Korean cinema? Creature feature? Many plot similarities to 2001’s Brotherhood of the Wolf? Yes please! That was my initial response when watching the setup.

1500s Korea is in turmoil as it’s said to be plagued by a ravenous beast called Monstrum, which also spreads a deadly virus to the few that survive its attack. Believing it to be mass hysteria and a ploy by his Prime Minister to turn the people against him, King Jungjong hires his former general, Yun-kyum (Kim Myung-min), to find the truth. Yun-kyum was exiled years prior for speaking up against the king’s cabinet members because of a mass murder they committed on peasants believed to contain a plague. Joined by his brother-in-arms Sung-han (Kim In-kwon), his adopted daughter, Myung (Lee Hye-ri), and a young soldier named Hur (Choi Woo-shik), Yun-kyum fights to stop the beast and stop the corruption within the kingdom.

From the synopsis you could guess this is meant to be more aligned with a high-concept blockbuster. This obviously shouldn’t matter as a good movie is a good movie but it’s beneficial to know what you’re getting into. Monstrum contains heavy action sequences, lots of spectacle, large production design, (as mentioned prior) high-concept plot, a lot of character tropes, and most importantly for this review, a mix of tone. Most blockbusters follow a formula that is meant to make the picture more accessible to broader audiences. This can be seen where, despite having dark subject matter and being a serious story, scattered throughout are comedic (dare I say “silly”) moments to lighten it. A key example is we witness a group of (forced) volunteers mercilessly slaughtered by the Prime Minister’s guard for his political gain, then Monstrum kills most of these guard members, and all of this is followed by a monster’ fart scene. While I don’t mind this method of approach to going from genocide-like behavior to fart jokes, it proves too much of a contrast that neither scene hits the way they could respectively. That being said, once you navigate through the tonal issues it’s rather enjoyable.

 Caleb Watches Movies, returns to Ginger Nuts of Horror with a review of Midsommar  one of the most divisive horror movies of recent years, with half of the horror community thinking it was  a massive borefest, and the other half thinking it was the greatest film released in living memory.  

​Midsommar is a 2019 folk horror film written and directed by Ari Aster and starring Florence Pugh, Jack Reynor, William Jackson Harper, Vilhelm Blomgren, Ellora Torchia, Archie Madekwe, and Will Poulter. It follows a group of friends who travel to Sweden for a festival that occurs once every 90 years, only to find themselves in the clutches of a pagan cult.

A co-production between the United States and Sweden, the film was initially pitched to Aster as a straightforward slasher film set amongst Swedish cultists. Aster devised a screenplay using elements of the concept, but made a deteriorating relationship the central conflict after he experienced a difficult breakup. The film was shot on location in Budapest in the summer and autumn of 2018.

Midsommar was theatrically released in the United States on July 3, 2019, by A24 and in Sweden on July 10, 2019, by Nordisk Film. The film grossed $46 million and received positive reviews from critics, with many praising Aster's direction and Pugh's performance.

​Based on the French graphic novel Le Transperceneige, the movie Snowpiercer has had a long journey to British screens, but it is here at last and a superb Blu-Ray release.

As you may know, this film has had a difficult time getting here. Short version: The Weinstein Company, who had the distribution rights, asked for some cuts to the movie and director Bong Joon-ho refused to make them, so the movie languished in limbo for many years.
So, not it’s here, was it worth the wait?

First off, the cast is off the chart. John Hurt, Tilda Swinton, Jamie Bell, Chris Evams, Ed Harris, Octavia Spencer, Ewan Bremner and Director Bong regular Song Kang-ho make an impressive line up. And they all deliver some of the best performances of their career. Although, let’s be honest, for Swinton and Hurt in particular, I think it’s physically impossible for them to be anything but amazing.

But what of the film itself? The Snowpiercer of the title is a train, on a perpetual loop around the Earth, holding the last remnants of humanity, keeping them safe from the ice age outside. Kind og like High Rise on its side, the train represents the social structures of society, with the poor people at the back, barely clinging to life and living off horrible protein blocks that look like the worst kind of brown jelly. At the front are the rich and powerful, living in luxury.

