Godzilla on Criterion Blu Ray... for real!

Wow, can't say I ever thought this would happen, but also can't say I'm at all disappointed. Godzilla/Gojira on Criterion Blu Ray! Here's a link to the details on the Criterion homepage. I'm REALLY hoping Criterion decide to release this cover art as a poster like they did for Hasu, which currently stands as my favourite film in the Criterion collection.

20,000 Leagues Under the Sea 4K Restoration!

Looks like Disney has finally ponied up the funds to give 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, one of my all time favourite films from their catalogue, a proper restoration! Looking forward a great deal to its eventual release on Blu Ray. I'll fully admit that this is a bit of a strange film and certainly not to everyone's taste, but it will always have a special place for me. Along with Jason & the Argonauts, I'd count this film among the movies that really helped developed my love for movies when I was young. Then again, I'm also a big fan of Disney's The Black Hole so take that for what it's worth (c'mon, release that on Blu Ray Disney, I dare you!).

Here's a bit of info on the restoration process, courtesy of the AMIA (The Association of Moving Image Archivists).

Haunted House Films - Thoughts on The Uninvited (1944)

Original poster for The Uninvited

I've been wanting to see this film for quite some time but I've never come across the DVD, even at specialty shops. It turns out after a bit more research that there is no DVD, at least a legitimate one, in Region 1 (or possibly anywhere). Something to do with it being a Paramount film sold to Universal decades ago. It's really a shame because it means this classic remains unseen or even unknown by a generation of horror fans. Being as it is an appropriate time of year I thought I'd try and visit some classic and contemporary horror films that I've never seen before (there are some, shocking I know!), and The Uninvited was at the top of the list. I did manage to track down a watchable copy (I'm resourceful like that) and put it through its paces last night. If you'd like a synopsis of the film, check IMDB for a ridiculously detailed one (here). I'm just going to share some (mostly) spoiler-free thoughts.

Born in a decade still primarily obsessed with the classic monster film and tales of the occult, Lewis Allen's The Uninvited must have been something of a breath of fresh air for horror fans of the time. From what I understand, The Uninvited (adapted from the novel Uneasy Freehold by Dorothy Macardle) was one of the first Hollywood movies to tackle the haunted house genre with a story featuring actual spirits as opposed to folks in sheets or masks played for comedy or diversion (think all of the baddies on Scooby-Doo). For what can essentially be considered a fledgling effort into the sub-genre, the results are remarkable. Yes, it does suffer from overly... enthusiastic acting from time to time (the character of the sister is the worst offender), and yes, comedic moments and sometimes inappropriate scoring do distract occasionally, but much of that can be attributed to the era, and despite these issues it manages to entertain.

Winward House

In my opinion one of the most, if not the most, important aspects in any haunted house film is the house itself. In the best haunted house films the house becomes a character, not simply providing a space for the action but developing a unique personality of its own or personifying the emotional state of its owner or vistors. The very fact that most of these houses are named and are continually referred to by name suggests this is an important consideration to author, screenwriter and director alike. In The Haunting (1963 original, NOT the 90s remake), Hill House is devious, both playing with and tormenting its vistors while in The Legend of Hell House (1973), the house embodies pure evil, a twisted creation of its equally twisted owner. Windward House from The Uninvited is far less malevolent than either of these, yet it nevertheless takes on human characteristics, a sad and lonely sentinel keeping watch at the edge of the cliffs (an important location for the film's plot). Although much of The Uninvited was shot on a soundstage with either projected or matte backgrounds, the end result is still impressive, creating a spooky and believable atmosphere, creating perhaps one of my favourite set pieces of the entire genre (see below). I may at some point in the future bore you with my thoughts on the importance of spatial geography in relation to the effectiveness of a haunted house story (lucky you), but I'll spare you that for now and simply say that Winward House works.

