[REC3]: Genesis (SXSW 2012)

Directed by: Paco Plaza

Written by:Paco Plaza & Luiso Berdejo

Starring: Leticia Dolera, Diego Martin

It might very well improve your viewing experience to pretend that this film is not entitled [REC³].

As it is, [REC³]: Genesis follows the zombie outbreak to a wedding reception as partygoers-turned-flesh eaters rapidly turn the proceedings into a bloodbath. Amidst the carnage, newlyweds Clara (Leticia Dolera) and Koldo (Diego Martin) are separated and must hack their way through undead friends and loved ones to reunite.

Yeah, not exactly what one expects as a description for the third installment in the [REC] series (and that's without mentioning the format switch). A little underwhelming, perhaps? Not very rousing, I agree. So, let's try redacting the title and running the description back one time.

[REC³]: Genesis follows the zombie outbreak to a wedding reception as partygoers-turned-flesh eaters rapidly turn the proceedings into a bloodbath. Amidst the carnage, newlyweds Clara (Leticia Dolera) and Koldo (Diego Martin) are separated and must hack their way through undead friends and loved ones to reunite.

Sounds better, doesn't it? At least, a little bit? Point is, redact the title, ignore it, maybe swap it for something else -- Dead Wedding, Till Undeath Do Us Part, Zombie Honeymoon (oh, wait...) whatever -- it just plays better casting that title aside. For better or worse, [REC³] is brand identification, and this film is not indicative of that established label. That said, I'm unsure if it's fair of me to hold it against the finished product for not delivering on what I think the film should be. Perhaps, I've saddled the picture with unfair expectations. Although, I doubt I'll be alone in that department.

While I'm staunchly not in favor of the found footage genre, I greatly appreciated and enjoyed the first two [REC] movies. In fact, I prefer [REC²] despite the re-treading nature as the film offered a fresh perspective and a killer conclusion that promised something grander ahead for the next film. Unfortunately, [REC³] fails to live up to that promise. It does not go bigger. It does not expand on the mythology. It doesn't really answer some of the more pertinent questions. And what's most frustrating, based on the production value displayed, it certainly appears that the filmmakers had the budget to do all those things with this feature.

Now, if you can sever ties to the [REC] franchise, there's ample to enjoy. The director, Paco Plaza, severs those ties early on and aggressively by visual means. The film's first stanza is presented as a found footage wedding video, setting up the characters and dropping the cues of the forthcoming infection. Frankly, it's the least interesting section of the film, and I welcomed the abrupt shift to a standardly shot film as the handheld shaky cam disappeared. The switch happens suddenly as Koldo rips the camera away from the videographer, smashes it against the floor and toebashes the lens until we cut to the red recording dot on a black screen. This red dot slowly fades then dies, and the found footage look dies along with it. When the film fades back in, we pickup right after the camera-bashing except now all is lensed in a cinematic scope. This rough transition symbolizes the change in direction, signifying that this will be a very different [REC] movie visually, narratively and tonally.

One of those stark differences is the tone. Gone is the straight-ahead bleak scarefest typical of the previous installments. In it's place is more of a horror-comedy hybrid that emphasizes sensationalized gore. Before you'd see a character yanked off screen screaming in agony only to return as a blood-drenched deadhead whereas now you'll see that character mobbed and bloodily chewed asunder. Or previously you'd see someone cower, hide and scramble for cover as opposed to the latest approach that sees our groom goofily dawn knightly armor to protect himself as he searches the reception hall. Putting expectations to the side, it all works quite well and makes for a lot of fun.

Technically speaking, Plaza deserves credit for excelling at making a traditional horror film. Whether it was his intention or not, Plaza certainly proves that his talent isn't relegated to the found footage stylings. [REC³] is beautifully shot, rich and vibrant. After the format switch, I anticipated that Plaza might struggle blocking action scenes, reflexively falling back to a handheld camera operator documenting the events with way better image quality. Fortunately, Plaza's action direction is strong in places, if not spectacular, and always solid. If anything the direction lingers a bit long, at times, on the attacks and gore in sort of the opposite end of the spectrum from the "peek-a-boo" found footage approach. In regard to the horror effects, Plaza doesn't shy from putting the gore on display, and does so with largely practical applications rather than CGI over-reliance. And while I've been critical in the way expectations were defied, I still must credit Plaza for attempting to divert the [REC] formula in so many phases and bravely jettisoning the safety of found footage.

