2008 Woodie Awards
'Shutter' nothing new
By Tom Pittman
Issue date: 3/31/08 Section: Entertainment
American horror movies are great, but there is an apparent lack of original ideas. The biggest horror movie to come out this year will be "Prom Night," a remake of the film that launched Jamie Lee Curtis's career. "Shutter" falls into the other popular remake category.
This category involves creating Americanized versions of popular Japanese horror films. Since the popularity of "The Ring," producers have tried to cash in on this craze. This led to catastrophic remakes like "The Grudge" and reasonably intriguing films like "Dark Water." The difference between the overall success of these films can be explained through two people; Sarah Michelle Gellar and Jennifer Connelly. Gellar took "The Grudge" into the garbage, yet Connelly turned "Dark Water" (a slow film) into a solid film. The female lead is the single most important aspect of the Japanese horror movie. Rachael Taylor is amazing as Jane Shaw (the female lead) and subsequently "Shutter" is enjoyable to watch.
"Shutter" is about a newlywed couple (Rachael Taylor and Joshua Jackson) spending the first few weeks of their marriage in Japan. When John Shaw (Jackson) and Jane Shaw first arrive in Japan, they get into an accident. Mr. Shaw is a photographer and Mrs. Shaw keeps seeing the victim's image in her husband's photos. From these photos an underlying story emerges and leads to Mrs. Shaw discovering the truth about the victim.
Rachael Taylor's two previous big movies are "See No Evil," which was a remake with an entertaining absurdity to it, and "Transformers." She never made her presence felt in either movie. In "Shutter" Taylor's body language and chemistry with co-star Joshua Jackson keeps viewers rooting for her safety. She is a sympathetic character and conveys an accurate portrayal of how a person might feel in a new country after a traumatic experience.
Hopefully Taylor becomes pigeonholed into horror roles because this section of the film industry is severely lacking in talented women. Her performance overshadowed Joshua Jackson's abominable acting.
This category involves creating Americanized versions of popular Japanese horror films. Since the popularity of "The Ring," producers have tried to cash in on this craze. This led to catastrophic remakes like "The Grudge" and reasonably intriguing films like "Dark Water." The difference between the overall success of these films can be explained through two people; Sarah Michelle Gellar and Jennifer Connelly. Gellar took "The Grudge" into the garbage, yet Connelly turned "Dark Water" (a slow film) into a solid film. The female lead is the single most important aspect of the Japanese horror movie. Rachael Taylor is amazing as Jane Shaw (the female lead) and subsequently "Shutter" is enjoyable to watch.
"Shutter" is about a newlywed couple (Rachael Taylor and Joshua Jackson) spending the first few weeks of their marriage in Japan. When John Shaw (Jackson) and Jane Shaw first arrive in Japan, they get into an accident. Mr. Shaw is a photographer and Mrs. Shaw keeps seeing the victim's image in her husband's photos. From these photos an underlying story emerges and leads to Mrs. Shaw discovering the truth about the victim.
Rachael Taylor's two previous big movies are "See No Evil," which was a remake with an entertaining absurdity to it, and "Transformers." She never made her presence felt in either movie. In "Shutter" Taylor's body language and chemistry with co-star Joshua Jackson keeps viewers rooting for her safety. She is a sympathetic character and conveys an accurate portrayal of how a person might feel in a new country after a traumatic experience.
Hopefully Taylor becomes pigeonholed into horror roles because this section of the film industry is severely lacking in talented women. Her performance overshadowed Joshua Jackson's abominable acting.
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linabug
posted 3/31/08 @ 4:09 PM EST
ASSHOLE!
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