I've already seen it, so I can't include it in Horrorfest '10, but I'd like to strongly recommend The House of the Devil. It was barely released in theatres around last Halloween, in fact most people probably saw it OnDemand as it was one of those that was released like that. Making my top 10 of 2009, it's a spot-on throwback to the late 70's/early 80's chillers featuring a breakthrough performance by Jocelyn Donahue. I think if she plays her cards right and gets the right projects, she could be a big star. (My backing of course means she won't, but what the hey.) I just watched it again tonight and it holds up really well, and has a few heartpounding moments. The less you know about it, the better. It does have a slow burn (didn't bother me!) which was one of the only complaints I've read from critics. I hope director Ti West continues to get funding to do these types of indie horror films. You can tell how much he appreciates the genre as how carefully stylized the film is. Seriously, SEE IT.
THE COMPANY OF WOLVES
(1984)
Neil Jordan's allegorical take on "Little Red Riding Hood" exposing a lot of the sexual subtext of the classic story. Very intersting and has definitely stayed with me and grown on me since viewing. Angela Lansbury and a very young Stephen Rea star. The creature effects are good in kind of awful way. They were the natural makeup effects that were popular in the era, not the digitally manipulated ones of today. I love that kind as it seems real and doesn't feel like an actor staring at a green screen. However, something that did bug me was how weird the transfer on the DVD looked. It looked kind of like a cheap, TV production shot entirely on very obvious soundstages. I also kept thinking while watching this how many fairy tales should get a dark, gothic treatment on the big screen. Maybe we'll get this one with that Amanda Seyfried version that I believe is still in development. GRADE: B
LET'S SCARE JESSICA TO DEATH
(1971)
As many awful horror remakes as there are polluting movie theatres currently, a few of the semi-classics of yesteryear (The Crazies, The Hills Have Eyes, The Last House on the Left) have benefited from the remake treatment. And here's a minor horror film that could easily be updated. The film, far from a classic, has enough hiccups that could be smoothed it into a more coherent and solid film. It's a pretty slow paced film telling the story of a newly released mental patient who moves to a small New England town where bizarre events begin happening all around her. Is she going insane again or has reality thrown her a supernatural curve ball? What I really liked about the actress Zohra Lampert was that she gave her character a more upbeat, sunny feel; a woman that was glad to finally be released. It's a nice change of pace from today's emo, staring out a window looking depressed version of the just released psych patient. Not much makes sense and the film does move a bit too slow at times and feels dated in perhaps the wrong way, but the atmosphere at the ending is perfectly captured. Again, this is the exact type of film that should be remade. GRADE: B-
ON TO TV...
SCARED SHREKLESS
This was kind of disappointing after the superb Shrek the Halls. I guess the TV specials are just like the films in that the first is great and the rest are myeh. There are still some funny moments to be had courtesy of the fringe fairy tale characters - the three little pigs and three blind mice, especially. It's an anthology of horror stoiies, or at least that's how it eventually turns out. There's a bit too much buildup and it seems like it might have been wittled down from a longer version. The first, involving the Gingerbread Man creating a Bride of Frankenstein-esque cookie is easily the best. Oh, and Donkey isn't really funny here. I love me some Donkey, but he was wasted. GRADE: B-
COMMUNITY - Ep. 2.6 "Epidemiology"
So many great little moments, where to begin: Shirley as Miss Piggy, Britta and the Banana Guy slowly turning into zombies, Shirley and Chang having sex, Chang as Peggy Flemming, Abed and Troy's continued bromance, Troy shirtless, Jeff still being a douche zombie, the Dean mentioning The Human Centipede, and more. I thought Annie getting pulled through the blinds was actually a spectacular horror moment for some reason. AND MY FAVORITE PART: Abba. Yes, Abba plus Zombies makes Darren a very happy boy. I think the parts of this worked better than the whole, and it's still second place to the spectacular Modern Warfare, but I really loved this. And in classic zombie movie tradition, I love the lame reason they were given to explain what happened: roofies! GRADE: A (Special request: Given Alison Brie will be in Scream 4, why not do a Scream-themed episode to tie in with the film's release?)
THE OFFICE - Ep. 7.6 "Costume Content"
The cold open was the best part: Kevin as Phyllis OMG. Probably the funniest opening they've done in ages. While I loved a lot of the character's costumes (Meredith as Sookie Stackhouse!), most of the episode just didn't work and felt rather limp. Though everytime they cut to Erin in that horrific mask, I couldn't stop laughing. The Jim-Pam storyline was really sweet. As cute as Tim Olyphant is, he's starting to look like he had some work done and it doesn't suit him. His face looked a little botoxed, don't know. I do love the graying. And thanks to Andy for pointing out he was supposed to be Bill from True Blood, I never would have gotten that. I figured he was Edward? Bah. GRADE: B-
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Horrorfest: As Seen on TV
PIRANHA
(1978)
I'll check out the Elisabeth Shue / cock-puking version early next year. Watching this, I was surprised that this was my first viewing of the film. Not like first time watching it on DVD, but first time at all, seeing as it reminded me of something I would've seen aired relentlessly on television since my youth. Like, say, Jaws or Critters. It certainly had that feel. This is another wonderfully dated film - I especially loved the silhouette piranhas attacking. Even more, I was surprised that this 32 year old film had the balls to go for the massive, blood-orgy kill at the end. Some youngsters didn't even survive the last reel, typically a taboo for horror. Very fun from start to finish, surprisingly violent and yet has that dated wholesomeness. GRADE: B+
NIGHT OF THE DEMONS
(2010)
I watched the campy original during last year's horrorfest and loved it. It's like the Showgirls or 1980's horror, ridiculously stupid and awesome at the same time. If you know what that flm was, you more or less know what you'll get with the remake. I'm not sure why I watched this as I figured it would be terrible, but I did. It's not like Shannon Elizabeth, Monica Keena and Edward Furlong are at the top of my fave actors lists. Sometimes even bad horror is preferable to a dull drama. It came as a bit of a shock that this wasn't horrendous. The first half an hour is, but once things got going, it managed to be pretty entertaining. And like the original, there's some unintentional hilarity - I love how these are supposed to be twentysomethings looking for a wild rave but everyone looks like they should be at home with their 10 year olds. Oh, and there's one of those scenes where there's a drug dealer with an accent doing business while getting a blow job. Really? GRADE: C+
SESSION 9
(2001)
One of those movies that I've had on my radar since release but only just got around to watching. I was aware everyone said this was good, but it just took me forever to watch it. Glad I finally did. Very psychological with a few heartstopping moments and enough creepy atmosphere to outdo any other "haunted asylum" movie. The end twist is a little underwhelming but everything leading up to it is gold, and when the "session 9" tape is finally played it really gets under you skin. Highly recommended to anyone who hasn't seen it - and I know there are a lot of you. GRADE: A-
NOW ON TO TV....
