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by Thomas M. Sipos,
managing editor [February 24, 2021]
[HollywoodInvestigator.com]Evil Little Things is a horror anthology with only two stories,
unless you count the wraparound. Dual terror anthologies are rare
because fans generally expect more. The only other one I know of is
Two Evil Eyes, but that one had a gimmick. Both episodes were
based on Edgar Allen Poe tales, and each was directed by a horror
celebrity: Dario Argento and George Romero.
Evil Little Things has no such pedigree. No horror royalty in its
credits. But it's delightfully entertaining -- and memorable, largely
due to its poignant heroine in the second tale.
The better anthologies unite their tales around a common theme or
incident. In
Evil Little Things it's dolls.
Evil dolls on screen have been around since
The Twilight Zone's Talky Tina, and even longer if you count
ventriloquist dummies (e.g.
The Dead of Night, 1945). And while devilish dolls have never been
as ubiquitous as ghosts, zombies, or vampires, they've enjoyed a
revival since the
Annabelle series.
Evil Little Things's wraparound features the usual little boy
(Mason Wells) who can't sleep at night because he thinks there are
monsters under his bed. His mother (L.A. Winters) takes him to a toy
store to buy a doll for protection. A quirky toymaker (nicely played
by Geoff McKnight)
then tells them about the tale behind two dolls.
"Blood for Gold" is the first, and weaker, of the two tales. A mother,
Jess (Hannah Fierman), battles a leprechaun doll on Halloween night.
When the doll attacks, wielding a knife, one recalls
Trilogy of Terror. But this leprechaun is no Zuni fetish doll.
He's less fierce and less frightening. Even so, he's properly creepy,
and there are good moments, like when his face cracks and we see the
creature beneath. His demise down the fireplace shaft recalls
Don't Be Afraid of the Dark.
Although "Blood of Gold" is set during Halloween, no real attempt is
made at creating a Halloween atmosphere, so why even mention the
holiday? There are some plot contrivances. Jess's BFF is a sheriff
(Courtney Hogan) who seems to have little to do other than hang out
with Jess, or surf the web in her patrol car as she researches Jess's
problems. She is also too quick to guess that Jess is in trouble
during the doll attack.
On the whole, "Blood for Gold" is enjoyable if unexceptional, with
decent (not great) acting.
"Be Careful What You Wish For" is the real gem in this film. Abby
(Courtney Lakin) is young woman bearing facial and shoulder scars, the
result of a fire. Director Matt Green cheats a bit, in that Abby's
scars off to the side, so her face is still beautiful. But despite her
beauty, Lakin does a great job conveying Abby's insecurities,
loneliness, and romantic longings. Lakin has created a character who
is sympathetic and vulnerable, without being pathetic or whiny.
Abby's evil doll, Patty, preys on Abby's insecurities. Patty too is
scarred from the fire, and insists that they share a bond of ugliness.
That Abby is unlovable because of her scars, and thus only she, Patty,
can love her.
An especially nice touch is when Abby buys a beautiful new doll --
which she names Abby -- to treasure and love. This shows that Abby has
no jealousy of others' beauty (she realized the doll is not her),
while simultaneously projecting her longings onto her new doll. But
Patty scars the Abby doll too.
Abby eventually goes to a genre convention and reconnects with Jeremy
(Jonathan Horne), a former beau. To Abby's surprise and delight,
Jeremy still loves her. Their emerging romance is well handled, their
chemistry believable. As someone who's been to many genre conventions,
I especially liked the setting. Despite the film's low-budget, and
thus scant crowds, the convention milieu felt authentic.
There's a lot of symbolism and psychology that can be read into "Be
Careful What You Wish For." Seasoned horror fans will wonder whether
Patty is really alive, or is Abby the real villain, lashing out
through Patty? But it soon becomes apparent that, yes, Patty really is
alive and evil. There's an especially neat shock when Jeremy brushes
past Patty, and we see that Patty's head has suddenly turned.
Evil Little Things's low-budget is evident at times. Streets are
usually nearly empty. No trick-or-treaters in "Blood for Gold." No
crowds at the convention (cleverly hidden by a tight frame). But the
stories and
characters are engaging enough so that we can easily
suspend our disbelief.
The production values in
Evil Little Things are quite good. Nice sound and cinematography.
Most of the actors do a decent job, with Courtney Lakin the real
standout. Her character is what makes this a memorable film.
Even better, "Be Careful What You Wish For" pulls no punches. It ends
on a savagely dark note. Not entirely original, but surprising
nonetheless. Horror fans should be most satisfied.
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