It’s been a while since I made a Movie Monday post. Phasma Ex Machina set a benchmark. I haven’t come across any movies I’ve been as excited about coming out as that one.
Until I read “French Zombies, Australian Ghosts, and Ski Lifts” on t5m last week. There were a couple of movies listed that piqued my interest. Specifically “Lake Mungo” and “The Horde.”
LAKE MUNGO
Deadly Movies was the contributing author to the t5m article. Since it was their description of “Lake Mungo” which made me stand up and take notice of the movie, I figured rather than trying to recreate it I’d just include it here.
First person horror is back after the roaring success of ‘Paranormal Activity’, and it suits the paranormal sub-genre well, far better than it does zombies (’Diary of the Dead’) and monsters (’Cloverfield’). Why? Because you can utlise the plot device of terrorised people searching for video evidence of their tormentors. This Australian effort looks very creepy, playing on your perception of the fact/fiction boundary. Interestingly, rather than a nameless faceless foe, the spirit in question here is a deceased and loved family member, which will help ramp up the emotional trauma when family affection turns inevitably malevolent.
Of course then I had to go see if there was a trailer. Whoa. I posted it below so you can see for yourself if you’re not already familiar.
This is my kind of movie. Ghost story plus Australian actors? I had to find out how I can see it.
If I want to buy it, there’s a DVD available for purchase from Lake Mungo’s website. If it wasn’t priced in Australian dollars and I didn’t have to worry about the conversion, this is one movie I might take my chance on buying outright without having first seen it in its entirety.
I’m hoping it’ll get picked up for distribution somehow and either come to a theater near me soon. Or at least make it to Netflix. I added it to my queue just in case that happens.
THE HORDE
This one combines two of my other passions: anything French and zombies. There is absolutely no way I can even come close to doing the justice describing “The Horde” that Deadly Movies did, so again I’m just going to post their awesome write up.
A French Zombie movie, now there’s an interesting concept. Film purists will break into a cold sweat at the thought of the keepers of true cinema, the French, falling into the trappings of the lowest of all American trash, the Zombie movie. Truth be known France has produced some of the most brutally disturbing horror’s of the past 50 years. ‘The Horde’ looks to have that unmistakingly French feel; the actors all have that ruffled Gallic heavy set expression, the framing is beautiful, the photography expressionist, and the violence brutal and visceral. French style and American content, I’ll have a piece of that pie.
Again, I don’t know when this one will be available to American viewers, but I saved it in my Netflix queue for when it is.
Courtney Mroch is a globe-trotting restless spirit who’s both possessed by wanderlust and the spirit of adventure, and obsessed with true crime, horror, the paranormal, and weird days. Perhaps it has something to do with her genes? She is related to occult royalty, after all. Marie Laveau, the famous Voodoo practitioner of New Orleans, is one of her ancestors. (Yes, really! As explained here.) That could also explain her infatuation with skeletons.
Speaking of mystical, to learn how Courtney channeled her battle with cancer to conjure up this site, check out HJ’s Origin Story.
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Thanks for the movie list. I’ll look or The Horde on Netflix. I love everything French and Zombies so I think this might be the perfect film for me!
Lake Mungo is part of the After Dark Horrorfest 4 and the films will be available on March 23, 2010. See http://www.amazon.com/Lake-Mungo-Martin-Sharpe/dp/B00344EAM8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1263861133&sr=8-1 for the individual film or all the films in one box set at http://www.amazon.com/Horrorfest-Graves-Hidden-Zombies-Destruction/dp/B00344EAL4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1263861345&sr=1-1.
Inside, Martyrs and Frontiers are excellent examples of seriously disturbing films. Wonder if those people in Hollywood are listening yet or are they just waiting till Lionsgate buries the old studio system?
Ah! Jessica, FINALLY another Francophile AND zombie lover. WOOOHOOO! Have you seen THEM? I wasn’t quite sure how I felt about it when I first saw it. But I find myself being haunted by it ever since, so…it hit me and now I think it’s one of the best French horror movies I’ve seen, THANKS for the comment!
OOOO! Jerry, your comment went to SPAM first. Sorry. I went to my dashboard after I commented on Jessica’s and saw it and quickly UN-spammed it!
WHAT A GREAT COMMENT TO LEAVE! Thanks so much for letting me (and anyone else who might be interested) know how/when we can see these films. And thanks for the tip re Martyrs and Frontiers…of course now I have to check them out to see what you’re talking about. Great stuff. VERY much appreciate the comments!
Jerry, both were available via Netflix. Both look great. Both went directly into my queue, but Frontiers has me especially intrigued. Thanks so much again for the heads up!
Oh boy! Yahoo! Thanks for the previews and write-ups. I agree-that Australian one I’d own out-right. The Horde looks amazing. The thing is, I adore French movies, but only the horror ones and the highly sensual ones. I’m not thrilled by any other genre, but they are very visceral and picturesque, so horror and sex they do well, but storytelling not usually so good. If anyone is best to do a zombie movie, I really think it would be the French. I’ve wondered if they ever did any because there’s just something about the way visually that they do movies that is perfect zombie media. I really want to see that. I heard from someone that it was coming out in August. I’ll keep my eyes open. Please keep doing movies on Mondays. I really really love the ones you’ve found.
Hi Autumnforest! Ugh. Your comment went to SPAM first too. WT…? Sorry. Anyway, unspammed it and here you are so I can comment. Thank you SO much for your nice comment about keep doing Movie Mondays. When I find good ones, I sure will include them. Look what happened this week! Jerry left those great comments about 2 more French movies those of us who like them should check out. Like you always say on your blog, blogging is THE best way to share info. This was a very productive Movie Monday!