Dreck [drek]
noun Slang.
Origin:
Yiddish drek; cognate with German Dreck filth; compare Old English threax, Old Norse threkr excrement
(From Dictionary.com)
Pick your definition – Deep in the Darkness is dreck, unless you’re a Viking, in which case, it’s threkr.
It seems almost uncharitable to pick apart the new horror film Animal, a mix of guy-in-a rubber-suit monster movie and dumb-ass-kids-in-the-woods slasher flick. It delivers as much entertainment as one might expect from a movie with a tag line, “Fear lives in the woods,” and a poster that features the snarling muzzle of an unnatural beast with about four different rows of fanged teeth. You go into this one expecting an easy, cheesy ride with one or two scares, maybe a ripped bodice, bad acting, worse dialog, predictable twists, and one chick left standing at the end.
And voila.
Hollywood is in the business of expectations – creating and controlling them. Studios need to generate enough interest for a film to guarantee ticket sales without overhyping the movie and having it labeled a failure.
Lucky is the moviegoer who can watch a film without any preconceived notions of the product. For those fortunate few who see Anna with low-to-no expectations, the hybrid horror/science fiction/thriller provides an entertaining diversion that benefits from stylish atmosphere and a strong central performance. Director Jorge Dorado uses a steady pace and a few sleight-of-hand tricks to divert the viewer’s attention away from some significant logical gaps in the narrative. (more…)
Why, Brad Dourif, why? You are one of the most original, idiosyncratic, and talented character actors of the last 40 years. Your credits extend from the unforgettable portrayal of Billy Bibbit in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest for which you received an Academy Award nomination to your Emmy nominated turn as Doc Cochran in Deadwood. You’re been the voice of pure evil for decades as the serial killer kid’s toy in the Chucky movies.
That’s a lot of good will to flush down the drain, but your latest movie is almost a big enough toilet to dispose of such a sterling reputation. Why would you do it? If it’s money, next time start a campaign on Hatchfund with a goal of raising enough to cover your bills until a decent role comes along. (more…)
There are two valid points of comparison from which to begin a review of The Green Inferno, Eli Roth’s latest attempt at shock and awe in the horror genre. One is Roth’s own work, most notably Hostel. That movie arrived with allegations of torture porn, when, in fact, it was a fairy tale and no more graphic than many of the fables from the Brothers Grimm. As the bad witch of Hostel was ground under the car wheels of the escaping American lad, you could almost hear a mother concluding the bedtime story by snapping a book shut and saying, “And that’s what happens to bad little boys who go to Europe to get laid.”
Ti West’s new work, The Sacrament, is a surprisingly good movie that uses the events of the infamous Jonestown Massacre of 1978 as the basis for a faux documentary that investigates a commune which the elderly, poor, and disadvantaged have established in the jungle of an unidentified country under the direction of a charismatic preacher they call Father. Generally, the material is not handled in an exploitative manner nor does the final result belong in any way to the horror genre, although the movie has been incorrectly characterized by some as such.
And for those reasons, the film is unlikely to attract the audience it deserves.
It’s a safe bet that filmmaker Álex de la Iglesia is in complete agreement with the famous Oscar Wilde quote: “Moderation is fatal. Nothing succeeds like excess.” No two sentences could better describe de la Iglesia’s approach in his latest film, Las brujas de Zugarramurdi (aka Witching and Bitching), a frenetic visual and linguistic exercise in the extreme. Over-the-top is the movie’s starting point, and the Spanish director is hellbent on ratcheting up the absurdity at every opportunity. While ultimately the film suffers from being too much of a good thing – a trim of about ten minutes from the 104-minute run time would be in order – the picture is so original, the cast so committed, and the production design so much fun that the experience is as irresistible as the English language title.
The irony of the Wolf Creek movies is that if the Australian Tourist Board were looking for a filmmaker to deliver images to entice tourists to take the long trip Down Under, director Greg Mclean would be a natural choice. At the beginning of both films – the original in 2005 and the sequel which opens shortly in the United States – the varied landscapes of Australia are highlighted beautifully, from the wonderful sand beaches of the coast to the surprisingly lush pockets of green in the interior to the stark other-worldliness of the Outback.
Yet, writer Greg Mclean, who penned the screenplays for both features, even more effectively dissuades any outsiders contemplating a walkabout by means of his creation, Mick Taylor (John Jarratt), the ever amiable serial killer, who stalks, slices and skins travelers to the isolated Wolf Creek National Park.
There’s a simple two-step method to enjoying Død Snø 2 (Dead Snow: Red vs. Dead).
Step A: Watch the original Død Snø.
Step B: See the new movie in a theater filled with people who loved the first one.
Step A is optional.
Yeah, the ZomBoys are back in town, and it goes without saying that if you only see one Nazi zombie movie this year, it should be the latest flick by director Tommy Wirkola. (more…)
Director Juno Mak, in his maiden effort behind the camera, has made an almost spoiler-proof movie. At any point in Geung Si (Rigor Mortis), up to and including the ending, you have no idea what the hell is going on. You might think you know who’s dead or dying or destined to die, but chances are excellent that the next scene or the one after that or certainly the final scene will have you going back over that assumption.
“The twins now possess the vampire,” is a line delivered by a character indicating a key turning point in the movie. Good luck explaining that to someone unfamiliar with jiangshi or the hopping vampire myth. And any recap of the action will include relaying the fact that if a malignant spirit takes over a living soul, the correct approach is to kick its ever-loving evil ass, kung fu style.
Rigor Mortis is absolute nonsense, but it is gorgeous, grotesque nonsense that is visually thrilling, never less than enthralling, over-the-top, must-see Hong Kong horror. (more…)
Meet Mr. Karma 