The post with this week's NFL picks
I had a full post working up and then my computer whacked out and I lost it. I will not re-write it so you just get my quick hit thoughts which is just a pick

SUNDAY'S GAMES

Arizona at St. Louis----St. Louis

Baltimore at Cleveland---Cleveland

Detroit at Chicago-----Chicago

Green Bay at Tennessee-----Green Bay


Houston at Minnesota------Minnesota

Jacksonville at Cincinnati----Jacksonville

N.Y. Jets at Buffalo-----Buffalo

Tampa Bay at Kansas City------Tampa Bay

Atlanta at Oakland-------Atlanta

Dallas at N.Y. Giants-----N.Y. Giants

Miami at Denver-----Miami

Philadelphia at Seattle-----Philadelphia

New England at Indianapolis----Indianapolis

MONDAY'S GAME

Pittsburgh at Washington ------Washington
- posted by Brian @ 10/31/2008 02:03:00 PM

 
The Post with 2 and 1 on the Horror Movies List
Here we are at the end of the horror movies list. I was debating how to present everything today and I figured we'd go completely straight forward with 1 and 2. However, first I did promise you a list of 5 horror movies you've probably heard of but need to make sure you see so we'll present that mini-list first. I won't go into some full details about the films because it's possible you've already seen them which would be good. If you haven't though- check them the hell out.

5. Saw

- I know the series has become quite a bit goofy and more concerned with gore but the original combines the gore with a pretty strong story. The acting is hammy but the overriding story is pretty good with one of the strongest endings in the genre. When that ending hit you knew you were in for a series of films and we were. Tobin Bell is great in his role, a role that would be explored more as we moved forward. Don't discount the original though.

4. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre

- You have to see the original from 1974. Be warned though- this movie will ruin your day. It is dark, it carries an overall sense of dread, and there is no such thing as a happy ending in this thing. The performances are really good, and Gunnar Hansen is such an imposing figure in his role as Leatherface that it still creeped me the freak out to meet him a few years ago. The dinner table scene is still one of the most disturbing things I've ever seen.

3. Child's Play

- Yes the sequels became stupid and then cheesy, and then more concerned with being funny than scary- but the original is amazing. The movie is shot in such a way that for the first half of the movie we don't actually see the doll do anything. You know it's evil, but the lack of a visual leaves doubt in your mind until he finally springs to life. From there it becomes a terrifying half of a film. A perfect example of set-up enhancing a story.

2. Scream

- I know I might take some flack for this but this film saved the horror genre for the mainstream. At a time where the genre was relying on The 7th Friday the 13th, and 5th Halloween, and whatever other film series was being done to death- Wes Craven came along and developed a movie that was equal parts hip, scary, and funny. Today it's fun to go back and watch and see how many current stars were in that thing. Also, it was a huge shock seeing that film opening night when Drew Barrymore was killed before the opening title card.

1. Halloween

- While this is not my favorite series of films overall, the original was better than any original for another series. John Carpenter just perfectly constructed this film about a menacing figure who popped up in shadows and would just emotionlessly kill you. The opening scene is haunting as we watch a person, from their viewpoint, walk through the house and kill a young woman in cold blood. Minutes later we realize this was a 6 year old who killed his sister. What Rob Zombie took 40 minutes to set up in his remake took Carpenter 5 minutes to establish. The scene towards the end with Laurie in the foreground and Michael sitting up behind her in the background is a film student's wet dream and is one of the few times I've actually yelled at the tv, "Turn around." Just a great film.

Now that we've covered that- let's move on with the films you need to see and probably never heard of.

2. If I Die Before I Wake

- The film could be from any of three different dates. It's labeled a 2001 release, but the cover art says 1998, and the end titles say 1996. No matter where it's from this is a moody fear inducing piece that will definitely not be for everyone.

I'd term the film a guilty pleasure but that would leave me feeling uneasy for looking like I'm trying to praise the film. While I am partly, I have a feeling of admiration more for the film. The film is classist, exploitative, and downright sick but the minimal approach taken to the filming and the story of the heroine is so great that it keeps the film from twisting into an unwatchable quagmire. The main problem with some of the torture films out now is they don't have a strong story or protagonist. If you don't have that, then you just have a film built around violence which isn't really that fun to watch. If nothing else, this film makes you feel panicked- which in and of itself is a big achievement.

The film borrows elements from other previous horror films but again finds its own voice. There are many horror films that involve an upper-middle class family being invaded by someone from a lower income bracket. This film takes that premise and combines it with Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer. Then it remixes that into a longer film- minus necrophilia, sort of.

The opening is about as brilliant an opening as I've ever seen. The director Brian Katkin is primarily an editor and it shows with how great this thing is cut together. The soundtrack plays some swelling music as the camera shows us a shot of the front door, and then mom and dad asleep in their room. Then we go back to the front door, and then we see the son Ben surfing the web with his headphones on. Then we go back to the front door, then we see the two daughters asleep in their room (one is an older teenager, one is much younger), then we go back to the front door. The camera moves closer, and closer to the front door until it bursts open towards us and a man wearing a stocking says, "We're in." The camera takes the time to introduce us to every essential room, every nook and cranny of the house, before we are broken into. A simple 3 minute scene sets up the film.

And from there, it's an 80 minute battle for survival inside a house that is no different than any neighborhood home we've ever found ourselves in. That is where the terror lies in this film. It preys on our fears of being attacked by people who envy our existence, not because we are bad people, but because we are just successful enough to have a house and life like this. It shouldn't work on that level because it's just re-inforcing a stereotype but it's definitely effective.

The DVD for the film kind of undersells this thing some. The tagline reads, "Don't ever forget to lock your doors." Thing is, these people didn't. They had their door deadbolted and the 3 brothers still found their way into the house. The subtle message of not being protected even when you think are protected is not lost. The house is treated like a body in this film. The family is defined by it, and feel protected by it, but the fact that it is where it is makes them vulnerable. Some critics have called it a rape drama, which is pretty apt both in a figurative and literal sense- less said the better.

The acting in this is really good. The biggest star in it is Muse Watson who played the fisherman in I Know What You Did Last Summer. He is effectively creepy as the abusive, gruff leader of the intruders. However, any good horror film needs a strong protagonist and this film has two of them. Stephanie Jones plays Lori Beth and she is not a regular generic scream queen, waiting for the climax to kick herself into overdrive. From the get-go she is the horror equivalent of Die Hard's John McClane. She is ready to kick ass as soon as she hears noises coming from downstairs. She tries to stay one step ahead of the intruders, she outsmarts them at times, and lays back at times. What makes her plight believable is they never try to overplay what she is doing. She isn't doing superhuman things. She is just moving from room to room one step ahead of the brothers. She also doesn't make any big plays to save her family, focusing instead on just rescuing her little sister, first. They also make the great wardrobe choice of a muscle shirt with pajama bottoms. Add that to her girl next door look and you have the perfect heroine for men and women alike- I think she has been in like nothing sense and it's a shame because she is really pretty.

Coryanne Sennett plays the youngest daughter and does so much with her relatively non-speaking role. She hits the right emotional notes throughout and has a pivotal role in the best scene of the whole film.

That scene is a little over halfway through the film and is one of the most heartbreaking things ever put to film. I won't really give anything about it away but if the first half of the film doesn't have you angry enough this scene will have you thinking to yourself, "These assholes need to die." A simple 5 minute scene that inspires such rage that you'll wish you could jump into the movie and help. It'd be an extremely poignant scene for a regular film let alone a horror film.

Look this film will inspire emotions, and they will be very visceral. It's worth it just for that. This film works, pure and simple.

1. The Descent

- In 2006 Neil Marshall unleashed this horror film that made some money at the box office but deserved to make more in a world when remakes of bad horror movies (Prom Night) open huge on the first weekend.

The film is about a group of women who are adventure seekers. They go out on canoe trips, they travel into caves- whatever gets the adrenaline up and running. One year after a canoeing trip Sarah, her husband Paul, and their daughter Jessica are traveling home. Paul gets distracted and gets involved in a head on collision with a logging truck. Paul and Jessica are killed instantly but Sarah survives.

A year later, the friends decide to go camping and hiking through a series of unexplored caves in the Appalachian Mountains. Juno is sort of the leader of the group and she switches out their maps to take them into a series of caves that have gone unexplored for a long time. While they are traveling through those caves the one collapses trapping them inside. Juno admits that help is not coming because they are off their normal path. Beth sees a painting on the wall which she thinks indicates there are two exits from the cave.

Sarah is distraught and wonders ahead where she sees a pale, sort of human creature drinking water. When she gasps it runs off into the darkness. The others think she is making it up because of her grief but she insists she saw something. Around this time as well the one girl Holly breaks her leg and is forced to be carried as they travel along. One of the creatures attacks and the group scatters off as Holly is mauled by the figure.

More creatures attack and Juno kills them but then accidentally impales Beth with her pickaxe. Beth tries to get her to help as Juno just walks away in horror. Juno says she will not leave without Sarah and the 3 remaining girls search for her.

That's about where we should stop because if I reveal too much more it will ruin things. You know it's a horror movie so not everyone will survive. What makes this film though is the gruesome nature through which people get offed.

This film has a very claustrophobic feel to it which is felt throughout the whole film. Imagine you are in a cave in which you are not certain you can get out of. Then on top of that it is pitch black- and in Sarah's case, you are dealing with the loss of your family still- and the fact that your "friend" Juno was having an affair with your husband. All that hitting a person at once is not good.

This film is different in a lot of ways too because in essence it's a horror film that can work two different ways. Normally we would see people attacking another group of people (see #2.) In this film though, the people apparently, invading- are the protagonists. The crawlers are a group that have been relegated to living in dark caves and shadows and they are only protecting themselves from the outsiders. On the flip side you have the normal survival element where a group of people are somewhere bad and they need to get out by any means necessary. I can imagine a society of these crawler characters watching the same movie and cheering for their race of people.

