Tag: robert joy

The Hills Have Eyes (2006)

by julienhoule, posted in Uncategorized

I’ve never been a big fan of the original, but this version of “The Hills Have Eyes” isn’t just the better version of the two, but it’s also one of the best horror movies of its decade. The minute the movie begins, we know we’re in good hands: It’s almost a shot-for-shot remake (definitely at least a beat-for-beat one) but it manages to expand on the original’s themes and explore them a little more clearheadedly. For instance, the breakdown between civility and micro-survivalism is an edge thin enough that it takes less than 24 hours for a Republican, God-worshipping all-American white family to abandon their own humanity in an all-out effort to survive an onslaught of horror and terror from mutant cannibals in the New Mexico desert. The same is true of the original, but here the theme is highlighted by various, pregnant interactions between the characters, successfully establishing the inter-personal dynamics before the horror starts, so by the time director Alexandre Aja starts painting the walls red, the audience is fully emotionally invested in the characters’ fates. But perhaps what works even better this time is the acting, in particular Dan Byrd: As the teenage son, he radiates growing panic and palpable terror as the events of the day unfold, and Byrd’s ability to communicate his character’s decision-making process as the world falls down around him is so viscerally compelling that he elevates the entire production around him. It’s an intense, grisly and punishing watch, but one that has a lot to say about the American government, its fascist tendencies and total disregard for its own citizens, and reminds audiences that the horror genre often functions as a reflection of socio-political realities in direct, ballsy ways.

Rating: ★★★★ (out of 5)

Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem (2007)

by julienhoule, posted in Uncategorized

Let’s make no bones about it: “Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem” is a full-on, balls-to-the-walls Italian splatter movie masquerading as a moderately-budgeted American studio picture. It’s astonishing just how nasty and mean-spirited this one really is: It’s like co-directors Colin Crause and Greg Crause couldn’t wait to paint the walls red the minute they were offered the job, and boy do they deliver. Overall the movie isn’t as interested in furthering the internal mythologies of the two respective universes as much as it wants you to feel like you’re actually playing a video game (which is perfectly appropriate, given its roots). Its interest in its own characters is only to establish a pecking order for its coterie of brutal ways to dispatch those pesky humans in the most violent, visceral ways imaginable. There are definitely a few times where it goes way, way too far (both of them include pregnant women, so… be warned), and it makes me wish those fragments weren’t there because the rest of it is just so delightfully excessive. It’s pure B-movie trash all dressed up for the prom so it looks like a million bucks, for the most part; there are a few moments here and there that are too dimly lit to be particularly clear, but it doesn’t take much away from the experience. This is likely the movie most “Predator” fans were expecting from an “AVP” adaptation, with battles between the Predators and the Xenomorphs galore, limbs and viscera (both human and otherwise) splayed everywhere, and a gallows sense of humor not unlike 2006’s “Black Christmas.” It’s woefully inappropriate and wildly transgressive… which is part of what makes it thrilling to watch.

Rating: ★★★ (out of 5)

Shadows and Fog (1991)

by julienhoule, posted in Uncategorized

Woody Allen’s valentine to 1930s genre cinema like “M” and Universal monster movies is extraordinarily well-shot, with its intricate and lovingly recreated sets, but there’s just something missing and the movie never comes together in a cohesive whole. Perhaps it’s Allen himself, who provides more of the same nebishy, nervous energy, and it’s really take-it-or-leave-it. The supporting cast does its best with the strange material, which includes a traveling circus and a local whorehouse, but it’s all just very peculiar and, well, pointless. The movie has a few funny lines here and there (Julie Kavner’s appearance is filled with them), but the movie’s tone is at odds with its humor, and the climax is groan-inducingly stupid.

Rating: ★★ (out of 5)

Desperately Seeking Susan (1985)

by julienhoule, posted in Uncategorized

Susan Seidelman’s “Desperately Seeking Susan” is like lightning in a bottle: All its elements and ingredients come together perfectly. Seidelman’s camera captures a funky 1980s New York City that no longer exists, with all its menace and concurrent sense of adventure and it’s as much a character here as the actors. Speaking of the actors, Rosanna Arquette is perfectly cast as a bored housewife from New Jersey who lives vicariously through the titular downtown bohemian (played by Madonna), able to make the character’s arc engaging and compelling. Additionally, Aidan Quinn has buckets of charm as her love interest, and Madonna has screen presence and charisma galore in her first major movie role. It’s a terrific movie to watch over and over, and it’s easy to see why it has such a strong cult following.

Rating: ★★★★ (out of 5)