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28 Weeks Later * * *

Posted in Horror, thriller with tags 2007 on January 25, 2012 by Mark Walker

Director: Juan Carlos Fresnadillo.
Screenplay: Rowan Joffe, Juan Carlos Fresnadillo, Enrique Lopez Lavigne, Jesus Olmo.
Starring: Robert Carlyle, Jeremy Renner, Harold Perrineau Jr, Rose Byrne, Catherine McCormack, Idris Elba, Imogen Poots, Mackintosh Muggleton, Amanda Walker.

Sequels to successful films are very rarely ever as good as the original but with Danny Boyle involved as a producer, this manages to retain the success and similiar style he had with his first installment “28 Days Later”.

Six months have passed since the outbreak of the rage virus and Britain has now been emptied. There’s nobody there. It’s completely dead. Now the American army occupy the cities and have plans to start bringing the country back from it’s infestation. But, of course, something goes wrong…

As story arcs go, this film is pretty unconventional, where instead of our protaganist Don (Robert Carlyle), being heroic and macho, he is actually quite sensitive and cowardly, and that’s only the opening scene. Things get much worse. Right from the beginning, we are thrust into some unbearable kinetic excitement and Spanish director Juan Carlos Fresnidillo does a fantastic job with his handheld camerawork. A highly effective technique in placing us closer to the action. Carlyle delivers a good performance in what is a very underwritten role, but then zombie flicks dont normally spend a lot of time on characterisation. I just wish someone would give Carlyle a role that best fits this great actor’s talents. Despite the underwritten roles though, the cast still make you care enough for them which is at least something considering there are gaping plot holes which are laughable at times. However, there’s no denying some first-class action and suspense set pieces, namely the opening chase scene and the darkened train tunnel with only a night vision scope as our means of seeing anything.

Visceral and exciting, the way a zombie film should be, and a fine second installment in what is being touted as a possible trilogy.

Mark Walker

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Devil *

Posted in Horror, Mystery with tags 2010 on January 25, 2012 by Mark Walker

Director: John Erick Dowdle.
Screenplay: Brian Nelson.
Story: M. Night Shyamalan.
Starring: Chris Messina, Logan Marshall-Green, Jerry O’Hara, Bokeem Woodbine, Geoffrey Arend, Bojana Novakovic, Jacob Vargas, Matt Craven.

M. Night Shyamalan director of the very successful “The Sixth Sense” – which made such a lasting impression that it has now entered popular culture – now takes a step away from the camera and does the writing duties on this low-budget horror.

Five complete strangers find themselves trapped in a lift and what seems to be an everyday event, soon turns out to be a lot more. They have been brought together for reasons unbeknownst to them and one of the five is in fact, the Devil, who has come to collect on a debt.

This film recieved a fairly decent release at the cinema and made a fairly decent name for itself in the process, but I struggle to see why. It’s amature filmmaking at best and is no better that cheap, late-night television fodder. The concept is a reasonably good one and you’d think it could maybe be pulled off. To do that though, you’d need someone with some experience in charge, not shock-jock horror director John Erick Dowdle. The acting is also woeful and unconvincing. The only one who commands any interest is the annoying salesman (Geoffrey Arend), he’s a good (and the only one with) character but also the first to be despatched of by old Nick. The rest are all just there for further bloodshed and red herrings. M. Night Shyamalan couldn’t buy a decent film these days. He’s become King Midas in reverse at the moment, everything he touches turns to shit and he’s in serious need of a hit film before being banished to straight to DVD obscurity. This is the first film in a purported trilogy, “THE NIGHT CHRONICLES”, from stories by M. Night Shyamalan, but written and directed by others.

Absolute cheaper than cheap dross. I can only assume that Shyamalan sold his soul to the Devil for his earlier success and is now paying the price.

