Peur(s) du noir (2007)

NIGHT 10

       "You have to see your dream through to the end, if you want to be cured."

Peur(s) du noir (2007) [Fear(s) of the Dark] is a French, animated, horror anthology film.

This film contains four animated stories all written and directed by noted comic book and graphic designers and presented in high contrast black and white.

One thing I like about this film is the stories are all very solid stories, each playing with the concept and representing different takes on fear. Even if you don't like one short the others are varied enough that you're bound to find something you like in this film.

I'm not sure I understand the layout and framework of this film, to be truthful. The true framing story is just an old woman talking about her fears, which kind of ties into the short that follows? But then there's a second framing story that is simple, it's just a man unleashing each of his dogs on different victims (not seeming to care much). But the weird thing is that both of these frame stories not only continue throughout the film, they interrupt the other three stories in the film for little or no reason? Honestly there might be a reason to it, but the way it seemed to me was the "walking the dog" story didn't have enough actual content on it's own so they decided to spread it out through out the rest of the film?

I also think too much of this film instead of trying to be scary just ends up trying to be as weird as possible. Not that this is a bad thing, but having worked with animators quite a bit I know this is actually just because animators are the weirdest people you will ever meet and more often than not, their shorts seem to reflect that. I would have preferred to see at least one short try to be as terrifying as possible.

And like most anthology films, despite this film's unique take on the concept, it still ends up being really uneven. Some stories actually have a really good story, while others are just a small concept and others are so bat-shit weird that they'll leave you scratching your head.

I think the most interesting thing about this film is the concept. I loved the idea of this film when I heard about it, and I think they pulled off the concept very well. I really love how the film uses a variety of different animation mediums with each film. It's a unique take on the anthology horror film, it just seems to fall victim to the problems with animated shorts and anthology films at the same time.

The best thing about this film over all is the design work in it. Even if you watch this film on mute you'll be blown away by how good the designs are. This film contains some of the best design work I've seen in a film (animated or otherwise) in years! It's really a thing to marvel at. These guys are graphic artists and they certainly can prove it.

I also really liked the 3rd story (or is it 4th?) directed byh Lorenzo Mattotti, about the mysterious beast mauling people in the French countryside. This short was my favorite by far. It's wonderfully animated, it has a very interesting story and it is very cinematic too.

Fear(s) of the Dark (2007), is a very interesting film, it's a mixed bag but you're bound to find something you like in it. And the design work through out makes the whole experience worth it.

4/5 Stars.

Happy watching!




This review is part of my 2014 run of 13 Nights of Macabre Movies! Tune in tomorrow as I review a Canadian anthology horror film from the same year, Trick 'r Treat (2007).

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Paranorman (2012)

NIGHT 31

     "If you were bigger and more stupid, you'd probably be a bully too."

Paranorman (2012) is a  stop-motion animated film from Laika studios, this is their follow-up to their premier feature Coraline (2009).

Norman is an outsider with no friends and a special ability, he can see ghosts. He lives in Blithe Hollow (based on modern day Salem, Massachusetts) where thanks to his special ability he is the only one who can prevent an ancient witch's curse to prevent the undead from coming back to life.

The voice acting in this film is a good mix of B-stars and amateur children (that don't suck) which evens out to an all-around good voice cast. Actually my biggest complaint is probably that because these aren't big name stars most of the cast will sound really familiar and probably bug you the entire film as you're trying to put a face to the voice.

The comedy in this film is really pretty funny. There's lots of really funny lines that just crack me up. There's actually so much humor that it almost seems inconsistent, like I feel they could have actually cut some of the jokes to make the funnier ones stand out better. And it's worth mentioning that there's a wide range of humor here too from puns to gross-out to slapstick and situational. This seems to do it all.

I really like almost all the characters in this film, I especially like our circumstantial group of protagonist that are only working together because of happenstance. They're all pretty solid characters, especially Norman who seems very well planned out and based on someone's own personal experiences being an outsider growing up.

I like how simple and good this story is. It's also a good mystery, that revolves itself in a pleasant and satisfying way. I also like how this film incorporates horror movie themes and tropes in a new and original way that we haven't seen before.

Also the film seems a bit long winded for how simple the story is. I don't know if the stakes are just never high enough or what (it's truthfully a little hard to put my finger on) but it "feels" longer than it should. Also because the story is so simple it might be able to figure out the mystery before the end of the film, which can take some of the interest out of it, but at the very least the messages of the end will be worthwhile and not super predictable (more on that in a second).

