Plague Town - Creepy Evil Children? This one will scare you senseless!!
Plague Town @ The 2008 Dead Channels Film Festival in S.F. @ The Roxie Theater
So, yesterday I got out and made it down to the Roxie Theater and took in my first film in the 2008 Dead Channels Film Festival in S.F. "Plague Town." The U.S. Premiere! I did not read much about the film and from the program guide had only this to go on:
"Plague Town is a truly frightening old-school horror movie about the Monohan family, who are (for the most part) likeable, smart normals who get much more than they bargained for when they get lost in the rural countryside in Ireland. Luckily, they stumble across an old village hidden deep in the woods, so they have a place to rest for the night. Unbeknownst to the modern urbanites the villagers follow a different set of much older rules."
Not much to go on here. Is it "truly frightening?" Yes, it is. Within the first ten minutes I had the shivers and found myself casually glancing around the theater to be sure no faces were about to leap out at me. I'm not kidding. This film is really creepy. There are a couple of things you should prepare yourself for with "Plague Town." The first I've already mentioned. It has many shocking appearances of terribly sinister, death dealing mutant children. They pop out of the dark and will scare the living daylights out of you while they giggle and slice into their prey. Beyond that visceral, gut level fear and an adrenal pumping 'fight or flight' response that this one continually triggers? It is so incredibly gruesome. You will see some hard core gore here that will trigger more that a double fistful of wincing from everyone in the theater. There are scenes in this film that, had I not been in a theater, would have punished me to the point where my only recourse would be to stand and pace. The last time this happened to me? "Audition" by Takashi Miike. In fact, there is one scene in particular that pays a lovely homage to one of those scenes in "Audition..." Well, let's just say that when you see this film you will know exactly what I'm talking about. It is so incredibly horrible and so perfectly executed...
"Plague Town" delivers the goods! If you are OK with having the living shit scared out of you. If you really don't mind the terrifying shivers and a film that will most certainly give you nightmares? You promise not to lose your lunch? I am not kidding. There is real hard core gore here and it is hauntingly realistic. "Plague Town" is terrifying and it is punishing. Happing ending? Looking for a happy ending? Hmmmm... Well, don't say I didn't warn you. This film? Do not miss this film at Dead Channels Film Festival!! It plays one more time on Saturday, October 4th at 8pm.
The Director, David Gregory will be at the theater. I recommend you stick around for the Q&A and/or buy him a couple of pints after the screening... Which reminds me. At the Q&A last Friday someone asked about inspiration for the concept, "where did this come from?"
"A general fear of children. There aren't that many films about creepy children..."
Well, now here's one that's raised the bar to impossible heights and will ensure my nightmares will likely include the faces of demonic imps flashing out of dark and terrible places... Thanks to David Gregory and "Plague Town," I'm going to be sleeping with the night light on for the next couple of months!
So, yesterday I got out and made it down to the Roxie Theater and took in my first film in the 2008 Dead Channels Film Festival in S.F. "Plague Town." The U.S. Premiere! I did not read much about the film and from the program guide had only this to go on:
"Plague Town is a truly frightening old-school horror movie about the Monohan family, who are (for the most part) likeable, smart normals who get much more than they bargained for when they get lost in the rural countryside in Ireland. Luckily, they stumble across an old village hidden deep in the woods, so they have a place to rest for the night. Unbeknownst to the modern urbanites the villagers follow a different set of much older rules."
Not much to go on here. Is it "truly frightening?" Yes, it is. Within the first ten minutes I had the shivers and found myself casually glancing around the theater to be sure no faces were about to leap out at me. I'm not kidding. This film is really creepy. There are a couple of things you should prepare yourself for with "Plague Town." The first I've already mentioned. It has many shocking appearances of terribly sinister, death dealing mutant children. They pop out of the dark and will scare the living daylights out of you while they giggle and slice into their prey. Beyond that visceral, gut level fear and an adrenal pumping 'fight or flight' response that this one continually triggers? It is so incredibly gruesome. You will see some hard core gore here that will trigger more that a double fistful of wincing from everyone in the theater. There are scenes in this film that, had I not been in a theater, would have punished me to the point where my only recourse would be to stand and pace. The last time this happened to me? "Audition" by Takashi Miike. In fact, there is one scene in particular that pays a lovely homage to one of those scenes in "Audition..." Well, let's just say that when you see this film you will know exactly what I'm talking about. It is so incredibly horrible and so perfectly executed...
"Plague Town" delivers the goods! If you are OK with having the living shit scared out of you. If you really don't mind the terrifying shivers and a film that will most certainly give you nightmares? You promise not to lose your lunch? I am not kidding. There is real hard core gore here and it is hauntingly realistic. "Plague Town" is terrifying and it is punishing. Happing ending? Looking for a happy ending? Hmmmm... Well, don't say I didn't warn you. This film? Do not miss this film at Dead Channels Film Festival!! It plays one more time on Saturday, October 4th at 8pm.
The Director, David Gregory will be at the theater. I recommend you stick around for the Q&A and/or buy him a couple of pints after the screening... Which reminds me. At the Q&A last Friday someone asked about inspiration for the concept, "where did this come from?"
"A general fear of children. There aren't that many films about creepy children..."
Well, now here's one that's raised the bar to impossible heights and will ensure my nightmares will likely include the faces of demonic imps flashing out of dark and terrible places... Thanks to David Gregory and "Plague Town," I'm going to be sleeping with the night light on for the next couple of months!
posted by skurko at 6:24 AM
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