dark

The Babadook (2014) – IMDb

Posted on by Talk Movies to Me

via The Babadook (2014) – IMDb.

What do you do when your kid asks you if you want to die? Especially if it’s coming from your son who no one wants to be around with. Even you start wishing your boy was normal. The Babadook is a very well written boogeyman tale that delves into your psyche and hits the dark corners of your mind and emotions you wouldn’t expect it to do at first sight. Firstly, you have a single mother, Amelia, played wonderfully by Essie Davis (where’s the nomination?) who works at a retirement home and takes good care of her seven year old son. She is in need of help, mostly due to the absence of the affectionate touch from a man in her life and sleep depravity. Someone give this woman some chocolate and a day off. Amelia lost her husband on the day of the birth of her child, Samuel. Samuel is a troubled kid who fancies magic and plays with his imagination. But when is it ever imagination? He takes up arms in defense from this dark force and, like his father, speaks his mind, talking about the monster where ever he goes, even scaring kids his age. The crazy talk is heightened to a new level when Amelia says Samuel can choose a story to read before bedtime, of all stories he chooses The Babadook. The words and the pop-up pictures are no less than unsettling and peculiar. Where did this book come from? Like the film itself, the book is draped in black and grey, paling colors making it feel ghostly and depressing. She says to choose another book but Samuel wants to keep reading the story he has chosen. From here, the weird begins to escalate. Amelia even rips up the book and tosses it. But after three heavy knocks at the door, the book returns at her door step. She turns for help from her sister, Claire, but she wants nothing to do with her, especially Amelia’s son who talks about a monster and unintentionally hurts Claire’s daughter. Good going. More sleepless nights occur, more encounters with the boogeyman. Amelia looks to the police to report someone stalking her and her son, but she knows they would write her off as crazy. The stress level starts to wear down on Amelia and you see it, you even start to experience it. My head felt toyed. Is this real or is she just experiencing a nightmare? She begins to mistreat the boy (oops, I said it) like her psyche takes a sinister turn. It’s something you wouldn’t hear her say or see her do, it’s just not her, not what a mother would do.

The story is similar to the likes of Insidious and many other scary movies involving a troubled kid and a dark spirit who wants to house your body. What makes this different though is it’s approach. Even though there are some good creepified moments, this movie isn’t all that terrifying. It was more psychological than expected and focused on family values. There’s a lot of build up, too, which made it more of a drama. The ending leaves you a bit unsatisfied seeing that the first 3/4 of the movie promised a strong conclusion. You will be scratching your head. Have you figured it out?
I plan on adding this film to my collection. The Babadook will hook you in to it’s dark atmospheric tale. The build up helps you understand Amelia and Samuel’s situation which is why you care and makes moments more stressful. The mother even becomes scary at a point, but I recommend you watch this just to see how The Babadook stands out from other horror gems. By the way, if you hear three knocks, don’t let it in.

It Follows (2014) – IMDb

Posted on by Talk Movies to Me

via It Follows (2014) – IMDb.

Having heard about this movie last year gave me interest. I didn’t know anything about the movie and I kept it that way; I just knew I had to see it. Come 2015 and it’s granted a wide theatrical release. My moment has come, so I grab a few dollars and head over to my nearest theater where it was about half full (at the time everyone was watching Furious 7). The movie will make a larger effect once it hits home, but probably not so well in theaters. Director David Robert Mitchell has quite a movie on his hands, one that will disturb and terrorize the viewer.
It Follows begins with an anonymous teenager who is in the middle of being ‘followed’. She rushes to her car and makes it to the beach. She sits, waiting in the headlights on the shore expecting her follower to appear at any moment. Next scene she’s all mangled up which shocks the viewer and lets you know what you’re in for. That scene is quite disturbing, but doesn’t end there. The movie has more to offer. The story is about a young girl, Jay, who goes out with this guy, who her friends approve of. We eventually figure out the mysterious stud’s motive: he wants sex. But sex holds a darker secret, he wants to pass on an evil entity so It will stop following him. Douche. He does explain to our misfortunate protagonist that all she has to do is have sex with someone else and pass it onto the next guy. Jay is cute though so it should be easy right? It comes with a catch, you can still see the entity but once it gets a hold of it’s victim and kills them, it will start going back down the line of the previous victims to whoever started the whole thing.
Now, anytime It is present, those are the moments you feel the terror and despair. It’s in it’s presence, the slow but dedicated walk to it’s target like it’s confident it will get you, and it will torment and kill you. The entity takes many forms, strangers or close acquaintances, and not always is it the center of the frame. Sometimes you can catch it walking in the background, still making it’s steady pace, but when the entity is in focus, terror reigns. That is one thing I love about this film is that Mitchell directs every scene as it is. Like when the entity breaks through the kitchen window and walks toward Jay…just disturbing. I felt her fear. There is something artful about It Follows and I like it.  The scares are slowly built up and the jumps come fast.
The film would be much less if it wasn’t for the music. The music is like John Carpenter and 80s synthesizers which gives the movie a creepy vibe. Like the sizzling scare factor, the acting is restraint, only when you are involved in the terror sequences is when the acting begins to jump up. Many sequences also seem random, so there’s a feeling of chilling vulnerability.
I read a review saying the girl with the glasses, Yara, was unneeded, come to think of it, she really didn’t do much. Especially at the end when the action picks up and her leg gets shot. Great now you’re fighting something you can’t see with a limp. I did have some other problems with a couple parts. ( no real spoilers) When Paul uses a chair to hit the entity he does hit it and It throws him out of the way, or when he shoots It in the head and blood fills the pool – is this ‘entity’ supposed to have some kind of invisible body? Also, some scenes felt like they didn’t need to be there or dragged for a bit. There’s a sum of audience out there that don’t like slow movies and this has a couple of slow pace moments. I’m not bothered by slowness, cause I kinda am, but this is just a fore warning.
To be honest, I don’t like the buzz around the movie saying “It Follows is the scariest movie in a decade”. First of all, calm down, this movie had some really good bits and also subtle, but I wouldn’t hail it as the best. I think it’s better then many teen screams that have come out but this feels a little more adult oriented. I say give it some time, let the film sink into the American horror backdrop fabric, step back and see it for what it is. In time, I do think It Follows could be a cult classic. It does, however, deliver the terror and shock. It’s up there with Teeth and Contracted and in a way, is better than it’s sexual horror cousins.
All in all, this is a good movie. The entertainment is there and sure to satisfy your thirst for a scare. I’m wondering if there will be a sequel, just curious where it would go. Not saying it’s a necessity though, It Follows can hold it’s own. I recommend this for horror fans and paranoid people. *evil laugh*

