Oct 31: Silent Hill

"A woman goes in search for her daughter, within the confines of a strange, desolate town called Silent Hill. Based on the video game."

Directed by: Christopher Gans, Rated: R, 125 minutes

Every Halloween I watch Silent Hill. It's turned into a little tradition for myself and have never really been able to pinpoint the exact moment I decided to keep it up. It's not even the scariest movie I've ever seen but it still fits the holiday and leaves me a little on edge. There's just something about Silent Hill that keeps me coming back for more and you can only imagine how sad I was when I heard such horrible things about its recent sequel. But I can say with confidence that Silent Hill is the greatest video game adaptation ever made.

It might help that this awful man had nothing to do with it. 

The film follows Rose (Radha Mitchell), a woman who loses her daughter and has plenty of signs leading her to a small town called Silent Hill. Rose travels to the abandoned town after many warnings that it holds plenty of dark secrets. Once she arrives, Rose discovers first-hand the warnings are true, and the town changes into hell on earth, with the walls peeling away and demon-like creatures spawn out of the darkness. As Rose uncovers more secrets she comes to find the town is cursed and that only way to escape is to "go deeper" and find a way to reverse the curse and save her daughter. Rose is joined by police officer, Cybil (Laurie Holden) and encounters plenty of townspeople that leave in constant fear.

Too bad my disgust for her in The Walking Dead ruins her quite a bit in anything else she's in. 

Silent Hill makes you hate tornado sirens. Whenever a siren goes off in the film, you know shit's going to happen and that terror is right around the corner. Each time the wall's begin to peel away, you get tense, again knowing that awful is coming. It's a film that continues to build suspense and only gets worse as it progresses. Not only does the siren provide tension, but the visuals that accompany each change are just as creepy. Seeing a desolate town dissolve into an even greater darkness, literally on the edge of hell, is just as creepy. Of course, you can't mention Silent Hill without mentioning Pyramid Head, the franchise's signature character. A brute of man stumbling through hell, carrying a massive ax and ripping the skin off of innocents is quite the visual of fear. He plays a minor, yet memorable part, and is more than okay sharing the creature-feature with a handful of other demons, zombie-nurses, and other undead nightmares.

He will f**k you the f**k up.

While Silent Hill has a handful of weak moments towards the end, it still is quite the ride. It's dark, it's creepy, and it leaves you paranoid. You'll hate sirens of any kind after watching the film and if you are a fan of the video games, you'll love the film. It provides plenty of scares and moments of "oh f**k that did not just happen!". It's well acted with a solid script (written by Roger Avary, Pulp Fiction) and has both visual and mental fears playing on on screen. Sure, it plays off of the cliche little kids are spooky aspect, but it still brings much more to the game than other generic horror films. I would highly recommend it and I look forward to continuing my Halloween tradition for years to come. Here's hoping the eventual third flick in the series will be a worthy follow-up to this mini-masterpiece.

The Good:

overall creep factor that lingers with you and the fact that it's a terrific adaptation of an already terrifying video game

The Bad:

some cliches that leave you a little frustrated, but nothing that ruins the film completely

The Ugly:

... tornado sirens

7.5/10

Discussion Question:

Besides Silent Hill (and Resident Evil) are there any other good video game adaptations?

Trailer:

Oct 12: Equilibrium

"In a Fascist future where all forms of feeling are illegal, a man in charge of enforcing the law rises to overthrow the system."

Directed by: Kurt Wimmer, Rated: R, 107 minutes

Dark City, The Matrix, Equilibrium- all three of these films are similar in style and theme, and you've probably only heard of one of them. While The Matrix blew us all away with great visuals and an incredibly unique story, it overshadowed two other great films that came out within a few years of one another. Dark City actually came first, using large set pieces later recycled in The Matrix. In 2002, Equilibrium took some of what made The Matrix great, and added its own twist, with a heavy 1984 feeling, where Big Brother reigns supreme. This is the fourth or fifth time I've seen this movie and it just gets better and better. 

His eyes follow you... Wait, that makes sense. 

The film follows John Preston (Christian Bale), a cleric in a futuristic society where emotion is kept at bay in hopes of avoiding war and conflict. A cleric in the society is someone that enforces those rules and makes sure that no one feels anything and that any resistance to the government is immediately struck down. In the society, a drug known as Prozium helps control the feelings and emotions of the people and keeps everything in check, just as much as the clerics. When Preston misses his daily dose, he begins to feel things he hasn't felt before and appreciate the beauty in the smallest things. As the only man on the "inside" who has access to practically everything, Preston proves to be an incredibly valuable asset to the growing underground resistance and he must decide whether to join the rebels or continue the job he's done for years. 

This is exactly how I look when I wake up in the middle of the night. 

