"Everybody Dies!"

If you've ever met me, you probably know that I have a special love for horror movies. As most avid movie watchers will tell you, horror movies tend to range from absolutely shit to really good. Very rarely does a horror film expand into greatness, that seems to be a realm reserved for dramas with a message, at least thats what many would have you believe. Personally, I've seen a lot of horror films that I would rank right next to films like Yojimbo and The Godfather, movies generally considered to be uncompromisingly great. The film I'm set to review in this blog however, is not one of those movies.



Murder Party is an independent feature by Jeremy Saulnier. Its one of those movies that you see in the horror section of a DVD store and just shake your head at. But like many of its kind, Murder Party holds a lot more value than it lets on. I discovered this movie one night at work. It was a Thursday night at Hollywood Video and the staff was cleaning and getting ready for close when I stumbled into the stock room. I took a gander at the movies that were set to come out the following week; employees of most rental stores are allowed to rent the movies before their release dates, and as my eyes searched over the titles, a blood red box caught my eye. "Murder Party" it said, writting on the spine of the DVD in a free font most anyone can download on the internet (though the same can be said for many fonts used these days). As you can imagine, I was intrigued. Pulling out the case I'm greeted with amazing imagery; a man dressed as a knight (made out of cardboard) dual wielding chainsaws. Now, my chainsaw fetish in movies dates back to the Evil Dead series, so anyone with my same love for them should instantly find the movie enticing. Something about B-Grade movies with chainsaws is just really awesome; so of course I rented it. I must say, sometimes you just get lucky and you find a movie that just seems like it was made for you, Murder Party was one of those movies for me.

And now for a review...

As stated before, Murder Party is a film by Jeremy Saulnier, but it is credited to an entire group of filmmakers known as the Lab of Madness. As someone entering into the film without any prior knowledge of the group's work, expectations were set at a low level, as they should be for any B-Horror film. The film opens up calmly with shots of a low key neighborhood enjoying the wonderful time that is Halloween, especially in a neighborhood that embraces that type of spirit. We find ourselves following a small black envelope as it blows down the sidewalk in the wind. Soon enough, fate intervenes, the envelope is stopped by a foot stomping on it's form and pow, we meet our hero.

The movie focuses on a middle aged man who generally, represents the average Joe-Loser of America. He's traveling down the street, a bag of rented videos in his hand, when he stops the small black envelope on the sidewalk. Opening the letter he finds an invitation, an invitation to a "Murder Party" to which he uncharacteristically decides to attend upon receiving said invite. He heads to his mediocre home and prepares a costume, a comical knight outfit made from cardboard, and sets on his way to the party that would create the worst night of his life.

The "Murder Party" itself is merely a ruse, used by a group of starving "artists" gathered in the heart of a broken down warehouse for the night. Unknown to our soon to arrive hero, these "artists" are preparing to take the very person who receives the invitation, and kill them all in the name of art. These characters, all decked out in fully detailed Halloween costumes that actually represent their characters in a way (including a sweet Baseball Furies costume) tend to represent variations of the oh-so cliche'd pretentious artist types that people encounter. This is especially true for those of us with any involvement in the art & design world. These people do exist, and they really suck at life.

Its hard to really describe Murder Part in full, as much of the movie is driven on dialogue alone. Post the initial interactions of our protagonist and the group of not-so bright antagonists, the movie mixes spurts of action with a nice tone of black humor and a direct parody of artists to drive the entertainment. As for the physical action itself, bar an escape atttempt towards the middle of the movie by Chris, our hero, all of the action is reserved until the end, when all of the shit hits the fan. I won't ruin any of what happens in the movie during these parts, but Chris throwing a pile of trash at his captors and then running was priceless and really represented the dry humor the movie presents.

As for the movie itself, outside of a plot that makes me smile at even the mention of its title, was well above B standards. The first thing you might notice about the film is that its looks really nice. The cameras used on the film are obviously of higher quality than normal low budget releases and it shows, the movie has none of the shitty camera feel that many of its peers suffer from. A lot of the time, that alone can drive away a potential audience, a good camera just seems to make shit better.

It should be noted that bar maybe one or two of the performers, all of the characters in the movies are portrayed by members of the Lab of Madness team and themselves, creators of the film. Much of the cast aided the film by producing, writing, and creating special effects. In such, the acting in the film is better than expected. This however, is aided by the fact that the movie really requires no serious chops, bar a breakdown from Bill towards the end, and features very little in the way of characterization. This is forgiven however, based on the fact that horror movies don't require deep characters to be fucking awesome.

In the end of it all, Murder Party (more so than most movies) really comes down to taste. If you're looking for a movie to add to your collection next to Citizen Kane and Gone With the Wind, look elsewhere. But if you like movies where you can just tell how much the creators loved it, movies with a dry tone, movies with dark humor, and really awesome B-Grade horror general, Murder Party is waiting for you to attend. I guess I'll see you there..

But remember.. Everybody Dies!

Grade: B

001. No Country For Old Men.

This is the official start to my blog, "Orange Juice & Gasoline" a movie review blog. I'm sure there are about 20,000 of these all over this here site, just like MP3 blogs and the oh so lovely personal diaries. Those are so great.. that little Rudy and his high school adventures are more than enough to keep me occupied for hours on end! The reviews in this blog are obviously my opinion and if you disagree, tell me, I don't care. But seriously... I'm gonna start this series off on a high, the way an opening should be. My first review will be the latest movie I've watched..

