HOUSE OF THE DEVIL (Directed by Ti West 2009)

I got pretty damn excited about this film when I saw it at Frightfest last summer and the wait for the DVD release is finally over. (Not to mention an extremely cool but highly limited retro VHS collectors edition in a suitably over sized plastic box)
House of the Devil isn't a particularly easy film to review, but I wanted to bring some attention to it as it really needs to be seen. I'm pretty sure it's one of my personal favourites of recent years.
Ok, so the story couldn't be simpler, Samantha (played by Jocelin Donahue) gets a job as a baby sitter as a solar eclipse is taking place. Little does she know that her new clients Mr and Mrs.Ulman (Mary Woronov and Tom Noonan) plan to use her in a satanic ritual. And that's pretty much it.
However, as I'm sure you have already heard, House Of The Devil immediately separates itself from the recent flock of horrors as it is a deliberate throwback to the 80's, including it's soundtrack, cinematography, artwork and wardrobe. Certain scenes brought Carrie to mind, and others elements of the first two Friday the 13th films along with numerous others.
Luckily, these are all attributes not flaws and bring together something pretty original and memorable. House of the Devil certainly lingers in the mind long after viewing.
The DVD came out on Monday (15th March) and I'm just hoping Ti West does a decent audio commentary and mentions the French girl in the audience at Fright Fest who told him he was the next Roman Polanski.

TOMBS OF THE BLIND DEAD (Directed by Amando De Ossorio 1971)

I find certain horror films hard not to go on about and this is most definitely one of those movies. Tombs of the Blind Dead is the first in a four part series of films (along with Return Of the Blind Dead, Night Of The Seaguls and Ghost Galleon)that tell the story of the resurrection of The Templar Knights, blind hooded zombies on horseback who hunt their victims by sound (including by heartbeat). The settings and atmosphere throughout this film are incredibly creepy and can certainly pack quite a punch 30 years later. Just watch for the scene were the templars attack the passangers of a train towards the end. the idea alone of shooting this scene just as the sun is coming up over the countryside is breathtaking. The dvd of the first and superior addition to the series comes with a dubbed and heavily cut UK version and the fully restored Spanish version.(Which really is the only way to see this film as it's certainly a classic of it's kind and it looks superb.)
The other three films in the series are a bit hit and miss but if you like interesting European horror from the 70's and 80's you could do a lot worse than to check this one out! It has pretty much everything you would expect or want from horror. And it's not been remade. Yet.

PARANORMAL ACTIVITY (Directed by Oren Peli-2007)

This low budget horror film seems to have been marketed using the same hype technique as The Blair Witch Project, so the reviews were almost guaranteed to be mixed and I'm sure a lot of people had made their opinions before even watching it. Well, I went into this film with an open mind and I'm glad to say that it DOES live up to the hype. In fact, it's quite simply one of the scariest films I've seen in a long time.
The film revolves around a couple (played impressively by Katie Featherston and Micah Sloat)who move into a new Suburban home only to discover a possibly demonic presence is at work in the house. Soon they realise it is only happening after dark and they both struggle to block it from their minds when they go to bed each night. (These scenes are performed in such a fantastically natural way, that it's quite easy to get so sucked in you forget you are actually watching a film!) Katie admits early on in the film that she has been a victim of possession since the age of eight, though Micah is doubtful and decides to set up a video camera in their bedroom in the hope of capturing something whilst they sleep.
Paranormal Activity moves at a particularly quick space for a film of it's type and great use is made of director Oren Peli's house. (in which the entire film was shot) Also, Katie's gradual breakdown at the hands of the "activity" should go down in horror film history as it starts to feel all too real as the film goes on.

Not really an easy film to assess as such, as anything shot on hand held digital camera post Blair Witch/Last Broadcast/Open Water is going to be an acquired taste. Paranormal Activity is no exception. I personally thought it was excellent and was left feeling like I had watched something quite special. I watched this with three others who all shared my opinion, including my girlfriend who didn't seem too happy about shutting the bedroom door that night.

THE WITCH WHO CAME FROM THE SEA (Directed by Matt Cimber 1976)

Having seen this film on the video nasties list I was slightly dubious about watching it as the majority of those films are either overrated or extremely dull (With the exception of a few truly great ones! And I'm sure you know which ones I mean.) However, I was really impressed with this film. It's a surprisingly well made and original piece of shock cinema. I don't really see this as horror, despite there being a few fairly horrific moments and a downbeat feel throughout. Anyhow, I highly recommend this one to anyone who enjoys 70's exploitation, horror or just plain weird films. Millie Perkins is exceptional and all in all I'd say this deserves a bit of time as its a very underrated film. And a very strange one at that.

