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Isleen Pines
USA 2023
produced by Alexys Paonessa, Matthew Festle, Matt Lael, Charles Solomon jr, Scott Alan Ward, Dustin Hubbard (executive), Keith Reinert (executive), Kody Robling (executive), Brian Bell (executive), Marvin Maddicks jr (executive), Robert Nemere (executive), Derek Easley (executive), Megan Easley (executive), Natasha Janina Valdez (executive), John Festle (executive), Douglas Levinson (executive), Matthew Zuckerman (executive) for 3 Keys Media, A Ward Productions, Master of Disaster FX
directed by Alexys Paonessa, Matthew Festle
starring Naiia Lajoie, Darren Deng, Jackson Turner, Matthew Festle, Jeremiah Benjamin, Justin Armao, Scott Alan Ward, Brian Bell, Alan Maxson, Glenn Plummer, August Kyss, Michael Della Pia, Auzi Capri, Kimi Valdivia, Melissa Falcetano, Jessica Blue, Oliver Poser, Jeramis McFadden, Charles Solomon jr, Mary Ellen Turner (voice), Robby Quinn (voice), Gina Georgette & the Monarchs (= Gina Georgette, Frankie De La Torre, Jarrod Keith, Ben Marazzi)
written by Alexys Paonessa, Matthew Festle, alien designs, puppets and special effects by Alexys Paonessa, special effects makeup by Oliver Poser
review by Mike Haberfelner
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Meeting up to go to a Halloween party, four friends, dressed up as
witch (Naiia Lajoie), zombie (Darren Deng), vampire (Jackson Turner) and
ghost (Matthew Festle), respectively, have some pre-party drinks - only
ghost isn't feeling too well - and on the toilet, an alien worm bursts out
of him, effectively killing him, which shares the other shitless of
course. They soon conclude that this has to have something to do with a
strange relic they've found on the doorstep that they originally
considered a Halloween prank but now sonclude it must be something from
another world ... and it most probably belongs to that alien (Alan Maxson)
they stumble upon that's on a killing spree. And while our friends still
muse over what to do and whether they still ought to go to the party, the
alien worm has already taken residence at a neighbour's (Glenn Plummer),
killing the neibhbour in the process ... In many ways, this
feels like a throwback to 1980s horror movies, movies where the comedic
and the terrifying could still co-exist, and an outburst of (often gory)
violence wouldn't mean there can't be comedy in the very next scene. But
having said that, despite many references to these movies of old -
starting with the alien itself that has a definite Predator
vibe to it -, Isleen Pines is more than just a copycat film, as
while its (actually quite thin) premise might be a tad on the derivative
side, its story-telling definitely is not, as it puts a strong emphasis on
character development and uses clichéed characters only for comical
purposes, plus the film has a good eye for humourous details. And that the
lead cast manages to walk the line between comedy and drama sure also
helps making this a very enjoyable genre experience.
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review © by Mike Haberfelner
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Robots and rats,
demons and potholes, cuddly toys and shopping mall Santas,
love and death and everything in between,
Tales to Chill Your Bones to is all of that.
Tales to Chill Your Bones to -
a collection of short stories and mini-plays ranging from the horrific to the darkly humourous,
from the post-apocalyptic to the weirdly romantic,
tales that will give you a chill and maybe a chuckle,
all thought up by the twisted mind of screenwriter and film reviewer Michael Haberfelner.
Tales to Chill Your Bones to
the new anthology by Michael Haberfelner
Out now from Amazon!!! |
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