Oct 12 2012

Argo

In the height of the Iranian revolution many followers of the Ayatollah Khomeini rallied against sources of Westernizing influence; in particular the U.S. was targeted for connections to and harboring the Shah, the outgoing leader of Iran. In November of 1979, protesters stormed the U.S. embassy taking its occupants hostage– but six state department workers managed to escape. Hiding in the Canadian Ambassador’s home things looked bleak, if caught they would face almost certain death; and, with pressures mounting Canada was loosing a foothold in the country as well. It was up to the CIA to figure out a way to free the state department workers. Agent Tony Mendez (Ben Affleck) dreamt up the only cover story that stood a chance, create a fake movie and tell Khomeini’s people the six were a film crew scouting locations for this production. With his connections to Hollywood, Lester Siegel and John Chambers (Alan Arkin and John Goodman), Mendez got the ball rolling, but would he have enough momentum to get the workers out of the country in one piece?
Based on true events, details of which were only released during the Clinton administration, the potential for a screenplay is rich and downright unbelievable but riveting none the less. Proving his skills as a director are truly of merit Ben Affleck hits gold again with this suspense/thriller/political/historical gem. Staying true to historical detail Affleck and crew have painstakingly re-created scenarios and scenes to a fault and a delight. Compelling history that’s just as relevant now as unrest in the Middle East continues, despite the fact the players have changed. Acting from the ensemble feels natural and right in the wheelhouse of all involved. This one’s a winner through and through, and be sure to sit through the credits to continue the important history lesson to be learned here. Argo is rated R.


Oct 12 2012

Sinister

True-crime novelist Ellison Oswalt (Ethan Hawke) thinks he may be onto something big in a series of previously unsolved murders while investigating and writing his latest novel. Unbeknownst to his family, the house they’ve just moved into happens to be the scene of a recent and grizzly family slaying; driven by a selfish desire to write his next success Oswalt has kept this secret in hopes of doing a more thorough investigation for his book. Naturally it’s just a matter of time before odd happenings start to grasp his attention. A dark specter has taken notice of their presence, but how to stop such a force from wielding its malevolent powers, and what is the golden thread that ties this series of murders together?
Based on the concept of found super 8 footage the film follows an otherwise formulaic pattern of so many modern ghost stories. A pattern that starts with several jump scares in predictable places, an ambient score based on long droning tones and other “eerie” sounds clanging and distorting, and a stylized bit of editing… to hopefully make up for lack of suspense? As with any horror film, your fear is subjective, based on how much we like the characters, and belief in whatever the monster or ghost or ghoul happens to be at work. With the right mix, fear is almost certain. End result here, a few tense scenes but an overall disappointment once we get our big reveal, proving some of the biggest scares are really in the mind. Maybe a matinee but more so a rental. Sinister is rated R.


Oct 5 2012

Frankenweenie

From the darkened and twisted mind of co-writer and director Tim Burton comes the stop motion animation story of young Victor Frankenstein (Charlie Tahan), a reclusive but creative and talented young man fond of science and homemade movies. When a freak accident takes the life of Victor’s beloved dog, Sparky, his scientific brain is engaged. Encouraged by his science teacher (Martin Landau) Victor sets out to reanimate Sparky. Success breeds jealousy and curiosity of the townsfolk of New Holland as Victor appears to be onto an award winning science experiment. As classmates all try their hand at Victor’s discovery the results are varied and downright dangerous. Now it’s up to Victor to set things straight, but at what cost? Intricate and impeccably well thought out in its writing, art direction, and execution, Burton and his team have created another gem. Musical scoring by Burton’s go to guy Danny Elfman again provides the perfect backdrop to texture the film with just the right amount of whimsy, tension, and everything else in between. Additional vocal performances from Winona Ryder, Martin Short, and Catherine O’Hara add more classic Burton flavour to this love letter aimed at classic sci-fi and horror cinema. Perhaps not able to dethrone The Nightmare Before Christmas from my list, still lots of laughs for all ages, this one’s worth your attention. Frankenweenie is rated PG.