What The Hell Have I Been Doing: The Wanderer

Another update is upon us and this time I've got another trailer in the works. This one is for an obscure film called The Wanderer. I'm creating the trailer from just a handful of stills that I took over almost 10 years ago for a college project.  When it's done it will be rather short, but it should add a nice mixture to the trailer compilation when it's all put together. Well here are the choice stills that I have so enjoy and stay tuned for the trailer next week.

Nothing wrong with a simple title design.

What kind of creep hangs around a cemetery in the middle of winter?

Nothing to see here. Just packing up my ax.

Looks like something out of an REM music video. Everybody hurts.

I'm taking the long walk of shame.

The Book of Jacob Huxley Trailer

Hey everyone. I'm back again with another damn trailer. This one is actually an old one from way back in the day, but I recently edited it all together and added some familiar music from the Maniac soundtrack to spice it up a bit. I'm gonna be including it into my trailer compilation project along with my Musky Trailer, Tis The Season To Be DEAD Trailer, and my Soulless Trailer that I've already previously talked about here on The Lucid Nightmare.

The movie, The Book of Jacob Huxley, was initially filmed in 2002 I believe with directorial efforts by my friend Scott Martin. Unfortunately it was never finished, but we shot enough footage that I was able to piece together a sort of summary of the film. It's a long trailer, but I think that it makes for a unique viewing experience because it's like you're viewing a mini movie of sorts. So without any further explanation, here is the elongated trailer for The Book of Jacob Huxley.

REVIEW: Drag

Drag

Director: Mark Pavia

Year 1993

Drag is a unique and creepy short film that brings an original twist to the zombie genre. A lone woman named Victoria, wanders the countryside in search of something, as of yet, unknown to the audience. Armed with a single shotgun and her wits, she battles her way through the zombie infested wasteland of what once was, until she unsuspectingly finds what she's looking for. Fresh meat. Now her biggest problem is how to drag this newfound prize back to her undead lover, who she has chained up at their homestead, so that he may sustain some sort of existence in-spite of his slowly decaying body. Directed by Mark Pavia in his first directorial effort, the film exists in a world that is bled of life and lost in a haze that soaks through to all four corners of the decrepit frame.  

Victoria contemplates life during one of her many close-ups.

Pavia's choice of drenching the entire film in a surreal canvas of sepia is spellbinding. Through this technique, we're given the visually appealing aesthetics of black and white photographic images combined with the dreamlike qualities of a smog filled nightmarish world. The look of the film is outstanding and really makes for an interesting and vibrant piece. I found myself just lost in the haze, appreciating every nook and cranny of this film. Some of the compositions are just outstanding and they really lend a great deal of added atmosphere to the film. It really is a visual feast that begs for multiple viewings and that's something I can really appreciate.

I would walk 500 miles and I would walk 500 more.

The story also approaches the material with great respect to the genre and to the idea of switching up the formula a bit. It's a very mysterious narrative, where we are not quite sure what our main character Victoria is really all about or what her intentions are. I love the ambiguity of the beginning half of the film, where you're trying to figure out why she is so obsessed with keeping her recently killed body so intact and zombie free. I enjoyed the playful nature of this reveal and how it slowly begins to expose itself to the audience. It's not something that is spelled out for you and it is only really given away in short and vague morsels that nudge you in the right direction. I appreciated the subtlety of the story and the slow pace in which Pavia chose to go about in order to tackle the material.

Man, I am so sick of plowing these fields!

The music is also top notch, rely on a bevy of long drawn out strings and mournfully filled moaning sounds that provide a perfect soundscape for a zombie apocalypse. The slow and plodding soundtrack really amplifies the despair of the picture and gives a great look into this desperate and lonely world. It's all gloom and doom as Victoria venture across the haggard landscape both during her hunt and throughout her trek back home. The majority of this short film is bathed in a collection of prolonged compositions that mimic the slow nature of the undead antagonists' decrepit movements. It fits the film well and compliments the array of death that is shown up on the screen.

What a creep.

