I really didn't know what to expect with this movie, I just watched the original the other day and thought it was pretty cool, so I went into this expecting your regular hack'n'slash, which i always like, but I have to say this is the best of the re makes, even though to most that ain't saying much.

The story is actually pretty cool...in a way, it is also very disturbing.  Two girls meet up with a cute kid who ends up as part of a very violent criminal group.  One girl is murdered, the other is raped beyond belief and  beaten shot.  The group that does this ends up at the girls house who's parents soon find out that they are the ones responsible for what happened to their daughter.  The parents then exact revenge on the culprits one by one in very brutal and violent ways.

What I liked most about this movie is that this is not done in a quick cut MTV style edited way.  The camera holds onto the acts of violence and doesn't cut away, not even in the rape scene which is very brutal and long.  The Violence is graphic and explicit and it doesn't cut away.

I thought that the performances were also top notch by the parents and the villains, Tony Goldwyn comes into his own here and I loved the fact both parents exact revenge, the mother just doesn't sit back and watch, she stabs, and bashes the bad guys as well, they do what any reasonable person would do under the circumstances.  I love the idea of people taking responsibility and doing what needs to be done.

The bad guys are very creepy as well, they are pure evil, not crazy, but evil, and watching them being the victims had the audience cheering, just like an episode of 24.

The movie is well shot, well acted plus it creates a creepy atmosphere, I was surprised how much I liked it.  I have to say this is the best horror film I have seen in a long time.  The rape is hard to watch, but if you can get through that, you got one heck of a film.  

Ok, so, they had John Murphy doing the score; they had Wes Craven fiening for a new horror franchise; they had a resonant theme with retaliatory killing; they had Carl Ellsworth who proved with his two previous films that he could write something entertaining for the mass market; and they had Tony Goldwyn who just oozes a psychopathic malevolence  - where did it all go wrong?

Sure, it's a remake, but that's besides the point.

The lack of violence was a real issue. The weak performances from the 'killers' was the worst part, however. The main antagonist swerved between angry, and almost remorseful, which may on paper sound decent, but totally misses the point of his function in this film.

Anyone else think this was disappointing?

Andrew

Yeah, it really sucked. Btw, lack of violence? Not from the Boom-head-explode-ending

I'm always surprised at the slamming horror type movies get on SS.

as for me, I liked it.

It was better than the original, which is not saying much.

Jordan already started a thread on this here- http://www.simplyscripts.net/cgi-bin/Blah/Blah.pl?b-movie/m-1237024457/s-new/

I really liked this movie. One of the better remakes.

~Zack~

Quoted from Zack Jordan already started a thread on this here- http://www.simplyscripts.net/cgi-bin/Blah/Blah.pl?b-movie/m-1237024457/s-new/

Note to Allen -- or anybody really -- it is generally a good idea to search this board before starting a thread on an older film.  There is a little "Search" box on the lower-left.

Hopefully one of the other mods will merge this thread with the older one.  I always screw that function up.  It is very complicated to do haha.

Quoted from bert Hopefully one of the other mods will merge this thread with the older one.  I always screw that function up.  It is very complicated to do haha.

I got it.

Thanks, bert.

I had a peek through, but missed it. I didn't look beyond the first page 'cos it's only just been released here in the UK, but - being stupid - I forgot it would've had an early release date in the US.

Re: the film - I do like horror movies, slabby, but I just felt this one missed out on a terrific opportunity. I did rewatch 'The Strangers' last night - and for me - that is a masterful horror/suspense film. Had the same director handled this material, I think this film could've been very good.

The highly-talented Michael Mann - in a rare blip - wasted a great John Murphy score with 'Miami Vice', so to see another hash makes me sad

Andrew

Hey Andrew, regards to the missed opportunity, are you talking about the part where the dad/doctor says to Krug "I wanna hear you beg for you life..."?  If so, I felt that too, emmensly.  A great set-up for a good, graphic torture scene at the end where they could've brought back that line but they never get around to it.  Poor writing.  Poor writing indeed.

Movie sucks... just like the original -- Just like I spit on your Grave -- Just like -- Don't touch my sister -- Just like -- Island of Death -- Just like -- Coffee and so forth and so on...

Hey Silverwolf,

Absolutely. After a real lack of something visual during the film, they had the perfect opportunity, and it's like they did it in 5 minutes. Really disappointing. The whole film was a great opportunity to put some quality horror out there, but they missed their chance

Andrew

Quoted from Andrew I did rewatch 'The Strangers'  - that is a masterful horror/suspense film. Andrew

Could not agree more, within the last two years since it came out, not really a more scary horror film came out since then. The Strangers was terrifying and TOTALLY satisfying

Can't say I agree with you guys.  I've often used this movie as a perfect example of how just about anything can become a hit, and turn a huge profit, but in terms of what it is...it ain't much.

When I saw it at the thetaer, I left thinking that it was defintely not bad, and for the most part, effective, in what it tried to accomplish.  But when I watched it again when it hit satelight movie channels, I was bored to death.  It was so damn slow to start with, that it allowed me to really watch it for what it was, and again, it wasn't much.

Very little in terms of actual frights or even tension.  Nothing in terms of an R rating...no nudity, little violence.  It tries to be real and gritty, but I just don't think it really delivers in terms of reality, cause the 2 protags acted like complete idiots all the way through it.  There were 2 girls and 1 guy against 1 guy and 1 girl.  The protags had a shotgun and lots of ammo, yet they acted defenseless.  Their friend coming into the house without saying a single word after seeing the state of the house and car was rediculous.

So, a 2nd viewing exposed all sorts of issues...there weren't any cool scenes that needed to be seen again, no interesting dialogue, no good kills, no nothing.  Slow, dull and no where to go with such a limited cast and setting.

I applaud Bertino and crew for making a hit movie, but when it's all said and done, I'd say they lucked out and the marketing really helped out.

Quoted from Dreamscale Very little in terms of actual frights or even tension.  Nothing in terms of an R rating...no nudity, little violence.

Nevermind the lengthy rape scene. =P

we are talkin about the remake, right? haha