Day 200: The Exorcist

The Exorcist

That tanning light is set to "Jersey Shore"

Banned in certain countries. Fainting in the audience. Injuries. Death threats to actors. It takes an incredibly powerful movie to achieve such a response. Nowadays, just about anything can make it to theaters or be sold in stores, no matter how depraved or ridiculous (I'm looking at you, Human Centipede). Back in 1973, a horror movie was released that some believe had the Devil imprinted on the film. Not a demon or some sort of evil power, the Devil himself. It's hard to imagine such a response in today's desensitized and jaded world, but there is still one movie that capable of scaring people into hysterics. Of course, I am talking about The Exorcist.

The Exorcist is a 1973 horror movie starring Linda Blair (Repossessed, Hell Night) as Regan MacNeil and Jason Miller (That Championship Season, Toy Soldiers) as Father Damien Karras. It is adapted from the novel of the same name by William Peter Blatty. At an archaeological dig in Iraq, Father Lankester Merrin (Max von Sydow, The Seventh Seal, Flash Gordon) discovers a silver Catholic medallion along with a small stone amulet of a creature. In Washington D.C., actress Chris MacNeil (Ellen Burstyn, Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore, Requiem For A Dream) begins to notice strange changes in her 12 year old daughter Regan's behavior. She brings Regan to the doctor for a series of tests. The doctors believe that Regan has a simple condition that is treatable through medication. Her condition worsens as she now has violent outbursts and mood swings. Doctors perform invasive tests, believing that she has a lesion in her brain. The results yield no answers and a visit from a psychologist ends violently. Paranormal occurrences begin with strange noises, unexplained movements, and Regan's bed shaking. With no medical answers, the doctor's recommend an exorcism. Burke Dennings, film director and a friend of Chris, visits Regan and dies falling down a long flight of stairs under mysterious circumstances. Chris reaches out to Father Karras to perform the exorcism. Karras is going through a crisis of faith due to the recent death of his mother, but he agrees to see Regan. Karras observes Regan who now speaks in a raspy voice, has facial lesions, and refers to herself as the Devil. He sees the words “Help Me” on Regan's stomach and decides to ask the Church to allow the exorcism. The Church reaches out to Father Merrin who conducted an exorcism years ago in Africa, though it almost killed him. Will Father Merrin and Father Karras be able to exorcise the demon and save Regan?

"The power of rice compels...wait, that's not right"

The Exorcist has been named “The Scariest Movie of All Time” for good reason because the movie is legitimately scary. What makes it so scary isn't the jump-at-you moments that so many horror movies rely on, though it does have plenty of those. The movie is incredibly unsettling in it's content and execution. This is achieved through superb special effects and sound effects. Iconic scenes like Regan crawling down the stairs backwards (Spiderwalking if you prefer) and her head rotating and so unnerving in their unnaturalness that is strikes a nerve deep within the audience. I don't think I've seen another movie where sound has been so essential to make scenes work as in The Exorcist. Regan's possessed voice was provided by actress Mercedes McCambridge is so gravelly and rough that, mentally, it doesn't sit well with the audience when seen coming out the mouth of a 12 year old Linda Blair. There are split-second flashes of a demonic-looking face throughout the movie which may be the most terrifying thing in the entire movie because it the image stays with you long after the movie is over. I am actually surprised more movies don't try this subtle, yet effective trick.

The movie succeeds thanks to a combination of the solid acting, believable characters, and believable, if not wholly known, content. Linda Blair is great in her role, despite her young age and Mercedes McCambridge makes the demonic role work. Jason Miller plays Father Karras well and is probably the most identifiable with the audience as he is questioning his faith and is not sure what to believe. Director William Friedkin gets the most out of his actors through Kubrickian filmmaking. When both Fathers enter the Regan's room and steam can be seen from their breath, it's due to multiple air conditioners cranking out below freezing temperatures. When Ellen Burstyn screams out in pain after being struck by a possessed Regan, she is in actual pain due to breaking her coccyx. You can say there was a method to Fiedkin's madness because he gets great performances out of his actors and is able to capture some amazing shots on camera.

