This past Halloween, SAW, the world’s highest grossing horror franchise delivered, what we’re lead to believe, its final installment, ‘SAW 3D‘ (aka ‘SAW 7‘ in cannon terms and ‘SAW The Final Chapter‘ on DVD). Not a bad accomplishment for a franchise which killed off it’s marquee villain Jigsaw (Tobin Bell) in ‘SAW 3‘, a full four movies this, the curtain call. One then, can be fairly confident to suggest that this franchise never had much a grand plan or narrative arch. However, there’s no denying a couple of admirable facts; The SAW franchise has provided the horror genre with its first annual, sequential, and episodical franchise for two decades, and more so, a franchise which the general public, not just horror fans, have connected with, and embraced as an annual Halloween tradition. Make no mistake, this franchise represents THE concept of horror for a generation of cinema goers. Which leaves two questions; is this a fitting end to such grandiose? And is it indeed the absolute end?

SAW The Final Chapter certainly carries the burden of being the final film. All SAW movies have two narrative threads; the poor victims and their gruesome experiences with the Jigsaw traps, and the ongoing cat and mouse game between the police and Jigsaw, or whoever the hell Jigsaw is at any given time (I think it’s been up to four people, I lose count). SAW: The Final Chapter is no different. The victim’s thread here isn’t quite as cleverly conceived as SAW VI’s. This time we have a bogus Jigsaw celebrity survivor, milking the daytime TV circuit for money, pitching his self help seminars for Jigsaw survivors. Except of course, he never was in a Jigsaw trap. The secondary thread once again follows the cops, with the help of Mrs Jigsaw, hot on the heels of Detective Hoffman, the now sole surviving Jigsaw killer, pig mask wearer, and evil puppet operator. In the mean time Carey Elwes (the doctor from the very first SAW film who chopped off his own ankle to survive) returns to the franchise. You very much get the feeling that Elwes negotiated a handsome financial and narrative reward in return for as few days on set as possible. It’s not surprising that the good doctor’s return spawns more contrived flashbacks and even more contrived segways into the ever confusing, ever expanding, backstory.

The traps are as gruesome as ever, but you can certainly tell that creative ways of killing people are are running out. However, one kill featuring neo-Nazi-racist types is particularly, entertainingly, horrid. The film’s opening trap is likewise entertaining, and interestingly, a very public affair, taking place in broad daylight in a shop window. The social commentary here of people using their smart phones to video the torture rather than alerting the police is a nice touch. Public traps would have been an interesting avenue to explore, but one the film ditches after the this opening in favor for the traditional traps in a dingy warehouse. Ultimately the movie struggles to wrap the franchise up, meaning that all loose ends are left to the final five minutes, with a reveal that franchise fans will likely adore, but feels very rushed. So, is this the end? Well the film unsurprisingly leaves the door ajar. There are no planned SAW films for 2011, but sinners beware, the puppet with the crazed moral code still has a puppeteer.

The DVD: As with all SAW films, the Blu-ray looks great, and the transfer is fairly immaculate. High Def suits the SAW franchise, with its close up fetish of guts and gore.., the practical effects team certainly earn their pay cheques and you really get to indulge in their work. As always, movies that were made for 3D in the cinema look a little odd in 2D, but that’s just a side effect of the technique, one that wont be solved unless we all have 3D TVs or the gimmick dies-a-death. In terms of extras you get the usual commentaries, deleted and extended scenes, and trailers. The real treat for gore hounds is the ‘52 Ways To Die‘ featurette, where you can relive the deaths of the franchise.

Also released on March 7 is SAW: The Final Cut – the Limited Edition Ultimate Collection of all 7 movies.

2010 was a fairly strong year for horror; Indie film-makers and new ideas provided us with the most memorable moments. ‘Splice’, ‘Frozen’, ‘Monsters’, and ‘Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale’ provided huge high’s for genre fans. Once again the studio remake system let us all down with tedious repetition. Movies like ‘A Nightmare on Elm Street’, ‘SAW 3D’, and ‘Resident Evil: Afterlife’ continue to be the face of mainstream horror and do a good job in hiding the quality that lurks beneath. However, at least the horror remake cycle shows signs of slowing in 2011, if not ending. So join Deadly Movies for a preview of the best gory, beasty, growly, grimy, dirty, and (this year) alieny movies of 2011.

The Troll Hunter (Date TBC): Scandinavian horror and monsters are hot hot hot. ‘Let The Right One In’, ‘Dead Snow’, ‘Cold Prey’, ‘Harpoon’, and ‘Rare Exports’ have all blazed a trail on the international scene over the past few years, and Hollywood is watching. Look north for the future of horror over the coming decade. This Norwegian offering looks like a brilliant monster fantasy. Yet again it’s a simple, but fascinating concept: Trolls are real (and huge) and live in the Norwegian snow covered wilderness. A group of film students find out about this government coverup and set out to capture the creatures on film. Think ‘The BFG’ for the ‘Cloverfield’ generation.

Cabin In The Woods (Date TBC): Josh Whedon, of Buffy fame, does exploitation horror? Yes please. The title may be uninspiring, harking back to the hight of 70s and 80s exploitation flicks, but with Whedon scripting it has a great chance of revitalising the  ’teens get lost in the woods‘ convention. Remember, Whedon is highly sought after. He’s recently been charged with Marvel’s HUGE project ‘The Avengers’.

