marais-alexander Reviews

I Am a Ghost (2012)

this really blew the doors off

[10/10 · 2 March 2014]

Wow. What a powerful, moving, scary, and relatable story. Horror has always been my forte, but this micro budgeted beauty is far more than horror. Anna Ishida is excellent as the lost spirit, who even in death loses something more. The film is stripped of traditional storytelling, and is very art-house so know what you're headed in for. It's not one of those straight- forward, clunk-headed horror action pictures. It takes time to build suspense, its character(s), and its haunting and surreal atmosphere. What is especially haunting is, and this is coming from someone who worked with a shaman, it seems ultra-realistic to accounts of dead person's experiences (the little the clairvoyants in this world can understand). I could actually see this being the experience of a spirit who clearly is bound to this world by a force she thinks she cannot control, but in the end realizes she can. It's a great film about finding out who you really are, and about the beast in all of us. I hope to see more from this director, and this was a solid effort. Encore.

Haunt (2013)

More of a thriller

[10/10 · 17 February 2014]

This and "The Woman" by Lucky McKee are my top horror films for this month. But this one feels more like a thriller than actual cold-blooded horror. It was similar to the first season of American Horror Story, except vice versa. Liana Liberato who was excellent in the teen drama "Trust" does a solid job with what she's given. She and Harrison Gilbertson make a realistic teenage couple, although the sparks flying did happen a little fast...after all it is just a movie. Ione Skye who I remember as the introvert from Say Anything makes a charismatic mother, but Jacki Weaver from Animal Kingdom and Stoker who has EVERYTHING to do with the haunting really ties the knot. The visual effects are simple, but effective. For a low-budget indie film, it's beautifully shot. All in all it's very entertaining, has a nice depressing ending (none of that Disney stuff), and feels like a genuine scary story told on the big screen. But a word of caution to hardcore genre fans, don't expect another The Conjuring. This is a love story with horror and demons and goblins and what have you woven in. Nice job everyone.

-A Monster

The Great Beauty (2013)

Beautiful, beautiful filmmaking

[10/10 · 18 January 2014]

While I was initially hesitant about the piece, I went into the theatre leery and came out amazed. This is an awesome film, very, very moving, very subtle, complex, mysterious, and deep. It's not everyone's cup of tea, but for those who appreciate more than just violence, sex, and death it's a thoughtful, funny, and tender reflection of a life never really lived until the birth of a revelation. It's even a bit dark at some points, and very, very surreal. The cast of people aboard alone is a reason to see it. The actors picked blend into their roles, and you aren't wondering who X playing Y is, they're just Y. It's also quite erotic, but lacks the graphic sex scenes and in-your-face psychosexual drama most films of this kind require. The cinematography is also something to write home about. Beautiful visual effects. For anyone with a visual eye, this is quite a treat. It's the kind of movie to take your girlfriend to, your mother, even the grandmother. There's nothing about this film that thoughtful viewers won't love. It's a surreal, fresh, funny, and fabulous masterpiece. A milestone in Italian cinema. The only other Italian film I've seen is Mother of Tears, which is quite different. But I'll be sure to keep an eye out for more post-Fellini cinema. It's quite something. Just go for it. 10/10.

Running Scared (2006)

The best underground crime film I've seen.

[10/10 · 8 January 2014]

This film and films like it (Training Day, Reservoir Dogs, Smokin' Aces, Domino, etc.) belong to their own categories. I don't view them as just "crime" films. They are almost something more nightmarish. They are darker, grittier, and often set in a more heightened reality. Yet it never feels too over the top to not be believable, which the scenarios in this film (although plentiful, this makes Gotham City look like Paradise) sadly are. Whether it's a crack-addicted hobo, a sadistic Mafia family, crooked cops, pedophile serial killers, children in peril, a man on the run, a wife turned vigilante, these are all sadly everyday realities. This is a scary movie, not as in horror, but in terms of just being so damn creepy. But it's also a hell-fired, ultra-violent entertainment extravaganza that pulls you in and almost makes you laugh to keep from crying at how sadistic it gets. Wayne Kramer, a native South African, seems to take the South African lifestyle with him. You would almost think the setting should be Joburg instead of Jersey. Either way, if you can handle gore, you're in for a big, dark, surprisingly artful and even heartfelt adventure through hell. Enjoy at your own peril.

