Very Scary Productions - Thoughts For The Month Archives 2008

SUBJECT: Some cool movies from 2007.

For my first Thoughts For The Month column of the New Year I’d like to discuss some of the movies I enjoyed in the previous year. Below is my “Best Movies of 2007" list. Enjoy!

HORROR FILMS:

Blood and Chocolate - This werewolf movie was a pleasant surprise in the PG-13 teen horror category for 2007. It’s a rather simple story really, about young Vivian (Agnes Bruckner), who is a werewolf and falls in love with a handsome human named Aiden (Hugh Dancy) in spite of her species efforts to stop them from being together. The movie is set in modern-day Bucharest, and at the outset we are shown scenes of hip underground clubs where young people hang out and drink. This first made me think Blood and Chocolate was going to be

a film with a lot of trendy teens with accents who happened to be werewolves; however the movie quickly

morphs into a more traditional love story mixed with elements of classic werewolf films. For example, one of these elements is the fact that silver is still deadly to the werewolves, while conversely the idea of the moon controlling their changing cycles is jettisoned. This balance of old and new ideas served the movie well.

Another big strength of Blood and Chocolate were the effects. I liked it that the special effects in this movie were not overdone, and were in fact almost downplayed. While others have criticized the fact that elaborate makeup and transformation effects were not employed, I found myself appreciating the simple white light effect as the werewolves changed at will from human form to that of a real wolf. Certainly this keeps the movie out of the league of such groundbreaking werewolf transformation films as An American Werewolf In London and The Howling, however here effects aren’t the point because the story is primarily about the two young lovers, their relationship, and their relationship to the pack. This dynamic continually kept my interest and gave the movie a sort of violent soap opera feel which was easy to relate to. At the same time there were plenty of tense moments and enough graphic werewolf scenes to satsisfy the horror/suspense component in the picture. And it was interesting to note that Blood and Chocolate didn’t present the standard black and white, good vs. evil

tale one might expect because the pack leader and werewolves trying to keep Vivian from her human lover

were not portrayed as all bad. I could relate to them at least somewhat, which for me added to the overall

appeal of the story.

I’d also like to note that this movie was based on a popular teen novel by Annette Curtis Klause, and writers and readers alike have leveled criticism over the fact that a lot was changed for the cinematic adaption. Having not read the book, or heard of it before seeing the movie, I can’t address this. However from the point of view of the uninitiated (so to speak), I can say that Blood and Chocolate is a movie that presents a compelling little tale in a highly stylized way, and is perhaps a sleeper film that could appeal to both hopeless romantics and horror fans alike.

Bug - In perhaps one of the weirdest movies I’ve seen in quite some time, Hollywood A-lister Ashley Judd stars alongside Michael Shannon and crooner Harry Connick, Jr., under the direction of the legendary William Friedkin (who helmed The Excorcist). First let me say this movie could just as easily be put under the categories drama or suspense as it could horror, because it doesn’t really conform to any one particular genre. The movie is based on an Off-Broadway play with the story centering on Agnes (Ashley Judd), a waitress living in a rundown apartment in Oklahoma, who is struggling to free herself once and for all from the hold of her abusive convict ex-husband Jerry (Harry Connick, Jr), just released from prison. She’s also still grieving over the disappearance of her son Lloyd some ten years ago. She dulls her emotional pain with drinking and drugs and is needless to say a very troubled woman. Agnes’ life takes a turn for the bizarre when her lesbian friend R.C. (Lynn Collins) introduces her to mysterious loner Peter Evans (Michael Shannon). At first cautious and suspicious of Peter, she slowly begins to be attracted to him and the two share a night of passion, after which Agnes invites him to stay with her. From here on in we gradually learn that while he seems initially just a bit odd and softspoken, Peter is really a full-blown paranoid schizoprenic who was a soldier in the Gulf War. He claims he was subjected to terrible scientific experiments and that the government is now after him. He also believes his body is infested with... you guessed it... bugs.

This movie started out going in one direction, than abruptly took a turn for the weird, before going completely

off-kilter towards the final act. The story of down-on-her-luck Agnes is compelling drama in and of itself, especially with the talented Ashley Judd essaying the role. Her situation with her ex-husband is bleak to say the least, and I thought perhaps the story would have Agnes find refuge of sorts in a lesbian relationship with R.C., based on the way the two seemed to relate to one another in early scenes. However lesbian sex scenes aren’t the business of this movie as R.C. proves to be a peripheral character, and Peter Evans takes center stage and slowly takes over Agnes’ world. At heart Bug is the story of a lonely woman longing to have companionship and love in her life. Because of this intense need she slowly begins to bond with and believe in Peter as he unravels his strange consipracy tales and rants and raves about things perhaps real or imagined. In fact one of the highlights of this picture is the intense and incredibly believeable monlogues given by Michael Shannon as the viewer is drawn into his world along with Agnes and made to wonder if there really is anything to what he is saying. And Ashley Judd paints an incredibly compelling portrait of a woman increasingly willing to believe and do anything to fill the huge emotional void in her life.

As mentioned above, Bug could fall under any label, and in fact the unbelievable climax makes it almost undefinable. Fans looking for a straightforward horror film may be disappointed, although there are definitely

a lot of bloody, visceral moments in the film, most involving Peter’s (and later Agnes') attempts to remove the bugs from their bodies. This really is a character piece from start to finish, although from theatrical previews it appeared more like a monster movie or creature feature. For mainstream viewers expecting a straightforward drama there will probably be bewilderment, for this is in no way, shape or form a mainstream movie (despite the star power of Ashley Judd and Harry Connick, Jr.). It’s also worth noting that the movie presents a good amount of nude flesh, however probably not enough to satisfy fans looking for a spicy exploitation romp. (Even though

it has been reported the movie featured a body double in the nude sex scenes, the plot becomes so crazy and twisted towards the end that I can only guess Ashely Judd must have really wanted to work with William Friedkin or really liked the original source material). However despite the fact that Bug probably won’t satisfy fans of the horror genre, and is admittedly talky to say the least, it’s still presesnts the most unforgettable 100 minutes or so I’ve seen on the big screen in quite some time.

