kindertrauma

Mimic 3: Sentinel (2003)

Posted on By unkle lancifer

I have another LANCE HENRIKSEN log to throw on the blogothon fire. Truth be told, this movie involves more of a supporting role for HENRIKSEN but I can't let the chance of speaking about MIMIC 3: SENTINEL pass me by. I know what you're thinking, the world of straight-to-DVD sequels, particularly those dispensed by DIMENSION FILMS, is a treacherous one. Why would anyone give this film a chance when even the first film in the series was hobbled by massive studio interference? I don't know how this happened but somebody actually allowed director/writer J.T. PETTY (SOFT FOR DIGGING, THE BURROWERS) to do his own thing and retain his own voice and the result is a film with strong enough legs to crawl on its own. Many MIMIC fans apparently disagree. The knee jerk desire for "bigger, stronger, faster!" is just too strong to break. For myself though, I can only admire this micro-budgeted, limited setting, psychological thriller with a purposeful pace. It's as if FRANZ KAFKA did a rewrite of REAR WINDOW.

Obvious action elements are buried in the dust from the start when we are introduced to the sickly and paranoid Marvin Montrose. He's as twitchy as a bug and actor KARL GEARY's offbeat idiosyncratic performance may even bring to mind JEFF GOLDBLUM's work in THE FLY. Marvin is a survivor of the disease mentioned in the first film and it has left him allergic to nearly everything in his environment. Homebound due to his condition, he connects to the outside world through photography, snapping shots at the slices of life he spies from his window. The city hums like a hive all around him but Marvin is trapped in amber, his only consistent contacts being his Mother (AMANDA PLUMMER…score!) and his scamp of a younger sister (ALEXIS DZIENA, have I ever mentioned how much I enjoy 05's HAVOC?) From his perch, Martin begins to observe suspicious activity in the urban arena that involves giant looming insectoid creatures chomping on passersby and a mysterious "garbage man" portrayed by our man HENRIKSEN. The police are as much as help as ever and Marvin is is forced to confront the beasties with his very limited powers and resources.

SENTINEL takes its time and perhaps I'm a dying breed, but I welcome that. Much like PETTY's later flick THE BURROWERS, the film holds back on the firework show until the viewer has been properly initiated. When things go down, they go down hard and the aggressiveness is all the more shocking thanks to its previous scarcity. There are a slew of interesting ideas scattering about concerning the act of "seeing" in general. We understand Marvin's outlook on the world through his photography. Much of what we observe is through his camera and eventually the line between viewer and subject blurs. When Marvin does finally put his camera down, we suddenly find ourselves watching him from afar through a lens as he once watched others. Trust me, there's more infesting this movie than giant mutant bugs. As much as Martin attempts to look past his situation it seems the shadows from his childhood (the roach/man personifications of his disease) keep knocking at the front door of his shoebox home.

As I said before HENRIKSEN's role is relatively brief, but he does make a strong impression as usual. Like PLUMMER, it's always good to see him in anything. As they say, there's no such thing as a small part…unless of course you count the part of that kid who gets ripped to shreds in the first three minutes of this movie. If you're looking for spectacle, than feel free to watch one of those cars that turn into robots movies instead. Tell that bumble bee-thingy I said, "Hi." MIMIC 3: SENTINEL goes against the grain in a way that is refreshing, taking an expansive story and bringing it home and personalizing it. PETTY smartly stays within his means, focuses on characters and setting and presents a story much more insular and involved than anyone would suspect. I mentioned that this film is small but the miraculous thing is that as you watch it keeps getting smaller and smaller until finally the action is taking place in about 3 feet of space. The final confrontation with the menace that takes place from within a refrigerator still makes me flinch and jump and its flashes of absolute blackness allow the mind to reel. Talk about mimicry, this movie is an absolute keeper running around in the shell of a throwaway. Don't fall for the Camouflage.

NOTE: This post is part of the LANCE HENRIKSEN BLOGATHON! Jump on over to JOHN KENNETH MUIR's REFLECTIONS ON FILM AND TELEVISION for lots more HERE!

Name That Trauma :: Anton Bogaty on a Bottled Baby in a Barn

Posted on By aunt john

Kindertrauma,

Love the site and am a frequent browser. You provide a true service by bringing to light so many obscure films, particularly T.V. movies from the '70s.

