2017 Douglas Smith, Lucien Laviscount, Cressida Bonas
January's horror offering The Bye Bye Man has been getting a lot of flak lately, but luckily i'm here to tell it's honestly not all that bad....sort of.
The film centres around 3 friends who rent an off campus house for their college year and accidentally discover a curse linked to the titular character.
After a violent and pretty jolting opening sequence I went into the film with expectations above average. The scene involved a suburban neighbourhood in the 80's under siege by a man with shotgun apparently trying to 'stop him'. This set the bar quite high and made me instantly curious too learn more about just what exactly was he trying to stop.
After being buried for decades the curse is let looses once again by the trio when one of them sees the name written on a piece of furniture. The seeing and thinking of this name is meant to make the curse grow stronger and bring The Bye Bye Man closer to you.
Now The Bye Bye Man never visits his victims alone, he has his faithful hell hound with him at all times. Unfortunately this creature is made up of some of the worst CGI iv seen in years, seriously 1980's Ghostbusters looks masterful compared to this!
Another problem was that there seemed to be no clear 'rules' as to when he might appear, curses always have rules! The sound of a coin dropping, scratching on walls and loss of time all fell into the same category and felt like they just happened for the sake of whatever scene they appeared in. If the director stuck to one sign and hammered it home, this would have been much more effective. These moments did supply some good creepy scenes though, a few red herrings thrown in here and there but nothing totally original. I think that was the main gripe with this film, there were good things on offer here but most had been done better by similar films or the scares were executed at the wrong times.
The best and most interesting thing about this film was the way in which it's characters were tied to the curse. The Bye Bye Man preyed on their weaknesses and insecurities. Watching the systematic breakdown of their confidence was as chilling as it was entertaining. Illusions would fool the characters, making the trio turn on each other, become jealous and sometimes even violent. This created a great sense of paranoia and a solid 'who done it' feel to things.
Unfortunately for all these twists, turns and second guessing The Bye Bye Man failed to deliver on the main point of a horror film, the scares. His character was more behind the scenes than trailers and marketing implied, this left the focus one the main cast. It was because of this that when he did appear I felt more intrigued as to what he would finally do having caught up to someone rather than feeling scared.
The Verdict
The Bye Bye man certainly wasn't the train wreck most people said it was, treading familiar ground with some tweaks here and there it certainly wasn't original. Strong characters and a few memorable moments couldn't quite outweigh poor CGI and a sometimes overwritten villain.
2.5/5
Friday, 20 January 2017
Saturday, 7 January 2017
My 2017 film picks
With Christmas over and your New years diet already on the rocks, January can feel like a pretty depressing month. But never fear, 2017 is set to be a fantastic year for cinephiles all over! With some great comebacks as well as original ideas there is truly something for everyone to look forward to.
Here is my own list of all the most anticipated films etched on my calender, enjoy!
Underworld: Blood Wars
Werewolf slaying vampire huntress Seline (Kate Beckinsale) is back for the 5th instalment in the franchise and fans are hoping for a return to form. It appears characters throughout the franchise have been gathered together and will be battling it out in the usual flashy, neo-gothic style we have come to enjoy. I am prepared for what should be a bloody good time! Pun very much intended ;)
John Wick Chapter 2
I thought the original John Wick was one of the best straight up action films of the last decade. It was stylish, character driven and boasted many a memorable set piece. The sequel sees John thrust back into the world of hired assassins and this time he faces even greater threats. Keanu Reeves is one of those actors that you can rely on for a great performance and I cant wait to learn more about his character and see those lethal moves on the big screen once more.
Here is my own list of all the most anticipated films etched on my calender, enjoy!
Underworld: Blood Wars
Werewolf slaying vampire huntress Seline (Kate Beckinsale) is back for the 5th instalment in the franchise and fans are hoping for a return to form. It appears characters throughout the franchise have been gathered together and will be battling it out in the usual flashy, neo-gothic style we have come to enjoy. I am prepared for what should be a bloody good time! Pun very much intended ;)
John Wick Chapter 2
I thought the original John Wick was one of the best straight up action films of the last decade. It was stylish, character driven and boasted many a memorable set piece. The sequel sees John thrust back into the world of hired assassins and this time he faces even greater threats. Keanu Reeves is one of those actors that you can rely on for a great performance and I cant wait to learn more about his character and see those lethal moves on the big screen once more.
Ghost In The Shell
Scarlet Johanson and arguably the world's most recognised anime collide for what could be a neon soaked sci-fi masterpiece. It is going to be fascinating to see how the director handles those classic moments from the anime as well as fusing some of his own ideas and styles. They are also releasing a book 'The Art of The Ghost in The Shell' which features the making of and also hundreds of concept sketches form illustrators and artists around the world.
Spiderman: Homecoming
It has been years since I have actually looked forward to, or even cared about a Marvel film but I hope this one will change all that. Wet blanket Andrew Garfield is out of the picture and up steps young Tom Holland. Even the short trailer got more laughs out of me than the last 5 marvel entries combined, he just fits the role of Peter Parker so well and I look forward to seeing where he will take the character and what surprises lay in store.
Alien: Covenant
Ridley Scott is back and doing what he does best. Covenant promises nail biting suspense, strong character development and those signature moments of dread. I am hoping this fills in some of the blanks from the flop that was Prometheus and serves as new life for the franchise. The trailer suggests it has the feel of the first 2 films but with the up to date visuals of modern cinema, bring it on!
Rings
Samara returns for the third instalment and her curse is stronger than ever, Julia worries for her boyfriend when he watches the cursed video tape and makes a horrifying discovery. There is a movie within a movie and it thrusts the couple into a race against time to save themselves before Samara comes for them in 7 days...
The Belko Experiment
Basically Battle Royale inside an office block and written by James Gunn. Sold.
Star Wars Episode VIII
After episode VII left us hanging its hard not to want answers. What is Rey's connection to Luke Skywalker, who is Snoke and can Kylo Ren be saved? While under the guide of a different director i still feel the franchise is in good hands, this could be the biggest film of 2017 without a doubt.
Wednesday, 21 December 2016
The Best and Worst of 2016
We have come to that time of year again, so here is my end of year wrap up of all the films that blew me away and all the films that made me cover my face in despair! 2016 has been a strong year for cinema with lots of big titles released. I have really enjoyed predicting how these would turn out and talking among friends about their views on certain blockbusters. This year was also a fine year for hidden gems. So many films almost slipped under my radar and many of them were truly memorable.
I hope you all enjoy this post and as always feel free to list some of your own best and worst of 2016!
The Best
Zootopia
Disney upped themselves so many levels with this film! Zootopia was a an absolute joy from start to finish, a visual treat for the eyes and requires a second and maybe even a third watch just to take in all the subtle details that have been crammed in. Zootopia had the usual Disney charm but what stood out for me was just how grown up and relevant to today's society this film was in parts. Not only does it deliver an important message about breaking moulds and pushing for change in a difficult environment, but it also tackles subjects such as discrimination, prejudice and crime.
I laughed, I (almost) cried and a I laughed some more. Zootopia is a shining example of storytelling, heart and animation and sets the bar for Disney movies in the coming years.
The Conjuring 2
Now this is how you make a horror sequel! The Conjuring 2 builds on the first film in every way, The Warrens are fleshed out a lot more and the relationship they have is touching to watch. One of the best on screen couples all year. The sequel takes place in England and although I may be biased towards this, it helped ground the story in reality and made it eerily relateble.
The tension is built up beautifully and there are genuinely unsettling scares to be had here!
Keanu
A black american comedy that is actually funny? Surely not you cry, well this one is and its a little gem!
Keanu is a film with a simple premise but one that is executed really well. 2 men pretend to be legendary gangster in order to infiltrate a gang and reclaim their stolen kitten. Key and Peele nailed their roles and deliver a laugh a minute in this action packed comedy. Although the film was featured a lot of cursing and action scenes what surprised me the most was just how much heart the film had. A great surprise in a often crowded genre.
The Witch
The Witch is an expertly crafted, slow burn New England folk tale. Taking inspiration from real life documents found from that era it tells a tale of family, superstition and the fear of god. This a film that doesn't spoon feed you key plot points, it relies on your own interpretation and viewers are challenged to solve the plot's mysteries as they develop. A haunting soundtrack, stunning cinematography and just the impending sense of dread make this a memorable watch indeed.
Don't Breathe
Easily one of the best horror films of the year, Don't Breathe centres around 3 thieves who break into a blind war veterans house and soon discover is isn't as defenceless as he seems. Jane Levy delivers another fantastic performance which further proves she is fast becoming a horror icon. This film is nail bitingly tense, carefully paced and delivers one of the best horror twists in years!
Victoria
Filmed in one unbroken continuous shot, Victoria is a tale of a young Spanish girl who meets 3 Berliners on a night out and gets caught up in a heist. This film was beautiful from start to finish. The characters were very human and all completely relatable, the camera work was like nothing I had every experiencing in any other film. The sheer planning and work that must have gone in to create this spectacle is mind boggling, yet the film has a very personal and even claustrophobic feel at times. Victoria was a film that made me fall in love with cinema all over again and I regard it not only at the film of the year, but maybe even the last 5. A flawless masterpiece that deserves to be viewed by all.
Honourable Mentions
The Boy
The Jungle Book
Lights Out
The Worst
Batman VS Superman: Dawn of Bullshit
Zack Snyder directs yet another pathetic attempt at a superhero film with all the grace and poise of a child smashing 2 action figures together.
I genuinely hated BVS, I hated it. The plot is ridiculous and the the running time is overly long but the main problems lie in the characters, or what is left of them.
Our first look at Batman is a scene of him firing a minigun, Batman fires a minigun. At people. Superman is given about 14 lines in the entire 2 hr 30mins and is portrayed as a wimpy teary eyed pansy. Wonder Woman is played by some scrawny hack and has 'feminist agenda' written all over her! This is meant to be your role model girls, so take notes! There are a bunch of other characters from both universes but aren't worth mentioning because they are all as a shallow as a puddle.
Ultimately the reason this film failed is because it betrays decades of comic lore for the sake of looking edgy. This film is not made out of love for the craft of film making, this film feels like it was made to a check list. It is a film the director thinks we want not the film he wanted to make. Avoid this disgusting garbage like the plague.
The Forest
How can you go wrong with Natalie Dormer and Japanese ghosts? As it turns out, extremely easily.
The director had a great opportunity to deliver a solid film here but it was squandered at every turn. Riddled with cliques from creepy school girls, right the way through to a 'saw it coming a mile off' twist. The Forest featured zero scares, little to no character development and a cop out ending. Oh what could have been...
The Good Dinosaur
I always feel bad for slating animated features and especially ones that aren't my age demographic, but this deserves it!
The plot revolves around a dinosaur called Alro (Alro, really?) who is pretty much useless at everything, his farther tragically dies and so he must find a way to help his family's struggling farm.
He then continues to be useless at everything and basically cons, lies and sympathy begs lots of other more capable prehistoric creatures to do things for him then gets all the credit at the end.
another pet hate of mine was the fact that any time a creature was supposedly portrayed as cute the designers made them act like a puppy. Even a human infant sits on it's bum with its tongue hanging out, that is just infantile and lazy film production! Could this be the start of Pixar's fall from grace?
I hope you all enjoy this post and as always feel free to list some of your own best and worst of 2016!
The Best
Zootopia
Disney upped themselves so many levels with this film! Zootopia was a an absolute joy from start to finish, a visual treat for the eyes and requires a second and maybe even a third watch just to take in all the subtle details that have been crammed in. Zootopia had the usual Disney charm but what stood out for me was just how grown up and relevant to today's society this film was in parts. Not only does it deliver an important message about breaking moulds and pushing for change in a difficult environment, but it also tackles subjects such as discrimination, prejudice and crime.
I laughed, I (almost) cried and a I laughed some more. Zootopia is a shining example of storytelling, heart and animation and sets the bar for Disney movies in the coming years.
The Conjuring 2
Now this is how you make a horror sequel! The Conjuring 2 builds on the first film in every way, The Warrens are fleshed out a lot more and the relationship they have is touching to watch. One of the best on screen couples all year. The sequel takes place in England and although I may be biased towards this, it helped ground the story in reality and made it eerily relateble.
