Empire Records (1995)

3/5

Empire Records is the kind of classic 90's movie that could never be made now. It acts silly for the sake of silliness, turns mature on a dime, then swerves back to insane. It doesn't fit a genre except the time period in which it was made. There are no words to describe this movie; just know that it is an experience. The story revolves around a young cadre of employees in a local record store about to be bought out by Music Town, the non-infringement version of Tower Records, on the illustrious Rex Manning Day. There is one surprisingly tender moment in this film, when Joe (LaPaglia) tells Deb (Tunney) that she's doing a good job, amidst the utter chaos and non sequitur that comprises the rest of the film. I'm not typically a fan of such haphazard storytelling, but this movie brings back such fond memories of the kind of movies I grew up with that I cannot ignore it. This movie is something else, that's for sure, but it contains a charm and fire you will remember, even if you aren't one of its cult followers.

IMDb link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0112950/

Vacancy (2007)

4/5

Vacancy is a terrifying horror thriller that threatens two characters we quickly come to care about and builds tension in measured, metered doses. The plot follows David (Wilson) and Amy (Beckinsale) as a couple whose marriage is on the verge of dissolution. Their car breaks down and they're forced to stop at a cheap motel. The desk clerk (Whaley) offers them the less-than-romantic honeymoon suite at a discount. Cockroaches line the bathroom walls, brown water shoots out of the faucet, and cable doesn't work. Luckily, there are a few VHS tapes they can watch. To their horror, they quickly discover that they're watching snuff films of murders that take place in that very motel. And David and Amy are going to be the next victims.

Vacancy is a calculated movie that paces itself expertly starting from the intro credit sequence, where they use typography and music in the same vein as Hitchcock to get your heart racing, to the final shot of the film. Small camera moves, such as lingering on an empty room, add immensely to the anxiety. The cinematography is pristine and crisp, evoking the harsh lighting of film noir for its own nefarious purposes. The director makes you feel claustrophobic and trapped for just the right amount of time before letting you breathe. And when he does, he lets you catch your breath just long enough before you unconsciously hold it in again. This movie is a taut thriller that should serve as an example of how to build suspense. It's not the most original movie, and there are a few scenes that work only if you suspend your disbelief, but this movie had me scared from beginning to end. I highly recommend it.

IMDb link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0452702/