OUR ICONS? OR L.A.'s?

So, we've all read it and cringed:

"A reimagining"

"A reboot"

"A redefining"

"A retread"

RE-RE-RE-RE....remember when people just told a cool story?

It's not uncommon for Hollywood to return to old themes or ideas - that's been going on for as long as there has been a movie industry.  But the idea of taking specific characters and changing part of their story because they weren't "cool" enough in the first place seems relatively new.

"We're gonna do SUPERMAN, but he needs to be cooler.  Edgier."  Rather than focus on what works about the character and writing a good story with those elements, they ignore everything about it, focusing just on the brand recognition.

One only need to look as far as the Twilight novels to see how popular culture has started a trend of gutting character arch types that we know for drastically different (and counter to the core of the character) interpretations.

So it begs the question.  Who owns these characters?  Does it go beyond the legal ownership and licensing rights to a greater sense of ownership by those who hold these characters dear to their hearts?  George Lucas constantly redefines the most popular series of films in history.  Are they truly "his"?  Or are they owned, in part, by those of us who feel they are part of the fabric of our culture?

THE MOST WONDERFUL TIME FOR A FLICK

Christmas season is upon us.  Well, I guess it's been upon us since October, but now it's in full swing.  Just 20 days until the jolly fat man squeezes his white ass down the chimney.  I've been prepping the way I always do...watching movies.  I watch a variety.  Some are new.  Some are old.  Some are gonna make you say WTF for either it being included (or excluded).  So, here are my top ten Christmasy flicks that I have to watch every year so I can keep the holiday in my heart...

1)    NATIONAL LAMPOON'S CHRISTMAS VACATION  "If I woke up with my head sewn to the carpet, I couldn't be more surprised than I am right now."  trailer

2)    A CHRISTMAS STORY  "Fragile!  It must be Italian."  trailer

3)    ELF  "We're gonna go ice skating and eat sugar plumbs!"  trailer

4)    MIRACLE ON 34th STREET  trailer

5)    DIE HARD "It's Christmas time in Hollis, Queens..."  trailer

6)    MUPPET CHRISTMAS CAROL  "There's more of gravy than of grave..."  trailer

7)    LETHAL WEAPON  "Do you really wanna jump?  Do ya?"  trailer

8)    A CHARLIE BROWN CHRISTMAS trailer

9)    WHITE CHRISTMAS "We'll follow the old man..."  trailer

10)   4 CHRISTMASES  "I'm from the bison state baby..."  trailer

Yep, no IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE and BAD SANTA got the boot.

SAY IT AIN'T SO, JOEL

Sadly, he didn't.  Joel McHale confirmed on his Twitter that, in fact, Community has gone into some kind of hiatus.

Does this mark the end of the one of the best written shows on TV?  It definitely doesn't bode well for the show.  Whether were heading for the early death of an Arrested Development or whether the show will limp along in SCRUBS-ian fashion remains to be seen.

One thing is clear however.  The proof that the American cultural IQ has dropped to the point that it can be satiated with more reality and typical sitcom fare is evident.

Part of my love of Community stems from the fact that it is most decidedly a-typical.  It's meta, its irreverent and it pokes fun at the Whitneys and the Up All Nights of the world by illustrating all of the tropes that make those genres so silly and overdone.  As a film guy and someone who'd rather watch a movie than most of the tripe on TV these days, I get that.  And so does a very loyal fan base that I don't think will take this lightly.  For those of you who don't get it, who didn't feel "in on the joke," I don't know what to say.  Maybe less REAL HOUSEWIVES and X FACTORS and more entertainment of substance?  If you want to give the show a shot, I suggest the Halloween Ep of season 1 and the season 1 & 2 finales.

What was a dynamic night of off beat comedies just got less so.  I for one hope to be back at Greendale sooner than later.

HALLOWEEN 5,6,7

HALLOWEEN 5: THE REVENGE OF MICHAEL MYERS

While not as “good” a sequel as 4 or 2, I dig this one.. Again, Danielle Harris and Donald Pleasance carry this film. Michael is back a year later after a really nice sequence referencing Bride of Frankenstein where he is nursed back to health by an old man who he then kills. (He monster did it as an accident. Mike is just a jerk.)

Again the film executes the tropes first set out by the original but also builds on the mythology in an attempt to deepen the story. There are some missteps though. This is the first of the Halloween films that creates characters that you WANT to die. The goofy cops for two and I kind of wanted Jamie's little friend to buy it too. In fact, none of the characters, outside of Loomis or Jamie are worth even rooting for.

What I always enjoyed about the other films was the degree of empathy felt when the characters would buy it. On the other hand, one of the strong parts of this entry is that the story is built to carry on and seeds are planted to carry through the next installment.

HALLOWEEN 6: THE CURSE OF MICHAEL MYERS

This movie is weird for me. In a lot of ways, it takes the franchise in a bold (potential) new direction. But at the same time, it randomly kills off a beloved character (Jamie Lloyd) after recasting her.

But I didn't hate the film, mostly due to performances like the one that Paul Rudd (yes, that Paul Rudd) gave as TOMMY DOYLE. Tommy survived the first night's attacks and has studied Myers from afar and introduces the idea that Michael's unstoppability might be more than happenstance. The character of Doyle almost adds a degree of realism to the narrative, even with how “out there” it gets.

