Showing posts with label lord of tears. Show all posts
Showing posts with label lord of tears. Show all posts

Nov 17, 2013

TEOS RECOMMENDS: LORD OF TEARS

 

Available now in an unorthodox but attractive little package is filmmaker Lawrie Brewster's Lord of Tears, a bizarre tale about a man named James revisiting his childhood home after the death of his mother in order to confront the nightmares he has about having lived there in his youth. These nightmares seem to be focused around a mysterious figure with the head and claws of an owl but the body of a (suited) man. Though his mother's final letter written to her son beg him never to go there, James goes anyway in an attempt to make sense of his nightmares. While there, he meets a stranger named Evie, an American living abroad and traveling the world. Together they delve into the mystery surrounding the house and James' nightmares of the Owl Man.


It's been a few days since I watched my copy of Lord of Tears, kindly sent to me by its creator, but I'm still having trouble putting into words exactly what it is I watched. Though its set-up is similar to another recent film called The Last Will and Testament of Rosalind Leigh, in which a son goes to the house of his recently deceased mother and finds himself caught in a nightmare, the similarities end there after their fairly straightforward first acts. After that, Lord of Tears becomes this...thing. It involves ritualistic sacrifice, blood history, beheading, and that friggin' creepy Owl Man. I applaud any reviewer out there who attempts to break down and analyze Lord of Tears beyond what is simply presented on screen. That's certainly not for me to attempt, so I'll just leave that lie for now.

Lord of Tears is not for the impatient viewer. Brewester sprinkles in a few creepy and/or jarring scenes here and there to keep you on your toes, but until the last act, Lord of Tears is about this lonely man named James (Euen Douglas) investigating an old house and getting to know the flamboyant and mysterious Evie Turner (the incredibly beautiful Lexy Hulme). There is a nice feeling of dread draped over everything, and the occasional glimpse of the Owl Man certainly keeps you guarded, but Lord of Tears is not your traditional horror film. Brewster's purposeful homage/ode to old school Gothic horror and the works of H.P. Lovecraft are certainly palpable, but they are also an acquired taste, especially in today's fast-paced, quick-cut world.

One of the many pitfalls of low budget film-making (and an easy target) is the acting, especially in films like this in which there are very few characters. Unfortunately, the performances from our two leads range from inconsistent to not great. Scenes in which they share dialogue do not feel natural; in fact, they feel strangely awkward and uncomfortable, as if the two actors never found their natural rhythm with each other. This isn't really detrimental, thankfully, as so much of the film is dedicated to establishing mood and trying to make you feel uneasy, but it's unfortunate all the same.

I would, however, like to applaud Brewster on his tremendous and interesting direction. Lord of Tears has some legitimately creepy moments - some that may come to a surprise if you have the same kind of natural prejudice against low budget horror that I do. (Can't help it, I've seen too much crap in my time.) But Brewster stages several different scenes and uses something as simple as a halfway open door, or an overflowing bathtub, to make his audience feel uneasy. Though there are some unusual choices (the two very random dance sequences; certain scenes that go on for longer than they should), Brewster still directs the hell out of this thing. 


Despite my misgivings with the performances and with certain creative choices, I still recommend Lord of Tears. Fans of The Wicker Man or The Dunwich Horror should definitely check it out. 



Apr 1, 2013

A "LORD OF TEARS" UPDATE


The filmmakers behind the upcoming Lord of Tears, which has been accepted into the San Diego Comic Fest and will screen in October, are having a little fun. Writer/director Lawrie Brewster sent the below viral video my way, which features the elusive Owl Man giving some teenagers around the globe the mighty creeps via online video chat.



But seriously folks...

In Brewster's own words:
Lord of Tears is a feature-length supernatural chiller set in the remote highlands of Scotland. The idea for this film came about from my deep interest in the dark mythologies of ancient civilisations, old gods and legendary monsters - not to mention my obsession with terrifying ghost stories.

As a director, I'm passionate about telling uncanny tales that bring new nightmares to audiences. I want to create alternate realities filled with mystery, terror and suspense - fusing the ancient and modern, preying on our most instinctual fears with threats and twists we cannot foresee.

When researching the Pagan folklore of the Highlands I discovered accounts of a terrifying stalker never before seen on film. It reminded me of the chilling Slenderman and the old ones oft referred to in the short stories of H.P. Lovecraft.

Set against the bleak backdrop of a Scottish winter, Lord of Tears is a classic gothic-style ghost story with an insidious Pagan twist. Our film is inspired by classic horror movies like The Shining, The Wicker Man, and traditional horrors like The Haunting and The Innocents including the sinister influences of the J-Horror subgenre.

Lord of Tears tells the story of James Findlay, a school teacher tortured by childhood memories of a strange and unsettling entity - a figure dressed like a Victorian gentleman but with the head of an Owl, and elongated limbs with sharp claws. It took the boy years to recover from his vision, years of forgetting before he could resume a normal life into adulthood. He might never have remembered had it not been for the death of his mother... the nightmares... the return of that familiar, watching presence.

As James faces a descent into madness, his only hope to fight his tormentor, to banish the evil that haunts him, is to return to his childhood home. He travels to the lonely mansion in the Scottish Highlands, a place notorious for its tragic and disturbing history. There, he must uncover, once and for all, the chilling truth behind the immortal stalker.
The film's Kickstarter campaign has met their first goal, and their second has been set: the crew needs to raise £10k ($15k); donations would be used to:
polish the film further, to complete our soundtrack product, to create marketing materials and reward products, to develop an exhibition campaign to get our film publicity, press screenings and to meet the costs of festival submission.
All who donate would be eligible to receive an incentive or reward:
For those of you who choose our extra special film/soundtrack combo, you will be the first audience to experience the film and its score! Supporting us on Kickstarter is currently the ONLY way to see the film.
Perhaps the most appealing package for those watching their wallets (as we all are these days) would be the DVD pre-order, which would be shipped to donaters in July.

Really I'm just regurgitating what is on the film's Kickstarter page, so head on over for the full details. 

I really hope the crew meets their goal. Lord of Tears definitely looks interesting and unusual, and that's something the genre needs right now. 

Feb 27, 2013

LORD OF TEARS


Filmmaker Lawrie Brewster of New Age Film was kind enough to reach out to provide us with some information on his new film, Lord of Tears, which is currently in the midst of a very successful Kickstarter campaign.

Brewster describes the film as:
...a British Chiller in the classic tradition of films such as The Wickerman, The Innocents, and The Haunting. Our story concerns a man trapped in a crumbling mansion, stalked by Owl Headed monster in the misty highlands of Scotland, on a mission to piece together a childhood broken apart by repressed memory and dark secrets. It takes inspiration from classic mythology, ancient history and modern legends such as those of - Slender Man! 
The script is written by Sarah Daly (the music artist Metaphorest, and cousin of Kate Bush), stars David Schofield (of Pirates of the Caribbean, Gladiator) and is directed by myself whose (past collaborations with Sarah Daly) has included works with Joseph Gordon Levitt and Channing Tatum, that have featured at Sundance and SXSW.
Click here for info on the film's Kickstarter campaign, Facebook, and the ever popular Tumblr. I am looking very much forward to checking this one out.


Lord of Tears Official Trailer from Lawrie Brewster on Vimeo.