Hockey Masks and Lycans

Friday the 13th on the Night of a Full Moon

Today is Friday, June the 13th. We're also supposed to have a full moon tonight. (Oh, and something about solar flares hitting the earth! OMG run!) Since there aren't any cool theatres around me playing Jason or werewolf marathons tonight, I'll have my own. While thinking about that, I decided to rank my five favorite Friday movies and my five favorite werewolf movies. 

Friday the 13th Top 5

1. Part II - I'm pretty sure this was the first Friday movie I saw. I remember burlap sack Jason very clearly. Once I saw the original, Part I, the opening suddenly made a lot more sense. 

2. Part I - I'm a big fan of this one, despite there being no Jason killer. Mrs. Voorhees made a fantastic killer and still creeps me out. And the killer coda at the end is classic horror movie stuff. 

3. Part IV: The Final Chapter - I really like this sequel a lot. I thought the character of Tommy Jarvis (Corey Feldman) was cool. He was a makeup and FX wiz kid who took on Jason in the end. 

4. Part VI: Jason Lives - This one was always fun to me. And it's the first time in the series that Jason is resurrected (via lightening). 

5. Part V: A New Beginning - Despite not having - spoiler! - the real Jason present, only his persona, it's a decent movie and sequel. 

Werewolf Movies Top 5

1. The Howling - Joe Dante can do no wrong in my eyes. It's a shame we aren't still getting a steady supply of creature features from him today. Most people prefer that "other" werewolf movie that came out at the same time. And they are both different enough to stand apart, but I've always preferred the dark humor of The Howling. 

2. The Wolf Man - I love this movie. It's atmospheric and short. It's not as fancy as all the newer, FX heavy iterations but it's a fun time if you're into the traditional lycan lore. 

3. Silver Bullet - Based on Stephen King's book, "Cycle of the Werewolf". This one is a lot of fun and has some intense moments that will have you gripping the seat of your wheelchair. 

4. Ginger Snaps - This movie is a unique twist on the lycan curse being that it's a metaphor for female puberty. It's dark and twisted and a lot of fun. 

5. Underworld - I absolutely love this movie and its first sequel, Evolution. It gets bashed because of its use of CGI, but its style and atmosphere always keep me entertained. That, and I want to be Selene. 

So there you have it! Probably not the most traditional list for these two categories, but who ever said I was traditional? Be sure to grab some popcorn and settle in tonight for a rip roarin' good time! (And watch out for those fireballs falling from the sky...)

Review: The Bay

[Note: I wrote this review way back in March 2013. My feelings regarding found footage still stand.]

Now this is how you make a found footage movie! That's really all you need to know. The Bay is more intelligent and has less shaky-cam than most found footage films. And that's a great thing. Barry Levinson, best known for his Oscar winning movie Rain Man, tried his hand at the found footage subgenre, and I'm happy to say he succeeded. 

Found footage movies have always piqued my curiosity, but they always seem to let me down for one reason or another. From the godawful shaky-cam to poor storytelling to even worse, annoying characters.  While I've found it to be an interesting (and cheap) way to tell a story, most found footage movies fail to deliver. Truthfully, most suck. 

Why is that? As a filmmaker, I would not make a found footage movie unless I could come up with that one element that would set it apart from its brethren.  Let's look at the core.  What is found footage?  Well, it is footage, or video, of some random event in time that could have been recorded or documented by anyone with a video camera, be it consumer or professional grade, or even a cell phone. It would be like if I witnessed a fight between two people in public and I recorded it with my iPhone. That's real footage of an actual event.  

Now, say that event turned into a massive media frenzy or, say the world was obliterated by an alien invasion. And one of those alien beings found my iPhone and watched the video of that fight in the street. That would be found footage. But it's the compelling reason that footage is released that truly tells a story. 

So how does a filmmaker use that to tell a story?

There's no denying the filmmakers would have to show that footage at some point.  But to me, the big aspect that has been missing in the current crop of found footage movies is simply, why. There has to be a reason to tie it all together. In the case of The Bay, there is a narrative, and journalist Donna (Kether Donohue) leads us through a faux documentary to tell the story of what happened in a small town during a town-wide 4th of July celebration. She was there documenting the festivities and witnessed these events in person. In the time since, she believes there has been a coverup. Evidently, the mayor (who obviously hasn't seen Jaws) didn't want the true cause getting out and causing mass hysteria. Um, too late. Now Donna is out to show the world what really caused this disaster in the small town on Chesapeake Bay. 

The documentary style lends realism to this narrative, and it's a compelling enough reason to warrant digging up old news broadcasts, Skype conversations, and cell phone footage to show proof. (There's the why!) We see the story unfold in first person perspective (with Donna narrating), so there's no over the shoulder shots or reaction shots. But that's how it was for them. It was real. So, what did happen? Small isopods (these actually exist, by the way!) that live in fish have mutated into larger, carnivorous creatures which have infected the water supply in the town. 

Needless to say, pretty much the entire town comes in contact with this water in one way or another. Since this is body gross-out horror, there is ample gore to be found here. Mainly in the form of skin lesions, open sores, and the like. In other words, The Bay is light on the scares, but heavy on the real life icky. Cronenberg would be proud. 

Thank you, Mr. Levinson for pushing the found footage subgenre a little further up the storytelling food chain. With very few good found footage movies out there, it's kinda ironic that a non-horror filmmaker is the one who finally gets it right. 

 Care for a swim, anyone?