Vampire Fest Part 2: 30 Days Of Night

Since the last couple of reviews on this blog have been for John Carpenter flicks, it seems appropriate to mention that 30 Days Of Night is one of the bast Carpenter movies Carpenter never made. It's directed by David Slade but shares many of the Carpenter traits such as being a contemporary western, seige movie and horror. Its also stripped to basics thriller, with confidentley slow shots and a primal synth music.

Its also very mythic, with the main character Eben having to face his responsibilities to the townsfolk he is sheriff for, but also to his family...his wife Melissa George. As with all good myths, Eben has to make a sacrafice, which occurs in the closing shots. It's always great when a movie ends on a powerful emotional note and 30 Days leaves it's best, and most affecting shot till last.

The Vampires seem ancient, an elegance to the animalistic savagry which Danny Huston comminicates splendidly. Josh Hartnet overcomes the 'plank' status (earned from wooden roles in Hollywood Homicide & Pearl Harbour, to bring subtlety to Eben as he struggles with the bad stuff he's forced to do to survive. Melissa George is fine her too, saying little, but conveying the strength she has to support Eben.

A great, great movie. One of the very best of 2007.

Vampire Fest Part 1: John Carpenter's Vampires

Vampires is the best film from the 3rd (and final, so far) age of director John Carpenter. From 1990 omwards, JC's films changed. His recent cinematographer Gary Kibbe had finally developed a photographic signature that was totally flat and devoid of style. Also, Carpenter stopped collaborating with long-time musical partner Alan Howarth. Plus he increasingly lacked the ability (or the will) to critique the effectiveness of his own storytelling.

The result; dull, amaturish films to look at and listen to. Once his movies were drenched in a primal edginess, now they were drained of atmosphere and tension.

Perhaps the best movie from this period is Vampires, starring James Woods as typical Carpenter anti-hero Jack Crow. Kibbe has clawed his way out of the stone age to photograph a movie that is at least pleasent to look at, and befits it's 'western' setting. As composer, his partnership with blues and rock artists on the score provides a rich and strongly themed soundtrack, if not quite the classic scores of the past. Unfortunately, it's over-edited, JC trying to up the tempo of the piece...which drags the movie down, robbing it of his trademark, long-duration shots.

But most importantly, the film is cinematic..and feels like a Carpenter flick. It's a western. There is minimal dialogue and John Ford influenced male bonding. And the visuals and music tell the story, not yammering characters. Woods impresses as the violent, foul-mouthed Crow. Its a pitty he didn't do more, action-man leading roles.

Not much is added to Vampire lore here, but thats beside the point. As a reworked Western, its pretty good.

You Know What Ol' Jack Burton Says...?

You know you're getting older when younger people you talk to haven'y heard of certain songs, Tv programmes, artists and movies. One such movie that I erge the 'youngsters' to discover is John Carpenters Big Trouble in Little China.

It comes from the second age of John Carpenter, after his genius movies, but before he got crap.
Produced by Twentieth Century Fox, it's a bizarre mix of genres that the artistically bankrupt studio wouldn't even attempt today. It combines an action adventure, comedy, horror, ghost, oriental kung-fu movie....in the traditional Carpenter Western format.

Kurt Russell creates one of the greatest screen characters ever with Jack Burton, a big headed but kind hearted lunk, who's never as capable or as tough as he'd like to think he is (and he obviously thinks he's John Wayne). Kim Cattrell is cute, James Wong trades witty banter with Russell well and everybody's having a blast. It has Carpenter's best score, the script is witty and glouriously bonkers and the visual fusion of contemporary western city meets ancient oriental culture is unique in all cinema.

So kiddies...go watch Big Trouble 'cause you rarely get something this original out of a hollywood studio theses days. Then again...did you ever?

Don't F#*k With Sean The Scottish Ruskie

As much as I like watching high, quality Oscar nominated stuff, every now and again you (well I) need to press the reset switch, and remind myself of the movies I like to watch, how I like 'em made. And so it is the turm of John Mctiernan's The Hunt for Red October starring Sean Connery & Alec Baldwin.

