The Raven (2012)
As a long time John Cusack fan and an occasional admirer of E.A. Poe I was quite surprised and excited when new broke of this title, however when it released it wasn't well received at all.
Only now have I summoned enough courage to see for myself whether this film deserved it's title or lead player, and I have to say I can see why it didn't break any records.
What should have been a trip through the deepest depth of the human condition filled with pain, anguish, torment and feverish nightmares that would turn even the most jaded viewer into a wreck transpired to be just a standard murder mystery wrapped up in prose.
There also seemed to be a spark missing in Johns delivery, that quirky edge he normally has just wasn't quite as sharp as it usually is.
Lastly... can no production be spared the CGI treatment at all these days? even on such trivial things as wood splinters and blood splatter?
The old masters of fakery are slipping away, either off this mortal coil or out of the business to spend their last years following their hearts.
Their skills should be saved, recorded, passed down from generation to generation, each improving on the work of the previous.
Now all we have are render farms and polygons.
Hollywood has changed so much, what was built upon immigrant german expressionists defining new ways to challenge something... anything... as long as the viewer is pushed into new boundaries, is now just fluff distractions to empty your wallet and mind.
To that I say....
Nevermore.
