Lights Out

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“If you’ve ever wondered why kids want a night-light……you’ll get it now!”

Playing off one of the most common fears shared by millions, comes the clever and creepy 2016 film Lights Out.  Co-written by Eric Heisserer and director David F. Sandberg in his first full length feature film, Lights Out is sure to get under even the thickest skin of any viewer! Based on the success of Sandberg’s short film of the same name, and produced by the new face of horror James Wan, the movie grabs you from the opening frame and never lets go!

THE PLOT

Rebecca (Teresa Palmer) is a young woman trying to live life on her own.  She seems to be struggling with some unresolved issues with her estranged mother Sophie (Maria Bello), and a somewhat complicated relationship with her boyfriend Bret (Alexander DiPersia).  After thinking she’s successfully broken free from her troubled childhood, she receives a call from her brother Martin’s (Gabriel Bateman) school.  They inform her that he is very sleep deprived and clearly troubled by the unstable behavior of their mother, triggering CPS to get involved.  When Rebecca and Bret take Martin home, Rebecca discovers that her mother is clearly an emotional wreck and has been neglecting to take her anti-depression meds due to the recent tragic loss of her husband.  Martin tells his sister that his sleepless nights are the result of their mother’s relationship with a supernatural being from the past known as Diana.  Clearly shaken by this information, Rebecca decides to take Martin home with her until their mother can “get it together”.  When the mystery of Diana becomes a reality, Rebecca digs deeper into her mother’s past and starts to put the pieces together.  She quickly discovers that her childhood fears are now being shared by her little brother, and their only means of safety from the wrath of Diana is to stay in the light!

SHOULD YOU SEE IT?

In my opinion, Lights Out is a fun and very creepy flick!  I’ve never really been “afraid” of the dark, but this film can really mess with your head.  It’s not a perfect film, and some viewers may find it scary, while others may not.  It relies on a lot of well timed jump scares.  Some of which are predictable, but others, even I didn’t see coming. It’s a movie that’s sure to give any viewer an uneasy feeling if they find themselves struggling to find a light switch in a dark room!



Not rated yet!

Lights Out

20161 h 21 min
Metadata
Certification PG-13
Producer James Wan, Lawrence Grey, Eric Heisserer
Runtime 1 h 21 min
Release Date 22 July 2016
Images
Trailer

Found

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“An eye-opening and emotional look at real life family dysfunction.”

Every now and then, a low budget indie film comes along that really stands out as great film-making.  In 2012, one of those movies made its way through numerous film festivals and has quickly become an underground cult smash hit.  That film is simply known as Found.  Written and based on the novel by Todd Rigney and directed by Scott Schirmer in his first full length feature film, Found is an emotional and disturbing look at real issues in the modern world of racism, bullying, neglect, and troubled family life.

THE PLOT

Twelve year old Marty (Gavin Brown) is a very troubled young boy struggling with multiple issues.  His home life is shaky with his somewhat neglectful parents who don’t seem to understand him.  On top of that, he’s having a tough time at school due to constant bullying which just feeds his low self esteem and in turn his closed off personality.  His only comfort seems to be his love for horror movies, which his mother reluctantly allows him to watch simply because she sees that it’s his only joy in life.

One day out of boredom, Marty decides to prowl around in his older brother Steve’s (Ethan Philbeck) room and makes a startling discovery in the closet.  Not sure what to think, he decides to keep it to himself, fearful of what Steve would say or do if he found out.  To try to take his mind off his recent discovery, Marty plans a movie night with his only friend David.  While at the local movie rental store, Marty makes a few selections.  One movie that catches his eye is a film called Headless.  Unfortunately, the clerk informed his that this video is either lost or stolen.  Later at home, Marty decides to rummage through Steve’s movie collection and stumbles upon the missing movie from the store.  As he and David start to watch it, Marty quickly discovers that this VERY graphic movie seems to be a possible “inspiration” for the dark and twisted secret that his brother Steve may be hiding.  As the days go on, Marty’s anxiety rises.  He realizes that he must make a choice…either tell his parents about his suspicion or keep quiet out of fear that his brother may be aware that Marty knows something!

SHOULD YOU SEE IT?

