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Late to the Party: ‘Lake Mungo’ (2008)

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This week we’re getting down to some seriously spooky business. We will be examining the Australian horror mystery Lake Mungo by writer/director Joel Anderson, which was part of the After Dark Horrorfest 4 roster. Movies included in the festival were also referred to as “8 Films to Die For.”

Late to the Party features a lot of well-known classics, but I’m going to assume this film has flown under the radar for many of you like it did for me. If you’d like to avoid spoilers, then I highly recommend checking it out first, and coming back to hear my thoughts on it. If you’re into minimalist, slow-paced horror like The Blair Witch Project and The Blackwell Ghost, then Lake Mungo could be your cup of creepy tea.

To my surprise, Lake Mungo turned out to be a faux documentary, complete with interviews, allegedly paranormal raw footage, and hypnotic, unsettling B-roll of the Palmer house. The documentary is about a 15-year-old girl named Alice Palmer who tragically drowns at a dam in Ararat, Australia during a day trip with her mother (June), father (Russell), and brother (Mathew).

Shortly after her death, Alice’s grieving family claims they began to experience strange, supernatural events around their home. Further investigation into Alice’s death begins to unearth many shocking revelations, turning what seemed to be a simple tragic accident into more than meets the eye.

What follows is a paranormal mystery with many twists, turns, and a story that has much more going on beneath the surface. On paper, this film sounds like your typical supernatural horror premise. A family coping with their daughter’s untimely death. Creepy spirit photography. A séance conducted by a sympathetic psychic. A scandalous conspiracy. But don’t let that fool you…

Lake Mungo makes you think it’s telling you a derivative story of a girl’s double life that she’s trying to reveal from beyond the grave. To be fair, even if this is all there was to Lake Mungo, it would have done it exceptionally well.

However, it isn’t until the end (and possibly multiple viewings) that you actually realize this cleverly edited mockumentary has a completely different story hiding beneath the surface. Anderson puts many of the answers right in front of you throughout the entire film, but doesn’t let the audience know it until the final moments.

The documentary starts out as a simple, tragic accident followed by to what appears to be Alice haunting her family. June reaches out to psychic Ray Kemeney to conduct a hypnosis session with her, followed up by a séance with her family. Compelling photographic evidence would suggest Alice’s spirit is with them.

Halfway through the film, Anderson pulls the rug out from under us and we discover all the photographic evidence was a ruse by Alice’s brother Mathew to bring his mother closure. This gut-punch felt much like The Conjuring 2 when (*Spoilers) they discover damning evidence that Janet Hodgson likely fabricated her possession.

It seems to be case closed on Alice’s haunting. However, further plot twists reveal more of Alice’s double life, and reopen the possibility of something paranormal happening.

We eventually find out psychic Ray Kemeney had also conducted hypnosis sessions with Alice months prior to her death, but kept this from her family to respect Alice’s confidentiality. Alice seemed convinced something terrible was going to happen to her. Her old boyfriend then comes forward with a video of Alice and her friends at Lake Mungo, which leads them to find Alice’s lost phone with a terrifying video on it.

In the video, Alice is walking alone in the dark at Lake Mungo. Suddenly the shape of a figure appears in the pitch black coming towards her. It isn’t until the person is only a few feet away that we are met with an image that will send ice through your veins. The figure is the bloated, pallid corpse of Alice. Identical to the one pulled from the dam weeks later. There’s no rational explanation for this, as the video was taken long before Alice died, by, none other than, Alice herself.

After the family sees the video from Lake Mungo, they finally feel a real sense of closure from Alice’s death. June agrees to meet for one last hypnosis session with Ray. It is in this moment that the editors finally drop a giant bomb on you.

Alice and June’s hypnosis sessions with Ray, which were held separately, months apart, without each other knowing…were mirroring one another. Like a conversation taking place between two people standing in different rooms on completely different days.

The film closes with the Palmers making peace with Alice’s death, and moving out of their old house where all the activity occurred. We then see the family take one last picture in front of the house before leaving, with the figure of Alice standing in the window behind them.

The editors spell out the final mirroring hypnosis sessions for us in the end, which occur before and after Alice’s death. If you look back on earlier parts of the film, you’ll realize there were other mirroring events before and after Alice died. These scenes take place too far apart in the movie for audiences to put the pieces together right away. Much like the doctored spirit photography of Alice seen during the credits, the truth has been hiding in plain sight all along.

So, what happened that night at Lake Mungo when Alice saw the dead version of herself? It seems this was the moment when these mirroring events between Alice’s life and death collided. Alice’s voice-over recording spoke of fear that something bad has happened to her, and is going to happen to her.

This was indeed a premonition of her death. And what is a premonition, but the present momentarily meeting with the future. The film examines how death plagues the living from the way it looms imminently on the horizon to how it leaves us with with grief after it occurs. It seems from the hypnosis sessions and the final shot of Alice in the window, death may not come with abrupt finality, for the dead or their loved ones.

Lake Mungo feels like a good ghost story being told to you as a first-hand, personal account from someone you trust. The kind that makes tears well up in your eyes, and the hairs on the back of your neck stand up. The actors convincingly tell the tale with a shakiness in their voice, a pained smile on their lips, and sincerity in their eyes. The type of sincerity that if someone close to you was telling the same extraordinary story, you may, for a moment, actually believe them.

Lake Mungo is a film that will stick with you long after the credits roll, and demand multiple viewings. It’s a poignant, unnerving a hidden gem. If you like slow-moving, creepy, and clever, then I hope you checked this film out before reading this spoiler-riddled review.

