- Published on
site update
So many movies ... so little time ...
On this day in 2019 (in the United Kingdom), The Devil's Machine (aka Automata) enjoyed its first theatrical presentation when it was screened for audiences of the Glasgow Film Festival. Directed by Lawrie Brewster from a story by Sarah Daly, the film starred Jamie Scott Gordon, Alexandra Hulme, Jonathan Hansler, and others.
According to our friends at IMDB.com, here's the plot summary:
"Antique expert Brendon Cole is sent to authenticate a 300-year-old clockwork doll with notorious history, aka "The Inferno Princess". In the remote Scottish mansion where it was discovered, Brendon soon finds himself the victim of the automaton's legendary curse."
For the record:
To the film's credit, The Devil's Machine manufactured a bit of praise from screenings on the film festival circuit.
-- EZ
From Google.com:
One of the most unique aspects of the 2019 horror film The Devil's Machine (originally titled Automata), directed by Lawrie Brewster and written by Sarah Daly, is its blending of Gothic horror with a highly physical, dance-based performance to bring its titular automaton to life.
Here are other unique details about the film:
On this day in 2019 (in the United Kingdom), The Devil's Machine (aka Automata) enjoyed its first theatrical presentation when it was screened for audiences of the Glasgow Film Festival. Directed by Lawrie Brewster from a story by Sarah Daly, the film starred Jamie Scott Gordon, Alexandra Hulme, Jonathan Hansler, and others.
According to our friends at IMDB.com, here's the plot summary:
"Antique expert Brendon Cole is sent to authenticate a 300-year-old clockwork doll with notorious history, aka "The Inferno Princess". In the remote Scottish mansion where it was discovered, Brendon soon finds himself the victim of the automaton's legendary curse."
For the record:
To the film's credit, The Devil's Machine manufactured a bit of praise from screenings on the film festival circuit.
-- EZ
From Google.com:
One of the most unique aspects of the 2019 horror film The Devil's Machine (originally titled Automata), directed by Lawrie Brewster and written by Sarah Daly, is its blending of Gothic horror with a highly physical, dance-based performance to bring its titular automaton to life.
Here are other unique details about the film:
- The "Infernal Princess" Performance: Alexandra Hulme, who plays the titular automaton, uses her background in dance to give the doll a chilling, precise, and non-verbal performance, relying entirely on body language to convey horror.
- Record-Breaking Kickstarter: The film was partly funded through a Kickstarter campaign that, by May 2018, became the most funded narrative film in the United Kingdom on the platform.
- Thematic Focus on "Trapped" Humanity: The movie serves as a metaphor for the trap of patriarchy and the objectification of women, using the doll as a representation of a soul trapped in a mechanical form.
- Atmospheric Style: It is often described as an indie horror that mimics the style of Italian Gothic cinema (Mario Bava, Dario Argento) and the Roger Corman-directed Poe adaptations.
- Production Context: It is a product of Hex Studios and Dark Dunes Productions, known for creating indie horror films in Scotland with a distinctively high-production, artistic feel despite a low budget.
- Published on
site update
So many movies ... so little time ...
On this day in 1973 (in Italy), The Bloodstained Lawn (aka Il prato macchiato di rosso) enjoyed its theatrical debut. Written and directed by Riccardo Ghione, the film starred Marina Malfatti, Enzo Tarascio, Daniela Caroli, and others.
According to our friends at IMDB.com, here's the plot summary:
"Mysterious individuals pick up hitchhikers, prostitutes, and bums off the streets and take them back to their large villa, where they are initially treated with generosity and kindness, but things slowly take a turn for the worse."
-- EZ
From Google.com:
The Bloodstained Lawn (Italian: Il prato macchiato di rosso, 1973) is considered science fiction primarily due to its central plot revolving around a technological, scientific mechanism used for vampirism, rather than supernatural magic. While often categorized as a giallo or horror film, it blends these genres with sci-fi elements to explore themes of bourgeois decadence and exploitation.