Found is a different kind of indie horror film.  Winner of many awards from multiple film festivals, it deserves all the credit and praise it has been given.  From personal experience, and from what I’ve heard from other reviews and discussions, it’s definitely one of those rare films that will stick with you days after viewing it. The last series of events are very disturbing, and for some, possibly tough to watch.  I would label it as more of a drama than a horror film.  Sure, it definitely does have its fair share of violent and shocking content, but what makes it work is that the violence is done properly and not just for shock value.  The message in this film can be eye-opening and a possible PSA for the real life issues in today’s society.  You never know what really goes on behind closed doors of even the most “perfect” looking families out there.

Not rated yet!

Found

My brother keeps a human head in his closet...

20121 h 45 min
Metadata
Certification
Director Scott Schirmer
Producer Leya Taylor, Damien Wesner
Runtime 1 h 45 min
Release Date 30 March 2012
Images
Trailer

The Exorcism of Emily Rose

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“Demonic possession…supernatural forces or scientific anomaly?”

Demonic possession horror is a very popular style of film.  Made famous by the Godfather of them all, The Exorcist, most of these films focus on the spiritual side of it.  In 2005, a film took a clever approach on the topic of possession by way of a possible scientific explanation…The Exorcism of Emily Rose.  Co-written by Paul Harris Boardman and director Scott Derrickson (Sinister, Deliver Us From Evil) the movie is a courtroom based drama centered around the death of a supposedly possessed young girl named Emily Rose.

THE PLOT

Father Richard Moore (Tom Wilkinson) is on trial and accused of negligent homicide for attempting to exorcise young Emily Rose.  Prosecutor Ethan Thomas (Campbell Scott) is trying to convince the jury that Emily’s condition was medical, stating that she suffered from epilepsy and psychosis.  Erin Bruner (Laura Linney), a struggling lawyer, boldly takes the case to defend Father Moore in hopes that it will elevate her status as an elite attorney.

Occasionally, the story flashbacks to college freshman Emily Rose (Jennifer Carpenter), who has just returned home after experiencing strange occurrences in her dorm room.  Scared and confused, she is diagnosed with possible epilepsy and psychosis and begins taking medication, which seems to have no effect on her.  As her family grows more concerned for her well being, they call on Father Moore in fear that she may very well be possessed.

As the case heats up and the prosecution seemingly locked up with a win, due to the solid medical evidence it possesses, Father Moore’s chances of an acquittal seem very slim.  His only defense is his faith and an audio tape of the actual exorcism he performed in the barn of Emily’s home.  During the exorcism, the family’s doctor was present, whose testimony may be the only hope for Bruner to have actual medical evidence that Emily was in fact possessed and not just sick.  Regardless of the outcome of the case, Father Moore is determined that the court hear Emily’s side of the story, which he feels is most important.

SHOULD YOU SEE IT?

Loosely based on the real case of a young German woman, Anneliese Michel, The Exorcism of Emily Rose is a creepy and clever demon possession film.  Solid acting, great story, and an exceptional performance from Jennifer Carpenter (Quarantine), it’s a film that I would highly recommend to any fan of possession horror!


Not rated yet!

The Exorcism of Emily Rose

What happened to Emily?

20052 h 02 min
Metadata
Certification PG-13
Director Scott Derrickson
Producer Paul Harris Boardman, Beau Flynn, Gary Lucchesi, Tom Rosenberg, Tripp Vinson
Runtime 2 h 02 min
Release Date 9 September 2005
Trailer

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

Saw

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“How much blood would you be willing to spill in order to survive?”

“I wanna play a game.”  This is the unmistakable quote that started a franchise and horror culture phenomenon!  When you think “torture porn,” one movie rises above them all….2004’s psychological gore-fest Saw.  The feature film debut of the great horror director James Wan, and co-written by Leigh Whannell, it has become one of the most successful horror franchises of all time.  Filmed in just 18 days and on a relatively small budget, it was first screened at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2004 and quickly made its festival rounds before hitting theaters nationwide.

THE PLOT

In an old, seemingly abandoned bathroom, two men find themselves trapped with no recollection of how they got there.  A photographer named Adam (Leigh Whannel) and Dr. Lawrence Gordon (Cary Elwes) are both shackled and chained to pipes on opposite sides of the room, with a dead body lying in the center of the room holding a revolver in one hand and a small tape player in the other.  Soon the two men discover they each have a small tape, and after retrieving the player from the corpse, they play the tapes.  The voice they hear is of the notorious serial killer known by the authorities as “Jigsaw”.  He has been given this name due to his “calling card” left on the victims…a puzzle piece shaped section of skin cut away from their body.  He is a different kind of killer, though.  Never actually killing them himself, rather he puts his victims in terrible situations or “games” in order to test their willingness to survive.  Adam’s test:  watch himself die or do what it takes to survive.  Lawrence’s test:  kill Adam before the clock runs out in order to save his wife and daughter.  The only catch seems to be that they both must be willing to use the hacksaws found in one of the toilets in order to escape their shackles!  As time and options begin running out, both men start to come to terms with their fates and must make serious and life changing decisions in order to survive.  Let the game begin!

