30 Days of Night (review)
The scariest thing about this horror flick? All of a sudden, I don’t think Josh Hartnett (Resurrecting the Champ) is a terrible actor, as I used to. Not that he has much to work with here, as a small-town sheriff under seige, but he tries, bless him. The concept? Brilliant. North of the Arctic Circle, in the impossibly remote town of Barrow, Alaska, there comes a day when the sun sets... and doesn’t rise again for a month. So of course it’s vampire nivrana. The execution? Oh, dear. Lost in a cold, desolate land full of style but bereft of context, all creepy setting and inexplicable monsters and nothing else, this is an Alien-esque and-then-there-were-none story in which the monsters remain elusive enigmas, and not in a good way, and their prey, Our Heroes, are even worse, blank stereotypes -- the cop, the kid, the pain in the ass, etc. -- for whom it’s impossible to feel any true sympathy. There’s no sense of the oppressiveness of the long dark, no sense of being cut off from the rest of the world -- wouldn’t someone notice that no one is answering the phones or responding to email?
(Technorati tags: 30 Days of Night, Josh Hartnett)
rated R for strong horror violence and language
official site | IMDB
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comments
posted by Jason (Fri Oct 19 07, 12:10PM)
That's too bad. The graphic novel is pretty darned good. I had high hopes for this movie.
I really miss good horror movies.
posted by Signal30 (Sat Oct 20 07, 1:56AM)
I love my horror films, but this one was painful.
It starts stupid and manages to build in stupidity until it builds on up to spectacularly stupid (not in a good way), and then ends it all by ripping off the final scene of another vampire flick.
Stupid movie.
posted by MBI (Sun Oct 21 07, 12:37PM)
I actually think there's a lot to like about this movie. But a movie set over 30 days a million miles from anywhere in the Arctic wasteland, that can't convey the feeling of cold, isolation or a length of time longer than an hour and a half? That has to be considered a failure.
posted by Bzero (Wed Oct 24 07, 3:13PM)
Aw. That's sad. The concept was so good, and I've heard such great things about the graphic novel, that I was really looking forward to this one. If I see it, I'll know to go in with much lowered expectations -- that usually helps. *chuckle*
posted by john (Sun Oct 28 07, 12:48AM)
this movie was stupid throughout the whole hour and a half, ive wasted my life watching it. no one go see it. the idea was ok but the directors imagination was aweful. steven speilburg should have directed it. horrible
posted by Jim Jones (Tue Oct 30 07, 5:38PM)
I don't know where you get off Mary Ann. Aliens and This movie are totally different. The movie had a cool look. It captured the cold good. I think you'd like this movie Mary Ann ,minus the vampires. perhabs if there was a love story or something . Because Its like a indy movie with alot of blood.It had blood and it had vampires and anything that resembled something warm blooded had its heart ripped out. Its everything a love story isnt and thats why the movie exist. Its not like taking a creature like a vampire or a zombie and turning them in to a rabid blood sucking freak isn't something to expect.On less you had something by Ann Rice in mind. Trailers Cleary shows Axes,Fangs, and Snow. Whats this movie about?
I rest my case...
posted by amanohyo (Tue Oct 30 07, 8:13PM)
I'm never sure these days which posts are satirical and which are not, but I'm guessing (hoping?) since you're "hilariously" named after a homicidal cult leader that your post is meant to be taken as a cruel parody. Am I right Jim? Surely there isn't actually a person out there who loves both bad horror movies and mass-murdering lunatics because that would be seriously creepy... much more creepy than this movie could ever hope to be.
Okay, after a second read, it has to be a joke. The sentence structure is too good for such silly errors. "On less" I might buy, but "perhabs??" The p and b keys aren't even in the same neighborhood. Nice try Jim, you almost freaked me out. Next time, use simpler sentences and more realistic typos.
posted by MaryAnn (Wed Oct 31 07, 12:06AM)
I think I've made it perfectly plain where I get off. I mean, sheesh -- how much clearer do I need to be?
posted by Miguel (Sat Dec 22 07, 7:23AM)
I really liked this movie. But then, I'm an 18 year old boy, so that likely explains it all on its own.
posted by MaryAnn (Sat Dec 22 07, 9:47AM)
If all you need for a good time is a lot of blood and guts, why not just take a tour of a slaughterhouse?
posted by Katie (Fri Feb 15 08, 3:49PM)
I loved this movie. It was unlike EVERY other vampire movie ever made. They put a new image to the vampire that I thought was great. I was more scared and on the edge of my seat then I have ever been. I cannot wait for it to come out on DVD