I'm a huge McTiernan fan (even his crapper efforts) and this constitutes one of his 3 classic movies, the others being Predator and Die Hard. I haven't seen it for a while but it still kicks unholy arse.

It gets it's kicks, not from big action setpieces (although there are a couple) but from clever characters trying to figure things out and outwit each other. Michael Bay, you don't alway have to have huge explosions (K'plow! K'bang!) to keep your audience glued to their seat. Brinksmanship and decision making give you wood too, whether it be in politics, tactics or scientific speculation. It's a big-scale, world-threatening plot that has a classic small-scale story at it's heart; a boy goes to sea and returns a man. Each character is driven in seperate plot strands by the muguffin, The Red October herself, to steal, locate, destroy, communicate with the ship.

Connery dominates, Baldwin proves himself a likable everyman hero (a role he seldom returned to once he discovered playing badboys and baddies), Scott Glenn convincing and Richard Jordan charismatic.

But director McTiernan is the daddy here. His compositions are distinctly his and the camera moves subtle but dynamic. The camera glides and creeps during conversations, hightening our reactions as we witness the cast's cleverness and cunning at work. Locations, strategies, objectives and geography are all clearly communicated visually to propel the complex story strands forward.

There's a slow but rhythmic poetry to the editing, and the music by Basil Poledouris adds a sence of wonder to the military world. Red October's risky passage through the underwater canyon of Red Route One is grand and operatic (ain't no one's done that with Subs before). Cinematographer Jan De Bont proves here why he was one of the best ever, with camera flares glinting off the sub's interiors and there's smart use of depth of field to guide the audience's eye.

This is superior film-making. And despite the rave above, it's still my 3rd favorite Mctiernan movie after the other 2 mentioned above.

When In Doubt, Call On Meryl

Doubt is an adaptation of a stage play, and boy, does it feel like it. It's static, confined to a few locations, and has only 3 principle characters. But those restrictions never held back people like Tarantino.

The story examines the pros and cons of being doubtful, as Nuns Amy Adams and then her boss, Meryl Streep start to suspect their boss, Preist Philip Semour Hoffman of an inappropriate relationship with a 12 year old pupil. Adams wavers from the start, but Steep is certain of Hoffman's indiscretions. And so the scene is set for much scenery chewing and confrontations.

Ambiguity is maintained throughout which keeps it compulsive viewing; the did he/didn't he question in played out right to the end.

In the end though its the performances which define this low key movie, and they are fine from top to bottom. But it's Streep that shines here in a role that makes her unlikable... but still relatable. Come Oscar time, if she wins it's cause she deserves to.

Life Is Like A Box Of Buttons

Another great movie from Fincher, one of the most consistant American directors woking today. Button has Julie Ormond reading the diary of Benjamin Button to her mother Cate Blanchett on her deathbed. Asyou're probably aware, Benjamin ages backwards to a baby, with the physical attributes of an 80 year old to a dementia afflicted baby.

On a technical level, this is virtually flawless; it deserves to pick up the Oscars in the technical catatagories from cinematography to production design to effects. The make-up is exemplary while the aging and youth-rendering CGIis stunning. There still seems to be a little CGI "deadeye" which is still a flaw when trying to mimic photo-real human faces, but is nit-picking.

The story is adapted from the same auther as Forrest Gump and is very similar. Both movies tell of a mans life story. However, where Forrest is an ordinary guy inextraordinary situations, Benjamin is extra-ordinary in virtually mundane events. But this allows us to consider the big issues of life and death from a fresh perspective. It's slowbut builds up momentum as both Pitt & Blanchetts characters draw nearer their own demises. It's scattered with a weath of observations and truisms about existance, but it seem to come back to accepting life for what it is and embracing it.

Thankfully it's not over sentimental, and all the better for it.

