pgelatt Reviews

The Hills Have Eyes (2006)

Best of the remakes

[4 October 2006]

The recent trend of remaking old horror films has been really disturbing (and not in the way intended). I was disheartened (though not surprised) to recently read about possible remakes of Don't Look Now and Suspiria. This after the utterly unnecessary Wicker Man remake seems such a shame. But, in the out pouring of poorly conceived remakes, this one stands to me as a success.

First of all, I don't think the original film is that strong. Craven has had moments of directorial brilliance, but Hills Have Eyes is not one of them. The remake however, is a stylish, grotesque and, for the most part, intelligently conceived film. True, at times the characters act without much sense, but on the whole this is a tense and worthwhile viewing for anyone interested in current horror trends.

Awake (2007)

Caught a preview screening of this tonight and I'm awfully excited about it

[27 September 2006]

I'm not going to put any spoilers in this review, but this is certainly a movie with some great twists and turns. I haven't been this excited about an upcoming release since The Sixth Sense or Memento. Hard to believe this is the director's first feature (although it's possible he cut his teeth in the commercial or music video world... I'm not sure) I mean, certainly the film has a few problems, some of the moments didn't ring exactly true to me and the music was a touch maudlin at times. But when this film gets it right, it gets it really right. I was on the edge of my seat from the second act on. It's the first film I've seen in awhile that manages to balance a genuine emotionality with a strong thriller aspect. Even Hayden Christensen, who I think we all had our doubts about after Episodes I-III, puts in a memorable and affecting performance. Definitely a film to see and a director I'll be keeping my eye on.

Once Upon a Time in the West (1968)

Pure cinematic brilliance

[27 September 2006]

A strange a beautiful moment in Italian cinema bringing together Argento, Leone, and Bertolucci to conceive of a western that was not just about tense quick draw competitions but about the nature of capitalism, the nature of genre, and the strange fate of American individualism. A fantastic piece of film making.

To me this is a stronger film than any of Leone's earlier works, and it is the logical extension of the kinds of things he was doing in his first three westerns. "Fistful of Dollars" established the mode, "For a Few Dollars More" expanded it, "Good, the Bad, and the Ugly" perfected it, and in so doing, changed it to examine, and re-stage, moments of warfare. And then the final film, which explodes the genre, wisely casting Henry Fond against type as a steely eyed child killing murderer. This is probably as good as Westerns will ever get.