SHARP SHOCK SHORT: SUFFER THE LITTLE CHILDREN

Long term readers here at Hickey's House of Horrors will know that I'm a big fan of both horror shorts and the writing of Stephen King.
So you know what I'd really love?
A top quality horror short based on one of King's underappreciated stories!
After I reviewed Bonfire Films' top-notch haunted house horror flick, The Hanover House, plus director Corey Norman's riotous short, Tickle, the generous folks there were kind enough to offer me access to a screener of their new short, Suffer The Little Children, which was published in King's 1993 anthology Nightmares & Dreamscapes.
So is this return to our schooldays a dream come true?
Or would I want to put it in detention?

Read on...

SUFFER THE LITTLE CHILDREN (2015)

Dir: Corey Norman

Starring: Anne Bobby, Andrew Lyndaker, Beth Somerville, Dan Domingues, Matthew Delamater, James Noel Hoben, Alexa Reddy, Rebecca I. Allen, Bella Moore

SPEEDY SYNOPSIS: I'll try not to spoil too much here as this is a short, but continue at your own risk.

Ms Sidley (Nightbreed's Bobby) is an ageing third-grade teacher who runs her classroom with strict discipline, yet seems to be losing her grip a little as she nears retirement age. This is regularly commented upon by both students and fellow teachers who openly wonder when she's going to call it a day. However, one day she notices something strange about a boy in her class, young Robert (Lyndaker).
Upon confronting Robert over what she fears she may have seen, the boy reveals that he may be something other than human, terrifying the teacher and causing her to run screaming from the school and out into the road where she is struck by a vehicle.
After recovering from her injuries, Ms Sidley returns to school and once again speaks to Robert — who reveals he might not be the only inhuman entity among the student body.
Fearing that only she can stop this insidious invasion, an unstable Sidley hatches a truly shocking plan to take matters into her own hands..

WHY IT WORKS: A polished and accomplished horror short, Suffer The Little Children is a big hit due to two key factors. The first of these is the incomparable Anne Bobby, who absolutely makes this role her own. Much like her work in Norman's Hanover House, Bobby is absolutely scintillating to watch, delivering a complex and fearless performance. This character may be our lead, but she certainly isn't our heroine, and Bobby is fully prepared to embrace the elements that make Ms Sidley morally shady.
Bobby is onscreen for pretty much the entirety of the short's 22-minute runtime and it's a testimony to this superb actress' ability that she commands the viewers full attention throughout.
Simply excellent.
Bobby isn't the only cast member to deliver the goods. The other half of what is essentially a two-piece ensemble, young Lyndaker also impresses. The star of Norman's previous creepy short, Tickle, in that film I thought he was pretty good. However, I'm pleased to say that since then young Lyndaker has come on in leaps and bounds and is fantastic here. When playing 'creepy', it can be all too easy for an actor to overegg the pudding, veering into hamminess and robbing the character of a lot of their menace. At his tender years Lyndaker avoids this trap, instead bestowing the simple phrase: 'Tomorrow something bad will happen' with plenty of foreboding. Subtly switching up his performance at key moments, Lyndaker really hits his mark.
Credit should probably go to director Norman for coaxing such fine performances from his cast, but that isn't the only area in which he deserves praise. Earlier I said that this short is a success on two fronts, and the second of these is Norman's assured direction. Much like The Hanover House and Tickle, the film has fantastically atmospheric visuals. The main challenge when adapting any of Stephen King's works is to put across the mood and characterisation that runs throughout his writing. King is a wonderful storyteller and to adapt his words to a different medium requires an equally strong command of the process of telling a tale. When that medium is film, one has to be able to fully utilise the visual component, and the story (adapted by Haley Norman) grants the director plenty of opportunity to do just that. The cinematography is stunning and cleverly subverts the usual tropes of dark and dingy settings for horror, instead transposing these terrifying events to a brightly lit classroom. There is real potential for scares in subverting expectations and the innocence of youth and Norman preys upon this potential flawlessly.
The creative team of Norman and Norman hail from King's stomping ground of Maine and it seems that has afforded them with perfect insight into how best to bring the modern master of horror's tales to life. The plot looks at some seriously weighty issues — violence in schools, mental illness and gun control among them, but never clubs us over the head with its message, instead remembering that most important of objectives: to remain entertaining at all times.
Alternating between cutesy but unnerving and some pretty nightmarish visual effects, the film is a real tour de force and captures that decidedly Eighties aethetic of King's best work. Considering the fact that Tickle totally felt like a classic Eighties creature feature, it should come as no surprise to see that Norman's filmmaking style was a perfect fit for this story. 
And, while we're talking about the story, full credit must go to the Normans for keeping the darkness of King's original tale intact. A lot of filmmakers might have chickened out of going to the place that Suffer The Little Children does, but this film is unflinching and maintains the bite of the short story.
The climactic sequence of this film is legitimately shocking — in fact it may even offend some — and I was left in awe of the ballsiness displayed by the Normans here. It's presented in such a way to have its full impact and, just like the rest of the film, its stunning production values make it even more impressive.

