Would God approve, or is this Satan's work?

Well it has been 8 months since I last wrote a review. I bet you are wondering what I have been doing all of this time. The short answer is nothing and the long answer is…also nothing, but with a few more words. As I sit in my room I have this urge to write a review, so brace yourself for an in depth look at the 1989 classic The Chilling. By the end of the 80’s the Golden Age of horror was coming to a close. Gone were the inventive and outrageous films young people had come to love, this was mostly to do with stricter rules imposed by the MPAA. The Chilling falls somewhere between classic 80’s horror and what was to become shitty 90’s horror. If you ask most fans of the genre we can all agree the only horrific part of the 90’s were the movies being produced. The plot of The Chilling is simple Universal Cryogenics is freezing people with the promise of reanimation in the distant future. However the director of the company has some sinister motives of his own. It turns out the body of the deceased are being harvested for organs rather then being put into suspended animation. The empty bodies are then wrapped in silver tin foil and placed inside the cryro chambers; giving family members the false impression their loved one can be resurrected. Oh did I also mention the bodies are embalmed with a special green liquid to prevent freezer burn? Well it’s an integral point to the plot. There is one more little piece of information I was supposed to tell you…hmmm, right! The Chilling is a zombie movie. Well we all know that there needs to be some type of event that raises the dead right? Now I have seen some farfetched ideas in horror movies but this could take the number one spot, assuming I never see another farfetched plot in a horror film. During a severe storm the power is knocked out at the cryo facility. This means the frozen meat sacks are slowly thawing out in their cryo tubes and there is no way to keep them cold. Or is there? One of the night security guards has the bright idea to put them out in the cold rain. So one by one the tubes are moved outside. I’ll be honest I was never brightest science student it just wasn’t my scene, but I do know that metal + lightning = fucked. So as the two guards try to fix the power lighting hits each off the tubes, remember the green liquid? Turns out that mixed with lightning turns the bodies into zombies! The best part of the zombies from The Chilling is that they were wrapped in tin foil, so when they finally break free they look like green space zombies. The space zombies start to run amuck and some cheep gore effects follow. I can assume that most of you by now think I didn’t like The Chilling…and you’re wrong. I actually really enjoyed it, sure the movie is terrible but it never tries to be something it’s not which is good. So grab a few drinks and friends and check out The Chilling! But if you still need more convincing Linda Blair stars as a young naïve assistant. I guess after the Exorcist her career went as far as a car with no wheels. But if that still isn’t enough of an incentive to watch The Chilling, then I don’t know why you bothered reading this entire review.

You don't get to 500 million friends without making a few enemies.

With his most recent work David Fincher explores the world’s most popular social networking site Facebook. In this internet age we live in it’s difficult to remember a time before Facebook. A time before you would check your account every 10 minutes for updates. Before you would untag yourself in certain pictures, crop people out of them or make somewhat “ambiguous” status updates that indirectly refer to someone else. Before you would tell someone to just “Facebook me” or “just add me on Facebook.” Yes, it’s hard to believe that Facebook is still quite a new phenomenon, and the film The Social Network explores how a Harvard student changed the world and guaranteed himself a place in history. When I first heard the rumors of a Facebook movie I was quick to laugh off what I assumed would be some lame teen comedy with no substance. The idea itself was just so absurd, much like someone trying to make a film about Twitter or even MySpace. It wasn’t until I found out that David Fincher was signed on as the director that my interest began to rise. Given his previous works I was sure he wouldn’t disappoint. After seeing the film my fears were laid to rest as once again Fincher has lead the audience through an emotional rollercoaster filled with highs and lows. A lot of credit also has to be given to Aaron Sorkin for penning a well crafted script that really keeps the viewer riveted throughout the entire film. Also, Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross deserve a lot of credit for creating the hauntingly yet beautifully dark ambient score to the film. This matched up perfectly with Fincher’s style of using washed out colours and low lighting in scenes, similar to Fight Club. The film also had a great performance by the cast, including a solid Jesse Eisenberg. While I still feel he could use some improvement in his acting, The Social Network shows he is ready to break free from being compared to Michael Cera. However, the best performance was given by Andrew Garfield playing Eduardo Saverin, the co-creator of Facebook. I felt that he really connected with the character and portrayed a naive innocence towards the world that would be hard to top. I am very excited to see how he plays Peter Parker in the upcoming Spiderman reboot. The Social Network takes the viewer on a journey involving trust, betrayal, greed, sacrifice, isolation, loneliness and wanting to belong. The film runs about 2 hours and 30 minutes and my only real complaint was that it seemed rushed. Hopefully there will be a director’s cut released on DVD that will flush out some more of the story. Well it’s been about 20 minutes since I last checked my Facebook and I can already feel the itch coming on, so while I check my Facebook you go see the movie. Then update your status about it.

Can this modern man survive in a Stone Age world?

