Change Your Image
Creepy-Suzie
It's your pal Suzie Q!
If you're on Facebook, hit me up!
https://www.facebook.com/creepie.suzie
Twitter:Creepie Suzie (@CreepieSuzie)
[Url]https://twitter.com/CreepieSuzie[/URL]
Ratings
Most Recently Rated
Reviews
Franklin: A Symphony of Pain (2015)
High-definition art to hypnotize you while you're peaking.
We'd trip on movies when we were younger. More Kenneth Anger than Pink Floyd. Franklin: A Symphony of Pain would have been the ultimate film to experience while altered. It is almost a call to arms, upping the cinematic ante, producing high-definition art to hypnotize you while you're peaking.
Giving you a play-by-play of this psychedelic film isn't going to sell you on it. It would be like attempting a synopsis of a Jodorowsky film. The power is in the visuals, and now that I've put that out there, here's a rough outline:
Franklin is having one f'ed-up day. Actually, that's an understatement. While out wandering, he's abducted by unsavories hearkening from some sort of pagan cult. Soon sodomy ensues with the aid of a ritualistic wooden artifact. Franklin soldiers on with his splintered anus, however, because he my friends, is a trooper. His reward for perseverance is a beating from hostile thugs where he is further stripped of dignity, sight and identity. Like overexposed film lit by neon, the story is surreal and emphasized to give the full acid effect. Disorienting as the drugs he uses for mental escape, colors blast the screen as violently as the blows Franklin receives. He attempts to self-medicate by dropping acid with a seemingly fun-loving couple. That trip begins with this kinky chic slicing up her chest in the front seat of a car. He can't catch a break what-so-ever, so he eventually folds, and resorts to religion. Father Pearcy only confuses his mind further in that special way that only the clergy can truly achieve. Lets recap: Franklin gets anal raped, physicated and then brain washed.
The creepy cast surrounding Franklin's story seem to have stepped right out of a 70's grind house flick. In fact, the character "Her" played by Dee Dee Seruga, wears a mask reminiscent of The Last House on Dead End Street (1977). Her look and performance is nothing short of mesmerizing. My only qualm with the movie is there wasn't more screen time for that character. Costumes and set design vacillated between stark to ornate and overlapped in an intentionally disorienting way. Greg Freeman visually transformed himself to achieve the hollow look of the wizened Father Pearcy.
This film is a visual feast of psychedelic extremities, which is an attribute sorely lacking from the cannon of cinema, even including counterculture or transgressive cinema. At times it is the the ethereal equivalent of stepping into an Alex Grey print. Franklin: A Symphony of Pain is the quintessential flick to drop acid to with a bunch of friends on a Friday night, so you can melt into the TV and unwind. They didn't have HD trip flicks like this when we were kids, folks. We'd have to improvise, but somehow we prevailed in our pixel-deficient insanity regardless. The kaleidoscope of tripped-out overlapping hypnotics in certain sequences are so strong and impressive that you can literally taste the strychnine as they unfold.
You can't fake this kind of LSD cinema, people, so pick up what you need to watch this, and secure a copy to absorb. Be sure to watch your posture, and have lots of supply on hand for the comedown afterward. If you're non-commercial cult cinema lover that gets excited with something original, I can't recommend this one enough.
The Dark Side of Porn (2005)
The Dark Side of Porn: Does Snuff Exist? (2006)
"There is no greater controversy, no greater taboo than snuff murders." – T. Timpone
Although this documentary has the word "porn" in the title, there are no porn industry workers interviewed or viewed. Instead commentary consists of horror industry affiliates and legal authorities. The purpose of the documentary is to define the term "snuff" and to determine its mythology and existence.
Unfortunately, in this quest for "the real thing," harassment of horror directors who choose subversive topics is rampant regarding the law especially in the ban-happy UK. Boundaries blur between fictional horror and real life filmed kills for sexual gratification and profit called "snuff." A witch hunt in the name of decency, where the magician must reveal his best tricks to avoid jail time even when the special effects aren't exceptional, is the ultimate result.
