It’s five years after Site B was quarantined and Alan Grant (Neill) is happy to use his toothbrush while digging dino-bones and beg for money from any source so long as his excavations continue. He never wants to see a living dinosaur again. But he’s the star of the film, you say. That’s a situation that cannot last long, surely?

Indeed it doesn’t. Along come Mr. and Mrs. Kirby (Macy and Leoni), who are thrill-seekers extraordinaire and want Grant to come along as they fly over Site B, Isla Sorna. Initially resistant, Grant’s brain goes ker-ching! when Mr. Kirby opens his cheque book and hands Grant a pen to write down any figure he likes.

But, rest assured, that’s not the whole story. The Kirbys’ ride around the island ends with their party of assistants diminished and the remainder having no way out of the Land That Time Wants To Forget.

To this point, the dinosaurs are – mainly – heard and not seen but the rest provides the meat that we’re paying to see. While Macy is brilliant, it’s the T-Rexes, the raptors, the Pteranodons and the new Spinosauri you came to watch. The mixture of animatronics and CGI is seamless. Whether fighting each other, stampeding, or after our heroes, they’re brilliant to watch.

But the stars do hold candles to their post-production colleagues. Neill is fine as the dino expert who realises the danger they’re all in; Leoni and Macy are great as the exes with a secret and even the kid (Morgan) wipes the floor with the irritating brats from the first two Jurassic Park’s.

As for the story, well, there isn’t much of one: people want off Monster Island; monsters want to eat them. The film rattles on pitching its humour and terror nigh on perfect (the… sequence is a particular highlight). That is until the finale, which is all-too-sudden. There needs to be one last mother of a battle that seems almost promised. Ultimately, it leaves a sense of disappointment but, if you love dinosaurs, you’ll love this.

‘#ccc’>OVERALL SUMMARY
As far as creature-features go, JP is a winner. The set pieces are breathtaking (just take a look at the ‘birdcage’ sequence) and the action is spot-on. If only more modern-day sequels could be this good!

Nathan Roscoe

The post Jurassic Park III (2001) appeared first on Horror Asylum.

Much to my surprise – and happiness – The St. Francisville Project is a keeper. The premise is pretty much the same: a group of hip, young folk are sent into a supposedly ‘haunted’ mansion for the night with video cameras and ghost-hunting equipment. It’s not long before the crazy stuff starts, and our faithful Ghostbusters are lucky enough to get it on tape (cue some creative camerawork.) The resulting footage is then edited together into a documentary-style feature, in which we are led to believe that what we see is real (no comment.)

Basically, Francisville gets right everything Blair Witch got wrong. The history is more clearly defined, with so-called experts giving accounts of the wicked Lady LaLaurie, a Louisianan woman with a penchant for torture. According to legend, LaLaurie had fled capture and, although never heard from again, was rumoured to have moved into the very house we see in the experiment.

Enter our stars. We’ve got a self-proclaimed psychic, a film student, a history student, and a regular Joe. Sure, better planning and preparation would have given us older, more qualified applicants, but I get the feeling the filmmakers were going for a Real World vibe. Hence, there are two women with big boobs and two guys who belong in a Gap ad. Not exactly the kind you’d find doing this sort of thing, but, hey, the idea is to send four unprepared people into the depths of the unknown. After their individual introductions, the producers then train – albeit somewhat briefly – our heroes on handling the ghost-finding gadgets, and then it’s off to the house.

I believe it’s the long intro to the story that allows the movie to work. Unlike Blair Witch, which made mention of a backstory but never really developed it, viewers of this film are properly set for the events – if any – to come. It also sets the slow pace, which is good, because there’s not much going on in the first half. We get the psychic, Madison (named, apparently, after the mermaid in Splash) offering general advice on being in a haunted house, but more importantly, being very annoying. It’s this quality in her that made me debate the film’s authenticity; after all, if you’ve ever met anyone claiming to be psychic, they’re usually as annoying and pretentious as Madison. (She even uses a Parker Brothers Oujia board. Just like the pros, eh?)

As the story progresses, more things start to happen around the house: first off-camera, such as spooky sounds, then right in front of our eyes. We get a fuzzy image of a chair flying across the room. Was this a prank by the producers, or a real ghost event? Who knows. Even without the ghost-caused creepiness, the film’s got stuff to make you squirm: rats, roaches, a dead bird, etc. This movie has such a dark feel to it I couldn’t help but be creeped out. The house, in particular, is a great location (or, set piece = depending on your point of view.)

By the film’s end, you’ll be fairly sure what’s been going on, but first you’ll have to sit through some rather nasty stuff. I always get happy whenever a horror film can actually deliver scares, and this one’s got ‘em in spades. The final ten minutes are pure gold, if the heebie-jeebies are your bag. I jumped, I winced, I walked around to cool off. Like a lot of horror flicks, you might have some questions after the end credits roll, but here that doesn’t matter. You’ll have been spooked enough in the meantime.

OVERALL SUMMARY
Fact or fiction, The St. Francisville Experiment is still a very frightening film which, despite the lack of likeable characters, manages to conjure up a sense of dread and overriding evil. Comparisons to Blair Witch are inevitable, but there’s a chilling authenticity to St Francisville that sets it apart from its better-known predecessor. I ain’t afraid of no ghost!

