“Mamula” aka “Killer Mermaid’ (2014) – Serbian Mermaid Horror

Our “Frolicking Under The Sea: Mermaid Fantasy Film Festival – August 2016” continues at full speed!! Now it’s time for some scary mermaid action, Euro-style with a look at 2014’s low budget Serbian mermaid horror film “Mamula” or as it’s know most places, “Killer Mermaid”.

Our synopsis reads as follows: “Two young American women, Kelly and Lucy, go on a Mediterranean vacation for fun and sun with an old college friend from Serbia, Alex. Along the way, they will encounter a mysterious stranger and come to grips with a long held secret that will threaten their very lives when they uncover the watery lair of a man-eating mermaid siren hidden beneath an abandoned military fortress. What was once a carefree adventure soon becomes a deadly fight for survival against an ancient myth come to terrible life.”

Sounds like we have a winner here! Sexy fun in the sun, a deadly serial killer, a deserted Island with an ex-Nazi prison, and a killer mermaid with a taste for human meat… What more could this wee kitten want? Well… OK… maybe some kung-fu, but hey… you can’t always have everything… 😉

“Modus Anomali” (2012) – Indonesian Suspense / Horror

Whoo-hoo!! This wee lady has scored herself a nifty new copy of Indonesian filmmaker Joko Anwar’s  latest effort, 2012’s suspense/ chiller “Modus Anomali”!! Now your Favorite Catgirl’s been a fan of Mr. Anwar’s work for several years now, and once word came out waaaay back in 2011, that his latest film was going to be done completely in English language…. well… naturally I began my dogged pursuit of a copy of any DVD release available without further adieu. Three years later… and it’s mine. Obsessed? Nawwww… I prefer to think of myself as a dedicated fangirl… 😉

The synopsis for it goes like this: “A man, without memory, awakens buried in a shallow grave alone in the forest with no idea of how he got there. Soon he comes to suspect that not only has an eerie inexplicable fate overcome him, but also a pretty wife and children whom he no longer even remembers. With only a wedding band and a photo of his family to guide him, he must risk it all to save them from whatever horrors lurk within the seemingly empty forest before it is too late… too late for them all.”

Oh yeah… now this one sounds pretty darn good. Joko Anwar has proven his talent to me before with such films as “Kala: Dead Time” and “The Forbidden Door” and so this wee Catgirl had no doubt he’d hit another home run with this effort. My only problem was scoring a copy of the film for my lil’ self. Indonesian DVD’s aren’t all that easy for me to get these days but… thankfully… it seems he’s a really big deal in Germany (where this one has the impressively “Teutonic” sounding title “Modus Anomali – Gefangen im Wahnsinn”) as well as at home in Indonesia, so with the recent Region 2 PAL release of this one I was all set for an evening’s movie watchin’ thrills and chills. 😉

So watcha waitin’ for Gentle Visitors? Let’s “Read On” and find out all about this one…!!

“Kalevet” aka “Rabies” (2010) – Israeli Horror

A new month… and although your Favorite Catgirl may have been a bit a slacker here at the “ol’ Litterbox” of late, I have indeed finally managed to shake off my annual bout of “Spring Fever” and so I’m back at it again with a look this time out at Israel’s first foray into the realm of the horror film (at least as far as this wee lady has been told….) and a review of the Region 1 release of “Kalevet” aka “Rabies”.

Our quick synopsis goes: “Rabies” relates the story of a brother and sister who run away from home seeking sanctuary in a deserted nature reserve. When his sister falls into the booby-trap of a psychopathic killer roaming those same woods, the brother sets out on a desperate race to find help. In a macabre twist of fate the rescue of his sister soon becomes inexplicably entangled with the lives of a group of young tennis players, a forest ranger, his girlfriend, and his dog, as well as a pair of police officers…. some of whom might just prove to be even more dangerous than the psychopath himself.”

Yeah… yeah… I know. Yours truly reeeeeaally isn’t the biggest fan of slasher genre films… but hey… an honest to goodness Israeli one? Can I really miss out on something as odd as that? I’m thinkin’ not… 😉

So… given that the Israelis are actually smack dab in the middle of what might just be the biggest “reality show” of true life horrific gore and violence most days, it definitely makes you wonder just what sort of spin can their film-makers be expected to give this tired ol’ genre?

Intrigued maybe…? Wanna find out some more? Then just follow this goofy Catgirl and let me tell you all about it…. 😉

"Bedevilled" (2010) – Korean Drama/ Horror

This time out, it’s more Korean film goodness, part of my last bountiful mail-order shipment of Asian film goodies from the exotic Far East. This one’s not exactly a horror film…. although it certainly spills a lot of the gooey red stuff…. and it’s not exactly a drama either. It’s sort of an odd bird of a film that manages to be both and neither, falling somewhere right comfortably in between. I’m usually not as fond of movies that like to play so coy, but I’d heard some good stuff about this one and who is this lil’ Catgirl to risk missing out on a good thing, movie wise?