The zombies are also well done for this being such a low budget short in all. These are the old school zombies, the ones that move at a snails pace. There foreboding and ghastly manifestations are a real treat for vintage zombie lovers and ones that take a great deal of inspiration from Romero's iconic mold. The budget may have been a meager $17,000, but the end result is well beyond those restrictions. The actors portraying the walking corpses do an excellent job of putting the fear into the audience, allowing us to be sucked up into the story. There's also some great and nasty moments in the film, like a short finger chomping scene and a few choice kills by the talented main heroine Victoria. After analyzing this short film, I found that there's a lot to love about this small gem of a movie and when you factor in the cost of the whole production, you find yourself appreciating it just a little bit more for accomplishing so much with so little.

Nothing like the sight of a chick with a shotgun.

My last respects and acknowledgments go out to the actress that plays the role of Victoria. Ellie Cahill plays an intriguing and entertaining heroine, one that is quite unorthodox and highly original. She is tough and capable, but she also has a gentler side to her that we see later on in the closing moments of the film. In the short span of the story, we come to find many facets of her character. She's a survivor and has done countless of ghastly things before the opening of the film in order to sustain some shred of existence. We see the wear it has caused on her through her malevolent actions and we witness the horrors that she must inflict on other survivors in order for her to retain a miniscule thread of sanity. It's a complicated role but one that is handled with complete competence by Cahill. I only wish that she had gone on to star in other roles, because she reminds me of another scream queen legend, Ashley Laurence from the Hellraiser series. Both seem to be able to carry a film on their own and do it with an air of ease. Well done Ellie Cahill. Well done.

I highly recommend not going in the dark basement.

Drag is simply a wonderful piece of work by the then budding efforts of Mark Pavia. The atmosphere is spot on, lent in major part by the amazing efforts of the haunting soundtrack and the overbearing visual color palate. The story has just enough portions of the familiar and the absolute appropriate amount of fresh ingredients that it makes for a very interesting tale indeed.

I was pleasantly surprised when I came across this short film and the only thing I can complain about is that I wish it was a full length feature film and that I could somehow obtain a hard copy of this lost gem. I enjoyed every minute of its 35 minute run time and I can't wait to revisit this twisted film again. I highly recommend this film to the zombie lovers of the world. You won't be disappointed. 

4 out of 5 stars         An Amazing Zombie Gem!

REVIEW: Siege of the Dead

Siege of the Dead (Rammbock)

Director: Marvin Kren

Year 2010

Siege of the Dead, or Rammbock as it's called in its native Germany, is a magnificently done and intimately portrayed little zombie film. The movie follows an average joe named Michael, played by a low key Michael Fuith, as he arrives in Berlin to confront his estranged girlfriend Gabi. This already awkward meeting turns to horror when all hell breaks loose, turning ordinary citizens into rabid, fast paced zombies in the vein of the 28 Days Later series. The film doesn't revel in displaying a full blown and epic zombie armageddon, but rather decides to stay close to the main character as he deals with the extraordinary circumstances that he's been thrust into. I love this approach and really appreciated the simplicity of the story. 

The 'Average Joe' at his most average.

The film also takes this simplistic approach another step further, by making the character of Michael as unextraordinary as possible. I mean if you look up the definition of 'Average Joe' in the dictionary, there would be a picture of this guy. He's bland and as uninteresting as they come, but for some reason that makes his character that much more effective and believable. By doing this, the filmmakers create a world that's striped of Hollywood perfection and instead lambasted with grit and grim. You're presented with everyday people in not so everyday dealings and it works because it's so grounded in that realistic and wholeheartedly homely world.

My god what happened to his eyes!

I really haven't come across a film world like this, well at least not in American cinema as of recent. It's an ugly world, one where the hero isn't always the strong hercules type model with flowing hair and bulging biceps and the women aren't ridiculously attractive. Instead we're given Michael, an every day guy whose socially retarded, totally inadequate, and suffering from a broken relationship with a women whose way below the richter scale on passable beauty. At first, this unorthodox approach took me off guard, but as the story progressed I realized that it helped the film rise above that kind of superficial blockade that Hollywood has incased itself in, and became something of a new breed.

