Poltergeist III (1988)

Switching from suburbia to the big city is just one of the many changes present in Poltergeist III, the final chapter in what quickly became a sputtering horror series. While there is a trend that suggests the final installment of a series is often times the worst, I found this film to be an exception to the rule.

While this film fails to capture the magic and chills of the original Poltergeist, the filmmakers did enough right to make me enjoy this film more than Poltergeist II: The Other Side. There are still plenty of problems holding the film back, most important of which is the fact that this is once again a direct sequel that retcons the ending of the second installment.

At the end of Poltergeist II, the evil Reverend Kane was defeated by the Freeling family and was sent on to the other side. Poltergeist III ignores that little fact and has the religious kook of a spook coming back for more. Instead of tormenting the entire family again, which would have been annoyingly redundant, little Carol Anne has been sent to live with her aunt and uncle in a Chicago high-rise. No explanation is given for why the Freelings decided to ditch their daughter but it probably had something to do with the fact that none of the other actors wanted anything to do with another Poltergeist film. A weak cover is made that Carol Ann is going to a school for special children in Chicago (because, clearly, no such schools exist closer to her parents) and her aunt and uncle seem oblivious to any of the horrors their relatives have faced over the last few years.

The spirit of Kane manages to follow Carol Ann and begins appearing to her everywhere. Her school psychologist doesn’t think Kane is real and believes she is making it all up because it gets her the attention she craves. Meanwhile, Tangina somehow realizes Carol Anne is in trouble and begins trekking across the country to help her. It all boils down to a series of attacks and a final battle against Kane’s spirit.

While the story itself has plenty of pitfalls, I think most of that comes from trying to force the story to fit into the Poltergeist mold. Poltergeist II had the same problem- the story was interesting enough to have worked as an indirect sequel. While moviegoers aren’t always so hot on indirect sequels, sometimes they work out well. The concept of an evil spirit haunting a high-rise in the middle of a big city is pretty neat, though hardly original enough to make a good movie. It’s the small things that count.

One of the little touches that I really enjoyed was the tricky mirror work through the latter half of the film. When Kane finally takes full control of the building, he can manipulate people’s reflections, doing his dirty work for him. Some very unique camera techniques are used to make it appear that someone is in the mirrors in the hallway but not in the hallway itself. Also, double static shots and a lot of editing are used to make it appears as if the people in the hall are heading one way and their reflections the other. This bit of technical trickery is one of the big reasons that I prefer III to II. While maybe not innovative, it is certainly a step in a different direction from the standard lot of predictable scares that flooded II.

But technical trickery aside, the film really doesn’t deliver like it should. Very few chills and thrills are to be found and the script desperately needs rewriting in places. Carol Anne isn’t a compelling enough character to carry the film and the supporting players aren’t up to the task either. The battle between psychology and the supernatural was awkward at best and felt forced and borderline silly at times.

Poltergeist III has more raw potential than II did but most of that potential was held back (once again) by not allowing this film to develop as its own supernatural thriller instead of as another Poltergeist sequel. Had it been given the chance to develop outside of its forced foundation, this film could have had a completely different title, completely different characters and a much more satisfying aftertaste.

RATING: 2 out of 5

Cloverfield (2008)

Using a cast of virtual unknowns and a sneak attack marketing strategy, creative mastermind J.J. Abrams and his team of industry friends put together a non-stop thrill ride of a film, the production of which is every bit as impressive as the final result. Abrams and company successfully bring horror and disaster films into the 21st Century with a YouTube generation treatment that is far more than just Godzilla meets The Blair Witch Project.

The whole point of the film is to create the sensation that you are watching a horrific disaster caught on videotape. This is accomplished through the use of hand held digital cameras, quick cuts replicating when the camera gets turned off, and overlapping footage, indicating that whoever is doing the filming is doing so over top of something that was previously recorded. The advent of high-quality digital film making made this movie possible, allowing for numerous special effects to be inserted without compromising the grainy, low-tech look of the film. It certainly won’t fool people into believing what happens in Cloverfield is real (unlike Blair Witch), but that wasn’t one of the film’s goals anyway.

Cloverfield begins with Rob (Michael Stahl-David) filming Beth (Odette Yustman) as she wakes up in bed with him. They had previously been nothing more than close friends but have seemed to have crossed that line. The film then cuts to approximately one month later, where Rob’s brother, Jason (Mike Vogel), and his girlfriend Lily (Jessica Lucas) are planning his surprise going-away party. Rob has taken a position in Japan and is going to be leaving his friends and New York City the next morning.

The camera is given to a friend named Hud (T. J. Miller), who is tasked with taping various attendees well-wishers for Rob in his in job. Through the course of the party we learn that Hud is accidentally taping over footage that Rob holds very dear to him, as he and Beth had a falling out since sleeping together but Rob still has feelings for her. Before too long though, things go haywire. An earthquake seems to hit the city but not is all as it seems. Party goers flock to the balconies and rooftops and they witness explosions blocks away. People fill the streets with a mix of curiosity and wonder which quickly turns into fear and panic as the mysterious source of danger heads their way.

For the remainder of the film, we follow Rob and his friends as they try to escape Manhattan on foot with their lives. Hot on their tail is some bizarre monster that is tearing the city apart. The protagonists encounter the monster both indirectly and directly at times while also running into the US Army, which is sent into the city to combat the creature. The camerawork and the pacing all help create a very tense hour or so of terror-fueled trekking unlike anything seen before on the big screen.

A great deal is done right in this film. The use of young actors with few credits to their names was essential for Cloverfield to succeed. Had any recognizable TV or film star been cast in this movie audiences would have perceived it as more about that person’s involvement than anything else. Instead, the filmmakers focus solely on the story they want to tell and don’t hire anyone that’s going to be a distraction to their film. While not all of the young talent in this film will go on to superstardom (few have been attached to anything that stands out yet), they all do a fantastic job of capturing realistic terror and fear of living through this kind of event.

