Playback

PLAYBACK *

My attention immediately captured by one review that described Playback as “Ring meets Halloween”, I envisioned an ingenious masterpiece derived from the concoction of two of my favourite horror films. Even when I heard that the cast included Christian Slater as the local cop, my hopes remained high and my fingers remained crossed as I held my breath for what could potentially be my “ideal” horror flick.

I needn’t have bothered. Within the first few scenes it was obvious that this was nothing more than a piece of mindless teen horror garbage- and not even a very good one at that- belonging to the genre’s relentless ‘junkmail.’ The likening of Playback to the marvel remake of the Japanese horror classic must have been purely its inclusion of a videotape and distorted TV screen, or perhaps the ill mention of it as one of the characters “favourite film.” As for its similarity to one of horror’s most legendary teen-slasher films…I’m still clueless to what it is.

The film opens in the past as we witness the live footage of a series of murders through the killer’s video camera. Fine. Jumping forward however many years, the communities hidden-but-not-forgotten secret is dug up by college student Julian (Johnny Pacar) to use for his school project on ‘what changed a community.’ But as he digs deeper into the infamous history of his town, he unlocks an evil; an evil back with vengeance and eager to possess and destroy anyone through video playback.

The plot plays out very much like this for an hour or so- a group of college kids trying to get hold of documents and stories. What gives the story a slightly more interesting disposition is when Julian’s friend Quinn (Toby Hemingway) comes across “the” video whilst working at a video sorting depot. After playing back the tape he becomes rapidly possessed, killing off Julian’s friends (none of whom we have any emotional connection to or association with) in a gruesome bloodshed form and possessing others by luring them to look into one of his hidden cameras and “zapping” them from his TV monitor. Other than that, I’m not sure what the significance of the handheld cameras was exactly, apart from capturing footage of naked girls to sell to corrupt-cop Christian.

I was left scratching my head, trying to work out if this was a story of the possession by an evil entity or indeed a slasher. I suppose we could applaud director Michael A. Nickles for entwining the two, despite the already implemented serial-killers-goes-viral formation. But its delivery is confusing and it comes across more as a disjointed jumble of concepts. What first appears to be a curse or entity full of revengeful purposes and even genetic motivations turns into a random massacre of teenagers who enjoy nothing more than pool parties, listen to dreadful music and be obsessed with a murder that happened two decades ago. It is for this reason that the acting is hard to comment on, the breadth of credibility automatically severely limited.

Even the climatic revelation of Julian’s former history in the film’s conclusion seems irrelevant, and the showdown between Quinn, Julian and his mum even less spectacular with hammy one-liners and a few too many gun shots. Unless for some reason you'd like to see Slater's head blown off by a shotgun, don't waste 1 hour and 38 minutes of your time with these teenagers!

Lovely Molly

LOVELY MOLLY ****

It’s been over a decade since director and writer Eduardo Sanchez brought a new dimension to the horror genre in his, newly coined, “found footage” paranormal phenomena, The Blair Witch Project.

Now, thirteen years later and with only one other sci-fi horror flick under his belt (Altered, 2006), Sanchez is back to deliver more supernatural suspense in this years psychological horror, Lovely Molly.

Molly (Gretchen Lodge) takes up residence in her long-abandoned former family home with her new husband Tim (Johnny Lewis). But less than three months settled into their new home havoc emerges for the newlyweds as Molly feels she is being terrorized by a dark and malevolent presence in the house; someone in her past which should no longer be present.

The opening scene features a close-up of a distressed Molly filming herself with a camcorder, the screen date and time stamped. We then see a montage of previous camera film from Molly and Tim’s wedding. But Sanchez has more in his repertoire than just found footage; the film soon switches to the conventional film form, with the camcorder effectively being used intermittently to track Molly’s whereabouts and discoveries.  

The musical score by Tortoise sets it apart from the eerie paranormal experience as a constant blend of loud, boisterous and sometimes incoherent noise replaces patient, nail-biting silence and regular crescendos. Even the volume of the doors when they creak is intrusive on the senses. Sanchez’ use of the heightened level of sound to highlight the raucous nature of the spirit successfully creates raw fear rather than suspense, an interesting and appreciated approach in delivering a familiar plot.