The tension is built up beautifully and there are genuinely unsettling scares to be had here!
Keanu
A black american comedy that is actually funny? Surely not you cry, well this one is and its a little gem!
Keanu is a film with a simple premise but one that is executed really well. 2 men pretend to be legendary gangster in order to infiltrate a gang and reclaim their stolen kitten. Key and Peele nailed their roles and deliver a laugh a minute in this action packed comedy. Although the film was featured a lot of cursing and action scenes what surprised me the most was just how much heart the film had. A great surprise in a often crowded genre.
The Witch
The Witch is an expertly crafted, slow burn New England folk tale. Taking inspiration from real life documents found from that era it tells a tale of family, superstition and the fear of god. This a film that doesn't spoon feed you key plot points, it relies on your own interpretation and viewers are challenged to solve the plot's mysteries as they develop. A haunting soundtrack, stunning cinematography and just the impending sense of dread make this a memorable watch indeed.
Don't Breathe
Easily one of the best horror films of the year, Don't Breathe centres around 3 thieves who break into a blind war veterans house and soon discover is isn't as defenceless as he seems. Jane Levy delivers another fantastic performance which further proves she is fast becoming a horror icon. This film is nail bitingly tense, carefully paced and delivers one of the best horror twists in years!
Victoria
Filmed in one unbroken continuous shot, Victoria is a tale of a young Spanish girl who meets 3 Berliners on a night out and gets caught up in a heist. This film was beautiful from start to finish. The characters were very human and all completely relatable, the camera work was like nothing I had every experiencing in any other film. The sheer planning and work that must have gone in to create this spectacle is mind boggling, yet the film has a very personal and even claustrophobic feel at times. Victoria was a film that made me fall in love with cinema all over again and I regard it not only at the film of the year, but maybe even the last 5. A flawless masterpiece that deserves to be viewed by all.
Honourable Mentions
The Boy
The Jungle Book
Lights Out
The Worst
Batman VS Superman: Dawn of Bullshit
Zack Snyder directs yet another pathetic attempt at a superhero film with all the grace and poise of a child smashing 2 action figures together.
I genuinely hated BVS, I hated it. The plot is ridiculous and the the running time is overly long but the main problems lie in the characters, or what is left of them.
Our first look at Batman is a scene of him firing a minigun, Batman fires a minigun. At people. Superman is given about 14 lines in the entire 2 hr 30mins and is portrayed as a wimpy teary eyed pansy. Wonder Woman is played by some scrawny hack and has 'feminist agenda' written all over her! This is meant to be your role model girls, so take notes! There are a bunch of other characters from both universes but aren't worth mentioning because they are all as a shallow as a puddle.
Ultimately the reason this film failed is because it betrays decades of comic lore for the sake of looking edgy. This film is not made out of love for the craft of film making, this film feels like it was made to a check list. It is a film the director thinks we want not the film he wanted to make. Avoid this disgusting garbage like the plague.
The Forest
How can you go wrong with Natalie Dormer and Japanese ghosts? As it turns out, extremely easily.
The director had a great opportunity to deliver a solid film here but it was squandered at every turn. Riddled with cliques from creepy school girls, right the way through to a 'saw it coming a mile off' twist. The Forest featured zero scares, little to no character development and a cop out ending. Oh what could have been...
The Good Dinosaur
I always feel bad for slating animated features and especially ones that aren't my age demographic, but this deserves it!
The plot revolves around a dinosaur called Alro (Alro, really?) who is pretty much useless at everything, his farther tragically dies and so he must find a way to help his family's struggling farm.
He then continues to be useless at everything and basically cons, lies and sympathy begs lots of other more capable prehistoric creatures to do things for him then gets all the credit at the end.
another pet hate of mine was the fact that any time a creature was supposedly portrayed as cute the designers made them act like a puppy. Even a human infant sits on it's bum with its tongue hanging out, that is just infantile and lazy film production! Could this be the start of Pixar's fall from grace?
Wednesday, 30 November 2016
Review: Train To Busan
2016 Yoo Gong, Dong-seok Ma, Woo-sik Choi
A conflicted businessman and his young daughter board the train to Busan in the midst of a viral out break and must fight for survival.
Director Sang-ho Yeon's Train to Busan is one of those films that just ticks all the boxes. Now most mainstream 'zombie horrors' stick to a very familiar formula and are for the most part light hearted in tone and don't require much concentration. There have been a some real stand out over the last decade however with the likes of 28 Days Later and World War Z achieving massive success.
Train to Busan works so brilliantly because it cherry picks all the best aspects from all the best zombie flicks, then puts it's own flare on them for good measure.
The story begins following the farther and his daughter boarding the train, but as the mayhem unfold other passengers are thrust into the fray. These certain groups then become our main characters. The young childbearing couple, a Junior baseball team and a pair of shifty looking railway network employees.
Zombies films have always prided themselves on their creatures, but sometimes the human aspect is also a main focus and this is certainly to the case with this film too. We have a range of ages, genders and personality types to observe and it was interesting to see how each demographic coped with the apocalyptic situation. I found myself rooting for certain characters and carefully watching and reaming suspicious of others. I was constantly willing them to succeed rather than succumb to horrible fates and that was a first I think!
The zombies/infected are a good blend of popular tropes too. The film opted for the faster running variety like we got in 28 Days Later and they also shared the same swarm like mentality as the previously mentioned zombie in World War Z. The swarms however we in tight knit spaces which made for some truly terrifying scenes when hundred surges forward often scrambling over anything and even each other in order to reach their prey. Train To Busan throws a great curve ball into the mix by making the infected almost blind in the darkness. This original design lead to to absolutely nerve shredding scenes of the survivors creeping through the hordes are the train screamed through railway tunnels. The tension of one of these particular scenes is one of my fondest horror memories of the last few years and will stay with me for a long time.
The Verdict
Train To Busan is a perfect blend of all the best zombie flicks with it's own flare and tale to tell. The film has a lot of heart, emotion and more than enough action to to keep even jaded horror fans glued to the screen. Fantastically written characters, surprises and thrill galore make this one of the best horror films released this year. The subtitles may not be to everyone's liking but its a minor niggle to overcome for a rewarding and gripping watch.
5/5
A conflicted businessman and his young daughter board the train to Busan in the midst of a viral out break and must fight for survival.
Director Sang-ho Yeon's Train to Busan is one of those films that just ticks all the boxes. Now most mainstream 'zombie horrors' stick to a very familiar formula and are for the most part light hearted in tone and don't require much concentration. There have been a some real stand out over the last decade however with the likes of 28 Days Later and World War Z achieving massive success.
Train to Busan works so brilliantly because it cherry picks all the best aspects from all the best zombie flicks, then puts it's own flare on them for good measure.
The story begins following the farther and his daughter boarding the train, but as the mayhem unfold other passengers are thrust into the fray. These certain groups then become our main characters. The young childbearing couple, a Junior baseball team and a pair of shifty looking railway network employees.
Zombies films have always prided themselves on their creatures, but sometimes the human aspect is also a main focus and this is certainly to the case with this film too. We have a range of ages, genders and personality types to observe and it was interesting to see how each demographic coped with the apocalyptic situation. I found myself rooting for certain characters and carefully watching and reaming suspicious of others. I was constantly willing them to succeed rather than succumb to horrible fates and that was a first I think!
The zombies/infected are a good blend of popular tropes too. The film opted for the faster running variety like we got in 28 Days Later and they also shared the same swarm like mentality as the previously mentioned zombie in World War Z. The swarms however we in tight knit spaces which made for some truly terrifying scenes when hundred surges forward often scrambling over anything and even each other in order to reach their prey. Train To Busan throws a great curve ball into the mix by making the infected almost blind in the darkness. This original design lead to to absolutely nerve shredding scenes of the survivors creeping through the hordes are the train screamed through railway tunnels. The tension of one of these particular scenes is one of my fondest horror memories of the last few years and will stay with me for a long time.
The Verdict
Train To Busan is a perfect blend of all the best zombie flicks with it's own flare and tale to tell. The film has a lot of heart, emotion and more than enough action to to keep even jaded horror fans glued to the screen. Fantastically written characters, surprises and thrill galore make this one of the best horror films released this year. The subtitles may not be to everyone's liking but its a minor niggle to overcome for a rewarding and gripping watch.
5/5
Wednesday, 2 November 2016
Review: 31
2016 Richard Brake, Sheri Moon Zombie, Roscoe Pepper
Heavy rocker turned film director Rob Zombie has made his fair share of films over the last decade or so, his latest instalment 31, pits 5 carnival workers against a gang of twisted clowns as they try and survive for 12 hours.
If you are familiar with Zombie's previous works you will know roughly what to expect, black humour, torture, rape and gallons of blood. All these trademarks are present in this film but I cant help thinking he has streamlined his style, simple and honest are the name of the game here. While House of 1000 Corpses was a psychedelic blood bath and The Devils Rejects was a ultra realistic manson-esque thrill ride, 31 veers down the Running Man meets Hostel route.
The film open with a delightfully twisted introduction by Richard Brake as the menacing Doomhead. We soon learn he is talking to his latest victim a bloodied and bound priest, who after a few words of wisdom he proceeds to dispatch with a rather blunt axe. So perfectly shot and gripping was this scene that I went in immediately with expectations through the roof, unfortunately I would soon come back down to earth with a bump.
After we are introduced to our main characters and they are promptly kidnapped and placed into the game, we are then introduced to their first opponent. Itching for more Doomhead action I waited with baited breath, however what I got instead was a Spanish dwarf dressed as Adolf Hitler..... no really.
Sadly this was a recurring theme with the film, every time something really brutal or gripping happened, in the next breath something completely ridiculous or obscene would happen. This constant back and forth of styles was often frustrating and I could never really find my groove. It was like there was a divide between good acting and the downright bad. There is flashy and tense fight scene between our heroes and 2 chainsaw wielding clowns. The scene is well choreographed and features a bloody finale. This scene would have been perfect if the 2 clowns in question would stop making rape jokes and going all out to offend everybody in the room.
Now I am far from a prude and i go into a Rob Zombie film expecting to be shocked and appalled (that's part of his charm) but there were moments that tried way too hard. This is a real shame because there were a few memorable moments here.
Sheri Moon Zombie has definitely got better the more films she appears in, here she took on the role of the reluctant hero, becoming an expert clown killer by the end of the film! In fact most of the band of 5 heroes were all very convincing even if they weren't necessarily the type of people you would root for. Rob Zombie loves to play with characters that the audience hates at first but gradually warms to as time goes on, these people are all horrible and probably deserve it yet I wanted them to succeed. nobody writes these role as good as him.
Another big strength of the film is it's soundtrack, being set in the 1970's down in the deep south we get some cracking tunes to accompany the bloodshed. Aerosmith, Kitty Wells and Lynyrd Skynryd among the pile.
The Verdict
For fans of his previous films there is a lot to like here, but Rob Zombie has also tried to streamline his style it seems and made a fairly solid feature. Inconsistencies in tone and acting quality let in down in a number of places but it isn't enough to completely turn you off. Come for the gore, stay for Richard Brake and Aerosmith.
3/5
Heavy rocker turned film director Rob Zombie has made his fair share of films over the last decade or so, his latest instalment 31, pits 5 carnival workers against a gang of twisted clowns as they try and survive for 12 hours.
If you are familiar with Zombie's previous works you will know roughly what to expect, black humour, torture, rape and gallons of blood. All these trademarks are present in this film but I cant help thinking he has streamlined his style, simple and honest are the name of the game here. While House of 1000 Corpses was a psychedelic blood bath and The Devils Rejects was a ultra realistic manson-esque thrill ride, 31 veers down the Running Man meets Hostel route.
The film open with a delightfully twisted introduction by Richard Brake as the menacing Doomhead. We soon learn he is talking to his latest victim a bloodied and bound priest, who after a few words of wisdom he proceeds to dispatch with a rather blunt axe. So perfectly shot and gripping was this scene that I went in immediately with expectations through the roof, unfortunately I would soon come back down to earth with a bump.
