A Nightmare on Elm St. (2010) HD Trailer
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Diagnosis: Death - A Review
Years ago, when Peter Jackson was just breaking in to the film business, it seemed like New Zealand might be poised to be a hotbed, albeit a small one, of horror film activity. Bad Taste and Braindead seemed like the beginning of something major. They were, only they were the beginning of Jackson's long and award-addled career. It didn't really mean too much for New Zealand horror. Just a couple of years ago another Kiwi horror comedy came out and created a bit of a buzz itself, Black Sheep. A horror film about killer sheep? Sign me up! And, it is a fun little movie - one that I recommend you view with some friends and a good sense of humor.
Last year, Affordable Films released New Zealand's latest horror-comedy Diagnosis: Death. They tried to capitalize on the popularity of their country's own Flight of the Conchords and included Brett McKenzie, Jemain Clement, and Rhys Darby. Full disclosure: I love Flight of the Conchords - the show, and the band. The only problem is that these guys are probably in the film for a total of five minutes between them. Yeah, it's a cocktease.
The film itself, a horror-comedy, is surprisingly light on both horror and comedy. It stars Raybon Kan (apparently he's a New Zealand stand-up) as a school teacher that is stricken with a rare form of cancer. He goes to a weekend drug trial to test out new, experimental drugs that may be able to cure him. Sounds reasonable enough, but wait, there's more. It turns out this hospital used to be...wait for it...a MENTAL INSTITUTION! dun-dun-dun. And, as if that wasn't enough, some famous author supposedly killed herself and her child in this very same ward!
The movie is basically a ghost-story-mystery thing disguised as a comedy. The laughs are few and far between, the revelation at the end is predictable, and the horror is cheap and stupid. That said, the two minutes of screen time that are alloted to Rhys Darby had me rolling - he's basically playing Murray as a doctor. I was able to watch it with a friend and we managed to enjoy ourselves by adding our own, MS3TK-style commentary to the film and rewinding the Rhys Darby's final scene (he gives a great look at the end of it) multiple times. Fortunately, they keep things fairly light and every once and a while the jokes will land so you should be able to get through the film.
Because we were able to enjoy ourselves while watching, I'll give it a 5 out of 10, but it really doesn't deserve anything higher than that. I advise you not to buy this one. It may be worth a rental if you are a big Conchords fan or would like to watch something light and silly with some buddies on a weekend. I advise against watching it by yourself, too, as you'll have no one to crack wise with.
5/10
Last year, Affordable Films released New Zealand's latest horror-comedy Diagnosis: Death. They tried to capitalize on the popularity of their country's own Flight of the Conchords and included Brett McKenzie, Jemain Clement, and Rhys Darby. Full disclosure: I love Flight of the Conchords - the show, and the band. The only problem is that these guys are probably in the film for a total of five minutes between them. Yeah, it's a cocktease.The film itself, a horror-comedy, is surprisingly light on both horror and comedy. It stars Raybon Kan (apparently he's a New Zealand stand-up) as a school teacher that is stricken with a rare form of cancer. He goes to a weekend drug trial to test out new, experimental drugs that may be able to cure him. Sounds reasonable enough, but wait, there's more. It turns out this hospital used to be...wait for it...a MENTAL INSTITUTION! dun-dun-dun. And, as if that wasn't enough, some famous author supposedly killed herself and her child in this very same ward!
The movie is basically a ghost-story-mystery thing disguised as a comedy. The laughs are few and far between, the revelation at the end is predictable, and the horror is cheap and stupid. That said, the two minutes of screen time that are alloted to Rhys Darby had me rolling - he's basically playing Murray as a doctor. I was able to watch it with a friend and we managed to enjoy ourselves by adding our own, MS3TK-style commentary to the film and rewinding the Rhys Darby's final scene (he gives a great look at the end of it) multiple times. Fortunately, they keep things fairly light and every once and a while the jokes will land so you should be able to get through the film.
Because we were able to enjoy ourselves while watching, I'll give it a 5 out of 10, but it really doesn't deserve anything higher than that. I advise you not to buy this one. It may be worth a rental if you are a big Conchords fan or would like to watch something light and silly with some buddies on a weekend. I advise against watching it by yourself, too, as you'll have no one to crack wise with.
