My third film of the day was anything but low budget, in fact Sam Jackson doubtless got paid more for what amounts to just a cameo than The Signal cost to make. 1408 is the highest grossing Stephen King adaptation to date and, as the guy I was sitting next to said after the film, it’s the sort of horror film no horror fans will enjoy. Well made and well acted, this was still a bit of a letdown after The Signal. Jackson steals the film and delivers the best line after which the film pretty much becomes the John Cusack show. Luckily, as he’s onscreen for almost all the film's running time, he’s on good form but the film is let down as it moves from subtle creepiness to overblown Hollywood blockbuster horror, throwing everything but the kitchen sink at the beleaguered Cusack.
I missed the next film, Teeth, a last minute replacement for P2 when the print for that film failed to arrive. The idea of a woman with teeth in her vagina sounded a little too silly so I elected to get something to eat instead. By all accounts though the film was rather good, played straight and with a strong central performance from Jess Weixler. This is one I’ll have to track down on DVD at some point.
My last film of the day was All the Boys Love Mandy Lane, a film that reinvents the slasher sub-genre for the college spree killer age; this was Friday the 13th with brains. Well-rounded characters, snappy dialogue and riveting direction aren’t things you normally associate with a slasher film. The film also features a star-making performance from Amber Heard, an actress who is destined for big things.
That was the end of the day for me. Shrooms promised another crazed killer but I couldn’t see it topping Mandy Lane so I went in search of sleep.
Still to come – Zombies walk through Leicester Square! Gore galore in Wrong Turn 2! And an appearance from Mr Uwe Boll!
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