Director's Report Card: George A. Romero (1981-1982)

7. Knightriders
There’s something about “Knightriders” that almost feels like a confession on Romero’s behalf. With this one, only his second non-horror movie and only the first to ever be widely released, it’s almost like he’s saying that, while he’s stuck making horror movies for the rest of his life, his heart really belongs to slow, character-driven dramas.

Even then, “Knightriders” is hardly a typical character drama, even by nineteen seventies standards. If there was a studio pitch, which there wasn’t, it would’ve been “The Arthurian Legend on motorcycles.” Even then, the story plays with expectations and it’s ultimately more inspired by the King Arthur legend then an adaptation.

On a strictly visual level, this is one of Romero’s most captivating films. From the opening sequence down to the last frame, there’s an air of dreaminess floating through the whole thing. Many shots of the motorcycles on the road are just exciting for some reason and really capture the sense of speed and exhilaration that comes from riding. The jousting scenes themselves are also shot in an exciting style. This is how action movies use to look, kids. The excellent music is also worth pointing out.
What really keeps the movie going is a cast. While Ed Harris is strong in the lead role, what really impressed me about the movie is Tom Savini’s turn. While he had acted in Romero’s flicks before, this is the first time Tom’s had a part of great significance and extended screen time. And, surprise surprise, it’s actually a really good turn. Tom expands pass the kind-of-love-him, kind-of-hate-him smart-ass he’s played in the past (and would continue to play in the future) to actually develop things like arcs and layers. Brother Blue is hypnotic as the Merlin of the group. Also keep an eye open for many of the Romero company players, like Christine Forrest, John Amplas, Ken Foree, and Patricia Tallman.

The story is always moving forward, in the style you’d expect of a road movie, but it wanders as well. The movie is long at two and a half hours and it seems like there could have been some editing. The main character’s dilemma, to hold onto his dreams and honor in the face of real world concerns like how to pay the bills, is a little overplayed. The movie stretches that issue out for too long. I also feel like the confrontation between local police and the scenes of Savini’s group on their own probably could have used some subtle clipping. The movie manages to wrap up all of it’s plotlines in an incredibly neat (A little too neat, I think) way before concluding on a sad, inevitable note. “Knightriders” is one of Romero’s most ambitious films, perhaps a decree to Hollywood that he himself refuses to sell out. It’s not a perfect movie, maybe not even a good one, but interesting nevertheless. [Grade: B]


8. Creepshow
“Creepshow” is a rare example of a horror anthology were all of the stories work. Though some of the five tales are better then the others, there isn’t a sour one in the bunch.

Romero has mentioned before how the old EC horror comics were one of his earliest influences and is responsible for his belief in horror with a message. So he’s a natural choice to handle such an anthology. I have a mixed opinion of Stephen King but I will give the man this: If you can keep him from overwriting, he can do a damn fine old-fashioned horror story.

The framing sequences sets the trick-or-treat tone with an early shot of a Jack-o-Lantern. Stephen’s son (and now a famous author in his own right ) Joe King has a part, as does the great Tom Atkins, who is nearly unrecognizable without his mighty ‘stash. I really like the comic book motif. Romero incorporates panels, action lines, and bright coloring to further emphasis. George did it a good twenty years before “Sin City” and he does it better too, in a way that’s natural and never too flashy. I also like the ads within the magazine that bumper each segment.
“Father’s Day” is our first story and is a fun piece of horror formula. It’s got a cool zombie make-up, some neat death scenes, and a solid cast, including demented performances from Carrie Nye, Viveca Lindfors, and especially Jon Lormer.

“The Lonesome Death of Jordy Verill” plays like a slapstick take on Lovecraft’s “The Colors out of Space” and stars King himself. Now, it’s obvious that Stephen King isn’t an actor and, considering the bit is mostly a one man show, a stronger performer probably should have been chosen. But something about King’s goofy facial expressions and general mugging makes me laugh every time. He’s just having so much damn fun.

