I wish I could say that this Gary Busey starring throwback to ‘80s made-for-television horror is horrible (like so many other films that premiered on the Syfy channel) but oddly enough it’s not terrible. The film Maneater (2007), which shouldn’t be confused with the countless other films with the same title, concerns Grady Barnes (Busey) whose small town is suddenly under attack from a wild Bengal Tiger that has misplaced from its known world. He then must enlist the aid of the National Guard and a wild game tiger hunter from India in order to kill the wild tiger before any more people are killed despite the fact that the Mayor refuses to close down the local Corn & Apple Festival which brings in lots of tourists and keeps their small town alive.
Sounds like a riff-off of Jaws (1975) and for the most part it is, just replace the giant great white with a Bengal Tiger and there you have it. The thing that makes this film slightly different from other films is the religious allegory and motif that is established between the tiger and the small boy in which the tiger has become attached (and is the only person exempt from the tiger’s jaws). This doesn’t make the film better as it suffers from mediocre acting from most of the cast (although Busey does give a much more subtle performance than I’m used to).
An asset to the film is the real tiger used in the film and the lack of CGI effects. This film feels like a monster film from the ‘80s from beginning to end. Unlike other Syfy films that rely too heavily on the CGI monster it was nice to see a film that strived for realism. This is not to say that the film was a masterpiece but it’s nice to see that there are still a few films being made in which they feel like the films I watched on television when I was young.
CITY GARDEN - "The Old Woman & The Park"
On the set of the short film "A Gift"
Showing posts with label killer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label killer. Show all posts
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Friday, January 16, 2009
FILM REVIEW: FRIDAY THE 13TH: THE FINAL CHAPTER - THE WORKPRINT
Anyone who has seen the original theatrical release of FRIDAY THE 13TH: THE FINAL CHAPTER knows that this film was meant the be the one that put the nail in the coffin on Jason Voorhees. Coming on the heels of the third part (which had its 3-D gimmick) this film was the one in which Jason dies. History know that you just can’t keep a good mass murderer down and after the unexpected success of this film the series had a new lease on life and the carnage continued (to this year’s remake).
If you’re lucky to get a copy of the WORKPRINT version of the film then you’re in for a treat (in regards to the die-hard Jason fans) because there are several scenes that were trimmed from the final release version. Although none of these scenes add any blood to the proceedings they do add to characterization especially in regards to the Tommy Jarvis (Corey Feldman) character. There are several added scare moments in regards to Tommy and his masks. One scene extends the scene in which Tommy & Trish (Kimberly Beck) are having car troubles before getting help from Rob (Erich Anderson) and the scene with Tommy and Rob in his bedroom are extended.
There are several other scenes like this that are extended but no scenes that were ultimately cut and then re-instated. It appears that nothing significant was missing from the film (although I always thought that the off-screen death of Tommy’s mother was left on the cutting room floor). Like my viewing of the CREEPSHOW: WORKPRINT, not much was left out that truly adds to the plot and/or story of the film but it’s interesting to finally see some of the scenes that were trimmed in their entirety (unless of course that death scene of Tommy’s mother truly was filmed and I’m still missing out).
I will say that I find it very interesting the differences between the release version of a film and its workprint or alternate cut. With the impending release of the FRIDAY THE 13TH remake, the first three films in the series will finally be released uncut so many fans will finally be able to see those films in their entirety. I just hope this version is not so far behind.
If you’re lucky to get a copy of the WORKPRINT version of the film then you’re in for a treat (in regards to the die-hard Jason fans) because there are several scenes that were trimmed from the final release version. Although none of these scenes add any blood to the proceedings they do add to characterization especially in regards to the Tommy Jarvis (Corey Feldman) character. There are several added scare moments in regards to Tommy and his masks. One scene extends the scene in which Tommy & Trish (Kimberly Beck) are having car troubles before getting help from Rob (Erich Anderson) and the scene with Tommy and Rob in his bedroom are extended.
