Halloween: Original vs Remake

  

I cannot the deny the fact that I am a huge fan of the Halloween franchise. I was hooked the first time I saw it. So to say that I am a little protective over my beloved slasher series, is a very fair statement. So you might be asking if I was excited or angry when I heard that they weren’t making another sequel, rather they were remaking the franchise. Well, I was both actually. I was irate beyond belief at first, and then I heard Rob Zombie would be writing and directing it, and my anger was put to the side. But in the end, how did I feel about the future of this legendary franchise? Well, continue reading to find out. John Carpenter’s Halloween is one of those films that, I believe, will stand the tests of time. It holds such iconic imagery, memorable dialogue, and an outstanding accompanying score. What truly makes this film great, is how simplistic it is. This film was put in the able hands, of young John Carpenter and Debra Hill. Two up-and-coming filmmakers looking to make a suspenseful slasher film. I do not believe they would be making the film that would change the genre forever. But that isn’t what we are here to discuss.

 When you look at Halloween, you are drawn into the world of this withdrawn child, who out of the blue, decides to kill his sister. Sure, in future sequels his need to kill her will be explained, but for now, he comes across as a sociopath, fueled by pure evil. So from the very beginning, audiences were intrigued with where the story might take them. With a film of this nature, you have to be able to look past some minor/major inconsistencies. Such as when Michael Myers kills Bob, the drunken, stoner boyfriend of Linda, most of us are ok to overlook the fact that he just got pinned to the kitchen wall with a kitchen knife, which we all know is impossible. Or the fact that while Dr. Sam Loomis is standing watch over the Myers’ house, awaiting Michaels return, that it isn’t until the end of the film that he notices the stolen car he’s been looking for, just happens to be a few houses down the street from him. It’s the suspension of disbelief that everyone must learn when going into movies.

 The main thing that makes this film so great, is the performance of Donald Pleasence, who plays Dr. Loomis. For young filmmakers to be able to get an actor of this caliber is impressive. He is by far the stand-out performer in this film. So much so, that he was the staple that held the franchise together, by appearing in a total of 5 of the sequels, up until his death. The series would never be the same when he passed away.

 Now let’s talk a little bit about Rob Zombie’s Halloween. We all knew going into this film, that with Zombie’s reputation for taking violence to the extreme, that his was going to amp the violence to the franchise up 100%. Boy did they ever. But I will touch more on that in a little bit. Zombie decided to take his opportunity with the film to dive in young Michael Myers’ life a little deeper. Ok, in fairness, since it’s more than a hour of this film, it a little more than a “little” deeper. This is one of my biggest complaints. I liked the fact that Michael killed his sister for no reason other than he was evil. But Zombie decided to go the “nature vs nurture” route, and make him home life abusive, and that he tortures small animals, and shows early signs of psychopathic behavior. This completely change the way we look at this character. I have to admit, I do enjoy the extreme violence in this opening 20 minutes, because it is just so brutal. But, even though the franchise has evolved quite a bit over the years, it just doesn’t feel like a Halloween film.

 The actors in this film do nothing for me. They aren’t my type of characters, and that isn’t a good thing when these are the people that are going to be driving the film to the finish film. Zombie once again casts his wife, Sheri Moon Zombie, as Michael’s mother. Whoosh, how can I put this nicely? I know there are many people that really enjoy her, but she is not a “leading lady” no matter how much Rob Zombie might believe she is. Maybe he just does it to make her feel better about herself. But she makes me want to cut myself from wrist to forearm, and bleed out all over the theater floor. The actor that truly stands out in this movie is Malcolm McDowell, who plays Dr. Sam Loomis in this version. He is a great actor, and gives a great performance in this film, but it isn’t Dr. Loomis. That’s just my opinion, but this is a character that Halloween fans love, and most found wasn’t done justice, no matter how good his performance was. And of course Rob Zombie has his regular cast of familiar actors that he always goes to the well to cast, so I am not going to take the time to name them all. Just know, that they are there.

 The overall story of this film is fairly accurate to the original, and it even plays homage to the original by recreating some of the more memorable scenes. Including Bob getting stuck to the wall, or Linda asking a sheet covered Michael, if he sees anything he likes, while flashing her tits. But this being Zombie, of course he has to bump it up a notch, and we get a full-on, neatly trimmer snatch shot. And who is going to complain about that? Certainly not me. 

 I actually got a chance to see an advanced screening of this about six months before theatrical release, and I have to admit, I hated the movie. Now, this was an early cut of the film, and it just didn’t flow right. It left my feeling defeated and deflated about this franchise that I have grown to love so much. So, I was very hesitant about whether or not I was going to go see this film upon its release. I decided to be the Halloween fan that I am, and support the franchise by seeing it on it’s first showing and my local theater. And I was quite surprised to see the changes that were made. It flowed much better, and was the version that I am reviewing right now. So, when it was released on DVD, I had to add it to my collection, and I picked up the Unrated Director’s Cut, and was yet again pissed, because this was the same cut I had seen the first time. What the hell is going on? Of course, I immediately went out and purchased the theatrical cut, because God forbid if they put both versions on one disc. But, if you’re looking for the theatrical cut on Blu-ray, good luck with that, because I have yet to find it.

 So to wrap this up, which version is better? That is a question that I am not going to answer. I can tell you the only Halloween film for me is the original John Carpenter film from 1978. Rob Zombie’s take on the film has its own following who enjoy it, because they find the original boring, or lack-luster. It shows the generational gap between the viewing audiences. I thank Rob Zombie for the fan-service nods to the original, but I wish it was just a little more Halloween, and a little less Devil’s Rejects. I cannot the deny the fact that I am a huge fan of the Halloween franchise. I was hooked the first time I saw it. So to say that I am a little protective over my beloved slasher series, is a very fair statement. So you might be asking if I was excited or angry when I heard that they weren’t making another sequel, rather they were remaking the franchise. Well, I was both actually. I was irate beyond belief at first, and then I heard Rob Zombie would be writing and directing it, and my anger was put to the side. But in the end, how did I feel about the future of this legendary franchise? Well, continue reading to find out.

 John Carpenter’s Halloween is one of those films that, I believe, will stand the tests of time. It holds such iconic imagery, memorable dialogue, and an outstanding accompanying score. What truly makes this film great, is how simplistic it is. This film was put in the able hands, of young John Carpenter and Debra Hill. Two up-and-coming filmmakers looking to make a suspenseful slasher film. I do not believe they would be making the film that would change the genre forever. But that isn’t what we are here to discuss.

 When you look at Halloween, you are drawn into the world of this withdrawn child, who out of the blue, decides to kill his sister. Sure, in future sequels his need to kill her will be explained, but for now, he comes across as a sociopath, fueled by pure evil. So from the very beginning, audiences were intrigued with where the story might take them. With a film of this nature, you have to be able to look past some minor/major inconsistencies. Such as when Michael Myers kills Bob, the drunken, stoner boyfriend of Linda, most of us are ok to overlook the fact that he just got pinned to the kitchen wall with a kitchen knife, which we all know is impossible. Or the fact that while Dr. Sam Loomis is standing watch over the Myers’ house, awaiting Michaels return, that it isn’t until the end of the film that he notices the stolen car he’s been looking for, just happens to be a few houses down the street from him. It’s the suspension of disbelief that everyone must learn when going into movies.

 The main thing that makes this film so great, is the performance of Donald Pleasence, who plays Dr. Loomis. For young filmmakers to be able to get an actor of this caliber is impressive. He is by far the stand-out performer in this film. So much so, that he was the staple that held the franchise together, by appearing in a total of 5 of the sequels, up until his death. The series would never be the same when he passed away.

