Eden Lake reviews

http://moviesformuchachos.blogspot.com/2010/11/back-to-blog-with-eden-lake.html

Monday, November 1, 2010
Back to the Blog with Eden Lake
2009
Director: James Watkinds
Cast: Kelly Reilly, Michael Fassbender and Jack O'Connell
Plot: Refusing to let anything spoil their romatic weekend break, a young couple confront a gang of loutish youths with terrifyingly brutal consequences.

Well its been some time since we, your muchachos, have found time to discuss our latest movie viewings. I blame our watching of Gary Marshall's gorey love-fest Valentine's Day but that's debatable...

Luckily we recently viewed a movie so vile and upsetting that it begged for a blogging. For some time we had Eden Lake on our queue of movies to watch but somehow the timing never seemed right; I'd heard it was scary and disturbing but nothing to make it stand out. The plot of this UK movie seemed straightforward, couple goes camping, encounters some rowdy youth, things go unspeakably wrong. I think we may have originally picked it up since it has that adorable Michael Fassbender as the leading man. Eden Lake is scary, terribly dark, unrelenting and offers some unique perspectives on what appears to be a rather ordinary horror plot. There are obvious connections to the French film Them (Ils) where another couple is harrassed by teens, but unlike Them, Eden Lake gives motive and conscience to its dark teens. Sure they start out vicious and completely apathetic, but when things start going really badly, and their psychopathic ringleader indicates they'll have to kill the couple, most of the kids visibly squirm at the idea. When they are in turned forced by their leader to all take turns torturing poor Fassbender, equalizing the guilt of the situation throughout the group, you have one of the grossest horror movie scenes I've ever encountered. Not only are we scared as Fassbender faces his torture and the plans of the disturbed ringleader, but we are also scared for these kids doing it, one of whom is so upset he closes his eyes and clumsily thrusts a boxcutter into Fassbenders mouth. The end result was a movie that both scared the crap out of me, and also made me feel like I watched a really disturbing pyschological drama (Mean Creek obviously came to mind with kids stumbling into homicidal situations). This feeling goes along with almost any of the newly genred "torture-porn" horror movies, but there is much in Eden Lake that Eli Roth's Hostel's could learn from. Its the idea of torturing someone that's disturbing, not showing gorey close-ups of the torture happening. And again its the dual point of view of the victims as well as the inflicters as the kids cringe and even cry as their bully orders them to finish what they started. I literally had to watch Arrested Development to get into a happier frame of mind after watching this movie, because if this plot didn't sound dark enough wait until the ending!
Posted by c true at 10:32 AM

http://www.thefilmcake.com/2010/11/23/all-the-words-are-there-theyre-just-in-the-wrong-order/

All the Words are There, They’re Just in the Wrong Order

November 15th – November 21st

Eden Lake — The last in our British horror marathon. This one starred Kelly Reilly and Michael Fassbender as a couple who hope for a relaxing lake-side retreat only to be terrorized by local youths. It was a very competent horror movie–nicely paced with the right amount of timely scares. A very solid first feature from director James Watkins. It’s kind of amazing how much this movie has to say about how evil kids can be. On one hand, they are pure evil. On the other hand, they are just more victims. Highly recommended.

http://ithinkthereforeireview.blogspot.com/2010/11/eden-lake.html

27 November 2010
Eden Lake

Eden Lake an Intriguing and Intelligent Horror Examination
By Kristin Battestella

Well, here we go again. I picked up Eden Lake because Michael Fassbender is in, sure- but it’s also touted as a well-received independent horror gem. Two birds with one stone, I say.

Nursery school teacher Jenny (Kelly Reilly) is unaware her boyfriend Steve (Fassbender) intends to pop the question during their romantic weekend. Unlike some of their posh friends going off to Paris, Steve takes Jenny to Eden Lake, a picturesque flooded quarry and soon to be gated housing development. Sadly, the trip gets off on the wrong foot when a local youth gang - Brett (Jack O’Connell), Mark (Jumayn Hunter), Ricky (Thomas Gill), Cooper (Thomas Turgoose), and Paige (Finn Atkins) - disrupts the beautiful beach setting with their ornery dog, loud music, and lewd behavior. Steve confronts the group to no avail, and even follows them into town with a complaint after they spike his tires. When the gang steals their car, Steve and Jenny again confront the kids- leading to escalating violence, extreme actions, and dire results.

On one hand, it would seem dumb that adults can’t handle a handful of kids- why should they bother anyway? Writer and director John Watkins’ (The Woman in Black, The Descent 2) punks are bad news on top of bad decisions and debates about bad parenting. I’ve seen several films about the growing violence, hoods, and youth rebellion in England. Apparently, these stories aren’t that far from the truth, and that’s a scary notion in itself. Sometimes we become so enthralled over our fictitious monsters, special effects, and paranormal phenomenon that we forget the contemporary horrors in our own society. Although there is some writing on the wall at the beginning of Eden Lake for a wise horror viewer (Remember your rules from Scream!), there’s enough interest, realistic surprises, and disturbing imagery to make up the difference here. Yes, some characters make dumb choices, but this isn’t a heroic tale. Watkins keeps Eden Lake real through natural scenery and naturally flawed people. The story and characters are allowed the room needed to develop, building fine suspense and drama in first half hour. The meat of the chase and the uncharacteristic but no less horrific violence keeps the intensity through the middle of the picture, and the gore presented is not at the expense of the plot at hand. Rather than a traditional bloodfest with 20 naked teens getting sliced and diced, Watkins hold true for a wonderfully surprising final segment. Imperfect people make mistakes and bad choices all around, but Eden Lake isn’t comical like the numerous franchise sequels that are inevitably all the same. Instead of unintentional comedy, we have social subtext; a warning of what happens when we take life over the line to our raw, id, sociopath tendencies. The viewer wants to see the victims survive and make it out alive, but once irrecoverable lines are crossed, hope certainly does dwindle! Where does the vengeance begin and end here? Whose wrath is more justifiable? Eden Lake captures the vicious cycle without pretend monsters. It’s so refreshing to have some frank and smart cinema- especially when it circumvents the expected Hollywood ending.

Kelly Reilly (Sherlock Holmes, Above Suspicion) is perfectly cast as Eden Lake’s firm nursery teacher with a soft spot for the kids. Jenny knows how to handle tough stuff, yet she’s willing to let the little things go. Her transformation from seemingly strung along girlfriend to physical action heroine happens realistically- with gritty dilemmas and a disturbing course of action. The wise audience may expect the pretty blonde female lead to step up the hardcore badass- as seems to always be the case with horror movies with freaky kids. However, the action comes a little late for Jenny and the plot doesn’t travel as we’d expect. Reilly does not make Jenny a superhero. Again, Eden Lake could have turned into a lot of cheap boob shots and flashy stupidity, but thankfully, Reilly keeps the desperate realism and flight or fight response effective. This is not a pretty role, and characters forced into an extreme situations can do very ugly things.

Fallen Angel. Spartan Warrior. Bobby Sands. Despite coming into Eden Lake with such a manly pedigree, Michael Fassbender plays a little bit of a wimp here. Steve has no problems so long as he has his badass SUV or fancy electronics; but he’s quite a prick, making hothead decisions to show off and cover up his true limp fish nature. Make no mistake, Fassbender (Hex, 300, Hunger) looks the yuppie hottie with a cool voice too match, but Steve can’t even get up enough nerve to ask Jenny to marry him. He’s actually more interested in how cool of a proposal he can make. She’ll say yes, trust me. Lady fans can certainly enjoy the first half of this film, with a boxers- only Fassy all wet in a tent by the lake or roaming around the bedroom strutting his stuff. He seems to be having a lot of fun with the part initially, making plenty of charming facial and vocal exaggerations. I can’t seem to find any information on which was filmed first, but Fassbender appears kind of thin and older looking here, probably from his Hunger starvation experience. He’s still muscular and fun for the ladies, but he looks to be balding already-and there are consequences to Steve’s dreamy introduction, I warn you! Stelios begs people, and seeing Fassbender roughed up by these kids is actually slightly amusing and even enjoyable because we can so easily believe his Steve is that much of a louse. I’ve no doubt the wicked youths here are the villains of Eden Lake, but I’ve also hidden a spoileriffic case of examination for Steve’s culpability at the end of this review.

