The Possession of Michael King (2014)

★★★★1/2

Director: David Jung
Studio: Gold Circle Films/Anchor Bay Entertainment

Synopsis:
Michael King (Shane Johnson) is a documentary filmmaker, and after his wife dies after receiving poor advice from a psychic, leaving him to raise his daughter on his own, he soon decides to focus on the supernatural for his next film as a way to disprove the existence of God and the Devil. Michael makes himself the center of this experiment, placing cameras throughout all the rooms of his home to document any evidence that may be obtained during this search. Michael employs the aid of a cameraman at first, as he allows demonologists, necromancers, and various practitioners of the occult to try the deepest and darkest spells and rituals they can find on him - in the hopes that when they fail, he'll once and for all have proof that religion, spiritualism, and the paranormal are nothing more than myth. Following two rituals; a demon-summoning and a necromancy ritual, (both involving the use of hallucinogenic drugs) Michael's mind begins to deteriorate as something sinister begins to take hold of him. Michael's cameraman quickly resigns as he begins to witness Michael's descent into darkness, and Michael's sister (who lives with him and his daughter), begins to voice her concern about his increasingly disturbing behaviors. The voices in Michael's head begin to demand the death of his young daughter, and he battles them internally at first, though is quickly overcome physically (in some impressively disturbing scenes), and Michael soon realizes that the unseen supernatural forces that he once denounced the existence of are more real than he could have ever imagined.

Mike's Thoughts:
I began watching this film with trepidation. A lot of bad "possession" films have been produced since the epic: The Exorcist, and I have sat my way through a lot of them with the hopes that I would get more out of them besides some scenes of physics-defying body contortions, though had usually come up annoyingly grasping the short end of the stick wishing I could reobtain my wasted time. This film, however delivered MUCH more than expected. The video self-documentation of Michael's descent into supernatural madness gave this film a human quality that superceded the need for the tecnique of "scary face floods the screen from out of nowhere accompanied by a cacophonous sound" that so many of the films in this sub-genre employ. There are quite a bit of frightening scenes, don't get me wrong - but there is also a connection to the protagonist that keeps you rooting for him, but at the same time, wanting to see a demonic entity completely tear him to shreds. From start to end, this was a great addition to the possession film sub-genre, and I am happy to finally see one come through that lived up to the potential. Shane Johnson's performance as Michael was spectacular, the writing which was also done by the film's director David Jung was chilling, and I highly recommend seeing this film.

Look For:
Failed delivery to the ear canal, white specter floating down the hall.

Dead Souls (2012)

★☆☆☆☆

Director: Colin Theys
Studio: Chiller Films, Synthetic Cinema International

Synopsis:
Johnnie Petrie (Jesse James) receives a phone call on his 18th birthday, notifying him that he has just inherited a farm in Maine. Johnnie abruptly leaves his city apartment where he resides with his overbearing and controlling fanatically religious pill-popping Mother to further investigate and claim his inheritance. Upon arriving at the small town train depot in Maine, Johnnie is met aggressively by locals that advise him that he does not belong in the town "stirring up the past." Johnny soon meets with the attorney who told him of his inheritance, and is shockingly notified by the attorney that who he always believed to be his Mother is in actuality his Aunt, and that he was adopted as an infant following his entire family being slain in a murder/suicide by his biological Father at the very same farm, of which Johnnie was the only survivor - leaving him as the sole heir to the farm. Johnnie makes the decision to remain at the farm overnight despite the warnings of the attorney, and soon discovers he is not alone, as he meets a squatter named Emma (Magda Apanowicz)hiding in a closet, and decides that she can remain at the house with him. As the story unfolds, Johnnie is soon faced with a siege on the home by the locals who had met him aggressively when he first arrived in town, though these are no mere angry locals. These locals are possessed by the same evil that drove Johnnie's biological Father to slaughter his family many years back. And if this is not enough, once these possessed "vessels" are killed, they return from the dead with far greater power and an even stronger thirst for vengeance - to kill the "one who remained" during the ritualistic killings followed by crucifixion of the deceased that took place at the farm many years ago. It comes to light that Johnnie's parents were involved in a cult that linked Christian ritual to the conjuring of the Egyptian god Osiris, instilling his followers with the gift of immortality. The film culminates in Johnnie's adopted Mother, the estate attorney, and another local attacking Johnnie, nailing one of his hands to a makeshift cross in order to complete the "ritual" started many years prior. In the melee, Emma steps in to save Johnnie from his demise and is killed in the process. Johnnie's attackers fall down dead following the nailing of his one hand to the cross due to this being "the fifth nail" needed to complete the ritual. Emma rises from the dead and notifies Johnnie that "Emma's gone," revealing that she has now been possessed by the spirit of Johnnie's older brother who was killed in the murder/suicide when Johnnie was an infant. Johnnie is then forced to kill "Emma/Johnnie's brother" yet again to end the ritual's cycle. Boom. Roll credits.

