So the other day the wife and I watched Wolfman, staring Benicio Del Toro, Anthony Hopkins and directed by Joe Johnston. Now let me state, I have liked Joe Johnston's work in the past, and I am a nut for Benicio Del Toro and Anthony Hopkins, but I have to admit; while Wolfman was a good movie overall, I found that the movie was lacking in what I have come to enjoy in a horror movie.
Let me explain...
In the past horror movies have been complex, suspenseful, tales that spanned more than 90 minuets. Films like the Exorcist, Alien, Silence of the Lambs, and the original Manhunter, were films that detailed the identity of a killer before ever revealing the killer itself, or the monster. In these movies while the actual act of killing is rarely seen, through the use of jump cuts and angled shots, the illusion of horror is created and the magic of imagination is preserved.
Horror movies now are all about the shock. Thanks to CGI audiences are now privy to the horrible details of each violent act and each terrible deed. In movies such as the new Aliens vs Predators, remakes of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and Wolfman audiences are wowed by the visual sights of the monster hacking away at one innocent victim or another, they are stunned by the actual sight of the creature in all it's glory or the horror and pain that the monster must endure in its transformation, but in the end what gives so that we may see all this horror?
Plot is my answer. Wolfman is a perfect example because while the CGI with the wolf on wolf fights and the transformations are outstanding the fast paced cuts and flashbacks leave huge gaps in the plot and audiences find themselves lacking in the overall theme of the movie. While it is neat to see the monster rip people apart, it is more suspenseful to create a plot that stimulates the mind as well as the eye. I know that is asking alot, and by no means do I think I could do better, but I do feel that directors, screen writers, should strive to reinvent the horror film and stop vomiting up remakes of the same film over and over again. American film audiences are ready from something new, they are bursting at the prospect of the reinvention of horror, all we are waiting on is the director brave enough to pull it off.
Until then we will watch the new Friday the 13ths, Nightmare on Elm Streets and Halloweens, and wait anxiously until that day comes.
In the end I give Wolfman three out of four stars ***. While the actor's Del Toro and Hopkins step forth and put forth great effort towards their parts, the overall pace of the film does not fit the theme of the film and I personally felt I was watching another version of League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, meaning; some things you can't fit into 120 minuets.
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Well, dude, I guess it's about time. I've been listening to your armchair critiques of movies for the better part of the last decade. Bring it to the world, brother. You can't make a bigger ass of yourself than most critics do ;).
ReplyDeleteYou are my hero! I've been waiting for someone to share this sentiment. I think you have thoroughly described what is lacking in modern horror in quite the eloquent way. I miss the build up that leads to the suspense and thrill of "What is gonna happen next?". Giving the audience a detailed view of the object of horror is nice sometimes, but it has been done to the point of exhaustion in my opinion. Part of the fun of horror is the unknown. To give the "monster" a face is to give the audience a plausible doubt that it can be overcome as giving a problem a name is the first step in fixing it!
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