"Black Death" (2010)

I don't usually watch a lot of modern horror, but the premise for this one seemed good, and it's got Sean Bean in it, of whom I am a fan. Physically he's the identical twin of Boromir from "Lord of the Rings," down to a similar costume and the exact hairstyle, but mentally he's a zealot obsessed with his quest which he's determined is right. So basically Boromir from "Lord of the Rings." Not to belittle his performance - he's a marvellous actor and fantastic in both roles.

The plot centers on Brother Osmund, a young novice, who volunteers to join a band of men sent to a village which has somehow been immune from the Black Death sweeping across the rest of the country. The men are there to find the necromancer whom they believe is protecting the village and bring him back to the Bishop for justice. At first you think it's going to be anti-Christian in the extreme, but like the 1973 horror classic, "The Wicker Man," this film isn't that black and white. In fact, it keeps you guessing over whom to sympathize with and whom to trust. Ultimately the story isn't anti-Christian or anti-Pagan, but, like "The Wicker Man," ambiguous over where it stands on religion. Religion isn't really the point. It's more about how people are manipulated through religion, whether Christian or Pagan, and the horrible acts that desperate or deluded people are capable of. 

It's a really clever premise and it's executed very well indeed. Eddie Redmayne as Brother Osmund has come on as an actor in leaps and bounds since the last feature I saw him in, the recent BBC adaptation of "Tess of the D'Urbervilles." He mainly stared his way through that part, but the part of Angel is rather a boring one, and given an actual role and a three-dimensional character to act, he shines beautifully. Sean Bean is magnificent as usual - you go from initially finding him hypocritical and contemptible to letting out a cheer when he reveals a twist at the end. There are a few twists, actually, which only add to the enjoyment of the film. Just when you've figured something out, something new is thrown at you which puts the whole previous scene in a different light. Carice van Houten gives a very impressive performance as the leader of the village, and Tim McInnerney is a far cry from Captain Darling, proving himself a very capable actor both comically and dramatically.

This is good, strong horror, very strong at some points (I admit to turning away during the scene where one of the characters was quartered), but despite the gore, the real horror is more psychological, and this is a rare and wonderful thing. If you are a fan of insightful horror, please watch this one. If you don't have a strong stomach, please don't.

"The Sorcerer's Apprentice" (2010)

I thought I'd start with one made by the greatest of film studios, Disney. I must say, Disney has really improved post-"High School Musical"; maybe it was firing Michael Eisner that did it. In either case, the quality of their films, both animated and live action, has vastly improved over the past few years. I loved "The Princess and the Frog" and can't wait to see "Tangled." They've really returned to their roots, or at least the types of films made when I was young, during the Disney Renaissance, and with which I became totally obsessed every time a new movie was released. And their string of live action efforts have been equally pleasing.

"The Sorcerer's Apprentice" is no exception to this rule. It's what you'd expect from a summer flick - light-hearted and not too heavy, but it still manages to make you really feel for the characters. The story is a very simple and typical one - villains want to destroy the world, but the Chosen One, who doesn't actually believe he is the Chosen One, stands in their way and manages to save the world. Nicholas Cage has always been the punchline in any joke about acting, along with Keanu Reeves, but I was really impressed with him in this. He was believable as the jaded and cynical sorcerer Balthazar Blake who doesn't initially seem to believe in anything, but naturally has a tragic backstory. He's also a very good comic actor. I rate him more each time I see him, and I honestly can't wait to see "Season of the Witch," although that may have more to do with Christopher Lee than anything else.

Jay Baruchel as the title character David was just as impressive - most people either find him very annoying or very funny, and I'm one of the latter. I thought his voice work was excellent in "How to Train Your Dragon," and here he carries the film very ably, managing to be hilarious while still maintaining his vulnerability. Alfred Molina is wonderfully suave and evil as the villain Maxim Horvath, two qualities which always make great villains in my book. I even managed to feel sorry for him when he sneered at David's love: "I wonder what would happen if you lost her...You'd be no better than the rest of us."

I really enjoyed this aspect of the film: the idea that love makes us do strange things, for better or for worse. It can motivate you to do amazing things, or terrible things. I thought it was a nice take on the usual boy-meets-girl love story. That aspect of the film, David's romance with his elementary-school sweetheart, Becky, could have been more believable, but overall I think we're not left caring about it because there are so many more interesting things going on. The special effects and action in this are really fun, and some of the more mundane bits get overshadowed by them, which is not really a bad thing.

There are some great moments in the film that are clearly homages to other movies, my two favorites being the scene in which David tries to clean up his lair for his date with Becky, using the same method Mickey did in the segment from Fantasia, with similar results. The same music is played in the background, and it really brought a smile to my face. The second moment is when Horvath wants access to David's record to find out where he lives. The student at the desk asks to see his teaching identification. Horvath waves his stick in front of his face and says "You don't need to see my teaching identification," which the student repeats blankly. Horvath's annoying sidekick beats us over the head with the reference by adding "These aren't the droids you're looking for," but honestly I think every self-respecting movie-goer would have understood the reference without it.

Overall, this was a lot of fun and an enjoyable way to spend a Sunday evening. Highly recommended.