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Review: Nacho Vigalondo’s ‘Open Windows’

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The webcam movie isn’t an entirely new idea. 2013’s The Den, for example, is still fresh in our minds, and the concept has been carried out to varying degrees of success throughout the Internet age.

That said, Open Windows feels like something entirely unique within this sub-sub-genre (is the webcam thing its own sub-genre within the found-footage sub-genre?). It makes use of a real-time element (which on its own is certainly not new either), and takes place entirely on a computer screen. If it sounds boring, it’s not. At least not through most of the 100-minute runtime.

First off, here’s the official synopsis:

Oscar-nominated writer-director Nacho Vigalondo (The ABCs of Death, Extraterrestrial, V/H/S Viral)   creates an action-packed world of voyeurism and suspense in his thriller OPEN WINDOWS. Nick  (Elijah Wood, Maniac, The Lord of the Rings) is excited to discover that he’s won a dinner date with his favorite actress, Jill Goddard (Sasha Grey, Would You Rather, The Girlfriend Experience). But when Jill refuses to honor the contest, her manager Chord (Neil Maskell, Wild Bill, Pusher) makes an offer he can’t refuse: the ability to view Jill secretly via computer. Nick begins watching the unknowing star on her webcam, not realizing that this decision will put both himself and Jill at risk as they enter a terrifying world of cat-and-mouse where nothing—and no one—are as they seem. 

VOD Release: October 2nd / Theaters: November 7th

[youtube id=”_Qz7DDvTA-I” align=”center” mode=”normal” autoplay=”no”]

There’s no question that the project sought to bring something to the table that we’ve never seen, and it does this at a steady pace for the first hour or so before things start to take a turn toward the less coherent and substantially more unbelievable, though it’s certainly worth sticking around until the end.

The story basically follows a path from somewhat believable in a “Yeah, I guess that could happen if someone was dedicated enough” kind of way to stretching it a bit, to stretching it to the point where it completely snaps, and finally by the conclusion, your mind is completely fucked (this is the guy who made Timecrimes after all). In other words, it starts as more of a conventional thriller, but turns into something else entirely.

It really is more of a suspense thriller than a conventional horror film (especially if you compare it directly to something like The Den), but there are some creepy and otherwise uncomfortable elements that should satisfy genre fans. There’s also a guy in black gloves with a knife, so that’s certainly a familiar trait. Don’t go in looking for gore though.

The subject matter is actually fairly thought-provoking, and is particularly timely in light of “The Fappening” and various other celebrity leaks and scandals that dominate the Internet’s headlines. In fact, the film also offers a comment on our very culture which promotes the exploitation of celebrities. It also makes you think about just how vulnerable you are as a user of technology. Are you reading this on a device that has a camera pointed toward your face? Well, you’re probably being watched by somebody.

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I believe it also comments on the general objectification of women and men who think they are entitled to something from them. Watching the film, it was easy to recall the infamous Isla Vista mass shooting from a few months ago.

The performances were good, though some of the dialogue feels a bit forced to simplify things for viewers, which considering some of what happens, may actually not be such a bad thing in hindsight.

I don’t know if Open Windows is a must-own, but it’s worth a watch at the very least.

We’ll conclude with these words from Vigalondo: “This is a film about the opportunity of observing without being observed; about the fear of being exposed every second of our lives; about the right not to be in front of a camera. We follow the action from hundreds of different points of view, but the fundamental stance will be taken when we turn off the computer forever. I hope that watching the film is like making the movie – at least the adventure it was for us all.”

On a side note, I also couldn’t help but be reminded of the video for A Tribe Called Quest’s Scenario, which follows a similar visual format.

Open Windows is out on VOD on October 2nd and in theaters November 7th.

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News

Brad Dourif Says He’s Retiring Except For One Important Role

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Brad Dourif has been doing movies for nearly 50 years. Now it seems he is walking away from the industry at 74 to enjoy his golden years. Except, there is a caveat.

Recently, digital entertainment publication JoBlo’s Tyler Nichols talked to some of the Chucky television series cast members. During the interview, Dourif made an announcement.