Equilibrium is one of the first looks we have at seeing Christian Bale as an action star. He's one of the few actors out there you can not only kick ass but bring some talent to the screen as well. He does a fine job in the role of Preston, and seeing his layers slowly peel away as he feels more and more is even more interesting. However, the best part of Equilibrium is the action. The clerics use a technique known as Gun Kata, a style of fighting that blends marksmanship and Kung Fu. Sure, this sounds a little ridiculous, but once you see it on screen, you're immediately sold. Imagine going against someone, where the gun not only adds weight to your hands, but goes off inches from your face and body, bringing a whole new lethality to hand-to-hand combat. Each action sequence is choreographed with such skill you can't help but marvel in it all. Hell, as dangerous as it is, it also looks very fun. It's also worth mentioning that Equilibrium has one of the largest body counts in a movie I have ever seen and the climactic fight towards the end sees plenty of bodies hitting the floor. It's all sorts of awesome.

Oh yeah, did I mention there's mother f**king swords too!? Seriously, why haven't you seen this movie?

With a supporting cast that includes the likes of Sean Bean, Taye Diggs, William Fichtner, Emily Watson, and Angus Macfadyen, Equilibrium gets even better. It's a film I would highly recommend and if you haven't seen it already, I encourage you to go out and find it. It's a very easily forgotten film, coming out in a time when Bale wasn't as popular as he was today and a marketing campaign that too closely resembled The Matrix. Equilibrium is a great film on its own and deserves a look, if anything for the action alone. Post-The Dark Knight Trilogy, revisiting an older Christian Bale movie is just as fun as seeing him take on the cowl, and it's always a nice reminder of where he came from. 

The Good:

a solid script that takes familiar themes into new places

The Better:

Christian Bale, Sean Bean, and Taye Diggs all being their awesome selves, bringing their charisma and badass-ness to their roles

The Best:

action sequences that are so awesome and so unique, you can't help but remember it all- and Gun Kata is so damn cool

Overall: 8.2/10

Trailer:

May 27: Black Death

"Set during the time of the first outbreak of bubonic plague in England, a young monk is tasked with learning the truth about reports of people being brought back to life in a small village."

Black Death is a terrific little film that flew completely under the radar when it was released in 2010. Starring Sean Bean, had this film been released after season one of Game of Thrones, I am sure this would have seen a wide theatrical release. Unfortunately, it did not, and it is a shame because many people will go without seeing Black Death. There are very few films set during the time of the bubonic plague and when one comes around on the rare occasion, I'm always hoping it will be something good. I mean, a pandemic that brought nearly 100 million people to an early, painful death provides plenty of material to be used for all sorts of films. Black Death does indeed focus on this ravaging of Europe (duh, it's the title) and instead of being a run-of-the-mill swords, knights, and bloodshed movie, it actually has one hell of a story that leaves a lot to be thought over and discussed. 

Plus, it has a pretty badass poster. 

Black Death follows the story of a knight named Ulrich (Sean Bean) who leads his men on an expedition through the contaminated lands of Europe, seeking a village rumored to have not only been able to avoid the plague but, holds a power to bring the dead back to life. Ulrich enlists the help of Osmund (Eddie Redmayne), a young monk who knows the area and can be a valuable guide through the harsh swamp lands that surround the village. As Ulrich and his party reach the village, their faith in God is tested, and all is not what it seems as everything takes a wicked turn into unexpected territory. Black Death has many twists and turns throughout it's seemingly straight-forward story. The film reminds me a lot of The Wicker Man, with paganism and Christianity playing a large part of the plot and showing that evil ways do not necessarily elude those with good intentions. 

It's actually pretty creepy...

I would definitely recommend Black Death. It has plenty of style AND substance and is a great look at how far people can go when it comes to what they believe. The entire film is bleak, as the title references, and the director, Christopher Smith, does a great job at capturing it. Sean Bean and Eddie Redmayne give great performances, as does the supporting cast, and each character is developed well enough that you care about their outcome. The film is no masterpiece but it does tell a good (although depressing) story and is much more than a regular hack-n-slash ironclad flick you see in the bargain bin at Walmart. 

The Good:

a dark, meaningful story that shows faith in God can be stronger (or weaker) than the cold steel of a sword

The Better:

a great cast lead by the always amazing Sean Bean

The Best:

a film that actually tells a story of the bubonic plague very well and with the depressing, dark atmosphere it... deserves?

Overall: 7.4/10

Trailer:

April 11: National Treasure

"A treasure hunter is in hot pursuit of a mythical treasure that has been passed down for centuries, while his employer turned enemy is onto the same path that he's on."

