Proxy (2013)

Genre: Psychological
Director: Zack Parker
Country: USA
Availability: Netflix Streaming

Well, I finally saw Proxy. That's my big takeaway. It's been on my list since it first made its rounds on the horror festival circuit two years ago. But given that it's a two hour "dramatic horror" movie I rarely ever felt like taking the plunge. I'm glad that I finally did but it won't be making my list of favorites anytime soon, even though it's a good movie. In fact, it's very reminiscent in tone to Absentia and Entrance in that it's more of a psychological character study while still maintaining its horror foundation.

Proxy has been synopsised in various ways but I think the most accurate description of the movie  is that it's about two women who seek out attention in demented ways via the use of children. Parents be warned that this movie may not be for you. But like I said, it's a good movie. Alexia Rasmussen is fantastic as the quiet, meek, yet totally psychotic Esther. And Alexa Havins is equally compelling as a twisted woman who doesn't really fully embrace how utterly nuts she is until the life that she's been pretending to have is a reality. And Joe Swanberg. An actor who every single time I see him on screen I wonder, who is that guy, only to discover he's been in every horror movie I've ever seen, ever. Then there's this scene in the bathroom that's so cinematically (horribly) beautiful that I was in awe.

I suppose my only real complaint with Proxy is its running length. And I realize I may not be the most credible judge of how long a movie should be, this coming from the girl who starts checking how much longer till the end about 70 minutes in. But seriously. Unless you have Thor running around with his fabulous hair whilst giant creatures are blowing up New York City, your movie probably doesn't have to be two hours long. I've got shit to do. Like watch a second movie before bedtime.

3 out of 5 stars


 

Silent House (2011)

Genre:  Psychological, Slasher
Director:  Chris Kentis, Laura Lau
Country:  United States
Availability:  Amazon On Demand; DVD; Redbox (soon)

The original  Uruguayan The Silent House has been on my radar for a while, and yet I just haven't gotten around to seeing it. So when it was announced that the movie, which was barely a year old, was being remade in America, I sighed and said, "Noooooo!". While there have been some terrific American horror movies remade by Americans (Dawn of the Dead; Texas Chainsaw Massacre; The Crazies; The Fly; Fright Night; The Thing), there have also been some really atrocious ones too (The Omen; A Nightmare on Elm Street; My Bloody Valentine; Prom Night; The Amityville Horror). We especially don't deal well with turning great foreign horror movies into great American horror movies. We have a tendency to like our movies to have a happy ending, we like things a little more polished, a little more easy to swallow. So when you have movies from France or Germany or Japan, countries who really know how to make a fucked up horror movie, we get our hands on them and... well, it's like when people say "make love" when they really mean "fucking".

Though being a connoisseur of the horror genre I don't really discriminate. I see them all. I do however try to watch the original material first, followed by the remake. There's a sense of order that I feel I must maintain in order to be properly objective. It's rare that I will watch a remake first and in fact most of those occurrences happen when I'm watching a movie that was remade from a movie from the '40s or '50s, like The Fly or The Thing or The Blob (all remakes). At any rate, it's not a hard-and-fast rule so there are times when I falter, and this was one such time.

Netflix and other sites have referred to Silent House as a "thriller". After seeing the movie I'd say that Silent House is no more a "thriller" than say, The Strangers, which is labeled "horror" (and is also a remake!). And while Silent House is certainly thrilling, it has all of the markers of a horror movie.

I'm not sure how this movie stacks up against the original, but I will say that as a stand-alone horror movie, it's quite good. Elizabeth Olson packs a punch as the jumpy, terrified and overwrought daughter. The house plays it own role in the movie, which ultimately, may have been the most important part of all. It's rare that you can make an environment huge and maze-like and also claustrophobic at the same time. With all of the locked doors and boarded windows and lack of power you feel helpless and trapped, even when what you're afraid of is vague and elusive.

One of the most entertaining elements of Silent House was the mystery of it all. When the pieces start to fall together and you begin to suspect a larger story than what's initially being presented you get to play the fun Maybe game. Maybe it's a ghost! Maybe it's the Uncle! Maybe she's crazy! Maybe there's a giant squid from Mars and it totally loves to play the "Im in ur house, makin u scream" game! Ah giant squids. Good times.

Now, on to see the original! Which has a "The" in front of "Silent House", just so we know the difference.

4 out of 5 stars