Mike's Thoughts:
I demand that I get the 92 minutes back that I wasted on watching this poor excuse for a horror film! This movie was flat out terrible. The plot was ridiculous, far-fetched (even for a horror movie!), and confusing. The acting was sophomoric and dry, there was not a single moment that I could state was scary or even well written or executed, and I strongly recommend skipping over this one, my brethren.

Look For:
Nothing...look for nothing in this movie. Bypass it completely. The best thing about this movie is the Giger-esque cover artwork. It was enough to draw me in, though the adage remains....never judge a film by its cover.

The Last Will and Testament of Rosalind Leigh (2012)

★★★★★

Director: Rodrigo Gudiño
Studio: Rue Morgue Cinema, Someone At The Door Productions

Synopsis:
Leon, an antiques collector (Aaron Poole) inherits the castle-esque, eccentrically decorated home of his Mother following her death. The home, strewn with religious icons; including a multitude of angelic statues, leads him to consider placing all of the priceless antiques on the market. As Leon discovers the house and begins to take inventory, his Mother, Rosalind Leigh delivers the story of her live via monologue to her son. The monologue illustrates the despair and loneliness that she feels after he rejects both her and her cult-like faith due to negative religious experiences he endured as a child. With her faith destroyed by the fact that Leon will never return again to her life or regain his faith, she relies on an imagined life that eventually supplants her deeply-held faith. She eventually succumbs to her loneliness and ends her life. At the same time that Rosalind delivers this narration, Leon deals with his own feelings of guilt and grief, and he discovers that his mother was the anonymous benefactor that had been purchasing all of his artwork. When Leon faces his own demons in the house, both figuratively and literally, he comes across a book and audio tape on how to contact the dead through meditation. After an attempt at practicing the methods taught on the tape, Leon soon finds himself immersed in the spirit realm, opening doorways to a darkness far more menacing than the guilt, remorse, and grief that exists within him. After he begins to experience unexplained events within and around the home, he turns to Anna, a consistently ambiguous figure throughout the film, that he contacts through his cell phone. Anna, who identifies herself as a doctor, talks Leon through two stressful situations which, through her guidance, Leon eventually interprets as severe hallucinations. Ultimately, Leon is able to work through his issues, and he notifies his broker that he wants to place all of the artwork back on the market. As he leaves the house, Leon's mother calls out to him, and watches forlornly from the window as he leaves both the home, and her lonely spirit behind him.

Mike's Thoughts:
Although this movie was released in 2012, I just so happened to stumble upon it recently. Through my curiosity and might I add, some skepticism following a slew of recently watched disappointing horror films barely warranting mention, I happened to stumble upon a true masterpiece. This film was exhilarating. From the creepy and patina-laden landscape of the home and its treasures, to the underlying back story surrounding fanatical religious abuse and the uncovering of mysteries surrounding the death of the protagonist's Father, this movie kept me on the edge of my imagination, and then delivered just as I had hoped that it would.

Look For:
Golden eyes from the shadows emerging just to take a little lick.

