The Wing Kong Exchange (feat. Inferno)

[Wang Chung]

Re: The Wing Kong Exchange

I was wrong on the film, but It reminds me of another film where their faces become distorted like that. Why can't I think of that film. Another great review Fuji.

 

[Fuji Vice]

Re: The Wing Kong Exchange

I was wrong on the film, but It reminds me of another film where their faces become distorted like that. Why can't I think of that film. Another great review Fuji.

Thanks. I'm also not sure which movie that is, but I know it exists so I'll definitely look into figuring that out. In the meantime.....

Apollo 18

History tells us that the planned Apollo 18 moon landing was cancelled in 1974, with the astronauts assigned to other missions. History lied. The truth is that shortly after the mission was publicly cancelled, the astronauts involved were secretly advised the mission would still be going ahead. However, the top-secret mission resulted in such a startling discovery that the United States shelved all plans for a return to the moon, and all evidence of the mission was destroyed—or so it was believed. For now, after editing over 100 hours of footage, the pertinent events of the doomed Apollo 18 moon landing are now available to reveal the truth to the whole world.

If the found footage genre is to survive, its going to have to learn how to re-invent itself with some degree of frequency. There's only so many "people running screaming through hallway's while camera shakes" movies that can be made before everyone starts to get tired of them. Therefore, a departure from the formula would appear to be just what the doctor ordered and, like yesterday's Skew, Apollo 18 provides that very departure. Taking all the elements that make a found footage film good and shooting them all the way to the moon, Apollo 18 takes a big gamble, but one that ultimately pays off. Apollo 18 was a film that I initially passed off as yet another awful found footage piece with little to no substance. It was only on the second viewing that I saw it for the tight and tense piece that it truly is. Originality is the key here. Even though we're basically watching The Blair Witch Project on the moon it never feels like that. Instead we find ourselves quickly becoming engrossed in this terrifying tale that, while completely implausible, has just enough realism behind it to hold our interest.

"Do we have time to shoot a little space porn while we're up here?"​

Written by Brian Miller (his first feature effort) and directed by Gonzalo Lopez-Gallego (previously directed King of the Hill which was loosely remade as Wrecked), the film is presented as a series of roughly edited videos as opposed to one long take. This has the effect of allowing us to see many different angles and sides to the story while still maintaining the feel of a found footage film. I really enjoyed this interesting play on the genre as I felt it lent itself to the story being told and made everything feel fresh and new. Miller's screenplay is not the greatest, but he weaves a lot of believable dialogue into it which allows the characters themselves to become much more complex than many in these sorts of films. Meanwhile, Gallego shoots everything as if something nasty is just about to happen, creating a great deal of tension throughout the film. It's this tension that comes through towards the end of the film and helps set up one hell of an awesome climax. Along with the strong script and well paced direction, the cast here is also quite good, and each member plays an integral part in setting the stage for a strong film.

"Call me crazy, but this doesn't look like a good sign."​

The cast is led by actor Warren Christie, who plays astronaut Ben Anderson, a level-headed family man type character who we can easily get behind. While I do love Christie's work here, I had a minor issue in the fact that he's also a main character on the television show Alpha's, which means I lost a little sense of realism here. Once I know they're actors in other movies, I tend to lose a little interest since the believability factor decreases. Luckily that's not the case here, as Christie more than distances himself from his Alpha's character and gives a great performance. Equally strong is Lloyd Owen, portraying Nate Walker, the astronaut who becomes "infected" while on the moon. He too gives a convincing performance and actually manages to steal several scenes he's in, particularly once things start speeding towards their eventual conclusion. Finally, Ryan Robbins turns in a solid performance as John Grey, the astronaut left orbiting the moon while the others land on it. He doesn't have a whole lot to do, but his interactions with the other cast members are good and that's about all that's required of him.

"Heeeere's Johnny....on the moon."​

Now before I get to the few things I disliked about the film, I'd like to briefly mention the excellent set design, as it really does appear that they're on the moon for the most part. That's pretty good given the obvious budgetary limitations the film had, so kudos to the art directors and set designers here on a job well done. With that out of the way, its time to look at the main thing this film has going against it; the "big reveal" at the end. First of all, it doesn't even come at the end, it comes about 45 minutes into the movie and then drags on throughout the rest even though there's nowhere else for the film to go. That wouldn't be too bad but the reveal itself (and no, I'm not going to spoil it for you) is something of a letdown, at least where I'm concerned. I would have expected something a lot cooler than what we got, but then again perhaps that was the point the filmmakers were trying to get across. It doesn't always have to be some grandiose and over the top enemy, sometimes the simplest is the most effective. If that's indeed what they were going for, then I commend them on the approach, but I still would have liked something a little cooler because hey, that's just my style. The flaws are minor however, and certainly don't stop Apollo 18 from being a real breath of fresh air in a genre that was quickly becoming stale.

