Natural Born Killers

Natural Born Killers

1994

Director- Oliver Stone

Cast- Juliette Lewis, Woody Harrelson, Robert Downey Jr., Tommy Lee Jones, Tom Sizemore, Rodney Dangerfield, Balthazar Getty, Edie McClurg, Russell Means, Dale Dye, O-Lan Jones, Arliss Howard

           

      It doesn’t take much to sum this movie up. Mickey and Mallory (Woody Harrelson and Juliette Lewis) are mass murderers tear-assing across America, killing people as they go. They become national celebrities until they are caught by a violent cop (Tom Sizemore) who is just as amoral as they are. They are locked up in prison (ran by Tommy Lee Jones) where Mickey is interviewed by a Geraldo-esque sleaze bag (Robert Downey Jr). There. You know the entire plot.

           

      But the plot isn’t really the important part of this movie. What happens is not as important as HOW it happens and how it’s portrayed. The movie is a satire, a commentary on spectator culture. It’s a parody on our hyper violent modern society where apathy is something that can be marketed and catered to.

           

      A big focus of the film is the portrayal of (and infatuation with) violence and murderers in the media. The film was made in the 90s when OJ Simpson, Lorana Bobbit, and the Menendez brothers consumed a massive amount of the public consciousness. The modern 24 hour new cycle and our cell phone shortened attention spans probably precludes any modern day “icons” capturing our attention for months on end today, but Netflix and other streaming services are always offering serial killer documentaries that people consume as soon as they are released, so maybe things haven’t changed that much.

           

   

 Robert Downey Jr. as the reporter, Wayne Gayle, is an avatar for the media. With his affected accent he looks down on the public as intellectual zombies eager to swallow whatever he puts in front of them. Mickey and Mallory are even less human to him. He doesn’t view them as people or murderers. He views them as a marketable product. It’s not difficult to see the parallels between him and our click-bait “news” that lures people away from meaningful thought provoking content to sensationalist “filler” that distracts while it titillates. 

           

      If there is any difference between the apathetic world presented in Natural Born Killers and our world today, it’s that our world may be worse. There are mass shootings every single day in America (in 2019 there were 434). When Natural Born Killers came out, the idea that someone would kill complete strangers for no reason other than their own gratification was unthinkable. Now, it is an accepted part of our daily routine like traffic jams or bad weather. Like Mike Judge’s Idiocracy, Natural Born Killers was rather prescient.

           

     Mickey and Mallory are not just predators in society, they are victims of it. Mallory is the victim of regular sexual abuse from her father (played by Rodney Dangerfield) and Mickey was the product of a violent home and saw his father commit suicide. Mallory’s abuse, rather than being presented seriously, is shown as a joke, complete with a laugh track, which makes it that much more horrifying.  We, the viewer, are invited to treat her trauma as flippantly as the world in which she lives.

           

      Wrapped inside all the horror that permeates this film is a pretty authentic love story. Mickey and Mallory aren’t simply partners in crime. They are lovers, trauma-bonded and reliant on each other. That is not to say that they have a relationship built on mutual respect. Mickey is abusive to Mallory and cheats on her. She puts up with it because she loves him and desperately wants the affection she never got anywhere else in her life. Despite his unfaithfulness though, Mickey really does love Mallory. He knows she is the only women who could understand him and he would sacrifice everything for her if it came down to it.

            

     But they are not simply a modern day Bonnie and Clyde; romantic rogues flavored with cynicism. Mickey and Mallory are a firestorm destroying everything in their path.  There is no rhyme or reason to who they kill or when they kill because the world they live in defies reason.

           

     To say that the film is avant-garde would be an understatement.  Oliver Stone switches between narrative styles using flashbacks, POV shots, documentary style, and surrealist dream like scenes. There is a mixture of live action and animation interspersed with scenes from pop culture. The whole thing is woven together with a great mix of music making it seem like the longest, most violent music video you’ve ever seen.