Popcorn (1991)

★★★★☆

Director: Mark Herrier, Alan Ormsby (uncredited)
Studio: Studio Three Film Corporation

Synopsis:
A group of film students plan an all-night horror film festival in order to raise funds for their cinema club. They decide to show a number of horror films from the 1950s that rely on gimmicks such as 3-D, Odorama, and electrical "buzzers" in seats. Unbeknownst to the group, a homicidal maniac is stalking the theater where the festival is being held...a filmmaker named Lanyard Gates, who murdered his family during a screening of his only film in the 1970s. One of Lanyard's daughters escaped his brutal massacre and the lead character Maggie thinks she may be that very girl and the reason for his homicidal return.


Mike's Thoughts:
I can vividly remember watching this film as a teen. I loved it then as much as I love it now. It's filled with camp, awesome props, an imaginative storyline and a handful of those "I know I've seen them in something before" actors. There's a lot of blood for those who thirst for red and a few nifty skin-mask scenes. A must see for fans of the genre!

Look For:
Awesome costumes, the creepy "Possessor" film and great movie theater gag-gimmick kills.

Hellraiser (1987)

★★★★★

Director: Clive Barker
Studio: Cinemarque Entertainment BV

Synopsis:
While vacationing in Morocco, Frank Cotton (Sean Chapman) purchases an antique puzzle box from a mysterious dealer. Back in the attic of his house in London, Frank solves the puzzle box, opening the doors to hell and prompting hooked chains to emerge from it that tear deep into his flesh. Black robed, horribly mutilated humanoids called Cenobites appear and proceed to systematically torture Frank to death. Their leader, "Pinhead" (Doug Bradley), picks up the box and twists it back into its original state, taking Frank's dissected physical remnants back to their realm with them and restoring the room to normal.
Sometime later, Frank's brother Larry (Andrew Robinson) arrives at the house along with his second wife, Julia (Clare Higgins), who previously had an affair with Frank. The pair know Frank as an avowed hedonist and petty criminal, and, presuming that he is either in jail or in some exotic location, decide to move in. While moving into the house, Larry cuts his hand on a nail, splashing drops of blood onto the attic floor. The blood reaches Frank's dessicated corpse entombed beneath the attic floor, partially restoring his body and allowing him to escape to the attic.
That night, Julia finds Frank (now portrayed by Oliver Smith) in the attic. Still obsessed with him after their affair, she agrees to harvest blood for him so that he can fully restore his body and they can once again be together. The next day, Julia begins picking up men in bars and brings them back to the house, where she murders them with a hammer. Frank then consumes their blood and internal organs, progressively regenerating his own body. Once he has regained enough strength, Frank explains to Julia that he had exhausted all sensory experiences and sought out the puzzle box on the promise that it would open a portal to a realm of new carnal pleasures. Instead, it opened up a portal to the realm of the Cenobites, who had taken Frank as their prisoner and subjected him to extreme, sadomasochistic torture.
Meanwhile, Kirsty Cotton (Ashley Laurence), Larry's teenage daughter, spies Julia bringing men to the house and, believing her to be having an affair, follows her to the attic one afternoon, where she interrupts a murder. Frank attacks her, but panics when Kirsty grabs the puzzle box. Kirsty throws the box out the window, proving enough of a distraction for her to escape. Outside the house, she retrieves the puzzle box and runs away, but collapses from exhaustion shortly thereafter. After being taken to the hospital, Kirsty solves the puzzle box, summoning the Cenobites. Pinhead explains that while the Cenobites have been perceived as Angels and Demons, they are merely "explorers" of carnal experience, practicing a form of sadomasochism so extreme that it transcends the boundary between pain and pleasure. Although they initially attempt to force Kirsty to return with them to their realm, Pinhead becomes indignant at the suggestion that one of their "subjects" has escaped, and agrees to consider freeing Kirsty in exchange that she take them to Frank.
Kirsty returns home, where Larry tells her that he has confronted and killed Frank. Larry shows her a bloodied corpse in the attic, but his language and mannerisms ultimately lead Kirsty to realize that Frank (now portrayed by Andrew Robinson) has in fact killed her father, and is now wearing his skin like a wetsuit. Frank pursues Kirsty through the house with a knife, inadvertently killing Julia in the process. He eventually corners Kirsty in the attic, where he brags about having killed his brother. The admission summons up the Cenobites, who ensnare him with chains and tear him to pieces. They then attempt to renege on their deal with Kirsty and take her back to their realm. Kirsty's boyfriend, Steve arrives and looks for Kirsty. Kirsty defeats the cenobites by reversing the motions needed to open the puzzle box, sending them back to their realm. Kirsty and Steve leave the house together.
Afterwards, Kirsty tries to burn the box in a garbage dump. A vagrant enters the flames and retrieves the box before transforming into a winged demonic creature and flying away. The box ends back in the hands of the merchant who sold it to Frank, asking another prospective customer, "What's your pleasure, sir?".

