Natalie Erika James (who delivered 2020’s impressively depressing RELIC)’s recent ROSEMARY’S BABY prequel APARTMENT 7A is commendably detailed and admirably respectful of its source material yet it lacks any punchy impact and for every fine, nuanced acting performance there’s a regrettably awkward dance number. As a huge fan of Ira Levin’s novel and Roman Polanski’s film adaptation, I have to admit it kept me reasonably entertained by stuffing me to the gills with fan pandering Easter eggs throughout but unfortunately its inability to bring anything new to the table ultimately makes it hit more like an aperitif than a satisfying meal. An unrecognizable Julia Garner (WE ARE WHAT WE ARE, THE LAST EXORCISM PART II) is Terry Gionoffrio a would be Broadway star who falls victim to the same Satanic cult that would soon torment Rosemary Woodhouse in the classic tale (this minor character appears briefly in both the OG book and film, she’s the gal who Rosemary meets in the laundry room who eventually jumps to her death out of a window of the Bramford building (portrayed by the legendary Dakota) and inadvertently introduces Rosemary to the adorable yet diabolical Castevets. Frankly, the character doesn’t quite sync up with her previous incarnation but I’m willing to blame her tannis root necklace for any inconsistencies).
Something tells me I might be a little more generous with this harmless companion piece (It’s certainly less egregious than say, the 1976 made for TV sequel LOOK WHAT’S HAPPENED TO ROSEMARY’S BABY, Ira Levin’s own wanting literary follow-up SON OF ROSEMARY and the convoluted rehash miniseries from 2014 starring Zoe Saldana) if only earlier this year we hadn’t been gifted the remarkable on every level prequel THE FIRST OMEN. As it stands, I’m going to give this one a pass for housing the great Dianne Wiest’s interpretation of Minnie Castevets as it’s worth the price of admission alone (Kevn McNally as Roman is no slouch either). I wish this seemingly sincere attempt had the capacity/audacity to knock it out of the park, it almost seemed like it might for a while, but I left it feeling like the highest point of excitement it delivered for yours truly Involved the late in the game appearance of the same painting of a burning church that ominously hung in the Castevet’s apartment in the original. Sure it had me excitedly pointing at the TV but I’m thinking in retrospect that I deserved richer revelations.
As much as I worship Tobe Hooper’s vividly traumatizing 1979 miniseries based on Stephen KIng’s Classic (and my personal favorite) novel SALEM’S LOT (I wouldn’t kick the 2004 re-do starring Rob Lowe out of bed for eating crackers either), I have no qualms about a fresh take on the endlessly viable material. The fact that it was announced that a new vision would be helmed by Gary Dauberman whose horror credits include writing the screenplay for 2017’s successful adaption of King’s IT and directing the spooky romp ANNABELLE COMES HOME had me about as optimistic as I could get about such a thing. Ultimately, on many fronts, Dauberman delivered; the casting is top notch, the seventies setting is splendid, the counterintuitive crispy brightness adds a level of freshness, it successfully develops its own visual style (seemingly influenced by Mike Flanagan’s oeuvre and Carpenter’s THE FOG), it offers a brand new, unpredictable climax (involving a Drive-in theater no less) and there is a clear overall understanding of which set pieces are most potent. Sadly, its artistry is frequently betrayed by its format as wild, careless pruning inflicts this by rights, epic tale. It’s almost like watching a Viewmaster version of the film as grand, impressive scenes click by with an absence of connective tissue and characters are rushed along with the patience of attention deficit speed dating.
I can understand the greedy urge to lessen the runtime to get more showings out of a theatrical release but once this flick was bound for cable someone really should have cared enough to loosen its corset (especially considering its been said that the main reason it premiered on cable rather than in theaters was due to a desperate need for content; I’m no math wiz but a longer runtime would have meant even MORE content). Now I’m hearing that an entire opening sequence was filmed involving hero Ben Mears (Lewis Pullman, who like the rest of the cast is quite good) as a child being traumatized in the Marsten House (which looks incredible here constantly looming over the entire town) and my mind reels at just how much that springboard scene would have added to the film in regards to Mears’ motivation and the town’s history in general. I truly hope at some point we get to see exactly what the director fully intended (apparently, more than an entire hour was excised) because what’s present intrigues and I hate to see such an earnest offering undeservedly hobbled (a MISERY reference seemed appropriate). That said, I’d say this condensed version is still worth a watch due to its unique style and its clawed handful of effective scares but it’s quite clear it could have had much more bite if it was allotted the properly sized real estate its grand source material unquestionably deserves.
Hey, maybe I can curb my expectations by watching something original rather than relying on prequels, sequels and remakes! IT’S WHAT’S INSIDE sorta fits the bill although I suppose it could be argued that nothing new is under the sun and this body-switching bonanza could just as easily be titled FREAKY FRIDAY PART 12 (sorry, I refuse to do an ELECTRIC BOOGALOO joke). A bunch of attractive yet charm deficient post college couples gather at another isolated estate to flirt, quarrel and dredge up past grudges (are we sure this is original?) before a wedding. Everything goes horribly awry when a harmless game of body switching made possible by a smuggled-in, state of the art device ( just go with it) muddies waters and puts your truly's ability to remember character’s names to the ultimate test (wish I brought a pad and paper!). Just when you think things could not get worse, two hapless attendees fall to their deaths resulting in a impromptu contentious game of “musical chairs” except with bodies that is made even more stressful by the threat of cops on their way to surely muck up things further (as they do). Wait a minute, this movie is actually really great once you get used to it! I admit I was about to turn it off when I realized it would require me using dusty parts of my brain but after maneuvering past a few fuzzy curves, and getting a handle on the kindly markers set in place (thankfully the young folk often wear name tag Polaroids of their true selves or are filmed in red when their real identities are in play) I was good to go. I’m happy to say this movie really can lay claim to being its own wild beast, sports many a clever camera trick and is pretty damn innovative all around. I’m even going to go so far as to say it’s genuinely funny and clever as hell! I’m glad I didn’t jump ship after all, and now I’ve even got that strange itch to watch it again! Huh, whatdoyaknow, I’m now highly interested in whatever writer/directer Greg Jardin does next! Bravo, sir! You won this old, long-COVID suffering, curmudgeon over!
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