Motivational Growth (2013) - The Mold's Funky Green Wall Teat Is Surprisingly Sweet If You Lick It

Motivational Growth (2013)
Currently Available on Blu-ray, DVD, and VOD
Director:  Don Thacker
Writer:  Don Thacker
Stars:  Jeffrey Combs, Adrian DiGiovanni, Danielle Doetsch, and Pete Giovagnoli

Ian Folivor (Adrian DiGiovanni), a depressed and reclusive thirty-something, finds himself taking advice from a growth in his bathroom after a failed suicide attempt.  The Mold (Jeffrey Combs), a smooth talking fungus who was born of the filth collecting in a corner of Ian's neglected bathroom, works to win Ian's trust by helping him clean himself up and remodel his lifestyle.


     It takes balls to set an entire movie in one squalid, cruddy location as writer/director Don Thacker has done with Motivational Growth.  It takes even more nerve to have the movie's narrative revolve around a depressive young man and a pile of sentient bathroom filth.  Motivational Growth would seem to have the deck stacked against it from the outset, but it grows on you anyway.  Clearly, Mr. Thacker is not a man with whom to trifle.

The Mold (Jeffrey Combs) and Ian (Adrian DiGiovanni)

     The most obvious lure here is the above-the-title involvement of genre icon Jeffrey Combs (Re-Animator, From Beyond) as the voice of the aforementioned sentient bathroom filth that calls itself The Mold - and don't you dare omit that article!  Combs instills a generous amount of life into the oozing pile of puppetry representing The Mold, but he is by no means the movie's only selling point.  That fact alone is surprising, but not quite as surprising as the movie's real strength.  Motivational Growth is gross, funny, and disturbing, but it also has a lot of heart.

      Ian Foliver (Adrian DiGiovanni) hasn't left his ratty little apartment for months, and he's also working on a raging case of agoraphobia.  He's surrounded by heaps of trash and detritus, and he spends so much time sitting in front of his old console television - which he affectionately calls Kent - that he's developed bedsores.  He seems a decent enough guy, though, and DiGiovanni's performance makes the character far more interesting and sympathetic than one might expect.  Ian frequently breaks the fourth wall and addresses the viewer directly, one of many stylistic gambits that forges a deep and empathetic connection with the viewer.

Ian addressing the viewer directly regarding the specifics of his impending suicide attempt

      After a failed attempt at suicide Ian takes a nasty tumble in the bathroom, and when he comes to he discovers he's not alone.  There's a lumpy, green pile of talking fungus in a corner of the bathroom that introduces itself as The Mold and assures Ian - whom he insists upon addressing as Jack - that he has a "plan" for him.  The Mold intends to rehabilitate Ian.  Thanks to The Mold's help, Ian even ultimately meets - in his own doorway, natch - his lovely young neighbor Leah (a sweet and appealing Danielle Doetsch) whom he's been harmlessly stalking via the peephole in his front door.  Of course, there's more to The Mold's "plan" for Ian than is immediately evident, and the moderately rehabilitated Ian begins to question The Mold's motives.  Perhaps The Mold isn't as altruistic as it at first seems?

Next door neighbor Leah (Danielle Doetsch) getting cozy with the somewhat rehabilitated Ian

     Motivational Growth almost immediately begs comparison to the darkly comedic and twisted filmography of Frank Henenlotter (Basket Case, Frankenhooker).  In particular, one can't help but be reminded of Henenlotter's thematically similar Brain Damage (1988).  Both movies revolve around a troubled but sympathetic protagonist being manipulated by a "mentor" with questionable motivations, and in both cases, that mentor takes the form of an unnatural visitor depicted onscreen by a latex puppet.  The Mold could easily take its place alongside Aylmer from Brain Damage or Belial from Basket Case in Henenlotter's rogues gallery of  practical FX driven oddities.  Motivational Growth possesses the same grotty grindhouse aesthetic commonly associated with Henenlotter's work, as well.

