The WTF? Worst Films Extravaganza Presents: Psychosis (2010) [Video Review]

DIRECTED BY
Reg Traviss

STARRING
Charisma Carpenter - Susan
Paul Sculfor - David
Ricci Harnett - Peck
Justin Hawkins - Josh

Genre - Horror/Psychological Thriller/Ghosts

Running Time - 89 Minutes


Is Susan (Charisma Carpenter) crazy? Is Susan really seeing ghosts? Can I get my 90 minutes back? This homage to British horror deserves a Hammer to the head. Just a really dull, uninspired film. Avoid at all costs. Watch the video review.

Fangoria X-Clusive: Interview w/ Artist Scott Jackson

I conducted an interview with a great artist named Scott Jackson, who has done covers for music artists and horror magazines. Read my Q & A at Fangoria.

Leatherface: Texas Chainsaw Massacre III (1990)

DIRECTED BY
Jeff Burr

STARRING
Kate Hodge - Michelle
Ken Foree - Benny
William Butler - Ryan
R.A. Mihailoff - Leatherface
Viggo Mortensen - Tex/Eddie
Tom Everett - Alfredo

Genre - Horror/Slasher

Running Time - 81 Minutes (R-Rated Version)/85 Minutes (Unrated Version)


I don't think there has been a horror franchise that has baffled fans more than THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE series. While Jason Voorhees, Freddy Krueger, and Michael Myers have become mainstream horror icons with tons of merchandise and feature films, Leatherface and his family have struggled. It's weird to have a franchise where the first three parts are considered a trilogy, while the others happen to be remakes of the first film but with different characters and appearances. Why no one can truly handle telling Leatherface's story without rehashing the same crap over and over again is beyond me.

Tobe Hooper's THE TEXAS CHAIN SAW MASSACRE (1974) is an absolute horror classic that audiences are still chilled by today. It's portrait of backwoods Texas life, inspired by infamous serial killer Ed Gein, has gained the film massive notoreity and admiration amongst film lovers. Twelve-years later, Tobe Hooper's THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE 2 was released. The difference in tone [from a gritty horror flick to a polished horror-comedy] alienated fans of Leatherface [even though it's quite appreciated for how great of a sequel it is now], causing the film to bomb at the box office in 1986.

In the late 80s, New Line Cinema [home of A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET and the then newly-aquired FRIDAY THE 13TH franchise] bought the rights to THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE. The company saw Leatherface as a franchise horror player [even though it was proven just the opposite until the reboot in 2003] and decided to make a sequel they felt was more truer in tone than the last film. So they ignored the events of TCM 2 and retconned the story to give the franchise a new start with LEATHERFACE: TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE III.

I remember seeing the TV ads for this film and thinking that the trailer was freakin' awesome. I mean, it has to be one of the coolest trailers ever made for a film.



While I didn't know it was a parody of the film, EXCALIBUR, at the time, the trailer made me want to see this film in theaters. And at nine-years-old, I watched LEATHERFACE in a double bill with CLASS OF 1999. Definitely one of the better double billings I had an honor to sit through as a kid. I truly remembered enjoying this film alot.

Now it's been 20 years, and I finally sat down to watch LEATHERFACE again for the first time since. I saw the Unrated Version of the film [the reason for that will be explained later] and I was kind of disappointed. It wasn't as good as I remembered it to be, putting me in that camp that thinks THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE 2 is a much better sequel. Still, LEATHERFACE is a worthy addition to the franchise and a more than decent continuation of the Sawyer family. Let's rev up that chainsaw and review this once controversial sequel.

PLOT
Acting as if THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE 2 never took place, the film begins with a bickering couple named Michelle (Kate Hodge) and Ryan (William Butler). They're driving from California to Florida [why they didn't just fly is beyond me], and have made a pit stop at Texas. They arrive at a local gas station where they encounter a perverted attendant (Tom Everett) and a smooth-talkin', friendly cowboy named Tex (Viggo Mortensen), who gives the couple a shortcut to where they want to go. Being stupid tourists by not following the map, they end up in trouble when they're chased down by a mysterious truck.

After they deal with the truck, their car breaks down. Ryan tries to fix the tires of the car, when they're confronted by Leatherface (R.A. Mihailoff) and his huge chainsaw. Michelle manages to escape with the help of a survivalist named Benny (Ken Foree). Unfortunately, Ryan isn't so lucky as he's caught in a bear trap, beaten by Leatherface, and taken away to be dinner. Michelle runs away and encounters a house in the middle of nowhere that belongs to Leatherface's family. Can Michelle escape or will there be another TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE?

REVIEW
Before I begin discussing the film itself, I need to take the time to explain the issues LEATHERFACE faced during its pre-production and production stages [which you could watch on The Saw is Family: Making Leatherface documentary on the DVD - which is great, by the way]. Let's just say that making this film was a mess for everyone involved. First of all, Tobe Hooper and Kim Henkel [the creators of THE TEXAS CHAIN SAW MASSACRE] had proposed several ideas for the next installment. Unfortunately the producers and the studio suits weren't having it [because they know better than the actual creators of the characters], so both men walked away from this sequel. So New Line Cinema, wanting to take the franchise in a fresh direction, hired screenwriter David J. Schow, who did uncredited rewrites for A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET PART 5: THE DREAM CHILD and would later write the screenplay for THE CROW, wanted to bring back the creepier tone that was present in the original film. Schow pretty much took the same premise of the original [male and female protagonists, Leatherface stalking in the woods, crazy cannibalistic family, no humor at all], yet adding a protagonist in Benny [best move he made], for a "new start" to the franchise. While Schow's script was actually pretty good, the screenplay relied on a lot of violence and graphic moments of gore.

