For Flying Servants Only…….

The Lost Boys0
kristin posted in Reviews on September 6th, 2007

The Lost Boys Still Good
By Kristin Battestella
 

            So you have to be an eighties baby to even remember who ‘The Coreys’ are, but the 1987 vampire fest The Lost Boys is worth remembering.  Directed by Joel Schumacher and starring Jason Patric, Kiefer Sutherland, Jami Gertz, Diane Wiest, and of course, Corey Haim and Corey Feldman, The Lost Boys strength is not in its stale effects but in its memorable characters.
            Divorced Mom Lucy (Diane Wiest) moves her sons Michael (Jason Patric) and Sam (Corey Haim) from Phoenix to Santa Carla, where the boys have a tough time adjusting to Grandpa’s (Barnard Hughes) rules.  A Comic enthusiast, Sam makes friends with comic store clerks Edgar and Alan Frog (Corey Feldman and Jamison Newlander).  The Frogs insist St. Carla is swarming with vampires, but Sam doesn’t believe them until Michael becomes involved with Star (Jami Gertz).  Star, David (Kiefer Sutherland) and their pals sleep all day and party all night, and Michael is deceived into their wicked ways. When Sam tries to tell his Mother, he interferes with her new romance with video store owner Max (Edward Herrmann).
 

            Well, its been twenty years, so I don’t remember what kind of reception The Lost Boys received at the box office, but the cast was at the time all-star.  Some like the Coreys have fallen to drugs and the pressures of fame, but in the late eighties and early nineties they were the Tom Cruise of teen flicks.  Hits like License To Drive and Dream A Little Dream catapulted the Coreys to fame.  Likewise Kiefer Sutherland was making an early mark in films with bad guy roles here and in Stand By Me (One Corey was in that one, Feldman.)  The Lost Boys succeeds because its well rounded cast gives a feeling of realism.  Unlike pretty vampire films like Interview With The Vampire and Underworld, this teen vampire gang and the boys in its web have parents, jobs, and authority with which to deal. 
When summarizing the story, there isn’t much beyond the usual vampire fair.  Someone is suspected of being a vampire, someone is a vampire, vampire gets good guy under his spell, conflicted vampire helps in big vampire overthrow finale.  Whew.  The Lost Boys has all of this, but Schumacher finds the line between taking the film to seriously and being able to laugh at itself.  Memorable scenes from all the actors showcase each’s range, and the script offers lovely moments of humor and real life to keep the vampires in perspective.  From Corey Haim’s bathtub serenade to pot smoking Grandpa’s insistence that ‘If you have a TV Guide, you don’t need a TV.’, The Lost Boys keeps it light without becoming ridiculously humorous like forgettable eighties vampire flicks Once Bitten or My Best Friend Is A Vampire.  
Where its needs to be light, The Lost Boys plays up the Coreys, but when the film turns dark, it can get very dark, even frightening.  Naturally, Kiefer Sutherland and his biker brood seem alluring to Michael at first, but after David’s true nature is revealed to him, things become very hazy.  The infamous ‘Maggots, Michael. You’re eating maggots’ can be funny, but the ambiguous imagery and haunting pop score add a dark undercurrent to the film.  When the vampire killing begins and the blood sucking action goes all out, its very easy for the audience to root for Sam and The Frog Brothers’ rescue of Michael, the tormented vampire Star, and the peculiar child vampire Laddie. 
 