            

      The movie has talent coming out of its pores. The entire cast is stellar and they were all at the top of their game. The soundtrack was produced by Trent Resznor and the screenplay was by Quentin Tarrantino. Cinematography was by 3 time Oscar winner Robert Richardson.

            

     Try to get the longer director’s cut. The added scenes don’t change the feel of the movie but do add to the experience. It shouldn’t be that hard to find today.

           

      I can completely understand why some people wouldn’t like the film. It’s very hard to watch, especially when you consider that there is very little in it that is far-fetched. But good art either makes you think or feel. Natural Born Killers does both.

   

Doing it Your Way: The Highs and Lows of Independent Horror with Jim O’Rear

  Doing it Your Way: The Highs and Lows of Independent Horror with Jim O’Rear

    It’s an accepted truth that it takes a lot of money to make and distribute a film. Few people can afford such costs which is why most films are made within the context of studios that can afford it. Of course, accepting someone’s money usually means accepting their terms so film makers don’t always get to make the movie that they want. Often film makers can’t even get backing for a film, especially if it doesn’t seem like it will make money. So, some film makers work outside of that system making movies with small budgets with lesser known talents, but also making the movies that they want to make.

   There are some famous examples of low budget films that have made huge impacts. Robert Rodriguez started his career with El Mariachi, which he made for about $7,000. Kevin Smith’s Clerks was made for under $28 thousand. In general though, horror is the most profitable genre for low budget films. The best example of low budget success is The Blair WitchProject which cost $60 thousand and made $240 million!

   Independent film maker Jim O’Rear was nice enough to answer questions about his career, giving some firsthand insights into the art and business of movie making.

Jim directing Maria Kil on the set of The Deepening

  

1 ) So first off, tell us who you are and what you do.

I am Jim O'Rear and I have been known to take part in many television and movie projects as an actor, stuntman, writer, and director.

2) In addition to writing, directing acting, and stunts, you’ve also done composing, producing and make-up. In which role do you see yourself most or maybe which roles do you enjoy most?

As I get older I prefer my time behind the camera, writing and directing and especially editing. It's much more creatively fulfilling.

 

April Monique Burril in The Hospital

3) Before filmmaking, you worked on stage with magicians, is that right? Tell us what that was like.

Yes. I had no desire to become an actor or get into film work. At a very early age I was on tour as The Youngest Professional Magician, working with people like Harry Blackstone Jr, The Great Tomsoni, and David Copperfield. I love the art of magic, as it is a combination of science and theater. A TV producer saw me in one of these shows and convinced me that I should start acting, which prompted the transition into film.

The Deepening

4) How did you get your start in film making?

It was totally by accident. A friend of mine had been acting in several films that were taking forever to be finished and distributed. So he decided he was tired of waiting on others to finish films he was in and he wanted to make his own so that he would have more control over getting his face out there. He asked if I would help him and that's what started my journey as a filmmaker.

  

Jim laughing with Bree Olsen on the set of Fat Chance, later renamed Camp Massacre

5) Most of your films are horror movies. What were your favorite horror movies or which ones were influences on you?

The ones that had the biggest influence on me were the original Halloween, the original Night Of The Living Dead, and the first Phantasm film. You can still find influences from all these films in anything that I make.

6) Your first feature length film as a director was a slasher, The Deepening. It starred Debbie Rochon and Gunnar Hansen. That’s pretty good talent for your first film. What was that like?

Gunnar Hansen

It was a ridiculous, campy drive-in slasher that was a ton of fun to make. It was shot over 5 weekends for about $1,500. Gunnar and Debbie had been friends of mine for years before that... as we had done other projects together... so I asked if they'd come on board. They did and it really gave my first film the punch it needed, as I was immediately offered a worldwide distribution deal right out of the gate.

Bree Olsen in Camp Massacre

"... if anything can go wrong it will and you better be prepared to make quick decisions on the spot to make things work."

Jim and Maria Kil on the set of The Deepening

7) What were the hardest lessons you’ve learned in film making?