“Something to Tide You Over” is more notable because of Leslie Nielson. (Yes, that Leslie Nielson.) The story is mostly a back and forth between him and Ted Danson. While Danson’s character is fairly uninteresting, Nielson’s voyeuristic, vindictive son-of-a-bitch is immediately worth watching. It makes me think how good Nielson would be as the bad guy in action movies.
“The Crate” is the centerpiece of the film. Hal Halbrook is at his best as the beleaguered husband of a shrewish Adrienne Barbeau who plays down her natural beauty for the obnoxious part. I’m not quite sure while “The Crate” resonates so much. Maybe it’s the idea of sorting out what makes your life unhappy. Or perhaps the concept of finding something old, horrible, and unexplained in a normal place. Or maybe it’s just because it has a really cool monster and some nice gore effects. Either way, the segment really sums up the film’s mixture of black comedy and classical horror concepts.

I can’t decide if it’s the best part or if that title belongs to the next sequence, “They’re Creeping Up on You.” The final tale is definitely the creepiest moment, as the images of cockroaches crawling over everything is squirm-inducing. E.G. Marshell is really fantastic as the paranoid, germaphobic old white guy who has alienated every person in his life and likes it that way. This is really the only time Romero’s typical social commentary comes into play and there’s something really satisfying about watching this son-of-a-bitch get his comeuppance. And its final image is one of the ickest of Tom Savini’s many tricks.
The fantastic score, which switches around from pounding synth cords, to scattered electronics, to simple piano and a children’s chorus, helps along the atmosphere. Savini actually gets to create some monsters here and they are all perfect, look like they step right out of the pages of “The Vault of Horror.” “Creepshow” is probably Romero at his most fun and prankish. It’s a textbook definition of how horror was done in the eighties. [Grade: A-]

Director's Report Card: George A. Romero (1977-1978)

5. Martin
“Martin” is more relevant now then when it was first made. In today’s “Twilight” world, vampires are so cool among the kids. Long before a sub-culture came into existence, George Romero was all ready there to knock some sense into it.

“Martin” is ultimately about two things. Mainly, an expansion on the themes of “Season of the Witch” in that beliefs only have the power that people assign them. Tada Cuda is a religious fanatic who believes in family curses, vampires, and exorcisms. Despite being presented with plenty of proof to the otherwise, he continues to insist that Martin is undead.
Martin claims not to believe in magic and yet, by the same accord, believes himself to be an 84 year old vampire. He dismisses most of the conventions and common beliefs about vampires. He has an uncontrollable hunger for blood but no fangs, so he slashes his victims’ wrists with a razor blade before drinking. He has flashbacks to gothic Europe and being chased by crowds of angry villagers carrying torches and pitchforks. The film is meant to be ambiguous in wither Martin is a true vampire but the intent is clear. He dons a cape, make-up, and plastic fangs to frighten his uncle at one point but quips afterward, “There isn’t any real magic.” Martin isn’t a vampire but a disturbed kid, alienated by an uncaring world and a superstitious family. After being told for years that he is nosferatu, he’s bought into it and now uses this fantasy as an escape from his regular life. His flashbacks are simply dreams and imaging, influenced by the movies he’s seen.

When Martin enters into a happy relationship, his bloodlust weakens. He isn’t hungry for blood but for what every lonely teenager wants: Acceptance and love. And sex, least we forget that. While the sexual aspects of the vampire myth are only implied, for Martin, drugging his victims and having his way with them before feeding is part of the ritual. He’s ashamed of his own sexuality and is hesitant to even use the word, but the safety of the vampire concept gives him carte blanche to explore his darker desires. He also longs for attention too and, by talking to a radio deejay, he is given a chance to share his fantasies with others.
In another way, the movie is also an examination of the vampire myth. Martin’s gothic flashbacks are in stark contrast with the reality of the situation. He doesn’t drawl any fair madams into the night with his dark mystique. He can’t hypnotize girls, he has to drug them. At one point, Martin breaks into a victims’ house to find another man all ready there. What follows is a real cluster-fuck operation and it’s only through quick thinking and luck that Martin isn’t caught. Later on, an attempt to feed on a homeless man goes horribly wrong and explodes into violence. (This sequence actually feels a little out of place.) He doesn’t stalk the castles of Europe but the industrial suburbs of Pittsburgh. Instead of being ruined with age, the town is ruined by economic depression. The final image of the movie is ironic. It doesn’t matter if you’re a real vampire or not. A stake through the heart will do the job, regardless.

