Movie Review - The Windmill Massacre

The Windmill

(2016)

ETA Films / Pellicola / Global Film Partners : Kaleidoscope Film Distribution / XLrator Media

8.5 / 10

What a treat this was, a modern horror film that knows what it's doing thanks to writer and director Nick Jongerious, along with fellow writers Chris W Mitchell and Suzy Quid.  We have a group of tourists in Amsterdam - If there's a sequel I vote for the title The Amsterdammed - who have signed up to have a tour of Holland and its windmills.

While on the tour, Jennifer, who is taking antipsychotics, sees a man and forces the driver to stop the coach.  When she gets out to see if they had run the man over nobody is there.  The bus then fails to start.  Jennifer and another passenger, Jackson, take it upon themselves to walk through the wood to the windmill in the near distance.   The bad news for them is that there's a killer lurking in the woods...

From here on in you begin to learn the dark secrets of the tourists and the windmill in the woods.

Nick creates tension at the right times as well as playing the tourists fears and anxieties off of each other.

It's a good cast of characters and all the actors do splendid jobs of portraying their part.  Moreover, they are realistic and believable.  I particularly liked the coach driver, Abe (Bart Klever).  I've been on a few tours and this guy was spot-on.  Charlotte Beaumont is brilliant as the Austrailian, Jennifer, she doesn't go over the top with the accent but keeps it nice and subtle.

Where the story excels and raises the bar for other horror films are the incidental details...

Takashi Kido is a Japanese tourist who cannot speak English or Dutch, however, it's Ruby Rousseau who translates for him as she had picked up some Japanese while there modelling.  I like the fact that even when Ruby isn't around Takashi still tries to get his point across.  Then there's Doctor Nicholas Cooper (Noah Taylor) who informs everyone to beware of Jennifer as she's on medication.  Douglas and Curt West are Father and Son.  Curt is trying to form a relationship with his father, though Doug is too busy with business phone calls.

It's these dynamics and the relationships, along with the storyline, which creates an enjoyable and watchable film.

Another nice detail is that whenever anyone is dispatched, they are done so in a way that befits their dark secret.  The special effects are very good Douglas West's is particularly well thought out and nasty, as is Ruby's demise.

This is one well thought out movie that I would recommend to all.

Movie Review - Bornless Ones

Bornless Ones (2016)

Black Drone Media : Uncork'd Entertainment

6.75 / 10

Isn't it just the case, after I moan about dull and boring new horror movies something comes along to prove me wrong... and boy am I glad to be wrong, I just hope this isn't the exception.

Bornless Ones surprised the hell out of me.  This is a real budget film; there's only one production company and one distribution company.  So my hopes were not too high, to begin with.

What you get is a pretty decent story based around the occult with daemons taking possession of the living under the guise of helping.  Though this has been done a few times the addition of the possessed secrets coming out and giving the daemons the capability to torment and torture their prey is a nice twist, which adds to the strength of the story.

Another bonus, for me and the film, is the actors.  Though most are not well known, except maybe for Austrailian Mark Furze for his stint on Home and Away, they all give sterling performances.

Michael Johnston gives a great performance as a cerebral palsy suffer, Zack, who seems to recover from the incurable illness.

Margaret Judson portrays Emily, Zack's sister, who is now charged with looking after him after their mother dies in a fire during a car crash.  She is believable as a sister under stress and strain while trying, so hard, do the right thing, even though it negatively affects her relationship with her husband.

Devin Goodsell plays Jesse, Emily's husband, who, not only suffering the new stress of looking after Zack and the relationship trouble it brings, is also having work problems and has been suspended from his teaching position.

Mark Furze and Bobby T personate their friends Woodrow and Michelle.  Mark Furze is very believable as an American Jock who will do anything to help his friend and girlfriend.  Bobby T is also a talented actress who gives a more than credible performance.

These are actors and actresses to watch out for.  If I could make a film, I would consider these five in the running.

The credit for the story and its screen depiction goes to the writer and director Alexander Babaev.  He does a nice thing of including daemons into the occult, along with their sigils and symbols.  I have a cold shiver of dread when I see the writer and the director are one in the same because, in my experience, it hardly ever makes for a good film.  However, like I stated at the start of the review, I am glad to be wrong.  With this film, Babaev has me committed to watching his next movie, should there be one... and I hope there is.

There are some decent special effects in this film as they use wet-work, most of the time.  The only bad effect is the CGI Guardians, as these are spirits made out of mist, they just don't look as realistic as they should, luckily they don't detract from the film too much as they're only onscreen for a few seconds; though they are memorable for the wrong reasons.

For all the Horror Fans out there I would recommend this as a late night view, grab a beer and settle down for a decent movie.