The Fall and Rise of Babylon

Perhaps some things never change. . . and by that, I mean guys being idiots. A dark thriller about an aging man’s deep-seated flaws, Simon Birrell writes and directs under the guidance of longtime exploitative horror filmmaker José Ramon Larraz; His Last Request (2005) a twenty-seven minute short delving into the depths of a warped human being’s psyche. . . and the problems he himself has wrought. Shot as a silent film and in ominous black and white (I know what you’re thinking – how avant-garde), Spanish horror legend Jack Taylor plays the father. . . a man, who after years of multiple marriages, philandering, and god knows what else (he has cameras watching his entire apartment – likely not for security reasons), is now permanently relegated to a wheelchair (that is, if he wants to move around – otherwise, he is bedridden). Losing more money through alimony than an overzealous sailor fresh off the ship, his lawyer (Ramón Rados) is trying to get his papers in order before he runs out of money, or dies. . . it is a toss-up as to which might happen first.

It is funny what passes through your brain when something as monumental and horrible as Kobe Bryant’s unexpected death is heard (even more heartbreaking that his thirteen year old daughter Gianna, and seven others died in the helicopter crash). Logic and reason no longer control your mind, and it is as if a movie reel flashes before your eyes. For me, I immediately thought of a day almost fourteen years ago to the day when the Toronto Raptors seemed to have things in complete control (up fourteen against the Los Angeles Lakers at half). It was January 22nd, 2006, the day Kobe took over – almost forty-two minutes, twenty-eight field goals made (forty-six attempted), seven threes. . . a total of eighty-one points (that helped further his legend – the second highest total ever behind only Wilt Chamberlain’s one hundred). Then, the horrific 2011 Lokomotiv Yaroslavl plane crash flashed before me – 44 dead, including former NHL superstar Pavol Demitra (who I knew). You think of Jordan, Shaq, the championships, and the colossal loss. . . in complete pain for his wife, daughters and parents (who must now try to pick up the pieces after this tragic accident). You start to hear the reaction coming out – shock and disbelief. . . perhaps Tiger Woods’ forceful “excuse me” upon hearing the news from his caddy after finishing his round of eighteen sums that up nicely – for it seems surreal.

If you’ve always thought that the Christmas classic Home Alone was a bit sadistic, you ain’t seen nothing yet. Better Watch Out, co-written and directed by Chris Peckover (the story was conceived by Zach Kahn – who also co-wrote the script), plays like a combination of the above mentioned Chris Columbus directed, John Hughes scribed film, and a twist on the home-invasion horror sub-genre – something along the lines of When a Stranger Calls or The Strangers. A tough sell during the holidays, Better Watch Out really didn’t deliver at the box office, yet, in its three years since its 2016 release, it has slowly built a cult following. Twisty as much as it is twisted, Peckover relishes in this horror-fused Hughes-style world. Set in an upper-middle class home, it could sit on the same cold wintery Chicago street found in the 90s gem.

Like some sort of quirky hybrid of a Dr. Seuss story and an Abbott and Costello comedy sketch transported to the dark alleyway of a film noir, 2019's Word on the Street is a five minute foray into the wacky world of English wordplay. Written and directed by Austin Hillebrecht and Sean Parker, the former plays flat cap wearing Bugsy, a low-level ruffian who has heard that the word on the street is “implication”. Meeting up with fellow criminal Rat (Conor Eifler), the fedora wearing fella claims that it is “insinuation”.

Only David Cronenberg’s second feature film (which he both writes and directs), 1977's Rabid continues his precedence for a very unique form of horror, often referred to as ‘body horror’. . . a study in human beings, their fears, apprehensions, an awkwardness revolving around their own (and others’) bodies. Set in and around one of the most unique cities in North America – Montreal, the genesis event finds a couple, Rose (pornstar Marilyn Chambers) and Hart (Frank Moore), getting in a horrific motorcycle accident in the country. Though Hart is beat up, it is Rose that is truly in rough shape. Stranded in a most unpopulated place, they are fortunate that the exclusive Dr. Keloid Clinic for Plastic Surgery (a sort of touch up resort) is nearby. . . taking the severely injured woman in for immediate surgery.