Dogtooth

Dogtooth is a Greek film that a lot of people are going to overlook and even avoid because of it's subject matter. It is no doubt a somewhat disturbing film that is certainly not for everyone. I found it to be a strange film that I got very involved in and is an example of how foreign films can sometimes be so much better than America films.

The film is set only in a house and large complex. It is about parents who won't let their three kids leave the house and because of this the kids are not allowed to learn about the outside world.

Dogtooth has a neat plot that really works well but unfortunately by the end, it just kind of falls apart. The ending in particular does not put things in perspective very well. The film is also somewhat unrealstic in that you wonder when Child Services are going to step in and stop all of this.

One theme of the plot is games and punishment. These are frankly sick and twisted with kids being forced into sexual activity and also kids playing games with toys that are not age appropriate. The movie has a sad side to it in that the parents are allowing things to happen to the children and in fact think they are good things for them. It is very sad that the kids don't know any better. This is a plot that you will probably never see again and  quite original in almost every way.

Due to this disturbing plot, we do kind of forget about the setting and the actors. The setting of the house is really unique and has a claustrophobic feel to it. The actors' performances are great across the board playing some difficult characters and roles.

Dogtooth is not perfect but it is a film with a lot of power to it and also a movie that you won't soon forget.

3.5/5

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Top ten favorite horror films

October is really when we see a lot of horror films released and talked about obviously because of Halloween. This is good for me but actually I watch horror films all the time. Every week. Every month. I thought it might be a good time to list my top ten horror films. Here they are!

Long forgotten and could also be described as psychological horror. Brad Anderson's Session 9 is just great. Really creepy, great atmosphere and it has a great ending, Session 9 works on every level and is one you won't forget.

Even though most people that I know didn't like it and the sequels are really getting old, Paranormal Activity is a movie I have always liked a lot. It can be really creepy at times especially the ending. This low budget movie really works with it's claustrophobic feel.

In a lot of ways, Halloween, Friday the 13th and Nightmare on Elm Street are kind of all the same thing. Even through most of sequels are not very good to their franchise, the originals are all very good and memorable. They also include young actors like Jamie Lee Curtis, Johnny Depp and Kevin Bacon. Frankly, I could watch each one of these over and over again.

I have seen all of Geroge Romero "Dead"  films and loved every one but Night of the Living Dead is my favorite of these. For the 60's, it was quite different and obviously scary for a movie from that time period. The ending is great as well. This is a film that brings back a lot of good memories from my younger teen years when I was just getting into horror movies.

Only die-hard horror fans know about this one called Let the Right One In. Really good stuff and it is one of the few horror films where kids are the lead characters. Oh and they are vampires!

I know the sequels are not so great and  most people didn't care for them and even the original got only a mixed reaction but Saw has always stood out for me. An orginal story with a very creepy concept. Count me as a fan.

This might more properly be in the science-fiction or comedy category but I will include Gremilns here. A real fun movie from the 80's with a great cast and strange killers. What more could you want? I still watch it.

No way can I leave off The Blair Witch Project. This film that has a lot of raw power and may have the greatest movie endings of all time. One of the best found footage movies ever.


I know I missed some great films but these are my top ten and are a must-see for horror movie fans.

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Chloe

Even through I am a big movie fan, erotic films are something I have never really been into. There is nothing specific that I don't like about the genre and nothing I can't sit through; but it is just not appealing to me and usually nothing I can relate to. That said, while it is still not my type of film, I found the movie, Chloe to be enjoyable in a dark and lovable way, and it did made me look at the genre slightly differently.

Chloe is a remake of a French film called Nathalie. It is the story of a relationship between a husband and wife which is close to being finished due to some cheating. An outcast named Chloe (Amanda Seyfried) steps into the picture to help and to try and save the couple's marriage. As time goes by however, Chloe really does the exact opposite of what the couple wants and we learn that she might not be who we think she is.

This is kind of a well worn plot that we have seen before but this film throws in quite a few new elements that includes the supporting character named Micheal (Max Thieriot) and the lead character Chloe who provides a lot more than you would think. There is also a lesbian angle to the plot that is strong and daring. Amanda Seyfried and Julianne Moore do well playing difficult characters with Liam Neeson adding to the the mix. The film does well with the development of the plot and putting a lot of things into the proper perceptive.

This movie does have some surreal settings including the main house. It also has scenes where parenting of the Julianne Moore character seems a little off but that is just a minor complaint. All in all, Chloe is a sexy film that does a good job for what it is trying to accomplish. I found it to be a memorable film because of the subject matter and due to the film's many highlights.