And let’s talk about those youths and all this hard core peer pressure! Are these kids really sadists at heart or is this all a case of really bad parenting? Why do they do it? Jack O’Connell (Skins) does a superb job of giving us the basis of Brett’s wrath while also keeping the character askew with his true motivations unclear. Was it really just ‘boys being boys’ in the beginning? Surely, things can’t have turned deadly over a dog and loud music. Thomas Gill and Thomas Turgoose (This is England) are the weak links of the gang- their conflict over taking part and trying to be cool is also finely done. How far did they intend to take all this? If Brett wasn’t there, would the other kids behave differently? Was it Steve’s aggressive actions that pushed them to this? The hints that this is retaliatory are there (again I discuss this below for anyone interested) but clearly the patterns within the gang already laid these sadistic behaviors in place. Finn Atkins’ (Dangerville) Paige is the opposite of Jenny as the token girl of the group who does nothing but video tape it all. It’s a nice juxtaposition-not just of the cute blonde Jenny and tomboy brunette Paige- but of their ages as well. In a more stable environment, Paige could grow up to be successful like Jenny- but by the end of the film, is that a good thing? The only strike against the frank and scarily wonderful portrayal of the gang is the unfortunately stereotypical Jumayn Hunter (Cherry Tree Lane) and James Ghandi (Dani’s House) as impressionable wannabe Adam. Hunter’s character Mark is merely black and scary- striking the worst of the blows and yet I don’t even think he gets to speak! Poor Adam is bullied as the weak, nerdy Indian kid- perpetuating another stupid cultural divide. I find it sad if these elements are truly representative of youth class lines today. Eden Lake is just rife full with wicked little tragedies of lost childhood and gruesome parentage!

Eden Lake also has its share of onscreen gore and the usual scares or two. The Black Lake Park locations are wonderful as well, but the natural locales are subdued and realistic- along with some of the violence. I don’t mean to sound contradictory- there is some hardcore bloody bits here- but what’s so disturbing is who is doing what to whom. Yowza! The camerawork and lighting style feel like a natural part of the action- and only a completely silly note, it’s nice to see that the actor is actually driving the vehicle! I’m not sure if I like the cell phone, GPS, and Bluetooth plot points here, but that’s the way it has to be nowadays in a contemporary horror picture. This is also not really a dog friendly show at all, and ‘Bonnie’ the dog is definitely not a she; but these quibbles don’t interfere with the disbelief needed for the film. On the contrary, Eden Lake quickly puts us in its picturesque but askew world and never let us go.

I was a little disappointed that the DVD set only boasts a short behind the scenes feature- a commentary from Watkins with more insights on his social horror angles would have been nice. But I suppose we’re lucky to see such a disturbing British piece stateside at all. There are streaming and rental options available, but anyone who has a tough time with thick, localized English accents should stick with the DVD’s subtitles. Fans of the cast and quality independent horror will enjoy Eden Lake, though its upsetting storyline is not for kids or prudes. Take in some eye candy and indulge your horror intelligentsia with Eden Lake.

On to the Nitty Gritty!

Please scroll past the screen captures for my finite and spoilerish theories on Eden Lake’s bigger picture and social examinations. I couldn’t in good conscious reveal all in my review, but meticulous viewers with questions and ideas of their own maybe interested in this cerebral analysis.

While there are no doubts these kids and their families are some twisted folk with a smorgasbord of budding violence and other latent issues, parts of Eden Lake suggest this final sociopathic act is almost entirely a result of Steve’s antagonism. It’s an interesting spin that adds an intelligent layer of ambiguity to the film.

1. Is there history on both sides? Steve has been to Eden Lake previously- he knew what a great place it was- and apparently, there were no gang problems in his prior visit. Jenny says he was at the Bed and Breakfast Bar not that long ago with his drinking buddies; and Steve admits the place wasn’t as bad with his pals. He seems to know where he’s going in town, but he can’t find his way in the dark. The rowdy folks and screaming little kids are there this time, and Steve wishes the kids would get smacked while mocking the ‘wife beater’ couple. The Eden Lake sign at the entrance to the development also has some anti-yuppie graffiti on the back, obviously indicating someone in town is against the closing of the park and quarry in favor of a luxury development. Was a protest against the up-scale plans dismissed for the cha-ching? Or were the townsfolk okay with the new construction until uppity folks like Steve and his pals came to the flooded quarry? What does Steve do and how did he know about this secluded venue anyway? Was he in fact a part of the lake design? When he asks what Jenny thinks of the lake view, she turns to him and tells him the ’50 executive homes’ are missing. Then again, Steven insists Eden Lake will always be Slapton Quarry- what was so special about this disused quarry for him?

2. Does Steve hate kids or have other unresolved issues? He seems irritated when they first encounter Adam in the woods- even frowns that he and Jenny aren’t really alone. When Brett and Ricky destroy Adam’s experiments, Jenny wants to help but Steve says its ‘boys being boys’. He doesn’t mind the mother smacking her son as Jenny does, and his joking manner of the youth violences and arguing couples perhaps implies he understands the family violence more than he lets on. Which side of the boys will be boys bullying was he on as a child? Did his mother smack him or his father abuse him as Brett’s drunken father does? Why does Jenny ask Steve if he’s a man or a mouse before the gang events even begin? Later he protests they will not move from the beach because he and Jenny were there first, but they weren’t were they? Does he want to prove his ego against these kids because they remind him of himself at that age? He thinks he’s cooler than he actually is with all his gadgets and has built himself up a seemingly secure world with Jenny- yet he hasn’t asked her to marry him yet, even after asking her father for permission. Steve just wants things his way-did he grow up in control-as Brett is of the gang-or controlled-like Brett is by his dad? Even after Bonnie is accidentally yet conveniently stabbed (It is very strange that big Steve can’t handle two kids and a knife), he uses the injury as an attempt at the upper hand. Steve doesn’t offer that everyone go together to the vet, he pleads again that Brett give him the car keys and he will take the dog. It is understandable the Brett wants some kind of vengeance at the death of his dog, but what seems to be the breaking point for Steve was the sight of Brett wearing his ‘Ray Ban Aviators!’ followed by Brett’s claim that they were actually fakes. Clearly, Steve is not as well put together as he would have Jenny believe.

3. Are there sexual undertones at play? When Steve is forced to say something to the gang after Bonnie’s second scare on Jenny, he doesn’t do a very good job- in fact, Paige’s accusation that he is looking at her chest shuts him up. I don’t think Steve and his drunk buddies did anything to the kids on their prior visit- they were probably just assholes joyriding around town, convincing the locals they don’t want yuppie hot rods at Eden Lake. However, Steve could have handled the conversation a lot better, and he shouldn’t have touched their radio! Kids talk big, but talk is cheap. We see two implied sex scenes and another make out session between Steve and Jenny in the first fifteen minutes of the movie. What’s he trying to prove by all that action, naughty talk, and ab flexing? Was Steve trying to physically intimate date the gang with his good looks and hot girlfriend? For all that, Steve is, for lack of a better term, impotent against the gang. He’s a grown man silenced by a young girl calling him a dickhead. When the gang finally does leave, Brett insults Jenny by flashing his said dickhead at her. Steve, though sitting up and wide awake but with ear buds on, doesn’t seem to notice this much more grievous (though not as potentially physically dangerous) insult than a scare from a dog. When the gang has Jenny captured and Steve is dead, they could have raped her, but did not- we would have seen it if they had. Why can Brett flash a limp penis to Jenny but apparently not have his way with her? Is his acting out really over some other manhood, latent sexuality, or molestation issue? Brett checks outs Jenny’s chest and has boob posters in his bedroom, but it’s as if he hasn’t yet thought below a woman’s belly button- isn’t that unusual for his age? Why would Paige suggest Steve was casing her- was he? Is she being sexually abused by the parents or the gang and automatically assume he must be thinking the same thing? She objects to Brett’s looking at Jenny with the binoculars, but they don’t seem to be dating. What hold do they have over her? Why is she allowed to merely video tape rather than cut Steve? Are all the males ‘impotent’ and trying to keep their women weaker to feel big?

