Cinephemera

So here we are. Another roundup. Didn’t see much this week. I really really have to see Benjamin Button soon. Hopefully this week. I also still need to see Slumdog Millionaire and The Wrestler. If only people would pay me to see movies.

House of 1000 Corpses
Rating: Unworthy

I remember seeing the trailer for this movie when it first came out and it scared the crap out of me. It looked absolutely creepy. I imagine that I might have liked this better had I not seen several other horror classics which this movie emulates perfectly. The only thing new this movie brings to the table is a modern sensibility toward gore. This movie is about 80% Texas Chainsaw Massacre. What made TCM so effective was that you never directly see the gore involved so it’s left to the imagination. The other thing that made TCM a better movie was that it doesn’t spend 90% of the movie grounded in reality only to throw in a ridiculously stupid supernatural element at the end. Essentially, this is a conglomeration of other horror movies.

You’ve also got to be an idiot to think that Sid Haig’s character isn’t in league with the family. I knew the second that the one survivor got into his car at the end that she ain’t safe. The survivor also must have been a complete imbicile to not see the guy who’s been tormenting her the entire movie laying down IN THE BACKSEAT OF THE FREAKING CONVERTIBLE. Rob Zombie is clearly in love with this psychotic family that he’s created. At several points during the movie, he interrupts the story and lets members of the family rant about… stuff. He also uses random solarization effects and split screen at odd points during the movie.

The only redeeming factor? Being surprised to see Rainn Wilson in this. Oh, I guess I just ruined the surprise. Oh well. Best not see it now.

Pineapple Express
Rating: Worthy

So I’m not the biggest fan of the myriad of Apatow produced comedies. For some reason they all seem like they do the same business and don’t differentiate from each other all that much. This movie though, felt different thanks mostly to director David Gordon Green and star James Franco. Franco is nearly unrecognizable in his role as the lovable drug dealer to Seth Rogen’s character. This isn’t your typical stoner comedy either. It’s also a buddy film and an action film. Generally when the two mix, the action portions are rather light and used mostly for a punchline. In this though, the action is actually quite good and while jokes are made, they are actually very funny and fit with the action. It isn’t a particularily raunchy movie either. There are still moments of raunch comedy but for the most part, really great stuff. The chemistry between the two leads is better than in most romantic comedies which now that I think about it, is kind of disturbing.

Carrie
Rating: Worthy

I’ve complained about the current state of horror movies in at least one blog post here and numerous other times to certain friends. I’m sure that these people are already completely sick of my complaining and will punch me in the face if I bring it up again. Give it a few more posts and I’m sure you too will want to punch me in the face. I beg your indulgence for just a moment because this movie is the reason why I hate our current horror films. They used to be so good!

While it’s not straight-up horror until near the end, the film is extremely tense and even tragic. This isn’t some horrible monster stalking people, it’s about the horrible monsters that we can be to others. That’s about as philosophical as I’m going to get. The tragedy of this movie is that a sweet, innocent girl is constantly terrorized not only by her peers but her religious nut of a mother too. For the better part of the movie, you know that the kids are going to do something horrible to Carrie and this makes waiting for that moment to happen practically unbearable. There’s nothing you can do but watch their manipulation take place and know that it will all end in tragedy.

Even more than The Shining, this is the best adaptation of a Stephen King horror work. The best adaptation of any Stephen King story belongs to The Shawshank Redemption.