Halloween Treat: Rediscovering HAUNTED HONEYMOON (1986)

© Orion Pictures.

In the late 1970s and early 1980s, Gene Wilder was one of the highest paid and most successful actors in Hollywood. With hits like Silver Streak in 1976, and Stir Crazy in 1980 under his belt, and Oscar nominations for his work on Mel Brooks’ The Producers, in 1967, and Young Frankenstein, in 1974, which Wilder also co-wrote, it was expected that Wilder would make the transition from actor to writer director, and he did so, with 1975's The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes’ Smarter Brother, which proved to be a hit.

He then directed The World’s Greatest Lover, in 1977, which was a commercial and critical disappointment.

After taking a long break from directing, Wilder bounced back with his next effort, 1984's The Woman in Red, which was one of the surprise sleeper hits of that year, and which garnered an Oscar nomination for best song as well.

The success of The Woman in Red, led to Orion Pictures offering Wilder another project of his choice to write and direct.

The result was Haunted Honeymoon, released in 1986.

The film was instantly dismissed by critics as an unfunny disaster, and, after proving to be a commercial failure, quickly disappeared from theaters.

At first glance, it is easy to see why Haunted Honeymoon failed so miserably upon release.

Wilder, who, up to that point, was mostly known for his quirky brand of bombastic comedy, produced something quite different with Haunted Honeymoon, a mishmash of genres, including horror, mystery, freudian thriller, and slapstick comedy. An uneasy mixture that would have been challenging to pull off for any filmmaker, let alone a relatively unseasoned director like Wilder.

But, apparent flaws aside, Haunted Honeymoon has a lot to offer.

The film takes place in the 1930s, and tells the story of Larry Abbot, a man who has everything going for him. He is starring in the most successful show on the radio and he’s about to get married to Vickie, the love of his life. But underneath all the fame and success, something is troubling him, leading him to freeze while performing on the air. So he decides to go on a trip with Vickie to the eerie castle where he grew up, and where his family still resides. But upon arrival, Larry is entangled in a web of murder and dark family secrets, and discovers that one of the residents of the castle might be a werewolf.

Like all of the films Wilder has written or directed, Haunted Honeymoon is more of an ensemble piece than a starring vehicle for Wilder, with Wilder providing his terrific cast with plenty of opportunities to shine.

From Bryan Pringle as Pfister, the imposing but lovable alcoholic butler, to Jonathan Pryce as Charles, the sleazy ne’er do well, to the delightful Eve Ferret as the bubbly Sylvia.

Surprisingly enough, two of the film’s biggest stars don’t fare so well. Gilda Radner is woefully miscast as Vickie, Wilder character’s love interest, and Wilder himself admitted in his autobiography, Kiss Me Like A Stranger, that he only cast Radner under pressure from her and to spare her feelings. And although Radner shines in a moment or two, she’s too good a comedienne not to, her performance is awkward and distracting.

And Dom Deluise, performing in drag as Katherine, Larry’s aunt and the family’s imposing matriarch, almost has nothing to do, with Wilder and Deluise seemingly depending on the mere sight of Deluise in woman’s dress to do the work.

And like all the films Wilder directed, Haunted Honeymoon comes off as incoherent, occasionally overwrought, and too self-indulgent, jumping from one scene to the next with little rhyme or reason, and feeling more like a series of episodes than a cohesive story.

So it’s easy to see why Haunted Honeymoon doesn’t work on many levels.

But despite all the film’s problems, it still has its charms.

The film has a brilliantly stylish Gothic atmosphere, with dazzling production design by co-writer Terence Marsh, who, in spite of a modest budget, manages to enrich the film’s sets with plenty of lush period detail. This provides one of the film’s highlights, as Haunted Honeymoon is obviously Wilder’s loving tribute to the horror comedies of the 1930s and 40s, with thundering skies, secret passages, evil villains with glowing eyes, and even a werewolf or two.

And the film’s second half is a fast-paced delight, featuring one scary gag after another, with Wilder arguably doing some of his best work as director, as the film is undeniably Wilder’s most visually accomplished effort.

