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Repo Man (1984)
Amusingly queer
Immature punk rocker meanders through a post-capitalist wasteland, struggling to find meaning in a soulless, consumerist existence. Also, there are aliens, maybe.
Delightfully surreal and with just a pinch of pathos, Repo Man is one of those quintessentially 80's movies.
Valhalla Rising (2009)
Definitely one I had to see more than once.
There are many varied interpretations of the film, the most common thread connecting them is the very obvious parallels between the character One-Eye, and Odin from Norse mythology. I, however, believe the film is about violence.
That is to say, I don't think it's a violent movie (which it is) or that it's an action movie with some violent scenes (which it has), I mean to say that the movie itself is about violence. More specifically, humanity's violent nature. The main character, called "One-Eye," is a nameless, voiceless creature of pure brutality who comes from an obviously violent past, and is being held (ostensibly) against his will for the sole purpose of committing violence, before he is able to utilize violence to escape his captors and seek violent revenge. Almost immediately afterwards, he stumbles upon a group of Christians who have clearly just committed an act of hideous violence, and invite him to go and do violence with them-- in the name of God-- in the Crusades. They all board a ship, bound for the Holy Land, which quickly becomes the scene of violence after becoming lost an impenetrable fog. Eventually, the fog lifts and they find themselves not in the arid Holy Land but in a mysterious taiga-- seemingly somewhere in the Americas, where even the natural beauty of the landscape seems to belie the aura of menace that surrounds it. Despair, desperation, and even insanity sets in and the Crusaders begin to turn on each other, all the while being stalked by unseen forces from the forest around them. Everyone in the film meets a gruesome end (save for The Boy who, being left alone, can be assumed to have died of starvation or exposure).
It is my belief that One-Eye represents the violence inherent in nature, especially human nature. He exists as a silent, nameless presence who seems to haunt the other characters as everything collapses around them. This belief is strengthened by one scene in particular (around the 1:18 mark) where one of the characters begins to question One-Eye on why he has done this; why he has dragged them into such a terrible fate, as if to imply he felt remorseful of his current predicament, brought about by his own violent nature. But, being the embodiment of said violent human nature, One-Eye says nothing, only stands in silent judgment. The man quickly ceases his questioning and wanders off into the distance, most likely to meet a violent end. And when it's time for even One-Eye himself to die, he appears to suddenly surrender all will to fight and allows himself to be killed, perhaps symbolic of his understanding without question the inevitability of death and the unending cycle of violence that was not just the reality for primitives or crusaders or vikings, but is an inescapable part of existence.
A fascinatingly slow burn, the movie is unique in that it is savagely violent while still being basically an art film, with very heavy influence on cinematography and symbolism. Dark, brutal, artful, eerie atmospheric and poetic, Don't pass up an opportunity to see this one.
The Babadook (2014)
Another horror-film disappointment.
The Babadook is the story of a strange supernatural creature that arrives after being read about in a book, which itself just "appears" on a child's shelf. It then begins to torment a troubled woman, haunted by the death of her husband, and her likewise- troubled son with a history of behavioral problems. Pretty standard.
The first hour of the movie is spent wanting to slap the spoiled children before things take a dark turn, as the woman begins a rapid decent into insanity spurned on by her son's insistence that the Babadook is real-- and it wants to hurt them.
Well-acted and atmospheric, yet too boring to be considered a good film-- the creepiest parts of the movie were the horrific illustrations in the pop-up book that seemed to serve as the vessel for the Babadook's arrival.
While not terribly bad, I was still left wondering if anyone is still frightened by films of this ilk, and why I still feel compelled to watch them.
The Woman in Black (2012)
Average
Daniel Radcliffe, of obvious Harry Potter fame, portrays a young lawyer at the turn of the century, sent to the curiously named Eel Marsh House to put into order the affairs of a dead woman. There, he runs into opposition from the superstitious, distrusting locals and run-of-the-mill supernatural threats, in the form of a malevolent spirit angered by her separation from--and the subsequent death of-- her son.
In true Gothic form, The film is dark and atmospheric, making great use of it's gloomy setting, it's slow, steady pace, and lots of creepy old toys. However, the film unfortunately wraps up with an ending that goes from spooky to ludicrously hokey within seconds.
