The Autopsy of Jane Doe

“Sometimes the cause of death is a mystery better left unknown.”

In December 2016, IFC Midnight, the production/distribution company that brought us horror gems such as The Human Centipede, Contracted, The Den, and The Babadook, released a supernatural thriller by the name of The Autopsy of Jane Doe.  Written by Ian B. Goldberg and Richard Naing and directed by André Øvredal (Trollhunter), the film is the winner of multiple festival awards including Best Picture (Horror Features) at the 2016 Austin Fantastic Fest.  With excellent performances by the cast and the steady increase of tension throughout, it’s a film that’s sure to get under the skin of any viewer.

THE PLOT

The film begins with a police investigation of a grisly scene of multiple fatalities in a small town home.  As they search the house, the authorities discover a partially buried body of a young woman with no identification, and no signs of injury.  They then decide to take the body to the local morgue in the hopes that a cause of death can be determined, which will give them a better understanding of what happened.

Back at the morgue, coroner Tommy Tilden (Brian Cox) along with his son Austin (Emile Hirsch) are just finishing up an autopsy of a burned corpse.  Deciding to call it a night, Austin is visited by his girlfriend Emma (Ophelia Lovibond) and they plan their night together.  Just as they’re about to leave, the Sheriff (Michael McElhatton) arrives with the unidentified body.  Feeling obligated to assist his father, Austin decides to forego his date and stay behind to help out.

Since the body has no identification, for the record, the two coroners decide to call her Jane Doe (Olwen Catherine Kelly).  Following standard autopsy procedure, it becomes apparent that her death is a mystery due to no immediate signs of fatal injury.  As they investigate further and begin the internal autopsy of the corpse, the evidence starts to unravel into something neither of them can explain.  To make matters worse, it now seems that the simple autopsy has awakened something that no one saw coming, and Jane Doe’s death is just the beginning!

SHOULD YOU SEE IT?

I heard about this film months ago through social media, and being a fond lover of paranormal horror, it definitely grabbed my attention.  It was getting a lot of positive buzz, and really made me anxious to watch it. It’s safe to say that I really liked this one!  What makes it work so well is the creepy atmosphere in the morgue, the slow build of tension, and a sense of dread that really draw you in.

Another great aspect of this film is that it doesn’t rely on a bunch of cheesy and unnecessary jump scares.  The scares rely on the imagination of the viewer, and that makes for a very effective horror film!  I would DEFINITELY recommend this to any supernatural/paranormal horror fan!

 

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The Autopsy of Jane Doe

20161 h 39 min
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Certification
Director André Øvredal
Producer
Runtime 1 h 39 min
Release Date 21 December 2016
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Clown

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If Pennywise didn’t give you Coulrophobia…this takes it to a whole new level!”

Many people have a fear of clowns.  It could stem from a childhood trauma linked to the circus, a birthday party, or even from literature or film (i.e., It, Killer Klowns from Outer Space).  On the other hand, some may just simply not like them.  Whatever the case may be, if you didn’t fear them before, that all could change after viewing 2014’s disturbing low budget flick, Clown!  Co-written by Christopher Ford and director Jon Watts and produced by horror icon Eli Roth, this little shock drama is sure to send a chill up your spine when it comes to clowns.

THE PLOT

Kent McCoy (Andy Powers) is a real estate agent on his way home to his son Jack’s (Christian Distefano) birthday party.  As his wife Meg (Laura Allen) works hard preparing the party, she frantically calls Kent to inform him that the clown they hired for the party is gonna be a no-show.  Desperate to not let his son down, he quickly rummages through the house he is closing on for a quick costume idea.  He stumbles upon an old chest containing a very old and vintage looking clown costume.  With a sigh of relief, he quickly puts it on and “saves the day” as he gives his son the best birthday party clown performance he can.  As the party comes to an end, he passes out still wearing the costume and awakens the next morning feeling a bit groggy and strangely unable to remove the costume.  He’s already late for work, so he just decides to throw some clothes over it and go about his day, all the while continually trying to take the costume off every chance he gets.

As time goes on, he quickly starts to realize that what he is wearing may be more than just a silly clown costume. His behavior is starting to take a turn for the worse, and he seems to have this uncontrollable and unexplainable hunger that he just can’t ignore.  Desperate for answers he tracks down Herbert Karlsson (Peter Stormare) who seems to have a family connection with the costume.  It turns out that what Kent is wearing is more than just a clown costume, but something more supernatural with a deadly motive….and now it’s quickly becoming a part of him and won’t let go!

SHOULD YOU SEE IT?

I had read about this movie a while ago and finally got around to checking it out.  I was actually pleasantly surprised!  It is legitimately a creepy film, with some great special effects, intriguing story, good acting, and some rather disturbing content.  Overall, it’s a good popcorn flick with some nice scares and an intense climactic ending.  Cool movie!

 

Not rated yet!

Clown

The kids aren't alright

20151 h 40 min
Metadata
Certification
Director Jon Watts
Producer Michael Cappuccino, Eli Roth, Cody Ryder
Runtime 1 h 40 min
Release Date 2 March 2015
Trailer

Bite

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Don’t worry, “It’s just a little bite!”

Body horror seems to be growing in popularity, and now we have another installment with 2015’s independent film Bite. Written and directed by Chad Archibald, the film has been making its rounds through various film festivals grossing out many movie goers along the way!

THE PLOT

The film follows Casey (Elma Begovic), a young woman on vacation with her two friends celebrating her bachelorette party in Costa Rica. Things seem to be all in good fun until they decide to take a dip in an obscure water hole, and Casey’s leg is bitten below the water with no evidence as to what did it. She decides to just shrug it off as nothing more than a little bite and goes about their business. As they return home, Casey begins to come to terms with the fact that she is getting cold feet and unsure of her true feelings about her fiancé. To make matters worse, that “little bite” begins to grow much worse!

As time passes, her situation starts to deteriorate…both personally and physically. Incriminating evidence of her weekend getaway starts to surface, and her body’s reaction to the bite becomes much more than a simple infection!

SHOULD YOU SEE IT?

I caught this movie screening at the annual “Texas Frightmare Weekend” convention, and I was pleasantly surprised! Is the movie perfect? No. Does it have its share of plot holes and mediocre acting? Yes. Keep in mind, it is a low budget independent film. That being said, it was very entertaining, and that’s what I look for in a film! Many people are, or will be, torn with this flick, but overall I would say it’s worth a watch for the special effects alone.

Don’t forget to bring your bug spray! Little bites can be deadly!


Not rated yet!

Bite

20151 h 30 min
Metadata
Certification
Director Chad Archibald
Producer
Runtime 1 h 30 min
Release Date 15 August 2015
Images
Trailer