Autopsy (2008)

If you know what you're entering, then you'll have loads of fun

[8/10 · 2 January 2014]

I watched this on a Thursday night when there was nothing else good to pick from. It seemed like a good, gory, old-school slasher with a pinch of Coma interspersed with all the mayhem. Don't even expect anything close to Oscar nominations, but if you are in the mood for some disturbing fun this is for you. Robert Patrick is wonderful as the sadistic surgeon. Everyone else delivers slightly disjointed performances - heroes become victims in a heartbeat and vice versa - so it's far from believable. It feels like an inspired Dario Argento rip off really, but gore is the driving force. Character development is last on the list. The deaths are disturbing, however. It's not for the faint of heart. But for those who can stomach some old school gore, disturbing eccentricity, and have fun with B-movies check it out. Definitely not my top pick, but enjoyable enough. I'll give it an 8.

Contracted (2013)

Excellent Horror Film

[10/10 · 4 December 2013]

All I can say is: wow. Number one, the amount of negative reviews toward this movie is mind- boggling. Number two, while it won't win any Academy Awards it is a very insightful and startlingly thoughtful film. The director's use of sex as a plot device and a catalyst toward a zombified conclusion is ridiculously creative. Najarra Townsend is very believable as an edgy, frustrated boomerang generationer slowly turning into something all the more monstrous...The gross-out effects are simple, but creepily well done. There is a psychological component as well, as not all of the horror is shown on screen. It feels almost like an abandoned episode of American Horror Story, with a smaller budget. Like that show, it brilliantly uses sex as a horror tool - and boy oh boy will I never look at unprotected sex the same way again! There are layers here as well. It's both a cautionary tale and something of a very tragic drama. The actual drama isn't as prevalent as the satire or horror, but it's there (take a volatile relationship with Caroline Williams as a homophobic passive aggressive narcissist). A lot of people compare this movie to a Spanish film called Thanatamorphose or some such name. While I haven't yet seen this film, I don't think it's fair to bash this film that stands sturdily on its own two feet. It isn't a masterpiece, but it's a surprisingly poignant, rather disgusting, and creepily effective little chiller that deserves brownie points for unusual creativity.

Killer Joe (2011)

Juno Temple should join American Horror Story

[10/10 · 7 November 2013]

This movie was William Friedkin at his brutally best. The acting was top-notch, the set designs (limited as they were) were elegantly done. Matthew McCounaughey in the titular role seems to want to break away from his sex icon image and he does...and then some. He may well be as vicious and cruel as Darret Gillahunt's Krug from The Last House on the Left. But what stands out is English actress Juno Temple's dead-pan, child-like redneck sister performance. It's quite something, and after a bloody climax you hope that she'll go on to do even bigger and better things. FX's American Horror Story showcases that kind of talent (take the cast of all three seasons: Jessica Lange, James Cromwell, Kathy Bates, Angela Basset, Taissa Farmiga to name just a few). When Juno pulls the trigger you kind of wish you'd see her on board for something like that. She's done quite a good amount of interesting movies, but seeing her in something truly epic like AHS would be kick-ass. All in all, watch it for her performance.

Ginger & Rosa (2012)

Elle Fanning needs to join American Horror Story

[10/10 · 7 November 2013]

Like, seriously. This isn't so much a review of the film as it is about her performance. Ex-cell- ent. American Horror Story showcases talent like this, take Jessica Lange, James Cromwell, Kathy Bates to name a few. Her only flaw is the British accent wavers just a teensy bit. But all in all, wow. It's nice to see her tackle a project significantly more mature than her breakout role in Super 8 (where she was also excellent). BUT, I think it would be really interesting if her acting skills were put to the test on American Horror Story. This film pretty much confirms she is much more insightful, and much much smarter than your average Hollywood actress. We need more of these around in the world of horror, these days built on creaky clichés and terrible acting. Watch this not because it's an incredible masterpiece, but for the performance.

