Some news...

Hey guys! I've got to get to class in about 45 minutes, so I'm just going to get into it...here are your headlines...

- Robert Downey Jr and Tina Fey have been tapped to star in Dreamworks upcoming animated film, MasterMind...
- Kevin Smith has come out and said that his new film, Zack and Miri Make a Porno will NOT be a part of his "Askewniverse"...thoughts?
- Baz Lurhman's film, Australia, has been pushed back a week, to November 26th, due to the moving of Bond 22...
- This years suprise horror hit, The Strangers, WILL be getting a sequel, with production slated to begin early next year...
- A film based on Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg is in the works....wtf are people thinking?!?!?!
- The Descent is getting a sequel...thanks to Cinematical for this bit of information...

The sequel picks up where the first film left off (that is if you are following the events of the North American release of the original film). The story follows the return of a mute and unbalanced Sarah as she heads back down to the caves with a rescue party to locate the rest of her group. Of course, this being the ricketiest cave on earth, the group is soon trapped and left to deal with the nasties down below.

What do you guys think?? What are your thoughts on the first Descent film?

Thats all I've got for now, so come back later for more news and notes....

Go see something good!!!

Funny Games vs. The Strangers...

Hey guys! So, during my review of Kung Fu Panda, I ended the post with an apology to director Bryan Bertino, who was at the helm of The Strangers. In the apology, I said that the film was really similar to Funny Games, and in that comment, I have been asked to go into it in deeper detail.

So, when I say "It's not an amazing movie, but if you can't handle Funny Games, but like the plot, check The Strangers out", I mean a couple of things. With the Strangers, the plot is that this couple goes out to a cabin, and begin to be terrorized by a group of people. The story unfolds, and "the Strangers" terrorize the couple in a deeper, more violent manner as the story goes, until ultimatley they are caught and the "game" is over. Now, with Funny Games, you get the couple and their son, who go into their summer home, and begin to become terrorized by a duo of kids. Now, as in the Strangers, the terror increases as the story goes, until the "game" ends. The plots to me seemed really similar. Also, they both open with interaction between the two groups of people (the couple and the family), which really helps the viewer become emotionally attached to them.

Also, and I think this may be the root of the question that sparked this post, Funny Games is INSANELY dark. It may be one of the darkest, and most emotionally effecting films I've seen in a long time. There is one shot for example, of Naomi Watts, struggling to get untied, and just the strain on her face, the tears running down her cheek, makes it almost unwatchably uncomfortable. Oh, did I mention the shot runs for about three-five minutes. There are many shots like that in FG. The ending is also really intense, and the setup right before it will polarize everyone who watches it. Thats just not the type of film The Strangers is. It's a dark film, but it doesn't play so much on the psychological aspect of the terror. It's a conventional horror film that plays for the "scares". They have very similar plots, but when taken as films, are really almost two different genres.

There is one other, really big difference. There isn't much in way of interaction between the two groups of people in The Strangers, which does hinder the terror that is felt in the theatre. The film is scary, but in Funny Games, the two kids who terrorize the family have personality, and dare I say charisma. Hell, the main kid, played by Michael Pitt, talks directly to you in the theatres. Also, Funny Games is a much more cinematic film. I think I said this in my review, but it's like Michael Haneke hung out with Gus Van Sandt the whole time while filming, and during down time, watched A Clockwork Orange. It's a long and almost lyrically shot film, and that really increases the horror that the viewer will feel. It's not that the Stranger's isn't scary, it is, it's just a different style.


So, all in all, the films are different, but the plots just seemed very similar to me. Really though, Funny Games comes out on DVD on Tuesday, so check that out, and go see the Strangers, it's a solid, hollywood horror film.


Check out their respective trailers...

FUNNY GAMES...



THE STRANGERS...





Hopefully this has cleared up any thoughts!

Go see something good!!!

The Strangers...

So I wanted to see something this weekend. My girlfriend, her sister, and I decided that the Strangers looked pretty decent, and so we went. We figured, what the hell, Sex and The City will be busy, so we shouldn't have to worry about the seats. What a miscalculation that was. We ended up getting FRONT ROW, CORNER SEATS. The theatre was packed, even more so than for my screenings of either Iron Man, Speed Racer, OR Indy 4. However, was this movie really worth all of that agony for my poor, poor neck.

