When you watch a horror movie, what scares you? Is it the adrenaline rush? Maybe the jump scenes? Maybe there’s something liberating watching a serial killer slash his/her way through victims? What about realism? What if it could really happen?
Recently, I rewatched one of a few horror movies that scares me. I mean really scares me. It terrifies me to the point where I check doors multiple times, have trouble sleeping, and every noise perks my ears.
The Strangers (2008) – starring Liv Tyler and Scott Speedman – ranks as one of those movies you don’t expect to get a scare from. It’s just another slasher movie, right? The Strangers only cost $9 million to make and doesn’t star big names – in or outside of the horror genre – so it should suck. We should be able to laugh and make fun of it. But it’s hard to laugh, trust me.
Photo from: tooscarytowatch.blogspot.com
Reviewers do not love this movie, and people claimed it wasn’t scary, but it constantly makes the “scariest movies lists” on a number of sites and shows. The people who were not scared either didn’t pay attention, or it made them so uncomfortable they wouldn’t admit it. Instead of appreciating its simplicity, these people wanted tons of gore, monsters, or found footage, like so many of today’s popular horror movies. The Strangers is pretty clean gore-wise, and the monsters are real people – which should be scarier – and claims to be based/inspired by on true events.
Here are the top 5 scariest things about this movie:
1. Randomness. This exchange sends chills down my spine. There’s no reason, no logic, and it could happen to anyone.
Tyler: (crying) Why are you doing this to us?
Blonde girl: Because you were home.
Enough said.
2. Mind games. I admit, I feel most people would behave smarter than this couple, but you can’t fault them for everything. The killers mentally torture this couple and rip them phyiscally and emotionally apart. The killers play games with the couple hours before killing them, and you’re not sure if it’s intentional or not. The plot takes place in roughly two hours, but it feels like 20.
3. Realism. Whether we want to admit it or not, home invasions happen. They happen every day. In fact, according to FBI data, there were 2.1 million burglaries in the U.S. in 2012, and residential burglaries accounted for 74.5 percent of all burglary offenses. It’s something we refuse to talk about, but we still lock our doors and check our surroundings. The idea of a home invasion scares anyone who cares about their family, personal space, stuff, and their privacy.
4. Camera work. The production crew shot this movie well. The audience feels like they’re trapped with the couple without the camera bouncing all over the place. You see both perspectives, too. You see the couple from the killers’ eyes and vise versa. You the audience view, so you have three different point of views throughout the movie.
5. Sequel factor. It’s not the possibility that they may make another movie, it’s the idea that the killers will do it again. Spoiler alert: The killers get away, and one of the last lines is, “next time it’ll be easier.”
If you want a good scare, check it out. It’s not in your face, and fair warning, you may find yourself checking closets before bedtime…
How does one be cool? What is cool? The definition varies depending on who you ask, and sometimes being cool is just being yourself. You may not be cool to everyone, but you’ll be cool to someone.
And what better example to use for discussion, then a movie entitled Be Cool? Often criticized for not being as good as Get Shorty, Be Cool is the sequel to Get Shorty and ranks as one of my favorite comedies of all time. It’s not as well written and it’s silly, but it’s fun and hilarious. It has a star-studded cast who you can tell had a great time filming and working together. I can’t think of a single character or actor in the film who isn’t cool.
So, if you want to be cool, you must decide what kind of cool you want to be. Here’s a breakdown of the main characters in the movie:
Chili Palmer (John Travolta): Suave, slick, fearless, and dressed in all black. He knows how to work people and isn’t afraid to take risks.
Edie Athens (Uma Thurman): Cute, smart, and sexy. She’s a great example of a woman who’s not afraid to live without her man, especially because he gets killed in the opening scene.
Linda Moon (Christina Milian): Adorable, can sing, and sexy in a good-girl way. She’s cooperative and works hard, and her enthusiasm for music makes me feel like I too can do anything I want to do.
Raji (Vince Vaughn): Dresses like a pimp, silly, thinks he’s black, and not very bright. One of the best roles Vaughn has ever done, and paired with The Rock, the two make this movie.
