Edge Rewrite
everything Source code View original
// HTMLRewriter · presentation

This page was redesigned at the edge.

Cloudflare fetched the original article and streamed it through HTMLRewriter to apply an entirely new visual system without rebuilding the source page.

// request.cf · coarse context

A page that knows where it met you.

Only coarse request metadata is shown. This demo does not display or persist visitor IP addresses.

Country
US
Cloudflare location
CMH
Connection
HTTP/2
Language
Not provided

Ray ID: a256fcec5d15a23e

Jump to content

Razzennest

Edit links
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Razzennest
Directed byJohannes Grenzfurthner
Written byJohannes Grenzfurthner
Produced byJasmin Hagendorfer, Guenther Friesinger, Julianne Gabert, Johannes Grenzfurthner
CinematographyFlorian Hofer, Philine Hofmann, Ronald von den Sternen
Music byAlec Empire
Production
company
Release date
Running time
81 minutes
CountryAustria
LanguageEnglish

Razzennest is a 2022 Austrian supernatural, satirical horror film written and directed by Johannes Grenzfurthner.[1][2] The film was produced by art group monochrom.

Grenzfurthner has described Razzennest as part of a loose trilogy with Masking Threshold (2021) and Solvent (2024), connected by their emphasis on horror and sound.[3][4][5]

Plot

[edit]

South African filmmaker and enfant terrible Manus Oosthuizen meets with film critic Babette Cruickshank in a Los Angeles sound studio. With key members of Manus's crew joining, they record an audio commentary track for his new "elegiac feature documentary Razzennest" that cryptically deals with the legacy of the Thirty Years' War. Strange incidents occur during the recording session; one by one, the film crew members are possessed by the ghosts of soldiers and peasants from 1645, and history repeats itself.[6][7]

Cast

[edit]
  • Sophie Kathleen Kozeluh as Babette Cruickshank
  • Michael Smulik as Manus Oosthuizen
  • Anne Weiner as Ellen Zampaglione
  • Roland Gratzer as Hetti Friesenbichler
  • Jim Libby as Pat Kirkpatrick
  • Bob Rose as Bob
  • Joe Dante as Joe Dante, narrator[8]

Themes

[edit]

Razzennest combines elements of satire, tragicomedy, drama, horror, and ghost story,[8] and has been described as a self-reflexive film about filmmaking. In a statement for Daily Dead, Grenzfurthner said that the film allowed him to write both "a love letter to genre films" and a satire of "pretentious arthouse films", while also mocking the conventions of genre cinema. He also described the film as a reflection on the legacy of the Thirty Years' War and on what he called the "undead legacy of murderous Christianity".[9]

Although Grenzfurthner called Razzennest "bizarre", he stated that he considered it more accessible than his previous film Masking Threshold.[10]

Production

[edit]

Development

[edit]

Grenzfurthner has described the film's form as a practical and aesthetic response to the difficulty of making a historical film about the Thirty Years' War on an independent budget. In a 2025 interview, he said that several ideas merged into the project, including his long-standing interest in the Thirty Years' War and the question of how to make such a subject feasible without producing a large-scale historical epic. This led to the idea of using a film commentary track as the narrative engine, allowing the events of the film to unfold primarily through audio rather than through conventional dramatic reconstruction.[11]

In an interview with VOD Club, Grenzfurthner connected the film to his broader interest in first-person narration in horror cinema. He stated that literary horror frequently uses the first-person perspective, while horror films often translate such material into a more conventional visual third-person mode. He described Razzennest as an attempt to explore how the atrocities of the Thirty Years' War could be represented cinematically, using the film's metafictional structure to examine the difficulty of communicating such violence through a montage of images alone.[12]

Filming

[edit]
Razzennest film shoot inside one of the Schwedenhöhlen (Rohrwald)

Principal photography started on 2 March 2022, entirely in the Rohrwald region, with most of the shots in the villages Oberrohrbach (Leobendorf), Niederhollabrunn, Niederfellabrunn, and Leitzersdorf.[13] Grenzfurthner stated that the film "provided an exciting chance to portray a fascinating landscape, the Rohrwald, which is only a few kilometers from where I grew up."[9]

As the plot focuses on the so-called Schwedenhöhlen (Swedish Caves), earthen stables that were carved into the loess in the 16th and 17th centuries, the film was shot at these locations, using them as part of its visual and historical setting.

