My Top Five Film Intros

"Do not start with a whimper, but with a bang."  

Not only a suggestion to any future girlfriends of mine, but also powerful advice to any filmmaker who wants to make a memorable impression on their audience.

It is thought that you make your first impression of a person within the first 30 seconds of meeting them.  A firm handshake, a welcoming smile, or if they just flat out ignore you, you know what you're dealing with for the rest of the conversation.

The same can be said for films; a film usually tells you what experience to expect by it's opening sequence or credits, summing up the audience's expectations and also giving them a preview of the 89 minutes still to come.

An action film causes intrigue and should to be bombastic, loud and attention-grabbing!  A drama delivers with purpose, sometimes being better when slow, methodical and exact.  A comedy could involve some prat falls and custard pies, as long as it makes you laugh!

To show you what I feel are fantastic examples of intro sequences, I've thrown together a quick list, along with handy YouTube windows to show you...

THE LIFE OF PI

Ignoring the 20th Century Fox logo, just how beautiful and full of nature is that opening sequence? 

The Life of Pi tells the story of one boy trapped on a boat lost at sea with a man-eating tiger.  
Whilst that could have be depicted as a straight-out thriller, director Ang Lee decided to focus on Pi's relationship with nature as well as his own spiritual discovery through his ordeal.  

So what better way of introducing the audience to these ideas then by showcasing the broad range of exotic and unique animals found in Pi's family zoo?  

Backed by incredibly calming music by Mychael Danna, the tour around the other-worldly mixture of animals definitely has a spiritual edge to it and the soundtrack is a must for those who love a good chill-out.

THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO (2011)

Could there be a more contrasting opening title sequence to The Life Of Pi?

The first of two David Fincher films in this short list, The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo had a lot to live up to.  It was trying to recreate the 'lightning in a bottle' experience that was the Millennium Trilogy of Swedish films starring Noomi Rapace as the titular Girl.  In order to get peoples' attention, Fincher had to return to his music-video roots.

Powered by the punchy cover of 'The Immigrant Song' by Nine Inch Nails' front-man Trent Reznor, the two and a half minutes are filled with fast-paced drums, edgy scrapings of electronica and haunting vocals of Karen O (of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs) that would wake up even the heaviest of sleepers in that audience.

The whole intro depicts acts of violence and scenes of unease, all whilst being dripped in murky and pristine oil, previewing the dark and abusive world that the audience are about to be shown. Truly mesmerising and to some extent, the most memorable part of an otherwise forgettable film.

SCOTT PILGRIM VS. THE WORLD

The definition of kicking the film off with a bang and attempting to merge the realms of video games, graphic novels and films into one seamless intro.

I remember seeing this in the cinema, already having high expectations, and then as soon as the camera pulled away from Sex Bob-Omb as they began their opening track, and the lounge kept on going...  And going...  And going...  I knew this was going to be a fun and surreal ride from start to finish.

The animated lighting bolts emerging off how awesome the band were, whilst Beck's music rang out was perfect for reminding me of comic book illustrations, plus the previous minute being filled with nerd-heavy dialogue just gave me such joy to behold.

On repeated viewings, the credit sequence also holds hidden references to the characters the actors portray, such as the background changing from pink to blue to green behind Mary Elizabeth Winstead's name, representing Ramona's hair changing colour throughout the film or the coffee ring stains behind Anna Kendrick;s name, as her character works in a Starbucks-style coffee-house.  Little hints like that make the difference and show care and attention in the smallest of areas.

SE7EN

It's that man Fincher, and his trusty Trent Reznor back again.  

For Se7en, director David Fincher thought it would be interesting to follow introducing the audience to the hero, played by Morgan Freeman, to introduce them to the villain, without them knowing it and show the meticulous process he follows to fulfil his master plan.

The result is a completely sinister and dark opening sequence that brings you down to the murky and sordid level of a serial killer, even with the choice of font for the actors' names.  Painstakingly crafted to make you feel as uneasy as possible, the ungodly sounds that surround the actions on screen make chills run up my spine every time I hear it. 

Again, this is a great scene to watch back once you have seen the film.  It takes on a different meaning once you understand the killer's motives and his obsession with the seven deadly sins.

MEMENTO

It's no secret that I consider Memento to be one of my favourite films of all time, so it's no surprise that it's opening credit sequence is on my list.

However I cannot emphasise enough how poignant and touching this introduction is.  Showing a Polaroid picture of a murder scene slowly fade away from existence all to a beautifully haunting score by David Julyan, only to reveal that the scene is being shown in reverse is the perfect way of preparing the audience for the film they are about to experience; nothing is as it seems and don't trust your first opinion.

This introduction is pivotal in the story-telling of the film, and the finale really has extra meaning and shock since this scene is what is used to start the dominoes falling and your entire opinion of these two characters is framed by what happens in this scene.

If you give Memento a go, I truly believe you will agree with me that this is definitely an opening scene you won't forget.

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Did I forget something?  Do you have an opening sequence that you think tops these?  Let me know in the comments below, as I am always looking for new favourites.

Until next time folks, thanks for reading!