Here is why it is classified as science fiction:
While it fits within the 1970s Italian exploitation genre (giallo/horror), the "sci-fi edge" is considered a key component of its narrative structure.
On this day in 1973 (in Italy), The Bloodstained Lawn (aka Il prato macchiato di rosso) enjoyed its theatrical debut. Written and directed by Riccardo Ghione, the film starred Marina Malfatti, Enzo Tarascio, Daniela Caroli, and others.
According to our friends at IMDB.com, here's the plot summary:
"Mysterious individuals pick up hitchhikers, prostitutes, and bums off the streets and take them back to their large villa, where they are initially treated with generosity and kindness, but things slowly take a turn for the worse."
-- EZ
From Google.com:
The Bloodstained Lawn (Italian: Il prato macchiato di rosso, 1973) is considered science fiction primarily due to its central plot revolving around a technological, scientific mechanism used for vampirism, rather than supernatural magic. While often categorized as a giallo or horror film, it blends these genres with sci-fi elements to explore themes of bourgeois decadence and exploitation.
Here is why it is classified as science fiction:
- The "Vampire Machine": Instead of traditional, supernatural vampires, the film features a "mad scientist" character, Antonio, who has created a machine that extracts blood from humans.
- Scientific Exploitation: The plot involves a group of aristocrats who lure hippies and vagrants to an isolated villa to harvest their blood and organs for sale, using this technological device.
- Science-Based Supermen: A character in the film speaks of developing a "master race of supermen" through these scientific methods.
- Sci-Fi/Horror Fusion: Critics and researchers often describe it as a bizarre fusion of horror and science fiction, where a "blood-sucking robot" or machine acts as the horror element.
- Social Commentary via Technology: The machine is used to metaphorically represent the exploitation of the lower class by the rich, a common theme in speculative fiction.
While it fits within the 1970s Italian exploitation genre (giallo/horror), the "sci-fi edge" is considered a key component of its narrative structure.
- Published on
site update
So many movies ... so little time ...
On this day in 2023 (in Taiwan), a collective chill came over all of mankind when Ice Storm enjoyed its debut. Directed by Jared Cohn from a story by Bryan Coyne and Marc Gottlieb, the film starred McKenzie Westmore, Grant Bowler, Tyler Christopher, and others.
According to our friends at IMDB.com, here's the plot summary:
"A group of climatologists and disaster relief experts are called in to action when record low temperatures cause North Carolina to freeze over."
-- EZ
On this day in 2023 (in Taiwan), a collective chill came over all of mankind when Ice Storm enjoyed its debut. Directed by Jared Cohn from a story by Bryan Coyne and Marc Gottlieb, the film starred McKenzie Westmore, Grant Bowler, Tyler Christopher, and others.
According to our friends at IMDB.com, here's the plot summary:
"A group of climatologists and disaster relief experts are called in to action when record low temperatures cause North Carolina to freeze over."
-- EZ
- Published on
site update
So many movies ... so little time ...
On this day in 2022 (in Canada), Spoonful Of Sugar enjoyed its first exhibition ever when it was unveiled via streaming over the Information Superhighway. Directed by Mercedes Bryce Morgan from a story by Leah Saint Marie, the film starred Morgan Saylor, Kat Foster, Danilo Crovetti, and others.
According to our friends at IMDB.com, here's the plot summary:
"Millicent is taking a semester off from her studies to take care of Johnny, a sickly, mute child with severe allergies. His mother, Rebecca, is an author and his father, Jacob, is a carpenter."
ExtraExtra Alert:
In 2023, I received complimentary streaming access to Spoonful Of Sugar (2022) via a distributor in exchange for review coverage on SciFiHistory.Net. Interested readers can find my review right here.
-- EZ
From Google.com:
The 2022 horror-thriller A Spoonful of Sugar, directed by Mercedes Bryce Morgan, is a trippy exploration of Munchausen syndrome by proxy, where a nanny microdoses her allergic charge with LSD. It features surreal, hallucinatory visuals, a soundtrack nodding to Alice in Wonderland, and a chilling exploration of suburban paranoia.
