¡Qué horror! 2013

Candidate #17

THE CONSPIRACY

(September 2012)

“That’s… that’s the genius of these rulers, that they’ve… they’ve created this society that’s conditioned to deny what’s right in front of its eyes.”

“Which is what?”

“That we’re slaves.”

Aaron (The Last Will and Testament of Rosalind Leigh’s Aaron Poole, who also executive produces) and Jim (Saw VI’s James Gilbert) are filmmakers shooting a documentary about conspiracies, and, in the process, fall into the deep, dark rabbit hole themselves.

It’s a simple enough premise, but writer/director Christopher MacBride (in his feature debut) presents us with a riveting faux doc that straddles that fine thriller/horror line with deftness and precision.

And though the horror here is largely more subtle and grounded than some of the other ¡Qué horror! candidates this year, it’s still very much there.

The horror of conspiracy, or, more to the point, the horror of the possibility that all those nutty conspiracy theorists may actually be right…    

“We will fight for our freedom, because we know what freedom feels like, and this is not it! This is not it!”

(The Conspiracy OS’ courtesy of impawards.com)

¡Qué horror! 2013

Candidate #16

THE LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT OF ROSALIND LEIGH

(October 2012)

After making a name for himself with the magazine Rue Morgue, and then scooping up a number of awards for his short films like “The Demonology of Desire,” Rodrigo Gudiño takes on the feature film with the impressively creeptastic The Last Will and Testament of Rosalind Leigh.

Essentially a one-man show, TLWaToRL features Aaron Poole, as the estranged son of the titular Rosalind, who returns to his mother’s home in the wake of her passing, only to experience some slow-burn and creepily ambiguous horror. A disembodied Vanessa Redgrave--providing voice-over as the deceased Rosalind--adds a lot to the proceedings with merely the use of her pipes.

No less than Clive Barker gave this one his thumbs-up, so you would do well to check it out…

(The Last Will and Testament of Rosalind Leigh OS courtesy of impawards.com.)

¡Qué horror! 2013

Candidate #15

JUG FACE

(January 2013)

Chad Crawford Kinkle’s feature debut, Jug Face, walks firmly and comfortably in the fine horror tradition of Shirley Jackson’s The Lottery, where a secluded community harbors a long and dark tradition steeped in sacrifice.

Here, Lauren Ashley Carter is the luckless Ada, whose desperate need to keep her shameful secret safe upsets the unsettling status quo of her small backwoods community; Carter was one of the voice talents on Antoine Charreyron’s The Prodigies, and also appeared in Lucky McKee’s The Woman (McKee executive produces on Jug Face).

Other familiar genre faces, Sean Young and Larry Fessenden (hurrah!), are also in here as Ada’s parents.

This is certainly not your standard Hollywood horror affair, and it’s all the better for it!

(Jug Face OS courtesy of impawards.com.)

PIMP MY STUFF
AUGUST 10 2013 INDIEKET

With August 10 four days away, I'd just like to announce the third new title for the Indieket:

BATHALA: Apokalypsis (6A of 7)
By David Hontiveros and Ace Enriquez

The mighty Bathala has been laid low by his enemies, leaving the Apocalypse to rage on.
Long live Bathala, fallen but not forgotten.
Long live Bathala; Bathala is dead.

Or is he?

Also available at the Indieket will be the two other new titles, both set in the shared setting of The 'Verse:

DAKILA: Kapalaran (1 of 3)

By David Hontiveros and Bibo Reyes

Your name is Brandon Ramirez and you’ve been a lifelong geek: comics, movies, RPGs, cosplay.

And now, at 17, you’re officially the world’s first superhero, as evidenced by the cape, the mask, the totally ripped physique, and those crazy-awesome powers.

Higher agencies seem to have conspired to steer you right into that skintight outfit.

We have only one question:

How’s that working out for you?

For those of you out there who’ve read Parman and liked what you saw in there, you might want to check DAKILA: Kapalaran out…

Just saying…

URIEL: Hekhalot (1 of 4)

By David Hontiveros and Michael Urbano

Angels were not always warriors.

In the beginning, the arelim were messengers, their role, to bring Word and News from the lips of the glorious Hari ta mga Magbabaya, to the ears of all who would hear them.

But when Men were Created, it soon became clear that the vile Mangilala was deeply interested in their misery.

Thus, Magbabaya decreed that all Men must have a nathra, a watchman, a guardian, to defend them against Mangilala’s dark and cruel whims.

Uriel is one such nathra, and 7-year-old Maleck de los Santos, his mortal charge.

So, there you go.

The first issues of DAKILA: Kapalaran and URIEL: Hekhalot, and BATHALA: Apokalypsis 6A, at the Indieket on August 10, at the Bayanihan Center on Pioneer.
Naturally, the previous 'Verse and Bathala issues will also be available.

Most of these titles are now also available at the Filbar's branches in Megamall and Festival Mall, so you can pick them up there, too. (However, the previous issues of BATHALA: Apokalypsis are not stocked at Filbar's yet, though they should be made available on Filbar's shelves sometime after the Indieket...)

For all you mighty fine folk attending the Indieket this coming Saturday, see you there!

you can't drink just six,

Dave