Movie Review: Chain letter (2010)

Chain Letter was one of many DVD’s I received at Christmas and after a quick survey of the cover art, blurb and cast details, we decided that it was to be next on the list to watch. Said cover included a close up of some of the cast and a bloody corpse with a chain wrapped tightly around their ankle. The top billed also made for promising reading with the inclusion of horror legend Brad Dourif accompanied by familiar face Keith David and from Twilight, Nikki Reed.

The film opens with what is probably the most chilling moment. A girl who has been bound and tied is chained to the back of two cars. As she lay on the floor of a garage, two people exit the house and get into the cars, unbeknown to them, their cars would soon become a weapon of horrific death! The scene ends without actually finding out what happens and it isn’t until the end that we learn of the fate of the poor woman chained to the cars!  

The basic premise of Chain Letter follows a familiar pattern and is very reminiscent of both The Ring and Final Destination, almost a freak hybrid of the two to be honest. A group of friends must struggle for their lives as they are picked off one by one following a chain letter/E-Mail being sent to them by an anonymous sender. The first to go are those who dismissed the letter as stupid and ignored or deleted it without continuing the chain! 

Well, that’s the story in a nutshell. For the most part, Chain Letter follows a very formulaic pattern shared by hundreds of like minded slasher flicks, with very little in the way of originality the premise promised a lot but fails in every quarter to deliver. As with most slasher films, it does have its fair share of impressive and inventive death scenes but other that this, there is very little to find of note with Chain Letter. 

Not even the inclusion of Brad Dourif is enough of a stimulant to stir up some quality. In fact, having his name attached to this film was probably how it got as much attention as it did, despite him having approximately 4 minutes of on-screen time. The vast majority of screen time is dominated by Nikki Reed. Reed plays Jessie, one of the group of kids who finds herself tangled in this web of horror. However, it is very difficult to find any empathy for the characters as very little effort is made in building their individuality. In fact, as the first death scene is going on, I was scratching my head trying to figure out who was being butchered, appartently he was connected to them in some way but you’d never know it!

All in all a paint by numbers slasher film with zero characterisation and a fairly poor and extrememly unsatisfactory ending leave this with very little to find in the way of recommendations. I think the closest I can come is a squeamish death scene involving a rather large chain and a poor teen’s face. I will leave it there! I also think this is the first time I have reviewed a film and scored it the same as that given by the users at IMDb! That’s something!

Released: 2010

My Rating: 4

Horror! Part 3: Slasher

Welcome to the next part of my horror summary... It’s been a while since I did Fangs, Claws, Tentacles and Jaws but I thought I would return to my brief histories piece. Next under the knife (pun intended) are Slashers!

Slashers occupy that small void of space between thriller and exploitation. Without any doubt, Slashers are the least educated of all the horror sub genre's and they are generally down the list in terms of everything else too. For the purposes of this entry, Slashers also include "splatter" and gore films.

Slasher films are generally low budget and usually follow a very similar and often linear pattern. As with the previous two parts (Zombies, Fangs, Claws, Tentacles & Jaws) there are far too many films to remember so this is a very broad and generic overview. Hopefully I will not upset anyone and if I have left out any obviously note-worthy slasher films, I apologise in advance. So without further ado, let me begin...

Maybe it wasn’t actually the first slasher film but it is certainly one of the most well known and original films of all time. Said film was presented to us by the master of suspense! Alfred Hitchcock. Psycho is

widely regarded as the mother of all slashers. Anthony Perkins here played Norman Bates who, along with his mother is proprietor of The Bates Motel. A quaint little motel which plays host to a young Janet Leigh. Leigh plays Marion Crane, a secretary who finds herself on the run after stealing $40,000. Although the death count is way below par compared with more modern slashers, the suspense alone is enough to see it gain entry. Not to mention the iconic shower scene which has been emulated countless times.

