Alice (The Deep House’s Camille Rowe) sleepily video chats with her husband as she gets ready in her hotel room. She ends the call mere moments before her lover, John (Jeremy Scippio), enters the frame, avoiding catastrophe within seconds. After pausing to collect herself, Alice pushes John onward as they head out in the middle of the night to start their travels home. They don’t get far down the road, as a stop at a rural gas station in the dead of night turns into a harrowing bid for survival when Alice discovers she’s trapped there by a sadistic sniper.

Khalfoun, who co-wrote with Glen Freyer, gets right to the horror after briefly introducing the unreliable protagonist, Alice. The desolate setting inherently establishes unease, and the filmmaker quickly dials up the tension with rapid gunfire that leaves Alice isolated, injured, and scrambling for cover. That spirals into an intense cat-and-mouse game between the hunter and hunted, with Alice attempting to root out her attacker’s motives and find an escape.

Night of the Hunted is at its best when focused on the brutal thrills and chills of an unseen assailant with remarkable aim. The more Khalfoun leans into the mysteries of why and staging action that requires Alice to maneuver out of the sniper’s sightlines, the more engaging it is. The uncertainty of whether this is a random act of violence or a strategic targeting of an unlikable lead bolsters the unpredictability of the first act.

The more the sniper reveals his motives and philosophy, the more the polarizing messaging threatens to overtake the horror. A red herring plot thread attempts to distract and prolong the overarching question of what drives this madman to pursue Alice relentlessly, but it winds up bogging down the propulsive action. It’s not helped by on-the-nose dialogue that works a bit too hard to drive the point home. The good news is that just when the social commentary verges on the cusp of no return, a bloody climax and final scathing punchline drive the cautionary point home with success.

Rowe carries the film well, with much of the runtime resting almost solely on her shoulders as the lone person on screen for significant stretches. That Alice gets introduced as someone with dubious morals makes this even more impressive. While that does factor into the plot, it also adds complexity to the character, and Rowe ensures rooting interest through horror action physicality and nuanced vulnerability.

An intense standoff situation gets bogged down by prolonged conversations between Alice and the sociopathic sniper, which weighs in on the “both sides” argument to an uncomfortable degree. Khalfoun bides his time until the final moments to take a stance, and only then does the murky messaging come into clear view. The journey getting there is frequently intense as it is muddy by its occasionally heavy-handed dialogue, but every single step is in service to that final punchline. Night of the Hunted taps into the prevalent rage of today to oft-thrilling results, though it sometimes stumbles in making its point.

Night of the Hunted debuts on Shudder on October 20, 2023.

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William Lustig and Joe Spinell’s 1980 film Maniac took a sleazy, psychological approach to its serial killer slasher that repulsed critics upon release. That its killer, Frank Zito, is the lead character with whom we develop sympathy for is contrasted by his gory modus operandi of gruesomely scalping his victims. That viewers spend all their time with the depraved killer, combined with Tom Savini’s gore effects, proved to be too much for many viewers at the time. In 2012, French extremity horror auteur Alexandre Aja and his screenwriting partner Grégory Levasseur took it much further with the remake, which makes the viewer complicit in Frank Zito’s slayings.

Directed by Frank Khalfoun (P2), Maniac doesn’t deviate much from Frank Zito’s origins. He’s still a psychologically disturbed individual who was abused as a child by his prostitute mother. He’s still a collector of scalps, of which he uses to adorn his mannequin collection. What’s changed, though, is that Frank Zito doesn’t look nearly as intimidating as he did when played by Spinell. Now played by Elijah Wood, this iteration seems like the harmless next door neighbor type, which in many ways makes Zito more dangerous. Not that you see him much, because this remake frames the entire story through Frank’s point-of-view.

2012’s Maniac is, essentially, a warped love story. Frank’s burgeoning friendship with artist/photographer Anna (Nora Arnezeder) seems sweet and normal. He’s smitten by her charm, and seems genuine in his offer to help her with an art exhibit. But it’s interspersed with Frank’s lust for blood. He seeks out victims through dating apps or even just women he haphazardly meets, and because it’s shot in POV, we see the acts of violence through his eyes. The gore feels even grislier because we’re now complicit. Even if Anna brings out the best in him, we know Frank isn’t stable. Their friendship is destined for brutal devastation, and we know Anna is in danger long before she ever has a clue.

