Showing posts with label thriller. Show all posts
Showing posts with label thriller. Show all posts
Saturday, June 18, 2011
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Basterd's Fassbender Joins Screen Adaptation of A Single Shot
Although he had an extensive career in British film and television prior to his role in Quentin Tarantino’s Inglourious Basterds, actor Michael Fassbender gained a significant foothold in American cinema after his performance in Tarantino’s most recent release. Now Fassbender joins actors William H. Macy and Thomas Haden Church in David Jacobson’s adaptation of Matthew F. Jones’ thriller novel A Single Shot, as was first reported Monday by Screen Daily.
Fassbender, whose horror experience includes the 2008 British thriller Eden Lake and 2009 horror drama Blood Creek, is an ideal candidate to play the protagonist from Jones’ novel, a poacher named John Moon. A Single Shot follows Moon through an unfortunate series of events; after accidentally killing a runaway girl while deer hunting, Moon finds evidence that the girl may not have been alone. After uncovering a large sum of money, Moon ends up on the run from a group of hardened killers with a suitcase full of money and a bull’s-eye on his head.
The novel’s action takes place over the course of seven days, and readers watch as Moon spirals deeper and deeper into a psychological meltdown in an attempt to evade his pursuers. The role of John Moon is thus a demanding one, and it is probably safe to assume that a great deal of the movie’s action will revolve around his character. For these reasons, Michael Fassbender is a perfect choice for the role given the intensity and diversity that he can portray onscreen.
Filming for A Single Shot will begin this summer, presumably after Fassbender finishes with David Cronenberg’s A Dangerous Method (Viggo Mortensen, Kiera Knightley, and Vincent Cassell). For more information on Michael Fassbender, visit the actor’s official IMDb page. For details on Jones’ novel, A Single Shot, you can visit the novel’s page on Amazon.com.
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
A Peek at the New "Buried" Poster: Simple, Yet Terrifying...
Very few film posters can elicit a physical reaction from viewers (except disgust, maybe, in certain situations), but that is exactly what happened when I first saw the new one-sheet for director Rodrigo Cortés’ newest film, Buried. After a very successful world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival, Buried was snatched up Lionsgate, and is coming to theaters this October. Now Lionsgate has released this rather risky one-sheet for the film, featuring nothing more than Buried star Ryan Reynolds trapped in a coffin, under what is presumably six feet of earth.
Personally, I think the poster is not only gorgeous and intriguing, but given that I had to pop a lorazepam after I saw it—hey, I’m claustrophobic—I'd say it’s highly effective, as well. The film, which was scripted by first-time writer Chris Sparling, is described in the official synopsis as follows:
For more information on Buried, you can check out the film’s recently launched web site, ExperienceBuried.com. There’s not much there right now, but Lionsgate is sure to be adding more information, and probably a teaser trailer or two soon.Paul Conroy is not ready to die. But when he wakes up 6 feet underground with no idea of who put him there or why, life for the truck driver and family man instantly becomes a hellish struggle for survival. Buried with only a cell phone and a lighter, his contact with the outside world and ability to piece together clues that could help him discover his location are maddeningly limited. Poor reception, a rapidly draining battery, and a dwindling oxygen supply become his worst enemies in a tightly confined race against time- fighting panic, despair and delirium, Paul has only 90 minutes to be rescued before his worst nightmare comes true.
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Horror vs. Thriller: A Conversation
It's the eternal question: Is it a horror movie, or is it a thriller? What's the difference? Are they two distinct genres, or is there an overlap? Fans have been debating these issues since forever, and it's not likely to be settled anytime soon. Nevertheless, I recently had a long conversation on the subject with VoH contributor and self-professed girly-girl Marilyn Merlot, which I think touched on a lot of interesting points with regard to these questions. So in the interest of hopefully adding something to the debate, here's the transcript of that conversation:
B-Sol: I think the biggest thing that separates horror and thriller is the supernatural. If a movie has supernatural stuff in it, to me it's automatically horror. Even though there are horror movies that are reality-based and not supernatural. So it's tough.
Marilyn Merlot: I don't know if I would consider the supernatural automatically horror. Sometimes you can even have a mix of horror and thriller.
