FILM REVIEW: "Creepshow 2"

CREEPSHOW 2 (1987)

***

Directed by Michael Gornick

Writing credits
Stephen King (stories)

George A. Romero (screenplay)

Domenick John ("Billy" - prologue)
Tom Savini ("The Creep" - prologue)

WHAT IT'S ABOUT

Like it's predecessor, Creepshow 2 features several stories (in this case, three, as opposed to the five tales of the first film) of horror, all of it centered around the demonic character of the Creep, the "Creepshow" comic book, and Billy, the kid who can't get enough of the "Creepshow" -- or those nifty flesh-eating Venus Flytraps advertised therein...

The first story, "Old Chief Woodenhead", is a classic murder-revenge tale. An elderly couple who run an old-timey Mom 'n' Pop convenience store are murdered by some thugs; outside the store is a statue of a wooden Indian chief, who the storekeeper has been lovingly tending to -- repainting his face, and all that. When the store-owners are murdered, the wooden Indian comes to life, and goes on a fairly predictable but still ultimately entertaining revenge rampage against the crooks.

The second story, and the creepiest of the lot, is "The Raft", and features four teenage/college-age friends who go out to a rural lake for some sex 'n' sun 'n' swimming. They end up on a raft in the middle of the lake, only to find themselves effectively trapped there when they discover a strange, oil-like being that dissolves living flesh on contact has made the lake its hunting grounds. The tension ratcheted up by the horror of the creature, the mysteriousness of its nature (we're never told what it is, where it came from, or why it exists), and the mundane settings and hopeless circumstances of the protagonists make for a good show.

The third story is pretty effective, as well. In "The Hitchhiker", an adulterous woman speeds home, hoping to avoid having her husband learn of her affair. However, she hits and kills a hitchhiker on the way, and, instead of helping the man or turning herself in, drives on, struggling with her guilt all the way. She is plagued while driving with increasingly gruesome visions of the dead man trying to get into her car, all the while saying "Thanks for the ride, lady!" She ends up battling the dead hitcher, becoming increasingly frenzied, violent, and vengeful as she does so.

Connecting the stories to the "Creepshow" comic motif are short animated interludes that feature Billy, a young, comics-loving boy, the Creep who sells the comics, and a pack of bullies who chase after Billy and get more than they bargained for.

WHAT WORKS

The stories work well for the "Creepshow" format, which established itself in the first film as stories that were dark, morbid, and in a word, creepy, and these fit the bill pretty well. The last two stories are definitely the most disturbing. There's no real surprises to be found in the stories or incredibly shocking twists--it's just a good, well-done slice of nasty and occasionally darkly comical horror fiction, much like the first Creepshow.

The acting and writing is pretty effective for what the stories are about, and the special effects and makeup, while relatively simple, are gory and effective (and in the case of "The Hitchhiker", quite nasty).

The animation is definitely not Disney-level quality, but it reminded me of the original Heavy Metal, which is never a bad thing.

WHAT DOESN'T WORK

The stories are, as I said, predictable. They're basically your standard revenge or creature-feature stuff. If that works for you (and it did for me), then that's fine. If you're expecting something serious, different, and groundbreaking, then Creepshow 2 is probably not for you.

THE FINAL WORD

Overall, a fun anthology set. See it if you enjoyed the first Creepshow, Tales from the Darkside, or other films and TV shows of that sort.

IF YOU LIKE THIS FILM, YOU MAY ALSO LIKE:

Creepshow, Tales from the Darkside: The Movie, Twilight Zone: The Movie, Nightmares.

"Creepshow 2" on IMDB.

"Creepshow 2 on Youtube: Death scene from "The Raft".

FILM REVIEW: "Society"

SOCIETY (1989)

***

Directed by Brian Yuzna

Starring:

Billy Warlock ("Billy Whitney")
Patrice Jennings ("Jenny Whitney")
Devin DeVasquez ("Clarissa Carlyn")


WHAT IT'S ABOUT

Billy is an alienated teenager who's perpetually suspicious of his wealthy, well-to-do mother and father, beautiful sister, and air-headed girlfriend. At first his nameless fears seem groundless, but as Billy delves ever deeper into the mystery surrounding the rituals connected with those in 'high society', he starts seeing things that should not be... and realizes that his apathetic and shallow family and peers are not who they seem.

