The Pale Door (Review)

Director: Aaron B. Koontz
Writers: Cameron Burns, Aaron B. Koontz, Keith Lansdale 
Cast: Melora Walters, Stan Shaw, Pat Healy, Zachary Knighton, Noah Segan, Bill Sage
Year: 2020
Min: 96

We open by meeting two brothers, Jake and Duncan, whose house gets raided by a group of armed men. They are rescued by Lester (Stan Shaw), but their parents are gunned down and killed. Years later, Duncan (Zachary Knighton) is the leader of group of wanted outlaws named the Dalton gang. Jake (Devin Druid), meanwhile, earns an honest living working at a bar. where the Daltons hang out at. When one of their members ends up at the losing end of a gun fight, they are short one man for a big train robbery. Jake volunteers to take his place. Duncan eventually, but very hesitantly, ultimately agrees to this. 

Things quickly turn weird when the chest they are to steal from a train doesn't have money or gold, but instead a beautiful, young woman named Pearl (Natasha Barrett). She is wearing a Hannibal Lector-type mask that covers half her face. The gang are to bring the contents of said chest, to get paid by for the job. But, when Duncan gets shot in the gut, they realize that he needs medical attention. Pearl tells them that if they take her to her town, not only will they be handsomely rewarded, but that they can get help for Duncan there. They eventually take her to the brothel that she calls home. There they are greeted by Maria ( Melora Walters) the head of said brothel, which is inhabited by a bunch of gorgeous and sexy women. But, they soon reveal themselves to be in actuality hideous, burnt, and murderous, hag-like witches. The witches try to kill the outlaws and have a need for Jake's pure and untainted by sin blood.

Writer Joe (Bubba Ho-Tep) R. Lansdale serves as the executive producer on this horror/ western/ action movie. Directed and co-written by Aaron B. Koontz (who earlier this year gave us the wonderfully entertaining anthology flick Scare Package), this genre-bender is really cool and a lot of fun. The movie remined me of From Dusk Till Dawn, in the way that it starts off as one genre (in this case western) and then becomes something completely different, an action/ horror movie (much like Dusk, itself).

I absolutely love the score by Alex Cuervo. It manages to really capture the varying feelings that the movie goes for. It's driving for the exhilarating action scenes, and yet becomes tragic whenever the moment calls for it. It's honestly one of my favorite scores that I have heard this year. Also excellent is the editing, which was handled by Koontz, himself, along with Greg MacLennan. One of my favorite examples of this is the fun scene which cuts between the various outlaws with the different ladies from the brothel.

Another highlight is the fact that the film has some real good gore. One scene involving a spur is particularly brutal. Aside from this the movie also has headshots, blood squibs, flesh ripping, immolation, impaling, throat slitting, and more. The practical FX by Ryan Schaddalee, which includes the aforementioned splatter FX, as well as the hideous look for the witches, are excellent.

The ladies who inhabit the brothel are absolutely gorgeous. They help to add a bit of sexiness to the proceedings, well before they turn ugly, anyway! We even get a little bit of topless nudity. All of this is a nice little welcome bit that isn't as common in the horror genre as it may have been in the past. The gorgeous Melora Walters makes for a great leader to the witches, as Maria, as her portrayal feels dangerous, evil, and seductive. I also really loved the heartbreakingly beautiful Natasha Knighton as Pearl, who is my favorite from the witches in the film.

But, then everyone is excellent in their roles. I especially loved Bill Sage, who as the badass member of the Dalton gang named Dodd, is my absolute favorite character in this flick. The relationship between the two brothers, Jake and Duncan, are the heart of the film. Both actors, Devin Druid and Zachary Knighton, respectively, are great in these rules. This is most especially true of Druid. He puts his heart and soul into the role and helps to add a great deal of emotion to what is going on. 

Another thing that is cool about the protagonists is how diverse they are. Black, Native American, gay, and female are represented amongst them, making for a nice bit of diversity in the characters. This is something you would never have seen in a true, old school western, but it is a nice idea. That is done well enough to never feel forced but natural and works within the the context of this story is to be applauded.

The Pale Door is well made, fun, and wonderfully acted. It is a great mix of western, action, and supernatural horror. Sexy, exciting, and bloody, it makes for an action packed and engaging viewing. But, what really makes it work and stand out so well is the heart that comes from the story and relationship between the two brother characters. It manages to tug at your own heart and makes you care more for them. The flick begins streaming exclusively on Shudder this December, Thursday 17th. 

