"This is four-dollar champagne."
Art or exploitation? This re-make cannot make up its mind. Losing the original's social context and comment, the 2009 model goes for a low-budget aesthetic which is not as convincing as its predecessor's genuinely squalid, quasi-documentary feel, resulting in a film that is simply distasteful. Langorous to the point of dullness, director Iliadis gives the film some nice artistic flourishes which sit uncomfortably with the moderate attempt at shock and disgust. Garret Dillahunt (Cromartie from TV's The Sarah Connor Chronicles) gives a cool and convincingly disturbing turn as Krug, with earnest work from the rest of the cast. John Murphy's score is interesting and marries old and new styles effectively, but some odd-sounding foley work jars occasionally. The film's running time is over-stretched, but the second half picks up as the film goes into more standard slasher territory, with a bizarre gore stunt at the very end. It is almost impossible to divorce re-makes from their originators, and the viewing experience may well be different for a new generation with fresh eyes, but the 2009 take on The Last House On The Left adds little and therefore offers little. The limited DVD extras leave little impression.
Art or exploitation? This re-make cannot make up its mind. Losing the original's social context and comment, the 2009 model goes for a low-budget aesthetic which is not as convincing as its predecessor's genuinely squalid, quasi-documentary feel, resulting in a film that is simply distasteful. Langorous to the point of dullness, director Iliadis gives the film some nice artistic flourishes which sit uncomfortably with the moderate attempt at shock and disgust. Garret Dillahunt (Cromartie from TV's The Sarah Connor Chronicles) gives a cool and convincingly disturbing turn as Krug, with earnest work from the rest of the cast. John Murphy's score is interesting and marries old and new styles effectively, but some odd-sounding foley work jars occasionally. The film's running time is over-stretched, but the second half picks up as the film goes into more standard slasher territory, with a bizarre gore stunt at the very end. It is almost impossible to divorce re-makes from their originators, and the viewing experience may well be different for a new generation with fresh eyes, but the 2009 take on The Last House On The Left adds little and therefore offers little. The limited DVD extras leave little impression.
No comments:
Post a Comment