Sparkling Vampires, CGI Wolves, and Romantic Cheese

The Twilight Saga: New Moon

Directed By: Chris Weitz

Starring: Kristen Stewart, Taylor Lautner, Robert Pattinson

Rated: PG-13

2 hrs. 10 min.

Stephenie Meyer's Twilight Saga continues with the second installment, New Moon. It's Bella's birthday, and she's a little upset that she's now, God forbid, one year older than the eternally-seventeen Edward Cullen. After an incident with Edward's brother Jasper Hale at her birthday party, Edward is convinced the safest thing for Bella is if the Cullens left town. After his departure, Bella remains in a state of depression, and the only person able to take her out of it is her sunny Quileute friend Jacob. However, Jacob Black has a secret of his own. And now, with a pack of wolves in the forests of Forks, there's more danger lurking. But are the wolves the real danger? And when Edward is mistaken about Bella's fate, what does he do in response?

It's no surprise that the first installment of this series, Twilight, was a huge success, despite the fact that, in all honesty, it was terrible. The acting lacked, the cinematography was amateur and just as cheesy as the dialogue. Of course, the cheesiness is part of the teen romance formula. New Moon is certainly a great improvement. The direction of Chris Weitz is exponentially better than Catherine Hardwicke's. The boring blue tint is gone, replaced with a warm brown tint. The acting has improved, albeit only slightly in the case of franchise stars Kristen Stewart (Bella) and Robert Pattinson (Edward). Taylor Lautner holds his own surprisingly well as Jacob Black, even having to be shirtless for the majority of the film. The actors playing the roles of The Volturi were creepy yet quirky.

The writing is another improvement. There are less lines that make you cringe, but being based on the book, it still has its fair amount of cheese. The special effects are also slightly improved. The sparkling effect imposed on the vampires when they step into sunlight was re-imagined, and even in the flashbacks to the first movie one can see that in post-production the sparkling was tweeked. The CGI wolves were a little lack-luster; the animators could probably have spent a little more time making finer adjustments to the fur and the movements of the wolves, but they were satisfactory.

Overall, New Moon is a great improvement over Twilight. One can only hope the third installment, Eclipse, out June 2010, surpasses it.

Grade: C+

CUCALORUS FILM FESTIVAL: Shadow Billionaire

Shadow Billionaire

Directed By: Alexis Spraic

1 hrs. 26 min.

This documentary feature explores the mysterious death of DHL founder and self-made billionaire Larry Hillblom and the subsequent court battle over his estate between Hillblom's power-hungry business partners and Philippine women who claim to be the mothers of his illegitimate children.

Shadow Billionaire is a brilliant film. Spraic has crafted a mystery story into a thrilling legal piece that represents a David and Goliath tale; the poor Philippine women and their cunning lawyer are David, and the rich and established business partners and big-time lawyers are Goliath.

The viewer starts out believing that these women are out for money because of the destitute state they are in, but as we learn the truth behind Larry's supposed friends, we easily see who is telling the truth. That truth and how the headstrong Philippine lawyer discovers it are shocking.

Shadow Billionaire is a masterpiece.

Grade: A+

CUCALORUS FILM FESTIVAL: The House of the Devil

The House of the Devil

Directed By: Ti West

Starring: Jocelin Donahue, Tom Noonan, Mary Woronov, Greta Gerwig

Rated: R

1 hrs. 33 min.

Co-Ed Samantha, in need of money to pay her rent on a new apartment, takes a baby-sitting job that is more than she bargained for.

The House of the Devil is obviously meant as an homage to horror flicks of the 70s and 80s; unfortunately, it unwittingly comes off as a spoof. The opening sequence creates a good knowing laugh for fans in the know, but every throwback after just seems like a joke.

Ti West certainly enjoys a slow burn rather than constant chills and thrills, and slow burns are truly effective in creating unease and tension in a viewer. In this case, the slow burn just sort of fizzles out. It seems as if the entire film drags on for incredibly too long. True, in Samantha's situation, one would snoop around the house of a brand new baby-sitting employer, but as a sequence it just does not work to pull tension. The ending also lacks the punch expected after the rest of the drawn out scenes.

Despite the lack-luster story, the acting is brilliant by leading lady Jocelin Donahue. No matter how frankly boring the scenes can be, she still keeps you in your seat just to see her performance as Samantha. Another actor that steals every scene in which she appears is Gwen Gerwig as Samantha's best friend Megan. Gerwig plays the role so believably, she reminds you of that one outstandingly sarcastic and witty person in your own circle of friends.

No matter how stellar the acting within it, The House of the Devil is unable to stir the fear one hopes for from a horror film.

Grade: D

CUCALORUS FILM FESTIVAL: That Evening Sun

That Evening Sun

Directed By: Scott Teems

Starring: Hal Holbrook, Ray McKinnon, Carrie Preston

Rated: PG-13

1 hrs. 50 min.