Hitchcock's magic with the camera is perfectly illustrated as Marion Crane is fleeing the city with the stolen cash. The scene lasts a few minutes and it is as simple as they come. A Camera fixed to the bonnet of her car, watches her face as she believes she is getting further and further away from any possible danger. The irony of what follows makes the whole scene feel much more intense. In true Hitchcock fashion, Psycho keeps you guessing to the end and beyond as anyone who has seen it will know!

Blood Feast was released three years after Psycho and saw the birth of the "Splatter Film". Directed by

Herschell Gordon Lewis, Blood Feast follows an Egyptian caterer who butchers people for ritualistic sacrifice and to include the specialist ingredients in his dishes. The following year, Lewis directed Two Thousand Maniacs. Another splatter film and the second part of what would become known as The Blood Trilogy. Completed in 1965 with Color me Blood Red. Lewis would (much) later direct a sequel to Blood Feast. 2002 saw the release of Blood Feast 2: All You can Eat and it continues pretty much where the first left off. Two Thousand Maniacs was remade in 2005 and released under the title 2001 Maniacs. Robert Englund stars in the remake and it was Englund who would provide the world with one of the most iconic killers in movie history. More on that later.

The 1970's saw a massive influx of slasher films, varying from exploitation to masked maniacs. Wes Cravens' first offering was from the exploitation range with his vision of a rape/revenge film. Last House on the Left (1972) was graphic and horrific in equal doses. Two young girls are held against their will by a group of criminals who include Krug Stillo, played by David Hess. Krug is a serial killer and rapist who personifies evil appears to be the leader of the group which also includes a psychopath and a child molesterer. It sort of covers every base for a stereotypic group of maniacal serial killers.

Last House on the Left includes various graphic scenes and some which would make even the hardest of horror fans cringe but it also features some great revenge killings and portrays perfectly how any normal person would act in the same situation. 2009 saw an extremely week and diluted remake hit the cinemas. The less said about that one, the better I think!

Black Christmas was released in 1974 and really paved the way for the onslaught that followed. Considered to be the first of the more recognisable slasher films, it is the starting point of what would become a long and endless (thus far) road. That same year, a film was released that would not only instil fear into the masses, it would also become one of the genre's first "great" pictures. When you think of the classic slasher films, a small few immediately come to mind but none are quite as raw, gritty and ultimately horrific as The Texas Chainsaw Massacre! A very formulaic storyline nowadays sees a group of friends fighting for their lives in the back of beyond as they battle for survival against the Sawyer family. An evil, sadistic family of inbred butchers, cannibals and serial killers. The main antagonist of the first film being Leatherface! A deformed chainsaw wielding killer who wears the face of his victims as a mask. Originally played by Gunnar Hansen, leatherface’s impact on cinema is immense and remains one of the best horror movie villains of all time. While the original will always be remembered, the same can’t be said for its multiple sequels although a very good attempt at a remake was released in 2003 which itself was followed by a prequel in 2006. As I write this, I am reading of a 3D sequel to the ’74 original which is to be release in 2013 and will be the seventh film in the franchise.

Moving away from Texas, the mid to late seventies continued the trend set by the above but everything about horror cinema was to change in 1978! Following on from the relative success of Assault on Precinct 13, John Carpenter took a turn at horror and gave the world... Halloween. Starring Jamie Lee Curtis and Donald Pleasence, Halloween would re-revolutionize the genre and become a timeless classic which to this day is considered by many to be the best horror film ever made. Michael Myers, an escaped mental patient who 15 years previous had murdered family, returns to his home town and begins stalking a young student, Laurie (Curtis). While the film doesn’t change the trends too much, its subtle mix of excellent storytelling and atmospheric music would raise the bar for all that followed.

