Scream 4

Tags

2010's, Alison Brie, Courteney Cox, David Arquette, Emma Roberts, Erik Knudsen, Hayden Panettiere, Horror, Marley Shelton, Mary McDonnell, Neve Campbell, Nico Tortorella, Rory Culkin, Scream 4, Wes Craven

Film Title

Scream 4

Director

Wes Craven

Starring

• Neve Campbell as Sidney Prescott
• Courteney Cox as Gale Weathers-Riley
• David Arquette as Dewey Riley
• Emma Roberts as Jill Roberts
• Hayden Panettiere as Kirby Reed
• Rory Culkin as Charlie Walker
• Erik Knudsen as Robbie Mercer
• Marley Shelton as Deputy Judy Hicks
• Alison Brie as Rebecca
• Nico Tortorella as Trevor
• Mary McDonnell as Kate Roberts

A return to the slasher series with a satirical edge, Scream 4 undoubtedly has its flaws. But it would be impossible to reach the heights of the influential first movie and if you look at it from a singular standpoint, Scream 4 is still rollicking and entertaining, albeit with problems. Plus, you’ve got Wes Craven on directing duties, Kevin Williamson back in the writing department and three of the principal actors from the original trilogy. And in those areas, Scream 4 rocks.

It has been ten years since the first spate of slayings in Woodsboro and Sidney Prescott returns. In the time since, she has written a self-help book and become a very confident woman whose no longer scared of her past. She stays with her Aunt Kate and cousin Jill, who is in her teens and surrounded by friends who adore the movies. Her return is part of her book tour and she reconnects with friends Dewey Riley, who is now the Sheriff and Gale, who is married to Dewey and whose career as a writer has somewhat stalled since moving back to Woodsboro a number of years ago. Dewey is having a good enough tenure as Sheriff of his hometown, while Gale has writer’s block and craves a new challenge. Yet as Sidney arrives, her old nemesis of Ghostface makes his presence felt with a rash of grisly murders, akin to the crimes perpetrated all those years ago. With a new generation of wise ass teens on the block, we learn that the killer may be trying to outdo the original in the way that most reboots do. That means it’s up to Sidney, an inquisitive Gale and Dewey to unearth the psycho before more blood is shed from the people Sidney holds dear to her heart. But just who is starting all these killings over again and what is the overall motive?

Wes Craven, that great iconic director of horror, is firmly in the director’s seat and his obvious expertise in the genre are at play. Though some of it feels stale, Craven has enough energy and style to make Scream 4 at least a worthy entry to the canon. In a sad footnote, Scream 4 was Craven’s last directing gig before his death and he left us with a good movie to go out on. While it has some problems, I will say that it has a bit more a better ratio with laughs and scares than Scream 3 did. meta and self referential areas are still pretty much intact, though they can lack some of the panache the other movies had.  Regardless, the many satiric jibes about endless glut of horror movies that attempt to outdo their predecessors by being outrageous and bigger are well-handled. The in jokes here are pretty amusing it must be said, as a new set of reboot rules come out to play. Because so much has changed in the world of movies and technology, Scream 4 can seem a bit forced as it is a totally different age from when the first three where hot. Saying that, quite a lot of the humour regarding us being such a dependent species on the Internet and the lives of others is particularly tart and barbed; something writer Kevin Williamson knows a lot about. Yet for all the mocking of conventions, it slips into many of them a lot more than necessary. Overall though, the script and return of Williamson are inspired and still very witty when it comes to be self-aware. Just that opening film within a film part is wildly entertaining as a send up to relentless sequels in the gore-filled genre. Seriously too, I loved the homages to the other films in the franchise; a lot of them really stuck in my mind and surprised me. Probably the most glaring flaw is the lack of interesting supporting characters, save for movie savvy Kirby, girl next door Jill and geeky Charlie . The rest of the teenagers are mere cardboard cut outs whose main purpose is to die extravagantly( though that does make the film more brutal and pretty scary it must be stated). The other main flaw within Scream 4 is that it overlong and could have been cut better, instead of dragging quite a big chunk of it out. I believe it’s a flawed movie, but it has some excellent moments that bring us back into the feel of the first troika of works. Marco Beltrami also returns on music duties and kicks up the action and winking to the audience that these movies are a dab hand at. The music has always been a big part of why I love these movies and this doesn’t disappoint, along with some side-swiping writing and inventive deaths.

