DVDs and Films You Have Watched Recently #2

[Mr. Seven]

I wasn't really aware of the claims of the Cabin In The Woods being something that redefines a genre, or as being a pivotal moment in horror's history. I can see why people would jump to those conclusions, though i'm not convinced it's revolutionary, as it is certainly a more expansive film conceptually than horror has become. I tend to agree with Whedon, he said that it wasn't about redefining a genre or breaking new ground it was about reacting to how narrow the genre has become.

 

Pre-Scream (and before I get Chuckle's angry, I bloody love Scream) you could argue that 'horror' had far much more scope, but post-Scream marketing executives from mainstream cinema studios have sanitised and homogenised a horror genre to fit in with the popular 'teen slasher' model.

 

Either way, I didn't love it because of some deconstruction of genre. I loved it because i've never been so entertained in a cinema. I'm seeing it again tonight.

 

That's a fair enough take. It is entertaining, but while I don't think it's terribly arrogant in what it does (unlike, say, Hostel or Elephant), I do think there is a definite attempt from the filmmakers to dissect horror genre tropes and provide a commentary on it. Again, I think it stops short of being smug but it is a little bit irritating in how knowing it all is. And again, the archetypes... I mean, the most likeable guy in the film is straight out of a fucking extended Saturday Night Live sketch. It's a credit to the actor and the character that despite coming off like a hyrbrid of Tom Green and DJ Qualls, I still rooted for him.

 

I like the film, but it left me a little cold. I think there's more in it to tear apart than there is to embrace.

[Mr. Seven]

Re: Gladders: Don't get me wrong, I'm not holding up Scream as the benchmark for meta-horror and it arguably did indeed do more harm than good, but at the time it was a game-changer and a really clever commentary on Wes Craven's career up to that point. As a standalone horror black comedy in the mid-90's, it stood out for the right reasons. What followed did not. The horror genre isn't in trouble, it doesn't need a massive shot in the arm (American horror arguably does) but if it did, Cabin isn't the film to do so. And from what I've heard, Detention does a much better job in that respect.

[Devon Malcolm]

Re: Gladders: Don't get me wrong, I'm not holding up Scream as the benchmark for meta-horror and it arguably did indeed do more harm than good, but at the time it was a game-changer and a really clever commentary on Wes Craven's career up to that point. As a standalone horror black comedy in the mid-90's, it stood out for the right reasons. What followed did not. The horror genre isn't in trouble, it doesn't need a massive shot in the arm (American horror arguably does)

 

I agree with all this, definitely, although we obviously disagree on Scream's quality. Hollywood, as a whole, is out of ideas except for the occasional one or two films that make it through. It's a huge shame, really.

[Fox Piss]

Fast and Furious (Fast 4)- Well that was a load of bollocks. There wasnt much to save it from being a clusterfuck of near epic proportions . The first two Fast and Furious films were decent enough actioners, Tokyo Drift was meh, but this was devoid of anything. I know that it was all about the reunion of two characters, but it felt empty. The death of one of the characters was also pretty poor. Jordana Brewster was uber hot and some of the action sequences were okay where they werent spoiled by over use of CGI. Other than that it dragged and criminally was deathly dull in parts. Is Fast 5 any better?

 

 

I didn't mind the 4th when i saw it. Watched Tokyo Drift today after not seeing it in years. Easy enough to watch and Nathalie Kelley is smoking in it.

 

Forgot Vinny turned up what a man.

[Mr. Seven]

Exactly. The biggest problem with Scream is that it got a sequel, let alone three of them. That's the problem with game-changers, especially in the horror genre. If they make money, then prepare to watch your favourite new icon end up on a fucking cereal box. Look at Hellraiser. The first film (and its sequel) are completely and utterly deranged and genuinely unsettling. By the time Hell On Earth rolls around, the previously unsettling Pinhead is a wisecracking twat who was better off being in the background. You can apply that ad nauseum to Halloween, Texas Chain Saw Massacre, A Nightmare On Elm Street and countless others.

Edited April 15, 2012 by Mr. Seven

[ItsClobberingTime]

Anyone bother watching any foreign horror? I find it refreshing to watch some every so often but the world is very guilty of reacting to a successful movie and deciding all movies from that country are fantastic at that time. Take something like Ringu - enjoyed it at the time, then there were a stupid amount of sequels, other shit Japanese horrors, the US remakes etc. Japanese horror blew up at the time and got way overhyped. I'd almost suggest Swedish movies/TV are going the same way in the last year or two, though that's more crime drama etc.

 

There are of course SOME good Japanese horrors out there but we seemed to get shitloads during the boom period, or at least it seemed that way when the companies decided to market them all.

 

I think I've watched more French horror than anything over the last few years - stuff like Switchblade Romance, Frontiers,

[Mr. Seven]

Slightly related: On the subject of Joss Whedon, I quite enjoyed this summing up of his style from another board. I'll say that I think Angel is a really underrated show that evolves brilliantly as it goes along, but - might be wrong on this - pretty sure Whedon was one of many contributors to it than it being his complete baby. Anyways:

 

Here's my problem with Whedon: his characters are largely just the same voice, that voice being Whedon. The repeated criticism of Diablo Cody's characters all talking in the same heightened quirky way goes double for Whedon; there's not a line out of Buffy's mouth that couldn't also come from Captain Mal.

