Category: Film

Film Review: SILENT HILL REVELATION

11/7/2012

I typically keep my thoughts to myself when I feel a work rates below three stars; however, given the hack job the filmmakers did with Silent Hill: Revelation, I believe it is my duty to share this review.

I had high hopes for this movie, especially given the relatively good job filmmakers did with the film adaptation of the original Silent Hill, so it is with great disappointment that I write this. Anyone who is a fan of the Konami series has likely anticipated a film adaptation of Silent Hill 3, arguably the best game among the group. For those who have not played Silent Hill 3, here's the intro:

The premise is similar: "Heather" finds herself between reality and the hellish manifestations of Silent Hill, which draws her to the haunted town in her desire to end the nightmares. Unfortunately, that is where the similarities in story line end.

The cinematography is good, and much of the set design captures the feel of the game very well, but those are the only redeeming factors I could find--try as I might.

Silent Hill: Revelation is plagued with mediocre acting, awful dialog, and a script nearly completely lacking in structure. It does no justice to the game is is based on, offering instead one pointless visual after the next--creatures and distorted people at nearly every turn--with no real solid story to hold those images together. What results is a mess of a movie, one I must regretfully rate two stars.

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The Five Best Horror Films You've Probably Never Seen

10/30/2012

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Halloween is a day of terror, when we let loose our darkest fears and deepest fantasies. It is a night to watch horror movies, to dream of the undead, and to feed the unidentifiable horror that lies deep within us all. Beyond the fake spider webs, the dry ice fog, and the spooky sound effects, we suspend reality for one day, allowing the dead to live, the fantastic to exist, and the darkness to prevail.

Halloween gets me in the mood for horror flicks. As excited as I am about the most recent releases, I feel the need to pay homage to the films that paved their way. Whether it is because they're outdated or low budget, the following is a countdown of movies many of you have not had the chance to see--or, rather, have not given a chance to make your Halloween.

5. The Stuff (1985)
"Are you eating it, or is it eating you?" Playing upon the genre of films established by The Blob and the The Fog, The Stuff is a low budget '80s horror that needs to be on every horror buff's list. While definitely an outdated b-movie, The Stuff plays upon our deepest fear of becoming a part of the monster terrorizing those around it. Based around a young boy who sees the influence and effects of a "natural" snack found in the Arctic, the story uses basic effects to evoke suspense and horror in its viewers.

4. Nightbreed (1990)
Clive Barker has been, and will be for years to come, one of the handful of true masters of horror. In this film, a young man investigates an area considered off limits to all who fear for their souls and their lives, only to learn the true monster is humanity.

3. Pumkinhead (1998)While both dated and low-budget, this film is a must-see for horror fans. Some of the acting is sub-par, but lead actor Lance Henriksen steals the show. A story about revenge and consequence, this movie is creepy, well directed, and contains some of the best special effects of the '80s. This film is perfect for Halloween.

4. Near Dark (1987)
With good acting, a great script, and amazing special effects, it's surprising this film has not stood the test of time. A classic vampire flick, this movie goes beyond the typical story line, using cliche to its advantage and taking it to a whole new level. If you like vampires and horror, this movie needs to be on your list of movies to watch.

1. Cube (1997)
Likely filmed on one or two hot sets, Cube sets the bar for low-budget horror. It is by far my favorite movie, and I'm surprised so few people have had the chance to see it. Filmed in Canada, with a good cast and an exceptional script, this film is absolutely the biggest must-see for fans of psychological horror. It both is cerebral and gory, psychological and horrifying, and that's what makes it the number one horror movie on this list. See it. You'll thank me.

I might be old-school, a clear product of the '80s, but I know horror. While some of these movies might not live up to the digital standards set by contemporary film, they are true classics. This Halloween, while trick-or-treeters are stopping by for their fill of candy, the jack-o-lanterns are glowing, and the monsters are hiding in the shadows of times past, do yourself a favor and check out one or more of these movies. The effects might not be perfect, and the style might not be contemporary, but the creepiness stands the test of time. Give yourself a treat and watch a timeless horror.

Happy Halloween!

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Film Review: SINISTER

10/15/2012

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Fiction writer-turned true-crime writer, Ellison Oswalt (Ethan Hawke) moves his wife, Tracy (Juliet Rylance), and children Ashley (Clare Foley) and Trevor (Michael Hall D'Addario) into the home at which four family members were hanged and the only surviving child went missing. Intent on writing a novel based on the event, Ellison hopes to piece together missing elements by spending time in the home and sifting through its past.