Even if the climax is a bit abrupt, and there’s one revelation too many, Haunted Honeymoon is an enjoyable misfire, a visually stylish, unique, and absorbing horror comedy from a one of a kind comedic artist.

Text © Ahmed Khalifa. 2023.

Subscribe to the YouTube channel.

Buy A. Kale's books, published by The Dark Fantastic Network and VHS Books.

Subscribe to The Dark Fantastic podcast on Acast, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Castbox, Amazon Music, Deezer, Podchaser, iHeart, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Watch/Listen to the video version of this article:

IN RED: A Tale of Suspense (Audio Short Story)

Late at night, Gary finds himself in the middle of an empty street. Where is he? How did he get here? And what is that red light inching closer and closer, bringing with it sweet music and bad memories?

A dark tale of suspense, presented as an enhanced audio book, for an immersive listening experience.

Written and produced by Ahmed Khalifa.

© The Dark Fantastic Network. 2023.

Subscribe to The Dark Fantastic Channel.

Buy A. Kale's books, published by The Dark Fantastic Network and VHS Books on Amazon.

Subscribe to The Dark Fantastic podcast on Acast, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Castbox, Amazon Music, Deezer, Podchaser, iHeart, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Watch/Listen to the story here:

MILLA: A Tale of Obsession (Audio Short Story)

A man discovers that his true love isn't what she appears to be.

A dark suspense tale, presented exclusively on The Dark Fantastic Network as an enhanced audio book.

Written and Produced by Ahmed Khalifa.

© The Dark Fantastic Network. 2023.

Subscribe to The Dark Fantastic Channel.

Buy A. Kale's books, published by The Dark Fantastic Network and VHS Books on Amazon.

Subscribe to The Dark Fantastic podcast on Acast, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Castbox, Amazon Music, Deezer, Podchaser, iHeart, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Watch/Listen here:

 

Film Review: NEFARIOUS (2023) 2 and a half out of 5 stars.

A serial killer on death row. The day of his scheduled execution. A state-appointed psychiatrist comes to evaluate the killer's mental competency. If the inmate is found insane, a stay of execution will be issued. Problem is, the killer claims to be possessed by a demon named Nefarious, a manipulative evil entity that is out to spread a “dark gospel” to all of humanity. What follows is a psychological/philosophical game of cat and mouse between the psychiatrist, a man of science and an atheist, and an ingenious killer who may or may not be a servant of hell.

Nefarious (2023) has, excuse the pun, one hell of a set-up. Too bad it doesn't deliver.

From the opening scene, which features a not so subtle hint that there are otherworldly forces at play, it’s obvious that the filmmakers aren't really in total control of the film's tone. The main crux of the film is the discourse between the psychiatrist and the inmate. Such a set-up depends mainly on the quality of the dialogue and performances. In Nefarious' case, both are sadly lacking.

Sean Patrick Flannery, a capable and versatile actor, delivers a twitchy, grating performance as the killer slash demon, and his dialogue is so on the nose about the film's message of a new dark age brought about by corrupt institutions and radical leftist ideology, that by the midway point, the film has little to offer. Jordan Belfi, on the other hand, is miscast as the slick, complacent psychiatrist, whose materialist worldview is seemingly no match for the spiritual maneuvering of the killer. While the script does little to add depth to either character, or provide any plot twists that haven't already been done to death.

The direction, by writing/directing team Chuck Konzelman and Cary Solomon, is competent but uninspired, giving the film an amateurish, bland feel, mainly due to a lack of atmosphere and an engaging sound design, both of which are musts for a film of this genre.

I went into Nefarious really wanting to like it, as I'm always on the side of a good independent film that has the courage to go against the mainstream. But Nefarious is a hard film to defend, as it commits the cardinal sin of most faith-based, and rigidly ideological films: it preaches to the choir, while not doing enough to win over viewers with different politics or worldviews.

Text © Ahmed Khalifa. 2023.

