Showing posts with label Sci-fi. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sci-fi. Show all posts

Review: Patrick (2013)

Patrick (2013)
Director: Mark Hartley
Writer: Justin King
Stars: Charles Dance, Rachel Griffiths, Sharni Vinson



Summary: Behind the walls of Roget Clinic, which specializes in the care of coma cases, a supposedly brain-dead patient is subjected to brutal experiments.

At the time of viewing this movie, I was unaware that Patrick was a remake of a movie by the same name that was made in 1978. J.W. Brewer, if you were planning on doing a “Remake Vs. Original” of this franchise, I do apologize. But I am going to go out on a limb and just assume the original was better after having only watched the remake.

The movie starts with a nurse at the clinic snooping around in the basement and being killed by a needle to the eye from an unknown person. We then cut to the heroine of the story, Kathy Jacquard (played by Sharni Vinson), applying for a job at the clinic. She is a highly educated expert in the care of comatose patients and is hired by Dr. Roget (Charles Dance) immediately. He does warn her though, that what he is doing at the clinic is very avant-garde and that he is taking drastic steps to improve, perhaps even awaken at will, a person in a comatose state.


While Kathy is getting used to the hospital and its coma patients (who are all topless and in one single room), we learn that Kathy is on the run from something in her life which led her to Roget’s clinic. Her friends wonder on her (imitation) Facebook page where she is and why she is avoiding phone calls.


The only coma patient with his own room is Patrick, who strangely has his eyes wide open and has a muscle spasm where he randomly spits. This is Dr. Roget’s special project. And the method of testing he uses is…a little off. He basically puts two electrical probes to Patrick’s temples and electroshocks the shit out of his head. According to Roget, he is trying to awaken long dead neurons in the hopes that the patient will make a full recovery.


For the first and second act of this movie, it relied heavily on a build-up of jump scares and eerie settings to keep the viewer interested. And then…something happens. While Kathy is alone with Patrick after one of his treatments, she learns that Patrick can actually feel and can communicate through his spitting (spit once for yes, twice for no). She tests him by touching his face, his chest, his feet, and then…



Wait. What? Hold on. Is she trying to give him a hand job? Fortunately, Kathy is interrupted by the head nurse, but what the hell was that about? What was her end game there? It was such an odd thing to happen in the movie and was so out of character. From what we saw of Kathy previously, she is intelligent, self-assured and independent. So why the hell is she sticking her hand down Patrick’s pants? Was it medical? Was she looking for a reaction? Why not just tickle his feet? It was one of those things you couldn’t really disregard. If you think I am dwelling too much on the attempted hand-jibber, I wish I was, but this little moment turns into the crux of the third act.

Patrick will only communicate with Kathy and no one else, which causes Kathy to second-guess her sanity, especially when Patrick begins to communicate through the computer monitor in his room. At this point, I was wondering if the director was going to go for one of those clichéd, no-longer-a-twist endings where maybe Kathy is the one in the coma and all the events that she is experiencing were symptoms of her illness or random firing of neurons, some crap like that. The scene structure of the movie sets up for such an ending, as each scene just kind of appears with no set-up, much like a series of dream sequences. Whoever she interacts with seems to hurt themselves, and although it was not as frenetic and feverish as say, Jacob’s Ladder, there were some odd things going on. 

So, I was intrigued. I at least wanted to know if I was right about how it would end. There was some decent suspense and intrigue built up and leading into the last half hour of the movie. What will happen with the coma patient who is being experimented on by a desperate, half-mad doctor as well as a nurse who is struggling with bouts of delusions? And then I watched the movie shit all over the proverbial bed.

Telekinesis. They went with Telekinesis. Apparently, for each of Patrick’s treatments, he was getting stronger and was able to better control objects with his mind, even from miles away. Patrick is controlling cars, he’s taking over people’s computers, he’s making phone calls. Not only is he making phone calls, but he’s also controlling the people he calls through the goddamn telephone if they pick up the receiver. Why, he can make a man melt his hands in a sandwich press if he wants. At one point, he doesn’t even need to make the phone calls. He just wills himself into another’s body, whether they are alive or dead.

Toward the end, Dr. Roget gets so desperate for results from the testing that he literally amps up the treatment, giving Patrick all sorts of telekinetic powers. Because that’s how electricity works. Let that be a lesson to you, kids: If you’ve ever wanted to do a Jedi-mind trick, like Luke Skywalker reaching for his lightsaber, then all you need to do is grab your favorite fork and jam it into the nearest electrical socket.