Oh, hi!

It is not often that a horror movie can scare, and while I may not have shrieked in terror, I was unsettled by The Exorcist. You know a movie is good when it stays with you long after the credits have rolled and The Exorcist is able to do that. Any exorcism movie that has come out since The Exorcist has been compared to the movie and while some receive praise, they cannot reach it's greatness. The great special and sound effects, the superb acting, and great direction all lead to an enjoyable, if unnerving, watch. It is a classic for a reason and deserves all the praise it receives. A perfect horror movie for my 200th review.

10/10

Day 199: Land Of The Dead

Land Of The Dead

Hands Across America was a complete success

I love zombie movies. Until recently, zombies were only for the serious horror fans. They were not dangerously romantic like vampire movies and didn't have the classic pedigree of werewolves or even mummies. Zombies are special because anyone can become one. There is no reasoning with a zombie, no cutting a deal to let you live. Zombie movies boil down to the basic animal instinct of survival and self preservation. The king of the zombie movie is George Romero. His original trilogy of Night of the Living Dead, Dawn of the Dead, and Day of the Dead is perhaps the best horror trilogy ever. It's mixture of violence, blood, social commentary, and smart writing gave it a gritty realism not too common in movies. A few year ago, I was overjoyed to hear that he would be making another zombie movie. Would it live up to the first three?

Land Of The Dead is a 2005 zombie movie starring Simon Baker (The Mentalist, Red Planet) as Riley Denbo. Three years after the zombie outbreak spread across the globe and crippled the United States, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania has become a haven for survivors. Surrounded by rivers on three sides and an electrified fence on the fourth, the city is divided among the haves, who live in luxury within a tower called Fiddler's Green, and the have-nots who live in the streets and scrape by just trying to survive. The city is run by a wealthy businessman named Mr. Kaufman (Dennis Hopper, Easy Rider, Speed) who also owns a heavily armored truck called Dead Reckoning which goes through the towns outside the wall, killing zombies and bring back supplies. On a trip outside the city, Riley observes a zombie with the nametag “Big Daddy” remembering and learning things. He even sees Big Daddy communicate with other zombies. Riley is the recently retired commander of Dead Reckoning when he sees a woman named Slack (Asia Argento, xXx, Transylvania) being used as bate for zombies in a gambling event. Along with his friend and partner Charlie (Robert Joy, Fallen, The Hills Have Eyes), Riley rescues Slack, but all three are arrested. Meanwhile, Dead Reckoning's second in command, Cholo (John Leguizamo, Summer of Sam, Assault On Precinct 13) has stolen the vehicle because Kaufman refused to let him purchase an apartment in Fiddler's Green. Cholo, along with the crew, plan to shell the city if Kaufman does not pay a ransom. Kaufman employs Riley, Charlie, and Slack to get Dead Reckoning back in exchange for their freedom. At the same time horde of zombies, led by Big Daddy, cross the river and launch an attack on the city. Will Riley and his group be able to get Dead Reckoning back and save the city before it's too late?

So many zombies, so little time

Land Of The Dead has all the calling cards of a George Romero zombie movie. There is lots of fun, creative violence with loads of blood and gore. There is a good amount of action throughout the movie with lots of gunfire and flesh-eating. The movie creatively uses fireworks, dubbed Sky Flowers) to distract zombies. Next 4^th of July, take a look at the people around you watching fireworks. They look just like the zombies in the movie. Of course this ruined fireworks for me, but that's is fine. Sometimes you need to see something else to see yourself. The zombies look great with a mixture of traditional make-up and computerized effects. Some may complain about zombies using items such as tools and weapons, but it is important to keep in mind that Romero already touched about this concept in Day Of The Dead. This is not something new, but if you haven't seen the previous movies, you may not pick up on all the references and nods. There are plenty of jokes as well, making for a close, fun watch.

