I saw Joshua Kennedy's Saturnalia...

Joshua (Cowgirls and Pterodactyls) Kennedy, aka the Man of the Arts, strikes again with another satisfying whippersnapper for Gooey Films' cinematic universe: Saturnalia! 

The premise deals with an aspiring, young comic-book artist who hopes to flee his pizza-delivery job through the strength of his buxom creation, Saturnalia, a crusading, laser-eye-beaming, extraterrestrial cavegirl. Thanks to a fortuitous, scientific slip of luck, Saturnalia springs to audacious, three-dimensional life and proceeds to help the downtrodden artist through his ho-hum existence and a Medusa-inspired, serial-killer plot.  

Dani (Cute Little Buggers) Thompson plays the conjured beauty. She's not only striking physically, but projects the perfect, amiable nuances to make sweet Saturnalia a credible heroine, especially when her cool, Reber Clark-composed theme song commences. All of this adds much to the comedic scenarios, which are often as sentimental as they are uproarious. (For the record, Thompson also portrays Saturnalia's fiendish twin, Ilsa, a scene-stealing villainess on all devilish counts.)

As should come as no surprise, Kennedy, as the stumbling/fumbling Melvin Kolbaba, delivers another enjoyable performance, giving his character an identifiable buoyancy that captures the most endearing traits of Don Knotts and Dean Jones. I always thought Kennedy possessed an ideal '60s sitcom charm, and in Saturnalia, he seals the deal with some of his best golly-gee antics to date. 

In a time when most entertainment is downright heavy-handed, it's refreshing to find a product with such a sincere, carefree (Weird Science-meets-Splash) flow. In fact, Saturnalia is so much darn fun, I hope Kennedy considers a sequel. Heck, it would be even better if he and Thompson turned this fun-loving idea into a veritable franchise!

Keep checking Bizarrechats for details on Saturnalia's official, Blu-ray release. This is definitely a must-have for every imagi-movie buff's library. 

I saw Joshua Kennedy's House of the Gorgon...

There are Hollywood directors who aspire to recapture a distinct, old-school flavor in their endeavors, but somehow fall short in the process: perhaps because as much as they wish to recapture the past, their egos dare to redefine it. 

With Joshua Kennedy, there is no such threat, for the humble but commanding writer/director/producer continues to hit the mark with each homage he spins. 

Kennedy's latest accomplishment is another tribute to Hammer's "The Gorgon" (his favorite film), entitled "House of the Gorgon". The filmmaker's first "Gorgon" homage was "The Night of Medusa" (see May '16 post); prior to such, he dispatched the succulent, Hammer salute, "Dracula: A.D. 2015" (see Oct '15 post). "House of the Gorgon" tells the terrifying, turn-to-stone tale of a young woman haunted by sinister, spectral sisters with a legendary link, thanks to her spouse's supernatural abetting.

Even beyond its bewitching premise, "House of the Gorgon" is notable for including such Hammer headliners as Christopher Neame, as Father Llewellyn; Caroline Munro, as Baroness Bartov; Martine Bestwick, as Euryale; and Veronica Carlson, as Anna Banning. That these attractive, talented stars have been teamed so many years after Hammer's heyday is astounding in its own right. To see them again at the top of their game (never once missing a beat) is a full-fledged, historic treat. 

Accompanying the veteran ensemble is Georgina Dugdale, as Isobel Banning and Jamie Trevino, as Christine, with Kennedy as demented Dr. Julian Pritchard; Gus Kennedy as brassy Bailey; Tom Pearson as haughty Hans; and Marco Munoz as kindhearted Karl (along with a nifty cameo by famed Femforce writer, Mark Holmes). For the Kennedys and Munoz, this marks a "Theseus and the Minotaur" reunion, which Gooey Film followers will appreciate.

"House of the Gorgon" also benefits from Kennedy's inspired direction, which flows in the sumptuous style of Terence Fisher. The skillful execution ensures that the story stays doleful, eerie and refined, as any proper Hammer salute should.  

