Dillinger's Run

1st November 2009

Photo reblogged from defixiones with 9 notes

Dinner table at horror/jail theme restaurant Alcatraz

Photo: Rob Sheridan [via defixiones]

Tagged: grimphotographyhorrorbrutal

1st November 2009

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Three words: DEAD. SKIN. MASK!

Tagged: filmhorrorgore

18th October 2009

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Modern Murder Movie Marathon:

Me + Swine Flu = stuck in the house with a Modern Murder Movie Marathon. Fourth film was:

Martyrs (2008)

[RANT]

American versions of films are rarely a good idea, this is due to fact that the original foreign film was more than likely funded by outside groups such as artistic committees and/or government grants for the arts rather than a fickle public who can bury a film’s chance at breaking even with nothing more than Twitter. The French Martyrs was internationally released on DVD on April of this year and it has just been announced by the film’s writer/director, Pascal Laugier, that an American remake will be made. Usually when I give advice on seeing movies or listening to music I do not expect anyone to take my word as the voice of God, so I really don’t care if people disagree with me or don’t take my advice (although I do laugh at them when they later realize I was right). So when I say listen to me on this I mean LISTEN TO ME ON THIS - An American version of this film is a horrible idea, no one should see it or even give it the satisfaction of downloading it.

If this is put in the hands of a capable director, it has a chance, but it won’t be. It’ll be put in the hands of someone that does not have enough skill to pull off everything that is good about this film. This film belongs in the genre of torture-porn, but I’ve heard that a lot of the people lauding it have added it to a pile of films credited with creating a New Wave for French Horror. Along with other films such as Inside and Frontier(s), Martyrs is a film thematically dependent on ultra-violence. Most of these films would be dubbed torture-porn and be rejected by the public eye as filth. This isn’t a film that uses gore for gore-sake, it’s a film with a story that allows for such extreme gore to be seen. A less capable director will bypass all the better parts of the film and focus straight on the more visceral aspects effectively turning it into a mindless torture-porn.

This is the film that all ultra-violent films must be measured against. This is a film that was made by someone - Pascal Laugier - with a vision, someone that actually held a sense of creative control over the film and didn’t pull any punches in achieving such a vision. To take something that is clearly a brain-child from someone and have someone else raise it, shape it, and focus-group it will damage the film’s effect and overall theme.

[/RANT]

So yeah… where was I…

Martyrs is a film that I recommend to anything with the stomach for it. I’m reasonable when it comes to recommendations - I’m not going to tell someone who hates British comedies to see Death At a Funeral and I’m not going to tell someone who plans on eating again to see Martyrs.

The film is good. I really liked it. Concerning the plot, the film follows a Texas Chainsaw style plot progression where the bulk of the movie following a series of events that seem to be the main focus of the film with a dramatic turn near the end that seem to carry the actual weight of the film. I found the first part of the film’s to be the best part of the film, however the majority of the film’s actual point is revealed in the last act, which is solid enough that the carnage that the viewer witnesses is almost forgiven.

The story is that the two leads, Lucie and Anna, meet as children in an orphanage and become lifelong friends that eventually leads to the two of them becoming lesbian lovers the END. Oh, wait, there is also the part that Lucie spent the first 7 years of her life being held captive in a dark room, only given light while she is to be beaten and fed slop (while being beaten). The film starts off with a young Lucie escaping her captors and we quickly learn that the whole experience has left lasting affects on her psyche. Throughout her life, Lucie is haunted (and frequently physically attacked) by a naked and mangled girl who is really just a manifestation of her own urge to cut herself. Lucie must kill the people who did this to her in order to stop the attacks from the girl who haunts her, we - the audience - assume.

The focus of the film’s action is then on the home of a nameless family who is slaughtered by Lucie who believes them to be the man and woman who held her captive and beat her for so many years. The viewer is filled with doubt as Anna fights with such afterthoughts as she attempts to help Lucie clean up her mess and deal with her demons.

Although this is a film that is scarier in the beginning with the final act getting hard to watch at times, I still consider this to be a great film. It walks a razor thin line that few directors would be able to tread. If you see previews for the American version anytime soon and find that it “looks cool” then I highly recommend that you see this film instead.

Tagged: foreignhorrortortureModern Murder Movie Marathon

17th October 2009

Photo with 7 notes

Modern Murder Movie Marathon:

Got swine flu, beat it, watched a lot of movies while going John McClane on its ass. The third film I watched was:

[REC] (2007)

Two words: Fuck! Yes! This movie has everything I wanted in a horror and more. This film is probably the only other player in the POV/Zombie genre, (as the only other I can think of is Diary of the Dead) but so far it’s the best, and will probably stay the best as all other horror/action films from a first-person POV will have this to live up to.

It utilized the POV of the News camera in a manner that was both effective for the confusion of the film’s story without coming across as annoying. The narrow line of sight helped to create an atmosphere and a pace that’s tight enough to hinder breathing.

As a zombie film I find it gives the best use of ‘fast-zombies’ as the victims seem to have suffered some horrific chemical imbalance and it seems plausible that people exhibiting such extreme aggression would also have adrenaline rushes the equivalent to 10 crack heads. The only thing that I find takes away from the whole product is that REC , as a film, feels it has to explain itself at the end. I don’t care for zombie movie logic. It’s cool if Day of The Dead wants to socialize them, but by and large zombies are better left unexplained for fear that it’ll get really stupid. REC has already achieved its goal of being a film that is both shocking and frightening, and there is a difference. It doesn’t need to explain anything, I think it’s fine the way it was (and is).