GLEE - (Ep. 2.5) - "The Rocky Horror Glee Show"
This may have been the most dull and boring episode Glee has ever done. Oh the irony! First, why is Puck MIA? Yeah, we get he's in juvee - but what's the point? He should have been Frank. Second, the music performances were all good to great. Special props to Jayma Mays who really should get more numbers. Third, get rid of John Stamon. Fourth, can Matthew Morrison take his shirt off every episode? I did like the male insecurity subplot involving Finn and was happy he took his shirt off too. Fifth, why did they change transsexual to transvestite? Are you not allowed to say that on TV? Yeah, a lot of this was watered down. In fact they even through that in to the storyline. Sixth, I'm really sick of the theme episodes where the characters all talk about how much they love _____ and how _____ is relevant and important to society. Madonna, Britney, Rocky Horro, soon whatever. The whole thing was so safe and pedestrian, a real disappointment given what the show has done before with risque, eyebrow raising materail. But again, liked the guys with their shirts off. Would love to have seen Puck in the Tim Curry getup. GRADE: C
RAISING HOPE (Ep. 1.6) - "Happy Halloween"
Pretty dull outing for this occasionally hilarious freshman series. Martha Plimpton remains a goddess and hopefully will get an Emmy nom. There's some funny moments but a lot of this felt forced and its not the type of show that can do forced humor well especially considering its a pretty original gem most of the time. The second episode that aired after this was much better, even if I think it was meant to air before the Halloween episode? GRADE: C+
MODERN FAMILY (Ep. 2.6) - "Halloween"
The first third of this was decent and it probably didn't help that last week's episode was one of the funniest sitcom episodes any show that isn't on NBC has produced in years. They finished very very strong and some of the jokes had gutbusting payoffs. Sofia Vergara and Julie Bowen will give Jane Lynch a run for that Emmy next year, and this would make a perfect submission for both. Vergara, in particular, was a hoot when doing her "American accent." Jay's quick line about the fog cue was also a standout and I loved how that flirted with the limits of what TV can do. See, GLEE, this show was more subversive in a second than you were all last night. GRADE: A-
COUGAR TOWN (Ep. 2.6) - "You Don't Know How It Feels"
Really - the entire episode should have just been Laurie and Ellie as each other. That was the biggest laugh of the night for me. Last week's episode was much much better, but this was an enjoyably sweet Halloween ep. Courteney looked so pretty in princess costume. Touching finale with Jules and her dad. Is it just me or are they getting closer and closer to having Laurie and Travis hookup? I think that would work and would create all sorts of comedy gold. GRADE: B
OH MY FUCKING GOD WALKING DEAD IS ONLY A FEW DAYS AWAY!!!!!!
(1978)
I'll check out the Elisabeth Shue / cock-puking version early next year. Watching this, I was surprised that this was my first viewing of the film. Not like first time watching it on DVD, but first time at all, seeing as it reminded me of something I would've seen aired relentlessly on television since my youth. Like, say, Jaws or Critters. It certainly had that feel. This is another wonderfully dated film - I especially loved the silhouette piranhas attacking. Even more, I was surprised that this 32 year old film had the balls to go for the massive, blood-orgy kill at the end. Some youngsters didn't even survive the last reel, typically a taboo for horror. Very fun from start to finish, surprisingly violent and yet has that dated wholesomeness. GRADE: B+
NIGHT OF THE DEMONS
(2010)
I watched the campy original during last year's horrorfest and loved it. It's like the Showgirls or 1980's horror, ridiculously stupid and awesome at the same time. If you know what that flm was, you more or less know what you'll get with the remake. I'm not sure why I watched this as I figured it would be terrible, but I did. It's not like Shannon Elizabeth, Monica Keena and Edward Furlong are at the top of my fave actors lists. Sometimes even bad horror is preferable to a dull drama. It came as a bit of a shock that this wasn't horrendous. The first half an hour is, but once things got going, it managed to be pretty entertaining. And like the original, there's some unintentional hilarity - I love how these are supposed to be twentysomethings looking for a wild rave but everyone looks like they should be at home with their 10 year olds. Oh, and there's one of those scenes where there's a drug dealer with an accent doing business while getting a blow job. Really? GRADE: C+
SESSION 9
(2001)
One of those movies that I've had on my radar since release but only just got around to watching. I was aware everyone said this was good, but it just took me forever to watch it. Glad I finally did. Very psychological with a few heartstopping moments and enough creepy atmosphere to outdo any other "haunted asylum" movie. The end twist is a little underwhelming but everything leading up to it is gold, and when the "session 9" tape is finally played it really gets under you skin. Highly recommended to anyone who hasn't seen it - and I know there are a lot of you. GRADE: A-
NOW ON TO TV....
