It’s an understatement to call “The Beast Within” one of the more unusual horror anomalies of the eighties. Director Phillipe Mora’s film garners an inherent subtext, but what kind, I’m still not sure. “The Beast Within” operates on an almost fever dream kind of narrative that takes twists and turns without ever even trying to form a coherent story thread. Even once. I’m still not sure why there’s a giant anthropomorphic bug monster roaming around, but nonetheless, it’s a pivotal plot point.
Tag Archives: Mystery
Nicholas Sparks: Limited Edition Collection (DVD)
Whether we like it or not the Nicholas Sparks movies haven’t lost steam. Even when they’re flops, they’re still somehow tapping in to the life line of female movie goers, giving movie studios even more of a reason to adapt Sparks’ dramas about gorgeous Caucasian people with no actual problems, that find love with one another. Their love is, of course, chaste, pure, and innocent, with no real raw looks at the passionate love that become the focus of many of Sparks’ movies. Even posters for his movies show people on the verge of kissing. Nothing more. If aliens ever found these movies as a last remnant of humanity, they’d be convinced humans kissed and mated by rubbing noses together and meeting eyes intently.
Presence (2013)
What do you do when you’re the only person that can signal something truly dire looming in the darkness? How do you handle information that you can’t possibly comprehend? Would you rather not know what evil is coming forth, or do you put the information to good use? Director Colin MacDonald’s short horror film is teeming with foreshadowing and excellent dread that promises a great dose of terror and atmosphere fans will get behind.
Cat People (1942)
Director Jacques Tourneur’s horror thriller is probably one of the most unique and menacing thrillers about a woman’s inherent ferocity and rage ever made. “Cat People” is filled to the brim with metaphor and symbolism, from the parallels of Simone Simon’s character Irena’s to a black panther stuck in a cage, right down to a kitten confined in a small paper box by Irena’s husband to be Oliver. After surprising her with the pet as a gift, the cat discovers that it hates Irena, and she it. More suitably though, the two aren’t kindly to being tied down and given to domestic masters.
Mike Case in: The Big Kiss Off (2013)
Director Justin Baird’s “The Big Kiss Off” is a very charming movie with a lot of good intent behind it. Often times good intentions count for much, but they don’t always turn around a good movie. The good news is that “The Big Kiss Off” strives to be a new age PI crime comedy, and works because it really does present within it a tight narrative that is interesting, even when it falters every now and then.
Head Cases: Serial Killers in the Delaware Valley (2013)
Independent filmmaker Anthony Spadaccini always had a keen visual eye, leaving no stone left unturned. You can tell by watching his films that he takes great pride in every shot and every camera angle. His films are an emotional experience, but even more than that, they are a visual experience to remember. You feel as though you are entering another dimension or another universe. You are a little uncomfortable, scared, and unsure, yet you can’t look away and you can’t wait to see what unfolds next. It grabs the viewer right from the get go and doesn’t let go.
Sinister (2012)
Ethan Hawke plays Ellison Oswalt, a successful crime author whose last book was a hit and garnered him a lot of hatred from folks surrounding the murders. Desperate for another hit book, Ellison moves his family in to the house where a vicious murder was committed in hopes of finding out why the family was murdered, and where their daughter Stephanie disappeared to. The explanation that he moves them in to the house where the murders ensued should be a clue that Ellison isn’t very smart. Hawke is a very good performer capable of conveying desperation and torment, but he’s given the task of turning Ellison in to an empathetic protagonist. Which is tough considering the more we know about Ellison the less likable he is, and when the screws finally turn on him, we’re not too saddened by it.