I remember the first time I viewed "A Serbian Film" and more than once I had to mentally step out of the frames and remind myself it was only make believe. Horror movies fulfill a nihilistic fantasy of all that goes bump in the night. "The Dark Side of Porn" went beyond pretend and hammered out profiles of cold killers in all their excremental glory. The documentary also made implications of some future filmed, web-based sex crimes for profit with the onset of cheap digital film and easy distribution of a newer technological age.
It was suggested that life imitated art, once again vilifying the horror movie director, although there has never been any documented snuff movie reported by authorities as of yet. In all, "snuff" is deduced to be non- existent, but a warning remains that killing on film for sexual gratification and profit could come to fruition before long.
Astro Zombies: M3 - Cloned (2010)
PG- style, good natured sci-fi fun
I suppose it's not every day that you get to sit behind a prolific director the first time you ever watch one of his films. "Astro Zombies M3: Cloned" was my first experience with the direction of Ted V. Mikels. Before the movie started he turned around and told me I looked familiar. Then he spoke of his children and 25 grandchildren. I'm sure he was thinking of them with the spirit of this film. It took me back to the days when I was young watching sci-fi with my dad on a Saturday morning.
There was a lot of humor used in "Astro Zombies M3: Cloned," but by far the most fun was the exploding zombies that burst into a cheesy C.G.I. ball of flames upon impact with a blow dart. I was surprised to see the plastic my first microscope and hardware that looked more like something out of Radio Shack, than a cloning lab, but since cloning produces a fetus, maybe this could be a more high tech cloning process producing full size Astro zombies. I couldn't reason around it, so I just had to laugh. There were enough ridiculous moments during the film that I ended up laughing a lot, especially with regard to the crazy bad effects. It reminded me of the skeletons in "Army of Darkness" where you could see the strings holding them together. It was entirely intentional. Although I'm not sure that the biological hazard team member who was obviously reading off a cue card was meant to be funny necessarily (even though it was.)
The director, Mikels, played twins in the film, one a general and another a drunk hippie. The peace loving twin commits suicide with cyanide and the effect was that he began smoking
much like Morticia does in the Adams Family when she says "mind if I smoke?" I think that's the tone of the whole flick, just goofy, lighthearted and fun, which could also explain the two dimensional cartoony characters. The film itself was grainy and made almost to feel like 70's exploitation meets sci-fi meets James Bond in some sort of torrid three way.
There were points when a bit of editing would have done wonders for length, but for the most part there was momentum and a decent pace. The film does show slightly more female empowerment with The Doll Squad's emergence to kick some Astro zombie butt than the entirely weak slappity snap of "Sucker Punch." There was no nudity, swearing, sexual situations, and very little gore. My guess is that Mikels made this for his grandkids and kudos to him if true. It is good to know a whole new generation can watch some fun sci-fi like this too.
Murder-Set-Pieces (2004)
Differentiation between uncut vs. Lionsgate version
I post on a horror message board, where I can discuss films with other horrorphiles, and have done so for many years.
This movie stayed etched into my mind, but my criticism had been that the story was disjointed. Now for those of you that are not aware, there is as much controversy for the content as there was around the marketing. I wasn't aware when I approached the thread, but I noted others posting aggressively about this film.
One individual stood out however. He patiently explained that a large portion of the film had been edited out for the sake of a rating and distribution against the director's wishes. He later divulged that he was that very director.
How very humbling to criticize someone's work to them. Still, he validated my assertions and encouraged me to watch an alternate uncut version. Upon viewing the uncut version of Murder Set Pieces, I better understood the deleted portions were cut because of the sheer brutality, nudity, and violence/ gore. (The Trifecta)
If you can think of a taboo topic I'm sure it was present in this film or at least implications made about it; the bathroom scene being just one of the many reasons the film ended up being banned in the UK.
Two words come to mind, "grit" and "nastiness". It didn't seem it was simply the director's intention to shock, but if you are indeed shocked it implies that you have a certain amount of humanity that the world in all its atrocities lacks.
It's the dirty diseased underbelly of a disposable society that proper people would much rather avoid. It's more than a social commentary though- it's morbid, erotically stimulating, and you wince at the pain inflicted as it becomes so real.
This was an entirely different film from the original neutered and flaccid chopped up Lionsgate version. This uncut film has teeth and hits you like a stark smack to the face unapologetically.
