Editorials
[Editorial] ‘Bad Ben’ and the Benefits of Found-Footage
With the release of The Blair Witch Project back in 1999, detractors of Found-Footage were worried that the success of the sub-genre might open the door for untalented filmmakers to flood the market with DIY horror movies. While I can’t deny the influx of terrible Found-Footage films since then, we’ve also seen quite a few cinematic gems that we now consider to be horror classics, so I think it was a fair trade. Elitist critics have a habit of complaining when their hobbies become less exclusive, but history’s shown us again and again that the more people contribute to an art form, the more interesting it becomes.
That’s why I’d like to take a moment to talk about Nigel Bach’s 2016 Found-Footage anomaly Bad Ben, and the homegrown franchise that followed it.
The story of Bad Ben begins with 300 dollars and a New Jerseyan military vet willing to devote time and effort into making his filmmaking dreams a reality. Armed with nothing but an iPhone and his wits, Nigel proceeded to make the most of the now infamous “House on Steelmanville Road”; producing a surprisingly entertaining and minimalist take on the age-old haunted house flick.
In this one-man production, Bach plays Tom Riley, an investor who’s just purchased a beautiful house for a steal at a Sheriff’s Sale, and plans on renovating and flipping the place for a huge profit. However, Tom discovers a collection of suspicious surveillance cameras hidden throughout the property, and soon realizes that the house has a sordid history that he wasn’t warned about. When a series of escalating paranormal occurrences attempt to drive Tom away, he realizes that this house might not have been such a bargain after all.
The plot may not sound like much to most horror movie veterans, as there are countless other scary stories with a similar setup, but trust me when I say that watching a grumpy middle-aged man refuse to be harassed by supernatural forces hell-bent on ruining his investment is one hell of a fun ride. It’s hard not to grow attached to Tom during his ghostly ordeal, and the limited budget actually forces Bach into thinking outside the box when planning most of the subtle scares. All this results in an unexpectedly fun slow-burn thriller.
A surprisingly badass protagonist.
Sure, the film has major pacing issues and some incredibly disappointing effects towards the end (though still miles better than most of the CGI that would eventually show up in the sequels), but the rest of the movie more than makes up for these flaws with charm and the likable main (well, only) character.
Nevertheless, actually making a movie is only half the battle. Luckily for Nigel, in the age of online self-publishing, it’s no longer inconceivable to consider producing and distributing your feature film all by yourself, relying on digital word-of-mouth to do the marketing work for you. It may not be a guaranteed success, but if your movie is entertaining enough (like in Nigel’s case), there’s always a chance that the internet might catch wind of it and you’ll eventually have a hit on your hands.
I actually came across Bad Ben while researching lesser-known Found-Footage films online, and was shocked to discover the amount of fans this tiny little movie had on every kind of forum and image board. I was even more surprised that the movie was profitable enough to warrant three sequels and an ever-expanding mythology. Reading about it, it seems that this online following began enjoying these films ironically, but somehow transitioned into a genuine appreciation of Nigel’s work.
Whatever the case, this audience allowed for a series of homegrown sequels that really pushed the limits of what a one-man creative team can do. The first of these, a prequel entitled The House on Steelmanville Road, while easily the worst entry in the franchise, simultaneously serves as an example of why Nigel’s work is so damned fun. Clearly overreaching as he attempted to implement digital trickery, conventional storytelling and a larger cast in the film, Nigel’s missteps are usually the result of trying too hard rather than the more common apathetic filmmaking that typically ruins this sort of cheap production.
The prequel might have borrowed a bit too much from other similar stories as Nigel attempted to establish himself as a serious filmmaker, but with Badder Ben: The Final Chapter, the director finally gave in to the absurdity that made the first film a hit and gifted us with one of the weirdest sequels in recent memory. Featuring a retcon of the first film’s ending as a team of paranormal investigators bring Riley back to the cursed house for a highly unethical documentary, Badder Ben is easily the most entertaining (if not necessarily the best) film in the franchise.
Spooky on a budget.
Adding a sizable amount of humor to a legitimately clever script, this remarkable third entry surpasses the other films in charm and scope, but by no means is it a flawless endeavor. There are several instances of awful effects work and some questionable acting, not to mention quite a bit of cinematic deja-vu, but the self-aware presentation and endearing characters are a heartwarming reminder of how an entertaining story and sheer tenacity can make up for almost any amount of technical limitations.
