NEW BLOOD: BLAIR WITCH

BLAIR WITCH
Lionsgate
2016 Color
89 Mins.
Horror/Thriller
James Allen McCune, Corbin Reed, Brandon Scott, Wes Robinson and Valorie Curry star.
Written by Simon Barrett
Directed by Adam Wingard
Rated R for language, violence and gore.

I've been a long time fan of the small but inspired Blair Witch franchise from the beginning. I remember lining up for the original back in 1999 and than showing up for it's sequel in 2000. I enjoyed the first movie quite a bit and it only got better with each viewing. I found that movie to be so immersive and at the time it was unique in it's execution there was no other experience like it. As for the 2000 sequel I know a lot of you hated it but I sort of loved it. There was so much going on in the film below the surface it was truly an ingenious sequel to a tough movie to follow up. Now in 2016 we have Blair Witch the latest in a long line of generic reboots and sequels that studios keep punishing us with.

 At first the buzz was solid with the film heralding it as a new beginning for horror. And I have to give them props for that marketing twist. Releasing the first trailers as The Woods and than changing it's marketing over to Blair witch after a big comic con debut. But as the release grew closer other reviews started to drop and the movie went from a 100% positive to 43%. Not a great sign. So I went into the (empty) showing last night with low expectations. Well I can tell you that the new Blair Witch is an absolute joke. And that the film stands as a prime example of everything that's wrong in genre cinema today. The film follows Heather Donahue's supposed brother and his hapless friends as they film a documentary in search of her after some questionable footage was posted on you tube. You see, he was four when she disappeared and it apparently has overwhelmed him throughout his life with an ambition to go out and find her(yeah, okay).

 For the film's first half we are introduced to a group of one note characters played out dismally by a group of amateur actors. And once they hit the woods it follows in the steps of the original regurgitating almost every setup. But every time it moves even slightly beyond it's lame retread it recedes into a sordid cesspool of cheap jump scares and ridiculous directorial choices. When it does finally hit it's finale and we see glimpses of the supposed blair witch she looks like a stretched out, stick figure, alien who casts light spells which induced quite a bit of laughter. The main problem with this film is how it manages to be almost identical to the first film amping up the sort of cheesy scares they think the audience of today would like and offer far, far less.

There is really no story here and it's not remotely believable for a second. At least in the original the setup about the history and the inspired execution with all the interviews and such gave it an immersive heft. Here there are hardly any people in the film and not one of them is believable and neither is the hokey story the film makers threw together surrounding them. The new Blair Witch is a resemblance of everything that's wrong in modern genre cinema. We keep revisiting properties in an unnecessary way, More is never more and the retreads always have less of a purpose than their originals did. Some of them may offer minor amusement and there have been a handful of fun ones from the Chainsaw remake to Evil Dead and Dawn of the Dead but this sad retread is one note and offers absolutely nothing new. It's execution at this point after hundreds of Blair Witch rips offs feels forced and amateur and most definitely doesn't belong in theaters. I wish I could say I was really mad about the whole thing but in honesty The Blair Witch films stopped at 2 for me as this one is instantly forgettable. So if you're in the mood for some unintentional funnies go see this film if you're in the mood for something scary or just good avoid it all costs! *.5/5

IN DEFENSE OF BW2: BOOK OF SHADOWS

BLAIR WITCH 2: BOOK OF SHADOWS
Artisan/Haxan
2000 Color
90 Mins.
Horror/Thriller
Kim Director, Jeffrey Donovan, Erica Leerhseen, Stephen Barker Turner and Tristine Skylar star.
Written and Directed by Joe Berlinger
Rated R for language, violence, sexuality, nudity, drug use and gore.

Now I know many of you loathe this movie. But now that it's been 16 years since it's rushed release it's a good flick to revisit. Upon Blair Witch 2's release in the fall of 2000 the film was built up as the next chapter in a promising new horror franchise. From various magazine covers and a plethora of hype the film finally released on October 27, 2000 with a dud. The film opened with a less than stellar 13 million and ended it's run with just a little over 26 a far cry from the domestic 140 million plus take of the original. Budgeted at only 15 Million the film was still a slight success but it was the film that killed the franchise all together. I remember being so excited for this film to come out and going on opening night and like a mere 31% of the audience I wasn't disappointed.

 It's actually the first film that got me into writing. I was so peeved off by audience's reactions to the film I became very passionate about it all ,deconstructing what I saw and finding deeper meaning in many things. Now so many years later the film has built a small cult audience most of which that watch for the sheer silliness of it's execution. I, on the other hand still hold the film up as a slam dunk sequel and although I can now see the many missed opportunities throughout, the driving subtext through the film still intrigues me even to this day. Having recently revisited it last weekend to get ready for the new film releasing on Sept 16. I was once again enthralled by the on the surface simplistic story of a group of movie fans who go researching the nightmarish legend only to find themselves enwrapped in something far more sinister. Unlike the original this entry has more gore, some sex, nudity, drug use the expected staples of the genre but it's also just so much more.

