The Horror Show
Tales Beyond Madness
by Damon Packard
I review a lot of anthology films, but at a certain point the term gets stretched to its limits. Some anthologies are more a collection of films, which is certainly the case with Tales Beyond Madness. To me, using the word “Tales” will always be most authentic with a full-fledged multiple-story project, complete with frame story and all. TBM, however, is simply a handful of films by Damon Packard.
I can't blame the film for not being an anthology film, as that wasn't the point. However, I do feel something is lost and less fun when there's no thought put into how the shorts jive with one another. The first short deals with a group of special effects students who venture out to the cemetery to find the grave of recently departed legend John Carpenter (relax, at the time of this review's writing, the master is still alive and well in real life). Overall, this was probably my favorite short of the bunch. It was unfocused and at times tried way too hard to connect to the horror community and work jokes in, but it was fun to watch. There were some cool references and it was a neat concept. And so, I ventured on.
The second short couldn't be more different from the first. It was a Japanese style film, only occasionally subtitled, full of color and life. I liked this short as well, even if I had no idea what the hell was going on. It dealt with a lot of classic Japanese concepts of kindness and honor and whatnot. There were some surprisingly good martial arts moments and it made great use of a low budget. Stuffed animals and common wildlife are turned into dangerous characters using a mixture of animation and sound. I don't know if it all amounted to anything, but it was at least entertaining.
The next short was... well... the next short. I'll admit that I had a difficult time wrapping my head around this one. It seemingly centers on a group of artsy filmmakers/living artists who are staging... something. But the film/project they're working on is all artsy and stuff and so the film itself becomes all artsy and stuff? There's plenty of trippy, art-house style films I love and have written praise for and it's entirely possible that I just didn't “get” what was happening in this particular short. Simply put, I didn't get what was happening. There are little moments of things becoming stable and having the creators of the project talking to each other about it. These small parts have me hope that I would have a better understanding of where the dimensions of the shorts are. I still can't really figure out if those few times helped or only made me more confused. These moments themselves become removed from reality and by the end I had no idea what to think. The film is a collage of sound and image, stock footage and clips from famous works and interviews. Admittedly it mostly feels like it's trying to pad itself out while seeming like it's making a point, but we all have our own voice so who am I to judge? I will say that I found myself somewhat more into the short as it moved along and some parts by the last few minutes are pretty cool. But I never really knew if I should try to make sense of it or just sit back, prepare for random craziness, and let it ride.
At this point, I actually don't feel comfortable officially stating how many shorts followed because I don't know. By the time the third short made itself known things got real wacky real quick. I'm not sure if all of what follows is part of it or separate stories that are just also weird and artsy. There are other title screens to an extent, but there's so much going on at this point that such moments don't necessarily specify the beginning of the next story. Near the end of the overall film, there's a segment that deals with chemtrails that feels at least somewhat its own thing. I felt a little better with more structure, but by the end of the whole thing I was drained.
All in all, it's difficult to give an overall impression of this film. It's actually about reviewing multiple movies that are all completely different from one another. Unlike with a typical anthology, in which the flow and placement of the stories is an important aspect, these shorts stand alone. Just because they're given the same header doesn't mean they're actually one solid project. I've heard the term “Omnibus” used to describe the film and that's the most accurate. None of this is a criticism, as my perception of what I was about to see was simply different than what the collection ended up being. But there's a lot of creativity contained and the director clearly has a lot of unique ideas and influences. I don't dislike the crazier aspects of the film, but paired with the shorts that were easier to separate from one another, it can get muddled. The first two films were full of energy and erratic, but obviously their own thing. Then the rest of the film happens. That's how I look at Tales Beyond Madness. And if that sounds like something you may be interested to check out, I say go for it. Just know what you're getting into because I can see a lot of viewers just being confused.tle for survival. To be frank, I’d rather spend these 85 minutes re-watching the original movie.
P.J. Griffin, HMS
The Horror Show Menu.