Area 51 (Date TBC) and 51 (January 28): Two Area 51 movies for you (Not connected in any way). Remember how much Hollywood likes popular trends? ‘Armageddon’ and ‘Deep Impact’ in 1998, ‘Volcano’ and ‘Dante’s Peak’ in 1997. This year it’s aliens. And loads of them. As well as a few inasion movies (ala ‘Independence Day’). There’ll be two visits to America’s most secret of secret secrets; Area 51. ‘51′ sees journalists gaining access to the facility for the first time, during which an alien resident runs amok. A killer amok at that. ‘Area 51′ is director Oren Peli’s second feature following his hugely successful ‘Paranormal Activity’. Peli will stick to the hand held camera routine as teens and their mischievous recording devices slip undetected into the world’s most protected military base. ‘Area 51′ sounds more interesting, but you just can’t bet against Peli winning this one.

Apollo 18 (March 4): More aliens. This time on the Moon. This intriguing concept is rushing through production at an alarming rate. Green-lit only months ago, posters and viral videos arrived online before a script had even been written, and with a release date set for March, there’s only 2 months for production. However, the story of the apparent covered up Apollo 18 mission which ran into aliens on the surface of the Moon is a highly romantic notion for sci-fi and creature fans. Fingers crossed.

Scream 4 (or SCRE4M as the marketing department wants you say – April 15): I know it’s a bit of an eyeroller; why dig up a franchise that ended 11 years ago, and is very much a product of the 90s? The short answer is, who knows. But with all three major original cast returning (Campell, Cox, and Arquette) and Wes Craven back to direct, hopes in the horror community are high (if slightly tentative) that Craven can add something fresh to the genre, as he did back in 1996, when ‘Scream’ kick started the dead slasher sub-genre. This is high risk for cast, director, and fans.

Rise Of The Apes (June 24): The Piranha and Predator franchises recieved decent studio reboots last year, and Fox is determined to have at least one more monkey-stab at ‘The Planet of the Apes’. One things shtands out in this fairly secretive project; James Franco. Franco is super hot property right now(and rightfully so), expect Oscar whispers for his performance in Danny Boyle’s ‘127 Hours’. The film is a rumoured origin story, based loosely on 1972’s ‘Conquest of The Planet of the Apes’.

The Thing (aka The Thing Prequel – October 14): Another reboot, another prequel. This long talked about origin story will look at the events which lead to the murderous rampage by an alien shapeshifter in John Carpenter’s 1982 horror classic ‘The Thing’. ‘The Thing’ is a treasured icon of the genre, so revisiting it for financial gain is sacrilege to the community. But there are signs that this may be worth a punt, and hopefully more. The story, for one, is worth a look at. Carpenter’s original does set up the events that happened previously at a Norwegian arctic research centre. With Scandinavian horror as hot as it is, there’s something appealing to revisiting cinema’s favourite alien shapeshifter with a largely Norwegian cast.

So that’s it. Expect aliens to be high on the menu this year as horror goes through another space invaders cycle. If that’s not your cup of tea, here’s Deadly Movies best of the rest: ‘Husk’ (January 28 – killer scarecrows), ‘Mothers Day’ (April 1 – killer mother and her hillbilly boys), ‘Insidious’ (April 1 – killer spirits inhabiting a comatose child), ‘Piranha 3DD’ (August – killer fish and killer boobies).

Jameson Cult Film Club continued its annual Halloween horror movie-fest at Islington’s Union Chapel this past weekend. Spanning Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, cult movie fans would be treated to one iconic film from cinema’s past per night, along with Jameson’s legendary venue dressing and interactive experiences. Deadly Movies was there to soak up the atmosphere on opening night, being transported back to 1960s London for a screening of the 1967 Hammer sci-fi horror ‘Quatermass and the Pit‘. The film, a grand example of British cult sci-fi, concerns the discovery of crashed alien spacecraft beneath the fictional London tube station of Hobb’s End.

Fans were welcomed into the venue via the entrance dressed as the fictional tube station, complete with Hobbs End underground sign. Inside, Jameson’s customary hospitality entitles you to a couple of free whisky cocktails and mingling among the various dressed rooms and interactive ‘Quatermass and the Pit‘ performers. guests could partake in ‘brain experiments’ with characters from the film, walk around a full scale model of the crashed alien spacecraft, or recline with a cocktail amongst the decadent leather wing chairs and Chesterfield sofas.

When the movie started, guests took to their Chapel pews, either on the ground floor or, for those who used their initiative, up in the vast gallery, for an exceptional view of both screen and venue. The film was introduced by actors playing Professor Quatermass and Dr Roney, standing beneath the screen in this grand old Victorian Gothic building (which is still used for worship on Sundays). As the lights dimmed the audience revelled in this most eccentric piece of British cinema, as camp as it is wacky, as hysterical as it is creepy. The last 20 minutes especially had the audience glued to the film’s finale which, is very dark, foreboding, and almost hypnotising. For a cult movie screening at Halloween, this was spot on.