5/10
Monday, February 22, 2010
Saturday, February 20, 2010
Friday, February 19, 2010
The House of the Devil: A Review
The House of the Devil Reviewed
I was finally able to sit down last night and watch Ti West's The House of the Devil. I had been anticipating it for quite some time, I loved the poster art, the gimmick of releasing the film on VHS, and everything about the film seemed alluring. Needless to say, I was very excited to finally be able to watch it. Unfortunately, it was something of a let-down for me.
I was actually able to get with the gimmick of creating a film that looked/felt like an eighties picture, at first I thought that was silly, but rationalized it as a period piece that's HEAVY on the period. And, you know what, the set up is pretty nice. The first reel makes it seem like you are in for a really good time. It seemed like it could have been the first reel of some lost Halloween sequel from the eighties. Genre staple Dee Wallace even pops up in the first five minutes of the picture.
Unfortunately, writer/director Ti West is unable to deliver on his set up and we're left with a lot of filler, and, ultimately, an uninspired, easy, and trite ending. The entire second act is superfluous, and could have been better utilized. I kind of dug the montage scene. It amped up the pace a little bit, but ultimately it was too little too late. The film had already begun its slow plod into mediocrity by that point. I won't spoil the ending here, but I will say that it is not rewarding as a film watcher. You've seen it before, you will see it again.
It's too bad, too. I love a good "slow burn" horror film. I love films like The Sentinel or The Entity. You could really tell they were going for Polanski (think Rosemary's Baby or The Tenant) with this one, but few people are as capable as Polanski and Ti West isn't one of them. This movie had so much promise, but ultimately feels flat and all the gimmicks in the world can't save a flat script.
5/10
I was finally able to sit down last night and watch Ti West's The House of the Devil. I had been anticipating it for quite some time, I loved the poster art, the gimmick of releasing the film on VHS, and everything about the film seemed alluring. Needless to say, I was very excited to finally be able to watch it. Unfortunately, it was something of a let-down for me.
I was actually able to get with the gimmick of creating a film that looked/felt like an eighties picture, at first I thought that was silly, but rationalized it as a period piece that's HEAVY on the period. And, you know what, the set up is pretty nice. The first reel makes it seem like you are in for a really good time. It seemed like it could have been the first reel of some lost Halloween sequel from the eighties. Genre staple Dee Wallace even pops up in the first five minutes of the picture.
Unfortunately, writer/director Ti West is unable to deliver on his set up and we're left with a lot of filler, and, ultimately, an uninspired, easy, and trite ending. The entire second act is superfluous, and could have been better utilized. I kind of dug the montage scene. It amped up the pace a little bit, but ultimately it was too little too late. The film had already begun its slow plod into mediocrity by that point. I won't spoil the ending here, but I will say that it is not rewarding as a film watcher. You've seen it before, you will see it again.
It's too bad, too. I love a good "slow burn" horror film. I love films like The Sentinel or The Entity. You could really tell they were going for Polanski (think Rosemary's Baby or The Tenant) with this one, but few people are as capable as Polanski and Ti West isn't one of them. This movie had so much promise, but ultimately feels flat and all the gimmicks in the world can't save a flat script.
5/10
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Spotlight On Evil: Cropsy!
The Killer from The Burning (1981)
1981's The Burning is one of my favorite slashers of all time. It has the panache of the first couple of Friday the 13th films, but it's much more of a mystery being a one-off. Had Cropsy come back for more adventures, the luster may have worn off a bit, but as it is The Burning stands alone as a really good slasher with a great villain.
Interesting Trivia: Tom Savini turned down the chance to work on Friday the 13th Part II to work on The Burning!
Cropsy's Story: Camp Blackfoot's alcoholic groundskeeper/janitor Cropsy is sleeping in his cabin one night when some young campers take it upon themselves to teach him a lesson. The prank goes horribly wrong, and Cropsy is severely burned - having to spend the next five years recovering in the hospital. He is released from the hospital, only to return to the site of his accident in order to stalk the campers of Camp Stone Water, located across the lake.
That's right. A burnt up villain that uses sharp objects to kill his victims. I'm not implying that a certain Wes Craven stole anything from this film, Cropsy certainly doesn't stalk people in their dreams, but it is interesting. In all honesty, the movie shares much more in common with Friday the 13th (specifically part 2) than it does with A Nightmare on Elm Street.
