The Franken Femmes

Promoting and reviewing the best in B/Indie horror and everything in between!

[thefrankenfemmes]

It seemed that my lot in life was to either have big parts in small films or small parts in big films. -Bruce Campbell

[thefrankenfemmes]

Fan Expo 2014

  Months before the Vancouver Fan Expo was to begin, an e-mail came through announcing the first guest. As we opened our phones and saw who it was we were in a state of disbelief. In fact, one of us dropped our phones and may or may not have cried tears of joy. Bruce Campbell was coming our way! We of course bought our tickets as soon as we could and anxiously awaited for our opportunity to meet the legend, The King of B movies.

  If Bruce wasn't amazing enough, next up was the source of all our childhood nightmares, Freddy Krueger himself, Robert Englund. This was setting up to be one of the most memorable Cons for us and the weekend just couldn't come fast enough. Day after day we imagined what we would say to our heroes, what we would get autographed, how we would handle so much badassery in one day?! Then in a blink of an eye it was here. 

  As we entered the building, gazing upon all the fans and intricate costumes we realised that this was real. The moment was here and soon we would be in the presence of B horror royalty. Once inside we tried to take everything in, around every corner was amazing art, plenty of memorabilia to blow your paycheques on and kindred spirits, all there for the same reason. Fandom. Now of course we tried very hard to remain as professional as possible throughout the day, but when standing face to face with Ash and Freddy the fangirling took over full force. 

  We approached Robert Englund's booth first and we were received with a loud "come to papa!". Soon a light hand caress and talks of random things like Hollywood lunches, and Michael Jackson's limo driver ensued. He was kind and very personable, spending easily a good 5-10 minutes with us before having to move on to other doting fans. Our signed copies of Nightmare on Elm Street and posing "sexy and nasty" for a photo is something we will definitely treasure for a life time. Getting to meet a legend such as he is certainly something you cant shake easily, but we managed to pull it together and head on over to a large twisted lineup full of Boomstick shirts, and chainsaw arms. 

  Bruce Campbell was everything we dreamt he would be. We pushed through our nervousness and managed a conversation with him, although it was a short one. He was charming, funny and incredibly dapper in a purple velvet suit. He signed our books with a wink, and assured us both that plenty more of his fabulous B movies would be headed our way. *sigh*

  The excitement didn't quite end there as we were lucky enough to meet some new friends. The guys from the upcoming film 'Wolfcop' were not only extremely friendly, but they are also fellow Canadians making a badass horror comedy! We were quite surprised when they told us that the actor that played Wolfcop in the film was going to be coming in and they would be showing off the process he goes through to be camera ready. 2 hours later he was suited up posing for photos!

  As the first day at the con began to wind down we made sure to stop by the Rue Morgue booth and connect with friends we had met last year. Plus we couldn't leave without saying a quick hello to the beautiful and talented Soska Twins and Tristan Risk, who played Beatrice in American Mary. These girls know their stuff and we couldn't be happier to see local ladies making a name for themselves in the horror world.

  Heading home after that day, we felt like it was a huge success. With giant permanent smiles on our faces, we were floating on cloud 9.

  Day two was a little more calm. The con was once again filled with even more costumes and tons of fans waiting for the Q&A with Bruce Campbell! After spending an hour in a lineup that seemed never ending, we walked into the room where The Man himself was going to be answering all of our questions. However, we had a feeling this wasn't going to be your typical Q&A. In true Bruce fashion he decided to flip it around and make us, the fans, the panel. Those up on the stage were then open to questions from the rest of us, if they couldn't answer they were kicked off the stage and were open to ridicule by Bruce and fans alike.

  As Fan Expo 2014 came to a close, we said our goodbyes and walked out with our heads held high. This was the weekend we had been waiting for and we took it all in for everything it was. We aren't sure how it can get any better, but we can't wait to see who will be attending next year. You will definitely be seeing us around so make sure to come say hello!

[thefrankenfemmes]

Cheap Thrills (2014) Review

  When childhood friends who have fallen on hard times randomly run into each other at a bar they begin to catch up over a few beers. However, their visit is quickly interrupted by a strange couple who begins paying them large sums of money to do seemingly simple tasks. As the night goes on and the drinks keep flowing the tasks become much harder, and with that the pay outs become much larger. Soon the two friends are faced with the question... just how far are you willing to go for financial freedom?    

