The 5 Worst Movies of 2013

Hello everybody!

I hope you've all been keeping warm or beating the heat depending upon where in the world you all are, my best wishes to you all. It's the end of the calendar year forcing us all to look upon the time past and reflect. Being that I'm in the film business, I too will be putting up my top lists on the site! Specifically, they will cover all the movies released in 2013 that I saw, across all genres. But opposed to "top 10's", I'll be posting "top 5's." So, without any further stalling, let's get to business with my least favorite movies of 2013:

5. Spring Breakers

James Franco is stunning in the role of Alien... And that's about it. Harmony Korine gives us a film with a dense pallet of neon colors that's laden with a soundtrack featuring Skrillex and Britney Spears to name a few. However, the film's sub-par script, overall tone of treating women as objects, and just plain bizarre quality made it not difficult to sit through, but one that I didn't enjoy. The social commentary about the lengths these girls are willing to go to spring break their faces off in Florida was not missed by me, that's for sure, but the activities of drinking, doing drugs, and (in this film) riding scooters among many will certainly make this film a cult classic in the vein of "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas." However, the film is just like Alien says: "Bikinis and big booties."

4. Oz: The Great and Powerful

This is nothing but a cash grab by Disney, based on the writings of L. Frank Baum. The worst part about it is that it definitely shows that is a cash grab. James Franco seems like he "isn't entirely there" for the length of the entire film, relying on his mile wide smile and weird sense of reading lines like a high school drama teacher. Bad CGI, over-the-top performances from its entire cast, and extremely bad editing make it's 130 minute runtime seem like an eternity. But perhaps the biggest crime of all is director Sam Raimi's uninspired vision for the entire film. It's amazing how weird Franco is as an actor. He can deliver a flooring and fantastic performance as he does in the above mentioned "Spring Breakers" and then throws it all out the window in this film.

3. Texas Chainsaw 3D

A reboot of the "Texas Chainsaw Massacre" franchise after Platinum Dunes mis-fired the remade franchise with "Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning." A new batch of characters and a different direction for the series makes for what is perhaps the most pointless film this year. Giving us nothing new in terms of kills we haven't seen before, instead the film delivers a different side to Leatherface that I was not expecting, but not in a good way. Trey Songs is stupid, Alexandra Daddario is miscast, and Tanya Raymonde disappears far too soon (not in the way you may think). This film is truly an embarrassment for the TCM name and legacy, easily being the worst of the sequels to the original film. I was actually pissed off by this movie as I left the theater after seeing it. Seriously, I was upset that this was considered passable enough by executives to be given the TCM name and then released to the public. Whoever was involved in the making of "Texas Chainsaw 3D" should be ashamed.

2. Man of Steel

Perhaps the most bizarre film of this year, Superman returns to the bigscreen in a way that no one could really imagine. Henry Cavill was excellent as Kal-El, but the film greatly suffered because of the lack of chemistry between he and two of the film's leading ladies: Diane Keaton as Martha Kent and of course, Amy Adams as Lois Lane. Adams is great in the film when we see her off on her own or interacting with other members of the cast but stumbles when she has to be the woman of Kal-El's dreams. Seriously, Henry Cavill has better on screen chemistry with his costume than he did with Amy Adams. The third act's endless waves of destruction and over-the-top chaos completely took me out of the film as Zod and Superman resort to throwing themselves through buildings, satellites, and whatever else Zack Snyder probably thought would look cool. Of all of the films I saw this year, Zack Snyder's revival of Superman proved to be the biggest travesty in the world of cinema. However, I was more or less expecting the film to turn out this way based on some of Snyder's past work and was prepared for it. But nothing prepared me for the utter disappointment of...

1. Iron Man 3

That's right. In an era in which Marvel Studios is paving the way for how superhero pictures "should" be made, "Iron Man 3" was dropped to massive box office and for the most part, critical success. And hell, I really enjoyed this movie... Then began to dwell upon it. The Mark 42 suit was billed as one of the film's main draws and then... isn't. The script from director Shane Black was far too childish and comedic than we were lead to believe and Tony Stark was annoying. The ending is by far the stupidest endings to any movie I've seen this year and is one of those "why didn't you do that in the first place" type of things. Dumb. Not to mention the post credits scene, which I loved and was a lot of fun, but ultimately was a cheat. As a matter of fact, Marvel even inserted fake names during the credits of "Iron Man 3" to make the audience wait longer for it. This movie was such a turn off that I was in no hurry to see "Thor: The Dark World" and actually became less excited for "Captain America: The Winter Soldier."Hell, if this is how Marvel could potentially treat all of its brands, I'd be fine with stepping away from Marvel's big screen, post converted 3D adaptations.

ANCHORMAN 2: THE LEGEND CONTINUES (2013)

"The Legend Continues" as we follow what's become of our favorite characters in the sequel to one of the most beloved films of recent memory. Director Adam McKay returns in top form and with the entire cast of "Anchorman", to pick up where "The  Legend of Ron Burgundy" left off. Returning are stars Will Ferrell, Paul Rudd, Steve Carell, David Koechner, and Christina Applegate. Newcomers to the cast are Dylan Baker, Kristen Wiig, Josh Lawson, James Marsden, and Meagan Good.

The film takes place several years after the events of the first. Now relocated in New York City, Ron (Ferrell) has just been fired from his position as co-network anchor while his wife Veronica (Applegate) is promoted to lead anchor of the evening news. His marriage ends up on the rocks and his relationship with his son Walter (Judah Nelson) isn't in any better shape. Ron is then contacted by Freddie Schapp (Baker), a representative of the experimental 24 hour news network GNN, who wants a reliable and likable anchor to fill the graveyard shift from 2am-5am. Defying their boss Linda Jackson (Meagan Good) to try and win a bet against popular and favorite Jack Lime (Marsden), the news team reports on personal interests such as why America is the greatest country on Earth, cute animals, and sexual interest stories, throwing out the real news in favor of what people "want to hear." The team then face resistance from head of the network Kench Allenby and the continued strain of his relationship with Walter and Veronica's new lover, Gary (played by Greg Kinnear).

From left: Paul Rudd, Will Ferrell, David Koechner, and Steve Carell all return to reprise their roles from the first "Anchorman"

A lot of pressure was riding on this film. It gave us classic lines such as "By the beard of Zeus", "Did you just throw a burrito out your window?" and my favorite: "I wanna be on you." "Anchorman 2" is weird, quirky, funny, and a perfect sister film to the first. Ron Burgundy solidifies his legendary status in the annals of pop culture. The chemistry from the first film is back, returning with the principal cast. The new additions add much more to the equation as well. James Marsden is nasty, yet extremely hilarious as Jack Lime and Meagan Good is sexy and powerful as Linda Jackson, the butt of many racist jokes coming from Will Ferrell's brilliant performance.

Where as the first film is more of an adventure film, looking at the crazy lives of the Channel 4 News Team, "Anchorman 2" is a satire on the 24 - Hour news culture that we so insanely turn to for instant news, at all hours of the day. This is definitely one of the film's strongest points, poking fun at the birth of a few modern news trends and exposing them for the sensationalist pseudo-porn that news networks make them into. The scenes with Good's Linda Jackson make the movie comes alive with the fire that she brought to her character.

Linda Jackson is Ron Burgundy's new boss in "Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues"

Steve Carell gets much more screen time in this film as fan-favorite character Brick Tamland. He even gets a love interest with Kristen Wiig's character Chani, making for some of the warmest and weirdest moments in the film. What works so well is that it's much more of an exploration of the principal four "Anchorman" characters, giving each of they actors a chance to really show their stuff off in the scenes where their dialogue gets to really play out into over-the-top goodness. Paul Rudd's lines about returning to Los Angeles to hang out with his buddies the "Lady Killers" was too much for me to handle.

Kristen Wiig as Chani, Brick's crush.

