Death Wish (1974)

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2014-11-24

Twitter Plot Summary: Charles Bronson goes kill-crazy as a vigilante in this film directed by Michael “I’m Michael Winner” Winner.

After his wife is targeted and killed by a random group of young offenders – an incredibly young Jeff Goldblum among them – Charles Bronson’s Paul Kersey seeks revenge by dishing out some vigilante justice on anyone who gets in his way. So begins a series of conflicts as Kersey gradually expands the scope of his vigilante justice and targets anybody causing trouble on the streets of his home city. All the while he attempts to stay under the radar and away from police scrutiny to ensure he remains free to get out on the streets and kill some thugs.

Death Wish appears to be another film of its time, highlighting public fears of increased violence. It has a distinct air of A Clockwork Orange to it, of the gradual erosion of society to the point of vigilante justice. And what about America’s gun laws? This has been a contentious issue for many years, and the validity of owning a weapon in this context is questionable. Of course, that could also be reading far too much into it. This is a film directed by Michael Winner after all.

But then, what would we do if placed in the same situation? If your wife and child had been murdered and then somebody handed you a gun, giving you free reign to seek vengeance? It’s a tricky proposition, one that has been explored in depth in the comic 100 Bullets. The difference there being that the vigilante justice would be untraceable and, supposedly, without further repercussions, whereas in Death Wish there is the constant risk that Kersey will be discovered and dragged kicking and screaming into police custody. Indeed, this is more apparent at the very beginning where he practically flunks his attempts to take down the gang, and despite his increasing skills the more people he kills the bigger the target he paints on his own back.

Jeff Goldblum, the greatest hand actor ever.

Bronson seems an unlikely choice for a hero vigilante, but that is partly why his character works so well. Ignoring his previous knowledge and experience of firing weapons, Kersey is a believable vigilante simply because he doesn’t fit the archetype. There is much fun to be had with an aged man bumping off people far younger than he is, of watching hoodlums run scared and not just because of his amazing moustache.

The template established by Death Wish is one that has been repeated many a time since. Not only in the four (yes, four) Death Wish sequels, but consistently over the last seven or eight years and the surge of “geriaction” movies – mostly starring Liam Neeson. What is most striking is the analysis of Kersey as a character, the psychological reasons for doing what he does. And proving that, ultimately, it may be something that is as addictive as smoking or drinking. That once the killing has started, it isn’t something that can be given up so easily. This in itself is a scary thought, and one that filters through your understanding of the film throughout.

Score: 3.5/5

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_GieK_55uyY

The Vault of Horror (1973)

By

Simon Prior

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2014-11-22

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Twitter Plot Summary: A group of random gentlemen are whisked away to a basement where they discuss some slightly horrific dreams they have experienced.

Adapted from horror comic Tales From The Crypt, The Vault of Horror is a classic example of the anthology format that was once popular in cinematic circles, in that it features a number of big name actors showing up to do a few minutes of film before picking up their pay cheque and the story moves onto the next vignette. From a purely business perspective it’s a great model for a film as you can cram it with big name stars and only have to pay them a fraction of their usual fee. This method has of course been tarnished in recent years from a glut of lowbrow comedy films including but not limited to the travesty that is Movie 43. But let’s move on quickly from such matters lest this film be tainted by that awful, awful film.

The framing device is flimsy to day the least. In modern day London, five men climb into a lift – among them are Curt Jurgens, Terry Thomas and a pre-Doctor Who Tom Baker – which descends to the sub-basement against their will. There they find a table, wine and cigars awaiting them, so completely randomly they decide to tell each other about the recurring dreams that have been plaguing them.

The anthology format always has its up and down points, much like sketch comedy. Some material is very strong whereas other parts lack either a solid concept or have just been presented in the wrong way. The opening segment doesn’t do too badly until the laughable vampire teeth make an appearance, although the mirror reveal is rather well done. The second sequence features Terry Thomas having to contend with his wife – played by Mrs Banks herself, Glynis Johns – moving things around whilst trying to keep their place tidy.

He had a splitting headache. (Sorry.) — He had a splitting headache.
(Sorry.)

