19 Reviews
A Dark and Scary Place
A young woman is abducted, and police detective Anna Mari is forced to play a form of on-line poker against the kidnapper for the woman's life. Initially, the chief inspector had refused to involve the police in manipulative games, which culminated in the first captive being killed in front of their eyes via a video link which the experts cannot trace. But even when Anna convinces him they should play to buy more time, she knows she is no poker player. Aided by a disgraced Irish cop called John Brennan in the investigation to apprehend the killer the media has dubbed The Card Player, Anna soon realises she will need an expert player. However, somehow the killer knows that someone is playing in her stead. It isn't long before Anna becomes a target herself, and the killer isn't finished playing yet...
The Card Player is one of a number of current DVD releases of Dario Argento films from Arrow Video. Horror aficionados might know him through his older films such as Demons and Suspiria, or more recently by his contribution to the Masters of Horror anthology series. However, he has delved more deeply into police procedural murder mysteries/thrillers - a genre which he reportedly feels most comfortable with.
This is a good representation of his dramatic suspense material, with Stefania Rocca and Liam Cunningham both powerful in their central roles. The use of computer crime, although heavily on the increase, is usually in the form of embezzlement, so the idea of the computer application being the unwitting channel for crime threw me back to the excellent Lynda LaPlante scripted Killer Net, in which a CD-ROM game was being controlled by a third party. This being the case, the film would also have worked well as an episode of any number of police detective serials.
The plot motors along at a cracking pace, and the climatic scene is gripping, but I have to say it didn't take much reasoning to work out who the killer was, particularly when a time discrepancy is explained.
Any fan of Dario Argento's work should welcome this release, as it contains a double-sided sleeve, a collector's booklet, and a poster. The disc itself contains a Making of... featurette, a gallery and ten minutes of trailers for his other films.
Henry is a serial killer who moves from city to city, leaving behind a string of bodies, killed by various methods. He associates no importance to the process, although he realises it is important to keep on the move. Arriving in Chicago, he moves in with Otis, an ex-con buddy who is soon drawn into his dark world. When Otis’ s sister arrives in town looking for work, she is intrigued with Henry and, after hearing about some of his exploits, happily attaches herself to him and his sinister psyche. Henry begins to school them in his way of life, causing them to take a direction from which there is no return...
Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer was filmed in 1986 but, due to its bio docudrama approach and certain scenes of violence, it wasn’t seen in its entirety until 1990. I’ve seen the edited version of this film and, to be brutally honest, in terms of the number of scenes there’s not much difference. John McNaughton was a fledgling director at the time, and undoubtedly wanted to make a big impact on the movie business - although he admits that he had no idea what constituted an unreasonably brutal scene in the eyes of the censors. The opening montage of dead bodies in various locations is one such segment which had to be removed. Now that it’s back in place, it isn’t lengthy but it does somewhat change the structure of the entire film. Rather than have Henry tell his back story to the police in a scene arrangement which starts in the middle - as with the other, frankly awful, Henry Lee Lewis semi-fictional biography - what we get here is a more palatable linear tale of how the key character brings everyone down around
him.
Henry is based on the notorious serial killer, Henry Lee Lucas. He is portrayed here as an almost totally emotionless individual, with cold inner rage and sexual frustration. Although acting performances are solid and convincing, this is not the type of film I normally enjoy. However, for anyone who loves this movie, there is a veritable plethora of extra features on this Blu-ray Special Edition. Alongside the expected Making of... documentary, there is a featurette on Henry Lee Lucas, an interview with director John McNaughton (which is so long that I fell asleep watching it), an exploration of the altered scenes, deleted scenes and outtakes with commentary, stills gallery, and original storyboards.
