Static (2012)
Starring: Milo Ventimiglia, Sarah Shahi, Sara Paxton
Writers: Gabriel Cowan, Todd Levin, Andrew Orci, John Suits
Director: Todd Levin
Synopsis:
Static centers on a young novelist and
his wife who are coping with the loss of their child. Their lives are
turned upside down when a panicked girl appears at their home in the
middle of the night with stories of masked intruders stalking her.
That night the stalkers strike, sending the couple on a horrific game
of cat and mouse, where they are forced to uncover shocking details
from their past that may be the reason for the attack.
Review:
Well, this was quite a nice surprise,
and a perfect watch for October. I
experienced Static the perfect way to experience it; I saw no
trailers, no publicity stills, and visited no news sites for
coverage. I read the vague synopsis and from that learned that it
starred Milo Ventimiglia and Sara Paxton, and that it was a home
invasion film of sorts. Yes, home invasion movies are pretty popular
right now, and maybe you're sick of them. It seems like every day I
see someone online talking about how tired they are of zombie movies, how
tired they are of slasher movies, how tired they are of home invasion movies, how
tired they are of remakes, and so on. They want something new. Hell, at the
end of the day I just like horror films. I don't care what's done to
death, because pretty much every sub-genre has been done to death at
this point. As long as I'm entertained, I'm good to go. But trust me
here when I say Static has other things going for it other than home
invasion, and the less said, the better.
Admittedly, the film doesn't rev up to
high gear until around the 30 minute mark. The time before that is
spent really nailing in the grief of our two leads, due to the loss
of their child. It was something I was easily able to cling on to,
being a parent myself. It helped develop a relationship with the
characters, and by the time things do get intense, I cared for them
greatly. And wow, the night of events definitely go off the rails once the panicked girl shows up at their doorstep. From there on out,
there's plenty of suspense, tension, and moments that keep you
guessing until the end.
Static is beautiful from a visual
standpoint. Lots of wide shots for the interior of the couple's house,
especially in the kitchen scenes. For outside sequences, it all more
locked in and close-up. The movie largely takes place at night; there's plenty of lighting to see what's going on, but not too
much to take away from the creepiness. Flashback sequences provide beautiful use of orange and yellow saturation and lens
flare. It gives off a dreamlike effect that works well, given the
subject of the memories.
Acting is solid, especially from the
two leads, Milo Ventimiglia and Sarah Shahi. I'm glad that Milo
didn't drift into obscurity after Heroes, and it's awesome that he
does a lot of genre films. Together, he and Shahi make their loss of
a child believable. Their relationship is on the brink. She's way
more off the deep end than he is, but it's mainly because he has no
choice but to keep it more together. Despite all their problems,
once the night becomes menacing they realize they must work as a unit
to get through it. Great performances from both. Sara Paxton plays the late night stranger who shows up at their doorstep in terror.
Paxton is never not good when given a great role. Hell, even when
she's given a bad role (ahem, Shark Night) she's still great eye
candy. In Static, it's the best of both worlds.
As far as Special Effects go, you're
not going to be getting a lot of bloodletting; it's just not
that kind of movie. I think the major effect is the use
of 3D. I didn't get to experience that, but just judging from how
sequences are staged, it looks like a “less is more” approach,
which sometimes works in the favor of a film. Gorehounds, don't let
the lack of blood detour you. Our nighttime creepers are wild
looking; they carry a post apocalyptic type vibe about them. They were more
than enough to keep me satisfied and on the edge of my seat.
Tim Zeismer provides the soundtrack.
It's pretty on point for the more somber sequences, and really loud
and all up in your earlobes starting a ruckus when the film gets
crazy.
I'm definitely going to recommend
Static, but more importantly, I'd recommend you going into it with as
little knowledge of the story as possible. It starts out with a
Strangers or Ils type vibe, but quickly goes its own way and the
movie becomes its own thing. Well worth your time.
Final Word:
Static is available now from Cinedigm
on DVD, Digital Platforms, and in a Blu-ray 3D + Blu-ray + DVD Combo
Pack. I can't speak for the quality of the 3D Blu-ray, but the look
of the film on the regular Blu-ray disc is absolutely excellent.
There's 5.1 DTS-HD Audio, and the sound effects are put to great use
in surround. Fine presentation all around.
Special Features
Writer, Producer, and Editor's
Commentary – More of a funny commentary than anything, but there's
definitely some tasty info on the process of filming in 3D. A few moments are plagued with dead air in the commentary, which is never good, but
for the most part it's not bad. I laughed right along with these guys
more than a few times.
Combo Pack available HERE
DVD available HERE
Instant Video available HERE
- Eric (Brobocop)
Combo Pack available HERE
DVD available HERE
Instant Video available HERE
- Eric (Brobocop)
