The English-language directing debut of the Pang Brothers (the two who gave us the excellent Asian thiller THE EYE in 2002)  is a distinctint disappointment if not a devastating disaster. Their patented visual style of cinematic scares is on view, but it seems a bit tired and obligatory by this point; it has all the pizzazz of a second-rate imitator trying to copy their earlier better work. On top of that, the screenplay is a cookie-cutter piece of work that mistakes a slow pace with a suspenseful build-up, featuring characters who are mostly oblivious to the horror around them, going about their messy lives while we wait in eager anticipation for the ghosts to interrupt the domestic drama. The occasional scare or stylistic flourish enlivens the dull storyline, but the contrivances are too great too overcome, especially toward the end. Continue Reading »

No Comments »

Despite the numeral 10 in the title, this is only the second sequel to THE EYE; the title actually refers to ten methods for viewing the dead, one of which was seen in each previous film, leaving eight for this movie to explore. This interesting concept helps retroactively turn the first two EYES into more of a matched pair (THE EYE 2 actually had little in common with its predecessor), and it also provides a vivid jumping-off for more sight-seeing among the dead. Unfortunately, the promising premise soon grows weary and bloodshot with strain, and the film develops an even more obvious case of myopia than afflicted THE EYE 2. Directors Danny and Oxide Pang display occasional flashes of the brilliant vision that made the original EYE a sight not to be missed, but more often than not they seem blind to the serious emotional qualities that made the film something more than a silly spook show. Continue Reading »

6 Comments »

This follow-up to THE EYE provides another glimpse into the land of the dead. Fans may enjoy the “second sight,” but this EYE lacks the compelling vision of its predecessor. Less a sequel than a variation on the theme, the story has nothing to do with the original except for the basic concept of a young woman who sees dead people. The attempt to create something new, instead of rehasing the original, is laudable, but the effort is undermined by weak plotting and a somewhat unsympathetic protagonist, who never engages our interest as well as Mun (Angelica Lee) did in the previous film. The directing duo of the Pang Brothers offer compensation in the form of some more memorably spooky supernatural manifestations, and as before they try to balance the horror with sentimental moments that tug the heartstrings. In this case however, they over-reach themselves, eventually descending into overwrought melodrama. Continue Reading »

4 Comments »

This is one of the best Asian ghost movies to emerge in the wake of 1998’s RING, the Japanese hit that launched the J-Horror wave. A co-production between Singapore and Hong Kong, THE EYE looks somewhat superficially similar to RING in terms of plot (it is also about a young woman searching for a solution to a haunting) and style (the ghostly manifestations convey an effective sense of the uncanny), but closer examination reveals that the two films are quite different. Camera angles, editing, and special effects are more flamboyant, offering a few more large-scale thrills, but the story-telling is less assured, stringing together some great set pieces without building up the looming sense of dread that made RING such an effective scare show even though very little overt horror was on display. Fortunately, the dramatic shortcomings are balanced not only by the scare tactics but also by a subtle emotional poignancy that elicits almost as many tears as screams. To resort to a cliche, this is one of those films that works because you care about the characters. Continue Reading »

8 Comments »

Moviehold.net tells us that actor Robert Englund will be asked to return as Freddy Kruger in the Platinum Dunes remake of A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET (which we mentioned in this post).  Of course, this does not alter the fact that there is no need for a remake of A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET, but outraged fans will search for any tiny silver lining in this dark cloud.

“At last, my right arm is complete again!”

This remake seems to put the kibosh, at least for the time being, on the oft-discussed prequel, which would have portrayed Kruger before being burned by the angry vigilantes. Personally, I have never found these origin stories to be that fascinating, especially in a case like this, where we have been told so much in bits and pieces over the years. Kruger became an icon of horror because he haunts dreams; the back story of his human life is of secondary interest.

As for doing a remake…well, Wes Craven already tried that, more or less, with NEW NIGHTMARE - a great concept for re-imagining Kruger as an eternal, archetypal evil that takes on different guises in different eras, which unfortunately faltered somewhat in execution. It might be interesting to see something new along those lines, something that extends the existing ELM STREET mythos. What we definitely do not need is a hack re-run of the original, along the lines of last year’s THE HITCHER.