I really love the cinematography in this film, which is not something I say for animated films too often. The filmmakers really don't seem restricted by the miniature stop-motion medium. There's lots of beautiful shot choices combined with brilliant camera moves like long tracking shots and other complicated camera moves that must have taken so much planning considering the medium. I love this shot right at the beginning that starts with tracking with Norman as he walks down the street then the camera pans around him and once it passes his face we again follow him down the street but this time through his perspective with all the ghosts and dead people he sees on a daily basis.

The animation in this film is top-notch. (We're talking Pixar good, though possibly better since it's stop-motion rather than computer generated.) I think my favorite thing about the animation in this film is everyone's different walks really say something about their personalities and I think the animators had some extra fun animating the zombie walks. A testament to how good the animation in this movie is, is that a lot of people thought it was computer generated rather than stop-motion! On a related note, probably the thing that really makes Laika stand out as a studio than all the other animation studios is their incredible attention to detail on such minor things like lamps that sit in the background for only one scene. This attention to detail and care really comes through in the film (even if it's just a subconscious feeling that immerses you deeper in the world) and it gives you plenty to gaze upon and stare at on subsequent viewings.

And lastly I have to mention how excellent this film is at addressing its themes. I think this is the best film or anything that I've ever seen that addresses bullying. I love how this film's message isn't to try and stop bullying (like we've heard time and time again) but instead the film takes the higher road and says that we may never be able to stop bullying instead you just have to deal with it. Our characters learn to deal with their problems through the bad experiences, and not through adult interference or anything else. This is a very strong message for a weird little kids film.

Paranorman (2012) is a great film for kids that incorporates lots of macabre and horror movie elements in a way that we really haven't seen yet.

4.5/5 Stars.

Happy watching!




That is all for this year's 31 Nights of Macabre Movies, I hope you enjoyed my selections and maybe even found something new to check out! Until Next year, Spooky watching!!

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Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust (2000)

NIGHT 23

     "Because I'm a dhampir. I don't get to have a life, not like you."

Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust (2000) [バンパイアハンターD] is a Japanese horror OVA anime loosely based on the third novella of the Vampire Hunter D series, D - Demon Deathchase written by Hideyuki Kikuchi and illustrated by Yoshitaka Amano. This is the second film based on the novellas, following Vampire Hunter D (1985). This film was directed by Yoshiaki Kawaijiri and produced by Madhouse inc.

When a young woman named Charlotte is abducted by a vampire noble, her father hires the vampire hunter D to bring her back or kill her. Charlotte's brother also hires a group of hunters known as the Marcus brothers. These two hunter teams race to win the bounty but sometimes things aren't as simple as they seem.

I'm not a big fan of the Marcus brothers in this film. They're fine, they're far better than half the characters in the previous film. But they get a lot of screen time and I'm not sure why I should care about them at all, really. The film uses Leila quite a bit to try and make you feel for these characters and she's done better than the others, but just having her as an emotional character doesn't make you care at all when her friends die.

The other good thing about this film is it really works on its own! You can watch this film by itself, before the previous film or after and with or without the books and you'd be fine. Although if you have seen the previous film, it probably enhances this one because of the similar plot and themes and the reversals in this one will really surprise you.

I really like the vampire noble of this film, Meier Link. He's vicious, cool and yet still sympathetic. I love the scene early on when he goes out into the sunlight to try and protect Charlotte. This scene just says so much about this character and makes you realize that he may not be as evil as you were originally led to believe.

Also gotta mention how much I love the score of this film. It's super chilling and very much has a "classical" vampire feel to it and in this world of reinvented vampires and post-apocalyptic ghouls it's awesome to have some epic organ music over the film.

I don't understand really what was the deal with Carmila and her plot at the end, it's not that interesting or prevalent to the the rest of the cool things in this film, and I think this is supposed to be a more "dynamic" twist because the original plot kind of resolves itself in the end on its own. It also gives them a chance to talk about D's lineage but, really don't think it was necessary and just feels a bit shoe-horned in.

I love the animation in this film. Japan seems to be the only country to find a good way to integrate a combination of CG and traditional animation and have it really work well. This film is absolutely beautiful and the less traditional "anime style" really helps a lot.

