Sandman's Screaming Room: Funny Games/ The Descent

OK, so a good double feature review is what I have for you today. I will try to do one of these every week or so, or more if I have the time. We start with the American remake of Michael Haneke's Funny Games.

Now, before you jump into your 'remakes suxxors' mode of thinking, which is true most of the time, understand that this is a shot-for-shot remake, done by the same director. It is the same film, but with english-speaking actors.

Tim Roth and Naomi Watts are a wealthy couple traveling to their summer home, a beautiful little place on the lake. Joining them is their young son, and they seem to be a happy couple who are generally loving life.

Things get violent pretty fast when Peter and Paul show up, asking to borrow eggs. And that's where the plot stops in this entry, cause anything else might be a spoiler. Suffice to say, if you saw the Austrian film, you've seen this one. The taunts, the sadistic dialogue, the mind-bending actions of the villains. It's all here. And it's lost none of its power.

Some have accused this film of being pretentious, and I don't dispute that. However, whatever criticism is leveled at the audience for watching this film, must also be equally leveled at Haneke himself for making this film. Twice. Therefore, that aspect of the film doesn't bother me too much.

Sit back, enjoy the psychopathic fun, and you will not be disappointed.

9.0/10

"Shall we begin?"


Next, we have Neil Marshall's The Descent. When this film first came out, it had alot of hype around it, and some horror fans said that it was the scariest film since ALIEN. Well, I knew right there that this was one of those movies that I would have to wait to enjoy, just to let the hype die down enough for me to give it some sort of objective chance. No film can live up to hype that high.

Anyways, when stripped of all expectations, what we have is an incredibly well-crafted suspense/horror film, that is smart, scary, and atmospheric as all hell. The film it most reminds me of is John Carpenter's classic THE THING. Partly because some music cues sound exactly like The Thing score, and partly because of the palpable sense of dread.

Marshall uses the cramped cave setting to wring out every drop of claustraphobia that he can, and it works beautifully. I was scared even before anything really happened, because of the cinematography and the music. I was on edge, just knowing that something was going to happen.

When the film's creatures show up, they take no prisoners, and while the gore starts to fly, it works to serve the plot, not the other way around. Marshall knows that the film is more than a gore film, and so doesnt have to rely on it. However, when the gore does happen, it's well-placed, and adds to the intensity of the experience. This film is messy, but never over the top or exploitive.

The heroines themselves are the main reason for our fear, because they are all mostly sympathetic, and they are played in a realistic way with chemistry to spare.


So while this film may not be the second coming of the horror messiah, it is better than it ought to be, and shows Marshall as a director and storyteller with talent and imagination to spare. The future is pretty bright for this director, and if he keeps putting out work like this, I will go to see it without hesitation.
8.5/10


"It's the dark. It plays tricks on you."

Next time: The Entity and Machine Girl