From the GATW Archives: TIFF 2010 Review: John Carpenter’s THE WARD

June 12, 2012 by Chase Whale

Editor’s note: This review was originally published on September 15, 2010 as a Toronto International Film Festival review.

Writers: Michael Rasmussen & Shawn Rasmussen
Director: John Carpenter
Cast: Lyndsy Fonseca, Amber Heard, Danielle Panabaker, Mika Boorem, Mamie Gummer

Well, it looks like John Carpenter has made his first unintentional comedy. I just can’t take horror seriously when the killer is chasing our victim around and it instantly reminds me of an old episode of Punky Brewster. Remember when she played hide-and-seek and got locked in the refrigerator (teaching us children never to hide in the ice box)? THE WARD has a morgue scene very similar to this and I couldn’t help but laugh. If you know Carpenter’s work, you’re probably sighing right now and I’m sorry. My heart is hurting with you.

Here’s the first of many flaws with THE WARD: none of the girls look or act crazy. This is the most important detail in a film that takes place in the looney bin. If I’m in the mental ward, it’s because I’m dangerous as hell and society would hate life if I was to be let loose. These girls don’t just act normal, they talk normal (no cocked head, dripping spit here), and we don’t know any of their history other than they’re “just crazy.” Our ward staff acts more nuts than the girls do. Give me visuals or stories, I need to know not to trust any of them with my mother.

The sickest thing about THE WARD is this: Carpenter might be edging toward slightly perverted in his growing age. There’s a 2-3 minute shower scene with our five main characters. Some might say this is a throwback back to the old slasher films when gratuitous and unnecessary nudity was a must, but here’s the kicker: all we see is their backs (over and over, I must add) and a silhouette of side boob. The camera just goes side to side, back to back. I seriously love Carpenter just as much as the next person, but this scene is creepy.

What THE WARD ends up getting plagued with is cheap scares and cheaper effects. When Kristen is the last one out of the shower, we see an outline of a ghost behind her. The loud music booms as a skeleton-like hand grabs her by the neck. This is the oldest trick in the book, and it has worked brilliantly in the past, but here it’s just irritating. Our ghost isn’t terrifying and actually looks quite silly. The confusing part is that effects master Greg Nicotero worked on this. One great director and one great special effects creator can’t seem to thrill me for once, and I’m scratching my head.

This marks Carpenter’s first feature in seven years. The man has made classics, with films like HALLOWEEN and ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK, but THE WARD just adds rust to the nail I call his recent career as a director. THE WARD is just bad. Don’t be surprised if this ends up straight-to-cable.

P.S. I still love you, John.

From the GATW Archives: TIFF 2010 Video Interview: IT’S KIND OF A FUNNY STORY actress Emma Roberts

June 10, 2012 by Chase Whale

Emma Roberts is everywhere. She got her start alongside Johnny Depp in 2001’s BLOW, and as Nancy Drew in the big screen adaption NANCY DREW. Now she’s starring in films done by popular directors Joel Schumacher and Wes Craven. If you look below, you’ll see directing team Ryan Fleck and Anna Boden, the two who directed her in IT’S KIND OF A FUNNY STORY, a story about teenage suicide, love, and trying to figure it all out.

In this interview we talk all things FUNNY STORY and the awesome Queen/David Bowie dance number that happens in the film.

CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE INTERVIEW!

TIFF 2010 Review: Richard Ayoade's SUBMARINE

December 17, 2011 by Chase Whale

Editor’s note: This review was originally published on September 18, 2010 as a Toronto International Film Festival review.

Writers: Richard Ayoade (screenplay), Joe Dunthorne (novel)
Director: Richard Ayoade
Cast: Craig Roberts, Yasmin Paige, Noah Taylor, Sally Hawkins, Paddy Considine

Here we go folks, my favorite film of the festival - SUBMARINE. Oliver Tate (Craig Roberts) wants the simple things in life: love, his parents to be happy together, light arson, and the world to express their sorrow when he dies. Oh, and he’s only 15. His love interest is Jordana (Yasmin Paige), whom Oliver notices has eczema from staring at her so much, and his parents are Lloyd (Noah Taylor) and (Sally Hawkins), whose love begins to burn out when an old, mulleted flame comes back around. These are the most important people in Oliver’s life for the duration of SUBMARINE. Well, and the girl who falls into the pond, she’s pretty important, too.

