Troll Hunter (2010)

I'm just sick of it. I've had it up to here with these "found footage" films. It's a gimmick that grows tired faster than I can type this sentence. And I can type fast.

What could have easily been a cult-in-the-making, Troll Hunter is buried under the obligation to look and feel real. This verisimilitude creates an atmosphere where viewers are forced to appreciate the shaky camera, the docu-style narrative and the inconsistent dramatic pull. It forces the viewers to place themselves behind another fourth wall, so to speak. Not only are we supposed to be entertained, we are also asked to be objects of an historical / sociological / scientific / psychological (delete as necessary) experiment. We are merely reflecting on a supposed fact, when in fact what happens on the screen is unadulterated fun. It's a shame, because Troll Hunter could easily have been one of the best genre films of the last few years. Alas, it falls incredibly short.

Monsters (2010)

BBC special effects wiz Gareth Edwards' shoestring debut is as accomplished as any science fiction with  a bazillion-dollar budget. Comparisons with previous smash hits Cloverfield and District 9 are apt and justified, but contrary to those well-received films, Monsters has a much more interesting story and on-screen chemistry that is unseen in today's star-laden films.

Throwback Review - Cloverfield (2008)

When J.J. Abrams and the boys of Bad Robot unleashed the onslaught of Cloverfield fanboy marketing on us, I was one of those fans eager to drink the kool aid. I dug the mystery, the ingenuity of the presentation. And when I finally saw the film itself, I was enthralled by the experience. Watching this film in a theater full of people excited for it to succeed… there was a special sort of energy there, and it carried over to my review.

Looking back at it now, in the wake of director Matt Reeves success with Let Me In, I’m almost embarrassed by the unhinged praise I myself unleashed – the glowing positivity is almost blinding.