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Reviews
Specter (2012)
Specter Film Review (Penny For Your Movie Thoughts Blog)
Specter is what I like to call a last minute reminder that found footage films can be somewhat enjoyable and creative if the right filmmakers are behind the camera. There are so many directions that can come out of this type of filmmaking yet the majority of today's found footage film directors believes that making a typical haunted house or demonic possession film is the only way to go. In the case of Specter, there is a bold sense of filmmaking (the type of film that could've easily been a short in one of the "V/H/S" films) that delivers on its concept and mystery angle. Also it doesn't hurt that the film actually takes place in a real life storm disaster. The atmosphere because of this reality is its own character and adds to the tension of the situations explored in the film. So take that into consideration when talking about whether or not this found footage film should be tossed aside with the rest of the Paranormal Activity impostors. Every single scene involving a flash flood, trees tossing, boats crashing, etc. is all taking place in real time from nature's fury. The brilliance of this film comes with the mere fact that the story centers around the storm, but doesn't focus on it too much. What we have is your typical teenage crew doing illegal activities until we see them getting picked off one by one in the end by a supernatural force. Yes, it sounds like every other film out there, but as I stated, the brilliance comes with the real terror that surrounds them being a bonus. The acting is what you would typically find in this genre of films (no one watches a found footage science fiction horror to find Oscar worthy performances). The characters themselves worked just enough to get me through the experience however no one really stood out to me as someone to root for. The story itself like I said is your overly done unknown supernatural force killing off a young adult crowd, but the execution this time around is the eye catcher. Yes I've praised the filmmaking boldness of the massive natural disaster already, but beyond that, the wide scaled destruction of the story is also done well. The film emphasizes on the fact that this force of destruction has killed off possibly the entire county of people during the storm. There are great shots of emptiness as well as the flaming remains of people scattered around. There is definitely some haunting imagery in the film and it genuinely adds to the film's tone instead of desperately calling for shock value (for the most part). Surprisingly, I found myself a little on edge (in a good way) in the last few minutes of the film where we find our cameraman searching for his friend through all of the chaos happening. It's a chilling and downright nerve wrecking experience as the audio and atmosphere took me in for a little joy ride through a nightmarish situation. I'll say in the end, "Specter" is a found footage film that puts effort in making an entertaining and haunting experience feel as real as the setting that film surrounds itself in. Whether you've given up on the genre of not, I'd still recommend at least checking it out as an interesting film project to say the least. It won't recover my faith for the current state of films in this overcrowding library of generic cheap horror films, but it will encourage me to keep an eye out for talented filmmakers looking to try something bold and unique.
Rosemary's Baby (2014)
Rosemary's Baby Mini Series (1st Half) Review
-When I first saw the promos for the Rosemary's Baby mini-series, I was interested in the direction that they would take it as well as amazed by how great it looked. Never had I imagined that it would look this beautiful. The scenery of Paris felt like I was watching a Travel Channel special about all the spectacular imagery that Paris conveys in it's artistic landscapes. I could never take my eyes off of the screen whenever a day time sequence was shown. I have never been to Paris, but I can imagine that they captured it's beauty perfectly. Not only do we get a great setting to drool over, but the visuals of the more horrific scenes are interesting to say the least and beautifully shot. That's another thing about this series is it's cinematography. It is eye-gasmic for lack of a better term when watching these scenes take place.
-One of the most important things about a series is it's characters and plot. After all, that is what you came for in the first place. Why should I be excited every week to see these characters engage in a story for hours. In this case, I can easily use one word to describe why anyone should be interested in watching this show: "curiosity". Whether you're familiar with the source material, watched the classic original film, or read online the basics of the story, there is a great sense of curiosity and intrigue where the charters are concerned. The main cast (Rosemary and Guy) are great characters on their own in terms of establishing an every day average couple finding themselves in the world. It's the supporting characters that take you in and challenge your sense of mystery and wonder. Yes, there are many times where my knowledge of the original film takes over and plots it out for me with some of the characters, but it never takes away from my thoughts on wondering what's to come. That's a sentiment to the brilliance in the writing. Everyone seems to be hiding something and even if they're hiding it in plain sight and you recognize it with ease, it's still brilliantly handled.