Here are some interesting details about the film:
On this day in 2022 (in Canada), Spoonful Of Sugar enjoyed its first exhibition ever when it was unveiled via streaming over the Information Superhighway. Directed by Mercedes Bryce Morgan from a story by Leah Saint Marie, the film starred Morgan Saylor, Kat Foster, Danilo Crovetti, and others.
According to our friends at IMDB.com, here's the plot summary:
"Millicent is taking a semester off from her studies to take care of Johnny, a sickly, mute child with severe allergies. His mother, Rebecca, is an author and his father, Jacob, is a carpenter."
ExtraExtra Alert:
In 2023, I received complimentary streaming access to Spoonful Of Sugar (2022) via a distributor in exchange for review coverage on SciFiHistory.Net. Interested readers can find my review right here.
-- EZ
From Google.com:
The 2022 horror-thriller A Spoonful of Sugar, directed by Mercedes Bryce Morgan, is a trippy exploration of Munchausen syndrome by proxy, where a nanny microdoses her allergic charge with LSD. It features surreal, hallucinatory visuals, a soundtrack nodding to Alice in Wonderland, and a chilling exploration of suburban paranoia.
Here are some interesting details about the film:
- LSD as Treatment: The plot revolves around a nanny who gives her patient LSD, which unexpectedly seems to cure his non-verbal state, blending psychedelic themes with a dark, psychological thriller.
- Surrealism Over Substance: Instead of over-the-top, psychedelic effects, the film uses subtle, dark visual cues and changing, unnerving lighting to represent the main character's, Millicent's, mental state.
- "Alice in Wonderland" Influence: The film is heavily influenced by the Lewis Carroll story, even featuring a song by The Berkeley Kites, which hints at the sinister, dreamlike, and sometimes nightmarish, descent into the family's secrets.
- Questioning Reality: The film, which is available on Shudder, challenges viewers to figure out what is real and what is a hallucination, with a "toxic throuple" dynamic developing.
- Directing Style: Director Mercedes Bryce Morgan creates a slow-burn, atmospheric film that focuses on the unsettling, rather than relying solely on jump scares.
- Published on
site update
So many movies ... so little time ...
On this day in 2023 (in Australia), The Unheard was first heard of when it was released via streaming across the Information Superhighway. Directed by Jeffrey A. Brown from a story by Michael and Shawn Rasmussen, the film starred Lachlan Watson, Nick Sandow, Brendan Meyer, and others.
According to our friends at IMDB.com, here's the plot summary:
"Chloe Grayden undergoes an experimental procedure to restore her hearing. So she begins to suffer from auditory hallucinations related to the vanishing of her mother."
-- EZ
From Google.com:
2023's The Unheard highlights the dangers of relying on experimental technology to "fix" human limitations, suggesting that rushing into unproven, intrusive, or medical, advancements—like the stem cell treatment in the film—can lead to unintended psychological, sensory, or physical consequences. The film explores how technological fixes can disrupt one's perception of reality and memory.
The Unheard focuses on the psychological dangers of, potentially, invasive, experimental, and, possibly, medical, technologies on human perception.
On this day in 2023 (in Australia), The Unheard was first heard of when it was released via streaming across the Information Superhighway. Directed by Jeffrey A. Brown from a story by Michael and Shawn Rasmussen, the film starred Lachlan Watson, Nick Sandow, Brendan Meyer, and others.
According to our friends at IMDB.com, here's the plot summary:
"Chloe Grayden undergoes an experimental procedure to restore her hearing. So she begins to suffer from auditory hallucinations related to the vanishing of her mother."
-- EZ
From Google.com:
2023's The Unheard highlights the dangers of relying on experimental technology to "fix" human limitations, suggesting that rushing into unproven, intrusive, or medical, advancements—like the stem cell treatment in the film—can lead to unintended psychological, sensory, or physical consequences. The film explores how technological fixes can disrupt one's perception of reality and memory.
- Experimental Tech Risks: The film focuses on the protagonist, Chloe, who undergoes experimental stem cell surgery to regain her hearing. The procedure brings back sound, but also introduces terrifying auditory hallucinations and "ghostly whispers," suggesting the danger of unforeseen, long-term side effects from unproven technology.
