On a different timeline, in a parallel universe, director Fred Dekker has the career that Sam Raimi has. He started off with the cult horror Night of the Creeps which has been influential on many filmmakers, most obviously James Gunn who lifted from it for his 2006 film Slither. His last film credit was the woeful Robocop 3, which sat on a shelf for a year or so before being released and turned out to be worse than even the second one. Between these two films, Dekker along with co-screenwriter and one of my biggest influences Shane Black; made a great little scary kids film called The Monster Squad. The Monster Squad has a killer premise, basically the classic Universal Monsters (Dracula, Frankenstein, The creature from the black lagoon, wolfman) descend on a small town and its up to a bunch of outcast kids to stop them. Despite this the film failed to make an impact when released in the summer of 1987 and remains a fondly remembered cult item.
We start off in Transylvania in the midst of the latest battle between Abraham Van Helsing and his arch nemesis Dracula. Van Helsing fails to stop Dracula from opening some kind of portal into limbo and is sucked into it. Fast forward to present day (well, 1987) and we encounter the ‘monster club’ made up of high school outcasts Sean, Patrick, Horace, Eugene and Rudy and Sean’s little sister Phoebe which is run through a cool as hell tree house adorned with movie posters. These kids idolize the famous monsters of filmland and anything nerdy. They are about to encounter the real thing though as Dracula has risen again and with the help of a host of monsters they are about to lay siege to the small town and try and suck the world into limbo. Sean discovers Van Helsing’s diary via a garage sale which he then gets translated to find out Dracula’s diabolical scheme. As Sean’s father is a cop who doesn’t believe a word of it, it is up to the monster club to become the Monster Squad and save the world.
The Monster Squad harks back to a simpler time when family films and films aimed at kids in general were not afraid to show a little blood and get a little dark. I’ll never forget how adult The Never Ending Story seemed to me when I saw it at age 6 or the fact that Jaws was and still is horrifying and yet its rated PG. The scene in Teen Wolf where a girl takes off her bra was my first hint at what lay beyond the door to adulthood and that was a PG. Monster Squad is also a PG but has Dracula breaking necks, people being blown up and kids arming themselves, peeping through the window at their hot neighbor next door and even firing guns! This would be sacrilegious in these post Columbine days but here an overweight kid kills a sea creature whilst fetishistically wielding a pump action shotgun, and filmmakers got away with it! Unlike The goonies, which has gotten annoying as I have gotten older despite being similarly dark, The monster squad is actually still enjoyable. The whole premise could have been disastrous (see Van Helsing) but in Dekker’s capable hands as well as Shane Black’s witty script the whole thing sails along for an enjoyable and action packed 80 odd minutes. The trick here is that Dekker remembers what so many filmmakers forget, kids are not idiots, kids know about death and are beginning to suspect that adults have problems they are not familiar with so shying away from this treats them with contempt. Monster Squad, much like ET presents a once happy family that have been having problems, the kids are surprisingly together considering and show the adults how to kick ass when it comes to fighting monsters who are much worse than anything the real world might throw at them. Its this basic principal that makes The Monster Squad timeless, sure it has 80’s fashions and a montage (1987? Gotta have a montage) but it also has flawless child performances and great Stan Winston created monsters that still hold up. This was pre CG overkill so there is the odd rubber vampire bat, but Dracula remains kind of scary along with his vampire brides. Frankenstein’s monster is loveable and performed well by genre vet Tom Noonan. The wolfman transformation sequences are handled well despite not being up to par with Rick Baker’s work earlier in the decade on a man into wolf sequence. The sea creature inspired by the creature from the black lagoon is the only monster given kind of a short shrift here but is adequate for what he is required to do.
I cant really recall The Monster Squad ever getting a proper cinema release in the UK, but I do know that it came out on video in the late 80’s with a 15 certificate which is ludicrous. There are no swear words beyond the S word and the violence is nothing worse than you would see in an episode of Buffy the vampire slayer. If this were released now, its doubtless some of the more politically incorrect things would be trimmed but it would probably get a 12A.