The film has major flaws, a product I learned later had to do with test screenings, reshoots and the like. The knowledge of a producers cut has my interest and I will wait for that to arrive to pass final judgement on the film. But, at the end of the day, I put this film slightly above 5 on the sequel list.

HALLOWEEN H20: This film is problematic for me. On the one hand, I enjoy it very much. It's a technically very good film. It's well put together, well written and well acted. And of course, it features the return of Jamie Lee Curtis. It's a slick horror film. Maybe too slick. The way they took the theme into a traditional score even feels too glossy.

The other thing that bothers me is their desire to ignore the 4,5,6 installments. While those events COULD have existed with the way the 7^th film is constructed, that they made a point of telling everyone that 4,5,6 didn't exist is lame. It means as an audience, we wasted our time and money enjoying those films. It's a little silly to feel that way, I know, but at the end of the day, its something that, as a fan, I can't pull back from.

HALLOWEEN: RESURRECTION Not wasting my time.

RANKING OF HALLOWEEN FILMS:

Halloween (1978)
Halloween 4
Halloween 2 (1981)
Halloween (Zombie)
Halloween H20
Halloween 6
Halloween 5
Halloween 2 (Zombie)
Halloween 8

Happy Halloween everyone!!!

HALLOWEEN 1,2,4

As a filmmaker, it's not hard to trace my influences. John Carpenter (along with John Hughes and other. But thats a conversation for a different day) ranks high among them for reasons explored in this blog. But nothing, in my mind, tops his Halloween film (and the sequels they inspired). It stands as, in my mind, the best of the horror franchise that never deviated from what it was trying to do: scare people.

HALLOWEEN: After killing his sister 15 years ago, this is the night he came home. This is my number one, go to horror film. It holds up and never gets old. I love everything about the film: the unexplained nature of Michael's evil, the POV shots, Jamie Lee Curtis and of course, Donald Pleasance. The body count is surprisingly low and a lot of the blood is missing from what we would imagine would come from a slasher film. And still the film is scary.

It works on many levels: it plays on the idea that the middle class isn't safe, that evil can just exist within the fabrics of society. It plays to a post modern audience that understand the tenets of “Horror films” as films like THE THING (later to be remade by Carpenter) play in the backdrop of the film. The film works largely do to Carpenter. It's an independent film in a true sense and his fingerprints are all over the movie, from the film itself to the score that is iconic. At times, in fact, he played Michael Myers. The film pushed a genre to the forefront: the idea of the serialized slasher film with an anti hero at the forefront. If you've not seen it, punch yourself. Then see it.

HALLOWEEN II: Many call the first sequel unnecessary. While that might be true, it's a cool film for a lot of reasons. It begins on the same Halloween night with the final 5 minutes of the original serving as a preface and picks up with Michael at large, then finding Laurie at the hospital. The set up works because we don't need to waste time explaining how a new group of kids have lined up for the slaughter. We can get down to business of deepening the mythology. An introducing the thread that will allow the story to continue: that Laurie Strode is Michael's sister.

An increase (by a lot) of blood and gore and some great performances added to the Pleasance and Curtis characters, this film is a worthy successor to the original. And the hot tub scene is killer.

HALLOWEEN IV – THE RETURN OF MICHAEL MYERS: The best of the Halloween sequels that truly builds on the familial theme that runs through Halloween. The film gives us Danielle Harris, a child actress with amazing chops, as Michael's niece, Rachel (she would late return and do an amazing job as Annie Bracket in the Zombie remake). The film follows Michael on his quest to eliminate his family. The spirit of the first movie is still here, down to the clown costume that Jamie wears.

The film combines an increase in the gore factor with a more complicated storyline than most of the other horror “franchises.” It focuses on family, on being an outcast and never once does Michael make a joke or end up in space.  I love the final scene and the image of Jamie with the scissors.  It was great lead in to the 5th installment.

www.twitchydolphin.com

GENIUS OF JOHN CARPENTER: THE FOG & THE THING

John Carpenter, as much as (if not more than) Wes Craven has been a horror cinema pioneer and mainstay with a career that has spanned generations.  I'm not even going to mention the holy grail of horror films in this entry.  Carpenter's genius extends to THE FOG and the THE THING as much as it does Halloween.

The Fog is a creepy ghost story about beings in a fog that kill the inhabitants of a small town.  The subject of a remake in 2005, the film combines ghost story elements with enough blood and a great score by Carpenter himself to create some very real scares and palpable suspense.  It's smattered with Halloween alums including Annie Bracket and Sheriff Bracket.  Jamie Lee Curtis stars as well in a role that many have suspected (and few have dismissed) is actually a renamed Laurie Strode on the run after her runin with her brother who mentions her "badluck".  Even actors from Halloween 3 show up. Adrienne Barbeau stars and well, is the kind of woman who led me to Rule 34 her.  All in all a great flick!

