Dementia 13 - 1.5/5(dir. Francis Ford Coppola)
Let's just be honest here: the only reason you would watch this movie is for trivia, just as the only reason someone would seek out All in the Family (1975) is because of the infamous Jackie Chan sex scene. If Francis Ford Coppola hadn't gone on to become one of the best American filmmakers in history, this failing little trifle of a film would have disappeared into anonymity, perhaps where it belongs.
It's not that Dementia 13 is a particularly bad film per se, it's just that it's so exceptionally mediocre. Made on a shoe-string with money left over from a different low-budget film, Dementia 13 tries to piggyback on the success of Psycho and other psychological, "family issues" thrillers. There are a few interesting scenes and shots - Coppola clearly trying to inject his film with some sense of vitality - but the whole thing is just so bland, low-key, and simplistic that it actually feels like what it is: a student film made by someone with big ambitions, but quite simply in over his head.
The Invisible Man - 2/5(dir. James Whale)
I'm sorry... I wanted to like this movie. I really did, especially considering all the great work I've seen from James Whale (Frankenstein, Bride of Frankenstein, etc)... but I just couldn't do it. No matter how much I tried to get into the story and go with the idea of "Okay, an invisible man really could be a serial killer monster rather than a novelty," I just couldn't get past the novelty. Because when you get right down to it, that's all being invisible really is. No one wants to be invisible so they can kill people; they want to be invisible so they can rob banks, or see women naked, depending on their priorities.
So while The Invisible Man does have some genuinely good moments (indeed, a few great sequences) and a great performance by the largely unseen Claude Rains, it's just too naive and goofy to work as the thrilling adventure film it's trying to be. The primitive effects are impressive for the time, but frankly don't cut it today. I realize that's an unfair way to judge the film, but when special effects are the main focus of the story, it's hard not to judge the film in such a way. Maybe worth watching out of sheer curiosity, but if you're looking for "classic" horror, go through the other James Whale greats before bothering with this one.
(dir. Henry Selick)
If I were to make a list of the top ten movies I've seen where I would be willing to turn the sound off and simply let the filmic imagery wash over me, Coraline would be right near the top of that list. This is, quite simply, spectacle at its finest; if ever there was better stop-motion animation, I've never seen it. Such rich, vivid colors, such lush imagination, such exquisite craftsmanship: literally every frame of the film is sheer bliss to behold.
The film is so good to watch, in fact, it's a shame the story kind of gets in the way. A number of scenes, plot details, even full sequences simply feel half-baked, or worse, thrown in for visual flair. Don't get me wrong - everything in the film is simply magnificent to behold, it's just that it leaves the script feeling a little lackluster, and thus the overall emotional arc and response a bit thin. With some nice bits of quirky humor, good voice acting, and a truly astonishing visual style, Coraline is a great movie to watch, but comes up a bit short nevertheless.
The House of the Devil - 4/5(dir. Ti West)
After only a few years, Ti West has managed to do what Robert Rodriguez has been trying to do for decades: create a throwback which captures the feel and attitude of classic genre films, while still making something unique and fresh for a modern audience. Taking place in the '80s but made in just 2009, The House of the Devil will surely bring a smile to the face of any child of the era. The feathery hair, cassette players, big headphones - all the period details are right. More impressive, though, is West's faithfulness to the filmmaking of the time. He uses 16mm, he has the occasional goofy zoom, the pop music interlude, the opening title cards - few films have been able to capture the '80s spirit so perfectly without dipping into condescension or outright parody. Even lead actress Jocelin Donahue bears a striking resemblance to Jessica Harper of Suspiria fame.
The House of the Devil builds on a popular plot device of '80s horror: devil worship. Right from the start, you know a Satanic cult comes into play somehow, but West's brilliance is in the way he is able to delay the big reveal for so long. The film starts with a title card about Satanism over some ominous music, and there are a number of creepy characters and occurrences throughout, but at times you'd forget you're watching a horror film. It just moves so effortlessly between comedy, drama, suspense, character study... all the while, though, West is dropping little clues that things aren't quite right. The most subtle is superb work by Tom Noonan, who elevates creepy to a passive-aggressive art form.
The film does what few modern horror films do: it takes its time. West's script is in no hurry. There is no typical opening murder followed by clumsy exposition followed by a more gruesome murder followed by even clumsier exposition... perhaps the most shocking thing about The House of the Devil, actually, is how little violence is in it. I imagine this may actually upset some people, but anyone with any semblance of movie-watching chops can appreciate what is going on. This isn't some splatter film trying to shock you with gory special effects; this is actually a character-driven tragedy which is eventually taken over by the macabre. It builds to a thrilling, fantastic conclusion, and it has the patience to earn the payoff. A great, modern horror film - a rare treat.
(dir. Jack Clayton)
How's this for a little personal history? I first saw a screen capture from The Innocents four years ago, some two years after its DVD release. That simple image - a woman in a black dress standing by a lake - so unnerved me that I simply had to see the full film. After all those years, I've yet to find a hard copy for myself, but thankfully TCM was kind enough to air the film this past October. Cue the DVR, and here I am - satisfied with one of the best haunted house movies I've ever seen.
The story has the classic set-up of many a ghost story: a naive governess is charged by a wealthy, brusque socialite to care for his extravagant estate and his heirs. She comes to suspect, however, that former staff members have not exactly left the premises. Cue the spooky sound effects... Kidding.
The power of The Innocents lies not so much in the script or the acting (which are both quite good), but in the technique. Cinematographer Freddie Francis's minimalist, deep-focus photography simply drips with atmosphere, milking every scene for all its creepy possibilities. His work is so good you wish all haunted house movies were in black and white. And the "scares" themselves are so effectively unnerving and understated that even though the "ghosts" (for lack of a better term) are fairly non-threatening, you nevertheless find yourself with hairs standing on end. One of my favorite things was the unpredictability of this spooky presence. Oftentimes horror filmmakers telegraph what is coming from a mile away, but here in The Innocents a number of scares take place in broad daylight, or in other non-threatening circumstances.
For all its greatness, though, The Innocents does make a few missteps. According to my research, the script is largely unchanged from a stage adaptation by the same name, and at times this is a little too apparent. Also, toward the start of the third act, certain nightmarish sequences are just a little too overdone. The intention is clear, but the effect is a little overwhelming. As a result, the third act just kind of rushes by in what seems like two or three scenes, resulting in a rather abrupt ending instead of a satisfying conclusion. Don't let this last paragraph dissuade you, though: next to The Haunting (1961), The Innocents remains near the zenith of haunted house storytelling.
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