If you enjoyed what you read, 

'Like' me on Facebook at www.facebook.com/pages/Mike-Dunn-Reviews 

or 'Follow' me on Twitter at www.twitter.com/MikeDunnReviews

Hidden Netflix Horror (Top Five Friday)

It's that spooooooky time of year again and if you're like me, you'd rather scare yourself silly with a good horror film than dress up and put up with weird looks from neighbours as you ask them for sweets.

In the past I have recommended underrated films, as well as ones that may have slipped through the cracks in your film knowledge, but these have been slightly obscure and sometimes unable to find.

So what's on Netflix?  Usually a lot of one or two-star tosh, amiright?  Well there are five fantastic horror films hidden away in the bowels if you know where to look...

THE BABADOOK

A troubled widow discovers her son is telling the truth about a hideous monster that has entered her home through the pages of a storybook.  However this monster only gets stronger the more you deny it's existence.  Whether it's in a word or it's in a look, you can't get rid of The Ba....ba...dooooooook.

A very effective, low-budget Australian psychological horror film, certain to stay with you long after you finish watching.  Whilst Amelia's son is probably one of the most annoying children ever shown on screen, her descent into depression, paranoia and insanity is incredibly realistic, all with the sinister shadow of The Babadook looming over Amelia's denial and misery.

Definitely one of the best films of the past few years, let alone horror.

EVENT HORIZON

When the Event Horizon, a spaceship orbiting Jupiter suddenly reappears after being lost for years, a team is dispatched to investigate.  The ship's creator (Sam Neill) accompanies the ship's crew as they discover that the ship has come back from a place far worse than they can imagine.

If you like your horror mixed with a bit of science fiction, then I'd be surprised if you haven't already seen Event Horizon.  (Remember when Paul W. S. Anderson made decent films? Sigh, memories...)

Combining a mixture of effective jumpscares, creeping dread and shocking gore, Event Horizon contains fantastic ideas about deep space exploration and it's potential downsides.  Plus a stellar cast of Laurence Fishburne, Jason Isaacs, Sam Neill, Joely Richardson and the amazingly-voiced Sean Pertwee.

HOUSEBOUND

Kylie, a would-be-thief is sentenced to house arrest with her mother and stepfather after failing to rob an ATM - the only problem is the house is haunted; if she runs away, she's breaking the law.

A funny little New Zealand horror-comedy with a quirky set-up, interesting twists and turns, and a fantastic performance Rima Te Wiata as Kylie's spooked mother.  

The house's sordid history plus effective atmosphere throughout will certainly give you the creeps.  However it provides just enough laughs to balance the spooky atmosphere and keeps the film running smoothly.

Housebound is definitely for fans of similarly-themed horror-comedy What We Do In The Shadows, proving that you can both laugh as well as shriek this Halloween.

AN AMERICAN WEREWOLF IN LONDON

Two American college students, David and Jack are travelling through the Yorkshire Moors when they are attacked by a wolf.  Jack is brutally killed but David survives, but is bitten.  As he recovers he is plagued by violent nightmares, all leading up until the next full moon...

This truly is a Halloween classic.  One of the definitive horror films of the early 1980s and ground-breaking in terms of Rick Baker's fantastic special effects.  The film manages to be actually frightening and not just gory, as well as clever, witty and shocking.

If you haven't seen this before, I implore you to watch it, if only for witnessing a piece of cinema history.  The werewolf transformation scene alone is still a sight to behold in all it's bone-breaking and grisly glory.

THE MIST

After a powerful storm damages his house, David (Thomas Jane) and his son visit the local supermarket for supplies.  However a thick mist descends upon the town, hiding other-dimensional beasties within it, trapping David and other townspeople inside.  Before long, the shoppers turn against each other, one by one.

Based on the Stephen King novel, The Mist is directed and written by Frank Darabont (famous for The Shawshank Redemption and the first season of The Walking Dead) and it is all the better for it.  What could have simply been a tale of people getting attacked by other-worldly monsters is instead an examination on human behaviour in tough situations and how easily we divide when we should stick together.  Definitely for fans of downbeat endings as this has one of the most harrowing finales in any film I have seen.

------------------------------

Until next time folks, thanks for reading and Happy Halloween!

If you enjoyed what you read, 

'Like' me on Facebook at www.facebook.com/pages/Mike-Dunn-Reviews 

or 'Follow' me on Twitter at www.twitter.com/MikeDunnReviews

Top Five Friday - Horror Films You Might Have Missed

HAPPY HALLOWEEN EVERYBODY!

You lookin' at me?

It's that time of year again!  Ladies brave the cold weather to dress in skimpy costumes like Sexy Bert and Ernie, you feel obliged to bring orange-dyed sweets into your office to get gobbled up by your colleagues, and worse of all, you run the risk of getting your front door egged by disgruntled trick-or-treaters not happy with mini-toothpastes and snack size Bountys!

Almost makes you feel like staying in instead, right?  Well that's where I come in!  Last year I recommended five great horror films that focussed on different movie monsters (which you can check out here).  However this year, I'm here to recommend five horror films that you may not have seen, that will still scare the pants off you (hopefully) and leave you remembering why this night is supposed to be so terrifying.