A movie I knew was great, but I had to re see was Carpenter's THE THING.  Carpenter's love of the original is evident in Halloween as the movie plays on Tommy Doyle's TV.  Reuniting with Snake Pliskin himself, Kurt Russell, Carpenter weaves a gory, scary tale of an alien invader.  What makes this movie so great is the characterization as the morale and trust of the team unravels as each suspects the other of being the alien.  That Carpenter is able to move from slasher to supernatural to alien and crafts excellent story lines give evidence to his skill as a story teller.


The Fog Trailer

The Thing Trailer

EXORCIST III & POLTERGEIST & SCARLET WATERS!!!

First, I apologize for not keeping this up!  SCARLET WATERS prep time took alot out of me.  I love that event.  In the fourth year, the event just gets bigger and better.  I can't say enough about our cast and crew who really pitched in and helped make the event special.  I'm also so thankful to all of the filmmakers who made it out and sent their films.  I'm extremely proud of the Twitchy folks who made the short films!  They make it all worth while!

Now, THE EXORCIST III.  If you've not seen it, see it.  It's a very different kind of sequel.  Part mystery, part traditional horror flick, the film combines these elements expertly to create a very different feel than the original (although superior original).  George C Scott leads an excellent cast in this very creepy film.

Speaking of CREEPY, I'd never seen POLTERGEIST till recently.  I loved the film.  It was so Spielberg:  the references, the sense of wonder and the characters!  Excellent.

TUCKER & DALE VS EVIL

One of the funniest horror comedies, well, ever, TUCKER & DALE VS EVIL succeeds where many other films of the genre fail. By actually working to make a GOOD movie with a clever script, excellent production values and a great cast.

The storyline involves two hapless rednecks who rescue a drowning college girl. Her friends, however, mistake the rescue for a kidnapping and seek to save her from the “deranged killers.” Through a series of misunderstandings, the college kids slowly work themselves through one gruesome death scene after another.

All of the set ups work on so many levels. First, the jokes are just funny as written. They borrow from all the tropes of these horror films, but set them up in such a way that they all depend on the point of view of the other characters. Second, Tucker and Dale are just nice guys. And thirdly, the film is shot and scored in the same manner as the films they're spoofing so, for just a second, you forge you're in a comedy.

I'm cutting the review off there to avoid spoilers. All I can say is it was badass!

Trailer.

TRICK R TREAT

As I've grown into my film career, I've been accused at becoming something of a douchey cinema snob.  Perhaps this is true.  And the last two blogs I've posted might provide some evidence to that fact.

Perhaps it is out of my snobby love for classic films and television:  Creepshow or Tales From The Crypt or Twilight Zone or that it's just plain bad ass, I love TRICK R TREAT.  I couldn't recommend this flick anymore to you unless I drove to your house, tied you in a chair and made you watch it.  (Was that creepy?  Yes.  But that's the depths I'm willing to go.)

TRICK R TREAT tells four interlocking stories all taking place on Halloween night.  It features an all star cast  including Anna Paquin and combines the best elements of the Halloween holiday itself.  It's scary, it's violent, but there is a sense of fun and mischief behind it.  So the humor comes not from poking fun at the horror aspects at all, but by honoring the legacy of the holiday and hearkening back to the days of the old late night vignettes.  Many believe Halloween is the night where the veil between the living and the dead is at its thinnest.  The film captures that idea with playful aplomb.

So, I've spoken to people who hated this movie.  That it wasn't gory enough, scary enough, violent enough.  To them I would say that they don't get it.  A few folks I know, including my home boy Benjamin Jabe are also  devotees to the film.  He used it as inspiration for the LEGEND OF OLD MAN McGREGOR that will premiere at Scarlet Waters year.  I guess that makes he and I some "snobby film hipster douche bags."  There are worse things.

Trailer

BACKWOODS

You see, horror movies suffer under the weight of certain cliches.  We all know them:  "don't do drugs," "don't have sex," "don't play paint ball in the woods with a bunch of inbred rednecks."

It is this last one that comes to us in the form of BACKWOODS a straight to DVD horror film about a clan of rednecks that kidnap women and force them to become the mothers of the next generation, the lord's handmaidens as they're called.  The men are met with arrows in the head.

For the longest time, rednecks have scared horror audiences.  The idea of people who, through isolation, lose a certain sense of humanity is a common theme most famously explored in films like THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE.  The problem with BACKWOODS is, its an attempt to carbon copy that film with out the same affect, right down to a deranged family with a cop/patriarch.

The film isn't bad.  It's pretty well acted, featuring Hillary Duffs older sister Haylie and a crazy matriarch give excellent performances.  There is a nice use of imagery and the tension in the movie is real.  The tone is dark and they aren't trying to wink at you through he movie.  It's well done and well put together if not a little...soulless.

THE LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT

Far be it for me to diss a "classic" or to rundown a visionary filmmaker, but, well, I am.  Wes Craven is a hero of mine.  Two of the greatest franchises in horror history come from his imagination.  It was hard to see any evidence of that vision or creativity in THE LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT.  Obviously, some slack will be cut since it was his first film.

The film suffers from a total lack of subtlety.  The girl proclaims that now she's "17 and a woman."  Her dad points out that you can see her nipples in her shirt (what dad says nipple to his daughter?) and we learn, through a radio broadcast (worst device ever), that the convicts have:  killed a dog, killed a cop, raped a woman and KILLED NUNS!  So, you see, they're bad guys.

