The Couch Potato Report – October 27th, 2007
This week The Couch Potato Report peels some DVDs that have been released, just in time for all Hallow’s Eve!
Halloween is on Wednesday, and in advance of that, the studios have been releasing and re-releasing titles that are apropos for this time of year.
Specifically – horror films.
So, I have a few of those to briefly tell you about, and then I have a Canadian film that scared me more than any of those movies.
Let me start with THE REAPING, a religion-themed horror film that features the Ten Plagues of Egypt, and stars two-time Academy Award winner Hilary Swank.
In a small Louisiana bayou town called Haven, the death of a child in mysterious circumstances sparks of a series of events that seem to represent the aforementioned biblical plagues.
Rivers and other water sources turned to blood, amphibians, lice or gnats, wild animals, disease on livestock, and so on.
Hilary Swank from MILLION DOLLAR BABY is former Christian missionary who now travels to places to prove that it isn’t God who is behind these type of events, and she proves the truth using science.
THE REAPING isn’t the most original horror film that you will ever see – especially since it doesn’t even know if it wants to be a horror film, a thriller or a movie about a person losing their faith – and the twists and turns it does offer that are close to being original are fairly predictable.
So, if you like Hilary Swank, and you enjoy this type of film at this time of year, then perhaps you will get some entertainment value out of THE REAPING.
I didn’t dislike it, and I don’t think it was a waste of my time, but I have seen better.
In fact, I saw better right after it was over…because when THE REAPING was done, I watched the 25th ANNIVERSARY EDITION of the Academy Award nominated horror film POLTERGEIST.
A real-life poltergeist is a spirit or ghost that manifests itself by moving and influencing objects.
The film of that name is set in a time when television stations went off the air after a full day or programming.
And while one such station is off the air, the television in five-year-old Carol Anne’s parents’ suburban California living room begins communicating with her.
Or, something inside of it does anyway.
In something that was incredibly unique at the time of the film’s original release on June 4th, 1982, Carol Anne gets pulled inside the TV, and the rest of teh movie focusses on her family’s attempt to get her back.
POLTERGEIST was written by Steven Speilberg and directed by Tobe Hooper, who also gave us another great Halloween film – THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE, and the two men working together gave us many great scares 25 years ago, and their film still holds up today!
The 25th ANNIVERSARY EDITION DVD doesn’t feature a comprehensive retrospective documentary, or any unique making of featuretees, and that is disappointing.
But it does contain the film itself, and that is good enough for me.
Up next, for your Halloweekend viewing “pleasure” is: the two-disc, four-film set CHUCKY – THE KILLER DVD COLLECTION about a less than perfect child’s doll.
This surprisingly still enjoyable set about a homicidal doll doesn’t feature the original 1988 horror film CHILD’s PLAY – as that film was produced by a different studio than the one releasing this set – but it does feature the very enjoyable sequel CHILD’S PLAY 2, the less than enjoyable CHILD’S PLAY 3, the campy and very entertaining BRIDE OF CHUCKY – with Emmy winner Katharine Heigl and Canadian actress Jennifer Tilly – and the not-so-good SEED OF CHUCKY.
Chucky is one of the most recognizable faces of film horror over the last two decades, along with Freddy and Jason – and if you can accept the premise – about a small doll that somehow manages to overpower every human – no matter how big – he faces – then you will be entertained by this inexpensive set of four films.
Somehow the premise worked when they were originally released, and it stands up now.
These are great films for this time of year!
Okay, the next release I have for you is not a stereotypical horror film, it is more of a thriller with horrific elements.
Kevin Costner plays a bad guy in MR. BROOKS.
Costner’s Earl Brooks is an upstanding bow tie wearing, box making business owner and family man who, is named the Portland Chamber of Commerce’s Man of the Year.
But secretly, Earl is addicted to killing, just for the thrill.
And then, after a two-year break from his addiction, Mr. Brooks starts up again.
William Hurt plays the dark side of Mr. Brooks’ ego, Demi Moore is the cop who is on his trail, and comedian Dane Cook is a man who catches Brooks in the murderous act, but instead of turning him in…explains that there is something else he wants.
MR. BROOKS, both the film and the character played by Kevin Costner, is creepy. But they aren’t really all that satisfying.
I’m not disappointed I saw it, as the script, acting and premise are all sort of interesting, but somehow it just didn’t all come together to form a movie that I could wholeheartedly recommend.
I also can’t wholeheartedly recommend THE SOPRANOS – SEASON 6, PART 2 DVD
When it first came on, and for the first few seasons THE SOPRANOS was one of the most unique and interesting shows on TV.
For the last few years it was a train wreck, a car crash…something that I didn’t watching, but just couldn’t look away from.
The four disc set that is SEASON 6, PART 2 of THE SOPRANOS features more episodes that are boring than ones that are superb, but somehow I enjoyed sitting through it again over the past few weeks, especially since I already knew what happened in the controversial final episode.
An episode that is now available on DVD.
Our final film this week is the Canadian documentary ANTLERS is about the big game hunters of the forests of Northern Quebec.
This movie actually scared me at times…more than any of those horror films….adn I enjoyed every second of it!
I am not a hunter now, nor have I ever been a hunter.
I have no issues with those who do hunt, I just don’t hunt myself.
ANTLERS introduces us to people who enjoy hunting…who really, really enjoy hunting!
The film is in French, so I don’t have a clip to prove my point, but I can tell you that at one point we meet a guy who has 25 mounted Deer heads on the walls of the place where he lives.
And he is hoping to add to that.
Oh, and it is his parents house, but he is hoping to get his own house some day so he will have more room for his trophies.
I found that a bit scary…entertaining, but scary!
If you have ever wanted to see real life hunters gutting a moose, carving a beaver, or setting traps to catch these and other animals, then ANTLERS is the film for you!
Personally, I was intrigued, grossed out, offended, and entertained, all at the same time!
This is everything you want in a film during a Halloweekend!!
ANTLERS, THE SOPRANOS – SEASON 6, PART 2 DVD, MR. BROOKS, and the horror films CHUCKY – THE KILLER DVD COLLECTION, POLTERGEIST and THE REAPING are all available now on DVD.
Coming up on the next Couch Potato Report
GEOLOGIC JOURNEY takes a look at the vast, wild beauty we call Canada at it traces the extraordinary history of our continent.
TALK TO ME is a film – based on the true story – of an ex-con who became a popular talk show host and community activist, in the late sixties and early seventies.
MEET THE ROBINSONS is an animated film from Walt Disney about a young inventor.
ENTOURAGE – SEASON THREE, PART TWO features the latest DVD releases of Vince, E, Turtle and Johnny Drama.
And LICENSE TO WED is an unfunny comedy that is so bad, it may cause engaged people to rethink their plans.
I’m Dan Reynish. I’ll have more on those, and some other releases, in seven days.
For now, that’s this week’s COUCH POTATO REPORT.
Enjoy the movies and I’ll see you back here next time on The Couch!
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