M.L. Miller here! Because you and I love the horror so much, I’ve decided to post a “Worth Noting” pick along with each of my Horror Countdown choices each day through October. The same rules apply. The film must have been released before September 30th, 2019 to the masses (no festival picks). This means that is available to view in theaters, On Demand, DVD/BluRay, or digital download. I’ve tried to indicate in the reviews how you can watch and enjoy these films.
How did I compile this list? Horror is such a broad and varied genre that sometimes, while these choices may not represent the best—something about the film is worth taking notice. Some of these films have similar themes to their counterparts in the main countdown. Some just missed the countdown by an inch or two. Others were just squozed in because there’s nothing like them out there. Others because they have been made available for the first time. One way or another, it’s more horror to enjoy!
I hope you’ll join me daily and don’t forget to like and share my picks with your pals across the web. Chime in after the review and let me know what you think of the film, how on the nose or mind-numbingly wrong I am, or most importantly, come up with your own darn list…let’s go!
Worth Noting – ERREMENTARI: THE BLACKSMITH & THE DEVIL!
I put ERREMENTARI: THE BLACKSMITH & THE DEVIL on this one because it felt like one of those films I might have caught on a Saturday afternoon as a kid. While there is some gore and violence, there is a sweet fable like quality to this film that makes it feel like something dark and twisted that I would have loved as a kid. The effects are fantastic in this one. Released on Netflix in October of 2018, here’s my review of ERREMENTARI: THE BLACKSMITH & THE DEVIL! Available on Netflix!
ERREMENTARI: THE BLACKSMITH & THE DEVIL (2018)
Directed by Paul Urkijo Alijo
Written by Paul Urkijo Alijo, Asier Guerricaechebarría, Paul Urkijo Alijo
Starring Kandido Uranga, Uma Bracaglia, Eneko Sagardoy, Ramón Agirre, José Ramón Argoitia, Josean Bengoetxea, Gotzon Sanchez, Aitor Urcelai, Maite Bastos, Iñigo de la Iglesia, Unax Gonzalez, Jon Ander Alonso, Ortzi Acosta, Zigor Bilbao, Itziar Ituño, Eloi Ruiz De Erentxun, Gorka Aguinagalde, Naia Garcia, Haizea Garcia, Pako Eizagirre, Elias García, Almudena Cid, Iñigo Salinero, Maria Elisa Rueda, Álvaro Manso, Ander Pardo, José Ruiz de Azúa, Urko Olazabal, Ioar Argomaniz, Borja Amigo, Iskandar Hamawy, Koldo Arostegi, Jordi Llores, Lisa Costanza
Find out more about this film here
Produced by innovative filmmaker Alex de la Iglesia, ERREMENTARI: THE BLACKSMITH & THE DEVIL is a gorgeous fable of diabolical proportions.
When a curious orphan sneaks into the home of a reclusive Blacksmith, she discovers that he has a demon captured in a cage. After initially being frightened, the girl forms a tentative friendship with the demon and the two exchange stories. But the demon’s true intention is to get the girl to release him.
ERREMENTARI is a fairy tale in its purest form. It feels like the type of tale your parents might have read to you before bedtime as a cautionary tale. It definitely has a lot of teeth and doesn’t really hold back in terms of punch and scares, but it is the type of tale that feels much more genuine, like some of the original, un-Disney-ed versions of Grimm’s fairy tales of old. There is definitely an air of danger and no guarantee that the little girl is going to escape this story in one piece. It’s the type of story I appreciate as it feels as if it is made outside of the sanitized Hollywood machine, where the story is fresh and dangerous.
The effects of this film are what really elevate it to something special. The whipping tail of the demon and full body prosthetic is truly a marvel to look at. Added into the scenes are additional CG which only serve to make the practical effects all the more formidable. This version of the Devil (more accurately, a demon) is both classical and feels new as it really does show quite a lot of artistry as a head to toe costume. The CG version of Hell in the latter portions of this film also go a more traditional route, but this is a tour of hell unlike any has seen before on film, and thus gave me something amazingly fresh to marvel at.
From its elaborate stage design to the intricate practical effects to the gorgeous CG work for the more hellish bits, this is a powerful film to look at ERREMENTARI: THE BLACKSMITH & THE DEVIL is a dangerous and fun new take on an old fable and shouldn’t be missed for anyone in the mood for a cautionary tale that moonlights as a feast for the eyes.
WORTH NOTING SO FAR…
ERREMENTARI: THE BLACKSMITH & THE DEVIL
M. L. Miller is a wordslinger/writer of wrongs/reviewer/interviewer/editor of MLMILLERWRITES.COM. Follow @Mark_L_Miller.
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I thought this was super fun and definitely would have made my top 31 based on what I’ve been able to see thus far (ahem Terror 5).
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Glad you liked this one. It was always hovering around the end of my top 31. I understand that TERROR 5 is not for everyone, but I kind of liked the mixed bag it offered.
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