Video Version:

 

Ahmed Khalifa is a filmmaker and novelist. He is the writer/director of several short films and a feature, which was released on Netflix, and the author of a number of novels and short stories, including the YA horror novel, Beware The Stranger, available on Amazon. He is also the host of The Dark Fantastic Podcast. Find him on Twitter @AFKhalifa and on Facebook @DFantasticPodcast

The Dark Fantastic is sponsored by VHS Books:

Book Review: WASHINGTON SQUARE By Henry James.

Washington Square, first published in 1880, is Henry James’ least favorite of his own works.

At first glance, it’s hard to see why. It’s one of his most accessible books, it’s highly readable, and the story deals with such heady subjects as greed, overbearing parents, and the plight of women in the 19th century.

The story takes place in 1840s New York City, and focuses on Catherine Sloper, a gentle introvert living with her father, Dr. Austin Sloper, a noted physician, in Washington Square. But her relationship with her father is an uneasy one, as the Doctor does not hold his daughter in high regard, disappointed with what he considers her unremarkable nature.

Enter Morris Townsend, an attractive, charming, and worldly young man, who quickly sets his sights on Catherine. Dr. Sloper quickly opposes the relationship, suspecting Morris of only wanting his daughter for her sizable inheritance. And from that moment on, a battle of wills ensues, with Catherine at the center of it all. It’s a simple, melodramatic premise, with well-drawn characters, and plenty of psychological twists and turns, handled in that elegant and absorbing manner that only James could pull off.

But a closer look into the heart and style of the novel reveals why James hated the book so: It is the cast of characters, an unlikable bunch that all seem to revel in abusing Catherine’s heart and soul. They act and speak in an overwrought, occasionally grating manner, very uncharacteristic of James’ usual writing style. This is James at his least elegant; James not in complete control of his creations. This makes Washington Square one of the few stories that James ever wrote, in which melodrama almost threatens to overwhelm the narrative and drown out James’ usual quiet voice; his elegantly delivered insight into the psychology and inner lives of his characters.

No wonder James himself called the novel “poorish”, describing Catherine Sloper as “the only good thing in the story.” But, in a way, James was being too hard on the novel. Yes, Washington Square is one of his most flawed and cynical works, but it’s also a solid read, which, despite its rudimentary plot, manages to be a page-turner.

One wonders, though, what makes the book one of James’ most popular novels. Is it the readability factor? The uncharacteristic cynicism? The dark pall that hangs over Catherine, and, for that matter, the whole story? James has often been accused of being too restrained, too gentle with his pen, a charge that misses the entire reason why his work lives on. As it is that restraint, that seeming gentleness, which hides beneath it layers upon layers of drama, psychological insight, and storytelling momentum.

I suspect that the reason Washington Square is so popular with modern audiences is that it’s James at his loudest, at his least restrained. This is a book that easily grabs your attention, that demands less of you than, say, Roderick Hudson or The Aspern Papers. But as flawed as it is, it is still a wonderful, absorbing story that has more nuance and storytelling power within its pages, than most novels of its era, or any other era, for that matter.

Video version:

 

Text © Ahmed Khalifa. 2023.

Ahmed Khalifa is a filmmaker and novelist. He is the writer/director of several short films and a feature, which was released on Netflix, and the author of a number of novels and short stories, including the YA horror novel, Beware The Stranger, available on Amazon. He is also the host of The Dark Fantastic Podcast. Find him on Twitter @AFKhalifa and on Facebook @DFantasticPodcast

The Dark Fantastic is sponsored by VHS Books:

Film Review: SYMPATHY FOR THE DEVIL (2023). 3 out of 5.

The less you know about Sympathy For The Devil (2023), the better.

That’s not to say that the plot is full of surprises, or that it’s somehow original. But the enjoyment of this kind of movie, centered on two characters, and structured around unraveling their pasts at a leisurely pace, depends on the viewer going in cold.

The plot: a meek middle-aged man (Joel Kinneman) on his way to the hospital for the birth of his second child, gets taken hostage at gunpoint by an unstable stranger dressed in red (Nicolas Cage). Under the stranger’s direction, they go on the road to destinations unknown. By the end of the journey, one of them will be dead.

