Scream Bloody Entertainment

If something is chasing you... split up.

A group of teenagers make a trip to a remote wooden cabin in order to killed off one by one slasher-style, but things are not what they appear to be...

- more meta than all of the Scream films put together
- the most original thing to come out in horror since [insert any year here]
- groundbreaking on several levels
- blends horror, comedy, and downright strangeness incredibly well
- keeps you guessing until the end
- some truly frightening moments
- boasts a clever script filled with creativity
- pays tribute to nearly every relevant horror movie of the past
- works both as a parody and as a genuine entry into the genre
- thoroughly entertaining and surprisingly engaging
- does some things better than most 'serious' horror films out there

- it ends

- high violence and gore
- high scares and frightening scenes
- moderate nudity and sexual themes
- high profanity

- don't read strange things in Latin
- damn those Japanese kids
- don't dye your hair blonde
- weed can actually save your life
- watching old gods destroy the world would make for a weekend well spent
- virgins have it easy

It's certainly not every day that something like The Cabin in the Woods comes along – a film which features a set of five stereotypical characters playing out a scenario as ancient as horror cinema itself, but also a film where everything is turned so much on its head that the very premise becomes a most savoury running gag. Fuelled by first-timer Drew Goddard’s notably competent directing and Joss Whedon’s valuable camaraderie in the writing department, this seemingly unremarkable ‘horror flick’ sets new heights in the emerging horror-slash-comedy-slash-meta genre; heights that future entries may well find impossible to top, seeing as how calling The Cabin in the Woods the be all and end all of its kind wouldn’t be going quite that far. The Cabin in the Woods is a horror geek’s inside joke, and it’s everything its target audience could ever ask for – and more.

horror meter: 6 meta stars (out of 5)

A ghost story for the minimum wage

Two employees working at a declining hotel start to unravel its mysterious past as they begin to record supernatural occurrences.

- decent scares
- the comedy elements
- outstanding musical score
- the setting
- Sara Paxton

- lack of an actual story
- unsatisfying ending
- cliche after cliche
- weak writing
- unoriginal to the core
- lackluster make-up and special effects

- moderate violence and gore
- high scares and frightening scenes
- low nudity and sexual themes
- moderate profanity

- if you hear creepy sounds, follow them to their source
- cyclops always have only one eye
- apparently telling ghost stories to gullible children while their parents are around is a good idea
- when a psychic tells you to get the hell out of there you better get the hell out of there
- ghosts are always proficient at playing the piano
- abandoning a girl in a haunted hotel is not the best way to win her heart
- it doesn't matter if you're in grave danger, there's always time to grab your things before you leave

With The Innkeepers, director Ti West manages to capture the dread associated with ‘haunted house’ fares, but on a narrative level his attempt falls flat. Things happen throughout the movie for no apparent reason, and every cliché that has a place in the story is relentlessly squeezed in. ‘Don’t do this, don’t do that, don’t go there, and definitely don’t follow the creepy noises down in the basement.’ And yet everything happens, and we never find out why. Worst of all, the conclusion of The Innkeepers lacks any kind of closure, with not even a bad twist ending thrown in there. Sara Paxton turns in a fun and animated performance, and some of the scares are quite competent, but in the end it’s all for naught. The Innkeepers is no House of the Devil, unfortunately.

horror meter: 3 checked-in stars (out of 5)

It’s been more than two months since the last Weekly Updates, so the whole thing about catching up feels kind of ironic by now. Still, I’m hanging in there, and hopefully one day I’ll make up for lost ground. Maybe not today, probably not tomorrow...

Monday

Groundhog Day (1993) - 8/10
It took me a while to finally check out Groundhog Day, especially considering that it’s a film regarded by many as one of the best of the 90s and one of the most relevant time travel movies out there (a genre I am a great fan of). I guess the reason I kept postponing watching Groundhog Day was because I didn’t find its premise to appeal to me. Sure, time travel is always an interesting subject, but I guess the whole idea revolving around a news reporter and a silly festivity came off a bit too easy-going for me to take it seriously. I’m glad the film managed to dispel my doubts, because despite being of a far merrier tone than most time travel flicks I’ve seen, Groundhog Day turned out to be a thought-provoking and thoroughly enjoyable watch. Bill Murray is, of course, a fantastic lead and he carries the movie brilliantly; Andie MacDowell provides a capable romantic interest, and the rest of the actors in the supporting roles and bit parts do a good job as well. My only complaint with Groundhog Day would be its third act, which I felt did not live up to the rest of the film due to its rushed conclusion and happy-go-lucky approach. Nevertheless, the film remains a solid piece and it’s certainly one of the most memorable and enjoyable movies about time travel out there.

Wednesday

Sliding Doors (1998) - 6/10
I can’t really remember where I first heard about Sliding Doors, but based on what appeared to be a deeply intriguing plot, I immediately put on my to-watch list. Not much time has elapsed since, and I already got around to watching it (unlike other movies to which it takes me ages to get). All in all, I’d say watching Sliding Doors was a time well spent, even though the actual film did not entirely live up to its premise. Still, it has its moments here and there, and I especially took notice of John Hannah role in the movie, who I found quite absorbing both in terms of his performance and the character he portrayed. I’m still not sure what to make of Gwyneth Paltrow, though. I cannot remember to have been bothered by her acting per se, but it was her accent that really put me off. I’ve heard others didn’t have much of a problem with it, so I’m not exactly sure what to make of the matter. It’s best to decide for yourself, I guess. My biggest problem with Sliding Doors was its finale, which felt to me as if it was taken out of some overly melodramatic soap opera. The closing lines of the film also came off as pretty cheesy, though I did understand their necessity when looking at the big picture. So to sum it up, I really enjoyed Sliding Doors and its unconventional premise, but in the end one has to acknowledge that it’s little more than a slightly above average rom-com.

