Jacob 2011 - REVIEW by Scott Shoyer with Anything Horror

Here’s a film I’ve been waiting to see since I first heard about it at the 2011 Texas Frightmare Weekend. So when I saw JACOB made the line-up of screeners at this year’s TFW, it pretty much shot to the top of my “must-see” list. JACOB is written, directed, and stars Larry Wade Carrell, a Texas indie horror filmmaker who is part of what I like to call the Dallas-Austin horror connection. This is a group of really talented horror filmmakers, actors, f/x artists, etc ... who all help each other out and work on each other’s films. There’s no competitiveness or pettiness; it’s a bunch of talented people who love horror and who love making horror films, helping each other out. This time they all came together to support Larry Wade Carrell and JACOB.

JACOB is told from the present-day perspective of the sheriff, Billy (Carrell). The story that unfolds from his flashback is one of tragedy, domestic violence, murder, and bloody carnage. Jacob is the oldest son of Edith and Lawrence Kell (Krystn Caldwell and Michael Biehn, respectively). Even at a young age there was something obviously wrong with Jacob. Autism, a form of retardation, or something along those lines afflicted little Jacob. We first meet Jacob, though, in his early twenties and he’s a menacing looking guy who has pretty much retreated inside himself and only responds to his sister, Sissy (Grace Powell). Jacob loves his little sister and would never do her any harm ... and God forbid if anyone else were to harm her!! We learn through flashbacks within the flashback that Jacob’s dad (Biehn) died in a very dramatic and violent fashion and now Otis (also played by Carrell) has stepped in as step dad to these kids. Only problem is Otis is a violent drunk who gets rather punchy after a few drinks. One night after a day-long binge, Otis kills Sissy and sets Jacob off on a long night of bloody, savage vengeance. Throw in a subplot about a cursed book that adds in an interesting supernatural element, and you’ve got yourself a story!!

JACOB is, for sure, a slow burn movie. Carrell takes his time setting up the characters and setting the stage for the bloody and violent final act. Otis couldn’t be a more disgusting, despicable, and deplorable human being, beating his wife and always ready to raise a hand at his step kids. He’s out every day getting shit-faced, trying to pick up anything with two legs, a hole, and a heartbeat while his wife is busting her ass at the local diner. Carrell does a pretty nice job in the role of Otis. He plays Otis with a certain level of restraint and only occasionally lets the role get away from him. There’s a few times where Carrell’s Otis overacts, but in all he does a nice job.

Unfortunately some of the other cast members don’t fare as well. The mother, Edith (Caldwell), overacts most of her time on camera and comes across as one of the lesser experienced in the cast. She doesn’t always look comfortable on film and this comes through in her performance. On the other hand, Grace Powell (Sissy) does a nice job in her role as the younger sister of Jacob. This is her first feature-length film and she pulls off her role like a seasoned pro. Powell has an inherent innocence that shines through but also manages to convey a sense of strength beyond her years, not having led an easy life with an abusive step father and mentally crippled older brother.

Carrell really shines with the way he developed the tension in JACOB. You know from the opening scenes that the story is going to end in violence and blood, and Carrell takes his time creating a tension-rich tone to get us there. The tension begins with the actions of one asshole step father and Carrell manipulates and increases the intensity of the tension as the film unfolds. The addition of the mysterious book, which ends up playing more than a marginal part in the motivations of some of the actors, could have come off gimmicky, but Carrell expertly handled this element. He didn’t over-explain it or drive it in the ground, but left it as one of the mysterious aspects in the film. This worked for me.

No doubt, though, the film gets really fun once Jacob goes on his killing spree. Carrell doesn’t leave too much to the imagination as we watch Jacob literally tear people apart, bury sharp objects in them, and in general go ‘medieval on their asses.’ The special f/x are really well done and will satisfy your blood lust that you’ve come to expect from the indie horror scene here in Texas.

JACOB is another film made by a collaborative of Texas filmmakers and actors who love horror films. Texas filmmakers like Stacy Davidson (director of SWEATSHOP, my review) and Jeremy Sumrall (director of POSSUM WALK) came together to help Carrell put his vision on film, and the passion Carrell has for filmmaking shines through. JACOB is a solid full-length feature debut that only suffers from a few pacing problems and some inconsistent acting. But people who love slow burn flicks with explosive endings will appreciate what Carrell does with the story here ... and gore hounds will be rewarded as well. JACOB is worth checking out.