What begins as a traditional bump in the night story with opening doors, sounding alarms and faint distant voices, turns more and more ominous. With Tim working away, Molly is left to confront her tormentor who follows her beyond the reaches of the house, shown in a memorable CCTV footage scene of her at work. Molly is desperate to prove her sanity, but as her psychological past is revealed, her drug use resurfaces and the truth about her sister Hannah's (Alexandra Holden) dark deed is uncovered, those that are close to her- and the audience- can never really be convinced.

So, is this a paranormal plot of demonic possession, a story of the evil that can be driven from the effects of addiction, or indeed a tragic tale of a woman losing her mind? True to form, Sanchez opens a can of worms and refuses to close it, delivering an ambiguous and indefinite ending. As the conclusion sees Molly walking slowly into the woods and her sister in the house being lured to the closet by the aura, the uncertain audience are left asking, “What happens next?”

The Pact

THE PACT ***

Nicholas McCarthy directs his first feature film in newly released horror film, The Pact.

Following their mothers death, sisters Annie and Nicole reluctantly return to their former home full of painful and tormenting memories of their childhood there. Primarily the plot takes a definite path down the supernatural road, an eerie presence leading whoever enters the house through a door in the hall and to their fate. For thirty minutes we witness this presence haunting the sisters, most memorably in a short but shocking “Skype” scene. When Nicole disappears and Annie is left with the care of her daughter, she hunts down the history of the house and the victims that were once lured there. But as the supernatural presence reveals more clues and Annie finds a hidden room concealed by wallpaper, the element of the spiritual is forgotten as she unveils something a lot more ‘real,’ sinister and present among her: her family’s shameful secret.

The Pact is no doubt a combination of a series of familiar horror plots, borrowing from the modern haunted house tales such as Dream House (2011) as well as the covert serial killer film like Shadow (2011).  

Though the film struggles to claim any story originality, apart from perhaps the juggling of the two sub-genres, its style is captivating and largely sets it apart from horror movies of today. McCarthy abruptly and unexpectedly cuts scenes from the house, to another location, from day to night, effectively keeping up the pace of the narrative and showing a clear transition of passing time. The original score composed by Ronen Landa is a strings and key composition featuring violinist Anna Bulbrook (of indie rock band The Airborne Toxic Event) and pianist Dan Tepfer. The score plays softly and wistfully throughout, forming a dramatic and menacing atmosphere as the characters creep cautiously around the house. At a height of drama the music does not crescendo but remains one continuous tone, creating an effective shock and surprise. This method is most notable in the killing of the policeman as a knife punches up from the bottom of the screen and into the victim’s neck, the music remaining constant throughout the frame.

McCarthy ties off the film nicely in a short and sweet demise of “Judas” (the house’s lurking killer), avoiding the tiresome 10-minute ultimatums that films often fall victim to. While he keeps the audience attentive and succeeds in juggling the dispersive elements of the story to inform a logical conclusion, he falls short a little in the plot’s overall impact. The threat all too suddenly changes hands and the discovery of Judas is a bit too easy with a quick google research and an unconvincing scene with a weegie board, loosely tied around her mother’s religious status.

While the plot doesn’t have much to boast, the stark simplicity, yet arty, cinematographic style will certainly leave horror fans smiling.

A Fantastic Fear of Everything

A FANTASTIC FEAR OF EVERYTHING **

Simon Pegg stars in this new, qwerky British comedy. Jack (Pegg) is a children’s book author but is bored of writing fables about heart-warming hedgehogs. In order to break free of expectations he writes a book about the history of serial killers and becomes obsessed by murder. Trapped in the world of his new book and paranoid that he is an ancient killer’s next victim, Jack locks himself in his house in fear…a fear that someone is behind every corner, a fear of the constantly ringing phone… a fear of EVERYTHING. But when his agent rings to tell him he must attend a meal with a publisher who is interested in his book, he has only hours to battle for sanity and prepare himself for the now unknown and strange world outside of his apartment. But smartening up for a man he irrationally believes to be the grandson of one of histories most notorious serial killers becomes Jack’s trickiest challenge.

