MORE ON THE NEW YORK CITY HORROR FESTIVAL

by Marleah Martin

Program 9: 10/28/07, 5 P.M.

THE EVIL INSIDE- John G. McGrath

What starts as your usual scorned lover revenge story quickly shifts gears when the target takes a stand against being terrorized and turns the tables on her aggressor. But this isn’t just a case of simply nipping an act of violence in the bud.

Susan Edds plays a woman who decides it’s time to move on from her relationship, and Ty Jones Stilwell plays the jilted lover who takes the breakup badly, to say the least. Messages are left stating malicious intentions- unfortunately for him, he underestimates her potential to be just as vicious.

It seems the film is going in the direction of a woman refusing to be terrorized, stopping the assailant in his tracks in self-defense and at most, delivering a little vengeance. But on account of a particularly sadistic and meticulously planned act on her part, it’s plausible to switch from perceiving the woman as the only victim here who’s merely giving her tormentor his just desserts, to sympathies becoming split between the two. It’s unclear whether it was intentional to convey this; perhaps it is just supposed to be the story of a man getting what he had coming to him and what one can be capable of if pushed enough. However, her retaliation is so brutal, one wonders if something more really is up with her besides being full of rage at being antagonized.

I couldn’t help but chuckle then, when reflecting back on her earlier line about their differences when in reality, it seemed possible that these two had more in common than was first readily apparent. In some twisted way, had these two met their match in each other? Or can an otherwise healthy, mentally stable human being really be driven to go this far when backed into a corner? It’s difficult to say, and for the individual viewer to judge after witnessing the final spine-chilling scene.

DEATHTRAP- Pascal Trottier

Two boys (Tyler Couldridge, Cody Kieswatter) stumble upon an abandoned refrigerator, and an argument leads to an encounter more frightening than either could’ve imagined.

It’s something of a coming of age/ghost story rolled into one- the boys challenge each other on issues of courage, loyalty and strength. One’s heart goes out to them as an entity they are no match for strips them of their outward show of bravado and sends them into a confused panic, revealing the vulnerability they obviously struggle to conceal when in each other’s company.

In the beginning, the boys have a lot to say- trash-talking, showing off and the like. But when circumstances prove too much for them to keep up a front, the dialogue drops off, and this is when the actors are at their most powerful- the haunted look in Couldridge’s eyes is especially unnerving. On the whole, the direction and fine performances here were standouts among the short films screened at the festival.

NOBODY- Shawn Linden

No one could argue that this film is superb on many levels- beautiful cinematography, impressive acting and significant attention to detail factor in. However, while a piece that takes its time can certainly be appreciated, Nobody positively moves at a snail’s pace, made all the more frustrating by its cryptic format.

In this 1950’s film-noir, an assassin is pursued by a man he just killed and attempts to make sense of the predicament he’s in. The plot is not outlined linearly; it jumps around in time and scenes repeat themselves. To a degree, our questions are answered as the pace quickly picks up towards the end, but it’s still challenging to fully understand the story or actually pinpoint a discernable objective to the film.

Costas Mandylor is exceptional as the hit-man who wrestles with his bewilderment beneath a calm, cool exterior.

Program 10: 10/28/07, 7:30 P.M.

A packed house at this program, many turning out for the world premiere of Blood Rails as well as the Festival award ceremony immediately following.

BLOOD RAILS- Frank Zagarino

A maniac escapes policy custody and goes on a murderous rampage in the town he terrorized years before.

In the opening of Blood Rails, I somehow got it in my head that this would be a sort of social analysis on the question of compassion for criminals. After all, that’s the whole reason the guy gets loose in the first place.  High-minded assumptions were quickly dashed- the foolish doctor responsible is quickly offed and no further mention of note is made of the doctor’s goof. As the first of many killings commence, it was rather evident that this bit was merely a plot device to get the ball rolling. No room for intellectualizing here- this was going to follow the straight up slasher flick formula to the letter from here on in. In case one had any doubts, the film cuts to a shot of two fresh-faced randy teenagers, always unfortunate casualties as mandated by the classic horror blueprint.

There’s a reason so many films follow that blueprint- time and again, it’s worked. And indeed, most of the necessary ingredients are here. Bubbly blonde, check. Brunette with more serious concerns on her mind, check. Boyfriends making noble efforts to be fearless protectors, check. Insert party scene here, breast shot there. And of course- a cornucopia of bad decisions (probably not a good idea to sit with your back against the door!), as well as the characters’ inexplicable ability, after witnessing the horrific, to emotionally switch gears quite swiftly- considering the magnitude of what they face- into rather impassive states  (aided by flat dialogue and only after the requisite piercing scream, of course).

However, some aspects of the recipe fall short. We should be empathizing with the heroine- the character that’s supposed to be a bit more savvy and grounded than the others. But with the exception of a bright idea or two, for the most part we’re obliged to watch her too make one unbelievably poor choice after another without really any understandable motivation. This, coupled with a peculiar baby-talk voice- (at first maybe a little endearing, but soon an annoyance) makes it tough to root for her. And instead of being spooked by the stock character otherwise known as “mysterious individual lurking on the sidelines who knows the back story” – in this case, the groundskeeper- the audience merely found him a hoot.

And that brings up the most puzzling aspect of Blood Rails- how funny was it supposed to be? Were we indeed supposed to take the heavier scenes with a grain of salt? Did we laugh when we weren’t supposed to?

The scenes with the groundkeeper, the villain’s silly repeated gesture of hitting the railroad spikes in his hands together, the good deal of aimless running around reminiscent of an episode of Benny Hill (though one hears the requisite dark classical music score, it’s easy to imagine a twiddling banjo providing accompaniment) – point in the direction of subtle stabs at humor. If that wasn’t the case, the film perhaps takes itself a little too seriously. But if in fact it is meant to be a macabre comedy at heart with a horror slant, I could recommend it to anyone who likes their laughs mixed with good old-fashioned gore.

ZERO HOUR- Dave Colonna

It’s worth noting that this 4 minute short was made in a competition where the films are made in 12 hours. The soundtrack fits well, there’s some nifty zoom shots and it has its funny moments. When all is said and done, it’s a mildly entertaining zombie film considering the time and budget restraints.