The Hitcher (2007 Remake) - The original version of The Hitcher is an 80’s horror chesnut that probably greatly contributed to the decline of the practice of hitchhiking that was so prevalent in decades prior. The film could also be classified as a violent road movie which starred C. Thomas Howell as Jim Halsey, a young man transporting a car across country who has the extreme misfortune of choosing to pick up psychotic serial killer John Ryder (Rutger Hauer). In fact, Ryder turns out not only to be a cunning, sadistic and extremely persistent killer, he also displays seemingly supernatural strength by being almost unkillable himself. A young Jennifer Jason Leigh also appears in the film as a waitress who tries to help Halsey.

In the remake Sean Bean takes over as John Ryder and proves to be just as menacing in the role as Hauer

was, albeit in his own distinct manner. Here he stalks Jim Halsey and his girlfriend Grace (Zachary Knighton

and Sophia Bush), and manages to create chaos and leave a trail of bloody bodies in his wake while

tormenting the young people. Although I’m generally not a fan of remakes and always brace myself when I hear one is coming out for a movie I liked, this film turned out to be a fairly solid outing. The creepy and terrifying thing about both this film and the original is that it’s never really clear who John Ryder is, where he came from, and why he does what he does. The obvious guess in both versions is that he is simply a mad killer who enjoys murder. In fact in the original version Hauer injects a slight touch of sly humor as he goes about his grisly business, which may indicate that the obvious guess is correct. However in this new version it seems John Ryder is more bent, for reasons still unexplained, on finding someone who can kill him. He is much more downbeat and seems suicidal at times, although in a macter-of-fact kind of way. So he pushes Grace to the breaking point in order to force her to either die or become an avenging angel (of sorts). This could be interpreted as the new version having a slightly more focused direction than it’s predecessor, which was

a bit more surreal in nature while still being extremely disturbing.

In The Hitcher (2007) both the action and the violence were cranked up, the pace was quickened, and the acting was solid throughout. The bottom line for me was that this remake was an entertaining road movie/horror film that stood nicely on it’s own, while not necessarily improving on its predecessor. An in this era of lousy and/or unecessary horror film remakes, that’s not too bad.

P2 - This very accomplished little film is basically a two-character piece which shows us one long and excrutiating evening in the life of a businesswoman named Angela Bridges (Rachel Nichols) who is working

late on Christmas Eve and gets trapped in the parking garage of her building (hence the title P2). Everyone has gone home for the holiday, just as she should be, except for a lone parking lot security guard named Thomas (Wes Bentley) who offers to help her out. Unfortunately he proves to be unstable and psychotic, and before Angela knows it she is tied up in his office sitting in front of a table full of food to share Christmas dinner with

him. It turns out Thomas is incredibly lonely and wants Angela all to himself, much to her dismay. From then on the movie turns into a game of cat and mouse as Angela tries desperately to escape from him and the locked building. Along the way Thomas shows just how far he will go to have her, and eliminate any competition for her affections, by leaving some bloody bodies in his wake.

Although this situation may sound a bit derivative in terms of horror and suspense film conventions, in P2 it’s also very believable and well-acted. The premise is well within the bounds of plausibility, and the two leads do

an admirable job making us care about them and their plight. Angela seems like a likable enough woman, other then perhaps having the flaw of being something of a workaholic, and when she is held against her will she

elicits sympathy. She also proves to be courageous and really tries to stand up to the guy despite still being visibly terrified throughout the ordeal. (And it might be worth noting that in true horror/exploitation film fashion Angela proves to be a real feast for the eyes after Thomas redresses her for dinner in a dress which shows off her ample cleavage - seems the boy definitely knows how he wants his ideal woman to look). However the real draw here is how Wes Bentley gives us a character that can be identified with to some degree even if we are routing for Angela to escape from him or perhaps kill him. This is because he’s not a garden variety psycho who just kills for no reason or because he’s crazy, and he’s not a faceless killer in a mask either. While those types

of slasher films can make for some good entertainment and certainly have their moments, that is not the story here. In P2 we meet someone who’s a lonely man inwardly bitter at the fact that he doesn’t have anyone in his life. And he is trying to rectify that situation at all costs.

While there’s no arguing we’ve seen this type of plot many times before, this particular example is so well-crafted it doesn’t matter. The story and acting are solid, and overall the movie provides well-paced tension that mostly doesn’t let up until the climax. P2 is the type of small picture that can easily get lost in the shuffle of big-budget special effects epics and horror film remakes, however it is one that definitely shouldn’t be missed.

NON-HORROR FILMS:

Live Free or Die Hard - This film is of course the fourth entry in the long-running and sucessful Die Hard

action movie series. Here everyman hero John McCLane (Bruce Willis) battles ruthless computer guru Thomas

Gabriel (Timothy Olyphant), a disgruntled former US government employee who was fired when he told his bosses the infastructure of the country wasn’t secure. He and his team of hackers and henchmen begin a major cyber attack on government computer networks and it’s up to McClane and a young hacker named Matt Farrell (Justin Long) to stop them. This could be John McClane’s toughest battle yet, because, after all, he’s decidedly old school in everything he does.

It’s amazing how consistently good the Die Hard movies have been over the years, and this one continues the tradition. Bruce Willis plays his character in the same dependable manner he always has, and as usual it’s impossible not to identify with him and root him on. Justin Long is absolutely believeable as a self-centered, cynical, but ultimately good-hearted slacker computer hacker. And Timothy Olyphant convinces us that the master plan he’s attempting to pull off is utterly possible, whether it really is or not. To his credit he plays his role with menace while not being over-the-top or cartoony. Film guru Kevin Smith also gives a good showing as another computer hacker, while popular young actress Mary Elizabeth Winstead appears as McClane’s daughter Lucy. Additionally, the movie continues the tradition of incredible, if not always entirely believable, action sequences which keep the excitement level high. Standout scenes involve McClane duking it out with Gabriel’s Martial Arts expert girlfriend Mai Linh (Maggie Q), and a sequence involving a jet fighter, a huge truck, and our hero jumping from one vehicle to another. All in a days work for hero John McClane! Fun and engaging from start to finish, Live Free or Die Hard made me think it wouldn’t be such a bad thing at all if John McClane didn’t decide to retire for a long, long time to come. Go Bruce!