The film does drown at times in its 119 minute runtime. The scene between Burgundy and Jackson in her office is far too long and I found much of the stuff with the Allenby character to be absolutely pointless and unexplored. McKay & Farrell's script runs about 20 minutes too long and at times indulges in its own weirdness for too long. On the opposite end of the spectrum, the scene in which Ron chooses to cover a live high speed pursuit is brilliant and a testament to what great writers McKay and Ferrell are, for the most part. The third act of the film is probably the funniest 30 minutes of any movie you'll see this year.

"Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues" is acfunny and worthy sequel to its predecessor. The script is pretty good but is saved by the excellent performances of its cast. The satirical edge to the film creates an original overtone as opposed to making an alternate version of the first like "The Hangover Part II" blundered with. Deep exploration of the characters also does wonders, making it stand apart from the first, yet feel like a natural continuation of " Anchorman." This movie in no way is on the level that the first is on, but comes close. By the end of this film, you'll wish that "Anchorman 3" was on the way. Sit back, prepare to have fun, and stay classy.

7/10

Rated PG-13
Directed by Adam McKay
Written by Adam McKay and Will Ferrell
Runtime - 119 minutes
7.3 of 10 stars on IMDb
75% on Rotten Tomatoes

THE WOLVERINE (2013)

The superhero genre is not in a good place right now thanks to "The Avengers", a game changer for what can be done within the Superhero genre. It also set the bar very high in terms of superhero pictures' third acts being bigger, louder, and more intense than ever. "The Wolverine" is not a film that conforms to those standards and for that reason, it's my favorite superhero film this year.

Hugh Jackman returns as Logan, better known as Wolverine in the X-Men universe. He is living as a hermit in the Canadian wilderness, haunted by the visions and the memory of Jean Grey (Logan was forced to kill her at the end of "X-Men: The Last Stand"). He is found by Yukio, a mutant who has the power to forsee people's deaths. She then transports him to Japan where he has come face to face with and old ghost of his past: a man named Ichiro Yashida (Haruhiko Yamanouchi), whom Logan saved during the bombing of Nagasaki during World War II. Now an old man, he asks Wolverine for his help to protect his granddaughter, Mariko (Tao Okamoto) from forces after her for an unknown reason. Yashida, wanting to repay his life's debt to logan made him an offer to heal Logan's immortality and transfer the power into his own body. Logan refuses and Yashida dies soon after. A bizarre dream soon follows in which he is "treated" by Dr. Green, the deadly Viper (Svetlana Khodchenkova) in disguise as Yashida's physician.Mariko is kidnapped at her grandfather's funeral and Logan is shot. Logan however, has been wounded and is not healing as quickly as he should. He must race to keep Mariko safe and find out what strange transformation his body is going through.

Energized by the film's foreign setting and new batch of characters, "The Wolverine" is the most refreshing superhero picture this year. James Mangold is the latest director to tackle an "X-Men" film and he does so with as much focus on character as his previous efforts: "Walk the Line", the remake of "3:10 to Yuma", and "Girl, Interrupted." Much of the work is done for him with Hugh Jackman returning to play everybody's favorite on screen X-Man. Jackman, by this point, must know the character better than some of the writers who've written Wovlerine in the comic books over the years. He swears, fights, and loves in a way that's all his own, yet at the same time, pays great homage to the character in the comic book.

Another fun aspect of the "X-Men" pictures is the way they're cast. In this film, we get a majority of unknown actors, making us see the characters as opposed to the actors portraying them. Tao Okamoto is fantastic as Mariko, a woman who is forced into an extraordinary situation that is beyond her comprehension. However, the scenes in which she is forced to be dramatic, she falls a little flat. I personally felt that when she didn't say much at all, she shined on screen letting her body, facial expressions, and actions do all of the talking. She is juxtaposed by her brother in the film, Shingen Yashida, played by Hiroyuki Sanada. Also, the Black Ninja Clan who is sworn to protech the Yashida family is pissed because of the death of Ichiro Yashida, the siblings grandfather.

Svetlana Khodchenkova as Viper in "The Wovlerine"

That's right ladies and gentlemen, Wolverine fights ninjas in this picture. This is where the film really stood out and breathed to me. However, the Japanese geography unfortunately couldn't save this film from falling into usual mindless blockbuster territory in its third act. The typical fight between the hero and villain must happen in these films unfortunately, but in it's defense, it's the first film in the Superhero genre that doesn't have a major city being destroyed in its climax (this film greatly ignored what I call "The Avenger Effect"). However, back to the third act.

The charcter of Viper is pretty weak. As the saying goes, a story is only as good as its villain, isn't kept in mind here. Bad guys are spread pretty thin between the Black Ninja Clan, Viper, the Jean Grey dreams, and some other sthat shouldn't be mentioned to avoid spoiling anything. But back to "Dr. Green", we enver get a proper arc to who she is. She just sort of appears and does her thing, something the film in no way benefits from. Another pitfall is it's somewhat decent script written by Mark Bomback and Scott Frank. I thought there were plenty of scenes in which the dialogue could've been tighter and the pace a little more directed, particularly the scenes in which Logan and Mariko become romantically interested in each other. Luckily, when you have an actor as great as Hugh Jackman, it's easy to miss those sorts of things.

Credit must be given to James Mangold for making this movie something more than what was on the page. His first foray into blockbuster filmmaking is not bad. He communicates his ideas very interestingly. Mangold takes the superhero and moves him from major cities and places him in very interesting places that haven't been done in quite the way he attempted them. We do see our hero in a big city, but Wolverine can't fly, run at incredible speeds or stop bullets. Mangold takes him and puts him in the middle of the metropolis that is Tokyo, the sloping and jagged curves of the Japanese countryside, and right in the middle of the bombing of Nagasaki.

Though not the best superhero movie made, "The Wolverine" was the best Superhero picture made this year thanks to James Mangold's direction, Hugh Jackman's performance, and a surprise plot twist revealed in a mid-credits scene (don't stop watching when the credits roll!). The action set pieces are fantastic (Wovlerine fights ninja trained warriors on top of a high speed train - that's all I need to state), and the exploration of what it means to be human returns as is so frequently in the "X-Men" pictures.

7/10

Rated PG-13
Directed James Mangold
Written by Mark Bomback and Scott Frank
Runtime - 126 minutes
6.8 of 10 stars on IMDb
69% on Rotten Tomatoes
Extended Unrated Edition on Blu-Ray from Amazon
Theatrical edition on Blu-Ray from Amazon

THE HUNGER GAMES: CATCHING FIRE (2013)

For every popular film franchise, there's another that just doesn't quite live up to par, so say the respective fans of each. You can't have good without evil, up without down, "Star Wars" without "Star Trek", and now that 2013 comes to a close "The Hunger Games: Catching Fire" proves to us that the very woodenly named "Twilight Saga" is the poor man's equivalent to Katniss and her band of would be revolutionaries.

The story picks up not long after the events of the first film. Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson) and Katniss Everdeen (The ever-versatile Jennifer Lawrence) are trying to live their lives as winner's of the previous year's Hunger Games in which one contestant from a respective district competes in a "fight-to-the-death" style battle. They must go on a tour to each of the districts in what I assume is their country in their weird Orwellian universe the characters inhabit. However, President Snow (played by a subtly evil Donald Sutherland), the white bearded malicious Santa impersonator  visits Katniss to tell her that he was not fooled by the false romance between she and Peeta at the end of the first film and that her actions have give the oppressed residents of the poorer districts hope - which could lead to a rebellion and eventual overthrow of the government. As a means of destroying Katniss, the new games mark an event happening every 25 years in which previous winners of the games will once again be pitted against each other. These events occur just as Peeta and Katniss attempt to fool the world that their romance is not false and trouble is brewing within the people.

