There are so many good, solid scary movies out there and I thought I’d write about a few favorites in the genre…modern classics as it were…that I have watched this week to celebrate the spirit of October.

The Others is one of my favorite films in the horror genre. My preferred scary movies are slow, deliberate, and dripping with atmosphere and The Others is one of the most well done modern examples of the way horror films used to be made. I have my own thoughts and theories about ghosts and hauntings and, whether you believe in them or not, isn’t there a part of you that wants them to exist? A little part that gets thrilled at the possibility of haunted houses? Okay, maybe it is just me. Anyway, The Others is a terrific haunted house film. The isolated setting, the small cast, the color palette, the claustraphobic feel of the house, the way the pace of the film pulls you in..slowly…eerily…hinting at what is going on and yet not completely giving it away…all these things combine to make an excellent film.

Alejandro Amenábar has to be included with the best of the best in regards to movie making. His films have won him critical acclaim and proven his incredible talent. Amenábar writes, directs, produces and composes the scores for his films. He exhibits his genius in all areas of film making. The music in The Others is wonderful and sets the mood so perfectly from the very opening note of the film. The way he lights the scenes is terrific. The costumes are subtle and suited to the time period and, especially in regards to Nicole Kidman, are beautiful. Speaking of Nicole Kidman, hers is one of the many terrific performances in this film and no doubt adds to my attachment to this film. The small ensemble of actors/actresses is perfectly cast.

The house is enormous and has an ominous presence of its own throughout the film. The following screen capture is from one of my favorite visual images in the film. This entire seen, silent save for the music, speaks volumes and is so symbolic of what is going on at this point in the film.

The Others has become a regular yearly tradition during this season. For me it represents the best elements of classic horror. If you are not a fan of blood and gore horror then this is the film for you.
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If adventure horror films are more to your liking I recommend Underworld. Underworld is a highly entertaining film set in the modern era, chronicling the most recent efforts of the vampires to rid their world of the lycans…werewolves. It is all darkness and guns and black leather and loud music and biting and fighting. Being fanatically devoted to the image of the vampire envisioned by Bram Stoker in Dracula (post forthcoming) I am not usually attracted to the various incarnations of vampires in film. I like this one however. Kate Beckinsale makes a great butt-kicking vampire heroine chick. I enjoyed Scott Speedman as the love interest, Michael Sheen as Lucian and Bill Nighy as Viktor. For the type of movie it is meant to be it is very fun and very well done. Great action scenes. I’m really looking forward to the sequel.

Underworld: Evolution is scheduled to arrive in theatres January 20th, 2006.
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And finally:

On cue as far as seasonal appropriateness goes, Batman Begins came out on DVD this past Tuesday. I wasted no time rushing out to pick up the 2 disk set and just finished enjoying this excellent film (see my review here if you haven’t already read it). Not quite horror per se but this was indeed a dark and somewhat horrific imagining of the Dark Knight and if you have not seen it do not delay. It is arguably the best of the Batman films and is one of the best comic adaptations to ever come to film.

In the coming days I’ll review some old timey horror classics that make for great Halloween viewing.

It has been years since audiences have been able to go to the theatre to experience the magic of stop-motion animation and now in less than a month we’ve been treated to two examples of the medium at its best. The lastest is the feature-length debut of Oscar Winner Nick Park’s short subject duo Wallace and his faithful dog Gromit. Wallace and Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit opened to rave reviews, better than expected box office returns, and finished the weekend in the top spot. It is truly deserving of such honors.

