Horror Movie Reviews (Part 2)

   Here are seven more films that I watched in honor of Halloween. Some are spooky, others are ooky, but only one was my favorite film of the fall. Read on to discover the exciting film I hail as the Halloweeniest of all. 

Village of the Damned

(1 and 1/2 stars)

   All I knew going into this film was that it was a John Carpenter flick. I was happily surprised to see Christopher Reeve and Kirstie Alley on screen. Unfortunately, my happiness gradually deflated as the two of them weren’t enough to give this film the added oompf it needed. You see, Village of the Damned was missing a very critical ingredient in order to be good... oompf. The film was never terrifying. It was only moderately suspenseful at times. Worst of all, it was made in 1995, but felt like it was from the early 80’s. The children in the movie did some horrible things; however, I wanted to see them do more. Their actions were petty compared to how oompf filled they could have been. 

   The Breakdown: The film had potential, but fell flat due to a mediocre script that lacked a healthy serving of scares. It’s watchable, just not very memorable.

Wolf Creek

(2 stars)

   This movie would be entirely forgettable if it wasn’t for John Jarratt’s portrayal of Mick Taylor, a friendly Aussie on the surface who has a twisted dark side. He comes off as likable and fun. Somewhat reminiscent of a crazy uncle. It is him alone, who makes Wolf Creek a chilling tale. 

   The three main characters are your typical early twenties peeps who are tormented in an infinite amount of horror flicks. In this adventure, they are driving across Australia and have car trouble. They quickly find help from Mick and don’t think for a second that he is something other than what he appears. With a fair amount of suspense, the film keeps the tension high. Will our main character’s stay alive? Can they escape from the middle of nowhere? What will Mick do next?

   Even with Mick as such a strong character, the story fails as it divides towards the middle of the film. It focuses entirely on two of the main characters and omits the third one almost entirely. Once the two characters’ stories are finished, it jumps back to the third main character and ends the movie with them. To me, this felt odd. I think the editing should have spliced the two stories closer together to keep the action moving and tension raised to an even higher hair raising level. 

   The third main character’s story ended up being far weaker than the other two characters’. It felt like an afterthought. A poor epilogue about a character who ended up being the least interesting in the entire movie. It was as if the writer didn’t know how to end the film and forgot about this third character until the night before shooting the film began. Granted, this was based on a true story, the writer should have taken more liberty with the content, in order to make for a better movie by credits end.

   The Breakdown: See it specifically for John Jarratt. He is a disturbing villain and steals every scene he enters. There are some truly terrifying moments. Just don’t be surprised when the movie trails off into an unsatisfying end.

The Descent Part 2

(3 and 1/2 stars)

   A worthy sequel to the first film. It continues almost exactly where The Descent left off and follows a group of rescuers back into the home of the blind cave dwelling flesh-loving humanesque creatures. 

   The circumstances of the sole survivor from the first film going back into the caves with the rescue team is extremely far fetched. I found it hard to believe that the local law enforcement would force a woman who just got out of the caves and has amnesia, back into the nightmarish realm which she barely escaped the first time around. Obviously, time is of the essence to find any possible survivors. Nevertheless, that situation is listed under ludicrous in my upcoming novel, Nonsensicalities in Filmdom.

   Once we the viewers descend back into the caves, the film becomes as claustrophobic inducing as the first one. It is also quite unsettling to rediscover the bodies of some of the women who we were familiar with from before. Part 2 features more scares, even more hold your breath moments, and perhaps one of the most memorable final scenes in any horror film. Where The Descent ended anticlimactically, The Descent: Part 2 sets the two survivors in a room with a group of our blind cave dwelling flesh-loving humanesue creatures as they devour their lunch. Get past this room and they are home free. Fortunately, these creatures can only hunt by sound. Unfortunately, the two survivors must be as silent as air. What plays out, is a scene so intense and exhilarating, you easily lose yourself in the moment. It is a finale that is definitive, climatic, and twisted. 

   The Breakdown: A must see movie for any fan of edge of your seat horror flicks. Never once does it cross the line of being excessively gory. It relies more on the fear of being trapped and lost in the dark with bizarre creatures lurking about. If you enjoyed the first film, you’ll also be an admirer of this one.  

The Exorcism of Emily Rose

(3 stars)

   An engaging film that focuses on the aftermath of an exorcism that has gone wrong. Father Moore (Tom Wilkinson) is accused of neglecting the “possessed” girl’s needs; therefore, ultimately causing her death. The film is a courtroom drama led by Erin Bruner (Laura Linney) and tells Emily Rose’s story through flashbacks during the trial and from Father Moore himself. 

   I believe the film would have been more effective if it was told in real time, as Emily Rose was experiencing the devil’s hold on her. By telling her story in short vignettes, I was spooked during the scenes, but knowing the final outcome (i.e. who lives and who dies) takes a great deal of the terror out of the film. The courtroom scenes ultimately got in the way of the much more interesting story. I did not want to be the outsider looking in. I wanted to be a part of the action. I wanted to know more about Emily Rose.

   Jennifer Carpenter was fantastic as Emily Rose. She is an actress who can play deeply distraught and emotionally unstable extremely well. She demonstrated this throughout the film and in many episodes of the television show, Dexter. It was a shame that she did not have more screen time. She was by far the most interesting character and yet, she was kept at a distance.

   The Breakdown: A griping tale that is based on true events. It is definitely a film to see and will keep you sucked in until the very end. Despite too much focus on the courtroom drama as opposed to Emily Rose herself, the film is still effective, especially thanks to an amazing cast.

