Review: LEFT ONE ALIVE (2024)
More Videos
Published
1 month agoon
By
J.M. Brannyk
Hello everyone and Happy October! It’s time for some spooky goodness and terrifying treats. And of course at HauntedMTL, it’s our favourite time of the year.
That being said, this review is a long time coming.
I first had the pleasure of viewing LAST ONE ALIVE’s Michigan premier at Motor City Nightmares, a horror convention and film festival. In the audience was writer and director David Axe and star Caylin Sams to promote the film and answer questions.
And since I was fashionably late to the movie, I asked Axe if it was possible to snag a screener to watch the full movie and, well, here we are.
So, enjoy this rare spoiler-free review.
The Plot of ONE LEFT ALIVE:
Sara (Sams) is the lone survivor of a brutal massacre of her friends in the woods one fateful night.
And where most movies end here, ONE LEFT ALIVE begins.
Burdened by survivor’s guilt, police suspicion, newly found fame and growing nihilism, Sara navigates the world and her memories after the attack. Trying to regain her sanity and find out why she was the only one left alive, Sara keeps going back to the woods, searching for answers…or maybe her own ending.
Thoughts of ONE LEFT ALIVE:
LEFT ONE ALIVE is a unique film. It’s a slow-burn independent drama where the horror isn’t so much what’s out in the woods but picking up the pieces of a life interrupted by tragedy.
But that isn’t to say that it’s devoid of humor.
Writing
The writing swings between clichéd to clever, and sometimes to cleverly clichéd. There’s quite a bit of meta humor, but it’s not irritatingly so. It’s more through the perspective of Sara instead of any grand sweeping statements. There’s a point in LEFT ONE ALIVE where the actress playing Sara in a movie (Lorelei Linklater) confronts her for material and motivation. Sara becomes an on-looker of the film, watching another woman play the person who she had to become on the worst night of her life. We see her seeing the fake creatures (tubbies) that the fake film’s effects department created and realizing that her experiences are just being exploited.
But during these scenes, there’s humor mixed in. She punches the actress when she gets annoyed with the questioning, but only grows closer to her. Dating the actress afterwards in a strange relationship
Also, when seeing the fake Tubbies (the monsters) for the first time, she was really vocal about their missing…appendages. Dangly appendages.
Acting and Cast
However, some of the most genuine scenes came when Sara was with her sister, Sam (Rachel Tracy). The acting throughout ONE LEFT ALIVE can be slightly stilted. However, it shines brightest between Sams and Tracy, showing the bond of their sisterhood and the love they share. It felt very natural and organic, really achieving some of the best moments of the film.
For such a tight budget, Axe really was able to use a lot of resources. The casting was really impressive, having both seasoned and new actors including Rachel Petsiavas, Alex Javo, the delightful Sanethia Dresch, and Raj Karottukunnel.
Cinematography
Sarah Massey produced, shot and edited the film, and took risks with some of the shots. However, the risk paid off, not only keeping the story and perspectives interesting, but also reminded me of the art of cinematography.
It’s not often when a movie reminds me that yes, this is a moving picture. Each scene should be expressed in a way that suits the theme, mood and acting. I don’t want to sound old and be like, “movies these days…” But here we are. I am old and also, movies these days. Cinematic shots are meant to serve as a kind of shorthand for what the audience is meant to be feeling – what the expression of the film is and inside the minds of our characters (i.e., long shots to show the character is feeling alone or overwhelmed, etc.). Cinematography 101 stuff.
One shot in LEFT ONE ALIVE that was clever and simple to execute was when Sara goes missing and her sister, Sam, is waiting at home, pacing back and forth. The camera moves with her as other characters are sitting down. The motion follows her unease, focusing only on her and her fear that something horrible has happened. Again. The audience experiences this unease with her as we, too, pace with her.
Music
Also, the music in LEFT ONE ALIVE – color me impressed. It’s often that I’ll watch a horror movie and either the music is too jarring (looking at you, Longlegs) or just doesn’t fit because it’s thrown in without relating to the movie itself. Tyler Matthews does an incredible job at adding to the scene than detracting from it in a careful balance. The music is never too intrusive as to divert attention away from the acting or cinematography, nor does it overstay its welcome. The editing and sound design were clever with when to have silence, music, and natural sound. It’s a difficult balance to do and LEFT ONE ALIVE is a shining example of how to do it right.