More importantly, thought, the movie is full of smart social commentary. The movie shows the reality of American life, perhaps even moreso now than in 2005. With the economy being sluggish, the rise of the Occupy movement and corporation being declared “people,” Land Of The Dead is full of apt analogies and satirical metaphors. Zombie movies work the best when there is a true enemy other than just the zombies. The story itself is decent, but doesn't really live up to the previous three movies. I think the movie focuses too much on Dead Reckoning and not enough on human emotion. Kaufman is a good villain with the combination of his ruthlessness and disconnect with the real world. He's sort of like Mitt Romney without the Reed Richards hair. Dennis Hopper plays his part convincingly well. John Leguizamo does well as Cholo and I wouldn't mind seeing him in more serious roles. 

Fight the zombies or go to Cleveland? Tough choice!

If anyone knows how to make a zombie movie, it's George Romero. Land Of The Dead keeps with the themes of the previous “...Of The Dead” movies and expands it for a wider audience. By doing this, the movie does lose a bit of the spark that made Romero movies so special. It is a fun zombie movie, but it doesn't reach the greatness that we have come to expect. Perhaps Land Of The Dead is one of those movies that needs to be watched over a period of years so that it ages like a fine wine. It is a fun movie with all the things we love in zombie movies. Maybe one day, it will be a great movie.

7/10

Day 198: Apollo 18

Apollo 18

In space, no one can hear your cliche

Space: the final frontier. Outer space is an effective backdrop for horror movies because it is the epitome of the unknown. Despite all of humanity's work and technology, we have only gone to Earth's moon a limited number of times. Economic problems across the world have put a halt to space travel, cutting off our exploration and leaving so many questions unanswered. It is the unknown that makes horror movies in space work. The mind runs wild with thoughts of aliens, monsters, and “other” things that may be out there. The world is dangerous, but at least we have an idea of what may happen. Outer space is completely different. So many things can go wrong and no one will be able to save you.

Apollo 18 is a 2011 science fiction horror movie starring Warren Christie (October Road, Alphas) as Lunar Module Pilot Captain Ben Anderson and Lloyd Owens (The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles, Innocent) as Commander Nate Walker. In December 1974, the canceled Apollo 18 mission to the moon is reinstated as a top secret mission by the Department of Defense. Ben, Nate, and Command Module Pilot Lieutenant Colonel John Grey are launched to the moon in order to place machines that will detect Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles being launched by the USSR. Ben and Nate land on the moon via their lunar module while John stays in orbit on the Freedom module. They plant the detectors along with the American flag while picking up moon rock samples. Ben notes that they feel strange and when they return to the module, they hear strange chittering sounds on their radio. During further exploration, they find footprints not belonging to either one of them. They follow the footprints to a Soviet module and discover a dead Cosmonaut inside. They contact mission control in Houston and ask if they knew that the Soviets had reached the moon. Houston gives them the run-around and tells them to continue their mission. The next day, they discover that the flag they planted has gone missing. As they prepare to leave, their module shakes violently, and their launch is aborted. Outside, Nate claims to feel something in his helmet and panics. Ben retrieves him and brings him back in the module. They discover that something has embedded itself inside Nate's body and Ben cuts out what appears to be a moon rock. Nate soon becomes sick and Ben is unable to make contact with Freedom or Houston due to interference and strange sounds over the radio. How will they be able to get home and what is the real reason they were sent to the moon?

Ahh! It's that stupid Call Me Maybe song!

Apollo 18 is a slow-build horror movie, taking it's time to set the stage and not rushing into action. If you're looking for exploding heads and evisceration, you are going to be sadly disappointed. You don't need to be bashed over the head with violence and jump-at-you-from-the-dark moments. The movie focuses more on atmosphere and hints of danger to instill fear in the audience instead of blood and gore. Apollo 18 falls into the “found footage” category, but unlike movies like Paranormal Activity and The Blair Witch Project, the found footage doesn't feel like a gimmick to get cheap scares. It lends a level of authenticity to the story, since the footage has a retro quality and the dialogue is full of technical jargon. They could have been making it all up, but it sounded right, which is good enough. It didn't occur to me right away, but there is no music in the movie. This adds to the authenticity and lets the mind run wild throughout the movie instead of when music typically cues up.

