Horror Fest '09: The Lost Boys

The Lost Boys combines the horrific and the comedic in a way that only the 1980’s could produce. Director Joel Schumacher effectively updates the style and demeanor of vampires to fit the era. In fact, the film instantly becomes defined by the time in which it was made – from the clothing and hairstyles to the punk-influenced attitude. Although perhaps the style inadvertently sticks out for today’s audiences, The Lost Boys fortunately has more going for it than a bunch of hair gel.

Our story begins as divorced mother Lucy and her two sons, Michael and Sam, move to the small town of Santa Carla to get a fresh start. Little do they know that strange disappearances and killings regularly occur in the city, prompting some to dub Santa Carla the “Murder Capital of the World.” Despite such a dubious label, Michael and Sam quickly familiarize themselves with the area, hanging out on the boardwalk where many young people gather. Unfortunately some shady characters also explore the area with great interest. When Michael, the oldest boy, locks eyes with a girl named Star, trouble soon follows. As it turns out, Star associates with the shady bunch who patrol the boardwalk, headed by David (Kiefer Sutherland). Soon enough, Michael unwisely attempts to fit in with these new acquaintances, leading to a truly bizarre night that he can’t quite remember. Sam soon begins noticing unnatural changes to his brother (sensitivity to light, floating in mid-air, a thirst for blood, etc.) and the remainder of the film essentially focuses on getting Michael back to normal. Along the way, the film throws in plenty of jokes to balance out the horror aspects, as well as a few twists and turns dealing with vampire mythology.

While the story contains some interesting ideas, some aspects come across as clunky. The romance between Michael and Star, for example, barely develops and yet it becomes the catalyst responsible for launching the story forward. With the main thrust of the story lacking an adequate amount of depth, the overall stakes of the film aren’t as high as they could have been. The villains aren’t especially well-developed either, coming across as interchangeable and underdeveloped (except for Sutherland). Often times in horror films, a lack of knowledge of the monsters will benefit the effectiveness of the story. But with vampires, one of the few monsters who spend a significant amount of time mingling and associating with the living, I think a tad more character development is in order. These flaws by no means derail the film, though. In fact, The Lost Boys succeeds on several levels.

The film works most effectively in its tone. From the opening shot we get a strong sense of foreboding as an image of a nighttime boardwalk accompanied by an eerie song fills us with unease. Joel Schumacher and crew create a real sense of place that adds to the creep-factor. From empty parking lots to abandoned caves, the set-ups for scares put you in the scene. But, at the same time, the film switches smoothly between its creepy set-ups to humorous one-liners. The fact that it maintains this shifting tone throughout becomes the most impressive feature of the film.

The cast proves serviceable given the material. Kiefer Sutherland gives an effectively creepy performance as David, the lead vampire. Between this film and his bit in Phonebooth, I’m convinced this guy should play more villains. Jason Patrick probably has the most challenging role, switching from typical teenager to a psychologically tortured half-vampire, a change that he captures with skill. Corey Feldman and Jamison Newlander provide the film with a majority of its comedic relief as two comic book store employees who know a thing or two about dealing with vampires. It just goes to show that a vast knowledge of comics could potentially save your life; a comforting thought for all those collectors out there, I’m sure. Perhaps the unsung heroes of the cast would include performances by adult actors Dianne Wiest and Edward Herrmann as they provide a sense of balance against the adolescent performers.

All in all, I’d say The Lost Boys represents a solid entry in the sub-genre of vampire flicks. While the climax builds up to a pretty paint-by-numbers ending, there’s plenty of fun along the way. It’s already become one of those time-capsule films that couldn’t really be made anymore, at least not in the same spirit. For better or worse, they just don’t make them like this anymore.

Gary Ross at the Directing Helm

Writer/director Gary Ross, whose credits include Pleasantville and Seabiscuit, looks for his next project to be a reboot of the Matt Helm series. This series centered on a slick secret agent who foiled criminal mastermind's plans, as well as making time to woo plenty of ladies in the process. Back in the 60's Dean Martin played the super-spy in a series of films essentially spoofing James Bond. Originally, Steven Spielberg had shown interest in the film, but backed out to pursue other projects. Now Ross has his chance at it, with the suddenly-high-in-demand Bradley Cooper in negotiations to star.

This project sounds interesting to me. If they can spoof today's spy films the way the 60's films spoofed Bond, then I'll be happy. Gary Ross turns in solid work and so does the screenwriter Paul Attanasio. So here's hoping they can make this a success. Oh, and if you haven't seen any of the 60's Matt Helm movies, then you might give them a try sometime. They're goofy and stupid, but pretty harmless fun.

