Micro Review: Vanishing on 7th. Street

One of director Brad Anderson's weaker efforts, but still packs a punch or three. Actually, what makes Vanishing on 7th. Street so disappointing is that some of it is so good and scary that I couldn't help but be let down by the rest of it. This is a movie that runs out of steam before it ends. We're supposed to hang on and enjoy the ride, but there isn't enough here to do that. Anderson doesn't disappoint; he still knows how to make a scary movie. It's the script by Anthony Jaswinski that doesn't hold together. A Bad from me on this one.

Carpenter's The Ward finds a home

Don't know what this means in terms of John Carpenter's first film in nine year's getting a theatrical release or not, but The Ward will be distributed in North America through ARC Entertainment and XLrator Media Partnership.

Never heard of them. That can't be good. And it's puzzling too as the trailer below shows the film being distributed around the world by Warner Bros. Hmmmm. Hopefully we'll know more, including a release date, soon.

The Ward stars Amber Heard as Kristen, a beautiful but troubled young woman, who finds herself bruised, cut, drugged, and held against her will in a remote ward of a Psychiatric Hospital. Creepy stuff ensues. I admit, I get chills when I see From The Director of Halloween appear in the preview.

Enjoy the footage, and we promise to keep you updated on Carpenter's return to cinemas!

Next on the chopping block: The Girl Who Kicked The Hornets' Nest and Frozen

Shawn will break out the whiskey and shot glasses tonight as he celebrates the final review Film Reviews From the Basement will do in the Millennium Trilogy as the executioner's axe falls on The Girl Who Kicked The Hornets' Nest.

The first two films, The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo and The Girl Who Played With Fire, are his most hated of all time, which doesn't bode well for Hornets' Nest. He gave each an Ugly. What will he give the last film in the series? Stick with us!

Note: Jason will review the movie too. He gave the previous two a Good.

Then the Basement Dwellers set their collective sites on Adam Green's Frozen. Jason and Shawn dug the writer/director's slasher film Hatchet, but this movie's about three people trapped on a ski lift. Is Frozen the next Buried? Tune in tonight and find out.

And stay tuned in for a lengthy discussion on remakes, complete with audio clips of course, the latest movie news and music by Subplot A, The Sleeveless Tease and other under-the-radar talent.

The thrills begin at 10 p.m. PST on 92.5FM CFBX Kamloops and www.thex.ca. Don't miss it!

And now some previews:

The Girl Who Kicked The Hornets' Next



Frozen

Next on the chopping block: Buried and Catfish

Where to begin in our descriptions of tonight's films? One is a documentary for our times that has been accused of not being a documentary at all. The other is a one-man show about a man buried in a coffin beneath the sands of Iraq. To say much more would be giving too much away.

Buried stars future Green Lantern Ryan Reynolds, an actor better known for his comedic timing than his dramatic chops. But he's all there really is to Buried and the film hinges on his ability to carry a dramatic role. Does he pull it off:? Stick with us!

Then there's Catfish, a high-tech "thriller" of a documentary about online relationships and dating in the Facebook age. Some believe what happens in Catfish is too good to be true. Being a journalist, I make my bread and butter off of such stories and have come to believe that truth really is stranger than fiction.  In the end, all we in The Basement really care about is does the film work? Tune in tonight and find out.

And don't touch that dial as we discuss the latest movie news, spin some tunes from the likes of Gravity Kills and Mark Collie, and share our thoughts on bad movie ideas. It all happens at 10 p.m. PST on 92.5 FM CFBX Kamloops and online at www.thex.ca.

Now for some previews of coming attractions:

Buried



Catfish

Tag Team Review: Hit and Run

Mike S and yours truly (Jason) are back, this time taking on the suspense flick Hit and Run. We use the term suspense loosely.

Jason:  A film that tries very hard to be more Hitchcock thriller than simple slasher, but fails at almost every turn. The concept of a woman stalked by a man she hit with her vehicle and left for dead has potential, but director Enda McCallion is totally inept at getting any suspense out of the proceedings. In fact, McCallion doesn't even understand how to stage a scene. The film just clunks from one moment to the next and never ends up going anywhere. Laura Breckenridge makes for a fetching damsel in distress, but the movie ultimately lets her down. Better luck next time.

Mike S: This movie was a hit and run in it self. While I will give it credit for some interesting film techniques (the high speed driving), the rest of it was as lively as... well, road kill. The acting was barely passible. The characters weren't engaging, and I was actually glad when the boyfriend was found dead. I'd rather collide with a train than watch this movie again. 

Let's call Hit and Run an Ugly shall we.

We Need To See Julia's Eyes.

When a movie comes along from producer Guillermo Del Toro and the director of the creepy-as-hell Spanish horror The Orphanage, then the film is an automatic must see.

The trailer for director Guillem Morales' Los Ojos de Julia (Julia's Eyes) is out and boy does it looks great. As my wife said upon viewing it: "That's creepy!" The film stars Belen Rueda of The Orphanage and tells the story of a woman who is determined to uncover the secret behind her sister's death, even though she is slowly going blind. 

All the makings of a great thriller are here: moody atmosphere, beautiful damsel in distress, and more than a little bit of suspense. Hopefully this gets a theatrical release in North America . . . but I doubt it. Shawn and I will have to seek out the Christmas Present Version and get a review up pronto!

Listener's Review: The Woman In Black

The following comes from FRFTB fan Mike S, who Constant Listeners know is the creator of our Good, Bad and Ugly rating system. Here he takes a few moments to share his thoughts on the British horror film The Woman In Black, based on one of the longest running stage plays in London!

Very few people can make a decent ghost movie. The British are one of the few. When I watched this movie, I had trouble sleeping afterwards... for several nights. The setting of the mansion that becomes rather isolated when the fog roles in created such a sense of being utterly alone and unprotected... especially when you start to hear the phantom sounds of a horse drawn carriage in the fog, and the screams of a child. Adding into that, the appearance of a hateful looking woman in black on an island nobody is supposed to be able to reach due to the fog is enough to make you uncomfortable... and jumpy at the little sounds in your house when you're alone. The pace isn't fast- but it's relentless. Once the story has you in its icy cold death grip, there is no letting go, and you're compelled to keep watching to the end. Definitely one of the best ghost films out there... and one to watch with the lights on... or off if you're really brave... A Good rating from this Basement fan.