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[SXSW Review] Comedy-Horror ‘Tales from the Lodge’ Shakes Up Anthology Format

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Over recent years, the trusty horror anthology format has seen its fair share of reinvention along with most subgenres of genre film. A collection of short films, or segments, all tied together by an interlocking wraparound story or theme, the anthology always brings a fun level of unpredictability thanks to its format. Some modern horror anthology films, like Trick ‘r Treat or Southbound, have dropped the familiarity of the wraparound and link the segments through recurring theme or specific motif. Hulu’s Into the Dark has super-sized its segments, giving each film a larger runtime and spread over the course of a year. In Abigail Blackmore’s Tales from the Lodge, the anthology format has its defining traits tested further, as the writer/director places full narrative focus on the wraparound with the short segments existing only as a tool for buoying the wraparound’s development.

Set in an isolated lakeside cabin in the woods, Tales from the Lodge tells of a group of former university pals, all pushing 40, gathering for the weekend to scatter the ashes of their friend Jonesy who’d drowned himself in that lake 3 years prior. As much as the weekend is about remembering their lost friend, it’s also about reconnecting with old friends and ignoring the tribulations of life for a weekend, if they can. So, between games, food, and wine, they also attempt to scare one another with tales of ghosts, zombies, and possession. But as night closes in, true horror is closing in around them, and their very lives are at stake.

The core group of friends are Joe (The Office’s Mackenzie Cook), Martha (Laura Fraser, A Knight’s Tale), Emma (Sophie Thompson), Russell (Johnny Vegas), and Paul (Dustin Demri-Burns), who’s brought along his latest fling Miki (Kelly Wenham) – a move that seriously ruffles the feathers of Martha. The cast alone should be a tip-off that Blackmore is placing hard emphasis on the comedy in this comedy-horror. Blackmore, who also wrote the feature, spends a lot of time setting up the group dynamics with humorous effect; Martha’s abrasiveness toward group outsider Miki, Russsell and Emma’s old married couple bickering, and Paul’s unenviable task of supporting his on-edge girlfriend while also keeping the peace among friends with their uninvited guest. The heart of the film, no pun intended, is Joe’s recent news of a failing heart and his worry over how that affects his marriage with Martha.

The more that the history between friends unravels, the friends take turns interjecting their tale of terror at random. To match the personality of the storyteller, Blackmore imbues each short segment with a different style and tone. Each come with their own humorous twist and more often than not really land their jokes. They progressively get wackier. They may be centered around ghosts, zombies, and demonic possession, but this is much more in the vein of Shaun of the Dead than last year’s creepy Ghost Stories. Being that they’re not really the point or focus of this narrative, the segments come across like actual stories told among friends- brief, without much depth, and with a punchline. They exist solely to give more insight to the personalities within the group.

As tensions escalate throughout, it finally explodes into a final act so utterly bonkers that it teeters into melodramatic territory. The biggest flaw is that the very reason the friends are drawn back together in the first place is ignored for most of the runtime. Part of that is by design, as the friends are intentionally painted as self-absorbed, but never knowing a thing about who Jonesy was or why he was cherished dampens the emotional impact of the entire premise and conclusion. There’s also an attempt at a twist that feels more contrived and salacious that would’ve worked much better had it been kept simple. It undoes a lot of goodwill Blackmore had built up until then.

Tales from the Lodge is competently directed by Blackmore in her feature debut, and she absolutely nails the intended humor. Using the story segments to flesh out her characters is a refreshing take on the anthology format. The pacing, however, could use a little tightening up, as could the entire narrative. The talented and comedic actors bring these characters to life in a very human way that keeps you invested up until the third act. Then it spirals into over the top dramatic mess with a more convoluted than necessary reveal. The juggling act between interlocking character dynamics ultimately proving to be too much. It’s a mostly charming comedy-horror film that’s very light on horror, so if you’re just looking for a laugh this should offer plenty.

Horror journalist, RT Top Critic, and Critics Choice Association member. Co-Host of the Bloody Disgusting Podcast. Has appeared on PBS series' Monstrum, served on the SXSW Midnighter shorts jury, and moderated horror panels for WonderCon and SeriesFest.

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‘Pandemic Sex Party’ Trailer – ‘The Devil’s Rejects’ Producer Slices into Influencers with Grindhouse Throwback

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AI has taken over the job market and most people have become either influencers or online sex workers in Pandemic Sex Party, a new horror film from producer Andy Gould (House of 1000 Corpses, The Devil’s Rejects, The Lords of Salem). Described as a throwback to the grindhouse exploitation cinema of the past, the official trailer has been unleashed this week.

Bloody Disgusting has learned that production has quietly begun on Pandemic Sex Party, about a masked maniac brutally crashing the titular bash. Writer/director Myles Erfurth says don’t let the title fool you… Pandemic Sex Party is a “balls-to-the-wall gritty horror flick and pure grindhouse terror.” Today, horror fans are being invited to join the party and participate in Pandemic Sex Party’s incentive-laden Indiegogo campaign, which is now live.

“When Myles Erfurth’s screenplay for Pandemic Sex Party came across my desk, I blazed through it in one sitting,” says Gould. “I was hooked from the start by its original mix of twisted horror and great characters, as well as its clever setting and set-up. But what really caught my attention was the blood-chilling character of The Rancher. Having worked with Rob Zombie on his classic horror films, I know a thing or two about memorable villains. The Rancher, Pandemic Sex Party’s savage killer, is a terrifying new slasher icon ready to be embraced by the horror world.”

The filmmakers pledge to recapture thrills of past exploitation gold. “As an homage to the glory day of grindhouse-style films, Pandemic Sex Party will not disappoint,” says Erfurth, whose previous feature film, The Silver Stream, was an interactive live-stream horror film that starred Bill Moseley and Ice Nine Kills.

“Our story takes place in the not-so-distant future. AI has taken over the majority of the job market, and the primary source of income for young people is that of a social media influencer or online model. Being on the verge of another pandemic, Sasha, a young video game streamer, heads off into the desert for the weekend to make ‘content’ with her online model friends: Tanya, Cash, Dream and her younger sister Cherry.”

Trouble awaits at the remote location. “Once arriving at the rental house dubbed ‘The Funny Ranch,’ the group slowly begins to realize things aren’t exactly as they seem,” music video veteran Erfurth continues. “They are soon met by The Rancher, a masked killer who has a vendetta against the newly-changing world, online influencers and online models alike.”

Erfurth further previews, “The majority of modern-day horror films have become sexually watered-down. Pandemic Sex Party is going to be a wild ride.”

Exclusively watch the trailer for Pandemic Sex Party below and head over to the crowd-funding campaign on Indiegogo to pitch in and get perks including a walk-on role in the movie.

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