A big reason why I enjoyed Apollo 18 is because I really like the concept. No one has gone to the moon in my lifetime and the movie gives a reason why. It's a fun little conspiracy theory that doesn't require the audience to wear tinfoil hats and scream about the Trilateral Commission teaming up with the Illuminati and the Girl Scouts of America. The movie is built upon a simple question and let's the audience's imagination run wild. The acting is very good and adds legitimacy to the story. The movie is directed by Gonzalo Lopez-Gallego, who does a good job using various surveillance shots to set the scenes and hand-held cameras to capture emotion and action. The movie uses some effects, but doesn't overdue it. I would have liked a little more definitive shots of the creatures and some more action. 

In Soviet Russia, Moon goes to you!

Apollo 18 is a fun science fiction horror movie that focuses on more traditional horror than many of today's blood and guts horror films. The concept is good and comes to life thanks to solid acting and directing. Normally, I am wary of “found footage” movies because they use the gimmick too much and forget to have a good story. The Blair Witch Project is a good example of this. Thankfully, Apollo 18 uses found footage to it's advantage, giving the movie a vintage feel and forgoing music for storytelling. It's a shame to see so many negative reviews for the movie because I think it's very entertaining. Leave your preconceived notions of horror at the door and see Apollo 18 for yourself.

8/10

Day 197: From A Whisper To A Scream

From A Whisper To A Scream

From a whisper to a yawn

Anthologies are a fun concept for horror movies. They can take short stories that are unable to fit into a standard hour and a half format of regular movies and get them on the big screen. Sometimes the stories have a common theme running through them like in Tales From The Hood or Heavy Metal. Other times, they're just a few stories thrown together. What matters most is that the stories are entertaining, the acting is good, and that there are overtones of horror. Seems simple enough, right? Unfortunately, those three things are not easily attainable and can make for an unpleasant watch.

From A Whisper To A Scream (also known as The Offspring) is a 1987 horror anthology starring Vincent Price as Julian White. Julian's niece Karen is executed by the state of Tennessee for committing a murder. He is visited by Beth Chandler (Susan Tyrrell, Cry-Baby, Powder), a reporter that was present at Karen's execution. She questions Julian about his niece and he explains that though she may have committed a crime, she is not to blame. He blames her murderous actions on the town of Oldfield, Tennessee. He relates four separate tales from the town's past. The first tells the story of Stanley Burnside (Clu Gulager, The Return Of The Living Dead, The Initiation), a lonely middle-aged man caught in a mundane life caring for his sick sister. He has a crush on his co worker Grace and convinces her to go on a date. Incredibly bored, she tries to leave, but Stanley chokes her to death in a fit of rage. Unsatisfied, Stanley visits her body in the funeral home and commits the act of necrophilia on her body. 9 months later, Stanley gets a special visitor. What could it be? The second story involves a criminal named Jesse Hardwick (Terry Kiser, Weekend At Bernie's. Mask Maker) who is shot in a swamp fleeing from criminals he ripped off. Jesse is saved by and old man named Felder Evans (Harry Caesar, A Few Good Men, The Longest Yard). Jesse sees Felder practicing some sort of witchcraft late at night and investigates his belongings. He finds newspaper clippings mentiong Felder dating back to the early 1800's. Jesse surmises that his rituals have made him immortal and forces Felder to teach him the secrets. What will Felder do? The third story is about a freak show glass-eater that falls in love with a girl named Amarillis. They plan to run away, but the glass-eater is indebted to Snakewoman, who runs the freak show. How will they escape? The final story features three Union soldiers at the end of the civil war. They are captured and tortured by a group of children, orphaned by the war. Will they be able to escape? Julian finishes telling the stories of Oldfield to Beth, hoping to see if she is convinced that the town is evil. Will she believe Julian and does she have an ulterior motive for visiting him?