Romeo & Juliet (II) (2013)

Hailee Steinfeld needs to join American Horror Story

[10/10 · 7 November 2013]

I'm sorry, but all these fine, young talented actors and actresses need to do the horror genre the honor of at least once being in something as creepily good as American Horror Story. Getting back to the film, it was awesome. The ending made me die inside. We all know how it ends, but both Douglas Booth and Hailee Steinfeld add their own melodramatic flavor to it and it's a heart-ripper. This is a case of the movie, despite lavish set designs, not being half as good as the acting. Everyone does a solid job, but Hailee Steinfeld and Douglas Booth obviously steal the show. It's strange, because I've heard a lot of whining and complaining about both of them not being interesting to watch. I profoundly disagree. They're both stellar. And in my opinion, because of that, they really should (or at least Hailee should) join American Horror Story for a season or two. They could use fresh new talent on board.

Evil Dead (2013)

The campiness of the original cannot be replicated with CGI

[7/10 · 3 November 2013]

Part of what made the original so great were the dated - but (because of their cheesiness) - genuinely evocative disturbing special effects and gore. In Evil Dead (2013), we have a dream team of a cast that feels somewhat underused. Underused because people who can really act shouldn't be in an Evil Dead movie. If Fede Alvarez was going to do a very serious take on the subject matter of Evil Dead, then it would have worked. But the tonal inconsistencies between moments of ridiculous splatter, a CGI tree rape, black comedy, and a genuine drama about a heroin addict just don't hold together for me. If you're going to do it grim, do it grim. If you're going to do it cheesy, do it cheesy. Mixing both is mixing oil with water, negatively affecting both. That being said, something also to note is the deaths. While the original was unflinchingly graphic with its death scenes (take an eye gouging, head rolling, head exploding, etc. etc.) this remake's death scenes aren't too graphic. A possessed person's head gets squashed, but there's too little seen to actually make it fully affecting. A film like this, with the reputation of "being the most terrifying film experience" in its particular genre of horror, shouldn't shy away from such things. Granted, we may have the censors to thank for this. There are some highlights. The actress who plays Mia does a solid job. I wish the movie could have been as interesting as her performance, because minus the bloodshed her character's spiritual journey from victim to victor is quite inspiring. All in all, see it if you're a fan of the original. Just for fun, compare the two. One thing's for certain, if you're a virgin to the horror genre - this will be quite affecting. If you're experienced, this will be sadly below your expectations.

Hannibal (2013–2015)

A Solid, Square but Competent Hannibal Show

[8/10 · 30 October 2013]

Hugh Dancy does an excellent job as Will Graham. The only thing I remember him from is Evening with wife Claire Danes, and while he was great there too this is quite something else! Mikael Madds seemed an unlikely Hannibal to me - mostly because when I think of Hannibal I think of a role immortalized by Anthony Hopkins. But setting aside the traditional Hannibal Lecter image he does a very good job. He's less obviously deranged, more business-like, and lacks the horrific grin that made The Silence of the Lambs one of the scariest thrillers of the nineties. He gives a very polished performance, which works for the Hannibal in this universe. The entire series is full of gore and aberrant violence, but is so ultra-polished in its execution it lacks the grimy dirtiness of having a job like Graham's (Dancy). That being said all in all it is a very entertaining, very gruesome, and very intense show. An addictive watch, definitely not having me look at my own watch. Roll on season 2. And watch out for Eddie Izzard in a bizarre, alien role. He's one of the highlights - part of a league of older actors who do surprisingly dark projects.

Carrie (2013)

A competent director, an excellent performance, and slick direction save this from being just another remake

[8/10 · 30 October 2013]

It says it all above. Chloe Grace Moretz is a remarkable performer. Her Carrie performance was excellent. That being said, even someone that talented can't save a movie that's square. And while Kimberly Pierce is on board with boys don't cry under her belt, the film is great with the drama and well...lacks on the horror. The epic prom scene that I felt all the well- choreographed drama was leading up to should have been a bit more bombastic. Sadly it wasn't. They play it safe pretty much and thus makes you think, "WTF? Isn't this the critical moment where we should be shocked?!" While Carrie sails over the prom room, snapping electrical cables like bloodthirsty eels, there is no hardcore violence - which I think a movie with this kind of horror fable calls for. A few bloodless deaths and poof! It's all over. Not good. This is somewhat redeemed by a long awaited death scene of Carrie's mortal enemy, Chris (Portia Doubleday) whose seething and sadistic bullying gone too far makes you hate her like no other. Carrie's mother (Julianne Moore) an unethical religious zealot is like Paddington compared to her. All in all watch the movie if you're a Chloe Grace fan, but otherwise pass until it's on DVD. The prom scene is way too disappointing - it would have been mint if they had used the slo-mo effect from Dredd to convey all the pain Carrie inflicts on everyone.