SO WHERE'S IT AT? The short is currently doing the rounds of the festival circuit where its picking up plenty of well-deserved awards. Check out the official Bonfire Films Facebook page here for more information on where you can catch Suffer The Little Children.

10 WORD WRAP-UP: Bonfire Films bring Stephen King's psychological horror to life stunningly

If you haven’t already, do please check out and like the Hickey’s House of Horrors Facebook page, which you can find here. It gives you a nice quick link to any new posts on this blog, plus regular news updates from around the web. I check the Internet so you don’t have to! Alternatively, follow me on twitter: The House@HickeysHorrors

Until next time, I hope you enjoyed your stay.

RAW REVIEW: THE HANOVER HOUSE

After I reviewed the wonderfully fun Tickle (which you can read, right here) the director of that film, Corey Norman, asked if I’d be interested in taking a look at his feature-length picture The Hanover House.
I had such a great time with Tickle that I leapt at that chance to see what else this talented film-maker had in store for audiences. However, I was shocked to see that this one had been billed as a very different type of flick, far less fun and much darker in tone.
Could Norman succeed at a very different ballgame? Read on…

THE HANOVER HOUSE (2014)

Dir: Corey Norman
Starring: Brian Chamberlain, Casey Turner, Anne Bobby, Daniel Noel, David J. Shaffer, Erik Moody, Shannon Campbell, Matthew Delamater, Jenny Anastasoff

SPEEDY SYNOPSIS: I’ll try not to spoil too much here but read on at your own risk.

Robert Foster (Chamberlain) is a man who is haunted by his past, not least the broken relationship he has with his estranged parents. His long-suffering wife Shannon (Turner) shows patience and support, even when Robert's behaviour leaves a little to be desired. Things finally come to a head when, after a phonecall out of the blue informing him of his father's sudden death, Robert clashes with his mother (Bobby) and vile uncle Frank (Shaffer) at the funeral.

Leaving abruptly and with his emotions already running high, Robert accidentally hits a young girl with his car. Frantic and desperate for help, Robert heads to a nearby farmhouse in search of assistance. However the building is not what it seems and soon the metaphorical phantoms of his past become all too real and set about waging a very real war on his senses. 

Will he and Shannon survive the night? What does the House want from them... And will it claim its toll?

THE BEST BITS (mild spoiler warning): Much like Jennifer Kent's The Babadook, this is a film very much about grief. It is no coincidence that the ghosts of Robert's past re-emerge in the wake of a personal bereavement. The water torture of the house's tricks, slowly but surely dissolving his mental defences one drip at a time, strikes exactly the way in which the death of a loved one does, hitting you with memories long since forgotten, forcing you to re-examine the past for, as far as that relationship goes, there will be no future.

It feels like an intensely personal movie, and that is arguably its strongest point. The characters are realistic, to a fault in fact, as both Robert and Shannon have moments in which they display human fallibility. They are written well and so is the story by director Corey Norman and co-writer Haley Norman, even if the steady wave of depressing and grim events from the leads' past does veer perilously close to unrealistic at times.

The cast are also excellent, more than up to the emotional rigours of their characters' roles.

Chamberlain is given the most eye-catching work, portraying an emotionally wrecked man even before the story can start to torture him. At times the character he plays is unlikeable, an individual whose issues make him angry and without patience, yet Chamberlain is able to portray the character with enough of a hint of vulnerability that we still feel sympathy for him. As the movie progresses and the house starts to consume Robert, Chamberlain is then able to add enough menace and seething intensity to the role to crank up the scares. With a resemblance to Lost's Matthew Fox and a great acting range, I expect we will see plenty more from him.

Turner too is fantastic. At first she seems as if might be a little wishy-washy, a weak victim a la Shelley Duvall in The Shining, included to scream, look scared and plead with whichever menace she has to deal with at that time. But as the movie progresses she becomes so much more, playing an active role in unlocking the house's mysteries and given a far more complex part than mere victim. It's impressive work from a very talented actress.

Also bringing great performances to the movie are Bobby, Noel and Shaffer.

Genre veteran Bobby (who will be familiar to readers from Nightbreed and for her voice work in the Bioshock video game series) is as awesome as ever as Robert's unkind, self-centred mother. This is an actress who has built a well-deserved reputation for quality and her work in The Hanover House demonstrates exactly what she can contribute to a movie. 

Shaffer has a string of horror credits to his name and plays the sleazy uncle Frank perfectly. He doesn't have a lot of screentime but he makes the most of what he does have, including one truly stomach-churning scene.

