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by Thomas M. Sipos, managing editor [September 30, 2023]
[HollywoodInvestigator.com] For the 20th year in a row -- has it been 20 years?! --
the Hollywood Investigator is happy to announce the winners of its
Tabloid Witch Awards horror
film contest. Winning films came from Australia, Canada, France,
Mexico, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
A total of 297 films were entered this year, with less than 7%
walking away with an award. In selecting winners, films were
assessed for originality, technical mastery, acting, thematic
depth, aesthetics (how well the technical aspects supported the
film's story, characters, and themes), and entertainment value.
This year we received a lot of religious horror films. I mean
a lot. Devils, demons, possessions, exorcisms, ministers,
priests, films set in churches, and even a scary angel. We also
got a surprisingly large number of avant-garde (i.e.,
experimental) films. That's usually not a big category, but this
year we got a lot. I mean a lot.
Here now are 2023's Tabloid Witch Award
winning films:
* Best Horror Feature:
Ghosts of the Void
A newly homeless couple plan to spend a night in their car, amid a
deserted park. They'll decide what to do in the morning. But the
park holds unexpected terrors. They might not survive the night.
Although Ghosts of the Void
offers some thrills, its strong point is social commentary. Tyler
and Jen Wilson (Michael Reagan, Tedra Millan) are young,
intelligent, and educated. Not the sort of people who expected to
be homeless. But maybe they should have. Tyler had eschewed jobs
because he was working on his novel, allowing Jen to support them
both. Then she lost her job.
Are the Wilsons the victims of a bad economy or poor personal
choices? Both, of course. The economy tanked Jen's job, and
Tyler's poor choices provided no second income. (He
also has a drinking problem, which doesn't help.)
Either way, once you fall into poverty, the world becomes
scary. People prey the poor. The poor hurt each other. Poverty
makes people mean and ugly.
Ghosts of the Void is
minimalist horror. Mostly it's two people in a car and a house;
flashbacks depict the Wilsons at home before they lost it.
Fortunately, Reagan and Millan not only offer excellent
performances, they also share a strong chemistry as a couple.
That's critical when it's mostly just them together on screen.
Production values are also first rate, though some aspects aren't
too original. The menacing masked figures evoke
The Purge, another horror film heavy on social themes.
Ghosts of the Void derives
scares from the mysterious figures, but its real terrors are those
of economic disenfranchisement. The film asks, has the American
Dream died for the middle class, or was it always illusory?
* Best Horror Documentary:
The Grotto of Death
Mexico has made some unique contributions to horror. Horror
wrestling movies are one example. Micro comics another. As
formulaic as
Tales from the Crypt, but smaller than a Reader's Digest,
micro comics were once a very big deal in Mexico.
The Grotto of Death informs us
that "At its peak in the 1970s, Mexico was the world's largest per
capita producer of comics. Since then, the comics industry in
Mexico has severely declined. Julio Camarena Perez was the highest
paid artist published by Editorial Continente."
The Grotto of Death is both
the title of this documentary and that of one of Perez's micro
comics. While a narrator reads "The Grotto of Death," a moving
camera and sound effects help "enliven" Perez's static drawings.
An interview with Perez is intercut throughout the reading of the
story.
Perez relates his apprenticeship as an artist. He regrets that
artists never got to work with writers; the editors simply
submitted the boxes with dialog and description to the artists. He
laments that the Mexican comic book industry eventually shifted
from horror, fantasy, and suspense, into soft and hardcore porn.
He told his editors it would hurt sales, but the editors didn't
listen.
The Grotto of Death ends by
telling us that Perez, now in his 80s, is "one of the last links
with this disappearing past." Which makes this documentary an
important record of horror history. It's also well produced,
creatively told, and (like a micro comic) is not overly long to
the point of becoming repetitious or boring.
Directed by
Christopher Sperandio, Brian Huberman & Augusto Mora.
* Best Dramatic Horror
Short: Get Away
Three young woman rent an isolated house in the desert. From the
start, we know something bad will happen. Everyone knows. Upon
seeing it, one of the women quips, "Murder house." She's
not wary or afraid. She's thinks it's awesome. It's as if she
knows she's in a horror film and is winking at the audience.
That in-joke becomes more literal as events unfold. There's
nothing subtle about Get Away.
The film is in-your-face horror laced with irony and
self-referential humor. Foreboding events occur in quick
succession. We're immediately told there's no cell phone service.