Now if you know anything about the horror movies of the late 70s and 80s, the censors really had a field day with the genre. THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE was always considered a controversial series due to the chainsaw murders and the visuals needed to make them effective. Like with the FRIDAY THE 13TH franchise, the murder sequences had to be trimmed down in order to escape an X-Rating from the MPAA. Since this franchise was no where near fantastical like the ELM STREET franchise [which allowed very violent scenes to remain intact because they could "never happen"], LEATHERFACE already faced a roadblock. They also had issues finding the right director [Jeff Burr was pretty much their last choice after Tom Savini and Peter Jackson turned the film down], and finding the right SFX team [KNB, replacing Tom Savini's work from the previous film] to make it happen. Unfortunately, the MPAA was on this film's ass for the duration of the production, constantly giving LEATHERFACE an X-Rating due to its violence and gore [making this film the last film to receive an X-Rating from the MPAA due to the NC-17 rating being implemented shortly after]. So theater goers got to see a neutered version of the intended film.

Another roadblock LEATHERFACE faced was the shooting schedule. Schow was hired to write a script in January of 1989, but the studio wanted to shoot by June [although it was delayed until August], not really giving Schow a lot of time to write a script and really edit it. The script, like in many horror films, was what hurt LEATHERFACE in the end. Burr and Schow had disagreements over the direction of the film, causing massive rewrites to happen. Also, the Benny character had died in the original version of the script. But New Line's president Robert Shaye liked the character so much that he wanted Benny to survive. So the script had to be rewritten and the final scenes had to be reshot, creating a strange reappearance for the character at the end of the movie. All this chaos was finally edited into a suitable film that totally bombed at the box office. Filmmaking ain't easy, folks. Thankfully, the DVD offers both the theater version and the Uncut version. There's not much difference besides more violence, but I'm reviewing the Unrated LEATHERFACE because that's the film that should have been released.

Now with that out of the way, how is the actual film? It's a good sequel, but not a great one. Yes, I remember loving this one when I was younger. But now that I understand filmmaking and can totally appreciate filmmakers going against the grain [like Hooper did with TCM 2], LEATHERFACE is nothing more than a polished, beefed up version of the original movie. It's sort of similar to how HALLOWEEN 4: THE RETURN OF MICHAEL MYERS is a more polished, beefed up version of HALLOWEEN. That's not to say that it's a bad thing. If you listen to a lot of TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE fans, LEATHERFACE is the film they're expecting after a gritty film like the 1974 original.

Even with the massive rewrites to the screenplay, LEATHERFACE still manages to move ahead quite well for the most part. If you've seen the original film, you already know the structure to this film. So there's no point in talking about the slash and hack aspect of it. What really makes this sequel stand out are the characters. They're pretty well-written and believable. There's no slapstick or over-the-top weirdos here. Yes, the Sawyer family are still nuts, but it's more subtle this time around. In fact, I could believe that something like what happens in this movie could really happen in reality.

I personally liked the protagonists of the film for the most part. Michelle and Ryan sort of annoyed me at the beginning, due to their constant bickering. But I understood it because it's believable. I'm sure driving from California to Texas isn't the most pleasant of experiences, especially if you're cooped up with someone. They weren't the most developed characters to be honest, but neither were the characters in the original. Yet I liked them because they behaved like normal, sane people even during this horrible situation. Even better is Benny, who seems to be a survivalist with his weapon stash and his great instincts. He's smart. He's cunning. He's not afraid to take people down in order to make it out safe. And he'll help people in need without a second thought. Every horror film needs a bad ass and Benny fits that bill well.

The Sawyer family are also likeable. While I do believe the earlier members of the family [The Cook, The Hitchhiker, and Chop-Top] are better, this version of the family wasn't too bad. I thought Tex, as the charismatic cowboy and ladies man, was a smooth dude. He proves you should never judge a book by its cover. We also have Alfredo, who thinks he's Norman Bates by peeping at women using the bathroom. I thought he was great because he was so just eccentric and weird. He talked to himself, tried to force himself on women, and made traps in the woods for dinner. I wish he was in the film more. Ticker was the normal one of the group, except he had a metal hand. And I thought the Mama character was cool too, even though she wasn't in the film long enough. My favorite character was the little girl, who is implied to be Leatherface's daughter. I'm guessing he raped one of his victims because I doubt any sane woman would want to get banged by this guy. She was so adorable, especially when she helped murder people and cook dinner. Aww, how sweet! She also had a skeleton doll named Sally, which is a homage to the survivor of the first film, Sally Hardesty. I honestly didn't remember the little girl all that much from the theater version. I guess the Unrated version gives her more to do. I don't know why her scenes were cut down in the first place. She was the coolest one of the bunch. This version of the Sawyers was the most loving, as they never fought each other much at all.

I do have issues though. One is Leatherface. Now I love his look and I dig his vibe in the film. He's a total badass in this film and I loved the metal leg brace. The guy was very intimidating, like Leatherface should be. It's too bad there's nothing else I could say about him. To say that the other portrayals of Leatherface are more interesting is an understatement. And while THE NEXT GENERATION is a terrible film, at least Leatherface had a personality. Sure he crossdressed and he whined like a little bitch throughout the film, but at least I felt something towards the character. This Leatherface is just dull. Even his tactics to murder people is pretty boring in this film. I would liked to have seen more moments with just Leatherface planning an attack, stalking victims, or even spending time with his family. It would have been great if he interacted with his daughter more. That could have been an interesting relationship if we were allowed to see it. I just think for a guy who the film is named after, he doesn't do all that much until the end really. If it's titled LEATHERFACE, it should be about the character. And this movie is anything but.

Also, the dialogue in this film is a bit wonky. I blame the rewrites for this mess, but I can only judge the final edit of the film. The dialogue is a bit uneven. Especially with the Ryan character, who has the worst kind of dialogue: exposition. He always states the obvious and is always on the nose about things. People don't talk like that. We know what's going on. We don't need to have him say it for us. I don't blame David Schow for this. Nothing good ever comes out of other people rewriting your script, especially if they add things in there that shouldn't be in there. It happens, unfortunately.

