Look, its a bird! Its a plane! Its...Godzilla?
A brief time-line of Godzilla's various incarnations and personalities up intil this film:
Gojira - The horrors of nuclear testing and abuse made flesh. Not necessarily evil, but instead an animal struggling to understand the world it has been rudely born into; all while leaving a massive trail of bodies in its wake.
Godzilla Raids Again: Little rhyme or reason this time around. Replacing the nuclear context is a hot-blooded, animal savagery.
Mothra vs. Godzilla - Simply put, evil and cruelty incarnate.
Ghidorah the Three-Headed Monster all the way to Destroy all Monsters - While not really out to protect humanity, the big guy was nontheless hanging up his city-stomping shoes and wrestling with other, ill-meaning monsters.
At this rate, Godzilla was on the very brink of becoming a full on superhero, and this brings us to Godzilla vs. Hedorah.
Ken Yano (Hiroyuki Kawase) really likes Godzilla. I mean, REALLY likes him. He has a collection of toys that would make any collector drool, he dreams of him, hallucinates him, and even presents a poem to this class dedicated to the lizard.
Meanwhile, authorities are perplexed by a series of attacks in the shipping lanes that seen to be perpetrated by a monstrous tadpole. An expedition headed by Ken and his father, Dr. Yano (Akira Yamauchi) to find the beast goes awry, leaving Yano with a horribly burned face. The creature is dubbed Hedorah, and Yano surmises that the beast is comprised of various chemical solutions, among them being sulfuric acid.
Hedorah evolves into a quadrupedal land form and attacks a refinery, getting bloated (and high?) off the smokestack fumes. Godzilla finally shows up, and after much monster posturing, Hedorah attempts to smother him. The battle is short lived, with the battle ending as Hedorah is split into various pieces and cast into the sea. But that ain't the last that'll be seen of the muck beast...
Yanno comes to the conclusion that Hedorah is feeding on our pollution, and is in turn emitting fumes powerful enough to corrode buildings and kill anyone unlucky enough to be close to the creature within seconds. As Hedorah continues to evolve and gain power, and as the death toll reaches astronomical proportions, it becomes clear that only a certain mutated dinosaur will be able to save the day...
The synopsis may sound like standard monster-vs-monster fare, but this movie is hardly close to being what we could consider normal. In fact, its easily the most unusual entry in the entire series. Some have praised it as being a masterpiece of surreal, post-modern cinema. Others have labeled it as being among the very worst of the series. Me, I just think its mighty strange, but the pleasure to be gained from this film is undeniable.
To put it bluntly, the movie's tone is wildly uneven. Massively uneven, in fact. The environmentalist theme, while somewhat effective and being relevant even today, comes off as very heavy-handed. Yanno pretty much says, multiple times, that it is because of our polluting and other abuse of the environment that has lead to the birth of Hedorah, and that humanity has pretty much dug a mass grave for itself. Subtle, it ain't. However, director Yoshimitsu Banno very successfully paints Japan as a nation that seems to be struggling to stay afloat in a sea of filth; the credits play out over a series of shots of muck-encrusted waterways, including a surprisingly unsettling shot that seems to be a sexless mannequin that's been slashed and dismembered. Never explained, but it certainly is attention grabbing. Also, this is easily the ugliest Japan has ever looked in any kaiju flick , with constant establishing shots of belching smokestacks, fog-hazed industrial parks, etc. Again, far from subtle, but like a blow to the head with a hammer, they are effective at making one sit up and pay attention. Even Godzilla, in a dream sequence, seems unable to turn back the tide of pollution, as he blasts away at floating heaps of garbage, (suggesting just how overpowering and unstoppable the threat of pollution can be, perhaps?).
This is the first Godzilla film since the original to show the human casualties, and stuff gets very grim. A screaming baby nearly up to its head in Hedorah's muck. Dozens of people clawing at their throat's as Hedorah flies overhead, followed by grotesque facial lesions. A construction worker who falls screaming from a tower at the sight of the smog monster, and is reduced to bones by the time he hits the pavement. Ken running home to his father as air-raid sirens blare in the background, stumbling upon corpses in various stages of decay. This could have easily been one of the most viscerally horrifying and disturbing entry in the series, if not for the outright bizarre sequences that occur. Ken's hippie uncle is listening to his girlfriend preform in a nightclub (the girlfriend sings the title theme "Save the Earth"; which in Japanese sounds eerily like "God is Dead". Go figure...), and suddenly he starts hallucinating and imagines that everyone has the ehad of an exotic fish.
The weirdness doesn't stop here, as the film also employs a series of crude animations to help explain Hedorah's physiology and effect on the city; though initially childish, there is an increasingly sinister undercurrent as the cartoons progress (such as a sentient factory growing in size as it greedily snaps up organic material with huge pincer arms). There's even a brief science lesson on galaxies as Yanno explains to Ken where he thinks Hedorah may have come from. Hippies play go to the foot of Mount Fuji and play on their electric instruments, with nowhere to plug into(!). Said hippies are watched by a motley group of old people crouched in the long grass, who seem to have wandered off the set of a zombie or backwoods slasher film. Interestingly enough, the constant juxtaposition of the grim and horrific with the high-spirited and childish doesn't really hurt the film, but creates a sense of free-wheeling lunacy that will either have you grinning to ear or snorting in disgust as you snap the disc into pieces.