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New Poster Reveal For Nicolas Cage’s Survival Creature Feature ‘Arcadian’ [Trailer]

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Nicolas Cage Arcadian

In the latest cinematic venture featuring Nicolas Cage, Arcadian emerges as a compelling creature feature, teeming with suspense, horror, and emotional depth. RLJE Films has recently released a series of new images and a captivating poster, offering audiences a glimpse into the eerie and thrilling world of “Arcadian”. Scheduled to hit theaters on April 12, 2024, the film will later be available on Shudder and AMC+, ensuring a wide audience can experience its gripping narrative.

Arcadian Movie Trailer

The Motion Picture Association (MPA) has given this film an “R” rating for its “bloody images,” hinting at the visceral and intense experience awaiting viewers. The film draws inspiration from acclaimed horror benchmarks like “A Quiet Place,” weaving a post-apocalyptic tale of a father and his two sons navigating a desolate world. Following a catastrophic event that depopulates the planet, the family faces the dual challenge of surviving their dystopian environment and eluding mysterious nocturnal creatures.

Joining Nicolas Cage in this harrowing journey are Jaeden Martell, known for his role in “IT” (2017), Maxwell Jenkins from “Lost in Space,” and Sadie Soverall, featured in “Fate: The Winx Saga.” Directed by Ben Brewer (“The Trust”) and penned by Mike Nilon (“Braven”), “Arcadian” promises a unique blend of poignant storytelling and electrifying survival horror.

Maxwell Jenkins, Nicolas Cage, and Jaeden Martell 

Critics have already begun to praise “Arcadian” for its imaginative monster designs and exhilarating action sequences, with one review from Bloody Disgusting highlighting the film’s balance between emotional coming-of-age elements and heart-pounding horror. Despite sharing thematic elements with similar genre films, “Arcadian” sets itself apart through its creative approach and action-driven plot, promising a cinematic experience filled with mystery, suspense, and relentless thrills.

Arcadian Official Movie Poster

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‘Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey 3’ Is a Go with Enhanced Budget and New Characters

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Winnie the Pooh 3

Wow, they’re churning things out fast! The upcoming sequel “Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey 3” is officially moving forward, promising an expanded narrative with a larger budget and the introduction of beloved characters from A.A. Milne’s original tales. As confirmed by Variety, the third installment in the horror franchise will welcome Rabbit, the heffalumps, and the woozles into its dark and twisted narrative.

This sequel is a part of an ambitious cinematic universe that reimagines children’s stories as horror tales. Alongside “Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey” and its first sequel, the universe includes films such as “Peter Pan’s Neverland Nightmare”, “Bambi: The Reckoning,” and “Pinocchio Unstrung”. These movies are set to converge in the crossover event “Poohniverse: Monsters Assemble,” slated for a 2025 release.

Winnie the Pooh Poohniverse

The creation of these films was made possible when A.A. Milne’s 1926 children’s book “Winnie-the-Pooh” entered the public domain last year, allowing filmmakers to explore these cherished characters in unprecedented ways. Director Rhys Frake-Waterfield and producer Scott Jeffrey Chambers, of Jagged Edge Productions, have led the charge in this innovative endeavor.

The inclusion of Rabbit, heffalumps, and woozles in the upcoming sequel introduces a new layer to the franchise. In Milne’s original stories, heffalumps are imagined creatures resembling elephants, while woozles are known for their weasel-like characteristics and a penchant for stealing honey. Their roles in the narrative remain to be seen, but their addition promises to enrich the horror universe with deeper connections to the source material.

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How to Watch ‘Late Night with the Devil’ from Home: Dates and Platforms

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Late Night With The Devil

For fans eager to dive into one of this year’s most talked-about horror films from the comfort of their own home, “Late Night with the Devil” will be available for streaming exclusively on Shudder starting April 19, 2024. This announcement has been highly anticipated following the film’s successful theatrical release by IFC Films, which saw it earning rave reviews and a record-breaking opening weekend for the distributor.

“Late Night with the Devil” emerges as a standout horror film, captivating audiences and critics alike, with Stephen King himself offering high praise for the 1977-set film. Starring David Dastmalchian, the movie unfolds on Halloween night during a live late-night talk show broadcast that disastrously unleashes evil across the nation. This found footage-style film not only delivers scares but also authentically captures the aesthetic of the 1970s, drawing viewers into its nightmarish scenario.

David Dastmalchian in Late Night with the Devil

The film’s initial box office success, opening to $2.8 million in 1,034 theaters, underscores its wide appeal and marks the highest opening weekend for an IFC Films release. Critically acclaimed, “Late Night with the Devil” boasts a 96% positive rating on Rotten Tomatoes from 135 reviews, with the consensus praising it for rejuvenating the possession horror genre and showcasing David Dastmalchian’s exceptional performance.

Rotten Tomatoes score as of 3/28/2024

Simon Rother of iHorror.com encapsulates the film’s allure, emphasizing its immersive quality that transports viewers back to the 1970s, making them feel as if they are part of the eerie “Night Owls” Halloween broadcast. Rother lauds the film for its meticulously crafted script and the emotional and shocking journey it takes viewers on, stating, “This whole experience will have viewers of the Cairnes brothers’ film glued to their screen… The script, from beginning to end, is neatly sewn together with an ending that’ll have jaws on the floor.” You can read the full review here.

Rother further encourages audiences to watch the film, highlighting its multifaceted appeal: “Whenever it is made available to you, you must attempt to view the Cairnes Brothers’ latest project as it will make you laugh, it will creep you out, it will amaze you, and it might even strike an emotional cord.”

Set to stream on Shudder on April 19, 2024, “Late Night with the Devil” offers a compelling blend of horror, history, and heart. This film is not just a must-watch for horror aficionados but for anyone looking to be thoroughly entertained and moved by a cinematic experience that redefines the boundaries of its genre.

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