Vincent Price's "Bitch, please" face

When you have so many stories crammed into one feature-length movie, odds are that at least one of them has to be good. Sadly, this is not the case in From A Whisper To A Scream. The stories are all underdeveloped and lack the right amount of action to keep things interesting. They are full of half-decent ideas that go nowhere. The movie was clearly made on the cheap as the sets are woefully inadequate and dated. The direction is shoddy and many scenes are too dark to see what is happening. Vincent Price is as delightful as ever, but even he acknowledged that the movie was terrible. The sets are supposed to take place during different time periods, but some of the costumes and music don't fit. It is woefully apparent that the movie is made in the the 80's because Susan Tyrrell's character looks like she fell out of an A-Ha video.

The first story has off-pacing and the little side bit with Stanley's sister is just plain weird. I don't know if they were going with some sort of underlying incest, but whatever it was, it failed. It didn't help that they showed his elderly sister naked. The necrophilia scene made sense for the story, but it was still creepy and the end result was unintentionally ridiculous. The second story was fine, just a little boring. Terry Kiser was a bit too hammy and over-the-top for my liking. The third story is just flat-out terrible and is the weakest of all four. The plot isn't particularly clear and everything just feels forced. It doesn't help that the acting is painful to watch. The final story is essentially Children Of The Corn-lite. It is probably the best idea out of the four stories, but the execution is just no good. 

Taaaaake onnnnnnn meeeeeeee....

We know that horror anthologies can be enjoyable. Creepshow and Trick R' Treat are proof. The difference between those movies and From A Whisper To A Scream is that those stories are well-crafted, there is good action, and the horror is strong. The stories in this movie just cannot hold up on their own and are not enjoyable to sit through. There is nothing particularly scary and they lack action. The acting ranges from passable to terrible, making a bad situation worse. Despite having Vincent Price involved, do yourself a favor, and avoid From A Whisper To A Scream

2/10

Day 196: The Descent

The Descent

Brought to you by Sepia Tone

I'll never understand thrill seekers that go jumping off mountains or diving out of planes chasing after their parachute. The real world is scary enough. If you don't believe me, just read the ingredients used in a Boston Cream donut. You'll never look at a Dunkin Donuts the same way again. I don't need to go spelunking to have a good time. I understand enjoying the great outdoors, but you won't crash into the ground at 300 miles per hour watching a movie on your couch. Of course, that doesn't make for an entertaining horror movie.

The Descent is a 2005 horror movie starring Shauna Macdonald (The Mutant Chronicles, Silent Night, Deadly Night) as Sarah. After a trip whitewater rafting with her friends in Scotland, Sarah's family gets in to a car accident, killing her husband and daughter. One year later, Sarah is reunited with her friends Juno (Natalie Mendoza, Moulin Rouge, Surviving Evil), Beth, Sam, and Rebecca at a cabin in the Appalachian Mountains. They are joined by Juno's new friend and “protege” Holly. The next morning, the group goes caving and Juno apologizes to Sarah for not being there for her after the accident. Sarah is distant and aloof, often thinking about her daughter celebrating her birthday. The group descends down into the cave and through a tight passageway. It collapses, trapping the group. They try to get their bearings when Juno reveals that they are in a different, unchartered cave than the one they expected to explore. She believed it would be a bonding experience for the group to discover a new cave and even suggested naming it after Sarah. The group discovers cave paintings suggesting there is a way out and descend deeper into the darkness. Holly believes she sees daylight and falls down a hole, fracturing her leg. As they help her, Sarah spots a humanoid creature in the darkness. The group is attacked by these creatures and Holly is killed. Juno fights them off and accidentally stabs Beth. Sarah is separated from the group and watches the creatures feed on Holly. She escapes the feeding pit with a pickaxe and comes across a mortally wounded Beth who asks Sarah to kill her. The group is slowly picked off by the monsters, leaving only Sarah and Juno. Will they be able to survive and what else has Juno been keeping from Sarah?