The effects were realistic, the kills were not implied or cut away, coloration and lighting were impressive and dialog was extended to make a lot more sense. Traditionally sinister situations and people through history were vilified to emphasize that moral depletion. Here it's not a warning as much as morning daylight shown on the face of an ugly reality.
The Cell (2000)
If you want to be visually dazzled, this is your flick.
Tarsem Singh is certainly a photographer at heart and the surreal imagery of this movie is definitely gallery worthy.
This is a suspense/ thriller that delves into the mind of a serial killer that seemingly euthanized his victims not out of spite, but out of pity. This is illustrated when as a child, he drowns a small bird before his abusive father can defile it. It was more humane to kill the bird than to let it live in such an ugly world filled with pain, and this was emphasized with Carl (the killer) even at a young age.
Much of the movie is shot from the perspective of Carl as a child, no doubt to gain sympathy from the viewer while he sets in an animated reversion of sorts while communicating synaptically with Lopez's psychotherapist character. It was interesting to see him speaking of his first messy inexperienced endeavor with misty reminiscence, and also to view the symbolism of the white dog, or of how he hung himself from the chains. Better than the story, though, was the cinematography. It was stunning.
I was taken back to this film when I viewed the "Bodies" display at the Tropicana, which I believe is now showing at the Luxor in Las Vegas. (For those of you haven't been, these are actual humans preserved in silicone on display actively posed for easy viewing of vascularization, musculature, organ systems, etc
) In the film it was a horse with transverse cross sections between plated glass. The attention to detail with regard to the succinct slices showing the yet operational organs made my twisted little heart soar.
It's interesting to me that Singh hasn't released much since "The Cell," but he does have "Immortals" and "The Brothers Grim: Snow White" in the works. If you haven't seen this movie, see it, especially if you dug "Se7en" or "Red Dragon". It has a similar "cop hot on the trail" feel to it, and much like the others, the villain is a shining enigma with a troubled past and a demented message of sorts. While "Se7en" gets kudos for creativity and "Red Dragon" has Fiennes, "The Cell" still has the unmatched scenery that makes me consider it to be ever so slightly better than the aforementioned.
If you love gore, such as an excruciating spooling of Vince Vaughn's intestines slowly onto a wheel, and you want to be visually dazzled, this is your flick.
Irréversible (2002)
Not a horror film, but a jarring punch in the face.
This is not a horror film, but a jarring punch in the face and is rightfully credited as the "most walked out of movie of 2002″ by Newsweek. This one's not for everyone, to say the least, but those that can appreciate such exploitation tend to love it.
Bellucci's Alex character is sublime in her vulnerability and the primary sequence that is the film's focal point is acted more realistically than any other dramatization I've seen before. (Even if the ahem "tool" used was entirely C.G.I.!)
There are fringe conversations and scenes that seem almost normal at first until you really pay attention and then you step back and wonder "Did that old man really just utter ?" or "Did that guy at the club really just ??!!" Disturbing! (By the way- the club's called "The Rectum" and the name pretty much says it all.)
There's plenty of action to say the least and the story is told entirely in reverse, which of course plays on the title. It makes you want to solve the mystery of sorts as the viewer, so it was an interesting way to present the film. It also gave more of a sense of urgency and ultimately disappointment toward the whole revenge aspect. Of course, other films have used the sequencing trick or something similar, but it doesn't ever give an air of being cliché. In fact, I would go so far as to call it innovative in certain ways.
I didn't care for lighting in the club. Yes, I realize clubs are dark, but I wonder if Noé's transfer of 16mm to 35mm diminished any of the picture quality to the extent that the lighting was affected. The soundtrack is bizarre and uncomfortable, yet fitting to the movie. Movement is continuous and kept my attention completely. To be blunt, the CAT III version of this movie is tamer than the French release. You've been warned. Of course- all subs and no dubs if you watch it. This is one of my favorite films, but then again my tastes are not generally that of the average girl.
Dead & Buried (1981)
Stan Winston was the true star of this film.
Photographers, drifters, vacationing families
no one that enters the quaint little East Coast town of Potter's Bluff is safe. Rest assured that although the murder may be painful and disfiguring, death in Potter's Bluff is never permanent. I was reminded of Burn Witch Burn when the sheriff finds his lovely wife is in possession of witchcraft books and implements.
