The Possession of Michael King

It's been a minute since I posted on this blog, and truth be told there hasn't been much going on in theaters worth writing about, aside from the Only Lovers Left Alive. So the fact this film inspired me to blog about it after a hiatus here, well it says something. A depressing ending makes for a good horror movie. Laughs are cheap. To make some one uncomfortable, claustrophobic or depressed is more of an achievement. This film takes the formula used by the Paranormal Activity films and spins it around in a way that works. Even if you don't normally like found footage films this one is worth a shot. While the acting varies, and some of the effects make the budget appear slightly skimmed, the film some how still manages to work.

Michael King isn't a likable character. He is a jerk, who acts like a dick tracking mediums and occultist down to disprove them. He is a guy with a obvious chip on his shoulder. The typical haunted house element are in place in terms of cast as part of the setting since we have the child and the dog. You would think that when things take a turn against King, it would be a moment you applaud, so they manage to turn that around on you. The documentary element is not new. They way it's handled is smart and works with the final product.

This is not an exorcism movie. He does try to exorcise himself and goes to a priest, but gets a door slammed shut in his face. Not to say it doesn't play off of some of the recent exorcism staples, such as the contortionist bone cracking, but this is done after he hand cuffs himself to the bed in order to get some sleep. In some ways this reminds me of the depiction shown in the Amityville Horror sequel, an under rated movie, even with the Flowers in the Attic elements. Though he does have a good creepy scene with his girl friend who is asleep in bed.

There is minimal what I would consider gore, he does some self mutilation and people die, most of the violence is off screen leaving the damage psychological. Sure they go for some jump scares, that are loud electronic noise and jarring static manipulations to the film, but cgi is minimal for the most part. As far as this sort of thing goes, and I am a big fan of this sort of thing, I would say it falls short of the Last Exorcism, but is better than it's sequel. Not as tense as the Last Exorcism, but you do fear for his family, particularly when shit goes down at the end. Not all the scares are saved for the end, they don't linger to long on the build.

The only flaws in the movie really came from budget issues, but when has that not been a problem with the genre as a whole, I don't really place the blame on the producers of this film as they worked with what they were given and made the best of it. Sure, some of the occult elements are over blown and ridiculous, but if you are looking to horror movie for accuracy in that department, you are much more likely going to find it on the History Channel.

There could also be an argument either for or against Shane Johnson's acting in the lead role. His resume boasts more t.v. than film, but I think he got the job done and really went for it even if it might have come across as over acting at times. The character struck me as coming from that guy you have to hate because he is a cocky jerk, not unlike Micah from the Paranormal Activity films. In the end you kind of feel for him when he see's he has bitten off more than he can chew and is getting doors slammed in his face as his karma becomes the real demon that is haunting him.

The Only Lovers Left Alive

Like Stoker in the sense it has many elements of horror without being a scary movie, the new Jim Jarmusch film is a very character driven film where these characters happen to be vampires. It winks at varied elements of vampire lore, but even then the fact the characters are vampires both is an isn't the crux o the matter.

The humans in the vampires' eyes are the most horrific element, in fact the almost drive Tom Hiddleston to suicide, which of course requires him to have his Renfield go fetch him wooden bullets.The Eve to his Adam Tilda Swinton uses her everlasting love to rescue him from his depression.In many ways this is a romantic comedy , but in Jarmusch's hands the contemplative tone of the movie makes this less offensive than a rom com most commonly is.

The dialogue is what the film rides on , but it is shot in such a way that a ambiance is created, particularly when the vampires take their night cap, which is the only time they get fangy.The soundtrack plays a key role ad Hiddleston's Adam is a reclusive musician, but it is hinted at he may have well been others things, such as the first scientist who like Prometheus brought fire down to the people, using the likes of Tesla and Eddison as the messengers.

The main supernatural quality the vampires posses is living a long time gives you time to get good at a little bt of everything, other than that they have lighting reflexes, but are not strong as it takes to to throw a body in the river.They are emotionally very human, in fact almost experiencing emotions in a hyper sensitive manner, which is made worse by the humans' which they refer to as zombies that keeping fucking up the world around them.

This is a movie without flaw and though not horror it would appeal to horror fans, as it is dark but at the same time sweet, if nothing else it is highly recommended as so far it is likely the best movie of the year.

Byzantium

Byzantium might be one of the best vampires movies in some time. Despite strong showing at film festivals last fall, the theatric release was shamefully limited, though this trend in indie cinema finds the film getting the most exposure as it was just released on Showtime and dvd simultaneously .

