MORE LILITH, MORE MONDO CREEPY (FEATURING BLOODSUCKA JONES 2)

The ultimate, curvaceous specter, Lilith Von Bloodworth, returns to haunt a spankin' new Mondo Creepy!

The latest episode (conjured from Lilith's cozy, VHS hub) contains a super-charged, hip sequel: writer/director Justin Armao's Bloodsucka Jones vs. The Creeping Death. And as far as follow-ups go, this is one of those sweet rarities that actually exceeds the trailblazing hijinks of the first. 

For the second chapter, our '70s-styled hero, played by the suave Preston Gant, is joined by his irreverent but resilient entourage (played by Matt Kelley, Brian Girard, Jessica Derks, Erin Holt, William Cutting and Mr. Armao) to combat a zombie army (i.e. the Creeping Death). Jones' smokin' sidekick, Vanessa (Maria Canapino), swings into action, as well, lending a welcome serving of athletic cheesecake to the far-out proceedings. (BTW: My friend, Kelly Kitko, aka Erin Kelly Decker, the tempestuous witch of Ansel Faraj's Loon Lake, cameos in an agile, snowball sequence. Dig it!) 

To bridge the movie's energetic giddiness, Ms. Bloodworth's wit again strikes a super-keen verve, adding a great, comely punch to the main feature's groovy shenanigans.

As guided by the ethereal Lady Lilith, Mondo Creepy's popularity keeps growing. This latest episode is but another cultist case in point. 

Engage our ghostly host's spirited presentation at

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4EY5asYJxLI

An Alternate Reality/Time Travel Time: I saw Todd Tarantula...

Todd Tarantula is a slice of psychedelic, L.A. noir, stitched together with time-tripping, Faustian threads. It's writer/director Ansel (Loon Lake/The Mabuse Trilogy) Faraj's latest, avant-garde creation from Hollinsworth Productions. Though it carries the omniverse traits of the filmmaker's prior endeavors, it's unlike anything in his quality queue. 

One could argue that Todd Tarantula is Lisa and the Devil and Angel Heart meets Timerider and Bicycle Thieves, with ample Twilight Zone and Outer Limits to spare. It's an enigma that presents a modern pact that clutches the past, swirled with occult tones and premonitions; but most of all, it's the tale of a lost, hallucination-prone, young man, trying to find himself through the substantial (and sometimes dangerous) situations that comprise his life. 

The fable commences with Todd, portrayed by amiable newcomer, Ethan Walker, discovering a bloody corpse in a parking complex. The corpse then vanishes, along with Todd's trusty motorbike, but a mysterious man in white soon surfaces, offering Todd indirect information on the circumstance's causes and effects. 

The man is played by David (Dark Shadows) Selby, and the glib gent so happens to be named Lucifer...Lucifer Grey, that is, which more than hints at the devilish shape of things to come...perhaps. 

In truth, it's hard to categorize Todd Tarantula. That's what makes the movie so special. As Todd wanders through dimensions (skidding through his memories. as well as veritable, historic passages), he's granted the chance to fix that which has gone awry. Through his journeys, he faces matters of morality, and the lessons he learns hold meaning, teaching as they tease.

Todd Tarantula is also a visual tour de force, with Faraj's sequences emblazoned by a lurid palette that rivals Creepshow '82 and Invaders From Mars '53. Its parts (accompanied by Tai Vare's cool, kinetic score) stream like high-tech animation, but never to the degree of stampeding the film's emotional depth, and that essential element extends beyond  Walker and Selby's charisma. (Incidentally, Mr. Selby won the Hollywood Reel Independent Award for best supporting actor for his Lucifer portrayal.) 

Viewers are treated to such interesting co-characters as Douglas M. Eames' Wallander Tarantula, Todd's enigmatic, entrepreneur dad; Nathan Wilson's unrefined but affable Barracuda; Brittany Hoza's fortune-telling Andromeda Stone; Emma West's telephone-projected servant, Jabez; and Kelly Kitko's eloquent and prepossessing Lady Salome, who bestows Todd a mystical knife and communicates with her husband's skull, when he's not depicted in flashback by the dashing Fernando Alvarez. 

There's no question that Todd Tarantula mirrors Faraj's Mabuse homages, if only in its cerebral context, but it's not as linear in its expressionistic approach as the mad-doctor trilogy, darting across genre styles: mystery, science fiction and fantasy via intersecting eccentrics and their reality-challenging vantages. None of it should blend, but Faraj defies the odds and by golly, succeeds. 

For certain, Todd Tarantula isn't a run-of-the-mill experience. It pushes and pulls at the senses, proving troubling and uplifting at the same time. For those who enjoy experimental sojourns, this one is worth the indulgence. But don't be surprised if, after a thought-provoking taste, the urge to revisit strikes. As such, this ambitious effort implores sequelization. I do hope that Faraj and his capable troupe consider that option. Though Todd Tarantula works as a satisfying stand-alone, its potential to open (and expand) the mind holds many paths in wait. 

(Todd Tarantula can be experienced at https://vimeo.com/ondemand/toddtarantula and https://tubitv.com/movies/100000932/todd-tarantula?fbclid=IwAR0jlsmB9RbE-Ez2OvKopErOiP4VBLmdY5C8DVI0_UN-otmJLy_OpFXMiBs.)

