FEBRUARY MOVIE SPOTLIGHT
 
DAYBREAKERS (R)
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If Daybreakers is any indication of the direction genre films are headed, then consider me officially excited. After the schmaltzy, teen-angsty vibe brought to the vampire mythos in Twilight, Daybreakers is just the sort of vampire rebirth bloodsucker fans have been waiting for. Daybreakers imagines a future where vampires are the majority and humans are the minority. In this future, the undead have depleted their food supply, leaving a team of vampire scientists (one of whom doesn't even like his own kind) to come up with a blood substitute (or a cure). Meanwhile, small packs of human survivors continue to fight the good fight in an effort to preserve their race. There's a flurry of social commentary flowing through the veins of this clever vampire film, and beyond this noteworthy fact, Daybreakers is just plain entertaining. It’s gorgeous to look at, briskly paced, and wonderfully acted by an outstanding cast, including Ethan Hawke, Sam Neill, and Willem Dafoe. What's more, innovative directors Michael and Peter Spierg have opted to shoot a majority of the picture practically. There are moments that resort to CG, but most of the make-up effects are old-school, and this lends a certain level of realism that the similarly themed I Am Legend was sorely lacking. Daybreakers' tone is a little shifty. Parts of the film are deadly serious while other parts slip into B-movie overdrive, but ultimately, I was sucked into this awesome universe. This film is scary, cool, and surprisingly dramatic. It’s clear that the Spierg Brothers are fond of genre films, as their Daybreakers winningly pays homage to the likes of Sam Raimi, John Carpenter, and George Romero, all while creating a wildly original universe. Daybreakers would have benefitted from a bigger budget and a little more character development, but as a whole, I fell in love with this creative movie. 
 

INDEPENDENT SHOWCASE
 
FROZEN (R)
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If you've ever had a fear of freezing to death, than Adam Green's new survival thriller, Frozen, will probably scare the hell out of you. In the tradition of films like Open Water, Frozen weaves its tale around three twenty-somethings who find themselves stuck on a ski lift, 50 feet in the air. With no one to help them, our three helpless leads desperately try to figure a way out of their horrifically cold and dreary predicament. Without giving too much away, a couple of their decisions are positively cringe-inducing. Some have been quick to argue that Frozen's set up requires viewers to suspend disbelief, but the truth is, there have been cases of skiers being inadvertently left dangling several feet in the air. And while such cases haven't quite slipped into the horrific depths of the situation depicted in Frozen, they just as well could have. Regardless of whether or not you buy into the setup, once Frozen gets cooking, it’s hard to not get caught up in it. Particularly once you're around 45 minutes in. Terrifying stuff. Of the leads, Shawn Ashmore shines brightest. Kevin Zegers is also solid, while newcomer Emma Bell adds a dramatic charge as a young woman who begins to blame herself for the scenario she and her friends find themselves in. Frozen is quite the departure for Adam Green. While this director is a self-proclaimed horror junkie (see Hatchet – his hilariously gleeful homage to slasher flicks), Frozen emerges as an entirely different kind of horror film. There are certainly a few gory moments here, but Green is more interested in building tension. How will these individuals get out of this mess? Will they be able to? What's more, Green makes every effort in the world to give you a trio worth caring about. Some of the dialogue is a bit pedestrian, and yes, the references to E.T. and Jaws feel a little labored, but that hardly matters because Green is a terrific showman. He even had the courage to take his cast and crew on location despite his own fear of heights. Nothing in Frozen was shot on a sound stage. The entire film was shot at an actual ski resort, and this adds to the realism of the film. From the moment our leads are left to fight for their lives, you will feel their fear and isolation. Frozen is thrilling, terrifying, and gut-wrenching.
 

CURRENT RELEASES
 
EDGE OF DARKNESS (R)
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Edge of Darkness (based on an ‘80s TV movie), marks Mel Gibson's first starring role in a feature since 2002's Signs. In the years since, he's been making quite the name for himself as a director (see Passion of the Christ and Apocalypto). In Edge of Darkness, Gibson plays Thomas Craven, a Boston homicide detective. When his 24-year-old daughter is gunned down right in front of him, Craven springs into action, and his investigation leads him to a slew of conspiracy theories that all seem to point at a corporate cover-up. Mel Gibson is solid here, and it’s a good thing because, while the film plays to his strengths as an actor, there isn't anything particularly exciting or unexpected about the conventional plot mechanics. The trailer would have you believe this is a crowd-pleasing thriller in the tradition of Taken, but Edge of Darkness attempts to take a more dramatic approach to the proceedings, and because of this, the film never really finds its footing. It isn't mysterious or intriguing enough to play as a grand conspiracy thriller, but it isn't exciting or action-packed enough to work as a crowd-pleasing action film. What we're left with is a movie somewhere in between. Director Martin Campbell is no stranger to high-octane action. He brought us the fantastic James Bond reboot, Casino Royale. Here, though, he's never quite able to pull William Monahan and Andrew Bovell's meandering screenplay together. There are certainly great moments in Edge of Darkness. There's a somewhat interesting bond that develops between Craven and a mysterious individual named Jedburgh (played by Ray Winstone), and there are a few sparks in the final act of the film, but in the end, even a powerful and committed Mel Gibson can't quite keep this one out of the mediocre category. 
 