Ian's landlord Box the Ox (Pete Giovagnoli)

     That's not to say that Motivational Growth isn't a remarkably unique movie in its own right, though.  Thacker litters the movie with colorful and bizarre visitors to Ian's apartment, which is convenient since the narrative never ventures outside of Ian's own surreal environment.  In particular, actor Pete Giovagnoli makes an impression as Ian's cartoonishly aggressive landlord Box the Ox.  It's interesting to note that Giovagnoli is far smaller and less physically imposing than the character he plays.  Thacker details in the movie's commentary how he used forced perspective and a number of other filmmaking tricks to create the illusion of a towering bully.  To Thacker's credit, the viewer almost certainly wouldn't notice the deception without being told, which is a testament to the value of good old-fashioned filmmaking ingenuity.

     Thacker also keeps the camera moving throughout, indulging in a number of odd angles and trick shots to maintain visual interest despite the confined setting.  Motivational Growth never feels small, which is an impressive feat given the claustrophobic nature of the narrative.  Even the seemingly random details of Ian's filthy apartment prove a triumph of deceptively detailed and intricate set design.

Ian suckles at The Mold's funky green wall teat

     As mentioned previously, though, the real triumph of Motivational Growth is the surprisingly human beating heart at its core.  What seems on the surface to likely be a hacky one-note B-movie predicated on a single gag and above-the-title stunt casting proves to be far more affecting.  Thacker makes it easy to empathize with Ian's struggle to connect meaningfully with another person, and that's a step beyond that many genre movies can't - or perhaps won't - bother to take.  Thacker is a filmmaker to watch, and Motivational Growth is a funny, disturbing, and unique gem.

Digging Up The Marrow (2014) And Tusk (2014) Spearhead The Emergence Of A New Fan Driven Sub-Genre

Digging Up The Marrow (2014)
Currently Available on VOD and via Limited Theatrical Release
Director:  Adam Green
Writer:  Adam Green
Stars:  Ray Wise, Adam Green, Will Barrett, Rileah Vanderbilt, and Josh Ethier

A documentary exploring genre based monster art takes an odd turn when the filmmakers are contacted by a man who claims he can prove that monsters are indeed real.

Tusk (2014)
Currently Available on Blu-ray, DVD, and VOD
Director:  Kevin Smith
Writer:  Kevin Smith
Stars:  Michael Parks, Justin Long, Genesis Rodriguez, Haley Joel Osment, and Johnny Depp (credited as Guy Lapointe)

When podcaster Wallace Bryton goes missing in the backwoods of Manitoba while interviewing a mysterious seafarer named Howard Howe, his best friend Teddy and girlfriend Allison team with an ex-cop to look for him.


     Digging Up The Marrow (2014) and Tusk (2014) are two recent genre flicks created by talented veteran filmmakers that both play like elaborate in-jokes.  Thanks largely to the democratization of movie release afforded by video-on-demand, it seems as though the notion of established filmmakers making movies targeted to a very specific niche demographic - like, say, their own already thriving fan bases and pretty much no-one else - is now a viable business model.  Sometimes those fans even pay for the productions up front via crowdfunding.  Accordingly, they need not have any significant mainstream crossover potential as long as the budgets stay low.  This relatively new business model is both a blessing and a curse.

Michael Parks takes a break from turning Justin Long into a walrus in director Kevin Smith's Tusk

       It's a blessing in that it creates an avenue for filmmakers to develop more personal and esoteric productions.  Writer/director Kevin Smith's Tusk was born of a discussion Smith and longtime associate Scott Mosier had on Smith's SModcast about an ad that offered a free living situation provided the lodger was willing to dress as a walrus.  Smith and Mosier riffed on this notion for nearly an hour, with the upshot being a hypothetical story based upon what the particulars of such an arrangement might be.  Smith then asked his fans on Twitter if they'd be interested in seeing this story made into a movie by tweeting either #WalrusYes or #WalrusNo.  Obviously, the #WalrusYes contingent carried the day.  Basically, Tusk is a private joke between Smith and his fans for which Smith was able to secure financial backing.