BS: So what makes you consider a movie a thriller and not horror? Like you've said Silence of the Lambs is not a horror movie, and I kind of agree.
MM: Yes, Silence of the Lambs is a thriller. To me, a thriller is a movie that has some kind of mystery to the story, and a creep factor. It may have some suspense to it, and some fast-paced action.
BS: Yeah, I think Silence of the Lambs and movies like that get more involved in the crime aspect of things, in the detective work and all that.
MM: Where horror is fear, and wanting to scare and terrorize viewers.
BS: Yes. The main purpose of a thriller is not to terrify you. It's to build suspense, but not necessarily to scare the shit out of you.
MM: For example, Jaws. The ocean at night is creepy, and when she jumps in the water at the beginning, you know that shark is coming. That's where it starts to get suspenseful. Jaws is also a thriller, not horror.
BS: Very interesting, because Jaws is another one that I've never found to be a horror movie. It's suspenseful, but not horrifying. Jaws, to me, is more about the adventure of killing the shark, than the fear it's instilling in people.
MM: It can also come down to someone's personal perception, what they find to be horror or thriller. You and I may not agree. I think it can also be different for men and women. Women are generally more scared, or creeped out easier. So what I might find terrifying, you may find laughable. I've got a great example, if you want to debate the movie with me... I know we dont agree. Let's talk Blair Witch Project.
BS: You know I hate it, right?
MM: Yes. You know it creeped me out, right?
BS: But even though I don't like it, I will definitely say it's a horror movie, and not a thriller.
MM: And I was going to say it's a thriller.
BS: Wow, really? Explain.
MM: First off, I have a tendency to over-think a little, and try to put myself in that moment. I guess you can say I'm a girly girl. Yes, I like horror, but I do get freaked out pretty easily. With that movie, think of being lost in the woods, with knowing the back story, and hearing all the creepy things at night. Anyone would be a little freaked out. Then again, i think it comes down to girls being more scared.
BS: But don't you feel like since the whole thing is about making you scared, that it's horror?
MM: The movie had its suspenseful moments and creep factor, but nothing compared to what horror is. Did I find it terrifying? No. The movie wasn't violent, nor did it have a villain--that we saw, anyway.
BS: It did have an evil spirit, though. See for me, that totally takes it into horror territory. Maybe if it was something human, i might think differently.
MM: Yes, but as I said, in my opinion a movie can be supernatural and still be more thriller than horror.
BS: Yes, we disagree there. I think if there's something unreal, something beyond reality that can't be explained rationally, it's automatically horror. You're saying some movies like that can still be thrillers. So let me turn it around this way. Give me an example of what you would consider definitely a horror movie, and not a thriller.
MM: OK, let me stick with the classics: Halloween.
BS: Great example, because that's a movie that is not supernatural. It's a human killer, so someone might say that makes it a thriller. But i would agree, it's totally horror. It's not like Silence of the Lambs, because in Halloween, we're not mainly focused on Dr. Loomis and the cops trying to stop Michael. We're mainly focused on watching Michael stalk and kill these kids.
MM: Well most people may disagree, but The Shining is not horror. I really like it, but it's not horror.
BS: Totally disagree. Maybe because I'm thinking thrillers always have to make sense somehow in the real world. And Shining totally doesn't, it's like a nightmare.
MM: He's a writer, taking care of a hotel. That's real-world.
BS: Yeah, but what happens to him? Unless you take the position that it was totally in his head. That might turn it around and make it a thriller...
MM: There are strange happenings, and you wonder about Jack and the other characters. He's losing his mind. He's not all there, that's basically it. I'm not terrified, sitting on the edge of my chair. Is it creepy? Yes, all children in these types of movies are creepy, so once again theres my "creep" factor. That, for me, makes it a thriller.
BS: I could totally see that one depending on how you interpret it. Because some people (like me) see it as him being influenced by spirits haunting the hotel. Although Nicholson plays it like a lunatic from the beginning, but that's just Jack.
