Silent Night
Plot: A serial killer dressed as Santa Clause terrorizes a small town on Christmas Eve. It’s up to Deputy Aubrey Bradimore (Jaime King) and Sherriff Cooper (Malcolm McDowell) to bring the murderer down.
Review: I wouldn’t consider this a remake of “Silent Night, Deadly Night”. I feel the crew labeled it as such out of respect for the 1984 film. There’s only one recreation of a death, that being the hanging on the antlers, and a quick reference to the second installment (“What is this, garbage day?”), to back the claim up. Other than that, this is it’s own story (written by Jayson Rothwell). The killer’s motives are different, the tone and pacing are different, it’s a lot bloodier and more polished.
That being said, it’s not as good as the film it’s supposedly remaking. It lacks a certain grittiness that one had. This is a generic slasher set during Christmas time. Hence why I feel it’s not a remake. There have been numerous films about a killer dressed as Santa (“Don’t Open Till Christmas” and “Christmas Evil” come to mind) and this one is another notch on the list.
Not that it’s a negative. If you’re a fan of slashers, “Silent Night” will be a decent way to spend the holidays! There are plenty of creative kills that use a variety of Christmas ornaments (one man gets electrocuted while tied to a chair in Christmas lights) and the Santa sports a flamethrower. What’s not to love? Add in the buckets of blood to please the gorehounds and you’ve got yourself a nifty little stocking stuffer!
You’ll have to wade through some atrocious detective work to get there! Outside of Malcolm McDowell (who hams it up as the Sherriff) and Donal Logue (who revels in the sleaze as a traveling Santa), the cast is painfully weak. Jaime King tries to bring depth to her role, but she’s written poorly and comes across as snooty at times. The cute Ellen Wong is stuck in an annoying side role as dispatch and Brendan Fehr has minimal time to do much of anything. The rest of the cast is there as walking corpses waiting to be slaughtered.
If it’s a Christmas slasher you want, “Silent Night” comes recommended. It’s not of the highest order, but it still hovers over many lousy Christmas horror productions (and I’ve seen many). It’s above par of most of the “Silent Night, Deadly Night” sequels, though I’d argue the second’s sheer insanity is more entertaining and the fifth is surprisingly solid. Just do yourself a favor and try to separate this from that series, as it pays more of a homage than being an inclusion. That’s for it’s own good.
Final Rating: B-
The Tree
Plot: When the patriarch of the family passes away, the various members of the O’Neil clan deal with it in different ways. The mother and widower, Dawn (Charlotte Gainsbourg), struggles to make it through the days until meeting George Elrick (Marton Csokas). The oldest son, Tim (Christian Byers), takes a job to help pay the bills. The middle son, Lou (Tom Russell), becomes distant while the youngest, Charlie (Gabriel Gotting), doesn’t speak. The only daughter, Simone (Morgana Davies), believes she can speak to her father through the gargantuan tree in their yard that is slowly destroying the house. When it’s suggested it to be taken down, she becomes hostile.
Review: We all deal with death in our own way. Some of us, like myself, basically shut ourselves down and mourn the loss. Others weep in private, but try to move on with their lives. Then there are some who hide their emotions and pretend everything is okay. One could argue all day which variation is healthy and which isn’t, but that defeats the purpose. However one deals with their sorrow is their own volition , though some take it too far.
Julie Bertucelli does a swell job of conveying this in the first half of “The Tree”! She examines how each member of the family deals with the patriarch’s death and how it affects those around them. Simone’s irrational belief that her father has reborn as the tree in their background gets the heavier focus, hence the title. This works well until the halfway point where the events start to unfold like a Hallmark film. That’s to say it becomes a bit too sweet and sentimental for my taste.
Having never read the novel this film is based on (which was written by Judy Pascoe), I can’t divulge if the latter half’s happenings follow that of the book. If that is the case, then I’m certain I wouldn’t like the book once it reached the halfway mark. It becomes too sappy and safe once the tension mounts. The story may have treaded familiar territory since the start, but it did so starkly and honestly. Once the final act kicks into gear, the tone shifts from realistic to forcibly heartwarming.
