The town that dreaded sundown. (2014)
I'm not the greatest fan of remakes but I have to admit that I was quite intrigued by the idea of this one. The original, directed by Charles B Pierce tends to split opinions. Personally I love it but even I admit the film is usually mis-sold to the public as some kind of slasher when in reality its more a true crime pot-boiler that takes occasional liberties with the subject matter. People coming to it are often quite disappointed given they sit down expecting a more formulaic and bloody stalk n' slash.
What pleased me most with this 're-make' is rather than simply re-tread the original film, here the original exists and is a Texarkana halloween regular at the drive-in where kids get thrills from the on-screen mayhem while other residents protest, feeling its making light of the towns sad history.
This Halloween however the killer has returned and is hell bent on re-creating the killers mayhem. The big question being is it a copy cat, the ghost of the original killer or something else.
This remake certainly deserves recognition for originality, and the film even manages to raise some interesting questions about the films place in local folk-lore, the re-packaging of tragedy as entertainment and the impact of the towns legacy on its young.
The film is stylishly shot, including a lengthy tracking shot at the drive in that's pretty impressive. Perhaps too stylish in places the camera trickery and editing feel a little too 'showy' as if the film is a product of someone fresh out of film school after writing endless dissertations on Orson wells. In other places the film falls a little flat and the quality of the digital image is a little too perfect.
Overall the film is perhaps a little too flawed, it veers more into slasher territory than its predecessor, but is too flat and uneven to work as it should. I would recommend giving it a shot as it certainly ranks as an impressive and interesting failure and certainly not as unwatchable as the fog or nightmare on elm street remakes.
No contest.
Followed up the interesting and somewhat mixed town with a film that pretty much delivers perfectly on what it promises and a good thing too
Channel 5 and late night sky tv queen Shannon tweed, cause of many a taxi drivers blush at the video store, plays an ex-martial arts movie star hosting a beauty pageant.
Before anyone can shout 'tits oot.' A bunch of crooks have taken the building hostage and its up to Shannon, ably assisted by Andrew 'dice' clay and Robert davi. The crooks are mainly a bunch of misogynistic pigs, worst of all being the thug played by wrestling star Roddy piper and pretty soon Tweed finds herself playing John Mclane against the bad guys.
No contest is shallow sexist guff peppered with mindless violence and hot women. In other words its excellent! My only gripe is the lack of nudity, a real mystery when Shannon tweed is involved, but the film cracks by at a quick pace and its marvellously entertaining in its violent stupidity.
Anyway... shall be starting halloween night with two classics...
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Then its either phantasm or some bava... decisions decisions....