Before I ramble on too long, I'll quickly say that the supernatural elements work as well. It would seem some of the ghost effects were added at the last minute at the insistance of the producers, who thought the haunting were too subtle. While you might argue that what is left unseen is often more frightening than what is shown (did Ebert say that? Was it someone else?), the effects are used very sparingly, and I'll be damned if they weren't better than so much of what passes for "ghosts" these days. Hollywood, time to look backwards to see what worked rather than forwards to a future rife with awful CGI scares. Equally as important is the sound; the first time I heard the disembodied sobbing I got a little chill up my spine.

So if you can overlook some of the 1940s conventions (quirky dialogue, music, etc.), The Uninvited has a lot to offer fans of the genre. For it's place as forerunner and inspiration to the works that followed (The Haunting, in my opinion, being the best) alone it's a must-watch, but that it's entertaining and atmospheric to boot make it all the more enjoyable and a perfect distraction for a cold and windy October night. Highly recommended (if you can find it, that is).

NOTE: For some excellent screen captures from the film, check out this link to one of my favourite blogs, The Obscure Hollow. The second shot down, the room with the skylights, is what I was referring to above as one of my favourite set pieces from the genre!

Midnight Madness Reviews... eventually.

I had intended to write reviews of the TIFF films I've seen at Midnight Madness the day following each screening, but I've been too preoccupied with other things (work, school and zombie games). I think, therefore, I shall just do a quick summary after the festival is over, highlighting what to see and what to avoid. So far it looks like most of what's been shown has been picked up for distribution. Or I might not. No one reads this stuff anyways.

The Raid

Who'd have thought that an Indonesian film directed by a Welshman would turn out to be one of the greatest pieces of action cinema I've ever seen? Honestly this film has some of the most fluid and kinetic violence ever put on celluloid, at least in my experience. The gunplay is brutal, but the martial arts are better. I think Roddy Piper might have competition for longest brawl.

From what I understand it's one of the only films ever made to feature Indonesian Silat martial arts. I won't even attempt to describe the fighting style, but suffice to say it looks frightening in motion. All I can really say is that if you like action films, do whatever you can to see The Raid.

Midnight Madness Begins!

Thought I'd test out the new iOS Blogger app with a post from the first screening of TIFF Midnight Madness at Ryerson Theatre. First up? The Raid. Like almost every other MM film, I have no idea what this one is about except that some guy in line said it had crazy martial arts. Bring it on.

Review - Atrocious

While I very well could just let the title speak for itself as to the quality of this film, I thought I might take a few sentences to explain why Fernando Barreda Luna's Atrocious is, well, just that.

Ok, perhaps that's being a little harsh, this wasn't the worst horror film I've seen in the last while, but it certainly doesn't have much going for it either. For starters, I must make clear that I have nothing inherently against the "found footage" genre, made famous by The Blair Witch Project. It seems to get a lot of hate from some people, despite the fact that Paranormal Activity and REC were fairly entertaining. Yes, the camera is going to be shaky. Yes, the camera is going to be on at times when no normal person would be recording. Yes, at some point someone will inevitably use the night vision mode to see in the dark. And of course YES, someone is probably going to point the camera at themselves and sob in a very unattractive closeup. But like slasher films have their tropes, so does this genre. Complaining about any of these aspects is like complaining that the killer used a big kitchen knife or that he's wearing a spooky mask.

So why does Atrocious fail? It starts out well enough, introducing a brother and sister that are film fans and like to make short films about urban legends. Not a bad premise, and it explains why they have nice looking cameras that they carry around with them all the time (Note: I think the version I saw was cropped to 4:3, as the promo materials I've seen show 16:9 images). It then tells us that they're visiting a house that has been empty for ten years (and that they used to visit when they were kids - a fact that has NO relevance to the plot apparently), which supposedly has an urban legend attached to the surrounding area. A spooky legend about a girl who helps lost children find their way out of a spooky hedge maze (that just happens to be on the house property). Could be worse, right? Sure it could. The first part of the film actually does a good job building tension. They interview someone about different versions of the legend, they have some creepy night footage of the dog barking at the chained up gate to the maze and they're forbidden from entering the maze by their father. Then, having set things up effectively enough, it's as if the director suddenly realized he had to fill the remaining 30 minutes of the very short 70 minute runtime with, you know, content.