It’s not enough to sink the film and I can see where it would win some folks over. One could see the film as a beacon of inspiration to those struggling with death. I have no qualms with that, but felt it was too much of a cop out. The first half may not have been necessarily pleasant, but it struck a chord in how we deal with death. Had Bertuccelli kept that up until the end, we would have had a real gem on our hands.
Final Rating: B-
The Day
Plot: In the post-apocalyptic future, a group of survivors band together to survive the chaos of open warfare.
Review: Had “The Day” been a straight-laced action flick, it may have worked. Douglas Aarniokoski has a good handle on action and shoots some average, but entertaining enough sequences. He doesn’t resort to the shaky cam that’s become the norm nowadays, letting the viewer actually see the action. He gets good use out of the cramped and dilapidated buildings and neverending landscapes. He’s even skilled cinematically, as most of the film is shot in bleak colors to contrast the tone.
Too bad the script, written by Luke Passmore, is as cheesily melodramatic as they come. Who knew that, in the dying days of the world, people would act as if they were auditioning for a soap opera? Had they cast actors that aren’t easily associated with teen melodramas (I’m looking at you, Shawn Ashmore and Shannyn Sossamon), maybe the dialogue wouldn’t have seemed so bad. I’ve seen some fantastic actors lift limp dialogue into passable fare. The only ones here that came close were Cory Hardrict and Dominic Monaghan.
I like the idea of people resorting to cannibalism to survive, hence the constant attacks on one another. I even appreciated the fact that Mary (Ashley Bell), the new addition of the group, is apparently aligned with a group of savages that infiltrate groups of survivors opposed to cannibalism to gain their trust and kill them when the time is right. Passmore isn’t content with these easy traits and throws in a few twists as well as numerous flashbacks meant to develop the characters. It was a hearty attempt, but I just wasn’t connecting with them.
This is the second film from WWE Studios that didn’t star any wrestlers. The first was last September’s “Barricade” starring Eric McCormack. That movie received the same rating this film will. While a good chunk of their films aren’t good either, it seems as if the ones involving wrestlers have fared better than ones that didn’t. Maybe having that hook sets these generic films apart from the pack. Had CM Punk showed up as the leader of one of the warring tribes, maybe this film would have received a better grade.
Final Rating: C-
Fat Kid Rules the World
Plot: After being saved from a suicide attempt by Marcus (Matt O’Leary), Troy (Jacob Wysocki) begins a friendship with the High School dropout. The two form a band, The Tectonics, despite Troy not knowing how to play the drums. The closer the two become, the more emotional problems Troy sees in Marcus. He stays loyal to his friend despite his father’s (Billy Campbell) warning.
Review: I’ve never had anything against Matthew Lillard like a lot of people do. I’ve found him to be an adequate actor with some hidden gems in his repertoire (“SLC Punk” and “The Descendants” being the standouts). I never thought I’d be reviewing a film that he directed, nor giving him major props for doing so. Yet, with his directorial debut, he surprised me by crafting a strong and heartfelt teen dramedy! I guess I shouldn’t be so surprised, as I never pegged Ben Affleck to be a phenomenal director and he’s proven me wrong too.
On paper, “Fat Kid Rules the World” looks generic. You’ve got the overweight social outcast being conned by a smooth talking dropout. He gains confidence in himself as he slowly begins to play the drums, despite not being ready for a live performance in five weeks time (when the time does come, he develops stage fright and pukes all over the front row). He develops a crush on Isabel (Lili Simmons) who actually shows an interest in him. All the while, he struggles with the loss of his mother years prior and runs into issues with his father and brother, Dayle (Dylan Arnold).
Watching the film unfold in the early going, I thought Lillard was going to churn out a decent, but forgettable movie. Then something happened. I began to become heavily invested in the characters. Why? Lillard treated them like human beings and not stock characters lifted from an author’s notebook (ironically, this film is based off of a book written by K.L. Going). These were real people who dealt with real problems in a realistic manner.