Following the film, viewers were invited back to, what really did feel like, the drawing room, for more drinks and deliberation over what the hell we had just witnessed. A wonderful night out, very entertaining, and a yearly diary must for film, cult, and horror fans. Guests on Saturday and Sunday were treated to a similar movie experience with all the trimmings, this time with screenings of ‘The Amityville Horror‘ (1979) and ‘Psycho‘ (1960) respectively.

You can find out more about Jameson Cult Film Club as well as future screenings here

The Expendables’ is less an attempt to invent (or reinvent) a new icon, but rather to bring together an ensemble cast that celebrates everything that made Stallone’s career what it is.

The story (and it really is thinner than a Mickey Rourke call-girl) centres on Stallone’s crew (aka The Expendables) taking down an evil drug cartel who have taken control of the government and people of a small fictional South American island country.

Eric Roberts, ex-FBI agent gone power mad, is the man who’s taken charge of the fictional country, ably aided by henchman (and former pro wrestler) Steve ‘Stone Cold’ Austin. Stallone’s Expendables (action icons Statham, Li, and Lundgren joined by former UFC hardman Randy Couture, and for some reason Terry Crews) are hired by Bruce Willis’ CIA operative to take Roberts down, a mission not even the Governator (and rival mercenary) Arnold Schwarzenegger would take.

And here is the marketing crux of the film; Stallone, Willis, and Schwarzenegger in the same movie. And it is a joy to behold, but one that almost ruins the rest of the movie which, while milking the nostalgia train, fails to live up to this moment of wonderment.

Don’t be fooled by the poster, this scene is a few minutes long, a clever but slightly naughty marketing ploy. If only then more heavyweights could have been called in. Statham is fine as the link to modern action. Likewise Li fills the Kung-Fu position with comfort.

However, as manly as Couture is and whoever the hell Terry Crews is, you can’t help but wishing they were (if not Willis and Arnie in inflated roles) Van Damme and Segal. Saying that, fight fans will delight in a brief fight-off between Couture and Austin. Grrr MEN!

Showing their touchy-feely side the Expendables take this mission not for Willis’ dirty CIA money, but because Stallone has a morality crush on the corrupt President’s purist daughter. The lads then go about killing almost everybody, exploding almost everything, and causing millions of dollars of damage at no mean financial cost to themselves.

All in the name of backing the boss’s whimsical gut feeling over a girl that he’d previously met for all of 15 minutes. The old softy. However, story credibility is not what we’re being invited to indulge in here. No, we are cordially invited by Sly to man-up. To drink a gallon of beer for breakfast, to eat a horse steak, to cage-fight a rhino, and to drive an armoured tank to work tomorrow.

This ragtag bunch of mercenaries for hire do everything to the manliest levels of mandom. They drink beer while flying a plane, get tattoos without flinching, beat heavily armed armies with knives and fists, explode everything, and teach women that all of life’s problems are solved with extreme outbursts of violence. WhoHa!

Stallone avoids the political pitfalls of paranoid US foreign policy in South America by portraying the real villains of the piece as corrupt American government agencies (however some will be offended by the disposable foreign soldiers).

Equally the Expendables themselves are less all-American war heroes and more an international coalition of the willingly paid, with English, Swedish, and Chinese making up the group with a trio of Americans. International relations however are not the order of the day here, but rather how many people and buildings can you level as fast as your bulging muscles will permit.

This is an action romp that is loud and proud to be loud. Bones are snapped, bodies explode from bullets, faces are crushed with fists, and everything is so flammable that the smallest flame causes super Chernobyls. But that of course is the point. It’s riding the nostalgia train all the way to 80s town. Action fans will no doubt enjoy the carnage but may well leave with a tinge of sadness that the modern action pitfalls of quick cuts and CGI blood have found themselves into this most retro of films. ‘

The Expendables’ delivers on the action, sticks one finger up to political correctness, and falls short on total 80s nostalgia satisfaction. As ‘The Boys Are Back In Town’ plays over the end credits you’ll think, ‘Yes they are.., but not all of them’.

***

‘Mark Macready and The Archangel Murders’ is a 30 minute short made by a group of Manchester based Indie filmmakers. The short has developed a sizable online following and has been gaining momentum and buzz on the UK and International festival scene (Including the Horror UK Film Festival and the Cannes Short Film Corner). No mean feet given the sizable hardships of film making, and more-so, film distribution on the Indie scene. Better still, the film is now due for both web serial and feature length development. The short is a tongue-In-cheek horror comedy, following detective Mark Macready of the Greater Manchester Paranormal Investigations Department. When Macready’s wife is kidnapped by a shape-shifting demon, known as The Archangel, he combs the Manchester paranormal underbelly dishing out his own brand of sweet sweet justice. The film takes its cue from a plethora of pop culture horror successes; comparisons with ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ and ‘Hellboy’ aren’t misplaced, and you can throw in some of ‘Shaun of the Dead’s sensibilities. And while the content may not be game changing, there’s a sense of honesty and knowing self parody that makes for an entertaining half hour. Ryan McDermott (lead, co producer, co editor, and co writer) is an especially enjoyable watch as the titular Macready, channelling many a movie hard boiled detective. His performance is in danger of making the phrase “alright ya bastard” acceptable down south.

