Film review: Don't Be Afraid of the Dark (2011)

Directed by: Troy Nixey

Starring: Katie Holmes
Guy Pearce
Bailee Madison

Synopsis:A young girl sent to live with her father and his new girlfriend discovers creatures in her new home who want to claim her as one of their own.

My thoughts: Don't be Afraid of the Dark is a remake of a 1973 tele-movie by the same name. A childhood favourite of writer Guillermo del Toro (he sat out directing this one), this film is a horror-by-numbers. It isn't bad, but it certainly isn't great, and delivers nothing new.

When Sally (Madison) reluctantly moves to live with her dad (Pearce) and his girlfriend, Kim, (Holmes) while they restore an old home, she comes face to face with small, spindly fingered fairies. At first she thinks they want to be friends, but their hostility soon grows and she begins to fear for her life. Her attempts to tell her dad are stonewalled, and instead of shipping her back to her mum, a psychologist is brought to speak with her and she's medicated. As her dad grows more distant as he immerses himself in the house, Kim begins to think there may be some truth to Sally's fears and searches for proof.

Don't be Afraid of the Dark isn't a bad film by any stretch of the imagination, but it suffers from a lack of ambition. Rather than invest in a complicated and dark horror story, it settles for simple scares and fills in the gaps with expositionary scenes that, in all honesty, are some of the worst I've come across in a big budget film like this. Part of the problem seems to be that Del Toro concentrates on the fairy/monsters far too much. Similar to Pan's Labyrinth, this film has an abundance of scenes which show these incredibly detailed and creepy looking creatures. Unlike Pan's Labyrinth, however, these creatures aren't enough to ride the entire film on. It's also a little strange to see such a scare-heavy film actually show you the creatures from very near the start of the film, usually they try and build up the suspense and let you make them creepier in your own mind first.

There are attempts made to add a story in amongst the creepy fairy scenes, but they aren't particularly strong and few of them seem to go anywhere. There's the psychology side which could have built the film up into quite an interesting psychological horror film if they'd hidden the creatures for a little longer, or the upset little girl who hates her stepmum-to-be and blames "fairies" for the destruction of Kim's property, or even the historic tooth fairy thread introduced at about the three quarter mark, but none of these threads ever seem to really go anywhere. Instead they're all tangled up into this mess of a story, which is a real shame because there is enough decent dialogue and action sequences to see that there was a pretty good film buried in there.

My other issue was with the casting. Bailee Madison was incredible as Sally. She cycled through an entire library of emotions depending on the scene and was very convincing. For some strange reason they picked Katie Holmes to be her father's girlfriend, even though the two females look uncannily alike. When I saw the ads for this film last year I had assumed Sally was Kim's daughter, but apparently not. I also have a complete aversion to Katie Holmes, so I can't be sure whether my dislike of her in this film was due to that, or actually due to miscasting. Guy Pearce, however, is an actor I rarely dislike in a film, but I just felt like he wasn't utilised to his full potential in this film. His character swings around, from hard-ass dad, to loving dad, to distant dad, to overbearing boyfriend...because he isn't as central as Kim or Sally, I think they just decided not to develop him as thoroughly as they should have.

Perhaps they were struggling with the constraints of the original film and grappling with how much they could change and how much should stay the same, or perhaps they just completely misread what this film needed to be. Either way, it's a passable film, but easily forgettable. The creatures themselves are a work of wonder, not quite as amazing as those who appear in Pan's Labyrinth but there has obviously been a great deal of love and attention given to their creation and animation. Like I said, this isn't a bad film, there were some genuinely interesting and scary scenes, and the overall quality of the cinematography etc was of a high caliber, they just missed the mark. A shame really.

3 out of 5 carousel night lights. 

Cinema Obscura

On Friday night Tom and I made our way through the Brisbane city streets looking for a marking on a wall and a difficult to locate property number.

Hidden down a narrow pathway that ran beside and then below the Tribal Theatre was our boon, the location for Brisbane's new secret society, Cinema Obscura.

Ok, so secret society may not be quite accurate, but Cinema Obscura is definitely a secret cinema experience. Open to a maximum of 50 guests, each month a cult/classic/much loved film will be shown in a new and unique Brisbane location.

