THE INMATES ARE TAKING OVER THE PEOPLE TAKING OVER THE ASYLUM
Movie Review – “Exeter”
Review by Ray Schillaci
“What an Excellent Day for an Exorcism”
There is some biting dark humor in the above quote. It made the audience cower and giggle at the same time, and that gallows humor is in abundance in Marcus Nispel’s new original horror film, “Exeter”. Some may whine that what director Nispel presents is not exactly “original,” and believe me, they are nit-picking. Think about it, how many films have we seen with young people trapped in a scary place, being picked off one by one? But Nispel turns the whole scenario on its bloody ear just as Wes Craven did with “Scream”.
Nispel’s film has had a tumultuous struggle getting made. First off, he was fighting the “Reboot King” moniker with his “Texas Chainsaw Massacre” and “Friday the 13th” remakes. With “Exeter”, he struggled to get something more original brought to the screen that was not a reboot or found footage/POV movie. When he finally came up with the idea of “Backmask” (the original title) and started production, he found himself fighting for certain actors (for good reasons), going to battle over the film’s humor and the film’s subject matter.
When the director presented his cut at the American Film Market, the audience went nuts. They cheered, laughed, and screamed at all the right spots. But even with the reaction, the “backmask” angle was not considered commercial enough. The film went months without a distributor and looked as if it may have been doomed to the straight-to-home-video market. We at The Movie Guys finally put out the word, and that’s when my article, “WTF is Backmask?”, was posted. Here’s an excerpt:
“A raucous sex, drugs, rock and roll party is held at an abandoned mental asylum and our cast of characters is introduced. This takes us off our guard until the party ends, and it does not end well. Toying with rituals, including playing a satanic-laced song backwards, back masking, sends us on an unsettling journey with our young friends.
People are possessed, disposed of in horrifying ways, and the creep factor quotient shoots off the scale in the nightmare asylum. But it is not as simple as that. This film has layers, like a rotting onion. With each peel that is pulled back, the horror grows and so does the mystery as to why everything is happening. This is what makes Nispel’s film so unique; it defies to be categorized as just another horror film. It is a horror thriller that is a mystery with uneasy humor.”
Nispel was soon asked to bring the asylum’s story to the foreground and give it a more relatable feeling than the back masking. He did so, incorporated some creative sound design, and went back to the editing room and tightened the film, ratcheting up the tension levels. The final outcome puts “Exeter” in the pantheon of horror films alongside “The Evil Dead,” “Re-Animator,” “Phantasm,” and yes, even “Scream”.
I’ve reviewed this film as “Backmask” when it had no distributor, and I reviewed it in its latest incarnation as “Exeter” in my review of “Highlights from the 15th Annual Phoenix Film Festival – Part 2”. Another excerpt:
“The “Exeter” screening at PFF/IHSFF proved to be a much tighter film than before. The pace was lightning-quick with its big, dark laughs and scares. Disturbing black & white footage has been added to give us a bit more background on the asylum where literally all hell breaks loose. One of the deaths in question is edited far better than before, and the sound now packs a helluva wallop.”
I can’t be more passionate about the sheer glee we as fans of horror get when a film like “Exeter” makes it to wide release when so much other dreck litters the screen, promising thrills and chills.
The ensemble cast cannot be better. The comedy highlights are provided by Nick Nicotera, Nick Nordella and Michael Ormsby, and I would be amiss if I didn’t give credit to the other supporting players that work off each other so well.
What’s a horror movie without a douche? Brett Dier (“Jane the Virgin”), as Brad, could have breezed through that part, but instead he gives us a rounded performance of the guy that is not only full of himself, but is eventually freaked out by all the horrifying proceedings. He makes us roll our eyes, laugh, and actually makes us care for him towards the end. Gage Golightly, as Amber, brings a great deal of fun to her role as the come-hither girl friend, but she also shreds the screen as a possible new reigning scream queen.
Then there are our two leads, Kelly Blatz as Patrick and Brittany Curran as Reign. Patrick could have been a thankless role. He’s the grounded of the bunch, but Blatz makes him far from boring. He makes us care about him and everyone else. He and Michael Ormsby’s sibling moments are funny, touching and, at times, frightening, while Curran delivers sensuality, innocence and strength in a multi-faceted role that keeps us intrigued throughout. She is the linchpin that dares us to delve further into the mystery of Exeter, and she has us captivated the whole time.
Credit also has to go to the ever-resourceful Stephen Lang (“Avatar”) as Father Conway. He’s our resident Christopher Lee or Peter Cushing, the staple that makes everything all the more fun. His Father Conway is played so straight, but somehow we know there is a wink in there, and a sly tongue-in-cheek.
Then there is the soundtrack that dare I say is as haunting as Friedkin’s “The Exorcist”. Perhaps it’s because it’s from Eric Allaman of Tangerine Dream, a group that Friedkin has used before. The opening alone plays in my mind over and over again. The music is both nerve jangling and eerie, leaving us unsettled long after the movie is over.
The entire production is first class. The cinematography has a wonderful edginess to it, the editing is crisp and the special effects, whether they be practical, CGI, or make-up are near seamless. As mentioned before, it is a combination of director, ensemble cast and clever writing that makes this horror show stand out amongst so many others, causing audiences to have fun and to practically interact with the goings-on on the screen.
But let none of this make you think that you’re stepping into a flat-out comedy. Marcus Nispel’s “Exeter” will shock, make you jump, possibly have you scream (as my audience did), and definitely give you the creeps during its quieter moments. As I have said before, it’s a rollercoaster ride through hell, and as with most rides of this sort, some will have loads of fun while others will be a nervous wreck. But no matter what, many will return (as I have) to relive the fun with friends.
“Exeter” is on-demand now on DirecTV and will be in theaters August 14th.
Directed by: Marcus Nispel
Release Date: August 14, 2015
Run Time: 91 Minutes
Country: USA
Rated: R
Distributor: Viva Pictures