Below is an interview Deadly Movies carried out with Ryan about the pitfalls of the Indie movie scene, the success of the film, and future Mark Macready projects.

Deadly Movies: Tell us a little bit about how you went about firstly funding the film?

Ryan McDermott: Funding was the first major stumbling block; it is of any project like this, especially working at an independent level. Myself, Sean Candon (Director) and Paul Feeney (Writer) tried the usual suspects such as the lottery and local film funding offices but we were met with a door. I can understand why in a way, we were very new and wanted to make something that was pretty ‘far out’. I don’t think the people employed at these funding offices are there to ‘get’ something like ‘Mark Macready’. They have a brief such as ‘is it socially relevant to the community?’ and ‘will it help disadvantaged people?’ Our project did neither; we didn’t fall into any tick boxes so funding really wasn’t on the cards. As the Producer I then had to think fast about how we’d raise the necessary budget (around £5,000) and I read an article with Director Shane Meadows talking about him buying cheap props on eBay for ‘This is England’. It was one of those light bulb moments where I thought ‘hey, we’ll sell stuff on eBay!’ and so the onslaught of selling all our old highly collectible movie merchandise began…I think everyone including myself still hates me for that idea! Aside from eBay we received loads of support from our friends and family who donated to the film, which meant so much. Whatever was missing from the budget we then invested ourselves just to ensure the film was finished.

DM: You’ve had admirable success and notable enthusiasm on the festival scene, how did that all come about?

RM: We managed to finish the film and then turned our attention to where would it would go next. So I spent a couple of weeks researching film festivals around the globe, specifically ones that ‘Mark Macready’ would fit into. I used a tool called Without a Box which is really helpful if you’re planning on festival domination. I quickly realised that the next stage of submitting the film was going to be a very costly exercise and one I’d even be tempted to call ‘risky’. When you submit a film to a festival they charge for that submission, some are very genuine and send you an email back saying ‘sorry this wasn’t for us, here’s why’ and then others simply take your money and vanish. As independent filmmakers it was really tough getting the film made let alone seen and I think the festival route can be very murky, there’s a chance you’re going to lose a lot of money not to mention on the submission but the postage too. I’d love to see a revamp of the process with festivals watching your movie online and then deciding, that way they can give you a direct answer. In my view they shouldn’t be charging filmmakers for something they’ve got no intention of showing, because in a way you’re funding that festival when you’ve had nothing to do with it. However, despite the setbacks we were very lucky and got accepted at some amazing film festivals across the UK and US, to name a few we screened at the world class Mayhem Horror Film Festival, NYC’s Zero Film Festival and the Horror UK film festival where the film picked up the prize for ‘Most Original Film’. So I guess my advice on the festival scene is to research each festival as much as possible and as the Knight says in ‘The Last Crusade’ “Choose wisely”

DM: Indie horror films are very difficult to get off the ground. Were there any major difficulties in getting the project made and then finished?

RM: I’d say the only major difficult process was the funding without it nothing could move forward. It’s amazing to think if we’d have walked away from the setbacks and not self financed the film that I wouldn’t be sat here talking about ‘Mark Macready’. It really does worry me knowing that funding setbacks are probably happening all the time to younger kids with the same ambition we had and I can only hope they find a way to make their movie. At some point in the near future these funding bodies are going to be called to account and I really hope its sooner rather than later. Luckily the team that we did have believed wholeheartedly in the film and there was no problem when it came to support which I’ll be forever grateful for.

DM: Social media seems to have played a massive part in spreading the word and the success of the short, talk us through that and the subsequent launch party.

RM: Social media has played a huge part in the success of ‘Mark Macready’, I’d say even more so than the festival route. But having both work side-by-side gave the film a huge advantage. I think there’s been more written about this film than other short horror in the UK over the past twelve months and that’s just crazy, especially when I think back to selling my 1980’s AT-AT on eBay and thinking ‘Why are we doing this?’. The great thing about having an online presence is the interaction and that was something I really wanted to ensure happened. In the past six months myself and several of the cast have been on Twitter and the response to the film has been overwhelming, so much so that I decided to throw a live interactive launch party to celebrate the online release of the film. The party was a huge hit, we had friends, family, fans and Twitter followers all in one room to celebrate the success of the film, we even had people from across the globe watching our live party stream. I think Mark Macready has surpassed all expectations and I believe that the use of Facebook and Twitter has been hugely responsible for that. Our product is a very genuine one, we didn’t want fan funding we just wanted support and we got that by the boat load, when you sit back and look at what the film has achieved on no money it’s pretty astonishing.

DM: Tell us what you can about future Mark Macready projects

RM: Next up is an animated prequel short, set before the events of ‘The Archangel Murders’. It’s been a really cool experiment and I’ve had a fantastic time working with animation director Gavin Johnson. We always said ‘Mark Macready’ had the potential to work in different mediums and I wanted to put that to the test with the animated film.  We’re aiming for an August release so it shouldn’t be too long before everyone gets their next Macready fix. We also have the feature film version in active-development; Paul Feeney is working on a draft of the script at the moment from a treatment we put together earlier this year. The feature film is going to be pretty epic and ultimately it has to be worth making people pay to go and see it. We have to offer a much grander scale of storytelling yet the same stuff that everyone has fallen in love with, comedy and horror with a good dose of action, it’s a challenge but we love challenges.