"Yet another bad sign, jeez, this moon place is pretty crappy eh?"​

Apollo 18 was shot on a budget of $5 million and earned over $17 million at the box office and certainly more on home video. While those totals aren't exactly stellar when compared with some of its predecessors, they should be good enough to get Miller and Lopez-Gallego some more work in Hollywood, which is always a good thing. If they came up with this for their first movie, I can hardly wait to see what their twisted minds concoct next. Apollo 18 doesn't do anything better than its contemporaries, but it does enough differently to make it stand out amongst the crowd and sometimes that's all that matters. 7/10.

"Tomorrow...who's that girl?"​

 

[Wang Chung]

This is the most favorable review of Apollo 18 that I have seen yet. I haven't watched it due to seemingly everyone giving it poor reviews. I might have to check it out since it seems to have Tue Fuji seal of approval.

Sent from my PG86100 using Tapatalk 2

 

[Fuji Vice]

Re: The Wing Kong Exchange

This is the most favorable review of Apollo 18 that I have seen yet. I haven't watched it due to seemingly everyone giving it poor reviews. I might have to check it out since it seems to have Tue Fuji seal of approval.

I don't know what people expect out of these movies going into them. Anyone who reviewed it really poorly was clearly hoping for some great film as opposed to the simple diversion it was meant to be. Anyhow, you should check it out and thanks for the words....

Paranormal Activity

Katie and Micah are a typical suburban couple who have recently moved in together. Soon after this, they begin to notice strange things occurring in their home. Katie reveals to Micah that she may be the source of these activities, as she believes she's being haunted by a ghost. After a paranormal expert tells them its not a ghost but a demon, Micah sets about attempting to film it in an attempt to figure out what it wants. However, what it wants may be their very souls, and it appears it will stop at nothing to get them.

"Lack of a title card for this film keeps Katie up at night."​

Paranormal Activity, released in 2009, can widely be considered the film that gave the found footage genre a shot in the arm after it had lain dormant for some time. While there had been many others made before its release, none seemed to have the immediate or lasting impact that it did and few came close to its box office totals. In a way, its one of the most minimal of all the found footage films I've ever seen, with large lulls in action throughout. However, these lulls are excruciating, played out so well that even though nothing is happening you're convinced that something is. Proving that you don't need fast-paced action or over the top gore to scare the wits out of your audience, Paranormal Activity is a strong example of a modern found footage film done properly. While its certainly not free of its share of issues and provides less than a stellar pay off after quite a bit of waiting, its definitely got an "it factor" that cannot be denied. Plus its a fantastic movie to watch with a bunch of people who are afraid of things that go bump in the night. This communal experience makes Paranormal Activity a must-watch film and well deserving of its international hit status.

"This is the worst homemade porn I've ever seen."​

The film was certainly a labour of love for writer/director Oren Peli, who basically threw everything he had into its creation. This included using his house as the setting for the film, which entailed such things as re-painting it, putting in new carpeting and even adding a staircase. Now that's what I call devotion! He also chose to amp up the believability factor by taking his simple story and shooting it with a home video camera for extra realism. This is obviously not the first time something like this had been done, but even though he was a novice filmmaker, Peli clearly had some new ideas to bring to the table. One of these ideas was the decision to shoot the film from a more stationary format (tripod-mounted) than the typical shaky-cam that populates so many found footage films. This actually leads to the film being a lot creepier since you actually have time to scan everything in the shot, ever looking for that elusive glimpse of whatever it is that's haunting these poor saps. The only issue I had with Peli's direction was his pacing, which was really off at times and led to a lot of dull gaps during the daytime portions of the film. Thankfully the night comes quickly, along with the scares, so its not that much of a distraction at the end of the day. He also proved to be quite adept at casting, and though he only needed a few actors for the film he nailed them all.

"Just a normal suburban couple with a demon living in their attic."​

The two leads, Katie and Micah, are played by Katie Featherstone and Micah Sloat (real original character names there Peli) and both are nothing short of superb. I say this with a little bit of hesitation, because I actually found both of them to be annoying in their own way, but I chalk that up to some good acting more than anything else. In fact, I found it so easy to dislike the two of them for different reasons that I was definitely rooting for the demon to cause some serious damage before the film was over! Seriously, what's to like about these two? Micah's a stuck up jerk who doesn't listen to his girlfriend and Katie is responsible for the demon haunting them in the first place. Yep, given those two personalities, I'd take my chances with the cloven hoofed bastard too. However, Katie and Micah's performances and reactions are completely believable and their slow descent into argumentative madness is rendered quite well on screen. Not once did I sit back and consider that these were two actors playing real people, so I'd say both did a stellar job here. The film also stars Mark Fredrichs as a doctor, the sole voice of reason in the film, and he too puts forth a good effort in a limited role.