Toy Story 3 Trailer

Well, it's been a long time coming, but Pixar has moved forward with Toy Story 3 and now the first trailer is available online. The basic premise of the film features Andy leaving for college, leaving his old toys to be dumped at a local daycare center. After some abuse from the kiddos, Woody and the gang decide to form an escape plan.

This series holds a special place for me, so of course I'll be in line (like many others) to see this when it's released next year. I still remember going to see the first film when I was ten years old, which was probably the perfect age to see it. I was old enough to recognize the technological advances being made, but still enough of a kid to have the story completely take hold of me. Walking out of the theater, I knew that I had just witnessed something special. With this new film looking to expand on the themes explored in the previous installments, I'll be interested in what direction they decide to take it.

Watch the trailer at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e53e-J7yJII&feature=related

On a side note: So many sequels come off as cash-grabs, but with Pixar involved, I know this project isn't one of them. Their level of quality and consistency goes unmatched. I am a bit concerned, though, that they are starting to lean more towards sequels than original stories. While Toy Story 3 is fine, after that there are plans for a Cars sequel and I've even heard rumors of a Monsters Inc. sequel. In the past, members of Pixar have stated that they wouldn't focus heavily on sequels; doing them only if a film really warranted one. I'm not trying to say that Pixar is beginning to slum it, but do Cars and Monsters Inc. really need additional films? Just some food for thought.

Mini-Review: The Deep

For some reason I’ve always had a vague curiosity to watch The Deep (1977), but never bothered to until recently. The film centers on a young couple on vacation in Bermuda who become wrapped up in the dangerous world of treasure hunters when they discover some valuable properties in a wrecked ship. The cast includes Nick Nolte (sporting a nice 70’s mustache), Jacqueline Bisset, Robert Shaw, Louis Gossett Jr., and Eli Wallach.

Perhaps the most interesting aspect of The Deep was that the film was clearly an attempt to capitalize on the success of Jaws two years previous. The film contains several overlapping elements with the classic blockbuster, the main one being author Peter Benchley who wrote the novels and screenplays both films were based upon. In addition to Benchley, actor Robert Shaw appears in both films playing hardened professionals. And last, but not least, both stories take place on islands and involve plenty of time on (or in) the water.

The premise certainly contains enough potential for a fun time, but ultimately I left the film feeling that it was average. There’s nothing overtly terrible about the film; the story just doesn’t reach its full potential. That’s not to say that the film doesn’t have some good points. The cast does an adequate job of selling us on their characters and situations. Shaw stands out the most, not that he’s doing anything that we haven’t seen him do before. And technically speaking, the film looks great. The extended underwater sequences illustrate both the beauty and danger of sea life.

Overall, the film was an alright way to spend a Saturday morning in bed. That counts for something, right?

Paranormal Activity Continues Expansion

The new independent film Paranormal Activity continues to build a following as it expands to more than 170 theaters this weekend. This is one case where internet buzz and viral marketing appear to be paying off in a big way. The film reportedly made an estimated 2.5 million on Friday - not bad for an $11,000 budget. With its building success, hopefully Paranormal Activity will arrive at a theater somewhere remotely close to me, although I won't hold my breath.

The movie functions as "found footage" in the vein of The Blair Witch Project, and centers on a couple who attempt to document the strange happenings that are occurring in their home. With all of the comparisons being made to The Blair Witch Project, this would be a great film to see with a midnight crowd close to Halloween. So here's hoping that this film finds its way into even more theaters. At least that way there's more options than another Saw film this month.

Horror Fest '09: Creepshow

Anthology films are tricky. In my experience, those that I’ve seen have typically been mixed-bags. The main problem arises when the quality begins to vary from story to story, which is usually unavoidable. It’s sort of an awkward situation for the filmmakers, really. On the one hand, audiences will likely find something to enjoy out of it, but on the other hand, they probably won’t enjoy everything; resulting in a consensus that the film was merely “alright.” So, anyone who accomplishes the consistency necessary for one of these films deserves some recognition. But for those who don’t quite pull it off, I can’t begrudge them too much.

This line of thought brings me to Creepshow (1982), a horror film anthology, and the one and only collaboration between George Romero and Stephen King (a pairing which must have had horror fans drooling when the film was originally released). The idea behind this project drew heavily from the E. C. comic books of the 50’s, of which both Romero and King were fans. With that in mind, this film plays as an homage to those pulpy, lurid stories that I’m sure fascinated and inspired both artists in their youths. The film divides itself into five separate stories, each with varying degrees of success.

Some quick thoughts on each segment:

Segment 1 – Father’s Day
This first tale centers on a spoiled, rich family who gather together to mark the 7th anniversary of their father’s death (he was murdered, and by one of the family members, no less). Things conclude poorly for the family, however, as Father decides to rise from the grave and wreck havoc.