The third story sees Curt Jurgens as a magician seeking new tricks and desperate to learn how an Indian girl is able to charm a rope without any signs of trickery – magic and mysticism, naturally. Story 4 features a man being buried alive as part of an insurance scam – not a clever move either way. Finally, Tom Baker seeks voodoo input and paints a creepy self portrait after he is betrayed by critics who have sold his works at an inflated price while he saw no profits. He also rocks an impressive beard.

It’s almost quaint by modern standards, often less scary than an episode of The League of Gentlemen. The music is frequently far more dramatic than the story being played out, and the production values are standard low key 70s fare. The Hammer films may have completed much of their filming on a soundstage rather than venturing out into the real world, but they had a very specific visual style and looked impressive. In this case, there’s more than a fair share of Monty Python’s Flying Circus to the production value, which does not help in the slightest. If you can see past this then The Vault of Horror has plenty going for it, but if you draw the line at slightly iffy effects and the fact it looks nothing like the Hammer movies, then please move along.

Score: 2.5/5

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2QekOjRaEaw

Anaconda 4: Trail of Blood (2009)

By

Simon Prior

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2014-11-21

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"I didn't write this, honest!" — “I didn’t write this, honest!”

Twitter Plot Summary: More giant snakes, more silly action, more bad CGI sequences. Just more bad in general.

Shot back to back with Anaconda 3, this is the first in the series to feature recurring characters, and it’s arguable as to whether or not this is a good thing. Crystal Allen is back as guilt-ridden scientist Amanda, as is Jonathan Rhys Davies as dying (and clueless) millionaire Murdoch, the man funding the research into the blood orchid that may be able to save or at the very least extend his life.

The story continues a short time after the end of Offspring, with three separate groups coming together in the woods of Romania – Eastern Europe seems to be the best place to shoot if you want to make something on the cheap. Two groups of scientists have an unfortunate encounter with mercenaries hired by Murdoch, and yet another entirely CGI snake that has a yearning for human flesh. And now, apparently, the ability to regenerate and create duplicate versions of itself which is an even sillier concept than you can imagine. No, in fact it’s exactly as silly as you can imagine. It’s almost as bad as the efforts made to jazz up the Tremors franchise by giving the graboids new abilities with each successive film. The difference there being the Tremors films aren’t anywhere near as bad as this.

More cheap effects have been reused from Anaconda 3, most notably the badly composited car journeys where a blatant CGI background flies by as the actors try and pretend they’re in a moving vehicle. It’s not as blatant as the classic Star Trek method of having the actors throw themselves in the opposite direction to the camera to simulate an impact, but it’s not far off. The difference here between part 3 and part 4 is that Offspring was cheesy fun whereas Trail of Blood is unbearably bad. The giant anacondas looked bad in the first one way back in 1997, yet somehow they appear to have become gradually more ridiculous and cheap-looking as time has gone on. By Trail of Blood, a mere five years ago at the time of writing, the snakes have regressed into what looks like a child’s interpretation of how a giant animated snake should look. If you can’t make it look half decent in the first place, why bother?

"Make it stop! Make it stooooopppp!!!" — “Make it stop! Make it stooooopppp!!!”

It seems that everybody has a habit of dropping things too. Barely five minutes goes by without someone losing a potentially valuable object that they might need to use in a few minutes. They realise at a critical moment that they no longer have said object, and stare with exasperation into the middle distance. This happens so often it makes you want to hand them a utility belt or similar just to save them a few bob from all the equipment they keep losing and no doubt have to repurchase.

As you may have guessed, Anaconda 4 did not go down well. After the fun tone to Anaconda 3 it makes you wonder what was lost between the two films, especially as they were made back to back. The answer? The Hoff isn’t in this, and somehow, inexplicably, it shows.

Score: 1/5

Anaconda: The Offspring (2008)

By

Simon Prior

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2014-11-20

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The Hoff didn't care if she was covered in mud: she was woman and she would be his. — The Hoff didn’t care if she was covered in mud: she was woman and she would be his.

Twitter Plot Summary: The Hoff rocks up to take on the giant anaconda snakes to help a billionaire develop a cancer cure.