 To really engulf your self in the proceedings you have to learn the history surrounding it and not just the made up bullshit. Writer/Director Joe Berlinger made his feature film debut with this movie known only by his Paradise Lost films. A series of award winning documentaries that shed light on the real life case of a group of gothic youngsters accused of killing a young child in their small town. The films were made to exonerate them showing the far more suspicious people surrounding the murder and how the accused were targeted because of the way they dressed and the music they liked. In a way it's almost depicted as a modern day witch hunt.

 So now we arrive at BW2 Book of Shadows. In the title alone Berlinger has stated the films undeniable attachment to those documentaries. There is no actual Book of Shadows in the film but that actually comes from a book that the accused possessed in Paradise Lost. The film is set on this group of obsessed movie fans who are blamed for gruesome murders of a nearby camp because of a seemingly suspicious thread of evidence highlighted by their obsession with the original film as well as the way they look and the beliefs they have. There is one point in the film where one of the actors all of which use their own names says " people think I'm a killer or something just because of the way I dress." None of the characters in the film feel real but work more as exaggerated stereotypes that are targeted because people don't understand them and that leads to a fear of the unknown.

 As the film moves along it manages to be a so so horror sequel that fleshes out the originals concept a bit more but does so in a way that it comes off a bit comical. But underneath it all the film is asking the audience to question their beliefs on the whole hysteria as well as obsession, the media's twisting of the truth, mental illness and prejudice amongst many other things. In the film's climax we see one thing while it happens and later learn it has appeared differently on film which one character highlights earlier on saying that "film lies but video tells the truth". There are so many layers to this film and it's ambition for better or worse is what makes it so brilliant in my humble opinion.  the performances from Donovan and Director are memorable and inspired and both have gone on to do a lot more with the careers.

 the rest of the performances range from mediocre to unintentionally funny in spots. And yes there are scenes that just don't translate well and come off hokey as hell, as well as some questionable dialogue. However,  In conclusion all of these things make Blair Witch 2 so much more than what people originally saw it as. A cheap cash in on a big property. The film isn't perfect by any means but instead of following the original films formula it dared to be different and wasn't rewarded for it but as we all know mainstream audiences tend to want the same thing over and over again which is obvious  with the endless parade of unnecessary sequels, remakes and reboots. This film however stands apart as a true work of art worth further examination. for extra fun watch the documentary on the DVD the secrets of Esrever and look for clues hidden throughout the film. ****.75/5

RETRO REVIEW: THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT

THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT
Artisan/Haxan
1999 Color/B&W
81 Mins.
Horror/Thriller
Heather Donahue, Michae C. Williams and Joshua Leonard star.
Written and Directed by Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sanchez
Rated R for strong language, adult themes, terror and gore.

When Blair Witch project opened in the summer of 99 I remember standing in a line wrapped around the movie theater to see it. After an immense amount of buzz and an awareness that the film was a hoax, I entered the darkened, sold out theater. The movie came on and there was a hush that came over the audience. What followed was a lot of laughter from the film's first half. I remember thinking that it just wasn't scary at all. However when the film kicks into high gear the proceedings become so immersive it's hard not to feel like you're right there with these characters. The movie is still considered the biggest cinematic, financial success of all time. On a $60,000 budget the film grossed over a $140 million domestically and over $240 million worldwide. But the film didn't just score with audiences critics loved it with an 87% positive. 

To this day the film splits audiences, people love it as much as they loathe it. But regardless of how you feel it's hard to deny the impact it's had on the genre since the summer of 1999. Countless rip offs have followed both fortunate and unfortunately for us. For every first and second Paranormal Activity, every Rec  there is crap like  The Gallows, the VHS trilogy and most recently The Visit amongst countless others. It created a new sub genre of movies that captured an ultra realistic feel and had audiences begging for those immersive thrills time and time again. Truth be told the execution had run it's course and become a mockery of itself for quite some time now.  Still if done right it has an undeniable power. You know what the original film is about unless you've been living under a rock. The film centers on a group of young documentary filmmakers who find themselves being terrorized in the woods while lost trying to research a spooky legend about a witch. The film offers no real definitive proof but offers us something better. Yeah we get a lot edge of your seat scenes but the mystery of the proceedings is what ropes us in and gets our imaginations going. 

And because the history concerning the legend has been built up so massively in it's inspired marketing campaign and still continues to grow today. It makes the film that much more immersive and potent in it's execution. Was there a Blair Witch that was involved in their disappearance or was it something else? I;m not still not sure. hell I don't even know if all of it is fake. But it's that mystery that still keeps people tuned in and  talking. Now you may be in the opposite group and find all of this to be complete bullshit that's not scary at all. But love it or hate it, whether it scares you or not you can not deny the sheer impact the film has had on the genre or the imprint it has left on horror cinema in general. ****.5/5

NEW BLOOD: MORGAN

MORGAN
Fox
2016 Color
92 Mins.
Sci-Fi/Horror
Kate Mara, Anya Taylor Joy, Toby Jones, Boyd Holbrook, Michele Yeoh, Brian Cox. Jennifer Jason Leigh and Paul Giamatti star.
Written by Seth W. Owen
Directed by Luke Scott
Rated R for language and violence.