Without his partner-in-comedy Nick Frost (Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz, Paul) Pegg has no-one to play off but his emotionally damaged, obsessively anxious self. It works. Pegg encapsulates a madman character brilliantly, as the long-haired British actor, in little more than dirty white briefs and a gown, creeps cautiously along his landing, kitchen knife in hand, frantically screaming at every creek and clutter.

 
The impression of a simple narrative about a man losing his mind to his dark writings, driven largely by a solo-performance, delivered by co-directors Crispian Mills and Chris Hopewell in the primary stages of the film is turned on its head in the latter half of the narrative. Amidst Jack’s fear of murder and serial killers is actually a fear of washing machines, rooted in his abandonment by his mother in a laundrette as a young boy. This bizarre phobia distracts from what was a peculiarly amusing and captivating storyline of a man’s psychological suffering and instead turns into a series of events leading to a crime scene which plays out his fear of being savagely killed. But playing on the irony of its-always-who-you-least-expect, his fate is not in the hands of his researched malicious multiple murderers, but of the local community officer. Trapped underground the laundrette with a young woman, Jack suddenly finds his long-lost logic and the comical efforts of his madman character all too quickly parish.

What starts as a promisingly original dark-comedy suffers to a distorted and spiralling narrative which never really pinpoints the tragedy or triumph of Pegg’s character. Although a worthy performance by Pegg in the most part, it is by no means a comedy classic in comparison to his previous works.

Moonrise Kingdom

MOONRISE KINGDOM ****

Director/co-writer Wes Anderson tells a qwerky tale of a young boy scout who flees Camp Ivanhoe, causing his Scout Master Ward (Edward Norton), fellow khaki scouts and local authorities to search for him.

It’s 1965 in New Penzance, New England and two youngsters have the weight of the world on their shoulders; Sam (Jared Gilman), an orphan and least popular kid at camp, and Suzy (Kara Hayward), a “troubled child” in the eyes of her parents with no friends. A year after they first met at church, the two 12 year-olds flee their unhappy existence and try to make it on their own together. But despite Sam’s camping expertise, they don’t get far… with the scout hunt and Suzy’s parents (Bill Murray and Frances McDormand) and sheriff (Bruce Willis) comprising a local search party, the young lovers have to do more than stab a hunting scout with scissors and set up camp at a nearby cove.

A worthy ensemble cast bring together a touching story of two emotionally damaged youngster’s pubescent struggle who find an unfamiliar comfort in each other’s company. Though the film deals with potentially serious issues, namely in the affects of adverse child/parent relationships, Wes champions a child’s willing independence and adventurousness, without undermining these still modern-day concerns. A doting sense of light-heartedness is imbued within their journey, rooted in Sam and Suzy’s innocence is a somewhat humorous but likely depiction of a childhood romance as Suzy asks Sam to feel her chest, ensuring him it will get bigger. The film’s comedic stance is signposted early on in Scout Master Ward’s militant attitude towards the boys, taking his role as camp leader seriously. As he observes his scouts activities he questions why one boy has built a den on top of a tree and gives another a warning for speeding on his motorbike. The random but striking appearances of Bob Balaban as a narrator, who once enters the diegetic narrative, dressed in duck-boots and a gnome-like hat, adds to the peculiarly pleasant droll composition.

There is a strong sense of a much-missed authenticity in the nostalgic return to rural America with the artificiality of the simple, stark locale with one-hut-one-man-institution and close-knit, Sunday school community. The red painted houses and the way Suzy is dressed (as well as her younger brothers, in their brown dungarees and side combed hair), coupled with the backing track of the orchestrated choir, is a firm nod back to the era. The use of Suzy's binoculars not only adds a worthy cinematographic element but too represents adventure and freedom, the 'superpower' to see further than her isolated existence. The juxtaposition of the geographical constraints of the island and the vibrant emotion writhing to break free is delicately positioned as situational for the characters involved yet metaphorically speaks wider of its self-defined plot dimensions.

