10 Cloverfield Lane: 13 Nerdy Nights of Horror Year 3 - Day 5

            In 2008, the film “Cloverfield” took the world by storm as one of the first found footage movie in years to capture mainstream attention. Its plot was simple: a guy in New York, who films his daily life, ends up in the middle of a monster crisis. Nothing special, but with it being the first mainstream found footage movie since “The Blair Witch Project,” it became one of the most talked about movies of that year. However, looking at it today after all of the talk about it has died down completely, it isn’t really all that impressive. I mean, sure at the time it was an interesting film to discuss, but there isn’t much else to it besides that. The characters aren’t that memorable, the camera work is really aggravating, the scares aren’t effective, and it’s just a boring flick. I mean, it might have worked if I saw it during its hype, but even then I would say that it doesn’t hold up as well.

            When talks of a sequel were buzzing around, a lot of people speculated that it was going to be “Super 8,” but the film had nothing to do with “Cloverfield.” So as time went by, the idea of a sequel had practically left everybody’s mind…that is until we saw THIS:

  

            That’s right. A sequel to “Cloverfield” came completely out of nowhere, and everybody was taken off guard by it, listed under the titles "The Cellar" and "Valencia." Directed by Dan Trachtenberg and written by Josh Campbell, Matt Stuecken, and Damien Chazelle, the film stars Mary Elizabeth Winstead, John Goodman, and John Gallagher Jr, living in a bunker shelter to keep safe from a supernatural attack that can’t exactly be explained. Considering I wasn’t that enthusiastic with the first film, I had pretty low expectations for this film. However, considering it had pretty captivating marketing, I felt like giving it a chance.

            So, how did this film turn out? All I can say is, I was really impressed with what I saw. “10 Cloverfield Lane” is not only good, it’s one of the most effective films I have seen this year.

            With the film taking place mostly in the bunker, it fills you with this sense of claustrophobia that bites at you with each passing second. With such limited space, with the only two people being complete strangers who you never know what’s truly going through their heads or what will happen next. It’s another aspect that I love about the film, how it keeps you on your toes guessing, even in the scenes where it’s a little calmer. We do have a definitive antagonist, but we’re not quite sure if what he says is all made up, or if what he said about the dangers happening are true or not. With this being Dan Trachtenberg’s first film, I can definitely see a bright future for this director, so I’m looking forward to what he’ll bring next.

            Mary Elizabeth Winstead as our heroine, Michelle, really does a magnificent job. We sympathize with her character, trapped and scared with people who for all she knew could be serial killers, especially one of them. And throughout the film, she goes from somebody unsure about herself, into a woman willing to put up a fight if it means surviving. Usually, when Mary Elizabeth Winstead is in a horror film, it turns out complete shit (“Black Christmas,” “The Ring Two,” and “The Thing (2011)” being prime example), but I guess she managed to break that curse here. John Gallagher, Jr. as Emmett is very likable in this film too. He’s charismatic, good natured, optimistic with the brighter sides of things, and willing to throw himself for the sake of others. You really grow to like the guy as you watch the film, making it all the more heartbreaking by the end of the film.

            Of course, the main highlight of the film is John Goodman as Howard. All I can say is John Goodman delivered the most disturbing performance of his career. Every second he’s on screen, he always has this unsettling nature to him, like he’ll snap at any second and break somebody’s neck. And just when you think he couldn’t get any creepier, the secrets that reveal his character later on become even more unsettling. The Academy Awards has yet to honor John Goodman an Oscar, but I’m kind of hoping that changes with this performance.

            Now, was there anything that I didn’t like about the film? Well, I’d have to say it was the ending. Not that it was bad, far from it, but with it being connected to the “Cloverfield” universe, I kind of wished it wasn’t. I was so enchanted by the scenario that I completely forgot that it was supposed to be a sequel, and I think even the film makers did too. It felt like the ending was done at the last minute to remind audiences that it was still in the same universe. But that’s just me.

            Overall, “10 Cloverfield Lane” is one of the most enthralling movies that I’ve seen this year. Regardless of how you felt about the first “Cloverfield” movie, I’m guaranteeing you’ll love this film. If you’ve got $20 to spare, go out and buy the blu ray for this film, and have yourself a great film to watch for Halloween.