For the opening night we were treated to Rosemary's Baby projected onto a makeshift screen in the old orchestra pit that has a history of murder, violence and ghosts. Surrounded by like-minded film lovers, this was the perfect cinema experience. The make-shift seats may have been a little painful by the end of the film, but the open (ish) air location with it's theatrical and historic significance, classic horror film (one of my favourites!) and respectful audience (no mobile phone bullshit with this group) were perfect.

I can't wait for late April when the next Cinema Obscura showing will be...who knows where?! All I can say for certain is that the location will have some sort of relevance with the film and Brisbane history, and the film will rock my socks off. Here's hoping for two horror films in a row!

Film Review: The Devil Inside (2012)

Directed by: William Brent Bell

Starring: Fernanda Andrada
Simon Quarterman
Suzan Crowley
Ionut Grama
Evan Helmuth

Synopsis: In Italy, a woman becomes involved in a series of unauthorized exorcisms during her mission to discover what happened to her mother, who allegedly murdered three people during her own exorcism.

My Thoughts: There were some real reservations going into this film, all 5 of us had heard less than favourable things about the film, but seeing as nothing else was out we decided to brave it for ourselves. For the most part I was pleasantly surprised. Aside from the found footage approach which resulted in some weird focusing and shots of feet or the sky (seriously, if you want to be a documentary film-maker you'd better get a little better at carrying a camera steady!) the film had a decent pace, decent special effects and a high level of acting proficency from all the cast.

Isabella has travelled to Italy with her cameraman friend (we missed the first 5 minutes so I'm not entirely sure on their previous relationship) to create a documentary about the prevalence of exorcisms today and to try and discover the truth about her mother, a woman who has been locked in an Italian mental institute after killing three people during her own supposed exorcism. As well as visiting her mother for the first time in 20 years, Isabella attends classes at "exorcism school" and meets two young priests who have something of an unhealthy interest in the subject. Asserting that she'll learn more in 5 minutes at an exorcism than she would in months of classes at the religious institute, Isabella follows these two priests (Father Ben and Father David) to the illegal exorcism of a young woman the church denied.

Much like every exorcism film since The Exorcist, this film plays with the finnicky balance between religion and science. Can they exist beside one another? Can we ever be sure the answer is one or the other? Where do we draw the line? Because of the prevalence of this dichotomy, Father David ended up one of the most interesting characters, because as a medical doctor and a priest, he embodies both sides of this divide. There were a few neat little throwbacks to The Exorcist and other films on this subject, but I was actually surprised at home this film really managed to separate itself from what has come before. It's not the first sceptics view into an exorcism, nor is the the first documentary-style film about exorcism, however I never felt like I was watching the same old crap.

The pacing really began to ramp up about 20-25 minutes before it concluded, and though heavily signposted, it was still thrilling and exciting and gross. However then came the final 2 minutes of the film. Just as it was reaching it's crescendo it ended. Just like that it was over. The theatre went from joyful squeals of horror to outrage in less than a second. I do understand what they were trying to do with the ending they chose, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't feel cheated. Is it bad enough of an ending to have me recommend avoiding the film? Not quite, the baptism scene alone is worth a watch, however I would suggest waiting till it comes out on video. It's so infuriating that if you're spending $20 on your movie ticket you may just lose your mind.

So overall a decent and thrilling exorcism film, one of the best of the last few years, that was spoiled by the film-makers either A/ trying to be clever, B/running out of money, C/ running out of ideas in how to conclude it or D/being assholes. You've been warned.

3 tortured mothers locked in asylums for the film

-100 for that damn piece-of-shit asshole of an ending.

Film review: Skew (2011)

Directed by: Sevé Schelenz

Starring: Rob Scattergood
Amber Lewis
Richard Olak

 Synopsis: When Simon, Rich, and Eva head out on an eagerly anticipated road trip, they bring along a video camera to record their journey. What starts out as a carefree adventure slowly becomes a descent into the ominous as unexplained events threaten to disrupt the balance between the three close friends. Each one of them must struggle with personal demons and paranoia as friendships are tested and gruesome realities are revealed...and recorded

Attention Australian readers!! Skew will be playing at the Fantastic Planet Film Festival on Saturday the 31st of March, with a Q&A afterwards. For more info about the showing or the festival itself, follow this link!

My thoughts: Skew is a found footage road trip movie that is clearly a labour of love. Written by Sevé Schelenz back in 2004 and then produced in 2005 for a measly $25,000, the film shines with the dedication of the production team and the trio of actors who carry the story.

