Movie Preview: Fright Night (2011)

Some of you may remember the 1985 original starring Roddy McDowell, William Ragsdale, Chris Sarandon and Amanda Bearse. If ever a movie was ripe for a remake, this is it....

Senior Charlie Brewster (Anton Yelchin) finally has it all—he’s running with the popular crowd and dating the hottest girl in high school. In fact, he’s so cool he’s even dissing his best friend Ed (Christopher Mintz-Plasse). But trouble arrives when an intriguing stranger Jerry (Colin Farrell) moves in next door. He seems like a great guy at first, but there’s something not quite right—and everyone, including Charlie’s mom (Toni Collette), doesn’t notice. After witnessing some very unusual activity, Charlie comes to an unmistakable conclusion: Jerry is a vampire preying on his neighborhood. Unable to convince anyone that he’s telling the truth, Charlie has to find a way to get rid of the monster himself in this Craig Gillespie-helmed revamp of the comedy-horror classic.

Charlie Brewster (Anton Yelchin) is a high school senior who’s on top of the world—that is until Jerry (Colin Farrell) moves in next door and Charlie discovers that he is a vampire preying on the neighborhood. 

Four character posters have been released. The movie opens in the UK on September 2nd.

DVD Review: I Saw The Devil

Directed by: Kim Jee-woon

Starring: Byung-hung Lee, Min-sik Choi

Synopsis:

When her car breaks down on a lonely snow-bound street, the young, pregnant woman becomes the latest victim of serial killer kyung-chul (Choi). Her fiancé, Special Agent Kim-soo Hyeon (Lee), circumvents the police investigation and uses his own skills to track down the killer. However rather than hand Kyung-chul over to the police, Kim-soo uses all his resources to make the killer’s remaining days a living hell. However Kim-soo becomes so obsessed with his quest for vengeance, he underestimates his prey…

Review:

“From the Director of The Good, the Bad and The Weird” the box says; strange that the distributors never referred to A Bittersweet Life. Perhaps the later movie sold more. Anyway, on to business. Is this movie any good?

 

A Bittersweet Life is a classic in my book; full of tension, drama and action. I Saw the Devil is equally as good but for very different reasons. This latest offering from the famous Korean Director is more of a horror film than an action movie, and has gained notoriety mainly for the scenes that were cut by Korean censors. That information is misleading as Korean censors regularly edit movies with similar content. This aspect of the movie’s treatment detracts from the fact that it is a very well thought out movie with some uncomfortably violent scenes.

 

Kim Jee-won’s camerawork is the first thing that is noticeable about the movie. This quality of approach is something that I’ve almost come to expect from this talented man. The cinematography swings between beautiful and lush looking and grittily stark. Mogae Lee proves himself as cinematographer.

 

The movie is very much a case of Yin and Yang as the line blurs between cop and serial killer. This is nothing new, but all concerned make an effort to bring across a freshness to the subject. It’s easy and perhaps lazy to compare this movie to US productions that tend to centre on serial killers wearing masks and chasing women to their doom. I Saw the Devil is not like this at all: Scenes of Kyung-Chul going about his business is purposefully made to make the audience uncomfortable. This is also the case with Special Agent Hyeon and his methods of finding out whom the real suspect is. This cop works well within the grey areas after the loss of his fiancé. The acting is top notch and helps the subject matter to be believable despite the extreme nature of some of the scenes.

Revenge thrillers are popular and so should this one be.

 

If you’re familiar with Park Chan-Wook’s Vengeance Trilogy then you’re part way prepared for this movie. It makes that trilogy look quite tame but those familiar with extreme cinema won’t be too worried by this.

 

Summary

This movie is not for the faint of heart. I reckon that most of you going into this, know what to expect. I doubt, like me, you’ll be disappointed. Kim Jee-Won is an important Korean Director that doesn’t just stick to one genre as the press quote on the DVD/Blu-Ray cover shows. I Saw the Devil is thoroughly recommended for those that like this style of cinema. My only criticism is that it could have been a shorter movie. Sometimes, the editor doesn't know quite when to leave things out; a minor issue.