Before we get started, be forewarned that this is a film starring David Hasselhoff, so you should know what quality to expect from just that one piece of information. However, the caveat there is that it’s nowhere near as bad as you might expect simply, because it knows exactly how bad it is and revels in its own cheesy tone. It even goes so far as to rip off two key scenes from Predator, specifically where they shoot blindly into the forest at an invisible enemy, and where Arnie gets covered in mud and becomes invisible to the Predator’s sensors. Both scenes occur here, and whilst they are pale imitations of the original it’s still fun to spot such blatant homaging/stealing from far better films.

As for the Anaconda franchise, after a couple of ill-advised excursions into the jungle where various groups of people encountered giant killer snakes, this time the action takes place a bit closer to home as some modified giant anacondas escape from the lab and cause havoc in the forests of Romania (not so much mentioned in the film but that’s where it was filmed). Except there isn’t very much havoc caused at all, not unless you count the hunters tasked with tracking the snakes down and the deaths that ensue when they get a little too close for comfort.

The opening features a CGI snake that takes a backward step when compared to the first two films, if that was ever considered possible. It looks like most sub-par CGI in that it hasn’t had textures correctly applied and when set against a real world background it stands out like a particularly sore thumb. There’s no question that the snake has been added afterwards, which spoils the immersion no end.

This ain't Jurassic Park, kids. — This ain’t Jurassic Park, kids.

Meanwhile Jonathan Rhys-Davies demonstrates that his career didn’t quite take off following his role in the Lord of the Rings trilogy by playing a man who wants to partake in the blood orchid’s life-giving properties, before his own is cut short by illness. He clearly relishes the fact he’s asked to overact to an outrageous level and attacks the role with gusto.

David Hasselhoff, despite your preconceptions over his acting ability, proves to be an enjoyable presence in a supporting role as a cocky animal tracker who has some dubious ideas as to how best to take the snake down. Does he have a hidden agenda of his own? Probably.

It is in fact Crystal Allen who takes the lead as scientist Amanda Hayes, a woman who is responsible for at least some of the experimentation on the snakes and whose conscience gets the better of her as she realises the magnitude of her past decisions. Don’t take this as an indication that there is some heavy duty character development going on – there isn’t. But then while Anacondas: Trail of the Blood Orchid couldn’t find the right tone, Anaconda 3 has fun with its low budget and hits exactly the right spot by acknowledging its own faults and embracing them. It helps make what would otherwise be an unbearably bad film a moderately acceptable one.

Score: 2.5/5

Goodbye World (2013)

By

Simon Prior

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2014-11-19

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Who knew the end of the world would be this boring?

Twitter Plot Summary: A group of people, almost universally unlikeable, see out the end of the world in their remote cabin in the hills.

A virus sends the text message “Goodbye World” to mobile phones across the United States, eventually shutting everything down and causing widespread chaos. It just so happens that a group of old friends are reuniting at a remote and well stocked cabin in the woods that weekend, so other than a trip into the local mini-mart where a single tomato has a price tag of $40 and lady’s sanitation towels are being sold for $100 a box, they have little to worry about for the time being.

This is not a film where the end of the world is depicted in action, rather it’s about the difference of opinions between people as to how you should proceed, how you should treat others and so on. The key message seems to be that, if you’re selfish, there is no place for you in the world. A bit harsh perhaps, but when compared to other end of the world scenarios where the characters survive exactly because they are selfish, it makes a valid point. The problem is that it never has the strength of its convictions to explore this in any great detail, instead preferring to leave the characters to bicker while everything goes to pot in the real world. There was an opportunity here to take things a little wider, to discuss the big themes in a wider context, yet it never gets beyond the fact that much of the group have a history with one another.

The group don’t seem all that bothered that the world as they knew it is over, although that may be to do with the pot they are smoking and their isolated position in the woods. They may have had a different opinion about it if they were based closer to the town or near a larger city. It seems that the best way to deal with this situation is to bury your head in the sand and count to ten, then have an argument with the people you’re currently living with about relationships – because this is clearly going to solve all of your problems.

"You do realise there's no glass in this window?" — “You do realise there’s no glass in this window?”