The returning cast members slip back into the roles they know so well and do it with style. Neve Campbell once more impresses as perennial survivor Sidney, who is now older and more confident than ever before. Campbell portrays Sidney at her most hard-edged and ready for battle, even having a bit of sarcasm and as she’s faced this horror before yet refused to be the victim. That quality of overcoming adversity and personal growth has always been the most effective thing about Sidney Prescott, best embodied by the naturalness and heart of Campbell. She is still obviously terrified by events repeating themselves, but by now can take charge and kick ass with both attitude and soul. All bow down to Sidney Prescott and Neve Campbell for bringing this resilient character back to life. Courteney Cox gets to show that Gale can still be a fabulous bitch who wants her part of the glory solving the crimes, in typically defiant and amusing and near dangerous fashion. David Arquette’s puppy like enthusiasm is still there in funny ways, though it is tempered with a weariness now that the character is older. It was nice seeing these three characters return once more and still be interesting to watch. Emma Roberts is good as the cousin of Sidney, while Hayden Panettiere steals the show as the wise ass, movie buff Kirby. Exhibiting a sassy attitude and flirty sex appeal, she was a lot of fun to watch. Rory Culkin and Erik Knudsen are pretty OK as the movie geeks of the piece, though Culkin overshadows Knudsen because he appears more than him. The gorgeous Marley Shelton is unfortunately saddled with an uninteresting part of adoring police deputy who has a thing for her boss and Alison Brie majorly grates as the bitchy publicist with a big mouth and condescending persona. Nico Tortorella is pretty bland and not at all convincing as a creepy ex-boyfriend of Jill’s, while Mary McDonnell is completely wasted in her role as Sidney’s Aunt.

As flawed as it gets and lazy in some aspects it becomes, Scream 4 is largely an entertaining return to the series, aided by some inventive deaths and characters we know and love. Imperfect it may be, but any Scream is better than no Scream, even with some blemishes to its name.

Valentine

Tags

2000's, David Boreanaz, Denise Richards, Horror, Jamie Blanks, Jessica Capshaw, Jessica Cauffiel, Katherine Heigl, Marley Shelton, Valentine

Film Title

Valentine

Director

Jamie Blanks

Starring

• Marley Shelton as Kate
• David Boreanaz as Adam
• Denise Richards as Paige
• Jessica Capshaw as Dorothy
• Jessica Cauffiel as Lily
• Katherine Heigl as Shelley

A hugely clichéd yet watchable slasher film, Valentine is a guilty pleasure to view before Halloween. The job gets done pretty well and through some good parts, it retains a good few jolts. Not terribly original but adequate and quite fun.

In flashback, we glimpse a junior high Valentine’s dance. The awkward and gawky Jeremy Melton asks a succession of popular girls( Shelley, Paige, Lily, Kate and Dorothy) to dance. The first three girls harshly reject him, nice Kate politely declines and the plump Dorothy takes an interest. Yet when she and Jeremy are caught kissing by a band of jocks, she lies that Jeremy assaulted her and the boys proceed to torment Jeremy mercilessly. Years later, the girls are all grown up and still very good friends, despite differing jobs and lifestyles. Kate has become a news reporter, Paige is the local maneater, Dorothy is now skinnier and seems to being getting more attention of men and Lily is something of a gossip. They are all having a bad time on the dating scene as Valentine’s Day approaches. The creepiness begins with the murder of the other girl in the friendship circle Shelley, now a medical intern, by a figure wearing a cherub mask. Prior to her death, she had received a horrible Valentine’s card that spoke of her upcoming grisly demise. The remaining girls meet up again and are shocked at her death, wondering why someone would kill her. Slowly, each of them receives a horrific card and warning that savagery will follow. Each is signed with the initials J.M, which the girls come to see as those of Jeremy Melton. In the years since their last encounter, he was put in a reform school and later a mental hospital. But as of the last few years, there has been no sign of him whatsoever. It appears that Jeremy has never forgotten the cruelty that arose from that dance and is now getting blood-soaked revenge on the now grown up women who tormented him. With the prospect that Jeremy has obviously changed and may have well undergone surgery, the remaining girls are frightened that it could be any number of guys in their lives. Could it be Kate’s on-off boyfriend Adam, who has a drink problem? Or the sleazy cop assigned to the case? And will this be a Valentine’s Day to die for?

