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Fantasia 2019: ‘Dachra’ is an Atmospheric, Impressive First [REVIEW]

Published

5 years ago

July 31, 2019

As the first horror film out of Tunisia, Dachra is a promising start. Abdelhamid Bouchnak’s directorial debut is an atmospheric turn of the screw, where each new step brings our protagonists deeper into the dark woods of danger.

The film follows a group of three students who — for a class project — set off to investigate a crazed woman and supposed witch, rumored to have come from a remote village under mysterious circumstances. In search of answers, they stumble upon a village with dark secrets that threatens both their project and their lives.

Though the story is bewitching, the plot is a bit scattered. But, it leaves a trail of breadcrumbs that help track the film’s path on a second viewing. The pacing stumbles in the second act, but a rousing finale helps to re-route the focus and move forward.

via Fantasia Fest

While the students film the entire process, Dachra is far from found footage. It’s beautifully shot and carefully choreographed.

The cinematography (by Hatem Nechi) is absolutely stunning. The camera pushes in for intimate, intense moments, moving delicately to absorb every inch of emotion. Other shots are held at a distance, freezing the audience with chilling imagery drowned in stillness. As an impressive start to the film, the opening is shot in a single take, dragging the audience through the dark and grisly scene.

Lighting is skillfully manipulated to build tension and emphasize tone. There are moments when a single light source is used to backlight a scene, throwing a horrific emphasis on the subject. Lights move and flicker, with a healthy balance of both warm and cool hues to affect the mood and energy of each moment.

Our three main characters — Yassmine (Yassmine Dimassi), Walid (Aziz Jbali), and Bilel (Bilel Slatnia) — bicker constantly, picking at each other in a way that speaks more to squabbling siblings than best friends.

For all their quarreling, it’s satisfying to see a female main character interact so candidly without being someone’s love interest. Yassmine holds her own against Walid and Bilel; her tongue is barbed with frustration and she often has final say over the decisions of the group. She is strong and capable, but she’s not impenetrable; she falls under the pressure and terror of the nightmare she finds herself in. She’s incredibly human, and is by far the most fleshed-out character between the three.

via Fantasia Fest

Dachra — as a whole — is incredibly atmospheric. It builds a world of blood and grime that feels ancient in its permanence. It’s moody and dismal and overall very effective at creating an uncomfortable environment.

As the first Tunisian horror film — and one of the few horror films in Arabic cinema at large — Dachra tackles a generational conflict that Tunisia is currently facing, while also meditating on brutal practices of witchcraft that still take place in parts of North Africa.

It has a lot of ground to cover. While those themes may be lost on those without knowledge of North African witchcraft practices or the political climate in Tunisia, it’s still an entertaining, well made horror film with a thrilling conclusion, that has made history as Tunisia’s first.

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Netflix Releases First BTS ‘Fear Street: Prom Queen’ Footage

Published

4 hours ago

April 30, 2024

Timothy Rawles

It’s been three long years since Netflix unleashed the bloody, but enjoyable Fear Street on its platform. Released in a tryptic fashion, the streamer broke up the story into three episodes, each taking place in a different decade which by the finale were all tied together.

Now, the streamer is in production for its sequel Fear Street: Prom Queen which brings the story into the 80s. Netflix gives a synopsis of what to expect from Prom Queen on their blog site Tudum:

“Welcome back to Shadyside. In this next installment of the blood-soaked Fear Street franchise, prom season at Shadyside High is underway and the school’s wolfpack of It Girls is busy with its usual sweet and vicious campaigns for the crown. But when a gutsy outsider is unexpectedly nominated to the court, and the other girls start mysteriously disappearing, the class of ’88 is suddenly in for one hell of a prom night.”

Based on R.L. Stine’s massive series of Fear Street novels and spin-offs, this chapter is number 15 in the series and was published in 1992.

FEAR STREET: PROM QUEEN IS NOW IN PRODUCTION 🩸 Welcome to Shadyside High. We're gonna have a killer time. pic.twitter.com/jDl0zRa2CH
— Netflix (@netflix) April 30, 2024

Fear Street: Prom Queen features a killer ensemble cast, including India Fowler (The Nevers, Insomnia), Suzanna Son (Red Rocket, The Idol), Fina Strazza (Paper Girls, Above the Shadows), David Iacono (The Summer I Turned Pretty, Cinnamon), Ella Rubin (The Idea of You), Chris Klein (Sweet Magnolias, American Pie), Lili Taylor (Outer Range, Manhunt) and Katherine Waterston (The End We Start From, Perry Mason).

No word on when Netflix will drop the series into its catalog.

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Live Action Scooby-Doo Reboot Series In Works at Netflix

Published

5 hours ago

April 30, 2024

Timothy Rawles

The ghosthunting Great Dane with an anxiety problem, Scooby-Doo, is getting a reboot and Netflix is picking up the tab. Variety is reporting that the iconic show is becoming an hour-long series for the streamer although no details have been confirmed. In fact, Netflix execs declined to comment.

If the project is a go, this would be the first live-action movie based on the Hanna-Barbera cartoon since 2018’s Daphne & Velma. Before that, there were two theatrical live-action movies, Scooby-Doo (2002) and Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed (2004), then two sequels that premiered on The Cartoon Network.

Currently, the adult-oriented Velma is streaming on Max.

Scooby-Doo originated in 1969 under the creative team Hanna-Barbera. The cartoon follows a group of teenagers who investigate supernatural happenings. Known as Mystery Inc., the crew consists of Fred Jones, Daphne Blake, Velma Dinkley, and Shaggy Rogers, and his best friend, a talking dog named Scooby-Doo.

Normally the episodes revealed the hauntings they encountered were hoaxes developed by land-owners or other nefarious characters hoping to scare people away from their properties. The original TV series named Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! ran from 1969 to 1986. It was so successful that movie stars and pop culture icons would make guest appearances as themselves in the series.

Celebrities such as Sonny & Cher, KISS, Don Knotts, and The Harlem Globetrotters made cameos as did Vincent Price who portrayed Vincent Van Ghoul in a few episodes.

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BET Releasing New Original Thriller: The Deadly Getaway

Published

6 hours ago

April 30, 2024

Cameron McFarland

BET will soon be offering horror fans a rare treat. The studio has announced the official release date for their new original thriller, The Deadly Getaway. Directed by Charles Long (The Trophy Wife), this thriller sets up a heart racing game of cat and mouse for audiences to sink their teeth into.

Wanting to break up the monotony of their routine, Hope and Jacob set off to spend their vacation at a simple cabin in the woods. However, things go sideways when Hope’s ex-boyfriend shows up with a new girl at the same campsite. Things soon spiral out of control. Hope and Jacob must now work together to escape the woods with their lives.

The Deadly Getaway is written by Eric Dickens (Makeup X Breakup) and Chad Quinn (Reflections of US). The Film stars, Yandy Smith-Harris (Two Days in Harlem), Jason Weaver (The Jacksons: An American Dream), and Jeff Logan (My Valentine Wedding).

Showrunner Tressa Azarel Smallwood had the following to say about the project. “The Deadly Getaway is the perfect reintroduction to classic thrillers, which encompass dramatic twists, and spine-chilling moments. It showcases the range and diversity of emerging Black writers across genres of film and television.”

The Deadly Getaway will premiere on 5.9.2024, exclusively ion BET+.