Weekly Review -- Techno fright

What is it with technology and horror films? From the camcorder as a tool that records the supernatural in The Blair Witch Project to The Ring demonizing a video tape, our nifty electronics have always managed to find their way into horror cinema, be it as an active part of the observing party or as the ghoulish subject. Part of the phenomenon is certainly our obsession with, and fear of, the unknown; a subconscious premonition of how these gadgets may negatively influence our carefully preserved world. The following two films are prime examples of doom amidst technology; however, the ways in which the devices are utilized to provoke fear, and the effectiveness of the same, differ substantially from one to the other.


Cloverfield (2008) -- A monster movie from a cleverly gimmicky 21st century perspective -- who woulda thunk it? Combining an old concept with a new way to show it works perfectly in Matt Reeves' Cloverfield, which tells the story of a group of friends caught up in a monster attack in New York City. As a going-away party for Rob (Michael Stahl-David) is in progress, the revelers notice chaos brewing outside. Soon, everyone is running for their lives, as an otherworldly creature starts to wreak havoc on the surroundings... While the scant trailers leave the impression of an explosive horror adventure, the film is surprisingly creepy and poignant, with dashes of dark humor to spice it up. Presenting the film as a classified Pentagon document amps up the story's conviction, as does the cast of unknowns, which make us see the characters as regular people living everyday lives, and suddenly finding themselves in an extraordinary predicament. The first-person perspective and constant disjointed movement of the camera increases the urgency of the proceedings that much more, since the standard way of storytelling would not have done the idea justice. The action scenes are loud, violent and perilous; precisely how one would expect these situations to feel from the point of view of unwilling participants. One of the best parts is at the beginning of all the mayhem, when the group is trying to figure out just what it is they saw, or maybe did not see, in an instant. The creature scenes are dark and disorienting; not displaying too much is essential to the element of dread, and the filmmakers are aware of it, choosing to obscure the whole in favor of occasionally surprising the audience. Essentially, the movie is a novelty; however, it is an entertaining and scary ride from start to finish. You will be glad to have sneaked a peek at this classified file.

7/10


One Missed Call (2008) -- One of the many Asian horror remakes of recent years, this Eric Valette movie is a feeble attempt at best. Psychology student Beth (Shannyn Sossamon) and her friends start receiving strange calls from the future, which contain the sound of each person dying a violent death. Beth teams up with a detective (Edward Burns) to discover the origin of the phone calls, but then receives a call herself... Contrary to the above mentioned prime example The Ring, which uses every new detail to build up suspense and brings up fragments of the characters' backgrounds to add layers to the gloomy story, One Missed Call simply lists its scares in a pedestrian manner, occasionally throwing in the characters' histories in an attempt to mix things up a bit. It simply does not work, since the parts do not manage to make a cohesive whole. The screenplay feels sloppy and rushed, while the direction feels amateurish. The acting is not much better. Sossamon's monotone voice does not help her express her character's anguish and loss, while the usually reliable Burns -- the obvious jokes do not end here -- phones it in. This movie also marks the first, and hopefully last time, that I have seen an exorcism being performed on a cell phone. I kid you not. This is a call that deserves to be missed.

3/10

Weekly Review -- Suspenseless horror

P2 (2007) -- There are horror movies that amaze you with their ingenuity and clever suspense build-up, and then there are movies that stun you with their stupidity and lack of tension. Unfortunately, P2 belongs in the latter category. With its doltish characters, over-the-top gore and insipid acting, this effort is probably one of the worst horror movies I have seen in the past year or so. Businesswoman Angela (Rachel Nichols) gets locked inside her office building parking garage, after having stayed to work overtime on Christmas Eve. She repels the not-so-subtle advances of seemingly helpful security guard Thomas (Wes Bentley), and soon discovers that he has nefarious plans in store for her. I did not believe one line that Nichols uttered; it was only in the last 30 minutes or so that her performance became somewhat believable. The situation is reversed for Bentley, who is adequately threatening in the beginning, but whose performance turns into a caricature of itself by the end. As far as their characters go, Angela knows her way around an intense predicament, but is still nothing more than a stereotypical damsel-in-distress character. For a burgeoning psycho, Thomas is surprisingly ineffectual and unresourceful. The only good things about the film are the opening scene -- you will be expecting a lot afterwards, but don't be fooled -- and the location, which gives a lot of room to move in terms of creating taut chase sequences and innovative twists. Instead, the filmmakers opted to make a movie that is low on suspense, but high on bloody violence without context or meaning. The most disgusting murder scene feels like it is only there for their kicks, while some of the proceedings can make the viewers scratch their heads. In our era of cell phones, iPods and other gadgets, would one phone in the building or on even one parking level be that impossible to find? And what was with the police? They never even thought of looking into Thomas' quarters and pretty much gave up after one drive around the garage. There are these and a million other questions, but finding the answers is really not worth it. "A new level of terror"? A new level of blandness is more like it. Avoid this one if you can find any decent movies to watch.

4/10

Weekly Review -- Tortured beauty

Pan's Labyrinth (2006) -- In today's era of gore, crass humor, sequels, prequels and who-knows-what-quels, rare are the times when one actually has a chance to connect with a film emotionally. Rare is a film that captures you, stays in your mind and does not let go; even more of a rarity is a film that takes one part of your soul, which you have willingly given away. A haunting work of cinematic beauty, this Guillermo del Toro masterpiece does all this and more, taking the audience on a journey from innocence to evil to solace to agony and back again. 

In 1944 Spain, imaginative Ofelia (Ivana Baquero) travels to the countryside with her mother (Ariadna Gil), who has just married a vicious army officer (Sergi López). Through her thoughts and the stories she is reading, she soon creates a fantasy world which helps her escape her harsh surroundings. She becomes more and more immersed in it, while the reality around her is disintegrating... 

The film is a true work of art. The set design and creature design is striking and inspired, while the splendid cinematography alternates from monochrome darkness to vigilant incandescence, adding to the sense of the principal character's isolation. The screenplay, written by del Toro, explores the story with truthful poignancy, weaving Ofelia's penchant and desire for escapism with the horror of the era.

The acting is marvelous. Baquero is sympathetic as Ofelia, the child thrust into circumstances beyond her grasp, who uses her daydreams to create her own realm of bearable existence. There are some very good supporting turns, including López's Captain Vidal -- evil personified and thankfully fictional, as much as we know that World War II was an assembly line of Vidals. 

This is all that I am going to say about this film, since it is a work that one needs to discover for themselves. Pan's Labyrinth is unlike anything that you have ever seen. It is quite simply the best film of 2006, one that will speak to your heart and one that you will never forget.

10/10