Marian Dora's Cannibal review - "Can I eat you?"

Marian Dora’s Cannibal

Reviewed by : Michael K. Snyder 

Based on the gruesome criminal case of Armin Mewes, Cannibal is a strange venture into the macabre world of sex, violence, and of course flesh eating. Clearly a very artistic piece, Cannibal doesn’t provide its viewers with any comedic elements nor does it force-feed you the gore. The film starts out very quietly, with little dialogue, as it follows the main character around his hometown doing his normal duties. Then, the true horror begins when our lead starts searching the Internet for consenting victims who want to be eaten. 

One of the things I liked most about this small film is the sexual and emotional aspect the filmmakers touched upon. They don’t just show him meeting some guy and then eating him but rather they build up the fact that it is a huge sexual release for him. He wants this other person to be a part of him, not just a no strings attached lover. The film brings you deep into his psyche and helps you understand why someone would eat another person. 

When the film finally progresses to the gore, it doesn’t let up. Each disgusting scene involves some sort of strange mutilation fetish as well as a lot of male nudity. The effects were spot on and very convincing. When Armin severs his “lover’s” penis and then sautés it in a pan, I gagged multiple times. Along with great effects, the script was strong enough for a film of its size and I loved the various angles the filmmakers used. They didn’t just throw this film together; they intricately pieced it together, which is refreshing for an arthouse-ish film. 

The scariest part about this film is that it is a very accurate account of what actually happened. There are some sick people in this world, and then there are people like me who love exploiting those sickos. Overall, Cannibal is an interesting and psychological film that should be viewed by intellectuals and gorehounds alike.

Michael K. Snyder is a student filmmaker in Winter Park, Florida. When he's not in class he is working on screenplays, short films, working with Rob and the Late Night Crew and anything film related to keep him busy. He is always looking for work and is currently seeking an agent or any form of representation. If you are interested in working with Michael please email him at mksnyder1990@gmail.com

Saw 3D reviewed - Want to play a game?..do you still really care?

Saw 3D

reviewed by: Michael K. Snyder 

Let me start this off by letting all you readers know that I am not the biggest fan of the Saw franchise. That being said, I am a huge fan of everything horror and after being pushed into the theater by my wonderful fiancé, I decided to give Saw 3D a chance. 

I think the biggest problem I’ve had with the franchise is how unreal the films seem to me. For instance, in the first film all the good doctor has to do is shoot someone he’s never met to save his life and the life of his family. That’s too easy, and I don’t see any humans besides monks and nuns not pulling the trigger. Maybe it’s just me, but I’d react differently in certain of the franchises situations. 

That being said, I’ve always been a fan of gore, and the Saw films always have a good share of violence, blood and guts. Saw 3D is no exception; the violence is plentiful and often humorous, besides the occasional pinkish tinted blood which sent me into a fit of hysteria. The film will keep most mainstream gore-fiends satisfied, but fans of underground horror will be disappointed. 

The 3D in the film is a gimmick and was clearly used only to raise ticket prices, which always pisses me off. The effects are super cheesy, and after a TERRIBLE opening scene, add a more comedic element to the film. Honestly, I felt like I was watching a B-movie, when I knew the budget behind this behemoth was astronomical as always. 

The filmmakers behind Saw 3D were in it for one thing, and one thing only; money. They clearly don’t care about intelligent audiences or keeping the franchises fans pleased. They threw in scene after scene of random 3D deaths, terrible acting, and a horrible plot. This film contains one of the worst screenplays I’ve seen produced by a mainstream studio in a long time. The actors all seemed like the only prior experience they had were bad pornos and films even my good friend’s over at Troma wouldn’t put out. 

This film reminds me of an ideal I was starting to loose sight of. Independent filmmaking is a must to keep cinema out of the trashcans and into the minds of intelligent moviegoers. As more and more of these terrible big films are being put out everyday, it is time for us as moviegoers to demand more from the studios.

S&Man reviewed - Mr. Sandman...bring me a dream....and stop peeking in my window

S&Man 

reviewed by: Michael K. Snyder 

After hearing a lot about JT Petty’s newest film, S&Man, I decided to get my hands on a copy and see it for myself. The film starts out in a narrative documentary style, exploring the culture of underground horror films. Petty travels to a horror convention where he meets up with a new young filmmaker who goes by Eric, and is the filmmaker behind the S&Man series of films. 