Elliot (Dewayne Johnson): Has a variety of styles, looks smokin’ in a blue cowboy suit and shiny red boots, gay, and happy. And he even does the People’s Eyebrow!
Sin LaSalle (Cedric the Entertainer): Rich, successful, classy, thugish. He’s the perfect mix of gangster meets Hollywood dad.
Dabu (Andre 3000): Careless, not bright, overly excited about killing people. He’s a great complement to Sin and brings his own personality to the movie.
Nick Carr (Harvey Keitel): Suave, know-it-all, but not as slick as Chili. Great example of an older man trying to stay hip in a fast-paced society.
Once you decide what kind of cool you are, run with it. Just be yourself and have fun, and if you haven’t seem the movie and like comedies, definitely check it out. If you have any favorite scenes or lines, feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section!
Since Gareth Edward’s Godzilla is turning a bigger profit than the Nevada pleasure industry I thought it would be fun to share with some of the newer Big G fans some of my personal favorite, lesser known, Japanese Daikaiju films and series. I’m sticking with the Japanese film industry for these so there won’t be any Pacific Rims or Cloverfields on this list. And while fans may say “that’s not a lesser known film” these are just the films that, in my experience, Kaiju neophytes don’t seem to know about. In addition I’ve tried to include a broad spectrum of giant monster movies. Those for die hard monster fans, horror fans, comedy fans, even kids’ movies.
1.)Godzilla Heisei Series: This series started with the epically hard to find (in the states at least) Godzilla 1985 or Godzilla Returns. Then followed a terrific series of movies with some of the most creative monsters Godzilla ever had to fight and some of the best sci-fi stories in giant monster movie history. These movies follow a broad continuity where the people don’t always track from one film to the next but the general concepts do. Godzilla is halfway between good guy and bad guy in this series. He looks badass and the series has a very satisfying arch. For those unfamiliar with Godzilla or trying to escape the goofy king of the monsters from the 60s and 70s, this is a great series to start with.
Heisei Godzilla is one Bad Dude.
Godzilla Heisei Series:
Godzilla 1985
Godzilla vs. Biollante
Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah
Godzilla vs. Mothra
Godzilla vs. MechaGodzilla 2
Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla
Godzilla vs. Destoroyah
2.)Gamera Heisei Series: I know a lot of people grew up with Gamera on MST3k and became familiar with the giant, flying, rocket-powered turtle from his older, kid friendly movies, but this series changed it up. In the 60s and 70s Toho’s Godzilla took a page from Daiei’s Gamera and became more family friendly. In the 90s Gamera took a page from Godzilla and became a ferocious, kick ass monster. He’s still generally a hero, though there is complexity added by showing the problems created when giant monsters are stomping around fighting, even if they’re doing it for “good” reasons. Furthermore the second film Advent of Legion actually contains some very good horror elements. Gamera finally gets his due as a seriously good monster and made some of the BEST (no joke) Daikaiju movies out there. It’s only a trilogy and well-worth the time.
This isn’t “friend of all children” Gamera. This is “mess with me and I’ll wreck your sh*t” Gamera.
Gamera Heisei Trilogy:
Gamera: Guardian of the Universe
Gamera 2: Advent of Legion
Gamera 3: Awakening of Irys
3.)Big Man Japan: This is a stand-alone comedy/mockumentary following the life of a Japanese man who inherited the ability to grow to giant size to fight giant monsters who invade Japan. Directed by Hitoshi Matsumoto, who plays the titular “big man” it is an often hilarious look at the life of a guy whose job this is, rather than the more fantastical tales normally told. We see his lousy apartment, his broken family, his inability to live up to his ancestors, and how difficult it is to be publicly mediocre. It is very funny and marred only by a surreal (but typically Japanese) ending featuring some good, old fashioned, Ultraman style fun. It takes some getting used to but is a serious blast if you don’t take things too seriously.
The Big Man. Make no mistake this is a weird ass movie but tons o’ fun for giant monster fans and there aren’t enough INTENTIONALLY funny giant monster movies.