That if anything can go wrong it will and you better be prepared to make quick decisions on the spot to make things work. And be prepared to have a lot of people hate you once you see the slightest amount of recognition for your projects.

8) You’re known for your independent work, but you’ve also worked on bigger budget more mainstream projects as well. What is the difference between the two worlds?

Indie work is where the real creative people dwell. There's not much to work with other than your talent and your brain, so you've got to come up with new and creative ways to make things work. Big budget is great for the paycheck. I love sitting in a dressing room trailer getting paid a lot of money to do nothing... but it's not creatively fulfilling. Big budget is where all the people live who have had the creativity beaten out of them by the Hollywood system.

  

Megan Emerick and Melanie Contreras in The Hospital 2

 "Digital has helped filmmaking while killing filmmaking at the same time."

9) Digital technology has changed filmmaking. I guess it really started in earnest in 1999 when George Lucas shot The Phantom Menace completely digitally. Now it’s hard to find anything still shot on film. Rob Zombie said that shooting on film is just too costly and time consuming compared to digital. How has the digital revolution changed film making for you?

I prefer the look of film, but I totally understand the practicality and ease of digital. It's definitely made some things easier but, unfortunately, it's opened the market to a ton of new filmmakers that just shoot backyard movies with their friends and claim that they are actual films... which over saturates the market with inferior product making it more difficult to actually get decent movies released with a good distribution deal. It’s made it much more difficult to actually make money.

10) For any aspiring film makers who may be reading this, what kind of software or equipment do you use?

I'm very simple.... We shoot on digital SLR in high-def. I don't like the look of 4K, so I'll never shoot in 4K. It's too clean. I prefer a little grain... just like the films of the 70s and 80s. I used to edit with Adobe Premiere and used After Effects for post effects, but Sony Vegas Pro has all the same features and is much easier to use. Vegas has sped up the editing process immensely. I now use HitFilm Pro for post effects, too, which is a powerhouse digital effects program that's super easy to use.

  

11) With the demise of the video store, less and less people are buying “hard copies” of their movies and just opting to stream them or download them. I imagine that cuts down on the cost of distribution but probably makes it harder to protect against piracy. What have your experiences been with it?

It's impossible to prevent piracy now. Within an hour after a film is released you can find it online. This takes a ton of money out of the filmmakers pockets, making it harder to continue to make films. So, if you are not paying for the films of directors you enjoy watching, you are running them out of the business and ending their careers. The days of making $2-$3 from each sale of a video have been replaced by making 15 cents for a download or stream of your film. When you add to that the fact that many people won't even pay to stream and search for it for free.... now you're taking away even that measly 15 cents. Digital has helped filmmaking while killing filmmaking at the same time.

12) Of your films, I think The Hospital is probably the most “hardcore" , moving out of the slasher genre and closer to the so-called “torture porn” genre.  Were there any tough moments when shooting that film?

Yes... we made this film to piss people off. That was the only reason. We just wanted to grab people by the throat and shake them and make them angry. I honestly thought that only about 50 people would see the film and that it would take at least 5 or 6 years to find someone who may even want to attempt distribution. Apparently I was wrong. We got a worldwide distribution deal after the first screening and it went viral across the globe... even being converted into 3D in Germany on blu-ray. It did piss a lot of people off, as it was banned in several countries, but it was also a huge hit. There was immediate demand for a sequel, so we did one of those too. I prefer the sequel, actually, but there are millions of original hardcore Hospital fans out there.

"...horror goes hand-in-hand with nudity."

Jim and Maria Kil in The Deepening

13) Some, maybe all, of your movies feature some degree of nudity. You’re a married man. Does your wife ever give you any strange looks about some of the scenes?

No, she knows it's all showbiz and horror goes hand-in-hand with nudity. She's actually been on set a few times when some of those scenes were shot. It's just part of the business.

14) When casting a film, what qualities do you look for in an actor?

We want someone who has personality and makes an impression on screen. We don't necessarily look for the best actor, we look for personalities and people who seem to mesh well together.