 Now let’s talk a little bit about Rob Zombie’s Halloween. We all knew going into this film, that with Zombie’s reputation for taking violence to the extreme, that his was going to amp the violence to the franchise up 100%. Boy did they ever. But I will touch more on that in a little bit. Zombie decided to take his opportunity with the film to dive in young Michael Myers’ life a little deeper. Ok, in fairness, since it’s more than a hour of this film, it a little more than a “little” deeper. This is one of my biggest complaints. I liked the fact that Michael killed his sister for no reason other than he was evil. But Zombie decided to go the “nature vs nurture” route, and make him home life abusive, and that he tortures small animals, and shows early signs of psychopathic behavior. This completely change the way we look at this character. I have to admit, I do enjoy the extreme violence in this opening 20 minutes, because it is just so brutal. But, even though the franchise has evolved quite a bit over the years, it just doesn’t feel like a Halloween film.

 The actors in this film do nothing for me. They aren’t my type of characters, and that isn’t a good thing when these are the people that are going to be driving the film to the finish film. Zombie once again casts his wife, Sheri Moon Zombie, as Michael’s mother. Whoosh, how can I put this nicely? I know there are many people that really enjoy her, but she is not a “leading lady” no matter how much Rob Zombie might believe she is. Maybe he just does it to make her feel better about herself. But she makes me want to cut myself from wrist to forearm, and bleed out all over the theater floor. The actor that truly stands out in this movie is Malcolm McDowell, who plays Dr. Sam Loomis in this version. He is a great actor, and gives a great performance in this film, but it isn’t Dr. Loomis. That’s just my opinion, but this is a character that Halloween fans love, and most found wasn’t done justice, no matter how good his performance was. And of course Rob Zombie has his regular cast of familiar actors that he always goes to the well to cast, so I am not going to take the time to name them all. Just know, that they are there.

 The overall story of this film is fairly accurate to the original, and it even plays homage to the original by recreating some of the more memorable scenes. Including Bob getting stuck to the wall, or Linda asking a sheet covered Michael, if he sees anything he likes, while flashing her tits. But this being Zombie, of course he has to bump it up a notch, and we get a full-on, neatly trimmer snatch shot. And who is going to complain about that? Certainly not me. 

 I actually got a chance to see an advanced screening of this about six months before theatrical release, and I have to admit, I hated the movie. Now, this was an early cut of the film, and it just didn’t flow right. It left my feeling defeated and deflated about this franchise that I have grown to love so much. So, I was very hesitant about whether or not I was going to go see this film upon its release. I decided to be the Halloween fan that I am, and support the franchise by seeing it on it’s first showing and my local theater. And I was quite surprised to see the changes that were made. It flowed much better, and was the version that I am reviewing right now. So, when it was released on DVD, I had to add it to my collection, and I picked up the Unrated Director’s Cut, and was yet again pissed, because this was the same cut I had seen the first time. What the hell is going on? Of course, I immediately went out and purchased the theatrical cut, because God forbid if they put both versions on one disc. But, if you’re looking for the theatrical cut on Blu-ray, good luck with that, because I have yet to find it.

 So to wrap this up, which version is better? That is a question that I am not going to answer. I can tell you the only Halloween film for me is the original John Carpenter film from 1978. Rob Zombie’s take on the film has its own following who enjoy it, because they find the original boring, or lack-luster. It shows the generational gap between the viewing audiences. I thank Rob Zombie for the fan-service nods to the original, but I wish it was just a little more Halloween, and a little less Devil’s Rejects. 

Has The Day Of The Remake Finally Gone?

For about ten years or so, it seemed like every other movie that was coming out, was a remake of some sort. It really made it appear that the filmmakers and Hollywood machine had finally ran out of ideas. There is absolutely nothing wrong with taking an older film, and remaking it to bring it to a new generation. I’m actually fine with that. But it was the fact that they were churning these turds out fast than rabbits fuck, that was the problem. With them popping so many out, in rapid succession, a lot of them by the same production company, they weren’t spending the proper amount of time on any one film. With this, we are forever burdened with films such as Psycho, The Omen, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and even Halloween.

These might be ok to many people, and that’s fine…we aren’t here to analyze your terrible taste in cinema…but everyone has to realize that these are nowhere near what they could have potentially been. But, the light at the end of the tunnel is this. Much fewer remakes are being produced. Sure, they are still going to be a fact of life. In fact, there are a couple being released this year. But they are actually listening to the masses and keeping them to a minimum. This will hopefully make the ones that do come out, just that much better. But it makes room for the original films that are being written everyday.

And yes, for all you smart asses out there that saying, “Well sequels are just as common as remakes. What do you have to say about that?” You’re right. Making a sequel is perfectly ok in my book…if there’s more than 12 months between films. Need we look at the Saw and Paranormal Activity franchise to see what happens when you wipe your ass with a piece of paper, call it a script, and throw it up on the big-screen every year. There are always exceptions to the rule, but I believe these are good rules to live by.

This next bit goes to the failure franchises. How many times do you have to “reboot” the Fantastic Four franchise before you realize you’re beating a dead horse. This is an example of 2oth Century Fox making complete garbage, just so they can hold on to the licenses they own. Making a movie just so someone else can’t is the a terrible platform to start from. But this franchise and company aren’t the only offender. Much like the most recent Star Wars film, sometimes you have to go back to the basics, and get the polluted, creative minds that obviously have lost it somewhere along the way, out of the room, and get a whole new set of eyes to bring something back to life.

I know if you look at IMDB.com or any other list online, you could say, “what are you talking about crazy man? There are a shit ton of remakes on the docket for 2016-2017 alone.” Yes there is. But what you might not realize, is that many of those projects have been up for years and years, sitting in “movie limbo”. Eventually they might happen, but I would get my hopes up on seeing the Pet Sematary remake anytime soon.

Here is just an example, Friday the 13th. Yes, the film that I’ve bitched and complained about until I was literally blue in the face. That is a remake that genre fans as a whole, more or less didn’t like. Sure, there were people out there that enjoyed the movies. But the also probably never saw a Friday the 13th movie prior to Jason X.  With the fan backlash, they decided it was a good idea to REBOOT the franchise yet again. They’ve toyed with the idea of found footage, and that met with major fan uproar. And now, the movie was slated for 2016, and it has yet again been pushed back to 2017. That means they will have waited 8 years to produce another film. This is both good and bad. You can spend too much time thinking about something, and it could just end up being a total pile of shit by the time you get around to making it. Just look at the Star Wars prequels. Once they made the remake, they should have just gone back to the basics of Friday the 13th. The formula that worked for years.

In the end what we are looking at is the Mason/Dixon line. There are always going to be people on either side fighting their points, while no one is really truly happy in the end. As I do think the “Day of the Remake” is gone. That doesn’t mean that they will never happen again. They will, and there is more than a 80% chance that they will all suck harder than Linda Lovelace. But, I’m not going to worry about that. In fact, I’m going to embrace it. I hope they are ALL TERRIBLE. That way I can bitch about them on here, and get all that lovely hate-mail I cherish so dearly.

Till Next Time Kiddies…

-RJ

 

Welcome to 2016!!!

Well, we all made it another year. 2015 has come and gone, and it’s now 2016. So while we all take this day to nurse our hangovers, The Movie Pit is taking this opportunity to start the year off right, with a full load of new articles. This is just the welcome post, that hopefully reaches you all in good graces. And not from spending the night in jail.

I’m proud to see we are going to have a very interesting and excited year ahead of us. On the horror front, we have The Forest, The Boy, Underworld: Next Generation, The Conjuring: The Enfield Poltergeist, Leatherface, Rings, The Blob, and Rob Zombie’s 31…just to name a few. So I personally am excited to dive into the horror genre head first this year.

But that doesn’t even touch the huge box-office blockbusters that are coming out this next year. That film line-up includes Batman v Superman, Deadpool, Independence Day Resurgence, Captain America: Civil War, TMNT: Out of the Shadows, Ghostbusters, Warcraft, Suicide Squad, Star Trek Beyond, and of course Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.

