Short Attention Span Review: A Quiet Place (2018)

Short Attention Span Review: A Quiet Place (2018)

For a film fanatic, there are few feelings so sublime as that sense of bliss that washes over you when you realize you are watching an instant classic.  Sometimes this can be misleading, as it isn't uncommon for an epic set-up or some incredible filmmaking to break down at some point, but occasionally the filmmakers deliver the goods from start to finish.  A Quiet Place is one of those flicks where things begin and end on a high note, with a series of high notes sprinkled in between for good measure.  The pitch is simple but intriguing and new, and the execution is flawless.  Truthfully, I can't think of anything that warrants criticism.  The acting is sensational, with everyone in the small cast doing an amazing job of bringing their characters to life.  It's hard to single anyone out, but Emily Blunt surely deserves special praise given her Oscar-worthy performance even if none of her co-stars lag too far behind her tour de force.  The script is keen and insightful; it is stripped to the bare essentials, yet it contains incredible depth and completely fleshes out its vision.  Co-star John Krasinski is a bit of a revelation as a director, and he nearly matches his wife with an invigorating performance.  Few genres depend on a good score and sound effects as much as the horror genre, and the very concept of  A Quiet Place demands an awful lot on those fronts--and the artists come through in spectacular fashion.  The creature design is a big winner, the pacing and editing are on point, . . . there's just nothing to complain about here.  There is a lot to marvel at, and viewers who journey to A Quiet Place will be swept away by a vivid sensation that will terrify and move them in equal measures. This is a fine example of the horror genre at its very best, as A Quiet Place is an amazing experience that easily stands as one of the best films we'll see this year--or any other year, for that matter.

Final Grade: A+

An inventive concept and excellent craftsmanship combine to yield an instant classic.  A Quiet Place is not just a great horror film, it's a great film in general.

Powerful Pages - Carrion Comfort by Dan Simmons (1989)

Carrion Comfort by Dan Simmons (1989)

Sprawling yet intimate, Carrion Comfort is the sort of novel that earns epic status with a deeply rewarding journey of astounding depth.  Unfolding over the course of several decades and spanning the globe, the tale is dense but personal, complex yet infinitely relatable.  Inventive and starkly realistic in equal measures, it offers readers a new breed of vampire so distinct that they aren't really vampires at all.  Profoundly disturbing and equally brutal, Carrion Comfort dishes out a smorgasbord of woeful surprises and fiendish chills.  Simmons can be a bit overwrought, but his attention to detail and his vivid characterizations combine to flesh out a massive narrative with precision and impeccable clarity.  His zeal for history manifests itself here in a heartbreaking examination of the Holocaust that is the very foundation upon which this groundbreaking horror opus is constructed.  Fittingly, the emotional whirlwind that ensues catapults readers to dizzying heights.  This book is shocking and moving, boasting crushing defeats amid occasional triumphs as it veers from fascinating character study to white-knuckle thriller without warning, with frequent descents into outright terror upping the ante even further.  No one is safe, and the stakes couldn't be higher in this massive undertaking.  Carrion Comfort isn't just a great read, it's the type of novel that elevates the genre, and it should not be ignored by those who enjoy horror--or compelling literature in general, for that matter.

Final Grade: A+

 

Short Attention Span Review: It Follows (2014)

Short Attention Span Review: It Follows (2014)

As I write this review, I can't help but wonder: when was the last time I watched a totally original horror film?  I've seen a lot of good horror films over the years, but I may have to go all the way back to my discovery of giallo in the very heart of my adolescence for a similar revelation.  It Follows is quite unlike anything I've ever seen--and it's scary as hell.  Now, I know I'm a little late to the party here, but if you're like me and you've been sleeping on this one in spite of they hype, well, wake up!  The hype is warranted.  Creepy from the start, there's a wicked dreamlike vibe woven throughout that is decidedly unnerving.  Fortunately, the stakes remain high, and this imaginative flair never causes the picture to become too whimsical to be taken seriously.  It Follows is a dead serious live wire that aims to give the audience a major jolt.  The score is damn near iconic, the performances are captivating, and the direction from writer and director David Robert Mitchell is precise and inventive in equal measures.  Few things excite me as much as the discovery of a great horror film, and this is probably the best one I've seen since The Descent.  Cool, terrifying, and fresh as hell--I may be so late that I almost missed the party, but I'm so glad I found time to enjoy this one.  It Follows represents a wealth of imagination and a superb effort courtesy of everyone involved.

