Shocktober: Day 3

The Others (2001)

You probably remember The Others best from when it was parodied in the immortal classic Scary Movie 3, where a creepy little girl is revealed to be Michael Jackson. How do those films manage to stay so timely? Anyways, The Others is your typical “Spooky ghost/spooky kid story” but with a few twists and turns. What intrigued me the most was the knowledge that this film had a twist ending. As a horror fan, it wasn’t easy avoiding that twist ending for so many years. Was it worth the wait? Sure, why not?

Set in 1945 on the island of Jersey (A British Crown dependency off the coast of Normandy), The Others is about Grace Stewart (Nicole Kidman), a deeply religious woman caring for her two children in a remote country house, while her husband Charles (Christopher Eccleston) is at war. Grace’s children suffer from a rare disease, xeroderma pigmentosa, characterized by an extreme sensitivity to sunlight. Thus, Grace must take special care in running the house. A trio of new servants arrive; Bertha, a nanny (Fionnula Flanagan), an elderly gardner named Tuttle (Erick Sykes), and a young mute Lydia (Elaine Cassidy) and not long after strange phenomena begins around the house.

The Others goes for a less is more approach, which I can appreciate. The children make contact with some kind of “other” entity but it’s never flat out shown, just suggested. Additional tension comes from Grace and the strict quality in which she dishes out mom justice. I was just as scared of her as anything else and with good cause. When we’re not being unnerved my Grace’s acidity, were being unnerved by the creaks and squeaks of the old country house. faint sobs echo, things appear to move when they shouldn’t be moving, classic.

[toggle title_open=”Major Spoilers” title_closed=”Major Spoilers” hide=”yes” border=”yes” style=”default” excerpt_length=”0″ read_more_text=”Read More” read_less_text=”Read Less” include_excerpt_html=”no”]Chances are anyone who has wants to see The Others has already seen it so here’s how it ends: They’re all dead. Everybody in the movie is already dead and “The Others” are the current not-dead individuals living in the house. I couldn’t say that I didn’t see it coming but it’s a clever twist on a tired formula. Basically, Grace was once so crazy that she smothered both her children with a pillow and then shot herself. She thought it was all a hallucination or a dream, guess again. The servants are former employees of the house many years ago and Grace’s husband (who returns to the house for a brief time) died in the war. Kind of a downer but it’s a the best part of the whole movie.

Apart from the twist ending, The Others is fairly standard. Though I do appreciate it going for atmosphere over gore or cheap scares. After this writer/director Alejandro Amenabar went on to direct the highly acclaimed The Sea Inside and Nicole Kidman went on to marry Keith Urban. So it almost worked out for everybody in the end.

Playtime is fun!

Mechanical Bullshit

Kings of Leon – Mechanical Bull

I’m tired of this shit. Ever since that fuckin’ “Use Somebody” song everything has been downhill. This band used to have swagger, melody, they used to be fun. Now Kings of Leon is the official soundtrack to beer swilling, Abercrombie and Fitch wearing, teens with hot problems. Remember when KoL were a bunch of dirty looking hippies that played garage rock? Songs like “Molly’s Chambers” and “Four Kicks” were keyed up fist pumpers I was proud to blast in my shitty Dodge Stratus.

Even the band’s ballads in those days had a backbone. 2003’s “California Waiting” may be KoL at their most poignant and potent. Because of the Times was the last KoL album I liked. That was six years and over three albums ago. These days it’s all four chord pabulum, nothing that challenges or engages the listener in any particular way.

Before I continue this urine stream of sadness I will say one thing, I like the single. I don’t love it, but “Supersoaker” was enough for me to at least humor Mechanical Bull. So I can at least recommend the first three minutes and fifty seconds of this album. The rest feels just as mechanical as its namesake. Like a bunch of robots who don’t know what true emotion is attempted to write rock songs. Take the song “Rock City”, are you fucking kidding me? They named a song “Rock City”?!?

Maybe Mechanical Bull is better than Come Around Sundown, but that’s like saying being stabbed is better than being shot. Yet somehow, this band remains in the limelight. “Wait for Me” is alternative radio’s official selection for the sappy ballad of the month and all I can do is shake my head. It saddens me that this is KoL supposedly returning to their rock roots. Mechanical Bull is a soulless statue with no shapes or features. KoL used to cut like a knife, now their more like a spoon. You never bring a spoon to a knife fight.

Favorite Tracks: “Supersoaker”

Take My Ex-Wife, Please

Enough Said

There aren’t a lot of things that I regret not writing about on this blog, because come on, we already write about enough stuff that no one cares about. However, there is one post I do wish I had written when it was relevant, and that’s that I wish I had written an R.I.P. for the great James Gandolfini when he passed away last June. And yes, I do have an excuse, which is that I was driving from Seattle to Northern California literally the entire day that it happened, but still, I wish I’d put aside some time to reflect on the man’s passing. Because oddly enough, he died when I was right in the middle of re-watching all of The Sopranos. And I don’t want to get too bogged down with this, but I’ll just say that there’s still no doubt in my mind that Gandolfini’s work on The Sopranos is the defining performance in the history of television, and deserves to be marveled at for decades to come. So with that long-winded bit of preamble out of the way, I guess I should talk about the breezy little film that bears Gandolfini’s second-to-last performance.