Then the women find an old VCR. And a dusty VHS tape. Of an old
horror movie. Surprise! -- the movie is set in the same house
they've rented!
Get Away is no slow burn.
Pacing is one of its many technical strengths. Other strengths
include a script without padded dialog or boring busywork,
talented actors who create engaging characters, scares and
laughter, sharp cinematography, a sound design that tracks and
enhances the horror, and slick visual effects.
Director Michael Gabriele (who co-wrote with Anthony Jefferson) is
knowledgeable about horror film tropes. His story isn't too
original. Nor are there any big social themes. But
Get Away is both technically
first rate across the board, and offers thrilling entertainment.
* Best Comedic Horror Short: Tridamos
Anna (Emmy Doody) is a young lady unlucky in love. Her friend
Sofie (Eglantine Sans) resolves to help Anna find "the man of her
dreams" by taking her to a witch's ceremony in the woods. All Anna
need to is write down her nine "must have" qualities in a man. The
witches do their part, producing a man who meets every
qualification. But few women's wish lists are limited to only nine
demands for a man, and Anna's disappointment is immediately
evident.
Tridamos has no gore or
scares. It's a gentle satire of an often discussed topic: the
difficulties faced by modern women in finding Mr. Right. Is there
really a shortage of eligible men? Or are woman simply too picky?
Why is Anna hesitant when presented with her "ideal man"
(Guillaume Allix)? Is it because of his
demonic appearance, or because he's short? Will Anna swipe left or
right? The ending is both cute and thought provoking.
Tridamos boasts first rate
production values across the board. Cinematography, sound, music,
acting are all first rate.
Written and directed by Carnior
(just one name) and shot in France, the land of romance.
* Best Avant-Garde Horror Film:
Affliction
An adolescent girl (Sophia Dendy) suffers serious
depression. She talks to two unseen entities, but we only hear
her voice. A small, sympathetic entity "speaks" via
subtitles. A large, overbearing entity "speaks" through growls
and subtitles. I think the small entity is the
girl's imaginary friend, and the latter is a monster in her
closet? The girl also undergoes a lobotomy in a tool shed, but
that doesn't make sense. Is that too in her imagination, or is it
symbolic, or both?
Affliction is an experimental
horror film. The unseen "actors," the different forms of
"speaking," the surreal surgery, Dendy's mostly deadpan
performance as she stares into space or at the moon. It's a weird
film, but Affliction has a
mesmerizing power that compels you to keep watching, to keep
guessing, and to feel empathy for this troubled young woman.
Affliction enables viewers to
feel the horrors of depression and mental illness.
Like the best avant-garde films,
Affliction is deeply personal. Filmmaker Gus R. Yeager
says, "Having had experience battling against mental demons, I
am all too familiar with the haunting, empty way the world can
feel." I can imagine. Affliction
effectively conveys feelings of emptiness, forlornness, and
despair.
Yeager also says that he "wanted to experiment with the
'texture' of film as a medium with which to tell a story of a
distorted reality." He succeeded there. Finally, he says he
"hopes to make others question what is real -- or at least
what the heck they just saw." He succeeded there as well. So
what did we just see?
He says that Affliction is
about "A young woman exploring a strange, distorted reality
where nothing is certain -- not even existence itself. Told
through the eyes of a younger and older sibling."
Oh, so the unseen entities were siblings? I didn't get that at
all.
But is that the only correct interpretation? Or is avant-garde
cinema, like abstract expressionist painting, something from which
viewers can draw their own meanings? No, I don't think they are
siblings. Some of the dialog wouldn't make sense (just as the
surgery doesn't make sense). I still think these events are mostly
in the girl's troubled mind. She might not even have
siblings, for all I know. But either way,
Affliction is a powering viewing experience.
* Best Animated Horror Film: El
Padrastro (aka The Skin)
The Skin is
a tale of self-mutilation, inspired by narcissism. A young man
begins the morning with his usual exercise, shower, and
self-admiration of his flawless physique. But this morning over
breakfast, he notices a slight imperfection. A hangnail. This so
outrages his devotion to perfection, he tears it out.
That only further mars
his beautiful body. And so he continues tearing off the
imperfections. For now, use your imagination as to how far he
goes. The film won't let you. It pushes the envelope and shows you
everything.
This is not an easy film to watch.