15) Some of your films have done well overseas. Is there a difference in what it takes to be successful in America verses a foreign market?

There's no money in America anymore for indie film. If you're going to be successful, you have to go international. That's where the biggest deals are. I never set out to cater to a foreign market, though. I just make films I like and hope that they fit in there.

  

Megan Emerick in The Hospital 2

16) Everyone has to deal with rejection and failure, but I imagine in film making it happens quite a lot given that you have to depend on so many people and uncontrollable variables. How do you deal with it?

Everyone is different. You have to start every project knowing that some will hate it and some will love it. You can't please everyone. So, make what you want to make and the audience will find it. Just know that there will be a lot of very vocal people who think they're hurting you by telling you that you and your film suck. You just have to develop thick skin and realize that those people's opinions don't matter.

"Rarely do you ever see a knock off make it very far."

17) You have a movie coming out soon. It was going to be called Devil Music but now it’s called Hell’s Bells because another movie came out with the name, Devil Music. Honestly, Hell’s Bells is a better name, but what was your reaction when you saw a movie coming out with the name that you already had in mind?

My partner, Scott Tepperman, and I just had to shake our heads and laugh. When you get popular movies out there and then you announce something new, other filmmakers will try to scramble and beat you to the punch because they aren't creative enough to come up with anything on their own. It always happens. Even with my first film, The Deepening. No one had made a killer fireman movie yet. I announced I was going to make one and suddenly 4 other companies went into production on killer fireman movies. Those others rushing to beat you, though, never learn that their rushed production is going to be a hack job that fails. Rarely do you ever see a knock off make it very far.

18) Tell us a little about Hell’s Bells; what is it about, when can people expect it?

This is a screwball comedy with horror elements. It's a twist on the classic Devil And Daniel Webster story about 2 aging losers who make a deal with the Devil to become rock stars and are faced with trying to survive when the Devil comes for payment. Marc Price (who was "Skippy" in the television series Family Ties with Michael J Fox) stars as the Devil and he is phenomenal in the role. Really a lot of fun.

   

Daniel Emory Taylor in The Hospital 2

19) Name one movie, that when you saw it, you wished you had made it and why:

The Greatest Showman. What a beautiful movie... every aspect of storytelling (the sacrifices of show business and the toll it takes on a family), the message of acceptance of others, the well thought out choreography, the art direction... it's just an amazing film that brings me to tears every time I see it.

20) If people want to check out more of your work, where can they look?

People can check out IMDB for film titles they might be interested in and then look on Netflix, Amazon, and more. The films are out there in various places. I announce things on my Facebook page, as well, for upcoming titles.

Debbie Rochon in The Hospital 2

Hannibal

Hannibal

2001

Director- Ridley Scott

Cast- Julianne Moore, Anthony Hopkins, Gary Oldman, Ray Liotta, Frankie R. Faison, Giancarlo Giannini, Francesca Neri, Željko Ivanek

           

    Even though Ridley Scott gave us  (in my opinion) the greatest horror-science fiction movie ever (Alien), his name is not the first on anyone’s lips when thinking of horror directors. His style lends itself to epics like Gladiator and Kingdom of Heaven. Horror, by its nature, works best on a personal level.

            

    In this sequel to Silence of the Lambs, we follow Clarice Starling (Jodie Foster in Lambs, played by Julianne Moore here), now a 10 year veteran of the FBI. Her idealism has been worn away by dealing with politics and bureaucracy.

           

     Gary Oldman plays a truly wretched villain, Mason Verger. Verger is an unrepentant pedophile who has avoided prosecution because of his family’s extraordinary wealth. Years ago, after an encounter with Hannibal Lector, he was left horribly deformed and paralyzed. He has spent the years since plotting his revenge.

            

    Lector (Anthony Hopkins, reprising his greatest role ever) has spent the last 10 years incognito, avoiding the spotlight. He has killed an academic in Italy in hopes of replacing the man when the job opens.

