MCN Blogs
David Poland

By David Poland poland@moviecitynews.com

Posted Tuesday, May 27th, 2008 - 20 Comments »

3 Movies Blur Into One

Had it occured to anyone else that Baghead seems to be the comedy version of The Strangers and that both seem to be channeling a less outrageous version of Funny Games?
Or is it just me?
maskmovies.jpg

20 Comments »

20 Responses to “3 Movies Blur Into One”

  1. Krazy Eyes says:
    May 27, 2008 at 6:27 am

    I feel like I’ve already seen THE STRANGERS . . . most recently when I rented the French thriller ILS (aka THEM). Bah, I’ll probably wait to catch it on DVD.

  2. KamikazeCamelV2.0 says:
    May 27, 2008 at 6:32 am

    There was about a whole year after The Strangers was announced that people thought it was an American remake of Ils. They have the exact same plot setup. However, it appears The Strangers is going for a bit more… not depth, but they seem to be fleshing the characters out a bit more. In Ils it was scary stuff happening to non-existent characters. Still scary though. And at barely 75 minutes, it’s scraping through to feature length.

  3. chris says:
    May 27, 2008 at 9:13 am

    It’s worth pointing out that “Ils” is the perfect length for what it’s trying to do. And that it’s fantastic.

  4. don lewis (was PetalumaFilms) says:
    May 27, 2008 at 9:34 am

    Uhhh…DP….you should really probably SEE “Baghead” before throwing it into that equation. Clearly, you have not seen the film or it wouldn’t be lumped in there.

  5. SJRubinstein says:
    May 27, 2008 at 9:41 am

    Was coming in to say the same thing as “don lewis.” Without saying anything more, “Baghead” is not gaming at that particular table.

  6. Armin Tamzarian says:
    May 27, 2008 at 12:28 pm

    The wildposting for STRANGERS seems to be jocking WiP’s campaign for FUNNY GAMES, too.

  7. David Poland says:
    May 27, 2008 at 3:07 pm

    Have seen Baghead, boys… and the marketing IS playing at that particular table.
    None of the actual movies are the same. But two movies about people being terrified by apparent strangers with bags on their heads? Not a coincidence?

  8. SJRubinstein says:
    May 27, 2008 at 3:15 pm

    Ah, had no idea – only saw that wacky “Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice” poster for “Baghead.”
    http://blogs.indiewire.com/eug/archives/017010.html
    If they are starting to market it as a horror pic, well, “so/sew buttons.”

  9. jeffmcm says:
    May 27, 2008 at 3:23 pm

    I guess they’re aiming at that huge audience of Mumblecore fans who thought The Puffy Chair needed to be more like Last House on the Left.

  10. don lewis (was PetalumaFilms) says:
    May 27, 2008 at 3:51 pm

    I too thought you meant the entire film, not the photos/PR…my bad.
    You left THE ORPHANAGE off your bag headed creeps list. Bags on the head are the new CGI beige colored “scary” creatures ala I AM LEGEND and CLOVERFIELD.

  11. Joe Leydon says:
    May 27, 2008 at 4:03 pm

    You want to talk about movies with bag-headed creeps? Hah! This one predates them all (even Friday the 13th, Part 2.
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c5oGKuNWdIE

  12. Armin Tamzarian says:
    May 27, 2008 at 4:31 pm

    one more for the bag-headed characters:
    http://www.imdb.com/media/rm2157025536/tt0862856
    WB’s currently-shelved TRICK ‘R TREAT…

  13. SJRubinstein says:
    May 27, 2008 at 4:46 pm

    Can do you one better, Joe:
    http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0075342/
    One of my favorite titles of any movie EVER (better yet, a Texas flick).

  14. LexG says:
    May 27, 2008 at 5:02 pm

    “WB’s currently-shelved TRICK ‘R TREAT…”
    PAQUIN ALERT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    HELLZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ YES.

  15. jeffmcm says:
    May 27, 2008 at 5:12 pm

    I wish this blog had a ‘no posting with one hand’ rule.

  16. leahnz says:
    May 27, 2008 at 8:11 pm

    keep your grubby little cyber mitts off ‘our anna’, lex

  17. KamikazeCamelV2.0 says:
    May 28, 2008 at 12:49 am

    Hahah, “our anna”. You can keep her, New Zealand since we, Australia, stole many others.
    All this brings back memories of Tuckerbag. Those were more innocent times.

  18. leahnz says:
    May 28, 2008 at 2:23 am

    thieving ozzies! ;D
    if i hear one more debate about who invented pavlova…i might have eat a bit more to sample the item in dispute (i’m a sucker for a good pav, scrummy)…oh man, now i’m cravin some pav after hours! damn
    anyhoo, home is where the heart is
    i’m looking forward to ‘the strangers’, but i suspect it might be more due to my lingering school-girlish crush on ‘ben covington’…i really hope it’s spooky and not ‘slashy’, i’m sick of lame slashers, craving spooky in a big way. i’m so in need of a good scare that i ordered the superb ‘the changeling’ with george c. scott online the other day (it’s not available in stores here), best ghost movie ever… ok, i’m babbling. need food. and beer.

  19. KamikazeCamelV2.0 says:
    May 28, 2008 at 5:07 am

    Who didn’t have a thing for Ben? So much better than Noel.
    Wait, I mean… oh, nevermind.
    (Pav is gross)

  20. leahnz says:
    May 28, 2008 at 1:09 pm

    :P noel, please! not even.
    (more pav for me)

Leave a Reply

The Hot Blog

Comments Most Recent Archives

Quote Unquotesee all »

“The true punk film of the festival.”
~ Romain Blondeau On Claire Denis’ Les Saluds in Les Inrocks

“It’s also defined commercially by the difference between a colorful, Hawaii-set comedy starring George Clooney and a black-and-white, prairie-based old-age odyssey featuring a straggly and unkempt Bruce Dern. All the same, Paramount Vantage should be able to ride accolades for this very fine Cannes competition entry to respectable specialized returns in fall release.”
~ McCarthy On Nebraska