"Mara" DVD (directors: Kondrup-Hedberg-Gustafsson)

Sexy Swedish horror

In ancient Scandinavian lore, a "mara" was a night-time demon that inspired bad dreams. Hence, we now use the word "nightmare". This Swedish-language film (with English subtitles) is a well-done horror/thriller with something to offer, even though it has nothing to do with the film's story or script. But more on that in a moment.

Starring the voluptuous and busty Swedish supermodel Angelica Jansson, "Mara" follows her character from a troubled childhood to adulthood, where she finds herself staying with some friends in the house where she, as a youth, witnessed her own mother murder her father. Needless to say, there are some ghosts still residing at that residence.

Jansson does a reasonable job here as the lead, but it's her shower scene makes it all worthwhile. Seriously, this is the most memorable part of "Mara"!  The cinematography is solid, but with a pedestrian script and predictable finale, it all falls apart. I give credit to the directors and effects people, as there are some moments of genuine tension and dread here, but it's not enough to save a fairly forgettable "OK" film. 

MVD Visual

"Midnight Meat Train" DVD (director: Ryuhei Kitamura)

Having been a fan of Clive Barker's short stories for many years, I was curious to see how this adaptation played out.  "Midnight Meat Train" was a disastrous theatrical failure, but don't let that discourage you. This film, directed by highly-regarded Japanese director Kitamura, is a starkly original, highly visual horror gem that deserved so much better.

Using creative camera work and plenty of gooey (digital) gore effects, Kitamura envisions a dark, monochromatic underground subway for his principle setting. Bradley Cooper stars as a struggling photographer who gets himself accidentally involved in a subway assault, and subsequently with a strange subway serial killer with a shocking secret. 

There's all kinds of splatter here, a little sexuality courtesy of the lovely Leslie Bibb, and a storyline that keeps you guessing. Vinnie Jones effectively plays the bloodthirsty subway butcher with a calm and cold narrow-mindedness. Why audiences sit through second-rate rehashed horror is beyond me, especially when there's wondrous films like this. Don't ignore "Midnight Meat Train", as it's one of the better horror films I've seen in recent months. (Lions Gate)

"P.O.E. - Poetry Of Eerie" DVD

An anthology of short films based on Edgar Allan Poe tales, "P.O.E." is, for the most part, a collection of Italian directors who were allowed only 3 days to complete their work. As a result, there are plenty of rather forgettable and hackneyed pieces here, among a few memorable gems.

Most of Poe's best-loved tales of desperation, sorrow, guilt, loneliness, and paranoia are here, and inspired works are generated by Matteo Corazza (who takes "Glasses" to in a sexy, modern direction), Paulo Gaudio (who interprets "The Black Cat" faithfully in excellent claymation style), Guiliano Giacometti (who takes some stylistic pages from Dario Argento in his colorful version of "Berenice"), Domiziano Cristopharo (who takes "Maelzel's Chess Automaton" into a strange and modern direction), and, finally, Yumiko Sakura Itou, who retells "Song" as a Japanese seppuku scene -- oddly poetic and beautiful, somehow. 

There are 13 short films here, so there's some pretty pedestrian work here to wade through, but serious Poe fans will certainly find something here of value, as "P.O.E." is an interesting set of homages from an Italian point of view. (Elite/MVD Visual)

"Footsteps" DVD (director: E.H. Evans)

This British indie film introduces Nicholas Bool as Andrew -- a troubled, alienated, apathetic, and nihilistic young man who, after a series of life setbacks, finds himself involved in an underground ring of violent murder video filmmaking. "Footsteps" is reasonably well-done visually, but very quiet, bringing the disturbing elements more to the fore.

However, as a viewer, I fail to empathize for Andrew due to his virtually catatonic personality. Sure, the wooden performance was likely intended to illustrate the character's withdrawal from conventional society, but I could not connect enough to care. To it's credit, "Footsteps" brings plenty of gory knife-fight scenes, but still, this one doesn't quite make it. (Unearthed Films)

"Where The Dead Go To Die" DVD (director: Jimmy ScreamerClauz)

Films don't get much more antagonistic, confrontational, or outright damaged than this wildly hallucinogenic celebration of blood, sex, gore, murder, blasphemy, bestiality, satanism, and insanity. Put simply, "Where The Dead Go To Die" is an LSD nightmare of epic proportions. Created using XBox Kinect's motion capture, this primitively animated feature-length film lacks humanity, but instead dives in as a catalog of horrific and depraved imagery. The supposed story is foggy and unnecessary, and serves as little more than an excuse to parade out the extreme visuals. A vicious and unrelenting assault, and definitely not one for the squeamish. Unforgettable. (Unearthed Films via MVD Visual)