Wes Anderson, admired for his direction in Rushmore (1998), has produced a breath of fresh air in this poetic world of dreamlike perfection. From the delicate opening sequence in which the camera takes its time to pan the quaint house of Suzy and her family, the camera seemingly drifts through each scene in search of a lost purity, capturing the idyllic setting that is 1960’s New England.

Cabin in the Woods

CABIN IN THE WOODS **

Five friends go to a remote cabin in the woods for a weekend trip but find that there’s more to the endearing shack than at first glance as they unveil its history and secrets. Sound boring and unoriginal? Hang on…

Meanwhile, a group of classified reality-show hosts in an underground lab watchover the youngsters, manipulating events with the touch of a button, with one goal in mind: making them live their worst nightmares.

Director Drew Goddard sets out to bring back the 80’s horror classic in his directorial debut. With the heavy rock go-nuts-music  playing as the title punches out onto the screen, it’s a good start.  And it isn’t long before we journey along the nostalgic road back to 1980… back to the year of Friday the 13^th, The Shining and The Fog; but most importantly the year that Evil Dead was born! With the isolated cabin in the forbidden forest, its all-too-tempting trap door and the book (not quite of the dead this time) that calls monsters from their graves when their Latin words are spoken, Goddard doesn’t make his goal to relive the 80’s subtle.

But after this it all gets a bit confusing.

Yes, the constant switching from cabin to lab is an effective composition which adds a layer of complexity to the, what would be, simple story. The relationship between the two lab “professors” (Richard Jenkins and Bradley Whitford) is humorous and the situations they find themselves in are somewhat strangely amusing. While the film clearly acts to champion the 80’s horror genre, a satirical tone is deliberately carried throughout in the professors numerous ploys to set up conventional horror situations, for e.g. the teens being warned to go no further by the town’s old hillbilly at the petrol station.

But as the film goes on these added “layers” of plot, hidden meanings and nods to previous works become too much and the film loses direction pretty quickly after the first hour. Although the juggling back and forth from the two locations is manageable and shows credible authenticity, as the professors lose touch with the inner-story happenings, so do we. The two worlds cross paths and we witness a good ten-minute blood bath, reasons behind the chaotic mess remaining unveiled, until suddenly…it’s the end of the world. Certainly an ending you can’t claim is predictable, but one that unfortunately falls short as a result of incoherent penultimate scenes.  

An interesting and enjoyable first hour which loses direction in its closing scenes with a confusing and perhaps overly-complex ending.

21 Jump Street

21 JUMP STREET ***

Comedy fans can breathe a sigh of relief…He’s back! After branching out and starring in oscar-nominated biographical drama, Moneyball earlier this year, Jonah Hill has returned to the comedy screen. Our much-loved Superbad actor buddies up with Channing Tatum in the latest comedy flick which promises over a hundred minutes of fun, laughter and heaps of silliness.

Newly-assigned police officers Schmidt (Hill) and Jenko (Tatum) are far from satisfied with riding their pushbikes around the park rescuing kid’s balls from the lake. The incompetent officers fail to successfully undertake their street duties and are sent to 21 Jump Street on an investigation to find out who is supplying a popular drug being used in a nearby high school.

Desperate to make their first arrest, the two move back into Schmidt’s parents house and “cool” it up ready to return to school and “bust some ass” to prove their worthiness in the force. But on their first day they find that school has changed- in the first few minutes of entering the gates they find themselves enemies of the fellow students (Dave Franco being one of them, starring as the high-school alpha male), in the principles office being threatened to be expelled, and accidentally switching their undercover identities. Tatum- now science-geek enrolled in Chemistry, and Hill- now athletic popular kid enrolled in Drama/art, the couple find themselves reliving each others past lives as teenagers in school. Chuck in a hallucinogenic drug in the mix and we have comedy gold just waiting to unfurl.