SHOULD YOU SEE IT?

I was a little late on jumping on this bandwagon, as I didn’t watch it until a friend recommended it upon its DVD release.  I didn’t know much about it at the time, and I’m actually glad for that.  Not only was it a great flick, but it also contains an awesome twist that I never saw coming!  After viewing this movie, it became a yearly tradition for my wife and me to head to the theaters with some friends to watch each sequel.  Not only do the sequels get gorier, but they also expand on the story which in turn becomes one huge psychological mystery with unexpected twists at every turn!  Not all games are fun, and in this case…no one wins!


Not rated yet!

Saw

Live or die. Make your choice.

20041 h 43 min
Metadata
Certification R
Director James Wan
Producer Mark Burg, Gregg Hoffman, Oren Koules
Runtime 1 h 43 min
Release Date 1 October 2004
Images
Trailer

The Blair Witch Project

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“Some legends are true…and better left unknown.”

When the term “found footage horror” is brought up, the first to do it was Cannibal Holocaust.  In 1999, a low budget independent film changed the face of cinema and reinvented “found footage” into modern day pop culture.  That movie is none other than The Blair Witch Project!  Shot entirely on hand-held cameras by the actors themselves and filmed on a very low budget, it became one of the highest grossing indie films of all time.  Co-written and co-directed by Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sanchez, it has become an instant cult classic and will go down as one of the scariest films of all time.  The plot is simple.  Three documentary film students disappear into the woods, and a year later their footage was found.

THE PLOT

Heather Donahue, Joshua Leonard, and Michael Williams are three student filmmakers heading to the woods of Burkittsville, Maryland to make a documentary of the legend of the Blair Witch.  Before heading into the woods, the three first decide to interview some of the locals and get their insight and impressions on the Blair Witch legend.  Most of what they say is somewhat silly, but still a little eerie.  Regardless if it’s just a legend or not, the townspeople strongly believe in it and advise against anyone entering the woods to investigate.  After learning of the legend and ready to get started, the trio enthusiastically makes their way into the woods leaving the car behind on a back-road.  Following a map that Heather is sure is accurate, they head deep into the woods to film a few locations before returning to the car.  As night falls and it starts to rain, they decide to tent up for the night, but neither of them gets much sleep.  The following morning, they all claim to have heard strange noises during the night, and Josh swears he heard a cackling.

As they head deeper into the woods searching for an old graveyard, eventually they come to the realization that they’re lost.  Despite Heather’s optimism that they are fine, the group starts to fall apart and succumb to hunger, exhaustion, and paranoia of the creepy woods around them.  With each passing night, more and more strange sounds and occurrences bring the three to the brink of insanity, as now they aren’t just fighting with each other but fighting for their own lives!

SHOULD YOU SEE IT?

Not much can be said that hasn’t already been said of this film.  It has become notorious for its influence on modern day found footage horror.  When I went to see this movie in the theater, I knew very little about it.  I truly thought what I was watching was real!  The audience was stunned, and we were all very silent when exiting the screening room.  During the time it was released, a couple of friends and I had been late night wood walking every weekend out of boredom.  Not much going on in our small town, so it was a least something to do.  After viewing this movie though, neither of us did that anymore!  Obviously, this film had that kind of effect on me.  So, in my opinion, The Blair Witch Project is a great film, and one that will stand the test of time.


Not rated yet!

The Blair Witch Project

The scariest movie of all time is a true story.

19991 h 21 min
Metadata
Certification
Director Daniel Myrick, Eduardo Sánchez
Producer Robin Cowie, Gregg Hale
Runtime 1 h 21 min
Release Date 14 July 1999
Images
Trailer

The Last Exorcism

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“Possession can be real…even if you don’t want it to be!”

The Godfather of demon possession movies, The Exorcist, has inspired many horror films past and present.  An interesting take on this topic came in the 2010 “found footage” style thriller The Last Exorcism.  Co-written by Huck Botko and Andrew Gurland, directed by Daniel Stamm and co-produced by Eli Roth, the film takes a documentary style approach at the inner works of exorcism.