 Starring Pat Healy, Ethan Embry and David Koechner, Cheap Thrills is an entertaining adrenaline rush. It was twisted good fun with just the perfect amount of humour. Both Pat Healy and Ethan Embry gave fantastic performances. Playing the roles of high school friends who are desperate, Pat and Ethan's stories may be different but their end goal is the same... do whatever it takes to make some money. They were raw, intense, and truly made the viewers think. The film certainly made an impression on us and we found ourselves talking long after we watched the film. What would we do if put in that situation? Would we turn against our better judgement and do unspeakable things for cash? How far would you be willing to go? Does having children to support change your mindset? 

  Money stands out as the true horror in this film...not the dares or the gore, but the fact that when you throw dollar signs into the picture seemingly normal people can become monsters. What is that saying... "money is the root of all evil" ? It makes you wonder how it can truly affect us day to day. It clearly can give people a sense of power or lack there of depending on the situations they are faced with. This film made us question ourselves and wonder JUST how money has effected us in the past and perhaps how it will in our futures.

   Cheap Thrills is a definite must see. This film takes a thriller comedy and not only shocks its audience but gives them a lesson in morals while delivering some of the most cringe worthy scenarios we have seen in a while. Just remember to tell yourself.. money isn't everything.

[thefrankenfemmes]

Cottage Country (2013) Review

Todd and Cammie are the perfect couple so naturally they want their vacation to be just as perfect, especially since Todd is planning to propose. However, their romantic plans take a dark turn when Todd's obnoxious brother decides to crash their cottage getaway. Not knowing how to deal with the increasingly bad situation, Todd lashes out.. with an axe! Now faced with a choice, Cammie and Todd have to decide whether they call the cops and end their perfect weekend or cover their tracks and get on with their happy future.

   Cottage Country was an entertaining dark comedy that delves into the lengths people are capable of going to when they really want something bad enough. It had a hilarious cast including Tyler Labine, Malin Ackerman, and Lucy Punch. We must say that we absolutely adore Tyler Labine as he stars in one of our all time favourite horror comedies Tucker and Dale vs Evil. We have to admit he was the reason we were drawn to this film in the first place. He's always a treat to watch and this film was no exception. We loved watching him attempt to handle all the horrible situations without losing his cool. Malin Ackerman was fabulous as well. As his doting, crazy girlfriend, Cammie was hell bent on having the perfect life and wouldn't let anything stand in her way. As ladies, we have all been in a particular situation where we want something so bad that we don't care how we get it... so in an odd way we can relate to her... minus the whole, well, committing murder part. 

   The scenery was beautiful in this film and was filmed in our motherland of Canada! In an odd way it was its own character in the film lending a sense of beauty and calm to an otherwise chaotic scenario.

   Now we know the whole cottage murder scenario has been kind of done to death and yes some of this film is predictable. However, that being said, despite its flaws and resemblance to some other films story lines, Cottage Country is a decent way to pass a bit of time. Don't take this film too seriously, it's an odd bit of fun and we think worth the watch.

[thefrankenfemmes]

Wicked Blood (2014) Review

Written and directed by Mark Young, Wicked Blood follows the story of Hannah and her unconventional family. Hannah lives with her sister Amber and her uncle Donny. Trying to be as normal as possible, they go about their daily routines living in fear of Uncle Frank, the head of the family, who runs the illegal family business. Hannah, who's refuge is chess, uses her skills learnt in the game to try and break away from the unhealthy lifestyle and help save her family.

The actors for this film couldn't have been better chosen. Leading actress Abigail Breslin puts on a great performance along side some of our favourites: Alexa Vega, Lew Temple, James Purefoy, and the superbly evil Sean Bean. Wicked Blood didn't hold anything back when choosing its stars and in our opinion they all fit just perfectly. As always we were thoroughly impressed by Lew Temple's performance. Lew played Hannah's Uncle Donny, who is struggling with addiction while still trying to maintain the role of a father figure at home. One of our favourite scenes from the film had to be when Donny injected himself with a dose of the family product and then danced around his living room in sweat pants, shirtless, to none other than Rob Zombie! We would of been quite happy watching that for the entire film. We know it had nothing to do with the main plot, but it was none the less a great little scene. Lew has such a great ability to throw himself completely into a role and embody everything about his character. This performance was no different. He was able to bring such life to this kind hearted southern meth-addict. You just couldn't help but love him even though you knew he wasn't providing the best life for his nieces.

