THE HOST (fans of this genre ★★★★ Non-Fans ★★)

THE MIND GAMES

Australia: 28th March 2013; USA 29th March UK 29th MarchOther Countries:  Release Information 

Stephenie Meyer certainly loves romantic conflict. The author of the best-selling ‘Twilight Saga’ books has done for young female readers and their mothers what Harry Potter did for nine-year olds.  It brought them to read—no mean feat in this technology age where interacting with fantasy worlds with your thumbs is considered far more exciting than with words and imagination.

Whilst reviewers love to critique the quality of the 'Twilight' books and the film adaptations, her fans agree to disagree and continue to spend hundreds of millions of dollars on her products.

So, it was always a given that her other speculative fiction work, ‘The Host’ would become a film to fill the hole created with the conclusion of the ‘Twilight Saga’.

‘The Host’, directed and adapted by Andrew Niccol, along with a highly respected production team and multi-awarded cast including William Hurt, Frances Fisher, Diane Kruger in supporting roles for the young, relatively unknown leads, is not a film for the discerning film-goer who desires a deep, well-fashioned script with sub-plots that will leave them marvelling at the mastery of the film-makers. 

However, it isn’t made for us cinephiles.  It is for the young—and not so young, if my fellow soccer-mom friends are anything to go by—fans of the novel and this fantasy romance sub-genre.  There are millions of these consumers out there and they are prepared to pay to read these books and watch the films and we shouldn’t dissuade them.   They make the publishing and film industry go round.

Stephenie Meyer said she came upon the idea for the 2008 ‘The Host’ (which spent 26 weeks at No. 1 on The New York Times bestseller list and 36 weeks on the Los Angeles Times bestseller list) whilst driving through the desert between Phoenix and Salt Lake City.   “I came on the idea of two personalities in one body. They are both in love with different people, which creates a great deal of conflict. I like messy relationships. They’re fun to work through.”

In this story, our heroine Melanie (Saoirse Ronan) is thrown into conflict when Earth is invaded by an alien race. The invaders do not arrive with laser guns and drones but instead gently place their souls inside their hosts, taking over their bodies.  They are ‘peaceful’ beings and create harmony and balance in the assumed human race.  For the record, because all aliens take over our planet because we “kill each other”, I would like to state I am not one of the violent ones, so surely I should be allowed to keep my body.

When Melanie, one of the last remaining humans, is captured and receives the soul of Wanderer (Wanda), she refuses to relinquish her body to the invader.  So begins a tussle of spirit (and voiceover).  Before her capture Melanie was on the run with her little brother Jamie (Chandler Canterbury) and another survivor Jared Howe (Max Irons).  Jared and Melanie become lovers and it is this love, and her promise to Jamie that she will return to him, that imbues her with the strength to fight Wanda’s control. 

Wanda, though, finds that she cannot inhabit Melanie’s body and not be moved by her strong emotions and memories.  This desire causes them to set out on a dangerous journey to reunite with Melanie’s loved ones. What they find will not be the joyful reunion either imagined.

If you are not a fan of YA books and the fantasy genre, then this film is not for you.   However, there are a lot more like this on the way with three more ‘’Hunger Games’ adaptations, ‘Warm Bodies’, ‘Divergent’, and ‘Pure’ to name a few.  So get used to the idea of star-crossed supernatural romances; there is an invasion coming to a box-office near you and it will be hard to avoid.

Beautiful Creatures ★★★★

LOVE IS MAGICAL

  

 

 

 

Have you noticed there is a lot of supernatural loving going on lately at the cinema? Every trailer before the screening of BEAUTIFUL CREATURES was for a Fantasy-Romance film with either zombies, vampires or aliens.  Of course, it’s the story of Shakespeare’s ‘Romeo and Juliet’ for the modern age.   And why not?  Star-crossed lovers, fighting to be together against all reason and parental approval, makes for a great story.   If it’s good enough for the mythical Gods of Greece, then it is good enough for the electronic-gadgetry-toting youth of today.