WHAT WORKS

Quite simply, the special effects. Society doesn't skimp on some very sick stuff, featuring disturbing special effects by Screamin' Mad George that are like Heironymous Bosch crossed with John Carpenter's alien Thing. The film also features some class-skewering satire that, while not as funny or as interesting as Carpenter's B-movie horror/sci-fi/action satire They Live, is relatively well-done and fits the film's bizarre bodily distortions and themes of familial and societal/class incest as well. Plus, some of the characters (most notably Pamela Matheson as Mrs. Carlyn, who never speaks and only glowers like a huge, grotesquely made-up psycho) are memorable. And the film's final moments are particularly memorable. You will know what I mean when you see it.

WHAT DOESN'T WORK

The ending, while being Society's greatest strength, is also its weakness. Let's just say that I cannot believe the hero got off that easily or lightly. Also, the main crux of the plot doesn't make much logical sense when you think about it from a strictly logical, storytelling point of view (however, in all fairness, Society is far more allegorical and satirical rather than a straight-faced, serious horror film).

THE FINAL WORD

If you're into gross, disturbing '80's horror with plenty of eye-popping, jaw-dropping special effects, "What did I just see?!" moments, and some nasty satire, rent Society for a grotesque good time. You'll never look at the word "shunt" in the same way again.

IF YOU LIKE THIS FILM, YOU MAY ALSO LIKE:

The Thing (1982), The Fly (1986), They Live, From Beyond, Re-animator, Alien, Aliens.

"Society" on IMDB.

"Society" on Youtube: See the trailer.

FILM REVIEW: "Creep"

CREEP (2004)

**

Directed and written by Christopher Smith

Starring

Franka Potente ("Kate")
Vas Blackwood ("George")
Sean Harris ("Craig")

WHAT IT’S ABOUT

Kate, a young European socialite, falls asleep in the station while waiting for her London Underground subway train to arrive. She wakes up only to discover that the place has shut down and there isn’t anyone around. She searches for signs of life and finds a few other people... including a serial killer who’s out to make her his latest victim.

WHAT WORKS

The cinematography, for one. The film traverses the Underground from its gleaming, polished-chrome stairways and escalators to its grimy and darkly-lit tunnels. The sense of eeriness and claustrophobia that the film conjures up during the main character’s first moments of searching and growing panic is genuinely disturbing, as it plays upon a nightmare that all of us have had during our lives: the fear of being utterly and completely alone, in a place that should be familiar and non-threatening but is suddenly very alien and menacing. In its beginning moments, Creep manages to evoke this fear very, very well.

Creep also scores some brownie points with me for making the villain a monstrous but also pitiful creature in attempting to add some layers of character development and pitiable humanity. The exact details of crimes he commits add an even more disturbing element to the picture. I’d liked to have seen some more character development, but this is a step in the right direction.

WHAT DOESN’T WORK

Firstly, it is highly doubtful that the main character would be left to fall asleep, alone, like she did. I realize that it’s necessary for the film as it is to work, but it is illogical.

Secondly, there are several VERY dumb moments in the film, such as a complete failure of the main protagonists to kill the villain and make sure he’s dead when they have him wounded and/or subdued, and the complete failure of Kate to rescue one of her friends when it’s abundantly clear that she could have done so. Granted, many horror films have lapses in logic and common sense like this, but just because cliches and dumb thinking happen to be staples of the genre doesn’t mean that they’re good. It just means that it’s lazy writing; a classic case of the writer putting the story and his brain on autopilot and letting the cliches take over. Which is a shame, really, since Creep’s compelling early sense of atmosphere, coupled with its good cinematography, made me think that this would be a good horror/thriller in the vein of 28 Days Later or The Descent. But sadly, it’s not. It has a screaming girl, some expendable cast members (all of whom are more sympathetic and multi-dimensional than its main character), a villain who could’ve been interesting, and that’s it. When it comes to storyline or internal logic, it relies too much on easy answers and cliches. Creep’s raw potential is such that it could’ve been a good film, in better hands. As it is, it’s just that: lost potential.