The visual layer of the film consists largely of unpopulated images of the Rohrwald and its surroundings. Reviews described the fictional documentary footage as including static shots of rural objects and landscapes, drone images of the area and nearby Burg Kreuzenstein, as well as cave-like tunnels in the forest.[14] Grenzfurthner cited Nikolaus Geyrhalter's documentary Homo Sapiens as an influence on the static, depopulated visual style of the fictional documentary within the film.[15]

Post-production and sound design

[edit]

Grenzfurthner edited the film himself and said in interviews that he wanted to be precise with the style and pace associated with the fictitious director/editor Oosthuizen.[16]

Sound was central to the film's production concept. In a 2023 interview with Keyframe, Grenzfurthner said that his work on Masking Threshold, especially its use of sound to represent tinnitus and psychological disintegration, led him to further explore dramatic sound in Razzennest. He worked with Daniel Hasibar and Fabian Wessely on the film's sound design.[17] Critics frequently noted that the film's horror is conveyed primarily through voices, foley effects, and sound rather than through visible action. Film Threat described the film as an unusually claustrophobic work in which the audience never sees the main characters' actions, while the images function as tonal counterpoints to what is heard on the commentary track.[18]

Music

[edit]

The soundtrack was created by German experimental electronic musician Alec Empire.[19][20] Critic Richard Propes described Empire's original score as complementing the visuals without dominating them.[21]

Release

[edit]

Razzennest had its world premiere on 29 September 2022 at Fantastic Fest as part of the Burnt Ends showcase. Festival curator Annick Mahnert called it "an audio commentary feature film filled with surprises and inside jokes."[22] The European premiere took place at the B3 Biennial of the Moving Image in Frankfurt.[23][24] Festivals such as Nightmares Film Festival, A Night of Horror International Film Festival,[25] South African Horrorfest, Cucalorus Film Festival,[26] Feratum Film Festival in Mexico,[27] and BizarroLand Film Festival have screened the film. The Austrian premiere was at Diagonale 2023 in Graz.[28]

It was released on the US streaming service Fandor on 2 May 2023.[citation needed]

Reception

[edit]

Critical response

[edit]

Critical response has been positive. The film holds a 93% approval rating on the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, with a weighted average of 7/10.[29] Film Threat awarded Razzennest 8/10 and wrote that "[t]he soundscape and voice acting create an alternate world", calling the film "an effective and unique filmic (and audio) experience."[30] Daily Dead called Razzennest "genuinely thought-provoking, scary, a bit satirical and bitingly funny."[31] iHorror wrote that the film is "an entirely new kind of horror film."[6]

Daily Grindhouse's Katelyn Nelson described the film as "a novel approach to the forced confrontation with history", while Melissa Hannon of Horror Geek Life wrote that "the sharp satirical dialogue rarely misses a beat."[32][33] Timothy Glaraton of Horror Obsessive wrote that Razzennest was "truly unlike anything I've ever seen", and Louisa Moore of Screen Zealots said that "from the vivid and violent descriptions to the bloodcurdling screams, Razzennest is the stuff of nightmares."[34][35] Screen Anarchy's Kyle Logan wrote that the film brings "a horrific audio drama into cinema" while retaining "the power of its images" and audio-only narrative.[36]

Awards

[edit]
  • Best Director for Johannes Grenzfurthner for Razzennest at Nightmares Film Festival 2022
  • Best Screenplay for Johannes Grenzfurthner for Razzennest at South African Horrorfest 2022
  • Best Editing for Johannes Grenzfurthner for Razzennest at South African Horrorfest 2022
  • Special Jury Mention for Razzennest at Film Maudit 2.0 in Los Angeles, 2023
  • Antonio Margheriti Award for Razzennest at the TOHorror Fantastic Film Fest in Turin, Italy, 2023

