Lately, it’s been hard to come across a truly scary movie that didn’t need the help of unnecessary blood and guts in order to shock the audience. Though the Saw movies succeed in using this type of genre (I had nightmares for weeks), a film that is able to make me just as frightened without having to resort to gory special effects is called The Orphanage.

This spooky film comes all the way from Spain under the direction of Sergio G. Sanchez. The film was released in the states earlier this year in January, and I feel like it’s a film that is a great yet lesser-known horror movie. The story takes place in, who would have guess it, an orphanage where the main character, Laura, grew up as a child and later bought to have her family live in. With her husband Carlos and adopted son Simon, she decides to make her new home into an orphanage for handicapped children. But as she’s busy preparing for this new orphanage, she regretfully pays little credence to the five imaginary friends that Simon talks about all the time.

The film’s very smart and plays on people’s fears of ghosts and spirits. There are twists and turns that are revealed as the plot moves along, and scenes that will just about make you leap out of your pants. It’s always good to take a risk with a foreign film since they are able to put a whole new spin on film that many of us are unaware of. If you’re one of those people that just can’t deal with the subtitles (movies are meant to be easy, right?), take a chance on this one because there aren’t many American films that can compare to its eerie plot.

Due to the fact that I’m trying to save as much money as possible this summer, I realized that it’d be hard to go to as many indie movies as possible in theaters ($9.00 for a ticket? What’s that?). But there’s always a never ending amount of great independent films that are at my disposal at the nearest video store, and they’re really cheap too!

One of the movies I came upon was called The Savages. I didn’t know anything about it except that Phillip Seymour Hoffman was in it, which is a plus if you’ve ever seen him in Magnolia or Almost Famous. Going into an independent movie without knowing anything is probably the best thing you can do because it adds to the excitement of what you’re about to see. So, with no expectancies, here’s what I found.

The Savages follows the story of the middle-aged Savage siblings, Jon and Wendy, and their dementia-ridden father Lenny who is left in their possession after his girlfriend passes away. After almost twenty years of not seeing him, the Savage children only remember their father as being an abusive and unloving, and now they have to deal with the man who made them the emotionally scarred individuals they are today.

The film shows the struggle of having to take care of one’s parents as they get older and older, especially if the parents were never loving to begin with. The theme of doing something for others just for the good of doing it is poignant and depressing at the same time. We, as children, have a duty to take care of those that raised us, even if they did a terrible job. The Savages poses a very real look at what everyone will someday have to go through when they and their parents reach old age. If you’re up for the depressing reality of that, filled with a handful of laughs, then take a peek into your future with this film.

As I am fortunate enough to be down here in Champaign for the summer, I’ve marked up a list of many goals that I’d like to accomplish down here. Working on my blank resume (got to start somewhere right?), learn how to write good songs that don’t only sound good to me, and discovering all of the unique places this campus is home to. Well, this past Monday I stumbled upon a place that will from now on be a frequent host for my viewing habits: Boardman’s Art Theater. This movie theater, that I’m sure many people have heard of, offered two things that will keep me coming back for more: great independent movies and the feeling that I’m in the episode of Are You Afraid of the Dark when the vampire comes out of the screen (it’s creepy in a good way).

So the first independent movie that I had the utmost pleasure of viewing at the Boardman’s Art Theater was called Young @ Heart. The film follows a chorus of senior citizens, with an average age of 80, as they practice for their upcoming tour in Europe. This would seem to be a pretty bland premise if it weren’t for the fact that the songs they were singing were made up of their own versions of popular rock songs. From the utterly weird tune by the Sonic Youth called “Schizophrenia” to the body-shakin’ James Brown song “I Got You (I Feel Good)”, we get to see the grandmas and grandpas stumble their way through the lyrics with as much enthusiasm as a little kid.

The choir is so fun to watch due to their innocence and individual personalities. Though it is easy to giggle at the old people trying to be young again, there are parts in the movie that show that trying to be youthful just doesn’t always fit with the reality of things. Yet, when bad things arise, the choir only has optimism for what they’re doing and truly entertain with their renditions of the music.

This film is one that I’ll be able to recommend to anyone, young or old. The film’s theme of holding on to your youth is one that will ring true with anyone. Now that we’re in college, we act as if we’re invincible and that we can do whatever we feel like without feeling the consequences. But the truth is, that we are becoming the adults that we will be for the rest of our lives, and we must hold on to our young spirit forever. This film is a good inspiration to not just do things in your late age, but also to do anything that you’ve ever wanted to do today, and put all that you can into it. I can say that it has definitely inspired me to write a blog recommending it and other lesser known movies that maybe make you think a little bit more than a regular mainstream movie. I hope you enjoy what I find and enjoy going to the indie movies!