The Lords Of Salem Review

The Lords of Salem

Dir: Rob Zombie

Starring: Sheri Moon Zombie, Meg Foster,

Bruce Davison, Dee Wallace,
Judy Geeson, and Ken Foree

It’s difficult to surprise the horror film fan, especially when so many of the films being produced are remakes or sequels. Though the claim of originality will be called into question on many accounts, if a film does something different away from mainstream norms the effects for horror are typically more appreciated. Rob Zombie is an impressive fan when it comes to the genre; his applications within his films, though sometimes flawed, have displayed touches of unique and inspired talent. Lords of Salem is unlike past films in Zombie’s catalog, his penchant for gore and violence far more restrained and substituted for a welcome addition of startling imagery and obscured narrative suggestions. Though these elements mix with varying degrees of success the film is still an interesting rendition of horror. 

Heidi (Sheri Moon Zombie) is a radio DJ in the fabled town of Salem, Massachusetts. While at work Heidi is sent a mysterious package containing an album titled only as “The Lords”.  The album, whenever played, entrances Heidi and produces flashbacks of Salem’s violent history from the perspective of a coven of witches. Heidi’s visions start to become more distressing as the evil lurking around her gets stronger.

Zombie seems to have pulled influence from numerous realms of horror. While many of Heidi’s visions of Salem’s bewitched past seem influenced by films like Haxan (1922) or The Devils (1971), the overall design feels reminiscent of late 70’s horror. The atmosphere of Salem is lifeless, a town shrouded in a blanket of grey and black. Heidi's apartment complex composes with intricate wall papered hallways while inside her bedroom she sleeps under a floor to ceiling portrait of George Melies smiling moon. The design aspects are detailed and give the film a unique texture.

The plot in Lords of Salem is nearly paper thin. The film sets up with a quick introduction to the characters, the occasional flashback, then the delivery of the mysterious album, and that’s pretty much it. However, Zombie utilizes the spaces in the narrative to incorporate some fairly shocking and strange imagery. Though certain images are purposefully misconstruing, and some simply aimless, they offer an unsettling nature to the composition of the scenes as the film builds towards the finale. However, the startling imagery does not compensate for the lack of character development. Heidi is mentioned early as a recovering drug addict then the topic isn't explored again until late in the narrative, and there are more characters introduced in this hinted manner. Zombie attempts to build a mystery, though the secrets revealed are predictable and others are kept to his own insight. The cast is a combination of genre veterans, always a nice treat for fans. Sheri Moon Zombie gives a decent performance in the lead, while Meg Foster is best as the frightening leader of the Salem coven. The remaining cast is given just minor parts and they do their best within the structure of the script.

Lords of Salem is a uneven film; sometimes peaked with startling potential and other moments lost within a flood of images. Still, horror fans, keeping an open mind, should give this film an opportunity as it is unlike any other horror film marketed in the mainstream today.

Monte’s Rating

3.25 out of 5.00

*This is NOT a film for the casual fan. 

Pain & Gain

Pain & Gain

Dir: Michael Bay

Starring: Mark Wahlberg, Dwayne Johnson,

 Anthony Mackie and Tony Shalhoub

We all handle ambition differently. Some become motivated, some become intimidated, while others ignore the feeling altogether. In Pain & Gain, directed by Michael Bay, ambition motivates three men in ways so absurd and disbelieving you’ll be shocked it’s actually based on a true story.

In the image obsessed weight lifting community of Miami Beach, personal trainer Daniel Lugo (Mark Wahlberg) struggles to accept his place in the world. Though he routinely discusses and displays his physical prowess, his job molding people into fitness machines has left him in debt and stuck in a stalled professional position. But Daniel is a “doer” and after attending a self-help/get-rich-quick seminar by berating guru Johnny Wu (Ken Jeong) he decides to make a drastic change with a wildly dimwitted plan. The target in question is Daniel’s wealthy and egotistical client Victor Kershaw (Tony Shalhoub). Daniel organizes a team consisting of his steroid injecting co-worker Adrian (Anthony Mackie) and recently drug-free, born again ex-con named Paul (Dwayne Johnson). The plan is simple, kidnap and force Victor into signing over everything he owns.

Michael Bay, known more for his fondness of explosion than social commentary, displays a different kind of film with Pain & Gain than he normally associates with. Though the Bay film elements are still here the narrative is stronger than past films, however that’s not necessarily saying much. The style qualities, like the super slow-mo action, constant pulsing soundtrack, and color grade changes, are just a few elements that offer eye catching yet distracting perspective. The film incorporates a dark comedic charm early; watching the inane Lugo make sense of his life with the same overwhelming confidence he uses on his training clients is comical. Though maintaining the difficult quality of a comedy that combines dark components proves faltering for this film. While the humor in the beginning is tinged with hints of social mocking it progresses and shock takes place of finesse leaving the topics of homophobia, misogyny, toilet humor, and religion subjugated in infantile ways.

The area that succeeds most is the spot-on casting choices. Wahlberg gives Lugo an early likability that slowly deteriorates into head shaking disgust. Johnson is best as the softhearted Paul, his comedic timing getting better with every film he does. Shalhoub is also good as Victor, playing off his normal type and taking a turn as a consistently obnoxious character. There are some great character transformations throughout the film, an aspect that keeps the strained script afloat.

Pain & Gain attempts at making a black/dark comedy, and early in the film the inspiration can be felt, however the script lacks enough strength to continue with the socially reflective insights and instead resorts to second-rate laughs. Though the performances are interesting enough to keep you intrigued for a while, the manic style overwhelms the initially interesting substance in the end.

