The Essentials

There is a new series on YouTube, well relatively new anyway, hosted by Tamara Lynn Chambers called "Tamara's Never Seen" that I have been enjoying quite a bit. Initially, I was surprised at some of the films I considered essential films she had never seen. The idea that someone had never seen Jurassic Park, The Secret of NIMH, The Terminator or The Goonies just seemed...impossible. But yet she hadn't and that's okay. Then I got to thinking about what would I consider "The Essentials," to borrow an ongoing series from my beloved Turner Classic Movies network. What are the films I think anyone looking to expand their cinematic viewings should see to provide a foundation of solid film appreciation? Deciding to focus on just American film for the moment, because I need to narrow this down somehow, here are at least some films that I consider to be essential viewing, with brief explanations as to why. It is by no means complete, but it's a solid start, with a mix of classic and contemporary films from all different kinds of genres. In fact, this is just the tip of the iceberg and likely the first of several lists like this.


Casablanca
This is, for me, the perfect movie. It has everything in it, mystery, intrigue, romance. It has some of the most quotable dialogue (and often misquoted too). Iconic performances by both Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman in a WWII film that has the distinction of being made while the war was still going on, which only adds a certain authenticity to the film. I wouldn't change a frame of it. It's a true masterpiece. 


Almost Famous
This is another film that I consider to be damn near perfection. The film tells the story of a teenage boy, William Miller (played by Patrick Fugit), getting a chance to go on tour with an up and coming rock band to write an article for Rolling Stone and the misadventures he experiences along the way, including his first taste of romance with groupie Penny Lane (played by Kate Hudson), who only has eyes for the band's lead guitarist (played by Billy Crudup). The film was written and directed by Cameron Crowe, based on his own experiences as a teenage journalist for Rolling Stone, which adds an authenticity and honesty to the story that it would otherwise be lacking. It also has a killer soundtrack, with choice cuts from the likes of Led Zeppelin, Simon and Garfunkel, Cat Stevens and Elton John, among others. 


North by Northwest
This is a quintessential Hitchcock film, with iconic action sequences, an exquisitely witty script and Cary Grant at his most effortlessly charming. Grant plays a New York advertising executive who is mistaken for a spy, leading him on a chase across the country to try and get rid of the bad guys on his tail, made all the more complicated when he's framed for murder. This is easily one of the most entertaining movies I've seen and is fantastic from beginning to end.


The Godfather and The Godfather, Part II
I'm cheating and lumping these two in together. While the first film very much stands on it's own, the second film enhances and enriches the first film so much that it genuinely is the second part of the story. This sprawling tale of the Corleone crime family was brought to life by director Francis Ford Coppola with exquisite detail and rich characters. Almost operatic in scope, these films have a grandeur that you just don't find anymore. With a fantastic cast that includes Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, Diane Keaton, James Caan, Robert DeNiro and Robert Duvall, these two films are true American classics. 


Jaws
Steven Spielberg's first major film remains one of his absolute best. The film tells the story of a small coastal resort town in New England terrorized by a Great White Shark and the three men who wind up going out to try and stop it. Spielberg masterfully generates suspense more from what he doesn't show us than what he does, although it didn't help that the mechanical shark they used rarely worked. Despite the production troubles, he managed to create a bonafide classic that basically invented the summer blockbuster as we know it today. 


The Black Stallion
This film is easily one of the most beautiful I have ever seen with some genuinely breathtaking cinematography. The film tells the story of a young boy, Alec, (played by Kelly Reno) who after surviving a shipwreck finds himself stranded on a deserted island with a beautiful Black Arabian Stallion. The two form an unbreakable bond that continues when they are rescued and return to the boy's home together. There Alec meets a retired horse trainer named Henry (played by Mickey Rooney) and two decide to train the Stallion to become a champion race horse. The film itself is wonderfully acted and has solid direction from Carroll Ballard, creating a rich and gorgeous film. 


Some Like it Hot
Without a doubt one of the funniest films I have ever seen. Two struggling musicians, Joe and Jerry (played by Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon), in 1929 Chicago wind up witnessing the St. Valentine's Day Massacre and need to get out of town quick. They dress in drag and join an all women's band, led by singer/ukulele player Sugar Kane (played by Marilyn Monroe), on it's way to Florida. Once there, Joe sets out to try and seduce Sugar, posing as a playboy millionaire while Jerry finds himself fending off the affections of a legit millionaire, Osgood Fielding III (played by Joe E. Brown). With great comedic turns by both the leads and a great performance by Marilyn Monroe, this one is a true classic that never stops being funny. Besides, it has a fantastic final scene. 


Leon: The Professional
In the pantheon of '90's action movies, this one is unique. Director Luc Besson, who also wrote the script, manages to balance heartpounding, explosive action sequences with a tender and moving story. Mathilda (played by Natalie Portman, in her first film role no less), comes home to find her family has been murdered by a corrupt DEA agent (played by Gary Oldman) and takes shelter with her reclusive neighbor, Leon (played by Jean Reno). It turns out Leon works as a "Cleaner" a.k.a an assassin. A unique friendship develops between the two as Leon agrees to not only protect the young girl, but also begin training her in his trade. Anchored by three fantastic performances by Portman, Reno and Oldman and stylish direction by Besson makes this without a doubt the director's masterpiece.  