Speaking of the crawlers, they are some scary looking monsters. They are pale, they have intense looking eyes and they are interested in nothing more than tearing people apart who enter their cave. And I mean tearing apart. They aren't just hacking someone with a machete and then leaving. They are knocking people to the ground and then tearing limbs off, and tearing out their insides leaving nothing but a bloody knub of a corpse.

On top of the gore- which is nasty and plentiful, and the claustrophobic nature, there is a really strong story with the relationship among the women. The main theme is Sarah trying to find peace in the aftermath of her husband and daughter's death. We watch her try to find that peace and she eventually does. The ending much like other horror films is there and it's sort of happy but not entirely- much like #2 on this list. What I love about this ending a little more is how it gives hope sort of- but you need to search through some heavy bleakness to find it.

Neil Marshall gained some acclaim with Dog Soldiers, he gained real respect with this film and that is worth seeing.

That is it. That's the list. Find all ten of these movies in this order:

10. Behind the Mask
9. Near Dark
8. Dead and Breakfast
7. Night of the Hunter
6. The Devil's Backbone
5. The Wicker Man
4. Rabid
3. Slither
2. If I Die Before I Wake
1. The Descent

and enjoy your holiday...Happy Halloween everyone
- posted by Brian @ 10/30/2008 02:05:00 PM

 
The Post with #4 and # 3 of the Movies You Need to See
We are now into the homestretch as it relates to this list. As we move into these last 4 we'll try and go a little more in depth on the films and try hard to not give away major plot points.

I know it may be hard to read some of these testimonials because it's part plot review and part why you should see it, there is a reason for that though. Horror films should be viewed cold. The whole allure of horror films is their ability to scare us. Horror movies are like an orchestral piece. They are meant to build to huge crescendos for maximum scare effort. Look at some of the best horror films of all time- they have the perfect beats, nothing comes too early, nothing comes too forced, and everything works within the context of the story they have set up. The beats and paces for one are not as good for another. But if a director can effectively pull off the proper rhythm for their movie- then it becomes something worth seeing. If we go in though knowing what will happen before it does we will lose the effectiveness of the film. For example, if you've never seen a movie and I tell you the twist ending to it I've doomed you to a 90 minute scavenger hunt for clues to the twist. If I don't tell you, then you'll see the ending and then think, "Holy shit! I need to see this again."

To me all ten of these movies are worth seeing for some reason. They don't necessarily have twist endings, but they all have moments that would be spoiled if I got too intensely detailed about certain things. I don't want to do that for you.

That being said let's move on with the list:

4. Rabid

David Cronenberg had his first buzz worthy cult hit with this 1977 horror film that got more acclaim for its star than it did for the material at the time. That's something that even Cronenberg would acknowledge. Back in the 70's there was a lady named Marilyn Chambers who was far more known for her work in adult films. She wanted a film where she could prove she could really act. Cronenberg needed a boost for his film to get viewed so it was the perfect marriage of needs. Chambers had her first major starring role in a legit film, Cronenberg had his pub.

That all being said, it overshadowed a lot of what makes the movie really good. It's a genuinely creepy film, that mixes scares with social commentary fairly effectively.

Chambers plays Rose, a woman who is out with her boyfriend Hart on his motorcycle when they are in a pretty bad accident. Luckily for them this accident occurs near a hospital. Unluckily for them it is basically a plastic surgery ward where the doctor is wanting to try out his experimental procedure for skin grafting.

Dr. Dan Keloid does decide to perform his new surgery for skin grafting as he feels it is the only way to save her life. He is happy that he can possibly advance medicine for the sake of the huiman race, and his intentions are honorable. However, the results don't work out the way he intended for them to. As Rose is recovering, the grafted skin mutates within her body and results in a physical mutation. She grows a second vagina type orifice under her armpit that houses a bloody sticker that protrudes and sucks the blood from victims. The victim then passes out. Hours later they awaken with a thirst for blood and what spreads is a rabies like epidemic.

Rose is unaware of all this as during the day she lays seemingly in a coma. By night though she is hugging a victim tightly before sucking them dry.

Now while that all sounds very slasher movie like this film works on such a different level. While people are being infected and the disease is rapidly spreading Cronenberg keeps the focus on the larger community picture. The whole subplot of medical and political officials trying to contain and get rid of the problem is equally as important as what is happening to Rose. The main bright spot here is they treat it with intelligence rather than the standard powerful men in shadows nonsense.

Now some of the narrative drags in spots but that is only because they are trying to create a fully realized story rather than just a straight horror flick. That's the one little gripe with the film. Despite that though, the film is able to keep a tension throughout the film. A very entertaining tension at that.

Also in the films' favor is that it doesn't try to wrap up everything into a happy ending because there isn't one to be had here. It would be a huge cheat if they went with one because nothing feels light about the movie. Another point in the film's favor is that it never resorts to making a satire of characters which would be easy to do when you are trying for a scope like he is. The movie remains focused on the concern for everybody's welfare in the face of something that is coming to eradicate them all. By doing this it forces you to invest in wanting a solution for the crisis instead of just the "good" people surviving.

The film is really good with some really good performances. If you've seen some of Cronenberg'e other films (The Fly, Eastern Promises, A History of Violence) you can see the signs here of talent. You can also see the beginnings of someone who has become known for creating thought-provoking material that isn't interested in pandering to viewers.

P.S.- Funny story about the casting of the film. Of all the actresses Cronenberg auditioned for the part Chambers he felt was second best. The first choice was an actress named Sissy Spacek. The producers of the film didn't like her though for 3 reasons. She had a Texas accent, she had a ton of freckles, and most importantly- she wasn't a star. Cronenberg went to Chambers for the reasons I mentioned and by the time this film came out Carrie- starring Sissy- had hit huge at the box office and she was quite a star. Always funny to me how those things work.


3. Slither

James Gunn got his start writing for Troma Films, and writing major studio pictures Scooby Doo and the Dawn of the Dead remake before he directed this 2006 horror-comedy debut. The film draws heavily on classic alien invasion films, The Thing, and Night of the Creeps yet still finds its own voice and mines new terrority.

The small town of Wheelsy is about as backwoods as you can get. The people are sweet but dumb, and they are drinking partying fools in the middle of their annual deer hunting festivites.

Grant Grant is a slightly older man who is married to a gorgeous young woman named Starla (Elizabeth Banks, 40 Year Old Virgin, Zack and Miri Make A Porno). He is a little grumpy one night and heads to the local bar to join in the partying. He leaves with another young woman, a single mom named Brenda, and they head into the woods to fool around. While there an object falls out of the sky and lands a couple hundred feet away from them.

Grant goes over to investigate and finds a pulsating extraterrestrial creature that springs out and crawls into Grant. He heads home in pain and unable to say what happened to him.

Soon the town of Wheelsy starts seeing some odd occurances. Family pets start disappearing, and then livestock starts being killed. Starla also notices Grant is changing personality wise and looks wise. His appearance is gradually getting more and more grotesque as his face is mutating. At one point she heads into the basement and sees a bunch of the missing pets, dead and hanging in their basement.

Grant eventually feels like he needs to reproduce so he fights the urge to go after Starla and instead attacks Brenda. After all this the town ends up being infected by an alien parasite plague that either eats them or turns them into a zombie. The town is communicating through a hive relationship with Grant which leads to a climatic confrontation back at Starla and Grant's house.

In Gunn's early writing work he showed a penchant for combining horror with humorous dialogue. He wrote the Tromeo & Juliet feature primarily in imabic pentameter which added a whole element of himor to that film. Here he takes certain elements from films that came prior and combines them with some smart, funny dialogue. That is the main thing that makes this film accessible. It's really funny at spots.

It's also very scary at spots, and gross. There are people having their insides sucked out, and women swollen to 50 times their normal size, and little insects crawling everywhere. On top of that, everytime Grant pops up on screen he is more disgusting looking than the last time he showed up on camera.

While the latest trend has been going back to 70's style horror films, Gunn goes all the way back to the 50's type films and then combines them with 80's film movements. What helps is how well the story is written. The dialogue never resorts to cheap gags, or strays too far from the main story and again is laugh-out-loud funny. Gunn creates likeable and believable small town eccentrics. He then takes those characters and points out how absurd thier reactions are to what is happening in their town.

What the movie excells at though is setting up your expectations through typical cliches and then flipping them. For example, he takes great pains to set up that there is a grenade in the police stations evidence locker. You would think one thign will happen with that, but it ends up being not what you think.

Slither is a monster movie, but one with a big shit-eating grin spread on its face. Once the plague starts spreading things happen fast and furiously. The only downside is the film could've used a little better ending as it ends a little bit tepidly. Even with that though this film works on so many levels and is easily the film you will have the most fun with on this list.

Tomorrow we get # 2 & 1, also the 5 movies you've probably heard of and need to see in a mini list.
- posted by Brian @ 10/29/2008 02:06:00 PM

 
The Post with # 6 & 5 of Horror movies you need to see
By the end of today we will be halfway through the list. In fact after #6 we will be halfway through the list. Today's entries are interesting because they are absolutely well regarded throughout horror circles. One has been awarded a few very distinct honors and the other greased the wheels for the director to really break big time with a movie that he has declared a "spiritual sequel," to his previous film. Actually- that's a good place to start

6. The Devil's Backbone

It is a 2001 Mexican horror film that is gothic in nature, co-written and directed by Guillermo del Toro who went on to direct Pan's Labyrinth in 2006. It is set in 1939 Spain during the Spanish Civil War.

It's about a young boy named Carlos whose dad is off fighting in the Spanish Civil War. Carlos is taken to an orphanage and thinks he is there until his dad is done fighting and comes back to pick him up. Carlos is unaware that his dad has died in the war and he will not be going anywhere anytime soon.

