2010. Dir: John Carpenter. Starring: Amber Heard, Lyndsy Fonseca, Mamie Gummer, Danielle Panabaker and Jared Harris. ●●●○○
Yesterday I fell head over heels for cinem that pushes boundaries, today, alas it's back to the grind with John Carpenter's The Ward, a movie that is no doubt proud of it's crass commercialism. Neither a leading piece in it's field of ghost stories nor a woefully dull failure John Carpenter's return to the genre is best defined as a steaming pile of averageness.
Amber Heard is the pyromaniac Kristen committed to North Bend Psychiatric hospital, looking suspiciously like an apartment block I stayed at in Florida once, learning how to get along with her ragtag bunch of fellow inmates and suspiciously forceful nursing staff. Of course anyone who's ever seen a horror movie set in an asylum already knows how this is going to end, although it reminded me most of a James Mangold's 2003 motel-set thriller (that'll be a spoiler so don't look it up unless you want to know the ending).
Of course we all know with a John Carpenter movie it's not the ending we're interested in but the journey. The titular ward is creepy enough with it's random blackouts and obilgatory electrical storms, and the staff do a good job of appearing to be either brutal or complicit in the games played by it's ethereal presence. Jared Harris in particular, as her gentle shrink, seems to be hiding much too much information about Kristen's past.
The other girls bravely try to play their intentionally cliched, cardboard cut-out characters without overplaying the slutty/kooky/bookish element written into the role. At the tim I thought Mamie Gummer did the best job, but just hours later I suspet I was influenced subconciously by her mother just proving how I too belong in that asylum.
The scares are there, hands jumping out of steamy shower scenes, bodies flying out of enclosed spaces, and there are even nods to the less effective gorno tactics of modern horror with electric shock therapy causing bleeding eyes, but without any feeling for the characters you tend not to care which of the supporting ladies will disappear first.
I suppose we couldn't have expected a return to Hallowe'en level talent for Carpenter, but at least he's improved greatly since his last couple of movies.
Thursday, 27 January 2011
John Carpenter's The Ward
Saturday, 22 January 2011
What happened to my sweet sweet girl? (Out this week - 21/01/11)
It's not an awfully surprising choice as the top film this week, Darren Aronofsky's latest ballet mindf**k is a cinematic must see. That said there are a lot of films out that may be worth seeing after the jump. There's also been a mini festival of Bollywood entries that I've missed off from the last couple of weeks so go through the jump to find out what you're missing. Although if you take my advice you'll just see the film of the week: Black Swan
Black Swan
I saw this last night and am now unable to gets it's imagery out of my fevered brain, plus I keep scratching at my back. When a simple movie is able to get into your subconcious in that way it is simply impossible to ignore.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●●●●●○○
The Dilemma
It made it into my top 20 for 2011 with it's concept alone, the reviws have been poor and Vince Vaughn with Kevin James isn't far off from a satanic punishment. That said Channing Tatum looks hot and this is the second best Winona Ryder film of the week.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●●●●○○○
Get Low
Robert Duvall gets his first starring role in over 15 years as the mysterious hermit who returns to his local town in order to arrange his funeral (which he will attend whilst still alive). Bill Murray and Sissy Spacek are among the supporting players.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●●●○○○○
Morning Glory
Critics are mixed on this TV newsroom-set romcom, those that compare it to Broadcast News or who value the santity of reporting are sniffy, those who take it at face value have been quite positive. I'll have to see for myself.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●●●○○○○
John Carpenter's The Ward
80's synth fans rejoice, the mast of stalker horror has returned after a ten year sabattical with a maniacal killer loose in a psychiatric ward story. Probably derivative, but with Carpenter at the helm expect some nifty scares.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●○○○○○○
Dhobi Ghatt
Lyrical looking hyperlink drama from Bollywood with four interlocking Mumbai-set stories. Trailer plays down the traditional feel with a seductive, plaintive soundtrack.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●○○○○○○○
Honeymooner
Low budget British indie from Sophomore director Col Spector, about a jilted bride groom spending the two weeks honeymoon moping around London getting over it. The sort of work that would fit in nicely at Sundance if it were set in New York.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●○○○○○○○
