I first meet Chris R. Notarile on the set of a film I worked on over four years ago. People were telling me that he was a talented guy with a lot of great ideas. He would spend most of his time making fan films, a lot of fan films, mainly comic book and horror villain related. Now years later Chirs has developed his talents toward making his own creations come to life. His first feature film METHODIC may at first seem like a rip-off of Rob Zombie’s HALLOWEEN, but the fact of the matter is that it’s just coincidence that both films were actually in production at the same time and that their beginnings seem very similar. However we all know how Rob Zombie’s HALLOWEEN will pan out, METHODIC is a whole other story.
Methodic begins with a footage of a family party where a boy named Nickolas is keeping his distance from his family, He is on the pouch of the house drawing a figure on a piece a paper that he refers to as Dollman. That night Nick commits murder, killing both of his parents, his older sister stops him and Nick is put into a home for the insane. Twenty years later, Nick is still locked up, no one has ever come to visit him, but finally his sister Lana, (whom still can’t deal with the loss of her parents.) goes to confront him. This puts Nick into a rage and he escapes the insane asylum. From there it’s your typical slasher film, except the less is more routine is used when it comes to the many beatings and killings as the plot movies along. However, the films takes a big turn, one in which I won’t give away, but will say that the third act is what makes this film better than it appears to be.
The script for Methodic does at first come off as a script that takes it’s story and ideas from HALLOWEEN, It’s apparent from the start that the characters are very similar, especially Nick to Michael Meyers, and that Notarile does have a love for the Halloween films. But rather than being like every other filmmaker obsessed with HALLOWEEN, Notarile took a the mold of a modern horror icon and turned that icon into his own, while giving the audience a character that they think they already know. The script does has it’s low points and like every upcoming filmmaker Notarile tries to do to much with explaining the story rather than letting the pieces fall into place. With this the beginning of the film does tend to drag on for a bit, as the story is being told in excessive detail, however once we get past the developing act, the pace picks up rather quickly and the story moves along fairly well.
In terms of acting and the overall production value of METHODIC, we do get some very good acting in the film, which is a surprise for an independent horror film, Notarile does have plenty of experience as a director, and it shows in his work with the talent, that he can get a good performance from the cast. His leads were close to perfect, and although some of the supporting cast suffered though their roles for the most part they did pretty decent as well. One must give credit to Mack the dog, who was one hell of a pet actor hitting all his marks on cue. As for the production value of the film it is very well shot and edited for the most part but does have a few bumps here and there but nothing to noticeable. The look and feel of the film does at time scream “shot on digital”, as some shots do have that video look, but most of the film, which I’m sure was shot on 24p, does look very good, and the style is very similar in terms to that of Carpenter’s HALLOWEEN.
Overall, METHODIC is very well made independent film, it’s obvious that the film does take from the likes at HALLOWEEN at first, but I think once you get past the first act, you will be surprised by the twists and turns this film throws at you. It is not a film for the normal horror fan, as it’s one of those film that has some hidden meanings in it’s story and in order to really appreciate the film you really need to watch it twice to get the full effect. It’s a film that if you can get past the slow beginning on the first view, you’ll really get into the second half of it. On the second go around you’ll pick up on little things that really help you understand Notarile’s vision and where he is going with the story. It’s a film that has elements of being a smart horror film while giving you a story that you’ve think you’ve seen done before, but towards the end it’s a whole other ball game. While METHODIC does have it’s flaws it is actually one of the better indie films I’ve had the pleasure of seeing this year. In the end METHODIC hits you hard up until the very end, with it’s one, two punch ending, similar to the way films like THE SIXTH SENSE and UNBREAKABLE ended.
– Horror Bob
- Interview with J.R. Bookwalter - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Andrew J. Rausch - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Rick Popko and Dan West - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Director Stevan Mena (Malevolence) - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Screenwriter Jeffery Reddick (Day of the Dead 2007) - January 22, 2015
- Teleconference interview with Mick Garris (Masters of Horror) - January 22, 2015
- A Day at the Morgue with Corri English (Unrest) - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Writer/Director Nacho Cerda (The Abandoned, Aftermath) - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Actress Thora Birch (Dark Corners, The Hole, American Beauty) - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Actor Jason Behr, Plus Skinwalkers Press Coverage - January 22, 2015