Nothing about this film appealed to me.  It's pretty vile at times with girls gang raped and a girl is forced to pee on herself.  Sometimes, in a film, depraved moments can work to make a compelling statement. These scenes, including when the two girls are forced to have sex, play as if Wes was trying to see chicks naked and he was lucky enough to have one of the most powerful tools available - a camera.  If you can't throw a football or play a guitar, tell them you'll put them in a movie.  (I used to think being funny worked to get the ladies.  I was mostly wrong.  But that's a blog for another day.)

I did laugh at parts of the end, wondering if John Hughes got his HOME ALONE idea from this flick.

These issues of story are then magnified because it's Wes' first film:  so its poorly acted, poorly shot and poorly lit. All forgivable scenes if the story connects you.  In this case, it doesn't.

I was at a festival in 2009 and I saw a film that I can only describe as vile.  And I thought to myself "just because you CAN do anything as an indie filmmaker, doesn't mean you SHOULD."

TRAILER

PIRANHA

Roger Corman redefined the B Movie Creature Feature - well, B movies in general and helped create an entire generation of filmmakers.

His production of PIRANHA proves seminal b movie fare.  Weird creatures with a thirst for human flesh; hapless victims and boobies.  Ah, 70's boobies.

The plot is pretty common for the genre.  The government was trying to kill the Vietnamese by creating super Piranha.  The get into the river system and all aquatic hell (in Aquarena Springs no less) breaks loose.  The effect are cheesy, not really scary and there are plenty of Jaws references, including playing a video game named Jaws that is similar to a video game played IN Jaws.

Thankfully, the remake (which I love) is different enough that this one didn't pale in comparison.

At the end of the day, you're left with some bad, guilty pleasure fun.

Trailer.

BORDERLAND

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BORDERLAND was quite an interesting flick that Netflix thought I would like.

I did. It deals with a Satanic cult on the border between Texas and Mexico and features a wonderfully sadistic performance by none other than Sean Astin.

The story starts off rather gruesome with a couple of Mexico City cops raiding the lair of a cultist only to find themselves the victim of a sacrifice. Some torture porn ensues and one cop is left alive to tell the tale. Fast forward and a couple of college kids drive in from Texas for booze and hookers. Instead they find religion and one of their number is taken by the cult. He's left in the hands of Astin, a lackey who grew up in San Antonio and has a taste for rage. The cult taught him to kill with a purpose.

The friends look for the sacrifical lamb and, with the help of the cop, creates a situation where lots of people die.

I dug the flick. It was beautifully shot, well acted and I dug the hook. The ceremonies were creepy and the effects were pretty f-ing gross. Thanks Netflix. Now get your house in order.

Trailer.

SCREAM 4

My PIRANHA dvd didn't arrive on time so I will review that later. But I did pick up SCREAM 4 on blu ray.

Look, I love the SCREAM films. I think they are smart, well written and, at times, scary. SCREAM 4 is no different. Picking up years after the third film, Sydney has written a book about deciding to stop being a victim. It's a best seller that's taken her on a tour around the country. Her tour ends in Woodsboro where Dewey and Gail are married and Dewey's running the Sheriff's department.

In the 10 years since the first murders, the STAB movie franchise has exploded with 7 chapters. The start of the movie runs us through three or four of those in a most awesome opening sequence. Sydney arrives in Woodsboro and you guessed, Mr. Ghostface is there. The film also introduces and then butchers, a young, new cast. I delighted at the deconstruction of the modern horror genres. I'll keep the breakdown short to avoid spoilers.

So, I think the film is a worthy sequel to one of the great franchises in movie history. It ups the body count, really drives the suspense and remains very meta in its deconstruction of the horror genre.  Rumor is that there will be a 5 & 6. Count me in. And remember the first rule of remakes. “Don't fuck with the original.”

Trailer.

WOLFEN

I went into WOLFEN not knowing much about the movie, other than I remembering hearing about it as a kid and it being one of those movies I “couldn't” watch.

The movie was very well done with a great cast including Gregory Hines and a very young Admiral Bill Adama (Edward James Olmos).

The film plays out like a detective story. Deaths turn up all over NY and a rogue detective is determined to find the cause. The problem is....it's an animal attack. The case turns to a group of Native American shape shifters where we see a lot of Adama. However, as the investigation turns, we learn that the root of the violence is something more mysterious.

I loved the film. I thought it was well acted, well shot and the story was so much better developed than the typical horror film. I really enjoyed that the detective story played out like it did with the horror film playing in the background.

Last thing. OU SUCKS!

Trailer.

MONKEY SHINES

MONKEY SHINES, based on the novel of the same name, tells the story of a former athlete turned quadriplegic. As he adjusts to the trauma of life in a chair, he gets a gift from his buddy - a primate researcher – an assistant monkey named Ella. Ella carries with her a secret. She's been treated with human brain cells.

Monkey and Master soon form a bond, one bordering on telepathic. And soon, Ella is doing more than turning pages and getting drinks. Ella starts taking out the people or birds that do him harm. The Monkey, well, shines.