I have a 'Name That Trauma' from a friend that's baffled me for a couple of years now. Though possibly best never revealed since it was truly traumatic to him, this is all that I have:

The film takes place in the grasslands, with an AMERICAN GOTHIC feel. A fetus in a jar is discovered in a barn and a young, pale, dark-haired boy believes that the bottled fetus is an angel that fell to Earth. Craziness. Any tips would be much-appreciated.

I wish I had a good trauma-fession that wasn't already discussed on the site. This is the only unspoken one that I can contribute: I remember a scene from an After School Special, where a group of teenage kids walk into a movie theater. The camera zooms in on the poster for the movie they are about to go see and it's the lower half of the classic poster for THE HOUSE THAT DRIPPED BLOOD, with the skull-faced woman holding the head on the platter. Took awhile to shake that image from my adolescent nightmares.

Thanks again,

Anton Bogaty

AUNT JOHN SEZ: Anton, based on your pal's recollection, I strongly suspect the fermented fetus in question comes from the 1972 UTA HAGEN-helmed flick THE OTHER. Having been wrong about Name That Traumas in the past, I would recommend your pal peep the trailer HERE. (NOTE: The baby in the bottle in curiously missing from said trailer, but perhaps your friend will recognize the UDVARNOKY twins or even the UTA.)

Say, does anyone remember which AFTER SCHOOL SPECIAL the second one stems from? If so, please sound off in the comments.

That said, your Aunt John recommends that everyone visit Anton's site to see all of his stellar short films and animations, especially the kindertraumatic "Death by Dying":

UPDATE: FIRST NAME THAT TRAUMA SOLVED! Yep, your Aunt John was wrong with THE OTHER. Special thanks to reader Mark J. Hansen for being the first to recognize the baby in the bottle in the barn from THE REFLECTING SKIN.

Streaming Alert! :: Frayed (2007)

Posted on By unkle lancifer

I just have to give all the dyed-in-the-wool slasher fans out there the heads up that FRAYED is now available on Netflix Streaming. Long time Kindertrauma readers will probably remember that a while back we featured traumafessions from the makers of this independent film (check them out HERE). I have a bit of a soft spot for this under the radar gem because it feels just like the eighties horror movies I gravitated toward in my youth. It owes much to HALLOWEEN (who doesn't?) but it's not afraid to shake the formula up a bit to keep things loose and freshly off kilter. I'm not crazy about all of the performances but the actors that really need to go for broke certainly do. If you are one of the folks who recently enjoyed the small town killer on the loose atmosphere of SCREAM 4, I think you'll find some fun to be had here too, just remember to turn the lights off before you watch and don't be surprised if when the film is done, you reach to rewind the tape only to remember it's not on VHS.

I'm happy to see that many people who have watched FRAYED and left comments on Netflix Streaming, IMDb & Amazon seem to appreciate it as much as I do for what it accomplishes. No, there are no big stars in the movie and sometimes its budget is apparent but if you settle down and get yourself into the action, it's really a fun and thrilling old school ride with real scares. In fact, I'm kind of surprised that FRAYED did not make more of a splash when it came out on DVD. I'm sure it would have if it was given a better push by distributer LIONS GATE. I mean they didn't even put images from the movie on the back of the DVD case and that is just lazy loco! I know I never rent stuff without pictures on the back because it makes me assume that the movie has something to hide! Well, FRAYED has nothing to hide (especially in the cool visuals department) and the days of reading the back of DVD cases in video stores seems to be over now anyway. Looks like us horror fans are going to have to rely even more on word-of-mouth from now on. You probably already know if a low-budget slasher salute suites your appetites or not. I know for me every once in a while I need that certain late-night fix and FRAYED, now available on Netflix Streaming is one good way to get it.

NOTE: FRAYED will also be making its cable premiere on THE CHILLER CHANNEL on May 6th at 10pm EST! You can check out its home page HERE & its FB page HERE! This is a film that really deserves horror community support. It is made by real fans rather than hired monkeys so I say check it out! HORROR MOVIE A DAY has called it "The best slasher in years!" and you can read that review HERE!

Pumpkinhead (1988)

Posted on By unkle lancifer

If I'm such a big fan of LANCE HENRIKSEN why is it that I always seem to dread or avoid watching PUMKINHEAD? A big heavy stone sinks slowly down the well of my stomach just thinking about it. I've always assumed that because the plot of the film springboards off of the heartbreaking death of a child that I considered it too emotionally taxing for a casual view. That would make sense but that never stopped me from throwing PET SEMETARY on multiple times over the years. The little boy in PUMPKINHEAD's motorbike mishap is no more tragic than Gage Creed's Mack Truck flattening and I think I know which vehicle I'd rather be smashed by. Sitting myself down and forcing a revisit with PUMPKINHEAD recently made it all suddenly so clear to me. The fact is, this movie conjures up an emotion that I find much more difficult to deal with than fear or sorrow, it conjures up (quite literally even) anger. It's about nothing, if not anger.