Things get more complicated for them when a couple of soldiers rock up and seem intent on taking up residence, but luckily they have somebody in the group who has a perfect recollection of the constitution and soon sends them packing. Then it gets silly when a couple of the group, accomplished computer hackers, appear to have been responsible for the technological breakdown and the collapse of society. Hmm. In terms of internal logic to the narrative and the emotional journey the characters go on it makes sense, but for the audience it’s something that has the potential to ruin the story completely.

Goodbye World highlights the problems of throwing several generally selfish people into an end of the world situation. Whilst this setup has its moments, it would have been a more interesting film if it had focused on the community established by their neighbours down the road – that group looked much more interesting and more capable of providing an engaging narrative.

Score: 2.5/5

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VlULt_4Oz8ws

The Dead (2010)

By

Simon Prior

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2014-11-18

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"Why you no wanna kiss me? Is I ugly?" — “Why you no wanna kiss me? Is I ugly?”

Twitter Plot Summary: An American travels across Africa in a bid to reach safety after a zombie apocalypse takes place.

Given how prolific the zombie genre is these days, most films try and do something a bit different with the living dead rather than the same old thing of a group of survivors holed up somewhere. The Dead does its bit for the cause by setting the action in Africa rather than somewhere in the West, and is all the better for it. As a result of this canny use of location, its closest link in the genre is with the tropical-set Zombie Flesh Eaters. Here, for reasons not disclosed, the living dead roam Africa and chaos has ensued. An airplane crash deposits American soldier Brian Murphy (Rob Freeman) in West Africa where he must work his way across the country in search of both his wife and son and, ultimately, rescue. It’s not a story that’s all that original, admittedly, but it’s sold in the way it is presented.

The Dead has some impressive visual effects and production values despite what was no doubt a relatively low budget. The tension is palpable, the zombies proving to be slow but relentless in their quest for flesh, the threat constant and seemingly endless. The zombies here are the most unsettling seen for a long time. They rarely snarl, and it’s infrequent that they make any noise at all. Instead they stare at you impassively, their cold white eyes seeing you as nothing more than their next meal. It’s a chilling threat even without their flesh eating tendencies. The Ford Brothers, on directorial duties, have a real knack for ramping up the tension as character struggle to open boxes or try to clamber to safety as the undead slowly shuffle towards them. The use of real life amputees goes a long way towards selling the zombies, as does the use of gore – more impressive given that much of the practical effects were done in camera, it gives everything a much more physical feel than if they had resorted to just using post-production effects.

He wasn't sure who to aim for. The zombie off camera, or the one about to sit up in front of him. — He wasn’t sure who to aim for. The zombie off camera, or the one about to sit up in front of him.

Joining forces with a local man called Daniel, himself on a quest to find his son, he and Brian have to contend not only with the zombies but the harsh environmental conditions around them. If the flesh eating monsters don’t kill them, a lack of water might. This is a point made time and time again, yet it doesn’t feel like it’s preaching or forcing ideas down your throat. Instead it’s tackled from a realistic perspective, occasionally told through actions rather than words.

The Dead is a pared down zombie film with plenty going for it, not least of all the impressive African locations and acting from all involved. Other than its unusual setting it is nothing more than a standard zombie story, but both the presentation and the acting elevate it above the usual low quality that the genre often provides and we come to expect. Chalk this one up as a winner, and no doubt a close representation of what a zombie outbreak would be like on the African continent.

Score: 3/5

Getaway (2013)

By

Simon Prior

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2014-11-17

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Ethan Hawke and what appears to be a 12 year old girl. In a car.

Twitter Plot Summary: Lots of driving around with Ethan Hawke and Selena Gomez, with Jon Voight playing the “Dennis Hopper in Speed” role.

Brent Magna (Ethan Hawke) is very good at driving cars. Wait a second – Brent Magna? What sort of a name is that? Anyway, Brent is a newly minted car thief and accomplished driver, and a thumpin’ good one too. He’s in a bit of a spot because his wife has been kidnapped and now he’s forced to follow the instructions given to him over the telephone by a German-accented Jon Voight. In many ways it’s like a low budget version of Speed, so if Ethan Hawke is Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock rolled into one, then that must make forever baby-faced Selena Gomez Jeff Daniels. Except they’re the only ones trapped in the car and she’s taken the role of Captain Exposition And, it seems, is also a big fan of the S-bomb.