As you can see, there is going to be a full schedule of movies, and articles to come your way. I hope you enjoy 2016 as much as I’m anticipating it. My only hope is that some of these films don’t end up being colossal flops, how I fear some of them will be.

Till Next Time Kiddies…

-RJ

I Have A Bad Feeling About This: Star Wars Episode 7: The Force Awakens Review

DISCLAIMER:

(I have fought long and hard about how to write this review, originally thinking I wouldn’t talk about any spoilers. But unfortunately, some of the spoilers need to be mentioned, so you’ve been warned. It also helps that I’ve waited to write this long enough, that there have been enough people spoiling the shit out of the movie, so I don’t feel bad. But for those who haven’t seen it, and don’t want anything spoiled for you, I’ve got your back. Whenever you see a section in this review in red, don’t read it. It’s just that simple. Now, on to the review.)

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, I was a Star Wars fan who was excited to see the long awaited prequels in theaters, and if you read my previous posts on the matter, you all know that that didn’t turn out too well. So yes, when I heard they were making an all new film, yes, like I said, I was excited, don’t didn’t have very good feelings about it to say the least. The trailers hit, and made the movie look absolutely amazing, which only gave me more cause for alarm. Well, the time is finally upon us, and J.J. Abrams new saga is out for the masses to see. Before I start discussing my thoughts and feelings on the film, first let’s take a look at what this film is about.

Thirty years after the defeat of the Galactic Empire, the galaxy faces a new threat from the evil Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) and the First Order. When a defector named Finn crash-lands on a desert planet, he meets Rey (Daisy Ridley), a tough scavenger whose droid contains a top-secret map. Together, the young duo joins forces with Han Solo (Harrison Ford) to make sure the Resistance receives the intelligence concerning the whereabouts of Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill), the last of the Jedi Knights.

I have to say, this is the Star Wars movie I wanted to see back in 1999. My fears about this film were completely abolished about ten to fifteen minutes into the movie. That’s my window that I give films to grab me. This movie goes back to the basics by starting you off in the action. The part that kind of took me aback in this opening sequence, is the fact that they got Max Von Sydow to play Lor San Tekka, and this is the only scene in this entire 2+ hour film that he is in. I just thought it was strange to get that calibre of an actor for such a bit part. But there is a bunch of that hidden throughout the movie. Daniel Craig even plays an uncredited role as on of the Stormtroopers. So this just goes to show you that either J.J. called in a whole mess of favors, or these people really wanted to be in the rebirth of the Star Wars Universe.

After all the opening hoopla is finished, we are introduced to the R2-D2 of this generation, BB8. I have to admit, with the marketing this little droid has been getting, and how much he has been shoved down our throats in the past few months, I thought this little “ball of bolts” was really going to get on my nerves. But BB8 is hilarious. It harkens back to the original trilogy, the bantering back and forth between R2-D2 and C-3PO. They managed to bring a child friendly character back into the franchise, and actually do it right this time. Jar-Jar Binx be damned.

We are quickly introduced to the 2nd new character to the Star Wars Universe, and that is FN-2187, later to be named Finn. This is one of the first times we are introduced to a character that the public actually likes, that is more of less a coward, in the opening 10 minutes of a Star Wars film. When he is on his first mission as a Stormtrooper, he throws away all that he has learned from the First Order since childhood, and decides he can’t do it. For the majority of the film, he is trying to flee to the farthest reaches of the galaxy, to avoid his certain death. But, then he meets Rey on Jakku, and that all kind of goes to hell.

I could spend hours going over and analyzing every scene in this movie, but I’m not going to do that. I just wanted to touch on the opening sequence that really grabbed my attention. The rest of the movie plays out much like you’d expect. I know I can’t be the first one to say this, but I look at the Force Awakens as a “reboot” of A New Hope. Sorry, but it’s true. And that is by no means a bad thing. J.J. listened to the fans who said they wanted to go back to the original films that they grew up loving, and that is what he did. BB8 has a message for the Resistance. He gets stranded on a dessert planet. And so on, and so forth.

It’s on Jakku that audiences get their first glimpse of the Millennium Falcon. I loved that they refer to the ship as a piece of junk before revealing that is is indeed the Falcon. But as soon as they made that comment, I knew immediately what it was, and that the ship they were originally heading for was going to be destroyed. The other shocker to most viewers in the audiences, is when they take off in the Falcon and eventually get captured by a large ship that we are supposed to believe is the First Order, they were shocked that it was actually Han Solo and Chewie. But when they got on the ship and Han and Chewie were not on board, I recalled the trailer where Solo says, “Chewie, we’re home.” So it was by no means Earth shattering to me.

I enjoy the dynamic in the movie as a whole, between the classic characters and the new characters, but much more in the opening half of the film. Harrison Ford slid back into the role of Han Solo as easy as putting on a jacket. For once, the world actually gets to see this legendary smuggler smuggling things. That is was I wanted to see. 

Let’s get the other two classic characters out of the way now. Yes Carrie Fisher and Mark Hamill are both back reprising their original roles. In all honesty, Carrie Fisher couldn’t have been in this movie, and it would have played just the same to me. With the amount of time she was on screen, she does absolutely nothing. You get bickering a little here and there between her and Han. They talk about Kylo Ren, and how Han saw him, and it’s the first time Han states that the villain is his son. The first time the audience is privied to this information is during a scene between Ren and Snoke. But I’ll get to that in a bit.

Mark Hamill on the other hand is a performer I thought was vastly under used. The hole point of the movie is finding Luke, so that wasn’t a big shock to me in the end, but I just wish they would have given him a single line of dialogue at least. But maybe in all actuality, it works out better the way they went about it.

Let’s quickly get to the one thing I hated about this movie…and it will be no shock to those who knew me, it has to do with CG. Don’t get me wrong, the CG for the majority of this movie worked for me, because I was able to not notice it. Which is what it is supposed to be used for. But when we are introduced to the “Emperor” of this film, Supreme Leader Snoke, all I can say is what the fuck happened. It has nothing to do with the performance of Andy Serkis, because I like him as the character, it was the fact that the CG looked like the left overs from when Lord Voldemort was on the back of that guys head in the firth Harry Potter movie. It is that level of awful. I was also slightly unsettled, and a little pissed at the size of this character. But then I realized it was a hologram like the originals, so I let that go. My philosophy on the matter is this, because they made the character so large in the holographic projection, when we actually get to see him in later films, he will probably be about a foot tall. Just my guess. Kind of a Napoleon Complex type of deal.

That is honestly the only issue I had with this film. I KNOW…I’m as shocked as you. Everyone asks me how mad I was that they killed off Han Solo…and I wasn’t. Sorry to say that. But Harrison Ford wanted to character to be killed off years ago, and he finally got his wish. It was sad to see such a beloved character go, but I think it was done right. And no, I don’t think he died a chumps death, I think he died a loving father’s death. Which was interesting to see that side of the character. And if there is anyone you want to blame for his death, blame Leia. That’s how I look at it.

I honestly can’t say enough about this movie. If I was to right down every positive thought I had about it, this would end up being somewhere around 10,000+ words. I loved all the nods to the original films, even ones that weren’t in the movie, for instance Starkiller. See the movie to figure that one out. The bottom line is this folks, the prequel films left such a rotten taste of fecal matter in my mouth, that I didn’t think it would be possible to get rid of it. This movie did it. Gone are the days of Lucas and Jar-Jar…long live J.J. and BB8.

Till Next Time Kiddies…

-RJ

 

Best And Worst Of 2015

It’s getting closer to the end of the year and I’m gearing up for a house full of crazies, I mean family. As it is custom; Here’s the list. Sorry there is much of an intro but it’s the Best and Worst of 2015 list. You know what to expect, yeesh.

The Worst of the Year;

10. Our Brand Is Crisis

Just because we watch political campaigns so we know who to vote for does not mean we enjoy watching the behind the scenes nonsense, especially if it’s for somewhere else in the world.

