Movie Review: IT STAINS THE SANDS RED (2016) *** and a 1\2 out of *****

Amidst the numerous movies and TV shows released in the wake of The Walking Dead’s success, one stands out.

It Stains The Sands Red, released in 2016, takes the zombie movie template and energizes it in many subtle and inventive ways.

Directed by Colin Minihan, and written by Minihan and Stuart Ortiz, It Stains The Sands Red, uses its modest budget and limited locations to great effect. But the secret ingredient, is actress Brittany Allen.

Allen, playing Molly, a lost soul who drowns her sorrows in booze and toxic men, delivers a performance that's nothing short of dazzling.

Her character, a quote unquote bimbo, who, after being left stranded in the deserts of Las Vegas, with a tenacious zombie on her tail, could have become an annoying, tiresome character, in the hands of a less capable actress.

But Allen takes the role and runs with it, delivering a portrayal that is equal parts funny and moving.

Director Minihan, milking the minimalist concept for all its worth, directs the film with a keen eye for visuals, and a deft handling of pacing and tone. This is basically a two-hander, between Allen's character, Molly, and the zombie chasing her, nicknamed Smalls, terrifically played by Juan Riedinger. And in the hands of Minihan, the film stays compelling, moody, and superbly entertaining.

There are a few dull moments in the middle section, and the sequence with the two prison escapees comes off as off key and gratuitous, but, for the most part, It Stains The Sands Red, manages to utilize the zombie genre playbook to its advantage, while adding depth, pathos, and plenty of invention, to create a mesmerizing tale of survival and redemption.

Text © Ahmed Khalifa. 2024.

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Review: PHANTASM: RAVAGER (2016)

As a lifelong "Phan" of the Phantasm series, my heart lept with joy at the announcement of a new, and final, installment in the franchise, with the involvement of the entire cast from the 1979 original. After several delays, Phantasm: Ravager (2016) was released in theaters and VOD, and I got a chance to watch it.

My disappointment was staggering. Produced almost thirty years after Phantasm IV: Oblivion (1998), I expected a tight, polished, poignant final chapter that would finally answer at least some of the many questions posed during forty years of filmmaking. What I got was an amateurish looking, incoherent movie, with surprisingly unpolished performances, and one which lacks much of the surreal, hypnotic atmosphere and style that made the series so special in the first place.

A huge part of the blame has to rest on co-writer/director David Hartman's shoulders, whose direction is adequate at best, and sloppy at worst. The special effects also leave a lot to be desired, which is shocking, considering what creator/writer/director Don Conscarelli managed to pull off decades ago with next-to-none resources, delivering four films that had plenty of style, and effects that always captured the imagination.

The lack of closure is also very disappointing for a die-hard Phantasm fan. Being the final chapter, there's little that seems "final" about this film, with its open-ending and unresolved storylines dating back to the very first film in the series. Yes, Reggie Banister's character gets a moving and bittersweet send-off, but that's about it. The Tall Man's tale seems far from finished, and the rest of the characters don't have much to do throughout the story.

One has to wonder why Coscarelli, who co-wrote Ravager, didn't just direct this final chapter, as the final product sorely lacks his touch and his mastery of low-budget filmmaking.

It is fun and heartwarming to see the gang back together again, and there are a couple of moments when the film manages to capture some of the magic of the original, but, as is, Phantasm: Ravager is heavily flawed and underwhelming, and a failure as a finale to one of the most popular and stylish horror franchises in history. To me, the true final chapter remains Phantasm: Oblivion (1998), in which Coscarelli gave us an open-ending that was mystifying yet satisfying on many levels, and one which was truly haunting.

Text © Ahmed Khalifa. 2017

Review: THE CONJURING 2 (2016)

Entertaining sequel about the further adventures of Ed and Lorraine Warren, real life demonologists and ghost hunters. This time the focus is on the "Enfiled Poltergeist", a sensational true story that took place in England in the late 70s. Director/co-writer James Wan lays out his usual stack of tricks, which include spooky visuals and some truly frightening moments. While Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson do their best to portray the Warrens as a likable, ordinary couple whose life's work happens to be fighting evil in all its forms.

But Wan's technique is getting repetitive at this point, becoming effective rather than inventive, and the way the Warrens are portrayed makes them bland, too good to be believable characters without much color. While the tone of the film, which wavers between hokey and portentous, doesn't work as well as it did in the original.

That's not to say that the movie doesn't work, because it does. But there's nothing really new here; just a polished, watchable mainstream horror movie with a few memorable sequences. Directed by James Wan.

Text © Ahmed Khalifa. 2016.

Quick Review: SLASHER: SEASON 1 (2016)

Despite having one of the coolest posters I have seen in a while, Slasher: Season 1 (2016) proves to be a disappointment. After a disturbing, tense and violent opening scene, Slasher quickly devolves into a glum, unevenly paced, and overplotted mess. Its main faults are unimpressive leads, a heavy handed approach, and an overly nihilist streak that makes it a dull watch. When you watch something called Slasher, you expect a smattering of that genre's main ingredients, namely a fun, fast, and violent story with likable characters and a memorable villain. The makers of Slasher fail to include any of the above. Forgettable and unpleasant.

Text © Ahmed Khalifa. 2016.

Review: OUTCAST: SEASON 1

Outcast: Season 1 (2016) is, in my humble opinion, the best horror show of the year and the best new show of the summer. Based on Robert Kirkman's (The Walking Dead) horror comic-book series of the same name, it deals with Kyle Barnes, a troubled young man with a dark past, as he deals with his newfound ability to exorcise demons out of possessed humans.

But this is not your typical demonic possession/exorcism tale, with Catholic trappings and over-the-top exorcism sequences, as Kirkman and co. have something else in mind. This is a show that is all about mood, deliberate pacing, and dark imagery that lingers in the mind. There are jump scares and "demons" aplenty, but the emphasis here is on grounded horror, gritty, blue-collar characters, and devastating violence, both physical and psychological, especially child abuse and its long-lasting effects on the psyches of the victims.

While the overly ambiguous nature of the evil/antagonist of the story can be frustrating, especially in the season finale, which asks more questions than it answers, this is a richly textured, subdued horror show, that is clever, moving, and horrific. Highly recommended.

Highlights: The compelling pilot, directed by Adam Wingard (The Guest, You're Next), and the pen-ultimate episode, "Close to Home", a horrific, disturbing hour of television that is even more powerful than the somewhat disappointing season finale.

Text © Ahmed Khalifa. 2016.

Review: STRANGER THINGS: SEASON 1 (2016)

Fun, polished, and very well-produced horror/thriller TV show set in 1983, with terrific performances from all involved (especially Winona Ryder as a mother trying to find her missing son, and Millie Bobby Brown as the psychic, Eleven) and spot on characterization.

What is surprising, however, is how unoriginal the plot is, as it borrows wholesale from Stephen King's It and Firestarter and plenty of Steven Spielberg's movies from the early 80's. I get the idea of paying tribute to what you loved watching growing up, but the show hasn't a single fresh idea under its sleeve.

It is true that the well-written characters and the filmmakers' masterful grasp of atmosphere make this an entertaining and compelling show, but considering the hype, and the quality of all other aspects of the show, one would expect a little bit more effort to have been put into the plotting (there are plot holes galore), while the final episode is probably the weakest installment of the whole series, with an ending that fails to give a satisfying, emotionally resonant conclusion to the story.

Still, flaws aside, this is quality TV, with plenty to offer, and one of the most entertaining dark fantasies to air on TV in a long, long time. Recommended.

Text © Ahmed Khalifa. 2016.