Unlike Burn Witch Burn, however, the confrontation is quickly dismissed as she justifies her "research" as a lesson she will be teaching her class of 9 and 10 year olds. We all know that she would be fired, but her police officer husband doesn't really question it. Sure enough, later on in the film she's teaching the kids about the black arts. Go figure. This is not your typical zombie-witchcraft film though. It's more akin to Stepford Wives meets The Serpent and the Rainbow and the entire town is affected.
Although this is an 80's film there is a distinct 70's feel to the atmosphere, and care was taken to acknowledge the charms of a small coastal town without becoming folksy or over the top. Much of the movie was filmed in darkness, but despite this, action shots were always adequately lit. Predictability regarding the plot is debatable. I'm certain there will be some surprises regardless if the ending is guessed. It's a fun ride getting from point A to point B.
Oh, and in case you were wondering, the effects were immaculate. That's no mistake. Production brought Stan Winston on board. From the charred "Freddie" to his unnerving hospital stay, to the general rotting flesh of the residents, Winston was absolutely the star of this film. The acting was decent, but I still raise my eyebrows at the unlikelihood of some situations. Fortunately with the unhappy ending, the justification for these instances became clear. If you haven't seen this film yet, check it out. You'll be happy you did.
Countess Dracula (1971)
The price of vanity- a morality tale from Hammer.
"LAS VEGAS – With her smooth skin and wavy, honeyed hair, Elena Caro was celebrated as a beauty by her husband and teenage daughter, who often told her that she didn't need cosmetic surgery. But at 42, Caro wanted firmer skin and a younger figure, so she secretly booked an appointment with a medical office recommended by a close friend." –AP 4/11/11
Elena Caro is now dead after a second rate botched procedure that resulted in the arrest of the unlicensed staff. The question becomes "How far would you go to regain the beauty of your youth?". In Elizabeth Nodosheen's case she was willing to kill for it. I would think that instantly looking like Ingrid Pitt would make bathing in blood tempting for any girl. Ah vanity, it's my favorite of the deadly sins.
Astringent, mud mask, exfoliant, emollient, lotions, pore strips, foundations, and powders are just a few things we ladies use to tighten skin, reduce fine lines, fade scars or spots, plump wrinkles, diminish pores, and to attempt to steal back lost years, because no matter how old she is, every woman wants to be twenty, or at least look it. Elizabeth Nodosheen gets the ultimate makeover in Hammer's Countess Dracula, and all it required was just a bit of virgin blood.
Virgin after virgin dies in this well made seventies horror film. Despite Hammer's reputation there was very limited nudity showcased in Countess Dracula, disappointingly enough. There was one lovely Ingrid Pitt milky breast with nipple erect fondled in a brisk love scene, and the bare backsides of three dead virgins piled upon each other in a wagon covered with casks, and of course, the alluring image above.
I began to consider it somewhat wasteful killing the virgins outright. Why not just keep one alive and drain a pint or so every other day? She only needed enough to wash up with after all. This seemed plausible to me and I even began to empathize with Elizabeth Nodosheen after each successful transformation. To be converted from a sagging wretch to a vibrant, youthful beauty, the requirement certainly seemed justified, despite my better judgment. I understood how the opportunity to regain youth could be too exquisite to deny oneself.
The twist came when a love triangle formed between Nodosheen with her crusty previous lover and supple boy toy. Jealousies rage, there are levels of deceit throughout the castle, and ultimately a flawed plan to wed leads to the demise of Elizabeth Nodosheen. I love her story, and this film is certainly a morality lesson regarding the price of vanity, but if this tale can't teach us, maybe Elena Caro's will.
Haute tension (2003)
The tension was insurmountable.
My best friend Amy is a lesbian. She dates guys once in awhile, but she truly loves women. She doesn't wear her hair short, and she likes pretty dresses, high heels, and lip gloss. She wasn't the stereotypical lesbian that "High Tension's" Marie was at all. Now having said all that, I really think Alex should have bought the clue that not only was her closest pal a lesbian, but Marie was rocking a major crush on her. Perhaps she did know, yet chose to tease Marie. Teasing is not nice. Teasing can get you killed
The film begins with two girls in the car on a road trip listening to what ends up being an amazing soundtrack. (
and by the way, yes, girls do sing like that in the car when we're alone together) Alex and Marie make their way to mom and dad's for the night when madness ensues. I recall feeling sickeningly claustrophobic during the bathroom scene, and as the apt title suggests, the tension was insurmountable. The effects of the kills were exceptional, but I had to wonder if the cut would be quite so clean regarding an occurrence on the stairs.