Rogue

(4 stars)

   A giant killer crocodile in Australia traps a boat full of tourists on a small island. With night approaching and the tide rising higher with each passing minute, the tourists must find a way to make it back to the mainland without alerting their new friend. Naturally, there will be plenty of nail biting moments that will leave your heart pounding and nails unattractively short. 

   This film takes a simple story and makes it work exceptionally well by fully developing all of the characters without excessive backstories. I felt like I knew the characters based on minor details and interactions in the beginning of the film. This helped me forge a connection to them  and worry about them when they became the target of croczilla. I wanted to see them escape. I wanted all of them to survive because they were not poorly developed two dimensional characters. The film still would have been intense if it was a group of college students trapped by a crocodile; however, with a good cast and characters that people can relate to, the film becomes more intimate and harrowing when the normal believable characters are thrown into a terrifyingly surreal situation.

   The final confrontation between Pete (Michael Vartan) and the crocodile is insanely intense and highly imaginative. It features one of those “Oh my God! I can’t believe that just happened!” moments. Needless to say, it is a rare satisfying end to a horror/suspense film. I was so into the scene that I almost shouted at the screen. Silly me, as if my shouting would distract a croc while it is in hunt mode. 

   The Breakdown: A crocodile hunts a boatload of tourists. Great characters, intense scenes in and out of the water, and an epic finale. In my honorably humble opinion, it is a must see flick and my favorite Halloweenesque film that I watched in the fall of 2010. 

Addams Family Values

(2 and 1/2 stars)

   Da da da dun, snap, snap. Da da da dun, snap, snap... Sorry I couldn’t resist. The Addams Family are irresistibly fun and this film, for the most part, is as well. A brilliant cast helps to bring out the quirkiness of this eccentric clan. Although the film is not as strong as The Addams Family, it is an enjoyably dark humor-filled sequel. 

   Speaking of dark and humor-filled, I could have done without the unfunny, pastel loving Joan Cusack. She was as annoying as everything else she appears in. Quite frankly, I liken her to that wonderful sound of nails scratching down a school blackboard. Fortunately, in this film, she played the villain, so my dislike towards her worked in the film’s favor. Not to mention, Raul Julia, Angelica Huston, and the ridiculously amazing Christopher Lloyd as Uncle Fester, helped to alleviate the pain of seeing Joan Cusack throughout the duration of the film. 

   The Breakdown: An enjoyable film to watch. Don’t expect too much from it and it won’t disappoint you. The Addams Family cast should easily keep you entertained. Nothing quite like an oddball goth family to bring humor into your average, ordinary, mundane life. 

Trick or Treat

(2 stars)

   Four short stories intertwine to create several scares that take place on Halloween night. It is a film loaded with tricks up the wazoo and a few treats scattered about. Be warned, these tales are less about the fun of candy and more about deceit and murder. 

   The first story features a couple getting home from a night of Halloween fun. Their home quickly turns into a murder scene after creepy kid with a potato sack over his head teaches one of them the true meaning of Halloween. In another vignette, a twisted principle carves a  special pumpkin with his son. The interaction between Steven (Dylan Baker) and his son (Connor Christopher Levins) is hilarious. This is followed by a group of kids playing a nasty prank on a girl, mainly because she is different. Then a group of four women lure dates to a Halloween party and treat them to a unique campfire dinner. This is by far the weakest of the stories, especially since it features Anna Paquin. Does anyone really think she is good? The final story is the strongest and connects to the kids who play a trick. It features the fantastic Brian Cox as a cranky old man who gets a visit from creepy kid with a potato sack over his head. The scene in his house is intensely terrifying and thrilling to watch.

   By films end, I wanted more of the kids and Brian Cox story. I think a whole film focusing on them could be much stronger than a film broken up into short stories. I would also be interested in seeing an entire film with Dylan Baker as a serial killer principle. So much potential for full length stories and so much aggravation over wasting an entire story on Anna Paquin. I wonder what the writer was thinking. “Hmm... I have this flat, uninteresting imitation of a story. I’ll stick it right in the middle of the film and maybe people won’t notice how lousy it is. Especially if it features women wearing skanky outfits.” Yep, that was most likely his train of thought. 

   The Breakdown: Overall the movie accomplishes what it set out to do, which is to tell spooky stories that take place on Halloween night. It is a fun movie to watch. I like the idea of the short stories because it allows for several spooky tales to be told in one viewing; however, the weaker stories stand out and ultimately debilitate the film as a whole. As does each of the stories being too short. I was left wanting more from all of them. With the film only being 84 minutes, there was definitely room to expand on the stories and potentially strengthen each of them. 

Horror Movie Reviews (Part 1)

   Ah, the great dilemma of what to watch now that the ghouliest, most monsterific month out of the year has come to a close. With the end of Halloween, we are left with the faint echoes of zombies stomping, vampires biting, and witches cackling... or are we? There are some great horror movies to be seen during and after the most frightful time of the year. Just because individuals aren’t dressing up in cheap costumes and acting like silly willys doesn’t mean that we need to give up on  these creepy, disturbing, and slashtastic movies. So if you still have a taste for the undead, I present you with my reviews of the horror flicks that I viewed over the past couple of months. 

   I know first hand that one could easily be flabbergasted by the plethora of spine tingling movies that exist in our world. Sadly, most of these flicks that flock under the guise of horror films emit such a foul stench, that they can barely be considered films at all. Some horror movies like to gratuitously torture their characters, which is supposed to be “scary.” Strangely, I’m always left disgusted rather than spooked. Other films have such little character development and rely heavily on the killings of teenagers in the woods that I wind up yawning for a prolonged period of time. Needless to say, my jaw hurts after my yawnfest. I’d prefer to be scared stupid. Maybe even pee a wee bit in my pantolones. 

