366 in 366 - Week 4

By Matt Cohen 

I’ve slowed down a bit in my movie consumption, and now, instead of being a few days ahead of the curve, I’m right on schedule. I hope to get back to my former position by next week.

1)  Re-Animator (1985) - A medical student’s new roommate experiments with a mysterious reagent that has the potential to give life to dead tissue. Though the source material, written by the legendary H.P. Lovecraft, was a blatant Frankenstein rip-off, Re-Animator has a unique position in horror canon. It is a zombie movie with very few zombies, a horror comedy with very few laughs, and character study from the perspective of an uninformed third party. The best thing to come out of this movie is the relationship of actors Jeffrey Combs and Barbara Crampton with director Stuart Gordon. The group would go on to make a variety of Lovecraft-inspired films, including a the absolutely delightful From Beyond. (9/10)

2) The Sheik (2015) - This documentary tells the life and career story of legendary pro wrestler Khosrow Vaziri, better known as the villainous Iron Sheik. As a huge of fan of pro wrestling in all its forms, it was very interesting to see a great number of important superstars praise the Sheik for his incredible work over the years (Dwayne Johnson is featured in various interviews!). What culminates is an emotional and at times disturbing story of how members of the wrestling industry, especially those who performed in its 1980s golden age, were left with crippling injuries and addictions that lead to severe disabilities later in life. (7/10)

3   3) The Spongebob Squarepants Movie (2004) - The loveable fry cook of the Krusty Krab must travel across the bottom of the sea to re-secure the crown of King Neptune before his boss is blamed for its removal. Watching this one again was a bit of a nostalgia trip, but also elucidated something within the film. To what I will attribute to memorable and creative writing, most of the jokes and fun moments in the movie are still highly quotable, and I found myself remembering whole chunks of dialog as if I had seen it again the day before. The voice work is outstanding as usual, and the spirit of the beloved show is not lost in the transition from small to silver screen. The one negative aspect I might point out is that this is not for those unfamiliar with the characters and plotlines of the show. (8.5/10)

This week’s standout selection (spoilers are included past the first paragraph of the review): Society (1989)

A wealthy teenager struggles with hallucinations that posit that his family may be involved in an unnatural incestuous ritual behind his back. This film, director by the produced of Re-Animator, fits phenomenally well into the late 80s rotation of anti-establishment and anti-consumerism horror/sci-fi comedies, sharing this place with films like They Live, Repo Man, and The Stuff. Immediately, this makes me a fan of this film. The 1980s zeitgeist screamed materialism, so films that criticize the period always seem to have a great amount of success. This is especially true for genre films and satires, as they are able to be the most biting without being in-your-face. I would highly recommend this film for fans of these movies, but not so much for those who aren’t enthralled with political horror.

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I have a huge complaint about this film. This is mostly because I really do love Society, but it could be so much better. The film attempts to build up suspense as to what the hallucinations main character Billy could be leading up to, but it falls flat. For one, the opening credits to the film are played over what is essentially a darkened collection of shots from the “shocking” finale, leaving the audience to expect what is coming. What should be a great reveal is only an expected conclusion. However, when the finale does arrive, it is quite the sight to behold.  The monster effects, crafted by industry favorite Screaming Mad George, are absolutely astounding. One of my favorite aspects of monster-centric movies is once the creatures are revealed and the inverse is established, the creative minds behind the film are able to go all out and produce some simply breathtaking monster designs. If only these monsters came unexpectedly, Society might garner a perfect 10 from me. (9/10)

Naturally, I’ve watched way more movies than just these so far this year. For a full, up-to-date list on what movies I’ve watched so far, check out this link:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1ONvaq887hN2dy1N7WrOqzNC0tSzrzivwcq0ltqTBcrE/edit?usp=sharing