It’s an intriguing, reliable concept, and director Yuval Adler handles it well enough, while Kinneman delivers a good performance as an everyday man in over his head, facing an almost demonic villain, played with enjoyable ferocity by Cage.

Problem is, everything about the film comes off as uneven. While Adler manages to create a compelling watching experience that has a certain mood, he doesn’t really have total command of the film’s tone. The film begins as a serious psychological thriller with existential undertones, then veers into standard revenge thriller territory, with Cage both enlivening and confusing matters with a bonkers performance that seems to promise revelations that never come.

The ending is not exactly surprising for this type of story, and seems to hint at some kind of religious/spiritual subtext that must have got lost in the way.

In the end, Sympathy For The Devil is a flawed but compelling night journey into the pasts of haunted men.

Text © Ahmed Khalifa. 2023.

Watch or Listen to the video version:

 

Ahmed Khalifa is a filmmaker and novelist. He is the writer/director of several short films and a feature, which was released on Netflix, and the author of a number of novels and short stories, including the YA horror novel, Beware The Stranger, available on Amazon. He is also the host of The Dark Fantastic Podcast. Find him on Twitter @AFKhalifa and on Facebook @DFantasticPodcast

The Dark Fantastic is sponsored by VHS Books:

Book Review: NEXT By Michael Crichton. 3 and a 1\2 out of 5.

Next (2006), the last novel to be published by Michael Crichton during his lifetime, is kind of a greatest hits collection. Yet, in a way, it’s also unlike anything he’d written before. It combines many of his favorite themes and obsessions, to produce a book that is bitingly satirical, surprisingly cynical, and, paradoxically, one of his most humane.

Crichton goes for broke here, creating a multi-layered and sprawling novel with a multitude of characters and plotlines, some of which, by the end of the book, will converge. It’s useless to go into details about the story itself. The plot is just too complex to summarize. Suffice it to say that Crichton tackles the issue of gene patenting, and how playing God leads to complicated and, sometimes, disastrous consequences.

He’s dealt with these issues before in many of his books, but never in such an assured and humorous manner.

Next is the work of a writer at the peak of his powers, using every technique at his disposal, every lesson learned from a lifetime of writing. With Next, Crichton creates the sort of novel 2003's State of Fear should have been. With State of Fear, Crichton courageously took on the global warming/climate change hysteria, and tried to expose those he called “catastrophists”, scientists, politicians, and media personalities who use genuine environmental concerns, and blow them all out of proportion to induce fear and gain control of public opinion for their own benefit. But the novel came across as half-cooked and meandering, and didn't really make its point that clear.

Next, on the other hand, fires on almost all cylinders, with Crichton in complete control of his narrative. He takes on politicians, tech moguls, corrupt scientists, ego-maniacal businessmen, evangelists, and many more, with gleeful, dark humor.

Sometimes he lays it on a bit too thick, and his vitriol isn't always evenly meted out, but he succeeds in producing a piece of work that is literally unputdownable, and a joy to read; one of the few Crichton books I felt I could re-read almost instantly.

While not as propulsive and action-packed as some of his best techno-thrillers, Next is a terrific, intelligent novel, filled to the brim with ideas, many of which are thought-provoking and more timely than ever.

A must for fans. For newcomers to Crichton's work, I'd recommend The Andromeda Strain or Airframe.

Text © Ahmed Khalifa. 2023.

Watch or listen to the video version:

Ahmed Khalifa is a filmmaker and novelist. He is the writer/director of several short films and a feature, which was released on Netflix, and the author of a number of novels and short stories, including the YA horror novel, Beware The Stranger, available on Amazon. He is also the host of The Dark Fantastic Podcast. Find him on Twitter @AFKhalifa and on Facebook @DFantasticPodcast

Book Review: THE TAKING by Dean Koontz. *** and a 1\2 out of *****

From the late 1990s onwards, the work of Dean Koontz took on a somewhat jarring tone. Novels like Sole Survivor (1997), One Door Away from Heaven (2001), Odd Thomas (2003), and Innocence (2013), were all repetitive thrillers about lost characters in search of redemption, or innocent characters hunted down by irredeemably evil figures, with most of the stories having a religious undercurrent that could be pretty off-putting. Some of these books worked. Many of them didn’t.

