Day 362: End Of Days

End Of Days

Schwarzenegger should never be sad. He should always be punching something.

Arnold Schwarzenegger fights Satan on the eve of the new millennium. That plot sounds like it was written on the back of a high school notebook next to “Metallica Rulez” and doodles of pirates battling ninjas. While it sounds like a wacky idea it also sounds like a fun one. Schwarzenegger is not exactly known for his work in horror and the supernatural so the idea of him battling the forces of evil is at least different. Even in the late 90's, Arnold was still a draw as an action hero and slightly more believable battling the devil than, say, Jean-Claude Van Damme or Steven Seagal. Add in a well-rounded cast and some fun special effects and you can't go wrong, right?

End Of Days is a 1999 supernatural horror/action movie starring Arnold Schwarzenegger (The Running Man, Total Recall) as retired cop Jericho Cane and Gabriel Byrne (Stigmata, The Usual Suspects) as Satan. In 1979, newborn Christine York is chosen to bear Satan's child 20 year's later on the eve of the new millennium. The Pope sends out priests all over the glove to find the child and protect her from Satan. Twenty years later, Satan comes to Earth and possesses a Wall Street Banker, leaving death and destruction in his wake. Jericho Cane is assigned to protect the banker, unaware of his true nature, and saves him from an assassin. The would-be killer is revealed to be a priest named Thomas Aquinas (Derrick O'Connor, Dardevil, Deep Rising) who was sent to protect Christine. Jericho and his partner Bobby Chicago (Kevin Pollack, Wayne's World, Canadian Bacon) discover Aquinas's hideout and eventually find a now-adult Christine York (Robin Tunney, The Craft, Empire Records). She is attacked by the Vatican Knights, a group of Catholics that believe the only way to prevent the End of Days is by killing her. Jericho saves her, but Bobby is killed by Satan in an explosion. As Jericho and Christine escape, they first stopped by Christine's adoptive mother and fellow police officer Marge (CCH Pounder, Warehouse 13, Avatar), both who are in league with Satan. Satan visits Jericho in his apartment and tries to tempt him, offering to reunite him with his murdered wife and daughter. He refuses and shoots Satan to no avail. Eventually, Christine is captured by Satan and taken to a secret location in order to fulfill his evil mission. With New Years fast approaching, how will Jericho be able to save Christine and defeat the devil himself?

Don't leave the Prince of Darkness hanging

On the surface, the basic premise of End Of Days doesn't sound that bad. Sure, it's been done before and is fairly cliché, but it's not a terrible idea. Throwing in a mega star like Arnold Schwarzenegger, even at a price tag of $25 million, sounds even better. Unfortunately, that's where the good ideas end. The movie is a poor patchwork of various other Satanic horror movies and the final product is a confused mess that is high on explosions, but low on logic. It's never really clear why Satan chose the body that he did or why he chose to stay in it for so long. If he can control people, why does he have so much trouble finding and keeping Christine? Why is Jericho able to resist his control? Why does he need protection at the beginning of the movie in the first place? And if both the Vatican and Satan's minions have been planning for this event for two decades, why are they both completely inept? If the movie went at a quick pace, maybe some of these gaping plot hole. Instead we get a movie over two hours long full of extended fight scenes. I like fights and explosions as much as the next person, but it really kills any horror and suspense that the movie may have had. Another thing in the movie that I really didn't like was the hyper-sexual nature of the story. The entire plot is based on Satan raping a girl and along the way, he molests a few other women. There is even one scene involving incest. Implying these things would have been bad enough, but they are up front and in your face. It made me quite uncomfortable and took my focus away from the rest of the movie.

When you think of a depressed, suicidal cop from New York, do you think of Arnold Schwarzenegger? Of course not, which makes his casting in the role of Jericho Cane (nice name) a little strange. He does his best to show emotion and range, but really, it's just Arnold Schwarzenegger. He runs, he jumps, he shoots. He gets a lot of help from a pretty good cast that includes Kevin Pollack, CCH Pounder, Rod Steiger, and Udo Kier. Gabriel Byrne is out of place in his role since Satan is strangely portrayed not as evil, but mischievous. There was one funny scene where Satan told a skateboarder that he liked his “Satan Rules” shirt. The movie's soundtrack is also notable as it is a snapshot of what was popular at the time. Songs from bands like Korn, Limp Bizkit, Rob Zombie, Eminem and a new song from Guns N' Roses find their way into the movie at random intervals. The movie uses a lot of special effects, some good while others look dated through modern eyes. Thanks to international numbers and DVD sales, the movie did fairly well, but not as well as studios were expecting. Maybe the world just wasn't ready for a depressed Arnold and a goofy Satan.

Look at that emotion!

