ZOMBIECON VOL. 1

Stars Manny Luke, Erin Áine, Punkie Johnson, Christian Casillas, Carlo Mendez, Nichole McAuley, J. Michael Trautmann, Melissa Jane Rodriguez and J. Michael Trautmann.
Written by Kyle Valle, Erin Áine and Manny Luke.
Directed by Kyle Valle.

Rating: ★ ★ ★

Kyle Valle’s splattery zom-com employs a lot of handheld camerawork, shoots against the LA streets where cast and crew likely live and largely forgoes a lot of the budget-sucking production elements other films take for granted. But what it lacks in polish, it boasts in energy, chemistry and imagination, as only these kinds of “hey, let’s make a film!” buddy pics can muster.

‘Rocket’s Rockets’ are a quartet of cosplaying friends, whose lives are consumed by their dress-up alter-egos and all that goes with that scene. They are a diverse bunch, the kind who might not ever cross paths in the real world, but who bond over their conviction to costuming. There’s no doubt that cast besties Manny Luke, Erin Áine, Christian Casillas and Punkie Johnson (of SNL fame) have a genuine rapport, such are their spirited portrayals.

But things get bloody when LA succumbs to an undead outbreak. One thing is certain - whoever was talked into handing over their apartment as the film’s key location, definitely lost their bond, such is the extent of the spurtin’ and the sprayin’. For the film’s final act, the group don their most meaningful make-believe outfits, draw on the strength they afford, and get crosstown to save Rocket’s mum from a mauling.

Valle’s film grows in confidence as it progresses, with pacing and character arcs finding focus in the pic's second half. An opening salvo that pits The Rockets against cosplay douchebag Zander (Carlo Mendez) overstays its welcome, but the narrative’s gruesome mid-section in the apartment is fun; the outdoors-nightime scenes, while often hard to comprehend visually, hit the horror-comedy target more often than not, and the entirely foreseeable final conflict adds a twist and is a blast. 

Valle the director might have lent a bit harder on Valle the editor, with some sequences running long, but in for a penny, in for a pound on a passion project like this. Zombie completists will dig the shrieking LA variety, who lean more towards Danny Boyle’s ‘sprinters’ than the traditional Romero ‘shuffler’.

ANCESTRY ROAD

Stars Seb Muirhead, Charlotte Gray, John Xintavelonis, Jessica Stanley, Finn Bertschi, Gillian Unicomb, Jodie Wolf and Anne Cordiner.
Writer/Director: Glenn Triggs

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★

In the voiceover opening of ANCESTRY ROAD, as generations of family memories in the form of photos fade in and out on screen, the phrase, “the temporary nature of forever” is uttered. It’s a lovely collection of words; an observation that only comes with time and loss and realising the boundaries of one's mortality, and that hints at the melancholy that lays ahead in indie auteur Glenn Triggs’ mix of whimsy and existentialism.

The superbly crafted production convincingly substitutes rural Tasmania for pastoral Scotland in telling the story of The McGavins, a young family who are building a new life in a cottage steeped in their clan’s heritage. Things get confusing when the eldest child, teen Cora (Charlotte Gray) finds herself drawn first to a rocky hillside overlooking the home, then to the local elderly care facility.

Father Kevin (Seb Muirhead) and mum Anadele (Jessica Stanley) figure it easier to level the land to the hillside, so that Cora may continue her semi-regular sojourns and recovering her is made easier. But that decision takes a Field of Dreams-type twist when family members from the past, near and distant, begin a series of pop-in visits (as some relatives are prone to do).

The narrative favours sentimentality and emotion over logic, with Trigg’s script urging the cynics to just go with some of the more fanciful developments; dialogue like “It is what it is and I don’t care how,” and “Who are we to say what’s impossible?” says it all. The suspension of disbelief required may account for the Scottish setting, a land where ages-old lore and magical realism is in the societal DNA.