THE BOOK OF ELI (R)
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I've always liked sibling directors Albert and Allen Hughes. I even found their From Hell to be a criminally underrated film. While the post-apocalyptic Book of Eli has some visual flair and another strong performance by Denzel Washington, it is, perhaps, my least favorite of their work. Taking a page from Mad Max, The Book of Eli features Denzel Washington as a religion-spouting road warrior out to protect the last known copy of the Bible. While Washington's Eli is a God-fearing individual, he has no problem shedding blood if it means protecting the only important thing in his life. Again, the Hughes Brothers mount some pretty amazing action sequences, including an amazing bit in which a silhouetted Washington takes out a gang of baddies with an assortment of weapons, all in a singular camera take. Not a single cut. Pretty cool. There's also an impressive, extended tracking shot later on in the film that might remind one of Alfonso Cuaron's Children of Men. Unfortunately, there isn't anything as haunting or thought-provoking in The Book of Eli. Ultimately, The Book of Eli opens strong, but the mid-section of the film is surprisingly sluggish. And in the end, the entire film feels like an excuse to unload a cheat of a twist ending. Why is it a cheat? To go into it would spoil the surprise, so I won’t go there. The Book of Eli isn't a bad movie. It offers up a few strong performances and a dynamic visual style, but it isn't an entirely memorable experience. The Hughes Brothers are capable of so much more.
 

THE LOVELY BONES (PG-13)
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Simply put, The Lovely Bones was one of the most disappointing films of 2009. Not unwatchable. Just disappointing. Based on the novel by Alice Sebold, The Lovely Bones was directed by the gifted Peter Jackson who, just last summer, had a hand in Neill Blomkamp's District 9. The Lovely Bones is a ghost story of sorts and tells the tale of a young girl (played by Saoirse Ronan) who, after being brutally raped and murdered, observes the lives of those she knew from a strange limbo world caught between life and death. Amongst those she keeps an eye on are her parents (whom she inadvertently influences), and the killer himself (played by a creepy Stanley Tucci). The Lovely Bones is a congested fusion of various tones (including fantasy, comedy, drama, and mystery), that never really come together. Strange, because Jackson perfectly juggled these same tones in the outstanding Heavenly Creatures over fifteen years ago. Jackson's vision of the limbo area in which young Susie Salmon resides is interesting, but it’s ultimately a distraction in the grand scheme of things, and it isn't quite as awe-inspiring as the afterlife in Vincent Ward's underappreciated What Dreams May Come. Jackson tries hard here, and some sequences do payoff. Watch for a tense sequence in which Susie's sister breaks into the murderer’s house looking for a clue that will bring a horrific case to justice. But these moments are few and far between, and they're buried between odd moments that don't work at all (the ending, in particular, is a sorely out of place moment plucked directly from Ghost). Tucci and Ronan are outstanding, but Rachel Weisz is underused and Mark Wahlberg (filling in for a departing Ryan Gosling) is miscast. I haven't read the book on which this film is based, but I don't need to read it to know that something got lost in translation. The Lovely Bones might be one of those properties that would have been best left a novel. I still adore Peter Jackson, but this was a disappointment.
 

THE MEN WHO STARE AT GOATS (PG-13)
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The Men Who Stare at Goats is one offbeat comedy. It features Ewan McGregor as a reporter who travels to Iraq after he learns of a strange story involving soldiers with apparent psychic powers who are ultimately recruited in an attempt to bring an end to the war through Jedi-like mind control. Ewan McGregor's Bob Wilton is lead to soldier Lyn Cassady (played by George Clooney), a somewhat zany individual who proclaims to be part of the previously mentioned operation. Together, this unlikely pair takes a road trip across the Middle East and comes in contact with a wide range of colorful characters, including Kevin Spacey's Larry Hooper and Jeff Bridges' Bill Django. The Men Who Stare at Goats has the virtue of being the first major motion picture to take a light approach towards the conflict in the Middle East, and that, in of itself, is quite refreshing. The movie has a carefree vibe and brings to mind Steven Soderberg's Ocean's 11 series. It's simply a bunch of big name stars having a good time, and while some of the movie plays like a big elaborate inside joke, I felt like I was in on it. I was smiling more often than not. Spacey is a riot as an insecure soldier, and Jeff Bridges is laugh-out-loud hilarious in a role that recalls his memorable turn in The Big Lebowski. George Clooney is immensely entertaining here, and McGregor is terrific as the straight man. On a final note, it was particularly fun listening to McGregor make off-color Jedi remarks, particularly given his affiliation with the Star Wars universe. A fun movie with a surprisingly breezy tone.