I wasn't sure what to expect. At first, it starts SLOW and is very dated. It's one thing to have a movie reflect the time it was made it, but this thing screamed late 1980's.

The movie gets rolling though, when Ella gets to killing.

Directed by George Romero, the film plays on some nice creepy moments and Ella, being so cute and lethal is a nice conflict. Not unlike the affect of the sweet little kid turn killer motif. The romance storyline is heavy handed and the monkey sound f'x while they were getting it on was a bit...much.

Trailer.

THE HOUSE ON HAUNTED HILL

When I was a kid, I vaguely remember seeing THE HOUSE ON HAUNTED HILL and it scared the dickens out of me. I mean, a pool of acid?

The film Is standard haunted house fare, though I wonder if this was one of the movies that might have created the rules of the genre.

A group of random strangers are invited to a random dinner party by a mysterious couple with a taste for the macabre. The rules are simple: stay the night, stay alive and get 10 grand. Quickly we learn that there are many horrors: ghosts, trap doors, the afore mentioned acid, ect.

Leading the group is the Vincent Price, an eccentric millionaire whose wives have a habit of shuffling off the mortal coil rather...early. He is the star of the show, the creepy demeanor, the accept, just his overall screen presence carries the film. After all, if he's creepy enough for Thriller.

The film definitely has its freaky moments. For the most part, I cannot help but look at the movie as a bit of a cliché, but one wonders what it would have been like to see the movie in theaters without that jaded cynicism that accompanies the modern audience.

SANTA'S SLAY

One of my best friends and fellow filmmaker, Carlo Rodriguez (Gothic Films, Underdogs FilmDistribution) and I often relive the classic argument “what's in a name.” Carlo and I tend to employ different strategies when naming our films to achieve an admittedly different result.

When you watch a film called SANTA'S SLAY (get it?) you kind of know what you're going to get. (Score 1 for Carlo!) What made this film one of the most badass things I've see lately is that you got everything you were expecting.

From the opening dinner scene where Chris Kattan and Jimmy (I can call him that ) Caan get it in yule tide fashion to the bloody bitter end, the movie delivers. Most of the kills are Christmas themed (he kills a stripper with miseltoe; exploding gifts decapitate kids; sharpened candy cane anyone?) and are all played for laughs. The movie would have been enjoyable had it just been THAT. But there's more. Bill Goldberg is killer as the “jolly old Elf.” There's a great performance from Robert Culp (who doesn't love him?) and a neat story line explaining that Santa is really Satan's son. You see, Santa used to like to kill people once a year, but he loses a bet with an angel and, for a thousand years, he has to be nice. Well, times up and the killing spree begins. (All of this is told through an awesome claymation sequence in which Santa loses a game of curling to curse him for the thousand years. I knew that game would get us.)

The kills are violent, but funny. A nice darkly comedic tale. And in case you're scoring at home, it isn't just a Christian problem. Our friendly neighborhood Jewish deli owner gets it with his own menorah. He gurgles “there is a Santa Clause.” And of course the cops tough talk him: “Someone turned off his festival of lights. Wait, something isn't kosher here.”

Nothing better than a movie that doesn't take itself too seriously. Even the music is badass using rock covers of Christmas carols.

Trailer.

BLOOD CREEK

BLOOD CREEK tells the story of a Nazi occult expert searching for mystical runes in West Virginia prior to WWII. He's a scary dude. Most Nazis are. The film FFWDs a few decades and this Nazi occultist is now a mystical force that drinks blood and cannot die, but is trapped on the farm by the original owners who also have not aged a day. HENRY CAVIL (Future Superman) plays an EMT who's searching for his brother – missing two years. When he shows up, he learns that he's been trapped on the farm and slowly bled in order to feed the blood Nazi.

They journey to the farm to fight the Nazi. There are some truly wicked moments, including an awesome sequence with zombie flesh eating horses which isn't nearly as silly as it sounds. It's wall to wall action and some gnarley effects. Which is where the movie loses steam. The action occurs at breakneck speed to the point that any attempt to: develop characters, focus on the evil of the Nazi regime or feel for the enormity of the situation is lost.

At the end of the day, I thought it was an original concept for a horror movie. Although, I'm an easy target since I normally dig movies about evil Nazi's obsessed with the occult (Raiders, Hellboy :-). So, while not executed to perfection, it's good for at least a few good creepy moments (watch out for those horses). Oh, and don't be scared about the fact that Shumacher directed. Not a bat nipple in sight.

Trailer.

HALLOWEEN (Remake)

Before I begin to tear apart Zombie's HALLOWEEN remake, let me start by saying that, in general, I like the movie. In fact, I like it exponentially more every time I see it. The problem, of course, is that I can't help but look at it through the vein of someone 100% devoted to Carpenter's original.

Zombie follows the same essential plot line that Carpenter did. Michael Meyers kills his sister on Halloween night and 15 years later returns to kill again. Zombie has the luxury of building on the family motif from the beginning. (That Michael Meyers was Laurie's sister is not part of the Carpenter original until the sequel).