Mike's Thoughts:
This film is a true innovation in the context of storytelling. Never had such dark content as pain bringing pleasure been explored up to this point in time. Clive Barker is a master tale spinner; encapsulating pain, pleasure, gore, violence, and creative, memorable characters that defy time and have rightfully earned their spots at the table of horror legends. If you have never seen Hellraiser, I suggest you do so immediately. A true masterpiece of the genre.

Look For:
There are some goofy mistakes captured during the shooting of this film....easter eggs, if you will. 1) When the Engineer chases Kirsty back to the hospital room, the trolley and crew pushing it are visible. 2) When Kirsty is at the top of the stairs hiding from Frank, a shadow of the boom mic is visible on the top corner.

There are many more...so be on the lookout. These easter eggs are what I feel make a good, budget-defying film great. Cheesy special effects and less-than-professional acting defines the cult-horror genre and any true cult-horror connoisseur respects these nuances to be what makes the experience complete.

Puppet Master (1989)

★★★★★

Director: David Schmoeller
Studio: Empire Pictures/Full Moon Entertainment

Synopsis:
1939, Bodega Bay, California. A marionette craftsman named Andre Toulon (William Hickey) takes a gun to his own head as members of the Nazi SS converge upon his home, but not before hiding his treasured puppets in a chest along with the Indian puppet, named Gengie, in a panel in the wall.
The scene shifts to 1989. Four psychics meet for a stay at an Inn in Bodega Bay, all which claim to have been lured there, through visions of a colleague named Neil Gallagher. The group soon finds out that Neil has since committed suicide via a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Strange visions begin to plague the group of psychics and The Puppets begin their systematic extermination of the unsuspecting guests. Soon it is realized that the recently departed Neil, although now deceased, happened across Toulon's formula that would grant him everlasting life following his own demise, as well as Andre's secret to bringing inanimate objects, such as puppets, to life.
The newly resurrected Neil, newly appointed Master of the puppets, has commanded them to kill his former colleagues and they obediently begin to do so, until he hurts one of their own. Their subsequent revolt, leaving him in quite the unhappy and eliminated state.

Mike's Thoughts:
I LOVE this movie! It has remained a favorite of mine from the time I first laid
eyes on it. You cannot get anymore innovative than the imaginative storyline and fresh and well-designed characters that this film introduced. Watch it repeatedly!

Look For:
Creepy ballroom scene (I had nightmares for weeks!) and the seductive Leech Woman.

Waxwork (1988)

★★★★☆

Director: Anthony Hickox
Studio: Live/Artisan

Synopsis:
A group of young adults, led by Mark Loftmore (Zach Galligan) and Sarah Brightman (Deborah Foreman), take a trip to a recently opened wax museum in their town. We soon discover something evil lurks behind the doors of this once, seemingly innocent gallery. The curator of the museum, David Lincoln (David Warner), seeks to open a portal to Hell through which horrifying monsters of histories past will rise again to conquer the living. In order to accomplish this, Lincoln must find several specimens to sacrifice to the dark and malevolent gods. One by one, the protagonists discover that the wax effigies they came to admire are both very real and very dangerous.


Mike's Thoughts:
This movie was one that I can recall first seeing at a young age. I have always been mesmerized by the allure and mystery of the wax museum and this movie completely acts out all of my fantasies regarding this gallery of wonder.
Yes, it's low-budget. Yes, it's campy. Yes, it's awesome!

Look For:
Zach Galligan (star of Gremlins 1&2) as Mark Loftmore.