4.) Rebirth of Mothra Series: I have no shame in saying I LOVE Mothra. In fact I may like Mothra more than I like Godzilla. I’m not sure if it’s her feminine wiles, her fuzzy lil face, or her endearing squeak (maybe it’s the hot little faeries that accompany her everywhere) but I’ve always loved Mothra… She escaped the Godzilla machine with her own films in the 90s the “Rebirth” series, which featured both Mothra and a “new” Mothra often identified as a “male” version. I have to stress these are KIDS movies. VERY much so. They are kind of like Willow meets Godzilla and have all the elements that keep kids watching, including bright action, kid heroes, and a generally happy mood. These movies are great fun, again if you don’t take them seriously and can just turn your brain off and view them as a kid. Great starter films for a younger generation of monster fans and a great series for Mothra fans in general. The first two are available on a two set DVD. The third one has NEVER been released in the states! C’mon Toho. Help a fan out here!
If you can’t find love in a giant, fuzzy, environmentalist moth there is something wrong with you…
Rebirth of Mothra Trilogy:
Rebirth of Mothra
Rebirth of Mothra 2
Rebirth of Mothra 3
5.) Godzilla Millennium Series: These are my personal favorite Godzilla films. In these Godzilla looks as just about as cool as he ever has, there is a TON of monster mashing, loads of new opponents or a very good use of the monsters from the Toho canon, and some of the best human plots ever in giant monster movies. Godzilla stays somewhat “bad guy” here, and the humans fight to defeat him using all the best tricks from previous series, mazer cannons, mecha-monsters, other monsters. It has all the great plot elements too, invading aliens, guardian monsters, etc. The first movie is a terrific intro to Godzilla for someone who’s never seen a Big G movie. The third movie in the series takes a very different approach but is one of the best out there. The final movie in the series may be my favorite Godzilla movie ever. In it Godzilla is indestructible, EVERY Toho monster ever (and even the 1998 US “Zilla”) shows up, and it is just straight crazy action from start to finish. All of the monster suits look great. These movies are filmed well and you actually LIKE and care for the human characters. Just a great series.
Millennium Godzilla might be my favorite Godzilla design of all time. It’s close between him and Heisei, but the serpentine head and ultra spikey dorsals just make him extra menacing.
Godzilla Millennium Series:
Godzilla 2000: Millennium
Godzilla vs. Megaguirus
Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack
Godzilla Against MechaGodzilla
Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S.
Godzilla: Final Wars
Those are my personal picks for giant monster fun. Of course there are MANY others but if you just saw 2014’s Godzilla and want a modern taste of great these movies can be sans CGI be check them out!
What makes a good movie? It probably depends on who you ask, however often forgotten is the concept of entertainment. This is the main reason we watch movies after all. Being fun to watch is something even the so-called “best” movies can’t accomplish. Since I can be a slight movie snob myself it may be surprising that I’m bestowing the title of “good movie” to…
What it’s about
Plot: People living in an idyllic Michigan lakeside town are attacked by…Killer Lampreys, what else could happen?
Characters: Fish and wildlife expert, his wife and daughter, various friends and co-workers, disapproving mayor etc, etc… Most of them are recognizable, veteran character actors so the lead performances aren’t weak or distracting from the enjoyment of epic lamprey violence.
Vibe: Imagine the 1978 version of Piranha with 1975’s Jaws, including chattering swarms of evil fish and a mayor who doesn’t see the threat. One big selling point is that it’s shot in a bright manner so it gives a lighthearted feel to what could be a grim atmosphere. It’s this well-done tone that makes the movie work so well. It keeps it fun, rather than dreary like so many horror movies have gone for recently.
Why it’s fun
Played Straight: Despite the somewhat goofy plot synopsis all the actors actually play it totally straight and most do a pretty good job.
Lamprey Attacks: What’s not to like about lampreys hurling themselves out of lakes, pipes, ducts, walls, and floors like blood-seeking ballistic missiles.
Spectacle Kills: It’s very much like the great cult movies of the 80s like Critters or Ghoulies where half the fun is watching the little monsters creatively off victims. In this case they lamprey-out brains and lamprey-up toilets with expected results. It is SO cable graphic if you aren’t guffawing with laughter during it you’re not watching it right!
Four Words: Anti. Lamprey. Weed. Wacker.