Finally Noel impresses as the apparition of Robert's father. Ranging from benevolent and kindly to sinister and murderous, Noel needs to bring a lot to this performance and he is more than up to the task.

I mentioned The Shining earlier and I think it is no coincidence that at times this movie feels a lot like Kubrick's masterpiece and other haunted house classics such as The Amityville Horror and the Poltergeist movies. Norman is clearly a fan of the genre (as displayed in the note-perfect era feel of Tickle) and for the most part these subtle nods feel more like loving homage than plagiarism.

With creepy phonecalls, possession, black-eyed spirits, crackling radios, swarms of flies, disembodied voices and reality warping hallucinations, The Hanover House brings the full haunting box of tricks to the table and they are fantastically brought to life (well, undeath) by Norman's assured and accomplished direction. He clearly has a strong vision and movie oozes with a clammy, brooding atmosphere because of it. I especially admired his use of low camera angles and shadow to add a palpable sense of tension to proceedings. 
Furthermore, the house itself is a superb location. Norman shot the film in a purported real haunted house. After seeing what Norman was able to do with the setting, it is very easy to imagine how this reputation has been built.
This is not a fun Eighties creature flick like Tickle, instead this feels like a classic and disturbing Seventies haunted house movie. Knowing the genre highs that this type of movie reached during that period, perhaps there are no greater compliments than that.

THE WORST BITS (mild spoiler warning): As I mentioned before, the grim and depressing events of The Hanover House mount up in unrelenting fashion. This is not a feel-good film, there is not a single moment of levity throughout its short, sharp 73min runtime. I know that is kind of the point, but it does start to feel a little oppressive after a while. Then again, some readers may think that’s a good thing?
I praised the actors in the movie, and for good reason, but a couple of the supporting parts didn’t quite hit the highs of the stand-out stars. I know that with a low budget flick such as this there are bound to be some less experienced cast members so I suppose this is only to be expected. Luckily these are few and far between and don't much affect your enjoyment of the movie.
I‘ve mentioned the budget and, while the film did a great job with what it had, sometimes the restrictions that it caused did raise some problems. There were a couple of decidedly iffy effects moments, most notably during the latter stages of the movie. This is a real shame, but for the most part, the effects up until that point are pretty good, so it definitely isn't a total bust.
Finally, while I was discussing the various nods to other successful haunted house flicks earlier, I mentioned that it usually felt like homage. However, there were a couple of instances in which I felt as if a haunted house movie checklist had been used during the filming process. I understand that there is bound to be a lot of crossover — every genre has its tropes, that is how we are able to categorise them after all — but at a couple of points the film drifted dangerously close to derivative. It wasn’t just a case of ‘seen this before’, when the budgetary constraints were taken into account, a couple of times it became ‘seen this before… and better'.

THE VERDICT: I’m going to recommend The Hanover House. It’s a good, if not great, addition to the haunted house sub-genre. It is a well-crafted, well-shot and far richer viewing experience than many of you may be used to from an indie horror. It has several deeper themes, some fantastically well-rounded characters and doesn’t forget to bring the scares either. It’s well worth your time and, if you’re a fan of more psychological horror movies, you really should check it out.
Until then, be sure to check out the film’s official Facebook page too. It offers plenty of updates and news on the movie, plus it gives you all the chance to show your appreciation with a Like. So you probably should!

If you haven’t already, do please check out and like the Hickey’s House of Horrors Facebook page, which you can find here. It gives you a nice quick link to any new posts on this blog, plus regular news updates from around the web. I check the Internet so you don’t have to! Alternatively, follow me on twitter: The House@HickeysHorrors

Until next time, I hope you enjoyed your stay.

SHARP SHOCK SHORT: TICKLE

Another day, another wonderful little short to share with my equally wonderful readers.

Certain horror movie set-ups have become such powerful tropes that they move beyond cliche and re-emerge as classic, almost mythological scenarios. A case in point? The tale of a young babysitter watching over a frightened child one cold, dark night. From this situation any number of cinematic nightmares have unfolded, from Halloween to The House Of The Devil. Tickle, the delightfully retro film from director Corey Norman, takes this scenario and runs with it.

Want to know where Bonfire Films’ frightful little flick takes us? Read on...

TICKLE (2014)

Dir: Corey Norman

Starring: Casey Turner, Andrew Lyndaker, Sean Carmichael, Daniel Noel, Dennis J. Healy

SPEEDY SYNOPSIS: This is a short, so I'll try not to spoil too much, but read on at your own risk.

Trudy (Turner) is a fun-loving and feisty teen babysitter, tasked with watching over young Charlie (Lyndaker) late one night.