"The smartest man in the room, so of course nobody listens to him."​

While I certainly disliked Katie and Micah from a personality standpoint, I began to hate them even more because of their utter stupidity. They fail to heed two warnings from the professional (don't try to contact the demon and maintain a positive relationship) while also ignoring his advice to call a colleague of his who is an expert in demonology. Are you fucking kidding me or what? I thought the dolts in Grave Encounters 2 were stupid for breaking into a building that could kill them, but Katie and Micah basically win the Darwin Award for their total lack of intelligence here. Of course that lack of intelligence is all central to the plot and so its understandable that the characters HAVE to be this way, its just a little annoying at times. While the characters may be annoying, the demon is just off the charts vicious, creating havoc in the house and really pulling out all the stops to scare the pants off these two. From doors that start slamming on their own to moving bed sheets and flaming Ouija boards, no inanimate object is safe here. These gags are all done quite well, particularly an effectively creepy scene that simply features a light turning on and off. Our demon also gets to add a little plot device of his own with the inclusion of a picture that cannot possibly be there, yet another creepy moment from one of the best demons in the business today. Peli certainly hit the mark here and while the film suffers a lot from his poor pacing, it has nevertheless become a worldwide phenomenon. If you need proof of that you can look no further than this....

"You know you've made it when you're parodied on The Simpsons."​

Paranormal Activity was shot on an estimated budget of just $15,000 and grossed over $193 million in just its theatrical release. That would be enough to make it far and away the most profitable film of all time by return on investment percentage, an absolutely staggering fact when you consider how simple the film is. Hey, they don't always have to be action extravaganzas or special effects blockbusters to turn huge profits right? Paranormal Activity is living proof that even the cheapest films can be successful if they hit at the right time and provide the audience with something they want to see. Obviously that box office gross guaranteed a sequel and don't worry, we're looking at it tomorrow but today I'll go 7/10 for the original and go spread some talcum powder on my floor. You see, ever since I watched the movie, I've been hearing a lot more noises in my house.....

"Monday, we find out the answer to this question...or do we?"​

 

[Fuji Vice]

Re: The Wing Kong Exchange

Paranormal Activity 2

After moving to a new home in Carlsbad, California, the Rey family experiences a break in. The father, Daniel, believes that a high tech security system will be enough to prevent further incidents and so installs one with several cameras throughout the house. Soon the family begins to notice strange things happening, things that cannot be explained. They also discover that the things happening in the house are a lot more sinister than a simple break in, and could lead to gruesome results if action isn't taken immediately.

A quick show of hands; who here thought there wouldn't be a sequel after the first Paranormal Activity did almost $200 million on a $15,000 budget? I'm wiling to bet there's no hands raised, as its impossible to argue with that kind of profitability. So yes, less than a year after the first, a new team of filmmakers armed with a copy of the formula, a few extra cameras and a lot of extra money shot and released Paranormal Activity 2. In some ways an improvement over the original, the film doesn't scare as often as its predecessor, smartly choosing quality over quantity. Along with that, the writers felt it would be a good idea to establish a continuity between the first two, a loose mythology of sorts. This would ultimately serve to create a back story that would help extend the shelf life of the franchise which was more than likely the ultimate goal. Though it takes its time building towards the climax, the film never fails to deliver what fans of the first were looking for, thrills and chills to the extreme. Paranormal Activity 2 is certainly more of the same that we saw in the original, so its a good thing that in this case, more is definitely merrier.

"And you thought your family was dysfunctional!"​

Directed by Tod Williams and written by Michael R. Perry (no relation to Tyler), Christopher Landon (Disturbia) and Tom Pabst (Blue Ribbon?), its fairly obvious that this was, on the surface at least, meant to be a simple cash-in off the success of the first. However, even with this being the primary goal, the filmmakers did their best to try and do things a little differently than the first. Obviously the most noticeable change here is multiple cameras, which lead to a lot more chances for scares happening. Williams direction is solid considering he'd only ever done one film and his pacing is definitely better than Oren Peli's was in the original. The writing here, outside of the awful dialogue that's supposed to seem "real", is quite good. I was impressed that they linked the original to this one as well as they did while also establishing further sequels or prequels. This is a pretty ingenious marketing ploy that has so far paid off pretty well given there has been two further films in the series and most likely more coming. Foresight is always important in the horror genre and its certainly something that the Paranormal Activity franchise has figured out.

"If you like shots of pool's at night then this is the movie for you!"​

The acting here isn't half bad either, which really helps make the film better. I can't stress enough the importance of having semi-decent actors in these movies, particularly when they're required to come across as believable characters. There's the usual stereotypes here, with the father, Daniel, being the typicaly stupid character who would rather ignore the situation and make jokes than deal with it. Also, where does he get off firing his illegal alien huh? I mean she's only trying to help and not only does he ignore her, he fires her too? Damn, if this guy had been played by Paul Gleason he could have been one of the best douchebags of all time instead of just dead weight. Meanwhile, the "smart" character is the daughter, Ali, and she's a good one to focus on since she fits the target market for the movie and she's also quite likeable. She's kind of like Penny from Inspector Gadget without the funky electronic notebook. The problem I have with her is that, like Penny, she's a little too resourceful at times. Her quick leaps in logic feel more like the plot devices they're supposed to be than actual intelligent conclusions but hey, its just a horror movie after all. Katie Featherstone, from the original, makes a couple of appearances that become important later and Sprague Grayden does a good job as her sister, Kristi, particularly when being threatened and attacked by our resident demon.