Critiques
The only critiques that I have are, as mentioned, the acting can be stilted. Some of the bigger concepts (like finding the new species, making a film within a film, and the legal/media issues) will need you to suspend your disbelief a bit. And as much as I love a slow-burn, some of scenes could have been cut down (like the uber ride).
BRAINROLL JUICE:
For this section I was going to talk about PTSD and dogmen, but then while researching for this review, I saw something I’d rather talk about more.
This movie was one of the last films with actor Raj Karottukunnel, who passed away in April of this year. He was very young (40 is young, trust me) and left behind two daughters. It’s evident he was extremely loved by those who knew him and he will be missed greatly.
There is a gofundme for his daughters for a college fund for them: Fundraiser by Rejani Nedumchira : Raj’s Princess Warriors (gofundme.com)
Sometimes when we watch movies, especially independent movies, we forget how fucking hard it is to make a film. It takes time. Work. Talent. Ambition. A lot of luck. Everyone goes an extra mile because it’s a small crew and it’s a dream that they have. They get to live it, but it takes a lot of effort.
It’s easy to forget there’s a forest through the trees and that these are all people. People with hopes and dreams and fears and whole other lives. Maybe they’re in front of the camera, maybe they’re directing the camera, or maybe they’re like my production assistant friend throwing dirt on actors for a civil war history show. But they all have a home and a family to go back to at the end of the day. And it’s incredibly sad when they don’t get to.
So, I guess this is just my soapbox to remind fans to be kind. Remember to be grateful and gracious of the people who are part of this very cool thing that we love and care about. Horror is, ironically, about community. About a place to belong, even in our darkest moments, even when we’re weird and gross. Let’s keep it weird and gross and lovely and, above all, kind.
BOTTOMLINE:
Even though it’s not in distribution yet, when it is and you’re looking for something a little different in your horror repertoire, I would highly suggest LEFT ONE ALIVE. (4 / 5)
When not ravaging through the wilds of Detroit with Jellybeans the Cat, J.M. Brannyk (a.k.a. Boxhuman) reviews mostly supernatural and slasher films from the 70's-90's and is dubiously HauntedMTL's Voice of Reason. Aside from writing, Brannyk dips into the podcasts, and is the composer of many of HauntedMTL's podcast themes.
You may like
We’ve reached the final episode of Marvel’s Agatha All Along. And after an emotional week for those of us living in the States, it was exactly the heartfelt, funny and inspiring ending I think we all needed.
The story
We begin this episode in the 1700’s, with Agatha in labor. As she struggles in the woods alone, Rio comes to her. It’s clear that she’s there for the baby. But Agatha begs for the life of her child. Rio says she can give her only time.
We then see ten years of Agatha with her son. They play together. They sing together. And they lure witches to their deaths together.
But of course, Rio’s warning hovers over their lives. Because she was clear, Agatha wasn’t going to be able to raise her son to manhood. She only had some extra time. And it could never have been enough.
What worked
I want to start by pointing out that our two main characters, Agatha and Billy don’t exactly get happy endings. One of them, Agatha, is a horrible person so I’m kind of okay with that. And Billy gets a happy enough ending for now.
Jen, on the other hand, gets a happy ending. If you’ve already seen episode eight, I don’t think I’m ruining anything by telling you that she gets what she wanted and can now move on with her life. It isn’t flashy, it isn’t spectacular. But she has her life, and she has her powers. She deserves those things. All the other witches deserved them too, but at least Jen made it out alright.
I also loved the depiction of Rio as Death. While she was certainly not cuddly, she was comforting. I especially liked it when she sent Nick back to kiss his mother goodbye.
I think we like to write Death this way. As a friendly face and a caring companion who will someday come for us all. Think of Death from American Gods or Discworld. Rio felt similar.
There was something I enjoyed about this season that I frankly didn’t think I was going to enjoy. And it was unexpected.
Agatha is not a good person. Agatha has never been a good person. She’s a bad person who happens to have a soft spot for Billy because he reminds her of her son. She loved her son fiercely, but that didn’t stop her from using him to trick innocent witches. She continues to use his song after he dies.