THE PLOT

Cotton Marcus (Patrick Fabian) is a very charismatic Louisiana reverend who has made a living performing exorcisms.  He is locally known for putting on a “show” during his sermons, knowing that the congregation will eat it up and are easily influenced.  He decides to let a documentary crew follow him and get a better look into his daily life.  Once a man of strong faith, he now leads a life of religious doubt due to the fact that he gives credit to science rather than God for the healing of his disabled son.  Now feeling that possession can be chalked up to nothing more than psychological problems, he decides to expose exorcism for the fraud it is.  He invites the documentary crew to accompany him on a new case….a young farm girl whose father believes that “the Devil” himself has taken control of her.

Upon arrival, he and the crew are met with Louis Sweetzer (Louis Herthum) and his son Caleb (Caleb Landry Jones) with some reluctance as they question Cotton’s motives involving the camera crew.  After examining young Nell (Ashley Bell), Cotton knows that this is his opportunity to use her “problem” to sell his exorcism ability for a nice payday.  He has a whole bag of tricks in his arsenal and can make an “exorcism” look very authentic.  After performing his mock exorcism and collecting his cash, he feels like it’s a job well done and decides to stay a nearby hotel for the night before returning home the next day.  As night falls, Nell mysteriously appears at the hotel somewhat zoned out and not sure how she got there.  When they return to her farmhouse, Cotton and the crew quickly realize that there may be more to Nell’s story than they expected.  Now Cotton must summon his lost faith, if he is to save Nell and themselves from the supernatural forces that surround them!

SHOULD YOU SEE IT?

I personally loved this film!  It was an interesting take on demon possession and left me questioning what really happened as I was returning home from the theater.  Was she really possessed, or was it all in her head?  The interpretation is really left up to the viewer, and I think that is what the filmmakers were shooting for.  The story is very intriguing, the acting is great, and it has a very chilling feel to the whole thing.  Would definitely recommend it!


Not rated yet!

The Last Exorcism

Believe In Him.

20101 h 27 min
Metadata
Certification PG-13
Director Daniel Stamm
Producer Marc Abraham, Thomas A. Bliss, Eli Roth
Runtime 1 h 27 min
Release Date 27 August 2010
Images
Trailer

Martyrs (2008)

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“How far would you go for revenge….and is it worth it?”

In the early 2000’s when torture, gore and rape revenge movies were growing in popularity, a new wave of horror decided to throw itself in the mix.  It would eventually come to be known and the “French wave of horror.”  Several have been released, and the one that seems to stand out the most is 2008’s controversial and violent shocker Martyrs.  Written and directed by Pascal Laugier (The Tall Man, House of Voices) it has been found on many lists of the most disturbing films ever made.  Extremely violent and depraved, it has been known for many walkouts and some reported faintings at select screenings.

THE PLOT

The film opens with a badly beaten young girl hysterically crying and running from some sort of hell from which she has escaped.  She is later admitted into a youth home for the abused, where she refuses to discuss her traumatizing experience with any of the doctors and appears to only open up to one particular friend.

Fifteen years later, Lucie (Mylene Jampanoi), constantly reliving the nightmare, decides she just can’t take it anymore.  Eventually locating the house from which she escaped, she confronts the family and takes the law into her own hands.  Ultimately she hopes that this will finally rid her of the sort of “creature” that has haunted and attacked her for years.  Sure that she has done the “right thing”, she calls her only friend Anna (Morjana Alaoui) to come and help her.  As she awaits Anna’s arrival, the “creature” attacks her again.  Running outside to escape, she runs into Anna, who consoles her and goes inside to inspect what Lucie has done to the family. When Lucie falls asleep upstairs, Anna starts to try and clean up the mess and the evidence.  As things go from bad to worse, Anna stumbles upon a hidden area beneath the house.  It turns out that there was a motive to Lucie’s childhood trauma.  Now that the terrible secret is revealed, Anna’s nightmarish hell begins!

SHOULD YOU SEE IT?

This really is an excellent piece of cinema.  It’s incredibly acted and really hits the viewer on an emotional level.  It will probably go down as a somewhat cult classic, due to its content and strong following.  I must warn you, though.  It’s very violent and at times really tough to watch.  The French sure can deliver some horror on an extreme level, and they do it well with this one.  Great movie!


Not rated yet!

Martyrs

They did not finish to be alive...