Another throwback to the nostalgic 80s where heavy metal/punk was finding its voice, horror/sci-fi was cool, and oh wait, religious and political (one and the same) leaders created a false hysteria of “Satan worshippers” to detract from the real issues that plagued the era. This is one of those moments where my fingers keep typing out a rant to discuss the hypocrisy of the time, but instead I am exercising great restraint. However, the movie uses the myth of radical satanism to its advantage, creating a twisted tale around said hypocrisy.

The story follows Alexis (Daddario), Val (Hasson), and Beverly (Forsyth), who are traveling to a heavy metal concert in the heartland of the United States. During the same time a series of “satanic” murders have plagued the news, which has allowed for the success of televangelist, John Henry Butler (Knoxville). As the trio attend the show, they meet three metalheads that are following the band across the U.S., where one of them, Mark (Johnson), is moving to pursue music. Due to flirtations between the two groups, Alexis invites the men to join them at her father’s mansion to party. Unfortunately for the men, the trio aren’t fans of metal but rather part of John Henry Butler’s religious cult that is staging the satanic murders to bring more people to their congregation. What follows is a series of follies as committing the murders proves to be harder than anticipated with the men escaping, the cops being called, and Beverly dealing with the morality of their actions. Some of what is mentioned above could be seen as spoilers, but the reveal is all part of the story’s setup and would prove difficult to discuss a lot of the film without that knowledge.

We Summon the Darkness is a rock & roll riot that showcases the hypocritical evils of the time rather than Satan being the villain. I was there for every second of it, because despite that simple shift, it feels fresh in this Satanic-Panic subgenre.

What I will bring up is the issue with the trailer that I read many comments on after my viewing of the movie. While the reveal is evident within the trailer, it is presented as the cliché of these women trying to resurrect Satan (or some other demon). I prefer what it actually is, but I understand why people felt it was misrepresented. They even make sure to mention the reasoning behind wearing the pentagram or upside cross as it’s a form of rebellion against oppressors rather than the aligning with evil. If you want to know more about this subject matter and purpose behind these acts of protest watch the incredible documentary, Hail Satan?.

WSD is extraordinarily executed, from script to production to even the score but will find itself falling into two camps, those that have a good time with it as a reversal on the home invasion and satanic subgenres, and those that don’t. What cannot be denied, though the whole major cast is able to step out of their comfort zones or their type-casting, Daddario kills it. My knowledge of her work has been as the independent, straight-man character, yet also the love interest or damsel in distress, playing a supporting role to Woody Harrelson, Dwayne Johnson, Anton Yelchin, or some other male counterpart. But this proves her ability to command a leading role, channeling some Nicolas Cage-level intensity.
​
As I’ve mentioned in other reviews I normally, if I can, try to give it a day to digest what I’ve watched. This allows for me to have more clarity, but sadly 95% of the time lessens my enthusiasm on the work. We Summon the Darkness is not the case. I plan on renting it tonight as I wrap up this review so my wife can watch it. Without sounding like a broken record it’s just fun and my kind of satanic-panic movie.
 
4 ½ out of 5

Review by Craig Draheim
​

The electronic synth Original Motion Picture Soundtrack to We Summon the Darkness by Timothy Williams (Brightburn, Wild Horses) is now available digitally on Lakeshore Records. For an organic sound, Williams used authentic 80s synthesizers for a film set in 1988, and critics have noted that his score gives We Summon the Darkness "a geunine 80s vibe." ​

Lakeshore Records has digitally released the Original Motion Picture Soundtrack to the horror comedy We Summon the Darkness from director Marc Meyers (My Friend Dahmer, All my Life), which Vulture calls one of the best horror movies of 2020. The original score is composed by Timothy Williams (Brightburn, Wild Horses), which The Hollywood Reporter says, “has just enough vintage John Carpenter flavor.” The film is available on digital and On Demand.
 
Timothy Williams on his scoring process: “When director Marc Meyers reached out to me about creating a score for We Summon the Darkness, I showed him my bank of 80s synthesizers and we both agreed they would be perfect. Not only do the Mono/Poly, Prophet and Juno 106 bring an authentic feel to his 80s-era film, but using legitimate 80s synthesizers is a more organic experience as a composer. With contemporary synths, you can call up the same sounds again and again, but with the old school synths, you adjust multiple knobs to create sounds that are impossible to replicate. When you find a sound you like, you have to record it immediately because once you change any of the knobs, the sound is gone forever.
 
