This is us. This is us in America. We have to know about the monster, we have to demystify the boogeyman. We can’t be kept in the dark on some things. And of course, we have to know Hannibal is not a cold calculating killer, but a troubled child whose family was killed; so he decided to strike back at those who caused it. No, it’s actually the premise for this; I’m not confusing it for “Batman Begins.” And like the prequel to “Texas Chainsaw Massacre” we’re just supposed to believe Lecter became a cannibal one day.
Tag Archives: Thriller
Mimic: Sentinel (2003)
What happens when you have a film franchise that’s lacking in almost everything required of a good film? You use a different approach. The “Mimic” series has been nothing but abysmal, and it was only a matter of time before we had a film in the series that tried it from a different perspective. Anyone who sees this will know this is a pure rip off of “Sisters,” front and back. The attempted psychoses, the plot twists, our nosy neighbor and his inevitable discovery. Petty rips shamelessly from the film, and while I came to accept it, it also works against the film’s quality in which the film’s attempted complexities come off as pure conceit and desperate. The film lacks anything nearing an esoteric framework, especially since it involves a giant bug.
The Warrior (2001)
It’s a shame that not many people are even aware of this film, because what “The Warrior” offers audiences is much more entertaining, meaningful, and engrossing than most modern thrillers can muster. “The Warrior” is the journey of a man through a life of violence, and his realization that what he does has horrible consequences that comes too little too late. I enjoyed this film, and I wish more people could experience what it offers. But sadly, even with Anthony Minghella presenting the film, “The Warrior” has remained an obscure suspense thriller that’s soaked in a sense of dread and horror that many thrillers can’t mimic.
Versus (2000)
Okay, so I admit it, I’m a little late to the party. I’m about seven years late to the party that is “Versus,” but cut me some slack, I’m busy. “Versus” is an action zombie film, and one that I really consider a guilty pleasure in the end. Granted, the zombies are cheesy, and I was forced to watch the dubbed version, but overall, “Versus” is a B horror entry that borders on action more often than it does horror. A small group of criminals out in the middle of the woods discover that the woods actually can resurrect the dead, and really have no idea what to do. Do they fight one another, do they band together, do they seek others, warn the world, escape, or take on the walking dead to prevent the spread? Decisions, decisions.
Disturbia (2007)
If you’re willing to ignore all the obvious positions our characters are put in, “Disturbia” will be pretty excellent. I wasn’t willing to ignore all the obvious marks, so I found it to be pretty damn frustrating. Let’s see, there’s our character Kale who is known for being a liar and deceiver, then there’s our mom who is so self-involved, she can’t listen to our hero, and of course a cop who has it out for him who we know will just come in the nick of time to help our hero when in trouble. And then there’s that nasty habit of the film being so utterly derivative. If there was ever going to be a remake of “Rear Window,” you could basically re-title this and not know the difference. “Disturbia” is a pretty cheesy thriller that is never afraid to flaunt that it’s so predictable.
Wicked Little Things (2006)
Of course, if you’re looking for something new or original, you’d better look elsewhere. “Wicked Little Things” offers the same old things for the audience, and none of it is ever pleasing. You mean there’s a ghost that can communicate with the youngest daughter? You mean the youngest daughter is the only one that can see her special ghost? You mean, they’re moving into a small town up in the middle of the woods? Who actually does that beyond cults? And, what a surprise, the cell phones the characters own aren’t working, there isn’t help for miles and miles, there are newspaper clippings of missing children plastered all over walls, there’s a hillbilly local station manager, and of course there’s the young child attune to the supernatural, and the older child that’s rebellious and smart mouthed; how utterly original.
Vanishing Point (1971)
I know Tarantino would love to take the credit for the popularity and new found interest in “Vanishing Point,” thanks to his repeated references to the movie in his underrated “Death Proof,” but that’s simply presumptuous, considering many people have been singing the praises of “Vanishing Point” for years and years. It’s been deemed as the best car movie ever made, and is considered a pure cult classic, way before Chin McGee mentioned it on celluloid, and that’s a fact. “Vanishing Point” is really nothing but a one hundred minute car chase across country, and I loved every minute of it.