When he arrives at the orphange his is distracted by a bomb sitting in the middle of the courtyard that has not been diffused. He checks it out and meets two other young boys there and they become friends. The one older kid steals one of his toys though and makes off with it.

Later that night Carlos is distracted by noises which is believed to be a ghost. He follows the sounds and meets up with a ghost that tells him, "many will die." He tries to run away but a former orphan who works at the orphanage catches him.

Carlos is told that there is a ghost haunting the orphanage named Santi who disappeared when the bomb was dropped. Jaime (the older boy) doesn't believe in the ghost. Carlos walks to the bomb and asks it to show him the ghost. He gets led to the ghost but when it touches him he freaks out and hides in his closet. He then sees Jamie's sketchbook and sees a picture of ths ghost.

Jacinto ( the person who stopped Carlos from leaving) knows there is gold at the orphanage and he hates the place and wants to leave. He convinces the one woman there to give him keys to the safe where he believes the money is. While this is going on Dr. Casares sees Carlos's tutor and bodyguard shot and killed by soldiers. He realizes the war is escalating and he makes a plan to take the children from the orphanage. Jacinto hurries trying to get the gold but he is forced to leave the orphanage at gunpoint.

This all leads to scenes where we find out who the ghost is and why they are haunting the orphanage. Also we get Jacinto hatching a plan to get back into the orphanage and burning and killing a majority of the people in it. If I say too much more we are ruining the fun.

The film was received very positively by people, and it was the first glimpse at del Toro's grand style of filmmaking. The film was nominated for a Saturn Award for Best Horror Film. The main actor in the film also won an award for Best Young Actor in an International Film. The film is inspired by many works of gothic fiction and even draws some inspiration from Dario Argento films.

The one drawback to the filmis you will have to read some since it is mostly in Spanish, but it's well worth it. The acting is great and the directing and visuals are top notch. If you've never seen Pan's Labyrinth you are missing out on del Toro's style. If you have seen that movie then this is really fun to watch to see some of the tricks he would perfect for that film. It's an easy story to get into and has a totally satisfying conclusion which is all you can ask for.

5. The Wicker Man

No this is not the really shitty remake with Nicholas Cage. We are talking the old school 1973 British horror film directed by Robin Hardy that fused a bunch of genres into one terifying masterpiece.

Sergeant Neil Howie is sent an anonymous letter that recommends he investigate the disappearence of young Rowan Morrison on the island of Summerisle. He flies into the island and from the outset realizes something is not right with the people and the island. In fact, he sees something downright sinister in their aloofness and basic mocking of him and the law. What he finds is that the entire population of the island follows a neo-pagan cult that believes in re-incarnation, worshipping the sun, and engage in fertility rituals and sexual magic in order to appease natural forces.

Howie is a devout Christian so he is mortified by the actions of the islanders. He repeatedly tells them he will involve the authorities and they laugh him off which only adds to his frustrations.

When he checks into the inn he meets the innkeeper's daughter (the gorgeous Britt Ekland) and everyone there sings a song about how fun it is to have sex with her. This of course, upsets Howie. He maintains his stand though that he does not believe in sex before marriage.

As his search continues he keeps being met by resistance from the islanders and a general non caringness about Rowan being missing. After a few interrogations he is told she died recently. He goes to her grave and instead of a human finds a dead buried rabbit.

Getting the cold shoulder from residents leads him to meet with Lord Summerisle. The Lord tells him the story of the island and how his grandfather bought it becasue it has the proper wind and soil conditions to grwo new strains of fruits and vegetables. He offered back to the residents their old gods as a reward for their loyalty. Summerisle says he took that up from his grandfather and fatehr and has made the island grand again. He also basically rebuffs Howie's asking for help.

Howie delves deeper into the culture of the island and sees that the annual MayDay celebration is upcoming and he has a horrible realization about what they are planning for young Rowan. He disguises himself as a player in the celebration and decides to stop what is happening. Of course it's a horror movie so what looks like is going on isn't really what is going on. If I say much more than that it ruins the film. If you've seen the remake you know where this movie is going but the set-up for it in here is far more effective, which makes the payoff far more effective. So you have to ignore what you know or have seen and try your best to view this movie cold turkey.

That is the main failing of the remake. It tries to be too cute and changes the story around too much to the point that it loses the heart of what makes the original so creepy. This isn't jump out in front of you scary. It's a person surrounded by people who don't beleive the same things he does and they mock him for it. On top of that, they seem to be trying to corrupt him and turn him into some type of monster. The juxtapostion of Howie's beliefs versus those of the people on the island is creepy. Because of the job Ed Woodward does in the lead role you really feel for his character despite your religious leanings. Christopher Lee matches him note for note in their two main scenes together setting up a great battle between good and perceived evil. Summerisle sees Howie as evil because he doesn't believe in what they do and he is closely tied to his God. The islanders mock him about this a few times throughout the film. Howie sees Summerisle as evil because he doesn't adhere to his stringent "right" beliefs.

The Wicker Man is fairly highly regarded by critics and has been since its release. Cinefantastique magazine described it as "the Citizen Kane of horror movies." In 2004 Total Film magazine named it the sixth greatest British film of al time. It won the 1978 Saturn Award for best horror film (there is a whole timeline about its release that is confusing so let's ignore it). Also it was #45 on Bravo's list of the 100 Scariest Movie Moments. I'd say more about that but it spoils a pretty pivotal scene.

I've mentioned it already but the acting in the movie is excellent, from top to bottom. Even the young girl who plays Rowan does well with her mostly silent role. What works for her is she really captures the childhood innocence. I'm sure many of you have had a child hold your hand and try and pull you somewhere to see whatever they've found. She has that nailed and it really works in the context of the film.

Look this movie is great. If you aren't a fan of gore and "Boo" scares then this is a great film to see for you. It has basically no gore and only maybe one "Boo" scare. The horror comes strictly from the situation that the protagnoist finds himself in and the way it is played puts us in his shoes and leads us to feel solely for him throughout. This is a great film that deserves to be seen by everyone, if for no other reason than to get the taste of the remake out of people's mouths.

Tomorrow- # 4 & 3
- posted by Brian @ 10/28/2008 02:09:00 PM

 
The Post with 10 Horror Movies You Need to See- # 8 & 7
It's been a few days so maybe you had some time to catch either of the first two movies I gave you in the list of 10 Horror Movie You've Never Heard of but Need to See. (or whatever impossibly long title that is hard to remember that I gave it.) To recap we had

10. Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon
9. Near Dark

As we move forward we are gettting to movies that I enjoy just a little bit more than those two, for varying reasons. Without any further adieu we get to #8

8. Dead and Breakfast

Matthew Leutwyler directed this 2004 horror comedy that at first glance is quite a bit bizarre but once you get into the beats and paces of it all it actually is a lot of fun.

Six friends are traveling in an RV to a marriage in Texas. They get tired and decide to spend the night at a bed and breakfast in the peaceful little town of Lovelock. The owner takes them in and despite the fact that he seems a little odd they spend the night. The one friend and the chef have a fight about something and before tensions can escalate everyone heads off to bed. The next morning the owner, and the chef are dead and the friends become prime suspects. They are held for questioning and are required to stay in Lovelock.

The owner was into some black magic rituals and he had a spirit locked in a box in his room. That spirit accidentally gets released by one of the friends and he becomes possessed and heads into town. Once there as soon as he places a piece of a person into the box they become a zombie almost instantly. As the entire town of quirky residents becomes zombies the friends head back to the B&B to hole up for battle. As they try to hold off the town's residents a few of the friends and the drifter who seems to know what is going on head out to the cemetary to end the horror before it turns them all into zombies.

The movie feels low budget but it actually looks really good and the story itself is amusing and holds for the running time despite a few maddening moments. (A lot of low budget indies are movies with a good idea that only supports about 60 minutes of film. That is then expanded to like 90 minutes which means a third of the film has you ready to bail. Effective low budget horror movies find a way to balance the good 60 minutes of material throughout.) At some points the drifter gets into explainations of things that slow the pace down. What saves it though is, his dialogue is kind of ridiculous at these spots which almost makes you think the director did it on purpose.

"So that's how we kill it."
"Well not exaclty, the hard part is next."

I know quite a few people that really dislike this movie and I think that is because of the way the movie goes about itself. I think the film does a good job of balancing the horror and comedy because for the most part they are kept seperate until a certain spot of the film when they meet and mix. Basically we get horror, and then comedy and then around the 35 minute mark they start drifting together until the are mixed. The movie lets both find their voice before they start trying to compare them. Had they done it differently it may not have been as effective to me.

The most polarizing part of the film to many is the role played by Zach Selwyn. Zach plays a man who works at the local gas station who fixes you car and then tells bad jokes and sings songs he wrote. (Selwyn is a real artist and sings a hybrid of country and rap. It's not bad.) Throughout the film he pops up and sings little interludes that act as scene changes. They summarize what you've just seen and set up what is coming. It's the same thing There's Something About Mary did. The difference is Selwyn is a main character to the story so these act almost as asides to the film. He also sings a rap that has a very prominent role in the film where the twon of zombies do a square dance type thing outside the B&B while celebrating the fact that "blood is as sweet as moonshine whiskey."

The film is a horror spoof of sorts so it does have quite a few homages to other horror films. For example, the gardner at the B&B is killed with shears by Johnny. When he is killed the silhouette is almost identical to the kiler Cropsy from the 1981 slasher film The Burning. The scene where Erik Palladino tries to run from the chef when he finds him dead and constantly slips is an homage to Braindead.

Also I feel I need to mention Miranda Bailey who plays the librarian in the film. She is really funny in her role with the way she handles the accent and how she speaks punctuating everything with the word, "Friend." When she straps on the ammo and goes nuts it is a great moment.

The film has moments of horror as well though, and is extremely gory. Way over the top gory. In fact, during filming they used 34 gallons of fake blood. In the scene where the one guy's head gets cut off they used 4.5 gallons of blood. The gory is very comical though and the shootings and stuff are amusing.