After we are introduced to our main characters and they are promptly kidnapped and placed into the game, we are then introduced to their first opponent. Itching for more Doomhead action I waited with baited breath, however what I got instead was a Spanish dwarf dressed as Adolf Hitler..... no really.
Sadly this was a recurring theme with the film, every time something really brutal or gripping happened, in the next breath something completely ridiculous or obscene would happen. This constant back and forth of styles was often frustrating and I could never really find my groove. It was like there was a divide between good acting and the downright bad. There is flashy and tense fight scene between our heroes and 2 chainsaw wielding clowns. The scene is well choreographed and features a bloody finale. This scene would have been perfect if the 2 clowns in question would stop making rape jokes and going all out to offend everybody in the room.
Now I am far from a prude and i go into a Rob Zombie film expecting to be shocked and appalled (that's part of his charm) but there were moments that tried way too hard. This is a real shame because there were a few memorable moments here.
Sheri Moon Zombie has definitely got better the more films she appears in, here she took on the role of the reluctant hero, becoming an expert clown killer by the end of the film! In fact most of the band of 5 heroes were all very convincing even if they weren't necessarily the type of people you would root for. Rob Zombie loves to play with characters that the audience hates at first but gradually warms to as time goes on, these people are all horrible and probably deserve it yet I wanted them to succeed. nobody writes these role as good as him.
Another big strength of the film is it's soundtrack, being set in the 1970's down in the deep south we get some cracking tunes to accompany the bloodshed. Aerosmith, Kitty Wells and Lynyrd Skynryd among the pile.
The Verdict
For fans of his previous films there is a lot to like here, but Rob Zombie has also tried to streamline his style it seems and made a fairly solid feature. Inconsistencies in tone and acting quality let in down in a number of places but it isn't enough to completely turn you off. Come for the gore, stay for Richard Brake and Aerosmith.
3/5
Wednesday, 21 September 2016
Review: Lights Out
2016 Teresa Palmer, Maria Bello, Alexander DiPersia
After having a supernatural experience, a young boy reaches out to his older sister Rebecca. It is son discovers that whatever is haunting them has a strange link to their mother and Rebecca's own troubled past.
Lights Out was close to the top of my most anticipated film list this year, with horror veteran James Wan on hand to steer this latest title down dark paths I couldn't wait to see what lay in store.
The entity was easily the star of the show. The sense of mystery was kept almost all the way till the credits rolled. The ghostly figure would be lurking and twitching in the shadows and even when it was not visible, the paranoid sense that it was never too far away was gripping. It was always uncertain just what the creatures limits were, could it fit inside the smallest of shadows, just how much light was needed to vanquish it, could it ever be stopped? Frail and gangly in appearance with only the white's of it's eyes glowing made it a memorable and fearsome creature, possibly even a contender to be a new horror icon.
Acting was fairly thin unfortunately, Maria Bello doing a good job of playing a conflicted but caring mother role. The problems mainly lay with main heroine Rebecca. She may of had her younger brother's safety in mind but came across as lazy and selfish, displaying almost no emotion during some scenes then suddenly bursting into tears or having moments of immense bravery. This felt a little disjointed and didn't make her a hero to root for.
With the entity only able to move and attack it's prey in pitch darkness it forced the heroes to think strategically. This gave way to some really clever scenes in which the entity would cleverly adapt to the defences put in place and hide in the smallest pockets of darkness. There was a real sense of paranoia with this film, just how dark to a spot have to be to house the creature, could the characters live the rest of their lives with the lights on!? A particularly clever scene involved an unsuspecting police offer shooting at the entity only for it to close in on him with each subsequent shot. A lot of attention to detail and thought had been put into the scares and it showed. Each encounter was like a puzzle that heroes had to solve. You barely had chance to catch your breathe between these paranormal assaults.
The Verdict
Lights Out is a well made and clever horror film. The acting may be somewhat below average but the terrifying entity and frequent scares more than make up for it. Keep your lights on for this one!
4/5
After having a supernatural experience, a young boy reaches out to his older sister Rebecca. It is son discovers that whatever is haunting them has a strange link to their mother and Rebecca's own troubled past.
Lights Out was close to the top of my most anticipated film list this year, with horror veteran James Wan on hand to steer this latest title down dark paths I couldn't wait to see what lay in store.
The entity was easily the star of the show. The sense of mystery was kept almost all the way till the credits rolled. The ghostly figure would be lurking and twitching in the shadows and even when it was not visible, the paranoid sense that it was never too far away was gripping. It was always uncertain just what the creatures limits were, could it fit inside the smallest of shadows, just how much light was needed to vanquish it, could it ever be stopped? Frail and gangly in appearance with only the white's of it's eyes glowing made it a memorable and fearsome creature, possibly even a contender to be a new horror icon.
Acting was fairly thin unfortunately, Maria Bello doing a good job of playing a conflicted but caring mother role. The problems mainly lay with main heroine Rebecca. She may of had her younger brother's safety in mind but came across as lazy and selfish, displaying almost no emotion during some scenes then suddenly bursting into tears or having moments of immense bravery. This felt a little disjointed and didn't make her a hero to root for.
With the entity only able to move and attack it's prey in pitch darkness it forced the heroes to think strategically. This gave way to some really clever scenes in which the entity would cleverly adapt to the defences put in place and hide in the smallest pockets of darkness. There was a real sense of paranoia with this film, just how dark to a spot have to be to house the creature, could the characters live the rest of their lives with the lights on!? A particularly clever scene involved an unsuspecting police offer shooting at the entity only for it to close in on him with each subsequent shot. A lot of attention to detail and thought had been put into the scares and it showed. Each encounter was like a puzzle that heroes had to solve. You barely had chance to catch your breathe between these paranormal assaults.
The Verdict
Lights Out is a well made and clever horror film. The acting may be somewhat below average but the terrifying entity and frequent scares more than make up for it. Keep your lights on for this one!
4/5
Sunday, 4 September 2016
Review: Hardcore Henry
2016, Tim Roth, Sharlto Copley, Haley Bennett
A man called Henry awakes with no memory only to find he is half machine, his girlfriend/scientist is kidnapped and he use his special set of abilities to track down those responsible. While that may seen like a fairly tried and tested plot, the less is more approach isn't always the best.
Hardcore Henry is a simple film and it openly revels in this fact. The entire thing is filmed in a first person perspective as if we are looking through Henry's eyes. This makes way for plenty of up close and personal shootings, stabbings, beatings and any other for of violence you can inflict on another human being. This may sound like a an action lover's dream but the frequently in which these occur make each kill feel meaningless. The character of Henry is so well matched against hordes and hordes of useless opponents you can never really feel he is ever in any danger. Did a tank full of bad guys just appear out of nowhere? (this actually happens in the film) no problem, I'm sure he'll escape somehow. *yawns*
There is a small cast of characters, we spend most of the time in henry's shoes and his unlikely side kick Jimmy. Without hinting at spoilers Jimmy appears throughout the film in many different 'forms. One scene he is a lunatic punk rock, next minute he is a rough riding motorcyclist but his shining moment comes in the end sequence of the film where he takes on a Dad's Army officer type of role. Sharlto Copley is the star of the show and absolutely nails every one of these little performances. The Villain of the story Akan, leaves little to be desired. He is about as one dimensional as villains get, he has telekinetic powers (with no explanation as to why at all) and has a plot to build a robot army. I Felt this character was totally out of place and would have better suited an early 90's episode of Power Rangers.
Soundtrack is one area where everything comes together, a nice mix of electro with some rock and roll classics thrown in for good measure accompany nearly all the violence. I may have been desensitised to the killing and even a little bored by the first 30 minutes, but watching Henry dispatch goons whilst high on adrenaline to the sound of Queens's Don't Stop Me Now, is enough to put a smile on any sicko's face.
The Verdict
Hardcore Henry is an ambitious film and leaves you little time to get your breathe. It is accompanied by a good soundtrack and a hilarious sidekick. It's relentless pace and ridiculous body count will please action fans at first, but ultimately feels tired and stale by the time the credits roll.
2.5/5
A man called Henry awakes with no memory only to find he is half machine, his girlfriend/scientist is kidnapped and he use his special set of abilities to track down those responsible. While that may seen like a fairly tried and tested plot, the less is more approach isn't always the best.
Hardcore Henry is a simple film and it openly revels in this fact. The entire thing is filmed in a first person perspective as if we are looking through Henry's eyes. This makes way for plenty of up close and personal shootings, stabbings, beatings and any other for of violence you can inflict on another human being. This may sound like a an action lover's dream but the frequently in which these occur make each kill feel meaningless. The character of Henry is so well matched against hordes and hordes of useless opponents you can never really feel he is ever in any danger. Did a tank full of bad guys just appear out of nowhere? (this actually happens in the film) no problem, I'm sure he'll escape somehow. *yawns*
There is a small cast of characters, we spend most of the time in henry's shoes and his unlikely side kick Jimmy. Without hinting at spoilers Jimmy appears throughout the film in many different 'forms. One scene he is a lunatic punk rock, next minute he is a rough riding motorcyclist but his shining moment comes in the end sequence of the film where he takes on a Dad's Army officer type of role. Sharlto Copley is the star of the show and absolutely nails every one of these little performances. The Villain of the story Akan, leaves little to be desired. He is about as one dimensional as villains get, he has telekinetic powers (with no explanation as to why at all) and has a plot to build a robot army. I Felt this character was totally out of place and would have better suited an early 90's episode of Power Rangers.
Soundtrack is one area where everything comes together, a nice mix of electro with some rock and roll classics thrown in for good measure accompany nearly all the violence. I may have been desensitised to the killing and even a little bored by the first 30 minutes, but watching Henry dispatch goons whilst high on adrenaline to the sound of Queens's Don't Stop Me Now, is enough to put a smile on any sicko's face.
The Verdict
Hardcore Henry is an ambitious film and leaves you little time to get your breathe. It is accompanied by a good soundtrack and a hilarious sidekick. It's relentless pace and ridiculous body count will please action fans at first, but ultimately feels tired and stale by the time the credits roll.
2.5/5
Monday, 15 August 2016
Review: The Boy
2016 Lauren Cohan, Rupert Evans, Jim Norton, Diana Hardcastle
American nanny Greta travels to England to care for an elderly couple's son. She gets quite the shock when supposed son Brahms turns out to be a life sized doll with a strict set of rules to follow. Greta dismisses this as nonsense at first until strange and unexplainable events lead her to believe that the doll may hold terrible secrets...
The Boy delivers many a creepy moment from start to finish, slowly but surely ratcheting up the tension and suspense. Brahms is a truly memorable character, he has the ability to be completely terrifying and almost threatening without even moving. As an audience you are constantly on edge trying to catch a glimpse of something, a blink or a simple nod of the head, anything to validate your fear of this doll. The film has a handful of jump scares but where it succeeds most is in the way it conveys it's sombre tone. The film may very openly advertise itself as a horror film but amongst the scares there are elements of tragedy, loss and the way we try and cope with grief. Director William Brent Bell has taken great care to make this a thought provoking watch as well as a spooky experience.
The setting of the film plays greatly to it's strength, the old England manor house is vast and although Greta could wander it's lengthy halls at her will, there was still a sense of her being a prisoner there. Being set in such a clique haunted house scenario does lead to some predictable 'jump scare moments', the slamming door, creaking stairs and shadowy figure are something horror fans have seen one hundred times or more.
Once you think you have Bramhs all figured out the film has a few more surprises in store. This final act caught me completely off guard and was such a treat, the slow and suspenseful tone is switched for a breakneck fight for survival. The plot is not sacrificed even here though, all the missing pieces are revealed and it is up to the audience to put all those pieces together.
The Verdict
Clique as it may be in parts, I found myself pleasantly surprised and really revelled in the dark and suspenseful tone. Acting was solid across the board and Bramhs is an excellent and memorable horror character.
The Boy may not win any awards for originality, but what it does offer is a tense, unpredictable and well crafted mystery with an excellent pay off.
