Honourable Mention: Sundelbolong

Directed by Sisworo Gautama Putra and released in 1981, Sundelbolong is an Indonesian film starring Suzzanna and is part of the Severin films All the Haunts be Ours volume 2 set. The set quotes Sophie Siddique as she writes about how the film confronts the New Order Indonesian Government’s gender ideologies and the “gender fantasies of the world of the vampire ghost”. This, of course, made my ears prick up.

Bane also describes the folkloric sundel bolong thusly “In Java, there is a vampiric REVENANT known as a sundal bolong (“hollowed bitch”). It is created when a woman commits suicide or when a child who was conceived by rape dies. It appears to its prey, mostly travelers and foreigners, as a beautiful woman with unkempt HAIR wearing its burial shroud. Using its beauty, this vengeful and angry vampire will lure a man to a quiet place with the promise of an indiscretion but instead will turn and attack him, draining him of his blood.” The translation of the name is suggested in the Severin notes as prostitute with a hole and refers to a maggot covered hole in the ghost’s back.

the wedding

Unfortunately, whilst the film does follow the folklore this particular (physically manifesting) ghost does not indulge in draining blood, rather she murders her victims as we’ll see. As such the film is of genre interest. It starts with the grave of Alisa (Suzzanna), who has died very young, and a voice over suggesting that she did have some happiness in her life – this then cuts to her wedding as she and her groom Hendarto (Barry Prima) enter the reception. However, a man approaches him with a letter. It is from “the company” and Hendarto, a ship’s captain, must go to sea for nine months. They have a final drink together and mention is made of her twin sister Sinta dying at age 10.

Suzzanna as Alisa

Alisa embroiders and is called by Rudi (Rudy Salam), who owns a boutique, to propose going into business with him. She brings her samples, but a customer there knows her. She is known as Mami (Ruth Pelupessi, Satan’s Slave) and she is a Madame over s stable of prostitutes and Alisa used to work for her. Mami has an idea and Rudi changes the offer to Alisa of modelling for his range – she turns him down as such modelling does not fall into her new gender role of a dutiful wife. Driving home a car is blocking the road. Alisa goes to the driver to check he is ok and a group of men come out of hiding and kidnap her.

haunted by phantom kids

They take her to a warehouse, where she fights back but is eventually overpowered. Rudi and Mami turn up and she is offered a deal – they’ll let her go if she works for Mami again and submits to Rudi. She refuses and is dragged off, tied down and Rudi rapes her. He then has the four thugs gang rape her too. The film cuts to a trial where Mami and Rudi are accused of rape but the four are not on trial (Alisa mentions them in an outburst) and the defence solicitor calls her story into question – based on her former profession and basically victim blaming. The trial is adjourned. Worse news comes when she discovers she is pregnant and the doctor she goes to refuses to abort the pregnancy (in truth why she told him it was simply not her husbands, but not that it was as a result of rape seemed odd). It turns out that she has previously had five abortions.

Alisa's death

Realising that her husband is due home she becomes desperate, after a rather freakish hallucination of her previous aborted children as obviously disabled babies (based on the doctor suggesting abortion causes disability), she eventually (in a scene that is almost a flash but pretty darn gruesome) cuts the baby out of herself, killing herself in the process. The film then has her returning to her husband as her twin sister (he quickly accepts that her dying at ten is untrue) and, as the sundel bolong, attacking those who wronged her.

hungering for food

Both non-corporeal and corporeal, she wears a white shroud and has a wan, heavily shadowed face and a hole in her back that is rotten. Occasionally she appears as a (rather rubbish looking) skull with rotten flesh clinging to it. However she can also take the form of another woman and uses this to lure some of the men. Once lured she murders them. At one point she appears as a pocong. We get the lore that a nail in the head, something often associated with the kuntilanak, will turn her into a controllable, beautiful lady (it never happens). At one point she goes to a food stall and demands 200 satay skewers, eaten half cooked, and then drinks a pan of soup, which all drops/pours out of the back hole; showing a relentless hunger but not one for blood.

