Tag: #horror

The Invitation

This film is guilty of a convention lately where a movie is labeled horror and there is miniscule backing to call it as such. It is a bit of a thriller as labeled but more a drama as it is not labeled … oh so much more of a drama.

invitation-poster

The Invitation
Cast

Logan Marshall-Green, Emayatzy Corinealdi, Michiel Huisman

Directed by

Karyn Kusama

Written by

Phil Hay, Matt Manfredi

Other Info

Horror, Thriller
Not Rated
1h 40min

So here’s what the Invitation is all about. I know a lot of you have probably been seeing it advertised and you’ve thought to yourself, “I wonder what that dark, foreboding looking film is about? I need to see it someday.” That’s what I had been doing that is, until today when I finally watched it. There were no pleasant unraveling, except for the performance of Logan Marshall-Green who plays Will. Let’s talk about that first.

Will is a re-married guy who lost his young son while married previously. He didn’t see the first wife for 2 years after, nor did he see any of their good friends. After that 2 years, he gets an invitation to attend a dinner party at the house where his son was killed and he reluctantly accepts. The drama begins there (no horror, sorry to disappoint). In all truth, there is nothing really scary at all in this film, much less horror. Why it is classified as such, I do not know.

Basically, the ex-wife and her new husband have plans to kill the 11-15 people at the dinner party because they got through their pain by being in a cult. There is some suspense as we try an figure out why the vibe is so weird. When the gun comes out, we all know what we suspected was correct. I was a little bitter that I waited over an hour to find out this was a dinner party poisoning. There are attempts to escape and Will and his wife are among the survivors. That’s it! No shocking horror moments that take you out of your comfort zone. There is nothing here you haven’t seen before. This film could have been half as long.

invitation-1

The story is weak, as is the premise. One example of something that is never developed is the divorce and subsequent remarriages. Will seems perfectly comfortable with the new husband, who incidentally is the leader orchestrating the killing. The film is better classified as a drama but it’s a highly underdeveloped drama. I rate films based on what they are trying to be. There is no horror here and very little suspense so it loses 2 stars for that. Finally, the script is very weak and drags on. For that, it loses another star. If you ever see this film clicking through possible horror or thriller titles, opt for an independent true horror/thriller like Hush instead.

The Purge (2013)

With 2 sequels to its name, The Purge has proven it’s a movie people want to go and see. The question is: what is it about this film that keeps viewers coming through the turnstiles? Let’s see.

purge

The Purge
Cast

Ethan Hawke, Lena Headey, Max Burkholder

Directed by

James DeMonaco

Written by

James DeMonaco

Other Info

Horror, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Rated R
1h 25min
Riley’s Rating:

There is something profound about ourselves in this film but it’s more recalcitrant horror with no message about mankind. I imagine one still. Because the movie stops at horror, I can only take away stars that make it less effective horror. If it were a rational drama, for example I’d rate it much lower. Still, the metaphors hang in my consciousness.

I’m writing this review more than 3 years after the original film came out. I must admit I had not seen it until this week. This seems amazing because it is a household name in horror and sci-fi in recent years, and I have been busy at work seeing horror movies. The director James DeMonaco is known for the Purge franchise as well as The Negotiator.

It appears scary when the cover contains a masked villain and it certainly is. The part I saw in this film that not everyone may see is the fact that the villain is really you and me, our inner killer.

Watching CNN or any news channel will show you that people are barking vehemently about the economy and most assuredly welfare. To hear some wealthy folks talk, it would seem they want the poor people killed or “purged” as it were. This would, in theory, lower the unemployment rate and clean up the streets. On the other hand, you have self-proclaimed champions of the poor, like Al Sharpton for example, coming to the defense of welfare recipients. He would likely blame the ghettos and shacks where the undesirable poor live on the rich. They don’t pay their fair share. If you’re within a generation of me (born 1969) you are likely to have heard these arguments.

This film poses an idea that we as people are bloodthirsty. In the Purge, for one night a year, the people are allowed to kill the poor. That’s the crux of the plot in this film. People love the movie. I am interested in what that says about us inside. I see the movie as a metaphor. When we practice hate, we purge (kill). I’d argue further that the poor are just as guilty of this. Some people try to appear diffident but hate is all around in this film. In the same breath, neither side is represented accurately of course, I might add. Still, there is something to this class hate that rings true in our world today.

Unfortunately, this horror movie doesn’t stretch out enough as sci fi and more tenderly examine the disparate classes. That’s where The Purge loses a couple stars with me because it could have. According to the director, we’re all pigs.

Horror has less rules to follow than drama, sci fi, and even suspense but there are some rules it must follow to make it scary.

