hybridrainbow
Movies Are Neat
A Double Feature Of Doom
tenebreOK, as promised on my regular blog, here are my reviews of my two most recent movie viewings.
Hard Candy
It becomes pretty evident before you even place the disc in the DVD tray that Hard Candy was made for a relatively low amount of money. This is not to say that it's bad however because it most certainly is not by any means. After seeing it appear on a number of Top 10 lists on Bloody-And-Disgusting.com, I decided to give this bad Larry a romp. Granted, the people at that site also liked crap like The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning but at least a good number of them hated An American Haunting.
Hard Candy stars a grand total of 5 people, 3 of them being bit roles. So, the whole of Hard Candy revolves around a 14 year old girl and a 32 year old man who meet via the internet. As you might expect, the conversations begin via instant messenger and tend to hint towards possible raciness. The two agree to meet and within the first 5 minutes of the film, they are exchanging hellos in a coffee shop. After a lengthy talk about books, academics and music, the pair drive off to the 32 year old's house where the depth of conversation continutes over vodka-related drinks. The man shows the girl around his house, which doubles as his photography studio, and they discuss his taking some shots of her while she's over. As she begins to dance around his living room, he slips into a trance and the fun begins.
While you can't really call Hard Candy horror, it is pretty effective in being tense in it's own right. Once our male awakes, he finds himself tied to his computer chair. Thinking he's about to enter into an afternoon of sexual games, our girl informs him that "playtime is over". Our girl then begins to psychologically torment the photographer
with physical harm and the use of her highly advanced intellect. One scene in particular puts you through the meat grinder mentally as you try not to picture what is happening to him, even going so far as to make you almost feel sorry for our assumed pedophile. The whole process takes a good 20-25 minutes and, if you are a man, causes you to thank the camera person for not showing everything. In the end, the two expose one another's psyche and tries their damndest to mentally and emotionally weaken the other. Hard Candy could've used the medium to "spread a message" but it skillfully avoids preaching and instead takes the viewer into a world where two highly intelligent beings attempt to one up the other.
For those seeking a high speed car chase or occasionally light-hearted comic relief, skip Hard Candy. As is the case with many indie films, this is a dialogue heavy ride not for the easily distracted. If you are willing to take this pretty heavy subject matter film on, you are likely to walk away from the experience feeling something, bad or good. For me, I found Hard Candy to be a refreshing change of pace from the atypical American thriller genre and I would find no haste in deciding to make a purchase for future viewings.
Results: One thumb up, one saved for protection
Tenebre (directed by Dario Argento)
XkachoojiX can be thanked for mailing this bad Larry my way prior to the holidays. I've come dangerously close to spending obscene amounts on this DVD a few times but now, I have a copy to call my own. Many have argued Tenebre to be the premiere Argento giallo classic. Personally, I am a big fan of Deep Red and Suspiria is my Argento film of choice but this one cannot be ignored due its plethora of praise across the board.
Tenebre involves a seasoned fiction novel writer from New York who comes to Rome on a book tour. Upon his arrival, a hapless hussy of a victim is found dead in the suite near his with multiple stab wounds and pages of his latest novel stuffed in her mouth. Naturally, the police feel the need to question him and keep him on call in case of further investigations. As is to be expected, more people close to the author are turning up bathed in their own blood with each successive murder being more dramatic and violent than the last. Through no desire of his own, the author is pulled into the investigation as it is clear that the string of dead bodies are inspired by his latest novel.
Dario Argento is mostly known for his elaborate and violent murder mysteries called "giallo". While maybe not traditional horror by American standards due to a lack of an identifiable monster a la Jason Voorhess, these films are no less intense. The main difference I see between Argento's films and many of the more popular franchises are Dario Argento's mastery behind the camera and once again, Tenebre showcases that mastery, putting you in the eyes of the killer. It's a trick John Carpenter used as well in Halloween but Carpenter attributes the style to Argento as he is a comrade and an admirer of the Italian horror maestro.
Tenebre is not unlike Dario Argento's other giallo thrillers, albeit probably more violent and bloody. Unlike Opera where the kills are lengthier and further spaced out, Tenebre racks up a massive body count in short order with no signs of slowing down. Coupling this mounting of dead bodies with Dario Argento's directorial style, Tenebre brings the violence right to the table. Personally, I found myself saying "I like this movie alot but I still think Deep Red is better." for about the first 70-80 minutes of the film. This all changed during the final 10 minutes where I was to be found cheering and pumping my fist as if I had just won the Super Bowl. I won't ruin it but trust me, if you like blood splatterings, Tenebre brings it with reckless abandon.
One thing that stuck out to me was the manner in which Tenebre succeeds in masking the killer's identity. Dario Argento has always been great at keeping the viewer guessing but Tenebre really leaves you feeling clueless. Every time I thought I had the killer pegged, he or she was getting whomped ever so explicitly. If I had any major complaint at all, it was the lack of seeing Daria Nicolodi in a more revealing state. Say what you will but she was quite attractive back in the day. Still, Tenebre is abound with a slew of beautiful women, many of them getting whompulated. Is it wrong of me to find that sexy? Probably.