"Kids are already creepy, the night vision isn't really needed."​

Quite simply put, I really didn't find anything to dislike with this incarnation of the series. As far as sequels go, its pretty much exactly what you'd both expect and want out of one. I loved the use of extra cameras throughout the house since it makes it harder to determine where the next big scare is going to come from. In addition to this, the scares here can happen during the day as well, which leads to at least one memorable scene in the kitchen. Another thing I enjoyed was the poor family dog, Abby. I mean you've got to feel sorry for her because she really has a rough go of things. These poor pets always seem to get the shaft in these movies and Abby is certainly no exception. Sure it may be cliche, but wouldn't something seem off if the dog wasn't being tormented? Things also get really intense in the last twenty minutes, making up for the lack of scares before. It's in this final act that Paranormal Activity 2 outdoes the original while also bridging the gap between the two with a nice end game. What it all comes down to is that Paranormal Activity is like a jack in the box for adults. We know something's about to pop out and scare us; just not exactly when. It's this anticipation that gives the film its true power and its what keeps audiences coming back for more. As long as they can keep this up I see no end to the franchise in the near future, since everyone wants to crank that jack in the box up just one more time.

"Hey, that looks familiar."​

Paranormal Activity 2 was shot on a budget of $3 million and grossed over $177 million worldwide, more incredible numbers that once again guaranteed another film. This one would turn out to be a prequel though, and would tell the story of Katie and Kristi and why they happen to be two women who you'd never want to date. We'll be covering that one in a couple of days but in the meantime I'm going to be generous and go 7.5/10 with Paranormal Activity 2 since I really did enjoy it more than the first. Does that mean its better? In some ways yes, in others no, but one things for sure, its big moments feel bigger than those in the first and its ending is superb, so go check it out and make sure to check back here tomorrow for another killer review.

"Tomorrow we take a day off from Paranormal Activity to discover what's wrong in the bay."​

 

[JakeYourBooty]

Re: The Wing Kong Exchange

I truly can't comment cuz I have not seen any of the PA movies...

 

[Fuji Vice]

Re: The Wing Kong Exchange

I truly can't comment cuz I have not seen any of the PA movies...

No worries, I'm used to a lack of comments around here at this point....

The Bay

On July 4th, 2009, something horrific happened in the small town of Claridge, Maryland. The incident was quickly covered up and glossed over in the local media, soon to be forgotten by everyone. Now, through a government website, all the digital footage from that terrifying day has been made public and has quickly been edited into a documentary. Narrated by a reporter who was there first hand, the agonizing day is recapped in full, giving us all a glimpse of the danger that came from...The Bay.

The Bay is most certainly the first ecological disaster documentary found footage film, and will probably remain the only one for some time. That's more due to the fact that it, on paper at least, seems like a grandiose concept that had a strong possibility of failure. Thankfully that isn't the case here, as it becomes a suspenseful thriller full to the brim with both story and scares. Sure its a little preachy at times (after all it is about the environment), but that never seems to distract from the overall sense of dread that occurs throughout. As far as found footage films go, not only does it distance itself from the genre, it easily becomes one of the best that I've seen to this point. Perhaps that's due to the work of the master craftsman director or maybe its just because there's something undeniably "real" about the whole thing. While many of these films seek to scare through the use of demons or ghosts, The Bay focuses on a very real and very immediate issue, something that could most certainly happen in this day and age. That in and of itself is scary enough but the film takes this, adds even more punch and creates an impact that lasts long after the credits roll.

"If we're on the air I just want to say that I don't really like this job anymore."​

The Bay is written by Michael Wallach (his first screenplay) and directed by Barry Levinson. In case you don't know who Levinson is, he's the Oscar-winning director of the film Rain Man as well as other greats such as Diner, Bugsy and Sleepers. Considering the pedigree of the man, one has to wonder why he decided to tackle the found footage genre but not for too long, since he certainly proves he's adept at handling it. Levinson is an undisputed master at telling stories through film and he's at his best here, expertly making use of many different mediums along the way. His decision to pull back from the standard found footage archetype of only a few cameras and incorporate as many as possible proves to be a stroke of genius. This not only gives the film a more documentary-like feel, it also prevents us from knowing when the next moment of horror will occur, making everything that much more unsettling. He also spends a good deal of time with a couple sailing their way into the nightmare that's unfolding in the small town, providing us with several "calm before the storm" moments that really work well. Wallach's screenplay is tight when it has to be, and its only in the final act that his dialogue becomes corny. More often than not he creates a proper environment for his characters to thrive in, and I can only imagine that more good things will be on the way from the young writer.

"I really hope that's a birthmark."​

As with any other found footage film, casting is central in order to make us care about the characters while still believing that they're real people. For the most part The Bay does a good job with this, bringing us many different people with unique personalities, all there to help propel the story along quickly and properly. Kether Donohue is cast as Donna, the reporter who was there when the events were occurring, and in her re-telling of the tale she does a great job showing just how much it affected her. Conversely, during her scenes that are taking place from that very day, she manages to play the young reporter character well, not quite sure of herself but still willing to do whatever it takes to tell the story. Donohue is fantastic here and proves to be an excellent anchor for the film, always compelling and easy to look at as well. The rest of the cast is made up of mostly non-descript actors but each play their parts well, perfectly capturing the growing sense of panic that they'd be feeling. At the same time, there's several actors who play military and government roles and they too are bang on, showing the exact sort of aloofness towards the situation that most of us believe they would if it were to happen in real life. You can't trust the government to help you, and you sure as hell can't trust these morons. As far as an overall cast in a found footage film goes, this is probably the best I've ever seen since each and every one of them is as close to real as it gets.