Despite the inclusion of some dark humor, this story was one of the weaker efforts, I thought. Simply relying on jump-scares without anyone to care about just doesn’t quite measure up. There just wasn’t much behind it.

Segment 2 – The Lonesome Death of Jordy Verrill
Stephen King stars in this segment as a slack-jawed yokel who discovers a meteor that crashes down on his farm. He immediately dreams of selling the meteor for big bucks. But then something curious begins to happen…
This was the worst. King should definitely stick to writing and leave acting to the professionals. His country bumpkin act grated my nerves. I understand that it’s supposed to be funny, but the humor attempted in this segment fell flat for me due to his over-the-top performance. The story itself isn’t awful, just kind of pointless.

Segment 3 – Something to Tide You Over
Leslie Neilson and Ted Danson star in this segment about a jealous husband (Neilson) who has discovered his wife has cheated on him with another man (Danson). This story was probably the most fun for me. Neilson and Danson play well off each other as a game of cat-and-mouse between them progresses to a twisted end. The tone of dark humor that the film strives for probably works best in this segment.

Segment 4 – The Crate
The longest story of the film centers on a put-upon husband (Hal Holbrook) and his domineering wife (Adrienne Barbeau). After the discovery of an old crate at a college campus, people begin to leave behind big bloody messes due to its contents. Now one man (Holbrook) must decide how to deal with the contents inside.
While this segment is a solid one, it goes on a bit too long for what the story needs. Again, the humor involved maintains a pitch black tone that I enjoyed.

Segment 5 – They’re Creeping Up on You
E. G. Marshall stars in this segment as a cantankerous, rich, old man with an obsession for cleanliness. He lives in a germ-free apartment away from all the “riff-raff” of the world which he despises. As much as he attempts to keep himself cleansed of those “lower” than him, something begins creeping up on him, ready to give him his just deserts.
Definitely the squirmiest/grossest of the segments, this story really builds up the tension. And, unlike the other stories, I felt as if this one actually had something to say. Romero is no stranger to social commentary and this feels like material well-suited for him. It’s probably the most effective segment and a impressive note to end the film.

While I felt that Creepshow failed to escape the typical troubles of an anthology film, several aspects make it worth watching – foremost among those aspects being the style. Romero stays true to comic book origins of this film by seamlessly integrating brief snippets of animation throughout the segments. Each of the stories becomes formatted like comic book drawings, occasionally displaying images as if they were panels within a comic. In addition to the animation, Romero’s use of lighting and color also add to the stylized comic book motif. During some of the more shocking moments, the lighting switches to bright primary colors and the backgrounds become flat as characters shudder in horror. Creepshow may deserve some credit here as one of the first films to specifically go after a comic book design, predating today’s comic book-influenced films by a couple decades.

Perhaps equally as inspired as the visuals are the make-up effects by Tom Savini. While CGI dominates today’s films, I tend to prefer practical effects as there’s more creativity behind them; plus, seeing something tangible onscreen has a more direct effect on audiences (at least this audience member). With that said, Savini’s creations for this film are top-notch. All of the creatures, living or dead, strike the intended amount of creepiness and scares.

Going into this film, the fright factor was a given. However, the level of humor involved caught me by surprise. As mentioned in the above segment descriptions, the comedy involved is pitch black, but if you can get onboard with that, then this film should play just fine. The performances (mostly) add to the humor as everyone essentially inhabits caricatured parts, chewing the scenery as needed. Leslie Neilson especially stands out as the conniving cheated-on husband as he hits just the right balance of sincerity and camp. Although a tad too much on the mean-spirited side, I thoroughly enjoyed laughing my way through these stories.

While the experience of watching Creepshow may have ended with my assessment that it was just “alright,” I’d definitely recommend it to horror fans. The film fills itself with enough enjoyable elements to make it worth a watch. And to be fair, I believe Romero and King accomplished exactly what they set out to do: give people some entertaining laughs and scares. I can’t fault the film too much for achieving its goals, even though they might not be of the highest sort.

Adrien Brody and Topher Grace Hunt...Predators?

The new Predator reboot/sequel has rounding out its cast recently, and none other than Adrien Brody and Topher Grace have jumped onboard. Those are two names that I wouldn't have thought to be chosen for a project like this, much less lobby to be a part of. Although seemingly against type in terms of physicality, Brody and Grace's appearances play into their characters. Some short character descriptions reveal that "Brody is a man who ends up inheriting the mantle of leader and is known as a hunter of men. Grace would play an accountant-type whose unassuming facade masks a dangerous serial killer." While hard-core fans of the original films might be disappointed by this news, I'm actually excited for the possibilities. Both Brody and Grace bring loads of talent to the projects they choose and I'm intrigued as to how they'll function in this film. Besides, the typical muscle-bound heroes of the 1980's now seem slightly passe in our digital age.