Monte’s Rating

2.50 out of 5.00

    

Antiviral Review

Antiviral

Dir: Brandon Cronenberg

Starring: Caleb Landry Jones, Sarah Gadon,

and Malcolm McDowell

“I’ll never wash this hand again.” A proud proclamation made by a fan after meeting an admired actor at a recent film festival I attended. This obsession with celebrity is all the more relevant with the increasing access of technology allowing immediate interaction; it allows fans an intimate look into the daily routine of their adulated celeb. The implication, both literal and figurative, behind this fascination is the source material for director Brandon Cronenberg’s thought provoking first feature Antiviral.

The film portrays an altered society that allows fanatical followers, basically addicts, the most damaging expressions of celebrity admiration. Popular personalities sell intimate matters of personal privacy to the adoring public. However, this isn’t an autographed picture, it’s the harvested viruses and infections direct from the body of the star.  Syd March (Caleb Landry Jones) is a representative of a company that deals the collected samples to the eager masses. Though Syd is also dealing disease on the black market; he is tasked with extracting a sample from the beautiful Hannah Geist (Sarah Gadon) who has recently been infected with an unknown virus. Syd, trying to get a jump on the underground competition, injects the sample into himself just before the superstar dies.

The first 45 minutes of Antiviral is a captivating work. Unfortunately the remaining 60 minutes falls into the place of a contrived metaphor and an unfulfilled idea. Cronenberg establishes the view of his society quickly but the rolling wheel of ideas soon begins to spin in place and interesting parallels are overlooked, like the allure of the celebrities depicted. Scenes begin to replay themselves and the pace slows rapidly which ultimately affects the finale.

Cronenberg doesn’t restrain from implying meaning, essentially that the general public in his vision of society feeds, literally, on celebrity. In the virus selling clinic obsessive fans wait for treatment with depressed, near lifeless, expressions on their faces. Feeling so detached from the lives of the people they venerate, the connection with the admired grows into a force of destructive self-infliction. Cronenberg supports these sentiments by pulling the color from his world, creating a cold and isolated existence with stark white and black environments. The photography, specifically the combination of close-up and wide shots, provides an interesting perspective into the implied meanings behind some imagery; for instance the few close-ups of reflections caught in characters eyes. Caleb Landry Jones is a suitable pick to play the lead and he offers some nice physical attributes to the character especially when his illness progresses. Malcolm McDowell makes a small cameo as Hannah Geist’s medical doctor, but his skills are under utilized in the role. Gadon plays Geist with a silent and picturesque appeal, making a virus-ridden patient seem attractive.

Brandon Cronenberg will undeniably be judged and critiqued in reference to his iconic father, which might not be such a bad thing considering his first feature displays undeniable and refreshing talent. Antiviral begins with promise, executing a difficult concept, but the satisfaction fades as the narrative ceases to progress ideas proposed. 

Monte’s Rating

3.00 out of 5.00

Oblivion Review

Oblivion

Dir: Joseph Kosinski

Starring: Tom Cruise, Morgan Freeman,

Olga Kurylenko, and Andrea Riseborough

There is something to be appreciated about a film that isn’t a sequel when the summer blockbuster season looms so close. However, it’s also more difficult to sell audiences when you don’t have the momentum of a franchise behind you. Oblivion, an adapted graphic novel by director Joseph Kosinski, is a visually well-designed science fiction mystery that begins with early promise but unfortunately falters with an unsurprising third act that feels over influenced by familiar material.

Earth’s moon is destroyed causing natural disasters after an invasive war, Earth won but not without consequence. The remaining landscape is an isolated wasteland. Jack (Tom Cruise) is a technician for defensive equipment guarding the remaining resources of Earth and hunting aliens known as Scavengers. He is guided on daily objectives, given by an off planet company, and communicated by his partner Victoria (Andrea Riseborough); they are a team stationed high above Earth’s surface in a floating living station. Jack, though having his memory wiped, is having recollections of a past life that involves a woman named Julia (Olga Kurylenko). While on a repair mission Jack witnesses a vessel falling to Earth carrying a crew of hibernating bodies, one of whom is familiar to him.

Oblivion is director Joseph Kosinski’s second feature, his first being Tron: Legacy.  Kosinski’s design of the isolated Earth is striking. The subtle use of visual effects to create a recognizable, though destroyed, landscape (the film was shot in Iceland) keeps the film supported within a realm of practicality instead of feeling overly manufactured. Jack cruises the desolated landscape in an imaginative hybrid plane/helicopter and a transforming dirt bike. The well-designed props and locations are further accommodated by a fantastic score, which is composed by M83. Unfortunately the great supporting elements are only assisted for a short time. The script introduces a mystery, and initially executes with potential, but as the secrets reveal the narrative crumbles under the weight of its’ own creation. For those familiar with popular science fiction films you’ll probably notice that Oblivion pulls influence from numerous sources in the final act, a decision that distracts from the original ideas proposed early on in the film.

Cruise plays Jack with similar temperament to his past heroic roles; basically a likable yet lost individual trying to uncover a conspiracy while finding love, or some other emotion.  Though Cruise is good in the simplistic role, it would be interesting to see a different spin on this recognizable character. The most interesting performance belongs with Riseborough’s character Victoria; she is a straight-laced, rigid woman counting down the days till retirement. Her characterization creates a vagueness in reference to her partnership with Jack and her ultimate motivations. Morgan Freeman makes the most of his minuscule appearance as Beech, the leader of a group of rebels still inhabiting Earth. His introduction in the film alone is welcome enough in the scheme of the narrative.

Oblivion is filled with inspiring designs and an evocative atmosphere, which works to present an intriguing introduction. As the mysteries unravel so does the film; familiarity sets in and the conclusion becomes too reminiscent of other, better films. Still, Kosinski’s ambition in attempting to create a new work of science fiction is commendable, even if it's not completely successful.

Monte’s Rating

3.00 out of 5.00