Ultimately, more then any of this, “Martin” is a character study. John Amplas’ lead performance is essential to the movie’s success. He embodies the character and makes Martin a real person. Lincoln Maazel is convincing in his part. Christine Forrest is likable and cute in a part that really requires those qualities. Also watch for small parts from Tom Savini and Romero himself.

Speaking of Savini, the gore effects are phenomenal. That thick crimson blood, like “melted crayons” Tom says, looks great on camera. As a character study, the movie lacks a forward story, has a slow pace, and does drag its feet a bit towards the end. However, it’s a great film, one of Romero’s best, and a truly overlooked masterpiece. [Grade: A]


6. Dawn of the Dead
“Night of the Living Dead” changed horror. “Dawn of the Dead” changed it again. It spawned an entire genre in Italy and shaped the zombie film and the modern gore fest as we know them.

Romero took everything from “Night” and ramped it up, most importantly that film’s theme of people being unable to get along and let go. The zombie apocalypse shambles on, but the living masses refuse to get their shit together. This is displayed brilliantly right in the opening scenes. The chaos of the newsroom provides expositions for new viewers while also introducing us to half of our main cast. We then jog ahead to the SWAT team taking on an armed apartment complex. This scene furthers the theme with the belligerent racist cop and the projects dwellers that have dropped their undead relatives down the laundry shoot. We also meet the other half of our main cast.

This early scene, with its furious gore, exploding head, and vicious body bites, also shows us that the violence has been amped up. Romero has called this film the “comic book version” of the story and, with its focus on action and bright red blood, it certainly feels that way. (Might this be the first horror/action combo?)

The film’s biggest attribute is its fantastic ensemble cast. Romero has finally found a near-perfect balance between his character studies and fast-paced editing. Peter and Roger have an immediate chemistry together as brothers in arm. Ken Foree is perfect as physically imposing tactician Peter, while Scott Reiniger balances the friendship out as the more carefree, fun-spirited Roger. An attitude which does have major consequences, later on. As Reiniger succumbs to the infection, his sometimes doped-out, sometimes pathetic mannerisms, rear up against heartbreaking. David Emge does good work as the stoic Stephen. It’s a tricky character, seeing as how incompetent he is with a firearm. As the film progresses, Stephen becomes obsessed with the materialism of the mall setting and that obsession directly leads to the full-blown carnage of the finale. So maybe he holds the Idiot Ball a few times, but his downward spiral is shown as an honest reaction to the grim situation he’s in. Gaylin Ross is the heart, soul, and often brains of the group as Fran. She’s honestly the most logical person in the film, often displaying the calmest head in times of panic.
After a fantastically thrilling action set piece at the airport, we move to our primary setting, the infamous shopping mall. A lot has been written about the consumer culture criticism in the film. The parallel between shambling zombies and mall goers is obvious. Numerous times, when a zombie is shot, bludgeoned, or sprayed with seltzer water (It makes sense in context), the camera switches to a first-person view, placing the audience in the undead’s seat. Yes, viewer, these brain-dead mall zombies are you. It’s made even more obvious in the long middle section of the film. After a number of fantastic action sequences, in which our cast clears the mall of undead, our characters settle into their materialistic life. They count money which has no value, play dress-up in the various shops, and generally abuse the setting. But it eventually leaves them hollow and depressed. Now, logically, I’d say this has more to do with the constant reminder of their impending doom the living dead hordes outside their walls provide and less to do with the shallow, soul-crushing joys of materialism, but Romero’s point is clear. Later, when the roving gangs of cartoonish bikers invade the mall, they seem driven by some out-of-control desire for pointless stuff.

