The Wild Hunt

The Wild Hunt


Language: English.

Brief Synopsis: In the forests of Canada, a large group of LARPers (Live Action Role-Players) gather to play out medieval games. One of the attendees is a girl named Lyn (Tiio Horn), who just dumped her non-roleplaying boyfriend Erik (Ricky Mabe) to come out into the game. She is accompanied by Bjorn (Mark A. Krupa), Erik's elder brother. Erik decides to try and win Lyn back by coming up to the forest, and while he initially refuses to join in on the festivities, he is forced to do so. What starts as an attempt to rekindle their romance in turn creates a ripple effect throughout the games that will change everything.

My Take: I absolutely adored this movie. Krupa is hysterical and terribly fun to watch as the "Viking" Bjorn, for a start. A scene in which he goes berserker on a row of gas tanks at the gas station had me in stitches. He rarely breaks character and behaves as Bjorn the regular guy, and instead is almost always Bjorn, King of the Vikings.

Mabe does well enough as Erik, though the character is sort of a jerk. He rejects the constraints of the game from the get-go, constantly insulting the people around him. My only real complaint as far as characters go is that of Lyn. Horn plays her as brooding and depressed; she comes off as self-centered and shallow. I felt myself wondering why Erik and his foe, the Shaman Murtagh (A fantastic Trevor Hayes) were fighting over her at all.

The movie is incredibly well shot, especially for the shoestring budget it was done with. The costuming is wonderful and the world of the LARP is fully realized yet easy enough for the non-LARPer to grasp. There are characters enough for the viewer to love at least one of them; I had a soft spot for Bjorn, to be sure.

My favorite thing about this film was the way that it worked its way up to the climax. Starting as almost comedic, the seriousness of the situation began to become realized in slow bits. Little hints at the possibility of the madness to come were scattered about, but a sense of security that this was all "just a game" was present as well. It reminded me a bit of Takashi Miike's Audition in this sense, though The Wild Hunt was far more entertaining during the slow build of tension. I never once felt bored by the character development or storyline, and by the time everything came to a giant, clashing climax, my eyes were glued to the screen and my heart was pounding.

A note: Make sure you watch the film through the very last scene. I would have been devastated had I not seen the last few minutes. The way the film is cut you may think it is over, but make sure you watch until the credits roll.

Entertainment value: High. I had a lot of fun through the first 3/4s of the film and was on the edge of my seat for the last 1/4th.
Scare value: Low. A little bit of the Wild Hunt is unnerving; the scares are more thrilling than frightening.
Realistic?: Medium. It could happen, theoretically.
Violence/Gore: High. There are several cringe-worthy moments of extreme gore.
Sex: Low-Medium. There are several scenes of characters kissing but not much else. There is one attempted rape but it is not graphic.
This movie is for: Anyone who has ever roleplayed, anyone who has ever wanted to live in a different time or place. Honestly, I think a great majority of people would enjoy the film if they can get past the violence toward the end.
Films like it: I can't think of any. There have been other films that featured LARPing but almost all have been pure comedy.

IMDB Entry on The Wild Hunt
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Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon

Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon


Language: English.

Brief Synopsis: In a world where Michael Myers, Freddy Krueger, and Jason Voorhees are real serial killers, Leslie Vernon is a man seeking to make a name for himself. As the self-proclaimed "next incarnation" of these killers, he makes supernatural serial killing his living. He is followed along by a grad-school camera crew as they attempt to make a documentary on him. He takes them through step-by-step in the process, including meeting his retired serial killer friend, Eugene, and his wife Jamie. Leslie goes over the tricks of the trade and terms of the trade, such as making subtle appearances to get people paranoid, and the importance of an Ahab, or overly good opposition. (Usually a doctor of some sort, in this case played by Mr. Krueger himself, Robert Englund.) From planning to bloody finale, he teaches viewers and onscreen journalists alike about what it means to be evil.

My Take: Having recently seen both Man Bites Dog (the original slasher-mockumentary) and How to Be a Serial Killer (a more modern bent), I was curious as to where Behind the Mask would fit. The French Man Bites Dog is brutally dark, the sort of humor that takes a pretty warped soul to appreciate. It also focuses on true-to-life serial killing. How to Be a Serial Killer is less bleak but equally in the realm of the more realistic; both men are more similar to Ted Bundy than Michael Myers.

