The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014)

The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014)

The film is an American-German-British co-production that was financed by German financial companies and film-funding organizations. It was filmed in Germany.The Grand Budapest Hotel was released to widespread acclaim from film critics, and many included it in their year-end top 10 lists. The film led the BAFTA nominations, with 11 nominations, more than any other film, including Best Film and Best Director for Anderson, and Best Actor for Fiennes.The film won the Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy and garnered three more Golden Globe Award nominations, including Best Director for Anderson. It also garnered nine Academy Award nominations, the joint most (with Birdman) for the ceremony, including Best Picture and Best Director. It won the Academy Awards for Best Production Design, Best Original Score, Best Costume Design and Best Makeup and Hairstyling.

Storyline

THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL recounts the adventures of Gustave H, a legendary concierge at a famous European hotel between the wars, and Zero Moustafa, the lobby boy who becomes his most trusted friend. The story involves the theft and recovery of a priceless Renaissance painting and the battle for an enormous family fortune -- all against the back-drop of a suddenly and dramatically changing Continent.

Plot

the present, a teenage girl approaches a monument to a writer in a cemetery. In her arms is a memoir penned by a character known only as "The Author". She starts reading a chapter from the book. The Author begins narrating the tale from his desk in 1985 about a trip he made to the Grand Budapest Hotel in 1968.

Located in the Republic of Zubrowka, a fictional Central European state ravaged by war and poverty, the Young Author discovers that the remote mountainside hotel has fallen on hard times. Many of its lustrous facilities are now in a poor state of repair, and its guests are few. The Author encounters the hotel's elderly owner, Zero Moustafa, one afternoon, and they agree to meet later that evening. Over dinner in the hotel's enormous dining room, Mr. Moustafa tells him the tale of how he took ownership of the hotel and why he is unwilling to close it down.

Cast

Ralph Fiennes as Monsieur Gustave H.
Tony Revolori as Young Zero Moustafa
Adrien Brody as Dmitri Desgoffe und Taxis
Willem Dafoe as J.G. Jopling
Jeff Goldblum as Deputy Vilmos Kovacs
Saoirse Ronan as Agatha
Edward Norton as Inspector Henckels
F. Murray Abraham as Old Zero Moustafa
Mathieu Amalric as Serge X.
Jude Law as The Author as a Young Man
Harvey Keitel as Ludwig
Bill Murray as Monsieur Ivan
Léa Seydoux as Clotilde
Jason Schwartzman as Monsieur Jean
Tilda Swinton as Madame Céline Villeneuve D

User Review

The Grand Budapest Hotel is the latest from Wes Anderson, and what great fun it is. My review of Monuments Men pointed out that putting the likes of George Clooney, Matt Damon, Cate Blanchett, Jean Dujardin, Bill Murray and Hugh Bonneville in the same film was no guarantee of a good film. Following that logic, what should we make of the following turning up together: Ralph Fiennes, Bill Murray, F. Murray Abraham, Adrien Brody, Willem Defoe, Jeff Goldblum, Jude Law, Edward Norton, Tom Wilkinson, Saoirse Ronan, Owen Wilson and (a wonderfully made up) Tilda Swinton? The answer is a near masterpiece of cameos that add up to a highly entertaining and memorable film.

In a complex serious of flashbacks, Tom Wilkinson plays an author remembering his younger self (Jude Law) being recounted, a number of years before, the life story of The Grand Budapest's mysterious elderly guest Zero Moustafa, played by Abraham. (Are you still with me?) Featuring strongly in this life story, Ralph Fiennes plays hotel concierge and lothario Gustave H., seducer of his elderly and wealthy guests. He is supported in this role – for everything outside the bedroom that is – by trainee Bellboy, and Gustave's protégé, Zero (in the younger form of Tony Revolori).

Following the murder of one such guest (Tilda Swinton), Gustave is not surprised to feature strongly in her will, awarded a priceless Renaissance painting – Boy with Apple. This is much to the displeasure of her son Dimitri (Adrien Brody) and his evil henchman Jopling (Willem Defoe). What follows is a madcap pursuit across snowy landscapes, various grisly murders, a couple of civil wars, some disconnected fingers, a prison break and a downhill ski chase.

All the cast seem to enjoy themselves immensely, but it is the production design and cinematography that really shines through: every single shot of the film is just a joy to look at, from the bright pastel colours of some scenes to the oak-panelled finery of the elderly lady's mansion. Beautifully crafted, beautifully lit,beautifully costumed, beautifully filmed. Bringing a film out so early in the new Oscar-year must be risky: but one can only hope that the voting members have a long enough memory to recognise this movie in these sorts of categories.

There are some interesting crossovers to recent films: both 'The Book Thief' and 'The Monuments Men' were filmed – as this was – in Studio Babelsberg in Potsdam. No coincidence then that the steam train chugging through the East European countryside looked startlingly similar to that in the opening scenes of 'The Book Thief'; and if you have Bill Murray and Bob Balaban in town for Monuments Men, then why not stick them together for this film too? Simples! Alexandre Desplat turns up AGAIN with another quirky and fitting score.

All in all, if you like the quirky style of films of the likes of Moulin Rouge then you'll love this. Highly recommended.

Macbeth (I) (2015)

Macbeth (I) (2015)

Macbeth, a duke of Scotland, receives a prophecy from a trio of witches that one day he will become King of Scotland. Consumed by ambition and spurred to action by his wife, Macbeth murders his king and takes the throne for himself.

“One does never speak the name of the Scottish play.”

“What, Macbeth?”