He's so average that he disgusts himself.

By grounding the film in a 'true' real world setting, it helps to make everything that's happening in the film, that much more believable. This paves the way for introducing the fantasy element of the movie, and that's the zombie outbreak. After setting up Michael's sad story in a short monologue of sorts, we're placed on the doorsteps of Michael's ex as he slowly climbs the stairwell of her apartment complex. This underwhelming march of death is then suddenly jolted to life as Michael makes his first abrupt contact with the crazed citizens of Berlin. From here on out we never feel safe or comforted, because there is always a possibility that at any time Michael could meet his end.

Excuse me officer.... never mind.

The action is quick and hectic when it occurs and Director Marvin Kren really knows how to push a scene along in a natural and pleasant manner. When I say this is a fast film, I mean it is a really fast film. From start to finish, you'll feel the time just whipping by as Michael fights for his life against these hordes of unknown enemies. It's strange that such an intimate film as this can feel so fast paced and rushed, but somehow the filmmakers of Siege of the Dead pulled it off. That's not to say that there aren't some moments of reflection for the characters, but on the whole this is a roller coaster ride that takes us from one set piece to another.

Awkward.

When I talk about Siege of the Dead being an intimate film, I'm mostly talking about how this entire film takes place inside a small apartment complex where the story focuses on the residents that live there as they try to cope with their building and surrounding area being overrun by the recently ravenous dead. The elementary nature of the location allows for some interesting situations that bestow onto the film a claustrophobic induced atmosphere that never lets up. We move from inside apartments, down hallways, and up dark stairways, all with a feverish paranoid sensation that at anytime our characters could be prey to another venomous ghoul. The tension factor is high in this film and it's due to the outstanding location of the apartment complex.

These mother fuckers are crazy!

Even though this is a claustrophobic film, we are treated to a lot of various locations within the complex. There's some impressive moments where we are thrown from one room to the next, even breaking through walls to get to a neighboring apartment to escape the rabid mob. That's one of the most effect aspects of this film, as we go from place to place mimicking the desperate escape of our main characters. The flow of the chase is wonderful to watch and really gives us a sense that we are being chased by these throngs of zombies. I loved every moment that the filmmakers threw at me and I was never bored with what they came up with. In fact, I marveled at the creativity that was on display here. There's some top notch ideas that come into play in the film that I always wanted to implement into my own kind of zombie movie.

Somebody needs to clean this shit up.

My favorite location of this complex though, has to be the courtyard where most of the action takes place. There's a large concrete lot, smack dab in the middle of the apartment complex where all of the residents in the film have windows facing into. They watch in horror as the mass of zombies congregate down below, ripping anyone to shreds that dare try to escape through the only exit in the building. The placement of this courtyard is brilliant and the central notion of the lot is essential to bringing the surviving characters together and allows the narrative to thread their stories a bit and connect the motley group to one another even if they are bridged by large spaces.

Not the best way to get down from a third story apartment.

There are many memorable scenes in this film which owe a great deal of credit to the courtyard and the visual vistas that it provides. Moments where the various inhabitants of the complex communicate with each other from their windowsills is one of the more genius ideas the film comes up with. We are given just a narrow and fleeting peek into their lives from that one window, but through that small device we are given so much information about who they are and what they are going through. One man stares blankly out his window, almost in a hypnotized manner. Another tenant, a brother and sister pair, debate on whether to stay put or make sure the front gate is secure. There's also a married couple who are in dire  straits because one of them has become violently ill and needs medicine. These small details provide a lot of character and color to the film, helping us get caught up in the moment and allowing us to sympathize with each person's unique situation, even if they are just minor characters.

Blinded by the light.