Most people remember Ruggero Deodato for his 1980’s film Cannibal Holocaust which caused quite an uproar and almost lead to Deodato being convicted of murder. What some do not realize is that Cannibal Holocaust was part of a cannibal trilogy, which started with Jungle Holocaust. Jungle Holocaust was released in 1977 and received little attention it wasn’t till the release of Cannibal Holocaust that people started to take notice. What is interesting about Jungle Holocaust is that it is one of the first Cannibal horror films and it kick started the cannibal trend. The film follows Robert Harper a wealthy entrepreneur who is travelling to a jungle located in New Guinea, although we are never really told his reasons for going. All we know is that there is a team of scientists waiting for him and they’ve discovered a tribe of natives thought to be extinct. Of course this tribe happens to be cannibals obsessed with consuming everything they come across.
After Roberts’s plane crashes he is left stranded in the middle of jungle and finds himself being stocked by a cannibalistic tribe of natives. It doesn’t really take much thought to realize that what this movie will amount to, which great gore and silly situations and over the top killings. Now if you are like me and love your movies with lots of guts and mayhem Jungle Holocaust does not disappoint. From man eating ants to human barbeque this movie will gross out even the most jaded fans, to some degree. Personally I found the sequence where a woman gives birth and immediately drowns the baby to be one of the more intense scenes. But what really stood out was when Robert rapes and beats one of the female tribe members and then she becomes his “wife.” This was my “what the fuck?” moment in the film.
Anyway if you want to see a half naked man run through the jungle being chased by even more naked natives then Jungle Holocaust is your movie. If you want to see half naked women also in the jungle this is your movie. If you want gore and senseless killing well I am pretty sure that you get the idea at this point so just go watch it already!

The Ultimate Experience Of Inner Terror

During the late 70’s and into the 80’s David Cronenberg was one of the leading horror directors and writers. He became known for his body horror films and his 1979 film The Brood continued this exploration.
The Brood is a film about Frank Carveth a father trying to take care of his young daughter Candice Carveth. Her mother Nola Carveth spends the film in a psychotherapy clinic deep within the northern woods of Ontario. She is being treated for an unexplained illness by Dr. Hal Raglan, a psychologist with an obsession with the power of human rage.
AS the film starts as we are introduced to Dr. Raglan who is giving a demonstration of his hypnosis style of psychology between him and another patient.
Shorty after this the film quickly takes a dark turn when Frank finds severe bruising on Candice. Suspecting that her mother is the aggressor he confronts Dr. Raglan. After unsuccessfully trying to get answers from the doctor, Frank forbids anymore visitation between Candice and Nola.
As Nola continues her therapy Dr. Raglan is able to help her manifest her rage into deformed creatures, using his knowledge of Psychoplasmics.
Fueled by Nola’s rage these creatures whose appearance is similar to Candice begin to murder. The first victim is Nola’s mother as we are lead to believe that she hit and abused Nola while she was a child.
The attacks of the rage creatures become more frequent as the therapy between Dr. Raglan and Nola continue. The attempts made by Frank to stop the treatment are met with additional attacks by these creatures.
It is during the last act of the film that we are introduced to the type of physical horror Cronenberg has become known for. As the final confrontation takes place between Frank and Nola we learn that the rage creatures are birthed externally. They are created within an amniotic sac located on the lower abdomen of Nola. This sequence is very disturbing and is a precursor to later works of Cronenberg and his exploration of the body.
Although the film looks very dated I still found The Brood to be an interesting and engaging film. It’s quite progressive in that it deals with the issue of child abuse. It has been said that Cronenberg wrote this story while going through a divorce and custody battle with his wife. He has also said that Nola has similar characteristics to his ex-wife.
I would suggest this film to people who are already familiar with the work of Cronenberg but not as a starting point for those just discovering his films.

The Terror Is Back....But This Time It Flies!

Love or hate James Cameron no one can deny the impact he has had on North American cinema. From his horror science fiction epic The Terminator to his Pocahontas rip off Avatar James Cameron has always pushed the boundaries of film. However in 1981 Cameron released an all but forgotten B movie gem called Piranha 2: The Spawning. Now before I go any further I must say that if you are not a fan of trashy B cinema then take a pass on this one. But if you are like me and consider yourself a connoisseur of terrible films then Piranha 2: The Spawning is for you. The first Piranha film came out in 1978 and was directed by Joe Dante it followed a town that’s water system becomes infested with piranhas. These piranhas were created by the U.S. military and were going to be used in Vietnam against the Vietcong. Needless to say that doesn’t happen and they end up killing few of the town’s people, flash forward several years and the piranhas are back! But this time they are located off the coast of a nameless Caribbean island.
The plot for Piranha 2: The Spawning is roughly this, the American government didn’t learn the first time and now have genetically engineered piranha that can survive on land. But that isn’t the best part because these piranhas can fly! Yes that’s right killer flying fish, just when you thought the American government could fuck anything else up they create killer flying fish.
So who are the characters of this cinematic master piece? Tricia O'Neil plays Anne Kimbrough a diving instructor/ marine biologist who works at a hotel resort. Her son Chris Kimbrough played by Ricky Paull Goldin spends most of the movie as a ship hand on a small sail boat and finally Lance Henriksen as Police Chief Steve Kimbrough who is always one step behind the crafty piranha. Also I should note Tyler Sherman played by Steve Marachuk who is sent in by the government to clean up the mess/try to bring back a specimen for testing (we all know how that always turns out).
Most of the film is a muddled mess but it’s not without its charm there are a few key scenes that really make this film what it is. The first is underwater scuba sex scene which by all accounts makes no sense but getting to see underwater boobs is pretty good in my opinion. The next key scene takes place in the morgue when one of the staff members is killed by the flying terrors. The fish in this scene looks like it’s on a string and at some points looks like a hand puppet. I was dying of laughter when I saw this but it didn’t come close to the climax of the film.
The beach sequence finds the resort guests being attacked during a late night beach party with some pretty great gore scenes. Also seeing flying fish that look fake and kill people is amazing in itself. Now I know that I didn’t really give too much of the plot in this review and that’s because this film have to be seen to believed. So here is hoping that you are now somewhat interested in this film and will seek it out, or ask to borrow it from me.