Red is totally your color

The first half of the movie focuses mostly on the group's relationship as the deal with being stuck in the cave. While it is slow at times, the first half does have some thrills and a good amount of tension. In all honesty, the movie could have just been about being stuck in a cave. It wouldn't have been a horror movie in the traditional sense, but I think it still would have been scary. If James Franco can make a movie about having his arm pinned against a rock, they could have done it first. It's the second half where the action picks up and becomes a more traditional monster movie. The creatures look good as they still look vaguely human, but monstrous enough to be unsettling. The movie has a good amount of blood and gore, but doesn't rely on it to tell the story.

I am not afraid of small spaces, but The Descent made me feel completely claustrophobic. The movie is very dark, which serves to create a greater sense of fear and atmosphere, but also made it difficult to tell just who was who in the group. I couldn't really keep track of which character was being killed and it led to some confusion. The movie has many great clean shots, like Sarah running up a hill of bones or ascending from a pool of blood. I particularly liked that scene as it is a metaphor for her spiritual rebirth. When she rises from the pool of blood, she is no longer the shell of a person she had been after her daughter's death and goes on a monster killing spree. Shauna Macdonald is very good in both her roles and is a very convincing action hero. Natalie Mendoza also does well in her action sequences.

For the last time, I wasn't The Master from Buffy!

There were two things in the movie that really bothered me. First, I was disappointed that a movie with an all-female cast came down to a fight over a man. There was no need for it and it cheapened the entire experience. Why thrown in a story of adultery when it really adds nothing to the movie? It also forces the hero of the movie to do something very unheroic, which didn't sit well with me. The second was the ending. Apparently, I watched the U.S. version of The Descent which had a different ending from the UK version. The U.S. Version ended so abruptly that I legitimately thought there was something wrong with my version. This version also makes all the scenes involving Sarah's daughter completely moot. You can actually view the UK ending on Youtube which is far better and makes much more sense. There is supposed to be a sequel to The Descent and that is my only guess as to why the altered the ending.

The Descent is a good monster movie with a few fatal flaws. The monsters look good and the action is fast-paced and really entertaining. It takes some patience to get there, but it's worth the wait. There is a good amount of blood and gore, but nothing too over-the-top. The acting is good and the direction is particularly great with some really cool shots and scenes. It was really good to see an all-female cast involved in a horror movie, but disappointing that they had to reduce the story to a fight over a man. The altered ending is abrupt and confusing made all the worse because it makes previous scenes in the movie pointless. If you want to see The Descent, do yourself a favor and find the UK version. It really makes a big difference because the ending in the US version brings down the entire movie.

7/10

Special thanks to reader Camie (@silvershamrockd) for helping me figure out the differences in the UK and U.S. Version.

Day 195: Friday The 13th

Friday The 13^th

It's Friday, Friday

Happy Friday the 13^th everyone! This day is considered unlucky in Western culture dating back to the 1800's. Nowadays, though, Friday the 13^th is more closely related to the unkillable murder machine, Jason. This day is sort of a holiday for horror fans with only Halloween topping it. Just today, I saw donuts with powdered sugar in the shape of Jason's iconic hockey mask. Friday the 13^th is one of the longest running slasher series. I had a wide array of movies to choose from for this special day, but I thought the only way to truly honor it would be to watch the original.

