VAULTCAST: Conversations in the Dark... w/Brad McHargue

Seems like everyone loves to point out which horror films are "overrated". Hell, I just made my own list of them last month. It's one thing to point out certain movies that a lot of people can agree get more credit than they deserve, but what about those films that everyone just seems to love but you? Brad McHargue, writer for HorrorSquad and author of the blog I Love Horror, is used to this problem, as his opinions are often far from the majority. Good thing he's not afraid to piss people off.

Which is also why he makes a great guest. This week on Conversations in the Dark, he joins me to talk about movies like Drag Me to Hell and Grace, which many people adored, but Brad thought were dogcrap. Plus, I get into my own continued disdain for the beloved Blair Witch Project, and we both scratch our heads at those who call Paranormal Activity overrated.

It's a whole lot of angst and perplexedness this week in the Vaultcast, so listen in below! Or proceed to the Vaultcast home page and download the sucker...

Conversations in the Dark: Brad McHargue

The Vaultcast!

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In other news, when you have a chance, release your inner Kraken by heading over to Bloody-Disgusting.com to check out my latest list: The 21 Most Kick-Ass Giant Monsters in Movie History, in honor of the impending Clash of the Titans remake...

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Amazing GRACE

Where to begin?

Yesterday was one of those days of pure bliss for me as a fan of genre entertainment. In the day, I experienced the absolutely spellbinding instant science fiction classic District 9. At night, I was all set to head to New York City for a special screening of the controversial Grace. After District 9, I was kind of thinking Grace would inevitably wind up being a letdown. I was wrong.

I had been made aware of the New York engagement of Grace--one of only two in the country--by Johnny Boots of Freddy in Space. Unfortunately, Johnny and his betrothed were unable to attend the screening as we had originally planned. But boy, am I glad I went anyway. And special kudos go out to Mrs. B-Sol, who was a good enough sport to tag along with me. Reminded me of the college days when she would follow me to the city in search of Godzilla Trendmaster figures without so much as a peep.

We arrived at the Village East Cinema in the heart of the East Village, the neighborhood formerly known as the Lower East Side, where a century ago, my great-grandparents settled down to make a new life for themselves. But that's not what tonight was all about. Tonight was about a journey into mind-wrenching horror--and we certainly got what we came for.

Going in, I had imagined Grace would be this year's Inside, and I wasn't far off the mark. After it was over, I found myself trying to figure out which movie was sicker, and came to the conclusion that it was pretty much a dead heat. As a pure horror film, I think Inside works just a bit better. But as a film, period, I would say that Grace is a better all-around picture.

Both films deal with issues of motherhood, particularly with the perversion of motherhood, as well as the inextricable connections between birth and death, as well as between sex and death. There are a lot of layers at work, and it will take multiple viewings of Grace to truly absorb them all, which is admittedly not something I'm particularly relishing. Not because the film wasn't incredible, which it was. But rather, because--much like I said about Inside--it's a movie that challenges the definition of "entertainment". Quite simply, it is a harrowing work. A difficult yet exhilarating view that we as horror fans need every once in a while. This is no "fun" horror movie, a la Drag Me to Hell. This baby is grueling.

What I found particularly interesting was the manner in which motherhood and the female identity are explored in relation to one another. The movie is populated by female characters who, in one way or another, wind up defining themselves by the nature of their maternal actions and instincts. This is the debut film of writer/directer Paul Solet, and good Lord is this going to be a tough act to follow. Solet received college degrees in both film and psychology, and both of those areas of expertise are on full display here.

The gorgeous Jordan Ladd, a veteran of horrors like Cabin Fever and Hostel II, as well as Shanna from Death Proof, is stunning in the lead role of Madeline Matheson, an uber-green vegan mom who must reach within herself and confront that which revolts her the most when she discovers that her newborn baby, believed to have been dead in the womb, is born not only alive, but with an insatiable need for human blood.

But hands down, the film's most disturbing performance comes from Canadian actress Gabrielle Rose as Madeline's mother-in-law from hell, Vivian Matheson. Her character is utterly depraved, a single-mindedly obsessed control freak who will stop at nothing to seperate Madeline from her baby. A clinging, obsessive mother who yearns for the sense of meaning that motherhood once provided, Vivian is chilling in every scene she inhabits. There is one scene, in particular, in which Vivian coaxes her unwitting husband into sucking her nipple just so she can be reminded of what it felt like to breastfeed, that is more upsetting than any moment of gore or violence in the entire movie.