THE FINAL WORD

If you simply must watch every film in which a deformed antagonist stalks a beautiful woman, then please, by all means, watch Creep. But if you want the best in British horror, then rent 28 Days Later, Alien, or The Descent, and pass up Creep’s bumpy ride into the long night.

"Creep" on IMDB.

"Creep" official trailer on Youtube.

FILM REVIEW: "The Descent"

THE DESCENT (2005)

***1/2

Directed and written by Neil Marshall

Starring

Shauna MacDonald (“Sarah”)
Natalie Mendoza (“Juno”)
Alex Reid (“Rebecca”)
Saskia Mulder (“Beth”)
MyAnna Buring (“Sam”)
Nora-Jane Noone (“Holly”)

WHAT IT’S ABOUT

One year after a tragic car accident, six female friends get together and go on a caving expedition in the Appalachians to bond and resurrect their sundered friendship. However, the fun quickly and brutally ends as they find themselves lost in an untraversed cave and hunted by vicious, predatory creatures. As they attempt to get to the surface and escape the creatures, their group’s unity is fractured by death, lies, and betrayal.

WHAT WORKS

Quite a lot, fortunately. The budget for this film was relatively small, but Neil Marshall (writer and director) put that money where it counts...into great creature effects and set design.

No real caves were used in this film, but the sets look fantastic, and are filmed in a way that is simply beautiful, realistic, and makes so much sense, given the tone of the story. The light levels are kept very low, maximizing the characters’ (and the audience’s) sense of claustrophobia and fear. Marshall made the decision early on to not have any (if possible) extraneous sources of light in the deep caving scenes, and this really adds to the picture’s realism, and, startlingly enough, its beauty. It might seem odd to call a film with The Descent’s extreme levels of violence and brutality beautiful, but The Descent, with its bold, striking use of color and light, calls to mind Ridley Scott’s work (although, in all fairness, it’s impossible to out-Scott Scott) and the chiaroscuro painting style of Caravaggio. Marshall knows how to work to capture a beautiful scene on film, and in The Descent, he does so often.

Also well worth noting is the respectful treatment of the all-female cast. The horror genre is not one that always treats women with respect; a lot of the time, it seems that what fans want is just more blood, more mindless gore, and more bare breasts, preferably the ones on the women who will soon be axed by the crazed misogynistic killer. The Descent’s portrayal of women is refreshingly honest and non-exploitive; I never once got the feeling that either the characters or the actresses were being used as male fantasy figures (in the sense of being gratuitously nude or used as a subconscious outlet for male aggression) or being pigeonholed as “butch”, “macho”, or “unfeminine”. These ladies are beautiful because they’re fit, attractive women, not because they have breast implants which they flash every ten minutes for the camera.

This non-exploitive attitude was made very clear early on in the film, in a scene where one of the women takes a shower. In the hands of another writer or director, this might have become an opportunity to show some skin and titillate the men in the audience, perhaps while throwing in some red-herring scares. In The Descent, it’s exactly what it is, a person taking a shower. It lasts about one second and is not unduly eroticized.

Marshall gives notable depth to his characters, mostly with Sarah, Juno, and Beth; these are the film’s most important players and they feel like real people, with their own lives and individual stories, and with undercurrents of past tensions threatening their friendship from the film’s beginning.

Lastly, I must say that I found the crawlers in The Descent to be the film’s most fascinating concept, being that they are very strange and alien yet also remarkably human. The crawlers are monstrous, but not exactly villainous; Marshall even hints at the crawlers’ family units and emotional ties to each other. This ambiguity and lack of a clear villain gives The Descent a depth that many ‘creature-feature’ horror movies lack, and the re-watch value it adds makes the film all the more remarkable and intriguing.

WHAT DOESN’T WORK

As nearly perfect as it is, The Descent still has some problems—problems that could have easily been ironed out without much effect on the story.

One, I didn’t like that the setting was the Appalachian mountains. It’s a cliche to put every weird thing into the rural Southern mountains, and besides, America had no native cavemen (Europe, as evidenced by their cave art, did). Since Marshall has stated in interviews that the creatures are descendants of cavemen who never left the caves, this clashes with American natural history. I think setting the film in an unexplored European cave would have been much better, and I also think that the crawlers could have been the perfect explanation for the European folklore motif of the goblin or dwarf.