Classy Lassy

Classy. That describes the majority of the serious work of Clint Eastwood as director and Anjalina Jolie as actress (you can exclude The Rookie and Tomb Raider from that statement).And so it is with Changeling, Eastwood's true tale of a single mother battling authorities in 1920's L.A. to locate her missing son.
I didn't anticipate I'd enjoy this as much as Eastwood's other 2009 project Gran Torino, but I ended up liking it more. The reasons...?Well, the beautiful recreation of the period Los Angeles setting was facinating, taking you into another world. The story didn't just revolve around a weaping or courageous mother, it shows the periphical investigations andpolitics of the mothers circumstances.

Also it's the precence of screenwriter J M Stracsynski, creator of an S.F. series I admire Babylon 5.JMS's writing style and personal themes are evident throughout. The first of those being the phrase "Never start a fight, but always finish it."(a term that reoccurs throughot B5).Themes of personal responsibility are tackled, either as a public servant, a human being or a parent.There also the theme of persistence and hope that punctuates all of JMS's work.

Mainly I like the little guy vs the system story. It's something we usually get in Dystopian Futures like V for Vendetta or contemorary action thrillers like 24.But this is made all the more powerful by the fact it's a true story with deep seated corruption that was wiped away.Gets ya everytime.

Crikey! Tom Cruise's Ex-Sheila Down Under

You can't take Australia seriously. It's a Baz Luhrman flick after all. If you've seen Moulin Rouge! then you'll understand how barking Baz can get. So wipe all expectations of a 'serious' o
Oscar contender (the academy did, as it happens) and instead anticipated a romanticised , ultra stylised-version-of-reality, melodrama. Like a historic comic book, without the superheros or fight scenes. An when I say romanticised, I don't mean kissy kissy (although there is some of that), but a beautifully designed, lit, composed and scored version of the real Oz. Everything is an exagerated version of the real thing, as if an oil painter or romantic novelist were to team up to capture the whole movie on film. Even the performances are heightened to the poiunt of characature, especially that of Ms Kidman. This heightened storytelling is an aquired taste, just like Moulin Rouge. So if thats not to your taste, avoid.

If you, like me, can accept a visionary, experimental director doing their thing, then this may grab you. The story is nothing original, and you could cut half an hour out of the final act, but it sure is purty to look at. There's a critisism of some movies of them having "style over substance". And while I agree that a story should be clearly told, contain dramatic tension and hopefully have some kind of point...I don't think a films style should be ignore. Sometimes, the style IS the substance. It's what makes us keep going back to watch them. Take Ridley Scott's Alien... a slender, but expertly told story. But if Scott hadn't pushed the style as much as he did, would we still regard it as a classic now? Australia isn't a classic, and I think it never will be. But I can, at least admire, the creative stylistic choices on show.

The Passion of Randy The Ram

First off...the hype surrounding the oscar worthy performance of Micky Rourke and career revival is deserved. His portrayal of aging Wrestler Randy The Ram is heartfelt, honest and raw.
In an age where Best Actor wins go to the likes of Danial Day Lewis or Forrest Whittaker for showstopping, powerhouse characterisations, its refreshing to see an actor strip all the pretense away and give a glimpse of their soul.

The other star of this is director Darron Aronofsky, who delivers a movie very different than the poetic The Fountain or the hyper-reality of Requiem for a Dream. This has a genuine documentary feel to it (and not the nauseating-documentary style that every cop TV show has been using for the last 10 years). Aronofsky's signature shots for the Wrestler have the camera follow Randy around...through the gym, through his workplace, through shops and stores. Maybe Randy's walking away from us, the audience, just as he's walked away from everybody else in his life. Perhaps he's striding towards his destiny (while we follow). Despite this unusually true-to-life feel from the director, he still invests the movie with a subtle spiritual subtext that lifts you out of the hopelessness of Randy's lfe.

Not a movie I'd recommend you rewatch all that often (I need a little more escapism in my movies) but one that I'd hole-heartedly encourage you to experience perhaps once.
It's a haunting piece. Welcome back Micky.

Being Human; TV Update #5

Four years ago Doctor Who has revived Brit Fantasy TV. This is the next generation of home-grown magic since then.It's smartly written, exploring the entwined mytholy of ghosts, vampires and werewolves as one of each, co-habiting in Bristol, try to come to terms with their'conditions'.