Back to the Future
I know what you're thinking, Nate how is it possible that someone hasn't seen something like Back to the Future? Well, believe it or not, there are people out there who have not. But they do need to fix this oversight as soon as possible. The film centers on teenager Marty McFly (played by Michael J. Fox), who accidentally travels back in time to 1955 courtesy of his quirky inventor friend Doc Brown (played by Christopher Lloyd) and his retro-fitted Delorean time machine. In short order, he meets both his parents and manages to screw up their first meeting and therefore jeopardize his own existence. So, not only does he have to try and find a way back to the present, but also needs to ensure his parents fall in love in the first place. In short, this really is another one of those perfect movies. It has everything, comedy, romance, and adventure. It is also insanely detailed with plenty of sight gags that viewers will never catch the first time through and therefore rewards rewatching. While you're at it, check out Back to the Future Part II and Back to the Future Part III. They're not quite as good as the first, but all together make for a thoroughly solid trilogy.  

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly 
I had to include at least one Western on this list and I figured it might as well be one of the most influential. The film tells the tale of three men, Blondie (played by Clint Eastwood), Tuco (played by Eli Wallach) and Angel Eyes (played by Lee Van Cleef) searching for a hidden cache of Confederate Gold during the Civil War. Filled with memorable scenes and three iconic central performances make this a memorable film. The film is directed with style and a tongue in cheek flair by Sergio Leone backed by an iconic Ennio Morricone score. The film is considered part of the Dollars Trilogy that includes A Fistful of Dollars and For a Few Dollars More, but aside from all three being directed Sergio Leone, scored by Ennio Morricone, and starring Clint Eastwood, the films have no real connection at all. That said, all three are well worth checking out. 


Smokey and the Bandit
Among my more haughty cinephiles this is going to be a controversial choice, but it's my list and if you don't like it too damn bad. Go make your own list. While Smokey and the Bandit wouldn't be considered high art by any means, it is one of the most shamelessly and consistently entertaining films I've ever seen. And at the end of the day, isn't that why we go to the movies? The film is simple in it's plotting, with Bandit (played by Burt Reynolds) and his friend Snowman (played by Jerry Reed) being bet $80,000 they can't bring back 400 cases of Coors beer from Texarkana to Georgia in 14 hours. They accept the bet and come up with a novel plan. Bandit, in his flashy new Trans Am will speed along ahead of the Semi Snowman is driving to attract the attention of various police (a.k.a Smokies, because the hats they wear make them look like Smokey the Bear) away from the truck carrying the beer. The reason is because in 1977, when the film was made, Coors was not licensed to be transported past Texas so therefore they are committing the crime of bootlegging. Along the way, Bandit picks up runaway bride Carrie (played by Sally Field) and as a result they wind up with her would be father in law Buford T. Justice (played by Jackie Gleason) and her would be husband, Junior (played by Mike Henry) in hot pursuit, along with countless other police officers along the way. The movie has a great, playful sense of humor, a number of genuinely impressive car stunts and a great cast who all seem to be having a blast, especially Jackie Gleason who damn near steals the show. It's a film that has never failed to entertain me. The film was followed by two sequels, but neither quite managed to recapture the spirit of the first.   


Rushmore
I really wanted to include a Wes Anderson film on my list and decided to go with his second film, Rushmore. They're all good, but I feel like this is a good movie to start with and is my personal favorite of his films, so I suppose I am biased. 

Max Fischer (played by Jason Schwartzman) is an eccentric and ambitious high school senior who attends the prestigious Texas private school, Rushmore. He is the founder of the majority of clubs at the school (as shown in a fantastic montage set to "Making Time" by Creation) and puts on elaborate school plays, based on films such as Serpico and Apocalypse Now. When local industrialist Herman Blume (played by Bill Murray) speaks at the school, Max is immediately taken with him and the two become fast, if unlikely, friends. Things take a turn when they both develop a crush on the school's new elementary school teacher, Miss Cross (played by Olivia Williams) and become rivals for her affections. 

The cast is perfect, with Bill Murray giving a great performance as Herman Blume, a lost man whose wife is cheating on him and who despises his two bratty kids. He sees a certain kindred spirit in Max and is impressed by the little lad. Their friendship, with all it's ups and downs, is one of the main reasons I loved the film so much. Similarly, Jason Schwartzman has the harder role of the two. In the wrong hands, Max could have been an incredibly unlikeable character, starting off the film with a massive ego. Max is taken down a few pegs and learns some humility over the course of the film. Schwartzman manages to portray this all quite well. There is a very unique style to Wes Anderson's films and this is where it really began. I love how he tells his stories and the unique visual style he brings to every shot as he does. Add to that a unique score by Mark Mothersbaugh as well as some wonderful deep cut songs from the likes of The Kinks, The Who, The Rolling Stones and Cat Stevens and it becomes a film not quite like one I had ever seen before and such a fantastic breath of fresh air. 

So, yeah, there we go. Twelve movies I feel are excellent and well worth seeking out. I deliberately went for a mix of classic and contemporary films, while also avoiding the obvious, like Citizen Kane, The Wizard of Oz or assorted other solid gold classics everyone knows. This really is just the tip of the iceberg and like I said before, I will likely make follow up lists periodically because there are so many more where this came from. But this is a healthy start at least. 

Never Sleep Again: A Look Back at the Nightmare on Elm Street series

Starting in 1984, a monster was unleashed on cinema screens everywhere. A unique and memorable villain, a child murderer named Freddy Krueger. Killed by a vigilante group of parents after he got off on a technicality, Freddy has come back as some sort of ghost demon capable of infiltrating the dreams of their children and if the kids die in their dreams, they also die in real life. Inspired initially by a series of articles in the L.A Times about a group of Hmong refugees dying mysteriously after waking from terrible nightmares, writer/director Wes Craven came up with a plot that gave birth to a monster that would return time and again to terrorize teenagers everywhere.

