The Film Freak Movie Talk Show with Leo Quinones welcomes composer Danny Elfman and actor Jackie Earle Haley talking their new movie “Dark Shadows” . Also in studio director Brad Parker and writer Oren Peli talk about the insanely scary locales they chose for their movie “Chernobly Diaries”. “God Bless America” director Bobcat Goldthwait gives over tons of info on his new movie, and finally Leo goes over everything movies in his weekend movie update. Follow Leo Quinones @leoquinones and as always….Stay Classy!
As a kid, I barely remember the TV soap opera, “Dark Shadows.” The eerie theme song is forever seared in my memory. Tim Burton, Michelle Pfieffer & Johnny Depp were also Children of the Corn-y soap. Leave it to Tim & Johnny to pick ‘Shadows’ as their vampire vehicle.
I can’t really compare the two, meaning the movie & the TV series. I did not go back & revisit the old material. It’s widely known, that, for better or worse, this is now Tim Burton’s vision. As seen in the trailers, Barnabas Collins is a vampire buried alive for almost 200 years & released in the year 1972. This juxtaposition is supposed to the springboard for comedy situations.
But I found the film to be much darker than funny. You know that old saying, ‘Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned?’ Angelique (Eva Green) plays a servant who loves Barnabas Collins. (Johnny Depp) When the relationship goes south, things are compounded by the fact that she’s a witch. Hence the evil curse she places, which transforms Barnabas into a vampire, doomed for eternal damnation. She’s gives him the extended dirt nap too.
That’s the central theme at play here. This rivalry is the films’ beginning, middle & end. The bulk of the humor stems from the way Barnabas reacts to the tackiness of the times. Johnny Depp is indeed very interesting to watch on screen. He’s playing alot of this through his extended fingers & eyes. His makeup application was very extreme. A bit too much I’m afraid.
I always like to go over Vampire Rules. Barnabas casts no reflection in the mirror, (1) Point. Resistance to silver. (1) point. He seeks darkness, (1) point. Sunlight sizzles his skin & fingertips, (1) point. Original coffin brought in for slumber, (1) point. His ability to walk around in broad daylight, MINUS (5) points! It’s a bloody wash, folks.
Hardcore fans of the ‘Dark Shadows’ TV show have been left for scrap. It is what it is. This is signature Tim Burton: Weird & creepy right down the line. I liked this world, I just wish there were more laughs. Either it’s a dark vampire movie or it’s an out-and-out comedy. Tone is so tough. As you’ll see, it’s just about impossible to combine the two. Dark Shadows is rated PG-13.
Barnabas Collins is getting with the times. He’s now following me on Twitter. You can too @leoquinones
Leo’s in Santa Monica talking about this week’s new movies, “The 5-Year Engagement,” “The Raven” & “Safe.” If you like, follow me on Twitter @leoquinones
Tim Burton’s Dark Shadows goes for the laughs. It’s a fish-out-of-water story, with a vampire. Unlike Team Edward, Barnabas Collins is a vampire who doesn’t cast a reflection in the mirror. This looks fun & silly to me. I can’t wait.
Check out Johnny Depp as Barnabas Collins, a blood-sucking lad from Liverpool, England circa 1752. Tim Burton’s “Dark Shadows” creeps into theaters May 11th. I remember that show from when I was a kid. Johnny Depp used to race home to watch it after school. Johnny said, he didn’t know what it was about, but he knew, it was weird!
There’s an old saying, ‘Give the people what they want.’ And what they want is yet another dose of ” Final Destination.” The popular film series flies in the face of everything. It just doesn’t care. It’s all about scary premonitions & Death’s Design. The TV spots have given away so much. What the audience wants to see, disturbing as it may seem, is beautiful people getting maimed, twisted & crunched in the most incredulous deaths imaginable.
Instead of being shocked & horrified, the crowd just laughs & cheers! This time around, a bridge collapses & all but eight people on board escape with their lives. Well, if you’ve seen the trailer, Creepy Coroner guys says, “Death doesn’t like to be cheated.” One by one the survivors get picked off in a way sinister manner. Death’s scenarios have been well documented in every TV spot. There’s the Lasik Eye Exam, the gymnast & the sensual Asian massage parlor & more!
When it comes to Final Destination 5, you best not over think it. I saw it with a sold out crowd & they ate it up. They were straight up laughing as the actors delivered their ‘serious’ lines. Every time someone gets taken out, you can hear the ‘Ohhhhhhh-turn-into-sheer-laughs.’
I must admit, Final Destination 5 was super fun. It’s rated R for extreme violence, but less nudity than Final Destination 4. What’s up with that? Personally speaking, I thought Final 3′s topless girl slow-cooking in the tanning bed death was a high point in the series.
