No Telling / press
NO TELLING | cast | crew | notes | press | photos | horror | animal rights | LOW IMPACT Filmmaking
HORRORDIVA.COM, APRIL 2002 (excerpt)
In examining the films that Larry Fessenden has directed since starting Glass Eye Pix, it is clear that these philosophies are extremely important to him and that they play a major role in each of his productions. In the beginning of Glass Eye Pix (GEP), Fessenden acted mainly as a producer and editor for several performance artists, non-profit groups, and independent filmmakers . Then, in 1991, Fessenden set out to shoot his first major feature film through GEP. The subject matter for his first major film is what has characterized Fessenden as both an activist and a horror filmmaker. No TellingThe Frankenstein Complex internationally, in the most basic terms, is a graphic film about the horrors of bizarre medical experiments that are routinely performed on animals. Fessenden sets up his movie both as a testament to his Eco-activist beliefs and as a response to the typical structure of Hollywood environmental cinema.VIDEO BUSINESS, August 1998
"Always spooky and at time genuinely horrifying, this 1991 independent production is an unusual commodity. At its roots a thriller if not an outright horror film, NO TELLING is also a drama with social purpose, namely a defense of animal rights and, more generally, the environment. Though occasionally stilted and preachy, this very watchable entry makes the most of a shoestrill budget, delivering its message with meaning, honesty and jolting, purposeful gore. NO TELLING should have been released on video years ago and proves that Fessenden is a filmmaker worth keeping an eye on."Hazel-Dawn Dumpert, LA WEEKLY (October 30, 1997)
"When Larry Fessenden made NO TELLING in 1991, the issues upon which he hung his reconstructed Frankenstein story - namely vivisection and environmental corruption - were on high boil. Which may be why, even today, viewers could miss the blatent romantiscism with which Fessenden re-inscribes classic horror conventions, commenting on everything from the clash and collusion of science and art to the beauty and horror of creation (filmic and otherwise) to the sadness of ephemeral love. The story of a young couple whose summer in the country goes terribly awry (he's there for his experiments in "chemo-electric therapies," she's ther to paint and get pregnant), NO TELLING is not without its flaws. Fessenden himself admits that the picture is mannered, and it does indulge in technique for its own sake; but through the blunders come bursts of Grand Guignol humor, some real thought about what's at stake for the film's wandering souls, and an appreciation for the idea that leaving ourselves open to the sentimental side of life exposes us to its terrors as well."FESTIVAL PRINT REVIEWS 1992 (excerpts)
Jay Carr, THE BOSTON GLOBE
"This sexual, political, environmental thriller is the year's real Sleeping with the Enemy... it's got hold of something and it's commitment gives it impact."Daniel Kimmel, VARIETY
"Fessenden manages to avoid turning the drama into melodrama, and the occasional shock scenes of animal experimentation keeps the emphasis on the story rather than gore effects. That seriousness, however, forecloses this film as entry into the horror market. Irish born stage actress Healy-Louie makes her film debut here with considerable prescence. Tech credits are fine, with Fessenden establishing a nice foreboding mood early on by noting details like the boxes marked "rat guillotines" in the laboratory."THE BOSTON PHEONIX
"A disgusting, horrifying spectacle. The Manichæn political correctness of Larry Fessenden and Beck Underwood's screenplay is bad enough for the way it shortchanges the real issues, but the depiction of what that psycho Geoffrey does to his animals will really send you reeling to the nearest washroom. Director Fessenden shoots Geoffrey's actions with a woozy un-SteadiCam, in the manner of cheap horror flicks like EVIL DEAD. But there's more gore here than in most horror movies, as animal torture is depicted with grim relish that surely crosses the line between expose and exploitation... the carcasses still pile up faster than in a Peter Greenaway movie."Elaine Beery, ORGANICA
"Fessenden draws a very thin line between the evil he portrays and the humor and irony of his characterizations ... provokes a visceral response."
NO TELLING | cast | crew | notes | press | photos | horror | animal rights | LOW IMPACT Filmmaking