There’s no doubt that in 1987, The Lost Boy’s style and effects were at the forefront of Hollywood.  Even with restoration to DVD, today these vampire action scenes can look, well, hokey.  The flying vampire scenes seem artsy and avante guarde like other colorful Schumacher films, and the vampire booby traps don’t seem as inventive as they did then.  But of course, if anyone else tried filling a bathtub with garlic and holy water, everyone would know it was copied from The Lost Boys. Just like the scene in which Sam and The Frog brothers try and prove Max is a vampire by putting mirrors about the dinner table, many of the hijinks here made a stamp on the vampire genre.  It doesn’t mean they are perfect today, but that’s not the point either.
Vampire fans looking for more story than CGI should pick up The Lost Boys on DVD.  The single disc is affordable and  the more recent Two Disc Special Edition carries its fair share of extras-including the standard  deleted scenes, commentaries, and documentary features.  Younger fans who enjoy the stylized Underworld type might not like Boys, but if given the chance, new audiences will relate and appreciate what’s trying to be said.  Rated R, The Lost Boys has sexuality, violence, and scares that are too heavy for tweens or younger.  If you have a spooky youngin, edited airings of The Lost Boys can be found on cable.  The important thing is to not let the idea of older production values hinder your viewing experience.  The Lost Boys is a must for any budding vampire enthusiast.

The Hitcher (2007)0
kristin posted in Reviews on September 6th, 2007

Bean Steals The Hitcher
By Kristin Battestella
 

Who didn’t love to hate Sean Bean when the English actor first came onto the US radar in 1992’s Patriot Games? Following with another villainous turn in the initial Pierce Brosnan Bond flick Goldeneye (1995), it is no wonder American audiences didn’t begin to appreciate the versatile actor until Bean’s understated performance as the ill-fated Boromir in The Lord of The Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring.
Always popular overseas as Napoleonic hero Richard Sharpe in the British television series of the same name, Sean Bean’s most recent high profile American picture was this winter’s The Hitcher, a remake of the 1986 Rutger Hauer yarn about a psychotic hitchhiker who trails innocents and frames them for his crimes. Directed by famed music video helmsman Dave Meyers, The Hitcher boasts production support from mega action chairman Michael Bay (Armageddon, The Rock) and Matthew Cohan-who also fronted the edgy and popular remakes of The Amityville Horror and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (as well as the sci-fi flick The Island-also starring Bean).  Unfortunately, The Hitcher failed to further shiver mid January movie going audiences.  Incredibly short at under 1 hour 25 minutes, The Hitcher might have been over priced for theaters.  Do however, look for the recent DVD release in your video store’s sale bin.
 

Now back to Sean Bean.  Despite being a horror enthusiast, I wouldn’t have picked up The Hitcher for rising stars Sophia Bush or  Zachary Knighton.  Even cult favorite Neal McDonough (Star Trek: First Contact) was a pleasant surprise, but I won’t kid you-I bought The Hitcher for the 48 year old Bean.  Once considered by fans as the most beloved Hauer film, The Hitcher now belongs to Sean Bean.
The Hitcher’s story begins when college cuties Grace Andrews (Bush) and Jim Halsey (Knighton) take off across the American Southwest for Spring Break-in a classic 442 no less.  Unfortunately, after encountering seemingly pedestrian hitchhiker John Ryder (Bean), their lives quickly turn to carnage, terror, and high speed pursuit.  Ryder initially attacks the couple, but they manage to escape him- only to find he has killed others and is framing them for his rampage.  New Mexico State Police Lieutenant Eldridge (McDonough) pursues Grace and Jim-who look more and more like the killers with every turn.
I have to admit, I first though Sophia Bush to be one of President Bush’s daughters!  Young starlets are so interchangeable in Hollywood today, and the B horror flick is often where new names perfect their death scene antics.  The One Tree Hill star does hold her own here in the otherwise all male cast. Of course she looks the pretty for the part, but Bush carries an untraditional edge and non-blonde bimbo look that fits the ballsy chick here.  Nothing against TV guester Zachary Knighton, but his performance was a dime a dozen.  Screenwriter Eric Red was smart to turn this version’s focus on Grace-as opposed to the original’s hold on C. Thomas Howell’s Halsey.  It’s 2007, yet Knighton’s look harkens back to the nineties grunge and skater style.  I didn’t find it attractive then, and I certainly don’t believe this Jim will be the star of Spring Break any time soon.  Whether it’s poor skill or by design, here Jim is a limp fish next to Bean’s Ryder.
 