Abigail Breslin, who played Hannah, is a force to be reckoned with. She has really grown as an actress and continues to impress us every time we see her. We found there was a little lack of Alexa Vega's character, Amber. Besides her relationship with James Purefoy's character and issues with Bobby Stinson (the creeper in the family who is played by Jake Busey), we found her screen time quite minimal. She did, however, find a way to make the best use of it.. we just would have been interested to learn a bit more about her. 

Over all we thoroughly enjoyed this film. Mark Young, has written and directed a few movies now, but Wicked Blood definitely has to be one of his biggest films to date. We felt he did a great job at creating a believable and oddly beautiful atmosphere. He shows us just what it would be like to be living in that situation and the true fear that stems from the feeling of being trapped. There is an incredible intensity within this family that tears you up as you watch.  You seem to realize the harsh truth that if money and survival are at stake sometimes you cant even trust family. It definitely plays with your emotions, and you aren't truly able to know whether you agree or disagree with their way of life. We found ourselves asking the question, what would we do if we were in this situation? One tiny complaint we have is that perhaps a few of the characters could have been showcased more, but that being said it doesn't really take away from overall film watching experience. We were most definitely entertained from beginning to end, and we look forward to seeing more from Mark Young!

[thefrankenfemmes]

Mum and Dad Review

 Bludgeoned and chained, Lena awakes to a living nightmare. Brought to a house of unspeakable horror by her new found friend Birdie, Lena has unwillingly become a member of a so called 'family.' Governed by a sadistic couple known as 'Mum and Dad,' you are expected to do as you're told or be subject to Dad's fiery temper. Lena decides its best to play ball for these psychopaths, but just long enough to win over their trust.. then ultimately her freedom.     Mum and Dad was one of the most enjoyable English made indie horrors we have seen in quite some time. Not only did we enjoy the concept, but it was well acted and incredibly disturbing! Scene after scene we found ourselves actually voicing our disgust. Trust us, that's a good thing... when a movie can make us look at one another with the WTF face, we most definitely have a winner!      We wouldn't say 'Mum and Dad' is disgusting in the sense that it is overly filled with guts and gore (don't worry gore hounds, there is some gore)..but it's not what the film focuses on for its scares. The way this film makes your skin crawl is really just in the simple daily behavior of the 'family.' To them watching porno at breakfast together is normal..and in turn creates a very uncomfortable experience for the viewer. This film's budget was estimated around 100,000 British pounds which is pretty low. So it just goes to show you that budget doesn't always matter. Even though it was minimal, it still packed just as big a punch as a heavily spfx film.     The character of 'Dad' by far was the stand out one for us, with his chubby exterior and kind English accent you would never suspect him of such unspeakable acts. Perry Bensen did a fabulous job and we really hope to see him in more films. We know he will certainly be haunting our dreams for a while! So if you are looking for an entertaining and disturbing movie about a family more fucked up than your own.... this is the film for you. Don't say that we didn't warn you though, watch with caution as this film is bound to leave you feeling just a little dirty.

[verafarmigadaily]

Facebook covers available at Bates Motel on A&E.

[thefrankenfemmes]

Who is excited for Season 2!?!? 

[thefrankenfemmes]

Nurse 3D Review

Abby Russell isn't your ordinary nurse. By day she seems like someone you would trust your life with, but by night... well let's just say she might be the one taking your life. When she begins to mentor a new graduate named Dani, things start to spiral out of control. What started out as a lovely friendship quickly becomes a nightmare as Dani soon learns that Abby can get attached very easily.

This film is the perfect mixture of gore, comedy and pure sex! We always love a cheesy horror movie and Nurse 3D was exactly that. Starring Paz de la Huerta (Boardwalk Empire) as Abby Russell and Katrina Bowden (Tucker and Dale vs. Evil) as Dani this film totally screamed sex appeal. Paz, although not the greatest actress, knows what roles fit her well... and Abby Russell was just that role. Whether it is the sexy nurse outfit with wedged heels, torturing and killing adulterers or running around naked... Paz played to her strengths.

Nurse 3D is directed by Doug Aarniokoski (Sleepy Hollow, Hungry) and co-written with David Loughery. The film truly was more of a dark comedy than a thriller/horror. We felt like they did a great job creating tension and suspense throughout parts of the film. This helped to balance out the, well, less than great acting. This movie was just pure cheese, but with a great atmosphere and cool 3D effects we found it quite enjoyable.