Zombie takes the opportunity to provide some backstory to Michael and much like George Lucas and Vader, this is where the problems start for me. Halloween worked on many levels mostly because it was Middle class America gone wrong for no reason.  He was just "evil."  Zombie's film, however explains that Mike has an affinity for torturing animals and is the product of a poor stripper with horrible taste in men. It eliminates that which made Michael different from horror films leading up to the original: Michael was from a normal family, not poor white trash. Being white trash isolates him from the rest of his community.  He might as well have been from Transylvania or outer space. As a result, the idea of evil rising from among us isn't really there.  This isn't to say that the “Michael as a kid killer” stuff doesn't work on some levels. His handling of the bully while the theme builds is one such moment that kind of rocks.

The part of the movie where Zombie's changes really do work involve young Michael and Dr. Loomis. I love that they went so far into the therapy that it shows the devotion of Loomis to Michael, both in his therapy and eventually, his desire to keep him locked up.

For the end of the movie, we essentially get a 2nd/3^rd act that is a remake of Carpenter's film. It's violent, brutal and I dug Tyler Mane as a more imposing Michael. I thought Danny Trejo and his role was touching and allowed Zombie to show just how “gone” Michael is. One misstep, and this is a big one, is the casting, characterization of Laurie Strode. Scout Taylor-Compton completely doesn't “get” the role that launched Jamie Lee Curtis to fame. Where Curtis was shy, introverted and helped to create one of the key “rules” of slasher film, Taylor-Compton is hyper active and in dire need of some Riddilin. In this one, I just wish that Taylor-Compton would get it from Michael. I did love that Zombie brought Danielle Harris back. She was awesome in Halloween IV – V.

All in all, it's a way above average slasher film. It just doesn't quite hold up to the weight of the original. Michael was the first of the wave of movie killers as pop culture icons, so its always great to see him wielf the butcher knife.

I'd love to comment on Zombies HALLOWEEN II, but I'm still not sure what that's about.

STRAW DOGS

When I set the list up, I figured I would see STRAW DOGS in the theater. I didn't realize that this was a remake. Having not seen the original, I can't make an intelligent argument on whether it does or doesn't improve on the Peckinpah film.

I was “in” for the cast. Big TRUE BLOOD fan and I'm a big fan of James Marsden, James Woods and Walton Goggins. Kate Bosworth, in general, annoys me, but oh well.

The problem with the movie is, for the most part, nothing happens. It's reduced to creepy stares from rednecks and jokes about the soft, mamby pamby screenwriter (hey!).

In the end, the narrative is flat and not deserving of the cast assembled. Plot lines are introduced and then not dealt with. When the climax does occur, its a frantic mess with some entertaining moments but often feels unmotivated and out of the blue. As if they decided “well we're at the 1 hour mark, something HAS to happen.” The lack of motivation stems from the poorly executed script that largely ignores the opportunities for dialog about the differences between classes, rural/urban and past/future for a frenzied blood soaked finale with little payoff.

THE EXORCIST

So, my first entry into my Halloween Challenge for 2011 is THE EXORCIST.

The minute one hears the title of this flick, especially younger viewers, there is danger of being caught up in the cliché. This film has been spoofed, mocked and stolen from for the past 30 years and one can see the film without having “seen” the film.

For me, THE EXORCIST holds up, not only as one of the greatest horror films of all time, but one of the best examples of American cinema. Its pacing is deliberate, its characters rich and complicated and its villain the kind of evil that invades and corrupts anything it desires, in this case, a little girl. It is bold, daring and unapologetic in its portrayal of the Devil's corruption.

Nothing about this film is intended to be cheap or tawdry. You won't find camp sluts with boobies dangling, nor will you ever root for the villain as he cuts a swath through co-eds. Instead, the film challenges faith, psychology and normalcy with such depth that moments of the film creep you out and stay with you long after it's over. The film mixes subtlety with the extreme. While there is no global threat (the fate of mankind isn't at stake here) we know, through the performances, that the fate of this little girl might be all that stands between all of us and and an eternity of hell or grace. That this goal is never stated makes it seem more real and makes us both terrified by whats happening to Reagan and feel for her at the same time.

As a filmmaker, the story of how they brought the movie to life: from using a meatlocker for Reagan's room to throwing the actors around agains their will, there is a feeling that these folks worked their tail off.

In short, I love the film. Everything about it. As a Catholic, I will say that I am a believer that, if God can work through us, why not the other side. And that part is scary. Funny story: I went to see the film with Father Dennis Peterson (RIP). He said, if he'd been the Exorcist, he would have shot the firl and left. I guess he was scared too.

What say you?

HALLOWEEN CHALLENGE

Tomorrow is the first day of the Horror Challenge.  I know folks like Terissa Kelton and others are gonna be helping me out!  Take the challenge as we countdown to the best holiday of the year!