End Of Days sounds decent on paper. It has a big-name star, a good supporting cast, lots of violence, special effects, and a hip soundtrack. Unfortunately, the movie's story is all over the place, leaving huge plot holes and focusing more on action than horror. There aren't many scares to be had and certain overly-sexual scenes will make just about everyone reach for the remote. Both Arnold Schwarzenegger and Gabriel Byrne look out of place in the movie. No one wants to see a depressed Arnold trying to show emotion and no one wants a boring Satan. End Of Days is good for a nostalgia trip and for an explosion fix. That's about it.

4.5/10

Day 289: Maniac Cop

Maniac Cop

At least Maniac Cop has a sense of humor

The 1980's were a special time. A B-level actor was president for 8 years, Madonna and Michael Jackson had not yet become complete freaks, and the slasher craze ballooned and then popped. Every writer, director, and studio wanted to have the next Friday The 13^th or Halloween. Every holiday got their own slasher film. Almost every profession had a slasher movie whether it was a janitor or a teacher or a doctor. By the time the late 80's rolled around, the genre had already run it's course, and had settled back to a more even level in terms of volume and quality. One also included a young Bruce Campbell.

Maniac Cop is a 1988 slasher starring Bruce Campbell (Evil Dead, My Name Is Bruce) as NYPD Officer Jack Forrest and Tom Atkins (The Fog, Creepshow) as Detective Frank McCrae. A man in a police officers uniform begins killing civilians in brutal fashion, sending the city into a panic. Detective McCrae begins investigating the case, discovering that the killer is incredibly strong. Jack Forrest is a young officer that constantly works the night shift. Jack has a strained relationship with his wife Ellen, who suspects that he might actually be the cop behind all the murders. One night, she follows him to a seedy hotel only to find him in bed with Theresa Mallory (Laurene Landon, Airplane II, The Ambulance) a fellow police officer. Ellen pulls a gun on Jack, but leaves the hotel in a hurry. She is murdered by the maniac cop and Jack is taken into custody. Things don't add up and McCrae continues the investigation, leading him to a former police officer Matt Cordell (Robert Z'Dar, Tango & Cash, The Summoned). Cordell was a hero police officer, known for shooting first and asking questions later. When he started going after the mob, Mayor Killium (Ken Lerner, Buffy The Vampire Slayer: The Series, The Running Man) set Cordell up and had him sent to prison. In prison, he was viciously stabbed all over his body and was pronounced dead. Jack discovers that Cordell did in fact survive and escaped prisoner, thanks to the help of a female police officer in love with him. Will McCrae and Jack be able to stop this maniac cop form continuing his reign of terror?

"I am the law!"

My initial reason for watching Maniac Cop was because I believed that Bruce Campbell was going to be the villain. Most movies I have seen starring Campbell have portrayed him as the hero and I was a little disappointed that he wasn't the maniac cop. Having a police officer as your killer is certainly different, but unfortunately, the movie does not continue with a trend of originality. They portray Cordell as a nigh-invulnerable killing machine, similar to Jason from Friday The 13^th. We see him shot in the chest several times and Theresa even claims to have shot him in the head twice. There is no reason to explain why this is. Is he magical? Is she just an incredibly terrible shot with horrible eyesight? If they wanted to go the supernatural route, they should have made it clear how this happened and perhaps give him more abilities. If they wanted the story based in reality, just say he had a bullet-proof vest on or something to that effect. The character is stuck somewhere in the middle and just left me confused. I will say that the movie did a great job of hiding the killer's face for almost the entire movie. It allowed the audience to portray whatever image they wanted onto the killer, similar to what John Carpenter did with Michael Myers in Halloween. When they finally showed Cordell's face, it was nothing scary or shocking. They clearly didn't have Tom Savini doing makeup.

There is a decent amount of violence in Maniac Cop with some fun and creative kills. There is some blood, but not much in the way of gore or extreme violence. The problem is that they kind of forget about the slashing in the middle of the film. The movie focuses way too much on the actual investigation instead of the horror. In the beginning we have a few kills and at the end we have a lot. What about the middle? Instead, we get a rather bland and typical cop drama. Tom Atkins is the quintessential police officer, playing one in multiple movies. Bruce Campbell is good in his role, but doesn't get to flash any of his trademark charm and wit. The rest of the cast is fine, but the problem lies with the story, not the production. Nothing unexpected happens and the story runs it's course exactly as how you would expect. 

"Boomstick says what?"

Maniac Cop is a decent slasher in the beginning and end, but is lost in a mediocre mystery for most of the time. The villain had a lot of potential, but the movie doesn't deliver. It's never clear how he is so strong or why bullets don't hurt him. I really would have liked Bruce Campbell in the role because the added personality would have made the movie far more interesting. There are some good scenes of violence, but they're mostly lumped together, leaving long stretches free of killing. Maniac Cop had a lot of potential, but missed too many opportunities. It's still watchable and has a few good moments, but it's nothing special.