Let's start with one of my favourite horror films of the past few years...

THE BAY

Set among a picturesque American waterfront town as they celebrate the 4th of July, you wouldn't imagine anything to go wrong.  Oh, but it does.  A water-born parasite begins to infect the local fishlife, and then the town's drinking water.  And then the townsfolk themselves.  And the results are gruuuuesome!

The Bay is made up of several live CCTV feeds and handheld personal cameras, which has become a bit stale since The Blair Witch Project, but The Bay manages to still feel fresh and original. Directed by the creepy creature-loving Barry Levinson, famous for the Men In Black films, and the producers of Insidious and Sinister, The Bay manages to create a eerie, disturbing and horrifying image of what damage a parasite like this could do in real life.

Similar to how Jaws made you not want to go in the ocean, The Bay will make you not want to go in the shower or drink a glass of water!

THEM (ILS)

Similar to The Bay, the French film Ils (Them in English) was released with the tagline "You'll Never Feel Safe In Your Home Again" and boy, does it unsettle you and make you lock the front door. Released before the similarly-themed The Strangers, You're Next and Eden Lake, this film is based on a true story of a French couple living in Romania that got terrorised and attacked one night for no reason.

The scares are relentless, the unknown terrorisers are creepy and malevolent with their torturing techniques and the senseless violence is non-stop.  Don't let the fact that the film is in French put you off; hardly any dialogue is spoken in this, as the main couple quickly learn that they must be silent to survive the night.  The final chase sequence definitely will leave a knot in your stomach, as it left a definite impression on me.

SESSION 9

I wasn't a huge fan of abandoned insane asylums before I watched Session 9, and I definitely am not since.  Session 9 tells the story of an asbestos removal crew who begin to experience growing tension whilst working in the aforementioned abandoned asylum.  Whilst working in a back room, one of the crew stumbles across the audio recordings of a former patient who seems to share a connection with one of the ever-decreasing crew members.

Using the method of creeping terror, atmosphere and tension instead of jump-scares and gore, Session 9 truly surprised me in how unsettled I felt without noticing it.  The film is filled with iconic images, like the sunlit wheelchair in the above poster and the magazine clipping-covered bedrooms of the asylum, which will affect you in a more psychological way than at a cheap jump-scare level.

Featuring a fantastic performance by the always-great Peter Mullan and an early role for Josh Lucas, the cast is what makes this film feel so real.  Their arguments and chemistry makes you care and feel for them, especially in such a creepy setting.  The incredible asylum begins to feel like a character in it's own right by the end, creating a definite slow-burning favourite.

WOLF CREEK

Now this film is one that also stays with you after the credits roll.  Starting like a normal backpacking adventure film, two female British tourists and their Australian friend are exploring the Australian outback, culminating at the titular Wolf Creek.  Whilst there, their car breaks down and the helpful and iconic Mick Taylor decides to help them out.  After drinking some of his water, they awake in his trailer park bound, gagged and being tortured.

From there the action really reaches it's peak and doesn't stop until the end of the film.  The film is truly raw and unforgiving in its depiction of violence, making for some truly hard-to-watch scenes. The villainous Mick Taylor has become a cult icon in his own right since the film's release and his psychopathic portrayal is truly worth noting.  The actor John Jarratt makes him initially likeable, before turning ultimately disgusting, all with a gleaming smile and seemingly having the time of his life.

Probably the most wince-inducing and hard-to-watch film on my Top Five Friday list, but the parts you can stand to watch are still a worthwhile thrill-ride.

TRICK 'R TREAT

In keeping with the holiday spirit, it's only fitting that I finish this list with a Halloween-themed film such as Trick 'R Treat.  The fact that Trick 'R Treat is an anthology film, comprised of four short stories centred on a single Halloween night, is what drew me originally towards it.  Anthology horror films such as V/H/S or The ABCs of Death can be handled very poorly and I was curious to see how it compared.  Thankfully, this is one of the best anthology films I've seen in a while.

Every story manages to intertwine with each other, and contains a fairly scary and impressive story in their own right.  Alongside a decent cast of Anna Paquin, Brian Cox and Dylan Baker, the film doesn't hold back in the gore or scares, whilst never taking itself too seriously.  With it's tongue firmly in it's cheek, there are serial killers, undead children, werewolves and sinister, pumpkin-headed 'trick-or-treaters' all out for blood in this blood-splattered romp.  A guaranteed favourite for those who love this macabre holiday.

Until next year folks, thanks for reading and Happy Halloween!

If you enjoyed what you read and you'd like to be kept more up to date with my posts, I can be found on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Mike-Dunn-Reviews and on Twitter at https://twitter.com/MikeDunnReviews - if you want to help the site grow, give them a 'Like' or a 'Share'!

Don't have nightmares ;)

Top Five Friday: Best Films of 2014 so far...

Ahh September is here.  Before we know it, December will be upon us, and then 2015!  The summer blockbusters are being removed from the screens as we prepare for the kids to return to school.  And most importantly, since it's officially past the half-way point of the year, it's time for me to list my favourite films of the year so far!