That says a lot, considering that The
Skin is animation, which usually distances the viewer from
a sense of reality. The colors are vibrant (fantastical) rather
than gritty (realistic). There is also much dark humor, yet
another distancing device. None of which lessens
The Skin's visceral,
cringe-inducing power.
But it's not all laughs and gore. There is also a theme. Beauty is
only skin deep, or, shallow people destroy themselves, or, well,
something like that. Okay, those aren't original themes; you can
find them in the Bible. But they're still valid and (in this age
of social media) worth repeating. (Actually, when you think about
it, the guy could have just used the filters on his Instagram or
iPhone.)
Written and directed by Spanish film student Jose Casas.
* Best Trash Horror Film: The Old Man
in the Rocking Chair
This film might be described as a "supernatural giallo trash
horror parody." That's a mouthful, but all those ingredients
simmer within this bloody stew. A killer in a trenchcoat and black
gloves takes Polaroid photos of his victims. Murders are graphic,
involve nudity, and are ludicrous to the point of hilarity. One
victim struggles and screams even after her face (wrapped in a
towel) has been stabbed multiple times. And just when you thought
you only had to worry about the maniac, a demonic entity
unexpectedly enters the fray.
Like much of Argento and Fulci's work,
The Old Man in the Rocking Chair
is a bit light on logic.
Writer/director Eric Yoder says his film is "based on the Italian
giallo films of the 1970's." That's not quite accurate. Strictly
speaking, giallo refers to stylized murder mysteries.
Although
Deep Red is clearly an influence, Yoder also draws upon
Italian supernatural films extending into 1980s.
Horror fans will enjoy finding all the "Easter eggs" in Yoder's
basket. His characters pay homage to Bava,
Lenzi, Fulci, and Argento. Yoder even relies on
fair use to borrow music from their films.
The production design, makeup and visual effects, and lighting are
admirable. The dialog sounds dubbed, which heightens the sense
that we're watching an Italian period piece. Inspector Lenzi's
anachronistic ponytail is a weak point; the actor
should have been required to cut his hair. But overall
The Old Man in the Rocking Chair
is a highly entertaining trashy parody of a bygone era.
* Best Horror Music Video: The Rose
My initial thought was that The Rose
is about lost love, but singer/songwriter Michaela Betts says that
her lyrics are about "lost childhood." Either way, it's a
melancholy piece of music that evokes the gloomy poetry of Edgar
Allan Poe.
Director Hilary Campilan visualizes the song's Poesque despair. A
woman sings in a barren, wintry forest (old age) while a young
girl (her youth) is preyed upon by wolves (the ravages of age). If
that interpretation is off, no problem.
The Rose is a powerful and
provocative video that invites repeat viewing, mesmerizing with
its beauty while inspiring us to meditate on its meaning.
The technical skills behind the video are also admirable.
Campilan says her video was shot on an iPhone 13 and that her
passion is "collaborating with dancers or musicians, to make short
music videos, using AI as part of the creative process." I suspect
she used a lot of that AI in post-production. I have an iPhone 13
Pro, and I couldn't have made The
Rose.
Horror has many sounds. Past years' music video winners have
included pop, parody, heavy metal, hip hop, and ballads. This
year's winner is
a hauntingly beautiful work of art. Websites exist for both
Michaela Betts and
Hilary Campilan.
*
Honorable Mention
The Honorable Mention prizes, like
the "Best ... Film" prizes, are shared by the film's writer and
director.
Honorable Mentions go to films that
didn't win in any specific category, but still deserve attention.
* Wake Up
Wake Up
wastes no time on exposition; it opens with events already in
progress. Scarlet (Bia Wong) is alone in her bedroom, talking on
the phone to Meg (Josefine Winkler), discussing the murder of
their friend. We infer her body was horribly mutilated. Scarlet
suggests that Oliver is innocent of the crime.
The story that unfolds bears similarities to
It Follows (but with a twist ending that leaves you
wondering). Scarlet believes that she and her friends are being
hunted by an entity that can resemble anyone. An entity that
strikes while you're asleep, which is why Scarlett hasn't slept in
days.
Wake Up is what I call
minimalist horror. Some call it quiet horror. A few characters in
an isolated location, a creepy atmosphere, limited gore, and a
story where much is implied but little is seen. Quiet, creepy
horror is not as easy to pull off as in-your-face shocks and gore,
but writer/director J.G. Chiem does an admirable job of it.