While not exactly a sex symbol in the US in his day, Bean’s psycho turn here is nonetheless the most attractive thing in The Hitcher.  Yes he’s older now, and well, he does have a big nose, but Bean’s command of these college kids is evident from the moment they almost hit him on the road.  The complexity of Ryder-who is he? Where does he come from? What does he want?- is more interesting than seeing if Grace and Jim make it.  It’s a horror flick-we know someone isn’t going to survive-but in some part of the back of your mind, you want that tawdry ending where Ryder walks off into the sunset to nab another wayward couple.
Although I expected the film to be billed as ‘And Sean Bean as The Hitcher’, he is rightfully given top billing, followed by Sophia Bush. He’s twice her age-old enough to be her father-yet Bean and Bush (hee) have some interesting chemistry onscreen.  Maybe as a woman it’s the fear of rape, or perhaps its my one to many viewings of Bean in the steamy Lady Chatterley, but I was routing for physical action between these two for the duration.  You can’t have a rugged, mean Bean and a short skirted Bush without some rough potential.  Meyer does give the audience a fine balance of hints and foreplay and lots of f-bombed dialogue.  Kudos also to whoever decided to give Sheffield born and bred Sean an American accent.  Knowing his true and definitely British accent is being hidden here adds to Ryder’s creepiness.  If even that isn’t true about Ryder, what else is there lying there, waiting?
 

While I haven’t seen the Rutger Hauer version of The Hitcher in some time, the 2007 version reminds me more of Stephen Spielberg’s early road rage classic Duel.  Bean’s performance is akin to Duel’s crazy  and dubious tractor trailer more so than Hauer.  For myself, Blade Runner is the creepy Hauer flick and Ladyhawke is my favorite of his films.  Hauer’s most iconic moment in The Hitcher, however, now belongs to Sean Bean.  The ‘late model black thunderbird’ car chase and shoot ‘em up has even my honey rooting for villainous Bean.
I’m a bit tired of remakes and sequels, and it’s a double edged sword to know The Hitcher is in Matthew Cohan’s line of horror revisits.  On one hand, the story is very familiar, but then again, Cohan and his team have seemed to perfect the art of maintaining the best of the original and infusing it with modern filmmaking.  The visuals and creative deaths in this Hitcher could not have been done in the eighties.  Lighting, however, seems to suffer for Meyer’s fast paced music video style.  Sometimes The Hitcher is almost too dark to see anything.  Sure maybe it adds to atmosphere or mood, but we want to watch the action in the creepy desert jailhouse.  Equally jarring is Meyer’s cuts to outside action.  Beautiful open desert shots have even the actors noticeably squinting.
Another place The Hitcher misses more than hits is its somewhat low body count.  Indeed perhaps it is even too short for its own horror/car chase genre.  Near the end of the film, I found myself missing ensemble horror road trip films- where one by one the nobodys and bimbos are picked off.  It might have been interesting to see Grace and Jim with a buddy couple who meets their end courtesy of John Ryder-or perhaps that scenario could have put the film beyond believability.  The Hitcher is also partially undone with its over simple dialogue.  Some of it is really great-Eldridge’s hick cop banter and Ryder’s ambiguous one liners bring humor and food for thought, but our couple utters too many cries along the lines of ‘What does he want? Why is he doing this?’.  Even the bullseye gem ‘I’ll be back in 15 minutes’ makes a cameo.
 

Although The Hitcher came and went in theaters, I expected the DVD release to have more features than it does.  There’s an up close segment on Knighton and his definitive bloodfest scene, plus a detailed behind the scenes look with the complete cast and crew.  For fans who want to know the ins and outs of all the car stunts-here it is.  I was, however, disappointed with the deleted scenes and alternate ending.  Outtakes would have been a real treat, but instead we get four different versions of how one hotel room scene could have gone down.  Indeed deleted scenes are usually deleted for a reason, and the way that hotel room scene is finalized in the film is the superior outcome.  The alternate ending was a little over the top for theaters-as the cover promised-but not nearly as extreme as it could have been.  The highlight of the features for me was Sophia Bush confessing she was really afraid of Sean Bean!
If you don’t like spooks, cars, and gore, then The Hitcher is not for you.  Are there scarier and more gory horror films out there? More serious and hard core action, high speed thrillers? Of course, but you can’t find solid acting and character complexity in Jason X. Perhaps what is the creepiest thing about The Hitcher is that this kind of road rage can happen and does happen.  This film is a must see for Sean Bean fans or Sophia Bush lovers.  Perhaps the question is not to purchase this DVD, but rather what would you do if one of the S.B.s was thumbing for a ride on your street?