Things start to get weird, as Eric grows more and more partial to Petty and his crew, but the more Petty pushes to get into Eric’s mind, the more defensive Eric gets. It becomes clear that something is wrong with Eric, and the film takes a turn away from fact and into fiction, while still providing a lot of insight into voyeurism and extreme filmmaking. 

Petty interviews a few different doctors who specialize in voyeurism and sexual deviants. He also gets a lot of insight from cult filmmaker Fred Vogel and Toe Tag Pictures. Vogel is responsible for some of the most graphic films to date that are the closest you can legally get to snuff. He provides JT with a firsthand account of a snuff film he watched and the effect it had on his life. These real accounts are interlaced with insight from scream queens and filmmaker Bill Zebub along with fictionalized stories from Eric about his S&Man films. 

My favorite part about this film is the way it makes you think. Petty does a great job at making you feel weird about watching extreme horror films. He drives deeply into your psyche and then rips it apart when things turn out for the worst. Are we all just voyeurs? Do we all have that little voice in the back of our heads urging us to look into the fire just to catch a glimpse of a burning corpse? Petty does a great job of convincing us that as humans each of us has a yearning to view violence, but he also reminds us that when you see so much violence and chaos on screen you become numb and eventually, for some people, the only way to feel the rush of horror films, is to act out in violence. Do we all secretly lust for blood?

The Path of Torment reviewed - Don't Answer the Door!

The Path of Torment

reviewed by : Michael K. Snyder 

 

Gary C. Warren’s film The Path of Torment has been making a fairly decent splash in the indie horror world. I tried to read as little as possible about the film before watching it so that my review could be as unbiased as possible, but there are a lot of rave reviews out there for this film. 

I’m going to start out by explaining the number once aspect to independent film making. The one thing that can turn a powerful plot and script into an amateur looking film, and the single biggest pet peeve I have when watching a film…audio. If a film’s audio isn’t synced right, if it is all clearly ADR and/or terribly mixed, or if the music in the film overpowers any dialogue, I go nuts trying to sit through the film just to see how it ends.

Unfortunately, The Path of Torment’s audio tends to drift into the realm of terrible multiple times during the film. For example, the opening scene of the film has music that is much too loud, and the obvious ADR of the dialogue is painful to watch. I did, however, enjoy the dialogue in the opening scene a lot, but I personally would have opened the scene differently, perhaps skipping straight to the two crazed religious freaks riding up on their bikes. Much more of the film has some pretty bad audio synching as well as some crappy mixing, but given the budget of the film, the audio can be swept underneath the rug. 

Most of the shots in the film are decently composed, and it is clear that Mr. Warren has an eye for filmmaking. I think if he was given a decent budget and better equipment, this film could easily be a great horror/comedy. Some of the acting in the film seems very unfocused; actually most of the performances besides the two leads are bland and unrealistic. For instance, in one scene one of the character’s wives is knocked over the head with a bicycle helmet. The husband reacts with nothing more than simple confusion, and his facial expressions represent more of a sense of stupidity rather than fear or rage. Yes, he has a box cutter in his face, but still it’s his wife and I feel a more realistic reaction would have deeply benefited the scene. 

This film is extremely tongue in cheek, and cannot be taken seriously, which is my main complaint. The story is decent, and should have been treated with a bit a more respect. I feel like something along the lines of Kevin Smith humor would have benefited the film much more. Maybe it’s just my personal tastes, but being a huge Troma fan, I doubt that that’s the issue. I just feel that this plot is too genuine and too solid to throw it away with some goofy humor. 

I’m eager to see what Warren does next, as I’d like to see a solid rewrite of this film and a much better soundtrack. The director clearly has a good vision, and he obviously knows how to compose a frame, but the screenplay needs some serious work.

Michael K. Snyder is a student filmmaker in Winter Park, Florida. When he's not in class he is working on screenplays, short films, working with Rob and the Late Night Crew and anything film related to keep him busy. He is always looking for work and is currently seeking an agent or any form of representation. If you are interested in working with Michael please email him at mksnyder1990@gmail.com

Inside (A L'interieur) - Movie Review - The French are maniacs :)

À l'intérieur aka Inside

Reviewed by :Michael K Snyder

The French do something special with horror filmmaking, something I can’t quite put my finger on. Maybe it’s the fact that they aren’t afraid of ratings, or maybe it’s just the way they intricately frame all of their shots. French filmmakers seem to treat each shot as a canvas, and all of them are trying to create their ultimate masterpieces. Much like Martyrs and Frontiere(s), Inside is an extremely strong horror film. 