Skinwalker Ranch (2013)

Terrifying - Old School Horror At Its Finest

[30 October 2013]

Being someone who was in a wilderness program in the Uinta mountains of Utah, a film based on true events set in this area isn't comforting. Nor is it comforting that I myself saw something on my last day there I couldn't explain. But getting back to the film - wow! What a trip! Devin whatever his name is is really good as an actor, and I was surprised to learn he was the creative force behind it as well. The special effects are chilling and truly, simply put, indiscernible from the actual footage. You feel as if you are witnessing something real - and something terrifying beyond all reasoning. Granted, the film has a few laughs. No horror film is perfect - but this one really hits the mark. The ending, and I'm not going to spoil it, has probably the most terrifying alien abduction scene in recent years. While the FX when it appears is grandiose, a lot is left to your imagination. No one here is a known, established actor which helps because anyone known would have spoiled the realism. No cheap scares or overkill on gore, just terrifying images. Definitely will make you go to sleep with the lights on at night! 10/10 - this is old school horror in the vein of Fire In The Sky, Alien, and Close Encounters of the Third Kind...minus the friendly aliens.

Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)

James Cameron's genuinely emotional film

[10/10 · 26 September 2013]

In some ways, I see James Cameron and Steven Spielberg as very similar creatures. Both project expansive, extraordinary visions (Spielberg seems more caught up in character while Cameron, equally as invested, is a little more interested in expansive special effects) that while thrilling on an overall scale are often a bit too sentimental which takes away from the overall film. This is not the case with the timelessly bombastic Terminator 2: Judgment Day. Out of all of Cameron's films, the emotional aspect here is really excellent because it's subtle. A great example of this emotional subtlety is the crying scene where Arnie asks a young Edward Furlong what's wrong with his eyes. Classic. The more obvious and over-the-top scenes of Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton) escaping a creepy treatment center are well-acted too, devoid of sentimental music. Just gritty, and unfortunate, reality here. On top of this emotional subtlety comes the action, so when the scenes intended to make the tears start rolling start rolling, the tears genuinely can start rolling. 10/10.

Breaking Bad (2008–2013)

The best show ever? No. But one of them.

[10/10 · 25 September 2013]

This, coupled with American Horror Story, Justified, True Blood, and The Killing is a prime example of quality television. Bryan Cranston is EXCELLENT as Walter White, and he's excellent because you don't think "he's such a good actor" you're thinking "that guy is f****ed up." Dean Norris is a good, obnoxious brother-in-law who gets in some hot water, and then some. Anna Gunn turns in a solid performance. Everyone else is solid too, but what stands out is the setting and cinematography. The deserty plains of Alburque, New Mexico are a gorgeous backdrop to such a bloody and gruesome story. The story itself is nothing new, but handled with a gritty style. Danny Trejo guest stars in a memorable episode and meets a memorable end. This is not the *best* show, it is *one* of the best. 10/10. Good solid work.

Sex Drive (2008)

A guilty, no - very guilty - and gross pleasure

[4/10 · 24 September 2013]

MIGHT CONTAIN MINOR SPOILERS

All in all, this film has got to be one of the poorest, most disgusting, and derivative movies I've seen in a long time. My roommate was a fan of it and so I tagged along in watching it. It felt like a teenage version of Knocked Up, except less intelligent and way more graphic. Then again I was watching the unrated cut. It's very objectifying of females, but that's to be expected in a dude comedy. The main character, Ian, is delightfully dorky and out of touch with how to be cool. James Marsden (an unrecognizable James Marsden) is actually excellent as homophobic Rex, I'm not used to seeing him play non-straightlaced roles, which he is so good at (The Notebook, Straw Dogs). Wendy Crew from The Haunting In Connecticut gives a sweet and unassuming performance as Felicia, who tags along the Ms. Tastay road trip. But the excessive nudity (including a horrible scene involving a public ejaculation at a trauma conference) and disturbingly raunchy sex humor kills the movie's potential. The performances could be funny if the material was subtler, and had more depth. There are mere moments of potentially good filmmaking here, but they are squashed by - as Sean Anders or whoever said in the commentary - "more tits!" 4/10, a real failure but so bad it's kind of good.