I also thought the final act was a bit sloppy as well. The set up in the first two acts worked for me, but the final act seemed like a throwaway. The Sawyers get dispatched WAY too quickly. I think they should have let the villains put up more of a fight then what they were given. And the ending leaves you wondering about the fates of certain characters, with its only intention being to set up a later sequel [which never happened - THE NEXT GENERATION was a bad remake, not a sequel], Even the original ending sucked as well. It felt unfinished to me.

The SFX by KNB is actually pretty good. Unfortunately, the MPAA refused to let theater goers to see the real good stuff back in 1990. Thankfully, the Unrated DVD brings some of the gore back. We get a crushed armadillo, we get an ear shot right off someone's head, we get shot off fingers, we get bullet wounds, bear trap wounds, chainsaw wounds, and a decent amount of blood. Still, I believe that these scenes were supposed to be even more extreme than what was shown. But I'll take what I can get.

The direction by Jeff Burr [who also directed STEPFATHER 2: MAKE ROOM FOR DADDY] was good. I liked his work here. He tried to infused some style here, like cool angles, darker lighting, and even a gloomier mood than the previous installment. I do wish the film had more tension and suspense. It has some, but it could have used more. But the movie is decently edited and has a nice brisk pace. I can't really complain about the visuals. The studio didn't really make his experience a pleasurable one, so I'm glad he was more than professional to get over that and make a nice looking film [even if he did try to get away from the finished product]. Poor guy.

The acting was more than fine here. Kate Hodge, in her first film, does well as Michelle. She's solid until the end, where her "brink of madness" phase feels a bit forced. Other than that, no complaints. William Butler also did a good job. Unfortunately, he had the worst dialogue in the film. Not his fault. Viggo Mortensen, pre-LORD OF THE RINGS, shines as Tex. He's charming. He's smooth and sly. And he's pretty intimidating towards the end. Even in 1990, you can tell this guy was going to do great things in the future. Ken Foree, from 1978's DAWN OF THE DEAD, is excellent as Benny. He was a total badass and I liked his performance. Hell, I just like this dude in anything. And R.A. Mihailoff was good as Leatherface. I liked the more aggressive nature to the character and he handled the saw well. I just wish the script fleshed him out a bit.

THINGS I'VE LEARNED WHILE HAVING THIS SECTION CENSORED DUE TO EXCESSIVE AWESOMENESS

- Michelle told Ryan that "violence is no answer to violence." Viggo Mortensen needs to teach her A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE so she can get her damn facts straight.

- Alfredo taped bits of naked women from a magazine inside the gas station bathroom. I appreciate the station employees supplying masturbatory material for free. All businesses should be cost effective.

- A coyote was thrown into the windshield. Looks like the Road Runner wins again. Beep beep!

- Leatherface scared Michelle and Ryan by chainsawing their car. This new season of Pimp Your Ride is not worth dying for!

- Leatherface's daughter had a scattering of skulls and skeletons littered all over the floor. I bet he'll have a bone or two to pick with her if she doesn't clean that shit up!

- Mama Sawyer needs to speak with the help of a voice box. I hate when anti-smoking commercials infiltrate my horror movies. Now where's my carton of cigarettes?

- Leatherface uses an extra long chainsaw. It's quite obvious he's compensating for something.

THE FINAL HOWL
I think if the MPAA and New Line Cinema had let this film be what it was intended to be, LEATHERFACE: TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE III would have been a better film. It's funny that horror films nowadays can show penises getting chopped off without a blink of an eye. Still, it's an effective slasher sequel that still does a lot of things right, considering the hurdles it had to overcome. Definitely worth watching, renting, and even buying [the DVD is pretty sweet] if you're a Leatherface fan. I don't like it as much as I used to, but it's still a very worthy sequel that deserves a lot of love.


SCORE
3 Howls Outta 4

NEWS: Dead Rising 2 available on September 28th!

Any serious gamers out there? Well if you wanted to ever kill zombies in a virtual environment, you're in luck! On September 28th [September 24th in Europe & September 30th in Japan], video game giant Capcom is releasing its highly anticipated sequel for its other zombie franchise, DEAD RISING 2. Taking place 5 years after the original, the zombie outbreak has taken over the entire United States. Only Chuck Greene, a former motorcross champion who is uninfected, must contain the outbreak by bashing zombies with a variety of weapons, including chainsaws, "Dynameat", and a machine gun acting as a sentry for a Rambo-inspired teddy bear. It will be available for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC consoles.

And if you have a Xbox 360, you can download an exclusive demo called Dead Rising: Case Zero, which is a prologue for Dead Rising 2. It costs 400 Microsoft Points ($5 US).

Dead Rising: Case Zero

Check it out and support video game horror!

The B-Movie Bungalow Presents: Best Friends (1975)

DIRECTED BY
Noel Nosseck

STARRING
Richard Hatch - Jesse
Doug Chapin - Pat
Susanne Benton - Kathy
Ann Noland - Jo Ella

Genre - Drama/Thriller

Running Time - 83 Minutes


What do Saved By The Bell, Queen, George Michael, "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, and the Boy Scouts have in common? They're all seen, heard, or mentioned in my latest video review for BEST FRIENDS, a film where one guy takes his affections for his best friend to the deadliest of places. So put on those friendship bracelets and check out the 4th installment of the Drive-In Cult Collection series!

The Zombie Rabbit Award... Yay!!

Full Moon Reviews has received another honor: The Zombie Rabbit Award! Thanks to Pete from Deadly Serious and Ethan from Stoned Horror Critic for the kind gesture! Thanks, you two!


"ZOMBIE RABBIT AWARD"

"I am giving this award to [10] of my favorite blogs and places i believe need some well deserved attention. I thought it might be fun to shake it up a bit, sort of a "Pay It Forward" move... let me explain.

01) Give the award to [10] who you like, but give a couple the "Next Blog" slider button on top... so random blogger people can feel the love from a stranger.

02) Post those you gave the award to, so fans of your site can see the places you like and Paid It Forward too.

*If we are not careful there will be "Zombie Rabbits" everywhere..."