The characters are among the film's weakest points. While Ken manages to avoid irritable-little-boy syndrome, him and the rest of his family are extremely under-developed, with Yanno showing up only to form more theories on Hedorah. Ken likes Godzilla, his uncle likes weed, and the girlfriend likes wearing weird wigs and body suits while singing about the death of God. All we ever know.
On to the monsters. Godzilla has become even more humanized as he mockingly gestures and taunts Hedorah, even scratching his nose before battle. This is the first time that Godzilla has been portrayed as unambiguously heroic, and personally, I've never really liked my Godzilla as a do-gooder. I like him lean, mean, and giving humanity a thrashing without ever breaking a sweat. Though he is akin to a super-hero, he still thankfully avoids catering to children, unlike a certain giant turtle from a rival studio. Even though he never accepts Ken's advances, he is dealt a severe blow to his ego when he flies after an escaping Hedorah at the end of the film. Yes, that's right. Flies. I...I can't talk anymore about that. It certainly is something that you'll never see ever again in terms of sheer, reality-bending oddness.
Hedorah is the real star of the show, and is a most unusual and formidable opponent. Not only does he possess powerful lasers and projectile, acidic sludge and choking fumes, his blood is an even more concentrated form of acid, powerful enough to strip the flesh off Godzilla's hand until the bone is showing. Combine that with a body that merely sparks when hit with Godzilla's ray, as well as a final form that outright towers over the monster king, he always manages to hold his own in the protracted final brawl. In one effectively disgusting scene, he comes close to smothering Godzilla with bodily slime, until the Big G (somehow, never explained) manages to escape, and the battle carries on. According to some sources, Hedorah's eyes were modeled after vaginas, which makes the moment where Godzilla rams his fist through the flesh right beside one of his eyes all the more peculiar (could the immediate damage done to Godzilla's hand be a cautionary statement warning of the dangers of strange sexual practices?). The Hedorah suit is effectively slimy and gross, with perhaps its most memorable features being its gigantic, bloodshot eyes and freakish, gurgling screech. The final fight with the two titans is well-staged, even though it is a tad unnecessarily dragged out towards the end (gah, the flying part).
The director was later told by the series producer that "he had ruined Godzilla", and was presumably black-listed. A wee bit harsh, I think. This really is a hard movie to recommend, as its surreal, almost nonsensical imagery and plot will either have the viewer loving or hating it. I love it, and also know others who hate it. So really, in the end it all comes down to personal taste. Either way, it isn't a movie you'll end up forgetting soon.
Do you like captivating stories? Memorable characters? A sense that all the cast and crew actually gave a damn about the film they were working on? If you answered 'yes' to all three, then stay, far, far away from Destroy all Planets. Let me reiterate: FAR, FAR AWAY.
A spaceship, looking not unlike a clump of bumblebee thoraxes glued together to form a circle, is looking for a suitable planet to colonize. Seeing Earth, the aliens (note, you never actually see any aliens at this point: just close-ups of a machine that you know has to be scientific because it spins and has glowing lights!) while an obnoxious monotone plays in the background) prepare to land, only to attacked by the Friend to all Children, Gamera. The ship is badly damaged, and vows vengeance while beating a hasty retreat.
Meanwhile, two bratty Scouts have decided to screw around with an experimental submarine, following an exchange of dialogue that went something like this:
SCIENTIST: Gee kids, this submarine went kinda screwy and came close to killing me. My code of ethics tells me that it may not be a good idea to let two minors pilot this here vehicle.
BRATTY KID #1: Aw, c'mon mister! We'll be awfully careful!
BRATTY KID'S SISTER: Yeah, these kids are real good with electronics. Why, my brother once fixed a watch!
SCIENTIST: Ho ho ho! Well, that settles it. Here kids, go out and try not to die in the cold, dark embrace of the ocean! Ho ho ho!
Sigh. Anyways, the two kids meet up with Gamera, and race around with him. Kaiju fans around the world collectively slap their foreheads. Suddenly!! The aliens reinforcements have come to Earth, and trap Gamera and the intrepid explorers under an energy dome. See, the aliens want to bend Gamera to their will and force him to destroy the planet. Not ALL PLANETS, just the one planet. Will the kids find a way to escape the diabolic dome? Will Gamera rise up and defeat the star creatures? Will you care?
I have to admit, I've never been a fan of the Showa Gamera films. Aside from the surprisingly enjoyable first two entries, the others have been afflicted with dreary plots, horrible monster designs, and risible special effects. Sadly, this one is no exception. Made in the late 60's in an attempt to cash in on the craze generated by the Godzilla series, the Gamera franchise attempted to appeal to the younger audiences by having more explicit monster violence, as well as main characters that were often children. Gamera never really came into his own until the early 1990's, with Shusuke Kaneko's masterfully dark trilogy that had the big guy facing off against man-eating monsters, an unthinkably huge alien juggernaut, and even a demon straight from the pages of H.P. Lovecraft. But, I digress...
