In
this day and age, it seems horror movies, like every other type of movie, are
running out of ideas. The good news is this
is less so than in other genres. Foreign
and indy horror has breathed new life into the horror film away from the corporate
teenage slasher flick and torture porn neither of which are particularly interesting
and inventive and are also often offensive.
THE BURROWERS
,which came out in 2008, works because it does two things - One the classic horror
film does and one the successful modern horror film does. Like a classic horror film (which it is), it
has a slow burn introducing us step by step by to the monstrous menace and
giving them an explanation and a methodology that fits the storyline beautifully. There is not much gore and we don’t get a
good look at the monsters until the end which are both to this movie's benefit.
It’s
like modern horror with its downbeat ending and the injection of a social issue
into the proceedings - In this case the treatment of Native Americans. This is presented very effectively without
the movie becoming preachy.
The Wild
West setting helps as does the notion of undiscovered creatures – Cryptozoology
themes are a win usually (although there have been too many Bigfoot films
recently).
THE
BATTERY, which I saw recently, works because it takes a really tired theme and
makes something new and interesting out of it.
The theme in this case is zombies which are really over. THE BATTERY works however because the zombies
are incidental. This is really a film
about people getting along, friendship, survival and last but not least baseball.
The
low budget hurts a bit but the great dialogue in the first half of the film,
the awesome locales, and the firm grasp on the characters the two actors have
more than make up for this.
I
write about non-horror too but when it comes to modern films, horror is where
it’s at and here are two films that function as a reason why.
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