Rating: 9/10

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children: 13 Nerdy Nights of Horror Year 3 - Day 4

            I’ve given my thoughts on Tim Burton in the past, seeing him as one of the most inspiring directors of the past thirty years, and some of his films being among my absolute favorites. Sure, some of his films during the turn of the millennium weren’t that great, but I think he has been getting back into the green recently. Hell, his last film “Big Eyes” was among my top 10 favorite films of 2014. And while I do have something planned later on this year relating to the man’s work, right now we’ll be talking about his newest film, “Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children.”

            In our modern world, we follow the life of Jake Portman, a boy who travels to an island in Wales, in search of his grandfather’s old friend after his tragic murder. What he finds is a group of peculiar children, guided by Miss Alma Peregrine, who hide out in time loops to relive the same day of choosing, in order to hide from the monsters that hunt for them.

            Now, let me be clear, I haven’t read the book that this film is based on, so I’m only look at this film on its own. Got it? Good, great, grand! Now, NO YELLING ON THE BUS!... Anyways, what did I think of this movie? Well, I thought it was good, but I wouldn’t exactly say it’s among Burton’s best work. The same can be said for the screenwriter, Jane Goldman, who’s written for almost every Matthew Vaughn project (including “Kingsman” and “X-Men: First Class”). Not the best, but still enjoyable.

            For starters, there are times when the pacing was a little unbalanced. After the opening credits, it felt like things were suddenly going by so quickly, you’ll feel like you missed something. Or it could be a case where scenes feel out of order, like Jake being made fun of by his classmates or his connection with his grandfather, and we won’t get an explanation until ten minutes later. It felt like it needed one more editing job before it was officially ready for release. I also felt like some of the characters were a bit underdeveloped. A few of the peculiar children, a couple of the villains, and even the normal people weren’t as investing as they could have been. We don’t get much a connection between Jake and his parents, aside from Chris O’Dowd as the dad, who isn’t interesting in the slightest. As for the villains known as the Hollows, aside from Mister Baron, we don’t get much screen time with. I mean, when you see them in the climax, they’re awesome, but it wasn’t used to as much effect as I was expecting, and instead more focus is used on the more mindless Hollows, who look like the Slenderman with a mouth.

            Aside from that, everything else in the film was very enjoyable to watch. When we finally do get to the time loop the peculiars stay in, the film really manages to showcase some of Burton’s whimsical nature. For starters, the production design is truly magnificent when going through times and different sets. If there is one thing that Burton films never fail to do, it’s look like they have effort put into it. Hell, even in films like “Dark Shadows” or “Planet of the Apes,” I can at least give credit that the films LOOK amazing. The titular Peculiar children’s talents are quite unique to them, both in shape and size, and the child actors portraying them are fairly good. You got one with super strength, one that makes plants grow huge, one with a mouth in the back of her head, a girl who can heat things with the touch of her hands, a pair of twins, a boy who can reanimate objects, and a girl who is full of air. While three of them do get developed throughout the film, I kind of wished the film showcased all of them just a little bit more. But hey, what can you do? Asa Butterfield as Jake is fairly enjoyable. The thing about Tim Burton’s films is that he often does tales about outcasts who don’t seem to fit in within society, and Jake is no exception. Jake is like us, wanting to believe the stories we were told as children were true, and live them out like we always dreamed of. We’re shown that at school and even with his parents, he doesn’t really have a good sense of connection with them, but through being with the Peculiars and adapting his grandfather’s abilities does he come to find where his true acceptance lies.

            However, there are two performances that truly steal the show and make up for some of my complaints about the film. One is Eva Green as Miss Peregrine. Being the head of the house of Peculiars, and one who’s able to control time within a certain day, she’s very knowledgeable about what to expect within it, right down to even the simplest of details, like how much a person weighs and how fast they’ll arrive at a certain point in time. Even when she knows how something will unfold, but goes along with it as if she knows an alternative will pop up. With this being her second Burton film, I have a feeling she’ll most likely appear in more. And the second performance that I absolutely adore is from the villain, Mister Baron, played by Samuel L. Jackson. All I can say is, he looks like he’s having the time of his life in this performance. Every time he’s on screen, he chews the scenery with every passing second, and always manages to get a good laugh out of it. He truly brings more life to the film when he pops up, and at times I can probably tell he’s improvising. An interesting fact that I read up about was how Jackson compared Burton’s directing to that of Tarantino’s, giving you the directions but allowing you to add some flare of your own if it fits, both in a very similar manner. Kind of makes me wonder why Jackson didn’t work with him sooner.

