Shadow Gods, Creeps, and Jason Voorhees! [Indie Horror Review Roundup]
Well, Blood Babes, it’s time to play catch up. Ever since I first started my expeditions into the dark and ever-creative terrorscape of the indie horror scene, I’ve been sent A LOT of different projects to check out. Sadly, I don’t have the time to give each of them the full feature treatment, as much as I want to. BUT, I don’t want to leave all these fantastic creators empty-handed, so I’ve decided to compile several short reviews on a few films I haven’t talked about yet. I feel this will be the first of many lists, so be on the lookout for more in the near future. With that said, let’s see what twisted forests the Indie Horror tree drags us kicking and screaming through this time!
1. My Special Boy: A Friday the 13th Fan Film (Feature Film)
“There is no denying that Camp Crystal Lake has a dark history, one that Sean Orton is intent on ignoring. Despite being warned against returning to his childhood Camp, Sean’s desire to save his family name proves to be even stronger. Sean rechristens the grounds as Camp Trinity Pointe, and with a group of friends, he attempts to rebuild it into a safe haven with no traces of tragedy left behind. But the evil that still lingers on the Camp grounds is a stark reminder that History always repeats itself, and revenge is a dish best served cold.“
Unlike most Friday the 13th fan films, James Grim’s My Special Boy takes the under-utilized approach of creating its own continuity for our favorite pissed off goalie. Sure, the broad strokes remain—Jason drowned, Mom Voorhees went axe-crazy and got beheaded, Jason comes back and picks up the slack, etc.—but said events are altered in one way or another. Unrestrained by existing canon, the possibilities to venture out creatively are as vast as Crystal Lake’s shore… which apparently stretches to the Atlantic Ocean.
Unfortunately, the film doesn’t take advantage of this freedom as much as it could, but there are some standout details worth mentioning. Jason’s personality seems inspired by recent portrayals of the Haddonfield Shape, which might put off some viewers (if they’re unnecessarily attentive to the small “intricacies” between the two slashers like I am). But, it works for what it’s going for: a more brutal, no-nonsense Jason, filled with years worth of unbridled rage. As far as appearance goes, the Camp Blood Killer looks great! The creators put their own flourishes to make their Jason stand out while staying true to the character. Nothing too flashy, just unique.
The biggest takeaway is the face reveal, which is one of the BEST I’ve seen in a fan film. You can tell they put a lot of focus on his handsome mug, and I believe they even used some animatronics (ala Friday the 13th Part IV: The Final Chapter). The kills leave something to be desired, but so is the nature of these fan flicks. You know, with indie horror, practically non-existent budgets and all, you have to cut costs somewhere. More so, this isn’t too out of place, given that several of the later F13 sequels suffered from lackluster bloodshed due to MPAA cuts… still, it was disappointing then, too. I will say, the very last shot is fucking rad, and worth a watch alone!
Overall, despite a slow pace and some interesting character choices, this wasn’t a terrible watch. Not the best F13 fan film I’ve seen, but far from the worst.
You can watch My Special Boy: A Friday the 13th Fan Film on YouTube right here!
2. Mister Creep (Feature Film)
“Three college students stumble upon a lost television broadcast of a deceased serial killer and search for its location. They discover a nightmarish cover-up of a clown-faced man who killed hundreds and may still be around long after his death.“
Isaac Rodriguez’s indie horror Mister Creep revels in the creepypasta eeriness of old, like Slenderman and Smile Dog. Initially, I wasn’t sure if it was going to gel with me, given that I’m part of the “killer-clowns-are-an-overrated-concept” camp… yes, I’m extremely passionate about zombies, so it’s most assuredly a matter of taste. Despite that discovery of self, I still feel the killer being of the honk-honk variety is the biggest strike against this overall solid feature.
The film manages to effectively establish an appropriately dreadful atmosphere as it takes cues from the analog horror genre, bringing to mind Marble Hornets and the like. There’s also a sprinkle of Sinister in the pot, with Mister Creep’s use of videotapes to interact with victims being similar to Bagul’s MO. Oh, there’s a doll… I’m sorry, I mean “relic”… so I guess we have some Dead Silence vibes here, too. The police interviews with Mister Creep tended to be the most interesting scenes, Brian D. Anderson portraying the killer CREEPily enough — sorry, couldn’t help myself.
