Nosferatu(2024)

28 Friday Feb 2025

Tags

2020’s, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Bill Skarsgård, Emma Corrin, Horror, Lily-Rose Depp, Nicholas Hoult, Nosferatu, Ralph Ineson, Robert Eggers, Simon McBurney, Willem Dafoe

When I first heard that there was going to be a re-imagining/ remake of the silent Nosferatu, I did catch myself asking, why do we need this? But I’m happy to report that directed by the very talented Robert Eggers, Nosferatu is extremely effective and breathes new life into a tale we all know. Aided by a game cast and superbly eerie visuals, Nosferatu weaves a chilling spell.

We open in the 1800’s with a young, melancholy Ellen(Lily-Rose Depp)pleading to any spirit to ease her increasing loneliness. This awakens a being who will torment her in years to come as she has summoned him without realising the dire consequences . Years later , Ellen is now married to the loving real estate agent Thomas(Nicholas Hoult) and living in Germany. Thomas has just been tasked with selling an old and largely unused property to the strange and eccentric Count Orlok(Bill Skarsgård ). Although Ellen begs Thomas not to go, fearing something terrible will happen, he is strong armed into it by his boss Herr Knock( Simon McBurney) because it’s a lucrative contract . We later see that is under the spell of and has sent Thomas there for some grisly purpose after submitting to the will of the Count. While Thomas makes the journey to see , Ellen stays with close friends and married couple Friedrich and Anna( Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Emma Corrin) in hopes it will keep her spirits up . After experiencing a most unsettling and alarming journey to the Count’s castle , an increasingly worried Thomas arrives. The Count is the figure that has haunted Ellen and while at first he is just mysterious with Thomas, he soon turns frightening. Draining Thomas of blood and leaving him at the mercy of his forces of darkness, he abandons the young man as he is more interested in Ellen. Around this time, Ellen begins to experience disturbing dreams and terrifying seizures, which worry both her hosts and can’t be fathomed by the befuddled Doctor Sievers( Ralph Ineson). Unorthodox Professor Von Franz( Willem Dafoe) is called after the limited efforts and confusion experienced by Sievers . As he is experienced in matters pertaining to the occult and the supernatural, Von Franz soon deduces that the evil of Count is behind the horror that’s been visited upon Ellen. Soon the Count is on the move and travelling to Ellen. With him he brings a plague and panic to all that are around. Meanwhile back at the creepy castle, Thomas makes an escape from his capture in an effort to return to Ellen, despite being near death himself. Although as horror continues and the group tries their best efforts to end it, it seems that it might be Ellen who holds the key to ending the Count’s reign of terror.

Director Robert Eggers does a splendid job of remaking a classic in his own way , with a heavy focus on atmosphere and character motivations. He knows that this story has been done to death, but finds new ways to impress us. Particularly effective is his choice of long shots that often create a sweeping yet unnerving effect when coupled with the increasingly horrifying images that populate Nosferatu . The pacing sprinkles in the eeriness and then builds towards more grisly heights, which is rather handsomely done with great suspense and assured touch. Nosferatu has a superbly executed and sustained atmosphere to it, enveloping you under its dark and most sinister spell. From the opening frames of Ellen’s wish to the swarming plague and disquieting possession scenes, you know that’s it’s an intense experience you’re in for . Visually , Nosferatu is gorgeously haunting with a striking use of inky colour that renders many scenes in almost black and white and superb use of chiaroscuro. It’s akin to a spellbinding nightmare , albeit one that you can’t shake and can’t take your eyes off. The aforementioned cinematography is stellar as is the production design that has a heavy focus on time appropriate architecture and costume. Plus does tip his hat to the original film with some nice homages; it’s very clear he’s most definitely a student of cinema when watching his work. It’s also a film that goes to some very disturbing and unexpected places; you’ll have to see the film to get what I mean, but trust me when I say some parts may surprise. Some parts were a little too vague for my liking as well as a few characters not being fleshed out enough for my personal liking , but Nosferatu is by and large a successful endeavour into creeping dread. Robin Carolan’s score drips with suspenseful unease and prominent melancholy before erupting into near operatic and sweeping heights; perfectly matching the film that it belongs to and the strange happenings afoot.

One of the best things in Nosferatu is the talented cast assembled. As the evil Count Orlok, Bill Skarsgård is completely unrecognisable and creepily so. With his voice dropped a few octaves and under heavy makeup, he makes for a truly menacing presence. You can understand why he would strike terror in the heart of people yet is also entrancing too. Nicholas Hoult impresses as the good hearted Thomas, who once plunged into gas to really fight for survival. There’s an honesty and authenticity to Hoult here, not to mention a great deal of sympathy which he transfers to the audience. As impressive as they are, it’s Lily-Rose Depp turning in a fiercely committed and layered performance who truly stands out. She’s required to be so many things, from desperately longing and hidden strength to intensely frightened and sometimes haunting, and she plays it all excellently. Plus the role calls for many extremely physical scenes( in particular a truly horrifying and jaw-dropping possession scene), all of which she assays with a ferocity and chilling intensity. Her emotionally and physically demanding role is the lynchpin of this horror and Depp is more than up to the task with her stunningly realised turn as the haunted Ellen. Although both the roles played by are a little underdeveloped and could have been more fruitful, both stars work excellently with what they have. Aaron Taylor Johnson is especially good as the film gets more intense and he realises the horror that’s at work around him. Willem Dafoe , who for me always has a knack for delivering even in supporting roles, does it once again here. He gets across the eccentricity of the man, but also his exasperation of people not understanding him and his genuine want to destroy the evil around him. Ralph has a sense of authority as the doctor baffled by Ellen’s case, who has to put aside his by the book techniques and realise something not of this world is present. Simon is having a ball as the possessed ; sinking his teeth into a part that calls for him to be completely out there and unnerve the audience. He does both things extremely well and gets some very memorable scenes of feral behaviour and startling content.

Visually arresting, at times horrifying and completely unsettling, Nosferatu is a triumph of the Gothic Horror genre. Robert Eggers gives the vampire story a new coat of paint with the aid of an exceptionally strong cast and a whole lot of eerie atmosphere to boot.

