HORROR |
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Horror was a tough category for us - monkeys are notoriously wussy when it comes to such things. We had to keep the light on at night after watching these puppies. At least there was a bit of comic relief from the British finalist... ;) THE WINNER:
Monkey Score: 88% What we loved about it: 1. It's gruesome 2. It scared us silly when it first came out, and still does 3. Just gotta love Leatherface... Sunshine Cleaning (Cert. 15, out 16 November) Amy Adams, Emily Blunt, Alan Arkin, Steve Zahn,Clifton Collins Jr., dir. Christine Jeffs, 2008, cert. 15 What it's about Single mom Rose Lorkowski (Amy Adams) works as a maid. In order to send her son to a private school, she gets the idea from married boyfriend Steve Zahn to start a post-mortem / crime scene clean-up business. With the help of sister Norah (Emily Blunt) and scamming Dad (Alan Larkin), Rose gets her hands dirty. She does so with heart and compassion, seeing her unforgiving line of work as a service to surviving relatives. What MovieMonkeys thought Sunshine Cleaning is funny despite its subject matter, and very touching. Yep, Rose and Norah make a living from biohazard, cleaning up after suicides and such likes, and it can be quite amusing. The film manages some really quite funny moments, like when Rose overhears a competitors talking about the newcomer who dumped a blood soaked mattress in the regular bin. You can't help but root for the sisters, and it's nothing a crash course in blood-born pathogens can't cure. The story pours from the heart yet somehow avoids clichés. The result is a warm, moving film about a working-class single mom doing what it takes to keep her slightly dysfunctional family on track. The buzz started at the Sundance Festival last year, and after a short theatrical run it's now out on DVD and Blu-Ray. Sunshine Cleaning is one of our favourite films this year. We hope director Christine Jeffs, whose last film was 2003's Sylvia with Gwyneth Paltrow, has more gems like this up her sleeve and does not wait another 5 years to get behind the camera. |
THE RUNNERS-UP:
Alison Lohman, Justin Long, dir. Sam Raimi, 2009, cert. 15 Monkey Score: 80% Alison Lohman (Beowulf, Big Fish) plays Christine Brown, a bank clerk whose life is seemingly happy-go-lucky. She's in the running for a promotion at work against an ambitious new employee, and knows she has to show her boss she's got what it takes. Of course, right on cue an old crone waltzes in. We're talking truly horrifying looking woman, straight out of Hansel&Gretel - down to the evil eye, crusty fingers and dubious oral hygiene. Now, most of us would know what to do, especially when the old bird start speaking with a strong accent: run a mile, right? Not dear Christine, no sir. She sees an opportunity to be as tough as the management type she aspires to be, and denies the extension requested. The old lady gets down on her knees to beg in a rather surreal scene, and as her understanding of personal space is on par with her dental care, poor Christine freaks out and calls security. Big mistake. Huge. Even her cute boyfriend (Justin Long, without the Dodgeball cheerleader outfit) can't do much beside philosophically debating fate and subconscious with a fortune teller. Does it end well? 'Course not! What would be the point of that! One question remains: having seen his handiwork on a low-level loan officer, should we hire Raimi to sort out the banking system? Could be entertaining ;) While a bit predictable, this return to horror by Sam Raimi has all the bits required to scare you silly.
SHAUN OF THE DEAD (Cert. 15, out 12 October) Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Kate Ashfield, Dylan Moran, dir. Edgar Wright, 2004, Cert. 15 Monkey Score: 85% Meet Shaun (Simon Pegg) - a twenty-something with no real passion or ambition in life, aside from hanging out with drinking buddy and flatmate Edgar (Nick Frost.) Friends and family are not impressed, and no-one less so than Shaun's long suffering girlfriend. The day she dumps him wasn't exactly his best day, but it suddenly takes a much, much worse turn as hungry flesh-eating zombies make their way through London. Are you laughing yet? You should! Shaun, with Edgar in tow, decides that his best bet to win the heart of his girlfriend back is to save her and her mother. Cue the pair fighting their way against the undead, and quite a few more chuckles along the way. Pegg co-wrote the film with director Edgar Wright - their first feature together before the excellent Hot Fuzz. Shaun of the Dead is fast and fun, with no ulterior motive but to entertain - and it works in spades.
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DRAG ME TO HELL 
