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Capone Wants You to Visit THE LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT! No, really, it's safe…!!!
Hey follks. Capone in Chicago here.
I was an admirer of last year's sadistic thriller THE STRANGERS, the story of a young couple who are terrorized in their proverbial cabin in the woods by three masked assailants, featuring one of the most somber endings of any studio-made scare film in years. We've seen a lot of films that have glorified the pain and injury criminals, monsters and evil doers can inflict on the innocent, but this remake of Wes Craven's groundbreaking (and hardcore amateur production) THE LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT offers up this question: What would happen if the victim(s) or relatives of the victim(s) got a chance to exact a little revenge? They aren't so much fighting back as they are just unleashing decades of film victims' rage on their attackers.
It may seem like a subtle difference. Graphic violence is graphic violence, right? Actually, I don't believe that for one second. Intent is everything in these movies, and I believe that Craven's original intent was to shock us with rape, humiliation, torture and sheer brutality. The good news about this remake is that the brutality is intact, but the humiliation and torture has been curbed (the rape is still there; you should know that going in). But along with absolute, undiluted meanness of the villains, THE LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT delivers something that the source material didn't have much of--great acting and a visual style. In truth, Craven did have a style, a documentary look to his story that made it seem far too real for many to stomach. But Greek director Dennis Iliadis (Hardcore) has a real eye for capturing the suffocating woodland surroundings in which the film is set, without making anything about this movie seem slick or polished. He also makes the movie as scary as shit.
Screenwriters Adam Alleca and Carl Ellsworth have trimmed the fat from Craven's screenplay, removing not only the most sadistic moments, but also the out-of-place comic relief. I'm in no way knocking Craven's film--I just watched it the other day, and it still shakes me up 36 years after its initial release. But the acting in the new film just sends it into the stratosphere. Garret Dillahunt's Krug isn't some raging maniac with a smirk on his face whenever he does something naughty. He's an angry, hateful man who holds no value in human life, but he's no monster. If anything, he's all too human. His sidekicks (Riki Lindhome as Sadie, Aaron Paul as Francis and Spencer Treat Clark as Krug's son Justin) are all kind of disposable as characters, but their sheer numbers make them so much more threatening as they kidnap and torment young Mari Collingwood (Sara Paxton) and her friend (SUPERBAD's Martha MacIsaac), while Mari and her parents are on vacation.
I've seen some people refer to THE LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT as a "rape movie." This movie isn't about rape; there's rape in it, and it's about as awful as you can imagine. But the film is really about what actions would drive two peaceful parents (Tony Goldwyn and Monica Potter) into the abyss of violence to avenge what has been done to their daughter. Without giving too much away (especially to those of you who have seen the original), the bad guys end up at the doorstep of the parents looking for shelter on a rainy evening. The parents have no idea who these seemingly kindly strangers are, but they soon discover they are responsible for what happened to their daughter and take action. These third-act scenes are the film's absolute best, as Iliadis transfers the fear we felt about Krug & Co. and turns it into anticipation about what the parents are up to. Bring oxygen, because you're going to be holding your breath for minutes at a time.
A fellow critic friend of mine floated his concluding thoughts on the LAST HOUSE remake, saying it was the best horror film remake since Zack Snyder's DAWN OF THE DEAD. I can't argue with that, but I actually think Last House is the better remake of the two. It took a great film that needed some improvements and did just that while still honoring Craven's messed-up vision. I might also argue that LAST HOUSE isn't a horror film at all; it's an intense drama with very little blood (if you exclude a final shot involving a microwave that is silly but still 100 percent satisfying) and some of the best performances you'll see in a film like this. It makes a difference and maybe studios churning out horror these days will take note that solid acting sells these movies, not young actors borrowed from shitty television shows. THE LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT is not for everyone, let's make that clear--but you know who you are and what you are and why you love this stuff. This film is best of its breed, but even outside of the realm of scare films, it hold up. And if it gets too much for you, just remind yourself, "It's only a movie."