Interesting Trivia: The Burning was one of Miramax Film's earliest successes.
Okay, so the story is a little uninspired, but this ain't Shakespeare. Besides, who needs a good backstory when you've got a sharp pair of gardening shears just itching to get bloody? Oh that's right, I've failed to mention the fact that Cropsy is responsible for one of the greatest massacres ever to be filmed - the infamous RAFT MASSACRE. Please see this YouTube video HERE for reference.
I would like to recommend that everyone head over to Fright-Rags and check out their The Burning shirt which features the subject of today's Spotlight on Evil. It's pretty great and sells for $19.95.
There's not a whole lot more left for me to say about our dear Cropsy, the guy only lasted for one film in the slasher era for Pete's sake, but he will always be near and dear to me. I hope you guys enjoyed reading a little bit about my burnt up, kill-happy friend Cropsy.
1981's The Burning is one of my favorite slashers of all time. It has the panache of the first couple of Friday the 13th films, but it's much more of a mystery being a one-off. Had Cropsy come back for more adventures, the luster may have worn off a bit, but as it is The Burning stands alone as a really good slasher with a great villain.
Interesting Trivia: Tom Savini turned down the chance to work on Friday the 13th Part II to work on The Burning!
Cropsy's Story: Camp Blackfoot's alcoholic groundskeeper/janitor Cropsy is sleeping in his cabin one night when some young campers take it upon themselves to teach him a lesson. The prank goes horribly wrong, and Cropsy is severely burned - having to spend the next five years recovering in the hospital. He is released from the hospital, only to return to the site of his accident in order to stalk the campers of Camp Stone Water, located across the lake.
That's right. A burnt up villain that uses sharp objects to kill his victims. I'm not implying that a certain Wes Craven stole anything from this film, Cropsy certainly doesn't stalk people in their dreams, but it is interesting. In all honesty, the movie shares much more in common with Friday the 13th (specifically part 2) than it does with A Nightmare on Elm Street.
Interesting Trivia: The Burning was one of Miramax Film's earliest successes.
Okay, so the story is a little uninspired, but this ain't Shakespeare. Besides, who needs a good backstory when you've got a sharp pair of gardening shears just itching to get bloody? Oh that's right, I've failed to mention the fact that Cropsy is responsible for one of the greatest massacres ever to be filmed - the infamous RAFT MASSACRE. Please see this YouTube video HERE for reference.
I would like to recommend that everyone head over to Fright-Rags and check out their The Burning shirt which features the subject of today's Spotlight on Evil. It's pretty great and sells for $19.95.
There's not a whole lot more left for me to say about our dear Cropsy, the guy only lasted for one film in the slasher era for Pete's sake, but he will always be near and dear to me. I hope you guys enjoyed reading a little bit about my burnt up, kill-happy friend Cropsy.
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Monday, February 15, 2010
Saturday, February 13, 2010
What is The Warfreak Doing?
When I first started this blog, I used to periodically make posts about what I was currently in to - music, movies, that sort of thing. Basically just a listing of what was going down in my life at the time. Now, I realize that may not be very interesting reading, but it's alot of fun for me to go back a look at those time capsule like posts and see what was going on at the time I made them. So, that means you're stuck with it, I guess.
Currently Watching (film): I thought that my film watching would go down quite a bit after having the baby, but instead now it's just done in pieces. I'm able to watch movies off of my Netflix Instant Queue (via Xbox Live) in 30 minute segments during every feeding! Pretty nice.
The last few movies I've watched are Rick Rosenthal's 1983 gritty teen prison (reform school, whatever) film Bad Boys and Spike Lee's opus Do the Right Thing. I'd never seen either of these films before and I was really impressed with both of them.
Currently Watching (television): Right now is a pretty good time for me on network television. I got roped into Jersey Shore for its entire season, and, oddly enjoyed it. But now I'm back to my staples - How I Met Your Mother, The Office, and The Big Bang Theory. Oh, with Community thrown in for good measure. I've also been watching more of The Daily Show and Colbert Report lately (thank you, DVR) and have been catching up on Moral Orel reruns.
