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Review: THE EDITOR is a Bloody Good Time!

Published

9 years ago

September 3, 2015

Giallo, the beloved Italian horror sub-genre that served as the predecessor to the Slasher movie, continues to permeate in popular culture. Influencing auteurs from Brian De Palma to Hideo Kojima. Throwback films like Berberian Sound Studio and The Strange Color Of Your Body’s Tears continuing to drop within the last few years. The Editor serves as the culmination of any genre: the satire! Fittingly from the Canadian film collective Astron-6, the demented/hilarious minds behind the exploitation/revenge film salute Father’s Day and the 80’s fueled sci-fi/action parody, Manborg. Now they set their sights on Giallo and 70’s thrillers, with The Editor.

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The story concerns Rey Ciso (Adam Brooks, co-writer/director), a brilliant film editor who lost his prodigious career when he accidentally lopped off the fingers on his right hand when the pressure became too much while editing. Presently with prosthetic fingers, he’s doomed to edit low-budget Giallo movies while stuck in a loveless marriage with his former starlet wife, Josephine (Paz de La Huerta) while pining for his enthusiastic assistant, Bella (Samantha Hill). When the oft-annoying cast of the film Rey is editing start dropping like flies on grey velvet, with their fingers cut off like his own, he becomes the main suspect in the killings. Inspector Peter Porfiry (Played by co-writer/director Matthew Kennedy) investigates with increased obsession and incompetence due to his own connections to the case. Hounding Rey to no end, sure either due to his own malevolence or madness, the editor is the true culprit. Now, Rey must prove his innocence… unless he actually is insane and on a murderous rampage!

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The film hits upon just about every Giallo trope with blunt force strength. The killer being the atypical masked, trench-coat wearing figure with leather gloved hands. Glowing eyes in the dark. An absolutely delightful prog-synth-score ala Goblin or Fabio Frizzi. Every character seems to have a razor on them. Inexplicable sex scenes, the funniest involving Inspector Porfiry, his wife, and an anniversary cake. Political incorrectness is the norm, with women being slapped by men as casually as a high-five. Many scenes serving as well placed homages to the repertoire of Argento, Bava, and Fulci. Especially in the increasing surreality and illogical nature of the story, which in itself becomes a focus of the plot. Like Rey says, “We are all editors of our own reality” and what our eyes and ears see cannot be trusted. His editing station soon becomes a window to nightmarish visions, and every character involved without he mystery seems to have a different recollection on things…

The genre-centric supporting cast makes for a great backbone to the tale. Udo Kier appears as a succinctly creepy sanitarium doctor who describes most things as ‘weird’. Astron-6 co-writer Conor Sweeney plays Cal, the eccentric supporting actor for the film within the film. He has a large collection of knives/blades, and with each death, seems to get a bigger shot at the spotlight. Laurence R. Harvey stands out as a soft-spoken priest (Or ‘wizard’ as he’s repeatedly called by Porfiry) who knows a dark supernatural history to the world of editing. All make for players that fit different archetypes, with many acting strange for the sake of creating red herrings and clues that lead nowhere. As is typical in these sorts of mysteries.

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The Blu-Ray/DVD comes packed with interesting special features. Such as a making-of documentary showing the hard work and effort that went into making such a film. As well as a short explaining the bizarre origins of one of The Editor’s posters, audio commentary, and several deleted scenes among other featurettes.

On its own, The Editor stands as a horror-comedy that can rely on eccentric characters, splatstick, and purposefully over-the-top dialogue (“It’s all so stupid, it makes me want to shoot you!”) to make a film that can be enjoyed even by casual horror hounds. The comedy is affectionate to the absurdity of the genre, and moviemaking itself. Much of the humor simply amping up the bizarre tropes and cliches to their illogical insanity. The movie is a bit more slowly paced than previous fare, but if you’re a fan of Astron-6 and Italian horror in general, the pay-offs are always worth the violent results. The Editor is a fun watch for fans, and those who are looking for a gateway into the crazy, bloody, sexy world of giallo!

The Editor comes out September 8th on Blu-Ray/DVD from Scream Factory!

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Movies

Trailer for ‘The Exorcism’ Has Russell Crowe Possessed

Published

1 hour ago

April 25, 2024

Timothy Rawles

The latest exorcism movie is about to drop this summer. It’s aptly titled The Exorcism and it stars Academy Award winner turned B-movie savant Russell Crowe. The trailer dropped today and by the looks of it, we are getting a possession movie that takes place on a movie set.

