150 Days of Halloween: Dead Silence, The Last Circus, and 13 (Tzameti)

Its been a ride. Insomnia is still here, as is the humidity. Had a 4rd of July party that was pretty nice, lots of friends and plenty of cooking on our home made grill. Had to re-arrange the list a bit around these events, and today we finally catch up with a three movie review post. These will be short reviews, blurbs really, because I'm still incredibly tired and thanks to having three to review. So lets hit the ground running.

Dead Silence is a movie that draws heavy inspiration from a segment in an earlier movie on our list, Dead of Night. This here is a ghost story that operates primarily through a Dummy, which is always a delightfully creepy premise. Who doesn't get just a little creeped out by ventriloquist dummies? Much like James Wan's other movies, most notably the Saw franchise, this is a bit of a love or hate affair. It has a classic horror premise with a unique twist, excellent effects, creative sound design, a stunning gothic color and set design at times, and a wonderful lack of newer cliches like shaky cameras and a washed out PG-13 delivery. Its an R, but it doesn't go out of its way to earn that rating, the gore is visceral and believable without being over the top.

Yep, creepy dolls and stuff.

That being said, we also get some delightfully wooden acting from the characters, not counting the dummy, who also love to make stupid horror movie decisions that will have you moaning and shouting at the TV. If you come into this with popcorn and friends, then its good fun to yell in annoyance at stupid people in the movie, but it is unfortunate that the movie needed to fall back on people getting stupid for the sack of plot.

The story revolves around a childhood legend about Mary Shaw, a ventriloquist. Just to skip a bit here, she of course dies in an unjust way and dire curses are made. You know the drill, you have seen enough movies with this premise already, the truly guilty parties being Stay Alive and Darkness Falls. Whats nice about Dead Silence is that the characters aren't stuck in the situation though some convoluted rules. When the movie first begins, our protagonist's wife is the first victim, which motivates him to investigate the legend and the creepy doll that was mailed to him.

Not many good shots of this movie on Google Image search.

Where the movie shines is when the ghost is going to kill someone, you see, you only die if you scream. To highlight this element, all sound stops besides the breathing and heart beat of the characters. Its delightfully creepy and makes for some good moments in the movie. Where it doesn't shine so well are when people try too hard to act, or the script makes some abrupt twists.

I'm tired. So lets just cut to the chase on this one. This is a fun popcorn movie that does more things right then wrong. Ultimately, if you are tired of PG-13 outings about curses and teens dying, try this movie for a more enjoyable version of that crap.

"GO TO SLEEP."

The Last Circus was a surprise addition to the list due to the party. Had to watch something that would interest the group, so I opted for something no one had heard of! A Spanish movie that only recently started making ripples online. This film is a little more then crazy, at times it has the surreal and dreamlike atmosphere of such French films as The City of Lost Children and Amelie, while also being reminiscent of darker Spanish magical realism movies like Pans Labyrinth and The Devil's Backbone.

Its a movie about heritage, family, career, lust, love, revenge, self loathing, identity, and pride. Its a movie about clowns. In the midst of the Spanish civil war, a circus is doing its best to keep the children happy and unafraid. Until the war find them, that is. The Happy Clown of the show is forcibly recruited, like many of his circus fellows, and handed a machete and forced into combat. In the terror and madness of the moment he mows through a regiment with his companions, cutting down countless rebel soldiers. However, when all is said and done, the rebels win and our Happy Clown is captured and forced into labor camps. He tearfully tells his son that he will see him soon, and that the labor can't last forever.

Such a strange and fantastic movie.

It does, and years later while visiting his father, our warrior clown is still in irons mining under harsh conditions. Half mad from years of abuse, he tells his son to be a Sad Clown, as he has known too much sorry to ever make children laugh. He also urges his son to seek revenge, as the only means to cleanse his sole. So, our young hero attempts to free his father with dynamite and a pistol. His father tragically dies, a commander loses an eye, and our hero still only knows sorrow and horror.