-- Capone
capone@aintitcoolmail.com
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+ Expand All
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And spare yourself this. (Von Syndow is fantastic in it, by the way, and it's the original film the explores this premise.)
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even though its ANOTHER horror remake still looking forward to it.
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see this
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Here's hoping!
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When M-M-M-Malcolm stumbles back to the "Singin' in the Rain" house, also in the pouring rain. Although I don't recall a microwave sequence in that. Likely because there were no microwaves. Perhaps a toaster oven?
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Never works for me. Sometimes I get anxiety attacks when film imagery is too graphic. I had to watch "Inside" in pieces just to get through it. Although funny enough I had no problems with High Tension.
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not that great, imho. its all emoting and long shots. kinda boring.
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I don't mind horrible things happening in movies, but at least movies like the Virgin Spring, you leave the movie with something to think about. You leave thinking more about the subtext than the violence. With movies like this and Chaos, you just leave feeling disgusted.
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Why? Because it was done with the approval and participation of the original's writer/director. And it sounds like they actually tried to elevate the material, unlike the F13 remake which seemed to be like "more of the same, only better looking." But I criticize what I have yet to see.
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because it has no Tommy Wiseau
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but it's definitely not one of Bergman's best. I prefer the original Last House on the Left to Virgin Spring. The grittiness of it is perfect for the story. Of course, I didn't know anything about the last 1/3, so the parents' revenge was a huge shock.
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Fuck's sake!
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Garret Dillahunt in the trailer (and the music in it) was enough to get me REALLY excited for this movie. Due to my shitty location, I don't think I'll be able to catch it, but I'll Netflix it the second it show's up on Harry's DVD column.
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Even when they do succeed in remaking something, it's just so difficult for me to enjoy it knowing it was done before as someone else's idea. Do they really need the original's title to help market the film? How many of your average movie-goers have even seen the original?
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Why not just add Dom Deluise as some tag along friend to the girls and make it a road movie with the Krugs chasing them across America? Call it Last House on Cannonball Run, because no pee pants scene = a FUCKING JOKE!!!
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i hope youre trolling, because if you feel that "no pee pants scene=a FUCKING JOKE!!!" then i think there might be some deep seated mental issues you have to deal with.
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Now pee your pants...
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I am so there opening night!
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in how many countries? Nowadays a producers would kill for a claim like that. And Capone's right, if you're going to do a remake, fix whats wrong with the original, and have genuine actors, instead of CW rejects.
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You sound like the Watchmen fanatics complaining about the squid; in fact, so much, I suspect you're posted satirically.
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What about a Squid peeing ink? Would that make the freaks happy?
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Which is: Can you masturbate to it?
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But what kind of pants would a squid wear?
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a degree of degradation that the villians sunk to. Its like the scene in Deliverence. Would Ned Beatty's rape scene have as much impact if it didn't include "Squeal like a pig" taunted over and over...I though, think it's omission, doesn't hurt the remake one way or another.
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Those parts in the original looked liked they belong on the Duke of Hazzard.
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Sounds like a good horror movie opening on Friday the 13th. That can't be hard to promote. I doubt this will fare well in theaters.
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out next year.
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The original LHOTL was a product of its era. It can't/shouldn't be replicated. Every time someone gives me hope that a new horror film might be good, it never is. And I'll probably never learn.
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i have sometimes thought that maybe hollywood just needed to add a visual style and better acting to rape. but that's why they call tequila, "to kill you".
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Garret Dillahunt and Tony Goldwyn, so I will definetly see this in theaters.
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the heroes of the movie say "I'm Chris Motherfuckin Hansen, bitch, what the fuck are you doing here" just before plunging a kitchen knife in the bad guy rapists' face.
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when it comes over here
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Mar 13, 2009 3:13:58 PM CDT
uh, most of these typoes of movies have had the "victim" fightin
by tvs_frank
big fucking deal.