   Despite the many, many, many cheap, poorly written, acted and directed horror films, there are ones that redeem the genre. There are good films out there that keep the viewer on the edge of their seats without relying on gratuitous torture or shallow characters who die a painfully graphic death. These films are the ones I seek out. The ones that I devour when I unearth their wondrous secrets. They may be in small supply, but they do exist. I assure you, I have seen some. So without further adieu, I present you with movies to watch and movies to stay far far away from. 

Cloverfield

(3 stars)

   This film is shot as if someone had a digital camera throughout the entire movie and was running along with the action. The video tape was recovered after all the mayhem occurred and that is the film we the audience are experiencing. It feels like it could be a ride at Universal Studios where the seats move as you watch the film. It is fun, different and cool to see done on a large budget for a change. I enjoyed being a part of the action. Unfortunately, the ending left me unsatisfied. Thankfully there was enough awesomeness (ie, giant creature, one building collapsing into another, headless Statue of Liberty) to make up for it. 

   The Breakdown: Suspense is guaranteed. Big effects are guaranteed. Most importantly, fun is guaranteed. Cloverfield isn’t a masterpiece, but it is a thrill ride! 

Candyman

(0 stars)

   Painfully bad film. Maybe it was freaky in 1992, but this film did not age well at all. Very few scares. The Candyman came off as corny and I’m not referring to candy corn. I speak of stale boredom worthy corn that you wouldn’t even imagine inserting into your mouth. I really don’t get why it’s scary if a homicidal killer from the 1800’s haunts one character’s head (Virginia Madsen), but somehow manages to kill people in real life. Then this character appears crazy, saves a baby, there are bees that come out of the killer’s mouth, and... and.... I can’t go on. 

   The Breakdown: Never see this film unless you are nostalgic for a bad nineties horror film. Then see it and you can come to me afterwards and I will laugh in your face for having wasted precious moments of your life that will never return.  

The Crazies

(2 stars)

   Well, it wasn’t as crazy as it could have been. The casting was great and the action at times, intense. Especially when Judy (Radha Mitchell) was strapped to a gurney and a psycho farmer was killing people with a pitchfork. With little story, it was mainly about running away before either the crazies killed or the military completely destroyed the small town. The ending, like many horror films, left me unsatisfied. Of course it leaves it open for the possibility of a sequel, but the sequel seems like it would be much more interesting than this film. Especially due to the hinted choice of location for “The Crazies 2.” So after viewing this film, I am left wondering why they didn’t make the more interesting film, the first time around. 

   The Breakdown: It’s a good watch; however, don’t put it on the top of your list. The title of the film is slightly misleading. It should be called “The Docile Crazies.”`

Drag Me To Hell

(2 and 1/2 stars)

   Drag Me To Hell has everything that you want to see in a Halloween film. There is a creepy old gypsy woman who places a curse on Christine (Alison Lohman), terrifying and hilarious scenes with our lead character being tormented, and of course psychics battling the devil spirit who is trying to drag Christine to the depths of hell. 

   Christine is a sad character who is battling for a promotion. As a viewer I was rooting for her, even when she had to make a tough decision at her job. She is someone who does not deserve to be cursed and yet she finds herself in the most unpleasant of pickles. I think it is her genuine pleasantness, which makes her struggle with an old gypsy woman and the devil spirit who has come for her that much more harrowing. Her meekness as the victim enhances the audiences’ connection to her as a character that they can relate to or feel for.  

   The Breakdown: This highly entertaining film will satisfy your horror movie taste buds and teach you the most valuable of lessons. Always, give creepy old woman what they want. Especially if they beg.   

The Exorcist

(4 stars)

   After all of my 23 years frolicking about on this earth, I had yet to see the scariest movie ever made. Never being that much into horror movies until recently, there wasn’t a desire to go out and watch it. Thanks to my Fiance, I now completely embrace horror movies for their wonderful ability to scare the living daylights out of me. That is, if they do what they are supposed to do. 

   Upon viewing The Exorcist, I was amazed at how terrifying the movie still was. After all these years, it is more frightening than most of the horror films produced today. Witnessing a young girl (Linda Blair) become the devil and in one scene spew out curse words while stabbing her genitalia with a cross, then telling her mom to lick it, left me spooked. The combination of a possessed girl, her psychotic actions, and the R rating, allowed for this film to get under my skin and leave me creeped out to the tenth degree.

   Ellen Burstyn was heartbreaking as the distraught mother  who is desperately trying to seek help. With no scientific options left, she turns to her faith. It is her emotional distress, which grounds the movie, acting as a doorway into how we the audience should feel about an innocent child becoming possessed. 

   I believe this film works so well because it plays so close to everyone’s deepest fear, a loved one contracting a devastating illness (in this case, becoming possessed) that there is no cure for. The “illness” takes the person over so much so, that you can’t even recognize them physically or mentally. It is like they are someone else entirely. Mix in Satin, and you’ve got a deadly brew on your hands. One that people will still be talking about 30+ years later. 

   The Breakdown: If you haven’t seen this film, run out and see it immediately. It will brighten your day.

Slither

(1 star)

   Minor laughs and dreadfully bad character development. It may be a horror comedy, but if I don’t give a hoot about any of the characters, then there’s no point to the movie. Nathan Fillion was a waste. His character was given nothing of note to do and essentially just walked or ran through the film. Elizabeth Banks was great as the distraught wife whose husband is the first to turn into the slither creature. Unfortunately, the film fell flat due to it’s mediocrity. It merely existed. 

