DON'T LOOK UP -
2005
Sony Pictures
Rated: USA: R |
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What do Living In Oblivion, Day For Night and Bowfinger have in common? They are movies about making movies that I happen to enjoy very much. What does DON'T LOOK UP have in common with the aforementioned three? It's a movie about making a movie. What separates it is that it's a horror film that I didn't particularly enjoy.
I believe DON'T LOOK UP is Fruit Chan's 11th film. The only other film I've seen of his was the DUMPLINGS segment in the Chinese Horror Anthology THREE EXTREMES, which I liked. DUMPLINGS centered around an aging actress desperately trying to hold onto her youthful looks and hears about a woman in some province who makes a dumplings with a unique ingredient that makes women appear younger.
With this latest film, it turns out that DON'T LOOK UP is a remake of a 1996 supernatural thriller, (titled Joyû-rei aka GHOST ACTRESS) by Hideo Nakata (RINGU, RINGU 2, DARK WATER [2002], THE RING TWO), and I'm imagining that Hideo's film is far superior to this hackneyed mess from Chan.
The story centers around a film crew being haunted by the spectre of a dead woman, ultimately driving the crew to madness and some fall prey to some brutal deaths.
According to DON'T LOOK UP's screenwriter, Brian Cox (not to be confused with the actor), the original film was simpler and straightforward in it's storytelling, which I think this version needed to be. The whole back-story elements and flashbacks that have been added only make this version appear unfocused and convoluted.
The good things the film has going for it are the technical aspects, such as lighting, color palette and the Romanian film stage set design. In addition, there are some nifty graphic gore scenes, including a very nasty birthing scene that ends comically (intentionally so, of course).
Unfortunately, everything else is poorly executed from camera angles, framing and zooms to plenty of overacting from performers like Henry Thomas (RED VELVET) and lead actor Reshad Strik (THE HILLS HAVE EYES II remake). The one performance I did like was LIVING IN OBLIVION alumni Kevin Corrigan, who plays another snarky character to add to his resume.
Furthermore, those gore scenes aren't really necessary, and they feel like this is the only thing that Chan could rely on, since this movie is totally devoid of any real terror and creepy atmosphere.
Also, Eli Roth (CABIN FEVER, HOSTEL, HOSTEL II) has a cameo in the unnecessary prologue, and he's not bad. At least, he came across a tad better than his dialogue scenes in Quentin Tarantino's INGLOURIOUS BASTARDS (2009).
I'm really curious to see Nakata's original film, given he crafted such a beautifully suspenseful supernatural tale with the highly influential RINGU (aka THE RING - 1998) and DARK WATER (2002). I wonder how he feels about this remake. The basic story is enough to create a pretty good horror film. I'm just not sure if Fruit Chan has what it takes to create a terrifying ghost story that doesn't rely heavily on in your face make-up FX (and unconvincing) CGI effects. In contrast, his DUMPLINGS film was more psychological horror, and was pretty effective from what I remember of it. That said, I will admit that the "ghost" in this remake is pretty gnarly looking, and she occasionally mimics the "Sadako" spectre in RINGU with the bulging, staring eye. But that's not enough to recommend this film; unless you don't mind the cheese factor that this current incarnation of DON'T LOOK UP exudes.
I give it 2 Shriek Girls.
This review
copyright 2010 E.C.McMullen Jr.
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