What is the point of this diabolical plan, you might ask? Well now, that is a very good question, and to explain would likely ruin any need for you to watch this yourself. Suffice to say it involves some classic, old-school villainy and plenty of shots where Voight is staring at computer screens which has 80s style street maps on the display. There are frequent arguments between Hawke and Gomez, through some unnecessary plot contrivance it becomes apparent that the car is hers and was stolen by Voight a few days previously. She laments the modifications made to the car, including cameras, audio recording devices and so on – all so Voight can watch and listen to everything that goes on within it. Whilst no doubt intended as a tension-developing plot device, it does nothing of the sort, instead draining much of the tension like a faulty radiator or something equally as preposterous.

"I'm not 100% certain Selena, but I think there's a camera watching us." — “I’m not 100% certain Selena, but I think there’s a camera watching us.”

In its favour, Getaway features some decent direction from Courtney Solomon. Where there is the need to depict urgency and the fast change of gears he puts the camera in the right spot, although he is slightly weaker when it comes to depicting the rest of the action sequences, frequently deferring to obviously cheaper action cameras to pick up all of the action. It grates a little when the footage takes an obvious dip in picture quality, and indicates the relative cheapness of the production as a whole. But then it becomes apparent that a fair amount must have been spent on the practical effects and the cheap action cameras don’t irritate nearly as much. The real damage to vehicles is frequent and extensive, with reportedly 130 vehicles damaged in the course of making the film.

There is no getting around the fact the plot is silly, nor that the resolution doesn’t seem to make much sense. There’s also the small issue that there isn’t a solid resolution even after all of the driving around nonsense that precedes it, perhaps with the misguided thought that a sequel may be greenlit. That seems unlikely, but Getaway can be enjoyed on its own simply for the impressive and extensive car carnage that is provided. Without wanting to use too many car cliches, set your brain into neutral and just coast with it, it doesn’t deserve much more.

Score: 2.5/5

Nostalgia Kicks 2 – My First Horror Films

By

Simon Prior

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2014-11-16

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I never used to be a fan of horror movies. In fact I was quite late to the party in that respect, as I didn’t start watching them until I was 18 and at university. As a child I was afraid of just about everything, even the briefest of glimpses of the 1970s Incredible Hulk TV show where Bruce Bixby transformed into a green, mad haired Lou Ferrigno was liable to give me nightmares. By the time I reached 18 I realised that perhaps this world view was a little bit silly and subsequently resolved to test my mettle in the world of horror films.

I first watched Alien as part of my university degree, and thinking back that was probably the point that I decided to expand my horizons and embrace a film genre that I had previously overlooked. For the three of you who aren’t aware of it, Alien is a science fiction horror film, a haunted house in space where an unseen menace stalks the crew and picks them off one by one. It’s visceral, dark and cashes in on the gothic sensibility that was popular in horror fiction in the 18th and 19th centuries, and is a great film until you see that the alien just a man wearing an alien suit.

At this point I would like to say thank you to my lecturer for that particular module, Mike Davis, who is sadly no longer with us. Whilst I had little need to speak with him directly, his approach to film and literary analysis – in particular the subtext that is rampant throughout Alien and the likes of Blade Runner (another first time viewing in that module) – is what has inspired my love of cinema and sent me down my current path of film analysis, albeit a few years later than expected. I finished my degree in 2005 and didn’t start reviewing films properly until mid-2013 – life got in the way a little bit during those years.

Back to the tale! For my own horror film purchases, I started off at the lighter end of the horror spectrum. My first few films starred the legend that was Vincent Price and based on the recommendation of a friend who I used to work with back in the Tesco days. Those films were The Abominable Dr Phibes, Dr Phibes Strikes Again, and Theatre of Blood. These proved to be a nice and gentle introduction to the genre. No doubt shocking at the time, by modern standards they are quite tame and darkly amusing. Having conquered this lighter side of horror I decided to press on and delve further into the various sub-genres.