It was new territory for me to blend an 80s soundscape with horror, and Marc and I discussed the idea of writing a different kind of darker 80s score with inspiration from John Carpenter. When I watched the film for the first time, I was struck by the high energy, the dark humor and the amazing performances by the cast, which includes Alexandra Daddario, Maddie Hasson, Amy Forsyth and a great cameo by Johnny Knoxville. It turned out to be the most fun two months I’ve ever spent writing a score. I am honored that it won best score at LA Screamfest 2019. Hope you enjoy!”
 
Streaming/Purchase:
http://smarturl.it/wesummon 

 
ABOUT TIMOTHY WILLIAMS
Timothy Williams is a multi-award winning composer for film, television, and video games, best known for his work on the Golden Globe and Academy Award-nominated thriller Get Out, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 1 & 2, Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw, Deadpool 2 and Creepshow.
 
His films have received over 60 awards; Walking with the Enemy (starring Ben Kingsley) was named “Best Film” at the Ft. Lauderdale International Film Festival. Wild Horses (directed by and starring Robert Duvall) premiered at SXSW. I’m Not Ashamed was nominated for “Best Picture” at the Spirit Awards and Diablo (starring Scott Eastwood) earned the Jury Award at the San Diego Film Festival.
 
Williams film credits also include Brightburn (starring Elizabeth Banks, produced by James Gunn), We Summon the Darkness (directed by Marc Meyers and starring Alexandria Daddario), Piney: The Lonesome Pine (starring Simon Pegg and Jonathan Pryce), I.T. (directed by John Moore and starring Pierce Brosnan), I’m Not Ashamed (directed by Brian Baugh), The Butterfly Circus (starring Doug Jones), Sony’s Red Sky(starring Rachael Leigh Cook and Bill Pullman), Playmobil: The Secret of Pirate Island (directed by Alexander Sokoloff), History of Future Folk (directed by John Mitchell), Debug (starring Jason Momoa), and the Tom Hanks produced documentary Beyond All Boundaries. He has also written additional music for Get Out, Guardians of the Galaxy, Hobbs & Shaw, Watchmen, Sucker Punch and 300. His upcoming films include Finding You and The Swearing Jar.
 
His television work includes co-scoring AMC/Shudder’s Creepshow reboot helmed by Greg Nicotero (Walking Dead) including creating a new theme for the franchise with Tyler Bates, FOX TV pilot Richard Lovely, Cartoon Network’s Sym-Bionic Titan, Disney’s Madison High and additional music for the Emmy-nominated score of ABC’s Missing and FOX’s Exorcist. Video games music includes God of War: Ascension and Rise of The Argonauts.
 
ABOUT LAKESHORE RECORDS
Lakeshore Records is a four-time Grammy-nominated independent record label, a division of the Cutting Edge Music Group. Lakeshore Records has released popular and classic soundtracks to such films and tv shows as Drive, Stranger Things, Moonlight, Lady Bird, The Walking Dead, Star Trek: Discovery, Little Miss Sunshine, The Hurt Locker, Napoleon Dynamite and many, many more.
 
Lakeshore Records has released score albums from composers such as Jonny Greenwood, Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, Nick Cave and Warren Ellis, Danny Elfman, Clint Mansell, Cliff Martinez, James Horner, Thomas Newman, John Powell, Mark Isham, Graeme Revell, Rolfe Kent, Gustavo Santaolalla, Philip Glass, Dario Marianelli, Mark Mothersbaugh, Christophe Beck, Christopher Young, Rachel Portman, and Marco Beltrami.
 
For more information, visit:
www.lakeshorerecords.com
​

We are honoured to bring you a brand new collaboration between Ginger Nuts of Horror and Caleb Watches Movies, Caleb will be  reviewing some of the films that we receive on his excellent You Tube Channel, with us hosting a review on the site linking back to Caleb Watches Movies.  If you enjoy these videos please subscribe to his You Tube channel and his other social media streams 

Caleb grew up all over the Midwest of the United States, but eventually settled on calling Saginaw, MI his home.  His earliest memories are of watching movies ranging from Tim Burton’s Batman to Back to the Future; which some would consider to be a horror film (his mom wants to sleep with him – come on).