Enough Said centers on Eva (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), a middle-aged mausseuse who finds herself at a dinner party one night, and happens to stumble in to two chance encounters. One is with Marianne (Catherine Keener), a fellow divorcee who takes up Eva’s offer to be her masseuse, which eventually leads to the two of them becoming close friends. The other chance encounter happens between her and Albert (Gandolfini), which leads to an unconventional romance that eventually starts to bloom between the two of them. However, Albert and Eva’s relationship is tested once Eva finds out that Marianne’s husband whom she’s been bitching about constantly turns out to be (wuh-oh) Albert, and Eva begins doubting everything she’s ever liked about him.

Now I would completely understand if you rolled your eyes at that last plot development, because it does seem a little hokey compared to everything else going on in this film. However, I think if you’re willing to forgive this sitcom-y plot devise, there’s still plenty to enjoy about Enough Said. Which I realize seems kind of weird to say “Oh yeah, if you just ignore the entire premise of the film, you’ll be good to go.” But honestly, how often do you go to see a small-scale character driven indie because of the plot?

From having seen this film along with 2009’s Please Give, I can say that writer/director Nicole Holofcener has a pretty keen ear for dialogue that mixes comedy with some of the more tragic aspects of modern life. And though the film often embodies the nobility of trudging through middle age, it’s nice to see a film that authentically captures what it is to fall in love while approaching your latter years, and do it with a nice whiff of optimism. Because God knows the other two movies I saw this year that tackled this subject (Before Midnight, Blue Jasmine), did it in a fairly depressing manner. And even though the film does end on a fairly ambiguous note, Gandolfini and Louis-Dreyfus make for the kind of wise-cracking couple you can realistically believe in.

I’ll admit that there are a few scenes that fall a little flat towards the second half of the film once the more farcical aspects of the plot start to rear their head. However, the performances always keep the movie grounded, as Julia Louis-Dreyfus does a superb job of handling the comedic and dramatic sides of her character in what is surprisingly the first time she’s shown up in a movie since 1997’s Deconstructing Harry. Keener’s character is maybe a bit underwritten, but she does her best with it, and Toni Collette and Ben Falcone are very funny as Eva’s quibbling married friends. And then there’s James Gandolfini, who radiates the kind of warmth and understated comedic chops that we only occasionally got to see all those years he was on TV. I just wish we could’ve seen a little bit more of the man’s impressive depth as an actor on the silver screen.

Also, this is completely innocuous, but Julia Louis-Dreyfus’s character’s ex-husband is played by Toby Huss. So if you’re a Seinfeld fan, I guess you could imagine this movie as being some sort of alternate universe in which Elaine Benes ends up marrying The Wiz.

Shocktober: Day 2

Session 9 (2001)

Session 9 is not an amazing movie, the budget is low, it has no stars (unless you consider Josh Lucas and a pre-CSI Miami David Caruso stars), and yet it always manages to make its way into the conversation of “Best Horror Films of the 2000s”. It has a cult following, and although I don’t consider myself a member of that cult I do recognize and appreciate the storytelling of that cult. Session 9 turns a little into a lot, which is admirable when you consider how bloated this genre really is.

Session 9 follows an asbestos crew, including: Josh Lucas, David Caruso and Peter Mullan (who often steals the show) as they begin work restoring an abandoned insane asylum (filmed at a real insane asylum). They find a series of tapes from a former patient with multiple personalities, most notably the mysterious Simon who does not appear until Session 9. Soon enough, crew members disappear, we descend into the mysteries of a former patient, and characters begin to question their own sanity. It’s a slow burn with subtle scares that drip with a decrepitly spooky atmosphere.

Session 9 is directed by Brad Anderson (The Machinist, Transsiberian) who despite his blurry wikipedia profile pic is worth talking about in the realm of indie filmmaking. Though he tends to gravitate towards the thriller genre, I wouldn’t define him by that. What I’ve enjoyed in Anderson films like The Machinist or the underrated Vanishing on 7th Street is his skill to develop relatable characters in fantastic situations without the story descending into melodrama. Spectacle never takes precedent over the characters in Anderson’s film (at least his good ones) which keeps the audience focused and intrigued. Character issues outside the story are just as much at the forefront as supernatural phenomena. How one character is dealing with a romantic relationship outside of work, or a new baby. It’s these attempts to breathe life into the characters that makes everything else that more significant.

It’s hard to talk about Session 9 without spoiling anything but it’s worth seeing. Sometimes we get more questions then answers which can make the story confusing but it’s an interesting story nonetheless. Once again, I have to applaud Peter Mullan’s performance, he really should get more significant roles. Plus it’s got Josh Lucas and he’s only kind of an asshole.

It’s shoot-yourself-in-the-head chic!

