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This movie really was torture.
Eden Lake (James Watkins 2008) +
I really shouldn't waste my time on this, but feel it's only fair to post my thoughts seen as so many people are raving about it at the moment. Eden Lake is one of those derivative psycho's-in-the-back-woods 'torture porn' flicks masquerading as a social message movie. It's got the kind of gritty stylish realism and sadistic ultra violence that everyone likes at the moment (i.e. sickos who enjoy watching human suffering). It's also got one of those mundane, generic musical scores that sounds like it was lifted directly from an episode of Silent Witness.
Now before we go any further I anticipate some of you reading are at this very moment scratching your heads. 'But Future isn't this exactly the kind of twisted garbage you love?' ...No!...no no and thrice NO! Sure I like trashy monster horror flicks, campy exploitation and recently the odd bit of Pinku eiga, but those films are retro cool baby, hence often laughable. I hereby state for the record that I do not get off on torture, rape and general human suffering. I do on the other hand like 70's cartoon gore, empowered chicks who kick ass, and slimy monsters that vomit to death after munching on cancerous human livers. Errr yeah...anyway back to the movie...
The Plot? A young middle class couple go on a weekend trip to a secluded lake and bump into a particularly nasty group of chavs (young hoodlums). Instead of doing the sensible thing and leaving, the guy, Steve (Michael Fassbender) decides to have an altercation with the yobs instead. Naturally they tell him to f**** off, intimidate his girlfriend Jenny (Kelly Reilly) with their Rottweiler, and give his swanky landrover a puncture. So what do Steve and Jenny do? they leave right? Nope they toddle off into town for a fry up, then head back to the exact same spot at the lake for a second night. Similar bullsh*t character decisions, duff stolen plot twists/contrivances, and extreme nastiness follows...
I hated nearly everything about this movie, it was just so painfully average, and with a level of sadism that'd make Lucio Fulci blush. I really don't understand why everyone thinks it's so poignant that the bad guys were young thugs deserving of asbos (anti-social behavior orders). Sure the youth of today are out of control in the UK at the moment (or at least that's what the media want us to believe), but haven't teens always been a bit unruly and rebellious? They're not such a bad lot are they? After all I used to be one you know. Then I hear, 'Oh but it's really about bad parenting and the social underclass'. Well I'm sorry, but if you want to make a poignant movie about the social underclass, don't make sensationalist crap like this. We've already seen this dozens of times before and done much better; I'll be sticking with Tobe Hooper's The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Stanley Kubrick's A Clockwork Orange thank you very much. So I guess I should really say something nice about Eden Lake...err...errm...uh... like the acting was good from all ensemble, there, that's all you're getting from this horror fan Mr. Watkins.
This movie really was torture.
Eden Lake (James Watkins 2008) +
I really shouldn't waste my time on this, but feel it's only fair to post my thoughts seen as so many people are raving about it at the moment. Eden Lake is one of those derivative psycho's-in-the-back-woods 'torture porn' flicks masquerading as a social message movie. It's got the kind of gritty stylish realism and sadistic ultra violence that everyone likes at the moment (i.e. sickos who enjoy watching human suffering). It's also got one of those mundane, generic musical scores that sounds like it was lifted directly from an episode of Silent Witness.
Now before we go any further I anticipate some of you reading are at this very moment scratching your heads. 'But Future isn't this exactly the kind of twisted garbage you love?' ...No!...no no and thrice NO! Sure I like trashy monster horror flicks, campy exploitation and recently the odd bit of Pinku eiga, but those films are retro cool baby, hence often laughable. I hereby state for the record that I do not get off on torture, rape and general human suffering. I do on the other hand like 70's cartoon gore, empowered chicks who kick ass, and slimy monsters that vomit to death after munching on cancerous human livers. Errr yeah...anyway back to the movie...
The Plot? A young middle class couple go on a weekend trip to a secluded lake and bump into a particularly nasty group of chavs (young hoodlums). Instead of doing the sensible thing and leaving, the guy, Steve (Michael Fassbender) decides to have an altercation with the yobs instead. Naturally they tell him to f**** off, intimidate his girlfriend Jenny (Kelly Reilly) with their Rottweiler, and give his swanky landrover a puncture. So what do Steve and Jenny do? they leave right? Nope they toddle off into town for a fry up, then head back to the exact same spot at the lake for a second night. Similar bullsh*t character decisions, duff stolen plot twists/contrivances, and extreme nastiness follows...
I hated nearly everything about this movie, it was just so painfully average, and with a level of sadism that'd make Lucio Fulci blush. I really don't understand why everyone thinks it's so poignant that the bad guys were young thugs deserving of asbos (anti-social behavior orders). Sure the youth of today are out of control in the UK at the moment (or at least that's what the media want us to believe), but haven't teens always been a bit unruly and rebellious? They're not such a bad lot are they? After all I used to be one you know. Then I hear, 'Oh but it's really about bad parenting and the social underclass'. Well I'm sorry, but if you want to make a poignant movie about the social underclass, don't make sensationalist crap like this. We've already seen this dozens of times before and done much better; I'll be sticking with Tobe Hooper's The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Stanley Kubrick's A Clockwork Orange thank you very much. So I guess I should really say something nice about Eden Lake...err...errm...uh... like the acting was good from all ensemble, there, that's all you're getting from this horror fan Mr. Watkins.