With the exception of a couple masturbation scenes, the sexuality of this film, which could have been overt, actually faded like an afterthought. This was a film about mental illness and personality struggle with an inner beast. It was also a fairly twisted love story. This is a bona fide horror film, however, but it's more on par with "May" than "MSP". It has a unique mood and the horror is entirely plot driven sans utter nastiness, with the exception of one very memorable instrumental kill and a corn field scene involving a child.
Some say that they predicted the twist, but I really didn't. Regardless, the story's concrete and Aja's direction is solid. The setting of the house was a light hearted innocence, hearkening to the country days of leaving your door unlocked and inviting in a stranger for a home cooked meal and use of your phone if needed. The blood spattered floors gave a sharp contrast to that warm splendor of rural life. Lighting and the fleeting blue tones in the truck scenes were remarkable. I could sense the despair and chill of the cold steel pressing persistently on raw wrists and bare thighs.
This film ranks in my top ten horror favorites and as always, all subs no dubs- Enjoy! Your pal Creepie Suzie P.S. If you have already seen this movie
just imagine if there was no twist! What is would pale to what could have been and this film could have been one amazingly deranged, dirty, and completely scummy slasher flick. Ahhhhhhh
what could have been
if only. Regardless though, it's not a bad little piece of cerebral horror cinema as it stands.
Martyrs (2008)
Enjoy the discussion that will ensue from this modern classic.
"High Tension"
"Hard Candy"
"Baise-Moi"
lesbian rage
Well, there are lesbians in Martyrs, but its revenge and madness that fuel this plot. Years of abuse and mistreatment left Lucie hallucinating and self- mutilating with the single goal of laying waste to her captors.
It was an experiment gone awry, pseudo scientists without ethics, and their methods were anything but sound. I was reminded of "Men Behind the Sun" or even Auschwitz. Whether this was mutilation for its own sake, or a determination of the constraints of sanity when subjected to the outer limits of brutality remains to be justified. Here the end product was evidence of martyrdom or perhaps simply a coping mechanism of the nervous system resulting from excruciating infliction of pain.
Anna was an apt replacement for the now defunct Lucie, and she would undergo procedures and horrors that Lucie's most tainted nightmares could not have encapsulated. Anna's swollen plum face with sliver slit eyes has a ragged porcelain doll quality. When she mutters "I miss you" to her imaginary Lucie, her soul screams audibly although her voice is no longer capable. I was overwhelmed with the beauty of the somber scene. At that moment, Pascual Langier grabbed through the lens and simply crushed my heart in his palm. I cried.
In the end, we see inside Anna, not just anatomically, but also regarding her multifaceted intricacies. Had Mademoiselle planned on this frail waif being something more than a victim? She certainly banked on some inevitable transformation. Ultimately was Anna Mademoiselle's killer with a forked tongue of deceit, or was Mademoiselle forced to face her own demons, or perhaps nothingness in the end? Alas the elderly crowd eagerly anticipating evidence of experimental proof may die none the wiser.
May (2002)
A charming, quirky tale of horror- and dolls.
I guess if I had to sum up this movie in one word it would be "quirky".
Angela Bettis plays May, an awkward and unassuming girl that doesn't quite process emotion like the rest of us. Her only solace as a child were her dolls, and this carries on into adulthood into an obsession over a living, breathing doll... OK- well, maybe not living... anymore.
I love this movie, because even though May's childhood was so abstract, you could always find a commonality with her bizarre insecurities. Bettis even makes them charming in a sordid sort of way. Yes, this is a "horror" movie, but McKee adds a true story behind the plot rather than just killing for the sake of good old horror brutality.
There are undertones of diverse sexuality edging on deviancy with her "doll", but one doesn't really stop and question this while viewing, but more so in retrospect. If you like chic horror and you haven't seen "May", then do yourself a favor and check it out.