The film’s simplicity is equivalent to the original Halloween while still maintaining a modern amount of violence to keep all the gore lovers satisfied. Along with the Carpenter-esque lighting and shots, the film’s editor, Baxter, is rising through the ranks as one of the top editors of today. This film, along with Piranha 3D and Haute Tension showcase Baxter’s ingenious editing skills. Of course, both the directors and Baxter are working with scenes composed by one of the genre’s greatest cinematographers of recent years, Laurent Bares. 

The plot behind Inside is a deeply disturbing, and intricately pieced together story about loss and revenge. Revenge seems to be a reoccurring theme in French cinema, and Inside is no different. The anger behind the revenge in this film is, however, very different from anything I’ve seen before. It deals with a fragile and innocent aspect of everyday life that will touch a nerve on almost every viewer; childbirth.

Once again, French cinema delivers a serious of extremely strong performances by an ambiguous cast. The lead females portray two opposite characters with similar goals. One, a depressed woman who wants nothing more than to give birth to her child and have a peaceful Christmas in a rage filled France. The other, a sadistic woman with horrifying plans to get herself a child no matter what she has to do. The outcome is a dirty, gory, bloody and dramatic mess that will leave all of its viewers cringing in their seats and loving every second of Inside’s cinematic genius. 

Inside is a film I will go back to again and again. Not only for its entertaining display of intense violence and rage but also for its well executed scenes and amazing cast and crew. It’s something I’d love to see more of here in the States.

Michael K. Snyder is a student filmmaker in Winter Park, Florida. When he's not in class he is working on screenplays, short films, working with Rob and the Late Night Crew and anything film related to keep him busy. He is always looking for work and is currently seeking an agent or any form of representation. If you are interested in working with Michael please email him at mksnyder1990@gmail.com

Movie Review - My Soul to Take 3-D

My Soul to Take 3D 

reviewed by : Michael K. Snyder

After reading countless reviews on how terrible Wes Craven’s newest vision was, I decided I needed to see it for myself. Now, let me start this off by stating that I hate 3D, and the only other 3D film I’ve seen in theaters was Piranha 3D, which I loved.  But, since I’m such a devout fan of Mr.Craven, I decided to give his 3D vision a shot. 

The film is old-school Craven, and his genius shines through in every frame. Everyone whose review states how terrible the acting was in this film should be tied up and barbecued in their backyards. This is a cast of mainly young actors and actresses who are portraying high school students, and their dialogue represents their state of mind. Of course they aren’t going to be quoting some great English scholars, the main character is only 16! They speak to each other like teenagers, they act like teenagers, and Wes Craven obviously has a lot of experience working with young actors.  

Each frame in this film was textbook film-making; foreground, middle ground and background. Wes clearly shows his worth in these shots because each looks like it was crafted for hours. I felt like I was watching something from one of my film classes about framing the perfect shot.  

The story of My Soul to Take isn’t very straightforward and that may turn some viewers off. Craven doesn’t just hand you the plot and treat you like an idiot, but instead he releases key points ever so often to keep the viewer guessing. Maybe his film is just too smart for the average moviegoer? I wouldn’t doubt it. Wes uses his psychology background and great storytelling skills to craft a masterpiece that is just too intricate and thought provoking for the usual horror film viewer. 

The violence in My Soul to Take isn’t quite as intense as something like Hatchet, or many old school 80s slashers fueled by Savini’s genius. It is, however, effective for the type of film Wes was trying to make. He was trying to make an intelligent horror film, nothing over the top. Actually, many of the scenes and situations portrayed in the film made me feel like this would have been A Nightmare on Elm Street had Wes remade it. There is even a scene, which features red lights, a boiler room like environment and multiple Freddy moments. As a huge fan of Freddy, these little scenes made me smile.   

Overall, I think moviegoers should give Craven’s latest venture a shot, but ONLY if they are old enough to use their minds while watching a horror film.  I feel like if Wes hadn’t made this film and it was made in a foreign market, people would be praising it for its smart storytelling and great cinematography. Maybe I just look too deep into things, but to me this film was smart, scary and fun.

 

Michael K. Snyder is a student filmmaker in Winter Park, Florida. When he's not in class he is working on screenplays, short films, working with Rob and the Late Night Crew and anything film related to keep him busy. He is always looking for work and is currently seeking an agent or any form of representation. If you are interested in working with Michael please email him at mksnyder1990@gmail.com