Mr. Brooks - In this psychological thriller Kevin Costner plays the title character of Earl Brooks, a respected businessman by day and cold-blooded serial killer by night. The film starts off with Mr. Brooks receiving a Man

of the Year award in honor of his business accomplishments, and not too long after this he leaves his house at night, breaks into the apartment of a young couple making love, and shoots them right in the middle of the act. However this movie is more than a simple dual-personality tale where Mr. Brooks is a good guy one minute and bad guy the next. Rather he is a man who truly wants to repent and repress his intense desire to kill. However unfortunately for him he is continuously stirred to murderous action by his cunning alter ego Marshall, played

with relish by William Hurt, who only he (and we) can see. Vowing to make the young couple his final victims before retiring to a peaceful family life, he runs into a major snag when an amatuer photographer (Dane Cook) appears at his office with photos of him at the crime scene. Calling himself Mr. Smith, the photographer explains that he wants to come along with Brooks on the next murder and learn how to kill. To make matters worse a dertermined detective (Demi Moore) is now hot on the trail, and police show up at Mr. Brook’s house to question his daughter, who has recently returned home from college, about a murder near her campus. Such difficult circumstances would surely break a lesser man; however Mr. Brooks is incredibly smart and adept at everything he does.

If the above description seems overly complex, that’s because it is. However far from making the plot muddled or stilted, the plot complexity is handled skillfully. The pieces of this intricate puzzle overlap while still unfolding seemlessly, and we are in for quite a ride. Simply put, Mr. Brooks is an intense and witty psychological suspense piece that is engaging from the opening moments until the final shocking scene. The main attraction though is the great performance by lead actor Kevin Costner, which is complimented nicely by his supporting players. Costner plays a character who alternates smoothly between caring family man and cold, emotionless murderer. He also pulls off the tough task of making the audience root for him despite his terrible deeds. Similarly, the other characters are easy to identify with as well despite their flaws. For example although

Mr. Smith is not such a nice guy, he can still at least be pitied because of how naive he really is; for we know

he’s in way over his head in his dealings with Earl Brooks and is being played like a fiddle by a master craftsman. And cop Tracy Atwood (Demi Moore), truly the only wholeheartedly good character in the movie,

is involved in a bitter divorce which constantly brings out the worst in her.

Horror and suspense fans leary of a movie with Kevin Costner’s name in the cast list need not be worried.

Here the talented actor has chosen a part that casts him against his usual good guy persona in a movie that is suprisingly graphic and gritty, while at the same time being very polished and sophisticated. As a tried and true horror film fan I wholeheartedly recommend this engaging, and at times terrifying, study of a multifaceted and diabolical personality.

SUBJECT: A look at the evolution of Underground Digital Cinema - A discussion of some of my experiences, insights and perspectives - Part 4.

(Note: See the October 2007 Thoughts For The Month for Part 1 of this continuing column, the November 2007 TFTM for Part 2, and the December 2007 TFTM for Part 3).

In part 3 of my continuing column on underground digital cinema I talked about the category of exploitation film known as the adult drama or, sometimes known, as the erotic thriller. As mentioned, this category of B-movie cinema generally focuses on overly dramatic and sensationalistic plotlines held together by nude scenes and/or simulated sex scenes. Some examples discussed were the enduring 'Emmanuelle' film series, and popular 1990’s erotic thriller franchises like Night Eyes and Body Chemistry, featuring actresses such as Shannon Tweed and Tanya Roberts, among others. As a reminder, the discussion of these types of movies is meant to provide a point of reference, because they are predecessors to movies being produced by underground digital cinema production companies of today specializing in B-movie and exploitation cinema, which I plan to discuss in more detail in later additions to this continuing column series. And fear not, I also plan to swing the discussion squarely back into the horror film output of these companies, because, after all, it’s horror films which are my main area of interest and expertise nowadays. But for now back to more discussion of B-movies past...

One characteristic most adult dramas have in common is they are usually played straight, with a soap-opera

feel often punctuating the stories. In contrast, the raunchy B-movie comedy is played for laughs using many of

the same types of exploitative elements (such as nudity, drinking, partying, and all kinds of crazy behavior). Today the raunchy comedy is as popular as ever, with movies such as the teen franchise American Pie films doing big business at multiplexes and on DVD alike. Flashing back to the glorious 1980’s again it’s easy to identify many predecessors to movies like American Pie, such as the infamous Porky’s film series (Porky’s, Porky’s II: The Next Day and Porky’s Revenge) just to name one prominent example. * Of course these films, like the first three American Pie movies, are what might be called higher-end B-movies, with bigger budgets, theatrical releases, and often (in the case of the American Pie films at least) bigger name teen actors. Going down the prestige and budgetary scale we move back into the realm of direct to video, “after dark” comedy films which to this day continue to populate pay cable channels as well as DVD.

Back in the day, just like with the adult dramas, raunchy comedies were advertised relentlessly with promos

on pay cable channels. I remember them being particularly prominent on Cinemax, a pay cable channel we subscribed to, which of course during my teen years was one of the best unspoken things about that channel. Today many of these movies look quaint and tame in comparison to some of the more cutting-edge exploitation cinema being produced both on film and through the use of digital video. Indeed nowadays the World Wide

Web is also no doubt filled with more extreme material. What follows is a discussion of some memorable, perhaps even nostalgic, low-budget and B-movie comedy titles from yesteryear which were strictly the realm

of pay cable and home video (VHS) during the 1980’s.