GLEE - (Ep. 2.5) - "The Rocky Horror Glee Show"
This may have been the most dull and boring episode Glee has ever done. Oh the irony! First, why is Puck MIA? Yeah, we get he's in juvee - but what's the point? He should have been Frank. Second, the music performances were all good to great. Special props to Jayma Mays who really should get more numbers. Third, get rid of John Stamon. Fourth, can Matthew Morrison take his shirt off every episode? I did like the male insecurity subplot involving Finn and was happy he took his shirt off too. Fifth, why did they change transsexual to transvestite? Are you not allowed to say that on TV? Yeah, a lot of this was watered down. In fact they even through that in to the storyline. Sixth, I'm really sick of the theme episodes where the characters all talk about how much they love _____ and how _____ is relevant and important to society. Madonna, Britney, Rocky Horro, soon whatever. The whole thing was so safe and pedestrian, a real disappointment given what the show has done before with risque, eyebrow raising materail. But again, liked the guys with their shirts off. Would love to have seen Puck in the Tim Curry getup. GRADE: C
RAISING HOPE (Ep. 1.6) - "Happy Halloween"
Pretty dull outing for this occasionally hilarious freshman series. Martha Plimpton remains a goddess and hopefully will get an Emmy nom. There's some funny moments but a lot of this felt forced and its not the type of show that can do forced humor well especially considering its a pretty original gem most of the time. The second episode that aired after this was much better, even if I think it was meant to air before the Halloween episode? GRADE: C+
MODERN FAMILY (Ep. 2.6) - "Halloween"
The first third of this was decent and it probably didn't help that last week's episode was one of the funniest sitcom episodes any show that isn't on NBC has produced in years. They finished very very strong and some of the jokes had gutbusting payoffs. Sofia Vergara and Julie Bowen will give Jane Lynch a run for that Emmy next year, and this would make a perfect submission for both. Vergara, in particular, was a hoot when doing her "American accent." Jay's quick line about the fog cue was also a standout and I loved how that flirted with the limits of what TV can do. See, GLEE, this show was more subversive in a second than you were all last night. GRADE: A-
COUGAR TOWN (Ep. 2.6) - "You Don't Know How It Feels"
Really - the entire episode should have just been Laurie and Ellie as each other. That was the biggest laugh of the night for me. Last week's episode was much much better, but this was an enjoyably sweet Halloween ep. Courteney looked so pretty in princess costume. Touching finale with Jules and her dad. Is it just me or are they getting closer and closer to having Laurie and Travis hookup? I think that would work and would create all sorts of comedy gold. GRADE: B
OH MY FUCKING GOD WALKING DEAD IS ONLY A FEW DAYS AWAY!!!!!!
BOX: Saw-oween comes to an end
1. Saw 3D - $22m / $22m / $52m
2. Paranormal Activity 2 - $17m / $66m / $100m
3. Red - $11m / $59m / $90m
4. Jackass 3D - $10.5m / $104m / $132m
5. Hereafter - $7.5m / $23.5m / $42m
6. Secretariat - $5.5m / $45m / $60m
7. The Social Network - $5m / $80m / $105m
8. Life As We Know It - $4m / $4m / $54m
9. Legend of the Guardians - $2.5m / $53m / $60m
10. The Town - $1.9m / $87.5m / $94m
Last year, the latest installment of the Saw series bombed not even topping $30 million. Given how sequels have been overperforming the past two weekends and the 3D upcharge, this one should be able to bring in an amount closer to the earlier sequels. PA2, despite doing way more than I thought it would, has relatively poor weekday numbers and looks to freefall in the coming weeks. Next week, November kicks off with a bang with the arrival of Megamind, Due Date and For Colored Girls.
2. Paranormal Activity 2 - $17m / $66m / $100m
3. Red - $11m / $59m / $90m
4. Jackass 3D - $10.5m / $104m / $132m
5. Hereafter - $7.5m / $23.5m / $42m
6. Secretariat - $5.5m / $45m / $60m
7. The Social Network - $5m / $80m / $105m
8. Life As We Know It - $4m / $4m / $54m
9. Legend of the Guardians - $2.5m / $53m / $60m
10. The Town - $1.9m / $87.5m / $94m
Last year, the latest installment of the Saw series bombed not even topping $30 million. Given how sequels have been overperforming the past two weekends and the 3D upcharge, this one should be able to bring in an amount closer to the earlier sequels. PA2, despite doing way more than I thought it would, has relatively poor weekday numbers and looks to freefall in the coming weeks. Next week, November kicks off with a bang with the arrival of Megamind, Due Date and For Colored Girls.
Saturday, October 23, 2010
Horrorfest Entry 3: Yo, Adrien Brody!
SPLICE
(2010)
Adrien Brody and Sarah Polley are adorkable scientists who create an animal/human hybrid. Imagine Species, but instead of an erotic science fiction creature feature, take it the Cronenberg route and you've got this film. It got a 'D' from CinemaScore and audiences really hated it. You know what that means! It goes go to some extreme places, but I still loved every minute of it. Featuring a great sequence of bloody gore at a corporate presentation and terrific makeup / creature effects, I think this film's rep will grow with time. Sarah Polley is, as usual, fantastic even if she has to compensate for some of the screenplay's shortcomings to her character. The model that plays DREN is really expressive and her movements are so carefully and precisely played. Again, some sequences later in the film will have you squirming, but if you like Cronenberg, you should like this. GRADE: A-
POSSESSION
(2010?)
No idea when this was intended to be released - I believe there was theatrical trailers for it back in 2008. The film company went bankrupt and it hit dvd shelves earlier this year. I do like Sarah Michelle Gellar and Lee Pace from TV, but here both are totally wasted in a plot that flirts with the supernatural before a twist it ripped off from Birth. Was there even a character motivation beyond 'gee, this would make a cool twist.' Bleh whatever. This is like a Lifetime movie. There is one doozy of a sequence where Gellar drops a picture frame and the shot pans from the broken glass to a car accident. So congrats, one very well directed scene! GRADE: C-
THE STEPFATHER
(1987)
Equal parts disturbing character study and teen slasher, Terry O'Quinn is marvelous is this deliciously dated semiclassic. You know how some 80's films seem to have an advantage because of their total eighties-ness? This is one of those. He's a serial killer who puts the moves on single women, becomes part of their families, then kills everyone. Ah, good times. I don't think this would work as well if updated for moder....oh wait, it was. Didn't see the remake, it probably sucked. GRADE: B+
PREDATORS
(2010)
I thought this was billed as a remake of Predator but it is a straight up sequel. I know people complained about Matt Damon being an action star, but here's an action movie with Adrien Brody and Topher Grace. We've apparently gone from massive steroids of the 1980's to borderline male anorexia. Helmed by Nimrod Antel who brought us 2007's terrific Vacancy, instead of the predators being on our planet, we are now on theirs. But it looks just like ours except for a few sabretooth looking wooly things. I don't believe I've ever seen the Schwarzeneggar original straight through in one sitting, but I've probably seen bits and pieces numerous times. The thing going for that one was that the predator was actually scary and ferocious. Here it seems like they aren't very menacing at all. Remember they skinned people in the original? None of that here. I always thought that was one of the potent elements. Anywho, people are picked off one by one and I don't even remember half the deaths. It's like people just stoppoed being on screen. Not good. Also not good: Laurence Fishburne's character - who really makes no sense. Bleh. GRADE: C
(2010)
Adrien Brody and Sarah Polley are adorkable scientists who create an animal/human hybrid. Imagine Species, but instead of an erotic science fiction creature feature, take it the Cronenberg route and you've got this film. It got a 'D' from CinemaScore and audiences really hated it. You know what that means! It goes go to some extreme places, but I still loved every minute of it. Featuring a great sequence of bloody gore at a corporate presentation and terrific makeup / creature effects, I think this film's rep will grow with time. Sarah Polley is, as usual, fantastic even if she has to compensate for some of the screenplay's shortcomings to her character. The model that plays DREN is really expressive and her movements are so carefully and precisely played. Again, some sequences later in the film will have you squirming, but if you like Cronenberg, you should like this. GRADE: A-
POSSESSION
(2010?)