If you're familiar with this franchise, you know that Plaza co-directed the prior films with James Balaguero yet helmed this one alone. Apparently, the pair opted to split up in order to finish off the franchise so each could craft their own final entry to complete the trilogy. Thus, it seems as though we'll have the unique situation where we have four films comprising a single trilogy by swapping out one or the other on the backend. Even with this line of thinking, Balaguero's film will carry sequential numbering, tentatively titled [REC⁴]: Apocalypse.

Make or Break scene - The high point of [REC³] occurs in a tunnel/corridor where Clara has the opportunity to escape clear and free, but instead she makes a stand; she opts to turn around and fight through a zombie horde, vowing not to leave without her husband. This scene succeeds on multiple levels. For one, you believe Leticia Dolera's conviction and unrelenting love, never doubting for a second that she would march through infected monsters. And second, she doesn't march through them empty-handed, but rather with chainsaw-in-hand and sexily tearing her gown to skirt length for better zombie-killing technique. Also, as corny as it may sound, Clara bellows that this is her day -- the bride's day -- and no one's going to ruin it as she cuts her undead assailants to bits, working to wonderful comedic effect. And if anyone tries to steal her special day, as the cool action unfolds, she'll feed them a roaring chainsaw blade. Literally.

MVT - For many of the reasons listed above, Leticia Dolera as Clara is the most valuable thing about the film. I love the ferocity with which she conveys her determination in finding Koldo. At the same time, she's able to portray a very heartfelt emotional performance, especially in creating that necessary chemistry with Koldo. Her performance is so well developed that it enhances Diego Martin's work as Koldo, making you understand why he, likewise, refuses to vacate the premises without his wife.

Score - 7/10

The Cabin in the Woods (SXSW 2012)

Directed by: Drew Goddard

Written by: Drew Goodard & Joss Whedon

Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Richard Jenkins & Bradley Whitford

The Cabin in the Woods is like every other horror you've seen. It could, in fact, be every horror movie you've seen.

If that sentiment doesn't make sense to those who have yet to see the film, I advise not trying to make much sense of it until after a viewing (and stay away from the new spoilery trailers while you're at it). Admittedly, it's hard to write anything of substance without spoiling a few items. The surface plot description sounds like a million horror movies. A group of reckless, fun-loving college kids go on a little cabin getaway deep in the woods. You know these kids, there's the hot party girl, Jules (Anna Hutchinson), her muscled beau, Curt (Chris Hemsworth), their good-girl best friend, Dana (Kristen Connolly) and the good guy, Holden (Jesse Williams), they set her up with for a weekend tryst. Oh, and certainly, there's a stoner tagalong, Marty (Fran Kranz), who wields one of the greatest bongs in cinema history. Of course, cue the scary trailer voice over guy to inform us that this is no ordinary cabin in the woods. A night of drinking, drugs, sex and hijinx leads to the dark and haunted truths about their kickback spot. It seems like so many other horror films, both in description and title, I know. The cabin these kids stay in is even identical to the one from The Evil Dead movies. And yes, that's all by design. And while it's easy to succumb to the familiarity, what unfurls is something much different from standard horror fare.

Without giving away too much, let's say that The Cabin in the Woods has much bigger things in store, both narratively and entertainingly, than the shallow high concept indicates. The big twist is overly apparent from the opening, if not outright then with enough heavy leanings that you'll put the pieces together rather quickly. Even if the biggest twist is blown for you, I still highly recommend checking this out in a theater with a live crowd because it's an immensely good time. For those horror fans who prefer their terror pics straight-laced, fair warning, a large part of the entertainment value derives from the comedy. I wouldn't say The Cabin in the Woods is trying be a comedy foremost. The humor predominantly stems from the lovingly satirical elbowing of this genre, which plays with conventions and sensationalizes established beats to fine comedic effect.

To some degree, the sense of humor is akin to Scream (and I realize that's something of a dirty word, though I've professed my love of the film on this very blog before) without the albatross of the main characters omnipotent horror movie knowledge, and thereby preserving the perilousness of their circumstances. There are two halves to the film, and in this other half, those characters are assuredly aware of the "horror movie" unfolding. However, where this approach differs, and thus maximizes the entertainment factor, is that we as viewers are right alongside these characters, both laughing at the obviousness of what's to transpire and enjoying all the supernatural and survivalist elements that comprise the best parts of the genre.