- Disruption of Reality: The technology acts as a bridge between the physical world and a traumatic, blurred, or distorted past. It forces the user to confront nightmares, showing how technology can alter or distort reality rather than solely improving it.
- Isolation in Technology: Instead of improving connection, the film explores how the "fix" increases isolation, with the character navigating a, initially, silent and subsequently confusing world while isolated in a, presumably, haunted childhood home.
The Unheard focuses on the psychological dangers of, potentially, invasive, experimental, and, possibly, medical, technologies on human perception.
- Published on
site update
So many movies ... so little time ...
On this day in 1987 (in the U.S.), Freddy Krueger was back in the business of terrorizing America's youth when A Nightmare On Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors was released in theaters. Directed by Chuck Russell from a story by Wes Craven and Bruce Wagner, the film starred Robert Englund, Heather Langenkamp, Craig Wasson, and others.
According to our friends at IMDB.com, here's the plot summary:
"A psychiatrist, familiar with the knife-wielding dream demon Freddy Krueger, helps teens at a mental hospital battle the killer who is invading their dreams."
For the record:
At the 1988 Saturn Awards, A Nightmare On Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors received nominations in the categories of 'Best Make-Up,' 'Best Supporting Actor,' and 'Best Horror Film.'
-- EZ
On this day in 1987 (in the U.S.), Freddy Krueger was back in the business of terrorizing America's youth when A Nightmare On Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors was released in theaters. Directed by Chuck Russell from a story by Wes Craven and Bruce Wagner, the film starred Robert Englund, Heather Langenkamp, Craig Wasson, and others.
According to our friends at IMDB.com, here's the plot summary:
"A psychiatrist, familiar with the knife-wielding dream demon Freddy Krueger, helps teens at a mental hospital battle the killer who is invading their dreams."
For the record:
At the 1988 Saturn Awards, A Nightmare On Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors received nominations in the categories of 'Best Make-Up,' 'Best Supporting Actor,' and 'Best Horror Film.'
-- EZ
- Published on
site update
So many movies ... so little time ...
On this day in 2021 (in Canada, the United Kingdom, and the U.S.), Sensation enjoyed its initial release via the Information Superhighway. Written (in part) and directed by Martin Grof, the film starred Eugene Simon, Emily Wyatt, Jennifer Martin, and others.
According to our friends at IMDB.com, here's the plot summary:
"When a lowly postman is inducted into a top-secret superhuman DNA program at a research facility, it's revealed that he'll be able to receive, control and send information based on the senses of others."
For the record:
Along with some positive praise from organizations acknowledging storytelling excellence, Sensation earned a bit of praise from a screening on the film festival circuit.
-- EZ
On this day in 2021 (in Canada, the United Kingdom, and the U.S.), Sensation enjoyed its initial release via the Information Superhighway. Written (in part) and directed by Martin Grof, the film starred Eugene Simon, Emily Wyatt, Jennifer Martin, and others.
According to our friends at IMDB.com, here's the plot summary:
"When a lowly postman is inducted into a top-secret superhuman DNA program at a research facility, it's revealed that he'll be able to receive, control and send information based on the senses of others."
For the record:
Along with some positive praise from organizations acknowledging storytelling excellence, Sensation earned a bit of praise from a screening on the film festival circuit.
-- EZ
- Published on
site update
So many movies ... so little time ...
On this day in 2011 (in the U.S.), Rat Scratch Fever delivered a ominous kind of vermin to the streets of the world! Written and directed by Jeff Leroy, the film starred Randal Malone, Tasha Tacosa, Ford Austin, and others.
According to our friends at IMDB.com, here's the plot summary:
"Brought back from a doomed space mission, an army of giant rats develop a big appetite for Los Angeles residents."
For the record:
To the film's credit, Rat Scratch Fever scrounged up a bit of positive praise from screenings on the film festival circuit.