Beyond all the textbook subtext, “Dawn of the Dead” is a really fun movie. The story barrels ahead breathlessly with some of the best pacing and action direction ever seen in a horror film. When that depressing ennui sets in, it’s actually a detriment and a bump in the otherwise flawless pacing. And, yeah, as countless imitative video games have shown, killing hordes of zombies in a mall setting is a lot of fun. Zombies make the perfect fodder to be blown away, or pied in the face. Frankly, when is a zombie on an escalator not funny?
Romero is having a lot of fun too and that shows in his frantic editing. He also engineers one of the best jump scare scenes ever, with the mannequin fake-out. Goblin’s driving rock score provide these scenes with the perfect amount of punk energy. Later, when the wacky biker gang is torn apart by the undead aggressors like Chinese pork dishes, Savini’s brilliantly gruesome effects take center-stage. Even then, the movie can’t stop joking around. (The Blood Pressure Machine gag is hilarious.) And “The Gonk?” The juxtaposition between moaning zombies and cheery mall muzak never gets old. George even realized that the infectious joys of zombie blasting and mall sight gags trumped the serious minded study of consumer culture, mortality, and inevitable social decay. He nixed the suicide-filled original ending for one in which our surviving cast flies off heroically into the sun-rise. It’s a conclusion full of false hope but the right one for this movie.

“Dawn of the Dead” is a four-color zombie epic, perfectly mixing horror, humor, gut-munching gore, and social satire. Roger Ebert called it one of the best horror films of all time and I’m inclined to agree. [Grade: A]

Director's Report Card: George A. Romero (1972-1973)

3. Season of the Witch
First off, “Season of the Witch” is not really a horror movie. Besides the general theme of witchcraft and a reoccurring nightmare sequence, there aren’t any horror elements. Instead, the film is a talky character study, a peak into the life of bored suburban housewife. Her husband is negligent and occasionally abusive and her daughter is grown up, experimenting with drugs and sex, and no longer needs her. Looking for some sort of meaning in her life, our lead character turns to witchcraft. In a theme later continued in “Martin,” Romero continues to show that there is no such thing as magic. The only power beliefs hold are those ascribed to them by people. Everything that happens can very easily be explained without factoring in the supernatural.
The movie is slow, especially in the beginning. There are a couple of sequence of people just sitting around and talking that, while mildly interesting, really drags down the pace. Eventually, Jan White’s strong lead performance drawls you into the character’s world and things start to pick up. But there are still some long stretches. The supporting cast is pretty unremarkable, but Ray Laine is solid, if seedy, and watch for Bill Heinzman’s masked face in a bit part.
There are several really effective moments. The movie opens with a symbolism heavy dream sequence that lays out all the themes in a pretty obvious manner. Still, it sets up the off-center tone of the movie and is the most interesting thing about the first half. There is some nice editing in the later half, like when Joan really commits to witchcraft by stocking up on occult supplies (set to Donovan’s “Season of the Witch,” of course) and another part where the summoning up of a devil is intercut with a cat sneaking into the house. I also liked the big initiation ceremony of the climax.
The best bit is the scene were Joan walks into the house and overhears her daughter having sex. It’s a very real scene and Jan White’s facial expressions convey all the different emotions a mother must feel in a situation like that. If the whole movie was filled with powerful, subtle bits like that, it would have been great.