Ray Wise and actor/writer/director Adam Green search for monsters in Digging Up The Marrow

       Writer/director/actor Adam Green's Digging Up The Marrow relies upon a similar sort of fan service.  Digging Up The Marrow is loaded throughout with clips of popular genre icons - including Green himself as the movie's protagonist - appearing as themselves in the form of clips filmed for the production of Green's "documentary" about monsters.  Pretty much the only cast member not playing himself is genre stalwart Ray Wise (Twin Peaks, Jeepers Creepers II), who instead plays the role of an individual named William Dekker.  Dekker alleges to Green that monsters are real and that he knows where to find them, which of course proves an irresistible notion to Green.

     It seems likely that neither of these oddball premises would have been made ten years ago, mostly because investors - whether it be the filmmakers themselves or others - would have struggled to produce them and then get them into the hands of the intended audience.  It's a very different world now.  In particular, social media makes it far easier to target a particular demo with a harder sell.  That's got to be a good thing, right?  Now the filmmakers can shepherd their more challenging and unusual ideas to the screen and be reasonably sure they will still find an audience.

     This new dynamic is a curse though in that much of the empirical evidence thus far suggests it also fosters sloppy self-indulgence.  The fans are going to love the end product no matter what, and if the mainstream audiences don't get it, who cares?  It wasn't for them anyway.  Both Tusk and Digging Up The Marrow fall prey to this mindset to varying degrees.  For example, both movies present a unique and fascinating scenario and then fail to deliver a satisfying resolution.  One wonders if perhaps both narratives would have been more sturdily constructed and effective if Smith and Green had been aiming a little higher, instead of just making movies for their already loyal constituencies.  That lazy self-indulgence is evident in both movies, and it ultimately keeps either movie from living up to its full potential.

     Unfortunately, I'm admittedly not the best person to be examining this dynamic since I'm already a fan of both filmmakers.  I'm part of the audience for which both movies were intended.  Even so, I can't help feeling a little bit gypped when I can see objectively that both would probably have been better if only a little more discipline had been exercised.  What's there is often very, very good, but both movies had the potential to be great and squandered it.

     Still, though, I have to rank both Tusk and Digging Up The Marrow as two of the best genre movies I've seen in a while, and I'd recommend both.  In particular, each movie features a stellar performance from a veteran character actor that demands to be seen.  Ray Wise effortlessly commands the screen with his intense and often darkly humorous performance as Dekker in Digging Up The Marrow, and Michael Parks (Red State, From Dusk Til Dawn) is a mesmerizing revelation as the quietly psychotic Howard Howe in Tusk.  Both actors clearly relish the opportunity to play the lead, and both movies are worth a watch if only to see these veterans deliver what surely must be a couple of the best performances of their respective careers.

     The walrus transformation in Tusk and the superior monster designs by artist Alex Pardee for Digging Up The Marrow are worthy of note, as well.  In fact, I guarantee those Pardee monsters will have you diving for the remote more than once to rewind and get a second look.  It's intentional that I chose not to ruin the fun by including pics of them here.

     Tusk and Digging Up The Marrow are must see movies for fans of their respective creators.  They're both solid recommendations for genre fans in general, too.  I just wonder if these cinematic in-jokes might have had the potential to reach much larger audiences had Green and Smith been more disciplined in their execution.  A third act that delivers on the promise of the first two should be mandatory, and settling for "good enough" just because the fans will show up regardless is just lazy.  Would more discipline have hampered the unfettered creativity at the core of each project?  Probably not.  It just would have made a couple of good movies great.  You were so close, guys, but as Maxwell Smart would have said...

"Missed It By That Much!"

Odium: Vindicta Trailer Debuts Soon, Proper Contact Information On Movies At Dog Farm To Follow . . .

     A member of the team producing the forthcoming web series Odium: Vindicta sent me a very polite email asking if I might share the following press release.  He also pointed out that I had no contact information posted anymore, save for the email address I have listed for take down requests.  I'll correct that error of omission soon.  In the meantime, here's the press release, because a polite request and a useful observation earns a plug.

     The production team at BBL Entertainment is proud to present the screening of the first official trailer of the upcoming web series Odium: Vindicta at 247 Sky Bar, Indianapolis, Indiana on February 21, 2015 at 6:00 pm.