3/5
American nanny Greta travels to England to care for an elderly couple's son. She gets quite the shock when supposed son Brahms turns out to be a life sized doll with a strict set of rules to follow. Greta dismisses this as nonsense at first until strange and unexplainable events lead her to believe that the doll may hold terrible secrets...
The Boy delivers many a creepy moment from start to finish, slowly but surely ratcheting up the tension and suspense. Brahms is a truly memorable character, he has the ability to be completely terrifying and almost threatening without even moving. As an audience you are constantly on edge trying to catch a glimpse of something, a blink or a simple nod of the head, anything to validate your fear of this doll. The film has a handful of jump scares but where it succeeds most is in the way it conveys it's sombre tone. The film may very openly advertise itself as a horror film but amongst the scares there are elements of tragedy, loss and the way we try and cope with grief. Director William Brent Bell has taken great care to make this a thought provoking watch as well as a spooky experience.
The setting of the film plays greatly to it's strength, the old England manor house is vast and although Greta could wander it's lengthy halls at her will, there was still a sense of her being a prisoner there. Being set in such a clique haunted house scenario does lead to some predictable 'jump scare moments', the slamming door, creaking stairs and shadowy figure are something horror fans have seen one hundred times or more.
Once you think you have Bramhs all figured out the film has a few more surprises in store. This final act caught me completely off guard and was such a treat, the slow and suspenseful tone is switched for a breakneck fight for survival. The plot is not sacrificed even here though, all the missing pieces are revealed and it is up to the audience to put all those pieces together.
The Verdict
Clique as it may be in parts, I found myself pleasantly surprised and really revelled in the dark and suspenseful tone. Acting was solid across the board and Bramhs is an excellent and memorable horror character.
The Boy may not win any awards for originality, but what it does offer is a tense, unpredictable and well crafted mystery with an excellent pay off.
3/5
Monday, 1 August 2016
Review: The Invitation
2015 Logan Marshall-Green, Tammy Blanchard, Michiel Huisman
After reluctantly accepting an invitation to a dinner party at his former home, a man suspects his ex wife and her new partner may have darker intentions for him and the other guests.
The Invitation was a film that passed under my radar for quite some time before I became aware of it, even then it wasn't through any reviews, but rather a passing glance in the 'others also watched' section. Nothing could have quite prepared me for just what a little gem of a thriller this film was!
Set in the Hollywood hills inside a huge hilltop estate, The Invitation promptly introduces us to our main characters. They are a fairly standard mix of 30 somethings ranging from a gay couple, a party loving Korean and the 'never quite grew up' joker. Amongst these are our 3 leads, Will, his ex wife Eden and her new husband David.
The audience is instantly thrown into the situation along with Will, we uncover and are made aware of things the same time he is. The pacing of the film is a real slow burner and throws up quite a few false flags and red herrings. Every time the might think you have the true purpose for the party figured out, you are then confronted with another reveal or another missing puzzle piece. These trickles of new information and extremely restrained pace make for a nail biting watch. The Invitation made me want to look at everybody as a potential threat or enemy, even when the threat of violence didn't seem present. I never once doubted the character of Will though and actor Logan Marshall-Green absolutely nailed the strong silent type role. He was hypnotising to watch and conveyed so much pain and emotion even through what may seem to others like a blank stare.
As the night progresses and the estranged couple continue to make their guests uncomfortable, it is here that the night takes a dark turn. The film had such a huge sense of build up that you are ready for all out war during the final act. The Invitation however still handles this moment with perfect poise, flare and that ever present sense of control. The violence is erratic, explosive and realistic. Those looking for their horror film gore fix wont find it here, instead we have real action with real consequences. It is the split second life changing decisions that characters make that disturbs, not so much the bloodshed itself.
So this grand finale scene may not please everyone, some will have wanted more but what comes after is the biggest surprise of all. There is a final shot that shows the larger scale of things and it is one of the biggest revelations I have seen in cinema for a long while, I absolutely revelled in this moment and it elevated the film to even greater heights.
The Verdict
The Invitation is a thought provoking and well crafted thriller. The slow crawl pacing, beautiful cinematography and haunting sound track ramp up the tension to almost unbearable levels. An extremely solid lead cast and great supporting roles are all names to look out for in the future, the grand finale may not satisfy the expectations of all audiences but that final shot will leave your jaw on the floor. This is one invitation not to be missed.
4/5
After reluctantly accepting an invitation to a dinner party at his former home, a man suspects his ex wife and her new partner may have darker intentions for him and the other guests.
The Invitation was a film that passed under my radar for quite some time before I became aware of it, even then it wasn't through any reviews, but rather a passing glance in the 'others also watched' section. Nothing could have quite prepared me for just what a little gem of a thriller this film was!
Set in the Hollywood hills inside a huge hilltop estate, The Invitation promptly introduces us to our main characters. They are a fairly standard mix of 30 somethings ranging from a gay couple, a party loving Korean and the 'never quite grew up' joker. Amongst these are our 3 leads, Will, his ex wife Eden and her new husband David.
The audience is instantly thrown into the situation along with Will, we uncover and are made aware of things the same time he is. The pacing of the film is a real slow burner and throws up quite a few false flags and red herrings. Every time the might think you have the true purpose for the party figured out, you are then confronted with another reveal or another missing puzzle piece. These trickles of new information and extremely restrained pace make for a nail biting watch. The Invitation made me want to look at everybody as a potential threat or enemy, even when the threat of violence didn't seem present. I never once doubted the character of Will though and actor Logan Marshall-Green absolutely nailed the strong silent type role. He was hypnotising to watch and conveyed so much pain and emotion even through what may seem to others like a blank stare.
As the night progresses and the estranged couple continue to make their guests uncomfortable, it is here that the night takes a dark turn. The film had such a huge sense of build up that you are ready for all out war during the final act. The Invitation however still handles this moment with perfect poise, flare and that ever present sense of control. The violence is erratic, explosive and realistic. Those looking for their horror film gore fix wont find it here, instead we have real action with real consequences. It is the split second life changing decisions that characters make that disturbs, not so much the bloodshed itself.
So this grand finale scene may not please everyone, some will have wanted more but what comes after is the biggest surprise of all. There is a final shot that shows the larger scale of things and it is one of the biggest revelations I have seen in cinema for a long while, I absolutely revelled in this moment and it elevated the film to even greater heights.
The Verdict
The Invitation is a thought provoking and well crafted thriller. The slow crawl pacing, beautiful cinematography and haunting sound track ramp up the tension to almost unbearable levels. An extremely solid lead cast and great supporting roles are all names to look out for in the future, the grand finale may not satisfy the expectations of all audiences but that final shot will leave your jaw on the floor. This is one invitation not to be missed.
4/5
Monday, 25 July 2016
Review: Baskin
2016 Gorkem Kasal, Ergun Kuyucu, Mehmet Cerrahoglu
This horror debut from Turkey centres around a rookie policeman and his unit. After finishing up a late night dinner they respond to a call but swerve off the road and crash somewhere in the woods. It is here they meet some strange characters who point them in the general direction of civilisation, the unsuspecting officers however find only terror and despair when they uncover a black mass and a mysterious gateway to Hell.
Baskin starts out introducing us to our main characters, sitting in a diner chatting un-pleastries and wise cracking. This quickly lets the audience know they are a light-hearted bunch, yet they all share a strong bond and sense of duty. A recurring theme is laid out early on in the form of dream sequences that rookie cop Arda has about the soul of his childhood friend visiting him in the middle of the night. These sequences are have a very different tone to the rest of the film and are always presented in a psychedelic art style. These sequences gradually become more frequent and give way to some clarity as the film progresses.
Although Baskin has only a 90 minute-ish runtime, director Can Evrenol sticks firmly to the slow burn approach. This is handled skillfully and it was evident he had really brushed up on horror films of old. He took his time and really let the audience get a sense of what each member of the unit was like, This made me feel almost like a silent member of the unit travelling alongside the four officers. This agonising crawl and slow burn approach made the tension and sense of dread almost unbearable, these feeling are soon justified as we pass the halfway point...
The second half of Baskin kicks in before you even have time to blink and soon the blood is spilling left, right and centre. The black mass worshippers have the appeareance of something straight from your nightmares and are really chaotic and frantic in the way they move. Some of them were lumbering giants, others shrieking and wailing machete wielders. The imagery and locations were equally as blood soaked and disturbing as their inhabitants. Flesh hooks, buckets of raw meat and sculptures made entirely of human bones are just a few of the horrific ornaments that made for some great set design.
The finale however is when things start to take a dive. Once the officers enter the chamber and gateway to hell I immediately got the sense that the film would not really go further than this room, sadly my fears were confirmed.
It is in this final chamber where each officer is subjected to prolonged and extremely graphic scenes of torture. While these were handled well (one of the nastiest disembowlining scenes in recent years) they just lacked any sort of impact. The star of the show was actually the character of Farther, a shrunken and shrivelled sadist who was intent on opening the gateway.
His very presence and image were scarier than any of the blood letting at this point. We are given further glimpses into the earlier mentioned dreams of Arda. these are then loosely tied to the black mass and the film supposedly comes full circle. However with all the psychedelic effects and and jumping back and forth between points in the film's timeline, it became difficult to connect the dots and make sense of just what the reveal was. Through in subtitles on top of all this chaos and you have quite the brainteaser on your hands.
I wanted Baskin to be brilliant, I always support new talent and open my mind to débuts from all over the globe. The team behind this film are extremely talented and clearly have a love for the genre, It is a real shame that the final act should end in a messy fizzle rather than a bang.
The Verdict
For all it's tense and gripping build up, Baskin fails to deliver more than a few shocks and drawn out gore scenes. This was well thought out and carefully crafted debut by the Turkish director Can Evrenol but ultimately wanders off course and misses too many opportunities during the key moments of what should have been an epic finale.
2/5
This horror debut from Turkey centres around a rookie policeman and his unit. After finishing up a late night dinner they respond to a call but swerve off the road and crash somewhere in the woods. It is here they meet some strange characters who point them in the general direction of civilisation, the unsuspecting officers however find only terror and despair when they uncover a black mass and a mysterious gateway to Hell.
Baskin starts out introducing us to our main characters, sitting in a diner chatting un-pleastries and wise cracking. This quickly lets the audience know they are a light-hearted bunch, yet they all share a strong bond and sense of duty. A recurring theme is laid out early on in the form of dream sequences that rookie cop Arda has about the soul of his childhood friend visiting him in the middle of the night. These sequences are have a very different tone to the rest of the film and are always presented in a psychedelic art style. These sequences gradually become more frequent and give way to some clarity as the film progresses.
Although Baskin has only a 90 minute-ish runtime, director Can Evrenol sticks firmly to the slow burn approach. This is handled skillfully and it was evident he had really brushed up on horror films of old. He took his time and really let the audience get a sense of what each member of the unit was like, This made me feel almost like a silent member of the unit travelling alongside the four officers. This agonising crawl and slow burn approach made the tension and sense of dread almost unbearable, these feeling are soon justified as we pass the halfway point...
The second half of Baskin kicks in before you even have time to blink and soon the blood is spilling left, right and centre. The black mass worshippers have the appeareance of something straight from your nightmares and are really chaotic and frantic in the way they move. Some of them were lumbering giants, others shrieking and wailing machete wielders. The imagery and locations were equally as blood soaked and disturbing as their inhabitants. Flesh hooks, buckets of raw meat and sculptures made entirely of human bones are just a few of the horrific ornaments that made for some great set design.
The finale however is when things start to take a dive. Once the officers enter the chamber and gateway to hell I immediately got the sense that the film would not really go further than this room, sadly my fears were confirmed.
It is in this final chamber where each officer is subjected to prolonged and extremely graphic scenes of torture. While these were handled well (one of the nastiest disembowlining scenes in recent years) they just lacked any sort of impact. The star of the show was actually the character of Farther, a shrunken and shrivelled sadist who was intent on opening the gateway.
His very presence and image were scarier than any of the blood letting at this point. We are given further glimpses into the earlier mentioned dreams of Arda. these are then loosely tied to the black mass and the film supposedly comes full circle. However with all the psychedelic effects and and jumping back and forth between points in the film's timeline, it became difficult to connect the dots and make sense of just what the reveal was. Through in subtitles on top of all this chaos and you have quite the brainteaser on your hands.