The gore in this remake is much more explicit than before. It shows more than the original film, and posed challenges for the makeup effects team. Namely in the tricky nature of scalping- hiding the actors’ hair while making it look as though they’d been completely skinned. Khalfoun also wanted full hair pieces, not some little mohawk piece. So special effects artist and supervisor Mike McCarty (Hostel: Part II, Texas Chainsaw 3D), a prominent KNB EFX Group artist recommended by Greg Nicotero, had his work cut out for him. Especially given the tricky, technical aspect of this remake: the POV.

With everything shown from Frank’s perspective, a lot of blocking, planning, and choreography was required. That meant Wood was on set every day, working behind the camera and maneuvering his hands in front of it. In other words, it added complications to just about every aspect of the film, from building Frank Zito as a character when you only see him in flashes, to how to handle the special gore effects.

When the topic of well-executed horror remakes comes up, Maniac deserves inclusion. It retained what worked so well about the original while building upon it in effective ways. It pushed the envelope a bit farther on the gore, too. But above all, it’s a technical marvel, cleverly putting you in the shoes of its killer. And what could be scarier than that?

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BD: From what I gather you’ve been doing various forms of comedy for a while, yet your first starring role in a feature film was I-Lived, a horror movie. How did that come about?

JW: My friend, and fellow stand-up comedian, Dean Delray, referred me for the role. It was a very odd Hollywood moment. We were hanging out, and one of the producers of i-Lived, Alix Taylor hit him up, asking him if he knew any comedians that were my type that could also act. He texted her a picture of me, and also my website. A week later, I met with Alix Taylor for coffee, as well as Franck Khalfoun, the director. They liked my sketches and web content, and Franck came to see me later that night at The Comedy Store. I had a great set, and a couple months later, I started the audition process. After months of video auditions as well as multiple auditions in the room, I locked in the role.

BD: Is there a different mindset you have to get in when doing horror opposed to comedy or is performing just performing?

JW: When I film horror, suspense, or dramatic scenes, I really have to dial into my character and the setting that I’m in. Mentally, I have to go to a darker place. When filming comedy, I usually have the luxury of being able to joke around and goof off between takes. With horror, I feel like I have to stay in it until I’m done filming the entire scene. 

BD: I-Lived tackles the social media/digital age we live. The message seems to be for better or worse, mostly worse in this case, social media has a large impact on what we do and the decisions we make. What are your thoughts? Do you think social media has too much power on our lives?

JW: I think that we are all, in some way, addicted to technology. People are always checking to see how many likes or shares their posts get. I have to consciously make an effort to not be on my phone too much. I think it’s important to still have real conversations with people, while maintaining good eye contact. It’s so easy to become that person that’s always on their phone, even when people are talking to them. I’m a comedian, so technology is a necessary evil. That being said, it’s an amazing way to stay connected with people, news, and videos around the world. Like any other tool, you just need to know how to use it properly.

BD: What’s on the horizon for Jeremiah Watkins? Can we expect to see you do some more horror?

JW: You can see me as one of the stars in an ensemble comedy coming out later this year called Betting on Baker, directed by Ryan Ederer and produced by Reza Riazi. I’m also onstage performing most nights of the week. I’m a huge fan of horror, so I definitely hope to do something again in this genre if the right project comes my way. 

You can see Jeremiah Watkins now in I-Lived available on DVD from XLrator Media. To find out more about Jeremiah’s comedy visit him online at JeremiahWatkins.tv

The post [Interview] Jeremiah Watkins, Star of ‘I-Lived’ Talks Horror and Social Media appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

The film opens up with Josh recording a new review video for a new self-help app called I-Lived. The idea behind the app is that you input a goal and the app will notify you with new tasks to help you accomplish your goal. You have to record videos of you completing each tasks and upload them to monitor your progress. Josh explains in his review that he used it to try and get six-pack abs but unfortunately it did not work and he ultimately recommends passing on the app.

Flash forward to later that night. Josh is at a bar and he has yet to delete I-Lived. The app picks up on his location and notifies him to take a picture of a girl he likes and the app will help him get her. Josh surveys the room and spots Greta (Sarah Power). He takes the picture, uploads it to the app and before you know it Josh is taking Greta home.