3 out of 4

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The Top 10 Movies of 2012

2012 has passed us by, and as far as movies are concerned it was a great year. In particular for horror movies, as there were some of the finest genre films I've seen in sometime. In fact, this might be the year with the most amount of horror movies to ever make this list. I do want to say that the best horror movie I saw this year, the magnificent American Mary, is not ranked, only because it's official release is this year. I'm sure that when I make the list for this year it will rank among the very best, as it is as amazing a movie, as I have seen the genre produce in a very long time. As always, my list is probably not like other lists out there, but then again this blog isn't like most blogs out there. Anyway, no more wasting time here is my list:

10. The Expendables 2- Opening the list is this fun and badass, and to me, superior sequel to the original star-studded action-fest. It's a solid shoot-em up, with great ones liners, lots of kick ass, bloody action (and to think there were rumors of this getting a PG-13!!), allusions to the AWESOME cast's past action films, and a hot Asian chick. Lundgren was probably my favorite in the film, but Van Damme made for a damn (pun not intended) good villain. Bring on part 3!!





9. Mother's Day- Though it took two years (in fact I reviewed it last year) to finally get an official release, this superior sort of remake to the good Troma released movie of the same name, ranks as one of last year's most vicious horror flicks. The acting is great, in particular from Rebecca DeMornay and the reigning queen of quality horror remakes: the lovely Jamie King. It also features very tense directing. The moments of strong, graphic violence give the film a nice gut punch that you will surely feel.



 
8. The Raid: Redemption- Here's a kick ass, break-necked paced, and brutally violent action flick from Indonesia that got a wide-release in the US, and it totally deserved it. It also deserves all the praise that you've heard it get. It is the best martial arts film since The Protector. The action never stops, nor does the insane splattery violence. The fight scenes will leave your jaw dropping to the floor and the stunts are just insane!! If you have yet to see this one you're doing yourself a diservce. Of note: this movie's success probably hurt Dredd, which had a very similar plot (IE go up a building to battle the main baddie in a building filled with baddies). And, you should definitely see that one as well, though this is definitely the superior movie.

7. The Cabin the Woods- Co-writer Joss Whedon's flick is a loving tribute to the horror genre. There are so many cool moments and so many cool creatures, that you can watch this a million times over. In fact, i liked this one even more the second time around, enough so that I changed the position that it ranked in originally. Throw in the babes, nudity, gore, and, what is probably the best climax of the year, and you have the first of two big hits Mr. Whedon has on this list. For more on my thoughts, but not enough to ruin it, check out my review here: http://themastergio.blogspot.com/2012/04/cabin-in-woods.html
 

6. Skyfall- The best Bond film since my personal favorite in the series, For Your Eyes Only, this one even manages to trump the greatness that was Casino Royale. The action is the most suspenseful the series has had in countless of ages. The acting is on spot from the whole cast, with a riveting Javier Bardem, who ranks amongst the best of the Bond villains. Craig continues to prove that he is THE best Bond, since Connery. The emotional story, riveting climax, and perfect ending make this one a loving tribute to the series as well as a must see (and, when it hits DVD/ blu-ray: a must own) for Bond fans.


 
5. The Loved Ones- It's a shame that it took three fucking years for US fans to see this masterpiece of modern horror, and then that it got a somewhat underwhelming DVD release, and no blu-ray!! Regardless this is one that is so well written and features what is some of the finest acting in the genre in the entire year. This smart, attention holding, tough as nails survival horror flick, is one that should be seen by all lovers of terror. For more on my thoughts on this masterpiece read my review here: http://themastergio.blogspot.com/2012/06/loved-ones.html




4. Django Unchained- This tribute to the bloody spaghetti Django westerns, is Tarantino's best movie since Pulp Fiction. It is also his best looking movie, ever. It benifits from an amazing cast, including Jamie Foxx at his very best. DiCaprio makes for a dispicable villain, as does Samuel Jackson. Meanwhile, with this film Christopher Waltz cements himself as one of my favorite actors. Though long, Tarantino keeps the pace moving nicely, so you won't be feeling it (a problem with the director's lesser work like Death Proof). The gory shoot-outs will make you remember the type of films this is a love letter, to, as will the great music, some taken from the original Italian series, itself, as will the great cameo by Franco Nero. Horror fans should keep their open for cameos by Tom Savini, the lovely Amber Tamblyn, and her dad, Russ Tamblyn (who, of course, starred in the classic The Haunting).

3. God Bless American- This awesome jet-black, but hilarious comedy from Bobcat Goldthwait, is the single best comedy of the year. Playing like the ultimate liberal fantasy, this one that has our hero and his teen accomplice killing reality TV stars, assholes, and right-wing fascists. It's a fun, bloody movie, that will have you cheering them on, as they rack up the bodycount of the idiots and jackasses. The acting and the dialouge is priceless, with the whole scene where they talk about Alice Cooper ranking as what might be my favorite dailouge moment of the year.



