The Movie Review and Discussion Thread

[jvince]

The Elephant Man (1980)
dir. David Lynch

The Good: John Hurt's legendary performance as the tragically deformed John Merrick. Wow. He plays his character with such charm and innocence, you can't help but feel sorry for the guy. It's unfortunate Hurt had to go up against Robert De Niro that year. He totally deserved an Oscar for his work. Anthony Hopkins is also amazing as the kind-hearted Dr. Treves. The bond between the two is so strong and palpable, you forget they're only acting. Haunting musical score by John Morris. Gorgeous black-and-white cinematography by Freddie Francis (who also did an impeccable job on The Innocents, which stands as one of the most beautifully shot films in the history of cinema). I especially love Lynch's dreamlike montages. Makeup by Christopher Tucker is pretty darn impressive. So impressive, the Academy started awarding Oscars for makeup the following year. A number of wonderful moments: Merrick and Mrs. Kendal (Anne Bancroft) reciting lines from Romeo and Juliet, Merrick's visit at Treves' house, his reaction upon receiving the grooming kit, the crowd applauding him at the theater, and that powerful ending. Memorable one-liners: "I am not an animal! I am a human being!" "Nothing will die."

The Bad: Slow start. Rhythm is a bit off. Gets a little too sentimental and manipulative at times.

The Bottom Line: Perhaps David Lynch's most accessible work to date and proof that he isn't completely bonkers. Recommended.

[jvince]

Originally Posted by Abdrewes

I don't mind "rushed"/lopped off conclusions. So I may really like 'Spectacular Now' ...

Will it get a wider release? That is the question.

It's got a little Say Anything vibe, so I think you'll like it.

Originally Posted by DjMethod

Didn't you review this one already? I swear these indie films are starting to blend together.

Yeah, it seems like that, but they're actually different from one another. I liked this one more than The Way, Way Back and Kings of Summer. I also think it's better than last year's Perks.

Originally Posted by KilloWertz

A very positive review from jvince means it must be really good then.

Really looking forward to watching this given how much I love 500 Days of Summer and the cast being as solid as it is. Whenever I get to that is...

I don't agree with the consensus sometimes, and I do love some crap every once in a while, but yeah, this one's pretty good. It's not as great as (500) Days, but I think you'll enjoy it.

[Lepidopterous]

Robin Thicke's wife shows her tits in a film and it makes national headlines.

[Show spoiler]Now I know which 2 Guns I'll be keeping an eye out for.

[SquidPuppet]

Originally Posted by jvince

The Elephant Man (1980)
dir. David Lynch

Perhaps David Lynch's most accessible work to date and proof that he isn't completely bonkers. Recommended.

Have you seen The Straight Story? I think it is even more normal than Elephant Man. Good flick too.

[Al_The_Strange]

Originally Posted by jvince

The Elephant Man (1980)
dir. David Lynch

The Good: John Hurt's legendary performance as the tragically deformed John Merrick. Wow. He plays his character with such charm and innocence, you can't help but feel sorry for the guy. It's unfortunate Hurt had to go up against Robert De Niro that year. He totally deserved an Oscar for his work. Anthony Hopkins is also amazing as the kind-hearted Dr. Treves. The bond between the two is so strong and palpable, you forget they're only acting. Haunting musical score by John Morris. Gorgeous black-and-white cinematography by Freddie Francis (who also did an impeccable job on The Innocents, which stands as one of the most beautifully shot films in the history of cinema). I especially love Lynch's dreamlike montages. Makeup by Christopher Tucker is pretty darn impressive. So impressive, the Academy started awarding Oscars for makeup the following year. A number of wonderful moments: Merrick and Mrs. Kendal (Anne Bancroft) reciting lines from Romeo and Juliet, Merrick's visit at Treves' house, his reaction upon receiving the grooming kit, the crowd applauding him at the theater, and that powerful ending. Memorable one-liners: "I am not an animal! I am a human being!" "Nothing will die."

The Bad: Slow start. Rhythm is a bit off. Gets a little too sentimental and manipulative at times.

The Bottom Line: Perhaps David Lynch's most accessible work to date and proof that he isn't completely bonkers. Recommended.

I thought it was great. One of my favorites from Lynch.

Originally Posted by SquidPuppet

Have you seen The Straight Story? I think it is even more normal than Elephant Man. Good flick too.

Still so much Lynch I haven't seen. Still only so much Lynch I can take...

