Wednesday, November 9, 2016

'Monday at 11:01 a.m." DVD/Blu-ray The Lyin', The Witch, and The Wardrobe (and Lance Henriksen)




The 2016 textbook psychological thriller/inide film/Stephen King homage "Monday at 11:01 a.m.," which is a recent K Street Pictures DVD and Blu-ray release, is notable for having one of the most surprising twist endings of all time. The only spoiler is that this one does not involve a sled.

Producer/writer/star Charles Agron portrays arrogant vacationer Michael, who is is visiting a quaint but creepy isolated mountain town with his girlfriend Jenny.  The combination of the surprising hostile reception and sense that the townsfolk know this first-time visitor to their community start the suspense. This really amps on the couple arriving at the local hotel to find the manager very deferential and Michael getting a sense of deja vu,

The King vibe is especially strong regarding Michael experiencing vivid hallucinations during his stay. These largely center around perceptions of mayhem in a vacant hotel room.

Frank Black himself Lance Henirksen shines (no pun intended) as a mysterious and knowing bartender. The bar is also the center of the interaction between Michael and sultry but creepy bar fly Olivia, who insists that she and our hero share a history. This textbook femme fatale provides further menace in the form of adopting a threatening posture towards Jenny. This stems from Olivia being convinced that she has the number of the woman whom she considers her romantic rival.

As if this is not enough, Agron throws in a coven of black robed individuals with antlers who conduct nighttime rituals in the dark and increasingly focus their attention on the new kid on the block.

The titular day and time come into play regarding Jenny always providing that response when Michael asks her for the time.

The maddening genius of "Monday" is that it seems to be a mediocre Sci-Fi Movie of the Week about a man slowly losing his grip on reality; as mentioned above, the film is so much more. Everything makes great sense and has a few layers in the end. This includes showing the unexpected significance of the central time.

The extras include a 20-minute behind-the-scenes feature with Agron and his cast and crew.

Anyone with questions or comments regarding "Monday" is encouraged to email me; you can also connect on Twitter via @tvdvdguy.

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