But speaking of gore and violence, there is no shortage of it here. Now I'm going to confess something. I have a bit of a problem with blood. Yes, you read that right. B-Sol of The Vault of Horror gets queasy at the sight of blood. Ripping flesh I can handle, buckets of guts are no problem. But once that crimson starts to flow, I get weak in the knees and lose the ability to make a fist. And my delicate sensibilities were put to the test here, for sure. This film is dripping with blood--and not the bright red, comic book, Hammer kind, either; but rather some of the most realistic-looking blood and blood-letting I've ever seen on screen.

Desperate to provide her baby with the plasma she needs to live, Madeline first gives her own--but when she can no longer do so without killing herself, she finds herself doing the unthinkable. And yet, the moral question isn't an easy one--after all, what would you do if your baby required as steady diet of blood, or it would die? As we viewed the film's most gore-iffic scene, in which Madeline literally taps a body for blood like an animal in an abattoir, I turned to my wife and asked non-chalantly, half-jokingly, if she would be able to do something like that for our kids. And without missing a beat, she responded in the unflinching affirmative. Mothers and their babies, people--don't mess with it.

Interestingly, this is a film in which the male characters are more or less forgettable accessories. Vivian's husband is an ineffectual doormat, reduced to a submissive stub by decades of marriage to a sociopathically controlling wife. Madeline's own husband, Grace's father, is killed in the car accident that her unborn baby was initially presumed to have been killed in as well. Not only does Madeline show zero sorrow or sense of loss for the remainder of the picture, but the only character we see mourning in any way is his insane mother Vivian, who expresses her grief in the most unhealthy ways possible.

We are almost led to believe that Madeline's husband was only there to create the baby she so wanted in her life. In fact, it seems that Madeline may not even be heterosexual at all, as we later learn that her midwife is actually a former love interest, for whom she shows far greater affection than we ever see directed toward her husband. There are complex issues of womanhood, motherhood, and femininity in general at work here, and I fear I cannot fully do them justice after just a single viewing.

We've all heard the stories of audiences being left in absolute shock by this film, and while I often view such reports as having more than a little PR spin to them, I can see how there could also be some truth to them in this case. Clearly, although many in our screening were horror fans, there were also those who also were not fully aware of what they were in for--as could be attested to by the occasional gasps of disbelief. This movie was made last year, but it took forever until any distributor would go near it. Thankfully, Anchor Bay finally stepped in, and kudos to them for having the nerve and the faith to do so.

After an hour and a half of difficult film viewing, capped off by a deeply twisted final moment that will stay with you long after you've left the theater, I sat there in utter silence, as did everyone else. In fact, I can honestly say this is the only time I can recall an entire theater of people sitting silently in their seats through an entire closing credits sequence. And then, just as the final credits rolled, a dedication fills the entire screen: "For Mom." The entire audience bursts into nervous laughter. Bless you Paul Solet, you sick bastard.

I will say that this movie has pushed my opinion of digital film into skeptically negative territory. It was projected digitally in the theater, which I assume also means it was shot digitally, and I have to admit that I much prefer good old-fashioned film stock. There's a richness missing from the image here, and I couldn't shake the feeling that I was watching a gigantic flatscreen TV instead of a movie screen. Maybe this was the fault of cinematographer Zoran Popovic, but I'm hesitant to place blame there, as I'm not as familiar with the technical aspect of digital filmmaking as I'd like to be.

It's also ironic that horror superstar director Adam Green is one of the producers, as Grace shows more depth, nuance and substance than anything Green has yet to create himself.

For those unafraid of a challenging viewing experience, I highly recommend catching Grace. If you're not lucky enough to live near the New York or Los Angeles areas, you will have to wait for DVD--but I assure you, it will be worth the wait. This is the kind of film that will affect some more than others--for example, having children of your own will probably make it more intense, and I can definitely imagine that having gone through the process of childbirth would make it that much more so. For example, watching Madeline cradle the just-born baby she believes to be dead is one of those film moments that will always stay with me. As I type this, I find myself becoming emotional again, in fact.

This is the kind of a film that begs for post-viewing discussion, which Mrs. B-Sol and myself were compelled to engage in as we walked the streets of Manhattan back to our car. On the way, we stopped into Veniero's historic bakery on East 11th and 2nd Avenue, where 80 years ago, my adolescent great-uncle once worked as a delivery boy, losing his life after suffering a fatal concussion on a subway platform while carrying a box of Italian pastries to their destination. Walking away with a pound of delicious pignoli cookies and lemon drops, I couldn't help but be reminded again of that bizarre, unavoidable connection between life and death.

But forgive my rambling. And go see Grace if you can.

