So first up was "You're Next", the newest offering from writer/director team Adam Wingard and Simon Barrett (A Horrible Way to Die, V/H/S). This one got great reviews and did really well at the box office this summer.
"When the Davison family comes under attack during their wedding anniversary getaway, the gang of mysterious killers soon learns that one of victims harbors a secret talent for fighting back. " So honestly, the first part of the film had me worrying. The usual cast of Wingard actors were involved (AJ Bowen, Joe Swanberg ) which I love. (Side note: Ti West in his short but pretentious role, so funny!). I love a good film pack (a la Rob Zombie and Tarantino). The characters though, SO annoying. Typical family stuff, fighting and bickering but man, aside from our oh-so-obvious-heroine, not many redeeming characters. The plot starts out as a pretty standard home invasion. I just kept thinking, "This is Strangers but much less scary", right down to the masks. Must also make note of the swaying camera work. As you all know, I'm not a big fan of found-footage and this style of camera work leans dangerously close to that territory. I know it's supposed to mimick eye contact and make things seem more intense/chaotic but nope. Not a fan. Hold the camera relatively steady please.
Thank god the second half threw a twist and really brought the movie alive. Another female empowerment role! Sharni Vinson was awesome and totally kicked ass! I wonder if Adam Wingard purposely made the first part of the movie a little ho hum in order to win you back and shock you a bit in the second portion. Hmmm...
Also, much mention the sountrack! I loved the original score. Kind of 80s electronic and totally worked (reminded me a bit of "Drive"). You will become very familiar with "Looking for the magic" by the Dwight Twilley Band. It's great and really works. Also great, the gore! Some really good death scenes (blender, all I'm gonna say). Definitely didn't scrimp on that aspect, thankfully :)
I really enjoyed this movie! The 2nd half made it and the twists, although not overtly original, felt fresh and modern. Loving Adam Wingard's work so far and looking forward to seeing what he'll churn out next!
And next, The Battery. I must admit, I actually watch this 2 nights in a row. It was that good. I'm actually surprised I loved it as much as I did as it is a bit of a slow burn for a zombie film. It's such a perfect combo of good, writing, film making, acting and soundtrack that it just works beautifully. They don't come along like this to often. And filmed on a $6,000 budget? Impressive.
"The personalities of two former baseball players clash as they traverse the rural back roads of a post-plague New England teeming with the undead."
The movie really threw me for a loop. It was very understated but it hit a lot of emotional cords. It was funny and heart breaking and scary and just...real. I think the (very well done) low budget feel really added to that feel of realness. You could truly picture yourself in the scenario. The acting was great. Writer, director, and star Jeremy Gardner was so fantastic. His dance and song scene was like the best music video I've ever seen.
The soundtrack kind of deserves its own reviews. The music is so important to the film, it's like another character. Each and every song fits perfectly into it's scene. I'm usually not a fan of complete soundtracks, I like a good musical score but this one of the better couplings of modern music and film I've seen in quick a while.
So indie genre film makers take note! This is how it's done! With heart and honesty. Just goes to show, the budget doesn't necessarily matter, you can still turn out a fantastic film. And to go back to my previous found-footage ranting, this movie could have easily been, but it wasn't. All in all, this gives me hope for the future of the genre!! Goes without saying but I abso-fucking-lutely loved it.
Nights like this make me realize why I love this genre so much :) Happy place!!
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