The role of Ed Harley fits HENRIKSEN like a well-worn, workman's glove. Ed runs a small back road store. A humble sign declares "Harley's Groceries" and it's all kinds of charming when you notice the sign has been personally updated by hand to include "And Son." Ed is raising his young child Billy (MATTHEW HURLEY) on his own and, in a handful of brief scenes, it is made clear that the two have an exceptionally close bond. In fact, we get the idea that ALL they have is each other and it suites them both just fine. Billy is not your typical movie kid either, meaning he's not obnoxious; rather he comes across as sweet, humbly happy and a bit self conscious about the fact that he has to wear glasses. He dotes on his beloved dog in the same manner his dad dotes on him.

Enter the douchebags and I'm already starting to feel my blood boil; a group of arrogant, self-entitled twentysomething "city folk" roll on to the scene like they own the place bringing with them their loud stupid asshole motorbikes. They have a ringleader who's meant to be the biggest dick in the bunch but I seriously hate them all. This is actually the one weakness of the film for me, as it would really help the "horror" element if there were a single person in this group who I did not want to see mercilessly torn to shreds.

When Ed leaves Billy in the store to run an errand (Ed would NEVER do that but whatever) Billy gets smooshed by a moron's bike while chasing after his pooch. Ed returns to find his son splayed out in the grass and then, as he carries his broken body back towards the store, the lone remaining dumbass asks if he can help. It is at this point that LANCE HENRIKSEN throws a glare that is the absolute highlight of the movie for me. This guy can act. I can feel the vibrations of that laser beam hate stare as I write this now. Forget the titular creature, HENRIKSEN can dispatch an army of vengeance demons out of his peepers whenever he desires.

Filled with fury Ed tracks down a local witch to aid him in his revenge against the callus cretins who robbed him of his world. He has grown up hearing stories of a demon that can be summoned to balance the scales and has no trouble believing them as he once witnessed the creature bitch slapping a luckless victim as a child. Once activated, the demon operates like a speeding freight train of ruthless retaliation and cannot be stopped. The witch advises that one must simply wait for it to "run its course."

Unlike me, Ed eventually begins to have second thoughts about his choice of actions. He realizes as the line between himself and the monster blur that he is losing himself little by little to the manifestation of his anger. One of the film's poster taglines read "A grim fairy tale." And that sums up PUMPKINHEAD rather nicely. Although the opening is very much grounded in the real world once night falls we're strolling on the pages of a storybook. This is a morality tale about the price paid when we allow ourselves to be taken over by hate. I get that I really do but all things considered I still say sign me up.

PUMPKINHEAD is an impressive directorial debut from the late STAN WINSTON, one of the most talented men ever to work in the field of make-up and special effects. Cinematographer BOJAN BAZELLI would go on to help craft another visually stunning horror tale, 2002's THE RING. Although it wasn't a huge success upon original release, PUMPKINHEAD's reputation has solidified over the years and it's easy to identify it now as one the stronger and more original (not to mention atmospheric) horror films of its decade. If you ever find yourself cozying up to CGI, I would suggest checking out PUMKINHEAD again to remind yourself just what is being lost. The effect of Pumpkinhead himself is a joy to behold and it's obvious that WINSTON knew exactly how to present the beast to his best advantage.

No special effect however, can outshine LANCE HENRIKSEN's performance. It's absolutely impossible not to be moved by the pain he expresses on screen and this role gives him a chance to expose an earthy nurturing side that apparently comes naturally to the guy. I stand pleased now that I figured out exactly why I have been quietly keeping my distance from this movie for years. I hate to see HENRIKSEN suffer to this extreme. It really pisses me off.

NOTE: This post is part of the LANCE HENRIKSEN BLOGATHON! Jump on over to JOHN KENNETH MUIR's REFLECTIONS ON FILM AND TELEVISION for lots more HERE!

Stream Warriors: Dedications

Posted on By unkle lancifer

UNK SEZ: I'm going to play CASEY KASEM today and present my streaming recommendations with dedications like he used to do on his old countdown show. Yes, in my youth right after I finished a cave painting, I used to entertain myself by listening to a contraption called a radio!