DM: The short has a very tongue-in-cheek approach to content and dialogue, without skimping on the gore. Are future projects going to keep up the horror/comedy balance or do you intend to go somewhere darker with it?

RM: I think ‘Mark Macready’ is ultimately a comedy and it’s a dark comedy but it’s a comedy with a sprinkle of horror. From the way its directed to the way its acted it’s not to be taken seriously yet the characters are taking it deadly serious, which is the complex thing when making a ‘Mark Macready’ adventure. You have to be careful not to go one way or the other and the actors performances also have to be balanced just right. I think we’ve found a formula that works and to deviate from it too much would probably result in something substandard, yet we have to keep it fresh and fast. I can say that the feature film will have a run-away pace, it will not stop and it will be relentless in the storytelling and along the way you’ll get the comedy and the horror. I’m confident we can make it happen and give audiences the cinematic ride they expect from Detective Macready.

DM: Personally, are you yourself a massive horror fan? And if so reel off some of your favourite horror flicks.

RM: I’m always ashamed when I get asked this question, I’m not a massive horror fan. I love the community and I love the family feel it has, you couldn’t get that with any other genre but yeah I’m not a gore hound, in fact I’m a little squeamish! My favourite movies tend to be big summer blockbusters like ‘Jurassic Park’ and ‘Indiana Jones’. Although I do adore the first ‘Scream’ movie, that’s one of my all time favourite films and I think it’s the comedy and horror that make it special for me, it was my generations ‘Nightmare on Elm Street’.

DM: Finally, in the vein of such classics as Frankenstein vs The Wolfman or Freddy vs Jason, which iconic monster or demon would you like to see having its ass kicked by Mark Macready ?

RM: I think it has to be MVP: Macready Vs Predator! There was even a poster mocked up for it by my buddy Tom Tuck. I’d love to see Macready beating up that pussy face and then just before Macready thinks he’s won the Preadtor activates his nuclear weapon destroying the city of Manchester. There’s all sorts of spin offs from there ‘Macready-Man’ the radioactive supernatural crime fighter…I call copyright on that!

You can check out the 30 minute short in its entirety for free on the official Mark Macready website here

[REC]2, May 28th (UK), July 9th (US): ‘REC’ was one of the surprise standout horror’s of 2007, and is widely (and rightly) considered one of the best horror movies of the past decade. The Spanish film showed American horror how to make first person movies that are as effective as they are terrifying. The sequel takes place on the same night in the same quarantined, infected apartment building in Madrid. The building, now awash with zombie-esque creatures, is infiltrated by special-op soldiers searching for survivors. It’s the helmet mounted cameras that now provide the first person perspective, dragging the audiences through darkened rooms and blackened corridors. If ‘REC2′ is only half as effective as it’s predecessor it’ll still be an incredibly satisfying slice of horror pie.

Splice, June 4th: Deadly Movies feels all smug about highlighting ‘Splice’ as one to watch in 2010. Since those early days of touring the festival scene ‘Splice’ has picked up a healthy head of steam, with test screenings and screener reviews coming back glowing. Hot-shot scientists Adrian Brody and Sarah Polley play god with human cells in the hope of creating a purely man-made intelligent being. This ‘Frankenstein’ tale for the GM generation promises much in the way of drama and body horror as well as a thought provoking and engrossing look at man’s scientific ambitions (and indeed limitations).

Predators, July 9th: Producer Robert Rodriguez and director Nimrod Antal are promising a return to form for one of cinema’s greatest extra terrestrials and iconic monster’s. The memories of the sub standard ‘AVP’ (‘Aliens vs Predators’) and the god-awful ‘AVP2′ are still fresh, thankfully ‘Predators’ seeks to take us back to the jungle and back to glorious basics. Perhaps the most sensible move of all was to relocate the franchise to the Predators wooded and untamed home planet, unshackling the film from the convoluted time-lines created by the two AVP efforts. A selection of Earth’s hardest soldiers, warriors, and criminals are transported to the Predators home planet which is, essentially, a giant game reserve where the humans are the sport of choice. Adrian Brody, Laurence Fishburne, and Danny Trejo head up an interesting ensemble cast.

The Last Exorcism, August 27th: Possession is a well always worth revisiting for producers. Ever since’ The Exorcist’ became widely acknowledged as the scariest movie of all time filmmakers have tried to recreate its impact and success. A mountainous task that no-one has yet successfully navigated. ‘The Last Exorcism’ utilises the handheld camera technique made commercially successful by the likes of ‘REC’ and ‘Cloverfield’, and herein could lie its master stroke. Can you imagine the horror of first-person footage of Reagan’s bodily trauma in’ The Exorcist’? If this tale of a priest’s final and most disturbing exorcism uses this technique to its most intimate possibilities the outcome could be truly horrific.