As it is, “Season of the Witch” (also know by Romero’s preferred title “Jack’s Wife” and the original release title “Hungry Wives”) will be overlooked by drama fans because of its horror connections and will probably bore most horror fans. Still, a good lead performance, several affecting moments, and a handful of potent themes make it worth a look. [Grade: B-]


4. The Crazies
“The Crazies” feels like an amped-up version of “Night of the Living Dead.” Instead of society collapsing because of the dead rising, it’s due to a leaked military virus that causes violent insanity. It shows the director’s continuing interest in the concept of society and sanity falling apart under the weight of infectious disease, mass hysteria, and the abuse of power. It’s an important transitional film in Romero’s career, which makes it a shame that it’s not better.

What sinks “The Crazies” is the decision to split the story into two. There are two separate plot lines that never interact. The A story revolves around David, the ex-Green Beret, and his pregnant nurse girlfriend Judy trying to survive in the chaos that has erupted in their small town. The second story involves the militaries bid to control the virus, the movement spearhead by the practical but cynical Col. Peckam and frustrated scientist Dr. Watts (who would later shout “Dummies!” in “Dawn of the Dead”). The movie cuts back and forth between the two subplots, preventing either from building up any momentum. The military plot is further divided by cutting away to scenes of political officials haranguing over what to do and outburst of violence as the military force tries, and fails, to contain the infected populace.
Those short scenes of chaos provide the film with its strongest moments. The movie has a strong opening, were we first see the affects of the virus on a domestic level. The image of a father suddenly gone mad and violently attacking his family is a powerful one. Later on, as the police force marches into town, each one clad in a deindividualizing white bio-hazard suits, Romero gets a number of jabs in. The soldiers force peaceful families out of their homes, in the middle of the night. One soldier steals a fishing rod from a home when no one’s looking. The soldiers stomp over a child’s little green army men. It’s not subtle, but it’s memorable. “The Crazies” is as much a movie about faceless military forces run amok as it is about biological weapons gone awry. (Considering how these themes resonate even more today, it’s no wonder this movie was recently remade.) Countless soldiers wearing those inhuman, depersonalized white suits is the movie’s most iconic sight.

Despite their apparent power, the military is harmless to stop the actual virus. The best scene in the film involves a rampaging group quickly overwhelming a phalanx of soldiers. A woman, mindlessly swiping with a broom, follows behind the mad group. Earlier, an old woman stabs a solider to death with a knitting needle and then returns to her chair, as if nothing happens. The movie needed more of this inspired madness. We see plenty of Tom Savini’s bright red blood spurting from squibs, and it needed more of that too.
Instead, George focuses on the people. Wide-eyed Lynn Lowry is good as the teenage girl Kathy, constantly watched over by her overprotective father Artie. Those overprotective tendencies take a disturbing turn as the virus takes hold, in perhaps the film’s most shocking moment. Later, a touching moment comes when Judy finally subsides to the madness.

The film ends on an inconclusive note. It’s not so much a conclusion as the movie simply ending. (While a sappy love song plays over the end credits, no less.) “The Crazies” is wildly uneven. While it shines a handful of times, it’s mostly a display for ideas that would be developed far more in Romero’s later films. [Grade: C+]

Director's Report Card: George A. Romero (1968-1971)

So, here it is, after much delay, is the George Romero report card. I've often refer to Romero as one of, if not the, greatest horror director of all time. Let's see how that opinion last as I sit down to watch all of his films.

1. Night of the Living Dead
So much has been written about “Night of the Living Dead” that one has to wonder what hasn’t all ready been said. One important question that isn’t asked often enough is, how did such a ramshackle, micro-budget movie forever change the horror genre as we know it? Oh, yes, they’re other important pictures that help bring the genre forcefully into the present, but “Night” cemented the deal. It didn’t cut away and showed all the violence and destruction in graphic detail. There was no going back and gore has dominated the genre ever since.

