(2002)
Dir - Michael Rymer
Overall: MEH
The largely mangled and forgotten Queen of the Damned is indeed an enormously dated bit of Hot Topic schlock, but it manages to not get a hundred percent of its proponents completely wrong at least. Serving as a B-movie, stand-alone sequel to Neil Jordan and author Anne Rice's top-notch Interview with the Vampire, Rice's persistent attempts to be involved in the follow-up were rejected by those who ultimately put it into production. Largely because of this, the story here only hits a few bullet points from the source material and quite vaguely at that. The rushed and choppy amalgam of the title novel and The Vampire Lestat, (books two and three in Rice's Vampire Chronicles), is hardly the biggest issue though. Director Michael Rymer's approach to the material is to crank up the camp to parody levels and let every scene play out like a Saturday Night Live sketch that is tearing Goth culture a new asshole. Johnathan Davis' voice seems laughably inappropriate for Stuart Townsend's endlessly smirking Lestat, but the nu metal approach to the character as rock star makes as much sense as logically possible for the era. Of course the movie is mostly infamous for being the last project that Aaliyah was involved in and though she clearly could have went out on something more redeemable, she does make a solid, hammy, and immortal villain.
(2005)
Dir - Wes Craven
Overall: WOOF
The much botched Cursed has been largely disowned by many of the parties involved and for solid reasons. Two and a half years in production, three different versions were filmed with the final, PG-13, CGI werewolfed one being universally regarded as the most craptacular. Writer/director team Wes Craven and Kevin Williamson essentially attempt a hip, lycanthropian version of Scream that is ten times more lame. Most of the blame lies at the feet of studio executives though who kept demanding re-writes, re-shoots, and re-casting while dumping more money in some areas while cutting costs in others. Firing Stan Winston of all legends from creating the practical werewolf effects should be grounds enough to have one's union card permanently revoked and indeed, the film's cartoony visuals are pathetically realized. Most of the cast has a difficult time taking the material seriously, not that anyone could blame them. Joshua Jackson in particular hardly ever disguises the smirk on his face and the schlock is pilled on plenty thick everywhere else. Throw in some B-rent celebrity cameos and an awful soundtrack, (Bowling for Soup's suicide-induing version of "Li'l Red Riding Hood" anyone?), and yes, this should be avoided at all costs.
(2008)
Dir - Bryan Bertino
Overall: MEH
There is a better movie lurking somewhere in writer/director Bryan Bertino's debut The Strangers; a flawed effort that subverts several cliches while painfully sticking to others. Bertino had originally sold the script rights to Universal after submitting his screenplay into a contest, getting the chance to get behind the lens as well once several directors eventually bowed out. There are one or two excellent moments here, (particularly the first glimpse we get of one of the masked title characters who is creeping out of focus in the background with no obnoxious screechy noise on the soundtrack to usher in his arrival), and the first act establishes a foreboding mood that is much appropriate. As things go on though, it becomes a combination of the bad guys being incredibly lucky and the victims being incredibly dumb. Here lies the biggest problem in that an initially grounded set-up gives way to the worst kind of predictability where we are yelling at the movie instead of being taken up by what should be a very intense series of set pieces. It becomes a tiresome exercise in the process that is not as captivating as its "horror through random violence and isolated location" premise.
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