One such film that followed was Friday the 13th. Released in 1980, Friday the 13th see’s a group of teen counsellors re-opening a camp in the woods. Camp Crystal Lake, for anyone who knows horror will become synonomous with one name. Jason Voorhees. But! In the 1980 film directed by Sean S Cunningham, Camp Crystal Lake is the setting for Jason’s mother, Pamela Voorhees to inflict her revenge for the death of her son years a go by drowning. She blamed the camp councellors and as a result, the new crop of teens which include a young Kevin Bacon are seemingly doomed! It isn’t until the end when the story takes a twist as the viewer see’s the first reference of Jason. This box office success would pave the way for an unprecedented franchise and would even include a cross-over with another famed villain, Freddy Kruegar. No mention of Friday the 13th Part 2 could be made without special note and a tip of the hat to Mario Bava. Bava’s 1971 film Twitch of the Death Nerve (A.K.A Bay of Blood) was directly imitated in Friday part 2 during a few of the death scenes and Bava’s work has been a constant source of inspiration on the slasher genre. Friday the 13th Part 3 saw Jason adopt the now famous hockey mask and time after time Jason is killed off only to return in another sequel. One such sequel even puts Jason in a futuristic world as after being frozen, he is thawed on Earth 2 in the year 2455! Now if that isn’t enough to kill a franchise I don’t know what is!

Anyhow, The franchise was almost brought back to life in 2009 with a very lame remake, unfortunately the anticipation of release and the gloomy looking photo still’s of a menacing Jason were more exciting than the film itself! A similar fate awaited the next franchise on this piece..

So we have had Michael and Jason, now it is the turn of Freddy. A whole new kind of horror movie villain. 1984 saw the release of another Wes Craven slasher and the birth of Freddy Kruegar. A Nightmare on Elm Street and its following sequels would take more of a focus on the antagonist than anything else and although originally intended to be an evil, menacing killer, Freddy would ultimately become a tongue-in-cheek killer wielding his one liners almost as much as his razor clad gloves! He stalks young kids in their dreams and once he kills them there, they die for real. The first film was very menacing and some awesome filming effects delivered yet another horror classic, it was also the first major role for little known actor, John Christopher Depp II. That evil, menacing version of Freddy was sort of realised in Craven’s return to the franchise, New Nightmare. New Nightmare removed a lot of the comedy from the film and focused much more on horror. With what would soon follow, it is quite easy to see how Craven was playing with new concepts and ideas.

I could simply list the slasher films of the 70’s and 80’s but to be honest, that just sounds really boring and as most follow a similar pattern, it would also be a bit repetitive. So, with the important round-ups done, we move forward to the decade I remember fondly... The Nineties! By the time the 90’s rolled round, the slasher genre had become somewhat stagnant. Sequel after sequel slowly killing the genre from the inside until... salvation! An old faithful did something he is quite good at doing by reinvigorating the genre with Scream. Released in 1996, even if this is a contradiction to the surroundings, Scream had a much more “family friendly” feel. Gone were the dark, gritty and cheap feeling slashers of the 70’s and the same old used up characters of the 80’s. This was a new start for the genre and one which was very welcome indeed. Followed itself by 3 sequels to date, the franchise has become the most successful in the genre.

As time rolled on more of the same would follow until eventually we have come full circle and we are now living in world where the slasher genre is stuck in a loop of cheap Halloween/Scream rip-off’s, prequels, sequels and remakes. Although not all are terrible, it ultimately leads us to believe that the inevitable has arrived and despite the best efforts of those who have served the genre so well in the past, Slasher’s are dying a slow and painful death. The last morsels of originality picked off long ago leaving us with nothing but scraps. Or is it?

While the slasher film in the traditional sense may be declining, a new sub-sub-genre of this lucrative sub-genre has emerged. Like a flaming phoenix from the ashes, films like Hostel and Saw have created their own market and in my opinion, should be considered distant relatives of the slasher genre. Well, writing about these films is becomming almost as boring as watching some of them, so I am going to end it with this. Directors, Writers, please give us an original slasher film to entertain and enthrall us, if you can't do that. Just don't bother! The last thing I want to see is another lame remake of a sequel that wasn't even that good first time round! Zombie, i'm looking at you here. Dont even think about Halloween 3!!!