If only Blackadder was around to lighten the mood. Justin Kurzel’s adaptation of Shakespeare’s most famous play is dark. It’s nasty. It’s foreboding and brooding. An opening shot of a lifeless child being given to the flames ends up being one of the more light-hearted moments (genuinely; much later in the film a similar thing happens, only the young breath is gruellingly taken by the flames). You’ll walk out of Macbeth in need of a hot shower, as much to wash off the dirt and grime caking every frame of Medieval Scotland as the general feeling of hopelessness in your gut. But, of course, it’s a dark play in the first place, and this is a quite scintillating adaptation.

Macbeth is a Duke of Scotland who, following a bloody battle, receives an ominous foretelling of his future from three witches – that he will become King of Scotland – which drives him mad with desire and gives him a slightly murderous disposition. As bodies of all sizes pile up in his wake, rebellion looms. Michael Fassbender excels as the titular anti-hero intent on vanquishing enemies and slaughtering friends – one of his great strengths being his ability to portray that slightly mad, always on the edge of losing it type character. Think also of Edwin Epps in 12 Years a Slave; the kind of character that’s exhilarating to watch, yet oddly uncomfortable because we never know quite what they’re going to do next (even if we pretty much know what Macbeth is going to do).

The film is visually stunning. A battle sequence towards the end, bathed in the red/amber hue of a raging fire as sparks fly in the air and on the battlefield, is gorgeous to behold. Kurzel is next handling the long-awaited Assassin’s Creed movie (with Fassbender again). If he can craft the battle sequences in a similar way and re-harness the palpable feudal atmosphere – and, indeed, if Fassbender can conjure another performance this good – we may just finally be in for a decent video game movie.

There’s no hiding away from the fact that the Shakespearean language is a barrier. You’ll probably tune into it, after twenty minutes or so, but to the untrained ear it’s often like listening to riddles – if Macbeth wasn’t such a well known play, far more people would be lost. Yet for Shakespeare purists, this is the screen adaptation Macbeth deserves. Brooding, visceral, prophetic and authentic; captivating in the extreme.

Carrie (2013)

Carrie (2013) 

In the opening scene, set in the year 1995, there is the White household where we hear Margaret White (Julianne Moore) screaming in pain. The shot pans the upstairs floor where Margaret is crying out to God in agony. We see a puddle of water that has splattered a Bible and numerous droplets of blood. Margaret is writhing on the bed in agony thinking she has been afflicted with a cancer, and begs for gods mercy as she is taken. Her body contorts a few times as she screams and she looks up waiting to die. But she doesnt. She realizes she is still alive and there is something underneath her nightdress. She looks between her legs and finds a baby. She had been pregnant and didn't know it. Margaret nods. "It's a test," she says, and reaches for scissors, ready to slay her newborn daughter. She almost stabs the baby, when something stops her at the last second. She puts the scissors down and cradles her newborn daughter.

Cut to present day. Carrie White (Chloe Grace Moretz), now age 17 or 18, is a meek, shy young girl at her high school located in the small town of Castle Rock, Maine. Considered an outcast by everyone, she sneaks into the background hoping she will not be noticed. After school, during the gym game of water volleyball, the ball lands in front of her and she is asked to spike to ball. She accidentally hits Sue Snell (Gabriela Wilde) in the head which makes everyone, including Carrie laugh. Sues friend, Chris Hargensen (Portia Doubleday) tells Carrie to "eat shit" so everyone starts laughing at her instead.

After gym, Carrie starts to take a shower alone when she notices blood. She races to the girls for help, not understanding what is going on. The girls, led by Chris, realize Carrie is having her first period and doesn't understand it. Instead of helping, they throw tampons at her and chanting: "plug it up." Chris even films it on her iPhone. Even Sue joins in with the chanting and taunting. The gym teacher, Ms. Desjardin (Judy Greer) finds them and in an effort to calm her down, slaps Carrie to keep her from screaming. Ms. Desjardin yells for everyone to get out. As the girls file out, a light shatters. Sue looks at Carrie with deep regret and guilt.

Carrie is taken to the principal's office with Ms. Desjardin as they try to explain what has happened (with the principal, a man, severely uncomfortable with it). The Principal tells Ms. Desjardin to handle the punishment of the girls that participated in the incident. The principal and Ms. Desjardin tell Carrie that they have called her mother to pick her up. Carrie goes completely white, begging them not to call her mom. Ms. Desjardin says they know the school has problems with her mother since they forced her out of home schooling but it will be okay. Carrie starts hyperventilating and a nearby water cooler shatters. Carrie leaves the office.

Margaret comes to pick up Carrie. Nearby, Sue, Chris and her rough boyfriend Billy Nolan (Alex Russell) sit. Chris shows everyone the video of Carrie. Sue looks on at Carrie, and her face betrays more guilt.

On the way home Carrie apologizes to her mother for making her come to school.

When they get home, Carrie wants to talk to Margaret about why she didn't explain to her about her period. "I thought I was dying," Carrie says. Margaret is evasive and tells her to come inside. Carrie tells her mother she won't; she wants to talk about what happened. As Carrie sits in the car, a local boy rides around it on his bicycle and calls her "Crazy Carrie." Carrie apparently uses her powers to makes him fall off his bike, which scares him into fleeing.