 "Whatever you do, don't fall asleep."

The original that started it all crafted a new form of slasher movie, one with overt supernatural themes and the idea of the sins of the parents returning to be revisited upon the children. The film found a great hook in the idea that if you fall asleep, you die since everyone has to sleep at some point, so you can only delay sleep for so long.

The kids of Springwood are starting to all dream of the same guy, a horribly burned man who wears a glove with razor blade claws. As her friends start dropping one by one, Nancy (played by Heather Lagenkamp) and her boyfriend Glen (played by Johnny Depp) try to work out what is happening and more importantly how to stop the boogeyman haunting their dreams, a man named Freddy Krueger (played by Robert Englund). 

Writer/Director Wes Craven didn't have a huge budget to work with, making the film through the burgeoning film studio New Line Cinema, but he makes every cent count as he comes up with some truly evocative and haunting imagery. The thing that always set the Nightmare series apart was the imagination that could be unleashed in each entry and it was apparent from the very beginning. Robert Englund gives an iconic and scary performance as Krueger, so much so that he was impossible to replace for the sequels. Heather Lagenkamp is equally great as Nancy. Nancy was always different from usual horror movie "final girls" in the sense that she actively fought Freddy, learning from each encounter from Freddy and finally not only figuring out how to beat him but actively setting traps for him and taking the fight to him. In terms of final girls, she was one of the best.


It seems like every big eighties horror series has that one odd duck entry that doesn't really match with the rest of the series. Halloween had Halloween III, Friday the 13th had Friday the 13th Part V (and Jason Goes to Hell). This one has A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy's Revenge. Still, even if it flies in the face of what came before and what would come after, if taken on it's own merits, this film has it's own bizarre moments.

This film picks up five years after the first film, with Jesse (played by Mark Patton) and his family moving into the house previously occupied by Nancy in the first film. Strange things happen almost immediately. Jesse is having weird dreams of Freddy (played by Robert Englund) and the house is constantly swelteringly hot. As Jesse continues to dream, it becomes apparent that Freddy has special plans for Jesse. He intends to possess Jesse to break out into the real world again. With the help of his girlfriend Lisa (played by Kim Myers) and friend Grady (played by Robert Rusler), he has to figure out a way to stop Freddy before he breaks through and kills again.
The second film is a strange duck in many ways, but primarily because it doesn't really follow on from the first one. If taken as a stand alone film, it's a bit more intriguing but taken as part of what came before and what came after, this one just doesn't fit. The whole point of the series was that Freddy tormented his victims in their sleep. They couldn't escape him that way because everyone has to sleep. Trying to come back into the real world seems...counter productive. Still, the film has it's moments. It's one of the few horror movies of the era to focus on a male lead, which is a refreshing change of pace. There are also some curious homosexual subtexts that run through the film. Hell, not even subtext, it's text. It's pretty much a subplot. Poor Jesse is struggling with his sexuality throughout the film. Needless to say, this film has gained a certain following within the gay community. I'm able to enjoy the second film on it's own, but as a part of the overall series, it doesn't really fit at all. 


"Welcome to Prime Time, bitch!"

When it came time to do a third film, New Line Cinema had realized the error of their ways. A quick cash grab sequel wasn't going to satisfy the fans of the films and something a little more carefully thought out was required. New Line managed to woo Wes Craven to come back and write the script for the third one. The script was subsequently re-written by Frank Darabont and director Chuck Russell and in the process crafted one of the best films in the series, perhaps even the best one after the original, with A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors. 

For the third outing in the series, the action moves to a mental asylum ward populated by the last of the Elm Street kids. The latest addition, Kristen (played by Patricia Arquette), is admitted due to an apparent suicide attempt, but was actually because of a run in with Freddy. She goes ballistic when they try to sedate her until a familiar face intervenes, Nancy Thompson (played by Heather Langenkamp), who is now a grad student specializing in dream therapy. She tries to explain what is happening to the kids to their doctor, Neil Gordon (played by Craig Wasson), that their dreams can literally kill them. Meanwhile, she begins to work with the kids and teach them how to control their dreams and fight back against Freddy, leading to a last stand between Nancy, Kristen and the rest of the remaining Elm Street kids and Freddy. 

Dream Warriors is one of the strongest entries in the series because it makes you care about each of the kids. They are not just cannon fodder for Freddy but each a fully formed character you want to see survive. This of course adds more suspense and tension to the film because you want to see these kids survive. They're all survivors and none are victims and that adds to the film and makes it stronger. The return of Nancy, the heroine from the first film also adds to the film. It also expands on the mythology of Freddy and how they finally lay him to rest at the end makes sense and would have made a fitting concluding chapter, but nothing will keep Freddy down but a diminishing box office.

With the release of A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master, the series started to make a sharp shift away from the darker horror aspects of the previous films and the more fully developed characters to a jokier Freddy and a larger emphasis on elaborate dream sequences. In some ways this hurt the series in the sense that it robbed Freddy of any real ability to truly scare. But at the same time, Part 4 remains an entertaining piece of 80's horror.  

