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The Gerber Syndrome
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Erik The Gorehound’s review of
Monsters (2009)
“You don’t have the money, you take the risk.”
…And even if you have the money to view this film, you take the risk..of falling into a deep, trance-like sleep.
Magnet Releasings has had a knack for scooping up several independent films in the past few years that have really garnered cult followings; Rubber, TrollHunter, Hobo with a Shotgun, and I Saw the Devil. While “Monsters” falls into this category, it sorely lacks the *oomph* that kept all the other film plotlines moving along, and the viewer is left dragging their feet to the finish line. Maybe being gobbled up by a monster prematurely would have been a more optimal fate.
Andrew (Scoot McNairy) is a U.S. journalist who travels to southern Mexico six years after a NASA probe lands back on Earth with the possibility that an alien life form has came with it. He meets up with a U.S. tourist (Whiney Able), and they plan an escape after Andrew completes his documentation. Army tanks in total disarray, fighter jets flying by every so often, and boats misplaced on land. To reach American soil, they either have to take a ferry (which costs a ridiculous $5,000) or travel through the infected quarantined zone. After having their passports stolen, they must fend their ways through the infected area and make it back home. What they encounter during their adventure until they reach the United States are a myriad of destroyed neighborhood wastelands and oversized squids (or, appear to be.)
There are several drawbacks that hampered this film. First off, you probably hadn’t even heard of this film because it almost uses the same formula as the more heavily advertised Matt Reeves-directed film, Cloverfield (2008). Sure that film had a bunch of unlikeable frat kid characters in it, but it had more action AND, ironically, more monsters than THIS film did! Battle: Los Angeles (2011) and Skyline (2010) also used the alien vs. man theme (although they fell somewhat short too). Had "Monsters" been more inventive like District 9 (2009), it would have been more successful (promotional push or not, fans would have found it!). I also think the film rested on the pixie-esque good looks of Able for so long, that even a devout horror fan like myself could not stand it any longer. Yes, my attention span is longer than the average moviegoer, and I can appreciate a decent story line, but when you call your film “Monsters” and it takes almost two-thirds of the film to start instilling fear in the viewer, I think you need to rework your script (see also; the long drawn-out butchering that is The Human Centipede 2.) There was a lot left to be desired in this film, but given a wholly structured film next time, I think first time film director Gareth Edward’s next outing will be more “monstrous”.
~Erik The Gorehound~
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Erik The Gorehound’s Review of
“A Serbian Film”
Before you read ANY further, please play this music video for a bit.
If you haven’t seen the film yet, it will surely set the mood!
Trailer:
Back in 1972, one of the original promotional posters for Wes Craven’s “The Last House on the Left” read, “To avoid fainting, repeat to yourself ‘it’s only a movie, it’s only a movie’”. Certainly, the horror industry has evolved since then, but in the case of the recent horror tale, “A Serbian Film”, it seems the moniker can still fit. Almost every taboo that you may have seen in previous horror films can be found in this one, and they will churn your stomach so much, you will be left exhausted by the roll of the credits.
To put it briefly, yes…everything you have heard about this film is correct. What you probably *haven’t* heard is how quickly inviting it is, as it traps you in the grasp of a highly executed and technically sound horror film. The content within its 104 minutes would be considered by many critics and movie fans to be dangerous, disgusting, and raw. To any horror fan, especially those who dwell on the extreme end of the genre’s spectrum, “A Serbian Film” penetrates its way into the “video nasty” hall of fame smoothly (I’m sorry, had to do it.)
Milos (Srdjan Todorovic) is a former well-known porn star who has settled down with his wife and son when he is approached by another actress he once worked with to complete one last film for a large sum of money. While still unsure, he knows that salary will keep his family well off for the rest of their lives, and he decides to meet the director Vukmir (played maniacally by Surgej Trifunovic). Vukmir’s vision of this “artsy” film is very vague at first, but with some tactical persuasion, Milos agrees.
Now, up to this point, it’s been a great film……
On the first day Milos began to film, he was only told where to walk via wire (while being documented the whole time to capture his natural reactions), which happened to be into an institution for orphans. The camera focuses on a young girl slumped on a staircase (and we’re led to believe the worst), but before anything happens, the girl’s mother suddenly arrives and takes her off the set. Milos is now scared and very confused about this project.
Day two of filming takes Milos back into the orphanage and the scene begins with him receiving oral sex from a woman; however there are inappropriate visions of the same orphan girl eating ice cream in front of him, which prompts Milos to investigate who this director really is. The third day brings him back to the set with another scene of oral sex, but this time he is forced to beat the woman in the face, while the young orphan girl watches on in approval.
At the fifty-four minute mark, Milos and Vukmir watch a short film that I’ll call “Newborn”, and up until then, “A Serbian Film” had been any other typical horror film, but this short film takes it one depraved step further, and that scene alone is the reason for all the commotion to have the film being banned from many film festivals (and countries for that matter). It’s also a pivotal scene for Milos’ character; now that he’s seen too much, he cannot back out from his agreement. He’s drugged and brought back to complete his half of the contract. What follows are several scenes of misogyny, brutality, and some perverted dialogue from the orphan’s grandmother…and that’s not including the finale, oh no! The ending is just as shocking, if not MORE, than any previous scene in the film! Even the last line uttered in the film is a kicker (but if you’ve seen everything already, why turn it off until then)!
To put it mildly, this film is dangerous in the hands of a weaker viewer. Not for the squeamish, close-minded, or easily offended. Several films come to mind that I would liken it to: 8MM, Salo (120 Days of Sodom), Irreversible, and the one I mentioned in the beginning, The Last House on the Left. While I was very impressed with the writing and dialogue of the film to get to the nasty scenes, I’m left wondering how far filmmaking will go for the sake of grossing out an audience. But hell, directors have been doing it since “Un Chien Andalou” with the eye scene, and that was 1929! I found it to be an amazing export from the country of Yugoslavia (filmed in its capital, Belgrade), and a complement to the European horror movement of the last five years or so (with Martyrs, Haute Tension, Frontier (s), etc.). I must leave you with the proverbial, “View at your own risk”, but if you’re any type of true horror fan, you gotta see it. No, I’m sorry, not just see it, experience it. It’ll stay with you.
~Erik The Gorehound~