4. Why were the waitress and the bartender mean to Steve? The waitress in the diner had no problem being kind to Steve and Jenny until he inquires about the kids. She seems to be joking when asking if the kids ‘terrorized’ them; but when Steve mentions the tire, she becomes extremely defensive, forcing him to drop the topic. Whether it’s his place to continue with the waitress, asking whose parents or kids he can talk about responsibility to is another point as well, but instead of talking to an adult like an adult, he’d rather chase the kids around town in his big SUV. Likewise, rather than circle round to the bartender at the Bed and Breakfast, Steve has to swallow his pride while the bartender takes the order from Jenny. Why won’t the bartender acknowledge Steve? In the camera frame, the bartender has his back to him, seemingly never looking at Steve. Does he recognize Steve’s voice enough to ignore it, perhaps from more bad brew from his previous visit with his friends? Everyone seems to mind Steve’s presence, but not Jenny’s.

5. Did the gang know Steve had been in their house? I believe they did. Steve steps on something in Brett’s bedroom, breaking it and hurting his foot. He tries to hide the injury from Jenny when he changes into his scuba gear and deflects the entire line of her school teacher-esque questioning by throwing her in the water. When the gang removes Steve from the car accident, it’s his left shoe- the same foot that was injured-that is seemingly lost in the scuffle. Brett almost certainly fed whatever was broken by Steve to his parents, allowing him free reign to stay out that night and steal the car. The revelation that his foot was injured sealed his death warrant. The parents tell Jenny Steve is a ‘sick bastard’ once she is trapped in the house by them, so what kind of spin did the kids put on the tale-something sexual? His going into the house was bad enough. Why did he do it? At the time, we’re more concerned with Steve getting caught-but why didn’t he just go out the side door after Brett’s father came in and walked away, even closing the broken inner door? It seems as if Steve knew the layout of the house- he was looking for the kids and went upstairs to Brett’s bedroom. Had he been there before? At the light when they first pull into town, the kids cut Steve off- did something like that happen in his prior visit? Had he already cased this house? What are the odds that Steve would happen to find the one house in town with their bikes outside it? Why did he need a new vehicle from someone else to go to the lake anyway? Did something happen to his previous vehicle before or was it recognizable in town? Jenny drives the SUV when Steve escapes the house, does he always need to be taken home like a school boy after his escapades?

6. Were the parents involved all along? I think they did have more knowledge then they let on indeed. After the first day on the beach, the kids could have told the parents about Steve’s ‘checking out Paige’, how he ‘followed them around town’ even ‘spied on them from inside the house!’ They probably let the kids go back for some of the nighttime sounds and stalking and would have thought the stealing of the car harmless. Ricky’s brother knows he is out there and has come to pick him up. He arrives in some sort of work van- not the same one as Brett’s father, implying he must also work and has not been around the home for these events. Ricky’s brother is indeed worried that who’s ever after Jenny may also have harmed his brother. The parents are initially more upset that Jenny has damaged the van and fence- until they receive a phone call about the kid’s deaths. We can tell Jenny goes through the same archway as Steve had, but the yard is now dressed with lights for the party. A party is the easiest way to cover up someone’s whereabouts. If the police ever do coming sniffing around, as far as everyone is concerned, their kids were at the shindig the entire time. Evil Steve could have lured the now dead Paige and Cooper to the lake! Steve also paused over the hole in the door at the house. Was this memories for him, regular drunken behavior from Brett’s dad, or after hearing of Steve’s behavior did the Dad punch the door and allow the juvenile vengeance? One of the women in the house also asks Jenny if the ring is from her boyfriend, then another laughs on the phone that Jenny looks like death. Did the parents hope the kids had killed Steve? Only when they find out their babies are dead do they take it to Jenny. One parent does actually object that this has gone on far enough and the police will be around, but Brett’s father vows they take care of their own- bringing us back to the locals versus the yuppies. Steve has come around Eden Lake too many times and caused too many problems. Is his death their small way of ending the yuppie invasion?

7. What does the ending mean? I suspect Brett is pouting as he goes upstairs not because he regrets one damn thing, but because he’s upset he doesn’t get to finish Jenny off as he had hoped. He’s angry that his abusive dad has punished him and taken away his toy. He deletes the videos and is otherwise content with himself that they got what they deserved. Yes, I believe he is a psycho, but he and his parents find his actions justified. The woman who is initially kind to Jenny, tells her not to worry about the ‘scary men in the house’, already implying they have a hidden hand in the night’s events. I don’t think Brett’s father raped Jenny, but the gentleman who had been getting it on in the bathroom before her arrival follows them in, along with the uncertain parent. All three men seem to symbolize the types of men in the film. Steve seems like he was going to be the go to hot hip guy like the younger man in the bathroom, but Steve was all no action-unlike this man who I suspect did assaulted Jenny. The second guessing dad forced into the bathroom by Brett’s dad is symbolic of each of the men’s weak tendencies, and Brett’s father is the sociopath control freak who intimated everyone else because he can’t control himself. Each is indicative to all of us. We all make bad choices, serious mistakes, and end up doing things we don’t want to do or at best should have handled differently. Even the seemingly cute naming of the dogs as ‘Bonnie and Clyde’ implies all parties are to blame; both sides of our piece have seriously defaulted and are all in this together. The movie’s frank ending may seems confusing to some or simply fresh compared to other horrors with one last scare, but it is actually quite ingenious. Brett got away with it, and so do we. We get away with being wimps with kinky gadgets, parents get away with abusing their kids everyday, and boys will always be boys, won’t they? Seeing Brett’s smirk in the mirror is a final reflection on us, the villain of life, not him the perceived villain of the piece. Despite appearing as the seeming lead hero of the picture, Steve’s mocking tone in answer to Jenny’s questions about the gated construction sums up the film perfectly:

“Gated Community- Who are they so afraid of?”
“Everyone.”

Whew! Either I am a genius too or I just have too much frigging time on my hands and am completely full of s$#!. What do you think? ;0)
Posted by Kristin Snouffer at 11:04 PM

http://filmtopia.livejournal.com/134121.html

EDEN LAKE (2008)

[info]filmtopia
January 3rd, 14:11

Directed by: James Watkins
Starring: Kelly Reilly, Michael Fassbender, Jack O'Connell, Thomas Turgoose, Finn Atkins

91 minutes
(R - strong language, violence)

Quickshot:
A man invites his girlfriend to get away from the city for a camping weekend lakeside in the English countryside, with hopes of proposing to her when the time is right. But, their plans and peace are soon disturbed by a violent gang of teenagers who, after an incident, are determined to make sure the couple doesn't leave the woods alive.

Initial Reaction After Viewing:
"peer pressure is such a bitch"

Bottom-line:
This film works in that it brings to the screen a growing problem facing modern England at this time, that being an increasing rate of crimes involving youth gangs. With recent news reports showing a lot of those committing crimes that would make the ones depicted in this flick look like mild skermishes. Relative newcomer (at least to us here on this side of the pond) is excellent as the female victim pushed to the outer limits of her own sanity.

VERDICT:
decent social commentary

3 ANGRY YOUTHS OUT OF 5

http://windowstricks.org/2011/01/film-review-of-eden-lake-2008/

Film review of Eden Lake (2008)
Posted: 7th January 2011 by admin in Windows 2008

Article by Chris Murphy

“I’m not far from intimidated by a group of twelve”

When Steve (Michael Fassbender) takes his girlfriend (Kelly Reilly) Jenny on a camping trip to a remote lake with intention to propose to her, her plans for a perfect weekend quickly took a wrong turn, whe a meeting with a group of children yobbish quickly degenerates into violence, leaving the couple fighting for their lives.

