Thanks everyone for the R/R/Cs, still much appreciated.
A merry Christmas and a happy new year to a...
Thanks everyone for the R/R/Cs, still much appreciated.
A merry Christmas and a happy new year to all
(still on dooyoo with same name)
Member since:04.09.2006
Reviews:457
Members who trust:111
Director: Alexandre Aja Producers: Wes Craven, Peter Locke, Cody Zwieg and Marianne Maddalena Writers: Alexandre Aja and Grégory Levasseur (2006) Wes Craven (1977) Stars: Aaron Stanford, Emilie de Ravin, Ted Levine, Dan Bryd, Vinessa Shaw and Kathleen Quinlan.
Released in 2006, remaking Wes Cravens 1977 movie of the same name and being one hour and 47 minutes long. It is rightly given an 18 certificate for the many horrific scenes throughout the entire movie, and personally, after watching this I think the 18 certificate is well earned.
Anyway, I was persuaded to watch this by a friend who, after watching it himself, told me it was one of the best, and most weirdest of sci-fi horror movies he had seen in a long while. So, with the title in my head I strolled down to m local DVD retail store (am I allowed to say Blockbusters? I’m not sure), and at first I was on the hunt for the 1977 version by the most excellent Wes ‘scare the pants of you’ Craven, but I came across this 2006 version. I was hoping to enjoy this one as much as I have enjoyed previous movies by the Frenchmen Grégory Levasseur and Alexandre Aja, with such movies as Switchblade Romance (Haute Tension-2003), a tale of decapitation and bloodshed with a little psychological
twist at the end, and Mirrors, (2008), starring Kiefer Sutherland, about a security guard who sees more than his own reflection when he looks into mirrors.
So, at home, with the kids out of the way, the curtains drawn and the lights off, ( I like to set the scene when I watch a horror movie), I pushed the DVD disc into the player and pressed play, expecting a few scares and maybe a couple of good surprises. And boy was I in for a treat with this brilliantly written and well directed horror even if the action takes a little time to kick in but once it starts it just doesn’t stop.
** BRIEF PLOT…
Bob Carter, (Ted Levine) and his wife Ethel, (Kathleen Quinlan), together with their children, Bobby, (Kyle Weaver),Brenda, (Emilie de Ravin) and Lynn, (Vinessa Shaw), plus Lynns husband Doug, (Aaron Stanford) and their baby daughter Catherine, are travelling to California in a rather large mobile home. But when they take a ‘shortcut’ across the sands and through the hills it is not long before their vehicle becomes immobilised, leaving them stranded with no one around but the eyes which are watching them from afar. So with Bob heading off looking for help he is soon needing help himself, but then so are the family and friends he has left behind in the sands.
Things get even more frightening for the once happy travellers as they become over run by some rather strange looking locals who are lying in wait, hiding in the mountains which surround the stranded mobile home, watching, ready to pounce on the unsuspecting travellers.
Other cast members...
Laura Ortiz as Ruby Billy Drago as Papa Jupiter Robert Joy as Lizard Michael Bailey Smith as Pluto Desmond Askew as Big Brain Ezra Buzzington as Goggle Gregory Nicotero as Cyst Ivana Turchetto as Big Mama
IN CONCLUSION…
Initially, as I began to watch this movie, with my big fat thumb hovering over the ’stop’ button, ready to run back to the local well known DVD store before it closed in the hope of getting a decent movie for the night, but once I realised that the start was just the peel of the orange falling away to reveal the juiciness of what lies below I sat back in my seat, relaxed my thumb and began to enjoy the plot, albeit a little strange in parts.
When you watch the opening scenes of this you could be mistaken in thinking that this is a low budget ‘B’ movie, with actors chosen from a closing down stage school and props dredged from a nearby beach, but as the movie unfolds it turns into a brilliantly scary and quite gruesome movie with what can only be described as a bizarre plot. As I said, the opening scene are a little slow, being the build up to what is soon to be a ride of terror for any budding camper who is thinking of hitting the hills for a short break, but once the film gets into its own you will certainly be astounded by the excellent storyline and amazingly freaky characters, creating a spectacular movie which will scare the pants of you, yet intrigue the other section of your mind.
I could easily give away the plot line of this movie, as my so called friend started to do to me when he was recommending it, but then that would spoil it for those who have never seen this, or the 1977 Wes Craven version. It is a simple story of village life being transformed into something frighteningly new, whilst outsiders are made very unwelcome indeed, creating such horrific result that even I was slightly scared whilst watching this, and to be honest, 99% of horror movies make me laugh more than scream.
It is a freakishly weird plot, with some even freakier characters, all being portrayed exceptionally well throughout the movie, creating some screamingly grotesque scenes combined with some sickening moments. From the very start you know you’re in for a treat, albeit a scary one, with the opening scenes giving a few clues as to how the movie will unfold, even if the action doesn’t jump right out at you.
In all, it is a must to see just for all those horror seekers, although I wouldn’t recommend watching this if you are about to embark on your camping holidays in your mobile home, this would be like watching a plane crash movie during a flight overseas… not advisable at all.
If you haven’t seen this as yet then you should grab a copy from your local rental shop, or even better, add it to your collection by buying a copy from www.amazon.co.uk for less than £4.00, and for over an hour and a half of fantastic horror it is money well worth spending. And you will understand how this movie got its 18 certificate.
In fact, I enjoyed this movie so much that I am off to find Wes Cravens 1977 version to see how it compares to this masterpiece of a movie.
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Production Year: 2000 - Horror - Director: Keenen Ivory Wayans - Original Language: English - Classification: 18 years and over - Starring: Carmen Electra, Anna Faris, Kurt Fuller, James Van Der Beek, Keenen Ivory Wayans
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May 31st, 2009
very helpful by (100%):