C.A.T: Straight Up

Badfinger – Straight Up (1971)

It’s a good time to be a Badfinger fan. Unless you’ve been hiding under a rock for the past few days, you’ve probably heard that Breaking Bad has ended. I won’t spoil the final moments, but I can say that Vince Gilligan chose “Baby Blue” from Badfinger’s 1971 album Straight Up as the show’s swan song. Since airing, “Baby Blue” and Badfinger has seen an incredible resurgence online. As of today, “Baby Blue” has sold over 5,000 downloads and has seen a 9000% stream increase on Spotify. I haven’t fact checked that last statistic but who cares, 9000%! “Baby Blue” is a great song but it’s also on a great album. Let’s talk about Straight Up.

Relased in 1971, Straight Up is the third release from Liverpool’s Badfinger. Produced by Todd Rundgren and George “Fucking” Harrison, Straight Up is a polished display of power pop rockers and Beatle-esque love ballads. Known for having Badfinger’s biggest single “Day After Day”, featuring Dual slide guitars from guitarist/vocalist Pete Ham and George “Fucking” Harrison, Straight Up is heartfelt and optimistic. The album presents an interesting parallel to the often tumultuous career of this troubled band. Often weighed down by poor management and severe financial issues, a great deal of Badfinger’s work went unnoticed. A real shame when you see the unique talent of each member.

The songwriting and singing is primarily split between guitarists Pete Ham and Joey Molland, with bassist Tom Evans occasionally chiming in with his high Liverpudlian swoon. While Molland handles the 2:50 minute rockers like “I’d Die Babe” and “Suitcase”, Pete Ham (the band’s unofficial leader) crafts the hits. Though every member pulled their own weight, Ham is what made Badfinger, Badfinger. “Day After Day” and “Baby Blue” were not only some of the band’s best songs, but some of the best pop/rock songs of the early 70s.

I’m excited to see where this will all go. While Badfinger’s legacy is guaranteed to live on, I’m curious to see how many Breaking Bad fans will delve deeper into Badfinger’s discography. And hopefully this doesn’t lead to Badfinger forever being associated with smoking crystal meth.

Favorite Tracks: “Baby Blue,” “I’d Die Babe,” “Perfection”

Shocktober: Day 1

Final Destination (2000)

Final Destination movies are the guiltiest of guilty pleasures. The combination of sexy, dumb teenagers and over-the-top executions makes for one helluva gory good time. What sets apart Final Destination is the increasingly clever ways in which teens are “grounded”. It’s like watching someone play Mousetrap but instead of a cage coming down it’s fifty knives or a rogue semi. Add in that there is no face to the mayhem, just a force. These movies may adhere to the same formula over and over again but it’s a good formula. How many other movies have Stifler being decapitated by train shrapnel? Not nearly enough.

Final Destination stars 90s teen staple Devon Sawa as Alex Browning, who right before boarding a plane on a class trip to France receives a dark premonition. Everyone on the plane will die! His panicking leads to several students and a teacher being escorted off the plane and then what fucking happens? Everyone gets exploded. Apparently, this pisses of Death something fierce, leading to each survivor being killed in a horrendous Rube Goldberg-like fashion. Can 90s teen heartthrob Devon Sawa continue to cheat death? Or will he reach his “Final Destination!”

Final Destination began life interestingly enough as a pitch by writer Jeffrey Reddick for The X-Files. Inspired by the 1996 TWA Flight 800 crash, Reddick wrote a 14-page script entitled “Flight 180”. Though series creator Chris Carter turned it down it was taken under the wing of X-Files’ writers James Wong and Glen Morgan. Wong and Morgan turned the script into a feature and with Wong at the helm made the first in a series of supernatural, gore-filled, teen murder-ramas.

The characters in these movies are dumb. They aren’t any smarter or less cliche than any other teens in your typical horror movie, which is I like these movies so much, everyone stupid dies. Final Destination is a series where you root for the bad guy, or bad force anyways. Story is irrelevant as long as we get to see plenty of “Smashy, smash, gut, guts!” Which I believe is actual dialogue from the film. Final Destination has four sequels and surprisingly, this one is starting to look like the worst. With improving effects this is a series that is only as good as its kills and each time they’ve upped the ante. It’s still my dream to marathon all these films… Or is it my premonition?

Devon Sawa has a vision: His career is over.

Shocktober: The Terrifying 2000s

Look who’s back rearing it’s ugly face and fangs! Yes, Shocktober is here! The monsterfully magical time of year where I spend 31 days reviewing 31 horror movies. This year recognizes the best, worst, and weirdest from 2000 to 2009. “Why the 2000s when you have fifty something years of horror movies to pick from?” Well, I’ve always been under the opinion that as independent cinema has become more accesible in the past decade to more aspiring filmmakers, we’ve seen a rise in a new and original ideas. The results have been a batch of frightfully fresh horror movies from the states and across the pond. You’ll see me revisit old favorites, overlooked gems, and maybe a few films I won’t be able to stomach. So take a seat and let the scares seep in, it’s Shocktober!