As a subcategory of the horror genre, the exorcism film does not have the best reputation. For every The Exorcist, there are a dozen Posessed’s and Beyond the Door’s. Yet, when done well, there is rarely something as profoundly [...]
As sources of horror go, nothing is quite as profoundly terrifying as the concept of a plague. This is largely rooted in the knowledge that humanity has fallen prey to the devastation of a contagion, such as the Bubonic Plague that is estimated to have wiped out up to 60% of Europe’s population. Now, Steven Soderbergh’s Contagion adapts the horror of an indiscriminate scourge, touching on themes of vulnerability and exposure. No one is safe. With a cast that includes Kate Winslet, Matt Damon, Jude Law, Marion Cotillard, Gwyneht Paltrow, Laurence Fishburne, and Dmetri Martin (what?), this promises to be one hell of a ride to the Doctor’s office.
The fact that viewers are still so obsessed with fighting movies grates on me. If you want to convince me otherwise, you don’t have to explain to me about how it represents a primal state or has high stakes or speaks to something deep inside the human spirit. You just have to pluck that hard-headed brit from Inception and put him on a poster shirtless. Color me interested. Still, Warrior’s plot is less than colorful, actually described as an “underdog” story. Perhaps the fact that the film focuses Mixed Martial Arts, a fighting style that centers itself in meditation and body awareness, will give it another dimension. But I think the real core strength of this film will rest on the brawny shoulders of Tom Hardy and Joel Edgerton (remember him? From Kinky Boots?)
At first look, this film appears to be the buck-teethed lovechild of Boogie Nights and Happy Gilmore. If you think that parentage might put out something a little less than attractive, you’re right. But with parentage like this, Bucky is born to be...OK. While the trailer stinks of the “every good part of this movie is in the ads” conundrum, a look at the IMDB page lists character names like Miles Deep and Dick Shadow. If it supplies the right sly wit with its crude humor, it just might be worth $1 to rent it from Redbox in six months.
This film fest darling is coming to limited theaters this weekend, documenting the journey of a group of friends that enlist in the army in hopes of making money and earning their college tuition, only to discover the real horror of modern war in Afghanistan. With a trailer that combines a Garden State soundtrack melancholy with grainy images, this already feels like the kind of movie that’s mean to the viewer’s self confidence. A documentary to hurt, and remind. If its laurels say anything, this is worth a watch and a good think sesh.
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