 

 

 

He also has a stock group of characters that he simply re-fits and re-dresses over and over, which gets annoying when people try to position him as some sort of savant of the written word. Quick, what am I talking about: a group of sassy, reluctant badasses (whether they know it or not) must deal with an external, supernatural/alien threat all while constantly bickering amongst themselves in a witty, sassy manner and pointing out to us, the viewer, how silly all this supernatural/alien stuff is. This is all to highlight how much like a dysfunctional family they are. A female character will demonstrate how strong and independent she is by kicking a dude's butt (or threatening to).

 

 

 

Did I just sum up:

 

 

 

a) Buffy

 

b) Angel

 

c) Firefly/Serenity

 

d) Atlantis: The Lost Empire

 

e) Titan A.E.

 

f) Alien: Ressurection

 

g) Dollhouse (I'm just shooting in the dark on this one; I never watched it)

 

h) all of the above

 

 

 

It works for some people, some don't notice or it doesn't bother them, but it does me. That bother gets compounded by the fandom, which is probably the most irritating aspect of Whedon. Taken on its own, I just don't like 85% of the guy's work (individual episodes of Angel clicked with me; that show was the closest he's come to making his formula fit with me). Taken with the fandom who trumpet him as the best thing to happen to TV in the last twenty years and everything he touches is pure gold and he's the best writer of strong female characters...it's hard not to rail against that tooth and nail. I don't hate Whedon; it's just I find little to like about what he's done so far. Taken as a whole package with the fandom (and it's hard to ignore it completely when Whedon is, at times, so obviously pandering to them), things get harder to take simply as something I don't care for.

[Devon Malcolm]

Exactly. The biggest problem with Scream is that it got a sequel, let alone three of them. That's the problem with game-changers, especially in the horror genre. If they make money, then prepare to watch your favourite new icon end up on a fucking cereal box. Look at Hellraiser. The first film (and its sequel) are completely and utterly deranged and genuinely unsettling. By the time Hell On Earth rolls around, the previously unsettling Pinhead is a wisecracking twat who was better off being in the background. You can apply that ad nauseum to Halloween, Texas Chain Saw Massacre, A Nightmare On Elm Street and countless others.

 

Indeed. And if it isn't an actual series constantly churning out sequels, it's a concept of film that is constantly being knocked out. At the moment it's torture porn and zombies. I was hoping the latter would have died out by now, but World War Z will be huge and zombies will still be fucking everywhere.

 

Of course, this isn't unique to Hollywood. Only recently has Asian cinema started to show signs that it is trying to shake itself out of its post-Ring vengeful ghoul cycle, and there are signs that France is starting to overdo the 'extreme' horror themes that is has been successful with. But Hollywood is really quite special when it comes to flogging that dead horse.

[iamtheman]

i am a big whedon fan myself but i am not fond of a fair bit of his stuff (angel season 4, most of buffy season 6, first half of dollhouse's first season) but bufyy and angel in its pomp still are some of my favourite tv series 've ever seen. buffy in its seventh season had arguably run its course but angel's 5th season was excellent and i was pissed when it was cancelled.

 

and for mr seven. whedon would occasionally contribute for buffy and angel scripts with out being credited for it.

 

looking forward to cabin in the woods. you can probably guarantee that i'll be fawning over it once i see it on tuesday. just a shame it was delayed by MGM going bankrupt

[Devon Malcolm]

Great post, that, Sev. He's pretty much a one trick pony but has been fortunate enough to have such a rabid (and largely, but not wholly, idiotic fanbase) that have allowed his 'legend' to have become almost beyond question in many quarters.

 

Anyone bother watching any foreign horror? I find it refreshing to watch some every so often but the world is very guilty of reacting to a successful movie and deciding all movies from that country are fantastic at that time. Take something like Ringu - enjoyed it at the time, then there were a stupid amount of sequels, other shit Japanese horrors, the US remakes etc. Japanese horror blew up at the time and got way overhyped. I'd almost suggest Swedish movies/TV are going the same way in the last year or two, though that's more crime drama etc.

 

There are of course SOME good Japanese horrors out there but we seemed to get shitloads during the boom period, or at least it seemed that way when the companies decided to market them all.

 

I think I've watched more French horror than anything over the last few years - stuff like Switchblade Romance, Frontiers,

[d-d-d-dAz]

RE; Gladders. I was talking specifically about American mainstream cinema. Whilst CITW seems to be being marketed as something transcendental, with genre-wide implications, it is essentially a mainstream, Hollywood horrror and any statement it makes, or tries to make, about modern horror is specifically about modern American horror.

[WWFChilli]

I'm considering watching the Paranormal Activities series after much cajoling from my girlfriend. Is it worth watching or should I make up some bollocks to pass on the opportunity. A good few people in work said it was the scariest film ever (though these were all girls and curious 'Inbetweeners is the funniest movie ever' types).

 

I also didn't know until coming into this thread there was a Scream 4. Fucking hell! Scream 3 was one of the most unnecessary sequels ever produced. It was like they were going the opposite way of Scary Movie and trying to make some confusing, serious parody of the first film. Woeful.

 

I also bought the French Connection today, Sunday night sorted with that one I hope.

Edited April 15, 2012 by Chilli_Dog

[Devon Malcolm]

RE; Gladders. I was talking specifically about American mainstream cinema. Whilst CITW seems to be being marketed as something transcendental, with genre-wide implications, it is essentially a mainstream, Hollywood horrror and any statement it makes, or tries to make, about modern horror is specifically about modern American horror.

 

Fair enough, guv.

 

Is Chris Hemsworth any good in it? He was great in A Perfect Getaway but everything else he's done since hasn't interested me at all.

[Mr. Seven]

He's decent, yeah. But I find him to be a likeable screen presence in general.

[d-d-d-dAz]

In general it's a very well put together cast. A lot of likeable, well acted characters.