I must say, I was hesitant to watch this remake after the release of the "One Missed Call" remake. That movie was one of the worst I've ever seen, so I had doubts about this movie, but I like Jessica Alba, so I gave it a chance last night. "The Eye" remake is actually quite good. It's a lot closer to a shot-for-shot remake of the original, so there's not much new ground being tread here in this movie, but Jessica Alba plays her character very well and makes us feel sympathy for her right from the beginning. She's a woman who's been blind since having an accident when she was 5 years old, and now, thanks to a cornea transplant, she's going to be able to see for the first time in many many years. What she finds, though, is that as her newfound vision becomes clearer, she's seeing horrible, ghostly visions that prompt her to want to find out who donated her new eyes and why this woman was able to see ghosts.
Something that I admired about the original "The Eye" is that it helped me to see something about Asian horror movies that doesn't carry over into a lot of US horror movies. In the original "The Eye," we'd see a lot of ghostly images, and we'd be looking right at them, thinking they weren't THAT scary, when suddenly they'd start attacking the main character, and even though we'd been looking at them the whole time, we'd still jump (at least I did) when they started to attack. In the remake, I expected them to change that (and they did) because in US movies, filmmakers seem to think that scary images are only scary if they pop up out of nowhere and "surprise" us, they don't trust their ghosts to be scary enough if we're staring at them the whole time before they attack. The only US movie I've seen that attempts this "let's look at the ghost the whole time and trust that it's scary enough on its own without employing disappearing jump tactics" is the original "Carnival of Souls" from the 60s.
Nevertheless, I still enjoyed this movie a lot. There's a little too much CGI going on here. I don't hate CGI like some people do, but when I see the original movie work without it, I get snippy when they feel the need to use it in the remake. I appreciate this movie for the acting, though, and for the way the script lets the characters interact and move forward with the plan to find out who the cornea donor was even though they don't totally believe Alba's character when she says she's seeing dead people. It annoys me when characters refuse to believe that ghostly things are happening, because even though I know it's far-fetched and ghosts aren't real, it's still not helpful for characters to implement the "let's sit here and pretend nothing is happening as our lives fall apart" tactic. I was glad that here in this movie, as in the original, the characters decided to act as though the ghostly happenings wee true at least long enough to try to do something about it, instead of standing around saying "oh, ghosts aren't real" even as ghosts attacked and killed their families and friends.
All in all this was an enjoyable movie, loads better than the dismal "One Missed Call."
Friday, October 2, 2009
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Cube (movie #6)
This isn't a bad little movie. A bunch of people wake up in a mysterious "cube," a bunch of rooms connected by small openings, rooms fraught with booby traps that are motion-sensor-ed and that will kill them if they're not careful. Imagine a bunch of Jigsaw's traps from the "Saw" movies all rolled into one big structure. None of the people know why they are in this situation or who the other people are, and they must work together in order to survive. Of course, as the days pass and energy gets scarce, they get worse and worse at helping each other, so they start getting killed one by one in pretty horrible ways.
Like a zombie movie or any apocalyptic movie, the cool thing about this movie is watching the people fall apart under pressure. I can't say that I would do better in their situation, but I do wish they'd be better about working together. They all spend a lot of time yelling at each other, which is kind of annoying. The recent "Saw 5" in particular reminded me of this movie (I've seen "Cube" before, years ago) and I kept wanting to yell at the people in "Saw 5" "You're supposed to help each other, stupid!" This movie isn't as gory as the "Saw" movies, but you do get to see a guy sliced into little pieces by one of the booby traps.
This movie is definitely worth checking out. It's got a cool little plot, some cool twists, and reasonably likable characters. There's also a killer ending that will have you screaming and/or throwing bricks at the screen. Good times.
Like a zombie movie or any apocalyptic movie, the cool thing about this movie is watching the people fall apart under pressure. I can't say that I would do better in their situation, but I do wish they'd be better about working together. They all spend a lot of time yelling at each other, which is kind of annoying. The recent "Saw 5" in particular reminded me of this movie (I've seen "Cube" before, years ago) and I kept wanting to yell at the people in "Saw 5" "You're supposed to help each other, stupid!" This movie isn't as gory as the "Saw" movies, but you do get to see a guy sliced into little pieces by one of the booby traps.
This movie is definitely worth checking out. It's got a cool little plot, some cool twists, and reasonably likable characters. There's also a killer ending that will have you screaming and/or throwing bricks at the screen. Good times.
