Coventry
Joined Nov 2002
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After enjoying the genius "Late Night with the Devil" - which is truly a must-see and an non-negotiable instant cult classic - I promptly accelerated my purchase of the other two movies written & directed by the Cairnes brothers. "Scare Campaign" was completely unknown to me but now patiently waits on my DVD-shelf. "100 Bloody Acres" is a title I stumbled upon before but felt somewhat reluctant to see because I don't care for absurd splatter/horror comedies too much.
Most horror comedies suffer from the same issue. They are never scary or unsettling, and almost never very funny. "100 Bloody Acres" gets compared to "Tucker and Dale vs. Evil" a lot, and most people find this an honor, but personally I find that title rather overrated. I would compare it to the early 1980s gem "Motel Hell", though.
There's nothing truly exceptional about "100 Bloody Acres", except maybe for the catchy theme song/radio commercial tune Morgan's Organic that is now stuck in my head for the fifth day in a row! In the Australian outback, two yokel brothers - Reg and Lindsay Morgan - discovered that dead human bodies (coming from roadkill) are the ideal secret ingredient for making the best organic fertilizer. When the insecure Reg picks up three stranded travelers, their dubious business risks to get exposed. Lindsay is eager to process living tissue into the fertilizer, but Reg does not agree. There's spluttery gore (mainly body grinding), vulgar/crude gags, questionable body hygiene humor, stoner jokes, and whatnot. Some situations will definitely provide a few chuckles, but most of the film is derivative and it even becomes a bit tedious towards the end. The highlight - to me, at least - is a brief supportive role from John "Wolf Creek" Jarrett as nosy Aussie road-copper.
Most horror comedies suffer from the same issue. They are never scary or unsettling, and almost never very funny. "100 Bloody Acres" gets compared to "Tucker and Dale vs. Evil" a lot, and most people find this an honor, but personally I find that title rather overrated. I would compare it to the early 1980s gem "Motel Hell", though.
There's nothing truly exceptional about "100 Bloody Acres", except maybe for the catchy theme song/radio commercial tune Morgan's Organic that is now stuck in my head for the fifth day in a row! In the Australian outback, two yokel brothers - Reg and Lindsay Morgan - discovered that dead human bodies (coming from roadkill) are the ideal secret ingredient for making the best organic fertilizer. When the insecure Reg picks up three stranded travelers, their dubious business risks to get exposed. Lindsay is eager to process living tissue into the fertilizer, but Reg does not agree. There's spluttery gore (mainly body grinding), vulgar/crude gags, questionable body hygiene humor, stoner jokes, and whatnot. Some situations will definitely provide a few chuckles, but most of the film is derivative and it even becomes a bit tedious towards the end. The highlight - to me, at least - is a brief supportive role from John "Wolf Creek" Jarrett as nosy Aussie road-copper.
"The Cat and the Canary" was originally a stage play, created by John Willard, but it also defined the standards for the typical "old dark house" horror/mystery movies of the 1930s and 1940s. The first adaptation, by Paul Leni in 1927, introduced all the "rules". A greedy group of heirs and heiresses gather in ramshackle old mansion, hidden deep in the Louisianan Bayou, for the will-reading of their eccentric old patriarch. Cyrus Norman specifically demanded to await the 10th anniversary of his passing before announcing who inherits his fortune, so all the guests are edgy and anxious. What follows is a bunch of spooky goings-on that would become repeated endlessly in hundreds of movies: secret passageways, death traps, thunderstorms, escaped loonies from nearby asylums, murdered attorneys, black cats, etc. Etc.
Three version of Willard's classic tale exist. The 1927 silent film is undoubtedly the most superior version. The late 70s version is dull and disappointing, despite the presence of a few excellent actresses (Honor Blackman, Olivia Hussey). The 1939 version is probably the most famous and most accessible of the three, largely thanks to Bob Hope's trademark depiction of the daft & cowardly cousin Wally. And, admittedly, the film is often very funny thanks to Bob Hope's witty lines and grimaces. Still, though, I personally prefer the more sinister aspects of the story, and thus find Gale Sondergaard (as the eerie housekeeper) and George Zucco (as the attorney) the most memorable characters.
Three version of Willard's classic tale exist. The 1927 silent film is undoubtedly the most superior version. The late 70s version is dull and disappointing, despite the presence of a few excellent actresses (Honor Blackman, Olivia Hussey). The 1939 version is probably the most famous and most accessible of the three, largely thanks to Bob Hope's trademark depiction of the daft & cowardly cousin Wally. And, admittedly, the film is often very funny thanks to Bob Hope's witty lines and grimaces. Still, though, I personally prefer the more sinister aspects of the story, and thus find Gale Sondergaard (as the eerie housekeeper) and George Zucco (as the attorney) the most memorable characters.
A good a.k.a. Title for "The Hike" could be "Men Behaving Badly", because literally ALL the male characters in this film are loathsome SOBs. Even the men that are not psychotic & misogynist murderers/rapists are still psychotic & misogynist creeps. So far for faith in humanity...
Anyway, you know the routine of this sort of backwoods survival/torture porn horror. A group of friends, in this case an all-girls clique, heads out to a remote forestry region - there where cellphones don't work and nobody hears you scream - for a weekend of fun & laughter, only to run into some very mean people. Instead of hiking and reconnecting, the girls end up suffering and battling for their lives. Luckily, there is - surprise - one girl with a military combat background!
Given the country of origin, the release year, the themes, and the characters, "The Hike" is clearly an attempt to combo rip-off both "The Descent" and "Eden Lake", but it's not as successful as either of those two. The film is raw and brutal, yet without showing too much on-screen violence or gore. The kills are over rather quickly, and nobody - not even the girlfriends - bothers to mourn over the dead or look after the wounded ones. The girlfriends don't seem to have a believable friendship bond and it's difficult to care about any of them. The climax is also predictable, but still sardonically enjoyable.
Anyway, you know the routine of this sort of backwoods survival/torture porn horror. A group of friends, in this case an all-girls clique, heads out to a remote forestry region - there where cellphones don't work and nobody hears you scream - for a weekend of fun & laughter, only to run into some very mean people. Instead of hiking and reconnecting, the girls end up suffering and battling for their lives. Luckily, there is - surprise - one girl with a military combat background!
Given the country of origin, the release year, the themes, and the characters, "The Hike" is clearly an attempt to combo rip-off both "The Descent" and "Eden Lake", but it's not as successful as either of those two. The film is raw and brutal, yet without showing too much on-screen violence or gore. The kills are over rather quickly, and nobody - not even the girlfriends - bothers to mourn over the dead or look after the wounded ones. The girlfriends don't seem to have a believable friendship bond and it's difficult to care about any of them. The climax is also predictable, but still sardonically enjoyable.