 

Score: 8/10

Movie Preview: Stake Land

 Courtesy of Twitch this film pulls no punches as the clip below shows. Be warned that it's strong stuff and not everyone will appreciate one particular aspect of the clip.





Visit the site for more details.

DVD Review: Monsters

Directed by: Gareth Edwards

Starring: Scoot McNairy, Whitney Able

Synopsis:

Six years ago, NASA sent a probe into deep space looking for extraterrestrial life in our galaxy. The probe returned with samples, but broke up in the atmosphere. The organisms that survived started to flourish throughout Northern Mexico, forcing the US to build a huge barrier and launch a heavily fought war against the organisms which grew into 100ft tall giant squid creatures.

Up and coming photo journalist Andrew Caulder, who is trying to get some decent pictures of the creatures, is tasked by the owner of the paper he works for with retrieving his daughter, Sam, who has become stranded. Due to the earlier-than-expected migration of the creatures, however, Caulder and Sam find themselves having to cross the Infested Zone, the heart of where the creatures reside.

Review:

It’s great when a small film comes along that challenges your preconceptions, makes you think about the genre that it’s been shoe horned into. Monsters is one of those films. The marketing doesn’t do it justice, but rather than get on my high horse and talk about how it doesn’t serve the movie’s interests, I have to concede in that I have no idea how I would have marketed it, to get people to watch it. The quote on the packaging says “Thrilling, Action Packed and totally original”. Not a bad quote but a bit wide of the mark. It’s not action packed in the sense that we see huge battles but the pace of the movie is akin to an action movie. Due to the nature of the graphics on the packaging, the potential viewer would be forgiven that the movie shares something in common with District 9. Both movies share only one real theme – that of immigration.

The title “Monsters” is a bit misleading without being deceptive. It’s a film with Monsters in it and they are the cause of the predicament the characters find themselves in and ultimately the Monsters decide their fate but the story is of a man and a woman finding themselves up against adversity and how it changes them..

One of the main strengths of the movie is the screenplay. Both the characters of Caulder and Sam are well written and realistic characters that go on a noticeable journey both externally and internally. At the beginning, there is chemistry between the pair but this develops subtly as their journey progresses. Caulder is a journalist who fancies himself as a kind of war photographer that hasn’t had the prize winning photograph yet. Sam is a woman whose rich Father has decided how she should live her life and is keen for her to satisfy an arranged marriage. The pair of Caulder and Sam is thrown together as they have to get back to what should be an “uninfected” America from an infected South America . Their travel plans fail and a back up plan faces increasing problems.

At the beginning of the film, Caulder is a man who takes up the job of looking after Sam because he believes that her father will buy his photographs if he does. He tells Sam that if he took a photo of a dying or dead child he would be paid $50,000 but if he took a picture of a smiling child alive and well, he’d get nothing. Instead, Caulder’s lack of discipline leads to the loss of their passports and the decision to traverse the Infected Zone.

The movie is reported to have been made for £100, 000 which makes you wonder what on earth Hollywood productions spend their money on. The only real signs that the movie was made on a shoestring budget occur later on in the film when we see a number of tentacles move about in a gas station. The CGI looks a little primitive but this did not detract from my enjoyment. The scene mentioned is one of few that tap into the conventional sci-fi thriller/horror genre as if Edwards thought “I’d better put something familiar in”. For the most part, the CGI is used exactly how it should be, to enhance scenes without looking glaringly obvious.

The gigantic squid-like monsters in the film seem to be an allegory for natural disasters, especially Tornados. This idea is explicit later on as they arrive at the border only to find that the creatures have breached the wall separating Northern America with Southern America , and left a trail of wreckage behind them. Similarly to Cloverfield, we initially only see the creatures from a distance, and in news reports.