Here's something I was reading recently [in Taschen's Horror Cinema] about this whole thing that makes sense to me. A thriller is all about the buildup, about the expectations, about the terror of wondering what's going to happen. The suspense. But horror is about actually having that terrible thing happen, seeing your worst fear actually happen, and the effect of it. It's all about absorbing the shock.
MM: I totally agree and again, I think it's going to come down the individual, and what people can and cannot handle.
BS: True. I do think, though, that sometimes filmmakers set out to make a horror movie that turns out to be more of a thriller to a lot of people, and vice versa. But here's something else about this whole thing that bothers me. I think sometimes people use the word thriller because they think it makes a movie more respectable than being a horror movie.
MM: Good point, I agree. A lot of people shun horror movies, they automatically think all that blood and guts and torture, it's awful, who wants to see that? I think a lot of people think that way once the title of horror is thrown in there.
BS: Right. Sometimes a studio will want to sell their movie as a "thriller" even if it isn't. Although I was afraid they were doing this with Shutter Island, and I was wrong. At first, it looked like a straight-up horror movie. But in the end, it did turn out to be a total psychological thriller. Once you learn the nature of what's really going on, instant thriller.
MM: It's a fine line and will always be--but it makes for good arguments!
BS: Yes. There will always be a fine line between the two genres. And it led us to this very intriguing debate, so hopefully we made some kind of sense on this tough issue. But in the end, it's up to the viewer to decide!
B-Sol: I think the biggest thing that separates horror and thriller is the supernatural. If a movie has supernatural stuff in it, to me it's automatically horror. Even though there are horror movies that are reality-based and not supernatural. So it's tough.
Marilyn Merlot: I don't know if I would consider the supernatural automatically horror. Sometimes you can even have a mix of horror and thriller.
MM: Yes, Silence of the Lambs is a thriller. To me, a thriller is a movie that has some kind of mystery to the story, and a creep factor. It may have some suspense to it, and some fast-paced action.
BS: Yeah, I think Silence of the Lambs and movies like that get more involved in the crime aspect of things, in the detective work and all that.
MM: Where horror is fear, and wanting to scare and terrorize viewers.
BS: Yes. The main purpose of a thriller is not to terrify you. It's to build suspense, but not necessarily to scare the shit out of you.
MM: For example, Jaws. The ocean at night is creepy, and when she jumps in the water at the beginning, you know that shark is coming. That's where it starts to get suspenseful. Jaws is also a thriller, not horror.
MM: It can also come down to someone's personal perception, what they find to be horror or thriller. You and I may not agree. I think it can also be different for men and women. Women are generally more scared, or creeped out easier. So what I might find terrifying, you may find laughable. I've got a great example, if you want to debate the movie with me... I know we dont agree. Let's talk Blair Witch Project.
BS: You know I hate it, right?
BS: But even though I don't like it, I will definitely say it's a horror movie, and not a thriller.
MM: And I was going to say it's a thriller.
BS: Wow, really? Explain.
MM: First off, I have a tendency to over-think a little, and try to put myself in that moment. I guess you can say I'm a girly girl. Yes, I like horror, but I do get freaked out pretty easily. With that movie, think of being lost in the woods, with knowing the back story, and hearing all the creepy things at night. Anyone would be a little freaked out. Then again, i think it comes down to girls being more scared.
BS: But don't you feel like since the whole thing is about making you scared, that it's horror?
MM: The movie had its suspenseful moments and creep factor, but nothing compared to what horror is. Did I find it terrifying? No. The movie wasn't violent, nor did it have a villain--that we saw, anyway.
BS: It did have an evil spirit, though. See for me, that totally takes it into horror territory. Maybe if it was something human, i might think differently.
MM: Yes, but as I said, in my opinion a movie can be supernatural and still be more thriller than horror.
BS: Yes, we disagree there. I think if there's something unreal, something beyond reality that can't be explained rationally, it's automatically horror. You're saying some movies like that can still be thrillers. So let me turn it around this way. Give me an example of what you would consider definitely a horror movie, and not a thriller.
BS: Great example, because that's a movie that is not supernatural. It's a human killer, so someone might say that makes it a thriller. But i would agree, it's totally horror. It's not like Silence of the Lambs, because in Halloween, we're not mainly focused on Dr. Loomis and the cops trying to stop Michael. We're mainly focused on watching Michael stalk and kill these kids.