There's not really anything I can say about the acting, as the version I watched was dubbed. Even the sole American actor looks dubbed. Simply put, its a terrible dub, and the "actors" obviously couldn't care any less about what they were doing. Can't say that I blame them.
One of the biggest disappointments is the way in which the alien invasion plot is handled. Ishiro Honda, who directed many of Toho's Godzilla and other sci-fi films, was clearly an optimist. He believed in the inherent goodness of humanity, and this spirit of cooperation is evident in many of his films as people from all around the world put aside their differences to fight an evil that threatens to destroy them. The reason I bring this up is because Honda's sci-fi operas were always fast-paced, sweeping epics that took place on a global scale. Destroy all Planets makes the ballsy decision of taking what could have been an enjoyable alien flick and making it so narrow in scope as to be nearly inconsequential: there are constant mentions of the Earth being in great danger, but when you have a grand total of two main characters who are constantly the focus of the action, there's little suspense to be had. Gamera hardly has any screen time. Instead of being called Destroy all Planets, it should have been Thick-headed kids wander around in a spaceship that makes them sandwiches. Yes, the alien ship makes them sandwiches.
Well, even though the execution is deadly dull, at least the concept of Gamera being used as an agent of widespread destruction should guarantee some good times, right? WRONG. The trouble begins when the aliens imprison Gamera and scan his mind in order to determine his powers and weaknesses. Cue the stock-footage! Ever see Gamera vs. Gaos or Gamera vs. Barugon? No? Well, don't worry, because now you can relive the monster action from both films in their entirety! Nearly 2o minutes of continuous recycled footage. Simply unbelievable. Whats worse, when Gamera is finally turned loose upon the world, yet MORE stock-footage is hauled out from Barugon and even the original film, which was in black and white. The word 'shameless' doesn't even begin to describe what is going on here.
The special effects are, as usual, barely adequate. From Gamera lifting a force-field as if were a curtain(!) to the clumsily animated scene where the aliens merge to form the gigantic Viras, there is really nothing worth going into great detail over. Mainly because there's around 10 minutes of original special effects work to be found here. A note on Viras: while being a slightly interesting looking monster, he feels more like an after-thought than anything else. Why? For starters, he appears in the last 10 minutes(!!) in a 90 minute film, and there is absoluely no build up to his appearance. Why do the aliens suddenly have the ability to form together to make a giant hell beast? Its as if the screenwriter suddenly remembered that he was making a monster movie, and just threw in whatever came to mind.
The battle itself is slightly enjoyable, with Viras largely dominating the brawl. Still, the fight takes place on a deserted beach (at this time, monster fights in the countryside or other deserted locales were becoming the norm for budget-conscious filmmakers, and the presence of wire work and empty suits make the clash less impressive. Also, remember cringing when Godzilla slid on his tail to kick Megalon? Well, Gamera rides Viras like a jet-ski. I'll just let you draw your own conclusions. Gamera never really comes off well either, as it seems that he's incapable of fighting intelligently without annoying children calling out moves, not unlike Pokemon (as the fight begins, Gamera just stands there with his thumb up his butt while Viras gets in several free hits). How do you respect a monster that seems virtually brain-dead and is incapable of holding his own in a fight without being egged on by deranged youngsters?
Unless you like the old Gamera films, there's really nothing I can recommend about this one. For the hardcore and adventurous only.
Something this movie taught me #1: Kids in the 1940's are just as blinded by lust and thick-headed as their modern day counterparts.
I can hardly imagine the horrors that one would have encountered in the Second World War. The constant feeling that each day may just be your last. Becoming emotionally attached, meeting new friends, only to see them violently torn away. Having to face down and combat human evil in its purest form. Then, a miracle happens: the fighting has stopped, and you're still alive. Home, where the people you hold dear are waiting for you. Then...it's all torn apart by something as simple as a letter. A letter written by a fickle heart, one that takes away everything you had been fighting for. Its enough to drive anyone mad...
Such is the situation facing a recently returned soldier in the small town of Avalon Bay. Come the High School Graduation Ball, the writer of said letter, Francis Rosemary Chatham and her lover decide to ditch the crowd and head somewhere a little more...private. Just as things are getting heated up, the lovers are savagely murdered by an unseen killer, who slips away into the night. Y'see, this is what happens when you tell someone that "you just want to be friends".
35 years later, and the town is struggling to escape from under the shadow caused by the murder. Pam MacDonald (Vicky Dawson) is seeking to revive the dance after a ban imposed by Rosemary's father ever since the killings. Her deputy boyfriend, Mark London (Christopher Goutman), is all for it. Just an aside: this guy, he is absolutely, positively one of the all time most useless protagonists ever to be seen in a horror movie. More on this later. Sheriff George Fraser (Farley Granger) is heading out of town for a fishing trip just as news comes in that a violent car-jacker might be headed towards the town. Deputy How-am-I-eats-food? is nervous, and Fraser doesn't really care. Nothing's going to ruin this vacation, dag nubbit! However, there is someone who doesn't want the dance to be held. See, Rosemary's killer was never found, and he's still living in the town. As the students (i,e. people who don't even know they're dead yet) prepare for the prom, the killer hauls out the ol' combat fatigues and assorted nasty weapons. Everybody's getting ready for the prom!