Inside the house, Carrie finds her mother banging her head on the wall. Carrie tells her to stop and just talk to her. Margaret however, is more concerned with praying for forgiveness and creates her own bibles verses on a whim to suit her needs. When Carrie objects to her mothers prayers, Margaret knocks her in the head with a bible. As their argument heads downstairs to the kitchen, Margaret calls her a sinner. "I did not sin," Carrie says. Margaret opens the "Prayer Closet" and tells Carrie to get in. Carrie refuses so her mother throws her in and latches the door, telling her to pray for forgiveness. Carrie bangs on the door, begging to be let out. "GOD, YOU SON OF A BITCH!" Carrie screams, and then suddenly a crack is formed through the middle of the door to both their surprise. Carrie looks at a sculpture hanging on the wall of Jesus nailed to the cross. It begins to bleed to her horror.

Meanwhile, Sue and her boyfriend, Tommy Ross (Ansel Elgort) are having sex in a jeep, though Sue's mind is somewhere else. They get dressed, and Sue talks about her guilt about what happened to Carrie and how she initially helped. Tommy relates he once beat a bully that had tormented him. He says the guy had it coming. "What did Carrie White ever do you?" Tommy asks.

At the same time, Chris and Billy, along with another girlfriend, named Tina, hang out at her house. Chris is unrepentant about what she has done, and on a whim, decides to upload the video to YouTube, humiliating Carrie even further.

Back at the White household, Margaret is making clothes and singing bible songs. She eventually opens the closet and finds Carrie sleeping. She wakes her up and asks if she said her prayers. Carrie says yes, and Margaret becomes a loving mother again. They exchange" I love you"s.

The next day, Ms. Desjardin lays down the law with Chris, Sue, and all the other girls that participated in Carries shaming. Ms. Desjardin asks about Chris and Sues dates for the prom and tells Sue she wouldve voted her Prom Queen but not anymore. Ms. Desjardin tells them it was a "very shitty" thing they did to Carrie and they are going to pay for it. They will be doing suicide sprints after school for a week. Anyone who refuses the punishment is suspended and cannot go to prom. "While you run, I want you to think long and hard about what it has to be like for Carrie White," Ms. Desjardin says.

After a while, Chris calls "bullshit" on the whole punishment, saying Ms. Desjardin can't do it. Sue tries to tell her to take the punishment and let it go but she wont. Chris refuses, so Ms. Desjardin suspends her and revokes her prom privileges. Ms. Desjardin mentions that apparently someone took a video of the incident, looking at Chris as she is pretty sure that she did it. Chris says Ms. Desjardin cant take away prom from her and tries to rally the other girls to go with her. One by one, they refuse, including Sue, the only one who shows any true remorse. They continue to run while Chris screams: "This is not over!"

Meanwhile, everyone snickers at Carrie, having seen the video. She goes in the bathroom and concentrates on the mirror. After a moment, she is able to smash it to her shock. Looking at the pieces she makes them levitate for a moment until another girl shows up. Carrie grabs her bag and leaves.

Carrie goes to the library and looks to the web and numerous books about telekinesis.

In class, Carrie looks at the flag outside the window, and makes it move. She grins.

Carrie is called to the front of the class and reads a favorite poem. It is quite dark, but well written and people pay attention to her. The teacher is amazed she has talked at all, and asked if she has something else to say after scaring the classroom. "You asshole," Tommy mutters under his breath. The teacher asks what he said. Tommy said the poem was "awesome" and asks the teacher if he thought the same thing. Carrie looks at Tommy shyly and smiles.

Meanwhile, Margaret is seen working at dry cleaner/seamstress store. Someone calls out for help and it turns out to be Mrs. Snell, Sues mother. She is picking up Sues prom dress. Mrs. Snell tries to apologize for Sues behavior and commends Margaret on the work she did. Meanwhile, Margaret is cutting herself on the leg with a needle, making herself bleed. "These are godless times," Margaret says before returning to her work.

Chris gets a meeting with Ms. Desjardin and The Principal with her arrogant lawyer father to try and overturn her suspension and revoked prom privileges. Chris tries to play the victim, but Ms. Desjardin plays better hardball than her, saying there was a video uploaded and if Chris just proves it isn't on her phone, then she can have her prom after all. Her father tells her to give up the phone, but Chris refuses to and storms out, thus indirectly admitting her complicity and making sure her suspension and punishment stay active.

Sue and the prom committee work on turning the gymnasium into the prom. Chris storms in and asks why the girls didn't back her up. She then asks why Sue didn't. Sue says because she deserved the punishment, they all did. Ms. Desjardin was right; they did a shitty thing to Carrie. Chris balks and says Carrie deserved it. "What has Carrie White ever done to you?" Sue asks her soon to be former friend. Chris tells Sue that she is not being high and mighty because she feels bad; its because she wants to go to prom with Tommy then have sex with him in the hotel she already booked. "You don't give a shit about Carrie White," Chris sneers, leaving.

We see Sue at home, looking at her prom dress lovingly.

Back at the White household, Carrie is in her room making books move, testing her powers. She eventually makes several levitate including her bed. Margaret hears the noise and takes a butcher knife to investigate. When she gets to Carrie's room, Carrie has fooled her, turning out the lights. Margaret puts the knife down and says she will never let anyone hurt her little girl. Carrie then accidentally causes the knife to stick into the floor, shocking Margaret.

The next day, Sue watches Tommy play Lacrosse. Sue comes up to Tommy and asks for a favor; she wants him to take Carrie to the prom. Tommy is shocked, saying he wants to take her, but Sue wants to do something. "I'm trying to fix what I did," she says. Tommy tries to convince her, but Sue says she can't go and begs him to help her make things right.