   There were a couple memorable scenes. The woman who couldn’t stop eating was sad, but kind of funny at the same time. The teenage girl who gets attacked by the slugs in the bathtub, was intense. Especially when her slug possessed family try to kill her as she is trapped in a car. Little kids as zombie-like creatures equals hilarity.

   The Breakdown: Great potential wasted on lackluster plot, boring characters, and not enough laughs and scares for a horror comedy. If it’s on TV watch it, but there is no need to seek this film out.

The Stepfather

(4 stars)

   This forgotten gem from 1986 delivers equal part story, character, and horror/suspense. A man marries into families, which ultimately disappoint him for one reason or another. Then he sees fit to brutally kill them, change his identity and move on to the next unsuspecting family. Disturbing and impossible not to be sucked into. 

   Perhaps I’m partial to the homicidal maniac at the film’s center; however, Terry O’Quinn does give a chilling performance that makes Lost’s Man in Black look tame. We know that he is a murderer from the first scene and this keeps things tense throughout the rest of the film as he moves on to his next family/victims. He seems to be genuinely nice and at times I even like him. Yet, little absurd outbursts kept creeping in to remind the audience of his insanity and keep the tension rising. It was especially twisted when he accused a boy of rape when he kissed his stepdaughter or when he had a “talk” with his stepdaughter’s therapist.

   The Breakdown: This film has everything a Halloween movie needs to have. From the sick serial killer to the brutal deaths, it features a psycho who doesn’t hide behind a mask and gives the viewer someone more chilling than Michael Myers or Jason, a villain grounded in reality. Where other films seem far fetched, this has the right mix of absurdity and realism to make it believable. 

28 Weeks Later

(2 and 1/2 stars)

   Oh the sequel. Trying to cash in on the original film’s success. Often times it’s a lackluster imitation of a film that didn’t require any additional story. In this case, 28 Weeks Later wisely leaves the original cast in their own movie and tells it’s own story. With all new characters, the only connection between the two films is the outbreak of the rage virus and the setting, England. 

   After 28 weeks, the rage virus has been contained and the U.S. military begins to move the survivors back into safe sections of London. Of course, something goes wrong and we have another outbreak. Cue mass killings and crazed, bloody people. 

   The first half of the movie does a great job of developing characters that we like and ones who disgust us for their cowardice actions. Then instead of maintaing the story and the great characters that inhabit it, the film abruptly turns into a “run for your life or we are going to die!” flick. Don’t get me wrong, there are some memorable scenes during this section of the film. Most notably when U.S. snipers are killing everyone in their sights and when the main characters find themselves in a pitch black subway tunnel. The only thing to guide them is the night vision sight on a sniper rifle. One word... cool!

   The Breakdown: Despite it’s shortcomings, 28 Weeks Later is a film to see. It starts with great potential, but trails off into a cliche. Still, this is enough to carry the film to the  traditional horror flick finale. All these elements combine to make a film that warrants at least one viewing. 

American Werewolf In London

(1 and 1/2 stars)

   I wasn’t that impressed with this film. My ears had received news that this was a truly scary flick injected with a healthy dose of humor. Alas, my ears had deceived me and my eyes read reviews that rattled on  about “one of the scariest movies ever made.” I suppose my hopes were raised too high for a dated 1981 film.

   Don’t get me wrong, I thoroughly enjoyed the werewolf transformation scene and parts of the film; however, I didn’t understand why or how David (David Naughton) was able to communicate with his dead friend and people he mauled to death. So in addition to becoming a werewolf, he could talk to people who were killed by werewolves? That pushed things too far in my opinion. Some of the funniest dialogue came from his conversations with dead people, but at the expense of making an already far fetched story even more far fetched. It leapt into another stratosphere of far fetchidity that no werewolf could ever retrieve it from hokeyness. 

   The Breakdown: A slow paced film that relied more on humor than scares. I wish it took itself more seriously and went deeper into the horrors of a werewolf in a major city.

Splinter

(3 and 1/2 stars)

   For an independent film, they definitely knew how to work on a limited budget. With only a few locations and most of the movie taking place at a gas station, the film, especially the effects appear to look like big budget Hollywood. The main difference, this movie mainly focused on creating 3-dimensional characters as opposed to pounding grotesque horror scenes down the audiences’ throat. There were quite a few cringe worthy parts, but it all fit perfectly within the context of the film.

 

   The splinter creatures were disturbingly twisted due to their ability to infect living organisms with their spikes and transform animals or humans into highly deformed spike wobbling things. It was especially discomforting and slightly funny when a person infected loses a body part and that body part functions on its own. Acting at a cellular level, this body part would stop at no end to infect another living creature. 

   Trapped in a gas station, the main characters had no where to run and no way of contacting the outside world. As a viewer, I felt claustrophobia engulfing my mind. It was as if the walls of the small gas station were closing in and when it appeared like help had arrived or there was a possible means to an end, the walls squeezed the characters tighter. Splinter did an excellent job of building tension and keeping the viewer immersed in the action and drama throughout the duration of the film.

   The Breakdown: Intense film featuring a creeptastic creature. Plenty of horror filled moments that will keep you entertained and clutching the person’s arm next to yours until it becomes slightly discolored. Oh yes, it’s one of THOSE movies.