 

 

 

 

09. Paper Towns

You know how to follow up a successful adaptation of a popular young adult novel? Obviously, the makers of this film didn’t know how to either. Watch The Fault in Our Stars instead.

 

 

 

 

08. We Are Your Friends

It is never enjoyable to watch entitled college age people make something of themselves so they can keep on being self-entitled and partying.

 

 

 

 

07. The Seventh Son

Take an average fantasy YA novel, cast Oscar winning actors who forget that it’s their profession, add a heap of poorly made CGI effects and stir till it’s incomprehensible.

 

 

 

 

06. Secrets in Their Eyes

Marketed as a thriller starring Julia Roberts, this movie has her for only 20 minutes. And it’s not a thriller, just a boring movie that explains the events of 13 years previously.

 

 

 

 

5. Mortdecai

Not everything that’s funny in Britain is funny in America. For every Kingsman there is one of these, a terrible premise with jokes that don’t play to the audience it was made for.

 

 

 

 

04. Pan

Poor Peter has become a supporting player to his own story. Focused more on the bad guy and inevitable bad guy to come, this gem also includes Indians portrayed by Caucasians.

 

 

 

 

03.Fant4tic

I know that’s not how you spell fantastic but the studio thinks differently. They also feel like we want terrible acting, effects and disregard for the subject matter we’re paying money to see.

 

 

 

 

02. Jupiter Ascending

The Wachowskis once again reuse everything from The Matrix. Instead of the sci-fi epic of the year what we get is a reason to go watch Cloud Atlas.

 

 

 

 

01. Jem and the Holograms

Based on a much loved 80s cartoon, in name only. This cookie cutter, “believe in yourself and you’ll make it,” film is not the girl empowering movie it could have been.

 

 

 

 

 

The Best of the Year;

10. Ant-Man

The Marvel movie everyone expected to fail became a surprisingly funny heist film that is a much needed break in between Age of Ultron and Civil War.

 

 

09. Mad Max: Fury Road

Older franchises can be given new life as long as they’re in the hands of a talented director. Giving us awesome action sequences that are being taught in film school now.

 

 

 

 

 

08. What We Do in the Shadows

An excellent mockumentary that chronicles the struggles of vampires in contemporary times. Who knew immortals had problems just like the rest of us?

 

 

 

 

 

07. Room

Led by the brilliant performance of Brie Larson, this complex story of a mother and son trapped in a room for years is why we go to movies in the first place.

 

 

 

 

 

06. Sicario

An FBI agent joins a taskforce to prevent the trafficking of drugs across the US/Mexico border. The action and drama come together in such a way that brings to mind Soderbergh’s Traffic.

 

 

 

 

05. Trainwreck

Amy Schumer breaks out in the R-Rated comedy. From a script that she wrote herself, Amy carries the film as a woman who doesn’t believe in monogamy. Get down with your bad self.

 

 

 

 

 

04. It Follows

An original horror premise about a spirit which stalks and kills its victims unless they pass it along by having unprotected sex. Shot very stylishly with equally great chills.

 

 

 

 

03. The Gift

A very effective thriller from writer/director/star Joel Edgerton. It brings on the suspense in a true Hitchcock like fashion. The twist ending here deserves not to be repeated.

 

 

 

 

 

02. Brooklyn

Saoirse Ronan turns in another strong performance as a young woman who tries to make a new life while still being loyal to her family. She deserves an Oscar someday.

 

 

 

 

 

01. Spotlight

A brilliantly orchestrated movie with an ensemble cast that brings their A game. This is a thoroughly engrossing movie.

From The Shadow Of Saint Nicholas: Krampus – Film Review

It’s that time of year where it becomes increasingly difficult to find new horror movies. Everyone wants to see the Oscar bait films, family-friendly variety or in the case of this year, Star Wars! Well what about those of us looking for something a little darker? I present to you, Krampus. It comes from Austro-Bavarian Alpine folklore. While Saint Nicholas is known for rewarding all the good children, Krampus comes to punish those who are bad. Its appearance is devil-like, complete with horns and cloven hooves. In most cases, it carries chains which it uses for dramatic effect. Such is the central antagonist of the film.

The film opens with the madness of holiday shopping. The title cards are done in a festive font. The depiction of the inhumane treatment of others is so true to life, it could have been filmed in any store in America. With, “It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas,” playing, the sequence could be considered social commentary. We are then introduced to the Engel family, comprised of; parents Tom & Sarah, siblings Beth & max and Grandma Omi. They are getting last minute preparations together for the arrival of other family guests.

Aunt Dorothy, Sarah’s sister Linda, her husband Howard and children; Howie Jr, Stevie, Jordan, and Baby Chrissy arrive shortly there-after. They are the typical members of anyone’s family that you have to endure celebrating Christmas. During their first dinner together, Stevie reads aloud a letter to Santa written by Max. A fight ensues and Max goes upstairs to his room upset. He decides to rip up the letter, instead of resealing it in an envelope, and throws it out the window. It gets picked up by a gust of wind that carries it into the sky.

Aggressive looking storm clouds quickly roll in and causes an unnatural blizzard. It blankets everything with several feet of snow. This results in a loss of power and hot water for the neighborhood, which seemingly turns into a ghost town as most of the Engel’s neighbors have left for winter vacation. Beth decides to go check on her boyfriend who lives a couple blocks down the street. As she does so, the sky gets darker and she sees a horned creature on the roof of a house. She flees and takes refuge under a delivery truck in the middle of the road. Stocked by the creature she turns to notice a jack in the box toy. It begins to play and slowly open up. The camera cuts away as she shrieks in terror at whatever’s inside.

Several hours later, Sarah notices that she hasn’t returned just as Max begins to get worried. Tom and Howard decide to go to her boyfriend’s house and see if she’s still there. Once there, they discover the door is open. Checking inside, the house is frosted over with snow. Presents and other items litter the floor. There are no signs of anyone as they search. In the kitchen, Howard finds a gingerbread cookie nailed to the refrigerator with a kitchen knife. They hear screams from Beth and go outside to get her. Howard gets attacked and injures his leg. Tom helps him escape. Not finding Beth anywhere near, they go back to the house to regroup.

Back at the house, everyone hears loud noises coming from the roof but choose to ignore them. Tom and Howard return as everybody panics about the whereabouts of Beth and Howard’s injury. With the storm getting worse, they bunker down for the night. Hours later, they all are asleep. The jingling of bells and laughter can be heard coming from the roof. A chain with a gingerbread cookie comes down the chimney. Howie Jr wakes up and sees the cookie. He can’t help but go and grab it. It comes alive and attacks him with the chain, wrapping him up. The rest of the family awake just as he’s taken up the chimney.

Omi only then decides to reveal that she knows what is happening. When she was a little girl her parents were going to separate during the holidays. Being upset about it, she made a wish that they would be taken care of. Well, that Christmas, Krampus came and took her parents away. He left her a bell to remind her of what happened. She’s carried the guilt of that night ever since. Tom, Sarah and Howard go to make a plan on how to get out of their predicament. Meanwhile, Stevie and Jordan go into the attic, thinking they’ve heard Beth calling them.

The girls scream out, bringing Tom, Sarah and Linda to the rescue. Howard has to contend with his own troubles as a trio of ginger bread cookies attack him with a nail gun. Back in the attic the other trio have to contend with a sinister angel, teddy bear and the jack in the box from earlier. They fight with them until the demonic toys escape into the vents. They rush downstairs to defend Max, Dorothy and Omi from the toys as they come down the vents. Howard joins them after dispatching with the cookies. They finally get the upper hand just as a group of dark elves crash through the window. They take Howard, Dorothy and Baby Chrissy.