But let’s give things an objective look. This is hardly a flawless film. The low budget often shows in the sometimes shaky camera, not always smooth editing, and occasionally blurry focus. The stock music bombastic B-movie serial score certainly isn’t the most memorable aspect of the production. And Barbara is far from the most assertive horror heroine. She spends most of the movie catatonic. (Her character is the only definite improvement made in the 1991 Tom Savini helmed remake.)It’s impossible to deny the social vain the story tapped into. There are so many different concepts that can be gleamed from each viewing. What is “Night of the Living Dead” about, really? The movie is generally accepted as a metaphor for the changes the country went through at the tail-end of the sixties. The movie takes the ideal of the new culture emerging and cannibalizing the old culture and makes it viscerally literal.I prefer the theory that this is a metaphor for the national lose of innocence of the time. Instead of the terrible acts taking place far off in the gothic castles of Europe, the horror is right in our backyard. The nightmare is real and it is here. I can’t help but feel that Romero took in the chaos of the time and vomited it back at us on the screen. The grainy footage of the zombies feasting purposely recalls Vietnam news reel while the helpless reporters on TV reminds me of the aftermath of JFK’s assassination. And even if Duane Johnson was simply the best actor for the part, there’s no way his presence can’t bring the civil rights movement to mind. Either way, it’s about society entering a world were the rules don’t matter anymore. The dead walk. Children are rising from the grave and devouring their parents. Life has been turned upside down and there’s no escape.Despite all the obvious social commentary that can be read between the reels, Romero’s point here is ultimately more simple and fatalistic. Basically: Humanity is fucked. Even amidst the chaos of such an event as this, we still can’t put aside our petty difference and work together. If the people locked up in the farmhouse stopped squabbling over tiny little things that don’t matter anymore, they might have survived. If we could just stop being assholes for one minute, we could achieve something. But, nope, that’ll never happen because humans are fatally giant assholes. The final nihilistic message doesn’t show any heroes coming to save the day, just a bunch of trigger happy rednecks who’d use any excuse to go out and shot things. Even without the zombies, it’s inevitable that we’re going to destroy ourselves.

Meanings aside, the stark black-and-white direction creates truly chilling images. The scenes of violence are shot in such a furious manner that they are overwhelming, especially when aided by the droning score. The cast is capable. It’s a shame that Duane Johnson’s career never took off. He carries a natural gravitas and strength. Karl Hardman and Keith Wayne also give solid performances. Simply by acting beneath the radar and following their own subversive attitudes, Romero and company created probably the most important horror film of all time. [Grade: A]


2. There’s Always Vanilla
“There’s Always Vanilla” is Romero’s “lost” movie. As far as I know, it’s never been released on home video until recently. (And only then as a double feature with “Season of the Witch.”) Romero has gone on record as saying it’s his worse movie. Do I agree with that assessment? Yeah, sadly, though it’s running neck and neck with “Bruiser” for that dubious distinction.

The biggest problem is there really isn’t much of a story. Oh yeah, things happen but few of them lead anywhere. The story, which is sort of a hippier take on “Five Easy Pieces,” just kind of wanders around for ninety some minutes. The movie was apparently shot more as a series of vignettes and it had to be tied together in the editing room. That is all too evident.

Even the editing, something George is usually pretty good at, is weak. The cuts are far too sudden and often abrasive. Like the ending which doesn’t make a lot of sense. The music is also really terrible, fluctuating between tinny elevator music type stuff and really bad seventies indie rock.

There is some light praise I can throw around. The performances are pretty solid, especially from Ray Laine, who’s connecting monologues is one of the few high points, and “Night of the Living Dead’s” Judith Ridley does a decent job. Some of the more artistic montages, like a certain love scene, are pretty to watch. A chase scene in an abortion clinic is mildly exciting. The bits that deal with what goes into making a commercial are interesting and certainly something Romero and his crew would know about. Finally, I do like the opening and the public’s musing about the “ultimate machine.”

So “There’s Always Vanilla” is a weak, boring, confusing, wandering attempt at seventies art. It really should only be sought out by completist of the director. [Grade: D]

Hallowen 2010: October 1st, 2nd, and 3rd

Sorry that these are late. I've been very sick these past two days and have been too busy vomiting and sleeping to update my blog. Sorry.

