Cannibal Kitchen: Silent House

I’ve come to the conclusion that I have awful luck at advanced screenings. I’m still having nightmares from the guy who rambled about Cabin Fever 2 during “The Innkeepers”, and while viewing “Silent House” this past Monday, I’m convinced the guy behind me was making a party sub and talking to his drug dealer on the phone. Regardless, kudos to AMC for putting said degenerate in line. I only had some Watermelon Sour Patch Kids left and I think the most I could have done was pour sugar in his eye. 

I first got wind of the original “Silent House” some time early 2011. I was instantly intrigued by the films origins, Uruguay, as well as, the fact that it was rumored to be filmed entirely in one shot with a $6,000 budget. I wouldn’t rate Uruguay as the horror film capital of the world, so it was kind of interesting to hear of a film coming from that area. On top of that, the director/partial writer, Gustavo Hernandez, has never done a film to my knowledge, but instead has only dabbled with some TV series. Regardless, I was game, and I quickly got my hands on a copy.

The original Silent House is far from perfect. Nonetheless, it’s an interesting film with good parts. All of the dialogue is in Spanish, and I do believe there is a lot in this film that gets lost in translation. That in itself does leave holes in the story that do get annoying for the viewer at times. Regardless, I think Florencia Colucci does a great job at the lead. She plays a terrified person at the edge of insanity very well. I personally loved the cut and dry nature of this film. It was to the point, dark, no unnecessary big Hollywood sparkle, and consists of a “High Tension”-Esq twist that I didn’t see coming until close to the final frame. I’m not going to lie, initially I had a hard time with the shaky camera work, and the fact that this film is not marketed as a “found footage” movie. However, I quickly got over it as I got sucked into the story and the well-done suspense. Yes this movie does unfold like a play, but I really do have a hard time believing the director is being completely honest when he says Silent House was filmed in one continuous take. Especially when he follows it up by saying the movie was filmed in 4-5 days; it credits an editor at the end, and has another 5 minutes of footage after the credits roll. As with most decent made foreign horror films, of course there was someone quick to jump on an American remake. These two directors would be husband and wife team, Chris Kentis and Laura Lau, and I have to say; they didn’t do a half bad job.

The American “Silent House”, is not a bad remake. I do however feel it’s a semi different film. Yes it adapts the basic story line of the original, but it really glitzes it up and alters the twist to make the film a bit more PC. In hindsight, I guess that’s usually what directors do with remakes of foreign films when they feel it may be to “racy” for the mass American consumption. Maybe I’m a sick individual, but I personally preferred the darkness of twist in the original. I also believe altering the twist in the remake and not changing some of the other parts of the film to match really left gaps that aren’t easy to ignore. On a much happier note, again this film had a very strong lead woman character. I don’t know where Elizabeth Olsen got her acting capabilities in that gene pool, but she killed it. (Semi pun intended). Her ability to portray emotion and throw herself into a roll is applaudable, and I really hope to start seeing her in more films. 

Wow, my fingers hurt. I really think this may be one of the longest reviews I’ve ever written. I guess it’s undeniable that Silent House is a film that will make you have a lot to say afterwards. Even though I preferred the original, I think both of these films are worthy of watching, and I’d love to hear what you all think of them. Silent House officially drops tomorrow, Friday March 9th, and I know you can get your hands on a copy of the original through Netflix. Until then, let’s keep the Spanish Vs. American movie battle going but this time in a flavor inspired food war. Pick your poison.

La Casa Enchilada
I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone who didn’t like enchiladas in one way or another. This is a Spanish inspired enchilada that consists of many of the flavors and ingredients found in traditional Spanish cuisine. The real truth, you may not even get to the enchilada part once you taste this red pepper sauce. I pretty much wanted to dip everything in my kitchen, including the toaster, into the pot.