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Stuff I'm Excited to See in What's Left of 2009

I've said it before: This hasn't been the best year for horror. Just not that much out there, period, and out of what there is that's out there, even less worth our money. However, the second half of 2009 seems to be looking a bit better than the first half, and not just because I just had the pleasure of seeing Orphan (review to come). Tonight I'd like to shine the spotlight on four horror films I'm very excited to check out before the end of the year...

District 9
August 14
This one's much more science fiction than horror, but it definitely looks like it will deliver up a scare or two. The buzz is extremely positive, and the concept is intriguing. Sort of strikes me as "Alien Nation meets Predator", if you'll allow me to sound like a jerk-off studio windbag for just a second. On the heels of Moon, another very original sci-fi/horror, this flick gives me home that cinematic sci-fi has a bright future.

Grace
August 14
Vault contributor Wes Cavins recently submitted a review after attending a sneak preview, which was very positive. I've heard audiences have been pretty shocked by this one, which is always a good thing, as far as I'm concerned. And although the plot--about a mother who must feed her baby human blood--bears a passing resemblance to Little Shop of Horrors as BJ-C has pointed out half-jokingly, I still have a feeling this is going to be something worth checking out.

Zombieland
October 9
Just when you thought the zombie movie wave was finally over, along comes this one. And I don't know about you, but after checking out the trailer, I'm MORE than willing to give it a chance. This is definitely the most mainstream zombie film we've seen in years, and a nice prelude to the upcoming World War Z. Large-scale zombie comedy about a post-apocalypse, in which Woody Harrelson is a bad-ass ghoul-hunter? Count me the eff in.

Antichrist
October 23
Loopy director Lars von Trier caused quite a stir at Cannes when he ridiculed members of the press for condemning his film on account of supposedly objectionable content. If that sentence doesn't make you want to see it, then we are two very different people. In all seriousness though, this tale of a troubled couple confronting the powers of Satan on a retreat in the woods has "WIN" written all over it. Plus, it stars Willem Defoe, who I once bumped into checking out the nudey mags in Tower Books in NYC. Not that that's relevant, just puttin' it out there...

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EXCLUSIVE REPORT: Grace Screening at USC!!

This morning I have a rare treat for all you Vault Dwellers. I'm bringing you an exclusive report from Friday night's screening of the controversial new film Grace at USC's Eileen Norris Cinema Theatre in Los Angeles. Long-time friend-of-the-Vault Wes "Fierce" Cavins of HorrorFilmMag.com was on-hand, and was kind enough to provide the following, which I present to you without further ado. Thanks, Wes!!


First let me apologize for the quality of the photos and get that out of the way, hopefully I'll get that 5D MkII soon, lol *cries*. Anyway, getting to the screening was another story altogether, but luckily I made it in time to get a good place in line. About 10 minutes later, the line was snaking all around the front of the theater. Even though it was RSVP only, the guest list was massive and they booked it over capacity to ensure that the no-shows wouldn't prevent those next on the list from getting in.


As soon as the theater was completely packed, the moderator came out to present the writer / director Paul Solet, who introduced the film, and to present the latest trailer for Parasomnia.


The lights went down and the theater was much darker than the average movieplex, which I loved. I had seen a trailer for Parasomnia before, but it was cut together poorly with erratic segments of "spooky" imagery, that weren't effective in any manner. This trailer, however, was very well made and actually got a positive response from the crowd.

Before I jump into my quasi-review of Grace, I just want to point out that this was an official selection at Sundance where two(!!) people fainted and were rushed to the hospital by ambulances. That's a pretty good setup for a horror movie, by any measure.


The film opens on what would usually play out as a few seemingly normal scenes of character development, but the dark undertones are just below the surface, festering. There are elements of the story and aspects of the production that are designed to intentionally chip away at any layers of defense you might be putting up against the imagery that your mind interprets as you watch. But, everything is executed with the right amount of subtlety and restraint to keep the viewer from dismissing the purpose of the design.

For instance, you know there will be some blood somewhere at some point, right? Of course, it's a horror movie. But how many horror movies have you sat through where blood is on the screen and you are completely unfazed because you've seen it presented the same way so many times? Or how many times has a character been stabbed with an icepick and an entire bucket of blood splatters on the wall causing you to roll your eyes or bust out laughing?


Well, this is what Grace works entirely against. Before anything even remotely violent is even hinted at, the film is already becoming unnerving and unsettling. A scene at the very beginning where the family is simply eating dinner is incredibly repulsive and the audience was already making all kinds of noises from being grossed out, lol. This is just example of how much more effective the scenes are when the film grows darker and darker.

Speaking of dark, I should point out that while this is very much a disturbing horror film, it is also a pitch black comedy, in a sense. I say that because the film is at times so disturbing and offensive that the audience was laughing in relief from all of the tension. And it was definitely with the film and not at it, which is a very good thing because this film is in no way a comedy.

