Digging up the Marrow (2014)

TO THE FREAKING BONE!

Let it be known to all you young, independent filmmakers... looking for someone to inspire and emulate, not sure there's too many doing it better out there right now than ADAM GREEN. First he threw down Hatchet 1+2, and the cult following worthy - Frozen (which this here self proclaimed greatest critic of all time loved)... somewhere along the line he drops a lovely piece of genre Television Holliston which then gains a rabid fan base... I wouldn't say I'm one of the rabid... But I have watched... and I have giggled. So needless to say, I keep my eye our for new projects he is attached too. Granted with Digging up the Marrow I took my time getting around to it... but like the tortoise... I gets it done.

Before I get too far ahead of myself... let's chat on plot. Digging up the Marrow is about Adam Green, as himself, and his merry band of producers and filming buddies (all as themselves) that decide to investigate a man claiming to have evidence of "Real" Monsters. Adam wanting to believe monsters could be real talks his friend into setting it up as a documentary... the further they go down the rabbit hole with the ishe/isnthe crazy William Dekker (played by the epically epic legend of the genre himself - Ray Wise) Adam and crew begin to realize there could be much more going on than they thought. Perhaps the answer to the greatest question ever asked: "ARE MONSTERS REAL?"

First. This is obviously a love letter to Clive Barker's NIGHTBREED. And you know, that is all right with me. Mostly because this is handled as an homage and not a rip off. William Dekker? And the main Bad guy in Nightbreed is Dr. Decker. Co-incidence? Me thinks not. This film is a slow burn folks. If you are looking for the non stop blood and carnage of say Mr. Green's Hatchet films, well you will be sadly disappointed. This is really about the journey to the answer... and the last 15 minutes of this film are pure 80s practical gold. No CGI, just great old fashion puppeteering and makeup. I heart this.

After pirates of the Caribbean it was all down hell for Ol' Squid Face

One thing I really want to say here... I knew Adam Green could direct, and dabble in the acting, what I didn't know he could do was craft a film quite like this. A film that revels in its characters and simpleness. This is not a big budget flick, this is a small budget, hand held camera film that you will actually believe and enjoy as just that. Having his friends and family play themselves was a great stroke (sprinkling in some Genre favourites in planned, or improved scenes, great as well).

I was invested in this film right from the beginning for a very simple reason... Adam is a likeable shit dammit. I especially liked how at one point his film making ego takes over and he's pissed to find out that Dekker approached other filmmakers first. Much more angry at this slight than the possibility Dekker is misleading them about monsters. It shows a nice ability to paint himself imperfect, which I think leads to his leading main gravitas... well at least as it works in this here flick. How many times have I (and many other Bloggers) complained about flat... unlikeable, uninteresting, characters? More times than I have wished there was a "Do not like" button on Facebook... and that is saying something.

Stupid Puppy Memes.

The last 15 minutes of this film were so damn good. I was clapping and clinking beers. Not by myself... that would be weird.

Also a great alternative title would have been "Awesome T-shirt man" ... as Adam and his merry band of peers rock some of the sweetest horror and genre friendly tees in the business... Even if a few are self serving :)

(Shout out to www.Fright-rags.com if you haven't scoped this site and you love horror... and Tee-shirts covering your nipples... go now!)

Movie scale 3 out of 5 stars
Horror movie scale 3.5 out of 5 stars

It's not perfect and the opening two acts are a little slow despite the cool factor... Some of the This is really real wink wink segments are rough. And you just have to deal with shake cam.

But I think for the real horror fans, those guys and gals with classic blu-ray releases littering their shelves, you should find warm feelings in ya heart for this one.

ONE LINE REVIEW: Good Ol' Fashioned practical horror for you 80s babies.

Till next Booniacs!

-CBB