Trailerblazing -- Room 237

Room 237 (2012) -- March 29, 2013 -- directed by Rodney Ascher

I had heard of this film a few months ago, when it was playing at the Toronto International Film Festival. The Shining is a horror classic that gave new meaning to the term "cabin fever" and made us forever wary of hedge mazes. Now director Ascher has made an interest-piquing documentary that delves into the 1980 film's themes and symbolism. From what I understand, the theories offered range from truly riveting to quite ludicrous to downright offensive, with the absurdity even making some viewers believe that the piece is a mockumentary. Still, when is The Shining not intriguing? Any debate or dispute or controversy regarding this horror staple is fascinating and it is actually surprising that no one has thought of analyzing the film in this manner earlier. I am looking forward to hearing opinions that Room 237 is boasting.

Trailerblazing -- Trance

Due to technical difficulties (boo!), I was not able to post write-ups last weekend. However, I am back today with what seems like a tale that could bring the caper sub-genre back into pop culture's focus.

Trance -- April 5, 2013 -- directed by Danny Boyle -- starring James McAvoy, Rosario Dawson, Vincent Cassel 

This story could have ended up being a generic crime thriller in lesser hands but, when we know that Boyle is directing, we also know that the film is going to be far from a superficial popcorn flick. Based on the footage released so far, we get the director's trademark quirky lighting elements and the gorgeous cinematography by Anthony Dod Mantle, who has collaborated with Boyle on other projects. McAvoy and Cassel are amazing actors and I do hope that they have good antagonist chemistry. Can you tell that I am still mourning Trance's loss of Michael Fassbender? Dawson shines in dramas like Descent (check that one out now) and Seven Pounds, and this role is a chance for her to further stretch her acting muscle. We must not forget that Boyle is all about creating unique portrayals -- just remember James Franco in 127 Hours or Cillian Murphy and Naomi Harris in their 28 Days Later breakout roles. All in all, this piece looks like an actor's narrative, set up and woven by an innovative filmmaker. I cannot wait.

Weekly Review -- The fourth time around

Paranormal Activity 4 (2012) -- There is something to be said for a horror film when the poster turns out to be more frightening that the work itself. The fourth installment of the enormously popular franchise does not deliver on any level, except in terms of basic chills and thrills. It does not offer anything that we have not seen before and does not come close to the creepy, ominous original.

This time, we find ourselves in Henderson, Nevada, where a family is taking care of a neighbor's boy while his mother is in the hospital. Teenager Alex (Kathryn Newton) and her boyfriend Ben (Matt Shively) notice strange things taking place, eerily parallel to the boy's stay in the house. Objects disappear, invisible shapes move around at night and Alex's little brother gets hurt. As they start investigating, they discover that they might be in over their heads...

The film is full of empty scares and inconsistencies. Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman's directing is good, as was the case with the previous sequel, but the screenplay feels sloppy and hurried. The only remotely thrilling sequences are the ones involving the Xbox Kinect, and those still drag on at times. The coven idea did not work for me in the last installment and is even less effective in this one. Are those witches/demons/whatnot supposed to have attacked a certain character? Killed them? Munched on them perhaps? Since when do we have a million of them? Nothing is explained. And what was with the whole child-in-a-buggy concept? There is only one single film that comes to mind when we see a child in a buggy encountering a supernatural presence. Please do not steal from The Shining. Not ever. It will always be light years ahead of this entire franchise. Also, it is funny how no one ever drops the camera -- lives might be at stake, but hey, what is danger if we do not film it for posterity? What about Katie? Was no one searching for her at all? Logic is definitely not the film's strong suit. 

Paranormal Activity 4 is one installment too many. It attempts to cash in on the success of the series -- based on the figures, it is succeeding -- but offers absolutely nothing new in terms of genre innovation. I do hope that the fifth one reverts to the original because, if it does not, the franchise is more doomed than its characters.

4/10

Trailerblazing -- Dead Man Down/Olympus Has Fallen

Which cinema buff does not love trailers? They are the first part of a film that is decidedly ours, the first point of contact with the characters and the story and the first rush of excitement that a film can give its audience. In the spirit of contemplation, I have decided to leave some space each week for trailers that catch my eye and this week I am looking at two March releases. 

Dead Man Down -- March 8, 2013 -- directed by Niels Arden Oplev -- starring Colin Farrell, Noomi Rapace, Dominic Cooper, Terrence Howard, Isabelle Huppert

The first thing that comes to mind? Ambiance and more ambiance. Being that Oplev had also directed the original Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, we know that gritty visuals, uncompromising yet stylized violence and tough-as-nails characters are a given. I am loving the idea of Farrell as a not-so-good and not-so-bad guy, Howard as a gangster without a shred of conscience and Rapace as a femme fatale with a twist. The story seems like a post-millennial generation noir, with plenty of action to spare. However, I hope that the film does not get too eager with its slow motion sequences. When it comes to effects, less is always more, unless we are talking about Avatar. All in all, I am really looking forward to this one. It has been a while since we saw a truly engaging, adult thriller that detonates its audiences' expectations like a grenade and this film has that kind of potential. 

 

Olympus Has Fallen -- March 22, 2013 -- directed by Antoine Fuqua -- starring Gerard Butler, Aaron Eckhart, Morgan Freeman, Angela Bassett, Ashley Judd

This trailer thrilled me to no end. I love a good action film, I love this entire cast and the context of international intrigue gives the screenwriters a whole lot to play with. Sure, there are some lines and situations that bring Air Force One to mind, but the story seems to pose some interesting quandaries for the two principal characters and the effects look like they will be a blast to enjoy on the big screen. I also hope that the film signals a new, more mature genre era. Not all viewers are enthralled by Transformers and its ilk; some of us prefer to see relationships and issues being played out within a slam-bang deck of cards. Olympus Has Fallen could be a sleeper or an outright hit. Based on the trailer, there really is no other option.

Happy viewing to all! See you next week!