     Saul Harris is a new resident in the idyllic, all American small town of Manesville and with him comes a darkness that will sweep over the unsuspecting community and change it forever. Saul's past is the stuff of nightmares and even though he's been trying to leave it behind, the past has a way of catching up and when it does, the nightmares will be unleashed. But Saul isn't the only one with dark secrets and his actions will cause a ripple effect that brings to light the malevolent things lurking just behind the perfect facade of Manesville's upper echelons.

     The upcoming web series Odium aims to re-invent and re-invigorate the indie horror scene. It combines elements of psychological thriller, slasher cinema and Hitchcockian twists in an original story of epic scale. It will follow Saul's journey to deal with his past and his struggle to calm his troubled, damaged mind and find something resembling peace and normalcy. It will explore the disturbing actions and decisions of some of Manesville's prestigious, wealthy inhabitants, as they are being pushed to the edge by the gruesome murders that start to happen and trap the town in fear and panic. It will observe the police investigators, as they are trying to put the pieces together and understand what is happening in their town. And most of all it will draw the audience into a story where things are not what they seem and where the lines between good and evil are always blurred.

     The trailer will be the centerpiece of the event Artistic Impressions. The purpose of the event is to make the public aware of BBL's artistic endeavors and productions and it will include samples of the work of Indianapolis based paranormal investigators ParaSisters, photographers Vanessa von Rouge and Gary Nelson and Chicago based designer extraordinaire Ramsey J. Prince. Sounds and tunes will be provided for your listening pleasure by local DJ Killa Cam and comedian Thomas McDaniel will MC the event and give guests a sampling of his comedy set. The proceeds of the event will be used to secure funding for the continued production of Odium and to support the local charity A Giving Tree.  Admission to the event is $10 or guests can bring a non perishable food item to donate for a reduced admission of $7 ($3 discount).

Screening Date:  February 21, 2015

Screening Time:  Doors open at 6:00 pm

Screening Location:  247 Sky Bar, 247 South Meridian Street, Indianapolis, IN 46225

Admission:  $10 regular, $7 with food donation.   

     This event is open to the public.
 

Exists (2014) - How Bad Can a Movie Be and Still Score a Recommendation?

     One of the leads in the new found footage movie Exists (2014) believes he's going to make himself famous by filming a really bad ass video of Bigfoot for YouTube.  Not surprisingly, he's the guy who never puts the camera down.  What is a little surprising is that he's also the most developed character in the movie.  His name escapes me at the moment, but I'm sure that's not important.  I couldn't tell you any of the other characters' names, either.  I spent nearly ninety minutes watching these five people and formed no more of an emotional attachment to them than I would to a mouth breather taking a shot to the nuts in a YouTube video.  That's okay, because Exists pretty much is the bad ass YouTube video old whats-his-name wanted to make, and Bigfoot is the shot to the nuts that we're all here for anyway.  Whose nuts is incidental.

     I'd generally have little positive to say about a movie that skimps on character development, but I just didn't care here.  Sure, Exists would be more effective if I felt empathy for its cast, but I'm just here for some good old fashioned Bigfoot action.  I suspect many who seek out Exists will feel the same way.  My profound lack of identification with any of the monster bait on display actually put me in mind of an old slasher flick.  These five cyphers only exist to be meat for the hairy grinder.  So does Exists at least deliver when we see the big guy in action?

     Even though it's essentially a found footage movie, director Eduardo Sanchez - one half of the directorial team behind The Blair Witch Project - doesn't use the conceit as an excuse to hold back on the money shots.  You see enough of the convincingly low key Mike Elizalde Bigfoot design to get the job done, but not so much that Bigfoot ceases to be the mysterious backwoods threat he's supposed to be.  There are plenty of moments when Sanchez uses the found footage conceit to good effect by providing us with fleeting glimpses of the beast reminiscent of the old 1967 Patterson-Gimlin film.  The Bigfoot in Exists, however, is not just taking a brisk stroll by the river bed.  He's pissed.

Oh shit!  He knows we're down here!