Even before the aforementioned Porky’s in 1982, the raunchy teen comedy was a popular 1980’s B-movie staple. The 1979 film H.O.T.S. is a perfect example of the genre for the times. (It’s the type of voyeuristic thrill movie I remember - from back in my teen years - fighting to stay awake to see on a Friday night because it always seemed to be on at between 1:00 and 3:00 AM in the morning!) It was a campy, college-themed film that kind of fell into Revenge of the Nerds and Animal House territory. I say this because, like those higher-profile movies, the plot centers on one college group with power, prestige and/or authority on their side pitted against another without it. Here the H.O.T.S. sorority, made up of a group of liberated, fun-loving college girls, is being heavily scrutinized on campus by another much more (supposedly) conservative, prominent sorority as well as

by the college administration. The H.O.T.S. sorority creed is a humorously long, cheerleading-style anthem

about winning every guy on campus away from the rival Pi sorority; basically the H.O.T.S. girls just want to have fun and party with all the guys on campus, and the Pi’s are doing everything they can to get the H.O.T.S. thrown out of school. Obviously all this is not too serious business, and the premise of the movie is basically a threadbare plotline used as an excuse for lots of nudity, bare breasts, and various states of coed undress.

Most of the movie consists of wild college hijinks, pranks, parties and antics such as a wet t-shirt contest. H.O.T.S. also features bumbling burglars easily thwarted by the women, a robot maid, antics involving a seal as a college mascot, and an appearance by Partridge Family alumnus Danny Bondaduce to boot. And the film’s heavily-promoted climax is a game of strip football between the two feuding sororities, with the whole team having to remove a piece of clothing each time the opposing team scores a touch down! All this adds up to a light, naughty comedy romp that apparently struck a chord with viewers, considering it has now been released in a sharp new widescreen version by horror film champion Anchor Bay Entertainment. Put simply, H.O.T.S. is a nostalgic little slice of comedic exploitation cinema from years past that has the simple aim of being a good time.

Another memorable “after dark” comedy film from back in the 1980’s featuring a bevy of lovely young ladies, bare flesh and lots of crazy antics was the 1982 film The Beach Girls. Like H.O.T.S., this movie was the type of flick worth staying up late for if one happened to be a male adolescent during that time period. The Beach Girls was also in the raunchy/goofy B-movie comedy genre, and the story here featured the common theme of wild, crazy girls and their more uptight, moral teen counterparts. ** Here two post-adolescent party girls named

Ginger and Ducky (Val Kline & Playboy Playmate Jeana Tomasina) don their string bikinis and head to a

beach resort owned by the rich uncle (Adam Roarke) of their virginal, straight-laced friend Sarah (Debra Blee) for a summer of fun. They also aim to help their reserved friend put an end to her shyness along the way.

When neighbors complain about the noise Uncle Carl comes over to put a stop to the proceedings, but quickly reconsiders after being charmed by his niece’s two flirtatious friends. On top of all this, Ginger and Ducky find a cargo of marijuana which was accidentally dumped into the water by a clumsy ships captain and the party really amps up into high gear. Will the fun-filled, free party atmosphere at the beach house be enough to bring Sarah out of her shell (and bikini top) and help her impress a guy she likes? Will Uncle Carl wind up falling for one of Sarah’s beautiful friends? Will the clunky subplot about the missing cargo be resolved? Like with H.O.T.S., it’s really not overly important, because this party movie is mostly about sexy women stripping down every chance they get and the comedic situations that go along with all the nudity. Once again, a bit of naughty nostalgia from years past that aims for nothing but a good time. *** It’s also worth noting that this movie is now available on a “Grindhouse” double-bill DVD along with another 80’s exploitation film called Coach (about a female basketball coach taking over a struggling high school basketball team).

Finally we move back in time a bit more to discuss the 1974 comedy Confessions of a Window Cleaner.

**** This British import was the first in a series of films concerning a young lad named Timothy Lea (Robin Askwith) who goes to work as... you guessed it... a window cleaner in his brother-in-law Sidney Noggett’s (Anthony Booth) business. He soon finds himself the object of desire of several oversexed female clients and

the crazy, slapstick comedy antics begin. These shenanigans basically boil down to one outrageous situation after another involving numerous beautiful women in various states of undress chasing the irresistible young

man around while he “works”, and Benny-Hill-style simulated sex scenes. Throughout all the mischief Timothy struggles to concentrate on his work, appease his increasingly befuddled brother, and stay committed to his girlfriend Liz. As with the previous two films discussed, none of this is meant to be serious business, but rather lighthearted fun. I remember the movie and its sequels being “after dark” Cinemax staples during the 1980’s.

It’s reported that this film was a huge Box Office success in Britain upon its release, and was the type of movie youngsters in that country wanted to sneak in to see. No doubt the four “Confessions” films represent a specific comedic style defining a specific bygone time period.

Stay tuned for part 5 of this continuing column series...

* It’s worth noting that after the first three American Pie films - American Pie (1999), American Pie 2 (2001),

and American Wedding (2003), the producers decided to continue the franchise by going the direct-to-DVD route. 2005 brought American Pie Presents Band Camp, followed by American Pie Presents: The Naked Mile in 2006 and American Pie Presents: Beta House in 2007. These latter three movies continue on with

the same themes while sporting less recognizable teen casts (presumably produced on lower budgets).

** Actress Debra Blee would go on to appear in the 1986 film Hamburger... The Motion Picture, a movie representing the short-lived 80’s B-movie trend of “food-in-the-title” films. This film was about a young slacker who attends a Burger University to get an education, while the equally outrageously-titled Hot Dog...The Movie (from 1984) was about comic hijinks on a ski slope and starred David Naughton and aforementioned Playboy Playmate Shannon Tweed. Additionally, Blee's co-star Jeana Tomasina appeared in the 1984 B-movie college comedy Up the Creek, a film about a group of college slackers bribed into representing their university in an intercollegiate raft race. And in the 1990's she appeared as one of the three beautiful "fantasy girls" in the

ZZ Top music videos Legs, Sharp Dressed Man, Gimme all Your Lovin' and Sleeping Bag (a video which

also featured horror movie starlet Heather Langenkamp of A Nightmare on Elm Street fame - now how's that for a bit of Six Degrees of Separation-style trivia!).

*** Grindhouses were rundown theaters that played various B-movie and low-budget exploitation movies, often on a double-bill. They were prominent until the advent of home video and pay-cable channels like Cinemax

made them obsolete. The home video and pay-cable markets became primary forms of distribution for these types of films in the early 1980’s as their audiences grew dramatically. As mentioned, The Beach Girls is a good example of the type of exploitation film that became increasingly popular in these new markets.

