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Who in the hell is Crispin Glover? I bet that is what some of you are wondering. From the trailer to "Willard", they build him us as this huge celebrity, but most of you are probably in the fog. Actually, Crispin Glover is a fairly big celebrity, but he just doesn't get the recognition he deserves. Most of you will most likely remember him as Michael J. Fox's dad George in "Back to the Future", the geeky, comic addicted teenager in love with Lea Thompson. "Willard" is a big departure from that character.
Crispin Glover stars as Willard, a shy, and somewhat unusual man, who is constantly pestered by his co-workers. He fits the profile of the stereotypical outcast and is ridiculed for doing so. Early on, his elderly mother tells him that if he had a stronger name, something other than Willard, that his boss might not give him such a hard time. His boss is played by the great character actor R. Lee Ermey. Willard's only friend is a rat named Ben, and when one of his 'other' friends is killed at work, Willard decides to enact bloody revenge against his wrong doers. How? Well, Willard can control the rats in the neighborhood and get them to do his bidding. Enter a slew of creepy and violent murders that are certainly not for those of us who do not fancy rodents.
As Willard, Crispin Glover manages to blend some of his own personality traits with those popularized by Bruce Davison in the 1971 version of the film, and much inferior picture to this one. Glover is awkward sometimes, but sometimes evil and as cold blooded as any Hollywood villain. The cold and emotionless stare he is able to produce is one of the scariest aspects of the film, and it works extremely well. I don't know who suggested Glover for the role, but they hit the nail directly on the head with that casting call.
The one thing I did not like was the trailer for the film. It builds "Willard" up to be some dumb action packed horror film, when it is anything but. This is a creepy, dramatic, and sometimes gore-filled horror film that made me jump on several occasions. Anyone who dislikes rodents will walk out of the theatre or find themselves as uneasy as ever about their particular affliction. It was about time Hollywood made another creepy crawly picture, especially since "Eight Legged Freaks" turned out to be pretty decent.
Thanks to Crispin Glover and a very creepy storyline, "Willard" manages to delight in a very unusual manner. I enjoyed this film and I think most of you will too--even those of you who saw the trailer and made a pact that you would not see a film with a plot so absurd. It is only absurd if you allow it to be. This film opens on March 14 and I encourage masses of you to go. Make it the number one film of the week and give the horror genre another healthy shot of adrenaline. If we keep doing that, by the time "Freddy vs. Jason" emerges in August, it will make more money than "Star Wars". Well, maybe not that much, but you get the picture. 7.5/10.
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User Rating - 9 votes |
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7.0
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