No idea when this was intended to be released - I believe there was theatrical trailers for it back in 2008. The film company went bankrupt and it hit dvd shelves earlier this year. I do like Sarah Michelle Gellar and Lee Pace from TV, but here both are totally wasted in a plot that flirts with the supernatural before a twist it ripped off from Birth. Was there even a character motivation beyond 'gee, this would make a cool twist.' Bleh whatever. This is like a Lifetime movie. There is one doozy of a sequence where Gellar drops a picture frame and the shot pans from the broken glass to a car accident. So congrats, one very well directed scene! GRADE: C-
THE STEPFATHER
(1987)
Equal parts disturbing character study and teen slasher, Terry O'Quinn is marvelous is this deliciously dated semiclassic. You know how some 80's films seem to have an advantage because of their total eighties-ness? This is one of those. He's a serial killer who puts the moves on single women, becomes part of their families, then kills everyone. Ah, good times. I don't think this would work as well if updated for moder....oh wait, it was. Didn't see the remake, it probably sucked. GRADE: B+
PREDATORS
(2010)
I thought this was billed as a remake of Predator but it is a straight up sequel. I know people complained about Matt Damon being an action star, but here's an action movie with Adrien Brody and Topher Grace. We've apparently gone from massive steroids of the 1980's to borderline male anorexia. Helmed by Nimrod Antel who brought us 2007's terrific Vacancy, instead of the predators being on our planet, we are now on theirs. But it looks just like ours except for a few sabretooth looking wooly things. I don't believe I've ever seen the Schwarzeneggar original straight through in one sitting, but I've probably seen bits and pieces numerous times. The thing going for that one was that the predator was actually scary and ferocious. Here it seems like they aren't very menacing at all. Remember they skinned people in the original? None of that here. I always thought that was one of the potent elements. Anywho, people are picked off one by one and I don't even remember half the deaths. It's like people just stoppoed being on screen. Not good. Also not good: Laurence Fishburne's character - who really makes no sense. Bleh. GRADE: C
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
BOX: Bourne Goes Paranormal
1. Paranormal Activity 2 - $26m / $26m / $65m
2. Jackass 3D - $23m / $88.5m / $140m
3. Red - $13m / $41.5m / $75m
4. Hereafter - $10m / $10m / $30m
5. Secretariat - $7m / $37.5m / $60m
6. The Social Network - $6.5m / $72m / $100m
7. Life As We Know It - $5.5m / $37m / $52m
8. Legend of the Guardians - $3m / $50m / $58m
9. The Town - $2.5m / $84.5m / $90m
10. Easy A - $1.5m / $54.5m / $58m
Almost everyone has the same prediction for PA2. Almost everyone also points out Blair Witch 2 as a way of saying the movie could easily underperform. I don't see this topping $30m, and could easily see it going as low as $14-15m. I think there's enough people that liked the first, but there's enough that hated it to keep it from going over big. Hereafter will do exactly the same numbers as Eastwood's last two movies he directed that he didn't act in - Changeling and Invictus. And I really can't believe Jackass 3D did that much last weekend? I wonder if this bodes well for Saw 3D next week.
2. Jackass 3D - $23m / $88.5m / $140m
3. Red - $13m / $41.5m / $75m
4. Hereafter - $10m / $10m / $30m
5. Secretariat - $7m / $37.5m / $60m
6. The Social Network - $6.5m / $72m / $100m
7. Life As We Know It - $5.5m / $37m / $52m
8. Legend of the Guardians - $3m / $50m / $58m
9. The Town - $2.5m / $84.5m / $90m
10. Easy A - $1.5m / $54.5m / $58m
Almost everyone has the same prediction for PA2. Almost everyone also points out Blair Witch 2 as a way of saying the movie could easily underperform. I don't see this topping $30m, and could easily see it going as low as $14-15m. I think there's enough people that liked the first, but there's enough that hated it to keep it from going over big. Hereafter will do exactly the same numbers as Eastwood's last two movies he directed that he didn't act in - Changeling and Invictus. And I really can't believe Jackass 3D did that much last weekend? I wonder if this bodes well for Saw 3D next week.
Trailer #2 (or #1?) Officially Online...
After several copies, bootlegs and links that eventually were forced to be taken down, the full theatrical trailer for Scream 4 is now here.
Courtesy of Yahoo.
It's for you.
Courtesy of Yahoo.
It's for you.
'Scream 4' Trailer(S)!: Yes, 2.
