sneak: an american haunting
[jan 08 2007, 22:28]
alright, as i'm a filmmaker of sorts, i like to see other people's works. thus, i go to the movies far more often than i should.
in our local cinema, there is a regular event (roughly every two weeks) where you don't know what movie you're going to watch. it's generally one that isn't out yet (thus the whole shebang is called 'sneak preview' or 'sneak' among the initiated) and generally one you wouldn't pay money to see otherwise. i'm not paying money but that's another story i might tell another time.
anyway, i've decided to try to analyze... write about... mention every movie i see this year. let's see how that works out...
the year started with an american haunting. it was actually quite hard to find the original title of the movie because in german it's something like 'the curse of betsy bell'.
allegedly, it's based on actual events and tells the story of a girl that is haunted by some dark, evil spirit that tugs at her bedspread and shoves her over the floor – something that every respectable evil spirit is bound to do. in the end, you get the oh-so-great revelation (almost shyamalan'esque) and the end of the wraparound that is probably as pointless as the movie itself.
i rather liked the overall look of things but what really annoyed me to hell (besides the hideous script, the partly terrifyingly bad acting and the fact that donald sutherland starred in it) was the fact that they kept showing the same sequences over and over and over and over (you get my point) again. i don't know how often i saw poor betsy bell, safely sleeping in her bed only to see the bedspread being pulled back ever so slowly.
the movie also featured some of the longest shots i've ever seen and while one of them was a really well-done chase through a house, then leaving the house and following a fleeing cart for a couple of miles, the rest was basically all the important actors sitting in a room and the camera going around them without end while some ominous voices were whispering in the background.
all in all, an entirely pointless crossing of the exorcist, the grudge and chucky (yes, there was the much-needed, absolutely irrelevant doll). two or three nice shocker scenes but otherwise you're better off reading some edgar allan poe, watching the ring or going to bed without looking for the monsters in your cupboards.
more soon.
charon
in our local cinema, there is a regular event (roughly every two weeks) where you don't know what movie you're going to watch. it's generally one that isn't out yet (thus the whole shebang is called 'sneak preview' or 'sneak' among the initiated) and generally one you wouldn't pay money to see otherwise. i'm not paying money but that's another story i might tell another time.
anyway, i've decided to try to analyze... write about... mention every movie i see this year. let's see how that works out...
the year started with an american haunting. it was actually quite hard to find the original title of the movie because in german it's something like 'the curse of betsy bell'.
allegedly, it's based on actual events and tells the story of a girl that is haunted by some dark, evil spirit that tugs at her bedspread and shoves her over the floor – something that every respectable evil spirit is bound to do. in the end, you get the oh-so-great revelation (almost shyamalan'esque) and the end of the wraparound that is probably as pointless as the movie itself.
i rather liked the overall look of things but what really annoyed me to hell (besides the hideous script, the partly terrifyingly bad acting and the fact that donald sutherland starred in it) was the fact that they kept showing the same sequences over and over and over and over (you get my point) again. i don't know how often i saw poor betsy bell, safely sleeping in her bed only to see the bedspread being pulled back ever so slowly.
the movie also featured some of the longest shots i've ever seen and while one of them was a really well-done chase through a house, then leaving the house and following a fleeing cart for a couple of miles, the rest was basically all the important actors sitting in a room and the camera going around them without end while some ominous voices were whispering in the background.
all in all, an entirely pointless crossing of the exorcist, the grudge and chucky (yes, there was the much-needed, absolutely irrelevant doll). two or three nice shocker scenes but otherwise you're better off reading some edgar allan poe, watching the ring or going to bed without looking for the monsters in your cupboards.
more soon.
charon