Paranormal Activity 2 (2 stars)

   An improvement upon the first film, in terms of how it was filmed and with the use of more main characters (including a dog) instead of only two characters like the previous Paranormal Activity. With six planted security cameras in addition to handheld camera work when family members film each other, it makes for a more interesting voyeuristic experience. And that’s exactly what it feels like. The film genuinely gives the viewer a personal look into a household that is being taken over by a demon.

   The benefit of doing a film as if it were a reality/hidden camera/real life occurrence, is the bizarreness of all the going ons feel more authentic. I felt like the characters could be real people who actually exist. That being said, the scares took their sweet time to show themselves. This built intensity; however, with an anti-climatic ending, it was wasted. The most frightening scare was a supped up version of Katie (Katie Featherton) being dragged out of the bedroom. It was more intense this time around with Kristi (Sprague Grayden), but couldn’t they have been more creative? 

   The movie built and built and built and then sandwiched the first film into this film. I liked how closely they were related, but what I really wanted to see in a Paranormal Activity sequel is crazy demon possessed Katie (Katie Featherton) wreck havoc on the world and further the story that began with Paranormal Activity. Instead of moving forward, they moved backward. A story worth being told? Yes. A story that needed to be a bit longer? Yes again. 

   Demon Katie reappears at the end of this film and that’s it. I felt cheated. It was basically the same ending to the first film. Push someone into the camera and walk away. Thanks for some great backstory, now where’s the rest of the movie?! If they decide to make a Paranormal Activity 3, which they probably will, they need to further the story that they started. 

   It is a movie to see once. The unique way it is filmed is worth it alone. In addition, the film keeps you on the edge of your seat with the simplest scare tactics and many jump out of your seat moments. I had goosebumps throughout several parts of the movie. Bottom line, if you're looking to get scared without horrific scenes of people being hacked to pieces, then this is a good film to watch.


The Breakdown

Plot: 2 stars
Actors/Characters: 3 stars
Genre: 2 stars
Technical Aspects: 1 star

The Other Guys (1/2 star)

   I get that The Other Guys was a send up to seventies buddy cop movies. I get that with Adam McKay and Will Ferrell, it would include ridiculous, off the wall jokes. I get that improve has the potential to be funny, really really funny. Unfortunately, The Other Guys was a painful string of poor SNL-esque skits that were rolled together into a dreadfully thin ball of yarn. It’s weak story line and flat one dimensional characters were far too powerful and unbearable to form any kind of watch-able film. When I wasn’t shaking my head at some of the pathetic jokes, I was wondering when the movie would end, so that I could go home and watch a film worth my time. The Other Guys was all around bad, with no redeeming qualities whatsoever.  

   I believe it is safe to say that one should stay away from any Will Ferrell movie that comes out in the future. He is a one note actor who is in desperate need of some range and after watching him in this “film,” I realized that I would be okay never seeing him in another movie again. Do something different. Please! Stranger Than Fiction was a wonderful film, stretch out your talent again! I feel like Will Ferrell’s movies are  different stale genres that are recycled from throw away scripts. Then followed by the insertion of a slightly tweaked familiar persona of himself, blended with improve, which 9 times out of 10, fails. From figure skater to basketball player to race car driver to cop, Will Ferrell always plays someone similar, with the only difference being his costume. 

   If there was a sequel to Step Brothers, with the main characters becoming cops, this would be the closest thing to it. The humor is very comparable. And I use the word humor very loosely. In my opinion, the hilarity well has run dry for Will Ferrell, very dry. Can he do another great film or are those days too far gone? Anchorman was incredible... and then there were pale imitations like The Other Guys.

   I had descent hopes for this film. The trailer looked funny. Rotten Tomato gave it a 76%. Michael Keaton, one of my favorite actors, played the police captain. I mistakenly thought that I would enjoy an entertaining film and at the very least, have some laughs. Instead, I was served characters that I didn’t care about, including one of the stupidest back-stories EVER. Mark Wahlberg was a joke and not in the funny way. Michael Keaton was severely underused. The crime that “the other guys “ were attempting to solve wasn’t that interesting, nor was the villain behind it. Samuel L. Jackson and Dwayne Johnson’s characters were killed off way too early in the film and for what felt like a wasted joke. I think that the film would have been much stronger with the two of them in it. Hell, the film would have been much stronger if it was done completely differently.

The Breakdown

Plot: 0 stars

Actors/Characters: 0 stars

Genre: 0 stars

Technical Aspects: 1/2 star

Let The Right One In (3 1/2 stars)

   Vampires have firmly planted their blood loving selves in the movie world, television land, and throughout most of bookdom. People have been obsessed with these blood sucking creatures and I don’t blame them. They are riveting characters that can be used symbolically to represent different things within society. Vampires are almost always seen as outcasts and often represent the minority. This correlation is used successfully in the film, Let The Right One In.

   This 2008 Swedish film centers on a boy named Oskar (Kåre Hedebran), who is constantly bullied at school. He has no friends and often fantasizes about standing up to these bullies. Oskar is lonely until he meets another outcast, Eli (Lina Leandersson). The two gradually become friends and hang out together every night, in the winter cold. Only, Eli is not just any outcast. She is a vampire. Despite this, the two friends fall in love. Each enamored with the other. 

   One thing that I particularly liked about this film is how grounded in reality it felt. Vampires are often portrayed as sophisticated coffin dwelling men from the 18th century. Let The Right One In puts the vampire curse on a 12-year old girl in a modern setting. Her father or guardian must become a killer, in order to supply Eli with blood, so that she can survive. The murder scenes are disturbing, since they feel so gritty and real. The father is so calculated in his methods, implying that he has been doing this sort of thing for a long time. 