The cast is strong too, the series ensemble being a well-judged improvement over the already good pilot cast. Russell Tovey stands out as George, as does Sinead Keenan as his love interest Nina. Leonor Crichlow is a sexy undead icon, but still captures that scatty insecurity that defines Annie.

Each episode, so far, has explored the nature of each of the supernatural characters as they struggle to balance their darker sides with 'being human'. It's this balance that makes the series exceptional...in one hand dark, sometimes touching drama. On the other hilarious occurancesstraight out of a sit-com. Comedy dramas are very difficult to pull off; one side usually swamping the other. But in writer Toby Whitehouse's hands, along with a capable production team.. this is the best Brit TV export since Who.



Woo Hoo!

24; TV Update #4

This series has done a clever thing this year. The plot twists it usually employs to keep viewers guessing have been so routinely used, they're practically cliches. So they've incorporated them into the plot on such a big scale, that they are what 24 is about.... Renegade agents and torture. The torture asopect, especially, is being treated like The Dark Knight did...an examination of tmorality in crisis situations. Problem is, they're dealing with the renegade officials/agents on such a large scale, that next year they've left themselves nowhere to go. Please don't go there guys.

But this is still extremely entertaining stuff.

Battlestar Galactica; TV Update #3

When a TV series is in it's end game, and it's still holding onto consistent viewing figures, it can afford to take some risks with storytelling. Someone has told this to BSG creator Ron Moore, 'cause there be some risk taking going on.

The risks in question are the familiarity of the premise and the recurring cast. The premise is going out the window and the cast are going out the airlock. Where is the story going? Who will survive? I don't know...but this is, by far, the best thing on the box at the moment.

Lost; TV Update #2

Lost continues its excellent run into its fifth season. As before an area of the island is explored during the season. In the first it was the Oceanic survivors (The Losties), the second was The Hatch, the third it was The Others, the forth it was The Rescuers. And this year it's Time Travel.Each episode is divided into two halves. One concerns The Losties still on the island who are jumping randomly through time.This affords us the oppotunity to see the actual history of previously appeared characters and events.The other half takes place in flash-forwards in events taking place 3 years later where The Losties who escaped The Island and are considering going back.
What keeps this series compulsive viewing is its ability to answer long standing questions (sometimes openly, often subtley if you can work it out) while still present many more intriguing questions.It's a shame this has to end next year and has only 30ish episodes to go. However, the nearer we get to a conclusuion, the more gripping the plots and the tighter the scripts.

Demons; TV Update #1

Demons = Unexceptional.

Nice cast. Unexceptional premise. Unexceptional writing, direction, acting, design. Safe, made for the masses, saturday tea-time, unexceptional entertainment. Not bad but, you know...unexceptional.

The Curious Case of Frank Castle

First...a personal history. The recent version of the Punisher starring Thomas Jane and John Travolta (actors whos work I like) is wank. It's cock. It's the least punishing movie about punishing I can think of. I really like the cheap Dolph Lundgren version from the early 90's. Frank Castle is tougher, the cast groovy, it has some style and it kicks arse.

Punisher: War Zone is the best adaptation, to date. It sets up its intentions early, in a scene where the Marvel Comic;s vigillante gatecrashes a mob get-together. There is blood. Huge explosions of blood. Inventive deaths. Exploding heads. Gloriously violent decapitations. Tee Hee. I was worried by distributer Lionsgate's recent 'pussying-out' with their gory movies ( The house of Saw thinks theyre a respectable outfit these days), but they certainly delivered here.

Its pretty well directed by Lexi Alexander who shows she knows how to frame and light a scene (although it can fall into the talking head trap a little too easily). I think there's better work to come from Ms Alexander.

Ray Stevenson makes a brooding on screen presence and his dialogue is kept to an absolute minimum. There's a couple of comic book lines which come across as corny, by both Mr P and his enemy Jigsaw, but the overall style is less reality based than its predecesor and so its not too jarring the odd time it happens.

