Carrie - Review

I'll be first to admit that I've had it out for the remake of Carrie since I first heard about it's development. In this remake-laden era of Hollywood and filmmaking, it's becoming harder and harder to get even remotely excited about the variety of remakes, reboots, or re-whatevers. However, I've been particularly cynical about this one, since the original is not only one of the few horror films to receive widespread acclaim from both audiences, critics, and film snobs, but also because it happens to be one of my all-time favorite movies. Yes, the original 1976 film is awesome... it scores across the board as a compelling character drama, a thrilling suspense/thriller, a poignant examination of teen bullying, and (of course) a genuinely frightening horror film. I often credit the film as being the first horror film to truly make me a fan of the genre. With so many half-assed or shallow remakes of classic horror films that have recently plagued theaters, I was worried that Carrie would end up being another forgettable cash-in. Not to mention, the original was already followed by other disappointing reiterations of the story. There was a belated sequel (sucked), a made-for-TV remake (also not very good), and a Broadway musical (never seen it, but it's reputation as one of Broadway's most infamous bombs kind of speaks for itself). Part of me, however, became almost somewhat optimistic (though not enough to come around) when I heard of the talent the film was attracting. Actors like Chloë Grace Moretz, Julianne Moore, and director Kimberly Peirce are all among some of the better talents working today, and could, in theory, assemble a respectable remake. After finally seeing the damn thing... here are my thoughts.

Based on the novel by Stephen King, Carrie tells the story of the teenage outcast, Carrie White (Chloë Grace Moretz). The painfully shy and awkward Carrie lives a troubled life, being tormented by her high school peers and abused by her psychotic religious zealot mother, Margaret White (Julianne Moore). When Carrie has a panic attack after receiving her first period during gym class, her classmates pull a particularly cruel prank on her and post in online. Shortly after the incident, Carrie discovers that she now possesses telekinetic powers, and over time learns to develop and control them. Once Carrie's classmates are punished for their prank, they decide to enact a revenge scheme by pulling an even more vile prank on poor Carrie at the upcoming prom. With that said prom right around the corner, it's going to be a night to remember... for everyone.

So it pretty much goes without saying, but yeah... the movie ins't good. While I can't say that this surprises me, at all really, I have to admit that there were a few times while watching it where it seemed like the film started to do something kind of interesting... only to be disappointed when that was not the case. While it was initially believed that this remake was going to be a more faithful adaptation of Stephen King's novel, that turned out not be true. With the exception of one or two minor deviations, the film is basically a note-for-note retelling of the 1976 Brian De Palma film, albeit with some modern updates. It's not as egregious as the infamous shot-for-shot remake of Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho, but it's close. I don't want to spend this whole review comparing the remake to it's far superior original (since that's not fair), but it's almost impossible to ignore how much it fails in comparison. While the original was a legitimately shocking, moving, and tragic adaptation of it's (good but not great) source material, this new version feels like a dull, soulless, and generally flat re-creation coasting mainly off the memories of it's predecessor despite lacking it's style, flair, and poignancy. I'm not saying the original was totally without ANY flaws, but it's raw emotional drive made it one hell of an experience, while the remake almost put me to sleep.

The film's opening scene actually started with a fairly decent hook. If there's one flaw I could levy against the 1976 film, it's that the character of Margaret White (previously played by Piper Laurie) is kind of one-note. While Laurie was unforgettable in the role, her character was never really explored beyond being just a fairly straightforward religious nutjob (this was an issue in the book as well), despite featuring a few scenes that hinted at something more interesting happening in her that was never really explored. In this version, the film opens with Margaret White giving birth Carrie alone in her bedroom right before contemplating whether she should kill her newborn daughter or not. At first I thought that the film might actually shift the focus more to Margaret herself instead of Carrie. Plus, it also attempts to portray her as more a sympathetic villain, driven to insanity by either her religious values or tragic events in her past. Unfortunately, the film never really follows through on it's attempts and instead once again portrays Margaret as another straightforward antagonist that only hints at something more interesting going on. Damn you movie for actually teasing us with something potentially intriguing!

