August 31st, 2007
Posted by
Ian W |
DVD Viewing Journal |
3 comments
The first post FrightFest Friday Night Fright needed to be something special after last weekend’s horrific goodies. Sadly The Locals is anything but.
Starting out like your typical inbred locals terrorising some poor holidaymakers kind of movie it takes an unexpected turn at the midpoint becoming something altogether different. What it didn’t become though was any bloody good.
New Zealand has given us a few horror classics over the years, from early Peter Jackson to Jonathan King’s Black Sheep. Like anywhere else though it turns out its quota of tosh and this dull film falls squarely into that category. The direction lacks suspense, the writing features some risible dialogue and the acting is uninspired.
I could write more about this film but it’s not worth the effort. Even if you see this in a bargain bin (which is where I found mine) avoid it.
August 29th, 2007
Posted by
Ian W |
DVD Viewing Journal |
no comments
After FrightFest it seems strange not to be watching four films a day and to be watching something other than a horror movie.
Writer Richard L. Breen takes the dysfunctional family from Hawks’ The Big Sleep and crafts a more lightweight thriller round it. Some of the dialogue really snaps but there are a few moments of silliness that detract from the atmosphere. Gordon Douglas pedestrian direction doesn’t do the film any favours and the swinging ‘60s setting dates it badly.
On the plus side we have Sinatra whose laconic delivery is made for playing gumshoes. He may not be Bogie but given some decent lines, as he is at times in this, he shines. None of the supporting cast make much of an impression, with Jill St John’s Ann Archer there as much to supply key plot details than provide a love interest for Frank.
Sinatra deserved a better movie, even if you do get the impression he really didn’t want to try too hard.
August 28th, 2007
Posted by
Ian W |
Film & TV News |
2 comments
The cast and crew of Zombie Diaries
All good things must come to an end and FrightFest is no exception. The last day was a mixed bag that gave us one of the best films of the festival and also the most disappointing.
Arriving too late to join in the mass zombie walk I found Leicester Square overrun with zombies, including junior members of the walking dead (see pic left). Fighting my way through the flesh hungry hoard I made my way to my seat for the day’s first film, Zombie Diaries.
Making allowances for the films obvious micro budget, this was a nice blend of Night of the Living Dead and The Blair Witch Project. The acting was variable and elements of the films structure could have been better (the final scene with the army weakened the ending) but this showed promise and an abundance of enthusiasm from all concerned.
During the Q&A that followed the directors were asked the budget of the film. Michael Bartlett rather than name the figure responded with “What was the budget? It almost cost me my marriage. It almost cost me my home.” Co-director Kevin Gates added two girlfriends to the tally. Clearly these guys were passionate about their film.
Talking to Bartlett after the screening he asked me about The Signal and All the Boys Love Mandy Lane, two films he’d wanted to see. Horror it seems wasn’t just a genre he picked because it could be done cheaply but something he had a real interest in.
August 27th, 2007
Posted by
Ian W |
Rants & Raves |
4 comments
The day got of to a bad start as I missed the first film, Jack Ketchum’s The Girl Next Door, due to unforeseen technical difficulties getting to London (the details would make it sound like the plot from a horror film but it was no where near that exciting). So my planned three films for the day were cut down to just two - Botched and WAZ.
Botched was a British comedy horror (with a touch of heist movie thrown in) from first time director Kit Ryan. It delivered the requisite amount of gore and a few laughs as well. Some wavering Russian accents (Sean Pertwee as a Russian mob boss) didn’t detract too much from the fun and this was a pleasant enough timewaster, if nothing really special. Special would come later in the day.
Planning to skip the Uwe Boll double-bill if favour of seeking out a zombie mask for tomorrow’s zombie walk I headed off for Forbidden Planet. At 6pm I returned to Leicester Square, my search unsuccessful, and decided I might as well go and see Seed.
August 26th, 2007
Posted by
Ian W |
Rants & Raves |
no comments
Nothing exceptional today but no duds either. First up Cold Prey showed that a change of locale and some genuinely likable characters could breathe new life into the slasher film even if the end result felt a bit like Jason takes a holiday in Norway. Director Roar Uthang did a pretty good job although keeping the identity of the killer a secret was pretty pointless as anyone into this kind of film will know who it is by the end of the credits. He did a short Q&A after the film and told us the film had been a big hit in Norway and another horror film (not directed by him) was in production there.
Next came a new entry in the creepy kid sub-genre. Joshua brought back memories of Rosemary’s Baby and other films of that era, its slow burning atmosphere a nice change of pace from the usual fare. Vera Farmiga impressed as Joshua’s mum, who after giving birth to a second child, a little girl, goes a little nuts (with more than a little help from young Josh). Sam Rockwell as the father gets better as the film goes on, but the real star of the film is Jacob Kogan as the titular character. Playing the part with so little emotion can’t have been easy, particularly with the histrionics of the other actors but he never falters throughout. This wasn’t a film I was really looking forward to but I was pleasantly surprised.