Despite his films having a cult audience and numerous revival screenings in the US, Fred Dekker has so far not directed a movie since Robocop 3, no doubt soured by his experience working on a studio franchise. It’s a pity because Dekker confidently handles the actors, action scenes and effects work and should be playing with the big boys on a mega budget superhero movie. I’d love to see him take on something like the Blade franchise or Werewolf by Night or something equally unknown from Marvel’s vaults.
The Monster Squad is not available in the Uk currently but if you have the time and are a fan of 80’s fantasy flicks its worth importing the Region 1 version. Its loaded with in depth extras too.
by Chris Holt
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Not many people are aware of it, but there exists a small contingent of Canadian filmmakers who never venture beyond the borders of their country to make their art. They are happy to remain in Canada making arty meaningful films which play film festivals but never gain wider acclaim outside of the country. Filmmakers like Guy Maddin, Atom Egoyan and even David Cronenberg until recently, seem content to make movies in the confines of their small filmmaking communities in Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal. Famous Canadian filmmakers who have ventured beyond the border include James Cameron, Paul Haggis and Norman Jewison. Not many people know that Porky’s (1978) was actually a Canadian film and remains the highest grossing Canadian film ever. The problem seems to be that although appearing on the surface to be identical to the films produced in Hollywood, Canadian films are usually co-financed by the Canadian government and as such cannot hope to compete with the marketing budget afforded your average blockbuster. Recent acclaimed Canadian productions include Ginger Snaps, Cube,The Saddest Music In The World and Last Night directed by actor Don McKellar, a somber end of the world drama with great early performances from Sandra Oh and Sarah Polley.
Set in Toronto on an unknown date, Last Night follows the remaining few hours left before the end of the world. We track the fates of three characters as the end approaches at midnight. Widower Patrick (Don McKellar) prepares for the end by shunning the affections of his family to spend time alone on his roof drinking wine whilst his sister (Sarah Polley) instead goes with her boyfriend to a mass end of the world party. Patrick comes across Sandra (Sandra Oh) whose car has been stolen by the crowds looting and is desperate to get back to her husband Duncan (David Cronenberg) as they have made a suicide pact. Duncan owns a gas company and spends his final hours calling his customers to wish them well. Meanwhile Patrick’s best friend Craig (Callum Keith Rennie) decides to indulge in a non stop sex marathon fulfilling all of his fantasies. All of the characters fates intertwine as the hours tick down towards the end.
Within Canada, the film won several awards at local film awards galas and in 2002 was even voted best Canadian film of all time by the readers of Playback magazine. Outside of Canada, the film has barely been heard of, only very recently getting a DVD release in the UK. It’s a shame because Last Night is utterly unique amongst end of the world films. Most films about an apocalypse concentrate on the spectacle as it unfolds and the men who are tasked with saving the world. Last Night focuses on the little stories about real people that happen whilst the carnage takes place off in the distance. Its never explained in Last Night why the world is coming to an end, it could be environmental; as the hours tick down to midnight, the dark of night never comes with the sun still being visible in the sky throughout , but in truth it does not matter. This film is about how we cope when faced with our own mortality and as humans what dreams and regrets we have when faced with the ultimate deadline. The opening moments take place as a family sits down to a Christmas dinner which has been organized to bring the family together one last time before the end. This scene sets the somber tone for the rest of the movie and all of the performances are completely believable in the scenario portrayed. Although there are the inevitable scenes of anarchy as people choose to wreck the place when faced with the end of the world, its not the overall focus. Instead director and writer Don McKellar focuses on warmth and acts of love and kindness in the face of armageddon. Its not a film that has a visceral impact so much as a lasting impact on your emotions. As the clock counts down (we get title cards on screen to mark the hours from 6-11) you find yourself getting more and more invested in seeing these people fulfill their plans for the end of the world. As you are not quite sure how the world will end, you await with baited breath in the final moments much like the characters as it plays out like some bizarre new years eve celebration. The final moments sum up the spirit of the film perfectly and the core message as one of dignity and grace in the face of annihilation. It’s a similar tone and theme to Children of Men from 2006 and if you liked that film then this will probably appeal as well.