The Substance

16 Thursday Jan 2025

Posted by vinnieh in Movie Reviews

≈ 12 Comments

Tags

2020’s, Coralie Fargeat, Demi Moore, Dennis Quaid, Horror, Margaret Qualley, The Substance

A truly startling, yet deeply thematic examination of the illusory hunt for eternal youth and the absurd beauty standards of society, The Substance will have you squirming with how it dissects such matters in disquieting and wild style. Bolstered by career best work from Demi Moore and a sensational Margaret Qualley, The Substance is a body horror film you’ll find hard to shake off once you’ve watched it .

Elisabeth Sparkle( Demi Moore) was once a huge Hollywood star. Her status has somewhat dimmed and she now hosts a morning aerobics show. She is unceremoniously fired from this job on her 50th birthday by the sleazy producer Harvey( Dennis Quaid), who is only interested in hot young things and anything to boost ratings. Even though her star had faded, the show was what was keeping Elisabeth going. This firing sends her spiralling into self doubt and resentment. After a trip to the hospital following a car crash brought on by her shock of her billboard being taken down, Elisabeth is slipped a hard drive with the words “The Substance “ on it. Returning home, she plays it. The video promises a younger, prettier and ideal version of oneself, through an injected serum. Desperate for validation and to feel good about herself after being , Elisabeth orders it. Injecting the serum, she undergoes a horrifying ordeal as her back splits open and a younger version of herself emerges. This younger self takes on the name Sue( Margaret Qualley). Sue is kept going by stabiliser fluid from Elisabeth’s spine and respecting a seven day balance. For seven days , one stays active and the other hidden away on a drip of intravenous. This balance needs to be upheld so each can keep going in a strange symbiosis . Although told that they are one, Elisabeth and Sue start worryingly to view each other as separate entities . Elisabeth tries to uphold the balance but finds herself becoming more consumed with self-doubt and rage, while the reckless Sue resents having to change every seven days. Sue , who looks ideal and ridiculously perfect, gains Elisabeth’s old job on the aerobics show. This turns her into a huge overnight star thanks to her youth and sex appeal, angering Elisabeth deeply . As Sue grows bolder and more known, she begins to misuse The Substance for her own benefit. With the flagrant misuse of it, dire and shocking consequences emerge for both resulting in a lot of grisly horror .

Coralie Fargeat is a director with a vision and it explodes with visceral personality and unbridled ferocity here. She is certainly a director with something to say and a very wicked way of displaying it. I look forward to viewing more work from Coralie Fargeat, because she’s very talented at what she does . The Substance isn’t a subtle film, but just because it isn’t , doesn’t mean it can’t have depth and something that rings true to say. This body horror is packed with meaning and cuts right into how society wears women down to feel that age is a barrier and worthiness has an expiry date. The body horror and practical effects within The Substance are a gruesome sight to behold, and I mean that in the best possible way. The level of detail that’s gone into both is truly astounding and is displayed so effectively. The last act of The Substance is one that pushes the envelope on content. Just when you think it can’t get anymore wild and shocking, it goes there and then some. It’s the kind of finale and display of body horror that you imagine master of the genre David Cronenberg would approve of. Not for the weak of stomach, but one jaw dropping ride all the same. Which is pretty much a fine description of The Substance .

As extreme as a lot of the film is, there is a level of satire that’s racing through The Substance that adds a twisted layer of absurdist humour to things in parts. The extreme close ups( particularly on body parts and in one instance a scene of disgusting eating) and use of distorted images aids this off kilter yet an apt metaphor for Hollywood’s obsession with offering scrutiny to every minute detail of appearance and surface level appeal. Yet for a movie that’s not holding anything back in terms of horror and graphic content, it’s a scene of critical and heart wrenching self hatred that stuck deepest in my memory. In it , Elisabeth has decided to go on a date with someone she knew years before. She dresses and looks fantastic, but the nagging self-doubt keeps coming in. This results in her continually going back to the bathroom mirror and changing how she looks. Finally, after seeing a distorted version of herself in the door handle, she returns to the mirror and begins viciously removing her make up in truly devastating and heartbreaking fashion. That moment for me perfectly sums up what The Substance is going for and what it’s trying to say about how society makes women feel worthless and how just because people look fine, it doesn’t mean underneath they feel it. If I could pick one tiny fault, it’s that the film is a bit overlong. But this is truly a minor criticism of a film that’s still circling my brain and making a big impact. A thundering , thumping yet atmospheric score enhances the already dizzying body horror at play . This is aided by a truly sensational aural display of sound editing. Things muffle, shriek and take on a heightened level of weirdness with a head-spinning intensity; trust me when I say your head will be buzzing with how The Substance distorts sound .

Demi Moore turns in what is possibly her finest performance in her career. You get the feeling that she fees a personal connection with the role of Elisabeth and there are undoubtedly parallels to be made. And that really informs and makes her work her something truly special . Demi Moore ,to her credit ,is completely vanity free here and it’s dazzling, daring and devastating work. She nails Elisabeth’s desperation to feel young and valued again , plus a sense of imploding, seething anger as the impact of the eponymous serum have dire consequences for her. Moore is in major award contention at the minute ( as of writing this, she just scooped a well earned Golden Globe) snd it’s more than deserved for this part in which she completely surrenders to the material and turns in poignant, startling and brave piece of work. Also standing out is the talented Margaret Qualley , who makes quite the impact with her presence and skill. As Sue, she’s bold, seductively outgoing yet restless, all things that Elisabeth wants again. Qualley sells the lust for life that Sue has along with how her very image impacts those around her, but also the resentment of being forced away again after seven days. This innate power struggle is what sells the acting here and both women more than rise to the occasion. Dennis Quaid rounds out the main cast with a highly entertaining and nasty turn as a super sleazy producer. Quaid is having a blast playing someone so repulsive and skin crawling from every pore; a Cheshire Cat grin is never far from his oily portrayal and it fits so well with what The Substance says about a voyeuristic and vicious society.

A film soaked in viscera, anger and stomach churning horror( not to mention stellar acting from Demi Moore and Margaret Qualley), The Substance once seen will be hard to forget. It’s the definition of a visceral, primal cinematic experience.