Since The Taking, originally published in 2004, seemed more of the same, I dove into it with low expectations, giving it a go mainly because, in an interview with Koontz that I came across recently, he mentioned that he considered The Taking one of his all-time favorite books.

The Taking revolves around Molly and Niel Sloan, who wake up in the middle of the night to the sound of pouring rain, a cataclysmic downpour that threatens to drown their small California town. Quickly, the young couple senses that something tremendous is going on, maybe even the end of the world as they know it. So they venture out of the safety of their home, and seek their neighbors, feeling the need to band together against this otherworldly threat. But they soon come to realize that their neighbors are not what they seem, and that what’s going on surpasses their worst nightmares.

The Taking is Koontz going full-throttle, for better or worse. The book is immensely readable, a true page-turner, and the main character, Molly, is a likable, vulnerable, but innately strong character. But Koontz’s penchant for heavy-handed prose and preachiness also shine through, and he seems more interested in atmosphere and creating a sense of cosmic dread, than in structuring a satisfying plot.

And that’s the thing about The Taking: it’s virtually plotless. The whole story revolves around a concept, not a plot, of seemingly omnipotent and malevolent beings taking over the world, and how Molly and her husband deal with that. There are some interesting sidetracks, and the dialogue is crisp throughout, but the book feels like a short story or a novella expanded into a novel.

That isn’t necessarily a bad thing. And The Taking isn’t a bad book. In fact, it’s a very good one, and, surprisingly, turns out to be one of Koontz’s best, mainly because of Koontz’s ability to hone in on his obsession and fascination with the concept of pure evil, and how good people confront it.

The Taking is a truly disturbing descent into a hellish situation, into a world subverted by evil and paranoia. And even if the scale of the story isn’t as epic as it pretends to be, the imagery, the philosophical implications, and the final revelation make this a haunting metaphysical thriller that leaves a lasting impression and plenty of food for thought.

Recommended for fans of the author and for newcomers alike.

Watch/Listen to the video version, here:

 

Text © Ahmed Khalifa. 2023.

Ahmed Khalifa is a filmmaker and novelist. He is the writer/director of several short films and a feature, which was released on Netflix, and the author of a number of novels and short stories, including the YA horror novel, Beware The Stranger, available on Amazon. He is also the host of The Dark Fantastic Podcast. Find him on Twitter @AFKhalifa and on Facebook @DFantasticPodcast

Film Review: EVIL DEAD RISE (2023) *** out of *****

In 1980, Sam Raimi and company created a singular filmmaking experience that was visceral, stylish, and a bit insane. The Evil Dead, released in 1981, was a commercial and critical hit, launching the careers of director Sam Raimi, producer Robert Tapert, and actor Bruce Campbell. Two sequels followed, each wilder than the one before it, followed twenty years later by a stunning remake/sequel in 2013, directed by Fede Alvarez, and with creative input from Raimi and his team.

Now, more than forty years after the release of the original, comes Evil Dead Rise (2023), a loose sequel/reboot set in a crumbling high rise.

Written and directed by Lee Cronin, Evil Dead Rise is a disappointment on almost all fronts, taking a franchise that is known for its originality and energy, and delivering a competent but bland and forgettable entry that seems more interested in subtext than scares.

A few years ago, when it was announced that Cronin would be the next filmmaker chosen to play in the Evil Dead sandbox, I was genuinely surprised. Cronin’s only feature, The Hole in The Ground, is a depressing, dour, and pretty style-less horror drama. Watching it, you never get the sense that Cronin - whose humorless, neo-goth style is pretty at odds with everything Evil Dead is known for - is not the right filmmaker for the job. Evil Dead Rise proves it.

