I love how the promotional material for this movie describe it as the most horrifying movie ever, on the same poster that reads ALL AGES ADMITTED.
the first major difference in this movie is its atmosphere. instead of the drab grays and browns that worked perfectly in the remake, this movie feels like its exploding with color. the remakes score feels like a dark carnival, and this movie has the standard full orchestra style of most 70's horror movies seem to have. perhaps the biggest difference between the two movies is Willard himself, and his motives.
in the remake, Willard is perfectly believable as being a social outcast struggling with his demanding family and job. you can tell he wants to have friends, complete his work on time, and he truly cares about his emotionally abusive mother. he anxious, and clearly has some major anger issues that make his later actions feel a lot more believable.
in the original, his family and boss seem far less abusive, and instead of having anger issues the OG Willard just goes outside and sulks. he has far less character to him, which is a problem that seems to effect every character in this movie. to be far, its hard to compete with Crispin Glover and R Lee Ermy, but no one in this movie feels like a believable human being. almost as if this entire universe i populated by theater actors but on this earth for the sole purpose of nagging Willard. believe it or not, when every ones either a whinny nag or just a plain old fashion asshole, its not a terribly fun movie to watch. it fails to hit any of the emotional bets that made the first movie so effective, and over all feels like a play i'm stuck watching until intermission. maybe treating this movie with the same score and tone as the original Charlie and the Chocolate Factory isn't the best way to make a horror movie.
i guess i should have known by the rainbow poster this movie would be a lot less dark then the remake.
1 crate full of drowned rats/10
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