Now admittedly, I haven't had chance to visit the cinema and see some films that I really wanted to see over the summer.  Films that have been critically acclaimed, such as Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, Frank and Boyhood have left screens before I found time.  Those that have been critically panned, such as Transformers: Age of Extinction, Mrs Brown's Boys D'Movie and Step Up 5: All In, have stuck around a little longer than the rest, but I still haven't found time to watch those either.  So unfortunately, I'm going to rank those that I have seen, and not yet reviewed.

Starting with....

THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL

Director: Wes Anderson

Released: March 7th

Wes Anderson continues his fantastic streak of memorable films, with another set of kooky and iconic characters, one-liners and mishaps.  In The Grand Budapest Hotel, we are told the story of how elderly hotel owner, Zero Moustafa, came to own the titular establishment and why he is so against the idea of shutting it down as it decays around him.  We follow the younger Zero as he teams up with the hotel's most prolific and dedicated concierge, Monsieur Gustave H. (played with fantastic glee by Ralph Fiennes) as he tries to prove himself innocent after being framed for a murder.  

Completely madcap and enjoyable, I couldn't take the smile off my face whilst watching this delightful old-fashioned adventure.  The music and cinematography are top notch (as is Anderson's standard) and leading man Fiennes is so dashing and charismatic, I can't imagine another actor taking the role.  He lives the role of Monsieur Gustave and truly brings him to life.  It was a real delight to enter another of Anderson's quirky and inventive alternative realities.

BAD NEIGHBOURS

Director: Nicholas Stoller

Released: May 3rd

Much like 21 Jump St. in 2012, I expected Bad Neighbours to be funny, but I didn't expect it to be this funny.  The story follows a new parent-couple Seth Rogen and Rose Byrne, as they battle their new next door neighbours, a University fraternity, headed by jock idiot Zac Efron.  The film begins as most of Rogen's films do; crash sex scene followed by drug-taking scenes, inappropriate conversations taking place in front of babies, and lots of prat falls and slapstick.  But surprisingly, it felt pretty-much new.

Whilst the slapstick and the drug-references do their job, the true surprise came from the effort put into fully fleshing out these two sets of rivals.  The adults see the fraternity as a reminder that they are no longer cool and young anymore, whereas the fraternity see a 'Ghost of Christmas Future' in the boring, old couple next door.  This is especially true with Zac Efron, who gives a stellar comedy performance as Teddy, the frat's president.  He becomes obsessed with destroying the couple's happiness as he knows he has little academic future ahead of him and this is his only influence on the world around him.  Sounds malevolent and seedy, but it's all good fun as some of the pranks are incredibly funny.  Definitely worth a watch.

THE WIND RISES

Director: Hayao Miyazaki

Released: May 9th

Released as Hayao Miyazaki's final film, The Wind Rises is a fictionalised biography of the aeroplane engineer Jiro Horikoshi before and during the Second World War.  It might not sound like an enthralling storyline, but yet again Studio Ghibli manage to turn the mundane into brilliance.

This was one of the most touching cinema experiences I have had in a long time.  The beauty of Studio Ghibli is evident in every frame and whilst the Jiro isn't as relatable as previous ones like Spirited Away's Chihiro or Howl's Moving Castle's Grandma Sophie, his story is always interesting, especially when he reluctantly begins helping the Nazis due to their friendship with Japan.

The entire film is based around airplanes, and as such, you can truly see the genius Miyazaki's hand in almost every moment.  This marks the end of an era in animation, and I highly recommend you searching out this film on DVD and all of his earlier work.  You will not be disappointed.

GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY

Director: James Gunn

Released: August 1st

I was so nervous when I saw the trailer for Guardians.  Nervous and excited.  How could Marvel, and especially Disney, bet so much money and reputation on this story of relatively-unknown alien mercenaries, battling in galaxies far, far away?  It was either insanity or genius.

Turns out both.

This was such a crazy and wild adventure, it just made me want to watch it again and again.  The story follows Peter Quill, AKA StarLord, a human abducted and raised by a bunch of renegade alien pirate smugglers.  The self-titled StarLord (played by Chris Pratt) quickly finds himself enthralled in a struggle between powerful warlords over a mysterious orb.  He teams up with a green-skinned assassin (Zoe Saldana), a tattooed headcase (Dave Bautista), a giant human-like walking tree (voiced by Vin Diesel) and a talking raccoon (voiced by Bradley Cooper).

See what I mean by possible insanity?  But it works.  The director James Gunn has history with the surreal, working on films such as Slither and Super, so he manages to create such a believable world that the crazy hijinx that follow feel possible.  The characters are truly three-dimensional, even if the walking tree-man can only say "I. Am. Groot." and every other character's middle name is 'The' (Korath The Pursuer/Drax The Destroyer etc.)  They have back-stories, aims, dreams, flaws, and therefore feel like real people.  The most surprising thing about this film is former WWE wrestler Dave Bautista, who has the most impressive screen-presence and delivers a very unexpected, and yet fantastic performance.

Also, Lee Pace performing as the quasi-Marilyn Manson villain Ronan The Accuser is actually terrifying.  Full plaudits to the man as he could have hammed up the performance and delivered one akin to a pantomime villain, but he truly gets under your skin as a malevolent force and a formidable opponent to the titular Guardians.  Definitely the blockbuster of the summer.