The remaining members of the family decide to make a break for it. Omi stays behind to confront Krampus and buy some time for the rest of them. Krampus’ helpers are gaining on them fast, so Tom sacrifices himself. Max and Stevie make it to the snowplow but Linda and Sarah don’t. Max tries desperately to get the thing to start but fails to. Stevie gets yanked through the window. Max leaves the vehicle and runs into Krampus. He gives him a bell wrapped in the torn pieces of his letter. Krampus turns and leaves him alone.

Max goes and finds where Krampus and his helpers are. Krampus opens a hole to the underworld. The elves prepare to drop Stevie in. Max yells at Krampus, demanding that he trade his life for that of Stevie. He explains when he made his wish he just wanted Christmas to be like it used to be. After waiting a moment, Krampus drops Max into the pit. And he wakes up in his room. He hears his family and goes downstairs. They are opening presents. He is puzzled but doesn’t seem to know exactly why. He gets a present and opens it. It turns out to be a bauble. The scene dissolves into a snowglobe in Krampus’ hand. He places it on a shelf with hundreds of others and leaves.

Co-written and directed by Michael Dougherty, the genus behind 2009’s Trick ‘r Treat. Krampus is a fun story but falls short of joining in the ranks of his much loved cult classic. This movie should never have been PG-13. The audience this movie is made for want gore in their horror films, that constitutes an R-Rating. Lacking this, the film has no death scenes, not one. No body dies on screen. Think about that if you’re watching it for the second time. To not have gore in the film is like watching a porno without the sex scenes. I don’t know of anyone that would want to watch that.

Another thing I found interesting was the amount of self-sacrificing in the movie. There is not just 1 or 2 but a whopping 6! I’m sorry to say but as much as this family is depicted for not being that caring for one another, this number is ridiculously high. I can understand Grandma Omi’s because she’s trying to redeem herself for her own cowardice from childhood. Max’s sacrifice is also logical since he’s the one responsible for bringing Krampus to town. What doesn’t make sense; self-absorbed Howard, bitter Dorothy, negligent Tom and Sarah’s on behave of her sister’s spawn making sacrifices. It’s so out of place they all should have had swords to fall on.

Back to the genius of Michael Dougherty. This film does cleverly reference not just other classic horror films but also other holiday movies. In our first glimpse at the Engel household, a b & w version of A Christmas Carol is playing on TV. This is a nod to Halloween, in that film the children are watching a b & w version of The Thing from outer space on TV. We then have the arrival of the dimwit sister’s family. Obnoxious and loud, like they are, just as in National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation where Eddie and his family show up to Clark’s house. And in no particular order; Home Alone, a fight at dinner results in a Christmas wish against the family, Gremlins, creatures destroying and killing around a Christmas tree, Black Christmas, there’s someone in the attic, The Polar Express, main character gets a bauble to remember the night’s events and A Christmas Carol gets a second reference during the ending.

All in all, the film is deserving of a place in the ranks of holiday-themed horror movies. It’s not the best of the bunch but it certainly isn’t the worst either. So, if your season is in need of slaying or your inner horror fan is fading from holiday cheer, watch Krampus. It’s a Christmas unlike the ones you used to know.

Don’t Forget the Popcorn,

-BB

Should There Be Another Transformers Movie?

No. Alright see you all later. I’m kidding of course. There should be another Transformers movie. Just not the one we’ll be getting in 2017.

I’ve been a huge Transformers fan since the age of three. I checked with my parents for dates. My first experience was in December of 1985. I was home suffering from pneumonia and a high fever. To help me feel more comfortable, my parents brought home an enormous cardboard box containing a VHS tape that they had rented from 7-Eleven. They did rent movies in the 80s, you can google it. The episode was Fire in the SKY. Immediately, I was hooked by the colorful robots that could change into various vehicles. My parents pick up the other two episodes available and I watched them continuously. I got the toys for Christmas and birthdays from then on. I collected the comics in high school and bought the seasons when they were released on DVD in 2001. For the first time I was able to watch all 98 episodes in chronological order. During the rest of the early 2000s I read up on every character guide and encyclopedia that I could get my hands on. You can say I’m, “uniquely” qualified to discuss such a topic.

When I found out that there was to be a live action adaptation directed by Michael Bay, I was beyond excited. I mean, come on, at the time Bay had given us Bad Boys, The Rock and Armageddon. And I happened to like Bad Boys II, Pearl Harbor and The Island. My article on Michael Bay forthcoming. This guy can handle big action and comes from the school of cool. A movie about an 80s toy line and cartoon series isn’t going to attract the likes of an academy award winning director such as Steven Spielberg, right? You mean to tell me he’s going to executive produce the film and hired a pair of Transformers fans to write the script? And original Optimus Prime voice actor Peter Cullen is returning to the role! This is going to be awesome! I was totally nerding out.

Then things began not to seem quite right with the world. He passed on original Megatron voice actor Frank Welker to go with Hugo Weaving? The Autobots are now GMC and Chevrolet vehicles? Who the hell is Sam Witwicky? Oh, my God, did I just see a clip of Optimus Prime with lips? What the f%$# is going on? How are all these, “Transformers fans,” letting this happen? They’re doing this on purpose? Alright, I got to take this in stride. Certain things have to change for a film adaptation. Look at the X-Men films. I panicked for a while after hearing about the changes made to the films before they came out and I thought they were spectacular. Except for The Last Stand, obviously. The first trailer dropped and man oh man the action looked grand as I’d hoped for.

July 6^th, 2007, my best friend and I got tickets to the advanced showing. I was so overcome with anticipation I don’t remember what I was doing at work. I rushed home afterwards to change clothes and meet up with my buddy to secure us some good seats. There we were with large sodas, nachos and candy from concessions. I, being the geek that I am, was wearing my Comic-Con Exclusive Transformers shirt and an Autobot hat. My phone alarm went off with the cartoon’s theme song to alert us that the movie was starting. I couldn’t have been more ready to see the, “Autobots rage their battle to destroy the evil forces of the Decepticons.” The lights went down and my life was about to change…

……For the worse. After my first viewing I was devastated. There was action for sure and that was the voice of Optimus Prime. But did I really just see the Transformers movie? I know I saw Bumblebee “lubricate” on John Turturro. Hell, he couldn’t even talk! Someone should have prevented Optimus Prime from saying, “My bad.” Why are there so many human characters in a Transformers movie? There are over 20 human character with only 7 Decepticons and count them, 5 Autobots! It’s called f%$#ing Transformers, NOT Humans with Robot Friends! What’s with all this pointless humor? During the climactic battle between Optimus and Megatron, we get to hear them fight while we see Shia Labeouf react to what’s happening. Even while Optimus speaks one of the most iconic lines in Transformers lore, the camera is on Shia’s f%$#ing face! I went into meltdown mode there for a moment, sorry.

I watched the film several more times like a detective trying to solve a crime. It hurt a little less each time but I chalk that up to numbness. Some of it was decent and had elements from the source material but failed to capture the spirit of what it was like watching the cartoon as a child or playing with the toys. If you didn’t know the names of the characters, you wouldn’t have known it was a Transformers movie you were watching in the first place. Few of my friends understood where I was coming from. The few that would engage me in conversation would say that there was no other way that the story could’ve been adapted. I would always say yes there could’ve been. It could have been done better.

I somehow accepted that this was the best I was going to get. I added it to my film collection and moved on with things, knowing full well that a sequel was going to be made. It didn’t take long for that to happen. 2009 brought us, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. Surely, they had learned from the missteps they made with the first one right? Right?!? Sweet Jesus, I was wrong. So very, very wrong. Michael Bay and company took everything that was unappealing about the first film and said, you know what? We’re going to give you all that again tenfold! Like offensive, racist, stereotyped robots? Well, we’ll give you two! Didn’t care for all of the human characters we had before? We brought most of them back and added new ones! Oh, and we know you don’t like us messing with the mythology, so we’re going to screw with it even more! There was only one scene in the movie that was good. It was when Optimus valiantly took on three Decepticons by himself. But When the movie is 2hrs and 30min long that isn’t at all good. Sadly, the masses, myself included, spent money to see it and it turned enough of a profit for another sequel to be made.