Formulaic and highly predictable, the film is still one surely to be enjoyed by fans of the supernatural thriller genre.
Horns (2013)
Interesting if nothing else.
Young Ig Parrish is reeling from the murder of his long-time girlfriend. That he is the main suspect makes the tragedy all the more unbearable.
Ig wakes one morning to find he had begun to sprout horns from his head. People notice, but no one seems to care. Stranger still, the horns seem to have a bizarre effect on people: they just can't seem to keep anything to themselves, their innermost thoughts nor their darkest, most closely-guarded secrets. Gradually realizing the potential implications of this new "power," he sets out to discover what really happened to his beloved.
Widely panned by most who've seen it, I found it to be enjoyable throughout. At turns comedic and heartbreaking, it kept me guessing till the bitter end... Or bitter-sweet, depending on your take.
Well-acted and low-budget, the effects are not stellar, but also not the driving force of this film. While arguably a "chick flick," I recommend it to anyone who enjoys their romantic tragedy just a little twisted.
Child of God (2013)
Skip it.
As a big fan of McCarthy's "The Road," (both the book AND the film), I was excited to see the trailer for "Child OF God," a film based on another of his works, which, admittedly, I had not read. I put the film on and proceeded to be disappointed.
A severely disturbed hillbilly with a traumatic past is ejected from his home, after which he wanders around Tennessee, clutching his beloved rifle (and assorted stuffed toys). Mumbling incoherently, talking incoherently and shrieking incoherently, he goes from squatting in isolated cabins and raping corpses, to living in caves and killing a young woman so as to continue raping corpses.
Finally, he is caught during a botched murder attempt, but is able to escape when a lynch mob sneaks him out of custody in an attempt to take the law into their own hands.
Scott Haze's portrayal of the deranged Lester Ballard is truly excellent. However, the bleak and depressing tone of the film was overshadowed by a pervasive sense of boredom, leaving me practically without feeling. By the 80-minute mark, I was just waiting for the movie to end. Which it did: at 96 minutes it just sort of peters out and comes to a dead end.
Deliver Us from Evil (2014)
Frighteningly Bland
Movies about possession have bee going steadily downhill since the groundbreaking "The Exorcist", and Deliver us from Evil does nothing to raise the bar.
Sean Harris portrays "Santino", a mysterious man in a hooded sweatshirt and corpse paint, who uses painted messages and the music of the Doors to spread devilishness all over New York, before being brought down by a renegade Jesuit, "Mendoza", and troubled hero cop, "Sarchie", who long ago lost his faith.
Average on all fronts: predictable scares, predictable sounds, and predictable religious gimmicks. I was honestly hoping for a little more from this run-off-the-mill supernatural thriller.
Despite being inspired by the non-fiction book "Beware The Night" by the real-life Sarchie and Lisa Cool, claims of the film being based on actual accounts are in fact false. The film mentions none of Sarchie's real-life cases, and the plot is entirely invented.
All in all a decent, if not pedestrian film: well acted, good special effects and truly eerie sound design. The highlight of the film was, obviously, the exorcism itself, which takes place at the very end. While jarring and well put together, it was ultimately uninspired and offered nothing original.
Spider (2002)
zzzzz....
An absolutely crushing bore, I held on to the bitter end, waiting and hoping for a twist or a revelation and was soundly disappointed.
A film about a man newly arrived at a half-way house after being released from the asylum, Spider is a dreary portrait of a schizophrenic who mumbles, broods, smokes heavily and scribbles gibberish into a notebook, all the while going over tragic memories from his childhood-- including the murder of his beloved mother by his boozy, loutish father, and his own murder of his father's new wife by gas poisoning, while she lay passed out in a chair.
All in all, Ralph Fiennes decent portrayal of a troubled mind was not near enough to keep this story afloat. Feeling very unlike the Cronenburg pictures I know and respect, Spider could have been a truly depressing film. Instead we are treated to a long, boring movie with a non-ending, and absolutely nothing positive to be gleaned from it's content.