...and the original was rather 'meh' -
original post was supposed to say, "uh, most of these types of movies have had the 'victim fighting back(exacting their revenge)
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is tacky, tacked on, unsatisfying, and more or less completely retarded
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that movie more. I didn't know the Euro-director's "clever twist" was that he was giggling away, giving the audience a case of cathartic blue balls. He meant to make a frustrating movie with zero satisfaction, and I guess he succeeded, I have to admit, but to break the fourth wall and do that stupid-ass rewind shit just pissed me off. What pisses me off more is that he would probably let loose a cackle of holier-than-thou delight by the fact that his shitty movie pissed off an American. This version of Last House on the Left should be a companion piece of Funny Games, I guess.
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The fucking daughter DOESN'T die! She conviently stays alive long enough to drag herself to her house and tell her parents what happened. I'm sorry, but that makes this movie automatically lame. Krug's son? Are you fucking kidding me? The original was more believable by having them just be assholes who knew each other. The dynamic between them was real, which made the violence they committed more realistic; it wasn't just for the plot. I agree with the exclusion of the bumbling cops (even if one of them was played by the bad guy from KARATE KID "Fear, does not exist, in this dojo, does it?!") and the "revenge" scenes always felt rushed to me (Tarantino apparently felt the same way, i.e. Bruce Willis taking the sword scene in PULP FICTION), but, this still sounds like a watered-down Hollywood version. Yeah, there might be a lot of blood and gore beautifully staged, but, does Monica Potter bite off the guy's dick? The original just made everything feel real. Even the water in the lake was fucking disgusting. Now we have ...a son as one of the killers? Is this some bullshit analogy for family; both families defending each other? This just sounds like everyother remake of horror films that have come out; shot well with a lot of metaphors, but, no where near as realistic and scary.
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They had a f'n shotgun and a house full of possible weapons, and they lost to 3 weirdos outside.
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Not because the "victims" didn't get there revenge and have a happy ending, it sucked because the "victims" were absolute morons.You can't tell me that a guy like Scott Speedman or Tim Roth couldn't figure out a way to defend themselves from the fucking Jonas Brothers. It's just unrealistic to have some one be that moronic in a film
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Mar 13, 2009 6:22:40 PM CDT
A movie where the psycho attacks a house of UFC fighters.
by gibsonusa returns
That'd be a change of pace. THE STRANGERS was an okay experience except for the standard moronic stupidity and weakness of the good guys and the psychic ability of the bad guys to stay a step ahead at all times.
Again, the good guy couple had a shotgun and a whole house at their disposal, not to mention surrounding woods to hide in, and they got trounced by a few weirdos outside.
THEN, when a weirdo in his cheesy ass mask walks in trying to be all creepy, the good guy screams COMPLETELY helpless looking.
Imagine that skinny wierdo doing that to a group of UFC fighters in a house. They'd snap his face! -
Mar 13, 2009 6:33:59 PM CDT
Skinny 90 pound psycho in a mask with a knife is outdated.
by gibsonusa returns
In this post-Scream age of internet, cellphone, paranoia, and UFC?
Some fucker walking in like that would get put into the scissor heel hook and have his leg cracked! -
People who love this sort of horrible torture porn, have no sense of humanity or feelings for others.....Awww, I'm just fuckin' with ya'll. My fave part of this movie was when the goddamn little kid that kept running up and down the stairs of the theatre(who in the fuck raises these lil turds?) sat down on the step beside me and started crying for around five to ten minutes. It kinda made it hard to keep my attention on the movie, but the sounds of a small child crying makes it all worth it.
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Mar 13, 2009 6:48:19 PM CDT
Torture porn movies - result of horror movie desensitization?
by gibsonusa returns
Face it, we're the bunch of dudes that grew up on the 80s horror monsters. I've been watching that stuff since I was a little kid. Now, my friends and I can basically call out the fake scares and all that stuff during a horror movie.