And while this angle is played for laughs, director/writer Drew Goddard and producer/co-writer Joss Whedon bring the carnage and some genuine scares. In the early-going, the terror comes by way of the undead redneck zombie family that our party kids unknowingly summon from the grave. Initially, these slashers seem a bit generic, but they're utilized quite well to a jarring effect through various stalk scenes and chain-wiedling action, especially when they first strike. As the film unfolds, these killers are honestly just the tip of the iceberg as we're introduced to a cadre of villains, slashers, monsters and madmen that widens the scope of the picture. Whedon described The Cabin in the Woods as one of his first film projects where he just completely threw himself into the story without any concerns toward budget, salability or studio backing, and it honestly shows. This really is an unbridled horror fanatic throwing everything up there including the kitchen sink.

The real highlight of the cast is easily the pairing of Richard Jenkins and Bradley Whitford as Sitterson and Hadley respectively. Playing something of an irreverent office cubicle duo, they throw themselves headlong into their roles, charisma set on overload and pushing the hilarity throughout. Like us, they seem a bit weary of their job (and doing the same old thing, or watching the same old horror movie things) and strive to find ways to entertain themselves whether that's through orchestrating office pools, pulling workroom pranks, injecting some levity into unfunny predicaments or overacting to blow off a little steam. Personally, I love watching Richard Jenkins contract a serious case of red ass. It's a great time whenever Sitterson blows his stack over something not going his way with a surly attitude and salty language; there's a machine gun barrage of F-bombs fired off that especially had me cracking up. It's not a shocker that an esteemed actor like Jenkins would steal the show, but it is a little more of a surprise to see Bradley Whitford shine this brightly. Obviously, Whitford is known for his television resume, of which I've seen little, but I've never seen him in this type of role or in this style of film -- and he excels at it, exuding plenty of charm and comedic chops. Whitford instills Hadley with more of a sardonic "who cares" humor that strongly compliments Jenkins' firecracker performance. As for others in the cast, it may interest you to check out the Son of Asgard himself pre-Thor Chris Hemsworth playing brawny jock-type, Curt.

Make or Break - You might want to skip this paragraph as I'll need to reference a pivotal scene. The make scene of the film occurs when Marty and Dana stumble upon the massive holding cell of creatures far beneath the campsite. The whirling prison cell and monsters contained within them is a great surprise, and this scene ratchets up the anticipation to see more of this subterranean facility. It's the type of scene the demands repeat viewings to catch everything, and one that will most likely reward you upon revisitation.

MVT - Drew Goddard and Joss Whedon, the screenwriters. Not that Goddard's direction isn't integral, but the story and concept star here. There's a lot packed into the narrative in terms of story design, genres and characters, and they all congeal so admirably that the writing needs acknowledgement.

Score - 8.5/10

And after you've seen this, it occurred to me that the short film Cost of Living would make a fine little double feature as the first salvo of a one-two late night punch.

The Raid (SXSW 2012)

Directed by: Gareth Evans

Starring: Iko Uwais, Ray Sahetapy, Joe Taslim

Written by: Gareth Evans

The film with the trailer that shook the Internets. Like most, that trailer along with general word-of-mouth buzz created unbelievably high expectations for The Raid. Few films ever live up to that kind of hype. Even if The Raid was simply just good, it'd still be a massive disappointment. I'm here to tell you, The Raid lives up to the hype. Hell, it may even exceed it.

At its highest conceptual level, The Raid follows a SWAT team that storms an apartment building to apprehend notorious, maniacal crime lord Tama (Ray Sahetapy). The only problem is that Tama resides atop the building in his stronghold headquarters with every level between him and the ground floor packed with the most dangerous, kill-crazy criminals seen in recent cinema. Once the cops are made, the film erupts in nearly never-ending streams of hard-edged baddies wielding guns, knives, machetes and touting jaw-dropping martial arts prowess gunning for the cops as directed over an intercom system while Tama observes via security camera monitors. It might be easy to eye-roll the premise as something lifted from a video game, and that isn't necessarily off-base (I'd gladly kill an entire weekend if this were a video game, though), but it's the execution that truly allows The Raid to transcend this premise.

