Matt Konopka reviews Larry Fessenden’s ‘Trauma or, Monsters All’, a monster mashup unlike any other out there.
Over thirty years ago, filmmaker Larry Fessenden released Habit, starring himself as an alcoholic who changes into a vampire after meeting a mysterious woman. It was based on a short he made in 1982. Now, three decades later, Fessenden comes full circle with Trauma or, Monsters All, a monster mashup that combines his bloodsucker with other classic creatures from his films. And if you’re a fan, well, this is a must-see from the director.
Cassandra (Laetitia Hollard) has just moved to Talbot Falls, where she plans to write a book about George Washington Carver (aka the peanut guy, and so much more). But when the budding writer discovers she might have monsters living next door, she writes an article digging up the town’s bloody murders blamed on a werewolf. Now, Sam (Fessenden), a vampire, has shown up looking for the creatures. And he’s far from the only one.
Trauma or, Monsters All is an impressive feat that should get the blood pumping for Fessenden fans. His latest brings together characters/monsters from throughout his career. Of course, there’s Fessenden reprising his role as Sam; Alex Hurt as werewolf Charley from Blackout; And Alex Breaux as Adam, aka Frankenstein’s Monster from Depraved. That’s not all, either. Addison Timlin (Blackout’s Sharon), Joshua Leonard (Depraved’s Polidori), Barbara Crampton (Blackout’s Kate), and many more return as well. It’s a who’s who of the Fessenden universe, all brought back for what feels like one last, big bang for the filmmaker…and it’s spectacular.
If you’ve never seen a Fessenden monster movie, then you should know he doesn’t make ordinary creature features. Similar to Guillermo del Toro, the filmmaker takes a much different approach than your average monster movie extravaganza. Fessenden is the rare storyteller who doesn’t just understand the humanity of his creatures, but has an innate ability to express that on-screen. Trauma or, Monsters All isn’t Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man (a movie I adore). Don’t expect the campy monster fights of King Kong vs. Godzilla. And, no, you won’t find the gore of Freddy vs. Jason, either. This film isn’t about the monster clashes (though it does have them). It’s about the very soul of these creatures…and the trauma that follows them wherever they go.
Turns out, Adam is living next door to Cassandra. Charley’s his roommate, locked up in the basement during each full moon. When Cassandra turns her attention to the two in a Fright Night move, it flips the whole town upside down. Adam and Charley are pissed. So is Cassandra’s new friend and romantic interest, Agnes (Aitana Doyle). Strangers hound the poor woman, from Sharon to Polidori and Sam, all wanting to know where the monsters from their past reside. For others, Cassandra’s article signifies the opening of an unhealed wound, still throbbing after all these years.
See, Trauma or, Monsters All taps into the same vein as something like Godzilla Minus One or even Rob Zombie’s Halloween II. It’s not as interested in scaring you as it is in exploring the devastation left in the hearts of people who either lost loved ones, lost themselves, or both. Neither Sam nor Charley nor Adam are evil. Yet, as is tradition, they’ve been hunted for as long as they can remember. All their stories reflect on the mob mentality of human beings and the way we dismiss our humanity in the face of fear. The townspeople of Talbot Falls have chosen to forget, to block out the more monstrous pieces of stories that don’t fit their reality. Cassandra brings all that back, lighting a fuse that shakes the quiet town.
Sound familiar?
I don’t want to put words in Larry’s mouth, but it’s difficult not to feel the film is inspired by events like January 6th. Fessenden looks at an event like that and wrestles with the way some of us choose to rewrite history. Whether out of fear, hate, trauma, whatever, we blackout the monsters we perceive. Especially when the monster turns out to be us. Cassandra and others question why we are so quick to dismiss each other. Why must we try to make everything black or white? This side or that side? As Charley, an artist when he’s not wolfing out, declares as the title of his masterpiece, “I Contain Multitudes”. And it’s true. He’s more than a werewolf. Adam is more than a being of stitched-together parts. Sam is more than a fiend for blood. We are all more than who we appear to be.
While Trauma or, Monsters All runs a little too long at just under two hours, it generally uses that time wisely. For viewers just dropping into this universe, Fessenden brilliantly weaves in exposition that doesn’t feel distracting. Brief images and clever dialogue find ways to fill the audience in, whether you’re meeting the characters for the first time or forgot parts of their journey. There are perhaps one too many characters. Not every storyline goes somewhere meaningful, or feels complete by the end. But that’s to be expected with a mashup blending the worlds of three different films. I can forgive it for that.
And if all my sappy talk about the tremendous soul pulsating throughout has you worried there isn’t any horror, don’t be. Fessenden has always had the ability to stitch effective terror and heart-wrenching tragedy together. Trauma or, Monsters All is no exception. There aren’t many kills, but what’s there is plenty gruesome. The villain of the piece, Fessenden shines as Sam, reserved to his fate and anxious to find others like him. His Nosferatu-style makeup chills, as do various inventive shots like one that follows his clawed hand as it soars towards a dark house. This may be a thoughtful monster movie that zones in on the grief of its creatures, but that doesn’t mean it’s without the genuine horror that those monsters bring with them.
Ever since Habit, I’ve loved the way that Fessenden approaches classic movie monsters. But his philosophical approach won’t be for everyone, nor will the limitations of the budget, which Fessenden mostly gets by through clever camera tricks where he can. If you haven’t enjoyed his others, I doubt you’ll like Trauma or, Monsters All any better. If you are a fan, though, Fessenden’s latest is the culmination of three decades of monsters that you’ve been waiting for: A monster mashup unlike anything else.
Rumored to be Fessenden’s last film, who knows if we’ll see more of this world or not. What I can say for sure is, if this is the last, the filmmaker has gone out with a satisfying howl that’ll echo in the minds of fans for years.
Trauma or, Monsters All is now playing in limited theaters, with a VOD release planned for November 24th via Dark Sky Films and Glass Eye Pix.
