MYSTERIOUS ISLAND: STILL AMAZING AFTER ALL THESE YEARS

Released in 1961 I can still recall the first time I saw any portion of this movie. It was a Thanksgiving night and as we prepared to go downtown to look at the windows decorated for Christmas that would be unveiled that evening this movie was playing on the television. I was torn between wanting to watch the film or going with my family to look at those marvelous windows. But being around 5 years old the decision was made for me and it would be a few years until I finally got to see the movie. Keep in mind this was before there were VCRs or DVDs. Watching it now in what is the best presentation I’ve seen from Twilight Time, I went back to being that 5 year old all over again, smiling non-stop from start to finish.

Something else needs to be said about that time period as well. The movies of master stop-motion effects artist Ray Harryhausen were movies that kids waited for when they were being released. These movies were our STAR WARS, movies whose special effects dazzled and amazed us. This may be hard to imagine for kids grown used to the CGI effects of today. But at the time these movies were the top of the line when it came to effects.

The movie is based on the novel by Jules Verne and tells the tale of a group of Union soldiers who escape from a Confederate prison by stealing a hot air balloon tied in the center of the camp during the worst storm of the decade. Along with them are a Confederate soldier and a newspaper man from up north. The winds carry the balloon for days until they near an island with no clue where they are, separated as the drop into the sea just short of the shoreline.

As they wake and find one another only Capt. Harding is missing. A plume of smoke in the distance leads the group to find him lying near a fire on the beach. They assume the captain woke long enough to make the fire but how could he have done so with no matches and unconscious? This becomes the first of many mysteries they encounter.

As they set about making shelter and looking for food they’re attacked by a giant crab which they fend off, rescuing one of their crew from its claws. Falling into a hot spring the crab provides a tasty meal for the group before they head out to scout the island. When they do they find a shore close enough to the tree line they intend to use to build a boat. They also find an elevated cave that holds the skeleton of a man left long ago by pirates along with his diary and a few items they can use.

More happens as the film progresses including the discovery of two women whose boat sank while coming into shore, several other giant creatures and a certain captain that many will recognize in what turned out to be a sequel to another of Jules Verne’s most famous book. All of this is presented in high quality style and fashion with some of the most eye popping effects work done at the time. The story is solid, the action fuel injected and the entire production is top of the line.

As is always the case I sing the praises of Twilight Time once again. Their presentation here is the best I’ve seen for this film and I already own at least one of those old versions. Having released it once before (which sold out in no time flat) they’re releasing it again in this encore edition so if you missed out last time don’t hesitate, order it today. Extras include an isolated score track, an audio commentary with film historians Randall William Cook, C. Courtney Joyner and Steven Smith, a featurette with Ray Harryhausen on Mysterious Island, another featurette Islands of Mystery, several TV spots, and the theatrical trailers.

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THE VISIT: SHYAMALAN STRIKES AGAIN

It wasn’t all that long ago when an unknown director by the name of M. Night Shyamalan became the go to guy for horror after the release of THE SIXTH SENSE. Since that time he’s directed many more films that have been praised or demonized but that have never been boring. With the release of THE VISIT Shyamalan once again returns to his horror roots and does so with a vengeance.

The film opens with a young mother played by Kathryn Hahn about to send her two children, Becca (Olivia DeJonge) and Tyler (Ed Oxenbould), to spend the week with her parents. The occasion is a mending of sorts since she hasn’t seen nor spoken to her parents in over 15 years, their parting a fight that was never settled. The man she left for has abandoned her and the children, her parents were proven right and now they’ve reached out to her over the internet to try and mend fences. Mom is off to a cruise with her new boyfriend and the kids are off to meet the grandparents for the first time.

All of this is being shot by budding film maker Becca. Yes, this is one of those point of view films I’m not fond of but here it works. The trip by train to their grandparent’s house gives us a chance to see just who Becca and Tyler are. When they arrive they find their grandparents waiting, sign in hand to be recognized, and off they go.

Things seem to be going smoothly until night time. A noise outside their room prompts the kids to open the door to see what’s going on. It’s the first sign that something isn’t right as they see grandma running around on all fours. The next day they are told by grandpa that she has episodes and that it would be best for them to not open the door after their 9PM bed time.

The days pass, the kids stay in touch with mom via skype on their laptop and more odd things happen. With each one the viewer begins to wonder of these grandparents are slowly devolving into insanity or if it’s just old age catching up with them. Then again perhaps it’s just that they’re not used to having kids around. As the story moves forward Becca continues to film their daily events as does Tyler with Becca’s back up camera. With each item they film, as different odd things begin to happen, both children begin to wonder if they are safe or not. By the time they make the decision of what to do it may be too late.

One thing about a Shyamalan movie is that in describing it you find yourself at odds about just how much to give away. He’s great at surprises and twisting even those surprises into something you don’t expect. Trailers for this film made it obvious that something wrong was at play here but just what is it? What could be the big secret here? Are the adults going insane? Is it just the grandparents or is it this area? Are they creatures, monsters, vampires? Or are they just getting old?