Abner Meecham (Hal Holbrook, All the President's Men, Into the Wild) leaves a retirement community to return to his Tennessee farm, only to discover that his son has rented it out to a family whose father, Lonzo Choat (Ray McKinnon, Deadwood), is a notable low-life. In order to get his home back, Abner resolves to stand his ground, literally, in hopes of forcing the family out.

That Evening Sun, which is based on a short story by William Gay entitled I Hate to See That Evening Sun Go Down, is a true masterpiece. Not only is the adapted script well written, but the film in its entirety is beautifully crafted. It portrays the life of an aging man gracefully without coming off as condescending. Countless breathtaking compositions make up each scene, with some of the most wonderful cinematography that some Oscar contenders, past and present, cannot even compete with.

The camera work is not the only aspect of That Evening Sun that deserves recognition; tall of the actors are truly inspiring. Hal Holbrook deserves an Oscar nomination, if not a win, for his triumphant leading performance. He is able to make any viewer of any age sympathize with his situation and truly feel for Abner as a character. Ray McKinnon is also a bright star, supported brilliantly by Carrie Preston (True Blood), as his soft-spoken yet headstrong wife, and by Mia Wasikowska (In Treatment, the upcoming Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland) as his daughter Pamela.

That Evening Sun is truly a must-see; it is a film which deserves distribution throughout the country. It is currently open only in New York City, and will be open Friday, November 20th, in Los Angeles. Hopefully it will make it into theaters nationwide, because it deserves to be seen by all audiences. It speaks on many levels about the troubles of aging and is a perfect display of the South in all its glory.

Grade: A+

CUCALORUS FILM FESTIVAL: TiMER

TiMER

Directed By: Jac Schaeffer

Starring: Emma Caulfield, John Patrick Amedori

1 hrs. 39 min.

The TiMER counts down until the day you meet your soulmate. Oona's (Buffy the Vampire Slayer's Emma Caulfield) TiMER, however, is blank, which means her soulmate has yet to get his installed. She's constantly dating guys without TiMERs and accompanying them to get their TiMER installed in the hope she's finally found The One. Desperate, Oona breaks her own rules and dates grocery store cashier Mikey (John Patrick Amedori, Stick It), who already has a TiMER that is slowly counting down from four months.

TiMER is a particularly charming romantic comedy. It attempts to re-examine our reliance on technology in a new way, as Oona struggles to decide if she should really rely on a clock implanted in her wrist to tell her when she is in true love. Emma Caulfield is delightful in the role of Oona, but its Michelle Borth as her free-spirited step-sister Steph who steals every scene in which she appears. Borth has an energy that makes you wish she were in your own family.

As enjoyable as the film is, however, the ending is not only predictable, but a little disappointing. Considering the message about our reliance on technology that the film sends, even though I knew what would happen in the end, I still feel it fell back on its intended message. Either way, TiMER is a fun film.

Grade: B+

Cucalorus Film Festival 2009

The Cucalorus Film Festival kicks off its 15th run in Wilmington, NC on Wednesday and ends on Sunday, November 15th. I will be attending a few of the screenings and reviewing those films right here, so be on the look out for those.

Check here for more information on the Cucalorus Film Festival.

Jumps, Ouija Boards, and a Hand-Held Camera

Paranormal Activity

Directed By: Oren Peli

Starring: Katie Featherston, Micah Sloat

Rated: R

1 hrs. 26 min.

Twentysomething couple Micah and Katie are plagued by unexplainable phenomena in their shared home in San Diego, California. Katie believes an entity has been following her since childhood, and Micah purchases a camera to capture its activity. When noises and shadows, among other frightening things, are captured, Micah brings in a Ouija board, against Katie's wishes, to contact the spirit; Micah only succeeds in making their situation exponentially worse.

Paranormal Activity is a brilliant horror flick that pulls inspiration from previous films such as The Blair Witch Project, both in the way it was promoted (through heavy internet marketing) and in the way it was filmed. Shot for only $11,000 in the director's home on hand-held video camera, Paranormal Activity feels shockingly real and that makes it seem even more frightening. The two main actors even used their actual names, and title cards at the beginning and end suggest it is based on a true story.

Seeing Paranormal Activity is a must for any fan of horror flicks. The thought of something out of your control occurring in your home while you sleep is absolutely terrifying. The sounds that occur in the quietest moments creates perfect tension. There are moments that are quiet and suspenseful, and there are moments that will make you jump. Everything builds towards the shocking ending that will leave you in fear of sleeping alone in the dark.

As truly exceptional as the film is in its scares, there are moments that seem unnecessary or too drawn out. The beginning seems to drag on, and it doesn't get interesting until phenomena begin occurring in the house. Two or three of the "nights" shown could more than likely have been condensed in order to leave room for more actual paranormal activity.

While the beginning is a little too slow building, Paranormal Activity is an overall spectacular horror film.

Grade: A-