Friday 26 March 2010

Synpotic Treatment of 'Judgement'

Horror films, they have had an undeniable appeal to audiences ever since movie-making began. But what is it that draws people to this genre? Whether it is the exhilaration of being frightened or if you are just a little bit sadistic- the fun of watching such movies has become almost a cult-like fad in its own right.
However over the years these types of films seem to have lost respect amongst the cinematic industry, mainly due to their lack of an interesting plotline. A lot of creators appear to be mainly concerned with filling their 90 minutes with as much blood and gore as possible without actually telling an impacting story; surely this isn’t the fate of dark entertainment.
Judgement is the answer the world has been waiting for. It tells the tale of Alex Winchester, a young woman whose life takes a turn into the terribly bizarre when many of those she knows and loves in her small hometown consecutively become victims to violent deaths.
The local police seem incapable of tracking down any probable suspects, so she takes the case into her own hands and begins investigating the brutal attacks- all of which end in fatality. As she does this the homicides carry on, along with the declining strength of her sanity; continuously tormented with intense horrific visions and experiencing strange encounters.
Eventually it is revealed that Alex is in fact a ghost, trapped in the realm between life and death. She has the power to affect objects around her but is incapable of communicating with the living, not only this, but she suffers from the mental condition Dissociative Identity Disorder. She has a split personality. One side of her psyche has good intentions and is initially unaware that she is even a spirit. But her evil alter-ego remembers everything about Alex’s demise and is hell-bent on wreaking vengeance upon all she can find. Alex herself is the true murderer.
There are three directors in mind to manage this screenplay, all Oscar nominated. The first is Spike Jonze. He is extremely versatile having worked in comedy, fantasy, drama, documentary and more. He is currently best known for the surreal Being John Malkovich(1999). His greatly anticipated adaptation of the legendary children’s book Where the Wild Things Are(2009) is shortly due to be released.
Another is David Fincher; he has directed the likes of Se7en(1995) and Fight Club(1999), two fantastic films. He has a gritty edge to his directing style and these stories both have similar themes to Judgement such as searching for a serial killer and suffering from multiple personalities.
Lastly is Christopher Nolan, his most recent success was with the Batman Begins (2005)sequel The Dark Knight(2008) (with the late Heath Ledger’s captivating performance as The Joker) but he also directed the bizarre film Memento(2000) about a man with short-term memory loss and it is told in a non-linear timeline; both ideas that will be explored in Judgement.
There is only one actress currently in mind to play the lead role of Alex, Evan Rachel Wood. She had her ‘big break’ in the controversial Thirteen(2003), even at such a young age she proved to have a genuine talent for acting. Her latest exploits include a part in The Wrestler(2008) and she had a memorable role in HBO’s hit television series True Blood.
Other films that Judgement could be compared to would be The Sixth Sense(1999) and The Others(2001) because they both have an ending twist where the lead protagonist discovers that they are actually ghosts. Both these films have been successful so it shows that people are intrigued by this philosophical notion, causing the individual to question: What would I do if this happened to me? Also by being able to relate to the characters it makes what happens to them all the more disturbing.
A possible release date for Judgement would be the 13th of October, as it’s the host month of Halloween and the number 13 is seen by many to maintain a cursed mystical meaning. This raises excitement prior to its release and elevates the publicity hype.

No comments:

Post a Comment