The ‘80s were filled with straight to video sequels of horror films of which the Silent Night, Deadly Night franchise produced its fair share. This second sequel Part 3 Better Watch Out! Was the final story featuring the original “Santa Claus Killer” Ricky Caldwell (this time played by Bill Moseley) who has been kept alive through scientific experimentation. This Dr. Newbury (Richard Beymer) is using Caldwell and experimenting with ESP but doesn’t realize that Caldwell has created a psychic link with a blind woman Laura Anderson (Samantha Scully) who is celebrating the holidays with her brother and girlfriend. Caldwell escapes from Dr. Newbury and people get killed and that’s pretty much it for this film.
The ‘80s were notorious for slasher films that simply presented a killer that killed people for very little reason and that sums up the plot for this film. Written by Carlos Laszlo and directed by Monte Hellman, who directed the drive-in cult classic Two-Lane Backdrop, this film is a by the numbers slasher film on a very limited budget as neither the look of the film nor the kills are as elaborate or intricate as the previous two films. This film is only really for fans of the franchise. I can’t even recommend it to fans of Moseley as he has very little to do other than walk around like a mindless zombie the whole film. It is interesting to note that the film has an early appearance from actress Laura Harring (from Mulholland Dr. and the remake of Willard, to name a few films on her horror resume).
I remember seeing this film when it was originally released and I actually remember liking it (this film along with its brethren made for great holiday viewing every year) but the film has aged horribly (and was probably not all that good when originally released).
CITY GARDEN - "The Old Woman & The Park"
On the set of the short film "A Gift"
Showing posts with label jigsaw Killer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label jigsaw Killer. Show all posts
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Remaking FRIDAY THE 13TH For A New Generation!
I’m not a fan of the FRIDAY THE 13TH film series but there is no denying the impact it has had not only on the slasher genre but on the horror genre as a whole. It is one of the longest running horror franchises (unless you include GODZILLA in this group) and there has never been a doubt that there would be another film (even after the abysmal response to JASON X). If there is any franchise that needs a make-over it would be this one and when I heard about the remake I was actually intrigued by the concept as it was not going to be a remake of the original film (in which the killer Jason Voorhees only shows up in a dream sequence) but a loose origin film.
Hearing that director Marcus Nispel, who so excellently revived THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE franchise, was at the helm was a plus as I enjoyed both that film and his other film PATHFINDER, so, I knew the film was in good hands. And even though I hate just about every film Michael Bay has ever directed, his production studio Platinum Dunes has crafted some of the best remakes in the past few years. When I saw the first trailer of the remake I was hooked; I was definitely going to be in line to see this new Voorhees on the coveted day Friday the 13th (aka Feb. 13).
Boy was I let down.
Even though I had high expectations for the remake (which so very few films ever reach) I was not expecting this completely derivative hack ‘n slash film that resembled some of the worst FRIDAY plots from past films. A bunch of party and sex crazed kids go out to the woods for the ultimate party weekend and piss the “killer in the woods” off and then get killed one by one, all the while continuing to do the “stupid” thing rather then the smart thing. Is it my opinion or has the horror genre gotten worse over the years. In this new age of “smart” horror films (i.e. 28 DAYS LATER, THE SIXTH SENSE, THE MIST, THE DESCENT, BROTHERHOOD OF THE WOLF), why is it still customary to have these throwbacks to bad ‘80s horror movies that don’t even try to be better then the films they are remaking?
This new FRIDAY starts off with a bang with the beheading of Pamela Voorhees (like the end of the original film) and then jumps to present day with a group of back backers looking for weed in Jason’s back yard. They stumble upon the dilapidated Camp Crystal Lake and soon fall victim to Jason’s blade. All of this is done with style and flair by Nispel and gets you hooked into the film (even though the prologue is a bit long). The running Jason actually is an improvement and as played by Derek Mears I say he is the best Jason so far, hands down. Then once the title “FRIDAY THE 13TH” graces the screen it all goes down hill from there. Clay Miller (Jared Padelecki) is in town searching for his sister (who disappeared during the opening of the film), again, when he crosses path with the group of party drinkers and sex seekers (that I mentioned before), none of which are at all remotely interesting.