Friday The 13^th is a 1980 slasher movie starring Adrienne King (Saturday Night Fever, Friday The 13^th Part 2) as Alice. In 1958, two camp counselors at Camp Crystal Lake snuck away from their group to fool around. They are caught by an unseen assailant and murdered. Flash forward to the present day where the camp has been reopened by Steve Christy. Annie (Robbi Morgan), a new counselor hitches a ride halfway to the camp and is warmed by the driver about all the mysterious murders that have occurred at the lake over the years. She gets a ride from an unseen driver who speeds past the camp. Afraid, Annie leaps from the speeding car only to be captured by the driver and killed with a hunting knife. Back at the camp, several of the counselors (including a young Kevin Bacon, Footloose, Tremors) being refurbishing the camp while Steve heads to town. The counselors drink and do drugs and even play strip Monopoly, unaware that a killer is slowly picking off members of the group one by one in brutal and gruesome fashion. When Steve returns to the camp, he is also murdered by the unseen killer. Alice and another counselor, Bill, discover that the phone lines have been cut. Bill goes to check on the generator and when he doesn't return, Alice goes searching for him and discovers his corpse pinned to a door with arrows. Fearing for her life, Alice tries to flee and runs into a middle-aged woman, named Pamela Vorhees (Betsy Palmer, Penny Dreadful, Knots Landing). Alice tells her of the murders, but the woman interrupts her to tell the story of her son Jason Voorhees, a camper at Crystal Lake who drowned when the counselors weren't looking. Enraged, Mrs. Vorhees lunges at Alice with a knife. How will Alice be able to survive?

Go ask Alice

Friday The 13^th came about based off the success of Halloween a few years earlier. There are some similarities such as the quiet killer, scenes shot from the first person perspective, the use of knives, and the focus on teens as victims. The movie does a great job of keeping the identity of the killer a secret. The most we ever see is just a hand and some flannel clothing and the killer is only addressed in pronouns. We are never tipped off as to who the killer is and don't even know the killer's gender. When Mrs. Vorhees is finally revealed, it is extra terrifying to think that a middle-aged mother is capable of such carnage. Betsy Palmer is just great in her role and is very convincing as a deranged mother seeking vengeance for her dead son. The movie has plenty of action and loads of bloody gore, thanks to Tom Savini (Dawn Of The Dead, Creepshow). There are a few scares, but not as much as you would expect from a “classic” slasher movie. There are various kills and some good creative uses of common items. There was one scene where a snake is killed and from what I can tell, they actually did kill a snake. This bothered me and I really wish they had not killed the creature. Animals should never be hurt for entertainment purposes. To make things worse, it's not like it added anything to the movie and could have easily been implied. I'm not going all PETA on the movie, I just feel it was cruel and unfortunate.

Where the movie succeeds in classic horror mayhem and violence, it fails in storytelling. The pace is dreadfully slow at times and is only tolerable thanks to killings sprinkled throughout the hour and a half. The movie doesn't give much motivation to the characters other than “be teenagers”. There is little in the way of character development which is painfully clear when only Alice is left. All she does is scream. And scream. The audience is not cheering for her to survive because we know very little about her. She's just one of the counselors and has no unique connection with the viewers. There is not much story to go on other than “people are killed” and not enough time is given to explaining Jason and Mrs. Vorhees' motivation. The ending is a pretty good twist, but could have and should have been far better.

I've seen that look at many Black Friday events

Friday The 13^th spawned many sequels, a crossover with Freddy Krueger from A Nightmare On Elm Street and a remake (which I completely forgot existed). It also inspired countless other slasher movies and video games, some good and plenty bad. The killings throughout the movie are fun and bloody with a good amount of creativity thrown in to the mix. The movie does a good job of hiding the killer and Betsy Palmer is great as the deranged Mrs. Vorhees. The story lacks a lot of depth and there is little in the way of character development. There are some scares, but not as many as you might expect. Friday The 13^th is still an important movie in the horror and slasher genres and is a fun, if not a sometimes boring, watch.

6/10

Day 194: Leviathan

Leviathan

Great Mastodon album, so-so movie

We know more about outer space than we do about the ocean. Despite the majority world being covered by it, we know very little of the underwater world. That's why every few years we hear about new marine life being discovered as we delve deeper and deeper into the watery unknown. These creatures are not the cute and cuddly type either. Just google “bioluminescent fish” and sleep tight. These things are just reminders that we know so little about our own world and that we can still be killed by monsters. It's no surprise that the ocean is a great location for horror.

