Jared Masters gets me like most modern filmmakers fail to; he is funny, he is campy, and he knows what makes a good movie -- effortlessly. Easter Evil is yet another success of his, but a rather lowkey movie. Consisting mostly of it's main character, Bunny, and her best friend, Trinity (played, incredibly, by Masters himself), gossiping in her hotel room. But really, the bulk of the enjoyment comes from their gossip; his script is crazy and humorous and had me laugh-out-loud cackling at times. Yes, there is a killer Easter Bunny, but honestly, who CARES? I could watch a whole film of Trinity talking to the camera. She is HILARIOUS. The brilliance really lay in the dialogue, set, and costume aesthetics. For anyone who is into cult cinema, this is a must watch!
Reviews
3 Reviews
Crimson Peak
(2015)
Beautiful, but slightly lacking.
9 November 2015
Del Toro never disappoints in crafting beautiful, extravagant sets for his movies. The problem is the actual story of 'Crimson Peak' is not very interesting - even when looked at as a Gothic romance.
Let's start with the ghosts; These tortured spirits, roaming a massive decaying castle at night, mysterious and gory. They should evoke fear. The problem is, and this is the same problem I had with Mama, is that the ghosts appear so frequently, in the same exact way every time, that you get used to their presence. They are clearly made to be nonthreatening to the audience, but the main character doesn't understand this. It's hard to use this as a critique because Del Toro has stated the movie isn't a horror, but it's frustrating all the same.
While on the topic of the genre, which is Gothic romance, there is a severe lack of romance in this movie. The "gothic" is covered extensively via Allerdale Hall, images of Wasikowska wandering with the dark halls with candlelight, the brilliant blood-red clay which seeps its color into the bright white snow. Even with all this imagery, there is no romance to support it. Hiddleston and Wasikowska have no chemistry. From the very first time you see Hiddleston he looks sinister and unloving and his demeanor never changes until maybe the final moments.
Though Hiddleston fails as a romantic protagonist, his sister played by Jessica Chastain was marvelous. She was by far the most interesting character.
'Crimson Peak', with its' various plot problems, was sometimes dull to watch, sometimes spectacular. The scenes inside Allerdale Hall, along with the excellent final act, somewhat make up for the weak central romance, but it is overall a slightly disappointing effort from Del Toro.
Let's start with the ghosts; These tortured spirits, roaming a massive decaying castle at night, mysterious and gory. They should evoke fear. The problem is, and this is the same problem I had with Mama, is that the ghosts appear so frequently, in the same exact way every time, that you get used to their presence. They are clearly made to be nonthreatening to the audience, but the main character doesn't understand this. It's hard to use this as a critique because Del Toro has stated the movie isn't a horror, but it's frustrating all the same.
While on the topic of the genre, which is Gothic romance, there is a severe lack of romance in this movie. The "gothic" is covered extensively via Allerdale Hall, images of Wasikowska wandering with the dark halls with candlelight, the brilliant blood-red clay which seeps its color into the bright white snow. Even with all this imagery, there is no romance to support it. Hiddleston and Wasikowska have no chemistry. From the very first time you see Hiddleston he looks sinister and unloving and his demeanor never changes until maybe the final moments.
Though Hiddleston fails as a romantic protagonist, his sister played by Jessica Chastain was marvelous. She was by far the most interesting character.
'Crimson Peak', with its' various plot problems, was sometimes dull to watch, sometimes spectacular. The scenes inside Allerdale Hall, along with the excellent final act, somewhat make up for the weak central romance, but it is overall a slightly disappointing effort from Del Toro.
We Are Still Here
(I) (2015)
We Are Still In The House By The Cemetery
9 November 2015
'We Are Still Here' is a surprisingly GREAT throwback to old-school horror, paying special homage to one of my favorite directors, Lucio Fulci.
Barbara Crampton of 'Re-Animator' fame stars in this haunted house flick about a married couple attempting to recover from the death of their son. Crampton believes the paranormal happenings in their house are coming from their son beyond the grave, trying to communicate with them.
The comedy and horror were blended really well together, in that the comedy didn't overpower the horror which is a major fault I find in the genre. The creatures genuinely creeped me out. My only complaint is with the CGI used - especially in a movie that's supposed to be an homage to old-school horror, it makes no sense to not use practical effects.
But faults and all, 'We Are Still Here' is an excellent modern horror that may be my favorite to come out of 2015.
Barbara Crampton of 'Re-Animator' fame stars in this haunted house flick about a married couple attempting to recover from the death of their son. Crampton believes the paranormal happenings in their house are coming from their son beyond the grave, trying to communicate with them.
The comedy and horror were blended really well together, in that the comedy didn't overpower the horror which is a major fault I find in the genre. The creatures genuinely creeped me out. My only complaint is with the CGI used - especially in a movie that's supposed to be an homage to old-school horror, it makes no sense to not use practical effects.
But faults and all, 'We Are Still Here' is an excellent modern horror that may be my favorite to come out of 2015.
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