20081 h 39 min
Metadata
Certification NR
Director Pascal Laugier
Producer Richard Grandpierre
Runtime 1 h 39 min
Release Date 19 August 2008
Trailer

Contracted

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“Might possibly be one of the strongest PSAs for practicing safe sex!”

One night stands and nonconsensual sex can be deadly, and that point comes across very strongly in the body horror drama, Contracted.  Written and directed by Eric England, this is a pretty intense film with great special effects, decent acting, and a strong message.

THE PLOT

Samantha (Najarra Townsend), trying to get over her recent breakup with her girlfriend, attends a party with a few friends. She is clearly in a down mood and not really into the party.  Her friends Alice (Alice Macdonald) and Zain (Charley Koontz) offer her drinks and drugs to try to cheer her up, but all that does is heavily intoxicate her.  As the party goes on, she is approached by a mysterious man named BJ (Simon Barrett).  He tries to make a pass at her, but is rejected due to the fact that she is a lesbian.  To try to make the situation less awkward, he offers her a drink that seems to be mixed with some sort of date rape drug.  Next thing Samantha knows, she is in the back seat of his car and barely aware that she is being raped.  What makes this situation even worse is that BJ is hiding a potentially deadly secret.

As the days go on, Samantha starts to experience a strange sickness coming upon her.  She becomes extremely sensitive to sound, her health and appearance start to deteriorate, and she becomes more and more aggressive towards everyone.  After much hesitation, she finally decides to see a doctor, who initially suspects that she may have contracted some sort of STD, but it clearly could be something much worse.

SHOULD YOU SEE IT?

This film is, at times, not easy to watch.  It contains some disturbing and possibly some controversial subject matter. I thought it was pretty good myself.  It’s not perfect, and some of the choices made by the characters can definitely infuriate some viewers.  What made this movie great was the increased tension with Samantha’s condition increasingly getting worse. It kept me on the edge of my seat, just wondering what would happen next, and it left a bit of a cliffhanger leading up to the sequel.  Contracted is a nice horror drama that left me pleasantly surprised and slightly disgusted!


Not rated yet!

Contracted

Not your average one night stand.

20131 h 18 min
Metadata
Certification R
Director Eric England
Producer Eric England, J.D. Lifshitz, Raphael Margules
Runtime 1 h 18 min
Release Date 7 July 2013
Images
Actors
Starring: Najarra Townsend, Caroline Williams, Katie Stegeman, Alice Macdonald, Matt Mercer, Simon Barrett, Ruben Pla, Dave Holmes, Celia Finkelstein, Charley Koontz
Trailer

The Witch

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“If ’tis a jump scare filled gore fest thou seek, then search-eth elsewhere you must.”

Written and directed by Robert Eggers, The Witch is an excellent time-period film. With an incredible use of natural lighting and a creepy backdrop of an isolated farmhouse surrounded by nothing but eerie woodlands, it gives the viewer a better perspective of what the characters are actually living through.

THE PLOT

Set in 1630’s New England, the film follows a Puritan family who has been banished from their England plantation due to strong, yet confrontational Christian beliefs of the father, William (Ralph Ineson).

The standout performance goes to Anya Taylor-Joy, who portrays the eldest daughter, Thomasin.  Her character seems to struggle with her role in the family and her own personal “demons”.  As she is outside playing peek-a-boo with her young infant brother, Samuel, he suddenly disappears.  This leads to a series of downfalls with the farmland and the family bonds as well, leading to the belief that a “Witch” in the woods has taken the baby and placed a curse on the family.

SHOULD YOU SEE IT?

Overall, I really enjoyed this film. It is somewhat of a slow burn and relies on the atmosphere and creepy score and cinematography to give it that scare factor.  It’s not full of cheap jump scares and gore, like most conventional horror flicks nowadays.  One word of advice, though. I would recommend watching the movie with the subtitles turned on so you can follow the dialog better.  Being set in the 1600’s, the characters speak in old English dialect. The dialog, in my opinion, is important to the plot of the story.  Just take the movie for what it is…a folktale, and I think anyone could enjoy it. More of a drama, than a horror movie, it’s definitely a movie I would recommend!

 


Not rated yet!

The Witch

Evil takes many forms.

20161 h 32 min
Metadata
Certification R
Director Robert Eggers
Producer
Runtime 1 h 32 min
Release Date 19 February 2016
Images
Actors
Starring: Anya Taylor-Joy, Ralph Ineson, Kate Dickie, Harvey Scrimshaw, Lucas Dawson, Ellie Grainger, Sarah Stephens
Trailer