So, here are my Top 10 victims....er, "recipients":
1. From Midnight, With Love
2. Disturbing Entertainment
3. Big Daddy Horror Reviews
4. The Lightning Bug's Lair
5. Reverend Phantom
6. The Kid In The Hall
7. Porkhead's Horror Review Hole
8. The Film Connoisseur
9. Fascination With Fear
10. The Horror Digest

Brainjacked (2009)

DIRECTED BY
Andrew Allan

STARRING
Chris Jackson - Tristan Davis
Somali Rose - Laney Bates
Rod Grant - Dr. Karas
Christopher Sarlls - Zane Booker
Krista Grotte - Flora 'Heaven' Walker

Genre - Science Fiction/Horror/Action/Indie

Running Time - 90 Minutes


I couldn't imagine living my entire life under the strain of constant headaches. I don't suffer from migranes, but hearing from people who do, it's not a fun time. Even light headaches from being sick with a cold or flu annoy the hell out of me. But what if someone had a method that could take away headaches forever, even if it did come with a hefty price?

Well I received a screener from Breaking Glass Pictures called BRAINJACKED, which answers the above question. And let's just say that I would risk having my brain throb out of my skull than deal with what some lunatic doctor's "cure". Luckily, BRAINJACKED won't give one a massive headache. Unfortunately, it won't cure a massive headache either.
PLOT
Tristan (Chris Jackson) is dealing with really bad headaches, to the point where he can't function. What's worse is that his father's not around, and his stepfather films his mother getting gangbanged by junkies. After trying to stop his mom's actions, the junkies screwing her throw Tristan out of the house and into the street, where he gets mugged not much later. How much can a teenager take?

While trying to sleep on a park bench [thankfully not next to Aqualung], a pretty blonde named Laney (Somali Rose) invites Tristan to meet a doctor named Karas (Rod Grant) after noticing his trouble with headaches. Proudly displaying this scar on her forehead, Laney explains that Dr. Karas specializes in an unorthodox method that takes away headaches forever, providing shelter for some of his patients as well. Tristan is understandably unsure about this news, especially after meeting him. You see, some of his patients [mainly runaways] tend to look up to Karas as some sort of savior, worshipping the ground he walks on. But the stress of the headaches cause Tristan to seek treatment from Karas regardless, which involves getting drilled in the skull to relieve pressure. When the "operation" is over, Tristan is free from his headaches. But strange things begin to happen, making Tristan realize that his freedom has come with a price.

REVIEW
I received two screeners from Breaking Glass Pictures - BRAINJACKED and DARKNESS. I chose to watch BRAINJACKED first because the premise of the film grabbed me more than DARKNESS. It sounded a bit like H.P. Lovecraft's work, with its science fiction-horror vibe. It's too bad that the script and the budget limited the idea's potential, because BRAINJACKED could have been really great if the dominos had fallen into place.

The screenplay is really the film's downfall. It's not a horrible script at all. Andrew Allan and Andy Lalino do a decent job trying to flesh out their interesting idea. I mean, what other movie has a mad doctor drilling holes [the drill is part of his arm, by the way] to "cure" headaches while implanting a microchip inside the hole in order to control his patients? It's a great premise for a film! Who wouldn't want to see that? Unfortunately, Allan and Lalino don't take it far enough for BRAINJACKED to really stand out. Instead, the two decide to make a film about a doctor doing these experiments in order to create a brainwashed cult, who will do his bidding to take over the world, until one of his patients figures it out and tries to stop him. It takes something that's as original as an idea could be and turns it generic. I would have liked to have learned more about the experiment itself and the motives as to why this doctor is even doing what he's doing. But we're not given any background about any of these issues [or any of the characters really besides Tristan], leaving Tristan's battle to stop this man seem a bit thin and disconnected.

Besides, the whole idea of this man taking in countless runaways, who ALL seem to have these massive headaches, just for him to drill their heads to even make this all possible is a bit far-fetched. The film is too grounded in reality for this to be believable. In fact, as the film rolls on, we learn that EVERYONE in this town has been drilled by this guy. And he's implanted microchips in all of them that causes them to become zombies to this man's goal with the use of some remote control. How does this one man manage to experiment an entire town without not one person knowing something isn't right? Especially since they black out every time Dr. Karas takes control over their throughts and bodies? It takes away a level of suspense and tension from the film. In fact, a film like this deserves some sense of paranoia for the audience and for the protagonists. But since we don't know why this is happening, or even how, it's hard to invest ourselves in this conspiracy. It just leaves BRAINJACKED as an average action-thriller. That's fine and all, but with a premise like this, it deserved more. At least it never bored me, so that's a plus. But it could have, no should have, been more cerebral in its storytelling.

The special effects in BRAINJACKED are actually quite good for its low budget. We get close ups of drillings that the director doesn't cut away from. We also get an eyeball pulled out of a socket. And the final gore sequence was quite delish. No CGI here, which I greatly appreciated. Plus, we do have some boobies on display. I mentioned that in this section of the review only because some of these boobs looked to be manmade, if you get my drift. No complaints in this department.

The direction by Andrew Allan was pretty good. I really enjoyed the visual palette of the film. It's very colorful, with a lot of neon green, blue, and red. It really creates this otherworldly atmosphere and mood that is refreshing from other low budget sci-fi works. Plus, the film is mainly shot at night, creating a bleak and dark look to BRAINJACKED. I also thought there was some nice style and the action sequences were shot well. It's not a bad film visually at all. I wish it was a bit more tense and suspenseful. I also wish it was more exciting too. Some parts bored me to be honest. But the direction was overall decent.

The acting is decent. Chris Jackson was pretty good as the lead, Tristan. He carried the film well and wouldn't mind seeing him in more films. I thought he was very likeable and had some nice charisma. Rod Grant was totally campy as Dr. Karas, but it worked for his character. I totally bought his 'mad scientist' act with his smarmy performance. I really wanted to slap him everytime he smiled or smirked. That's a good villain right there. Somali Rose was cool as Laney. She was cute and had a lot to work with in her performance. She handled it well. The only actor I thought was pretty annoying was Christopher Sarlis as Zane. I don't know if that's really him or the director made him sound this way, but it seemed as if he was doing a poor man's 'Batman voice' act that just grated me. It's bad enough that Christian Bale does it in BATMAN BEGINS and THE DARK KNIGHT. We don't need another gravely voiced character. It's too bad because I think the performance could have been decent without this distraction.