Nochnoy dozor (2004)
Elegant and Sleek Style- Night Watch is a beautiful film.
Night Watch is one of those movies that teeters on the border of the horror genre and overlaps into fantasy or sci-fi. It is one of those rare movies where the cgi is actually a benefit. The dark imagery and sleek style alone make this film distinct. Even the subtitles are animated with such care that I was blown away by the attention to overall detail.
In this respect, the subsequent Day Watch really dropped the ball. The story in Night Watch is complex and layered such that you can almost justify alternate meanings to the plot. Here I saw parallel universes where the past is ongoing aligned with the present.
Adding to the mood of the film was the beautiful Russian dialect. Never watch a dubbed film. It ruins the essence entirely. The direction was eloquent and flowed like paint on canvas, the acting was believable, lighting was adequate, coloration was intense, there was constant movement, and the cgi was visually stunning.
This is one of my favorite films and I have only seen the version mass marketed to the US. I understand there is a superior version marketed abroad.
Oldeuboi (2003)
This Asian gem left me hungry for more.
This film gets a 5 out of 5 stars in my book. The story is compelling, and while this is not a traditional horror film (more thriller actually) it is vastly discussed in horror circles mostly because of its notorious ending. Park's journey to the ultimate revelation of horror is just as tumultuous as the finale. There is constant movement and a symbolic use of coloration, especially regarding the womb-like prison abode.
We first see Oh Dae-Su as a stumbling drunk in police custody grasping at his daughters pale feathery gift although her birthday is only hours from over. Abruptly he is imprisoned not by the police, but by some unknown captor for what ends up being a drug induced and hypnotized 15 years. Oh Dae-Su becomes mentally and physically strong both despite of and because of this. Although he has aged in captivity, he almost appears younger upon release. He intermittently sinks into madness, losing track of time but by hash marks in his little hotel type room only to emerge back onto the surface of relative normalcy later, and then screw his daughter.
This is a story of vengeance as it plays out man against man (actually family against family) upon Oh Dae-Su's subsequent release. He searches for his captor for retaliation, but his captor has just begun the little game he has in store for the hapless Oh Dae-Su. I did not see this ending coming necessarily. (No pun intended.) I made a guess toward the end, but dismissed it that no movie would go that far. It did. Holy cow did it. This is one of the best films I've ever viewed, and I'm not just being kinky
OK maybe a little.
I was immersed in the plot for the entire running time. Lighting was good, but the street gave a necessary darkness in the beginning. The fact that there was almost constant motion added so much to the flow of the film. Special effects were awesome as was use of color particularly during the hypnosis scenes. I really can't say enough good things about this film. If your hungry for some twisted Asian cinema, check it out. I wonder if that means you'll want to see it again after two hours?
Chaos (2005)
Everything the remake of Last House should have been.
If you ever pondered whether David DeFalco's Chaos was inspired by Last House on the Left, indeed it was to some extent, but according to the director, the true muse behind the terror was Bergman's Virgin Spring. Truthfully Chaos should be considered the Last House on the Left unofficial remake, though. It's everything the official 2009 remake should have been and the nastiness is relentless. Where Last House on the Left (1972) had comic relief moments, those in Chaos were completely lacking, but certainly they weren't missed. It made for a heavy atmosphere and a mood that dripped intensity. The constant movement propelled the plot and moments whisked past to abrupt completion.
Kevin Gage is "Chaos," previously incarcerated father of Sage Stallone's "Swan" character, and he travels with his misfit gang of Steven Wozniak's "Frankie" and KC Quann's "Daisy" after getting out of the pen and thirsting for more blood
Meanwhile, two girls decide to hit a rave in the forest with their parents' reluctant blessing, and when they go looking for drugs they meet up with the wrong fella. I said it before and I'll say it again, don't do drugs. Drugs are bad. If you're in Chaos, drugs will get you forced to do degrading sexual acts to your best friend. Chaos is hardcore.