The movie may vary milage wise for some of you. A lot of your opinion will be based around how well you think it balances the horror and comedy. For me, it works and is well worth seeing. Just to see a bunch of people having fun and being as absurd as possible.


7. Night of the Hunter

This is the one film that you can probably argue doesn't belong on the list for a number of reasons. Many would say it's not really a horror film, but more of a classic film noir. To me though it works as a horror thriller type film because of the performance of Robert Mitchum who creates one of the scariest villians in movie history.

The film is in balck and white from 1955, and based on a novel written a few years prior to that. It is set in West Virginia along the Ohio River.

Ben Harper is sentenced to hang because he was a part of a robbery where two men were killed. Before the cops can find him he hides the money they stole and trusts his two kids with the money's location. He has a young boy and girl, that are 10 and 5. While in prison he is bunked with Harry Powell who is a self-appointed preacher. On his one hand he has the word "LOVE" tattooed on his knuckles. On his other hand he has the word, "HATE". He does his best to get Harper to tell him the location of the money before he dies but Harper won't say. Powell does get a clue though as in his sleep Harper keeps mumbling the phrase, "and a child shall lead them."

Powell becomes certain that Ben told his kids where the moeny was so when he gets out of prison he begins a romance with Ben's widow to get close to the kids. He continuously questions the kids about the moeny they don't trust him and say nothing. When the mom finds out what is happening Powell kills her. He finally does learn the money's location and a standoff between Powell and Rachel Cooper ensues.

This film works on a lot of levels. The most important one is acting wise and a lot of that has to do with Mitchum and the character he creates. He is a tall man and the film is shot in a way to make him look even more intimidating and imposing. There is one scene in particular where Mitchum finds out the location of the key and he chases after the children from the basement. The children run up and then Mitchum follows as we see a side view of him with his shadow agains the wall. The shadow almost floats as Mitchum seemingly glides up the steps. The whole time he goes he has his hands outstretched so he looks like an evil movie monster from the 30's or 40's. That moment is so scary it ended up as #90 on Bravo's list of the 100 Scariest Movie Moments.

The horror in this film doesn't come from any gore or monster chasing the kids. The horror is based in a reality that is very tense. Mitchum is just an evil guy and has nothing but bad intentions on his mind as it relates to the family and their well-being. On top of that the film is shot to look like it is from the perspective of the children. We get weird shadows, distorted perspectives, odd camera angles- all stuff that is designed to disorient the viewer.

Also this is a film that many film fans study becasue there are many prevalent themes that run throughout the film. The battle of "love and hate." Faith and sexuality. Powell's knife is supposed to be phallic in nature and he causes pain with it in place of sexual needs.

There are reasons outside of horror to see this film though. In 1992 it was deemed culturally significant by the Library of Congress and was selected to be preserved in the National Film Registry.

What's funny about the movie is this. When it was first released back in 1955 it was not big with critics or fans. In fact, it took years of viewings on TV and at conventions for it to develop a cult following. Roger Ebert in describing the film says, "It is one of the most frightening of movies, with one of the most unforgettable of villains, and on both of those scores it holds up... well after four decades." If I'm not enough to get you to watch this film then surely Roger Ebert is.

Coming tomorrow #6 & #5
- posted by Brian @ 10/27/2008 02:01:00 PM

 
The Post with this week's NFL Picks
So last week was horrible. I don't even deserve the right to try and be witty or funny or take anyone to task for their indiscretions. So this week I try to shake off the stink of a 6-8 week picking and focus on just the games with some minor analysis.

Oakland at Baltimore- Both teams are coming off decent wins last week. Baltimore controlled the Dolphins Wildcat offense and Oakland gutted out an overitme victory against the Jets. I think the main factor here is JaMarcus Russell is young and has never played a defense like the Ravens----Baltimore wins

San Diego at New Orleans---Stupid London game. A game that both teams absolutely need. The Chargers have been weak through the air and will probably get gouged here. I see a shootout------New Orleans wins.

Kansas City at New York Jets- Brett Favre is clearly in pain. But a banged-up Favre is still better than a healthy whoever the Chiefs trot out there---------New York Jets win

Buffalo at Miami- I just think Buffalo is a little bit better right now all around. Miami also had there trick offense figured out some last week------Buffalo wins

Tampa Bay at Dallas- Tampa Bay usually plays terribly in Dallas. They are 1-7 in their past 8 in Dallas. However, this is a very banged up Dallas team. They are missing a ton of defensive players, and Brad Johnson at 40 just isn't very good anymore. Jeff Garcia I think just does enough again to win------------Tampa Bay wins

Atlanta at Philadelphia- The Philly run defense has been very good for the most part this year which should stifle Michael Turner some. That means Matt Ryan will be front and center against an Eagles defense that he has never seen the likes of. I think with Westbrook back the Eagles come off the bye and get back on track----------Philadelphia wins

St. Louis at New England- I don't think St. Louis will sneak up on anyone anymore. New England finally played a decent game with Matt Cassel at quarterback bolsted mainly by giving him a game plan that was simple and effective. This is a tough game to pick for me. I think Steven Jackson will get some good yardage against New England but I don't know if St. Louis can turn it up defensively against Cassel. I live risky though-------------St. Louis wins

Arizona at Carolina- In their past 4 against Carolina, Arizona is 0-4. I think Carolina is better than them still and they are tough at home.------------Carolina wins

Washington at Detroit- Detroit is trying bu they just aren't very good. They are also 2-15 in their last 17 versus Washington. This is a game the Redskins have to win if they want to be legitimate contenders-----------Washington wins.

Cleveland at Jacksonville- Cleveland is 2-6 in their last 8 versus Jacksonville and are just way too inconsistent to feel comfortable about picking. Jacksonville I think is starting to turn the corner this year and I like David Garrard in this game-------------Jacksonville wins

New York Giants at Pittsburgh- Tough game to pick. A tough defense against a good offense, and a banged up defene against a banged up offense. The difference to me in the game is this. I think the Giants offensive line can give Eli Manning enough time to find some receivers. PLus I think the Giants are just way too deep offensively for the Steelers right now. I can see this being a fairly high scoring game (something like 28-27) and I really hate picking against Pittsburgh at home but----New York Giants win

Seattle at San Francisco- Seattle still is not very good and Mike Holmgren picked a bad season to go out on. Also I think the 49'ers will be ready to play under Mike Singletary- who should've been a head coach 3 years ago.-----San Francisco wins

Indianapolis at Tennessee- Pure and simple analysis is this. If Tennessee wants to be considered a legitimate contender than this is a game they absolutely need to win. If they don't then it proves the Colts are still tops in the division. This is the type of game that Peyton Manning usually does well in and I hate picking a Kerry Collins led team over him but--------Tennessee wins.
- posted by Brian @ 10/24/2008 09:13:00 AM

 
The Post with 10 Horror Movie You Need to See- #10 & 9
Halloween is always great for candy- everyone knows that. But to me the most important aspect of this time of year is finding some horror movies to watch like crazy. Granted you can watch horror movies any time of year (I do) but it seems around this time of season people are more apt to watch something that might give them the chills or creeps.

Being that I have seen a ton of horror movies (although I pale in comparison to some others) I figured I would work up a list for the few readers that frequent here. Now normally people would give you a list of the Best Horror Movies- and then give you a typical list of films that you've either seen or you are greatly familiar with. As I said, sometime in the next week I will give you 5 of the stereotypical horror movies that you need to make sure you see. There will be no movies on that list you've probably never heard of. This list will be different though.

See on this list I will give you 10 movies that maybe you've never heard of, or you're not totally familiar with. But that should not deter you from watching them. In fact, in my opinion, these are the:

10 HORROR MOVIES YOU MAYBE NEVER HEARD OF BUT NEED TO SEE.

They are not all strict horror. A few of them balance elements of comedy in with the horror. Some are straightforward scare the beejesus out of you films. Some are older, some are newer. Some are studio pictures, some are from smaller independent studios. Some have big name stars, some don't.

Over the next few days I will introduce you to the list. 10 & 9 today, and then 8-1 next week. All these films are available on DVD, or you can get them through Netflix/Blockbuster, or they may pop up on TV over the next week. I implore you to take the suggestions and maybe search out one of the films I'll give you over the next few days. You won't be disappointed. And I will do my best to give you the gist of the film without outright telling you what will happen.

Before we get to #10 let me give you a film that I wanted to get into the list somehow but just couldn't make it fit.

Honorable Mention- This would be the 2000 psychological thriller The Cell starring Jennifer Lopez. I know seeing Ms. Lopez's name might bring snickers but outside of Selena this is her best work. The movie is a trippy film about a child psychologist who is an expert at an experimental treatment for bringing people out of comas. She enters their minds through a virtual reality device and tries to coax them back to our world.

When a serial killer falls into a coma before he can reveal the whereabouts of his latest capture the FBI brings in Catherine Deane to enter the psychopath's mind and get him to give up the locale. Once she gets inside his mind she is confronted by a battle of good and evil inside the killer's head and must get the info before she loses herself in there. It's a very nice looking film, and the scenes inside the killer's mind are disturbing and just generally creepy. Jennifer Lopez, Vince Vaughn, and Vincent D'Onforio are really good in the film and in lesser hands this material might not have worked so well.

Onto the list:

#10. Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon

This is a film from 2006 that is a horror/documentary movie. It's about a film crew that is following an aspiring serial killer and trying to understand his motives and preparations. The film is an homage to the slasher films of the 1980's.This is a movie that may be polarizing to some. It's shot documentary style and it starts a little slow and requires you to stick with the film for a a little bit of time.