This third act was so terrible, it felt like I was watching someone smear themselves with their own shit. Sweet little Patrick was actually admitted to the clinic right after he killed his mother and her boyfriend and tried to off himself. And now he was obsessed with Kathy. Why? Because she showed him some care and consideration. Oh, and the hand job. Patrick was really keen on getting that hand job. In order to convince her to finish the (hand) job, Patrick controls all of the coma patients by making them sit up straight and say, “Patrick wants his hand job.” No, I am not kidding.


Now, if Patrick could control multiple people at will, couldn’t he have just taken over Kathy’s body and finished his hand job then? It would have given a whole new spin on “the stranger” masturbation technique. And it would have saved me a lot of frustration watching this dreck.

The movie turned into such a farce; I hardly even noticed the ending. I was half-expecting Leslie Nielson to come into Patrick’s room and go, “I just wanted to tell you both good luck, we’re all counting on you.”



Kathy kills Patrick somehow, in a way that I didn’t really care about, but right after she does so, Patrick gives himself one last surge of electricity and flies his body out the goddamn window to kill himself. Again. And I couldn’t stop laughing.

- Michael Jenkins

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Review: Monkey Shines (1988)

Monkey Shines (1988)
Director: George A. Romero
Writers: Michael Stewart (novel), George A. Romero (screenplay)
Stars: Jason Beghe, John Pankow, Kate McNeil



George A. Romero will always and forever be, to many, the master and originator of zombie horror. Monkey Shines, however, does not fall under this category. The “odd guy out," if you will.  I had not seen it until last Monday and it was not at all what I was expecting, out of Romero or in general. This was not necessarily a bad thing. I will keep this review short and sweet this time around.

Monkey Shines is about a quadriplegic man named Allan, who becomes paired up with a trained monkey named Ella. What he does not know, is that Ella was also part of an experiment which allowed her to tap into his deepest feelings of rage, which she carried out for him.

This film was an interesting one because it reminded me a bit of Re-Animator and how the bulk of the movie was slow paced and then just wallops your sensory organs with the last half hour or so. For the most part, it seemed to me to be a basically-sci-fi, not-really-horror movie. It was mainly about this cute little monkey who progressed in intelligence through an experiment. She then started to become slightly naughtier with the storyline, which all in all was pretty tame. There was not a whole lot of gore or horror really, which was actually a nice break, although unexpected and in this case, a little disappointing. My mind wasn’t totally blown by this film, and it didn’t exactly feel like a Romero film ought to. Yes, it was not meant to be just like one of his zombie flicks, but it felt a little too disconnected from his directing style. It is possible though that I’m a bit tainted after familiarizing myself with a gorier video library. If you are looking for and expecting something more in the vein of a psychological, science fiction flick, I would say give it a shot. It’s definitely nothing I will back-shelve, and it was worth taking a look at what else a familiar film director could do.

- Jasmine Casimir

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Review: Videodrome (1983)


Videodrome (1983)
Director: David Cronenberg

“Long live the new flesh.” James Woods (Vampires) plays a sleazy television executive – as if there’s any other kind – looking for the next big thing when he stumbles upon a pirated broadcast, the eponymous Videodrome. Featuring torture and murder, Videodrome instantly begins to fascinate him and his new masochistic girlfriend, played by Deborah Harry of Blondie (Super 8). As Woods begins to investigate the source of the signal, he stumbles onto a man who lives only on video tape, a church that treats the homeless with endless hours of television, and the fact that Videodrome produces a brain tumor that causes violent hallucinations.

Finding that the signal originates in Pittsburgh (is that really such a surprise?) Woods begins to investigate the reality of these broadcasts and disappearance of Harry. Eventually, he becomes a pawn in an ongoing war for control of the future, with much delightfully disgusting Cronenberg body-horror along the way. Highlights include a vagina in Woods’ stomach, a literal hand grenade, and death by cancer-causing flesh bullet (I think it was Freud who said a flesh bullet is never just a flesh bullet). Warning: personal enjoyment of this kind of thing may vary.