First, the one that debuted with Spike TV's Scream Awards:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lt53UlykMF8&feature=player_embedded
There is a second one floating about that seems to be closer to an actual theatrical trailer. It contains more dialogue from the film - an explanation of the new rules, Kristen Bell talking about guys with knives, and has a very amusing ending. Most of the footage of it is not that great, but when it is officially released I'll be sure to post it. This version is a lot closer to the trailers for the original series and even seems to use similar music, as well as Marco Beltrami's score.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lt53UlykMF8&feature=player_embedded
There is a second one floating about that seems to be closer to an actual theatrical trailer. It contains more dialogue from the film - an explanation of the new rules, Kristen Bell talking about guys with knives, and has a very amusing ending. Most of the footage of it is not that great, but when it is officially released I'll be sure to post it. This version is a lot closer to the trailers for the original series and even seems to use similar music, as well as Marco Beltrami's score.
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Scream 4 Trailer to Premiere Tuesday Night, New Images
The Scream Awards will air Tuesday night on Spike TV. David, Neve, Emma and Wes were onhand during last night's taping to present the teaser trailer for the film. There's rough footage of it online that I'm sure will be taken down within seconds of me posting a link to it, so I'll just tell you to wait patiently. Or check YouTube to see if it still there. The footage was very much worth it. The teaser goes exactly how I expected it to: Sidney gets "the call" followed by a flash of images from the film. Naturally, there's lots and lots of screaming. And it ends with Gale's potential end. Also, you'll get your first look at Kristen Bell (who IMO has never looked hotter) and Anna Paquin very briefly. I still have no idea what's going on in the opening of the film. There's now three sets of girls sitting or near couches, watching TV. I guess we'll just have to wait. Oh, and the teaser more or less spoils someone's death - a certain NBC Thursday night sweetheart. Current NBC Thursday night sweetheart. It alludes to a past NBC Thursday night sweetheart dying.
Anywho, well worth it. Be sure to check out the Scream Awards this Tuesday night. Lots of fun genre stuff.
Also, Entertainment Weekly's current issue focuses on famous casts being reunited. Among them: Back to the Future, Alias, Will and Grace, The Lord of the Rings and Scream. There's a pic of Courteney holding a knife at David (IRONY!) with Neve in between and a page long article. Neve dishes that her favorite deaths in the series were Jada Pinkett's and Rose McGowan's. Courteney, meanwhile, says that the scariest thing in the series were her bangs in Scream 3 and that they will haunt her till the day she dies. LOL. The issue also featured the below page, which comes to us courtesy of an Emma Roberts website.
(Click for Larger)
Anywho, well worth it. Be sure to check out the Scream Awards this Tuesday night. Lots of fun genre stuff.
Also, Entertainment Weekly's current issue focuses on famous casts being reunited. Among them: Back to the Future, Alias, Will and Grace, The Lord of the Rings and Scream. There's a pic of Courteney holding a knife at David (IRONY!) with Neve in between and a page long article. Neve dishes that her favorite deaths in the series were Jada Pinkett's and Rose McGowan's. Courteney, meanwhile, says that the scariest thing in the series were her bangs in Scream 3 and that they will haunt her till the day she dies. LOL. The issue also featured the below page, which comes to us courtesy of an Emma Roberts website.
(Click for Larger)
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
The Box: Helen Mirren Vs. Johnny Knoxville
1. Jackass 3D - $26m / $26m / $66m
2. Red - $16m / $16m / $46m
3. The Social Network - $10m / $62m / $110m
4. Secretariat - $9m / $27m / $64m
5. Life As We Know It - $8.5m / $28.5m / $48m
6. Legend of the Guardians - $4.5m / $46.5m / $60m
7. The Town - $4m / $80.5m / $92m
8. My Soul To Take - $3.5m / $12m / $18m
9. Easy A - $3m / $52.5m / $58m
10. Wall Street 2 - $2.5m / $48m / $52m
Pretty dull weekend and the next two look similar. Red has potential to open higher and could be a minor sleeper. Secretariat didn't open as well as I predicted, but I think its more about its legs. It and Legend of the Guardians are the only PG movies till Megamind opens (big) the first week in November.
2. Red - $16m / $16m / $46m
3. The Social Network - $10m / $62m / $110m
4. Secretariat - $9m / $27m / $64m
5. Life As We Know It - $8.5m / $28.5m / $48m
6. Legend of the Guardians - $4.5m / $46.5m / $60m
7. The Town - $4m / $80.5m / $92m
8. My Soul To Take - $3.5m / $12m / $18m
9. Easy A - $3m / $52.5m / $58m
10. Wall Street 2 - $2.5m / $48m / $52m
Pretty dull weekend and the next two look similar. Red has potential to open higher and could be a minor sleeper. Secretariat didn't open as well as I predicted, but I think its more about its legs. It and Legend of the Guardians are the only PG movies till Megamind opens (big) the first week in November.
Monday, October 11, 2010
Courteney Cox and David Arquette Split
NO MORE DEWEY AND GALE. :-(
Shortly after wrapping shooting on Scream 4, the husband and wife of eleven years have announced they are separating. They announced they have actually been separated for months, which makes that Entertainment Tonight segment look really awkward in hindsight. I have no idea if we're headed for some awkward promotion when the movie hits theatres next year, but they say they remain friends. Of course in Hollywood, that's standard protocal in these announcements. I always thought they were such a cute couple and seemed to compliment each other well. But mostly I'm sad that one of my favorite movie couples didn't quite work out in real life.
Shortly after wrapping shooting on Scream 4, the husband and wife of eleven years have announced they are separating. They announced they have actually been separated for months, which makes that Entertainment Tonight segment look really awkward in hindsight. I have no idea if we're headed for some awkward promotion when the movie hits theatres next year, but they say they remain friends. Of course in Hollywood, that's standard protocal in these announcements. I always thought they were such a cute couple and seemed to compliment each other well. But mostly I'm sad that one of my favorite movie couples didn't quite work out in real life.
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Horrorfest '10: Entry 2
OPEN HOUSE
(2010?)
