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Friday the 13th

 

 Aptly named, the film was released on February 13, 2009, on a Friday. It’s a remake of the 1980 classic that gave us 10 more sequels if you want to call them that. In the horror genre, that original film easily set a standard for others to follow. 

In the 1980 film Mrs. Voorhees became a killer for revenge on the Crystal Lake camp counselors who let her son drown. In this one, her son Jason does the dirty deeds.  

The plot is the familiar Friday the 13^th franchise fodder. The idea is to have attractive no name actors from a variety of ethnicities move around with youthful playfulness, only to be cleverly murdered by Jason. The guys are cute, and the women have perfect bodies, especially breasts, that are often fully exposed. In some ways the movie has a strip tease first, murder second, quality to it. Even though you know what’s going to happen, when it does, it’s still scary. 

George likes the horror genre more than Pam, because for some twisted reason, he likes plots that don’t require much thinking. Maybe it’s a guy thing that they never grow out of, regardless of age. Just to see how inventive murders can be is a perverse thrill all by itself. To that extent, this movie does not disappoint. 

Last Chance Harvey

 Sometimes it’s good to know little or nothing about a movie before buying that ticket and settling into your seat. Then you have fewer preconceived notions about how it should develop. That’s the case with Last Chance Harvey, a film with marquee actors that flew well under the radar of big promotions. 

Harvey (Dustin Hoffman) has already run out of last chances with his daughter and former wife (Kathy Baker), who have moved on to a wealthier, and happier, life with James Brolin, as the second husband and adored father. Harvey’s attitude is anything but upbeat, and he’s close to being fired from his job as a jingle writer for TV commercials. 

In spite of that, Harvey leaves his job in the midst of a major effort to close an important deal to attend his daughter’s wedding in England. You can feel the tension when he sees his daughter and the obligatory hug comes with a great deal of reluctance − for them both. Harvey is a man who wins just enough to not be a total loser, at least not in his work life. In his personal life, he’s a loser. That point is driven home when his daughter tells him that she’s asked her stepfather to walk her down the aisle. Has his last chance really gone by? 

Kate (Emma Thompson) works at Heathrow Airport as a survey taker. She’s gotten used to being rejected both on the job and in her personal life. While on a blind date, the new man in her life is quickly distracted when he sees some old friends. He’s so diverted, that Kate quietly slips out of the pub. The thought of a relationship that really goes somewhere is a scary thought to Kate. She is afraid of success more than failure. 

The film offers insight into the lives of both Kate and Harvey, and it’s predictable that eventually they will meet and develop a relationship. When that happens, it’s interesting to see these two people take a step out of their normal rut.    

Hoffman and Thompson deliver their usual superb performances, and how you feel about Kate and Harvey transcends some of the things one could easily find fault with in the film. A good subplot on relationships is how things develop with Kate’s mother (Eileen Atkins). To say her mum is needy is an understatement. Is it possible for her to find a way out of her dependence on Kate? 

Last Chance Harvey is not a classic, but it does a fine job of coming close. It’s a film that sticks with you and that by definition is what a good movie is all about.