Three college friends, Rich (Olak), Eva (Lewis) and Simon (Scattergood) bundle into their car to head across country to a friend's wedding, and, it seems to me, to take some well-needed time out from their regular lives. The trip begins well, with the three of them laughing and mucking around while Simon films them all on the camera he bought for the trip. The trip takes a turn for the worse when Simon starts to notice strange blurs on people's faces when he films them through his camera, and starts to notice that the blurred strangers are dying soon after being filmed. As the film progresses so does the paranoia, tension and barely contained chaos.

The pacing in Skew gradually ramps up, but there is a sense of unease and anticipation from the earliest scenes. Though this is definitely a horror film with supernatural elements, there is also a great deal of story devoted to the personal trials and horrors of each of the three characters. They're all troubled by something, and these issues cause friction that is only amplified by the visions Simon is seeing through his camera lens. Had the cast not been as strong as it is, these personal threads would have been lost amongst the A story, but instead they tangle and build and add an element to the film that is crucial to its overall success and cohesiveness.

I'm generally not an advocate for found footage/POV films; however I really try to judge each one on their own merits. Some films just make me feel nauseated with the shakiness of the footage, while others make some of the most tenuous links as to why there needs to be the found footage element to it. Happily though, I can say that the found footage/POV style worked well for this particular film, perhaps owing to the fact that it isn't found footage in the Blair Witch Project sense of the term, instead it is simply using that personal viewpoint as a way of telling the story. I have to attribute this success to three points. First, although the actor Rob Scattergood (Simon) is not a cameraman, the shots were level, smooth and balanced. That in itself is enough reason for me to give a found footage film the thumbs up. After the vomit-inducing, headache-building camera work in The Devil Inside the other week, I can't even tell you how much I appreciate a watchable, yet still realistic, personally shot film. Second, the camera is a crucial part in the story. It is tightly connected to the story progression, to the development of Simon's character, and is the key instigator in the tension that builds between the three friends. Finally, along with the camera and POV shots being crucial to the story, it was used creatively in the film. One of the things I loved in this film was the use of rewind to add to the paranoia and tension and to finish the film. At points I wondered whether the POV shots could have been combined with traditional camera work to eliminate the scenes where you see little except a blurred friend across the room, or stare at the floor after the camera was knocked over in fear, however because of the relevancy of the camera to the story, I found it didn't bug me as much as it might have in another movie.

The ending may require a couple of watches, and judging by the myriad of reviews and blog posts available online, the ambiguity has lead to several very different interpretations. I really enjoyed the way the film concluded, but if you don't like ambiguous endings you may find it a little confronting. Personally, I had absolutely no idea what to think when it finished, and even now I'm not sure that my personal interpretation even comes close to lining up how Sevé Schelenz intended it to be read. That being said though, your interpretation very much will influence how you look back on the events of the film, and it's been really interesting to see how people have interacted with the story on their blogs and in reviews, and joined some dots I never would have thought to connect. It's almost like a conspiracy theory, and all of this eagerness to discuss the minute details of the film speaks volume on how the general public has received it.

Skew is a little bit of things you've seen before. There's a little of The Ring, The Blair Witch Project and even some Goosebumps mixed in there, however it is definitely it's own film. It takes the elements that made those films interesting and twists them to create a film that is fun, tense, creepy and nothing like what I expected. Enjoy!

3.5 out of 5 dirt smudged cameras. 

Songs in the Key of Murder - Album review

We here at Hail Horrors have recently decided to broaden our horizons by reviewing horror-themed music in addition to film and literature. The first such album to horrify our aural senses is Songs in the Key of Murder by rappers MC Randumb and Jewish Dave.

I had some trouble working out which angle to approach this review from as I have never really listened to hardcore rap before and have no real experience with audio production. So basically, I have absolutely no authority to have an opinion of this album (not like that ever stopped Leonard Maltin). However, what I do have is a knack for summarising narrative structure. So, without further ado, I give you:

Hail Horrors, Hail's synopsis of Songs in the Key of Murder

1. Intro

Our protagonist Jewish Dave, frustrated by creative ennui, expresses his desire to "do something else" and asks his collaborator MC Randumb if he has any suggestions. MC Randumb proposes they "murder" establishing himself as a disaffected character, reminiscent of Meursault in Albert Camus' novel The Stranger. Jewish Dave readily agrees, leading the listener to believe that he is as deranged as his accomplice.

