THE MAJORETTES (1985/released 1987), aka ONE BY ONE

Director: Bill Hinzman

Writer: John Russo adapting his novel

Producer: John Russo

Cast: Kevin Kindlin, Terrie Godfrey, Sueanne Seamens, Denise Huot, Tom E. Desrocher, Carl Hetrick, Mark V. Jevicky, Mary Jo Limpert, Harold K. Keller, Zachary Mott, Tom Madden, M. Therian, Jacqueline Bowman, Colin Martin, Russ Streiner, Tammy Petruska, Dana Maiello, Gina Cotton, Angela Eckerd, Angela Canalungo, Teresa Almendarez, Edna Kleitz, Joy Deco, George Brennan, Joe Blakely, Earl Brandstadter, John Russo, Bill Hinzman, Amy Mathesiuf, Wilbur Roncone, Daryl Darak, Robert Lintner, Abby Roach, Jay Ross, Dave Gordon 

High school majorettes are being stalked and killed. Part of the killer’s deadly ritual involves immersion of his victims’ bodies in water. The murders set off ripples throughout the small town that disrupt the lives of the victims’ classmates and some very unsavory characters. 

The Flashback Fanatic movie review 

When Night of the Living Dead (1968) alumni John Russo, Bill Hinzman, and Russ Streiner held a reunion to make The Majorettes, they played the slasher game pretty late in that horror subgenre’s season. Being filmed several years past the slasher film’s peak of popularity and not released for two more years, some may attribute its modest reputation to slasher film burnout at the box office, though home video was probably intended as its main outlet. Others still devoted to that style of horror were probably frustrated that The Majorettes was not just more of the same. 

As it is based on John Russo’s 1979 novel that was published before the slasher film had established a formula, The Majorettes has a more complex narrative and a wider range of character concerns than the typical slasher flick. It is not just a series of nasty kills, but about an assortment of characters that conflict with one another and react in surprising ways. The murderer of the majorettes is the catalyst for those confrontations. That may seem like a film lacking focus, but I see it as a welcome variation for the slasher film. This movie has intrigue beyond waiting for the reveal of the killer’s identity. 

One thing that I appreciate about John Russo’s writing, in both his novels and his films, is that his characters are not idealized. They usually come from mundane circumstances, and many of his characters are both petty and principled. No one is grandstanding as heroic or sympathetic. They are just living their lives as horror intrudes. 

A good example of the messy morality of Russo’s characters is the majorette Nicole (Jacqueline Bowman) that comes on to the nerdy photographer Tommy (Colin Martin). She is doing this out of fear and confusion resulting from a recent, unwanted pregnancy. Nicole thinks that, if she has sex with Tommy, she will have a more responsible person to blame the pregnancy on instead of the local drug pusher Mace Jackson (Tom E. Desrocher). Yet Nicole’s conscience does not allow her to follow through on her seduction. 

Kevin Kindlin plays the closest thing to a hero in The Majorettes. His character is the star high school quarterback Jeff Halloway. He is bickering with his majorette girlfriend Judy Marino (Sueanne Seamens) about their future together if Jeff goes off to college out of town. Both have legitimate motivations for their friction. These disputes are not integral to the plot, but they ground us in the reality of the life and times of these two characters. That is something that many more “focused” films don’t bother to do. When everything seems too deliberate, a film can seem contrived instead of relatable. 

Later, The Majorettes again loses its focus as a pure slasher film when Jeff is repeatedly traumatized by a succession of brutal events and retaliates. At that point the film veers into “Rambo” territory, yet it all plays out in a much less sensational fashion that seems all too likely these days. Jeff is never glorified in that action hero mode. He is just a high school kid that snaps. 

That is not to say that all of writer John Russo’s characters are sympathetic. He is never remiss to include scumbags, perverts, and sociopaths in his stories. There is no shortage of them in The Majorettes. They figure into some subplots that create a bit of complexity I can appreciate as a variation on typical slasher films. However, they also contribute to that loss of focus whined about by slasher purists. 

Even this film’s original title seems contrary to the genre. It does not follow the holiday-titled tradition that provided an almost perverse contrast to the horror in many previous slasher films. Its title is also not designating its bloody intent. While The Majorettes makes its youth-centric concerns apparent, it also sounds like a likely title for a teen-sex comedy. I find it morbidly appropriate to title the film with the innocent triggers and targets of the madman’s atrocities. 

And what of our majorette-mauling madman? He is the catalyst for all sorts of suspicions and repercussions among the cast of characters. Like many horror films, the menace is of interest because his transgressive behavior disrupts society. He is an element of chaos that not only threatens public safety, but also causes complications for other nefarious locals. It is an uneasy reminder of just how flawed and fragile civilization really is. This is reinforced by the killer’s so-called values that many would believe help maintain social stability. 