The Grudge 3 (movie #5)
Ok, the first ten minutes or so of this movie are really good. The opening sequence is creepy and effective. I feel bad for the young boy, and the titular evil ghost is pretty messed up, twisting his bones and breaking them and throwing his body around like a rag doll. That sucked me in and made me think the rest of the movie would be good, too. But after that, the rest of this movie goes downhill fast. None of the characters are very engaging in this installment, and though the creepy, ghostly images that are what makes this franchise work for me are still just as creepy as ever (the past can and will KILL YOU if it has the chance) the plot is a bit thin. The first one had a lot of intrigue going for it, as does the second, with all its twists and turns, but this one feels a bit flat for me.
As for the evil, menacing "curse" and the ghosts that make this movie what it is (let's be honest, they are what made me like these movies in the first place) I do think there are enough creepy, ghostly goings on to keep my eyes glued on the screen. I don't know, I just wish the plot could have been better. I found myself not really caring about the lead characters (except for Rose, the little girl) so the movie didn't have as much appeal as it did for me in past installments when I loved the characters. I'd say though that the ghostly action is still really strong this time around, like I said, so I guess creepy music and imagery still go a long way toward holding my interest in a movie.
I do wonder why the apartment manager is so bent on ignoring the fact that an evil ghost killed all the people on his apartment, and why he keeps trying to tell the little girl that nothing bad is going to happen to her, even after it becomes clear that the evil ghost is still very much alive and kicking. I really hate it when people insist that nothing bad is happening even as the whole world is collapsing around them. "Oh, there's nothing bad going on here, it must be all in our heads" (yes, you're all having the same waking nightmare, that makes sense). Don't get me wrong, though, the movie isn't as bad as the reviews might lead you to think. I'm still a sucker for watching the creepy, evil ghostly Kayako crawling through the halls of the apartment ready to suck more victims into her spiraling world of evil.
I forgot to mention though that Shawnee Smith is in this movie, playing a psychiatrist, and she is as lovely as always. She's one character that I do like (she seems to be one of the few who will admit that something weird is going on even when everyone else is insisting that nothing is wrong...no, ghosts always try to drown little girls in their bathtubs, nothing weird going on here).
As for the evil, menacing "curse" and the ghosts that make this movie what it is (let's be honest, they are what made me like these movies in the first place) I do think there are enough creepy, ghostly goings on to keep my eyes glued on the screen. I don't know, I just wish the plot could have been better. I found myself not really caring about the lead characters (except for Rose, the little girl) so the movie didn't have as much appeal as it did for me in past installments when I loved the characters. I'd say though that the ghostly action is still really strong this time around, like I said, so I guess creepy music and imagery still go a long way toward holding my interest in a movie.
I do wonder why the apartment manager is so bent on ignoring the fact that an evil ghost killed all the people on his apartment, and why he keeps trying to tell the little girl that nothing bad is going to happen to her, even after it becomes clear that the evil ghost is still very much alive and kicking. I really hate it when people insist that nothing bad is happening even as the whole world is collapsing around them. "Oh, there's nothing bad going on here, it must be all in our heads" (yes, you're all having the same waking nightmare, that makes sense). Don't get me wrong, though, the movie isn't as bad as the reviews might lead you to think. I'm still a sucker for watching the creepy, evil ghostly Kayako crawling through the halls of the apartment ready to suck more victims into her spiraling world of evil.
I forgot to mention though that Shawnee Smith is in this movie, playing a psychiatrist, and she is as lovely as always. She's one character that I do like (she seems to be one of the few who will admit that something weird is going on even when everyone else is insisting that nothing is wrong...no, ghosts always try to drown little girls in their bathtubs, nothing weird going on here).
The Hollow (movie #4)
And now we've reached the 4th movie in my little marathon, the masterpiece (of crap) known as "The Hollow." This movie is notable because it stars Nick Carter (of The Backstreet Boys fame) and yes, his acting skills are about what you'd expect from that description. But the movie isn't actually that bad. Really, it's meant for kids (if you're old like me, you'll remember a little show called "Are You Afraid of the Dark" which aired on Nickelodeon in the 90s, and this seems like a really long episode of that show). So yeah, this movie is crappy, but it's also fun. There's plenty of ghost story telling, as a young man whose family has just moved to the little town of Sleepy Hollow discovers that he is the last descendant of the infamous Ichabod Crane (the character in the Washington Irving story "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" who was menaced by a headless ghost known at The Headless Horseman). The young man in this movie discovers that his move to the town has awaken the ancient evil spirit and unless he intervenes, the Headless Horseman will chop off the heads of all his friends. What a jerk.