The Strangers is a story that is "inspired by true events" (more on that later). It is a tale about a couple James Hoyt and Kristen McKay, who decide, after leaving a wedding reception, to go to a friends cottage for a little alone time. However, things don't go as planned as James proposed to Kristen, and she denied him. As they discuss what the will do next, and akwardly begin to have sex, a knock at the door comes. It's a girl asking if someone is home. The couple says no, and she leaves, but not without freaking the two former love birds out. So they go back to normal talk, and then another knock comes, however, this one is a lot louder. Kristen becomes a little scared, and then all hell breaks loose. The girl and two others adourned with masks, begin to terrorize them, and the couple must survive.

First off, let me get this out of the way. This film was INSPIRED by true events. I'm going by the wikipedia page for the film, but this film is based on an event from the director, Bryan Bertino's childhood. He had an experience with a person who was asking for someone, and he soon later found out that a lot of empty homes had been robbed. So, just to let everyone know. It doesn't effect my thought's on the film, just thought you all would like to hear about that.

Alright, the goods about this movie. The one thing that I will give this film in spades is the directing. Bryan Bertino looks very promising behind the camera. It's his first film, and there's one shot in particular that I thought was really masterful suspense film making, even though it's basic indie horror fair. Also, the cinematography was solid, and the score was fine for a horror film. I really liked the source music they had for the film too. Granted, it kind of got repetative on the squeky record player, but the music was good and it added to the mood. The performances were fine, especially from the boyfriend to Liv Tyler's character, Kristen. Finally, some of the first few scares really worked.

However, after that it's just not that good. This isn't a bad movie by any means. It's just heavy flawed, as are most horror films today. To me, the biggest problem was how unoriginal the movie was, and how repetative the scares were. I've seen this movie before, and it felt like it during the movie. Take Funny Games for example. This film is just Funny Games, but without the message. This film has no point, and watching these people's lives be destroyed really makes for depressing film going. I know that's kind of the point, to get me angry that people would do this, but just put a message behind it, like the aformentioned Funny Games. The lack of message didn't bug me much, it was simply the lack of originality that bothered me. Also, the big thing is that the three killers sneak up on you and watch what you do, however, after the tenth time, I just began to think where they would come from, and make up a funny place they could. This film does keep you into it, just not emotionally, as a good horror film should. The sound design also wasn't great. On a 10 million dollar budget, I do give them some credit, but after that trailer and poster were released, my expectations were not met, and that leads to dissapointment. I say, if you go with a group of friends, you may have a good time, but you're better off saving your money and buying Funny Games in two weeks.

Rating: 6/10

Alright guys, thats it for now. I'm going to get out to the theatres again today, maybe to check out Forgetting Sarah Marshall, or something else like that, so check back later for a review!

Go see something good

Wonder Woman...Into Hell...Crank 2...

Here are a few more nuggets of news to end the day with...
-Crank 2 is set to begin filming by the end of this month or early next month with most of the original cast along with the addition of Bai Ling and Clifton Collins Jr. The original crew returns as well for this sequel...
-Speaking of Jason Statham, he is set to star in an upcoming film about soccer hooligans called Into Hell. Oh, it will also be about a political assassination...have fun with that you guys...
-Joel Silver has writers currently working on a script that would bring Wonder Woman to the silver screen...
-Frank Miller is in talks to direct a film adaptation of the comic book, Hard Boiled. Now, the thing here is, he was on to write the film, with David Fincher directing. I need to know why that can't happen. Is Benjamin Button taking that long? The film is about an insurance salesman turned cyborg killer. That sounds like a perfect Fincher vehicle right there!
-The new one sheet for the upcoming horror film, the Strangers is out...



That scene in the trailer is the reason I am into this movie at all...
-Looks like Speed Racer is set for a sequel. The Wachowskis are in talks about going into production pretty soon after the one coming out next month is on DVD...


That's about it. If anything huge comes up, you can count on me breaking it here for you. In the meantime, go see something good!!