As provocation, it’s hard to deny the success of Tom Six’s Human Centipede series (which awaits its final segment’s release next year). In a genre defined by mimicry and repetition, the horror concept that launched these films has clearly resonated as a fresh, frightening notion. The idea of a “human centipede,” human victims grafted together…
Piranha, an undisguised Jaws ripoff from the late ‘70s, is no match for the Spielberg’s blockbuster phenomenon (which makes a cameo appearance as a video game). This Roger Corman creature feature, helmed by Joe Dante (of Gremlins fame) is nonetheless a surprisingly good B-movie. It contains all the B-movie trappings: skinny dipping teenagers, unconvincing special…
Early in Stephen King’s time travel story, 11.22.63, protagonist Jake Epping has settled in to the town of Derry in the late 1950s (those familiar with King’s oeuvre will recognise Derry as the setting of one of the author’s best novels, It). Jake is an English teacher under the assumed name of George Amberson. He’s…
“The Asset” wasn’t a spectacular episode, but it’s the first time Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. has put together a consistently entertaining hour, and it’s enjoyable enough to keep me coming back. Much of the appeal of the episode came from focusing on three strong elements: Guest star David Conrad as a charming Maltese millionaire who anchored…
I can remember the Beltway sniper attacks of 2002, but the memories are vague. It’s perhaps harsh, but it seems that every few months there’s yet another senseless mass shooting in America. Of course, these shootings were different – no apparent motive, without obvious culrpits, the sense of all-pervading fear they must have created is…
As with last week’s premiere, “Uh… Oo… Aw…” is a messy and not-exactly-great episode of television, but it’s to be commended for considering the ramifications of its characters’ actions with some degree of realism, rather than putting them at the mercy of plot contrivances. The episode wasn’t perfect, incorporating one of 24’s favourite clichés, the…
I’ll give Texas Chainsaw this – it’s a very different take on remaking a classic horror film. The 2003 remake of Tobe Hooper’s classic was essentially a repackage of the main plot points (basically: Leatherface kills people), modernized with a higher budget and more attractive cast but none of the twisted charm of the original…
If you’ve seen the trailer for Sofia Coppola’s The Bling Ring, you already know the plot: Rich kids steal from richer celebrities, get caught. This kind of plot-certainty isn’t necessarily a bad thing, as it frees up the filmmaker to focus on tone and character rather than story. The Bling Ring portrays its protagonists’ crime…
It feels misleading to describe Gravity as a “simple” film. It’s a survival tale, a story built not on character drama and plot twists but on the fundamental, bloody-minded human need to fight for life. The minimalist storyline is at odds with the wide expanse of outer space that is the film’s setting. Gravity’s dizzyingly…
The main drawcards of the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. pilot were a charismatic lead performance from Clark Gregg and some appealing Joss Whedon banter. The sophomore episode pulls back considerably on both of these elements to its detriment, choosing instead to focus on a “the team pulls together” action-heavy storyline. The quality of the banter is…
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