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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Book Review: RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD By John A. Russo *** and a 1\2 out of *****

Published in 1979 to little fanfare, screenwriter/novelist John A. Russo's sequel to George A. Romero's Night of The Living Dead (1968) is a must-read for fans of the seminal film and the zombie subgenre. Russo, the screenwriter of the original Romero classic, opens the book, which is set years after the event of the original film, with a shocking scene of mass brutality, as a preacher and his flock systematically mutilate the victims of a bus crush so that they won't turn into zombies. From there, the story gets darker and darker, as Russo introduces us to a number of believable, if not very memorable, characters, and takes them through one nerve-wracking and harrowing situation to the next.

Reading the novel, it quickly becomes clear that Russo is not as interested in overt sociopolitical commentary as Romero, focusing instead on the brutality of living in a world turned on its head, and the struggle of decent people trying to survive without turning into monsters themselves. There's plenty of violence, which makes the novel not for the faint of heart. What isn't there is humor, as, like Russo's screenplay for the original film, this is a dead-serious take on the zombie genre that Russo and Romero more or less invented back in 1968.

Even if the prose is a little workman-like, this is a good, fast-paced, and immensely readable story, and a worthy if somewhat dated sequel to the original classic. Fans will surely find it fascinating.

* Russo originally wrote the story as a screenplay, then turned it into a novel. His screenplay served as the basis for Dan O'Bannon's film, Return of The Living Dead (1985). Russo then adapted O'Bannon's revised screenplay into a separate book/novelization with the same title. That book was released  as a tie-in to the film in 1985.

Text © Ahmed Khalifa. 2020.

Ahmed Khalifa is a filmmaker and novelist. He is the writer/director of the feature film Wingrave, 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.

Review: Carrion. By Gary Brandner ** and 1\2 out of ****

Gary Brandner, the author of The Howling, one of the most entertaining horror novels to come out of the 1970's, is one of those authors that has an accessible, highly readable style that makes almost everything he writes fun to read.

Carrion is no exception. While it's not Bradner's best, this breezy read about a cheeky fortune teller who accidentally discovers that he has the ability to raise the dead, is sure to give you a few nights' entertainment. The main characters are likable, the prose unfussy, and the ending suitably tongue-in-cheek. Recommended.

© Ahmed Khalifa. 2019.

Review: THE WALKING DEAD: THE COMPLETE FOURTH SEASON - **&1/2 out of four

With the departure of Frank Darabont at the end of the first season, and Glen Mazzara at the end of the third, writer/executive producer Scott Gimple took over The Walking Dead, and turned it into something, well, different.

Fans of Robert Kirkman's original comic books on which the series is based, will be very pleased by how things turn out, as, reportedly, one of the main reasons Mazzara was ousted from the show was his lack of reverence for the source material and his insistence on tinkering with it to create a dramatic landscape better suited for televised storytelling. Not anymore, as Gimple and Kirkman steer the show back, rather abruptly, I might add, to its comic book roots, with varying results.

On the plus side, the show now has more of an episodic feel, with arcs being introduced and resolved within a few episodes, and a stronger emphasis on stand-alones, which works for those just tuning in to the show, and those who are merely casual fans who dip in a few times per season to keep up with a show that is more than trendy. On the minus side, long-time fans of the show, like myself, are subjected to a rude awakening, where, suddenly, characters start acting in ways not wholly consistent with what we know and love about these characters, while the mythic, serialized approach that made the show such a ground-breaking, timeless, and haunting storytelling endeavor, is mostly gone.

The show is still very good, don't get me wrong. But it's not an incomparable, perfectionist masterpiece anymore, as Gimple is a great writer (as evidenced by his episode "The Grove", one of the finest hours ever to air on television), but only an adequate showrunner, as under his guidance the show's technical merits take a blow, losing the tightly cinematic style of the previous three seasons. And Gimple also seems to have a penchant for sentimentality, as this is the first season to have a mawkish, almost unbearably saccharine bent, which is most notable in the episode "Still", one of the worst and most sentimental episodes of the series up to that point.

By the end of the season, things even out a little bit, and we begin to get used to this new but not improved Walking Dead, taking the good with the bad, the brilliant with the average. I, for one, will continue to watch the show, hoping for the best, waiting for Gimple and co. to surprise, shock, and inspire me. And if they don't, well, there's always the first three season to watch again and again.

Only time will tell...

Text © Ahmed Khalifa. 2017

Review: COOTIES (2014) - ***&1/2 out of four

One of the best horror-comedies you've never seen, Cooties (2014) is a fun lover letter to 80s horror/zombie movies. Like Final Girls (2015), Cooties' strengths lie in its near-perfect mix of reverence and send-up, with the filmmakers paying tribute to a genre they both love and find silly at the same time.

The plot: A group of teachers get stuck in a school where the students suddenly start turning into cannibalistic monsters (i.e zombies), and they have to do everything they can to survive, including facing their own fears and weaknesses. Saying anymore would ruin the fun for you, as this is a film filled to the brim with funny scenes, surprisingly hardcore gore, and a number of hilarious lines, not to mention a cast (that includes Elijah Wood, Rainn Wilson, and Leigh Whannell) that seems to be having a blast. The score by Kreng is also retro-synth music at its best.

This is also a rather conspicuous debut for Leigh Whannell as an actor/writer without his partner James Wan, and he proves himself admirably, delivering, along with co-writer Ian Brennan, a script that is original, funny, scary, and memorable.

Even if it is a bit lacking in technical merits - the direction is occasionally too conventional for its own good - this is an energetic, fun, tense, and endlessly entertaining horror-comedy, and a must see for fans of the zombie movies of the 70s and 80s. Unmissable.

N.B. Look out for a great appearance by none other than Peter Kwong (Big Trouble in Little China) as Mr. Hitachi!

Text © Ahmed Khalifa. 2017

Quick Review: RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD 3 (1993)

Ambitious, somber, and well-written sequel. But it lingers on repulsive details and has a slapdash, messy quality that makes it tough to watch. The effects are mostly poor. The weakest part of the trilogy.

Text © Ahmed Khalifa. 2016.

Quick Review: RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD 2 (1987)

Uneven sequel to the cult classic. It lacks focus and features some truly unfunny gags. But it's slickly made, with a fine cast and plenty of energy. A fun if forgettable watch. Written and directed by Ken Weiderhorn.

Text © Ahmed Khalifa. 2016.

Quick Review: RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD (1985)

Overrated horror-comedy; lacks style and memorable characters. But it has enough innovative touches and quirky humor to make it a memorable addition to the zombie genre. Highlight: James Karen's hilarious performance. A parody of/unofficial sequel to George Romero's Night of the Living Dead (1968). Based on a story by Night of the Living Dead writer John A. Russo. Directed by Dan O'Bannon.

Text © Ahmed Khalifa. 2016.