There are several other scenes like this that are extended but no scenes that were ultimately cut and then re-instated. It appears that nothing significant was missing from the film (although I always thought that the off-screen death of Tommy’s mother was left on the cutting room floor). Like my viewing of the CREEPSHOW: WORKPRINT, not much was left out that truly adds to the plot and/or story of the film but it’s interesting to finally see some of the scenes that were trimmed in their entirety (unless of course that death scene of Tommy’s mother truly was filmed and I’m still missing out).
I will say that I find it very interesting the differences between the release version of a film and its workprint or alternate cut. With the impending release of the FRIDAY THE 13TH remake, the first three films in the series will finally be released uncut so many fans will finally be able to see those films in their entirety. I just hope this version is not so far behind.
FILM REVIEW: FRIDAY THE 13TH: A NEW BEGINNING - VERSION 2
Not being a fan of this film in particular I was curious when I heard about “Version 2” which claimed to have alternate scenes and takes and different music, so, I decided “what the hell” I’m game. As directed by Danny Steinmann FRIDAY THE 13TH: A NEW BEGINNING was a departure from the previous films in that the killer was not Jason Voorhees but a paramedic who wanted revenge for the death of his son. To many people this film was a lame attempt trying to find a way to revive what should have been a dead franchise, but it did just this (as the subsequent 5 sequels and upcoming remake will attest). Don’t be ashamed, I thought it was a lame movie as well, until now.
Upon viewing the film again (for the first time in many years mind you) I realized that the film had a good template as a starting off point; it was just the “green” cast that made the film seem worse then it was. There are many parallels to the original film mainly in that like the original the killer is never seen but only hinted at whenever s/he kills someone. This was meant to hide the identity of the killer. The first film had the huge reveal of it being Pamela Voorhees who is the killer whereas this film has the killer being the paramedic. Both killers are motivated by the death of their child at the hand s of a caregiver; in the first film the caregiver was the camp councilors whereas in this film is was the so-called half-way house for disturbed teenagers. Both films also feature the death of random teenagers/characters (although in this film the killer seems to mover all over the place to various locations).
Although both films are filled with relatively fresh actors (so that you don’t know who will be killed next), the first film had an excuse as it was done on an extremely low budget whereas this film should have had a higher caliber cast given the much bigger budget. What this film does have is a huge body count even though the deaths are somewhat less imaginative then in some of the previous sequels. Another asset to this film is the continued reliance of the character of Tommy Jarvis (from the previous film) who is still haunted by the image and presence of the Jason Voorhees after having killed him in the previous film.
All in all the film had the marks of being an interesting sequel that would take the franchise in a new direction but producers of the subsequent films had a change of heart and resurrected Jason in the next installment.
Getting back to the “Version 2” aspects of the film, I hate to say this but I saw no significant differences between this version and the original release version. Some takes and scenes may be alternates but they’re so miniscule that you’ll never even notice and even if there were music cues that are different much of the score is similar so there couldn’t have been that much of a change (unlike say the original theatrical version of HALLOWEEN: H20 versions the PRODUCER’S CUT which restores the original music cues of composer John Ottman). Unless you truly are a devout fan of this film the “Version 2” has nothing new to offer even though the film as a whole was an interesting rewatch.
Upon viewing the film again (for the first time in many years mind you) I realized that the film had a good template as a starting off point; it was just the “green” cast that made the film seem worse then it was. There are many parallels to the original film mainly in that like the original the killer is never seen but only hinted at whenever s/he kills someone. This was meant to hide the identity of the killer. The first film had the huge reveal of it being Pamela Voorhees who is the killer whereas this film has the killer being the paramedic. Both killers are motivated by the death of their child at the hand s of a caregiver; in the first film the caregiver was the camp councilors whereas in this film is was the so-called half-way house for disturbed teenagers. Both films also feature the death of random teenagers/characters (although in this film the killer seems to mover all over the place to various locations).
Although both films are filled with relatively fresh actors (so that you don’t know who will be killed next), the first film had an excuse as it was done on an extremely low budget whereas this film should have had a higher caliber cast given the much bigger budget. What this film does have is a huge body count even though the deaths are somewhat less imaginative then in some of the previous sequels. Another asset to this film is the continued reliance of the character of Tommy Jarvis (from the previous film) who is still haunted by the image and presence of the Jason Voorhees after having killed him in the previous film.