Nurse 3D certainly isn't anything new to the horror genre, but it's definitely worth a watch. The film is well paced and entertaining with a high body count. A decent amount of blood and gore doesn't hurt either...and lets be honest, we like naked ladies too but this one will definitely be a bigger hit with the guys. If you are looking for an entertaining flick that doesn't require much thinking give Nurse 3D a go. It surely won't disappoint.

[thefrankenfemmes]

Cassadaga (2011) Review

After the death of her sister, Lily Morel applies for an art scholarship at a college in Cassadaga, a town that is also known for its spiritualist community. While trying to contact her dead sister during a seance, Lily is answered not by her sister but by an angry spirit. The spirt, a woman who was a former student at Lily's Cassadaga college who was murdered just 4 years prior, sends her on a path of resolution leading Lily into the arms of a sociopath known as 'Geppetto'.

After watching the opening scene of the film we were instantly drawn in! Writers Bruce Wood and Scott Polley weren't holding anything back and director Anthony DiBlasi (executive producer of The Midnight Meat Train) was able to create the perfect atmosphere for this story. Although we did find some issues within the film, we were thoroughly entertained. We found having one of the greatest villains in movie history, Nurse Ratchet (Louise Fletcher) as the college owner to be a great surprise!

When we are first introduced to the main character Lily she shown to be deaf. She was not shown as a victim, but rather a strong independent woman. The minor details surrounding the reason for her deafness was somewhat vague to start with. This did create some questions throughout the film for us as she seemed to speak without any verbal issues (tone, inflections, pronunciation, etc.), which is usually a clear defining feature of someone who is deaf. Further into the story we were explained what happened in Lily's past to create this which allowed us to give understanding to, what seemed to us, a slight oversight in her character development. 

We appreciated that the writers kept us guessing who the murderer in this film was. We were never really sure, and we found ourselves constantly trying to put together the story of 'Geppetto'. One thing we would of preferred seeing is a little more surrounding 'Geppetto' and his obsession with creating his very own human marionettes. In the end he really ended up being a fairly minor plot point in the over all film... which was kind of a bummer since we really wanted to see the film for his story in particular. This in turn left room for some un answered questions involving him, for example, why the marionettes? Just because he played with one as a child? Or was it something to do with the fact that he didn't want to be who he was, so the idea of being able to fully create something in his image was what satisfied him? Then again he didn't even seem satisfied with any of his creations? Perhaps the writer chose to do this on purpose creating topics for discussion after watching the film? Though we are still left pondering these things, Cassadaga is still worth a watch.

[thefrankenfemmes]

As I watched Danni's round little ass, the same one that I had eaten out the night before, prior to finger-fucking her to six orgasms... and when I saw those tacky $10 flowers from dickless little Steve, I couldn't control myself

Abigail Russell, Nurse 3D

[thefrankenfemmes]

The Devil's Chair Review

 Nick and his girlfriend Sammy, along with a hit of acid, head out for a good time. They decide to check out an old abandoned asylum where they find a mysterious restraint chair of some sort. After popping the acid they begin a trip that neither were expecting. As they play around with the chair they soon realize things aren't quite as they seem. Suddenly, Sammy is brutally attacked and murdered by paranormal forces.. and Nick is looked at as the main suspect. After years of being locked away in a mental hospital, Nick is released to a psychiatric doctor who hopes to discover the true story behind the mysterious killing. They soon find out that the perhaps the chair contains a secret that was better left locked away.

  The Devil's Chair stars the always wonderful Andrew Howard as the main character, the anti-hero Nick. Howard always delivers an incredible performance, and has such a brilliant way of drawing you into his characters. We can certainly see why Mason always casts him in this films. Something different that we really loved about this film was how Howard interacted directly with the audience. Throughout the film, Howard comes in as the narrator and at times he even breaks the 3rd wall by talking directly to the viewers.  At one point he calls us all out on being "gore whores." ...so true, he knows us so well!

 This was one of the first films we ever found by Adam Mason and it instantly kicked off our interest in his style of writing, directing and producing. It was so different and immensely creative that we became instantly hooked! The Devil's Chair is a visually impressive, must see horror filled with gore, deception and delusions. It is never what it seems at times, and has the ability to only show you just enough.. even as things start to get out of hand. We highly recommend this film and all of Mason's others. The twists and turns will not disappoint you. Check out our reviews for some of his other brilliant films ('Pig' and 'Junkie') as they are sure to give you an experience that many other films cannot.

[axishairsalonsblog]

Billie Jean doing some great updos just in time for the holiday season!

