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OBSERVANCE (2015) is Overwhelmingly Strange

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There are a lot of films that start off with loads of buildup and ambiguity, only to lose the mystery later on in the film when everything finally gets an explanation. Usually, this explanation comes in the form of some type of monolog. Some sort of spoken epiphany or realization. They try and explain things as well as they can because, you, the viewer, can’t figure out things on your own. At least, that’s the feeling I get from many movies.

Observance does not care whether or not you understand what’s going on.

Everything about this film is soaked in mystery; it’s deep, dark, brooding, and overwhelmingly strange. This Aussie horror flick stars Lindsay Farris as Parker, a private investigator who takes on a job keeping track on a woman across the street from him while he stays in a decrepit apartment. His life at home is a wreck. His son has passed away and his wife will not speak to him. To keep up with an insurmountable level of hospital bills, he takes on this seemingly innocent job. Only, there’s something strange about this apartment. Something that is clearly beyond any human’s comprehension.

Who is this mysterious employer? What is this strange black liquid in jars around the house? What the actual Hell is going on here?

Observance is comparable to the early works of David Lynch. It’s artful; every frame seems purposeful and full of direction, though what direction it’s actually going is open to interpretation. The sound editing on this film is phenomenal – it’s wholly unnerving and tense. Every single thing about Joseph Sims-Dennett’s micro-budget film (it was shot for about $11,000) sets out to make you feel uncomfortable and upset.

It succeeds.

Scenes of a dreary ocean permeate Parker’s memory, coupled with the sound of the waves mixed with what sounds like a train roaring by. Sims-Dennett understands the impact that the film’s sonic frequencies can have on the viewer and pays careful attention to assure it’s dominance over the bleak mood. And while most of the imagery is not particularly gory, the sickly-green palette of the grimy walls help to make the viewer feel just plain dirty. You may feel the need to take a shower after the movie and wipe the filth off. That’s a compliment, I promise.

While some fans of conventional horror cinema may find the lack of explanation for the occurrences in this film a disappointment, those looking for a showcase of the bizarre will find the film a viable option to satiate their strange cravings. It’ll leave you scratching your head and wording what in the world you were just a witness to, but you’ll undoubtedly be pondering over it hours after the final frame.

Observance is now available on BluRay, DVD, and On Demand.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EBAEeBEuIKs

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Movies

‘Violent Night’ Director’s Next Project is a Shark Movie

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Sony Pictures is getting in the water with director Tommy Wirkola for his next project; a shark movie. Although no plot details have been revealed, Variety confirms that the movie will start filming in Australia this summer.

Also confirmed is that actress Phoebe Dynevor is circling the project and is in talks to star. She is probably best known for her role as Daphne in the popular Netflix soap Bridgerton.

Dead Snow (2009)

Duo Adam McKay and Kevin Messick (Don’t Look Up, Succession) will produce the new film.

Wirkola is from Norway and utilizes a lot of action in his horror films. One of his first films, Dead Snow (2009), about zombie Nazis, is a cult favorite, and his 2013 action-heavy Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters is an entertaining distraction.

Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters (2013)

But 2022’s Christmas blood fest Violent Night starring David Harbour made wider audiences familiar with Wirkola. Coupled with favorable reviews and a great CinemaScore, the film became a Yuletide hit.

Insneider first reported this new shark project.

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Why You May NOT Want To Go In Blind Before Watching ‘The Coffee Table’

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You might want to prepare yourself for some things if you plan to watch The Coffee Table now rentable on Prime. We aren’t going to go into any spoilers, but research is your best friend if you are sensitive to intense subject matter.

If you don’t believe us, maybe horror writer Stephen King might convince you. In a tweet he published on May 10, the author says, “There’s a Spanish movie called THE COFFEE TABLE on Amazon Prime and Apple+. My guess is you have never, not once in your whole life, seen a movie as black as this one. It’s horrible and also horribly funny. Think the Coen Brothers’ darkest dream.”

It is hard to talk about the film without giving anything away. Let’s just say there are certain things in horror movies that are generally off the, ahem, table and this film crosses that line in a big way.

The Coffee Table

The very ambiguous synopsis says:

“Jesus (David Pareja) and Maria (Estefanía de los Santos) are a couple going through a difficult time in their relationship. Nevertheless, they have just become parents. To shape their new life, they decide to buy a new coffee table. A decision that will change their existence.”

But there is more to it than that, and the fact that this might be the darkest of all comedies is also a little unsettling. Although it is heavy on the dramatic side too, the core issue is very taboo and might leave certain people sick and disturbed.

What’s worse is that it is an excellent movie. The acting is phenomenal and the suspense, masterclass. Compounding that it’s a Spanish film with subtitles so you have to look at your screen; it’s just evil.

The good news is The Coffee Table isn’t really that gory. Yes, there is blood, but it’s used more as just a reference than a gratuitous opportunity. Still, the mere thought of what this family has to go through is unnerving and I can guess many people will turn it off within the first half-hour.

Director Caye Casas has made a great film that might go down in history as one of the most disturbing ever made. You have been warned.

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Trailer For Shudder’s Latest ‘The Demon Disorder’ Showcases SFX

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It’s always interesting when award-winning special effects artists become directors of horror films. That is the case with The Demon Disorder coming from Steven Boyle who has done work on The Matrix movies, The Hobbit trilogy, and King Kong (2005).

The Demon Disorder is the latest Shudder acquisition as it continues adding high-quality and interesting content to its catalog. The film is the directorial debut of Boyle and he says he is happy that it will become a part of the horror streamer’s library coming fall 2024.

“We are thrilled that The Demon Disorder has reached its final resting place with our friends at Shudder,” said Boyle.  “It’s a community and fanbase that we hold in the highest esteem and we couldn’t be happier to be on this journey with them!”

Shudder echoes Boyle’s thoughts about the film, emphasizing his skill.

“After years of a creating a range of elaborate visual experiences through his work as a special effects designer on iconic films, we’re thrilled to give Steven Boyle a platform for his feature length directorial debut with The Demon Disorder,” said Samuel Zimmerman, Head of Programming for Shudder.  “Full of impressive body horror that fans have come to expect from this master of effects, Boyle’s film is an engrossing story about breaking generational curses that viewers will find both unsettling and amusing.”

The movie is being described as an “Australian family drama” that centers on, “Graham, a man haunted by his past since the death of his father and the estrangement from his two brothers. Jake, the middle brother, contacts Graham claiming that something is horribly wrong: their youngest brother Phillip is possessed by their deceased father. Graham reluctantly agrees to go and see for himself. With the three brothers back together, they soon realize they are unprepared for the forces against them and learn that the sins of their past will not stay hidden. But how do you defeat a presence that knows you inside and out? An anger so powerful it refuses to stay dead?”

The movie stars, John Noble (The Lord of the Rings), Charles CottierChristian Willis, and Dirk Hunter.

Take a look at the trailer below and let us know what you think. The Demon Disorder will begin streaming on Shudder this fall.

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