**** The other movies in the British “Confessions” series are: Confessions of a Pop Performer (1975), Confessions of a Driving Instructor (1976), and Confessions from a Holiday Camp (1977). These featured the continuing comedic sexual misadventures of Timothy Lea as he hopped, along with his brother-in-law Sidney, from one get-rich-quick scheme/occupation to the next. The four “Confessions” films are available

in a boxed set from Amazon UK.

SUBJECT: A look at the evolution of Underground Digital Cinema - A discussion of some of my experiences, insights and perspectives - Part 5.

(Note: See the October 2007 Thoughts For The Month for Part 1 of this continuing column, the November 2007 TFTM for Part 2, the December 2007 TFTM for Part 3, and the February 2008 TFTM

for Part 4).

In the second installment of this continuing column series on Underground Digital Cinema I discussed in some detail the movie Psycho Sisters from New Jersey-based W.A.V.E. Productions, a company specializing in

low-budget, damsel-in-distress variety horror movies. As I mentioned last month the plan is to begin to talk

about companies like W.A.V.E. Productions and others producing similar types of indie movies. In the footnotes section following the Psycho Sisters discussion I noted how the original version of the movie (included as an extra feature on the end of the tape) looked a bit like a mixed wrestling video. Now I’d like to elaborate more on the topic of mixed wrestling and its intertwinement with digital and new media, particularly the internet. While it may seem like getting a bit off-topic, this I believe would be a worthwhile tangent before proceeding on to what will no doubt be a lengthier discussion of some of the aforementioned Underground Digital Cinema production companies. The reason is because mixed wrestling and all its variants - including female vs. female wrestling, mixed boxing, mixed fighting, apartment wrestling, amateur and pro-am wrestling, bikini wrestling, erotic wrestling and so on - are today produced using digital video, have become quite an internet phenomenon, and therefore have some connection and/or similarities to Underground Digital Cinema. And while mixed wrestling videos are obviously quite a different animal from digital movies, they do seem to have emerged in the same way, and along the same timeline, that underground digital cinema has. And there may be a parallel between comparing them to traditional mainstream professional wrestling, and comparing independent and underground digital cinema to Hollywood studio productions. Therefore although it may seem like an odd sidetrack for a

writer who normally focuses his attention on movies, I'll go ahead and take the plunge (this month anyway) into

very different territory.

The first task in a discussion on the subject is to define mixed wrestling. I previously wrote that mixed wrestling refers to a wrestling match between a man and a woman, and that it is an underground video phenomenon that has become increasingly popular nowadays, primarily on the internet. Today there are a large number of companies, both big and small, that promote, produce and distribute mixed wrestling videos and (increasingly) DVD’s, mostly through internet and mail order sales. In addition to direct sales of tapes and DVD’s to consumers, clips from mixed wrestling matches can be purchased as downloads or streaming video through membership to the producer’s websites. Also, short mixed wrestling clips are being seen (and commented on) in increasing numbers on various video, fan and group websites across the internet, including many very widely accepted, mainstream sites. Given such popularity, it is accurate to say that this seemingly new sport is expanding to a large and diverse audience across the World Wide Web.

It might be a fair question to ask if any of this is really a new phenomenon though, aside from the internet aspect, given the long-standing popularity of professional wrestling on network television, cable, video and DVD. In other words is mixed wrestling all that different from mainstream professional wrestling organizations that fans have watched in steady and ever-growing numbers for the past thirty years or more? After all, professional wrestling shares some of the same characteristics seen in matches from a number of prominent mixed and female wrestling companies. * For example both types of wrestling have “personalities” (popular, well-known fighters as well as “jobbers”), and there are well-established wrestling moves and maneuvers used such as the piledriver, the figure-four leg lock, and the airplane spin, just to name a few. And also it should be noted that, at least in recent years, mainstream professional wrestling has integrated more female matches into the mix, although the majority of matches are still overwhelmingly between male wrestlers. However these broad similarities are vastly outweighed by the differences, which will now be further elaborated on.

The main difference between professional wrestling, like the kind I grew up watching on television back in

the 1980’s, and the new underground wrestling as I’ll now call it (to use a broadly descriptive term), is that underground wrestling of all varieties mainly involves female wrestlers as opposed to the more traditional male vs. male wrestling. As stated, mixed wrestling matches are matches between a male and a female, while female wrestling matches (sometimes abbreviated as fem vs. fem wrestling or catfighting), are about women wrestling. From there underground wrestling (both mixed and the female vs. female variety) breaks down into various, often overlapping subcategories, which also further separates it from mainstream professional wrestling. These subcategories generally define the specific content or flavor of the matches, and are often a main determinant in the appeal to viewers and buyers alike. Before going into these different types of matches though, I’ll first take a quick look at female wrestling through my own short historical perspective.

From what I remember female wrestling was around in the 1980’s, but never really took center stage until after the year 2000 when the internet and the World Wide Web started to surge in popularity. When I was younger

I was a big wrestling fan and I watched a lot of it on television as well as attending live events in my area and elsewhere. I recall only seeing female matches on occasion and then usually only on big pay-per-view events. For example in an event where all the male champions were defending their titles, all of a sudden they would tack on a women’s championship title match seemingly out of the blue. Then it would be a rarity to see these women wrestlers again before the next pay-per-view event. (This excludes women who served as “managers” for popular wresters). At the time I didn’t think anything of it because the norm was to watch men wrestle. However even back then there were some wrestling leagues a bit outside the mainstream such as G.L.O.W. (which stood for Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling) that featured only female wrestling and were in fact broadcast on television, albeit much less regularly than the well-established, mostly male professional wrestling leagues. G.L.O.W. and other such leagues were generally dismissed by most wrestling fans I knew though, both because they seemed light on real hard-hitting action, and because the thought of watching ladies wrestle probably didn’t appeal to most male wrestling fans (who represented a large portion of the audience for professional wrestling). However now partially due to new media I believe that landscape, like many others in our society, has changed dramatically.