Oct 1:        The Exorcist
Oct 2:        Straw Dogs
Oct 3:        Halloween (remake)
Oct 4:        Blood Creek
Oct 5:        Santa's Slay
Oct 6:        The House On Haunted Hill (Orig)
Oct 7:        Monkey Shines
Oct 8:        Wolfen
Oct 9:        Piranha (Orig)
Oct 10:       Borderland
Oct 11:       The Burning
Oct 12:       The Last House On The Left (Orig)
Oct 13:       Backwoods
Oct 14:       Trick R Treat
Oct 15:       Mega Shark V Crocosaurus
Oct 16:       The People Under The Stairs
Oct 17:       R Point (Korea)
Oct 18:       Love Object
Oct 19:       Rest Stop
Oct 20:       Blessed
Oct 21:       The Exorcist III
Oct 22:       Scarlet Waters
Oct 23:       Poltergeist
Oct 24;       The Fog
Oct 25:       Simon Says
Oct 26:       The Girl Next Door
Oct 27:       Grizzly Attack
Oct 28:       Dracula 2000
Oct 29:       The Wolf Man
Oct 30:       The Prophecy
Oct 31:       Halloween I & II (Orig)  

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BILL MURRAY

Today is the birthday of one of the all time greats!  Nothing is better than Billy Murray.  The dry deadpan, the wit.  From SNL to Zombieland, the guy has been money.

Here's a countdown of my 5 favorite Bill Murray flix with some great quotes!


5)  THE LIFE AQUATIC - "Never say, I'm gonna fight you, Steve.  Just smile and act natural, then sucker punch them."

4)  CADDYSHACK -   "If I kill all the golfers, they'll lock me up and throw away the key."

3)  GROUNDHOG DAY- "Are you fond of the guys with the prominent upper lip."

2)  GHOSTBUSTERS - "Let's show this prehistoric bitch how we do things down town."

1)  STRIPES - "There's nothing I love more than meeting a person, such as your self, getting to know them, and then taking some action photos of them while I drive"

HONORABLE MENTION:  Zombie Land, Scrooged

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

THE BOOB TUBE BLUES

TV is a very weird deal.  It's sort of looked at as the "little brother" to cinema, and in many ways, rightfully so.  Most series are easy to dismiss.  They are either cookie cutter copies of what came before or schlock designed to appeal to the lowest common denominator in an effort to get ratings to sell ads.

I'm not a huge fan of TV.  I find it hard to get truly involved.  Unless the writing is great, the acting stellar and the chemistry palpable, I'd rather not bother.  And if you have a laugh track, I'm a hard sell.  What bums me out about most TV is the audience.  I tend to like shows the public doesn't dig or care about.  So, I get invested in shows that lose ratings and are gone before their time (Arrested Development, FireFly).


So, when I do get hooked, and the show comes to an end, I'm often in a state of lament, feeling like something is truly missing.  I had three shows I liked - loved, end this year.  I liked each for different reasons:

ENTOURAGE
I admit, that the show started to wear thing.  Folks complained about the plot lines, ect.  Um, am I the  only one who didn't tune in for heavy handed writing?  I loved the guys.  Wish I had my own entourage and who wouldn't want to live vicariously through 4 dudes who had each other's back and be damn everyone else.  Yes, the finale episode very much wrapped things up in a little bow, but I ask folks this:  We all live in the real world.  Who doesn't want a little nice and neatness to their endings.  (Same reason I don't read Marvel!)  Count me in for the movie.

RESCUE ME
This show hooked me from day 1, though I did find it wearing thin with the almost comical turn it took dealing with Tommy's self destructive lifestyle.  But, for the most part, it got so much right.  From the way it depicted the lifestyle of guys who trust each other with their lives to the way the women in their lives often didn't understand it, it was truly compelling.  The finale was heart wrenching.  Lou was my favorite character on the show and again, it showed how complicated the relationship can be between two men in "macho" jobs that truly love each other.  The finale was a fitting end to the show.  Also, another plus...a kick ass title song.

FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS
I save the best (of this list) for last.  When the show came out, I was skeptical.  As a Texan, as a fan of the original movie and a (not very good) former Texas High School football player, the last thing I wanted was something mocking my state for the benefit of the "other 49."  What we got, instead, was a beautifully written and acted drama with a REALISTIC look at small town family life.  And why, for better and for ill, football is so important.  Outside of season 2, there wasn't a story line I didn't like.  And the characters were as fleshed out as they can be on an hour long drama.  So much so that friends of mine from out of state who know nothing of football gravitated to the show.  The Taylors...who wouldn't want that marriage?  Sadly, this show went the way of many of the better television shows:  not accessible to an easy audience and thus, always on the chopping block.  Thankfully, DirecTV helped keep it going.  As for the finale.  It was as good an episode as there was of the entire season.  It wasn't necessarily happy endings all around.  But you knew that the characters had a chance to be happy, if they worked hard and were themselves.  I hear that there is a movie coming as well.  I'm hear, waiting, with clear eyes and a full heart...

Kyle Chandler's Emmy Win

A LONG TIME AGO IN A GALAXY FAR, FAR AWAY. A NERD WAS BORN...

So, just to get things started.  Yes.  Han shot first.

Now, that that's out of the way, I got a very cool email today.  Amazon is shipping my STAR WARS SAGA on Blu Ray.  And I can't put into words just how giddy I am about that.

I'm a fan.  I think Han is the coolest movie character EVER.  I agree that nothing beats a "good blaster by your side."  I remember seeing the first one as a kid.  I remember the trailer for EMPIRE and being both afraid and fascinated by Vader.