   Despite his devotion, Eli seems ungrateful towards her father, often ordering him around like a child. He clearly cares for her. Perhaps he was somehow responsible for what she has become and feels a sense of guilt; therefore, resorts to killing for her survival. The film never reveals why this man is so devoted to Eli. The most logical conclusion being that he is her father.

   In one scene, the viewer watches Eli pretend to be a girl in need on the streets and then suck the life out of a nice guy trying to help. She kills out of a need to survive, yet the people she kills do not deserve this fate. It’s troubling to see how cold and unrepentant Eli is towards her actions. At the same time, I never felt an emotional connection to the people she killed. Not once, was I upset over her victims’ deaths.

   Oskar is the one person that Eli connects with. She would never harm him intentionally, but it is clear throughout the film that the temptation of blood can be uncontrollably appealing for a vampire. In turn, creating tension when the two hang out, making the viewer wonder: If Eli gets desperate enough, would she kill Oskar? 

   Poor Oskar, a nice kid targeted by three bullies. They call him “piggy,” play cruel pranks on him, and even whip him with a stick so they can get him to do what they want. Although the murder scenes are intense and the blood sucking scenes are frightening, it is these schoolyard bullying scenes that disturbed me the most. The fact that kids could be so cruel to someone else, just for the sake of being cruel, is heartbreaking. Oskar never did anything that would warrant such physical and mental abuse. 

   Eli encourages Oskar to fight back. She doesn’t understand why he would let the kids get away with doing those things to him. When Oskar finally takes a stand, it is such a gripping moment. I wanted to cheer because the feeling of excitement was so electrifying. The underdog finally got his moment of glory. His fantasy had become a reality. Oskar stood over his tormentor smiling, as if to say, I’m not afraid of you anymore.

   To counter that adrenaline pumping scene, it is eventually followed by the most terrifying scene of all. The final scene takes place in the school’s pool. Oskar’s life is in danger, leaving me squirming in my seat. One part of me worried for his life, the other angry that something so evil could occur to such a nice kid. How the danger is resolved is truly remarkable. And the way it was filmed from Oskar’s point of view made it more spine-chilling because the director did not show the audience every gory detail. He left much open to the imagination, like old school horror films were so masterful at doing. I find that films that show too much gore, mainly torture, are not frightening. They are disgusting. The scariest parts in films are often when something is implied and your mind’s eye forms the visual. 

   This scene is followed by a short epilogue. It felt unrealistic and  unnecessary. I think this little scene was pointless and took away from the punch of the previous scene. The film would have ended stronger in the pool area. Despite this minor hiccup, it does not tarnish the film as a whole.  

   Let The Right One In is a horror film from yesteryear. Equal parts drama and horror. Not once overindulging in the other, but using the two genres to better a story and elevate it to greatness. No pointless killing scenes. No meaningless teenagers being killed with a hook or machete. No poor acting followed by buckets full of blood. Just good old fashioned horror based in reality. Both in terms of the vampire and schoolyard bullying scenes. 

The Breakdown:

Plot: 4

Characters: 3

Genre: 4

Technical Aspects: 3

Triangle (3 stars)

   This Australia/New Zealand film received no attention in the United States. It was not one of the few foreign films that were lucky enough to grace our theaters. Does that mean that it is a waste of time? Far from it. This gem may have missed the U.S. market, but it should not miss anyone’s film gazing eyes. Watch Triangle and be prepared to have your mind spin in an intensely suspenseful circle that will leave you entertained for ninety-eight minutes. 

   The best part of all, the viewer has to use their mind to make connections and interpret things that happen within the film. I found myself constantly trying to figure out what was going on as the film unraveled in a unique story that was refreshingly original. 

   Personally, I enjoy movies that make me think and force me to come to my own conclusions. I feel more involved in the film because I’m striving to make sense of things. Films that lay everything out in the open can be wonderful films, but they often don’t leave a lasting impression in my mind. It’s the films that make my heart race and mind spin with twists coming  from every which way that truly satisfy my film watching appetite.

   This film does not feature any well-known actors and it’s nice to not be distracted by big name performers. The movie becomes less about which Hollywood star is featured in the film and more about the characters within the context of the story. All of the actors were well cast and do a fine job in their roles. They are all believable and genuine. Jess (Melissa George) is convincing as a stressed out mother who is terrified to find herself on a bizarrely deserted ship after her friend’s boat capsizes during a storm. All she wants to do is go home to her son and she is forced to endure the eccentricities that the ship beseeches upon her and her friends. 

   While I was watching Triangle, I kept being reminded of Momento. Not that the stories have anything in common whatsoever, but due to the fact that both films are uniquely edited in a way that compliments their stories. Momento was told in a nonlinear fashion so that the viewer was in the mindset of someone with short-term memory loss. Triangle picks up in the middle of the story and was edited in a way that made you feel Jess’s frustration as she experienced extreme deja vu. Both films used the nonlinear editing to help the viewer become closer to the character’s mindset. You felt as they felt. This technique is effective in fully immersing the viewer into the film. For both films, I was hooked and desperately wanted to know what was going on. 

   Triangle is the type of film that raced through my mind for days after watching. I would try to connect the dots and come up with a viable conclusion. I finally struck “connection gold” while working out, nearly colliding with the wall as the revelation came to me so unexpectedly.

   SPOILER ALERT: The rest of the review goes into detail about what I feel the ending meant in the context of the film. It reveals key elements of the plot. If you do not want to know the ending, cease reading immediately. 