-- EZ
On this day in 2011 (in the U.S.), Rat Scratch Fever delivered a ominous kind of vermin to the streets of the world! Written and directed by Jeff Leroy, the film starred Randal Malone, Tasha Tacosa, Ford Austin, and others.
According to our friends at IMDB.com, here's the plot summary:
"Brought back from a doomed space mission, an army of giant rats develop a big appetite for Los Angeles residents."
For the record:
To the film's credit, Rat Scratch Fever scrounged up a bit of positive praise from screenings on the film festival circuit.
-- EZ
- Published on
(NOTE: The following review will contain minor spoilers necessary solely for the discussion of plot and/or characters. If you’re the type of reader who prefers a review entirely spoiler-free, then I’d encourage you to skip down to the last few paragraphs for the final assessment. If, however, you’re accepting of a few modest hints at ‘things to come,’ then read on …)
From the film’s IMDB.com page citation:
“A group of friends travel for a weekend away to an isolated cabin in the woods to shoot an experimental horror movie. Slowly the film begins to unravel, and we see the true monster appear from the shadows. The director.”
I’ve mentioned before – much to the chagrin of a significant portion of the SciFiHistory.Net readership – that I’m a fan of the whole ‘found footage format’ of storytelling.
Yes, yes, and yes: I hear you. I realize that – to some degree – it’s been done to death. Any auteur with a video camera or a Smartphone can throw one together over a weekend. Naturally, the results will vary, but – from my limited perspective – these stories might just be the last bastion of truly original yarnspinning on affordable budgets. They have their own DNA – some of its obviously ‘junk DNA,’ if you catch my meaning – and they’re arguably not for everyone. That being said, if you’re entirely uninterested in knowing more about yet one more of these entries, feel free to turn and run at this juncture.
For those of you still reading (and thank you for doing so), Anacoreta (2022) is a bit of a puzzle critically, narratively, and experimentally. Writer/director Jeremy Schuetze (who also headlines the piece) plays Jeremy – an emerging screenwriter and director – who can’t quite seem to catch a break in the process of building a kinda/sorta ‘found footage’ film entirely of his own. But being the resilient soul that he is, Jeremy drags his girlfriend Antonia (played by Antonia Thomas) and pals Matt (Matt Visser) and Jesse (Jesse Stanley) along with a few others into the great American frontier for a weekend of guerilla filmmaking … the kind where there’s really no script but an amalgam of ideas loosely strung together around a premise (not a plot).
As the dirty little secret to the subgenre is nothing is as it seems nor will it function without innumerable plot twists, Anacoreta sadly unfolds in the same kinda/sorta loopy, nebulous, and predictable format. Jeremy’s penchant for not sharing production details with the cast leads to a few easy surprises, giving a few of the film’s earlier scenes a modest bit of the usual but necessary nightmare fuel. Sadly, there just isn’t enough serious momentum to any of his/their shenanigans, and Anacoreta can’t quite salvage any big scares on its limited budget with the otherwise workable Folk Horror concept of its second half.
Making matters worse, Schuetze hasn’t really even built a legitimate ‘found footage film’ to begin with. While that’s how it’s advertised and clearly hums in a few sequences, the fragile reality that everything one sees is entirely manufactured cannot be escaped. For example, no one ever (ever!) takes of their individual microphones, meaning that the audience can hear them clearly whether or not they’re a hundred meters away or even on the other side of a closed door or window. A few scenes are even backed with theme music; and – apologies, folks – that defies the whole ‘found footage’ construct. Because the flick never separates itself from the feeling of a studio shoot, it grows increasingly clear that what he and his conspirators are attempting isn’t some theatrical discovery after the team’s demise but a work of pure fiction … a kinda/sorta film within a film within a film.
Indeed, when Anacoreta reaches its fever pitch, there’s barely any realistic ‘found footage’ in here, and there’s even less Horror. What there is are pieces of each type of story, but they’re so predictably strung together I can’t imagine anyone falling for the ruse at any point on the shared journey. The characters themselves aren’t unique enough to warrant anything particularly explosive either: each is rather plainly drawn to serve the assembly instead of serving the story on any emotional level, so audiences end up spending about ninety minutes with the blandest road trip ever, never getting to the big scary reveal one shows up expecting from this kind of fare.