2. Murder 4 Fun

In this song, MC Randumb and Jewish Dave explain their motives for the massacre they are about to commit. According to the lyrics they are going to "murder 4[sic] fun", probably to alleviate the vexation they suffered in the introductory track. Their plans are either grandiose or with hyperbole, as they explicitly state they intend murder "everyone in the whole fucking world." They then go on to debate how same-sex necrophilia might define their sexuality, the legitimacy of Christ's crucifixion and art-house film Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind by director Michel Gondry.

3. Musta Been Murda

In the song Musta[sic] Been Murda[sic], MC Randumb and Jewish Dave personalise large-scale murder from the previous song, listing the family members and close-relations belonging to the listener that they have recently killed. It is a comprehensive list that extends as far as pets and acquaintances. The pair reveal they have no remorse for the killings they have perpetrated. The listener also becomes aware that their weapon of choice is a glock pistol, making their earlier statement about killing "everyone in the whole fucking world" even more ambitious, despite the authorities' inability to stop them so far. They also kill some hippies, which unless the listener has ties to the environmentalist community, probably will not upset you as much as the deaths of some of their other victims.

4. Murder On My Mind

The prologue to the song explains that MC Randumb and Jewish Dave are perusing a scientific solution to achieve their goal of killing "everyone in the whole fucking world," utilising the misunderstood field of hypnotism. As the song suggests that MC Randumb might be under the effects of mind control after he attacks a doctor's surgery after complaining of illness. He meets Jewish Dave and they continue on their killing spree, experimenting with rape, necrophilia and cannibalism.

5. Shut Your Mouth (Or Your Going to Get Murdered)

MC Randumb and Jewish Dave find themselves in a hostage situation that goes south after a bystander refuses to shut their mouth (and gets murdered).

6. Murder is Reality

MC Randumb and Jewish Dave discuss the nature of reality, perhaps reflecting on their own distorted version of subjective idealism. They reminisce on their career and the success they've had as both murderers and musicians. The artists also rebuke the idea that the listener could possibly murder them.

7. It's Murda

In the song It's Murda [sic], MC Randumb and Jewish Dave seem to have exchanged their glocks for knives, professing the excitement aroused by killing someone with a bladed weapon at night. They give detailed instructions as to the process they are using (They "like to start from the head and work their way down to their privates") and highly recommend that the listeners try it for themselves.

8. We'll Murda Ya!

The eighth track on the album, We'll Murda Ya[sic], lists many of the places that the listener might visit that warrants their murder. MC Randumb and Jewish Dave also murder some people and make some Playstation references.

>9. Murder Motel

MC Randumb and Jewish Dave's latest business venture is a successful five-star motel that they are using as a front for their favourite hobby: murder. This song seems to imply that the musicians are now dabbling with supernatural powers. The chorus claims that any visitor will wake up in hell, so visitors to the Murder Motel should note that they have a very strict check-out time.

10. Bloody Murder

The pair of protagonists begin this track by describing the mess created by murdering (but fail to provide any tips on stain removal). The song takes a turn in the second half, as the MC Randumb and Jewish Dave turn on each other thanks to an argument over who can murder the most people.

11. Murder On The Menu

MC Randumb and Jewish Dave expand their business portfolio by opening a restaurant that specialises in cannibalism. They exhibit a high amount of professionalism, not allowing the argument from the previous song get in the way of delivering quality service.

12. I'll Murder You 2

MC Randumb and Jewish Dave assures everyone listening that they aren't going to excluded anyone listener ("I'll murder you too")

13. Murder Me

I have to take issue with the title of this track. A much more appropriate title would be 'Murder Me?' as the lyrics suggest that the rappers are taken aback by the implication that anyone could possibly murder them. They reply indignantly by insisting "I'mma murder you."

14. The Murder Bros.

In the heart-warming climax of the album, MC Randumb and Jewish Dave patch up their turbulent relationship, reaffirming their "brotherhood". They return to their original mission of murdering everyone else, promising to murder each other only when there is no one left

15. Outro

In the dénouement, the possibility of a sequel is left open, but does not bring the current narrative to a cathartic conclusion.

In conclusion, the narrative arc of Songs in the Key of Murder is problematic and fragmented. There is little continuity between songs, leaving the audience to draw their own interpretations. What the album does have is some great homages to retro horror films, pop culture references and a very twisted sense of humour. I enjoyed listening to it, and suggest you check it out yourselves.

http://www.mcrandumbjewishdave.bandcamp.com/

There is also a companion Flash game at Kongrgate