Late Phases (2014)

A blind Vietnam veteran takes on werewolves that are terrorizing a retirement community, to which he has just moved. Nick Damici was very good in the lead role but I couldn't help but wonder what Clint Eastwood or Charles Bronson would have been like too. As much a drama as a horror, a lot of the film focuses on relationships, in particular between father & son. This, coupled with a long middle section that is horror-less, may not appeal to all horror fans but I liked the fact that it certainly is not a typical werewolf flick. Acting is generally good. As for the creatures, well there's a reasonable transformation scene but the werewolves themselves reminded me of the lesser Howling efforts.

This was a nice surprise, and an attempt at a different angle on the werewolf theme.The film's plot has flaws but it's well enough done, and Nick Damici is very good in the role as a blind Vietnam veteran.The werewolf effects could be better but are acceptable. Film is a little similar to " Silver Bullet" but better in my opinion.Overall, it's a good film that holds the attention.

Despite seeing him mentioned a number of times on the IMDb Horror board,I for some reason have never gotten a chance to catch a glimpse of film maker Adrián García Bogliano.Taking a look at the 3 Horror flicks chosen for viewing on a Film Festival thread,I was thrilled to find Bogliano's first English language title,which led to me deciding to make this my first Bogliano phase.The plot:Falling out with his son Will,crusty, blind Vietnam war veteran Ambrose McKinley is sent to a retirement community. fiercely independent,McKinley gets on the wrong side of everyone in the neighbourhood.One night someone (or something) breaks into his house and kills McKinley's dog. Calling the cops (who tell him that there is a full moon) McKinley is told that his dog was killed by an animal with large claws,which have dug into his wall. Listening in on local residence,McKinley discovers that a series of disappearances have taken place. Believing that a werewolf is attacking the community, (sure it is…grandpa!) McKinley looks towards his neighbours,and finds them to be in complete denial. Never letting blindness blind him from the memories of the Vietnam War,McKinley decides that he must face one final horror.View on the film:Limiting the werewolf action to 15 minutes,the screenplay by Eric Stolze brilliantly puts horror fur on a tough Neo-Noir's wolfs tail. Entering the community as an outsider, Stolze takes McKinley's glasses off to reveal a leather-face Noir war vet who is the only one prepared to step into the shadows of the neighbourhood. Getting everyone else in town "off my lawn!" Stolze cooks up deep-fried Noir steaming with nervous superstitions that block anyone else from seeing the nightmare unfolding over McKinley's eyes.Crossing the pond for the first time,director Adrián García Bogliano displays an extraordinary confidence. Clawing into the Noir anxiety, Bogliano and cinematographer Ernesto Herrera cut McKinley's lawn down with razor sharp shards of light burning up the drops of blood on a wolfs fur. Bringing Robert Kurtzman (of legendary visual effects team K.N.B.) in to give the horror a real bite, Bogliano cleverly blends the horror shocks into the bubbling Neo-Noir unease,as pitch black shadows line the walls of McKinley's final battle. Nervous that he would be unable to portray blindness, Nick Damici (who wrote the Neo-Noir Cold In July) gives a magnificent performance as McKinley. Confronting anyone who tries to give him pity, Damici turns McKinley's skin brittle with stubborn force to attack the Noir horrors that have their claws in him.

When I first saw the review score and read some of the reviews I was put off, but now I'm glad I made my own decision on this. The film sets up the premise quickly but then takes a long time setup the final scene. This is achieved by using the mythical one month full moon trope.I found the characters to be well done, and unsettling realistic. Many may have found they were looking at themselves when seeing this film. From the hypocritical American Christians who superficially great people then ostracise them when it suits them to the protagonist with his grumpy old man angry at everyone persona. It was refreshing not to have perfect main characters but actually flawed human beings portrayed, shock horror! While the police are often portrayed as bumbling or clueless, here they were more disinterested than incompetent, but equally entertaining.Don't expect a schlock horror, while the effects aren't up to much, it's not about creating fear through special effects, arguably the laziest method available today, but the use of a slow build up of tension based around the one month time restriction. The inclusion of a blind main character was interesting. not relying on the old cliché that other senses become more acute, simply that he has to rely on them more, and we see him pains takingly working out distances around the house to make him more mobile and aware of his surroundings.All in all, I would recommend this film, to those who like their horror to be a bit outside the box. Certantly not for the typical nudity and gore aficionados. While others have stated this film has "ripped off" better movies, I believe it has incorporated elements in a far more believable way. While Silver Bullet was clearly best appreciated as a comedy rather than a horror, Last Phase is more of a suspense who dun-nit.