The aliens have adapted to Earth’s ecology by spawning their litter on to trees in the infected zone. The lifeforms, that resemble tree fungi, help populate the species. The Military attempt to stop this by dumping chemical weapons in the infected areas. So, unlike most movies of this type, the creatures are existing threats and a threat we’ve had to get used to. As the film progresses, it’s clear that we’re not doing a grand job of restricting this problem to just one area; a little like allowing weeds to thrive and overthrow your garden. The social commentary and subtext of the movie is in the implication that if man had just allowed the aliens to roam around the Mexican jungle, things would have turned out less volatile but the creatures were provoked.

Gareth Edwards artfully uses the camera as a means to tell the story rather than bogging down the script with needless exposition as many movies tend to do. The scenes of devastation tell the tale and are far more atmospheric than the recent Battle : LA. He harks back to the era when I found movies exciting; with the passion of Spielberg and Cameron, but highlighting modern sensibilities. For the debut feature of a first time Director, Monsters is a surprisingly confident piece of work.

Edwards makes some interesting nods to films that he loves. An attack on a jeep convoy is reminiscent of Jurassic Park , for example. The wall complex reminded me a little of the Ellis Island base in Escape from New York but I doubt that was intentional.

There’s little for me to criticise, but towards the end I found the heavy-handed approach to Caulder and Sam’s relationship a bit much; that it appeared to be the “cuddling” of two creatures that reflected the closeness of the two of them. This is rudely interrupted by the arrival of their military escort and we’re exposed to an ending that frustrates a little as it harks back to the beginning with no prior warning. To me, that’s the only real failing of the film that it opens with the end but whereas we normally get a timescale, like “3 days before…” there is none here, just the repeat of a soldier humming “Ride of the Valkyries”. It's me nit-picking, really.

Summary

Anyone wanting and expecting an all out action fest should know that it’s not that. Not that there’s anything wrong in those types of movies. For more of an action orientated alien invasion flick, see Skyline. If you want something a bit more thought provoking and based around characters and the journey they undertake, then Monsters is for you. I had no expectations from this film, so it worked perfectly for me. I recommend it wholeheartedly.

Score: 9/10

Mike's review can be found here: http://www.flash-bang-movie-reviews.com/monsters.html

DVD Review: Norwegian Ninja

Norwegian Ninja aka Kommandør Treholt & ninjatroppen


Directed By Thomas Cappelen Malling


Starring: Mads Ousdal, Jon Øigarden, Trond-Viggo Torgensen


Synopsis:

Norwegian Ninja is the debut feature by author-turned-filmmaker Thomas Cappelen Malling and tells the “true” story of Arne Treholt, who in real life was a former Norwegian social democratic politician and diplomat. In the 80s he was convicted of high treason and espionage on behalf of the Soviet Union and Iraq and sentenced to 20 years in prison.

In Malling’s crazy movie, Treholt (Oussdal) is a highly trained member of Norway ’s covert ninja force. Discovering a sinister plot against Norway lead by Treholt’s nemesis, Meyer (Oigarden), an operative of an anti-Soviet force funded by NATO, Treholt and his ninja force must fight to defeat Meyer’s co-conspirators in the name of King Olav.


Review:

Faux-documentaries go from the sublime (Spinal Tap, which is a rockumentary) to the ridiculous. Norwegian Ninja is the ridiculous. This could be a good or a bad thing depending on how you see life and see movies as a form of recreation and generally how your sense of humour works.

One thing that this movie must be, is truly unique. I’ve certainly not seen anything like it before and very much doubt that I will again.

First and foremost, I advise the potential viewer to make use of the online support that this movie has. The associated website helps to ease you into the world of Treholt and the filmmakers approach to storytelling. There are articles about action figures; rare ones being traded at "Ninja-Con". (George Lucas has much to answer for). There is also a fun section on Ninja Retro Gaming.

http://www.cult-labs.com/norwegian-ninja/

Get into the spirit of the movie and I imagine that it could be very rewarding.