Wow, this is the exact same gesture I was making for the
last third of this film....

And according to Luna, content is 25 uneventful minutes of running through a hedge maze in night vision, screaming and then crying. What potentially could have been a tight, frightening 10 minute sequence quickly (or should I saw slowly) drags out into a boring, and then frustrating, experience. Building anticipation is one thing, but then failing so incredibly to offer ANY sort of payoff is another. I jest not when I say I resorted to fast-forwarding through a good portion of this section, hoping that something scary might make me want to rewind. Nope. Sure, a few things happen in the maze, but they ultimately seem silly rather than terrifying. The action eventually returns to the house where there is one semi-inspired jolt scare followed by more VERY long, boring and decidedly un-frightening shots.  Things then conclude with an out-of-the-blue "superincrediblecrazywowshockingIcan'tbelieveit" twist ending. I know a twist ending is almost to be expected nowadays, but come on, shouldn't it have SOMETHING to do with the rest of the film? The best twists have either a deep connection to the body of the film, or if not, at least are so incredible that they demand respect (Miike, I'm looking at you and Dead or Alive). The ending to Atrocious can be likened to the ending of The Sixth Sense if some random character introduced in the last 10 seconds of that film was actually the ghost instead of Bruce Willis.

Anyways, don't waste your time should this ever get released in North America. It seems to be getting mostly positive reviews on the festival circuit, and I can't understand why. Standards must have become universally lowered while I wasn't paying attention.

Nightmare on Elm Street 3D "Poster"

Nightmare on Elm Street 3D poster by McFarlane Toys

I've been looking for one of these "posters" for YEARS now, but always hesitated to buy one because shipping from the States was nuts. Low and behold I walk into Silver Snail (which is quickly becoming one of my favourite geeky spots in Toronto) and there were a couple of them right at the front for just $12! It's not so big (12 3/4" x 8 1/2"), but it's more of a 3D model than a flat poster, but it's well made and pretty damned awesome if you ask me (with one of my favourite horror tag lines of all time). Now all I have to do is track down the Alien one, which has a light up egg... let the search begin!

Woman in Black - New Teaser Trailer

I posted something about this ages ago, but now there's a better quality teaser out. I have to say I'm a bit puzzled as to why the girl's voiceover has an American accent and not a British one, but I'll just hope that's a trailer-only thing. I'm certain it's still set in England... Interested to see how it compares to the BBC production.

Knights of Badassdom

A busy, busy schedule has kept me away for a while, but I'm back! Thought I'd quickly plug this film, even though I haven't seen it. Geek culture is on the rise and it's nice to see a film that aims to respect it and take the piss out of it at the same. In my opinion, films in the vein of Scary Movie and Meet the Spartans have done nothing but damage the genres they try and spoof. For every clever joke (and those are few and very far between), there are dozens of juvenile sex and body humour jokes that seem below even the lowest common denominator of filmgoer. Studios seem less and less likely to take a chance on something different now that they've successfully conditioned teenaged audiences to flock to "hilarious" crap and generic, recycled garbage.

True, I'm basing my entire opinion of the film on this lone trailer, but it seems like The Knights of Badassdom has some heart to it as well, on top of humour, horror and geek references. Plus the cast is pretty great. Steve Zahn has really impressed me on Treme recently, and Summer Glau is... well... Summer Glau. Plus it has Danny Pudi (Community), Ryan Kwanten (True Blood), Jimmi Simpson (Always Sunny) and the always fantastic Peter Dinklage to round it out.

I'm not a role-playing kinda guy, but I think this film has a lot of potential to be wildly entertaining. I've attached the trailer below. Lightning Bolt, Lightning Bolt!