For those who have not seen Nick Park’s excellent short films, Wallace is a good-natured, cheese-obsessed everyman inventor whose projects always work but fall short of working to perfection. Gromit is his faithful canine companion who does not speak but says volumes. Wallace’s child-like nature necessitates Gromit occupying the adult supervision role in the relationship. In Curse of the Were-Rabbit, Wallace and Gromit run the humane pest control company Anti-Pesto whose most important mission is to protect the village gardens from hungry rabbits prior to the annual Giant Vegetable Competition. In addition to protecting the gardens of the townspeople Anti-Pesto is also called upon by the illustrious Lady Tottington whose grounds are a veritable rabbit playground. Lady Tottington prefers the non-violent approach, much to the adoration of Wallace. The rotten fruit in this garden romance is Victor Quartermaine who would delight in nothing more than winning Lady Tottington’s hand in marriage while ridding the town of its rabbit infestation the old-fashioned way, by hunting. The unexpected arrival of a monstrously large were-rabbit throws the village in disarray and its demise will become the battleground over which Wallace, Gromit and Quartermaine settle their differences.

Unlike Tim Burton’s Corpse Bride, Park’s stop-motion animation style is largely claymation. A clay-like substance called plasticine is used as the building block for the characters and much of the set pieces used to film Curse of the Were-Rabbit. The result is different from Corpse Bride and yet equally as amazing. A production crew of 250 took 5 years to complete Curse of the Were-Rabbit. Stop-motion animation/claymation is a painstakingly slow process. Park’s crew considered it a good week when they were able to complete 100 seconds of usable footage. The dedication and love of the idea as well as the process is evident in each frame of the film. It is a delight to watch.

Wallace and Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit is a great family film. The various inventions that litter the film provide a great deal of wonder and humor for young and old alike. There are several very funny moments but what strikes me about this film even more than other child-oriented movies is that many of the truly laugh out loud moments are their for adults, or for very sophisticated children. Much of the humor to be had is in the form of vegetable related puns and quips, much of which is lost on very young children. In addition there are a few Austin Powers inspired moments with vegetables that were more innocent and yet all the more funny due to their unexpected nature.

Curse of the Were-Rabbit also contains a completely different level of humor in that it is a British comedy. There is a dry, sardonic wit present throughout the film and there are similarities to be had with some of the best loved British comedic imports, most notably the books/television series of P.G. Wodehouse and the television series The Vicar of Dibley. Like The Vicar of Dibley, Curse is set in a small, quaint village in which the height of entertainment is the competition to determine who can grow the largest vegetables. A village in which cataclysmic past events, like the Great Storm of ’72, can be talked about and argued about for all of eternity. The similarities of some of the characters in Curse and Vicar were such that I was not at all surprised to learn that the voice of Mrs. Mulch is none other than Liz Smith who played a similar character, Letitia Cropley, in The Vicar of Dibley. Being a fan of the warmth and wit of British comedies like The Vicar of Dibley added greatly to my enjoyment of this film.

There is so much to enjoy about this film. The voice acting from lesser known actors/actresses is equally as impressive as that from well known celebrities like Helena Bohnam Carter and Ralph Fienes. The plethora of vegetable related gags and the easily missed bits of humor, like movie posters with vegetable pun names, make this a movie that I look forward to perusing on DVD. In addition Park’s peppers this film with homages to movies, entertainment and pop culture. One of my favorites is a dogfight between Gromit and Quartermaine’s bulldog that honors Charles Schulz’s great Snoopy vs. the Red Baron battles.

If you are in the mood for a film with a sentimentality that will appeal to both adults and children alike I would encourage you to go see Wallace and Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit. The overwhelmingly positive critical reviews are right on target in declaring this one of the best family films of the year.

(Non-spoiler review)

September 30th, 2005 dawned, Serenity opened, and Joss Whedon made a case for being one of the best writers in the history of pictures that move. If you’ve watched Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, or Firefly (the series upon which Serenity was based) then you would likely agree that Joss Whedon has a knack for taking stock characters and previously used ideas and creating unique, dynamic, character-driven and dialogue-rich series.