2. Excision- Unquestionably the best image change of the year came from the lovely AnnaLynne McCord, who plays the misfit teen lead in this, the finest horror movie, to get an official release this year. McCord is amazing on very level, as is Traci Lords as her mom. I must say I'm one of those who thought it wasn't possible to get a great performance out of her, perhaps due to the earlier horrible roles, that she got. Alas, Lords proved me wrong, here. This film, a twisted coming of age movie, is alternately disturbing, hilarious, moving, touching, and gory. It is even that much better, the second time around. A true accomplishment for the genre this one will resonate with not just those of who always felt like the weird kid, but anyone, at all who views it. A new classic for the genre, without a shadow of a doubt!

1. Marvels The Avengers- When it came to pick the year's best, only one film remained at the top of this list, from the second that I finished watching it, and that's Joss Whedon's second movie to make this list: Marvel's The Avengers. This movie is perfect and a true geekgasm. One that I could worship and praise all day long, but I don't need to cause I wrote that praising review back in the summer of 2012: http://themastergio.blogspot.com/2012/05/marvels-avengers.html

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RIP for June & July 2012

I been meaning to pay tribute to the recent deaths in the genre, but with Sage Stallone's death last night, I knew I had to, now. They say these things come in three and sadly that seems to be the case, here. It's never easy to write these, and it's never something I look forward to. But, alas it's a part of everyone's life.

Richard Lynch-  Lynch passed away last month on the 19th of a heart attack. I was immediately saddened. Lynch was a great heavy and always owned the screen whenever he was on. While Lynch was in countless movies, its two roles of his that remain my favorites:
  
Invasion USA- One of my all time favorite Chuck Norris movies, Invasion deals with a group of terrorists/ commies invading the US (duh!), and Norris, the resident Florida badass, being the lone man against them. It's fast paced and totally ludicrous. But, then there in lies one of the movie's charms. It racks a ridiculous body count and is righteously violent. But, it's Lynch who really owns the film. His role as the psychopathic leader of the terrorist group ranks as one of action cinema's best villains. The scene where a junkie chick is snorting coke, and then gets her head slammed on to the table, as the pick goes up her nose, and then gets thrown out the window as her criminal boyfriend (played by a young Billy Drago) gets shot in the balls by Lynch (something he does TWICE in the movie!) is brutal and badass. That sets up the movie and, more so, Lynch's character perfectly.

The other role of his I loved is in the enjoyable and underrated Bad Dreams. You'll find my review of that movie here: http://www.gorezone.net/dvdcrypt/reviewstxt/abc/baddreams.html His last role is in the upcoming Rob Zombie movie The Lords of Salem.

Ernest Borgnine- Ernest passed away this month on the 8th at 95 of renal failure. I was a fan of his since I was a little kid. Back then I knew from two things, mostly. The first being the 80s TV show Airwolf, a show that probably doesn't hold up much today but inarguablely had a badass copter, the other being John Carpenter's Escape from New York, where he played Cabbie. It's a cool role in one of my favorite Carpenter films. A badass mix of action and sci-fi, I've discussed the movie before here: http://themastergio.blogspot.com/2008/09/top-5-john-carpenter-films.html

 

The Wild Bunch- But way before he worked with Carpenter he starred in my favorite western of all time, this classic by Sam Pekinpah. This story about a group of outlaws who go for one final shoot-out is one of the most important and influential movies in the genre, ever. It's ultra-violent and stylized, gory shoot-outs changed cinema forever. Borgnine gives a great performance, as does the rest of the cast. By the way, if you truly want to experience this movie, get the blu-ray. It's a sight to behold and worship!!

Another role of his that I loved was Mermaid Man on Spongebob Squarepants. This fun parody of DC's Aquaman is one of the most endearing character's on one of the greatest toons ever. And, one of the only human (or sort of human) characters in the series. He was so funny in this!

Sage Stallone- Last night it was revealed that the eldest son of Sylvester Stallone, Sage, had passed away. He was only 36 and may have been dead for three days prior. The cause of death is still under investigation. While, most mainstream audiences best remember him from roles in movies like Rocky V and Daylight, horror fans best know him because of his love of the genre. He started and ran Grindhouse Releasing, which put out pristine and remastered releases of films like Lucio Fulci's masterpiece The Beyond (a movie that was previously only available as the butchered Seven Doors of Death in the US), Ruggero Deodato's controversial, brutal, and never before legally released in the US Cannibal Holocaust, and Umberto Lenzi's dumb but nasty Cannibal Ferox (formerly known as Make Them Die Slowly), as well as many other genre films. He never let his last name get to his head and was a true fan. He was one of us.  

 

May they all RIP and my condolences, thoughts, and prayers go their loved ones.

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