Tommy finds Carrie at lunch and shocks her by talking to her. Tommy asks her about prom and if she would like to go with him. Carrie runs off without responding. Tommy tracks her down and asks again, but Carrie thinks it is a joke. "Stop trying to trick me," Carrie says. "I'm not," Tommy replies. Carrie doesn't believe him however, and runs off.

Carrie cries in the locker room when Ms. Desjardin finds her. Ms. Desjardin thinks the girls did something again but Carrie says she got invited to prom. Ms. Desjardin says thats a happy thing and asks who asked her. Carrie says Tommy Ross. Ms. Desjardin, realizing something is up, stays neutral saying he is a cute boy. Carrie says she knows he dates Sue Snell and thinks this a big joke to him. "They're going to trick me again," Carrie says. Ms. Desjardin says maybe not. Carrie ponders why Tommy would want to go with her. Ms. Desjardin directs Carrie to the mirror telling her she sees a beautiful girl and with the right dress and the tiniest dash of makeup she can stun everyone speechless.

Ms. Desjardin confronts Sue and Tommy thinking they are planning something. "If the two of you are planning some kind of joke on a poor, lonely girl..." Ms. Desjardin warns them. However, Sue says she is trying to do a good thing for Carrie; allow her one good night and a chance to be social. Tommy says it doesn't matter since Carrie said no, but Sue tells him to try again. Ms. Desjardin tries to appeal to Tommy saying he will look weird with Carrie on his arm, but Sue says this is a private matter and they don't care how they look doing it.

Tommy drives over to Carrie's house and tells her he is not leaving till she says yes to prom. Fearful her mother will see them, Carrie says yes but that she will have to be home by 10:30 pm. Tommy says he will pick her up at 7:00 pm. Carrie smiles.

Carrie goes into town and sees a dress shop. She looks at one in the store front and her body reflected onto it. Going inside, she sees that they are too pricey for what she can afford. She sees some fabric and stares at awe at the potential. From across the street, Chris and her friends see Carrie at the store and Chris seethes in rage.

That evening, Carrie walks home seeing her mom waiting for her in the front yard. Margaret is livid since she didn't know where she was. Carrie says she went into town to buy fabric to make herself a gown. Margaret says she is not allowed to go anywhere but school and home. Carrie then tells her the news; she's been asked to prom. Carrie tells her that she knows she is scared and she is too. However, the kids laugh at her and think she is weird. She doesn't want to be weird; she wants to be normal and thinks prom may be her final chance. "I have to try and be a whole person before it is too late," Carrie says. Margaret is livid and tells her to go to her closet and repent before it is too late. Carrie asks why she can't be happy for her. But the insane Margaret refuses to listen and orders Carrie to go to her closet. Carrie then has an episode and makes everything in the living room jump up. Margaret falls to the floor in shock and starts to pray. Carrie tells her mom to get up and when she doesn't, she raises her with her powers. Margaret calls Carrie a devil, but Carrie says she has powers and others have them too. Carrie states that her grandmother may have had them and it's possible that they skipped a generation to Carrie. Carrie places her mother down and her mother says she thought she was a cancer when she was born. Carrie tells her that is a horrible thing to say and levitates her again. She tells her she is going to prom, she will not stop her, and they are not talking about it anymore. Carrie then releases her.

Meanwhile, Chris, Billy and a few others are at a pig farm. Billy crushes a pigs head and Chris slits the throat to collect the blood.

The next day, Sue is working on the prom decorations when she feels sick. She runs to the bathroom and throws up. Shock hits her face; she thinks she is pregnant.

We see Carrie make her prom dress. Chris and Billy break into the gymnasium and rig the pail with the pig blood. Billy tells Chris she can drop it on Carrie.

Sue puts her dress away, committing to her decision.

We see a montage of the students get ready and dressed for prom. We see Carrie put her dress on and apply some light makeup. She has fully transformed herself into the beautiful woman she was meant to be.

Margaret tells her she looks like a deviant. Carrie, having enough of her mother's overly religious quotes, asks that for once that her mom could be happy for her. Margaret says they are going to laugh at her, but Carrie says to stop it. Tommy is a nice boy and everything is going to be fine. As Tommy shows up, Margaret tells her daughter that she was conceived by what was basically marital rape and how she tried to kill her as a baby. Carrie, finally losing all her patience, force-chokes her mom. "There will be a judgment Carrie", Margaret says. Carrie opens the closet and looks her mother in with powers, saying she will be back at 10:30 pm as promised. She then melts the door lock so her mother can't get out.

Carrie goes outside to meet Tommy. "Do I look okay?" Carrie asks. "You look beautiful," Tommy says, meaning it.

They drive to prom in a limo. Carrie requests a moment, thinking about the other students. Tommy tells her despite what she thinks they aren't all bad. Calming her down, they go in, where she is introduced to Tommy's best friend and his girlfriend, who goes to another school. The other girl compliments Carrie on her dress, and is pleasantly surprised to find out that Carrie made it herself.

Carrie begins to loosen up. Tommy asks if she wants to dance but they agree to wait till a slow one comes on. Ms. Desjardin sees Carrie and tells her how beautiful she looks. While they talk, Tommy texts Sue, telling her that everything is okay, Carrie is enjoying herself and that he misses her. Sue smiles, content that she is making it right.

A slow song comes on and Tommy convinces Carrie to dance with him. He teaches her how to slow dance and quickly learns. Carrie puts her head on his shoulder then backs away. Something crosses Tommy's face when that happens; while he is still obviously loyal to Sue, he is starting to grow some feelings for Carrie due to her being such a sweet person. Carrie, still unsure about his intentions asks why he asked her to prom. Tommy says that he wanted to, and is having a good time with her and hopes she is feeling the same way. Carrie nods yes. Tommy then says they will enjoy their time here then they can go to an after party and he will have back home on time. Carrie smiles, agrees, and notes that she can maybe stay out till 11.