The setting is somber, the rooms featuring muted earth tones and
dim lighting. The absence of music and limited use of sound
effects heightens our sense of isolation and dread. The dialog is
sparse and matter-of-fact; no happy talk or wasted chitchat. The
performances are serious and low-key, with moments of heightened
tension.
All of this works together to focus our attention on
minute details. That's important. Scarlet isn't sure when her
friends are real, and when they're the entity in disguise. She's
always alert for tiny tells. The quiet atmosphere, the low-key
lighting and performances, the sparseness of dialog, all of it
helps to focus her attention and ours, placing us in her
situation. We
empathize and feel her fear, rather than merely sympathizing
from a distance.
* Contract
Brick Douglass (Jack Alejandro Young) is a hard-boiled private
dick who takes possession cases. If you need some muscle to show a
demon the door, just ask for Brick. (And you have to be pretty
hard-boiled to carry a name like Brick.) As Brick puts is, "I
been doing this shit a long time, bud." Which is why he
thought his latest case would be easy. That was his first mistake.
Contract isn't the slickest
entry this year, but it's one of the most entertaining. The acting
is hammy and at times over-the-top. You get the sense the cast is
having fun with their roles. The production values (e.g., lighting
and make-up effects) are very good, though some scenes sound
dubbed. Contract moves at a
good pace and is never boring. The story is stupid, funny, trashy,
and gory. Overall, Contract
might be described as trash horror noir.
A caveat: Brick is portrayed as a world-weary, chain-smoking,
hard-drinking gumshoe. But while some effort was made to give
Young a haggard appearance, his teeth remain gleaming white. Not
the teeth of a longtime chain-smoker. The makeup person might have
yellowed Young's teeth.
Apart from performing in the lead role, Young wrote and directed,
qualifying him as a true auteur. He also entered another
film this year, Pseudo. Quite
the opposite of Contract,
Pseudo
is dark, depressing, moody, poignantly affecting, a bit
avant-garde and confusing, but also intriguing. But nowhere near
as entertaining as Contract.
* Vital Instruments
Three robbers believe they have found the perfect hideout: an old,
abandoned barn that they've staked out for several weeks. But on
the night of their Big Robbery, when they escape to the barn,
planning to lay low for a while, they find several women locked in
cages. So much for the perfect hideout. Even worse, the women are
not as innocent at they appear. It seems they're involved in some
sort of religious cult. And then things get weird. Might it have
something to so with ... Satan?
There's much to admire about Vital
Instruments. (I assume the title is a reference to the
women.) The acting, cinematography, sound, and editing are all
first rate. But the film's most distinctive quality is its
energy. Vital Instruments
is no slow burn; it's a high-octane, roller coaster ride. From the
moment the robbers enter the barn, the twists keep coming,
surprise after surprise, with no time to catch your breath. A lean
script without any padding, and tightly edited with jump cuts to
keep the action moving.
Vital Instruments is
religious horror, but without a feel-good message. This is dark
horror. The only righteous character (we barely knew him) is
killed early on. We're then left with the robbers (who are bad)
vs. the women (who are Manson Family bad). This is one of those
films where bad guys confront pure evil. A black and gray world.
Quentin Tarantino territory. With all the extreme gory violence
that implies. Like I said, dark horror.
Vital Instruments isn't a
pleasant film. But it's classic cathartic horror. A thrill ride
through the heart of darkness that leaves you feeling better for
surviving it. Some of us call it entertainment.
* Additional Winners
Every year we see some bad actors, some mediocre actors, and some
talented actors who do a professional job. Among the latter are
those few who leave an impression. Who go beyond the job and
create a character that lingers in our minds. This last quality is
often the crucial difference between the winners and the merely
talented.
Another consideration is aesthetics. Many films are
technically slick. They are nicely lit, the sound clearly
recorded. But if a film's technical choices also aesthetically
support its story, characters, and themes, then so much the
better.
Upon
moving to a small rural community, Dave (Jeff Ayars) discovers a
bizarre hole in a field. Whatever he lowers into it comes up
transformed, not always for the better. Does it lead to Hell or to
a reunion with his dead wife? Dave eventually lowers himself into
the hole...
According to the filmmakers (Jason Egan, Michael Nash),
Abaddon's Pit is about
"the eternal struggle between the quest for truth versus blind
faith."