From the left: Josh Hutcherson as Peeta Mellark, Elizabeth Banks as Effie Trinket, and Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss Everdeen

It was obvious to me that the film's writers (Simon Beaufoy and rejected writer for the new "Star Wars" picture Michael Arndt) looked at what are widely regarded as the best sequels of all time and drew plot elements from them. For that reason, I consider this to be a Frankenstein style sequel with the body and limbs of "The Empire Strikes Back" (a rebellion and hope for toppling an oppressive government and an Emperor like and Darth Vader - type figures), the mind of "The Dark Knight" (a much darker tone than its previous film and also showing that people are not always who they appear to be), head of Terminator 2 (all stakes are higher and characters who we thought we knew aren't exactly what they seemed), love triangle of "Spider-Man 2", and the control room of "Westworld."

Jennifer Lawrence really gets to shine in this film being the most sincere female lead in any blockbuster this year. However, at times, I couldn't help but wonder who else would be a great Katniss. The casting was not perfect and Lawrence is not the only actress who would've been great in this role, but her second time around gives her much more to do and to have fun with. Phillip Seymour Hoffman also appears in this film as Plutach Heavensbee, the new planner behind the games and he is laughably dry in the role. Never once does Hoffman wipe the "I'm an asshole" smile off of his face, which frankly, was hilarious every time his mug would come on screen.

Katniss plans her first movie against her competitors at the start of the competition.

Perhaps the biggest stroke of excellence with the film though, is the addition of Francis Lawrence at the helm. As I mentioned above, the action is far more exciting and nail biting this time around. A great example is when Katniss is dropped into the arena for the start of the games and she must swim to the bow in arrow, her weapon of choice, located in a weapons bank before the others can get theirs and do some serious damage to each other. When she is dropped into the arena, the focus to me was more on her and Peeta's survival  where as in the first film it was more of a focus on the spectacle of kids killing other kids. The sequence involving a deadly poison gas cloud was great fun as well. When the first film was released last year, I felt extremely indifferent towards it. I didn't think it was bad, but I didn't think it was very good either. The movie had a very boring pace and attitude about it that treated its subject matter with far too much seriousness. Here, the action is more intense, the drama is heightened, and the film is over all darker than its predecessor. At times, the movie was a little too much like "The Empire Strikes Back" for its rebellion story line and overall darker tone.

The biggest weakness however comes at the beginning of the film during the first act. To me, it wasn't interesting at all and suffered from dull dialogue, soupy dialogue about being in love from Hutcherson, and more dumb dialogue from Jennifer Lawrence after the first stop on the Katniss & Peeta victory tour goes very wrong and the overall pace was non-existent, feeling like the story was crawling along as opposed to racing toward an implied conflict between the people and their government as President Snow had feared.

Although not the best sequel ever made or most remarkable film out this year, "The Hunger Games: Catching Fire" took many risks that paid off. A new director, batch of characters, and appeal to a wider audience have made the film not only appealing to fans of Suzanne Collins' novel, but the uninitiated as well. Jennifer Lawrence is finally "growing into her shoes" as Katniss and the supporting cast is much more likable this time around, strangely. Woody Harrelson is charming and Elizabeth Banks is bubbly. If the second movie is this much of a leap and bound better than the first, I cant wait to see what will be in store for "Mockingjay."

7/10

Rated PG-13
Directed by Francis Lawrence
Written by Simon Beaufoy and Michael Arndt
Based on the novel by Suzanne Collins
Runtime - 146 minutes
8.2 of 10 stars on IMDb
89% on Rotten Tomatoes

ALL IS LOST (2013)

"All Is Lost" is the prime example of how you take an actor and push them to their limits. Robert Redford has had a career as long and diverse as any decent actor in Hollywood, so how do you challenge yourself when you've pretty much done it all? The answer is this film. Redford is by himself the entire picture, saying hardly any dialogue and relying on facial expressions, body language, and his environment to tell the story of a nameless charcter (referred to as "Our Man" in the end credits) who faces one large calamity after another at sea.

The story begins with a shock to "Our Man" (Redford) as he is awoken by a tremendous crashing noise. His sailboat, the Virginia Jean has taken a hit from a rogue metal shipping container that collided with his vessel. Soon after, he finds himself having to repair his ship and face deadly surges caused by a large storm that his vessel, is heading straight for.

Robert Redford plays "Our Man", a man whose ship is damaged at sea.

The plot is relatively simple, almost too simple. As a matter of face, the script for the film was only about 32 pages long. Our Man speaks only three times that I can recall in the film, needing Redford to largely communicate what the character was feeling through his actions, emotions, and projections on his face. From the very beginning, there is no clear indication if Our Man will ever be rescued and the movie has only one real "plot point": survival. There is no A-B-C story here, there is a typical three act structure, but all of that doesn't matter in the film's grand scheme. The movie is about survival. Will our man make it out alive?

As is usual in these sorts of films, there is some form of indication that our characters will be okay, but director J.C. Chandor (who also wrote the script) brilliantly creates a scenario which gives the audience no hope at all, replicating the feeling that Our Man must ahve been experiencing the very moment it occurs on screen. I can't remember the last time that a one man film had such power. Francis Lawrence's "I Am Legend" strived to do what "All Is Lost" does, but failed because Will Smith just isn't on the level that Robert Redford is as an actor. I was convinced by the end of the film that Redford can do anything and do it extremely well (we'll be seeing him next in "Captain America: The Winter Soldier" as the head of S.H.I.E.L.D., finally moving into blockbusters after having a mostly dramatic career). Had this film been in anyone else's hands, it wouldn't have worked. He is an everyman, yet at the same time, he is hypnotizing. We're forced to keep our eyes on him the entire film which then forces us to panic when he dips underwater or is suddenly faced with having to complete a seemingly impossible task like finding fresh water.

Things are not looking good as the Virginia Jean enters a fierce storm.

My favorite scene in the film however is the final time that Our Man gets to go through any sort of daily routine. He shaves his face, has a meal, and tries to get some sleep as he heads into a monster of a storm. The audience feels what he probably was experiencing at that point: this is the last time that he'll get to do any of the mundane tasks of life for at least a while. Possibly never again. It's heartbreaking, yet at the same time, inspiring. Robert Redford again sells this scene without needing to say a single freaking word.

The score for the film was written by Alex Ebert and plays an extremely crucial role in the film. Since we are left with no dialogue from our main character, sound design and the film's score must be kicked into high gear, in theory. Bernard Herrman once said "a film's score says what actor cannot" and he was certainly right in this case. The score is played by only about a half dozen musicians and is as frail, sensitive, and sad as Our Man. Also, wide shots of the massive and expansive sea become extremely claustrophobic as there is absolutely no land or help in sight. However, hidden within the main theme was a sense of hope. I wanted him to be okay and to come out alive.

It is impossible to say too much about this film without spoiling anything, so I'll keep this brief. "All Is Lost" is a lesson in what great acting, writing, and directing can do. J.C. Chandor paints a picture entirely with sound, visuals, and the performance of a legendary actor who stepped up to the plate with tremendous results. The film is beautifully lit by cinematographers Frank G. DeMarco and Peter Zuccarini. Together the actor and crew created a terrifyingly beautiful tale at how unforgiving mother nature can be and how the conviction of a single person can go a long way.

8.5/10

Rated R
Written & Directed by J.C. Chandor
Runtime - 106 minutes
7.5 stars of 10 on IMDb
94% on Rotten Tomatoes

THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL (1951) - CINEMA CLASSICS

In the lexicon of science fiction, very few titles have as much power as Robert Wise's 1951 classic "The Day the Earth Stood Still." The title alone is one that strikes mystery, intrigue, and albeit fear into whoever comes across the poster or title at a video store or online. As a fan of the science fiction genre, I don't know what took me this long to get around to watching it. One thing I can say though, is that it was certainly worth the wait.

