Midlands review of Monsters

midlandsmovies • January 8, 2024

Monsters


Written and directed by Liz Cvalda


2024


Glassvision


Starting life as an end-of-year student project at the University of Derby, and subsequently being re-edited, Liz Cvalda’s Monsters is an interesting horror short that succeeds in creating an uncomfortable mood, even if some aspects need a little work.


Cathy Wippell plays Felicia, who murders her husband in the open minutes and then seemingly passes out. She wakes up in the isolated home of Katherine (Beth Gatherer) and is forced to stay the night as tensions rise between the two.


Cvalda, who produced, wrote, directed, edited, and help soundtrack the short, brings a lot to the table here; collaborating with director of photography Jed Ducusin and assistant director Adele Palmer, they have an excellent visual style, using the stained-glass windows to give Katherine’s home an ethereal look. The use of shadows, and sudden visual reveals help to build an atmosphere that is never terrifying but is certainly unnerving.


Both lead performances are good as well. Wippell, especially, brings a depth to Felicia, who is traumatised by her abusive relationship and the crime she has committed – often flitting between a stubborn unrepentant attitude and a search for divine forgiveness. Gatherer has a little less to do in the script, sometimes feeling like a sounding board for her co-star, though she gives 100% as we edge closer to the finale.


I am forever in awe of creatives who manage to tell a cohesive story in the space of a short film. Cvalda’s script isn’t perfect – there are some clunky moments which could have done with workshopping – but there is a real depth here. Big issues are spotlighted such as morality, feminism, and misandry, as well as how we process trauma. There are also various literary themes dotted throughout, including references to the poet Terrace Hayes – ‘the golden shovel’ and ‘the rusted pistol.’


Most impressive is Cvalda’s ability to self-edit. In their director’s statement they note that the initial version of the film did not meet their expectations and that 2023 was spent re-editing. It would be interesting to see the original version to make comparisons but what we have here is an excellent showcase of Cvalda’s ability. Using horror to discuss big issues and squeezing so much out of the small budgets and limited resources available.


Monsters will not be for everyone, but for those who have enjoyed the recent surge of quiet horror (Skinamarink, We’re All Going to the World’s Fair), and more introspective scares could find a real talent to watch here.


★★★★


4 / 5


Matthew Tilt

Twitter @Matthew_Tilt

By midlandsmovies April 26, 2025
Up! (1976) Dir. Russ Meyer  Well, bi-Adolf Hitler BDSM is not something (a) I thought I’d ever see 5 minutes into a movie and (b) ever expected to write in my lifetime to be fair but this spicy start is pretty standard for the work of exploitation filmmaker Russ Meyer. Up! is a kind of r*pe-revenge softcore p*rn film (there’s gonna be a fair bit of self-censorship in this review so apologies in advance), the type Meyer is known for. I’d describe the plot in more detail but it’s mostly a convoluted and incoherent mess of double-crossing, murder, violence and lots and lots of humping. In short, a man called Adolph gets murdered and a woman investigates (kinda) the circumstances but as she does so, a group of locals blackmail, attack and screw each other with the murder mystery barely mentioned throughout. With so little narrative, it could be argued if it’s essentially p*rn? To be fair, not far off. It’s about extreme as you can go without simply making a s*x film. Is that a…no, it’s a belly button hole. Bookending the film (and also seen at various points throughout) is a Greek Chorus - simply a busty fully nude woman of course - who delivers dialogue like “Pummelling the scrotum with joyous supplication” and other such poeticisms. This artistic flourish is mostly pointless - the actress herself saying the words were tough to learn because it was utter nonsense. On a technical level, the editing is surprisingly well done and the 4k image is frankly fantastic. Someone somewhere must be putting together a post-modern take about the beautiful landscapes and cinematography of Meyer’s * ahem * output. But it definitely does have a kitsch artistry. It has certainly provided plenty of cinematic influence though. Elements of Tarantino grindhouse sensibilities are on show - Meyers likes bosoms as much as Quents likes feet - and there’s even a leather gimp early on. I can also see how its had an impact on Ti West X’s with a focus on sexuality and the body as well, more obviously, Anna Biller’s feminist-twist The Love Witch (2016). Suffice to say it’s not for the weak of heart. I think in this day and age you can’t go into this completely blind to its style, period and context though. It's an X-rated Carry On style that was bad taste then and it’s bad taste now. It revels in its sleaziness without a single hint of shame or apology. Simply saying 'deal with it'. The main negative though is the absence of plot - if the film can even be looked at like that - which is barely present. This is a shame as the whole thing could do with a bit more coherence rather than endless shagging. But it’s far from titillation, it’s mostly clowning - albeit a very adult version of it. More saucy than sexy. Trying to review this through modern sensibilities is almost impossible. It’s as offensive can be from the first scene through to the final credits - heck even this 4k menu is simply one of the film's many s*x scenes. But there are some progressive themes as it doesn’t shy from confronting sexual freedom, bisexuality, gay sex, BDSM and consensual exploration. There's moments of comedy thrown in and I enjoyed a frankly hilarious 5-minute monologue explaining the culprit’s intentions, which was a ludicrous way to deliver a slasher-style ending. I suppose the main thing about Up! (and Meyers’ work overall) is there’s a sort of love it or loathe it quality about the whole shebang. But it’s so unlike anything being made today - for good or bad - that it’s never anything other than unpredictably fascinating. More explicit than most Meyers films - in fact more than any film - it’s a lewd, rude and crude (s)exploration with a satirical edge and campy enjoyment bouncing from every frame. ★★★ 3 / 5 Michael Sales Severin Films releases Russ Meyers' UP! (1976) and MOTORPSYCHO (1965) on 28 April 2025 in newly restored and scanned 4k with hours of new and archival Special Features https://severinfilms.co.uk/
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