Let's not forget about the most important character of all, the zombies. Now Siege of the Dead is not a terribly expensive film, but the look and overall style of the undead creatures is quite impressive. Taking a page from the book of the more recent zombie films, these bad boys are hyper kinetic chasers that lurch and bound in strides as they hunt for their next meal. Their jerky nature and horrible temper tantrums remind me of the Rage victims of 28 Days Later. Though they resemble those similar creatures, Siege of the Dead brings an original sub plot to the table by conjuring up a new way to keep the crazed monsters at bay. I won't say what it is, but the idea of it works and it's pulled off rather lavishly in the final moments of the film. I was impressed by the execution of this plot device and was very satisfied with its inclusion in the film. It's always nice to see something new creep up in zombie lore to keep the tales of these decaying corpses feeling fresh and new.

The sad and lonely life of Michael. Not even the zombies notice him.

Siege of the Dead is just a blast and it's refreshing to know that this genre is not even close to being dead in the water. The filmmakers bring a lot of new ideas to the table and establish this twisted story in a world that is unlike anything we've seen in the past. The characters are interesting but grounded in a very real world. One that's unattractive, flawed, and just plain messed up. The zombies are superb and as frightening as they've ever been on the silver screen. You really feel the tension in every inch of this film and it shows. I'd highly recommend this film to all zombie fans or any one who wants to see a non Hollywood take on the genre. This is definitely a flick you must hunt down and see for yourself. There's a whole lot of zombie goodness to love.

4 out of 5 stars        A Fresh Zombie Story From Germany!

Soulless Trailer

Well, I finished the trailer for Soulless over the weekend as planned and here it is. It actually turned out pretty good and gives off the kind of vibe that the rest of the short film does, so I'm pretty much happy with it for the most part.

For those of you that don't know, the story of Soulless is about a man trying to redeem his wife's soul, by hunting down the vampire that infected her. The world that this film is set in is a kind of winter apocalypse where the population is dwindling and the only survivors wander the frozen wasteland during the day in search of food and supplies, while at night they barricade themselves inside and cling to religious artifacts to help keep them safe from the Soulless creatures outside.

It's a low key and subtle film, but I might have pushed the envelope on some of the imagery. I know my friends were a little skittish during certain moments of shooting the film. Well without any further ado, here's the trailer. Enjoy and let me know what you think.

i Spy Eurospy: From the Orient With Fury

From the Orient With Fury

Director: Sergio Grieco

Year 1965

From the Orient With Fury is a tremendously entertaining Eurospy film that presents Ken Clark in his second foray as the super spy Dick Malloy. This time Agent 077 must recover a kidnapped scientist and his extraordinary invention, a ray gun that can disintegrate solid matter, from a madman named Goldwyn. Can he recover the stolen weapon and its creator or is the world doomed? Of course the film isn't as melodramatic as all that, mostly relying on the fun aspects of the spy trade; guns, girls, and beautiful exotic sceneries. This films got it all in almost excessive amounts, for you'll forget multiple times what Dick Malloy's ultimate mission really is. Not to worry though because in this Eurospy, style is definitely better then substance, especially when there is this much eye candy and adventure to get lost in.

I'm not just a handsome man, but I also play one on TV.

Why so blue?

Ken Clark does another outstanding job as the titular spy, whose as good at spying as he is with the ladies. And boy is there a helping handful of them in this film. Unlike Clark's first film in the series, Mission Bloody Mary, he's crooning for the affection of just one beautiful damsel in the form of Helga Line, but in From the Orient With Fury he is bombarded with one female starlet after another. It's interesting that they decided to go this route and just go hog wild with Agent 077's love interests. The change makes for a more hectic movie, thowing any kind of structure to the way side in favor of a more dynamic and diverse slew of romantic interactions for Clark's agent to tackle.

Who would have thought that this tender moment would turn into a slap-fest?

A little help here guys.

In Mission Bloody Mary, we had Helga Line's character to help build the tension with whether she was truly on 077's side or if she was working with another opposing organization. That tense uncertainty worked its way through the entire film, all the way up until the end of the movie. In From the Orient With Fury, that narrative bridge that held the previous film together so well is now absent, making for a more muddled mess that feels like a number of separate missions glued together.