Likewise, Agatha loves Billy and even sacrifices herself to save him. This shouldn’t be surprising, since she literally drank poison earlier in the season to keep him from doing so. But she’s still mean to him. She’s still constantly pushing his buttons.
I kind of love that they didn’t give her a redemption arch. Especially since I know Disney had a hand in this, and they tend to like black-and-white morality characters. Agatha is not a good person. But she is still capable of love. She is still capable of regret. She is, in short, more realistic a character than we tend to see.
Finally, I loved this ending. And let me explain why.
If this is all we get, and there’s a good chance it will be, this is a satisfying enough ending. I can live with this ending. But this ending also leaves the door open for a season two.
We never did find Tommy, after all. And Agatha was too afraid to move into the afterlife and see her son. As far as I’m concerned, that’s a plotline right there.
What didn’t work
Unfortunately, nothing is ever perfect. And this season has had one big plothole as far as I’m concerned.
Why did Billy care so much about Agatha? Right from the start, he wanted her to like him so much.
Part of this is because he wanted something from her. In that way, they are very much alike. Part of it is probably that he remembers her from his past life. But I don’t know that this is enough for him to be almost entirely loyal to her.
Yes, he has his moments. But she always manages to get him back on her side with a smile, or a moment of honesty. It just doesn’t make sense. But then, the show doesn’t work without it.
I think it would have been better to have a scene, or maybe a flashback, of him remembering some kindness from her in Westview. Maybe her tucking him in and singing The Ballad of The Road to him and Tommy. I think that would have gone a long way toward explaining why he always seems to be looking for a reason to forgive her.
All things considered, this was a great mini-series. It was funny, dark and touching. And for having such an unrepentant monster for a main character, it’s surprisingly inspiring. I hope they make another season. But even if they don’t, Agatha All Along was a wonderful journey.
(4.5 / 5)
Doctor Who
The Most Dangerous President in Doctor Who History Isn’t Who You’d Think
Published
7 days agoon
November 5, 2024By
J M
Happy Election Day for all those who choose to celebrate. I was originally planning to run down the list of the most extreme American Presidential portrayals featured in Doctor Who. However I quickly realized this would not be possible. This is because most times when the American President appears in Doctor Who, the series treats them nicely.
Sure, the Eleventh Doctor said Richard Nixon was “Not one of the good ones” in “The Impossible Astronaut,” but that was the limit of the criticism. The very real Harry S Truman, and the very fictional Tom Dering, were manipulated into almost starting a nuclear war. However the Doctor in both cases sees them as victims of the manipulations of beings arriving from outside of Earth. Since Donald Trump’s election in 2016, most references to him in Doctor Who media have been jokes on the basis of his appearance.
Compare this to how the series treats the role of Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. We’ve had Prime Ministers who wanted to start a nuclear war, for no clear reason, in Roger ap Gwilliam. One Prime Minister was secretly a Sea Devil in the comic strip Clara Oswald and the School of Death. Prime Minister Greyhaven acted as a Quisling to the invading Ice Warriors The Dying Days. And of course, the Master as Harold Saxon became Prime Minister of England, and proceeded to wipe out ten percent of humanity.
So unlike the leaders of the UK, Doctor Who tends to be slightly more respectful when it comes to Presidents of the United States. So there’s not a lot of terrible, weird, or dangerous Presidents to discuss.
Except for one. And to discuss this one, we need to talk about the world of Faction Paradox.
Faction Paradox – Origins
The year is 1997. The TV Movie from the previous year introduced the world to the Eighth Doctor as portrayed by Paul McGann. However, a new series, or sequel following on from that did not appear. Instead, the ongoing story of Doctor Who continued in the world of BBC Eighth Doctor Adventures.
This series developed in response to the Movie, allowing people to see what the Eighth Doctor did next. Initially the series focused on safer and familiar Doctor Who story tropes. Previous series had tried to push the boundaries and concepts for a more mature audience, but the BBC returned to attempts to replicate the TV series.
Until “Alien Bodies” written by Lawrence Miles was published. This book introduced the Doctor Who Universe to the world of Faction Paradox.
Who are Faction Paradox?
