Film Review: Mediatrix ((2011}}

There is something about Indie films that just screams "Watch me".  Of course I have been following Cory J. Udler's trail of bread crumbs since 2009.  There is the saying believe in your friends to see them soar about it all...well maybe that's my saying.  Of course, when I heard about this project I would have loved to participated in a grander scope than doing a film review, but Cory being the sweetheart wanted me to care for my young child.  It's a treat for me to being able to review this.....

Mediatrix

~~Warning Spoilers Ahead~~

It opens with  "This is all true".
Granted opening up with a Wyatt {{ Matt Ukena}} and Mary Ann {{Paula Duerksen}} having sex while the there is suppose to be a seance down.  Mary Ann and her mother {{Heather Renken}} exchange words about her lifestyle. We get a little flash back on what happened to little Mary Ann which led her becoming a whore as an adult. 
The filming is a cross between old 70's, 80's and some 90's.  Mary Ann...does the whole helping of the lost soul, but steals her ID.  8-weeks later, she decides to fake a pregnancy and even extortion money from poor patsy Wyatt.  You sort of feel sorry for him being duped into thinking he fathered a child.
Mary Ann tells her mother that she has been called by the spirits and leaves.  She taunts a Hobo,  but goes stays with Carrie {{Kaylee Williams}} and William Brackett {{Michael Katzenberger}}, where she deceives Carrie by cutting into her hands making her believe she has the Stigmata.  Carrie calls Father Foster {{Tom Lodewyck}} and informs him about Mary.
Strange as it is that Brackett's don't mind Mary doing her drugs, till you find out that William is having sex with Mary Ann.  It got a bit confusing that there was another house guest or was there??  Despite that they appear to be religious, the two ladies staying in the room are smoking, doing drugs and so forth.
The Brackett get a couple of uncalled visitors while they are gone....where Stu {{Greg Johnson}} and Gabriel {{Joe Hollow}} come rummaging through the house.  Stu looks like he can be easily swayed with his mental problems.  Mary has them do a little deal for drugs or sex, which you can tell or assume that they went with deal number 2.
Mary starts to show her devious side when she gives William a heart attack by combining drugs.  Gabriel and Stu show up.  Carrie has basically lost her mind because she believes her husband was a nonbeliever and was struck down giving Mary Ann all legal duties to her home.  Granted you still don't really understand about the other woman, who happens to be the Virgin Mary {{Shannon Lark}} is a delusion that Mary Ann sees.  It got a bit confusing if she was an illusion or if she was sharing the room as a living being.
Mary has Stu have sex with Carrie and making her believe that it was the Angel Michael and she will be given birth to the new messiah.  Father Foster  is told that Carrie has been given the savior of the world since her husband has been in a coma state as a vegetable.  Mary Ann has started to gather a following and made many people believe that she giving the world the divine word.
Father Foster knows the truth and hires someone to help him to expose her.  Granted Stu and Gabriel have become her devoted followers doing her every bidding.  When it is time, they kill William just before they reveal to him that Mary Ann had planned for him to see all the her plans come to fruition.  Father Foster and his reporter friend {{Andy Schatner}} show up and get caught.  Granted the reporter gets killed off and Father Foster gets his face bashed by Mary Ann...and I am serious this is one sick bitch.



At the end, Gabriel hands her a little baby boy.  Which makes me believe there is going to be a part 2.   


~Production Notes~
Written Paula Duerksen and Cory J. Udler.  Directed by Cory J. Udler.  Mediatrix is the 3rd film by Shalenn Productions.  Even though Mediatrix has been estimated at $150,000 it was actually shot around $6,000.  The most expensive movie that Cory has yet filmed to date.

 ~Ask the Director~ 

Hellz Writer: You have mentioned that this was based on a true story. What inspired you to write about it??

Cory: The inspiration came from and IDS2 shoot with Paula Duerksen, she played the hooker that Greg Johnson butchers in a bathroom. She's from Oklahoma, we have been friends for a while, and we wanted to get her into the movie. She was phenomenal. I wanted to take her on a cool tour of weird Wisconsin stuff, so I took her to Plainfield to see all the Ed Gein stuff, and then to the Mediatrix of Peace shrine in Necedah. On the way back we started to talk about how that story would make a great exploitation movie, and we put some of the pieces together and a year later we shot it.

Hellz Writer: What drives you to write/direct films that are considered "Controversy"?

