So I broke tradition this year and watched two movies, which are not horror movies during October, d’oh! “What are these movies?” you ask. Well believe it or not, I broke tradition for 17 Again (ugh!) and Whip It (which I enjoyed). Anyway, I’m back to all horror, all the time now until Halloween rolls around. Here are the films I’ve watched since my last post.
September 27, 2009
Torn Curtain (1966) Written by Brian Moore, directed by Alfred Hitchcock 2.5/5
Torn Curtain isn’t Hitchcock’s most thrilling film, though it does have an interesting plot, and it offers good performances by both Paul Newman and Julie Andrews. Like a lot of spy thrillers of it’s time it deals with Cold War politics/problems making the plot fairly predictable. It’s definitely not a must see film, but it’s not terrible either.
September 30, 2009
April Fool’s Day (1986) Directed by Fred Walton 3/5
If you’re looking for cheesy teen fare with a twist this film is great! I’ve been drawn to the cover of this film for years, but I’ve never actually checked it out. The minute the film starts rolling you know you’re in for campy fun, especially since the biggest names in the film are Deborah Foreman (Valley Girl) and Thomas F. Wilson (Back to the Future/Freaks and Geeks). Part comedy, part slasher film, part Scooby Do mystery this film is sure to entertain.
October 5, 2009
Omega Man (1971) Directed by Boris Sagal, written by John W. and Joyce H. Corrington, based on Richard Matheson’s I Am Legend 3/5
I am a big fan of Richard Matheson’s I Am Legend and I have yet to see a film adaptation of the story that I like. For some reason every time someone attempts to make this into a film they have to mess with an essential part of the story or add contemporary issues, when the story is timeless as it is. This film is completely dated and though Charlton Heston plays a pretty good Robert Neville, too many things have been added to ruin the story, like “The Family” and their weird religious fervor. However, if I take it as just a film which has nothing to do with Matheson’s story then it’s ok. Nothing spectacular, but it’s entertaining nonetheless, offering a strong performance by Heston like most of his other movies from this period, so despite the fact that it’s dated I’ll give it 3 stars.
October 6, 2009
Don’t Look Now (1973) Directed by Nicolas Roeg, based on a story by Daphne Du Maurier 4/5
Donald Sutherland and Julie Christie star in this bizarre psychic thriller. After they lose their daughter Laura and John Baxter make a trip to Venice where John is working on restoring an old church. There Laura meets a couple of old women, one of whom claims to be psychic. Desperate to know how her daughter is doing, Laura asks the woman to perform a séance only to find out her husband is in mortal danger if he stays in Venice. Thinking she’s hysterical, John ignores her warnings, but when Laura goes back to London to visit their injured son who’s away at boarding school John begins to see strange things himself which make the viewer question his sanity. The whole thing is capped off with a strange and unpredictable ending which leaves a bevy of unanswered questions. Roeg uses cinematography to create some of the most interesting and surreal scenes in dark and engrossing film.
October 11, 2009
Dead Alive/Braindead (1992) Directed by Peter Jackson, written by Stephen Sinclair 2/5
So I finally watched this Peter Jackson bloodfest and I must say I was disappointed. I didn’t really know what to expect going in except for gore and lots of it. It vaguely reminded me of Sam Raimi’s work, except it paled in comparison. Like Raimi, Jackson tries to be funny, quirky and gross; except it wasn’t really that funny, it ran a little long and though the bizarre plot had potential, it quickly became something contrived. It was like watching The Man with the Screaming Brain all over again (Aaaaaaaah!). Don’t get me wrong, I love a good B-movie, but there are good B-movies and then there are B-movies that look like something a group of nerdy high school kids on acid would make in their backyard with a camcorder and incredible amounts of fake blood and unfortunately for Mr. Jackson I would probably like the film the kids on acid made more than this one. I’m giving this one 2/5 stars simply because I saw potential in it.
October 13, 2009
Zombieland (2009) Directed by Ruben Fleischer, written by Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick 4/5
This film is exactly what I was expecting – a little comedy, a little romance and a lot of action. Woody Harrelson is great as Tallahassee, a Twinkie hunting, gun loving zombie killer who teams up with the sweet, geeky Columbus, played by Jesse Eisenberg (a.k.a. the cute guy from Adventureland) after they run into each other on the highway. While hunting for Twinkies (and zombies) in a supermarket these two come across Wichita and Little Rock, a pair of resourceful sisters played by Emma Stone and Abigail Breslin respectively. But the world has become an “every man/woman for him/herself” kind of place which makes for a bumpy and exciting ride.