I'm not sure what kind of release this got, but the first I heard of it was when I pulled into a convenience store late at night and passed a redbox. I saw a pic of it and was like "oooh!" upon seeing scary house, plus Anna Paquin and Stephen Moyer on the cover. As I came to learn, the film is directed by Anna's brother. I thought this was a simple variation on the usual home invasion thriller (think The Strangers or Them) but that's not really what it is. In a nutshell, a serial killer couple "squat" at homes on the market, killing the current resident and whoever might drop by. Paquin (barely a cameo) plays a friend of the homeowner (Rachel Blanchard) who is held captive by the serial killer couple (Brian Geraghty and Tricia Helfer). The film does have a bit of a satiric subtext, but its not really anything the genre hasn't seen before. The acting by the psycho couple is effective, but the film is short on scares and suspense. I can see why I didn't hear about it before passing the redbox. GRADE: C
HATCHET
(2006)
There's a sequel to this that was released last week and pulled almost immediately. LOL. The reports on that mentioned that people liked the first one, so I decided to watch that. I really need to stop trusting these people. So in New Orleans, legend tells of a deformed boy that was accidentally killed by his father and now haunts the bayou. Well, not haunts. It's actually him? Intentionally stupid humor and over the tope gore abounds. Cameos by horror legends Robert Englund and Tony Todd don't add anything, it just made me feel sorry for them. It's one of those tasteless horror movies that only a few can pull off successfully. It almost made me write off Adam Green until..... GRADE: D+
FROZEN
(2010)
...he directed this. Seriously, Hatchet and Frozen are night and day. Whereas that film wore its intestines on its sleeve, this one was subtle and lowkey. Kevin Zegers, Shawn Ashmore and newcomer Emma Bell (damn! they had to have a woman? so kevin and shawn don't warm each other up!) play college students who end up trapped on a ski lift on a Sunday night and the place doesn't open again till Friday. A practical horror movie that shows less is more, the three must brace the elements: fear of heights, frostbite, wolves and each other. Zegers is cute, but still hasn't quite learned to act. Bell handles the comedic aspects well early on, and is pretty effective in some of the drama but sometimes is really bad. And Shawn - jeez where did that come from? He's really great when he gets his big monologue scene. I very much enjoyed this often harrowing film, but I'd like to say that I don't think packs of wolves hang out at ski resorts during the off hours. Though I will say that Green's filming of the first attack scene is hair-raising. In fact, his direction of this film (especially in contrast to Hatchet) is pretty fantastic. Kudos also to Andy Garfield's elegant score, which foregoes standard horror jump scares in favor of a lovely classical sound. The cinematography of the ski resort also adds to the dread. GRADE: B+
THE VANISHING
(1988)
Known for two things: 1) Being a great suspense film with a terrifying ending. 2) Having an awful remake that showed us where this year's leading Oscar winners first met. Rex's girlfriend vanishes at a rest stop and he spends the next three years looking for her. While that is going on, we meet the man responsible for her disappearance. Rex, in dire need of any information about what happened, agrees to meet the man responsible. I don't quite think this is the great movie the hype made it out to be. I did appreciate the way the film showed who the serial killer was and that he wasn't at all a cliche. Guess Silence of the Lambs and Seven gave us the sick guy that loves exposition. The actor that played the kidnapper was really great, but his chin hair bothered me. Ugh, I HATE guys with that. Petty complaint, I know. This is mostly an absorbing drama, with a pretty horrific ending. GRADE: B
THE CRAZIES
(2010)
I watched the original during Horrorfest '09, and thought it was an okay film with a solid premise. Take note, Hollywood. That is the type of film that should be remade: "okay, with a solid premise." Timothy Olyphant and Radha Mitchell - neither a stranger to the genre - star as husband and wife in a small town where residents are going crazy, killing one another. Suspecting government coverup, they go on the run unable to trust anyone - not the small townsfolk who may or may not have become psychopaths or the armed forces that have invaded supplying no answers but seemingly wanting to wipe out the entire town. The film really hits its verve in the second act and from there doesn't let up. Effective jump scares, terrific makeup and many unnerving scenes including a pitchfork being drug across a tiled floor - a nice American Gothic reference? The film's best sequence is a fantastic set piece set in a carwash. It's one of the best the genre has seen in years. A pure adrenaline rush for the last hour, I look forward to revisiting this one a lot in the future.
GRADE: A-
THE HUMAN CENTIPEDE: FIRST SEQUENCE
(2010)
By now, you've heard what this is about. The film became almost a huge in-joke with the internet film community and was even namechecked by Stephen Colbert on this year's Emmys. It begs the question just who is the film for? Fans of both Eli Roth and the Jackass boys? John Waters? Once you get past the gross synopsis, the film is really not the hard to, ahem, swallow. Yes, get ready for a bunch of bad puns. I guarentee you that you've probably seen far worse gore in films, and those expecting to lose their lunch probably won't. It is perhaps the most horrific idea for a horror film if only because it is the most horrific thing you can really think of - a fate worse than death. Most agreed this is pretty tame, which is probably for the best. Several times throughout, it falls into some unintentional comedy. I'm thinking of the the evil surgeon's picture of the three dogs sewn together. And once the human centipede takes its vile form, its not as squirm inducing as one might expect. I think once you've heard what this film is about, your imagination will probably run further than the film does. Again, probably a good thing. The acting from the, well, pedes isn't very good. The girls are downright terrible at first. The actor playing the surgeon is fantastic. A truly great horror villain. The ending is a doozy, even if Tosh.0 ruined it for me. It packs a pretty brutal emotional punch. No one really bought that this is really "100% medically accurate" as it seems several times that the centipede is about to break apart. Though, the filmmakers think they've covered all their holes. (OH SNAP) Oh, and watch the DVD features - there's an amusing outtake of the actors in centipede form doing a dance number. Those of you who would prefer to not have this film pervade your mind might find that a comforting image. GRADE: B-
(2010?)