Sinister uses many classic literary and horror elements (the family move into a new home, the whiskey-swilling author, the desperate move to reclaim a past taste of fame and success, the Boogieman in the shadows, the authority on supernatural phenomena who slowly helps to fill the missing pieces to the puzzle), but in a way that is fresh and unique. The story reveals just enough clues to tip off the audience about the true nature of the killer, while offering enough surprises to keep them guessing. It takes a lot to scare me; I started watching horror movies and reading Stephen King in adolescence, and I’m what one might call hard-edged to the genre. This movie actually made me jump a couple of times, giddy with the phenomenal use of dark visuals, sound, and surprise.

The tone is dark (great use of lighting and nighttime settings), the pacing is perfect, and the use of sound in conjunction with visuals is superb. If you’re a classic horror buff, Sinister is a must-see—and see it while it’s still in theaters, because you’ll wish you had if you wait for it to go to DVD. It’s worth the ticket price. I rate this film an enthusiastic five stars.

For more Sinister fun, check out the following experiment on the physiology of fear using Sinister as its medium:

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Film Review: THE RAVEN

4/30/2012

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Disclaimer: I went to see The Raven with low expectations based on pre-release reviews. Moreover, given the integration of Poe-inspired themes (similar to my novel, Finding Poe), I almost wanted this film to fail, my fears of the story being too similar to mine creating in me a petty (and highly unnecessary) sense of competition. I have to say I’m humbled by what I saw—and also very happy to report that the differences between The Raven and Finding Poe are delightfully vast, the intellectual choices made by its writers having taken the idea in a completely different direction than that which I took in my novel.

Premise: A serial killer has turned some of Edgar Allan Poe’s most popular stories into inspiration for murder in an attempt to push the struggling writer back into his art.

My Review: It seems to me that the scathing reviews for The Raven had to have been written by people who are unfamiliar with Poe, as I cannot see any fan of his work not enjoying this film. The story cleverly integrates Poe’s work, meshing story and content in a meaningful way; the self-aware reference of fiction meeting reality is both bold and artful. The acting is excellent (John Cusack and Alice Eve are brilliant), the use of tone stunning, and its personal take on Poe’s death and the enigmatic “Reynolds” well done. There were some issues with the pacing, with not enough tension in some places and short lulls in others, the villain is a little predictable, and Poe starts off as far too unlikeable a character, but such issues are far from fatal. I had hoped the writers would have found a way to integrate Poe’s unfinished work, “The Lighthouse,” instead of pushing Poe to finish his life writing other, fictitious works, but all in all, the film is a solid must-see for Poe fans. I rate The Raven four out of five stars.

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Should a Writer Have to Choose between Writing Novels and Screenplays?

12/28/2009

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Recently, a colleague of mine stated that I should have to choose between being a novelist or being a screenwriter if I wanted to be truly successful. Having a strong passion for writing both formats, I had to disagree. Although novels and screenplays are dramatically different, many writers work in multiple formats. A prolific writer can finish a novel draft in one or two months and a screenplay in just a week or two, so being an avid writer of one does not necessarily have to detract from time spent writing the other. Moreover, if one knows one’s art, the difference in the two formats merely creates the need to shift gears when switching from one to the other:

·         When writing a novel, prose and dialog are organized by paragraph, while in screenplays they are divided into dialog, character direction, and visible description and action.

·         Novel prose allows for internal dialog and stream of consciousness, while all thoughts and character motivations in a screenplay need to be “shown” through the camera’s audio and visible sensors. One loophole to this is an intermittent use of “voice-over” in a script, in which an unseen narrator speaks over a scene.

·         Novels are generally written in third person, past tense, while screenplays are always written in present tense.

·         Novels are usually around 300 pages, while the typical “spec” script is around 120 pages.

·         Novels are typically written in Times New Roman, while screenplays are always written in Courier or Courier New. Both have specific formatting guidelines.

Upon review of my writing portfolio, one will see that I have written as many screenplays as I have novels—and that more than half of my screenplays are adaptations (most of them being adaptations of my own novels, with one being a hired adaptation of a novelette written by another author). Writing adaptations is just as much of an art as is writing original novels and screenplays; in converting a story from one format to the other, a writer must take into consideration time constraints, the translation compatibility of certain events, budget, and audience. For example:

·         When converting a novel into a screenplay, one must decide which scenes to cut and mesh, and also if that cutting and meshing will require some reorganization of the storyline. When converting a screenplay into a novel or novelette, one must add internal dialog or narration, as well as scenes that may have been missing in the script due to time constraints.

·         What works great as prose does not always translate well on screen, and vice-versa. Sometimes a writer must find an alternate literary or visual device in order to make the same point work in translation.