Final Thoughts:
This is a made-for-cable movie. It of course has a lower budget and the special effects aren’t up there with the latest J. J. Abrams movie. So why do I recommend it? For the same reason I’d recommend Friday 13th or Cherry Falls over A.I. or Memento: it’s silly fun; glorious in the best B-Movie kind of way. Gory, frantic, everything you’d want in an entertainment. Yes film students will ponder the epic nature of Citizen Kane or the layered meanings of everything Christopher Nolan heaves into theaters, but would I dare say either of these kinds of films is entertaining? If I have the choice of watching a pretentious drag or watching mindless death-by-lamprey I’ll choose death-by-lamprey any day. I may pick actual death-by-lamprey over watching any of the choices listed above… So Blood Lake may be bound for CULT classic status, which is where movies like this thrive. It is wildly entertaining, hilariously kill-y, great to watch with friends, and those involved were just having a good time and it shows. We at RevPub will be buying one copy each the second it’s available to buy so there are two sales right there! Check it out!
Rating: 3.5 Lamprey Suck-Hole-Mouths out of 5 (though for just plain fun it would score a five!)
We movie buffs talk a lot about casting. Was the movie cast well? Do the actors portray the characters well? And so on…
In Blast from the Past, the cast MADE the movie. Sure, it’s silly, funny, cute, and entertaining, but the actors made this movie much more than a story. Had other actors been in these roles, the movie would have flopped as so many have. The premise is a little out there, and if I had read the script, I don’t know if I would have thought it was a good idea, but these four characters made it work:
Christopher Walken – Is there anything more needed? It’s Christopher Walker. He plays a quirky, genius dad whose purpose is to protect his family. Walken plays a concerned dad who loves and trusts his family unconditionally. His character is just weird enough to not alarm audiences, and people can relate to his political views and paranoia. In fact, I’m sure many people in the 60s worried about the Cold War and bomb threats, and I know because I’ve talked with people from this era, and the threats were a real, terrifying thing. He’s a stereotypical “dominate” alpha male from the 60s, yet he has a soft spot for his family.
Photo: letherebemovies.com
Sissy Spacek – Even though she’s a minor character in some ways, she symbolizes a lot. Spacek is one of my favorite characters because she represents the strong female. She becomes depressed and discontent after being locked away but still supports her family. She pushed Fraiser to go up to the surface to gather supplies and gauge how bad life really was (her husband had been up once already). She believes in fresh air, nature, and beauty. My favorite personality traits include questioning others’ decisions and providing for her family. She shows that a mom can cook, clean, teach her son to dance, and challenge authority and norms when needed – a much needed role model is today’s time.
Brenden Fraser – I believe Fraser has to play specific roles in order to be good. I’ve seen several of his movies, but he performs best when he’s portraying a dork. Blast from the Past and Bedazzled are two of my favorite Fraser movies, and in both he played very similar roles: oblivious, dorky, innocent, and complacent. In this movie, he enjoys the things we take for granted (the sky, ocean, rain, everyday miracles) and helps us remember that life is more than money and possessions – it’s about the little things. Not may actors can portray that genuine sense of innocence and traditionalism. He helps take the audience back to a different time when things were simple and meaningful.
Photo: movies.about.com
Alicia Silverstone – Shallow, squealy, and gorgeous are my best words to describe her. Silverstone does an amazing job portraying a jaded, cynical woman who just wants to find “the one”. She’s a little crazy and doesn’t have her life together, but like so many, she’s not lost. She’s comfortable with who she is and uses it to her advantage. Her character complements Frasier’s well in that she’s the polar opposite, but they mesh well together. She teaches him about modern-day life, and he makes her appreciate the little things. Sometimes we need the person who makes us see things a different way.
I love this romcom for many reasons, but sometimes you have to give all the credit to the cast. I’m an individual fan of all of the above, so having them in one movie is a real treat. If you haven’t seen it or haven’t seen it in awhile, definitely check it out and pay attention to the little things we may overlook!
As a lifelong fan it was necessary to share my thoughts on the new Godzilla movie. It’s been ten years since the last REAL Godzilla movie. There’s a lot to cover!
