YellowBrickRoad (2010) Movie review

YellowBrickRoad (2010)

Plot:  1940, the entire population of Friar, New Hampshire made a bizarre exodus, leaving behind all their belongings.  Soldiers are sent to find them.  They discover, frozen bodies and more disturbingly dismembered remains.  The whole event is surrounded in mystery and myth until declassified documents land in the hands of a group wanting to follow the path and discover why???

The documents mention endless music & growing insecurity and madness which they seem to dismiss even though a psychologist comes along to test their sanity along the road.

Finding the start of the trail with help from the only resident of the newly populated town willing to help they set out on a journey into the realms of madness.

           

Napalm these fuckin munchkins

Is it good:  Yes; another documentary style found footage horror? A lot of people do not like them (So don’t watch gimpo) I love them & hate them in equal measure but I can appreciate a good effort and this is one. 

The films strength is its ability to capture its audience in the hopelessness of the situation, that the explorers are believing, everything they had ridiculed at the start and tried to deny on the trail is occurring and eventually accepting the inevitability they will never escape.   It is the key factor in these types of film working well in horror films like room 1408 (2007) & Grave Encounters although YellowBrickRoad is not as good as those it does bring across well the feeling of hopelessness.          

The music sounded like 40s tunes mixed by JG Thirlwell or NIN I kind of liked it.

Worst festival EVER

The film has nice touches like simple “have you gone nuts yet” type deep pressure tests.

A very-very bleak atmosphere is created, with some decent gore effects and brutal moments.

Also the attempts to control the growing primal urge to kill is probably the best bit of acting, along with the bad berry trip. 

Turdige: The acting isn’t great even for a $½million budget, most of the characters are bland so you don’t really invest any time hoping for their survival.   The final end....  end... tried to be off the wall insanity but just came across craptastic.

Happy Pills

Although the gore was good there wasn’t enough to make the endless hide & seek scenes worthwhile. 

Overall:   Reminiscent of the even simpler (and better) Blair Witch Project (1998).  This trippy sometimes mind numbing horror has a good simple premise some nasty gore scenes and is worth a try but the music & the David Lynch ending may piss you off.   

Director: Jesse Holland, Andy Mitton Cast: Cassidy Freeman, Anessa Ramsey, Clark Freeman, Lee Wilkof.







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BUG (2006) Film Review

Bug (2006)


Plot:   Agnes (Ashley Judd) is a mess, living in a scruffy motel, indulging in drink and drugs worried about her abusive ex Jerry (Harry Connick Jr) who has just been released from prison.  

Things aren’t exactly going well but they get a fuck load worse when she's introduced to Peter (Michael Shannon) a seemingly nice timid guy who makes her feel wanted again.  Giving all her trust to him until he draws her into a Bug infested world of madness. 

I found a fucking pube

  
Is it good:  Yes, William Friedkin the legend behind the Exorcist (1973) hasn’t had a mention in a while but he proves with Bug that he can still get in your head.  Not a conventional horror more a drug induced sub Cronenberg flick.  

Ashley Judd shows has always been damn good, criminally underrated actress with nipples that could cut glass & they make a much appreciated appearance.
 She is damaged and susceptible to abuse, agreeing it’s her fault when her ex returns and beats her.  Which could be a contributing factor to being overcome by the errr bugginess of life.

That escalated quickly

It’s open to interpretation, what it’s all about, whether he is a veteran that has been experimented on, or just a schizophrenic with an infections personality, or as I think bug is just a metaphor for & effect of the crack or meth they seem to be on.  It would explain there deterioration, paranoia and alienation from others while relying just on each other drawn into their own world.  I am probably completely wrong but I’m happy not to know just like I never knew what the fuck Cronenberg or Lynch were doing.

As with the Exorcist the claustrophobic intensity a single room film gives is what Friedkin does best. 

Also there is a nice touch of gore mostly self inflicted.









 

De-bugged

Turdige:  The doctor/whatever?? was bit of a weak link not convincing as, well, anything.  Not much else maybe could have done with a bit more blood & nipples but that’s what rewind & freeze-frame were invented for.  



Overall:   Great acting and atmosphere for a limited location film. Hot sweaty claustrophobic felt difficult to breathe just watching it.   An excellent descent into madness film that really draws you in to the world of the mind fucked.  


  
 

 
Director: William Friedkin Cast: Ashley Judd, Michael Shannon, Harry Connick Jr, Lynn Collins, Brían F. O'Byrne





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