I Spit on Your Grave (2010)

Directed by Steven R. Monroe
Starring Sarah Butler, Jeff Branson, Andrew Howard, Daniel Franzese, Rodney Eastman, Chad Lindberg,Tracey Walter

I almost let this one slip me by, I've seen the original 1978 version many moons ago directed by Meir Zarchi and thought to myself what  could a remake  possibly have to offer that the original hadn't already stated. How different could it really be ? I know that the main character Jennifer Hills ( Butler ) will be brutally raped, demoralized and degraded and then seek  revenge on her attackers, blah, blah ,blah... What I wasn't prepared for was the gut wrenching performances by the entire cast. There was not one single actor that was misplaced, the entire cast gave strong and realistic interpretations  of their character. A special nod must go to Butler for her brave performance who had to bare more than just her soul in her role of Jennifer Hills, a writer who rents a secluded cabin in the woods to work on her latest novel.This setting isolates her from the outside world , where her only way of communication is with her Blackberry that eventually goes for a crap. Doors banging in the wind and other noises heighten the tension of Jennifer's  paranoia as she realizes she isn't alone any longer. Confronted by the men working at the local service station where Jennifer had gassed up.(An interesting side note , the gas pump read $19.78 on the meter, a little nod from director Monroe to the original film. ) Having turned down his advances and being embarrassed by Jennifer,  Johnny is determined to prove his manliness to his friends. Which brings us back to the cabin where Johnny, Stanley and Andy coerce the mentally challenged handy man Matthew into raping Jennifer. Having finally escape her tormentors Jennifer flees into the surrounding forest where she literally runs into the sheriff and  Earl the man she rented the cabin from,  the pair are out hunting.Earl is ordered to return home as the sheriff  takes Jennifer back to the cabin to investigate. Jennifer's ordeal is not quite over yet.
This movie lies heavily on the strength of the young Sarah Butler's shoulders, and she is up to the task as she delivers a very convincing performance that could leave one emotionally drained if you allow yourself to.  But really,with acting and direction this good, how could you not?

My Final Thought: O.K. Hollywood if you must turn out remakes for the new generation of horror lovers do like what was done here. Choose a little obscure, controversial and minuscule budget of a film and leave our beloved classics alone. This is how remakes should be done .
My Rating: 3.5 Go Go Girls out of 5

The Embodiment of Evil

Directed by Jose Mojica Marins;Starring Jose Mojica Marins, Jece Valado, Milhem Cortaz, Adriano Stuart, Rui Rezende, Cristina Ache Helene Ignez.

The Embodiment of Evil is the third installment of a trilogy that began way back in 1964 with " At Midnight I'll Take Your Soul" followed by " This Night I'll Possess Your Corpse" in 1967. Jose Mojica Marins alter ego is Ze`do Caixao, translated in English it reads Joe of the coffin or as it has become better known as Coffin Joe. Other than Marins there is no horror industry in Brazil his native country. According to Marins, the character of Coffin Joe came to him during a dream after proclaiming he had seen a dead man rise from his casket at a funeral he was attending as a child. Coffin Joe is a man of loose or no morals, being from a dominant Catholic country many of his films deal with very taboo subject matter, his films are not just censored but out and out banned in Brazil.
Coffin Joe's trade marks are his long cork screw like finger nails, beard, top hat and cape. The main idea behind the Coffin Joe films is basically his search of a woman who is worthy enough to bear him the perfect child so his legacy may continue.
Marins a director, adopted the Coffin Joe persona when a suitable actor for the part could not be found.
After serving a forty year sentence, Coffin Joe is being released from the city's asylum with much contempt from the warden. Joe's faithful man servant Bruno is there to greet him back into civilization, but much of the outside world has changed since his incarceration. The streets of Sao Paulo are filled with junkies, prostitutes and the latest sounds of hip hop music.
Back home, Coffin Joe wastes no time returning to his evil ways, Bruno has four minions waiting to be accepted by Joe. But first they must prove their loyalty by pulling the trigger of a pistol as they hold it to their own heads. Pleased that the new recruits are willing to sacrifice themselves for him, Coffin Joe puts them to work.
Bringing the Coffin Joe character into the 21st century means the sex and violence is amped up, fans of the Saw and Hostel series will not be disappointed but the complicated torture devices are missing . Instead the likes of some strategically placed melted cheese and a rat are used to convey a nasty message. In the sequel, " This Night I'll Possess Your Corpse" Joe is dragged from out of his bed by some sort of demon and is taken to Hell, this segment is filmed in colour and is filled with many surrealistic images. In the Embodiment of Evil coffin Joe is haunted by the ghosts of his victims as seen from the first two films in the series. Interestingly these ghosts are filmed in black and white. This time Joe finds himself in Purgatory which he witnesses a display of unpleasantness.
One thing is for sure, this is never boring, a lot is happening within the plot including two officers of the law that are bound and determined to put an end to Coffin Joe's evil ways. One officer has lost an eye and the other's throat slashed from confronting Joe in the past. They eventually team up with a sadistic priest who enjoys jumper cables and a car battery clamped to his nipples.There is never a shortage of grotesque images such as the likes of a naked woman emerging from the insides of a pig carcass.

My Final Thoughts: The Coffin Joe Films to me have never been about the acting, but the images presented whether they be ugly , grotesque or occaisionally beautiful.
My Rating : 4 Go Go Girls out of 5

Martyrs

Directed by Pascal Laugier, Starring Mylene Jampanoi and Morjana Alaoui

This movie doesn't just hit you over the head once and stops, it bashes and continues to bash  to the point where you can't take it any longer. You can feel yourself tensing up into a little tiny  ball waiting for the slightest hint of relief that allows you to take one more breath of air, but in this film the relief seldom makes an appearance.
Lucie a young girl of eleven or so , bloodied and in obvious need of medical attention is shown running down an empty street, having fled from an abandoned building. After spending the last fifteen years at a home for girls she is prepared to seek her revenge against the people responsible for her kidnapping and torture she was put through.
Armed with a shotgun, Lucie (Jampanoi ) interrupts the breakfast of a family whom she believes the parents are responsible for the torment she has suffered all those years ago. Her friend Anna (Alaoui ) arrives shortly after to help clean up the bloody mess that follows. Soon Anna is having doubts regarding Lucie's past history.
The less you know about this film the greater your cinematic experience will be, you just don't watch Martyrs, you experience it. This is the type of film you either love it or hate it, just don't lump it into the so called torture porn flicks, which the Saw and Hostel films have been branded with. This has so much more going for it, giving insight into the mechanics of the human quest for knowledge, and the lengths one would go to obtain it.
My Thoughts: This is very strong subject matter, but the brave viewer who makes it to the last reel will be  justly rewarded.
My Rating: 5 Go Go Girls out of 5