To put it imply, The Faction Paradox, also known as just the Faction, are a time traveling voodoo cult. The Faction live in opposition to the views and beliefs of the Time Lords. Time Lords aim to keep timelines pure and free of contradiction. Therefore, the Faction seek paradox and disorder in time. They wear skulls that are bigger than their faces, because their skulls are bigger on the outside. While the Time Lords are based in Gallifrey, the Faction Paradox mostly claim their home in the Eleven Day Empire – the eleven days “skipped” when England moved from the Julian calendar to the Gregorian Calendar.
While the Faction opposed the Time Lords, they were rarely direct enemies of Gallifrey. Instead they tended to manipulate and take advantage of factors effecting the Time Lords. In particular, with the Faction Paradox we see also the first Great Time war.
This is not the same Time War we see in the TV series between the Time Lords and the Daleks. Instead, in this earlier war we know the Time Lords will be eventually fighting a war with an unknown enemy. While this war has not started yet, elements of this future war are drifting backwards into our present time. The Doctor purposefully tries not to find out too much about this war, in particular who the Enemy is. By doing this, he hopes of keeping the war a hypothetical reality, rather than a pre-determined future.
However, the Doctor was unable to avoid the technological changes the impending war would bring. For example, the Doctor begins to see the development of future sentient and humanoid TARDISes. While still being a time and space vessel, carrying Time Lords within them through the vortex, they appear as people. Able to hold conversations and physcially walk, they are both time ship and companion in one. Eventually, the Doctor rescues one humanoid TARDISes from being sent to a breeding camp, drawing parallels with slavery imagery.
Faction Paradox leaves the Mainstream
Faction Paradox continued to be a major theme in Doctor Who books up until the release of The Ancestor Cell. This story ends with the Faction Paradox invading Gallifrey. Subsequently, the Doctor destroys Gallifrey to prevent the war (They got better).
Controversially, Peter Anghelides and Stephen Cole wrote “The Ancestor Cell,” not Lawrence Miles. Miles created his own “Faction Paradox” spin off series of books, comics, and audio plays in response. This series continues the concepts he created in “Alien Bodies,” in being explored in the way he had planned.
However, Miles does not have the rights to directly reference Doctor Who concepts. So instead of the Time Lords, we have the Great Houses. Instead of the TARDIS we have “Time ships” And instead of the Master we have the “War King.” And through the “War King” we get to know Lolita.
Who is Lolita?
Faction Paradox as a series has to be coy, as it is not able to directly reference the Doctor Who series without breaching copyright. But it is still able to use the concepts Lawrence Miles created, including the sentient humanoid TARDISes.
Lolita, originally known as Lillith, is one of the first of these sentient Time ships. While she was originally said to be bonded to the War King, how much he actually controlled her is unclear. In “Toy story” she states she chose the dangerous looking Time Lord to flee with prior to becoming humanoid. She also says in this story that some of her adjustments to become human were due to her own choices, not the Master.
However, as she realizes her power of sentience she flees Gallifrey to develop her own plans. She attempts and fails to form an alliance with her sister, implied to be the Doctor’s own TARDIS. The Master then brings her back to Gallifrey, to ally with the Time Lords.
However, Lolita does not feel any connection to any side in the war. Instead, Lolita decides to become history itself. She starts by consuming most of the Faction Paradox inside her internal dimensions. She thenputs herself in various points of history, guiding human history to her own whims. This includes becoming Queen Charlotte, consort to King George III of England. In modern times, her new persona became Lola Denison, Congresswoman for the State of Arizona.
Lola Denison – Path to the White House
Lola Denison was originally a Republican, was criticized for her Libertarian beliefs, and became an independent. Matt Nelson, former Democrat and Presidential candidate for the new Radical Party, sees a common vision, and invited her become her running mate. She accepts this offer, and gains prominence in the campaign due to her direct speaking. However, during this time young women connected to the campaign were found dead, drained of blood. Rumours developed that Nelson was a Vampire, killing these women.
Nelson did win the election, and was inaugurated as President, with Denison inaugurated as Vice-President. However, the rumours of Nelson being a vampire lead to him being assassinated shortly after inauguration. Thus, Lola Denison, really Lolita, really the Master’s TARDIS becomes President of the United States.
Immediately upon becoming president, Denison places restrictions on the media to avoid any space for dissent. Her main policy involved developing energy independence by drilling into the Earth’s Core. While the story does not directly reference Doctor Who, this plan is similar to “Project Inferno” which the Doctor sees results in the destruction of a parallel world in Inferno.