All in all the film had the marks of being an interesting sequel that would take the franchise in a new direction but producers of the subsequent films had a change of heart and resurrected Jason in the next installment.
Getting back to the “Version 2” aspects of the film, I hate to say this but I saw no significant differences between this version and the original release version. Some takes and scenes may be alternates but they’re so miniscule that you’ll never even notice and even if there were music cues that are different much of the score is similar so there couldn’t have been that much of a change (unlike say the original theatrical version of HALLOWEEN: H20 versions the PRODUCER’S CUT which restores the original music cues of composer John Ottman). Unless you truly are a devout fan of this film the “Version 2” has nothing new to offer even though the film as a whole was an interesting rewatch.
Saturday, June 21, 2008
Teenage Horror & PROM NIGHT (2008)
I’ll be the first to admit that the original 1980 PROM NIGHT is not a very good film and time has not been kind to it. In fact, the only reason to watch that film is because it is an early film of former Scream Queen Jamie Lee Curtis and it has a rare non-comedic Leslie Nelson. That film came out on the heels and success of such slahsers as HALLOWEEN, HELL NIGHT, TERROR TRAIN, and a plethora of others and its just as derivative and forgettable as most of the films mentioned (with the exception of HALLOWEEN).
Unlike many of this year’s other remake offerings (i.e. SHUTTER, ONE MISSED CALL, APRIL FOOL’S DAY, DAY OF THE DEAD, etc.) the new 2008 PROM NIGHT didn’t have anything to live up to. Now I know a lot of hard-core horror enthusiast gag when they hear that there is yet another remake of a “beloved” classic that’s been watered down with a PG-13 rating but lets just take a look at the new PROM NIGHT before outright dismissing it.
First of all, this new PROM NIGHT is PG-13 and its target audience is the female teenager as date movie. This is very apparent from both the trailers and from viewing the film itself. There is no gore and about 95% of the violence is off screen when there is violence. The sound editing is used to great effect to illicit scares and dread. There is a lot of time – “plot wise,” spent on establishing the “female perspective” of the prom experience rather than from the male perspective, in fact, the men characters are all secondary to the female characters as if prom night was more a right of passage for females then it is for men. This idea is reinforced by the conversations between the females when they are discussing their relationships with one another and how they will change when they go off to college as well as the females’ conversations with their boyfriends (whom as cliché would put it all want to have sex with their girlfriends as their right of passage after prom) which focus on the women breaking away from the men in order to actually evolve into adult women out into the new world. J.S. Cardone’s screenplay does an excellent job on elaborating on these themes throughout crafting a film that never has any throw away scenes. Even main character Donna’s (Brittany Snow) conversations with her Aunt and Uncle, whom she lives with, focus on these aspects. These deeper truths elevate this film above the standard slasher film fodder.
There is the requisite slasher film trappings. The ludicrous obsessed stalker-killer in Richard Fenton, who while very well captured by actor Johnathon Schaech, is very one-note and uninteresting. Story wise the character works as a foil for the rest of the characters – Donna and her friends are teenagers who are moving into adulthood while Fenton is obsessed with recapturing his young in the form of Donna, who is a character whose conflict lies in the very heart of whether or not she will be able to evolve from child to adult after the tragic events inflicted upon her by Fenton (who you learn at the beginning of the film has killed Donna’s entire family in order to get to her).
Now, all of this is only relevant if you are a young teenage female who can relate to the turmoil that all teenagers must face as a right of passage into adulthood as embodied by the Donna character. There in lies the challenge of the new PROM NIGHT. It is marketed to a specific age group and gender and if you don’t fit within it then you won’t enjoy the film. The film is very simple in terms of plot and very predictable with exception to the fact that some of the people you think should get killed don’t and vice versa. Hard-core horror enthusiast should stay clear because all you’ll see is a derivative film; to this I say you are too jaded. I happened to screen the film with an audience of teenager couples and groups of teenage women who jumped at every suspenseful moment and screamed when the characters screamed. The film hits all the right marks.
