The Babadook (Jennifer Kent 2014)

"Ba-ba-ba... dook! Dook! DOOOOOKH!"

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2321549/

The concept of The Babadook is fairly classic, a creepy stalker/ monster film in which a mother fights to protect her son. The majority of traditional horror tropes follow however The Babadook manages to poke its hat above other recent horror flicks. 

The film centers around the psychological struggle of sleep deprived widow Amelia and her eccentric and slightly annoying to watch (for good reason) son Samuel. Still grieving her husbands death after six years, (on the day her son was born) when Samuel finds a pop up book with one of the creepiest and most un unassumingly original monsters in modern cinema, he begins to believe he will be captured by the Babadook.

So what sets the Babadook apart from other horror films of the type ie. Mama (Andrés Muschietti 2013), Insidious (James Wan 2010). Well first off, without delving too far into spoilers, the psychological questions it raises throughout the film are excellent, you actively question if the Babadook is real or if Amelia is actually breaking. That in itself is horrifying, you don't have to believe in a monster to fear for Samuel when the lights go out and you hear "Baba ba dook dook dook.". Secondly is just how creepy and believable the babadook is, he is always changing, never really seen or known, and the question of sanity really throws into questions what the Babadook actually looks like. 

Stylistically the films strays away from any kind of extreme gore or jump scares and relies solely on creating tension which is achieved brilliantly through the chilling score. Now I'm gonna get a little horror nerdy and a little spoilery and talk about theory and genre and stuff so if you havn't seen the film skip this paragraph. So I really like that Amelia isn't your typical female horror victim, she is struggling but she is independent, she is not the final female we are used to from slasher flicks. Not only that but she doesn't survive because she is a virgin, she clearly has a child, and if you wanted to get technical and say that she has not been sexual since her sons birth, a masturbation scene should put that to rest. The idea of the power of the Babadook being the personification of bottled up grief and anxiety over Amelia's husband is a great idea and the supernatural horror represents the power over the families lives the accident still holds. The domestication of the Babadook, in the basement where the husbands memory lived, shows the acceptance of grief and the moving on of not just Amelia but of Samuel too. Anyway I end my spoiler section by saying I think The Babadook is really interesting and may do a little genre study on it sometime.

The spoilers are over guys, you can read again.

The Babadook is simply put one of the tensest brave and thematically interesting horror films to come out of the last few years. Not only is it a suspenseful psychological horror, it is a beautiful drama about a single mother.
8.5/10

Hercules (2014 Brett Ratner)

"Fucking Centaurs"

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1267297/

I expected an incredibly cheesy action packed laugh of awfulness. I'm not sure if that's because of Dwayne Johnson or the trailer or Brett Ratner who hurt me with X Men The Last Stand... What you get with Hercules is like an omelet, basic action from a Thracian, Roman period (the egg), fun twists on the Hercules myth (some surprise peppers), comic dialogue (mushrooms), and just a brilliant sprinkling of cheesy goodness on top. Don't get me wrong its a guilty pleasure but this film is incredibly entertaining and a lot of fun.

One of the greatest things about the film is the twisting of the myth, it turns Hercules into a team of fighters (Herc at the front) who perpetuate a myth to strike fear into opponents. Not only that but his mythological opponents are likewise faked, either through people in suits or pure exaggeration.

Whilst angrier or stuffier reviewers may get stuck in the generic nature of the film and action comedy is what it is, this doesn't get caught up in pretension or recreating the wheel, it relies on fairly strong acting and tongue in cheek. If you don't want to watch Hercules you probably wont enjoy it. If your tempted you're going to have a good time.
7/10

The Hobbit, The Battle of Five Armies. (Peter Jackson 2014)

The defining chapter indeed. After 13 years and 6 films we finally say goodbye to the world of J.R.R. Tolkien through the eyes of director Peter Jackson. I am going to assume I am as surrounded on the internet by fanboys as I was at the midnight screening last night. For those of you yet to see it, wow, your in for a treat. The final chapter of The Hobbit is packed full of action, fun and heartfelt tragedy.

As always Jackson is fair with the source material and keeps the story moving with a quick pace, the sheer amount of combat in the film is insane, and its all intelligently and beautifully choreographed. A specific little note on that front, the elves slice their victims neatly as appose to the brutish dwarves who decapitate orc after orc with a different kind of grace, just one subtle touch that gives Jackson's version of Tolkien's world the same richness as the source material itself. Don't be misleads though, despite the combat the story is strong as ever and the dialogue is perfect.

I can't say much more than it felt like a great and respectful, if not a little sad, end to the tale of the ring of power. I walked away thinking that we know that from the end of this film Bilbo gets no more adventure, he just sits and withers, in mind if not in image. Anyhow lets not dwell on that, more good things! The cgi is expectedly fantastic and somehow doesn't worsen the CG in the LOTR trilogy when you look back, which is nice. If I had any nitpicks to... pick, it would be that it ends pretty suddenly, we don't really get a glimpse of everyone settling back down. I assume that is because we see through Bilbo's eyes and because of the criticisms of Return of the king's 45 minute end after end after end. (Not to mention you know, the lord of the rings comes next)

As a saga its brilliant, I almost cracked on the Fellowship when I got home to ride that feeling out. The marathon must be done but god help me when that day comes, no not god, but a hobbit, they seem like happy chaps.
9/10

Just a side note on high frame rate, its weird, I cant make my mind up. Everything looks more real, is that right for a fantasy film or does it need that movie gloss? I can't decide, it takes a while to get used to which is of course a set back but I think if it is continued to be used in the right way it could work really well. Maybe for documentary or more realistic films, the Hobbit seems like a strange choice to crack it out on. Colour me intrigued.

Slow on the restart

Hey guys real sorry, been slow on the blogging lately, I really wanted to pick it back up but I have been filming or editing almost non stop for the last three months or so. Finally got some down time where its just gentle editing to do so I'm hoping to get back on the blogwaggon. What do you want to see me write about? Think im gonna do some news, american tv reviews/ recaps and maybe some behind the scenes stuff with me. Sorry nothing I have done has really been released all that well but check out the Eat Defeat live video I did, most of the rest of my stuff is either still in post or not mine to reveal to you lovely poeple, you will see it as soon as I can let you. Anyway, what do you think I should cover? Let me know!