My first pick is called GRAVEDANCERS (2006) and it is dedicated to reader LEE. LEE wrote in to tell me how much he enjoyed this move and I have to agree. GRAVEDANCERS was part of the first group of AFTER DARK'S "8 FILMS TO DIE FOR" and I think it was the only one I actually dug. It was directed by MIKE MENDEZ who also helmed the ADRIENNE BARBEAU ass-kick festival THE CONVENT. GRAVEDANCERS may not be classic material but it sure is a lot of fun. INSIDIOUS fans may want to give it a look-see as it shares some similar smiley-ghoul imagery and an equally healthy admiration towards the classic POLTERGEIST. For me it also brings back fond memories of the type of desecration provoked supernatural chills found in 1983's underrated ONE DARK NIGHT. I like the cast very much also and here's hoping CLARE KRAMER accepts the friendship request I just sent her on Facebook.

Next is a dedication to pal CRAFTYPANTS CAROL who recently revealed that, like me, she is koo-koo over the moon for 1982's STILL OF THE NIGHT. I seriously adore this HITCHCOCK wannabe and find that each viewing makes me somehow appreciate it a little bit more. It's really had a large effect on my taste in film and in opening me up to the fact that thrills needn't be gushy and blood soaked to have impact. It may seem like lunacy to suggest that sparks fly between stars ROY SCHEIDER and MERYL STREEP but I don't care what anyone says they do! There's a marvelous symbol soaked dream sequence that I think everybody needs to see at least once and the score and New York setting are highly memorable too. STILL OF THE NIGHT has never been available on DVD so I urge you to give this classy, moody thriller a chance on Netflix streaming soon.

Lastly I want to dedicate kindertrauma's best thoughts and condolences to the state of Alabama, which has suffered horribly destructive weather recently. Alabama is responsible for the production of our best pal and famed good luck charm "The Mickster" (whose birthday was yesterday!) and we hope that the state is on the mend and feeling better as quickly as possible. We heart ya Mickster and are glad that you and your family are safe. To all of our readers, have a peaceful, movie enhanced Sunday!

Traumafessions :: Reader David O. on The Changeling

Posted on By aunt john

I was reading a post this morning about the episode of THE WALTONS called "The Changeling," which I personally don't remember but now want to see, badly. Seeing the name of the episode immediately took me back to a scene in the movie THE CHANGELING with GEORGE C. SCOTT that scared the pants off of me as a kid and still elicits creepy memories and an avoidance of dark stairways.

The scene is when GEORGE is sitting in the study reading and a red ball comes bouncing down the stairs in the foyer. Perplexed, he picks it up and looks toward the top of the stairs, which are dark and foreboding. He picks up the ball and drives to a bridge, tosses the ball into the river below and returns home. As soon as he gets back to the house and takes off his coat the red ball comes bouncing back down the stairs. I was frightened enough the first time the ball bounced down from some unseen force's hand, but when it happened a second time I was nearly pissing myself. The feeling of dread and the question of, "Would I dare go up there to see who tossed it?" stuck with me. Living at my grandparent's house at the time they had an old stairway that led to the basement, with open slats between the stairs. I had spent many days frightened that some monster was living under the stairs waiting to reach through and grab my feet as I walked down. After watching THE CHANGELING I now added the rubber ball fear to my stairway phobia.

The entire film is creepy and frightening; really one of my favorites. It's really well-made and worth a viewing if you haven't done so. I've watched it numerous times since childhood and still don't like seeing that red rubber ball, or any red ball I come across.

— David

Name That Trauma: Reader Amanda on Twin Doll Crackers

Posted on By unkle lancifer

Dear Kindertrauma,

Thank you for such an entertaining blog. I adore it!

I was wondering if you and your readers could help me with the title of a movie. I only know one scene; I must've flipped to it on T.V. and got freaked out and changed it right away but *now* I want to see the whole thing!

Anyway, this would be either the late eighties or early nineties. I am pretty sure it was a made-for-T.V. film as well. This is my memory: Two creepy-looking young ladies, identical twins, in their mid twenties or so, stare at a frightened looking man standing before them. I believe there is a vanity or mirrors nearby. The twins are holding a porcelain doll. They say, in unison, "We share everything." And then the doll cracks right down the middle! Thats all I remember.

Any ideas? Thanks for the time!

