Yes. People are this stupid. Just to answer the question you’ll be asking yourself over and over while watching “Compliance,” one of the most controversial movies of 2012. Supposedly a film that inspired one woman to slap her knees, shout “Oh come on!” and storm out of the theaters, director Craig Zobel’s infuriating dramatic thriller is a film that draws inadvertent parallels to Abu Ghraib. Where most of the armed officials who took part in the humiliation and torture of prisoners on the bases that they were merely following orders, “Compliance” sheds the light on a day in a fast food restaurant where a young girl was subjected to humiliating and degrading acts of torture and pain on the bases that folks were merely following orders.
Tag Archives: C
Chernobyl Diaries (2012) [Blu-Ray/DVD/Ultraviolet]
Fish, and dogs, and bears, oh my. It’s ninety minutes of bumps, and shadows all leading in to basically nothing but a movie that doesn’t even deliver the money shots as far as “The Hills Have Eyes” wannabes go. Maybe they’re saving it for a sequel somewhere down the line? If you’re looking for some vicious mutants attacking silly Americans on a tour, “Chernobyl Diaries” never seems to be sure how to handle its premise. It never seems to try to gratuitous, so it skimps out on literally everything that could have made this a disturbing film, altogether. There’s little to no bloodshed to be had, most of the action is either implied or off-screen in to the darkness, and as far as monsters go? If you want to see some annoying wild dogs chase after our heroes for thirty minutes, then this might be up your alley. The confusing aspect of “Chernobyl Diaries” is that it’s been lumped in with all of the other recent found footage titles, but in reality it isn’t.
Cheeky! (Trasgredire) (2000) [Blu-Ray]
Dear lord is Yuliya Mayarchuk a goddess. A being of sexual ferocity, she’s emanates sensual daring, and innocence that make her the perfect woman to head up this rather entertaining sex dramedy. Every director seems to have a fixation on some part of a woman’s body, particularly directors of erotica. Director Tinto Brass places great emphases on the woman’s behind, often preferring to show the woman’s cleverly framed rump beyond all else.
The Cabin in the Woods (2012)
We’ve all seen it so many times that I kind of get angry when a filmmaker sends me their latest horror opus and it’s comprised of the same premise. A bunch of teenagers have commandeered a cabin in the woods for the weekend, and decide that they want to get away for a few days of beer drinking and misdeeds of the sexual nature. While there they discover that the cabin houses a bunch of secrets that could be their undoing. And it’s all being manipulated by a secret government lab hidden underneath the cabin, manipulating every single moment of their weekend like a game of chess. Ah, but that’s not the whole story.
C.H.U.D. II – Bud the Chud (1989)
When I was a kid I was frightened of pretty much any movie that featured the walking dead, and surely enough my fright was induced whenever I watched “CHUD II.” I can fondly remember re-watching this movie on the now defunct “Monsters HD” cable channel in America three years ago and gazing in disbelief at this absurd and unfunny zombie movie. I was horrified of this? Seriously? “CHUD II” is a travesty not just because it’s an unfunny horror comedy, and not just because it’s not an actual sequel to “CHUD” at all. But because it’s a pretty blatant rip-off of “Return of the Living Dead” with brain eating intelligent zombies taking center stage, and even featuring a zombie dog who rolls with the group of zombies throughout the film.
The Craft (1996)
The nineties experienced an odd resurgence in the interest of witchcraft for a while. So much so that even I dabbled in it and Paganism for a while. In my ever expanding love for the occult I took to intensive research of the art of witchcraft, and I think it was contagious for a while. There was the hit TV show “Charmed,” and “Sabrina the Teenage Witch,” and of course there were films like “Hocus Pocus,” “Practical Magic,” the revived film version of “The Crucible,” and the rather slick horror drama “The Craft” to help induce the interest in the apparent appeal of the religion. While somewhat fading in to obscurity, it’s still an utterly mesmerizing teen oriented horror thriller and one painfully copied in “The Covenant.”