As I briefly talked about in my previous column footnote, underground wrestling matches are often set in a

variety of ordinary-looking locations, such as in apartments (usually called apartment wrestling), in an empty room on gym mats, as well in more traditional-looking wrestling rings. Generally speaking, they are less elaborate productions as compared to the high/expensive production values associated with mainstream professional wrestling organizations seen on television. In other words underground wrestling matches usually don’t include such things as giant auditoriums, stages and walkways, expensive pyrotechnics or large audiences. And in terms of the actual video production, underground wrestling more or less has a single-

camera feel. That is to say either single camera setups are used and/or there just isn’t a lot of cutting involved like in mainstream matches. However this isn’t necessarily a negative thing, because as I’ll discuss, underground wrestling is less about a lot of over-the-top spectacle, and more about concentrating on certain specific themes and ideas. Just like low/no-budget indie movies often don’t involve a lot of spectacle (albeit often out of financial necessity), the same can be said of underground wrestling. To use a parallel comparison, underground digital movies may be compared to Hollywood movies the way underground wrestling videos may be compared to the lavishly-produced wrestling seen on cable and national network television. Both have their strengths as well as their weaknesses, and both play to audiences looking for specific types of content.

The subcategories or flavors (to use a more colorful label) of underground wrestling are many and varied, however most tend to fall under the general themes of sex and/or athleticism. Whether looking at mixed or female vs. female wrestling, either one or both of these two aspects are almost always prominent. ** In mixed wrestling videos the action can be scripted or not-scripted, and in the overwhelming majority of matches the woman is the winner or at the very least comes out on top in the end. The women in these matches are generally armed with a seemingly overwhelming arsenal of wrestling moves which emphasize their natural strengths, such as the leg scissors and other tactics focusing on leg strength. They usually use such maneuvers to get the best

of their male opponents, despite the fact that the men may look or be physically stronger and/or bigger in size. Mixed matches focus more often than not on themes of domination and submission, and since the traditional idea (or role) of the man being dominant is being reversed, mixed matches have what might be labeled a prominent fetishistic, feministic sexual aspect to them; the fetish being the theme of the beautiful woman beating the strong man in the match. This I believe is one of the main selling points of these videos. The sexual aspect

is also emphasized by the fact that many mixed matches feature skimpy female attire such as bikinis, thongs or less, which is concurrently a selling point. This partial (and sometimes full) nudity actually makes a lot of mixed wrestling matches exploitative while still being feministic at the same time. Additionally, the overall sexual

appeal of these types of contests is sometimes further reinforced by skimpy male attire, such as traditional wrestling tights, shorts, or even thongs. This appears to be less consistent across the board though with some male contenders being close to fully clothed, unlike many of their female counterparts, and unlike in some female vs. female matches, where more partial or full nudity abounds no matter who’s winning the contest. However unlike in mixed matches, the female-only matches are often highly competitive, highlighting athleticism, strategy and skill, and only sometimes involve one opponent decisively dominating another from start to finish. And it's important to note that traditional female vs. female pro-style wrestling matches are often highly competitive in

this way, rarely involving nudity or sexual themes. (In this way female professional wrestling is similar to

traditional male professional wrestling).

Underground wrestling (again including both mixed and female vs. female) can be broken down even further

than the general themes of sex and athleticism. Depending on the emphasis of a particular video, matches can focus on specific wrestling moves or body parts. Examples of this include matches emphasizing leg scissors, piledrivers, belly punching, lift and carry, sleeper holds, breast smothering, and foot and muscle worship, to name just a few examples. *** In this way, underground wrestling can be compared to some more extreme types of Underground Digital Horror Cinema, which as mentioned often focus on fetish themes like strangulation

and chloroforming, as well as other exploitative elements like nudity, lesbianism and sex scenes. And in both cases budget and production values come into play, as these types of exploitation elements are more easily produced than high-tech special effects (in the case of digital movies), and the costly production components of mainstream professional wrestling highlighted earlier on in this column. It also should be emphasized again that both forms of underground productions are similar in that they are distributed in more non-traditional ways, primarily through the internet and mail order, as opposed to the traditional widespread retail distribution of big-budget movies and mainstream wrestling products. **** In other words underground productions in both the cinema and wrestling genres thrive on new media distribution outlets.

There are a plethora of underground wrestling companies prevalent today on the internet, and it would be beyond the scope of this column to discuss them all. Suffice it to say, this new breed of female-dominated wrestling appears to be here to stay and growing in popularity. And lest one still think this month’s column is

too far of a stretch from horror films or independent and underground cinema, I would simply point to a press

release I recently stumbled upon on one of the horror film websites. The news was about an event humorously called Blood Wrestling, taking place at a major horror film convention called Genghis Con II in Pittsburgh during the summer of 2006. ***** It was sponsored by an independent film company (Happy Cloud Pictures) and read that a long list of indie film actresses and bikini-clad scream queens would be wrestling in a pool filled with FX Blood. Now that sounds funny! And so things come full circle in the world of Underground Digital Cinema!

Stay tuned for the next installment of this continuing column series...

* The original term “jobbers” goes back to traditional professional wrestling to describe a male or female wrestler (usually male), who would be beaten easily, usually by a “name” wrestler. As memory serves me, jobbers were more prominently featured in professional wrestling back in the 1980’s, when most broadcasts would showcase matches where name wrestlers would easily defeat them week after week. Some of these jobbers would keep coming back for more punishment, and others would rarely, if ever, be seen again after being demolished once. They were all obviously there just to highlight the skills of the name wrestlers.

Nowadays it seems there are less jobber matches (also sometimes called squash matches) in professional wrestling because most of the wrestlers are big names of high caliber. Also, “jobber girls” is a term for female wrestlers who lose constantly or are beaten badly in wrestling matches, and is applicable primarily to the types

of wrestling discussed in this column. Some of these new jobber girls themselves have become popular with fans on the internet, and it’s interesting that underground wrestling would adopt this style of match so many

years later. However this is of course in line with the domination element discussed above.