I saw the Dinner Party...

I love discovering indie films that surpass the quality of their garish counterparts. A grand case in point is "The Dinner Party", directed by Marco Capalbo and written by Eric Gorlow. It may not sound edgy (and other productions do sport the same name), but its unpretentious title fits it to an unnerving, ironic tee. 

The film stars Kelly Decker, aka Kelly Kitko of "Loon Lake" fame, who produced it with Capalbo and Gorlow. As in "Loon Lake", Decker displays a range of convincing reactions, in this instance playing Sima, a woman who prepares a home-dinner date for a poet named Jack (Nick Holmes).  Per her opening narration, Sima is obsessed with Jack and yearns for a richer relationship with him: something that will set her further apart from the banality of everyday life, something that will perhaps make her life perfect. 

Her plans are derailed when her brother, Calvin (Gorlow) and his girlfriend, Bridget (Erica Rhodes) show up unannounced before Jack's arrival. It's obvious that Sima and Calvin harbor a strained relationship. Though she insists that the couple leave, Jack soon appears and out of politeness suggests the two remain. What then ensues is a mixing and clashing of personalities, in which Sima's obsession with Jack takes an alarming turn. 

The disintegration of Sima's mental state makes "Dinner Party" identifiable to anyone who's lost an impassioned opportunity by cruel circumstance. In this lies the film's brilliance, for it expertly transforms a common mishap (what appears to be at most and worst an uneasy gathering) into a calamity of no return. 

Decker's performance ignites the emotional action. She's sexy, vulnerable and intense, injecting Capalbo/Gorlow's concept with all the subtle oddness that it requires. And once her ulterior intent (her spice of insanity) is exposed, Decker cements Sima's fate with a sublime deftness that most actresses can only dream of achieving. 

Gorlow is great, too, as her self-indulgent brother, rendering a character who at one moment makes us snicker and the next sparks our rage. Holmes is equally effective as the level-headed Jack, who establishes enough erudite affability to make us fear for his welfare. Rhodes' Bridget buffers her companions with just the right, perky doubt to build a convincing air of worry: a character who might have been dismissed as mere ornamentation, but instead projects empathetic credibility. 

"Dinner Party" also grafts elements of "Psycho", "Rope", "Kissed", "May" and "Fatal Attraction" to its credit. Its common-day "horror" is strengthened by Capalbo's grim angles and sinister score, as well as Paul Fenkart's cozy but melancholic photography. The culmination works. Like fine wine, I've no doubt that "Dinner Party" will age well, attracting enough fans to become a cult classic. 

For those interested, "Dinner Party" is now available for purchase or rental via Amazon Prime. Trust me, it's well worth the psychological time and investment. 

I saw Loon Lake...

I recently had the immense pleasure of discovering a wonderful, atmospheric chiller entitled, "Loon Lake". 

Directed by Ansel Faraj, who co-wrote with Nathan Wilson, "Loon Lake" brings to mind ghostly, puritanical cinema of the past, combining elements of "Let's Scare Jessica to Death"; "Witchfinder General"; "Mark of the Devil"; "Blood on Satan's Claw"; and "Night of Dark Shadows", but with a pronounced, character-study slant.

The story concerns Louis Olson, portrayed by the aforementioned Wilson, who heads to Minnesota for some peace and quiet, though more so to cope with his wife (Sierra Schermerhorn)'s death.

In wandering the vicinity of Loon Lake, Louis discovers a disturbing history (based, I might add, on a genuine legend), where a young woman named Mary Jane Terlinden, played by Kelly Kitko (who's also one of the film's producers) was beheaded in 1880, due to her child-of-nature (witchy) ways. In truth, her murder was prompted by the lust-ridden Pastor Owen Janson, portrayed by "Dark Shadows'" David Selby.

Selby also plays Janson's descendant, Emery, a kind man who does his best to thwart Louis' suspicion that he has stirred Mary Jane's specter by crossing her grave three times.

Through his ordeal, Louis has visions of his blood-soaked wife, while befriending a young woman named Gracie (Brittany Benjamin). Though affection mounts between the two, Louis' fears interfere, leading to a surreal and unsettling climax. 

On the surface, "Loon Lake" may strike one as a traditional ghost story, but it's so much more, intertwining concepts of acceptance and prejudice, faith and doubt, cowardice and courage. 

These concepts work due the film's cogent direction and script, Christopher Lange's lush photography, Bill Wandel's moving score, and the across-the-board, quality performances, with Wilson granting an identifiable guise, which separates this entry from those run-of-the-mill, over-the-top horror films. Kitko's performance is also remarkable: a powerful mix of pathos and mystical sensuality. (It's hard to pull one's eyes off her; she's truly that magnetic.)

Selby is also in top form, giving two of the best performances of his career, and that's saying a lot, considering his impeccable queue. Kathryn Leigh Scott, also of "Dark Shadows" fame, cameos as the Pastor's wife, giving one of the flashback segments a sentimental yet intense ambiance.

It's rare that I have an immediate hankering to revisit a film after viewing it, but "Loon Lake" is so well executed, so meticulously constructed in its subtle approach, that I'll be plunging in again this evening. 

"Loon Lake" is available through Amazon Prime. I urge my readers to check it out. I promise, you will not be disappointed.