#michael laicini

[eclecticpjf]

Now watching:

Antrum: The Deadliest Film Ever Made (2018, dir. David Amito & Michael Laicini)

[ogradyfilm]

Recently Viewed - Antrum: The Deadliest Film Ever Made

[The following review contains MINOR SPOILERS; YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!]

The first time I watched The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, I felt unclean afterwards, as though the grime and grit of the setting had infected my skin. It is, after all, a thoroughly unpleasant cinematic experience: every frame resembles a murder victim’s last known photograph, and the climactic descent into insanity seems far too genuine to have been staged for the camera (if Leatherface actor Gunnar Hansen’s personal accounts are to be believed, grueling conditions behind-the-scenes indeed reduced the cast and crew to a mad delirium). Few movies since have had such a profound and visceral impact upon my psyche; only Antrum: The Deadliest Film Ever Made has come close.

In this case, of course, the effect is entirely intentional; whereas Tobe Hooper apparently considered Chainsaw Massacre to be a dark comedy (which does come through in the finished product… if you squint), Antrum is deliberately designed to assault the subconscious, from the early disclaimer warning any audience members suffering from weak constitutions to leave the theater (William Castle would be proud) to the fake-out closing credits that roll approximately ten minutes prior to the actual ending.

I hesitate to discuss the plot and themes in further detail; much of the story’s suspense lies in discovering its intricacies and idiosyncrasies as it unfolds, and I’d hate to deprive potential fans of that thrill. Suffice it to say that recognizing the various visual tricks and sleight-of-hand techniques employed by directors David Amito and Michael Laicini—the documentary-style prologue, which elegantly creates a palpable sense of anticipation for the terror to follow; the fabricated “snuff” footage randomly interspersed between shots, which within the context of the overarching meta-narrative is obviously meant to be “authentic” (an homage, I believe, to Michael Findlay’s infamously trashy Snuff); the enigmatic occult symbols scratched into the “celluloid,” which linger just a bit too long to fit the textbook definition of “subliminal”—hardly diminishes the film’s mystique and allure.

Ultimately, the word that best describes Antrum is “unsettling.” Its oppressive, foreboding atmosphere lingers in the viewer’s nightmares; I’ve jolted awake in my bed with Alicia Fricker’s moody musical score ringing in my ears, tormented by the overwhelming dread that I’ve been irrevocably tainted by the sin of witnessing something taboo, forbidden, cursed. That is the essence of true horror.

[jaymeowick]

Abyssus Abyssum Invocat

ANTRUM dir. David Amito & Michael Laicini

[brokehorrorfan]

Broke Horror Fan presents Antrum on limited edition, fully functional VHS! Our latest tape is on sale now at Witter Entertainment.

The 2018 horror film is presented in an alternate “film-only” cut, sans the documentary framing story, exclusively on VHS. It’s limited to 100 copies.

Antrum arrives on VHS in a black clamshell case with artwork by Vasilis Zikos. Each tape includes a letter from directors David Amito and Michael Laicini and an Antrum liability waiver.

For optimal VHS viewing, the film has been cropped from its original aspect ratio to 4:3 full frame. It is officially licensed from Uncork’d Entertainment and has been approved by directors David Amito and Michael Laicini.

A young boy and girl enter the forest to save the soul of their recently deceased pet. They journey to The Antrum, the very spot the devil landed after being cast out of Heaven. There, the children begin to dig a hole to Hell.

[mindless-eccentric]

Antrum: The Deadliest Film Ever Made

[brokehorrorfan]

Broke Horror Fan presents Antrum on limited edition, fully functional VHS! Our latest tape goes on sale next Friday, June 11, at 12pm EST/9am PST via Witter Entertainment.

The 2018 horror film is presented in an alternate “film-only” cut, sans the documentary framing story, exclusively on VHS. It’s limited to 100 copies. A very small quantity from the original VHS run will also be available.

Antrum arrives on VHS in a black clamshell case with artwork by Vasilis Zikos (Mandy, Terrifier). Each tape includes a letter from directors David Amito and Michael Laicini and an Antrum liability waiver.

For optimal VHS viewing, the film has been cropped from its original aspect ratio to 4:3 full frame. It is officially licensed from Uncork’d Entertainment and has been approved by directors David Amito and Michael Laicini.

A young boy and girl enter the forest to save the soul of their recently deceased pet. They journey to The Antrum, the very spot the devil landed after being cast out of Heaven. There, the children begin to dig a hole to Hell.

[brokehorrorfan]

The filmmakers behind Antrum: The Deadliest Film Ever Made have launched a an official online shop. The domestic, international, and Japanese artworks are available on 24x36 posters ($35) and T-shirts ($27-30; pictured below).

[onenakedfarmer]

Watching

ANTRUM - THE DEADLIEST FILM EVER MADE David Amito and Michael Laicini Canada, 2018