Don't Breathe (2016) #437

Intense, intense, intense; that's the best way to describe the film "Don't Breathe", the newest film from director Fede Alvarez ("Evil Dead") and co-producers Sam Raimi and Robert Tapert. It's a simple premise that delivers in every way; three young adults break into a rundown house to steal a fortune in cash from a blind veteran. The small cast of main characters keeps the story running smoothly and at a brisk pace and the film doesn't rely on gore or jump scares since the entire film is one long scare. My only complaint is that we really don't get to know too much about the three thieves, so it's hard to sympathize with them too much when things run astray.

What makes this movie work so well is the use of sound as well as visuals in certain scenes. Like the movie "Hush", one of the main characters has a sensory deficiency and that handicap plays directly into the plot. Unlike "Hush", "Don't Breathe" utilizes this detail perfectly and actually makes it important to the premise of the film. In this film, the blind man has home court advantage and it doesn't matter that he's blind because he knows every inch of his house and has grown to live with his disability and has learned to depend on his hearing that much more. 

Jane Levy is the main antigonist/protagonist in don't breathe, returning to work with Mr. Alvarez after starring as Mia in the 2013 "Evil Dead" film. Like most leading women in the horror genre, her character is all kick ass and "can do", more than holding her own along the side of her two male partners. My favorite moment of this is when she tells the other two that she's going to climb through a window so they can get inside; one of the guys tells her she isn't being made to do it, she informs him that she's choosing to by her own choice.

Of course some people may complain that there are a few plot holes or situations where they'll ask why didn't the characters do this or that, but I think that's looking at the film much to closely. This is a great way to spend 90 minutes, just getting lost in the moment of a really fun movie. Fede has proved that he has range as a horror director and I look forward to the next project he works on.

Poltergeist (2015) #419

Spoiler free review!   Oooohhh, Aaaahhh!


Sigh, another original, amazing horror "classic" has been remade, re-imagined, recycled, and repackaged; none other than 1982's "Poltergeist". Many fans and die hard horror fanatics were angered and called foul when this new project was announced and for good reason, the original is perfect as it is. In the quest to honor and enjoy creating a new version, as well as cashing in on a well known title, a new generation of film makers took it upon themselves to try anyway. Produced by horror heavyweights Sam Raimi and Robert Tapert, their new film fails to live up to the hype and expectations that were naturally and unfortunately made.

BUT....what if the original was never made? Would this film be any good? Yes, not great but it actually is enjoyable. Has many of the same beats that the original has, although some are used in different ways or times. I really liked some of the visual effects that are in the 2015 version, with the hands on the TV set being one of my favorite moments in the film (see picture below). The story is essentially the same, the family make-up is the same (you actually get to see the older sister do things!), and the different take on the psychic expert is acceptable. All of this makes the new "Poltergeist" worth watching.

BUT....this is a remake and comparisons will be made. The main issue for me is the lack of soul, complete pun intended, that the new film has compared to the original. I think Sam Rockwell is a talented actor but his concerned father figure roll felt empty and shallow compared to Craig T. Nelson's work. Craig was a father torn apart, desperate, and possessed to get his daughter back; Sam was like "meh", especially during the scene with the tree. Then there is the daughter who is taken to the other side, Carol Anne and Madison. Carol Anne comes across as more innocent while Madison feels more helpless. Both girls did great, don't get me wrong, but the original wins over again. I've already mentioned older sister so let's talk about the middle child, the son. Both versions are spot on, in my opinion. The new son, Griffin, plays a very different character than the portrayed in the 1982 original and I think it fits perfectly. At first I was a little concerned but the end result was great.

In conclusion, if you can, watch the 2015 version before ever seeing the 1982 one. If this proves impossible, give yourself some time between viewings. Enjoy!

Poltergeist Trailer

Drag Me To Hell (2009)

“Drag Me to Hell” was Sam Raimi’s first movie that he directed after working on the “Spider-Man” trilogy. The script was written by Sam and his brother Ivan before Sam began working on “Spider-Man”, so they had time to tweak the storyline before filming began. Sam also made sure that the film was given a PG-13 rating because he didn’t want to keep make the same kind of horror movie that was solely driven by gore and intense moments. My only complaint about this film is the fact that Raimi chose to use horrible CGI effects in place of his traditional style of special effects, especially during the moments when he was using the same visuals that he had made famous in the “Evil Dead” movies. Although these moments were few and far in between, it left a bad taste in my mouth and a poor impression of the film.

Christine is trying to forward in her banking career but isn’t as cut throat as her manager wants her to be. When she finally decides to prove that she has what it takes, she angers an old gypsy woman who places a curse on her. Christine now has three days to undo the curse before she is literally dragged to Hell!