Our synopsis goes as follows: “When beautiful, but socially distant, Hae-Won is forced to take administrative leave from her job, she finds herself drawn to the island of Moodo, where she once spent an idyllic childhood summer. On arrival she’s reunited with her old friend from that time, Bok-Nam. Hae-Won soon realizes that life on the island is far removed from the paradise that she remembers from her childhood. Amidst the beautiful landscape and breathtaking scenery, a vile and spiteful society has always existed. Poor, hapless Bok-Nam is routinely abused by both her abusive husband as well as the male population and completely exploited by her female elders. When an attempt to escape results in the death of her beloved daughter, Bok-Nam finally snaps and decides to take things into her own hands. With nothing left to live for and nothing left to lose, Bok Nam’s gruesome reign of terrible, blood-drenched revenge begins…”

Yep… this one is one of those movies best described as a “Women’s Revenge” film, along the lines of other exploitation gems from the 70’s and early 80’s. The only question remains, “Can the Koreans put a new spin on an old idea?” Neko thinks it’s likely…. otherwise I wouldn’t have taken a chance on it, Hehehehe!!

Of course, if you want all the details, you’ll just have to “Read On” to see for yourself…..

"Salvage" (2009) – British Horror

Time for a different sort of film for us here at the ol’ Litterbox (Just to prove your Favorite Catgirl isn’t just all about Asian movies….), so this time out we have the UK Region 2 release “Salvage”.

Our synopsis goes like this: “Christmas Eve, and the residents of a quiet British cul-de-sac are suddenly plunged into a world of violence, terror and paranoia when a group of heavily armed military personnel storm their road ordering them at gunpoint to retreat inside their homes. Unsure if this is the sign of a terrorist attack, or something much worse, one local mother finds it in herself to desperately fight to save her estranged daughter stranded across the street. However, with growing dread, the residents soon discover that the threat is more monstrous than any of them could possibly imagine, and survival is no longer a guarantee.”

When I ran across this one, I was thinking it’s going to be some sort of Zombie movie…. Mmmmmm!!! Zombies are always good for an evening’s movie watchin’ entertainment and the Trailer makes me think that’s not too far from the mark, but horror movies often have a way of going differently than you think they might sometimes, and once in a while…. if it quacks like a duck it might just really turn out to be an animal of an all too different sort.

But…. as always, your Favorite Catgirl is game for about any creepy goings on and I’ll let you all in on the juicy bits if only you just “Read On”!!

“Sexy Killer, Morirás Por Ella” (2008) – Spanish Horror/ Comedy

“Sexy Killer”….. This one actually got mentioned to me some while ago as a quirky zombie comedy film I should definitely check out, but my inquisitive, insatiable quest for a decent source of weird Spanish films has so far failed to reward me with a reliable source directly out of Spain…. Luckily for me the Region 2 UK release for this one has remedied that lil’ problem.

The synopsis for it reads: “At an exclusive university dead bodies are turning up with alarming frequency, all believed to be victims of the notorious Campus Killer. The police are stumped as to who the killer might be and, of course, nobody suspects innocent looking med student Barbara. A superficial fashion queen whose childhood dream was to grow up to become the living embodiment of her favorite doll, Cindy Superstar, all Barbara needs now is to find herself a real-life equivalent of Cindy’s plastic partner, Glenn. But behind the mask of her perfectly applied make-up is a deadly cross between Paris Hilton and American Psycho’s Patrick Bateman, a female serial killer for whom ruthlessly slaughtering people isn’t so much a question of why as one of why not?

Barbara’s grisly trail of murder fortuitously leads her into the arms of Tomas, a fellow student assigned to the campus morgue who is experimenting with a machine designed to translate thoughts and brainwaves into images. What he later discovers, though, is that with a little tinkering (and the addition of a healthy dose of Ecstasy to his subjects) the machine is able to reanimate the dead. Not surprisingly, this proves to be bad news for Barbara as Tomas begins reviving the Campus Killer’s victims in the hope that at least one of them will be able to identify their murderer. Of course, what he hadn’t bargained for was their insatiable hunger for both revenge and for human flesh. Soon, Tomas finds himself the innocent bystander in a bloody and explosive serial killer versus zombies showdown.”

Hmmm… now this one certainly sounds downright goofy. (And you know how Neko sooo likes goofy!!) So forgoing my usual popcorn and wine coolers, we opt for a movie night of spicy nachos and sangria, hoping the movie fairies will bless Carolyn and I with a delightfully grisly laugh fest to remember!! Think you might just like it too? Then you better “Read On” and find out more!