Taxi Driver (1976) – IMDb

Posted on by Talk Movies to Me

via Taxi Driver (1976) – IMDb.

taxi_driver

I had the intent of watching Taxi Driver as a psycho drama with a man killing people but what I got was probably one of the most sanest people who observed his surrounding and was misunderstood. When you’re alone, in silence, you create ideas and moments that possibly could enrage you. Or maybe you just think of how messed up your country is and want to flush it down the toilet. I’m not saying I think of throwing on a cape and becoming a hero but loneliness is a tough thing to tackle. Taxi Driver is a film that took me by surprise; I don’t usually watch a popular-household-movie-title because I’ve read so many reviews and heard so many great things about the movie that I decide to watch a lesser known movie. But this one, not at all as I expected. I knew I would be watching a character study but not one that expressed itself like the way it did. Perhaps I didn’t read enough reviews; this movie, however, fits well with my collection.

Small on story, top class acted and heavy on a character driven film, this has become a favorite of mine. This is a story of a man, Travis Bickle (Robert Deniro) who is lonely, he can read people, he knows himself and feels the energy of emotions. In his world, he knows what’s right and wrong, or to what he believes. There is no one else, except this beautiful blonde he has kept an eye on for quite while, long enough to know she is lonely and unhappy even though she is surrounded by a crowd of people, and a goofball coworker. After Travis stops being a creep and gets up to ask her out, a magnetic bond occurs. He then introduces her to the world he wish he knew and the world he lives in. She, just like the cold others, scoffs and walks away without a word to discuss the meaning between their relationship just because she didn’t understand and didn’t like what she saw. Afterwards, is a sequence of events that shape him more and more.

You watch Travis live as a loner. He works nights as a cab driver and takes supplements to stay awake. Sometimes coffee, yea, and he talks to fellow nightshift cab drivers but not so much. They’re just there, really. Wizard tries to give insight but both him and Travis exchange what they really mean unclearly to each other. Whenever Travis reaches out, its like he forces himself back into loneliness. A lot of it is the job he carries on his shoulders. An ex-marine working for any hours plus holidays all week long, just trying to keep busy. There are many great scenes in this movie, some are more subtle than others. Like when Travis sits outside a building in his cab and a policeman comes and tells him to move away because it’s a no parking zone as the window is being rolled up; it’s like his glass window separates his reality from their’s. I recommend you watch the special features as well, it gives a very good insight on the film.

I highly recommend you watch this tour de force, noir film. I believe everyone could relate to this film and learn something from it. Some distant than others but even they can grasp the concept of being alone. I would like to thank my dad for offering this movie to me awhile back for my pleasure of viewing but I’m glad I waited and procrastinated watching other movies, after the years I found great appreciation for this film. Sometimes you have to wait and let time decide. Two of my other favorite flicks are About A Boy and Big Lebowski, not at all dark or noir-ish as Taxi Driver but they are centered on lonely people who stood up for something. With that to the side, this is a really well written film. This is an important film in cinema history. It’s a character study that shouldn’t be taken lightly. It should be understood and observed, much like Travis, maybe people will understand one another better. The flow in the film is perfect, the shots are colorful and engaging. I loved the jazz soundtrack throughout the film and I love anti-hero stories and this fit the bill. Movies that feed my mind and soul are devoured by me. Taxi Driver is an experience I won’t forget and I will be watching this again soon. Enjoy.

Old Boy

Posted on by Talk Movies to Me

On my way home the other night, I ran into an old friend and got into a conversation about movies. We came to terms on getting munchies and watching one of the movies I hyped my friend into watching. The movie was called Old Boy. Fortunately, this is not the American remake with ‘The Goonies’ Josh Brolin. I’m talking about the dark, twisted original Korean flick the Americans wish they have made. Basic premise is a man named Dae su is imprisoned in a room for 15 years and does not know why. He is released and meets a cute young girl who aids him. From here, Dae su is on a search to find the man who held him captive and more importantly Why? My friend was hooked from the start, asking that big question: Why? Ha, let me tell you, it is a ride. And I wouldn’t suggest it to the faint of heart; the movie is disturbing and will stay with you for a long time. That being said, I enjoyed it. If you are looking for something different, dark, and powerful look no further.