One of the better examples of the slasher sub-genre, Prowler stands above the crowd by fully knowing where its priorities lay: characters you'll hardly end up giving a damn about, and truly, and I mean truly exceptional set-pieces. For the most part, the characters are never able to escape beyond the first dimensional in terms of development. Not to say the acting is bad are bad, as the actors give mostly serviceable performances, especially considering what they're given, its just that nobody is particularly memorable. Dawson is easily one of the blandest "Final Girl"'s to come down the pike in a long time. It's hard to really feel emotionally invested in what she does, and when she's eventually stalked and threatened by the Prowler, chances are you won't be on the edge of your seat, wondering if she's going to survive while biting your nail down to the quick. That being said, her eventual coup-de-grace of the killer is supremely satisfying.
Now, something really has to be said about Deputy London. Look up either "inept" or "dumbass" in the dictionary, you'll likely find his picture. Here's an example: suppose you're the only law-enforcement in town, and you hear that there's a psychotic person(s) in the area. Do you
a) Make sure your girlfriend is with a group of others, and thus out of harm's way
b) Leave her alone if you must, but make sure she has some way of defending herself if necessary
c) Leave her alone, in the dark, while you stumble about, doing who knows what, while trying not to swallow your own tongue
If you answered "c", well, congratulations. You're going to get to play London in the all-too inevitable remake (who knows, it could happen). The other characters are similarly disposable fodder, save for one guy, who goes from being an extremely minor to suddenly inheriting the role of possible savior come the film's climax.
Something this movie taught me #2: Heads are squishy
The film's largest weakness is the occasional faltering pace. The body-count isn't terribly high, and the murders tend to be grouped together instead of more evenly paced out, which leads to long stretches where we ain't getting any of the red stuff. The stalking moments that don't have bloodshed are adequately suspenseful, and the movie isn't hurt too badly in the long run. But, on to the main event: the gore.
Whenever you see Tom Savini's name in the credits, you know you're in for a real treat. The man comes through and then some, and delivers some of my all time favorite effects from him. Bodies are impaled, stabbed, beaten, and even shot with ruthless abandon, and it is a true testament to Savini's skill that this movie still manages to be more visceral than many other, more modern genre fare. The kills gain brutality not via elaborately staged means, but rather in the way they're prolonged. No quick slash and then a cutaway. The victims choke and gasp their lasts breath, and the camera records it in unflinching detail. A throat is slashed, then deliberately sawed open by the killer. A skull is vertically impaled with a combat knife, to absolutely jaw-dropping effect. Basically, if you thought the Friday the 13th movies are too skimpy with the gore, this is the movie for you.
The Prowler himself is a nifty looking killer. The combat fatigues is definitely an interesting design, but the murderer is more memorable not for his physical appearance, but the utmost savagery with which he dispatches his victims. There is a level of sadism and cruelty here that hasn't been seen (to my knowledge, anyways) in most of its contemporaries. However, one gets the impression that the screenwriter had a chance to create a truly compelling and memorable villain: to get into the mind of a man, already mentally unbalanced, only to go into a full psychotic break following the Second World War, and to later continue fighting the war at home in the form of a full-on killing spree, is, for me at least, a truly tantalizing concept.
Sadly, the screenwriter neglects such psychological insight, and the fatigues just becomes another cool costume. But maybe I'm expecting too much: slasher films are hardly known for their intelligent storylines (for exceptions, see My Bloody Valentine 1981, Hills Run Red, StageFright, Cold Prey). In terms of the script; aside from the underdeveloped slasher fodder, the whodunnit aspect as dumb as a sack of hammers, and if you aren't able to guess the killer withing moments of seeing them, than shame on you.
Well, what can I say? If you don't like hack-and-slash films, there's really nothing I can do to convince you to watch this. If you do like them, well, kick up your feet, pop some corn, and enjoy the ride. And remember: heads are squishy.
Gojira, Mothra, and Rodan are rightfully considered some of Toho's best films. All of them, even though they wildly differ in terms of tone and subject matter, are exceptionally well made, hugely entertaining, and introduced to the world some of the most iconic giant monsters ever created. Then came Dogora, and its an absolute shame that this guy isn't mentioned in the same breath as the other three. Why is that? The title kaiju, a monstrously huge, beautifully animated entity that descends from the heavens to satisfy its desire for carbon based products (coal, diamonds, etc) ranks up as one of the most daring and innovative monsters that special effects master Eiji Tsuburaya ever dreamed up. The story itself, with equally hapless crooks and cops caught up in a "who-can-be-more-of-a-knucklehead" competition, while at the same time trying to understand and defeat Dogora, moves briskly and is entertaining. So, whats the problem? Well, its really quite simple. Despite having its name be first in the opening credits, Dogora never really feels like the star of the movie. In fact, greater emphasis is placed on the human story, while the tentacled beast shows up at intermittently to wreak havoc.