The killers in the Purge are bigger than life and they don’t seem like normal citizens. This is where the masks come in handy. They add to the scares and give the people a “John Doe” look and demeanor. Perhaps that helps my reading of the film.

Ethan Hawke plays James Sandin, a 30 something alarm and security systems area manager. The neighborhood seems to love him due to the fact that he is keeping the rich shored up with his protective wares. We find out later how some of them really feel. There is so much resentment in this film you could cut it like a knife. The most astounding thing to me is the rapid process that causes normal citizens to kill. He has a high school aged daughter (Adelaide Kane) who is in the house with her boyfriend. They have sex (in keeping with the horror tradition). He has a young son (Max Burkholder) who has health issues and a wife (Lena Headey) who is very strong and definitely a foundation for the family success. I couldn’t help but think he wouldn’t be one of the rich with a slaes job. Still, it’s relatively believable.

I see The Purge as a highly violent Twilight Zone where a commentary on human nature is being displayed. I find this exciting. If only I could believe that movie goers at large saw this message. This is a good horror film that engaged me but that I am surprised was made into 2 other sequels. I am not sure I’ll be quick to see #3, though I will see it for sure. I have watched #2 already. If you go purely for horror you will enjoy it. If you want the Purge to show you a message about democracy and humanity, you’ll need to wait for a better made sci fi film. I recommend it to you as a well-made horror film and poorly crafted sci fi with potential.

Hush

Hush was made for under $75,000 usd but leaves us with the Hush product which is as scary as any high budget horror film. It’s a “thinking person’s scary” which some may prefer to the pure slice and dice variety, though there is certainly some of that here.
hush movie posterThis film was directed by Mike Flannigan (Oculus). He co-write the film with Kate Siegel (plays the main character Maddie) who in real life shares a house with Flannigan. In fact, several sources indicate they wrote the screenplay with their home layout as a blueprint. She starred in Oculus.

“Hush” is a thriller and horror movie that features a deaf writer at her laptop being broken in on and attacked by a masked man. There are few casualties, few actors, and definitely a few gallons of blood spilled on scene. One original component that builds suspense is that the main character/victim is deaf. This is an ingenious idea as it allows for a few really spine tingling scenes requiring no cgi or music for that matter. The killer’s mask looks different from the standard ones we’ve seen in break-and-enter thrillers, for example presidents and Star Trek masks. In this case, it’s very carefully crafted. In some scenes it appears to be part of the attacker’s own face. This serves for another original, simple, scary element that probably didn’t cost much to create.

Another film that comes to mind that created massive scares on a low budget is Insidious. It’s being proven again and again we don’t need million dollar movies to be scared and thereby entertained. Through a series of slashings and “intruder” scenes, the deaf Maddie learns she doesn’t have to be a victim. She fights back. Everything is filmed in a dark setting outside and inside the house. This accentuates the revenge element that weaves throughout and leads us to an ending that is pleasing horror critics all over the internet.

The film screened at SXSW for a panel of industry “buyers.” It did very well there but somehow ended up on Netflix where I was fortunate enough to see it. Netflix needs more quality horror and suspense films like Hush. Frankly the category is small on the service and appears to be shrinking. I had a lot of fun watching this film and highly recommend it if you can catch it on Netflix or elsewhere. Imagine you have earplugs in and can’t hear a thing and you can’t hear anyone sneaking in the window either. This film makes the most of the simple scares. I think it would be great to see it on the big screen.

Bokeh

A couple in their twenties in a post apocalyptic setting where all the people in their icelandic town have vanished. Just like that they have to adapt.

TV-MA | 1h 32min | Drama, Sci-Fi | 24 March 2017 (USA)

On a romantic getaway to Iceland, a young American couple wake up one morning to discover every person on earth has disappeared. Their struggle to survive and to reconcile the mysterious … See full summary »
Directors: Geoffrey Orthwein (co-director), Andrew Sullivan (co-director)
Writers: Geoffrey Orthwein (co-writer), Andrew Sullivan (co-writer)
Stars: Maika Monroe, Matt O’Leary, Arnar Jónsson

You have a directing/writing duo at work here. Geoffrey Orthwein and Andrew Sullivan. I like what they’ve done here: created a entertaining fantasy movie. I’m not sure how it did but I really found it entertaining. These days we need more directors who can produce entertaining pieces of art. So many try to preach.

The couple are played by very good actors. Maika Monroe took the world by storm in the horror hit It Follows. Something about those eyes! Her dialog is a little scant I would say. I think most women would be very worried at the end of the world. She remains entranced. Oh well, she looks great doing it. The store scenes are the best. The couple is having fun like grade school kids in a candy store. Of course, all this happens where there are no employees or shoppers.