Results: A plethora of puncture wounds and a pile of dead bodies
Hard Candy It becomes pretty evident before you even place the disc in the DVD tray that Hard Candy was made for a relatively low amount of money. This is not to say that it's bad however because it most certainly is not by any means. After seeing it appear on a number of Top 10 lists on Bloody-And-Disgusting.com, I decided to give this bad Larry a romp. Granted, the people at that site also liked crap like The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning but at least a good number of them hated An American Haunting.
Hard Candy stars a grand total of 5 people, 3 of them being bit roles. So, the whole of Hard Candy revolves around a 14 year old girl and a 32 year old man who meet via the internet. As you might expect, the conversations begin via instant messenger and tend to hint towards possible raciness. The two agree to meet and within the first 5 minutes of the film, they are exchanging hellos in a coffee shop. After a lengthy talk about books, academics and music, the pair drive off to the 32 year old's house where the depth of conversation continutes over vodka-related drinks. The man shows the girl around his house, which doubles as his photography studio, and they discuss his taking some shots of her while she's over. As she begins to dance around his living room, he slips into a trance and the fun begins.
While you can't really call Hard Candy horror, it is pretty effective in being tense in it's own right. Once our male awakes, he finds himself tied to his computer chair. Thinking he's about to enter into an afternoon of sexual games, our girl informs him that "playtime is over". Our girl then begins to psychologically torment the photographer
with physical harm and the use of her highly advanced intellect. One scene in particular puts you through the meat grinder mentally as you try not to picture what is happening to him, even going so far as to make you almost feel sorry for our assumed pedophile. The whole process takes a good 20-25 minutes and, if you are a man, causes you to thank the camera person for not showing everything. In the end, the two expose one another's psyche and tries their damndest to mentally and emotionally weaken the other. Hard Candy could've used the medium to "spread a message" but it skillfully avoids preaching and instead takes the viewer into a world where two highly intelligent beings attempt to one up the other.
For those seeking a high speed car chase or occasionally light-hearted comic relief, skip Hard Candy. As is the case with many indie films, this is a dialogue heavy ride not for the easily distracted. If you are willing to take this pretty heavy subject matter film on, you are likely to walk away from the experience feeling something, bad or good. For me, I found Hard Candy to be a refreshing change of pace from the atypical American thriller genre and I would find no haste in deciding to make a purchase for future viewings.
Results: One thumb up, one saved for protection
Tenebre (directed by Dario Argento) XkachoojiX can be thanked for mailing this bad Larry my way prior to the holidays. I've come dangerously close to spending obscene amounts on this DVD a few times but now, I have a copy to call my own. Many have argued Tenebre to be the premiere Argento giallo classic. Personally, I am a big fan of Deep Red and Suspiria is my Argento film of choice but this one cannot be ignored due its plethora of praise across the board.
Tenebre involves a seasoned fiction novel writer from New York who comes to Rome on a book tour. Upon his arrival, a hapless hussy of a victim is found dead in the suite near his with multiple stab wounds and pages of his latest novel stuffed in her mouth. Naturally, the police feel the need to question him and keep him on call in case of further investigations. As is to be expected, more people close to the author are turning up bathed in their own blood with each successive murder being more dramatic and violent than the last. Through no desire of his own, the author is pulled into the investigation as it is clear that the string of dead bodies are inspired by his latest novel.
Dario Argento is mostly known for his elaborate and violent murder mysteries called "giallo". While maybe not traditional horror by American standards due to a lack of an identifiable monster a la Jason Voorhess, these films are no less intense. The main difference I see between Argento's films and many of the more popular franchises are Dario Argento's mastery behind the camera and once again, Tenebre showcases that mastery, putting you in the eyes of the killer. It's a trick John Carpenter used as well in Halloween but Carpenter attributes the style to Argento as he is a comrade and an admirer of the Italian horror maestro.
Tenebre is not unlike Dario Argento's other giallo thrillers, albeit probably more violent and bloody. Unlike Opera where the kills are lengthier and further spaced out, Tenebre racks up a massive body count in short order with no signs of slowing down. Coupling this mounting of dead bodies with Dario Argento's directorial style, Tenebre brings the violence right to the table. Personally, I found myself saying "I like this movie alot but I still think Deep Red is better." for about the first 70-80 minutes of the film. This all changed during the final 10 minutes where I was to be found cheering and pumping my fist as if I had just won the Super Bowl. I won't ruin it but trust me, if you like blood splatterings, Tenebre brings it with reckless abandon.
One thing that stuck out to me was the manner in which Tenebre succeeds in masking the killer's identity. Dario Argento has always been great at keeping the viewer guessing but Tenebre really leaves you feeling clueless. Every time I thought I had the killer pegged, he or she was getting whomped ever so explicitly. If I had any major complaint at all, it was the lack of seeing Daria Nicolodi in a more revealing state. Say what you will but she was quite attractive back in the day. Still, Tenebre is abound with a slew of beautiful women, many of them getting whompulated. Is it wrong of me to find that sexy? Probably.
Results: A plethora of puncture wounds and a pile of dead bodies
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