We learn at the very beginning that just outside Earth's atmosphere, an enormous, mutated cell resides. One that destroys pesky satellites when they get too close. Meanwhile, a group of diamond thieves are foiled at their latest planned heist when a tiny, blob-like creature melts through the safe and devours the contents within. Inspector Komai trails the thieves and ends up on the receiving end of a major ass-kicking by a Mr. Mark Jackson: a smooth talking, judo-flipping, charismatic American who speaks fluent Japanese. Mark Jackson, the most American sounding name the screenwriter, Shinichi Sekizawa (writer of many of the early Godzilla entries) could think of, I'm sure... Soon, a startling number of diamond thefts pop up all over the world: the police think the diamond thieves, known as the International Diamond Robbery Ring, are behind the crimes. However, the gangsters are equally dumbfounded.
Mark Jackson reveals himself to be a wily insurance investigator ("Diamond G-Man"), and admits that he's been following the individual(s) behind the latest series of world-wide thefts. Then, things get stranger. Vast amounts of coal is sucked upwards by an unseen force in the clouds. Trucks carrying diamonds are attacked at night. Komai begins to consider the possibility of the agent responsible for the attacks being something inhuman (only in Japanese monster movies will you have police calmly discussing the possibilities of monsters being prime suspects). The diamond thief is identified as a gigantic cellular organism that was mutated by pockets of radiation in Earth's atmosphere. Dubbed "Dogora", the creature requires carbon to live, and the possibility of it moving on to carbon-based lifeforms (i.e. people), the people of Earth desperately plan a counter-offensive. Soon, the monster descends upon the city of Kyushu, and the battle for survival begins...
This is not a movie that one should use to initiate people into the kaiju sub-genre. Indeed, anyone going in expecting large-scale destruction of model buildings and constant monster action will quickly become fidgety and bored. A movie that announces itself as being a combination of crime thriller and giant monster drama is most intriguing, and this movie could have been, wait, should have been one of Toho's classics.
Unfortunately, and this is the film's largest weakness, is there is never a truly successful merging of the two sub-genres. The monster set-pieces are extremely well-handled and nice to look at. The cops-and-robbers storyline, though entertaining in its own right, takes up far too much of the film's running time. Furthermore, as the end of the movie approaches, Dogora's story and the crime story are tied together with the thinnest of plot points (without giving too much away, the gangster plot is resolved by a simple "wrong place, wrong time" bit of happenstance), and it becomes increasingly clear that this movie simply doesn't need to have such wildly differing story lines. The filmmakers could have easily made a feature-length movie that was centered solely on Dogora, and fleshed out the creature's characteristics and personality a bit more.
Because the title monster has lack of screen time, it isn't as well-defined as it should have been. As I see it, there is only the one monster, even though posters and publicity are depict multiple giant creatures terrorizing the populace. If that's the case, whats the deal with the baseball sized blobs that carry out some of the thefts? Are they separate creatures, or are they part of the main monster, and simply detach to carry out various tasks. The very ending of the film throws in further confusion as to the nature of the beast with a single, throw away line, and one gets the impression that Sekizawa was more interested in the various human shenanigans than creating a well-fleshed out monster. However, the means with which they dispatch Dogora is certainly original, and depending on your point of view, is either extremely half-assed or very well thought out.
I don't mean to give off the impression that I don't like this film: in fact, I quite enjoy it. The leads are engaging, and Robert Dunham (last seen as the epically hairy chested Seatopian leader in Godzilla vs. Megalon) is clearly having fun with the character of Mark Jackson, and constantly forces the viewer to question the true extent of his motives, as he spends a good deal seemingly flip-flopping between the sides of law enforcement and criminals. Also, the struggle between the diamond thieves and the police is interesting in and of itself, and does generate a few laughs. Apparently, the movie is actually considered a spoof of yakuza movies, and has even been labeled a satire. Huh? Maybe I'm missing something by not being Japanese; there are some amusing moments, but its more of a broad humor and nothing I would really peg as sharp satire.
On to what you're most interested in: the monster action. The scenes of the creature levitating and absorbing heaps of coal are fairly well done, even though the scenes of people and objects like buildings and trucks being levitated and thrown are very obviously done via wires, they accomplish what they set out to do: entertain. More impressive are the wonderful use of colors during the attack scenes, with the clouds taking on all sorts of unearthly hues. There is an awkward transition where Dogora, and part of the city, becomes a very obvious piece of straight animation, but this is forgivable as its immediately followed by the spectacular destruction of a major landmark. The set-piece attack on Kyushu, as Dogora is seen in its entirety for the first time, and the entire sky turns different shades of green and red, is easily one of the most beautiful moments I've ever seen in a kaiju film. If Dario Argento were ever to do a monster movie, this is what it would have looked like. As fun to watch as these sequences are, they are made frustrating simply because they don't happen too often, and one immediately wants more as soon as they end.
