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Amazing premises executed poorly...

Started by alan nagsworth, October 02, 2011, 08:14:19 PM

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Famous Mortimer

Prince of Darkness is pretty boring, though. Still, Carpenter's made a lot of crap in his career, so I'm not exactly speaking out of turn here.

Claude the Racecar Driving Rockstar Super Sleuth

I gave it another watch last night just to be sure and The Blair Witch Project still just doesn't quite work for me.

Now, 12 years away from the monumental hype and the attendant disappointment, I can appreciate the things it does well. The three main cast members are convincing and really sell the idea of it being a real documentary. The 16mm footage is quite creepy looking. The decision to never show what's stalking them is the right one, I think, as opposed to being a rip off as the backlash would have it.

Sadly, with the exception of the last scene and a few moments here and there, It's just not frightening enough. It should be the exact sort of thing I like in a horror film, but is a bit of a damp squib.

Shoulders?-Stomach!

I thought it was reasonably good- it's only an hour and 20 long so I was able to absorb the tension being slowly cranked up. And the fact it's supposed to be an establishing of tension sort of film rather than a splatterfest, shockfest, type of thing seems to be reasonably apparent from quite early on.

The tedious 'ohh im so scared' diary bits don't last as long as their infamous parodies would make them appear, and the fact that so little of actual fucked-up stuff actually happens makes it a worthwhile minimal piece. I found the bits with the sticks tied up in the wood enormously disturbing at the time- it gave the impression of this persons control over their mental state. And that was nothing but good old fashioned turning-the-screw.

Lots of teens seemed disappointed that the hype didn't result in justifying their expectations, but the film itself is a nice, modestly sized tension-cranker and deserves to be seen as a pretty reasonable effort given the utter dross that counts as horror now.

However, how come it was supposed to be an amazing premise? Teens get lost in the wood? Um...

Claude the Racecar Driving Rockstar Super Sleuth

The mockumentary aspect of it mainly. It wasn't the first instance in the horror genre, what with Cannibal Holocaust[nb]which I've yet to watch. Anyone recommend it?[/nb], but it had yet to become a cliché. Done right it should make things feel more immediate and real. Plus I just like the woods as a setting.

Like I said, it would seem to be an ideal film for me. I really like creeping tension and chills, rather than slasher style nonsense. Any idiot can make the audience jump out of their seat, but it takes skill to keep them on edge after the film has finished. Again, I liked the way it switches between the video camera and film stock while sticking with the same soundtrack, making things feel subtly off kilter.

I actually think the tearful apology scene is one of the best bits. It slightly annoys me that (like the bullet time scenes in the Matrix) it became the standard target for witless spoofs, when there are more deserving aspects of both films to take the piss out of.


SteveDave

Blair Witch still gets me. Even when watched on Film Four with adverts to break up the tension I'm still a mess by the end of the thing.

For me the biggest waste of cast/talent I've seen is Bridesmaids. Just awful.

Famous Mortimer

I also really, really liked Blair Witch. I liked it so much I didn't even hate the sequel.

Ballad of Ballard Berkley

I love Blair Witch too. One of the most nerve-jangling horror films I've ever seen.

The Truman Show?

I believe the original screenplay was more serious in tone, and despite Carrey doing a pretty good job as a serious actor in 'Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind', I really don't think he was cast well in this film. The premise required more depth, because sadly I think it's just a feature length version of a 'Twilight Zone' episode. It could've been spectacular, a real all time great.

biggytitbo

Children of Men is one of the best dystopian sci-fi films ever made. In fact I'd go as far as to say its one of the best films ever made, its that good.


And The Blair Witch Project isn't as good as the Bare Bitch Project.

The Roofdog

Quote from: confettiinmyhair on October 08, 2011, 09:43:20 PM
The Truman Show?

I believe the original screenplay was more serious in tone, and despite Carrey doing a pretty good job as a serious actor in 'Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind', I really don't think he was cast well in this film. The premise required more depth, because sadly I think it's just a feature length version of a 'Twilight Zone' episode. It could've been spectacular, a real all time great.

Can't agree with that at all: normally I can't stand Carrey but he's perfectly cast in this. He's supposed to be all Brady Bunch initially because he's been raised in that environment and that's how everyone around him is being told to act. When he
Spoiler alert
sails into the dome and breaks down
[close]
at the end it gets me every time. Brilliant performance. And yes it is very much like a feature length Twilight Zone episode, so is Planet Of The Apes, what's wrong with that?