Frozen (2010, Anchor Bay)
I should probably preface this by stating that I love horror, in all forms. This is probably rather odd for some to hear, as I was a perpetual nightmare-having, couldn't-finish-a-Point-Horror youngster. Still, I'd reckon it was after watching the first Halloween that I realised these were GREAT. The first I saw in the cinema was when I managed to sneak into the R-rated Scream 3, and I remember thoroughly enjoying it (and feeling ultra smart that I knew who Jay and Silent Bob were when they made their cameo!)
My girlfriend, on the other hand, is not the biggest fan of these. I've managed to coax her into watching Rec, Paranormal Activity and Drag Me To Hell, and although she's beginning to enjoy them, she's still reluctant.
Yet it was she who recommended Frozen to us, the newest film from Adam Green (of Hatchet fame). It had gone down a storm (pun intended) during the Sundance Film festival, and she was intrigued by the prospect of the single location story.
This has been attempted before - most notably the lying Phone Booth. The trailer certainly promised that all the action would take place in and around the solitary booth - a tantilising prospect - but it seems that at the last second the makers (or Schumy) had a change of heart and tacked on a pointless side-narrative, one that completely broke the tension of the moments of Farrell-lockage.
So perhaps the first thing to say about Frozen is that it is honest. It really does ALL take place in and around that solitary skilift.
And it's not boring!
That being said, the three protagonists are really a faceless mob. There's a womaniser (who JUST WANTS TO BE LOVED) and the ex-stoner who has made a fresh start with his new girlfriend. And (of course) the girlfriend is interrupting their bro-making-snowboarding trip. So far, so trite, right? But this is all part of the cleverness of Frozen.
By initiating the narrative with stock characters, and labelling itself as a horror film, Frozen has set out its stall rather obviously. Yet most (not all) of the horror comes from the three of them up that ski-life, scared for their lives. Frozen cleverly subverts the traditional horror trappings of 'your worst nightmare' by going all Lord of the Flies on the audience. The horror, the fear, the Beast, is what is initially inside each of the characters. It is genuinely unnerving to see these characters laying into each other as the lift breaks, and they have no one but each other (themselves?) to blame. As they eventually reach a strategy on how to escape, male bravado manages to prove the undoing of their plan. Again, Green lays on that it really is their fault that they are up there, making the audience question their support of these characters. And as the plan goes from 'OH GOD NO' bad to 'unnecessary villain' horrific, it is unclear whether we really want these characters to survive, or to prolong their horror.
The most horrific parts of the film are actually the natural terrors. The steel ropes eating through gloves, the skin tears as a result of frostbite - these are the moments that really had the audience on end. These things are natural horrors, graphic ones at that, and they really resonated with the crowd. Using actual injuries as horror 'gore' is incredibly clever.
Sadly, the appearance of 'villains' (avoiding spoilers!) does take the movie into slightly conventional territory. Thankfully they're not what you'd expect of horror baddies. But, still...
My biggest complaint of the film (which I thoroughly enjoyed) is that I don't think Mr. Green went far enough. Send a group of rich, selfish Yale graduates, or benefits cheats up that life next time, and let them squeal. Then watch the cash rake in.
You can send me my royalties via paypal, Green.
I actually thought that I might like to view this movie---- that is until I read your comments !!!And you know that I don't like horror.Think I'll definitely give it a miss.And I'n now curious to which other movie you were going to comment on
ReplyDeleteI think you'd be able to handle this movie. It's Alta! But you would be able to handle it. Most of the horror is the psychological stuff. There might be one moment where you should close your eyes.
ReplyDeleteIt's well worth it. The film works as a 'what if' scenario very well, and it is all very real. Go see.
As for Martyrs - it concerns an abuse victim making her revenge on her tormentors - thus causing the audience to question whether they should feel guilt or not. I will need a couple of weeks with the piece, I think.
By benefits cheats, do you mean Members of Parliament? Now stick a few of them up a ski-lift for a while and you might get some interesting dialogue and much schadenfreude generated. In fact, you would have a horror film that leaves the audience with a therapeutic sense of well-being. Anyway, isn't there a sort of sub-genre of these single location movies developing - try this link for a bit more on the subject
ReplyDeletehttp://forums.whirlpool.net.au/forum-replies-archive.cfm/787836.html
Err.. Snakes on a Plane anyone? (sorry).
Was just wondering if you're after Jonathan Ross's job when he leaves BBC.Very analytical style of writing
ReplyDeleteAs for Martyrs , did you not read about the Milgram experiment haveing taken place in France where the subjects thought they'd killed their victim by electric shock. Seems people can be easily influenced to strike back
ReplyDeleteAnonymous - I was going for the 'schock tactic' approach obviously, as wondering how an audience would react to that sort of viewer. I'm not sure if I'm after Schadenfreude, but more a common, mainstream audience enjoying trauma happening to the mainstream. Surely that is one of the escapes of horror - the violence of a particualr scial class reinforced.
ReplyDeleteAs for M - I did read the recent stuff about the T show. I makes me more concerned about what I am going to post, as it suggests we are closer to this sort of world than we like to think.
You are bang on to comment on it though, and I will have to take it into consideration when I write about Martyrs.
As to whether I want Mr. Ross' job - I would love for my job to one day be solely involving film. At the minute, I get to pass my impression of both film and society onto 6th year pupils who will become next year's Uni students. I feel very empowered and a great sense of responsibility because of this.