MM: Well most people may disagree, but The Shining is not horror. I really like it, but it's not horror.
BS: Totally disagree. Maybe because I'm thinking thrillers always have to make sense somehow in the real world. And Shining totally doesn't, it's like a nightmare.
MM: He's a writer, taking care of a hotel. That's real-world.
BS: Yeah, but what happens to him? Unless you take the position that it was totally in his head. That might turn it around and make it a thriller...
MM: There are strange happenings, and you wonder about Jack and the other characters. He's losing his mind. He's not all there, that's basically it. I'm not terrified, sitting on the edge of my chair. Is it creepy? Yes, all children in these types of movies are creepy, so once again theres my "creep" factor. That, for me, makes it a thriller.
Here's something I was reading recently [in Taschen's Horror Cinema] about this whole thing that makes sense to me. A thriller is all about the buildup, about the expectations, about the terror of wondering what's going to happen. The suspense. But horror is about actually having that terrible thing happen, seeing your worst fear actually happen, and the effect of it. It's all about absorbing the shock.
MM: I totally agree and again, I think it's going to come down the individual, and what people can and cannot handle.
BS: True. I do think, though, that sometimes filmmakers set out to make a horror movie that turns out to be more of a thriller to a lot of people, and vice versa. But here's something else about this whole thing that bothers me. I think sometimes people use the word thriller because they think it makes a movie more respectable than being a horror movie.
MM: Good point, I agree. A lot of people shun horror movies, they automatically think all that blood and guts and torture, it's awful, who wants to see that? I think a lot of people think that way once the title of horror is thrown in there.
MM: It's a fine line and will always be--but it makes for good arguments!
BS: Yes. There will always be a fine line between the two genres. And it led us to this very intriguing debate, so hopefully we made some kind of sense on this tough issue. But in the end, it's up to the viewer to decide!
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Hump-Day Harangue: I Want My Scorsese Horror Movie!!
This is the second major studio film to be bumped into next year, with the first being Universal's The Wolf Man. What a bummer. The prospect of a Scorsese horror movie is enough to send me into fits of geek giggling, and waiting until October was hard enough. By the way, notice how they're trying to position this as a "psychological thriller", when it's so clearly a horror movie? They don't want to stigmatize the film in the eyes of the Academy, or infer that Marty would deign to sully his hands in our beloved genre. But that's a harangue for another week...
But the real reason seems to come down to budget, in these trying economic times. Seems that after shelling out buckets of cash to market Star Trek, Transformers and G.I. Joe this summer, Paramount is tightening its belt just a bit. This will move the flick out of prime Oscar season (autumn), but Paramount is rationalizing the move by pointing out that Silence of the Lambs was also released in February. Whatever gets you through the night, boys.
I suppose there could be worse reasons for the movie getting bumped, so I'm not that upset. The film is supposed to be excellent, and Paramount just wants to position it in such way that they can give it the push it deserves. Still, I just want to see the damn thing...
Friday, July 17, 2009
A Martin Scorsese HORROR Movie?? Excuse Me While My Head Explodes...
For my money, Martin Scorsese is the finest director working today, with Woody Allen a close second. Mean Streets, Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, King of Comedy, After Hours, Goodfellas, Age of Innocence, Casino, Gangs of New York, The Aviator, The Departed... I could go on and on. The man is a titan of cinema, with a diverse body of work unlike anything attempted by his many imitators. Simply put, I will automatically go see a movie just because it has his name on it.
And now, comes this incredible trailer for his newest flick, Shutter Island, starring Leo DiCaprio--who is apparently the new Bobby DeNiro, this being his fourth movie with Marty. Can it be? Do we have an actual, honest-to-goodness horror movie from Martin effing Scorsese? And if so, can you imagine the possibilities? I suppose sticklers would classify it more as a "thriller", but check this sucker out...
I will excuse you while you go change your pants.
Back? Good. How amazing was that? Scorsese has proven he can do crime drama (Lord knows), religious epic, period flick, screwball comedy, biography, etc. But never anything even remotely approaching a genre piece. You can expect me to be first in line (do people even line up for movies anymore?) on October 2 when this bad boy drops.