Acting across the board is excellent, with Muirhead and Stanley note-perfect as the young parents both bewildered by the supernatural turn their life has taken and anxious as to how their impressionable kids will deal with it (the horror spin on this narrative would look something like Tobe Hooper’s POLTERGEIST). The ties that bind across generations is the thematic spine of ANCESTRY ROAD, and Triggs and his cast explore it with warmth and conviction.

Find screening locations for ANCESTRY ROAD here.

ABSOLUTE DOMINION

Stars Désiré Mia, Andy Allo, Mario D’Leon, Alex Winter, Patton Oswalt, Junes Zahdi and Julie Ann Emery.
Writer/Director: Lexi Alexander

Rating ★ ★ ★

Remember that school-yard discussion that went, “Get every country’s best fighters to just bash it out, instead of always going to war!”? Cult fave writer/director Lexi Alexander (THE PUNISHER: WARZONE; GREEN STREET HOOLIGANS) takes that prognostication a step further in ABSOLUTE DOMINION, posing the question, “Let’s end all religious wars, and just have muscly reps from each faith fight until one man’s beliefs are left standing.”

Which is bonkers, of course, but the former stuntperson/kickboxer-turned-filmmaker works hard to find both a logical and spiritual connection between religion and full-contact fury. She films action well, and actors like Alex Winter and Andy Allo (the film’s MVP) commit to the more soulful moments of their director’s HUNGER GAMES/MORTAL KOMBAT riff.

Newcomer Désiré Mia (pictured, top) makes for a striking presence in his feature acting debut, a film lacking the carnage and anarchy (and budget) of Alexander’s past features but not without its own likable energy.

RIEFENSTAHL

Writer/Director: Andres Veiel

Rating ★ ★ ★ ★

Currently screening as part of the 2025 German Film Festival

Commisioned by Hitler and backed by the might of the Nazi propaganda machine, actress-turned-filmmaker Leni Refenstahl crafted two of the most remarkable factual films in cinema history - TRIUMPH OF THE WILL (1934) and OLYMPIA (1938). These were documentaries that snapshot Germanic ideals in breathtakingly beautiful images; monochromatic montages that celebrated majestic Aryan physicality, nationalistic fervour and cultural dominance.

Andres Veiel’s chilling, artfully-rendered profile addresses the accusations that have plagued Riefenstahl and, since her 2003 death, her legacy. Was she aware of The Fuhrer’s motivation in commissioning her talents? Did she adhere to the master-race philosophies of ethnic cleansing?

This documentary is understated, allowing the oft-vilified filmmaker a strong voice (via masterfully curated archival people) that echoes denial, defence and defiance. It is ultimately entirely clear which side of the discussion Veiel favours, but his argument is never not balanced and meticulous.

INGRESS

Stars: Rachel Noll James, Christopher Clark, Tim DeKay and Johnny Ferro
Writer/Director: Rachel Noll James

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ½

Heartstrings aren’t the only things being tugged in Ingress (noun; the action or fact of going in or entering), a new-age weepie about a young widow caught in a grief spiral who can travel between alternate realities, some of which contain her dearly departed. There’s also the yin/yang struggle of independent film storytelling, a factor that contributes to Rachel Noll James’ feature debut both soaring and, just occasionally, stumbling.

Cut from the same cinematic cloth as magical realism love stories Somewhere in Time (1980), Ghost (1990), What Dreams May Come (1998) and The Premonition (2007), Ingress is the story of Riley (Noll James, again), whose reality becomes a blurry, increasingly foreboding prospect whenever her dead husband Toby (Johnny Fero) overtakes her thoughts. The ‘shimmer’ means she is about to travel between planes of existence - not something that Riley can continue to experience if she’s going to get past Toby’s demise, but which also means he may be alive in some other reality.

Helping her on the journey is medium-of-sorts Daniel (Christopher Clark), an author and victim of his own inner turmoil, whose connection to a greater, universal consciousness means he can mentor her through some of the more out-there manifestations of her ‘gift’. Their other-worldly union strengthens into affection, but with Toby popping in and out of Riley’s time and space…well, it gets complicated.