If you saw the American version of this, Quarantine, I wouldn’t recommend you see this because the initial impact will be lost. I have not seen Quarantine but I assume it’s worse. It has Jennifer Carpenter. Have you seen Dexter? She is like the worst one on that show. For someone who spews out ‘fuck’ every second word she always sounds forced when trying to display any emotion. Why would you see a film with that woman in it? You had a choice and you picked the wrong one. Shame on you. May missing out on a fucking fantastic film be your punishment for such a stupid move.

Tagged: Modern Murder Movie Marathonzombiehorrorforeign

16th October 2009

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Modern Murder Movie Marathon:

Story is I got Swine Flu, spent a lot of time alone and watched a lot of movies. The second film was:

The Orphanage (2007)

I live in a house that is older than 90 years. I point this out because it is not uncommon to hear in a house of such great age loud noises from the wood and brick resetting and objects simply falling over onto weak wooden floors. Last week a bookshelf fell over at 3 am which I later inspected after I walked through the house in nothing but some sweatpants. I didn’t even bother to turn on any lights. My point is I’m not afraid of the dark and loud noises utilized to frighten most people have long had any affect on me. If nothing else The Orphanage wins my respect and a recommendation for making me afraid to look around corners in my own home.

This film sufficiently scared me, which is a feat in and of itself, however the tension that this film builds is especially successful as it goes about it in a manner that I wouldn’t initially consider “scary.” Most of the film’s more frightening moments are cases of loud crashing noises within the character’s home and at most times what simply isn’t there.

After about 20 minutes of plot that seems phlegmatic the audience is sufficiently drawn into the living dynamics of the Mother and her child, Simone, who has a large group of imaginary friends who seem to create a very physical affect on the world. They’re a few OH-MY-GOD-BITCH-DON’T-GO-IN-THAT-ROOM moments that are achieved with enough haunting grace that the film’s progress never runs stagnant.

The film is two different things, depending on how you interpret the story: it could either be a ghost story (everything is real), or a psychological thriller (nothing is). Either path works perfectly with the story. In fact I’d deem the story to be the film’s strongest aspect regardless that it comes across as unoriginal after the first glance of the synopsis.

What makes the story so powerful for me is that the reveal at the end comes as both a surprise and as a completely logical conclusion. It’s one of the few endings where I’ve thought, “oh, yeah, that does make a lot of sense,” rather than, “I’m not stoned enough to accept this.” More importantly it’s a logical ending that at first take seems to take away from the impact of the events that have happened but upon further consideration it quickly comes across as a much creepier solution to the actions that preceded it.

This film makes sense, which is surprising since most horror film plots are design purely to highlight all the sexy violence and murder. Not that there is anything wrong with that. It’s just this film is not like that and I’m pretty sure that’s something some people want. I recommend it to anyone who is ok with reading Spanish subtitles, or better yet, knows Spanish.

Tagged: Modern Murder Movie Marathonhorrorforeignsuspense

15th October 2009

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Modern Murder Movie Marathon:

Last week (3rd - 12th) was suppose to be my week off from school as we switched semesters. Long story short, during that time I got the Swine Flu (I’m serious) and was forced to spend the majority of my days in doors, alone. During such time, I decided to watch a whole lot of ‘scary’ films and subsequently wrote a short review for each one. The first one being:

The Midnight Meat Train (2008)

I like to picture that the average writer for modern horror films usual start off with one key concept and then haphazardly forces a plot down the concept’s throat - slowly and methodically forcing each and every nonsensical setting point and character development like it were a square 4’ metal cock going into an inch wide triangular opening. How the writer goes about this is where the difference between a good writer and a bad writer can be found. Some writers start off with good ideas and actually force a good plot in, while others decide to choose any given death metal song written in the 90’s and force enough story in to make the scenes of violence seem coherent with some form of logic. I find a lot of films go about the later scenario. If The Midnight Meat Train is good at one thing it’s creating a film that is the closest to applying a sense of logic behind Cannibal Corpse’s Hammer Smash Face.

Because he smashes people with a hammer…and predominantly in the face. So yeah…

Overall, once the film’s ending has been efficiently adsorbed and processed, the story doesn’t really make sense but all the parts fit nicely enough that the end result is a solid route for a film about a man beating people to death with a large mallet and then hanging them up like meat.

Vinnie Jones - who looks like he prepares for every scene by punching out the nearest PA - packs in the film’s most powerful (and possibly his best since Snatch) performance as the mute subway butcher, Mahogany. The bulk of the story is that Mahogany is being followed around by the unlikeable guy from The Hangover who is a photographer, Leon, attempting to capture the “disturbing under belly of the city” and Vinnie Jones looks like the type of guy to be connected to such a place. After Mahogany slams some hammers into faces and looks in a fuck-ton of mirrors for no apparent reason a story is formed and holds together well enough that it’ll keep you watching until the end. In fact, when we’re not subject to Leon’s bitching and moaning about his career aspirations along with the occasional scene of forced anal with his girlfriend, the film’s direction and acting are actually solid enough to give this film a recommendation.

I watched this film because all I knew about it was that Vinnie Jones killed people on a New York subway and that’s what I got. Jones is great as a serial killer who beats people to death with a shiny hammer and then butchers them like cattle. If you can get past the sloppier parts of the story and focus on the surprisingly good direction and acting then I can recommend this picture to you.

I’d give this 6 Testicle Punches out of 9 but such a rating system would be nonsensical. 

Tagged: horrorserial killerModern Murder Movie MarathonThe Midnight Meat Train

16th March 2009

Photo reblogged from eatsleepdraw with 95 notes

(viaeatsleepdraw)

Tagged: zombiehorrorsubmission