My Review Of “Lord Of Tears”

Lawrie Brewster's "Lord Of Tears" is an operatic thriller that follows the conflicts of a man's heritage against a systemic psyche. Which is to say that the title character if fighting with his past and in order to survive who he is in the present. The cool thing about this film is the fact that there is a haunting foreboding that brings an ominous atmosphere to the story. The film presents itself as a chilling supernatural nightmare. "Lord Of Tears" stars David Schofield, Alexandra Hulme, Euan Douglas, Jamie Scott Gordon and is filmed in the beautiful Ardgour, Highland region of Scotland. Truly one of the most visually stunning locations on the planet. The towering monuments of nature that are the hills in the Highlands against the stunning godsky is truly spectacular. 

"Lord Of Tears" tells a very chilling tale of mythic horror, pagan superstition and human conflict in a dark, surrealistic nightmare that is both captivating and practically romantic in its Gothic presentation. The story is intense and creepy while allowing for an artful, emotive character driven opera between the two main players, James Findlay and Eve Turner. 

Effectively, "Lord Of Tears" offers more expressionist, artfilm style than was really necessary but it only adds to the visual Gothic nature of the film, against the almost romantic flow of the dialog, than it does to detract. I found the film very hypnotic as the scenes moved from one moment to the next. "Lord Of Tears" is much more than the simple labels of "Gothic" and "Horror" can justify. It has an exuberant  grandeur in both it's visual and expressive storytelling.

Now for the cons of this film, they are limited and do not prevent the film from its chilling intentions, but they do merit mentioning. The flashes of surrealism, artistic shots between the character driven elements in "Lord Of Tears" at moments can be distracting at moments when more film plot would have really solidified the overall story. Some of the moments with the engaging dialog  between the two main characters comes off as more theatrical than ideal to be convincing. Lastly, some scenes of the interior, more dialog reliant moments in the film are visually less appealing compared to most of the stunning production value in “Lord Of Tears”. That is it, I had no more issue with this film because, for the most part, "Lord Of Tears" is a truly well executed Gothic story filled with tons of visual and aesthetic character, the the film is more than your average, chilling, Independent thriller.

Official Poster Released For Ultimate Fan Documentary “Unearthed & Untold: The Path To Pet Sematary”

“Unearthed & Untold: The Path To Pet Sematary” is an ultimate fan retrospective that takes an extensive  look at the making of Pet Sematary, the origins of the story, the stories of cast and crew, memories of the Maine locals who helped make the film, and the legacy the film has established among horror fans and scholars of Stephen King's work. The documentary is John Campopiano and Justin White. It will feature many cast and crew members never before interviewed about their involvement in the film.

“Unearthed & Untold” will also take fans on a tour of all the filming locations. With never-before-seen photographs and footage from behind-the-scenes, original props from the film, media coverage of the 1988 production, and new stories about the Hollywood production being on location in Maine. The documentary is described as an all encompassing film by fans for fans. It is looking like a very sweet exploration into one of the best film productions of a King novel. I can’t wait to see the film. There is no word yet on exactly when “Unearthed & Untold: The Path To Pet Sematary” will be released. Also check out the trailer that released back in August below.

IFC Midnight Goes Into The Den

IFC Midnight has acquired the North American distribution rights to horror film “The Den”. The film is about a woman studying the habits of webcam chat users who witnesses a brutal murder online. After she decides to investigate digitally, she is immersed in a nightmare in which she and her loved ones becomes targets for a similarly grisly fate.

Trailer Arrives For Indie Horror “Muck”

An official trailer has arrived for the indie horror with a super hot cast, “Muck” is the highly stylized and hyper-violent middle chapter of a true horror trilogy that unfolds like a love letter to horror fanatics everywhere. Filmed completely on the Red Epic in ultra HD without any CGI, Muck simultaneously pushes the limits of what can be done both within the horror genre and independent filmmaking. The film is a middle chapter of a trilogy. It stars Lachlan Buchanan, Puja Mohindra, Bryce Draper, Stephanie Danielson, Laura Jacobs, Grant Alan Ouzts, Lauren Francesca, 2012 Playmate of the Year Jaclyn Swedberg, and Kane Hodder as Grawesome Crutal. “Muck” is written and directed by Steve Wolsh.

After narrowly escaping an ancient burial ground, long forgotten and buried underneath the marshes of Cape Cod, a group of friends emerge from the thick, marshy darkness, tattered and bloody, lucky to be alive. They have already lost two of their friends in the marsh, presumably dead. They stumble upon an empty Cape Cod vacation house alongside the foggy marsh and break in to take shelter. Whatever was in the marsh is still after them and soon after one of them goes for help, the rest of the group learns that the evil in the marsh is not the only thing that wants them dead. Something worse, something more savage, was lying in wait just outside the marsh, in the house. What happens next is unspeakable, horror that cannot be unseen. These unlucky travelers spend their St. Patrick's Day trapped between two evils forcing them to fight, die, or go back the way they came.

DOA Bloodbath Film Festival Coverage: Exclusive Interview With Director Jeremy Campbell

Check out the great interview that Kara Rainer got us at the DOA Bloodbath Film Festival. The festival was also the location for the premiere of Director Jeremy Campbell’s action/horror “Velvet Vengeance”. The film showed to a packed crowd of horror fans with some great feedback.

“Velvet Vengeance” follows a  young woman who is faced with the tragic murder of her brother. She travels to the location of her brothers murder to hunt the killer but little does she know that she is the one that is being hunted.

Modern Horror “Dead Water” In Pre-Production

The horror film “Dead Water” is currently in pre-production but the synopsis is offering a tantalizing nightmare scenario.  “Dead Water” is directed by Ryuhei Kitamura. I am definitely gonna keep my radar focused for this freaky little flick. “Dead Water” is being produced by Edwin Marshall and Y.K. Bae for Intandem Films. It is expected to be completed in 2014.

THE END OF THE WORLD, AS WE KNOW IT, CAME TO AN END TWO YEARS AGO…

Led by our heroine a few scientists are sealed inside an Eco Station -a self-sufficient environment deep in the desert. The survivors in the Station know the deadly truth. They know that when the end finally came, it wasn’t what anyone expected.

It wasn’t a virus that killed the planet. It wasn’t a curse from Hell. It was the water...

A chemical process, triggered somewhere in the world, got out of control and changed the molecular composition of H2O as we know it.

Suddenly drinking it, bathing in it, even touching water would change a human into...
Something else. Something unimaginable. Something deadly...

In The World Of Spirits: Mezcal Mayhem

On the Liquor.com site a contributor posted this nice little wicked drink. His name is Adam Seger and the drink is something that definitely intend to give a taste.

• 1.5 oz Del Maguey Chichicapa Mezcal
• .75 oz Campari
• .75 oz Mayhaw Syrup*
• 5 oz Vicaris Tripel-Geuze or other Belgian tripel-style beer

Garnish:Orange wheel or twist
Glass:Pint or highball
Add the mezcal, Campari and Mayhaw Syrup to a shaker and fill with ice. Shake, and strain into a pint or highball glass half-filled with fresh ice. Top with the beer and garnish with an orange wheel or twist.
*To make Mayhaw Syrup, whisk just enough hot water into mayhaw jelly to make a syrup consistency. (You may substitute raspberry preserves or cranberry jelly plus a bit of lemon juice.)