The multi-hyphenate writer/director/star has dropped a major calling-card offering with Ingress, with several scenes taking on profoundly lovely and deeply moving attributes that indicate Rachel Noll James is a talent to watch, both in front of and behind the camera. At 118 minutes, I’d argue that there is an edit of the film that tightens the opening act and excises some of the oft-repeated ‘everyday life struggles’ we share with Riley and Daniel. Having the creative control that true indie filmmaking affords brings with it the risk of excessive introspection, which Ingress displays occasionally.  

Regardless, it is a beautiful film to look at, with cinematographer Dan Clarke and production designer Lindsey Jensen crafting some stunning images; also a plus is Michael Reola’s understated score. They exhibit all the genuine tenderness and heartfelt honesty that is evident across all aspects of both Rachel Noll James’ narrative and production.

IT'S OUR TIME

Stars: Tiana Hogben, Bianca Bradey, Peter Thurnwald, Susan Ling Young and Lex Marinos.
Writer/Director: Joy Hopwood

Rating: ★ ★ ★

Like the home baked muffins featured throughout, It’s Our Time is a small, sweet confection, made with a few simple ingredients but benefitting from genuine affection. Multi-hyphenate Joy Hopwood feels like she’s stuck very close to the “Just write what you know” mantra with her story of a flaky filmmaker wannabe and the friendships, romances and setbacks that consume her daily late twenty-something life.

The endearing Tiana Hogben plays Emilia, a young Asian-Australian woman who dreams of turning her action-comedy script into a calling card film that will set her on the road to stardom. But that road presents speed bumps in the shape of Shannon (Peter Thurnwald), a funding agency gatekeeper who passes on her pitch; her bff Zoe (Bianca Bradey), whose baked goods enterprise is soaring and who has eyes for Shannon; and, her landlord Ken (the late Lex Marinos, in his final screen appearance) who is losing patience over unpaid rent.

Hopwood employs dream/flashback sequences to expand upon the relationship Emilia has with Zoe and to explore the ambitions that her immigrant mother (Susan Ling Young) has for her daughter. These provide some effective shading for our protagonist, who might otherwise have just been a reactive foil for all that goes on around her. These elements also bring a universality to Emilia’s ambitions; one could easily imagine this being a ‘00s-set story about struggling writer Greta Gerwig or fashion design hopeful America Ferrara.

Despite her money woes, Emilia’s rental abode is located on Sydney’s ultra-pricey and delightfully photogenic lower north shore, a setting that too easily recalls the ‘NYC-loft logic’ of Friends. There is a sense that the meet-cutes and single-setting locations (her bedroom; his office; her kitchen; their picnic) would perhaps better suit a multi-episode sitcom arc, where weekly obstacles and an expanded cast list can broaden Emilia’s madcap but ultimately meaningful journey. 

Hopwood, who has honed her craft helming micro-budgeted romancers The Script of Life (2019), Rhapsody of Love (2021), Get a Life, Alright (2022) and The Gift that Gives (2024), utilises her ensemble effectively, generally keeps the mood buoyant and delivers a wholly likable comedy-drama that’s the ideal add-on for that rainy weekend couch time.

GRACE POINT

Stars: John Owen Lowe, Jim Parrack, Sean Carrigan, Harlan Drum and Andrew McCarthy.
Writers: Rory Karpf, Paul Russell Smith.
Director: Rory Karpf

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ½

A frantic journey from a point of desperate realisation to the emergence of a stronger self is how many addicts would categorise their trajectory to sobriety. Director Rory Karpf, co-writing alongside Paul Russell Smith, has structured a pretty terrific slow-burn thriller based on that very premise with Grace Point, his first scripted feature and a calling-card work indicating tremendous potential.

John Owen Lowe (pictured, above) convinces as Brandon, a young man struggling with the trauma of a mother lost to substance abuse. His father (Andrew McCarthy), in his own act of desperation, has booked his son into a rehab facility near the backwoods township of Grace Point. A violent run-in with local thugs, led by the menacing Luther (Sean Carrigan), separates son and father, and Brandon begins a survival odyssey to reconnect with his sole parent.