Evil Dead (2013)

It’s truly a rare occasion when a horror film is remade and is equal to the original and the 2013 version of “Evil Dead” is such a film! This is a movie in which I will not blink twice and have any issue with people saying that they loved the newer version more than the original. The original was made by a group of college aged friends who only knew the basics of film making at the time, barely had a budget, and had to come back several times to the cabin in Tennessee to finish the filming the movie, and yet it’s a classic that has inspired a legion of other film makers and has a massive fan base. The new “Evil Dead” had a small but modest budget, had a cast with some real credentials, and a story concept that was as good as gold, which turned out to be a great film and is easily one of the best movies I’ve seen all year. This project is an example of people who love the movie so much that they get together and present the basics of the story in their own way. It doesn’t hurt that Sam Raimi, Bruce Campbell, and Robert Tapert gave their blessings as well as served as the producers. Director and co-writer Fede Alvarez saw the project as happening 30 or so years after the original events took place but by avoiding any attempt to point that out (besides the car!), this movie plays out as a remake and not as a sequel of sorts. There are too many coincidences between the two films not to be a remake, but enough differences that this is truly its own film.

There are several similarities in the two films that you have to look closely to notice.

1.       The most obvious is that the cabin looks the same, at least from the front. In the original, we never got to see the cabin clearly from any other angle. The car that Ash and his friend used to get to the cabin is parked and rusting in the back behind the cabin.

2.       There are two couples and a sister of one of the guys.

3.       All of the characters in the remake become possessed in the same order as their counterparts in the original, beginning with the sister who is attacked by the tree/forest.

4.       David, Ash’s counterpart, is dressed in the same colors and has the same hair color and frame.

5.       A character in both films cuts off their hand after it shows signs of possession. This is one of the two elements from “Evil Dead 2” to be used in this film.

6.       A great and powerful entity is summoned and is vanquished by a lone survivor. This is the second element borrowed from “Evil Dead 2”.

7.       The Naturom Demoto is found in the basement.

There are differences as well, which make up the rest of the film and don’t need to be listed. It’s best to watch the film and see what they’ve changed.

SPOLIER!                              SPOLIER!                              SPOLIER!

What I REALLY didn’t like about the film was a moment during the prolonged showdown. When Mia becomes pinned to the ground by the jeep, she finds the strength to rip her arm apart and run away. What?? Is she a lizard? No! How the hell can anyone do that?? It’s not like her arm was that badly damaged from the jeep falling on it at any time before that. And I feel that it completely takes away from the act of self-mutilation of when Natalie cuts her hand off in the kitchen.

Mia, the "Cheryl" counterpart

 Natalie, the "Linda" counterpart

 David, the "Ash" counterpart

1981 demon

 2013 demon

Ash, Linda, and Cheryl,  1981

David and his friends, 2013

Evil Dead (1981)

It’s the one and only….errr, I mean the original “Evil Dead”! Before there was “Evil Dead 2” there was a creepy, low budget movie filmed by a group of friends from the Detroit area including that included Bruce Campbell, Ted Raimi, and Sam Raimi, who had just turned 20 when filming began. This was a group of young kids who had no real idea what they were doing out in the wood of Morristown, Tennessee. When it was released in theaters, it quickly became a favorite in the UK but was branded as too violent and banned in some countries. Although it’s a cult and mainstream favorite now, it might have disappeared and gathered dust on the rental shelf if Stephen King hadn’t gave it his approval by calling it one of his favorite movies at the time of its release.

“Evil Dead” is about five college aged friends driving out to a cabin in the woods for a nice spring break getaway. Along for the trip are Scotty and Shelly, Ash and Linda, and Ash’s sister Cheryl. At the cabin they find a tape recorder and an ancient book that was left behind by the last people there. They listen to the recording and by doing so, they release and summon a host of demons. One of the girls, Cheryl, goes out into the woods and it attacked by a tree and that happens to be possessed by the demons. She manages to escape and tries to tell the others what happened. No one believes her but her brother Ash decided to drive her back into town; on the way to town they find that they are trapped in the woods because the a bridge that they crossed earlier is now destroyed. Back at the cabin, the demons begin to possess the group of friends one by one. First Cheryl becomes possessed and is locked in the cellar. Next Shelly becomes possessed and is killed by Scotty after she tries to attack him. Linda is next to fall victim to the demon’s power. Soon Scotty is possessed as well, leaving Ash in a room full of demons. He is forced to defend himself when he is attacked, killing his friends in order to stay alive.

Favorite moment – So many to choose from! Some of the most memorable moments include Linda sitting on the floor while she is possessed, just giggling even when Ash begins to punch her repeatedly in the face. Another is the way that Shelly’s body is quivering after Scotty chops her up with an axe. Another is when Ash beheads Linda with a shovel. 

