Friday, January 30, 2015
ANNABELLE
When The Conjuring came out in 2013, I was pleasantly surprised. A demonic/creepy doll movie that didn't rely on jump scares but used them effectively when called upon. But no matter how hard they tried to establish a story with the likes of Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga, the doll captured everyone's imagination. So, after making its share of money, its no surprise (yet not a complaint from me) that they made a prequel of sorts to tell the back story of said doll. With that, we have ANNABELLE.
Annabelle follows the story of Mia and John Gordon. A happy couple who is soon expecting the birth of their first child. However, things change drastically when John brings home a doll for Mia. Seemingly everything Mia wanted (it even completed a collection she had been trying to do for a while), life was good. Until the disturbances start. After the brutal murder of their neighbours and a viscious attack on John and Mia (and their unborn child) that was eventually thwarted by the police, Mia could no longer feel safe. But after finding out the attackers were involved in a Satanic cult, coupled with the fact that bizarre and apparently demonic events keep happening to Mia and her now born daughter Lea, time is running for the Gordon family to stop the madness before it destroys them, or worse yet, the soul of their child.
Unlike the competing Insidious series, the demon figure (as well as the doll) were done well, instead of coming across as silly like the aforementioned film. I like the Ed and Lorraine Warren aspect of both The Conjuring and the mentioning in this one as it really makes the film plausible (I've always had a spot in the back of my mind for these sort of things).
Like before, I was beyond impressed with the jump scares in this flick. I mean, they were genuinely frightening - something that I haven't said in a while. However, similar to films like Paranormal Activity, you find the demonic disturbances more realistic than the attempted acting. At times, the painful performaces take away from a truly scary scene. Having reactions that go from unbelieveable to just plain absurd, it takes away from what could have easily been a horror series to remember. Time will tell if this series will gain momentum (as there is another sequel in the works with Wilson and Farmiga), or if like Paranormal Activity, it will take a ninety degree nose dive with each following film. So far not bad. I'm still looking forward to it...
Sunday, January 25, 2015
TOP 5 CHRISTMAS MUST-SEE FEATURE LENGTH FILMS
As seen in www.camrosecanadian.com |
Christmas is a fantastic time of year. As long as you are not in a shopping centre
of sorts, you will find that mankind will try that much harder to love thy
neighbour and maybe be a little more generous than any other time.
But I digress. Let’s
talk about movies. Christmas brings us
the best in film and television. Today I
will focus on the feature length films.
There were many TV specials I grew up with. Frosty, Rudolph, Charlie Brown…I could go on
forever. But films? They have been few
and far between. With that in mind I
present my top five Christmas must-see movies according to…well…me. The holidays cannot end without all of these
being viewed at least once by me.
5. Home Alone – When Home Alone came out in 1990, everybody
watched it and loved it. Sure, there
were stories of kids trying the stuff for real.
But that’s what I like to call Darwinism. This is still an annual must watch for me.
4. It’s A Wonderful Life – Arguably the most tributed
stories of all time. It is a beautiful
look at life, and how precious it really is.
Remember, every time a bell rings, an angel gets its wings. Jimmy Stewart is amazing in this.
3. Christmas Vacation – EVERYBODY knows who Clark Griswold
(Chevy Chase) and his family are. Only recently did we find out that little
Rusty is none other than everyone’s favourite TV geek Leonard in The Big Bang
Theory. Great cast, great supporting
cast, and downright funny every time you see it. Almost every scene can be referenced in this
one.
2. Miracle on 34th Street – This movie will make
a Santa believer out of the most adamant doubters. Fantastic story that will tug on your holiday
heart strings each time you see it. The
court room scene is one of the most iconic holiday scenes ever. Try to avoid the 1994 remake if possible.
1. Scrooged – If ever there was a movie that puts me in the
Christmas spirit, it’s this one. Bill Murray’s hilarious yet touching take on
the Charles Dickens classic A Christmas Carol is a staple for me as my first
holiday movie of the year. I could watch
this flick every day and it still wouldn’t be enough. A movie with such a personal ending that I
have no problems admitting it will make me shed some tears every single
time. Hilarious, touching, and fun –
what more could you ask for?
I do, of course, have to give honourable mentions to other
flicks like Die Hard, Gremlins and even Lethal Weapon, as they make my holiday
watch list as well.
THE BOY NEXT DOOR
| As seen in www.camrosecanadian.com |
Jennifer Lopez stars as Claire Peterson, a high school
teacher and mother who is recently separated with her husband Garrett (John
Corbett) while still housing their son Kevin (Ian Nelson). One day, while having mechanical issues with
their garage door, enter Noah (Ryan Guzman) – the nephew of their next door
neighbour who is down to take care of his ailing uncle. Arriving as a Good Samaritan, Noah is immediately
adored by the Petersons. Not wasting time to show his true motives he waits
until Kevin is away for the weekend and calls Claire under the guise of a
failing meal attempt. After she arrives
he uses his slick words and even smoother moves to seduce Claire. After a night of intense passion, Claire realizes
the error of her ways and tells Noah that it can never happen again. Noah, however, thinks the night meant much
more and takes the rejection personally.
Not taking no for an answer, Noah begins to obsess over Claire and
things turn more grim the more she pushes him away.
The film moves forward, getting darker as it progresses then
begins to take a turn for the worse.
What started as a simple and decent obsession movie turns quickly into a
late night made-for-TV thriller and even crosses the line of cheesy 80’s
slasher flick. The veteran actress Lopez
still hasn’t seemed to have picked up the acting gene while Guzman’s threats
and action borderline on painful over-acting that would make Jim Carrey proud. Corbett’s veteran presence helped his screen
time and even Nelson’s character (although far too easily swayed) was done
well. Kristin Chenoweth’s portrayal of
Vicky (Claire’s friend and the vice-principal) was a different story, losing
all credibility the other supporting cast tried to establish. The “love scene” if you wanted to call it
that was unnecessarily graphic and it came across as uncomfortable instead of
passionate. The rating of this movie does
no justice as that scene alone (plus another) should have given it a much
harsher rating. Finally, I know have called movies predictable in the past, but
this one moves along like a kindergarten connect-the-dots in terms of both predictability
and timing. If you haven’t figured out
this movie in the first 15 minutes, try your best to stay longer (unlike the
group of people sitting in front of me in the theatre).
TAKEN 3
| As seen in www.camrosecanadian.com |
“I will find you. I will kill you.” That is the catchphrase
made popular in the series that Taken has turned into. Liam Neeson is back as Bryan Mills, the man
with a particular set of skills that he performs very well. Luc Besson and Robert Mark Kamen come back to
write the third installment of the franchise that made Liam Neeson a household
name in the action industry for the last decade.
It’s been a few years since the events of the last film took
place. Mills is still trying to be the
best father he can to his daughter Kim (Maggie Grace), while remaining friends
with her mother/ex-wife Lenora (Famke Janssen).
While both tasks are a struggle to the man who could take out a room
full of baddies in less than a minute, he does his best. One day, while out, he receives a message
from Lenora to meet at his place to talk.
When he arrives he finds Lenora deceased on the bed after apparently
having her throat slashed (more on that later).