4/5

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American Graffiti

Even though I grew up in and was born in the late 90's, I really am an 80's kid. I have sat through  many films from the 80's and also listen to 80's music a lot. Even though American Graffiti is set in the 60's and made in the 70's, it is close enough to the 80's for me that I might like it. It has a lot of car stuff and kind of a silly plot and music that I have never been into and in the end, I kind of liked the movie . I know and appreciate that this movie really turned Francis Ford Coppola and George Lucas into what they are today.


Again set in the 60's, the film centers around a bunch California kids on their last day before college who spend the day causing trouble, hanging out with friends and then a night of  partying. It is a very silly plot that you would never see now but it is original and works pretty well for what they the filmmakers are trying to do.


The one thing that keeps this film in line is no doubt the characters and actors. It has a good young cast with Harrison Ford in particular putting in a really good performance. There is also a nerd character named Terri ( Charles Martin Smith) who provides a lot of good laughs and brings a heart and a good message to the film. The characters really make this film.

That said, the characters don't really seem to do much. For the most, you really only see them driving around which might not be a great plot element. This also doesn't help develop the characters or make them feel real.

The film really started to drag for me in the third act. It seemed to go on and on with no ending in sight. I don't think that George Lucas knew how to end this movie and it does have a big effect on the film for all the wrong reasons.

I don't love American Graffiti like a lot of people do and it is not a classic to me but it is a good take on the 60's. Considering that the time period of this film is not up my alley, I am surprised how much I liked it.

4/5

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Terri

Most movie fans know that Hollywood has been lacking in originally for years now. If you want to see something new, you really have go to see some independent films like this movie, Terri. This is a film that has a lot going for it and is yet another film that really deserves more attention.

Terri is centered around the character named Terri (Jacob Wysocki) who is a loner in school and has an uncle for a guardian who can't provide everything that he should due to an illness. As time goes on time, Terri learns about the world a little more, meets new friends and beings to bond with the new school  assistant principal Mr. Fitzerald (John C. Reilly).


The main highlight of the film is no doubt the interaction between John C. Reilly and Jacob Wysocki. As with his other films, Reilly puts out a very good and likable performance. For a first time actor, Wysocki really does well playing a somewhat difficult character. The movie is about bonding and Reilly and Wysocki do this very well.

About the plot, it does have some Max Keeble-like silly character elements in it but however you look at it, it is a good plot with some fun stuff. Maybe because I can relate to some of these school problems, I found the story to be enjoyable and told in a way that shows that the people around this film really understand these things. There are quite a few interesting characters here with the Terri character being best out of them all and the most original too.

Even though almost everything works in this film, there are some minor flaws. For one, the characters seem to have too many privileges and that doesn't seem realistic. There is a bad funeral and restaurant scene that seems to break school rules and take down characters in the wrong way. There is also a lengthy scene in a shed that takes too long to develop but it is still a nice scene that shows teen life in an interesting way.  Again these are minor flaws but they could have been easily avoided.

Once this character study film reaches it's end, we see that this is a smart film that has a lot of confidence to it. In short, Terri is a fun independent film that I liked quite a bit and really touched me.

4/5

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Hobo with a Shotgun

If you didn't already know, I have been a fan of grindhouse films and the idea of  fake trailers for years. All of these films bring a unique style to the table and which makes these films very interesting. Hobo with a Shotgun is a spin-off film and while it is not the greatest film, it is still pretty good and I liked it a lot.


Set in a town called Hope Town, the film centers around a hobo (Rutger Hauer) who lives in this town which is very different as it has drug dealers on every corner, killings by the hour and a leader named Drake (Brian Downey). Along with a prostitute named Abby ( Molly Dunsworth), the Hobo get really tired of living life like this and he decides it is time to take over Drake with a shotgun as his only weapon.

The hobo character is really good. The only way this film could work is for the hobo character to be strong and he is. Rutger Hauer puts out a very strange performance that I really liked. He is very believable in a rather difficult role and his character is really a one of a kind.

Like most grindhouse films, this spin-off can really get strange at times. The whole Hope Town thing is a really good idea. It sets up the film perfectly with a good atmosphere and provides the setting for some great graphic kill scenes. It is unique and probably nothing you are ever going to see again.

No doubt the strangeness of the film is fun stuff but unfortunately some of the characters do some unrealistic things like walking away unhurt after sustaining serious injures. You also wonder where the national and state governments are to control this town.

For a grindhouse film, this really a heart. There is a nice friendship in this film which really stands out and  makes the film more special.

Hobo with a Shotgun is not for everyone and it probably does not have a big target audience but I found it to be a memorable film that most people probably missed. Even if you are not a fan of this type of film, I still a recommend it. I know that it made me like grindhouse films even more.

3.5/5

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