Weekly Review -- Weekend of scares

Stay Alive (2006) – Between The Exorcist, Candyman, Urban Legend and other horror gems dominating the airwaves these days, I squeezed in this horror film. After their friend is found murdered, a group of 20-somethings start playing “Stay Alive”, a game he played right before he died. The game is based on the gruesome tale of Elizabeth Bathory, otherwise known as the Blood Countess, who butchered hundreds of girls in the 17th century in her quest for eternal youth. Strange events start occurring, as the friends realize that the title is a wee bit more literal than they could have imagined – if a player dies while playing, they die the same way in real life. Now the group, which includes loner Hutch (Jon Foster), Goth girl October (Sophia Bush) and her slacker brother Phineas (Jimmi Simpson), must figure out the game’s origins while trying to survive the wrath of what seems to be Bathory’s ghost. First off, I have to say that I did not appreciate transplanting the entire legend of Bathory to the States without any acknowledgement, but I could not expect much from a film with so few original ideas. The film borrows freely from The Ring, while spicing up the proceedings with I Know What You Did Last Summer-style teen angst. While the far superior Ring’s main attractions were a video tape that killed the viewer seven days after they have watched it, spectral entities that appeared out of nowhere and a story shrouded in a mystery, Stay Alive showcases a game that kills the player after they have played it, spectral entities that appear out of nowhere and another story shrouded in a mystery; even the audio effects resemble those from The Ring. The writing leaves much to be desired, what with “hilarious” lines such as “The problem with your mouth is that stupid, insensitive shit comes out of it”. The acting is forgettable and the characters are cinematic clichés. The only actor that comes out unscathed is Foster, who does the best he can incorporating his character’s back story into his present; the problem is, this incident’s expositional dramatics feel out of place. I did think that the display of parallels between the game’s events and real life events was very imaginative. I also liked the suitably dark and moody cinematography, but thought it was too dark and moody in the barely visible opening scene. This horror entry is entertaining enough, with some cool effects and good twists, but suffers from bad characterizations and an advanced case of rip-off syndrome. If and when a sequel is made, let us hope it shows some promise of inventiveness.

5/10


The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003) -- I caught this film by accident. I had wanted to rent it for a while, since the 1974 original was one of the films I learned about during my M.A. studies and had struck me with its portrayal of the clash between innocence and madness. In August 1973, four friends are traveling through small-town Texas to get to a Lynyrd Skynyrd concert in Dallas. They pick up a hitchhiker, who not only seems to be hallucinating and frightened, but also proceeds to commit suicide, to everyone's shock. As the group look for authorities and are given the run-around, they realize that someone is sabotaging their attempts to leave; namely, the members of a cannibalistic family led by Thomas Hewitt (Andrew Bryniarski), known affectionately as Leatherface, whose main life pursuit is chasing his prey while wielding a chainsaw. With no one to help them and the night closing in on their isolation, the friends have to rely on their wits if they want to survive the family's insanity. Contrary to some other remakes, director Marcus Nispel's Texas Chainsaw Massacre is not too shabby; in fact, it is downright gruesome and frightening. One of the best aspects of the original was its depiction of the human psyche stripped of all humanity, empathy and remorse. While the remake relies more on the stylized low-budget feel and jumps, it still succeeds in portraying depraved actions some humans are capable of, and these elements contribute to its aim. The scene with the hitchhiker's corpse gave me the chills, as did Leatherface's hunts and subsequent kills. The acting is not the strongest point of the film -- the cinematography, camerawork and editing would be it -- but is convincing throughout. Jessica Biel, who usually fails to impress me, does a very good job as Erin. Her character evolves from passer-by to victim to potential survivor, all the while being tough as nails. R. Lee Ermey simultaneously disgusts and scares as Sheriff Hoyt, while Bryniarski is effectively monstrous as Leatherface. The atmosphere in the opening and closing scenes is reminiscent of the original in its raw quality, bringing an archival authenticity to the story. I also thought that some changes made to the script, i.e. a teenage girl instead of a male hitchhiker and the compassionate murder of one of the characters, were not merely add-ons; instead, they added an emotional punch to the events. Nispel's film remains faithful to the original's core themes and creates a psychological impact on its own, making it one of the better cinematic reiterations out there.

8/10