[thefrankenfemmes]

Femme Sarah Jayne was a hair model for Femme Billie Jean late last year! Here is the blog from Axis Hair Salon

[gayloki]

[thefrankenfemmes]

I Spit On Your Grave 2 Review

The modeling world can be a tough one to break into, and Katie quickly learns this the hard way. At a free photo session things go from bad to worse when she is kidnapped, raped , and tortured. After suffering for what seems like an eternity, she escapes her sadistic captors, but instead of going home plots a savage revenge.

 We have to say we didn't care for this one as much as the original remake. It lacked a form of creativity that was present in the first. This was not only present in the plot, but also in the revenge killings. We felt the first one empowered the woman. It showcased her strength and cunning in order to take the men down that made her suffer. However, this one did not. The torture scenarios themselves were predictable. They felt forced and seemed like cheap shock value. The real treat was during each of her vengeful kills, the lead character would repeat the EXACT words the captors said to her throughout her suffering, and that was just plain corny. This film was waaaay too focused on her going through the horrific ordeal then the actual revenge...which lets be honest, is why everyone wanted to check this film out in the first place. We were hoping once again for that perfect balance that the first film had, but no such luck. 

  The true pain in this film was not what we were witnessing, which don't get us wrong was horrific, but the acting and just plain stupidity of the main girl character was at times too much for us to bare. For instance, after going through SO much torture there were times she was incredibly trusting to complete strangers. Horror movies do tend to include things that don't make sense or that wouldn't happen in a real life situation, but in this movie it just feels extremely out of place and led the film into a repetitive, predictable circle. Taking into consideration that this is the second film in the series, we expected a certain level of intelligence from the main character... but that wasn't what we got. We appreciate the idea of a model/photographer situation gone wrong. It is a topic that hasn't been touched on much and is one that should honestly be taken as a warning to models out there trying to make it!

  We honestly wouldn't recommend this film.  However, if you are in need for a good revenge film check out the original or the 2010 remake.

[thefrankenfemmes]

We'd cut off our right hand to have you review our horror films. They're B-pix, they're low-budge and their production sometimes doesn't measure up to their grand design, but they are earnest attempts at the genre. We know you'll be kind to our filmmakers. Please visit us at Flixhouse and check out the titles on our genre page.

Wow! Yes of course we would love to check some out. Thanks for getting in touch with us! FF

[thefrankenfemmes]

Vimeo is the home for high-quality videos and the people who love them.

Password:iwannabreakyoudown

[thefrankenfemmes]

PIG (2010) Review

 Written by Adam Mason and actor Andrew Howard, Pig is the brutal story about a mentally unstable... actually completely psychotic man who captures, tortures and psychologically fucks with his victims. All with the help from a mentally handicapped woman he keeps caged up. Adam always finds a way of taking the horror genre to a whole new level by flipping it on it's head. He doesn't let anything hold him back, and is never afraid to expose what is truly sadistic, twisted and deranged. 

   At first we weren't too sure what to expect from this film, but being from the mind of Adam Mason, we had an idea that something completely disturbing was going to happen and we were going to like it! The start of the film set the tone as Andrew Howard's character chases down one of his escaped captives. While apologising and proclaiming his love for the woman, he kills her and places her in the back of his truck. Once back at his secret camp in the middle of the desert, he drains the blood and removes the liver from the dead girl's body. From that point, we knew what we had gotten ourselves into. 

 Andrew Howard, who's character is only referred to as "Daddy" throughout the film, has an unexplained ability to bring the audience in to the true insanity of his character. At times, you truly feel like you are right there with them. There are also times during Pig where you want to turn away, you don't want to watch the savagery being inflicted on the victims, but your eyes never leave the screen. We also knew something was different about this film..something we couldn't put our finger on. It seemed as though Andrew Howard or any of the other characters for that matter, didn't actually have lines. Everything that was going on just felt all too real.

 Since watching Pig, we have heard rumours that the first hour and 26 minutes (approximately) were filmed in one continuous take. In looking back, it is hard believe that a film with such constant chaos and, to our knowledge, without any mistakes.. could be done in one single take!  Much respect must be given to Adam, Andrew, all of the actors and crew for an amazing job. We have the honour of interviewing Adam Mason very soon and this will definitely be a topic in our discussion. So be sure to stay tuned for that!

 For all you horror fans out there, and just movie lovers in general this film is a must see! We guarantee you will have a whole new appreciation for indie filmmaking. Pig breaks boundaries and brings us back to the true meaning of horror. Adam Mason delivers once again!