Updates to the Franchise:
Appearance: Godzilla looks different but he’s still recognizable. He has the same low-center girth, thick body, long arms, spikey back, and upright posture. He looks more crocodilian now and more “naturalistic” since he didn’t have to be designed to contain an actor.
Symbolism: Through most of the Toho series Godzilla was Frankenstein’s monster, created by the arrogance of mankind’s science and now out of control. He now represents the power of nature, a force mankind has no hope to control and that can destroy us at will.
CGI: Ok…I give… CGI allowed Godzilla to have a different presence than the rubber suit Big G. The odds that we’ll ever see a guy in a costume playing him are low, but for CGI he did look and act like Godzilla and added some movement and dynamism impossible in Suitmation.
Plot/Characters:
New primordial monsters awaken and threaten the world in a fresh new way (the EMP field). Big G wakes up; I think just to defend his territory. Good update on Godzilla’s origin too. And how he relates to the “bomb tests” in the 50s.
James Rolfe at Cinemassacre declared he watches Godzilla movies to see monsters fighting and people talking. This film follows that mold. The people do plotting, explaining, and interacting. Sometimes they try to fight the monsters, which is typically laughable. The fighting is done by the monsters and is relatively spectacular.
How is Godzilla best used? If a Godzilla movie was Titanic Big G works best as either the ship or the iceberg. He is what drives the plot or he is what the plot crashed into. Try to make him a leading man and you get the goofball comedy Godzilla we had in the 70s. He can be fun in that role but it’s not the “King of the Monsters.” Here Godzilla is a little bit the ship and a little bit the iceberg. He’s used sparingly enough to retain his mystique, but often enough to keep the action up.
The human characters are good for what they are. Ford is driven from place to place for his family, running into monsters along the way. His wife and child are in the middle of monster central. Ford’s obsessed father is actually effective as exposition. And Dr Serizawa (nice nod to the 1954 film) is a good voice for Godzilla, explaining his motives (as he sees them). For people in a Godzilla movie they do quite well. I’ve definitely seen MUCH worse…
Monsters/Brawling:
The new Mutos are good, creepy monsters. They look a lot like other modern monsters, but the fact that Godzilla had two enemies evened the odds since he’s the “alpha predator.” Interesting tie in to both the consequences of nuclear power and humanity’s reliance on technology.
The monster fights are terrific, however brief. The older movies could be a lot of slow monster fighting in wide shots, but in this one the monsters tend to fight from the people’s perspective, which gives it a new element. Of course no one would complain for MORE monster fighting, but it was done well. it also kept the movie fairly short by modern blockbuster standards.
Godzilla’s demeanor and ferocity are well-displayed. His roar sounds like “Voice of God Radio” that’s been tuned to high distortion and his Atomic Breath is like a neon supernova of death and both have enough elements of Toho G to retain continuity. Big approvals for both.
Best alliteration moment: Multiple Memorable Mothra Mentions!
Godzilla now wins the “Best Fatality Move Ever” competition.
Final thoughts:
Is it a perfect movie? No. The people sequences do go on and I would’ve traded about 15 minutes of human drama for 15 minutes of monster combat, but that is a tricky balance. Monsters fighting too much can become silly and cartoony, people talking too much becomes boring. This film did a pretty good job with the balance. This was Monster Movies Level 1010: Introduction to Godzilla. It did everything that made the Toho Godzilla movies great, and added some new film features, while always treating their source material with reverence and respect. The only real complaint I had was the lack of the Toho Godzilla theme, which isn’t always a constant but it would’ve been nice to have the Big Guy arrive to the recognizable strains of earlier times. Godzilla has changed, probably forever. Barring an unlikely Toho-produced Suitmation movie, Gareth Edwards’ film represents the future of the Godzilla, and though I’d welcome a return to Suit-zilla, if this has to be the future the future is bright. All other sci-fi/monster movies should really sit up to take notice and notes. To paraphrase Nas, the king is back; time to return the crown.
Rating: 4.5 Haruo Nakajimas out of 5
For those who don’t know it, this is the classic Godzilla theme. He burst from the water and trudged toward some doomed city for 50+ years, often accompanied by this music.
Revenant Publications 