Currently Watching (television on DVD): My wife and I have just started the second (and final) season of Pushing Daisies on DVD. It's a quirky, silly show that we enjoy. It's kind of like Tim Burton Presents: CSI. If you've seen it, I think you'll agree.
Currently Listening To: There aren't really any bands that have my attention right now. I listen to The Dan Patrick Show every day, so that's cool. Here's a list of some recently played tracks:
The Unicorns: Tuff Ghost
Tupac Shakur: Picture Me Rollin'
Neil Young: Down By the River
Tom Waits: The Piano Has Been Drinking
The Arcade Fire: No Cars Go
The Timeline Post: Wedding Bell Murders
The Grateful Dead: Box of Rain
The Beach Boys: God Only Knows
Peter Gabriel: Solsbury Hill
Chuck Berry: Nadine
The Red House Painters: I'm Sorry
Sigur Ros: Staralfur
Fair to Midland: The Wife, The Kids, and the White Picket Fence
Currently Reading: Just got done with Under the Dome and am starting (for my first time) Cujo. So far, I'm enjoying it. I also just read the Devil's Due mini-series Halloween: Nightdance (which has an interesting set-up, but falters due to plodding writing).
Currently Playing (video games): When I get the time, I'm still playing Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II. I enjoy it a lot, especially when I can connect with old friends on XBL and play some Team Hardcore. Other than that, when my friend Jon comes by the house (and the baby isn't home) we have started rocking the Rock Band again. Name of the band: ShotgunHemingway. Look for us, cause we are making a come-up. I've also just downloaded the multi-player demo for the upcoming Aliens vs. Predator game and am really looking forward to that (hopefully my tax refund will let me afford the game).
Currently Watching (film): I thought that my film watching would go down quite a bit after having the baby, but instead now it's just done in pieces. I'm able to watch movies off of my Netflix Instant Queue (via Xbox Live) in 30 minute segments during every feeding! Pretty nice.
The last few movies I've watched are Rick Rosenthal's 1983 gritty teen prison (reform school, whatever) film Bad Boys and Spike Lee's opus Do the Right Thing. I'd never seen either of these films before and I was really impressed with both of them.
Currently Watching (television): Right now is a pretty good time for me on network television. I got roped into Jersey Shore for its entire season, and, oddly enjoyed it. But now I'm back to my staples - How I Met Your Mother, The Office, and The Big Bang Theory. Oh, with Community thrown in for good measure. I've also been watching more of The Daily Show and Colbert Report lately (thank you, DVR) and have been catching up on Moral Orel reruns.
Currently Watching (television on DVD): My wife and I have just started the second (and final) season of Pushing Daisies on DVD. It's a quirky, silly show that we enjoy. It's kind of like Tim Burton Presents: CSI. If you've seen it, I think you'll agree.
Currently Listening To: There aren't really any bands that have my attention right now. I listen to The Dan Patrick Show every day, so that's cool. Here's a list of some recently played tracks:
The Unicorns: Tuff Ghost
Tupac Shakur: Picture Me Rollin'
Neil Young: Down By the River
Tom Waits: The Piano Has Been Drinking
The Arcade Fire: No Cars Go
The Timeline Post: Wedding Bell Murders
The Grateful Dead: Box of Rain
The Beach Boys: God Only Knows
Peter Gabriel: Solsbury Hill
Chuck Berry: Nadine
The Red House Painters: I'm Sorry
Sigur Ros: Staralfur
Fair to Midland: The Wife, The Kids, and the White Picket Fence
Currently Reading: Just got done with Under the Dome and am starting (for my first time) Cujo. So far, I'm enjoying it. I also just read the Devil's Due mini-series Halloween: Nightdance (which has an interesting set-up, but falters due to plodding writing).
Currently Playing (video games): When I get the time, I'm still playing Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II. I enjoy it a lot, especially when I can connect with old friends on XBL and play some Team Hardcore. Other than that, when my friend Jon comes by the house (and the baby isn't home) we have started rocking the Rock Band again. Name of the band: ShotgunHemingway. Look for us, cause we are making a come-up. I've also just downloaded the multi-player demo for the upcoming Aliens vs. Predator game and am really looking forward to that (hopefully my tax refund will let me afford the game).
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)