The Cabin In The Woods

Expectations will either make or break a movie. Sometimes you hear stuff about the movie and go in and find out everything you heard was complete bull...I am looking at you The Orphanage. Then sometimes you go and expectations are met and even beat to beyond our imaginations. This my friends is how I felt after walking out of The Cabin In The Woods which may be my new favorite film of the year! We rarely get to see smart, intelligent, well paced, mature, and unique horror films these days. Unless it is from Japan or Korea and at a time Italy, we generally can expected just slasher horror that can barely entertain an audience. The Cabin In The Woods will hopefully change that, it should be a game changer, that will bring new minds and new perspectives to the horror genre. I have high hopes for where the genre is headed after this film, but for now read on to get my specific thoughts.

The Cabin In The Woods is written by Joss Whedon and co-written and directed by Drew Goddard. The films stars Chris Hemsworth, Kristen Connolly, Anna Hutchison, Richard Jenkins, and Bradley Whitford.  The films follows every horror cliche in the book, we find a group of teenagers on the way to a vacation in a (guess what) cabin in the woods. Still, not everything is as at seems. Random occurrences seem more ordered and planned rather than coincidental. As the story unravels we learn not everything is as it seems and this is not merely some cabin in the woods. I would tell more but the less you know about the film the better.

Quai Des Offevres

France in cinema history has had some of the most interesting films during its run. Their film has had significant impact on American cinema and the rest of the world. One of those directors is Henri-Georges Clouzot who directed Quai des Orfèvres. The film follows Jenny Lamour is want to become famous and a theater star. When she starts making moves on a perverted businessman (Brignon), her husband (Maurice) decides to threaten he businessman with murder. Unfortunately, Jenny goes to meet the businessman secretly and Maurice follows her. That same evening Brignon is murder and it is time for Inspector Antonie to solve the case.

            The best part of the films comes in its second half in the film after the murder of Brignon. The Inspector Antoine is one a stand out as a great character that really carries the film. He is charming and likeable and it is too much fun watching him through the police procedurals. His best stuff comes during the interrogation scenes as we continuously cut between the three citizens the police are holding. It is great editing and marvelous direction at the same time, very noir-ish and its impact on film noir can be clearly seen. There are some great night scenes in the street and also an amazing shot in the jail of blood running from one cell to the other. Though where Clouzot’s magic really shines is in the script where the dialogue is gold! The script is snappy and really explores the struggle of the common man and the criminals that run the streets. Clouzot is also a master of slowly pulling out the story as Inspector Antoine begins to discover the story detail by detail.

            Overall, Quai des Orfèvres is a French classic and a very entertaining story. It’s pace is smooth and fluid, you will never get bored. The story pulls you in and you wait every second to find out how the story will unravel. I know I wasn’t sure how it all was going to end but when it all was over I highly enjoyed it. 
3/4

M

M

Fritz Lang will forever stand as one of the greatest directors of all time. His work spans from Metropolis to The Big Heat and his imprint on cinema can be seen everywhere. M though stands as one of his finest masterpieces and is one of my all time favorite movies. The story follows a serial killer who kills children and follows the town’s reaction. The film’s story is incredibly well done and the direction and cinematography behind it are perfect. It’s every thing you want in a movie takes it to a masterful level.

            The camera work is very fluid and I love the shots in this film. Some of my favorite shots that stand up are the close up of the “M” hand, Hans seeing the child in the mirror, and the shot of Hans Beckert seeing the “M” on his back. There are plenty more shots but those were some of my favorites. As expected with Fritz Lang, there are some great tracking and zoom shots. The whistling motif

            Though what made M so fantastic in my opinion was that the story focused more on the reaction to the serial killings of the public rather than the serial killer himself. The opening scene says it all as we follow the kids singing songs of the child killer to the mother looking for her daughter. Lang lets the visuals tell everything as we cut to the empty seat at the table where the daughter should sit. As the film continues we see how the public’s paranoia reaches dangerous heights even attacking an innocent old man just for talking to a child. At the same time as we see the public’s reaction, Lang also focuses on the police’s actions and how they react to stop the murderer. The comparisons between the two groups adds a whole different layer to an already deep film but it works.

            The best part of the whole film comes at its climax. As the public has captured Hans we see the combination of exploring the mind behind the killer and the anger mob mentality that the towns people take on. Peter Lorre deserves some major credit for giving a wonderful performance as Hans and really pulls sympathy from the audience.

            Overall M is a masterpiece and one of Fritz Lang’s greatest films! It is definitely one of Germany’s best and it also has a huge influence on cinema just like Dr. Caligari.
4/4

The Cabinet Of Dr. Caligari

A masterpiece film, one that be fundamental for centuries, The Cabinet Of Dr. Caligari is one of the greatest and most influential pieces of film history. The 1920 silent film directed for Robert Wiene and screenplay by Hans Janowitz and Carly Mayer has been known for its unique style that would set the precedent for German Expressionism and impact film forever. The weird and jagged sets reflected expressionist paintings at the time and created a tense and horrific tone. Everything feels out of place and the film will make you feel uncomfortable. Along with the sets the film became a huge influence on film noir through its use of shadows and nighttime shooting. The incredible thing is that the shadows were indeed painted in because of lack of resources. The cinematography also plays a huge part into this style, creating the tone and mood that lasts throughout the film. The film includes some fantastic close ups too, including the famous one of Cesare’s awakening. Lastly it is also the actors who did not stick to traditional acting but moved in an unrealistic and moved like the environment around them.