Chained (I) (2012)

What could have been a trashy horror film is a thought-provoking thriller

[8/10 · 23 September 2013]

Jennifer Lynch is one of those filmmakers who you just can't write off. I was baffled by her overly bloody horror film Surveillance, and pretty polarized about it. Chained however was a different story. She has a lot of integrity with the material, not showing too little (there are gory moments here) but never showing too much. While Surveillance had explicit gore, Chained was a more psychological take on typically gory material. Vincent D'Onofrio is quite simply deplorable, heartbreaking, horrific, misogynist, and excellent as the serial killer. The actor who played Rabbit makes a good, timid-turned-vengeful protagonist and the prisoner of the killer. The camera-work here is superb. The title sequence is one of the creepiest I've seen in years. But Lynch never makes any of these characters inhuman. D'Onofrio's character isn't your run- of-the-mill serial killer character. We see flashes of a brutally grotesque childhood abuse, though we never are quite sure what made him get from there to here as we are given little information. The film leaves some nice, open questions about morality. All in all a good watch - especially because of Vincent D'Onofrio who has a knack at playing killers (he was excellent in The Cell too).

Zoolander (2001)

The stupidity is intentional

[7/10 · 23 September 2013]

It's a film where you need to sit back, relax, and be ready to revel in being stupid. The film is supposed to be stupid, it's supposed to have serious plot holes, and it's supposed to be just all in all a stupid movie. In terms of its stupidity, Ben Stiller is hilarious. Zoolander's deadpan, humorless take on the importance of male modeling is uproarious. Will Ferrell's crass, troll doll-looking Mugatu is ridiculous to be a fashion icon, but is. Milla Jovovich is very funny as the aggressive and out-of-control henchwoman. Watch this for the Relax scene though, it is the perfect combination of creepy and hilariously dumb that you'll be wanting to purchase the actual song again.

Faces in the Crowd (2011)

Interesting concept, poor execution

[5/10 · 23 September 2013]

Milla Jovovich is a charismatic and talented actress who sadly, it seems, is in movies that undermine her potential to really stand out on screen. Faces In A Crowd is a junky, cheaply made horror/thriller that could have been saved if it had stayed consistent with its brilliant opening. The sleek, cold, futuristic vibe of the city Milla's character resides in has so much potential. The production design was killer (no pun intended). The camera-work - before it became sloppy as the film went on - was top notch. It was reminiscent in style of paranoid 70s thrillers (i.e. Coma, Fantastic Voyage, The Stepford Wives, All The President's Men) in terms of some tense situation happening in a creepily inorganic environment. Such an environment ratchets up the tension because the viewer cannot be comforted scenically by anything in the film around them. The film however, as it progressed, got sloppier and sloppier. The scenes involving Face Blindness are chillingly effective for the first 15 minutes, but soon get old. The film simply doesn't hold together. It is also a blatant rip-off in all departments of a 1990s thriller called Blink with Madeleine Stowe. The similarities are as bizarre as Dredd and The Raid: Redemption's similarities, although stylistically this film is more competently made. All in all, a real disappointment. It's got a clichéd ending, a poor middle, and a brilliant opening that falls flat on its face. My big question, what happened? It started out so well...

Coma (2012)

It's a bit out there, but overall a solid remake

[8/10 · 23 September 2013]