Another thing that grated on me was the noises that the crawlers made. They were based off of existing animal noises all too clearly. Instead of being terrifying, I found them distracting, as I was constantly thinking, “There’s a hyena, there’s a pig, there’s a...” Human noises, perhaps subtly altered, would have been a better choice for the crawlers, with perhaps some other ape sounds mixed in. After all, since the crawlers are descended from cavemen, so why do they sound like stuck pigs and whooping hyenas?

SO, HOW’S THE DVD?

There are currently two different DVD versions of The Descent available in the States -- the R-Rated version and the Unrated version. By all means, go for the Unrated version! It is simply one of the best DVD releases I’ve seen that doesn’t have “Special”, “Ultimate”, or “Limited” slapped up at the top of the DVD case. It’s excellent. If you’ve got the R-Rated cut and want what’s on the Unrated version, by all means, upgrade. You get so much bang for your buck with this DVD, it’s remarkable that they fit all this stuff on one little disc.

First of all, we get two commentary tracks, one with Neil Marshall and most of the cast, the next with Neil Marshall and top members of the crew. Both of these tracks are fun and/or informative. It’s clear that everyone had a really positive experience working on the film, and their enthusiasm for the project and enjoyment of each other’s company shines through.

“The Descent: Beneath The Scenes” is one of the better behind-the-scenes features I’ve seen on a DVD; it’s jam-packed with in-depth information on virtually every aspect of The Descent’s production, including the construction of the caves, the lighting, the casting, creature design, special makeup and effects like the numerous gory wounds sported by the cast... the list goes on and on. The behind-the-scenes footage is great, very enlightening, and often quite hilarious.

“DescENDING - Interview with Neil Marshall” is a decent little featurette about the controversial change to the film’s ending that the American theatrical release took when The Descent hit our fair shores. Neil Marshall talks about the two different ending and compares them to some of his own favorite horror films (along with the interesting comment that the American ending is not really a happy ending after all). The whole controversy is rather moot, given what I’ve heard about The Descent: Part 2; ultimately, this is a neat little featurette but is not essential to watch.

The DVD is rounded out by a copious helping of deleted and extended scenes, a neat storyboard and screen comparision feature where you can see the storyboard and watch the relevant snippet of film, a really fun and funny outtake montage set to an insanely catchy song, a stills gallery that’s nothing special but still nice, and cast and crew biographies.

Keep in mind, all of the above is what’s on the Unrated DVD; the R-Rated disc, I believe, has only one commentary, the film’s trailer, and none of the other features. The two versions are virtually the same price, so get the Unrated version. You’ll be glad you did.

"The Descent" on IMDB.

"The Descent" on YouTube: the official trailer.

FILM REVIEW: "Razorback"

RAZORBACK (1984)

***

Directed by Russel Mulcahy

Based on the novel by Peter Brennan
Written by Everette De Roche

Starring

Gregory Harrison (“Carl Winters”)
Arkie Whiteley (“Sarah Cameron”)
Bill Kerr (“Jake Cullen”)
Judy Morris (“Beth Winters”)

WHAT IT’S ABOUT

When a prominent animal-rights activist goes missing in the Australian outback while covering the slaughter of kangaroos for the pet-food trade, her husband goes after her and finds a grotesque, monstrous razorback boar stalking the wilds.

WHAT WORKS

The characters are drawn with fairly bold strokes, but they work very well within the context of the story. I liked the old razorback hunter who lost his grandson to the giant boar during the opening credits; he’s a Captain Ahab-like character, and he definitely adds something interesting to the story. The grieving widower also worked very well; I actually found him to be a more enjoyable character than his wife. I especially appreciated the fact that the film had a male horror hero.

The human villains in this story are almost unspeakably vile, but like the heroes, they, too, add something good to the story. They die fairly horrible deaths, but those deaths are well-deserved.

The cinematography is striking, depicting the outback as a harsh, flat, vast landscape that overwhelms both man and beast. The minimalist electronica music score is also evocative and effective, adding to the primal, surreal, and alien look of the film’s setting.

