10/26/16 – day twenty-six of thirty-one days of horror!
Arguably the best thing to come out of the post-SCREAM horror boom, the
FINAL DESTINATION series boasts more good entries than bad, no small
feat for a franchise where the killer is the invisible specter of death
itself. The films are beloved for their OMEN-inspired Rube Goldbergian
kills, often elaborate scenarios of ever-escalating “accidental” death
traps, and for my money the entry that mines the most fun out of this
premise is FINAL DESTINATION 5. The opening bridge collapse
alone is worth the price of admission, but director Steven Quale and
writer Eric Heisserer keep the carnage coming, capitalizing on common
phobias and innocuous situations with gruesome and often hilarious
results. It all ends in a twist that bookends the whole series, and
while I would like to see another go-around with the Grim Reaper (whose
corporeal emissary takes the form of Tony CANDYMAN Todd), I couldn’t ask
for a better capper. It’s actually a fine starting point towards your
Final Destination, so go on – death awaits!