As the unlikely heroes become torn between their investigation and new life at high-school their brotherhood is tested and their future as policemen put on the line. A simple, predictable plot but nevertheless providing exactly what it says on the tin- a fun-filled and laugh-out-loud tale of what happens when you throw two grown dummies back into high school. For instance, picture this: Tatum dressed in a science bauble jumper and Hill dressed as Peter Pan in a pink Volkswagen Beetle chased by a mob gang of angry bikers down the highway- certainly not your average Hollywood car chase!

Jonny Depp (that’s right, the Jonny Depp) even makes an unlikely five-minute appearance as the bike-gang member reveals himself as an undercover cop too. Who knew Depp was capable of going un-noticed on screen for that long. His cameo is tribute to the 1987 TV series of the same name in which he starred in over 80 episodes.

With a naturally comical on-screen presence both Tatum and Hill are a lovable duo that keep us laughing till the very end.

The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel

THE BEST EXOTIC MARIGOLD HOTEL ****

John Madden brings us this year’s feel-good movie as a bunch of British retirees travel to India in search of redemption and a new start. But the assumption that their booked accommodation is a plush and “exotic” hotel could not have been more wrong. With dusty drapes, incomplete décor and broken (or even absent) furniture- far from the luxuriousness visualised in its advertisement- it is down to unorganised but happy-clappy hotel manager Sonny (Dev Patel) to maintain the stay of his first residents. While each character unravels their story, the hotel unravels its charm to create a fresh tale of enlightenment, friendship and self-discovery.

With the likes of Judie Dench, Bill Nighy, Tom Wilkinson, Maggie Smith and Penelope Winton at the helm, this star studded cast could not have been more perfect as the residents of this hotel for the ‘elderly and beautiful.’ With a fine balance of witty humour and deep emotion, Madden delivers a story of magic and wonder as each resident celebrates, or indeed struggles with, the transition from their complicated or rustic lives on British soil to the colourful and vibrant domains of Indian culture.

True, the plot is predictable and doesn’t exactly stretch the imagination but it is believable and original. Cliches are plenty with Dench failing to get her head around how the internet works and Dev battling with his mother about arranged marriages. Maggie even gets in her infamous politically incorrect one-liners that allow us to roll our eyes but chuckle all the same. But this all adds to the films inexplicable charm and delight that is well carried throughout the whole two hours.

A must see sunday-afternoon flick for all those who are seeking inspiration, or simply wish to be humoured.

The Raid

FILM4 FRIGHTFEST GLASGOW PRESENTS THE RAID *****

The spring edition of the horror festival, Film4 Frightfest, celebrated its seventh year at Glasgow’s Film Festival last month with a schedule of 11 film premieres- the biggest of their weekenders yet with an additional 3 films in the line-up than in the previous year.

The UK’s favourite horror and fantasy film festival did not disappoint as it boasted a firm line-up of horror mayhem, among which was the UK premiere of CRAWL from the China brothers (Paul & Ben) and the newest instalment from director/producer/writer of 2009’s DREAD Anthony DiBlasi with CASSADAGA. The festival hosted some of its favourite masterminds of the genre; Italian madman and director of SHADOW Federico Zampaglione came to jump around and shout about (literally) his new movie TUPLA which he showcased a clip from for the very first time. Alan Jones, co-director of Frightfest, recognises that it’s important for the audience to meet the “talent behind the terror.”

After two days and 10 movies down, the festival sure ended with a bang as the film theatre had to hold onto its roof tightly during Gareth Evans’ eagerly anticipated The Raid.

You will be sure to reach an adrenalin-high after watching this super-exhilarating, blood-pumping action film by welsh director of MERANTAU, Gareth Evans.

Rama (Iko Uwais) is part of a SWAT team who are sent to raid a building full of degenerates. As the team are quickly picked off in several shoot-outs and bare-knuckle fights of the most brutal and spectacularly visual kind in their attempts to reach the ‘gang leader’ on the top floor, Rama is determined to complete his mission- to fight his way through whatever or whoever stands in his way.