This year in book and film, it is going to be hard to avoid this genre, and Beautiful Creatures is a good example (please note Twilight producers) of how to make an entertaining, authentic film which can please fans of supernatural love as well as the non-converted.  The New York Times bestselling book of the same name is the first in the series by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl.

 

Ethan (Alden Ehrenreich), a high school senior wants nothing more than to escape the Southern town of Gatlin and bid adieu to his Father who has withdrawn from life since the sudden death of his Mother.   For months he has dreamed of a strange, dark-haired girl he has never met.   Arriving suddenly in his class is a new girl, Lena Duchannes (Alice Englert), looking a lot like his dream sweetheart.  She is immediately ostracized, as she is the niece of Macon Ravenwood (Jeremy Irons), the reclusive owner of Ravenwood Manor who most townsfolk believe is in cahoots with the devil.  Let’s face it, people who live in those big, creepy mansions usually are.

Mrs. Lincoln (Emma Thompson), mother of Ethan’s best friend is adamant that Lena must be banished from the town and spends a good deal of time pointing fingers and rallying the townsfolk against the young girl.

Despite strange happenings that surround Lena, and her spurning of his advances, Ethan ardently pursues her.    Lena reveals that she is a Caster, as is her Uncle, and each Caster has a special power.   On her sixteenth birthday Lena will discover which side she will practice her Casting based on her true inner self. Will she be chosen for the much more charming Light or the evil-doing Dark?  The entire clan, including Lena, fear she will be taken by the Dark which will prove to be very bad for the human race.  There’s also a curse hanging over Lena’s family and she and Ethan face many spells and dangers and even their love may prove fatal.

Beautiful Creatures is a stylish story, a cut above the Twilight Saga’s progressively more outlandish portrayals. There is a wit in the script and Thompson and Irons, who could have lapsed into overdramatics, rein it in enough to lend a sophistication that is usually lacking in these supernatural tales. 

Whilst I am not an urban-fantasy fan, I certainly can appreciate a story well-told.  And as the great man said himself, “a rose, by any other name would smell as sweet.” This love story smells of success and with four more books ,no doubt the sequels will be gracing our screens in the years to come.   If they’re as good as this, we are definitely on the side of Light.

 

 

Paranormal Activity 4 ★★★½

 

Release Dates

Australia: 18th October, 2012; USA 19th October UK 17th October
Other Countries: Release Dates

 

 

They’re back!  And the question everyone asks, “Is it scary?”   Not, “Is it good?” The amount of big people (grown-ups to be specific) who commented they would never see a ‘Paranormal Activity’ film because it looked too frightening was staggering.  They’d seen the trailer and had run for cover from that alone. 

Even my family refused to see it.  By five pm on the day of the preview they had all bailed.  So had my reliable girlfriend (hates being frightened, yet she has three children).  I was desperate.  With a puffed out chest, I proclaimed, “I am not afraid. I will go alone.”   But who goes to freaky films on their own?  What if it WAS terrifying?  Is it acceptable to grab the hand of a stranger?    So I did what any fearless reviewer does, I borrowed a friend’s six-foot and intrepid husband.   

This is the fourth instalment in the popular horror franchise filmed using ‘Found Footage’ which means hand-held cameras, iPhones or computer console cameras which give it a very real and intimate feeling. 

 

 

In this one, which is a direct sequel from 'PA2', Alex (Kathryn Newton) and her boyfriend Ben (Matt Shively) are the filmers.  Alex discovers Robbie (Brady Allen), the very peculiar neighbor's child, in their cubbyhouse late at night and takes him home to his Mum (Katie Featherston).   That night, Robbie’s mother is taken to hospital and Robbie is taken in by Alex's mum Holly (Alexondra Lee) for a few days. Wyatt (Aiden Lovekamp), her little brother, and Robbie become friends and that’s when the creepy things start happening; doors opening on their own, blurred images zooming across video playback, knives shooting up in the air.  Ben sets up video monitoring throughout the house via the computers in the bedrooms, kitchen and even the X-Box in the lounge in order to capture footage of whatever it is.  Of course, the disturbing events escalate but nobody will believe Alex that something supernatural is in their house.  You know where this is going don’t you?

