Tag: Dario Argento

In Defense of: George A. Romero’s ‘Dawn of the Dead’

International Premiere: September 1, 1978
U.S. Premiere: April 7, 1979

Written, Directed, and Edited by George A. Romero
Cast: David Emge, Ken Foree, Scott Reiniger, Gaylen Ross, David Crawford, David Early, Richard France, Howard Smith, Daniel Dietrich, Fred Baker, James A. Baffico, Jese Del Gre, Randy Kovitz, Joseph Pilato, Pasquale Buba, Tony Buba, Tom Savini, George A. Romero
Soundtrack: De Wolfe Music Library (U.S.)/Dario Argento & Goblin (International)

I know what you’re thinking.

I know exactly what you’re thinking.

Dawn of the Dead is a seminal horror classic with legions of fans around the world.

“Why on Earth would it need defending?”

Come with me, my friends, and I will show you (the walk is not far).

True, Dawn of the Dead is a Classic whether I say so or not. The story of four heroes (Stephen, Peter, Roger, and Fran) on a quest to survive the Zombie Apocalypse (brilliantly unexplained in the film), hunkered down in a lush suburban shopping center after escaping the ravages of Philadelphia (and also the undead), is as compelling as ever after the events of 2020 and onward; but while the film is undoubtedly punctuated by horrific violence, it has so much more to offer.

Dawn of the Dead fervently checks off the classic horror criterion of “How Would I Handle This Situation?” while simultaneously asking deep ethical questions on the level of great sci-fi, while also being, at its core, just kind of a fun adventure movie.

Honestly, if you were to hypothetically tone down the gore, Dawn of the Dead could easily be a Saturday Matinee you could watch with the whole family; not that I’m advocating for that sort of censorship, I’m just pointing out how surprisingly enjoyable of a film it is in spite of, perhaps, its reputation in some circles as nothing more than a gross-out geek show.

And that’s why I feel the need to “defend” it. Because Dawn of the Dead is not just a “good horror movie,” it’s an outstanding movie by any standard, and deserves respect on that level (“Film School” level, if you will).

If I have any criticisms whatsoever, it’s that some of the music choices in the U.S. Theatrical version feel a bit clunky, and there’s one aspect of the ending that I find puzzling, but overall it’s a wonderful movie from start to finish.

Rating: ★★★★☆

Spooky Twofer – ‘The Dark’ and ‘Suspiria’ (2018) – Deep Cuts

Written and Directed by Justin P. Lange
Cast: Nadia Alexander, Toby Nichols, Karl Markovics, Sarah Murphy-Dyson, Dan Beirne, Margarete Tiesel, Dylan Trowbridge, Scott Beaudin, Chris Farquhar

The horror genre is often pigeonholed as exclusively mean-spirited and/or exploitative, but sometimes (e.g. Poltergeist) it gets to show some genuine heart (and I don’t mean in that “Kali Ma” sort of way).

The Dark is one of those times.

I feel like I’ve said this a lot this year, but this one took me by surprise.  The trailer had me intrigued but also somewhat skeptical (What can I say? I’ve been burned by some indie horror features in my time; in addition to being picky about movies starring kids), but it didn’t take long into the runtime to realize that my fears were for naught.

It’s a largely quiet film (which I liked), but it maximizes both soundscape and picturesque visuals (especially relative to its budget) to its advantage, not to mention capitalizing on a pair of quality performances from its teen leads; and the script gives you just enough to be satisfied without over-explaining things.

The story might be a bit fairy tail-esque for some to bear, but given the genre I think it works just fine.

See it fresh, let the movie come to you, enjoy it, and kudos to writer/director Justin P. Lange on a fantastic debut feature.  Hopefully we get to see more from the guy sooner than later.

Rating: ★★★★☆

 

Directed by Luca Guadagnino
Written by David Kajganich, based on an earlier screenplay by Dario Argento and Daria Nicolodi
Cast: Dakota Johnson, Tilda Swinton, Mia Goth, Angela Winkler, Ingrid Caven, Elena Fokina, Sylvie Testud, Renée Soutendijk, Christine LeBoutte, Fabrizia Sacchi, Małgosia Bela, Jessica Harper, Chloë Grace Moretz, Alek Wek, Vanda Capriolo, Olivia Ancona, Brigitte Cuvelier
Soundtrack: Thom Yorke

A number of people are going to see this movie and absolutely hate it, and I can’t say I really blame them.

It’s long, it’s difficult to follow (sometimes because you literally can’t make out dialogue), and it doesn’t quite stick the landing (one area where the 1977 original succeeds, not that I want to get overly into comparisons).

However, there is a lot to appreciate in terms of the artistry, and it does largely stand on its own, for whatever that’s worth in this case.

For one thing, the production design is fantastic, especially in evoking the period of late-70s divided Berlin (although the integration of the setting into the story is highly questionable), and by-and-large the performances are solid, and the visual style and dance choreography is a sight to behold (until it isn’t at the end).  Also, I have to say that as long as the film is, I never really felt it, which is a credit to the pacing.

The problem is, much like with First Man, I’m ultimately just not sure of what the filmmakers were going for from a story perspective, and in the end I found myself apathetically confused at major revelations, due to, at least from my perception, a lack of cohesion in the screenplay.  I’m good with a lot of atmosphere (a la Mandy) and I don’t need everything spelled out, but I’m also an above average viewer in terms of attentiveness, so it’s pretty rare that I have no idea what’s happening or why, and that was a disappointment.

Maybe 2018’s Suspiria is like Paul Thomas Anderson’s Inherent Vice, in that it takes a second viewing to fully appreciate it, but it seems to me to be more sound and fury than substance.  Still, there’s at least enough visual meat that I wouldn’t talk you out of seeing it if you’re interested.

Rating: ★★★☆☆