Now this is where I shift gears for a little bit and might lose some of you. I actually enjoy 2011’s Transformers: Dark of the Moon, terrible title though. It had storyline that mostly came directly from the series. Megatron did try bringing Cybertron into Earth’s orbit in the season one, three-part episode titled, The Ultimate Doom. It still had unnecessary humor and too many humans but the darker tone made up for it. At times it felt like the Autobots might not actually be able to save the day. There was real uncertainty that victory was not a foregone conclusion. It gave it a sense of gravity lacking from the previous two. Once again, Bay was in the zone, able to give all the action sequences a sleek brilliance. Especially the freeway chase scene, which is officially a Michael Bay trademark. Lest not we forget that this one was also released in 3D, the first in the series. That definitely added to the enjoyment of this instalment.

For all that I liked about Dark of the Moon, there is absolutely nothing of worth in 2014’s Transformers: Age of Extinction. I will repeat myself here, there is unequivocally, not one sequence, dialog or moment anywhere in this film that is good. The whole almost 3 hour experience is garbage. You know it is God awful when you’d rather watch Revenge of the Fallen instead. It is blatantly obvious by now that Michael Bay and everyone else involved with this project just made it to make money for themselves. Or maybe they made it for the plethora of people who think big action movies are awesome because they are big action movies. They definitely knew how much of a lemming their audience was as it was the highest grossing film of the year with over 1.1 billion dollars. Despite the fact that it won almost every award for worst movie of the year, director, writing and acting! That has to tell you something. At this point in the series all traces of nostalgia and wonderment from the original series has been eradicated. All of the original Transformers characters have been killed off, except for Optimus and Bumblebee because they still sell alot of merchandise based on them. The very essence of Optimus Prime is tarnished and gone. In the 80s series, he represented everything truthful, moral and good we should strive to be. Now he tells the Autobots, “…when I find out who’s behind this, he’s going to die.” He even threatens the Dinobots, “Defend my family or die!” This the definition of the exact opposite of what Optimus Prime stands for. Speaking of the fan favorites, the Dinobots, they’ve been renamed, reshaped and undone from all characteristics that made them fun to begin with.

I could spend hours going on about the state of the Transformers film series. At the time of this writing, we are set for Transformers 5, 6 and 7, possibly two spin-off series and a shared universe with other Hasbro properties it has never had ties with before. Does the world need another Transformers movie? No, not with the people that are making them now. It’s just a way for them to continue to make money. Until one of those future projects fails. Then we’ll get the studio standard reboot. It is at that point, I pray, that a more talented crew with a real respect for the source material should be allowed to make an adaptation. It is possible to make a truly great Transformers film. You just need the Matrix of Leadership to, “…light or darkest hour.”

Don’t Forget The Popcorn…

-BB

A Look Back At The Blair Witch Project

16 years ago, back in 1999, the world was introduced to a new style of cinema, that little did we know, would influence and change the way horror movies would be made for decades to come. That film was The Blair Witch Project. The found footage film was not really known at this time. Yes, I hear people say Cannibal Holocaust, but that film isn’t a straight a head found footage film, so I don’t really think that counts. The other film people like to mention is The Last Broadcast. What, have you not heard of it? That’s the point I’m making. This film was so well received, that it continues to terrify new viewers, even to this very day. What made this film so unique, is that it is the only film where the entire film is placed in the hands of your actors. Unlike the found footage films made today, the actors were really running the equipment. This is something that would not happen today.

What truly made this film unique, is that it didn’t have a script. Sure, there was the story idea, but the actors were making everything up as they go along. When Mike kicks the map into the creek, this was as much of a surprise to the producers, as it was to the actors on camera. All emotion we see from any of the actors in this movie, is 100% real. Let’s get the elephant in the room out of the way right now. Yes, this movie got the reputation, and the nickname The Blair Bitch Project…and I have to admit, I agreed with that sentiment when I first heard it, and really can’t argue with it today. There is an abundance of whining and bitching that take place in the film. The sad thing is, is that was how to were really behaving. Can you imagine how much more bitching was left on the cutting room floor. The mere thought sends a chill down my spine, strong enough to pucker my butt-hole.

The three actors we are introduced to in this film are Heather Donahue, Michael Williams, and Joshua Leonard. Truth be told, none of these actors went on to be huge Hollywood stars. Heather and Michael did a few other things here and there, but I challenge you to name a single one, without the aid of IMDB. Joshua Leonard is the one who probably has the most horror credibility amongst genre fans. He has appeared in many horror fans including a cameo appearance in Adam Green’s Hatchet, as well as the lead role in a psychological horror film called Madhouse. I wouldn’t consider myself a huge fan of his, but I give him the respect that is deserved by being able to take steps forward from this film. The other two I am really indifferent about. So instead of bashing on them for their acting abilities, I think I’m just going to move on.

The true praise of this film goes to the people behind the people with the camera. Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sánchez are the mad scientists that cooked up this idea, and unleashed it upon the world. They have forever changed the world of horror, for better or worse. I can only imagine the meetings that took place during the pre-production stage of this film. Seeing how they tormented these poor actors, I can guarantee it was probably a pretty fun time. They shot and edited this completely on their own. The most notorious story was they purchased the camcorder from Staples for the purposes of shooting the movie, and when they wrapped, they returned it for their money back. Fuckin’ genious. There is a lot of talk about how much money truly went into the making of this movie. The number $20,000 was thrown around a lot, but the number was actually closer to $60,000 before the distributors got involved. When Artisan bought the film, the bought it for $1.1 million. They then but some money into addition post-production, and ended up spending somewhere in the neighborhood of $25 million in marketing on this film.

The marketing is the true genius of this film. There were actually people out there, my sister included, that believe this shit was real. Well why not, there was a website, and the TV said it was real…hell Sci-Fi even had a documentary on the film. Let us forget the fact that it was directed by someone who worked on the actual film. But the marketing campaign did that it was supposed to do. It intrigued viewers and put their assess into the theater seats. This small movie gross worldwide nearly $250 million. That isn’t to damn shabby for a group traipsing around the woods scaring three actors all day. Especially when one wrong move from on of the actors with the camera gear would have put an end to the whole thing.

It’s hard to put into words what this film has actually done over the years. I mean look at the fact that we are still talking about it today. Whether or not you like the “found footage” genre, this film started it, and it has never been done better. The movie spawned a so-so sequel a few years later, Book of Shadows. This was more of an actual movie, but didn’t do as well. Fans have also wanted to be taken back into the woods of Burkitsville the way they remembered. And we have been teased for years with the rumors of a third film. The rumor is still out there with talks of The Blair Witch 3 being released in 2017. I honestly don’t see that happening, but we can hope can’t we. I will say this now, if they are legitimately going to get the old crew back together to make another Blair Witch, I think it will be a couple more years down the road. It would make more sense for them to release a sequel in 2019 for the 20^th anniversary of the film. I’m just saying.

So there you have it boils and ghouls, we just took a look back at a film that many critics hated, and millions of fans adored. What did you think of this movie the first time you saw it? Comment below, or shoot us an email at themoviepit@gmail.com.

Till Next Time Kiddies…

-RJ

Ed Wood: The “Greatest” Worst Director

Edward D. Wood Jr is a name that will stand the test of time in the film
community from the sheer awe of what this man was able to create. Don’t get the wrong impression, Ed Wood wasn’t a cinematic genius, who made films that would make audience members ponder the wonders of the universe. No, he made some of the worst films ever made, and has been been the honor of being known as the “worst filmmaker of all time.” That is quite an accomplishment. But if he was so bad, why do people still talk about hi to this very day? That is honestly a good question. I like to look at Ed Wood as a terrible car accident. No matter how bad the accident might be, you can’t find a way to look away.