Bram Stoker’s Dracula

22 Friday Nov 2024

Posted by vinnieh in Movie Reviews

≈ 10 Comments

Tags

1990's, Anthony Hopkins, Billy Campbell, Bram Stoker’s Dracula, Cary Elwes, Francis Ford Coppola, Gary Oldman, Horror, Keanu Reeves, Monica Bellucci, Richard E. Grant, Sadie Frost, Tom Waits, Winona Ryder

Opulent, operatic and overblown in the best kind of way, Francis Ford Coppola brings the tale of the immortal , classic vampire to vivid life in Bram Stoker’s Dracula. Bolstered by an all star cast, sumptuous cinematography and usage of practical effects as opposed to contemporary, this movie weaves an erotic and eerie spell. Divisive as it will be to some, one can’t fault the imagination that’s gone into this sumptuous gothic horror that sticks closer to the novel more than many adaptations in the past.

We begin with Prince Dracula( Gary Oldman) as a Romanian knight during the Crusades. Particularly gifted and brutal in battle, he helps fight against the enemy of the Ottoman Empire. Upon his return from battle , he is devastated to discover that his beloved wife Elisabeta( Winona Ryder) , having received false word from enemies of her husband’s death , ended her life by drowning herself in the castle moat. Told by a priest that her soul is damned , Dracula erupts into a rage , feeling that God and all he has fought for has forsaken him. Renouncing God, he stabs a crucifix in a holy church and drinks the blood that emerges profusely from it. This transforms him into a bloodthirsty vampire . Four centuries later in London , young solicitor Jonathan Harker( Keanu Reeves) is tasked with going to Romania to help Dracula with matters of property in England. His predecessor Renfield( Tom Waits) is now confined to a lunatic asylum, claiming he is doing work for his Master. Jonathan is to be married to the beautiful and rather prim school mistress Mina( also played by Winona Ryder), who longs for his return from his trip and who is residing with her rich and often outrageously lusty friend Lucy Westenra( Sadie Frost). Jonathan makes the journey and witnesses many strange things before coming to the gothic castle in which Dracula resides. At first he finds the Count a bit eccentric, but soon comes to see he is a prisoner of something much darker and not at all human. Dracula spies a picture of Mina, who bears a startling resemblance to his ill-fated wife. He’s immediately entranced by her and sets out to find who he believes is the reincarnation of the tragic Elisabeta . Jonathan is left at the mercy of Dracula’s three seductive Brides, who bleed him daily to weaken him. The shapeshifting Dracula, now looking younger and arriving in London, begins to woo Mina, who quickly finds herself not being able to resist the mysterious Count. In the meantime, Dracula has bought land in the nearby area and has also begun menacing Mina’s friends, most notably the brazen Lucy who falls into his deadly clutches and is ravished by the Count disguised as a wolf . The eccentric Dr. Abraham Van Helsing( Anthony Hopkins) is called in to help after Lucy’s encounter with Dracula and begins showing signs of transformation into a creature of the night. Her doctor and potential suitor Jack Seward( Richard E. Grant), along with Lord Arthur Holmwood(Cary Elwes) and Quincey P. Morris( Billy Campbell)who both have feelings for Lucy, are at a loss to explain her condition. Van Helsing immediately deduces what has happened to Mina’s friend. For a while Van Helsing has known about the existence of vampires; yet now he knows that he is battling one of the biggest powers of evil there is. All the while, Mina falls increasingly deeper for Dracula, while Jonathan attempts an escape from his castle, despite being weakened by blood loss. It becomes a battle between Van Helsing’s men and Dracula to save Mina and Lucy from the lovelorn Count’s clutches. Much blood is shed as Dracula attempts to reunite with who he believes is the reincarnation of his long lost love and Mina becomes more dangerously infatuated with this truly charismatic creature, that she begins to drastically change into something dangerous.

This kind of material lends itself well for the exercise for the fertile imagination of classic Francis Ford Coppola . As is evidenced by the title, this version of the well known story wants to stick close to to original source material . Yes there are some liberties taken with the source material, but for my money, it’s probably the most faithful adaptation I’ve seen of the Dracula . The decision to feature various characters narrating parts as they write letters and diaries is a great homage to the epistolary writings of the novel. Coppola understands the eroticism running through the story, coupled with the love and horror that permeates from every frame of this saga. It’s the work of a director at some of his best and most lavish, and I for one am here for it. You can feel how passionately he has directed this movie and how he has clearly decided to go back to the gothic darkness and simmering sexual tension of the novel, in a way different from the usual Dracula pictures. The word that springs to mind when I think of Bram Stoker’s Dracula is hypnotic; it’s probably one of the most gorgeously done and shot horror movies in my memory and is backed throughout with plenty of visual flair. I like how Coppola eschewed contemporary techniques to use old school ones like old style of film, shutter speed and inventive transitions/backdrops. It lends Bram Stoker’s Dracula a feverish and dreamlike ambience that only makes it even more bewitching to the viewers. From the striking use of silhouette in the opening battle scenes, through the cool effect that shows Dracula’s shadow moving freely of him and the dizzying ravishing of an eerie storm that brings horror to it, we are under a spell. Many may say that this isn’t a typical horror film, but it has the hallmarks of the genre creepiness and uneasiness from the very start. It just opts for something baroque and slightly old fashioned for its impact, and on that score it is executed with some seriously lurid and dreamlike style. Eiko Ishioka deservedly scooped an Oscar for her mesmerising costumes that give the story of Dracula a whole new and arresting look. You can’t take your eyes off her arresting creations as they burn themselves into the memory and add to the overall impact of the piece. Sound editing and makeup also scooped Oscar’s which were thoroughly merited because they bring so much atmosphere and style to a film brimming with ideas and verve. A grandiose and thundering score from Wojciech Kilar is the cherry on top of this movie; building stormy passion and romance to a hugely successful degree, while also remaining and eerie and supremely creepy.

