Coyote

In an age of terrible haunted house and ghost movies, spurred on by the septic legacy of hacks like James Wan (ok he did two good flicks in Saw and Death Sentence) you'd kinda think that the alternative world of indie or low budget horror would be a breath of fresh air, but no, that sadly isn't the case. Without naming names, our greatest hopes today seem to be happy to churn out pathetic rehashes of tired old torture flicks relying on shock and gore to attain notoriety, but rather than actually shocking us, they end up putting us to sleep. Do we really want to see another male/female tied to a chair and be assaulted any more? With no effort at all put into plot, dialogue (or worst of all) acting? Horror fans are much more discerning now and we're sick and tired of being treated like imbeciles who must enjoy everything filled with buckets of blood and fake boobs bouncing around on screen. Yeah, maybe this works for teenage boys new to the genre, but it doesn't work for those of us born with (at least) half a brain so can we please ask those directors involved to kindly stop? Please? Now go away and watch a few good movies (not just a few 80s slashers and a couple of German splatterfests) then come back and see us when you've learned something eh? The independent/ underground area of any entertainment media is supposed to bring originality and innovation, so why aren't we getting it in the horror scene? Which brings me to Coyote.... Its still quite early in 2015, but already we've had a few promising offerings that bode well for the year ahead and Coyote is certainly one of those. The film is an insane headf*** of an experience, never relying on tired (current) torture tropes and remaining totally unpredictable throughout its entire runtime. Its hilariously twisted in parts where you will literally laugh out loud at what you're seeing (well I did) but on other occasions you'll be cringing at its nastiness. Bill Oberst Jr is a revelation in this movie, I honestly couldn't imagine many other actors pulling it off. His depiction of one mans descent into madness is just wonderful, and I gotta say there was a certain amount of bravery involved there too haha. Novel, fascinating, and enthralling, I watched it while really not knowing what to expect next. So, if you love horror, and (like most) you're getting a little sick and tired of what's being force fed to the underground scene these days, check out Coyote. Its a breath of (rancid) fresh air.

Coyote is a film by local St. Louis-area filmmaker, Trevor Juenger. I went into the screening with great interest, because not only was it filmed locally in the St. Louis area, but it also just so happens to be one of my favorite styles of horror.   Coyote stars Bill Oberst Jr. as Bill, an insomniac that progresses into the deep end of delusion and insanity. Oberst's performance is spot-on perfect as he convincingly transforms himself into the character, slipping into the point of no return. Coyote is a fierce and relentless piece of art. The film does have some very welcome styled scenes that are reminiscent of classic Lynch and Cronenberg. The music score (by Michel Schiralli) is very dark and fitting for this style and well placed into the film. Speaking of audio, however, the score and sound effects seemed to sound much more developed and mastered than the dialogue audio, although that was not poor either. That, as well as some interestingly placed video editing effects does give Coyote somewhat of a film- student-project kind of feel to it, which may sound unfortunate, but I will say that Trevor and his team made it work. I do have ONE issue with Coyote however, and before anyone decides to retaliate my following statement, know that this is just a personal opinion - and that is I very much dislike the use or overuse of Fish-Eye, which is frequently used in this 75 minute feature. That being said, it does work in some scenes very well and I couldn't imagine them being shot in any other way. I am simply not a fan of Fish Eye in general. On a better note, however, the props and special effects are insane and were pulled off way better than I had expected, done in an original, yet familiar to classic Cronenberg style, which I appreciated seeing from a small local piece of art like Coyote.   Bottom Line: While Coyote does have it's flaws, I believe it is a very welcome addition to the horror genre. It may only be 74 minutes long, but it will keep you thinking. I am very excited to see what Trevor Juenger has up his sleeves next.

A Bill Oberst Jr performance for the ages. A somnolent man drifting between fantasy and reality and the boundaries between them breaking down makes for gripping and compelling watching. The practical effects are superb; realistic and artistic, gory and violent, and more effective than films with larger budgets. The low-key production values are a great help to this film; everything feels gritty, realistic, and immediate. As usual, Bill Oberst Jr throws his all into his performances, and his character's slow descent into pure madness is a series of violent imagery mixed with unhinged acting of a caliber that a lesser actor could not pull off. This is a psychologically dark series of wandering through the mind of madness. A truly great effort.

Just watched a screener of the new independent film Coyote starring Bill Oberst Jr. I don't think I can come up with words to describe this bizarre and disturbing movie. The IMDb.com description says: "An insomniac writer's sleep-deprived hallucinations distort reality as paranoia drives him to extreme violence." Yes, that seems to be what the movie was about.

Actor Bill Oberst Jr. gives an absolutely brilliant, fearless performance. I was unnerved and on the edge of my seat the entire time. I was not sure if his character, conveniently named Bill, except when he's "Mark," is going to go postal, turn into a killer moon insect, wake up in an insane asylum, or set up a roadside hotel with his mother's corpse stashed in the attic. The way he delivered the line (about his car), "Runs like a motherf---er, Tom" gave me the biggest laugh I've had in some time. Kudos, Coyote! I suspect writer/director Trevor Juenger needs some serious therapy if he hasn't already had his fair share. I may need some after this. Perhaps Trevor car recommend a good therapist for me? So many questions after seeing Coyote, but the main one is: How am I going to get some sleep tonight? Sleep is the enemy . . .

I absolutely love this movie. I haven't seen artistry like this in years. Trevor Juenger proves that he is a masterful auteur in the vein of David Lynch or Jean Cocteau. I felt that the film had touches of Cormac McCarthy and Franz Kafka. Coyote plays like stream-of- consciousness writing. It is similar in structure to Cronenberg's Naked Lunch. It explores the many layers of the mind of a man who is disconnecting with reality and society and the violence that results. It is a poetic and psychologically honest look at chilling subjects such as isolation, self-hatred, and mass-murder. Bill Oberst Jr. stars and is the heart and soul of the film. I can't imagine anyone else in this role. This film was painful for me to watch and yet I loved it.