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DVD Release Review: ‘Proxy’

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A few times a month, I like to take a “movie nerd” risk, and buy an indie film DVD release, without actually watching it prior to buying it.  A few weeks ago, I took the plunge the again, and purchased ‘Proxy’, a Zack Parker film released by IFC Midnight, Along the Tracks, and FSC Productions.

‘Proxy’ features a story about a very pregnant Esther Woodhouse (Alexia Rasmussen), who while walking home from her last doctor’s appointment, is brutally assaulted and disfigured in an alley way by a hooded assailant.  Esther is persuaded by a hospital social worker to attend a support group for grieving parents.

At the support group, she meets Melanie Michaels (Alexa Havins), who claims her son and husband (Joe Swanberg) were killed by a drunk driver.  Esther and Melanie form a close bond, but soon it becomes clear that both are harboring much darker secrets than they initially let on.

When Esther discovers a dark secret about Melanie, another shocking act of violence is committed, and they find that recovery may be impossible, or unnecessary.

‘Proxy’ might be best known for it’s initial opening sequence.  Critics at the Toronto International Film Festival noted feeling uncomfortable by the assault scene, and they were not alone.  The opening scene features the death of Esther’s unborn child, and if you can get past that scene, you will be pleasantly surprised by this IFC piece.

‘Proxy’ does so many things right.  The first thing a viewer notices, is the seemingly uncomfortable silence that most of the scenes feature.  Most of the scenes, especially action scenes, have little to no dialogue. Instead, they are highlighted by creepy, almost cathedral music, that sounds like a throwbrack to Bernard Hermann’s Alfred Hitchcock scores.  The music does wonders for the tense and demented feel of the movie.

The simple dialogue and complex soundtrack is not the only thing ‘Proxy’ does right.  Alexia Rasmussen creates a perfect Esther.  Esther is mousy, quiet, plain, and has little observable presence.  Throughout the whole movie, you can tell Esther is not quite “all there”.  You feel uneasy in her presence, as if you can tell she might be unstable.   Melanie Michaels, played by Alexa Havins, is the polar opposite of Esther.  She’s outgoing, outspoken, somehow vacantly caring, and has a big presence.  However, like Esther, her stories and personal life reveals also have an uneasy undertone.  ‘Proxy’ has a wonderful character development, with every actor playing their part to perfection.  The subconscious emotions the viewer feels is a direct result of the actors.

The movie is gory, unnerving, and seems to have no moral conscience, much like the characters.  The scenes seem to drag on, with the intention of building an unstable mental state.  The movie does a tremendous job of building your expectations, and satisfying them with a crazy twist.  I found myself thinking ‘Proxy’ was seemingly a throwback to the movies of Hitchcock, Kubrick, and even Lars von Trier.

The first half of the movie indeed feels like a peak inside the lives of mad women.  However, after the initial plot twist, the movie takes on a different pace.  I found the second half of the movie seemed to drag, and almost bore, when compared to the first half.  Although you get a clearer vision of the lives of the main characters, the second half of the movie has less to talk about.  There is still a level of unease, and even suspense, but on a much lower level.

Towards the end of the movie, the plot putters out into one last shock.  Most of the movie, you’re unable to tell what’s real and what is not, even down to the last scene.  I would highly recommend ‘Proxy’ to the horror fans who like intelligent thrillers.  If you like a psychological twist to your entertainment, ‘Proxy’ is for you.

I’ll leave you, the reader, with the line that haunted me for the rest of the night after viewing ‘Proxy’….”We could always have another one.”

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Brad Dourif Says He’s Retiring Except For One Important Role

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Brad Dourif has been doing movies for nearly 50 years. Now it seems he is walking away from the industry at 74 to enjoy his golden years. Except, there is a caveat.

Recently, digital entertainment publication JoBlo’s Tyler Nichols talked to some of the Chucky television series cast members. During the interview, Dourif made an announcement.

“Dourif said that he’s retired from acting,” says Nichols. “The only reason he came back for the show was because of his daughter Fiona and he considers Chucky creator Don Mancini to be family. But for non-Chucky stuff, he considers himself retired.”