     Sanchez makes effective use of sound design to sell the monster, as well.  It's amazing just how effective it is to only hear Bigfoot's rampage as he ransacks a cabin while the leads cower in the cellar.  The same goes for peering deeply into the darkened woods through the eye of the camera as the eerie wailing of the beast surrounds you.

     Perhaps you've noticed that I've yet to say anything about the narrative, though.  Well, that's because there really isn't one.  I suppose the lack of a compelling narrative goes a long way toward explaining the lack of characterization, but the script by Jaime Nash  (who also scripted Sanchez's superior 2006 alien abduction flick Altered) is really nothing more than a basic framework to get the viewer from one Bigfoot encounter to the next.  Once again, everything else takes a backseat to the monster action.

     Ultimately then, all Exists really has to offer is a rampaging monster and a hollow core.  Thing is, it's an unusually well rendered monster.  Sanchez uses every trick in the book to make each scene involving Bigfoot truly thrilling.  There's a bit with Bigfoot pursuing a victim fleeing on a mountain bike that recalls Sanchez's solid V/H/S/2 segment A Ride In The Park.  The conclusion of Exists, in which Bigfoot tosses an entire camper trailer off the side of a mountain, is similarly bracing.  There are just too many crackerjack scenes like these to dismiss the movie out of hand.

It's raining Sasquatch!  Seriously, how can anyone not want to see this? 

     So how bad can a movie be and still score a recommendation from the Dog Farm?  Exists is lacking almost every key component one would expect to find in a traditionally good monster movie save one.  It's got a really good monster.  Nimble editing, clever cinematography, superior sound, and a convincing costume design come together to make this the Bigfoot I always wanted to see in a movie.  It's just a shame that Exists otherwise settles for mediocrity or it could have been something really special.

     Dim the lights, crank up the surround sound, and adjust your expectations accordingly.  Exists still scores that recommendation, because sometimes a little technically proficient brain dead squatchploitation is enough.

The Info Zombie Podcast #95 - Am I The Worst Guest Ever? Probably Not, But I'm At Least Part Of The Discussion . . .

Brother Theodore and a flummoxed David Letterman

     The Info Zombie never says die.  Carl invited me back for my third guest shot on The Info Zombie Podcast, even though I forgot to plug in my mic last time.  The jury is still out as to whether or not my comments being intelligible constitutes an improvement.  I also made a conscious effort to breathe quietly, modulate the volume of my speaking voice, and form complete sentences.  It's a good thing Carl is so adept at keeping me on topic.  Does anyone remember back when Brother Theodore used to do guest shots on Late Night With David Letterman?  Just me, huh?  Check out the clip.  It's not easy to keep a grouchy old man on topic.

     We are a little all over the place this time, but it was fun to see where the conversation would take us.  Carl and I talk a bit about old horror movies, new horror movies, found footage movies, unreleased movies, and books about movies.  So...movies, I guess.  
  
     -- I now realize we were actually pretty focused --

     You can listen to Episode #95 of The Info Zombie Podcast right here, or download the episode on iTunes if you prefer listening on the go.  Be sure to subscribe when you  visit iTunes, and check out all the goodies on display at The Info Zombie website, as well. 

The Dog Farm Finally Creeps Up On The Creeper - Movies At Dog Farm IV Looms Ominously In The Distance...

A beaten and bound middle-aged man sitting atop a hill...

     Does the screen cap above look familiar to you?  I've been deviled by it for thirty-five years.  It doesn't look quite as I remembered it, but that's definitely it.  I was frustrated by my inability to recall the movie from which this image was taken for decades.  Then - even worse - I finally realized it was from a movie that was essentially unavailable.  This image was nothing more than a vague memory I would carry with me to the grave.  As the years passed I began to question if I'd ever even seen this image.  Perhaps it was only something I fabricated in my mind's eye, assembled from the unclassified scraps of horror movie detritus that litter my brain.

     I consider myself fortunate that I came of age during the seventies and eighties, arguably the last true golden age of genre movies.  I also consider myself fortunate that I lived through the glorious heyday of DVD in the nineties and aughts.  Almost any movie I recalled fondly from my youth was readily available to me, often in a beautifully packaged collector's edition.  Still, there were a handful of oldies that remained frustratingly out of reach. 

