BLOOD WORK: HALLOWEEN HORROR DAYS ~ DAY 14: THE VOID (2017)

The films of John Carpenter remain some of the heaviest influences on me and my love of the horror genre. Carpenter is without a doubt my favorite film director and has shaped much of my thoughts and feelings on the subjects of film and horror. For John Carpenter himself as well as twentieth century horror as a whole, one of the greatest influences, if not the greatest influence, is the work of H.P. Lovecraft. And when a film comes along that seemingly combines both Lovecraft and Carpenter something truly special results.

THE VOID is like a mix of John Carpenter's The Thing with elements of Prince of Darkness combined with Lovecraftian influences from stories like FROM BEYOND and general Cthulhu mythos. Monsters, blood and gore, and practical effects make this new horror film an absolute treat. The Void isn't the first film to combine Carpenter esthetics with Lovecraft nor is it the greatest, that honor (in my opinion) goes to Carpenter's own film, In The Mouth of Madness. But The Void is something truly spectacular in its own right and represents an approach to horror cinema we sadly don't receive enough of anymore.

THE PLOT

Deputy Carter is out on patrol when a young man, seemingly strung out on drugs, stumbles out of the woods into the road. Carter helps the young man into the back of his cruiser and takes him to the hospital. A group of bizarre robed figures follows Carter to the hospital, surrounds the building, and begin killing anyone who attempts to leave. Inside a nurse suddenly turns homicidal and kills one of her patients. Carter puts a bullet through her skull to keep her from killing anyone else.

Then she gets up again, her body morphing and changing into a hideous tentacled monster. Carter and the others in the hospital manage to kill the monster but shortly after those the monster killed rise again, transforming into monsters too. The secret to these bizarre occurrences and the robed figures outside lies in the hospital basement. What Carter and the others find down there is worse than anything they could've ever imagined.

WHAT I LIKED

Monsters and Practical Effects. There are plenty of monsters in cinema nowadays. What there isn't plenty of anymore are practical effects monsters. One of the aspects of this film that makes it special are the well-done practical effects and monsters. The filmmakers show these effects front and center too and they hold up well. In films like these the monsters make or break the film and in this case they make it well worth the time. There's nothing better than a well executed practical monster. They feel real and when they're actually in camera and not a digital effect, it adds a whole new level of realism. Just look at the tentacled alien in ROGUE ONE: A STAR WARS STORY. Was there ever a doubt in your mind that that creature was a digital effect? Nope.

Lovecraft and 80's Horror. Despite some of the fine films reviewed this month, there's a lot of Lovecraft based films that sadly don't work very well. Finding one that does work is like finding a treasure. On top of that, finding a Lovecraftian horror film that feels heavily influenced by 80's horror cinema is an added bonus! The 1980's was the last great horror cinema renaissance and many of the modern horror masters came about around that era. The Void channels the best of the 80's horror films without feeling dated. Add to that the Lovecraftian elements and you've got a contemporary horror gem.

Oh yeah, and the blood and gore are off the charts!

NITPICKS

Nothing is perfect and I sure as hell couldn't make a movie this good. But if I were to nitpick I'd mention some of the acting but even that is pretty good throughout and in keeping with the 80's vibe. It's not a problem really. There are a few shots here and there that transition to a monster reveal but the photography doesn't set up the scare very well and the suspense of the moment is kind of lost. Other than that I really liked the movie.

THE VERDICT

The Void evokes the power of 80's horror cinema which calls to mind the films of John Carpenter and Stuart Gordon among others. The filmmakers utilize practical effects in bringing their monsters to life and they display their work proudly and clearly. Blood and gore galore, The Void is one of the best splatterfests in years. The Void is a Lovecraftian story for the current generation made for fans of 1980's horror. A rare gem of current horror.

Overall Ranking: 6 out of 10

Nude-O-Meter: 0 out of 10