Uwais, who has before only ever starred in Merantua as Yuda, has been learning Silat (an Indonesian traditional martial art) since he was a young boy and his extreme talents as a fighter, stunt artist and choreographer are overwhelming in what has to be a career defining performance. Himself and Yayan Ruhian, who did the majority of the choreography work, have to be credited for the range and diversity, not to mention the complexity, of the fight sequences some of which last minutes without cutting. [Most notably, the ultimate fight between Rama, Jaka (Joe Taslim) Mad Dog (Yayan Ruhian) is visceral eye candy for those who wish to witness an endurance match of utter viciousness and brutality; a jaw-dropping combat of precision, intensity and power between three true masters of the arts.]

Acting as the core of the movie, the numerous fight scenes are mind-blowingly imaginative and innovative; Powerful and pacing. The way in which Evans directs the camera is intimate enough for you to get close to the action- to feel the stabs, the bullets, the punches. Though he spares the audience at times, much to his credit, by taking a few steps back to allow us to see the scope of the action. Even when the combat is hammered off-screen, you are still able to grasp the impact of the unseen. While some directors fall into, and arguably overuse, the ‘video-game’ style of camera work when creating a piece of this disposition, Evans does well to avoid this by instead exploring a diverse range of camera angles mixed with both quick-cutting edits and suspense-building sequences.

But don’t think that this is an action film of just action. The direction of the film is slick and the back story to the character of Rama which comprises his obstacles are moving and fits into the narrative superbly.

Now firmly embedded into the Indonesian film industry since becoming a resident there, Evans mixes his western roots with his flare for eastern techniques to create this unique piece. He celebrates the raw talent of the East by providing a fresh reminder of what can be achieved with cleverly designed special effects and a firm ignorance of CGI. The post production of visual and sound effects fit incredibly well with the pulsating soundtrack by Aria Prayogi and Fajar Yuskemal, doing justice to, and completing, the genius work of the film’s cast and crew that I sense will be long celebrated- and not just by enthusiasts of the genre.

 The Raid is to receive a UK release in mid-May and is certainly an experience not one to be missed on the big screen.

The Woman In Black

THE WOMAN IN BLACK ***

Daniel Radcliffe breaks out of his childhood star role and into a less ‘spellbinding’ one in Eden Lake director Watkin’s recent film adaptation of Susan Hill’s 1980’s spine-chilling novel, The Woman in Black. Radcliffe puts on his best ‘adult’ face as Arthur, a lawyer struggling financially and emotionally too following the death of his wife in childbirth years prior. In the attempt to avoid financial ruin and to provide for his young son Joseph (Misha Handley), he goes to a remote village to sell a derelict property. But little does he know the history of the house and its former residents, not to mention the curse hidden in its walls. Radcliffe soon finds himself in much darker territory… and there is no Rupert Grint to help him this time!

The narrative begins promisingly with Arthur being greeted by a number of estranged locals when he arrives into their town. Distraught by loss and fear, as victims of the curse, they unsuccessfully try to deter Arthur away from the house. When inside the house the narrative gets lost somewhere in the middle in the directors over attention to cheap scares. Using what seems like all of the genres classic cliché’s from child’s footprints to looking through keyholes to shaking doorknobs, Watkins uses all the tricks in the book to create suspense and instil fear into the audience. Hand-in-hand with the perfect embodiment of a spooky haunted house and we wonder how anyone could have gone further than the tall iron gates. But Radcliffe does his best to rummage through every room in the house, comprising numerous scenes of peering round corners with creaky floorboards and the bare light from a candlestick (Daniel no longer has access to wands and ‘lumos’ light charms.) The middle hour is certainly exhausting to sit through. But we cannot help but sense the films ‘over-the-top-ness’ as a mud-boy rises up through the bed and Arthur pulls a perfectly formed, seemingly clothed corpse out from a swamp who had supposedly been lost in there for years. By this point the narrative loses its credibility. The overall charm of the film’s tension and Radcliffe’s ability to remain a face-numbingly terrified expression for most of the 90 minutes however somewhat overlooks this and allows you to enjoy, and simply ‘be scared’ as, the screaming banshee wails towards the camera.

Watkins’ adaptation is never going to be one of the most acclaimed ghost flick but, with the certification given age 12 (which I thought largely sat on the borderline of a 15,) it will surely please young teens who will undoubtedly get the screams that they paid for- any many more.