Hey Guys & Gals - Harry here... The Austin screening went off fantastic. Prior to the film we screened trailers for EXPLORERS, MONSTER SQUAD, HOUSE and HOUSE 2. Which completely primed the audience for the 80's vibe this film has in spades. The digital 3D was effin' amazing at the Drafthouse. The best part was seeing Tim League giddy after the screening, cuz I didn't get the idea he was even looking forward to it. This one older couple were at the Drafthouse seeing Pirates - asked what the glasses were for - decided to stick around for the screening on the chance of getting in on standby. And did. They came up to me afterwards just so blown away. That's great, when you get people to be completely blown away by the film. I've heard from a friend in L.A. that went nuts over the film. But I'm dying to hear from all of you in New York, L.A., Chicago and Minneapolis - as well as here in Austin. Share via the talkback below - or send your reviews of last night to Harry@AintitCool.Com with the Subject Line "Monster House 3D" in the Subject Line. And we'll add them below here. Or add them in the talkback below. I really feel this is an incredibly wonderful film. But whatever your thoughts - share them...
From AUSTIN
Howdy!
I was one of the fortunate attendees for the Austin AICN 10th anniversary screening of MONSTER HOUSE at the Alamo Drafthouse. I was ready for a fun film and I wasn't disappointed at all! Thank you Harry for 10 years of Ain't It Cool and for hosting a fantastic movie.
I wasn't sure going into this movie if I would be able to enjoy the computer animation. I enjoyed Polar Express, but I didn't LOVE it. The characters were too stiff. The animation wasn't as great as I thought it could be. I was prepared to be disappointed again. Oh how wrong I was to expect to be disappointed! From the opening scene, I was captivated! The animation in this movie is so much better than Polar Express.
Tonight I felt like I had stepped back into time. This movie made me feel like a kid again. I grew up with The Monster Squad, The Goonies, Stand By Me, and so many other great films about kids. I didn't realize just how much I had missed these types of movies until now. Zemeckis and Spielberg have recaptured something that has been missing from the big screen family movies.
The story is a new take on a familiar story. We've all had experience with "that spooky house" on our street. You know the one. The house that you will go 2 blocks out of your way to avoid walking past it. The Boo Radley-esque spooky old man (Nebbercracker) who scares the crap out of every kid in town. The house that you were triple-dog-dared to go up to and ring the bell and run like hell as soon as you did.
Everyone at some point has had experience with the bitchy babysitter (Zee) who acted so sweet to your parents and then turned into a completely different person when you were alone. The babysitter who banished you to your room so she could have her boyfriend come over to the house. The boyfriend (Bones) who thought it was fun to torment you.
And of course, you have the parents and adults who scoff and ridicule you for being afraid of the spooky house. The parents who think your imagination has run rampant. Of course, the disbelief of some of them also leads to some of the funnier moments of the film.
The kids in the movie, DJ, Chowder, and Jenny, are all ordinary kids. The boys are terrified of the house, and yet they both have to act like tough guys in order to try and impress Jenny. Their schemes to try and get into the house to destroy the heart of it are delightful! You can see yourself and your friends at that age scheming to try and come up with your own ideas of how to deal with a house that has come alive and wants to kill everyone who comes near it.
My favorite character in this film, though, is the house. The way it comes to life, the way it lures people in, and the way it attacks it's victims. It is a terrifying house. The expressions it makes, the way it morphs and changes itself, the way it moves, and well, just everything about it. The final battle between the house and the kids is FANTASTIC!
This film has heart. The audience around me was cheering at the end! Everyone had smiles on their faces as they were leaving the theater. It is a fun, action-filled, old-fashioned scary family movie for kids of all ages. That being said, if you have a young child who is easily scared, then this probably isn't one that you want to take them to see. My friend's youngest daughter climbed into her dad's lap at one point in the movie because she was scared, but by the end, she was smiling. This is the best movie I have seen this summer. I think Harry was right on the money to pick this as the 10th anniversary film for AICN! Thanks again for hosting this tonight!
CheriBomb
The following review was written by Matt Dentler - Programmer of SXSW and FANTASTIC FEST - upon his IndieWire Blog which is, btw, a great blog to read - if no other reason to follow a major Film Festival programmer's travels around the world and here in Austin. I remember Matt, back when he was in college... heh... crazy. Anyway - he wanted to come see the film tonight. Sure, it's a big studio film - but Matt's not the sort of programmer that just buries himself in Documentaries, Foreign Films and Indie Darlings. He comes to each film wanting to discover something to take to heart with him on his travels. Tonight we talked about the glee of discovered Gil Kenan - and - well - I let Matt tell you what he thought...
How cool is Monster House? The song picked to play over the closing credits is not some Alan Menken bullshit, but "Halloween" by Siouxsie and the Banshees. This new animated feature from Sony, opening nationwide July 21, will likely face an uphill marketing battle for that very reason: the target audience is the audience who remembers Siouxsie and the Banshees. Doesn't sound like Cars or Doogal, does it? But, rest assured, Monster House is probably the most unexpected Hollywood delight of the summer, otherwise known as a "sleeper." Yet, when was the last time a major studio animated feature was a "sleeper?" I don't know how many people will see Monster House, but there's a very clear audience, and that is the people who wouldn't think they should see it.
I saw the film tonight as part of the nationwide Ain't It Cool News 10th anniversary screenings. AICN founder Harry Knowles played host to a great evening at the Alamo Drafthouse on Lamar. It's July 10, and the show started at 10 p.m., to mark the occasion. Before the film began, we were treated to trailers of '80s cult classics such as The Explorers and Monster Squad, and this set the perfect tone. If you don't have a memory or care for either of these two films I just mentioned, read no further. If you do... Monster House is your movie.
More than just your standard, "kids versus the world" adventure film, Monster House is a time-capsule of '80s-era adventure. The "executive producer" credits for Steven Spielberg and Robert Zemeckis are obviously not just for show. This film plays just like Back to the Future or Who Framed Roger Rabbit?, pumping gallons of imagination into a package of skillfull animation and a very witty script. But, who will go and buy tickets? It's a pretty scary film for most little kids, and odds are that most adults won't blindly see an animated feature revolving around children on Halloween. But, perhaps they should. And, perhaps both audiences should see it together.
Set around a trio of suburbia kids on October 31, who must do battle with a very-much-haunted house, the film uses a pretty common American gothic tone as the launching pad for some great characters. The voice talent includes: Maggie Gyllenhaal, Jason Lee, Jon Heder, Fred Willard, Catherine O'Hara, and Steve Buscemi. Is that just not one of the quirkiest/oddest/coolest/most-inspired vocal casts you've seen in a major animated feature? As rumor has it, the film's concept began as a live-action script, which totally makes sense considering the cutting dialogue and character nuances that you don't normally find in an animated film. Want some proof? That original screenplay was written by Dan Harmon and Rob Schrab, who wrote the acclaimed Jack Black/Ben Stiller TV pilot Heat Vision and Jack, and are working with Sarah SIlverman on her upcoming TV show. Their script was polished by Pamela Pettler, who worked on the screenplay for The Corpse Bride.
Why should I spend so much of your time writing about Monster House? It's more than just an enjoyable film, it's a completely refreshing one. It's the kind of film that probably could not have been made inside the world of the studios without the support of Spielberg/Zemeckis, and that's sad but true. It's almost too smart for its own good. It's the kind of film that has no clear audience, and as many of us know, that sometimes is the number one ingredient for some of the best entertainment.