October 1st:

On this chilly Autum night, I ventured from my cobweb strewn tomb to the local Apollo Theater, the near-by community theater. As previously mentioned, they were doing a midnight showing of "Dracula" that I just couldn't miss. JD joined me on my journey and, before leaving, we caught two other Universal classics to set the right mood.

Frankenstein (1931)
A sign of a truly film is when you notice something new every time. This time, I paid more attention to the famous flower girl scene. In a movie today, that scene would play with extremely heavy tones of child molestation. Once the thought enters your mind, it’s kind of hard to ignore it. However, the monster is completely innocent. Karloff’s performance is one of the all time greatest. (9/10)

Bride of Frankenstein (1935)
So what exactly was the purpose of having Ella Lanchester play both Mary Shelly and the Monster’s Mate, beyond just being a cute joke? Is that the one bit of subtext in this film that hasn’t been picked apart? Anyway, the Monster is a true horror anti-hero. He comes off as truly pitiable in several parts. Dr. Pretorius is the real villain of the piece. (9/10)

Dracula (1931)

Every time I see this film, I like it more. This time, I officially upgrade my opinion from “like” to “love.” Yes, the latter half is hella’ stagey. But the gothic power of the scenes of Dracula’s castle and the Demeter are so strong, they’ll resonate forever. This is the birth of the cinematic language of horror. Every horror film ever made owes those scenes something. Seeing this in on a big screen, one located within an old building no less, increases the atmosphere to incredible levels. (9/10)

October 2nd:

Baby Blues (2008)
I picked this up based solely on Kindertrauma’s recommendation but still had little idea of what to expect. What I got was a disturbing, intense take on extreme post-pardem depression. Considering the disturbing subject matter, the movie ends up feeling a bitch too much like a typical slasher at times, the two great lead performances and moody direction kept me interested. The ending pushed things a bit too far though. (7/10)

A Nightmare on Elm Street (2010)
About the only thing this remake has going for it is Jackie Earle Haley. While the tone of the character is as inconsistent as it is in the rest of the film, he’s revealed far too early, and the new make-up is weak, Haley does make Freddy sinister, pissed-off, and generally a nasty, mean-spirited bastard. There’s one really effective sequence, the attack in the drug store, and I will say the cast of teenagers are slightly better actors then those in the originals.

The rest of the movie? Completely mediocre. The movie is overly reliant on jump scares you see coming miles away, and flashy CGI nonsense. The scenes it takes from the original are the bigger, retarded Michael Bay version of those classic scenes. This one makes me really appreciate the original’s pacing. Lots of information is dumped on us in lazy clumps while the scenes between the kills and the info-dumps feel like filler. The new climax is really awful and underwhelming. It’s not so much the decision to play coy with Freddy’s guilt (Though that is stupid) so much as it’s just a badly constructed screenplay. Sam Bayer tries his best to build up some atmosphere but it just doesn’t happen. In twenty years, it’s still the original everyone will be talking about. (5/10)

House of Voices (2005)
I picked this up because I was a fan of Pascel Laugier’s “Martyrs” and was interested in his debut. Instead of featuring the graphic violence of that film, this is one low-key story, extremely heavy on the atmosphere and ambiguity. The setting and tone reminded me a great deal of “The Orphanage,” but while that film treats ghosts in an almost whimsical way, there is something unsettlingly malevolent about the spirits in this film. There’s an undercurrent of insanity and hostility running under the whole thing. It literally stops making sense near the end and dissolves into pretty-to-look-at visual symbolism that is difficult to decipher. Sterile underground laboratories and strong female friendships seem to be reoccurring themes in Laugier’s work. This one definitely warrants a second viewing. (7/10)

Halloween 2010: September 30

On the last night of September, my pal JD joined me to finish the Subspecies series as well as a pile of rentals I grabbed from Blockbusters the other night. Thrown onto the pile was some assorted British horror just to sweeten the deal.