We are also not comforted by the agents of social order in this film. Few of the adults seem to have meaningful interaction with the teens. The parents are rarely present. Members of the faculty, clergy, and law enforcement are portrayed as suspicious or ineffectual. While there are some well-meaning people around doing their jobs, they can’t always be counted on to save the day. 

For those who have read the original novel, this fairly faithful adaptation still has a different resolution, so all is not spoiled when they watch the film. The Majorettes ends with a lingering sense of dread that is not unusual for horror in the last half century. That should come as no surprise from some talents involved in the classic Night of the Living Dead that helped set that uneasy standard in horror movies.

COVEN (1997)

Director: Mark Borchardt

Writer: Mark Borchardt

Producer: Mark Borchardt

Cast: Mark Borchardt, Tom Schimmels, Robert Richard Jorge, Miriam Frost, Sherrie Beaupre, Mike Schank, Damien McLaughlin, Mark Nadolski, Tommy Dallace, Jack Bennett, Scott Berendt, Barbara Zanger, Donna McMaster, Cindy Snyder, Nancy Williams, Kurt Poth, Wayne Buboise, Robert Smith, Kelley Cork, Betsy Schaefer, Brian Smith, Ray Kilzer, Mike Badem, Geoff Fieldbinder, John Wilhelm, Brian Stodola, Jeremy Stevermer, Bill Borchardt (uncredited) 

Mike (Mark Borchardt) is an alcoholic, pill-popping writer stressed by his life and deadlines. After an overdose lands Mike in the hospital, his friend Steve (Tom Schimmels) convinces Mike to join his therapy group. As the group meetings become more ritualistic and he starts hallucinating, Mike starts having suspicions about the group’s motives. 

The Flashback Fanatic movie review 

The subject of Chris Smith’s award-winning documentary American Movie (1999) was Milwaukee, Wisconsin-area filmmaker Mark Borchardt. The through line of that documentary’s narrative was the struggle Borchardt had to finish Coven. After watching the behind-the-scenes effort that went into Borchardt’s film, it is fun to see the final product and appreciate its unique vibe. 

Coven is a short horror film that demonstrates the old adage “misery loves company.” In fact, that is the very thing that brings troubled people together in a self-help group. The suspicion that one may have about any group is: Does a group serve its members or just perpetuate their dependence on the group so that the group will flourish? Everything from clubs to churches to political parties may exploit the needs and ignorance of its members to become cults that only serve their leaders. 

If ever a film captures the perspective of one man’s dysfunction and paranoia, it is Coven. As bleak as the short and simple story is, it is still infused with a cynical wit that makes it quite engaging. Writer-director Mark Borchardt’s own character is very close to that of Mike, the starring role that he plays. As a result, his performance is very real and unaffected while still delivering touches of humor. 

The humor in Coven is never at the expense of the atmosphere. It rises naturally from the characters’ interactions and is appropriate to their circumstances. One such scene I find to be very satisfying is when Mike is scoring some speed from his pusher (Damien McLaughlin). They are both seated comfortably in the pusher’s home and making friendly small talk. It is rather perverse that this pusher is probably the most comforting presence in the film. 

Another aspect of the film that stresses the bleak isolation of its hero’s world is that all of the other main characters never seem compatible with each other. The group members sit around and rant about their issues while no solutions are offered. In fact, to celebrate his return to the group, Willa (Miriam Frost) offers alcoholic Mike a cup of booze that can only exacerbate the problems that brought him to the group in the first place. Goodman (Robert Richard Jorge), the apparent leader of the group, affects a certain grandiose refinement, yet younger group members Daesa (Sherrie Beauprie) and Willa disrespect his authority. Even Steve, the good friend that urged Mike to join the group, only seems to be another source of pressure in Mike’s life. 

The choice of shooting Coven in black-and-white suits the mood and subject matter. Scenes in a bar and its parking lot have a gritty intimacy. A church steeple silhouetted against the gray sky offers no sense of sanctuary. The therapy group meetings are suffused with a stark gloom making all involved seem hopeless or malevolent. As his booze-buzz kicks in, Mike’s walk into the woods for some solitude has an eerie and surreal bleached-out tone. That environment soon becomes dark and dirty once he is accosted by the black-robed figures that haunt him. 

My favorite images in the film are the barren, autumn landscapes and abandoned country roads. There is a mystic beauty about these shots that sets the tone for the loneliness and threat that the protagonist will be coping with. Patrick Nettesheim’s doom-laden music score compliments these scenes perfectly. Coven proves that atmosphere can be the best special effect of all.