6/10

Day 273: Friday The 13th Part 8: Jason Takes Manhattan

Friday The 13^th Part 8: Jason Takes Manhattan

I heart movies that actually take place where they say they do

As I expressed in my review of Resident Evil: Retribution, it becomes increasingly difficult for a movie franchise to stay fresh and entertaining the longer it continues. While the Resident Evil franchise has managed to stay relevant and fun, others have not been so lucky. Friday The 13^th is a prime example of what happens when studios become lazy and crank out a horror movie in hopes of making a quick buck based on villain recognition. Hellraiser has done the same thing, only on a much more franchise-ruining level. When you get to a certain point in a franchise, you're bound to run out of ideas so you just throw the main character into different locations or situations. While I'm still holding out for Friday The 13^th Part 11: Jason's Super Fun Slumber Party, today we'll have to settle for Manhattan.

Friday The 13^th Part 8: Jason Takes Manhattan is a 1989 slasher movie starring Kane Hodder (Jason X, Hatchet) as Jason Vorhees and Jensen Daggett (The Single Guy, Major League: Back To The Minors) as Rennie Wickham. One year after the events of Friday The 13^th Part 7: The New Blood, a boat's anchor rips through an underwater power cable, reviving the previously defeated Jason Vorhees. The next morning, the senior class of Lakeview High School boards the SS Lazarus and heads to New York City for their graduation. Rennie's uncle, biology teacher Charles McCulloch (Peter Mark Richman, Naked Gun 2 ½, Beverly Hill 90210) chaperones the trip, ensuring that no one causes any trouble.

Unbeknownst to the passengers, Jason has climbed aboard the ship. He kills some of the students and the ship's captain as the boat heads towards New York City. Jason throws one of the students onto the ship's control panel, sparking a fire. Rennie, Charles, the captain's son Sean (Scott Reeves, General Hospital, The Young and the Restless), and a few others are forced to abandon ship, taking a small row boat to New York City. There, Rennie is kidnapped by two thugs and injected with heroin. They attempt to rape her, but Jason, who followed the group to the city, kills them both. Jason than chases Julius, a boxer, to the roof of a building. Julius unloads a flurry of punches to no effect, tiring himself out. Jason throws an uppercut that literally knocks Julius's head off his body. With Jason on the loose in the dangerous city, how will Rennie and her friends survive?

I can make it anywhere!

Full disclosure, I watched this movie because I knew it wasn't going to be good. For those that don't know (or couldn't tell) most of the movie takes place on a boat instead of Manhattan. Time and budgetary constraints forced the majority of the movie to not be shot in New York City. I can understand why you would want to have Jason running around in New York during the 1980's. It was dirty, scary, and dangerous. Times Square wasn't the family destination it is now with Disney Stores and restaurants. By having Jason in New York, you can add a lot more kills to the movie, having him take out thieves and drug dealers, sort of like a horror version of Death Wish. That's the entire point of interest for anyone picking up this movie. Sadly, this is not the case and instead we're forced to sit through Jason Takes A Dingy.

The plot is very, very predictable as by now the series had just become “Let Jason kill lots of people”. By now, we all know who Jason is, but the movie does attempt to talk about his origins. Rennie's weird visions of a young Jason asking for help and her connection to Crystal Lake at least try to make sense of things. On paper it's a half-decent idea, but on screen it's a hot mess. The characters are not predictably interesting and it's tedious having to sit through mindless dialogue with barely-there development. There's some sub plot about Rennie and her uncle, not approving of her life, but it has no relevance other than to kill time until Jason shows up. Another reason why I watched this movie was to see the incredibly ridiculous fight scene on the roof. It is so funny for all the wrong reasons. Take a look for yourself: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQov9F8t4rM. As a former boxer, I have to say that Julius is carrying his left hand way too low and leaves himself open for a counter-punch.

The acting is fine for what's required, but that's not saying much. If you ever wanted to see a young Kelly Hu (X2, The Scorpion King) in her first movie role, this is your chance. There are a variety of creative kills throughout the movie and the audience ends up cheering for Jason by the time he gets to New York. The portrayal of Manhattan is very silly even by 80's standards. If your only knowledge of the island came from this movie, you'd think the city was made up of bums, thieves, steam-spewing pipes, and toxic waste. Yes, I said toxic waste. For whatever reason, there are barrels of toxic waste just hanging out in alleys, just waiting for Jason Vorhees to dunk someone in them. You didn't know that the city flushes toxic waste in their pipes? Well now you do! In the 80's, New York City was grittier and more dangerous than now. The movie, though, makes the city look like a cartoon version of itself. I can only imagine what someone from say Kansas thought of New York if they saw this movie.

This is awkward. We're wearing the same thing!

