For October’s 31 Days Of Horror I will be doing relaxed reviews/mini reviews for the films I’ll be watching, to see the full list of films click HERE!
Day 01
All Hallows’ Eve (2013)
Welcome back to another year of 31 Days of Horror, Day 1’s film has been on the ‘to watch list’ for some time and what better way to kick off 31 days of watching horror films then with Damien Leone’s debut feature length film All Hallows’ Eve (2013)! As a big fan of both Terrifier (2016) and Terrifier 2 (2022), All Hallows’ Eve has been on the radar to watch, with it being a horror anthology film and the feature debut of now iconic character Art the Clown (here played by Mike Giannelli). The film includes three segments (two of which were shorts Leone had previously made) with a wrap around featuring a babysitter looking after two kids on Halloween. The night starts off with a strange video tape being found in the candy bag of one of the kids, after some pushing by the kids the tape gets played and this is where the segments come in. Whilst the segments are all different, a weird and creepy clown seems to haunt them all and yes that weird and creepy clown is Art.
Whilst All Hallows’s Eve doesn’t reach the heights of Leone’s Terrifier films, it’s a fairly solid horror anthology film with a good wrap around story and memorable segments. The lower budget is noticeable, however that does add to the charm this film has especially within the segments. Mike Giannelli plays a different type of Art here, more so a glimpse of what’s to come, his performance captures an uneasiness about Art that worked well. Of course David Howard Thornton would go on to play Art after this film and make that role his own, Giannelli’s work here paved the way for that. For fans of the Terrifier films, this is definitely something to add to the watch list. It’s a fun and gruesome horror anthology that is perfect for Halloween season.
RATING
Day 02
Angel Dust (1994)
Day 2’s film Angel Dust (1994) is a hypnotic film, from start to finish it grabs a hold of the viewer and doesn’t let go, considering where the plot goes this makes a lot of sense, it’s quite a clever and unnerving film. The film centers around serial killings, they happen on the same day and time each week with the victims seemingly having no connection. Investigators bring in the brilliant Setsuko Suma (Kaho Minami) to help find the killer, she has a talent for getting into their minds and soon enough it becomes clear that Suma may have a connection to the crimes as they lead to a man from her past Dr. Rei Aku (Takeshi Wakamatsu), who deprograms cult members and as it turns out the first victim was his patient. Is everything as it seems? Absolutely not and you should watch the film to find out!
Angel Dust is a visually gorgeous film, each frame has a purpose in what it shows and doesn’t shy away from it’s own ugliness. Some may compare the film to Silence of the Lambs (1991), whilst there are some similarities the two films are vastly different but would make for a compelling double feature. With an intense and compelling story that goes into themes that are unexpected, the performances from the cast not only keep up with that but add another layer to the experience. Both Kaho Minami and Takeshi Wakamatsu are excellent, the intense and often frightening chemistry between the pair lights up the screen and dares the viewer not to look away. Etsushi Toyokawa as Tomoo is also very good in a supporting role as Suma’s husband, the chemistry between Minami and Toyokawa is quite different and their shared scenes are intriguing. This film comes highly recommended, another slice of fantastic Japanese cinema that needs to be seen.
RATING
Review written by Marcella Papandrea (Super Marcey)
Check back every few days for new reviews throughout October.
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