The original is more disturbing both visually and psychologically, despite being made in 1978. But this film, complete with high-tech horror effects and a psychotic performance from Ellen Burstyn, is a keeper. I watched both parts and found it a bit strange why they didn't just release it as a single film. I had the same technical confusion with Bag of Bones with Pierce Brosnan. You do have to seriously suspend some disbelief. While the original has its moments of cheese, and dated 70s gimmicks, it is far more believable than this one. Characters are relentlessly picked off in the most public of places and no one notices. An entire unit of gore and horror lurks in the bottom of a shady medical center and yet, despite a video clip of such horrors being on Youtube, no one issues a warrant to search the place. The victims of the conspiracy in the original were more elaborated upon (including an empathetic and very young Tom Selleck who meets his end in OR 8). Here, the victims are seen after surgery in their comatose states, so we have no connection to the human being who once was conscious and lived. The film underuses a very talented case, which includes James Woods, Geena Davis, and Lauren Ambrose. Their characters needed to be seriously elaborated on. Someone was having too much fun with the FX and not with the emotional meat which was desperately needed. It's more outrageously inventive than the original, but far less plausible or thought out. It's a fun, frightful romp that definitely is a grisly charmer and one to keep though.

True Grit (2010)

Wow. And I thought I hated Westerns!

[10/10 · 22 September 2013]

This is a phenomenal new film from the Coen Brothers. Out of all their films it is the most empathetic, with the most empathetic characters. Being a Coen Brothers film, I am quite familiar with a number of the films which often feature enjoyably bizarre, but not particularly likable, heroes and heroines and villains and so on and so forth. But this inspired re-tooling of the John Wayne classic is not just a superior movie but also a very relatable one. I could imagine being the characters, and that's unusual for Joel and Ethan who went to my college and appeared to have a love for Flannery O'Connor (according to one guy). Hailee Steinfeld who now is a big name and has moved on to more conventional roles is great as the tomboy Mattie Ross who is hellbent on killing Tom Chainey (the very rugged and ugly-sexy Josh Brolin). Jeff Bridges steals the show as Rooster Cogburn, he gives the character a more sinister edge than the original. While the humors all there, there's a darkness and a world-weariness to Rooster that wasn't as present in the original, where Wayne was a more flamboyant and in-your-face presence. Matt Damon makes a great and very cocky LaBeouf who sobers up to Mattie Ross as he is continuously made a fool of. On a technical level the film is great as well, with gorgeous cinematography reminiscent of the Coen's No Country and a riveting soundtrack by Carter Burwell. The film is a fun, slightly creepy, and involving western drama. I hate westerns as a general rule because typically they're a bit cheesy, but this one really pulled you in. I highly recommend this, Lonesome Dove, and The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly as the few well-made western films out there.

Minority Report (2002)

Everybody Runs...Or walks...in this conceptually interesting thriller

[7/10 · 22 September 2013]

Minority Report is classic big-budgeted Steven Spielberg. In the hands of a more subtle but equally competent director, I think the film would have benefited from being a far superior movie. That's not to say Steven is not one of the best directors around, he is, but he is excellent at a certain type of filmmaking that I don't believe is particularly refined. In a science fiction thriller such as this, a sleek, lean, and mean direction is needed. The characters need to be more elaborated upon. Spielberg attempts to thrown in together special effects, plot twists, questions about morality, action, and Tom Cruise all in one basket. Not good. Steven Spielberg in my opinion is not a great mainstream action director, with a few exceptions (including the unforgettable Private Ryan). Every violent scene in Minority Report felt a bit too staged, the punches a bit too bland. John Anderton (Cruise)'s backstory, while conceptually devastating, enacted on the screen is a bit overly sentimental. It felt like a huge divergent too from the bigger meat of the yarn - the pre cogs and Anderton's alternate future. What is a nice twist is the ambiguity about the film's happy ending, and whether or not it is a dream. Some would interpret it to be so, others not. Inception seems to have heavily borrowed ideas from Minority Report, in addition to The Matrix (as the story was written long before The Matrix). It's definitely influential, and being Spielberg is definitely something to see, but Spielberg's bombastic approach to all of his films I think has undermined the film's full potential to be a haunting and subtle film that stays with you. Alas Minority Report, while full of cool ideas, images, and effects, is easily forgettable.