World War II has ended. The baby boom generation is young. And the world's politicians are now knee deep in cold war paranoia, nuclear fears, and ideals. Across the globe, radar systems track a flying saucer that has entered Earth's atmosphere and has come to rest upon the President's Park in Washington D.C. (because, you know... America). Inside is an enormous robot named Gort and the extraterrestrial who controls him, a humanoid by the name of Klaatu (Michael Rennie) has come to Earth with a mission of peace and warning, but before he can deliver his message, he's shot and placed under arrest by the US military (because, you know... America). The Presidential Secretary (Frank Conroy)speaks to Klaatu and it is revealed that he must speak to the United Nations because he brings a warning with dire consequences for Earth should it not be heeded. Taking on the fake name of Carpenter, Klaatu manages to escape and finds refuge with an unsuspecting family made up of single mom Helen Benson (Patricia Neal) and her son, Bobby (Billy Gray). He tries to get in touch with Professor Robert Barnhardt (Sam Jaffe), a man who can assemble the scientific pioneers of the world in hopes of saving humanity. Meanwhile, a manhunt of gargantuan proportions escalates as the US Military tries to close in on Klaatu.

Gort, a massive metallic sentinel sent to assure the safety of Klaatu on his mission, played by Lock Martin

What sets this film apart from the B-flying saucer pictures of its day is that Edmund H. North's script sets out to become greater than what is set at face value. So much so that even director Robert Wise has said that he didn't fully see the film's symbolic meanings until years later. However, a big theme that was confirmed to me by the end of the film (which I will not speak about due to major spoilers) is that it's very much the story of the Messiah. That's right, Jesus.

Klaatu comes to Earth to try and save humanity. Bullets can kill him, but he can heal more quickly than a normal human. A modern day re-telling of the story of Jesus begs the question, would we be afraid of this man? And as a result, would we quickly make him out to be a criminal bent on doing more harm than good. Don't belive me? Here's some more proof: Klaatu hides using the name "Mr. Carpenter." What was Jesus' profession again?

Another element the film plays up is the media and how news travels between people. When Klaatu (pronounced cla-two) moves into the boarding home belonging to Bobby and Helen Benson, the other boarders gossip as to what sort of evils the fugitive extraterrestrial may be up to. Even today with the advent of social media such as Facebook and Twitter. This topic has never been more relevant as it has today, the film really was leaps and bounds ahead of its time. Especially in this regard.

Michael Rennie as Klaatu

However, my favorite part about every message in the film is that ultimately, our fate is in our own hands. Part of the reason I love the films of John Carpenter, for example, is because of his very dark outlook about humanity. "The Day the Earth Stood Still" certainly does not tell us that when left in the hands of humans, our fate will not be a good one. But instead, the film makes us decide. Will humanity heed Klaatu's warning, or will we continue to live as we had been. It's the neutrality of the decision that makes Robert Wise's film so powerful. The ending isn't necessarily open ended nor is it set in stone. When the film was over, I was left with a feeling of wanting more!

I can't talk about this movie without mentioning the music written by Bernard Herrmann. For the film, in addition to the traditional instruments of the orchestra, Herrmann wrote a part for two Theremins, an instrument that uses antennae and radio waves to make a sound. It's this other worldly noise that give the film a super eerie edge. The Theremin was used in B-Movie score prior to "Day the Earth", but never quite in this fashion.

Klaatu's craft lands at the President's Park in Washington D.C.

However, one problem that I had with the film was in the third act, when Helen must confront the robotic leviathan Gort. Patricia Neal plays a very strong female character who is trying to not only raise her son and watch over his newfound friendship with Mr. Carpenter, but she also has to deal with Tom Stephens (Hugh Marlowe), her boyfriend who seeks a career of political fame. However, in the third act, she succumbs to the typical "damsel in distress" antics that these movies so famously made stereotypical. However, it's only for a moment. Just as quickly, she turns it off, which I found even more annoying. I don't understand why the filmmakers felt it necessary for her character to flip out for a moment only to get a grasp of herself in one of the next shots. Panic? Maybe, but it was a very ineffective way to communicate it.

"The Day the Earth Stood Still" is a landmark in cinematic storytelling and delivers a message that's still very much present today. Robert Wise uses beautiful lightning (the scene where Klaatu enters the boarding house for the first time comes to mind), crisp writing, and superb acting to tell his story. I can't believe I've owned the disc since July and hadn't watched it until just last week. I loved this movie so much that I am in no way going to go near the remake that was done a few years ago. The film is from the 50's so it is a little corny and plays like a stale episode of the "Twilight Zone" at times, but that doesn't detract from the power of its story and the reminder that the salvation and destruction of mankind is in our own hands.

8/10

Rated G
Directed by Robert Wise
Written by Edmund H. North
Based on a story by Harry Bates
Runtime - 92 Minutes
7.8 stars of 10 on IMDb
96% on Rotten Tomatoes
The Day the Earth Stood Still on Blu-Ray from Amazon

CAPTAIN PHILLIPS (2013)

Captain Richard Phillips was taken hostage by Somali pirates in the Spring of 2009. For those who remember the story, it was a harrowing time for the US military and those directly involved. Now in 2013, director Paul Greengrass has adapted the story for the big screen starring Tom Hanks, Catherine Keener (briefly), and Barkhad Abdi as the leader of the Somali Pirate band.

Captain Richard Phillips is on another routine shipping route going from Oman to Mombasa when his boat, the MV Maersk Alabama, is intercepted by Pirates from Somalia. Early in the film we see the band of hijackers put together. Lead by Abduwali Muse (Abdi), a young man who is physically small (being referred to as "Skinny" by Mahat M. Ali's character, Elmi). However, he is on a mission to prove himself to the rest of his tribe. Muse is sets his sights on raiding an enormous vessel, in this case, the Maersk Alabama, Captained by Richard Phillips (Tom Hanks). A by the book, no frills Captain, Phillips runs a piracy drill when it suddenly becomes the real thing. When the Somalians finally board the ship, they hold the crew on the bridge hostage as the rest of the ship's crewmen hide themselves in the engine room. Finally, as a last ditch effort to get some real money out of the situation, Muse and his crew board a small lifeboat on the Maersk and take Phillips hostage, asking for millions of dollars in his return.

The Somali pirates attempt to board the Maersk Alabama in "Captain Phillips"

Captain Phillips is not your typical hijacking action picture (this certainly isn't an "average joe" version of "Air Force One" set at sea). Director Paul Greengrass takes his style that made his previous works very difficult to watch (depending on what school of thought you belong to) and makes "Captain Phillips" seem like a bizarre voyeuristic look at something the American public heard about on the news. I wouldn't necessarily call it a "fly-on-the-wall" style approach, but to me, the shaky cam style felt much more at home with Captain Phillips than it did with Bourne. Greengrass has honed his technique enough to add even more to a visual depth to the movie's dry hues of brown, oranges, yellows, and blues.

What really sells this movie and makes it an excellent experience is the lead performance of both Tom Hanks and Barkhad Abdi. If one of those two roles wasn't cast solidly, I don't think the film would have worked on the level that it did. Francine Maisler must be praised for assembling a small cast within a much larger supporting cast of blank militaristic hair cuts, sweaty sea pirates, and panicked American sailors. The film goes into overdrive when Muse, Elmi, Bilal (Barkhad Abdirahman), and Najee (Faysal Ahmed) enter the lifeboat.

Tom Hanks deals with the hijackers as Richard Phillips

One would think that because many people went into the theatre knowing the ending, the film would suffer because of it. After all, the true life story of what really occurred was heavily covered by American and global news outlets. But when it came down to it, none of it mattered. The film was every bit as nail biting and extremely intense as if I'd never known any of the elements of what occurred.