skeleton form

The fact that the vampire element is removed may have been due to the time it was made (though there is plenty of horror themes in the film) but is a shame. The film is a supernatural rape revenge film and is interesting read against Western films of that genre from the time but the social context of Indonesia at the time also has to be read into it. The classical music on the soundtrack is bombastic and, honestly, ill placed and there is a thick layer of melodrama, especially to the first 30 minutes plus, which despite the gang rape has a layer of schmaltz to it. It is notable that part way through they give Barry Prima a shirtless, action hero martial arts sequence – this film is known as a breakout horror film for Suzzanna who became one of the largest horror stars in Indonesian films but Prima was also one of the hottest Indonesian actors in the 80s.

The imdb page is here.

Silent Bite – review

Director: Taylor Martin

Release date: 2024

Contains spoilers

Set at Christmas, this has less a Christmas horror feel than it feels inspired by From Dusk Till Dawn, with its premise of criminals on the run coming face to face with vampires. It was also entertaining to a point, where it then pulled defeat out of the jaws of victory. Nevertheless, for the most part it is a worthwhile indie watch.

The credits have a series of illustrated panels of the gang robbing the bank in Santa/elves outfits – the art had an AI feel to it, though I may be doing someone a disservice. We see someone dropping bank notes out of a moving vehicle’s window and the news tells us of the Wisconsin Bank robbery and five suspects,

the gang arrive

At an inn four men check-in, the reservation is under Scrooge (the organiser of the heist, who we never see) and the men carry weapons and are dressed in Christmas costume (one is an elf). The clerk, Colin (Paul Whitney, Being Human (US)), comments that they are a day late and shows them to a bar/lounge area where they are to stay – there isn’t a room big enough for five and they are to stay together. A wodge of cash is given to Colin to say nothing of their presence and as far as they know the inn is empty.

Paul Whitney as Colin

The four refer to each other in code names (bar one) and this, with a member disgruntled about his code name, does remind of Reservoir Dogs. The leader is Father Christmas (Simon Phillips, Strippers Vs Werewolves & Age of the Living Dead), with Grinch (Nick Biskupek) – who dislikes his code name, Snowman (Michael Swatton) and Prancer (Luke Avoledo). The latter, who runs tech, seems out of place in the gang (we hear later he is paying off his late father’s debts) and is referred to as Blake, his real name. The fifth member of the gang is Rudolph (Dan Molson), a decoy driver who deliberately lays a trail for the cops to follow and who will return to meet the gang later. The inn is very close to the robbery.

Camille Blott as Genie

Also in the hotel (in room/suite 666, which was a bit of a moment of meta too far) is a kidnapped young woman, Genie (Camille Blott). She is being taunted by Selene (Sienna Star) who bites her – only to be almost immediately rebuked by Mother (Sayla de Goede). Though it is not mentioned in film, Mother in the credits is also identified as Lilith. The room is set for a Satanic ritual (blood exchange leads to a person turning but there is clearly a desire to underpin that, for Genie, with a dedication to infernal forces). Mother has three female vampire 'daughters' with her, in a reflection of Dracula’s brides, the other two being Victoria (Kelly Schwartz, Drakul) and Lucia (Louisa Capulet). They are aware of the men – it sounds like the inn was selected with them in mind though this wasn’t explored – and the daughters are given permission to hunt them. The idea of enjoying the hunt (with sexual aspects mentioned) allows for a stretch to the running time.

the daughters

And it is so far, so good. The bickering criminals give us banter and character (the vampires are more two dimensional) with Simon Phillips (who also wrote the screen play) giving a strong performance as the leader of the bunch. There isn’t too much lore. They are not caught on camera – leading to the gang reviewing camera footage and believing that Colin is at reception talking to himself. A missed opportunity here is when we have seen Mother, in the live scene, smash a bottle and they absolutely don’t notice a bottle smashing itself on camera. Sunlight kills and they decide (when they know what’s going on) that the UV in a flash grenade should be (and is) effective – this brings us to the issue with the film.

mother feeds

It takes its sweet time getting to the showdown and it’s all a bit of a damp squib. There could have been plenty more violence and more inventive deaths (though kudos for the killing a vampire by use of a silver spoon) and, importantly, more gore. The showdown felt genuinely anticlimactic – which given how much fun I’d had with the film to that point was doubly disappointing. But fun was had through the main body of the flick and that is reflected in a score that would have been higher if they’d landed the ending. 6 out of 10.