Representing faith is Faith (Faith Kelly), but it would be unfair
to call her blind. Even if the hole isn't "an abomination" for
certain, there's enough evidence that it might be.
If the
chimp NASA sent into space in 1961 had returned freakishly
mutated like the pig Dave lowers into the hole, NASA would have
delayed sending men pending further experiments.
Faith pastors her own church. Films often portray Christian clergy
as one dimensional, either hypocrites or boy scouts. Rarely are
they the complex characters Robert Duvall played in
The Apostle.
Faith isn't as big or complex a character as Duvall's, but Faith
Kelly imbues Faith with texture and nuance. Her Faith bubbles with
enthusiasm, sincerity, and concern for her flock. But she also has
an edge, a subtle undercurrent that's grating and domineering,
especially toward her hen-pecked husband (Lawrence Trailer). Yet
even when her denunciation of the hole reaches fever pitch, she
never turns villain by attacking Dave. She hates the sin, not the
sinner.
Her church is a bit weird; despite referencing the Bible, Faith
wears
Wicker Man style deer antlers -- what's with that?
But overall, she is a well-balanced, multi-dimensional,
engaging character.
Faith Kelly wins for Best Dramatic
Actress.
It's
the zombie apocalypse! (Yes, they're still making zombie
apocalypse films.) Not to worry. Dr. Brown is working on a cure in
his lab. But then the zombies invade the building, trapping him in
his lab. With a rat.
That's pretty much all of Trapped.
Dr. Brown alone in his lab with a rat. Trapped in a lab while he
struggles to survive, signal for help, seek food and water, stop
the rat from stealing his food, and eventually making peace with
the rat -- which surprisingly turns his bleak prospects into
something hopeful.
Trapped is pretty much a
one-man show, which places a heavy burden on David Sayers.
Fortunately, Sayers imbues Dr. Brown with the emotional range and
depth that makes him a
compelling character to watch. He starts off as a surly boss,
becomes increasingly testy and irritated by the rat, but when
faced with death ... well, his change of heart toward the rat
recalls Roy Batty's last moments in
Blade Runner. Sayers performance carries the film.
David Sayers wins for
Best Dramatic Actor.
Ona's
tech company is about to release "the next level" of downloadable
entertainment. A chip that is implanted in the brain, allowing the
user to download and listen to music without ear buds. The chip is
controlled (music selection, volume, etc.) from a wireless
bracelet.
Ona believes in her product. The chip is implanted into her own
brain before the product's launch. But a bug soon manifests. The
music skips, repeating the same note loudly. Ona can't it
turn off, can't lower the volume. And so begins her torment.
Sincopat hilariously satirizes
tech culture's over-confidence in AI and transhumanism. Lead
actress Nuria Florensa traces Ona's emotional breakdown. She is
punchable smug early in the film, comparing herself to Steve Jobs.
But as she tries to suppress her frustration at the never-ending
musical beat, she spirals into desperation and panic. Watching her
fall from grace is funny, but Florensa also manages to evoke our
sympathy. Her final solution is sad, but also a relief.
Yet the product has hit the streets. Sales are brisk.
Sincopat ends with the
implication that the nightmare has only begun.
Nuria Florensa wins for Best Comedic
Actress.
Spencer
(Dylan Wayne Lawrence) and Cameron (John Reddy) are a gay couple
who've bought their first home. Their realtor (Kelli Maroney)
explains that the previous owner died while making renovations.
Among the items left behind is a baby carriage.
A carriage that moves. Apparently it's haunted by a ghost, or
maybe it's demonically possessed, or, well, whatever its problem,
it's damned annoying. Just a constant source of irritation, as far
as our couple is concerned.
That's the comedic premise of The
Haunted Baby Carriage from Hell. Neither Spencer or Cameron
or any of their friends are frightened. However much the carriage
tries to terrify, it's only seen as a nuisance.
Writer/director J.T. Seaton keeps the jokes flowing at a brisk
pace. Scenes are colorful and brightly lit in a manner appropriate
for comedies. At the film's core are actors Lawrence and Reddy.
Their characters are a classic odd couple. Spencer is dour and
negative, complaining that the house is small, its walls are ugly.
Cameron thinks the house is cute. Their comedic interplay and
repartee makes for a funny and entertaining story. The actors also
share a chemistry, lending the film a
sense of believability
despite its silly premise.
