Funny Games

Talking about Michael Haneke's 'Funny Games' can get a bit tricky. He made an austrian language version of the film in 1997. I have not seen this version, and the reason is very clear; ten years later, Haneke remade the film for US audiences himself. Yes, a writer/director made a shot for shot remake of his own film. Having said that, reviewing one is pretty much exactly like reviewing the other. I've only seen the US version, but I'm obviously not missing anything. Here are my thoughts on the 2007 version of 'Funny Games.'

The film starts off pretty in a standard way; a family goes to their vacation home for relaxation, but are soon forced to play sadistic "games" by two psychotic yuppies. What may sound like a by-the-books home invasion film is really a darkly comic, extremely disturbing film with an actual message about violence.

The story is quite different from other home invasion movies. The yuppies make their way into the family's home and slowly become more and more aggressive. Their petty acts finally escalate and they end up breaking the husband's leg. The family realizes that the yuppies aren't just pulling a prank, and things get serious. The two psychos have a sit down with the family and make a bet; they bet that the family will be dead in 12 hours, and they force the family to bet the opposite. Let the games begin.

The acting in this movie is outstanding. Naomi Watts and Tim Roth are great as the unfortunate couple put through the wringer. Even Devon Gearhart, who plays their son, does a great job with the little screen time and dialogue he's given. Despite being pretty big stars, I really felt Watts' and Roth's pain, and I found their performances to be all too real. The main attraction for me, though, is Michael Pitt and Brady Corbet as the insane captors. They are well spoken, well dressed young men, and their games are sadistic. The way they interact both with each other and the doomed family creates an uneasy feeling throughout the whole film. It's like nothing I've ever watched before.

The "games" they play are cruel and perfectly staged. Whether it's a game of hot and cold gone bad, or a simple guessing game, they're all twisted and set up with deranged glee by the yuppies. You can tell these guys are just doing it for fun, and that's what makes this film so disturbing. Even when they break the fourth wall (something reserved usually for comedies) it's just as sick as what's happening within the plot. This should be tongue in cheek, but it's the polar opposite.

Not only do the captors play games with the family, but Haneke plays games with the audience as well. Breaking the fourth wall puts us right there in the house, watching these terrible events unfold. We are truly at the mercy of the director, and he doesn't play nice. Another thing Haneke does is hide the violence. Nothing violent actually happens on screen (well nothing real, anyways), and that really makes things interesting. In a movie like this, you're waiting for some kind of payoff, whether it's the demise of the victims or the villains. Haneke never gives us this payoff, making you think of how you watch films. It's a great way to be stylish and disturbing, while getting your message across at the same time.

This film is clever, darkly (and I mean DARKLY) comic, and disturbing with style to spare. Michael Haneke's 'Funny Games' should not be missed. Now, shall we begin?

My Ranking of the Wrong Turn Films

The murderous hillbilly/in-bread family sub genre of horror is very played out. We all know of the most popular ones, like The Hills Have Eyes or The Texas Chainsaw Massacre series, but I feel like the Wrong Turn movies are often overlooked. To me, these films are a lot of fun, and they have some of the most menacing antagonists that this sub genre has to offer. Sure they have a fraction of the budget that those other franchises have, and all but the first went straight to DVD, but maybe that's what makes them so much fun to watch. I personally enjoyed them all (to a degree). Read on for my ranking of this series.

1. Wrong Turn 2: Left for Dead (2007):
A truly awesome movie. Without a doubt the most entertaining the series. This one has great characters (no, really), amazing set pieces, and it more than delivers on the gore. The opening scene alone, where a girl is sliced clean in half vertically, causing her guts to spill all over the street, is worth the price alone. I wasn't a big fan of the reality show spoof plot, but luckily the good ol' mutants break that up in no time. The kills are surprising and gory as hell, and the characters make smart decisions (for the most part). My only wish was that they went somewhere with the disgusting ending in the next sequels.

2. Wrong Turn (2003):
This is probably the best made out of all of these films, and it was the only one to have a theatrical run. The story is pretty straight forward and the characters are tolerable. The three mutants are the most scary in this one; they stick to the shadows, they're brutal, and their laughing isn't annoying yet. The kills are very cool, especially the half decapitation and the barb wire in the mouth. Overall, it's a suspenseful film with great villains and awesome kills.


3. Wrong Turn 4: Bloody Beginnings (2011):
I was pleasantly surprised with this one. After the third film being such a disappointment (more on that later), I had low expectations for this installment. I love the setting, both the abandoned asylum and the snow; It's a fresh change that the series needed. On top of that, there are some actual creepy scenes, one in particular involving a two-way mirror. The kills are outstanding. We have gargantuan drills going through bodies, a live human feast, and a great decapitation, among others. The characters were pretty stupid and the acting was subpar, but the gore and suspense made up for the weaknesses.

4. Wrong Turn 5: Bloodlines (2012):
This movie has awesome kills, and an awesome title screen... And that's pretty much it. It's definitely not as bad as other people/reviews are saying, but it's still a very weak entry in the series. Honestly, when I watch a slasher I expect two things: boobs and blood. In that respect, this movie definitely delivers. Sure, a good story and acting would've been nice, but that not a deal breaker for me. Overall, watch this one for the kills, and only the kills.

5. Wrong Turn 3: Left for Dead (2009):
The opening scene for this movie was amazing. It had awesome gore, some humor, and it gave me hope for a good movie. Unfortunately, that's where the good aspects end. The characters are all just mean, and there's no comic relief. It's just a mean spirited film that I had a hard time getting into. The cheap CGI is distracting, but it's direct to DVD so I let it slide. It's dull most of the time, and there's not enough of the three mutants. It's watchable, but it's my least favorite in the series.

Three Finger, One Eye, and Saw Tooth are great antagonists to a pretty solid series of films. When you take into account that these are just dumb, low budget slashers, you'll have fun watching them. I say take a wrong turn and check these flicks out.