Posts Tagged ‘drama’

Robin Wood famously articulated the American horror film, but one thing still needs to be added

While rereading Robin Wood’s essay An Introduction to the American Horror Film I noticed that it failed to talk about an important element in the discussion of what exactly describes an American horror film. The absence of this topic in his subsection titled “Basic Formula” surprises me now, as it is arguably just as simple a provision to the genre as the overarching blueprint stipulating that “normality is threatened by the Monster.” While Wood’s essay has long since been considered a seminal one for both him and academic thought about the horror genre, and this is very true, an amendment should nevertheless be made. That amendment is specific but not intricate, dealing with the main protagonist’s direct relationship with the antagonist.

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Short Take: A fresh take on a tested concept

Directors: Mark and Jay Duplass (Baghead)

Screenwriters: Mark and Jay Duplass (Baghead)

Cast: John C. Reilly (Step Brothers), Jonah Hill (Get Him to the Greek), Marisa Tomei (The Wrestler), Catherine Keener (Where the Wild Things Are)

Length: 1h 32m

Synopsis: John (Reilly) is a divorced middle-aged man living by himself, currently hitting what he believes to be rock bottom. Through encouragement and arm twisting by his ex-wife Jamie (Keener) and her new husband John attends a party where he’ll supposedly have a golden opportunity to get back into the dating game after a 7 year hiatus. As it turns out, that’s exactly what happens. He clicks with a warm, fun-loving single mother named Molly (Tomei), whose 21 year old son Cyrus (Hill) still lives with her. Shortly after the dating begins John meets Cyrus face to face, and at first the two seem to get along swell. What John begins to realize, though, is that Cyrus is actually trying everything he can to sabotage his mother’s new relationship, and so John must try to foil Cyrus’ plans under the nose of the woman caught between them. Read the rest of this entry »

Short Take: Contains Jeunet's trademark quirkiness, but lacks the polished writing of "Amelie"

Director: Jean-Pierre Jeunet (A Very Long Engagement, Amélie, Delicatessen)

Screenwriters: Jean-Pierre Jeunet and Guillaume Laurent (A Very Long Engagement, Amélie)

Cast: Dany Boon (The Valet, Change of Plans), André Dussollier (Wild Grass, A Very Long Engagement), Nicolas Marié (Safari, Secrets of State), Julie Ferrier (Accro ô croco), Dominique Pinon (Roman de gare, Amélie)

Length: 1 hour 45 minutes

Synopsis: Director/screenwriter Jean-Pierre Jeunet is best known internationally for 2001’s Amélie. That film showed Jeunet’s ability, much like fellow Frenchman Michel Gondry, to create quirky fantasy worlds that resemble our own but have just a bit more whimsy. Micmacs, basically translated as “shenanigans,” follows in that same vein. However, unlike its predecessor, which examines love, Micmacs criticizes weapons manufacturing and its global and more personal effects.

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