Beyond the Black Rainbow (2010)

Now this is a movie

[8/10 · 22 September 2013]

Panos Cosmatos has crafted a highly disturbing, visually dazzling, and deeply emotional 80s- style art-house ick film here. Set within the creepy Arboria Institute where a chilling new set of experiments for human perfection is being conducted, a young girl named Elena is the test subject of the brutally predatory Dr. Nyle. Dr. Nyle has some oddities of his own that manifest themselves through his "sessions" with Elena, who is heavily drugged throughout most of the film. Eva Allan (or Bourne)'s portrayal of the entrapped girl is so empathetic you practically want to cry. While not uttering a single word except a series of sounds here and there, her "speaking" is through her expressions flitting from sadness to happiness to euphoria to bewilderment in seconds. Her endurance and motivation to escape Dr. Nyle's clutches really carry you with her through the film. Dr. Nyle, while a homicidal psychopath with a chilling experimental history, has moments where you feel true empathy for him. But he mostly is just a terrifying (especially at the end) and very predatory presence. Apart from the basic gist of the film presented to you at the very beginning by a younger Dr. Arboria, the rest of what happens in the film is yours to interpret. The lines spoken by the actors are purposefully blotted out of the sound design in certain parts, as if Cosmatos wants to create an old 80s effect of musical overkill or hide some crucial part of the plot to keep you guessing. Guessing in the film is part of the disturbing fun of the viewing experience. What happens in the walls of the Arboria Institute is disturbing to say the least, and not for the kids. But for those who have a strong stomach and an open mind, the film is a very emotional and beautifully rendered science fiction nightmare. A solid film, a real winner for its director, who hasn't directed anything before or since. I look forward one day to seeing more of his work.

The Call (II) (2013)

A Surprisingly Good Entry

[7/10 · 22 September 2013]

This film was actually pretty well-done. Granted, the serial killer's gruesome motivations for the kidnappings are identical to those of other such antagonists in similar films. Besides that cliché, the film is a solid, completely uninventive but competently made thriller film with definite aspects of the horror genre thrown in the mix. The ending felt a bit too grandiose for a film of this budget, which clearly was small. The best scenes are the ones where Jordan (Academy Award Winner Halle Berry) is attempting to calm terrified teenager Casey Welson (a very different Abigail Breslin) while she is locked in the trunk of a psychotic child murderer. The correspondence between the two women is well-played. While their lines are weak, Berry and Breslin make enormously sympathetic heroines. The photography and film editing of The Call is effective as well. It starts to become a bit stylized around the middle, with a Zoolander- like gasoline death being shown in a serious of still images. The violence level of the film around the middle also becomes more extreme. At times you have to suspend your disbelief at the killer's inexplicable ability to appear out of nowhere. Everything else - including the disturbing deaths - are dead serious and very real. Michael Ekin, who plays the killer, does a good job as a creepy antagonist. I would have liked the character to have more meat and learn more about his pathology that drives him to kill - as some gross hints sprinkled in an old photo album are all we ever get to know about him. All in all it's a square, highly uninventive, but highly competent horror/thriller from Brad Anderson who has done an array of far more interesting film (Session 9, for instance). I'll be interested in seeing Anderson do a film that is both bigger budgeted than his others but more interesting like his more micro budgeted projects.

Sinister (I) (2012)

Could have been so much more

[5/10 · 22 September 2013]

Sinister - the highly anticipated and lauded follow-up by Scott Derrickson to the very scary Emily Rose exorcism movie - is a bit of a letdown. The visual images are great, the monster is spooky in an old-school way, and the old movies are very freakily effective. But I found myself counting down the minutes to Ellison Oswald (Ethan Hawke)'s death. The characters simply didn't have enough meat to make the narrative terribly interesting. Deputy So-and-So was a humorous aspect of the film but that felt like it under weighed the film being a serious scary movie. The humor for me disjointed the actual parts of the film designed to scare you. Hawke's line, "OK Dog, you just stay there, because I'm going to...bash your head in" when he sees a monstrous spirit in the form of a canine kills the tension. The concept of a demonic deity named Bagul is silly enough so the film should have had a more serious execution. But because of the tongue-in-cheek approach I was more bored or waiting for something really creepy to happen than actually being scared. When the scares did happen, everything else framed around them was so un-involving that while I jumped, I was more surprised than disturbed. The ending has elements of a classic horror film (blood soaked walls, creepy kids, the whole schnozzle) but what sucks is this film could have really been as scary as everyone said it was, but sadly wasn't. Still worth a watch if you're an Ethan Hawke fan and enjoyed Scott's really disturbing exorcism movie The Exorcism of Emily Rose, which I highly recommend.