"Trying to get the hell out of Dodge in a Dodge."​

There's not that many real scares here, but the ones that do exist are quite well done, particularly towards the end. If I had one major complaint about the movie it would be with the couple on the boat who eventually make their way to the town, since their reactions once they get there are laughable at best. I mean, if you see a bunch of dead bodies, I don't think you'd be reacting so calmly to them, let alone be making jokes like these dolts do. However, these scenes don't go on long enough to get annoying, and since everything else works so well they're quite easy to look past. The true strength of the film resides in the question of where the evil within it truly lies. Is it with the corrupt city officials who continually poisoned their water supply, the government who didn't step in to help or is it just the damn parasites that are attacking people? The best part about this question is that the conclusion cannot be drawn immediately from the events we see. Instead its left up to the audience to make their own decisions and judgements, something that is very refreshing to see in a found footage film. As I mentioned before, its a little preachy at times, but that makes sense given the subject matter we're dealing with here. The Bay may be a horror film on the surface, but underneath its a warning to us all that things like this could in fact happen if we're not able to keep them in check. Now I don't know about you, but that's pretty damn scary to me.

The Bay has just been released so I don't have any financial information on it at this time but I can't imagine it cost too much to make. I'd like to believe that it will do well at the box office and on home video, simply because I think its one of the finest found footage films I've ever seen. A lot of that has to do with Levinson's top notch direction, but the immediacy and urgency of the message it portrays cannot be denied as well. Educational and scary, alarmingly real and with an undeniable impact, The Bay is a winner no matter how you look at it. Now go watch it and stay out of the water because hey, you never know right? 7.5/10.

"Tomorrow, the activity continues...."​

 

[Fuji Vice]

Re: The Wing Kong Exchange

Paranormal Activity 3

In 1988, cinematographer Dennis moves to the house of his girlfriend Julie to help raise her two girls, Katie and Kristi. Soon after he arrives, Kristi begins talking to an imaginary friend that she names Toby. At the same time, odd things begin to happen in the house. Dennis decides to place a few cameras about the house in order to capture images during the night and he soon finds that they are not alone. After some research, Dennis learns of a strange connection between a symbol he found in the house and a coven of witches that may put the children in danger.

"Dude, why isn't this porn?"​

In what is fast becoming a Halloween tradition, a new film in the Paranormal Activity series was released in 2011. However, where the first two took place at around the same time, this one instead went into the past in an attempt to explain the story of how Katie and Kristi came to be haunted by the malicious demon Toby. This would prove to be a very good idea, as it instantly freshened up a series that was becoming tiresome after just two previous instalments. Even though the ideas are similar and the gags repetitive, the simple fact that its occurring in a different time frame is enough to make it seem shiny and new. Add to that some good acting, a twisted little back story and more than enough thrills to captivate the roller coaster crowd and you've got the makings of one excellent little horror sequel. Paranormal Activity isn't interested in breaking new ground so much as it is in breaking its audience down time and time again. To that end it succeeds, and in doing so it becomes my personal favourite in the franchise so far. How's that for a ringing endorsement eh?

"Um, can I go to bed now or should I just stand here all night?"​

This time around we've got dual directors in the form of Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman, who had previously collaborated on Catfish, a 2010 film that was real hot in the indy scene. While this is their first horror feature, I can see where they could become quite good with more practice, but at times their amateur status still shines through. In particular, the pacing here is good for the most part, but suffers from some lapses towards the final act, the time that things should really be picking up speed. Christopher B. Landon (son of Little Joe/Charles Ingalls portrayed Michael Landon and writer of both Disturbia and Paranormal Activity 2) tackles the screenplay by himself this time and gets great results. He not only creates a logical and believable back story to the entire series, he also manages to get a lot of mileage out of the ideas that had already been established previously. Landon, unlike his predecessors, also has a knack for writing more believable "real" dialogue, which makes his characters come across a lot better than those in the first two films did.

"Happy family photo means things are just about to go all to hell."​

Speaking of that, for the first time in the series I actually liked the male lead, as Dennis seemed like a generally nice guy . Like Micah and Dan before him, he's enthusiastic about discovering what's going on in the house, but unlike them he's actually intelligent and inventive. He's complimented well by Julie, who is not only likeable herself but also has wicked chemistry with Dennis. Randy, a friend of Dennis, is another good character who, while playing a totally cliched buddy role, still manages to steal a few moments for himself. Hell, there isn't an unlikeable character in this whole movie unless you count Lois, but then again she's supposed to be a mother-in-law so it's in her nature to be hated! More than the first two films, the characters in this one all feel connected and its this reason that I found myself caring more about them and their situation.