Although the setting is not far from that of many modern American horrors like “Wrong Turn” or “Hostel,” Eden is about as far from America’s most modern horrors that you can get. Interestingly, with its emphasis on grain rather than show is more reminiscent of American horror classics like “Deliverance” or “Southern Comfort”. Forget the effects brought about death that we’ve all grown accustomed to with films like “final destination” or “Resident Evil” (fun as they are). The deaths are not something to enjoy in Lake Eden, death is prolonged, uncomfortable and messy. There is no harm or unspeakable monster, Jenny and Steve are facing something far more terrifying, kids! mowing their confidence once they realize the predicament they put themselves in, children are afraid and also revaled week. When faced with difficult choices, they can not sustatin the courage of their convictions, but like most children, giving in to peer pressure. What began as a little fun to relieve the boredom out of control quickly degenerates into a situation they can not see a result. Steve and Jenny rationalization is never a chance against their blind panic and refusal to face the consequences of their actions. The real horror is not born out of sight of children with knives, but out of the realization that given a similar situation, most of us act (and probably acted) of the same way. Who would not mean a bunch of kids to cut off for shamelessly making a nuisance of themselves when most people are just trying to keep them? It’s too easy to imagine the same thing happens to us, and considering the consequences, it is not an easy thing to accept. How any sane person should react to a bunch of kids attack them? Just like the scenario that children are, there are no easy answers. The fact that Watkins has assembled a talented team, but relatively little known (but excellent) cast really works in the movies favor. At the center of the casting are the rising star Michael Fassbender (Hunger, Inglourious Basterds, 300) and the excellent Kelly Reilly. A highly respected stage, screen and television actress in the UK, her character arc was silent in the face to most unpleasant decisions. How does a teacher who loves children, face the prospect of trying to kill her child? The children all provide natural spectacles, including Thomas Turgoose (This Is England, Somers Town), who despite being the most famous child is given the role the most underrated. Naturalism is what makes you feel and fear the children at the same time. If Werner Herzog made a horror film, it was Eden Lake. It is raw, real and it is this core imperfect and people on the cruelty we impose on each other. Alarming, challenging and uncompromising, Eden Lake is a modern horror of Europe at its best. You will not watch a movie like Eden Lake enjoy it, it forces you to confront the reality of modern society, it makes you think the pain and ask you to re-evaluate. How many modern movies can you say it means?

http://ellie-fry.blogspot.com/2011/01/eden-lake.html

Eden Lake

With my film being based on teenagers and the disturbed nature of them, i watched Eden Lake in order to help me develop the idea of a psychopathic teenager.

"Refusing to let anything spoil their romantic weekend break, a young couple confront a gang of loutish youths with terrifyingly brutal consequences"

Eden Lake as low budget horror was written and directed by John Watkins,was released in September 2008, made $5,824 in the USA Box Office and £481,710 in the UK Box Office.

The main characters Michael Fassbender (Steve) and Kelly Reilly(Jenny)set off for a romantic weekend away and become victim to vile and vicious attacks by a young gang.

Eden Lake gives form to the extreme stereotypical views and fears of youth today,and without fail places them into a slasher film context,the ending isn't your typical Hollywood ending, instead of cutting the ending off completely and having your typical, final girl or scream queen, it ends with a complete twist making the horror seem inescapable.

The opening scene lasts 3 minuets and begins in a school,the music for the opening scene as they are driving to Eden Lake is quite slow and mysterious. Various things happen on there way to the lake such as a woman slaps her child in a supermarket; rude cyclists casually ride through a red light, causing Steve's (Michael Fassbender)Jeep to brake, and an advertisement announces that Steve's favourite lake is to be redeveloped into a gated community,which immediately foreshadows to the audience that things are not going to be as calm as the couple wanted.
Posted by Ellie Fry at 12:04

http://www.coolasscinema.com/2011/01/eden-lake-2008-review.html

Thursday, January 20, 2011
Eden Lake (2008) review

EDEN LAKE 2008

Michael Fassbender (Steve), Kelly Reilly (Jenny), Jack O'Connell (Brett), Tara Ellis (Abi), Finn Atkins (Paige), Jumayn Hunter (Mark), Thomas Turgoose (Cooper), James Burrows (Harry), Tom Gill (Ricky), Lorraine Bruce (Tanya),

Directed by James Watkins

"They're just boys being boys....as long as they leave us alone."

The Short Version: James Watkins directorial debut is a massive punch to the gut merciless in its violence. The story has been done before, but in seldom such a provocative, savagely astute manner. It's the new millennium's STRAW DOGS, but possesses an extremely depressing tone of unmitigated hopelessness in a world gone wild. Bearing slight similarities to other 'backwoods' horrors like TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE, Watkins movie is highly recommended mature horror for viewers with strong stomachs.


Steve and Jenny take off for an idyllic getaway in the country to a quiet spot called Eden Lake. Not long after they've arrived, the couple encounter a group of young, but belligerent youngsters. When Steve confronts the motley clutch of miscreants, it sets off a senseless and increasing level of violent encounters. With the bloodthirsty gang of kids in pursuit, Steve and Jenny attempt to get out of Eden Lake alive.


"I'm not going to be bullied away by a bunch of 12 year olds."


This unrelentingly vicious British horror movie is one of the most stunningly breath-taking pieces of grueling horror to emerge in quite some time. It's of the 'Backwoods' school of terror filmmaking with a nod towards STRAW DOGS (1970) and LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT (1972). The brutality increases as the film wears on and at times, almost becomes unbearable. Rarely have I seen a film in recent memory that has such carefully defined characters that are rendered all the more realistic by chaotic world events that can draw in the viewer in such a compelling way. Then, in ferociously mischievous fashion, the filmmakers pull the rug out from under you. The 'Dimension Extreme' moniker on the DVD case, for once, is warranted.


The acting here is of a high caliber all around especially the two male leads and central antagonist. These young actors truly make you want to see them get their just desserts by the end. The dialog may be indecipherable at times from the thick British accents, but actions speak louder than words shortly after Steve and his soon-to-propose-to girlfriend, Jenny, reach Eden Lake. Another point on how successful everyone involved was, I can't think of another film that made me as angry at what I was seeing. EDEN LAKE is incredibly bleak and the performers should be commended for pulling off what many films fail to accomplish.


"We look after our own round here!"


Brett gets "fired up" (if you've seen the film, you know what I mean) with one of the kids he bullies

Jack O'Connell (as Brett) deserves the David Hess award for Most Reprehensible Villain. Hess was so convincing as Krug in Craven's LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT, that it was reported that people actually believed he was that character! O'Connell comes off in much the same way. To put it bluntly, he's a scummy little bastard. What makes Brett so vile and uncompromisingly evil is that he's basically a young kid, albeit a hoody wearing dirt-monger prone to inconceivable levels of rage and violence. During the finale, this vicious veneer of vehemence loses its loquacious luster when events have been turned around in his favor.


The product of an abusive home, Brett bullies his circle of friends, forcing them to take part in sadistic torture so that they have just as much blood on their hands as he does. Not all of them are totally free of blame. The gang takes photos of their cruelties on a cell phone. Cell phones play a big part in this brutal game of survival; unfortunately, they are used to the detriment of the protagonists during a crucial moment and provide a final taste of grim irony during the last scene.


"They're just children..."


Kelly Reilly does her best Marilyn Burns impression--covered in blood and s$#! and running from savages

Apparently there's a particular youth culture in the UK that have contributed to an alarmingly high level of crime; derogatorily referred to as 'Chavs', socially uncultured youths associated with violent juvenile delinquency and murder. One such case from January of 2008 involved repeat offender and 18 year old Adam Swellings who, only hours after being freed on bail, was convicted, along with two others of beating a father of three to death who stood up to them. This is what happens in EDEN LAKE. Brett and his gang become obnoxious and arrogantly vociferous leading to Steve standing up to them even though Jenny tries to convince him to let it go. Still, nothing Steve says warrants the level of brutality that Brett rains down on them much like real life crimes such as the one described above.


One of the relatively few quiet moments in the film and one of the many beautiful photographic shots

It's a stroke of genius to make the character of Jenny a schoolteacher. At the beginning, we see her closing out her day in the classroom filled with the vibrant innocence of the youngsters surrounding her, a stark contrast to the later crew we're introduced to. Watkins script also touches on child abuse which again collides with the apparent normalcy of our main protagonists alluding to the violence that lies ahead. This divide in social class and the way they are depicted may be deemed controversial to some, but it strikes a visceral chord just the same.