I guess some writers feel like they got to up the ante. But I hope they dont confuse scary with gross. Sometimes when things get too gory, its not scary, its just gross. -
I'm a fan of this flick, but I understand why people hate on it. It's not entertainment, but instead it's a tool used by the director to completly fuck with the audience. "Funny Games" should make you feel dirty. You feel this way because deep down you secretly hope the killers will get away their crimes. But then they kill the kid. Now you're confused and you don't know who to route for and by the end you feel used and dirty. That's something special, to feel something in a movie theatre now-a-days. I felt the same way after seeing "The Hills Have Eyes" remake and I hope "Last House" can do it too. Oh, and Wes, please DO NOT make a new "Scream". That's not good for anyone.
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You could say that the 80s slashers do play a part in why toture porn is pushing the gore factor, but then again I would say it has more to do with our modern culture (mainly the internet).Up until the past 15 years or so, it was hard to see the fucked up shit that is all over the net (beheadings, war footage, stuff they don't show on the news i.e. Bud Dwyer) unless you had Faces of Death or the like, but now we can see real people really die with a few clicks.A few years ago a friend of mine commented on how fake movies really seem after you know what it looks like for someone to get really fucked up. I've seen first hand someone having a beer bottle busted over their head, and unlike movies where they fall down unconscious in real life he got a 6 inch gash across his forehead that caused a lot of bleeding and a slight concussion.I dunno, I don't exactly like to see people hurt, so I would agree at some point it stops being scary just becomes gross and then it begins to go over the top and becomes boring.
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I give it props for setting aside some time to develop the characters in the first part, much like the descent.
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You can tell. Back then, he looked kind of warped and twisted. In the original, those girls were truly terrified of the main villain in real life. The guy was creepy and treated them like dirt. That's why the original feels so unsettling. It taps into real fear and humiliation that those poor actresses must have been feeling. I'm all for horror films but that film was perverse. Craven gets too much credit for "making a statement" about violence.
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YES-FUN FOR ALL! Bring the kids! Yeah Caponi sounds like a great time at the Bijou...uhhh, not. How's that leaky roof of yours doing?
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The more i can't wait to see it! When these remakes are done right they are really good!
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Two years ago David Fincher's Zodiac made my insides curl up in a fetal position, locking tight and refusing to peek around their viscera to see if it was safe to resume their normal, non-stressed existence. That movie isn't gory, hell there's hardly any blood, but it is so damn disturbing and realistic. It's one of the scariest movies to come out this decade.
I watch a ton of Horror movies and prefer the non-realistic, over the top, this could never in a million years happen in real life stuff.
The more realistic (and well acted) the more I'm going to respond on that primal level.
That potential for really happening (at least the first half) of Craven's original really shook me when I hunted down a VHS copy back in the day. It was sickening to see what the characters were put through.
If this remake can maintain that sickening feeling than those involved have met their task head on and delivered.
Hopefully Capone is right and this movie will once again get my internal organs in a bunch. -
I really wanted to like that movie but the decisions made were so terrible, it was like they filmed a Darwin Awards book.
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too many suffer from characters doing stupid shit. horror makers just assume the audience doesn't care if the victims make moronic decisions in these movies. I watched 28 Days later for the first time yesterday, and it sucked. too much "Idiot Character Syndrome". after the terrible tunnel scene i just couldn't suspend disbelief any more.
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....i thought it was pretty badass, but they showed THE ENTIRE MOVIE IN THE TRAILER. Sure if you know the basic premise you can pretty much guess what's coming, but they literally show the absolute last scene of the movie in the trailer. Ridiculous. SOOOOOO annoying.
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I've been out of the loop so I literally haven't seen the trailer for this. I wanted to skip the afternoon work and see a flick and saw it came out.
It fucked me up on how graphic it is. Overall, I liked it, but didn't love it...but upon seeing the trailer tonight, I CAN'T BELIEVE how much they show.
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"I was an admirer of last year's sadistic thriller THE STRANGERS." I read no further. And yet I still took the time to post. Weird.