The Grudge (2004)

The American remake of “The Grudge” came out in 2004, a year after the original debuted in Japan. Both movies were directed by Takashi Shimizu, a young Japanese film maker who went on to create two sequels to “Ju-on) series as well as a handful of other Japanese horror movies. The American version stars Sarah Michelle Gellar, Bill Pullman, and Ted Raimi and was the first official movie produced by Ghost House Pictures which was started by Sam Raimi and Robert Tapert. It’s a great movie with amazing effects and some pretty decent scares for a horror movie with a PG-13 rating. The film was part of the craze of remaking Japanese horror movies from the 1990’s and 2000’s but what I find unique about this remake though is the fact that it still takes place in Japan; It’s as though it could be the same exact movie but with American actors replacing a few of the Japanese ones. I’m not sure if this is true because I have not seen the original although it will be one of the films I review when I begin my ambitious themes for Japanese and other Asian produced horror movies.

The storyline for “The Grudge” crisscrosses between flashbacks and present day scenes that involve a few sub-plots that revolve around the curse of the Saeki family. One plot line is about the Saeki family and how the housewife Kayako fell in love with her teacher and was murdered by her jealous husband Takeo, who in turn killed his son Toshio before hanging himself. The second subplot is about the Williams family moving into the Saeki house several years later and becoming victims to the angry spirits of the Saeki family. The third subplot is about Karen, a student social worker who is sent over to the Saeki house to assist Emma Williams, an older woman who suffered a dementia related breakdown after moving into the house with her son and daughter-in-law. Karen survives her first encounter with the ghost of Kayako and eventually discovers that anyone who enters the house becomes cursed by the never ending rage of the Saeki family.

Favorite moment – I really liked the scene when Karen watches a ghost/flashback of Peter finding Kayako’s diary and then finding her. It ties up the mystery of the Saeki family effectively. My other favorite moment is the very beginning of the movie when Peter kills himself; it’s so sudden and without warning and sets a great feel for the rest of the movie.

The Gift (2000)

It’s not often that you have a high quality ghost movie that has so much talent involved. Directed by Sam Raimi, written by Billy Bob Thorton, and staring Cate Blanchett, Giovanni Ribisi, Greg Kinnear, Hillary Swank, Katie Holmes, and Keanu Reeves, “The Gift” was perhaps the best ghost movie from the early 2000s. Set in the Deep South, it has lovely swamp landscapes, townsfolk with old money and those who are nearly dirt poor, and good Christians who think that fortune telling and psychics are the product of the Devil. The script was inspired by Billy Bob Thorton’s own mother’s rumored psychic talents.

Annie Wilson is a widowed mother of three young boys who makes a living reading cards (a form of fortune telling) for her neighbors. Most people in town like her but her favorite admirer is Buddy Cole, a troubled mechanic. One person who hates her and makes it well known is Donnie Barksdale, an abusive husband whose wife sneaks out to seek advice from Annie. When Jessica King, a young woman from a very effluent family, goes missing, the police turn to Annie for help. She has visions of a swamp and it turns out to be on Donnie’s property; he’s arrested and charged with murder when Jessica’s body is pulled from the water. Jessica’s ex-fiancée turns to Annie for comfort, but she is still bothered by visions and dreams that lead her to suspect that perhaps Donnie wasn’t the killer after all.

Favorite moment – I think the most intense scene in the movie is the showdown between Buddy and Donnie. Donnie was harassing one of Annie’s young sons when Buddy comes to intervene. When Donnie tells him to get lost because it’s none of his business, Buddy makes it his business by taking a crowbar and hitting Donnie’s truck. When Donnie pulls a gun on Buddy, Buddy presses it against his own forehead and starts daring Donnie to pull the trigger. 

Evil Dead 2 (1987)

“Evil Dead 2” is a unique movie to say the least. It’s more of a reboot than a sequel; the first portion of the film goes over some of the same story points that the first film was about before going on to new material. “Evil Dead 2” is also unique because it includes some very dark comic moments throughout the film but still remains a horror movie. Most of the horror movies I have seen fail whenever they try to change the mood more than once.

The movie is about a couple who go to a cabin in the woods for a romantic weekend. In the cabin they find a tape recorder and when it’s played a professor of sorts is heard explaining his research about the Necronomicon Ex-Mortis, also known as the Book of the Dead. After the tape is played Ash’s girlfriend becomes possessed. He is forced to kill her and shortly after becomes possessed as well. He recovers when the sun comes out and he returns to the cabin after seeing that he is trapped in the forest. The movie continues with new the material which includes laughing inanimate objects, more possessions, more people coming to the cabin, and a creepy demonic hand.

Note - The Book of the Dead has a different name in the original Evil Dead and it's recent remake. In those films it's known as Naturon Demonto. I wonder why there was a change between the films...

Favorite moment – I have to be predictable and say that my favorite moment of “Evil Dead 2” is when Ash’s hand becomes possessed and smashes plate after plate against his head before noticing a knife and dragging his body towards it.