Female journalist Taylor Gentry and her two cameramen are following killer Leslie Vernon as he prepares to enter the ranks of renowned killers. The movie treats Freddy and Jason as if they existed in the same universe. There are many allusions to past horror movies, both in scenes and actual dialogue. For example, Leslie introduces us to his mentor who is a retired serial killer that worked before Freddy and Jason. Leslie also intimates that the others used supernatural powers and he is relying on conventional tactics.

If you can think of a horror movie cliche they probably hit it and make light of it here. For example, Leslie mentions that many serial killers take yoga and tai chi so they can pull off that whole catching up to someone running while they are walking. Everything from his origins to his final act is plotted out.

As Leslie plans out his traps and manipulates his scenario we are invited along and the news style of storytelling gives us insight into everything and for the first part of the film we are given basically a set-up for the second part. The second part is where the movie seems to lose steam for many people but it didn't really bother me all that much because it felt like the logical step for the film to take.

Nathan Baesel does good work as Leslie Vernon, and Angela Goethals is really good as the reporter. They are both clearly having fun with the script and that was important to the film. Robert Englund pops up in a role that is essentially Dr. Loomis from Halloween.

I don't want to say a whole lot about the film because it will ruin some of the gags. Also the film doesn't necessarily hold up as well on multiple viewings but for a one shot it is well worth checking out.

For those wondering- the reason this is 10 and not The Cell is plain and simple. I think this movie would be more accessible for viewers than The Cell.

#9. Near Dark

Back in the mid 80's. There were two vampire movies coming out. This is the other one. The reason this one got overshadowed was because that other film was entitled The Lost Boys and starred Corey Feldman and Corey Haim. For those that don't remember- Haim and Feldman were HYYOUUGGGEE in the 80's so that film got much more play. Simple fact in the end though is this- this movie is much much better.

Near Dark is a vampire western from 1987 starring Adrian Pasdar (Heroes), Bill Paxton (Frailty), and Lance Henriksen (Millennium). It is also a movie that has obtained a very sizable cult following in the years since its release.

Caleb Colton (Pasdar) is a young rancher in Oklahoma who is spending his Friday night like man men his age. He's out with his buddies and looking for women. He spots a drifter named Mae who catches his eye and invites him along with her. They travel around for a while and then just before sunrise they start to kiss. During that kiss Mae bites his neck, but then runs off.

Caleb travels home but his skin is starting to burn from the sun and his father and sister can see him in pain as he walks across the field. Before he can get to the farm a vehicle pulls up and Caleb is pulled into before it speeds away.

He sees Mae and the pack of vampires she travels around with. Severen and Diamondback want to kill him but Mae says she bit him and he is beginning to transform. The leader of the gang, Jesse Hooker, says Caleb can stay but he has a week to prove that he can learn to hunt, and be trusted as a member of the group. The biggest fear they have is that people find out that vampires really exist. On Caleb's first night with the group they go to a roadhouse and basically torture everyone there.

Caleb can't bring himself to kill someone but Mae wants him to stay so she does the deed and then lets Caleb drink from her wrist.

Meanwhile Caleb's father is searching for his son that he believes was kidnapped by a regular band of drifters unaware of what really happened. He sets out with Caleb's sister to find Caleb.

In the tradition of great westerns there are showdowns and standoffs. There are also some pretty scary scenes- most notably the roadhouse. Also these vampires are not the suave looking vampires of old. They look like they've been burned. They wear tattered leather jackets and ripped jeans. They are hell bent on mischief and that leads them to their killing.

The performances are all great and the themes of love carry the film. Mae's love for Caleb, the father's love for his sun. Basically you have a battle between two families and the girl (Mae) who is torn between the two of them. She really likes Caleb and does everything she can to pull him into her world. Caleb is trying to draw her into his. In some respects you could probably make the argument it's a loose interpretation of Romeo and Juliet. Caleb's father is consumed by his love and wants to save Caleb even though it is known the dad and him fight a lot. Jesse Hooker, loves his brood and wants to do everything he can to protect them. It's a matter of who wins.

Some of the special effects actually look pretty decent too especially given they are over 20 years old.

For comparison sake you might want to grab The Lost Boys as well to see the difference. Time has proven this film to be the better option though.

Coming Monday # 8 & 7
- posted by Brian @ 10/23/2008 02:05:00 PM

 
The Post with my World Series thoughts
(Let me say before I start I will do my best to put aside my bias for my favorite team and treat this as if I were impartial.)

I know many people- FOX included- are bummed because there beloved storyline of "Manny vs the Dodgers," is not what they got. Instead they get the match-up of a great Cinderella team versus a Phillies team that is every bit as blue-collar as the '93 version. I think in some respects this is a very good World Series match-up and could end up being a better series than Red Sox-Dodgers would have been.

The Rays story if you don't know is this- they were in last place pretty much every year of their existence. This year pieces started to fall together and they are now 4 games away from one of the biggest turn-a-rounds in history.

The Phillies are a team that has been built in a similar fashion and you have seen growth over the past few years and that has them at this spot, 4 games from winning the first title for Philadelphia in 100 professional sports seasons.

Let's break down some things and look at keys to the series for both teams.

OFFENSE:

Both teams are very similar in how they beat you. Both teams are very good at stealing bases. The Rays have gone 17 of 19 so far on stolen bases this year. The Phillies led the National League with an 86% successful stolen base rate this season. The second year in a row they led the NL in that category. However, both teams can mash the ball as well. The Rays seemed to hit a home run every other at-bat against the Red Sox. The Phillies have not hit as many but some of their biggest moments have revolved around the long ball so far this post-season (Game 2 against the Brewers, Game 1 and Game 4 of the NLCS) The biggest knock on the Phillies has always been their reliance on the long ball and they've really done more manufacturing runs this post-season.

Neither team can be put into a box offensively. If you cut them down on the bases they can beat you in the long ball. Cut them down on the long ball and they'll beat you on the bases.

I think it's very close but I'll give the Rays an edge because they are a little deeper through the order. Feliz and Ruiz have been ok so far this post-season but I don't trust them fully.

THE BIG QUESTION- Can the bottom of the Phillies order continue to pitch in this off-season?

- If Feliz and Ruiz continue to help manufacture runs than the edge the Rays have will balance out pretty much.

EDGE: RAYS

DEFENSE:

Both teams are also great defensively. The Rays have gotten fairly sloppy this post-season though. Evan Longoria made a bad throw that cost them a game in the ALCS and would've been a huge momentum switcher. Jason Bartlett at shortstop has been unusually spotty this postseason. In the outfield the Rays are shaky in right and center.

For the Phillies they are fairly solid. Ryan Howard is about as bad a defender as one can be at first base but he has made some decent plays this October. Burrell is below average range-wise. The Phillies left side of the infield is better, Rays right side is better. Outfield to the Phillies, as well as catcher.


EDGE: PHILLIES

STARTING PITCHING:

Cole Hamels is the best starting pitcher in the series. The Rays are probably deeper overall. There are a few factors to consider here. The Rays were 25-24 this year against left-handed starters. With the Phillies you are probably looking at at least 3 starts from left-handers. The Rays have good splits on paper but in real world baseball it hasn't worked out that way. Jamie Moyer has been battered around a little this October but this is the type of line-up he usually feasts on.

The Rays starters have been consistent this year. All their ERA's are within a run of each other, and Matt Garza has emerged as the big star of the rotation after two excellent games aginst the Red Sox line-up in the ALCS. Also, everyone in the rotation outside of Garza can be beaten with the home run.

THE BIG QUESTION- Which Brett Myers shows up to pitch Game 2?

- In his two starts we've seen the best and worst of Brett Myers from this year. He was great against the Brewers after wiggling out of a bases loaded first inning jam. He was not as good against the Dodgers (something some have attributed to his running the bases for a lot of time in that game) He also tweaked his ankle some so hopefully that is healthy. If he gives you a solid outing the Phillies may be in business. He may have to depending on the outcome of Game 1.

I still think the Rays rotation is a little bit deeper so again very slightly

EDGE: RAYS

BULLPEN:

The Rays have been pretty good this post-season outside of that huge blow-up in Game 5 of the ALCS. The Phillies have been better, and their bullpen dominated the Dodgers series.

David Price's emergence for the Rays will be a big story and he will see increased work in this series. That could be big as it will move Dan Wheeler into a set-up role and puts Grant Balfour into a game earlier. A power throwing guy who can miss bats is always good in the pen.

The Phillies have not lost a game this year when they've led after 8 innings. That is due in large part to the resurgence of Brad Lidge. Outside of that the Phillies have finally developed a great bridge from the starters to Lidge. Scott Eyre/Chad Durbin/J.C. Romero/ and Ryan Madson have been great so far this post-season and really all year long.

I think the weakspot for the Rays is in their left-handed specialists. J.P. Howell and Trever Miller are very hittable and don't give a considerable edge in a match-up against Utley and Howard. Price does, but if he gets used early then it weakens them late. A lot of this series revolves around how Joe Maddon uses his bullpen.

Both bullpens have been good this year but I think slightly

EDGE: PHILLIES

MANAGERS:

Both guys are the type of people you root for. They believe in their players, they both manage on hunches, and both are great in press conferences.

Joe Maddon has a tendency to wait to long to make a move. He also has a tendency to make an odd move.

Charlie Manuel has been much maligned in his time in Philly, but the main thing he does that you can really gripe with is his refusal to split up Utley and Howard in the order. He will need to do that in this series.

EDGE: PUSH



FINAL PREDICITION:

I think what we are going to get is a great, exciting series. There are a lot of fresh faces in this World Series, and both teams have a lot of fun players to watch. Longoria, Upton, Kazmir, Pena, Utley, Howard, Hamels, Victorino- are all guys who have the potential to take the next step into their porfessional lives. A big series here can get you close to superstar status- or in the case of a guy like Pena or Victorino, it can take you from good player to great player.

I've looked at this series every which way possible, and the thing I keep coming back to is how Game 1 goes. If Hamels is lockdown again I like the Phillies chances more becasue it relaxes the rest of the staff. If Kazmir wins Myers might press in Game 2 and then we are in- shuffling rotation mode.

