Frightfest 2012: Sinister Review

The “found footage” flick. Possibly the most derided genre of horror, even more so than the slasher movie these days. With film after film seeing light of day via DVD you’d think found footage films are heading for burn out. But then along comes Sinister. Playing on the “found footage” conceit, the movie is however less a found footage film than a film about found footage. If Paranormal Activity and Insidious captured the imaginations of cinema audiences everywhere then Sinister is surely set to do the same. With a similar “found footage meets haunted house” premise to the aforementioned films, the movie tells the story of true-crime writer Ellison who, desperate to repeat the success of his earlier work, moves his family into a home where a horrific quadruple homicide took place (footage of which opens the film in a stunning fashion). Of course Ellison doesn’t tell his wife and kids the truth about their new home, however it doesn’t take too long for them to find out… Discovering a box of ‘home movies’ in the attic, Ellison spins the Super 8 reels, sitting stunned as the gruesome murder footage plays out. As he comes to realise that the murder he is investigating goes a lot further than just his house, he also realises the toll his investigation may take on his family. When it comes to horror movies everything has already been done, from slasher movies to found footage films there really is nothing new under the sun. So it takes a lot for any new movie to feel refreshing and new. Thankfully Sinister is one such film. Directed by Scott Derrickson, who was responsible for the better than average The Exorcism of Emily Rose, Sinister is a masterpiece film-making; not only playing on genre tropes but using them to spectacular effect. From the grindhouse style Super 8 footage of the grisly murders, to the creepy haunted house bangs and bumps, we’ve seen it all before but here it works – so much so that it made even this horror fan jump out of his seat a couple of times! Best of all the script, by director Derrickson and film critic C. Robert Cargill (aka Massawyrm from Ain’t It Cool News), doesn’t treat the audience like idiots. Characters spout lines that the audience are thinking and just when the events reach a terrifying crescendo Ellison moves his family out of the house! If you’ve ever seen a haunted house film you’ll know the feeling of shouting at the screen, almost begging the characters to movie out – here they do. It’s a very small thing but it’s just the tip of the iceberg in terms of the nuances found in the films fantastic script. Ethan Hawke gives an astonishingly strong performance as crime writer Ellison, a man whose behaviour is less than exemplary. He lies (and keeps lying) to his family about the house; he lies about why, as his family falls apart, he is really forcing them to stay; and he lies to himself about his real motivations – money and fame rather than trying to solve the crime. However despite all that Hawke manages to imbue Ellison with a likeability – after all deep down he’s a man who’s only trying to provide for his family the way he knows how. Hawke’s performance also goes a long way to convince the audience of the believability of the more supernatural aspects of Sinister. Speaking of which, the films “villain” Mr. Boogie, is on the surface yet another stereotypical movie boogeyman but between the skillful way in which the character is revealed, and later his true ideology, the cliche of a “boogeyman” can quickly been forgiven. Especially given the movies stunning final twist… Sinister really is one of the best, and scariest, American horror films I’ve seen in years. Someone give Derrickson and Cargill the greenlight to make another – I’ll be first in the queue. This was a review by Phil at Blogomatic3000 Rating:15 UK Release Date: 28th August 2012 (Frightfest) 5th October 2012 (UK&Irish cinema release) Directed by:Scott Derrickson Cast:Ethan Hawke, Vincent D'Onofrio, Clare Foley, Juliet Rylance,

Frightfest 2012: Paura 3D

The second film from the Manetti Brothers’ whose The Arrival of Wang played Frightfest Glasgow and is scheduled as part of the Re-Discovery Screen at London Frightfest 2012, Paura 3D (literally translated as Fear 3D) is billed as a 3D thrill ride into terror and whilst the film has its moments (no matter how minor), it cannot compare to the sheer brilliance of the Manetti’s sci-fi opus Wang.