            Overall, what are my final thoughts with “Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children?” Well, while it may be on the weaker side of Burton’s filmography, I still think it’s worth checking out. There is still a lot of wonder to witness in the film, and I do believe some of the performances, particularly with Eva Green and Sam Jackson, make the film all the more enjoyable. If you like it more or less, then I get why.

Rating: 7/10

The 5th Wave: 13 Nerdy Nights of Horror Year 3 - Day 3

            As “The Hunger Games” ends, “Divergent” franchises continue on (barely at this point), "The Maze Runner" put on hold, and the world of “Harry Potter” await their return to theaters in November, another YA series tries to rear its ugly head and grab whatever cash comes closest to the sewer lid. That series was none other than “The 5^th Wave.”

            In a time not far from our own, an alien race begins its invasion on the human race, slowly but surely lowering their defenses, and inhabiting their bodies as their own. Cassie Sullivan, a survivor of the attacks, goes on a hunt for one of the bases, in hopes of rescuing her little brother.

            Question: does this plot sound vaguely familiar? An alien race invading humanity and inhabiting their bodies? Yeah, that’s because this film is a complete rip-off of “Invasion of the Body Snatchers,” disguised as a YA adaptation…just three years after “The Host,” ANOTHER “Invasion of the Body Snatchers” rip-off that came out three years ago. Now, I’ve made my stance with rip-offs pretty clear, so how did this one fair out? Well, pretty bad, obviously.

            The movie has such a slow and broken pace, you could have sworn that someone had stitched together four completely different movies into one. At one point, it’s an apocalyptic survivor film, then it becomes “Divergent,” then it’s “The Maze Runner,” and then you realize this is a fucking mess of a movie. It’s so confusing to figure out what this film is trying to be, that it really soils any kind of enjoyment to be had with whatever merit this film may have.

            The action scenes are also very dull and you can barely see anything that’s happening, especially when most of them are in the dark. Plus, with what little development there is with any of these characters, we can’t find any sympathy in them, aside from the main character.

            Is there any merit? Yeah, there is. Chloe Grace Moretz does a good job, playing a survivor that wants to get her brother back, especially since he’s the only family she has left. You do feel that sense of desperation she has in her character as she treads through her journey. Same for some of the other young cast members like Tony Revolori, Nick Robinson, Talitha Bateman, Nadji Jeter, and Maika Monroe. They do try to make the best of this, but with how little material they’re given, it doesn’t give them room to shine.

            The rest of the cast, however, is so dull. Ron Livingston and Maggie Siff as the parents were useless, Maria Bello was…there, and Liev Schreiber as the villain was easily the worst part about this movie. I mean, as Ray Donovan and Sabertooth, Schreiber is a fucking badass, but as this guy, it left no impression on me. This character and performance are so generic, so uninteresting, that it didn’t really need to be Liev Schreiber playing him. You could have had anybody play this character, even Jai Courtney, and it wouldn’t have made a difference.

            The film was co-written by Akiva Goldsman, which should give you an indication on how this film would turn out. Yes, he did write “A Beautiful Mind,” “Cinderella Man,” and “The Da Vinci Code,” but don’t forget that he wrote the Joel Schumacher Batman films too. As for the director of this film, J Blakeson, he needs to find better scripts to direct.

            Overall, “The 5^th Wave” was just another failed attempt at adapting a YA series, and much like “The Host,” was just a shitty rip-off of “Invasion of the Body Snatchers.” Aside from the young actors doing their best, it just makes me wish their talents were put to use in a much better film. And rest assure, this will be on my worst of the year list.