Walking into Morgan I didn't know what to expect. And after some less than exciting reviews and audience reaction my expectations were on the low side. Still something from the trailers intrigued me. Maybe because I've been feeling starved for a more adult sci-fi tale as of late. But it's not just that the trailers represented a film that was more adult or just sci-fi it all seem to have a bit of horror tinge to it. Well I can say that I was happy with the end results. I have a feeling that most people may have felt misled in the film's advertising but I actually feel that they captured the film perfectly. The film centers on a group of scientists working on synthetic A.I. life forms. They are trying to engineer a human being of sorts. As with most films of this type the results end up back firing. The film isn't preachy in any way and truth be told it could have used a bit more science. But Morgan is very entertaining. It's a familiar journey and has some predictable spots but the culmination of events is well worth seeing. It has a creepy, atmospheric vibe throughout as well as a few jump scares. But what's most impressive is how the movie manages to transform the events in a subtle way. nothing feels too over the top or cheesy. The performances are solid across the board led by a standout lead from Kate Mara who has just become one of my new favorite actresses. 

Anya Taylor Joy is solid as well giving her behaviorist an essential emotional edge and Michelle Yeoh and Paul Giamatti offering small but effective turns in their roles. Only Jennifer Jason Leigh seems a bit out of place with nothing to do. The film is directed by Luke Scott son of Ridley and his father's influence can be seen throughout. the film's structure is reminiscent of the original Alien and his use of music as well as setting and cinematography feels inspired. All in all it's a satisfactory genre flick even though it's a bit expected. I'm not sure everyone will enjoy this as much as I did. But as formulaic as it is it managed to hit positives to merit a solid recommend from me. ****/5

NEW BLOOD: 31

31
Saban
2016 color
102 Mins.
Horror
Sheri Moon Zombie, Richard Brake, Meg Foster, Jeff Daniel Phillips, Malcolm McDowell, Elizabeth Daily, Lew temple, Judy Geeson, Lawrence Hilton Jacobs, Kevin Jackson and David Ury star.
Written and Directed by Rob Zombie
Rated R for strong language, graphic violence, gore, sexuality, nudity and drug use.

I was lucky enough to catch the Fathom screening of Rob Zombie's latest endeavor. After two intriguing misfires Halloween 2 and Lords of Salem, Zombie returns to form in this goretastic cinematic slaughterfest. The film centers on a group of 5 carnies who find themselves the unwilling participants in 31, a sadistic game in which they have to survive twelve hours facing one nightmarish killer after another. All the while being monitored by some aristocratic douche bags waging bets on them. All the goods are here from the colorful killers to the kick ass victims who decide to fight back to the blood soaked carnage, energetic pacing and inventive direction.

But the film is far from flawless. Although still a successfully brutal genre outing Zombie seems to be going by the numbers in what his audience wants. Yes it's still a satisfactory outcome but the proceedings lack a bit of passion. Even in his failures you could feel the intent to bring us something that's truly his, unique and masterful. Here it just seems that he is going with what people expect from him. Which is a good thing for us. There's no real art here and truth be told the cinematography looks a little more washed out than usual. And yes in other fare such as the amazing, colorful fun house nightmare House of 1000 Corpses, The strikingly original Devil's Rejects and his under rated subtly brilliant take on Halloween the characters always feel grander, the dialogue more clever and addictive and the set pieces more personal. I'm not really putting down 31. I, in fact really very much enjoyed it. And although I'm sure it was executed in a simplistic fashion there is a lot of twisted subtext throughout the film intentional or not. There are shadings of the current state of government as well as a statement on a brutal depiction of violence for our viewership and ours alone.

The performances range from solid to decent although a little expected. Richard Brake takes the cake as Doom Head a twisted clown of sorts. His opening monologue done in black and white is eerie and effective. He would have achieved icon territory but he has some over the top moments sprinkled through out and is forced to deliver some questionable dialogue.

 Meg Foster is the best of the intended victims. She adds an admirable and relatable edge to her character and although she's not given much she delivers some solid moments.

 Sheri Moon Zombie starts off kinda rocky but ends up delivering her expected cool factor.

 And Jeff Daniel Phillips is solid in his under developed by likable role. In the end I really wish there was just more of everything especially considering the commitment of most of the people involved. I love Zombie as a director his films are always interesting and he is one of the only directors working today when you can tell if it's his movie.

 That being said although he may have his eyes on other passion projects of his own it's important to give it your all when delivering the bloody goods your fans expect. Yes 31 is a great time and it mostly delivers the intended goods but it could have been fucking great and that let down is something i hope we don't have to get used toowith his future projects. ****.5/5