I knew Friday The 13^th Part 8: Jason Takes Manhattan was going to be bad and I wasn't disappointed. That's losing while still winning. Most of the movie doesn't take place in New York and when it finally gets there, we're bombarded with one ridiculous scene after another. There is plenty of violence and creativity in the killing, but nothing we haven't come to expect. There isn't much in the way of plot or character development as most of the movie is just a vehicle for Jason to kill people. You can't expect much by the time you've gotten to the eighth of anything, let alone the eighth movie in a horror series. Jason Takes Manhattan is good for a laugh and for some over-the-top violence. Other than that, you're better off with the original.

4/10

Day 272: Mulberry Street

Mulberry Street

Where the streets have no names...well, except for all the ones that do

New York City is a great location for horror movies. Plenty of scary things happen there in the real world so it's only natural that horror films would fit in. Whether it's Cloverfield or Midnight Meat Train, or C.H.U.D., the city allows for all sorts of scary genres and subgenres. In a city where anybody can feel like a nobody, anything can happen. You can have large cataclysmic events or self-contained person terrors. In the case of Mulberry Street, you get both.

Mulberry Street is a 2007 “zombie” movie released by After Dark Films (Zombies Of Mass Destruction, The Deaths Of Ian Stone). The movie stars Nick Damici (World Trade Center, Stake Land) as Clutch, a retired boxer living in a shabby apartment on Mulberry Street in New York City. Clutch's daughter Casey (Kim Blair, The Look, The Mighty Macs) is a soldier returning home to New York from war, sporting fresh scars on her face from battle. Clutch is preparing for her return with his friend Coco, when strange news reports about rat attacks across the city start to come out. The building's super Ross is busy fixing all sorts of problems with the buildings when he is bitter by a diseased rat. Ross begins to slowly transform, first with coarse hair growing on his body and then facial mutations. Similar mutations occur across Manhattan as the city shuts down public transportation in hopes of containing the outbreak, which is transmitted through infected bites, from spreading. Waves of violent cannibal attacks stretch across the city as Casey tries to reach her father. Ross has now become a full-fledged zombie with Clutch and Coco fighting him off and locking him in a closet. At the same time, Clutch ventures out into the mayhem to find his neighbor, Kay (Bo Corre, Eldorado, Harrow Island) whom he has feelings for. He finds Kay at the bar she works at and the two fight off the infected people, who now resemble giant humanoid rats. Casey, who stole a car, manages to find her father, but Kay is grabbed by a zombie before they could save her. Quarantine is declared for the city with scientists and soldiers planning to come in and exterminate the infected. They make it back to the apartment and barricade themselves inside. Ross has escaped the closet and is crawling around the walls of the apartment. With the infected inside the walls and pounding at the door how will the tenants of Mulberry street survive?

"Oh, Lordy! Save me, Cheeseus!"

There's some debate online if this movie is officially a zombie movie or not since the infected are technically mutated rat people and not the undead. For all intensive purposes, Mulberry Street is most definitely a zombie movie. All the tropes are there: infection caused by a bite, mutation, cannibalism, loss of humanity, and swarms of mindless monsters chasing the uninfected. I mean, there's a scene straight out of Night Of The Living Dead where the mutants hands are coming through the door trying to grab Clutch and Casey. Just because one detail has been changed from typical zombie canon does not change what the movie is about. The story itself is fairly standard zombie fair, complete with chase scenes and bloody violence. The movie smartly uses New York City as the setting for the movie. The infection spreads incredibly fast (the events of the movie take place in just one day) and the quarantine makes sense, as Manhattan is an island. In all likelihood, it wouldn't have worked, but for the story, it's acceptable. If you've in a New York City subway station, you've seen the rats, so the basic concept is sound as well. Unfortunately, we never get a reason as to why the rat bites are changing people. It would have been nice to get some sort of clue just to add to the overall horror. Was it a chemical leak or nuclear waste? How about a comet hit the city? Just give me something to work with.

The lack of a reason, while not important to the story itself, does present another overall problem in the movie and that's a lack of social commentary. Like all good zombie movies, there needs to be a bigger overall meaning to the movie. While other zombie movies question human nature or our impact on the environment, Mulberry Street pretty much ignores all of this. I thought they might be building something with Casey, showing her post-traumatic stress from the war or hiding her scars, but nothing came from it. Even the ending was another lost opportunity, with soldiers coming to the apartment to kill the infected. It was a good chance to talk about government conspiracies or human nature, but again, we get nothing. I don't need to be preached at, believe me, but I need something more than just “mutant rat people overrun New York City”.