Many of my purchases at this time came from the DVD section of WH Smiths, who frequently had some very competitive deals on complete box sets of genre favourites. In quick succession I acquired the full series of The Evil Dead, The Omen, The Exorcist (including both prequels), and A Nightmare on Elm Street. Suffice to say I have not visited WH Smiths for films in several years now as they refocused their business on books, magazines and stationery. These days a lot of films I buy are from discount shops like Poundland, which I’ll discuss in a later blog.

As time went on, like a drug addict I moved onto the harder stuff. Having seen them some time ago, both of the Human Centipede films fail to phase me these days – I am almost totally desensitised to screen violence and whilst certain sequences impress me for their violent nature, I’m primarily interested in how the effects team managed to pull it off. This even applies to what by modern eyes would be called the tamer films, including those from esteemed horror staple studio Hammer. Their work is a retro delight and, while I do not find Christopher Lee’s Dracula films scary in the slightest, and the same obviously applies to the early Universal horror films, I still appreciate them as objects of film history to be enjoyed and studied as appropriate. It’s interesting to note how far film makers have had to travel in the last 100-odd years in order to provide scares to an audience. There was a time when an image of a train hurtling towards the camera was enough to frighten people.

For reasons of time I have still yet to see A Serbian Film and Cannibal Holocaust, but they are still on my list and I will get around to them eventually. In that respect they are not alone as there are perhaps a few thousand films that I would like to watch given the opportunity, and despite my earlier years spent avoiding them, there are a substantial number of horror films I can’t wait to sink my teeth into, like a postmodern vampire. If there’s a moral to this story, it’s that you should never disregard something because of an unfounded fear – just do it.

I have noticed that, as my experience of the various horror genres expanded, I am particularly susceptible to supernatural horror, where an unseen being (or beings) haunt and terrorise a couple, a family or a random group of strangers pulled together by circumstance. Whilst they will never be discussed as classics in the future, the likes of The Conjuring and Insidious from modern day horror director James Wan are suitably creepy for me because of their supernatural leanings. The films of Dario Argento, too, have a similar effect. Not only because they are heavily influenced by the supernatural, but because of Argento’s use of colour, the composition of each shot, the European influence on cinema.

Of course, all of this would lead onto my love of zombie films and other various related zombie media such as the then-brand new The Walking Dead comic book. I may be susceptible to scares in supernatural films, but it’s the thought of a zombie apocalypse that has really taken hold of my horror film interests. But that my friends is a post for another time…

The Drop (2014)

By

Simon Prior

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2014-11-15

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They couldn't believe the gall of that dog, urinating in public. — They couldn’t believe the gall of that dog, urinating in public.

Twitter Plot Summary: Tom Hardy is a barman. He owns a dog. There are mobsters involved. People look tense.

Five Point Summary:

1. Tom Hardy, soft spoken.
2. Dog in a bin. Don’t worry – it’s not dead.
3. They really want their money back.
4. Stopped watch.
5. Superbowl.

Tom Hardy is Bob, a quiet man who tends bar for his cousin Marv (James Gandolfini). As Hardy’s convenient opening voiceover points out, the bar is one of several in the area that is a front for mobsters wanting to move cash around. The bar is subject to a robbery from a pair of two-bit robbers which sets off the film’s events and the ire of the mobsters who want their money back.

Bob is a man of God, however despite visiting church regularly never take communion – for reasons that will become apparent. On walking home from the bar one night he comes across a dog in a bin, a dog that has been badly beaten. The bin belongs to Nadia (Noomi Rapace), and they start to develop a friendship of sorts around the dog. Matters become complicated when a man called Eric Deeds (Matthias Schoenhaerts) shows up claiming to own the dog, then appears again and again, even breaking into their houses just to make a point.

Despite the various strong performances this is clearly Tom Hardy’s film, playing it perfectly so that you’re certain Bob will snap at any moment, the calm outer facade liable to dissolve at any time. It’s a fantastic slow build towards a tense finale where the various plot strands intertwine very nicely, and that’s thanks to a great script from Dennis Lehane, adapting his own short story Animal Rescue.