·         What might be easy to write might take money to reproduce on-screen. A screen adaptation must always be written with budget in mind, while the sky is the limit when writing novels and similar prose.

·         When adapting prose to screenplay, especially in previously published works, a writer must be careful to cater to any preexisting audience that might have certain expectations about the work.

I believe that it is a great asset for a writer to be well versed in both formats. It is my opinion that an author the best-suited candidate to adapt his or her work into screenplay form, given that the person understands how to use the screenplay format. No one will know the ins and outs of a work better than the person who originally wrote it, and no one will be able to capture the essence and soul of a work any clearer. While there are many great adaptations that have been written by hired screenwriters, few people will argue that most of these adaptations do not capture that which made their predecessors all that they are. While that which is lacking in many is due to necessary cuts and changes needed to make the story translate better, what most are lacking, in my opinion, is their original writers.

Would I consider giving up writing novels in order to be a successful screenwriter? Never. I love writing both too much to choose one format over the other. God willing, there is enough room for my writing in both industries.

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A New Milestone in Film

12/21/2009

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In the ‘70s and 80’s, George Lucas changed the face of sci-fi film with the first three Star Wars features. New technology needed to be created in order to make the movies possible, and that technology took special effects to a level never before imagined. Moreover, the plot was exciting, heartfelt, and insightful, capturing the hearts of children and adults alike. The movies defined a generation and made sci-fi fans of both males and females from all walks of life.

Avatar is the Star Wars of the 21st century.

I went into the theater already knowing that I would be witnessing history in the making. Having worked with one of the digital imaging technicians for the film, knowing his attention to detail and his eye for perfection, I couldn’t wait to view the completed product. I knew I was about to embark on an amazing journey—but nothing could prepare me for the breathtaking masterpiece I saw today.

Avatar is by far the most visually stunning film I have ever had the pleasure to watch. The digital effects were flawless, the story was beautiful, and overall the work was brilliant. The characters were believable, even the digitally generated Na’vi, and the scenery was amazing. I have read criticism that has called Avatar “Dances with Smurfs,” and I can only shake my head. All filmmakers know that there are seven basic plots; storylines and characters can change, but they will always fit into one of those basic plots. James Cameron meshed the plot most associated with Dances with Wolves and The Last Samurai, placed it on an alien planet, and added an impeccable hero’s journey. There are no Smurfs, here--Avatar is thoughtful, meaningful, and artfully executed.

I only have a couple of minor criticisms of the film. If you have not yet watched Avatar and do not wish to read any spoilers, please do not continue.

Spoilers
ahead.

This
is
your
last
chance
to
turn
away.

My main criticism is with the plot dumps at the beginning of the film. While I realize that Mr. Cameron was working under time constraints and had no choice but to use them, the dialog felt a little choppy: characters were telling other characters pieces of information that they should have already known, in ways that seemed slightly out of place. A revision in those couple of pieces of dialog would have made a huge difference in the beginning of the film.

My second criticism is the “unobtainium.” The name alone takes away from the serious realism the rest of the movie achieves, the play on words being just too obvious. More importantly, we never see any characters actually mine the precious metal—and it is never made clear just why it is so precious. Online searches reveal that the mineral is supposed to be a superconductor and powerful energy source, but we are never given this information in the film. We are told that Earth is a dying planet; wouldn’t something life sustaining be more worth fighting over? Why are the humans mining “unobtainium?” Why is it worth so much? Can it save lives? Can it save our dying Earth? Eliminating the unobtainium and making the planet itself the commodity would have eliminated the out-of-place plot dumps about the mineral.

Thirdly, but just as importantly, Mr. Cameron could have reallocated several precious screen minutes to better use by making the main character’s initial loss of his twin brother available through plot dump, as opposed to actual footage. The film is nearly three hours long (which does fly, given its amazing content); the beginning would not have suffered had the cremation scene been cut and the information about the brother been offered through a few well executed lines.

Beyond those small criticisms, I have nothing but positive words to offer about Avatar. I laughed, I cried, I gasped with awe, and I left the theater feeling as though I had just watched a top-notch live action movie. I did more than that, though; I witnessed the beginning of a new era in digital film and I experienced a story that will stay with me for years to come.

And I didn’t even watch the 3D version.

12 Comments

Film Review: SILENT HILL REVELATION

The Five Best Horror Films You've Probably Never Seen

Film Review: SINISTER

Film Review: THE RAVEN

Should a Writer Have to Choose between Writing Novels and Screenplays?

A New Milestone in Film

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