The imdb page is here.

On Blu-Ray @ Amazon US

On Demand @ Amazon UK

Seymour the Unfortunate Vampire – review

Director: Joe Kane

Release date: 2024

Contains spoilers

This film was, I believe, a reconstruction of a web serial, now pulled into a feature and despite trying to do urban fantasy, in a comedic way, on a budget I was really rather taken with it. There were some fun characters, and it was helped that Seymour (Joe Kane) was rather endearing.

It starts with an almost industrial moment and then we see movement through trees into suburbia where Seymour is outside the house about to smoke a cigarette. His friend Corina (Jacqueline Real) arrives, asking about friend Wally (Wayne Heckler) – he’s inside – and nags Seymour about the cigarette. Once she has gone in he is suddenly confronted by a man, Basil (Chritian Titus), bumming a cigarette. We see the fangs, Basil attacks Seymour.

attack

The titles contain background, talking about humans becoming fearful and destructive towards the supernatural creatures, the Salem witch trials and the council of royal vampires (purebloods we later hear) creating the Shadowlands as a haven. There was then civil war and the royal vampires were defeated. Back in our timeline and Corina and Wally interrupt the attack. Seymour's subsequent turning process involves various visions.

Seymour and Agent Odin

Basil is confronted by Director Hagar (Brimstone) of the Supernatural Rehabilitation Services (SRS). Attacking a human (and turning him) is a big no no. Hagar rips the heart out of his chest and boxes it. Elsewhere, Corina and Wally speak on the phone as they are out and about – Wally is taking no chances, despite Seymour being their friend, he has filled his contact lens case with holy water and bought Garlic powder. Meanwhile Agent Odin (Sal Conca) of the SRS drugs and kidnaps Seymour, ensures he has not fed off anyone, gives him a rule book and a pill box full of blood. I should mention that vampires, in this, have reflections but they can act independently of the physical self.

Wally and Corina

So we follow Seymour getting used to the new way of life, being tutored by Chester (Marshall R. Teague) the werewolf, on the radar of a couple of vampire hunters and learning that he should avoid fairies – they like to drink vampire blood as it is a drug to them and he eventually discovers that drinking fairy blood puts the vampire into a coma. A bit of a spoiler but I did want to mention that the film does jump forward five years part way through, due to this mishap, and whilst it jarred immediately, it did quickly work and drew in a larger conspiracy.

the vampire hunters

As I said at the head, this was fun. It was really inventive and, whilst the budget did show, they did much with little. Seymour, as I mentioned, was endearing and most of the characters worked really well (barring a couple of side characters later on that were there for plot/numbers and not developed in the same way). I would have liked to see more of the vampire hunters – they were fun – and more of Seymour’s family, but they did pack a lot into the short running length. 6.5 out of 10.

The imdb page is here.

On Demand @ Amazon US

On Demand @ Amazon UK

Nosferatu Re-Animated – review

Director: Fran Blackwood

Release date: 2020

Contains spoilers

Another day, another Nosferatu variant. This time an animated version. The animation was done off the original film and is digital in nature and that leaves the art detail for the characters quite basic but it worked in its own way.