After the events of the third film, the remaining Elm Street kids have been released from the hospital and resumed their normal teenage lives. It doesn't last long though when Freddy finds a way back and is resurrected in one of their dreams by flaming dog piss (I swear I am not making this up!) and back to torment the dreams of our plucky young survivors. But Freddy has finally met his match in Alice (played by Lisa Wilcox). Alice starts off the film as this quiet and reserved girl, but as the film goes on and her friends drop one by one to Freddy, she starts gaining their skills and grows stronger each time until she is able to face Freddy herself. 

Renny Harlin directed the fourth film and manged to create one of the most visually interesting Nightmare films. It may favor spectacle over character, but it is impressive spectacle, especially for the budget they had to work with. They managed to craft some genuinely inventive and creative sequences for the film. While not all the characters were well developed, I really responded to the character of Alice and not only how reserved she was at the beginning but also how she grew as the film went along. The film may have been a shifting change to a more crowd-pleasing and spectacle driven sensibility, but Part Four still worked and brought the goods. 


By the time the fifth film came about, it was starting to become clear that the producers were running out of ideas for the series. Coming out just one year after Part 4, we catch up with the survivors of the previous film as they once again tangle with the dream demon that never says die.

Alice and her boyfriend Dan are getting ready to graduate high school and move on with their lives along with their new group of Freddy cannon fodder, er um, I mean friends. The majority of which have some sort of defining characteristic or fear that Freddy can exploit against them in a vivid dream sequence. Meanwhile, Alice and Dan have been getting rather intimate as Alice finds herself pregnant. It is because of this that Freddy is able to come back, going through the unborn child's dreams to access Alice and her friends. Who knew unborn babies dream? Learn something new every day. It's not long until Alice and Dan's friends start falling to Freddy's finger knives and have to once again figure out a way to stop him.

Still, the film is better than average for a late in the series sequel. It covers such controversial topics as teen pregnancy and even abortion. I have to appreciate it taking such things head on in a film that, let's be honest, is marketed to teenagers. Likewise, the dream sequences again are the star of the show, bringing some impressive and creative effects to the screen. There are a few new twists to the tale this time around, mainly that since the dreams are through Alice's unborn child, she can be pulled into a dream state even when she is wide awake, which makes for some jarring transitions in the film. We also see Alice's child in Alice's dreams as a grown boy named Jacob (played by Whitby Hertford) and the two of them teaming up to take down Krueger lends an unexpected poignancy to the film. Even though, by this point there was a well set formula to this film and even with the little flourishes it felt like it was just going through the motions. 


After the disappointing reception to Part 5, it was decided by the execs at New Line Cinema to craft a final entry to end the series. The resulting film, Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare, was a jarring left turn compared to the films that came before it. While the previous films remained at least reasonably serious, despite Freddy's increasingly jokey behavior, this film is a live action cartoon. 

This film introduces us to John (played by Shon Greenblatt), who is the last of the Elm Street kids. Funny, several of these movies have included the last of the Elm Street kids and I don't recall him. Freddy manages to torment the kid in his dreams before flinging him back into the real world to go and round up some fresh victims for him. John wakes up without any memories except where he's from and soon finds his way to a halfway house of sorts for troubled kids. There he meets social worker Maggie (played by Lisa Zane), who decides to take him back to Springwood to try and retrace who he is. On the way there, they find they have a few stowaways in the form of Carlos (played by Ricky Dean Logan), Spencer (played by Breckin Meyer) and Tracy (played by Lezlie Dean). Once they hit Springwood, Freddy is waiting, working his way into each of their dreams. In the process, revelations are made about Freddy himself, who he was when he was alive and that one of the members of this new group may just have a familial connection to the dream demon, leading to the ultimate showdown to take Freddy out once and for all.

Freddy's Dead for much of it's run time plays much more like a black comedy than it does as a horror film. I laughed throughout the whole thing as Freddy took on each of the cast members in the dream world. Everything is played so over the top, so dialed up to eleven that it really does feel like a cartoon and Freddy is Wile Coyote. It is a jarring shift from the previous films, but it is at least amusing. It is cool to see a bit of backstory on Freddy as we see how he came to be and how he gained the power to impact people's dreams. At the same time though, the film doesn't quite come up with a convincing final demise for Freddy. It harkens back to the first one when Nancy pulled Freddy into the real world and offed him there, but he still came back for the next sequel. The third film had a far more satisfying final offing, with Freddy's remains laid to rest and consecrated with holy water. Nonetheless, the finale is pretty thrilling, but lacks that feeling that this time it's going to take. And of course, it didn't, not really.

When Wes Craven returned to the Nightmare series with Wes Craven's New Nightmare, he crafted a clever and unique sequel that managed to do the impossible. He made Freddy Krueger scary again. In the process, he let the series finally grow up and made a smart and thrilling new film that paid homage to the original film and it's stars.

The new film concerns Freddy Krueger trying to break out into the real world. When I say real world, I mean our world and our reality. So, in the movie we have Heather Langenkamp returning, but she's playing herself. Robert Englund is back and he's both playing himself and the new, meaner, and nastier Freddy. Wes Craven himself shows up to explain what is going on. Turns out, when they made the original Nightmare on Elm Street, the filmmakers unwittingly trapped a real demon within the guise of Freddy and he had been trapped there for the past ten years on the silver screen as they made sequel after sequel. But, now that Freddy's dead, he is trying to escape back into our reality. Heather realizes the demon has targeted her since she played Nancy in the original film, but has also targeted her young son, Dylan (played by Miko Hughes). As the line between fiction and reality continue to blur, Heather has to figure out how to defeat this demon once and for all and save not only herself but her young son as well.

