Thanks to the advent of “The Twilight Zone,” R.L. Stine’s “Goosebumps,” and many other horrific entities, ventriloquist dummies have managed to become a pretty valid specter of fright all of my life. And thankfully, here comes James Wan to further perpetuate the fear of the ventriloquism in all its delights. “Dead Silence” is a film that wasn’t really an easy sell from the first minute. Surely, it starts off eerily enough, but it doesn’t really pick up until the second half. But what it accomplishes are genuine plot twists that only the boys from “Saw” can truly utilize, and man, are there ever plot twists abound, including one that’s a bit over the top, but truly creepy.
Category Archives: Movie Reviews
A Very Sunny Morning (2006)
If I told you I knew what Eric Carter’s film “A Very Sunny Morning” was about, I’d be lying through my teeth. Carter’s surrealist comedy is probably one of the weirdest and unusual short films I’ve seen since Sundance, with a plot that’s almost nonsensical. I say nonsensical in the sense that I really couldn’t understand what the hell was going on in front of me. But surprisingly enough, Carter’s film is not completely meant to be understood. He goes for the more dream vs. reality, and our consciousness hook that folks like Charlie Kaufman have in their films. And Carter succeeds with his experiment. A couple sits down to breakfast, goofing around, and is suddenly called to attention by a floating head in an old television.
Ice Spiders (2007)
I’m not sure why, but the prospect of watching “Ice Spiders” was intriguing to me. Perhaps it’s because I just enjoy movies with giant monsters, or perhaps because many movies with giant spiders end up a barrel full of laughs, or maybe because I just enjoy cheesy monster movies. “Ice Spiders” really doesn’t take itself too seriously, and that’s a great thing considering the ridiculous plot we’re introduced to. But with all the horrible plot devices against it from minute one, “Ice Spiders” comes out ahead.
American Dreamz (2006)
Muslims that speak primarily English and not their home land’s language, a Muslim young man who sings and dances and isn’t killed for it, a glorified karaoke show that’s staged, scripted, and twisted, a dumb president who can barely walk on his own, and a vice president that pretty much coaches the president’s appearances and speeches. “American Dreamz” is not only incredibly stupid, but it pretty much states the obvious from minute one. Weitz and crew almost create a “Satire for Dummies” film, featuring gags and social commentary that are neither funny, nor edgy, and tread over the same old crap we’ve seen in various other television shows, and films time and time again.
Deep Throat (1972)
Doctor: Having a clitoris at the bottom of your throat is better than having no clitoris at all.
Linda: That’s easy for you to say! Imagine having your balls on your ears!
Doctor: Well… then I could hear myself cumming!
You know it, you love it, you pretend not to know what it is in front of certain company, it’s “Deep Throat,” a movie that’s become so utterly famous that it’s also helped to define the oral sex technique that’s like average fellatio, but amps it up a notch. I won’t sit here and explain the difference between regular blow jobs, and deep throating, because I know that you know what the actual difference is, no matter how much you deny it in the end. “Deep Throat,” much like “Debbie Does Dallas,” is one of the porn classics that really go beyond its genre. This is a film that’s become a staple of pop culture and really did shake everyone up to their boots for the simple fact that it was a huge hit. And for the fact that the success for the film was less about the film’s quality, and more on the gravitas it brought with it to seedy movie theaters. I mean what’s not to like about it? It’s only an hour long, features hardcore sex scenes, the late great Linda Lovelace, and has a title that pretty much describes the entire plot.
Three…Extremes (Saam gaang yi) (2004)
I can’t tell you how long it’s been since we’ve had a great anthology horror film. It’s been a while, because I really can’t remember the last great anthology film we were given in theaters or home video, but “Three… Extremes” is a surefire breath of fresh air for the horror genre, and one that thankfully did not go unappreciated. I’ve waited a long time to finally see this film, and apparently the wait was utterly worth it, in the end. Take three excellent Asian directors, and let them go hog wild on-screen with rarely a step back into discretion. Fuck “Masters of Horror,” these three directors take you to school. In these three incredibly directed tales, we’re taken through the ringer of the three extremes of humanity.
Let’s Scare Jessica to Death (1971)
What helps “Let’s Scare Jessica to Death” pave the way as a genuine horror film, is that it’s more content with examining the pure madness of the human mind than it does splashing blood on the walls. Which is not to say there isn’t blood, but the madness of the entire premise is perfectly exemplified thanks to the often desolate set pieces before us. The farm house in which our characters reside, the small town down the road, and even the lake, are all spots that are perfectly maddening and morbid to the story.