 

'PA4' was a bit of a surprise.  I’m going out on a limb here but I think it’s the best of the series.  The scares come from the jump-out-and-startle-you kind of shocks but it is still quite an eerie little number.  Warning: there is a bath scene that will disturb many parents.  My fearless, borrowed-friend was moaning, ‘Oh no, no,’ at that part and his wife tells me he was sufficiently freaked out when he got home that he had a restless night, muttering “demon child be gone” in his sleep.
This is definitely not one for the kiddies.  It will cost you a fortune in electricity as they as they demand to only sleep with the lights on.  And yes, they have announced a number Five will be released in October 2013. I’d better start looking for new friends.

 

Carrie Teaser Trailer released

She's back...


Scheduled for release in March/April 2013

Based on the best-selling novel by Stephen King, Carrie is a reimagining of the classic horror tale about Carrie White played by Chloë Grace Moretz. Also stars Julianne Moore, Judy Greer and Australian actor Alex Russell.  Carrie White (Chloë Grace Moretz) is a shy girl outcast by her peers and sheltered by her deeply religious mother (Julianne Moore), who unleashes telekinetic terror on her small town after being pushed too far at her senior prom. 

 

Cast:    Chlöe Grace Moretz, Julianne Moore, Judy Greer, Alex Russell
Genre:  Horror/Thriller

Dir:       Kimberly Peirce (Boys Don’t Cry)



Are you looking forward to the remake and have you read the book? 

 

Disney's Frankenweenie ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

IT’S THE HEART THAT BREATHES LIFE

Australia:  25th October, 2012; USA 5th October, 2012; UK17th October 2012
Other Countries: Release Dates




 

Just when you thought you had seen everything fantastical at the cinema, Tim Burton takes us to another level of superb in Disney's 'Frankenweenie'.  This film is so beautifully crafted I will be seeing it again as I missed so much due to the constant superlatives that spun in my head during my first viewing.

Why is it so good?  It’s foremost an engaging story (screenplay by John August), with incredible stop-motion 3D animation visuals that will have you truly wondering ‘How?’, and the music by Academy Award®–nominated Danny Elfman that is almost a character in itself.  Despite the technology, it still feels like you are watching one of those gorgeous old favourites that had you covering your eyes as the monster lurched after its victims. 

Tim Burton, arguably one of the most creative and eccentric Directors sometimes misses the mark, thanks to his penchant for extreme.  But in 'Frankenweenie' he has not just nailed it (excuse the pun) he has quite possibly created a classic as unique as the original ‘Frankenstein’.

Due to budget constraints the film began its life in 1984 as a live-action short for Disney.    The drawings Burton used in imagining his original characters have been used for this feature-length film alongside new characters.  Film buffs will recognize classic characters as many of the film’s leads are modelled on the look and traits of the memorable 1930 horror characters.  
 

'Frankenweenie' is the moving tale of a young science prodigy, Victor Frankenstein (Charlie Tahan) and his beloved dog Sparky.  Victor attends New Holland Elementary School where he is mentored by the misunderstood Mr Rzykruski (Martin Landau) who teaches him that “science can do both good and bad things and that if a scientist does not put his heart into his experiment, there could be disastrous consequences.” The first sign of trouble is heralded by the class ‘Weird Girl’ (Catherine O'Hara) when she delivers to Victor a prediction that something ‘big’ will happen to him because Mr Whiskers, her cat, has dreamt about him.  How does she know what the cat dreams?  Well, it’s quite imaginative and amusing.  The signs come from the kitty litter.

‘Big’ happens when Sparky is hit by a car and dies.  An inconsolable Victor hatches a plan to patch Sparky together and he then successfully brings him back to life, hiding him away in his attic.  Sparky’s resurrection does not stay a secret for long though and once the school creepy guy Edgar “E” Gore (Atticus Shaffer) discovers the truth, it isn’t long before word spreads amongst the other kids with monstrous results.  Along the way you will be captivated by the myriad of quirky characters voiced by other major talents like Martin Short, Robert Capron, Christopher Lee and Conchata Ferrell.
 