Generally, when a movie is bad, I have no problem spoiling every last detail because I would advise against its viewing at all cost. As a testament to how good the film is, I don't want to give away anything because I want you to experience the film as much as I want you to watch it. If you have already seen the trailer, don't watch it again before seeing the movie. If you haven't seen the trailer yet, skip it and watch the movie first because there are spoilers in the trailer that the suits pushed in to make it more marketable.


I also want to point out that while I can see where similarities are being pointed out between this and other "baby horror" sub-genre films, this is definitely not Rosemary's Baby mixed with a zombie movie. While the comparison to Rosemary's Baby is definitely a compliment in any facet, Grace is very different in its own right and trying to describe it as a zombie movie is simply misinformation. Plus, it is not a "killer baby" movie. In fact, I would prefer everyone go into watching this film knowing that the baby is not intended to be a scary zombie or anything even close. What you will be watching is a very effective work of cinematic art that will drill it's way into your soul and leave you thankful for having experienced something that was actually worth your time, for once, and dare I say it... moving.

Left to right: Paul Solet (Director), Jordan Ladd (Madeline), Adam Green (Producer), Martina Buckley (Production Designer), Zoran Popovic (Director of Photography), Austin Wintory (Sound Design / Composer), Alex Ago (Moderator / Special Events Coordinator; School of Cinematic Arts, University of Southern California.)

So, the lights come up and the team take the stage for introductions / Q & A, which I have to say was as much worth my time as the film was. It was actually the director's birthday, so they presented him with a dead baby doll in a carriage, lol. The questions from the audience weren't too incredibly interesting but it served as a good platform for sparking interesting subject matter from answers. Like, someone asked if the cat had a name, and the answer was yes it's name is Jonesy, which Paul said the cat was named after the cat from Alien.

Based off the questions, they also talked about the budget restraints, how their schedule was continually reduced from 24 shooting days down to 17, which resulted in the majority of the shots restricted to only 1-3 takes and no time for rehearsals or blocking, etc. Paul told the story of how the feature came to be after Adam saw the short film, which was actually a promo to get the feature made. Jordan talked about how she had to adapt to play the character having not been a mother yet and how Paul isn't either but there is still a level of connection in the material on a personal level. Adam talked about how he ended up shooting for the 2nd unit even though he said he wouldnt, lol. Martina told an inspiring story about how being the leader that Paul is, is how the film came together with such great talent behind it and how the film was completed successfully despite the sea of obstacles that they had to continuously overcome, as well as the reasoning behind the decisions that were made with the production design.

Zoran talked about how continuous they wanted to keep the shots, which left very little room for coverage, but that was intentional because the production was so thoroughly and precisely mapped out that they didn't need it. Which was also a blessing in a sense, because they didn't have time to shoot much coverage under the circumstances. Austin talked at great length about how music was composed to be played on set for the performances, but then intentionally shelved so that music could be composed properly in relation to the print, as well as how the sound was designed at specific frequencies relative to that of a crying baby so that it could be utilized as effectively as possible at the right times. It was all very interesting.

There was a crew filming the event and Paul mentioned that Anchor Bay is distributing and how awesome they are with handling their releases, so I'm pretty sure that the footage will be included on the DVD. They were also filming audience testimonials, which I apologize profusely for refusing, and I truly feel guilty for denying. That was my fault. :P

The best part of the night for me, though, was after the Q & A was over, the audience / talent wall disintegrated and the floor opened up for everyone to converse. Everyone crowded around Paul for poster signings and to meet him, Jordan kind of ran around like the mad hatter, lol, and everyone else just kind of hung out. I just walked up and stood by Adam as he talked to everyone gathered around him. He talked about various things from the light saber commercial to the status and production of Frozen, also mentioning the Dee Snider story. After everyone said what they wanted to say and took off, Adam and I just talked about random things like how pissed off we were about Trick 'r Treat not getting a theatrical release to how oversaturated the DTV market has become, while we waited for everyone else to wrap things up. Adam is a champ and he definitely won me over just by being a really cool guy, not that he even needed to, its just a testament to the fact.

Then Adam's ride dragged him away as they were locking the building up and that was it. I had a great time and I'm definitely looking forward to the next screening or whatever, whenever that may be. I'm planning on being at the premiere of Stacie Ponder's "Ludlow" in about 10 days, so keep an eye out for coverage on that.

- Wesley Cavins

If you decide to ignore my advise of skipping the trailer and just watching the film first, here is the red band trailer - http://www.fearnet.com/videos/b15677_grace_red_band_trailer.html

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