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that this is the best mainstream horror film since 28 Days Later...
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Alright, once again....a grown couple are in their house, with a shotgun and numerous possible weapons...and they are defeated by a couple of weirdos outside.
Here's the scene that pisses me off. [SPOILERS BUT WHO CARES]
When the good guys get the shotgun and load it up...they fire randomly at the door...thereby revealing that they have a shotgun. WHY???????
Now the bad guys know about it!
When the good guys found and loaded up the shotgun, they had the incredible advantage...because the bad guys didnt know they had it!! Make it count! When the bad guy was axing his way through the door, dont fire randomly you fool! Get into a good position and blow his arm off! Or better yet, dont even reveal your weapon yet! The good guys had the weapon and the element of surprise, but yet they just throw it in the trash!And then they decide to SPLIT UP....ARRRRRRRGH!!!!! -
[SPOILERS BUT WHO CARES]
Alright, so lets get this straight...
(lol, sorry i'm venting, this is the stuff i was thinking driving home from that movie.)
So the bad guys comprise a middle aged mom, middle aged dad, and their little daughter right? They're assets are a gun, knives, and that beat-up pickup truck, right?
Now we have the good guys. A young male and a young female, both looking skinny, and strong. They have homefield advantage. Assets include basically everything in the house including knives, a shotgun, as well as knowledge of house and area layout. Also, keys to a working fast car in the driveway.
Now given the above two paragraphs, HOW THE FUCK do the bad guys manhandle the good guys the way they do?
The good guys seem geniunely shocked that there are people outside being mean to them. IN THIS ERA? The movie should have lasted 10 minutes. They should have grabbed the shotgun, gotten a clear shot, and blown the bad guys to a million pieces. Or, if that old skinny bad guy walks in with a mask and a knife trying to act creepy...he should have been tackled to the floor and his eyes gouged out. Fuck a bunch of weirdos outside!
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Mar 14, 2009 3:04:03 AM CDT
A group of good guys cowering in fear is unrealistic now
by gibsonusa returns
If someone walks into a place with a mask and knife, I guarantee you he's gonna get his ass tackled to the ground by everyday people.
My friend was at a bank when a guy walk in with a knife...that guy had six guys tackle him and be on top on him hold him down. -
(spoilers) in the original film, he is Krug's son. seriously. they mention that he got his son hooked on drugs to control him better. its a major plot point in that film. Do better research or remember the film better.
As for the daughter dragging herself to the house, in the original, the parents a) overhear the killers talk about raping/murdering their kid (the room offered to them is their daughter's) b) go out and find her body c) brings her back to their house and leaves her on the couch d)without the killers noticing her gone e) and her body is never seen in the film again. It pretty unbelievable in the first place. Also, in the original film, they play this weird happy music when the girls are getting raped. This, combined this with the girls' terrible acting and the bumbling cops gives the film a very weird vibe. The only really disturbing scene in the film is the "piss in your pants scene" I had to watch this film for a horror film studies class when i was in college. the parent's revenge rocked. The score used was better then the rest of the film. In fact, the final act of the film is the best part. -
Irredeemable trash, both original and the American remake. Bad acting, terrible plot, the stupidity of the family and a director who made a movie designed to be as un-enjoyably as possible = a bad film. And then to give the same director money for an american remake that is made shot-for-shot is insulting. i Could on about the film, but it really isn't worth it.
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Maybe I'm biased, as I'm related to an actor from the original, but knowing how much Craven screwed over the original actors in the original (talk to David Hess or Fred Lincoln one day about Wes Craven), I will not support his utter lack of talent, especially considering how watered down this sounds. No penis-biting, no pants peeing, Mary lives...it's fucking watered down shit.
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just thought you all should know.