Anyway, the gore effects are amateurish at best here, but the acting from the lead, Kevin Zegers, isn't half bad. Nick Carter can't even deliver his lines, but he has great hair. The love interest torn between these two boneheads, played by Kaley Cuoco, is likable enough. The real star of this movie (besides the creepy ass effects behind the Headless Horseman) is Stacey Keach as Claus, the caretaker of the old cemetery and the one who notices that the Headless Horseman is set to rise and kill again. His lines are often hilarious and I really appreciated his character for having such obvious fun with the role.
All in all this is a fun movie to watch if you want to introduce your kids to the horror flicks we all know and love. Not a bad sit at all, if you ask me. If I were, say, ten years old, this might have been my favorite movie just because it's so much fun and it's full of the Halloween spirit.
Anyway, the gore effects are amateurish at best here, but the acting from the lead, Kevin Zegers, isn't half bad. Nick Carter can't even deliver his lines, but he has great hair. The love interest torn between these two boneheads, played by Kaley Cuoco, is likable enough. The real star of this movie (besides the creepy ass effects behind the Headless Horseman) is Stacey Keach as Claus, the caretaker of the old cemetery and the one who notices that the Headless Horseman is set to rise and kill again. His lines are often hilarious and I really appreciated his character for having such obvious fun with the role.
All in all this is a fun movie to watch if you want to introduce your kids to the horror flicks we all know and love. Not a bad sit at all, if you ask me. If I were, say, ten years old, this might have been my favorite movie just because it's so much fun and it's full of the Halloween spirit.
Gingerdead Man 2: The Passion of the Crust (movie #3)
What to say about this movie? It was silly and weird and stupid, which was exactly what I needed after the emotional roller coaster ride I went on with "Glass House: The Good Mother"). Actually, the best thing that can be said about "Gingerdead Man 2" is that it has a really cool theme song. Come on, it's a movie about a killer pastry offing people, what more do you really want me to say?
Glass House: The Good Mother (movie #2)
I bet a lot of people haven't seen this movie. I mean, "The Glass House" wasn't the best movie ever made, so I'm fairly certain that this direct to DVD sequel didn't garner much attention. Because of this, I won't give away as much of the plot as I did with "The Ruins." Suffice it to say that this movie scared the everloving SHIT out of me. If there's any doubt that this is a horror movie, let me dispel that right now. I SCREAMED at the end of this movie. Do you know how hard it is to get me to SCREAM at a horror movie these days? I've seen so many horror movies that to be honest, a lot of them don't even affect me anymore, but this one sucked me in and I cared so much about the characters that I couldn't help but get caught up and I actually screamed, I was wound so tight and so tense and worried about the main characters.
First of all, I love Angie Harmon (the woman who plays "the mother," Eve, in this movie). She played ADA Abbie Carmichael on my favorite TV show, "Law & Order" for awhile, and I fell in love with her there, so I was a little worried that I wouldn't be able to see her as evil in this movie, but I needn't have worried. She was so creepy and cold and calculating and just plain fucked in the head that she scared me right from the beginning. The thing is, surprisingly, I loved the teen female lead Jordan Hinson as much as I loved Angie Harmon. the two of them have great chemistry right from the start, and Jordan Hinson is so good at playing the angsty teenage girl that at first, it's hard to sympathize with her (she's not exactly nice to her foster mother). Of course, as the movie progresses, it becomes clear who is evil here, and things get tense from there. The cat-and-mouse scenes are nail-bitingly good. I'm impressed. Joel Gretsch does a good job playing the husband and making us wonder just what he's up to, and he has a huge surprise up his sleeve (at least I didn't see it coming, and it's hard to fool me, but I was so focused on being terrified of Angie Harmon that I kind of forgot about him until he totally came out of left field and shocked me).
This movie could be very triggering for people from abusive families. I'm just putting that out there because it did trigger me a bit, but it's definitely very impacting. Seriously people, ignore the bad reviews and give this movie a chance. It's ten times scarier than "The Hand That Rocks the Cradle" could ever hope to be.
