Double Feature

October 2005 - Just when you thought it was safe to go back to the theater, along comes the spookfest known as Halloween. I'm not going to review two of the too many slasher movies out there. No, I prefer chills and thrills that come with a little less blood.

One such film is 2004's The Village from M. Night Shyamalan. The quaint people who live in the village do not like the color red. The call it "the bad color" because it attracts "those we do not name," who have been known to terrorize the village and kill animals. Those we do not name live in Covington Wood and the people of the village are warned not to go there.

Of course, someone has to go there. That someone is a blind young woman named Ivey, played by Bryce Dallas Howard (daughter of Ron Howard). She discovers that the woods are dark and deep but not very lovely. However, that's nothing compared to what Ivy discovers when she finally makes her way out of the woods.

Overall review: Ehhh, it was OK. The movie has a good cast that includes Sigourney Weaver, William Hurt, Joaquin Phoenix and Adrien Brody. Unfortunately, they're forced to say things in the very old-fashioned way you might expect in a 19th century village. The dialogue and a lack of action slow down the first half of the movie, but things pick up in the second half. It's no Sixth Sense, but it's OK.

The Village is rated PG-13. You can find it on DVD or video.

You’ll find another good cast in Fallen from 1998. Denzel Washington stars along with John Goodman and Donald Sutherland.

Washington plays police detective John Hobbes. A serial killer he helped nab has just been executed. Goodman plays Hobbes' partner; Sutherland is their lieutenant. Everyone's happy until more murders start happening. The killer seems to have the same M.O. as the guy who just got gassed.

Fortunately, the killer is leaving clues for Hobbes. They lead him to the daughter of a cop who died 30 years ago. They also lead him into a trap that makes him look like the killer. Hobbes tries to set his own trap in, where else, the woods. Who wins this battle of good vs. evil? It'll take you about 125 minutes to find out.

Overall review: Liked it. The film has an interesting premise and Washington is intense enough to pull it off. However, I was bothered by a few production points. For example, visual clues lead you to believe that the movie is set in Philadelphia. If so, why was the execution at the start of the film carried out in a gas chamber? And, why is Hobbes driving across bridges and along the New Jersey side of the river just to get to a cabin in the mountains? Just askin'.

Fallen is rated R. You should be able to find it on DVD or video.