Caught a couple I'd been meaning to see for ages this weekend, that lots of people have already commented on, but here's my two cents:
Tucker and Dale vs. Evil: 8/10
Do you like the Shaun of the Dead style of horror comedy (where the conventions are equally mocked and used. It makes fun of zombie films, yet still IS a good zombie film)? Have you seen one too many cabin-in-the-woods style slasher films? You'll love this. Every joke you see coming a mile away...which is sort of the point. The plot is contrived and unbelievable...which is sort of the point. The twist at the end...well, you see where I'm going with this. It's a film that does what it sets out to do, and does it well (Alan Tudyk, of course, always helps). Plenty of blood, plenty of stupid jokes and slapstick and pretty endearing characters. Again, more Shaun of the Dead than Evil Dead, but a good watch for fans of both.
Red State: 7/10
I don't think I've seen Kevin Smith be this complex since Chasing Amy. I'm certainly pre-disposed to liking his work, and there are moments that are recognizably Smith, but it's a very different film. A bit heavy handed, but that isn't inappropriate to the style of film. The first half of the movie owes as much to modern films such as Hostel as it does to horror films of the past, but about halfway through, the tone changes. Equally intense, but in a very different sort of way. Interestingly, even with the protagonists, there aren't really any "good guys". As the film escalates, Smith shows how almost every character has an opportunity to end it. "Thought provoking" and "Kevin Smith" don't often go hand in hand (unless Clerks 2 had you REALLY thinking about donkeys...) but some excellent performances by Michael Parks and John Goodman (and some passable-to-good performances by the rest of the cast) really made it. Again, heavy handed politics, but that's not really unusual for the genre (watch any given George Romero film...they're not subtle). Won't be everyone's cup of tea, but I loved it, and hoped Smith's "giving up on filmmaking" is just him being flakey. Again.
Tucker and Dale vs. Evil: 8/10
Do you like the Shaun of the Dead style of horror comedy (where the conventions are equally mocked and used. It makes fun of zombie films, yet still IS a good zombie film)? Have you seen one too many cabin-in-the-woods style slasher films? You'll love this. Every joke you see coming a mile away...which is sort of the point. The plot is contrived and unbelievable...which is sort of the point. The twist at the end...well, you see where I'm going with this. It's a film that does what it sets out to do, and does it well (Alan Tudyk, of course, always helps). Plenty of blood, plenty of stupid jokes and slapstick and pretty endearing characters. Again, more Shaun of the Dead than Evil Dead, but a good watch for fans of both.
Red State: 7/10
I don't think I've seen Kevin Smith be this complex since Chasing Amy. I'm certainly pre-disposed to liking his work, and there are moments that are recognizably Smith, but it's a very different film. A bit heavy handed, but that isn't inappropriate to the style of film. The first half of the movie owes as much to modern films such as Hostel as it does to horror films of the past, but about halfway through, the tone changes. Equally intense, but in a very different sort of way. Interestingly, even with the protagonists, there aren't really any "good guys". As the film escalates, Smith shows how almost every character has an opportunity to end it. "Thought provoking" and "Kevin Smith" don't often go hand in hand (unless Clerks 2 had you REALLY thinking about donkeys...) but some excellent performances by Michael Parks and John Goodman (and some passable-to-good performances by the rest of the cast) really made it. Again, heavy handed politics, but that's not really unusual for the genre (watch any given George Romero film...they're not subtle). Won't be everyone's cup of tea, but I loved it, and hoped Smith's "giving up on filmmaking" is just him being flakey. Again.
