seems intent on making us feel
bad for enjoying horror movies
by giving us a story completely
devoid of what’s generally considered a good time. What those
film-makers fail to get through
their judgmental heads is that
we don’t get off on the violence,
we get off on the fear. The ascent of the rollercoaster is far
scarier than the descent - it’s the
fear of what’s around the next
corner, what’s making those
noises behind that door. The real
terror isn’t on the screen, it’s in
the thick fog of our psyches. The
dentist’s chair is never as terrifying as the dental appointment.
Because it relies so much on
lighting, framing and camera
movement, horror is the most
cinematic of all genres and requires real talent to make it
work. Here the lighting is abominable, the framing nonsensical,
and movement consists solely
of shakey-cam. For some bizarre
reason we are constantly treated
to the backs of character’s heads
rather than their faces. The director doesn’t seem to understand
that acting is in the eyes, not the
ears. Zombie, arrogant in the
way only musicians can be, displayed zero talent as a film-maker, yet somehow got to make a
sequel to this disaster.
Few were surprised when his
Halloween turned out to be a
cinematic travesty.
½ star out of 5
NewJerseyStage.com
2015 - ISSUE 10
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