Now I love both approaches that each film takes, but for some reason the hectic mess that is From the Orient With Fury, seems just that much more random and fun. I love the assorted nature of it and the uncontrollable and contrasting quality of each one of Dick Malloy's encounters. It's strange, but it just felt more enjoyable not knowing what crazy thing was going to happen next. Does it make for a more coherent story, hell no, but it does make for some insanely entertaining moments.

I oughta slap you, you kooky dame.

Stop in the name of love!

So many women, so little time. Well time doesn't appear to be a factor for old Dick Malloy. In this mission he's tackling three gorgeous women and he's doing it in style. Some are in league with him and some are against him, but all add a special and significant flavor to the film. Fabienne Dali plays the venomous and deadly Simone Degas who takes a slapping of a lifetime from a pissed off Malloy after her failed assassination attempt on the super spy. Spanish actress and singer Mikaela plays a short but memorable role as Dolores Lopez, who has her life turned upside down by Malloy after he wines and dines her and then splits. She performs a magnificent musical number in the small portion of the film that she appears in, but it's a spectacular moment and very meaningful. Then rounding out the ladies is one of Eurospy's most legendary female forces of the genre, Margaret Lee. She plays the character of Evelyn Stone who partners up with Agent 077 to take down the evil Goldwyn. She is absolutely stunning in this film and does a great job of rounding out the cast and complimenting Ken Clark's promiscuous spy.

Damn that Ken Clark is one smooth mother.. shut your mouth.

Thank god I took off my heels and put on my Himalayan walking shoes!

We get a nice array of locations in this film, from Madrid, Istanbul, and the familiar Paris locations that were present in Dick Malloy's first film. The different looks of each locale is equal to the impressive vistas that were featured in Mission Bloody Mary, so the tradition of the Malloy series sustains its exotic wonder and breathtaking views. This is nice, because you really can't have a Eurospy flick without the globe trotting aspect to go along with it. It's just a part of the overall Eurospy recipe.

Add this with the fact that we get a large assortment of exotic femme fatales and a bat shit crazy mad man named Goldwyn, played by Franco Ressel, and you have yourself a strangely satisfying little film. The fact that they kept Ken Clark as super agent Dick Malloy to continue the spies adventures, only solidifies the series as a consistent addition to the Eurospy genre and one that I always love revisiting. Plus the fact that this film has a freaking ray gun that disintegrates anything in its path. A ray gun! Just saying.

Weee! Ray guns are fun!

Shout! Shout! Get this spear out!

From the Orient With Fury is not as established as its predecessor, but what it lacks in cohesive story telling it more then makes up for it with its over the top sub plot and never ending stream of silver screen beauties. The randomness of the film is highly entertaining and some of the sequences that they come up with in the film is actually pretty effective and appealing.

You really can't go wrong with this movie or any of the Ken Clark spy films. They've got something for every Eurospy lover out there and if you're not tickled by at least something in these ridiculously amusing flicks, then maybe you're taking these movies too seriously. Remember it's all in good fun. I highly recommend this film to all Eurospy devotees and to anyone who wants a little adventure and fun in their lives, even if it's lived through the celluloid life of the one and only Dick Malloy.

4 out of 5 guns        A Great Eurospy Adventure With Beauty to Spare!

i Spy Eurospy: Mission Bloody Mary

Mission Bloody Mary

Director: Sergio Grieco

Year 1965

Mission Bloody Mary is a highly entertaining Eurospy flick that stars Ken Clark as an unstoppable and extremely charismatic CIA agent named Dick Malloy aka Agent 077. In true Bond fashion, 077 must find and recover an American nuclear device that has been stolen by the dubious secret organization called the Black Lilly, before they sell the powerful weapon to the Red Chinese or it ends up in other foreign hands. The film moves at a brisk pace, only stopping once in a while, but the overall enjoyment level of this film is right up there with some of the top Eurospy flicks.

This is my red turtleneck! There are many like it, but this one is mine!

Now where the hell did I park the car?

