[Butcher Block] Ryuhei Kitamura’s Gory Reverse Slasher ‘No One Lives’
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Butcher Block is a weekly series celebrating horror’s most extreme films and the minds behind them. Dedicated to graphic gore and splatter, each week will explore the dark, the disturbed, and the depraved in horror, and the blood and guts involved. For the films that use special effects of gore as an art form, and the fans that revel in the carnage, this series is for you.
Ryuhei Kitamura’s latest film Downrange, now on Shudder, continues his trademark nihilistic gore and style. It also brought a realization that it exists as a sort of spiritual sibling to his previous genre film, No One Lives. Both share that same gleeful mean spirit and ruthless carnage; death doesn’t come easy to the characters in either film. Both also will elicit polarizing reactions from its viewers, but above all, both share Kitamura’s passion for practical effects that supplement his no holds barred style when it comes to action and violence.
In No One Lives, a tried and true plot in which an unsuspecting couple get caught in the crosshairs of a rough group of thugs quickly gives way to something far more interesting. It turns out this group of bad guys picked the wrong couple to mess with, when they discover a kidnapped victim locked in the trunk of the couple’s vehicle. For Driver (Luke Evans), he takes his kidnapping in stride until his lady love Betty (Laura Ramsey) loses her life in gruesome fashion. Enraged, his quest for vengeance brings about an epic bloodbath.
Granted, David Cohen’s script is plagued with terrible dialogue guaranteed to ruffle feathers. There are questionable character choices, and one liners that will make you cringe. However, the concept is strong, and Luke Evans manages to bring so much charisma to Driver. Driver is as creepy as he is charming, and extremely inventive in his kills. Between Evans performance, Kitamura’s directorial efforts, the fantastic special makeup design and prosthetic effects by Robert Hall (Buffy the Vampire Slayer TV series, Quarantine, The Crazies) and key makeup effects by Leo Corey Castellano (Zombieland, Quarantine, Thor: The Dark World), No One Lives is far more fun than it had any right to be.
There are visceral throat slashings, death by meat grinder with the goopy remains later splattered onto a porch, a face shredded against a revving car engine, and various everyday items used as lethal weapons on display. But the real shining moment of glory is the scene that pays the goriest homage to The Empire Strikes Back ever committed to screen. Looking for easy transport back to the undisclosed hideout of the bad guys after the loss of Betty, Driver easily dispatches the biggest member, Ethan, played by massive pro wrestler Brodus Clay. Driver then does what any sociopath in love does; he slices open Ethan and crawls inside to hide, waiting for Ethan’s buddies to retrieve his body.
It makes for Driver’s emergence from the corpse so over the top bloody in a satisfying way, gore-covered with sticky blood and viscera. That Hall’s team crafted such a realistic looking body replica of Ethan for this scene is nothing short of incredible. The number of hours put into its creation, from airbrushing the skin tone to individually punching in every bit of hair, is extensive compared to the few moments the “skin suit” appears on screen. Between takes, one of the actors mistook the fake body as Clay napping and tried to wake him. Driver hiding in a corpse suit is outlandish on paper, but that Kitamura, Hall, and his team could make it believable on screen is why special effects team are often the unsung heroes of film. Then, to contend with the Louisiana heat consistently drying out their blood during shooting further complicates an already arduous task.
The most common phrases associated with directors during production are “Action!” and “Cut!” When it comes to Kitamura, the phrase most used is likely, “More blood!” Gallons of fake blood was used during production, of all types. Sticky, coagulated blood, runny blood, to blood with chunks of organ bits. Kitamura’s desire to aim for the jugular when it comes to shock value and Hall’s love of ‘80s horror and practical effects elevates No One Lives to something remarkable on a technical level.
Editorials
‘The Vampire Lestat’ Concert Event Launches New Season With The Ultimate Expression Of Fandom
There are thousands of passionate fans decked out in gothic chic and champing at the bit like feral creatures. They’re screaming for Lestat, a legendary vampire-turned-rock star, as if the entire crowd has been glamored into submission.