Cronin’s script transports the proceedings from a cabin in the woods, to a dilapidated high rise in a bad neighborhood, another isolated setting in which the deadites, the evil spirits of the unholy book, the necronomicon, can wreak havoc.

But the setting is never used to its fullest potential. Instead, Cronin presents us with a single mother, whose tattoos and snarky attitude is supposed to make her “a strong female character”, I suppose. But since she isn’t developed in any meaningful way, and seems bored of her own children, she just comes off as extremely unlikable. As for the rest of the characters, they barely make a dent in one’s memory. Just more fodder for the cannon.

And Cronin seems to be intent on taking the franchise into a sort of po-faced, emo direction, resulting in one dour viewing experience. Because, as any good storyteller knows, if you want to get serious, you need to have likable, relatable characters that the audience can root for, that the audience can feel for when they get hurt, or maimed, or dismembered, things that Cronin subjects his cast of characters to relentlessly.

And then there’s the muddled subtext about feminism, fear of motherhood, “the male gaze”, and other heady subjects, which have no place in The Evil Dead franchise, which has alway been about terror, imagination, and style over substance. As for gender-swapping, The 2013 Evil Dead remake already did it, and did it wonderfully, under the guidance of writer/director Alvarez, who delivered a sleek, punchy Evil Dead entry that hit all the right notes and then some, while exuding plenty of energy and originality. In other words, it was both contemporary and timeless. Both respectful to the original, and intent on creating something new. Cronin’s film doesn’t have any of that. Instead, it’s just another well-made horror movie with plenty of gore and technical trickery, but no heart or soul. Just plenty of posturing, faux sentimentality, and one hell of a downer streak.

Evil Dead Rise is not a worthy addition to the series. Hell, it barely feels like an Evil Dead movie at all.

And while The Evil Dead movies have always been more about style than substance, Evil Dead Rise ends up having little substance, and even less style.

Text © Ahmed Khalifa. 2023.

Listen to/Watch the video version here:

Book Review: The Last Days of Krypton by Kevin J. Anderson *** and a 1\2 out of *****

Almost everybody knows the story of Superman and the planet Krypton with its red sun. Everybody knows that Superman is the only son of Jor-El and Lara, who shipped him off to Earth moments before the planet Krypton was blown to smithereens. But Kevin J. Anderson's novel, The Last Days of Krypton, proves that there is much more to the story. And what a story it is!

From political shenanigans, to sibling rivalry, to the plots of the evil dictator Zod, to the mute villain Nam-Ek, to the true nature of Brainiac, to earthquakes and flash floods, Anderson's Krypton has to be one of the most unfortunate planets in the universe. And that's what makes this book so entertaining and flawed at the same time.

With straightforward prose and a quick pace, Anderson tells the story of Krypton in an exciting, never-lagging manner, with one disaster after another, while the endearing characters try to overcome those ordeals. The novel is full of adventure, romance, villains and action, which makes it an almost epic tale that sheds new light on the whole Superman mythos.

But in trying to combine all the different mythologies that have been created over the decades, Anderson also creates a novel that doesn't leave the reader room to breathe and suspend his/her disbelief. As Anderson crams his 400+ pages with disaster after disaster that the story becomes more of a space opera than anything else, which, of course, might have been Anderson's intention in the first place (the book begins with a list of all the characters in the novel - Dramatis Persoane - as if it were an opera or a play). And, also, the stilted dialogue surely doesn't help.

But, overall, the flaws don't take away from the fact that this is a hugely entertaining book, with enough imagination and forward momentum to make it an addictive read and a must for fans of The Man of Steel. And on the long run, it's probably going to become the final word on the story of Krypton.

Text © Ahmed Khalifa. 2023.

Ahmed Khalifa is a filmmaker and novelist. He is the writer/director of several short films and a feature, which was released on Netflix, and the author of a number of novels and short stories, including the YA horror novel, Beware The Stranger, available on Amazon. He is also the host of The Dark Fantastic Podcast. Find him on Twitter @AFKhalifa and on Facebook @DFantasticPodcast