Movies
Contagion
“I found ‘Contagion’ to be trite. In fact, for me, it was completely emotionless. Still, [it’s] masterfully competent filmmaking; even on its worse day it’s a good movie.”
The positive buzz behind Steven Soderbergh’s Contagion seems appropriate, especially considering the powerful ensemble that includes the likes of Matt Damon, Jude Law, Kate Winslet, Marion Cotillard, Gwyneth Paltrow, Laurence Fishburne, Josie Ho, Demetri Martin, Jennifer Ehle and even Bryan Cranston. Yet, even while a thoroughly engaging and beautiful shot thriller, I found myself completely underwhelmed by the end credits.
In the lobby critics were raving. In fact, I had heard that Warners had shown some press the film a few months ago to see what kind of a beast they had on their hands. Nearly everyone I know loves it (including my wife). From a technical perspective, it’s hard to debate Contagion; the screenplay was solid, the acting was top notch, the scope massive, and the cinematography was both bleak and gorgeous. But even in masterful filmmaking, sometimes it can feel, I dunno, generic? Between Warners’ excellent marketing and the script by Scott C. Burnz, the first act contains a shocker that is something desperately needed in today’s film world. It’s an Earth shattering moment that had my mind swirling in excitement: the filmmakers broke the mold and are actually doing something different (especially with all of the comparisons to the 1995 Outbreak). Beyond this riveting sequence, the rest of the film then falls into place as that aforementioned generic global infection thriller; it begins to spread, the government quickly and quietly reacts, the public riot, people die, etc. etc.
The only new element to Contagion is Jude Law’s character, an online journalist who has 12 million followers. He is anti-government and fighting to tell his audience that they’re being lied to. He claims to have the cure and “proves” it on webcam. While many will call this “smart”, I call it an “obvious” evolution to this kind of film. What urks me, though, is that Burnz and Soderbergh seem compelled to teach the audience that the online world is not to be trusted, and that the government is… a sort of bold political agenda hiding within the sub context. Unless I am misinterpreting the film, the filmmakers are basically stating that, during crisis, calm down and trust your government – they are trying their best to protect you. Jude Law’s character fights against this throughout the entire film, but by the end credits the audience is told that he’s basically a scumbag worse than anyone in the government.
Either way, I found Contagion to be trite. In fact, for me, it was completely emotionless. My wife says I know too much about “this world”, so maybe to me it was an obvious step-by-step procedural on what would happen during an outbreak? Considering I’m in the extreme minority of people who didn’t love the flick I guess it’s possible… Still, Contagion is masterfully competent filmmaking; even on its worse day it’s a good movie. It’s impossible not to recommend, and in fact, I implore you to check it out. If anything, hopefully it’ll get you to start coughing in your hands, and start washing them – dicks.
A contemporary reimagining of H.P. Lovecraft’s short story Herbert West: Reanimator is on the way, and Deadline has unveiled the first look at the new Herbert West and the pathologist drawn to his orbit.
Adam Simon (The Haunting in Connecticut, “Salem”) and Tim Metcalfe (The Haunting in Connecticut, Kalifornia) penned the script. The original screenplay and storyline come from Jade Sandberg Wallace.
Michael Grossman (“The Originals”, “Pretty Little Liars”) directs.
The new images introduce star Joseph Morgan (“Vampire Diaries“), who plays “brilliant surgeon and scientist Herbert West, who is obsessed with creating a serum to reanimate the dead.” Katie Cassidy (Speed Demon) stars opposite as the pathologist with a troubled past who joins his efforts.
Together, they prove that conquering death may be the ultimate sin against life itself.
The film’s official synopsis: “As a child, Herbert West watches his father Peter reanimate his dead mother Judith in a secret basement lab — only for Judith to mortally wound Peter and nearly kill Herbert before Peter shoots her. The trauma leaves its mark on Herbert, but so does one final image: his mother’s finger, twitching after death. Thirty years later, Herbert West is a brilliant, secretive surgeon still chasing his father’s obsession.
“Pathologist Kate Locke arrives in town and is drawn into his orbit — first through a spark at a hospital fundraiser, then through his secret lab, where he reveals a serum capable of reanimating severed tissue. Kate, hiding a dark past of her own, is thrilled rather than horrified, and moves into West’s mansion to work alongside him. Their early experiments on a cadaver succeed only briefly. West concludes that dead tissue is the problem — they need something fresher.”
Supporting cast includes Scott Aiello, Ira J Amyx, Randall Newsome, Emma Reinagal, James D. Bryce, Kathryn A Bentley, Jack Lancaster, Amy Holland Pennell, John Pierson, Mindy Shaw, Eric Dean White, Tristan Wilder Hallet, Adrienne Lamping, Aaron Crippen, and Drew Patterson.
Makeup artist Jeff Lewis (“Star Trek: Voyager,” “Star Trek: Enterprise”) and cousin Roger Lewis are heading the production via their newly established Woodlake Entertainment.
Lovecraft’s short story, first serialized in Home Brew magazine in 1922, is the first among his works to mention the fictional Miskatonic University. It was most famously adapted into a 1985 horror movie from Stuart Gordon, starring Jeffrey Combs as Herbert West.
Herbert West: Reanimator is set in Alton, Illinois, where production is now underway.
Herbert West: Reanimator. Photo credit: Matt Lief Anderson
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