I'm not sure what kind of release this got, but the first I heard of it was when I pulled into a convenience store late at night and passed a redbox. I saw a pic of it and was like "oooh!" upon seeing scary house, plus Anna Paquin and Stephen Moyer on the cover. As I came to learn, the film is directed by Anna's brother. I thought this was a simple variation on the usual home invasion thriller (think The Strangers or Them) but that's not really what it is. In a nutshell, a serial killer couple "squat" at homes on the market, killing the current resident and whoever might drop by. Paquin (barely a cameo) plays a friend of the homeowner (Rachel Blanchard) who is held captive by the serial killer couple (Brian Geraghty and Tricia Helfer). The film does have a bit of a satiric subtext, but its not really anything the genre hasn't seen before. The acting by the psycho couple is effective, but the film is short on scares and suspense. I can see why I didn't hear about it before passing the redbox. GRADE: C
HATCHET
(2006)
There's a sequel to this that was released last week and pulled almost immediately. LOL. The reports on that mentioned that people liked the first one, so I decided to watch that. I really need to stop trusting these people. So in New Orleans, legend tells of a deformed boy that was accidentally killed by his father and now haunts the bayou. Well, not haunts. It's actually him? Intentionally stupid humor and over the tope gore abounds. Cameos by horror legends Robert Englund and Tony Todd don't add anything, it just made me feel sorry for them. It's one of those tasteless horror movies that only a few can pull off successfully. It almost made me write off Adam Green until..... GRADE: D+
FROZEN
(2010)
...he directed this. Seriously, Hatchet and Frozen are night and day. Whereas that film wore its intestines on its sleeve, this one was subtle and lowkey. Kevin Zegers, Shawn Ashmore and newcomer Emma Bell (damn! they had to have a woman? so kevin and shawn don't warm each other up!) play college students who end up trapped on a ski lift on a Sunday night and the place doesn't open again till Friday. A practical horror movie that shows less is more, the three must brace the elements: fear of heights, frostbite, wolves and each other. Zegers is cute, but still hasn't quite learned to act. Bell handles the comedic aspects well early on, and is pretty effective in some of the drama but sometimes is really bad. And Shawn - jeez where did that come from? He's really great when he gets his big monologue scene. I very much enjoyed this often harrowing film, but I'd like to say that I don't think packs of wolves hang out at ski resorts during the off hours. Though I will say that Green's filming of the first attack scene is hair-raising. In fact, his direction of this film (especially in contrast to Hatchet) is pretty fantastic. Kudos also to Andy Garfield's elegant score, which foregoes standard horror jump scares in favor of a lovely classical sound. The cinematography of the ski resort also adds to the dread. GRADE: B+
THE VANISHING
(1988)
Known for two things: 1) Being a great suspense film with a terrifying ending. 2) Having an awful remake that showed us where this year's leading Oscar winners first met. Rex's girlfriend vanishes at a rest stop and he spends the next three years looking for her. While that is going on, we meet the man responsible for her disappearance. Rex, in dire need of any information about what happened, agrees to meet the man responsible. I don't quite think this is the great movie the hype made it out to be. I did appreciate the way the film showed who the serial killer was and that he wasn't at all a cliche. Guess Silence of the Lambs and Seven gave us the sick guy that loves exposition. The actor that played the kidnapper was really great, but his chin hair bothered me. Ugh, I HATE guys with that. Petty complaint, I know. This is mostly an absorbing drama, with a pretty horrific ending. GRADE: B
THE CRAZIES
(2010)
I watched the original during Horrorfest '09, and thought it was an okay film with a solid premise. Take note, Hollywood. That is the type of film that should be remade: "okay, with a solid premise." Timothy Olyphant and Radha Mitchell - neither a stranger to the genre - star as husband and wife in a small town where residents are going crazy, killing one another. Suspecting government coverup, they go on the run unable to trust anyone - not the small townsfolk who may or may not have become psychopaths or the armed forces that have invaded supplying no answers but seemingly wanting to wipe out the entire town. The film really hits its verve in the second act and from there doesn't let up. Effective jump scares, terrific makeup and many unnerving scenes including a pitchfork being drug across a tiled floor - a nice American Gothic reference? The film's best sequence is a fantastic set piece set in a carwash. It's one of the best the genre has seen in years. A pure adrenaline rush for the last hour, I look forward to revisiting this one a lot in the future.
GRADE: A-
THE HUMAN CENTIPEDE: FIRST SEQUENCE
(2010)
By now, you've heard what this is about. The film became almost a huge in-joke with the internet film community and was even namechecked by Stephen Colbert on this year's Emmys. It begs the question just who is the film for? Fans of both Eli Roth and the Jackass boys? John Waters? Once you get past the gross synopsis, the film is really not the hard to, ahem, swallow. Yes, get ready for a bunch of bad puns. I guarentee you that you've probably seen far worse gore in films, and those expecting to lose their lunch probably won't. It is perhaps the most horrific idea for a horror film if only because it is the most horrific thing you can really think of - a fate worse than death. Most agreed this is pretty tame, which is probably for the best. Several times throughout, it falls into some unintentional comedy. I'm thinking of the the evil surgeon's picture of the three dogs sewn together. And once the human centipede takes its vile form, its not as squirm inducing as one might expect. I think once you've heard what this film is about, your imagination will probably run further than the film does. Again, probably a good thing. The acting from the, well, pedes isn't very good. The girls are downright terrible at first. The actor playing the surgeon is fantastic. A truly great horror villain. The ending is a doozy, even if Tosh.0 ruined it for me. It packs a pretty brutal emotional punch. No one really bought that this is really "100% medically accurate" as it seems several times that the centipede is about to break apart. Though, the filmmakers think they've covered all their holes. (OH SNAP) Oh, and watch the DVD features - there's an amusing outtake of the actors in centipede form doing a dance number. Those of you who would prefer to not have this film pervade your mind might find that a comforting image. GRADE: B-
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
THE BOX: My Secretariat To Take
1. Secretariat - $20m / $20m / $90m
2. The Social Network - $14m / $45m / $110m
3. Life As We Know It - $13m / $13m / $45m
4. My Soul To Take - $10m / $10m / $27m
5. Legend of the Guardians - $7m / $39.5m / $62m
6. The Town - $6m / $74m / $90m
7. Wall Street 2 - $5.5m / $44.5m / $58m
8. Easy A - $4m / $48m / $58m
9. You Again - $3.5m / $22m / $30m
10. Case 39 - $3m / $10m / $17m
Such a shame that Let Me In bombed last weekend, but that only proves my point that audiences will almost always ignore GOOD horror movies. Secretariat is reportedly only tracking in the low teens, but its Disney + a horse so that to me equals an easy victory. Its real showing should be in some impressive legs. Life As We Know It is a sitcom with Katherine Heigl and should perform OK enough to get her in a few more movies before her career ends. (Bitchy much, Darren?) Wes Craven's first movie since his sleeper hit Red Eye is the long delayed My Soul To Take, which was converted to 3D to pull in some extra cash. With no early reviews, its not looking good. But if anyone has suffered box office defeats only to then prove victorious later on (HELLO SCREAM 4!), its Wes. It's Kind of a Funny Story and Buried, both of which were at one point supposed to open wide this weekend, are apparently only getting a few hundred theatres, so neither will be able to hit the top 10.
