Category: Halloween Spooktacular

Day 4

The Autopsy of Jane Doe (2016)

Directed by André Øvredal

A father/son duo run a mortuary that has been in their family for generations. The father, a seasoned mortician, is teaching his son the tools of the trade when they encounter a corpse that they have trouble discerning a rational cause of death for. From beginning to end, this movie is filled with great atmosphere and is truly creepy. There is a lot of wonderful foreshadowing for the frightening scenario that befalls this pair, which makes the inevitable escalation feel even more intense and claustrophobic, especially because this movie is mostly set in one location.

It is important to note that this is not a feel-good movie. Murder investigations are brutal and so is this film, and many disturbing concepts and details are brought up. None of these ideas are shown, but even discussing some of these details is pretty intense. Beyond that though, there is a ton of great low-key character development and a bold ending that we think will be pretty divisive. Even with a third act twist that doesn’t quite work, this is still a solid horror film for people down to feel bad. Would recommend for someone ready for a bad time (in a good way)

Day 3
100 Tears (2007)
Directed by Joe Davison

A pair of tabloid journalists find themselves in over their heads when they start investigating a serial killer who is lurking closer to home than either of them anticipate. The first movie in this review series to get an NC-17, 100 Tears stands out with its unapologetically brutal violence which, by micro-budget film standards, looks good enough to get the job done. Even though the acting can be spotty sometimes, the performance of the lead journalist is able to keep you invested while the story introduces some believably colorful Florida carnival folk.

Before I forget to mention, the serial killer is a clown (which at times seems incidental to this movie) and I am quite a fan of the look and performance of the clown whose identity I will not mention so as to avoid spoilers. One critique of the movie is that the clown theme is never fully explored; it functions as more of a backdrop than an integral part of the story. The serial killer could have worn any other costume and the story would not need to be changed. If you are looking for corny jokes and campy clown kills, this movie fails to deliver anything but brute violence.

I’ll be honest, this is a low budget movie. You need to be aware of what that means going in if you decide to watch 100 Tears. The technical side of the film can be a little rough around the edges. I liked the general gore effects but sometimes the limitations of the budget shine through. Generally, the cinematography is pretty decent, although sometimes there was an odd filter placed over the footage to make it look grittier, I assume, and that’s a bit more distracting than I think the filmmakers realized. The story itself is fine, nothing wrong with a murder investigation, but the devil is in the details and 100 Tears trips over itself a lot when the police are involved. No detective would allow tabloid journalists access to a crime scene for a bribe of $50, and when things in that vein happen, the movie kind of loses itself. However, it is always great to see a low budget film succeed and when it works, 100 Tears is a goresoaked mystery with some fun villains. Also it has a wonderful post credits stinger. Recommended for fans of violent low budget cinema.

Day 2

The Last Circus (2010)

Directed by Alex de la Iglesia

Following in the footsteps of his father, sad clown Javier joins up with a down on its luck circus but quickly finds himself wrapped up in a toxic relationship between the brutish and domineering Sergio and the masochistic Natalia. Part Spanish Civil War-Era political satire and part twisted love triangle between 2 circus clowns and a seductive acrobat, The Last Circus manages to weave a darkly comic tale about the absurdity of government and organized religion while at the same time offering commentary on the connection between humor and violence. This was not what we were expecting, but as soon as we realized what direction this was going we were 100% here for it.

The narrative stretches over a course of decades without seeming flabby or indulging in unnecessary detail, a feat that is helped by the fairy-tale nature of much of the story. Everyone seems larger than life, as much a metaphor or allegory for people as they are fully fleshed out characters. But the beauty of it is that all the characters do feel like real people with realistic wants, needs, and struggles and are all trying to make sense of an insane world. It’s very human, and a clever way to make a satire about a specific point in time applicable to the general human experience. It’s funny, it’s tragic, it’s absurdly violent, it’s as close to a perfect satire of the absurdity of life as I’ve ever seen. Strongly recommended.

Day 1

We All Scream For Ice Cream (2007)

Directed by Tom Holland (not the new Spiderman actor)

From season 2 of the acclaimed Masters of Horror TV series, our first review covers the short film (1 hr long) We All Scream For Ice Cream, wherein a vengeful ice cream clown haunts a cadre of adults who wronged him as children. The plot is strongest when it focuses on the adults as children, there’s a wonderful Stephen King-esque tone to the scenario that sets up the story while showing how realistically awful children can be. Another highpoint is the special effects, done by Greg Nicotero of Creepshow fame, which manage to make scenes that could be campy genuinely frightening. In that same vein the design of, and powers of, the vengeful clown manage to establish a creepy and unique villain who may be more sympathetic than the heroes who have to fight him.

While the acting is mostly good, the adults don’t come across as believable or as sympathetic as their child versions. In particular the dialogue feels odd sometimes, especially when a tired trope gets trotted out solely to heighten the drama and allow the story to happen. Additionally, the logic of how the survivors try to fight the ice cream clown doesn’t really make sense, which somewhat drains the tension from the climax. Even with its flaws though, We All Scream For Ice Cream is an entertaining horror ride that distinguishes itself as one of the better examples of clown based horror. It’s so fun that we’re thinking of watching the rest of the Masters Of Horror Series to see if we can find more hidden gems! Anyone who likes horror should check this out!