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| Happy Halloween! |
It's a yearly tradition of mine to hold a horror movie marathon on Halloween. This time it was no different except I was in very good company (the always exquisite and gorgeous Mrs. P.) and made the viewing experience so much more fun.
The first movie we watched wasn't a horror movie. But it was one we both been waiting for a long time. So we watched it. That is how we roll.
The movies we have seen:
- Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (2014)
- Housebound (2014)
- The Babadook (2014)
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (2014)
To me this sequel felt like it was unfinished and unresolved. It's like Empire Strikes Back where you know there is a third and last part coming. I really enjoyed this part. The Apes look amazing and it is kinda hard not to get drawn in by the way they perform and act. Because it all looks so real. However I don't think this sequel is better than the first. The original told a lot more and was much more surprising and intense. Dawn does the odd thing to change the focus and make the humans more sympathetic. Which I have no problems with if they had backed this up a little. But we barely get to know what the characters are about. We know more about Caesar and what he stands for. The humans here could shift either way and still it would not matter because of a certain plot development. Which brings me to the plot. The plot for the most part is slower and is pretty predictable. Why? With all that was set up in the original why would you not push the envelope and tell more. Or maybe show us more how exactly the Apes evolved. Caesar has a wife and children. Would have been nice to see how he got hooked up. And why not show us more of how the Earth descended to it's doom? In any case we know where it is heading now and I can't wait to see it. So bring it on Apes, give me one hell of a conclusion to this franchise!
After Dawn it was time for:
Housebound (2014)
The fast pace and the energy combined with the humor made it look promising right from the start. Events followed up quickly and at times did make you wonder what direction it was heading. And I loved it how it kept you in the dark. However quite a large part of the film it loses focus and does not know what it wants to be resulting in scenes that hardly impress. One of the problems I had that they made the main character a little too unlikeable. We do get to see her mellow out a bit. Still they could have given her more background and depth. But the film does manage to recover and gives us some thrills and scares. Only maybe very different from what I was expecting. The trick is to lower your expectations for this one significantly. It's not even close to for example Peter Jackson's Braindead or Black Sheep. So ignore the hype and you will enjoy this one a whole lot better.
Arriving at the last but not least title in this movie marathon:
The Babadook (2014)
Everything from the premise and pre buzz this one screamed to be similar in tone to Insidious and Sinister. Where the focus would be on the atmosphere and the dread. And The Babadook delivers on this big time. It has to be said that the child actor Noah Wiseman and the actress Essie Davis who portrays the mother are excellent. They make everything very believable. It's hard to pull of heavy emotions and not get over the top too much. But they manage to do just that. Now I could go into saying more about certain events only I do think the less is said about this title the better. The anticipation of what is to come in this flick is very important in building up the suspense. Especially the changes in behavior of the main characters. The finale is exciting but does leave you with questions. However I do think there is an explanation that will make you appreciate this ending more. I like this explanation because it makes a lot of sense of the events and at the same time shows you how amazing the son was. It makes the film more moving and something you can relate to. If you don't want spoilers then don't read the text underneath.
Explanation of Ending: (Again don't read if you don't want spoilers!!!)
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| You can still turn back like nothing happened |
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| You still here? You are persistent aren't you. Don't tell I did not warn you! |
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| Last chance! |
SPOILER
END OF SPOILER
This was it. The end of the Marathon. I had a very pleasurable viewing experience and I feel motivated to do more of these when time and mood allows it. But please let me know what your traditions are on Halloween or what movies you have been watching back to back.
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