It Follows Review

Influenced by 70's and 80's horror, It Follows is a stimulating psychological horror movie with a basic premise and a creepy concept. This is most likely the best scary film I've seen over the last decade. It Follows draws many associations to John Carpenter's format, from the audio tracks to the cinematography, and instead of appearing like a duplicate or rehash of Halloween, director David Robert Mitchell executes this strange premise with such flair and finesse that you can't help but be rejuvenated by its cleverness.

Every single thing about It Follows works, from the brooding pace to the relatable personalities, easily sucking you into this gloomy world where sexually transmitted diseases can pass on bodies that follow you around regardless of where you are. This is where the majority of the suspense stems from, because rather than relying on blood and shock value, It Follows is subtle and thought provoking - you never know where this entity is and it moves so slow that you aren't sure when it will appear, and this unpredictability in waiting is what real suspense is about.

One aspect that is distinct, besides the brilliant writing and directing, is the musical score by Disasterpeace. It's absolutely stunning in the most ominous, possessing way you can imagine. It's vintage but not dated - heavy on synths and low on bombast, it sets the eerie tone of the movie right from the start and elevates the film's effectiveness into the stratosphere. Even as a standalone listen the tracks are brilliant, but when juxtaposed with the bleak imagery and unnerving atmosphere, it's downright masterful.

It Follows is not an overtly scary film. It's a slowburner, and the emphasis on state of mind over jump scares keeps it even more terrifying. The performances are spot-on, the cinematography is glorious, the pacing is perfect - it's a breath of fresh air into the horror movie genre that has been on life-support for some time now. I can go on and on, but the thing to keep in mind is that It Follows is not for everybody. You probably won't like it if you're looking for this movie to be a paranormal slasher or something of the sort. It's totally psychological, and nowadays, psychological horror is making a huge resurgence. In 2014 we had The Babadook and this year the movie to defeat is It Follows. Both movies are by relatively new directors - Jennifer Kent and David Robert Mitchell respectively - which means they have their entire career ahead of them to invigorate the genre to the heights it used to reach.

It Follows is a work of genius in every respect and an absolute must-watch for horror fans that thought the genre was completely drained of originality. In a year chock full of soon-to-be many blockbusters and money makers, It Follows will be remembered by many as one of the best of the year. It is a movie that embodies all things horror, and pays great tribute to what made people love the genre.

Witchboard on Blu-Ray Review

Witchboard on Blu-Ray

 

 

 

Just a couple of years before unleashing perhaps his most popular motion picture ("Night of the Demons"), Kevin Tenney made his directing debut with "Witchboard," an old-school, climatic horror flick that pays attention to a party of buddies at a party who communicate with spirits through a Ouija board. Brandon (Stephen Nichols) has done this several times before, communicating with the spirit of a young boy named David, who died in a heartbreaking accident at the age of 10. His former buddy, Jim (Todd Allen), thinks the whole thing is foolish, but Jim's girlfriend, Linda (Tawny Kitaen), chooses to give it a try. Brandon and Linda successfully make contact, but the session comes to an abrupt end when the spirit becomes perturbed. Meanwhile, Jim remains doubtful that anything really happened. However, as Linda's interest in the Ouija grows, stranger things begin to take place, leading Brandon and Jim to believe that something is after her, something from the other side.

On the surface, "Witchboard" resembles a campy, cheesy horror motion picture that most would shrug off pretty quickly, but it's those qualities that keep it more enjoyable than most of the same films. It's one of those movies that you can watch and take seriously, while not taking it so seriously at the same time, somewhat like the "Friday the 13th" movies of the same period. However, the flick also has a neat little mystery quality to it, making you wonder what's really going on with this Ouija board and the spirits that the characters are supposedly connecting to. There are times when it begins to drag, particularly in the last thirty minutes or so, but the mystery and the atmosphere help things move along pretty well, leading right up to the ridiculously silly ending (featuring perhaps the worst "falling out of a window" shot I've ever seen). This could be right up your alley if you're a fan of old-school horror done well.

 

Audio/Video:

 

"Witchboard" comes to Blu-ray in a refreshing 1.85:1, 1080p High Definition transfer that makes the video look better than it ever has. Overall, you really couldn't ask for better quality for a low-budget horror film that's nearly 30 years old.

 

Bonus Features:

 

Included on the disc are the following extras:

 

- New Audio Commentary with Writer/Director Kevin Tenney and Actors Stephen Nichols, Kathleen Wilhoite, and James Quinn
- Audio Commentary with Writer/Director Kevin Tenney, Executive Producer Walter Josten, and Producer Jeff Geoffray
- Progressive Entrapment-- The Making of Witchboard
- Vintage Making of Witchboard
- Cast Interviews
- On Set with Todd Allen and Stephen Nichols
- On Set with the Makers of Witchboard
- Life on the Movie Set
- Constructing the World of Witchboard
- Outtakes
- Behind the Scenes Gallery
- Promo Gallery