Now that I got my On-Demand subscription updated, I've been catching up on all the movies I meant to see but didn't.
First on the docket was Rise of The Planet of The Apes. I really enjoyed it. Andy Serkis brought so much depth to the character of Caesar, which is fucking admirable considering he was a CG monkey. He's come along way from his performance as King Kong. Should this man tire of human civilization, I'm convinced he could seamlessly integrate into a society of apes without a hitch.
The CG was spectacular. I knew based on the trailers that it was good, but damn, I was not expecting to completely forget that 70% of the movie's characters were computer-generated.
James Franco (whom I mostly dislike) did what he could with a very rote character, same goes for his purely aesthetic love interest. Completely forgivable though, as they were little more than pawns who set Caesar's story in motion. John Lithgow was well-cast as Franco's senile father. It's nice to see that he's still getting work. The guy who played Malfoy also had a minor role as a dickbag who bullies Caesar and his "followers" and meets a very satisfying end at the hands of the emergent simian.
I was bit taken aback when Caesar spoke, but I guess they had to tie it to the other PoTA movies somehow. Despite that, I really liked how this movie didn't feel like an explicit prequel. It was just a very entertaining and cohesive film overall.
Next on the list was Don't Be Afraid Of The Dark. I'm a big fan of the original 70's movie, so I had high hopes for this one. I was not disappointed.
One of my artist friends worked on the creature FX for the movie, so I knew quite a while in advanced what they looked like. Then again, it wasn't one of those films that tried to hide the creatures from view, so it didn't really feel like a spoiler. For those of you interested in seeing what they look like; check out my profile pic.
The opening in which the original owner of the mansion knocks out the maid's teeth with a hammer and chisel as a peace-offering to the homunculi was a great lead-in. Unfortunately, the rest of the movie lacked the chills of the original, but was still thoroughly entertaining. There was a good balance of hokeyness and legitimate creepiness.
Making the main character into a little girl was also a good move, as it added an increased feeling of helplessness. My only complaint is that her lack of genre savvy was a bit annoying at times; if you hear a guttural whisper beckoning you to "come play", you probably shouldn't oblige.
The movie had a very classic horror feel. It doesn't try to be too challenging, and I applauded it's simplicity. Recommended if you're in the mood for horror, but crave a reprieve from ghosts and gore porn.
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