Friday

Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) - 8/10
I recall seeing one or two of the Indiana Jones movies when I was little, but not much has stuck with me through the years, except of course the iconic titular character and Harrison Ford portraying him. I guess my wanting to get into the Indiana Jones series of films recently had to do with me finally coming around to play Uncharted, a video games which draws many similarities and owes a lot of its existence to Raiders of the Lost Ark, much like many other adventure fiction of that type, whether in cinema, television, video games, or otherwise. Needless to say, I was quite hyped to finally see Raiders of the Lost Ark ‘officially’ (I had seen parts of it over the years), but unfortunately the film turned out to be a mild let-down. I know that’s surprising to say about a movie regarded among the pantheon of the cinematic greats nowadays, yet there is no other way for me to put it. I was simply not taken with the action in Raiders of the Lost Ark, and that is quite a fault considering the film’s genre. I’d say it definitely has not aged well, becoming a bit too cheesy a movie by today’s standards – parts of it felt downright frivolous for my tastes. All that aside, though, one has to appreciate the power of storytelling at play in Raiders of the Lost Ark, and it’s quite clear why Indiana Jones has become such an iconic and beloved film character over the years: few films manage to spawn such memorable characters, and even fewer action and adventure films at that; not to mention that Harrison Ford played the part to perfection. I have a lot more to say about Raiders of the Lost Ark, but I plan on saving the rest for another day. I will no doubt give the film another go in the future, and perhaps then my mind will not be as obstructed by expectations and whatnot as it was the first time around. Until then, this is all I have to say.

“It is hard to understand addiction unless you have experienced it.” – Ken Hensley

Addiction is a powerful thing; it can take over a person’s life and not let go until it’s far too late to fight back. Virtually everybody can relate to the concept of addiction in one way or another, and for most of us it’s part of our lives to some degree, whether we realise it or not, and whether we like it or not. It can come in many shapes and forms, drawing from both pain and pleasure. In Shame, Brandon’s addiction comes in the form of pleasure; the very basic and arguably most potent type of pleasure known to us humans: that of sexual gratification.

Marking Steve McQueen’s second directorial venture to the big screen, Shame depicts the self-destructive lifestyle of New York sex addict Brandon Sullivan (played by Michael Fassbender). Brandon goes through life viciously giving in to his sexual needs and urges; he engages in promiscuous sex with women, browses the web for porn both at home and at work, masturbates on a regular basis, and frequently resorts to the services of call girls.


Unlike a normal person, though, Brandon’s lust is hardly ever sated, and it is made clear from the start of the film that his addiction is getting in the way of both his personal life and his career. When it comes to work, his careless indulgence in pornography at his office computer ends up having it taken away in order to be scanned for viruses. As for his life away from work, Brandon is seen ignoring the countless calls made to him by his sister (Carey Mulligan) – up to the point where she finally ends up at his doorstep, consequently disrupting his habitual way of life.

Shame is Fassbender’s second collaboration with McQueen – the previous being Hunger, McQueen’s feature debut as a director – and the partnership between the two seems to be working out so well that it might come to rival actor-director duos such as DiCaprio and Scorsese as time goes on. Michael Fassbender has no doubt been very productive recently, having starred in no less than five feature films in 2011. One might naturally expect a loss of quality due to the sheer amount of work he has done, but his acting remains remarkably solid throughout each of his starring roles, and Shame is certainly no different. If anything, Fassbender turns in one of the greatest performances of the year here, delivering a truly heart-rending and powerful depiction of a tragic character.


Steve McQueen has a quality which many directors seem to lack nowadays – the ability to tell a compelling story through the eyes of its characters, and subsequently through the performance of the actors. Through the use long single takes, well calculated close-ups and tactical cuts, McQueen gives Michael Fassbender free rein to express the emotional agony, torment and subtle self-pity caused by Brandon’s pressing addiction, and Fassbender does so in a commendable manner, skilfully capturing both his character’s physicality and his psychological anguish. There’s a scene towards the end of the film where Brandon breaks down, overcome by his addiction and desperate to escape it; Fassbender is utterly convincing here, displaying a vulnerability rarely – if ever – seen in him before, in a moment that is Oscar-worthy in itself.

Michael Fassbender is not the only actor that stands out in Shame, though. Carey Mulligan impresses a great deal as well, delivering a notable performance in the role of Brandon’s younger sister, who we learn throughout the movie to be as equally troubled as him. Having previously starred in the good girl role in films such as An Education, Never Let Me Go and Drive, her role in Shame marks a welcome departure for Mulligan, and she certainly proves that she can pull these types of roles off just as well. Up-and-coming actress Nicole Beharie also deserves a mention for her brief appearance as one of Brandon’s co-workers who ends up going with him on a dinner date.


Shame is arguably a film about feeling and perception, but it also has a picturesque quality going for it. Sharing a visual style as distinct as the one in Hunger, this movie is sure to stick to memory for that alone. New York’s glitz and glamour are traded in here for a darker approach to the globally popular American metropole; McQueen’s New York is a gloomy one – a New York mostly shrouded by the underlying loneliness of the urban nightlife, and rarely (and very restrainedly) seeing the light of day.

Contributing to the bleak image painted by McQueen is Harry Escott’s score, which while some may argue to be not entirely original (see Hans Zimmer’s work on The Thin Red Line), is highly effective and thoroughly well-placed. Never before has a seemingly ordinary subway flirt between two people felt so menacing and ominous, and rarely ever has a man’s descent into self-inflicted misery felt as tragic and momentous as it does in Shame. Steve McQueen’s film demonstrates an all too keen understanding of the inner workings of the human mind, making it one of the year’s best and most noteworthy pieces of cinema.