His travails lead him into the care of kind-hearted vet Cutter (Jim Parrack) and the arms of empathetic local girl Sophie (Harlan Drum; pictured, above), with many influencing the path he chooses to take. An extended period in a compound prison gives the protagonist’s arc and the broader narrative some breathing space; the scenes may play a bit talky for those tuning in for the genre elements, but they are crucial in prioritising character depth, to the production’s credit.  

The 11th hour pivot that the plotting takes raises questions of logistics and the privilege it affords Brandon, but it is also in line with the allegorical nature of Karpf’s ‘deeper than it first appears’ thriller. No one needs to struggle with their demons alone, even if support networks seem to have abandoned you.

CONJURING TAPES

Stars: Samantha Laurenti, Brenda Yanez, Norah DeMello, Robert Felsted Jr., Jeff Dean, Phoenix Brewer, Romulo Reyes, Ian Hopps, Doug Walker, Daniel Outlaw and Greg Sestero.
Writers: Ben Groves, Robert Livings, Rob Macfarlane, Randy Nundlall Jr. and Peter Paskulich.
Directors: Robert Livings, Randy Nundlall Jr.

Rating: ★ ★ ★

 Exhibiting the inventive found footage flourishes that they previously displayed in their fun 2022 pic Infrared, co-directors Robert Livings and Randy Nundlall Jr. have added anthology storytelling to their bag of tricks with the enjoyably creepy Conjuring Tapes. Nobody's out to reinvent the filmmaking wheel here, that’s for sure, but the pair fulfil the brief of finding convincing frights within the short-film form and binding it all together with a wrap-around narrative logic.

Before firing up the shaky-cam, Livings and Nundlall stage a polished dream-sequence opening that introduces the premise. Brenda Yanez and Samantha Laurenti (pictured, left-right) play grieving friends (just two of the roles they front-up for) who, while sorting through the belongings of their late bestie, discover VHS tapes spine-labelled with ominous titles. 

‘Ouija’ chronicles a spirit-calling fun night that goes bad; ‘Possession’ is a humorous take on influencer content creation (featuring a Go-Pro toilet sequence not easily forgotten); and, ‘Grief’ puts us in the confines of a counsellor’s office, where her latest patient may know something about her missing son. The back-end of the film then pivots into a cult takedown plot, taking the hand-held aesthetic behind-the-scenes of a congregation of brain-washers.

There is just enough gore and icky make-up effects for the film to earn its ‘horror/thriller’ tag, though none so disturbing as to push it into the surreal realm of the ‘V/H/S’ franchise, the film series with which it shares its DNA. The production punches well above its low-budget limitations, ensuring that those who find it amongst their streamer’s ‘You Might Also Like’ recommendations won’t be disappointed. Sestero completists, don’t blink.

CARMEN & BOLUDE

Stars: Bolude Watson, Michela Carattini, David Collins, Liam Greinke, Wale Ojo, Elliot Giarola and Suzan Mutesi.
Writers: Michela Carattini and Bolude Watson.
Directors: Michela Carattini and Maria Isabel de la Ossa

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ½

 In transferring their real-world friendship to the bigscreen, co-creators Michala Carattini and Bolude Watson (with co-director Maria Isabel de la Ossa) are determined to convey more than just the goofy good times that come with being big city bffs. Their sort-of autobiographical romp Carmen & Bolude smartly identifies and leans into such contemporary society bullet points as cultural integration, racial stereotyping, the generational divide, a softening patriarchy and faith-based living, with a generally quick wit and warm and well-meaning heart.

There are some wobbly moments in an exposition-heavy first act, during which Watson’s and Carattini’s talky script has to set up a lot of elements. NYC-based Bolude loves Tommy (Liam Greinke), an Aussie guy back in Sydney, and agrees to marry him with only two weeks' notice. It’s a impetuous decision that doesn’t sit well with her Nigerian dad Akin (Wale Ojo), whose devotion to tradition leads to ill-will between father and daughter. She heads Down Under, with boisterous bestie Carmen (Carattini, a natural screen presence) by her side.