Another smart move was to show as little of the monster as possible. Instead of showing us in-your-face style destruction at the hands of the monsters like in Godzilla flicks, the filmmakers give us the before and after. The monster is almost never directly on top of our protagonists. Instead, it oftentimes comes just close enough to dish out the right amount of chills and creep the audience out. This less-is-more strategy is always the way to go. It worked for classics like Jaws and Alien and it works here too.

The only thing I wasn’t so crazy about was Rob’s half-foolish decision to head back into the heart of Manhattan to rescue Beth. This was an obvious necessity for the filmmakers, as it prolongs the film and exposes Rob and his friends to even more carnage but I thought it was a more than a little silly. Beth isn’t even his girlfriend but he’s willing to risk his life for her? Maybe I’m just that cynical but I have a hard time believing that I would go romping through danger-filled street for someone that I’m merely sweet on. At the same time, it is probably equally absurd for Rob’s friends to tag along with him. But without his friends, there would be no one documenting it all.

Despite these few lingering questions that came to mind as the credits rolled, Cloverfield has a lot going for it. It is a great merger between style and substance and its entertaining as well. It’s also a bold and unconventional way to tell a story on the big screen. I can’t see this kind of film making becoming too prevalent because few stories outside of monster and disaster flicks would really accommodate it. Even if used under those circumstances, comparisons to this film would be inevitable. This positions Cloverfield to be remembered as either a unique experiment in cinema story-telling or a ground-breaking original that may be replicated but not duplicated. Either way, Cloverfield wins in a big way.

RATING: 3.5 out of 5

The Other Boleyn Girl (2008)

WARNING: Major Spoilers Ahead!

Based on the successful novel by Philippa Gregory, The Other Boleyn Girl is a tale of lust, treachery, power and obsession surrounding two sisters and the King of England. Though some define the story as a romanticized account of the love triangle between Anne Boleyn, her sister Mary and King Henry VIII, there is hardly anything romantic (in the modern sense) about it at all.

When King Henry VIII’s wife fails to deliver him a male heir to the throne, England’s leader grows restless and begins looking elsewhere to father a future king. Thomas Boleyn, a nobleman and brother-in-law to the Duke of Norfolk hatches a plan to move himself up in the world by positioning his daughter, Anne (Natalie Portman), to catch the King’s eye while he visits the Boleyn estate. Anne has reservations about being a mistress but gives in to the pressure from her father and uncle.

The plan goes awry when the King (Eric Bana) is injured while hunting and gets nursed back to health by Anne’s older sister, Mary (Scarlett Johansson), who is already married. The King invites Mary to his castle and sends her husband away to separate them. Reluctant at first, Mary falls in love with King Henry and begins to cherish the potentially powerful position she finds herself in. She becomes pregnant, which is somewhat scandalous, as King Henry is still bound to his wife by Catholic marriage.

When Mary experiences complications and nearly miscarries, Anne is sent to care for her sister, who is now bed-ridden until the baby can be born. Holding a grudge against Mary for several things in their past, Anne begins to seduce Henry, taunting him with her body but resisting his lustful advances. She drives Henry mad with her demands but he gives in to Anne and banishes Mary from the castle (even after she bears him a healthy son) and breaks England from the Catholic Church so he can divorce his wife and wed Anne.

History tells us the rest of the story- Anne can’t produce a male heir so Henry has her tried and executed, moving on to his latest woman of choice. Certainly not a happy ending but it’s fitting because very little of this film is happy to begin with.

The Other Boleyn Girl will likely be hit or miss with audiences. If you like speculative fiction about historical figures, then this might be up your alley. If you’re not into British history or convoluted love triangles, then I would advise you to pass. This movie is also very bleak and very much a downer, so stay away if you can’t handle a less-than-happy ending.

The biggest problem plaguing this film is the lack of a protagonist. There’s no hero to this story, not even a tragic one. Both of the Boleyn girls resort to despicable behavior, either by giving in to the King’s raw lust or by trying to sabotage the other’s success in raising their family’s political capital. Morals are compromised all over the board and barely anyone blinks an eye while they do it. The only person who I could feel sympathetic for at all during this film was Elizabeth Boleyn, mother of Anne and Mary. She could not stand what her husband and brother were attempting to do just to raise their stake in life. In the end she is a broken and sad woman, the true victim.

It’s hard to say who is worse in this film. King Henry is a dubious, arrogant husk of a man, drunk on power and lust. Thomas Boleyn is a wretched father who is willing to sacrifice the dignity of not one but two of his daughters in order to increase his standing and “honor” in the world. And, at times, both of the Boleyn girls themselves are just as bad, either as a smug mistress or a shrewish temptress. Both have tasted power and want to hold on to it. If not for some resolution between the girls at the film’s end, this would be a four-way tie for the worst character involved.

Without a proper protagonist to invest in, I found myself reacting to the events of the film instead of absorbing them. No scene better emphasizes this point than the rape scene. Anne has finally gotten Henry to give in to all of her demands and tries to halt his advances still but he is so filled with lust and rage that he ends Anne’s little games and rapes her. The scene is brutal but I didn’t feel sorry for Anne. Instead, I was shocked and appalled by how far these characters had spiraled downward.

In some ways, The Other Boleyn Girl is like a train wreck in slow motion. It’s not that it’s a bad film. It’s just that the story it tells progressively gets worse and worse and leaves you at the bottom of a well of despair. The cinematography, sets and costumes were all pretty good but this heavy-handed piece of historical fiction knocked the wind out of me. Not in a good way either.

RATING: 2.5 out of 5