Bloodlust creates a beautiful enhancement of the world I loved so much in the previous film. This film seems like they took more from Yoshitaka Amano's original designs and illustrations and the darks seem darker, the evil seems more evil. Of course the budget was of course way higher in this film, so that helps. But I love the opening scene of this film with the vampire carriage rolling into town with lights flickering out and crosses bending, and time seeming like it stops. It's directly out of the books, and a really successful effect that just draws you in to this world from the very beginning.

I also love the story of this one, it's a very simple premise and yet full of interesting twists and turns along the way. It also makes for a great follow-up to the previous film because the story is unexpectedly different situation than the likewise vampire-courted human in that story. And I love the simple little things that this film does with time, because D doesn't age. It's very simply done and not too much of a focus.

Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust (2000) is one of the higher budget anime films, enhanced by the simple yet interesting story. It'd be hard not to recommend this one.

4/5 Stars.

Happy watching!




Tune in tomorrow on the 31 Nights of Macabre Movies as we're going to change gears a bit and switch to yet another horror sub-genre!

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Vampire Hunter D (1985)

NIGHT 22

     "What a wonderful night this has been! For the first time in one hundred years I haven't been bored once!"

Vampire Hunter D (1985) [バンパイアハンターD] is a Japanese horror OVA anime based on the novella of the same name written by Hideyuki Kikuchi and illustrated by Yoshitaka Amano. This film was one of the first anime films to be released outside of Japan and still today is considered a cult classic.

Farmer, orphan and outsider Doris takes care of her brother Dan. Unfortunately for her she is courted by a nearby Aristocrat Vampire Lord, she then hires a Vampire Hunter named D to protect her and her brother Dan.

I've seen this film many times over the years but I only recently read the novella. It's very interesting to me to see how close of a direct adaptation this film actually is. There's a lot of really weird things in this film that are actually described in greater detail or explained in the book, but if you're just watching the film on it's own you'd (like the rest of America) just assume it's some more of that crazy and weird Japanese anime stuff. It's very clear after reading the novella that the creators of this film really poured over the source material in attempt to make it as truthful as possible to the original work. To the point of even just taking lots of lines of dialogue directly out of the book This doesn't always work though because some of the stuff like the "Time-Betwitching Incense," which kind of comes out of nowhere with no explanation and is a major plot point to foiling the Nobles' plans.

The most unfortunate thing about following the book too closely is the film doesn't actually feel like the characters are struggling though most of it. It really just like the characters are going through the motions as they follow the events from the book. For example, I don't buy the parts where D is trying to teach Dan to be a man at all. There's definitely something lost in the translation to the screen. And this is something I noticed before I ever read the book!

The film changes some of the characters from the book, for far worse. I really have always disliked the Rei Ginsei character. I think he's kind of a stupid character and a dumb villain. But then you read the book your realize he was actually kind of really cool, but in order to simplify the story they completely altered his character! One of the coolest things about the book is it's just not black and white, Good vs. Evil there's a lot of "gray parties" involved to the conflict! I also disliked the changes to the Count's daughter, Ramica. I understand they were trying to make her closer to D's character and show a way that D could live if he chose to do so. But the romantic interest between them in the novel worked perfectly I don't see any reason to change it.

Like lots of early Japanese anime films this one is overly sexual and violently graphic. Characters have breasts just fly out for really no reason, and multiple characters explode in a spay of guts and blood. Of course this is one of the things that set Japanese animation apart from the rest of the world's animation so I can't really hate on it too much.

I love the world of Vampire Hunter D, what other series beautifully blends the western, horror and sci-fi genres? Yes, a lot of this credit is due to the novels and the imagination of Hideyuki Kikuchi, but also this film does a great job at interpreting this world and bringing it to the screen with its own creativity and imagination. I love the scenes inside the Count's castle with all the crazy looking creatures and monsters in D's way, and although the costumes are very 80s', you must admit they're very original. The film also has a nice way of taking time to show you the world (especially early on in the film) and really let you take it all in, and lets you breathe in and marvel at the world rather than quickly moving on like most films would.

I can highly recommend the book, because it's really good on its own and will help you understand a lot of the random stuff that you're not going to understand and kind of just happens in this film if you watch the film cold. But be warned it will also make you dislike a lot of the changes they made in adapting the story.

It's easy to see why Vampire Hunter D (1985) was such a popular introduction to Japanese anime. Even today it's weird, interesting and yet very cool. It's kind of a double edged sword with reading the novella though.

3/5 Stars.

Happy watching!




Tomorrow on the 31 Nights of Macabre Movies we'll look at the loose sequel to this film, Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust (2000).

