Slasher films ruled the horror market in the ’80s, even if most of them would have to strain to reach the level of mediocrity.
In 2009, films like “Sorority Row” and “Halloween II” showed horror fans may not be interested in the genre anymore.
So what do they want?
The answer could be “The Final Destination,” out on DVD and Blu-ray Jan. 5, 2010. And if that’s the case it’s truly a frightening development.
The fourth film in the death-obsessed franchise scored $66 million earlier this year, a veritable bounty for a small-scale horror effort.
The 3-D effects likely helped, but the franchise’s third installment snared $54 million, another tidy sum given the lack of star power and crossover interest.
So what’s the appeal? WWTW arrived late to the franchise, watching the new “Destination” before catching up with the rest.
And it’s hard not to feel depressed by what transpires in the film, especially since it seemed audiences eagerly gobbled up the Rube Goldberg-style death scenarios.
The story opens at a racetrack where one of the main characters (Bobby Campo) – to reveal his name seems like more work than the screenwriters put into the effort – has a premonition of disaster.
He convinces his friends to leave their seats, and soon enough car parts start smashing into the stands they just exited. Dozens are killed in the ridiculously over the top melee, with several people sliced and diced via CGI trickery.
Tom Savini, the lord of old-school FX, would wince watching this scene.
The quartet are happy their lives have been spared, but they soon learn others who similarly escaped certain death that day are starting to die in mysterious ways.
And they think they could be next.
Actually, our heroes put the pieces of this puzzle together so quickly you’ll think someone hid the Columbo raincoats.
But that’s hardly the biggest problem here. Sure, the intricate ways the film sets up each death is fun to watch at first, but without a story to hang onto or characters to care about, a film like “The Final Destination” ends up even more numbing than those dopey slasher films of yore.
Perhaps that what passes for progress in mainstream horror circles.
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{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
I’ve never understood the appeal of the “Final Destination” films which I find utterly pointless. Intricate death scenes can’t substitute for compelling characters and an interesting story, but these movies try to do just that.
Granted, it’s not a horror movie, but I think “The Parallax View” does an excellent job with a loosely similar storyline. Poor Paula Prentiss was scared out of her wits and the audience felt for her.
‘Intricate death scenes can’t substitute for compelling characters and an interesting story, but these movies try to do just that’ — wish I wrote that as succinctly as you did, Paula
I really liked the first Final Destination. It was a genuinely creepy and involving shocker, and Devon Sawa’s lead character generated real sympathy as he heroically tried to use his premonitions to save people’s lives, including his own.
But the sequels were terrible. Like the “Saw” sequels, they had an interesting premise (and a solid first film) to build on, and instead used those elements to make a series of glorified snuff films. What a waste of potential.
Actually I thought the first three were pretty good films. The first one taking the more serious route where the second more of a dark comedy and the third a mix. The fourth one though is literally nothing new. It is just the same as the first three with the added 3-D which was fun in the theatre but the movie as a whole was just meh. While not classics the first three are fun films.
Too bad you started here because I think you might have dug the other films at least on a small level.
You may see it then understand everything why i am saying to see it…The 3-D effect been applied. It adds a bit of extra fun to what is otherwise a routine repeat of the formula.
As we’ve discussed, Christian, I thought that the basic premise of the series, that the kids were “supposed to die” and therefore had weird and improbable experiences as death caught up with them was a pretty cool idea. There are some philosophical glitches in the concept, but, hey, it’s a horror film, no worries!
As with too many franchises, however, risk aversion on the part of the studio overtook creativity on the part of the writers and the most recent installment really isn’t very engaging at all. Worse, it felt like a “let’s play with 3D” film too and we all know from experience what happens when the sf/x team are the leaders of the proverbial band…