I wanted Baskin to be brilliant, I always support new talent and open my mind to débuts from all over the globe. The team behind this film are extremely talented and clearly have a love for the genre, It is a real shame that the final act should end in a messy fizzle rather than a bang.
The Verdict
For all it's tense and gripping build up, Baskin fails to deliver more than a few shocks and drawn out gore scenes. This was well thought out and carefully crafted debut by the Turkish director Can Evrenol but ultimately wanders off course and misses too many opportunities during the key moments of what should have been an epic finale.
2/5
Thursday, 23 June 2016
Review: The Conjuring 2
2016 Vera Farminga, Patrick Wilson, Madison Wolfe
Director James Wan has become somewhat of a household name in the mainstream horror circles. The original film achieved major success and was met with a great reception, The Conjuring name as a brand and franchise has cemented its way into the horror history books. With the less than satisfactory Annabelle spin off failing to wet the audiences appetite for a true sequel, people were relieved when they got to see another glimpse into the life of the Warrens and their paranormal investigations.
This time we travel to London and if you have any interest in the paranormal you will have almost certainly heard of the infamous Enfield haunting. Depending on what you believe, this 'based on a true story' premise is pushed to the forefront. Despite having a paranormal theme this constant reminder keeps the film grounded in an often frightening reality.
The sequel, like it's predecessor has scares in abundance and very rarely breaks away from it's extremely tense vibe. The scares themselves come in many forms, yes there is still Wan's stylised quiet quiet BANG moments but he also throws in some very clever false flags and other surprises to keep viewers on their toes. There are no shortage of creepy characters here, demon nuns, possessed children and even a nightmarish version of famous nursery rhyme character The Crooked Man. Make up effects are high quality and the camera work is top notch, the film is let down slightly by its CGI elements however. there is a more frequent use of these techniques here and occasionally they were noticeable enough to break immersion and lessen a few of the scares.
What was particularly clever was how well Wan conveys a sense of helplessness, the 5 members of the Hodgson family go through a horrific ordeal and you almost feel part of it. They are characters that you care about and honest working class individuals. The fact that the supernatural entity attached itself to the youngest girl out of the siblings made the ordeal even more chilling. She is often controlled and tormented by the spirit while all her family can do is look on in terror. Young actress Madison Wolfe gives a great performance that even horror icon Linda Blair would approve of. The Hodgson family are the unlikely stars of this sequel and often over shadow the Warrens for the first 3rd of the film, this change of focus sets the story's climax up nicely when the whole family plus the Warrens join forces for the film's closing set piece.
We see the ghost hunting duo fleshed out quite a bit more here, they are seen attending talk shows and we see the difficulties that come attached to their new found fame. Lorraine appears more vulnerable this time around and the effects of all the paranormal things they have both seen are apparent. This resilience is tested as the Enfield spirit becomes increasingly aggressive. I really like how the human elemnt is explored more here, both Wilson and Farminga do a fine job of making thier characters seem like sincere and genuine people despite their bizarre occupation.
The Verdict
James Wan's second instalment of The Conjuring franchise is a everything horror sequel should be. It is frightening, more ambitious and very character driven, the balance between shocks and solid story telling applies a polish that many other mainstream horrors lack. The runtime may appear a little long to some but Wan's signature style and barrage of scares will have you trembling till the last minute.
4/5
Director James Wan has become somewhat of a household name in the mainstream horror circles. The original film achieved major success and was met with a great reception, The Conjuring name as a brand and franchise has cemented its way into the horror history books. With the less than satisfactory Annabelle spin off failing to wet the audiences appetite for a true sequel, people were relieved when they got to see another glimpse into the life of the Warrens and their paranormal investigations.
This time we travel to London and if you have any interest in the paranormal you will have almost certainly heard of the infamous Enfield haunting. Depending on what you believe, this 'based on a true story' premise is pushed to the forefront. Despite having a paranormal theme this constant reminder keeps the film grounded in an often frightening reality.
The sequel, like it's predecessor has scares in abundance and very rarely breaks away from it's extremely tense vibe. The scares themselves come in many forms, yes there is still Wan's stylised quiet quiet BANG moments but he also throws in some very clever false flags and other surprises to keep viewers on their toes. There are no shortage of creepy characters here, demon nuns, possessed children and even a nightmarish version of famous nursery rhyme character The Crooked Man. Make up effects are high quality and the camera work is top notch, the film is let down slightly by its CGI elements however. there is a more frequent use of these techniques here and occasionally they were noticeable enough to break immersion and lessen a few of the scares.
What was particularly clever was how well Wan conveys a sense of helplessness, the 5 members of the Hodgson family go through a horrific ordeal and you almost feel part of it. They are characters that you care about and honest working class individuals. The fact that the supernatural entity attached itself to the youngest girl out of the siblings made the ordeal even more chilling. She is often controlled and tormented by the spirit while all her family can do is look on in terror. Young actress Madison Wolfe gives a great performance that even horror icon Linda Blair would approve of. The Hodgson family are the unlikely stars of this sequel and often over shadow the Warrens for the first 3rd of the film, this change of focus sets the story's climax up nicely when the whole family plus the Warrens join forces for the film's closing set piece.
We see the ghost hunting duo fleshed out quite a bit more here, they are seen attending talk shows and we see the difficulties that come attached to their new found fame. Lorraine appears more vulnerable this time around and the effects of all the paranormal things they have both seen are apparent. This resilience is tested as the Enfield spirit becomes increasingly aggressive. I really like how the human elemnt is explored more here, both Wilson and Farminga do a fine job of making thier characters seem like sincere and genuine people despite their bizarre occupation.
The Verdict
James Wan's second instalment of The Conjuring franchise is a everything horror sequel should be. It is frightening, more ambitious and very character driven, the balance between shocks and solid story telling applies a polish that many other mainstream horrors lack. The runtime may appear a little long to some but Wan's signature style and barrage of scares will have you trembling till the last minute.
4/5
Sunday, 22 May 2016
Review: Hush
2016 Kate Siegel, John Gallagher, Samantha Sloyan, Micheal Trucco
Horror films have always been a genre that gets criticised for it's fluctuating levels of quality. For every Halloween there has always been films like The Visit or the more recent disaster The Forest to tip the balance. There have been many film churned out over the course of this year already and very few have really stood out. Hush however, is certainly a diamond in the rough.
The film centres around Maddie, a deaf and mute writer living in a woodland retreat who is stalked by a savage killer. We are introduced to her character immediately and get an early sense of how different her life is and how she copes with being deaf/mute. The large house setting and strong female lead made me think back to the excellent 2013 film You're next'. Hush's villain even uses a crossbow as his primary weapon much like the killers in You're Next.
The difference between these films however becomes very clear as the violence ensues. Despite her supposed disadvantage Maddie is actually able to use this to her advantage in the sense that she is very observant. This very interesting because whenever the killer seemed in complete control, she always had a strategy in mind. Viewers are treated to quite a twist early on regarding the killer, this flipped the film on it's head for me and caught me off guard. The film appeared quite light hearted at times (despite it being a horror) so when the blood started flowing in such a gruesome fashion it was always a shock. The cruelty of the killer really made me sit up and pay attention, it also made me root for the character of Maddie even more.
The plot occasionally suffered from some classic cliques among the horror genre. There was the predictable phone lines being cut then the neighbour showing up mid chase. This was an obvious excuse to add one more to the body count.
All in all though I didn't scrutinise the film for these, this is partly down to the pacing. The film built up a huge amount of tension and moved along at a fairly rapid pace. the cliques came and went because the characters instantly grabbed my attention again. No silly decisions were made and I just felt like I was watching real people react to real life traumatic situations.
Despite it's short and sweet run Hush packs in a fair amount of surprises and more than enough thrills.
The Verdict
Hush is a great modern horror film that leans on a familiar genre but also add it's own twist and flare. Carefully written characters and a great build up of tension make for a gripping experience. There are a few horror cliques here and there but well executed pacing and a real progressive sense of escalating chaos still make this film one not to be missed.
4/5
Horror films have always been a genre that gets criticised for it's fluctuating levels of quality. For every Halloween there has always been films like The Visit or the more recent disaster The Forest to tip the balance. There have been many film churned out over the course of this year already and very few have really stood out. Hush however, is certainly a diamond in the rough.
The film centres around Maddie, a deaf and mute writer living in a woodland retreat who is stalked by a savage killer. We are introduced to her character immediately and get an early sense of how different her life is and how she copes with being deaf/mute. The large house setting and strong female lead made me think back to the excellent 2013 film You're next'. Hush's villain even uses a crossbow as his primary weapon much like the killers in You're Next.
The difference between these films however becomes very clear as the violence ensues. Despite her supposed disadvantage Maddie is actually able to use this to her advantage in the sense that she is very observant. This very interesting because whenever the killer seemed in complete control, she always had a strategy in mind. Viewers are treated to quite a twist early on regarding the killer, this flipped the film on it's head for me and caught me off guard. The film appeared quite light hearted at times (despite it being a horror) so when the blood started flowing in such a gruesome fashion it was always a shock. The cruelty of the killer really made me sit up and pay attention, it also made me root for the character of Maddie even more.
The plot occasionally suffered from some classic cliques among the horror genre. There was the predictable phone lines being cut then the neighbour showing up mid chase. This was an obvious excuse to add one more to the body count.
All in all though I didn't scrutinise the film for these, this is partly down to the pacing. The film built up a huge amount of tension and moved along at a fairly rapid pace. the cliques came and went because the characters instantly grabbed my attention again. No silly decisions were made and I just felt like I was watching real people react to real life traumatic situations.
Despite it's short and sweet run Hush packs in a fair amount of surprises and more than enough thrills.
The Verdict
Hush is a great modern horror film that leans on a familiar genre but also add it's own twist and flare. Carefully written characters and a great build up of tension make for a gripping experience. There are a few horror cliques here and there but well executed pacing and a real progressive sense of escalating chaos still make this film one not to be missed.
4/5
Thursday, 28 April 2016
Review: Friend Request
2016 Alycia Debnam-Carey, William Moseley, Liesl Ahlers
Friend Request is a cyber horror film that is constantly compared to 2014's Unfriended. While both films share similar themes in terms of cyber bullying and the inability for the youth of today to 'log off', they are in fact quite different films.
The plot centres around a college student named Laura, she is pretty, popular and has a bright future ahead of her. Like most students her age she is fully committed to all things social media. Laura's world is turned upside down when she fails to invite quiet loner Marina to her birthday party. After the troubled girl lashes out Laura unfriends her on Facebook and this pushes Marina to the edge.
Unable to take the rejection and the shame of returning to zero friends on Facebook, Marina decides to take her own life. It is this event that triggers are series of bizarre suicides all across the college campus. Laura and her friends begin to suspect Marina had dark secrets that could ultimately lead to their demise.
Friend Request is a difficult film to pin down, part horror, part social commentary it is constantly weaving from one style to another. Jump scares are abundant here and come thick and fast, yet there is depth and the audience is challenged where you least expect it. The film encapsulates the youth of today perfectly and has a lot to say about the pit falls and potential danger of social media addiction.
The characters are fairly typical but it is the character of Laura who grabs your attention. She is truly engrossed in documenting every aspect of her life and posting it on the internet. Her addiction and the addictions of her friends are their biggest weakness. The protagonist Marina exploit this to lethal ends. The audience may constantly ask themselves 'why don't they just turn off their phones!?'. That is exactly the point, even when their lives are in danger the characters are unable to remove themselves from the digital world and the hold it has over them. Friend Request got this message across loud and clear without having to explain the obvious or hold the audience's hand.
Scares are frequent and often here, some of them you may see coming, others will catch you off guard. Many people regard jump scares as a cheap and lazy, but there were prolonged scenes off tension here often with a rewarding fright.
The main flaw with this film is unfortunately its second half. It almost abandons the social media angle in favour of a witch hunt style theme. This split the film down the middle and made for an uneven tone. This was a real shame because the most terrifying aspect was seeing the characters unable to disconnect and trying to gauge who was going to be slaughtered next. Once that hook was abandoned it sadly just felt like many other films in its genre.