Jamie Blanks directs with a good enough touch for the weak and uninspired material. His work won’t win any awards, but he wrings some good suspense and horror from the film that can’t be sniffed at. You can see that Valentine is trying to be a throwback to 80’s slashers with scantily clad babes being menaced by a killer. On that score it is pretty entertaining actually. And going into Valentine I knew it would be something of a mess and to an extent it is, though it has its moments that generate scares. It’s pretty obvious from the start of the killings that it is Jeremy, so hearing as the girls discuss that it may not be is a bit stupid. And the characters are not exactly likable people, except Kate who is the only one who shows an ounce of decency and was the only one who didn’t humiliate Jeremy. Then again, the others are supposed to be nasty pieces of work so when they are dispatched there is a level of glee to be felt. The dialogue gets inane and pretty clunky in the long run of Valentine, the screenplay is not exactly what you’d label a coherent one as it has a lot of plot holes. People make stupid decisions like wandering off alone when there is a masked killer on the loose and leaving doors unlocked. Because it is a horror film and movie logic pertains that characters don’t need to use any brain cells. What surprised me about Valentine was that it dealt with bullying, albeit in a way that was not exactly revelatory. As someone who was bullied in school, I know how it feels to be on the outside. That isn’t to say that I promote or condone offing those who have wronged you, but there is a feeling of catharsis as each of the bullying girls is killed that I’m sure many people could relate to. There is a poetic justice to each killing, that links to what each girl said to Jeremy on the night all those years ago that comes back to haunt them severely and in imaginative fashion. In terms of style, Valentine has a moody one that is actually quite good if I must say so with a presence of morose blue and scarlet red apparent throughout. It’s not going to craft the film into an immensely great piece of horror art, but it does the job. The look of the killer, with the cherub mask is a surprisingly creepy one that will no doubt get a few shudders in the audience for its ability to unsettle. A hard rock soundtrack is used effectively, along with the suspenseful score that elevates the tried and tested film up a few notches.

The characters are thinly drawn but played reasonably well by the attractive cast. Marley Shelton stands out the most as the most amiable girl, who displays actual kindness and humility unlike her bitchy friends. She is the girl that you want to survive the killings as she was the one who wasn’t a complete terror to the spurned and brutalised Jeremy. The other girls are all pretty interchangeable in their nastiness and shallowness, but Jessica Capshaw and Jessica Cauffiel are quite good. The pouting bitchiness and sexiness is provided by Denise Richards as the loose member of the group and it’s not much in the way of acting, but she makes for a good victim. All of the men in this film are portrayed as either louses, cheats or just plain slimy. David Boreanaz emerges unscathed as probably the most developed man in the movie. Katherine Heigl is simply required to be the first of the ladies to perish, though her death is a pretty effective one that opens the movie in the morgue.

It is a majorly predictable movie and not one of the best horrors you will come across. But with a bit of style and a sense of catharsis about it, Valentine is a slick film that doesn’t require much from the mind but has an entertainment quota to it that you don’t have to be a genius to see. No vintage horror film, yet watchable enough.

Sin City

Tags

2000's, Alexis Bledel, Benicio Del Toro, Brittany Murphy, Bruce Willis, Clive Owen, Crime, Devon Aoki, Elijah Wood, Frank Miller, Jaime King, Jessica Alba, Josh Hartnett, Marley Shelton, Michael Clarke Duncan, Mickey Rourke, Nick Stahl, Powers Boothe, Robert Rodriguez, Rosario Dawson, Rutger Hauer, Sin City

Film Title

Sin City

Directors

Frank Miller and Robert Rodriguez

Starring

• Mickey Rourke as Marv
• Bruce Willis as Haritgan
• Clive Owen as Dwight McCarthy
• Jessica Alba as Nancy Callahan
• Benicio Del Toro as Jackie Boy
• Rosario Dawson as Gail
• Brittany Murphy as Shellie
• Devon Aoki as Miho
• Elijah Wood as Kevin
• Jaime King as Goldie/Wendy
• Alexis Bledel as Becky
• Nick Stahl as Roark Junior
• Powers Boothe as Senator Roark
• Michael Clarke Duncan as Manute
• Rutger Hauer as Cardinal Roark
• Josh Hartnett as The Salesman
• Marley Shelton as The Customer

Visually outstanding, brutally realized and violently compelling, Sin City is one hell of a ride. Directed by Robert Rodriguez and Frank Miller, from whom the source of graphic novels is based, it may not be for everyone, but it’s definitely a film that is hard to get out of your mind.

