(2007)
Dir - Ringan Ledwidge
Overall: MEH
A frustrating outback thriller from director Ringan Ledwidge, Gone is low on momentum, null on convincing characters, and loaded with dopey plot contrivances in place in order to keep things crawling to their unsatisfying conclusion. The film barely qualifies as "thriller" at all until the last fifteen-odd minutes when Scott Mechlowicz' calmly shady and unlikable American decides to become a raging psychopath, which presumably would have happened much sooner and with more agency. Such a finale is not only undeserved and clashing, but it makes the movie's other two characters appear like easily-duped idiots; characters who have gone alone with Mechlowicz' behavior which is more odd than charming. The problem largely lies within the premise itself as we have seen countless variations of the "new friend who clearly isn't up to any good" story before, so the viewer can guess what is to come long before the dim-witted victims can. Ledwidge is attempting drawn-out suspense here by unveiling his cards so gradually as to make the frightful jump in the closing moments seem both inevitable and surprising at the same time. Instead, the movie could have leaned into its jealousy and paranoia, pulling off a nifty psychological trick by skipping such a whimpering bit of violence to close things out, but oh wait, never mind; probably bad guy was just an actual bad guy the whole time.
(2008)
Dir - José Mojica Marins
Overall: GOOD
José Mojica Marins's blasphemous swan song Embodiment of Evil, (Encarnação do Demônio), is a diabolically absurd note to bow out on. Returning to and ending the Coffin Joe series after forty-one years, (and the first directorial full-length from Marins in twenty-one years), it is a proper sequel to This Night I'll Possess Your Corpse and sees the infamous Zé do Caixão character getting released from prison after decades and having killed an additional thirty-men while incarcerated. Naturally, he gets right back to business which is exclusively torturing people in a hell-bent quest to spread his wicked seed to any willing woman that is a third of his age who can survive his nihilistic spell. While it is at first unnatural to see a much older and thicker Marins in the Coffin Joe garb without the youthful zeal of his earlier appearances, he certainly delivers on anyone thinking he could not keep up with modern day gore and nastiness. Coming from a man who rather single-handedly championed such exploitative cinematic tactics so long ago, this in fact should not be surprising as Marins proves that "he's still got it" in the most classic sense. Ridiculous, disgusting, heinous from front to back, and in on its own ungodly charm, this is an appropriate final chapter to Brazil's most maverick voice in underground filmmaking.
(2009)
Dir - Vincenzo Natali
Overall: MEH
If Vincenzo Natali's Splice was intended to be a bold, tonally bulletproof dark comedy, than its highly baffling aspects make some sort of "sense" on paper. One of the most curious mad scientist romps in many a year, there is something persistently off throughout the entire film where so much illogical and inconsistent behavior, slapstick level goofiness, daft plot points, half-baked themes, and exclusively straight, committed performances combine together in something that is virtually impossible to make heads or tails of. It seems to be saying a lot at once about corporate bio engineering, childhood trauma, nature meddling, infidelity, offspring attachment, Freudian psychology, "man playing god" whateverness, and who knows what else. None of these concepts are properly explored though, with most being merely alluded to as a part CGI mutant/monster/human/baby/girl/man thing with a tail and wings is distracting everyone both on and off screen. Natali deserves some recognition for such an unorthodox combination of thematic and genre components and the end result certainly leaves an impression unlike what anyone could expect. Whether or not that is a bad, good, confusing, irritating, hilarious, or fascinating impression, (or a fusing of each), is definitely left to the more adventurous and forgiving of viewers to decide.
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