Firefly was Whedon’s take on science fiction that aired in late 2002. 500 years in our future rapid population growth forced outward expansion and humans set up shop in a nearby galaxy. The prosperous, government controlled central planets were ruled by the Alliance while outer rim planets and moons were terraformed and populated with settlers who had to eek out existence in much the same way America’s early settlers did. This creates a true western-in-space scenario. In this setting a Firefly class ship named Serenity manned by a rag tag crew operates on whichever side of the law will net them quick cash and keep them out of the reach of the Alliance. A random passenger pick-up finds them in possession of a young girl the Alliance is desperately wanting to get back. And it is there that their true adventure begins.

If you haven’t heard of it or haven’t seen it this isn’t surprising. As a series it failed. Fox’s choice to air the show sporadically, out of chronological order, and to only show 11 out of 14 completed episodes went a long way towards Firefly‘s demise. Despite that and due in large part to the faithfulness of those who watched Firefly and the ability to convert fans via the DVD collection, Firefly spawned a cult following which has been rewarded with Whedon’s motion picture follow-up, Serenity.

Serenity begins approximately 4 months after the last episode of Firefly and Whedon does a masterful job of introducing the characters and universe without rehashing a lot of the things that Firefly fans have already seen. I was stunned with how well this was handled. In fact when the movie was over I was completely stunned. I sat watching the credits in awe, proclaiming Whedon as the creator of one of the greatest science fiction movies ever. Whedon has created and populated a science fiction universe with characters that are real, human, and flawed but at the same time can be noble, loyal, and heroic. Whedon writes the characters and dialogue in such a way that you can’t help becoming deeply attached to them…a fact which makes it all the more frustrating that this show is not on weekly. There is so much I enjoy about this series and film starting with the fact that much of the dialogue is an amalgam of old Westerns, Whedon-slang, and Chinese cursing. Yes, they curse in Chinese…it is wonderful. The Asian and Western influences in the look, feel, and dialogue of this universe makes for a unique and entertaining vision of the future.

The special effects are terrific in this film and I don’t believe I’ve ever seen a film that balanced action, drama, humor, adventure, suspense, violence, grief, and romance so perfectly. So much happens in this 2 hour film and yet Whedon handles all the aspects of this film so well and doesn’t cheat the viewer in any way. The actors chosen for the various roles in Firefly/Serenity could not be better cast. Each one infuses their character with such life and dimension and you find yourself caring so much about each and every one of them regardless of how sweet or how roguish they are.

This is probably one of the hardest reviews I’ve had to write mainly because I don’t want to reveal anything at all about the film. If you are a fan of science fiction, there honestly hasn’t been a movie this good in decades, perhaps since The Empire Strikes Back. If you are a fan of good film in general then you still need to see this. Its hard for me to know how this film will play for those who haven’t watched Firefly. Reviews I’ve read indicate, and I agree, that Whedon has crafted a truly stand-alone film that scores high marks without any former knowledge of the characters. That being said I appreciate having had such a strong emotional connection to all the characters going in as it increased the dramatic impact of the experience for me.

I was not exaggerating at all when I said that I was stunned at the end of this film. I walked out of the theatre feeling numb…I was so completely taken in and blown away with this film. I still am. I cannot wait to see this movie again. Go see the film. Rent or borrow the DVD’s and watch ALL of Firefly…it builds and has such incredible episodes. Serenity is the science fiction movie that I have been longing to see for so long and I am nearly as impressed as I was when I was a kid and sat being awed by Star Wars for the first time.

If you haven’t seen the film and intend to I encourage you to stay out of the comments section as I intend to make that an ALL Spoilers section. Believe me when I say that you do not want this filmed spoiled for you. If you’ve seen the movie please jump in and lets chat about this thing. I’m looking forward to reading your thoughts.

It should be no surprise to anyone who reads this blog that I have been impatiently waiting for the release of Tim Burton’s latest film, Corpse Bride. I have mentioned it numerous times. It is not slated to open until Friday, September 23rd so I was thrilled to receive a call from my wife over the weekend telling me that Jeff had set aside advance screening tickets that were sent to the comic shop. Last night Mary, Tori and I joined the unique crowd that only a film like Tim Burton’s Corpse Bride could draw.