A close second to Hardy is his dog Rocco, whose role is to act as a catalyst for certain elements of the plot rather than being central to it. Still, the relationship between Rocco and Bob is presented well and develops as time goes on, much as it does with Nadia. She’s a put-upon woman who has half managed to turn her life around but still finds it influenced by her past.

If rumours are to be believed, the dog was a player on set.

John Ortiz is a local cop, Detective Torres, investigating the robbery, and who also happens to be a regular at Bob’s church. He sticks his nose into things throughout, gaining a drip feed of information alongside the audience and discovering that there is perhaps slightly more to events than anybody would like to admit to him. Torres always seems like he’s on the verge of cracking things wide open, however there’s never enough evidence for him to do so. Instead he’s an amiable presence, one who clearly knows what’s going down yet channels it into a passive-aggressive charm offensive.

The Drop is also notable for being the last movie to feature James Gandolfini who died in June 2013. As has always proved to be the case, he is a solid presence in The Drop, a man down on his luck and lamenting the fact he had to capitulate to Chechen mobsters ten years previously. He has great screen chemistry with Hardy, both of them communicating through body language more than dialogue – it’s what lies underneath, the subtext of their relationship being given context by their actions.

It’s fitting that Gandolfini’s last film happened to be one as strong as this. It doesn’t stray too far away from the bar in terms of the locations used, which creates a nicely intimate story that has wider stakes. It isn’t all that original, but the performances carry it alongside the gentle direction from Michael R Roskam.

Score: 4/5

Underground (2011)

By

Simon Prior

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2014-11-14

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"If I wasn't so scared right now, I'd make a 'completely legless' pun." — “If I wasn’t so scared right now, I’d make a ‘completely legless’ pun.”

Twitter Plot Summary: A rave at a former military base goes slightly awry when the teens encounter a group of mutant creatures underground.

A word of warning to youths across the world: if you plan on attending a rave it is worth your time checking that it’s not based on the site of a former military base, where a science experiment has gone wrong and created mutant zombie creatures that feast on living flesh. It’s clear that, if this was indeed the case, it would add a seriously negative vibe to your weekend of hardcore trance. Who knows, what with the drug culture that is perhaps unfairly lumbered with this particular group, they may see flesh eating zombie creatures when they get high anyway.

So our small group of teens/folks in their early 20s are at a rave when one of them gets on the wrong side of a burly fellow raver and a fight ensues. Chased out of the area by gun-toting bouncers, they lock themselves inside a former American military bunker and soon discover that they are not alone down there.

Luckily for this particular bunch, at least one of the guys is former military so he knows how to use his fists if he has to. Beyond his skills there is little else to define the remaining characters beyond a cowboy hat and the skimpy outfits the women wear. You may reach a point where the women are defined either by the pitch of their screams or simply by the colour of their shirt, such is the muddy picture quality and lack of personality given to their characters.

The dialogue and story are as cliche as they come, it’s not one that does anything new or interesting with the genre. In fact more often than not it’s pitched far too seriously whilst demonstrating some truly awful dialogue. Minor spoilers ahoy! An additional element of plot features the group meeting the scientist responsible for creating the flesh eating monsters. This would have worked better if presented as notes and historical references to his work rather than a direct face to face meeting, but his presence in the second act does at least break up the repetitive routine of scream, run, die.

This rave had gotten out of hand very quickly.

On the plus side it does at least have some moderately impressive creature effects, and the gore is effective if not used all that frequently. The variety of death sequences – for there are many – are used inventively, even if many characters die as a result of their own foolishness rather than because the zombie creature things are clever.

This is a case where the locations used are more of a main character than the cast. Whilst this isn’t too flattering to the actors, it has to be said that they’re competent but let down by the generic script. Even the direction from Rafael Eisenman, known primarily for erotic dramas, is competent in the horror field. He should try doing more of them.

At face value it seems that Underground has mashed together The Descent with Outpost (themselves mash-ups of other genres), to mixed results. The idea at its core is sound, it just doesn’t all come together as well as it perhaps should have. Still, a worthy effort all the same.

Score: 2.5/5

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TYxCe8MVfJs

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