Clay and the partier’s paths cross once they step into Jason’s playground, but there in lies the biggest problem with the film. The characters don’t actually have to enter Jason’s Camp Crystal Lake to be killed. The first two are killed on the lake (in one of the best kills seen in any of the franchise’s films); a lake, which is used by presumably hundreds of people all the time. I hate to say this but if Jason just killed random people on the lake all the time he sure wouldn’t have been able to keep himself secret for as long as he has. The next thing is that Camp Crystal Lake (or what’s left of it) is suppose to be on the other side of the lake from the house in which the main action takes place. If the two people killed on the lake had to take the car out to the dock to get to the boat (which has to be near the camp) then how in the heck can Jason get from his camp to the house and why would he even want to?
From the moment you learn that Jason did not kill Clay’s sister (but kept her as a prisoner in his domicile) the logic behind the film is thrown out the window and it’s hard to bother with the rest of it as each of the impending victims do the opposite of what they should do even when they are warned not to. The film is filled with everything that killed the slasher genre to begin with.
This isn’t all of Nispel’s fault as he brings the “scare” back to one of the horror icons biggest characters. Death scenes are extremely well done and the production design overall is better then all the other films combined. The cinematography is top notch for a horror film of this type but much of this will get over looked by the bad screenplay with all to often flat characters that you want Jason to kill.
Hearing that director Marcus Nispel, who so excellently revived THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE franchise, was at the helm was a plus as I enjoyed both that film and his other film PATHFINDER, so, I knew the film was in good hands. And even though I hate just about every film Michael Bay has ever directed, his production studio Platinum Dunes has crafted some of the best remakes in the past few years. When I saw the first trailer of the remake I was hooked; I was definitely going to be in line to see this new Voorhees on the coveted day Friday the 13th (aka Feb. 13).
Boy was I let down.
Even though I had high expectations for the remake (which so very few films ever reach) I was not expecting this completely derivative hack ‘n slash film that resembled some of the worst FRIDAY plots from past films. A bunch of party and sex crazed kids go out to the woods for the ultimate party weekend and piss the “killer in the woods” off and then get killed one by one, all the while continuing to do the “stupid” thing rather then the smart thing. Is it my opinion or has the horror genre gotten worse over the years. In this new age of “smart” horror films (i.e. 28 DAYS LATER, THE SIXTH SENSE, THE MIST, THE DESCENT, BROTHERHOOD OF THE WOLF), why is it still customary to have these throwbacks to bad ‘80s horror movies that don’t even try to be better then the films they are remaking?
This new FRIDAY starts off with a bang with the beheading of Pamela Voorhees (like the end of the original film) and then jumps to present day with a group of back backers looking for weed in Jason’s back yard. They stumble upon the dilapidated Camp Crystal Lake and soon fall victim to Jason’s blade. All of this is done with style and flair by Nispel and gets you hooked into the film (even though the prologue is a bit long). The running Jason actually is an improvement and as played by Derek Mears I say he is the best Jason so far, hands down. Then once the title “FRIDAY THE 13TH” graces the screen it all goes down hill from there. Clay Miller (Jared Padelecki) is in town searching for his sister (who disappeared during the opening of the film), again, when he crosses path with the group of party drinkers and sex seekers (that I mentioned before), none of which are at all remotely interesting.
Clay and the partier’s paths cross once they step into Jason’s playground, but there in lies the biggest problem with the film. The characters don’t actually have to enter Jason’s Camp Crystal Lake to be killed. The first two are killed on the lake (in one of the best kills seen in any of the franchise’s films); a lake, which is used by presumably hundreds of people all the time. I hate to say this but if Jason just killed random people on the lake all the time he sure wouldn’t have been able to keep himself secret for as long as he has. The next thing is that Camp Crystal Lake (or what’s left of it) is suppose to be on the other side of the lake from the house in which the main action takes place. If the two people killed on the lake had to take the car out to the dock to get to the boat (which has to be near the camp) then how in the heck can Jason get from his camp to the house and why would he even want to?
