Hold on to hope
I had the opportunity to watch The Ruins DVD, a new horror release from an early spring movie in 2009. I think this movie, a book adaptation, had some cleaver visuals and unforeseen viewer traps but overall suffers in transfer from big screen to small.
A pair of boyfriend/girlfriend couples follow a likable German to a Mayan temple hidden in the jungles that his friends traveled to a few day earlier. The lure of one last great trip before heading back home to responsibility and school is to great a temptation.
The pyramid is secured by locals and after a heated mis-communication the travelers find themselves climbing the ruins to escape. Upon reaching the top they find the remains of the Germans friends tents and belongings and a sense of dread begins to escalate. Without giving away the plot device or the end, the movie begins a steady decent into helplessness.
Thanks to the Scream series over a decade agao, horror movies follow particular trends and The Ruins is the latest in the 'No Hope' category which follows the 'Torture/Gore' trend lead by Saw and Hostel and in some respect the remakes of Texas Chainsaw of the last five years. I am hoping that this trend ends. Recent others in 'No Hope' trend is 28 Weeks Later, a week sequel to a better 28 Days Later and the remake of Dawn of the Dead with Ving Rhames. The thread in these movies is that regardless of the obstacles overcome, and some of them are quite creative, the ending shows all our heroes being killed.
I enjoy horror movies yet can not get on the 'No Hope' bus. Does there always have to be a heroes arc? No. Does there always have to be one person who makes it? I'd like to think so, which is why even though its harder for me to watch the Torture/Gore movies like Hostel, I enjoy them more.
Regardless of a person being a half full or have empty glass disposition, everyone wants to win in the end. Movies that deny the satisfaction that moviegoers come to expect and leaving them morose and regretful the remainder of the day are not the same as those that truly scare you into leaving a light on at night. Give me the fright of going to bed after watching watching Nightmare on Elm Street the first time. Give me the sense of the unexpected when walking into a woods at night, like Jason does in Friday the 13th. Tell me that no one makes its...thanks don't need to watch that now.
A pair of boyfriend/girlfriend couples follow a likable German to a Mayan temple hidden in the jungles that his friends traveled to a few day earlier. The lure of one last great trip before heading back home to responsibility and school is to great a temptation.
The pyramid is secured by locals and after a heated mis-communication the travelers find themselves climbing the ruins to escape. Upon reaching the top they find the remains of the Germans friends tents and belongings and a sense of dread begins to escalate. Without giving away the plot device or the end, the movie begins a steady decent into helplessness.
Thanks to the Scream series over a decade agao, horror movies follow particular trends and The Ruins is the latest in the 'No Hope' category which follows the 'Torture/Gore' trend lead by Saw and Hostel and in some respect the remakes of Texas Chainsaw of the last five years. I am hoping that this trend ends. Recent others in 'No Hope' trend is 28 Weeks Later, a week sequel to a better 28 Days Later and the remake of Dawn of the Dead with Ving Rhames. The thread in these movies is that regardless of the obstacles overcome, and some of them are quite creative, the ending shows all our heroes being killed.
I enjoy horror movies yet can not get on the 'No Hope' bus. Does there always have to be a heroes arc? No. Does there always have to be one person who makes it? I'd like to think so, which is why even though its harder for me to watch the Torture/Gore movies like Hostel, I enjoy them more.
Regardless of a person being a half full or have empty glass disposition, everyone wants to win in the end. Movies that deny the satisfaction that moviegoers come to expect and leaving them morose and regretful the remainder of the day are not the same as those that truly scare you into leaving a light on at night. Give me the fright of going to bed after watching watching Nightmare on Elm Street the first time. Give me the sense of the unexpected when walking into a woods at night, like Jason does in Friday the 13th. Tell me that no one makes its...thanks don't need to watch that now.
posted by Comm's @ 8:17 AM
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