AMERICAN MOVIE (1999)

Director: Chris Smith

Producers: Sarah Price, Chris Smith

Cast: (as themselves) Mark Borchardt, Mike Schank, Ken Keen, Bill Borchardt, Monica Borchardt, Cliff Borchardt, Tom Schimmels, Joan Petrie, Alex Borchardt, Chris Borchardt, Dean Allen, Matt Weisman, Robert Richard Jorge, Sherrie Beaupre, Miriam Frost, Mark Nadolski, Dara Borchardt, Dawn Borchardt, Steve Borchardt 

In the Milwaukee, Wisconsin area, aspiring filmmaker Mark Borchardt struggles to finish his short horror film Coven. When completed, Mark intends to sell videotapes of Coven to raise the money for financing another longer film project called Northwestern. Despite a lack of funds, mishaps, and personal hardship, Mark carries on gathering family and friends to pitch in, on and off camera, to try finishing his multi-year production. 

The Flashback Fanatic movie review 

Many non-filmmakers probably think that filmmaking is fun and that doing something fun is a cinch. They figure that if someone has talent, that person’s entire creative process is as simple as breathing is to other people, right? They also probably think that no matter how much effort is involved, filmmakers are doing what they love to do and just can’t help themselves. Therefore, the filmmakers can just keep plugging away at it till their film gets done. 

Anyone watching the documentary American Movie will realize that there is a lot of hard work and preparation involved in making any film. They will also realize that there are great challenges for the low-budget, do-it-yourselfer trying to make a film that has to tell a story when the money, facilities, and talent pool of Hollywood are not available. 

Director Chris Smith documents fellow filmmaker Mark Borchardt and those associated with him to not only chronicle the production of Coven (1997), but to acquaint us with an unconventional and interesting person. Borchardt is passionate about films and driven to make his own, yet he can also be distracted by self-doubt and life’s setbacks. American Movie is about Borchardt’s life and his hope to grab some of his own American dream through his filmmaking. 

This film is full of genuinely hilarious moments and some melancholy introspection. Initially, the viewer gets the impression that Borchardt is a sad sack trying to achieve something he just does not have the ability and resources to accomplish. Before long, however, Borchardt wins us over and has us rooting for him. It is only Borchardt’s enthusiasm and diligence that will ever get his movie made. He proves to all of us that Hollywood is not the only place to make movies happen. Stories worth telling can be made anywhere and in many ways. 

What I came to appreciate the most about Borchardt is that he has a unique filmic voice that is a reflection of his own unique personality. He is not an amateur hopelessly trying to copy a generic Hollywood product. He is using the horror genre to vent down-to-earth doubts and anxieties. What appears to be an often tedious and chaotic filming and post-production grind eventually realizes a singular atmosphere and attitude that we see in the clips of his Coven film. 

 

American Movie director Chris Smith should also be applauded for having the inspiration to realize that a documentary about fellow filmmaker Mark Borchardt would make for such an absolutely moving, entertaining, and inspiring film. Not only is Borchardt funny and creative, he is also thoughtful. At times he may seem unrefined, yet Borchardt is actually quite philosophical and always genuine.

What further enriches this documentary’s narrative are Mark Borchardt’s friends and family. We see how they have shaped Mark’s life and contribute to his filmmaking endeavors. Mark’s childhood pals Mike Schank and Ken Keen are important allies in his moviemaking and are interesting characters, as well. Mark’s mother Monica is also there to help him film an insert shot or to suddenly be recruited as an extra. Mark’s elderly Uncle Bill helps to finance Coven and has a bit part early in that film. One of the funniest trials of production on Coven is Mark trying to do ADR of his Uncle Bill’s brief lines of dialogue. 

The 1990s was a great decade for indie films and American Movie was one of the best. American Movie was an award winner at the Sundance Film Festival and became a big critical hit. Such buzz about the documentary made its hero a sought after guest in other productions. Mark Borchardt appeared five times on CBS-TV’s Late Show with David Letterman, he cameoed as himself on the Family Guy Fox network cartoon show, and has made many appearances as an actor in other people’s films. 

In April of 2003, I was one of the extras in another Mark Borchardt movie called Scare Me. Most of us were volunteers answering an ad placed in a local weekly alternative paper. I assume that everyone there had learned about Mark through the acclaimed American Movie documentary, which made us eager to participate in his latest production. We were there that particular day to be part of a party scene, hence the need for plenty of extras. Apparently, this scene had been shot earlier and Mark found it unsatisfactory. I believe that earlier attempt is featured in the documentary Horror Business (2007). 

It was a long day. Most of us were simply standing around for hours on end before certain groups of us would be needed for certain shots. Like they say, making movies involves a lot of waiting around. However, very few of us wandered off during that sixteen-hour day. I think we were glad to be there and believed in what Mark was trying to do. 