Cory: I've always loved doing creative things. I've been in radio, done music, writing, television, pro wrestling. And ever since I was like 12 or 13 I've wanted to make a "weird" movie. So, when I went back to school in my late 20's, I discovered filming and editing and that was that. What really inspired me to make the kind of movies I make was a show called "The Incredibly Strange Film Show" hosted by Jonathan Ross. It was a cable show that featured Ted V Mikels, HG Lewis, John Waters, Ed Wood, etc. It was an hour long feature and I fell in complete love with it. To this day those are still my favorite filmmakers.

Hellz Writer: What future works are in stored deep within??

Cory: Currently I am working on a short called "Ed Gein: DDS" starring Judith O'Dea from Night of the Living Dead. It's a short film that'll be part of a larger feature film called "Hole In The Wall" featuring work from Derrick Carey and Frank Anderson. Don't know when that'll be out, but probably year's end or early next year. And I am shooting IDS Rising, which is the Incest Death Squad prequel/sequel. Hoping to premiere that in October. I am also working with Ted V Mikels on our 3rd script together, this one, tentatively is called "Paranormal Extremes: text messages from the dead", and it's going to be wild. That's a dream come true, writing with Ted and calling Ted a friend. And my next film project won't be until next year, and I know exactly what it is, but I don't want to talk too much about it until I have a script!

~Final Thoughts~
I have seen Cory's films and I must say that they do get more twisted and bizarre by the moment, but at least the filmmaking has gotten better and better with each passing movie.  It's a learn process, but this one surely bites the "What the fuck" bullet.  I had to watch the damn thing 3-times to make sense of it.  It gets into your head as if you are seeing the Virgin Mary as an actual being or as an illusion.  I don't know but I think I am in need of some serious fucking therapy after this.  There was minor flaws to it, but I think for the budget and so forth it is only understandable.

You may purchase his movie on his website



~Ratings~
Each film is rated individually

~Hellz Writer~

Film Review: Arachnoquake {{2012}}

I have always hated spider movies.  Just because of my dreaded fear of them.  So naturally my eyes perked when I saw these commercials on SYFY of these strange spiders....curiosity got me....

Arachnoquake

~~Warning Spoilers Ahead~~
Opening up on New Orleans with some men laughing and joking about aliens and such.  There is a mention about another earthquake and someone had gotten bitten.  Well...I think it's strange to see some weird looking spider go into  an egg crate.
Starting off with some bad digital effects of a fissure in the ground. The guy that was bitten has some serious bubble action and out pops another spider.  Naturally if something pops out of your back, it's best to squish it, but again...where would be the fun in that.  So the guy falls into the big scary fissure and the little spider jumps in.  Cue the opening credits....
We get introduced to the rest of the characters and their "issues", Paul {{Bug Hall}} being late for work. His dad, Roy {{Ethan Phillips}}and sister, Petra {{Olivia Hardt}} talking about how much of a screw up he is.    A coach Charlie Blackwell {{Edward Furlong}} needing to take his girls home and can't find his assistant. His family wanted a tour and he tells them to go.  Katylenn {{Tracy Gold}} and her children Annabel {{Megan Adelle}}l and Justin {{Skyy Moore}}leave.  We come back to Paul who meets Glen {{Lucky Johnson}} and his Wife Tina {{Tiara Gathright}}, Gramps {{Grant James}}and the Blackwells...With some minor banter go on in the tour bus.  They stop at another fissure.  Paul looks and everyone gets off the bus.
One of the kids grab one of the spiders with her cup.  Granted mom is an 8th grade biology teacher and tells them that the spider is blind.  Everyone makes the pathetic jokes about it being blind.  Paul returns telling everyone to get on the bus, where the classic "there's a creature on the shoulder" point and gawk.  Which I found pathetic when Paul wearing boots can not seem to squash the spider and instead heads towards the fissure.  Yet...Gramps is able to putt it away with his cane
To heighten things...we find giant spiders climbing on top of the tour bus.  They all banter about spiders not eating people. While Paul fills up for gas.  Humorous side is when the dumb ass Paul ponders why 911 is busy.  Really???  Everyone gets herded into the store where the attendant gets his neck blown out by a baby spider.  Everyone freaks out and eventually kill off all the baby spiders in the store.
There is a lot of questions that arise when film fests judges talk about realism. I don't care how old you are but when you are in a school bus, there is no dancing around.  Since we know the assistant coach is sick, but the coach knows to tell his girls about discipline.  Especially if these girls are athletes.....
At the store the spiders take out the older man.  Yes, stand there allowing this giant spider to get on you and suck out your fluids.  Yes, that would be wonderful especially when the spider is blind...oh boy.  Returning back that the tour bus goes back into New Orleans.  Yes, smart move.
Glen yells at Paul about going down a different road.  The police are now shooting the spiders, where the father is having some serious trust issues that Pal could be responsible since he is a major screw up.  Dad figures out that there is giant spiders out there. A bus accident that some how no one can get the bus out of.  Seriously if you are going to crash a bus, the bus crashes.  Everyone flies forward.....
Glen tries that "I'm a bad ass gangsta" and gets eaten.  {{yawns}} typical!!  Everyone runs back to the boat.  Back at the bus, they all are getting their bats to see what this thing is.  The spider proves to show off some flame.  Which the poorly sound effect of the creature flying in the air and exploding.
In the bus, the girls are worried about the spiders.  You can see that the bus isn't busted up.  Yet, the smoke is pouring out.  Tina has a melt down on the boat and no one seems to be able to throw back the girl off the boat allowing her to just push the throttle.  Even then they get into an accident.  Yeah believable when you still are aiming straight, that way you can get into an accident.
I was glad when Tina was eaten.  Yet the father tries to divert the spiders and when he tripped...his feet latches on to the branch.  The dad gets burned by the spiders who have flame thrower capabilities.  Of course when the spider comes at them...Paul is holding a shot gun and yet cringes in fear.  Come on pussy ass shoot!!!
At the bus the girls are having a near melt down.  Here comes the Calvary and you can see that their cars are just rental Hummers. The group is walking and come across the three men from the start of the film.  Mrs Blackwell talks about capturing one of the things to figure out to kill them.  Coach Blackwell is determined to save his wife even telling the military off in a way.
Jean Jaques and his two dumb asses help capture a spider.  Which as it is stupid that they tried to come up with some logical explanations about this creature and it lays it's eggs into flesh.  Nice, but there should at least be more young coming out.  Everyone freaks out and scatters because the "dumb" spiders have made around their team
A simple taking of Mrs. Blackwell gets everyone in a huff.  Anabell went after Mrs. Blackwell and Roy dies while his sister is taken as well.  Jean Jaques takes Justin away.  Paul finds Annabell at the boat as she runs back into the woods ignoring Paul.
Here the climatic, let's save the poor bastards that the spiders took.  Annabell and Paul jump down a hole and head to the big scary lair of the spiders..  Paul finds his sister and removes her from the spider webbing that looks so much like the cheap Halloween store kind.  Granted if you are in a spider lair....save the bloody questions till after you get out.  Or any emotional break downs.

