Filed under: Horror, Movies, Reviews, cinema, cult, exploitation, grindhouse, horror movie, movie, review
MGM studios recently released two uncut horror films on DVD. One of them was one of my favourite slashers, not because it’s amazing but because of a 30 something second massacre. It’s called The Burning. It’s a blatant Friday the 13th rip-off, but a great one at that. I’ll get to that movie once I find it on DVD because unfortunately these DVDs are tough to find. The other film was a quaint little horror film called Scarecrows. I hadn’t seen it before but I figured it had to be a good horror flick if it was released alongside The Burning. It’s not amazing, but it’s got pitch perfect atmosphere and setting.
The film opens with a news broadcast telling us about a robbery as we see a plane screeching across forestland. There is an unsettling stench in the air, you get the feeling something just isn’t right. Inside the plane are five heist men and women holding the pilot and his daughter hostage as they try to make their way to Mexico with a large sum of money. It is here that we find one of them carrying his plan foreword. He throws a smoke grenade, and jumps out of the plane with the money; he’s obviously betrayed his heist mates. The four others proceed to follow him, three of which jump out of the plan for chase while the other guards the pilot and his daughter for a safe landing. Unknowing to all involved is that they land on a haunted cornfield where scarecrows await them. Once the gang comes close to their backstabber the scarecrows jump out and gut him, stuffing his body with the money.
Sadly, that’s about it when it comes to the plot. There are no explanations as to why or who or where but enough of it to carry onward in a somewhat tolerable pace. Sooner or later everyone reaches an unoccupied farmhouse where we see a photo of, presumably who used to live there. The Fowler family as billed on the credits, but even that isn’t mentioned in the film. We are to assume that they are in fact the three scarecrows. Which are actually sort of zombie scarecrows. While the acting is bad and the plot thinner than Kate Moss, director William Wesley shows off some serious talent creating profound creepy atmosphere. The silence in the air, the close ups of scarecrows (while too many) and the setting are fantastic. The scarecrows themselves are great looking, their faces resemble blank human stares while the tattered and torn clothing add to the creepy factor. The robbers have one girl who screams Barbie, while the rest of them each fit the character slot. The leader even goes insane at one point talking to his dead buddy.
The film may have some downfalls, but its atmosphere takes it up a couple pegs allowing for a really enjoyable viewing for horror fans. It’s nothing more or less than a good horror movie that feels a bit dated and at 12 bucks or so it’s definitely worth it.
I went over to Cinema-Suicide and saw the new poster of Funny Games. I had completely forgot about this entire thing. After further investigation I have discovered the Funny Games trailer on youtube. It’s looking to be a shot for shot remake, meaning (i hope…) NAKED CITY. When I first saw Funny Games I was so overwhelmed by the fact that one of my favourite bands, Naked City (John Zorn, who also created the Big Gundown a reworked cover album of Ennio Morricone’s work) pumped through my speakers as the titles were shown on screen. Funny Games is a brilliant film. I couldn’t get enough of it. I had to watch it again. Thats right, I saw it twice in a row. I didn’t wake up in time for school the next day because of it. But my life was changed.
“You shouldn’t forget the importance of entertainment.”
Fuckin’ yeah.
(if the youtube video doesn’t work here is the link for the msn video: http://video.msn.com/?mkt=en-us&??f=msnmovies/64&vid=c85ab50d-6ed1-4ea4-9e72-f281e8d11864)
Yay. I get to see a special screening of the new Wizard of Gore with Crispin Glover on thursday october the 18th. Courtesy of Rue-Morgue. Click image for more info.
Expect a review. Should be great fun.
Filed under: Movies, Reviews, cinema, cult, exploitation, grindhouse, movie
When I made my first appearance to the Toronto Film Festival back in 2002, I caught a screening of Takashi Miike’s Zebraman. It was a loud and energetic and was more clever the half of the other films I caught that year. It was an intentional cult film with the likeness of Godzilla and Power Rangers. It was my first time seeing a Miike film with other Miike fans. The film seemed to feed off of the audience. It was astounding. Sukiyaki Western Django is no different. It’s loud, violent, beautiful, funny and in every way a Miike film.
The film opens in a brilliantly designed set with colorful backdrops adding a comic like atmosphere. Tarantino plays Piringo, a gunslinger toying with a snake’s egg when a group of bandits jump him. He proceeds to tell them about the Battle of Dannoura in 1185. A Japanese twist on the War of the Roses. Accents are put on and off during the entire prologue. Piringo finishes his story with a bang. Well, a couple of bangs as blood sprays on the painted backdrops of mountains. He cracks the egg, pours it into his Sukiyaki dish, cue the laughter. The title’s swish into screen: Sukiyaki Western Django (obvious Japanese wordplay on Spaghetti Western).
The rest of the film is set hundreds of years after the battle of Dannoura, the 1800’s. We are introduced to the town of Nevada, and upon further investigation, it’s really Nebada since the Japanese have no v sound. In comes the man with no name, and I call it that because the story is basically the same as Fistful of Dollars with samurai twists, which actually is Yojimba. The man with no name (Hideaki Ito) is pinned between the Heike (red) and Genji (white) clans where he apparently has to make up his mind as to which clan he should join, both of which are in Nebada for the prosperous gold which it holds. In comes young Heihachi, a half Genji half Heike child whose father was slain by Heike madman Henry (aka Kiyomori (Koichi Sato)). Heihachi’s grandmother, Ruriko has a secretive past as a natural gunslinger and runs the general goods store. Heihachi’s mother, Shizuka has sworn revenge against the Heike and takes refuge as a dancer for the Genji. The cast seems to enjoy what they are doing and you can see the fun they are having.
What is truly unique is the fact that Miike has all the actors speaking their lines in English, but despite their inability to understand the language, it comes off as challenge in tolerance. But no need to fret for the subtitles allows the film to carry on without it interfering. It’s interesting to see the two cultures of the west and east collide; the sets use both samurai and western themes. The film is frequently funny and the action sequences are phenomenal, including a brilliantly shot and directed scene where the man with no name jumps through a window and onto his horse. Only a few elements are tiresome and boring. There are long pauses of silence, which although allow Miike to work his visual magic, is a pain to sit through due to the 20 minutes of awkward scenes led by Takuyuki Kagawa who plays the clinically insane sheriff. Without those 20 minutes, the film would run at a perfect 100 minutes. The scenes are good and the performance is great, it just feels like it shouldn’t belong. Miike uses a wide array of emotions, colours and sounds to bring a truly fun film for fans to enjoy. He uses a style that embraces the vibrant jokes film portrays. While the film isn’t necessarily a Japanese Django remake, it is a Japanese Django prequel, and the gatling gun is still here. Sukiyaki Western Django is an intentional joke that triumphs, a truly wonderful film that should have you smiling throughout.