[jvince]

Sintel - Third Open Movie by Blender Foundation - YouTube

Sintel (2010)
dir. Colin Levy

The Good: Great (heartbreaking) story. Beautiful musical score. Solid voice acting. Impressive animation. (This short was independently produced and created only using a free, open-source program called Blender.)

The Bad: Some might find the ending a bit of a stretch (and confusing even), but it works in a parable sense.

The Bottom Line: This 15-minute film does a better job at building its characters and telling a satisfying story than most full-length theatrical releases. You'll be surprised by how much you end up caring despite its brief runtime. Worth a look.

[jvince]

Originally Posted by SquidPuppet

Have you seen The Straight Story? I think it is even more normal than Elephant Man. Good flick too.

Not yet. Like Al, there's still a lot of Lynch that I haven't seen.

[SquidPuppet]

Originally Posted by jvince

Sintel - Third Open Movie by Blender Foundation - YouTube

Sintel (2010)
dir. Colin Levy

The Good: Great (heartbreaking) story. Beautiful musical score. Solid voice acting. Impressive animation. (This short was independently produced and created only using a free, open-source program called Blender.)

The Bad: Some might find the ending a bit of a stretch (and confusing even), but it works in a parable sense.

The Bottom Line: This 15-minute film does a better job at building its characters and telling a satisfying story than most full-length theatrical releases. You'll be surprised by how much you end up caring despite its brief runtime. Worth a look.

The opening shots remind me of Game of Thrones, North of The Wall.

Then..... WHY???????????????

Originally Posted by jvince

Not yet. Like Al, there's still a lot of Lynch that I haven't seen.

It has Sissy Spacek.

[Abdrewes]

[Spot reserved for "2 Guns" review]

A generous Two and a half stars out of Four.

[Steve46]

Squid would love this one...

Searching for Sugar Man (2012)
Biography, Documentary, Music, 86 minutes
Directed by Malik Bendjelloul

I had read so many good things about Searching for Sugar Man, but something stopped me from watching it until yesterday. I was afraid that it just wouldn't be my kind of thing. Would I like the music? Probably not. Would I care about a musician that I had never previously heard of? Doubtful. Furthermore, only a select few documentaries have captured my imagination to the point where I would watch them more than once.

I'm happy to report that all of my doubts were quickly erased within the first few minutes.

Sixto Rodriguez was born in Detroit in 1942, and made two albums in the 1970s. The first, Cold Fact, was released in 1970, and Coming from Reality followed in 1971.

His singing style was raw, along the lines of Bob Dylan and Neil Young. Like both of those artists, the lyrics carry a lot of meaning, and it's obvious that Rodriguez wrote songs that were both personal and authentic. His US sales were almost non-existent, and, like me, most people weren't aware that he existed before this documentary was put together.

Here are a few of his lyrics:

Climb Up on My Music
Have you ever had a fever
From a bitter-sweet refrain
Have you ever kissed the sunshine
Walked between the rain
Well, just climb up on my music
And my songs will set you free
Well, just climb up on my music
And from there jump off with me

I'll Slip Away
And you can keep your symbols of success
Then I'll pursue my own happiness
And you can keep your clocks and routines
Then I'll go mend all my shattered dreams
Maybe today, yeah I'll slip away

This is Not a Song, It's an Outburst: Or, The Anti-Establishment Blues
The mayor hides the crime rate
Council woman hesitates
Public gets irate but forget the vote date
Weatherman complaining, predicted sun, it's raining
Everyone's protesting, boyfriend keeps suggesting
You're not like all of the rest

Garbage ain't collected, women ain't protected
Politicians using people, they've been abusing
The mafia's getting bigger, like pollution in the river
And you tell me that this is where it's at

Woke up this morning with an ache in my head
I splashed on my clothes as I spilled out of bed
I opened the window to listen to the news
But all I heard was the Establishment's Blues

Gun sales are soaring, housewives find life boring
Divorce the only answer, smoking causes cancer
This system's gonna fall soon, to an angry young tune
And that's a concrete cold fact

The pope digs population, freedom from taxation
Teeny Bops are up tight, drinking at a stoplight
Miniskirt is flirting, I can't stop so I'm hurting
Spinster sells her hopeless chest

Adultery plays the kitchen, bigot cops non-fiction
The little man gets shafted, sons and monies drafted
Living by a time piece, new war in the far east
Can you pass the Rorschach test?