Twice before the Tabloid Witch has presented a shared acting
award. Always it was for two actors in the same film whose
performances were so intertwined, it was unfair to honor one
without the other. This precedent holds true for Lawrence and
Reddy.
Dylan Wayne Lawrence & John Reddy
win for Best Comedic Actor.
A
pair of young people attempt to conjure a demon for social media.
Naturally, this being a horror film, things go terribly wrong.
(Not that things usually go well when you conjure a
demon.)
Depicting supernatural events are commonplace in horror films,
making it difficult for jaded viewers to
suspend their disbelief. It helps if a cinematographer can
create an otherworldly atmosphere through his tools (e.g.
Lost Souls -- check it out.)
Despite its ordinary dramatic premise,
Noman holds our attention.
This is partially because of its talented cast, but also because
of the film's look. Much of Noman
is awash in moody shades of yellow, orange, and red, creating the
sort of eerie atmosphere that makes demons both more believable
and more frightening.
These colors are partially justified by Amber's (Gabrielle
Alexander) ceremonial candles, but are consistent
through much of the film. Cinematographer Andres Grille also makes
good use of rich, black shadows and silhouettes, such as when
Amber is hiding in the closet from the demon she conjured. The
brightly flashing red-and-blue police lights are also
aesthetically used, creating an
Argento-like surrealism that sets the tone for Amber's final
revelation.
Andres Grille
wins for Best Cinematography.
Sound
effects can make the mundane scary. The same scene might be
comedic or frightening, depending on background music, the
presence of laugh tracks, or sound effects.
Get Away has a active
soundtrack. From the three girls arrival at the cabin to their
final "escape," sound effects aggressively interact with the
events and images on screen, imparting a sense of foreboding to
the mundane, changing pitch and volume as required to emotionally
support the story. Sound effects play a significant role in making
Get Away scary fun.
Nick Bozzone & Patrick
Navarre wins for Best
Sound Design.
Sincopat
begins on a happy note. Ona is serenely confidant about the
upcoming release of her tech company's new product. The length of
the shots are relatively long in the film's early scenes,
reflecting Ona's comfortable situation and languid emotional
state.
But as the story progresses, and the computer glitch wears down on
Ona's psyche, she becomes ever more frustrated and hysterical. And
her scenes are ever more fractured by brief shots and jump cuts,
mirroring her desperation and difficulty concentrating. Shots of
the people around her, who are trying (and failing) to help, are
longer.
We admire editing that not only moves the story forward, but which
also aesthetically supports the film's story, characters, and
themes. Pol Diggler's editing (he also directed and co-wrote
Sincopat) goes that extra
mile.
Pol Diggler wins for Best Editing.
A
woman drags a naked body into her bathroom. It might be dead or
unconscious. She piles it atop another naked body. She encases
them in her gooey saliva, much like a spider spinning a web. She
covers the bodies in yarn. Her medicine cabinet is filled with
insects and spiders which she uses to ... we can't really be sure,
but it sure is creepy.
Cremance is a Mexican director who says his works "revolve
around sexuality, analyzing how it's been historically portrayed
in visual production, cinematography, fine arts and literature --
from chick flick to the eroticization of death in Romanticism --
and its influence in our contemporary appreciation, to determine
how to use the preconceived images about the concepts of sex,
love, fantasy and Erotism, its cultural and symbolic charge, to
translate it in new readings and spaces of significance."
Yes, Aracne is avante-garde
horror. And it does tap some powerful archetypes. Giant spiders
are a common horror monster. So too beautiful temptresses who
transform into spiders (e.g.
Curse of the Black Widow, the "Black Widows" episode of
Tales from the Darkside). Aracne exploits those fears -- and
their sexual appeal -- without resorting to gore.
Cremance's imagery is potent and memorable. Kudos to Eyibra's
choppy, chant-like music, but even more so to the production
design's pale color scheme. This is a beige and white film, an art
decor that evokes both death and a drainage of blood. (Spiders
don't actually drink blood, but people think they do, and that's
enough for an archetype.) Overall,
Aracne is a discomfortingly alluring piece of avant-garde
horror cinema.
Cremance wins for Best Production Design.
We
love gray alien/UFO abduction films.
Tell Him is the best of this year's entries. A wife
confesses a secret about herself to her husband. A secret that
affects their son. What might that be? Hint: This film is not
about a pact with Satan, so no, the child is not the Antichrist.
It is a film about gray aliens so the secret is ...
