Movies
McKee's latest is a peculiar little film. He built his reputation upon some gruesome and uncomfortable horror films, Old Man is more of a mystery/thriller with minor mindfuck elements. It's a single-location film that is incredibly slow and uneventful but thrives on tension and mystery, which kept me glued to my seat. When a hiker gets lost in the woods, he spots a cabin that looks to be inhabited. The moment the door opens a shotgun is pushed underneath his nose. An old man stands on the other side of the barrel, ushering him inside. The old man appears to be a little unhinged, so the hiker does his best to remain polite. The film is little more than a conversation between the old man and the hiker, still, McKee creates a tangible atmosphere, and the wayward conversations slowly reveal a darker truth. Lang and Senter are both great, McKee makes good use of the location and I never once looked at the clock. Good film.Read all
Deathcember
Extensive seasonal horror anthology presented as an advent calendar. It's like the ABC's of Death, only with Christmas-themed shorts. It's a great way to start any movie run-up to Christmas, at least if you're into horror cinema (and all its genre relatives), as it's a lot less jolly than the usual Christmas fare. 24 shorts, about 5 minutes each, is quite a lot for an anthology, especially when you also count the two bonus shorts hidden away in the credits. It makes for a good 2.5 hours of cinema where every 5 minutes your mind needs a little reset. While I appreciate the high level of diversity, I think it would've been better if this had been 30 minutes shorter. Otherwise, there's very little to complain about. There's always going to be shorts that stick out while others fade away in the background, but the broad international selection, the varied mix of styles, genres and topics (while all holiday-related of course) and the many inspired ideas really keep Deathcember interesting and entertaining. I hope they turn this into a yearly tradition.Read all
Tales of Halloween
Decently acted and directed, but not quite as edgy as McKee's better films. While the setup shows enough promise, the middle part is somewhat tepid and the ending feels rushed and conflicted. It's not a terrible film and it does have its moments, but it's definitely not part of the McKee essentials, so keep your expectations in check.