** A parallel might be drawn to horror films and the concept of the “Final Girl” prominent in the American slasher film subgenre. (Although this may seem like an incredible stretch - comparing apples to oranges, so to speak -

I’ll make it since horror films are still my primary area of interest). That is to say horror films, like wrestling, have traditionally been a male genre. However in the American slasher film the female survivor usually triumphs over the traditionally male killer. And in the new underground mixed wrestling we have the female fighter triumphing over the male opponent. The term “Final Girl” was coined by Professor Carol J. Clover in her groundbreaking 1992 book Men, Women and Chainsaws: Gender in the Modern Horror Film. It refers to the female survivor in the American horror slasher film. The Final Girl is the woman who uses characteristics like intelligence, wits and strength to escape from and/or defeat the traditionally male killer in these films. The idea of the Final Girl and

her film-ending triumph is part of an argument suggesting that American slasher films can be seen in a

feministic light, as opposed to being viewed simply as male-dominated, voyeuristic affairs. I believe that

Men, Women and Chainsaws: Gender in the Modern Horror Film is an incredibly important book in the examination of the psychology of several contemporary horror film genres, and I highly recommend it to all

horror film fans.

*** This is not to suggest that all Underground Digital Horror Cinema focuses on fetish themes or exploitative elements like nude scenes. Indie and underground horror cinema is varied, just like big-budget horror films can be, in using or not using these types of devices.

**** To break things down even further on a production level, both underground digital movies and underground wrestling videos are primarily produced with DVD production equipment prevalent with consumers, such as computers, non-linear editing programs, DVD-R authoring programs and burners, and/or low-cost DVD duplicators. This contrasts sharply with big studio productions, which use more expensive production methods such as large scale pressing and replication.

***** The label “scream queen” is one primarily associated with the horror film genre. Scream queens are actresses who do a lot of screaming in horror films, both of the mainstream, big-budget type and B-movie or exploitation variety. These women can be damsels in distress or tough Final Girls (see footnote #2 above).

An example of a mainstream actress sometimes referred to as a scream queen would be Jamie Lee Curtis, who played beleaguered babysitter Laurie Strode in several of the Halloween horror films. It’s also worth

noting that the whole idea of the scream queen actress, or character, has been portrayed in movies as well.

For example, the 1997 independent film The Vicious Sweet tells the story of a popular B-movie scream queen (played by well-known indie actress Sasha Graham) imprisoned by one of her fans. And the 2004 horror film Kill the Scream Queen is about a guy who believes scream queens have ruined the horror genre and is bent on revenge against aspiring horror film actresses.

SUBJECT: A look at the evolution of Underground Digital Cinema - A discussion of some of my experiences, insights and perspectives - Part 6.

(Note: See the October 2007 Thoughts For The Month for Part 1 of this continuing column, the November 2007 TFTM for Part 2, the December 2007 TFTM for Part 3, the February 2008 TFTM

for Part 4, and the March 2008 TFTM for Part 5).

This month we move squarely back into the realm of Underground Digital Cinema (after last month’s foray into the world of underground mixed and fem vs. fem wrestling videos). And as promised, the discussion will now

turn to examining movies from some prominent underground cinema production companies. These are companies that produce movies in different and varying film genres, ranging from horror to exploitation to

campy comedy. * In the November 2007 installment of this column I provided an intro to this topic with some conversation about the extreme rape-revenge film Psycho Sisters and New Jersey-based W.A.V.E Productions, and I plan to look at more of their output in future installments. However this month I’d like to focus on one of the biggest and arguably most widely known independent production companies to come out of

The Garden State - namely Ei Independent Cinema (recently renamed POP Cinema). This company produces all three of the aforementioned film genres, with some of their titles crossing or blurring these category lines. They’re a company that has become familiar to underground and independent cinema audiences worldwide, and also one that has gradually grown to a level where their output now reaches large mass, mainstream audiences as well. This is evidenced by Ei movies appearing alongside Hollywood offerings on video store and retail shelves, and being broadcast on pay cable outlets such as Cinemax, among others (in addition to being widely available for sale on DVD and through video-on-demand over the internet). ** Ei Independent Cinema is

a company I remember first becoming familiar with back in the mid 1990’s when I discovered Psycho Sisters (they distributed the film on VHS) at Fangoria’s Weekend of Horrors convention in New York City. And since the mid-90’s when digital video first started to emerge, Ei has moved from marketing underground movies primarily through mail order to these wider distribution outlets. Let’s now take a closer look at the various cinematic product lines the company offers before examining some of the individual movie titles.

*** POP Cinema (to use the new company name) basically specializes in producing two flavors of independent

movies - horror-themed and erotic-themed. These flavors are represented by their Shock-O-Rama Cinema and Seduction Cinema lines of movies, respectively. (Both movie divisions also have “Retro” lines as well - Retro Shock-O-Rama and Retro Seduction Cinema - which consist of older movies from decades past which are representative of the appropriate category. Sometimes the company will remake a film and then market both

the original title and the remake together on the same disc.) Generally speaking, most releases from this company fall somewhere under the blanket umbrella category of exploitation films, although as stated titles from each product line lean in decidedly different directions. Also, POP Cinema movies have become particularly notable for featuring a lineup of beautiful and talented actresses, many of whom appear in a plethora of films released by the company. This type of repeat casting is similar in nature to strategies employed by some lesser-known low-budget production companies (Very Scary Productions included in the list), who highlight their own recognizable faces in movie after movie. POP Cinema though has arguably taken the concept to glorious, successful new heights by featuring a stable of lovely women who have become names in their own right within the independent film industry. Many of these sexy actresses have their own websites and regularly appear as guests at such star-studded film and memorabilia conventions as The Fangoria Weekend of Horrors show

and The Chiller Theatre Toy, Model & Film Expo, among others. There the ladies promote and sell their own featured movies and sign autographs and photos just like any other celebrity. Some of these cinema sirens

have become so popular in fact, they have garnered built-in audiences for their upcoming films, and this aspect has given the Shock-O-Rama and, particularly, the Seduction Cinema movies, brand recognition mostly unmatched in the underground/independent movie scene. And of all the POP Cinema beauties, arguably the most well-known is Misty Mundae, an actress who has starred in over 50 films and had her name grace the title of several Seduction Cinema releases. **** Ms. Mundae has in short become a cult, horror and erotic film phenomenon and reached a level of recognition rarely seen in the realms of independent, B-movie and underground cinema. So before delving into an examination of some individual POP Cinema movie titles,

I’ll first talk a bit about this most recognizable and popular starlet.

