Artisan Entertainment Jeff Donovan plays
a released mental patient in "Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2".
“Book of Shadows: The Blair Witch 2" Directed by
Joe Berlinger Starring Tristen Skylar, Jeffrey Donovan and Kim
Director
“Star Wars” had one. “The Godfather” had
one. Even “Scream” had one. Sequels have been a
Hollywood hat-trick for decades, and “Book of Shadows: The
Blair Witch 2″ is the latest tango with the
to-be-continued-tale. Though the new venture into Maryland’s
Black Hills boasts a whole new story, a different cast and a bigger
budget, it can’t help but fall short of high expectations
that result from the success of the original release. The 1999 mock
documentary about three film students who go in search of the Blair
Witch was a revolutionary indie film, attaining mass popularity
through the Internet while being ingeniously marketed as a work of
non-fiction. In “Book of Shadows,” five fans of the
“Blair Witch Project” return to Burkittsville to tour
the sight of the movie and seek out the original mythology, each
for his or her own reasons. While their misadventures can’t
hold a candle to Josh, Mike and Heather’s epic camping trip,
the premise of the film is brilliant. Not only is it
self-referential in its blending of the original mythology into the
new story, but it is also self-conscious in its incorporation of
the real-life Blair Witch mania into the plot. Unfortunately, the
film’s commentary on the media and its purported effects on
society misses the mark when informed through flat characters and
an overly ambiguous plot. The characters are hardly engaging,
though they try to live up to their stock roles and constructed
identities. Tristen (Tristen Skylar) and Stephen (Stephen Barker
Turner) are graduate students who are writing a book on the Blair
Witch mythology, but can’t seem to reach an intellectual
consensus on the true source the hysteria following the original
film. Filling the void for estranged and misunderstood outcasts are
Erica (Erica Leerhsen) the practicing Wiccan and Kim (Kim Director)
the black-shrouded Goth. The only notable character is the
group’s fearless local tour guide, Jeff (Jeffrey Donovan).
Recently released from a mental institution, Jeff runs a lucrative
Internet business marketing Blair Witch paraphernalia, from rocks
and stick men to T-shirts and caps. As the town’s
misanthropic misfit, he represents capitalistic exploitation.
Donovan’s mysterious portrayal keeps the audience guessing as
to how seriously disturbed he really is. The plot of the film is
less than captivating, though the characters have moments of
meditation on the film’s pertinent themes of media power.
Despite whatever supernatural images the film conjures up, the plot
does not bewitch audiences enough to evoke any terror or thought.
Any reflection on this film will lead you to wish the sequel had
gone straight to video. Curiosity, if not genuine interest, will
probably goad moviegoers to rush to the theaters to catch
“Book of Shadows.” Unfortunately, the follow up to
“The Blair Witch Project” could turn out to be the
sequel that killed the cat.
Emilia Hwang Rating: 5
“A Time for Drunken Horses” Directed by
Bahman Ghobadi Starring Mehdi Ekhtiar-Dini, Ayoub Ahmadi and Ameneh
Ekhtiar-Dini
Unlike America’s popular equestrian comedian, “Mr.
Ed” the horses of Bahman Ghobadi’s “A Time for
Drunken Horses,” are characters in a very serious story and
originate from a very different place. Iran, to be exact. This
foreign film marks Ghobadi’s first full-length movie. It
tells the story of a poverty-stricken family of orphans in Iranian
Kurdistan, just off the Iraqi border. The youngest son, Madi (Mehdi
Ekhtiar-Dini), is terminally ill and in desperate need of an
expensive surgery. Because they are orphans, Madi’s older
siblings, Ayoub (Ayoub Ahmadi) and Ameneh (Ameneh Ekhtiar-Dini),
have almost no money and must resort to attaining money any way
they can. Like the “drunken horses” (which are actually
mules that carry the goods across the borders), Ayoub does
backbreaking and dangerous work smuggling goods across Iraq’s
border, not even being paid for his services at times, due to
corrupt supervisors. Set in the stark, freezing winter of the
Middle East, the mules can only continue to walk when the smugglers
give them alcohol to warm them up, hence the title. Amaneh goes
even further to get money for Madi, marrying an Iraqi man whose
family promises to pay for Madi’s surgery in Iraq.
Amaneh’s new family coldly rejects Madi when she arrives, and
she is forced to leave her family anyway. “Horses” is
visually pleasing; the cinematography of the vast, snow-covered
land is breathtaking and sobering. Often, scenes slim on dialogue
focus on the barren, desolate and frigid land, underscoring the
sounds of the whipping wind. The infrequent dialogue is further
ameliorated by excellent nonverbal communication between the
siblings. When Ameneh is forcibly taken by her new in-laws, she
repeatedly looks back at a tearful Ayoub, realizing a touching
scene without being overly sentimental. Additionally, Madi, though
speaking only a few words, has excellent facial expressions and
manages to convey powerful emotions in the scenes. Unfortunately in
the end, the sparse dialogue and incomplete plot leave the audience
feeling unfulfilled. “Horses” is not for everyone.
It’s not catchy, hip, entertaining or exciting. But foreign
film buffs and those looking for something a little different may
find “Horses” worth the effort.
Andie Dingman Rating: 7