Currently the film is enjoying the top spot of one of the highest grossing horror films in 2008 having grossed over $50 million thus far. Now I have no problem with these types of films that are PG-13 because they are geared to a particular audience. My problem lies with the PG-13 films geared to the adult audience that comes off as watered down teenager flicks (i.e. ONE MISSED CALL, THE EYE, or SHUTTER), which all feature adults in adult situations. When this happens neither adults not teenagers (who do not yet identify with the adult characters) bother with the film.
PROM NIGHT 2008 may not be the best film of 2008 but it’s the best remake that has achieved its desired goals especially in the eyes of teenage audience.
Unlike many of this year’s other remake offerings (i.e. SHUTTER, ONE MISSED CALL, APRIL FOOL’S DAY, DAY OF THE DEAD, etc.) the new 2008 PROM NIGHT didn’t have anything to live up to. Now I know a lot of hard-core horror enthusiast gag when they hear that there is yet another remake of a “beloved” classic that’s been watered down with a PG-13 rating but lets just take a look at the new PROM NIGHT before outright dismissing it.
First of all, this new PROM NIGHT is PG-13 and its target audience is the female teenager as date movie. This is very apparent from both the trailers and from viewing the film itself. There is no gore and about 95% of the violence is off screen when there is violence. The sound editing is used to great effect to illicit scares and dread. There is a lot of time – “plot wise,” spent on establishing the “female perspective” of the prom experience rather than from the male perspective, in fact, the men characters are all secondary to the female characters as if prom night was more a right of passage for females then it is for men. This idea is reinforced by the conversations between the females when they are discussing their relationships with one another and how they will change when they go off to college as well as the females’ conversations with their boyfriends (whom as cliché would put it all want to have sex with their girlfriends as their right of passage after prom) which focus on the women breaking away from the men in order to actually evolve into adult women out into the new world. J.S. Cardone’s screenplay does an excellent job on elaborating on these themes throughout crafting a film that never has any throw away scenes. Even main character Donna’s (Brittany Snow) conversations with her Aunt and Uncle, whom she lives with, focus on these aspects. These deeper truths elevate this film above the standard slasher film fodder.
There is the requisite slasher film trappings. The ludicrous obsessed stalker-killer in Richard Fenton, who while very well captured by actor Johnathon Schaech, is very one-note and uninteresting. Story wise the character works as a foil for the rest of the characters – Donna and her friends are teenagers who are moving into adulthood while Fenton is obsessed with recapturing his young in the form of Donna, who is a character whose conflict lies in the very heart of whether or not she will be able to evolve from child to adult after the tragic events inflicted upon her by Fenton (who you learn at the beginning of the film has killed Donna’s entire family in order to get to her).
Now, all of this is only relevant if you are a young teenage female who can relate to the turmoil that all teenagers must face as a right of passage into adulthood as embodied by the Donna character. There in lies the challenge of the new PROM NIGHT. It is marketed to a specific age group and gender and if you don’t fit within it then you won’t enjoy the film. The film is very simple in terms of plot and very predictable with exception to the fact that some of the people you think should get killed don’t and vice versa. Hard-core horror enthusiast should stay clear because all you’ll see is a derivative film; to this I say you are too jaded. I happened to screen the film with an audience of teenager couples and groups of teenage women who jumped at every suspenseful moment and screamed when the characters screamed. The film hits all the right marks.
Currently the film is enjoying the top spot of one of the highest grossing horror films in 2008 having grossed over $50 million thus far. Now I have no problem with these types of films that are PG-13 because they are geared to a particular audience. My problem lies with the PG-13 films geared to the adult audience that comes off as watered down teenager flicks (i.e. ONE MISSED CALL, THE EYE, or SHUTTER), which all feature adults in adult situations. When this happens neither adults not teenagers (who do not yet identify with the adult characters) bother with the film.
PROM NIGHT 2008 may not be the best film of 2008 but it’s the best remake that has achieved its desired goals especially in the eyes of teenage audience.
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