It was great at first, then they became somewhat unnerving. It was probably the discovery of poor Arthur's DVD collection soaked in what was clearly a fine coat of brain residue that set me off screaming out into the jungle in a fit of snot and tears. I later learned that he had tried to smuggle in a copy of Big Momma's House 2. Poor bastard. This put me on tenterhooks constantly. This and the on-going war the Jeffcombies had with a neighbouring tribe, a bunch of ne'er-do-wells high on Kevin Smith.
What began as a horde of good movies, and the subsequent intelligent converse, now turned into an ethnographical nightmare. I fear for my very life.
But let me waste no more time, for it was after receiving your letter that I persuaded the chieftain to alter the scheduled screening of Puppet Master 5 in favor of The Hills Have Eyes remake. And I'm glad I did.
I dread that I can only echo your sentiments. It was without a doubt a piece of cinematic brilliance, so much so I was teary eyed by the end, my Jeffcombie wife even had to dab my eyes dry afterwards. Not only did it have a wonderful slapping of ultra-violence, it had a relentlessly intense atmosphere. It was a non-stop shadow bearing down on the viewers; smothering our collective audience with almost arithmetical pacing. The flow of the flick couldn't have been better, nothing was superfluous, segments in-between the blood-flow only helped to add suspense and a mounting sensation of terror.
The beautiful cinematography juxtaposed to the mayhem only worked to attenuate the intimidation of the film. The sweeping shots of the desert act as some kind of posterized Leone. The distorted impression of the heat rising from the barren desert adds to the wasteland isolation of our unfortunate all-American family.
The family ripped apart (literally in some cases) one-by-one is a tried and tested horror movie technique. But it doesn't come across as some old, generic slasher convention, as it did in Haute Tension, which I agree, old chap, was a pile of toss besides the fun and inventive deaths towards the beginning. Here we have an avalanche of brutal killing, incessantly shaking you by the lapels. Just look at Ted Levine as the patriarch, sporting a Richard Dreyfus 'tache, come to a flaming end, whilst at the same time one daughter is raped by a cleft-lipped maniac and another is shot in the head. Relentless I say.
Article comments
1 - Mat Brewster
Duelling Aarons, I love it.
Reading this I am either all wet in orgasmic glee, or I just shat myself. Either way twas a glorious few minutes.
2 - Duke De Mondo
"duelling aarons!" haha, shit, that shoulda been the title!
glad you enjoyed it, Sir Brewster. I can only assume there will be many's a grand tale to come.
3 - duane
You guys need to write your novels. You're both gushing style and wit. I volunteer to be part of your test audience.
4 - Duke De Mondo
I'm working on it Duane, and thank you!
5 - Mary K. Williams
"duelling aarons!" haha, shit, that shoulda been the title!
Or, on alternate Tuesdays, title your screeds, "The Gushing Aarons".
Because - like the man said, you do. Gush, that is.
Good Glorious Gushing of Gore, Goodwill, and oft times Gratuitous, but Giggleworthy Grammatical Gems.
6 - Mary K. Williams
yeah, and I liked it too! Good work!
7 - Steve C.
First review I've seen to point out the debt that Aja owes Bruno Dumont. That's awesome.
8 - Duke De Mondo
Mary - The Gushing Aarons is just far too rude to even consider. heh. And thank you.
Steve C - it was a fairly significant debt, i thought. although nothing in this matches the horrific finale of Dumont's number. And thankfully none of that truly distressing agony / ecstasy filthing.
9 - Steve C.
Not much of anything matches the finale of Dumont's crazed exercise in nihilistic ennui, something for which I suppose we should all be grateful. If every film made me feel as emptied-out and exhausted as that film, I'd never get anything done. The last shot, in particular, haunts me to this day (to the point where, if I ever get my screenplay written, I'm gonna steal that shot).
10 - Iloz Zoc
I could write like this, if only Zombos would let me. Damn you Duke. By the way, are you related to the De Mondos on Zimba's side? I think they were all hanged for cannibalism, but aside from that, they were a fun bunch at parties.
11 - Duke De Mondo
iloz zoc, a damn honour to have you pop up here, considering the marvels you yourself have crafted. The ol' family history gets decidedly muddy round about the turn of the 19th century, but i do have a cousin Jimmy De Mondo who was tried for antics similar to cannibalism, and, indeed, found guilty.
12 - Aaron Fleming
Thanks for the comments all you, um, commentors.
Isn't Jimmy Hart also a cousin of yours Duke?