   The last scene of the movie is the key to understanding the entire film. Approaching that scene, we learn that Jess has been repeating the same actions at least twenty times, if not more. On the ship, she sees a pile of her lockets as well as a pile of dead Sally's (Rachael Carpani). She also runs into her friends, even after they have died. They continue to board the ship after their boat capsizes. It is as if someone hit the rewind button. The biggest shock is that she interacts with herself. The viewer watches as she gradually becomes the killer that she was originally trying to escape.

   Jess eventually makes it back to land. Only, the mystery doesn’t end there. She sees herself abusing her son Tommy (Joshua McIvor) in her home and becomes so infuriated by the sight, that she bludgeons her “evil” self to death. Jess then takes Tommy and her dead body into her car. While driving, she hits a seagull. She pulls over and throws the seagull down by the water into a pile of many other dead seagulls. At this point, it is glaringly obvious that Jess is stuck in an endless circle. It is as if a record needle is skipping, repeating the same song in her life over and over again. 

   After Jess’s car crashes into a semi-truck, people rush over to help. Tommy is dead on the street, as is the previously dead “evil” Jess. The Jess who was driving the car, stands by without a scratch on her, watching the horrific scene unfold. No one takes notice of her. It is as if she is invisible.

   A taxi driver approaches her and asks if she wants a lift. He wears a short black shirt, reminiscent of a priest. It is my belief that the Jess we have been following for the entire movie was dead the whole time. She is stuck in this self-imposed limbo because of the guilt she feels for the car wreck that not only killed herself, but also her son. She has created this fictional scenario in an effort to save her son. Sadly, this feat is impossible. She is doomed to repeat this tragedy until she can come to grips with it and move on to the next phase of her life.

   The taxi driver is willing to take her to heaven when she is ready; however, Jess wants to return to the dock, go back on the same boat that will inevitably capsize, and start the race to save her son all over again. 

   I think the “evil” Jess is Jess fearing that she wasn’t a good enough mother to her son when she was alive. She wishes she had been more patient and loving towards him. She has this uncontrollable sense of guilt.

   I also don’t believe that Jess ever went sailing with Greg (Michael Dorman) before. I think he was a customer she met at the restaurant she worked and he invited her sailing. Due to her son, she always turned him down. Now that she is dead, she sees the boat as a way to sail home. Sadly, it is a home that no longer exists. One that was shattered by a car crash.

   Triangle is well-made, thought out, and gripping to watch. It is advertised as a horror film, yet it has very few jump out of your seat moments. Triangle is more along the lines of a supernatural suspense film. The story flows well and the editing of the film compliments Jess's freaked out experience, creating a high level of intensity and curiosity for the viewer to devour. In the end, Triangle is a heartbreaking film, but one that should definitely be watched and enjoyed. For it is these little films that escape the public's narrow film watching line of sight that can surprise and entertain us the most. 

The Breakdown:

Plot: 4 stars

Acting/characters: 3 stars

Genre: 3 stars

Technical Aspects: 3 stars

Overall: 3 stars

The Prestige (4 stars)

   Magic seems like it would have been most exciting before the turn of the twentieth century- a time when there were no cars, no airplanes, no movies, and no internet. The tricks conjured up by magicians must have seemed more real and awe-inspiring than they do today. Their audiences weren’t desensitized by the media that now constantly floods the minds of every American. I’m not saying that magic shows aren’t fun anymore, because they most certainly can be. Sadly, the shows have lost their significance in the entertainment world and are generally relegated to places like Las Vegas or hour long television specials. 

  Action scenes in films with CGI and special effects are now passed off as modern day wizardry, until one watches the making of documentary featured on most DVD/Blu Rays. Once the tricks are revealed, the magic vanishes into thin air. It is as if the trick were obvious from the beginning. Nothing more than a fancy parlor trick. The viewer is left with the faint gasp of intrigue, the mind vaguely remembering how special it looked on film before knowing how the magic was achieved. For a magician, their deceptions are meaningless without the coveted secrets behind them.

  The Prestige successfully reveals its secrets in a way that changes everything you thought you knew about the film, thus creating new exhilarating conundrums to ponder once the credits roll. It is rare to be completely thrown off guard while watching a film and The Prestige is one of those films that I felt I had figured out. Then it flipped itself on its head with an abundance of twists and turns. I was struggling to keep up and patiently waiting with a huge smile plastered on my face as all the pieces fell into place, revealing the truth behind the character’s tricks and lives. The magic was overwhelming (in a good way) as it went from entertainment to tragedy, and finally to a struggle between two magicians who one-up the other and ultimately destroy each other’s lives. 

  The Prestige successfully blends the genres of drama, period film, science fiction, and suspense thriller into one glorious achievement of cinema. It plays you, the viewer, the whole entire time, like any good magician should. The film introduces the pledge, followed by the ever-intriguing turn, and completely astonishes the audience with a bold and unforeseen prestige. 

SPOILER ALERT: The rest of the review touches on key elements of the film, including how it ends. If you have yet to see the film or do not wish to know its intimate details, cease reading immediately.

For most of the film, it is evident that Alfred Borden (Christian Bale) is this complex individual who is cold and somewhat heartless. He only seems concerned with himself and his magic,  emitting an evil vibe that the viewer easily accepts. Alfred went against what Cutter (Michael Caine) and Robert Angier (Hugh Jackman) told him not to do and tied an unsafe knot that Robert’s wife could not slip out of during a magic show performance. This led to her drowning and the spark that started the professional and personal rivalry between Robert and Alfred.

