For today's bye week Saturday recommendation, I'm going to back off the fantastical and suggest a film more grounded in the plausible... so, since we're all having to "get real" with respect to the season and recruiting and whatnot, and also because "Carl's, Jr." is an upcoming opponent, I'm going with a film that was shot on a shoestring budget [by Hollyweird standards] in South Carolina: THE STRANGERS. If you're inclined, the trailer is below.
Yeah, that song kinda sets the tone, but the thing about this film that makes it such an effective horror/thriller is the last line you hear in the trailer. When films try to plumb the depths of the antagonist's mind - be it to establish character, motive, or what have you - it diminishes their effectiveness as a scary screen presence. Such was the case with the lamentable HANNIBAL RISING. To my mind, there are two cardinal sins in a horror film: 1) showing the antagonist too early in the film, and 2) explaining [to any substantial degree] why the bad guy is bad. In the case of Hannibal Lecter films, just let the guy be a psychotic cannibal, already! Happily, this film doesn't make that mistake, and it's to its credit that it doesn't... and, again, it makes it that much more effective at scaring the viewer.
The other thing that I feel obliged to mention about this film is that, as I'd hinted before, it's plausible. The director put to rest a number of rumors that it was about a recent home invasion, methinks, but that doesn't mean that the film isn't rooted in such a situation... because it is. Apparently, the Manson family's Helter Skelter nonsense [and their subsequent murders] are at the heart of this film. But it could just as easily have been about any home invasion. Without that safe line of "Well, this is just a movie, this couldn't possibly happen for real," the film packs even more of a punch when the violence occurs on-screen.
If you like this one, there are two others that are similar... just in case you're jonesing for more films of this ilk. First, I'd say that YOU'RE NEXT is along the lines of this flick [and, frankly, the old Dustin Hoffman flick STRAW DOGS isn't terribly far off, either]. And secondly, albeit requiring a little bit more of a suspension of disbelief, I'd say THE LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT [either version, tho' the remake is not too shabby] is also similar.
EDIT: I nearly forgot [and who knows, perhaps this is the one to which @deftones11 was referring a moment ago (great avatar, by the way; I love "Better Call Saul")?] to mention HUSH. I caught this one after a couple of students of mine had mentioned it, and it is similar in theme to THE STRANGERS... bit of a twist with the protagonist, admittedly, but still a worthwhile film. Anyway, apologies for the oversight...
But that's just in case you liked this one. If not, steer clear of those others. Either way, enjoy!
Yeah, that song kinda sets the tone, but the thing about this film that makes it such an effective horror/thriller is the last line you hear in the trailer. When films try to plumb the depths of the antagonist's mind - be it to establish character, motive, or what have you - it diminishes their effectiveness as a scary screen presence. Such was the case with the lamentable HANNIBAL RISING. To my mind, there are two cardinal sins in a horror film: 1) showing the antagonist too early in the film, and 2) explaining [to any substantial degree] why the bad guy is bad. In the case of Hannibal Lecter films, just let the guy be a psychotic cannibal, already! Happily, this film doesn't make that mistake, and it's to its credit that it doesn't... and, again, it makes it that much more effective at scaring the viewer.
The other thing that I feel obliged to mention about this film is that, as I'd hinted before, it's plausible. The director put to rest a number of rumors that it was about a recent home invasion, methinks, but that doesn't mean that the film isn't rooted in such a situation... because it is. Apparently, the Manson family's Helter Skelter nonsense [and their subsequent murders] are at the heart of this film. But it could just as easily have been about any home invasion. Without that safe line of "Well, this is just a movie, this couldn't possibly happen for real," the film packs even more of a punch when the violence occurs on-screen.
If you like this one, there are two others that are similar... just in case you're jonesing for more films of this ilk. First, I'd say that YOU'RE NEXT is along the lines of this flick [and, frankly, the old Dustin Hoffman flick STRAW DOGS isn't terribly far off, either]. And secondly, albeit requiring a little bit more of a suspension of disbelief, I'd say THE LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT [either version, tho' the remake is not too shabby] is also similar.
EDIT: I nearly forgot [and who knows, perhaps this is the one to which @deftones11 was referring a moment ago (great avatar, by the way; I love "Better Call Saul")?] to mention HUSH. I caught this one after a couple of students of mine had mentioned it, and it is similar in theme to THE STRANGERS... bit of a twist with the protagonist, admittedly, but still a worthwhile film. Anyway, apologies for the oversight...
But that's just in case you liked this one. If not, steer clear of those others. Either way, enjoy!
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