Soon after he arrives the police show up to the house and catch Bryan
beside the body. However, not wanting to
go with the police, he uses his aforementioned skills and escapes. Now, with the police, led by Inspector Frank
Dotzler (Forest Whittaker) and other various agencies out to get him, Bryan
must evade the law long enough to prove his innocence, find out who did this,
and take them out.
The real downside is you’ll still feel like you have seen
this before, just like any revenge-style film ever made. Make no mistake; it was much better than Taken
2, but it’s definitely not going to break new ground. The shaky camera work during the action
scenes was more nauseating than any camcorder movie could do. And finally, the comment I made earlier about
Lenora’s cause of death is probably the biggest beef I had. The Canadian MPAA gave this show a 14A
rating. If you’ve ever seen any movie
with that rating, it means it’s an R rated movie minus the hardcore swearing. Though, for some reason this went the other
way, making the action soft and not a single drop of blood spills. With all the carnage (up to and including the
previously mentioned throat slash, gun shots, and even a fight on broken
glass), this film never shows any gore whatsoever. Its obvious absence came across as laughable
and they probably could have gotten away with a G rating. While Taken was trying so hard to be Besson’s
answer to Die Hard, this third movie definitely did not give us the awesomeness
that was Die Hard with a Vengeance. No, instead it gave us Live Free or Die
Hard – a film that belonged to a once great franchise, watered down and spoon
fed to the viewers. Still – you will
probably enjoy the ride!
INTO THE WOODS
| As seen in www.camrosecanadian.com |
In the past, Disney was known for turning fairy tales into
watered down classics loved by young and old.
They were chock full of colour/ music and were forever engraved into our
hearts. Time went by and they dabbled
into more serious takes on the classics.
2009’s A Christmas Carol starring Jim Carrey brought us the dark side of
the Dicken’s classic that was rarely traveled by the family film genre. While noble in its intent, it just ended up
frightening children and slowly became forgotten. Then 2010’s Alice in Wonderland was a
different look at the Lewis Carroll story helmed by visionary director Tim
Burton. While this one gained notoriety,
by marketing Burton’s poster child in Johnny Depp and giving off the vibes of
Burton’s style of fantasy, it definitely was not for the child demographic. Now
Rob Marshall (Chicago) brings us a new look at some classic fairy tales, with a
catch.
Into The Woods is a tale about a baker and his wife (James
Corden & Emily Blunt) who want desperately to start a family but seem to be
unable to. One day a hideous witch (the
always outstanding Meryl Streep) shows up and tells them of the curse that was
put baker’s family prior, making his family line barren. The only way to
reverse this curse is fetch four items by the blue moon that occurs in two
nights. Meanwhile, the story unfolds in
the background of a boy named Jack who is forced to sell the family cow for money
but only gets some magic beans, a little girl in a red hooded cloak on her way
to grandma’s house, a maiden named Cinderella (Anna Kendrick) who lives with
her cruel stepmother and two stepsisters and is forced to clean, and the tale
of a girl named Rapunzel trapped in a tower with extraordinarily long
hair. Sound familiar? What you never realized before is that all
these stories are intertwined making each an integral part of the next.
Don’t let the ads mislead you – this is very much a musical,
but quite original, and accompanied by (somewhat) talented singing. As with the
movies listed prior in the introduction, I’m not sure the kiddies will get much
out of this and may be better off kept at home.
Also, Johnny Depp’s role (albeit a small one) as the big bad wolf had
some lines that seemed rather inappropriate…maybe it was just me. And while the writing deserves a great deal
of kudos, having your brain keep up to a plot that jumps more than a hot-plate
full of frogs is quite the testament to the viewer. If you are able to tag along for the ride, you
may actually find this movie enjoyable.
Fans of musicals and fairy tales may rejoice, but the unnecessarily long
run time (and my distaste towards most musicals) didn’t so it for me; so I
leave the opinion up to you. Still kinda
shocked about Streep’s nomination, but I think it’s in her contract with
Hollywood to get one nomination a year.
EXODUS
| As seen in www.camrosecanadian.com |
Charleton Heston made some iconic movies back in the day; but
probably his most notable (perhaps because I watched it every single year in
elementary) was The Ten Commandments.
However, since nothing is sacred in Hollywood anymore (pun intended),
and with the film approaching the 60th anniversary, it only made
sense that we were to see another take. Luckily
they were able to snag Ridley Scott (Gladiator) to helm this epic. And while Heston he is not, the recently
impressive Christian Bale steps into the sandals of the legendary hero, Moses
in Exodus: Gods and Kings. This will be a very condensed look as the film’s runtime
is 150 minutes.
Ramses (Joel Edgerton) is the son of the Pharaoh and next in
line for the throne, while Moses is his adopted brother. As time goes by, the Pharaoh passes away and
Ramses inherits the throne. One day,
Moses finds out about his true heritage as a Hebrew and in the process kills
two Egyptian guards. When Ramses finds
out about this he exiles Moses from the city.
Nine years pass. After an
accident, he wakes up to a vision of a burning bush and a little boy named
Malak (Isaac Andrews). Malak acts as the
Metatron (look it up) for God. He tells
Moses to go back to Egypt to free His people.
However, Ramses’ refusal and retaliation leads to war. Malak speaks to Moses again, He tells him to fall
back and watch as He releases the infamous ten plagues onto the city. Throughout
the destruction, Moses’ shaky faith is tested repeatedly, though in the end the
slaves are freed. This leads to taking
his people on an Exodus from Egypt to the Holy Land where they will be free
forever.
We all can pretty much guess what happens from here; something
about a Red Sea and words on some stone tablets. However, if you are a fan of the best-selling
book of all time (The Bible, for those unsure); you will notice some large
veering from the written word and some incredibly executed yet arguable
over-the-top CGI. The story bears the
same substance but seems to lack all the heart.
The timeline is very confusing and leaves you wondering why some parts
where cut so short while others dragged on for too long. Bale’s unfortunately
poor performance also suffers from drastic accent changes throughout the flick
leaving the viewer wondering if he was supposed to have one in the first
place. Edgerton was rather amazing
actually, but the remaining stardom that was the supporting cast were barely
given screen time let alone lines to justify a salary. Visually the product is there, but for the
spectators it’s up to them whether they will be impressed or not. Sorry Ridley, the “Passion” just wasn’t
there. Religious fanatics need not
apply.
HORRIBLE BOSSES 2
| As seen in www.camrosecanadian.com |
Oh look, Hollywood has made another sequel.
Nick (Jason Bateman), Kurt (Jason Sudeikis), and Dale
(Charlie Day) are finally content with their lives. Even after the first film’s events where one
of their bosses ended up in jail, the other dead, and the other is still a
nymphomaniac dentist – their lives couldn’t be better. In fact, one night when thinking how much
they hated having bosses, they decided to be their own boss. When this bro-trio hits Good Morning LA to
pitch an idea for the Shower Buddy (think automatic car wash but in the shower),
they are met with some positive interest.
Now all they need someone to finance their vision. Cue Boulder Stream and rich tycoon Rex Hanson
(Chris Pine), who offers to buy their concept and rights from them for a
handsome fee. When they decline to sell,
Rex’s father Burt (Christoph Waltz) steps in and offers to buy 100,000 units as
long as they are exclusive to Boulder Stream.