 The movie embraces the human elements and romantic notions while keeping things gruesome in small doses when it is called for. The movie is beautifully shot and explores it's own take on the mythos. The vampires are not as supernatural as i might like, hell they don't even have sharp teeth , they just grow a mean thumb nail, not too mention my number one pet , they can walk in daylight. But even with those liberties playing against it the movie was able to win me over.

Vampire exhaust is not at a fever pitch as it was for zombies, who return from the dead became more tedious given the rather hipster cool zombies had taken in the past five years. Vampires are complex emotional creatures where zombie just chew scenery and are more of a back drop. The complex nature of vampires is what the film nails. the mother/whore, always believes she is doing what is best to protect her child, despite the glimpses we see of what a wicked predatory bitch she can be.

The dialogue feels natural and the only melodramatic moments come from the Vampire council who comes to hunt down the rogue vampires. This gives the actors a lot to work with and make their complex relationships and torn natures seem much more believable and answers the question about the nomadic life of a modern day bloodsucker , rather than making them super heroes who happen to suck blood. While my favorite vampires are the more monstrous variety depicted in 30 Days of Night, this is a good movie where the characters happen to be vampires, they very well could have been just serial killers and this movie would have been just as effective.

Saoirse Ronan steals the movie as usual, her acting chops are far superior to Gemma Arterton, whose sex pot vampire role, certainly has it's appeal, as she came across way sexier than she did in Hansel and Gretel Witch Hunters, but Ronan continues to encompass a wider range of emotions in her roles. 

The flash back give you the back round story with out having to start with an origin or lay all the by laws for these vampires out for you. It covers it's bases and makes sense of the unique nature of it's character leaving few plot holes. There was enough of a bitter sweet element to it's ending to leave me statisfied , even though it did not adhere to my no survivors rule on horror movies.

Hopefully the On Demand options Show Time is offering will gain the audience this film deserves, a sequel would only cheapen this film , but the ending leaves it open for one. So if you are tired of the rather high school depictions vampires have gotten lately then this is a film that is worth your time.  

Nurse 3-d

This movie straddles a sometimes campy line and heavy handed premise, but might surprise you with the quality in which this film was made. I'm a fan of violence as long as the blood shed has a certain visually striking element to it. This film delivers that that regard and makes up for the dialogue that seems like it was dumbed down for a broader audience.

The 10 million dollars invested in this film was used very wisely, as the film really looks goo. Some of the sequences made the 3-d nature of the film's theatrical release very apparent, particularly in the high body count of the film final twenty minutes. Lionsgate was very conservative in the release as it opened in only 10 theaters.

Paz de la Huerta who frequently sans her panties for scenes , sometimes plays her role of an obsessed psychopath whose mainly weapon lies between her legs with almost too much camp. Yet it's clear this is stylistically what the film was aiming for, horror fans of the 80's and 90's will get this other audiences might miss the winks to the golden age of cheese that this movie draws inspiration from.

Director Douglas Aarniokoski has been the assistant Director on some high profile classics such as Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas and From Dusk Til Dawn but has only ruled the directors chair on television shows along the lines of Sleepy Hollow and Criminal Minds, the latter shows it's influence the most. Sure there is a Fatal Attraction element to the film, as well as an 80's revenge flick meets torture porn vibe.

With big name actors such as Judd Nelson and Katleen Turner in a few supporting roles the bulk of the film is left to Paz de la Huerta , who uses her t&a more strongly than say Rebecca De Mornay in the Hand That Rocks The Cradle, though I would say Nurse is gory enough to easily cross over from thriller.

Sure sometimes the movie tries too hard to wink at it's naughty hi-jinks, it at times comes across like a tribute to these types of movies in the late 80's the same way Machete wants to be an exploitation film. However if you are like me and grew up on 80's horror then you might have an appreciation for this movie. Who doesn't miss the days where sex and slashing came to the screen hand in hand.

Fans of torture porn and revenge flicks will look past the often card board dialogue and take the movie in for the gory fun it turns into. There is the same blood spurting chaos that Asian extreme is known for though, not taken to such fountain like levels of absurdity. In some ways the main character's break down reminds me of Patrick Bateman from American Pyscho, she starts off with an almost Dexter like mission that descends into a blood bath when she can't keep crazy together. So despite the dialogue it comes pretty close to meeting my expectations.

Dr. Sleep

Thats right a book, remember those things? Can't remember the last time you read one? Well here's the perfect opportunity. Because once upon a time there was this book called the Shining , that was written by  surprise, surprise an alcoholic. Most writers tend to be those , but this writer was named Stephen King. You may or may not have heard of this writer, though it seems he did once upon a time write a good bit of horror that found it's way to the big screen.

