Review : The Wolfman (2010)

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An American man comes back to Britain after hearing of his brothers death and decides to find out the reason behind his death. And what he gets is a curse which will destroy his life....


Another horror set in England. But this time its the old age England with the sprawling mansions, the taverns, the gypsies and the undeveloped mental asylums and the horse carriages. This period drama/horror has been shot very well. The atmosphere has been recreated beautifully and the virgin forests and hovering clouds and the haunting full moon create a very tense atmosphere. Although it never reaches the climax of terror I felt it would, but the werewolf scenes are downright scary. Plus the transformation are brilliant. Though Werewolves didint cheer me that much. But this well directed, shot and acted little horror set in England can give a couple of chills during a windy night. And the period setting just accentuates the terror. Nice!!


Director Joe Johnston(Jumanji, Jurassic Park 3, Captain America) is no stranger to horror and terror. He has given some great terror inducing movies so he certainly knows how to scare his audience. And this time he does so with a more mainstream subject in horror studies: Werewolf. Though he has never directed an out and out horror,this looks and feels good. Atleast its much more scary than Jurassic Park 3. The scenes in mental asylum and the creepy forests add to the scary quotient. And a couple of jump scares set you in the mood. But when it comes to Werewolf movies this is not as fearsome. But the retro setting gives it a much more sinister outlook and that sucked me in completely. And for that I've got to thank the Screenwriters Andrew Walker(8MM,Se7en) and David Self(Road To Perdition, The Haunting) who are luckily into more horror than the director. So a great collaboration which results in a nice little horror which may send some shivers down your spine. But enjoyment is guaranteed. Very good!!

Scary !!!

 
  Acting department is talented to say the least. Anthony Hopkins(John Talbot), Emily Blunt(Gwen), Benicio Del Toro(Lawrence) just show their prowess and make this movie more entertaining and scary than it could have been. Anthony as the evil patriarch and Benicio as the son who is part of an unfortunate family legacy just suck you in with their electrifying performance whenever they share screen space. As also the gorgeous Emily Blunt. She looks ethereal in those flowering English dresses and its not till the end does she gets the chance to become an important part of the story. And the supporting actors too pull their weight. So all in all nothing to complain about in the acting department. Well done!!

Damsel In Distress

Cinematography by Shelly Johnson(Jurassic Park 3) is brilliant. As is the production. The set decorations and the good camera work combine to give us a great English anbience which makes the ensuing ride more creepy and interesting. With some nice editing and music this movie rises above some usual monster movie. 



HighTension Verdict: If you like retro werewolf movies with minimal action,than this is for you. Not anything new but enough going for it to enjoy on a Saturday night. Go watch and get scared out. Or atleast be entertained.



HighTension Meter: 7.5/10


Best QUOTE:

Gwen Conliffe: It is said there is no sin in killing a beast, only in killing a man. But where does one begin and the other end. 

Review : 28 Weeks Later (2007)

Awesome DVD Cover

Six months later the US army has contained the virus after quarantining Britain and started bringing survivors to a small island near London to start the repopulation process. But one man's folly results in the virus making a comeback with disastrous results, as London burns again......



Amazing movie. Scary as hell. Not as subtle and dread inducing as 28 Days Later. But its good enough. Opening six months after the Rage virus destroys Britian, it shows how America has helped Britian stand up on its feet again. And seeing Americans tackling the zombies made more sense afterall. Mostly cos I am not used to seeing English fighting the zombies and it took a masterpiece from Danny Boyle to make it all believable. But this goes straight to the action. The snipers, the choppers, the guns and the deserted streets and buildings. And it starts off in a great fashion too. A nice and heartbreaking chase sequence which makes it amply clear again that humanity is no more. Virus or not. And also the new concept of a carrier which doesn't show any symptoms. So there can be a way of finding a cure to the virus. Will the survivors survive the re emergence of the virus is whats the movie all about. More near the American zombie movies than the Danny Boyle one, it entertains and scares you. And maybe give you some life lessons if you look carefully. Nice.



Juan Fresnadillo(Intruders) directs this with panache. He knew comparisons with the first movie were ineveitable. But this one's more mainstream. More action oriented. A kind of cross between Die Hard and Day Of The Dead. While Danny Boyle scared and moved you with atmosphere and read between the line stuff. Juan shows more zombies and less of atmosphere. And while you see more of the vacant streets and buildings and malls. That creepy feeling isn't the same. More so cos American soldiers are stationed everywhere and it feels more safe. And also the fact it took one man's folly, which was a little illogical to me, to start off another fire in England. And after that its pure destruction as bombs ravage the whole of the quarantined zone and England goes up in flames again. Written by Rowan Joffe(The American) and Juan, it is a really enjoyable ride from the start to the end. A little less lengthy than the original it keeps the dread up and body counts rising as the zombies and soldiers fight on. And some action scenes just make it more enjoyable. Not as deep as the former, but for a lazy afternoon this movie will be more apt. Less to think, more action. But far less scary. Although it features some hauntingly beautiful night sequences. Good.