"This demon is just trying to prevent any more lame tea parties."​

Though the story in these movies is essentially always the same, this one at least uses as many unique scares and techniques as possible to make it feel fresh. After this being the third in so many years, its a good thing that these new ideas took the forefront. The best of these new ideas is clearly the camera on the fan, which allows it to pan back and forth across the living room and the kitchen. This leads to a couple of great sight gags and helps to establish a strong sense of dread since you're never sure quite when they're going to happen. In addition, there are several other scenes that I feel had a little more impact than some in the previous two films, such as the Bloody Mary sequence and anothe where Katie is attacked and pulled into a closet. It was also really cool to see the effect Toby had outside of the house, proving once and for all that you cannot simply run away from this bugger. Finally, I really felt the story was at its best here, creating a good deal of suspense while also filling in a lot of details. In particular, I was torn as to exactly what Toby's motivations were in the whole thing? Why exactly was he tormenting the girls and what was his endgame? There's a lot of questions raised and none of the answers come easy, which gives the film something else its predecessors didn't have; food for thought.

"More evil than any demon imaginable."​

Paranormal Activity 3 was shot on a budget of $5 million and grossed over $200 million at the box office, showing that this franchise certainly still has legs. As a matter of fact, a fourth film was released less than a month ago, one that I have not yet seen but am looking forward to. Perhaps I'll get to it sooner than you think, since I'm now officially a fan of this series. That's amazing because the first time I saw the original I thought it was awful and never wanted to see another. Thank goodness for second chances, because this series definitely deserves it. Oh and Paranormal Activity 3 deserves another 7.5/10 from me and a note that it is my official favourite of the original three. Hopefully you've seen it and want to discuss things and if you haven't then as I sometimes say, get off the couch and get to it or I'll sic Toby on you!

"Tomorrow, what happens in Burkittsville stays in Burkittsville."​

 

[Wang Chung]

I thought the first PA was pretty good for a first in the series, but the next two I kind of expected some of things that happened.

I do like the idea of how they went backwards showing the things that occurred that brought about everything in the first and how Kate was so enamored with this entity known as Toby and how she was groomed by her family for this.

I have not seen the one you reviewed yesterday but I will have to check it out.

Sent from my PG86100 using Tapatalk 2

 

[Postman Dave]

Re: The Wing Kong Exchange

Not a horror fan but I really enjoyed the first PA. Never bothered with the rest though.

 

[Fuji Vice]

Re: The Wing Kong Exchange

Cannibal Holocaust

A New York anthropologist named Professor Harold Monroe travels to the wild, inhospitable jungles of South America to find out what happened to a documentary film crew that disappeared two months before while filming a documentary about primitive cannibal tribes deep in the rain forest. With the help of two local guides, Professor Monroe encounters two tribes, the Yacumo and the Yanomamo. While under the hospitality of the latter tribe, he finds the remains of the crew and several reels of their undeveloped film.

Cannibal Holocaust is many things to many people. Among them, it can be called the first true found footage film as well as one of the most vile and reviled pictures ever made. There's nothing redeeming about it whatsoever and its beyond painful to get through, as each scene brings some new and despicable type of horror. Of all the films I've ever seen, its one that I often warn people against watching, particularly if they're faint-hearted. At the same time though, its a piece that definitely has something to say and will reward a viewer who's strong enough to make it to the bitter conclusion. While it may be banned in several countries and regularly makes the "most atrocious films of all time" lists, its notoriety is matched only by its strong yet thinly veiled social commentary. As one noted author puts it, the film is about "the rape of the natural world by the unnatural; the exploitation of 'primitive' cultures for western entertainment." I'd say that statement pretty accurately sums up Cannibal Holocaust, a film that uses the grotesque to remind us of the power, and damage, that we can cause by simply being ourselves.

"You should see what the other guy looks like!"​

Written by Gianfranco Clerici (Lucio Fulci's "New York Ripper", Lamberto Bava's "Delirium") and directed by Ruggero Deodato (The House on the Edge of the Park), the film is inspired by two key figures in the Italian cinema scene. One, Robert Rossellini (widely regarded as one of the most influential filmmakers of all time), developed the "cinema verite" style of filmmaking which in turn became known as "found footage" style. The other, Gualtiero Jacopetti, shot several films which came to be known as the "Mondo" style, also referred to as "shockumentaries". Deodato was a student of Rossellini's and quickly adapted his moving camera techniques in order to heighten the sense of realism. He also chose to shoot the film on location and create a sense of false realism, much like Jacopetti's film Mondo Cane had done in the past. Combining these two styles would prove to make Cannibal Holocaust a rare breed of horror film that truly forces its audience to determine whether what they're witnessing is real or fake. Believe me, with the effects and angles that Deodato chose to use, its not easy at times, which of course makes everything all the more unsettling. Meanwhile, Clerici's decision to write the film as two separate ones (the rescue mission and the playing of the found footage) allows for many revelations about the characters and their motivations. By the end of it, we're left to wonder who exactly the enemy was here, and who in turn were the victims.