My Summary:
Director: Larry Wade Carrell (writer and actor)
Plot: 3 out of 5 stars
Gore: 7.5 out of 10 skulls
Zombie Mayhem: 0 out of 5 brains
Reviewed by Scott Shoyer (Anything Horror) from the Texas Frightmare Weekend 2012

INTERVIEW - Founders of Horrorphile Entertainment

What's better than great beer and great BBQ? Great company! That's what I got a couple of weeks ago when Burton Bailey, Brandy Eastman and Matthew Ash, the founders of Horrorphile Entertainment, came out to my mad house for a sit down interview. I'm not sure how much interviewing we got done but we definitely did plenty of bullshitting. I learned a lot by listening to them, the most important thing being that they are probably the nicest people you will ever meet. The next thing would be that there is no possible way to interview them. I got so wrapped up in the conversation that questions just led to more talking. So, point of fact, this will be more of an article with the interview mixed in.

Horrorphile Entertainment is the brain child of Burt. After being on several sets as an extra it became pretty clear that this was what he wanted to do. He met Matt 9 years ago and Brandy 5 years ago while they were both extras in Slaughterhouse in which he had to cut out her tongue and kill Loyd Cryer... yes, the Loyd Cryer of Texas Frightmare Weekend. Together, in 2008 they created the company that has so far spawned four films. Sway was the first in 2009, a bizarre and disturbing tale of a night gone horribly wrong for a group of degenerate flesh peddlers when they target a young man who proves to be more than a slight inconvenience. That one was written and directed by Josh Vargas who has also done some music videos with Matt. They have two in production now including Tony Brownrigg's Archaic Redemption. Whose Dad BTW was the director of the original Don't Look in the Basment AKA The Forgotten. They've since started another production company called Angry Scottsman and from what I hear, we have a lot to look forward to from that *wink wink*!

I asked them about creative differences and how they handle it when issues like that come up. Brandy was the first to speak up saying that of course it happens but they've made an agreement to get it out right up front so that it doesn't just loom over them. They all kind of see it as an us against them type thing (my interpretation, not theirs) and if they're not gelling with each other then things can get out of control pretty quickly.

They referenced the filming of Possum Walk several times saying it was their first "real" full feature film. They talked about how the cast and crew bonded during that time. They had an agreement with the owner of house they filmed (and slept) in that allowed them to use it as long as they cleaned and painted afterward. Being in such close quarters gave them the chance to really get to know each other. I can only imagine what a paint party that was!! Matt spoke quite a bit about his first full on effects job with PW. He says he's learned a lot since then and is looking forward to doing much more. Burton recalled a scene in PW when Parrish Randall and Maggie Conwell are arguing outside the house saying that powerful scene was his favorite because it seemed so real. Brandy's favorite scene takes place a little closer to the beginning when the killer pops up on Kristen Hall.

I asked each of them if they wanted to continue doing independent films or if they had plans of one day going bigger. The answer was a unanimous, go bigger and I can totally see them succeeding at it. Matt would like to one day reach the heights of his inspiration Robert Rodriguez and Burt expressed his hopes of one day directing. He talked briefly about his favorite director Martin Scorsese. Brandy however is pretty content at her role. She (and everyone else) kind of considers herself the Mom of the pack. Making sure that everyone on set eats and drinks plenty of fluids during the summer and stays warm during the winter. Not to mention she's cool as hell. Who wouldn't want to claim her?

Just for fun, I asked them to tell me what their favorite films were: Burt said Johnny Got His Gun and The Hustler but as far as horror goes, it's Friday the 13th Part 4. Matt quickly responded with Monster Squad because he is apparently super Monster Squad geek boy by night :) Brandy laughed as she told me her favorites were Legend and The Muppet Movie. BUT, if you wanna really creep her out... just drive her into some fog or just make her watch it (the original not the remake). She also has a thing for The Thing.