There's more than one way to lose your life to a killer

David Fincher is an interesting director he is one of the few people that works within Hollywood but doesn’t follow the Hollywood formula. His films have always dealt with disturbing subject matter and examine the human condition. I first became of fan of Fincher when I saw the movie Se7en. Released in 1995 the film follows two detectives as they hunt down a serial killer, who commits murders based on the seven deadly sins. Looking back Se7en was really a precursor to the Saw franchise which is enjoying great success. But what separates the gory and often ludicrous Saw from Se7en is David Fincher’s ability to tell a story. Fincher is a great story teller and it has been apparent in all his works, he makes you care about the characters and associate yourself with them. How many people have left like Edward Norton’s character in Fight Club? Wanting to break free from the constraints of society and not letting anyone stand in your way? In 2007 David Fincher released his in my opinion most mature thought proving film Zodiac.
Zodiac was based on the true crimes of the Zodiac Killer who reined havoc in California during late 1960’s. Although the killer was never caught and the case remains unsolved it still generates much controversy. The film Zodiac is a gripping thriller lead by an exceptional cast Jake Gyllenhaal plays Robert Graysmith a young cartoonist for the San Francisco Chronicle. Robert Downey Jr. plays Paul Avery a chain smoking and hard drinking reporter also for the S.F. Chronicle and Mark Ruffalo is Inspector David Toschi the cop who is always one step behind the Zodiac Killer. Part of the power of the film comes from these performances. I think that this movie started Robert Downey Jr.’s climb back to the top. You can see where he took elements from Paul Avery and put them into his Tony Stark character in Ironman. Jake Gyllenhaal plays his character with a naïve boyish charm that you can’t help but love. I think that his character Robert Graysmith is one that a lot of people can relate too. Finally Mark Ruffalo performance as Inspector David Toschi is completely underrated he definitely steals the second half of the film for me.
What I liked most about this film was the opening. If a movie doesn’t grab you in those first few minutes then is it ever really worth watching? In the opening of Zodiac we are treated to a beautiful skyline of the city with fireworks going off. The shot was just haunting as it feels like something horrible is going to happen before the first line of dialogue is even spoken. Then we are then shown a young couple getting fairly cozy with each other in a car on a rural dirt road. The sequence is all played out to the song Hurdy Gurdy Man by Donovan which sent chills up my spine. Soon after the couple realize that they are not alone and are brutally gunned down by the Zodiac Killer. This opening sets the tone for the whole film and will keep you stuck in your seat. Zodiac clocks in at about 2hrs and 40minutes and keeps you guessing every minutes of the way. Just when you think that you have figured out whom the killer is the movie will take a sharp turn in the other direction. A lot of credit needs to be given to Daivd Fincher and the cast and crew without them this amazing film would have never turned out the way that it did.
Zodiac was one of the most underrated films of the 00’s it was unfortunate that more people hadn’t seen it. The good thing is that is it available on DVD and you can either download it, rent it or if you know me I’ll lend it to you. I give Zodiac a 4/5 and highly suggest it to everyone, if you need anymore convincing listen to Hurdy Gurdy Man by Donovan and that should send you on the right path.
-Dylan

I am back!

I am back! Anyone that has read my previous blog might have noticed two things. The first is that I was only reviewing horror movies. The second is that I hadn’t updated or posted in a few months. What I have decided to do is a reworking of my old blog. I am going to review all genres of film and I plan to post at least one review a week. Also if anyone following my blog would like to suggest some movies for me to watch I am always up for those hidden gems. I really hope that this new and improved version of my old blog will turn some people on to movies they would have never seen. My passion for movies is not just limited to the horror genre and I think that was one of issues with my old blog it was to specific. Anyway enough of my droning, let’s get to the movies! I plan to write a few reviews this weekend and this coming week so there is lots to look forward too. Some of my planned reviews are Oliver Stone’s JFK, David Lynch’s Dune, David Fincher’s Zodiac and Stanly Kubrick’s Eyes Wide Shut. So get out the popcorn and grab a seat on the couch and prepare to see some great flicks.
-Dylan