Heading the cast is an imperious Gary Oldman as the titular vampire. We all know that Gary Oldman can do intense and full force, but he also knows how to bring out the agony of loneliness and desperation in finding his love again here. Oldman fleshes out the tragedy of the character who is often relegated to just a standard villain, making him a truly compelling character with a lot of layers . He’s vicious, romantic, forlorn, smooth and deeply unnerving, plus many more adjectives that can apply to his work here, All in all, Gary Oldman turns in a transformative, shape-shifting and versatile performance , putting a tragic yet seductive spin on a well known character. We believe him in every guise he takes here and it’s a testament to his stellar work throughout this movie. Winona Ryder is appropriately lovely, innocent and radiant as his love interest; while clearly enjoying the wild abandon of the character once Dracula’s hold takes over. Ryder judges the reserved and unrestrained side of Mina excellently, making her slip under the spell of Dracula believable. The chemistry between the two is deeply passionate, with his influence awakening the desire within her that’s long been hidden away. It also helps sell the romance of the film a lot. Anthony Hopkins has a ball, combining both a madcap personality and voice of experience as the professor turned vampire hunter. Hopkins sinks his teeth into the part, filling it with a feeling of leadership but also dark humour scattered throughout. One of the biggest flaws with Bram Stoker’s Dracula is the casting of Keanu Reeves as Jonathan Harker. Now I have to say I don’t mind Reeves in some films, he just feels very miscast here . He is too modern for the part and the less said about his attempt at an English accent the better. On the other and more successful hand, we have Richard E. Grant, Billy Campbell and Cary Elwes. These three are all entertaining as Lucy suitors and make for an interesting trio as darkness hits and they must align themselves with Van Helsing to take on Dracula’s plans. Sadie Frost stands out as the lusty yet tragic Lucy. She embodies a free-spirited and sensual recklessness that turns darker once she transforms. Both sides are excellently conveyed by Frost who throws herself into the part with a lot of glee. Tom Waits has an entertaining and unsettling part as the confined Renfield; who has taken to strange ravings and eating bugs after his encounter with Dracula. Eagle eyed viewers of Bram Stoker’s Dracula should keep an eye out for the stunning Monica Bellucci as one of Dracula’s sensual brides, who take great delight in bloodshed and seduction.

So while it won’t be a film to satisfy all tastes, what emerges is a visually stimulating, sensual and creepy romantic horror film. Bram Stoker’s Dracula knows exactly how to do unnerving, passionate and sexy, while also boasting some fine performances and direction from Francis Ford Coppola.

Saw II

31 Tuesday Oct 2023

Posted by vinnieh in Movie Reviews

≈ 6 Comments

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2000's, Beverley Mitchell, Darren Lynn Bousman, Dina Meyer, Donnie Wahlberg, Emmanuelle Vaugier, Erik Knudsen, Franky G, Glenn Plummer, Horror, Saw II, Shawnee Smith, Timothy Burd, Tobin Bell, Tony Nappo

It was inevitable that a film that was a big success like Saw would get a sequel, and we got one and many more. Today I’m focusing on Saw II, a pretty decent sequel to the smash hit first film. While it doesn’t reach the same impactful level as its predecessor, it still has its moments of surprise and tension to recommend it.

Detective Eric Matthews( Donnie Wahlberg) is a cop on the edge . Once a respected officer, he’s gone downhill of late with the relationship with his young son Daniel(Erik Knudsen) deteriorating and his reputation suffering. He is called onto a case of horror by former partner in both work and personal ways Kerry(Dina Meyer) . The victim , who it turns out is an informant, was put through a horrifying test of his will to live. It’s clear to all that the infamous Jigsaw(Tobin Bell) us behind this grisly scene . What links to this is that his name is scrawled on the crime scene, involving him for an unknown reason. After deducing where Jigsaw is, they come upon a warehouse in which he is residing. Dying from cancer yet still switched on and plotting, Jigsaw( also known as his real name of John Kramer) asks to speak with Matthews. The detective is more interested in bringing him to justice, but Jigsaw gets his attention when he reveals that Eric’s estranged son is one of a group they have been kidnapped and placed in a decrepit house with many traps that could be deadly. The group consists of Daniel, Xavier(Franky G), Jonas(Glenn Plummer), Laura(Beverley Mitchell), Addison(Emmanuelle Vaugier), Obi(Timothy Burd), Gus(Tony Nappo) and surprisingly Amanda(Shawnee Smith) , who is one of the only people to have completed and survived a test from Jigsaw . All have some past time in prison or criminal behaviour to their name. They must all play the games of Jigsaw in order to survive the horror around them. Adding to the terror is the fact that a nerve gas is percolating through the house and will kill the kidnap victims in two hours if they fail to retrieve the antidotes, which are in the house but less than ideal to get without almost certain death. The dying man knows that Matthews has a chequered past and is more than happy to bring it up , which plays into events more than it first appears. It becomes a race against time for the captives and Detective Matthews as the game gets more twisted and unexpected, courtesy of the dying but still crafty Jigsaw.

Darren Lynn Bousman does well on director duties by keeping both stories moving effectively and with a sense of dread in parts. It may not quite have the shocking punch of the original, Saw II still knows how to surprise and deliver some of the horrifying goods. There are more traps here( one involving hypodermic needles is a stomach churner) and the gore is certainly upped in this entry, resulting in some rather stomach churning sequences. And the grimy looking visuals certainly add to proceedings, as do the back and forth between the police/detective thriller and grisly horror parts. Where Saw II falls down is in the character department. Except for Detective Matthews, Jigsaw and Amanda , the rest of the characters aren’t really up to much and most are mainly there to be put through the torturous games of Jigsaw. The fact we don’t really learn many of their names until later on (or in some cases not until the credits) doesn’t help things either .However I did appreciate seeing more of Jigsaw and his scenes with are big highlights and provide some fleshing out of Jigsaw and his modus operandi. The score is a nifty little gem that blends shredded, distorted strings to a thumping bass with unnerving results .

Donnie Wahlberg makes an impression as the troubled detective at the heart of the case. He’s flawed as hell and crumbling, but Wahlberg also sells the hot headed nature and desperation underneath the growling exterior. It’s good to see more of Tobin Bell as Jigsaw and he delivers a compellingly creepy performance. There’s an unnerving calm about him that gets under your skin; his voice rarely rises above a whisper, but it’s super commanding and eerie. The scenes between him and Wahlberg’s Detective Matthews really stand out he draws the him into his twisted game. We glimpsed the character of Amanda in the first instalment and this time we get more of her . The talented Shawnee Smith captures the fear and resourcefulness of Amanda, while also making us question various things about her and if she is all that she seems. Dina Meyer appears again, following her too short appearance in the first film . She’s a no nonsense character and plays that well; plus it was nice have a bit more for her to do than before. And while I stated before that the main characters trapped in the house don’t have much substance, the acting from some of them is still rather good. Franky G is appropriately hotheaded and intense and the alpha male who becomes more unhinged the more he attempts to survive the house of horrors. Erik Knudsen has the bratty thing down as the son of the main detective who doesn’t quite realise what kind of man his father is. Unfortunately the other cast members fail to inject much into their parts and they come off as dull and boring in the process. In particular, Beverley Mitchell just becomes a whining , miserable and annoying presence throughout.

