PARANORMAL ACTIVITY

For several consecutive years, Lionsgate ruled the Halloween box office with a new installment of their biggest "go-to" money maker, Saw. Like clockwork, another sequel was released to bad reviews and eager audiences - easily making the Saw franchise the unchallenged box-office champion of the Halloween season.

This got the attention of Paramount Pictures.

Wanting their piece of the Halloween pie, they decided to gamble on a small, independent "ghost story" feature they acquired to see if they might strike a chord with audiences by playing on the interest of the public's obsession with anything paranormal. On Halloween 2009, Paranormal Activity opened to strong numbers at #1 over Saw VI, the lowest-grossing installment for the franchise to date, toppling the now-aging franchise from its top-spot Halloween stronghold. An effective marketing campaign and (mostly) stellar reviews helped it rake in nearly $200 million dollars - not bad for a movie that was reported to have cost $15,000 to make.

For those that have not seen the film, the simple story centers around Katie and Micah - a young couple who start experiencing strange, unexplained goings-on in their home. Believing their house to be haunted, they set up cameras in an attempt to document the activity.
Unfortunately, the scariest thing about Paranormal Activity is that it is one of Paramount Picture's most successful film to date.

This poor excuse for a horror movie suffers from one of the most damaging qualities of film; it is extremely boring and dull. While credit has to be given to the amateur filmmakers for trying to give it a valiant effort (the performances are good, the story has potential and there are a couple of decent scenes sprinkled throughout), Paranormal Activity suffers from a disjointed focus and an awful, contrived ending that feels out of place with the rest of the movie - added, no doubt, to leave the door open for PA2.

Due to the fact that practically everyone in America has already seen this film, I actually recommend the uninitiated to check it out - but set your expectations very low. It doesn't even come close to living up to its hype.

My Rating - 3 out of 10

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VIDEODROME

Never in the history of filmmaking has a movie so closely predicted the future state of the world, the entertainment industry, or the evolution of society more than David Cronenberg's brilliant study into madness and the darkest recesses of man's psyche, Videodrome. This sci-fi/horror classic's critical praise and cult status are well-deserved, due to a tough,  uncompromising look at the crumbling of the human race and desensitized culture in the not-too-distant future.

James Woods (in the best role of his career) stars as Max Renn, a sleazebag TV producer who accidentally intercepts a pirated signal of a mysterious broadcast which specializes in extreme torture and sadomasochism. Looking for the next new thing for his struggling channel, he embarks on a frantic search for the source of the material, having nothing more to go on but the name of the broadcast - Videodrome. On his journey, he meets psychiatrist Nicki Brand (Deborah Harry of "Blondie") and soon finds himself enmeshed and consumed by this new alter-reality now facing him. He quickly finds out that no one can be trusted and uncovers a government conspiracy to alter the state of the human society through subliminal programming by actual signals broadcasted through TVs.

Heavily political and ahead of its time, Videodrome challenges the existence of "reality television" as being a pre-planned, deliberate programming of society to be manipulated solely for mind control. While the film was released in 1983, it has chillingly depicted the actual state of the media in today's modern times quite accurately.

While Videodrome  was met with largely favorable reviews, its poor box office reception was indicitive of it being "ahead of its time". Now, nearly 30 years after its release, the film resonates with its audience more powerfully than ever.

While I HIGHLY recommend this outstanding movie, my statement does come with a disclaimer: Videodrome is not for everyone. It is a heavy-handed, dark, and often confusing story that almost definitely will have to be viewed a second time (at least) to get a full appreciation and understanding of its message. But for those willing to invest time, brain power, and even emotion, the payoff is well worth it. "Long live the new flesh!"

      

My Rating - 10 out of 10   

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HARDWARE

The overlooked 1990 film, Hardware, is an interesting blend of sci-fi and horror that feels like a hybrid between Blade Runner and The Terminator, with a dash of Demon Seed and even 1984 thrown in for good measure. Dylan McDermott (yes, THAT Dylan McDermott) stars as Moe, a post-apocalyptic scavenger who brings home a twisted mass of scrap metal for his artist girlfriend, Jill (played by the gorgeous Stacey Travis). Little do they know that this heap of metallic waste is actually an abandoned military defense droid who promptly regenerates itself and takes Jill prisoner in her own home.

This somber morality tale succeeds more often than not and the visuals are quite impressive to boot. Graphic violence and strong sex scenes are in plentiful quantities, while the mostly unpredictable story manages to keep the viewer engaged throughout the film’s average running time. Upon its release, critical reception seemed largely tepid due in part to its heavy-handed view of a world devoid of a trustworthy government and its bleak, uneven view of society. The fact that Hardware could not be easily categorized as a “sci-fi”, “fantasy” or “horror” film greatly hindered its box-office return as well.

Interestingly enough, unlike many films, this one seems to improve with age. Director Richard Stanley (who, unfortunately, made one more film after this and seems to have all but disappeared from the public spotlight of directing movies) has eerily predicted certain aspects of the future which have now become a reality (i.e. characters using infrared cameras, human interaction being largely replaced by computer technology, etc). Watching Hardware in today’s times, these elements convey a feeling of believability, which no doubt had been suspended – or perhaps, even lost – in the past. Aside from these factors boosting the film, a great conclusion helps elevate this movie to a level over most of its peers from that time period.