Mulberry Street is obviously a low budget horror movie as most of the movie is shot within the apartment and on public streets. The movie gets the most of it's actors thanks to good performances from everyone. On paper, the idea of Mulberry Street sounds silly, but it's actually a decent horror film. You can probably compare it to 28 Days Later in terms of fast chase scenes and frantic action. The violence is good with a fair amount of blood and gore. The mutated rat people look decent, though the camera never really focuses on them, so I can't really determine if the makeup and effects were great. My biggest issue with the movie is the grainy, low quality footage. Some scenes are perfectly clear, but it's when they venture outside of the apartment where the quality of the footage goes down the drain. The poor quality of the film makes multiple scenes extremely difficult to see what is happening. It's not an artist decision by the director, it's just a cheap camera and the rest of the movie suffers for it.

Seriously, did they smudge sand all over the camera when they shot this?

Mulberry Street is a decent zombie movie that tries to make the most out of a low budget. While the idea of mutant rat people running loose in New York City sounds worth of the SyFy channel, the movie is actually not as silly as it sounds. There is a good amount of action and violence with some nice suspense. The acting is what helps keep the movie from becoming ridiculous. The biggest problems in the movie come from the low quality of the film during certain scenes and the lack of social commentary. Mulberry Street has it's moments and with a bigger budget and a little more thought in the script, it could have been great.

6.5/10

Day 254: Cloverfield

Cloverfield

A little too much off the top

I loved monster movies as a little kid, specifically the Japanese monsters. Godzilla, Rodan, Mothra, and Ghidorah were some personal favorites. I still have toys of those monsters tucked away in a box somewhere. Looking back on them now, they seem quaint and almost goofy, but there was just something special about them as a child. I liked the way they looked and sounded and enjoyed their different special powers and abilities. They were something out of a comic book only brought to life, destroying cities as people fled in terror. Whatever the reason, monster movies have a special place in my heart and in the hearts of people across the globe. You can see a monster movie in a language you don't understand, but you can still comprehend what is going on. It's that universal appeal that makes me wonder why we don't see more monster movies. Luckily, we have Cloverfield.

Cloverfield is a 2008 science fiction horror movie produced by J.J. Abrams (Star Trek, Super 8) directed by Matt Reeves (Felicity, Let Me In). Shot in the “found footage” style, taken from a hand-held camera recovered by the United States Department of Defense. The footage we see is now government property and designated as part of the “Cloverfield” case. The beginning of the video starts with Rob Hawkins (Michael Stahl-David, The Black Donnellys, My Generation) greeting his formerly platonic friend Beth (Odette Yustman, The Unborn, Operation: Endgame) in bed. The footage cuts to two weeks later to Rob's brother Jason and his girlfriend Lilly planning Rob's going away party. Rob will be moving to Japan for a new job and all of his friends have gathered to wish him well. Jason gives the camera to his friend Hud (T.J. Miller, Yogi Bear, Happy Endings) to get testimonials from everyone at the party. Hud tries to speak with Marlena (Lizzy Caplan, Mean Girls, 127 Hours) whom he has a crush on, but she continuously brushes him off. Beth arrives at the party with another man, upsetting Rob. As Jason and Hud try to console Rob, a large explosion rocks New York City. Initially believed to be an earthquake, the party empties out into the street. The head of the Statue of Liberty comes crashing into the street, complete with scratch marks on it. An enormous monster is seen walking through the streets of New York, smashing and collapsing buildings. Rob, Jason, Hud, Lilly, and Marlena start to evacuate the city by walking across the Brooklyn Bridge. Rob receives a phone call from Beth, saying that she is hurt and needs his help. At the same time, the monster's gigantic tail crashes into the bridge, killing Jason and causing the group to flee back into Manhattan. The group venture's into Midtown Manhattan, taking refuge in a subway station. They make their way into the tunnels where they are attacked by vicious arachnid-like creatures that came from the gigantic monster. One of the creatures tries to drag Hud off, but Marlena saves him, being bitten in the process. They make their way to a department store, which is filled with doctors and military personnel. Marlena begins to bleed from her eyes and is whisked away to a cordoned-off area where she appears to literally explode. An officer informs Rob, Hud, and Lilly that the last evacuation helicopters leave at 0600 and after that, the “Hammer Down” protocol will be enacted, thus destroying the city. They make their way to Beth's apartment where they find her injured, but alive. Will they be able to make it out of the city before the city is destroyed by the monster or the military?

"Worst Thanksgiving Day Parade ever!"

Normally, I;m not the biggest fan of the “found footage” style of horror movies. Most of the time, they're a vehicle to get cheap scares on a tiny budget. In Cloverfield's case, budget was not an issue as there are a large amount of special effects and computerization. The found footage style works for Cloverfield because it puts the audience right in the middle of the action. Most found footage horror involves a small group of people alone in a scary place. Cloverfield is in the most populated city in the world. There are lots of extras and scenes take place near iconic buildings and areas. There are lots of extras and the inclusion of the military makes the movie into a big blockbuster. We are on the ground with the characters as they flee in terror. The movie cleverly shows the audience brief glimpses of the monster throughout the movie, never fully revealing it until the final act. It will take some time to get used to the shaking camera, but it does not reach the level of “Bourne Identity” shakiness. There is plenty of action throughout the movie with lots of scares and thrills to keep the audience entertained. The movie is fairly believable other than the scene where the group has to climb a tilting building to get to Beth. It was a bit too much for me to suspend my disbelief. The acting and directing are both very good and help make the movie feel more complete.