Oh, and did I mention what's next up for Scorsese? A FRANK SINATRA BIOPIC. Dude. Words fail...
And now, comes this incredible trailer for his newest flick, Shutter Island, starring Leo DiCaprio--who is apparently the new Bobby DeNiro, this being his fourth movie with Marty. Can it be? Do we have an actual, honest-to-goodness horror movie from Martin effing Scorsese? And if so, can you imagine the possibilities? I suppose sticklers would classify it more as a "thriller", but check this sucker out...
I will excuse you while you go change your pants.
Back? Good. How amazing was that? Scorsese has proven he can do crime drama (Lord knows), religious epic, period flick, screwball comedy, biography, etc. But never anything even remotely approaching a genre piece. You can expect me to be first in line (do people even line up for movies anymore?) on October 2 when this bad boy drops.
Oh, and did I mention what's next up for Scorsese? A FRANK SINATRA BIOPIC. Dude. Words fail...
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
The Tuesday Top 10: Creepiest Music Videos
Continuing the musical theme here in the Vault, join me this week as I take a look at the freakiest, eeriest, spookiest music videos ever to creep out our ADHD-addled, MTV generation brains. Enjoy...
10. "School's Out" by Gwar
Ah, Gwar, how I miss you. Gladiator costumes, fishnets, giant mechanical penises ejaculating on the crowd... that was music, kids.
9. "White Wedding" by Billy Idol
Eighties new wave meets Bride of Frankenstein. This one is just plain weird. Honestly, I find myself creeped out by Billy's sneer more than anything else.
8. "Y Control" by The Yeah, Yeah, Yeahs
A band I truly love, and not one I'd usually expect to creep me out. But they pulled it off, all thanks to that always reliable tool--creepy kids!
7. "Bark at the Moon" by Ozzy Osbourne
It's Ozzy as Dr. Jekyll--what more do you want???
6. "Dig Up Her Bones" by The Misfits
Everything The Misfits did was scary as hell. And this one's about as good as it gets. Horror-punk at its best. Gotta love the Franky cameo!
5. "Closer" by Nine Inch Nails
A bizarre, demented peak into the mind of Trent Reznor, whom Tori Amos once said "just needs a cup of hot cocoa and a warm blankie." Maybe so Tori, maybe so.
4. "Sober" by Tool
Stop-motion animation hasn't been this scary since the heyday of Ray Harryhausen. Also, points to anyone who can tell me what the eff is going on in this video...
3. "Thriller" by Michael Jackson
Duh, no-brainer. I'm not ashamed to admit that this video scared the bejeezus out of me as a kid. With the help of John Landis, the late King of Pop paid homage to zombie cinema with style.
2. "Dragula" by Rob Zombie
Was there any question that this guy was going to go on to become a horror movie director? Watch out for the footage from the 1920 Jekyll & Hyde, recently reviewed here.
1. "Sweet Dreams" by Marilyn Manson
The first time I saw it, with no knowledge of who the guy was, this video bored into my soul and filled my heart with icewater. I remember thinking, is this guy even human, or some kind of CG effect? Since then, he's become more of a camp figure, but back then, this clip was the stuff of nightmares.
10. "School's Out" by Gwar
Ah, Gwar, how I miss you. Gladiator costumes, fishnets, giant mechanical penises ejaculating on the crowd... that was music, kids.
9. "White Wedding" by Billy Idol
Eighties new wave meets Bride of Frankenstein. This one is just plain weird. Honestly, I find myself creeped out by Billy's sneer more than anything else.
8. "Y Control" by The Yeah, Yeah, Yeahs
A band I truly love, and not one I'd usually expect to creep me out. But they pulled it off, all thanks to that always reliable tool--creepy kids!
Music Videos by VideoCure
7. "Bark at the Moon" by Ozzy Osbourne
It's Ozzy as Dr. Jekyll--what more do you want???
6. "Dig Up Her Bones" by The Misfits
Everything The Misfits did was scary as hell. And this one's about as good as it gets. Horror-punk at its best. Gotta love the Franky cameo!
