The REAL Splat(ter) Pack
Much has been made in recent years, in the mainstream horror
press, about "The Splat Pack". Depending on the source, this cadre of
genre directors includes names like: Roth, Aja, West, Zombie, Wan, Whannel,
Green, Bousman, Six, and Rodriguez. While these cats have indeed made some
killer movies, the up-and-comers in the indie world go largely unnoticed.
Below, I'll take a look at some prolific film makers, and some rookies with
only a film or two under their belts, that can, with a few frames of film, give
any of the above a run for their blood soaked money...
Dustin Mills--
Mills has made a living, and legions of fans, for his
offbeat, gory films, almost always injected with a large dose of humor (and
sometimes puppets!). All that changed recently with the release (or did it
escape?) of "Her Name Was Torment". Gritty, nasty, and made with an
"arthouse" quality that manages to avoid being overly pretentious and
self-important (i.e. it doesn't make you want to hit him in the face with a
brick for insulting your intelligence), "Torment" was a bracing shock
to the system for many of Mills' fans expecting more of the same zany
bloodletting (and also was a big metaphorical "fuck you" to the
"torture porn" sub-genre). Watch for releases from his new
Crumpleshack stamp, and consider yourself warned.
Adam Ahlbrandt--
Violent, greasy, bloody, and unabashedly metal-as-fuck, Adam
Ahlbrandt consistently delivers new and inventive ways to fuck shit up,
cinematically of course. With a group of rabid fans, particularly for
"Cross Bearer" (my personal favorite is "The Cemetery"), Ahlbrandt
revels in assaulting the viewer with images of brutality, characters that don't
always elicit sympathy, and unflinching set pieces soaked in bodily fluids--stuff
that would have guys like Eli Roth shitting in his designer jeans. With
"Hunters" and "The Sadist" in various stages of production,
look for this purveyor of filth to scramble to the top of the genre heap soon.
Mike O'Mahony--
Developing his style in wacky splatter fests like
"I.B.S." and the excellently subversive "Sloppy the
Psychotic", O'Mahony unleashed an unnerving character study of a
"monster in plain sight" with this year's "A Dark Place
Inside". Virtually everyone who has seen it was blown away by the mature
turn he has taken. There aren't any laughs to be had here, just tons of creepy
atmosphere and deliberate pacing that ratchets up the suspense to an entirely
different level. It's been amazing watching the man's style and craft develop,
can't wait to see what he has in store next.
Adam Sotelo--
"Perseveration". Period. If you've had the
pleasure of viewing it, you were treated to a blasphemous, fever dream of
surreal, repugnant images that will long be burned into you consciousness.
Coupled with an excellent cast and disorienting shots of extreme
fucked-up-ness, Sotelo's direction has a seasoned quality that belies his short
career. Topping "Perseveration" will be difficult, but it will be
interesting to see how he does it.
Jessica Cameron--
Prolific genre actress Cameron stepped into the director's
chair last year for "Truth or Dare". While most people may just be
familiar with the controversy surrounding the film (I think Madonna is suing her
or something...), those who have actually seen the film during it's successful
festival run, or for review, have been treated to a boundary pushing, taboo
shattering thrill ride that leaves you asking "how far is she REALLY going
to go with this?". The short answer? Very fucking far. The cast does
things onscreen that no cast should ever have to do...
Jason Hoover--
The criminal mastermind behind Jabb Pictures and it's
amazing series "The Collective" (serving as a fan's gateway drug to
countless talented new directors), Hoover Hoover
Brian Williams--
"Time To Kill" is providing convention goers all
over North American with beer swilling, shout-at-the-screen, good times virtually
every weekend lately. The debut feature from Williams, "TTK" is his
love letter to sleaze, cheese, boobs, blood, and Beelzebub. Featuring the
exceedingly bad assed Ellie Church as a violent, revenge driven bitch on wheels,
"TTK" combines all the elements that you loved from 60-70's drive-in
fare, and almost none of the shit you hated, Buy a copy so I can see what comes
next.
James Cullen Bressack--
Personally, I thought "My Pure Joy" was
motherfucking brilliant. Following it up with stuff like "Hate Crime"
and "To Jennifer" only cements Bressack's place on this list. With a
distinct talent for pushing a viewer's buttons and keeping them engaged,
waiting for the sanguinary "punch line", while the most mundane
things occur on screen, Bressack masterfully creates scenarios that are truly
believable. While I haven't seen everything he's done, I plan to rectify that
in the near future.
So, there you have it, 8 directors that can make you hurk
your lunch AND make you look twice at that "normal" looking person
walking behind you on a dark street. In my not-so-humble opinion, they can best
anyone on the list in the first paragraph, hopefully they continue to make the
world a more twisted place for genre fans in the future.
--Scream King Tom
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