PARANORMAL ACTIVITY

It's 1.15am and I am just back from a late night screening of PARANORMAL ACTIVITY on Friday 13th and I feel compelled to review the film right now... as I really don't want to go to sleep yet! Released here on the 25th November it arrives in the UK on the crest of a wave of hype that hasn't been seen for a horror movie since THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT. Made on a tiny budget ($15,000), grossed $100 million at the box office and scared the crap out of Steven Spielberg. Is it able to live up to the hype... Yes!

A simple setup of a couple: Katie (paranoid and fearful that something has been following her throughout her life) and Micah (one of the worst boyfriend's of all time) using a video camera to record evidence of strange happenings in their house is used to wring every drop of fear out of the audience.

There are horror movie cliches; Ouija Board, check. Investigating strange noises in the attic, check. The couple (mainly Micah) might be stupid but the film puts a new twist on them.

The night scenes are truly creepy as the camera remains in a static wide shot of the bedroom and the audience start looking around the room for hidden dangers and scares.

The film succeeds in terrifying its audience because it sticks to the golden rule of the horror genre, "less is more". You only catch glimpses of shadows, footprints, strange noises, but your mind goes into overdrive and conjurs up something much scarier than the filmmaker can put on screen.

There will be countless moments during a screening when people will jump and scream, followed by the nervous laughter as they tell themselves it is only a movie.
Of course, there will be comparisons between this film and the likes of THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT, REC and CLOVERFIELD, due to the similarities in filming style and documentary-type story but it surpasses them because it is a film that stays with you after you leave the cinema.

You'll end up double locking doors, checking under the bed, etc before going to sleep in the fear that it could happen to you. The sense of fear and unease the film creates is something that I haven't experienced since watching RINGU nearly ten years ago.

Scariest film of all time? Maybe. Scariest film of the decade? Definitely.

(500) Films of Empire - Day 58

497 - Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon - 3 stars

Watched this film today whilst there was a debate on Twitter about a Lovefilm poll of films that defined a decade, and this film is definitely one of them.

One of my pet peeves is people not watching a film just because it is in a foreign language and has subtitles.  Grow up people!  You are missing out on so many great films by being so close-minded.

Helped by Oscar and BAFTA glory, Crouching Tiger was the film that got people to go out and watch these foreign language films.  It was one of the early success stories here at The Belmont and proved that there was a market for cinemas like us and the rest of the Picturehouse group that show quality films over the latest blockbusters.

There is a plot about a special sword and seeking revenge on someone who killed their teacher hidden somewhere beneath the extraordinary fight scenes.  The first film to really showcase the Wushu style of fighting to the Western world, the choreography is stunning and almost balletic in terms of style.

Inspired a series of this type of film including Hero and House Of Flying Daggers, and Hollywood employing the fight choreographers in all their action movies.

The influence it has had on cinema makes it worthy if the title of one of the "films of the decade".

393 - Garden State - 3 stars

This was Zach Braff's, everyone's favourite Scrubber, first effort at writing and directing, and was the trend during the mid-naughties, the film is a quirky indie slacker comedy.  On its release I was in my mid-twenties and could identify with the lead character Andrew Largeman, not with his high level of Lithium intake, but with his lack of direction in life.  I now know that I'm in the right business for me and just have to work on my personal life.  Seeing it again now, I was slightly more resistant to its charms, but there was still much to enjoy, like Natalie Portman's performance.  She is absolutely adorable as Sam.

And fans of 'The Big Bang Theory' will see a young Sheldon as a "fast food knight".

There is a great moment where Largeman wakes to find 'balls' written on his face, this reminded me of when we did something similar to a friend of ours one evening when he passed out too early in the night!  They will remain nameless!

142 - Almost Famous - 4 stars

Cameron Crowe's semi-autobiographical love letter to the music industry and the power that it can have over people.

The greatest thing about the film is Philip Seymour Hoffman as Lester Bangs, an infectious bundle of energy who has the film's second best line; "the only currency in this bankrupt world is what you share with someone when you're uncool".

For those who are interested, the film's best line is "They don't even know what it is to be a fan.  To truly love some silly little piece of music, or some band, so much that it hurts".

And that is why I love this film, because that quote sums up how I feel about movies.

Also after seeing this and (500) Days of Summer, I can safely say that Zooey Deschanel has the most beautiful eyes I have ever seen.