Starting with the obvious, the fight choreography and action beats are the best committed to celluloid since John Woo's heyday, though stylistically much different. Be prepared to gorge yourself on a buffet of bone-crunching combat. The exchanges are lighting fast, packed with blinding reversals and carry home excellent finishes that demand you cheer (many of which you may have already witnessed in the greatest sizzle reel of all time). How can you not fly outta your seat when seeing one thug head-slammed multiple times down a wall or watching another force fed a barrage of gunfire at nose-hair trimming range following a takedown roll. To call the film a crowd-pleaser is an understatement, I saw this in a sold-out theater of 1200 strong that burst into ohhhs, ahhhs and raucous applause throughout the film as if these fights were live MMA bouts unfolding across the screen.

To director Gareth Evans' credit, he shies from trying to continually top each fight scene and moment, displaying a deft touch for pacing and escalation. Evans certainly constructs fantastic exchanges, but he also finds moments and sequences to wring tension out of the situation. Primarily, this tension comes as the seriously depleted cop squad try to quietly hide, escape and maneuver about the building without being detected. One particular highlight involves the cops hiding between walls, struggling to remain still and quiet as a machete thug jabs his blade through the walls to jar them out into the open. Visually, Evans excels at switching gears viscerally as well, finding varied ways to film the melees and unique angles to create engaging perspectives. Equally impressive is that Evans never loses coherence to his shot composition, capturing the action so one can easily follow it and know what's occurring, which is quite the feat given the insanity breaking loose.

All this would be far less effective, though, if Evans hadn't tailored the narrative with original flourishes in both story design and characters. While there are surprises as the story unfolds, it's the characters who often surprise me the most. Iko Uwais admirably fulfills the leading man role as super heroic cop, Rama, whose martial arts ferocity is equally matched by an unwavering wholesomeness and dedication to doing the right thing no matter the odds. Rama's character possibly sounds stale, virtuoso fight moves aside, but it's his straight-forward morality that provides a baseline for establishing the fantastic characters around him. There's grittier fellow cop Jaka (Joe Talsim) that's every bit the hero that Rama is even though his methods, and fighting style, in upholding order are unfriendly, abrasive and nastier though altogether warranted. Then there's my favorite character, Mad Dog (Yayan Ruhian), Tama's top enforcer and best fighter. I haven't seen a villain like this one in this genre of film. His defining trait amidst all the bloodshed is in engaging in a level playing field, though one could chalk it up to psychosis instead of honor. Mad Dog shockingly discards the upper hand in fights, laying down his weapon or unchaining an adversary, allowing them to throw down 1-on-1 hand-to-hand to determine superiority; at one point, he admits to preferring using his hands to do his killing rather than guns because "it's the real thing."

It's probably not possible to add to the hype for this film, but it easily belongs up there with the top echelon of action classics. Go ahead and reserve a spot on your Best of 2012 lists.

Make or Break scene - It's less of a scene, but more so a moment that made The Raid for me. This occurs toward the end when Rama discovers Mad Dog torturing someone (who'll I refrain from naming for spoiler reasons), halting the beating as Mad Dog elects to unchain his prisoner, welcoming the pair to face off with him 2-on-1. I absolutely loved this moment, and the ensuing brawl, because this situation is so typically reserved for the hero, not a key villain. Instead of bolstering our hero's toughness, this moment serves to strengthen the bad guy's dominance. And make no mistake, no one in this film has even the slightest chance of defeating Mad Dog in a 1-on-1 "fair" fight. Not only do we know this, but Rama knows it as well, which is another facet I love -- the hero readily accepts the advantage given to him, knowing it's a losing effort any other way.

MVT - As much as I'd like to go with Mad Dog, and I'm very tempted, the answer has to be the incredible action. Just too unreal and entertaining not to be the most valuable.

Score - 9.25/10

The Aggression Scale (SXSW 2012)

Directed by: Steven C. Miller

Written by: Ben Powell

Starring: Ryan Hartwig, Fabianne Therese, Derek Mears, Ray Wise

It would be a mistake to dismiss The Aggression Scale as another "been there, done that" home invasion exploitation movie. Certainly, the plot description does little to differentiate itself from this mostly tired and uninspired sub-genre. The expected home invasion ingredients are there -- brutal killers, upscale house, remote woods-enshrouded location, unsuspecting suburbanite family -- to concoct a cringe-worthy low-budget recipe for torture, rape and indulgent gruesomeness. For all these reasons, I detest home invasion movies. I love The Aggression Scale.