Take for example Troy’s relationship with his father. I mentioned they were having issues, but never stated they were chaotic. Mr. Billings isn’t the stereotypical strict father who breaks his son’s spirits down. On the contrary, he encourages Troy to play the drums and even buys him a set. He’s even willing to help Marcus out with his drug addiction, only understandably trying to distance his son from the reckless rebel when he shows signs of dragging his, and Troy’s, life down. You can respect and admire his tenacious attitude on Marcus and are genuinely pleased to see Troy taking it like a man and having an actual conversation with his father instead of screaming and shouting.
Another great example would be Troy’s infatuation with Isabel. We see him have fantasies throughout the film (not just of Isabel, but all facets of life) and expect to see him get nervous around her and she miraculously gaining interest in him. Except that’s not how it plays out. They actually strike up a conversation during one of Marcus’ concerts and slowly develop a friendship. Lillard doesn’t even force a relationship down our throats. By film’s end, we’re led to believe that they possibly moved their relationship to boyfriend/girlfriend. If not, we believe they stayed close friends (and not in the dreaded friend zone kind of way)/
Then there’s Troy’s dedication to Marcus, despite the rebel’s stubbornness to admit to having a problem. Lillard methodically changes the tables from Marcus saving Troy to Troy saving Marcus. We have a better understanding as to why Marcus is in trouble then we did with our lead, but that’s due to smart character development on Lillard’s part.
I hope that Lillard continues to direct and changes his career from in front of the camera to behind it. Just like Ben Affleck, he shows remarkable skill in filmmaking and a keen sense for drama and creating genuine characters. This isn’t what I expected form Shaggy, but am ecstatic to see this newfound talent! I can’t wait to see what his next project is!
Final Rating: A-
Beasts of the Southern Wild
Plot: Hushpuppy (Quvenzhané Wallis) lives with her father, Wink (Dwight Henry), in a desolate bayou known as The Bathtub. It is offshore from New Orleans and is facing a fearsome storm that is expected to wipe out their ramshackle homes and feeble neighborhood. Not only must they survive this, but Wink is slowly dying and facing his mortality as Hushpuppy learns to face the harsh realities of the world.
Review: The brilliance of “Beasts of the Southern Wild” comes from the intricate direction of Benh Zeitlin! He artfully crafts a child’s outlook on life and disaster in both fantasy and reality. At least that’s the vibe I got from the film. While Hushpuppy’s belief that the animals are interacting with her through code is obviously a child’s wondrous imagination, one questions whether the ancient aurochs (the beasts mentioned in the title) are actually real and broke free from melting ice-caps. Hell, I wonder if the melting ice caps were real and not just Hushpuppy’s vivid reasoning for such a devastating storm.
That right there is why “Beasts of the Southern Wild” is magnificent! It makes the viewer question reality and a child’s precocious imagination. No matter where the viewer lands, the story unfolds the same. It’s about a six year old kid’s survival of life’s worst dealings. Hushpuppy’s hand is full of death and destruction. Faced with this adversity, she strives forward with tenacity not known by most adults.
A lot of that can be attributed to her father, Wink. Having struggled his whole life, he infuses tough love on her to strengthen her to survive. Living in the bayous means providing one’s own food, resulting in the two going hand fishing and hunting. Their only hope is the boisterously spirited community who stick by one another like a family. While most would view their stubbornness to evacuate during the storm, it’s clear they’re doing it out of love and pride.
This spirit embodies Hushpuppy and guides her through the unknown wilderness known as life. Her innocuous attitude can be sickening at times, but she offsets it with her tomboy like grit. Her narration proves she’s smarter than the average kid (I’ve talked to grown adults that aren’t as erudite as her), but her innocence remains intact. She believes, thanks to her father’s word, that her mother floated away to sea. Not realizing she actually died, she still holds out hope her mother will return and even calls for her name. Though she’ll never get a response, she’ll never give up. That’s why this film works so well!
Final Rating: A-