Dourif has voiced the possessed doll since 1988 (minus the 2019 reboot). The original movie “Child’s Play” has become such a cult classic it’s at the top of some people’s best chillers of all time. Chucky himself is ingrained in pop culture history much like Frankenstein or Jason Voorhees.

While Dourif may be known for his famous voiceover, he is also an Oscar-nominated actor for his part in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. Another famous horror role is The Gemini Killer in William Peter Blatty’s Exorcist III. And who can forget Betazoid Lon Suder in Star Trek: Voyager?

The good news is that Don Mancini is already pitching a concept for season four of Chucky which might also include a feature-length movie with a series tie-in. So, Although Dourif says he is retiring from the industry, ironically he is Chucky’s friend till the end.

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Editorial

7 Great ‘Scream’ Fan Films & Shorts Worth a Watch

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The Scream franchise is such an iconic series, that many budding filmmakers take inspiration from it and make their own sequels or, at least, build upon the original universe created by screenwriter Kevin Williamson. YouTube is the perfect medium to showcase these talents (and budgets) with fan-made homages with their own personal twists.

The great thing about Ghostface is that he can appear anywhere, in any town, he just needs the signature mask, knife, and unhinged motive. Thanks to Fair Use laws it’s possible to expand upon Wes Craven’s creation by simply getting a group of young adults together and killing them off one by one. Oh, and don’t forget the twist. You’ll notice that Roger Jackson’s famous Ghostface voice is uncanny valley, but you get the gist.

We have gathered five fan films/shorts related to Scream that we thought were pretty good. Although they can’t possibly match the beats of a $33 million blockbuster, they get by on what they have. But who needs money? If you’re talented and motivated anything is possible as proven by these filmmakers who are well on their way to the big leagues.

Take a look at the below films and let us know what you think. And while you’re at it, leave these young filmmakers a thumbs up, or leave them a comment to encourage them to create more films. Besides, where else are you going to see Ghostface vs. a Katana all set to a hip-hop soundtrack?

Scream Live (2023)

Scream Live

Ghostface (2021)

Ghostface

Ghost Face (2023)

Ghost Face

Don’t Scream (2022)

Don’t Scream

Scream: A Fan Film (2023)

Scream: A Fan Film

The Scream (2023)

The Scream

A Scream Fan Film (2023)

A Scream Fan Film
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Another Creepy Spider Movie Hits Shudder This Month

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Good spider films are a theme this year. First, we had Sting and then there was Infested. The former is still in theaters and the latter is coming to Shudder starting April 26.

Infested has been getting some good reviews. People are saying that it’s not only a great creature feature but also a social commentary on racism in France.

According to IMDb: Writer/director Sébastien Vanicek was looking for ideas around the discrimination faced by black and Arab-looking people in France, and that led him to spiders, which are rarely welcome in homes; whenever they’re spotted, they’re swatted. As everyone in the story (people and spiders) is treated like vermin by society, the title came to him naturally.

Shudder has become the gold standard for streaming horror content. Since 2016, the service has been offering fans an expansive library of genre movies. in 2017, they began to stream exclusive content.

Since then Shudder has become a powerhouse in the film festival circuit, buying distribution rights to movies, or just producing some of their own. Just like Netflix, they give a film a short theatrical run before adding it to their library exclusively for subscribers.

Late Night With the Devil is a great example. It was released theatrically on March 22 and will begin streaming on the platform starting April 19.

While not getting the same buzz as Late Night, Infested is a festival favorite and many have said if you suffer from arachnophobia, you might want to take heed before watching it.

Infested

According to the synopsis, our main character, Kalib is turning 30 and dealing with some family issues. “He’s fighting with his sister over an inheritance and has cut ties with his best friend. Fascinated by exotic animals, he finds a venomous spider in a shop and brings it back to his apartment. It only takes a moment for the spider to escape and reproduce, turning the whole building into a dreadful web trap. The only option for Kaleb and his friends is to find a way out and survive.”

The film will be available to watch on Shudder starting April 26.

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