Let’s start by looking at where Ed Wood came from. Ed Wood was from New York, where his father was a janitor for the postal service. To say he had a normal childhood would be anything but the truth. At the time he was born, his mother desperately wanted a daughter, but other forces prevailed, and she was graced with a son. This didn’t deter her in any way from dressing young Edward in girls clothing, to help fill that void that was left somehow. This had a long lasting impact on Edward, and all the way up to his later life, he was a heterosexual cross-dresser. At age 12, Edward was given a camera on his birthday, and I guess you could say that’s where the history began. But there is more to the story.

Ed Wood decided to join the service shortly after the attack on Pearl Harbor, and he joined the U.S. Marine Corps. He was a member of the 2^nd Defense Battalions, which is where he spent his entire military career. Wood reached the level of Corporal before being discharged from the service. During his time in the military, he lost his two front teeth, and was shot multiple time during battle. He later went on record stating that several time while in battle, he was wearing women’s undergarments. Don’t ask, don’t tell I guess.

But after his time in the service, Ed Wood always remembered how much he loved the movies, and how badly he wanted to make movies. So he go jobs on studio lots, doing odd jobs. He even directed commercials, TV pilots, and few other odds and ends along the way. He found himself in love with the editing bay, going over all the stock footage the studio had acquired over the years.Shortly there after, Ed had the opportunity of his lifetime and was introduced to the legendary Bela Lugosi. That’s right, Dracula himself. There are many different views, as to how their friendship really was. Whether Ed truly thought of Bela as a friend, or was he using the elderly actor just to get in the door on the “cape tails” of Dracula. I tend to believe they really were friends.

Now the madness begins. Ed was given the opportunity to direct a film based on the Catherine Jorgenson story…she was a transgender person who was in the headlines at the time. He took this opportunity to make Glen or Glenda, which he himself starred in. I guess him getting the chance to wear women’s clothing out in the open was to good to pass up. I have to admit, the movie is horrendous. And that’s the tale of the tape with his later films as well. They include Bride of the Monster, Night of the Ghouls, and the infamous Plan Nine From Outer Space. All these films were made on really no budget, and were intercut with that stock footage he loved some much. He once said, and the used the quote in the Ed Wood movie by Time Burton, “If someone gave me the opportunity, I could make an entire movie out of nothing but this stock footage.” That was more or less the case. He had semi-brilliant ideas and concepts, he just didn’t know how to execute them properly on set. He was a director that wasn’t worried or concerned. He wasn’t concerned about production or direction, he just wanted to shoot the scene, and move on to the next setup.

A good way to look at Ed Wood if you aren’t familiar with him, is that he’s
was the dollar store Roger Corman. They made the same types of films, just one had the talent to back it up. I don’t want to bash on Ed Wood because the world has been doing that for ages. I like his movies, I really do. Not that they are good, because they are dreadful…but because they are a part of cinema history, and as a filmmaker myself, they are an amazing blueprint as to what not to do.

I have to say, if you are someone who is into unique and off the way films, the library of Ed Wood films might be something that you should look into. Because like I said, as long as you know that they are garbage going into them, you should be able to see the humor and appeal that audiences the world over have been seeing for years. It’s the fans that have turned Ed Wood into a cult legend. But it’s his work that made the man the person he is today. So without further ado, R.I.P Edward D. Wood Jr. (The Greatest Worst Director of All-Time)

Till Next Time Kiddies…

-RJ

Must See Cult Films

Not finding something that strikes your fancy with the usual video fair? Why not try a cult movie? Unfamiliar with cult films? Well, let me introduce you to the wonderful world of cult movies. To be clear, these aren’t movies about crazy people in cults that believe in weird stuff, though those movies do exist. By definition, a cult film is one that has a dedicated fan-base that surrounds both underground and midnight movies. They are known to break taboos, featuring displays of violence, gore, sexuality or a combination thereof. Subsequently, these films often cause controversy, receive extreme censorship and in some cases are banned from being shown in certain markets. Cult movies have been gaining popularity since the late 70s. It is easier now foe a film to receive cult status with the advent of social media. Being able to spread the word about them virally has led to the term, “Instant Cult Classic,” and many obscure movies acquiring passionate followings. I’ve decided to make a must see list of cult films in the most common genres. There will be my two personal favorites and the most well-known one you’ll likely see in each particular genre. Still curious to see what’s out there? Alright then, here we go….

Action

What you need to see;

Harley Davidson and the Marlboro Man (1991)

What it’s about: Best friends, badass biker Harley and equally badass cowboy Marlboro, discover that their old friend is about to lose his bar to the bank. It wants to build a new luxurious complex or be paid 2.5 million instead. So, the boys decide to rob the bank but instead end up robbing a transport holding a new drug instead of cash. Hunted by killers from the bank and the mob who own the drug, Harley and Marlboro even the odds the only way they know how.

Why it’s cult worthy: The overly campy but effective action scenes. Plus, with dialogue like, “I think I killed him using twelve dollars’ worth of bullets,” It’s a welcome alternative to most of the early 90s action films.

The Boondock Saints (1999)

What it’s about: Irish American twin brothers, Connor and Murphy McManus, have had enough of, “…the indifference of good men,” while the people of their city become victims of crimes that no one cares to intervene for. They begin to bring their own brand of, “justice,” to the underworld of Boston. Targeted by a legendary assassin and a brilliantly eccentric FBI profiler, the brothers must overcome their sibling rivalry to survive the day.

Why it’s cult worthy: Writer/director Troy Duffy blends together the action stylings of; Tony Scott, Martin Scorsese and Brian de Palma to make a well-crafted film. The Tarantino-esque dialog between the brothers while the retribution brings levity the action genre needed.

What you’ll probably see instead;

Point Break (1991)

What it’s about: Former professional quarterback turned FBI Agent Johnny Utah must go undercover to find a band of bank robbers that are most likely a group of surfing adrenaline junkies. Can he bring the culprits into custody before he gets too close with Bodhi, the charming Zen believing leader and Tyler, the tough ex-girlfriend he might be falling for? It’ll be one hell of a rush to find out.

Why it’s cult worthy: All of the extreme sports that the characters engage in are shot with such intensity that you can feel the rush. Case in point, Johnny has to jump, “out of a perfectly good airplane,” without a parachute in order to apprehend Bodhi before he escapes with the loot, leaving both his and Tyler’s fate to chance. And who doesn’t love a heist movie where the bank robbers where the masks of dead presidents?

Comedy

What you need to see;

Dazed and Confused (1993)

What it’s about: It’s the last day of school in 1976 and for the incoming freshman class of Lee High School, enduring their rite of passage is going to be hell. For the graduating seniors, it’s a time of self-reflection on what to do with their life and what type of person they’ll become. We can’t all stay young forever but we’re going to try our damnedest to hold on. In one final night of debauchery, everyone’s circumstance will change.

Why it’s cult worthy: Richard Lancaster immerses the audience in the experience of life in the late 70s. Infused with sex, drugs, rock & roll and general mayhem, the film is captures the free spirits of teens that just don’t know any better. Summed up nicely when Matthew McConaughey’s Wooderson says, “Let me tell you this, the older you do get, the more rules they’re gonna try to get you to follow. You just gotta keep livin’ man, L-I-V-I-N.”

Wet Hot American Summer (2001)

What it’s about: It’s the last day of summer for Camp Firewood in 1981. Everyone from the campers, staff and unsuspecting neighbors try to resolve personal issues left unfinished, all before the night’s big talent show! All of their misadventures intertwine in a hilarious romp that encompasses what it means to live in a time of post free love & political upheaval. There’s big hair, high jinx, excess and lack of concern for everything that isn’t for one’s benefit.