Naturally, as is usually the case within the horror genre, “The Final Chapter” was a bit of a misnomer as we were soon presented with yet another sequel through Bach’s Bad Ben: The Mandela Effect, earlier this year. While the title alludes to the infamous internet story regarding remembering fragments of alternate timelines, this film works more like a horror-comedy remake of Tom Tykwer’s Run, Lola Run. Though it’s a solid return to Nigel’s roots as a one-man crew, remaking parts of the first film with slightly different setups and outcomes, it feels a lot like filler, rushed into production before a true sequel could be made.
And, like clockwork, you can bet your bottom dollar that a new entry in the Bad Ben franchise will be releasing soon, just in time for Halloween! While I have no idea if this next film will be an improvement on the last, this is still, for better or for worse, bona fide auteur filmmaking, and I know I’m curious about what will become of it.
I’m aware that Nigel’s films aren’t exactly re-inventing the wheel here, and they’re not even especially good examples of Found-Footage, but the fact remains that a single person got up off his ass and managed to make a horror franchise, and I find that incredible. Ultimately, the Bad Ben films are more important because of what they represent, rather than what they actually are.
Now, I can’t defend Nigel 100%, especially because of his unprofessional reaction to several cases of constructive criticism, but he had the guts to put himself out there, and I think that’s something we can all respect. Though I unironically enjoy these films despite their glaring flaws (hell, by now I feel like a previous resident of the House on Steelmanville Road), they’re also a fascinating look at an outsider attempting to express himself in an elitist art form.
In all honesty, I don’t even think you can consider Nigel a so-bad-it’s-good movie mogul akin to Ed Wood, since his films actually walk the line between being legitimately good and legitimately bad. However, personally, I feel that the good outweighs the bad here, and I’m glad that we live in an age where anyone can pick up a camera and make a movie. I mean, if you don’t like Nigel’s films (which is totally understandable) why not try to make something better? They say Alan Moore only started working with comics because he was unsatisfied with the lack of creative geniuses in the medium, and we’re all glad he did.
Bach’s films may not be your cup of tea, and I can’t quite argue that his films are modern classics, but by embracing more of these DIY productions we could actually be opening the door for cinematic geniuses who’d otherwise never get the chance to produce anything at all. Anyone of us could be the next Carpenter or Romero, and I think it’s awesome that we live in a time where this kind of movie is possible.
Editorials
‘Bloodstone: Subspecies II’ Revisited: A Bigger, Bolder Follow-Up to Full Moon’s Vampire Cult Classic
Horror sequels are a peculiar thing. In most cases, follow-ups to scary movies tend to retread the same formula with different victims and more over-the-top scares. This is because audiences tend to be more interested in the antagonists of these pictures than anything else, with even main characters becoming disposable when the time comes to produce a sequel.
That’s why some of the most memorable horror sequels are the ones that actually manage to hold onto interesting survivors from previous films while also pushing the story forward instead of having the same thing happen again to a different group of people. From Scream 2 to Dream Warriors (and arguably even The Exorcist III: Legion), there are quite a few of these innovative sequels to go around.
However, if there’s one franchise that deserves more attention when discussing bigger and better continuations that make the most of episodic filmmaking, it has to be Ted Nicolaou’s Subspecies.
The Full Moon classic spawned an indie horror icon, but bizarre sequel Bloodstone: Subspecies II is even more beloved than its predecessor.
Building a Bigger Vampire Saga
While the film itself takes place almost immediately after the events of the first movie, Bloodstone only entered production a couple of years after the release of the original as both Charles Band and Nicolaou weighed the pros and cons of returning to Romania to continue the series. In an effort to maximize efficiency, the team decided to invest in a trilogy where parts II and III, now fully written by Nicolaou, would be filmed simultaneously over the course of a single grueling shoot.
Much like the first Subspecies, Bloodstone’s low budget meant that the filmmakers once again had to cut corners and re-use as many of their resources as possible. Thankfully, the process was much easier this time around as Nicolaou, with the help of Romanian cinematographer Vlad Paunescu and his wife Oana, became more acquainted with local customs and made new friends. Shooting abroad still came with its own unique set of challenges due to a lack of translators and the occasional safety concerns, but the crew managed to make things work by filming things guerrilla-style and setting up shop in abandoned caves and real medieval ruins.