It’s not hard to see the way Cronenberg predicted our modern media landscape, from reality television to YouTube. What else is the “new flesh” but our modern lives lived anonymously over the computer? As people give more and more of their lives over to technology, so much so, that even in the poorest towns in third world countries you can find people with cell phones, it’s reasonable to wonder what this all means for the future and to feel a certain fear for our humanity. It’s this part of the movie that feels the most relevant and engaging. Not to mention the always enjoyable Woods and those special effects provided by master Rick Baker (The Howling) mentioned before.

However, there’s always something about stories emphasizing the dangers of technology that comes across as a little silly and retrograde. Were there plays about the dangers of radio when it was first introduced? Did people tap out stories where telegraphs merge with humans, one dot and dash at a time? Anytime new technology is invented, someone is going to write a story showing the dark side of said technology, and it will always wind up looking a little dated and goofy (I’m looking at youThe Net.) It’s kinda hard here not to laugh when several scenes involve evil, pulsating Betamax tapes.

The story also gets a little too bogged down in its philosophies. There doesn’t need to be clear delineations of good and evil but the differences between various factions in this movie is hard to parse. One wants to use the Videodrome signal as a weapon (I think), the other wants to welcome members into a new reality of life-everlasting on video (or something like that). No movie needs to spoon feed morals and lessons, or even clarity, but it’s hard to see a point other than “too much television is bad.” Sex and violence aren’t the future of entertainment, they’re as old as humanity itself.

Still, the power and seduction of Videodrome is undeniable. All you have to do is walk down the street and watch people unable to put down their smartphones to wonder if the future predicted in this movie is already here. Cronenberg has style and talent to spare and it’s easy to get sucked in, kinda like Woods pushing his face into an undulating television screen. If a brain tumor is the result, then long live the new flesh.

- David Kempski

An analysis of "Hollow Man" (2000)

 


"Hollow Man," released in 2000 and directed by Paul Verhoeven, is a science fiction thriller that explores the consequences of unchecked scientific experimentation and the ethical dilemmas surrounding invisibility. The film stars Kevin Bacon as Dr. Sebastian Caine, a brilliant scientist leading a top-secret government project to achieve invisibility.

Plot Summary: The narrative follows Dr. Caine and his team as they successfully develop a serum that renders living organisms invisible. Initially driven by the potential benefits for military applications, the project takes a dark turn when Caine, consumed by his own ambition and desire for power, decides to test the serum on himself. As the invisible man, he becomes increasingly unstable and dangerous, leading to a series of horrific events within the confines of the research facility.

Themes:

  1. Ethical Dilemmas: "Hollow Man" delves into the ethical implications of scientific advancements, particularly the question of how newfound abilities can corrupt individuals. The film raises concerns about the responsible use of power and the consequences of playing with the boundaries of human knowledge.

  2. Isolation and Alienation: Invisibility becomes a metaphor for isolation and alienation. As Caine becomes invisible, he loses his connection to humanity, both physically and emotionally. The film explores the psychological toll of being cut off from society and the impact on one's moral compass.

  3. Hubris and Power: Dr. Caine's descent into madness serves as a cautionary tale about the dangers of unchecked ambition and the pursuit of power. The film suggests that the desire for dominance and control can lead to destructive consequences.

Characterization: Kevin Bacon delivers a compelling performance as Dr. Sebastian Caine, effectively portraying the character's descent into madness. Elisabeth Shue plays Linda McKay, Caine's ex-girlfriend and fellow scientist, adding depth to the story as she becomes entangled in the ethical and moral quagmire created by Caine's actions.

Visual Effects: "Hollow Man" was notable for its advanced visual effects at the time, showcasing the challenges and drawbacks of invisibility in a visually engaging manner. The film effectively utilizes special effects to depict the invisible Caine and the disturbing transformation he undergoes.

Critique: While "Hollow Man" received praise for its visual effects and Bacon's performance, some critics noted a lack of depth in the supporting characters and found the film's violence and gore excessive. The focus on suspense and horror elements overshadowed the potential for a more profound exploration of the ethical themes introduced in the narrative.

Conclusion: "Hollow Man" is a thought-provoking science fiction thriller that explores the ethical and moral consequences of scientific experimentation. Through its engaging narrative, strong performances, and cutting-edge visual effects, the film offers a cautionary tale about the dangers of unchecked ambition and the potential dark side of human nature when granted extraordinary powers. Despite some criticisms, "Hollow Man" remains a notable entry in the sci-fi genre, contributing to discussions about the ethical responsibilities of scientific advancements.