Movie Review: Rage (2010)

Being fairly new to the reviewing game, I was anxious to see what would be revealed from the first ever screener I had been sent. That screener came in the form of Christopher R. Witherspoon’s Rage. Written and Directed by Witherspoon, it appears to have an impressive level of pedigree. Judging by the numerous accolades attached to this film from various festivals, Rage has definitely impressed! 

A bit of background info informed me that Witherspoon has been involved at various levels in some impressive titles including Re-Animator, a personal favourite of mine. Despite having never heard of Witherspoon or of his previous attempt in the Directors chair, 2004’s drama “Middle Man”. After reading a lot of glowing reviews for Rage, I was definitely looking forward to giving it a whirl.

Rage tells the story of a seemingly average day in the life of Dennis Twist. He is happily married and appears to have his life sorted. A loving wife, a good job and a nice house in the suburbs of Portland but it isn’t long before the cracks begin to appear. It is on a routine excursion to the city that one small act which everyone has done at least once turns his day very sour indeed. After appearing to acquire a parking space at the expense of a mysterious, leather clad, Tinted helmet wearing Biker.

Michael Myers with a Crotch Rocket is probably the best way to describe the Biker! Reminiscent of a “Slab” from Doctor Who or something from the Zovirax adverts, said Biker begins a trail of retribution fit only for someone who had committed the most heinous of crimes! His almost infuriating excessiveness is unrelenting throughout the whole film. With an almost super-human feel to him, can “The Biker” ever be stopped?!
 

What Witherspoon succeeds brilliantly in doing, is creating an extremely thrilling suspense ride perfectly complimented by a cast comprising of Rick Crawford (Dennis), Audrey Walker (Crystal) and Witherspoon himself donning the helmet to portray The Biker. Crawford’s character seems to take a nose dive towards the end, which ironically is the part of the film I wanted his adrenaline to be at peak capacity but hey ho. Walker eventually providing a very reasonable contrast to Crawford as Crystal musters up most of the bottle from the protagonists’ point of view.

As for the script, we forego most of the unrealistic absurdity that befouls so many low budget horror films. What we are given is an almost true to life account of daily conversations, albeit slightly underplayed by a few members of the cast, a slightly laboured delivery which left a lot to be desired. Sadly, or not depending on how you look at it, the realism dissipates towards the end as mindless gore prevails and we are treated to our first sight of blood! Personally, this was a welcome change of pace. Although the films' suspense was greatly enjoyed, all endings should have a bit of gore for the sake of gore! If, of course, it is tastefully done! Although it does take a great deal to shock me (Cannibal Holocaust is a good film to watch to desensitise yourself) the misses had to vacate the room for a certain bedroom scene! I will leave it at that!

Rage perfectly demonstrates what can be achieved with hard work, a carefully selected cast and a keen eye for a good shot which Witherspoon posses in spades. Some shots are so well done that you could be forgiven for assuming this was not a low budget horror flick. His attention to detail gives the overall appearance of Rage an extra professional touch and the depiction of the Biker set on the backdrop of the city makes the whole experience much more real. Not set in an abandoned hospital or in the middle of the woods somewhere, this is where people work and live but The Biker maintains his aggression with little to no regard for his own obedience of the law!

With huge influences and even a glittering reference, Steven Spielberg's Duel plays a big part in the production and direction of this film. However, it must be said that Jurassic Park is by no means a bad Spielberg film! That’s all I will say about that (You will have to watch the film to understand) but anyway, back to Rage.

 

With only a small number of shortcomings, Rage progresses extremely well, mixing in great scenery with amazing imagery. A very able cast go about their business with consummate ease and a script to match. Although The Biker’s ultimate motives seem somewhat trivial, his extreme reign of terror takes the film from sharp suspense to revenge gore without losing any of its atmosphere. If you get a chance to see this film, you should take it. Hopefully with a bit more of a push, Rage will be picked up and could find a general release sometime soon!

Year: 2010

My Rating: 8