Piranha 3D, August 27th: It’s been a long time since we had a ‘Piranha’ movie. The last one was ‘Piranha 2: The Spawning’ back in 1981, directed by James Cameron no less. Now, some 29 years later, it’s time for horror hot property Alexandre Aja (‘Switchblade Romance’, ‘The Hills Have Eyes’, ‘P2′) to deliver his version of homicidal sushi. This time around the man hungry fish are feeding off sexy teens at Spring Break, lucky them. ‘Piranha 3D’ looks to have really nailed it, delivering that oh so rare commodity of horror comedy (a very difficult compliment to achieve, much like a LibCon government). Also keep an eye out for genre greats such as Ricjard Dryfuss (Jaws), Christopher Lloyd (Back to the Future), Ving Rhames (Dawn of the Dead), and Eli Roth (Hostel). As well as a very funny turn from Jerry O’Connell as the host of Girls Gone Wild. Expect a healthy amount of boobs and blood with tongue firmly in cheek.

One of the last big cash cow of the 1980s slasher cycle has finally been remade, and it’s easy to see why ‘A Nightmare on Elm Street’ the remake has taken so long. Such is the cultural penetration of serial killer Freddy Krueger and his nightmares on Elm Street that a re-do becomes a slightly harder sell than many of its counterparts. For the horror fraternity especially, Robert Englund’s eight movie portrayal of Freddy is treasured and not to be messed with. Hence it’s almost impossible to sit through the 2010 Platinum Dunes remake without the inevitable comparisons between it and it’s predecessor(s).

Samuel Bayer’s ‘A Nightmare on Elm Street’ begins with the now obligatory Platinum Dunes pre-title sequence (though thankfully shorter than 2009s ‘Friday the 13th’ 20 minute effort) that introduces us to our teens for the next 96 minutes and surprisingly quickly to the dream master himself Freddy Krueger. The opening diner sequence gets all of the familiar main plot points established; sleep deprivation, nightmares, and dream deaths. If you didn’t know by now, Freddy exists in teenagers dreams, killing them in their nightmares which manifests itself as death in reality. This sequence kicks off one of the film’s biggest structural issues, that of Katie Cassidy’s Chris. It’s Chris, rather than the Nancy character (Nancy is the lead in Wes Craven’s 1984 original), who inherits the first third of the film, seriously hindering your and Freddy’s connection with the supposed ‘lead’ girl. Cassidy is perfectly fine as a standard slasher victim but it’s rather baffling as to why the first third of the movie is dedicated to her. Why are we introduced to the world of Freddy Krueger through Chris’ eyes and not Nancy’s? It certainly causes a disjointed feel. Nancy picks up the reigns of the Freddy mystery from Chris and is sadly forgettable. In trying so hard to make Nancy a ‘plain Jane’ (as opposed to Cassidy’s hot but disposable blonde) the filmmakers have forgotten to give her any personality. In fact she’s incredibly boring.

Then comes the big question; Does Jackie Earl Hayley deliver as Freddy? Yes he does (although I still think he looks like a gray from ‘Close Encounters’!). JEH is menacing and frightening. It’s a shame that director Bayer relies on jump cuts and cheap scares as the performance doesn’t require them. Strangely however, there does appear to be a lipsync problem with Freddy’s dialogue, which at times doesn’t match the his on-screen lip movement at all. One wonders whether JEH had issues delivering the dialogue live within the heavy makeup. That aside, Freddy here is enjoyable and yes, there are some old wise cracks such as “How’s this for a wet dream?!”. Perhaps JEH’s  best moments actually come out of makeup when we see Freddy pre-burning during dreams and flashbacks. Here he shows his ability to twist our expectations, manipulating the audience and adding an ambiguity to Freddy’s dirty deeds that is really quite chilling when you realise that child abusers are not obvious monsters with burnt faces, but seemingly ordinary people who can gain a child’s trust. By the finale Freddy has become a believable force of terror, even if he does look like his original dialogue was delivered in Japanese.

Sadly the in between Freddy sequences are laboured and the plot exposition is laughably un-subtle. Where a ‘Nightmare’ remake should really look to succeed is in the nightmares themselves. In the huge advances in CGI since Wes Craven original, filmmakers are now able to visually render almost anything imaginable. At times Bayer delivers here with trippy touches like indoor snow or the film’s standout dream set-piece; a carpeted hallway turning to blood as Nancy tries to wade through it. Unfortunately most of the dream sequences are tepid. I’d have loved to see some really visually challenging and weird nightmare sequences where Freddy could really cut loose, which never really happens. Only right at the end is JEH allowed to chew the scenery and have a little fun. I’d like to see him given a second go at the character in any possible sequels. And as for sequels, is there a set-up for one? Stupid question, of course there is. It doesn’t take all nine movies to realise that you can’t kill Freddy Krueger.

In all ‘A Nightmare on Elm Street’  it suffers from the same old remake issues; stray too far from the beaten path and the fans revolt, keep it too close to the source material and it becomes ‘pointless’ (as so many reviewers will no doubt say). Here the visual and verbal nods to the original (and other entries) are inserted evenly along the way to keep the fans happy, some of which you feel hinder the film’s ability to offer us something new. But then again we’d only complain about that too. Bravely, in the end, the newest element to whole experience is offered by the only source of class, Jackie Earl Hayley, who genuinely does bring us a new, if somewhat shackled, Freddy Krueger. It’s no nightmare for sure but it does fall well short of a horror fan’s wet dream.

