30 Days of Horror (Day 16)

Considering how terrible Jack of Swords was, I think it's time for another horror round up, don't you? Enjoy!
Sorry guys, no real theme tying today's films together, despite jumping from recommendation to recommendation from films I've put in these here round-ups, today's collection of three titles from three separate marathons don't really have a whole lot of correlation. Yep, that is right, I've seen a lot of shit over the last week.

My first recommendation is some good old British Cinema, I don't remember the last time I even did anything from my home country, but The Children is here to represent, we are Britain, the land of Hammer and here we are proving again that horror is something we know how to do and guess what, even the critics liked this one! Calling it skilfully executed, disturbing, creepy, intense and darkly humorous - all centred around creepy children. Awesome! And what did I think?


I think one of the biggest reasons The Children works so well is because it is British. It's been quite some time since I've reviewed anything British, but as a really brief recap, British cinema never tries to soften any punches like so many American films do. Even a lot of British comedies all carry this dreariness, this sense that not everything needs to be neatly tied with a bow and there doesn't need to be a happy ending - like nearly every bit of British Cinema is a direct challenge to the clinical American Mainstream way of doing it. We could debate 'til the cows come home about the notion of depression and entertainment, but in a horror film, this British style, tone and storytelling just feels right at home. It toys with the audience, offering hope and just as your fingers caress it, it pulls it away from you. It's less frightening and more horrifying - the catalyst death of the piece had me hand over mouth and cursing loudly, with my stomach dropping out my ankles and that was before I even saw the extent of the injuries. This film isn't about pleasantries and in many senses it isn't so much about fear either, just deeply unsettling you to your very core and it more than succeeds in that area.  This is a brutal, unrelenting, unforgiving cinema experience, it may not be the cheeriest film in existence, but this is an experience you just need to well...experience. Incredible stuff. It's a bloody well made film too, it helps hold the whole thing together quite nicely. Just marvellous, another film I'd call a masterpiece, not just a masterpiece of horror.

What is also interesting for the more nerdy people out there is the film can also be read on a deeper level, if you so choose too. There is definitely a deeper, more scathing bit of critique hidden beneath the surface of the film. At least once me and my friend began to discuss the Bulger case, just because even when the parents see with their own eyes what is happening in front of them, they still refuse to admit it, one mother in particular witnesses the children commit horrific acts of violence on multiple occasions and is still full of mercy, because 'they are just children'. How many adults do you know with 'little angels' who are much closer to 'little cunts'? This film almost acts as a critique of that parental ignorance and almost a wish fulfilment fantasy for anyone who has wanted to murder those little shits.

My next recommendation...just stick with me with this one, please? I know what you folks are like, so just give me a chance, please? My next recommendation is... Devil. You've all seen the spoofs, Devil on an Escalator etc you've seen the hate from the user reviews who hate M. Night Shyamalan because that was in at the time, but have you ever watched the film itself?

Probably the most important thing to note going into this is despite the poster, Shyamalan has very little to do with the film. It was his idea, sure, but Brian Nelson was the one that turned it into a screenplay and John Erick Dowdle was the one who directed it. So take those preconceptions and those prejudices and shove them up your ass. Even the critic reviews weren't unanimously negative either, it's been called thrilling b-movie with a great central premise. And what did I think?


Admittedly coming into Devil my expectations were low, so practically anything would impress me but I think this film actually genuinely impressed me - not just out of principle. Devil has a slow, but constant trickle of information that keeps you hooked and glued to the screen as the story progresses, it'd be difficult to stop watching even after the first ten minutes coupled with this slowly forming, intriguing story is a brilliantly constructed atmosphere of twisted imagery and a sense of paranoia and dread. Importantly too is that the film keeps itself remarkably grounded, given that the devil ends up involved in the thing. The story holds up and manages to remain consistently coherent right the way through, even as shit begins to get crazier and crazier. And no, it doesn't end on some kind of mind numbing twist, this twist works and all in all, it tells a satisfying story, with a satisfactory ending. Really the only problem this film has is in its characters, I understand it's the whole point of the film but having only one likeable character who isn't an utter retard can make for a difficult and frustrating watch at times but overall there is a lot more meat to Devil than a novelty and I enjoyed the hell out of it. B-Movie satisfaction seal of approval!

Plus, I've seen a lot of criticism at the Devil itself, why would a Devil be in an elevator in the first place? I mean really, we are going to argue that point of all things - why? I mean we're just gonna accept the Devil as a thing...because of the name of the movie...but then question its motives and plans? Really? That is almost pathetically nitpicky. I took the Devil's plan on face value, if I have to take the jump that the Devil is real within the films diegesis to question his plan would be kind of a mute point. But since I have to just accept the Devil as a thing, I may as well just accept his plan as a thing too and under that logic, I think the plan makes a lot of sense. Four of the people in there are sinners, one of them is the Devil itself. For whatever reason a Devil is in a lift, killing people - but we have to accept there is a Devil anyway so I'm rolling with it. Three characters die, no ifs or buts, they die. The final character however, gets both a flashback - and gets spared. At first this seems kind of confusing as to why, but when you think of all the elements established it all seems to fit quite nicely. The cop lost his wife and son in a hit and run, he receives a message 'I'm so sorry' scribbled on the back of coupon and given the presentation assumes insincerity. However, this is the only character to establish some sense of sorry before they ever entered the lift. So by that logic and all I have to roll with already, I can simply assume the Devil killed the other three without question because they were complete bastards, without an ounce of sorry in their being but the final guy was sorry to some extent, which is why the Devil spared him. I fail to see how that doesn't make sense.


My final recommendation is a horror comedy...well it is claimed to be a 'horror' comedy, but it's basically pure comedy and one of the funniest things I think you'll see not just this October, but all year. It's a stoner film, that literally leaves you feeling like you are on drugs. It's a film called 'Evil Bong', it is a Full Moon production directed by Charles Band - so you pretty much know exactly what you are getting going in. It's pretty nonsensical, really goofy and not particularly well made, but as said, we kind of expect that given the title and production company going in and when it's this laugh out loud funny, it's difficult to care - plus Jack Deth (yes, as in the character) and Bill Moseley is in this! - that really is all I have to say on this one, haha.

Think About It!

-Locke