Mark Walker

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From Dusk Till Dawn * * * 1/2

Posted in Crime, Horror, thriller with tags 1996 on January 17, 2012 by Mark Walker

Director: Robert Rodriguez.
Screenplay: Quentin Tarantino.
Starring: George Clooney, Harvey Keitel, Quentin Tarantino, Juliette Lewis, Ernest Liu, Salma Hayek, Cheech Marin, Danny Trejo, Tom Savini, Fred Williamson, Michael Parks, John Saxon, Kelly Preston, John Hawkes.

Before their collaboration on the “Grindhouse” double-bill, Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez joined up to do this crime/horror picture. Both Tarantino and Rodriguez’s choice actors also join the show, with the inclusion of a pre-stardom George Clooney.

Seth and Richie Gecko (George Clooney & Quentin Tarantino) are two murderous bank robbers on the run and fleeing for safety to a nightclub in Mexico called the “Titty Twister” which is reportedly a safe haven for criminals. To get there they kidnap preacher Jacob Fuller (Harvey Keitel) and his kids Kate (Juliette Lewis) and Scott (Ernest Liu) who are travelling in their motor home. Once they reach the club though, they soon realise that when the sun goes down, they have more to deal with at the hands (and teeth) of bloodthirtsy vampires.

If this sounds rediculous or over-the-top then thats because it is. The film starts in true Tarantino fashion with the two criminal brothers dressed in black suits similiar to “Pulp Fiction” and “Reservoir Dogs” and spouting equally impressive dialogue. This however, changes abruptly about half way in and becomes nothing more than a horror B-movie – obviously the work of Rodriguez. As much as this is quite fun, it jars with the cool and dialogue laden beggining. It’s a transition that’s not a very smooth one and feels like two different films cut and pasted together. This a shame really, because the first half of the film is up there with Tarantino’s best stuff. I would have much preffered it if he had just completed the film in that similiar style. What I was most impressed with was the effortless performance of a cool-headed but dangerous killer from George Clooney, who at this time in his career was just fresh from his “E.R.” scrubs. He is absolutely brilliant and this was just the beginning of several fitting performances from Clooney in the future.

There’s no denying that is an enjoyable gore fest with wonderful dialogue but I couldn’t help but wonder what might have been.

Mark Walker

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Constantine * * * 1/2

Posted in Action, Fantasy, Horror with tags 2005 on January 13, 2012 by Mark Walker

Director: Francis Lawrence.
Screenplay: Kevin Brodbin, Frank Cappello.
Starring: Keanu Reeves, Rachel Weisz, Shia LaBeouf, Djimon Hounsou, Tilda Swinton, Peter Stormare, Pruitt Taylor Vince, Gavin Rossdale, Michelle Monaghan, Domino Harvey.

DC Comics’ “Hellblazer” gets the big screen treatment with the chain-smoking, existentialist detective John Constantine and although it may not appeal to some fans, there’s no denying it has style.

Keanu Reeves plays the paranormal man in question, who after having visions of entities all his life, attempts suicide. Having been revived from his unsuccessful attempts, John Constantine is then doomed to an eternal waking life of demonic confrontations. This being the case, he attempts to make a deal with God, (in the knowledge that he has lung cancer) that if he can help in the eradication of demons from Earth, he may get a reprieve and be able to enter Heaven when he dies.

“Constantine” has a very imaginative and stylish look to it, mainly down to music video director Francis Lawrence. He uses several unusual camera angles and great use of atmosphere, showing exactly where he learned his craft. However, some inexperience is visible, the tell-tale signs being style over substance. It just so happens though, that the style is magnificent and has some similarities with the low budget Christopher Walken gothic/horror flick “The Prophecy”. Lawrence’s take on the biblical characters are very creative, from Tilda Swinton’s androgenous “Angel Gabriel” to Djimon Hounsou’s “Midnite” a guardian between Heaven & Hell and Peter Stormare’s looming, well-dressed “Lucifer”. Mixed up in all of this is a very mixed bag in Reeves as “Constantine”. He’s strangely brooding and appealing, yet also woefully bad in his selfconscious overacting. It’s a very frustrating performance and a constant reminder that your watching a film, which ultimately isn’t a good thing. The inclusion of Shia LeBeouf’s comic sidekick “Chas” isn’t a good thing either and seriously jars with the tone of the film. Really, we should be able to immersive ourselves in Lawrence’s wonderfully atmospheric (under)world but get held back from full immersion to these visual treats by a lead performance that’s not much better than Schwarzenegger would have delivered and a new director that is still finding his feet.