The Verdict
Friend Request is an interesting, tense but also flawed cyber horror film. It offers a shock a minute and moves at nail bitingly steadily pace before showcasing the plot's big reveal. It is unfortunate that the film is let down by an inconsistent tone which breaks immersion some what and lessens the scare factor during the second half.
3/5
Friend Request is a cyber horror film that is constantly compared to 2014's Unfriended. While both films share similar themes in terms of cyber bullying and the inability for the youth of today to 'log off', they are in fact quite different films.
The plot centres around a college student named Laura, she is pretty, popular and has a bright future ahead of her. Like most students her age she is fully committed to all things social media. Laura's world is turned upside down when she fails to invite quiet loner Marina to her birthday party. After the troubled girl lashes out Laura unfriends her on Facebook and this pushes Marina to the edge.
Unable to take the rejection and the shame of returning to zero friends on Facebook, Marina decides to take her own life. It is this event that triggers are series of bizarre suicides all across the college campus. Laura and her friends begin to suspect Marina had dark secrets that could ultimately lead to their demise.
Friend Request is a difficult film to pin down, part horror, part social commentary it is constantly weaving from one style to another. Jump scares are abundant here and come thick and fast, yet there is depth and the audience is challenged where you least expect it. The film encapsulates the youth of today perfectly and has a lot to say about the pit falls and potential danger of social media addiction.
The characters are fairly typical but it is the character of Laura who grabs your attention. She is truly engrossed in documenting every aspect of her life and posting it on the internet. Her addiction and the addictions of her friends are their biggest weakness. The protagonist Marina exploit this to lethal ends. The audience may constantly ask themselves 'why don't they just turn off their phones!?'. That is exactly the point, even when their lives are in danger the characters are unable to remove themselves from the digital world and the hold it has over them. Friend Request got this message across loud and clear without having to explain the obvious or hold the audience's hand.
Scares are frequent and often here, some of them you may see coming, others will catch you off guard. Many people regard jump scares as a cheap and lazy, but there were prolonged scenes off tension here often with a rewarding fright.
The main flaw with this film is unfortunately its second half. It almost abandons the social media angle in favour of a witch hunt style theme. This split the film down the middle and made for an uneven tone. This was a real shame because the most terrifying aspect was seeing the characters unable to disconnect and trying to gauge who was going to be slaughtered next. Once that hook was abandoned it sadly just felt like many other films in its genre.
The Verdict
Friend Request is an interesting, tense but also flawed cyber horror film. It offers a shock a minute and moves at nail bitingly steadily pace before showcasing the plot's big reveal. It is unfortunate that the film is let down by an inconsistent tone which breaks immersion some what and lessens the scare factor during the second half.
3/5
Sunday, 17 April 2016
Review: Emelie
2015, Sarah Bolger, Joshua Rush,
A married couple hire a babysitter to watch their 3 children while they go out for an anniversary meal. The regular sitter is unavailable so they call upon the shy and reserved Emelie, little do they know that things will take a sinister turn once the children are left in her care...
Emelie is far from an original premise, however the film's strength lies in how that particular premise is executed. Right from the outset the viewer is put on edge, with Emelie's subtly increasing cruelty and a claustrophobic atmosphere the film grips you an doesn't let go.
A significant factor to the increase in tension is the fact that the danger is happening to children, this isn't a bunch of reckless college kids that messed with the wrong girl. The 3 children are a range of ages with the oldest being in his early teens. Emelie exacts acts of psychological cruelty to each child but in such a way that they don't really know its happening until after their ordeal. These acts gradually ramped up as the story progressed. We learn later on that these acts of cruelty are not just random, they are in fact tests for a much large more disturbing scheme. In one scene the oldest child catches Emelie on the toilet and is asked to open a tampon and hand it to her. Although this was such a simple scene it was like watching the build up to a murder, he was out of his comfort zone, embarrassed and vulnerable yet she revelled from it. These mind games were gripping if not frightening to watch.
These scenes are extremely effective because they relied on the naivety and innocence of childhood. The children complied because they had been taught to obey adults, they did these acts without question and even when they had doubts they were promptly pulled back into line.
The character of Emelie was surprisingly fleshed out which in sometimes quite rare within the horror genre. She had an interesting and dark back story which made her intentions realistic but certainly not any less disturbing. Emelie was a villain you could almost sympathise with, she was doing these horrific acts for a very dark but real reasons. The film portrayed her as very human and a villain some people may even be able to relate to which truly an alarming feat.
The Verdict
Emelie is a tense, well paced and claustrophobic horror thriller. With care and attention taken to flesh out key characters, the film shines in a crowded sub genre.
4/5
A married couple hire a babysitter to watch their 3 children while they go out for an anniversary meal. The regular sitter is unavailable so they call upon the shy and reserved Emelie, little do they know that things will take a sinister turn once the children are left in her care...
Emelie is far from an original premise, however the film's strength lies in how that particular premise is executed. Right from the outset the viewer is put on edge, with Emelie's subtly increasing cruelty and a claustrophobic atmosphere the film grips you an doesn't let go.
A significant factor to the increase in tension is the fact that the danger is happening to children, this isn't a bunch of reckless college kids that messed with the wrong girl. The 3 children are a range of ages with the oldest being in his early teens. Emelie exacts acts of psychological cruelty to each child but in such a way that they don't really know its happening until after their ordeal. These acts gradually ramped up as the story progressed. We learn later on that these acts of cruelty are not just random, they are in fact tests for a much large more disturbing scheme. In one scene the oldest child catches Emelie on the toilet and is asked to open a tampon and hand it to her. Although this was such a simple scene it was like watching the build up to a murder, he was out of his comfort zone, embarrassed and vulnerable yet she revelled from it. These mind games were gripping if not frightening to watch.
These scenes are extremely effective because they relied on the naivety and innocence of childhood. The children complied because they had been taught to obey adults, they did these acts without question and even when they had doubts they were promptly pulled back into line.
The character of Emelie was surprisingly fleshed out which in sometimes quite rare within the horror genre. She had an interesting and dark back story which made her intentions realistic but certainly not any less disturbing. Emelie was a villain you could almost sympathise with, she was doing these horrific acts for a very dark but real reasons. The film portrayed her as very human and a villain some people may even be able to relate to which truly an alarming feat.
The Verdict
Emelie is a tense, well paced and claustrophobic horror thriller. With care and attention taken to flesh out key characters, the film shines in a crowded sub genre.
4/5
Sunday, 20 March 2016
Review: Victoria
2016 Laia Costa, Frederick Lau, Franz Rogowski, Burak Yigit
Think back and picture the craziest night out you have ever had, got it? Now times that by 10 and throw in a bank heist...
Spanish cafe worker Victoria (Costa) meets 4 Berliners on a night out and sparks up an unlikely friendship. Things take a sudden twist however when ex convict Boxer (Rogowski) must return a favour for the man who offered him protection in prison. The favour is specified as a 4 person job and with one of the 4 men smashed out of his mind on drugs, Victoria reluctantly takes his place.
The USP of Victoria is that it is filmed entirely in one take, no cut-aways, no clever sweeps to disguise scene changes this is the real deal. This is extremely impressive and to my knowledge has never been done to this extent. The film is 2 hours 18 minutes and doesn't break shot once. This daring style of film making was a risk reward and puts the viewer in the shoes of a silent and invisible character. You feel totally immersed in the world and almost one of the characters. The camera crew were easily the stars of this film and deserve all the praise they have gained.
You are with the cast from start to finish, the audience travels through night clubs, rides in the backs of cars, inside posh hotels and even through a hail of gunfire. This makes for an unrivalled level of intimacy between audience and the characters as we are with Victoria through every decision and consequence. I truly connected with the people on screen, I cared for Victoria, felt sympathy for Sonne and I truly feared Boxer.
Victoria's pacing is a nail-biting slow burn, we loiter the streets and hangout on rooftops with the cast for at least the first half of the film. Things instantly pick up once the job gets under way, this was relatable in the way that snap decisions can have huge consequences. These decisions may seem insignificant at the time but they make way for larger and more dangerous ones to follow. This constant ramping up of tension and danger made for an exciting but at times harrowing watch. The film constantly made me question what I would do in certain situations and because the audience is essentially along for the ride we see the and feel the impact first hand.
A few people may take issue with the handheld style of film, however for the most part this was handled confidently. The pans were short and snappy without having that nauseating effect like in other productions. Another issue that may put people of is the subtitles, The character of Victoria is Spanish but speaks English throughout the film. The 4 Berliners however sometimes quickly transition from German to a thick accented English. This was sometimes difficult to keep pace with during the action sequences but not enough to break immersion.
By the end of the feature I could of sworn I had partied till 4 am, been in a high speed chase and felt the effects of cocaine all in the space of a couple of hours. I was really there, the film just convinced me and pulled me in from the outset. The bar has been well and truly raised.
The Verdict
Victoria reminds me why I fell in love with cinema, the connection t characters, the range of emotions and to ultimately the feeling of losing myself in another world. This is a daring and bold piece of film making that pushes the boundaries and raises the bar for technical achievement. A true gem and worthy of being called a masterpiece.
5/5
Think back and picture the craziest night out you have ever had, got it? Now times that by 10 and throw in a bank heist...
Spanish cafe worker Victoria (Costa) meets 4 Berliners on a night out and sparks up an unlikely friendship. Things take a sudden twist however when ex convict Boxer (Rogowski) must return a favour for the man who offered him protection in prison. The favour is specified as a 4 person job and with one of the 4 men smashed out of his mind on drugs, Victoria reluctantly takes his place.
The USP of Victoria is that it is filmed entirely in one take, no cut-aways, no clever sweeps to disguise scene changes this is the real deal. This is extremely impressive and to my knowledge has never been done to this extent. The film is 2 hours 18 minutes and doesn't break shot once. This daring style of film making was a risk reward and puts the viewer in the shoes of a silent and invisible character. You feel totally immersed in the world and almost one of the characters. The camera crew were easily the stars of this film and deserve all the praise they have gained.
You are with the cast from start to finish, the audience travels through night clubs, rides in the backs of cars, inside posh hotels and even through a hail of gunfire. This makes for an unrivalled level of intimacy between audience and the characters as we are with Victoria through every decision and consequence. I truly connected with the people on screen, I cared for Victoria, felt sympathy for Sonne and I truly feared Boxer.
Victoria's pacing is a nail-biting slow burn, we loiter the streets and hangout on rooftops with the cast for at least the first half of the film. Things instantly pick up once the job gets under way, this was relatable in the way that snap decisions can have huge consequences. These decisions may seem insignificant at the time but they make way for larger and more dangerous ones to follow. This constant ramping up of tension and danger made for an exciting but at times harrowing watch. The film constantly made me question what I would do in certain situations and because the audience is essentially along for the ride we see the and feel the impact first hand.
A few people may take issue with the handheld style of film, however for the most part this was handled confidently. The pans were short and snappy without having that nauseating effect like in other productions. Another issue that may put people of is the subtitles, The character of Victoria is Spanish but speaks English throughout the film. The 4 Berliners however sometimes quickly transition from German to a thick accented English. This was sometimes difficult to keep pace with during the action sequences but not enough to break immersion.
By the end of the feature I could of sworn I had partied till 4 am, been in a high speed chase and felt the effects of cocaine all in the space of a couple of hours. I was really there, the film just convinced me and pulled me in from the outset. The bar has been well and truly raised.
The Verdict
Victoria reminds me why I fell in love with cinema, the connection t characters, the range of emotions and to ultimately the feeling of losing myself in another world. This is a daring and bold piece of film making that pushes the boundaries and raises the bar for technical achievement. A true gem and worthy of being called a masterpiece.
5/5
Sunday, 13 March 2016
Review: Clinger
2015 Vincent Martella, Jennifer Laporte, Alicia Monet Caldwell
First love can be a real pain in the neck, Robert Klingher knows all too well after a gruesome and accidental decapitation.