"Lucas totally stole this shot for Return of the Jedi."​

The main character of the film, Professor Monroe, is played fairly well by veteran actor Robert Kerman. I say very well because Kerman's previous film efforts all revolved around the porno field, most notably in the all-time classic Debbie Does Dallas. For a porno actor, Kerman is relatively convincing as a lead and has some strong moments when chastising the corporate studio heads who want to release the vile found footage to the public. Of course he also gets naked but he's not the only one, as there's no shortage of full frontal nudity here from both a male and female perspective. You'd be amazed to hear that this is actually not as hot as it sounds, particularly when you factor in all the violence occurring around these bodies. Other than Kerman, the rest of the cast is made up of mostly Italian and American actors including Perry Pirkanen (who also gets eaten by cannibals in the following year's Cannibal Ferox AKA Make Them Die Slowly) and Carl Gabriel Yorke (who some may remember from the short-lived television series "The Paper Chase"). The best part about these cast members? None of them were well known prior to the film's release and actually signed a contract to stay out of other films for a year after its release, so as to further cement the idea that they may have actually been killed. Believe it or not, Deodato was charged with their murder after the film's release and was forced to bring them to the court to prove his innocence. Yep, that's how serious people took this thing back in 1980!

"I think I'm shooting your bad side."​

As I mentioned earlier, the film is not for the squeamish, particularly those who cannot handle seeing actual animals killed on-screen. Yes, that's right, I said actual animals are killed on-screen, including a disgusting moment where a turtle is de-shelled and another where a monkey is decapitated. These types of shots were par for the course in Italy back in the 70's and 80's and so were more widely accepted back then than they would be today. In fact, Deodato is on record as saying he's upset he kept them in seeing as they don't really add much to the film. When animals aren't being killed, its people, and nobody is safe from some of the most gory and depraved death's ever put to film. I don't want to spoil the whole movie for you but I will say that there's at least one moment that will make every man watching cringe in agony and leave it at that. However, amongst this violence is Deodato's message of man's inhumanity towards their fellow man as evidenced by the original film crew's willingness to literally kill for their movie. These people are beyond deplorable even though they're initially painted as the good guys, and their death's are fitting if only because they deserve everything that's coming to them. Well perhaps not everything, but then again its not like their victims deserved to die either. Cannibal Holocaust paints a depressing and downright nasty picture of a snapshot in time that may or may not have actually occurred, which is its strongest asset. As the main character at the end says, "I wonder who the real cannibals are", something that requires a great deal of thought from the viewer. It may be one of the goriest pictures ever made, but that doesn't mean its without its redeeming qualities, chief among them the ability to provoke thought in its audience.

"Make sure to save a thigh for me...oh and a couple of fingers too."​

Cannibal Holocaust was shot on a budget of $100,000 and had grossed over $2 million in just 10 days before it was pulled from theatres. Although it never got a re-release, it has managed to garner quite the cult following over the years, becoming one of the most talked about horror films ever made. It's easy to see why given its nasty qualities and its notoriety in the mainstream media. More than that though, it is something that can be seen as a warning message to those who are willing to listen; some things (and some people) are better left alone. I can't in good faith recommend the film, since I can't gauge the gag reflex factor of everyone here, but I will go on the record as saying that its near the most disgusting motion picture I've ever seen, which should say quite a bit. So go into it with extreme caution and hopefully you'll get the same things out of it that I did; but make sure to have a bucket handy...just in case. 7/10.

"Tomorrow, something has found us...and it's pissed at the Statue of Liberty!"​

 

[Postman Dave]

Re: The Wing Kong Exchange

Next review will be interesting, ready to respond to that one...

 

[Fuji Vice]

Re: The Wing Kong Exchange

Cloverfield

A group of people gather at a party in Manhattan in order to say goodbye to their mutual friend Rob, who is leaving for Japan shortly. As the party goes on, they are unaware of a quickly developing situation in the New York harbour, that is until a building explodes in the distance. Evacuating the apartment and heading out into the street, Rob and four of his friends are horrified to see the head of the Statue of Liberty fly past them and land violently in the street. Realizing his girlfriend Beth may be trapped in her apartment, Rob starts a desperate trek across the ravaged city to find her.

J.J. Abrams is a pretty prolific guy in Hollywood. Creating mega-hit television shows like Lost and Alias as well as directing films such as the Star Trek reboot will tend to do that for you. However, he's also dabbled in the found footage genre, producing 2008's Cloverfield, an interesting twist on the old fashioned creature feature. Taking the best elements of the "panic" films of the 1950's (Them!, The Thing, The Blob) and mixing them seamlessly with the best that films like The Blair Witch Project have to offer, he, his writer and his director manage to create one of the best examples of the style. It's also a film that owes a lot to Blair Witch in the way that it was marketed, as the viral angle was used here to great effect. At the end of the day, its one of the most unique of all the found footage films, since it clearly looks like a big production as opposed to some independent flick. This too leads to giving it a personal charm that hadn't been seen before in films of this type, and may not be seen again for some time. Cloverfield is a non-stop thrill ride, even more so than some of its predecessors, and one that instantly compels you to discover everything it has to offer.