The look of the film is intentionally muddy for the most part. Bizarrely, the film stock improves as the movie progresses. The earlier look appears to serve a number of purposes such as hide the dodgy effects and emulate faded overused instructional videos from the 70s and 80s. The acting is intentionally over the top and sometimes humour comes from just observing the actor’s faces.

The trouble with the movie,is that it didn’t engage me. I realised from the offset that I wouldn’t relate to it, that wasn’t the issue. The issue was that I found the movie to be fairly dull. The humour didn’t resonate with me. I have a healthy sense of humour but it isn’t wise to this kind of thing. The serious tone and the following of subtitles helped to hamper my viewing too. I may well have missed the timing of some jokes – not that it would have made much difference. I was waiting for some light bulb to go off in my head and realisation to stimulate interest in the proceedings but it never came.

Despite my experience of the movie I feel that it’s a great idea, and I applaud the filmmakers for having the stones to make a movie that undoubtedly from the offset will only appeal to a small niche market.

Summary

Norwegian Ninja is a Marmite film – you’ll either love it and embrace it for what it is, or hate it for the very same reasons. Sadly, I fall into the latter category. If you weren’t born before the 80s, in Norway , it doesn’t matter but sure does help.

Score: 5/10 - mainly for the concept and the huge amount of supporting  web based extra content.

The DVD is available from all good outlets - online and offline.

A different take on the movie can be found here: http://www.flash-bang-movie-reviews.com/norwegian_ninja.html

Movie Reviews: The latest Rundown...

We've been busy at Flash-Bang with the following reviews:

Will reviews the Entertainment One release of Norwegian Ninja, out on Monday 18th April 2011:

http://www.flash-bang-movie-reviews.com/norwegian_ninja.html

Mike has reviewed Cine Asia's upcoming release of Wooch The Demonslayer, out on 25th April 2011;

http://www.flash-bang-movie-reviews.com/woochi.html

Mike has reviewed Wushu out on 18th April 2011:


http://www.flash-bang-movie-reviews.com/wushu.html

My review of Takashi Miike's awesome samurai epic 13 Assassins. Due in UK cinemas on 6th May 2011;

http://www.flash-bang-movie-reviews.com/13_assassins.html

 My review of the superb thriller The Door, starring Mads (Casino Royale) Mikkelsen, also out on 18th April 2011:

http://www.flash-bang-movie-reviews.com/the_door.html

 Mike has reviewedthe excellent I Saw The Devil, out on 9th May 2011:


http://www.flash-bang-movie-reviews.com/I_saw_the_devil.html

General Stuff

Some other interesting stuff on the net;

David Hewlett (Dr Rodney McKay) gives a plausible theory on why Stargate SGU didn't last: http://www.airlockalpha.com/node/8399
I agree with him; great show but too tonally different from two previous versions that the whole family could enjoy.

Despite some truly terrible writing at times, I liked BBC's Outcasts. It got an unfair mauling early on without being able to fully flourish into what was an entertaining but flawed show that arguably could have had a great Season 2 ahead of it. Find out what could have happened in a further series;
http://www.denofgeek.com/television/840642/exclusive_what_would_have_happened_next_in_outcasts.html

Fascinating interview with the Writer/Director Richard Stanley that passed me by;
http://unfilmable.blogspot.com/2010/11/unfilmablecom-interview-richard-stanley.html

Star Wars The Musical - A short-lived musical:
http://blastr.com/2011/04/found-legendary-1996-star-wars-musical-crushed-by-george-lucas.php

Is Michael Rooker set to return to The Walking Dead, in Season Two? Will we get "Mo Merle"?
http://screenrant.com/michael-rooker-interview-super-walking-dead-robf-110306/ - guys: white text on light grey backgrounds? Not good.

First look at Booster Gold and Blue Beetle in Smallville;
http://screenrant.com/smallville-booster-gold-blue-beetle-aco-108037/

News on a possible second sequel to TRON. Could it be set in the "real" world?
http://blogs.coventrytelegraph.net/thegeekfiles/2011/04/tron-legacy-director-joseph-ko.html