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It is toned down. I dodnt feel any real menace. Krug came off like a punk, not really tough.Riki Lindhome(sadie) doesnt seem to mind showing her perky titties! the rape scene was rough, but not like I spit on your Grave or Call her One-eye. Monica Potter seems miscast with her deer in the headlights acting style. I loved the music that was playing on the end credits. reminded me of something that Argento would use. the microwave scene was lame. Could have been a lot more graphic and horrific!
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That's all.
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Seriously, what is good about it? Laughable acting. Those "Comedic" moments were a terrible idea in a film like it, and that scene where the daughter is suppose to be dead after her parents find her is laughable. She's clearly moving and they had the actors voice-over their initial lines. Terribly amateur piece of crap.
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I just came back from a packed theater and everyone loved it. Well, love isn't the right word, but everyone thought it was very intense. The score and cinematography are terrific. The acting is top notch as well. The subject matter may not be for everyone, but this was one well directed flick.
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I've been anxious to see what people thought of this movie, and I'm glad Capone liked it. I like it too but I think you gotta acknowledge that it sort of, uh, forces the meaning of the original to piss its pants. I'm okay with the major SPOILER change of the daughter surviving. It completely changes the dynamic of the movie because now it's about protecting their daughter instead of savagely avenging her. But you know, I get it, it's different but it's dramatic and it works.
But then that last scene actually is about revenge but it's played as a funny audience satisfying thrill, and when I saw it it caused the audience to get up with smiles on their faces laughing as they left. Which is about as opposite as you could get from both the meaning and tone of Craven's version.
But oh well, still a well made movie and I agree that it's one of the handful of good ones in the avalanche of modern horror remakes. -
Really impressed with this film. I disdain most horror films and loath torture porn, but this was a very well thought out and executed thriller. Alot of good tension and characters that you can invest in, played pitch perfect by some fine actors. John Murphy also provides a really nice musical score. Just really tight and effective, involving and suspenseful, a very rare trait found in horror. I say if you can stomach some brutal but not gratuitous violence, treat yourself (and hopefully a date) to one of the superior examples of well crafted genre.
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I saw it tonight in a packed audience, and about halfway through people were trickling out yelling how fucked up it was to watch. I agree. I have to lend it to the filmmakers for EFFECTIVELY making me uncomfortable, but I don't go to the movies JUST to feel uncomfortable. Not a rewarding experience, and anyone who finds that type of media entertaining should seriously be second-guessed. Ultimately, upon walking out of that movie, I felt offended that the filmmakers built up such a bloodlust in the audience that we're actually rooting for the good guys to fuck up these villains. How is that good? Are people so desenstized that they rush to say something like this shit is actually recommendable? I would NOT recommend this movie to anyone, just like I wouldn't recommend Irreversible to anyone who had a fucking beating heart and people they cared about. I can't help but watch movies like this and wonder if someone in the audience happened to know someone who got raped, or got raped themselves...the insensitivity of filmmakers these days is tacky, classless, unoriginal, cheap, and fucking lame. And shame on all these moderators on AICN for promoting this movie as a "decent" horror flick. Sorry, but that's FUCKING NOT horror.
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Mar 15, 2009 2:27:39 AM CDT
No one is screaming it's a good movie,but it's pretty solid.
by the founder
It really is. I enjoyed it.
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The cowards at Entertainment Weekly gave this movie an F which is a god damn joke just because they don't like violence in movies. This was one of the better remakes I've seen and was a good movie with something different not the same old couple victim crap we've seen in the past.
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prolly wouldn't have seen it if Garret Dillahunt hadn't been in it. Dude has to eat, I guess... but really, this is tedious and unscary. The original was pretty terrible, but it had some power cause you got the feeling that the people behind the camera were as fucked up as the killer-rapists, if not more so. Here, you have a bunch of talentless hacks cashing in, which is sad but not in the least bit disturbing.
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So it isn't going to be hard for this to better it. I approve of remaking heaps of shit though, rather than molesting the classics.
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The daughter lived in the original too. They just fucked up the scene they filmed, so they did a bad voiuce-over of her being dead. The intention was she lived originally.
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