HER

Director: Spike Jonze

Released: February 14th (awww...)

And finally, the film that has impressed me the most this year.  Spike Jonze's her really spoke to me and not because I especially related to Joaquin Phoenix's Theodore or his strife, but the film doesn't patronise or try to scare you.  Instead it almost cuddles up to you as a friend and shows you a warning of our collective future and our relationship with technology.  It just calmly offers advice and tells you it's going to be OK.

Theodore is a professional writer living in 2025 Los Angeles.  The newest upgrade to his phone's operating system contains an artificial intelligence, named Samantha (voiced by Scarlett Johansson).  Samantha is a technological breakthrough, having the ability to learn from experience, adapting and evolving in the process.  Through the course of the film, Theodore begins a relationship with the Samantha A.I., causing a rift within his circle of friends.

It's not your typical romantic comedy, and I feel that's why I loved this film so much.  You spend the film watching Theodore fail in real-life relationships, but succeed in his relationship with Samantha.  You desire for them to be together by the end of the film, and despite it's alternative nature, it never feels weird.  Phoenix plays the lovable loser so well that you can't help but want the best for him.  The supporting cast of Amy Adams and Chris Pratt provide essential commentary on the central relationship, speaking for the audience on several occasions, but Theodore and Samantha's partnership is the film's key message.

As well as impressive performances, the film's style of design blew me away in it's subtlety.  The fashion of the future is recognisable, and yet retro; the technology is advanced, and yet accessible.  I found it so intriguing and obviously cared for.  I just loved everything about it.  Especially it's views on our over-dependence and obsession with technology.

I have recommended her to friends and had very different reactions to it.  Some have appreciated it, some found it depressing, some have been impressed and some have hated it.  Whilst I feel like it is my favourite, I understand it isn't for everyone.  But I still think you should give it a go, because you never know, you might love it as much as I do.

Until next time folks, thanks for reading!

If you enjoyed what you read and you'd like to be kept more up to date with my posts, I can be found on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Mike-Dunn-Reviews and on Twitter at https://twitter.com/MikeDunnReviews - if you want to help the site grow, give them a 'Like' or a 'Share'!

Top Five Friday: Paranormal Activities

Do you remember back before handheld horror films were the norm?  Back in the days when you heard from your friend about some little independent film from America called The Blair Witch Project.  And then you found a copy of VHS (or DVD if you're a little older) and you were scared shitless by this incredibly realistic, low budget film that came out of nowhere?  Somewhere in the back of your mind, you wondered if those people could still be in those woods and if the Blair Witch was even real... oh my God, she's behind me right now isn't she?!?

Anyway, skip forward 15 years and here we have the latest instalment in the Paranormal Activity cash-cow, The Marked Ones.  Now, I hold the Paranormal Activity franchise quite highly in the diluted stagnant waters of the 'found-footage' horror film, among those such as [REC] and The Bay, and I thought I'd analyse the five films to see if there is any life in this ghost story saga after all.

He always took Connect The Dots to the extreme...

5) PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 4

Now, to start, Paranormal Activity 4 is a fine example of how this series can be handled poorly, and how the found-footage genre is sometimes filled with pointless nonsense.  The film is slower than the rest and filled with hardly any tension or frights.

The only saving grace is the interesting use of night vision and Kinect.  During the film, the young girl utilises the handheld camera's night vision mode whilst playing on the Xbox Kinect.  This allows her to see the tiny dots the Kinect uses to detect motion, and the dots pick up something invisible that should not be there...

This playful use of modern technology is fun for a while, but the film falls prey to the standard pantomime conventions of "It's behind you!" whilst our heroine is Skype-ing away.  By far, the worst one of the series.

4) PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 2

The original Paranormal Activity gained so much interest and surprise when it was released, that the sequel released the year after was bound to disappoint.  After initial screenings, people seemed annoyed that they weren't as shocked or terrified as much as they had been the previous year, but I found it as terrifying as the first.  A certain scene with opening cupboard doors frightened pretty much everyone in the auditorium when I saw it, especially one low-voiced man who bellowed in pure agonising terror, causing a lot of amusement for everyone else...

Terrorising ghost or barking Alsatian...
I don't know which is scarier...

The only disappointment I had was in the continuity of the film, as it was technically a prequel, and yet aspects of the storyline didn't match up, such as why does the demon bother going through 20-odd nights of teasing 'experiments' in Katie and Micah's house?  Why doesn't it start by terrorising Katie in the daytime like in Kristi's home?

These sequel/prequel confusion plot-holes and a lack of originality in the jump-scares mean it's only #4 on my Top Five Friday.

 

3) PARANORMAL ACTIVITY: THE MARKED ONES

Not the Deathly Hallows?
Well, JK Rowling gonna sue somebody...

Now we come to the current release, The Marked Ones.  Released as a spin-off to the main storyline and dubbed a 'side-quel' by some critics, the story surrounds two young Latinas, Jesse and Hector, who are targeted and 'marked' by a witch who lives in their apartment block.  As strange things begin to happen, Jesse and Hector must figure out what is happening to their lives, before it is too late...