It's a hassle it's an educated guess
Well, frankly I couldn't care less

A couple of early interviews in the film report that Rodriguez committed suicide. One account states that he set himself on fire on stage, while another claims that he shot himself after his tiny audience ridiculed his performance. But this is not a sad tale; it's actually extremely uplifting. Please trust me on this.

The film explains that Rodriguez was a huge success in South Africa, with a bigger following than Elvis or The Rolling Stones. He was completely unaware of this at the time, and never saw any of the money. His records were initially unavailable, but word spread after bootleg copies were distributed among fans. When the albums were finally released, more than half a million copies were sold. Imagine having all that success without being aware of it. It almost sounds like a hoax or a spoof documentary, doesn't it?

In South Africa, people adopted some of the songs and made them part of the anti-apartheid movement. One fan decided to find out the truth about this mysterious man, and made it his mission to discover exactly what happened. He began by tracking where the royalties went, and also visited places mentioned in the songs. While on the verge of abandoning his search, a blog post gave him new hope and a fresh lead. I don't want to reveal what he ultimately found, because you deserve to find out for yourself if you don't already know how the story ends.

This is a film for music fans, and for anyone who enjoys uplifting stories. I know that I haven't told you why you need to see Searching for Sugar Man, but you'll be glad you did if you do decide to check it out. It may be the best documentary I have ever seen, and I am already thinking about watching it again.

It's not essential to view the film in high definition as much of the 1970s footage is low quality, but the recent interviews do benefit from the Blu-ray treatment, as does the sound quality.

Overall score 4.5/5

[Abdrewes]

Only God Forgives (2013)

Set in the improbably heightened blackboard jungle of Bangkok where Cliff Martinez' sticky synths and low frequency droning accompany each creeping footstep, the world of Only God Forgives shows Nicholas Winding Refn flailing under the weight of his worst impulses. Eschewing an involving narrative for stomach turning gore and vapid stares, he hedges his bets in the gamble that audiences will be moved by bold color usage and creeping dolly shots en route to the heart of B-movie schlock. Witnessing paper thin characters spout placeholder dialogue and inflict splatters vengeance upon one another proved to be an unforgivable ninety minutes of my time.

The problems are apparent from the opening boxing ring scenes. A catatonic Ryan Gosling, in full Guess casual wear, strolls up to an upstairs office where his brother, Billy Thompson (Billy Burke), hands a sweaty male model his earnings for a fashion shoot. Wait I mean, he hands a boxer his earnings for the last fight, upon receiving them he exits. Billy then tells Julian (Gosling) that it is "time to meet the devil" and subsequently ventures to Bangkok's red light district on the prowl for a fourteen year old girl. He settles for a pimp's sixteen year old daughter. He rapes and beats the poor girl to a bloody, lifeless pulp.

Here in a nutshell, we have the gist of Nicholas Winding Refn's repulsive intentions: with the aid of Oliver Wood's fine lensing, he attempts to elevate nihilistic schlock with metaphysical intensity. The color palate of crimson (illuminating the private room in which Billy murders the prostitute) signifying passionate rage, deep blues (dallied in the booth where all of Billy's candidates sit) signifying an I reachable level of pleasure and purity, and most importantly, gold, inform the meaning in Only God Forgives. The problem is that the signifiers lead to freshman level philosophizing. Refn recycles art-house imagery (everything from Kubrick to Jodorowski and Lynch) and fatalistic nonsense. Grafting a bold color palate on top of a Dolph Lundgren B-thriller script does not imbue it with depth. On the contrary. A symbiotic relationship has to be present between the photographic elements—oriental art design, brooding camera pans, expressionistic lighting—and the narrative.

After Julian's brother is killed by a mysterious benefactor who believes himself to be God, his mother, Crystal Thompson (Kristin Scott Thomas) buys a first class ticket to Bangkok to settle affairs. This of course accelerates the rate of splatters revenge, no need to elucidate more on the plot as it winds exactly where one would expect it to. Julian has a date with Lieutenant Chang much alike Captain Kirk and Spock have with "God" in Star Trek V: The Final Frontier. To being that abysmal film into the conversation is to say Only God Forgives falls laughably short. Where that film had the camp value of lightning bolts darting out of God's eyes and the crew of the Enterprise singing along to "Row, Row, Row Your Boat" at Yosemite, this film has Kristen Scott Thomas chewing the scenery in true Showgirls fashion.

