Some Recent (Almost Decent) Viewings

Taken; The Uninvited

There are two things in life that I think should rarely be done alone:

One of them is eating. I just think food tastes so much better when you're sharing the experience with someone else. Unless of course that person is a food-hog and eating with them means not eating at all. In that scenario, I opt for eating alone.

The second thing is watching horror films and action flicks. One should never watch a horror film by themselves because that's just stupid. No really, what's the point of experiencing the dark alleyways and the gruesome theatrical effects, as well as the stupidity of the main characters (who, sadly enough, are often attractive female bimbos with fluff for brains - part of the appeal of the horror genre, I suppose. Maybe that's why so many more guys like them than girls), without someone else there to placate the intensely riveting and adrenaline-producing experience with? I understand that certain films are better off viewed alone (won't name any now but I'm sure you know what I mean) but those lurking in the realm of horror are not one of them. Because the only thing funner than being scared is being scared with someone else.

As for action flicks, high-speed car chases and enormous bouts of ass-kicking are just that much cooler and/or impressive when viewed in a crowd. Enough said.

So recently I had the opportunity to preview Taken and The Ininvited, both of which were immensely enjoyable experiences because they were viewed in a crowded setting filled with rowdy college students. In terms of quality they weren't the most original of films (duh - they are blockbusters for a reason) but I enjoyed them nonetheless.

I'm sure half the people in the audience went to see Taken solely for the sake of watching Liam Neeson star in an untraditional role, which is understandable because that reason alone is enough to make it a worthwhile movie. Very few actors nowadays have that kind of charisma - you know, the kind where one can play both the loving dad AND the unrelenting badass all in the same movie. It reminded me of watching Will Smith in I Am Legend because man, if I didn't like Will Smith so much beforehand, that movie would have reeked for sure. I still didn't like it in the end but at least he made it bearable. Same with Seven Pounds, which I actually really liked.

Anyway, Taken was a great experience because it was exactly what I expected, no more, no less. There was nothing innovative about the way the movie was constructed, shot, and executed but it didn't fail to disappoint because my expectations weren't geared towards ingenuity to begin with. I just wanted to be entertained, and it gave me an earnest show. Plus some parts were just plain funny, like the constant replaying of the threatening telephone call ("Goooood luck") on the plane or when he finally comes face-to-face with his daughter's kidnapper. That guy just didn't know what hit him (literally). Oblivious people - aren't they fun?

The Uninvited was basically a hybrid of every horror cliche in existence but again, I had no real expectations for that one. Like most people, I'm not a fan of American remakes of Asian horror movies - the genre has basically been maxed out - but I remember seeing the cover for the Korean movie upon which The Uninvited was based and it looked pretty intriguing. The original title is called A Tale of Two Sisters and based on what I've read and heard, the original is a lot more creepy and a lot more confusing than the new remake. One thing I gotta give it kudos for, though - it did manage to tie up the loose ends pretty well, especially with the twist that comes at the very moment when you think that the movie can't get any more predictable. By golly, she's not who we think she is! Who could have guessed!

Luckily for me, the crowd was very receptive to the scares, practically jumping even when there was nothing to see or hear (I think people were just twitchy because it was so late at night), and the group behind us had a running commentary on just about everything that was happening on-screen. Normally this could be very annoying and obnoxious, depending on the movie, but they were actually quite entertaining with their sarcastic remarks ("This girl is either really dumb or not very smart") and unabashed chortling.

It was one of those movies that are so bad that its pure and unfiltered badness paradoxically makes it good, and in this case, watching it in a crowd definitely heightened, maybe even redefined, the experience.