Final Grade: A

It Follows is built upon a kooky premise that can transform mundane shit like this old lady walking down the hallway into a terrible nightmare.

Short Attentin Span Review: Wind River (2017)

Short Attention Span Review: Wind River (2017)

How often does a great movie come along?  I'm a big fan of motion pictures and I'm very picky about what I sit down to watch, so I enjoy much of what I see.   I often use my blog to tell you about really good movies--or movies I enjoyed in spite of some rather obvious flaws. Wind River isn't entertaining in spite of its flaws and it wouldn't be fair to describe it as merely "really good" either.  Wind River is a great movie.  Dark, mystifying, and thoroughly engrossing, it boasts several setpieces of significance, to include both powerful jolts of excitement and poignant flourishes of staggering emotional depth.  Founded upon a splendid script and masterful direction from Taylor Sheridan, the picture also sports a phenomenal cast.  The supporting players never falter, and Elizabeth Olsen is perfectly case as one of the two leads, but the star of this one is clearly Jeremy Renner.  He may not be included in such conversations, but I firmly believe that Renner is one of the finest actors working today.  He is a joy to behold here, offering up a landmark performance with admirable restraint.  He endows Wind River with an abundance of heart and fire, but does so with impeccable nuance and subtlety.  Renner is truly exceptional here, and Wind River is a brooding masterpiece.  I think this is the best movie I've seen in 2017, and it has the substance and authority to stand the test of time.

Final Grade: A+

I firmly believe that Jeremy Renner is one of this generation's finest actors.  His work in Wind River is far less explosive but just as impressive as his more dynamic turns in great films like The Hurt Locker and The Town.

 

Top 20 Horror Movies - #3) The Thing (1982)

One of the things that I'm doing this month as I celebrate Halloween here in the Land of Way is taking the time to rank my Top 20 Horror Movies and my Top 20 Horror Novels.

Note:
I want to be clear that I'm basing these choices on my own humble opinion.  I'm not trying to rank these movies in accordance with their place in pop culture, but I'm offering up my take on the best horror films that I have ever watched and enjoyed.  There are some familiar candidates that I consider to be great pictures that didn't make the cut because there wasn't room, and there are some films that are widely regarded as great pictures that didn't make the cut because I feel that they are overrated.  There are also a few instances where it was difficult to determine whether or not a movie belonged to the horror genre (I said "no" to Aliens but "yes" to Jaws), and it may also be worth noting that this is largely a modern list (as long as you're okay with my classification of modern as anything after 1960) that only features one lonely creature from the so-called "Classic Monsters" films produced by Universal Studios.

Thus far, the list includes:

#20) The Fly (1986) 
#19) The Howling (1981)
#18) Night of the Living Dead (1968)
#17) Alien (1979) 
#16) Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978)
#15) Suspiria (1977) 
#14) Phantasm (1979)
#13) Evil Dead 2 (1985)
#12) Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954) 
#11) The Descent (2005)
#10) Fright Night (1985)
#9) Halloween (1978)
#8) Return of the Living Dead (1985) 
#7) An American Werewolf in London (1981)
#6) Deep Red (1975)
#5) The Shining (1980) 
#4) Dawn of the Dead (1978)

My favorite director strikes again!  That's right, John Carpenter's back in the mix with his best horror flick, a picture that was savaged by critics and labelled a failure after it struck out at the box office.
  

