Coyote

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.

Art house horror, it's a term you read more and more these days on sites like our, but just what is it? In searching for a "true" definition, in hope of helping explain the term to those who aren't yet familiar with this sub genre of films, I found that its as hard to "define" as it is to explain. Everyone seems to have their own explanation of what the term means. So instead lets break the term down to the two basics, to get a better idea of what people are talking about. First, Art House Film, as defined on wikipedia: "intended to be a serious artistic work, often experimental and not designed for mass appeal"; they are "made primarily for aesthetic reasons rather than commercial profit" and they contain "unconventional or highly symbolic content". Second, of course is horror, and I think we are all pretty well in the know on that one! In putting the two pieces together you basically have what is an experimental film, meant to make you think, questioning the human experience and world around you, infected with the horrific. An often very visceral, graphic film that continues to live in your mind well after you watch it, as you try to disseminate what you saw and the implications it presents. Its more than a film it is an experience! If you are still unsure then you need to look no further the this film Coyote (which will soon be released by Wild Eye Releasing), it is a spectacular example of what Art-house Horror is meant to be!

I decided to let this one speak for itself so heres the synopsis straight from Coyote's FaceBook page, "The film stars Bill Oberst Jr. as Bill, an insomniac writer whose sleep-deprived hallucinations distort reality as paranoia drives him to extreme violence." The film follows Bill through his days (and more importantly, nights) as he descends into madness. We are left to determine what part of his "reality" is madness induced hallucinations, and what is "real", with moments of violence that will make your jaw hang open, and your body quiver.

Coyote is quite outstanding in many ways, the film is shot beautifully with an interesting use of color transitions to illuminate the path of Bills mental breakdown. I found that to be both smart and often visually stunning decision by director Trevor Juenger. Another thing I found very compelling in the film, is the underlying sadness I felt from the character Bill, it helped drive the film for me, investing me in his journey on a much deeper level. I have to give a nod to Oberst Jr for that one, I cant imagine any one else bringing forth the same combination of vulnerability and madness that make Bill murderously maniacal yet still leave you empathizing with the struggle that makes him so "bad", and I chose bad rather than evil here for a reason. Evil is a choice that one makes in my eyes, where as "bad" (in the context of the film) is more of a result of the break from reality that is suffered by Bill as a result of his mental frailties. Then you have the violence, oh the beautiful, crazy, head pounding violence! Juenger and Oberst Jr make perfect pair in this film, adding many levels to the experience, making for a film that satiates the viewer like a great meal for the mind!

If you have never watched an art-house horror film I HIGHLY recommend that you give this one the honor of being the first! It will leave you searching the realms for more. I have no doubt people will be talking about Coyote for a long time to come. It has already earned numerous awards on the festival circuit, and has garnered just as much attention for being banned in some areas as for the awards. Lets be honest though, that isn't going to hurt this title at all, in fact it is probably one of the things that has helped it gain distribution. Horror fans can be a bit like kids in the fact that when you tell us we can't have something we are just going to want it that much more! That being said when you watch the film there are some "OHHHHHHH" moments when you know instantly that you just watched a scene that was deemed too much for public viewing, Thankfully Wild Eye Releasing obviously believes that art is meant to be seen and as mentioned will be releasing the film in the near future at which point you can determine for yourself if it is too much, or just enough!

I found it to be just enough myself! The film left me feeling disoriented, and slightly skewed emotionally (or to put it plainly crazy). It pulls you into the world of Bills mental illness and gives you a taste of what some people truly suffer on a day to day basis. It is a beautiful, dark film that deserves the accolades it's getting.Coyote is a film that will live on in you long after you finish watching it, and may just give you a new found appreciation for this burgeoning movement called "Arthouse Horror".

HeatherOmen TheHorrorNation.net

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.

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.