When Wes Craven sat down to revisit the Nightmare on Elm Street series ahead of it's tenth anniversary, he couldn't find any sort of overarching storyline between the sequels to continue and instead came up with a clever and unique storyline that both functioned as it's own film but also honored the first film as well. Throughout the film there are little nods to the original film. At the same time, by setting the film in the real world and having all sorts of people play themselves in the film adds a very unique twist to the film. It also allows the series to grow up, away from teenagers and instead dealing with adults, with adult problems and also tapping into the fears of a parent trying to protect their child. It was a breath of fresh air and served as a wonderful and satisfying cap to the original Nightmare on Elm Street series. But it still wasn't the last we'd see of Mr. Krueger.


(The following originally appeared as part of my Looking Back at the Friday the 13th series, Part 3 post.)

Freddy vs. Jason had been an on again, off again thing since 1987 but the two studios, Paramount and New Line, could never reach a deal. When New Line picked up the rights to the Friday the 13th series in 1994, it seemed like the film was finally going to happen, even teasing it at the end of Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday with Freddy's claw pulling Jason's hockey mask down to hell. Sadly, it would take another nine years for the film to finally arrive in cinemas. But for a group of fans of either Jason, Freddy or both, myself included, when it finally arrived it was a huge event.

Freddy (played once again by Robert Englund) has found the children of Springfield have forgotten about him, rendering him powerless to invade their dreams. To counteract this, he recruits Jason (played by Ken Kirzinger) to head to Springwood and create a little terror with the idea that it will get people thinking Freddy again and he can come back. However, Jason gets carried away bringing about Freddy's ire and leads to an epic showdown between the two.

While by and large Freddy vs. Jason delivered on it's promise, it's not exactly perfect. The acting is a bit all over the place, with Kelly Rowland being the biggest offender playing an overall unpleasant character, Kia, whose improvised homophobic taunts to Freddy were less than appreciated not only by me but the film's writers as well. 

In the end though, the film is quite a bit of fun seeing two titans of terror square off against one another. The film really picks up once their fight starts, first in the dream world Freddy inhabits and then finishing in the real world. The film manages to accomplish the daunting task of blending the imaginative and surreal Nightmare on Elm Street series with more grounded stalk and slash Friday the 13th series. It's a film that was made for the fans of both series and for the most part, it delivers.

In the spring of 2010, a remake of the original A Nightmare on Elm Street was released with Jackie Earl Haley strapping on the famous razor glove in place of Robert Englund as a new group of teens start having nightmares they won't wake up from. Now, I know it's become fashionable to bash the remake, but I actually kind of liked it. It doesn't compare to the original and Englund will always be the true Freddy Krueger to me, but this film has some neat ideas of it's own that they pull off pretty well.

The film more or less follows the plot of the original with Nancy (played by Rooney Mara) and her boyfriend Quentin (played by Kyle Gallner) discover that they and all their friends are dreaming about the same horribly burned man in their dreams, a man known as Freddy. The begin to investigate to figure out why and as they dig deeper and deeper they find some long hidden secrets dating back to their early childhood that their parents have deliberately kept from them. As they do, they do whatever they can to try not to fall asleep, including chugging Red Bull and coffee, abusing ritalin and even towards the end injecting themselves with adrenaline. 

What I liked about the film was that it got more into the effects of sleep deprivation and just how inevitable having to sleep really is. It added a sense of dread to the film and desperation to the characters as they tried not to sleep. I also liked that they played with the history of Freddy a little and were bold enough to suggest he not only murdered kids but molested them as well, something the original film shied away from. Not only that, but they also suggested that Freddy actually was innocent of his crimes, adding an extra layer to his character and revenge motivations (of course, he wasn't really, he was just manipulating our characters, but it fooled me the first time I watched the movie. It was just the small touches that made the film work for me. Still, it doesn't match the original film. It plays a bit too closely to the original in plotting to ever really be suspenseful and the shoddy CGI is more of a distraction than a good addition. But there are little flourishes that added to the film and still made it worthwhile viewing for this Freddy fan. 

As a teenager myself back in the mid-nineties, I discovered both Freddy and Jason at about the same time and am a fan of both. But the Nightmare films were always a bit more high brow than the Friday the 13th films. Even at their worst, there was a cleverness and creativity to them that made them stand out a little more among the horror franchises. That's what I always enjoyed about them, the idea that anything could happen. It wasn't just a bunch of teens smoking dope and getting slaughtered by a masked killer, it was a little smarter than that, aimed a little higher. 

A couple years ago, I had the pleasure of meeting Robert Englund, the original Freddy himself at a local convention and he couldn't have been more opposite of Freddy. He was sweet and funny, just a total teddy bear of a guy. He was even nice enough to sign my Nightmare on Elm Street box set, making it one of my prized possessions now. 

"One, two Freddy's coming for you. Three, four better lock your door. Five, Six, Grab a Crucifix. Seven, Eight, Better Stay Up Late. Nine, Ten, Never sleep again..."

Indian Summer

There are certain films that I will habitually pull out at certain times of the year. Christmas movies come out during the corresponding Holiday, Scary movies come out around Halloween, etc. Usually some time in the month of October, during an unseasonably warm day, as the leaves are changing and fall is setting in good and proper there is another film I watch every year, Indian Summer. 