Our love story is set in motion when Oliver, Jordan, and a small group of people chase around a girl in the woods. While tossing her bag around to one another close to a pond, Oliver accidentally knocks the bullied girl towards the pond, sending her well on her way into the water and him to regret. He types her an apology letter and gives it to her only friend, the lunch lady, but it never gets to the girl - Jordana gets ahold of it and swears to show the school if he doesn’t do a few things for her. In high school, a bad reputation is just as bad as death. Soon after, Oliver and Jordana are going steady, and they embark on a journey throughout the film doing things that people who are too cool for the world do. They sit and stare at each other in an isolated bathtub on the beach. They set fires in trashcans and watch the flames. It’s beautiful. Oliver’s parents growing-stale-fast marriage frames up the second part of SUBMARINE. As Oliver finds love, the Tates are losing it. Papa Tate doesn’t talk much and drinks water from the same unwashed glass every day, and Mama Tate starts acting weird when her former flame Graham (Paddy Considine) moves in next door. Graham is a motivational speaker of sorts, and has a gnarly mullet and dresses like a ninja. SUBMARINE was written and directed by Richard Ayoade, who’s best known as Moss on The It Crowd. Ayoade knows how to use sarcastic, awkward, and twisted comedy, and he spreads them out perfectly throughout the film. At the beginning, Oliver ponders how people would react to his death. Cut to fake news specials, candlelight vigils, and interviews with fellow schoolmates talking about how cool he was. At another point in the film, Oliver discusses with the audience that his parents haven’t had sex in over eight months, and he knows this because he’s been keeping tabs on the way they dim the lights in their bedroom. Dark comedy like this is relatable, at least to me, and makes the movie much more personal. Ayoade takes us into the mind of Oliver, and shows us the truths and consequences of being a rebellious teenager. Everyone in this film plays their characters well, but it’s Craig Roberts who brings out the awesome in our Oliver. Oliver is the guy you wish you would have known in high school, but were too proud to speak to at the time. He’s young and wants to live forever. He’s the misfit that shows us how to understand those who are different. SUBMARINE is a story about growing up all while not wanting to get older. It’s what HAROLD & MAUDE would have been if they had met in high school. Grade A+

Source: GATW

TIFF 2010 Review: John Carpenter's THE WARD

December 17, 2011 by Chase Whale

Editor’s note: This review was originally published on September 15, 2010 as a Toronto International Film Festival review.

Writers: Michael Rasmussen & Shawn Rasmussen
Director: John Carpenter
Cast: Lyndsy Fonseca, Amber Heard, Danielle Panabaker, Mika Boorem, Mamie Gummer

Here’s the set up, which looks fun, seeing as who’s behind it: Kristen (Amber Heard) sets a house on fire and gets taken to a psychiatric hospital. Joining her are four other girls (Lyndsy Fonseca, Danielle Panabaker, Mika Boorem, and Mamie Gummer) who all suffer from a term one would usually call an ex-lover - “crazy.” One by one, these girls start to mysteriously disappear, so Kristen takes it upon herself to uncover the dark truth behind the disappearances. Cue the “dum dum dum” music. Here’s the first of many flaws with THE WARD: none of the girls look or act crazy. This is the most important detail in a film that takes place in the looney bin. If I’m in the mental ward, it’s because I’m dangerous as hell and society would hate life if I was to be let loose. These girls don’t just act normal, they talk normal (no cocked head, dripping spit here), and we don’t know any of their history other than they’re “just crazy.” Our ward staff acts more nuts than the girls do. Give me visuals or stories, I need to know not to trust any of them with my mother. The sickest thing about THE WARD is this: Carpenter might be edging toward slightly perverted in his growing age. There’s a 2-3 minute shower scene with our five main characters. Some might say this is a throwback back to the old slasher films when gratuitous and unnecessary nudity was a must, but here’s the kicker: all we see is their backs (over and over, I must add) and a silhouette of side boob. The camera just goes side to side, back to back. I seriously love Carpenter just as much as the next person, but this scene is creepy. What THE WARD ends up getting plagued with is cheap scares and cheaper effects. When Kristen is the last one out of the shower, we see an outline of a ghost behind her. The loud music booms as a skeleton-like hand grabs her by the neck. This is the oldest trick in the book, and it has worked brilliantly in the past, but here it’s just irritating. Our ghost isn’t terrifying and actually looks quite silly. The confusing part is that effects master Greg Nicotero worked on this. One great director and one great special effects creator can’t seem to thrill me for once, and I’m scratching my head. This marks Carpenter’s first feature in seven years. The man has made classics, with films like HALLOWEEN and ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK, but THE WARD just adds rust to the nail I call his recent career as a director. THE WARD is just bad. Don’t be surprised if this ends up straight-to-cable. P.S. I still love you, John. Grade: F