Disturbia0
kristin posted in Reviews on September 6th, 2007

Bi Polar Disturbia Not Bad For Teens
By Kristin Battestella
 

On the Memorial Day matinee whim, we took in the teen thriller Disturbia.  Only a handful of folks were in the theater, and the show’s PG-13 rating had me thinking second thoughts.  Can you make a quality horror film in this day and age without a solid amount of blood, gore, sex, and language?  While not for the hard core creature feature enthusiast, Disturbia fits the bill for its targeted teen audience.
Troubled teen Kale (Shia LeBeouf) is still struggling with his father’s death one year after the fatal car accident.  Teachers and even Mom Julie (Carrie Ann Moss) can’t seem to reach Kale, and after things get violent with his Spanish teacher, Kale is forced to spend his summer under house arrest-ankle bracelet and all.  With no TV or video games, Kale has a tough time with his inbound status-until he begins observing his neighborhood.  The ruthless tots on his block, the affair across the street, the new cutie Ashley (Sarah Roemer) next door- Kale and his best pal Ronnie (Aaron Yoo) begin to suspect lawn mowing neighbor Robert (David Morse) of being the serial killer on the news. When Robert takes an interested in his mom, Kale takes his voyeurism to the next level. 
 

Two problems with Disturbia right off the bat. One, I really hope kids don’t try at home what they see in this movie.  The high tech binoculars, camera set ups, internet instructions, etc. are not meant to be emulated, but must serve as the technical means for Kale’s plans.  Second, the bi polar storyline works for and against Disturbia. On one hand, the film is an excellent coming of age story-even if it is the trouble teen, issues, yada yada cliché we’ve all seen before.  But in addition to this very real and well played drama, we have Kale’s mission to find evidence against his psychotic neighbor.  Which storyline is meant to dominate?  If Director D.J. Caruso (Taking Lives) isn’t sure, how can the audience  be?
Written by Christopher B. Landon and Carl Ellsworth, Disturbia spends most of its time on Kale’s coming to terms with his situation.  The lengthy establishments in the beginning don’t feel like such, but not everything put down is fully explored either.  In order to spy on Ashley, Kale must venture into his dead father’s office.  We have one sad, reflective scene, but soon after Kale is timing his watch and bringing in the popcorn.  It wouldn’t be so bad if we have character and development, then move on to the scary bits, but the two stories are interweaved together.  Kale spies, Ashley wanders over, they spy, Kale and Ashley fight, Kale and Ronnie go to creepy neighbor’s house, Kale and Ashley make up…Oiy!  If Disturbia was fifty percent boy meets girl then fifty percent save mom from killer perhaps it wouldn’t be so bad.  Unfortunately, its not, and I’m unclear the point Caruso and company are trying to make.  These storylines should have been two separate films.  I mean, what really, do they have to do with each other? 
 