He spent his time in undergrad at Saginaw Valley State University where he study the craft of acting.  He starred in over 20 productions there including Pippin, The Crucible, The Andrews Brothers, and One for the Pot.  He also received the award for Outstanding Theatre Major during his senior year.

Caleb decided to continue his theatrical education by attending grad school at Eastern Michigan University, where he received an MA in theatre performance.  There he developed his love for teaching and furthered his love of movie watching.  Caleb is currently an Adjunct Instructor at SVSU, where he teaches theatre to non-theatre majors and education majors.
 
In 2017, Caleb decided to develop his own creative outlet that would fulfill his desire to perform and his desire to watch movies.  So, he launched his YouTube channel called Caleb Watches Movies, where he randomly selects films that he owns from all genres and produces a review from the average person’s perceptive.  It is a great mixture of humor, performance, realness, and honesty.  The channel has seen tremendous growth in a short amount of time, and it is also Caleb’s catalyst to etch his legacy in a recorded medium.

He currently resides in Kalamazoo, MI with his wife, cat-sons and cat-daughters.
 
https://www.youtube.com/c/CalebWatchesMovies
 
https://www.facebook.com/CalebWatchesMovies
 
https://twitter.com/Calebwatchmovie
 
www.instagram.com/calebwatchesmovies/
 

 
A sleeper hit at festivals worldwide (including Berlin, Fantasia and Fantaspoa), LUZ is an astounding debut feature from director Tilman Singer, all the more so considering it was shot entirely on 16mm as a film school graduation project. Aesthetically the film is a throwback to 80's horror, and nowhere is this more evident than in its incredibly tense and atmospheric synth soundtrack, released on vinyl by Death Waltz Records/ Mondo Music.

Synopsis:
 
A dazed, young cab driver drags herself into a rundown police station late one night.
Across town, a psychiatrist is striking up a strange conversation with a lady in a bar, when he is paged by the police station to come in to counsel the cab driver. When he arrives, the cab driver begins an eerie and surreal confession that endangers all who cross her path. 
 
Directed by: Tilman Singer
Screenplay by: Tilman Singer
Cast:  Luana Velis, Johannes Benecke, Jan Bluthardt

A graduate of the Academy of Media Art, Cologne, Singer's debut feature LUZ was his senior thesis film. Following the acclaim and reception of the film, Singer was signed to Thirty Three Management.

Genre: Horror, thriller | Year: 2018 | Cert: 15 | Country: Germany
Language: German, Spanish | Subtitles: English | Running Time: 70 mins

Sharp Teeth Films brings a taste of the unusual to UK audiences with a carefully selected line-up of standout stories that are both provocative and fascinating.
Releases include New York sub-culture documentary RUBBLE KINGS (highlighting the true story behind cult classic THE WARRIORS), YOU ARE NOT ALONE, a first-person POV slasher horror, and French-Lebanese arthouse drama TRAMONTANE.

The short film, This Way Out uses some mockumentary elements to follow a euthanasia clinic that has 10 days to get 10 clients or they’ll be shutdown. The two that run the clinic are having a difficult time getting people that wish to kill themselves, until an unfortunate incident sparks a moment of inspiration.

This Way Out was a festival success and would lay the foundation for Staten Cousins Roe’s feature A Serial Killer’s Guide to Life, which brought back Poppy Roe and Katie Brayben in similar roles, with many of the same locations and other cast members trickling over.

Since this is a short film there is truly little to discuss in terms of plot, as it feels more like a promotional video used to highlight a business. However, it works to its benefit and brings out the ripe black comedy, that’s established Cousins Roe’s style and placed him as one of the filmmakers to watch. But we can’t forget the acting which is sold by Roe and Brayben with complete conviction. The 17 minutes used are just as much a showcase of their talent as it is for Staten’s directorial ability.

As I mentioned in my review on A Serial Killer’s Guide to Life, the tone might make limit the number of eyes that are viewing this short. But I am speaking from an American’s perspective, where black comedy and “British” comedy is considered a niche audience. I will argue that the short is more accessible than its feature counterpart since the subject matter tackled (while still dark) does not have two characters going on a cross-country murder spree.