Tell Him is low on
originality, but high on execution. Its abduction scene has all
the expected tropes for fans of the subgenre. Mysterious blue
lights in the sky. Electronic appliances going haywire. Levitating
objects. And people morphing into gray aliens. (Yes, this film has
hybrids.)
Lighting plays a big part in all this. So do visual effects.
Tell Him's visual effects are
up to
X-Files standards. They're creepy and atmospheric -- realistic
and believable, rather than cheesy and laughable.
Shannon Ford Thompson wins for Best
Visual Effects.
An
angel commands the leader of a religious cult to build a suicide
bomb for his young daughter to wear and detonate. But then her
sister begins to doubt their faith.
Seraphim is a disturbing
religious horror film because it raises uncomfortable questions.
Throughout history, madmen and evil fanatics have killed and
terrorized in the name of God. But what if such men aren't mad?
And are they still evil if they're acting under the orders of an
actual angel? But how can you tell if the angel is
conveying commands from God? And if it is God's command, what
then?
Although Western art, Hollywood films, and Hallmark cards usually
portray angels as having, well, "angelic beauty," the Bible often
describes them as terrifying to behold. When angels manifest in
their true form, people fall trembling to their knees.
In Seraphim, we only see the
angel's face at the end of the film, and only briefly. It's a face
that's unsettling and memorable, yet also rooted in the Bible.
We won't show any clear closeups, so as not to spoil the surprise.
Suffice to say that Kelton Ching wins for
Best Make-Up Effects.
Jane
is an adaptation of Charlotte Perkins Gilman's 1890 short story,
"The Yellow Wallpaper." Which makes it a period piece. This means
that in addition to creating an emotional mood, the music must
also succeed in evoking its era. Two jobs instead of one. An
additional plus if the music is nice.
The music in Jane achieves all
that. It's a beautiful, lush classical piece, with heavy emphasis
on strings. The score sounds as if it were written in the 19th
century, but surprisingly, it's an original composition written
for the film. It grounds the story in its period milieu, while
also expressing Jane's emotional yearnings for personal liberty
and self-expression.
In one significant scene, Jane stares at the wallpaper, which
comes alive. A woman emerges from it (Jane's alter ego? her id?
her fantasies?), tells Jane that she is not sick, and engages her
in a dance that frees Jane's repressed emotions. The dance, and
its music, are key elements that move the story forward while
aesthetically supporting the scene, characters, and themes.
Liz Huang & Brandon Smith
win for Best Music Soundtrack.
* The Final Tally
* Best Horror Feature Film ...........................
Jason Miller (Ghosts of the Void)
* Best Horror Documentary .......................... Christopher
Sperandio, Brian Huberman & Augusto Mora (The
Grotto of Death)
* Best Dramatic Horror Short Film
................
Michael
Gabriele & Anthony Jefferson (Get
Away)
* Best Comedic Horror Short Film ................ Carnior (Tridamos)
* Best Animated Horror Film ........................ Jose Casas &
Adrian Navarro (El Padrastro)
* Best Avant-Garde Horror Film ..................
Gus R. Yeager (Affliction)
* Best Trash Horror Film ..............................
Eric Yoder (The Old Man in the
Rocking Chair)
* Best Horror Music Video
...........................
Hilary Campilan (The Rose)
* Best Dramatic Actress .............................. Faith Kelly
(Abaddon's Pit)
* Best
Dramatic Actor .................................. David Sayers (Trapped)
* Best Comedic Actress ..............................
Nuria Florensa (Sincopat)
* Best Comedic Actor ..................................
Dylan Wayne Lawrence & John Reddy (The
Haunted Baby Carriage from Hell)
* Best Cinematography ................................ Andres
Grille (Noman)
* Best Sound Design ....................................
Nick Bozzone & Patrick
Navarre (Get Away)
* Best Editing ................................................
Pol Diggler (Sincopat
)
* Best Production Design .............................
Cremance
(Aracne)
* Best Visual Effects .....................................
Shannon Ford Thompson (Tell Him)
* Best Make-Up Effects ................................ Kelton
Ching (Seraphim)
* Best Music Soundtrack .............................. Liz Huang &
Brandon Smith (Jane)
* Honorable Mention .................................... Jack
Alejandro Young (Contract)
*
Honorable Mention .................................... Greg Kase,
Lee Schatzman, Jesse Martin (Vital
Instruments)
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