This is what separates movies like EDEN LAKE from empty calorie horror flicks like FRIDAY THE 13TH and others of that ilk. Nothing against those movies, but Watkins film hits much closer to home with its young, foul-mouthed lord of the flies than any mythical slasher icon that outlives any type of bodily destruction. Watkins has designed an infinitely frightening little movie that derives its terror straight from the pages of the news which makes it far scarier than any mask wearing, knife wielding killer cut up.


The ominously sweeping photography and the haunting, stirring score add to an already impressive, if grim package. An incredibly vile little movie, EDEN LAKE is likely to stir angry feelings in viewers, probably more so for the British audience who may identify more closely with the material. Depending on your mood, this movie is definitely not for everyone. Approach with extreme caution, although very well acted and directed, a stop over at EDEN LAKE is one respite you won't soon forget.

http://www.moviefilmreview.com/5326/eden-lake

http://elitestv.com/pub/2011/01/eden-lake

Eden Lake
Reviewer's Rating: This entry has a rating of 3.5

Posted on 22 January 2011 (10 hours ago) by Charlie

Horror | rated R (L, V, G) | starring Kelly Reilly, Michael Fassbender | written & directed by James Watkins | 1:31 mins

When Steve (Michael Fassbender) takes his girlfriend Jenny (Kelly Reilly) on a romantic getaway to a wooded quary from his childhood, the peace and quiet of their getaway is invaded by a pack of loud, obnoxious teenagers. But confronting them proves to be a mistake as the teenagers then hunt down and torment the couple, for fun.

The British survival/horror film Eden Lake has often, rightly, been lumped in with the new wave French horror films for it’s unflinchingly brutal depiction of flesh-ripping, bone-breaking violence in which, if their heroes get out of it at all, it is by the skin of their teeth. While it cakes on just as much blood and puts it’s protagonists through a living hell, there is an atmospheric difference in the two styles. Where the French films are more stylized, outrageously spraying blood in every direction, Lake is in a more down-to-Earth vein. Set very much in the real world, Lake is a more somber, atmospheric and tragic horror show. It sputters around often, lacking the breakneck pace and simmering tension of the French films, but it still packs a haunting emotional whallop.

Like many, shall we say, financially-challenge horror films, Eden Lake mostly takes place in the woods. Our leading couple takes a romantic trip to a remote lake and find themselves spending the rest of the film sneaking around in the trees. Director James Watkins is unable to keep a riviting pace up between the big torture set pieces resulting in the movie being horrific and meandering in fits and starts. That said it is well acted by all involved, including Jack O’Connell as dead-behind-the-eyes Brett, the leader of the gang.

The fire under the film that keeps it alive is it’s social consciousness and it’s choice and characterization of the antagonists. It’s world is actually one overrun by a generation of dessensitized, unruly teenagers and the parents that raised them. Soon the warnings of call-in radio shows about rising violence in youths and the titular gated community about to be built over the quarry to wall out the violence manifests itself in the form of killer kids. Kids who at first appear to be having a bit of fun, who you can assume you can reasonably tell to turn down their music or wrestle your wallet back from. Kids who stab as part of a gang initiation, who light on fire those who disagree and are completely under the thumb of their leader. And before Steve and Jenny know it, they’ve lit the fuse on a powder keg they can’t put out. Their reasonable actions and lack of cliche horror movie mistakes is what makes the steep downhill slide toward their torment all the more real and horrific. It feels unavoidable and out of control.

Eden Lake has it’s share of cringing set pieces, none better for me than Jenny running toward a spike in the ground that we see before she does. But it’s real impact is in not showing us the more brutal scenes. Leaving our imagination to fill in the inspiration for horrific off camera screams. I like that the film’s antagonists didn’t need a demonic possession or a virus infection to turn evil, they just are. And that’s the hopeless hole the movie sits in. You’ve seen more stylish and creative horror movies for sure. Despite it’s guts, the structure is fairly standard. This is a blood-boiler, slightly manipulative and slow at times, but it’s got a doozy of an ending with it’s pre-apocalyptic message managing to rattle me to the core. After watching it, Battle Royale might sound like a pretty good idea after all.
Written by
http://www.moviefilmreview.com/author/cds050282

http://lucia-nips.blogspot.com/2011/02/film-report-eden-lake-2008.html

Saturday, 15 January 2011
Film report: Eden lake (2008)

Title: Eden Lake (2008)
Director: James Watkins
Writer: James Watkins
Starring: Kelly Reilly, Michael Fassbender and Tara Ellis

Trailer:
within the trailer we get a good understanding about what the film entails and shows rather a lot of the storyline, from the trailer we can tell that the film is very British and would associate it with stereotypes of the working class and people living on council estates as well as the common thug that most people are familiar with.
Opening title and sequence:
Within the first 20 seconds of the film we can already guess that this is a horror and a terrifying one at that. There are tone cards with the director’s names and actors names, but also we see short shots of a woman in pain as well as shots of the lake. The non-digetic music is seedy and cold with sharp high noises. We can also here the digetic sound of the woman wailing in pain. Form this we can guess that maybe she is one of the main characters.
Codes and conventions:
· Young women and man
· Romantic weekend
· Deserted area of woodland and lake
· She seems innocent sweet primary school teacher

Moment Equilibrium:
This period seems nice and could near enough turn into any type of film but obviously from the opening titles we realise that it is a horror. Here we witness the lead woman with her student she is a primary school teacher that make her all the more innocent, we then see her partner who is admiring a ring this is when we come to the conclusion that he is planning on proposing to her.
As they are driving to the lake, we can hear a discussion on the radio about parents needing to go to parenting classes to help control their children; this gives us a clue to what might happen.

They then arrive at this pub and bed and breakfast where we can straight away tell there are certain stereotypes of people (loud and boisterous)
Moment of disequilibrium: the moment of disequilibrium takes a very long time to set in, when they realise there stuff has been stolen I think this is when they realise that things are going downhill and so meting out of the ordinary is going on.
New equilibrium: with this film we think she has escaped as she stumbles into a party but for her it is not over, so there is no real new equilibrium.
This film also play a good part at the final girl theory aswell.

Posted by Lucia Nips at 11:58

http://rachel-haimowitz.blogspot.com/2011/03/movie-reviews-for-pervs-of-best.html?zx=564084e2e5f8aaab

Sunday, March 27, 2011
Movie Reviews for Pervs (of the Best Possible Persuasion)
I know I promised a recap of the Rainbow Book Fair today, but since I was once again a giant idiot and didn't take my camera, I am once again at the mercy of others to receive photos. Since I'd like to do the recap with pictures this time (no more slideless slide shows, I promise!), I'm going to hold off until I get them. Hopefully Friday.

In the meanwhile, I thought I'd try out a new recurring feature here at Fantasy Unbound: Movie Reviews for Pervs. Perviness is a welcome thing in my world, of course, and if you follow this blog, it's probably a welcome thing in your world too. I've been watching a lot of movies of, er, questionable artistic merit lately--not much else to do on three-hour train rides, I suppose--and have often found myself in search of recommendations for a very specific kind of flick. If you follow me on Twitter, you may have seen me asking the other day for something mindless, explodey, and full of hot guys. Well, I found some. And I'll be giving them a Perv Score: a weighted average of four criteria on a scale of 1 to 10.

Lest you think this might be getting too technical or serious, here are the four criteria, with the first three counting for twice as much as the last one.

1. Hotness of the star(s)
2. How often and how thoroughly the star(s) get nekkid
3. Severity of ass-kickings to which the star(s) are subjected
4. And, as something of an afterthought, whether or not the movie was actually any good

Perfect for this crowd, yeah? So let's get started on our first review, complete with screencaps (warning: kind of bloody and screamy), beneath the jump.

The first movie up for review is Eden Lake, starring Michael Fassbender and Kelly Reilly. It's essentially your typical pretty-couple-gets-chased-through-the-woods-by-a-sadistic-psycho movie, except this time the sadistic psycho is an entire pack of teenagers, and actually only one of them is sadistic but he's psycho enough that he terrorizes his friends into playing along.