I saw all the rereleases.  And some of the changes bugged me.  Some didn't.  I loved the expanded landscapes, the little touches here and there.  I didn't hate the Jabba addition to A NEW HOPE, mostly because I knew it was supposed to be there in the first place.  (Jabba was originally shot as a fat dude).

I waited in line for the prequels.  And yes, they stunk when compared to the original trilogy, though all the movies had some nice moments.  But who didn't get excited when the crawler started?  Again, I would have done them differently.  And I wasn't too keen on the how the changes made related to established canon.  But I saw each one with the wide eyed hope and wonder of a kid.

And that bring us to the Blu Ray release.  I own them all on DVD.  I even own the original theatrical cuts of the original trilogy.  But the Blu Rays?  I gotta have this on Blu Ray, who cares if its a hundred bucks.  Or how ever many Imperial credits.  Thanks to AMAZON gift cards, I payed $9 last January to preorder the discs 9 months before their release.

In that time there has been speculation about more changes to the films.  Changes that bug me.  I get the desire to tweak your films.  When we see Star Wars, we see our childhood.  Lucas probably only sees his "flaws."  But the changes are bugging me.  To the point that I considered canceling the order.  But I didn't.

And then today I get the email.  My order has shipped.  Star Wars is on its way.  And I can't wait.  I'm excited again to see the most exciting movie saga ever.  Despite the changes the "bastardization" of his films, the heart of those movies is still strong.  It's still there in all its wonder, hope and tragedy.  So, I say thank you to George Lucas.  You had me at "A long time ago..."

Remember the force will be with you....

HALLOWEEN CHALLENGE

So, I love Halloween.  I love the moods people get in, the decorations, the changing of the seasons.  Everything seems to just come alive.

And for me, it cannot be Halloween without the movies.

This year, in an attempt to get the spirit of the season moving, I'm challenging myself to watch and review 30 horror movies in 30 days.

Some will be the classics.  Some will be intentionally "bad."  Others will be films I've never seen in an attempt to "broaden my horizons."  Either way, it will be an attempt to have a little fun with the dark forces behind Samhain!  And feel free to add your two cents!

Here's a rough list of the schedule:

Oct 1:        The Exorcist
Oct 2:        Straw Dogs
Oct 3:        Halloween (remake)
Oct 4:        Blood Creek
Oct 5:        Santa's Slay
Oct 6:        The House On Haunted Hill (Orig)
Oct 7:        Monkey Shines
Oct 8:        Wolfen
Oct 9:        Piranha (Orig)
Oct 10:       Borderland
Oct 11:       The Burning
Oct 12:       The Last House On The Left (Orig)
Oct 13:       Backwoods
Oct 14:       Trick R Treat
Oct 15:       Mega Shark V Crocosaurus
Oct 16:       The People Under The Stairs
Oct 17:       R Point (Korea)
Oct 18:       Love Object
Oct 19:       Rest Stop
Oct 20:       Blessed  
Oct 21:       The Exorcist III
Oct 22:       Scarlet Waters
Oct 23:       Poltergeist
Oct 24;       The Fog
Oct 25:       Simon Says
Oct 26:       The Girl Next Door
Oct 27:       Grizzly Attack
Oct 28:       Dracula 2000
Oct 29:       The Wolf Man
Oct 30:       The Prophecy
Oct 31:       Halloween I & II (Orig)  

FIGHT AGAINST SUCKY PEOPLE

Were gonna send him a copy of FUNNY BOOKS and some other stuff.  If you can, help the guy out too!

Help!

From AOF's Del Weston

True words.  http://actiononfilm.blogspot.com/2011/09/andy-is-dead-time-to-write.html

REJECTION

In this game of indie film, you really have to have a thick skin.

Rejection is the name of the game.  And it can be hard, when you reading the generic responses that tell you to "keep plugging.  It's not a reflection of your work.  It was an incredibly difficult decision and we know how hard you worked," to not write the folks back and tell them how wrong they are or to ball up the letter and burn it.

It's never easy.

The choice is easy.  Quit.  Give up.

That's what they want you to do.

Or, you can rally your team.  Your support system.  And use it.

SCARLET WATERS IV

One of Twitchy Dolphin's best traditions is coming up fast.  On October 21 & 22, we'll be hosting SCARLET WATERS IV!

Scarlet Waters is our company Halloween party that went from a small gathering to an opportunity for new filmmakers to get to make a short film to a showcase with films from all over the country getting a chance to play to an Austin audience.

This year, the lineup is pretty sweet!  We're even going to have several world premieres at the fest.

Carlo Rodriguez from Gothic Films and Underdogs Film Distribution came up with this pretty sweet advertisement.  Check it out!  And check us out on October 21 and 22!

Advert 

THE FIRST OF MANY (or a few)

Welcome to my blog.  I'm not sure why the need to write a blog.  Perhaps I want to be part of the cool internet movement of the late 1990's.  Or maybe it's because my ego is so huge, that I think people just have to know what I'm thinking about this or that.

Mostly, I'm going to talk about movies.  Those I made, those I didn't.  We'll chat about sports, all that good stuff.  No politics or religions though.  You know what mama always said.  So, I hope you stick around and enjoy the ride as it were...