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[REVIEW] Death Awaits In ‘Grave Encounters’ (2011)

Grave Encounters follows a ghost-hunting crew as they embark on a paranormal investigation in the Collingwood Psychiatric Hospital. Led by Lance Preston (Sean Rogerson), he and his team of intrepid investigators, Sasha Parker (Ashleigh Gryzko), T.C. Gibson (Merwin Mondesir), Houston Gray (Mackenzie Gray), and Matt White (Juan Riedinger), take on this supposedly haunted asylum with exuberance and enthusiasm. After resident expert Kenny Sandoval (Bob Rathie) locks them in for the night, things start to get…frightening. Soon, the team finds themselves trapped in this labyrinthian nightmare where time moves at its own accord. Will anyone make it out alive?

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October means different things to many people. It’s when the veil between the living and the dead is the thinnest, pumpkins line the steps of front porches, leaves turn from shades of green to various oranges and reds, and haunted houses are at their prime. Haunted houses also mean different things to people. For October, we’re taking a look at haunted house films and there really isn’t a better time to do it! From House on Haunted Hill to The Haunting of Bly Manor, countless films and shows explore the idea of manmade haunted houses to the haunted houses that are actually haunted. And you can’t discuss haunted house horror without talking about one of the greatest of all time: Grave Encounters.

Grave Encounters follows a ghost-hunting crew as they embark on a paranormal investigation in the Collingwood Psychiatric Hospital. Led by Lance Preston (Sean Rogerson), he and his team of intrepid investigators, Sasha Parker (Ashleigh Gryzko), T.C. Gibson (Merwin Mondesir), Houston Gray (Mackenzie Gray), and Matt White (Juan Riedinger), take on this supposedly haunted asylum with exuberance and enthusiasm. After resident expert Kenny Sandoval (Bob Rathie) locks them in for the night, things start to get…frightening. Soon, the team finds themselves trapped in this labyrinthian nightmare where time moves at its own accord. Will anyone make it out alive?

To a lesser extent, Grave Encounters starts with a similar opening to The Fourth Kind, as producer Jerry Hartfield (Benjamin Wilkinson) reveals he received all of these tapes in the mail. “What you’re about to see is not a movie,” Jerry plainly says. This would be easier to believe if there weren’t a few continuity errors, but that’s neither here nor there. Films that tend to go to huge extremes to prove their ‘authenticity’ can really go either way for genre fans. Some people enjoy the ‘based on a true story’ forced perspective, and some get frustrated by it. I could go either way with Jerry’s opening, but I appreciate it for what it is.

A few things make Grave Encounters work well for me, and very few aspects of the film don’t. As someone who grew up watching Ghost Hunters, Ghost Adventures, and Paranormal State, it almost feels like The Vicious Brothers wrote and directed Grave Encounters just for me. The film starts with the usual talking heads and exposition about the location the team will be exploring, though Grave Encounters takes a shot at some of these ghost hunting shows. Lance talks with groundskeeper Javier Ortega (Luis Javier), who just wants to be left alone to do his work. When Javier doesn’t give Lance the bumper quote Lance wants, he pays Javier to say something intriguing. As much as I love those shows I grew up on, I know there is a level of producer interference and Hollywood-ification to them. I appreciate how this show handles the fraudulent aspect of ghost hunting television, so that when the crap hits the fan, it’s even more impactful.

Lance Preston’s crew is fascinating. The Viscous Brothers crafted each character perfectly, giving everyone their own unique take on the events unfolding. T.C. just wants to get back to his family, Matt is Matt, and Sasha is the human conduit for ghost communication. Then you have, who I would consider, the two main players. While he doesn’t have the most screen time, I could argue that Houston is the top-billed supporting character. He’s the psychic who comes to fill in the crew, and us, about the ‘feel’ of the asylum. Houston is an interesting guy, who wears thick glasses and a leather coat, which accentuates his ‘coolness.’ Once the wall breaks, figuratively, and we learn Houston is no more reliable than Javier, he goes from a tough and respectable psychic to nothing more than a badly dressed huckster who is soon to get his just desserts.

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The ghost hunting crew is interesting on their own, but it’s lead investigator Lance Preston who steals the show. His Hot Topic-styled attire and garishly intense acting check all of the boxes for me. He’s Zak Bagans times a thousand. It’s unclear if Lance was always the type to fudge experiences for quality TV, but once he realizes the stakes are life and death, he becomes a true leader. Even if he keeps his air of exaggeration throughout, if you’re not a fan of the Zak Bagans-like character, then Lance Preston will come off as grating and incredibly annoying.