All is answered by the end of the film and in the most satisfying of ways possible. It’s not so much the answer that makes this film as interesting and scary as it is but the trip the viewer travels to get to that point. When the kids are talking into the camera you’re on edge wondering if someone is going to come up behind them while they speak. You’re never quite sure where the safe places are in the house when they travel from room to room. When grandma talks about aliens as Becca interviews her you start to wonder could she be one or is she just losing her mind? The guessing game begins when the kids arrive and doesn’t stop until the end.

The two young actors featured here make this movie work extremely well. Becca’s attempt to be a film maker set up the point of view documentation of what is going on work as opposed to any number of “found footage” films that haven’t done so. The combination of childish spying, youngsters interviewing their grandparents and horsing around for the camera make it all seem natural. When it is eventually used to help light the way it makes it scarier still. But the only way to make these two young actors believable is to have them met by the adults in the film as well. Deanna Dunagan as Nana and Peter McRobbie as Pop Pop match the children in what seems like a harmless older couple that turns into someone they kids are unsure of when it comes to safety.

This movie works on all levels and having watched it twice now I can attest to the creepiness factor on display here. Even knowing what is coming the movie still has you jump when those times come and cringe as things happen you know are on the way. Your skin crawls, you find yourself screaming at the screen for the children to be careful and you hope for the best until the credits roll. Before that happens the emotional levels you feel will rise and fall and once again M. Night Shyamalan will be hailed as someone who knows what the word horror means.

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THE GREEN INFERNO: WHAT A SURPRISE!

So maybe not so much of a surprise for fans of Eli Roth but I’ve never included myself among that group. I’m not one of those that have piled hate upon the writer/director as some have but I’ve also not been one to sing praises for him as well. I thought CABIN FEVER felt like the middle of a movie rather than one with an end. I found both HOSTEL films to be tasteless and self-serving to gore hounds and not horror or mystery fans. And honestly with the exception of those two films what else has Roth been known for?

He is definitely a fan of movies and I love that about him. His enthusiasm for making movies is also infectious. Because of these things I’ve never been one of those people that have wished him ill will or for his films to fail before they were released. So when I sat down to watch THE GREEN INFERNO, knowing not just what I felt about Roth’s movies but all of the controversy surrounding the subject matter and release of the film I didn’t expect much. What I got was a pleasant surprise.

Let’s start off by making it clear that Roth is not just a movie fan but a lover of the classic exploitation films of the past. One of the genres that he loved and talks about were the cannibal movies that came out in a burst some years ago. Movies like CANNIBAL FEROX and CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST are must see movies for horror fans and films that have driven people into the lobby of many a theater in search of something to heave into. When you see some of the things that have happened in these films you have to wonder going in just what Roth could add to that.

The film opens with a young college student named Justine (Lorenza Izzo) waking up to the sound of a small protest group on campus on a Sunday morning. As she walks outside later she catches the eye of the leader of the group, Alejandro (Ariel Levy). Attracted but knowing he’s spoken for she moves on.

Justine ends up having dinner with her father, a career diplomat for the U.S. and they have the standard idealistic young person versus cynic world traveled father. They part on good terms though with Justine letting him know that she’s joined the group of peaceful activists and hopes to go with them on a “class trip” to South America. In reality the plan is to disrupt a tree harvesting group that’s tearing down the rain forest and forcing out primitive tribes in the area.

The group arrives and instructions are given. The group plans to live stream their activities online as they happen. As they chain themselves to the trees to prevent them from being torn down, Justine’s lock doesn’t work. It is then that she realizes that she’s been used. Armed mercenaries rain down on the group and Alejandro lets them know who Justine is or better yet who her father is. Rather than be shot the mercs unchain the group and send them packing back home.

But on the way the plane they are in has trouble and crash lands. Some members of the group are instantly killed, some injured and others battered but fine. As they try to find a way to communicate their whereabouts and get help, a red painted tribe approaches them. These were the people they came to save. Too bad this is the same group that captures them and takes them to their village. Not only that but before long they find out the intentions of this tribe. The noble minded students are soon to be dinner for their captors as is almost always the case in films of this genre.

The rest of the movie moves back and forth between attempts by various members of this group to escape and their being fileted or tortured by the tribe. While the visuals are gut wrenching, figuratively and actually, there is a certain amount of humor to be found in the predicament of the bleeding heart (no pun intended) students who came to save this group now being devoured by them.

Aside from the gore the movie is an amazingly beautiful film in both color and content when it comes to the jungle scenes on display. The contrast by the lush green locations up against the red painted natives is eye popping. While watching the film I was stunned by each shots capture of the beauty of the land where it takes place. It made the violence feel out of place and yet appropriate at the same time. More than any film he’s done so far, this movie showed that Roth does indeed have a director’s eye.

The mystery of the film, whether or not any of these student activists will survive, plays on you from the moment they are caught until the end of the film. Their idealism is to be cheered but their activities questioned. And just which ones are the savages is left to the viewer to decide once the end credits roll.

I may have to change my opinion of Eli Roth as a director. This makes the second film he’s been involved with (the other as actor/producer) that I’ve enjoyed now. Hopefully he will make more films as the years progress and will make them more along the lines of this one than those in the past. I wish he would branch out into other genres where the gore isn’t the focus of what it going on, perhaps a western. He has the talent and this film shows that. It would be nice to see him use it for more than just blood and guts. As for this movie, if you aren’t disturbed by extreme gore, then it’s definitely worth watching.

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