After a tremendous start with the low-budget horror film Cube, director Vincenzo Natali has had a hit or miss track record since, most recently being the tantalizing, twisted film Splice. But if his films prove anything, it’s that they’re different, which to me, warrants a viewing.
So that brings us to his newest flick Haunter starring Abigail Breslin (Little Miss Sunshine) in the lead, and Stephen McHattie (300, Hellmouth) as I believe the antagonistic killer. The listed premise seems intentionally vague, which could mean there’s quite a few twists in the film that are hidden, cause the trailer hints at more, but here it is via IMDb : The ghost of a teenager who died years ago reaches out to the land of the living in order to save someone from suffering her same fate. Check out the Haunter trailer below.
The trailer is pretty good, giving us a hint that the film hopefully pushes the boundaries of the standard haunted house flick. That said, reviews I’ve read so far have been mixed, with some saying it’s better than the average horror film, but others straight up panning it. Then again, Natali’s other films weren’t for everyone, so if you’re a fan of his previous flicks, this could be right up your ally. The official synopsis of Haunter can be seen on the SXSW website, but other sites have reported it gives away hidden details, so I’ll leave it up to you if you want to read it.
Haunter hits theaters and Video-on-Demand October 18th.
I’m a big fan of Horror. I think that it, along with Science Fiction, are the two most important genres in all of fiction, and that truly successful horror can encompass every other genre perfectly. It’s because more or less life is pretty horrifying when you think about it, and life holds all the genres in it at once, and in that way, life is just a long, protracted existential horror film we all live in real time. But enough philosophy, the real reason I’m writing this is to spread the word of Hellmouth. Which no, isn’t some kind of delightfully sexy demonic orifice which would grant you the literally most sinful pleasure imaginable, but rather a film.
Here’s Stephen McHattie dressed as a Vulcan for no real reason.
For those of you who aren’t familiar, Hellmouth is a film with a striking pedigree that has me captivated by its creators alone. It’s written by Tony Burgess, who wrote probably the most creative and inventive “zombie” film in the last decade, Pontypool. He’s now writing Hellmouth, which is being directed by John Geddes, who did 2011’s Exit Humanity, which I’ve heard nothing but good things about. Add to the fact that Stephen McHattie is in it and you’ve got me sold. Stephen McHattie is one of those criminally underrated actors, and I’ll never understand why he’s not more famous or used for more roles. You’d most likely recognize him as Nite Owl 1 from Watchmen, but it’s his standout performance in Pontypool that cemented him as a brilliant actor in my mind. As for Hellmouth itself? I’ll let the director state the intention of the film himself:
[quote]Per Director Geddes, “I wanted to create a story-driven film with fantasy and horror combined. Something that was directly inspired by the era of Hitchcock and even Ed Wood. Working with a writer like Tony Burgess was a pleasure as we both love the simplicity in many of the old classic films of the 50′s and 60′s, and even earlier in films like Nosferatu and Faust. We worked really hard to make Hellmouth something fresh.”[/quote]
[one_half]I’m always all for throwback horror, but I’m more interested in seeing any trailers or previews for this film, because the name alone is enough to captivate me, not to mention the talent behind it. There currently is an Indiegogo fundraiser thing for it currently however. The preview on it isn’t exactly a preview of the film per se, because it’s mostly unfinished and going through extensive post-production. There’s a few neat glimpses of things that will be in the movie though. Monsters and some stills of Stephen McHattie being badass.
The problem is I rarely can find myself caring enough about crowdfunded projects to give a damn, probably because I’m very cheap. For example, I’m a huge Veronica Mars/Kristen Bell fan, but I didn’t donate to the Kickstarter for the new movie, because I’d rather spend my money on useless crap or alcohol. As for Hellmouth, If it actually turns out to be about demonic sex mouths that taunt you into having oral sex with them until you’re full of dick-sin… Holy S***! Sadly, I don’t think that’s exactly “50’s” in its feel. But, now I have a great new idea to add to my script! Thanks, Hellmouth! [/one_half]http://www.indiegogo.com/project/346765/widget/3146077
Grizzly Bomb 