Once the horror starts, it doesn’t stop. The team quickly finds themselves stuck in a neverending loop of terror as they get separated one by one. Doors fly open, people get lifted, hallways change, hallways are blocked off, time is its own entity, and bathtubs of blood suck in unsuspecting investigators. Even if there are a few moments of awful-looking digital enhancements, Grave Encounters takes the ghost hunting television formula and turns it into something truly terrifying.

Since 2012, Grave Encounters has been on my October watchlist, and that won’t end anytime soon. This film came out at the perfect time as Ghost Hunters was well in its prime, and Ghost Adventures was in the process of taking over the ghost hunting television audience. Part parody, part terrifying exploration into what could go wrong, Grave Encounters takes audiences on a wild ride of fright. We can forget the existence of Grave Encounters 2, though. I like to pretend the deleted scenes of Kenny showing up in the morning to find the front door busted open with the gurney overturned out front and [spoiler] being institutionalized is the true ending of this film. And you should too!

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Brendan is an award-winning author and screenwriter rotting away in New Jersey. His hobbies include rain, slugs, and the endless search for The Mothman.

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[REVIEW] The Unconventional Extremity of ‘Demonlover’ (2002)

Demonlover (2002) follows a French-based company, Volf Corporation, which is in the process of acquiring a Japanese animation studio. Diane (Connie Nielsen) is leading the acquisition after successful corporate espionage takes her boss Karen (Dominique Reymond) out of commission. Karen’s assistant, Elise Lipsky (Chloë Sevigny), vows to make sure Diane doesn’t have an easy go with any of this. Once Volf Corporation takes control of the Japanese anime studio, they try to set up a deal with an American distribution company called Demonlover, which is run by Elise Si Gibril (Gina Gershon). It soon comes to light that Demonlover is nothing more than a front for an extreme interactive torture website called the Hellfire Club.

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As a horror-centric publication, how do you follow up the month of October? It’s our Super Bowl, our Grand Prix! Curator of all things Horror Press, James-Micael Fleites had the best possible idea for the month of November: New French Extremity. New French Extremity has a few films that always come to mind when discussed with films like Martyrs, Frontier(s), and Haute Tension. But many great New French Extremity films don’t get the recognition they deserve–and the ones that don’t deserve it still need to be discussed.

The first one I think is necessary to discuss is one that teeters on the idea of horror: Demonlover.

Demonlover (2002) follows a French-based company, Volf Corporation, which is in the process of acquiring a Japanese animation studio. Diane (Connie Nielsen) is leading the acquisition after successful corporate espionage takes her boss Karen (Dominique Reymond) out of commission. Karen’s assistant, Elise Lipsky (Chloë Sevigny), vows to make sure Diane doesn’t have an easy go with any of this. Once Volf Corporation takes control of the Japanese anime studio, they try to set up a deal with an American distribution company called Demonlover, which is run by Elise Si Gibril (Gina Gershon). It soon comes to light that Demonlover is nothing more than a front for an extreme interactive torture website called the Hellfire Club. (If you thought reading that was tedious, you can only imagine how long it took me to write that.)

Let’s get the two positives out of the way first. At its soul, Demonlover tries to exist as a commentary on our extreme desensitization of violence in the modern age. Much of this desensitization started in the late ’60s when the Vietnam War was televised into people’s homes and furthered by Ted Turner’s obsession with money and the creation of the 24-hour news cycle. That was all the catalyst. When Al Gore invented the internet, that’s a joke, we had no clue just how awful the outcome would be. Demonlover’s commentary on violence in consumed media is important, but that’s really all it has going for it. Is that one piece of commentary worth an over two-hour-long student film? (More on that later.) There’s also the commentary on corporate espionage, but it falls flat compared to the rest of the film’s commentary.

The second, and final, positive aspect of Demonlover is the acting and specifically Connie Nielsen, Chloë Sevigny, and Gina Gershon. Simply put, they are bad bitches and I love them. The ‘extremity’ of this film (I watched the unrated director’s cut) wasn’t really anything to write home about, leaving the majority of carrying to these three women. It’s hard to say I didn’t like this film when the performances were as powerful as theirs were.

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And that’s it. The film as a whole feels like a first-draft freshman film school drivel. It’s unfocused when it needs to be focused and focused when it doesn’t. The only other film I’ve seen by writer/director Olivier Assayas is his segment in Paris, Je T’aime so I can’t effectively comment on his overall style. But Demonlover feels like Assayas had an overall grand idea that became bogged down by personal preference, kinks, and an overinflated ego.