THE BOX (PG-13)
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The Box is based on a short story by Richard Matheson (it was the source material for an ‘80s Twilight Zone episode called Button, Button), and now, the short has been expanded into a feature by cult hero Richard Kelly, an interesting film maker who earned quite a legion of fans with his debut film, Donnie Darko. At the surface, his latest film, The Box, appears as if it'll be an entirely accessible movie, but then Kelly quickly changes gears after baiting the audience in with a simple and compelling set up. The Box opens in 1976 suburbia and weaves its tale around a mysterious stranger (played by Frank Langella) who offers a financially struggling married couple (played by Cameron Diaz and James Marsden) a unique opportunity. With a box in hand, Langella's horribly scarred Arlington Steward informs the couple that, should they push the button at the center of the box, they'll receive $1 million cash. The catch? If they do decide to press the button, someone whom they don't know will die. What follows is a bizarre sequence of events that I'm still trying to wrap my head around. Through an odd fusion of religious and scientific themes, The Box emerges as a weird, dreamlike – and sometimes maddening – morality play, but somehow, I was strangely intrigued by it. Kelly does a good job evoking a creepy sense of dread all while creating a slow build towards a wacked-out climax that still has me perplexed. Parts of The Box reminded me of a David Lynch movie, while visually, the film has a distinct Stanley Kubrick ring to it. I'm not saying this movie is in the same league as Lynch or Kubrick's work, but it's certainly in a similar tradition. And technically, The Box is wonderfully put together. Particularly the ‘70s inspired art direction and Arcade Fire's ominous score. The Box isn't exactly a masterpiece. There are moments that are overly dramatic, and Diaz and Marsden aren't always on target, but ultimately, The Box is weird and thought-provoking enough to offer up a mild recommendation, particularly to moviegoers who don't mind...thinking outside the box.

OTHER MOVIES
 
UP IN THE AIR (R)- êêêê½

CRAZY HEART (R)- êêêê
AVATAR (PG-13)- êêêê
THE PRINCESS AND THE FROG (G)- êêêê½
SHERLOCK HOLMES (PG-13)- êêê½
IT'S COMPLICATED (PG-13)- êêê
PRECIOUS (R)- êêêê½
THE ROAD (R)- êêêê
THE BLIND SIDE (PG-13)- êêê½
FANTASTIC MR. FOX (PG)- êêêê½
AN EDUCATION (PG-13)- êêêê½
 

A MESSAGE FROM THE ST. GEORGE FILM SOCIETY
 
ST. GEORGE'S VERY OWN SHALLOW DAY ON THE BRINK OF STARDOM AFTER THEIR NEW MUSIC VIDEO "TWILIGHT (WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO MY WIFE?)" BECOMES AN ONLINE VIRAL SENSATION!

Shallow Day formed right here in sunny St. George. Not exactly a breeding ground for commercially viable rock acts, but perhaps the poppy, accessible stylings of Shallow Day will change that. If their recent music video, "Twilight (What Have You Done to My Wife?)" is any indication, they're well on their way. This hilarious clip, which has become a YouTube sensation, was shot on the cheap and in a very short amount of time, but that hardly matters. This is fun stuff (it sort of plays like a SNL Digital Short), and perhaps this video's strongest attribute is that it manages to have fun with Twilight fans without crossing the line. This clip is both clever and catchy, as is the tune that inspired it. With this song's timely success – New Moon is hitting DVD shortly, and Eclipse is due in theaters this June – "Twilight (What Have You Done to My Wife?)" might just be the tune that breaks Shallow Day into the mainstream. Clearly, they're on their way up. Just recently the band did an interview and performed live on 2News Utah, and now, they're in the process of booking a handful of live shows. Up first, a special free gig at The Electric Theater here in St. George. The show will take place at 7:00 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 13. Come see them, because this may just be the last time you get to see Shallow Day in a small venue. Given that lead vocalist/songwriter Mike Seely and his band mates Wes Vaughn and Justin Vaughn have been at this for a long time, they couldn't be more worthy of the success. Hopefully, the hilarity that is "Twilight (What Have You Done to My Wife?)" will lead folks to listen to the arsenal of great songs Shallow Day already has in their back pocket. Log onto youtube.com and check out their much talked about video, then head over to iTunes and pick up a copy of the song. You can learn more about Shallow Day at www.shallowday.com. Congrats to this terrific band!
 

THE GUERILLA FILM MAKING COMPETITION RETURNS THIS APRIL

Just a little heads-up to those interested in taking part in the next Guerilla Film Making Competition. The date hasn't been locked in yet, but it'll definitely be in the earlier part of April. Watch for an update in the next issue of The Independent.
 

CLASSIC FILM SERIES AT RED CLIFF CINEMAS

Just a reminder that Red Cliff Cinemas continues to show classic films every Wednesday. They've screened everything from Rear Window to An Affair to Remember. So if you're a fan of the classics, head over to Red Cliff Cinemas for the Classic Film Series line-up. Tickets are only $2, and the series should continue through March.