wednes: (Default)
wednes ([personal profile] wednes) wrote2003-03-16 02:16 am

Willard: can a remake have spoilers? Probably.

So the critics blasted this movie with B's and C's. One of them said (the director) "is trying to turn Willard into a modern-day Norman Bates". And this is bad, HOW??? Critics can kiss my ass (at least until I am a professional one) esp Roger Ebert. Beyond the Valley of the Dolls anyone?

Willard is an outstanding remake of a 1971 (I think) film starring Bruce Davison as Willard and Ernest Brognine as the boss who learns that hard way what it means to "Tear it up".

I love Anthony Perkins as much as anyone, but he's dead. He's DEAD and he's not coming back. Enter Crispin Hellion Glover: Willard Stiles. He's odd, he's spooky, he has a dilapidated, horror-movie-esque house, and a hideously ugly mother. Oh yeah, and he also has thousands upon thousands of rats whom he has cleverly trained to do b his bidding.

Some may say that this film is predictable and leaves little to surprise. Um...its a remake, how freaking surprised are we expected to be??? It's about a guy killing people with rats.
So there'll be a guy, some rats, and some death. Now you know!

There are many things you won't suspect, although I think the trailers gave WAY too much away. Bruce Davison is noted for the record, as Willard's father. The music is awesome, if a rather blatant homage to Danny "Red Wolf" Elfman. The star was not, in fact, the many anamatronic rats, but McFly himself, CHG. His performance was outstanding and creepy and fabulous. A word about the CGI, it was not totally obvious and overused; and there were plenty of real rats in this film.

Good performances from a little known cast, and truly excellent surround sound help the collage-laden direction tell this rather basic revenge plot. Glover singing over the end credits is also quite superb. I'm encouraged to find one of his actual albums.

Pick yourself up, suspend your disbeleif, and see this film.
Do it!!!

[identity profile] fyreangel.livejournal.com 2003-03-16 12:11 am (UTC)(link)
I went and saw it tonight.. I was impressed :) Very sad when they killed the poot kitty tho .. *Sniffles* Ben reminded me SOO much of my cat, George. He's huge and all he wants is LOVE!! Heeh

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[identity profile] wednes.livejournal.com 2003-03-16 12:47 am (UTC)(link)
Ben seemed to want more than that, his own home perhaps?

[identity profile] fyreangel.livejournal.com 2003-03-16 07:45 am (UTC)(link)
Oh for sure. But in the beginning all he wanted was love like Socrates :)

[identity profile] fyreangel.livejournal.com 2003-03-16 01:28 pm (UTC)(link)
BTW.. The video is here :)

http://www.willardmovie.com/winmedia_ben_300.html

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[identity profile] wednes.livejournal.com 2003-03-16 02:43 pm (UTC)(link)
I couldn't click on the thing, something about a plug-in.

Dang!

[identity profile] fyreangel.livejournal.com 2003-03-17 10:09 am (UTC)(link)
DOH! That's unfair!!

[identity profile] lostsatellite.livejournal.com 2003-03-16 05:15 am (UTC)(link)
I had only just heard of this movie on Thursday...haven't seen the previews and haven't really read any reviews either...but it seems really interesting to me and I hope to see it...

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[identity profile] lostsatellite.livejournal.com 2003-03-16 03:33 pm (UTC)(link)
I almost thought you were referring to the group :)...which fits well enough as I'll be seeing them on Saturday...

[identity profile] uterdic.livejournal.com 2003-03-16 01:52 pm (UTC)(link)
I don't think there were any anamatronic rats in the movie. I think it was all done with real rats and a whole lot of compositing (layering). I'm sure there were a handful of shots that consisted of CGI rats, but that's a bit different than anamatronics, and again there wasn't anything that couldn't have been done with a real rat in the movie (and lots of real rat layers).

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[identity profile] wednes.livejournal.com 2003-03-16 02:41 pm (UTC)(link)
Maybe the fluffy dog was anamatronic.