5. "Closer" by Nine Inch Nails
A bizarre, demented peak into the mind of Trent Reznor, whom Tori Amos once said "just needs a cup of hot cocoa and a warm blankie." Maybe so Tori, maybe so.
4. "Sober" by Tool
Stop-motion animation hasn't been this scary since the heyday of Ray Harryhausen. Also, points to anyone who can tell me what the eff is going on in this video...
3. "Thriller" by Michael Jackson
Duh, no-brainer. I'm not ashamed to admit that this video scared the bejeezus out of me as a kid. With the help of John Landis, the late King of Pop paid homage to zombie cinema with style.
2. "Dragula" by Rob Zombie
Was there any question that this guy was going to go on to become a horror movie director? Watch out for the footage from the 1920 Jekyll & Hyde, recently reviewed here.
1. "Sweet Dreams" by Marilyn Manson
Music Videos by VideoCure
The first time I saw it, with no knowledge of who the guy was, this video bored into my soul and filled my heart with icewater. I remember thinking, is this guy even human, or some kind of CG effect? Since then, he's become more of a camp figure, but back then, this clip was the stuff of nightmares.
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
The Tuesday Top 10: Favorite Horror-Themed Songs
Day of the Woman's thought-provoking post yesterday on the intersection between music and horror has put me in a musical state of mind. And so, for today's Tuesday Top 10, I've compiled my all-time favorite horror-themed songs. Now, some of these tunes are scary, and others are just steeped in the horror milieu. So scariness was not a requirement. Rather, these are the top songs that come to my mind in connection with the genre I adore so much...
10. The Time Warp
What would the list be without a number from the greatest horror musical of them all. Just a fun, anthemic song that epitomizes what The Rocky Horror Picture Show is all about, and why it has gained such an infectious fan following. Plus, I just love Magenta's Marlene Dietrich impression.
9. Black Sabbath
The title song of Black Sabbath's self-titled first album is a genuinely terrifying song. Just listening to Ozzy wail, "Oh no, no, please, God help me!" gives me goosebumps. A sinister song that was probably partly to blame for legions of parents freaking out over their kids listening to this band.
8. Thriller
How could I not include Michael Jackson's pop ode to zombie culture? Plus, the video was even directed by John Landis. Big-time extra points for the rockin' appearance of the one and only Vincent Price, delivering perhaps the greatest rap of all time. "The funk of 40,000 years," indeed. V-Price could spit mad lyrics, yo.
7. Werewolves of London
God bless Warren Zevon. This staple of 1980s classic rock radio is the kind of song you just can't get out of your head. Plus, you've got major references to Lon Chaney Jr. and Sr., and the title itself is Universal-inspired. I'll never give up hope of one day seeing a werewolf drinking a pina colada at Trader Vick's. Hopefully, his hair will be perfect.
6. The Thing That Should Not Be
Metallica be some horror freaks, with a particular obsession with the work of H.P. Lovecraft. And this song is their magnum opus to the Cthulhu mythos, creepy as hell and grim in the extreme. In fact, I recommend you check out this excellent fan video created for the song--pointed out to me by the Vault's resident Lovecraft expert, RayRay.
5. Ghostbusters
Rumor has it that Ivan Reitman wanted Huey Lewis & The News to record the title song for his movie, but when they turned him down, he brought in smooth jazz crooner Ray Parker Jr. and got him to basically record a Huey Lewis-style song. Whatever the case may be, there is probably no one born between 1970 and 1980 who doesn't know all the lyrics by heart...
4. Surfin' Dead
God damn, but this is a great song by The Cramps, featured prominently in the soundtrack to The Return of the Living Dead. In fact, that flick is filled to the brim with rockin' horror tunes, so I figured I'd limit it to just one. In reality, I could probably fill this entire list with them if I wanted to.
3. Don't Fear the Reaper
Such bleak subject matter for such a mellow-sounding song! Blue Oyster Cult's biggest hit pops up in the original Halloween, and of course was also the opening theme to the miniseries of Stephen King's The Stand. Forty-thousand men and women every day...