As it is I think pitching and defense are the keys to this series becasue of how explosive both offenses can be. I give both of those edges to the Phillies. So in my estimation


PHILLIES IN 6- i think




P.S.- Game 3 I will see while we're camping and I'm sitting around a campfire. Hopefully this goes better than the last time I saw a World Series game with the Phillies sitting at a campfire. I just remember saying, "He shook off the fastball...."
- posted by Brian @ 10/22/2008 12:05:00 PM

 
The Post about Quarantine
Before I begin let me mention I'm working on a list of the 10 horror movies you need to see (in my humble opinion). The movies are not obvious ones and are ones you've most likely never seen. I could probbaly make a list of like 5 obvious ones you need to see, or at the very least mention a couple.

But that is other stuff and we are talking about movies I saw this past weekend. That included me going to the movies so I could check out the film Quarantine.

Quarantine is a remake of the 2007 Spanish film, "Rec." It's about a news reporter who is doing a piece on the local fire department for her series Night Shift. While there a call comes in for a medical emergency at an apartment building where an elderly women was screaming horrifically in her apartment before suddenly becoming quiet. The reporter, her camera man, and a couple firemen head to the building where they uncover an epidemic that is threatening their lives.

There is an outbreak of a rabies strain in the building unlike any that has even been seen before. There was a dog brought into the local vet that exhibited the signs and has been traced back to the building. While the virus spreads the people locked inside begin a battle of survival in a place where they can't get out.

Jennifer Carpenter (The Exorcism of Emily Rose) plays reporter Angela Vidal and does a fine job of looking terrified and shrieking when things start happening. She is a little shakier before they get to the apartment but that has more to do with the character she plays. If you've ever seen these human interest type pieces on the news they are usually heavy on the fluff. She overplays the beginning some and comes off high school cheerleader-esque at times. Your opinion of the film will probably be affected by that. (In fairness it didn't bother me much because I have a certain affinity for Ms. Carpenter). I did have a slight problem with the silliness of the scene with her sliding down the fire pole.

This character though has a good and bad side. On the plus side, the beginning 15 minutes or so gets us involved in the characters so when things go down we root for them. On the negative side, Anglea is the main character we are going to be with the whole time. We meet new people at the apartment building but we are only with them for a short itme before panic and craziness sets in. So depending on how you feel about Anglea will determine how you feel about the time in the building.

Other things I liked:

- The way the movie is filmed. Something about single point of view camera is appealing to me- maybe becasue it's not overdone yet. If you've seen Cloverfield or Diary of the Dead you know what I'm talking about. Angela is filming all of this for her piece so the camera is constantly going and documenting everything. What we see througout the film is everything the cameraman sees. This could affect your enjoyment of the film also because I do know some will not like a dude holding a handheld camera running up a flight of steps. One thing is, it actually looks like someone filmed with a handheld. Diary of the Dead looked too good at times.

- The tension is really felt throughout the film. Some of the best horror films have a very clausterphobic feel to them. This has that in spades. Imagine you are in a 3 story apartment building with 15 other people, that has been blocked off so you can't get out. Not just that but everytime you try to there are men holding assault rifles forcing you away from the windows. Now imagine there are people rapidly turning into flesh craving lunatics and power is cut off in the building so you can only see maybe 5 feet in front of you. Terrifying right?

- The camera gag in the middle of the film is great.

- The director does a good job of alternating normal horror movie beats. In most horror movies you see a scene and you think- "Well something's coming." The director does this but he makes you wait a little longer than normal for it. There is a spot near the end where the whole time you're thinking, "And now....Now....Now." Just when you give up hope- it happens and it scares you.

- Greg Germann and Jay Hernandez (Hostel) are good in their small roles

- The people for the most part don't do any stupid horror movie moves where they decide to split from the group.

- The explaniation for what is going on is much better than in the original. It also doesn't feel as shoehorned into the movie.

The bad:

- One guy does though

- The stuff before the get to the apartment drags a little bit. Once there though, it's an hour long chase movie and rocks the house.


Overall I really enjoyed the film. It has spots of intense gore and really works better than it should. The mostly small time actors give some good performances and this film is legitimatley scray at times.

I'd say it's about a B, maybe B+ film.
- posted by Brian @ 10/21/2008 09:30:00 AM

 
The Post with me talking about Midnight Meat Train
On Fearnet this weekend I watched the movie Midnight Meat Train based on a Clive Barker short story.

Another movie that was treated horribly by their studio. The movie was originally scheduled for release on May 16th of this year but was backed up. The Strangers was opening on May 30th and it was giving LionsGate Films producer Joseph Drake a producer's credit. He didn't want two movies with his name attached competing for an audience so he backed up the release of Meat Train..(What's weird is The Strangers was from Rogue Pictures, Midnight Meat Train was from Lionsgate)

The plan was to hold the film off until Halloween time.

However LionsGate decided against that and decided the film was not commercially viable and that people weren't going to see a movie named Midnight Meat Train. (Which is really ridiculous considering that was the name of the novel and everything. They could've changed the name had they wanted to. In fairness, the few times I saw a trailer for the film the title was greeted with scattered chuckles)

So to fill their contract LionsGate released the film to movie theaters on August 1st. However, they only offered it to second run movie theaters, most of which charged a dollar or two for the film. The plan was for a quick DVD release.

Fearnet came along and saw this as an opportunity for them. So they bought the film and it becomes the first Hollywood film to have it's worldwide release on the channel.

For those that don't know the story it's about a vegan photographer who is close to getting a huge shot at stardom. He was told to stay longer and really capture the city's underbelly. He stumbles upon Mr. Maghony by accident and thinks the man is killing people on the subway and disposing of their bodies. He descends into madness trying to figure out what is happening leading to the conclusion of the story. That's all I want to really say.

It's a really good film that was this close to being great.

The first problem is that the short story is very short so they needed to flesh out some details to make it a full length feature. For the first hour or so the writer does an excellent job at that. However at the one hour mark we have a shift in point of view and it really ruins all the tension that had been established up to that point. It felt like they ran out of ideas as to how to expand the story so they chose the easiest path.

Also the director is a hindrance to the story at times. Visually the movie looks great bu the director takes to showboating at times and it ruins suspense. Two main examples- at the end there is a fight in a train car which should have a very claustrophobic feel to it. The director though decides to swing the camera around the train car darting in and out of windows to film it all.

The film is also very gory and violent. The director though at times thinks "cool gore" = 'scary gore", it doesn't.

As I said, this film is very gory. It is one of the gorier mainstream films in recent memory. It is to the point that I'm shocked this thing received and "R" rating from the MPAA.

Bradley Cooper is really good as the photographer until the script lets him down. He really pulls off the Taxi Driver style descent into madness pretty well.

Leslie Bibb and Brooke Shields are fine but aren't given much to do. Bibb tries her best in the last third of the movie but she can't quite match Cooper.

Vinnie Jones is really imposing and creepy as Mr. Maghony. He just looks like someone you wouldn't want to interact with and it's perfect for the part. Also Quinton "Rampage" Jackson has a small role and his fight scene with Jones is pretty good. "This is a citizen's arrest motherfucker."

Overall it's a film that really does work for most of its running time but detours towards the end before coming back onto track and ending effectively. If they had cut the first 15 minutes of the third act out and found a different way to the ending this film would probably be great. As it is it just falls short, but not by much.

Definitely worth checking out though
- posted by Brian @ 10/20/2008 02:10:00 PM

 
The Post with this week's NFL picks- Week 7
Pro athletes have to make you wonder sometimes. They get paid millions of dollars to do something that guys who makes thousands get together to play for fun. To them it's a job but in essence they are only really working maybe 6 or 7 months of the year. The rest of the time is spent making appearances and training and getting ready to do their job. Which is worse in April- getting up every day at 7 for a mind-numbing 9-5 job, or getting up and lifting weights and training for 6 or 7 hours? I know which one I would take every time. I would never call the life of an athlete easy, but I would venture a bad day there beats most good days anywhere else. Think about it- even if you lose it doesn't necessarily affect your pay.

What makes it really frustrating then is when you see good athletes piss away their natural abilities. That was the case this week as Adam "Pacman" Jones once again couldn't stay out of his own way.

Pacman was a very good player at the University of West Virginia. Every scout that watched him said they saw nothing but limitless potential in the guy. The big knock on him though was this- he seems to always find trouble. Arrests, convictions- in a short time he racked up 8 arrests or incidents. He was drafted by the Tennessee Titans and showcased both the good and bad aspects of himself. On the field he was really good. He played a physical cornerback and helped the Titans greatly in the punt return game. IN 2006 he even returned a couple punts for touchdowns and people felt he was finally startnig to get it.

Then around Super Bowl time he was in a nightclub in Las Vegas. As the girls were dancing he decided to make it rain. As money was being picked up a skirmish happened and a guy was shot in the back and paralyzed. The belief was the shooter was someone from Jones' crew after an initial thought it was Jones himself. The NFL took this as a final slap and suspended him for a year from the NFL without pay. They told Jones to clean up his image and they would consider reinstatement.

So Jones decided to do what any person looking to clean their image would do- He entered the world of professional wrestling. (Yes I know I like wrestling, but I wouldn't beging to pretend its high brow stuff) While there he used a move where he made it rain blatantly mocking the situation he caused.

The NFL decided though that Jones had done enough and commissioner Roger Goodell laid all his cards on the table for Pacman. He told him, if you mess up again you're gone again. So Pacman was reinstated and the Cowboys decided they wanted him so they traded draft picks to the Titans for him. Jerry Jones apparently felt Al Davis was getting too much credit for picking up the most cast-offs.

Dallas hired a group of bodyguards to follow Jones around and keep him on good behavior. This worked until earlier this week. See Jones went out and was pretty drunk and got into a fight with his own bodyguards. The NFL has suspended him for 4 games (something that shocked Jones) and the Cowboys appear to be cutting ties with the idiotic cornerback.

