| WOLF CREEK The Devil's Rejects |
| Here�s a first for Fulci Metal Jacket. A double review. It seems quite appropriate, since I saw both of these films at multi-plexes. Now if you�re a regular visitor to this site, then chances are that you aren�t a regular visitor to your local multi-plex right? I mean it makes a lot of sense. Why pay fourteen bucks to sit through the torture of Son of the Mask at your local multi-plex when you can order something entertaining direct to your door for around the same price? Well, I do occasionally take a bullet at the local multi-plex by sitting through something appalling so that I can appreciate how good something like At Midnight I�ll Take Your Soul really is. It�s like eating a Big Mac once in a while so that you don�t become jaded by steak. The first film I saw was Wolf Creek. I know that by now you�ve all heard the hype. Most terrifying movie ever, etc. etc. etc. I went into this one expecting the cat�s arse. On the upside, it�s good to see the Australian film industry finally wising up and producing genre films that people actually want to see. It isn�t without its merits. Wolf Creek opens with a lot of promise. If anything it�ll introduce the rest of the world to the Daddy Cool classic Eagle Rock. Great locations, a lot of atmosphere, and a cast of unknowns beside John Jarratt gives it an edge. But it�s a bit of a mixed bag. For every flash of originality, there�s a clich� to water it down. Cars not starting, in-bred locals; if it�s happened in another movie, they�ve hurled it into Wolf Creek. I groaned out loud at the Star Wars / Star Trek in-jokes that have been done to death about a million times. If I ever hear �Luke, I am your father� or �no intelligent life here� then by law the screenwriter should be forced to give him / herself an uppercut. Most terrifying movie ever? That�s a bold statement. Sure, Wolf Creek might be grueling and relentless compared to your average new-millenial homogenized horror, but it�s hardly The Hills Have Eyes or Deliverance. Still, it�s worth a look because at least it isn�t Scream. It�s mainly getting hyped because these days o.k. is the new great. ENTERTAINMENT : 2 out of 4 WATCHABILITY : 3 out of 4 OVERALL : 2.5 out of 4 The Devil�s Rejects is much more satisfying if you�re after some good old fashioned exploitation on the big screen. I wasn�t the biggest fan in the world of House of 1000 Corpses. Director Rob Zombie had some good characters, and didn�t really do a great deal with them. Thankfully he�s rectified the problem here. The film opens with a fairly adrenaline pumping last stand (or should that be first stand?) on the family property. It�s the Manson Family meets the Kelly Gang as our armour-clad psychotically dysfunctional family shoot it out with religiously inspired State Troopers. From here on in, Rejects is the movie that Oliver Stone�s masturbatory Natural Born Killers should have been. Heavily stylized without being self indulgent, over the top violence, great soundtrack, a who�s who of classic American exploitation cast, and dialogue that�d make Tarantino jealous. It amazes me that a metal rocker like Zombie has a more sound understanding of the filmmaking process than most �respected� directors. This one starts with a bang, and just keeps building till one of the most memorable last stands in motion picture history. Rejects is a satisfying homage to the nastiest of seventies exploitation. It was great to see guys like Michael Berryman and Ken Foree being thrown the ball and running with it. Easily one of the strongest ensemble casts in exploitation history. This was one of those rare pleasant times when I went in expecting nothing, and was blown away. Definitely one to catch while it�s still on the big screen. ENTERTAINMENT : 3.5 out of 4 WATCHABILITY : 4 out of 4 OVERALL : 3.75 out of 4 |