Here, have a couple reviews I wrote of movies that have been discussed here:
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The Mist (2007)
After a brutal thunderstorm pounds a small town, the residents discover a malevolent mist hangs over their homes, killing anyone who remains outside. Trapped in a grocery store, a band of survivors must make a stand against the deadly fog. Based on a story by horror maestro Stephen King and directed by multiple Oscar nominee Frank Darabont, this spine chiller stars Thomas Jane, Marcia Gay Harden and Andre Braugher.
Oh, wow. All the summaries I’ve read of this movie made me think Storm of the Century meets The Fog. I had a definite ‘Been there, done that’ attitude toward it, so despite some squeeing about it from my friends, my hopes were not really very high.
I wound up loving it.
I had a moment of doubt the first time something came out of the mist, because Stephen King’s monsters and aliens and what-have-you are always scarier when they’re either human or can’t be seen. Once I see them, I tend to be like, “Really? Are you kidding me? That’s going to make me laugh, not scream.” But then other things started coming out of the mist, too, and you could never be sure what the next freaky creature to attack would be.
Aside from that, there were (as I expected, being a regular King reader/watcher) great characters, ranging from those I loved to those I loved to hate. And the acting was great, as well, which is not always something that can be counted on in SK adaptations. I loved the sound design, the creature design, and even the ending, which was not the same as the story. (Though it was very much inspired by the story. But I didn’t remember that until I listened to the director’s commentary.)
All in all, this was an extremely pleasant surprise. It’s now on my DVD wish list and I’d actually recommend it even to people who aren’t typically horror fans.
[Rating: ****]
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Caligula (1980)
Malcolm McDowell portrays the infamous emperor who wielded godlike power over ancient Rome while at the same time sleeping with his sister (Teresa Ann Savoy). Helen Mirren, Peter O’Toole and John Gielgud co-star in this film produced by Penthouse Magazine editor Bob Guccione and written by Gore Vidal. Warning: This unrated edition contains explicit sex, nudity and violence as well as disturbing imagery.
Well. They did warn me. But I have a strong stomach and a talent for turning off my mental/emotional sensitivities when I really want to. However, I still only managed to watch the first half an hour of this film before deciding that it was the most tastelessly pornographic thing I’d ever set eyes on. I fast forwarded through the last two hours because I’m a victim of Train Wreck Syndrome and needed to make sure I wasn’t missing anything really interesting.
I think my issue was that… the stuff I was seeing was historically accurate, according to things I’ve read. So, like… seeing a guy’s cock tied off with bootlaces so he can’t piss and then being made to drink wine until he’s about to explode and then being run through with a sword so the wine runs more freely from him than blood…? It was somehow more disturbing than if I thought it just came out of someone’s twisted imagination.
[Rating: *]
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