From the moment you learn that Jason did not kill Clay’s sister (but kept her as a prisoner in his domicile) the logic behind the film is thrown out the window and it’s hard to bother with the rest of it as each of the impending victims do the opposite of what they should do even when they are warned not to. The film is filled with everything that killed the slasher genre to begin with.
This isn’t all of Nispel’s fault as he brings the “scare” back to one of the horror icons biggest characters. Death scenes are extremely well done and the production design overall is better then all the other films combined. The cinematography is top notch for a horror film of this type but much of this will get over looked by the bad screenplay with all to often flat characters that you want Jason to kill.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
MY BLOODY VALENTINE IN 3-D Makes it's Mark!
Remakes are in the air and MY BLOODY VALENTINE in 3-D is the first one to step out of the gates for 2009. Although I’ve never had the chance of viewing the original, I came with an open mind when I went with a group of my friends to go see this film. The bonus of viewing this film is the fact that it is in digital 3-D (which I’ve seen everything from U2 3D to BEOWULF to HARRY POTTER & THE ORDER OF THE PHOENIX in this new format) which many of my friends had never seen a film in.
Although the film’s plot is very derivative the added bonus of it being in 3-D was what made me enjoy the film more then I probably should have. The film concerns Tom Hanniger (Jensen Ackles) who returns to his mining time home after a ten year disappearing act. You see, ten years ago a miner went crazy and killed a bunch of town’s people and almost killed Tom. The incident left Tom scarred for life. When he returns home all he wants to do is sale off the mine where the incident happened (and which he owns over 50%) and get on with his life which might include his former sweetheart Sarah (Jaime King), who when after he left married Axel (Kerr Smith) who is now the town Sherriff. When bodies start popping up again on the ten anniversary of the Valentine’s Day massacre all blame points to Tom, but is Tom really responsible or has the killer from ten years back decided to finish what he started a long time ago?
MY BLOODY VALENTINE works not only because of the 3-D effects (although they do help) but because the film does not pull any punches in terms of scares and suspense and violence (which there is plenty of). It relies on audiences to actually be terrified of what’s on the screen in the same way that the SCREAM films tapped into that same basic instinct and reaction (which is why those films were so popular).
I’ve seen a lot of horror films so I may be a bit jaded but there is little presented in MY BLOODY VALENTINE that is actually new (many fans will recognize the FRIDAY THE 13TH and WRONG TURN references right away) but the addition of the digital 3-D goes a long way in allowing you to forget all of that in order to just sit back and enjoy the roller coaster ride. The end may get a little over-convoluted especially when the rest of the films plays it loose but there is nothing that will deter you from having a good time, so, just put on your 3-D glasses, hold on to your date (or allow them to hold onto you), and sit back and enjoy the ride because who knows when the next one will be.
Although the film’s plot is very derivative the added bonus of it being in 3-D was what made me enjoy the film more then I probably should have. The film concerns Tom Hanniger (Jensen Ackles) who returns to his mining time home after a ten year disappearing act. You see, ten years ago a miner went crazy and killed a bunch of town’s people and almost killed Tom. The incident left Tom scarred for life. When he returns home all he wants to do is sale off the mine where the incident happened (and which he owns over 50%) and get on with his life which might include his former sweetheart Sarah (Jaime King), who when after he left married Axel (Kerr Smith) who is now the town Sherriff. When bodies start popping up again on the ten anniversary of the Valentine’s Day massacre all blame points to Tom, but is Tom really responsible or has the killer from ten years back decided to finish what he started a long time ago?
MY BLOODY VALENTINE works not only because of the 3-D effects (although they do help) but because the film does not pull any punches in terms of scares and suspense and violence (which there is plenty of). It relies on audiences to actually be terrified of what’s on the screen in the same way that the SCREAM films tapped into that same basic instinct and reaction (which is why those films were so popular).