Following the film (or at least a cut thereof as this is shorter than the kino restoration) one expected it to be much the same and, in broad strokes, it is. Eschewing intertitles for subtitles, however, the story does change within the dialogue and the film does use a mix and match of names from the German release and names from Stoker.

say it with (dead) flowers

To understand how things have changed we should look at Jonathan Harker (Hutter) and the interaction with Nina (Ellen) at the head of the film. Whilst the animation follows the film (that it has essentially traced from) Nina shows no horror that the flowers Harker gives her have been killed. Then, when Knock sends him to Transylvania he talks about being rich to Nina – now in the original Knock mentions making money, but that being a driving motivation for Harker isn’t communicated. This Harker is not as greedy as in the Fisher remake and it does make me wonder if the film seen through the lens of American culture is the thing that makes that a communicated want from the character in both films?

meeting Orlock

However, in the main things remain pretty true to the original. There are some odd moments – Harker picks a book up at home before travelling and packs it, suggesting it is Van Helsing’s book… but the Book of Vampyres is the book found at the inn and the mention of the book, which is not credited to an author in the original, at the head of the film is a little confusing though I can see where those ideas stem from. The hyena (or werewolf) looks more like a fox with the digital art rendering. The music, it has to be said, is fab with a classical score matched against metal based guitar scores at other points. The art is not, for me, the greatest style but I understand how it was done and it does work for the film (as mentioned). However I was left wondering what the point was (bar the re-scoring) when an animation such as NYsferatu adds layers that this did not. Rather than this I would just put the Murnau on, 5.5 out of 10.

The imdb page is here.

On DVD @ Amazon US

On DVD @ Amazon UK

Redneck Volume 1 – Deep in the Heart - review

Author: Donny Cates

Illustrations: Lisandro Estherren

First published: 2017 (tpb)

Contains spoilers

The Blurb: Bad Blood Runs Deep

The Bowmans are VAMPIRES who have quietly run the local barbecue joint in their small town for years, living off cow's blood. Their peaceful coexistence ends as generations of hate and fear bubble to the surface--making it impossible to separate man from monster!

Critically acclaimed writer DONNY CATES (God Country) and artist LISANDRO ESTHERREN serve up the tale of a different kind of family just trying to get by, deep in the heart of Texas.

The review: A pretty simple story, which starts the saga of the Bowmans, centres primarily around Uncle Bartlett – a vampire and add on to the Bowman clan who, when three of the Bowman boys head from their ranch into town, follows them in order to keep them out of trouble, despite being perhaps too drunk before setting off. Intervening when the boys are confronted by some good ol’ boys and Father Landry, the Landry’s knowing what they are and in a feud with them, he awakens in the morning perilously close to sunlight, with no memory of events after the confrontation, all their cattle slaughtered and Slap (most innocent of the three boys) truly dead, hanging from a tree and burning in the sun.

Blamed by patriarch JV for the death and with the other boys fixing to get revenge on the Landry’s and the town folk, the comic explores them preparing for what seems like an inevitable showdown and trying to remember exactly what did happen.

Despite the fairly simple story, this worked really well and allowed for some flashback memory and exposition that started to explain the vampires generally and Bartlett and the Bowmans. The art fits the comic well and adds to this slice of Southern Gothic. 7 out of 10.

In Paperback @ Amazon US

In Paperback @ Amazon UK

Live on Stage: Dracula (Blackeyed Theatre production)

On 8th November I went to the Grand Theatre, Blackpool, to watch the the Blackeyed Theatre production of Dracula. The cast (of 6) took on multiple roles with three of the cast playing Dracula (David Chafer, Richard Keightley and Harry Rundle) himself. A great production, with innovative set design and a great use of song (it was not a musical but vocal performance was used to great effect, with special mention to Maya-Nika Bewley who had a marvellous singing voice), I was most taken by some of the themes coming out through the play, not all coming from Stoker.