    I was haunted by the image above largely because it was from a movie that I could neither recall nor acquire.  I was certain it was from a movie I'd seen at the Skyline Drive-In.  I knew this because I remembered it being dark during its nighttime scenes to the point that it was almost incomprehensible.  I recalled also that it was a movie I hadn't particularly enjoyed, haunting visual notwithstanding.  My inability to remember its title and/or see it once again vexed me.

     At last I discovered that it was a Canadian movie I'd seen under the title The Creeper somewhere around 1980.  Part of the reason I could never place it was because it's better known in genre circles by its original title, Rituals (1977).  The Creeper was a retitling for the American market intended to position the movie as a backwoods slasher flick.  It's not, really.  That probably explains why my ten year old self didn't care for it at the time.  I'd been duped.  As for the impenetrable darkness in those nighttime scenes - it was due to damage inflicted upon the original negative during processing by Pathe Studios.  Who knew?

     So now I had a title, but I was thwarted by the fact that Rituals had essentially become a lost film since I'd seen it so long ago.  There were still substandard public domain releases under its retitling that popped up occasionally, but they were usually from a heavily edited broadcast television version that omitted over ten minutes of footage and still suffered from the excessive darkness that marred its presentation wherever it appeared.  The only unexpurgated version seemed to be an old Canadian VHS release by Astral Bellevue Entertainment, long out of print, that was difficult to locate and exorbitantly expensive.  Later there was a German DVD release, but it had forced subtitles and reportedly did nothing to correct the dark image.

     Finally there came word of an impending DVD release from Code Red DVD.  Code Red had obtained access to director Peter Carter's personal copy that his wife found in a closet and passed along to actor/producer Lawrence Dane.  The elements were still rough, but the print was uncut and Code Red had reportedly lightened the excessively dark passages.  This was all pretty big news in genre circles.  The impending release even scored a cover story in a special VHS issue of Rue Morgue magazine in December of 2009.  Then the release was delayed and later assumed abandoned by most until it finally showed up unheralded roughly a year and a half later.  It sold out almost immediately despite the low profile release, and it quickly became almost impossible to score a copy for less than fifty bucks or so from online resellers.  I missed that brief window of opportunity, and so Rituals once again eluded me.

     I've finally convinced myself to quit being a cheap bastard though, and I've ponied up the cash for a copy of that out of print Code Red DVD release.  I'll be sharing it with others soon at the next Movies At Dog Farm live event.  I'm pretty stoked about seeing Rituals again outdoors under the moonlight just as I saw it at the Skyline Drive-In nearly thirty-five years ago.  Rituals is now the first official selection for Movies At Dog Farm IV in May.

    

The Dog Farm's Best In Show 2014 - Looking For A Cinematic Needle In A Haystack Of Failure And Mediocrity

     This was a rough year for the genre.  Notable new releases were few and far between, as evidenced by how widely I had to cast my net for recurring features like Noteworthy On Netflix.  I did find a few gems, though, so hope springs eternal.

     Speaking of Noteworthy On Netflix, that feature made two appearances in 2014.  Both were rounded out with a heavy dose of older movies, but that's okay.  A good movie is a good movie, regardless of how old it is.  Most of the newer releases this year were covered in the recurring Pre'Ween feature Diary Of A Movie Watchin' Madman, owing to the fact that I tend to stack up newer releases to gorge on in October.  Both of these recurring features became a little more in depth this year than they'd  been in the past.  I'm getting long-winded and self-indulgent in my old age.

Noteworthy On Netflix - 1/9/14

Noteworthy On Netflix - 7/18/14 - Digging A Little Deeper Than Usual

Diary Of A Movie Watchin' Madman Vol.II, Part 1 - Bride Of The Madman

Diary Of A Movie Watchin' Madman Vol.II, Part 2 - Revenge Of The Madman

    That wraps up The Dog Farm's Best In Show 2014.  I promise I'll try to do better next year.  In the meantime, my sincere thanks to everyone who continues to visit the Dog Farm.  Best wishes for the new year and beyond, and I'll see you on the other side.