I may be a biased critic, as I’ve been very vocal about my love for their feature and that brand of humor, but ultimately what it comes down to is This Way Out is an incredible short that is passionately made from someone who has a distinct artistic voice. And I’ll stand by that any day of the week. I guess you could say I drank the lemonade.
 
5 out of 5
 
The short is available to watch for free at 

https://vimeo.com/417014573?fbclid=IwAR0khAIuruvPwFR68aAjaWVmp2lBA60EFNTplU5Ft41rkItFwXUX2VU52JA
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Some films are deep, introspective treatises on the darkness at the heart of man, meant to be pondered and interpreted and dissected. And some films are meant to put a great big silly grin on your face all the way through. To me, Why Don’t You Just Die! falls firmly in the latter camp and is best watched with as big a bag of popcorn as you can manage. It’s only a horror film in the sense that it’s drenched in blood, sprinkled in gore and involves the characters doing horrific things to each other. There are no scares to be found here, just good old-fashioned bloody high-octane fun.
 
We meet Matvey (Aleksandr Kuznetsov) as he’s psyching himself up outside his girlfriend’s father’s flat. Fair enough, you might think, we’ve all wanted to make a positive impression on our partner’s parents. But it becomes quickly apparent by the hammer clutched tightly behind Matvey’s back that all is not as it seems. Sure enough when Andrey (Vitaliy Khaev) invites the young man in and reveals himself to be a tough-as-nails detective with secrets of his own, what starts as a bit of macho dick-measuring quickly escalates into a full-on brawl and a power struggle that threatens to destroy everyone involved.
 
This brawl is the moment the grinning starts, and it barely lets up from there. Director Kirill Sokolov adopts a throw-everything-and-the-kitchen-sink style to the visuals, with gorgeous shots of  epic sweeping slo-mo, crazy tilting dutch angles and sharp jagged cuts all working overtime to enhance the cartoonish violence. It’s very reminiscent of early Guy Ritchie films, and like those films the shot choices hit more often than they miss. I especially enjoyed the spaghetti western closeups of the characters’ eyes, complete with soaring Morricone-a-like music, though it got too repetitive towards the end. It’s beautiful to watch, though, and it’s clear that Sokolov is having a whale of a time with the stylist choices.
 
When I say the violence is ‘cartoonish’ I mean that in the best possible way. It may not have the comical physical contortions of Kung Fu Hustle but it shares that film’s sense of anarchic glee in the fight scenes. It just happens to throw buckets of blood around a hell of a lot more. There’s a healthy dose of slapstick in and around the fight scenes, enough to make you laugh at the silliness but not so much that it feels childish. There is one tonally jarring moment where the violence (involving a hand drill) gets a little too real, a little too nasty, and it doesn’t sit right with the rest of the film. That said, this obviously isn’t a light and fluffy film so your mileage may vary on how appropriately dark it gets. The motivation that Matvey’s girlfriend Olya (Evgeniya Kregzhde) gives him for going to her father’s flat is super dark and again just a little too far for me. But the rest of the film keeps its tongue firmly in its cheek (or, in one memorably gross moment, down the bath plughole).
 
The actors are all brilliant, equally believable with the weighty emotional bits as they are with throwing each other around and smashing furniture over each others heads. Vitaliy Khaev is the standout here, dominating the screen with his macho swagger and looming presence. The violence and danger works because he makes you believe with 100% conviction that Andrey would kill you and bury you with barely a moment’s remorse – but he gets a couple of tender moments with his daughter that show he can be emotional when he wants to be. He may be a bad man, but he’s a family man. Aleksandr Kuznetsov is also excellent, making you root for what could easily have been a one-dimensional thug of a character. The wringer that he’s put through certainly helps, and he takes every blow and wound gamely.
 
Why Don’t You Just Die! is a nasty little film, but it’s the fun kind of nasty, the kind where you howl with laughter and instantly feel just a little bit guilty for it. It’s silly and bloody and beautifully put together. It demands to be watched with beers and popcorn and mates who are just the same level of sick as you are.  Ура!

Review by Sam Kurd