The first one to mention was a theme that they termed Bloodline Memory. This was the idea that, once infected with vampirism, the victim was also infected with the memory owned by the vampire’s bloodline – an idea that stuck me as dovetailing with Simon Bacon’s concept of Undead Memory. This manifested within the play through Lucy (Marie Osman) who has visions (memories) of the Turks being staked, for instance. I was also struck with Dracula, when speaking to Harker (Pelé Kelland-Beau), listing (and extolling) atrocities carried out in the name of the British Empire and thus playing with colonisation and, as per the novel, reverse colonisation – though the detail of the events possibly aligned this with Powers of Darkness more than Stoker. The last theme I wanted to mention was that of female emancipation – be that through mention of the suffragettes (and perhaps Arthur’s (Harry Rundle) cynical view of them being another vote cast, rather than a meaningful citizen, which perhaps reflects into contemporary attitudes amongst some political colours) or even the distaste shown by Dr Hennessey (Maya-Nika Bewley) for both how Renfield (Marie Osman) may have come to be incarcerated and Seward’s (Richard Keightley) exploitation of her as a subject to be observed and write a paper on more than helped.

From the last sentence, you can see that Renfield was gender-swapped and this is the third play I’ve seen where this has been done. This further touches into the treatment of women by society (and the medical profession) in the 19th century, of course. I will mention, also, but not spoil the ending, with which the company does something unexpected and brave.

The Well – review

Director: Federico Zampaglione

Release date: 2023

Contains spoilers

Seen on the big screen at Grimmfest 2024, from the trailer I suspected this one was Vamp and indeed it was – and despite being a bit schlocky it was one of my favourites at the festival.

It follows Lisa (Lauren LaVera), an art restorer whose father has sent her to Italy (in 1993) to restore a painting. We see her on a bus, going through the countryside and that bus picks up a trio; biologists Madison (Courage Oviawe) and Tracy (Taylor Zaudtke) and their guide Tony (Gianluigi Calvani). They get chatting and all depart the bus at the same small town, however Lisa is going to a hotel and they are camping at the edge of town. They agree to meet up in a few days.

Lisa and the Duchess

In the morning Lisa waits for a bus to go to the mansion but a local, Marcus (Jonathan Dylan King), explains that the bus no longer runs and walks her to the mansion carrying her case – he runs a pub literally opposite the mansion. Lisa meets the Duchess Emma (Claudia Gerini) who takes her to the painting. It is literally blackened after a fire and Lisa has only two weeks to restore it, she opts to stay in the room with the painting. Later she meets Emma’s strange daughter Giulia (Linda Zampaglione).

offering blood

So we get, for the most part, a film of two halves. The biologists and their guide are captured and held in a dungeon that has a well in the centre, where a hulking gaoler (Lorenzo Renzi) lowers a bowl and eventually we see the creature within it, Guron (Stefano Martinelli), cut its wrist with a talon and bleed into the bowl. The gaoler butchers prisoners and throws them down to Guron to feed on.

restoring the canvas

Meanwhile Lisa restores the painting (quickly revealed on the canvas is Guron) but she starts having vivid and horrific nightmares, whilst Giulia, after she warms to Lisa, warns her that the canvas is cursed. Of course the stories meet and Guron is our vampire. Emma is over 500 years old and she, with her witch Dorka (Melanie Gaydos, Vesper), lured Guron with a blood sacrifice and trapped him with a curse (the painting depicts this). The curse has to be renewed by the light of a blood moon falling on the canvas exactly 500 years later. The Duchess and her entourage is kept young by drinking Guron’s blood. So – capture vampire, feed it, drink its blood for eternal youth – or eternal as long as the curse is maintained.

the vampire bites

The dungeon scenes are effectively gory and the film itself is entertaining. Some of the logic does not stack – Giulia has “Claudia syndrome” and wants the curse to end but, as it is Guron’s blood keeping her young, one does not understand why she would not just stop drinking it? The film doesn’t tackle that nor does it explain if Giulia tried to destroy the canvas, hence it needing restoring, but one can assume as much. Though in English language (mostly) this was definitely Italian in nature and whilst it won’t set the world alight it was great fun to watch. It won’t tax you too much. 6 out of 10 is fair but for me its entertainment value outstripped the score I gave it.

The imdb page is here.

On Demand @ Amazon US

On DVD @ Amazon UK