Fast forward, and we see a defeated and timid man joining the circus as the sad clown, the partner act of a happy clown who also happens to be a sadistic and violent drunk who beats his girlfriend. The girl our sad clown of course falls for, a girl who loves to manipulate and loves danger. You can never tell where this movie is going, and once you think you do, it will shock you. Its brutal and unrelenting in how cruel the world is to our sad clown, and once the strain of it all finally breaks him, the film pulls another twist and shocks you all over again.

I can't being myself to tell you about those twists, about where this movie goes in its drunken tumble through the soul of a clown. You really need to live it for yourself. To tease you into it, enjoy the trailer.

Did you see that? You know you need to see this movie now. Its a surreal look into the darkest corners of what makes us human. Where our motivations come from and what it means to truly be alive. If you like the stranger things in life, then you NEED to see this movie. Now to the last review! Hooray!

13 Tzameti is listed as horror just as often as it isn't, but for those of you who know what this movie is about, I'm sure you can see the argument for horror. This French film shares aspects with crime thrillers, but only just. You won't find shootouts, fest and witty dialogue, or car chases here. This movie is slow and deliberate, nothing is contrived for the audience either, dialogue and scenes are wholly natural. You won't find exposition of people talking so you can understand whats happening, you are meant to be as frightened and confused as the protagonist.

The poster gives nothing away unless you look very closely.

The movie follows an impoverished 22 year old roof repairman, the sole provider of his family leaves him constantly looking tired and worn-down. Every job he finds is essential, and the one he is on now is just that. Except when his drug addicted client dies and he is won't be paid, he find himself at a new level of desperation. Recalling overhearing the man talking about a shady way to make some big money, he sneaks off with an important letter of the dead man's and follows the shady instructions within. I'll tell you what happens next only because the marketing for the film does, but honestly, if you have the chance, see it fresh. Stop reading here and go in as clueless as possible.

Unknowingly being tailed by, and giving the slip to police, he follows an increasingly shadier series of instructions until he arrives at his destination. One which he cannot turn back from. He and twelve other men are part of a game on which other men gamble, a game where each man points a gun at the man in front of him, spins the barrel on the gun, and pulls the trigger.

Don't get in the car if you see this.

This part of the movie is incredibly intense, especially because of that lack of exposition I mentioned. We don't know who these people are, arguably the monsters of the film, nor why they organize the event. Likewise, besides our hero, we have no idea why anyone else is participating in the suicidal game of murder. The tension is immense, as round after round more men die and more bullets are added to the chambers. Our hero at first struggles and resists, and after it becomes clear the only way out is to play, he becomes withdrawn and sickened.

This section of the movie is undeniably horror, our hero forced into a lethal situation where only chance dictates if he lives or dies, if he is innocent or a murderer. Even once its all said and done, his safety is never certain and keeps the tension alive. See this movie now, before the American remake arrives to ruin its name.

"Do I have something in my Hair?"

Sleep now! For more reviews and future movies, see 150 Days of Halloween.

150 Days of Halloween: The Hole

So, a short aside before we jump into the movie. As I said in other posts, I hate the summer and the heat, so I naturally avoid the sun. More so, bright lights hurt my eyes and give me headaches, so I typically keep things dim. I actually enjoy hiking, fishing, and taking long walks outside, but I tend to do it on overcast days or the winter. Well, my body noticed these trends apparently, as my doctor called to tell me that I have vitamin D levels like some cave dwelling mutant. Now I need to drink 4 glasses of fortified whole milk a day or my bones will erupt into chalky dust when I least expect it. So that was a fun phone call! Now onto the movie of the day, The Hole!

Me? I'm afraid of child actors dialogue.

I had heard of this one before, but had never seen it. Even then I didn't really know much more then the name going into it. Imagine my surprise when it turns out to be a kids horror movie! This wasn't a bad thing, I loved The Gate growing up, even though I was watching The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and other adult horror movies before I even saw The Gate as a young kid. Joe Dante, the director of The Hole, also apparently saw The Gate as a kid, because it borrows heavily from it at times.

The movie follows two brothers, one a sulky teen and the other a typical perma-bored and hyper younger brother. They just moved into a new house with their single mother, having recently moved after having their abusive father imprisoned. Its typical young adult fare, the teen begins to pine for a hit neighbor girl, the younger brother feels neglected and bored with his brother never having time for him, and the mother is exasperated and unsure how to behave as a recently singled mother. Everyone is also on edge and emotional about her starting to date again, its basic family drama plot points.