            

     Starling gets in hot water with the FBI after a bust turned into a shootout with several dead. She is used as a sacrificial lamb and tossed to the wolves. She is hounded by a Justice Department pencil pusher (Ray Liotta) who wants his own petty revenge against Starling for refusing his sexual advances. Verger sees this as a chance to lure Lector into the open by using Starling as a bait. Verger’s plan works and Hannibal comes out of self-imposed exile to help Starling, in his own very violent way.

          

      The biggest obstacle that this film faces is that it’s not Silence of the Lambs. That film won 5 Oscars and made Anthony Hopkins a household name. It would be unfair to expect Hannibal to live up to that. Red Dragon (the prequel to Silence) attempted to recreate the look and feel of Silence but only succeeded in reminding you that it wasn’t Silence of the Lambs. Hannibal at least tries to be its own film.

            

     Whereas Silence relies mainly on ambiance and character study, Hannibal spends more effort on overt shock. There are several gruesome murders none more so than when Hannibal has his victim eat their own brain! The most unsettling thing in the film though is Gary Oldman’s incredibly realistic make-up. He is truly horrifying, like a bloody car accident. You want to look away but your eyes won’t let you. Ridley Scott’s penchant for epics comes in handy as the story moves back and forth between America and Italy and follows multiple gradually intersecting storylines.

           

    So if you are expecting Silence of the Lambs, you will be disappointed. If on the other hand, you’d like a competent suspense film with good performances and gore, Hannibal will satisfy you.

Side note- If you want a really different (and very good) film watch Manhunter (the first film version of Red Dragon and the first cinematic appearance of Hannibal Lector) I highly recommend it.

New Year's Evil

 

New Year’s Evil

1980

Director- Emmett Alston

Cast- Roz Kelly, Kip Niven, Chris Wallace, Grant Cramer, Jennie Franks

            

    This convoluted slasher is just what you need if you are craving some cheesy 80s horror. It’s from Cannon so you know you’re in for something entertaining, if cheap.

           

     Dianne (Roz Kelly) is a celebrity hosting a televised New Year’s Eve party that will ring in the year 4 times, once for each time zone in the continental U.S. She gets a phone call from a deranged sounding man (Kip Niven) saying that he is going to kill someone for each hour of the New Year.

            

      Sure enough, as the New Year rings in on the East Coast, he murders someone, tapes it, and plays the recording to Dianne over the phone. The police get involved and the killer strikes again when the New Year hits the Central time zone. Will he be caught before he finishes his plan? Why is he doing this? Mixed in with this clever plot is an unnecessary distracting family side plot about an unloved son who likes to wear stockings on his head.

            

     At first glance, this is a low budget slasher. At second glance, it is still a low budget slasher. But on third glance, the genius of this movie becomes evident. Now don’t get me wrong. This isn’t Psycho or Silence of the Lambs. This is a Cannon film, after all. What makes this movie different from the mountain of other 80s slashers is that the slasher is the protagonist! Dianne and her New Year’s party are just the plot device, the slasher is the focus, not the “final girl.”

            

     As he is trying to carry out his second murder he runs into complications. He’s stuck in traffic with an airhead girl blathering on about “trancendental meditation” and “transactional analysis” (that’s about as early 80s as you can get). Anyone who has ever been pressed for time on a deadline can totally relate to his frustration. When he runs afoul of a biker gang, his intricate plot unravels and he has to make do with what he can. Watching it, you are rooting for him to get away from them, if for no other reason than to see how he will finish his plan.

           

     Its cleverness aside, the movie is a time capsule of late 70s / early 80s pop culture. Roz Kelly, who plays Dianne, is best known as Pinky Tusccadero from Happy Days, but she also made appearances on Love Boat, Starsky and Hutch, Kojak, The Dukes of Hazzard and Fantasy Island. Kip Niven, who plays the killer starred in several episodes of Alice and The Waltons. Louisa Moritz, one of his victims, made appearances on The Rockford Files, M.A.S.H. and The Incredible Hulk. Taaffe O'Connell, another of the victims, starred in Galaxy of Terror the following year.  Teri Copley, the buxom girl who escapes the killer, was the star of the 80s sitcom, We Got it Made , and a ton of TV movies before appearing on the cover of Playboy.