Comic fans may not be happy, but it’s still very hard to resist it’s visual splendor.

Mark Walker

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Shaun Of The Dead * * * 1/2

Posted in Comedy, Horror with tags 2004 on January 12, 2012 by Mark Walker

Director: Edgar Wright.
Screenplay: Simon Pegg, Edgar Wright.
Starring: Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Kate Ashfield, Dylan Moran, Lucy Davis, Bill Nighy, Rafe Spall, Martin Freeman, Tamsin Greig, Reece Shearsmith, Matt Lucas, Chris Martin, Trisha Goddard, Krishnan Guru-Murthy, Vernon Kay.

I find there’s always been an element of humour to the old George A. Romero zombie flicks. Let’s face it, how hard does it look to get away from them? There were always plenty of thrills and I love those films, but sometimes it seemed they were taking the piss. With this film, there’s no doubt that it’s doing just that.

Shaun (Simon Pegg) is in a dead end job, just split up with his girlfriend and shares a flat with his idle best pal Ed (Nick Frost), who does nothing but play playstation, eat cornettos and frequent the local public house. Shaun’s life is frankly, going nowhere. However, when an outbreak of flesh eating zombies happen to start appearing around his neighbourhood, taking bites out of his family and friends, Shaun finds his purpose in life. Armed with a cricket bat and batch of old vinyl L.P.’s he sets out to save his loved ones and hide out in his favourite pub, till it all blows over.

An impressive pastiche of the zombie films of old, injected with some hilarious humour and fine comedy moments. Director Edgar Wright cut his teeth on the T.V. Series “Spaced” and brings the same cast to this, as well as some other familiar faces from British comedy shows like, “The Office”, “League of Gentleman” & “Black Books”. It’s Wright’s familiarity with the genre that’s most impressive though, he could quite easily have played it straight and still came across as a competent director of horror. He employs excellent use of atmosphere and structure with some wonderfully inventive camerawork. I was very impressed, considering it’s his first feature length film and it’s no surprise that Tarantino & Rodriguez had him direct one of the fake trailers on their “Grindhouse” double feature. On the down side though, I found some of the gags forced and the jokes (much like the flesh eating un-dead) became rather stale. With no fresh ideas after passing the hour mark, it started to show it was really a 30minute television episode, drawn out to feature length.

Still, there’s bags of fun to be had with fine performances from a great cast and Pegg and Frost are an excellent comedy duo.

Mark Walker

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Let Me In * * * *

Posted in Horror with tags 2010 on January 10, 2012 by Mark Walker

Director: Matt Reeves.
Screenplay: Matt Reeves, John Ajvide Lindqvist.
Starring: Kodi Smit-McPhee, Chloe Grace Moretz, Richard Jenkins, Elias Koteas, Cara Buono, Sasha Barrese.

The ink had barely dried on the film-critics’ acclamations of the Swedish horror film “Let the Right One In” in 1998 before Hollywood had stepped in for their take on the novel by John Ajvide Lindqvist. Remakes are not normally a good idea but “Cloverfield” director Matt Reeves makes a surprising exception to that rule.