Upon noticing that her charge is choosing to sleep with his feet poking out the end of his blanket, Trudy spins the tale of Tick Tack, a malevolent and malformed little troll that stalks bedrooms after dark, looking for feet to tickle.

When Charlie's bravado fails to yield a suitable reaction, Trudy escalates her fable — should a victim fail to respond appropriately to Tick Tack's tickling, the diminutive monster lops those feet clean off.

Having finally frightened Charlie witless, Trudy confesses that she was only teasing and bids him goodnight, heading back to the sofa to watch horror movies and await the arrival of her boyfriend Donnie (Carmichael) after his late shift at a pizza parlour.

However, later that night Charlie is disturbed from his slumber by ominous noises in the dark. Was Trudy's tale really a work of fiction after all?

WHY IT WORKS: In case the premise and that awesome poster up there weren’t enough to clue you in, Tickle is a lovely homage to the dark and weird practical effects spectaculars of the Eighties. Think the likes of Troll, Ghoulies, Critters, The Monster Squad and House, all movies I adored during my formative years!
The period details are wonderful, from Trudy’s outfit, the decoration of the set and even the soundtrack, really capturing the feel of the horror movies of the time.
Haley Norman’s story also effectively echoes the work of that era, following a simple plotline and instead sprinkling its magic through the details and artful writing. The events of Tickle will surprise very few viewers, but the way in which it unfolds is still compelling and entertaining. This is an exercise in story-telling — it is less about the destination than the delightful journey we are taken on to get there.
The film boasts some brilliant camerawork, using interesting camera angles and a fantastic use of light and shadow to build a suitably campfire-esque atmosphere for the classic creepy bedtime tale unfolding before us. I loved the way the family home slowly transforms from a warm and safe refuge against the darkness outside into a hellish setting for the film’s shockingly gory final moments.
The tale is helped no-end by the excellent and natural performances of its cast — Turner in particular is great as the likeable (if mischievous) Trudy. A lot of the film hangs on her work and she completely nails it. She’s a talented actress, I‘m sure we’ll see plenty more of her. She also demonstrated great onscreen chemistry with young Lyndaker. While at times I felt Lyndaker did border on a little too cutesy, I still think he did a solid job for one so young, especially in his tense later scenes  The natural banter between he and Turner was one of the highlights of the film, naturally drawing the audience onside with both of them and making each character all the more realistic and sympathetic.
The cast was well-rounded out by the laid-back and loveably lunkish Donnie, as played by Carmichael. The character doesn’t get a lot of screen time, but Carmichael does an admirable job with what he has, so more props to him.
And finally, Healy. Unfortunately there will be some inevitable spoilers from this point on, so if you want to remain unspoiled, you’ll be best skipping to the end!
SPOILERS********** Healy as the monstrously nasty Tick Tack is awesome! Feeling very much like a hideous Eighties creature feature beastie, the character design on the sickle swinging Tick Tack is fabulously ghoulish creation. In a role without dialogue like this, the way in which the character moves, his gestures and body language speak volumes. Healy is creepy and twisted, his jittery stalking of dozing victims the stuff of nightmares. Tick Tak is a villain we NEED to see more of. Much like Billy Pon’s Doll Boy, Tick Tack is one movie monster that definitely warrants the step up from short film to feature. 
The character is fantastically realised through some excellent make-up effects. The special effects team of Liam McCarthy, Shawn Quirk and Petronela Schredlova deserve plenty of credit for their old school work, not just on bringing Tick Tack to life but with the gory, splattery finale. Well done, guys, you rocked! SPOILERS END **********
With a fantastic throwback feel to the heyday of practical effects, videostore fun popcorn shockers, Tickle really does feel like a loveletter to some of the greatest (and also the very worst) films of my youth. Good looking, with an amazing cast, great writing, some memorable scares, assured guidance by Norman and playing out at a cracking pace, this is a top short. I recommend it wholeheartedly. 
WIth the feature length Hanover House from the same team on my review list, you‘ll be hearing much more from these guys in the weeks ahead. Stay tuned!

SO WHERE’S IT AT? Tickle has had a good run on the Festival circuit, so you really should keep your eyes peeled for any future screenings in the days ahead. 
Be sure to check Bonfire Films’ official Facebook page for news on when it may be coming to a cinema near you. Give it a Like while you’re there and show some support.
However, should you be unable to track the film down, there is a DVD with the flick on it, which you can buy here. It‘s fantastic fun and well worth your time.

10 WORD WRAP UP: Frightfully fun throwback to the golden era of vhs shockers

If you haven’t already, do please check out and like the Hickey’s House of Horrors Facebook page, which you can find here. It gives you a nice quick link to any new posts on this blog, plus regular news updates from around the web. I check the Internet so you don’t have to! Alternatively, follow me on twitter: The House@HickeysHorrors

Until next time, I hope you enjoyed your stay.