So while not as impactful as the first movie, Saw II still delivers twists , turns and an increased gore factor aplenty to impress horror fans

Alien Vs Predator

31 Thursday Aug 2023

Posted by vinnieh in Movie Reviews

≈ 2 Comments

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2000's, Action, Alien Vs Predator, Colin Salmon, Ewen Bremner, Horror, Lance Henriksen, Paul W. S. Anderson, Raoul Bova, Sanaa Lathan, Science Fiction

A lazy and standard attempt to bring two iconic franchises together, Alien Vs Predator just feels uninspired. Apart from a few good parts, it’s largely forgettable and boring. A truly uninspired movie that does barely anything right.

A satellite detects unusual heat off the coast of Antarctica. Using thermal imaging, wealthy but frail industrialist Charles Bishop Weyland (Lance Henriksen) discovers that an ancient pyramid resides deep under the ice. He assembles a team of experts for this excavation into what lies beneath. There is the leader and experienced guide Lex Woods(Sanaa Lathan) , archaeologist Sebastian De Rosa(Raoul Bova), scientist Graeme Miller(Ewen Bremner) , soldier Maxwell Stafford( Colin Salmon) and a few others who journey to the remote area to uncover the ancient pyramid. The group are amazed by the pyramid and the secrets to civilisation it could hold. Once they venture the pyramid and someone messes with the order of it , things start going wrong. The pyramid is on a mechanism that shifts at varying intervals. This leaves many of the group separated or trapped. The group find themselves in more danger shortly after. They are in the middle of a battle between two ancient races, the Aliens and the Predators. To make matters worse, Aliens are birthed by the Alien Queen, sparked back to life by the shifting pyramid mechanisms. Facehuggers pick off members of the crew, allowing Aliens to spawn from them very quickly and become fully grown. It transpires that every hundred years, the Predators would come to Earth to do battle with the Aliens. Humans would be sacrificed via being hosts for Aliens , allowing many of the vicious features to be able to fight the Predators. If beaten , the Predators would activate a self destruct device that would wipe out the Aliens. Now with time lining up, three Predators have landed ready for there rites of passage . As battle commences and death surrounds all, it’s down to eventually Lex to figure out a way to survive the conflict .

Paul W. S. Anderson is a competent enough director, who I mainly know from Resident Evil and Event Horizon , but he isn’t at a good level here . The aforementioned films occasionally a rep that isn’t great, but they look like masterpieces next to this sorry excuse of a film. Alien Vs Predator feels squandered , especially in it’s pandering to get a lower rating certificate. What could be tense or scary is completely bypassed and the film becomes a true mess. I wasn’t expecting high art from a film like this, but I did at least expect something of interest and something to entertain. Apart from a few flashes of it, the action here is dead on arrival. The movie feels like an afterthought during its duration, with dodgy effects and awful dialogue . One bit of credit is that the sets are pretty good and well mounted. It’s such a shame that they belong in such a weak movie . The music is pretty generic and gives nothing of note or atmosphere to proceedings.

The cast assembled is largely wasted with this paper thin and joyless material. Sanaa Lathan is probably the best served here. Her part isn’t written with the most depth, but she brings a strength, resourcefulness and sense of intelligence amidst the idiocy of the film. Raoul Bova and Ewen Bremner , while both likeable presences, are poorly used here as archaeologist and scientist. They are basically there for exposition and nary a thing else. Colin Salmon, who I often find reliable, is lumbered with an unmemorable part which is a damn shame. Bringing Lance Henriksen to the film might have seemed like a good idea , given that he famously played Bishop in Aliens . But his talents are like many of the people here, completely wasted.

So what emerges in Alien Vs Predator is a tired, uninspired and joyless film. Pitting two legendary characters might have seemed like a novel idea, but the execution is poor and just not worth viewing.

Paranormal Activity

28 Tuesday Feb 2023

Posted by vinnieh in Movie Reviews

≈ 8 Comments

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2000's, Horror, Katie Featherston, Micah Sloat, Oren Peli, Paranormal Activity, Supernatural Horror

Using a simple premise of a supernatural threat targeting a young couple captured with a camera, Paranormal Activity builds a creepy atmosphere throughout as the threat gets real. You’ll want to sleep with the lights on after watching this creepy chiller.

Young couple Micah and Katie ( Micah Sloat and Katie Featherston )have been experiencing strange and unexplained phenomena in their San Diego home . The often immature Micah has decided to set up a video camera in an attempt to capture proof of a paranormal entity, though Katie is not enthused by this idea. Katie reveals that she’s had strange events akin to a haunting throughout her life when a psychic comes to visit. The psychic warns the couple not to aggravate the entity that has latched onto them and particularly. It’s not a matter of the house being haunted, it is Katie herself . With his camera and technology, Micah finds the whole idea of a haunting fun and cool. Katie , who really doesn’t see it as something thrilling, becomes increasingly more terrified as the haunting continues. To start, various household objects are misplaced and creaking doors are the extent of paranormal energy. It then becomes a lot more sinister at the days go on. The clashing of viewpoints in terms of how Micah and Katie view the strange events that befall them escalates, as Micah becomes even more interesting in finding out what is haunting them and Katie begins to fall apart emotionally. Following Micah’s blatant disregard for not bothering the haunting presence, the entity ups the ante leaving in a desperate fight to survive this malevolent intrusion. All the while, the seemingly unending threat is being captured on film by camera, often in moments the protagonists don’t see until later.