Leviathan is a 1989 horror movie starring Peter Weller (Robocop, Adventures of Buckaroo Bonzai Across The 8^th Dimension) as geologist Steven Beck. Beck is in command of an undersea mining station owned by Tri-Oceanic Corp. The crew's 90 days on the job is almost up when they come across a sunken Russian ship called “Leviathan.” One of the crew members, Sixpack (Daniel Stern, C.H.U.D., Rookie of the Year) discovers a box containing documents, a videotape, and a flask. Sixpack secretly drinks from the flask and shares it with another crew member named Bowman (Lisa Eilbacher, An Officer And A Gentleman, Beverly Hills Cop). Dr. Thompson (Richard Crenna, First Blood, Hot Shots! Part Deux) and Beck view the video tape which they believe talks about the Russian crew's poor health. When they study the Russian ship, Doc believes that it was a sunk by a torpedo. The next morning, Sixpack wakes up sick with a strange rash. He gets progressively worse and Doc consults his computer which guesses his condition is due to a genetic alteration. Sixpack dies hours later with Bowman also becoming sick. Rather than meeting the same fate, she commits suicide. Doc and Beck find that Sixpack and Bowman's bodies have begun to mutate and are merging together. They get the rest of the crew to aid in dumping of their bodies, but are attacked by the mutated bodies which have no become a horrible monster. They are able to jettison the bodies, but a mutated piece remains. The crew discovers that the Russian crew were being experimented on and the ship was scuttled when the experiment grew out of control. The remaining piece of the monster regenerates, attacking and absorbing the crew. Beck asks Tri-Oceanic Corp's CEO, Martin (Meg Foster, They Live, Masters Of The Universe), for help, but she says a hurricane is blocking their rescue. How will the rest of the crew survive?

"(Sigh) I miss Detroit."

How have I never heard of a movie with a cast that includes Peter Weller, Daniel Stern, Ernie Hudson, Meg Foster, and Richard Crenna? All of these actors have been in popular movies so you'd think Leviathan would be more well known. One reason why this may be the case is because Leviathan came out the same year as The Abyss, a far better and far more popular underwater movie. It's hard not to make comparisons to The Abyss as both are very similar. The mutating and adapting monster that can take the form of it's victims is straight out of The Thing. They even use flamethrowers to attack it, just like in The Thing. The scenes of the crew running through a sterile, industrial environment and a big slug-like creature coming out of someones chest is just like Alien. How could no one notice that these scenes had already been done before and done far better? Maybe they though that the inclusion of Martin and the soulless corporation would create a new story, but that subplot is unnecessary window-dressing. No one cares about the evil CEO because she's not given enough time on screen for us to hate her.

The story itself is pretty basic and not very exciting. It is essentially a monster movie that doesn't get to the monster until about halfway through and then doesn't have the decency to completely show it until the end. It's a shame they do this because the monster actually looks very good. Of course, it still looks like an earlier design from The Thing, but that's more of a compliment than a diss. When I watch a monster movie, I want to see the monster. A movie like Alien is scary because it creates a terrifying atmosphere and fear of the unknown. Leviathan is too well lit and lacks subtlety to be scary. There is no mystery of who could be the monster, like in The Thing. Without these things, we just have to rely on the actor's performances and action. The acting is good thanks to the impressive cast playing all their parts perfectly. The action is decent, but not enough to carry the movie. When your monster movie lacks action and excitement, what is the point?

Nyuck, nyuck, nyuck

Leviathan is your average monster movie that contains ideas and scenes from far better horror movies. Sadly, it has nothing to do with Thomas Hobbes political book, Leviathan. The acting is good, but that shouldn't be a surprise considering the caliber of actors involved. The monster looks very good, but we do not see it enough. The subplot involving the evil CEO from the evil corporation attempts to make the movie unique, but not enough time is given to develop anything important. The action is decent, but only comes towards the end of the movie. Leviathan isn't a bad monster movie, it is just too similar to movies that are much better and scarier.

6/10