Aliens: Colonial Marines

I was certain that this game was cancelled, but it looks like it's back in a big way. I'm hoping this is FINALLY the Aliens game that a developer gets right. Pretty much every other attempt has been a failure, from mild to catastrophic. I think this one might have potential though. Might help generate some interest in Prometheus...

Here's the E3 teaser trailer:

Rammbock Review

I forgot I was planning on writing a quick review for this film. I shall instead write a very, very, very quick review. It is as follows: this was a mildly amusing, mostly uninspired, fairly short German zombie film. Not bad by any means, just nothing special. If you've only got an hour to spare and are in the mood for European zombies, this is the film for you!

That is all.

Rammbock - Berlin Zombie Mayhem

So I watched Rammbock the other night. I'll write up a quick review for it soon, but here's a trailer. It was only 60 minutes, but it was a pretty good 60 minutes. Doesn't hold a candle to La Horde in my opinion, but I suppose it is 100% less ridiculous. Ok, maybe 95% less ridiculous.

BD Horror News - Aliens Spotted On 'Prometheus' Set!

I still have no idea just how Prometheus is connected to the Aliens universe, but it looks like everyone's favourite chest-bursting super bugs will at least have a cameo in Ridley Scott's new sci-fi epic. Most excellent. Link below:

BD Horror News - Aliens Spotted On 'Prometheus' Set!

Nightmare on Elm Street Poster

This is officially one of my favourite movie posters of all time. It went on sale a couple of days ago and I completely forgot about it, so of course it sold out. Here's hoping they do another print run, but it's unlikely.

Return of Pyramid Head

He's back!

One of my favourite video game villains (if you can call him that, he just sort of does his own creepy thing) seems to be making a return in the Silent Hill movie sequels (in 3D of course)!. Actually kind of excited for this, photos floating around the web confirm that at least they've got a good art director. The original Silent Hill film, even with its faults, is probably still the best video game to movie translation I've ever seen. This is being filmed locally in Ontario.

Just a short clip of Pyramid Head, skin ripping and all.

Woman in Black - Hammer Remake

Very excited about this one! The original BBC made-for-TV version from the 80s quickly became a favourite of mine after a friend recommended it. Just the right mix of pacing and spooky atmosphere (including one of the most amusing but effective jump scares I've ever seen). As long as the remake avoids excessive CGI and finds the right balance I think it might be a winner. Think it might actually be a good role for Radcliffe as well. Let's hope it gets NA distribution one day. Teaser below!

Melancholia

Looks like Lars Von Trier is taking a planet-sized stab at the bizarre yet again. Not quite sure what to think of this one yet. Haven't had much desire to watch Antichrist, but I'm sure I'll see it eventually. Although I know it will never happen, every time I see his name mentioned in the press I secretly hope he's doing something a little more Riget-like. Still my favourite TV series of all time (perhaps tied with Season 1 of Twin Peaks...)

BD Horror News - Relativity Locks Deal for 'The Crow' to Fly Again

BD Horror News - Relativity Locks Deal for 'The Crow' to Fly Again

Sigh. Why can't Hollywood leave well enough alone??

Finisterrae

Really wish I was able to make it to Fantasia this year, but alas my bank account says no. Next year for sure! This movie has one of the best trailers I've seen in ages. I'll try and post it below:

This is the sort of stuff that North American audiences never get to see, which is sad. Here's a link to the the synopsis, and more info on Fantasia if you're able to attend. 

Red Lights

Not much plot information on this film as of yet, but the cast has me excited. Also, this poster is pretty great. Sometimes the simpler the better. Reminds me of Bill Murray's "psychic" tests from the beginning of Ghostbusters. Visit Bloody-Disgusting for more info.

The Innkeepers - Whenfor art thou being released?

