Movies
Manhunt: Backwoods Massacre (Rovdyr/Predator) (Norway)
“Fans of no-holds-barred terror flicks will surely enjoy this little gem for its bawdiness and hardliner attitude alone, while cult flick aficionados will certainly relish its many nods to genre classics such as THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE and MOTHER’S DAY.”
The cold, dark and deserted woods of Norway aren’t exactly the most cozy and inviting place on earth… and they get even less inviting when you find out that in fact they are not that deserted at all, but that they’re rather occupied by a gang of merciless redneck sadists, who get their kicks from kidnapping innocent people and hunting ‘em down like game animals. And like all self-respecting redneck psychos, these disagreeable fellows are also not really satisfied with killing their victims fast ‘n clean, but rather do they prefer to torture them in the most brutal ways their deranged minds can come up with.
Too bad that the blonde sweetheart Camilla and her friends Roger, Jorgen and Mia have decided to visit exactly this baneful part of the country during their summer holidays, cause as you can imagine, the grumpy natives are more than happy to give the four kids from the city a welcome they won’t soon forget. And before they even know what’s going on, Camilla and her friends have already fallen prey to the bloodthirsty rednecks and from that moment on “Kill or be killed” is the motto of the day in the dark and dense Norwegian back-country where no one hears your screams except for the sadistic sons of bitches who are responsible for them.
You see, the story of the 2008 Norwegian slasher/shocker flick MANHUNT – BACKWOODS MASSACRE is about as far from being profound, new and revolutionary as it can get and also the main characters (a good-hearted cutie, a self-centered macho, a nerdy comic-fan and an outspoken feminist) are little more than just our typical horror film stereotypes, but apparently this lack of substance and complexity does not work against MANHUNT at all, but rather does the movie’s extreme simplicity and straightforwardness result in a very rough and realistic atmosphere that makes the viewer feel pretty agitated and uncomfortable throughout most of MANHUNT’s running time. As soon as the rednecks come into play and the hunt begins, ROVDYR (as the film is originally titled) turns into an extremely intense tour de force that’s not at all watered down by cheesy Hollywood pathos or contrived stylishness.
With its uncompromising roughness and sheer brutality, this movie grabs you by the throat and clutches harder and harder till you’ve got hardly any air left to breathe. When the rednecks, who are pictured as anonymous, faceless bringers of death throughout most of the movie, blow their victims to pieces with shotguns, rip out their intestines with hunting knives or bind and gag them with barbwire, you can’t help but cringe and feel really uneasy.
Fans of no-holds-barred terror flicks will surely enjoy this little gem for its bawdiness and hardliner attitude alone, while cult flick aficionados will certainly relish its many nods to genre classics such as THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE and MOTHER’S DAY. Sure, first-time director Patrik Syversen hasn’t exactly reinvented the wheel with MANHUNT and I wouldn’t go as far as to call it a masterpiece or instant classic either, but I sure as hell had a great time watching it and will recommend it to every horror freak out there looking for an unpolished and uncompromising low-budget shocker with convincing actors, strong gore effects, good cinematography and a very dense atmosphere.
One of the all-time foundational fixtures in horror is the vampire. That means over a century’s worth of bloodsuckers in film, in various styles and mythology, from across the globe.
As prominent as this movie monster is, with dozens of adaptations of Bram Stoker’s Dracula alone, there’s an overwhelming selection of vampire fare that makes it easy for many worthwhile gems to fall through the cracks. This week’s streaming picks are dedicated to underseen vampire horror movies worth seeking out.
As always, here’s where you can stream them this week.
For more Stay Home, Watch Horror picks, click here.
Mr. Vampire – The Criterion Channel – Plex, the Roku Channel
This supernatural genre-bender from director Ricky Lau stands far apart from standard vampire fare thanks to its comedy, martial arts, and jiangshi. Taoist priest Master Kau (Lam Ching-ying) guards the realm of the living by maintaining control over the area’s hopping vampires, and other restless spirits. When Master Kau is hired to oversee the reburial of an affluent town elder, he and his two bumbling assistants find themselves in a supernatural battle to the death when the elder’s corpse resurrects as jiangshi. Produced by martial artist and Hong Kong cinema legend Sammo Hung, Mr. Vampire was a huge box office success in Hong Kong and launched a franchise. Still, it’s a charming, lively horror comedy that could use more love among contemporary audiences.
My Heart Can’t Beat Unless You Tell It To – Plex, Prime Video, SCREAMBOX
Writer/Director Jonathan Cuartas‘s feature debut feels like a spiritual sibling to We Are What We Are in many ways. Both offer meditative, brooding depictions of isolated families far removed from the rest of the world. Both families are willing to commit unspeakable acts on behalf of their loved ones. In this case, siblings Dwight (Patrick Fugit) and Jessie (Ingrid Sophie Schram) find themselves routinely tasked with murder so their sickly younger brother Thomas (Owen Campbell, Super Dark Times) can have the fresh blood to survive. In the vein of The Transfiguration or Martin, this brooding debut feature grounds its vampirism in reality and focuses on the constricting, devastating toll of familial obligation.
The Night of the Devils – Kanopy
A disturbed man, Nicola, recounts the story of getting stranded in the woods, only to find refuge in a charming family’s house. The longer he’s there, the more he uncovers something is deeply amiss. Witches, vampires, and sordid family secrets ensue. Like Mario Bava’s anthology segment “The Wurdulak” in Black Sabbath, The Night of the Devils is also based on The Family of the Vourdalak by Aleksey Konstantinovich Tolstoy. Director Giorgio Ferroni balances the gore and sleaze with haunting Gothic atmosphere and stunning cinematography. While it’s methodical in its buildup, the craftmanship and grim ending make this underseen Italian and Spanish co-production worth the watch.
Sundown: The Vampire in Retreat – Fandango at Home (formerly Vudu), Plex, the Roku Channel
Director Anthony Hickox (Waxwork, Hellraiser III) has a blast with his high concept horror comedy that sees vampires living in the reclusive desert town Purgatory. They seek a peaceful life, with the plan to get an artificial blood factory in operation. Everything goes off without a hitch until Van Helsing’s descendant, Robert Van Helsing (Bruce Campbell), arrives in town. It’s a vampire western horror comedy that lovingly pokes fun at vampire tropes. The simple setup becomes anything but thanks to town politics, new tourists, and Van Helsing’s irresistibility to a vampire (Deborah Foreman). David Carradine presides over the vampire hijinks as Count Jozek Mardulak. For those looking for something fun and lighthearted, this pick is your best bet.
Vamp – AMC+, Plex, the Roku Channel, Shudder, Tubi
This highly entertaining horror comedy features a vampire that doesn’t get nearly enough attention; Grace Jones exudes raw power as vamp Katrina. Robert Rusler and Chris Makepeace star as two fraternity pledges that venture into the city to hire a stripper, all to impress their frat brothers. They find themselves in a shady part of town, unaware that the dive bar they’ve entered is full of vampires. Naturally, they find themselves in an all-night battle for survival. The neon haze-soaked urban setting makes for a refreshing change of pace. The bromance between the leads is as sweet as it is funny. Most of all, though, watch for Grace Jones’ riveting performance.
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