Most of modern horror, I can’t stand. The
monsters, the psychos, the Nine Inch Nails. Directed by either rock
stars or first-time directors, it feels like a carnival and the trick
never touches deeper than the blood. With digital, modern effects, and
the world we live, a large sum rubs like Syfy or snuff. Buckets of
blood, an arm here, a leg there, one wonders. Is it story or sensation
that drives us? And are we any more than pervs?
Screams are universal. We laugh, we cry, we fret, we dream. Film is a
clay where anything is possible as long as someone believes. Anyone. It
could be the hair dresser, the electrician, the makeup artist, the faith
is what matters. The motions are right as long as discovery and the
journey find its way. It must act on its own. The genre is a treadmill.
The track is set and there’s the meat. My pain never leaves with more
and more shrimp on the barbie.
I can be wrong. Good films drop
occasionally. Nothing Left to Fear is a rare exception. Not expecting
much, my head fell for the hook. Atmosphere. Duel, Jeepers Creepers, The
Children of the Corn, the isolated community, the unwitting victims.
Southern Gothic marinades Twilight. Silhouettes, creepy cakes, imagine
the Brady Bunch meets The Exorcist. Add Clancy Brown, layer some Anne
Heche, and sprinkle some new age oohs and awes and you have yourself a
movie. The Conjuring only cheaper.
The plot clings to Rebecca
(Rebekah Brandes). Moving to Stull with her family, she eyes a stranger.
Chopping up sheep, he glares with a strange glow. Becca and Noah (Ethan
Peck) fall in love and the film goes south from there. Superficial,
shooing off movers, no one seems to want strangers. The kindness is only
skin deep. Except for Noah, the film coasts a fine line and half the
fun is seeing where it goes. Those expecting The Vanishing or Clarice
miss the point.
This is convention not Frailty. The surprise is
how it gets there. Certain things are a given. Much as we expect Kelly
to dance or Clint to squint, the pleasure swells from the cooking. The
smells, the ingredients, we ache for the menu. We crave what we crave.
The trappings limit the options. Chocolate ends in tooth decay. Bodies,
screams, Agatha Christie, horror sets the mold. Ten Little Indians
clobbers The Karate Kid. Loss and slaughter are Hamburger Helper. Just
pour in the innocence and off you go.
One by one, the goose is
cooked. Scream leaked the secret. The story toys with the order. We
forget sometimes. The rules live. What we expect is tripped by events.
Not everyone dies, big or small the reasons sting. No surrender, no
parry, the wrath never bends. This isn’t Cinderella. “Resistance is
futile.” There is no irony. The barrier wields little movement. Stuck
between a rock and hard place, the opening repeats. What’s left? “Only
your undertaker knows for sure.”
Anchor Bay’s disc is amazing. The
video upgrades with near HD quality. Mud, mascara, rotting flesh,
nothing is out of place. The image is clean. The audio is a Dolby 5.1
lossless soundtrack. Creepy when needed, the surround blisters the
speakers. As for supplements, a commentary with the director, producer,
and co-scorers, a 16 minute behind the scenes, and trailers from Anchor
Bay round out the package. Altogether a good deal and a must for those
who love horror.
This is a 4 out of a 5 scalpels.
-- B.L. Matthews
Director: Anthony Leonardi III
Lead Actor/Actress: Clancy Brown
Genre: Horror
DVD Release Year: 2013
Theatrical Release Year: 2013
Time Length: 100 minutes
Rating: R
Region Code: A
Release Company: Anchor Bay Entertainment
Website: www.anchorbayent.com
This is a 3.5 out of a 5 scalpels.
Most of modern horror, I can’t stand. The
monsters, the psychos, the Nine Inch Nails. Directed by either rock
stars or first-time directors, it feels like a carnival and the trick
never touches deeper than the blood. With digital, modern effects, and
the world we live, a large sum rubs like Syfy or snuff. Buckets of
blood, an arm here, a leg there, one wonders. Is it story or sensation
that drives us? And are we any more than pervs?