The monster itself looks great. It's design is fairly unique with it's giant legs and harsh features. The movie smartly includes the smaller monsters to create even more danger. Rather than just avoiding the big monster, the characters now have to worry about smaller, vicious monsters that can hide just about anywhere. The origin of the monster is never revealed in the movie, though there is an intricate back-story that can be researched online. It would have been nice just to have a few clues as to what exactly is going on. It's kind of like in zombie movies where zombies just appear and that's the end of discussion. I don't need things spelled out for me, but just showing a news clip of a theory would have been enough. Hud asks these same questions about the monster, so it's not like they ignored the idea. There were rumors that the monster was actually going to be Cthulhu from the H.P. Lovecraft mythos and I was disappointed when it was not.The movie had an expansive and in-depth viral marketing campaign, complete with multiple websites posing as legitimate businesses or products that can be seen in this movie as well as other J.J. Abrams films. I leave all that searching up to you as I'm just going through what I have seen in the movie.

It's hard to ignore how much Cloverfield reminds me of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. The crumbling buildings in New York City, the panic in the streets, people running from a dust cloud and walking through the streets in a haze are straight out of real life. It is very difficult to watch, especially for people who lived through that tragedy. Some have been angry at the filmmakers for exploiting the attacks and making it part of entertainment. While I can't say if having these scenes is right or wrong, it is hard to ignore the similarities. It's these similarities that make the scenes more powerful than if the movie took place in another big city. It's up to you to decide if you want to watch something like that. It's not a focal point of the movie by any means, but it may bring forth some unexpected feelings, emotions, and memories. Speaking of emotion, underneath all the monster-fleeing is the love story between Beth and Rob. It is actually a pretty touching story as we see scenes from their day at Coney Island spliced between footage of the monster attack. The ending may actually choke you up a bit.

"Do I have something stuck in my teeth?"

Cloverfield is a fun monster movie that is full of action and scares. The special effects are great and the monster looks perfect. The inclusion of smaller monsters increases the danger and horror as they spring out at a moment's notice. The found footage style works for the story thanks to the large budget which creates an air of legitimacy to the story. If this was a small budget movie, it just wouldn't have worked in the way that. The acting and directing are both solid, though there was a scene or two that were a bit too hard to believe. I would have liked a little more information on what the monster is or where it came from, but you can read about that online if you're truly interested. There are scenes that will remind you or the 9/11 terrorist attacks, which make the scenes more terrifying, but may upset some people. Overall, Cloverfield is a really good monster movie and for someone who doesn't particularly care for sequels, I would actually like to see more of Cloverfield. That's a pretty high compliment.

9/10

Day 239: The Sentinel

The Sentinel

Originally titled "The Bumblebee"

Religion and horror go together like peanut butter and jelly. They serve as the perfect foil for one another, the holy and the unclean. Why there are some horror movies that touch on other religions, the main one used in most horror is Christianity/Catholicism. In exorcism movies, there is always need for a priest or holy man. In vampire movies, a cross is frequently used to ward off the creatures of the night. There are even holiday-themed horror movies based around Christian holidays such as Black Christmas and Silent Night, Deadly Night. A cursory search of Christianity in horror movies brings up a slew of websites asking if it is OK for Christians to watch horror movies. Many of these movies could be interpreted as anti-Christian while some may see the same movie as pro-Christian. Regardless of what you believe in, the imagery used in these movies is very powerful and can help a horror movie gain a sense of importance for people.

The Sentinel is a 1977horror movie starring Cristina Raines (Nightmares, Sunshine) as fashion model Alison Parker. Alison learns that her father has become ill and dies shortly after. As a young child, she witnessed her father having a bizarre sexual encounter with other women and tried to take her life. Despite living with her boyfriend, Michael Lerman (Chris Sarandon, Child's Play, Bordello of Blood), Alison is determined to find her own place to live. Her search leads her to a brownstone house in Brooklyn, New York. The top floor is inhabited by a blind priest named Father Halloran (John Carradine, The Ten Commandments, The Grapes of Wrath) who just sits at the window, staring into space. She meets other neighbors, such as the eccentric Charles Chazen (Burgess Meredith, Rocky, Magic) and a lesbian couple that makes her incredibly uncomfortable. Alison begins to have bouts of passing out and other medical conditions while living at the apartment. She beings to hear footsteps and strange noises in the apartment above her. When she speaks to the realtor, Alison learns that the house is only occupied by the priest and herself. She visits a local church, where she meets a priest who gives her guidance and tells her to reaccept Christ in her life. The priest is in fact part of a secret order of Catholic priests who actually own the building she lives in. Michael begins to investigate and uncovers a conspiracy wherein every religious figure that lived in the house went through most of their life as another person and had attempted suicide. He also finds a file with Alison's information, stating that Father Halloran will die and Alison is to take his place tomorrow. It is revealed that the building is the gateway to Hell and Alison is to be the guardian, keeping the demons from escaping. The people she believed to be neighbors were in fact devils and they are trying to keep her from becoming the next guardian. Will Alison succumb to the will of Hell or become the next sentinel?