First of all, I love Angie Harmon (the woman who plays "the mother," Eve, in this movie). She played ADA Abbie Carmichael on my favorite TV show, "Law & Order" for awhile, and I fell in love with her there, so I was a little worried that I wouldn't be able to see her as evil in this movie, but I needn't have worried. She was so creepy and cold and calculating and just plain fucked in the head that she scared me right from the beginning. The thing is, surprisingly, I loved the teen female lead Jordan Hinson as much as I loved Angie Harmon. the two of them have great chemistry right from the start, and Jordan Hinson is so good at playing the angsty teenage girl that at first, it's hard to sympathize with her (she's not exactly nice to her foster mother). Of course, as the movie progresses, it becomes clear who is evil here, and things get tense from there. The cat-and-mouse scenes are nail-bitingly good. I'm impressed. Joel Gretsch does a good job playing the husband and making us wonder just what he's up to, and he has a huge surprise up his sleeve (at least I didn't see it coming, and it's hard to fool me, but I was so focused on being terrified of Angie Harmon that I kind of forgot about him until he totally came out of left field and shocked me).
This movie could be very triggering for people from abusive families. I'm just putting that out there because it did trigger me a bit, but it's definitely very impacting. Seriously people, ignore the bad reviews and give this movie a chance. It's ten times scarier than "The Hand That Rocks the Cradle" could ever hope to be.
The Ruins (movie #1)
This post could really be titled "How my day went from bad to HORRENDOUS" but leaving out the personal details, suffice it to say I was pissed and crying when I got home from work, and I wasn't in the mood to watch a movie I'd never seen before (like I planned to do) so I decided to go with an old standby favorite movie of mine: "The Ruins."
A lot of people seem to hate this movie, and I don't get why. I mean, the premise is kind of out there I guess (there's this remote hill way in the forest of Mexico that is populated by some killer vines...they get inside you, under your skin, and slowly eat you like a parasite and take over your body until you become part of the plant). Ok, this doesn't happen in real life, but what horror movie DOESN'T have some fantastical element? Even the most realistic horror movie relies on some kind of plot device to further the story (even something as simple as stupid people who do stupid things that let the killer get to them) that you could argue is far-fetched. I don't get why so many people are so pissy about hating this movie. I mean, people can think whatever they want I guess, but let me tell you some reasons why I LOVE this movie:
The acting. Jena Malone is one of my favorites, and here, she makes her character to believable that I feel for her situation. She's a little whiny at first but then a lot of girls would be in her situation, and as the movie goes on and they get to the top of the mountain containing the evil vines, she gets more and more terrified without being over the top, and that's a hard thing to do. Laura Ramsey is great here as the panicked best friend who is slowly being driven mad by the "killer vines." She manages to make her character so relatable that I cried at her predicament (it would be horrible to know something inside you was driving you mad like that, and it would be horrible to be on the other side and knowing something was killing your friend and not being able to help). Jonathan Tucker was one I didn't like at first (because his character seemed so selfish until the end of the movie) but then on subsequent viewings I saw more depth in his character (and of course I love him at the end).
The story. Ok, at first I'm thinking, "who really cares? These are four selfish young college age couples who fight all the time, yawn" but the first time I saw it, after they got to the mountain and encountered the vines, I began to feel for them more and more. On subsequent viewings, like I said, they didn't bother me as much and I saw more into their characters. the point, I think, is that these are kind of spoiled, mostly privileged kids who aren't downright nasty, but who haven't had much life experience yet so they're kind of ignorant and selfish by default. They don't really mean to be, but they sort of don't know any better. Then they are tossed into this horrible situation and they have to cope the best they can, and they really do try and they really do care about each other, and that totally carries through. I felt their desperation and their fear and their pain.
The ending.
SPOILER WARNING I GIVE AWAY THE ENDING OF THIS MOVIE HERE DO NOT READ THIS PART IF YOU DO NOT WANT THE ENDING SPOILED FOR YOU STOP READING IF YOU HAVE NOT SEEN THE MOVIE YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED
Here's the thing...the first time I watched this movie, I honestly thought that at the end, Jeff was going to run away and leave Amy there. I didn't know what was going on, and I'll admit, I was yelling at the screen. When he carries her body down the mountain and lays her on the ground and then begins talking to the guys with guns, I honestly didn't get it. then I slowly realized what he was doing, and when his speech builds to the crescendo and he says "Her name is AMY!" I actually cheered. And I was crying (I;m a sap, shut up). The thing is, I know it was just a way for her to hear him shout her name; a signal to let her know to run, but I still think that his speech holds a deeper meaning. Jeff is right, the men who shot them, the villagers, they don't care who is up on that mountain, they just don't want the vines to spread. They will stop at nothing to keep the evil out of their village (they even shoot one of their own). But the people on that mountain are PEOPLE, they are human beings with lives and stories, and it's important to remember that...when people die, someone should remember their names. Hearing him shout Amy's name reminded me of that, and that's why I cry. I felt bad for ever thinking Jeff was selfish, because he was willing to give his life to allow Amy to live. What a great guy, seriously. that's more loving that 80% of what you will see in "romantic" movies. That impressed me.
