Three short ones

In lieu of three posts, here's a conglomeration of what I've watched lately. The Ten (David Wain, 2007) I am the queen of hyperbole; for instance, how many times can I say that a movie was one of my most anticipated of the year? Add another one to the total. The Ten is the comedy of the year, from David Wain (The State< Stella, Wet Hot American Summer, all of which I am a fanatic for) and Ken Marino. Here's a comedy that's foul, juvenile, and sacreligious, all without being too stupid. Everyone and their mom is in this movie, from Jessica Alba (cute and surprisingly funny) to Winona Ryder to Justin Theroux as Jesus. Ten vignettes, each interpreting a commandment. Wain said he wanted to make a funny version of The Decalogue, and he most definitely succeeded. Hilarity on the level of Wain's other projects abounds. 9/10 Tenebre (Dario Argento, 1982) If you ever visit the actual site, you'll probably notice the new header, a beautiful brunette sitting at a table, holding a gun with an almost indescribable expression: part fear, part laughter, part sadness. This is my favorite moment from Tenebre, Argento's incredibly beautiful giallo masterpiece. It's suspenseful (I didn't see the end coming, for sure), but more than that, it shows the beauty that is possible in horror movies. When one character falls through a mirror with her throat slit, right into the camera, it's more stunning than anything else. Not to sound like a serial killer or anything. Argento topped himself here, horror with a surprise ending that satisfies the gore enthusiast as well as the cineaste. 9/10 Martin (George A Romero, 1977) Finally, George A Romero's problematic, but rewarding, Martin, about a young man who thinks he's a vampire. Is he, or is he just insane? Well, he gets the blood from his victims with the use of a razorblade with fangs, only one of the clever details in the film. But while the details are solid, the movie as a whole is less so. Martin changes mid-film, from a scared/scary young man who never speaks more than three words at a time to a man who enters a relationship with a married woman without wanting to kill her. How? Why? Martin's character is unfufilled; I wanted to know something about his past, how he came to believe he is (or be) this creature. But the very last scene is one of the best examples of dramatic irony I've ever seen, so I recommend seeing it if only for that. 7/10

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Day of the Dead (George A. Romero, 1985)

Dawn of the Dead is arguably the best horror movie ever, and pretty much the best zombie movie ever (even the 2004 remake is pretty damn good). So even though 1985's Day of the Dead, with its bleak world view and claustrophobic feel, is a good movie, it doesn't stand a chance next to its predecessor. Set a few years (I think) after DotD, it involves some of the only survivors of the zombie plague. Instead of hiding in a mall, they are now in an underground bunker, and divided into three strict groups: military, scientists who want to study the zombies, and civilians who want nothing more than to live out their last days happily. They are living underground, in a bunker where they both hide from the zombies, and trap some so Dr. Frankenstein (as he's called) can do experiments on them. The doctor has a pet, Bub, who is a really likeable zombie who can talk (sort of), recognize everyday objects, and have enough emotions to become attached to the doctor. Bub is really the best part of the movie, and when he salutes in his final scene, you want to cheer. Romero again is making a statement on human nature, and how we are our own worst enemies, even when faces with the undead. There's fighting within the groups, which turns, inevitably, to violence and bloodshed. In the end, the heroine Sarah and her colleagues are running as much from the military as they are from the zombies. The movie is tense and angry until the zombies inevitably get into the compound, and when they do, there's a lot of really great and unique gore. The social commentary doesn't work as well as in Dawn, but for a likeable zombie hero and some better than average gore, you can't go wrong with Romero. 7/10 RIYL: The Dead series (many elements that were supposed to be in Day appear and are expanded upon in 2005's Land of the Dead)

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