If you liked the outrageous ultra-violence of last years Rambo movie, then this is the ticket for you. If you didn't...sod off and watch Momma Mia! for the eighty third time.

Trailer Park of Happy Joy Joy!

So you wanna direct a new horror movie, with a view to creating a horror franchise for the noughties. Obviously some sexed up teens have to break down and seak refuge in a location with a horrific past. But how do you make it a little different?

Easy...Just mix the styles of two of your favorite directors...let's say Robert Rodriguez and Rob Zombie. You can concentrate your storytelling on the psychotic, supernatural bad guys (as they're much more interesting) , set it in the deep south and have cool country rock litter the soundtrack. But, so it doesn't get too heavy going, make sure the tone is fun and jokey.

Most low budget horror movies have shit make up effects, so don't fall into this trap. Hire newcomers who celebrate the inventiveness of ripping off a girl's limbs with latex and a fake machette.

You may not have a genre classic. But you'll have a goodtime gory story thats better than most shite on Zone Horror. Good luck!

Happy Retirement Clint

Eastwoods's best movie in years. Clint is a grumpy, racist widower living next door to an Asian family.The slow-burn drama chart Walt's progress from prejudiced loner to trusting father-figure to Tao, his young neighbour.

The slow build up pays of as the end approaches as the movie transforms into something grander and more mythic. It could almost be staged as a Western, with Clint playing an aging gunslinger who may get pulled back into violence once more. Powerful themes of family, guilt, redemption and values are handled with Eastwood's usual subtlety.

The great man himself delivers a quite introspective performance that typically overshadows everybody else. It's a testament to his stat power and talennt, the he can still kick thesp-arse in his later years. I wonder though whether Clint put on the raspy voice for Walt; when I first heard it in the trailer, I thought he was doing an impersonation of himself (although, in context, it works for the story).

Simple, elegant storytelling.

Seven Heaven

Latest on my wirlwind regression to the '70's is Brit Sci-fi drama Blake's 7.

Watching the first few episodes of 1979's season 2, I can say with certainty that it stands up very well. Its very cheap, the effects are naff, the planets are welsh quarries and none of the actors have regional accents.

But it fares better than most Doctor Who made by the BBC at the same time. The premise is strong, it takes itself seriously and the plots have a tense gorilla war aspect to them.

What excells though is the writing and the casting. When talking about the UK drama Life on Mars, I expressed admiration for the British ability to present characters like Gene Hunt, that are blunt, sarcastic with a general view of contempt for others. Blackadder is another. Blake's 7 has THREE of these... Super-computer Orac, Supreme Ferderation Commander Servalan and Blake's numer two, Avon. All three are genius creations that all other Tv shows could learn from.

With the exception of cowardly thief Villa, most other characters are uninteresting...which allows them to be fodder for the magnificent 3. It's rumoured that Sky TV are developing a remake of this shaw, and that's fine. But, as with the US Life On Mars, if they don't get the casting right, the whole thing will be a shadow of its former self.

Vampires Vs Werewolves Vs Thespians

If you like the first 2 you're gonna like Underworld 3 as well. It completes the story cycle, recalling how the Lycan / Vampire war started. For those unfamiliar with the Underworld movies, it's basically Romeo & Juliet, with a shit load of Pale thespians and groovy CGI werewolves.

Although not directed by original helmer Len Wiseman, his replacement makes a good effort of it, providing a film that looks and feels a part of the franchise. Continuity is aided by returning scenery chewers Michael Sheen, Bill Nighey and others. Rhona Mitra rises above her Doomsday blandness (perhaps trying to impress her impressive co-stars) to deliver a worthy performance. But expectation (based on previous lead actress Kate Beckinsale), plus cunning advertising, would have you believe it's Rhona's movie; it's not. The lead is Sheen who proves he can do leading man as well.

The effects are passable, the scale is pretty big (considering the limited budget), the action aplenty (if too quickly cut) and the ending cool.

And yes, its R-rated, so Rhona gets to strip.