A group of adults have been invited back to their beloved childhood summer camp by the camp's owner, 'Unca Lou' Handler (played by Alan Arkin) to have a special week long reunion at the camp. The group includes Matt (played by Vincent Spano) and his wife Kelly (played by Julie Warner), who initially met at camp, Matt's neurotic cousin and business partner Brad (played by Kevin Pollack), the recently widowed Beth (played by Diane Lane), the perpetually single and fiercely independent Jennifer (played by Elizabeth Perkins), alpha male Jamie (played by Matt Craven) and his new girlfriend Gwen (played by Kimberly Williams), and Jack (played by Bill Paxton), who everyone remembers was the one who was kicked out of camp by Lou and are surprised to see back. Over the next week, these people reunite, relive old memories and perhaps gain some perspective over their lives. 

There is a certain charm to this film, which was written and directed by Mike Binder. He shot the film at and based it on his own real childhood summer camp, Camp Tamakwa, which is located in the Algonquin Park in Canada. Naturally, the film is gorgeous to look at. It was filmed in early fall just as the leaves begin to change and the film is infused with a lot of warm yellow and orange colors. The film is equally warm and funny throughout as the various characters reunite and more or less pick up where they left off while interacting with their beloved camp director Unca Lou. There is also an amusing subplot throughout the film as Matt, Jack and Jamie continue to conspire against Brad in a series of camp pranks in repayment for all the pranks he played on them as kids. Over the course of the weekend, old camp romances are rekindled as well, between Matt and Jennifer, revealing some of the strain on Matt and Kelly's marriage and Beth and Jack as well, who was friends with Beth's deceased husband Rick, who also attended camp with them as kids. 

The acting in the film is strong across the board. Diane Lane has the most dramatic role in the film as Beth, who is trying to figure out how to move on with her life after the sudden and tragic loss of her husband. Bill Paxton has his share of serious moments as well as Jack, who came to the camp reunion to try and make amends with Lou over their falling out so many years before. Alan Arkin is great in the role of Unca Lou Handler, the one character in the film based on a real person, who was one of the founders of Camp Tamakwa. Arkin exudes a sense of warmth in his role as he helps some of his favorite campers at a crossroads in their lives in his own slightly rascally way. I also have to mention Sam Raimi, who is a filmmaker in his own right, making a rare acting role in this film as camp handyman Stick Coder. There are little cutaways to him throughout the film where the mostly silent Stick is trying to work on something in the camp and usually results in these great moments of physical comedy. For example, there is a moment when he is unloading everyone's bags from the boat they take to get to the camp. You know he's going to end up in the water at some point, but Raimi masterfully milks the sequence and drags it out as long as possible and it is both hysterical and impressive. 

Growing up, I had a few experiences with Summer Camp. Nothing quite like in the movie, but there were summer bible camp retreats through our church for a like a week or so. I couldn't tell you a thing I learned from a religion standpoint, but I do have fond memories of swimming in the lake, the night time campfires and messing around with my friends. It was enough to make me not feel like I missed out on anything and enough that I can enjoy movies like this from a nostalgic point of view. 

Indian Summer is a beautifully shot, wonderfully acted and warmly funny movie that I watch every year around this time. It's a shamelessly feel good movie that I enjoy more and more each time I see it. 

Stephen King Week: The Dark Half

Once upon a time, in addition to writing books under his own name, Stephen King used to write books under the name Richard Bachman. In part to see if it was his skill as a writer or his name that made his books bestsellers and in part to write outside the usual "Stephen King" type of book. When it was discovered that he was Richard Bachman, King came clean about it to the public. It also inspired his novel, The Dark Half, which covered similar ground while also being an interesting spin on Jekyll and Hyde.  

Thad Beaumont (played by Timothy Hutton) never had much success writing under his own name, but is a bestselling author of sleazy crime novels under the name George Stark. This has provided well for him, his wife Liz (played by Amy Madigan) and their two twin infant sons. When confronted by a stranger, who tells Thad he knows he's George Stark and tries to blackmail him, Thad decides to go public instead. This is a relief to Liz as Thad's mood and personality would shift sharply when he was writing as George Stark and she personally hated, as well as books he wrote as George Stark. His publisher sets up an interview as well a photographer setting up a fake gravesite with headstone reading George Stark. Thad and Liz go along with it in good fun. Things take a dark turn when the people involved with the George Stark books as well as Thad's accuser start turning up dead. Has Thad finally cracked up and killing these people as Stark or has the fictional George Stark actually found a way to materialize into the real world? Thad, with help from his Anthropology professor friend Reggie (played by Julie Harris), scrambles to figure out what is happening and how to keep his family safe before local sheriff Alan Pangborn (played by Michael Rooker) throws him in prison for multiple murder. 

I had a soft spot for The Dark Half and how it explores the dark side of fiction writers, especially those who write about not so nice things. As a fiction writer myself, I am able to relate to a degree to Thad Beaumont and have myself wondered what the appeal is to the darker side of life and why I write about it. I don't really have any answers to that question, but it is something to ponder nonetheless, I suppose. George Romero directed the film as well as wrote the screenplay and captured these themes from the original novel quite well. The film does run a bit on the long side, but it takes it's time to develop it's characters as well and I never felt like the film was slow. I mention it only to appreciate the fact that the film took it's time to tell the story properly. 

The acting is pretty great in the movie as well. Timothy Hutton has the heavy lifting to do with playing both Thad Beaumont, doting father and college professor, and the dark and nasty George Stark character. He manages both roles quite well and creates two very distinct characters, although given how much scenery he was chewing I suspect he was having more fun playing Stark. Amy Madigan, who we just don't see enough in movies if you ask me, does well as Liz. She is a strong and capable woman in her own right, trying to help her husband figure out what is going on as well as trying to keep her family safe. I also have to single out Julie Harris as Thad's professor friend Reggie. She gave a wonderful performance as this eccentric, pipe smoking academic that Thad turns to for help. She is such a wonderfully colorful character and I just loved every scene she was in. 