THINGS I'VE LEARNED WHILE GETTING DRILLED IN A NON-SEXUAL WAY

Sorry, but there's no "Things I've Learned" today. C'mon, I had a headache and I wasn't in the mood to perform! Sue me!

THE FINAL HOWL
BRAINJACKED is an okay film that had a lot of potential but failed to live up to it. But it still has a unique premise, decent visuals, good special effects, and decent acting for the most part. So if you're looking for something that's potentially different on the surface but pretty common stuff underneath, BRAINJACKED is your film. It just might get drilled into your skull.


SCORE
2 Howls Outta 4


Visit Breaking Glass Pictures website here.

Resident Evil: Apocalypse (2004)

DIRECTED BY
Alexander Witt

STARRING
Milla Jovovich - Alice
Sienna Guillory - Jill Valentine
Oded Fehr - Carlos Olivera
Mike Epps - Lloyd Jefferson 'LJ' Wayne
Thomas Kretschmann - Major Cain
Jared Harris - Dr. Charles Ashford
Sophie Vavasseur - Angela Ashford
Sandrine Holt - Terri Morales
Zack Ward - Sergeant Nikolai Sokolov

Genre - Horror/Sci-Fi/Action/Zombies/Video Games

Running Time - 94 Minutes


In 2002, the film adaptation of one of video game company Capcom's biggest and most popular franchises, RESIDENT EVIL, was released in theaters. Critics hated the film and fans were somewhat indifferent about it. Either way, the film was pretty much a worldwide success, which guaranteed that a sequel would be made [especially since the film left the ending wide open].

Sony Pictures wanted to release the RESIDENT EVIL sequel, RESIDENT EVIL: APOCALYPSE, in 2004 with Milla Jovovich coming back as Alice and director Paul W.S. Anderson writing and directing it one more time. However, Paul W.S. Anderson had signed on to direct ALIEN VS. PREDATOR and was unable to direct the RESIDENT EVIL sequel, even though he did write the screenplay and retained executive producer credit. Instead, directorial duties were given to a second unit director for a number of big films such as SPEED, TWISTER, GLADIATOR, THE BOURNE IDENTITY, and PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: CURSE OF THE BLACK PEARL named Alexander Witt. Realizing that the first film took itself way too seriously, Witt wanted to have more fun with the sequel, making it almost like a modern B-movie of sorts. This led to some cast tension [especially between Jovovich and Witt - with Anderson saying he's not a fan of how the film turned out], but the film was released on time. And like RESIDENT EVIL, RESIDENT EVIL: APOCALYPSE was a success at the box office. But is the film any good? 'Good' may be a subjective term. But it is 'better' than the first installment, but not by that much.

PLOT
At the end of the first RESIDENT EVIL, Alice (Milla Jovovich) escaped the newly reopened "The Hive" after been injected with the T-Virus [which reanimates dead tissue, yet has somehow merged with Alice's cell to give her superhuman powers]. She realizes she's in Raccoon City, a once busy city now surrounded by thousands of T-virus infected zombies ready to snack on anyone that stands in their way. The Umbrella Corporation quarantines the city, pretty much killing most of Raccoon City's civilians by leaving them helpless against the zombie invasion.

There are survivors, however. Alice meets up with tough policewoman Jill Valentine (Sienna Guillory), S.T.A.R.S. members Carlos Olivera (Oded Fehr) and Nikolai Sokolov (Zack Ward), news reporter Terri Morales (Sandrine Holt), and cab driver LJ Wayne (Mike Epps) to confront Umbrella about trying to cover up their mess. Alice and her new allies are contacted by a top scientist named Dr. Ashford (Jared Harris), who needs their help in finding his young daughter Angie (Sophie Vavasseur), who is hiding out in a school in Raccoon City. If she's found, Ashford will arrange a helicopter to pick them all up and take them out of the city. However, Umbrella has caught wind of this and decided to unleash their new project: Alice's old friend Matt (Eric Mabius in the first film), who is now known as the powerful and brutish Nemesis, to kill Alice and her friends.

REVIEW
RESIDENT EVIL: APOCALYPSE is the only film in this franchise that I have watched in theaters and I remember having a decent time with it. I didn't expect much going into it, and it ended up surprising me. I felt it was worth the price of admission. After seeing it after a few years, it's still a decent watch and more entertaining than the first RESIDENT EVIL film was. However, the sequel is still heavily flawed in a lot of ways.

The basis of Anderson's screenplay is the video game, Resident Evil 3: Nemesis. In that game, Jill Valentine had to fight off zombies in Raccoon City and battle this behemoth called Nemesis, armed with rocket launchers, at the end of the game. Thankfully, Anderson doesn't totally insult the audience by not having Jill Valentine in the film. She's one of the main characters in the film and that begins one of the film's flaws: not having a recognized game character as the lead. Now, I understand that Alice was established in the first film for a reason and she would become the glue that holds this franchise together. But Jill Valentine is one of Resident Evil's most popular characters and she's nothing but a supporting character here. What's even worse is that for a while, we sort of get this feeling that Jill will take front and center. The first third of the film really revolves around her character and her tough, sassy personality. And Anderson really writes her well during this portion of the film. But once Alice enters the film full force, Jill is pretty much a non-factor in the movie. We also have Carlos Olivera, another character from the Resident Evil 3 video game, in this film. He doesn't really do all that much really except make lovey-eyes with Alice. In fact, none of the characters do much except Alice. It's kind of insulting.

