July 20, 2008

DVD Review: Below (2002)

In Attendance- Me, Eryn, The Vanilla Gorilla
Cast Members of Note- A bunch of great character actors like Nick Chilund, Bruce Greenwood, and Dexter Fletcher. IMDB them, and I guarantee you'll say "Oh, him!" 

A long, hard submarine full of Seamen (oh come on, it's funny!) gets more than it bargained for when its crew breaks their all-male ranks, and pick up a stranded chick!


Batten down this hatch, bitch!
The boys don't like this much (because chicks at sea are bad luck), and neither does the spirit that begins to haunt them all. A bunch of sweaty men and one woman, all stuck below the sea in a metal tube with an angry ghost... and they're running out of body butter to boot! If that isn't true Horror, I don't know what is.

Can they make it to Fire Island alive?

I won't ruin the ending for you here, but suffice it to say that the ghost wreaks some havoc, and wait until you see what happens to the Captain!

The Cap'n is an old salt.
All kidding aside, there isn't much about Below that isn't good; it's not over-the-top gory, nor is it panic attack-inducing terrifying, but its atmosphere is creepy and palpable, and most important of all, it's effective as hell. The idea of a group of people being haunted is scary enough, but when those people are trapped far below the surface in a metal tube with nowhere to go, it's even more so.

The best part about Below is that if you like submarine/war movies, this one is right up your alley. The depth charges and hook-dragging scenes will keep you on the edge of your seat.

David Twohy, the guy who brought us Pitch Black & Riddick, delivers a stylish, if an albeit subdued movie with Below. This is psychological Horror in its highest form.

Zach Galifianakis?
They took too much guff off of that dame. I mean, can't you lock her up somewhere better than behind a curtain?!?

Put her ass in the brig!
 
This.

Ahoy!
Not much gore to be had here other than a little bit of blood, and a few charred bodies.

The ass of a sailor. 

Never let a woman on a boat...

...or this happens!
Beautifully shot, directed and acted, Below is tense and absorbing, and a movie that anyone who loves a good ghost story or war picture should own. See this underrated gem asap.

A-

Below is available now on Blu-ray and VOD.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008D1RCZY/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B008D1RCZY&linkCode=as2&tag=thehorclu0a-20&linkId=K7ONP7FZSQW2C7PH

Olivia Williams is in this.

1 comment :

  1. and Olivia Williams is great in this too, i re-watched it recently after seeing her in Dollhouse and it's a fine film.

    ReplyDelete