Despite the middling reviews, I'm still super stoked to see this film. I'm a sucker for haunted inns (seriously). Still haven't watched House of the Devil yet, but it's on my list.  There seems to be a large number of supernatural-themed films coming out in the next year, most of which will be garbage I'm sure, but personally I think it's nice to see a return to the supernatural from the glut of nonsense slasher crap that's been spilling out of the genre lately. I've read that Craven's My Soul to Take was an utter disaster (thought I might watch it over a case of beer...), and Carpenter's The Ward had so much potential but was a huge letdown in my opinion. And I'm not even sure Vanishing on 7th Street is going to get a theatrical release. Here's hoping there will be at least a couple of supernatural gems in the bunch. I do recommend Insidious though, which opens very soon. It starts with some great scares, and then goes totally batshit sideways. Some people didn't like that aspect, but I thought it worked well. It certainly ruffles things up a bit. Also, you will NEVER hear Tiny Tim's rendition of Tiptoe Through the Tulips the same way again. It gets my award for top use of a crazy song in a crazy film.

Attack the Block Trailer

Fingers crossed that this movie is as awesome as it looks. Good old fashioned Monster Squad style action but with punks from the London projects. A winning combination.

La Casa Muda review soon

Hoping to get a chance to see the film this weekend. Will report back.

The Troll Hunter

I'm wondering if it's possible to write a review of a horror/fantasy "faux-documentary" without referencing The Blair Witch Project? Since I've already failed to do so, clearly I'm not the man to answer that, but I'd like to see it done. Anyways, on to my thoughts about Andre Øvredal’s The Troll Hunter. Shot in the fake doc style that seems to have maintained its popularity (especially outside North America) post-BWP, it focuses on a group of Norwegian university students who set out to get footage on bear poaching for a class project and inadvertently stumble upon Norway's best kept secret - bloodthirsty, Christian-hating trolls! I won’t go into much detail on the plot (since quite frankly there isn’t much of one) but I will say that some of the film’s biggest question marks and plot holes were also some of my favourite aspects. Were this a bigger budget film from a more established film market such as the United States or the UK, the military would have a much more prominent role. There would be covert strike teams, a shady bureau in charge of covering up the existence of these so-called monsters and, of course, lots of helicopters. In Norway? One bad-ass, trailer-living mountain man, one snively low-level civil servant and a handful of Polish carpenters seem to do the job quite nicely. Although it may be a bit far-fetched, I certainly find it refreshing to see an entry into the monster genre that doesn’t involve carpet-bombing and mass destruction.

I also have to commend the filmmakers on the creature designs. They look like they wandered straight out of a 17th century children’s fairytale book, and it works wonderfully. The film dips its toes ever-so-slightly into the “science” behind the trolls, and frankly I wish they had gone much deeper. Why are there so many different varieties? Why can they smell a Christian? How the hell do some of them grow to the size of office buildings? Nevertheless, it does a satisfactory job of presenting them not simply as creatures that go bump in the night, but as a legitimate species living in the secluded wilderness. And what a wilderness it is. The vistas in Troll Hunter are simply incredible. Sign me up for a trip to scenic Norway, I’m sold.

It’s understandable that many people might be sick of the whole “found footage” genre, and there are elements of The Troll Hunter that won’t do much to change any minds about that (especially the ending). However, that said, I have to absolutely recommend this film for anyone looking for something a little outside the box. If you’re able to forgive some inconsistencies and underdeveloped ideas in the plot, I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised by what the film has to offer. The lead character is wonderfully matter-of-fact about his unusual job, the effects hold up well for a low-budget, non-Hollywood feature, and the premise and mythology is intriguing enough to support the run time. From what I understand Magnet, Magnolia’s sub-division for genre pictures, has purchased world rights to the film so here’s hoping it gets a proper theatrical release in North America, with a corresponding DVD and Blu Ray release. With so many straight-to-video giant creature features flooding the market these days, it’s nice to see one that does things a little differently. Much like Gareth Edward’s Monsters, it’s a breath of fresh air in a genre already in danger of becoming stale so soon after it’s resurgence.