1 Comment »

The Los Angeles Times reports that DreamWorks has purchased distribution and remake rights to PARANORMAL ACTIVITY, one of the more interesting films I saw at the Screamfest horror film festival last year. (I wrote about it here.) The plan is to have original director Oren Peli remake the virtually no-budget film on a larger scale. The remake would receive theatrical distribution; then the independently-shot original would be released on DVD along with the studio-backed version. Pele seems to be looking forward to the opportunity to expand upon his original:

“It’s definitely very exciting — I am still digesting it,” Peli said Wednesday. “Now we can try to do some things that were not possible before.”

Shot in the style of THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT, PARANORMAL ACTIVITY tells the supposedly true story of a young couple menaced by an unseen spirit or demon. They set up cameras to verify the haunting, which intensifies until it reaches a terrifying conclusion. The film’s key virtue is its low-key, believable approach, which renderes the “paranormal activity” in utterly convincing terms.

View the film’s trailer below:

No Comments »

Want your short horror video to be one of the bonus features when DIARY OF THE DEAD comes out on DVD? Well, here’s your chance!

George A. Romero is hosting a contest at his MySpace page for DIARY OF THE DEAD. You can find the rules here. Basically, you need to submit a film that is under three minutes in length and which in some way spoos or parodies DIARY OF THE DEAD.

The contest runs from January 30 through February 29. Winners will be announced on March 14.

Romero invites people to enter the competition in this video, which also includes the trailer from the film:

Diary of the Dead - Exclusive Trailer

No Comments »

Over at eBay, there is a benefit auction of a a poster from THE EYE, autographed by star Jessica Alba.

100% of the final sale price will go to The Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation.

From the press release I received:

On behalf of Lionsgate, we are pleased to announce Ebay charitable auctions for several exclusive “THE EYE” poster signed by Jessica Alba & Alessandro Nivalo benefiting The Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric Aids Foundation. The winning bidders will receive studio certified posters signed by the cast along with a signed letter verifying their authenticity.  Auctions begin today and will continue through the film’s opening weekend.  Interested fans and collectors should be aware there are only a limited amount of posters available.

Included In This Package:

A Signed Poster from JESSICA ALBA & ALESSANDRO NIVALO

A Hand Signed Letter from a Lionsgate Executive 

Last time I checked, the current bidding was up to $49.99. Come on, guys; we can do better than that! It is for a good cause, after all.

THE EYE opens on Friday, February 1.

No Comments »

Good news for Hollywood horror fans: On Wednesday, February 13, the American Cinematheque will be previewing DIARY OF THE DEAD at the Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood - and George Romero will be there to discuss the movie after the screening.

From the theatre’s official website:

Shot over a short 23 day schedule, director George Romero bleeds new life into the DEAD franchise with this unnervingly realistic recreation of events, depicted as they unfold. Student filmmakers shooting their own horror movie are caught in the middle of the zombie invasion and turn their cameras on the reanimated corpses, documenting the sudden dire calamity that threatens to destroy civilization as we know it. A cast of unknowns adds to the realism. With Michelle Morgan, Joshua Close, Shawn Roberts, Amy Lalonde. “…one of the most daring, hypnotic and absolutely vital horror films of the past decade… Outlandish, expressionistic and absolutely, disorientingly alive, DIARY OF THE DEAD is the movie that Romero’s legion of cultists—this critic included—have been screaming for: a fascinating, almost art-house railing against a mad, mad world.” – Chris Alexander, Fangoria

The screening starts at 7:30pm. Buy movie tickets here.

For those not fortunate enough to reside in the Los Angeles, do not despair; there is hope for you, at least if you live in New York. ESplatter.com reports that there will be a preview screening in New York on February 6:

OK, New York readers. A preview screening of “Diary” with George A. Romero in person takes place Wednesday, February 6 at 7:00 p.m.Where? At the AMC Empire 25 Theater, 234 West 42nd Street, Manhattan. This is technically for members of the Museum of the Moving Image, but nonmembers can attend. Tickets: $12 Museum members / Free for Sponsor-level and above / $18 non-members. Buy tickets online (www.movingimage.us) or call 718.784.4520

Read a review of the film here. See an interview with Romero below: 

Sundance Profile: George Romero

No Comments »

The Star Tribute alerts us that actor George Takei (Sulu on STAR TREK) has been scheduled to replace Leonard Nimoy as host of an orchestral music program in Minnesota that will include interplanetary excerpts from STAR TREK, STAR WARS, and other outer space movies - not to mention Gustav Holtz’ The Planets:

Takei will appear Friday and Saturday night with the Minnesota Orchestra as part of “To Boldly Go … “, the finale of the ensemble’s Sounds of Cinema film-music series. He replaces the originally scheduled Leonard Nimoy, who had to cancel because he was too busy filming the new “Star Trek” movie, in which he reprises his role as Spock.

