Horror
Jason X (2001)
Jason XUSA 2001
Director: James Isaac
There seems to be an unwritten rule in horror cinema: when all else fails, set it in space. Dracula, Hellraiser, Leprechaun: just a few examples of horror franchises that ended up with a sci-fi setting. While this decision works occasionally (though I can’t seem to recall any at the moment), the gambit usually fails horribly. Jason X is no exception.
This movie is essentially a bad Alien clone with Jason thrown in. The dialogue tries to be funny but comes off as self-parody. The acting is laughable, even for a Friday the 13th movie. In fact, the whole thing comes off as a bad idea. I remember MadTV doing a skit about ten years ago spoofing Friday the 13th and Apollo 13 called Apollo the 13th: Jason Takes NASA (and that 5 minute skit was more entertaining than all of Jason X).
There are a few bright spots, however. David Cronenberg makes a surprise appearance at the beginning, playing a scientist looking to turn Jason into a living weapon. As well, Jason’s look in this film is quite interesting (his standard look, not the Uber-Jason debacle). This is Kane Hodder’s final appearance as Jason and goes out in style, with an intimidating presence and streamlined design.
Thankfully, Jason X seems to have been ignored by Freddy Vs. Jason (a far superior and more entertaining film). In time, this movie will eventually be forgotten, a dismissed footnote in genre cinema, much like Halloween III: Season of the Witch or Highlander 2: The Quickening.
Jason X had potential: if approached more seriously, with a darker tone and more original script, Jason in space could’ve been clever and interesting. As it stands, however, this movie is clichéd and annoying, a disappointment for Friday the 13th fans.
Colin Le SueurJu-on: The Grudge 2 (2003)
Ju-on: The Grudge 2Japan 2003
Director: Shimizu Takashi
Language: Japanese
Shimizu Takashi has built a career on not letting things go. The first Ju-on film (Ju-on: The Curse) was released in 2000 and Shimizu has, at last count, made four Japanese Grudge films and two American. The Grudge 2, starring Sarah Michelle Gellar, opens this weekend in North America. Kayako has become this cycle’s Freddy Krueger, a remorseless killing machine who manages to survive film after film, killing dozens of people. Thankfully, unlike the Nightmare on Elm Street series, Ju-on has not yet degraded into self-parody and can still manage some decent scares.
As in the other films in the series, Ju-on: The Grudge 2 seems to only be connected to the earlier films through Kayako and the cursed house. Conceivably, this series could continue without end, new victims and frightening situations bleeding into each other over and over. While I enjoy these films, I do get the feeling that eventually the dead horse won’t take another beating.
That said, in this film Shimizu does add another twist to the Ju-on mythos that creates new possibilities… Ju-on: The Grudge 3 is also forthcoming (said to be the ‘fifth and final instalment’), and it’ll be interesting to see what develops from this twist. As well, there are some clever meta-filmic references (one of the characters is an actress known as ‘the Horror Queen’), an inclusion that helps add depth to the narrative.
The scares in Ju-on: The Grudge 3 are, for the most part, quite good, though the editing isn’t quite as sharp as in Shimizu’s American re-make, The Grudge. A little tightening on the fright reveals would help increase the tension. Some of the special effects are a bit rubbish as well, though generally good overall.
While Ju-on: The Grudge 2 is nothing original, there are some genuinely creepy moments and it serves as a good entry in the seemingly endless Ju-on series.
Colin Le SueurJunk (2000)
Junk (aka Junk: Shiryô-gari)Japan 2000
Director: Muroga Atsushi
Language: Japanese
With a name like Junk, you know the director’s just asking for trouble. That said, this film delivers exactly what the title promises (in a good way). Those looking for a progressive zombie film, something socially critical like Dawn of the Dead or something cutting-edge and original like 28 Days Later, will be very disappointed. However, for those looking for an old-fashioned, flesh-eating zombie v. yakuza extravaganza (I know you guys are out there), Junk fits the bill.
Several times while watching this film, I got a sense of deja vu. Had I seen it before? Nope, but Junk borrows from so many different films that I couldn’t help but feel I’d seen it before, because I had, several times over. From the T2-inspired opening titles (with music), to the Reservoir Dogs-style bank robbery, to the Versus theme of yakuza fighting zombies, Junk is anything but original. That said, it was still an enjoyable film.
The acting, especially among the English-speaking actors, is bad. I think they just rounded up the only gaijin in Japan available in their price range (likely volunteers) and slapped an Army uniform on them. The special effects are bad, but in a bloody, low-budget way. Junk has a lot of gore (with some decent looking zombie effects, as well), but never takes itself too seriously as a horror film.
Finally, the story is pretty laughable and cobbled together from so many different films that you’re never sure exactly what the tone is supposed to be. Is this a straight horror film or a tongue-in-cheek homage? Likely a little of both.
Though some might say that Junk is aptly named, this film is actually a good laugh and a nice addition to the Japanese zombie genre.
Colin Le SueurLand of the Dead (2005)
Land of the DeadCanada/France/USA 2005
Director: George A. Romero
This film is one of my most eagerly awaited of the past five years. Ever since the rumours started that Romero was planning a fourth film in his Living Dead series, the project took on an almost mythical aura. Would it ever be completed? Did Romero still have the director chops to pull it off? With the film finally here, the result is a mixed bag: while still an interesting and entertaining film, Land of the Dead is not nearly as groundbreaking or thought-provoking as the films it follows.
To begin with, the film doesn’t feel like the end of a saga; it feels more like a continuation of a series. This is fine if Romero plans another few films in the series to wrap it up in epic style. If this is the last Dead film, however, there’s nothing here that serves as a fitting end to the legacy. The scope of the film doesn’t seem as vast as even Day of the Dead, for instance. The city doesn’t come across as the last refuge of humanity and the world doesn’t seem overrun by the dead.
The zombies themselves are problematic as well. Though KNB EFX Group did a good job on the zombies, the ones seen fifteen years ago in the remake of Night of the Living Dead were more impressive. All the zombies look alike; they all resemble Bub from Day of the Dead. The main zombie protagonist, Big Daddy, rather than seeming clever and menacing, comes off as annoying and silly.
The human performances are mostly good, with Leguizamo a standout. Hopper seems like he’s in another film, a horror comedy. Asia Argento seems to add little else to the film other than sex appeal.
While not a horrible film (it’s actually quite a good zombie film), Land of the Dead doesn’t live up to its predecessors and ends up slightly disappointing. Perhaps if Romero makes a fifth film in the Dead series we’ll get the ultimate end to the zombie epic that this film should have been.
Colin Le Sueur