Just like this year’s recent demon-in-media-space film Late Night With the Devil, The Exorcism happens during a production. Although the former takes place on a live network talk show, the latter is on an active sound stage. Hopefully, it won’t be entirely serious and we’ll get some meta chuckles out of it.

The film will open in theaters on June 7, but since Shudder also acquired it, it probably won’t be long after that until it finds a home on the streaming service.

Crowe plays, “Anthony Miller, a troubled actor who begins to unravel while shooting a supernatural horror film. His estranged daughter, Lee (Ryan Simpkins), wonders if he’s slipping back into his past addictions or if there’s something more sinister at play. The film also stars Sam Worthington, Chloe Bailey, Adam Goldberg and David Hyde Pierce.”

Crowe did see some success in last year’s The Pope’s Exorcist mostly because his character was so over-the-top and infused with such comical hubris it bordered on parody. We will see if that is the route actor-turned-director Joshua John Miller takes with The Exorcism.

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Win a Stay at The Lizzie Borden House From Spirit Halloween

Published

3 hours ago

April 25, 2024

Timothy Rawles

Spirit Halloween has declared that this week marks the start of spooky season and to celebrate they are offering fans a chance to stay at the Lizzie Borden House with so many perks Lizzie herself would approve.

The Lizzie Borden House in Fall River, MA is claimed to be one of the most haunted houses in America. Of course one lucky winner and up to 12 of their friends will find out if the rumors are true if they win the grand prize: A private stay in the notorious house.

“We are delighted to work with Spirit Halloween to roll out the red carpet and offer the public a chance to win a one-of-a-kind experience at the infamous Lizzie Borden House, which also includes additional haunted experiences and merchandise,” said Lance Zaal, President & Founder of US Ghost Adventures.

Fans can enter to win by following Spirit Halloween‘s Instagram and leaving a comment on the contest post from now through April 28.

The prize also includes:

An exclusive guided house tour, including insider insight around the murder, the trial, and commonly reported hauntings

A late-night ghost tour, complete with professional ghost-hunting gear

A private breakfast in the Borden family dining room

A ghost hunting starter kit with two pieces of Ghost Daddy Ghost Hunting Gear and a lesson for two at US Ghost Adventures Ghost Hunting Course

The ultimate Lizzie Borden gift package, featuring an official hatchet, the Lizzie Borden board game, Lily the Haunted Doll, and America’s Most Haunted Volume II

Winner’s choice of a Ghost Tour experience in Salem or a True Crime experience in Boston for two

“Our Halfway to Halloween celebration provides fans an exhilarating taste of what’s to come this fall and empowers them to start planning for their favorite season as early as they please,” said Steven Silverstein, CEO of Spirit Halloween. “We have cultivated an incredible following of enthusiasts who embody the Halloween lifestyle, and we’re thrilled to bring the fun back to life.”

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Spirit Halloween is also preparing for their retail haunted houses. On Thursday, August 1 their flagship store in Egg Harbor Township, NJ. will officially open to start off the season. That event usually draws in hordes of people eager to see what new merch, animatronics, and exclusive IP goods will be trending this year.

'Civil War' Review: Is It Worth Watching?

Movies

’28 Years Later’ Trilogy Taking Shape With Serious Star Power

Published

5 hours ago

April 25, 2024

Timothy Rawles

Danny Boyle is revisiting his 28 Days Later universe with three new films. He will direct the first, 28 Years Later, with two more to follow. Deadline is reporting that sources say Jodie Comer, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, and Ralph Fiennes have been cast for the first entry, a sequel to the original. Details are being kept under wraps so we don’t know how or if the first original sequel 28 Weeks Later fits into the project.

**Jodie Comer, Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Ralph Fiennes**

Boyle will direct the first movie but it’s unclear which role he will take on in the subsequent films. What is known is Candyman (2021) director Nia DaCosta is scheduled to direct the second film in this trilogy and that the third will be filmed immediately afterward. Whether DaCosta will direct both is still unclear.

Alex Garland is writing the scripts. Garland is having a successful time at the box office right now. He wrote and directed the current action/thriller Civil War which was just knocked out of the theatrical top spot by Radio Silence’s Abigail.

There is no word yet on when, or where, 28 Years Later will start production.