On the hotness scale, this movie lands an 8.5. Fassbender is one of the hotter men alive right now, and he had good hair in Eden Lake (don't laugh--this makes a really big difference with him). If you don't know who he is, here are two photos. Consider them "before"s; the ones from the movie are definitely "after"s.






Reilly was also lovely if you're so disposed, although not particularly my type.

On the nekkidness scale, Eden Lake gets a 5. Both stars spend a fair amount of time toward the beginning of the movie in bathing suits, and pull them off like whoa. Fassbender basically has the perfect body in my eyes--long, very lean, and cut without looking like a gym rat--and his directors tend to find excuses to show it off. Coulda used a few more excuses in this one, but you will get a quick fix (the body shot below is from Fish Tank, though, because I forgot to screencap a bathing suit shot).



As for the ass-kicking scale? Eden Lake takes the cake with a super-impressive 9.5. We get about ten solid minutes of the hero tied up with barbed wire and tortured with a knife and a boxcutter by each of the teenagers in turn. Here, have a screencap (click to enlarge). Heck, have three. What can I say, I'm generous that way.




Believe it or not, this isn't a particularly gory movie, despite the screencaps. Also believe it or not, I don't particularly like gory movies; I could've done with a little less blood. Still, there was lots of begging and whimpering and screaming and almost-crying, for which I'll forgive a little too much blood.

After the torture, the psycho-teens get distracted and run off into the woods, leaving our poor hero alone. He works his way free of the barbed wire (more yumminess), and we get another ten or so minutes of him stumbling through the woods trying to get away, plus there's a delicious comfort scene when he reunites with our heroine and she tries to patch him up (although I must say, I got exhausted just watching Fassbender shake that hard for that long). Spoiler alert: it doesn't work. The kiddies played too rough and broke their toy. Sad. And also the only thing that kept this movie from being a perfect 10 in this category.

Which brings us to the quality scale, where I surprised myself by actually almost kind of sort of liking Eden Lake, except for the frequency with which the heroine is TSTL. Let's call it a 5. In fairness, I was expecting no better than a 2. In fact, when I settled in to watch it, I was pretty certain I'd turn it off after Fassbender dies (I assumed he would, given that this is essentially a slasher film). But I watched the damn thing to the end, where there's a nice little twist that I'll not give away. I think the most artistic value to be found in this movie is actually in the psychology at play between the teenagers. One who is truly a clinical psychopath manages to cajole and manipulate and bully the others into hurting the hero, and you can see first the power they find in it and then the toll it takes on them. That, plus what I'd consider to be generally superior acting for this kind of film, elevated Eden Lake from truly awful to just kind of meh.

However, on the Perv Scale, Eden Lake nets a very respectable 7.3 out of 10: definitely recommended for scratching your pervy itch.

http://www.freddyinspace.com/2011/04/my-top-tearjerker-moments-in-horror.html

Friday, April 22, 2011
My Top Tearjerker Moments In Horror
Earlier today, a staffer posted a list on Dread Central which highlighted his top 10 moments from horror movies that made him cry. Go read it. Being that i'm a total bitch when it comes to movies, I wanted to make a reply to that post with the moments that have done the same for me. Though I couldn't come up with ten, a few select scenes from the past several years did immediately come to mind. So here are the movies (and TV show) and the scenes in those movies (and TV show) that made my beard wet with flowing eye juice!

... obviously, spoilers run wild in this post ...

Eden Lake

Eden Lake is one of my favorite horror movies in recent years, even if it makes me incredibly angry at my fellow humans every time I watch it. Good people are subjected to terrible s$#! by terrible people in the real world all the time and this movie perfectly captures that dark side of humanity and how easily everything we have can be stripped away from us. It's the scene where Steve (Michael Fassbender) is bleeding out from injuries sustained during an intense sequence of torture that really gets to me. His wife finds a wedding ring in his bloody pocket, wherein he reveals that he had planned to propose to her during their trip to the lake, plans of a happy life together that were ripped away by a group of young people who for no reason at all set their sights on destroying that happiness. It's movies like this that really make you cherish every day not spent running for your life from sick psychopaths.

http://horrornews.net/33422/film-review-eden-lake-2008/?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

Film Review: Eden Lake (2008)
Posted on 04/15/2011 by HorrorNews.net

SYNOPSIS:

Jenny (Kelly Reilly) and Steve (Michael Fassbender) are in love and about to get engaged during a calm lake getaway — but they’ll first have to survive a pillaging and murderous gang of kids, led by the psychotic Brett (Jack O’Connell), who suddenly arrives on their front lawn. When Steve tries to quell the violence, matters turn from scary to gruesomely deadly. James Gandhi, Bronson Webb, Thomas Gill and Thomas Turgoose co-star.

REVIEW:

Director: James Watkins
Year: 2008
Country: Britain

If watching Eden Lake taught me anything, it’s that British children are insanely violent sociopaths who like to set people on fire.

The debut feature of writer/director James Watkins, Eden Lake is a film for those who like to see innocent people hunted, tortured, and killed, all while performing their best rendition of Mystery Science Theater 3000 to every single cliché and standard survival thriller trope that pervades the film from beginning to end. But in the end, it’s ok, because despite the film’s weaknesses, Watkins manages to entertain and deliver a delightfully depraved and cringe-inducing thriller that makes me never, ever want to visit England.

The plot is relatively simple for films of this nature, but is distinguished from the rest in that it’s actually well acted, not campy, and overtly disturbing to the point where I blurted out “Holy s$#!! at the scene of a child being set on fire” A young beautiful couple, Steve and Jenny, whose British accents only serve to amplify their beauty, go on a seemingly idyllic camping trip at a little secluded beach called Eden Lake (duh). Everything seems to be going well until a bunch of ruffians, no older than fourteen years of age and no younger than, say, ten, start annoying them with loud music and voyeurism. Eventually their car and other belongings are stolen by the children. When finally confronted, a fight breaks out and the dog belonging to the ringleader of this vicious band of misfits is accidentally shanked. What follows is a game of cat-and-mouse beleaguered with clichés, lots of blood, and a garbage can filled with poop.

The movie is incredibly violent and deeply disturbing. Violence involving children is not new or feared in horror, but when given the context of reality – real people, real situations, and real fears, all wrapped up in the guise of “What if this actually happened?” – it is elevated to an entirely new level. The children in this film are violent, sadistic, and for the majority of the film devoid of anything resembling that which makes us civilized human beings. One incredibly vicious scene has one of the children forcing all the others to take turns stabbing, slicing, and cutting into Steve while the lone female films the gruesome events. People being set on fire, more stabbings, and minor impalements follow, but the most gruesome scene features no blood and only your imagination.

Only toward the end of their onslaught do the children begin to show something that resembles remorse, cloaked heavily in an aura of fear over being caught for their heinous acts. Brett, ringleader of the misanthropic band of evil little s$@%$!, remains the only one truly dedicated to the cause (yeah, killing innocent couples is a cause now), but toward the end of the film the cracks begin to show, albeit subtly, and don’t truly manifest themselves until the final scene before cutting to black. This was incredibly poignant, I thought, as it revealed not only a glimpse of humanity of the child, but also a minor underlying theme of parental influence. While this may or may not have been intentional, it was certainly present and gives to the film a greater impact, casting off any notion of it as a one-off horror film designed to make the audience cringe.

In viewing the film I found many similarities to The Descent, namely the point in the film where Jenny decides to cast off her timid shell and fight back. While both carry a survivalist theme, the main female characters in either film experience the manifestation of the latent survival instinct inherent in everyone long after the death of their companion(s). This serves as a standard cliché, however, for many films in the survivalist genre, a notable exception being Ils, which features lots and lots of running and hiding. Further comparisons between the two films are more stylistic than anything. The music was eerily similar, as was the scene in which one of the children gets a makeshift shiv through the neck, the result of Jenny’s sanity slowly unraveling. This death, however, is related, however tenuous, to Jenny’s ultimate downfall, just as Beth’s death in The Descent is partially related to the downfall of Juno. This review doesn’t do it justice, so see both films and you’ll understand where I’m coming from.

