Movie Review- 30 DAYS OF NIGHT
HEADLINE: ** If Blood and Gore Is What You Want, Blood and Gore You GetTITLE: 30 DAYS OF NIGHT
Quality: * * Acceptability: -4
SUBTITLES: -- Some English subtitles for vampire dialogue --
WARNING CODES:
Language: LLL
Violence: VVV
Sex: None
Nudity: None
RATING: R
RELEASE: October 19, 2007
TIME: 113 minutes
STARRING: Josh Hartnett, Melissa George, Danny Houston, Ben Foster, and Mark Boone Junior
DIRECTOR: David Slade
PRODUCERS: Sam Raimi and Rob Tapert
EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Joe Drake, Nathan Kahane, Mike Richardson, and Aubrey Henderson
WRITERS: Steve Niles, Stuart Beattie and Brian Nelson
BASED ON THE GRAPHIC NOVEL BY: Steve Niles and Ben Templesmith
DISTRIBUTOR: Columbia Pictures/Sony Pictures Entertainment
CONTENT: (HH, PaPa, FR, B, LLL, VVV, AA, DD, M) Strong humanist worldview in that the story shows the survival of the fittest rather than good overcomes evil by moral means with God's power plus the lead vampire says there is no God but he is shown to be pure animal evil, with some strong pagan content with false philosophical/religious content where movie shows the existence and supremacy of evil, animalistic vampire creatures, plus light moral elements such as family members helping family members and people helping other people survive onslaught from evil creatures; 31 obscenities (including 11 "f" words), one strong profanity, two light profanities, and one blasphemy when villain says there is no God; very strong violence with extreme blood and gore including dogs slaughtered off screen, humans and vampires beheaded, and vampires slaughter and eat people; no sex; no nudity; brief alcohol use and 15-year-old drinks vodka after encounter with vampires; a reference to using marijuana for medicinal purposes and jokes are made about a teenager's possible interest in marijuana and about villains being on PCP or something; and, the main characters are a married couple who are split up and not trying to resolve problems and save their marriage.
GENRE: Horror
INTENDED AUDIENCE: Older teenagers and adults
Please address your comments to:
Michael Lynton, Chairman/CEO
Amy Pascal, Chairman - Motion Picture Group
Sony Pictures Entertainment
(Columbia Pictures/MGM/TriStar/Screen Gems/Provident)
10202 West Washington Blvd.
Culver City, CA 90232-3195
Phone: (310) 244-4000
Fax: (310) 244-2626
Web Page: www.spe.sony.com/
SUMMARY: 30 DAYS OF NIGHT takes moviegoers to the small town of Barrow, Alaska, the northernmost town in the United States, where a group of vampires use the 30 days without sunlight that falls each year as an opportunity to feed on the town's inhabitants. The cinematography and special effects are okay but the script and the acting are mediocre, and the movie has an unrelenting two hours of carnage, blood and gore.
IN BRIEF:
30 DAYS OF NIGHT takes moviegoers to the small, isolated town of Barrow, Alaska, the northernmost city in the U.S. For 30 days each winter, the town is plunged into complete darkness when the sun sets. This winter the town is host to a group of unwelcome guest, bloodthirsty vampires, ready to take advantage of the uninterrupted darkness to feed on the residents. The sheriff of Barrow, Eben Oleson, and his estranged wife, Stella, must lead an ever-shrinking group of survivors to do all they can to survive until the daylight returns.
The production values lie with the special effects and cinematography but fall far short of being truly entertaining in the writing, acting and plot. Anyone with a conscience or a weak stomach will want to avoid this movie at all cost. It is very difficult to have to endure almost two hours of carnage, blood and gore with the prevailing message that no amount of good and human determination and goodwill can overcome evil. Overall, the movie gives glory to evil, shows the weakness of God and humanity, and has a sick obsession with gore and graphic murder.
