Film Review #31

Over spring break I went to the movies with a friend and saw Oculus. It is an independent thriller/horror film with an interesting plot. This is a synopsis I found online:

"Two siblings haunted by a childhood tragedy learn that the source of their horror is a mysterious mirror with a dark history. Tim and Kaylie were merely teenagers when both of their parents were brutally butchered. Convicted of the killings and sentenced to protective custody, Tim serves his time while Kaylie drifts into a deep despair. Years later, a newly free Tim does his best to lay the past to rest. Meanwhile, Kaylie is certain that her brother was innocent all along, and that the antique mirror their parents used to own holds the answer to her darkest questions. Upon locating the long-lost looking glass, Kaylie's deepest fears are confirmed -- a menacing force inhabits that mirror, and it has plagued every owner who has come into possession of it. Now, as curious Kaylie reacquires the mirror, the nightmarish cycle of horror returns with a vengeance."

Initially, when I saw the trailer for Oculus I thought the concept of playing with perception was really cool for a horror film, but when I got into the theater I realized it was more of a psychological thriller than a horror film. The concept was still cool, but the film itself was a bit confusing. Throughout the film, the time constantly switches from past to present so it was sometimes really hard to figure out what was actually happening. Although that was distracting from the plot, it may have been intentional. In the film, the characters struggle to decipher what is reality and what is not, so perhaps the filmmakers wanted the audience to feel just as confused as the characters did. Overall, it was a pretty interesting movie and I'd recommend it.

Film Review #30

A few days(ish)a go, I re-watched Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters. The film is a modern retelling of the tale Hansel and Gretel, however the film focuses on their (adult) life after their interaction with the witch and the candy house. Although the film is based around a children's tale, it is pretty bold, violent, and gory. That element works for the film though, because it helps to carry the intensity of the action. Throughout the film Hansel and Gretel fight off and capture many witches, ogres, and other mystical creatures deemed to be dangerous. The film is a bit reminiscent of the Crucible, because speculation of a witch in the film was very similar to the speculation of a witch during the Salem witch trials. Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters is a pretty cool action movie and I'd totally recommend it.

Film Review #29

Today I saw a commercial for Nippon Paint called Piece of Cake. The commercial featured a young couple waking up from bed, getting dressed, and performing a task stereotyped for a sex different than their own. Initially the woman walks out of the bathroom dressed in a pretty blouse with an apron and the guy walks into the bedroom wearing a simple t-shirt and jeans. They then grab each others hand and do a fancy spin, causing them to switch places in the frame as well as switch clothing. At this point the guy is now dressed nicely with the apron, while the woman is dressed uber casually. The guy goes on to ice and decorate a cake and the woman goes on to paint and decorate a wall. Throughout the activity, both of them are performing the same actions but in a way that corresponds with what their doing (while the guy is stirring the icing, the woman is stirring the paint). What makes the commercial really cool is that the entire thing is split screen. Viewers are able to see how perfectly synced the two of them are, especially when their actions bleed through to the other side of the screen. Overall, this was a super cute and fun commercial.

Watch it Here:
https://vimeo.com/90936968