No Country For Old Men.

With Academy Awards for best Direction, Adapted Screenplay, Supporting Actor, and Overall Picture, a review from me will do little to sway a potential viewer in either a favorable or non-favorable direction. This fact, however, is irrelevant on the grounds that I don't care. Its not like I'm going to have a huge reading base anyway.

No Country For Old Men is the latest film from famed duo The Coen Brothers (Joel and Ethan). Set in a 1980's based Texas, No Country is a film adaptation of the novel of the same name by Cormac McCarthy. I don't know how the book reads, but let me say, that if the book is anywhere near as thrilling or gripping as the Coen Brothers' translation of it, pick that shit up. Now.

The film itself is set in a 1980's based Texas. Morals and ethics are key, especially in the small town-like theme that Sheriff Ed Tom Bell patrols. Bell is portrayed by Tommy Lee Jones (Men In Black, In the Valley of Ellah) whose aging physical stature and experience as a hard-ass, no nonsense officer of the law blends well with Bell's struggle to maintain a sense of decency in the ever changing world around him. Bell could be defined as a "Good 'ol Boy" in a way. He represents tradition and justice, nothing new if you've seen a number of Jones' previous films, and the fading relevance that the old fashioned mind set plays in a world where evil walks the streets. Evil like Anton Chigurh.

Anton Chigurh represents something that modern films have been lacking for the better part of the new century; a real villain. In fact, villain may be a bit of a generalization and in reality, a slight against the true force that Chigurh is. He isn't just a villain, Anton Chigurh is ruthlessness defined. Forget every archetype ever thrown at you in a typical murder drama setting, Chigurh is Jason Voorhees with a shotgun. Masterfully portrayed by the (unheard of to me) Javier Bardem, Anton Chigruh may be one of the most frightening human beings ever committed to film. There's a reason Bardem took home an Oscar for his work and by all means, the man deserves it. From the moment Bardem steps onto the screen and you get a taste of his all too human demonic gaze, his place as one of the most horrifying villains of the 21st Century was cemented.

While Jones plays the films conscience of sorts and Bardem keeps the audience in their seat with unequaled portrayal of evil, the film itself relies on Josh Brolin (Planet Terror, American Gangster) to move forward. Brolin portrays Llewelyn Moss, welder a verteran of the Vietnam War who stumbles into a world of trouble.

Adventuring out into the empty abyss that is the vast Texas desert, Moss hunts for antelope. His scoped rifle is loud and effective at firing at the prey long distances away. Tagging his target he moves forward to track the wounded prey, a goal he does not accomplish. Traveling outward into the emptiness of the desert Moss stumbles upon a scene of carnage. A drug deal gone bad. Bodies litter the area, laying in blood stained masses of dry earth, surrounded by a fortress of trucks. Moss investigates, discovering the drugs and ventures out to find the lone survivor of the gun fight. Finding a case filled with millions of dollars from the deal left over and claiming it as his own, Moss enters into a world of trouble. The owners of the money aquires the services of Anton Chigurh to track down the money. A race begins as Chigurh leaves a river of bodies in his wake in search of the fleeing Moss and the millions of dollars he possesses with Bell hot on the trails of the entire happening.

No Country For Old Men is quite simply, one of the most effective films of modern society, if not of all time. Standing next to an impressive body of work like Coen Brothers possess, No Country more than holds it own as one of the best pieces they have ever filmed. What made Joel and Ethan right for the film is every reason that the film itself is so effective. Not only do the Coens have beautiful craftsmanship, as the film itself is shot with unmatched skill, but where the Coens really shine is characterization and story; which No Country has in spades. With three equally important main characters to focus on, one could easily loose balance and portray one of the three as the true protagonist. Not the Coens. At no point in the two epic do the three characters ever feel out of balance, each has their importance and their goals, and without sharing the screen much at all, Jones, Brolin, and Bardem's fates all feel tightly intertwined.

No Country itself is characterized by the surreal lack of a score. To many, the idea of a two hour movie set in a desolate setting like Texas without even a trace of real music to keep the viewer involved sounds like torture. It isn't. The Coens present the movie in such a way that music would almost seem out of place, like the silence itself is a character at times. Big money blockbusters use music to present a certain mood or feeling. The Coens use silence in this film more effectively than any blockbuster's two-hundred thousand dollar soundtrack ever could.

All of this isn't to say that No Country isn't without flaws, though there aren't many and they're subjective. The film runs long (by modern standards) and without a touch of music to hold the viewer's hand, the casual movie watcher may not be able to enjoy the wonderful piece of work that the film is. Of course, the argument could be made that this movie isn't for them. I'd agree.

The film's ending seems to be another point of discussion. I'm not going to give anything away, but some like the ending, some don't. Nothing that most movies without a predictable closing don't face, but with the entirety of the film being so strong, I could see some viewing the ending of the tale as a let down. I for one, liked the closing.

Overall, No Country For Old Men is one of the best movies I have seen in a long time and might possibly be one of the best ever, at least to me. The Coen Brothers once again prove their seeming mastery of film with a movie that is gripping, thrilling, exciting, and unbelievable involving.

Grade: A

P.S. The writing of this was fueled by the album "White1" by Sunn O))), provided to me by my good friend Greg. Head on over to his music blog, "Life's A Bummer" for that album and many more quality recordings.

LIFE'S A BUMMER