Top 20 Horror Movies - #3) The Thing (1982)

John Carpenter is directly responsible for so many awesome movies.  Many were major hits, but he has also produced his fair share of cult classics.  That's why it should probably come as no surprise that his best horror film was so poorly regarded upon its initial release.  Arriving hot on the heels of E.T., this grim and gory monster movie was too dark for mainstream success in 1982, but over time more and more people have warmed up to it.  Kurt Russell is the star, and though this part is far more somber than the roles he played in his other pairings with Carpenter, he delivers another riveting performance.  The effects courtesy of Rob Bottin are outrageous and the main theme from Ennio Morricone (this is the rare instance where Carpenter passed the baton on that front) is a truly magnificent symphony of doom.  The locations give the movie the stark realism that it needs to draw audiences into a tense and horrific struggle that leads to a bleak conclusion with apocalyptic implications.  Carpenter's shot selection is superb and his dynamic vision yields a fantastic vision of isolation and desperation unlike any other.  Technically a remake, this epic creature greatly improves upon The Thing From Another World, a nifty gem from 1951.  Despite the downer nature of the piece, it remains one of my favorite horror films to watch.  The movie I have at #1 on this list is so damn disturbing that I rarely view it, but The Thing is a great movie to revisit whenever you want to see Kurt Russell rock cinema's gnarliest beard in John Carpenter's mindbending trip to Antarctica.  It's an immersive experience that slowly draws the viewer into a paranoia-fueled nightmare where brave men battle a wretched invader from beyond the stars.  It's The Thing, the biggest and baddest monster movie of them all, and I'm thrilled to include it here.

According to John Carpenter, Rob Bottin got the job on the basis of his kooky storyboards.  Once they got on set, John asked him how he was going to pull all this crazy stuff off and Rob basically said, "Shit, man.  I don't know."  In the end, he delivered in a big way, and his effects are a big reason why fans continue to flip out over The Thing.

Obviously, I've got mad love for Carpenter, and I'm also a huge Kurt Russell fan, so I should note that their work together may represent the best that each of these supremely talented individuals had to offer.

Short Attention Span Review: Silverado (1985)

 For my money, it's hard to beat a great western, and Silverado is one of the best westerns that you're apt to see.  Everything about this one is grand, to include the magnificent cast, the epic locations, the fabulous script, and the stellar direction.  A big picture that deftly intertwines several gripping stories on the road to a corrupt town where all these stories come to a rousing conclusion, Silverado is a love letter to all the wonderful westerns that came before it.  It's also a reminder that genres may rise and fall, but so long as a top-notch script and the right talent join forces, no genre is ever truly forgotten.  The western may never be as important to the film industry as it once was, but it will always present the right people with an opportunity to tell a powerful story.  That's precisely what director Lawrence Kasdan did with this vibrant gem that he penned alongside his brother, Mark.  A good western can make adults feel all warm and fuzzy inside while encouraging their children to run around pretending that they're cowboys making a stand for all that is right.  Silverado is precisely that kind of film, and as such it is just as adept at presenting us with sound characters facing difficult decisions as it is at offering up thrilling shootouts.  There's also a lot of warmth and humor riding shotgun with the heroic antics that are the backbone of the western genre.  Kevin Kline, Scott Glenn, Kevin Costner, and Danny Glover shine as the heroes, while Brian Dennehy makes for an excellent villain.  Linda Hunt, Rosanna Arquette, Jeff Goldblum, and John Cleese are among the supporting cast, and Jeff Fahey makes an impression as a grimy henchman in one of his earliest roles.  The movie is certainly not lacking for star power, but then I don't see where Silverado is lacking anything.  A stunning example of what could be my favorite genre of film, this is a fantastic movie that I would heartily recommend to anyone.

Final Grade: A+ 

There are numerous established stars playing robust parts in Silverado, and then
there's my man Jeff Fahey hitting the scene and striking a chord as a sleazy deputy.