While not an excellent film, Hardware is a good, solid and powerful story that only occasionally loses itself along the way. It’s more than worth tracking down.

My Rating - 8 out of 10   

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SAW: THE FINAL CHAPTER (SAW 3D)

Since 2004, a new Saw film has been released around the Halloween season and has done lucrative business for the people at Lionsgate. However, 2008’s Saw V and 2009’s Saw VI (which many consider to be the series’ best entry) marked severe drop-offs in returns at the box office. Citing that this may have been the first signs of a dying franchise (no pun intended), Lionsgate was rumored to have scrapped its last two planned sequels – Saw VIII and Saw IX in favor of one final, end-all movie to conclude the Saw franchise. To mark the special occasion, they even decided to shoot the film in 3D (hence, the film carried the title Saw 3D in theaters).

Being a HUGE fan of the franchise (and one of the few who prefer the last three films over the first three), I eagerly awaited the “final chapter” of my beloved horror franchise.  With problems during production, an unhappy director (who was contractually forced to direct Saw 3D and removed from helming Paranormal Activity 2), and a script that was quickly rewritten to cram three film’s worth of material into its remarkably short running time, I was still fairly confident that Saw 3D would deliver.

Does it? Absolutely. The Saw franchise ends on a high note; Saw 3D is easily the best, most entertaining installment of the series (with Saw VI running a very close second).

Saw 3D succeeds for many different reasons: 1) it has momentum, 2) it has a ton of what the series is known for – gore, and 3) it does come full circle in a logical, believable manner (well, for this series, anyway). Picking up EXACTLY where the previous installment ended, Saw 3D weaves an intriguing, straightforward “cat and mouse” approach with Detective Mark Hoffman (Costas Mandylor, who by the way, is my favorite movie villain) up to his old ways and Jill Tuck (Betsy Russell) running for her life. The film moves at a breakneck pace, cramming in story, backstory, intriguing character exposition and an excellent (if not somewhat predictable) ending. While this entry may not be as abstract or “surprising” as other installments, its direct, in-your-face approach and sly humor is a welcome change from the now well-established norm.

While horror buffs and critics alike have vented their displeasure over the lack of screen time by Tobin Bell’s Jigsaw character (who, with the exception of Saw VI, has had an increasingly diminished presence in the series), it is a testament to the strength and quality of the Saw 3D story that keeps this one on track and, for the first time in the series, doesn’t seem to suffer from his absence.

While many franchises seem to change, evolve and take on a whole new feel, the Saw series has remained remarkably the same through all seven movies. All in all, Saw 3D is a fitting stopping point for a series that has, admittedly, become somewhat creatively bankrupt, having repeated the EXACT storyline as the previous installment and painted itself into a corner, so to speak.

Fans of the series fear not, I have little doubt that another installment will be on its way in a few years. Let’s just hope they keep the same formula that made this series the most successful horror franchise in movie history. Game over. For now…  

  

My Rating - 9 out of 10   

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Near Dark

One of the greatest horror films ever made, Near Dark follows the story of a loner named Caleb, whose chance encounter with beautiful vampire Mae leaves him with an insatiable craving for human blood. As he tries to fight off the impending transformation inside of him, a harrowing, thought-provoking and eerily effective story unfolds. Thanks to the strength of the writing and the caliber of the actors (including Bill Paxton, Adrian Pasdar, Tim Thomerson , and genre favorite Lance Henricksen), the characters are believable, sympathetic and well-defined. The balance of romance, thriller, horror - and even western, are perfectly blended to make for a fully-immersive (and often times scary), viewing experience.

Upon its initial release, it was overshadowed by the release of the now-classic, The Lost Boys, which opened around the same time to a much wider audience and benefitted from a more “teen-friendly” cast (ironically, Near Dark is a much better film – go figure). Quickly disappearing into the shadows, its home video release was even shorter. Having been released only once on VHS by HBO Video in the late 1980s, the title soon went out of print and well-worn copies eventually started disappearing from local video stores. For what seemed like an eternity, the title was extremely difficult to find – and the copies that were available fetched enormous price tags. The movie had become little more than a legend whispered about in “die-hard” horror fan circles.

Thankfully, the film is back in circulation again on DVD, albeit probably for a short time – given its erratic distribution history. I strongly advise anyone to pick up a copy of this brilliant movie while they are still able. While I am not a prude by any sense of the word (the “Saw” franchise still remains one of my personal favorites), it is refreshing to see a vampire horror film that avoids any major bloodbaths (save for one bar scene) and has absolutely no sex or nudity. Both genre and non-genre fans alike will undoubtedly enjoy this masterpiece.   

Near Dark is one of those rare movies that is absolutely flawless in its execution – there is not one false note or shortcoming throughout the picture.  This is quality movie making at its best. The fact that it comes from the critically-lambasted “horror movie 80s” just makes it that much more special.

My Rating - 10 out of 10   

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