FIVE FILMS - MANSON FAMILY VACATION, DEATHGASM, VYCHISLITEL, I'LL BE ME, THE HIVE

MANSON FAMILY VACATION

A surprisingly warm family drama given the Charles Manson hook. Two brothers, one a biological son played by Jay Duplass who is successful attorney with a wife a child and a house, the other played by Linas Phillips adopted as a boy who is now a drifter visit sites associated with Charles Manson suggested by the adopted brother culminating in a trip to the desert and a predictable revelation about his paternity. The relationship between the brothers is patiently revealed and written in such a natural fashion you don't notice the exposition. Both Duplass and Phillips are excellent in their respective roles. A unique film that actually has a pretty traditional underpinning about taking family for granted and a reasonable amount of dry humor to boot. Recommended. 

                                           

DEATHGASM

2015 is turning into the year of the horror comedy. This film from New Zealand about a loser metalhead teenager who accidentally summons demons while performing a cursed piece of music made ma laugh out loud a number of times which is high prase indeed as the number of public laughs produced is how I judge comedies. The excessive gore and rampaging demons of the second half are a bit much and I got a bit tired of it but overall amusing. Two best bits - A satanist tells his minions they should have put a tarp down when cutting off a head as they ruined his rugs and an argument over if the demon's hour takes into account daylight savings time. 

 

VYCHISLITEL (Alternate English Titles - TITANIUM and CALCULATOR)

This Russian sci-fi tale of convicts on an alien planet facing hostile lifeforms is justified for me by the thought put into the creatures which are all variations on underground man-eating plants. There is enough excitement and drama coupled with the authentic looking alien planet which is in the realm of believability to make this slightly above average. Also a dubbed Vinnie Jones in a Vinnie Jones type thug role. 

 
I'LL BE ME

More of a PSA on Alzheimer's Disease than a reflection on the life and career of Glen Campbell who suffers from the disease. There is plenty of good music but we also get a lot of warts and all scenes of how difficult it is to struggle with is illness (the numbers of those afflicted with Alzheimer's are increasing). Campbell's struggle against the inevitable is deeply moving. My only criticism is instead of just a five minute montage on Campbell's music, TV, and film career, perhaps they could have made this segment at the beginning of the film slightly longer. 

THE HIVE

I appreciated what the people making this film were trying to do and that they'd clearly thought out the whole story but they borrowed from so many places (most noticeably MEMENTO and THE EVIL DEAD) it's hard to really praise them. The plot is about a virus that creates a hive mind among those who get it transforming them into black sludge vomiting zombies One one hand, a well-made movie that takes time to develop its characters. On the other hand, not really very scary and as I said we've seen it all before.