Connect with us

News

Genre-Bending “Pet” is a Twisted Two Player Puzzle

Published

on

Carles Torrens (Apartment 143, ABC’s of Death “M”) has put together an effective little psychological thriller with his movie Pet now available on demand.

The film doesn’t hold back with its twists and bloody turns.

The surprises simmer at first, but suddenly boil over into shocking revelations.

The director seems to be playing with his audience as much as the characters play against each other in this cat-and-dead-mouse game of untempered psychosis.

In Pet we meet mild-mannered Seth (Dominic Monaghan).

He’s shy, timid, asocial and tends to latch on to things of his infatuation even if they don’t want him to. One in particular, Holly (Ksenia Solo), a beautiful waitress who Seth meets on a city bus.

It’s a meet-cute with sinister intentions.

From there the movie shifts into a bizarre recipe of stalking and eventually captivity. It’s one-part vigilante, two-parts sick sex game.

Monaghan plays Seth with no more ego than a newborn, placing what self-esteem he does have into a faulty God complex.

His nobles oblige will soon end up in a cage (no spoiler, the gist is on the cover art) beneath the Los Angeles Department of Animal Care and Control where he works cleaning kennels, feeding dogs and helping the veterinarian when it comes time to put them down.

It’s a hard job, especially when one of his favorite animal friends doesn’t meet the deadline for adoption and must be euthanized.

Our waitress Holly receives roses from Seth one day after their transit meeting, and she immediately thinks they are from her ex-boyfriend, but when she finds out they were sent to her by Seth after a confrontation, she knows she has a potential problem.

Holly is such a beautiful girl, seemingly well-adjusted and just trying to find the love of her life. She has plenty of acquaintances, but they never seem to work out. Beautiful girls like this shouldn’t be single in real life unless they are doing it wrong.

These two characters aren’t exactly society’s finest, but they’re clean-cut, can afford their own living arrangements and go about their routines under low clouds.

I wish I could tell you more, but that would take away the mystery of this film. A fine entry into the serial killer genre with tastes of torture and yes, love.

You may miss Pet if you’re a speed-scroller. You see it as a suggested title when you click another in the genre, but the cover art, albeit intriguing, has been borrowed.

Even the font looks familiar.

But that may be the genius of this project. What initially appears well-trodden is surprising new territory.

Pet can only be judged by the whole of its parts, some taken from sub-genres, some original; it’s an alloy that holds up even after the shaky ending.

The soundtrack is superb. The score by Zacarías M. de la Riva mixes ambient noise with music in a seamless arrangement.

At one point during the opening you hear birds chirping in the morning, but wait…is that really Seth’s alarm clock?

Pet won’t render you stupid if you can’t unravel its Gordian Knot half-way through, but the steps are there to figure out this intriguing puzzle once you examine it from both bloody ends.

And like the anatomy of a knot, Pet never makes clear which character is the working or the standing end.

It’s a special noose you’ll have to see for yourself.

Pet is now available on Video on Demand.

'Civil War' Review: Is It Worth Watching?

Click to comment

You must be logged in to post a comment Login

Leave a Reply

News

Watch ‘The Burning’ At The Location Where It Was Filmed

Published

on

Fangoria is reporting that fans of the 1981 slasher The Burning will be able to have a screening of the film at the location where it was filmed. The movie is set at Camp Blackfoot which is actually the Stonehaven Nature Preserve in Ransomville, New York.

This ticketed event will take place on August 3. Guests will be able to take a tour of the grounds as well as enjoy some campfire snacks along with the screening of The Burning.

The Burning

The film came out in the early ’80s when teen slashers were being churned out in magnum force. Thanks to Sean S. Cunningham’s Friday the 13th, filmmakers wanted to get in on the low-budget, high-profit movie market and a casket load of these types of films were produced, some better than others.

The Burning is one of the good ones, mostly because of the special effects from Tom Savini who had just come off of his groundbreaking work on Dawn of the Dead and Friday the 13th. He declined to do the sequel because of its illogical premise and instead signed on to do this movie. Also, a young Jason Alexander who would later go on to play George in Seinfeld is a featured player.

Because of its practical gore, The Burning had to be heavily edited before it received an R-rating. The MPAA was under the thumb of protest groups and political bigwigs to censor violent films at the time because slashers were just so graphic and detailed in their gore.

Tickets are $50, and if you want a special t-shirt, that will cost you another $25, You can get all the information by visiting the On Set Cinema webpage.

'Civil War' Review: Is It Worth Watching?

Continue Reading

Movies

‘Longlegs’ Creepy “Part 2” Teaser Appears on Instagram

Published

on

Longlegs

Neon Films released an Insta-teaser for their horror film Longlegs today. Titled Dirty: Part 2, the clip only furthers the mystery of what we are in for when this movie is finally released on July 12.

The official logline is: FBI Agent Lee Harker is assigned to an unsolved serial killer case that takes unexpected turns, revealing evidence of the occult. Harker discovers a personal connection to the killer and must stop him before he strikes again.

Directed by former actor Oz Perkins who also gave us The Blackcoat’s Daughter and Gretel & Hansel, Longlegs is already creating buzz with its moody images and cryptic hints. The film is rated R for bloody violence, and disturbing images.

Longlegs stars Nicolas Cage, Maika Monroe, and Alicia Witt.

'Civil War' Review: Is It Worth Watching?

Continue Reading

News

Exclusive Sneak Peek: Eli Roth and Crypt TV’s VR Series ‘The Faceless Lady’ Episode Five

Published

on

Eli Roth (Cabin Fever) and Crypt TV are knocking it out of the park with their new VR show, The Faceless Lady. For those unaware, this is the first fully scripted VR horror show on the market.

Even for masters of horror like Eli Roth and Crypt TV, this is a monumental undertaking. However, if I trust anyone to change the way that we experience horror, it would be these two legends.

The Faceless Lady

Ripped from the pages of Irish folklore, The Faceless Lady tells the story of a tragic spirit cursed to wander the halls of her castle for all of eternity. However, when three young couples are invited to the castle for a series of games, their fates may soon change.

So far, the story has provided horror fans with a gripping game of life or death that doesn’t look as if it will slow down in episode five. Luckily, we have an exclusive clip that may be able to satiate your appetites until the new premiere.

Airing on 4/25 at 5pmPT/8pmET, episode five follows our final three contestants in this wicked game. As the stakes are raised ever higher, will Ella be able to fully awaken her connection with Lady Margaret?

The faceless lady

The newest episode can be found on Meta Quest TV. If you haven’t already, follow this link to subscribe to the series. Make sure to check out the new clip below.

Eli Roth Present’s THE FACELESS LADY S1E5 Clip: THE DUEL – YouTube

To view in the highest resolution, adjust the quality settings in the bottom right corner of the clip.

'Civil War' Review: Is It Worth Watching?

Continue Reading