The script is every bit as tight as the claustrophobic passage ways aboard the Alabama. Another element of the script that I really loved? The film becomes twice as intense and claustrophobic when Phillips and the hijackers enter the tiny lifeboat in which the film's third act takes place. Well done, Mr. Greengrass. As the Oscar race heats up, I wouldn't be surprised if both Hanks and Abdi garnered nominations in the Lead and Supporting Actor categories respectively. "Captain Phillips" is a tight, intense, and brilliantly made film that crosses multiple genres and does them well. Hanks is hypnotizing in the lead role as a man who just wants to go home.

8/10

Rated PG - 13
Directed by Paul Greengrass
Written by Billy Ray
Based on the book A Captain's Duty by Richard Phillips
Runtime - 134 minutes
8.1 stars on IMDb
94% on Rotten Tomatoes

THE WORLD'S END (2013)

To those lucky enough to have discovered the first two films in Edgar Wright's "Cornetto Trilogy" early on, it became apparent that the people who made these films had something special about them. What that "special thing" is may never be answered, but one thing was for certain: Whatever charm or special something that actors Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, and director Edgar Wright have in common translated to brilliance on film. The "Cornetto" films were titled as such because they each feature the appearance of a Cornetto ice cream treat in some form, several of the same actors appear in each film (with the cast being lead by Pegg and Frost), scripts penned by both Wright and Pegg, all three were directed by Wright, and they all feature the "normal man in an extraordinary situation" style story.

The film centers around the reunion of 5 high school friends who 20 years earlier, attempted a pub crawl of epic proportions: 5 guys, 12 pubs, and 1 pint of beer from each watering hole for each of them. Their small town of Newton Haven proudly calls this strip of drinkery the "Golden Mile." However, the 5 of them didn't make it to the end, failing to complete the final goal, each of them blundering in some form or another. The quintet is lead by Gary King (Pegg),a middle aged man stuck in the long past prime of his high school days. His friend Andy (played by a surprisingly dramatic Nick Frost), Steven (Paddy Considine), Oliver (Martin Freeman), and Peter (Eddie Marsan) all return to finish what they had started years earlier. However, upon returning to Newton Haven, they notice that things aren't quite like they used to be. Not only have locations changed and some of the pubs have been made to look like one another (Starbucking as Steven calls it in the film), but the people are acting very strangely. Before the end of the night, the group discovers that the dark secret Newton Haven is hiding beneath its seemingly normal exterior. As the grop gets more and more drunk, they realize their odds of leaving Newton Haven alive dwindle.

From left: Oliver (Martin Freeman), Steven (Paddy Considine), Gary (Simon Pegg), Andy (Nick Frost), and Peter (Eddie Marsan) return to their hometown of Newton Haven to finish a pub crawl they never completed in high school.

As with "Shaun of the Dead" and "Hot Fuzz", the script from the mind of Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg is tight, well put together, and brilliantly written. Never once in the film do are characters have a glimmer of interpretation. What I mean by that is that in this film Simon Pegg was born to play Gary King. Nick Frost was born to play Andy Knightley. The same can be said for the rest of the cast. Every role is perfectly filled. A factor in that is more than likely that Pegg and Wright tailored their scripts to individual actors when revisions began before production, after all, all of the principal actors except for Eddie Marsan have been in at least one of the other "Cornetto" films (The Andies, anyone?).

However, a really stunning turn, and this is coming from being a huge fan of the first two films, is that Nick Frost's character loathes Pegg's. Definitely one of the more surprising and risky aspects of the entire film. Where in "Shaun" Pegg as the titular charcter was a grown man who just needed to get over being stuck in his mediocre job and life, "World's End" finds Pegg having to give us a character who refuses to grow up, leading to quite possibly, the best confrontation between two characters (Andy & Gary) in any movie released this summer.

Rosamund Pike as Sam, sister to Oliver, played by Martin Freeman in "The World's End"

I can't sing enough Praise for Wright. Under his direction, the film's action sequences really shine in both an original and geeky way. His film oozes homages to "Invasion of the Body Snatcher", "Westworld", "The Omen", and "Road Warrior" among many. At times though, it feels like Wright is more comfortable paying homage to other filmmakers than stepping into his own realm, much like John Carpenter. So in a way, Wright is the modern John Carpenter? I'm blowing my own mind here.

Newton Haven certainly does posses the small town feeling that makes films like "Tremors", "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" or "Halloween III: Season of the Witch" so creepy. Behind the façade of normalcy, lie everybody's deep dark secrets. Though this theme is nothing new, the film explores the topic from a technological standpoint. Machines are now everywhere, but can people be as cold and calculating as a computer? Another fantastic overtone to the films is putting the past behind you. Personally, I know people like Gary King who are stuck in their high school days. Simon Pegg is brilliant in the role, having nothing but fun and selling the character. Also, I had a friend who always wore Doc Martins in high school and in this film, Gary wears DM's. A very cool and authentic touch. A lot of great comedy is shared between Simon Pegg and Oliver's sister Sam (played by Rosamund Pike).

Simon Pegg delivers the performance of his career as Gary King

Of the three films however, this one is definitely the most serious. In "Shaun" and "Hot Fuzz", the audience gets to see the transformation of Pegg's character from the beginning to the end of the film. In "World's End", we're dealing with a man who refuses to grow up, especially as society is quickly changing around him. In brilliant Wright fashion, there is plenty of foreshadowing of future events through things we see the characters do and speak about. Hell even the title itself points to the direction the movie is going in, but which one!? There are multiple routes to take, however, they all lead to the same conclusion. Brilliant.

Another interesting aspect to keep your eyes peeled for are the frequent references to Arthurian Legend. Our main character is named Gary King. His friend's name? Andy Knightly. Beer of choice? Golden Crown. Here's another possibility that dawned on me after seeing the film a second time: the movie could be a metaphor for the current state of Hollywood filmmaking. Reboots and even Starbucking (nothing being original, but looking like new versions of something old), mentioned in the film to describe the first pubs our characters enter. I'll let the viewers decide on that one. But the last thing to look out for, pay particularly close attention to the use of the color blue in the film.

"The World's End" is the final film in the "Cornetto Trilogy", following genius zombie rom-com "Shaun of the Dead" and the masterfully made "Hot Fuzz." "End" is the most daring, ambitious, boldest, and most profound film Wright has made to date. For the fans of the trilogy, there are plenty of running gags kept throughout all three films that return here. The film has nothing but heart and sets out to make us laugh and even ponder how much technology has a grasp on our daily lives. It is a perfect book end to the trio of movies and one of the best films of the year. If you missed it in theatres, I can't recommend it enough. Pick up a copy on Blu-Ray, pour yourself a pint, and enjoy the ride.

9.5/10

• Rated R
• Directed by Edgar Wright
• Written by Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg
• Runtime - 109 minutes
• The World's End on Blu-Ray; Cornetto Trilogy Collection on Blu-Ray
• 7.3 of 10 stars on IMDb
• 89% on Rotten Tomatoes

Barnes & Noble's 50 Off The Criterion Collection Sale - UPDATE #2

It's that time again folks!

Payday at work was this past weekend, so that means that it was time to make a trip down to my local Barnes & Noble Booksellers in Ventura, CA to pick up some more titles on the Criterion Collection while their 50% off sale is still happening!

I picked up two titles I've always wanted to watch this past Monday. One of them being horror, because - you know... I'm the horror guy (see every post in the month of October if you don't know what I'm talking about). In actuality, I bought three titles this evening, but one of them is a gift for a professor of mine. Here are pics of what I got for myself up today and what I've picked up so far!

Thank you all for reading and I'll talk to you all once more for update #3!