Another weak point in the narrative is obviously the lack of character development. I'm not expecting really deep characters with a lot of baggage in this kind of movie. But something to connect to would be nice. Like the first film, they're pretty much all stereotypes. You know nothing really about them besides their names and what they do for a living. Fans of the video games will know who Jill, Carlos, Nemesis, and S.T.A.R.S. are. But movie goers who have no clue really need one for them to care about what they're watching.

Also, there's no real explanation as to why Alice is immune to the T-Virus. It's just said and forgotten. Is she even a real person? Was she an Umbrella experiment to begin with? Is she just lucky? Tell me something! The ending is just really confusing at this point because I don't understand what makes her all that damn special! And when did some of her allies get some sort of clout within Umbrella to pull off Alice's escape? Things need to be explained! Even if it's a sentence or two - something, anything, would be nice!

And do I need to mention that sequence in the graveyard where the buried all of a sudden pop out of their graves? How the hell did the T-Virus spread six feet underground? The only zombies in the film should be the ones who were infected physically by the T-Virus inside The Hive, followed by the ones who were bitten by these zombies. Things that have been buried inside a coffin for a while now should not be reanimated. It just came off looking silly, even if it was supposed to be a homage to both Romero's DEAD films and RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD.

But at least the story continues logically after the events of the first film and interesting things actually happen from time to time. The dialogue is better, as the characters actually speak more like real people to each other [as opposed to the first one]. The set up is a lot more interesting and more in relation to the video game than the first film ever was. The pacing of the script is faster and flows better. And there are actually some good plot ideas going on in this film. They're just not executed fully to their potential.

The SFX in RESIDENT EVIL: APOCALYPSE is definitely better than the ones in the first. First of all, Nemesis looks really impressive in this flick. He really does look like his video game counterpart, down to the look and his weapons. I'm also glad he wasn't CGI because it would have made Nemesis really cheesy [even though he kind of is anyway]. I thought he looked great. The lickers looked better. The dogs looked better. Also, when Alice's arms would start to morph due to the T-Virus and the zombies looked good. And I thought the death sequences and the explosions and stuff was well done. Just a better representation of RESIDENT EVIL look wise.

The direction by Alexander Witt is hit and miss. The positive? Witt seems to be having fun with this installment. Realizing how silly it is, he pushes the sequel further than Anderson did in the first one. The action sequences are more exciting. The film flows better and moves really fast. And the cinematography of the film and the look of Raccoon City is really cool.

Unfortunately, the editing really ruins the look of the film. It's really quick and choppy and super annoying. Now if this technique was used during scenes where things are happening way too fast to keep track of, then it's fine. But during the major battle scene between Alice and Nemesis? You can't see jack shit what's going on. This sequence deserved to be shot in long shots. It should be shot with different angles, especially overhead ones and panning shots. But this is shot with extreme close ups that don't last long enough on screen to even register. It's just cut, after cut, after cut, after cut. Alice and Nemesis are two different characters in the way they fight. Alice is fast, cunning, and agile. Nemesis is slow, strong, and more offensive. Yet you never get that sense during their battle because you can't even see what's happening! Whoever edited this film either needs to take more lessons in narrative editing or just not bother at all. I can't overlook something like this when it's right in front of you for lengths at a time.

The acting is not the film's strongest suit. Milla Jovovich returns as Alice. This time, however, she doesn't seem quite into the character and looks like she's going through the motions most of the time. She gets more to do and handles action well like a pro, but there's a disconnect somewhere. I heard she and Witt had issues over the character and also due to the really cold filming location in Canada. There's something missing in her performance. Sienna Gullory is somewhat better as Jill Valentine. She's tough, sassy, and performs action sequences well also. I thought she was a more appealing character and should have been the lead here. Plus she's super hot. Oded Fehr does okay as Carlos Olivera. I don't blame him really. The script doesn't give him much to do. Mike Epps is the comic relief as LJ. Unfortunately, I didn't find him all that funny. But at least he was game enough to make it work, which I can't say for some actors in this film. It's not an actor's film, but it's passable I guess.

THINGS I'VE LEARNED WHILE RUNNING DOWN A BUILDING TO KICK SOME ASS

- The Ravens Gate Bridge leads into Raccoon City. Fitting because once the T-Virus hit this city, Raccoon was "nevermore".

- If you're a Licker, don't mess with Alice. A giant cross will crush you from above and leave you speaking in tongues...

- Alice had to deal with a big piece of shit known as Nemesis. It's not like she's a stranger to this. After all, I did see ULTRAVIOLET.

- Mike Epps wasn't a fan of facing Nemesis or zombie strippers. This must have been a fucked up FRIDAY AFTER NEXT for the guy!

- Alice incinerated a couple of dogs. Talk about a few bitches in heat!

- Nemesis used a rocket launcher to blow up two helicopters. I say that was a 6-star performance. I see the star for the next Grand Theft Auto...

- Don't look at Alice through security cameras. She'll make your eyes, nose, and ears bleed. Or maybe you're just a True Blood vampire happy to see her escape. I dunno.

THE FINAL HOWL
While a better film than the first, RESIDENT EVIL: APOCALYPSE is still a flawed, mediocre sequel that misses as much as it hits. At least the film is quick, harmless, and sports some silly action and horror sequences that I wished the first film had. Still not a great film by any means, but it's still the only film in the franchise [as of this writing] that feels like it was actually based on the video game it references. And that's gotta count for something. Too bad I have to deal with RESIDENT EVIL: EXTINCTION until I get to RESIDENT EVIL: AFTERLIFE. Where's Nemesis when you need him? Sigh...


SCORE
2 Howls Outta 4

Cult Films of the 1970s

So there's this meme going on, started by The Mike from From Midnight, With Love, where he wants bloggers to choose their Top 5 Cult Films of the 1970s. A lot of people posted their lists already and I agree with most of the choices. It has taken me a while to put out this list because it's hard to really define what a Cult Film is these days. Like on some lists, I saw HALLOWEEN posted as a Cult Film. I don't agree with that since it was very successful when released, but it does have a certain following. So maybe it is a Cult Film, who knows? Probably why The Mike wanted us to make our lists to begin with.

