Nov 12: The American Scream

"An original documentary which follows three families in a small seaside town in Massachusetts as they prepare for their annual home made haunted houses..."

Directed by: Michael Stephenson, Rated: NR, 91 minutes

I have never been the biggest fans of haunted houses. Pop out scares are mostly cheesier than anything else and half the time, the effort put into them isn't big enough to really make me shake in my boots. However, the very elaborate haunts with so much attention to detail are something I can appreciate. Haunting has become an art in this day and age and the cheap scares aren't always the ticket to a successful horror house and a hell of a lot of time, money, and creativity is needed to be something memorable. The American Scream is a documentary that tells the story of multiple people looking to make the perfect haunted house and their struggles and sacrifices to get things done.

New England family creating a haunted "pahty" for Halloween. 

In a small town in Massachusetts, three families look forward to Halloween more than any other day of the year. Victor Bariteau is an IT guy at an investment firm. He didn't grow up with Halloween, Christmas or even celebrating Birthdays, so he puts all of his attention into an elaborate haunted house. He dreams big, hoping to become a "professional haunter" one day, and his family stands behind him reluctantly. Mathew and Richard Brodeur are part-time clowning father and son, who don't have a lot of money but put a lot of imagination into their scares, just to give the kids something fun. Manny Souza is another family man that sets up a haunted house every year because it's simply a hobby. He's not obsessed as the other two parties and the majority of his contraptions, figures, and scares are made of recycled material he finds on the side of the road or in dumpsters. Large displays cost him only eight dollars and he does it all for the fun of it.

Clearly, these are the clowns. 

The American Scream showcases all three of these stories, throwing in bits of back-story here and there. Never does director Michael Stephenson insult his subject's behavior, and as the audience we just take a look at the buildup to Halloween and then, the eventual scares. When you go through a haunted house, you never think about the work that's actually put into the effects and creatures, and The American Scream shows the building process of a lot of that. It also shows the tolls certain obsessions take upon men and their families. Some of it's sad, but you can kind of understand where they're coming from. However, the documentary never feels that special. Sure, the details shown aren't what most people see nor even think about, but there's just something missing from the film that leaves you wanting more. Either way, it's a nice look into the lives of people you wouldn't normally even think to talk to and breaks down a community that gathers together to get scared. Each haunter knows the other and although they mention each other, I would have liked to have seen scenes shared between them, talking scares and what not. Although I'm little late, this would have been a great film to watch for Halloween and while I won't be running to see it again each year, I'd still recommend checking out The American Scream.

The Good:

seeing how the scares are built and appreciating the work and imagination each house has behind it

The Bad:

the film lacks something you can't quite pinpoint and leaves you wishing for a bit more, be it more scares or more charm

The Ugly:

just thinking about how much money is thrown at each project and that six months of work go out the window after just one night

Overall: 6.8/10

Discussion Question:

Are you a fan of haunted houses? Have you ever hosted one yourself?

Trailer:

Nov 6: Arthur Christmas

"On Christmas night at the North Pole, Santa's youngest son looks to use his father's high-tech operation for an urgent mission."

Directed by: Sarah Smith & Barry Cook, Rated: PG, 97 minutes

Aardman Animations Studio has been rather hit and miss for me lately, with Pirates! Band of Misfits being one of the year's more disappointing movies, in my opinion. Luckily, their animated flick of last year (that's JUST hitting DVD), Arthur Christmas, restores my faith in the House of Gromit and gave me a new Christmas movie I may watch every year (you've got company The Muppet Christmas Carol!). Arthur Christmas is a terrific holiday film and the perfect jump-start to my scrooge reluctance for another Christmas. It's a unique movie that does a lot of new things with Santa, a character seemingly raped to death with ideas and adaptations, and creates a film that's not only hilarious, but has plenty of heart and a good message.

Space Santa!

In the world of Arthur Christmas, Santa Claus is not the same man every year, but a descendant in a long-line of Santas. The current St. Nick (Jim Broadbent) is getting far too old to continue his jolly "reign" and soon has plans to give over the title to his son, Steve (Hugh Laurie), a hard-working, organized, almost-militant man who leads the elves and the top-notch technology that helps Santa deliver gifts to all of the kids of the world. Arthur (James McAvoy) is Santa's youngest son, and the most genuinely excited about the holiday every year. As opposed to Steve, he looks forward to bringing joy to the children of the world, instead of simply just doing a job that needs to get done. After a gift that was promised to a little girl goes undelivered, Arthur, along with Grandsanta (Bill Nighy), Byrony the elf (Ashley Jensen), a raggedy old reindeer, and an obsolete sled, make it their mission to deliver the bike before sunrise, refusing to let even one child go a Christmas without a gift from Santa.

One little bike could ruin Christmas. I hope it's a Schwinn. 

Arthur Christmas takes the Santa character and lore to new heights. In a day and age like today, you'd assume that Santa would have to adapt with newer and better technologies, and the film shows this in glorious fashion. It's incredibly clever in the present delivery techniques and turns Santa into a toy distributing enterprise. In contrast, the film also screams out for a return to the classic and traditional, and in a sense, reminds us that there's much more to Christmas than fancy gadgets and Apple products. Arthur Christmas is also genuinely funny, and the overly-British, simple humor that Aardman Animations has become known for is definitely present. It never crosses into the territory of crazy innuendo but succeeds solely on clever humor and smart dialogue. The movie feels genuine in every sense of the word and is a pleasant surprise.

Post-House, Hugh Laurie continues to deliver. 

With a terrific voice cast and a refreshing take on a too-familiar story. While it  is far from perfect, it's an exceptional addition to the ever-growing encyclopedia of Christmas films and proves that there's still great stories to be told about Santa Claus. It's funny, it's animated beautifully, and it actually keeps you interested and is not some kid's fluffy film you just tolerate in the background. I would highly recommend checking Arthur Christmas out and if you had not been in the Christmas spirit like me, it's sure to inspire some sort of yule-tide affection hiding inside.

The Good:

terrific visuals that continues to show the talent at Aardman Animations

The Better:

great humor with tons of heart

The Best:

a new spin on the Santa Claus story that doesn't feel forced or unncessary

Overall: 8.2/10

Discussion Question: What's your favorite modern Christmas movie?

Trailer: