Rating: R
Movie Release Date: July 25, 2008
DVD Release Date: December 27, 2008
Plot 411: Four frustrated B-movie actors retreat to a cabin in the woods to write their masterpiece but are confronted with a mysterious bagheaded man.
Review: I honestly didn't know what to expect before I popped this one in. It's written and directed by the Duplass brothers (Jay and Mark) who are slowly making it into the mainstream but are primarily indie movie makers. They're a part of a movement called mumblecore (read here for a good article on it from "The New Yorker"). I watched their flick The Puffy Chair a while back and can't really even remember the details of it. I know I didn't really like it. Baghead is way, way better. It still had their style of long, single camera takes. It still made use of very little screen talent (and crew as well). It still had that shaky-handed camera technique and whipped the camera back and forth between people. But, in addition to focusing on character development, it had a decent plot to it. There was a suspense and horror about it that was truly mainstream, even if the techniques they used were minimalist to the point of documentary film making. Even the acting performances are subtle and emotions are conveyed with a look, a sneer or a verbal jab. It was able to capture real, true emotions perfectly. There are some humorous moments and some scary moments, but through it all the reactions of the characters to their situation is very real. I did notice some not-so-smart things that they did, but it didn't really affect my fondness of them. Those little bumps in the plot can be ignored only if you have really believable characters.
Movie Release Date: July 25, 2008
DVD Release Date: December 27, 2008
Plot 411: Four frustrated B-movie actors retreat to a cabin in the woods to write their masterpiece but are confronted with a mysterious bagheaded man.
Review: I honestly didn't know what to expect before I popped this one in. It's written and directed by the Duplass brothers (Jay and Mark) who are slowly making it into the mainstream but are primarily indie movie makers. They're a part of a movement called mumblecore (read here for a good article on it from "The New Yorker"). I watched their flick The Puffy Chair a while back and can't really even remember the details of it. I know I didn't really like it. Baghead is way, way better. It still had their style of long, single camera takes. It still made use of very little screen talent (and crew as well). It still had that shaky-handed camera technique and whipped the camera back and forth between people. But, in addition to focusing on character development, it had a decent plot to it. There was a suspense and horror about it that was truly mainstream, even if the techniques they used were minimalist to the point of documentary film making. Even the acting performances are subtle and emotions are conveyed with a look, a sneer or a verbal jab. It was able to capture real, true emotions perfectly. There are some humorous moments and some scary moments, but through it all the reactions of the characters to their situation is very real. I did notice some not-so-smart things that they did, but it didn't really affect my fondness of them. Those little bumps in the plot can be ignored only if you have really believable characters.
Watch It: If you liked The Strangers with Liv Tyler and Scott Speedman. Despite the vast differences in budget, I think Baghead is a lot more effect at getting its message across. The emotions feel more real because the characters could be one of our friends.
Skip It: If you're looking for blood and guts. This one is effective without those extras.
Trailer:
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