The Dark Half is a movie that I have always felt was really underrated. It has a strong cast, is well directed and it tells it's story well. Yet, it feels like the film has largely been forgotten about but I feel it's one of the stronger adaptations of Stephen King's works. But then again, maybe it's because I'm a writer myself and therefore it holds more appeal for me. So, from my terribly biased point of view, I have to admit I enjoyed this one.   

Stephen King Week: Apt Pupil

There are few Stephen King stories I have found as absolutely chilling as his novella Apt Pupil. Perhaps because it didn't deal with ghouls and the supernatural but a far more real and tangible evil. It was a story firmly grounded in reality. Bryan Singer's adaptation of that story into a feature film starring Ian McKellen and Brad Renfro managed to capture the same feeling as the book, creating a film every bit as frightening as the source material. 

After learning about the Holocaust in school, Todd Bowden (played by Brad Renfro) starts researching the topic more extensively. One night, much to his surprise, he recognizes an old man on the bus from his research as Auchwitz SS Commander Kurt Dussander (played by Ian McKellan). Todd confronts Kurt at his home and Kurt initially denies who he is. When it becomes clear the boy won't leave, he asks Todd what he wants. Todd proceeds to blackmail Kurt into telling him everything that happened in the camps, that he wants to know everything they won't tell him in school. Kurt begrudgingly agrees and from then on everyday after school, Todd goes to Kurt's house to hear gruesome stories of Kurt's time working in the Concentration Camp. As more and more stories are told, they start impacting Todd. He begins having nightmares and his grades begin to slip. But he presses on, continuing to visit Kurt. There is another unexpected side effect as the telling of these stories starts to re-awaken Kurt's more sadistic and violent side as well. 

Bryan Singer, fresh off The Usual Suspects, wanted to adapt King's novel into a feature film. The script by Brandon Boyce manages to capture the essence King's novella while also adjusting some aspects of it for the film. The bulk of the story is a battle of wits between Todd and Kurt and both Brad Renfro and Ian McKellen capture this struggle wonderfully. There is also a growing tension throughout the film as both Kurt and Todd's twisted friendship grows and also Kurt's darker Nazi self begins to re-emerge. In one of the most harrowing scenes of the film, Todd brings Kurt a replica SS uniform and insists Kurt put it on. Once Kurt does, Todd orders him to march in place and at first Kurt plays along, but as the orders continue Kurt's Nazi persona starts to come out and you once again begin to see the man who at one time ordered the gassing of thousands of Jewish people. McKellen's performance in this scene is absolutely chilling and the whole time I was thinking, "Oh my god kid, you have no idea what you are doing."

Not unlike Todd, I went through a period of my young adult life when I was a bit fixated on the Holocaust. It was something I just found myself interested in. It was more of a need to try and understand something so horrific could actually happen, rather than the more twisted needs of Todd. But still, I could relate to his interest, at least to a certain extent. I even took a course in college about it. It was specifically a media relations class, since I was a journalism major, about Propaganda in WWII but the Holocaust and how it came about was a big part of the course. It was both incredibly fascinating and incredibly depressing. Needless to say, it cured me of such fascination and aside from the occasional film with it as a topic, I haven't thought of it much since. But I only bring it up because of that shared interest was something I brought to this film as a viewer. 

Apt Pupil is an absolutely chilling film for me about two people flirting with evil and subsequently the corruption of youth. It's a dark and at times intense film anchored by a pair of great performances from the two lead actors. It manages to capture King's novella quite well I thought. But, if you think the movie is messed up, you should read the book. It's even more messed up. It's part of the Different Seasons collection, which also gave us two other novellas that formed the basis of The Shawshank Redemption and Stand by Me. The film does a good job of standing on it's own though, as it should. 

Stephen King Week: Cat's Eye

After seeing Drew Barrymore star in the adaptation of his novel Firestarter, Stephen King starting writing something specifically for Drew to star in at the prompting of producer Dino De Laurentis. The result was the anthology film Cat's Eye, with Drew starring in the wrap-around story that ties it all together. 

A cat, known as General, sees a vision of a young girl (played by Drew Barrymore) saying that the cat needs to find her, that she's in danger and there isn't much time. Before General has a chance to move, he's captured by a strange man as we move into the first story of the film, Quitter's Inc. General is taken to a building in downtown New York to the offices of a company called Quitter's Inc. The company promises to help people quit smoking. One such person is Dick Morrison (played by James Woods), who is coming to the company to try and quit smoking for his wife and young daughter. The owner of the company explains how his system works. Once Dick is signed up, he will be monitored and is he is caught smoking once, his wife will be brought to Quitter's Inc. and brought to a special room with a mesh metal floor. He shows Dick the room, with General in the place of a person in the room and presses a button as electric shocks coarse through the floor and General jumps around to avoid the shocks. He quickly stops the demonstration, reassuring Dick that the cat is fine. However, if he cheats, first time it's his wife. Second time it's his daughter and after that the punishments become more severe. Confident he can quit cold turkey, Dick leaves and is certain he can go through with the program. But those cravings start kicking in and Dick finds it harder and harder to resist.   