Here, she is anointed Queen *****, hurling deliciously las rearing lines at everyone in her warpath. The scene where Julian tries to pass off a random prostitute as his steady girlfriend will be canonized as a cult classic. Thomas, in full Donatella Versace get up—designer print dress, dyed blonde hair, extensions, three coats of deep eye shadow and mascara—asks her "how many cocks can you entertain with that cute little cum dumpster of yours?" In a film so lugubrious and overblown, seeing Kristin Scott Thomas go for broke at nearly every turn was an unexpected joy. I applaud her for her performance.

That the chief source of entertainment is pure camp value—laughing at arch dialogue and its suffocating self-infatuated grandiosity—is a crushing blow. After seeing Drive in the Fall of 2011, I was prepared to follow Refn wherever he would lead. He had my unabashed support in the form of three cinema tickets, an iTunes download of the original soundtrack, a limited edition gold scorpion jacket and a BluRay copy. So upon learning Only God Forgives would be set in the same heightened, emotive universe, my excitement could not be greater. It is an absolute shame that all I got in return was this fatuous piece of drivel. No amount of red moody lighting and violent set pieces could compensate.

[SquidPuppet]

Originally Posted by Steve46

Squid would love this one...

Searching for Sugar Man (2012)

[Show spoiler]Biography, Documentary, Music, 86 minutes
Directed by Malik Bendjelloul

I had read so many good things about Searching for Sugar Man, but something stopped me from watching it until yesterday. I was afraid that it just wouldn't be my kind of thing. Would I like the music? Probably not. Would I care about a musician that I had never previously heard of? Doubtful. Furthermore, only a select few documentaries have captured my imagination to the point where I would watch them more than once.

I'm happy to report that all of my doubts were quickly erased within the first few minutes.

Sixto Rodriguez was born in Detroit in 1942, and made two albums in the 1970s. The first, Cold Fact, was released in 1970, and Coming from Reality followed in 1971.

His singing style was raw, along the lines of Bob Dylan and Neil Young. Like both of those artists, the lyrics carry a lot of meaning, and it's obvious that Rodriguez wrote songs that were both personal and authentic. His US sales were almost non-existent, and, like me, most people weren't aware that he existed before this documentary was put together.

Here are a few of his lyrics:

Climb Up on My Music
Have you ever had a fever
From a bitter-sweet refrain
Have you ever kissed the sunshine
Walked between the rain
Well, just climb up on my music
And my songs will set you free
Well, just climb up on my music
And from there jump off with me

I'll Slip Away
And you can keep your symbols of success
Then I'll pursue my own happiness
And you can keep your clocks and routines
Then I'll go mend all my shattered dreams
Maybe today, yeah I'll slip away

This is Not a Song, It's an Outburst: Or, The Anti-Establishment Blues
The mayor hides the crime rate
Council woman hesitates
Public gets irate but forget the vote date
Weatherman complaining, predicted sun, it's raining
Everyone's protesting, boyfriend keeps suggesting
You're not like all of the rest

Garbage ain't collected, women ain't protected
Politicians using people, they've been abusing
The mafia's getting bigger, like pollution in the river
And you tell me that this is where it's at

Woke up this morning with an ache in my head
I splashed on my clothes as I spilled out of bed
I opened the window to listen to the news
But all I heard was the Establishment's Blues

Gun sales are soaring, housewives find life boring
Divorce the only answer, smoking causes cancer
This system's gonna fall soon, to an angry young tune
And that's a concrete cold fact

The pope digs population, freedom from taxation
Teeny Bops are up tight, drinking at a stoplight
Miniskirt is flirting, I can't stop so I'm hurting
Spinster sells her hopeless chest

Adultery plays the kitchen, bigot cops non-fiction
The little man gets shafted, sons and monies drafted
Living by a time piece, new war in the far east
Can you pass the Rorschach test?

It's a hassle it's an educated guess
Well, frankly I couldn't care less

A couple of early interviews in the film report that Rodriguez committed suicide. One account states that he set himself on fire on stage, while another claims that he shot himself after his tiny audience ridiculed his performance. But this is not a sad tale; it's actually extremely uplifting. Please trust me on this.

The film explains that Rodriguez was a huge success in South Africa, with a bigger following than Elvis or The Rolling Stones. He was completely unaware of this at the time, and never saw any of the money. His records were initially unavailable, but word spread after bootleg copies were distributed among fans. When the albums were finally released, more than half a million copies were sold. Imagine having all that success without being aware of it. It almost sounds like a hoax or a spoof documentary, doesn't it?