“Invitation Only” (2009) – Taiwanese Slasher/ Horror

Our latest Halloween Review finds your Favorite Catgirl in Taiwan, for a look at what is being described as Taiwan’s first homemade slasher flick, “Invitation Only”… their contribution to the recent “torture porn” end of the genre.

Our quick synopsis goes like this: “Ordinary young men and women often dream of the unreachable life of the worlds idle rich. Wade, Richard, Hitomi, Holly and Lin certainly do. They have all received an invitation to an exclusive party held by a group of rich & famous people,obviously addressed to them by mistake.But all the same, they attend. It is the best party ever, a wishing game takes place where their deepest desires materialize. But when they find Richards body brutally killed, the wishing game turns into a killing game in which they are the tortured victims and a rich audience the sadistic spectators. To escape from the party and survive is now their only dream.”

Hmmmm? Sounds grisly…. and you know how that sorta goes down for this lil’ Catgirl…. but it is subtitled, and I can never pass up a chance to snag Asian horror with subtitles. So… hopefully it’ll be more of an over the top spoof than a realistic gore fest…. but somehow I doubt it. I just know I’m gonna have nightmares….

“Fritt Vilt 2”" aka “Cold Prey: Resurrection” (2008) – Norwegian Horror

Like all good horror movie villains, that creepy guy in the Parka is back, menacing the good people of Norway in “Fritt Vilt 2” the sequal to the hugely successful “Fritt Vilt” aka “Cold Prey” as it was known here in the US.

Back too for the action is actress Ingrid Bolsø Berdal as spunky Norse heroine, Jannicke. With the recent announcement that a 3rd film is in the works, it looks like I’d better get watching this one to catch up.

Our quick synopsis reads as follows: “Jannicke, the lone survivor from the previous film’s slayings is discovered wandering cold and traumatized, covered with blood and carrying a pick axe along a deserted, snow-covered mountain road. Taken to a nearby hospital for observation and treatment, she tells the police of her terrible ordeal. As the authorities head into the mountains to investigate the her story, the hospital staff members and their patients quickly learn the shocking truth for themselves as the institution’s wards and corridors become the new hunting ground for the unstoppable killer.”

Sounds good… but will it sustain the thrills and suspense of the first film? I guess you’ll just need to “Read On” to find out!!

“Shtolnya” (Штольня) (2006) – Ukrainian Horror

Well, thanks to some shopping waaaay out in the hinterlands of the Internet, your Favorite Catgirl Princess has her first Ukrainian horror movie review for you all. “Shtolnya” which I’ve been told translates to mean “The Pit” in Ukrainian, but this lil’ Catgirl’s gonna have to take their word on that one…

Yep…. Neko-chan doesn’t have that many Region 5 goodies, so when I chanced upon this one, it took only a little bit of research to confirm that, yes… it was a horror film, and yes, it actually has English subtitles!! Could I bear to pass it up? Not on your life.

The synopsis reads like this: “They were the students of archaeology who ought to serve their academic internship. Their task was to search. Incidentally the students find the lost entrance to the pit which was a myth among the scientists. Disregarding evil omens they meet, the students decide to descend underground and discover its mystery. But they don’t know there are things one shouldn’t search…”

OK…. Well, I’ve bought movies from far away lands with less information available on them than this… So let’s dig in find out what “Shtolnya” is really all about, shall we?

“Fritt Vilt”" aka “Cold Prey” (2006) – Norwegian Horror

I missed this one when it first came out… Norway was waaaay off this lil’ Catgirl’s movie radar… but luckily the new Region 1 DVD release by Anchor Bay has given me another chance.

The synopsis for it reads: “Jannicke, Morten Tobias, Eirik, Mikael and Ingunn are on a snowboarding vacation in Jotunheimen. They are forced to take shelter in an abandoned ski hotel when Morten Tobias breaks his leg and their car is too far away for them to reach within nightfall. They quickly discover that the hotel was closed back in the seventies due to the disappearance of the managers’ son. Unknown to them, someone is still living here in the hotel, and getting home, or even surviving the stay, isn’t going to be as easy as they believe.”

This one premiered in Norway back on October 13, 2006 and was instantly hailed as one of the best modern Norwegian horror movies. I haven’t seen too many other Norwegian films, so I’ll have to take their word on that… Hehehehe!!

I had heard only a little about it waaay back then, but missed the chance to pick myself up a copy of the Norwegian DVD release…. luckily Anchor Bay seems to have released it here uncut, so will it turn out to be something special or just another “Teens get slaughtered by a Psycho” version of that old plot line we’ve seen before? Hmmmmm? Lets check it out….