• The Night of the Hunter (1955)
• El Norte  (1982)

And here's what I've picked up this far as part of the sale, for myself:

• Criterion Update #1

MAN OF STEEL (2013)

After the financial and critical blunder of "Superman Returns" (a film I actually enjoyed), Kal-El returns to Earth in the Superman franchise reboot "Man of Steel". The cast includes relative unknown Henry Cavill as Kal-El and seasoned veterans like Michael Shannon, Laurence Fishburne, Amy Adams, Diane Lane, Kevin Costner, and Russell Crowe in the supporting cast. The film is directed by visionary Zack Snyder with a story from executive producer Christopher Nolan and a script written by David S. Goyer, writer of "The Dark Knight." Now that I've listed a lot of the names behind this film in that order it absolutely astonishes me that "Man of Steel" only holds the audience's interest in bursts. The film is bloated, top heavy, and for a great deal of screen time, a mess. However, within the chaos are glimmers of hope that make me want to believe that something great is in store.

The film's story centers around the salvation of Kal-El, son of Jor-El (Russell Crowe), the planet Krypton's most brilliant scientist. Warning the Kryptonian high council that the depletion of natural resources on the planet will lead to it's destruction, he is ignored. Meanwhile, Krypton's military leader, General Zod (Michael Shannon), stages a coup that lands him and his conspirators a one way trip to the Phantom Zone, an alternate dimension that is used to imprison criminals. To save his son, he and his wife send the boy to planet Earth, where the atmosphere will support him. However, the combination of less gravity than on Krypton and the yellow sun will give him powers that will defy comprehension. Baby Kal is sent off in time to be saved. Krypton is destroyed. On Earth, we follow a more adult Kal (Henry Cavill) and flash back to a younger one as well (played at different ages by both Cooper Timberline and Dylan Sprayberry). Because of the destruction of Krypton, Zod and his fellow para-military villains are freed and his has set his sights on finding and destroying Kal-El, in a personal vendetta against Jor-El.

Henry Cavill as Superman in "Man of Steel"

A great deal of the film's story is set away from the city of Metropolis, which is a staple of the Superman universe, much like Gotham is to Batman. The fact that we don't really see much of Metropolis until the second act was something that I thought was a breath of fresh air and reminiscent of "Superman: The Movie."A large portion of action takes place at the Kent family farm and downtown Smallville. This is where the production got a little carried away with product placement. When Zod finally returns to Earth, he chooses to engage Kal-El in one of the places he holds close to his heart: Ihop. Well, more specifically the Ihop located in Downtown Smallville. When they finally break free, I was relieved that the scene would finally continue and the the filmmakers had gotten their sponsor's 15 minutes of fame portion out of the way - when they crash into a Sears. Who knew that Smallville, what's supposed to be a small town in the heartland of America had so many places to shop?

Adding to the film's epic scope, is the discovery of a Kryptonian scout ship frozen in ice. Kal manages to get get on to the crew working the find using a false identity, something he'd been doing for ages, living a nomadic lifestyle moving from job to job. This was yet another new take on the character that I felt is what was needed. For so long, we've seen Superman stand for all that is right and also, live what is right. He had a good job, home, and kept his head down as Clark Kent (a name given to him by Jonathan and Martha Kent, his Earth parents played by Kevin Costner and Dian Lane respectively). Instead, we see Superman as a dirty, bearded, and homeless man with seemingly no happy ending in sight. Anyway, back to that ship that just so happened to be in the ice. Ace reporter Lois Lane from The Daily Planet, Metropolis' top newspaper, is covering the story when she encounters Kal.

Michael Shannon steals the show as General Zod.

Talk about no chemistry. Amy Adams was great as Lois Lane when she argued with her editor Perry White (Laurence Fishburne) or was out doing research trying to find the mysterious identity of the man she met in the arctic. But as soon as she begins to interact with Cavill as Superman, any spark to her character is lost. The two have absolutely no chemistry together and the film suffers for it. It seemed as though Adams was not the first choice for the role of Lois, nor the last, but she doesn't seem to be the right fit for it. This is indeed a really bizarre aspect of the film because every actor in it besides Adams feels perfectly cast.

However, the saving grace of the film are the performances of Michael Shannon as Zod, Russell Crowe as Jor-El, and Kevin Costner as Jonathan Kent. All three actors added so much depth to the dialogue which they spoke that their appearances on screen made me feel like I was watching the comic book characters brought to life as opposed to a live action adaptation of them. Shannon steals the film, outshining everyone, Cavill included. His performance as Zod was scary, dark, and full of conviction. As Krypton's military leader, his job and sole purpose in life was to ensure the survival of Krypton and its citizens. He failed. So naturally, he's pissed. However, something happened that I wasn't expecting. In act III of the film, in which the final conflict is reached, I felt for Zod. There was something I wasn't at all expecting to happen.

That leads me to my next point: the movie's final confrontation and climax. I will not address the final battle between Zod and Ka-El in "Man of Steel" due to a major spoiler. Instead, I will post a new entry discussing the ending of the film and what it could mean for our character. The final battle is a great way to sum up the experience of watching this film: It's loud, violently edited, and too over-the-top. Ironically enough, I'd say that in the process of saving Metropolis and the rest of the world, Superman actually destroyed a lot of it. I'm not kidding. The city is left in ruins. Zod delivers a final commentary to Kal in a gray field of rubble before throwing Kal through more buildings. Building fall on top of buildings, jets crash into city streets, and hundreds run for cover, all as Hans Zimmer's rigidly over-produced score blast through whatever speakers were unlucky enough to be used by you to watch the film.

Things aren't going very well in the city of Metropolis.

I don't understand how anyone would accept Superman after pretty much wiping the city clean off of the face the Earth to supposedly "save it." The script is long and it suffers from David S. Goyer attempting to create a modern Iliad. Superman is the stuff of legend for today's young generations (the case could be made that superheroes are the Greek Gods of today) of kids, but the Phoenix must rise from the ashes right? And it does. At its heart, "Man of Steel" is a story about first contact. What if suddenly, the existence of extraterrestrials was confirmed and one of them had been living among us all along? The film does explore these topics in subtle and not so subtle ways. With Zack Snyder, who in my opinion is the worst director our there today, at the helm, the film is too long, too effects heavy and uninspired to warrant a second watch, but contains the seeds of what will hopefully lead to far more interesting Superman stories. As expected, a sequel to the film was announced not long after "Man of Steel" opened, confirming that the creative team needed to get Superman's origin out of the way to move on to bigger story arcs:

5/10

• Rated PG-13
• Directed by Zack Snyder
• Written by David S. Goyer
• Story by Christopher Nolan and David S. Goyer
• Runtime - 143 minutes
• 7.4 of 10 stars on IMDb
• 56% on Rotten Tomatoes
• Man of Steel on Blu-Ray

Barnes & Noble's 50% Off The Criterion Collection Sale - Update #1

Today, I stopped by my local Barnes & Noble store in Ventura to take advantage of the Criterion Collection being marked at 50% off. The sale usually comes twice a year, sometime in August and once again during the fall. In August, money was tight, so I had to watch my pocketbook pretty closely. Being that I have a job now, I was able to go a little bit more crazy this time around!

I love stepping over the the Criterion section of B&N and seeing all of the films that could potentially become favorites, great memories, or a great study in all things cinematic. Unfortunately, many of the films of the Criterion name have gone unwatched by me, something I intend to change slowly but surely.  I spent more than I should have, but I regret nothing! All titles are currently marked down, as I mentioned, so advantages must be taken, corners cut, and Blu Ray players activated.

Here are the films I picked up today:

• Che (2008)

• Charade (1963)

• The Uninvited (1944)

Part 2 will be coming up soon! The sale goes on through December 2nd.

The Barnes & Noble Criterion Collection Sale - Fall 2013 Edition!!!!

There are multiple things that I look forward to every year: John Williams at the Hollywood Bowl, seeing Brain Wilson live in concert, Thanksgiving, and the Summer and Fall Criterion 50% off sales at Barnes & Noble! One of which is upon us now! Stay tuned for more details including dates, my must own Criterion picks, and what I'll pick up from the sale! All the exclamation marks after every sentence don't do my excitement justice!!! I MUST TYPE IN ALL CAPS!