 

Creepy As Fuc%!$

As the first part, this too features good acting which goes a long way in making it a scary ride. Acting may not be as natural as in the Danny one, this is pretty decent though. Idris Elba(Stone) excels in the role of the army general who has a knack of taking hard decisions. And this is one area of his expertise and he always does such kind of roles with great conviction. And also the new Jason Bourne, Jeremy Renner(Doyle) who is a sniper with a conscience. And when the hard decision of destroying and killing everybody in the city is taken, he leaves his post to save whoever he can. This includes Rose Byrne(Scarlett) and two children Imogen Poots(Tammy) and Mackintosh Muggleton(Andy). And one of them can hold the secret to a cure. So its doubly important that they both save the children. The child actors are real brilliant. And that makes it a more goosebumpish ride as bodies fall around them and their bodies get covered in blood as they run to save themselves from the zombies and from the people who were sent to help them. All the supporting cast too do a brilliant job creating a horror movie which can scare the hell outta you. 

A Scary Bus Ride Indeed!!

 

Cinematography by Enrique Chediak(The Faculty, 127 Hours, Red 2) is in one word- EXHILIRATING. He manages to capture some shots of the deserted streets as well as some brilliant night shots which are very scary indeed. Some fine overhead shots of London skyline burning and the quaint countryside makes it a real nice ride. As also the nice editing and the thumping soundtrack make it more enjoyable. Effects and action scenes are great too.




HighTension Verdict: Sequels very rarely are better than the original. And this time its no different. But its not a bad sequel. Directed by a newbie this is more interested in action and entertainment than political commentary. The atmosphere may not be the same but once you stop comparing it with brilliant first part, you realize this is as scary and haunting as any great horror movie out there. Go for it and enjoy and get scared!!


HighTension Meter: 8/10


Best QUOTE:

 

Major Scarlett Ross: It all makes sense. They're executing Code Red. Step 1: Kill the infected. Step 2: Containment. If containment fails, then Step 3: Extermination. Now they won't stop until everyone is dead.

Review : 28 Days Later.... (2002)

Via vivrocks.com

A man wakes up 28 days after a virus has wiped out England in a hospital and walks out to see deserted roads and destruction and soon finds some survivors and they band together to find the safe zone. Will they survive the unrelentless zombies?


What a movie! What a marvelous movie! Class oozing out of every frame. Commentary spewing out of every scene. Just wow. George A Romero aside but when it comes to some real poignant scenes and harsh political commentary. This isn't too far. As our hero roams the street of London,which never had looked so scary before,we get more creeped out than any fierce looking zombie can make us feel. Its all about the atmosphere. And right from the opening credit scene we know what we are getting our self into. Political statements via zombies isn't a new thing. But to tell it without showing and telling much is something to be really proud of. And rarely we see a horror movie dripping with so much commentary in every frame. But even more is the fact that its a British Horror. Not really known for their stark horror movies this comes as a pleasant surprise. And also that it features fast zombies. And whatever people say it makes them more intimidating. In short its as scary as shit most of the times and it can bring a tear or two if you invest yourself and understand the point behind all the happenings onscreen. Nice!!

Danny Boyle(The Beach, Trainspotting). A name which evokes more respect now after his academy winning Slumdog Millionaire. But to be honest this  remains his best movie. The kind of atmosphere he created and all the impossible in London things he managed to show were just praiseworthy. All the camera angles and the lighting and the stark colour palette combines to make this a wonderfully scary movie. Without much of the zombies. And the truth is the message portrayed so poetically, scared me. Not the zombies. Hurrah to the writer Alex Garland(The Beach, Dredd)  as well. He with the Danny makes it sure that its the humans which scare more than the zombies. And naming the virus 'Rage' was a masterstroke. Because what happens in the opening credit. And what happens after the epidemic. There's not much difference. And all because of rage and 'Rage'. With a fast screenplay, some nice action scenes and scares for the whole of the a little lengthy 2hours. This movie makes its a way in the top 5 of my all time favorite horror movie. And for that cheers Danny and Alex.  

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Acting elevates this movie to another level. Some mindblowing performances from Cilian Murphy(Jim) and Naomie Harris(Selena) just makes you that much more uncomfortable. And are supported well by Brendan Gleeson(Frank), Megan Burns(Hannah) and Christopher Ecclestone(Major Henry). All the tense atmosphere created could have gone for waste even if one of them had ruined their part. But these esteemed actors just nail it perfectly. As for more than two hours we are glued to their lives. Praying all goes well. But we soon realize that its not gonna happen. And as the character get shocked we do too. As they cry. We drop a tear or two. And that involvement is so rare to see in most horror movies. And sometimes its the bad acting which can ruin the greatest of plots. Especially in horror. But thankfully this doesn't boast of such a misdemeanor and we invest ourselves totally. Even if the third act doesn't cut it out as much with me. But acting is top notch.


Cinematography by Anthony Dod Mantle is pretty amazing. What he captures is some frames which may never be captured as scarily again. And he is working with Danny since in all his movies. Not much surprise there. As also the pacy editing and nice background music which ups the ante and sometimes gives scenes poetical connotation. And the special effects are pretty nice as well. A great package.


HighTension Verdict: Zombie movies have been around since the 60's. But there are just handful of masterpieces and mostly belonged to a certain George Romero. But after this Danny Boyle joins the club. A master film maker which makes me us believe that zombies can spring up even in England. And for me who can associate only football with Manchester, this comes across as more shocking. Wtf must have happened at the Manchester Football Club? Did Alex Ferguson die? Now go figure that.... 


HighTension Verdict: 9/10


Best QUOTE:

Major Henry West: This is what I've seen in the four weeks since infection. People killing people. Which is much what I saw in the four weeks before infection, and the four weeks before that, and before that, and as far back as I care to remember. People killing people. Which to my mind, puts us in a state of normality right now.