After that deal is made, the boys rush to get a warehouse and staff to
fulfill this massive order. However,
after going through the arduous labour, they find out that Burt decided to cancel
the order. And with no up-front payment, they are left with a half million dollar
debt that they are no way able to pay back.
The group must find a way to get this money back by any means
necessary. They first decide to consult
with Nick’s former boss Dave (Kevin Spacey) for ideas. When that doesn’t work, their inept brainstorming
leads them to the next best idea – kidnapping Rex and using the ransom to pay
back their debts. Unfortunately, if they
would have learned anything from their previous escapades, they would remember
that they suck at planning. But when Rex
weasels his way into the plans to aid in his own kidnapping (to deal with some
daddy issues and get his own cut), things go completely awry and mayhem ensues.
In a flick that admittedly took the buddy film concept from
The Hangover, they really needed to learn from that franchise’s mistake – don’t
make a sequel! Like the aforementioned
series, this film has nothing to gain from a sequel and simply just re-wrote
the plot while rehashing the same dynamics, similar to the Ad-Libs we used to
do as kids. Was it funny? Absolutely.
And if you are looking for a laugh, of course check it out (keeping in mind
they don’t shy away from vulgarity). Bateman’s wit shines as always and the
bumbling of Sudeikis and Day are worth the price of admission alone. Spacey’s character is downright hilarious,
and even Jamie Foxx’s return was quite funny.
The ever sultry Jennifer Aniston returns, still making men’s jaws drop
everywhere. And everybody plays off everybody perfectly. If you were a fan of the predecessor, you
will more than likely enjoy this.
THE PENGUINS OF MADAGASCAR
| As seen in www.camrosecanadian.com |
Skipper, Rico, Kowalski, and Private are back! Dreamworks
property The Penguins of Madagascar have finally stolen the feature-length
limelight to themselves, in the aptly (yet horribly unoriginal) titled
“Penguins of Madagascar”. The penguins, if you recall, have already went solo
on a weekly basis in the televised spinoff of Madagascar, also called The
Penguins of Madagascar. And you wonder
why I called it unoriginal.
This flick goes back to the origin story of our penguins in
Antarctica. It shows how they got together, and how they learned they were a
force to be reckoned with. The tale
takes us through until the end of Madagascar 3, and their next big move – breaking
into Fort Knox! However, it is during
this daring crime (committed only to obtain some tasty Cheezy Dibbles) that
they encounter a very angry octopus in the evil Dr. Octavius Brine (voiced by
the legendary John Malkovich). They find
out Brine has a grudge with the adorable trio and the rest of their penguin
kind. After escaping his clutches they
are chased by Brine (also known Dale…I mean Dave) and his fellow eight-legged
henchmen. During a chase, they run into
another group of heroes called the North Wind.
These animals, voiced by a powerful cast, have been chasing Brine for a
while and will do anything to capture him – even if the penguins are collateral
damage. Now the reluctant groups must
join forces to stop these evil octopi from transforming the world’s adorable
penguins into hideous creatures and changing the world as we know it!
Overall, the best and worst part was the simplicity of the
story. There is not much else going on,
but that lets the penguins steal the show.
The inept yet fearless leader in Skipper (still Tom McGrath) stays true
to form the full 92 minutes, which is usually a challenge in characters known
mainly for limited screen-time. Kowalski, Private, and Rico provide the support
required from them, and are voiced by returning Chris Miller, Christopher
Knights and character newcomer Conrad Vernon (replacing the incomparable
Diedrich Bader). The North Wind’s vocal
cast was superb, led by (Star Trek: Into the Darkness baddie) Benedict
Cumberpatch, and joined by Ken Jeong (The Hangover trilogy), Peter Stormare
(2005’s Constantine, among others) and relative unknown Annet Mahendru. This film won’t get much critical
acclaim. Dreamworks is kind of known as
always the bridesmaid never the bride of Best Animated Feature hardware. Part of the reason may be the aforementioned
lack of detailed/deep stories (like Toy Story 3 and the likes) that Disney
tends to churn out. However, if you just
can’t help but to love those silly penguins (as I do), this flick will be just
the right dose of cute and fun for all!
HUNGER GAMES: MOCKINGJAY PART 1
| As seen in www.camrosecanadian.com |
Let me just say first and foremost, I wasn’t a fan of the
first two movies. But I have an
obligation to remain (somewhat) objective here.
After all, this series is easily set up to be the next Twilight…or Harry
Potter; up to and including the fanfare and, coincidentally, the split final segment. That said, we are not reviewing the first two
movies – we are reviewing The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part One.
We begin, fittingly, soon after Catching Fire left us. Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) has
singlehandedly destroyed all that is The Hunger Games. The Hunger Games were, if you recall, an
annual tournament where the children of each District are offered up to
fight-to-the-death. As long as they
comply, the Capitol (who runs everything) will guarantee peace. But in her daring escape in the second flick,
Katniss was forced to leave her fiancé Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson) and the
other previous surviving victors behind.
Now we find Katniss hospitalized in District 13 after her home District
of 12 is left in ruins by the Capitol, specfically one person her defiance has
upset the most, President Snow (Donald Sutherland).
The leader of District 13 Alma Coin (Julianne Moore) has a
plan. Use the inspirational Katniss to
lead a rebellion to take down the Capitol once and for all by filming a few
short videos that would be transmitted to all the remaining Districts, showing
Katniss providing a motivational speech and have everyone stand up at once and
fight. The only problem is Katniss finds
out Peeta is still alive from segments broadcast to everyone by the Capitol. Unfortunately, Peeta has been convinced by
Snow to tell them to stand down. While
this causes rumblings, Katniss’ feelings for Peeta lead her to set up a rescue
mission to save Peeta, as well as her family, and the survivors of the last
Games who were all taken captive by Snow’s men after her escape. Now, with an army on both sides of the
rebellion, can Katniss’ fleeting motivation be enough to overcome the powerful
Capitol, take down President Snow, and retrieve the rest of the prisoners? Or
will the guns of the mighty overcome the will of the few?
I had a hard time (like the others) getting into this
one. The action was decent but Katniss’
character shows only brief glimpses of leadership then relies on others to tell
her what to do. The dialogue was also
weak, as conversations with Katniss and Gale (Liam Hemsworth) were spoken like
they were reading cue cards, to the point it was laughable. I don’t know if signals were crossed when
translating this to film (as Hollywood does well), because people seem to enjoy
the books. However, I am not reviewing
the books, I am reviewing the movie – and to me this flick may only be directed
to those faithful to the literature and probably won’t gain any new fans.
DUMB & DUMBER TO
| As seen in www.camrosecanadian.com |
If there’s anything the last twenty years have taught us,
it’s that sequels/remakes are all that’s left. So, needless to say when the
Farrelly brothers announced this sequel, I was less than thrilled. Then the trailer came out and I was
intrigued, especially seeing Carrey and Daniels back. So, without further ado, the much anticipated
Dumb & Dumber To (purposefully spelt wrong).