2. The Monster Mash
So corny, but so much damn fun. Who doesn't love Bobby "Boris" Pickett's iconic novelty smash of the 1960s. A surf-tinged tune that conjures up all the innocent fun of the "monster kid" era. I can play this one for my kids 20 times in a row, and they'll still keep asking for it. In fact, it would've been very easy to slap this one up at number one. But I had to be brutally honest with myself and pick my true favorite...
1. This Is Halloween
It figures that Danny Elfman, formerly of Oingo Boingo, would come up with this deliciously eery theme song for Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas. The song is a perfect homage to childhood terrors, and sets the scene excellently for Burton's unique vision. This one always reminds me of what it's like to be a kid hiding under the covers from vampires... Plus, Marilyn Manson also did an awesome cover of it!
Some inevitable runners-up:
What would the list be without a number from the greatest horror musical of them all. Just a fun, anthemic song that epitomizes what The Rocky Horror Picture Show is all about, and why it has gained such an infectious fan following. Plus, I just love Magenta's Marlene Dietrich impression.
The title song of Black Sabbath's self-titled first album is a genuinely terrifying song. Just listening to Ozzy wail, "Oh no, no, please, God help me!" gives me goosebumps. A sinister song that was probably partly to blame for legions of parents freaking out over their kids listening to this band.
How could I not include Michael Jackson's pop ode to zombie culture? Plus, the video was even directed by John Landis. Big-time extra points for the rockin' appearance of the one and only Vincent Price, delivering perhaps the greatest rap of all time. "The funk of 40,000 years," indeed. V-Price could spit mad lyrics, yo.
God bless Warren Zevon. This staple of 1980s classic rock radio is the kind of song you just can't get out of your head. Plus, you've got major references to Lon Chaney Jr. and Sr., and the title itself is Universal-inspired. I'll never give up hope of one day seeing a werewolf drinking a pina colada at Trader Vick's. Hopefully, his hair will be perfect.
Metallica be some horror freaks, with a particular obsession with the work of H.P. Lovecraft. And this song is their magnum opus to the Cthulhu mythos, creepy as hell and grim in the extreme. In fact, I recommend you check out this excellent fan video created for the song--pointed out to me by the Vault's resident Lovecraft expert, RayRay.
Rumor has it that Ivan Reitman wanted Huey Lewis & The News to record the title song for his movie, but when they turned him down, he brought in smooth jazz crooner Ray Parker Jr. and got him to basically record a Huey Lewis-style song. Whatever the case may be, there is probably no one born between 1970 and 1980 who doesn't know all the lyrics by heart...
God damn, but this is a great song by The Cramps, featured prominently in the soundtrack to The Return of the Living Dead. In fact, that flick is filled to the brim with rockin' horror tunes, so I figured I'd limit it to just one. In reality, I could probably fill this entire list with them if I wanted to.
Such bleak subject matter for such a mellow-sounding song! Blue Oyster Cult's biggest hit pops up in the original Halloween, and of course was also the opening theme to the miniseries of Stephen King's The Stand. Forty-thousand men and women every day...
So corny, but so much damn fun. Who doesn't love Bobby "Boris" Pickett's iconic novelty smash of the 1960s. A surf-tinged tune that conjures up all the innocent fun of the "monster kid" era. I can play this one for my kids 20 times in a row, and they'll still keep asking for it. In fact, it would've been very easy to slap this one up at number one. But I had to be brutally honest with myself and pick my true favorite...
It figures that Danny Elfman, formerly of Oingo Boingo, would come up with this deliciously eery theme song for Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas. The song is a perfect homage to childhood terrors, and sets the scene excellently for Burton's unique vision. This one always reminds me of what it's like to be a kid hiding under the covers from vampires... Plus, Marilyn Manson also did an awesome cover of it!
