The Woman in Black(2012)

Being an avid fan of James Watkins' Eden Lake, it's only natural that I would be thrilled for his next film, The Woman in Black.  While it is a completely different picture, Watkins proves his versatility and that he can make a memorable movie of any genre.  It is is destined to be a horror favorite for the years to come and since the old fashioned style haunted house films aren't too common anymore, I'd venture to say that this is 2012's best of the horror genre.

Anyone who knows me knows that I despise jump scares.  They are cheap and add virtually nothing to the actual feeling of fear.  That being said, there are a few jump scares in this film but they aren't really used as a vehicle of fear.  It seems as though they are used to make the audience think the tension is over only to bring something much more frightening into play.  This movie relies on atmosphere and slow building suspense.

Anyways, let's get to the story.  Arthur Kipps(Daniel Radcliffe) is a lawyer sent to a remote village to take care of a deceased woman's estate.  After seeing things that he can't explain and experiencing the deaths of local children, he soon realizes that something awful is happening.  The conclusion is both terrifying and wonderful.

As you can see, I thought this film was wonderful and it really was a joy to see the old Hammer style brought back to life.  Daniel Radcliffe proves that there is life after Harry Potter and that he is a fine actor in general.  The script is beautiful and the direction is flawless.  Give it a go, you'll be happy you did.

9/10 stars.

The Wicker Tree(2010)

If you're a huge fan of 1973's The Wicker Man like I am(no, not that pitiful Nicolas Cage remake), then you have probably been eagerly awaiting this follow-up.  Its production was finished in 2010 but it didn't receive even a limited release until last Friday and a wide release is still pending.  Now, I know as well as anyone that lack of recognition doesn't make a bad film, but sadly, this is just that.  I wish I could tell you that that it's a worthy follow up to its predecessor but I would be blatantly lying to you.  Try to avoid this one.

Beth and Steve are two young Christian missionaries who are invited to a local festival in Tressock, Scotland.  Seeing it as an opportunity to share their love of Christ, they don't realize the resident's have a more sinister agenda.  Since this is a "re-imagining" of The Wicker Man, the story comes barreling toward one of the most predictable conclusions in the history of the silver screen.

The performances in The Wicker Tree aren't bad, and perhaps this is the fault of the script, but they aren't engaging enough to make you care about its characters by any means.  I thought director Robin Hardy would have had something much better up his sleeve but it has turned out to be a bust.  Word is that he is working on a third film in the series, hopefully it's better than this mess.

3/10 stars.