I Spit on your grave
Notorious video nasty and rape revenge fantasy of the early 1980's gets a twenty-first century makeover. Expect the gore to be upped and the subtext dumbed down.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●○○○○○○○
Kaavalan
Tamil film, translates as The Bodyguard. The trailer is full of action scenes and comic sidekicks, but nothing that looks vaguely like a plot.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●○○○○○○○
My Soul to Take
I'm not sure whether Wes Craven's cinematic return has actually made it to cinemas. There are no reviews anywhere and it isn't showing on any listings. Given it's appalling US business that's probably a good thing.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●○○○○○○○
NEDS
Or Non-Educated Delinquents. Peter Mullan's Scottish gang coming of age drama has a lot of high profile fans, mainly because of the superb central performance of first time actor Conor McCarron. Will almost certainly be lost in the shuffle of this weeks releases.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●○○○○○○○
14 January 2011
And some Bollywood late entries that I missed out on:
Aadukalam
More Tamil action this time based against the backdrop of competitive cock-fighting. I'm not sure I can in any way support this one.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●○○○○○○○
Isi Life Mein
Professional looking trailer with lots of dancing for Bollywood movie espousing living life to the full. It's a romcom about a couple from different walks of life, naturally.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●○○○○○○○
Siruthai
I can't find a synopsis anywhere for this Indian release. The trailer indicates a police corruption plotline with some pretty nifty Saw like weaponry.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●○○○○○○○
Tuesday, 11 January 2011
Tuesday Trailers - John Carpenter's The Ward
It's finally here, the trailer for John Carpenter's latest foray into cinemas and the last of our five options for two weekends away. It will effectively be fighting against two other horror films (although given that includes Black Swan it's a very loose description) for the top spot. It looks pretty standard but should contain some masterful jump cuts if his previous high standards have in any way stayed with him.
John Carpenter's The Ward opens on 21 January 2011.
Saturday, 7 February 2009
Film News (07/02/09)
An unbelievable busy week for film news. So crowded in fact we'll just dive straight into it.
King Lear
You wait years before a decent King Lear adaptation and then two come at once. Last year Anthony Hopkins signed on to play the aging monach who splits his kingdom, under the watchful gaze of Joshua Michael Stern; this week it's Al Pacino railing at the storm and reuniting with his Merchant of Venice director Michael Radford. Now I love King Lear, it's the play that got me into acting, but I doubt both of these will be released - so which will it be? My moneys on Al, but I'd appreciate your thoughts.
Miral
Julian Schnabel is set to begin principle photography on his Israeli-Palestinian epic Miral in April. Starring Hiam Abbas (The Visitor) as a Palestinian to runs a orphanage in Jersulam the film will show how the relationship between the 2 nations has developed over the last 50 years. It's all going to be filmed on location and I persanally cannot wait to see a film that puts this extraordinary conflict into some perpective.
Moneyball
It's extemely difficult to keep tracks of Steven Soderbergh, but with the delays on Cleo it looks like he's bumped Moneyball up to the top of his things to do list. The film concerns the development of a computer algorithm to selct the best baseball team with a limited budget, fantasy baseball if you will, only done by a real team manager. If that doesn't make your inner geek glow I don't know what will. 
Silence
Daniel Day-Lewis and Benicio Del Toro as signed on to play Jesuit priests bringing christianity to Japan in Martin Scorcese's next film. This pairing seems like an excellent one, but I think I'm going to need more to stop me from classifying this as The Mission in a kimono. 
Start
Brandon Koener's "Now the Hell Will Start" has been optioned by 40 Acres and a Mule. The non-fiction novel relates how an African-American soldier murdered his Lieutenant and then escaped into the Burmese jungle eventually being accepted by the natives.
Valentine's Day
Would anyone like to see 10 strangers in Los Angeles briefly connect their lives over Valentine's Day in a variety of forced coincidences and bizarre cupid led entanglements? No? Just me then.
The Ward
I'm not really a horror fan, but Amber Heard (the titular All the Boys Love Mandy Lane) is preparing to enter the Ward. Cue scary noises and tales of long dead mental patients with grudges. And lots of running around semi-naked, probably. 