— Amanda


UPDATE: NAME THAT TRAUMA SOLVED! Special thanks to reader phil d. for knowing this trauma is the handiwork of the lovely LANDERS SISTERS in THE HITCHHIKER episode "Split Decision." Additional thanks to reader sumo1964 for sharing the video:

Traumafessions :: Reader Celeste on The Halloween Tree

Posted on By aunt john

Hello KinderTrauma!

I read the LITTLE NEMO: ADVENTURES IN SLUMBERLAND submission and have another Ray Bradbury kindertrauma: THE HALLOWEEN TREE (1993)!

I didn't find this movie in your archives, although if I missed it and it is, I apologize. I don't remember all that much about the movie (I only watched it once and was terrified) but the thing that I remember (which helped me Google and then Wikipedia it) was that there was a sick boy with freckles (Pip) who had a doppelganger pumpkin. I hated that pumpkin face. In the movie, Pip had to be rushed to the hospital on Halloween, but he appeared to his friends as a sort of ghost and they, thinking he was playing a prank on them, chased this apparition through some woods throughout the movie, and at some point, Ghost Pip acquired a pumpkin with his face.

After reading the description on Wikipedia, it's supposed to be a really nice film about the origins of Halloween. Too bad I could only think of SLEEPY HOLLOW and the pumpkin head and relate this film to that scary story.

— Celeste

Traumafessions :: Kinderpal Ericzilla on Heavy Metal & the Satanic Panic of the 1980s

Posted on By aunt john

Growing up in the early '80s could be very traumatizing. The threat of nuclear war and the Russians invading us RED DAWN-style kept me in a state of worry, but that worry was nothing compared to the possibility of going to hell! The threat of Satan seemed very real to me back in those days. My grandmother was very religious and the church we attended was filled with fire and brimstone sermons warning us against the satanic evils of rock music, especially the Devil's favorite conduit "Heavy Metal."

I was astounded to find out that my new stepdad loved rock music and owned an extensive collection of albums. I would spend hours looking through his albums and he would put on his favorites and I would enjoy them as much as a kid destined for hell could. The artwork of Black Sabbath's debut album was nearly as traumatizing as the music. I can still see a woman with a yellowish pallor dressed in black standing near some trees and a pond in front of a very dilapidated medieval looking house. This scared that crap out of me! She had to be a witch or some succubus with ill intentions. All the songs were either about the running away from the devil or being the devil's chosen bride or about scary wizards walking by. This was as enticing as it was scary.

By the time my small town got MTV and a decent record store it seemed like the satanic panic was in full swing. I would keep my fingers at the ready to change the cable box to Nickelodeon as I waited for "Looks that Kill" by Motley Crue of "Flight of Icarus" by Iron Maiden to come on. I would have to wait through hours of Men at Work and Pat Benatar videos, but eventually I would be thrilled at the sight of "Bark at the Moon" and it would all be worthwhile.

In the age of digital downloads, album cover art has taken a back seat. I would sneak around the rock section of my local record store and freak out while looking at Iron Maiden covers and their skeletal mascot "Eddie." "Holy Diver" by Dio was particularly troublesome. I felt that if I were to pick up the album and hold it, the earth would crack open and I would be pulled to hell right in the middle of Kmart. The scarier the album cover was the more I wanted to hear the music.

A funny thing happened as I began to listen to more metal music. I realized that it wasn't a gateway to hell; rather it was a gateway to all sorts of subjects that would fascinate me all the more. It would have taken me several more years to discover Frank Herbert and Dune if it wasn't for Iron Maiden. I would have missed out on Stephen King's short stories if it wasn't for Anthrax. Heavy Metal wasn't about wearing your sunglasses at night or feeling the rhythm of the night, it was about life and death, and good and evil.

By the time it was 1987 and I was 13 years old a new brand strain of harder and scarier heavy metal arrived on the scene. "Reign in Blood" by Slayer made any output by Dio and Motley Crue seem silly and juvenile. Metallica and Megadeth touched on the evils of war and drug addiction. This more tangible and realistic metal stripped away the hokey mysticism and faux Satanism.

The Satanic Panic of the ‘80s finally reached its apex with a much-ballyhooed Geraldo Rivera special on Satanism in 1987. It was the talk of the school the next day. I imagine every town claimed to be the secret satanic capital of the United States much like mine supposedly was. Every pentagram on a school notebook and jean jacket was taken very seriously by the faculty of my school. Listening to metal was an act of rebellion and feeling rebellious was awesome and dangerous. It all looks so silly today, but it touched a primal chord of fear and excitement in me and many of my friends.