Thanks to a friend, Billy and Chris break into and sit in the rafters waiting. They hand off ballots to their friend.

The voting for Prom King and Queen begin. Carrie questions voting for herself but Tommy tells her it isn't much to it, and she should have one chance to be in the spotlight. Carrie notes that the crowns are beautiful. "Devil with false modesty," Tommy says. Carrie is convinced so they vote for themselves. Meanwhile, Chris friends switch out the ballots to rig them in Tommy and Carries favor.

Chris texts on her cell phone to Sue while Sue is getting out of the shower. She says "Your girl looks good. She wont be for much longer." Horror watches over Sues face; she knew Chris was vindictive but not to this extent. Sue races to prom to try and stop her.

Chris seems to have second thoughts for a moment. Billy reminds her that what they are doing is criminal assault, and they need to bail the second they are done.

Meanwhile, Sue gets to the building but can't get in. She sees someone open the door and sneaks in.

The "ballots" are counted. Tommy and Carrie win. Carrie is stunned but happy. They walk up to the podium with everyone applauding.

Sue looks around and sees Chris in the rafters. Chris sees Sue see her. She hesitates momentarily, but Billy goads her on to pull the rope. Ms. Desjardin sees Sue and misconstrues her reasons for being there and throws her out of the building without hearing her warning.

Chris pulls the rope and the pig blood cascades down and drowns Carrie in it. Complete and utter silence follows. "WHAT THE HELL?!" Tommy yells at everyone, having and wanting no part in this unbelievable act of cruelty. Chris then hacks the video monitors and plays Carries period video. Most can't help but laugh but Ms. Desjardin among with a few others, are in complete shock. Ms. Desjardin goes to Carrie but Carrie pushes her back with her powers, startling everyone.

Chris and Billy rig the rope and begin to flee but Chris wants to stick around and see Carrie squirm. The rope however gives and the pail that held the blood cracks Tommy on the back of the head, killing him instantly. Carrie turns back around and cradles his head her lap, absolutely devastated that the only boy that ever treated her kindly has been killed. Carrie looks up in the rafters and recognizes Billy's sunglasses. She knows who is responsible. Something snaps in her mind. She turns to the guests, as the blood on her body starts to levitate off it. A few see this and try to flee in horror but it is no use.

Carrie finally loses control and force-pushes the entire crowd back, people hitting tables and each other. Carrie shuts all the doors of the gym so no one can get out. One of the girls, Heather, is force-thrown across the room and has her head smashed into a closed door. Jack and a few other guys try to escape by climbing the bleachers, so Carrie collapses them, gorily crushing Jack to death. As a boy films her, she throws a table at him, the force of the hit killing him. Carrie then trips the sprinkles leaving the whole room wet. As she sees the twin girls Nicki and Lizzy, friends of Chris, flee she forces-pushes them to the ground and lets them be trampled to death. She then takes electrical wires and whips another one of Chris' friends, Tina, which catches her dress sets it on fire, causing Tina to burn to death. As flames envelop the room, Ms. Desjardin tries to calm Carrie down but Carrie catches her in a force-choke hold and considers electrocuting her. However, her reasoning returns momentarily and she spares Ms. Desjardin as she was one of the few people that were ever nice to her. Carrie then levitates herself out of the building.

By now the entire school is in flames. While people some escape, many don't. Carrie sees Chris and Billy's red car. Her rage returns.

Chris asks Billy what they should do as their little prank is now responsible for at least a dozen deaths. Billy tells her they will leave town and never come back. Chris agrees reluctantly. As they drive off, Carrie is behind them. She stomps the ground and causes it to cave out ahead. Billy turns the car around and speeds back. Chris sees Carrie and despite everything, will not give up her vendetta. "RUN HER DOWN. KILL HER!" Chris snarls. Billy says he has it under control and charges Carrie. Carrie however is waiting for him and stops the car with her power, the force causing Billy to hit the steering wheel hard, breaking his nose. Chris comes to a few minutes later, and realizes Billy is dead from the impact. She cries but when she sees Carrie, she reaches for the keys and backs up, still hell-bent on killing her. When she charges again, Carrie pulls the car up high in the air, and then throws into a gas station pump. The force of the throw causes Chris' face to go through the windshield making shards of glass embed all around her face. Carrie watches as Chris breathes her last. As an extra precaution and because Chris deserved it, Carrie causes the leaked gas to spark, causing an explosion that guarantees Billy and Chris demise.

Back at the burned gym, Sue sees Ms. Desjardin and they both sob at the destruction.

Carrie begins to walk home, destroying everything in her path. When she gets inside, she sees her mom had forced a hole from the crack in the door and has escaped from the closet. Carrie calls out to her but gets no response. Her mother is hiding in the shadows.

Carrie gets into the bathtub and cleans off all the blood, changing into a blue nightgown. She finds Margaret and tells her she was right about everything. They hug and Margaret suggests they pray. As they pray, Margaret takes her butcher knife and stabs Carrie once in the back. Carrie then pushes her mother back as she falls down the stairs. Their fight continues in the kitchen as Carrie begs her mother to stop what she is doing. "You know a devil never dies. You gotta keep killing it," Margaret says, manic. They struggle and she slices Carrie on the leg and arm. When she tries to stab Carrie in the face, Carrie stops the blade with her powers and then pulls up numerous sharp objects and points them in her mother's direction. Telling her she is sorry, Carrie lets them fly, and they impale her mother to the wall as if in a crucifix-like pose.