Dogora itself is fairly simplistic in design, resembling a gigantic jellyfish. However, this simplicity doesn't hurt it in the least. It is simple and sleek, yet at the same time completely unknowable. Even though Toho introduced more elaborate alien creatures, such as King Ghidorah, Dogora more successfully comes across as something truly alien. It is intimidating through sheer size alone, as it easily dwarfs every other Toho creation. Even though I earlier said that it suffers from lack of definition, this vagueness, in a sense, also helps it. We never truly know if it is just a mindless behemoth, wanting to feed and nothing else, or if there is perhaps a cruel intelligence: it systematically dismantles a suspension bridge, almost in mockery of the feeble artillery assault against it.
This is not a movie for the kaiju initiate, as the eclectic blending of gangsters and monsters is definitely not for everyone. Also, not for those who watch these movies solely for the monsters, and fast-forward through the talkie bits. But, for those seeking something a little different, definitely check this out. Even if you don't care for the human portion, the monster segments are undeniably gripping. Just give it a chance; who knows, you may end up loving it.
Imagine a time before now. A time where university registration was done not through handy online services, but in crowded gymnasium hallways, with elderly, obese and surly women taking down your student information. Welcome to 1980.
Scotty (Rebecca Balding) has just missed the bus on getting on-campus housing, and after several wasted efforts at renting a room near the university, she finally finds salvation in the form of the Engels house; the oldest, creepiest looking, Victorian-gothic looking mansion you could ever imagine. But...it has a beach in the backyard. Yay! Beach! Things continue to look up when she hooks up with the other boarders: Peter (John Widelock), Doris (Juli Andelman), and Jack (Steve Doubet), and a dinner date opens up the chance of a romance with Jack.
Unfortunately, such things were not meant to last, and one of the quartet is viciously stabbed to death the same night. Hindered by a lack of evidence and motive, the police investigation makes little progress, leaving the killer ample oppurtunity to strike again; and before the night is through, the deepest, darkest secrets of the Engels family will be cast into the light...
As I've stated with other reviews, this ain't exactly unfamiliar territory. However, one of the things that elevates this above other similar slash-and-stalk entries is the strangth of the preformances. Everybody here comes off as normal, sympathetic human beings, something that is particularly refreshing in the age of characters having to look like the 'after' pictures of people who have lost weight and buffed themselves out to an unbelievable degree. For example, one of the characters, Doris, is (GASP!) rather plain looking, but gives a very naturalistic, likeable preformance. Same can be said for all the major roles; you aren't going to be checking your watch, counting down the minutes until these people fall under the killer's knife. You will actually care about whether these people survive the night, and to fine one's self so emotionally invested in the characters of such a film is truly high praise. Furthermore, the secondary leads turn in fine preformances: from Cameron Mitchell playing a detective who looks like he's itching to knock skulls together in almost all of his scenes, to the stern Engels matriarch and her socially inept son. Finally, even though other critics have freely given away the identity of the killer, I'm going to spare you such a spoiler (don't say I never do anything nice for you guys), but I will say this. He/she gives an absolutely hair raising portrayal of a severely emotionally damaged psychopath, and the preformance will stick with you long after the credits have rolled.
If you're going in expecting bloody, lurid murders, then you're going to be sorely dissapointed. If anything, the film is more about the build-up to the murder, with the actual violence being largely implied. Considerable suspense is to be found in these moments just before the deaths, and lends the movie a certain sense of...well, classiness, I suppose, that exists in other films such as Halloween, Psycho, and Black Christmas. Not to say that Silent Scream reaches the same level of importance as those three (though personally, I enjoyed this more than Psycho and Halloween), but overall, it does stand out as a more polished, finely-crafted work than its contemporaries (it is well worth noting that the score does contain several riffs that were more than likely inspired by Pysycho , as well as a murder that is a deliberate homage to the shower scene of the same film).
Director Denny Harris displays a sure, confident hand in making the mansion as threatening and claustrophobic as possible; indeed, this movie simply oozes atmosphere. The suspense scenes are handled remarkably well, with the climax in particular full of white-knuckled tension.
The only real flaws come during the climatic downpour of hideous family secrets near the end; not that the subject matter becomes any less believable, but a couple of the preformances begin ranging from admirably understated and believable to a tad too melodramatic for my liking. Then again, giving the gothis, "it was a dark and stormy night" mood throughout the proceedings, it doesn't stand out all that much.
So, there you have it. If you have even a passing interest in the slasher sub-genre, be sure to check out this formerly-lost 80's gem
The year is 2025. Mankind has begun to turn its gaze towards the stars due to Earth's gradually depleting resources. The answer? Terra-forming. Mars is chosen for future colonization, likely because its the closest planet that wouldn't immediately kill any prospective colonists extreme shifts of temperature or greenhouse gas retaining atmospheres. Or maybe people just like Mars...
On a mineral gathering expedition, the spaceship "Izanami" unearths a strange, cocoon like object under the red sands. Being ignorant Earthlings who clearly have never, ever seen at least ONE science-fiction/horror film in their life, they bring the object back to Tokyo for further study. Slap your forehead and groan in exasperation whenever you feel like.