Owen (Kodi Smit-Mcphee) is a lonely boy, who’s living with his mother in an apartment complex in snowy Los Alamos, New Mexico. His parents have separated, and his unhappiness is magnified by the fact that he’s been targeted by a school bully. One night, in the courtyard outside his apartment, he meets his new neighbour Abby (Chloe Moretz), a sullen, mysterious 12-year-old girl who tells him she can’t be his friend. Before long she goes back on her word because it turns out that she’s lonely, too. The big difference is that she’s a vampire who needs fresh blood to survive.

Those who have seen the original may think this version unnecessary. It certainly sticks very closely to its predecessor; from the lonely isolated setting, to the gloomy, eerie atmostphere and strikingly powerful and horrific images. Surprisingly for a remake though, it has ironed out the creases the original seemed to suffer from. I’d have to have a reappraisal of “Let the Right One In” but my first impression was that, although beautifully crafted it was quite lethargic. This time, Reeves cranks up the pace – without rushing it – and cranks up the gore – without being gratuitous. The CGI effects may be a little overused for some tastes but I found that they worked well. The two young leads deliver sensitive, believable performances, with the ever reliable but underused Elias Koteas and especially Richard Jenkins, lending good support. The only problem with the film is, having already seen the original, you know what’s coming next and it lessons the impact. Otherwise, it’s a fantastic and deliberately paced horror/love story.
A good remake should always add to what went before and this certainly does that. An excellent example of how it should be done. If you’ve not seen the original then you’re in for even more of a treat.

Bravo, Mr. Reeves, you’ve silenced many naysayers, myself included.

Mark Walker

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Rosemary’s Baby * * * * 1/2

Posted in Horror, thriller with tags 1968 on January 10, 2012 by Mark Walker

Director: Roman Polanski.
Screenplay: Roman Polanski.
Starring: Mia Farrow, John Cassavetes, Ruth Gordon, Sidney Blackmer, Ralph Bellamy, Charles Grodin, Maurice Evans, Victoria Vetri, Patsy Kelly, Elisha Cook, Jr, Patricia O’Neal.

Psychological torture and terror have been a consistant theme throughout director Roman Polanski’s career but few, if any, have been executed as skillfully as this adaptation of Ira Levin’s bestselling novel.

Rosemary (Mia Farrow) and Guy Woodhouse (John Cassavetes) move into a new apartment with the hope of starting a family. Shortly after their arrival they meet their new neighbours, a very friendly elderly couple named Roman (Sidney Blackmer) and Minnie Castevet (Ruth Gordon). Not before long, odd things start to happen and Rosemary has strange dreams and hears strange noises while Guy becomes remote and distant and begins to spend a lot of time with the new neighbours. Then Rosemary falls pregnant and begins to suspect that her neighbours are involved in the occult and have something to do with her poor health and her unborn child.

As soon as the opening credits are rolling, Polanski already sets the eerie tone with simple use of a childlike lullaby and creepy music. He’s a masterful director who’s in complete control of his material and his use of surreal, dreamlike imagery coupled with muffled voices through the wall is horror genius and deeply unsettling. It’s a proficiently crafted horror with the story unravelling at it’s own pace, as Rosemary’s grip on reality and her sanity are in question. Polanski also keeps us guessing just like the conflicted protaganist, while cranking up the suspense and paranoia deliberately but assuredly, helped by excellent performances throughout, particularly Ruth Gordon (in an Oscar winning role) and Sidney Blackmer as the creepy interfering neighbours. What’s even more fascinating is the spooky coincidences that followed the film; Polanski’s pregnant wife Sharon Tate was murdered – a year after the film was made – in 1969 by Charles Manson and his followers, who titled their death spree “Helter Skelter” after the 1968 song by The Beatles and this bands prominent member John Lennon would later be murdered outside the very Manhattan apartment building where Rosemary’s Baby was filmed. The history and association of this film is a story in itself.

A restrained, deliberately paced and intelligent psychological horror of the finest kind. It doesn’t stoop to cheap shock tactics but simply chips away at the psyche of it’s character, not to mention ours aswell.

Mark Walker