"Alright, don't tell any adults about the death trap/rape pit in the basement."

The kids soon discover a hatch in the basement that has six padlocks on it, and this of course inspires curiosity as to whats hidden below. After some futile attempts to cut the locks, they stumble into a keyring in a paint can that opens the locks, so whoever thought it was important enough to lock six times obviously didn't think it warranted keeping the keys with him. Anyway, they find a bottomless pit that just descends into darkness. I will point out at this juncture that if I ever encountered a magical hole with n bottom that seemingly vanishes into what could be another world, I would jump in without a second thought. I basically lack any survival instinct and have an overwhelming need to explore stupid shit.

Soon the obligatory love interest for the teen joins in and they poke and prod the hole with lights and cameras and find nothing aside from strange and uncertain images on the camera. They get bored with the hole, as it clearly isn't a video game or cell phone, and return to being annoying kids. That's when ghosts of dead little girls, demonic clown puppets, and other such fun apparitions begin to terrorize and threaten the three of them. Its made for the younger crowd, so the mother, and any other adults for that matter, are of course away on business anytime this happens.

Obligatory creepy dead girl? Check.

Worried for their safety, but not worried enough to tell the mom or anyone, they seek out the former owner of the home. Thus enters the one expendable character in the movie, as I announced to my housemate sarcastically when the old crazy guy entered frame. He rants like crazy old men are want to do, and soon after dies in the dark, but not before telling the kids THEY will die and scribbling some pictures down into a notebook for no reason.

So the kids then face their fears, the younger brother gets to spend time with his older brother, the older brother gets the girl are learns to value family, and the girl resolves a random plot point from her past. Its a fun movie, and perfectly suitable for a younger siblings or child's introduction to the horror genre. Or as a general movie about facing ones fears and understanding the importance of family and sticking together. For an adult, its entertaining enough in a silly way, certainly fun to make fun of as its littered with plot holes that kids just don't care about. I would recommend it for the little ones in your lives, but I would also suggest following it up with The Gate, which does the same job but better. Its also a bit more eager to try and scare then The Hole, which is less willing to startle anyone.

"I'M THE BEST CHARACTER AAAAH!"

Tomorrow we go back to proper horror with the Korean horror movie A Tale of Two Sisters, made by Kim Ji-woon who made the movie we started the whole list off with, I Saw the Devil. I have only ever heard good things about this movie, so I'm excited. If you want to see the full schedule, and links to reviews for movies seen, check out The 150 Days of Halloween.

"Sweet dreams."

Wherein I rant against the summer heat and talk about movies and games.

A small secret I want to let you all in on. I hate the summer. I hate the heat, the humidity, the brightness, and the bugs. The heat builds up in my room during daylight hours, forcing me to retreat to the first floor where I wallow in the living room, cut off from my computer. Cut off from my tunnels and floating islands of Terraria! The horror!

Soon it will be June 5th, and I'll be passing the time during the hot parts of the days when I'm not busy working in style. Watching those 150 horror movies I mentioned, counting down the days until the nights start getting longer and the temperature starts to drop. Until the best holiday rolls around and life is good again, and I watch one of my all time favorite movies. It became part of my Halloween traditions the moment I set eyes upon it.

So good! Check out the trailer!

So denizens of the internet, what horror movies should I watch? I'll be compiling a list soon and could use some more ideas. A housemate of mine is also letting me borrow his tablet laptop, so my next update will be more true to form, as I won't be away from a computer all day again.

In other news, I'm hitting the ground running in regards to writing for that gaming siteI mentioned in my first post. Editing a piece on Terraria now, and I was just given beta access to Space Pirates and Zombies to play and post my thoughts on. Here is a trailer for that particular game:

My contributions are not up yet, but if you want to check out some of the other writers stuff, here's Nightmare Mode. The focus is less on news and more on thoughts, opinions, and game theory which makes for some interesting reads, I'll let everyone here know when my things go up as well.