We are more than halfway through the month of October, which means we’re in the home stretch to Halloween and in the thick of great content pertaining to scary movies and horror films. So, welcome to another filling recap of a week’s worth of original writings and coverage. First, though, let’s remind you of the regular goodies here at FSR, such as our reviews of new releases (Paranormal Activity 4, Alex Cross, Bestiaire, The Sessions) and interviews with Alex Cross director Rob Cohen and star Matthew Fox and The Black List creator Franklin Leonard. We also caught some new trailers for Carrie and Jack Reacher and, in addition to our regular TV column, we have begun a weekly recap for the TV series The Walking Dead.
Also this week, we saw the New York Film Festival end (stay tuned for a look at our critics’ highlights and favorites) and the Austin Film Festival begin. So rummage through our coverage of the former (including a review of Flight) and bookmark the tag for the latter — also check out some AFF recommendations below.
Check out our ten best features from the past week, plus some other recommended reading, after the break.
What is the Scariest Movie Ever?
We are on a quest to determine THE SCARIEST MOVIE EVER, and to do so we have created a bracket-style tournament and made it a democratic competition. Participate by voting on Facebook and join Cole as he makes predictions and comments on the results. On the first round: “The most notable result was that the Steven Spielberg movie that made people afraid to go into the water lost to the Steven Spielberg-produced movie that made people afraid to build pools in their backyards (or watch TV late at night). That’s pretty incredible – you chose Tobe Hooper over Spielberg. Or, if you believe the behind-the-scenes take, you chose Spielberg over Spielberg.”
7 More Days of Horror
Of course, in addition to seeking out the scariest movie ever, we continue to celebrate a number of favorites that might not be the scariest but are still pretty darn scary — and just plain enjoyable. This week in our ongoing count of 31 Days of Horror, we looked at Death Spa, Tucker & Dale vs. Evil, Dark Country, Pumpkinhead, Parents, Rosemary’s Baby, The Initiation and Thirst. Robin on the Polanski classic: “The dream apartment in the nightmare building is a place where evil confronts innocence and wins. There’s no blood and gore but there is a constant feeling of dread hanging over the naïve Rosemary and her baby.”
Other recommended horror film features:
Why ‘The Passion of Joan of Arc’ is the Most Highly Regarded Horror Film
‘Paranormal Activity’ Drinking Game
28 Things We Learned From the ‘Blair Witch 2′ Commentary
‘Skyfall’ Rises Above Our Expectations
Following our roundup of critical reactions to how the new James Bond movie, Skyfall, fits the franchise conventions, Jack provided his own take on the 007 sequel, listing his praises rather than offering a typical review. On the action: “We knew Sam Mendes could shoot a few intense gun fights based on Road to Perdition, but who knew he had all this in him? Never has Bond ever looked so suave wielding a gun. Of course, it certainly helps that Mendes keeps placing him in more challenging and distinct settings. There’s a old fashioned siege finale, a motorcycle chase, a silhouette-styled fight scene, an extended foot chase, and more. Mendes never repeats himself.”
Also recommended:
How ‘The Dark Knight’ Made Sam Mendes’ Take on Bond in ‘Skyfall’ Possible
Why We Haven’t Gotten a James Bond Film From Steven Spielberg
A Guide to the Key Supporting Characters of James Bond
‘Argo’ Inaccuracies and Cinematic Bullshit
In the first week of release for Ben Affleck‘s Oscar hopeful, Argo, we examined the issues of its inaccuracies, with Landon taking particular task with the exciting yet highly exaggerated final act of the film and how it relates to the recent terrorist attack on the U.S. embassy in Libya. “If history repeats itself, it does so with considerable variation, and the presence of cinematic bullshit during the history depicted in Argo and in the recent violence surrounding the American embassy in Libya speaks to the considerable power associated with cinematic bullshit’s wide spread of communication and influence, so powerful in fact that it can prove consequential to history and international relations even when the film in question is hardly visible or doesn’t actually exist.”
Also recommended:
Should ‘Argo’ Have Been More Accurate?
The Sound of ‘Argo’: Oscar Nominee Erik Aadahl on the Importance of Location Sound
5 Must See Films of Austin Film Festival 2012
This week, Neil will be bringing us coverage of the 2012 Austin Film Festival, which began on Thursday and runs through October 25. To kick things off, he gave us a short list of necessary tickets for those of you in attendance. One of the films he recommends: “The Kitchen serves as the only film on this list for which I can personal vouch, if that’s the sort of thing that matters to you. My full review is coming shortly, but I will say that this holdover from the GenArt Film Festival is a delightful, sometimes profain, often painfully honest ensemble comedy. Think Empire Records, but with less 90s jeans and a smaller set. The comparison rings true not just in the fact that both films have great ensembles of young, talented future-stars, but that both films feature a soundtrack that rocks.”
Also recommended:
Austin Film Festival Interview with Irene Georghiades