August 25th, 2007
Posted by
Ian W |
Rants & Raves |
no comments
Having skipped the Hatchet DVD commentary (not having seen the film before I didn’t fancy having someone talk all the way through the film) the day started with The Sword Bearer. It wasn’t the greatest start. A love story with characters you don’t like and don’t care about and a score so overblown you’d think it was an opera. You can get away without explaining a lot in genre films (The Signal that followed this is a case in point) but a guy with a fucking sword that shoots out of his arm isn’t one of them. Worst film of the festival so far.
Things picked up big time with The Signal, a film that owes more than a little to Romero’s Crazies but had enough originality to keep it fresh. I’m assuming the three directors each did one of the segments (or Transmissions as the film refers to them) and whichever one handled the middle section is the pick of the bunch. There’s a lovely streak of black humour running through it that’s mostly absent from the other parts. In fact one of the films main problems is its a little pretentious and has a climax that’s far too drawn out.
Next up 1408 based on a Stephen King short story. It’s well made, well acted but a little to over the top. It feels like they’ve thrown every possible scare tactic into the film, including that perennial favourite, bleeding walls. Still, Cusack is on good form and Sam Jackson steals the film (and delivers the best line) in what amounts to an extended cameo. This may have made more money than any other King adaptation but it’s far from the best. This was followed by a short Q&A with the director, Mikael Hafstrom.
August 24th, 2007
Posted by
Ian W |
Rants & Raves |
5 comments
This is my first film festival experience and I wasn’t sure what to expect. Reaching the head of the cue I picked up my weekend pass and proceeded to find my seat (which was rather a good one, not to close to the front and almost dead centre, although there is a guy with a rather large head in the seat in front. This could present a problem with the subtitled films). I could see why people cued outside when the tickets first went on sale though, the rear seats are bigger and wider than the others and when you’re going to be sitting for so long I’m sure it makes all the difference. I came armed with a cushion (I’d done my research!) but decided not to use it one day one, although I’ll definitely be getting it out today.
So what about the films? Well first up was Black Sheep, a comedy horror from New Zealand. The screening was sold out (the guy in front of me in the cue for tickets was disappointed to find there were none left) and it was nice to see the film with such an appreciative audience. It’s a fun film, playing things straight and all the funnier for it, but I did feel that all the best bits were in the trailer.
August 20th, 2007
Posted by
Ian W |
DVD Viewing Journal |
no comments
This was a huge disappointment, with hardly any original ideas in its 79min running time. The idea of overlapping dimensions has been done before (and better) and all this film really has to offer are its visuals. None of the characters have any depth to them, be they human cops or demons, and consequently they fail to engage the audience (this audience anyway).
So can the visuals make up for the stories shortcomings? Not really. Yes, the character designs are striking and the fight scenes spectacular but without someone for the viewer to empathise with it’s about as much fun as watching someone else play a computer game.
August 19th, 2007
Posted by
Ian W |
DVD Viewing Journal |
no comments
In 1972 Bruce Dern made two films that would make me a lifelong fan and they couldn’t have been more different. In The Cowboys he was the sadistic outlaw who shot John Wayne in the back while Silent Running saw him playing a killer again but this time one filled with remorse.
The aptly named Freeman Lowell is one of the crew of the Valley Forge, a space freighter that’s carrying earths last forests contained within huge domes. When the order comes through to destroy the domes and return home, Lowell can’t do it. He kills his three fellow crew members and sets off for Saturn’s rings with only two robot drones for company.
Several elements combine to make this a science fiction classic. Dern’s performance, played for the most part opposite the expressionless drones’ is a thing of wonder. The film is full of moving moments, Lowell’s speech as the drones bury one of the murdered crew and the scene where he “operates” on one of the damaged drones, are just the most powerful. It’s not all doom and gloom though, the film has plenty of humour as well, with Lowell taking on Hewie and Dewie (the names he gives the drones) at poker being a perfect example.
The film boasts a trio of amazing screenwriters, Deric Washburn and Michael Cimino who would go on to write The Deer Hunter together and Steve Bochco who went on to TV fame with Hill Street Blues amongst others. Their screenplay manages to engage both the heart and the head, a rare accomplishment particularly in this genre.
August 18th, 2007
Posted by
Ian W |
DVD Viewing Journal |
one comment
Much as I loved the western genre, I was never a fan of Randolph Scott when I was growing up. He always seemed too stiff, too straight laced and it took Sam Peckinpah to make me see the error of my ways. When I first saw Ride the High Country I realised I’d underestimated Scott. Since then I’ve seen several of his westerns and I’ve enjoyed more than a few, but until now I’d never seen one that came close to Ride the High Country.
Seven Men from Now is a psychological western that’s more in the vein of the Anthony Mann/James Stewart horse operas than with anything I’ve seen in Scott’s back catalogue. In fact Scott’s vengeance seeking ex-sheriff has much in common with Stewart’s character in The Man from Laramie, both looking to avenge the loss of a loved one, in Scott’s case his wife, murdered during a robbery.
As well as Scott’s excellent turn as the craggy hero Ben Stride, the film features strong support from an actor whose career was on the rise and an actress making a comeback. Lee Marvin’s character is far too complex to just be labelled a villain, he even saves Stride’s life at one point and it’s clear he admires him. Good though he is in Ford’s The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance he’s much better here, allowed to show shades of grey as opposed to just play black hearted bad guy.