The plot follows four ruthless hitmen that have only 48 hours to track down the cool half-a-million stolen from their vengeful mob boss, Bellavance (Ray Wise). Leaving a pile of dead bodies in their wake, they follow the money to the thieving father Bill and his family fresh off moving into their nice, brand new, spacious home seemingly far away from any densely populated area. Highly conspicuous, indeed. That's the setup, and this is literally a setup.

Director Steven C. Miller and screenwriter Ben Powell know you suffer from home invasion fatigue and they utilize these tropes to establish what appears to be a boorish retread initially, even structuring the plot for the ruthless killers to arrive precisely as our helpless attractive teen daughter steps out of the shower wearing nothing but a towel. Thankfully, the filmmakers unveil their surprise just as we're about go down the obligatory sexual assault path by unleashing Bill's snarling little badass son, Owen (Ryan Hartwig), who saves his dripping wet damsel-in-distress step-sister Lauren (Fabianne Therese) with baseball bat bash attacks and some nifty razor blade booby traps. And hereforth, the bigger (and pleasant) surprise is that The Aggression Scale is less or a horror film and more so a grisly action film.

The action bent uniquely transforms the home invasion premise into a fun-filled picture, eschewing dreadful overtones commonly infused with these types of films. The fun factor is propelled through seeing this little kid run roughshod on the baddies, putting them on the run and fearing for their safety, especially after they stumble upon medical records affirming Owen's long history of violent behavior with entrapping school bullies, leaving them hospitalized and in one case missing an eyeball. Basically, Owen is a disturbed n' deadly, survivalist-read version of that kid in Home Alone, but one that goes for the jugular rather than the belly laughs. According to these records, Owen ranks a 9.5 out of 10 on the aggression scale, which charts aggressive behaviors in middle school-aged children.

Derek Mears (Friday the 13th) makes a great turn, sans mask for a change, as whiny thug Chissolm, exhibiting the most fear, pain and resistance to messing around with this psychotic half-pint. Part of the entertainment is recognizing that Mears is most known as the intimidating, unstoppable killing machine mowing down youngsters and witnessing the role reversal as he's now the one scampering in fright from the kids. That's not to say that Mears' iconography does all the work here either. Mears emotes a natural comedic timing, while not hamming it up or winking at the camera, in exclaiming his worrisome "these damn kids" remarks and begging head honcho thug, Lloyd (Dana Ashbrook), for an assignment that keeps him from harm's way. I'd also be remiss not to mention that Ray Wise injects yet more entertainment value in his sparse portrayal as the mobster kingpin calling the shots, slathering just enough extra cheese on his performance to make you grin.

All this fun-filled praise does not mean that The Aggression Scale lacks grit or avoids delivering the gore. On the contrary, Miller directs the picture with a workman's-like quality, bypassing flash, adding a realism to the violence. As for the violence itself, you feel the on-screen mayhem and see the blood gush yet Miller avoids glorifying and/or sensationalizing any of it. Adding to the realistic quality, there's a suddenness to when that violence breaks out that makes it very effective and incredibly arresting at the same time. It's a further credit to scribe Powell that no one feels safe throughout the picture whether they're the apparent good guys or bad guys. And while we definitely know who the audience should root for, Powell's script is crafted in a subtle line blur where none of these characters are cleanly or clear-cut good; they all seemingly have some knowledge of this mobbed-up money or some hint of a darker past.

Make or Break scene - The earlier mentioned shower scene. At this point, I had no knowledge of The Aggression Scale and entered the film expecting a paint-by-numbers home invasion movie, which I was none too excited to view. And the way this shower scene was shot and its placement in the film, I assumed we were going to get that movie I didn't want, but when this scene capstoned with Owen's intervention, turning the tables on the killers, it felt fresh, unexpected and set the tone for the rest of the film. It genuinely surprised me. I suppose that's the beauty of watching World premiere films at festivals like SXSW.

MVT - Ryan Hartwig as deadly middle schooler Owen. The character's usage is integral to story and the film without a doubt, but Hartwig's performance makes the movie possible. His work is the lynchpin to making this everything work. If he doesn't work, the movie doesn't work. We all know the issues with kid actors, and the abundance of poor acting jobs displayed by overwhelmed children. Hartwig meets the challenge, delivering a believably lethal edge through a quiet, intense performance.

Score - 8/10