Carrie, horrified by what she is done, releases the blades that pin her mother to the wall. Margaret dies moments later in Carrie's lap. Carrie cries at the loss.

Moments later, Sue arrives at the house. Carrie is angry with her saying she just killed her mother and she wants her back. "Why couldn't you leave me alone?" Carrie asks. Sue says she tried to help her. Carrie puts Sue in a force choke-hold as the house begins to collapse around them due to her powers becoming uncontrollable. "Don't hurt me Carrie," Sue pleads. "Why not?" Carrie snarls. Then, Carrie puts Sue down. Sue tries to reach for Carrie so they can escape. Carrie places her hand near Sue's stomach. "It's a girl," Carrie says. Sue looks at her in shock. "You don't know?" Carrie asks. Carrie pushes her out of the house. Sue watches as rocks come out of nowhere and fall directly on the house, collapsing it on itself. Carrie holds her mother and kisses her forehead as the house finally falls down on the both of them. Sue looks on in horror and gingerly touches her stomach.

An undisclosed time later, Sue is giving a deposition in front of the whole town (As to her pregnancy subplot, it is very unclear whether Sue is still pregnant or not and/or she kept the baby). The man interviewing her asks if what she saw happen could've been a natural accident. Sue however, stands by her story. Carrie was just a normal girl with normal hopes and desires like everyone else, and they pushed her and when people get pushed, eventually they break. They broke Carrie White.

We see Sue at the graveyard where Margaret and Carrie are at a joint plot. Someone has spray painted "CARRIE WHITE IS IN HELL" on the gravestone with an arrow pointing down. Even in death, someone still had to be heartless to the poor, lonely girl who only wanted to be accepted. Sue lays a white rose at the grave and leaves. A moment later a force comes up from the ground, cracking the tombstone down the middle. In the middle, a crater forms in the shape of a heart. Carrie's ultimate fate is left ambiguous.

Evil Dead (2013)

Evil Dead (2013)

The first five star movie of 2013 is this long awaited reboot to writer/director Sam Raimi's 1981 cult classic original 'THE EVIL DEAD'. It's a loose sequel that finds a new group of young adults stumbling across the 'book of the dead', from the original trilogy, in the same cabin that iconic hero Ash and his friends did in the original two films. Raimi and actor Bruce Campbell (who played Ash) have returned as producers of the film (along with their buddy Robert G. Tapert, who produced the original three films). Raimi picked Fede Alvarez to make his feature film debut directing and co-writing the film (along with Rodo Sayagues and Diablo Cody). It stars Jane Levy (from TV's 'SUBURGATORY'), Shiloh Fernandez, Lou Taylor Pucci, Jessica Lucas and Elizabeth Blackmore. Levy plays Mia and she's supposed to reprise the role for two more films, the last of which is supposed to link this new film series to the adventures of Ash and the original films (following a 'ARMY OF DARKNESS 2' movie). I grew up on these films and am extremely excited to see Raimi and Campbell picking the series up again and think they're off to a great start.

The story picks up 30 years after the original 'THE EVIL DEAD' film ended with a new group of kids going to the same cabin so Mia (Levy) can try to detox and get over her opiate addiction. Her friends Eric (Pucci), Olivia (Lucas), Natalie (Blackmore) and brother David (Fernandez) are there as well to help her get through it. They come across the 'book of the dead' (the Naturom Demonto) from the original films, in the cellar and Eric foolishly reads from it (despite several warnings not to). He of course awakens the dead and Mia is possessed. The others originally think she's just going through withdrawals but they soon find themselves being taken over and killed off one by one as they fight the deadites for their survival.

The film was made on a budget of just $17 million (which is a lot higher than the original film obviously but a pretty small budget by Hollywood standards). The filmmakers decided not to use CGI (except for touch ups) and filmed for 70 days. The results are definitely rewarding. The film really has that 'old school' classic slasher film feel to it and it's surprisingly loyal to the original films (in style). It's lacking the power of a performance like Bruce Campbell's but it is really funny and satirical (more so than the first film I think but not it's sequels). The violence and gore is out of control (It was first rated NC-17, like the original) and it really is a true hardcore horror film; it's truly exhilarating and relentless. I think the filmmakers did about as good a job as they possibly could rebooting this classic series and being a huge fan it's an enormous pleasure to watch. I have no real complaints; it's a masterpiece just like the original film and it's sequels!

I Spit on Your Grave (2010)

I Spit on Your Grave (2010)

Back in 1978, the film I Spit on Your Grave (also known as Day of the Woman) provoked controversy due to its violence, gore and for daring to show a woman taking revenge on her own hands against the louts who raped her. As the time went by, the film became into a cult classic, not so much due to its intrinsic merits, but for having been censored (or forbidden) in many countries, something which helped to make it more popular. Personally, I respect its influence on horror cinema, but into the sub-genus of "female revenge", I prefer movies like Thriller: A Cruel Picture and Ms. 45, because I found them to be better written, acted and directed.

However, I Spit on Your Grave (1978) is definitely an intense and visceral experience thanks to its semi-amateur manufacture, rural locations and realistic style. Besides, the revenge methods from the main character seemed like a direct answer to the then rising slasher cinema, something which brought an additional level to the narrative. So, with all that "cultural baggage" carried by I Spit on Your Grave, how would a modern remake work? Considering the standards of the contemporary horror cinema, we can be sure that it will be more brutal and cruel; but would it reach the same historical and emotional impact from the original film? Even though the answer ended up being "no", I have to admit that on its own merit, I Spit on Your Grave (2010) is a disturbing, satisfactory and very competent horror film.