Robert is naturally the wounded hero who was cheated out of happiness because Alfred was too pig-headed to think logically and safely. Alfred continues this carelessness in magic with his bullet catching trick, which doesn’t take long to backfire when Robert sticks a real bullet in the gun. 

As the viewer, I felt an instant connection to Robert. I was devastated for his tragic loss and I wanted him to cause Alfred pain because Alfred seemed to move on with his life too easily. I loved that Robert took the brilliance of Alfred’s tricks, mainly The Transported Man, and put his own, more exciting spin on it. As far as I was concerned, Robert could do whatever he sought fit to humiliate and outdo Alfred. I wanted Robert to succeed and take everything that Alfred loved away from him, like Alfred had to him. 

The movie continued to build this back and forth rivalry between the two central characters until hitting a crescendo, with Alfred being wrongfully accused of murdering Robert. The brilliant reveal showed that Robert may have died, but it was only one version of him that died. The machine that Tesla (David Bowie) built for him had actually cloned him. He continued to lived through this cloned version of himself. Sure Robert had to kill his original self every time he used the machine, but he didn’t really die since his mind was still in tack in the new cloned version of himself. 

I find it fascinating that the ultimate magic trick in the film is no trick at all. It has no aces up the sleeves. It includes no tom-foolery. It is real. There is no logical explanation. I love it. People always demand answers and secrets to magic tricks so the illusion can be shattered; however, this illusion is fool proof. Mainly, due to the fact that it is no illusion at all. What makes it even scarier, is the price that Robert has to pay to ensure that his “trick” is successful. Yet I wonder, what would have happened if he didn’t kill himself after each time he used the machine? Could hundreds of Roberts be living a normal life in England? Would they all want to be magicians? Wouldn’t a magic trick with clones completely mystify an audience and ensure that you are the greatest magician of all time? And how ironic is it that Alfred is convicted of murdering Robert, when in fact, Robert committed suicide, but in a strange twist still lives? My mind hurts from all these revelations and what-if possibilities.

To top that twist, if possible, the realization that Alfred is actually two twin brothers is the more grounded and “oh my God, I can’t believe I missed that!” magic trick. The fact that two men are so devoted to their art that they would live a single life in order to be seen as one great man seemed so obvious after it was divulged. 

One of the brothers (Alfred 1) was more reckless and driven. I feel this brother was the one who tied the wrong knot on Robert’s wife. This brother was the one who wanted to take big risks and couldn’t help but sneak a peak backstage at Robert’s show. Then being wrongfully accused of murder and sentenced to death.

The other brother (Alfred 2) seemed to have a gentler side. One who wanted to settle down with a wife and family. One who went to Robert’s wife’s wake to send his condolences. One who wanted to move past the rivalry. Unfortunately, living two halves of one life cost them both dearly. Alfred 2 lost the woman of his dreams. She was so depressed over her husband’s constant mood swings that she killed herself. Alfred 1 lost Olivia (Scarlett Johansson), the woman he loved, due to his rivalry with Robert and his apparent coldness towards his “wife’s” death. A woman he did not love. A woman his brother loved.   

It was Robert’s obsession with revenge that turned him into a monster. By the end of the film I felt betrayed, tricked, bamboozled. The Robert I thought I knew would let Alfred die for “killing” him? Robert dug the knife in deeper by taking custody of the only thing Alfred had left, his daughter... well, his brother’s daughter. Still, one could tell that Alfred 1 cared for her just the same.

Robert’s whole ambition up until the film’s credits reveal that he had become the villain. He could have stopped the murder trial by revealing his “trick.” He could have allowed Fallon/ Alfred 2 to have custody of the girl. He could have been a decent human being. Instead, he saw a way to punish a man for an accidental death from a trick that was dangerous to perform in the first place. I mean, Robert could just have easily blamed Cutter for not breaking the glass of the water tank fast enough or himself for not being the one who always tied his wife’s hands together. 

I was blown away that another big reveal showed that Robert, the man we as movie goers thought we knew, trusted, and believed in, was actually this sinister being. The true tragic heroes in the film were Alfred 1 and Alfred 2, who selfishly loved magic so much that they destroyed their personal lives; however, neither of them deserved the wrath of Robert. They became the tragic heroes by the film’s conclusion. Alfred 1 killed for no reason (well, Robert would argue for his wife’s death) and Alfred 2 lost his true love because of a life long magic trick he played with his brother. His only solace, the fact that he gets to be with his little girl. 

I found the movie to be many skilled magic tricks stacked together to create one sensational trick that electrified my mind into pure elation. The movie’s end completely changed the way I viewed the characters throughout the entire film. My idea of good versus evil was reversed, leaving me ecstatic when Alfred 2 confronted Robert and avenged his brother’s wrongful hanging.

I loved The Prestige for its ability to be an intense period piece about magicians, then transform into a warped science fiction film, and ending as a revenge thriller with more twists and turns than I can count. This movie makes your mind run at a thousand miles per hour. It is an adrenaline rush of awesomeness. Most importantly, it teaches the viewer not to live one life with your twin. It will only end in misery. Don’t get into a rivalry with another magician. It will only end in misery. Don’t clone yourself. It will only end in misery. And obviously, don’t perform magic because it always leads to... misery. 

The Prestige is a movie that encompasses everything I ever wanted to see in a film and then some. Christopher Nolan has easily become one of the greatest working directors in the movie business. As far as I am concerned, this is one of the best films I have ever had the privilege of seeing. It easily makes my favorite movie list.

The Breakdown:

Plot: 4 stars

Acting: 4 stars

Genre: 4 stars

Technical Aspects: 4 stars

Overall: 4 stars