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Innocence (2004)

"The less one forgets, the less one can remember."

Innocence (イノセンス) (2004) which is called Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence in America, is a follow up (or maybe companion?) to Ghost in the Shell (1998). It's also loosely based on the chapter Robot Rondo in the manga Mobile Armored Riot Police (called Ghost in the Shell in America) written and illustrated by Masamune Shirow.

Like Ghost in the Shell, this film also focuses on Section 9's investigation of a case, however this film follows Batou, Major Motoko Kusanagi's partner from the former film. This film takes place a couple years after the events of the first one. No one knows Motoko's whereabouts but she is constantly on the mind of Batou. Section 9 is investigating a cyborg-producing company named LOCUS SOLUS that produces "gynoids," androids that look like young girls that are built for sex. Recently there has been a string of these gynoids going berserk and killing humans, Section 9 is investigating to see of someone has tampered with their programming.

The animation in this film is really nice. It's a lot higher quality than most Japanese anime films. The film is a CG/traditional animation hybrid where most all the backgrounds are computer animated and almost all the characters are traditionally drawn, this works for the most part and it's definitely better than most films that try this. More often than not the texture on the CG scenes is what sticks out to me as not fitting the rest of it. Where I think the traditional animation really shines is there's times where the computer generated camera is doing a slight move or change of angle and the traditionally drawn characters change with the camera in perfect perspective. This is no easy feat at all and it's really done well in this film. The film also takes advantage of this hybrid animation (rather than being held back by it) by doing lots of interesting angles you wouldn't expect in either a CG animated film or a traditionally animated one and even some strange fish-eye shots that I enjoyed.

While the art direction is quite a bit different than the previous film making the characters and world seem pretty different, I think the technology in this film is very fairly evolved and seems like it all logically belongs in the same world based on what we saw in the previous film.

Unfortunately I really don't think this film holds up on it's own. You're really not going to understand the climax or why everyone keeps constantly talking about "the Major" if you've never seen Ghost in the Shell. I think that Mamoru Oshii could have made a film in this world that wasn't a sequel, but this isn't it. This film almost is, it follows different characters and a unique plot but they ruin that by constantly referencing the previous film and even bringing in Motoko at one point to help the plot/characters.

This film is actually structured very similar to Ghost in the Shell. However while I really enjoy the mystery of The Puppet Master and the intrigue of the main character Major Motoko in that film, Innocence's plot is a whole lot less interesting to me and while the second half does get more interesting and the end does pay off quite well, I think this film takes a lot more time to get the viewer interested and invested in the story.

I think my favorite part of Innocence (and every other Oshii film I've seen) is the deep psychological questions it asks. I realize this is an trademark you can expect walking into a Mamoru Oshii film, but I think Innocence is the king of this. Also Innocence contains a LOT of references to other literary works also, from Asimov to The Bible to Richard Dawkins to Plato, Confucius and the Brothers Grimm. So much so that you can tell Mamoru Oshii put a lot of his own thoughts and meditations into this film, a lot of this though it works for the film, is not necessary to the film which in turn, makes it a very personal journey. This film really reminds me of The Red Spectacles (1987) because I felt that film was very similar in it's contemplations (and this film even has the cracked-out dream sequences that that film had too!), though I would say this film hands down, is a lot more successful due to years of more experience (and no weird tonal shifts!)

Though Innocence (2004) wont really work on it's own as well as it was inteded, it's still a masterful example of great animation and filmmaking and a very personal film for Mamoru Oshii. 4/5 Stars.

Happy watching!





Well that concludes my week reviewing the films of acclaimed Japanese director Mamoru Oshii. If you missed it be sure to go back and check out my review of The Red Spectacles (1987) and my review of it's sequel StrayDog: Kerberos Panzer Cops (1991) and the amazing meta-film Talking Head (1992) and this film's predecessor Ghost in the Shell (1995). And check back this weekend as I've got one more related film (though not directed by Mamoru Oshii) for you as a special bonus.

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Ghost in the Shell (1995)

"I just have a whisper... from my ghost."

Ghost in the Shell (1995) known in japan as GHOST IN THE SHELL／攻殻機動隊 (literally Ghost in the shell - Mobile Armored Riot Police), is one of the most well known anime films of all time. It's based on the manga Mobile Armored Riot Police (called Ghost in the Shell in America) written and illustrated by Masamune Shirow.