Whilst the original storyline was a nice change of pace, rather than focus on the Katie/Micah original storyline, the narrative takes on a investigative edge, having the characters speak mainly in exposition throughout the film, meeting random characters, explaining the plot and then moving on.  The best sections are before Jesse and Hector realise anything is wrong and act like regular people.  They manage to actually make you care for these characters by making them relatable, before dragging them through a world of hurt.

Like always, the film-makers use interesting and clever techniques to show the other-worldly presence at work.  This time a Simon Says electronic game working as a Ouija board provides most of the dread, as a demonic force answer green for yes, and red for no.

A worthwhile effort, but not justifying another instalment in the series.

2) PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 3

I really thought this was going to be a disappointing and cheesy prequel where the screenwriters were going to focus on 'creepy little girls' and nursery rhymes to freak me out.  However, they avoided cliches by introducing The Midwives and the storyline of how this 'Toby' demon has been around since the sisters had been young girls.

ARGH!  Good.  God.
Look at that pink top.

Set in the 1980s, this prequel to Paranormal Activity 1 and 2 still managed to deliver the typical Activity tropes, such as video cameras monitoring the house, even in a technologically inferior time.  Katie and Kristi's mother dates a wedding video-maker who owns his own video camera!  Perfect!  Of course she does!  Then he adapts a rotating fan to scan and videotape the entire kitchen!  Genius!  Explains the situation brilliantly!

Little ideas like this really made me warm to the film, as it seemed every part was thought through thoroughly.  Sections featuring the playful side of the ghost, like shown in the picture above, filled me and the entire audience with slow, creeping dread.  And THAT is the sign of a good horror movie, and not "cattle-prod cinema".

1) PARANORMAL ACTIVITY

"You really expect me to sleep on this side?"

The film that started it all.

A fantastic marketing strategy of showing test audience reactions as trailers and a campaign of 'DEMAND THIS FILM' made this little unknown horror almost a status symbol if your town or city's cinema managed to get the film shown.

When it was released, the wave of positive (and similarly negative) word-of-mouth made it a number one at the UK box office for weeks and rightfully so.  The film blew me away; as an amateur film-maker as well as an amateur film critic; the concept was so simple and the budget so minuscule, I was impressed as much as I was frightened.

The scares are slow at first, but that is the beauty of it.  The dread and unsettled atmosphere creep in, rather than are thrown at you.  You get to know the main couple, Katie and Micah, and wildly theorise why this malevolent spirit is targeting them.  In a way, I think you can watch this film without the knowledge of what follows it and feel unburdened.  You just spend 90 minutes watching two people get terrorised and you just sit there thinking "Thank the Lord that's not me!"

The effects are subtle yet terrifying, the acting is realistic and believable, and the effect is incredibly memorable.

Until next time folks, thanks for reading!

If you enjoyed what you read and you'd like to be kept more up to date with my posts, I can be found on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Mike-Dunn-Reviews and on Twitter at https://twitter.com/MikeDunnReviews - if you want to help the site grow, give them a 'Like' or a 'Share'!

Top Five Friday: Successful Foreign-Language Remakes

Later on tonight, I am going to visit my local cinema to watch the just-released Oldboy, directed by the American director Spike Lee.  The original Oldboy, a South Korean film directed by Park Chan-wook back in 2003, is one of my personal favourites and I am quite nervous about how the American studios have treated this story of betrayal, kidnap and revenge.  However, to calm my nerves, I've decided to list my Top Five foreign-language remakes; either to keep my hopes high, or to retrospectively remind myself that the transition can be successful when treated properly.

So let's begin, shall we?!

5.  The Ring

Back in 2002, Gore Verbinski's remake of the Japanese film Ringu was released and it managed to frighten a whole new section of the world, who would usually avoid a film with subtitles, such as 14-year old me.  I often would argue that "I don't want to read a film, I'm there to watch it!" and I still hear this argument to this day.  However, this film was my first taste of Japanese horror and films that are inspired by them.

I was simply petrified by this film.  The atmospheric music and sparse imagery embodied the film with an intensely creepy sensation and many set-pieces certainly stuck with me.  The image of "the Ring Girl", Samara, in a bright white dress and sitting in the middle of a pure white room with the only thing black being the thick hair covering her face is simply iconic today, and this is the film that really started it all.  Remakes of Japanese originals such as The Grudge, Dark Water, The Eye and Shutter all followed on from The Ring and since most of been critical failures, many film critics argue that it should have stayed in Japan.

4. Funny Games

I rented the original Funny Games back in 2005 as I was trying to broaden my horizons with European cinema whilst studying film in college.  I had heard it was an intense watch but definitely worth it and I was not disappointed.  Funny Games concerns a small German family who are terrorised by two local teenagers, making them play sadistic and pain-filled games just because they can.  It was incredibly brutal and terrifying, using very subtle and subversive methods including breaking 'the fourth wall', all of which have become synonymous with the director Michael Haneke.