            The film opens up and continues to have a surreal feel to it. The story is told through flashback and we can already tell that something is wrong. This helps the horror aspect of Caligari function so well. As the story progresses we notice one of the major steps Caligari took in film, by making the exterior represent the interior of the characters. In fact one could say the exterior becomes one of the characters in the film. Still the best part of Caligari comes at the end with its twist ending. When we learn that indeed Francis is insane and that he is stuck in an insane asylum, an important theme breaks out that sticks with cinema to this day. The idea of being trapped in time, that our fate is inescapable. Since the film is told through flashback, we know that there is no escape for our protagonist. Everything that is being told has already happened, and nothing will be able to save him from his fate. Francis is indeed trapped.

            Overall Caligari is an incredible film to watch because of its huge influence of cinema. As one of my classmates said, “you can see a part of Caligari in every movie.” The horror is powerful, the cinematography marvelous, and most importantly a great story to boot. It is a film everyone should watch, especially fans of cinema, as it has left its mark on film for ages and will continue to. 
4/4

Magnolia Movie Review

Anyone that knows or follows me knows that I am a huge Paul Thomas Anderson fan. Ever since I saw There Will Be Blood back in 2007 I have been captured and in awe of his cinematic vision and power behind the camera. My father thought I was crazy for enjoying There Will Be Blood and even to this day says it is awful but I know deep in my heart his is in complete denial. So immediately I became a fan and made it my mission to catch the rest of his films. As the years past I eventually saw every single one of his works from Hard Eight to Boogie Night, Magnolia to Punch-Drunk Love I have adored and loved each one of his films. I have never taken the time to sit and write my opinions on his films....until now! So begins my marathon of reviewing each one of Paul Thomas Anderson's masterful work. I will start with Magnolia and from there go to Boogie Nights, Punch-Drunk Love, Hard Eight, and finish with his masterpiece There Will Be Blood. This should be a wonderful experience for myself and hopefully for you readers out there where ever you are. So what did I think of Paul Thomas Andreson and Magnolia (if you can't already tell), read on to find out!

Magnolia is the story about one day in Los Angeles follow multiple unique individuals and the connections they all have with each other. The main story follows two old men who are dying. Philip Baker Hall stars as Jimmy Gator a game show host who has been diagnosed with cancer. The films follows his attempt to reconnect with his drug addicted daughter (Melora Walters) and host his show with child prodigy Stanley Spector (Jeremy Blackman). Jason Robards stars as Earl Partridge, an old man dying with cancer, trying to reconnect with his long lost song Frank T.J. Mackey, author and motivational coach for men on how to "tame" women. The film also features John C. Reilly, a officer in search for love; Philip Seymour Hoffman, a lonely and sympathetic nurse; and Julianne Moore; young wife of Earl Partridge filled with guilt. The films flows the stories of these individuals together as they all search for love, happiness, and meaning in a world full of coincidences.

Dancer In The Dark Movie Review

Lars Von Trier is in my mind a genius. While not every single film that he makes is a masterpiece, in fact the last film I watched by him (Manderlay) I thought was just average; I believe he is one of the smartest filmmakers around in this day and age of cinema. The first film I watched by him was Antichrist and that was a movie that truly blew my mind. It was something that I had never seen before and I loved it. Immediately I had to know more about him, his films, and his mind and since then I have tried to understand this man. I recently saw Melancholia and absolutely loved it and decided to go on a Von Trier binge by watching Dancer In The Dark. I knew very little of this film, only knowing that Bjork was in it and that was very questionable in my mind. Still, just seeing Melancholia, I was willing to give this movie a shot and hopefully one again enjoy this film.

Dancer In The Dark stars Bjork as Selma Jezkova a mother of a young boy and factory worker who just loves American musicals. She loves musicals so much; her days are filled with daydreams of singing and dancing in the factory or even on a train. Unfortunately Selma has a unique disease that is taking away her sight slowly will eventually make her blind. She manages to still work at her factory, fooling a doctor even to get permission, and pins hairpins in unbent cardboard so that she can raise and save money. She saves the money in hopes that one day she will be able to pay for a surgery to save her son from the same disease she has. Unfortunately Selma’s landlord (David Morse) has run into money troubles and cannot afford the rich lifestyle he has lived and continues to ask Selma for a “loan” to help out. I don’t want to give out too much story so this is where I will stop but know that it gets much more interesting as the story goes on.

Melancholia Movie Review

Lars Von Trier has skyrocketed in stock in my personal film opinion. The man might be the most daring filmmaker today, Steve McQueen is up there too, but he certain is one of the smartest. He is a walking genius that has made some of the most brilliant, stunning, emotionally challenging, and visually dominated films that have ever been made. From Dancer In The Dark, which might be the most depressing movie ever made, to Dogville, which is the most challenging film I have ever seen; Von Trier shows no signs of stopping with his next film Melancholia. I had been interested in this film ever since I saw Antichrist, which rocked my world, and I couldn’t wait to finally see this film. Though you have to be careful with expectations because you could end up loving a film just because of expectations and the director even though it is awful. Still, with a stunning cast behind him and an interesting premise, Melancholia hopefully will be another thrill ride. Read on to see my thoughts…

Melancholia is about Justine (Kirsten Dunst) a newlywed who is unfortunately also dealing with severe depression in the most unique of ways. She cannot enjoy her wedding reception or even her husband. Her sister Claire tries to help her out by planning the reception and eventually trying to take care of her during her dark time. Claire is married to John, a rich man who is fascinated by the stars but is somewhat fed up with Justine and her action. The film is split up into two acts: the first following Justine during the wedding and the second following Claire and her family in preparation for the planet Melancholia.