Lastly, it’s worth noting that – according to IMDB.com – the film was completed in 2022 (the site indicates it made a festival appearance) but appears to have languished in obscurity until 2026. That curious fact alone suggests that maybe the effort just wasn’t significant enough to land any major distribution deal (until the present when streamers are constantly searching for new content); and it kinda/sorta suggests that – ahem – maybe this one is a bit sub-standard. Granted, found footage projects aren’t exactly hot properties these days; and the fact that this one both is and isn’t a chiller or thriller on any conceivable level underscores that those heading in expecting something special are likely to be disappointed … to say the least.
Anacoreta (2022) was produced by FilmHub. A quick search of Google.com indicates that the film is available via a variety of streaming sources. As for the technical specifications? While I’m no trained video expert, I can assure you that writer/director fashioned this effort as a ‘found footage’ type; and, sadly, he mimics mostly the weaknesses of that subgenre throughout with the singular exception (a dead giveaway, too) of constantly ‘miking up’ the participants. As such, it never quite feels at all like found footage, and that’s something everyone should keep in mind while watching. (Hint: it may not be.) Lastly, if you’re looking for special features? Because I viewed this one via streaming, there were no special features under consideration.
Alas … only Mildly Recommended.
While my problems with Anacoreta (2022) are myriad, my disapproval of it boils down to the fact that not only is it most patently not a ‘found footage film’ (as producers advertised) but also it really offer the slim pickings of an actual story. Its characters are dimensionless clones that we’ve all seen elsewhere (and performed better); and its constantly shifting focus from one to the next makes it difficult to appreciate much less care about this odd journey they seemingly find themselves wrapped up in. Lastly, it isn’t even an authentic Horror flick – which, again, is what many of us went in expecting – making me feel like everyone involved knew full well they’d have to dupe potential viewers into accepting what they made … not unlike the tale’s budding filmmaker’s best efforts. At best, it’s a theatrical parlor trick, the kind that gets celebrated at festivals but never finds mass appeal.
In the interests of fairness, I’m pleased to disclose that the fine folks at FilmHub provided me with complimentary streaming access to Anacoreta (2022) by request for the expressed purpose of completing this review. Their contribution to me in no way, shape, or form influenced my opinion of it.
-- EZ
From the film’s IMDB.com page citation:
“A group of friends travel for a weekend away to an isolated cabin in the woods to shoot an experimental horror movie. Slowly the film begins to unravel, and we see the true monster appear from the shadows. The director.”
I’ve mentioned before – much to the chagrin of a significant portion of the SciFiHistory.Net readership – that I’m a fan of the whole ‘found footage format’ of storytelling.
Yes, yes, and yes: I hear you. I realize that – to some degree – it’s been done to death. Any auteur with a video camera or a Smartphone can throw one together over a weekend. Naturally, the results will vary, but – from my limited perspective – these stories might just be the last bastion of truly original yarnspinning on affordable budgets. They have their own DNA – some of its obviously ‘junk DNA,’ if you catch my meaning – and they’re arguably not for everyone. That being said, if you’re entirely uninterested in knowing more about yet one more of these entries, feel free to turn and run at this juncture.
For those of you still reading (and thank you for doing so), Anacoreta (2022) is a bit of a puzzle critically, narratively, and experimentally. Writer/director Jeremy Schuetze (who also headlines the piece) plays Jeremy – an emerging screenwriter and director – who can’t quite seem to catch a break in the process of building a kinda/sorta ‘found footage’ film entirely of his own. But being the resilient soul that he is, Jeremy drags his girlfriend Antonia (played by Antonia Thomas) and pals Matt (Matt Visser) and Jesse (Jesse Stanley) along with a few others into the great American frontier for a weekend of guerilla filmmaking … the kind where there’s really no script but an amalgam of ideas loosely strung together around a premise (not a plot).