When Harry (Jeff Daniels) and Lloyd (Jim Carrey) get back
together after a twenty year hiatus (explained with a rather hilarious story), mayhem
and humour ensue. After going through
some old mail, Harry finds out that his old flame Freda Felcher (Kathleen
Turner) had a baby that she claims is his.
This causes the duo to find Freda and ask about his child. Not only do they find out he had a daughter
named Fanny (Rachel Melvin), but that she gave her up for adoption and misses
her greatly. Lloyd and Harry embark on a
road trip to find Fanny for both Harry’s sake as well as Lloyd (as he appears
to have fallen for her after just looking at the picture). Their bumbling takes them to Fanny’s new
home. She was adopted by a wealthy
doctor and is now named Penny. They find
out that she has just left to a science conference to accept an award on her
father’s behalf, but she left behind a package she needed to bring with
her. This gives the boys an opportunity
to get the package to Penny, rekindle a long, lost father-daughter
relationship, and maybe get Lloyd some alone time with her. However, when the step-mom has a plan to
obtain the family fortune by any means necessary, the pair may be responsible
for more than they ever knew.
It’s quite surprising how many other sub-plots were in this. They were all over-the-top, but I wouldn’t change
a thing! I enjoyed the cameos of
characters from the predecessor. My
favourite was seeing Billy (Brady Bluhm), the very same blind kid who Lloyd
sold his dead bird to. And by the way,
stay past the closing credits for others.
In the end, the humour in this is terrible. If you lived under a rock in 1994 or missed the
first one, you will walk out
of this one…almost immediately. However,
the first film is still one of the most quoted movies in my repertoire, and it
takes me to a place where I can turn my brain off and laugh hysterically; and
I’m sure most of you agree. What really
impressed me is how they copied the formula from the original, which is generally
what I hate about sequels, and made them funny all over again. This film never disappointed the Dumb & Dumber fanboy in me. I will watch this
movie many times (as I still do with the original). It was a terrible movie…and
I loved it!
BIG HERO 6
| As seen in www.camrosecanadian.com |
In the past, Disney’s attempts at CG-animated flicks have
been lackluster at best. Do you remember
Meet the Robinsons? Either does most. Luckily,
after Wreck It Ralph and some movie called Frozen (not sure if you’ve heard of
that one), they have emerged as a contender again. So, enter the new one, Big Hero 6.
We are introduced to the fictional city of San
Fransoyko. As the name may have given
away, it is a mix of San Francisco and Tokyo. This tale tells us of Hiro Hamada
(Ryan Potter); a young prodigy with a flair for robotic creation. Hiro is so incredibly talented yet chooses to
put these talents to all the wrong things, like underground Bot Fighting. After a close call with a sore loser, Hiro is
rescued by his brother, Tadashi (Daniel Henney). His brother doesn’t like the path Hiro is on
and takes him to the University where he can see the work his brother and
fellow “geeks” do in the Robotics Department.
Tadashi shows Hiro the adorable, inflatable Baymax; a Personal Health
Care Companion robot that could revolutionize the health care industry forever.
After a cool introduction to some of the other toys, Hiro decides that the
University just might be a good fit for him. All Hiro needs to do is impress
Professor Calahan (James Cromwell) at the SFIT Showcase; a science fair that
showcases your talent and why you are worthy. Hiro, steps up to the challenge
and creates a neural-controlled Micro-Bot technology that could change
everything. This piques the interest of others,
and when a mysterious fire/explosion breaks out at the fair, claiming the life
of Tadashi, the fingers start pointing.
However, when Hiro’s Micro-Bots show up under the control of a masked
villain, it is up to Hiro, Baymax, and the geeky group of heroes from the
Robotics Department to reveal the identity of this madman and stop him once and
for all.
It took a very creative team of animators and visionaries to
pull this off, and pull it off they did.
The architecture of the city really impressed me throughout. The humorous
(yet creative) Asian re-imagining of popular SF landmarks made me laugh every
time. In conclusion, I really did enjoy
this one. Its refreshingly original
story, combined with its lovable robotic lead, make for an all around great
flick for everyone. While you could
argue how one-dimensional its characters were (aside from, ironically, the
robot), and perhaps it had a hint of predictability – but it did not
matter. It had you gripped to its story,
laughing at all the right times, and kept you at the edge of your seat on
command. This IS the best animated film of the year. Perhaps the Academy has already printed the
plate on the Best Animated Feature Oscar.
I think we can officially say it – Disney has done it again.
THIS IS WHERE I LEAVE YOU
| As seen in www.camrosecanadian.com |
The ever funny Jason Bateman (Horrible Bosses) and the
incomparable Tina Fey (SNL) lead this ensemble cast in the ironically titled comedy-drama,
This Is Where I Leave You.
Bateman plays Judd Altman, a seemingly happy-go-lucky guy
who works at a New York radio station for its controversial host Wade Beaufort
(Dax Shepard, Punk’d). One day, when
Judd leaves early to surprise his wife Quinn (Abigail Spencer), everything
falls apart. First he catches Quinn
having an affair with Wade (turning his life and career upside down); later he
gets a phone call from his sister Wendy (Fey) to inform him of his father’s
passing.
Judd makes his way back to his hometown and meets with his
family at the gravesite: His mother
Hillary (Jane Fonda, fitness guru and veteran actress) who is a successful
family therapist and bestselling author, sister Wendy, younger and still
immature brother Phillip (Adam Driver, TV’s Girls), and older brother Paul
(Corey Stoll, Non-Stop). As per their
father’s last wish, the family must sit Shiva.
From the Hebrew translation for seven, sitting Shiva is literally
sitting in the house and mourning for seven straight days. But when you have a mother who metaphorically
airs out more dirty laundry then a hospital, and the rest of the family having
more than their fair share of personal issues they are dealing with, you have
the makings of a messed up, dysfunctional, and just plain crazy flick.
The casting choices were really quite impressive to me. It appeared most everybody knew their role.
There was a varying amount of crazy that needed to be portrayed and I think
they all pulled it off. Jason Bateman
has played crazy before (see: Smokin’ Aces) and does it well, Tina Fey is so
versatile that nothing is unobtainable for her, and even Dax Shepard played the
sleaze bag a little too perfect. In a
movie that had so many side stories going on that you may have needed a shot of
steroids to keep up with, the actors did exactly what was required of them. And
while this movie had lessons to teach, it didn’t really focus on just the one. It had a very much “rekindling the past”
going on, while it didn’t shy away from the whole “family will always be there
for you, even when you don’t necessarily want them to be”. In the end, it could all be summed up as “no
family is perfect.” You will see
throughout why I called the title ironic.
However, the many scrambled messages and subplots did sort of mess up
the pace for me (although I admit I’m not the smartest guy around,
either). All in all, the flick was very
much worth it, if nothing else for the performances. If you are debating between a comedy and a drama, why not take in both and check out this one.
OUIJA
| As seen in www.camrosecanadian.com |
Anybody who knows me, know I love horror flicks. I’ve seen
hundreds, own almost as many, and just plain adore the genre. Add to the fact
that we are approaching Halloween, arguably my favourite time of year, you have
my interest peaked with Ouija.