Days remaining - 307.  Films remaining - 410

(500) Films of Empire - Day 57

311 - American History X - 4 stars

A powerful film, in spite of the troubled production, that examines the ugly side of human nature as one man seeks redemption and tries to prevent his brother from following in his footsteps.

At times an incredibly difficult film to watch.  A basketball game where Neo Nazis banish the black players from the court is played out as a magnificent victory to the audience, there are sickening racial attacks, and then there is the moment where Derek murders the carjacker.  The horrible grating sound as he puts his teeth on the kerb is haunting.

All this is backed up by one of the all-time great screen performances from Edward Norton.  He is a revelation as the hate-filled skinhead that renounces his ways and attempts to leave his former life behind.  As shown in Fight Club and Primal Fear, Norton is perfectly comfortable playing two characters and he is totally believable as both the angry skinhead and the young man seeking to protect his family from the results if his actions, at one point trying to cover up his swastika tattoo in an attempt to erase his past.

(500) Films of Empire - Day 57 - Why the world doesn't need Superman Returns

446 - Superman Returns - 1 star

The problem that I have with SUPERMAN RETURNS, is that it should have been great. Bryan Singer had already directed two great comic book movies in X-MEN and X2, they were using the original theme song, the trailers were promising (the bullet hitting the eye was a very geeky moment), yet the end result felt like such a wasted opportunity.

Here is a film that we were told would not be rebooting the franchise but carrying on after the events of SUPERMAN 2, ignoring the other awful sequels.

However the main plot was simply a repeat of the Lex Luthor land storyline from the first film, making it seem like a rerun of old ideas.

Other problems with this film: Kate Bosworth was too young to play Lois Lane. The only good action sequence, albeit a fantastic rescue of the plane and shuttle, was at the beginning of the film. Kevin Spacey was a fantastic Lex Luthor but didn't have enough to do and all his best bits were in the trailers.

All those niggling problems that I had with Superman as a character came to a head: Clark Kent was gone for five years, so was Superman. They both come back on the same day. Somehow the people of Metropolis are not able to notice that a pair of glasses is not the best disguise in the world.

And finally, Superman has some questions to answer over the parentage of Lois's child. Despite Kevin Smith's view on the subject (see the Kryptonite Condom speech from Mallrats), Singer has opted to have Superman be the father of her child. Yes, the did have sex in Superman II, but dependent on which version you watch, Superman has given up his powers and become human - so would he have even be able to pass on his powers? Also at the end of the film, he erases Lois's memory so she doesn't know his secret identity therefore also erasing the memory of them having sex. Lois must be wondering how she could have had sex with Superman without her knowledge... he must have been faster than a speeding bullet!

Phew, think that is my rant over... suffice to say that it is a thumbs down to Superman Returns.

(500) Films of Empire - Day 56

273 - The Maltese Falcon - 2 stars

One of the first films that made Bogart a true Hollywood star, a lovable rogue completely at ease with the dialogue of the film noir period.

It benefits from a slightly less complicated plot than The Big Sleep, but I don't think that it as good as that film due to the lack of chemistry between the leads.  Big Sleep had the sizzling Bogart & Bacall, whereas the female lead in Falcon was Mary Astor who I didn't think was very good at all.

Do yourselves a favour and go watch The Big Sleep instead.

I know what film you think I should watch next.  Bogart, Lorre, Greenstreet... it's got to be Casablanca right... wrong.  It's one of my all time favourite films so I've leaving it till near the end.  Besides another Lovefilm double bill has popped through the letter box.

203 - The Exorcist - 3 stars

It had been banned for years!!!  I finally saw the first horror film to be nominated for best picture at the Oscars, in 1997 when it was re-released, so therefore it would always struggle to live up to the hype as "the scariest film ever made".  Also I had seen the spoof Repossessed before I saw The Exorcist.  I came out of the first viewing a tad disappointed.

Rewatching it now, I can appreciate what a great movie this is from a filmmaking perspective.  The direction, sound effects, visual effects are all superb and backed up with an amazing performance by Linda Blair who was only 13 when she made the film and earned an Oscar nomination as a result.

It still retains the power to scare and haunt audiences as they witness, not only, the battle between Fathers Karras & Merrin and Pazzuzo, the demon within Regan, but also the struggle between religion and faith, and science.