-Rosemary is played very well and may I say refreshingly by Zoe Saldana. It's great to see characters adapted differently over the years and I had no problems at all with Zoe in the role. I knew she was a high caliber actor and it showed in this first episode. As for the rest of the cast, Guy is played by Patrick J. Adams (who some people might know from "Suits") and he does do a great enough job in playing the struggling writer trying to find success. It's the supporting cast that really puts the horror and mystery elements up front with Carole Bouquet and Jason Isaacs who brilliantly plays the mysterious couple helping Rosemary and Guy. There are other great performances (thought not a lot is seen in the first episode of them to really spotlight) by Olivier Rabourdin as the commissioner and Christina Cole as Julie. I especially liked the commissioner character as I felt he was one of the rare situations where the police commissioner didn't feel like a total waste of time and actually added something to the story.
So being somewhat of a fan of the original film (I never seen it in it's entirety to fully appreciate it yet), I couldn't help but think that the iconic "This isn't a dream" moment could've been better handled. It's fine what they did here and probably worked for the story perfectly in the way the writers planned, but I feel like visually the scene in the original drew me in a lot more and added the horrifying element of the situation a lot better. In the original, you couldn't fully see what was happening as everything was cloudy for the most part. That was genius as we the audience was somewhat experiencing what Rosemary was at the moment on a hazy visual sense. So when the terrifying imagery of claws and monstrous eyes pop up randomly, we can relate to her in that "what the hell is going" type of way. When she states that she's not dreaming and that what she's experiencing is in fact real, it makes it a lot of more scary. As for this version, not a lot is left to the imagination as they show quite a lot removing the nightmarish element to a degree. Another thing that I didn't really care for was the character of the robber constantly stealing someone's purse only to be revealed to be the man in the photo that Rosemary found in their apartment. I like the mystery element behind it, but it felt a little out of place. I think this will be fully explained and given the closure needed in the second half, but for now I can't say I'm fully on board with this side plot.
I think as a whole, Rosemary's Baby is down right gorgeous to look at and it has a lot to offer in the mystery and suspense department. Aside from a couple things that I wish were done a little differently, the series has started on a good foot in it's first half. Let's just hope that the conclusion is just as great if not better than the beginning. There's a lot that can go right as well as wrong at this point. As an optimistic viewer, I stray towards the positive path.
Penny Dreadful (2014)
A Gallery of Interesting Characters and Story Directions
Penny Dreadful is a show that I randomly came across while searching for upcoming new TV series of 2014. Now that the first episode has finally premiered, I am happy to say that I enjoyed every minute of it. First, let's talk about the atmosphere and overall look of the show. Atmosphere was a key element in another new series that I recently reviewed called "Salem" which took place in the old days of Salem, Massachusetts. I praised that show for succeeding in having me feel as if I was there in that setting amongst the characters (due to its visuals and set design). The same attention to detail can be said about Penny Dreadful with it's structures, items in the world, clothing, set designs, and overall visual style in color and atmosphere. The production values are quite high in the quality of the show just based on the way it looks. I could easily mistake it for being a film at a first glance with its cinematic look. The music is also noteworthy as it perfectly compliments the mood of the show. Slowly riding along the scenes are orchestral pieces setting every moment when needed. Thats the key thing to point out as well, "when needed". Some shows easily ruin moments with an unnecessary use of loud banging epic music. With that said, I commend the show for knowing when to have music added in to enhance the feel of the show.
Now as far as characters go, I am more than intrigued with what has been revealed thus far. Different characters have been spotlighted, but the focus is on a man looking for his daughter who has been taken away by a supernatural force. This by itself is a story worth engaging in, but there are other interesting stories intertwined as well. A fortune teller with an unrevealed connection to Malcolm helping him on his mission, but is also threatened by a supernatural force. A showman with highly impressive skills with guns is offered a job to help Malcolm find his daughter but is uncertain whether or not he should follow after witnessing the supernatural forces for the first time on their first mission. Last, but not least is Victor Frankenstein himself (brilliantly revealed in the last seconds of the show) who has been asked by Malcolm to help him with his task by utilizing his skills in surgery. Of course the iconic story of Frankenstein is revealed as a reincarnated corpse created by Victor is brought to life before his eyes during a lightning storm. So with the first episode on it's own, we have a plethora of possibilities with different story-lines weaving together. So many mysteries worth looking into with various directions that the can go. You have characters with a rich sense of potential and an atmosphere that is worth being invested in. You have great actors giving great performances and the production values to match the quality. I can easily say as far as first impressions go, Penny Dreadful has won me over more than any other show in quite some time. I look forward to seeing where this series go.