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ↑ "Top FM4". Top FM4. 24 June 2022. FM4.
  2. ↑ "Razzennest Trailer präsentiert euch eine andere Art Horror". Thrill and Kill. 3 August 2022. Archived from the original on 16 October 2022. Retrieved 4 August 2022.
  3. ↑ "Sound ist das Wichtigste beim Film!" (in German). 19 March 2023. Retrieved 19 March 2023.
  4. ↑ "Kino-Zeit: Razzennest" (in German). Retrieved 3 April 2023.
  5. ↑ "Fandor Keyframe: Razzennest". 5 May 2023. Retrieved 5 May 2023.
  6. 1 2 "'Razzennest' Trailer Introduces an Entirely New Kind of Horror Film From 'Masking Threshold' Director". iHorror. 29 July 2022.
  7. ↑ "B3 Biennale in Frankfurt: Die Kunst der bewegten Bilder". Frankfurter Rundschau. 13 October 2022. Archived from the original on 16 October 2022. Retrieved 16 October 2022.
  8. 1 2 "Horror Writer/Director Johannes Grenzfurthner Unveils 'Razzennest'". Static Multimedia. 29 August 2022. Archived from the original on 29 August 2022. Retrieved 29 August 2022.
  9. 1 2 "Interview with Filmmaker, Writer, Artist and Performer Johannes Grenzfurthner". Grimoire of Horror. 27 July 2022. Archived from the original on 1 October 2022. Retrieved 1 October 2022.
  10. ↑ "Der Wahnsinn unter dem Mikroskop". ORF FM4. 12 April 2022. Archived from the original on 26 June 2022. Retrieved 24 June 2022.
  11. ↑ Panico, Sam (8 January 2025). "Exclusive interview with Johannes Grenzfurthner part 3". B&S About Movies. Retrieved 23 May 2026.
  12. ↑ "Interview Johannes Grenzfurthner". VOD Club (in German). Retrieved 23 May 2026.
  13. ↑ Development, Podbean (5 September 2022). "Shrimp Night! #22, Johannes Grenzfurthner". Thundergrunt. Archived from the original on 6 September 2022. Retrieved 6 September 2022.
  14. ↑ "Johannes Grenzfurthner's experimental supernatural horror "Razzennest" is a disquieting sensory experience that'll leave you stunned". Elements of Madness. 28 November 2022. Retrieved 23 May 2026.
  15. ↑ Panico, Sam (8 January 2025). "Exclusive interview with Johannes Grenzfurthner part 3". B&S About Movies. Retrieved 23 May 2026.
  16. ↑ Development, Podbean. "Johannes Grenzfurthner, interview". The Overlook Hour Podcast. Archived from the original on 14 October 2022. Retrieved 14 October 2022.
  17. ↑ Dollar, Steve (5 May 2023). "Interview: Johannes Grenzfurthner on "Razzennest"". Keyframe. Fandor. Retrieved 23 May 2026.
  18. ↑ Gibson, Bradley (7 October 2022). "Razzennest". Film Threat. Retrieved 23 May 2026.
  19. ↑ "Razzennest (2022)". monochrom.film. 29 August 2022. Archived from the original on 28 August 2022. Retrieved 28 August 2022.
  20. ↑ Alec Empire (Atari Teenage Riot) [@ATRiot_] (29 July 2022). "Razzennest Trailer is out! Upcoming film with Alec Empire's soundtrack" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  21. ↑ "Razzennest (2022)". The Independent Critic. 2 October 2022. Archived from the original on 2 October 2022. Retrieved 2 October 2022.
  22. ↑ "Film lineup". 2022.fantasticfest.com. Archived from the original on 5 October 2022. Retrieved 16 October 2022.
  23. ↑ Magel, Eva-Maria. "Frankfurter Biennale B3: Kunst für Goldgräber". Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung. Archived from the original on 14 October 2022. Retrieved 15 October 2022.
  24. ↑ "Razzennest". B3 Biennial of the Moving Image. Archived from the original on 10 October 2022. Retrieved 16 October 2022.
  25. ↑ "Program 2022". A Night of Horror International Film Festival. Archived from the original on 14 October 2022. Retrieved 16 October 2022.
  26. ↑ "Cucalorus Film Festival". cucalorus.eventive.org. Archived from the original on 6 October 2022. Retrieved 16 October 2022.
  27. ↑ "Feratum XI listo para aterrorizar calles y plazas de Pátzcuaro" (in Spanish). Retrieved 26 October 2022.
  28. ↑ "Schräge Liebe und Horror-Porno auf der Diagonale 2023" (in Austrian German). Retrieved 10 March 2023.
  29. ↑ "Razzennest Movie Reviews". Rotten Tomatoes. Archived from the original on 11 October 2022. Retrieved 2 December 2021.
  30. ↑ "Review: Razzennest". Film Threat. 7 October 2022. Archived from the original on 7 October 2022. Retrieved 7 October 2022.
  31. ↑ "Fantastic Fest 2022 Review: Razzennest is a Crazy, Fun Outside-the-Box Horror Story". Daily Dead. 26 September 2022. Archived from the original on 26 September 2022. Retrieved 26 September 2022.
  32. ↑ "'Razzennest' Blends Ghost Story and Satire in Avant Garde Fashion". Daily Grindhouse. 27 September 2022. Archived from the original on 26 September 2022. Retrieved 26 September 2022.
  33. ↑ "'Razzennest' Review: A Uniquely Horrifying Auditory Experience". Horror Geek Life. 29 September 2022. Archived from the original on 1 October 2022. Retrieved 1 October 2022.
  34. ↑ "Fantastic Fest 2022: My Top Five Films From The Fest!". Horror Obsessive. 1 October 2022. Archived from the original on 5 October 2022. Retrieved 5 October 2022.
  35. ↑ "Razzennest". Screen Zealots. 7 October 2022. Archived from the original on 9 October 2022. Retrieved 9 October 2022.
  36. ↑ "Panic Fest 2023 Review: Razzennest Successfully Brings an Audio Drama to Film". Screen Anarchy. 24 April 2023. Retrieved 25 April 2023.
[edit]
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Razzennest&oldid=1360338446"