I’ve seen a lot of horror films so I may be a bit jaded but there is little presented in MY BLOODY VALENTINE that is actually new (many fans will recognize the FRIDAY THE 13TH and WRONG TURN references right away) but the addition of the digital 3-D goes a long way in allowing you to forget all of that in order to just sit back and enjoy the roller coaster ride. The end may get a little over-convoluted especially when the rest of the films plays it loose but there is nothing that will deter you from having a good time, so, just put on your 3-D glasses, hold on to your date (or allow them to hold onto you), and sit back and enjoy the ride because who knows when the next one will be.
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
"If It's Halloween, It Must Be - " SAW V: A Review
There are a lot of people out there whom after four SAW films would like to think that the series has run out of steam and that there just isn’t even anything else left to say with the series or characters, but in true SAW tradition you never know or can see the whole picture until the filmmakers of SAW want you to see it.
Avid fans of the series have come to expect a lot from the series in terms of complex and gruesome traps for the victims not to mention a morality tale that gets turned on its head in the closing moments of each film revealing details that you (the audience) never saw coming (pun intended). I for one enjoy the SAW films and await diligently each Halloween for the next installment of the series as these filmmakers are the only ones continuing to produce horror films for the Halloween haunting crowd (the other Oct. 2008 releases were THE HAUNTING OF MOLLY HARTLEY and SPLINTER with QUARANTINE an early release – slim pickings if you know what I mean). Instead, Halloween/Oct. has become the dumping grounds for bad comedies and even worse action films (i.e. MAX PAYNE).
As an avid fan of horror films and the SAW films in general I won’t discuss the details of the new film only that they are taking the franchise in a darker direction (as if it wasn’t dark enough already) and they are stepping up the police’s involvement with the story as (and I’m not giving anything away here) Det. Hoffman (who was revealed in the last film to be working with the Jigsaw killer) must tie up loose ends in order to cement the legacy of what Jigsaw, aka John Crammer, was trying to accomplish.
Although the new film is under a new director with David Hackl this new film maintains the same quality and style of the previous films and has a twist ending that still is hard to believe yet more satisfying then the one from the last film. It’s got to be extremely hard to continue producing these high quality horror films with such high standards year in and year out. The SAW films have become pop culture and have transcended it’s original meager roots to be an event not to be missed each Halloween season.
Although interest in the continuing saga seems to be waning (just look at the box office receipts between the second SAW and the forth SAW) there are still enough people interested enough to stick with it where ever it may go including me because what else do I have to look forward to – MOLLY HARTLEY 2?
Avid fans of the series have come to expect a lot from the series in terms of complex and gruesome traps for the victims not to mention a morality tale that gets turned on its head in the closing moments of each film revealing details that you (the audience) never saw coming (pun intended). I for one enjoy the SAW films and await diligently each Halloween for the next installment of the series as these filmmakers are the only ones continuing to produce horror films for the Halloween haunting crowd (the other Oct. 2008 releases were THE HAUNTING OF MOLLY HARTLEY and SPLINTER with QUARANTINE an early release – slim pickings if you know what I mean). Instead, Halloween/Oct. has become the dumping grounds for bad comedies and even worse action films (i.e. MAX PAYNE).
As an avid fan of horror films and the SAW films in general I won’t discuss the details of the new film only that they are taking the franchise in a darker direction (as if it wasn’t dark enough already) and they are stepping up the police’s involvement with the story as (and I’m not giving anything away here) Det. Hoffman (who was revealed in the last film to be working with the Jigsaw killer) must tie up loose ends in order to cement the legacy of what Jigsaw, aka John Crammer, was trying to accomplish.
Although the new film is under a new director with David Hackl this new film maintains the same quality and style of the previous films and has a twist ending that still is hard to believe yet more satisfying then the one from the last film. It’s got to be extremely hard to continue producing these high quality horror films with such high standards year in and year out. The SAW films have become pop culture and have transcended it’s original meager roots to be an event not to be missed each Halloween season.
Although interest in the continuing saga seems to be waning (just look at the box office receipts between the second SAW and the forth SAW) there are still enough people interested enough to stick with it where ever it may go including me because what else do I have to look forward to – MOLLY HARTLEY 2?
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