Popcorn

Hailed as a “scream queen”, a term described when an actor appears regularly as the victim or as much, the protagonist in the horror genre, Jill Schoelen plays Maggie, the main character in the 1991 film Popcorn ( Mark Herrier & Alan Ormsby).

Popcorn is a bitter sweet and often cynical horror comedy. The film comments on the lack of funding and under-appreciation in arts as lecturer Toby (Tom Villard) and his students organise a horrorthon at their local cinema to earn some respect and extra cash. The event is a showcase of 1950’s horror/ Sci-Fi themic environments like Projecto-vison, Odorama, or Shock-o-scope (electric buzzes embedded in the cinema chairs,  a’la The Tingler (William Castle 1959)).Besides all this, the cinema is faced with other problems. A killer is loose during the festival, killing crew members in self referential spectacles for the audience’s enjoyment. In one scene, he amps up the voltage of the tingling seats which the teenagers actually enjoy.

Popcorn becomes cluttered when the film delves deeper. We learn the back-story of the killer who was involved in a surrealist film cult who ultimately made films that were laughed out. Part of his vengeance on the audience was to perform the last scene of his film Possessor live, in which he kills his family. His unfinished business and vengeance resurfaces with the student’s horrorthon where he kills the crew behind the stage and manipulates the crew by wearing both the female and male victim’s faces to do his bidding. Adding another layer, or complication, to the narrative, we learn that the killer is Toby and is Maggie’s father. Popcorn crams in recycled homage to Leatherface of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (Tobe Hooper 1974) with its fluidity to gender, as well as tacking on the Freudian overtones of A Nightmare on Elm Street ( Wes Craven 1984) in Toby and Maggie’s relationship.

Although I did enjoy Maggie’s 90’s appearance, the finale resulted in Maggie being the pretty damsel in distress, as she is saved by her ex- boyfriend. Hence, a “scream queen” is different to a “final girl” (a masculinised character such as Jamie Lee Curtis in Halloween (John Carpenter 1978). Because, you guessed it, Schoelen got this name for being pretty and screaming a lot.

Maggie, like Popcorn, was a letdown. I wished the mood and nostalgia were the film’s main focus. With a name like Popcorn, cheesiness and fun should have been its main priority.

Carrie

The best way to go into Kimberly Pierce’s remark of Carrie (2013) is with open mindedness. Not that the film is bad, but that there is no point in trying to compare what was great about the original to what is different to the remake. That is arbitrary. What I can say, is that it’s a re-interpretation. There are scenes mostly the same, and at times seem pointless to re-do, but then theirs stuff that is different and progressive.

Of course, Carrie is amped up. It feeds into a new audience different to that of the late 70’s, a new teenage demographic with smart phones. In the new Carrie, played by Chloe Grace Mortez visuals and social commentary is more pronounced. Sticking with the original shower scene when Carrie discovers her period, however, this time it seems Carrie is subjected to longer torment, when the girls throw pads and tampons at her.  Bullying has shifted on a contemporary level expressed through the main villain, Chris (Portia Doubleday) and her skills on the web. Apart from Chris being a bit pouty, slutty and overly villainous, her character provided an interesting exploration of social media gone viral (perhaps was one-sided and negative). Like the original, we feel empathic for Carrie, even though Mortez may not look as awkward as Spacek, but Mortez inhabits her role bodily. Julianne Moore as Carrie’s mother, amps up a monstrous female, fractured in religion practise and self pain. If we took this back a notch, we can see a person suffering from mental illness and a husband who left her.

The highlight was the character Sue (Gabriella Wilde) who was part of Chris’s gang but shows sympathy for Carrie. Sue makes boyfriend Tommy (Ansel Elgort) go to the prom with Carrie and stays at home with her parents. However, at times Sue appears aloof and manipulative which becomes symbolic when she looks at herself in the mirror (it is cracked). Regardless of Sue trying to ‘help’ Carrie’s chances of being crowned Prom Queen. This is of course is thwarted when Chris and boyfriend Billy (Alex Russell) arranges pig’s blood. The scene develops into a drawn out CGI post- apoplectic showdown where Carrie gets to punish the rest of the students and show off her talents in telekinesis. Although, we may embody this moment as Carrie’s victory, the scene became bland compared to the visceral engagement I had with the prior exploration into Carrie’s powers.

 It is interesting that Pierce (Boys Don’t Cry) branched out and made something new, given the film a different ending and possibility of a sequel. The further exploration into Sue’s character at the end, made me happy and feel satisfied enough not to compare this to the original or simply think of this as remake of Brian De Palma’s masterpiece.