As I expected, I Spit on Your Grave (2010) adds more blood and some new narrative elements. Some of them feel a bit irrelevant (for example, the destiny of the camera with which the rape is filmed), but other ones deepen into the private life from the villains, revealing the hypocrisy of monsters who disguise their evilness with a facade of respectable civilization. However, the biggest change is made on the main character's revenge, which adds a very interesting psychological component to the movie. Fortunately, I Spit on Your Grave (2010) remains within a plausible field, and even though it follows the torture-porn formula, the cruelty and grotesque violence feel justified and organic in the story. I truly appreciate the fact that screenwriter Stuart Morse found an appropriate variation which respects the original formula, at the same time he added a new subtext which avoids the film from being another hollow torture film.

So, despite not being a great horror film and having some fails, I Spit on Your Grave (2010) is a very interesting horror film which ended up being better than I expected. The first half of the film is very disturbing and impossible to "enjoy" in the conventional sense of the word; however, the second half is cathartic and very satisfactory, compensating the suffering we had to go through previously. In conclusion, I recommend it unless you are a sensible person.

Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)

Mad Max: Fury Road (2015) 

Max Rockatansky (Tom Hardy) explains in a voice-over narration that he was once a cop and road warrior and is now trekking through post-apocalyptic Australia, running from haunting thoughts of his dead wife and child and other people he's failed to save. As he stands on a ridge looking around, a two-headed lizard crawls near Max and he stomps on it before eating it. He drives off and is quickly pursued by a group of scavengers called the War Boys, who are all pale and covered in blisters due to a radiation sickness. They chase Max through the desert and cause him to crash before they capture him.

The War Boys take Max to their lair in the Citadel, a system of caves in a very tall mesa. They shave his head and face. They tattoo his back with a notice saying he is a universal blood donor (Type O negative) because they intend to use him as a blood supply. They cover the lower part of his face with a trident-shaped iron muzzle. Max is nearly branded with an image of a skull engulfed in fire but he breaks free and runs from the War Boys. The chase through the caves shows that the Citadel is extensive and has an ample water supply. As he runs, Max continues to see images of the dead before he makes it to an exit high above the ground. He jumps out and latches onto a swinging hook, but he keeps swinging back toward the War Boys and they manage to pull him back into the tunnel.

In the Citadel, there is a large community of survivors lorded over by the leader of the War Boys, Immortan Joe (Hugh Keays-Byrne, who also played the villain Toecutter in the original Mad Max film). Joe wears a grotesque face mask made of horse teeth set in a large pair of jaws, with air hoses to help him breathe (his lungs are damaged). As he addresses a crowd on the ground below the Citadel, he supplies the people with some water, making everyone go crazy and fight for it once Joe shuts it off after a few seconds. He warns the people not to become addicted to water so that they do not go mad over its absence. Joe then sends his commander Imperator Furiosa (Charlize Theron) out in a huge war rig to collect gasoline from Gas Town, with an escort of War Boys in smaller vehicles. Furiosa has a metal prosthesis in place of her lower left arm and hand.

On the road, Furiosa diverts from the path to Gas Town (glimpsed as a distant group of oil refineries) and heads east. Joe is alerted to the change and runs to the locked chambers where he keeps his five wives (young women chosen to breed his children). They're all gone, and writing on the walls says "Our children will not be warlords" and "Who killed the world?" An old woman tells Joe that he cannot own a human. Furiosa is taking the women away from Joe, prompting him to rally the War Boys and go after her. All the War Boys are eager to join the chase, but one called Nux (Nicholas Hoult) is so weak that he needs a "blood bank" -- which means Max goes along for the ride, chained to Nux and connected to the driver via a central line transfusion tube. The War Boys believe that Immortan Joe can deliver them to the gates of Valhalla, so Nux is willing to risk death.

The War Boys ride after Furiosa's war rig, which is attacked by another desert tribe, the Buzzards. Nux straps Max to the hood of his car like the figurehead on a ship and eagerly chases Furiosa alongside the others. They attempt to get close to the rig, but Furiosa shakes most of them off. Nux gets close to the rig as Max attempts to break free. Furiosa drives toward a huge oncoming sand storm. Nux continues to chase her, even as they head into treacherous sand tornadoes. A few War Boys get killed in the storm, while Nux and Max are spun out of control, causing them to crash.

Max awakens to find himself still chained to an unconscious Nux and still wearing his face mask of metal bars. He grabs a shotgun and tries to shoot off Nux's wrist, but the gun misfires. He walks around the rig to see five beautiful women -- the Splendid Angharad (Rosie Huntington-Whiteley), Toast the Knowing (Zoë Kravitz), Capable (Riley Keough), Cheedo the Fragile (Courtney Eaton), and the Dag (Abbey Lee) -- cleaning themselves with a hose and removing their chastity belts with bolt cutters. Angharad is nine months pregnant with Joe's child, and Dag is also carrying his baby. Max points the shotgun at the women and demands the hose. He drinks, then tells them to use the cutters to break off his chain. Dag tries to but cannot break it. Furiosa sees in the distance that Joe has gathered reinforcements from the other towns that supply gas and ammunition to the Citadel. The approaching forces are led by the People Eater (John Howard) and the Bullet Farmer (Richard Carter). Max and Furiosa fight as he tries to break the chain that ties him to Nux. Nux wakes up and helps Max fight Furiosa, who is assisted by the other women. Nux cuts the chain and Max tries to take the rig for himself. However, it stalls because Furiosa installed a kill switch and only she knows how to keep it going. Max lets her back on the rig but he doesn't want to take the rest of the women. Furiosa insists that they come along, as she is guiding them to a location she calls the Green Place. When Furiosa explains that Joe's "gratitude" toward Max will probably be a slow, painful death, Max gives in and as they ride off in the war rig, Nux sneaks on board.