As the dirty little secret to the subgenre is nothing is as it seems nor will it function without innumerable plot twists, Anacoreta sadly unfolds in the same kinda/sorta loopy, nebulous, and predictable format. Jeremy’s penchant for not sharing production details with the cast leads to a few easy surprises, giving a few of the film’s earlier scenes a modest bit of the usual but necessary nightmare fuel. Sadly, there just isn’t enough serious momentum to any of his/their shenanigans, and Anacoreta can’t quite salvage any big scares on its limited budget with the otherwise workable Folk Horror concept of its second half.
Making matters worse, Schuetze hasn’t really even built a legitimate ‘found footage film’ to begin with. While that’s how it’s advertised and clearly hums in a few sequences, the fragile reality that everything one sees is entirely manufactured cannot be escaped. For example, no one ever (ever!) takes of their individual microphones, meaning that the audience can hear them clearly whether or not they’re a hundred meters away or even on the other side of a closed door or window. A few scenes are even backed with theme music; and – apologies, folks – that defies the whole ‘found footage’ construct. Because the flick never separates itself from the feeling of a studio shoot, it grows increasingly clear that what he and his conspirators are attempting isn’t some theatrical discovery after the team’s demise but a work of pure fiction … a kinda/sorta film within a film within a film.
Indeed, when Anacoreta reaches its fever pitch, there’s barely any realistic ‘found footage’ in here, and there’s even less Horror. What there is are pieces of each type of story, but they’re so predictably strung together I can’t imagine anyone falling for the ruse at any point on the shared journey. The characters themselves aren’t unique enough to warrant anything particularly explosive either: each is rather plainly drawn to serve the assembly instead of serving the story on any emotional level, so audiences end up spending about ninety minutes with the blandest road trip ever, never getting to the big scary reveal one shows up expecting from this kind of fare.
Lastly, it’s worth noting that – according to IMDB.com – the film was completed in 2022 (the site indicates it made a festival appearance) but appears to have languished in obscurity until 2026. That curious fact alone suggests that maybe the effort just wasn’t significant enough to land any major distribution deal (until the present when streamers are constantly searching for new content); and it kinda/sorta suggests that – ahem – maybe this one is a bit sub-standard. Granted, found footage projects aren’t exactly hot properties these days; and the fact that this one both is and isn’t a chiller or thriller on any conceivable level underscores that those heading in expecting something special are likely to be disappointed … to say the least.
Anacoreta (2022) was produced by FilmHub. A quick search of Google.com indicates that the film is available via a variety of streaming sources. As for the technical specifications? While I’m no trained video expert, I can assure you that writer/director fashioned this effort as a ‘found footage’ type; and, sadly, he mimics mostly the weaknesses of that subgenre throughout with the singular exception (a dead giveaway, too) of constantly ‘miking up’ the participants. As such, it never quite feels at all like found footage, and that’s something everyone should keep in mind while watching. (Hint: it may not be.) Lastly, if you’re looking for special features? Because I viewed this one via streaming, there were no special features under consideration.
Alas … only Mildly Recommended.
While my problems with Anacoreta (2022) are myriad, my disapproval of it boils down to the fact that not only is it most patently not a ‘found footage film’ (as producers advertised) but also it really offer the slim pickings of an actual story. Its characters are dimensionless clones that we’ve all seen elsewhere (and performed better); and its constantly shifting focus from one to the next makes it difficult to appreciate much less care about this odd journey they seemingly find themselves wrapped up in. Lastly, it isn’t even an authentic Horror flick – which, again, is what many of us went in expecting – making me feel like everyone involved knew full well they’d have to dupe potential viewers into accepting what they made … not unlike the tale’s budding filmmaker’s best efforts. At best, it’s a theatrical parlor trick, the kind that gets celebrated at festivals but never finds mass appeal.
In the interests of fairness, I’m pleased to disclose that the fine folks at FilmHub provided me with complimentary streaming access to Anacoreta (2022) by request for the expressed purpose of completing this review. Their contribution to me in no way, shape, or form influenced my opinion of it.