Some inevitable runners-up:
- "I Put a Spell on You" by Creedence Clearwater Revival
- "Bela Lugosi's Dead" by Bauhaus
- "Love Song for a Vampire" by Annie Lennox
- "Dead Man's Party" by Oingo Boingo
- "The Downward Spiral" by Nine Inch Nails
- "Nature Trail to Hell" by Weird Al Yankovic
- "Sweet Dreams" by Marilyn Manson
- "Summer Breeze" by Type O-Negative
- "Mad Monster Party" by Ethel Ennis
Sunday, June 7, 2009
Homecoming: Misery Meets Dawson's Creek
Directed by Morgan J. Freeman, not be confused with that guy who played Easy Reader on The Electric Company, Homecoming is the precious tale of Mike and Elizabeth, college sweethearts who run into trouble in Matt's quaint hometown when his batshit crazy high school girlfriend Shelby kidnaps the new gf and tortures her Kathy Bates-style while the rest of the town spends the rest of the movie trying to figure out where she is.
Mike is played by Matt Long, whom you may know better as the young Johnny Blaze from the Ghost Rider movie. Elizabeth is played by Jessica Stroup, also known as one of the regulars from the new 90210, as well as Claire from the Prom Night remake. And if those credentials are giving you a sinking feeling, it's with good reason.
Freeman's most high-profile project to date has been 2002's direct-to-video sequel to American Psycho, and yes, he did in fact direct an episode of Dawson's Creek back in the day. Maybe that's part of why I couldn't shake the sense that this was a hamfisted attempt to create a psychological thriller for the YouTube generation. And in the process forgetting that what makes a great thriller is engaging characters, genuinely suspenseful situations, and plausible motivations--regardless of the target demo.
But hey, here's that great Bowie cover, anyway:
Saturday, May 3, 2008
Black House Brings the Scares, K-Horror Style
So says Jun-oh, the main character of Black House, the newest South Korean horror film to gain an American DVD release. And neither did I, until I saw this movie. It's unfortunate that those without an understanding of a film's original language can never fully assess its dialogue. But clumsy translations aside, Black House--a.k.a. Geomeun Jip--is a well-made and enjoyable hybrid of psychological thriller and slasher flick.
For those who care about this sort of thing, this review will contain some big-time spoilers, but there's just no way for me to do the movie justice without them. That said, this is an intelligent horror movie that deals primarily with the issues of psychopaths living in our midst every day, and how they coexist--or fail to do so--with the rest of society.
The central conflict is between the antagonist Yi-Hwa, a cold-blooded killer who remorsely maims and slaughters her own husbands and children for insurance money, and the aforementioned Jun-oh, a protagonist so deeply empathetic that he cannot even bring himself to kill Yi-Hwa, even when directly threatened by her. This clash of a pure psychopath and the most humane of heroes is particularly interesting, especially in their final confrontation--a very clever take on the classic slasher movie ending in which the killer inflicts her final wound to the hero by destroying herself despite his efforts to prevent it.
The revelation of Yi-Hwa as the murderer is one of the film's major twists, as we are initially led to believe it is her obviously odd husband who is masterminding the insurance crimes. A female movie slasher is an extremely rare thing, and the beautiful Seon Yu plays Yi-Hwa in chillingly effective fashion. Jeong-min Hwang also acquits himself well as the hapless yet good-hearted insurance agent Jun-oh.
First-time director Terra Shin does a solid job of building tension during the picture's well-paced and suspense-driven first half. This only adds to the payoff later, when the movie takes a turn into Saw-like "torture porn" territory. (We even get a particularly hard-to-watch car-key-to-the-eye-socket shot. After Hostel and now this, I'm beginning to think that young one-eyed Asian women are becoming a new horror staple.) And as with most films of this type, it is all extremely well photographed.
The movie is based on a novel by Japanese writer Yusuke Kishi, which was previously adapted in Japan into the 1999 film Kuroi Ei. I haven't seen that, so I can't compare the two (anyone who has is welcome to.) I'm not sure, therefore, whether to blame some of the movie's hard-to-ignore plot holes on the book or the screenplay (wouldn't a red flag be raised if Yi-Hwa has a history of cashing in on the loss of her spouses?)
There's also a certain amount of predictability at work--the second you see how happy Jun-oh and his girlfriend are, you just know she's going to be put in some serious danger before the film is out. But I'm not one to quibble too much about predictability. Someone once said that all the great ideas are already taken, and it's true--there are no new plot devices. Rather, what matters is how the plot devices are executed, and in Black House they are, by and large, done quite well.
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