I Spit On Your Grave: Unrated (Remake)

In 1978 director Meir Zarchi brought the world the original "I Spit On Your Grave a.k.a Day of the Woman", and the world banned it in five countries from even being released. This movie is an expression of the most diseased and perverted darker human natures", wrote Roger Ebert in the Chicago Sun Times. "I walked out of the theater quickly, feeling unclean, ashamed and depressed." When I saw the first trailer for the remake my first thought was "I can't believe they are remaking this movie...and why?"

I Spit On Your Grave has a very straight forward plot, author Jennifer Hills rents a secluded cabin to write her new novel. Shortly after arriving a group of the surrounding towns degenerates inflict brutal torture and rape on her and leave her for dead. Fortunately for us she is not dead and returns to unleash revenge on the men one by one. At the time of its release it raised a great deal of outrage from churches, potential viewers, critics and feminist. I would say the times have changes significantly considering I saw this after a college professor suggested I do so to get inspiration for my senior thesis. It was hard to watch for a few reasons, the brutal nature of the plot of course but also because its an older low budget film so it is slow paced and as a twenty something of the bloody torture horror generation this almost doesnt compare to what we see now. Its the kind of movie you have to think about when you watch it, put yourself in the time period it was made in order to understand why this film is such a big deal.

Friends are still outraged and turned off when I talk about exploitation films because they only see the violence against women aspect but fail to see the female heroin side of the story as well. A huge point of most of these kinds of movies is the female empowerment that results from these horrifying acts. Tell me that at the end of Tarantino's "Death Proof" you did not feel some sort of "YEAH!" for these girls that just kicked the piss out of a guy who previously killed three defenseless women? I Spit On Your Grave and other films like this are doing the same thing but in a more hardcore sort of way. As far as the remake goes, it was a bit more unnerving than the original for me probably because its set in my time and there was a bit more realness that could be applied to it. The rape scenes are very hard to watch and at a certain point I started feeling like maybe this is going a little long, but I think thats what the director wanted, and to say her revenge was satisfying to watch is an understatement. It was pretty awesome, each one tying into what they had inflicted on her. I Spit On Your Grave is not for everyone, especially the faint of heart but worth seeing if you can appreciate exploitation films and want to see an updated but pretty true to the original versions of a classic.

I spit On Your Grave
Released 2010
Directed By Steven R. Monroe

A Nightmare on Elm Street (Remake)

I'll pretty much see any horror movie that comes out. I was really drawn into a few scenes depicted in the initial trailer for A Nightmare on Elm Street that look very much like fine art photographs reminiscent of Gregory Crewdson, such as the suburban bedroom filled with snow. The film is a remake of the 1984 classic originally written and directed by Wes Craven, it stays fairly true to the original story. As someone who is from the more gruesome torture and blood driven generation of horror films, I was never a huge fan of the original. Freddy Kreuger was always a little too cheesy in demeanor for me personally, more like that creepy guy on the corner with bad inappropriate jokes than a nightmare haunting murderer. However I can appreciate what he has brought to the genre as a whole.

A Nightmare on Elm Street is based finger knife wielding Fred Kreuger, a former school grounds keeper and accused child molester who was brutally burned alive in an abandoned building by his victims parents. Years later he begins to haunt dreams of teenager who fight for their lives to stay awake once they realize if you die in your dreams you die for real.

As dark as it is, as well as taboo subject matter, I like the Kreuger story. It is reminiscent of old exploitation films that push the boundaries of what could be acceptable subject matter. I did enjoy Jackie Earle Haley's (Shutter Island, Watchmen, Little Children) portrayal of Kreuger, he made the character much darker and less of a jokester than the original making the movie all around a bit scarier and uneasy. The acting was not terrible as long as one goes into it without pretentious expectations and wants to be creeped out and entertained I'd say its worth a watch on a fall night with friends.

A Nightmare on Elm Street
Released 2009
Directed by Samuel Bayer