Mistaken for Strangers

The Berringers brothers. Tom is to the right. Matt to the left sharing a moment with the crowd

Tom Berringer’s right, in stating there are no twists endings in his film Mistaken for Strangers (Beringer 2013). But do expect honesty in his upfront documentary.

Meet Tom, Matt’s younger brother better known as the front man from the indie rock band The National. His film, Mistaken for Strangers documents the band’s High Violet world tour where Tom appears as a roadie and cameraman. Opening with Tom’s breaking of the fourth wall, he apologises to the Melbourne Film Festival audience that he cannot be with them to watch his film. I couldn’t help but wonder was he practising an acceptance speech for the plame d’or.

This raw, fly on the wall documentary has awkward band poses, teeth cleaning and sleeping. Along with band interviews and management who had to be reassured that Matt’s angrier moments was off- the record. But of course it was on, as the film documents linear footage in an un-edited style. Mistaken for Strangers uses a double meaning, notably it’s a song title from Boxer (The National 2007) but more so works in its exploration of the Berringer’s nonexistent relationship. Tom is a depressed metal-head who’s enjoys making schlock horror (one of his achievements is a film called Wages of Sin about a barbarian with an identity crisis) and quite frankly thinks the National are “pretentious bullshit”. While Matt is the composed well suited, wine drinker, who retaliates to Tom pay- outs by picking on his binge drinking.

Like a good documentary, Mistaken for Strangers allows the viewer a nuanced understanding of the brothers and their indifferences. I warmed to Tom, as the underdog, who was reminiscent of Andy Dyer (Chris Pratt) from the TV series Parks and Recreation. Tom appeared naïve at first but like Dyer; often blurted out a grounded perspectives and understanding of the music industry. One of the more sincere and cerebral moments of the film, is when Tom discusses art with his Mother Nancy. Nancy metaphorically analysis’s each brother’s artwork. Nancy understood Matt’s art as minimalist and abstract (his collection appears to typify the style of The National). But Tom, according to Nancy was the artistic one.  Illustrations involving a severed leg where she states, "what’s not to like about this drawing”. I found myself agreeing when I wasn’t humming along to the film.

                                                                                                                                                                        

Only God Forgives- But this film?

I knew Only God Forgives was meant to be different to Drive (2011). Well almost, Ryan Gosling (Julian) is in it and fits into a revenge/ noir genre. But I’m still confused whether I enjoyed the film or not. Maybe it was Gosling’s acting, or the fact that Only God Forgives has been released so soon after Drive that everyone was only going to be compare the two.

Narrative wise, although it has been claimed pithy I think it is sufficient enough. Set in an underground boxing club that operates as an illegal drug / prostitution front, we see the death of Julian’s older brother Billy (Tom Burke) implied as a ‘bad’ person after he proclaims his interest in fourteen year old girls. Refusing the prostitutes on offer he eventually finds another to brutally kill. The cinematography is filled with red tones but loses its power when we are shown the bloody female corpse who seems to disappear in the shot. Enter Madonna mixed with Donatella Versace, Kristin Scott Thomas as the mother (Crystal) who visits Julian in Bangkok after hearing of her eldest son’s death. Although her costuming is hilarious, her character did add a bit of oomph to the narrative. Her phallic and incestuous representations are out of place and just like Billy’s statement about younger girls, they seems pointless. If this was delved into the characters psyche then sure, perhaps there would be a point, but instead it was litigious for the sake of it.

We also meet Thai policeman Litenatant Chang (Vithaya Pansringarm), known as “the angle of vengeance” who visits the father (Choi  Yan Lee) of the killed prostitute.  Chang advises Yan Lee to take revenge. Yan Lee does and shown what’s left of Billy’s mashed head, looking much like a scene from Irreversible (Gaspar Noe 2002). But unlike Irreversible we are only shown this by image, we are not given any real sense of the brutality of the act. Upon seeing what Yan Lee has done, Chang chops his arm off and informs him of his disapproval of his daughter’s prostitution.  Gosling’s hit men confront Yan Lee about the murder of Billy; he explains that Chang gave him permission to kill him. From then on it’s a gang war between the two. 