Apart from some short films, Don McKellar has not yet directed another feature. With the skill with which Last Night is written and directed, lets hope its not too long before he gets behind the camera again.
by Chris Holt
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It seems the days are gone where a small independent horror film would premier at the Sundance film festival to become a breakout horror hit through word of mouth and buzz. Since The Blair Witch Project in 1999 became the most profitable movie of all time, there have been many low budget shocker’s that garnered critical praise and buzz at Sundance to then not do much of anything when they went into the wide world. Titles that spring to mind from recent years are May, The Signal and Hatchet which remained cult items and never broke out the way they should have. Only Gareth Edward’s Monsters has resembled anything of a crossover recently but even so its popular with those who have seen it rather than anything approaching a mainstream hit. It seems the process now is to debut on an on demand basis before opening in a couple of theatres weeks later. It’s a strange new world indeed, and one that in some cases robs you of the opportunity to see great films on the big screen in a dark room the way the makers intended. Paul Solet’s directorial debut Grace is one such film. The Sundance premiere in 2009 was greeted with much critical praise and the now pre-requisite audience member fainting. The film then received a low key almost straight to DVD release later that year and has so far not been officially released in the UK. Grace remembers the golden rule that most other horror film’s forget; Horror should be horrific and make you as uncomfortable as possible.
The film begins with happy young couple Madeline and Michael Matheson (Jordan Ladd and Stephen Park) conceiving a child, flash forward some months later and Madeline (a strict vegan) is having the baby naturally and through holistic medicine with the help of her former lover Patricia Lang (Samantha Ferris) much to the disapproval of her mother in law Vivian (Gabrielle Rose). Tragedy strikes when on the way home a car accident leaves Michael dead and the baby is Madeline’s womb seemingly lifeless. Madeline decides to carry the baby to term anyway and to everyone's surprise her baby girl is born seemingly alive and healthy. Madeline takes Grace home without ever having visited a hospital and starts to notice things. Flies seem to buzz around her daughter all the time and she smells weird. Grace rejects her mothers milk and is seemingly only sated by consuming blood. Meanwhile Vivian, bereaved and frustrated, deals with strange feelings of her own and suspicions about her daughter in law and granddaughter.
The film does not shy away from the biological implications of pregnancy, it shows you all the gory details that you may not wish to know and taps into the natural fear of being a father or a mother and all that can go wrong with that. It also goes to some seriously weird places previously unseen outside of Japan with the sub plot involving the mother in law. This is the films key strength though, it makes you uncomfortable as you watch all of this unfold and puts you in the place of the characters and makes you question what you would do faced with a similar situation. Jordan Ladd really shine in this role, she has the audiences sympathies throughout. She starts off as a keen happy expectant mother and as the macabre tale unfolds she goes from devastation to relief and then to disbelief as her feelings of hope for her baby disintegrate into disgust and desperation. Gabrielle Rose is an actress I have seen in a number of bit parts but the role here is a real juicy one, she is brave actress to take on this character which goes to some really strange places and is believable as a woman who has always been in control and now dealing with new feelings she does not comprehend. Paul Solet does a great job of directing this and getting solid work from his actors. His style is very reminiscent of David Lynch, he likes to hold shots for a long time and focus on strange little details like Patricia scratching away at wood on a desk drawer or the buzzing of flies in an air vent. Grace should have been a step up for Solet and we should now be talking about a masterpiece that he directed as a follow up but it seems this was not on the cards. Grace is not a flawless film, for all the tension building and the great atmosphere that solet conjures up it lets itself down by becoming somewhat formulaic in the last twenty minutes when your traditional horror clichés rear their head. Luckily Solet ends the film with a horrifying last shot that will stay with you long after the credits have rolled.
At the moment Grace does not have an official release date in the UK and has so far only played a couple of festivals on these shores. The DVD has been available on Region 1 for a while and if you are a fan of well crafted proper horror you should seek it out.
by Chris Holt
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