like when they stop by so-called "stealth" transexual's house referred by Bree's psychiatrist. They happen to stop by when their having indoor transexual party celebrating peers' operations. Toby stops and talks to a couple of transexuals(still under the impression that Bree is a nun), real transexuals that had complete operations and look like the real deal. They even fooled me! Nah, I'm joking I could tell. Actually I didn't! One of the transexuals he was talking to was woman who became a man giving his philosophy of trans gender and how it is praised in many cultures and could be the stepping evolution to mankind. Toby stops and ask"You use to be a woman. I thought you were a real guy". He actually did look like a real, he was probably an actor, but if he was they did good job. The guy had more facial hair than I did. Hurt my manhood! Nah, just kidding. I like his reply to Toby's comment, he looks at him and just says"We walk among you!" That's some scary stuff, and kind of cool!

That philosophy isn't expanded throughout the whole movie because it tackles more quaint subjects and gives a whose new aspect to a father and son relationship. Toy doesn't fully accept Bree as a father, but still does not look her/him...Whatever. It's not a sugar coated happy ending, but one with almost sick twist that still as a resolution. The other thing about this growing road movie is on the characters they meet on their journey. Bree falls in love with a man and doesn't tell him her secret but by the looks of it he wouldn't mind. After their car is stole they are invited and greeted by a Native American Calvin played by the type-cast underrated Native American actor Graham Greene("Christmas in the Clouds","ThunderHeart"). I love that actor, but in this one he gets to display more of his acting chops than the usual cliche Native American character he plays. He is a good actor and Duncan Tucker allows him to expand Calvin than just a crazy character Bree meets on this adventure. He turns up being the real deal and nice man.

I really liked this movie and just know that Huffman will be passed on a Oscar nod, then again who cares. She deserves at least a little recognition for a good performance. That may sound cliche, as I have been using that word as a cliche, but as you watch the movie you'll believe me! A concept that could have turn dark and into a serious drama was road movie that didn't fall prey to the trappings of a road movie and played with it's concepts to literally have a good time no matter what your opinion stands on transexuals! This is Aliye Nyoka saying 'Catch Y'all On the Flip Side!"

Damn...Kate Beckinsdale looks fine in that leather!

Left Top: Kate Beckinsdale looking all fine. Left bottom: Same thing!



































Cooler, Gorier, Sexier and better than the first one!

I don't think you have to watch the first one to understand the second one. I enjoyed and own the first "Underworld" and found it entertaining and was really slick but dragged at some parts. While the second one helmed by the first director, Len Wisemen who is also married by the star Kate Beckinsdale(lucky bastard!). This is good old fashioned Friday night hard-R entertainment that doesn't insult you and pits cinema's greatest monsters against each other in an aging battle. The bourgeois Vampires versus the hard working werewolves. I'm more of a werewolf fan, I thought vampires were cool but looking in cinema lately its like vampires are fools that just want to control everything and know what's best for society. They enslave and oppress werewolves and expect them not to fight back and have a war. Like you the hell are you to come and try take away my right to be a werewolf, what the hell makes you so special. Oh, you got fangs, likes that scary. The vampires enjoy the more finer things in life and expect everything on a silver platter. I would rather be a werewolf anytime of the day if I had a choice. OKAY, now moving on the stage is set for the battle of the century.

Where the last one left us with the so fine Kate Beckinsdale wearing leather and killing werewolves for the sake of the cause. She was pronounced as a "Death Dealer", an assassin for the vampire war but fell in love with a werewolf. Well not exactly a werewolf, the last one ended with Selene(Beckinsdale) betrayed by her fellow men and united with a new breed. A vampire and werewolf, as she is now known as an outcast and hunted by the vampire cause with Michael(Scott Speedman), the vampire/werewolf hybrid. As these known fugitives seek refuge, meanwhile the leader of the Death Dealers who betrayed her and the vampires by giving information to the werewolves is still in power...but not for long.

"Underworld 2" wasn't screened for critics, but I just had to see it because I loved the first one. I will not compare the two, but just criticize this one and actually leave you to watch these films back to back as a double feature at home. This one goes more into the lineage of the war between lycans and vampires and their never ending battle that goes into honor, betrayal and whole lot of blood. The story goes by so rapid fast and is executed with stylized gore and fight sequences that it deserves a clap. When I say its gory, it is definitely gory as hell.

Those are just icing on the cake as you literally care for the waging feud between horror's greatest monsters trying to end it with a truce. It doesn't end all happy, but it has a resolution. Len Wiseman has a slick direction and really enjoys seeing his wife wearing tight leather all day on the set. Kate Beckinsdale does a really good job maintaining a role with a premise that could be used for camp, but is really handle serious. It doesn't take talent, but she is a good actress and gives the movie some soul. Not saying the role doesn't require much, but she supplies it with beauty and viciousness. I mean you get enthralled in the war between these two and her betrayal from the crappy vampire league. The movie is told epic scope with a great production design that gives the atmosphere of a Hammer film. All yeah, plus Kate Beckinsdale has a sex scene but doesn't bare all but just enough. That's sad, but who cares!