Scare Me has still not been completed, yet when one looks it up on the internet, it is listed as still in production. I certainly hope so. This jaded world needs more Mark Borchardt films. 

Even people like myself that do not tend to watch documentaries will be moved and entertained by American Movie. It is loaded with humor, pathos, and hope. Best of all, its depiction of the humble circumstances and struggles of its frustrated protagonist resonates with anyone that has sought to overcome their own doubts and shortcomings to accomplish a goal and find fulfillment in their life.

I BURY THE LIVING (1958)

Director: Albert Band

Writer: Louis Garfinkle

Producers: Louis Garfinkle, Albert Band

Cast: Richard Boone, Theodore Bikel, Peggy Maurer, Herbert Anderson, Howard Smith, Robert Osterloh, (and uncredited cast members) Russ Bender, Ken Drake, Glen Vernon, Lynette Bernay, Cyril Delevanti, Matt Moore

Department store president Robert Kraft (Richard Boone) becomes the newly appointed chairman of the Immortal Hills Cemetery. In the rustic cottage serving as his office on the cemetery grounds, there is a huge wall map of the entire cemetery and its plots. Graves that have received their dead are marked with black stickpins and plots reserved for those still living are marked with white stickpins. When a young couple (Glen Vernon and Lynette Bernay) who had just reserved a pair of cemetery plots dies in an automobile accident, Kraft notices that he had accidentally already marked their reserved graves with black pins instead of white ones. Kraft becomes disturbed by the notion that he may have the power to cause deaths with the graveyard map.

The Flashback Fanatic movie review

I Bury the Living is one helluva lot of creepy fun. I really dig its very clever variation on voodoo. Instead of sticking pins in a doll to kill the person it represents, black pins stuck in a person’s reserved burial place on a cemetery map does the deadly deed. This is a truly inspired gimmick that sets this morbid movie apart from anything else in the horror film genre of the time.

Director Albert Band pulls out all the cinematic stops to rev up the overwhelming paranoia generated by Robert Kraft’s fear of his suspected paranormal ability. Chiaroscuro lighting, optical effects, macro photography, jarring cuts, suggestive sounds, and prolonged silences are all calculated to play the horrible head game happening to the guilt-ridden and frightened protagonist.

Composer Gerald Fried was on a roll at this time doing effective horror film scores. His spine-tingling music is just as crucial a creep factor as the lighting, editing, and performances.

Speaking of performances, the always-interesting Richard Boone conveys guilt and terror very effectively. Close-ups of Boone’s unusual, rugged features breaking out in a cold sweat as his eyes glaze over in shell-shocked dread are very effective. Boone underplays at the same time the cinematography and music are accentuating the damage to his character’s nerves and sanity. Throughout I Bury the Living, Richard Boone’s performance is low-keyed and sensitive until he dashes about to confront his fears as the story approaches its climax.

Peggy Maurer plays Robert Kraft’s beautiful fiancée Ann Craig. Her character is more than just a pretty face to make us admire or envy Robert Kraft. Their scenes together demonstrate a tender compatibility that helps us empathize with our increasingly traumatized hero. Just as vital for the audience is that it seems Kraft has exerted a touch of psychic ability with Ann. This, as well as Kraft’s déjà vu experiences since childhood, makes it believable that he could arrive at the assumption that he has the supernatural power to kill when he sticks his black pins in the Immortal Hills map.

As if Robert Kraft cracking under the strain of guilt and dread was not bad enough, the old cemetery caretaker Andy McKee also manages to chip away at his composure. Speaking with a Scottish burr thicker than a tombstone, Theodore Bikel’s character is both amusing and annoying to Kraft and the audience. He is a kindly and dedicated 40-year cemetery employee that is constantly warbling folk songs as he chisels away at gravestones, much to the nerve-racked Kraft’s irritation. Andy provides a space heater for Kraft's dank cottage office that only Andy seems able to light up. He also begins to share Kraft’s dread of the graveyard map and of Kraft’s deadly potential. Andy McKee is not a very reassuring character to have around, even if he knows when and where to have a snort with the boss.

 I Bury the Living builds up relentlessly and masterfully to its crazed climax. It is that conclusion that seems to disappoint some viewers, even if they enjoy everything that precedes it. That horror writing maestro himself Stephen King loves the film but hates the ending. I for one appreciate the story’s insane twist that pulls the rug out from under our expectations. The film still ends with just a touch of unsettling ambiguity.

This film’s theme is that the supposedly sophisticated man in modern society is still very close to stumbling into the pit of superstitious fear. It drives home the humbling point that we still don’t have all the answers and things may happen we can’t rationally explain. That can be both frustrating and terrifying.

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