During a slumber party as children, Debbie (Shelly Hennig,
TV’s Teen Wolf and Days of our Lives) and Laine (Olivia Cooke, TV’s Bates
Motel) break out an Ouija board. Before they play they re-iterate the rules: Never
play alone, Never in a graveyard, and Always say ‘Good Bye’. Also,
the planchette (the wooden piece with a viewing circle that moves around the
board) can also be used to view the spirits. We are then taken to present day
(not that it alluded to being the past). A now a high school senior, Debbie is
on her bed staring at the infamous board. She’s obviously distraught and throws
the game into her fireplace. Even a quick visit from Laine cannot shake her
mood, as she blows off plans with her. To make things worse, she heads back to
her room only to find the board is still intact and sitting back on her bed. Before
you know it, Debbie appears to become possessed, and seemingly through no
choice of her own, takes her own life.
As the grieving begins, Debbie’s friends gather, speaking of
how distant Debbie had become and decide to investigate a suicide that seemed
too improbable. While in Debbie`s house, Laine finds the Ouija board and
convinces the friends to play with her so they could say goodbye once and for
all. While playing with the board they make a connection with who they assume was
Debbie, as they are greeting with the words, HI FRIENDS and are given the
letter “D” as a hint to the name. In a startling turn of events they realize it
is not Debbie, which leads the group into an investigation of the house and the
horrors that may hide inside the walls.
Now I still have no intention on touching one of those
boards, but if I do I could only hope the results are more entertaining than
this was. The film ended up suffering from every horror cliché known to man and
even the jump scares, which are heavily relied upon in a typical sub-standard
horror plot, were pathetic. The acting was substandard and the script was
almost directly taken from what Wes Craven’s Scream stated all horror movies
are about. While I am not surprised how predictable it was (flaw of the genre),
it almost seemed to laugh at the viewer’s intelligence throughout. Usually I
end these things with a “check it out anyways”; but this one would be wise to
steer clear of. Not even your girlfriend could drag you to this. Besides, there
are scarier things out there…after all, the snow is coming!
THE BOOK OF LIFE
| As seen in www.camrosecanadian.com |
Love
triangles have been the basis of many great works of literature. My personal
favorite is still the Archie/Betty/Veronica one. With that premise in mind,
Guillermo Del Toro presents The Book of Life.
The movie is
set as a tale told by a museum guide named Mary Beth (Christina Applegate) to a
group of misfit kids. We learn about The
Book of Life; a book where everyone’s story is told. And this particular story takes place in San
Angel, Mexico during The Day of the Dead; a time where loved ones pay tribute
to their fallen ancestors in the most festive way. We are introduced to rulers of the dead La
Muerta (Kate del Castillo) and Xibalba (Ron Perlman). It’s during the Day of the Dead where they
place a few wagers at the expensive of the living. This is where they spot two young boys – son
of the town’s matador, Manolo (Diego Luna) and son of the town’s late war hero,
Joaquin (Channing Tatum) – competing for the love of a young girl, Maria (Zoe
Saldana). This year’s bet? Which boy will end up with the girl?
After Maria
is sent to study in Spain, Manolo and Joaquin never cease their love for
her. They grow up into exactly what
their family expects. Manolo has become
San Angel’s premiere bull fighter (even though his passion is for music, but
his family refuses to let him pursue that). Joaquin becomes the decorated war
hero that is adored by his town and women everywhere. Years later when Maria comes back, they must
show her again who deserves the hand of this lovely senorita.
There are
some very fun supporting characters along the way, from the “Three Amigos”
musicians (listen for Cheech Marin), to beloved Candlestick maker (Ice
Cube). It tells us to respect where we
came from while still following your passion, not your family’s footsteps.
This flick had
a very unique and creative style of animation, the vocal talents were great and
some outstanding Mexican renditions of popular songs like “I will wait for you”
(Mumford & Sons), “Creep” (Radiohead), and “I can’t help falling in love
with you” (Elvis Prestley). However,
like the songs, the movie is full of pre-existing storylines and scenarios that
you’ve heard a million times over, bringing absolutely nothing new (but
dazzling animation) to the table except maybe a better understanding of Mexican
culture. Its many morbid undertones will
most likely not be caught be the kiddies but the adults will raise the odd
eyebrow throughout. All in all, one of
the most educational yet incredibly fun kid’s films ever.
THE JUDGE
| As seen in www.camrosecanadian.com |
Autumn is
usually known for film scares and snow. While neither has really shown up yet,
it has shown to be the time that Hollywood crams its dramas onto the
screen. And with the cast this film
offers, it has all the makings to be brilliant flick. With that in mind, we have The Judge.
Henry Palmer
(Robert Downey Jr.) is a witty, sarcastic and flat-out bully of a defense
attorney in Chicago. While starting a
new case, he interrupted from a call stating that his mother has passed away. After bring granted a continuance for obvious
reasons he makes the journey back to his hometown of Carlinville, Indiana. From the start you know he is not excited to
come back to the small, hick town that is seemingly exactly as he left it. He is immediately confronted with his
troubled past, an ex-lover (Vera Farmiga), and the circumstances that made him
leave.
Henry heads
to the courthouse to see his father Judge Joseph Palmer (Robert Duvall). You see right away that Judge (as he is
referred to by all) is a mean, take-no-prisoners judge; not only in his courtroom
attitude, but at home as well. Judge is
a tough love father. He seems to play
favourites with his other sons, older brother Glen (Vincent D’Onofrio) and
younger autistic brother Dale (Jeremy Strong) and you can see it pains Henry
greatly. It seems Henry could do no right in Judge’s eyes when all he ever
wanted was his father’s acceptance.
Things
change drastically when Judge is accused of a hit-an-run causing the death of
local man Mark Blackwell (Mark Kiely). A man whom Judge has a past with, leading
everyone to believe it was an intentional act. The problem is Judge cannot seem
to recall the act. And when no-nonsense
prosecutor Dwight Dickham (Billy Bob Thornton) is brought in, Judge is forced
to hire Henry to defend him in a case where all the odds seem to be stacked
against him.
This flick
is a cliché look at family, love and loss.
While garbled in its noble intent, it makes up for the (at times)
suffering storyline in performances.
Although Downey Jr. didn’t have to dial in too much to pull off his
character (think Tony Stark), his eyes show just how brilliant of an actor he
really is. Duvall absolutely commands
the screen every time he is on it (can you say Best Supporting Actor?) and both
D’Onofrio and Strong do well respectively. Thornton is actually rather incredible as
well. In a movie that has no lack of swearing, he remains professional and
clean throughout. While it could’ve been
better, anyone who has dealt with these events (minus perhaps the court case)
you will have a feeling of nostalgia that may not be entirely welcomed. Either way, I feel it is a must see for the
drama-enthusiast out there.
GONE GIRL
| As seen in www.camrosecanadian.com |
David Fincher is God! As a director, he seems to have the Midas touch. Fincher’s
films have been Oscar gems like The Social Network and The Curious Case of
Benjamin Button to cult classics like Seven, Fight Club, and The Game. This
time he teams up with the (publicly criticized) soon-to-be-new caped crusader,
Ben Affleck to bring us Gone Girl. A flick based on Gillian Flynn’s novel (and
also screenplay) of the same name.
