Film Review: THE VICTIM (2011)

The Victim (2011) is writer/director Michael Biehn’s second feature film in this capacity after The Blood Bond (2011) which was released only a few months earlier in the year.  This is odd for the actor turned director best known for his films The Terminator (1984), Aliens (1986), Tombstone (1993), Navy Seals (1990), and The Abyss (1989), to name a few.  This film is a borderline crime-horror film.

Miehn is a loner who lives in a cabin in the middle of the woods by the name of Kyle Limato.  He keeps to himself and wants nothing to do with anyone else until a young woman Annie (Jennifer Blanc-Biehn) shows up on his doorstep one night asking for help.  It seems that Annie watched her best friend Mary (Danielle Harris) get killed by two crooked cops who now want to silence her.  Limato takes a liking to Annie and tries to help her figure out a way to deal with the cops before it is too late.

The film relies on flashbacks to tell the story which drags the film down.  Instead of enhancing the story the flashbacks stop the film in its tracks.  Although they go a long way in allowing Harris to get plenty of screen time, the flashbacks could have been better integrated into the overall film.

The film also suffers a bland script especially in terms of dialogue and performances all over the place.  The film feels like a throwback to the late ‘80s but without the gore to over compensate for the lack of originality in the material.  This is a shame since Biehn has been a part of some amazing films, this just isn’t one of them.

RANTS & RAVINGS ABOUT HORROR - “A Look at the Fall of the Terminator Franchise”

I’ve been a fan of the Terminator franchise since the original film The Terminator (1984).  It was a refreshing look at a post-apocalyptic world ruled by robots that took place in the modern world.  Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991) improved upon the original film and expanded the mythology.  What I love about the films is not just the amazing action sequences but the suspense and thriller aspects as well as the fact that each film was aiming to show audiences things they had never seen before both in terms of story and action.  Neither film was predictable and both were exciting even though the original film had more elements of a horror film verses the more action oriented sequel. 

We’ll stop here a moment to take a look at where the franchise went from there which was in the four-color comic book realm with the amazing series The Terminator from NOW Comics published from ’88 to ’90 which told stories about new characters in John Conner’s resistance movement.  NOW Comics also produced the fondly remembered series The Burning Earth before relinquishing the rights to Dark Horse Comics.  Dark Horse Comics produced comics from ’90 to present day giving stories both using characters from the films and branching out to new stories and expanding the mythology from the films unlike the NOW Comics stories which existed for the most part in their own alternate universe.   The comics saw the Terminators battle everyone from Superman, Robocop, Aliens & Predators, and various other characters from other universes.  Other comics from other publishers include Marvel who produced the comic adaptation for the film Terminator 2 while Malibu and Dynamite Comics published sequel comics to the second film.  Beckett Comics did the comics based on the third film Rise of the Machines while IDW Publishing did comics based on the forth film Salvation.  As can be seen, the rights for the films ended up getting split among multiple publishers while the main rights stayed with Dark Horse the longest.

I mention the comics as they are the place where the most freedom for the franchise can be seen.  The stories expand past the main characters of the original film to present a whole world of characters that contribute to the resistance as well as the different types of Terminators developed by Skynet.  This is something that subsequent films have failed to do.

Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (2003) is, in my opinion, the worst of all the films.  There was nothing in that film that was new to the story or added to the mythology in a major way.  They created a new Terminator which they foreshadowed the way in which she would be killed half way through the film.  The main characters were less interesting and as typical the story revolves around John Conner.  These elements are not as interesting considering that the previous two films had gone a long way in telling all of this info already.  The action sequences are not as innovative and very little suspense is had, which is surprising considering how much suspense and great action sequences director Jonathon Mostow had in his previous films Breakdown (1997) and U-571 (2000).

The forth film Terminator: Salvation (2009) is the first to actually be set in a post-apocalyptic world of the future but it still relies on telling the story of John Conner.  This film introduces a new hybrid human/Terminator in Marcus Wright which many thought odd considering that he was built before the regular Terminators.  I used to agree with this, but the film showcased a lot of different generations of Terminators and (finally) showed the future in all its devastation.  I really enjoyed this film as it wanted to establish more of the mythology while expanding the parameters of what a Terminator film could be.  This film was designed to jump start a new franchise but its lukewarm response killed that idea.

The most recent film Terminator: Genysis (2015) was another attempt to jump start the franchise once again by re-writing events that had come before in previous films and focusing on Sarah Conner (the protagonist of the original film) and Kyle Reese (Sarah’s savior of the original film and father of John Conner).  By re-writing and changing events from the previous films this film was designed as a way to start the franchise over from the beginning (similar to the rebooted Star Trek franchise).  Although there are some interesting concepts to be had in the film it is hampered by poor acting and too many comedic elements designed to appeal to a younger audience.  This is not a good film but not nearly as bad as Rise of the Machines.  This film also received a lukewarm response and the sequel has been shelved for the time being.  I’m sure that there will be another film soon and it will probably try to re-start the franchise again but in my opinion, the only way for this franchise to survive (again) is to just start from a new vantage point with new characters.

For me, it is a shame that the studios are so afraid to try something new with the films and just tell a new and compelling story within the same world.  I may not have liked the film Jurassic World (2015) but there is no denying that they took a chance ditching all the characters from the original trilogy for something new. 