Nathan Roscoe

The post The St. Francisville Experiment (2000) appeared first on Horror Asylum.

Aoyama (Ishibashi) is a -year-old executive who has raised his son
alone since his wife’s death. Lonely and convinced that he’s losing his
looks, Aoyama decides it’s about time he look for a new wife before it’s
too late. Then a film-producer friend persuades him to participate in a
‘fake’ audition whereby he can screen young women ostensibly for the
part of the heroine in a new movie. But only one candidate strikes a
romantic chord with Aoyama, the beautiful child-like former ballerina
Asami (Shiina).

A tentative romance begins and all seems well despite Asami’s references
not properly checking out and people associated with her mysteriously
going missing. Ignoring these early warning signs, Aoyama becomes
increasingly smitten with his new love. But events move into nightmarish
overdrive when Asami, sitting motionless and alone for days purposely
ignoring her boyfriend’s calls, finally picks up the phone with an evil
smile as a blood-soaked sack on the floor behind her springs into
agonizing life.

From this point on, Audition becomes excruciating as Asami’s agenda
becomes clear. The final minutes form a drawn-out torture sequence
with Aoyama suffering indignity, amputation and emasculating abuse. Is
it all a warped dream fuelled by his memory of happy marriage? Or is it
an agonizing hallucination revolving around the fear of a new
relationship? Miike’s battle of the sexes doesn’t offer up any easy
answers. Instead he puts true horror back into the horror film and the
intense result is a punch in the stomach that will leave you stunned for
days afterwards.

OVERALL SUMMARY
With its sharp direction and grisly imagination, Audition is truly one
of the most horrific, frightening and distressing films to emerge from
the genre in years.

Nathan Roscoe

The post Audition (1999) appeared first on Horror Asylum.

Ed is a loner, socially awkward, living alone on an isolated farmhouse
and is renowned for his religious beliefs. In archive footage at the
beginning, one of the townsfolk describes him as a ‘nice guy’, and it’s
that impression that Ed Gein seeks to underline. It wasn’t an act. Ed
was genuinely affable, even sweet. Until he shot you and dismembered
your corpse.

Not an easy character to make sympathetic, but Railsback manages it in a
performance that is both touching and creepy. The quality of acting is
exemplary, with Carrie Snodgrass as Ed’s harpy mother being a particular
highlight. The script gives a genuine psychological insight into how
someone can be driven to commit acts which most people would have
trouble even thinking of – let alone doing. It’s also injected with a
certain amount of wicked humour (‘Eddie’, says a young boy, ‘I think my
Dad’s right – you shouldn’t be babysitting us anymore’).

The depiction of mutilation follows the ‘less is more’ approach (as
evidenced by the ” certificate) but this comes off as a coy, and the
most infamous aspect of Gein’s crimes, the ‘birthday suit’, is given a
brief scene to unfortunate comic effect.

#OVERALL SUMMARY
Although this won’t be everyone’s cup of tea, it’s powerful – with a
strong message that just because someone is capable of the most horrific
acts, it doesn’t automatically make them a mindless slavering zombie.

Nathan Roscoe

The post Ed Gein (2000) appeared first on Horror Asylum.

There is also a predictably sour portrait of the American South – how the local tourist board must have laughed when they heard that Billy Bob Thornton had set his new script in their neck of the woods – resulting in a film which comes dangerously close to cliché and self-parody. That it ultimately avoids these things, and manages to hold our attention for as long as it does, is a result of Raimi’s skilful direction and a clutch of compelling performances.

Raimi, who made his mark in the ‘s with the infamous Evil Dead films, is certainly capable of making an audience jump, and his distinct eye for visual storytelling shines through as he pollutes the screen with strange, ghostly images.

With Cate Blanchett in the lead role he also benefits from a leading
lady who totally immerses herself in her character. There seem to be no
tics or physical traits that she carries from one role to another, and
here she is utterly convincing as the well-meaning Southern widow with a gift that, at times, seems more like a curse.

Add to this a scarily impressive performance by Keanu Reeves as a wife-beating redneck, and altogether more controlled turns from Ribisi,
Kinnear and Holmes, and you have a film rich in fascinating detail but
which somehow leaves you feeling a little deflated, disappointed that
you’ve seen it all before.

#OVERALL SUMMARY
Despite a second half that lacks invention, this is still an enjoyable,
scary ‘whodunit’ thriller, skilfully directed by Raimi and beautifully
lead by Blanchett.

Nathan Roscoe

The post The Gift (2000) appeared first on Horror Asylum.

With its unusual protagonists, hair-raising shocks and ingenious visual
techniques (the first half is bathed in blinding brightness, the second is
smothered by total darkness), this is the Seven of creature features.

A mortally-wounded spacecraft carrying an eclectic bunch of passengers is
forced to land on an arid desert world, lit by the scorching rays of three
suns. Initially, there are two major hurdles facing resourceful docking
pilot Fry (Mitchell) and the other survivors: finding the necessary
equipment to fix the ship amongst the seemingly abandoned scientific
settlement and figuring out how to deal with Riddick (Diesel), a
gravel-voiced, heavily-muscled convicted murderer, physically equipped to
both see in the dark and snap your neck as if it were a matchstick.