   A movie with Nicolas Cage, who was born in 1964, the first year the Beatles performed on live television, the beetle is an insect, like the bee, who makes honey, that Winnie-the-Pooh loves, who was written by A.A Milne, who was born in London, thus the London Bridge, which is in Arizona. That's where the treasure must be! But wait, first we need to find the missing monocle of Thomas Jefferson's secretary's free-mason husband, which is the key to unlocking the treasure chamber! Or something like that. I just wrote a sequel to National Treasure. All you need is Nic Cage, a handful of CGI and stunts, gadgets, a wise-cracking sidekick, and of course, the script to fill in all the little extra bits. That's exactly what makes up National Treasure and, although it is ridiculously over-the-top, it's so damn entertaining you can't help but love it. 

Oh, and he uses the Declaration of Independence (the one he stole) to deflect bullets being shot at him by Sean Bean

Yes, Ned Stark. 

   Like most of his films, the best part of National Treasure is Nicolas Cage. His  insanity, his facial tics, and of course his hair, all make up the persona and character of Benjamin Franklin Gates; a treasure hunter obsessed with finding, well, treasure. His never-ending knowledge of American history is that of a savant and his pulling of facts out of God knows where is laughable but oh so entertaining. Cage is perfect in the role. If his character taught a college course, you'd be damn right about me doing whatever it takes to win the campus wide paintball game (to earn priority registration, duh). 

Yes, Annie. I'd even "kill" you...*sigh*

   National Treasure is what would happen if Indiana Jones had a baby with Lara Croft, and the kid grew up and joined the circus. The entire thing would sound awesome and look awesome, but then you'd realize he's just in a leotard swinging from a trapeze, who's best friends with a bearded lady and a midget. In short, it's incredible, ridiculous, and so fun to watch. Nicolas Cage is at home in his role, and you can't help but think he's at home staring at a quarter, trying to find it's connection to that one building next to Independence Hall (see, even imagining that is entertaining).   

The Good:

Nicolas Cage piecing completely unrelated things together to track down gold

The Bad:

the filmmakers actually thinking the audience is stupid enough to believe the elaborate connections

The Ugly:

knowing there really is no connection between a dollar bill, the Liberty Bell, and a shit ton of gold

Overall: 7.2/10

Trailer:

Jan 15: Ronin

"A freelancing former US intelligence agent tries to track down a mysterious package that is wanted by both the Irish and the Russians."

   Ronin is a rather interesting movie, filled with great stunt driving, betrayal, violence, shootouts, and Robert De Niro. Ronin is widely considered one of the last "real" films, in that it uses all technical special effects with no CGI. Now a days, everything has to be in front of a green screen. Watching this film, made with real filming techniques, is refreshing.

That's a wrap. You can go, we'll make the movie later. 

   Robert De Niro is a former special agent and is brought on board for a heist. The plan is to simply steal a package and sell it, then walk away with thousands of dollars. Of course, since this is a movie, and there is 90+ minutes to fill, it does not go as planned. The package goes from person to person, and De Niro needs to track it down...of course, he does this with style. The car chases in Ronin are some of the best I have ever seen. The stunt driving is phenomenal and with clever camerawork, you can easily believe it is the actual actors doing the work. 

Look ma! No CGI!

  Now, Ronin is not without it's faults. Sure it has great action and a high body count (car and person), but the script is immensely lacking. The film uses many of the genre's cliches (betrayals, double agents, the "I know a guy" plot device). However, with the action as solid as it is, the script really does take second fiddle. The acting is just okay, as De Niro really just plays himself. Jean Reno, an always underrated badass, shines as his "partner". Whatever happened to that guy?

Dammit. 

   Overall, Ronin is a nice reminder of what action movies used to be and that you don't need computers and green screens to make a good film. The action makes Ronin a fun ride, but the acting and the script drag the film behind. Each scene of dialogue is not necessarily bad, but it is really used to break up the action and to give the crew time to find new cars to wreck. The film also has quite a soft, weak ending. Enjoyable, but not incredible, Ronin is a good film to watch on a rainy Sunday. I'd recommend staying in anyways, as Ronin will make you want to drive 90mph, wherever you go. 

Sight: The driving and stunt work are done extraordinarily well, as are the car crashes and explosions. The lack of CGI use makes the film even more impressive. 

Sound: The film really lacks much of a score. The sound effects, while seemingly done well in contrast with the stunt driving, are just okay. 

Skill: Like I mentioned above, the acting is not bad, it is just nothing award worthy. De Niro plays the badass De Niro (not the shitty Fockers De Niro), and the supporting cast is solid. 

Script: The script is nothing special. 

Overall: 6.2/10

Best Quote:

Spence: "You ever kill anybody?"
Sam: "I hurt somebody's feelings once."