Survival horror can be a problem for some. While I believe that this subgenre of horror has the highest amount of potential for genuine %$%*@-upness, it also has a predisposition for unoriginality. This isn’t that big of an issue, especially with me, as expecting originality in a horror film is like expecting a porno film to have a compelling plot and solid acting. All films, no matter how ridiculous and derivative they may seem have the potential to be an excellent film. EdenLakeis no exception. Watkins has crafted a relatively solid thriller, and though not without its problems, manages to deliver on his freshman debut as director.

http://rocketsrobots.blogspot.com/2011/04/raw-no-chaser-eden-lake.html

Thursday, April 28, 2011
Raw, no chaser: Eden Lake

How many lame "horror" movies have been churned out in the last 10 years? How many tepid remakes of genuinely good thrillers? How long has it been since somebody's really pushed your buttons? If these questions provoke any kind of longing for a genuine jolt, check out the 2008 UK flick Eden Lake. Writer/Director James Watkins probably doesn't wear seatbelts, as Eden Lake plays with many of the tried and true survival-horror conventions and happily pushes them off a cliff.

Michael Fassbender (Inglourious Basterds, X-Men: First Class) and Kelly Reilly (Watson's fiance in Guy Ritchie's Sherlock Holmes) are a nice suburban couple off for a romantic weekend in the country. He's chosen a romantic location to pop the big question. The only problem is, they're not alone. Taking cues from Deliverance and Straw Dogs, Watkins serves up a menacing gang who at first glance seem to be obnoxious teens. Just kids. To say more would be a sin, but the dynamic turns horribly wrong and we quickly plummet into some very dark and disturbing territory.

The shadow of Lord of the Flies hangs disturbingly well over Eden Lake. The performances are terrific and Watkins does a sensational job of creating virtually relentless heart-in-your-mouth suspense and dread. He's directing the new Daniel Radcliffe (Hammer Films!) horror film The Woman in Black next, which I am now very excited for. But be warned: Seriously -- don't let the title fool you. Eden Lake pulls no punches and is as raw and brutal as they come. It has not received a lot of attention outside of the UK, but if you can handle a straight shot, Eden Lake is definitely worth seeking out and once it's taken a bite, it does not let go.
Posted by Anthony's Dad at 9:59 PM

http://michelletinghui.blogspot.com/2011/05/eden-lake.html

Friday, May 13, 2011
Eden Lake
Since this movie is considered a horror/thriller, I didn't want to watch it alone since I get pretty scared from these movies even though I know it isn't always realistic. I was finally able to watch this movie with my dear friend Sukanya and Michael Fassbender is the only reason I had even heard of this movie. Usually I'm very interested in the storylines, so it draws me in but I'm a bit reluctant to see them because I know the kind of effect they'll have on me afterwards.

Jenny and Steve are two young, very beautiful people that are in love and decide to spend a weekend together at Eden Lake. While there, they encounter a few kids that initially comes off as just brats that are disrespectful and incredibly unruly. However, as time draws on, the situation quickly gets terrifying and Jenny and Steve find themselves fighting for their lives.

This film really makes you think about our current situation as a society and how often we hear about bullying. Usually we don't do anything about it, or if we did there isn't a big enough punishment to prevent it from happening again. I can only imagine it's these same kids that don't get enough negative reinforcement to stop this behavior, and eventually it might even escalate to something as horrible such as those actions seen in this movie.

After watching this movie, I can only imagine how angry it leaves the audience. I was so angry and watching them endure so much pain for NO reason brought tears to my eyes.

Kelly Reilly was actually AMAZING in this movie, I had never paid much attention to her in the past since she played minor roles in films I've seen (Pride & Prejudice/Sherlock Holmes), but she did an excellent job in this. I'm actually hoping she might have a more major role in the second Sherlock Holmes!

♪♪♪♪ 4/5 Excellent yet terrifying.

Still sad....
Posted by Michelle Wang at 9:11 PM

http://aidanphantom.co.uk/?p=4523

Eden Lake (2008)

May 16th, 2011

Jenny and Steve are in love and heading to a little known nature spot for a weekend of camping and, unbeknownst to them, extreme survival!
Kelly Reilly (Pride and Prejudice, Sherlock Holmes) plays Jenny, the little prim and proper school teacher who looks as though she will cower in fright if you as much blow on her. Her equally prim and proper, yet sturdier, boyfriend Steve is played by Michael Fassbender, well known as a talented TV actor (Hex), more recently hitting the big screen with movies such 300, Inglorious Basterds and Jonah Hex now under his belt.

Steve takes Jenny to a disused, water filled quarry for a romantic weekend before contractors tear this beauty spot away and build on it. Other than insects in their food supplies what could possibly go wrong…. Well, Britain’s ‘yobbish’ youth culture is what is about to go wrong for Steve and Jenny.

I don’t want to go into plot details much more because this film is most effective if you go into it blind. So let’s just say that Eden Lake will fill you with suspense and frustration, while making you cringe with both brutality and pity.
This movie will make you far more wary of young louts, and so it should. We have come a long way from the teenagers who respected adults and paid attention when the local policeman clipped them round the ear for foolishness.

These “hoodies” will get up to anything and everything they feel like with very little thought for possible consequences and that is what Eden Lake does. It shows you just what aggravated, ignorant kids can get up to when left to their own devices away from the watchful eyes of society.
Eden Lake

Cast: Michael Fassbender, Kelly Reilly, James Gandhi

Director: James Watkins

Genre: thriller, horror

Trailer Eden Lake
by CinemaRx

The ringleader of the yobs in question, Brett, is intensely portrayed by Jack O’Connell, but one has to wonder if he is acting out a screen role or if he was one of the lucky ones whose teen angst was harnessed and directed towards acting out the type of characters that he could so easily have become. By looking into his previous roles in Harry Brown, This is England and Skins. You can’t help, but think along such lines with a resume such as that.

Written and directed by James Watkins (Writer of My Little Eye) works closely with the production team behind this movie (and others such as The Descent) wrote and co directed The Descent Part 2, very cleverly lifted the lid on our broken society and gave us a graphic look into knife crime and gang culture, without exaggerating a thing. Eden Lake is believable because it echoes the true stories we read in the papers almost daily.

It is upsetting, relentless, ruthless and thoroughly well made.

Skip to the End 7/10 ★★★★★★★☆☆☆

The late Alexander Walker, film critic of the London Evening Standard, once wrote about Kubrick’s Clockwork Orange: We hate and fear our children – because they are going to kill us. Eden Lake pays testament to that notion.

http://thisgirldigshorror.blogspot.com/2011/08/eden-lake-2008.html

Friday, August 19, 2011
Eden Lake (2008)


HI KIDS! Wow, I feel like it was not so long ago that I was all "yeah, I'm gonna start updating again, ALL THE TIME. Really! I mean it!" And then I promptly did no such thing. Wow. I suck. Sorry about that.

I mean, I could sit here and make excuses to you about how being a perpetual university student eats my life and I've barely had time to watch a movie lately, let alone review one. But you deserve better then my whining, so we'll skip that bit. Especially since I know that most of my fellow horror bloggers have a real life that they manage to upkeep as well as their blogs. But, like I said before, I suck, so let's move on.

Eden Lake was the movie I watched to reward myself for making it through the summer semester without defenestrating anyone. I had this whole "If I just get through finals, then I can watch Eden Lake, and eat pizza, and all will be right with the world".

I'm not entirely sure why I decided this movie was going to be my reward, but I did.

No. Wait. Scratch that. I know exactly why I decided this movie would be my reward.

And his name is Michael Fassbender.




I could watch a movie that starred him as a shut in. And the entire film would just be him pointing to various flower pots he'd collected over the years and explaining why he liked them. And I would be happy.

I would come away from that film going "Ah yes, today was a good day indeed." The man is glorious, I'm just saying.

So I set out to watch Eden Lake, and when it was over it had fully solidified for me two facts with which I was already pretty certain of going into it.

1) Michael Fassbender is an exquisite creature who should always do movies that involve him getting shirtless, and preferably, wet.
2) There is no way in Hell that you will get me to go camping.
( seriously, if Michael Fassbender, Eli Roth, AND Benedict Cumberatch showed up at my door and asked me to go camping with them ... well, okay, I would go if that happened. But it would give me pause.)