I am a fan of all things Tim Burton, with a few exceptions, but my favorite is The Nightmare Before Christmas. I did not see this in the theatre when it was released in 1993…my first viewing was somewhere around 1999. Growing up as a fan of the stop motion animated work of Rankin and Bass in the Christmas specials Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town and Rudolph the Red nosed Reindeer I had an immediate affection for Nightmare. It has been 12 years since Tim Burton has given us a stop motion film and the wait has been too long. If you have been one of those in waiting, however, you won’t be disappointed.

Calling to mind the tales of Edgar Allan Poe and the artistic visions of Charles Addams and Edward Gorey, Burton and company infuse Corpse Bride with a macabre sensibility entirely fitting for this season of the year and yet the film maintains a sweetness that is sure to make it treasured for years to come. Corpse Bride is loosely based on a Russian folktale and is penned by John August, Caroline Thompson, and Pamela Pettler. For those who have not seen the trailer the story opens on the night before a shy young man named Victor Van Dort (Johnny Depp) will be entering into an arranged marriage with Victoria Everglot (Emily Watson). A series of mishaps leads young Victor to the woods outside of town where he finds himself wed to the Corpse Bride (Helena Bonham Carter). Grave-centered hilarity ensues as Victor finds himself in the underworld, desperately wanting to return to Victoria’s side. It would be spoiling it to tell more, suffice it to say that there is more going on in the land of the living and the land of the dead than meets the eye. The characters are all very fun and the voice actors are terrific. The inclusion of Christopher Lee as Pastor Galswells and a character who is an homage to Peter Lorre in both look and voice are a treat for those of us who enjoy classic horror films. And who else but Tim Burton could make you fall in love with a stuffed, Frankenstein-ish rag doll in one movie and a decaying corpse bride in another?

Tim Burton provided character sketches and then turned character development over to Carlos Grangel who skillfully designed a host of characters wonderful in their uniqueness and yet all quite obviously Burtonesque. The characters in Tim Burton’s animated films are brought to life with the use of puppets. The puppets are 3 dimensional works of art that are manipulated a millimeter at a time and shot frame by frame in a process that can take several hours to shoot a few seconds of film. There is a tactile quality that can only be achieved with this kind of animation. The fact that the sets and characters exist and can be touched and manipulated makes the film feel more real. Despite the use of digital techniques to render some parts of the film it is amazing how much is actually done with stop motion. I sat in awe as I watched the corpse bride rise from the ground, her veil and gown flowing around her, only guessing at the commitment and talent needed to achieve such wonderful effects.

The sets are fantastic. The land of the living employs a muted, monochromatic color scheme that is in direct contrast to the vivid, bright colors of the land of the dead. The color schemes point are symbolic of the level of “living” that is going on in each world. Attention to detail and subtle nods to Burton’s influences can be seen throughout the film which encourages multiple viewings in order to catch all the things you might have missed. The film is a visual feast for those who enjoy the look of a Tim Burton film. I cannot wait for the DVD to watch the behind the scenes of the making of the sets for this film.

Burton once again turns the musical reigns of the film over to Danny Elfman. In addition to writing the music Elfman also provides the voice of Bonejangles, the Skeletones’ band leader in the Ball and Socket Pub. Danny Elfman takes criticism for the similarities of his music from film to film but that similarity of style and feel is what I like about both Burton and Elfman. My criticism with the music in this film is that there aren’t as many great songs as there are in A Nightmare Before Christmas. With the exception of the song when Victor enters the underworld there is a lack of memorable numbers in the film. I was hoping for a lover’s lament similar to Sally Nightshade’s song in NBX but the corpse bride’s is simply not as moving. That’s not to say that the music isn’t good but it pales in comparison to its predecessor. Of course that’s just my opinion, my daughter left singing the chorus of one of the songs and had the exact opposite view of the music than I did!