Disturbia’s bright spot, however, is the cast.  Carrie Ann Moss is somewhat wasted, and after such success in The Matrix I wonder why she took such a thankless role?  Still her wit is on form, and the relationship with Kale works.  I had no clue who he was before Disturbia but LeBeouf was everywhere at the theater, in the Transformers trailer and possibly the new Indiana Jones film.  The chemistry with newcomer Sarah Roemer is there, and it was a pleasant change to see an Asian in the best friend role-even if the sidekick part is also thankless. Action veteran David Morse (The Rock, The Long Kiss Goodnight) is perfect as the murderous neighbor.  Disturbia would be unwatchable if Robert was unbelievably played.  Morse sells the mid life crisis charismatic psycho. Imagine what the cast could have done if they had a clear plot in mind.
The cast keeps each scene watchable, you like them and root for the positive outcome, but the pace of Disturbia is as uneven as its bipolar stories.  We get a voyeuristic suspense scene with shades of Rear Window followed by a teen angst scene more like Can’t Hardly Wait. Deathly crimes with a crazy neighbor won’t wait for midnight confessions.  Its unrealistic and jerks you out of what little rhythm is established. 
Disturbia doesn’t have the gore young audiences have made popular with the likes of Saw or Hostel. Its the sets and looks that fit the mood of the film.  Disturbia takes itself seriously, which makes it one step above Eerie, Indiana.  Parents needn’t worry about dropping the kids off at the theater for this one, and maybe this would be a nice DVD to pick up for a family night in a few months.  Unless you have a child prone to house arrest with nothing to do, Disturbia is a fine teen thriller.  Young folks will take the action, babes, and chills for what its worth, but there’s little in Disturbia to disturb. 
 

The Ninth Gate0
kristin posted in Reviews on September 6th, 2007

The Ninth Gate-Devilishly Good
By Kristin Battestella
 

            I liked Pirates of The Caribbean- when I finally saw it.  Although Johnny Depp was an eighties and nineties teen idol through vehicles like 21 Jump Street and Cry Baby, I am bemused to see his face on book bags, toys, even waffles in Captain Jack fame.  Despite his recent family friendly pictures, Depp’s body of work lends itself to the macabre and dark with films like Sleepy Hollow, Edward Scissorhands, Corpse Bride and mature features such as Blow and From Hell.  In 1999, the talented Mr. Depp starred in The Ninth Gate.  Not for Pirate fans, indeed.
           
Oscar winning director Roman Polanski directs Depp as Nick Corso-a rare book dealer whose reputation precedes him.  Corso is summoned by Boris Balkin (Frank Langella) to inspect his collection of rare books on the devil-in particular the Nine Gates of The Kingdom of Shadows.  Only Three exist, and Balkin fears two are forgeries.  He commissions Corso to go to Europe and compare the books-finances are no object. 
            During his investigation, Corso questions the “dishy”  Widow Telfer (Lena Olin).  Her rich old husband sold her Nine Gates to Balkan one day before he killed himself, and Telfer even takes Corso to bed in her quest to reclaim the book.  Corso’s life is threatened repeatedly, and after Corso meets with the other two owners of the Nine Gates, death follows.  A mysterious woman (Emmanuelle Seigner) helps Corso and they solve the puzzles within the books’ engravings.  When all nine of the original engravings-supposedly drawn by Lucifer- are united, the devil himself will appear.
 

            The film opens brilliantly with the suicide of Mr. Telfer.  It’s an odd way to start a film-to begin with death- but Polanski’s opener works.  The opening credits and score by Wojciech Kilar (The Pianist, Bram Stoker’s Dracula) are equally haunting, and everything in the film truly progresses from this moment.  Depp’s first scene as Corso is also delightful.  He scams a family out of a rare book set, and thus Polanski and Depp instantly establish the lack of Corso’s innocence.  Corso starts out as greedy, selfish, ambitious, but he soon becomes obsessed with the Nine Gates. 
 

Depp’s mannerisms and dress also swiftly convey his duality and the duel nature of evil itself.  He knows all the top European hotels, dresses fine, speaks French-there’s no doubt of Corso’s intelligence.  He is however devious, an underbelly scam artist-when Corso’s only friend dies, Nick takes the hidden Nine Gates and leaves his friend strung up and dead.  The three owners of the Nine Gates are incredibly wealthy and fortunate, and Polanski reiterates the idea that the devil is luxorius, tempting, enticing and you must sell your soul to obtain such powers. As Nick comes closer to the truth about the Nine Gates, Depp’s appearance changes.  He gets dirty, wet, beat up.  He wears broken glasses.  His refined exterior is stripped away, and Corso’s true nature is revealed.
            Some parts of The Ninth Gate are very heavy and dark.  Depp’s quirky sarcasm, however, keeps the feel light.  The film is set mostly in Europe, giving it that devilish, upscale feel.  The use of foreign language is accurate-it’s nice to see a director that acknowledges not everyone everywhere speaks English.  The locales are beautifully showcased, and this use of real locations reinforces the spooky possibilities of the film.  The books and buildings are old, very old, ancient, ancient as evil.
 