I went into this film convinced that camping is evil. I am a girl of my creature comforts. Don't get me wrong, I love nature, I do; but at the end of the day I like to come home to a hot shower and a clean bed that consists of a pillow-top mattress, with an extra layer of padding on top of that to make it all marshmallow-y. It was long ago established by one of my best friends that in some sort of a grimy hostage situation I would get us all out by the sheer fact that 24 hours without soap would make me go bat s$#! crazy, and punch a hole through the nearest wall through which me and my fellow captives could escape.

Long story short, me and camping are like oil and vinegar. But enough about me, let's move on to this movie about people who are crazy and actually enjoy camping and sleeping on the ground and other madness.



Meet Jenny (played by the always adorable, even when portraying a complete psychopath, Kelly Reilly) and Steve (played by Michael "sexy shark" Fassbender). Jenny is a school teacher, and I have no idea what the Hell Steve does for a living, maybe he's a swimsuit model or does toothpaste commercials or something, maybe he just gets paid to sit around and look pretty, who knows. They decide that they're going to escape to a remote lake for the weekend that Steve used to go to when he was younger or something.

Steve has the master plan of using the opportunity of this little get away to finally pop the question to Jenny. Because sleeping in the dirt is some people's idea of romantic. It's not mine, but we established that.

There are, at this point I should note, layers of foreshadowing and foreboding occurring now. In the night that they first arrive, apparently to spend the first night in a little B&B, because SLEEPING ON THE GROUND ISN'T FUN, the locals come off as ... prickly to say the least. The couple are either ignored or treated to clipped responses, and then get to enjoy the fine folks being generally awful and back handing their children. Now maybe this is the naive little California girl in me talking, but I thought that trailer trash was something that just happened here in the states. Apparently England has it too, well color me surprised.

The next bit of "this is your sign, just turn the Hell around and go back NOW" comes when they actually reach the titular lake, only to find the surrounding area fenced off to be redeveloped into a gated community. Jenny, in an unknowing voice of doom asks at this point "Who are they so afraid of?"

Oh Hunny. You don't even know. You don't EVEN know. Just let me hold you.



When they get to the lake is when we meet the band of merry miscreants who will be our antagonists for the evening. Hoodies. Yay hoodies!

What starts out as a minor confrontation between Steve and the leader of the pack of delinquents, Brett (played by Jack O'Connel, who I can't hate, because he will always be Cook from Skins for me, and I love Cook from Skins), which escalates to their car being stolen and demolished, which FURTHER escalates to the teenagers hunting Jenny and Steve through the woods.

Because camping is bad.

If you go camping you will be hunted down and tortured by psychotic hoodlums.

That being said, I hesitate to classify Eden lake under the umbrella of "torture porn". Because unlike many of the films that are classified as such, the torture isn't really the central focus of the film. It's more in the vein of a thriller in the sense that more of it is about the chasing and the game of cat and mouse and by today's standards, the violence is really quite tame.

The aim here, I believe, was not to make the violence itself be what is shocking to the viewers, but have the perpetrators of the violence and the victim/villain relationship be what makes you honestly uncomfortable. It's incredibly common for a movie to pit adults against one another, but less common to have a group of minors be the antagonists - which can make the viewers uncomfortable on two fronts: First, the idea of what many people consider to be children acting in such a fashion, and Second, the idea that adults would be forced to retaliate, and how far would you be willing to go against a group of, so called, children?

That dynamic is considerably more rare. Though it has been called up in such films as The Children and Who Can Kill A Child, or even such instances at The Bad Seed and The Omen. A plot line in which adults know they must fight back against the younger generation has a way of making an audience a little squirrely.



There is, I feel worth noting, a very interesting psychology within the group of teenagers. The leader of the gang has rather obvious psychosis - in a crazier then a s$#! house rat kind of a way. But he is not, cut and dried, the worst of the bunch. A fair number of his comrades are equally happy to hunt down and potentially murder Jenny and Steve. And then there is the lone female of the pack, who records the acts of atrocity on her cell phone without so much as a blink.

If Horror Movies are the forum through which movie makers air their fears and dissatisfaction with the world, then Eden Lake can be seen as following in the footsteps of George Romero's trend of social commentary. The message at the core of Eden Lake is not just the fear of what today's youth is becoming; but also a horror at the generation that not only raised them to be such monsters, and then washes their hands of them when they begin to act in the manner they were taught.

And honestly, Jack O'Connell's performance is damn good. You really believe that he will go twenty kinds of ape s$#! on you if you cross him. And yeah, I was a little biased, like I said before. And sure, in multiple parts I was like "nooooo, he doesn't mean it, not my Jack." Damn my love of skins.

And really, characterization is the strong point of Eden Lake. Even though I have read a fair deal of reviews that contradict this statement. No. You guys are wrong. I can't hear you. Lalalalalalalalalalalalala.

The characters are developed just FINE thank you so much. You really really like Jenny and Steve. You're rooting for them. Goddamit, you WANT them to make it out okay and get married, and go live somewhere very very industrialized and NEVER GO CAMPING AGAIN. I was definitely pulling for them, and no, not just because Michael Fassbender is much too pretty die somewhere that dirty.

And really, if you want to get into characterization and psychology. Let's look at Jenny for a minute.



Kelly Reilly is really a very underrated actress. Who I really should gave a grudge against for the simple fact that she has the ability to keep getting cast in rolls where she gets to make out with Spooky's favorite boys. Seriously - Dead Bodies with Andrew Scott, Sherlock Holmes with Jude Law, and now Michael Fassbender. You bitch. No, I'm kidding, I love you.

Jenny begins the movie as this fragile, non confrontational character. While Steve is ready to tell people off and huff and puff when things irritate him, Jenny is just as happy to let them blow over so no one needs to raise their voice. But as she is pushed she grows from mousey damsel to the sort of heroine you hope for in these kinds of movies. And did I mention she does this all in some of the cutest dresses I've ever seen? Sure, I don't think most people of the camping-oriented persuasion would find her clothing choices good for the great outdoors, but meh. If anything I think the choice to have her run through the movie in demure, feminine clothing, was kind of a brilliant choice.

It's like they said "look at her, she's supposed to be this delicate thing who has small animals do her hair in the morning as she sings. But look what she can become." In this aspect Jenny is much like a heroine in a fairy tale like the Brother's Grimm. But not by Disney. Not by a long shot.

And much like a Grimm's fairtytale you do not just walk away from Eden Lake feeling good about the world. You feel like you need to take a long shower and then watch kitten videos on Youtube for the next three hours. You feel disoriented and more then just a little uncomfortable.

And for that I really do have to applaud them.



Okay, Okay, so strictly speaking, Eden Lake is NOT what I would consider "my kind of a horror film". If you know me, you know I like my horror movies a bit more in the supernatural and psychological department, and less in the "BLOOD BLOOD EVERYWHERE" fashion. Especially since I feel like these days you can't throw a rock without hitting a movie that is just about blood.

I've got news for you Horror Movie Industry, blood all over the place doesn't scare this girl. Hell, that's just a typical Friday night in the Pie household. I think you sincerely underestimate the sheer volume of bandages this girl goes through on a weekly basis. When you're as accident prone as me, blood is about as shocking and uncommon as a roll of toilet paper.

That being said, Eden Lake is not a bad little film. It has a message and it gets it out there. And from a cine-phile point of view it is shot BEAUTIFULLY. I know you can't tell from my grainy screen caps, but there are points when the camera pulls back to show wide angles of the all the nature and is AMAZING. The framing of shots and the subtle score of the film are really just lovely. It's odd to think of a horror movie as pretty - especially when people are getting brutalized and hobbling through a forest caked in their own blood, but seriously, it is PRETTY.

While I don't see myself running out to buy Eden Lake, I don't consider the evening I spent watching it to have been a waste either. And let's not forget the valuable message it has brought to us all:

DON'T GO CAMPING


I know this girl won't be any time soon.

Well, until next time kiddies.
Stay out of trouble AND the woods.

Hugs and Kisses

♥
Spooky Pie

Posted by Spooky Pie at 4:14 PM