Major Motoko Kusanagi is a cyborg that works for Section 9, a Japanese government agency focusing on counter-terrorism. The film revolves around Motoko and Secion 9 hunting a dangerous hacker known only as "The Puppet Master," because of his tendency to hack into people's brains and cause them to then hack into corporations and government agencies.

I really like how simple the story is in this film, despite all the complexities of the world and technology the plot is surprisingly easy to follow. I love the Puppet Master and think he is absolutely fascinating and I really enjoy how open ended the ending of this film is.

Also the complex characters in this film are surprisingly well set up. I love how Motoko seems cold and robotic a lot of the time, yet she's late to work and impatient (two things you wouldn't associate with someone who is mostly hardware) and as the film goes on and she talks to Batou (her only real friend) you realize she's a cyborg with a lot of really deep stuff on her mind constantly. I love the little bit about the irony of her loving to go diving, this is absolutely beautiful to me.

There is a bit of "technobabble" in this film that will probably turn off some first time viewers, but I've got to say that actually most of it makes sense to me after seeing this film many, many times over the years.

One of the things I love most about this movie is how well developed the world seems. It has loads of well thought-out technology (down to elaborate elevator door closing mechanisms) combined with a very lived-in feel much like the Star Wars movies were well known for, this is true cyberpunk and it makes for a very awesome film to watch.

Adapting the Mobile Armored Riot Police manga into a film must have seemed like a dream project for Mamoru Oshii. The manga is loaded with lots of really deep philosophy and the unique world and characters that seem perfect for an Oshii film. His direction in this movies is really wonderful, down to the little things like imagining what it would look like in a first person view to switch from one body to another.

In a very Oshii fashion, and shot in a very similar way to the Taiwan montages in StrayDog: Kerberos Panzer Cops (1991), the film has multiple montages that are absolutely stunning at showing off the world and establishing the mood of the film these are set to the magnificent soundtrack by Kenji Kawai which uses a Japanese folk song choir singing in an ancient form Japanese mixed with Bulgarian harmony and traditional Japanese notes, it's very memorable and uniquely beautiful.

Ghost in the Shell (1995) is a truly great animated film, it's a really beautiful film with stunning visuals and a very thought-provoking story. I absolutely love it. 5/5 Stars.

Happy watching!





All this week, I am continuing to review the films of acclaimed Japanese director Mamoru Oshii. If you missed it be sure to go back and check out my review of The Red Spectacles (1987) and my review of it's sequel StrayDog: Kerberos Panzer Cops (1991) and the amazing meta-film Talking Head (1992).

Like this blog? You can support it by buying this film through these links:

Frankenweenie (2012)

DAY 28

"Your dog is alive!"

Frankenweenie (2012) is children's stop-motion animated horror film. When Victor Frankenstein's best (and only) friend, his dog Sparky, dies he gets the idea to try and bring it back to life.

This movie had a some surprisingly good world building going on, somebody did a good job of focusing on that and doing a lot of research. I liked the simple story in this film, I found it fun and interesting and not too convoluted. Also the story was very dark and really (for the most part) didn't hold back because it was a film for kids. I think this film did a great job of really capturing a lot of the same type of horror that the old universal movies did, which is really cool.

Also found it cool that this film has a lot of really cool references to Tim Burton's personal inspirations including Nosferatu, Christopher Lee as Dracula, Godzilla and obviously like all of the Universal monster movies and there's even a Hitchcockian Vertigo-shot in there I saw. I really enjoyed these.

I get that this is part of the "look" and design of the characters but I really didn't like how blank and emotionless some of the characters looked for a majority of the film. Victor especially, this is our main character and honestly for most of the movie I had no idea what he was thinking, he just had this blank neutral look on his face. This is something that you need to fight in animation, you want to make people forget that they're not watching real actors. Letting the design get in the way of that is pretty weak.

The movie is pretty slow for the first half, I feel like if I didn't have my love for monsters and horror I would have been pretty bored. Not sure if more interesting things needed to happen or if the characters should be more interesting or if they just could have used some more humor in the first half. Also I feel like they could have set up the friendship of Victor and Sparky in the beginning better. Instead we get shots of Victor not taking the dog outside when he wants to go and the dog playing fetch by himself, someone didn't think that one through.

And lastly I feel like the resolution in the end doesn't fit everything the characters went through and learned throughout the span of the movie. It works as a happy Disney ending but otherwise, not.