Sin City comprises of three stories that intertwine on occasion. The setting is Basin City, a dirty, corrupt and downright nasty city of violence, sex and all things bad. One tale concerns honest cop Hartigan, who is ageing and has developed a heart condition but still trying to carry on with his latest case. He manages to save a young girl by the name of Nancy Callahan from serial rapist and child molester Roark Junior, who is also the son of the corrupt Senator of the city. In a cruel twist of fate orchestrated by the Senator, Hartigan is framed for a crime he didn’t commit and spends time in jail. Upon release, he manages to track Nancy down, she has now grown up into a gorgeous young woman who works as an exotic dancer in a saloon. Roark Junior is actually still alive and comes after them and it is up to Hartigan to stop him before it is too late. The middle tale tells of Marv, a lonely man mountain who is slowly slipping into madness. One night, he has a passionate encounter with a hooker named Goldie. Marv falls deeply in love with the girl, but unfortunately for him she is murdered while he sleeps. Heartbroken and filled with vengeance, he hacks his way through those in his way to track down the perpetrator; a psychopathic man named Kevin, who slaughters and then eats what remains of prostitutes. In the last of these overlapping vignettes, Dwight McCarthy protects his brutalized clandestine lover Shellie from her abusive partner Jackie Boy. Following the sadistic Jackie to Old Town, the red-light district, Dwight prowls in the shadows in an attempt to keep the girls safe. Not that they need to be protected, as they are led by the fierce Gail and have an arsenal of weapons at their disposal. When violence erupts, chaos emerges and bullets fly as the girls fight back against the corrupt powers that be.

Sin City immediately grabs you from its opening frames because of the stylish way in which it is shot. By combing the noir of black and white and the accentuation of certain colours, we are transported into this walking and breathing comic book story come to life. Robert Rodriguez and Frank Miller bring so much to the table, skilfully immersing us in this world of violence, broads and deception. It’s like being in a hard-boiled pulp story, and these two really keep you riveted with their assured sense of direction and respect for the material. The structure of Sin City is also a highlight, with the characters slinking their way in and out of the stories at various occasions. Sin City is most certainly not for everyone’s taste, mainly because of the often gruesome and violent content. But for those with a strong stomach, it is well worth a watch. A rip-roaring soundtrack of jazzy riffs and driving guitar rhythms brings more life to the tales of graphic slaying, seductive atmosphere and shadowy dealings.

An accomplished cast fleshes out this cavalcade of tough guys and seductive vixens. Mickey Rourke brings swaggering violence and inconsolable rage to the role of the wronged Marv, who is on a revenge mission even if it kills him. Yet he also brings to the forefront of the tough guy the lonely and severed heart of a man who has the thing he cared about snatched away from him. Bruce Willis is excellent as the emotionally abandoned and ageing Hartigan, whose sole purpose for living is to protect Nancy, who he sees as a daughter. Clive Owen is at his best as the protective but very dangerous Dwight, imbuing the part with grave humour and macho virility. While Jessica Alba is often quite wooden in terms of her acting, she does manage to give the part of Nancy a sense of vulnerability and scorching sex appeal. Benicio Del Toro is skulking menace personified as Jackie Boy, while Rosario Dawson is smoking hot as the tooled-up Gail, who isn’t going to go down without a fight. Brittany Murphy gives sympathy to the role of Shellie and Devon Aoki is a scowling presence as Miho, a mute prostitute who is more than adept with a Samurai sword. Elijah Wood is surprisingly chilling as the light-footed and sadistic serial killer with a taste for blood. Jaime King essays the roles of the ill-fated Goldie and her twin sister Wendy, while Alexis Bledel is suitably naive as Becky, one of the younger prostitutes of Old Town. Nick Stahl is sinister and twisted as Roark Junior, along with a slimy turn from Powers Boothe as his well-connected father. Michael Clarke Duncan is imposing and vicious as a mob enforcer, and Rutger Hauer makes an impression as a member of the Roark family. Josh Hartnett and Marley Shelton give mystery and smoky elegance to the enigmatic opening to the film.