-- EZ
- Published on
in memoriam
Let me tell you a tale of two generations ...
For one group -- namely, the one I'm a part of -- actor Robert Carradine is likely best known as a comic actor who truly came into his own with a role aboard 1984's box office hit Revenge Of The Nerds, a college-based comedy about a group of social misfits who turn the tables on the institutional Greek scene. It was an Intellectual Property popular enough to warrant a sequel or two, but nothing matched the power of the original.
For another group -- one I sometimes struggle to relate to, as do a good number of my peers -- Carradine is best known as the screen father to none other than Lizzie McGuire (aka Hilary Duff), a tween who spent her formative years navigating those treacherous waters of fashion and friendship.
You see, this is what always impresses me about our shared cultures: a great talent can not only be known and appreciated by young and old but also he can mean things on a personal level to entirely different generations of the audience. Granted, I can't even begin to educate my readership on anything other than a Google.com summary of All Things Lizzie McGuire, and yet I'm still happy to point out that they -- like me and my generation -- formed a bond with a creative that transcends our age differences. That's always fascinating.
The truth is that -- across his storied career -- Carradine was definitely someone to watch in the realms of the Fantastic. While never, perhaps, having any big, breakout performance in anything entirely devoted to Science Fiction, Fantasy, or Horror, he still manages to rack up a good amount of screen time doing what he did as only he could. A rundown of the enterprises he can seen aboard includes:
Our warmest prayers are extended to the family, friends, and fans of Robert Carradine.
May he rest in peace.
-- EZ
For one group -- namely, the one I'm a part of -- actor Robert Carradine is likely best known as a comic actor who truly came into his own with a role aboard 1984's box office hit Revenge Of The Nerds, a college-based comedy about a group of social misfits who turn the tables on the institutional Greek scene. It was an Intellectual Property popular enough to warrant a sequel or two, but nothing matched the power of the original.
For another group -- one I sometimes struggle to relate to, as do a good number of my peers -- Carradine is best known as the screen father to none other than Lizzie McGuire (aka Hilary Duff), a tween who spent her formative years navigating those treacherous waters of fashion and friendship.
You see, this is what always impresses me about our shared cultures: a great talent can not only be known and appreciated by young and old but also he can mean things on a personal level to entirely different generations of the audience. Granted, I can't even begin to educate my readership on anything other than a Google.com summary of All Things Lizzie McGuire, and yet I'm still happy to point out that they -- like me and my generation -- formed a bond with a creative that transcends our age differences. That's always fascinating.
The truth is that -- across his storied career -- Carradine was definitely someone to watch in the realms of the Fantastic. While never, perhaps, having any big, breakout performance in anything entirely devoted to Science Fiction, Fantasy, or Horror, he still manages to rack up a good amount of screen time doing what he did as only he could. A rundown of the enterprises he can seen aboard includes:
- Massacre At Central High (1976)
- Orca (1977)
- Wavelength (1983)
- Alfred Hitchcock Presents
- The Twilight Zone
- Faerie Tale Theatre
- I Saw What You Did (1988)
- Clarence (1990)
- The Tommyknockers
- Body Bags (1993)
- Lois & Clark: The New Adventures Of Superman
- Escape From L.A. (1996)
- Humanoids From The Deep (1996)
- Dark Skies
- The Pretender
- Scorpio One (1998)
- The Effects Of Magic (1998)
- Lycanthrope (1999)
- The Kid With X-Ray Eyes (1999)
- Ghosts Of Mars (2001)
- Timecop: The Berlin Decision (2003)
- Attack Of The Sabertooth (2005)
- Hoboken Hollow (2006)
- Monster Night (2006)
- Tooth And Nail (2007)
- The 13th Alley (2008)
- The Terror Experiment (2010)
- Slumber Party Slaughter (2012)
- Sharktopus Vs Pteracuda (2014)
- Doomsday Device (2017)
- Human Zoo (2020)
- Medinah
- Skate To Hell (2026)
Our warmest prayers are extended to the family, friends, and fans of Robert Carradine.
May he rest in peace.
-- EZ