"Panic in Manhattan? So what else is new?"​

The film is written by Drew Goddard (long time Abrams collaborator on Alias and Lost) and directed by Matt Reeves (directed the awful The Pallbearer along with several Felicity episodes), the film is clearly designed to be an homage to old sci-fi monster movies from the 50's with a decidedly modern twist. Although the element of found footage was already becoming old by this point, Reeves and his cinematographer, Michael Bonvillain, put their own unique stamp on the entire thing. While its got more than its fair share of shaky camera movement (enough to merit a warning outside theatres during its release), none of it seems outrageous here as it does in some of the other genre films. This isn't just running for the sake of running, this is people running for their very lives, and the panic they're feeling comes across very well with the camera work. As far as the writing goes, the script is certainly among the most realistic-feeling of the found footage films I've seen, particularly in developing the character's backgrounds and emotions. At the same time, Goddard does something really cool with the antagonist of the film, making it more of a sympathetic villain than anything else. This in turn forces the audience to decide who they should be siding with, the young people who are threatened or the poor beast that's literally a fish out of water. It's not as easy a decision as you'd think, particularly when the actor's involved are so good at making you care about them and their plight.

"Go away, we're not telling you what the monster looks like!"​

The cast, while all virtual unknowns, are definitely among the best that I've ever seen assembled for a found footage film. In fact, the only two I recognized were the main protagonist Rob, played by Michael Stahl-David, thanks to his time on the television series The Black Donnelly's and his brother Jason, played by Mike Vogel (The Deaths of Ian Stone). Stahl is great here, alternating between moments of shock, awe, wonder, panic and everything else in between, while still maintaining a sense of leadership over the rest of the group. Meanwhile, T.J. Miller makes his debut here as Hud, the defacto camera-man and pseudo-narrator for the film and also does a bang up job in the role. Acting as the play by play man for the viewer couldn't have been the easiest thing, but he handles it well, putting just the right amount of panic into his voice to make you believe he's actually there seeing it all instead of staring at a green screen. The two female leads, played by Jessica Lucas and Lizzy Caplan, are both quite good and while they definitely get in the requisite amount of screaming they're still portrayed as tougher than your average chick. There's a lot of extras here as well, mostly military characters and non-descript citizens, but each one does just enough to convince you that they may in fact be real people stuck in a hopelessly impossible situation. It's this feeling of hopelessness that permeates the entire film from the moment the monster first attacks, and that's something that every actor gets across as well as possible.

"Hands up, baby hands up, gimme your heart, gimme, gimmie your heart..."​

Outside of their strong acting, the cast is also good in the sense that their reaction to the situation facing them is genuine. Each member loses someone important to them and then unite to help save Beth, as if to atone for their inability to save their loved ones. It's this group mentality and sense of true camaraderie that once again makes us care about these characters a lot more than one's without that background or emotion. However, they're not the only one we end up caring about (well some of us anyway), as the monster seems to be more of a lost child than an invading conqueror. I'm pretty sure this was the intention of the filmmakers and if so then congratulations to them because it came across that way almost immediately. This doesn't seem like a being hell bent on destroying everything, just a sad and scared creature trying desperately to make its way home. Imagine yourself in its position. What would you do if things started shooting at you? Obviously you'd do the same, and so its hard to put the monster down as a being of pure evil, definitely something unique when compared to a lot of the films that Cloverfield takes its inspiration from. I was also intrigued by the very end of the film, when we see something non-descript fall into the water behind the happy couple on video. Could it have been this thing that was the catalyst for the events that take place during the film? If so, what is it? These questions are still being talked about some four years after the film's release, so that's another good piece of filmmaking there.

"Yeah, erm, that chopper's not gonna' be doing it for us."​

Cloverfield was shot on a budget of $25 million and ended up grossing over $170 million worldwide, some pretty impressive numbers even if its not as cheaply made as some of its predecessors. There's been talk of a sequel for several years but nothing has come to fruition yet, which is too bad because I'd love to see more of this stuff. The bottom line here is that Cloverfield is one of the best found footage films I've seen yet and would definitely count it among my personal top 10 from that genre. If you haven't seen it, I'd do my best to find it quickly and check it out. The camera may be a little shaky, but there's more than enough cool stuff going on to stop that from becoming a distraction. Oh and its got monsters eating people and making them explode...do you really need anything else in your life? 8/10.

"Tomorrow, war is hell, and we've found the footage to prove it."​

 

[Postman Dave]

Re: The Wing Kong Exchange

Glad you liked it.

I enjoyed it thoroughly when it was originally released in cinemas, but I feel the film loses a lot of it's magic upon repeated viewings, especially on the small screen. If you've got a few mates around, and no ones seen it before, it's perfect. On your own having seen it before? Not so much.

 

[Wang Chung]

Cloverfield was one of those movies that had you up and down because of how scared this group of kids were and how you saw weaving and moving around to get away from this thing.

I haven't seen it in three years but I remember Mrs. Chop saying that the camera movements made her sick.

LB. Maybe some time ok between those viewings would help out too.

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