(Unfortunately, the Region one DVD, and the only available edition at this time, has an awful and inappropriate sleeve)

CRAZY HEART (Directed by Scott Cooper-2009)

Jeff Bridges gives yet another oscar deserving performance as Bad Blake in Scott Coopers tragically heart warming Crazy Heart. The film tells the story of Blakes coming to terms with his declining music career whilst seeking solitude and falling unexpectedly in love with like minded country music journalist Jean (played in a very understated way by Maggie Gyllenhaal).
Blake has been warned by his doctor that his chain smoking and whiskey consumption is leading him to an early grave (and during one hilarious yet uncomfortable performance at the start of the film, the audience is led to be entirely in agreement) but it takes a slight mishap involving a lost child to actually wake Blake up and visit rehab. By this point of course Jean has little faith left him in and their suprisingly sweet romance begins to fall apart.
Thankfully Crazy Heart is neither soppy or predictable (attributed in no small part by Bridges wonderfully humane performance) and relies strongly on the superbly shot musical passages, which are shot so well I wanted to stand up and clap in the cinema at the end of each song!
Throughout the film it becomes clear that Blake has an arch enemy called Tommy Sweet (played acceptably but not memorably by Colin Farrell, who fails at being anywhere near as charismatic as Bridges, unsurprisingly). We discover that Tommy and Blake were once in a band together and when the two finally end up sharing a stage together they have a sentimental and touching catch up in the venue's car park. Tommy's small fortune isn't helping his song writing so he pleads with Blake to write him his next hit.
Without giving much away, Crazy Heart is quite simply, a joy. The soundtrack (including a perfectly timed Townes Van Zandt number) cinematography and pacing are all perfectly melded together, making this a candidate for one of my films of the year so far.
Finally, the use of the bar/bowling lane at the start of the film was genius. Just check out the last scene of Big Lebowski and you'll see what I mean.

DEAD SNOW (Directed By Tommy Wirkola 2009)

I was getting quite frankly sick of a new overly stylish zombie films being churned out every week until I saw this. The list of second rate Romero, Fulci and computer game inspired undead films that rose in the wake of Shaun Of The Dead was getting very very tiresome.

Fortunately Dead Snow is quite an exception to the genre as it is not only extremely bloody(in an early Peter Jackson sort of way) highly original in it's locations and storyline(Nazi Zombies attacking medical students in a ski lodge in Norway), but also very funny. I was quite disappointed to have missed this film at Fright Fest last year as I'm pretty sure watching this with a highly excitable horror crowd would have made for quite an evening. Or Morning for that matter.
Dead Snow has quite a lot in common visually to the Evil Dead films, along with the fact that the characters, despite being fairly annoying to begin with became quite likable and by the films conclusion had me laughing heatedly at their predicament. Also, the usual splashes of sex and gore were portrayed in a surprisingly light hearted manner, making Dead Snow so much fun it's quite unlike any Horror film you'll be seeing again soon.

OPERA (Directed by Dario Argento-1988)

After the rather hit and miss Phenomena from 1984 I had my doubts about watching this. Many describe it as the last "proper" Argento film and many rank it alongside Phenomena and Inferno as being slightly misunderstood. Well I think both of those claims are true as I was quite surprised and more than a little bit inspired by this film. If you are familiar with his work you will already know that Dario Argento's films of the late 70's and 80's (call them horror, call them Giallo. I just call them, as I'm sure, would Ron Burgundy, "classy") were quite a feast for the eyes and ears. Logic is thrown out of the window (probably screaming and blood soaked) the dizzying camerawork will probably make your jaw hit the floor and the music, more often than not performed by Argento's friends Goblin will stick in your head for days, whether you like it or not. Try watching 1982's Tenebre and not looking up the soundtrack album!
Opera takes the above and pushes everything into overdrive, though this time the film is interspersed with some really obscure 80's hair metal that when played back to back with the films wonderfully orchestrated opera score, doesn't always work.
Anyway....this is Argento's first attempt at remaking The Phantom Of The Opera. Though it plays very much by it's own rules. Argento first timer and Extremely charismatic (ok I may as well have just said attractive) Cristina Marsillach plays Betty, who is offered the lead in the "opera" though is terrified that a curse hangs over anyone who plays the role.
.....And she's right! She becomes the target of a mysterious killer who, basically we all know from the start has to be someone involved in the theatre production, and amidst having her eyelids pinned open so she can witness two of the unusually bloody murders (a moment of gore history is made here folks!) she teams up with her agent Myra (played by Argento's wife Dario Nicolodi) to solve the mystery. The scenes in which the killer is attempting to get into Betty's apartment whilst she drowns the noise out with her deafening relaxation tapes is awe inspiring and incredible in it's originality and just plain weirdness! Somewhere around here, Nicolodi gets shot in the eye when a slow motion bullet comes through the keyhole of the apartment. This really needs to be seen to be believed.
One of the key figures in this film, and one which shouldn't go unmentioned are the crows. During the final performance of the Opera the birds accidentally break free of their cage (which one can only assume they are in for some reason linked to the play. It's never explained) and fly throughout the opera house attacking the patrons. This is were Argento's cinematography really comes into it's own. The viewer feels as if the camera's unusual acrobats are being shot by the birds themselves. It's amazing stuff. And then there's the final ten minutes....!

So there you have it. I have now seen Opera. And it's rather wonderful. Though truly bizarre.

Note: Most versions of this film are now uncut. Arrow films and Blue Undergrounds dvd editions both look good, though for some reason the U.K Arrow disc calls the film "Terror at the Opera" though it's exactly the same film. I'm lucky enough to have a good friend who got drunk and accidentally ordered two copies of this film so I got mine free. Hence the review. Thanks Mark.