Indie
[BD Review] ‘The Guest’ Carries the Quaint, Old-School Charm of Revenge Classics!
Writer Simon Barrett and director Adam Wingard, the duo behind 2011‘s You’re Next, have followed up their home invasion cult classic with a solid, satisfying B-movie thriller about a mysterious stranger who infiltrates the lives of an average American family. Downton Abbey’s Dan Stevens brings a quiet menace to the lead role of “the guest”––a soldier returned from overseas who claims to have not only served alongside the family’s son, but also watched him die in action.
Promptly accepted as one of their own, Stevens begins to resolve problems facing various members of the family––with violence, if necessary. In fact, much of The Guest is devoted to Stevens’ soft-spoken brand of determined bas-assery, as he swaggers from encounter to encounter, cracking skulls with a growly half-smirk. The entire film is essentially a montage of sweet revenge scenarios––the filmmakers never met a bad guy they didn’t want Stevens to immediately head-smash.
And as a straight-up action picture, The Guest is a undeniable success. The crunchy fight scenes are filmed with a confident finesse that highlights Wingard’s progression as an action filmmaker, his reliance on slurpy sound effects notwithstanding. The entire picture sports the quaint, old-school charm of revenge classics like Pale Rider and Walking Tall.
Once Stevens cover story begins to fall apart, things get a bit muddy, as his mysterious origins are somewhat underwritten. But Wingard doesn’t place too fine a point on this detail, instead focusing his talents on the bully-busting mayhem that makes this bomb tick.
Her House of Horrors, the horror division of Independent Production House WOMXNOGRAPHY, has launched its Bite Size Short Grant Program, ahead of its film festival Dollhouse of Horror, which will take place in March 2025 in Los Angeles, CA.
The Bite Size Short Grant Program awards $2,000 film grants to female-identifying and queer horror filmmakers. Shorts must be able to be made for $2,000, with a minimum runtime of 8 minutes. Submissions are now open on Filmfreeway, and are being judged by a panel of horror lovers and content creators.
The 2024 Bite Size Short Grant Program judge lineup is as follows:
“James H. Carter II- A documentary director, film producer, podcaster, marketing specialist, and writer. James is the founder and co-owner of Creepy Kingdom. Creepy Kingdom was founded in 2011 and is a multimedia website, and production studio specializing in creepy content. Their primary focus lies at the intersection of childlike fantasy and the macabre, covering horror films, theme parks, haunts, and much more. Beyond their extensive media coverage, Creepy Kingdom hosts events, offers original merchandise, and engages in film production under the Creepy Kingdom Studios brand producing original films like “Foolish Mortals”, exploring Disney’s “Haunted Mansion” fan culture, and “Georgie”, featuring Tony Dakota from the original “It” miniseries.
“In addition to founding Creepy Kingdom, James has won awards for his documentary work, including the award-winning “Foolish Mortals,” which has earned him recognition. He has been featured on Freeform’s 31 Nights of Halloween special.
“Ashleeta Beauchamp is the editor-in-chief of Peek-A-Boo! Magazine, a cheeky horror magazine created to uplift marginalized writers, artists, models and other creators within the horror community. She also runs The Halloween Coalition, a community group to provide support and marketing for horror and Halloween events around the Southern California area.
“Titeanya Rodríguez is a multi-hyphenate creative, and the founder and owner of HER HOUSE OF HORRORS, home of DOLLHOUSE OF HORROR and the horror division of WOMXNOGRAPHY. As a fellow storyteller and a self-proclaimed artivist, Titeanya’s mission is to create opportunities for women of color and queer women, across film, tv, sports, music, and beyond. She is also the creator of the BITE SIZE SHORT grant program.”
Winners will have a one-night theatrical screening at Regal Cinemas. Submissions Close April 8 at Midnight. Winners will be announced on May 27, 2024. Shorts must be shot and through post-production by June 30, 2024. The screening will take place on July 8, 2024, in Los Angeles, CA.
WOMXNOGRAPHY, HER HOUSE OF HORRORS, and Rodriguez are represented by Azhar PR, Granderson Des Rochers, and Kinsella Holley Iser Kump Steinsapir.
To submit your short to the Bite Size Short Grant Program, go to the FilmFreeway link here.
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