Welcome one and all to a new feature on this blog. I am a self confessed hoarder of DVDs and Blu Ray discs. I love films and over the years I have bought my fair share that have done nothing more than gathered dust. With a new year comes the resolve to watch a lot of films that I have never seen before and thus The 52 In 52 was born. I will be releasing a new part every Thursday for the entire year so check back each week.
As always if you have any comments or feedback leave a comment below or by following me on Twitter or Instagram.
The first part of The 52 In 52 is a film that mostly flew under the radar upon its release in 2011, Darren Lynn Bousman's apocalypse themed horror: 11-11-11 or II-II-II The Prophecy as it is more widely known. Darren Lynn Bousman is most well known for directing the 2nd, 3rd and 4th instalment of the SAW franchise as well as one of my favourites, Repo! The Genetic Opera. 11-11-11 was written and directed by Bousman and wasn't well received upon release.
11-11-11 is the story of writer Joseph Crone dealing with the death of his wife and son when he meets the mysterious Sadie at a support group. They visit Barcelona to visit Josephs dying father and estranged brother where he discovers demons are plaguing the house in which they live. Joseph learns that 11-11-11 means dire consequences for not only him but, the world.
I have to admit 11-11-11 is a very odd film. I would be pushing the limits of truth if I said I enjoyed it. I felt that a lot of the acting was soap opera over the top at times. Timothy Gibbs is very uneven as Joseph Crone but, I feel that he did well with the script he was given. The problem I had was that Joseph isn't very likeable as a protagonist and I struggled to route for him throughout the film.. Michael Landes wasn't given nearly enough screen time as Samuel Crone and I would have liked to have seen more of him on screen. Wendy Glenn is clumsy as Sadie and may as well of had a neon sign above her head saying she was pushing Joseph towards his doom.
The story itself is melodramatic and a little dated. Whilst there are some moments of promise such as the weird in a good way 3rd act the story felt rushed and lacking depth. The opening sequence is dark and disturbing but, really means little else than a plot device that is revisited only a couple of times and has little to do with the outcome of the film.
There are some positives about 11-11-11. The 3rd act is well done and shows Bousman's strengths as a film maker. The creature make up and effects as well as the way in which the final scenes were shot were entertaining and I would have loved to have seen more of it throughout the story. There is a coldness in the tone and colour used throughout that really makes you feel that you are watching the last days of existence. There are some great jump scares throughout that feel fitting and not over used as they are in a lot of horror films in present day.
Although not Bousman's strongest effort, 11-11-11 isn't the worst film I've seen by any stretch of the imagination. I felt that it suffered from trying to stretch a good idea out with plot devices. This is not a fair representation of Bousman's work, check out SAW 2 and 3 for horror and the wildly entertaining Repo! for a horror laced musical. Bousman also directs The Night Billy Raised Hell which is part of the Tales Of Halloween anthology film and is one of the strongest parts of the film.
Thanks for reading and look out for the next instalment next Thursday. If you have any suggestions of films I should watch contact me on the front page of my blog or by following me on Twitter
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