2. The Social Network - $14m / $45m / $110m
3. Life As We Know It - $13m / $13m / $45m
4. My Soul To Take - $10m / $10m / $27m
5. Legend of the Guardians - $7m / $39.5m / $62m
6. The Town - $6m / $74m / $90m
7. Wall Street 2 - $5.5m / $44.5m / $58m
8. Easy A - $4m / $48m / $58m
9. You Again - $3.5m / $22m / $30m
10. Case 39 - $3m / $10m / $17m
Such a shame that Let Me In bombed last weekend, but that only proves my point that audiences will almost always ignore GOOD horror movies. Secretariat is reportedly only tracking in the low teens, but its Disney + a horse so that to me equals an easy victory. Its real showing should be in some impressive legs. Life As We Know It is a sitcom with Katherine Heigl and should perform OK enough to get her in a few more movies before her career ends. (Bitchy much, Darren?) Wes Craven's first movie since his sleeper hit Red Eye is the long delayed My Soul To Take, which was converted to 3D to pull in some extra cash. With no early reviews, its not looking good. But if anyone has suffered box office defeats only to then prove victorious later on (HELLO SCREAM 4!), its Wes. It's Kind of a Funny Story and Buried, both of which were at one point supposed to open wide this weekend, are apparently only getting a few hundred theatres, so neither will be able to hit the top 10.
Saturday, October 2, 2010
Horrorfest '10
I really don't like that this decade starts with a one. That doesn't make events sound very fun. Horrorfest 83 or Horrorfest O-NINE sound awesome. Horrorfest 10 has no ring. Anywho, here is my first entry in a monthlong journal of reviews for horror films I shall be watching.
October 1 started out with....
PANDORUM
(2009)
Looking back, I have no idea why I watched this. I swore several people said it was good. Or maybe it was just that I heard it had creatures. I don't know. I'm regretting this decision. Surely I could have found something better to kick off this month's horror marathon with. This film is basically The Descent meets Event Horizon meets Alien only all of those are better. Much better. It felt like I was watching the same scenes over and over. Jesus, I had to turn the sound down on this shit like seven times. Shocking considering I'm one of those who usually thinks the louder the better. It wasn't sound it was just noise. Ben Foster and Dennis Quaid wake up on a spaceship with no memory of how they got there and soon learn that are not alone. Simple premise, but good filmmakers can do a lot with those. These filmmakers did not. Its one of those films where we have random stuff popout with the loudest (..and Darren turns it down again!) noise to make you jump only it never worked. Well, it made me jump for the remote. At some point Cam Gigandet shows up. You'd think Ben + Dennis + Cam in a spaceship would be hot but we're also treated to the monsters from The Descent who are now in space. And apparently stopped in a heavy metal video in between. GRADE: C-
AFTER.LIFE
(2010)
Barely released in theatres earlier this year, After(DOT)Life focuses on Christina Ricci's schoolteacher character who after all but dumping her boyfriend (Justin Long) wakes up dead (hello Scary Movie 4) in a funeral parlor owned by mortician Liam Neeson. He seems to be the only one that works there. Soon, she's wondering if she's actually dead or if Neeson is just fucking with her. I was expecting something along the lines of Carnival of Souls but it doesn't really go that route and plays it closer to a straight thriller with supernatural suggestions. Ricci does what she can with the thinly written role, but Neeson really owns this. Probably one of the best performances I've seen from him - the perfect blend of creepy and calm. Its a very good premise for a movie, but mostly left me a bit detached. I admired it up to a point as it is competently shot and does pull you in a bit toward the end, but I didn't care much for the main character or what was happening to her. And the subplot with one of her students doesn't amount to much. GRADE: C+
October 1 started out with....
PANDORUM
(2009)
Looking back, I have no idea why I watched this. I swore several people said it was good. Or maybe it was just that I heard it had creatures. I don't know. I'm regretting this decision. Surely I could have found something better to kick off this month's horror marathon with. This film is basically The Descent meets Event Horizon meets Alien only all of those are better. Much better. It felt like I was watching the same scenes over and over. Jesus, I had to turn the sound down on this shit like seven times. Shocking considering I'm one of those who usually thinks the louder the better. It wasn't sound it was just noise. Ben Foster and Dennis Quaid wake up on a spaceship with no memory of how they got there and soon learn that are not alone. Simple premise, but good filmmakers can do a lot with those. These filmmakers did not. Its one of those films where we have random stuff popout with the loudest (..and Darren turns it down again!) noise to make you jump only it never worked. Well, it made me jump for the remote. At some point Cam Gigandet shows up. You'd think Ben + Dennis + Cam in a spaceship would be hot but we're also treated to the monsters from The Descent who are now in space. And apparently stopped in a heavy metal video in between. GRADE: C-
AFTER.LIFE
(2010)
Barely released in theatres earlier this year, After(DOT)Life focuses on Christina Ricci's schoolteacher character who after all but dumping her boyfriend (Justin Long) wakes up dead (hello Scary Movie 4) in a funeral parlor owned by mortician Liam Neeson. He seems to be the only one that works there. Soon, she's wondering if she's actually dead or if Neeson is just fucking with her. I was expecting something along the lines of Carnival of Souls but it doesn't really go that route and plays it closer to a straight thriller with supernatural suggestions. Ricci does what she can with the thinly written role, but Neeson really owns this. Probably one of the best performances I've seen from him - the perfect blend of creepy and calm. Its a very good premise for a movie, but mostly left me a bit detached. I admired it up to a point as it is competently shot and does pull you in a bit toward the end, but I didn't care much for the main character or what was happening to her. And the subplot with one of her students doesn't amount to much. GRADE: C+
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