Violent, stylish and unforgettable, Sin City is a film that will definitely leave you awestruck.

 

The IPC’s Ladies

Tags

Diora Baird, Marley Shelton, Matthew McConaughey, Olivia Wilde, Ron Swanson, The IPC's Ladies, Timothy Olyphant

With my Ladies posts currently proving popular, I’ve been asking people who they would like featured in these posts. As I was chatting to Eric over at the IPC, he enlightened me on some of the women he wanted to see featured, and also a few man crushes.  So I decided to feature a post of them.

 First up we have the seductive Diora Baird for Eric, and it’s not hard to see why he likes her, she is stunning.

The absolutely gorgeous Olivia Wilde is another feature on Eric’s choices of beautiful women.

It’s clear to see that Eric is bewitched by the stunning beauty of Marley Shelton, especially in this photo.

Now for Eric’s man crushes, which I’m sure everyone viewing this post can appreciate. We have Matthew McConaughey, Ron Swanson and Timothy Olyphant.

 

Planet Terror

Tags

2000's, Action, Freddy Rodriguez, Grindhouse, Horror, Jeff Fahey, Josh Brolin, Marley Shelton, Michael Biehn, Naveen Andrews, Planet Terror, Quentin Tarantino, Robert Rodriguez, Rose McGowan

Film Title

Planet Terror

Director

Robert Rodriguez

Starring

• Rose McGowan as Cherry Darling
• Freddy Rodriguez as El Wray
• Josh Brolin as Block
• Jeff Fahey as J T Hague
• Michael Biehn as Sheriff Hague
• Marley Shelton as Dakota Block
• Naveen Andrews as Abby

Robert Rodriguez’s homage to cheap horror movies of the 70’s comes in the form of Planet Terror, which was released as part of Grindhouse, a collaboration between Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino. If it’s substance you’re looking for, turn away now. But if it’s zombie horror, a killer soundtrack and action gore galore, Planet Terror is certainly worth sticking around for.

Cherry Darling is a go-go dancer, sick and tired of her job as she dreams of being a comedienne. She quits her job and finds herself one night in the local diner, where she encounters the enigmatic El Wray. He used to be her lover, but their relationship has cooled. Meanwhile in the rural Texas town, a toxin has been released into the air from a military base nearby. At first nothing happens, but then many of the residents begin developing various side effects and subsequently morph into ravenous zombies. The zombies begin to attack the living causing chaos and a fight for survival. Joining forces with El Wray, the local diner owner, the sheriff, a chemical engineer and a doctor, Cherry leads the fight against the infected, even after she has a leg eaten and replaced with a machine gun. Prepare for kick ass action, copious amounts of blood and grainy visuals as Planet Terror emerges as over the top action in the style of B-movies.

From the opening frames, you know what you’re going to get from Rodriguez. He nails the grainy abrasions that popularised the films of his childhood and adds them to this film in homages which come off rather well, especially in the opening scenes of Cherry’s sexy dance. He even throws in a missing reel with apologies and some sleazy trailers for good measure. The soundtrack is killer, from the grungy guitars to the smoking saxophone, it makes for a rocking listen. Rodriguez directs some pretty great scenes of action as the survivors fight back against the encroaching zombie threat. Gore hounds will lap up the various scenes of zombie hunger and believe me there is a lot of bloodshed in Planet Terror. Where Planet Terror falters is the pacing and some of the humour that doesn’t come off to good. Yet, many watching will barely notice these flaws because of the visuals and kick ass action/horror.

Rose McGowan makes for a fierce, sexy heroine as Cherry Darling and delivers an impressive performance of sassy, kick ass attitude and some great comic timing. Freddy Rodriguez makes for an enigmatic presence as the bad boy, gunslinger El Wray. For the rest of the cast, including Josh Brolin, Jeff Fahey and Marley Shelton, they really have fun with their roles in this action/zombie horror. The real star of the show is Rodriguez himself, firmly creating a tongue in cheek horror homage that is for the most part entertaining.

Short on substance but high on octane and visual techniques, whilst also boasting some great action, Planet Terror won’t be to everyone’s taste. But its a good way to spend a couple of hours without having to think a lot.