Clinger starts off as a very innocent tale of first love set in a high school environment. Fearne is a running track star and chemistry whizz looking to get into college. Her unlikely boyfriend Robert is a real sensitive type who enjoys the simple things like playing guitar and cuddling. All seems well until a horrific accident ends with Robert losing his head. However his love is so strong for Fearne that he vows to never leave her side, even in the afterlife.
Alot of teen comedies rely on the same gags over and over and it can get rather stale. Clinger however used certain character tropes and cliques effectivly, adding horror elements or really clever tweaks just when you thought you knew where a scene was headed. Fearne's Christian best friend Moe was always spouting unintentional sexual innuendos and it never got old. Coach Kingley also had a darkly comedic secret I wont spoil anything here, but lets just say she's had a very interesting past!
All teeny bopper illusions are quickly shattered within the first 15 minutes as the blood starts flowing. This film had some really great gore effects and the ending scene out on the school running track is a treat for any gore hound! The main reason these splatter moments are so effective is down to their timing, Clinger pulls you back in time and time again with it's innocent teen comedy charms only to splash blood an entrails in your face as soon as you get comfortable. I fell for this time and time again but never once complained.
Despite all these good points the film does suffer from some quite serious flaws, pacing being one of them. At just 81 minutes (including credits roll) Clinger is criminally short. It almost felt like a TV movie but with a higher budget. While the laughs and the action built up to a steady finale the film felt like it still ended prematurely. The end was far too abrupt and for a film with horror elements it wrapped itself up a little too cleanly. It would have been nice to see how the characters reacted and went about their lives after the ordeal, are there any more potential murderous ghosts out there too? Sadly we will never know.
The Verdict
Short and far from sweet, Clinger is a great homage to teen comedies with well executed horror elements that come at you hard and fast. Clique breaking characters and nicely incorporated use of practical effects are the real stars of the show. Pacing and a disappointing abrupt end hold Clinger back from being truly great but this is still a thoroughly enjoyable teen horror gem.
3/5
First love can be a real pain in the neck, Robert Klingher knows all too well after a gruesome and accidental decapitation.
Clinger starts off as a very innocent tale of first love set in a high school environment. Fearne is a running track star and chemistry whizz looking to get into college. Her unlikely boyfriend Robert is a real sensitive type who enjoys the simple things like playing guitar and cuddling. All seems well until a horrific accident ends with Robert losing his head. However his love is so strong for Fearne that he vows to never leave her side, even in the afterlife.
Alot of teen comedies rely on the same gags over and over and it can get rather stale. Clinger however used certain character tropes and cliques effectivly, adding horror elements or really clever tweaks just when you thought you knew where a scene was headed. Fearne's Christian best friend Moe was always spouting unintentional sexual innuendos and it never got old. Coach Kingley also had a darkly comedic secret I wont spoil anything here, but lets just say she's had a very interesting past!
Despite all these good points the film does suffer from some quite serious flaws, pacing being one of them. At just 81 minutes (including credits roll) Clinger is criminally short. It almost felt like a TV movie but with a higher budget. While the laughs and the action built up to a steady finale the film felt like it still ended prematurely. The end was far too abrupt and for a film with horror elements it wrapped itself up a little too cleanly. It would have been nice to see how the characters reacted and went about their lives after the ordeal, are there any more potential murderous ghosts out there too? Sadly we will never know.
The Verdict
Short and far from sweet, Clinger is a great homage to teen comedies with well executed horror elements that come at you hard and fast. Clique breaking characters and nicely incorporated use of practical effects are the real stars of the show. Pacing and a disappointing abrupt end hold Clinger back from being truly great but this is still a thoroughly enjoyable teen horror gem.
3/5
Tuesday, 8 March 2016
Review: Goosebumps
2015 Jack Black, Dylan Minnette, Odeya Rush, Ryan Lee
To some making a Goosebumps film in 2015 may have seemed like a doomed project. With the social media obsessed youth of today we are lead to believe that films based on children's books no longer interest today's children. However I think there is an ace up the sleeve of this film and it comes in the form of nostalgia.
Our story begins in a familiar suburban setting, Zach (Minnette) has just moved to a new neighbourhood and the only interesting thing about the place is his next-door neighbour and her eccentric and overprotective farther, who just happens to be Goosebumps author R.L Stine. After suspecting his neighbour may be in danger, Zach and his new found friend Champ (Lee) sneak into the neighbour's house and discover a library of strangely locked Goosebumps books. These are no ordinary books as once opened they unleashed the horrors within their pages. What later ensues is a Ghostbusters style round up of all the terrifying creations of author R.L Stine.
Soon the unlikely team of 4 is band together and race against time trying to round up the supernatural terrors before the town is overrun. There is a wide variety of classic characters from the novels on display here, some well known and some not so (Aliens with freeze guns!?) The cast is so huge by the you may actually miss some if you aren't paying attention, but honestly this is a good excuse to watch the whole film all over again. The main protagonist is the delightfully devilish Slappy, one of R.L Stine's most infamous horror and also voiced by Jack Black. It was such a joy trying to spot your favourite ghouls and creatures from years ago as Slappy carelessly released them one after another! All my childhood memories (pleasant and scary) came rushing right back.
The small but well rounded cast worked well together and the constant banter between Zach and Mr Stine was thoroughly amusing. The most laughs however came from the cowardly but loveable Champ, he had some real laugh out loud moments and was the main comic relief. There was a slight love sub plot which was handled better than in most teen young adult flicks, this was very subtle and kind of charming if not a a tad predictable. The story ultimately lead to a high school/fun fair show down which while exciting, ended a little too cleanly. It would have been nice to have a few more scares and close calls but it was a satisfying wrap up and fitted the fun feel and innocent theme of the film.
The pacing of Goosebumps was very paint by numbers which could be seen as a negative, this did allow the audience to get a little bit too comfortable as you new there were never going to be too many shocks or surprises.
The Verdict
The thing that truly shone in Goosebumps was it's sheer innocence, there were no 'adult jokes' or mature references, this was adventure and fun in it's purest form. This was a film that cared about it's audience, looked to it's past whilst keeping one foot firmly in the present. Goosebumps is a well crafted, heartfelt and charming nod to a fantastic 90's show and a decade defining author.
4/5
To some making a Goosebumps film in 2015 may have seemed like a doomed project. With the social media obsessed youth of today we are lead to believe that films based on children's books no longer interest today's children. However I think there is an ace up the sleeve of this film and it comes in the form of nostalgia.
Our story begins in a familiar suburban setting, Zach (Minnette) has just moved to a new neighbourhood and the only interesting thing about the place is his next-door neighbour and her eccentric and overprotective farther, who just happens to be Goosebumps author R.L Stine. After suspecting his neighbour may be in danger, Zach and his new found friend Champ (Lee) sneak into the neighbour's house and discover a library of strangely locked Goosebumps books. These are no ordinary books as once opened they unleashed the horrors within their pages. What later ensues is a Ghostbusters style round up of all the terrifying creations of author R.L Stine.
Soon the unlikely team of 4 is band together and race against time trying to round up the supernatural terrors before the town is overrun. There is a wide variety of classic characters from the novels on display here, some well known and some not so (Aliens with freeze guns!?) The cast is so huge by the you may actually miss some if you aren't paying attention, but honestly this is a good excuse to watch the whole film all over again. The main protagonist is the delightfully devilish Slappy, one of R.L Stine's most infamous horror and also voiced by Jack Black. It was such a joy trying to spot your favourite ghouls and creatures from years ago as Slappy carelessly released them one after another! All my childhood memories (pleasant and scary) came rushing right back.
The small but well rounded cast worked well together and the constant banter between Zach and Mr Stine was thoroughly amusing. The most laughs however came from the cowardly but loveable Champ, he had some real laugh out loud moments and was the main comic relief. There was a slight love sub plot which was handled better than in most teen young adult flicks, this was very subtle and kind of charming if not a a tad predictable. The story ultimately lead to a high school/fun fair show down which while exciting, ended a little too cleanly. It would have been nice to have a few more scares and close calls but it was a satisfying wrap up and fitted the fun feel and innocent theme of the film.
The pacing of Goosebumps was very paint by numbers which could be seen as a negative, this did allow the audience to get a little bit too comfortable as you new there were never going to be too many shocks or surprises.
The Verdict
The thing that truly shone in Goosebumps was it's sheer innocence, there were no 'adult jokes' or mature references, this was adventure and fun in it's purest form. This was a film that cared about it's audience, looked to it's past whilst keeping one foot firmly in the present. Goosebumps is a well crafted, heartfelt and charming nod to a fantastic 90's show and a decade defining author.
4/5
Review: Sicario
2014 Emily Blunt, Josh Brolin, Benicio Del Toro
Emily Blunt plays Kate Mercer, an ambitious FBI agent who is recruited by a secretive task force to aid in the escalating war against drugs at the border area between the U.S. and Mexico.
It is on this task force she meets the mysterious mercenary known only as Alejandro (Benicio Del Toro) and tries to get gain more intel on him whilst trying to serve her country.
Right from the outset we are introduced to Kate and forced to walk her shoes as she discovers with the help of her team more than a dozen dead hostages stuffed inside the walls of a mexican drug den. Kate is seen vomiting later outside the den which instantly humanises her and makes you feel closer to her as a character.
This could be said about alot of the characters in Sicario, you felt the sense of trust, mistrust and even danger when they were on screen. A great decision by the director was one to let the audience discover things at the same pace as Kate, there weren't many cut away shots or back story and this made for a gripping watch.
The action in Sicario was a perfect blend of tense and hard hitting. There is a scene early on in the film where Kate and her newly acquired team are escorting a felon through Mexican border traffic and are suddenly caught in a gridlock. With every vehicle around them a potential threat this was a brilliantly crafted scene that saw nail biting tension slowly and painfully give way to violence, easily one of the best action scenes in recent memory.
I loved the stripped back feel to alot of the action sequences, the violence wasn't glorified but rather a means to an end for the characters. The director wanted to show us real situations, with real danger and real consequences.
I can definitely recommend this film if you like great character driven drama with a slow build and an excellent payoff. This one had me thinking for days after the credits rolled.
The Verdict Sicario was criminally overlooked by audiences when it was released because it wasn't what they were expecting. Many expected a hard hitting action film with multiple explosions, this is a shame because what we have here is a beautifully crafted, tense and very personal character driven crime drama.
4/5
Emily Blunt plays Kate Mercer, an ambitious FBI agent who is recruited by a secretive task force to aid in the escalating war against drugs at the border area between the U.S. and Mexico.
It is on this task force she meets the mysterious mercenary known only as Alejandro (Benicio Del Toro) and tries to get gain more intel on him whilst trying to serve her country.
Right from the outset we are introduced to Kate and forced to walk her shoes as she discovers with the help of her team more than a dozen dead hostages stuffed inside the walls of a mexican drug den. Kate is seen vomiting later outside the den which instantly humanises her and makes you feel closer to her as a character.
This could be said about alot of the characters in Sicario, you felt the sense of trust, mistrust and even danger when they were on screen. A great decision by the director was one to let the audience discover things at the same pace as Kate, there weren't many cut away shots or back story and this made for a gripping watch.
The action in Sicario was a perfect blend of tense and hard hitting. There is a scene early on in the film where Kate and her newly acquired team are escorting a felon through Mexican border traffic and are suddenly caught in a gridlock. With every vehicle around them a potential threat this was a brilliantly crafted scene that saw nail biting tension slowly and painfully give way to violence, easily one of the best action scenes in recent memory.
I loved the stripped back feel to alot of the action sequences, the violence wasn't glorified but rather a means to an end for the characters. The director wanted to show us real situations, with real danger and real consequences.
I can definitely recommend this film if you like great character driven drama with a slow build and an excellent payoff. This one had me thinking for days after the credits rolled.
The Verdict Sicario was criminally overlooked by audiences when it was released because it wasn't what they were expecting. Many expected a hard hitting action film with multiple explosions, this is a shame because what we have here is a beautifully crafted, tense and very personal character driven crime drama.
4/5
Sunday, 10 January 2016
Review: The Revenant
2016, Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hardy, Will Poulter
January has always proved difficult for any film released but if there was one film that people were convinced would break this cycle, it was The Revenant.