There is a conflict with these two. I kept wondering if a larger one would come. She gets very concerned when he is playing on a shopping cart and falls severely cutting himself. After scolding him, he promises to not fool around anymore. Maybe it’s the internal conflict in a couple that’s worse than any zombies? Maybe that’s why you don’t have them ever showing up in this movie. Nils does though, an old man. The ending is one to discuss. This is a slow burn, maybe we’re meant to feel that as they do. Maybe it’s saying we need people more than we know.

7/10

The Last Airbender

This is an exciting adventure film for all ages. It combines amazing visuals with a story about the quest of the Avatar. Though some may find the cartoon imitation more suited to teens and under, it has something for everyone: swashbuckling martial arts, a hero, creatures, a villain, and fireballs aplenty.

last_airbender_poster

The Last Airbender (2013)
Cast

Noah Ringer, Nicola Peltz, Jackson Rathbone

Directed by

M.Night Shyamalan

Written by

M.Night Shyamalan

Other Info

Action, Adventure, Family
Rated PG
1h 43min

As I did for my last review, I watched a movie tonight in preparation for the podcast I’m doing with a new movie reviewing friend Darren Lucas. We’re set to discuss the movies of M. Night Shyalaman, this was another one I hadn’t seen yet.

It’s a story about a teen who has incredible “airbending” powers enabling him to defeat opponents almost effortlessly. I knew the basis of the character because my son watched this anime style cartoon when he was in elementary school.

It started out exciting. In some ways, I think M. Night tried too hard to make it look like the cartoon, it is live action. Nonetheless, it has a hateable villain that we are meant to somewhat have empathy for since he was burned by his father. It also has a pretty supporting actress. Her presence and acting reminded me of Hilary Swank in her old school Power Ranger character of the 1990’s.

There are some other great characters that do a good job supporting the Last Airbender in his struggle. Of course, there is almost credits-to-credits martial arts in a pseudo form. Throwing of fireballs is common.

I enjoyed the film, it was definitely an adventure. Another effect that some will find noteworthy is the cgi animal the Avatar rides. There are several creatures and they are done far more well than the creature in my last review of “After Earth.” M. Night definitely pulled together the right resources to make these effects work

My word to the wise: This is an amazing Action, Adventure, Family film. I usually don’t watch movies like this: anime, Naruto, the Avatar, etc. but I did love Speed Racer back in my younger breakfast-cereal-in-front-of-the-tv days. Still, I was glued to this one. What does it say about the work of M. Night Shyalaman? He can apply himself to multiple genres and create an entertaining film. After all, he has written screenplays for movies from the family film “Stuart Little” to the horror/suspense film “Devil.” For many other genres he has both written and directed the films. We see the child in him in “The Last Airbender.” It certainly brought out that childlike wonder in me. I recommend this one. It did lose a star with me because I would have liked to have seen it adapted more to the dramatic screen, relying less on trying to make it look like the carton.

Jigsaw

The games played in these films are played again, some in a new way, in Jigsaw. In general, the film is made the same way we’ve seen it before. The games are simpler and the twist is familiar, the look is only slightly different, more “grainy.” Having said that, I still had fun watching it.

Jigsaw (2017)
R | 1h 32min | Crime, Horror, Mystery | 27 October 2017 (USA)

Bodies are turning up around the city, each having met a uniquely gruesome demise. As the investigation proceeds, evidence points to one suspect: John Kramer, the man known as Jigsaw, who has been dead for ten years.
Directors: Michael Spierig, Peter Spierig
Writers: Pete Goldfinger, Josh Stolberg
Stars: Matt Passmore, Tobin Bell, Callum Keith Rennie

Jigsaw (2017) on IMDb

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The Saw movies are about appreciating life and those who commit terrible acts often don’t. That’s where the gruesome “tests” come in. From Saw I to the latest incarnation, they consist of the same formula. Each includes a twist. This one also has a twist and it plays with time to create a quite unexpected effect. The most memorable test for me was when wires grabbed a man’s leg. I enjoyed that, it was something unique. That’s a very general reference that I don’t see as a spoiler.

Despite being exciting as the others were, this film failed me on a couple of levels. The original Saw was my favorite and it cost only 1 million to make. This one cost 10 million and it looks far poorer than the original. It may be time to retire the series based on this contrived twist and the complacency of the tests. They’re starting to all look the same. It was a great concept to begin with but I fear it may have overstayed its welcome. There is really nothing original in Jigsaw. Can I just say as well, it looked like a CSI tv show not a big screen Saw sequel. It is fun though and I hope fans go to see it. Maybe then we can all agree without argument to each hammer her/his own nail into the coffin of this franchise, finally.

6/10