In South Africa, people adopted some of the songs and made them part of the anti-apartheid movement. One fan decided to find out the truth about this mysterious man, and made it his mission to discover exactly what happened. He began by tracking where the royalties went, and also visited places mentioned in the songs. While on the verge of abandoning his search, a blog post gave him new hope and a fresh lead. I don't want to reveal what he ultimately found, because you deserve to find out for yourself if you don't already know how the story ends.

This is a film for music fans, and for anyone who enjoys uplifting stories. I know that I haven't told you why you need to see Searching for Sugar Man, but you'll be glad you did if you do decide to check it out. It may be the best documentary I have ever seen, and I am already thinking about watching it again.

It's not essential to view the film in high definition as much of the 1970s footage is low quality, but the recent interviews do benefit from the Blu-ray treatment, as does the sound quality.

Overall score 4.5/5

I have this in my queue. I am also eager to see A Band Called Death.

[Steve46]

Originally Posted by SquidPuppet

I have this in my queue. I am also eager to see A Band Called Death.

I'm certain you will love it, and you'll probably buy it. But what do I know

[jvince]

The Dark Knight (2008)
dir. Christopher Nolan

The Good: Heath Ledger. He owned this film. His mannerisms and delivery were spot-on. Without Ledger, The Dark Knight wouldn't be as great as it is. It's the truth and you all know it. He totally deserved that Oscar and the numerous other awards he received for his iconic performance as The Joker. It's a shame he had to go so soon. Outstanding ensemble cast -- Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Gary Oldman, Aaron Eckhart, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Morgan Freeman... Everyone brought their A-game here. Heck, even Tiny Lister had a great cameo. Excellent score from master composers James Newton Howard and Hans Zimmer. Awesome opening sequence. A number of rewatchable scenes, such as the pencil trick, the epic chase sequence, the interrogation, Batman and Gordon racing against time to rescue Harvey and Rachel while The Joker plots his escape, the hospital scene, the ferry subplot, and the ending. So many memorable quotes: "Why so serious?" "Wanna know how I got these scars?" "Let's put a smile on that face!" "You either die a hero or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain." "Whatever doesn't kill you simply makes you stranger." "I'm not a monster. I'm just ahead of the curve." "To them, you're just a freak. Like me." "Everything burns!" "Madness, as you know, is like gravity. All it takes is a little push!" And of course, Gordon's last lines. High replay value.

The Bad: Incoherent shakycam action sequences. Some might find the film a little long. Bale's Bat-voice almost equals Bat-nipples. Almost.

The Bottom Line: One of the greatest comic book adaptations around (but you probably already know that). Highly recommended.

[jvince]

Originally Posted by SquidPuppet

The opening shots remind me of Game of Thrones, North of The Wall.

Then..... WHY???????????????





It has Sissy Spacek.

I know, right?

I wanna see The Straight Story but they don't seem to show it on TV.

Originally Posted by SquidPuppet

I have this in my queue. I am also eager to see A Band Called Death.

+1 to Steve. I highly recommend it. It's also one of my favorite documentaries. Such a great story.

[jvince]

Originally Posted by Abdrewes

Only God Forgives (2013)

[Show spoiler]Set in the improbably heightened blackboard jungle of Bangkok where Cliff Martinez' sticky synths and low frequency droning accompany each creeping footstep, the world of Only God Forgives shows Nicholas Winding Refn flailing under the weight of his worst impulses. Eschewing an involving narrative for stomach turning gore and vapid stares, he hedges his bets in the gamble that audiences will be moved by bold color usage and creeping dolly shots en route to the heart of B-movie schlock. Witnessing paper thin characters spout placeholder dialogue and inflict splatters vengeance upon one another proved to be an unforgivable ninety minutes of my time.

The problems are apparent from the opening boxing ring scenes. A catatonic Ryan Gosling, in full Guess casual wear, strolls up to an upstairs office where his brother, Billy Thompson (Billy Burke), hands a sweaty male model his earnings for a fashion shoot. Wait I mean, he hands a boxer his earnings for the last fight, upon receiving them he exits. Billy then tells Julian (Gosling) that it is "time to meet the devil" and subsequently ventures to Bangkok's red light district on the prowl for a fourteen year old girl. He settles for a pimp's sixteen year old daughter. He rapes and beats the poor girl to a bloody, lifeless pulp.