Why it’s cult worthy: The creative team behind such gems as; MadTv, The State, Stella and Wanderlust merge the coming of age story with the absurdity of such comedy classics as National Lampoon’s Animal House. The gags and storylines, played like a great sketch based sitcom, culminate to the tune of original song, Higher and Higher. With such charm you can’t help but sing along with Camp Firewood’s unofficial anthem.

What you’ll probably see instead;

The Big Lebowski (1998)

What it’s about: Lazy, pot smoking, White Russian connoisseur hippie, Jeffrey “The Dude” Lebowski is mistaken for a millionaire also named Jeffrey Lebowski. As he tries to navigate through the demands of nihilist kidnappers, a baby seeking professional artist and his unstable bowling buddies, the world’s ultimate slacker can still keep his cool. As long as you don’t destroy his rug that really ties the room together.

Why it’s cult worthy: The Coen brother cement their status as the kings of offbeat, deadpan comedic dialog. They unfold their tale in a whimsical carefree world of colorful characters much like Alice in, Through the Looking Glass. Every moment invites the audience to take part in the surreal trip that is the haze of The Dude’s life. Cause when it comes down to it, “…well, The Dude abides.”

Drama

What you need to see:

Requiem for a Dream (2000)

What it’s about: The lives of four Coney Island natives, each with their own addiction, try to achieve their goals, in the course of three seasons. Harry and Tyrone plan to come up in the world by selling heroin. Harry’s girlfriend, Marion, intends to create her own fashion line. And Harry’s mother, Sara, wants to be on her favorite TV infomercial with her son. Unfortunately for them all, the lifestyles of dependency they’re entangled in has other fates planned.

Why it’s cult worthy: The raw intensity of intercutting the flowing fluids of veins, cooking heroin and tripping to dance club music is in your face obtrusively in your face. It is unapologetic. Utilizing cameras mounted onto the actors, we are nauseated with the confusing crumbling of everyone’s life. This movie makes Trainspotting look like child’s play compared to this grown up tale.

Blue Romance (2010)

What it’s about: The story of Dean and Cindy, a married couple struggling with the life they didn’t plan on living. Told in non-linear form, it presents an unapologetic look at how they met, the courtship and subsequent fall into a mundane routine that threatens to tear them apart. Past and present become mirrored opposites of the way they had hoped their life would become. Can they stay together after everything they’ve done to each other?

Why it’s cult worthy: Utilizing untraditional storytelling methods, co-writer/director Derek Cianfrance boldly rearranges the shambled pieces of the main character’s lives to show how you can fall in and out of love. Taking the romance norm and turning it on its’ head, Dean and Cindy realize perhaps too late that happy endings don’t come easy. Sometimes saying you’re sorry doesn’t help to keep the heartstrings together.

What you’ll probably see instead;

Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas (1998)

What it’s about: The semi-autobiographical story of Hunter S. Thompson, an oddball journalist, who pairs up with is psychopathic lawyer on a trip to Las Vegas to cover a racing event. With a suitcase full of all kinds of drugs, the two ultimately end up descending into madness and a series of unfortunate events. All the while, trying to piece together what happened to them and whether or not it was real.

Why it’s cult worthy: The craziness of the narrative is illustrated on screen by genius of Terry Gilliam. Using bizarre animation sequences, wide angle lenses and Dutch tilts, he induces the audience into the characters’ head trip. Nothing resembling logic comes into play to further the audience to question the validity of what they just saw. Even fans of Tarantino would have a hard time putting the this into a cohesive story.

Sci-Fi

What you need to see;

Videodrome (1983)

What it’s about: Max Renn, a TV producer with no scruples, tries to bring new reality programming on the air. While trying to find the makers behind the disturbing, Videodrome, which he wants to emulate, Max finds his world slowly falling apart. His own reality is in question as he gets closer to discovering the truth behind the corporate world and what it means to be a part of the, “new flesh.”

Why it’s cult worthy: Known for telling stories of body horror on the big screen. Here is no exception as Max becomes his own VCR, producing a symbiotic gun, from his stomach, which fires cancer bullets. He also shares and intimate moment with a pulsating television set that moans with pleasure to his touch. The Videodrome tape itself can be considered as the genesis of the torture porn sub-genre.

The Scribbler (2014)

What it’s about: Suki suffers from mental illness. To help aide in her treatment, her doctor prescribes a box known as, The Siamese Burn, which eliminates multiple personalities one at a time. People around her begin to be murdered, so she questions whether she is the one responsible. Trying to solve the mystery she is left with another terrifying realization; what if she is her last multiple personality? Who really is Suki?

Why it’s cult worthy: Based upon a manga of the same name, the story is presented in such a way as to feel like a motion comic. Suki’s uncertainty if she’s real invokes the spirit of most Philip K. Dick stories. And her growing obsession with integrating electronic devices into her life is a social commentary on how we too have an insatiable need to connect with the internet which essentially isn’t tangible or “real.”

What you’ll probably see instead;

Blade Runner (1982)

What it’s about: In the distant future, four escaped replicants, androids infused with living tissue, are on the loose. Those that are assigned to track and put them down are known as blade runners. And there is no one more skilled at it than Rick Deckard. While working the assignment, he falls for a beautiful woman who turns out to be a replicant herself. Can he raise to the challenge and complete the assignment when he doesn’t know what it means to be human anymore?

Why it’s cult worthy: The gritty dystopian future of this film serves as the standard for what all other sci-fi films are measured by. Ridley Scott’s meticulous attention to detail and production values are a testament on how well the special effects hold up to this day. He shot the movie in noir fashion, with tone and pacing. Plus, there are 5 different versions of the film, each with their own flair and twist in story development.

Horror

What you need to see;

Suspiria (1977)

What it’s about: A young American ballet dancer is accepted to a renowned German Dance Academy. Right from the time of her arrival girls from the school start to get murdered. Being that she missed something that might be a clue to solving who the killer is, Suzy takes it upon herself to investigate the violent crimes. All is not how it seems, as Suzy get closer to discovering the truth about the school. A truth she may want not to know.

Why it’s cult worthy: Dario Argento’s use of color makes for quite beautiful images even when it is of someone being decapitated! Using techniques like positioning door knobs higher than actors, songs that sound like they came from a music box and in camera manipulation of visuals makes the whole affair seem like that of a brothers grimm bedtime story. It is featured on AFI 1OO Best Films of All Time and is a favorite among industry professionals.

Trick ‘r Treat (2007)

What it’s about: Five separate stories, each based on a Halloween tradition cross paths with one another on the fateful night. The tales feature; a serial killer, a vampire, werewolves, ghosts and a demonic creature who enforces the traditions of the holiday. In order for those to survive; they must know and adhere to them all. For all the rules apply until after midnight. Break them and you’ll have to answer to Sam.

Why it’s cult worthy: A return to form for the anthology film but this time the characters from each story overlap into other. This non-linear approach makes for added mystery as to what is truly in store for everyone. Introducing potentially huge horror icon Sam, the vengeful creature with the pumpkin-head, that my look innocent enough in costume but is really far more vicious and deadly.

What you’ll probably watch instead;

Evil Dead (1981)

What it’s about: A group of teenagers go a trip to one of their friend’s uncle’s cabins. Once there, one of them unwittingly unleashes a powerful entity that has been asleep in the forest for hundreds if not thousands of years. Not knowing which one of them will turn into a possessed demon next, the remaining friends struggle to stay alive. Finally, it comes down to one sole survivor versus the horde of evil dead.

Why it’s cult worthy: Made on the epitome of shoestring budget, filmmaker Sam Raimi was able to pull off a campy yet fresh horror story. Every effect was practical, no digital effects were used to create anything of the deadites’ world. Creating for the first time his signature POV shot of following one of the deadites through the woods so it can get to its next victim. Mixing equal parts dark humor and gore, the romp has spawned two sequels a reboot and a television series.

Don’t Forget The Popcorn…

-BB