The casting of Ken Clark as super agent Dick Malloy is pure genius and he's one of the main reasons that this film is so enjoyable. His tough guy, suave routine, is spot on and the fact that he is built like a freight train doesn't take away from the overall appearance that this man can wreck some shop when put in a sticky situation. Like his agent counterpart James Bond, Dick Malloy can spout out some good one liners when the situation calls for it. In Agent 077's first mission, Mission Bloody Mary, he offers up a few choice gems, but nothing too over the top and cheesy. What helps Ken Clark's ability to sell his lines is his slick delivery, almost winking to the audience as if he's having as much fun as we are. He projects a confidence that absolutely had me sold during my first viewing of this film and quelled my fears on whether this guy could carry a Eurospy franchise and do it with style. He can and does.

That's right ladies and gentlemen. I'm going to do her by the end of the film.

Take that you son of a bitch!

Now it wouldn't be a Eurospy film without a few beautiful women to decorate it with and this one excels in that department by specializing in one particular German beauty, Helga Line, whose been in more genre films then I can keep track of. It seems she was the go to girl for most of these Eurospy films of the 60's and I've been hard at work trying to track down most of her roles, but still can't seem to find the end of her filmography in this genre. Two of my favorite horror films that she's appeared in are Horror Rises From the Tomb and The Loreley's Grasp. She was stunning in both films and in Mission Bloody Mary, she demands attention in every scene that she appears in. Her role in the film is essential in bringing about many of the intriguing moments in the film. Helga plays Dick Malloy's partner and love interest in the movie, but also provides Malloy's character with a great deal of trouble as he struggles to both bed her and figure out her allegiance. She does an amazing job as usual in both enticing and engaging the audience.

See something you like Helga? Cheeky pervert.

I think Ken Clark is starting to get the point.

Location. Location. Location. That's what Eurospy films are all about. Though they were limited by their small budgets, most Eurospy movies relied on the location of their stories to pump up the overall look of their films and in the process made them look much more expensive then they had any right to be. In Mission Bloody Mary, we are treated with a bevy of locales from Paris to Madrid, providing a lavish look to the film and packing the frame full of stunning landscapes, beautiful coastal towns, and posh casinos all in the dynamic style of Europe 1965. With this first entry in the Dick Malloy spy adventure series, we're introduced to a world that is both beautiful and deadly, but at the same time, so damn fun.

Ken Clark, man about town.

Hello mom, I think I'm in love.

If action is what you crave, then Ken Clark is your man. His portrayal of Dick Malloy is a physical one, throwing caution to the wind and karate chopping every last bad guy until they lay motionless at his feet. You have to commend Clark for his enthusiasm in many of these fight scenes, because you can see him throwing his whole self into it. Being a veteran of Peplum films, where the battles are fast and fierce among the italian sword and sandal epics, Clark employs that same animalistic nature in his fight scenes, lashing out at his attackers like a cornered animal. His athleticism in itself is entertaining to watch but it's  his overall enthusiasm that is infectious as hell.

Which one of you bastards put me in this white jump suit?

Music is another one of those elements that make Eurospy films so enjoyable and Mission Bloody Mary has one of the most wonderful opening songs created by the italian composer Ennio Morricone, entitled Bloody Mary. This haunting yet at the same time groovy track, blasts your eardrums with a tight reoccurring horn sequence that's accompanied by the dynamic vocals of Maurizio Graf. Morricone's musical works are legendary and provide the cinema with some of the most diverse soundtracks that have ever graced the ears of the filmgoing audience. Like his stupendous work on films like The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, Once Upon a Time in the West, Cinema Paradiso, and The Untouchables, Ennio Morricone brings the overall feel of Mission Bloody Mary up a notch in just the opening moments of the film from his expressive and lively main title theme.

The end.

Mission Bloody Mary is a great introduction to Eurospy for the uneducated and a perfect stepping stone for the rest of the series to spring off of. It introduces us to a charismatic new agent named Dick Malloy, who has the suave attitude and lethal moves to get the job done and save the day. The look of the film is spot on in that 60's Euro-style way and the various locations that we're presented to in this film is not short of amazing. If you're a fan of Eurospy or someone who just wants to get their feet dirty in the genre, I highly recommend it. It's a damn good fun time.

4 guns out of 5      A Great Addition to Any Eurospy Collection!