Here in a nutshell, we have the gist of Nicholas Winding Refn's repulsive intentions: with the aid of Oliver Wood's fine lensing, he attempts to elevate nihilistic schlock with metaphysical intensity. The color palate of crimson (illuminating the private room in which Billy murders the prostitute) signifying passionate rage, deep blues (dallied in the booth where all of Billy's candidates sit) signifying an I reachable level of pleasure and purity, and most importantly, gold, inform the meaning in Only God Forgives. The problem is that the signifiers lead to freshman level philosophizing. Refn recycles art-house imagery (everything from Kubrick to Jodorowski and Lynch) and fatalistic nonsense. Grafting a bold color palate on top of a Dolph Lundgren B-thriller script does not imbue it with depth. On the contrary. A symbiotic relationship has to be present between the photographic elements—oriental art design, brooding camera pans, expressionistic lighting—and the narrative.

After Julian's brother is killed by a mysterious benefactor who believes himself to be God, his mother, Crystal Thompson (Kristin Scott Thomas) buys a first class ticket to Bangkok to settle affairs. This of course accelerates the rate of splatters revenge, no need to elucidate more on the plot as it winds exactly where one would expect it to. Julian has a date with Lieutenant Chang much alike Captain Kirk and Spock have with "God" in Star Trek V: The Final Frontier. To being that abysmal film into the conversation is to say Only God Forgives falls laughably short. Where that film had the camp value of lightning bolts darting out of God's eyes and the crew of the Enterprise singing along to "Row, Row, Row Your Boat" at Yosemite, this film has Kristen Scott Thomas chewing the scenery in true Showgirls fashion.

Here, she is anointed Queen *****, hurling deliciously las rearing lines at everyone in her warpath. The scene where Julian tries to pass off a random prostitute as his steady girlfriend will be canonized as a cult classic. Thomas, in full Donatella Versace get up—designer print dress, dyed blonde hair, extensions, three coats of deep eye shadow and mascara—asks her "how many cocks can you entertain with that cute little cum dumpster of yours?" In a film so lugubrious and overblown, seeing Kristin Scott Thomas go for broke at nearly every turn was an unexpected joy. I applaud her for her performance.

That the chief source of entertainment is pure camp value—laughing at arch dialogue and its suffocating self-infatuated grandiosity—is a crushing blow. After seeing Drive in the Fall of 2011, I was prepared to follow Refn wherever he would lead. He had my unabashed support in the form of three cinema tickets, an iTunes download of the original soundtrack, a limited edition gold scorpion jacket and a BluRay copy. So upon learning Only God Forgives would be set in the same heightened, emotive universe, my excitement could not be greater. It is an absolute shame that all I got in return was this fatuous piece of drivel. No amount of red moody lighting and violent set pieces could compensate.

Hmm... So it's 1-1.

[Foggy]

Originally Posted by jvince

Hmm... So it's 1-1.

I'm watching it Tuesday, although I've already got good feelings I'll like it mainly off how gonzo-bizarre the whole thing sounds.

[Abdrewes]

Originally Posted by Foggy

I'm watching it Tuesday, although I've already got good feelings I'll like it mainly off how gonzo-bizarre the whole thing sounds.

Not that bizarre. Any ten minutes of El Topo or Holy Mountain has it beat. I was So dissapointed in how simple and derivative everything was.

[Abdrewes]

Originally Posted by jvince

Hmm... So it's 1-1.

Seriously, the only way for me to like is is to accept is as a mood piece. The narrative offered nothing at all for me. Might as well have been watching a 90 minute Calvin Klein ad by Gaspar Noe.

[Lepidopterous]

Evil Dead

Having recently seen The Conjuring, this brand of horror required some readjusting. Fortunately, it succeeds because Sam Raimi's touch or influence can indeed be felt throughout the film. Not to say it reaches his league of creativity or humor, nor that it is even trying to be the same film, but it brings back the fun that Raimi is known to deliver. It is horror that gets you screaming, squirming, laughing, and clapping, and comes off as a wonderfully awful, high-budget, low-budget B-movie.

As far as suspense, the film falls flat. The pacing keeps the audience upright, but never slows down enough to build some genuine terror. Of course, our group of friends (none of whom we care for) is constantly separated to keep something going on at every corner of the cabin. Eye-opening make-up and effects do compensate for a vague and uninteresting story and underwhelming sequences sprinkled with clichés. The end product is forgettable, but deliciously entertaining. Just don't take it too seriously.

3.5/5