The Purge: Anarchy (2014)
Just as Hard
Gritty, bleak and violent, The Purge: Anarchy did what the first Purge film did: create a tense powerhouse of grimy action and not- so- subtle social commentary.
In the near future, America has done away with the pretense of government altogether, and instead has installed a pseudo-religious oligarchy called the New Founding Fathers. Under their rule, crime and unemployment have been nearly eradicated. Their great contribution is the 28th Amendment: The Purge, in which for 12 hours every year, all law and order is put on hold. During this time, the people are free to cause as much chaos and disorder as they please- - and most of them gleefully do just that.
The second installment of the Purge franchise takes us to the dark streets of Los Angeles where a small group of people, brought together by circumstance, all struggle to survive the night. But around every corner lurks the lunacy that is the trademark of Americas favorite holiday.
Besides probing the obvious questions of morality and human nature, the film also explores the nature of castes and classes as they exist in the capitalist system.
Whether you're looking for a brooding statement on society or a raucous action film, this worthy title is well written, well directed and well acted, and offers a vision of a grim future that seems terrifyingly realistic.
The Cemetery (2013)
Promising premise, Awful Movie
A group of heavy metal dorks venture into the Pennsylvania wilderness to document a haunted cemetery. Or something.
Gruesome and bloody at the very start, trite and boring throughout the remainder, The Cemetery is a movie with a clichéd story and predictable ending.
Filled with forced dialog and acting so bad it would be more at home in a porno flick. Gratuitous sex and sophomoric attempts at crass humor try to pad out the weak story line with very minimal success.
Good only for a laugh, and not a good laugh. You can most likely find it at the bottom of the discount DVD bin at 7 11. And once you've found it, throw it away.
The Blood on Satan's Claw (1971)
British Horror Gold
Filled with cheesy acting and obligatorily campy dialog, this British horror staple is a winner.
A tale of wicked children from a rural village transforming into beastly devil worshipers in 17th century England, and the religious fervor it spawns, it almost sounds like it could have been a true story. Authentic landscapes, excellent costuming and the generally gloomy atmosphere further adds to the sense of realism.
filled with ignorant peasants, bewigged judges, spooky children and icy, hatched-faced vicars, this classic is definitely worth viewing, whether you are a fan of cult films, camp, or horror in general.
Mockingbird (2014)
Disturbing and Trippy
A strange film with a creepy ending, "Mockingbird" is the story of three groups of unsuspecting people (the Married Suburbanites, the College Girl and the Down-on-his-luck Joker) and the the demented "game" they are dragged into.
Right from it's shocking opening scene, this movie had me hooked. Superb acting made this bizarre film a tense ride throughout, leaving me wondering "WTF?" the entire time. A little disjointed and even confusing in some parts, It was far from a perfect film, but I was pleased to be watching a horror/thriller that didn't feel like I had seen it ten times already. Some will doubtlessly be put off by the "found footage" inspired format, but the overall delivery was good.
Holy Ghost People (2013)
Worth a look
A tough film to review without spoiling, Holy Ghost People is a about a young woman, Charlotte, and her search for her missing drug- addict sister. Tracking her down to a secluded religious community in the Appalachian mountains, Charlotte enlists the help of an alcoholic ex-marine to infiltrate the "Church of One Accord," run by Brother Billy, a charismatic snake handler.
At times melodramatic and perhaps plodding. But while not especially fast-paced, this mystery/thriller is nonetheless interesting, well-acted, and edgy, as well as raising some intriguing questions about the potential power of faith—- for good or ill.
Come Back to Me (2014)
Subtly Mind-blowing
Unique, twisted story with a truly horrific twist ending. Well acted by all involved; "Dale" left me feeling very uneasy whenever he was on the screen. The wife was a little obnoxious, but that just made the character feel more three-dimensional. All in all, I was pleasantly surprised by this sleepy little creeper. Dark photography and ominous music helped to shape this film. I wasn't really hoping for too much with this movie, but am glad I watched it. I would certainly recommend it to anyone who enjoys horrors, psychological and supernatural thrillers: that being said, it is definitely not for everybody, as some will no doubt find it to be slow, boring or passé.