In the Mouth of Madness

It goes without saying that John Carpenter is one of my heroes. His movies have redefined the genre of horror, from Halloween to The Thing. He is one of the few directors that isn't afraid to defy boundaries in the name of scaring people, and he does it remarkably well. One of my favorite Carpenter films is In the Mouth of Madness, an amazingly scary film that is often overlooked by today's audience.

In the Mouth of Madness is one of the very few films that brings Lovecraftian horror to the big screen, and does it well. With today's special effects, I'm still waiting for that super-awesome Lovecraft film, but In the Mouth of Madness comes quite close, which is shocking for a movie made almost ten years ago.

Sam Neill, one of my favorite actors, plays an insurance fraud agent who is hired by a publishing company to locate a missing blockbuster author known as Sutter Caine. He is accompanied by an editor, Linda, and they head off to a mythical town known as Hobb's End to try and locate the recluse author. However, the two quickly discover that there is more than meets the eye waiting for them in Hobb's End, including evil old hotel owners who eat their husbands, decaying children, and Sutter Caine himself, a new "god" who is determined to bring about the end of the world through his newest novel.

The movie deftly treads a fine line between what is reality and what is make believe, and in the end, you may find yourself questioning reality as much as poor Sam Neill's character, who ends up the only sane person in an insane world....or does he? Check this one out for a superb chiller of an evening...just try to shake this one off.

Unknown

If you're in the mood for a movie that will keep you guessing from the first shot until the very end, I suggest you pick up Unknown, a great little film with a taut, suspenseful storyline and great acting all around. I rented the movie because I was on a Jeremy Sisto bender, and he does have a small part, though it doesn't require him to do much except die, which he does well. What I wasn't prepared for was great performances from Greg Kinnear, James Caviezel (otherwise known as Jesus), Joe Pantoliano, and Barry Pepper.

These four guys wake up in an abandoned warehouse in the middle of the desert. Some are bloodied and shot, some are tied up, and others are free with few injuries. None of them remember who they are or why they are there. Through a series of events they learn that some of them are hostages, and some of them are kidnappers, but they don't know who is what. The story then unfolds with several twists and turns, which kept me glued to the screen until the credits rolled. Another great thing about the movie is that it was only 90 minutes long! If there is one thing I have a problem with, it is movies that last forever for no damn good reason, (yes, Pirates of the Caribbean 3, I am talking to you). The length of the film was just short enough to be perfect. Definitely check this one out.

Blood Brothers

Not that anyone reads this blog, but I had to take a bit of a hiatus due to exams and holiday break. I was hoping to come back with a great movie to talk about, but unfortunately, that didn't work out. I was pretty excited for Blood Brothers, the description sounded interesting, and I have a fascination for 30's era gangster films. This one takes place in Shanghai, which held all sort of promise, but unfortunately, the film fell a little flat.

The story centers around three brothers who leave their simple country lives behind and travel to Shanghai in search of brighter and more exciting futures. One thing leads to another and they find themselves embroiled in the gangster underworld of 1930's Shanghai. One of the brothers becomes a vicious killer, while the others are conflicted by their new-found careers. A femme fatale enters the scene, and betrayals are made, but the whole thing tends to drag a bit. I found myself wondering when it was going to end, halfway through, with very little action occurring.

The cinematography is lushly gorgeous, from the costumes to the set designs, everything about this movie is beautiful. It's the story that gets a little too convoluted and characters that aren't developed enough to be truly cared about. There are a few great performances, namely by Daniel Wu and Liu Ye, but some of the character's motivations for their actions were made unbelievable by their total abruptness, namely brother Kang's change from mildly rebellious older brother to cold-blooded killer of friend and foe in the blink of an eye. And a couple things needed more development, such as the character of Boss Hong, and a love triangle that fizzles out. Another problem is that the most exciting scene is at the very end of the film, a superbly choreographed gunfight where foes are vanquished and blood is shed. I just wish I didn't have to wait an hour and a half for an awesome gunfight in a gangster film.

All in all, Blood Brothers is pretty and mildly entertaining. 1930's era Shanghai is lushly represented, and I hope to see more films that take advantage of this interesting environment, Blood Brothers is just a taste of what is possible.