Be sure to check out American Independent Filmworks that they are involved in. It's a 2 week boot camp style actors workshop featuring talents like Dee Wallace, Kelli Maroney, Brooke Lewis, Parrish Randall, Anthony Brownrigg and Mel House. Between them all they have a combined 90+ years experience in film! How can you go wrong with that?? For more information you can email aifilmworks@gmail.com.

Say what you will about them but they take the good with the bad more gracefully than any other film makers I know. They know that not everyone is going to like what they do and they're ok with that. They welcome criticism because, as Burt and Matt said, "how are we going to know what we need to fix?" I'll admit, I was very intimidated and nervous about meeting them after my not so great review of PW but they quickly put my mind at ease and actually thanked me for my review. So, if I wore a hat, I would definitely take it off to these three. I look forward to many more meetings and many more great BBQ's in the future. I don't call many people friends but I'm more than happy to add them to the small list that I have :)

Possum Walk 2010 - REVIEW

When I started this site back in March I never thought it would be anything more than me just throwing out my opinion of films. I never expected much out of it except the joy of writing. I sure never thought anyone else would read it so imagine my surprise when I'm asked to cover the premiere of a film. I've been to film festivals and horror conventions but never "invited" to watch and review a film. I was giddy (well as giddy as I get) with excitement. But of course knowing myself like I do my excitement was short lived. I tend to NOT have a filter and I'm honest to a fault at times... I knowingly admit this... so after I got over giddy, my second thought was "Oh God, what if I don't like it? Then what do I do?" I've been reamed by filmmakers on occasion for being too honest. I don't set out to hurt anyone's feelings or purposely bash someone's film I just do......... me.

In small towns like Possum Walk, secrets can be hard to keep. For Faith Carpenter (Maggie Conwell) her secret could be downright deadly: She’s pregnant…and a virgin. Her father, (Parrish Randall) a local preacher with dark, violent secrets of his own-tightens his grip on her driving a wedge between them. But both of them will have to put aside their differences to deal with the darkest secret Possum Walk has ever known... a serial killer who has chosen the little town to be his bloodiest venue yet.

Normally I don't expect much from the cast of a small budget film... maybe I've been watching the wrong films... but I was pleasently surprised. The two main characters Conwell and Indie veteran Randall gave solid performances. I just recently found this whole "Texas Indie Film" thing but I'm quickly becoming a fan of Randall. He's definitely a chameleon when it comes to his roles. Tyler Tackett, who could easily pass for a young Jonathan Cherry, had a pretty challenging role considering he'd only done two other films prior to Possum Walk but he handled himself nicely. Andrew Sensenig and Victoria Lane weren't really given much to do until the end but pulled it off well. Jennifer Peebles cracked me up. Yes, her dialogue was a little cliche and cheesy at times but she brought such life to the character that I didn't really even care about the dialogue. That wedding scene was fucking hilarious!

I know where writer/director Jeremy Sumrall was going with this film. I'm just not quite sure if it ever got there. I had a hard time figuring out what the true focus of the film was suppose to be. Was it the pregnant virgin or the inner turmoil of the preacher man himself or how about the serial killer? Sometimes there can be so much information thrown at you at once that it becomes overwhelming. To steal a line from a colleague - I think it suffered a bit of an identity crisis.

Robert Luke did find some great small town locations that were perfect as a back drop. Being from a town where everybody knows everybody I can say with first hand knowledge that the atmosphere they created was pretty spot on. The scene where Kristen Hall is walking down the road and you can see nothing but empty fields was one of the best shots in the entire film.

One thing I just didn't get, and it's possible that it went right over my head, was the slasher aspect of the film. There was never really any explanation of why the killer was killing. Did he/she do it just for the fun or was there some ulterior motive behind it? Given that I know who the killer is, it's easy to assume that he/she does it just for shits and giggles but it's just too hard to say for sure. I think expanding on the pregnant virgin and crazy preacher daddy story (leaving out the slasher part) would've made for a more cohesive film. All in all, I thought it was a good effort on their part. Would I watch it again, probably not but it's at the very least entertaining. The effects were good for the budget they had to work with. There was lots of blood which bodes well for a Gore Whore like myself. I applaud the work of everyone involved, I know it's not an easy thing to do. It was obvious that everyone involved with the project put their best foot forward and worked really hard. I definitely look forward to seeing what the Possum Walk family does next!