Editorials
‘Sadako vs. Kayako’ is the Most Deceptive Title Since ‘Jason Takes Manhattan’
Sorry, guys. We just want to keep your expectations in check.
One of the biggest disappointments in the history of horror cinema was 1989’s Friday the 13th Part 8: Jason Takes Manhattan, which spectacularly failed to live up to the promise of its title (as well as its totally awesome teaser trailer). Fans heading to the theater on the night of July 28th expected to see Jason Voorhees slashing up New York City for 90-minutes, but instead they were treated to a sequel that mostly took place on a boat. Jason finally showed up in Manhattan in the final act, ensuring that the film’s title wasn’t exactly a lie but was nevertheless a huge deception.
Nearly 30 years later, we’ve unfortunately been deceived yet again.
Brand new mash-up film Sadako vs. Kayako is exclusively hitting the streaming service Shudder this week (Thursday, January 26th), and it brings together the mega-popular franchises The Ring and The Grudge. It always seemed inevitable that series villains Sadako and Kayako would eventually either join forces or do battle – they are, after all, Japan’s answers to Freddy and Jason – and there’s no denying that the fight sounds like a really fun premise for a movie. Who wouldn’t want to see two horror icons beat the crap out of each other and battle to the death?!
So how awesome is that battle? Well, there really isn’t one.
As Joe Lipsett noted in his review out of the Toronto International Film Festival, the majority of Sadako vs. Kayako is devoted to individual stories about the two villains. Feeling like a reboot of The Ring crudely smashed together with a reboot of The Grudge, the film hardly brings the two franchises together in any sort of creative fashion, and it’s all very clunky; worse yet, it’s incredibly boring. Eventually, with mere minutes left in the running time (and that’s not an exaggeration), Sadako and Kayako finally appear on screen at the same time. Without giving too much away for anyone who plans on checking it out, the human characters decide that the only way to kill both entities is to make them, well, kill each other.
Let. Them. Fight.
In the final moments of the film, Sadako and Kayako do indeed come together as promised, but it’s hard to even consider their “fight” a genuine fight. Granted, the bonkers final moments do at least tease how much fun the movie could’ve been had fun been the name of the game all along, but at that point in time, it’s both too little and too late. Joe summed it up best in his aforementioned review: “Sadako and Kayako tousle for a few minutes of relatively fun action before the film ends on an abrupt, misguided cliffhanger.”
In Freddy vs. Jason, it may have taken a while for the fight to begin, but once it got underway, it was impossible to not be satisfied with it. As promised, we indeed saw Freddy and Jason kick, slash, and mutilate the ever-loving crap out of each other, but Sadako vs. Kayako is entirely a different story. It’s not merely that it takes too long to get to the good stuff, it’s that the good stuff never comes at all.
Don’t go into Sadako vs. Kayako looking for a fight.
Editorials
‘The Vampire Lestat’ Concert Event Launches New Season With The Ultimate Expression Of Fandom
There are thousands of passionate fans decked out in gothic chic and champing at the bit like feral creatures. They’re screaming for Lestat, a legendary vampire-turned-rock star, as if the entire crowd has been glamored into submission.
The entire experience is magic, but not because some supernatural thrall has been activated. What’s going on is even more special. It’s the power of the effusive fandom that’s been authentically assembled by AMC’s sublime Immortal Universe, namely Anne Rice’s Interview with the Vampire, now, The Vampire Lestat.
The Vampire Lestat is far from the first Anne Rice adaptation, and it’s not as if there’s been a lack of erotic vampire material for audiences to sink their teeth into. On June 2nd, during a one-night-only spectacle, New York City’s prestigious Beacon Theatre shook from Sam Reid’s bravado performance and an audience full of adoring fans who had already memorized Lestat’s songs.
It’s clear that The Vampire Lestat just hits differently than its predecessors. It’s become more than just a TV series at this point, and this opulent display of ego, swagger, and pure sex is the perfect way to premiere the new season and give back to the fans who helped make Interview with the Vampire/The Vampire Lestat such a breakout success. It’s exactly the sort of hyperbolized hedonism that would make Lestat cackle.
For all intents and purposes, AMC has successfully created the illusion that this concert/premiere is just one of the many destinations on Lestat and his band’s 54-stop tour that is simultaneously playing out on this season of television. It’s such a sophisticated and thorough level of interactive fan engagement that the audience doesn’t just understand, but also manages to accentuate through its involvement.
It’s a level of seamless synergy that’s not unlike the give-and-take relationship of vampire and victim.
Before the concert started, “LeStans” were sitting in the Beacon and flipping through a fake Rolling Stone issue with Lestat emblazoned on the cover, complete with interviews with the undead frontman inside. Other fans were admiring the vinyl pressing of Lestat’s EP as they walked past a section of undead band merch. Fandom and fantasy blur together, and it all becomes this elaborate, immersive experience. Fan celebration, erotic gothic fantasy, and a lavish rock concert transform into one beautiful thing.
To this point, AMC Global Media’s Chief Content Officer and President of AMC Studios, Dan McDermott, introduced the event by reiterating to fans, “You are the heartbeat of the series.” That’s abundantly clear on nights like this as that heartbeat collectively pulses to this performance. In terms of how AMC engages with The Vampire Lestat’s fans, it’s as bold a reinvention as the season itself.
This intuitive gamble speaks to AMC’s creativity in this department and a fandom that is eager to seize such opportunities. It’s the same innovation that led to zombie walks for The Walking Dead and real-life Los Pollos Hermanos restaurant pop-ups from Breaking Bad. It’s a great way to pump up the audience for The Vampire Lestat and then maintain that enthusiasm for the whole season.
For most series, a rock ‘n’ roll concert just doesn’t make any sense as a promotional tool. The Vampire Lestat finds itself in a very unique position where it can deliver an excellent concert at an iconic theater, but also use it to showcase The Vampire Lestat’s music by Daniel Hart (who was shredding on stage alongside Reid and the rest of their band) and, more than anything, Sam Reid’s endless charisma.
The way in which Reid feeds off of the crowd’s energy, modulating his performance and giving different sections of the Beacon life, is a perfect distillation of the series’ thoughtful relationship with its audience and how it’s become such a breakout success for AMC. AMC Studios President Dan McDermott emphasized that the fans are the reason that the show is still here and why an event like this is even possible. It’s rare to see a series in which every single cog in the machine is so perfectly attuned to its fans. Reid’s fans already cheer whenever they see him, so why not translate that to a concert setting?
It’s clear in this season of television that Reid was born to be a rock star, but it’s surreal to see him effortlessly command the stage — and the audience — at every step of the concert. He recites Shakespeare monologues and bitches out Armand between songs, all while the audience screams in support. For the duration of this concert, Reid is Lestat, and he’s given thousands of fans a memory that’s as immortal as any vampire.
Now bring on the encore and get this show on the road!
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