In a movie set to (intentionally) unfold like the pages of a diary, we
are introduced to Nick Dunne (Affleck). We know Nick is troubled when his first
trip of the morning is to The Bar (clever actual business name) to have a glass
of bourbon. He proceeds to tell his woes to the bartender, someone we later
find out is his sister, Margo (Carrie Coon). We find out that he and Amy were
both writers who were laid off in the recession of 2010 and coupled with Nick’s
mother being terminally ill, end up moving to North Carthage, Missouri. We
learn it is Nick’s fifth anniversary with his wife Amy (Rosamund Pike) and that
the last few years have been far from wedded bliss. He is interrupted by a
phone call by a neighbour telling that something is up at his house. Hurrying
home, he finds what appears to be a break-and-enter and that Amy is
missing.
Though he calls the authorities immediately, when the police, led by
Detective Rhonda Boney (Kim Dickens), begin questioning Nick about his wife,
everything falls apart. Not only does he seem unconcerned anymore, but he finds
himself unable to answer the simplest of questions that are thrown his way. His
statements push the film into a series of flashbacks taken from Nick’s
perspective. We see that, like most marriages, it starts out perfect…but then
things change. Unfortunately, as things progress, the disappearance of Amy
Dunne seems to suggest that the person responsible is Nick himself.
When the tabloids and the talk shows begin pointing fingers directly at
Nick, he is forced to hire defense attorney Tanner Bolt (played surprisingly well
by Tyler Perry…yes, that Tyler Perry). When more secrets are revealed,
including finding out about Nick’s mistress, the quest for truth may be a
longer journey than expected. But it is when the story switches the perspective
of the flashbacks that we really begin to scratch our heads. Being taken
through a series of twists, turns, and downright detours, the audience is
constantly changing their once certain thoughts on “whodunit”.
In my opinion, everything about this show was incredible! It had many commanding performances,
specifically from Pike but also a powerful performance from Neil Patrick Harris.
Finally, the ending (written intentionally by the author) will leave the entire
audience groan in unison…and I absolutely loved it! This movie will walk
away with Academy Award gold in March. Well done!!
THE EQUALIZER
| As seen in www.camrosecanadian.com |
The film follows the life of Robert McCall (Washington). He
leads a seemingly normal life - he gets up, he goes to work, and he goes home. Every
evening, as apparently he has troubles sleeping, he makes his way to the same
all-night diner. There he meets Helena (played by the increasingly talented
Chloë Grace Moretz), a young
street worker who is obviously unhappy with her life choices but knows she is
stuck doing it. No pun intended. Repeated evenings go by where Robert enjoys tea
and a good book, and Helena enjoys a slice of pie – throwing in the occasional
conversation. Then, one night, McCall witnesses Helena being roughed up by her
employer. This obviously unsettles McCall, but (much to his chagrin) he stays
out of it. When he goes to the diner the next night, she is not there. He finds
out she is in the hospital as she was assaulted bad. That’s when McCall finds
out that, not only are her employers a sleazy group of Russians, but they are
Russian mob. It is now time for McCall
to spring into action. What follows is a series of butt-kicking that only could
be rivaled by Bond, Bourne, or…well…Liam Neeson. Saving the day from those ranging from
different factions of the mob to dirty cops, McCall will not stop until he
feels his justice is served. However,
when head of the Russian mob sends his clean-up man (Maron Csokas) to take care
of the problem that is Robert McCall, McCall may have found an adversary that
will not stop until he is dead.
In case I didn’t make it obvious – there was no real back story,
only hints. Characters were thrown on the screen with an assumption that if you
watched a body count like that, you would not notice any real explanation. It followed the formulaic Boston-movie-rule
of “See how many F-bombs can you drop in one sentence” made popular by Scorcese.
And what truly upset me was the gross underutilization of Chloë, as she is far too talented to be reduced
to a maximum of 15 minutes of screen time in a two-hour flick. Another
surprising talent glimpse was having Melissa Leo (The Fighter) and Bill Pullman
in it without any real presence except to serve as figurative narrators to an unfinished
story. I had hoped Fuqua could deliver,
but instead what he made was a movie so obviously based off a TV show, that if
you removed all the filler, could have easily fit into a 21-minute television
slot.
THE MAZE RUNNER
| As seen in www.camrosecanadian.com |
When James Dashner released the novel The Maze Runner in
2007, I never even noticed. When it was announced a film was being made, I
didn’t even give it second thought. I’ve seen Hollywood try (miserably) to
bring young adult fiction to fruition, only to watch them fail (see: Jumper, Percy
Jackson, and I Am Number Four). So going to see this flick, I had zero
expectation. What I got genuinely blew me away.
The movie begins with a boy (Dylan O’Brien, TV’s Teen Wolf) waking
in an elevator with no recollection of his name or where he is and why he is
there. When it stops he is brought into a field (known as The Glades) by a
group of other boys. This field is
surrounded by trees…and concrete. He meets Alby (Aml Ameen), the “leader” of
this group. He tells the boy (who later recalls his name of Thomas) that beyond
the walls is a giant maze. And the rules are quite simple: Never go into the
maze. That task is reserved for Runners. They are the ones who plot the maze and
figure a way out. But there’s a catch – the maze changes every day! Not only
that, you find out about Grievers – a very deadly creature that roams the maze
at night.
Every morning, the Runners go into the maze, gather info and
come back before the doors close at dusk. Thanks to the Grievers, nobody has
survived the night in the maze. However, after events involving another Runner
named Ben (and Alby himself), Thomas is promoted to Runner. Things change when
the elevator comes, and they find a girl (Kaya Scodelario) unconscious inside
carrying a note that could change everything. As the tension builds between
Thomas and a boy named Gally (Will Poulter), Thomas’ group must face the
struggle against some of the others, the maze, and the Grievers to finally get
to the bottom of this puzzle that may be more personal than he ever realized.
As I mentioned, this movie blew me away. I think what
impressed me the most is how much it used setting and pace more than special
effects to get its point across. However, when they required CG (especially
with the Grievers), they spared no expense. I honestly want to read the novel
now just to see how they describe the Grievers as their appearance was beyond
description for me.
The actor’s performances were believable, the camera angles
and overall cinematography was superb and even the score accented it well. My
opinion is outside of Guardians of the Galaxy, this may be the best
action/adventure movie I’ve seen all year. Comparatively, I say it is a mix of
The Running Man meets Lord of the Flies. I actually wonder how much those books
influenced Dashner.
Finally, with a cliff-hanger like that, I am excited for the
potential series.
A DOLPHIN TALE 2
As seen in
Dolphin Tale 2 continues the
story of famous prosthetic-tailed Winter the dolphin and her courageous life at
Clearwater Marine Aquarium in Florida.
This story begins with the rescue of a dolphin (later named Mandy, after
the little girl who discovers the troubled creature). It shows the detail and care involved with
rescuing marine mammals who find themselves in unfortunate predicaments.