So, whatever you feel about this casting news, I think we can all agree that it's one of the most interesting announcements to happen in awhile.

Mini-Review: How to Succeed in Business without Really Trying

Musicals represent my least-watched genre. With that said, I’m not opposed to watching them at all. For some reason, I just don’t get around to viewing too many. That’s something that I’ve attempted to correct though, as I recently sat down with How to Succeed in Business without Even Trying (1967).

Adapted from the Broadway show, this film takes a look at the office politics/sexual politics of the time. It stars Robert Morse, who reprised his Broadway role, as an up-and-coming window washer with dreams of climbing the corporate ladder. Morse probably seems like an odd choice for today’s audiences. He has an atypical look for a leading man and his performance might be considered a little frenzied. Ultimately though, I think his oddities are what won me over to him. Along with Morse, Michele Lee also stars as a fellow office worker, who immediately falls for the lead. Both stars perform admirably, in singing and dancing numbers.

Overall, the film plays as a solid bit of entertainment, but nothing mind-blowing. Perhaps the reason this doesn’t stand out more is due to how the film is shot. It seems very straightforward in its style – in other words, not as cinematic as it could be. Aside from that, there are many aspects of the film that are commendable. The production design definitely sets the mood of the 60’s – it’s colorful and vibrant. Also, there are some memorable songs, including “Brotherhood of Man” as a particular highlight. As a nice, family-friendly film, I’d say give this one a chance.

Horror Fest '09: The Monster Squad

Fred Dekker’s The Monster Squad (1987) comes across as if a 10 year-old was asked to write down their idea of a perfect horror film. While that might sound like an insult, I really mean it in the best way possible. The film captures a spirit of adolescent adventure, the kind of fantastical story that reminds you of your own childhood imaginings. It’s like The Goonies (1985), only for the horror set.

Our story centers on a small group of kids who obsess over monsters, even forming their own club dedicated to discussing all things creepy. Meanwhile, strange occurrences begin taking place around their small town. As it turns out, Dracula, along with several other classic monsters, are plotting to take over the world. Since no adults believe that monsters are on the loose, the kids must put their knowledge of monsters to the test and stand up as a last line of defense to save the world.

If that plot synopsis seems overly simple and generic, it probably is. The biggest problems I found with this film mostly come from the running time. At 82 minutes, the story feels rushed, leaving many aspects of the film coming off as underdeveloped. We are introduced to these kids, but never really get to know them that well. And the evil plot of the monsters, involving the retrieval of an ancient amulet, is paper thin. At times, it feels as if scenes have been removed in order to pick up the pace (which could very well be the situation). Fortunately, details like these don’t completely derail the film as its charms outweigh these issues.

What The Monster Squad really has going for it is the filmmaker’s obvious love for the material. Fred Dekker clearly relished the opportunity to pay homage to old-school horror films, blending them with his own sense of humor. While this may appear to be a kids film, a noticeable adult sensibility permeates throughout the proceedings. For example, one of the kids who is new to the Monster Squad inexplicably dresses like a 1950’s greaser, clearly a reference to the B-movies of the 50’s for which this film owes a great debt. While adults may understand such a reference, it would go right over kid’s heads. Many other references are scattered all over the film, with a considerable amount of fun coming from each viewer’s knowledge of horror genre conventions and watching how they are handled.

While The Monster Squad may not attain the heights of the films it affectionately sends-up, it sure is a fun time. The movie is filled with the conversations and questions that many kids have regarding monsters – some of which are played out with hilarious results (Can you really only kill a werewolf with a silver bullet?). And with its sly nods to films past, both adults and children can find something to enjoy. The overriding spirit of the movie, along with its sense of humor, sets it apart from the average scare-fest, announcing its presence as a cult-favorite.

Tarantino Teases Kill Bill Vol. 3

In a recent interview Quentin Tarantino said that he would be interested in making another Kill Bill film in the future, sparking speculation from fans as to what the third installment might entail. I’ve heard these rumors before and, although Tarantino tends to talk up many projects that never come to pass (The Vega Bros. comes to mind), I tend to think he’s more serious about this one. The character of The Bride seems close to him, so it seems natural that he would continue to follow her further exploits. The most common possible storyline I’ve heard involves The Bride fighting the grown-up daughter of Vernita Green, (seeking revenge for her mother’s death). I, for one, would love to see a new installment in this series. The world that Tarantino has created makes for a great number of possibilities and, really, any project he becomes involved with will spark my interest. This may be a project many years away from happening, but I feel like it’s worth the wait.

What are your thoughts on a possible Kill Bill sequel?