La Herencia Valdemar (or How to Make a One Hour Forty Minute Introduction to Your Sequel)

I had certainly meant to update this page semi-regularly, but clearly once every quarter seems more likely. Entry number two is also a Lovecraft-inspired film. Not intentional, but hey, go with what you know, right?

On the block today is Spanish supernatural thriller La Herencia Valdemar. Here goes. The movie begins with an simple premise - a creepy old mansion in the Spanish countryside needs to be valuated for auction, the appraiser goes missing so another is sent in his place who also proceeds to go missing. Yadda yadda private detective hired by man with Cthulhu-headed walking stick, yadda yadda the remaining hour and ten minutes is a flashback about a fraudulent medium/fine orphanage caretaker set in the 1800s. I'm not opposed to the flashback in principle, especially when it ties in nicely with the overall story, however it would seem that the entirety of this particular flashback (which makes up nearly all of the film's runtime) is merely a setup for the upcoming sequel. You might be thinking, "But Hypno Toad, that's how it works! Films setup sequels which in turn setup even more sequels! That's logic! You're mental!" And reader, I might agree with you in most cases, but hear me out.

La Herencia Valdemar felt to me like a prequel to a film that hasn't been made yet. Say what? Wouldn't that just make it the first film in the series and not a prequel? Technically, yes, but that's not how it plays in this case. It's as if the writer and director took what could have been explained in a 5-10 minute flashback and created an entire movie around it, bookending it with segments in modern time that are introduced as the ACTUAL main story, but don't actually get much screen time and end abruptly. This isn't quite the same, but you know when Obi Wan mentions the Clone Wars in one line of dialogue in the original Star Wars, and then Lucas makes the prequels, stretching an interesting idea into hours of painful, flaming detritus? Same here, just less crushing. Having a backstory is essential in this genre, but explaining it in ridiculous detail is not. I just want to know the important and cool stuff, I do not want to watch people chopping wood and drinking tea for long lengths of time, especially when the rest of the story is hopping up and down in the background excitedly waiting it's turn to share.

Surprisingly, however, I did not hate the film. Shocking, I know. For one, it had Spanish horror legend Paul Naschy as a loyal occult-hating manservant (in his final film)! It was also ever so slightly Lovecraftian, which is something. Most importantly, it had a scene in which Aleister Crowley, Lizzie Borden, Belle Gunness and Bram Stoker (!!) get together in the Spanish countryside to summon an Old One in a seance. I'm not joking, Stoker shows up because he needs some dark space god to help him deal with his writers block. Then he runs away. For some fantastic reason, despite being told the protagonist and his wife are dirt poor, they live in a mansion full of happy, non-filthy orphans which also serves as a spiritual nexus and possible dimensional gateway to Lovecraft la-la land. Most of what happens makes little to no sense, yet the film just rolls with it and so did I. Immortal demon zombie who speaks to people telepathically and then screams? Sure, why not! Extended irrelevant scene involving orphans and hot chocolate? Of course! To boot, it's nicely shot and has surprisingly good acting (especially Naschy's character and the fellow who plays Crowely).

Well it turns out the sequel HAS been made, and it's being released sometime this year. Will I watch it? Given that this image on the left is the official poster, yes, yes I will. Will I understand it? Probably not. But let's be honest, how often does Cthulhu actually show up on screen these days? Given that this is probably the best cinematic Lovecraft we'll get until Cameron, del Toro and Cruise journey to the Mountains of Madness (in head-scratching 3D!) sometime next year, I say it's worth a watch, especially if you're fed up with the horror schlock that's dribbling out of Hollywood these days. It may not be great, but at least it's interesting.

Next up? Either Ovredal's The Troll Hunter or Uruguayan La Casa Muda (soon to be remade as Silent House starring an Olsen sister). Assuming I can find subtitles for these floating around on the net, that is.