Rating: 2/10

The Forest: 13 Nerdy Nights of Horror Year 3 - Day 2

            Much in the tradition of modern cinema, January is considered one of the dumping ground months for bad movies looking to make a quick buck. However, this year actually turned out some pretty decent surprises, which might have been because “The Force Awakens” scared the studios into moving these films back a month to at least make their money back somehow. “Kung Fu Panda 3,” “Dirty Grandpa,” and even Michael Bay’s “13 Hours” were all pretty enjoyable. The same can be said for the horror film that kicked off 2016, “The Forest.”

            For those who don’t know, the film centers around the Aokigahara forest, better known as the Suicide Forest, located at the northwest base of Mt. Fuji. We follow Natalie Dormer, who plays a pair of twins that have a psychic connection with one another. When one of them goes into the Aokigahara forest, the other travels from the U.S. to Japan to find her, but soon finds the forest getting to her as much as people feared.

            Making a film revolving about such an area as this is an interesting idea. A forest infamous for people going in and never come out does make for some creative possible outcomes, and it does make for some good material. The Aokigahara has been represented before in a lot of anime, novels, and a few films, but this is what we’re going to be focusing on today.

            The film centers on a pair of twins, who after some traumatic events, develop a psychic connection with one another. When one of them senses the other in danger, she travels to the Aokigahara Forest to look for her, but things start to go downhill for her.

            The atmosphere in this film is really damn good, letting the creepy vibe and uncomfortable feeling be the part that scares you, as opposed to constant jump scares thrown at you like a Platinum Dunes movie would. With all the aura and mystery that the forest is known for, the film manages to keep you on your toes on what could possibly happen next, and leaves you guessing on what’s real and what’s something caused by the forest.

            In terms of the cast, we’re mostly focusing on one of the twins, desperate to find her family before the inevitable or if the same thing happens to her. Natalie Dormer really does a good job with this performance, as you’re really sucked into her dilemma that she goes through, all for the sake of her sister. The film does let you sympathize with her as our central character, and make us hope that she turns out okay in the end.

            Now is there anything that I didn’t like about the film? Well, the side characters are really bland and forgettable. They don’t really do much to stand out, other than being that hot guy, that tour guide, that creepy psychopath, or that one weird hotel manager. Not only does the script barely do anything with them, but the cast doesn’t do anything with the material they got. They just run with it, as basic as anyone else would have. That, and the third act really underwhelming. It turned out the way I was expecting it to be, with the sister escaping while the main girl succumbs to the forest, and then jumpscare. It’s as predictable as you can get, and really takes away from the atmosphere that the rest of the film had.

            Overall, despite the lackluster third act, I still think “The Forest” is a film worth seeing. It’s got some really good atmosphere, the premise is very interesting, and Natalie Dormer does a great job in this leading role. And considering the other horror films that have started out the last few years, this one feels like a breath of fresh air.

Rating: 7/10

Little Shop of Horrors (1986) 30th Anniversary: 13 Nerdy Nights of Horror Year 3 - Day 1

Happy month of Halloween everybody! And welcome, to the 13 Nerdy Nights of Horror Year 3, where I’ll be playing catch up, looking at some of the horror films that have come out within the past year, as well as celebrating some classics or personal favorites of mine. If you’re new to what I do, then please redirect yourself to the two previous years that I’ve done as written blogs. Of course, 2016 is already a pretty scary year, considering what’s been going on, but that’s beside the point. Much like last year, we’ll be looking at a horror musical that I’ve discussed in the past. This time around, we’ll be looking over the film that will be celebrating it’s 30th anniversary: “Little Shop of Horrors.”

For those who don’t know, “Little Shop of Horrors” was originally a 60’s B-horror film, directed and produced by Roger Corman, was about a young plant shop worker, Seymour, who comes into possession of a plant that feeds off of blood. The infamy of this plant brings Seymour fame and riches, but at the cost of human lives. If you know anything about Roger Corman, you’ll know that he makes films fast and cheap, and “Little Shop of Horrors” is a prime example of that. However, due to its execution and dark comedic delivery, the film developed a massive following, which lead to the film becoming a successful Broadway musical, and the musical being adapted into a 1986 feature film; the subject of today.