The only other criticism I had is that the film is very short. At 78 minutes it was over much too fast, especially considering the fact that I have to wait a few more weeks in order to enjoy it again. Ironically I believe that the length of the film will be one of its strong points with critics as the story is faithfully served in that time and Burton packs the most into each frame of the film.

Once again Tim Burton has crafted a marvelous work that will have fans of A Nightmare Before Christmas hoping they don’t have to wait 12 more years for another stop motion animated film. An abundance of visual and verbal humor combined with a very poignant story should provide enjoyment for all but the very youngest of viewers. The many and varied characters are thoroughly engaging and they populate a world that is a joy to behold. This is a film that I will treasure almost as much as I treasure Nightmare and one that I will definitely see again while it is in theatres.

Ladies and Gentlemen, Welcome my first Guest Movie Reviewer! Mary and I had the opportunity to see this sneak preview as well but unfortunately could not attend. That being the case I drafted Jeff into service to provide this reviews. And without further ado…

My wife, Keri, and I had the opportunity to attend a preview screening of an upcoming film entitled The Thing about My Folks. It was written by and stars Paul Reiser. Paul is a forty-something father whose own father, played by Peter Falk, shows up at his apartment one night and drops the bomb on him: that Paul’s mother, played by Olympia Dukakis, has left him after 47 years of marriage and he doesn’t know why. That is how this wonderful film begins.

This is a film about family dynamics and things that go unsaid. This leads to the things going unsaid turning into many years of emotional wounds. Reiser writes a film in which anyone can see parts of their own family in numerous moments. It challenges you to think about your own family. It also is funny and uplifting as it shows the good along with the bad. You can see how Paul’s character is different from his father. Peter Falk is wonderful though in handling his son’s emotions and then giving him insight into events of the past from his point of view. As in life it is perilous to jump to a conclusion after hearing only one side of the story and the movie is great at showing us how much clearer the picture is once you’ve seen and heard events from both sides. Too many times each day I hear or see people say things with just their gut reaction instead of taking a breath a getting all the facts so they can make an informed decision.

The stars of the film do a wonderful job of getting you to think through the use of humor. Keri and I each laughed out loud at least a dozen times in this film. Don’t let the above paragraph lead you to believe this film is a heavy film. It’s really a comedy that masks, like most humor, the real story which is underneath. It is great to view a comedy with a point in contrast to so many of today’s comedies which are slapstick or go low brow with no real point. Sure some of the bits are funny and we laugh but there is no clear message.

When the screening was over we were fortunate to have the stars of the film on hand to conduct a question and answer session with the audience. Peter Falk and Paul Reiser were wonderful speakers and implored us to get the word out on this small independent film. If I didn’t believe in it I wouldn’t, so here goes. This film is only opening in select theatres on September 16th. If it does well that first weekend maybe they will be able to expand it. This is a film with no car chases, no explosions, no sex, no violence, and no major film studio believes in it because it lacks these things. This film has what many films today lack: story, humor and character development. If people vote with their wallets maybe Hollywood will realize that if they put out quality films people will watch and pay for them.

This film has a PG-13 rating because of language. Do the characters swear?Yes, but it is not F-this and F-that. The swearing they use fits the story. It’s not a film for small kids but this is just they type of film you can watch with your parents. It’s message about family is for 30 somethings to 60 somethings. Three quarters of the audience we watched it with where over 50 and they stood and applauded this film when it was over. So if your my age, 36, and are hesitant to recommend many of today’s films you enjoy to your parents then I believe this is one you can recommend to them.

This film’s main stars are on the screen ninety percent of the time (Peter Falk and Paul Reiser). However I don’t want to leave out noting great supporting performances by Olympia Dukakis and Elizabeth Perkins. Their roles are important and their acting is spot on.

GO SEE The Thing About My Folks SEPTEMBER 16th

When you do and hopefully enjoy it, Spread the word. Thanks for listening.

-Jeff Smith