The other aspect of it is that it is big budget R-rated entertainment rendered in artificial fantasy and CGI. They use a lot of the CGI, but not a whole lot, especially for what I like that gives it the a "Howling" effect with the werewolves. The make-up on the werewolves has more character than the vampires will ever have. It works with a hybrid of CGI and animatronics that looks cool!

As for the gore, its not sick or disgusting for that matter but typical stylized action gore that is pure bubble gum pop for the mind. It's just another movie to hang out with all your cousins or close friends and sit back and just enjoy really fine entertainment. Entertainment it may be, it still may have a importance in the history of cinema. I'm gonna keep this one short, because a movie like this is just a joy and to chill. Or you could look at it as serious cinema. I sure do! It's a movie that is told through mythic story telling that doesn't have the usage of good vs. evil. In the end, we don't know if the battle will truly draw its conclusion!This is Aliye Nyoka saying "Peace Out"

Review of Masters of Horror 11: Larry Cohen's "Pick Me Up"

Bottom: The Great Michael Moriarty!

The second to the last of the 'Masters of Horror", because Showtime didn't want the Takashi Miike('Gozu","Ichi the Killer") episode titled 'Imprint" was deemed too extreme for Showtime. I'm not surprised and they probably feel that American audiences can't handle it, either way I love his work and really want to watch it. Since that will be released through Anchor Bay, we have the latest from auteur writer-director Larry Cohen. Who is an inspiration for me in screenwriting, and an auteur second because he can venture outside an exploitation market and succeed in mainstream films.
Actually he is a weird director, doing arthouse flicks, exploitation genre based films, horror and screenwriting for Hollywood flicks like "PhoneBooth" and "Cellular". He is good writer, but he didn't write this one he only directed this and a fine execution I might say. It feels like looking at his resume, that he writes for films that are already in the confine of a small budget. It's not a bad thing, or probably I'm just articulating it and just those are the films that he is interested in. The whole movie 'Phone Booth" was a whole character development out of one spot and carefully plotted. Different for "Cellular", where I was guy that went around jumping from place to place to find a kidnapped woman. Enough about his mainstream movies, let's talk about his first beautifully dialogue written-directed movie "Bone". A movie that is advertised for the market of exploitation films, but feels more like an arthouse films. Not saying the exploitation market isn't arthouse, but that movie more than it was advertised. A movie that examined racism through a three cushion pin dialogue stage play that was on the screen.

Now let's talk about his latest entry in the "Master of Horror" entry called 'Pick Me Up". A easy premise that fits the running time with a lot of old school and familiar faces. The premise is about a serial killer who picks up hitch hikers and kills them against a hitch hiker serial killer. Another Larry Cohen regular who I haven't seen in long time the awesomely underrated Michael Moriarty(TV's "Law & Order" and "Q:the Winged Serpent"). Its good thing Cohen gave him a call because I haven't seen that collaboration in a long time. Michael Moriarty plays the truck driver who picks up hitch hikers and kills them. He doesn't go over the top, but just hits its mark right on it and is just a joy to watch. The guy who plays the serial killer hitch hiker is newcomer Warren Cole, who doesn't seem to steal show from Moriarty but develops his own style that is also enjoyable.
This short is provided by a teleplay by David J. Schow, who keeps the movie filled with memorable lines and dialogue especially for Moriarty's character "Wheeler". It sometime feels that Moriarty was ad libbing at some parts because their moments that felt like it was his own.

The short starts out with a grey hound bus with a few people breaks down and Wheeler picks up a couple passengers. The other two people who left behind, including the bus driver are spotted by Warren Kole's character who kills them. Wheeler kills the people he picked up and later comes back to the site of the bus to kill again. Kole's character named Walker, during a midst of torturing one of the left behinders then comes in Wheeler who doesn't help the person but instead kills her. Walker notices and realize that he has competition, the same with Wheeler as he picks up the sight of bodies left behind from Walker. Now I forgot to mention that when the bus broke down a woman left the site hitch hiking, played the also lovely and enjoyable and the "I haven't seen in a long ass time" Faruiza Balk("WitchCraft","American History X"). I love that girl was a seminal part of childhood from watching 'Return to Oz" a lot as a kid. I somewhat had a crush on her, and plus that was a weird ass movie. Other than that she plays the prey that the two serial killers will be hunting for to see who is the better man or killer(my money is on Moriarty)!

An ingenious premise that fills it's running time and that's it, but Cohen gets a lot of use out of it and somewhat develops character especially Balk's character. The short doesn't explain her past but gives a little insight into being a divorcee and going cross country to get away from her old life. Moriarty of course gives some tremendous depth to it that is just refreshing and funny to look. The same with Warren Kole, and I can see why Cohen picked him, he is like a young Moriarty but has a whole different style. I'm sweating on Moriarty, because he is just great in this and is like survivalist hunter who says crazy Christopher Walken stuff, except not impersonating or ripping off him. He clearly develops a tutorial acting chop that young thespians can relate and learn. He's genius.
I would like to see Cohen do a short directing his own screenplay, but he did good doing another persons' screenplay and felt like he added more touches to it. I don't know, probably he left it the way it is and made due with what he got. By the looks of it he definitely enjoyed doing it supplying a pure tension for visceral gore that doesn't leave you in a slough of despair and sick but lets go into the mind of these serial killers. Either way you start rooting for one of them! This Is Aliye Nyoka saying "PEACE!"