This is just the beginning for Josh. Shortly after he and Greta begin dating his YouTube page explodes. Things continue to go up for Josh as he gets offered a job, his landlord stops harassing him for the rent and his mom starts to get better. Convinced this change in fortune is a result of his own doing and not the app, Josh deletes the app.

Bad move Josh.

Shortly after deleting the app Josh catches Greta with another guy. Then his followers decline and the job offer falls through. He landlord starts breathing down his neck again and his mom’s cancer returns, this time worse than before. Naturally Josh decides to give the app another go but this time the tasks assigned to him are much more sinister.

There’s a lot of good in I-Lived. The idea itself is quite creative and a nice play on the modern world. In fact I’m surprised it hasn’t been done before. The film also has a lot of style. Much like he did with the Maniac remake, Khalfoun takes a new creative approach to his storytelling. Much of the film is either YouTube videos or takes place on some type of computer screen or monitor. Even if you don’t like the movie, you have to hand it to Khalfoun for showing once again that he’ll take a risk and try something new.

The star of I-Lived though is Watkins. He’s brilliant. Watkins brings so much charm and energy to the movie. He’s a likable, relatable guy. You want to see Josh come out on top, especially once his life begins to take that dark spiral. That’s all thanks to the terrific performance from Watkins.

What holds I-Lived back from being a great horror movie is the actual script. The concept and idea is solid, the script just needed some tweaking. The interaction and dialogue between some of the characters, particularly that of Josh and his friend Bobby (Christopher Mena), is a bit silly and over the top. It doesn’t always feel natural.

The story had the chance to get really dark but ended up being a bit of a missed opportunity. There is a bit of social commentary that is nice, but I don’t think it takes it far enough. This is a personal preference more than anything, but I wanted more. The ending is a bit of a letdown as well. The final shot itself is awesome, but where the story ends sort of feels like there wasn’t an ending.

While watching I-Lived was an enjoyable experience, in the end I felt a little disappointed. I appreciate Khalfoun continuing to attempt new things and I think Watkins is a star in the making but the film had a real chance to be something special and unfortunately it never quite gets there and that’s a shame.

I-Lived is available on DVD from XLrator Media.

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Synopsis:

Josh Fosse is a 20-something guy whose life is going nowhere. His girl left, his rent is late, and he lacks a real job. He is trying to make it as an app reviewer online and decides to review a self help app called i-Lived for fun. He’s signs on and immediately his life turns around. He meets the girl of his dreams and he gets a job offer he can’t refuse. Convinced it’s him and not the app, he signs out… and loses everything. He signs on again but this time the terms are different, the app is asking him to do things that are out of his moral comfort zone… but essential to becoming the success the app tells him he can be.

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Bloody Disgusting scored a batch of i-LIVED stills to go along with this exclusive clip in which Josh (Watkins) talks with his father on his laptop. Deep into conversation he realizes there’s someone sitting in the background…

In i-LIVED, “Josh Fosse is a 20-something guy whose life is going nowhere. His girl left, his rent is late, and he lacks a real job. He is trying to make it as an app reviewer online and decides to review a self help app called i-Lived for fun. He’s signs on and immediately his life turns around. He meets the girl of his dreams and he gets a job offer he can’t refuse. Convinced it’s him and not the app, he signs out… and loses everything. He signs on again but this time the terms are different, the app is asking him to do things that are out of his moral comfort zone… but essential to becoming the success the app tells him he can be.“

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P2 helmer Frank Khalfoun’s Maniac, a remake of William Lustig’s cult horror film about a serial killer, is finally dropping a few stills on us after shooting last year. The picture was written by Alexandre Aja (The Hills Have Eyes, Piranha 3D, Mirrors, High Tension) and his producing/writing partner Grégory Levasseur. It stars Elijah Wood (The Lord Of The Rings and Nora Arnezeder (Safe House).

If you’re still hung up on the whole Frodo thing, at least one of these stills from the Playlist might convince you that Wood is indeed the right man for the job here. No one said serial killers had to be hulking behemoths.

In the film, “Wood plays the role of a serial killer who works at a shop that sells antique mannequins. He finds victims on the Internet and stalks them like prey, all the while suffering from hallucinations that throw him back into the past, when he was abused by his own mother. In his twisted mind, he gains a measure of revenge against his mother with each kill.”

Head inside to check them out.

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