End of Lolita
Eventually the combined forces of the surviving Faction Paradox Members, the Master and the Osirans are able to defeat Lolita. However prior to her defeat, she is able to entirely consume the Master and taking full control of Gallifrey. Only a trap left by the Master allowing her few remaining opponents to unite against her prevents her ultimate victory. A peculiar statue of pure black Onsidian in the shape of a beautiful woman is all that is left of her at the conclusion of her battle.
And thus ends the story of the only truly evil American President, ever seen in any form of Doctor Who fiction.
Related posts:
Movies n TV
Agatha All Along, Follow Me My Friend To Glory At The End
Published
1 week agoon
November 3, 2024
We’ve reached the end of the road in Marvel’s Agatha All Along. As it turns out, it had a hell of a final twist.
I guess we can’t be surprised.
The story
We begin this episode with Jen and Billy mourning the loss of Lilia. Agatha doesn’t seem phased at first, but it’s fairly clear she’s hurting. At least, it’s clear how she’s lashing out at everyone around her.
Eventually, the three find themselves in the final challenge of the Witch’s Road. There, Jen and Billy get what they want, though through some unexpected means.
Agatha, though, doesn’t get what she wants. Instead, she gets a knock-out fight with Rio in the real world. And Rio is playing for keeps. In the end, she has to decide between her own life, and Billy’s.
What worked
I don’t think I’ve said this once, but it does bear saying. So let’s get it out of the way first. This episode, and frankly the whole show, was so pretty. The effects are lovely, dark and gothic. The costumes were like something out of a witchy or emo teen’s wildest dreams. Every single building from every single challenge was gorgeous. And the road itself was, frankly, too beautiful to be scary. Even though it probably would have killed me.
There was one scene in this episode that knocked it out of the park, visually. And it was the result of one character’s death. I won’t say who, but you’ll know it when you see it. The colors and atmosphere were just fantastic.
Of course, that isn’t all this episode had going for it. We also saw one of the most touching moments of the series, and maybe one of the most heartbreaking scenes from anything I’ve seen this year. If you’ve been online at all since the episode came out, I’m sure you’ve already run across it.
Billy asks Agatha if he’s killing a teenage boy so that his brother can live.
No, she tells him. Sometimes boys just die. Of course, it’s her son she’s thinking of.
This was such a quiet, sad moment from a show that has been so loud and fast-paced. It’s a moment of deep sorrow from a character who’s always had a smile on her face. Even if she’s laughing at someone else’s tragedy.
Finally, I couldn’t possibly review this episode of Agatha All Along without talking about the season-ending twist. And my Goddess, it was a good one. I don’t dare ruin it for you. So let me just say this.
I complained loudly about the twist ending in a recent episode of American Horror Stories. There, I said that a twist isn’t satisfying unless you can look back and realize it was adequately foreshadowed. It’s a hard thing, to foreshadow something without giving the whole thing away. But this twist, when you get to it, makes so much sense. It could never have been any other way. And so many things make more sense now. I can’t wait to watch the whole series again now, with this new perspective.
What didn’t work
It’s honestly hard to say anything bad about this episode. But I do have one complaint. And that complaint is about Jen.
I love this character, don’t get me wrong. But I feel like we missed a step in her character arch.
In the beginning, Jen is self-centered and angry. She’s full of herself. By the end, she wants to protect Agatha and Billy. She wants to make sure they make it off the road. And while I suppose one could argue that she was moved by Lilia’s sacrifice, it doesn’t seem like enough. I think this could have been solved with a flashback, or something from Jen’s point of view. But without it, this just doesn’t feel right.
We may have reached the end of The Road, but we are still not quite done with the story. So check back soon for our final review of Agatha All Along.
Follow me, my friend, to glory at the end. (4.5 / 5)
Trending
-
Book Reviews6 days ago
Graveyard Shift, the new novella by M. L. Rio, was the 7 year wait worth it?
-
Doctor Who7 days ago
The Most Dangerous President in Doctor Who History Isn’t Who You’d Think
-
Movies n TV4 days ago
Agatha All Along, Maiden Mother Crone
-
Original Creations2 days ago
Repaint Porcelain Figs Plus by Jennifer Weigel