The Wicker Man

The Wicker Man

1973

Directed by Robin Hardy

What a film! The Wicker Man is a British horror film that has quite a cult following. I knew practically nothing about the film before watching it. I don't even want to write too much about the film, because I think going into it totally new really added to the experience of watching it. 

The film is not technically the best film. Dubbing is very obvious at times and some of the acting is a bit questionable. The strange thing is that even though there are obvious mistakes, these mistakes add to the uncomfortableness of the film. The film itself is about a very religious police detective investigating the disappearance of a young girl on a Scottish island where the inhabitants all worship a pagan religion. The detective wants to fulfill his search, but at the same time does not want to associate with these people. He constantly has a felling of unease and discomfort.

Rustin Allison

Wall-E

Wall-E

2008

Directed by Andrew Stanton

The films of Pixar continue to amaze me. For a while, I thought the films were falling into a familiar pattern. Toy Story, Toy Story 2, Monsters Inc, and Finding Nemo all seemed to have similar story lines to me... finding someone who was lost. These films were very enjoyable, but to me it felt like Pixar was following a simple formula for each of their films. Ratatouille was the first Pixar film that, to me, really broke this mold. That was a great film, and Wall-E in comparison is an outstanding film.

Wall-E is such a great mixture of comedy and melancholy. Wall-E himself is a sweet, funny, and sad looking character. His eyes are so full of expression that the viewer almost automatically connects with him and his plight. One of the great things about this film, is that most of the film is without dialogue and emotions have to be conveyed through body language. The animators did a spectacular job of this, and this visual language is one of the reasons that this is such a strong film. 

The film presents a very pessimistic view of humanity and the future. Earth has become so polluted that humans have to evacuate the planet. Robots have been trusted to clean up the earth, but the planet may never recover. This is one element that adds to the melancholy of the film. Wall-E is alone and lonely, but it is the fault of the human race that causes him to be put in this situation.  Humans are depicted later on in the film as inactive blobs who have become so complacent in their lives that they have forgotten what it is like to be human.  The film does end on an optimistic note... but an incredible amount of hard work is necessary in order to maintain this happy ending.

Rustin Allison

Dawn of the Dead

Dawn of the Dead

2004

Directed by Zack Snyder

I wanted to watch this film for two reasons. The first is for Sarah Polley who has always been one of my favorite actresses. The second is because it is the first feature film by Zack Snyder (he also directed 300 and Watchmen). I enjoyed parts of this film, but it didn't seem to flow as well as I would have liked. The opening scenes were brilliantly edited together. The rest of the film just seemed to be a let from the engaging opening. Some of the plot points were a little too predictable, but I did enjoy the small group of characters that have to work together to survive in the shopping mall.

Rustin Allison

Bug

Bug

2006

Directed by William Friedkin

A disturbing film with equally disturbing performances. This film follows a woman who allows a man into her motel and he drags her into insanity. Ashley Judd gives a very powerful performance in this film... a mixture of loneliness that descends into madness. The film itself is very claustrophobic and takes place pretty much just in the room of the motel. This is not an ordinary horror film, and there is quite a bit of discussion between characters which allows a lot fo room for character development. The film is not jump out of your seat scary.... but very disturbing and creepy.

Rustin Allison

"Masters of Horror" - The Black Cat

"Masters of Horror"

The Black Cat

2007

Directed by Stuart Gordon

This is the first thing that I have ever seen directed by Stuart Gordon. I know that he has a reputation for over the top gore, and this episode of "Masters of Horror" certainly delivers on that. I chose to watch this episode mainly for the fact that it was an adaptation of an Edgar Allan Poe short story, one of my favorite authors. It is actually a really good episode that combines the original short story with bit so of Poe's life. The narrative also follows the original short story very closely and Poe is portrayed as a man torn between providing for his wife and succumbing to his inner demons.

Rustin Allison

Freddy vs. Jason

Freddy vs. Jason

2003

Directed by Ronny Yu

I was not impressed by this film. I was hoping for more of a witty take-off on the two franchises, but it ended up just being a mediocre horror film. It was nice to see Robert Englund back in form as Freddy Krueger, but that is about all this film has to recommend for it.

Rustin Allison

Sukiyaki Western Django

Sukiyaki Western Django

2007

Directed by Takashi Miike

This is a very stylish film that is a mixture of Japanese samurai and western film genres. Miike pulls this off very successfully. The mixture of swords and guns looks spectacular and there are some great fight scenes that involve them both. The colors of the film are very saturated and alternate between the contrasts of deep red and bright whites. I did enjoy the film. Miike always presents the unexpected and this film was not a disappointment.

Rustin Allison

It Felt Like a Kiss

It Felt Like a Kiss

5 July, 2009

Manchester International Festival

Directed by Felix Barrett

Film by Adam Curtis

Created by Punchdrunk, Felix Barrett, and Adam Curtis

How do I go about even describing this production. The centerpiece of this experience is a documentary by Adam Curtis. The documentary combines pop music, footage from the late 50s and early 60s, and films from that period as well. The documentary is attempt to show how the American Dream began unraveling during this time period. 

This film is the keystone for the rest of the production. The show itself is a promenade performance, and it sprawled over five floors in an office building in Manchester. Groups of 10 were filtered in to experience a haunting view of the unraveling of the American Dream. Spectators are given free reign to investigate an American family's home and the secrets that hide under its perfect surface. There are only mannequins present which gave me a static and somber feeling. In a way voyeuristic, but it also gave the feeling of being watched. Themes of surveillance and conspiracy begin to bleed through. This family is under investigation by the CIA. The American home blends into offices which then blend into movie sets. There are many cameras around. 

The film is shown in a high school prom. Scenes from the film directly relate to some of the scenes that have just been experienced. There is a great mixture of film, theatre, and real life. Some of the documentary scenes have been recreated in the rooms that the spectator has just walked.

The final part of the show involves psychological testing and experiments. It also has to do with how much freedom and person has, and how much independence they feel they have in their life. This section takes on the genre of a horror film, and the spectator completely moves from spectator to performer. 

One other aspect of this show that I found really interesting is that little relationships were developed with the people in my group. Although I ended up experiencing the last section with a slightly different group of people, there was still some dependence on each other. Some people moved forward with courage, some wanted to remain behind with fear. A section of the show involves following a series of messages. A girl who was with us did not want us to follow the messages. After following one herself, and being scared by the result she became very nervous. She pleaded with me not to follow one of the last messages. After our descent into the horror film genre where we moved from spectators to performers, she exited the show. The rest of the group was stripped away in one of the more brilliant aspects of the show. In a disorientating warehouse of sounds, lights, and metal cages my group went from 8 to 4 to 2. I attempted to follow my friend but my way was obstructed. I no longer had any choice, I was no longer independent. I had to follow path that I could not choose to its inevitable end.

Rustin Allison