The 3D thing is so played out…in the first 5 minutes! 3D opening credits show slow motion with things coming at you all through shattered glass. Yawn. A hammer. A prosthetic arm. A skull. A tire. A Metal Rod. Yawn. A brick. By the start of the movie, the 3D is totally on your nerves. Save 4-5 bucks by seeing Final 5 in 2D.
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If I ever have a premontion about Death’s Design, you best follow me on Twitter @leoquinones. Cuz, when I get that eerie vision, I will certainly Tweet about it & quite possibly save your life.
If you’re looking to compare 1968′s “Planet of the Apes” with “Rise of the Planet of the Apes,” don’t even bother. The former from 43 years ago is a crowning achievement of the Science Fiction genre. Astronauts from Earth crash land on a planet ruled by apes.
Rise of the Planet of the Apes is set in present day San Francisco. Will Rodman (James Franco) is a scientist who’s desperately scrambling to discover a cure for Alzheimer’s Disease through genetic therapy. The experimental drugs are used on chimp apes & gorillas.
People will remember this movie for Ceasar (Andy Serkis). The motion capture performance by Serkis adds a dimension of reality never before seen in a film. This chimp shows every emotion from sorrow, happiness, fear & of course rage. Extremely well done special effects by WETA.
The tone of this film is dark & grows darker with each act. There’s a spotlight on animal cruelty which automatically puts you on the sides of the apes. The abuse is simply captivity. These beasts should be in the wild & not locked up in rusty cages. As the movie progresses, the friction between humans & apes escalates.
As you see in the movie’s trailer, the apes escape, revolt & run rampant through the streets of San Francisco. The movie is thought-provoking & well made. It is worth seeing. But for me personally, I prefer the Charlton Heston version.
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To heighten drama, medical advances are catapulted forward at lightning speed. Crucial steps are missed & experimental drugs fall prey to corporate greed.
LAPD criminal profiler, Russell Spivey (Mark Thompson) has the toughest job imaginable. All too often, his duty takes him to humanties’ darkest places. Spivey’s uncanny talent: Assessing physical evidence from brutal murder crime scenes & creating viable theories as to why the perpetrator commits to such evil.
In terms of tone, “2:13″ reminds me of “Se7en,” “Anamorph” & “Manhunter.” The chase for the killer(s) is on & it’s a very clever ride. This isn’t your typical, throw-together, low budget horror flick. 2:13 has many layers, textures & nuances. Many of which are so subtle, you’ll need a second viewing.
Technically, the sound design is excruciatingly detailed. Whether it’s a menacing, pulsating & accelerating bass line or the simple familiar sound of pencil writing on a notepad. It’s there & sound adds yet another layer. In the end, the villain in the piece isn’t a Body Snatcher, an alien, a Terminator or even a Great White Shark. It’s the most feared villain of all, is the one who walks right by us in a crowd.
If you’re looking for a suspense thriller peppered with horror, terror & darkness, look no further than 2:13. It’s a well made film. The solid cast includes Kevin Pollack, Teri Polo, Dwight Yoakam & Mark Pellegrino. 2:13 arrives on DVD Tuesday June 28th. For more insights, photos & webisodes check out the official website at http://www.213themovie.com/ SPOILER ALERT ON A FEW WEBISODES!
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In my opinion, slasher films are generational. I dove in with John Carpenter’s original “Halloween” in the early 80′s when I was a teenager. It resonated. 15 years ago, slasher films were so abundant, Scream entered the fray. It broke down the fourth wall & exposed the rules of slasher films. It completely captured that generation.
Instead of re-booting this famed horror series, all the original survivors return. This time, Woodboro’s worst nightmare, Ghostface puts the speed dial on MURDER by marring the tell-all book release of his favorite victim, Sidney Prescott. (Neve Campbell) The books’ title: “Out of Darkness: A True Story of Survival.” The newest player in this story is technology. The characters rely heavily on flashy cell phones, high speed internet connections & real time webcasting. Plus, there’s tons of blogging & vlogging.
No spoilers here. I will say, there were things I didn’t like in the film. Law enforcement officers, David Arquette & Marley Shelton looked so out of place in sheriff uniforms. There are actors who take their job very seriously in the form of preparation. They go to police precincts, they do ride-a-longs with cops. Here, I get the feeling Arquette & Shelton were sent to the wardrobe truck, donned a couple of uniforms & simply walked on set. As officers of the law, they fumble around with zero believability. Hey, I’m over thinking this. It’s a Scream movie.
Oh yeah, there’s some really bad acting on the killer’s part. Wanna know who it is? Not a chance. I think the original Scream fans will enjoy seeing their favorite characters terrorized yet again. As for the rest of us, it was just OK.
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