To supplement the latter, "House of the Gorgon" features awesome, period-piece art direction by Lauro S. Hinojoso; fantastic, Freddy Francis-tailored cinematography by Martin Torres; luscious lighting by Rosa Cano; and a brooding, Bernard-esque score by Reber Clark. These important additives prove cozy yet edgy, keeping the film's aesthetic and emotional aspects high, no matter what the scene. (For all intents and purposes, "House of the Gorgon" looks as though it was made in the late '60s/early '70s: precisely the point. The result may, in fact, be Kennedy's most polished production to date.)

By the time the credits roll, one will have found "House of the Gorgon" a glorious, gorgeous love letter to Hammer's filmmakers and their faithful fans.

Though other films in release this year may draw more hype, "House of the Gorgon" is the one to see: the one that proves beyond any doubt that classic, Gothic, movie-making still holds a precious place in cinema's expressive heart. 

I saw the Vesuvius Xperiment...

Joshua Kennedy (see "I saw Dracula AD 2015": Oct '15) has succeeded again, this time with a moody, black-and-white tribute to the science-gone-awry genre in Gooey Film Productions' "The Vesuvius Xperiment". 

Written, directed and produced by Kennedy, "Vesuvius" makes use of plot devices from such Hammer classics as "The Quatermass Xperiment"; "Quatermass 2"; "Curse/Revenge of Frankenstein"; and "Frankenstein and the Monster from Hell". The film also offers generous doses of "The Alligator People"; "First Man Into Space"; the original "Fly" series and the"Outer Limits" classic, "Architects of Fear".

Kennedy stars as Dr. Vesuvius, a cold, calculating genius with traces of Peter Cushing's Baron Frankenstein under his skin. He has resurrected former astronaut/cancer patient Richard Delambre (portrayed by the sympathetic Giancarlo Caccamo, whose character's surname will surely buzz among "Fly" fans). Vesuvius assures Delambre's wife, Nancy (the sensitive Tomi Heady) that her husband's despondence is but a fleeting consequence of an injection, but of course, there's a catch. 

Vesuvius has implanted a crustacean component into the poor man, which gradually transforms him into a human/crab hybrid. Vesuvius' intent isn't spurred solely by sadistic whim, for he believes Earth’s geomorphic shifts require a new breed of human, and Delambre is its prototype. However, Delambre isn't content to wait around Vesuvius' sanitarium for his transformation to hit fruition and escapes into New York City, killing those he crosses. 

Vesuvius reveals his experiment to the police, in hopes that the crab-man will be seized. However, Delambre still grasps enough of his human faculties to evade capture and along his trek, returns to his bewildered wife.

In homage to "Fly '58", Nancy learns the truth of her husband's condition through the typed notes he slips under a door. Their interaction is tense, poignant and perhaps more than any other sequence, symbolizes the tale's tragic core.

Kennedy, a fine actor who swings seamlessly between tongue-in-cheek and stark seriousness, is excellent as the lazy-eyed Vesuvius: a role that Brian Donlevy; J. Caroll Naish; or Vincent Price may have otherwise occupied.

The rest of the primary cast is (as with any Gooey Film Production) top-notch, with Cody Alvord; Jonathan Danzinger; Nick McNeil; Brianna Gentiella; Cormac Hoffman; Bridget Johnson; Michael Rosenfeld; and Carmen Vienhage, each giving convincing performances. Jeremy Kreuzer, who portrays "Dracula '15'"s resident "Renfield", offers comic relief as an East European photographer, and pigeon-pal Traci Thomas is memorable in an unsettling Central Park interlude.

"Vesuvius" rekindles an effective, old-fashioned style that's missing from most current horror flicks. Its interior and exterior shots (a portion of the latter captured during a snow storm) are equally atmospheric. Also, those moments depicting Delambre's approach via a shadowed claw are reminiscent of F.W. Murnau and Orson Welles.

Once again, I must tip my hat to Kennedy and crew for getting it right. They've constructed a well crafted reminder of how science, despite its ambitions to advance humankind, can often devolve it into blood-curdling disaster.

(BTW: "Vesuvius" is available through Alpha New Cinema/oldies.com and includes insightful commentary by Kennedy, plus hilarious bloopers. The disc also contains Ryan Lengyel's stop-motion, battling-monsters short, "The Beast from 20 Zillion Years Ago": a fun segment worth viewing before or after the main feature.)