Oh, I must give praise to the documentary 'Fear Of God' about the film by Mark Kermode, who has an excellent film review slot on Radio 5 every Friday afternoon at 3.00pm.  Click here to hear his thoughts on some of the best and worst movies in recent years.

462 - Dead Man's Shoes - 4 stars

The only appearance of the list for Britain's DeNiro and Scorsese - Paddy Considine and Shane Meadows.

One could call this is a British Kill Bill with Paddy Considine playing a former soldier who returns to his hometown to seek revenge on the gang that abused his younger brother.

An absolutely brutal revenge flick with a mesmerising performance from Considine.  Recently he has shown great comedy chops in Hot Fuzz and Le Donk & Scor-Zay-Zee, but between this film and My Summer Of Love he displayed the potential to be one of cinema's best psychopaths.  The scene where the guy asks him "what the f*ck are you looking at?" and his reply is simply "you ya C*NT!" shows just how menacing and terrifying he is but also completely convincing.

A great British movie that shows Hollywood just how good we can be.

(500) Films of Empire - Day 54 - Julie & Julie

Sunday for the most part (I did watch the football in the pub in the afternoon and watched the horrendous result on X Factor), was spent in the company of Miss Julie Delpy with three of her films on the list:

390 - 2 Days In Paris - 2 stars

Julie Delpy directs, produces, writes and acts in this comedy that owes a huge debt to the Before... films (which I'm reviewing below) and to Woody Allen, so much so that someone on IMDB called this film 'Woody Amelie'.

Delpy plays a neurotic woman who takes her American boyfriend to spend '2 days in Paris', staying with her family (played by her real parents) and friends, where the language barriers and the fact they keep bumping into Marion's ex-boyfriends.

It's all been done before but amusing to anyone who has found meeting the parents an intimidating experience.

200 - Before Sunrise - 3 stars

A very simple premise; boy meets girl on train, they spend a day walking, talking and flirting around Vienna, boy and girl part ways.

Yet this is a difficult film for me to review as I originally saw Before Sunset, which I loved, before this film.  On my first viewing of Sunrise I was met with a problem, I really didn't like the character of Celine.  I found her rather irritating, so much so that I probably would have skipped out on her when she went to the toilet!

A rather fantastical, idealic view of young romance to this cold hearted cynic, but does feature a scene in the Vienna ferris wheel which reminded me of The Third Man.

110 - Before Sunset - 4 stars

The sequel takes place nine years after Vienna. Jessie has written a book about that fateful day and is at a book signing in Paris when he bumps in Celine. What follows is, yes you guessed it, another 90 min

utes of two people walking and talking round a beautiful city.

But this time it really works, probably due to the two star crossed lovers having grown up (somewhat) wiser. How much of the grown up Jesse and Celine is the characters and how much is the actors playing them is open to debate. There does seem to be a degree of truth and autobiography in their experiences and outlooks on life.

There is a beautiful, underlying honesty to their conversations with a lot of it improvised to heighten the emotional connection between them.

It is full of beautiful moments, like in the taxi when she reaches out to touch him then pulls back and he doesn't see it, and a perfect ending for hopeless romantics where you get to make up your own mind as to how the story ends.

I myself have spent 2 days in Paris, with someone very special, doing the touristy thing, visiting Le Deux Moulins from Amelie and Shakespeare & Co. from Before Sunset.  And although it didn't turn out exactly as I would have liked... no I did not propose at the top of the Eiffel Tower!  I would like to go back, to do the cinephile tour of Paris as it has some of the best cinemas in the world.  Will I include a trip to Paris in my quest to watch all the films on my list?  Perhaps...

(500) Films of Empire - Day 53 - F*ck me gently with a chainsaw!

412 - Heathers - 2 stars

Now I'm sure I'm going to ruffle a few feathers with this comment... but I preferred Mean Girls to Heathers.  Now I know that may annoy some people but please remember that people's opinions of films depend greatly on when they watch them.  And I watched Heathers at a time, thanks to the internet and social networking sites, when teenage suicide was a serious matter, therefore my review is based on now, as all my reviews must be, rather than when it was first released.

It concerns Veronica Sawyer (Winona Ryder) and JD (Christian Slater) rebel against the popular clique of girls (all called Heather) by killing them and passing it off as teenage suicide.

It is an OK movie but I feel that Mean Girls did it better, with psychological bullying being much more powerful and long lasting than just killing them off.