Hey Pacman. You know how many people would trade places with you in a heartbeat? You have this great talent and all you seem to qant to do is squander it. Take these 4 weeks, enter alcohol rehab like you are considering, and then maybe you can come back. If you do- stop cheating the fans of the teams you play for of your talent. Stop letting down all the people and scouts who believed in your ability, and believed that you would eventually shake your stupidity. Most importantly stop cheating yourself of relaizing your full potential. You have the ability to be one of the better corners in the game and are bogging yourself down with the same mistakes over and over.

Now onto the games.

I am also squandering my game picking abilities (I guess. I don't know that I ever really had a great ability at it) Right now I'm sitting at 49-39 which is fairly awful...6 weeks in and I finally jump 10 games over .500. My winning percentage is a fairly crappy .557. However, today is a new day, and it is a new week. Let's see if I can start building up some records. I think I've tried to be too cute picks wise so far so I'm going to try and hold chalk for the most part.



Baltimore at Miami- Tough first game to pick this week. Miami kept the bag of tricks open on offense last week but in the end couldn't play simple enough defense to win the game. Baltimore was absolutley trounced by Indianapolis. The question is- does this indicate the Ravens will start coming down to earth? Important to keep in mind that the Dolphins had one win last year and it was against these Ravens. I think revenge will be on their mind. Although I think the Ravnes could feast on Pennington and his arm in this battle I'll go with old steady at QB-------------Miami wins

Dallas at St. Louis- The Rams finally won a game last week and might have some momentum heading back home. The Cowboys overlooked Arizona last week and it cost them a loss. A loss that really hurt considering the Rams beat Washington earlier in the day. Tony Romo broke his pinkie and was believed to be out but now he says he wants to play and should be in the game. That is bad news for the Rams. I think they might be able to keep it close but to me Dallas doesn't overlook them this week------------Dallas wins

Minnesota at Chicago- Minnesota squeaked out a win in Detroit thanks to one of the biggest boneheaded plays ever, and a phantom pass interference call. Chicago squeaked out a loss thanks to a pretty stupid coaches decision. Minnesoata last year behind a huge day from Adrian Peterson beat Chicago in Chicago. Kyle Orton is still a quarterback that gives you a weird feeling when he plays. You almost expect him to fall apart at any point but he finds a way to pull a game out. I like what Gus Feroette has given the Vikings but I'm a little shaky on picking them in Chicago still. I expect a huge day from Bernard Berrian but I like the Bears------------------Chicago wins

New Orleans at Carolina- A big play offense against a good defense. These match-ups are always fun and can get nasty. New Orleans probably needs this game more and they should have Colston back which will help them. Carolina needs this game though as well and the Saints cornerbacks might still have troubles with Steve Smith. I think at home I like Carolina, or maybe not-----------------------New Orleans wins.

Pittsburgh at Cincinnati- Very simple here. Cincinnati is still starting Ryan Fitzpatrick at quarterback. They may keep it close but Pittsburgh is just too good for them right now------------Pittsburgh wins

San Diego at Buffalo- Tough tough game to pick here. Buffalo is coming off its bye week and as Miami proved against San Diego the other week- teams off the bye week are tough to beat. Also, San Diego is giving up a ton of yards to runninng backs this year and Marshawn Lynch is a great running back. The Bills offensive line is huge and they will probably push the Chargers around some. The big key then will be- does LT find some holes to run through. He looked like he was starting to get back into playing shape on Sunday night agains tthe Patriots. I will say this though- I'm starting to trust Phillip Rivers more and more in tough games like this--------------San Diego wins

San Francisco at N.Y. Giants- Much harder game than it appears on the surface. The 49'ers have showed some great flashes on offense but defensively they are shaky. Also if they rely too much on the pass JT O'Sullivan can get sloppy. The Giants are coming off an embarassing loss to the Browns on Monday night. Eli is also battlign an injury right now and has been limited in practice. I think the Giants have a little too much talent for the Niners but this could be close-------------------New York wins

Tennessee at Kansas City- I've said this twice this year and been wrong both times- so third time's the charm right? Kansas City has 0.0% chance of winning this game. They don't have a great quarterback and they will be without Larry Johnson. I think the Titans have too much offensively for the Chiefs defense------Tennessee wins

Cleveland at Washington- What a difference a week makes. The Browns finally looked healthy and they drubbed the Giants at home. The Redskins were gaining momentum as a favorite in the NFC and they lose a game to the Rams which had been awful up to this point. Washington needs to get back to what they had done so well up to this point and that is running the football. Cleveland needs to keep playing like they have nothing to lose. I think I like Cleveland in this game which could be a shootout----------------Cleveland wins

Detroit at Houston- This game could be really ugly and bad. Houston to me is clearly the better team because the Lions just seem to be going nowhere this season. They did just ship out Roy Williams too so the whole load is now on Calvin Johnson and he needs to develop chemistry with the awful Dan Orlovsky. Houston is healthy and at home looking to build on their first win-------------Houston wins

Indianapolis at Green Bay- most are considering this a tough game to pick but I'm not so sure of that. I think Green Bay is tough at home- there is no doubt about that. However to me Indianapolis is starting to look very healthy and with the Packers secondary banged up Peyton Manning should be able to throw all day against them. The Packers are really beatable on the ground but the Colts will have Dominic Rhodes and not Joseph Addai in the backfield. That could change the game some. I think we get a high scoring game but I think---------------Indianapolis wins.

N.Y. Jets at Oakland- The Tom Cable era got off to a horrible start. Good for them. Nothing against Cable, but after the way Al Davis treated Lane Kiffin on the way out he doesn't deserve to have a team that does anything in the NFL constructive. The Jets are startign to look ok although they did struggle with the Bengals for a little too long last week. Favre is starting to look more and more comfortable with the offense and I think maybe this week or next he should be fully into it and they will start clicking greatly. This week is a safe bet though against this bad Raiders team------------------New York wins

Seattle at Tampa Bay- Seattle has been terrible this year and this is another bad match-up for them. Tampa Bay is a swarming type defense and Jeff Garcia is a steady, do stuff to win and don't hand the game to the other team type quarterback. I think that's the key here. Seattle needs a game handed to them. Garcia isn't the type of quarterback that does that------------------Tampa Bay wins

Denver at New England- This should be an excellent game on Monday night. Both teams are in playoff discussion.and a loss here might cause them problems in tiebreaker scenarios down the road. New England I would say has the better defense but they looked awful on Sunday night. Denver has looked awful most of the year though so it's a toss-up. Cutler is a better quarterback though and Matt Cassel is just bad. He doens't read the field well and Bill Belicheck is letting his ego get in the way of his team's well-being----------------UPSET SPECIAL (I think) Denver wins
- posted by Brian @ 10/17/2008 02:03:00 PM

 
The Post with Phillies and Halloween movie notes
The Phillies finally did it last night for the first time in 15 years. They are once again going to the World Series and await the winner of the Tampa Bay/Boston ALCS. I had a feeling going into the game that they were going to clinch it, but still there was a sinking feeling in the back of my mind. If the Dodgers somehow won that would give them good pitching match-ups for games 6 and 7 in Philadelphia. The series coming back to Philly was not something I wanted.

Jimmy Rollins got us off to a great start, Cole Hamels continued his momentum (and all those experts who said he isn't a big game pitcher can shut up), and as Nomar Garciaparra's pop-up settled lazily into Carlos Ruiz's glove for the 27th out of the game a sigh of relief was had.

As the Phillies celebrated I turned to my parents and said, "Let's see how many people are now Phillies fans tomorrow." Sure enough, already today people who have never spoken one audible word about the Phillies are saying, "How about those Phillies?" and "This team is really good." For those people I serve this reality check.

For as long as I can remember I've been a Phillies die-hard watching games on the old Prism channel. Surfing the dials on my radio summer nights to listen to Harry Kalas and Richie Ashburn call the game. These people asking me now about the Phillies are ship jumpers- pure and simple.

Here's the thing: The Phillies have been a bad team for most of my life. I missed the 1980 World Series and when I was real little they were a decent team. As I became more aware of following them they started to stink, and stank until 1993 when they came from nowhere to get to the World Series. Then they stank again for a long time until a few years ago.

But there are a bunch of people that are shocked by this World Series run. Here's the thing though. This team has been on the move upwards for about 5 years now. They built the new ballpark and suddenly had some money where they could sign free agents. Ed Wade made the big move to bring in Jim Thome and there was excitement. That year we showed an improvement.

Over the years since then we have gradually shown improvement coming devastatingly close only to fall apart in September. Last year we pressured the Mets and took the division only to fall in the NLDS. Now this year we are 4 games away from the big one.

For real fans, this year is no great surprise. We've watched Chase Utley become one of the best players in the game. We've watched Ryan Howard become a feared slugger with a frustrating penchant for striking out. We've watched Pat Burrell come back around to having fun on the baseball field and becoming an unquestioned leader of the team. Something that he has been bashed for in the past by jerkoffs like Billy Wagner. We've watched Cole Hamels develop into one of the best young pitchers in baseball. We've watched Shane Victorino become as exciting as any player in baseball.

We've lived through Steve Jeltz, Lance Parrish, Robert Person, Kevin Stocker, Danny Tartabull, Tyler Greene- and any number of guys that are probably lucky if they can cut it in a slow pitch softball league anymore.. We've suffered through a few 100 loss seasons, seasons that were over by the time May hit. Seasons that were over before spring training ended.

We are true fans and deserve this. Enjoy the moment with us but don't try and pass yourself as anything other than what you are.


[/rant]

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Halloween is my favorite time of year because it combines two of my favorite loves- candy and horror movies. Every year I take a day around Halloween and watch a bunch of horror movies. I try to mix in some movies I've never seen with those I have seen. Usually I'll just pull out one I haven't seen in a while to watch.