Event review from The Royal Institution, London March 17th 2010

Jameson Cult Film Club (JCFC) sure know how to match film with venue. One of the world’s most famous science institutions and one of the best sci-fi movies of the past decade proved apt bed-buddies. But before Duncan Jones’ ‘Moon‘ started the vast queue outside were admitted and treated to the splendor of the Royal Institution , lovingly dressed in silver and green for the night. Lucky ticket holders had a difficult viewing decision to make, with Moon being screened in multiple locations: Inside a vintage picture frame in the bar, on flat screen TV’s in the extensive and somewhat eccentric library, and in the classic lecture theater, famed for the RI’s Christmas Lectures.

In the end I chose all three, but the majority of the movie deserved to watched in the grand old lecture theatre, adorned for night with some special one-off touches, including an actor dangling from the ceiling in full space suit attire and a Lunar Industries (the fictional company from the movie) sign framing the base of the big screen. Back in the entrance to the lecture theatre incoming ticket holders were greeted by a photo-op with Sam Rockwell’s spacesuit as well as two Sam Bells walking around in-character, seemingly oblivious to the rest of us. The wire suspended actor was deserving of particular props and was duly recognised with a round of applause when his feet finally touched the old wooden floor. With the spaceman safely on his way to the bar for some well deserved free whisky, the lights went down and audience members received a couple of unexpected gifts. First up a screening of fan-favourite-short Blake’s Junction 7, and even better a personal message from Moon’s very own in-character Tess Bell (Dominique McElligott), exclusively for JCFC viewers. Movie geek appreciation levels were getting high, time to start the movie.

Moving on from the lecture theatre it was time to experience Moon in the bar with a couple of free Jameson Irish Mules, before retiring to the library, and a large silver bean bag, for the movie’s conclusion. Watching great sci-fi in an ancient library stacked floor to ceiling with antique texts of learned science and discovery is quite the treat for any genre fan. Moon over, it was time for a little more whisky in the company of the great and the good from the world of online movie and horror blogs, industry folk, nerds, geeks, and fans. Not bad company at all to chew over the evening and the movie. All in all a fantastic event, film, and especially location, bringing to an end the JFCF 09-10 season.

You can keep an eye out for future JCFC screenings here ]]> http://thecollectivereview.com/deadly-movies/whisky-astronauts-and-silver-bean-bags-jamesons-moon-screening.html/feed 0 http://thecollectivereview.com/deadly-movies/the-game-comes-full-circle-well-at-least-six-sevenths.html http://thecollectivereview.com/deadly-movies/the-game-comes-full-circle-well-at-least-six-sevenths.html#comments Mon, 01 Mar 2010 11:42:38 +0000 deadlymovies http://thecollectivereview.com/deadly-movies/?p=43 The Movie

The biggest, most successful sequential horror franchise of the past 20 years roles on to entry number six. Sequential is an apt term indeed for the SAW franchise. The franchise bares a passing resemblance to slick, high budget, episodical US TV shows like CSI, except of course for the vivid violence and lovingly gratuitous scenes of torture. The SAW franchise’s episodical quality is certainly an aesthetic quality that distinguishes it from it’s 80s genre forefathers. Each entry (especially from Part 3 onwards) bares a similar aesthetic quality, you certainly know you’re watching a SAW film without having to see Jigsaw or a torture trap, unlike the likes of Friday the 13th or Halloween where sequential entries would have some vast narrative and aesthetic differences.

SAW VI continues Jigsaw’s grand elaborate scheme, now being carried out by Detective Hoffman (or is it?). Of course Jigsaw hasn’t been with us in the present tense for two movies now, certainly a brave and innovative move by the filmmakers, killing off your boogeyman. However just because he’s dead doesn’t mean the film is without him, Jigsaw exists in flashbacks, audio recordings, and in the traps he’s devised. I think this is where the series may be made or severed like a head in a reverse bear trap. Some may not enjoy Jigsaw’s actions being carried out across the franchise by up to (now) four people, others may view this as refreshening as we move along the timeline. Personally I like it, and I enjoy seeing the excellent Tobin Bell fleshing out the Jigsaw backstory via the flashbacks. However I also have one eye on the old adage that ‘too many cooks spoil the broth‘, in other words don’t water-down the killer’s actions too much with too many villains, otherwise we may have SAW XII where each town has its own Jigsaw franchisee.

Jigsaw aside, the main gimmick of any SAW movie is now the traps, and SAW VI certainly doesn’t disappoint there; the brutalist of all being the opening ‘pound of flesh’ trap which sickening simplicity makes it all too horrific. And then there’s the carrousel shotgun trap which is sadistically inventive and a real treat for genre fans. Previous loose ends are tied up as always, and new ones are left open for next time. This time you get to find out the Deal-or-no-Deal answer to what’s inside the box. Jigsaw’s wife has a larger present-time role and it’s strongly hinted that her on screen time is only going the increase next time. The ending is as heart pounding as ever and a twist is teased only for it to be re-twisted before the credits hit, which is kind of nice. As always don’t forget to wait until the credits are over for even more teasing. SAW VI is solid, the franchise as a whole benefits from good filmmakers, writers, and character actors, and SAW VI has all of these covered. SAW VII is going to be an interesting film because I’m not sure how much longer the current SAW format will survive without some kind of swerve to keep us all guessing.