The director’s newfound contacts, coupled with the relative success of the first movie, meant that he was basically given free rein over an assortment of shooting locations usually considered off-limits for indie horror. That’s why Bloodstone features insanely ambitious lighting and effects work even during scenes shot in the middle of a bustling Bucharest. The filmmakers went so far as to project Radu’s Nosferatu-like shadows over local monuments as if he were a Romanian boogeyman, an idea that was actually encouraged by local cinephiles.
In fact, many of the more elaborate scenes here had originally been planned for the first movie before being discarded due to the lack of available resources. It was only with the support of Romanian fans and filmmakers that Bloodstone was able to give Radu a chance to be even more menacing the second time around.
Michelle’s Transformation Takes Center Stage
However, when it came to the American part of the crew, not everyone was able or willing to return for another round of Romanian adventuring. That’s why Radu’s human-loving half-brother Stefan (Michael Watson) is unceremoniously killed off at the beginning of the film while the role of Michelle had to be recast. Denice Duff took over for Laura Mae Tate, with the character now being joined by her sister, Rebecca, played by Melanie Shatner (yes, that Shatner).
In the finished film, we follow Michelle as she awakens to her new life as a vampire and discovers that Radu has murdered her lover. Struggling with grief and her newfound bloodlust, Michelle contacts her sister overseas, with Rebecca soon travelling to Romania on an ill-advised rescue mission. Meanwhile, Radu (Anders Hove) reaches out to his undead Mummy (Pamela Gordon, underneath heavy layers of impressive makeup effects) and promises to deliver her the coveted Bloodstone artifact while also making Michelle his eternal consort.
Revisiting the movie, I was impressed with how introspective this story is when compared to the original. The sequel assumes that you’re already familiar with the previously established characters, so the story wastes no time in exploring the immediate aftermath of the previous film’s events. From Michelle’s reluctant transformation into a creature of the night to Radu’s obvious mommy issues, Nicolaou is way more interested in pushing these characters into new and uncharted territory rather than recycling existing plot points.
Practical Effects and Gothic Atmosphere Still Impress
Yet, much like the first film, it’s Romania itself that makes the movie worth watching. The ruins of Castle Vladislav are even more majestic now, and visiting the moody streets of Bucharest with its surprisingly punk-rock nightlife made for a nice change of pace when compared to the original film’s quiet village setting. Once again, the abundance of interesting locations makes the movie feel much more expensive than it really is, with the filmmakers surrounding our characters with a living, breathing environment that would be impossible to recreate in a studio.
The increased freedom also allowed Nicolaou to flex his filmmaking muscles and tackle more ambitious blocking/composition in the sequel. The low budget and tropey script mean that the visuals don’t always work, but it’s consistently clear that this neo-expressionist style could only come from a passionate team attempting to pay homage to the shadowy horror classics of yesteryear. If the retro atmosphere isn’t enough for you, there’s enough practical gore here to satisfy even the most demanding of horror hounds!
Radu himself is also far more interesting now that Hove is more comfortable working alongside an international crew, with the actor having gone on record explaining that, while he spent more time drinking vodka than working while shooting the first movie, the sequel was a much more creatively satisfying experience for everyone involved. The character’s relationship with his abusive Mummy is also a highlight of the expanded mythology, especially since the practical effects that bring her to life are just as freaky now as they were back in ’93.
My only real gripe with the horror elements of the picture comes from the glaring absence of the diminutive stop-motion minions from the first film, though I guess the surprisingly entertaining addition of Professor Popescu (Michael Denish) and his archeological antics mostly make up for that.
Bloodstone: Subspecies II is obviously the middle chapter of a trilogy, with the ending feeling a lot less definitive than its predecessor as several plot threads are left to dangle in the wind, but I appreciate how the flick explores new ground while remaining faithful to nearly all the ideas that made the original such a good time. While I don’t think it’s as big of an improvement over the first movie as some fans make it out to be, Bloodstone is definitely worth revisiting if you’re a fan of old-fashioned vampire yarns.
Tune in next time for the thrilling conclusion to this initial trilogy, Bloodlust: Subspecies III!
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