The Story: A blind Vietnam veteran learns that a werewolf is
stalking his retirement community.
Expectations: Werewolf movies are tough. When they’re good (AN AMERICAN WEREWOLF IN LONDON, THE
HOWLING, GINGER SNAPS), they’re really good. But, let’s be honest, that doesn’t happen often. Werewolf movies are generally pretty
goofy. But some of the reputable
horror websites claimed that this was the best werewolf movie since DOG SOLDIERS
(2002). And the lead actor
is Nick Damici, the writer/star of STAKE LAND, which is the best vampire movie
I’ve seen in a long time. Also, LATE
PHASES is directed by Adrian Garcia Bogliano, whose previous film HERE COMES THE DEVIL was at the very least thought-provoking. So….
Reaction: It's a Charles Bronson werewolf movie! Or, at least, as close as we'll ever get to a Charles Bronson werewolf movie. (Well, there's always THE WHITE BUFFALO... but I digress....) Damici plays Ambrose
McKinley, a tough, laconic soldier who just happens to be the exception
to the rule in his new community.
“People don’t come here to live,” he says, reflecting on the little
village of retirees. “They’ve come
here to die.” And most of his neighbors are dying in inexplicable “animal attacks.” Nobody seems much worried about the victims—after all, they were on
borrowed time —but when the local werewolf kills Ambrose’s dog, he
bites off more than he can chew.
I’m probably making the film sound
like a comedy, but it has a surprising amount of
dramatic gravitas thanks to the subtle performances of an impressive
cast of character actors, including Tom Noonan (as the local priest), Lance
Guest (as a devoted church layman), and Ethan Embry (as Ambrose’s son). For my money, a simple dialogue scene
between Damici and Noonan is the best scene in the film, simply because of the
way these two movie veterans deliver their lines. When was the last time you saw a horror movie where the exposition was especially compelling?
I’m happy to report that when the
werewolf finally gets some screen time, the effects are practical rather than
digital. I’m not so happy to
report that the practical effects look pretty stupid. Oh well. This
is a good character study, with some smart and snappy dialogue. It’s worth watching.
Most Nightmare-Worthy Moment: That Damici / Noonan dialogue scene
hints at a hidden monster we never see.
I can’t help wondering if the film would have benefited from a slightly
darker characterization of Ambrose McKinley... or if that would have taken all
the fun out of it....
Not much to say on this other than it was a damn fine movie. I loved that they used practical effects but yea they weren't great, maybe they should have held back from showing them in full left it more in the darkness.
ReplyDelete100% agree. They obviously wanted their werewolf to look unique. But no. Just no.
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