We are then re-introduced to
Winter. However, when Winter’s long-time
tank mate passes away, she is thrown into a state of depression. Winter’s continued handler / junior aquarium
scientist, Sawyer Nelson (Nathan Gamble, the same boy from the first flick), is
perplexed by her sudden change of mood and with the help of the Aquarium’s
operator Dr. Clay Haskett (Harry Connick Jr.) they realize that what Winter may
require is another companion. More
specifically, if they do not find one, the USDA will be forced to remove Winter
from her habitat and move her to another aquarium located half way across the
country.
When the obvious choice in Mandy,
is rehabilitated ahead of schedule they are faced with the moral dilemma of
keeping her to accompany Winter (simply to appease the USDA and the board of
directors), or releasing her back into the wild where she belongs, sticking to
the mission statement of RESCUE, REHAB, RELEASE. If Mandy is not the answer, they need to find
another or face losing Winter for good.
While more does happen including
Sawyer having to make a decision about his future and a rescue of a juvenile
dolphin, it is the introduction of a sea turtle that is found tangled in fishing
line, and his obnoxious pelican companion is exactly what this movie required
to lighten the mood on a very story-heavy plot.
For being real animals, their comedic timing (almost like a real life
Timon and Pumbaa) is almost perfect.
The performance from the child
actors is almost unbearable, similar to nails on a chalkboard. Throwing in veteran actors in Morgan Freeman
(who I am pretty sure, shot all his scenes within an hour), Ashley Judd, and
Kris Kristofferson helped as they were able to somewhat pull off some
respectable dialogue and semblance of order.
Harry Connick Jr. however, ranged from brilliant to shaky at times (although
that’s always been my opinion of him).
I did find any child under 6 may
have troubles sitting through this, as it does rely heavily on story, but the
inspiration is real. The closing credits reveal actual footage from the
different rescues/releases that are portrayed in the movie. It is beautiful that people are willing to
help these creatures who may suffer from terrible fates if they didn’t step
in. If you love an inspirational tale (and
specifically dolphins) you will love this movie. If neither are your thing and you are just
taking the kids, you will find your watch is more viewed than the screen.
A MOST WANTED MAN
| As seen in www.camrosecanadian.com |
2014 has been a sad year for Hollywood, with the passing of
legend Joan Rivers and arguably the funniest man ever in Robin Williams. However, it was the loss of Phillip Seymour
Hoffman that really hit 2014, first.
Hoffman, whose impressive résumé
which ranges from hippie sidekick in Twister, to villain in Mission Impossible
3, not to mention performances in 2006’s Capote (where he won an Oscar playing
the titular character) and his nomination in 2008’s Doubt.
A Most Wanted Man marks director Anton Corbijn’s attempt to
make up for the lackluster effort in George Clooney’s The American. Corbijn adapts the 2008 novel (of the same
name) from author John le Carré,
whose novels have been adapted as far back as 1965 with Martin Ritt’s The Spy
Who Came In From The Cold starring Richard Burton, and others like The Constant
Gardener, The Tailor Of Panama, and Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy.
The movie follows Günther Bachmann (Hoffman), a German
security agent whose agency takes interest when half-Chechen, half-Russian Issa
Karpov (Grigoriy Dobrygin) arrives in Hamburg
seeking sanctuary and to access the inheritance of his father’s
illegally-earned fortune. When
unconfirmed reports peg him as an extremist, Bachmann must now try to hold back
the CIA while he tries to establish Karpov’s motive and potential innocence. Aided by a lawyer named Annabel, specializing
in sanctuary (played by the always gorgeous Rachel McAdams from The Notebook
and 2009’s Sherlock Holmes), it is a race against time that keeps you going all
the way until the finale.
While Hoffman didn’t blow me away he still wasn’t bad,
although his German accent made him somewhat unintelligible at times. I think what really impressed me was the
acting of Dobrygin, whose resume has never (until now) crossed into North
America and an impressive supporting performance by Willem Dafoe. McAdams was rather talented as well, but,
I’ll be honest, every time she smiles I forget there is any wrong in the world.
The down side is the average movie goer will having problems
sitting through this one as the build up goes on; much like the peeling of
paint (I blame Corbijn). However, if you
hold on and see what it all builds up to, I find this flick worth very much the
price of admission. A must for fans of
smart spy films (not the James Bond type).
THE NOVEMBER MAN
| As seen in www.camrosecanadian.com |
The movie begins with Devereaux leading a rookie operative named David
Mason on his inaugural mission to protect a US politician. Mason, played by Luke Bracey, is no stranger
to the action scene having played Cobra Commander in GI Joe: Retaliation. Devereaux teaches Mason all the nuances and
scenarios that they could possibly face. The mission goes awry however, when
Mason accidentally shoots a child while trying to takedown a gunman after
intentionally disobeying orders when to take the shot.
We now fast forward to five years later. Now-retired Peter Devereaux is approached by
CIA handler John Hanley (Bill Smitrovich) to escort a woman out of Russia, who
has in her possession, information vital to Russian President-elect Arkady
Federov (Lazar Ristovski, coincidentally of another Bond flick in Casino
Royale). After a series of unfortunate
events, Devereaux finds himself being hunted by a CIA task force led by none
other than David Mason, Devereaux’s old pupil.
We are then introduced to the beautiful, young case worker named Alice
Fournier (played by Olga Kurylenko, also former Bond alumni from Quantum of
Solace) who has a connection to someone with first-hand accounts of detrimental
information against Federov, which would cripple his Presidential run. Now, with a Russian hitman out to get
Fournier, and the CIA (specifically Mason) out to get Devereaux (and
coincidence pairing them up), we are brought into an action-packed game of cat
and mouse where the student may outshine the teacher.
While the movie doesn’t shy away from action (and body-counts); this
flick falls victim of numerous clichés, shoddy cut scenes, poor character development,
and plot twists that are predictable and over-explained. There were even times throughout the action
scenes that I expected onomatopoeic assistance ala 60’s Batman (POW, BANG,
etc). The score seems borrowed from
every other movie of the genre making the intense scenes seemingly less
so. The acting is fine, and while maybe
Kurylenko could stick to just being a pretty face, the veteran presence of
Brosnan helps lighten the load that was possibly too much for her.
I guess I shouldn’t be too hard. Overall, if you are looking for a decent
spy-thriller it`s worth the watch, but check your brain at the door. Sit back, watch the bullets and fists fly,
maybe even find yourself at the edge of your seats at times, but this movie may
end up being easily forgotten like the last decade or so of Brosnan`s resume. It’s too bad; I kind of liked him at one
point.
The Greatest 80's Horror Flicks Year-By-Year
The
1980's repeatedly showed us that flash and dazzle is here to stay. If it wasn't
obvious in music and clothing, film certain didn't hide the fact. The 70's were
a force to be reckoned with in the genre, bringing out powerful flicks like The
Last House on the Left (Wes Craven's inaugural baby), the horrifying classic
The Exorcist, and the iconic Texas Chain Saw Massacre; but the 80's had an
answer of its own.
1981
1982
1984
1987
1988
1989
Listed
below, I will show how each year of the illustrious decade brought us a gem.
1980
As far as
slasher flicks go, 1980 brought us the immortal Jason Voorhees in the very first
Friday the 13th;
a film that created an icon (though not until the final scene). Not many felt
like canoeing on a still lake after that.