Two years later, I learnt that Haneke was remaking his own film, but this time in the English-language.  This perplexed me, as remakes are usually handled by a different director, allowing the chance for a new interpretation of the same material, so I approached the American remake with some trepidation.  However, the film was pretty much the exact same, with some sequences even shot-for-shot similar, but just with Naomi Watts and Tim Roth instead of their German originals.  The same menace and sadistic streak ran throughout the film and it was still an uncomfortable film to watch.  In a good way, of course.

3. Let Me In

The Swedish Let The Right One In was released back in 2008 and centred on a young frail boy who is often the victim of  the local school bullies.  He soon develops a friendship with a vampire child, Eli, who lives in the same apartment block and he learns the courage to stand up for himself. The entire film treads a fine line between heartfelt drama about childhood friendship and the horror of a vampiric life, especially when you appear to be a child.

Most fans of the film opposed the very idea of remaking of the Swedish original, but upon watching Matt Reeves' re-imagining, I honestly didn't mind it.  I even preferred some sections to the original.  The choice of the ever-impressive Chloe Grace Moretz and rising star Kodi Smit-McPhee as the main two leads really added depth to their friendship and special bond.  The increased budget also allowed the director to utilise special effects to show off Abby/Eli's vampire abilities, such as climbing buildings with ease and impressive amounts of strength.  Despite how well the transition may be, the film's focus switches depending on the country of origin; Let The Right One In is a story about childhood friendship, and it happens to feature vampires.  Let Me In is a story about vampires, who happen to share a childhood friendship.  I find the former a much more interesting narrative.

2. The Departed

This Academy Award-winning crime-thriller from 2006 was adapted from the originally titled Infernal Affairs, made in Hong Kong back in 2002.  Infernal Affairs was considered a 'box-office miracle' when first released and seen as an indication of a resurgence in Hong Kong cinema, remaining the highest-rated Hong Kong film on the list of IMDb's Top 250 Films Of All Time.  I wasn't aware of the original film when seeing The Departed in the cinema, but I was blown away by the storyline and the performances by stalwart actors Leonardo DiCaprio, Jack Nicholson, and even Mark Wahlberg steals the show!

The film surrounds the Boston police department and the local Mob, ran by boss Jack Nicholson.  To infiltrate the police, he persuades his protege, Matt Damon, to join the police department to keeps tabs on their Mob investigations.  Little does he know that the police are doing the same thing to him.  Leonardo DiCaprio is an undercover policeman monitoring the crime boss and begins to rise through the ranks in his organisation, despite it taking a toll on Leo's mental state.

Infernal Affairs was noteworthy due to the intricate story of loyalty and betrayal, as well as being beautifully shot.  Scorcese successfully manages to translate every slight nuance and every tense stand-off into an outstanding Hollywood thriller that rightfully earned him his first Best Director Academy Award.

Now whilst this is a fantastic film and an incredible adaptation, there is still a film adaptation that impresses me more...

1. Twelve Monkeys

However, the top spot has to be given to a film that I didn't even know what an adaptation of a foreign film, let alone a French short film.  The French short in question was a 28-minute black-and-white film called La Jetée, made in 1962 and constructed simply of still photographs.  The short featurette's plot consists of a prisoner in the aftermath of a Third World War who becomes the subject of time-travel experimentation in an attempt to discover secrets of the past.  Change the event of a Third World War to a virus outbreak, and this plot is obviously Terry Gilliam's 1995 sci-fi Twelve Monkeys, so much so, the film even honours La Jetée in it's opening credits.

The film has been praised as one of the greatest science fiction films of all time, and I can't help but agree.  I would attribute this to Gilliam's surreal direction, the cinematography of Roger Pratt, the powerful and mesmerising performances of Bruce Willis and the Oscar-nominated Brad Pitt and the plot twists sprinkled through the film.  It is a wholly melancholic film and I love watching it again and again.  It has become a cult hit within certain film circles and rightfully so.

If you have yet to see this twisted and impressive time traveller, I highly recommend it.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thank you for reading guys and girls, I hope you enjoyed my list.  If I missed out any entries, please feel free to comment in the section below!

If you enjoyed what you read, I can be found on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Mike-Dunn-Reviews and on Twitter at https://twitter.com/MikeDunnReviews - give them a 'Like' or a 'Share'!

Top Five Friday - Halloween Special

TOP 5 UNDER-RATED HORROR FILMS

Happy Halloween everybody!

He's standing right behind you...

So it's the time of year again where you buy chocolate and sweets, wear face paint and dress up, then unplug the front door bell and sit in watching scary movies.  A perfect excuse to pop in a DVD and curl up on the sofa behind the cushions and give yourself a good scare, amiright?  So today I'm going to list my Top Five suggestions for terrifying films to watch tonight (or any night that you fancy a horror film, really).

The decisions behind these choices stem from these titles being (in my opinion) unseen or underrated by the usual cinema audiences and so I do warn you: there are some foreign films in my list, but I do recommend good-old English language films if you just want to sit back and relax.

Instead of my usual numerical ordering, today I've decided to define what type of horror film they are (Slasher/Ghost/Zombie etc.) to help you decide if one of them is for you.  First up...

GHOST  -  THE ORPHANAGE

No... I don't want to play...

