Lyco

It is probably asking too much to expect a lot of low budget independent films of this nature, but "Lyco" could have been a lot better with a bit more explanation. All we are told initially is that an ornamental elephant has some mystical power and someone is prepared to pay an enormous sum of money to get hold of it.

The principal bad guy has supernatural powers, or at the very least is able to make mental slaves of people who will do his bidding unthinkingly, but there is more than a little confusion - who are the good guys, or are there any at all? The best thing about this film is that it is mercifully short, but the guy behind it, who is no spring chicken, shouldn't give up, rather he should hone his craft.

Lyco is a nice mix of naturalistic dialogue, colorful visuals, martial arts and 70's grindhouse cinema. It's got an interesting John Carpenter style to it as well, particularly the soundtrack and the sparse visual style. Even a lot of the editing looks like it was cut specifically with John Carpenter in mind.

The characters are better than you expect in this type of movie. The actors are very good (some of them, that is) particularly Franklin Correa, Jorge Valentine and Miguilina Olivares. Jorge Valentine is particularly hilarious in this film and lights up the screen everytime he's on. Writer/director Correa writes very natural dialogue that feels very real and the actors use a naturalistic approach that works really well. They keep the supernatural stuff very low key and subtle, which works well with the films realistic tone.

Speaking of the supernatural stuff, There are some great scenes involving voodoo rituals and hot girls that I wont spoil, but Correa employs a Jesus Franco approach to these scenes. Sparse edits, wide shots, long takes, giving the audience's eyeballs a lot to soak in as villian Lyco (Macquell James) performs his "ritual of pain and pleasure" on attractive, scantily clad girls. The films first ten minutes is one of the best openings I've seen for a low budget horror film in a while, driven by low-key lighting, pounding African drums and bound victim Nikki Silva's energetic writhing (which manages to capture the agony of death, the peak of orgasm and full on demonic possession, sometimes all at the same time).

There are also some great martial arts scenes, peppered with blood and gore. There's a great fight scene in the woods between Terance Epps and one of Lyco's henchmen that blew me away. Correa himself, dives into the action, and employs a nice hand-to-hand combat style. The movie has some very scary moments as well, some stuff you wont see coming.

Overall, an entertaining movie, with memorable characters, sexy girls, great fight scenes and a few good solid scares.

I must give the hard work and dedication Franklin Correa gives to this movie. I gave 5 out of 10 stars because it's not the cleanest movie but it's a good movie that made sense. Not many indie directors/actors even get to put out films. I believe he's reaching that goal of a hungry director who has a mind set to win. He's the realest person I know in the industry and says what he mean. Many people underneath their breath wishes to have the same ambition as Mr. Correa does. I enjoyed the movie just not because I personally know him, but as a fan of any movie genres and to see a great storyline executed very well. Great job Mr. Correa.