Meanwhile, a government representative, Seiji Yoshizawa is having a meeting in the smoke filled den of Professor Ryuichi Narasaki.
Yoshizawa is imploring Narasaki to allow the army to use his experimental machine, the Miroku, to be used as a weapon of war; the good doctor abandoned the project after Miroku malfunctioned 10 years ago and killed his young daughter, leaving him with a bionic eye as a keepsake. Narasaki all but kicks the young man out, and returns to be alone with his cigarettes and bitter memories.
At the same time, in the space-faring Ship of Fools, the mysterious object causes the vessel to overheat and explode, sending the object hurtling towards Tokyo. It quickly reveals itself to be a gigantic, many-limbed space monster called Negadon (note, the creature is never named by any of the human characters. Besides, why would they?) and immediately goes on a rampage, as all good kaiju do. Making short work of the military, Narasaki realizes that only he can stop the carnage. He activates Miroku, and the battle is on...
Before approaching this movie, there is one thing that you should know: it isn't a feature film. It is a short, and runs approximately 25 minutes. Given the film's brevity, there isn't much time for extended character development or plot-lines. The monster is established, the scientist is given back story, the robot and the monster battle, and its over. That being said, director Jun Awazu works wonders with the short running time, exquisitely crafting a love-letter to the kaiju films of the 1960's, with homages that never come off as heavy-handed, as well as a great protagonist and title monster. Oh, and its entirely computer-generated.
First off, the film looks absolutely beautiful. Though taking place in the not too distant future, Tokyo looks as if never left the 1960's, with the general look of the city as well as the military weaponry called out to combat Negadon. True to classic Toho space operas such as Battle in Space, outer-space is presented as being a dark, rich blue as opposed to the more realistic black. Interestingly, some of the vehicles, such as the Izanami, are shot as if they actually were miniatures (at least, that's how it looked to me), and only adds to the charm Negadon has to offer. Finally, the character models, especially Dr. Narasaki, look, in a word, fantastic. Come the battle with Negadon, and sweat creeps down his brow as the cockpit is shaken by Negadon's energy attacks, it is all too easy to forget that its a computer image, and not a real person. The film also sports a faint layer of grain and scratches on the frame, adding to the illusion that it is a film that comes from the time period that it homages.
If the film were to have more than one central character, the film would be an absolute mess. Luckily, Awazu avoids a problem that has tanked 2 hour films, and its all too easy imagine what the result could have been for a 25 minute short feature. If Dr. Serizawa from Gojira had avoided committing suicide after activating the Oxygen Destroyer, only to enter old age and lapse into a crippling depression, it would likely have looked something like Narasaki. Both are men who created a weapon capable of changing the course of human history, and both are tormented by the potential effects such a weapon could have if deployed. Narasaki has the added baggage of having had his creation accidentally kill his daughter, the person dearest to him. His having to rely on the same robot for the final showdown more interesting than the standard kaiju-wrasslin' fest we're used to. The relation to Serizawa is the most direct tie-in to kaiju movies of old, and though it definitely doesn't reach the nightmarish darkness seen in Gojira, its still a downbeat film in its own right. This isn't a film that celebrates the human spirit in the face of adversity; it is morose until the very end, even though Narasaki's ultimate fate brings a genuinely touching denouement to the proceedings.
On to what you're really interested about, the monsters; and rest assured, both Negadon and Miroku are very welcome additions to the kaiju family. With Negadon, Awazu perfectly captures the essence of something that is co completely alien, and unknowable, without becoming too outlandish and excessive (looks long and hard at Gigan). Best described as the bastard child of King Ghidorah and Dogora (the monster that robbed banks and made people cry in the 1964 film of the same name), with the lightning-spewing abilities of the former and a vaguely similar body shape of the latter, Negadon stands as one of the most original kaiju to come down the pike in a long, long time. While Miroku retains a more standard, quasi-humanoid shape, its sleek, silvery look and simple, yet effective weaponry (loving that giant drill) is often awe-inspiring. The battle between the two giants is fairly short, but genuinely exciting, and puts most of the similarly short clashes in Godzilla: Final Wars to shame.
This is a movie that would probably hold little to no interest in initiates or dismissers of the kaiju sub-genre, but to those who grew up watching Godzilla and friends rampage across the silver screen, there is absolutely no reason not to experience this minor classic.
Slasher films are a dime-a-dozen. They really are. In the end, most of them can be summed up in just a few words: "scary guy in mask chases hot girl in *insert location here*." This is a sub-genre that is not appreciated for aspects such as acting, screenwriting, directing, etc... We come to these films for a few things: beautiful people, (often without a thought in their pretty little heads), said beautiful people being slashed, bludgeoned, burned, completely destroyed, and a cool killer. As entertaining as this formula can be *please refer to the Friday the 13th series*, there is no doubt that these films are getting stale.
Now, a little while back, I reviewed Cold Prey, a terrific little film that sought to place character development and genuine suspense over flashy, gorelicious kills. And whaddya know, it worked. New life was injected into a genre long thought stuck in the mud. Which now brings us to The Hills Run Red.