But there’s a hell of a lot worse to come. When one of them heads off to
explore and never returns, the finger naturally points at the psychotic
Riddick. However, when Fry retraces the missing man’s steps to an
underground cavern, she realises the purpose for that mysterious bone
graveyard they encountered. Carnivorous, light-sensitive aliens live in the
bowls of the plant, only venturing out for food when an eclipse occurs. And
there’s one due very, very soon…

Shot in Coober Pedy, Australia (earlier used in Mad Max, for which both
films share cinematographer David Eggby), the Hollywood-size budget allows
for an incredibly effective bleach-bypass process that intensifies the
brightness, excellent production values and tremendous CGI work. But the
lack of major star names, off-kilter characterisations, unpredictable
plotting and jet black humour are more akin to a free-spirited Indie
production.

Mitchell is a feisty heroine in the Ripley mould, and the rest of the cast
do their job well. But they are overshadowed by Diesel’s sensational,
amusingly macho performance. He’s got the pumped-up physique of Arnie,
Jean-Claude or Sly, but there’s more to his magnetic screen presence than
impressive biceps. He’s a major star-to-be.

Twohy pushes all the right buttons, slowly reeling in his audience in the
first hour, with an ever-tightening grip on the uneasy, otherworldly
ambience and the survivor’s increasing awareness of the danger they are in.

#OVERALL SUMMARY
By the time the sun sets (beautifully realised on screen), nerves are
practically shredded and as the cast wander from one nightmare situation to
the next, your heart rate has accelerated to a three-figure rate, matching
the thumping percussion of Graeme Revell’s stimulating score.

Nathan Roscoe

The post Pitch Black (2000) appeared first on Horror Asylum.

From the moment Carmen Electra does her Drew Barrymore impersonation in the
amusing Scream-style opening, running through sprinklers, losing her clothes
and tossing her hair in gorgeous slow-motion, there can be no doubt which
way the sharp satirical point is directed.

Soon there will be more deaths, as the fickle finger of suspicion does all
kinds of weird things to the hapless high school kids in small-town middle
America, four of whom harbour a deadly, fishy secret from the previous
summer. Sensing a story, pushy newswoman Gail Hailstorm (Oteri) comes to
town, and proceeds to wreck havoc, turning to retarded wannabe policeman
Doofy (Sheridan) for an inside track on events. But events have moved on…

Sex, death and humour in its many forms are on show in Wayans’ brisk, crude, and gleefully down-market comedy. Anyone offended by overt sexuality, silly
plotting and cheesy stereotypes would probably not be watching the films
that this spoof so cheerfully bases itself on in the first place, so have no
business expecting this to be any less exploitative.

A passing knowledge of those other films is a help in getting the humour
here, but it stands quite well on its own too, and benefits from the
eye-catching performances of Shawn Wayans and Anna Faris.

OVERALL SUMMARY
Coming from Miramax, the spiritual home of the Scream trilogy, this fun-
fuelled spoof may seem just a bit incestuous but it’s funny more often than
not, and that in the end is the greater purpose that it serves.

Nathan Roscoe

The post Scary Movie (2000) appeared first on Horror Asylum.

Ironically, the scene turns out to be a mental ‘encounter’ between a therapist and her comatose patient – a young boy suffering from a rare neurological disorder. Yet with the aid of cutting-edge science, Catherine Deane (Lopez) can somehow ‘enter’ the subconscious of her subject and reach the innermost portals of his mind.

The tension steps up a notch when a deranged serial killer (D’Onofrio) enters a similarly comatose state, and Catherine is called upon by FBI agent Peter Novack (Vaughn) to help locate the killer’s latest victim – a young woman locked away in a secret, booby-trapped chamber (the ‘cell’ of the title). If Catherine can enter the psychopath’s twisted mindscape, then maybe she can find a clue as to the whereabouts of the missing girl.

Recalling elements of Coma, Dreamscape, The Lawnmower Man and Seen, The Cell is a highly stylized thriller that employs simplistic psychology to justify its warped agenda.

The director, Tarsem Singh, displays an extraordinary imagination that exploits both theatrical and computerized effects. Whilst audiences may marvel at his visual invention, it is the depraved humiliation of helpless women that sticks uncomfortably in the memory.

For instance, in one scene the killer lifts a naked female corpse from a bath of bleach and lays her on a slab. Suspending himself directly above her via fourteen hooks pierced through his back and legs, he watches a re-run of her murder by drowning as he undergoes a sexual epiphany.

And if that gives you the shivers, be warned – there is worse still to come when Catherine unlocks the demons in his mind.

OVERALL SUMMARY
Boasting some wonderful cinematography, rich costumes, trippy sets and a fine score by Howard Shore that incorporates a great deal of Moroccan music, The Cell is an intense experience indeed. Inspired, depraved, unforgettable cinema.

Nathan Roscoe

The post The Cell (2000) appeared first on Horror Asylum.