They all figure out that the queen is the brain for the hive.  Kill the queen...every spider looses it's drone-ness or what ever.  Everyone runs from the massive queen and head back to the boat.  Where they all depend on one guy to push the boat back.....yeah...nice.  They manage to get the boat moving and here comes the giant queen.
Jean Jaques and his son get back to the military.  Mr. Blackwell finds out the bad information. Back at the boat, Kaitlyn dies. Paul figures it would be best to prove her theory correct.  He suits up and starts the anticlimactic ending.  The one thing thing I find funny is that when Paul is running and starts shooting with his shot gun.  Seriously...the giant spider is close to 2-miles away and the shot gun is going to do something??  Especially when the spider skeleton is suppose to super tough.
Jean Jaques tries to get on the action and shoots the bazooka which the miliatary allow him to get away with it. I noticed several errors in the filmmaking and story telling.  Jean Jaques and Paul get taken up to the web.  Paul manages to go inside the Queen going for the gas bladder. All the spiders seem to be dying all over the city.  The slacker manages to save the city....
The ending was funny where the spider in the cup implodes...



~Production Notes~
An Active Entertainment, which has recently expanded its Lafayette-to-Baton Rouge production footprint to include a New Orleans office, is feeding the Syfy beast of weekly movies about unlikely beasts.Syfy movie productions usually run for about a million dollars a piece.Active Entertainment has more in the pipeline that they will be producing for Syfy


~Final Thoughts~
I understand that they films try to explore different creatures.  Sometimes even just do things because it sounds cool.  Yes, albino blind spiders is interesting, but what the hell will the flame thrower serve for them.  In the animal kingdom, you need to remember that in a hive...like ants, bees or even termites...the queen serves as a brain.  Yet with spiders if you are going to have the spiders be able to make more spider babies and what's the need to have a queen??  I can say if she is the brain and all the spiders are connected to her.  Yet nature isn't stupid.  it always creates a back up.  The Queen will have her as a back up in a cocoon just in case she dies.
Well the thing also if you are going to make a weekly movie production,....get the right cars.  Can't get the right car...use digital.  It's not hard to get High School students coming out with more digital graphics experience and even with those students, they can help with a lot of stuff. Shoes...combat isn't tan/brown but black or dark brown issued.  You can find those styles of boot at military surplus stores.  Using digital effects is the cheap way to go for effects, but do them right.


~Ratings~
Film is based on individual movie

~Hellz Writer~