What made me stop and take a look at the Terminator franchise is that I just finished reading the Terminator: Salvation – The Final Battle (volumes 1 & 2) which is the sequel to the film.  Considering that the original idea was to craft a new franchise from the film, this story is the closest audiences are going to see what a sequel could have been.  Written by J. Michael Straczynski with artwork by Pete Woods this is a massive twelve part story that explains how the character of Marcus Wright was created and for what purpose including an all new villain that threatens Skynet and the Resistance forcing them into an alliance.  Straczynski manages to make sense of all the elements of the film while also crafting the battle to end all battles.  This is a smart and creative story which jumps time periods but has a whole set of new characters to compliment the John Connor story.  Anyone who enjoyed the Salvation film will enjoy the way it is finished in this story.  In fact, this is one of the best Terminator stories thus far crafted for the comics’ medium.  The Final Battle proves that there is enough story left in the world of the Terminator if writers (and by extension the Studio) are willing to take chances.

Regardless of whenever the next Terminator film arrives there will always be comics (and novels) that extend the franchise.  The world of the Terminator is rich with so many possibilities that it would be a shame if we fans didn’t have these options.

Film Review: TERMINATOR: GENYSIS (2015)

First, I’d like to say that I’m a Terminator fan.  I’ve seen all the films and I’ve read all the comics and I know what could be a great Terminator film if someone (the Studio) was brave enough to take real chances and utilize some of the story elements from the various Terminator comics.  Unfortunately, Terminator: Genysis (2015) just isn’t it.  In an age when Studios pander to what they think will make a profitable film rather than what will actually be something new and exciting for audiences we get this new rebooted film that first wants to erase and rewrite everything that came before in the previous four films while still trying to appeal to the same audience that enjoyed those earlier films. 

The film stars Arnold Schwarzenegger as another T-800 Terminator sent back to protect Sarah Connors (Emilia Clarke) when she was a child.  We don’t know who sent him back but this new Terminator nicknamed “Pops” by Sarah has been training and protecting Sarah as she grows until the day in 1984 when Kyle Reese (Jai Courtney) is originally sent back to protect an innocent (and older) Sarah (from the original first film) from the Terminator.  Unfortunately, Kyle is a little late as it is she who has to save him.  Then they discover that the timeline has changed (again) and that they are on a new mission to finally stop Skynet from coming into existence in the future through a new technological advancement that will link technology all over the world (in a more advanced version of the Internet) called Genysis.

The concept of the film isn’t that bad considering the many unanswered questions in the film (presumably for the future installments of this new proposed trilogy) but what really hampers the film is the fact that the love story between Sarah Connor and Kyle Reese never comes off as genuine probably because Clarke and Courtney have very little onscreen chemistry and all their interactions seem forced.  Another thing is that Pops is made the comic relief in the film (probably to appeal to a younger audience) and none of this fits into the film despite Schwarzenegger doing the best he can with the role.

The film is written by Laeta Kalogridis and Patrick Lussier and directed by Alan Taylor.  Taylor does a serviceable job with the material but all of the action sequences lack the style of James Cameron’s original two films or even McG’s Salvation (2009) and Jonathan Mostow’s Rise of the Machines (2003).  The final result is a “paint-by-numbers” action film that relies on too many of the previous films’ story elements while also trying to abandon some.

What needed to happen is a film that didn’t feel the need to tell a story with Sarah or John Connor or the need to change history.  What audiences need is a new story with new characters to follow and not the tired “old guard”.  I have very little optimism for any future entries in this new proposed trilogy because if they don’t make some real changes they will be just as uninteresting and flaccid as this one was.

Web Series Episode Review: SLASH/UP – SARAH CONNOR VS JASON VOORHEES

WTFLOL Studios has created what promises to be an innovative and entertaining web series with Slash/Up which pits characters from various franchises against one another.  In this first episode it is “Sarah Connor Vs Jason Voorhees” as we see what would happen if Sarah Connor stumbled upon Camp Crystal Lake and its resident slasher Jason Voorhees. 

This would not normally seem like a film that would have much traction but the way in which writer/director/editor Brian Rosenthal has crafted the story and action it seems like a logical extension for both franchises.  The film borrows the action aesthetics from The Terminator franchise while stealing the horror and humor from the Friday the 13^th films. It’s a perfect melding of the two stories.  Sarah Connor (Nicole Marines) is on her way to Cyberdyne on a secret mission when her car breaks down just outside Camp Crystal Lake.  Meanwhile horny and party loving teenagers are having fun at the camp which disturbs Jason Voorhees (Derek Russo) who quickly arrives for his own style of fun.  Once the killing and screaming starts Sarah appears ready to blow anything and everything up.  With guns in hand and her nimble fight style Sarah makes for a formidable foe for Voorhees and what follows is an elaborate and cutting rate fight sequence between the two (choreographed by Chris Frank and Rosenthal himself).  Rosenthal does a great job honoring both franchises and fans of both will see a lot of homage that fits nicely into their respectful universes.  This is definitely a fan film for the fans.

Slash/Up is a great idea for a series of short films inspired by fans of not just horror, but action, science fiction, fantasy, and everything in between.  There is no limit to the possibilities of the series which is evident from the proposed second episode of the series “Neo Vs Freddy” pitting Neo from The Matrix films verses our favorite Dream Demon Fred Kruger from A Nightmare on Elm Street.  I look forward to seeing more from this web series and what they come up with next in the form of other productions.

To view the first episode of SLAH/UP go here - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yBj-BEf1eTk

To watch the making of the episode go here - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IhozVWXQs00