• For more info on the Criterion Collection visit their official site: http://www.criterion.com/
• Ryan Ghallager runs CriterionCast, a regular podcast about all things Criterion including upcoming releases, reviews, and panel discussions on films in general, you can find his site here: http://criterioncast.com/
• And of course, here's the link for the sale on Barnes & Noble's website - but as it has happened in the past, you can also find the 50% off deals at your local B&N stor as well: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/u/Criterion-Collection-Blu-ray-Disc-DVD-Special-Editions/379003202?cm_mmc=AFFILIATES-_-Linkshare-_-asRKMkp*Elc-_-10:1&r=1

Thank you all so much for reading!

Cheers, everyone!

JOHN CARPENTER'S HALLOWEEN (1978) - 31 DAYS OF TERROR

DAY 31 

A fitting end to the final day of our countdown: "John Carpenter's Halloween." A film that is largely unexplained, dark, and immensely scary. The film tells the story of Michael Myers, an escaped patient from a mental ward who is stalking baby sitters for seemingly no reason. Following his first two low budget features ("Dark Star" and the equally incredible "Assault on Precinct 13"), Carpenter honed his craft enough to make "Halloween" look like a multi-million dollar feature film. Shot for $325,000 dollars and filmed over the course of 4 weeks, the film stars Jamie Lee Curtis, Donald Pleasence, and Charles Cyphers.

On Halloween night 1963, little Michael Myers murders his older sister Judith in her upstairs bedroom of their family home in Haddonfield, Illinois. 15 years after being committed to Smith's Grove Sanitorium, Doctor Sam Loomis (Pleasence) witnesses the escape of his patient, Myers (portrayed by both Nick Castle and Tony Moran). Loomis then warns Haddonfield Sheriff Leigh Brackett (Cyphers) that Myers is returning home to kill once more. Meanwhile, we meet Laurie Strode (Curtis) and her friends Annie (credited in this film as Nancy Loomis) and Lynda (P.J. Soles). Laurie is the conservative school girl in her wild and horny group of friends. The trio will eventually meet up later that night as Laurie is babysitting little Tommy Doyle while Annie is across the street with Lindsay Wallace. However, as the night progresses, Myers - who I will refer to as The Shape, get's closer and closer to the unsuspecting girls.

The mask used in the film is actually a Captain Kirk mask spray painted white, with the eye holes cut a bit larger.

"Halloween" night was originally titled "The Babysitter Murders" by Carpenter when the film was being written. It was producer Irwin Yablans who suggested setting the film on Halloween night and changing the title to "Halloween."The film's setting is a perfect plot to device for our characters to think The Shape is just another student from their high school in a mask playing a prank on them. Their dismissal of course eventually leads to Myers having the upper hand. The Shape's mask is the perfect symbol of evil. It's so clean, pale, and white that the audience can project whatever they're afraid of onto it. Beneath the mask could be anything. The devil, a monster, or just a man. Also, it's eerie shade of white stands out against Dean Cundey's darkly lit sets, popping out against the backgrounds like one of those dead lights that Penny Wise the clown talked about in "It."

Jamie Lee Curtis in her debut gives the film a sense of legitimacy, being the daughter of legendary actress Janet Leigh, who played Marion Crane in Hitchcock's "Psycho." This film is filled with homages to the classic horror films from the Hammer company across the pond. Hell, even Donald Pleasence is in it as The Shape's doctor, Loomis. A lot of the films urgency and terror comes as a result of Loomis' dialogue, talking about Myers as nothing but pure evil. Behind his two dark eyes, is nothing, according to him. No reason, no mind, just pure evil. That is the only real explanation that Carpenter gives us as to why The Shape is stalking these girls. He IS the Boogeyman and is alive only to strike feat into the hearts of those unfortunate enough to cross his path. Charles Cyphers provides an awesome foil to the seriousness of Loomis' character. Carpenter balanced out the film perfectly. We have loose, sleazy, and fun characters like Lynda and Annie, but Laurie holds the other side of the film down. We see this throughout "Halloween."

Jamie Lee Curtis in her debut role as "Laurie Strode" in "John Carpenter's Halloween."

After you watch the picture, John Carpenter's eerie minimalistic score will stay with you long after the credits role. The score perfectly captures the simplistic essence of the film and then embodies it in 5/4 meter. The majority of popular music is in a double meter (think of a rock back beat where you can clap on 2 & 4 easily), but Carpenter's score is in a bizarre meter that feels like something isn't quite right, which they're certainly not for our characters. Most interesting is the film's third act in which Laurie finally needs to defend herself from The Shape. Yes, surprise, there's a final confrontation between our villain and heroine. Instead of Laurie cowering in a corner, she actually gets to fight back against Myers. "Halloween" does not demean women in any way. We're seeing teenagers, but the type of teenagers we're seeing are not the 80's screwball, raunchy comedy characters.

John Carpenter is an absolute master. By the time he made this film, he had come into his own as a mature, masterful, and excellent filmmaker. He toys with his audience by denying them information, then creates characters that can seemingly go at any moment on screen. His point of view shots through The Shape's eyes force the audience to be a part of his world. The breathing we hear during a montage in the film tells us that he's out there, hiding in the dark. He could be anywhere. He could be anyone, after all, Carpenter didn't give us a monster, clown, or animal mask to fear. Instead Michael Myers wears the ambiguous pale face of a man.

10/10

Rated R
Directed by John Carpenter
Written by John Carpenter and Debra Hill
Runtime - 91 minutes
Suggested edition: 35th Anniversary Blu-Ray release from Anchor Bay or the 25th Anniversary Divimax Edition for it's excellent bonus features.
7.9 of 10 stars on IMDb
94% on Rotten Tomatoes

JOHN CARPENTER'S THE THING (1982) - 31 DAYS OF TERROR

DAY 30

Of all of the films featured over the last month, "John Carpenter's The Thing" has a special place in my heart. It is not only one of the best all around films featured on the 31 Days of Terror, but just one of the best, period. It's a film that is dark, bleak, daring, unforgiving, and brilliantly written. Upon release, the film was passed off as another piece of sci-fi trash, Carpenter being called a pornographer of violence. However, "The Thing" is far from it.

The film finds a team of scientists at an American Antarctic research station who involuntarily become involved in a chase for an Alaskan malamute. The dog is being pursued by two Norwegian men who become killed in their attempts to catch the dog. R.J. MacReady (Kurt Russell), the camp pilot, and Copper (Richard Dysart), the camp's doctor, head over to the Norwegian outpost to find out what happened to them. Upon discovering it, they see it is badly burned. A bizarre pseudo-human corpse lays outside. Upon further research from data at the Norwegian camp, MacReady and Norris (Charles Hallahan playing the camp's geologist), discover a flying saucer buried in the ice. Based on the Norris' estimate, the ship's been buried there for about 100,000 years.  Back at the camp, the dog is kenneled along with other malamutes by Clark (Richard Masur) who is overly protective of the dogs. But upon interacting with the other animals, it transforms into a bizarre creature with tentacles, legs, and a bunch weird goo dripping from it. Blair (Wilford Brimley) performs tests and discovers that this bizarre creature is in fact eating and imitating the bodies of the life forms it consumes. The creature had been frozen in the ice for hundreds of thousands of years, only to be re-awoken by the Norwegian scientists. Now, Blair calculates that within a couple of months, should the creature get into a populated area, the entire world population would be consumed.

Kurt Russell as pilot R.J. MacReady in "John Carpenter's The Thing."