[…]

“Music is an organic part of so many science-fiction films,” Takei said. “When you’re boldly going where no one has gone before, that also involves the spirit soaring, and music is the vehicle that transports you there.”

No Comments »

As mentioned in this week’s Laserblast, THE KINGDOM and THE KINGDOM 2 have been issued on Region 1 DVD in the U.S. (KINGDOM was previously available, but KINGDOM 2 was virtually MIA in the states.) Although these two titles (which have nothing to do with the 2007 film directed by Peter Berg) were released to American art houses, they are not really feature-length movies but mini-series strung together for theatrical presentation. ”Lynchian” is the adjective that comes inevitably to mind: although series mastermind Lars Von Triers is not a fan of director David Lynch in general, he has cited TWIN PEAKS as a major influence for these 1990s efforts. Set in the hospital of the title, the soap-opera style-story includes a mix of melodrama, mysticism, and black comedy Lynch’s cult-fav TV show. The labyrinthine plot and subplots are too complicated to detail; suffice to say that the main threads involve an old woman who keeps getting herself admitted not because she is sick or a hypochondriac but because she is a medium who senses restless spirits at work in the hospital. Continue Reading »

1 Comment »

Doing a little catch-up work this week, as we have been neglecting some of January’s home video releases. Not that there have been that many; after the big Christmas glut, things slow down during the beginning of the year. Still, fans of the Jigsaw Killer will be pleased to know that SAW IV is now available in multiple versions: widescreen unrated DVD; full screen unrated DVD; widescreen DVD; and Blu-ray disc. Also out last week was a box set for TORCHWOOD - The Complete First Season; this is the gay DR. WHO spin-off that fans have been raving about.

The most high-profile release this week (though calling it eagerly awaited would probably be an exaggeration) is THE INVASION. The film, which went through re-shooting and re-editing before it was released last year, was a box office disaster, prompting one to wonder whether the original version might not find its way onto home video; unfortunately, this is not the case. The discs provide an anamorphic widescreen transfer with 5.1 surround sound, plus a handful of very short featurettes that give some glimpse into the production. There is no audio commentary.

From big-budget Hollywood bombs to foreign art house fare: Lars Von Triers’ mystifying and wonderful THE KINGDOM has re-emerged on DVD. This rather Lynchinan item (the inspiration for the short-lived, dumbed down Stephen King’s Kingdom Hospital) was originally a mini-series in Denmark before being re-editing into an epic length movie for screenings in U.S. theatres. A second mini-series followed and received the same art house distribution in the U.S. Both have been previously released on DVD, but the second series was almost impossible to find in the U.S. Now they have been released, both individually and combined in a set.

Perhaps the most high-quality video release this week is The Val Lewton Horror Collection. A previous version of this box set came out in 2006; the new release contains a new documentary about Lewton, narrated by director Martin Scorsese. Lewton was a producer who made a series of low-budget, shuddery shocker in the 1940s at RKO Pictures. His horror films stand in marked contrast to those produced during the same era by Universal (which had a run of classics in the ’30s but was pretty much re-hashing their classic monsters by this point). Lewton went for suggestion, atmosphere, and intelligent storytelling, creating some wonderful movies: THE CAT PEOPLE, I WALKED WITH A ZOMBIE, and THE BODY SNATCHER are three of the best. If you are a fan of classic horror, this is one box set you definitely should own.

Check out more recent home video releases below the fold. Continue Reading »

1 Comment »

ALBA STUDIED HARD FOR HORROR FILM: PR-inside.com tells us that actress Jessica album took music lessons and studied blind people for her role as a blind violinist in THE EYE, which opens this Friday. Alba is building up quite the horror, fantasy, sci-fi resume, with roles in IDLE HANDS, SIN CITY, and FANTASTIC FOUR.