On a more
psychological note, it also truly delved into the mouth of madness in Stephen
King's The Shining. While Stanley Kubrick and Jack Nicholson definitely got all
the credit, this was only King's second novel. It was a start of a beautiful
relationship with one of the original Masters of Horror. Remember, all work and
no play makes Jack a dull boy.
This
year definitely continues the trend of madness but throws in a dash of demonic
possession. Then-unknown director Sam Raimi brings us one the most emulated and
loveable yet gory and horrifying films in the classic The Evil Dead; the film
that launched the awesome B-rated career of Bruce Campbell.
Another
'81 flick that brought back a genre that wasn't really spoken of since the days
of Lon Chaney Jr. was An American Werewolf in London. Jonathan Landis gave us a
tale so memorable while the incomparable Rick Baker's make-up work earned him
another Oscar. 1981 also gave us Carpenter's classic The Thing and finally put the hockey mask on Jason in Friday the 13th Part 3.
Tobe
Hooper floored us all in 1974 with the Texas Chain Saw. But he never really got
the notoriety he deserved until Steven Spielberg took him under his wing and
they put out Poltergeist. And while arguably Hooper's true vision was hindered
by Spielberg's power and editing, it still ended up being one of my favorite
films of the decade.
1983
While
many a sequel (Jaws 3/Amityville 2) and Stephen King flick (Cujo/Christine)
graced the screen this year, for me the film of the year was easily Sleepaway
Camp. Cheesy campfire tale mixed with slasher flick the likes of Friday the 13th. One of the first films
of the genre to incorporate a massive plot twist for its ending. Great fun.
While I
always enjoyed Children of the Corn (creepy kids always kicked ass in movies)
this year was very much dominated by two juggernaut titles:
Gremlins.
Another film directed by a previous horror chief named Joe Dante, who brought
us The Howling at one point, then fell victim to the Spielberg editing like
Hooper in Poltergeist. However, yet again a popular (still to this day) film. I
think everyone loves this movie.
But (for
me), the film of the year, and I think of the decade - Wes Craven's immortal
classic A Nightmare on Elm Street. The most popular slasher flick villain,
unforgettable story and downright creepy movie-kills. Made you think twice about falling asleep
every night.
1985
Yet
again, sequels dominated the genre (Nightmare on Elm Street 2 / Hills Have Eyes
2, and much more) there were a couple of fun flicks that came out.
Fright
Night was a fun look at “what if my neighbour was a…” made famous by
Hitchcock’s Rear Window. This time the
neighbour is allegedly a vampire and it’s up to the teenaged accuser to team up
with a reluctant television vampire hunter to save the day. Chris Sarandon shined and it ended up earning
him the villainous role in The Princess Bride and the protagonist police
officer in the original Child’s Play movie.
Another
one, that really didn’t qualify as scary but still had vampires was Jim
Carrey’s first starring role Once Bitten.
Unlike the standard tale, this one focused on a female vampire (Laura
Hutton) who is in search of a male virgin to be by her side. It was cheesy and rather funny, but still
good times had by all.
1986
While ’86
brought us many a B-rated classic (House, April Fool’s Day, Little Shop of
Horrors, Maximum Overdrive) and some sequels to some big names (Texas Chainsaw
2, Psycho 3) this was when the big boys started to come out.
Action
guru James Cameron followed up his success found a couple years earlier in The
Terminator, and took over a series made popular by Ridley Scott and brought us
the sequel to Alien in the (not-so-creatively titled) film, Aliens. While Scott may have started the vision,
Cameron perfected it – making this arguably the most popular of the series and
possibly even the Sci-Fi/Horror genre.
Another
flick that has stood the test of time was David Croonenberg’s take on the
classic The Fly. Jeff Goldblum’s creepy
demeanour made him the perfect candidate for a tale about a man who, while
experimenting with teleportation, accidentally transforms himself onto a fly…in
one of the most grotesque transformations in film. I think the arm wrestling scene stands out
for me the most.
Probably,
to this day, the best year for movies and music ever; 1987 brought two of my
favourite movies of all time.
The
Monster Squad was a staple watch for me every Halloween and any other day I
felt the urge. While again, not
frightening, its classic tongue-in-cheek tribute to the classic Universal
Studios monsters (though different enough to not upset the studio that refused
to fund this film) and quotable lines make this a must watch. Little known fact, Alberta-native Duncan
Regehr (who played Dracula) won this role after beating out some unknown Irish
actor named Liam Neeson. This movie has
a lot of neat trivia that I highly recommend you look up.
Finally,
my favourite film of the vampire genre (sorry Legosi) was Joel Schumacher’s
popular 80’s pop culture-filled romp, The Lost Boys. Not only great for the likes of Kiefer
Sutherland and Jason Patric, and the then-inseparable pair in Corey Haim and
Corey Feldmen but for the underrated role of the recently deceased Edward
Herrmann as the (spoiler alert) head vampire Max. I rarely find a flaw with this film. The makeup was way ahead of its time, the
acting was actually good and the story was phenomenal. While I may be looking at this with
rose-colored glasses, this is my favourite vampire film ever made.
Also, a
huge nod must be given to Clive Barker’s immortal classic Hellraiser that made
its way to our screens and our hearts that very same year and Sam Raimi’s
sequel to his popular Evil Dead film that has been voted as the number one
B-rated film of all time.
Not an
incredibly exciting year, it still brought us a couple of classics we still all
remember. Chris Sarandon gets back in
the horror saddle and co-stars with everyone’s favourite Good Guy doll in
Child’s Play. Chucky is still around on
the screen and at your local Spencer’s store to this day. While the series has plummeted greatly, the
original film is still revered by most horror fans.
And while
parts threes generally don’t get much notice, Poltergeist III was one of the
spookiest films I’ve seen in a long time and definitely made you scared to look
in a mirror again. While the movie was
OK, it had some fairly iconic scenes (the braces scene and the water puddle
scene), and it also was the last movie the face of the franchise would grace us
with her presence. Heather O’Rourke was
barely over 12 years old when she collapsed at the breakfast table one morning
and died on the way to the hospital. It
was a loss with much controversy and even more sadness.
Rounding
off the decade was 1989. Yet again,
there were many sequels to the usual franchises (Nightmare, Halloween, and
Friday) but a few others that I really enjoyed.
Stephen
King’s Pet Semetary graced screens with a somewhat unoriginal plot but with new
twists. Sadness blended seamlessly with
fright, this film was a must watch for Gage the baby and Munster Fred
Gwynne. This film is still spooky to
this day.
But it
also brought us a cheesy yet scary flick as only Wes Craven can. Gone are the days are his downright scary ones
of Last House on the Left, The Hills Have Eyes and even A Nightmare in Elm
Street, here to stay were his popcorn flicks that he was known for. Shocker was an interesting take on a subject
that was sort of talked about, but never out loud. What if you could transfer your soul to
someone else? What if a killer found a
way? Quite fun and starring X-Files own
Mitch Pileggi, this one is more of a guilty pleasure than a good movie…but I
enjoy it.
That is
my list for the infamous decade that is not soon to be forgotten, especially to
those that lived it. I highly recommend
checking out every film on this list but also to check out others that were
unlisted that made this time period great.
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