Oren Peli, who as well as being writer and director , also edited the movie, does a superb job crafting a horror movie that’s simple but shrewdly done . It’s pretty hard to believe this was his directorial debut because of how assured his touch for suspense is What Peli gets right is the tone and gradual suspense of Paranormal Activity. He knows to to build tension without the film dragging on( it comes in at under 90 minutes) making one chilling efficient exercise in terror. Paranormal Activity deal with the presence of ghosts and haunting , yet the direction and execution of it add a veneer of reality to proceedings which in turn heightens the fear and scares it goes on to generate. And it’s also nice to see a horror movie that relied on mood and atmosphere as opposed to excessive gore. Not that I mind gore in my horror movies, I just often find myself being more disturbed by the psychological approach of dread and anticipation Although a found footage movie, Paranormal Activity has a certain level of sophistication as it doesn’t often feature spinning handheld camera. Yes there are parts of handheld camerawork, but it’s largely the times when the camera is still that the chills occur. As sets the camera up in the bedroom , we begin to observe strange events slowly but surely mainly of the nocturnal variety. We are forced to concentrate intensely to see if something subtle has occurred and whether our minds are playing tricks on us. It’s an effective trick as we get invested in the haunting and it keeps us creeped out along with the protagonists . Often we don’t see anything but the sounds and sense of dread make our minds run wild which is employed with impact in Paranormal Activity.

Special credit must go the sound design here who craft a feeling of escalating dread with every bang or loud noise. This , coupled with periods of almost unbearable silence and it’s a nerve wracking experience that awaits you. The best usage of this is one of the nocturnal sequences when we witness Katie in a seeming trance get up out of bed and stares at her sleeping boyfriend . What’s most alarming is that the camera timer shows she has been doing it for a number of hours without moving. The silence and whole atmosphere of this scene gets under your skin and is one of many that’ll have you spooked. The budget may have been low, but the chills are high in Paranormal Activity. It’s not really original, but it’s for my money one of the better found footage movies and a downright creepy film in general.

As the two main players in the film, Micah Sloat and Katie Featherston are believable and very authentic as the couple under attack. Both feel like real people who you could know and this goes a long way in this movie. Sloat strikes the right mout of geeky curiosity and immaturity as his over eager antics make the situation at hand a lot worse than he expected. It’s Featherston who is the heart of the film; convincingly displays the deep rooted fears of a young woman seemingly haunted since she can remember. Her increasing desperation and slip into instability at the events around her is one of the driving forces of Paranormal Activity as most of it links directly to her. There are other actors in the film, but the lions share is taken up by the duo of Katie Featherston and Micah Sloat and they certainly deliver throughout.

A terrifying horror that favours psychological chills over excess gore, Paranormal Activity shows his the found footage genre can be to elicit a ruthless and efficient horror movie. Be sure to watch with someone else as terror is best in movies when shared

Rec

29 Saturday Oct 2022

Posted by vinnieh in Movie Reviews

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2000's, Foreign Language Film, Horror, Jaume Balagueró, Manuela Velasco, Pablo Rosso, Paco Plaza, Rec

A brutally effective horror movie that zips along at a quick and ferocious pace and proves that found footage can still be impressive, Rec makes for a disturbingly intense experience.

Ángela Vidal( Manuela Velasco) is a peppy young reporter who along with her unseen cameraman Pablo(Pablo Rosso) is filming a documentary on the emergency services. One night while filming at the fire station when nothing seems to be happening, the firemen get a call about a lady trapped in her apartment. Ángela naturally jumps at the chance of a story and so she and Pablo tag along to the apartment block. Once inside, the firemen along with encounter the woman is distress. The woman then becomes crazed like a zombie and bites one of the firemen, throwing everyone into terror. Once removing themselves from the room and locking the woman in, the group head to the lobby. The other residents have assembled , wanting answers for what is going on. Everyone starts to panic as the military shut off the building, leaving everyone trapped inside. They hear that a virus has spread between people through saliva, explaining the crazed and feral woman. The results of the virus are rabid viciousness and the instinct to attack and bite. But as the tension mounts and panic sets in, the body count rises as people become infected by the virus and chaos reigns. Ángela and Pablo keep recording as the horror unravels, attempting to avoid being infected and savagely attacked in the now claustrophobic apartment block. One thing is for sure, it’s going to be a fight for survival as Ángela and Pablo attempt to make it through, determined that what transpires in the apartment block will be discovered even if they aren’t .

Directors and writers Jaume Balagueró and Paco Plaza make sure Rec lulls you into a false sense of security before unloading ultimate terror. They succeed on this score and also on making it feel realistic and like you are right in there. Once the zombie horror hits, Rec doesn’t let up with the tension and gruesome action as the kinetic point of view camera plunges us straight into the heart of the terror of this apartment block under siege. As a rule, I sometimes find that found footage movies give me a throbbing headache with the way they are shot. While Rec does include many scenes of shaky camerawork, it feels a lot smoother than most which makes it more intense and easier to follow. It’s a simple premise from Balagueró and Plaza that is shrewdly and economically directed , making for a lean and mean horror movie of vicious intent and brutal, nail-biting content. The script also allows viewers to discover things at the same time as the characters , increasing the shocks as we experience them and our guesses are stripped away by jolts of terror. The claustrophobic and hellish atmosphere is further heightened by the absence of a score. This makes everything feel realistic and lets the audience listen out for anything sudden about to happen or not. Credit too must be given to the zombie effects that look terrifying yet also in the realms of possibility as all hell breaks loose.

The main members of the cast are . Manuela Velasco, who is almost always onscreen is an appealing presence. She nails the determined and go getter persona within the part of Ángela which gives way to fighting for survival of the most terrifying sort. Velasco’s likeable charm , fight and sense of breathless terror at what she encounters are all on full display as the heroine of this story and make an impact. Though it’s only his voice that we hear, Pablo Rosso convinces as the much harangued cameraman Pablo, who is charged with capturing the horror right in front of him. The supporting cast are all convincing and seem so realistic in what they are doing. Which is totally in fitting with the almost documentary approach that Rec is going for.

Ruthlessly impressive and terrifyingly claustrophobic , Rec is a triumph of horror film making that leaves your heart pounding in fright. Even if the found footage genre of horror doesn’t often appeal to you, I highly suggest Rec as it might just change your mind.

The Invisible Man

09 Friday Sep 2022

Posted by vinnieh in Movie Reviews

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2020’s, Aldis Hodge, Elisabeth Moss, Harriet Dyer, Horror, Leigh Whannell, Michael Dorman, Oliver Jackson-Cohen, Storm Reid, The Invisible Man, Thriller

An update and reimagining of an old idea , The Invisible Man successfully crafts tension and scares, while lacing the story with topical awareness and psychological chills.