Furiosa drives the rig into a canyon where she has an arrangement with a group of biker bandits: they'll close the pass behind her with a rockfall to foil her pursuers in exchange for 3000 gallons of fuel, which she's towing in a trailer. She teaches Max the sequence of switches to throw to defeat the kill switch, then asks his name. He doesn't want to tell her, so she says "When I yell fool, drive out of here fast." They spot Joe and his forces closing in. Furiosa gets out and shouts to the bikers that she's brought the 3000 gallons of fuel, as agreed, and she'll detach the trailer. One of the bikers complains that she said there would be a few pursuers, but there are three large parties. Furiosa, dodging to put the rig between herself and the bikers, yells Fool! and manages, between bullets, to climb back on as Max drives the rig away. Though she never did detach the fuel trailer, the the bikers blow up the overpass to block Joe out.

Immortan Joe, in his large-wheeled, extremely off-road vehicle, is able to climb over the rockfall. Another chase ensues through the desert. (During this part of the chase, Max removes his mask using a metal file Furiosa gave him.) The War Boys keep trying to overtake the rig while Joe is catching up. He attempts to shoot at the rig until Angharad steps out as a human shield, and Joe cannot do a thing without hurting his potential son. Nux attempts to help Joe, who sprays chrome paint on Nux's mouth with the promise of bringing him to the gates of Valhalla if Nux succeeds. Almost immediately, Nux loses his gun in front of Joe, who continues driving with disappointment. Angharad tries climbing back to the front of the rig, but she falls off and is run over by Joe's car. The women tell Max to turn back, but when he tells Furiosa that Angharad went under the wheels, Furiosa says they must keep going. The others cry for Angharad.

Nux slips back into the rig with the promise of helping the women evade Joe. He lies on the floor, distraught that he has failed Joe yet again and has lost his chance of joining his personal army. Capable consoles him. At the front, Furiosa tells Max of the Green Place and how she was taken from it as a child.

As they continue driving through the night, the rig gets stuck in a big mud hole. The Bullet Farmer is not far behind them. Max shoots at him but misses, and then Furiosa gets a clean shot, taking out the Bullet Farmer's lights and blinding him.

Meanwhile, Joe's lieutenant the Organic Mechanic (Angus Sampson) takes Angharad's body, as she is near death, and he cuts the baby out of her stomach. The baby is dead too, but he tells Joe that it was a boy. Joe tells his adult son Rictus (Nathan Jones) that he had a brother. Rictus screams proudly. The women continue trying to get the rig out of the mud while Max goes out to face the Bullet Farmer himself. He returns with the Bullet Farmer's blood on his face, along with a nice supply of guns and ammo.

In the morning, the rig comes up to a tower where a naked woman, the Valkyrie (Megan Gale), is screaming for help. Max thinks it's a trap, but Furiosa steps out and tells the Valkyrie her mother's name and her affiliation with this clan. The Valkyrie climbs down the tower and puts on a robe. More older women, the Vuvalini, emerge. The eldest, Keeper of the Seeds (Melissa Jaffer), recognizes Furiosa. Furiosa tells them that she is taking the women from the Citadel to the Green Place, but Keeper of the Seeds informs her that the muddy swamp they passed through was the Green Place, and has long since become uninhabitable. Furiosa walks into the sand and falls on her knees, screaming in despair. The Vuvalini agree to help the women from the Citadel ride across the salt flats (the dried up ocean) in search of a home. Max, still haunted by the images of his wife and child, decides to help the women go back to the Citadel since Joe's greenery and water supply are currently unguarded. They also plan to trap Joe and his army in the canyons.

The whole group rides back in the direction of the Citadel. Joe sees them with his telescope, knowing full-well what their plan is. He gathers his army and gives chase. The Vuvalini help fight back. The Valkyrie shoots at the War Boys while defending one of her own until she is run over. Max and Furiosa kill some of the War Boys, while Max gets Joe to kill the People Eater by using him as a human shield. Keeper of the Seeds is also killed when one of the War Boys cuts her neck. Toast is captured by Joe and held hostage. Furiosa is stabbed on Joe's vehicle and gets weaker as Joe and Rictus gain momentum. Toast distracts Joe long enough to give Furiosa an opportunity to hook Joe's mask onto the wheels of his car. She growls, "Remember me?" to him as the wheels rip the mask and Joe's face off, killing him. The rig then heads toward the canyon, with Rictus still trying to kill the group. The women get off safely while Nux says goodbye to Capable and swerves against the canyon, sacrificing himself to kill Rictus and collapse the overpass to put an end to Joe's army.

On the way back to the Citadel, Furiosa's lungs nearly collapse. Max punctures a hole in her side to give her air. She starts to lose consciousness, and Max gives her a transfusion of his own blood. He tells her his name as she closes her eyes.

The group arrives at the Citadel. Max presents the people with Joe's mouthless corpse, making everyone cheer. They rip Joe's corpse apart and feed off him. The water supply is brought out, giving the people as much water as they need. Furiosa rises and apparently becomes the new leader. She and Max acknowledge each other with respect once more before he slips away into the crowd to continue down his own path.