Cast-wise, the film is a mixed bag that is admittedly slightly elevated by it's two leads. It couldn't have been easy for Chloë Grace Moretz to follow in the footsteps of Sissy Spacek's Oscar-nominated role, and while I won't say she's perfect, she generally does a serviceable job. Moretz is one of cinema's most talented and charismatic young actors working today, and I could tell that she was putting her all into this role. While she does overplay what should have been some of the more subdued scenes, she nonetheless demonstrates some real emotional heft in a few standout moments. That said, I typically had a hard time buying that someone who doesn't look all that different from the supposedly "prettier" teens would be considered an outcast. While I admit that the original's Sissy Spacek was an attractive person, she had a slightly more off-kilter or country-ish appearance that helped sell her image as an outcast yet could pull off her prom scene transformation as well. Putting Moretz in a unfashionable outfit and hairstyle does little to sell her image as a "freak" and kind of ruins the effect. It's hard to levy that against Moretz herself, so I'll give her a pass in this case. Julianne Moore is the standout as Margaret White. I've already gone into detail about her character, so I won't say much more than I already have. Moore is definitely more subdued compared to Piper Laurie's screen-chewing performance in the original, but she does a generally good job with the role, showcasing some real emotional range and typically running off with the film's few effective scenes. The teenage actors this time around don't leave much of an impression. Granted they do look more like actual teenagers (unlike the 20 somethings in the original), but do little to elevate the film in any way. I also will say that I did enjoy the underrated Judy Greer as Carrie's supportive gym teacher, Miss Desjardin. Hopefully, Greer will get a part real soon that will really let her show off her talent (fingers crossed).

Considering that this is a horror film, you might be wondering why I haven't said anything about it's actual scariness. Unfortunately, that's because it's really not all that scary. It has a adequately slick look with appropriately modern filmmaking sensibilities, but it's basically as flat and empty as anything else. I will admit that there are a couple scenes between Carrie and her mother that actually do have a somewhat creepy vibe to them and were some of the few times I was genuinely intrigued. That said, aside for those few exceptions, the movie pretty much breezes through the first two acts so it can get to the infamous prom climax. The prom scene itself, however, is even kind of a letdown. While there are a few adequately gut-wrenching moments, it felt once again felt like a paltry restating of the original scene. There's a little more gore this time around, a couple decent money shots, plus the updated effects, but the obvious use of cgi and some questionable direction destroyed any chance of the scene feeling any more than just plain adequate. None of this is helped by the mostly lifeless cinematography and questionable editing. That's another thing, the film was chalk full of continuity errors, questionable stylistic choices, and odd cuts... don't really know what they were going for. In the long run, this version of Carrie feels less like a character-driven horror film but more like an uninspired by-the-numbers revenge flick. To some, that might be enough, but I was hoping for more.

So that's Carrie... and it's not worth your time. I asked myself if I was being too hard on it due to my love for the original. My response... somewhat maybe, but that still wouldn't change the fact that remake is at best, a mediocre horror film. Despite a few decent performances, it's a flat, uninspired, and often boring film that only hints at being something better. Saying a film is boring is probably the worst label you could ever put on a film, as Carrie isn't really terrible, because then it might have been somewhat memorable, but instead is just plain forgettable. Whether you're a fan of the original or not... this is one you can skip.

My Score: 2 out of 5

Escape From Tomorrow - Review

I've mentioned in previous reviews that I don't get as hyped about upcoming releases as often as I used to. That's not to say that there aren't films I get excited about or that my passion for the medium has diminished, it's just that in an era of 24/7 media coverage, gossip, rumors, and other behind-the-scenes production news plus a noticeable lack of originality or creativity has made it harder and harder to get hyped. Of course when the film, Escape From Tomorrow, stirred a bit of controversy at Sundance this year, it managed to pique my interest. For starters, the film had a pretty awesome concept, a surreal David Lynch-inspired horror/thriller about a man having violent and freaking hallucinations while vacationing with his family at Disney World. However, it was the manner of which it was filmed that really got me... most of it was secretly filmed guerrilla style at Disney World with neither the consent or permission from Disney... that is freaking insane! I'm not coming at this like I'm anti-Disney or anti-corporation (because I'm not either of those). I've been to both Disney World and Disneyland, and have many fond memories of those trips. It's just the fact that writer/director Randy Moore actually had the audacity to take on one of the biggest and most protective companies on the planet is a pretty incredible feat. Not to mention, the fact that a film like this got made and released is an example of some of the most creative and challenging out-of-the-box filmmaking that has been mostly absent from cinema in recent years. So yeah... this was an awesome idea and ballsy concept, but is the film itself any good?