One of the frustrations with horror movies is that they cut away during the grotesque and imply what may occur so this is left entirely to the viewer's imagination. DeFalco does no such thing. This is a gritty, dirty, and bold, in your face horror film with the disclaimer at the beginning that this is a warning to young girls. There's no happy ending here. American horror has become so reliant on the message of hope that the lack thereof is almost refreshing in a sense. This is grating realism analogous to the atrocities depicted on the five o' clock news, but the reassurance of fiction is a minimal comfort. The film has been repeatedly rated low because of the unapologetic brutality and the sentiment of viewers is that they wish they hadn't seen such extreme scenes.
If horror comedies are your thing, this film may not be. If ultra-violent slashers give you wood, then Chaos will be right up your alley. Actor, Wozniak, shared that a Chaos prequel is on the horizon with DeFalco once again at the director's helm. I couldn't be more excited.
I.M. Caravaggio (2010)
I.M. Caravaggio (2011) Movie Review
Director Derek Stonebarger's first feature length film, I.M. Caravaggio was a sexually-charged pulsing skewer into the life of a genius, entwined with the seedy underbelly of the Las Vegas streets. Almost like a drug induced spiral, Ian Milano's tormented life sprang uncontrolled with the onset of fame and acclaim, spurning violence, mayhem, and death in his wake. This was a story of an art prodigy with a history of sexual and mental abuse, a demented sense of self worth, and a cynicism that aged the character beyond his years. Milano's innate ability to express a stark reality of one's soul through his intentionally subversive works resulted in something beyond controversy. This character mirrored the real life of the artist Caravaggio, and since he was actively learning of the artist it is ambiguous as to if this was fully intentional, by chance, or a combination of both.
The film starts running
literally. Ian Milano is no stereotypical starving artist. In fact he has to lose six pounds to make weight for his college wrestling match, and running through the dirty, urine stained North Las Vegas streets impacts him with sights and experiences that define his art. Ian Milano is not the stereotypical jock either though, and even endorphins can't cheer up this angst ridden sociopath. Actually there doesn't seem to be a character in the film that you could say is typical or two dimensional. Care was taken to develop even the smallest roles without bogging down the plot which cranked forward with the pace of an uncontrollable locomotive. I was enthralled and I was moved. A broken jagged pool cue becomes a makeshift spear during an erotic rage of shame, and the last remaining threads of sanity or decency are lost as Milano strikes out repeatedly like a wounded animal.
The scene faded to black and the credits rolled and I just sat there. The director and cast took open questions and I just sat there. The seats cleared around me and still I sat. What did I just see? I know I cried, but why? Why did this film impact me to this extent? I had to ruminate on it. I continued to do so all night despite the light hearted festivities around me. However, I was fortunate enough to be able to ask the cast and crew attending the screening some of my burning questions.
The most noticeably interesting part of the movie was the coloration. I've never seen a film designed in such a way. The colors were bold, but not like a 70's throwback at all. This was different. It was subtly grainy, but not like a Grindhouse film. It was barely noticeable and minute. The film's Director of Photography, Victor Tapia, told me the desired outcome was that the entire film would have the look of a Caravaggio painting, and this was achieved with intense lighting during the shoot and by heightening the level of contrast and adjusting color during editing. Stonebarger used a professional Panasonic digital studio camera during the filming of I.M. Caravaggio. His directing style is easily comparable to Aronofsky.
Colin Huse, I.M. Carravaggio's Audio Director added that the encompassing, penetrating, robust sound swirling through my ears during Stonebarger's amazing visuals had the intent to be bold, much like that coloration, and to completely fill the space wherever the film would be shown.
The acting skills of Ryan Eicher were extraordinary. He was the complete personification of the mood, style, and elegant malice that was I.M. Caravaggio. I was surprised to find the genuinely cheerful Ryan Eicher to be, well, "normal" upon speaking with him. He was the polar opposite of the Ian Milano character, and was only 19 years old when his performance was shot. Although he stated his ultimate goal is to direct, I would go so far as to suggest that film in general would suffer a loss similar to the day that Vincent Gallo uttered "I stopped painting in 1990 at the peak of my success just to deny people my beautiful paintings; and I did it out of spite." were Eicher to not continue with his acting endeavor. This young man has a long career ahead of him. Kudos to director Derek Stonebarger for pulling this exceptional performance from his lead actor and the rest of the I.M. Caravaggio cast, and kudos to him for being the auteur and soul of my new favorite film.