So it took me days to put this list together. I had to choose 5 films I felt deserve the title of "Cult". So without further adieu, here is my list:



5. THE CAR (1977)
Who doesn't want to see a film about a possessed car ramming down people? Starring James Brolin and his awesome 70s beard [damn you Barbara Streisand for making him shave it], THE CAR is a fun flick with cool stunts and good action. It was considered "JAWS with a car" - how cool is that? I consider this a Top 5 Cult Film of the 70s for a few reasons. While DUEL pretty much started this killer car trend [but that film was very successful upon release], no one really talks about THE CAR. It's funny since it has influenced so many other "Killer Vehicle" movies more than DUEL ever did. Films such as CHRISTINE, MAXIMUM OVERDRIVE, THE WRAITH, THE HEARSE, and so many others were definitely inspired by this film. Hell, even Knight Rider in a way was inspired by THE CAR. And every time I watch Quentin Tarantino's DEATH PROOF, this movie always flashes in my mind. It's obvious Tarantino took a lot of his car sequences from this film. So THE CAR deserves drives its way into my list. Or else, it might jump through my window and mow me down.


4. PINK FLAMINGOS (1972)
John Waters directs. Drag queen Divine eats actual dog shit from the sidewalk and considers herself the filthiest person in the world. Mainstream it ain't. This film will definitely get a reaction out of people, whether they've seen it or not.



3. ERASERHEAD (1977)
David Lynch's ERASERHEAD, his first feature, is a nightmare on celluloid. And I mean that in the best of ways. I haven't seen this film in years, but I do remember that creepy looking baby and some other weird shit that doesn't make a whole lot of sense. In fact, I don't think many people can tell you what this film is really about. But David Lynch is known for his quirky, weird tales that involve many hours of analysis. It's a baffling film, but it's a fantastic one that shines with originality. ERASERHEAD is a film ahead of its time.



2. THE WARRIORS (1979)

One of my favorite movies of all time, THE WARRIORS showed the world the gritty gang life in New York City. It's weird putting this film in a Cult Film list because it's become so damn popular in the past few years. The dialogue is easily quotable: "Can You Dig It?" and "Warriors...come out and play-ay-ay!" are classic quotes that everyone knows. A lot of 80s films involving gang violence [such as CLASS OF 1984 and SAVAGE STREETS] based their style on THE WARRIORS. And Rockstar Games, the makers of the Grand Theft Auto franchise, released a game about THE WARRIORS, serving as a sequel to the movie [with the game becoming very successful and profitable - I own this for PS2 and it rocks]. But it does deserve Cult status for its gritty exploitation feel. Plus it just kicks a lot of ass.



1. ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW (1975)

The ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW should be on every list for 70s Cult Films. I think this movie is the epitome of a cult classic. You have great, memorable characters. You have awesome songs, such as "Time Warp". Plus how many other films can claim to have midnight screenings with movie goers actually dressing like their favorite characters and performing them while the movie is playing? Hell, it's even preserved in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant." The fact that this film still plays in Midnight Showings [and I've been to one a couple of years ago - it was really fun] shows the significance this film has had on its loyal audience. A fantastic film that is the standard bearer of the cult movie. I don't think any film tops ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW on a list like this.

The Innocents (1961)

DIRECTED BY
Jack Clayton

STARRING
Deborah Kerr - Miss Giddens
Martin Stephens - Miles
Pamela Franklin - Flora
Megs Jenkins - Mrs. Grosse
Michael Redgrave - Uncle
Peter Wyngarde - Peter Quint
Clytie Jessop - Miss Jessel

Genre - Horror/Supsense/Supernatural/Psychological/Ghosts

Running Time - 100 Minutes


Being born in the early 1980s, the horror I grew up with hasn't been exactly subtle. From masked killers, to the massive amounts of gore, to great showings of T&A, and to the over-the-top editing and visual style, my generation of horror was pretty much in-your-face and took no prisoners. But there comes a time where you need to get away from the craziness and go back to the past, where horror was calmer, simpler, and more cerebral.

And that, my friends, is when THE INNOCENTS (1961) comes in. Based on Henry James' The Turn of the Screw, THE INNOCENTS is a film that gives the viewer more questions than answers due to its ambiguous approach. Is it a ghost story? Or is it something more psychological at play? All I know for sure is that THE INNOCENTS is one of a kind and mandatory viewing for any true horror fan.

PLOT
Miss Giddens (Deborah Kerr) is happy to take a post as a governess to care for two orphans at their uncle's (Michael Redgrave) estate. But this ideal position isn't what Miss Giddens had pictured it to be. It starts out nicely, with Miss Giddens bonding with the lovely Flora (Pamela Franklin) and mature-for-his-age Miles (Martin Stephens). They both seem like model children. But once Miss Giddens learns about what happened to the last governess, Miss Jessel (Clytie Jessop) [who died under mysterious circumstances], she begins to hear strange noises and see things that make her believe that the estate is haunted by Jessel and her lover, Peter Quint (Peter Wyngarde). Adding to this mess is the fact that the children seem to be acting strangely, almost as if they've been possessed. Are Miles and Flora victims of Miss Jessel and Quint controlling them? Are these two spirits haunting the estate? Or is Miss Giddens losing her grip on reality?

REVIEW
THE INNOCENTS is a film that works mentally on the audience, rather than audibly or visually. The film is extremely ambiguous, making the 100 minute running time that much more uncomfortable. The Turn of the Screw is considered the first Freudian ghost story, where the reader isn't sure if the ghost Miss Giddens sees are real, or if she's projecting her own repressed delusions and feelings onto the children. While this is still highly debated, The Turn of the Screw influenced a lot of early horror films, especially Val Lewton's productions, such as 1942's CAT PEOPLE. THE INNOCENTS is one of the many adaptations of the novel, and is considered the best. And the fact that the debate still rages on makes THE INNOCENTS a must-see in the horror genre.