END SPOILERS YOU CAN READ NOW IF YOU WANT
In conclusion, I know it may have some problems, but I think "The Ruins" is a great little movie and I don't think people give it enough credit. It sure as hell cheered me up today after my day from hell, and for that, I'm thankful.
A lot of people seem to hate this movie, and I don't get why. I mean, the premise is kind of out there I guess (there's this remote hill way in the forest of Mexico that is populated by some killer vines...they get inside you, under your skin, and slowly eat you like a parasite and take over your body until you become part of the plant). Ok, this doesn't happen in real life, but what horror movie DOESN'T have some fantastical element? Even the most realistic horror movie relies on some kind of plot device to further the story (even something as simple as stupid people who do stupid things that let the killer get to them) that you could argue is far-fetched. I don't get why so many people are so pissy about hating this movie. I mean, people can think whatever they want I guess, but let me tell you some reasons why I LOVE this movie:
The acting. Jena Malone is one of my favorites, and here, she makes her character to believable that I feel for her situation. She's a little whiny at first but then a lot of girls would be in her situation, and as the movie goes on and they get to the top of the mountain containing the evil vines, she gets more and more terrified without being over the top, and that's a hard thing to do. Laura Ramsey is great here as the panicked best friend who is slowly being driven mad by the "killer vines." She manages to make her character so relatable that I cried at her predicament (it would be horrible to know something inside you was driving you mad like that, and it would be horrible to be on the other side and knowing something was killing your friend and not being able to help). Jonathan Tucker was one I didn't like at first (because his character seemed so selfish until the end of the movie) but then on subsequent viewings I saw more depth in his character (and of course I love him at the end).
The story. Ok, at first I'm thinking, "who really cares? These are four selfish young college age couples who fight all the time, yawn" but the first time I saw it, after they got to the mountain and encountered the vines, I began to feel for them more and more. On subsequent viewings, like I said, they didn't bother me as much and I saw more into their characters. the point, I think, is that these are kind of spoiled, mostly privileged kids who aren't downright nasty, but who haven't had much life experience yet so they're kind of ignorant and selfish by default. They don't really mean to be, but they sort of don't know any better. Then they are tossed into this horrible situation and they have to cope the best they can, and they really do try and they really do care about each other, and that totally carries through. I felt their desperation and their fear and their pain.
The ending.
SPOILER WARNING I GIVE AWAY THE ENDING OF THIS MOVIE HERE DO NOT READ THIS PART IF YOU DO NOT WANT THE ENDING SPOILED FOR YOU STOP READING IF YOU HAVE NOT SEEN THE MOVIE YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED
Here's the thing...the first time I watched this movie, I honestly thought that at the end, Jeff was going to run away and leave Amy there. I didn't know what was going on, and I'll admit, I was yelling at the screen. When he carries her body down the mountain and lays her on the ground and then begins talking to the guys with guns, I honestly didn't get it. then I slowly realized what he was doing, and when his speech builds to the crescendo and he says "Her name is AMY!" I actually cheered. And I was crying (I;m a sap, shut up). The thing is, I know it was just a way for her to hear him shout her name; a signal to let her know to run, but I still think that his speech holds a deeper meaning. Jeff is right, the men who shot them, the villagers, they don't care who is up on that mountain, they just don't want the vines to spread. They will stop at nothing to keep the evil out of their village (they even shoot one of their own). But the people on that mountain are PEOPLE, they are human beings with lives and stories, and it's important to remember that...when people die, someone should remember their names. Hearing him shout Amy's name reminded me of that, and that's why I cry. I felt bad for ever thinking Jeff was selfish, because he was willing to give his life to allow Amy to live. What a great guy, seriously. that's more loving that 80% of what you will see in "romantic" movies. That impressed me.
END SPOILERS YOU CAN READ NOW IF YOU WANT
In conclusion, I know it may have some problems, but I think "The Ruins" is a great little movie and I don't think people give it enough credit. It sure as hell cheered me up today after my day from hell, and for that, I'm thankful.
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