The climax of the film is quite tense, and it will probably have most viewers on the edge of their seats.

WHAT DOESN’T WORK

The animatronic boar, while very well done, occasionally looks like just what it is--a fake latex animal. The scenes where the boar literally tears apart houses in order to reach their human occupants are over-the-top. It adds a strange, dream-like quality to the film that is perhaps intentional, given the fantastic scenery and bizarre supporting cast of characters.

THE FINAL WORD

Overall, this is an interesting 80’s horror film that features a pretty good cast and one mean pig. See it if your local videostore has it. I only wish that it had as lavish a DVD release in the States as it does in its native Australia... I don’t even think it’s even hit the DVD format over here.

"Razorback" on IMDB.

"Razorback" on YouTube: the trailer.

FILM REVIEW: "Prime Evil"

PRIME EVIL (1988)

*

Directed by Roberta Finlay

Written by Ed Kelleher and Harriette Vidal

Cast:

William Beckwith ("Thomas Seaton"), Christine Moore ("Alexandra Parkman"), and Mavis Harris ("Sister Angela").

WHAT IT’S ABOUT

The film starts off in the Middle Ages, revealing the rise of a secret Satanic cult amongst Europe’s Catholic monks. Fueled by cynicism towards Christianity and a devout belief in the power of Satan, the cult manages to survive until modern times by giving its members eternal youth and beauty via gruesome sacrifices of the cult member’s blood relations.

A devout young nun who’s had some bad run-ins with Satan and his cult manages to infiltrate the group. Meanwhile, another young woman is being selected for sacrifice by her own grandfather, who’s a prominent member of the cult...

WHAT WORKS

Not much, unfortunately. William Beckwith does a decent job as the menacing priest who’s the head of the cult, but the rest of the acting is sub-par.

Some of the gore effects near the end are good, but not all of them, and by that point, it’s too little, too late.

WHAT DOESN’T WORK

Quite a lot. The storyline, in addition to being dull, is comprised of the worse cliches of the “Satanic Panic” of the 80’s, played with such dull earnestness that the film falls flat on its metaphorical face.

For those who haven’t lived through or researched the phenomenon, Prime Evil is like a ‘Greatest Hits’ collection of cult-lore cliches: a powerful Satanic cult that is comprised of Catholic nuns and priests and has survived since ancient times... said cult kidnapping random innocent people and bending them to the High Priest’s evil will via hypnosis and Satanic hoodoo... said cult sacrificing people for nefarious means and finally summoning Satan himself. All the film needed was some children being abused and then its cliche checklist would have been complete.

The various storylines are handled in an inelegant and amateurish fashion. The storyline of the nun infiltrating the group hardly seems necessary to the film, as much of the film focuses on the plight of the granddaughter of one of the most powerful Satanists. The nun just pops up in the story in a handful of scenes, looking quizzical with one eyebrow permanently raised. This gives the film a disjointed quality reminscent of another bad horror film--Pod People, AKA Los Neuvos Extra-terrestrials. That’s right, the infamous sci-fi/horror film that featured “Trumpy” and was parodied on Mystery Science Theater 3000. While watching Prime Evil, I kept thinking of Joel and the bots saying “Meanwhile, in yet another movie...”

The characters are so unmemorable that I started assigning them nicknames based on their most prominent characteristics: “Horny Friend”; “Fashion Victim”; “Dead-Head Junkie”; “Dumpy Killer”; etc. It was rather fun, but it didn’t make for good characters, or good portrayals of said characters. Unfortunately, it’s about the only entertainment value this film has.

Finally, last but not least, the big puppet that serves as this film’s ‘Satan’ is quite ludicrous. Legend did its demonic villain far, far better; using an actual actor. Prime Evil’s Satan pops up in the opening credits, just so we know in advance that the heroes will end up offing a crappy latex puppet.

THE FINAL WORD

If you’re expecting thrills and chills, look elsewhere. Prime Evil is too goofy to be frightening and too far-fetched to be taken seriously.

If you’re looking for cool demon effects (as I was), look elsewhere. There’s plenty of other horror films that have way better gore and creature effects; the special effects ‘talent’ in this film was almost non-existent.

Find "Prime Evil" on IMDB.