Jesus! Where?

The majority of The Sentinel is a mystery movie with only the last 15 minutes being true horror. The mystery is just enough to keep the audience interested because we want to know just what the hell is happening. It would have been nice to have more action as there isn't much to go on. The movie does a good job of teasing out the answer with Alison's condition worsening and including references to the secret society throughout. The movie does slow down though when the focus shifts from Alison to Michael. There is a subplot with Michael and two detectives who are chasing after him due to the mysterious death of his first wife. Nothing ever really comes of it and it just serves to take away the focus from Alison which is far more interesting than anything going on with Michael. The only good part about it is that one of the detectives is a young Christopher Walken. When the movie finally goes into full horror-mode, it goes all the way. The apartment fills with hideous demons and deformed monsters pursuing Alison while Charles Chazen tries to convince her to commit suicide. The use of actual disfigured people and circus performers add authenticity to the movie, though it did create some controversy when the movie was originally released. Regardless, their looks and the general atmosphere are particularly scary and unsettling.

As far as Catholic-based horror movies go, The Sentinel is light on scripture but heavy on imagery. Since I am not a Catholic, this doesn't really mean much to me and it occasionally became annoying to sit through. The cast has an impressive list of movies under it's respective belt. Burgess Meredith is great as the eccentric and almost whimsical Charles Chazen, but he really shines as the evil Chazen. Cristina Raines is a little flat through the film and I would have liked more emotion from her. Same could be said for Chris Sarandon especially when the movie focuses on him. There are a few bit roles for actors that are now better known such as the aforementioned Christopher Walken, Jeff Goldblum, and Tom Berenger. The direction is good, though very much entrenched in the aesthetics of 70's film-making with musical flourishes in-between scenes that no longer exists in modern films.

Just another night in Philadelphia

The Sentinel has an intriguing mystery for a rather plain story, but the final act is highly entertaining and legitimately unsettling. While the mystery is solid, I could have used a little more foreshadowing as the revelation that the building holds the gates of Hell seems to come out of nowhere. I also would have liked a little more horror in the movie, especially when the police subplot threatens to derail the entire movie. The movie tries to makeup with the lack of horror by cramming in 15 minutes of it at the end. It's a great 15 minutes as the “devils” look very scary and Burgess Meredith creates a terrifying atmosphere. The Sentinel has some very good moments and while it's not amazing, it is still an interesting watch.

6.5/10

Day 179: Maniac

Maniac

Aw, he got raspberry jam all over his shoes

The 1970's and early 80's were a crazy time, especially in New York City. The economy was in the dumps, racial tension was high, crime and drug use was rampant, and disco was popular. It was the perfect setting for plenty of great movies such as Taxi Driver, The Godfather, Death Wish, Raging Bull and Dog Day Afternoon. The grim and gritty backdrop was perfect for movies in need of a “real” setting. It's only natural that a horror movie would use that same setting to create fear and terror.

Maniac is a 1980 horror serial killer film co-written by and starring Joe Spinell (The Godfather Part II, Rocky) as Frank Zito. Frank is a homicidal schizophrenic, killing women, scalping them, and fixing the scalps to the heads of mannequins that he keeps in his tiny apartment. We see him carrying on conversations with his long-dead, abusive mother. The body count rises and police are unable to pinpoint who the killer is. One day, Frank sees a fashion photographre named Anna take his photo in the park. He finds her bag and is able to track her down. He controls himself long enough to appear normal and intelligent, even going out to dinner with Anna. While visiting her on the set of one of her shoots, Frank becomes enamored with one of her models, Rita. He steals her necklace and uses it as a reason to go to her apartment. Once she lets him in, Frank ties her up and speaks to her as if she is his mother and he has finally been reunited with her. He stabs her to death before scalping her and dismembering her body. Frank takes Anna to his mother's grave where his grip on reality completely slips as he tries to attack Anna. She is able to hit Frank with a shovel and runs. Frank weeps at his mother's grave and hallucinates that she is now a zombie and is trying to kill him. Will Anna be able to survive and who, or what, can stop Frank?