The musical was developed by the duo of Howard Ashman and Alan Menken, the song writing duo that went on to work on Disney classics such as “The Little Mermaid,” “Aladdin,” and “Beauty & the Beast.” Yeah, try showing THIS to your kids during a marathon. Anyways, when the musical was being developed into a movie, it was going through trouble with finding a proper director for the job, going from people such as John Landis to even Martin Scorsese, who wanted it to be in 3D. However, it didn’t get either, and the job was given to Muppet veteran, Frank Oz, and the rest went from there.

So how did the remake turn out? Much to a lot of people’s surprise, “Little Shop of Horrors” is one of those rare occurrences, where the remake is universally loved more than the original. I think a lot of that came from the fact that the camp value that was present in the original transitioned extremely well, and I think making it a musical made it a lot more acceptable to take in. Not only that, but when it comes to musical to film adaptions, “Little Shop of Horrors” and its camp value manage to make the transition feel really natural, as opposed to usually being in an awkward imbalance between the two. With a story like this, which was kept in the 1950’s, it feels more believable that these kind of characters would be singing out of the blue.

Speaking of the singing, the cast is absolutely perfect in these roles. Rick Moranis as Seymour was such a spectacular choice. The timid nature, the good-hearted attitude, and that optimism for success was realized so damn well. Not only that, but even his singing voice is really damn good. Whether it was performing “Grow For Me” or the duet songs like “Suddenly Seymour” and “Feed Me (Git it),” he showed a lot of effort into them. It makes me wish he did more musicals movies, because he showed some promise. As for Ellen Greene as Audrey, she really sells it with the stereotypical girlfriend who dates the bully, but goes for the nerd later on. While it is a common cliche with most movies, Audrey is well aware of her feelings for Seymour, and the way Greene plays it off is deeply touching, even with her somewhat annoying voice that does fit the character. It was a role that she enjoyed so much that she ended up reprising it decades later, and still does great with it. Let’s not forget, the film is littered with cameos of actors from the 80’s, such as John Candy as a radio DJ, Christopher Guest as the first customer to take notice of Audrey II, Bill Murray as the masochist dental patient (which in the original was played by Jack Nicholson in his first film), and even Jim Belushi (Paul Dooley in the original ending) as the marketing executive that plans to franchise Audrey II.

Of course, it wouldn’t be “Little Shop of Horrors,” without both of its villains. First up, we have Dr. Orin Scrivello, DDS. Oh my god, you could not have gotten anybody more perfect for this role than Steve Martin. Every time he shows up on screen, he’s just chewing the scenery down to it’s every last bit. The energy he has is so radiant, that you can’t take your eyes off of him, no matter how hard you try, and no more is that evident than in his song number, “Dentist!” And last, but definitely not least, is Audrey II. Because it had the masterful Frank Oz at the helm, the effects with Audrey II are absolutely magnificent. Even by today’s standards, they still look amazing, and with it being practical effects as opposed to CGI, it adds to the horror, because its something actually there. Hell, the effects were so good that they were nominated for Best Visual Effects at the Oscars. Then we have Levi Stubbs voicing the creature itself, and it is easily some of the best work he has ever done during his career. He gives Audrey II such a perfect blend of a sinister presence and a comedic personality, that it makes it so much more memorable than it needed to be. If you want further proof of that, just watch the number written specifically for the film, “Mean Green Mother from Outer Space.” Interesting fact, the song was nominated for the Best Original Song Oscar, which Levi Stubbs performed, and was actually the first song with profanity to get nominated. Eat your heart out, “South Park!”

Now one major thing to mention is the ending. When the film was originally shown at test screenings, people who weren’t familiar with the musical were upset about the ending, thus the studio requested a new ending to be shot. Because of this, the theatrical cut was shown instead, and the original was never shown until it was released on DVD in black and white, then put back in on the blu-ray as “The Director’s Cut.” How did I feel about both endings? Well, to be honest, I’m happy with both endings, but I do agree, the original ending that’s from the musical is the one to go with.

If you’re curious, go out and buy the blu-ray and add this to your collection. It’s definitely worth a buy, especially for the Halloween season. After 30 years, it still remains one of the best remakes.

Rating: 10/10