Ingredients:
– 5 Small Flour Tortillas
– 2 Cups Apple Juice
– 1 Chorizo Sausage, cut in half
– 1 Package Pre-made BBQ Pulled Chicken
– 2 Cups Chopped Kale
– 1/4 Cup Vidalia  Onion, Diced
– 3 Garlic Cloves, Crushed and diced
– 1 Tablespoon Olive oil
– 2 Cinnamon Sticks
– Manchengo cheese, grated

Directions:
Pre-heat oven to 400F. In a medium sauce pan over high heat bring apple cider with cinnamon sticks to a boil. Add cut chorizo sausages, and then reduce to low heat and allow to simmer for 10 minutes. In the meantime, in a medium sized saucepan over medium heat, heat up olive oil. Add garlic and onions, and saute for 4 minutes. Next, add Kale, stir to combine, and allow to cook covered until kale has wilted; 3-5 minutes. Remove the kale mixture and set aside. Then, remove the chorizo from the saucepan and discard the apple cider mixture. With the back of a fork, break up the chorizo.

To assemble the enchiladas, first heat up tortillas to make them more pliable. I’ve found the best way to do this is heating up some olive oil in a skillet and then slightly frying the tortillas one by one. Next, place a small layer of chorizo, followed by a thin layer of pre-made pulled chicken, and top off with some of the kale mixture. Wrap the tortilla’s tightly and place them in a rectangular baking dish that has a thin layer of sauce on the bottom (recipe to follow). Make sure to lay the folded side down.

Place each packed tortilla side by side tightly in the baking dish. Top off with a generous amount of sauce, and a little bit of grated cheese. Reserve the remainder of the sauce. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until edges of tortillas are slightly golden brown. Top off with a little extra sauce and serve warm.

Racy Red Pepper Sauce Ingredients:
– 2 (12 Ounce) Jars Roasted Red Pepper
– 1 Serrano Pepper, Chopped
– 1 Medium sized Plum Tomato
– 1/4 Cup Spanish Olives
– 1/4 Cup Vidalia Onion, chopped
– 1 Tablespoon Fresh Cilantro
– 1 Tablespoon Minced Garlic
– 1 Tablespoon White Vinegar
– 1 Teaspoon Smoked Paprika
– 1/2 Teaspoon Cumin
– 1/2 Teaspoon Salt
– 1/4 Teaspoon Black Pepper

Directions:
In a large saucepan over medium heat, add all ingredients and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce to low heat, cover, and allow to simmer for 30 minutes. With an immersion blender, or by transferring the mixture to a blender, mix until the texture is smooth. Use sauce as directed in above directions.

Serves 2-5


Americana Enchiladas
American cuisine is such a melting pot of ingredients, ideas, and flavors from around the world. The same thing can be said for American horror films. This is my version of an American and Spanish fusion enchilada dish. You have the under tones of Spanish flair, remade with some classic (and probably not good for you) American staples.

Ingredients:
– 5 Small Flour Tortillas
– 2 Generous Cups Tater tots
– 1 (6 Ounce) Can French Fried Onions
– 1 (15 ounce) Can White beans
– 1 Teaspoon Minced Garlic
– 1/2 Teaspoon Smoked Paprika
– Cheddar Jack Cheese, Grated.


Directions:
Cook tater tots according to manufacture instructions, but taking them out slightly early. In the meantime, empty half the can of beans into a bowl. With a fork or a potato masher, slightly mash up the beans. You want the texture to be semi paste like with some chunks of beans still intact. Add the minced garlic, and paprika to the beans and mix to combine. Once the tater tots have cooked, transfer them to a bowl, and with the back of a fork slightly mash the tater tots. You want them broken apart, but not totally smooth. Chunks are ok.

To assemble the enchiladas, first heat up tortillas to make them more pliable. You can use the same method I stated above, or pop them in the microwave to save time. Next, place a small layer of beans, followed by a thin layer of tater tots, and top off with some french fried onions. Wrap the tortilla’s tightly and place them in a rectangular baking dish that has a thin layer of sauce on the bottom (recipe to follow). Make sure to lay the folded side down.