The Ruins

THE RUINS
Starring: Jonathan Tucker, Jena Malone, Shawn Ashmore, and Laura Ramsey
Directed by: Carter Smith

Style: Survival creature feature
Blood and Guts: 3
Fright Factor: 3
Laugh Factor: 0
Weapons of choice: Vines, natives
Overall rating: 4 out of 5

You would think that, by now, college students on vacation would learn to never deviate off the beaten path to go sightseeing. However, the quartet of characters, accompanying a man they meet randomly at their hotel, do just that. Upon exploring this uncharted Mayan temple, they quickly discover that the natives will not let them leave. Trapped atop the pyramid with little hope of rescue, their lives are also in danger of falling victim to the temple's inhabitant: vines with a thirst for blood.

When I first saw the marketing campaign for this film, I dismissed it as a cheap horror offering hoping to make a quick buck. However, I learned that the source material, a novel of the same name, was considered absolutely frightening, and despite the uninspiring trailer, I decided to give the movie a try. In retrospect, I am glad I did, as this film is very slickly executed from beginning to end.

Considering the characters are trapped on top of the temple, occasionally venturing into the temple through a hole in its roof, the suspense factor is limited to a few key moments, though when they come they are well utilized. Instead, much of the film is driven by their struggle to escape. Tempers flair, and character is tested. Soon, their own will is as much their enemy as the vines. It is here that the acting talent of the cast shines. The audience can actually relate to everyone trapped in the situation, humanizing them rather than treating them as meat ready for slaughter.

The violence in the film can be a bit graphic at times, but it never feels excessive. Instead, it is directly tied to the horror of the situation, which is what differentiates this from the standard gore fest that sometimes passes for a horror film. The kill when the party first arrives is a bit much, but it serves more as a sign that everything has gone to pot in a split second. Overall, all of the effects feel natural rather than being the hack CGI effort the film could have become.

Overall, I really enjoyed how this movie toys with us as the audience. It uses some cliches, but uses them in such a way that it pushes all of our buttons and pulls us into the story. There are few answers about the reasons for the killer vines, but the movie is good enough that it doesn't matter. The events that happen to the characters take center stage, and their acting and commitment to the story are what holds our interest.

Suspiria

SUSPIRIA
Starring: Jessica Harper and Joan Bennett
Directed by: Dario Argento

Style: Supernatural slasher
Blood and Guts: 5
Fright Factor: 5
Laugh Factor: 0
Weapons of choice: Knife, barbed wire
Overall rating: 5 out of 5

Ballet dancer Suzy (Jessica Harper) is living the dream. She has been invited to attend the prestigious Tans Academy in Germany. From the moment she arrives, however, strange events begin to haunt her. The students and faculty are reticent to speak of the dread that Suzy feels in the Academy, and soon students begin to disappear. The more Suzy investigates, the more she learns of the occult history of the Academy and its fabled Black Queen, a witch of incredible power and malice. Now, Suzy is the target, and the only way out of danger is to discover the Queen's identity and destroy her.

Suspiria may not sound like much of a film, as many modern day horror films all follow similar plot points. What makes this film such a great horror film is that the director Dario Argento is truly a master of the horrific. From the first murder sequence that practically opens the film to the ending moment that made my bones chatter, Argento displays a talent for finding those moments that make us shiver to our core. It is that talent for silence and ominous anticipation that drives the film rather than the slapdash technique of loud, sudden noises many movies use in place of legitimate scares.

Argento finds an art to his film, frequently employing dreamlike color sequences to paint the story as almost ethereal in nature. Even the blood that spills forth is a vibrant red, adding to the feeling that reality is slightly off-kilter. All of the death sequences are both brutal and stylized, a technique that does not diminish the horror of the event. As for the soundtrack, mhile most films suffer from a rock soundtrack removing the audience from the story, Argento's band Goblins feel more like something born of the world of the story than a separate entity. That too is a testament to the talent of Argento.

Now, the movie is not perfect. Some of the plot does drag a bit, and the style is borderline silly when characters are interacting. However, these can be forgiven as Suspiria is less of a movie and more of an experience, and I feel it is one that truly lives up to the hype surrounding it. People who really don't like excessive violence should probably skip this film, as well as people who don't like to be frightened, but everyone else should give this one a chance. It can be considered one of the staples of the horror film genre.