Dead Wrong! Episode 3: 'The Descent'
10.24.09 By: Brad McHargue
When The Descent came out, everyone fell in love with it. The follow-up to Neil Marshall's wonderful werewolf flick Dog Soldiers, The Descent is considered one of the best horror films of 2006, gracing a number of top tens from that year, and with good reason. It was scary, fun, well-acted and excessively bloody and violent. After my first viewing I fell in love with it, and it went on to become one of my favorite horror films of all time. But as always, you just can't please everyone. Enter Horror Squad's own Peter Hall.
The vehement indignation in Peter's voice throughout this debate is merely a testament to his long-standing hatred for this film, which began with his review three and a half years ago. My favorite quote of his comes not from the review, but from a response he made to a comment by Cinematical contributor Will Goss, which says: I would rather watch a slideshow of all the Saw posters for 90 minutes than THE DESCENT.
After reading his review, I felt Peter would be the perfect person with which to debate the merits of the film, a task I should have spent more time preparing for. I love the film, but not nearly with the same amount of passion with which he hates it. Joined early on by the bearded wonder Luke Mullen, episode three of Dead Wrong is filled with fun, excitement, and for some reason a lot of science lessons.
As always, start the debate when the marker reads 00:00 on the movie and you should be good to go.
Filed under: Discussion Posts, Movies We Love
Reader Comments (1 of 1)
cablebfgat 10-24-2009
Now that is just plain fun. Too bad I returned the film to Netflix about a month ago. Plus, I don't have two hours to spare right now with college football on. But good idea. I like it.
Shadi Mirzaat 10-24-2009
I thought The Descent was a horrible mess of a film, and the fact that Hall hated the movie, too - despite the fact that everyone else seemed to love it - is a testament to how awesome this site is.
Peter Hallat 10-25-2009
Thank you.
MLat 10-26-2009
All the nit-picking makes me want to ask Peter how he feels about Die Hard with a Vengeance (or even Die Hard 2); no doubt Die Hard stretches credulity enough but the sequels drive me crazy and I consider myself pretty forgiving.
Peter Hallat 10-26-2009
Yeah, but those films aren't widely regarded as the Best Anything, whereas The Descent has become a beloved new-genre gem. It's nitpicking, sure, but if something is held in such high regard, I think it should be immune to nitpicking about CGI bats and uninspired production design.
MLat 10-26-2009
Is The Descent really considered "the best" of anything? I thought it was enjoyable, but I don't consider it brilliant by any means & wouldn't put it in my "best of" list by a long shot.
cyrano138at 12-29-2009
By the way, in the scene where Juno (sp?) holds a lighter in the mouth of a cave despite the fact that all the rest of the girls have headlamps trained on it is because she's not using it for light. She's trying to see which cave leads to the other entrance by seeing which one has a draft or breeze passing through it. Have you never seen First Blood?
Don't get me wrong, I thought this movie was junk, but not for the same reasons. Fun debate, though. Keep up the good work, guys.