The script for the film was written by Bill Lancaster and is an adaptation of Who Goes There? a novel by John W. Campbell, Jr. Many confuse the picture to be a remake of Howard Hawkes' "The Thing From Another World", based on the same story, but the film is in fact a re-adaptation of the above mentioned novel. The script is air tight and confusing. For once, this is a good thing. The audience is never supposed to know who has been imitated and who has not. I have my own theories based on the film (to me, the shadow against the wall when the malamute is browsing the camp looks a lot like Norris). Another element of the film that was further brought out by Carpenter is its absolutely bleak view on the events happening on screen. Part of the suspense of the picture and experience viewing it was that when the characters have the drop on the creature, it never seems to work out the way I wanted it to. As the film progresses, the load on the audience becomes more and more immense as our characters have to try more and more desperately to stay alive and not be left alone with one other for they might be the thing.

Kurt Russell is stunning as MacReady. Compared to his later (and completely different) Carpenter roles, it's a marvel to watch such a talented actor on screen. His performance is always cool and calm, but never too calm. Also, I don't know if anyone else noticed this, but to me MacReady is a hair more and more on edge as the film progresses. He's obviously very level headed, being that he is the one who often has to wrangle the team together and tell everyone to calm down, but always with a sense that MacReady could snap at any moment. After a while deep into the film, my brain switched off the fact that I was watching actors on screen and I was completely absorbed into the film. Keith David is so perfect in his role that it blows my mind Carpenter that this character exists only for the purposes of this film. What I mean is that every character is rich and never feels forced or "acted." Having so many actors in one film, trapped in one place certainly makes for an interesting two hours that feel like at any time, anything can happen. Characters you expect to stay completely insane go nuts by the end of the film, people are not who they say they are, and the very humanity (literally being human) of one of the film's main characters is questioned at a point when the audience is certain that they are who they say they are.

Believe it or not, the film gets even more terrifying than a space spider coming out of someone's head.

A large part of the film's great look is thanks to Dean Cundey's masterful cinematography and lighting. Tom Atkins (star of several other Carpetner films) has called Cundey the "Master of Darkness" because of this ability to get the most interesting looking shots on screen with virtually no light when being shot. Cundey gives the arctic a rich blue hue that is then interrupted whenever we see fire on screen. Lens flares also permeate the frame from time to time, giving the film a bizarre timeless quality. Ennio Morricone's score is very minimalistic in nature in that we don't hear any melodies or things of the sort, except for the very opening cue, which is one big crescendo of sound (this cue was actually written by John Carpenter with the assistance of frequent collaborator Alan Howarth), is heard again when MacReady and Nauls (T.K. Carter) investigate a bizarre occurrence in MacReady's shack.

This movie is perfect. I do not have a single negative thing to add to this review other than reading about it will not do you any justice. The third act of the film is bleak. And for once, I'm okay with it. The film's emotional questions are never really answered. Who exactly becomes the thing at what time is very ambiguous. Carpenter sold me to the fact that this film is never about hope or defeating the thing. It's about staying alive for as long as one can. To hold out and hold on to what threads of life are attached to us for whatever short amount of time we're alive.

10/10

Rated R
Directed by John Carpenter
Written by Bill Lancaster
Based on the book by John W. Campbell, Jr.
Suggested edition: Official Blu-Ray release
8.1 stars of 10 on IMDb
79% on Rotten Tomatoes

THE EXORCIST (1973) - 31 DAYS OF TERROR

DAY 29

We've seen the devil appear in various forms throughout this countdown, but none is as frightening as the interpretation of Satan in William Friedkin's "The Exorcist." This is one of those films that you weren't supposed to watch as a little kid, but we did anyway. Was this a good decision? That would depend on the person. I know someone who is absolutely traumatized by this film and can't even stand to so much as have it come up in conversation. It's that bad. But is "The Exorcist" really that terrifying of a movie? Yes it is, in every way imaginable. Friedkin presents us with a tale that is merciless, unrelenting, and every bit as terrifying as the title would suggest.

The film follows Regan MacNeill (Linda Blair) and her mother Chris (Ellen Burstyn), as strange occurrences begin to follow her day to day at their home in Georgetown, Washington D.C. Strange sounds are heard coming from the attic, Regan complains of her bed shaking, and across town, a Madonna is vandalized at a local church. Father Merrin (Max Von Sydow), a Catholic Priest on an excavation in Iraq discovers a small statue resembling the statue of a demon he defeated long ago called Pazuzu. He believes that it will return in some form. The shape it takes on is that of Regan, after she'd been communicating with someone named Captain Howdy through a Ouija board. Chris, an actress filming a movie in Georgetown, passes a seminary everyday and often sees a young priest, Damian Karris (Jason Miller). After dealing with the death of his mother, Karris has lost his faith in God. As Regan's mother becomes more and more concerned over her daughter's strange behavior, she finally takes action consulting medical doctors after seeing her bed shaking one night after a party. The doctors tell her that the solution she is seeking, is not one of medical science, but the ancient religious ritual of exorcising any sort of presence from one's body.

I don't want to ruin anything for anybody, but the characters realize that there's something terribly wrong with this girl in this scene.

How would anyone react in that situation? Even though Chris has shown Regan no religious beliefs, she spends the entire fame shouting religious profanities and taking the name of Jesus and God in vain, if you believe in that sort of thing. The first two acts of the film are her's, making her character her own and spending the time creating enough material and spouting enough dialogue to make you lover her or hate her. She is an actress and has a very social life. The party sequence in the film is the moment when Friedkin tells us that the issue plaguing Regan can no longer be ignored and it has invaded her life. Also, it's a chilling scene in which Linda Blair shows her stuff too. The charming, funny, and silly little girl we meet at the beginning of the film is completely gone. Blair has a blank face, monotoned voice, and a stare that goes straight through the camera.

I however would like to think that this film is not in fact about Regan and Chris, but instead is about Father Karris. We meet him at a point in his life in which his faith is hanging on to him by a thread and that then it is finally severed. During this trying time, he must fight the battle to end all battles. Jason Miller provides the priest with great youth and sense of direction, even though the character is lost. More often than not, I thought his character was far more interesting than the MacNeills. Karris gave me the perspective of an outsider looking in. He himself doubted the need for an exorcism and questioned the process, a fact which the audience knows in not true - the girl is possessed (after all, there wouldn't be a movie if she was imagining the whole thing).

Merrin (Max Von Sydow) begins the exorcism on Regan (Linda Blair).

Father Merrin is the great last hope. Von Sydow has an eerie vibe about him that makes my skin crawl, no matter what film I may see him in. His low spoken dialogue and weariness about everything made me feel like there really was no hope for this girl. He arrives to help her but finds himself powerless, having to band together with Karris, as does the audience. Our only hope to come out of this movie unharmed are these two men. Friedkin does something that very few directors can accomplish. During the exorcism sequence, he doesn't hold back, taking the audience hostage. Very rarely can I say that a filmmaker is dangerous and when I do, people are somewhat confused by the statement. I need only to point to this scene as an example of a filmmaker being absolutely relentless and terrifying. Well done, Mr. Friedkin. The makeup effects on this film are superb. The work was dine my Dick Smith, legendary effects man who worked on the film with fellow artist Rick Baker, who would later go on to become a legend as well. The combination of terrifying makeup effects and practical illusions add to the horror on the actors faces.

To clarify, this review is for the original theatrical cut of the film, which isn't features a different ending and alternate scenes than on the extended director's cut (which in my opinion, is just a bit better). William Friedkin's powerful direction, a powerhouse performance by Jason Miller and Linda Blair, and terrifying makeup effects by Dick Smith make "The Exorcist" an unforgettable film. It's one of those that scared the crap out of us when we were children, but we felt compelled to watch anyways because the damn thing is so terrifying. If you say that this movie doesn't scare you in the least bit, you're flat out lying.

8.5/10 

Rated R
Directed by William Friedkin
Written by William Peter Blatty
Based on the book by William Peter Blatty
Suggested edition: 40th Anniversary Blu-Ray featuring the original theatrical cut & the extended director's cut
8.0 of 10 stars on IMDb
87% on Rotten Tomatoes