If I had a friend who said they wanted to watch a real art film, there is no way I would show them this. Because that’s all Demonlover is: an attempt to make an art film with some commentary. Assayas tries to assault your senses with sex, blood, and “authentic” violence but fails at nearly every aspect. Demonlover feels nothing more than self-masturbation; a film that proves he’s holier than thou. And let me tell you, he is far from that. At its core, Demonloveris a two-hour-long horror-adjacent exercise in futility.

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[REVIEW] BHFF 2024: ‘Timestalker’ Is Timeless

Timestalker follows Agnes (Alice Lowe) through multiple decades throughout her shared life; from the 1800s to the present day, to the 1980s, and countless other decades. Agnes happens to run across the same guy in each life: Alex (Aneurin Barnard). Their strained, often one-sided love, spans their respective lifetimes in fascinating ways. While Agnes searches for her love she finds herself on the receiving end of a scorned lover by way of Nick Frost. Can Agnes and Alex find the love they are seemingly destined for?

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As someone who reviews horror content, I tend to be picky about what I decide to watch. I know what I like and what I don’t like. I cannot stand time loop films. They just don’t work for me, from Groundhog Day to Happy Death Day. And time difference love films like The Lake House? Don’t even get me started. That being said, if I stumble upon one of these types of films that pique my interest, I will go out of my way to check it out. When I read about Alice Lowe’s directorial follow-up to Prevenge, I was excited but still skeptical. Prevenge was an exciting and well-put-together horror film that caught me off guard and I knew I had to watch whatever Alice Lowe made next.

Timestalker follows Agnes (Alice Lowe) through multiple decades throughout her shared life; from the 1800s to the present day, to the 1980s, and countless other decades. Agnes happens to run across the same guy in each life: Alex (Aneurin Barnard). Their strained, often one-sided love, spans their respective lifetimes in fascinating ways. While Agnes searches for her love she finds herself on the receiving end of a scorned lover by way of Nick Frost. Can Agnes and Alex find the love they are seemingly destined for?

Since I mentioned it at the top, let’s discuss the time aspect. It should be noted that this is definitely not a time-loop movie in the typical sense. Writer/director Alice Lowe handles the time-jumping aspect of Timestalker with ease and class. Rather than trying to find some overcomplicated and underdeveloped explanation for the film’s timeframe, Lowe does something rarely seen. You can take what Lowe tells you in the third act at face value. Do you believe it or not? There’s probably no wrong answer. But if you dig a bit deeper, and believe in love and whimsy, there’s a whole other element to Lowe’s craft. (Getting into it would be too much of a spoiler.)

Honestly, I’m happy to say this is one of the very few time-based films that works incredibly well for me.

Lowe struck gold with her casting and brought multiple A-list British actors on board. First, and foremost, Alice Lowe. Lowe stuns with her lead portrayal of a character I’m pretty sure she wrote for herself. And rightfully so. Lowe’s comedic timing is unparalleled, and she’s not afraid to make herself the butt of the joke.

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Scipio (Jacob Anderson) is an intricately written character and almost a mouthpiece for the audience. Jacob Anderson is, aside from devilishly handsome, a thrill to watch. He blends into the background when necessary and chews up the scenery when needed. But it’s Nick Frost who steals the show. Whether he’s huffing and puffing after Agnes or literally barking like a dog, you can’t help but giggle (and sometimes gasp in shock) at his performance. Also, it’s always a blast to see Kate Dickie in anything.

Timestalker was introduced by a couple of people. Caryn Coleman, of The Future of Film is Female, said something incredibly interesting about Timestalker. There will be discussions about whether or not this film is considered horror or sci-fi but according to Coleman, “It’s a horror film about love.” I couldn’t say it any better myself.

This film is not your typical horror film. It’s a deconstruction of what horror means to people. There’s nothing wrong with wanting to love or be loved. In this modern age where Vice President nominees tell you you’re less of a person for not having kids or being married by a certain age, the idea of love is being retconned. If your love isn’t the way it’s “supposed to be” then you’re wrong. And that’s bullshit.

Timestalker is a fun and fascinating breakdown of what is. I don’t think this film will work for everyone, and I’m about 80% sure a particular group of people (looking at you, Vice President nominee, and fans) will take away the wrong message from this film. Those who get this film will get it. Those are the people Alice Lowe made this film for.

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