The entire experience is magic, but not because some supernatural thrall has been activated. What’s going on is even more special. It’s the power of the effusive fandom that’s been authentically assembled by AMC’s sublime Immortal Universe, namely Anne Rice’s Interview with the Vampire, now, The Vampire Lestat.
The Vampire Lestat is far from the first Anne Rice adaptation, and it’s not as if there’s been a lack of erotic vampire material for audiences to sink their teeth into. On June 2nd, during a one-night-only spectacle, New York City’s prestigious Beacon Theatre shook from Sam Reid’s bravado performance and an audience full of adoring fans who had already memorized Lestat’s songs.
It’s clear that The Vampire Lestat just hits differently than its predecessors. It’s become more than just a TV series at this point, and this opulent display of ego, swagger, and pure sex is the perfect way to premiere the new season and give back to the fans who helped make Interview with the Vampire/The Vampire Lestat such a breakout success. It’s exactly the sort of hyperbolized hedonism that would make Lestat cackle.
For all intents and purposes, AMC has successfully created the illusion that this concert/premiere is just one of the many destinations on Lestat and his band’s 54-stop tour that is simultaneously playing out on this season of television. It’s such a sophisticated and thorough level of interactive fan engagement that the audience doesn’t just understand, but also manages to accentuate through its involvement.
It’s a level of seamless synergy that’s not unlike the give-and-take relationship of vampire and victim.
Before the concert started, “LeStans” were sitting in the Beacon and flipping through a fake Rolling Stone issue with Lestat emblazoned on the cover, complete with interviews with the undead frontman inside. Other fans were admiring the vinyl pressing of Lestat’s EP as they walked past a section of undead band merch. Fandom and fantasy blur together, and it all becomes this elaborate, immersive experience. Fan celebration, erotic gothic fantasy, and a lavish rock concert transform into one beautiful thing.
To this point, AMC Global Media’s Chief Content Officer and President of AMC Studios, Dan McDermott, introduced the event by reiterating to fans, “You are the heartbeat of the series.” That’s abundantly clear on nights like this as that heartbeat collectively pulses to this performance. In terms of how AMC engages with The Vampire Lestat’s fans, it’s as bold a reinvention as the season itself.
This intuitive gamble speaks to AMC’s creativity in this department and a fandom that is eager to seize such opportunities. It’s the same innovation that led to zombie walks for The Walking Dead and real-life Los Pollos Hermanos restaurant pop-ups from Breaking Bad. It’s a great way to pump up the audience for The Vampire Lestat and then maintain that enthusiasm for the whole season.
For most series, a rock ‘n’ roll concert just doesn’t make any sense as a promotional tool. The Vampire Lestat finds itself in a very unique position where it can deliver an excellent concert at an iconic theater, but also use it to showcase The Vampire Lestat’s music by Daniel Hart (who was shredding on stage alongside Reid and the rest of their band) and, more than anything, Sam Reid’s endless charisma.
The way in which Reid feeds off of the crowd’s energy, modulating his performance and giving different sections of the Beacon life, is a perfect distillation of the series’ thoughtful relationship with its audience and how it’s become such a breakout success for AMC. AMC Studios President Dan McDermott emphasized that the fans are the reason that the show is still here and why an event like this is even possible. It’s rare to see a series in which every single cog in the machine is so perfectly attuned to its fans. Reid’s fans already cheer whenever they see him, so why not translate that to a concert setting?
It’s clear in this season of television that Reid was born to be a rock star, but it’s surreal to see him effortlessly command the stage — and the audience — at every step of the concert. He recites Shakespeare monologues and bitches out Armand between songs, all while the audience screams in support. For the duration of this concert, Reid is Lestat, and he’s given thousands of fans a memory that’s as immortal as any vampire.
Now bring on the encore and get this show on the road!
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