After escaping the offices of Quitters Inc. at the resolution of Dick's Story, General makes his way to Atlantic City, where he is scooped by a crime boss and casino owner Cressner (played by Kenneth McMillan) and taken to his penthouse apartment. There he meets with gambler and former tennis pro Johnny Norris. Norris has been sleeping with Cressner's wife, but Cressner makes him a wager. If Norris can walk the narrow ledge around the perimeter of the top floor of his hotel, he will let Norris keep his wife. In order to ensure Norris goes through with it, he also reveals he had one of his goons plant drugs in Norris' car, so if he walks away a tip will be called into the Police and he will wind up going to jail. Seeing no choice, Norris agrees. It turns out to be far harder to do as Cressner and his goons keep popping up to make sure he's not cheating and at certain points harrassing him to try and make him fall. 

Once General escapes the Atlantic City penthouse, he is finally able to make it to the home of the little girl and discovers she needs protection from an evil little troll that is trying to steal the little girl's breath. The girl is immediately taken with General and wants to keep him, but he has a problem in the girl's mother (played by Candy Clark), who is superstitious about cats. So, General has his work cut out for him with trying to keep the girl safe while also dodging the disapproving mother that doesn't even want him in the house. 

The film was directed by Lewis Teague, who previously directed an adaptation of King's novel Cujo. While that movie was an intense thriller, this one is a great deal more playful and has it's tongue firmly planted in it's cheek. At one point, during the climactic battle between the little troll and General, the cat has the troll pinned on a record player and turns it on. What song plays, you ask? Why, "Every Breath You Take" by The Police, of course. The film is filled with references to other Stephen King works, such as appearances by Cujo himself as well as a certain red 1958 Plymouth Fury (with a bumper sticker that reads Rock and Roll will Never Die). During the Quitter's Inc. story, Dick is trying to distract himself from his cravings by watching a movie, which is of course David Cronenberg's adaptation of King's The Dead Zone. When the distraction doesn't work, he walks off in a huff wondering, "Who writes this crap?"

The film incorporates two stories by Stephen King from his Night Shift collection, "Quitter's Inc." and "The Ledge" and they are the strongest part of the movie. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed the film as a whole, but the first two stories were better that the wrap-around story, usually referred to as the third story, "General." There just was something a bit more unique with the first two stories, especially the second one, which plays like classic Hitchcock. The third story is decent, but it just isn't as memorable as the first two stories which feel a bit more unique. 

Overall, Cat's Eye is an interesting installment in the realm of Stephen King films. It's anthology nature, with the story of this cat trying to get a little girl tying it all together. It's a bit more unique and I like that about the film. It never for a second really takes itself all that seriously either, content to just have a little bit of fun. It's not a great movie by any stretch of the imagination, but it is a pretty fun one.  

Stephen King Week: Cell

One of the most recent Stephen King adaptations was the film version of his novel, Cell. Described as King's take on the Zombie genre, it was one of his books that I felt would translate well to film. But yet, as the movie came out, I heard it wasn't very good. Curious to judge it for myself, I figured Stephen King week would be a good time to check it out.

Clay Riddell (played by John Cusack) is a graphic artist on his way home from a business trip to his wife and son when suddenly everyone's cell phones start to ring (Clay's had just run out of juice). When people answer their phone, they hear a sharp tone that instantly turns them into rabid and dangerously violent monsters. Clay barely manages to escape the airport with his life and into the subway below where he meets subway operator Tom McCourt (played by Samuel L. Jackson). The two partner up as Clay tries to make his way home to find his wife and son as society literally crumbles around them, picking up stray survivors along the way.

The film was directed by Tod Williams, who has a bit of a mixed filmography ranging from the found footage sequel Paranormal Activity 2 to the quirky indie comedy The Adventures of Sebastian Cole, the former I didn't think much of (I hate found footage movies, I'm sorry) to the very much enjoying the latter (if you ever wanted to see Clark "Agent Phil Coulson" Gregg play a transgender woman, that's your movie). Sadly, this is probably his worst movie. There is little that sets it apart from the glut of zombie movies that has by now permeated our culture. The idea of a cell phone signal being the cause of it is a novel idea, but the movie fails to make much of it. The screenplay was written by Stephen King himself as well as Adam Alleca. I'm not sure what happened in the process of translating the book to the screen, but so much of the film is lifeless. There are the occasional flourishes of creativity and black humor here and there, such as when Clay and Tom are driving a gas truck through a football field that is full of sleeping zombies (they power down at night, apparently) and the truck gets momentarily stuck in the resulting gore. You don't see much, but you don't need to as one's imagination is most likely filling in the blanks. There is also a plot point about the group of survivors all dreaming about a person in a red hoodie that never quite pays off in a satisfactory way. Aside from those small, occasional flourishes, the film plays out like pretty much every other zombie movie. 

The acting is likewise pretty bland, with both Cusack and Jackson downplaying every scene when we really need there to feel like there is a sense of urgency or panic. The world is literally falling apart around them and they seem oddly blase about it. But I suppose when you live in a world where Donald Trump is considered a viable presidential candidate, one expects the end of the world to be around the corner and resigns themselves to it. That's the only way this makes sense. There is no suspense in the film and the actors are pretty much stock end of the world horror movie characters. 

It's not that Cell is horrible exactly, it's just very bland and does little to justify it's existence. There is no tension for much of the movie, I didn't really care about any of the characters, it's painfully dull at times and when it isn't, it just feels very been there, done that. It's the worst kind of bad movie, it's one that's boring.