A Spooky Spelunking Spectacular
The Descent Full of Good Old Fashioned Frights

Are you afraid of the dark? How about tight places? Maybe it is the possibility of falling to your death that wakes you up in a cold sweat?

Oh, and by the way, how do you feel about creatures that want to eat your flesh?

Sarah MacDonald stars as Sarah in the new fright film The Descent.

Natalie Jackson Mendoza stars as Juno in the new thriller The Descent.

If any of these phobias are in your psychic baggage, you might get a good jolt out of the new horror film The Descent, written and directed by England’s Neil Marshall. It is the best bang-for-your-buck fright film for adults since another English masterpiece, 28 Days Later.

Starring a bunch of actresses you probably have never heard of, The Descent is the story of six English and American women who are into outdoor sports such as kayaking and rock climbing. They convene in the Appalachian Mountains to explore Boreman’s Cave, a cavern that contains many previously unmapped passageways. The trip has been arranged by the daredevil of the group, Juno (Natalie Jackson Mendoza) as a way of bringing her English friend Sarah (Shauna MacDonald) out of her grief a year after the sudden death of her daughter and husband.

During the first half of the film the women explore some of the tighter passageways of the cavern trying to find uncharted territory they can claim as their own. If you have any bits of claustrophobia buzzing around your dome (as I do) the scenes of them squeezing through tight underground spaces will make you squirm.

When a sudden shift in the rocks makes going back the way they came impossible, the women find that they must explore the caves not only for fun and adventure, but also for a way out and ultimate survival.

The Descent is so fresh and original on so many fronts that you will wonder why it hasn’t been done before. It taps into some very basic fears and exploits them in way that is both chilling and real.

The women starring in the movie also add to the realism of the picture. They all have their unique characters without dipping into mindless stereotypes (how many movies have we seen with the “tough gal,” the “fragile gal,” etc.?). In addition to Mendoza and MacDonald, the cast features Alex Reid, Saskia Mulder, MyAnna Buring and the fabulous Nora-Jane Noone as Holly. None of the six have had any starring roles previous to The Descent and their relative anonymity adds to the realism of the film.

Depending on what really scares you, The Descent is either more effective in the first half or the second half. Psychological fears such as claustrophobia dominate the first half while the fear of being pursued by monsters that want to kill and eat you are part and parcel of the gore-fest that is the last half hour of The Descent.

I have already read where some reviewers are comparing The Descent to The Blair Witch Project and I feel that they are somewhat off base. Both movies are original and different (particularly during the blockbuster summer movie season) but The Descent is professionally made, well acted and doesn’t hesitate to show the viewer close ups of the monsters at the end of the movie.

The Descent is also that rare film (at least this summer) that doesn’t overstay its welcome. It packs more into its 99 minutes than most movies convey in two-and-a-half hours (I’m still peeved that editors failed to cut the boring fat out of the middle of Miami Vice).

Marshall filmed two different endings for The Descent, as the English version was deemed “too depressing” for American audiences. When the DVD version is released, viewers will be able to decide for themselves what Juno and Sarah’s fate should be.

The Descent is rated R for strong violence, gore and language and is currently playing at Carmike 14 in Hickory.

Ricky Bobby Takes Checkered Flag

The new Will Farrell comedy Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby raced by the competition like it was standing still during its opening three-day weekend. The movie, partially filmed at Charlotte Motor Speedway and other Carolina locations, pulled in a high octane $47 million nationwide. Coming in at a distant second was Barnyard: The Original Party Animals with $16 million.

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest stayed in the top three, earning $11 million to now tally a hefty $380 million in four weeks of release.

The Descent, still in limited release in the U.S., earned $8.8 million in its first weekend. Look for word of mouth and an expanded release to keep this horror classic in the top ten for the rest of the summer.