The Shining is in fact the best book written on the subject of alcoholism, even better than the so called big book- of Alcoholics Anonymous, which Dr. Sleeps barrows many of it's catch phrases .King sobered up years after writing the Shining , but it was clear he was taring down many of his demons in the bottle while writing it. King found his novel overshadowed by the Stanley Kubrick adaptation, which is one of the few cases where the movie holds up against the book, though King would tell you otherwise.

With the first book's main character Jack Torrance, dead you would think a sequel would prove a challenge. King claims the inspiration for the story came when he was doing a book tour and some one at a signing asked him what ever happened to Danny. This question haunted King for years, he would find himself, doing the math as to how old Danny would be.

The ghosts of the Overlook Hotel do haunt the edges of the narrative, there are new monsters. One of them being the demon in the bottle. Like most children of alcoholics, Danny picks up where his father left off. There is also a nomadic band of psychic vampires, which is one of the defining elements to the story that really separates it from the original story. This also changes the thematic climate, the first book was very much about the horrors of isolation, where as this book is about finding community in unlikely places, some of these communities however are more sinister than others.  

At 531 pages, it still proves a pretty easy read, as you are quickly drawn into it. I read the bulk of it in four hours. Like most of King's work, I am sure it will reach the sliver screen in due time, though King more than likely put a clause in his advance contract to keep Kubrick away from it. SPOILER WARNING: Yes, they do return to the Overlook, it's just different from how it was left. So if you have ever wondered what happened to Danny, then pick this one up and give it a good read. Like most sequels it doesn't have the same impact of it's predecessor, but finds a path of it's own to take.        

The Ten Reasons I Love Horror

Horror wears many masks.As a kid my entry point came through the Universal Monster movies. The monsters in these are more like anti-heroes, it's no surprise Stan Lee modeled many of his super-heroes after them. As  an adolescent I began to need more from horror. Much like my growing love of metal , I needed a more violent and cathartic expression. So here are some of the sub-genres that have kept my love alive for horror over the years.

Revenge Flicks-Oldboy

Chan-wook Park's Old Boy is horror in the same vein as I Spit On Your Grave, though it's much more of a mind fuck. The emotional toil inflicted on the protagonist is even more gripping than the ample amounts of blood shed.

Torture Porn -Hostel 2

 The sequel has much prettier bloodshed  than the original, the Bathory inspired bath tub scen alone beats out the first film.These films work much better than the more gimmicky Saw franchise, as there is a more eroticized undercurrent to the violence.

Exorcisms -The Devil Inside- The Obvious choice would be to go with the Linda Blair classic , which I love but if I was to pop in an exorcism flick right now, it would be this one because I haven't been watching it for the past 25 years. The Last Exorcism might be a better movie in some ways, but the humor intertwined in the front half of the film diminishes it's darkness.

Mad Scientists - the Human Centipede

It was hard to pick between the two, as the sequel a beautifully shot homage at time to Eraserhead. The first film however, its classic for different reasons. At it's core this film is not much different in some respects as than the pulp of  Brain That Wouldn't die, it just took some of the camp out and brought in a more extreme concept. In fact the concept of the film alone brought it notoriety, but the movie was done much more tastefully than you would expect.  

Vampires -30 Days of Night

Sexy vampires are not scary. They are brooding not dark. It works for Buffy, but for horror movies I want these savage vampires who break the rules. They don't have to be invited in, these bloodsuckers come crashing right through your window.

the Occult

Angel Heart- The more Satanic themed films like the Omen and Rosemary's Baby will always hold a place in my heart, but this cautionary tale of when the devil comes down to New Orleans is  more endearing . Things get down and dirty in this Faustian voo-doo yarn, as the protagonist finds himself looking into the bleakest corners his sanity once inhibited.

 Apocalyptic

The Road - The zombie genre or any end of the world film fits here however not all are created equal. The Road is in some respects a dark drama, yet it does have horror qualities such a cannibals and captures a bleaker post-apocalyptic landscape than any Zombie movie in recent memory.The Mist would be a runner up in this category.

Home Invasion -The Strangers

If you make me single out one home invasion film it will be this one in terms of sheer tension it creates. It often captures the type of humiliation factor similar to torture porn. These are really most effective if they adhere to my no survivors rule.

Lovecraftian -From Beyond

Technically Re-animator could fit here, but it's more of a Mad Scientist flick. Stuart Gordon is the master of the Lovecraft adaptations, sure they couldn't be farther from the cryptic printed version of Howard's work, but they are gruesome fun. The sexual elements Gordon injects in these made them perfect for me when I discovered them as a teenager.

Ghost Stories

The Shining -It defies the typical haunted house motifs. The Marriage of Kubrick's cinematography and Nicholson's acting made this one of the horror movies even fans of mainstream cinema respect. It also capture the claustrophobic insanity that when combined with the sinister backdrop of the Overlook can only add up to redrum.