            For a relatively quiet foreign production, The Ninth Gate also boasts several well known supporting names.  Frank Langella and Lena Olin are perfect as the rich, classy, aging gracefully socialites worshipping the devil.  Each thinks his or her interpretation of the Nine Gates will summon the devil-some of the craziness they go to for their beliefs is a bit humorous, but Polanski and the old school actors expertly convey a level of real life creepiness.  Both Balkin and Telfer point fingers at each other’s money and power, and the audience is left with the creepy notion that we must all play with fire, candles, orgies, and pentagrams to achieve success.
            Barbara Jefford as the third Gates owner Barroness Kessler is the lone voice of relative reason.  She warns Corso the devil isn’t child’s play, and she left the secret society surrounding the Nine Gates after the club degraded to sex, drugs, and rock n roll.  Unfortunately, the Baroness-like the previous respectable owners of the Nine Gates before her-meets a bitter end. 
 

            Although the intelligence of the film is in its puzzles and performances, the action leaves something to be desired.  The deaths are unique and impressive, but Depp’s not an action star-at least not here.  This supports the idea that Corso is a bit of a slimeball, but it makes a few stunts seem somewhat silly.  It’s ironic that Corso is the guy we’re rooting for.  As naughty as he is, he’s the good guy compared to Balkin and Telfer. Corso appeals to the audience with intelligence and emotion and relatability-Nick is the closest one to a normal guy.
The engravings and picture puzzles in the film are also extremely smart, and they look authentic to the viewer.  More than just the hidden pictures found in Highlights, Depp sniffs the paper and ruffles the pages-he takes the research approach to the Nine Gates.  First time audiences will double take at the scenes featuring the sketches up close.  The calculations in the book can only be appreciated with repeated viewings.
 

It took me several viewings to fully realize the mysterious woman helping Corso.  Billed only as “The Girl”, Polanski cast his wife in the ambiguous part.  Everywhere he goes, Corso spots the girl appearing and disappearing.  Whose side is she on? Corso never has to tell her anything, yet she knows everything about the Nine Gates-and she wears odd socks. Corso names her Green Eyes, and what little special effects found in The Ninth Gate center around this woman.  Pay attention to those eyes.  The first time I saw The Ninth Gate, I thought the girl was an angel.
I don’t know much about Polanski’s exile due to his charges in the US.  I didn’t make it through his Oscar winning turn for The Pianist, and off hand I can only recall Rosemary’s Baby and Chinatown.  From my limited examples, however, it seems as if Polanski is an actor’s director.  Along with his Best Director Oscar, he brought a Best Actor performance from Adrian Brody for The Pianist, and since The Ninth Gate, Depp has gone on to an Oscar nomination himself.
 

The Ninth Gate benefits greatly from its source novel by Spanish writer Arturo Pérez-Reverte.  All the movie’s smarts lead to a triple decker spiffy ending.  Is it Telfer’s orgy that brings about the Prince of Darkness or Balkin’s fire and brimstone?  The revelation discovered by Corso is unexpected, and it leaves the audience thinking about The Ninth Gate long after it’s over. 
With an R rating, this DVD or video is not meant for children or the prudish.  Although the film is thoroughly about the devil, The Ninth Gate is a tale about caution and evil, not like great yet indulgent films such as The Devil’s Advocate.  Still, religious audiences may be offended by the ritualistic scenes and the nature of the Nine Gates book. 
For macabre yet stylized film fans, The Ninth Gate is a must have with repeat viewings.  Fortunately, the film is slightly foreign, a few years old, and just right for the bargain bin.  Perfect for a devilishly good night at home.