Tyler (Tad Hilgenbrinck) loves horror movies. Really, REALLY loves horror movies. He'll pass up a night of lovin' with his girlfriend Serina (Janet Montgomery) to pursue genre-related activities. He irritates his friend Lalo (Alex Wyndham) with his love of the genre. Even his room is plastered with many fantastic (and unfortunately fake) posters that simply ooze with awesome 80's cheesiness. The latest object of his desire is an obscure 80's slasher-opus titled The Hills Run Red, a film that was only screened once and immediately banned, mainly due to the film's alleged instances of extreme violence and sadism. Adding to the mystery, the stars were never found, and the director apparently went into a self-imposed exile, and has not been heard from since. Now, if you've seen at least one horror movie, alarm bells should be ringing. Resigned with the knowledge that he will likely never see Hills, he attempts to satisfy himself by watching the film's crudely made trailer over, and over, and over again.
Fortunately, hope comes in the form of scantily clad women when Tyler tracks down the director's daughter, Alexa (Sophie Monk) to a strip club. Y'see, Alexa was a star in Hills, and Tyler hopes to gain some juicy behind-the-scenes info from her. What he finds, however, is a scarred young woman who likes playing with an ornate dagger AND injecting herself with heroin. Clearly, this is someone who has done well for themselves after show business. But Tyler ain't gonna have any of this, dag nubbit. He's a FAN. Acting as all dedicated fans would, he forces her to detox (a nicely edited sequence), and with her, Serina and Lalo in tow, sets out to make his own documentary on the lost slasher flick. This means going to the shooting locations. In the woods. I'll repeat it: deep in the woods. For someone as deeply in love with the genre as Tyler, one would think he would have at least some worries about going into a green No-Man's Land, but hey, he is a character in a slasher movie. Little do they know, the object of their desire never stopped shooting, and the hulking, masked killer known as "Babyface" is stalking them" and he"s all too eager to meet his new "cast members".
As you've likely gathered from the plot synopsis, this ain't out to break any new ground. And that's just it: it ain't trying to be "THE NEXT BIG THING IN HORROR". Instead, it acts as a sort of love letter to the horror genre in general. The film's humor doesn't quite reach the same level of self-reference as Scream, but there are still many winks and nudges; be it Lalo's theory on civilization and "ass-loving rednecks", to his decision to bring a handgun along, cause you just know they'll be needing one. The knowing in-jokes could very easily have become over-bearing, and truth be told, when a villain near the end talks about screen transitions, it does become a little hard not to slap your forehead and groan. Luckily, for the most part, it works well, because after all, the movie is actually about trying to find another movie, and we have a hero who is a self-professed film buff.
So many times in a slasher film, you couldn't give a rats ass about the main characters AKA meat sacks. You don't care about them as human beings, you just look at your watch, counting down towards the moment when the killer jumps out and wipes them off the face of the Earth. If these self-centered, obnoxious asses don't die, you WILL feel cheated. Its a fact. Which is all the more refreshing that we don't exactly want these people to die. Not that they're particularly deep characters, with Alexa as the tortured director's daughter by far coming off as the most interesting; but they're still likable enough that you secretly hope that they make it out alive. But then that would mean being robbed of a good kill, and that would get you antsy, you contradictory so-and-so's.
Traditionally, a slasher film lives and dies based on the strength of its kills and antagonist. So how do they rank up? The bloodshed seems surprisingly restrained, given the film's core concept. That being said, there is an intensely gory and disturbing pre-credits sequence detailing the back story of Babyface, and many of the film-within-a-film kills, though brief, will easily satisfy one's bloodlust, as well as a variety of stabbings, bludgeonings, mutilation, and an impaling. Don't worry folks; things do get wet. It would have been preferable if the murders were done with more old-school techniques, as there is some iffy CGI for at least one of the deaths, but the work is solid overall. And of the film's killer? Simply put, Babyface is easily one of the most genuinely horrifying and imposing screen presences ever to have come to the genre. Everything, from the shattered doll mask, to the baby rattle (yes, you read that correctly) make him one of the most iconic killers I've ever seen. Besides, when was the last time you were actually scared by a slasher? Surprisingly, one of his greatest moments isn't even centered around a kill, but is handled so well that it will easily send a chill down your spine.
Arguably the film's biggest weakness is the introduction of the third act twist. Even though it takes the film into much darker and warped territory, as well as offering genuinely amusing commentary on the current "torture porn" sub-genre, those who expected straight-up slasher fare will likely be disappointed. It is also here that the more painful instances of the self-referential dialogue show up. However, unlike many slasher films that feature the Final Girl and a triumphant ending, Hills slides fully into doom and despair in the final act, and ends on a genuinely unsettling coda.
This isn't a film that is going to convert newcomers into the horror genre. Rather, it is made strictly for people who have a genuine passion for such films, and also serves to remind that the genre, despite the jaw-dropping amount of crappy remakes and crappier original films, is still alive and kicking.
Look, its a bird! Its a plane! Its...Godzilla?
