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Late to the Party: Muck (2015) – The Most Obnoxious Movie I Have Ever Seen

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Muck

I decided to watch this absolute shit show of a movie after a discussion with some of my fellow iHorror writers who had previously covered Muck as part of our Cutthroat Critics series. I was well warned that I would not like this film.

I cannot in any way overstate how much this movie angered me. I watched it while consuming several glasses of wine, thinking that would help. It did not.

Muck is the cockiest and most incomprehensible movie I have ever seen. It’s so bafflingly confident – so fucking smarmy – that I wish it was a physical entity so I could punch it right in the junk.

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Muck has all the restraint and focus of an obnoxiously horny 15-year-old boy who just found his first Playboy magazine. Because when it gets down to it, that’s really all Muck is – an excuse to feverishly ogle the gratuitously hypersexualized female form while peppering in some generic violence to mask it as a horror film.

Yes, this is not the first – nor the last – movie to combine nubile, mostly naked women with splatter gore, but, you can usually find some semblance of a coherent plot or structure or – hell – even a clear idea of who the actual “star” of the damn story is. But, I’m getting ahead of myself. Let’s break this down a bit.

First, a bit of background. Writer/director/producer Steve Wolsh made his filmmaking debut with Muck. It premiered at the Playboy Mansion in 2015, because of course it did.

Writer/director/producer Steve Wolsh via IMDb

Muck stars Lachlan Buchanan (The Young and the Restless) as a character named “Troit”, Bryce Draper (Bound), Stephanie Danielson (Paranormal Whacktivity), YouTube star Lauren Francesca, and 2012 Playboy Playmate of the Year Jaclyn Swedberg. Horror icon Kane Hodder is somehow there too. He deserves better.

The movie starts with a group of frazzled and supposedly terrified (which they convey by just constantly swearing, because “acting”) 20-somethings as they emerge from a swampy marsh. According to the film’s description, they are “narrowly escaping an ancient burial ground”, but of course there’s no actual mention of that. At all. Or why the female characters are wearing next to nothing. The two men are fully dressed – wearing layers, even – while the ladies are in their underwear and constantly complaining about the cold. It’s nonsense.

One of the guys is injured, but there’s no discussion of what happened, or how, or why. Any information you would expect to receive that would actually give this movie some kind of plot is conspicuously missing.

If you were worried that a missing storyline would get in the way of quippy dialogue, you can rest easy. One of the scantily clad women makes a perky yet oddly-timed jab at Horny Injured Douchebag (I mean, that’s probably his character name) with the line, “You don’t have enough blood left in you to fill that big dick of yours”.

So… there’s that.

via WithAnO Productions

Wolsh’s script seems to come from the Eli Roth school of dialogue, which covers bases like “make your characters completely unlikable” and “write like you’ve never heard a normal human adult conversation”. It’s insufferable.

The characters spout homophobic and racist comments throughout the movie – thinly veiled as “playful banter”. The misogyny is so rampant that there’s quite literally some form of verbal or visual objectification every 45 seconds.

In the opening credits, for example, we are granted a scene full of shifting camera angles focused on a lost and scared former member of their party (we assume?), clad only in filthy underwear (she is presumed dead, so we never see her again) with zero context.

While there are multiple long, lingering (mostly closeup) shots of her naked breasts, we never clearly see her actual face. Because that’s not important? I guess? She’s not acting with her face, you guys.

Sigh.

via WithAnO Productions

Additionally, I’m fairly confident that the script was not nearly long enough to make a full feature film, so the decision was made to punch up the action with sloppy transcripts of inane fantasies.

That’s the only reason I can think of, anyways. Why else would you need to include a scene where “Troit” waits on his date as she tries on four – yes, four – different bra and panty sets in the bar bathroom. She works through the Victoria’s Secret kiosk that’s apparently stashed in her bag, trying to find the best super sexy lingerie combination (for the date she is already on).

As a side note, for anyone wondering what women cart around in our oversized purses, I can guaran-fucking-tee you it’s not four different sets of lingerie.

*Rubs forehead in frustration* Okay… where was I.

Muck has the audacity to name its fictional horror locale “West Craven” (how dare you). They toss around this self-congratulatory name drop with a sudden frequency that there’s no way you can miss it, even though it doesn’t come into play until roughly two-thirds of the way through the movie. Even then, it’s presented with comments of how “West Craven” is “so boring” but “used to be pretty cool”. Howfuckingdareyou.

This “nod” to the legendary Wes Craven feels like it was added as an afterthought to a script that I imagine consists of a series of crumpled, stapled-together cocktail napkins with the words “BOOBS” and “BUTTS” scrawled across them.

via WithAnO Productions

Something I mentioned earlier was the abundant confusion with the protagonists. None of them are likable, they’re not heroic, and not a single one stands out as the “hero” here. There’s no Final Girl, just a group of assholes that for some reason gain more members in the third act as Troit and his female companions show up.

We’re left wondering why we should even remotely care about these idiots, and why the hell the Troit and co. introduction scene was so necessary that it took any momentum the movie had and brought it to a screeching halt.

via WithAnO Productions

Nothing makes any real logical sense, nothing is ever explained, and every time a character opens their mouth to say some asinine line, you’re filled with a fresh wave of hatred.

Despite the fact that the group of young, sexy idiots are fighting for their lives, there’s no real push for anyone to get help. The pacing is so fraught with rushing and stalling that it’s like watching someone try to drive a stick shift for the first time.

I would say that Muck has a real tongue-in-cheek humor, but that would imply that anything about the movie is even remotely funny. I understand that the goal was to make a saucy, gruesome exploitation-style horror – a sort of late-night slasher flick homage – but it completely lacks the awareness that makes those films so genuine and fun.

The “creature” designs are disappointing, boring, and not presented in a way that gives any indication of who they are or where they might have come from. Sure, other films have used this idea of the “unknown threat” before, but they’re usually fantastical in nature, not just a bunch of flailing bald guys covered in baby powder.

via WithAnO Productions

There’s a prequel supposedly in the works because evidently Muck is part of a trilogy. Perhaps the prequel would shed some light on what is happening with that “burial ground” at the beginning of Muck, but in practicality, that’s the dumbest idea I’ve ever heard. A prequel is there to fill in additional information for the purposes of world building, not to retroactively cover up plot holes you couldn’t be bothered to deal with.

They started raising funds for the prequel through Kickstarter before Muck was even publicly released, and backers are not thrilled about the missing rewards and lack of ownership from Wolsh. Nothing makes an audience giddy for more like an incredibly frustrating film with an incomplete premise and a four-year delay between titles.

Now, Muck could have some redemptive qualities – I’ll usually praise cinematography or practical effects – but I genuinely couldn’t even register if there was anything worthwhile about this movie. That’s how obnoxious it is.

So. Yeah.

I hated it.

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Tune in next week for yet another edition of Late to the Party! You can check out more titles from our ongoing series here.

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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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