The Orphanage tells the story of Laura, a young woman who buys a closed orphanage to renovate it and turn it into a children's home once again.  Instantly strange things begin to occur such as her son begins speaking of another local child who wears a creepy-as-hell sack mask.  When her son disappears, Laura is forced to play games with the ghosts of the orphanage in order to discover what truly happened in it's past.

You just can't beat a good ghost story, especially the spooky-children kind!  And The Orphanage (or El Orfanato in it's original Spanish) is one of the best I've experienced in a while.  I say 'experienced' rather than 'watched' due to the film being so incredibly atmospheric and terrifying that I almost let out a very girlish scream in the cinema auditorium.  Never does it fall to the temptations of 'cattle-prod' cinema that has become so prevalent in today's cinema experience.  No longer are there long spells of silence, followed by a cheap loud noise intended just to shock.  Rather they are replaced with long foreboding senses of dread that leave most of the scaring to your own imagination, rather than overblown CGI and gruesome body torture.

MONSTERS  -  THE TROLL HUNTER

Although, if overblown CGI is your thing and you want it served up alongside an interesting idea of Norway's government secretly housing real-life trolls in their vast countryside, The Troll Hunter is the film for you.  The film-makers take an appropriate Blair Witch style realistic approach and happen to discover one lone man in charge of keeping these once-mythical beasts in check.  What follows is a documentary-style film of this troll-hunter's methods and tactics in his experiences battling these ferocious gigantic monsters.

On paper, this film shouldn't work.  It could possibly be a tongue-in-cheek pastiche featuring some shocking computer graphics, but instead, it flies off the film as a breath of fresh air!  It approaches the ridiculousness of it's subject matter and makes it impressively realistic and approachable, mainly through it's use of the 'found-footage' angle.  It encompasses most of the troll-canon that we have learnt from childish fairy-tales, such as they can smell blood of a Christian, they turn to stone in sunlight etc. and presents an understandable and modern-day fairy tale for the new generation.

Ray Winstone gets angry when you don't Bet-In Play...

ZOMBIES  -  PONTYPOOL

A poster that gets right to the point...
I like that...

Pontypool takes place in a small Canadian town where, during the course of his radio phone-in show, DJ Grant Mazzy (Stephen McHattie) learns of an infection spreading through the inhabitants of quiet Pontypool.  However it isn't the regular zombie outbreak of people biting each other but the infection is in the words people are speaking.  The English language is infected and begins turning people into mindless angry zombies.  But should Mazzy warn the outside world and risk infection, or does he stop his show and try to live?

Pontypool really surprised me when I stumbled upon it late one night.  I had heard the premise before watching it, but I was still amazed by the originality and slanted take on the zombie-genre.  The entire film is shot in the radio station and the main feeling you get throughout is increasing claustrophobia as the infection slowly makes itself known and more reports are called in.  The calls describing the bloodshed allow the viewer to make up their own scenes of violence, which often results in terror much worse than any film could inspire.  Not your conventional zombie film, but one that will stick with you once the credits start rolling.

Now say it with me; "Kill is Kiss!"

SLASHER  -  HAUTE TENSION  (SWITCHBLADE ROMANCE)

Marie and Alex are two young French teenage girls, visiting Alex's parents in the French countryside.  Everything is idyllic and lovely, but as usual, a serial killer rings the doorbell and begins to slaughter Alex's innocent family.  Marie manages to hide and escape the house but gets caught in a game of cat and mouse with the killer in tow.

I studied Haute Tension in college as part of a season of Final Girl films, alongside classics such as Halloween and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.  Similar to these seminal films that came before it, most of the film has our heroine terrified and running from faceless horror, but it manages to twist the conventions of the typical slasher film on it's head in such a way that it shocks, confuses and horrifies.  The violence is gory, the methods of murder are vicious and the storyline keeps you guessing all the way through.  Truly a worthwhile watch.

Did someone say 'kick-ass French lesbian heroine!'?

Just... so much mind-fuck...

CRAPLOAD OF EVERYTHING  -  CABIN IN THE WOODS

Now whilst Haute Tension flipped the slasher film upside down, one film successfully managed to turn the entire horror genre on it's head, the much-delayed and highly acclaimed The Cabin In The Woods.  Put a horror film in the safe hands of producer Joss Whedon and you know it's gonna be a helluva rollercoaster ride.

The film starts like any other horror film like it; five teenagers go and stay in a lakeside cabin in the woods, only to discover monsters and zombies coming to get them.  The only thing is that the audience finally see why these teens are targeted, and in this specific cabin, on this specific day, by these specific monsters.  The results are in no way disappointing.

This film seriously has something for everyone and should really appeal to horror 'aficionados' since the film references nearly every famous cinema monster in it's own special way.  I'd even go so far as to say that the finale of this film is personally one of my favourites of all time.


So there you have it, a film for all types of horror.  If there are any films that I have missed, feel free to tell me in the comments below.  But otherwise, thank you for reading and letting me share some of my favourite films that I feel deserve a wider audience.

Happy Halloween and sleep tight!

“1 – 2 – Freddy’s coming for you, 
3 – 4 – Better lock your door, 
5 – 6 – Grab your crucifix,
7 – 8 – Better stay up late, 
9 – 10 – Never sleep again…”