Double Feature W/ Scott Schirmer #1

THE RING (2002)

Naomi Watts (Mulholland Dr) stars as a journalist investigating the bizarre, synchronized deaths of four teenagers who died exactly seven days after watching a disturbing videotape. After watching the tape herself, the clock starts ticking for Watts’s character. She finds herself in an island community where a troubled young girl named Samara (Lilo & Stitch‘s Daveigh Chase in flashbacks) seems to be at the heart of the mystery — and the one behind the tape’s deadly power. The film is a lot like an updated version of 1980’s The Changeling, with Watts trying to uncover what happened to Samara before her time is up. The drama gets ratcheted up a few levels when Watts’ estranged husband (Martin Henderson) and their supernaturally gifted young son (David Dorfman) also watch the videotape, sentencing the entire family to death within seven days.

The Ring, based on the 1998 Japanese film Ringu, unfolds nicely as a procedural and contains a fair number of creepy or startling moments. The most memorable is when a spooked horse escapes its trailer on a ferryboat and commits suicide (animal lovers, you are warned). If you question the plot too much, you’ll be able to poke holes in it. Some key questions (how was the tape created? why does Watts’ son have the ability to communicate with Samara?) go unanswered. The Ring is so stylishly executed and drenched in atmosphere by director Gore Verbinski (Mousehunt, The Lone Ranger), that most viewers will happily suspend their disbelief in exchange for some entertaining fright.

With Brian Cox, Jane Alexander, and an uncharacteristically restrained score by Hans Zimmer.

THE LEGEND OF BOGGY CREEK (1972)

This faux documentary featuring people’s alleged encounters with a sasquatch-like monster in the Louisiana woods made millions at drive-ins across America when it was released. It was a remarkable fete for a G-rated homegrown independent flick featuring non-actors. And that’s the most remarkable thing about The Legend of Boggy Creek — it’s gumption and box office success.

While the story is narrated by a man claiming to have grown up in the area, there’s little else holding the movie together. It jumps from one interview to another, one Ed Woodian re-enactment scene to the next — with none of the vignettes mustering nearly as much atmosphere or dread as the beautiful nature photography and sound design that bridge the gaps in-between. The opening five minutes, containing deep woods animal life and sound effects, is the scariest part of the whole movie — culminating in the monster’s off-screen howling and all the animals reacting. The creature is never convincingly showcased during the re-enactment scenes, but does come off rather well during a number of interstitial, tone-poem, woodsy montages.

I admire the concept of The Legend of Boggy Creek and respect its place as a predecessor to mockumentaries like The Blair Witch Project. But the acting (or non-acting?), cheesy folk song soundtrack, and poor production values render the narrative portions of the movie unconvincing. The whole thing may play better for fans of B-grade midnight fare.

Original review postings can be found at www.scottsmoviereviews.com