The adapted screenplay was written by William Archibald [who wrote a Broadway stage play for The Turn of the Screw in 1950] and In Cold Blood's Truman Capote. It's a really interesting story since the main character, and the one we follow through the film, isn't really reliable in what she claims to see and in her actions. Miss Giddens constantly hears strange noises, Flora's haunting song, and sees the ghosts of Quint and Miss Jessel around the estate. When she questions the others about it, none of them can confirm their presence. The audience is never really sure if the lack of confirmation means that the ghosts aren't there, or that the children and Mrs. Grosse [the housekeeper] are too scared to say. So the ghost story aspect is very questionable.

At the same time, the screenplay also pushes the aspect of repressed sexuality within Miss Giddens. When she meets the uncle of the two children, she seems a bit enchanted with him. When she learns of Quint and Miss Jessel, she begins to see them around the estate more and more. In fact, Miss Giddens is convinced that the two spirits have possessed the children and are continuing their love affair through the siblings. Miss Gidden jumps to such conclusions that she jeopardizes the mental and emotional states of the children themselves. So is she inventing this whole thing as a way to express her sexual repression? Or is she just that damn perceptive of things? It's up to the viewer to decide.

I also think the title of the film, THE INNOCENTS, is debatable as well. Who are the innocent party here? Miss Giddens, who as a clergyman's daughter was brought up very sheltered with the ways of the world? Or is it the children, who haven't grown quite enough to experience much, yet act more mature than most children their age? In my opinion, the title refers to Miss Giddens. The children, quite honestly, seem more worldly than Miss Giddens could ever be. Miles seems to approach Miss Giddens as an adult, even speaking to her as if he's her boyfriend. Flora's song, "O Willow Waly", is a song of heartbreak that no child would be able to truly understand. And if the children are possessed with the spirits of Quint and Miss Jessel, they've been corrupted by the unpure love the two lovers shared before death. Even as Miss Giddens continues the governship, the estate seems to decay little by little, turning into its own version of death. But on the other end of the spectrum, if Miss Giddens is making all of this up, she's the one corrupting these kids. By pressuring them to answer her questions about what's going on, she's making them feeling guilty for things that are out of their control. In fact, the children do get hurt by Miss Giddens' obsession with the two dead lovers and their presence. So really, who is innocent in this film? We never know. Capote and Archibald really wrote a fantastic screenplay that actually makes you think long after the film's over.

The direction by Jack Clayton, who directed 1959's ROOM AT THE TOP and 1983's Ray Bradbury's adaptation of SOMETHING WICKED THIS WAY COMES, is absolutely fantastic. This has something to do with working with cinematographer Freddie Francis, who actually won an Academy Award in his field for THE INNOCENTS. Before I mention the direction, let's talk about the cinematography. It's absolutely stunning. According to a 1998 article in Film Comment, Clayton hired Francis when he learned the film would be shot in CinemaScope. Since Francis knew how to handle the 2:35:1 aspect ratio that caused Clayton much stress, Francis created a lot of shots where the framing involved objects creating vertical lines. At the same time, Francis used the shadows of the estate to create strong horizontals in the frame to heighten the mood and atmosphere of the film, placing the characters on the opposite side of where the shadows are. The composition and the contrast between the blacks and the whites are exceptional, and can only be appreciated in widescreen. As for Clayton, his direction creates an eerie mood to THE INNOCENTS, increasing the suspense and tension as the film plays. The ghosts never fade away or just vanish in thin air. They only go away when the camera shifts away to another shot, making us wonder if what we saw was really there or just in Miss Giddens' imagination. There's no extraneous shots and truly allows the story to take center stage over the visuals. Just fantastic work by both men.

The acting is also fantastic. Deborah Kerr is great as Miss Giddens. She plays the role with intensity, seriousness, and a high level of neurosis. She's so prim and proper, that when she starts acting out, it makes the character of Miss Giddens multi-latered and shows the repressed nature of the character. Just a brilliant performance. Martin Stephens, of the 1960 version of VILLAGE OF THE DAMNED, is unsettling as Miles. He's like ten years old, yet plays the character with such maturity. He treats the role as an adult and his chemistry with Kerr is very uncomfortable, yet interesting to watch. Pamela Franklin, who would later act in 1973's THE LEGEND OF HELL HOUSE, is lovely as Flora. She's the more playful of the two child actors, yet she brings a sense of mystery to the role. The other actors are wonderful as well, especially Peter Wyngarde as the ghostly Quint. Just his eyes and evil laugh heighten the creep factor. A great cast from top to bottom.

THINGS I'VE LEARNED WHILE CHEWING ICE CUBES TO EASE MY SEXUAL REPRESSION AND FRUSTRATION

- The uncle of the children is a selfish fellow who has no room for children, neither mentally or emotionally. Jon Gosselin is a BIG fan of this film.

- Flora's best friend is a turtle. She must be related to this kid:


- Flora enjoyed watching a spider eat a butterfly. Looks like the outcome for that Spider-Man vs. Killer Moth fight has been spoiled...

- Miles enjoys the companionship with birds. He's the only one that knows what it sounds like when doves cry, other than Prince. Let's hope he doesn't enter that strange phase where he names himself after a symbol and shows his hairy little ass to millions of people.

- Miss Giddens enjoys playing hide and seek with children. So does Gary Glitter, but his version requires more penetration...I mean concentration!

- Quint had a "savage love" with Miss Jessel. That's the kind of love where the madness takes over and you start snapping into Slim Jims. Oooh yeah!!

- Miles and Miss Giddens kissed each other passionately on the lips. Mary Kay Latourneau is also a BIG fan of this film.

THE FINAL HOWL
THE INNOCENTS is one of the best gothic horror films that has ever been created. It would make a fantastic double feature with a movie inspired by it, 1963's THE HAUNTING. They don't make horror films like this anymore and I think modern horror fans should watch this and appreciate the true art that the genre can bring. THE INNOCENTS is only guilty of being a fantastic viewing experience.



SCORE
4 Howls Outta 4