Only God Forgives does have a storyline, so to speak, but team that with heavy handed aesthetics, repeated karaoke scenes then it does get boring and conceited. I was more interested in tying up some loose plot points like what was Chang’s purpose? Why was he doing what he was doing? Pansringarm gave a good stance and disposition, but what was the point.  In much the same way, Goslings performance seemed like he was sending himself up, becoming his own parody only this time without the gold scorpion jacket. If you want a bit of clarity to this self reflexivity, please check out this clip, “Ryan Gosling Won’t Eat His Cereal”.  I liked this clip a lot better than the film.

World War Z

 World War Z (Forester, 2013) opens in a very domestic setting, we meet Gerry Lane (Brad Pitt) making pancakes for his wife Karen Lane (Mireille Enos) and children, Rachel (Abigail Hargrove) and Constance (Sterling Jerins). 50 year old Pitt, whose age I’m still coming to terms with, obtained the rights for Max Brooks’ World War Z (2006) in 2007 to be made into a film and hence created a main character. Brooks’ original narrative was simply a collection of individual experiences of the war between humans and zombies.

During the opening, we are also introduced to Gerry’s former United Nations identity but learn he has given this up to be close to his family. After his family are involved in some heavy traffic jam and the radio broadcasts the news of a rabies outbreak, its narrative quickly takes on a clear post- apocalyptic setting. Ben Seresin’s cinematography is reminiscent of Children of Men (Cuaron,2006) through sterile tones and as well as the use of deafening rings in moments of chaos. Interestingly, chaos is not just shown by the infected bodies, but in the franticness of the scavenging for food and medical supplies by the surviving humans themselves, as lawlessness quickly becomes the norm. Luckily Gerry’s former status enables him and his family to board a U.S Navy vessel in safety, however in somewhat of a twist he is blackmailed to either investigate the virus or his family will be kicked of board. Whether to stay with his family or to ‘man –up’, Gerry picks the later role taking him too South Korea, Jerusalem and Wales before he can be reunited his family. 

My only real misgiving with World War Z was the conventional and safe ending as Pitt becomes the clear hero and resolution to the Zombie narrative.  Having said that however, there are enough enjoyable moments that make World War Z above average, I particularly liked the use of the words “zombies” and “undead’ as factual information. It was also interesting to see a narrative comprised into two halves. The first, outside and militant focused with naturalistic tones reminscent of The Hurt Locker (Bigelow, 2008 ).While the later half was sterile and creepy, where the characters were stuck in a laboratory filled with fast zombies (quite the opposite to George A. Romeo’s Night of the Living Dead Kind). This diversity counteracted the times when the film lacked lustre in its narrative development, offering innovation to this zombie blockbuster.

Spring Break forever bitches

When I saw an image of James Franco as a ‘gangsta’ with cornrows and a set of grills, along with an ensemble of pretty girls, noted for Disney –esque roles, I was pretty excited to see Harmony Korine’s Springbreakers (2012).

Narrative wise, it’s about four college girls Selena Gomez (Faith), Vanessa Hudgens (Candy), Ashley Benson (Brit), and Rachel Korine (Cotty) planning their way get to spring break. With unsuccessful attempts in raising enough cash, Candy and Brit rob a restaurant wearing balaclavas, masculine voices, and realistic looking squirt guns and get the group to spring break. Adhering to appropriate spring break personas, the group indulge in sexual freedom and consumption. However, the narrative changes to a darker context leaving its MTV aesthetics and moves towards that of the Grand Theft Auto video game series. The girls are arrested and we meet rapper Alien (James Franco) who mysteriously pays for their bail, involving himself within the groups circle. Alien’s gang fuelled lifestyle scares Faith who goes back home, subsequently so does Cotty. However, Candy and Brit have a sexual relationship with Alien and ulterior motifs of their own.

Spring breakers is full on in a sense. Benoit Debie’s cinematography embraces projectile vomit, tits, booty, and crouch shots, I felt like I was watching Girls Gone Wild. But then there’s another side, their friendship. I found an ironically touching moment in Korine use of Britney Spears Everytime and made me draw a familiar connection to Sophia Coppola’s Somewhere (2010) juxtaposing postart Gwen Stefani’s Cool against her own independent trademark. Similarly, these songs enhance the heartfelt moment shared between a father and daughter, and in this case, friends. The girls and Ailen all sing along to Spears (at this stage the trio) wearing pink unicorn baklavas, cutaway bathers and guns all huddled around Aliens’ grand piano.

Playing true to Grand Theft Auto’s Vice City aesthetics with blinding 80’s neon filters and a gang war shoot, at no time does Spring Breakers disappoint but builds into something stronger when Candy and Brit’s embark on their final mission.