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After David Edelstein coined the phrase 'torture-porn' when describing Eli Roth's Hostel (2005) in his article for New York Magazine, I had always wanted to get round to watching Wolf Creek. In his article, Edelstein mentions Wolf Creek in relation to a new wave of horror films like Hostel, and The Devils Rejects; and so I expected some serious gore when viewing Wolf Creek. In this respect Greg McLean's Wolf Creek (2005) was a bit disappointing.
Although thats not to say that this independent film wasn't truly terrifying. The portrayal of the serial killer is truly unnerving. His charismatic nature is reminiscent of Freddy Kruger, only this guy doesn't look like a serial killer; which is the scariest part. Unlike most horror films where you can put yourself in the soon-to-be-victims position and say 'I wouldn't have done that', you really can't with Wolf Creek. It's just too easy to believe that this friendly stranger is just that- a friendly stranger. As it turns out, 'friendly' would not be the first word i'd use to describe this sadistic mass murderer, surprisingly enough. 
This guys ability to locate the two female protagonists running around the australian outback is uncanny, it's this that creates a really unnerving atmosphere I think only paralleled in the original The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974). Its the kind of atmosphere that leaves the audience truly on edge, this guy is purely out to kill, he's fast and he WILL find you. 
You can really feel the terror of the two female leads particularly as they desperately fumble for car keys on a number of on-the-edge-of-your-seat moments. I think the main problem they came up against in this film (apart from the psychopathic crocodile dundee) was the extreme lack of quality vehicles, or vehicles that drove at any sort of decent speed at all, or in fact just vehicles that started up, most of the time. 
As expected with most horror films, there were definitely more than a couple of stupid moves made by the girls as they attempted to escape, most notably when Liz (Cassandra Magrath) re enters the torture-lair (after failing miserably to escape the first time) and decides to watch a few home videos on crocodile dundee's victims' video cameras. She fails to notice the serial killer creep into the back seat of one of the cars she tries to start, and not so soon after she dies, and rather painfully at that. Queue classic "head on a stick" quote.
The gore in Wolf Creek isn't all Edelstein lived it up to be, no where near as bad as the Hostel trilogy, Wolf Creek was terrifying in its almost bloodlessness, another feature that parallels Tobe Hoopers The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, a “classic opus of almost bloodless brutality” (Jay Alan Horronews.net). Aside from the toe-curling scene where Ben (Nathan Phillips) unhinges himself from the nails that have fashioned him crucifix style to the wall, that is. 
The ending of Wolf Creek leaves more to be desired, as an audience we don't quite get the retribution we're looking for as Mick Taylor (aka sadistic serial killer, actor John Jarrat) seems to remain at large and the whole thing really does have a lot of loose ends. Although, Wolf Creek based (however loosely) around a true horror story of the murder of some backpackers in the outback, and so maybe these loose ends couldn't be helped. Although a somewhat untidy and rushed ending, it was a fresh relief to find that Ben (Nathan Phillips) came out survivor, as on the whole I felt he made all the right moves upon his one time escape. Congrats!

 
The most terrifying film you will ever experience? Probably not. Or maybe, if this is the first and only horror film you will ever see; but apart from that no, probably not. Although don't let that turn you off of watching the film, most horror films (in fact i'd go as far as to say 99% of horror films ever) couldn't ever live up to a slogan as arrogant as this one for Evil Dead (2013). 
For a paranormal based horror this has to be one of the most gratuitously violent and graphic films I have ever seen, it almost sends the Hostel trilogy on a run for its money. Only not quite. But still, the concluding sequence with the chainsaw has to be one of the best chainsaw scenes in cinematic history, Jane Levy (who plays drug addicted Mia) rips straight through the Abomination's body, one handed, whilst the sky is raining blood. And there's no sneaky cutting away from the chainsaw action to minimise the gore either, no, we see the full extent of the chainsaws damage and watch the Abomination sink back into the blood-saturated ground, down back to hell, presumably. 

Many will argue that this reboot doesn't (and never could) match up to the original. However I say its about time we tried to desperately scare a new, modern audience, and not keep harping on about how 'terrifying' the original was. The truth is, the 1981 graphics and fake blood just aren't enough to scare anyone anymore, no matter how 'original' the film may be. 
Jane Levy's performance is considerably good, in comparison to so many other annoying and tiresome performances created by heroines in the horror genre. The most suitable example I can think of is screaming Sally in Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974), Levy's performance is, for want of a better word, ballsy. She seems to do exactly what a normal human being would do in the presence of flesh-possessing demons; become possessed, and if given the chance to arise from possession, cut the said flesh possessing demon in half with the nearest chainsaw to hand. Not, ahem Sally ahem, run screaming and falling into a family of mass muderers' house. Levy made sure the demon was dead, and I appreciate that.
Overall, Evil Dead was definitely not the most terrifying film I have ever experienced, however I did thoroughly enjoy it, due to the not so predictable plot and its twists, the crude violence, blood rain and really good make up artistry. Evil Dead is definitely not a film for anyone without a strong stomach- or a duvet to hide behind.

Bates Motel Review

9/22/2013

 
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From the producers of Lost, Bates Motel is an interesting take on the uncomfortable mother and son relationship depicted in Alfred Hitchcocks Psycho, only this takes place as a prequel to the film- only fifty or so years later in actual years.
Once you get to grips with the fact that this is a modern day take on the film you can begin to fully appreciate the parallels drawn between Psycho and Bates Motel. The set of the Motel and the house for example are extraordinary, the producers definitely didn't want to give a modern day feel for the set; which gives the entire show an eerie foreboding feeling, because we as an audience know exactly what is to become of these characters we're beginning to know and love all over again, in this very house we're seeing on screen.
Freddie Highmore's performance as Norman Bates I feel is touching. Watching Bates Motel, even though we all know what's to become of Norman, Highmore's performance means half of the time I spent watching him I just wanted to give him a big hug and tell him everything was going to be o.k. Of course this is lessened when Bates tries to kill his brother Dylan (Max Thieriot) with a meat tenderiser. Highmore seems to capture the exact same feelings portrayed Anthony Perkins in the original perfectly, and his performance really gives us an insight into what created the schizophrenic monster seen in Psycho. 
Since we never really see Norman's Mother in Psycho, Vera Farmiga (Norma Bates) brings a fresh idea on the psychotic mother role, gently tredding the border between caring mother and psychotic murderer. At times her performance begins to feel awkward and uncomfortable to watch, particularly in scenes where Norma and Norman get a bit too close for comfort; take the scene where she climbs into bed with her 17-year-old son as the her ex lover's dead body was found in her bed the day before and Norma was too 'creeped out' to sleep on her own. The whole film was just too reminiscent of the typical girl-at-the-horror-film-who's-scared-and-needs-you-to-hold-her. However, i'm willing to assume that this is the angle she was aiming for in her performance and so Vera Farmiga deserves a gold star for her excruciatingly uncomfortable and 'cringy' performance.
Although in my opinion (and i'm sure many of others) nothing could ever top Hitchcock's Psycho, Bates Motel certainly gives it a run for it's money whilst at the same time giving us a really insightful look into what made Norman Bates turn out the way he did. Definitely worth a watch.