ROMANEK DROPS OUT OF “WOLF MAN”: Mark Romanek has decided that the path to directing THE WOLFMAN - a remake of the 1941 classic starring Lon Chaney - is just too thorny. The director left over “creative differences,” but Universal Studios insists that the project is in great shape. Benicio Del Toro is set for the lead, with Anthony Hopkins and Emily Blunt in supporting roles. The film was scheduled fo a February 18 start date; Universal will need to find a new director quickly.

JULIANNE MMORE SEEKS SHELTER: The actress has signed to star in a $25-million supernatural horror thriller from Nala Films (IN THE VALLEY OF ELAH). The Swedish duo of Mans Marlind and Bjorn Stein will direct SHELTER, from a script by Michael Cooney (IDENTITY). Production is scheduled for March in Pittsburgh.

E.T. GIVES BIRTH TO CJ7: Hong Kong actor and filmmaker Stephen Chow cites Steven Spielberg’s 1982 film about a cuddly alien as inspiration for CHANGJIAN QIHAO (CJ7), Chow’s new science fiction film about love between a father and son:

“I watched it many times,” said Chow of E.T. “I was amazed that science fiction could be filmed like that. I knew then I wanted to make a mvoie like that. Spielberg’s work inspired me to become a director.”

No Comments »

SWEENEY TODD: THE DEMON BARBER OF FLEET STREET made a faster-than-deserved exist from U.S. theatres, but the film is doing well in overseas markets.

Horror musical “Sweeney Todd” slaughtered the competition in its U.K. and Gallic openings, and the Coen brothers’ violent thriller “No Country for Old Men” also did solid Euro trade powered by its French debut.

[…] In the U.K., “Todd” carved its way to a boffo $9 million at 436 screens, according to Rentrak figs. The pic dominated weekend cinema biz with a screen average of $20,617.

No other pic cleared the $2 million bar. “Alien Vs. Predator — Requiem” (down 51% in its soph sesh) placed second.

Bookers attribute the bumper “Sweeney Todd” haul to a built-in fanbase for Burton and Depp, and excellent campaign by Warner Bros. and excellent reviews.

“January is an excellent trading period. It’s dark, cold and miserable and everyone is at work. No one is going to the beach or barbecues, so cinema benefits,” commented an exhib on the current sunny state of the marketplace.

Exhibs report “Todd” has performed exceptionally well in towns with well-established Goth groups such as Leeds.

But “Todd” is expected to fall away significantly in its second weekend. Pic was sold as a horror but word is not out at the regional plexes that it is a musical. “Todd” should hold better in London’s West End and key sites where auds were fully aware that pic is a musical prior to opening weekend.

[…] 

In France, Depp’s adopted land, “Todd” notched a monster bow. The musical took in $4 million in its first five days on 365 for Warners.

No Comments »

Variety takes a look at the 68% box office decline of CLOVERFIELD in its second weekend. Thanks to its low-budget, not to mention overseas sales, the film will undoubtedly be profitable, but the article makes the point that its success tends to be driven more by advertising than audience satisfaction.

Paramount’s “Cloverfield”may have posted the biggest January opening of all time, but it’s turning out to be more of a marketing win than a runaway crowd pleaser at the box office. Pic plunged 68% in its second weekend at the domestic box office, putting “Cloverfield” in that category of films that rely on a huge opening weekend, akin to a much-hyped pay-per-view event. Yet even among those films, a 68% decline is on the high side, up there with drops seen by “The Hulk” and “Elektra” in their second frames.

[..]

Most in Hollywood weren’t surprised by “Cloverfield’s” precipitous falloff. The pic, produced by J.J. Abramsand shot to resemble a homevideo, got a “C” cinema score, meaning moviegoers were lukewarm at best about what they saw. If anything, competitors applaud Paramount for opening “Cloverfield” to such big numbers through a well-executed marketing campaign that made the film a must-see, particularly for younger men and teen boys.

“They eventized the film. They had a finite audience and they burned through it quickly. Word-of-mouth takes care of the rest,” one distribution exec at a rival studio said.

No Comments »