Keeping itself from getting too dark or too serious, Behind the Mask is just lots and lots of fun. The first two thirds of the movie are shot documentary style, but the "shaky cam" never feels annoying or intrusive. The last portion of the film is shot in a more traditional manner, and the transition works.

The character of Leslie is about as charismatic as can be. He idolizes the aforementioned boogeymen and has a good friend/mentor who may be one of them. (No one online's entirely pinned it down, but I vote that he was Michael Myers, as his wife is the "survivor" of his killings and her name is Jamie.) There is a reference to Leatherface (Eugene has to visit a friend in Texas to help him "refresh his game"), and the two refer to Ted Bundy's serial killings as "a mess in a sorority house" and call him an "amateur."

I laughed a lot during this movie. It's dark humor, to be sure, but it's not as terribly grim as Man Bites Dog or as forced as How to Be a Serial Killer. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed both of those movies as well, this just felt easier to watch, and much more entertaining.

Entertainment value: High. I laughed, I jumped, and I thoroughly enjoyed myself.
Scare value: Medium. Towards the end, there are a few jump scenes. You know they're coming but they're still there.
Realistic?: Low. Not really.
Violence/Gore: Low-Medium. Surprisingly low for what this is. Other than one particularly gruesome kill, everything is minimal in blood/guts/gore.
Sex: Medium. Typical teenage slasher movie sex with gratuitous boobies.
This movie is for: Slasher fans, Horror fans, anyone with a slightly dark sense of humor.
Films like it: The aforementioned Man Bites Dog, How to Be a Serial Killer, though it also has some similarity to the Scream movies.


IMDB Entry on Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon
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Melancholia

Melancholia


Language: English.

Brief Synopsis: A film with two acts. Act one is the wedding reception of younger sister Justine (Kirsten Dunst), planned by her seemingly overbearing elder sister Claire (Charlotte Gainsbourg.) Throughout the course of the night, Justine has several emotional meltdowns that eventually end in the party being a disaster. The second act has Justine living with Claire and her family. Claire's husband, John (Kiefer Sutherland), is an astronomer and he talks about the oncoming planet Melancholia, which should come near Earth but miss it. At this point Justine is in a severe state of depression and Claire must help her survive it. The relationships of all of the characters become more and more strained as Melancholia nears Earth, and it looks like the two planets will collide.

My Take: This was my attempt to watch another Von Triers film, after my lack of excitement over Antichrist. Melancholia had more characters to it, and a number of them were actors that I liked. (Including Justine's husband, played by Swedish hunk Alexander Skarsgard.)

Gainsbourg, Dunst, and Sutherland are all absolutely phenomenal. As side characters, Alexander Skarsgard, his father Stellan Skarsgard, John Hurt, Udo Kier, and a devastatingly cruel Charlotte Rampling are all amazing as well. The acting in this film is what drives it, even more than the stellar beauty of each shot.

Von Trier has a reputation for artsy, good-looking films, and Melancholia does not disappoint on that front. As with Antichrist, most of the shots are so beautiful they could be paintings, and the music that goes with them is perfect. The opening sequence is gorgeous, detailing some of the drama to come when Melancholia gets close. The planet itself is breathtaking, a turquoise orb of doom that also spells out peace for at least one character.

The movie itself is supposed to be about depression and the devastating numbing effect it has on a person. As such, it is almost impossible to like Justine in the first half of the film, but in the second half you begin to understand her plight. She suffers so greatly from her sadness that she is unable to eat (all food tastes like ash) and she cannot will the strength to step into the bathtub.

As the complete opposite of her character She, I loved Gainsbourg's Claire. She was a loving, caring mother archetype, which was nice to see in an otherwise misogynistic film. (I'm sensing a trend here, Von Trier.) Beyond even Gainsbourg and Dunst's stellar performances, however, it was Sutherland that stole the show, and he was absolutely captivating in every scene.