Inspired by true events (apparently?) Leonardo DiCaprio plays an 18th century frontiersman Hugh Glass who is left for dead by his companions after a horrifying bear attack and a unimaginable betrayal at the hand of his confidant John Fitzgerald.
The film opens with a stunning action sequence as Indians attack the frontier base in an attempt to steal their pelts. This scene was masterfully shot and at times looked as if it was done in one take. I don't believe that it was but the camera work and clever editing made it so believable and didn't break immersion for a second. This scene really set the tone for the rest of the film and I instantly wanted more.
The acting is top notch across the board, DiCaprio shines in this film and his portrayal of a grief stricken survivor was as believable as it was heartbreaking. He constantly delivered a deeply unsettling performance and clearly had to endure a lot throughout filming. You felt every punch, scrape and fall as his situation went from bad to worse, an exhausting but thrilling watch! Tom Hardy was a good but slightly monotone villain, his performance came across as erratic and his character could deceive those around but also break out into unspeakable acts of violence and cruelty. The sign of a good villain is when you root for them to get their just desserts at the end, Tom Hardy's acting provoked this feeling very early on in the film. The supporting cast were solid all round with a great performance from Will Poulter, glad to see this young British star getting more roles in major films he is one to watch.
The real stars of The Revenant however were the cameramen, they deserve to be paid just as much as the actors for pulling some of the insane and dangerous shots this film has to offer! So many times I found myself asking 'how did they do that one?' these moments became so frequent I no longer cared and just sat back and revelled in what in what was nothing less than visual poetry.
All the acting and camera tricks aside there are problems with The Revenant, some of them rather obvious. The main problem is with the plot, it has a huge low point in it's middle act and just doesn't seem to progress forward in what seems like minutes on end. The pacing of the first third and final act are fine but it really does stumble as it links these together, at least 30 minutes maybe more could have been cut without losing major plot points. Another thing that may put people of is the inconsistent tone, the film has very artistic shot and mixes in dreamlike sequences as the plot pushes forward. These are very distracting and at times felt totally unnecessary, they didn't match up at all with the violent and gritty ending. The ending is another problem, almost 2 and half hours we build up towards the final battle only for it to be riddled with cliques and a cop out 'make up your own mind' final scene.
The Verdict
The Revenant is a visual and technical triumph and will undoubtedly be talked about for years to come. It has a strong cast and some memorable action sequences. It is held back from greatness however due to it overly long runtime, inconsistent tone/ideas and limp-wristed finale. Is 2016 finally Leo's year? That remains to be seen...
3/5
January has always proved difficult for any film released but if there was one film that people were convinced would break this cycle, it was The Revenant.
Inspired by true events (apparently?) Leonardo DiCaprio plays an 18th century frontiersman Hugh Glass who is left for dead by his companions after a horrifying bear attack and a unimaginable betrayal at the hand of his confidant John Fitzgerald.
The film opens with a stunning action sequence as Indians attack the frontier base in an attempt to steal their pelts. This scene was masterfully shot and at times looked as if it was done in one take. I don't believe that it was but the camera work and clever editing made it so believable and didn't break immersion for a second. This scene really set the tone for the rest of the film and I instantly wanted more.
The acting is top notch across the board, DiCaprio shines in this film and his portrayal of a grief stricken survivor was as believable as it was heartbreaking. He constantly delivered a deeply unsettling performance and clearly had to endure a lot throughout filming. You felt every punch, scrape and fall as his situation went from bad to worse, an exhausting but thrilling watch! Tom Hardy was a good but slightly monotone villain, his performance came across as erratic and his character could deceive those around but also break out into unspeakable acts of violence and cruelty. The sign of a good villain is when you root for them to get their just desserts at the end, Tom Hardy's acting provoked this feeling very early on in the film. The supporting cast were solid all round with a great performance from Will Poulter, glad to see this young British star getting more roles in major films he is one to watch.
The real stars of The Revenant however were the cameramen, they deserve to be paid just as much as the actors for pulling some of the insane and dangerous shots this film has to offer! So many times I found myself asking 'how did they do that one?' these moments became so frequent I no longer cared and just sat back and revelled in what in what was nothing less than visual poetry.
All the acting and camera tricks aside there are problems with The Revenant, some of them rather obvious. The main problem is with the plot, it has a huge low point in it's middle act and just doesn't seem to progress forward in what seems like minutes on end. The pacing of the first third and final act are fine but it really does stumble as it links these together, at least 30 minutes maybe more could have been cut without losing major plot points. Another thing that may put people of is the inconsistent tone, the film has very artistic shot and mixes in dreamlike sequences as the plot pushes forward. These are very distracting and at times felt totally unnecessary, they didn't match up at all with the violent and gritty ending. The ending is another problem, almost 2 and half hours we build up towards the final battle only for it to be riddled with cliques and a cop out 'make up your own mind' final scene.
The Verdict
The Revenant is a visual and technical triumph and will undoubtedly be talked about for years to come. It has a strong cast and some memorable action sequences. It is held back from greatness however due to it overly long runtime, inconsistent tone/ideas and limp-wristed finale. Is 2016 finally Leo's year? That remains to be seen...
3/5
Monday, 4 January 2016
Cinema Etiquette
The cinema is a wonderful place, for decades it has been a place for people to escape to and enjoy a wealth of different films. Cinemas have changed dramatically since the old days bringing new technology, more snack options and comfier seating with them into the 21st century.
'Newer' and 'more' however do not always ewual better, there has always been an unspoken 'etiquette' when it comes to cinema that has been around as long as the silver screen itself has. I feel that in these modern times that those sacred unwritten laws have been bent and mishapen as time has passed, its time to address the offenders!
Food
I shall hold my hands up and say that when it comes to food I am certainly not completely against it in the cinema environment. Lets examine everyone's favourite buttery (or salted) snack, popcorn!
There is nothing wrong with popcorn in cinemas, it has been a staple of the experience for years and iIdon't want it to ever fade. The problem with this snack though is not the snack itself, rather the way people choose to eat it. We as an audience should choose our chomping moments abit better, maybe stuff handfuls of the sweets stuff into our mouths as Optimus Prime crashes through a building and not when Rachel McAdams is finally going to get her kiss! This eliminates awkward chomping and having to feel the wrath of the dreaded 'shushers' now SHHHHHHH!
There is a more recent snack that should be terminated with extreme prejudice, hot food! How many times have you popped in a DVD at home and though 'gee you know what would go nicely with this? I full blown hot meal'. My local cinema complex is absolutely bursting with different restaurants choices but instead of choosing a nice seated meal before the film starts, individuals decide to gorge themselves on multiple hotdogs before the trailers have even finished. Hot food during the feature is just completely unnecessary. We've all been there, the person in front sits down with some lovely nachos that smell delicious and our tummys rumble, however after 120 minutes of sitting there going stone cold the remainder of this meal begins to fester and makes the whole aisle smell like landfill!
A what about the contraband of cinemas....im talking about sweets and snack brought into the the cinema but not purchased on the premise! THE CHEEK! Personally i feel there is absolutely nothing wrong with this if it is done in moderation. Do the cinema only stock chocolate M&M's but your preference is peanut? Just bring them in! I have dome this countless times and I really don't think after my friends and I have all paid close to £10 a ticket, a 30p bag of sweets is going to make a blind bit of difference.
Mobile Phones
This should be absolutely zero tolerance, there are different levels of being a cinema goer, you might be a die hard fan or just as casual, but at the end of the day it comes down to one thing and that is respect. Would you use a mobile phone during a wedding reception or a funeral of a loved one?
Although it may be be immediately apparent going to the cinema is a social experience, you are experiencing and being engage in a story among friends. This should be a prime opportunity to just switch off from what ever distractions your phone has you gripped by, just switch off for an hour or 2 two. It's a saddening thing to see some major cinemas actually encourage mobile phone use with the addition of phone based quizzes and competitions, shame on them. If it was up to me I would install airport style security at every cinema to check for mobile devices, if found on thier person the offender would be swiftly taken out the back and given a proper seeing to.
Facilities
Any budding cinema goer will tell you that 'pre show urination' is essential, especially now we have 20 minutes of adverts and trailers added onto what could be a 150 minute feature! So therefore facilities should be close to hand and not need orienteering experience to find one. I really don't understand why some cinemas insist on making you trudge the halls of thier massive building once the call of nature strikes. Picture this, you are moments from the big finale of a film but need to answer the call, you sprint out of the screening room, down 2 corridors through reception to the nearest toilet, relief..... This is never the case however because for some reason a cinema that can hold close to a thousand people can only provide 4 urinals and 2 stalls, now im waiting in line and will just have to imagine how how the finale pans out. :(
I hope you enjoyed these witterings about the etiquette of cinema and feel free to share with me some of your best and worst memories from a visit to the silver screen, until next time!
'Newer' and 'more' however do not always ewual better, there has always been an unspoken 'etiquette' when it comes to cinema that has been around as long as the silver screen itself has. I feel that in these modern times that those sacred unwritten laws have been bent and mishapen as time has passed, its time to address the offenders!
Food
I shall hold my hands up and say that when it comes to food I am certainly not completely against it in the cinema environment. Lets examine everyone's favourite buttery (or salted) snack, popcorn!
There is nothing wrong with popcorn in cinemas, it has been a staple of the experience for years and iIdon't want it to ever fade. The problem with this snack though is not the snack itself, rather the way people choose to eat it. We as an audience should choose our chomping moments abit better, maybe stuff handfuls of the sweets stuff into our mouths as Optimus Prime crashes through a building and not when Rachel McAdams is finally going to get her kiss! This eliminates awkward chomping and having to feel the wrath of the dreaded 'shushers' now SHHHHHHH!
There is a more recent snack that should be terminated with extreme prejudice, hot food! How many times have you popped in a DVD at home and though 'gee you know what would go nicely with this? I full blown hot meal'. My local cinema complex is absolutely bursting with different restaurants choices but instead of choosing a nice seated meal before the film starts, individuals decide to gorge themselves on multiple hotdogs before the trailers have even finished. Hot food during the feature is just completely unnecessary. We've all been there, the person in front sits down with some lovely nachos that smell delicious and our tummys rumble, however after 120 minutes of sitting there going stone cold the remainder of this meal begins to fester and makes the whole aisle smell like landfill!
A what about the contraband of cinemas....im talking about sweets and snack brought into the the cinema but not purchased on the premise! THE CHEEK! Personally i feel there is absolutely nothing wrong with this if it is done in moderation. Do the cinema only stock chocolate M&M's but your preference is peanut? Just bring them in! I have dome this countless times and I really don't think after my friends and I have all paid close to £10 a ticket, a 30p bag of sweets is going to make a blind bit of difference.
Mobile Phones
This should be absolutely zero tolerance, there are different levels of being a cinema goer, you might be a die hard fan or just as casual, but at the end of the day it comes down to one thing and that is respect. Would you use a mobile phone during a wedding reception or a funeral of a loved one?
Although it may be be immediately apparent going to the cinema is a social experience, you are experiencing and being engage in a story among friends. This should be a prime opportunity to just switch off from what ever distractions your phone has you gripped by, just switch off for an hour or 2 two. It's a saddening thing to see some major cinemas actually encourage mobile phone use with the addition of phone based quizzes and competitions, shame on them. If it was up to me I would install airport style security at every cinema to check for mobile devices, if found on thier person the offender would be swiftly taken out the back and given a proper seeing to.
Facilities
Any budding cinema goer will tell you that 'pre show urination' is essential, especially now we have 20 minutes of adverts and trailers added onto what could be a 150 minute feature! So therefore facilities should be close to hand and not need orienteering experience to find one. I really don't understand why some cinemas insist on making you trudge the halls of thier massive building once the call of nature strikes. Picture this, you are moments from the big finale of a film but need to answer the call, you sprint out of the screening room, down 2 corridors through reception to the nearest toilet, relief..... This is never the case however because for some reason a cinema that can hold close to a thousand people can only provide 4 urinals and 2 stalls, now im waiting in line and will just have to imagine how how the finale pans out. :(
I hope you enjoyed these witterings about the etiquette of cinema and feel free to share with me some of your best and worst memories from a visit to the silver screen, until next time!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)