The DVD

The blu-ray presentation of SAW VI is fairly immaculate (although with all SAW films the contrast is overdone, but that’s a style choice rather than a technical error), and the franchise suits the HD format with it’s fetishising of injury and gore.., no bad thing there.  The extras are limited, but you get the feeling that when SAW finally concludes we will be treated to an uber SAW box-set with all of the trimmings and retrospectives of the franchise which has succeeded where all others have failed since the 80s. There are two decent commentaries, one from the producers, and one one from the director Kevin Greutert. ‘The Traps of SAW VI‘ segment is a little thin on the ground and could have done with some eleboration for tech geeks. The best of the extras comes in the also too short ‘Jigsaw Revealed‘ segment where we get to spend some time in the company of the ever fascinating Tobin Bell who gives use more of his intriguing insights into the Jigsaw psyche. There’s also a look at the Universal Studios interactive SAW experience ‘Game Over‘ and the usual music videos, trailers, and BD Touch.

King Kong (1933): The ultimate beauty and the beast movie (a metaphor not used subtly by the filmmakers). The rather one-sided love affair between the 24 foot gorilla and ultimate damsel in distress Ann Darrow (Fay Wray) became not just a blueprint for creature features but a staple convention of the genre that filmmakers seldom stray from. When it comes to iconic cinema imagery King Kong holding Fay Wray’s draped body atop the Empire State Building is perhaps the image of film’s first 100 years. And although this romance started life as a kidnapping on a desert island it ended in emotional tragedy with both Anne and audience alike feeling a certain love and affection for the beast, a theme really ramped up in Peter Jackson’s 2005 remake.

The Bride of Frankenstein (1935): Such is the cultural penetration of ‘Frankenstein’s Monster’ and ‘The Bride’ that it always comes as a surprise that the two share hardly any screen time together in the 1935 sequel to ‘Frankenstein‘. Try and get through a Halloween night without seeing a chap with a green flat-top and bolts through his neck, or a girl with lightning striped tower hair and pale skin. ‘The Bride of Frankenstein‘ spends so long luring us into emotional investment in both The Monster and the idea of presenting him with a reanimated partner that when the reunion finally happens it breaks his and our hearts. Presented to The Monster, The Bride is as repulsed by the heart broken creature as the rest of the world. A crushing emotional tragedy that ranks this monster movie right up there with any overly celebrated Oscar porn.

Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978): When everything and everyone you know is changing into something maniacal, the one you love becomes even more cherished. Fighting to save humanity from body and mind snatching aliens, Matthew (Donald Sutherland) and Elizabeth (Brook Adams) fight back the every growing threat by running, staying awake, and running again. The problem is this; fall asleep and your body dies. Swiftly you are replaced by your exact alien replica. Poor Matthew has always loved Elizabeth who, as ever, married the wrong man. When all is lost Elizabeth realises that Matthew is the one, only to fall asleep exhausted and weak. Then comes the gut-wrenching moment when Matthew loses the love of his life only for her to resurrect in front him, identical in every way, but where once there was love now there is only an unquenchable desire to end his human life. Tear jerking stuff indeed.

The Fly (1986): The beauty and the beast tale is revisited with the ultimate expression of body horror. There’s the age old romantic drama device of the love triangle at work in ‘The Fly‘. Magazine chief John loves reporter (and ex)Veronica, Veronica loves inventor extraordinaire Seth, and Seth loves Veronica…, and infamy (adding another corner to proceedings and making this something of a love square). The conundrum is which one Seth will chose? New love Veronica or the chance to become world famous as the man who invented teleportation? Teleportation, it would seem, is the only woman for Seth. Resulting in some pretty messed up body horror when Seth’s DNA is spliced with that of a fly during teleportation. Now a horrible mutation with body parts and appendages dropping off left and right, Seth craves the one thing that reminds him of his humanity.., Veronica. A truly stomach wrenching exploration of the darker side of the beautiful body, child birth, and sex.

Misery (1990): A skin crawling warning of the dangers of obsession. Annie’s obsession is Paul, a famous author of romance novels. Imagine Annie’s luck when Paul’s car crashes near her home in an isolated part of Colorado, providing her with the chance to play nurse to the object of her fantasies. Patient soon becomes prisoner and Annie’s love for Paul and his work takes on an extreme version of berserk fandom. When Annie’s love is rejected by Paul he, or rather his ankles, suffer a particularly brutal consequence. In one of cinema’s great scenes of violence, that’s delivered with zero gore and minimum visuals, Annie (played by a never more on form Kathy Bates) calmly places a lump of timber between Paul’s ankles and, with a nonchalance that puts most masked killers to shame, lifts a sledge hammer high above her head and furiously smashes Paul’s ankles. These two take the notion of the odd couple to all new highs in a relationship that twists and turns on a knife edge.

So there you have it, tainted love, forbidden love, rejection, and obsession. Staple conventions of any standard Valentines cinema release.., why not try something a little more deadly this year?