“Dourif said that he’s retired from acting,” says Nichols. “The only reason he came back for the show was because of his daughter Fiona and he considers Chucky creator Don Mancini to be family. But for non-Chucky stuff, he considers himself retired.”

Dourif has voiced the possessed doll since 1988 (minus the 2019 reboot). The original movie “Child’s Play” has become such a cult classic it’s at the top of some people’s best chillers of all time. Chucky himself is ingrained in pop culture history much like Frankenstein or Jason Voorhees.

While Dourif may be known for his famous voiceover, he is also an Oscar-nominated actor for his part in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. Another famous horror role is The Gemini Killer in William Peter Blatty’s Exorcist III. And who can forget Betazoid Lon Suder in Star Trek: Voyager?

The good news is that Don Mancini is already pitching a concept for season four of Chucky which might also include a feature-length movie with a series tie-in. So, Although Dourif says he is retiring from the industry, ironically he is Chucky’s friend till the end.

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Editorial

7 Great ‘Scream’ Fan Films & Shorts Worth a Watch

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The Scream franchise is such an iconic series, that many budding filmmakers take inspiration from it and make their own sequels or, at least, build upon the original universe created by screenwriter Kevin Williamson. YouTube is the perfect medium to showcase these talents (and budgets) with fan-made homages with their own personal twists.

The great thing about Ghostface is that he can appear anywhere, in any town, he just needs the signature mask, knife, and unhinged motive. Thanks to Fair Use laws it’s possible to expand upon Wes Craven’s creation by simply getting a group of young adults together and killing them off one by one. Oh, and don’t forget the twist. You’ll notice that Roger Jackson’s famous Ghostface voice is uncanny valley, but you get the gist.

We have gathered five fan films/shorts related to Scream that we thought were pretty good. Although they can’t possibly match the beats of a $33 million blockbuster, they get by on what they have. But who needs money? If you’re talented and motivated anything is possible as proven by these filmmakers who are well on their way to the big leagues.

Take a look at the below films and let us know what you think. And while you’re at it, leave these young filmmakers a thumbs up, or leave them a comment to encourage them to create more films. Besides, where else are you going to see Ghostface vs. a Katana all set to a hip-hop soundtrack?

Scream Live (2023)

Scream Live

Ghostface (2021)

Ghostface

Ghost Face (2023)

Ghost Face

Don’t Scream (2022)

Don’t Scream

Scream: A Fan Film (2023)

Scream: A Fan Film

The Scream (2023)

The Scream

A Scream Fan Film (2023)

A Scream Fan Film
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Movies

Another Creepy Spider Movie Hits Shudder This Month

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Good spider films are a theme this year. First, we had Sting and then there was Infested. The former is still in theaters and the latter is coming to Shudder starting April 26.

Infested has been getting some good reviews. People are saying that it’s not only a great creature feature but also a social commentary on racism in France.

According to IMDb: Writer/director Sébastien Vanicek was looking for ideas around the discrimination faced by black and Arab-looking people in France, and that led him to spiders, which are rarely welcome in homes; whenever they’re spotted, they’re swatted. As everyone in the story (people and spiders) is treated like vermin by society, the title came to him naturally.

Shudder has become the gold standard for streaming horror content. Since 2016, the service has been offering fans an expansive library of genre movies. in 2017, they began to stream exclusive content.

Since then Shudder has become a powerhouse in the film festival circuit, buying distribution rights to movies, or just producing some of their own. Just like Netflix, they give a film a short theatrical run before adding it to their library exclusively for subscribers.

Late Night With the Devil is a great example. It was released theatrically on March 22 and will begin streaming on the platform starting April 19.

While not getting the same buzz as Late Night, Infested is a festival favorite and many have said if you suffer from arachnophobia, you might want to take heed before watching it.

Infested

According to the synopsis, our main character, Kalib is turning 30 and dealing with some family issues. “He’s fighting with his sister over an inheritance and has cut ties with his best friend. Fascinated by exotic animals, he finds a venomous spider in a shop and brings it back to his apartment. It only takes a moment for the spider to escape and reproduce, turning the whole building into a dreadful web trap. The only option for Kaleb and his friends is to find a way out and survive.”

The film will be available to watch on Shudder starting April 26.

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