So I was considering this year and realized that my best opportunity to spend a day watching horror movies will be over this weekend. Next weekend I'll be camping, and the following weekend is just Friday (Halloween party) and then it's November. So that means this weekend is horror movie weekend.

I think I'm going to tear into Candyman or Phantasm- or both. Also with Fearnet I may be able to catch some decent stuff on there. Sometimes Fearnet has some movies I've heard about and want to see. Other times it's just low budget garbage that I've laughed at in movie stores. (In the interest of fairness though I have a perverse interest in watching the movie Bloody Murder whose plot reads like the biggest Friday the 13th ripoff. )

The movie currently on Fearnet that I'm super excited to watch is "Midnight Meat Train," which is based on a great Clive Barker story. It was in theaters for a few minutes back in the summer when the movie studio just gave up on releasing it and sent it to a bunch of discount theaters to fulfill their theater opening obligations. Just a horrible way to treat a horror film- there is an even worse story that I can treat you to at some point- or just ask me.

So anyway- I'm really excited to watch "Midnight Meat Train," and that will happen this weekend along with some other things. In addition to that I also have some episodes of Masters of Horror to rip through, and I still have 2 seasons of Tales from the Crypt that I've not watched all the episodes of. So there is plenty to watch.

Over the next two weeks I will probably review a bunch of the stuff I watch, and for my readers I will give you a top 10 list of the horror movies YOU HAVE TO WATCH!!!!! I know a few that will be on that list already. It will mix old and new, indie and big budget.

So look for all that. Football picks tomorrow and then two weeks of horror themed blogging.
- posted by Brian @ 10/16/2008 02:03:00 PM

 
The Post with me reviewing The Screwfly Solution
Well nothing to really write about today so I figured it was as good a time as any to dip back into season 2 of Masters of Horror and review another episode.

Now a confession. I have been trying to do this in order but after reviewing the first four I had come upon the episode "Pro Life" which I've heard nothing but bad things about. It makes me very nervous to watch that episode. In fact a few weeks ago when I sat down to watch another episode of the series I was debating whether to watch that or not. The second season contained an episode I was more looking forward to but it was about 4 episodes away. So I promise this is the only time I will go out of order and I will watch Pro Life next. (shudders)

The episode I was looking forward to was based on a 1977 science fiction story entitled, "The Screwfly Solution," written by Raccoona Sheldon (There's a whole bunch of stuff about pen names but it's mindless details.) What isn't mindless is that it won the Nebula Award for Best Novelette that year. So good for her.

To review the movie itself you almost have to compare it to the story because they are told differrent ways to arrive at the conclusion. The novelette itself is written as a series of letters back and forth from the author with various characters. Obviously that would make for a horrible viewing experience so they needed to work in the cause of the problem and tell a story as well. How effective is that though? Let's start at the beginning.

After the title screens we are given an explanation for the title of the story. It documents the extermination of the Cochliomyia hominivorax which is a species of bug that was being eradicated by scientists in the rain forest.

After that we get told it is August and we are in a suburban home in Houston, Texas. A normal looking male is out back hosing down his patio when his neighbor brings out some gardening tools and sees that the man is hosing blood off his patio and acting like it is a perfectly normal routine. The police come and see that the man has murdered his wife, daughter, and mother. As he is being put into the police car he says, "God told me to clean up."

Over the next few months a series of femicides break out across the southern United States.

Meanwhile Anne Alstein and her daughter Amy, along with friend Bella are planning a welcome home party for Anne's husband Alan and his partner Barney who were working on the insect eradication. They say that the screwfly population was destroying things so they engineered them to get confused during mating so they mount the female the wrong way. Eventually this will kill off the population. Bella, an epidemiologist is not amused by this saying she'd rather all humans be killed off before they destroy all life on the planet.

Later that night Bella is called to Jacksonville, Florida where there have been a rash of femicides including an Army private who brutally murdered a stripped at a club. When she arrives at the roadblock the group of men there are very cautious about letting her through but they eventually agree to let her in to interview the private. Through the discussion she determines that the murders are related to sexual arousal being confused with sexual aggression in the man's mind and arousal leading to death. She also learns of the Sons of Adam cult that has been developed by men which is based on the fact that they believe women are evil, and that the garden was a paradise before women were introduced. They are taking orders from God to eliminate all the women.

The private tries to kill her and she is taken from the room. Later the mayor comes into her room and sexual assaults her and then kills her which lets us know he is infected.

Before she dies though Bella called Barney and told him of all her findins and that the disease was spreading along a disease route near the Equator. Barney and Alan head off to Washington D.C. to talk with officials about how to handle the condition and whether it is natural or bioterrorism. Alan eventually says what he feels is the best method for handling this problem- chemical castration. In trials Barney decides to take the shot- despite the fact that he is gay. Alan declines insteading opting to take the pills. On the plane ride home Alan has a dream that he kills Anne. When he wakes up he witnesses two murders of women be committed by a passenger and a flight attendant. Upon seeing this Alan realizes that he is now infected. When the plane touches down he calls his wife and daughter to say his goodbyes telling them that the next time he is around he won't be himself.

We move to September and Anne and Amy are traveling towards Canada with other women in a Safe House pack. Amy teases some construction workers who whistle at her and the one guy comes over and starts beating on the car trying to get at her. They get away and return to the cabin where they are staying. When they arrive Alan is sitting there waiting for them and says he is cured. Amy runs over to give her dad a hug and he grabs her ass inappropriately (as if there is an appropriate way to grab your daughters ass.) Anne sees this and shoots Alan in the leg and takes off with Amy.

As they travel Amy defends her dad and says to her mom that he said he was better, not fully grasping the situation. A little while later Amy is asleep and Anne pulls off to the side of the road to use the bathroom. Amy wakes up and turns the car around to go back to her dad. Anne is too late and Alan kills hid daughter as we fade to black.

It comes back up and Anne is laying in a hospital unconscious- the implication is she killed Alan. As she wakes up murders are being commited all over the hospital when Barney shows up with "man" clothing to help Anne escape. They take off to Canada where she continues wearing her disguise to hide from the men in the area. She goes into a supplies store to buy medicene when she overhears a conversation where the area is referred to as a "liberated zone." She also sees a man tell his son that his mom has been murdered and the boy smiles. The boy also mentions that he saw angels in the woods.

Barney becomes ill and Anne is trying to save him but he tells her to push on as she is the last of the female population. As the winter settles in Barney dies and Anne goes back to running. She stops at the store to get more supplies and blows her cover when she is shocked by a bag made out of a woman's breast. She also discovers that the young boy from earleir has been murdered because he was arousing the now sex-starved men. She gets chased into the woods by a group of hunters and sees a bright light overhead....

Ok, this is a good time to discuss the difference between the two episodes. The endings are the same in bare specifics alone. However, the novelette has a far more chilly ending. The movie goes with the same ending but they decide to actually show something as opposed to letting it be more ambiguous. The ending of the episode kind of ruins the mood.

The culprits of the murders are aliens who are using their technology to eradicate the human race.

In the movie- they kill the two hunters chasing Anne and then take some of the brain matter as Anne escapes into the woods. She then wishes upon a shooting star. A title screen tells us it is December and all femal life on Earth is presumed to have been exterminated leaving the infected men to die off.

In the novelette- Anne is not chased by hunters into the woods. It is more symbolic that she is being chased by a society bent on killing all women. She sees aliens in the woods and in the her letter, and last line of the novelette she says, "I think I saw a real-estate agent."

Now to me the ending of the sotry is far more effective than how the movie ended because the aliens look goofy and it almost makes the story too over-the-top. It's more chilling that the aliens are letting humans kill themselves off so they can move here and inhabit our planet. Sometimes what we think and feel is far more scary than what we see.

There are a lot of things to like about this movie. Jason Priestley does a good job in the title role but he is outshined by Kerry Norton and Brenna O'Brien who do great jobs as the wife and daughter. Elliot Gould is steady in his role but isn't really given enough to do.

There are some really creepy scenes as well. The scene where Priestley grabs his daughter like that is really unsettling. There is an undercurrent there about how kids view their parents. Amy sees nothing wrong with this and continues hugging her dad- totally trusting what he is saying.

Another scene is where Bella is talking with the Army private. Bella is far from an attractive women to most men. She's kind of hefty and older, and sort of homily looking. However, the private looks at her like she is a Playboy Playmate standing before him. In his eyes you get a feeling that he sees her as some sort of lustful object and his arousal towards her is creepy and palpable.

The story also blends a mix of sociopolitical commentary and horror mayhem. It actually does a really good job of finding a balance between those two. There is a passing reference to Muslim fundamentalism which works and doesn't feel heavy-handed.

Also, the script is really well done in some respect because it's a hard novelette to adapt. Like I said, it's written as letters back and forth and the script takes some lines in the story and fleshes them out to full scenes. Joe Dante does a good job as well with the directing as he tries to focus on straight horror without bringing in some of his normal humorous elements.

What doesn't work is somewhat attributed to the format of the program. The script did a good job but it still felt a little too rushed. They could've turned this into a full length feature and it would've helped it out more. Despite the fact that the script works in drawing out the main ideas it still feels like it bounces around a little too much and could've fleshed out some stuff even more. Also the cause was almost revealed too soon so the second half of the episode loses some of the suspense the first builds up.

Even still I'd give this a thumbs up overall becasue I enjoyed some of the performances a lot and it is a fairly decent adaptation of a very good novelette.

So for this season I'd rank this as my second favorite ever so slightly ahead of The Damend Thing because the goofiness of the oil monster trumps the goofiness of the alien ending here.

So that gives us so far a ranking that looks like this:

1. Sounds Like
2. The Screwfly Solution
3. The Damned Thing
4. Family
5. The V Word
- posted by Brian @ 10/15/2008 02:02:00 PM