Best thing about this movie though is the really really well developed and detailed sets and how freaking great the lighting is on said sets. I was thinking about why this film doesn't feel like a stop-motion film when you're watching it, and I think this is due in great part to the awesome lighting.

And the animation is good too, probably nothing mind blowing but what I enjoyed is there's a lot of shots that you normally don't see in a stop-motion film like full body shots of multiple people walking or wide shots with a lot of people in frame because of the technical difficulty of these things. But I appreciate how this film didn't shy away from any of those shots because they're too hard.

Frankenweenie (2012) is good, but if you're a fan of monster movies or Tim Burton's films from the 90's you should definitely check it out. 4/5 stars.

Happy watching!







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Hotel Transylvania (2012)

DAY 4

It's not going to be often that I can kill two birds with one stone and talk about a recent release AND count it under the 31 Days of Macabre Movies, but Hotel Transylvania is one such lucky case! Hotel Transylvania is a new computer animated children's film from Sony Pictures Animation, the same people who brought you Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (2009) and it's directed by Genndy Tartakovsky creator of Dexter's Lab and Samurai Jack two amazing cartoon series from the Cartoon Network. Hotel Transylvania tells the story of what happened to all the movie monster's in recent history: Dracula has built a hotel to keep his daughter and all the monsters of the world safe and give them a paradise to relax with out having to worry about those evil humans. Everything is going fine until one day a young hippie, world-traveling human finds his way to the doorstep of the hotel.

First thing I'm happy to report is the voices aren't horrible or too distracting. This was actually my first concern about this film when I found out who was voicing the leads. Adam Sandler as Dracula is definitely not as bad as you would imagine, in fact for a majority of the movie I actually couldn't tell, there's little moments or things he'll say that will remind you it's him but it's not horrible. I completely forgot it was Andy Samberg voicing Jonathan the human, well that is until he starts singing. And there's also lots of really interesting voice choices sprinkled throughout the secondary cast including Kevin James, Steve Buscemi, Molly Shannon, and CeeLo Green, which all add something cool and interesting to the roles. My only real problem with the voice cast was Disney television star Selina Gomez voices Dracula's daughter Mavis and it's very evident from the beginning even with just her voice that this girl can not act. And it's unfortunate because I liked the character but having her as the voice was definitely a distracting element. (I guess I should have put her voice specifically under 'The Bad.')

I'm also happy to report that the film is really quite funny! Hotel Transylvania benefits from having Genndy Tartakovsky at the helm with all of his television animation experience because this film has a lot of really quick humor. Jokes fly by very quickly and there's enough of them that even though they may not all make you laugh there's enough that hit the mark, and when they do you'll be busting up, (even though if you’ve watched a television at all in the last month or so you may have already had some good jokes spoiled already for you.) Also as an added bonus if you're a fan of monster movies or horror films there's a bunch of jokes that I felt like I was the only one laughing in the theater at, so this movie takes care of you! And even though there’s a lot of humor, the film doesn’t dwell on just that the entire time. This film knows when to stop and have a serious moment in the story, which I appreciated.

There’s some things that seemed a bit forced in this movie, but the one negative thing that stands out to me is the amount of “bodily” humor in this film. I get it, it’s for an audience much younger than I am. But there’s a very substantial amount of the jokes in this film dedicated to farts, pee and butts. Enough so that you would think this was an early Dreamworks animated film, like Shrek.

This film has all the really great “quick” style of animation that you may remember From Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs and I was surprised that they didn’t try to go for a much closer visual style to Genndy Tartakovsky’s own style, but I can imagine that could be pretty hard to translate to a CG model. Regardless Tartakovsky’s style does still shine through in his great shape choices and even on certain expressions you’ll see from time to time. I found myself going, “hey that was a Dexter face she just made!”

And the thing I was most impressed with in Hotel Transylvania was the story! Boil it down and this film is about an overprotective father who is just trying to look after his daughter but is very stuck in his ways. He doesn’t realize the world has changed. I was amazed that they found such a relatable story to hang all these fantasy monsters and old movie references on. And even though this may be a pretty simple or unoriginal thing the movie constantly put its characters in situations you’ve never seen before (racing tables and monster conventions,) this is where a lot of the originality of this film comes through.

Hotel Transylvania is a film I wish existed when I was a kid. I guess I should just enjoy the fact that so many animated horror films for kids are coming out these days, at least my kids will have plenty to watch! I think there’s enough here for anyone to enjoy though, even if you weren’t a monster kid growing up. 4/5 stars.

Happy watching!







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