We open with Cecilia Kass( Elisabeth Moss)escaping from her boyfriend Adrian Griffin(Oliver Jackson-Cohen) who she lives with in his high tech house. She is aided in her escape by her sister Emily(Harriet Dyer) and following this she goes to live secretly with childhood friend/ cop James (Aldis Hodge) and his daughter Sydney( Storm Reid). After this we learn that Adrian had been controlling every aspect of their relationship and would regularly abuse Cecilia to the point that she thought she was losing her mind. Then Cecelia hears that Adrian has supposedly committed suicide. Cecelia is shocked by this because Adrian was so in control of everything, including her and enjoyed the feeling of owning something. But nonetheless with his apparent demise, she attempts to recover from the abuse she suffered and start a new life. Unfortunately, a lingering presence won’t let that happen for Cecelia . What first appears to just be her being paranoid because of strange coincidences soon becomes clear that something is stalking her, though everyone thinks it is just the trauma talking. With events turning dangerous and her friends questioning her sanity, Cecelia starts to feel cut off from everything with no one believing her that Adrian is doing this somehow. Desperate and isolated by this point, Cecelia must muster all her strength in order to avoid going insane and figuring out just how Adrian is still able to torment her despite being apparently dead.

Right from the opening, in which we see Cecelia escape from Adrian’s grasp , Leigh Whannell places us right in the middle of tension and keeps it ticking away like a time bomb. Once Cecelia escapes, the tension and uneasiness is never far away as it bubbles away before steadily ratcheting things up notch by notch. Whannell is a skilled director and writer who truly brings this creepy story to life and knows how to make an impact on the audience by pushing the right buttons and also throwing in some unexpected moments too .The themes of oppression of women and particularly abuse inflicted by toxic masculinity echo the real life events across the entertainment industry the past few years. The Invisible Man understands just how suffocating and damaging dealing with abuse like gaslighting can be and what it can do to your head. For that reason, it really stuck in my mind and I’m sure it will do the same to others who see it. One tiny niggle is that the film loses a bit of steam in the midsection and a little editing could have been a tad more efficient. But this is a minor gripe in one chilling and suspenseful horror thriller. Visually, the cold colours of The Invisible Man are hauntingly rendered and the usage of wide shots to test the audience into noticing whether something has moved is alarmingly effective . I mean the way the camera lingers with tension is so assured that you feel genuinely unnerved by it . And it’s put to amazing use during a particularly brutal sequence that is one continuous moving shot that has to be seen to be appreciated . The low hum of the score further exemplifies an unearthly presence that won’t stop until it is satisfied.

What gives The Invisible Man a lot of its power is the central turn from the always talented and watchable Elisabeth Moss. Exploring the desperation, isolation and eventual strength of her character, Moss doesn’t miss a beat as the abused woman slowly piecing things together. We buy into her anger, sadness and confusion, as well as the burning resilience waiting to burst through. And it’s all down to Elisabeth Moss, who has the ability to make us feel often without speaking a word( her expressive face does that to stunning effect.) For the time he’s on screen, Oliver Jackson-Cohen makes Cecelia’s abusive ex suitably slippery and chilling; you really buy into the fact that he could manipulate you anyway he wanted to. Harriet Dyer convinces as the sarcastic but caring sister , while the supportive and strong duo of Aldis Hodge and Storm Reid adds to moments of levity for Cecilia as she attempts to rebuild her life, little realising the nightmare has only just begun . Michael Dorman excels as Adrian’s mysterious brother who you are on the fence about and can’t help but question which side he is on given his familial ties. Not to take anything away from any of the other cast, but The Invisible Man belongs to Elisabeth Moss

Scary, unnerving and above all well acted(particularly by Moss), The Invisible Man is a horror/thriller that manages to get under your skin from the very beginning. Trust me, you’ll be checking over your shoulder when this movie finishes

The Guardian

03 Sunday Jul 2022

Posted by vinnieh in Movie Reviews

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1990's, Carey Lowell, Dwier Brown, Horror, Jenny Seagrove, Supernatural Horror, The Guardian, William Friedkin

I would like to thank both Gabriela and Gill for inviting me to the Other Than a Bond Girl Blogathon. Both women are amazing writers and I was thrilled to be offered the opportunity to take part. I decided to highlight the delightful Carey Lowell, below is my review.

A supernatural horror movie from William Friedkin, The Guardian is a strange movie that is by turns cheesy and then creepy. While it is a definite mixed bag , The Guardian does hold moments of interest.

Phil( Dwier Brown) and Kate (Carey Lowell) Sterling are a young couple who have relocated from Chicago to Los Angeles as Phil has been offered a lucrative advertising job. Kate also works as an interior decorator. Soon they are blessed with a baby boy who they name Jake. To ensure that they can both be around for their son as well as have successful careers, they decide to hire a nanny. The woman in question is the English Camilla Grandier(Jenny Seagrove), who comes with impeccable manners, charm and a great deal of attention to little Jake. Camilla becomes a vital part of the household, though things are really not what they seem. She is in fact a druid, and she plans to sacrifice Jake when the time is ready to a nearby tree that she worships. Phil and Kate don’t realise this at first, but various things begin to make Phil question the woman who he has hired to care for his newborn baby. The seductive and conniving Camilla begins invading his dreams and we see the extent of her power when a friend of Phil and Kate’s stumbles onto her evil secret. For Camilla, it’s all about biding her time until she can snatch Jake and complete her act of horror. The question is will Phil and Kate be able to save their baby son from the diabolical plans of the evil but charming Camilla before it’s too late?

William Friedkin has long been a director who I’ve admired. While his films haven’t always been great, he still has flashes of crazy brilliance in his work. His work here is pretty good in quite a bit of it; it’s just let down by various other areas. The Guardian is a film that’s very much up and down in terms of quality and while it has creepiness, I wouldn’t really classify it as scary in terms of horror. The constant re-writes behind the scenes and troubled production come through because of this in terms of the overall product. It’s as if the film can’t decided what it wants to be(evidenced by the often choppy editing). It can’t fathom whether it should be totally serious in terms of subject or pretty outrageous and decadent . But some moments of brilliance shine through these many flaws , like the creepy effects used on the trees coming to life and some atmospheric dream sequences. Plus, when things do get really crazy, its quite thrilling stuff. Which makes it a shame that the rest of the film couldn’t deliver on this promise and decide what it wanted to be. A good enough score, punctuated by synth and piercing strings is employed to a fairly decent degree, even if it does feel a little sparse.