As mentioned, actress Misty Mundae has over fifty movies to her credit, which in itself is pretty amazing considering her first film credit only goes back to 1998, a scant ten years ago. I won’t attempt to delve into

her full film history here, as it would be beyond the scope of this column, and also because a quick trip to her Internet Movie Database (IMDb) page is a better place to go for those looking to research that long list of titles.

However I believe it’s safe to say she is one of the most notable representatives I’ve seen of the aforementioned New Jersey underground film scene. As evidence of this, some of her earliest movie credits beginning in the late 1990’s include appearances in gritty exploitation pieces from New Jersey-based production company Factory 2000 such as Going Under, International Necktie Strangler and The Vampire Strangler. In fact back during this time when I was regularly attending Fangoria conventions in New York City, I remember seeing Misty featured in promotional ads for the company as one of the regular members of their acting troupe. With

The Vampire Strangler the title says quite a mouthful, as this particular movie is a good example of raw underground cinema which emphasizes the two popular fetishes contained in its name, along with plenty of nudity and sex to boot. It is another example of the type of shock cinema I described when discussing Psycho Sisters, however The Vampire Strangler pushes the sexploitation element even further. Ms. Mundae would go on to star in several more sex and/or violence-filled indies produced by Factory 2000 (and directed by maverick filmmaker William Hellfire) up through the early 2000’s including the lesbian-themed movies My First Female Lover and Misty’s Secret, among others. She would subsequently move on to more high-profile starring

roles as her indie film career began to soar in a slate of Shock-O-Rama and Seduction Cinema features.

The Seduction Cinema movies in particular, many of them soft-core erotic, campy comedy spoofs of popular Hollywood films, have in recent years put Misty Mundae on the map as a true indie movie starlet. It is these releases I’ll first focus on, followed by discussion of some horror-themed Shock-O-Rama titles. But first a few more words on the Misty Mundae indie film phenomenon...

It really is interesting how Misty Mundae has become such a recognizable name in the underground indie film scene. With the plethora of low-budget movies being produced using digital video, and the large number of new actors and actresses involved in this emerging field, it would seem like a difficult task for anybody to make such an impact in such a short time like she has. Having watched some of Misty's earlier starring roles and some of her more recent work, I would describe her as a versatile actress with a very natural screen presence who

seems to mold her acting style to the type of material she’s starring in. For example in the extreme revenge-murder movie The Infamous Bondage Murders 2 (IBM 2) from Factory 2000 she gives a very stark and realistic performance playing a victim of a gang of ruthless killers. ***** Conversely, in comedic Seduction Cinema films such as Mummy Raider and Playmate of the Apes her style is (appropriately) more tongue-in-cheek. However such praise could probably also be given to other indie actresses as well, which means there must be something more to her mass appeal than just good acting chops. Other factors that I believe come into play and resonate with cinema viewers are a catchy stage name and very natural good looks. There’s no doubt Misty has a very girl-next-door innocent quality about her which seems to work well in a variety of film roles, while at the same time serves to set her apart from many other actresses. Moreover I believe that often times in life circumstances come into play as well, and perhaps she was also the right person in the right place at the right time when Ei Cinema decided to embark on producing their erotic comedy spoofs. Whatever the case however, there is no doubt Misty Mundae has made quite a name for herself in the world of underground and independent films, and some of her movies are definitely worth examining in this column about underground digital cinema. Given that the Seduction Cinema line represents some of her best known work, we’ll start with one of those titles... in the next column installment.

* Actress Misty Mundae also appeared in two indie movies from Psycho Sisters director Pete Jacelone - Poetic Seduction: The Dead Students Society (from Seduction Cinema) and Shoot The Girls (from Factory 2000).

** See the November 2007 Thoughts For The Month column to read about some of my early experiences at the Fangoria Weekend of Horrors convention in New York City, where I was first exposed to gritty underground indie horror movies like Psycho Sisters from New Jersey-based W.A.V.E. Productions. I also talk about Fangoria magazine in the March 2003 TFTM column, some Fangoria’s Weekend Of Horrors convention highlights in the February 2004 and October 2005 columns, and I discuss New Jersey’s Chiller Theatre Toy, Model & Film Expo in the May 2003 and June 2006 columns (in the latter I give some Chiller Theatre convention highlights).

*** As I mentioned in past writings, the term “independent” is often used to describe both lower-budget

Hollywood studio films and underground movies like the type I produce. Therefore it is a label more widely accepted by mainstream film audiences than is the label “underground”, even though it can be confusing

because of its multi-purpose use. See the May 2005 TFTM column and also the FAQ page for discussion on

this topic.

**** Misty Mundae has in recent years also found success outside the world of erotic indie cinema acting under the name Erin Brown in horror movies such as Shadow: Dead Riot (starring horror film icon Tony Todd), and

the Showtime Masters of Horror television episode “Sick Girl”. Additionally, this talented actress has also written and directed several movie projects. So it seems her star is still on the rise.

***** My own Six Degrees of Separation connection to indie film starlet Misty Mundae is my having appeared in the independent horror films The Edge Of Reality and Shadow Tracker: Vampire Hunter from JB Productions (the latter of which was released on home video by Ei Independent Cinema in the mid 1990’s). Filmmaker Bruce Hallenbeck, who I worked with on movies such as London After Midnight and The Drowned, appeared in

The Edge Of Reality and Shadow Tracker: Vampire Hunter as well and also appeared in Mummy Raider along with actress Misty Mundae. (For the latest information on London After Midnight and The Drowned

visit the Pagan Film Productions website listed on the Links page. Also see Other Projects Page 1 and

Other Projects Page 2, respectively.)