Fun Fact: the director, Emmett Alston, directed not one, not two, but three different ninja movies!

 

Silent Night Deadly Night

Silent Night Deadly Night

1984

Director- Charles Sellier

Cast- Robert Brian Wilson, Lilyan Chauvin, Gilmer McCormick, Toni Nero, Britt Leach, Linnea Quigley

            

    This movie begins with little Billy being taken by the old folks home to visit grandpa on Christmas Eve. Everyone believes that grandpa is catatonic but when the adults step out of the room, leaving Billy alone with gramps, the old geezer comes to life and warns Billy that Santa is a vengeful force that punishes all of the naughty kids.

            

    On the way home, Billy’s family picks up what appears to be a stranded motorist in a Santa suit. Unbeknownst to them he has just robbed a convenience store and murdered the clerk!  This evil old elf pulls a gun on the family, shoots dad and sexually assaults mom before cutting her throat, all in plain view of little Billy.

   Orphaned and traumatized, Billy is raised in a Catholic orphanage. He, predictably, has a rather morbid view of Christmas. The Mother Superior (Lilyan Chauvin) is determined to make him into a normal child, even if it means punishing him until he learns to suppress his feelings. Billy’s childhood is filled with the inevitable mixed messages of a hyper religious upbringing. He witnesses two people having sex (which triggers the memory of seeing his mother’s assault). He is caught by Mother Superior, and to drive the point home that sex is “naughty” the Mother beats Billy for witnessing the act. He is haunted by nightmares, seen as an outcast by the other kids and as his trauma becomes more pronounced, the Mother Superior’s discipline becomes more extreme.

 Fast forward a few years and Billy has grown into a strong young man. He gets a job stocking in a toy store. The closer it gets to Christmas the more tense he gets. He meets a nice girl but can’t even enjoy a sexual fantasy; memories of his trauma intrude even into his dreams. Billy, meanwhile, is preoccupied with trying to be good and not “naughty”. The department store loses its mall Santa and the boss sticks Billy in the Santa suit.  His warped morality becomes evident when he tells a little girl that is squirming in his lap that if she doesn’t sit still he’ll have to punish her severely for being naughty.

But, against all odds, he makes it to Christmas Eve without snapping. At the office Christmas party the booze starts flowing and the girl that Billy had the hots for pairs off with a jerk co-worker who had been giving Billy a hard time.  Things get out of control and the co-worker tries to rape the girl. This is the final straw needed to break Billy.  He charges in, strangling the would be rapist with Christmas lights with a yell of “Naughty!” He then kills the girl too, telling her that “punishment is necessary”. And why not? His whole life, sex has been associated with violence.

Billy is now past the point of no return and sets out on a string of mass murder, working his way through the rest of his coworkers and then various members of the town. The most standout scene in the movie is when he kills a very topless Linnea Quigley by impaling her on deer antlers while he declares “Punish! Punish!”. He then gives her little sister a box cutter as a present before leaving the home!

The movie is obviously at its heart a slasher, and I wouldn’t say this was a deep examination of psychopathology like Manhunter or Henry, Portrait of a Serial Killer. Having said that, the makers of this film either had some education about trauma or an intuitive understanding of it. The depiction of the effect of childhood trauma is pretty accurate, if exaggerated; stress, nightmares, isolation, the inability to connect intimately, the intrusion of the troubled psyche into the sex life, rigidly separating people into good and bad, and the continuation of the trauma cycle when the victim becomes the perpetrator.  

The movie, at first glance, appears to be gruesome satire paring morbid subject matter with festive holiday imagery. But this is a serious and very grim movie. It starts very dark and never lightens up. If you are wanting something fun to watch for Christmas, stick with Gremlins or Die Hard. Save Silent Night Deadly Night for when you want to be disturbed.