THE WOMAN IN BLACK

THE WOMAN IN BLACK (2012)
UK/CA/SE
Directed by James Watkins

CAST:
Daniel Radcliffe - Arthur Kipps
Ciaran Hinds - Sam Daily
Janet McTeer - Mrs. Daily

PLOT:
     A young lawyer travels to a remote village where he discovers the vengeful ghost of a scorned woman is terrorizing the locals.

REVIEW:
      Even though this isn't the first of the new Hammer Films I've reviewed, The Woman In Black is the fourth film the reborn studio and third to have a wide release unlike last years Wake Wood which only came out in limited release. Now I'm going to go ahead and say going into the movie I had no expectations for the film so where I didn't get overly excited as to be let down by it. Nor did I go into the theatre expecting the worst movie ever made either. I went in pure neutral to the film. The reason more than anything else is because with this movie Hammer has a chance to become a major player in the horror genre again thanks to star Daniel Radcliffe and a heavy promotional campaign. The only true thing going against it this past weekend was it opened up on a heavy genre weekend in theatres and also the weekend of the Superbowl.

     Of course with this I'm going to start with Daniel Radcliffe as Arthur Kipps. With most young actors that become famous due to roles they played in their youth and the same recurring role to boot, in this case for over 10 years,most of them find switching over to more adult roles hard to almost impossible. For one, the audience will always see them as the characters they've known and grew up with. Well Radcliffe has no problem with the transition that most have in the past. Here he is completely believable as a father in financial trouble who has a take a job he doesn't want to. Even when thing start getting weird you are convinced that Radcliffe is Kipps and experiencing those emotions he is displaying on screen and the danger he is feeling.  Radcliffe is almost haunting in this role and shows that Radcliffe can take on other roles that are more mature and adult as well as carry a movie by himself. The supporting cast is excellent as well especially Ciaran Hinds as Samuel Daily who lost his son, yet refuses to place the blame on anyone even when the truth is in his face until it is almost too late.

     The story for The Woman In Black is the main draw for the film to me. The story is a nicely done ghost story that does use a few boo type scares as the beginning of the film which thankfully transitions into all around creepiness and atmosphere as the story unfolds. And what a story it is. Even though it starts out slowly, which I didn't mind one bit in this case, it picks up once Radcliffe's character arrives to his destination. The villagers treat him with disdain and want nothing to do with him and want Kipp to leave right away. Once he reaches Eel's Marsh to sift through paperwork the story get's darker as the titular Woman In Black shows up and children start dying. Kipp's isn't swayed by this as he seems to still be in shock from his wife's death from years before as he still keeps working. As more creepiness ensues though, Kipp seems to come more alive and more worried as his son is due to his is supposed to arrive in the village in a couple of days. The rest of the story I'm not going to go into as it will ruin the ending for those that haven't seen it.

       Director James Watkins knows how to create genuine suspense and creepiness that permeates the entire film. From the fog covered London streets where the film starts to the off color village from the use of color palates helps with the sense of unease. But to me it's Watkins use of filters that really lend the film a air of difference than most other ghost stories that I've seen. It's also Watkins use of camera angles and tracking that also helps with unnerving aspect. A good example of this is when the camera tracks a lit candle by the eyes of wind-up toys. By doing this it, makes the toys look like they are alive and watching Radcliffe's character which creates an air of anxiety that can almost be felt. The sound as well helps with the trepidation throughout the film as little sounds can be heard when the film is shot in the Marsh House. My only really complaint is the ending of the film. Not with what happens to Kipp but what is shown when the screen goes black afterward as it was to me needless. Except for that the film was quite a great film that actually has great scares and thrills The Woman In Black is a great horror movie that relies on atmosphere other than blood and guts yet is still made for more mature audiences rather than the teen audience most wide release horror films are panning to these days.

BEST DEATH:
     Any film that starts with three little girls committing suicide you know you're in for something. 

BEST LINE:
     You don't believe in ghosts, do you?

FUN FACTS:
     The film was originally scheduled to be shot in 3D, but the plan was scrapped later on.

     Adrian Rawlins, who played Daniel Radcliffe's father in the Harry Potter movies, played the same character in the 1989 version as Radcliffe plays in this film.

     Ciaran Hinds who plays Sam Daily, was also in the last two Harry Potter films as Aberforth  Dumbledore.

WAKE WOOD

WAKE WOOD (2011)
UK/IE
Directed by David Keating

CAST:
Aidan Gillen - Patrick
Eva Birthistle - Louise
Timothy Spall - Arthur


PLOT:
     The parents of a girl who was killed by a savage dog are granted the opportunity to spend three days with their deceased daughter.

REVIEW:
      Hammer Studios to me has always meant horror. Even though they did release sci-fi  and comedy movies, yet it is their horror movies that everyone remembers the most. Those movies just had a certain look and feel to them. The actors were recognizable due to them playing the same characters over multiple films, such as Peter Cushing playing Frankenstein to Christopher Lee playing Dracula. Even though the acting was decent in most films, some stuck out more than others due to them being better than most or just horrible. In the late 1970's the studio released it's  last film, The Lady Vanishes, which basically bankrupted the studio and hence they stopped film production. And here it is in 2011 and Hammer has released three new movies, though actually one of them was only as producers. So what do I think of Wake Wood which is the second full movie by the studio?

     I must say that children in horror movies are either good or bad. There is no in-between. Elle Connolly's Alice thankfully is on the good side of things. You can tell that something is just a little bit off once she comes back. At first it's just a hint such as her eye color is different. From there Alice just gets creepier. As for Aidan Gillen and Eva Birthistle, they do a fairly decent job as the grieving parents who get to spend three more days with the daughter. But it's Timothy Spall as Arthur who is the real treat to watch. Yes, Spall does overact a little bit, yet at the same time it just helps improve his character who is the head of the small town the story takes place in. Spall seems pleasant in his role, but at the same time has a dead seriousness to his character. Yet every time Spall shows up on screen he draws the most attention, as well as something bad almost always happens when he does.

     One of the things I really did like about the movie is that it tried to remain in the creepy atmospheric style of the classic Hammer films. Sure some of the shots seemed out of place, thankfully those shots are few and far between. David Keating knows how to create tension and unease and to keep it building. The horror is restrained and in its place is a creepy factor that permeates the entire film. The only real break that happens in story telling is when Alice starts killing the town inhabitants. The reason is never fully explained why she does this or how she's able to affect electricity, I'm still scratching my head at that one.  I do have to say that it's the Pagan aspect to the story though that that had me the most interested and it should have been expanded further as it is obvious that the ritual used has been around a long time and almost everyone in the small town has been apart of it in some fashion or form and the the people of Wakewood respect and fear it. Unfortunately nothing is fully explained, still it is because of this that there is a mystery to the story.

     Thank you England for letting Hammer Studios exist again. Yes, Wake Wood does go from a thriller to a slasher rather abruptly, yet the mood is still there in the film throughout for the most part. I would love to see more movies based around this little town of fiction called Wakewood. You can just tell that something bad has happened before and I  would love to find out what that is. As for the film itself, I'm happy to say that Hammer is back and in a good way. By all means the main concept of the movie has been done before, however it is how Keating puts the movie together that makes it more and additionally he doesn't try to make it seem like a farce. And in doing so brings the movie up to a higher level than what should have been possible.

BEST DEATH:
     The second death of Alice. Stipulations will always get you.

BEST LINE:
     I'll be there in a minute.

FUN FACTS:
     Wake Wood is the second feature from Hammer Films in 30 years.