Jenny Seagrove heads the film with a mysterious and unnerving turn as a charming woman with deception and treachery in her mind. Seagrove, who is a strikingly beautiful presence, uses this to her advantage by showing little by little that Camilla is in no way to be trust because of how dangerously powerful she can be. Dwier Brown , while not being the finest actor in the business, has a few good moments later as the father unearthing his son is in danger. Brown just unfortunately has a habit of overacting, which can be rather grating after a while. And the woman who I’m here to write about is Carey Lowell. Her role isn’t exactly what you’d call the deepest role(new mother realising something is very wrong with the woman she has trusted with her child, Lowell brings out a convincing concern and sense of terror that is very watchable. I would have liked to have seen more of her in the film, but for when she’s on the screen, Carey Lowell gives a pretty fine performance of maternal vulnerability and underlying strength. In essence, it’s the main ladies who dominate this film.

So I must conclude that The Guardian is rather messy as a film with an editing scheme that renders parts as scattershot. But with a competent cast, notably Jenny Seagrove and of course Carey Lowell , plus some good visuals, they provide interest in what is a flawed but watchable film from William Friedkin.

Poltergeist

27 Saturday Nov 2021

Posted by vinnieh in Movie Reviews

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1980's, Beatrice Straight, Craig T. Nelson, Dominique Dunne, Heather O’Rourke, Horror, JoBeth Williams, Oliver Robins, Poltergeist, Supernatural Horror, Tobe Hooper, Zelda Rubinstein

A horror movie with a heart, Poltergeist provides the chills and thrills as a family is beset by a mysterious presence. With a strong story and a mixture of creepiness and wonder, Poltergeist lingers in the mind.

The California town of Cuesta Verde is an ideal looking suburban town of nice lawns and high standard of living. It’s a planned community where everything looks strikingly similar. We are introduced to the Freeling family; real estate developer father Steven( Craig T. Nelson) , loving and devoted mother Diane(JoBeth Williams), eldest daughter Dana(Dominique Dunne), only son Robbie(Oliver Robins) and adorable five year old daughter Carol Anne(Heather O’Rourke) . One night when the television broadcast finishes and the static appears, little Carol Anne awakes from her sleep, approaches the set and starts communicating with something. Then various phenomena start in the house like chairs rearranging themselves and cutlery bending. At first the family sees it as something funny yet unexplainable, but events soon take a very dark and sinister turn. On a stormy evening, all manner of supernatural and startling terror unfurls and Carol Anne is snatched through her bedroom closet. The family search for her, but can’t physically find her. Then they start to hear the voice of the kidnapped little girl. It transpires she can communicate at times through the static on the television as she is in another dimension. Terrified and uncertain of what to do, Diane and Steven contact parapsychologists headed by Dr. Martha Lesh( Beatrice Straight) about this . Lesh and her co- workers are intrigued and want to help but find even their open minds challenged by this haunting and kidnapping they come upon. That’s when they call in the small but powerful physic Tangina( Zelda Rubinstein) who goes about attempting to figure out what snatched into another dimension. Darkness descends as the family, Tangina and the paranormal investigators do battle with the restless spirits that have an axe to grind in order to bring Carol Anne back to them.

Tobe Hooper is in the directing chair and though it’s often debated whether he was the sole director or if Steven Spielberg was more a part of it, he deserves credit for what he fashions here. His direction is pacy and allows for the opening to appear a little spooky but innocuously wholesome and then allowing the onslaught of scary encounters that are wonderfully executed. It’s a rollercoaster that’s akin to a fun ride with added jolts of scary material. The film may be almost two hours but the content and story carry everything along to a satisfying degree that pulls you in. Long shots are used that capture the little details of the house and how the haunting envelops it with an insidious glee. It’s all in aid of the intense set pieces that show the special effects which are mainly ones that hold up now( some have dated a fair bit naturally) and are used to maximum effect. From the static hands reaching out from the television, the attack of the monstrous tree on Robbie, one of the poor investigators having one squirm inducing hallucination, a clown doll that’ll give you a many jolts terror and the filling of the swimming pool during a storm with corpses after Diane falls in, it’s dazzling and horrifying in equal measure . With a screenplay by Steven Spielberg( who you can see the influence of in the film with the blending of spectacle, awe and tension), the film while frightening and thrilling has some real depth and drama to it. Plus there’s also a deliciously ironic take on television culture and also how suburbia isn’t all it’s cracked up to be considering some of the foundations it’s literally and metaphorically built on. Also of note is how the characters act in situations; with most of them being grown ups there’s a level of maturity that’s sometimes missing in films that focus on teenagers. The family reacts in a very believable manner to the shock and mind blowing events befalling them and it adds to how much we care for their plight. Jerry Goldsmith contributes a sensational score that has a spry innocence at first before layering on the spooky vibes as the haunting continues.

As mentioned earlier, the cast is very convincing. JoBeth Williams heads proceedings with a commanding performance of maternal determination and strength in the face of adversity. She’s human and relatable, acting wonderfully alongside the stalwart Craig T. Nelson as her husband. Nelson contributes a strong performance as a hardworking man thrown into a hellish ordeal and attempting with his wife to stay above it instead of sinking. The two stars create a believable bond as husband and wife and crucially as parents. Beatrice Straight exhibits the right amount of compassion and shock as the parapsychologist called in, while the dynamic Zelda Rubinstein steals her scenes as the medium with a lot of power and eccentric manner about her. Both ladies contribute a lot to the film as memorable supporting characters, particularly the highly entertaining Rubinstein. By far one of the most memorable things in Poltergeist is the presence of the cherubic Heather O’Rourke. With her wide eyes and genuine sense of wonder combined with terror, she provides most of the memorable moments in the film. And considering she’s not in the film as much as you’d think, O’Rourke definitely makes a huge impact in her scenes and is iconic, especially for her delivery of the line “They’re Here” . Dominique Dunne as the eldest daughter also makes her presence felt. On a sad note, Dunne was murdered after the film was released, leading to the belief in their being a curse on the film and the inevitable sequels. Oliver Robins is also extremely impressive as the traumatised son going through one hell of an ordeal.

Spooky, thrilling and certainly memorable, Poltergeist is a great staple film as we reach Halloween. With its invective imagination and soulful story of family against the odds, Poltergeist is a must.