It's hard to explain Melancholia without giving away plot devices and spoilers. The first half of the movie is dreadfully slow and if you're anything like me, you will want to slap Dunst's veil right off of her pretty little head. (Seriously. Turning down sex from Alexander Skarsgard is a sin, good woman!) The second act is better thought out, less infuriating, and much prettier.

I think the film is worth seeing if you know anyone who suffers from depression, suffer from depression yourself, or are perhaps a fan of psychology. The average movie-viewer will find it either utterly pretentious or really, really boring. Those who are looking into the film for a scientific/astronomical aspect should be ready to be disappointed, as a great deal of the film is more science fiction than science fact.

After having a chance to think about Melancholia (it takes some time to digest), I really sort of liked it. The first half was infuriating, but it was worth it for the second hour, which gave me an insight into an unusual family in the path of inevitable destruction.


Entertainment value: Low-Medium. Act One is sloooooow, Act Two is only marginally more fast-paced. At least in Act Two you care a bit.
Scare value: Very low. Nothing really terribly frightening, though there is definitely a sense of impending doom.
Realistic?: Very Low. Notsomuch.
Violence/Gore: Low. None that I can remember really. A character dies but there is no gore whatsoever.
Sex: Medium. Kirsten Dunst quite naked several times, a scene of possible masturbation, clothed sex seen from a distance.
This movie is for: Those with depression, those who know someone with depression, psychology fans, Von Trier fans, those who appreciate art cinema.
Films like it: [u]Antichrist[/u], in a way, though this was far better.

IMDB Entry on Melancholia
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Antichrist

Antichrist


Language: English.

Brief Synopsis: A husband and wife (only ever referred to as He and She) lose their infant son in an accident and deal with the subsequent grief by going to their cabin, Eden, where she had spent the previous summer with her sun working on a thesis about gynocide. During their time there, He sees a great many disturbing things, and learns of his wife's belief that all women are inherently evil.

My Take: I did my best to leave the spoilers out of the synopsis, because there are some very interesting ones. Removing some of the shock value would render this movie almost pointless, because I believe that Lars Von Trier, the director, was aiming to shock and horrify.

I found the film to be incredibly misogynistic. She is a terrible, terrible human being, and by halfway through the film I wanted to scream at He to run as fast as he could from that evil woman. The sex scenes are tender, though I was quite glad when I found out the shower scene used stand-ins, as it shows actual penetration and I wasn't entirely comfortable with the idea of seeing Willem Dafoe, He's actor, in that manner.

It should be noted that the film is absolutely beautiful. Every scene is like a painting, though some are even more beautiful than others. The scene where they make love beneath the tree (shown in the movie poster) is gorgeous in a thousand different ways. Another positive aspect of the movie is the acting, which is fantastic. Dafoe is brilliant as He and Charlotte Gainsbourg is stunning as She, though I did want to smack her upside her head in most scenes.

I don't think Antichrist is for most people. It's violent, disturbing, sexually graphic, and about as bleak as a movie can get. It sort of made me loathe myself for being a woman (though the very ending offered a little hope). It's a movie that makes you think, but I certainly could have done without Von Trier's pretentious airs. The entire movie feels a bit like a chore, and by the time you're done with it, you wonder if you could have gotten the point by reading an in-depth summary and looking at some stills.

Entertainment value: Low. Short of the Three Beggars showing up and the last ten minutes or so, I was bored out of my skull.
Scare value: Low-Medium. There are definitely some uncomfortable bits, and I know this is stupid, but the Chaos Reigns fox scared the bejesus out of me.
Realistic?: Aside from certain flights of fancy in regards to the Three Beggars and the hands beneath the tree, I would say the film is somewhat realistic. I don't think it is meant to be taken as realism though, and is instead a sort of parable. The special effects are extremely realistic.
Violence/Gore: Two major bits of animal gore and two bits of violence to genitalia. I couldn't look at scissors without squirming for days.
Sex: Graphic penetrative sex in the beginning, followed by lots of masturbation and sex thereafter. LOTS AND LOTS OF SEX, and most of it you don't really want to see.
This movie is for: Gender studies majors, Von Trier fans.
Films like it: Apparently Von Trier's other movies, as this was my first.

IMDB Entry on Antichrist
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