Mini-Reviews:

Vampire Journals (1997)
An improvement over “Subspecies IV” if only because it doesn’t try to shoehorn these new characters into a Radu story. David Gunn’s Zachery is a pretty decent hero, even if the performance is campy and the character’s voiceovers overdone. Kirsten Cerre is a much better actress then this material deserves. The plot still spins its wheels in the middle and Ash sure isn’t any Radu. (6/10)

Suck (2009)
You know a movie’s got to have a lot of self-confidence when it saddles itself with a loaded title like that. And, for the most part, “Suck” doesn’t suck. Malcolm McDowell, Iggy Pop, Henry Rollins, and Alice Cooper are all hilarious. (Also hilarious is casting Moby as a hardcore metal singer.) The non-famous people in the cast are pretty good too. The direction is a little over the top at times, but this movie does manage to have a number of really funny dialogue exchanges in it. (Malcolm McDowell’s conversation with a bouncer about phobias is the highlight.) Considering the vampire obsessed world we live in now, this does provide some much-needed levity. (7/10)

The Reptile (1966)
A fairly minor Hammer horror. The monster is quite silly looking but I ended up still wanting to see more of it. I like the performance over all, especially that of the obsessive father. If nothing else, this one does end up creating a fairly unique new monster. (6/10)

Tony (2009)
I have a lot of patience for low-key, character-oriented horror movies, but this one was a little too slow even for me. While it captures the sense of isolation and social awkwardness a person like Tony would feel, you can’t really escape the fact that not a whole lot happens here and there doesn’t seem to be much of a point. (5/10)

Halloween 2010: September 29

I don't have a whole lot to say tonight, other then September being over too quickly and October looking far too busy.

Mini-Reviews:

Subspecies IV: Bloodstorm (1998)
The plot is convoluted, juggling far too many story lines for a movie like this. I dislike the way two major characters from the previous films are killed off, off-screen, in the opening minutes. Michele’s behavior is inconsistent. The special effects are much, much cheaper. The ending has no punch. They should have called it quits after part three. (4/10)

Phenomena (1985)
The first act is much slower then I remember it being. Even a drunk Donald Pleascene and a helper monkey can’t defeat that. However, there are some great moments, even in these slower scenes, such as the opening kill and the sleepwalking sequence. However, Dario knocks it out of the part in the final lap. That last act is perfect, EC Comics horror stuff, over-the-top horror shenanigans that resolves the film’s of its earlier flaws. I also love Simonetti’s main theme.(8/10)

Pig Hunt (2008)
I suspect this got the greenlight during the Hogzilla/Monster Pig phenomena from a few years ago. Ultimately, that pig ends up being the film’s weakest aspect. It’s not the most convincing creature make-up, first-off, and the movie starts to loose steam once the cult of pig worshippers show up in the last act. The character set-up in the first act is kind of slow too. It’s the middle section, with the band of revenge seeking rampaging rednecks, that this movie really shines. Dirt bikes, dune buggies, weird baseball bat hook things, lots of high-pitch action direction… It’s during these moments that the movie most reaches the “Southern Comfort,” “Deliverance” on PCP feel I suspect the filmmaker was going for. It’s also the most entertaining bits here. If nothing else, this proves that James Isaacs doesn’t have his head completely up his own ass. (7/10)

Frozen (2010)
Setting up characters can be hard. The trio in this flick comes off as both a group of legitimately likable people and, at times, kind of jerks, loaded with the kind of petty relationship drama that usually sinks flicks like this. However, once the worse case scenario kicks in, all that stuff gets pushed away. The movie does a really good job of putting the audience in the character’s seat (Pun.) and, when things go really wrong, you feel that same sense of panic. The cast also mostly prevents making contrived, stupid decisions, the other thing that usually sinks flicks like this.(8/10)