Paura 3D tells the story of mechanic Ale, who after overhearing a conversation between a wealthy customer and the garage owner, takes his best friends, Simone and Marco on a trip to the wealthy owners Rome villa intent on having a wild weekend in his luxury mansion. Bored after raiding the fridge, swimming in the pool and playing video games one of the trio decides to explore the house, never expecting what he finds in the basement…

Lensed in 3D, but loosing nothing in 2D, Paura is a strange film. Filled with a sleazy atmosphere, the film embraces all that is exploitation – extreme examples of sex, violence and gore – only it does so in a way that doesn’t allow the audience to connect with the film. There’s no emotional investment in any of the characters, least of all the three leads who are an unlikeable bunch and the script is less than stellar. The films only saving grace IS the exploitation aspects, which are nothing we haven’t seen before a hundred times and after a while even those run out of steam, leaving a film that feels shallow and uninteresting. The complete antithesis of The Arrival of Wang.

Personally it was hard to watch Paura 3D and not be a little disappointed. After loving the Manetti Brothers’ sci-fi flick, seeing them produce something so generic and so dated (this is the type of film both Italy and the US were churning out during the slasher movie fad of the 80s), is heartbreaking. Here’s hoping the brothers Manetti find their mojo again for their next genre film…

This was a review by Phil from Blogomatic3000

Rating:18
UK Release Date: 25th August 2012 (Frightfest)
Directed by: Antonio Manetti, Marco Manetti
Cast: Francesca Cuttica, Peppe Servillo, Lorenzo Pedrotti, Domenico Diele, Claudio Di Biagio

Frightfest 2012: Errors Of The Human Body Review

The debut feature from screenwriter Eron Sheean, who was responsible for penning The Divide for Xavier Gens (which also starred Michael Eklund), Errors of the Human Bodyis a film that belies genre-specific categorisation. Part Michael Crichton medical thriller, part David Cronenberg body-horror, with a hint of the classic Frankenstein, it’s both a challenging and intriguing film – although it is not without its faults. The film follows Canadian scientist Dr Geoff Burton (Eklund) who takes up a position at a scientific institute in Dresden, Germany, with the intention of continuing his research into random embryonic abnormalities – research borne out of a personal tragedy (the death of his infant son) that has haunted him for years. Hooking up with his former intern, Dr Rebekka Fiedler, now one of the top researchers at the institute, Burton becomes fascinated by her research into a regeneration gene, one that could have possibly saved his son. But it’s not only Dr. Burton who’s interested in her research as he finds out when he spies the mysterious and creepy Jarek (Lemarquis) using her formula on the mice in his basement ‘mouse house’. Racked by guilt over his son and fixated on Jarek, sure he’s plotting something nefarious, Burton steals one of the lab mice to run his own tests. However when his experimentation goes wrong and he’s bitten by the mouse, Dr. Burton becomes convinced he’s become infected, a human test subject for Jarek’s modified regeneration gene, and he might not be wrong… Errors of the Human Body couldn’t be more timely. Playing on the fears of genetic modification and stem cell research, the film is a dark, often bleak, look behind the curtain of science, showing the true price of medical breakthroughs – doctors pushed to the brink, experimentation that many would say borders on the inhumane, and the possible future consequences of (medical) success. These themes, whilst central to the film, run parallel with the very human story of Dr. Burton, whose life and deeds have made him a broken man. Thankfully Eron Sheean cast the perfect actor for Dr. Burton in Michael Eklund. One of the best character actors working today (you’ll know the face even if you don’t know the name), it looks like Eklund really threw himself into the role of Burton and his commitment really gives the character a believability and an emotional resonance that grounds the film come it’s almost fantastical conclusion. The film is not without its problems however. With an over-long running time, Errors of the Human Body suffers from too many endings and a third act that drags out the action to almost a snails pace. I understand that writer/director Sheean wants to show the gradual breakdown, both physical and mental, of Dr. Burton but that could have been achieved without a ridiculously long montage of him running through Dresden. However despite the films issues, with Errors of the Human Body Sheean has managed to craft an interesting, intelligent thriller that never panders to the audience, never gets bogged down in medical mumbo-jumbo, and best of all never stoops to the usual “science gone bad” style story we typically see from these types of genre film. For that he must be applauded. This Was a review from Phil at Blogomatic3000 Rating:18 UK Release Date: 27th August 2012 (Frightfest) Directed by: Eron Sheean Cast: Michael Eklund, Karoline Herfurth, Tómas Lemarquis, Rik Mayall, Ulrich Meinecke