Walt Disney World, a land built on imagination, has entertained millions of visitors since it opened in 1971... but does the so-called "Happiest Place on Earth" have a dark side? Tourist Jim White (Roy Abramsohn) is about to find out. On the last day of his Disney vacation with his wife, Emily (Elena Schuber), and two kids, Elliot and Sara (Jack Dalton and Katelynn Rodriguez), gets an unfortunate phone call from his employer telling him that his job won't be waiting for him when he returns home. To avoid ruining the trip, he keeps this news from his family. This, however, creates a strain between him and his two rambunctious kids and a wife who clearly doesn't think too fondly of him anymore. While spending the day in the park, Jim starts experiencing violent visions and hallucinations (or are they?) twisting the normally happy-go-lucky image of the park. He also starts oggling the scantily clad women that keep walking by, namely two very underage French teenagers with whom he keeps crossing paths. Things continue to go from bad to worse, and the day's events only become crazier and Jim starts to wonder if the park is as twisted as it seems or if he's just loosing his mind.

So I've mentioned that the concept is intriguing and the production was audacious, but gimmicks can only get you so far. From a completely objective viewpoint, how did the film out? Honestly, it's... pretty mediocre. It's by no means terrible, and I'm still blown away by the fact that a film like this even exists, but if I'm going to be totally honest, it is kind of a letdown. Theoretically, it all sounds pretty fantastic. The film has been compared to the works of many surreal filmmakers, namely David Lynch and his experimental classic, Eraserhead. Both featured similar themes and styles by both being shot in black and white, both dealing with themes of the horrors of parenthood and relationships, and both featuring a main character who is slowly loosing his mind. Whenever Escape From Tomorrow focuses strictly on the surreal horror and trippy visuals, it's pretty damn awesome. The black and white camerawork is a brilliant contrast to the typically hyper-colorized Disney landscapes, and works to the film's tone. Also just try to get some of the images out of your head, from the demonic transformations of the "It's a Small World" dummies or Epcot's Spaceship Earth dismantling and rolling over hundreds of people. Most of the movie was clearly set at Disney World (or Disneyland, they filmed at both locations), but some of it was filmed in a studio, in front of a green screen. Unfortunately, whenever that happened, it was painfully obvious. The screen keying could have been done much better, and some of the cgi throughout the film wasn't always on par. Considering the low budget, it's generally a pretty nice looking movie, but far from perfect.

Story-wise, the movie is a complete mixed bag. I've already mentioned how the premise kicks ass, and the way some of it comes together is kind of interesting. The way it kind of plays with Disney's perception of constant manufactured happiness and turns it on it's head is kind of clever. It has some intriguing insights into both the corporate mindset of Disney as well. I also got a kick out of the allusions to some classic Disney World urban legends. I won't spoil them, but the most memorable, in my opinion, has to be the one involving the Disney princesses (you'll know it when you see it). Unfortunately, the movie suffers from some noticeable pacing issues, even at only 90 minutes. For every interesting scene, there's another dull and lifeless one. It's hard to have any sympathy for these characters too. I'm not sure if we were supposed to relate to anyone, but when you get right down it, Jim is a neglectful father who spends most of his time checking out the nearby girls at the expense of his family. Not to mention, Jim's wife, Emily, is portrayed as cold, nagging, and bitchy... maybe justified given the quality of her husband's supposed character, but considering that none of these characters are particularly deep, interesting, or explored, they just come off as one-note and unlikable. Plus, the quality of the acting leaves A LOT to be desired. It's kind of understandable that the performances wouldn't be totally up to par considering the drastic way in which the movie was filmed, but even in the non-Disney world scenes, the actors are painfully flat. This ends up being Escape From Tomorrow's Achilles's heel, as the sub-par acting really takes you out of the movie and comes dangerously close to ruining it entirely. Basically, it's a film with some really clever ideas but only occasional success with it's execution.

I was initially curious as to why Disney decided to leave this one alone rather than pursue legal action, but now after seeing it, I can see why. The truth is, leaving it alone was the best way to go. Stirring up publicity for a pretty mediocre film (neither really good or really bad) would just draw more attention to the flick instead of letting it fade into obscurity. There's a possibility this one might survive as an underground cult classic, but even that seems like a stretch at this point. It's a creative idea and ballsy production that ultimately culminates into a very so-so final result. I'm kind of tempted to give it a recommendation just to support the low budget filmmaker and his clever methods, but I can't quite do that. If the idea sounds up your alley, maybe you can check it out on VOD (or theaters if it's playing in your area)... and you might appreciate it more than I did. For everyone else... it's a skip.

My Score: 2.5 out of 5!