 

It took two years and 33 animators to film the stop-animation for ‘Frankenweenie’.  There are 24 frames per second in the stop motion for the film.  An animator, working usually alone, must stop and reposition the puppet 24 times to get one second of filmed action.  At its 82 minutes that’s 295,200 seconds and 7,084,800 movements.  That’s a study in patience right there.
 

The typical week for a stop-motion animator begins with being assigned a shot. He is then responsible for all the characters in that shot.  An animator must spend hours working with the puppets, tightening screws in their limbs and then placing them to get all of the movement that is required.  On average, one animator can only produce 5 seconds of animation per week.  So when you pay your theatre entrance you are certainly getting your money’s worth.

'Frankenweenie' is filmed in black and white and that choice only adds to the experience.  Parents may have to convince their retina-enhanced iPad children that watching a black and white animated film will be fun. However, from the opening sequence all complaints will be silenced as Burton’s ‘Frankenweenie’ takes parents on a trip down memory lane and introduces the young ones to what we mean when we say, ‘there was something special about those old black ‘n whites’. Just like Mr Rzykruski’s science, it’s not the special effects but the heart that’s put into it that makes all the difference.

 

See this one at the Cinema in 3D or you are really missing out on something special.

 

 

Chronicle ★ ★ ★ ★1/2

Release Dates:  Australia 2^nd Feb   USA:  3^rd Feb    UK: 1^st Feb   Other Countries

Super powers meet super filmmakers 

Teen angst is a commonly explored theme in film.  Those tricky years are fraught with sexual, emotional and self-worth issues.  Over the past year, a few films of this ilk spring to mind, Gus Van Sant’s RESTLESS, SUBMARINE, and NEVER LET ME GO.  In general, they remain flawed and tedious, suffering from slow pacing and long scenes of distance staring.  Often I think, “These characters are brats and need a good walloping and so does the Director’’.

In CHRONICLE, first time feature film director, Josh Trank, and his co-writer, Max Landis (son of Director John Landis) explore the teenage condition but with a fun and visually exciting twist. 

Using the hand-held camera point of view (think CLOVERFIELD), via the main character Andrew Detmer (Dane DeHaan), we follow him and his friends Matt Garetty (Alex Russell), and Steve Montgomery’s (Michael B. Jordan) after they happen upon an alien object in the woods.  Cutting from the discovery scene, the next shot is of them developing telekinetic powers and from here the film, literally takes off.

Their powers grow the more they use them and pretty soon they move on from suspending Lego blocks in the air to moving cars, eventually developing powers which would find them starring in any Superhero film.

Part of the fun of CHRONICLE is the camcorder view, as Andrew meticulously records their experience.  It’s the boys’ natural behaviour towards the camera that provides refreshing humour as they record their initially playful and exuberant reactions to their growing powers.

Trank comments, “We live in a world where you can film anything you want to, at any time.”  Producer Adam Schroeder adds, “There is an emerging aesthetic from this generation.  Josh’s work in CHRONICLE is the next step in that kind of storytelling.  We’ve seen movies that have made extensive use of someone’s point of view and hand-held cameras, but never in the way we use the camera here. It’s more than a device to tell a story; it’s a character, or an extension of our lead character.” 

The film works well for more reasons than the very cool special effects and nifty camera work. Beneath the action, Andrew’s emotional turmoil in dealing with his dying Mother and alcoholic abusive Father provide a depth to the characters, these types of movies tend to gloss over in favour of action. 

A loner, Andrew is the brunt of bullying and unacceptance by his peers, his emotional fragility never far from the surface.  Thus his need to record his life and this experience is a credible set up for the film’s chronicling premise. In other teenage angst films this character would end up slamming doors and shouting.  Throw super powers on super hormones and let’s make that slamming buildings and creating storms.