The rest of the narrative, which follows a film crew investigating the Mister Creep legend, manages to remain engaging, but never reaches the level maintained by those interview segments. With all that laid out, I’d say if you dig creepypasta-esque horror and analog-style trapping, you’ll probably have a good time with this one.
You can watch Mister Creep right here!
3. In the Shadow of God (Short Film)
“As a woman packs up her childhood home following the passing of her father, she comes to learn that there may have been a more sinister threat behind his death, long buried on the grounds of the family home.“
A key factor to effective cosmic horror is non-explanation. Basically, not giving the audience a clue about what’s going on, because the heroes suffering through such eldritch events have no idea either. Algernon Blackwood’s The Willows is a prime example of “no-one-knows-what-the-fuck-is-happening-especially-not-you”, and it’s all the better for it!
Brian Sepanzyk’s award-winning short film, In the Shadow of God, follows suit by not explaining a damn thing, at least not overtly so. There might be an allegory for generational trauma or something similar in there, but I personally think the horrific events that befall Rachel (Sara Canning) are part of some grander design we’re not meant to understand. Which works, for the most part. Good acting, good ambiance, good cosmogonic dread, would probably have benefited from being ten minutes longer or so. Even then, the atmosphere permeating throughout what runtime there is works wonders, really driving that whole “extramundane experience” home.
In the Shadow of God is being released on the Altar YouTube channel on May 22, 2023, so mark your calendar!
4. Escalation (Short Film)
“In the midst of the COVID-19 Pandemic, Chris, a paranoid and self-centered man, is happily avoiding all human contact, preferring to escape from reality in whatever’s on TV. When a friend reaches out to him to confront him about his past promises, Chris has to decide what kind of person he is inside, or it may just eat him…alive.“
Well, the title doesn’t lie. Things do escalate. I’m sure there’s a deeper message about guilt and what it means to be a bad person and all that jazz, and I’m appreciative of such thought. But I’m here for that BODY HORROR, baby! Christian “Kang” Bachini’s Escalation is a lot like the possessed hand scene from Evil Dead II, except way gorier and meaner. Props to Bachini for selling the visceral self-mutilation his character goes through, making this indie horror short as entertaining as it is gruesome to watch. Shot well, acted well, gored well, the only real criticism I have is the prosaic narrative. I mean, it gets the job done, which is all it needs to do. Besides, the story isn’t terribly important in this case. What IS important is watching a man break his own fingers with a meat mallet! At least, it is to me.
Escalation is currently on the festival circuit.
5. Ash and Bone (Feature Film)
“Cassie is a rebelling teen and with a new stepmom it escalates and her father Lucas decides to take her and his new wife Sarah out of the city for some bonding and quality time together. What they find instead is the McKinley’s an urban legend more true and terrifying than their worst nightmare.“
I have a confession to make. I’m not a huge fan of the “hillbilly-torture-killer” sub-genre. I don’t know, just never could get into it, much like ghost movies. Which is weird, because I’ve recently become a bigger fan of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, but I guess that’s different? The Sawyer Family is of the Texas Redneck BBQ flavor, while most of these flicks tend to be a more Appalachian Apple Pie Moonshine palette. Point being, Harley Wallen’s Ash and Bone had an uphill battle from the start to win me over. Sad to say, it never quite makes it to the top… but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t do a damned fair hike.
Unlike similar indie horror films, it doesn’t spend too much time with drawn-out torture scenes, opting for a slower approach with the rural killers having to put in the research to find their targeted victims. That does mean there’s a lull in the action for a good chunk of the runtime, focusing more on the familial problems of the lead protagonists, who are city folks vacationing in a small-town cabin. Does it work? Well, your mileage may vary.
The main star, Angelina Danielle Cama as Cassie, is likable enough for me to stay invested, though her parents feel a bit undercooked. Now that I think about it, some graphic torture scenes might have spiced it up a bit. By the time the credits rolled, it didn’t sway me to the sub-genre or anything, but it’d make a fine time killer for a late-night Tubi watch. If the Chiller Network was still around, this would be perfect for a late-night slot.
You can watch Ash and Bone right here!
There, that’s a few off the list! I’m hoping to keep these coming so I can work my way through as many indie horror projects as I can. Thanks again to all the creators sending me their work to check out! Y’all make this more than worth it.
Until next time…
Ciao, friends!
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Categorized:Reviews