Casper (1995)
For all of its flaws, 1995’s big screen adaptation of Casper the friendly ghost, actually manages to be a dark fantasy worth watching. Not only does it play all the right chords by casting in vogue and talented child star Christina Ricci as the heroine of the film, but it depicts a Casper the Friendly Ghost who isn’t a downer. While the animated shorts almost made you get in to a bathtub with a toaster in both hands, the feature film is life affirming and uplifting in its own ways. And to give Casper something of depth and plot friction, there’s the wise addition of three rude, crude, and disgusting specters who make everyone’s lives miserable.
The 1995 “Casper” wisely gives an identity to the ghosts that loved to scare while Casper refused to submit to his duties, and in the end, the feature film works very well. Much more than “Richie Rich” ever did. “Casper” is mainly a coming of age film that features Casper as a key to main character Kat to not only growing up but dealing with the concept of her mother’s death. Years after the death of her mother, she and her father James spend their days travelling and trying to uncover the secrets of the paranormal and the after life. Though James passes it off as research to his daughter, secretly he hopes to uncover the secret to connecting with his wife one more time and speak to her.
The duo decide to live at Whipstaff Manor in Maine where the mansion has been abandoned by its descendents thanks to its rabid hauntings, in spite of the fact that there is rumored to be a treasure hidden within the bowels of the house. While there James attempts to uncover the psychiatry of specters, dealing with random pranks and mean spirited play from the trio of uncles, all of whom take every chance to make the father and daughter miserable, while Kat finds a friend in Casper. Thankfully the portrayal of Casper is never cloying or abundant with cutesy dialogue. Casper as a character is lovable, and utterly adorable. He’s a being filled with optimism and love, but has also lived long enough to mutter nuggets of wisdom about death, the after life, and what it means to be alive.
And though originally many thought the addition of Casper’s uncles Stretch, Stinky, and Fatso to the fray would be a cheap grab for merchandise, the film actually sparks a great and logical argument for their presence. Ghosts are often thought as restless spirits that dwell in their past homes. Casper is a boy who died from a painful illness and died saddened and in terrible conditions, thus his state of misery keeps him perpetually stuck as a ghost. His uncles were three rotten and awful individuals who were so evil in their past life, they’re forever stuck as specters haunting their mansion because their evil prevents them from a peaceful slumber in the after life.
For a film made in 1995, “Casper” really does manage to re-invent the formula in many ways that are clever and very welcome. Rather than just animating Casper, he’s a very gelatinous translucent being who seems to be stuck between the after life and our life, thus he’s always faded but very eye catching. The trio of evil ghosts are almost always in a tint of green inadvertently creating this sense that they’re made from the same essence of Slimer from “Ghostbusters.” Christina Ricci is one of the finest child actors of the nineties, thus her role as Kat is empathetic and very heartbreaking, if derivative. Kat’s whole journey as the new girl in Maine plagued by bullies is very cliché as the main lure of the story is her relationship and bond with Casper, who offers her clarity in her darkest times.
What keeps “Casper” from being excellent is that though it’s touted to children, it tries to pass off a painfully ridiculous deus ex machina involving a machine and magic potion that could transform ghosts in to living beings once more, and never makes a really definitive bit of reasoning for even injecting it in to the story. Save for the final scene where Casper gets one of his biggest wishes, a fleeting and heartbreaking moment but one that really defies the film’s logic. Nevertheless, “Casper” is still an entertaining and adorable fantasy film that gives the character of Casper a hint of dignity and respect. It’s a shame this was followed up by endless piss poor direct to video sequels. In a decade that gave us “Flintstones” and “Richie Rich,” the cinematic adaptation of “Casper” is one of the very rare instances where they not only got it right, but improved on the original formula. Offering a sweet story, smart casting, and a sense of humor, “Casper” is still a nineties favorite that doesn’t get enough credit.