CHRONICLE is clever, witty and the most fun you will have at the cinema watching teenagers discover themselves.  Reportedly budgeted at $15 million to make and with the tagline “What are you capable of?”, it really begs the question; if these young filmmakers can deliver such good entertainment as CHRONICLE, of what are they capable in the future?  That’s almost as exciting for film fans as discovering you can fly.

CLICK HERE for an inside peek on how they made CHRONICLE

Twilight: Breaking Dawn Part 1 -Twihard Fans ★ ★★ ★★ Me ★ ★

What hasn’t been written already about Twilight: Breaking Dawn Part 1? 

Instead of repeating everyone else, I am going to write in support of the Twihard fans even though I didn’t like the movie.  And no, I haven’t gone mad or plummeted in my cinema viewing expectations.

There are already a million reviews out there, as the second last chapter of the Twilight series drops into cinemas  with a thud louder than a werewolf knocking over a vampire.  So, this isn’t going to be an outline of the story  other than to say, there are vampires, werewolves and all is not well in the land of Twilight despite a lovely wedding.  If you don’t know the story of Twilight, then I presume you don’t have a computer or a Television and, therefore, wouldn’t even be reading this blog.  It’s a phenomenon and that is the supernatural truth of it.  Either you love the franchise or you don’t get it.  I’m not sure if there is much of an in-between.

Even poor reviews from the critics, the film receiving only 24% at Rotten Tomatoes—the lowest critic rating of all the Twilight films—won’t keep fans away.  One critic probably summed the movie up best with, ‘Slow, joyless, and loaded with unintentionally humorous moments, Breaking Dawn Part 1 may satisfy the Twilight faithful, but it's strictly for fans of the franchise.’

Regardless of critics, there are millions of fans very happy to part with their money to watch Bella and Edward marry and consummate their extended relationship.  And don’t forget there’s the ‘I’ve seen all the other ones, so I have to see this’ camp, of which I am a member.

I’ll be glad when the last one comes out and I’ve finished my tour of duty.  It really does seem to have gone on forever.  While the characters have forever—being immortal and all—we normal human moviegoers only have a few hours to kill and we’re lucky to get that these days with all the other distractions.  The average moviegoer would not generally indulge Breaking Dawn’s excruciatingly drawn out scenes.  In fact, the average moviegoer would not indulge any of the Twilight movies. 

Yet, here we still have a box-office hit that isn’t very good.  And, I must say, it’s not surprising it is not good, the books weren’t very good either.  They, too, suffered from long drawn out passages and poor writing.  I read them out of curiosity and because everyone told me I should.  I’m a writer by day, so anything that is that big, I need to check out.  I didn’t learn anything from reading them, except that when you capture the audiences imagination, nothing else matters.

There’s another commentary on Breaking Dawn that begins with the idea that this film is a rip off, a cheap grab by studios to milk the franchise for all its worth.  Ker-ching.  Ker-ching.  And it probably is.  You know what, I am going to come out and say, I don’t blame the studio.  I don’t think many of the first weekend viewers of Breaking Dawn will be asking for their money back, either.  They know exactly what they are in for when they hand over their money and they received exactly that. 

I love my blockbusters but my favourites this year have been small movies, most people wouldn’t bother to see—Barney’s Version, Take Shelter, and We Need To Talk About Kevin.  They all had beautifully crafted scripts with complex characters, portrayed by arguably the leading actors in Hollywood.  But nobody would rush to see these offerings.  There’s no vampires, virgins or beautiful young creatures floating across the screen in these films, just thought provoking ideas that stay with you long after you leave the cinema.

I’m not a Twilight fan but I am a fan of the movie industry.  If the Twihards are willing to come out, and hand over their money instead of pirating the film, thus allowing the studios to make the wonderful, but less record-breaking movies, then I say ‘good on them’. 

To the Twihards I say, Breaking Dawn isn’t as bad as the critics make out.  Go, enjoy it—and yes, Taylor Lautner does take off his shirt—and I thank you for throwing yourself on the fangs of Edward in support of the movie industry.  You are doing a good thing. 5 Stars for you.  2 for me.