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Suburban Gothic
USA 2014
produced by Dylan Hale Lewis, Steve Ansell (executive), Richard Bats jr (executive), Yvonne Valdez (executive) for New Normal Films
directed by Richard Bates jr
starring Matthew Gray Gubler, Kat Dennings, Ray Wise, Barbara Niven, Muse Watson, Sally Kirkland, Mel Rodriguez, Jeffrey Combs, John Waters, Ronnie Gene Blevins, Jack Plotnick, Ray Santiago, Shanola Hampton, Mackenzie Phillips, Jessica Camacho, Ashlee Füss, Sibyl Gregory, Mckenna Grace, Marcus Langston, Darin Heames, Christopher Mastandrea Cade Sutton, Hans Howes, Ty LaPlaunt, Jeff Hennessy, Jen Soska, Sylvia Soska
written by Richard Bates jr, Mark Bruner, music by Michl Britsch
review by Mike Haberfelner
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After failing to find a job in the big city despite his business
degree, Raymond (Matthew Gray Gubler) is forced to return to suburbia to
live with his mum Barbara Niven) and dad (Ray Wise) - a white picket fence
world that's living hell for him, and a world that doesn't welcome the
sarcastic metrosexual with open arms, either, especially dad the
narrow-minded high school football coach who judges men merely after their
football talents and for whom Raymond has always been a disappointment -
as a child because he was fat and showed psychic abilitiey, now because
he's effeminate and seems to be gay. The only friend Raymond finds in town
is Becca (Kat Dennings), the cynic barmaid, who hates it here just as much
as he does, but who seems to have a few more means to entertain herself
nevertheless. But there's something even creepier than suburban life
going on as well, the workers in Raymond's parents' garden have unearthed
a box containing the skeleton of a little girl, and one of them (Mel
Rodriguez) has stolen a pendant from right around her neck ... and that
has set free an evil spirit. Then dad has donated the body of the child to
the local museum ... and Raymond has to come to terms with the fact that
he lives in a haunted house, which several "accidents" happening
to him, his parents and visitors to the house prove. And after a local
medium (Sally Kirkland) tries and fails to quiet down the spirit, Raymond
realizes it's upon him to set a few wrongs right, also to save his
parents' house ... but easier said than done since dad has barred him from
the premises, and he lacks the body and the pendant, and has yet to find
out what's behind it all. And he only has Becca by his side, who's at
times a bit of a loose cannon ... Cult icons John Waters and Jeffrey
Combs play the museum curator and a sleazy doctor while indie horror faves
Jen and Sylvia Soska make a very brief appearance as funeral mourners in a
nightmare sequence. Suburban Gothic is a fun little
movie that manages to keep things light-footed throughout and that finds
more inspiration in the works of John Waters and David Lynch than in
contemporary horror - which is a good thing because it gives the movie its
peculiar look and feel and makes it stand out of the crowd. It also
benefits from very poignant dialogue and overall strong performances. What
hurts the movie a bit (apart from the too-happy ending) is that it's
trying too hard to be funny - and don't get me wrong, I love the film's
self-ironic approach, but a few too many times it goes for the cheap joke
rather than subtle humour, and thus isn't allowed to unfold its full
potential. Still, wholly enjoyable!
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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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