Once in Oz, Bolude comes face-to-face with some big, broad caricatures, including gags about huntsman spiders, kangaroo steaks and the fictional ‘Dropbear’ (which will be lost on international auds, when the film hits its likely home on streaming platforms). Tommy’s parents Ed (local comic David Collins) and Susan (Suzann James) are cartoonishly insensitive, greeting their future daughter-in-law with a rendition of ‘Lion Sleeps Tonight’. 

There is a mixed message in the film’s depiction of loud Italian lawyers, South American lotharios/soccer players, Greek fast-food shop owners - can you work hard against cultural and racial stereotypes, then indulge in depicting them to make a point? A sensitive sequence during which Bolude and Carmen are enlightened by an indigenous woman is a standout and indicates the filmmakers understood the depth of the issues their narrative addresses, even if not every aspect of the film’s long-ish run time convinces.

Which is a lot to put on a female-oriented buddy comedy-drama, and huge props to the all-indie production for having the ambition to meld sweetness and lightness of touch with identity crisis complexities. Bolude Watson delivers a comically nuanced, moving lead performance; her connection with her co-star feels authentically drawn from their offscreen experiences and emotions. Their chemistry makes for a thoughtful, funny friendship saga, rich in Harbour City DNA yet accessible for diaspora audiences anywhere in the world.

REMNANT

Stars: Megan Bell, Isabelle Weiskopf, Nicole Pritchard, Shaun Robert Foley, Tsu Shan Chambers, Remi Webster and Martin Ashley Jones.
Writer/Director: Mike Horan

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ½

 Available to view via the Seattle Film Festival online portal until June 13th 2024.

Ghosts abound in Mike Horan’s low-budget/high-concept creepshow Remnant, none more so than those of Alfred Hitchcock, George Romero and (metaphorically, at time of writing) Brian De Palma. The Australian filmmaker is not the first storyteller to draw upon the master’s of cinematic psychosis and paranoia to craft a tale of madness, murder and fractured memory. But few have so effectively achieved what Horan manages, whose low-budget but legitimately menacing descent into dream-logic terror is infused with the DNA of the elevated genre films that have gone before.

From its first frames, in which clouds swirl and fields of wheat sway wildly, we understand Horan's narrative will lean heavily into a stylised, not-entirely-real reality. The opening minutes recount the near-death experience of Grace (a terrific Megan Bell, Horan’s ‘Hitchcock blonde’ ingenue; pictured, top) as she stumbles in confused panic through a bushland setting populated by strange little boys, stabby psychos and ethereal apparitions. 

Grace has barely survived a car accident, the details of which will emerge as she recovers at her homestead retreat, where Dr. Stone (Tsu Shan Chambers), the brilliant surgeon who utilised cutting-edge neuro-surgery to save Grace, can covertly watch her patient/guinea pig heal and adapt.

In his convoluted story mix, Horan also melds a slasher origin narrative and a friendship drama (featuring co-star Isabelle Weiskopf in a strong support turn), which proves a few too many subplots for the film to juggle entirely successfully. There is an admirable commitment to fleshing out Grace’s character in the first act, but genre fans will fidget through some wordy exposition; at 112 minutes, the post-production decision-makers might have afforded their final cut another pass.

That said, those same fans are in for a treat come the thriller’s second half. As Grace takes back control of her life and faces off against her demons, imagined and literal, the director, editor Andrew Davis and DOP Mason Grady amp up the horror elements in a vividly cinematic style that Hitch and De Palma would appreciate. An extended, multi-character showdown filmed at the historic Regent Theatre in the New South Wales town of Mudgee is a tour de force, exhibiting just how much can be achieved on a meagre budget when a commitment to the art and craft of genre filmmaking is on show.

A mid-credit sequence pivots Grace’s journey into the realm of body-horror sci fi, which feels like the final genre box to tick given all that has gone before. It underlines that Remnant is an ambitious mix of B-movie beats from a filmmaker who clearly loves films; a strong calling-card project that will alert fans and commercially-minded producers that a new voice spinning his take on old standards has emerged.