REVIEW: “House” (Japanese, 1977)

TAGLINE: Apparently, there was no official tagline for this Japanese release. But it may as well be “The Weirdest Movie Ever Dreamt.”

SYNOPSIS: If ever there was a movie that refuses to be pigeonholed, it is House. It’s technically not even a horror film, although it has plenty of classic horror elements: Malevolent, creepy house? Check. Weird handicapped mistress of said house? Check. Ghosts and eerie paranormal activity? Check. Lost Patrol-like dwindling numbers? Check and double-check. But it also embraces children’s fairytales, Saturday morning cartoons, art house pretensions, high school drama club-level acting, music video sensibilities, and pretty much every non-CGI special effect under the sun. It plays like a cross between a fever dream and an acid flashback, as told by Shaggy from Scooby-Doo. Plus, haunted watermelons and a cat with magic-beam eyes. And, out of nowhere: boobs.

TRAILER: Elijah Wood performs under pressure in ‘Grand Piano’

It’s an interesting premise, with a DePalma/Hitchcock vibe, reminiscent of 2002’s Phone Booth: Concert pianist Tom Selznick (Elijah Wood) mounts a comeback after suffering from severe stage fright. Mid-performance, he finds a message scrawled in red on his score: “Play one wrong note and you die” – a point driven home by the appearance of a  laser pinpoint on his hand. John Cusack co-stars as his mysterious tormentor. Spain’s Eugenio Mira directs.

Grand Piano has been relatively well-received on the festival circuit, with appearances at the Torino Film Festival, London Film Festival, Sitges Film Festival, and Austin’s Fantastic Fest, among others. It’s set for Video On Demand (VOD) release January 30th, and will hit theaters starting March 7th.

REVIEW: “Sinister” (2012)

TAGLINE: Once you see him, nothing can save you.

Color me surprised. Despite plot holes big enough to drive a tank through and an overly twitchy lead performance from Ethan Hawke, this film delivers the goods. It has been a long time since I cried out during a horror film – and I cried out more than once during Sinister. I like to think I’m jaded in that respect, that I’ve seen it all before. But this movie has several segments that will make you acutely uncomfortable – to the point of being unbearable. Hell, there is one particular sustained jolt that had me pushing away, actually trying to put distance between myself and the screen.

That just doesn’t happen to me.

[We posted the trailer for Sinister on this site back in June 2012.]