I love what I've done with your hair

The biggest problem with Maniac is the story, or lack thereof. Maniac is essentially a combination of real-life killers Ed Gein and Son of Sam. There is no real story to speak of until the last 30 minutes of the movie. Prior to that, we basically watch Frank stalk and murder a few different women. Any female character that is introduced is just killed by Frank, so it's not like we have any connection or feelings towards these characters. What compounds the problem is that these killing scenes are far too long. They all have good suspense because we know what is going to happen and are just waiting. And waiting. And waiting. I actually lost suspense, if that's even possible. There are some jolts, mostly due to the makeup and effects by Tom Savini (Dawn of the Dead, From Dusk Till Dawn), who even makes an appearance in the movie. That appearance is cut short when Frank blows his head off with a shotgun in a scene that is both gruesome and impressive as Savini's “head” explodes like a paint-filled melon.

The movie mostly focuses on Frank's schizophrenic conversations which, admittedly, are very terrifying. It's like being part of a peepshow, peering in to the cracked psyche of a madman. Joe Spinell does a superb job convincing me that he was insane, especially since many of his scenes are by himself. It also helps that he looks like a sweatier version of Ron Jeremy. His transition from seething lunatic to polite, even charming man is very impressive, but it comes out of nowhere and was unexpected. Why not start the movie with his relationship with Anna instead of waiting until the very end? The movie really goes off the rails in the last 10 minutes with the addition of Frank's mother and victims appearing as zombies. Zombies?! Where did this come from? For a movie that went for gritty and “real”, the ending did a complete 180 and crashed into a cliff made of “Huh?!”

F-F-fuck

Maniac does fit in with the other dirty New York City movies of the era, but goes more for shock and blood than story or feeling. It focuses far too much on stalking and violence for the first hour, leaving the last act to feel rushed and out of place. It would have been better if this was reversed because for a majority of the movie, there is no plot other than Frank killing women because he's nuts. Joe Spinell puts on a great performance, both visually and emotionally. Tom Savini's makeup and effects are as good as always with lots of blood and gore. Ultimately, Maniac has a few good things about it, but it's not enough to make it a complete watch.

6/10

Day 9: Wolves of Wall Street

Wolves of Wall Street

More like Dudes of Bro Street

Movies usually don't outright lie to you. Sure there's swerves, misleads, and falsehoods, but they never really lie to you. Wolves of Wall Street lied. I thought I was going to watch a movie involving Werewolves. It was in the “Werewolves” section. It has “Wolves” in the name. There's a gigantic full moon on the poster. Lies. Every single one of those are lies. There is not one werewolf in this movie. Let me repeat, with a little more emphasis. Ahem: THERE ARE NO FUCKING WEREWOLVES IN THIS FUCKING MOVIE!”

Wolves of Wall Street follows the story of Jeff and his perfect hair, teeth, and prominent jaw-line. For some reason, Jeff has always wanted to be a broker on Wall Street. Sure, lots of kids want to do that for a living. He comes to New York City to find work and meets a pretty bartender played by Elisa Donovan (Amber from Clueless). She recommends he gets in touch with the company Wolfe Brothers. Yes, really. The members of Wolfe Brothers all look like Calvin Klein underwear models with a touch of Frat Boy douche. Why do I say this? Because we see them in their underwear for NO REASON. Jeff is hired and taught all about the cutthroat world of business and how he must work with his pack, go in for the kill, and lots of other wolf-related cliches.

Nipples of Wall Street

We never see anything resembling a werewolf in this movie. Not a regular wolf, not a dog, not even a guy with too much body hair. The closest we get is some growling noises and a little bit of silly makeup to show veins. That's it. I know horror movies can have tight budgets, but they couldn't swing by a barber shop, pick up some hair, and glue it on to someone's face? Of course not. That would mean someone was being creative.

I swear there is only 35 minutes of actual film shot for this movie. The rest of the time is filled with quick shots of scenes from earlier in the movie. That's not being a creative director; that's being a lazy director that likes to cheat. The same shot of the full-moon next to the Empire State building is shown so many times it deserves top billing. And to keep the budget under $50, the same ridiculous nu-metal song is played over and over. 

This is the closest a Werewolf has ever gotten to this movie

I wasn't expecting much from a movie called Wolves of Wall Street, but I expected better than this. Maybe someone getting mauled on the floor of the Stock Exchange or the price of silver skyrocketing after werewolf attacks. Those two hypothetical ideas are far more entertaining than this movie was. I kept checking how much time was left in the movie, hoping to be relieved from the pain of watching this brain-numbing disaster. I would rather watch a Sex In The City marathon with Marcus Bachmann than watch this movie again. Don't torture yourself by watching this movie. Don't even look at the pictures for too long. Its just not worth it.

1/10