Zakes and on/off girlfriend Beth are driving along the M1 late at night. It's raining hard and they're both tired and irritable. When a white lorry overtakes them the back slides up and for an instant Zakes catches a glimpse of a naked woman caged and screaming inside. He calls the police on a mobile but the number plate is too dirty to be read. Satisfied that the police will investigate, Zakes pulls into a service station to put up the posters required for his job. Beth is disgusted that Zakes hasn't done more to help the captive woman, and elects to make her own way home. Zakes waits in the car for her to come to her senses, but when he spots the white lorry and a hooded figure, and finds her broken necklace, he realises with horror that Beth has been taken too. He trails the lorry, and what follows is a rollercoaster ride of terror and pain as Zakes determines to recover his girlfriend from a mysterious assailant...
I'm certain I've mentioned before how a film created by a first time writer/director can either be inspirational or insipid; delightful or disastrous. Luckily, this time around it's very much the former. The brains behind this gem is Mark Tonderai, and what's more he's British. The fact that Hush has been nominated for a British Independent Film award, may give you some insight into the standard we're talking about here. There's no doubting that, like the early scenes of Jeepers Creepers, this film owes a debt of gratitude to Duel (written by the great Richard Matheson and directed by a young Steven Spielberg), certainly with the heavy use of the lorry and the faceless driver. In fact, the hooded figure goes a long way to empowering Hush; you can almost see it becoming a franchise (yee, Gods!).
The small handful of characters are the most believable I've seen in some time. Not only do they react realistically to events, they are changed by them. At the forefront of these is Will Ash, whose portrayal of Zakes couldn't be more convincing. There's no compromising here; no making the character fit situations. Everything Zakes does throughout the film is based in truth; no more so than when he chooses not to involve himself directly until his own girlfriend is abducted. A few things in the context of the story are not explained, but that's fine, as a person in Zakes's position wouldn't necessarily learn everything that is going on. They would only be concerned with recovering their loved one. In this respect, it is a long time since a film has intelligently piled on layer upon layer of tension, so that you are literally biting your nails and sitting on the edge of your seat. It's simply wonderful when a film arrives which does this with such flair, because they are so few and far between.
Tonderai so obviously has a talented eye for good drama, suspense and action. The film is tightly edited, with good continuity. In this film he plays cleverly with our nerves. I think we should keep a close eye on his progress in the industry, because judging by Hush, he is already a force to be reckoned with.
There is a nice collection of extras too, with seven featurettes, a commentary, interviews with Mark Tonderai and William Ash, and deleted scenes. Buy it now.
John Wayne Cleaver (a nice name which suggests a sort of hero slasher!) is a 17 year old boy who helps his mother at the mortuary removing organs from bodies and replacing blood with embalming fluid. He has a somewhat unhealthy obsession with serial killers to the point he has a therapist (he even tells people that he has to be nice to them because he is actually thinking about killing them!). The town is living in fear as several people have been killed or gone missing. When John spots someone acting suspiciously on more than one occasion he surreptitiously follows the figure to a surprising revelation. But it’s one thing knowing who the killer is, it’s quite another doing something about it. Everyone treats John with distaste, mistrust or ridicule, so he is obliged to take matters into his own hands. However, the killer knows the enemy, and events lead to an astounding game of cat and mouse...
Christopher Lloyd is already a minor legend for his eccentric appearances in Taxi and Back to the Future, but the real star in this movie is Max Records. He perfectly portrays a teenager who is an aloof (but not necessarily cold) passive-aggressive with the presence of a victim unless he has something to say. Although he doesn’t bond with anyone (his family and one friend quite plainly outsiders) you can’t help siding with him... proving the acting is spot on.
There are obvious links to the excellent Donnie Darko: occasional black humour against a bleak subject matter (John uses an unwanted panda hat Christmas gift as a disguise in the latter stages), and the ‘nobody’ with sociopathic tendencies who uncovers corruption within a relatively small community whilst riding a bike! However, it’s a very different film with its own clever moments. I don’t want to give too much away, but there are plenty of surprises. I particularly like the scene wherein John follows the suspicious hooded figure as another person is apparently abducted, only to witness the revelation that the supposed victim is actually the aggressor.
John’s morbid fascination with killer and dead bodies is entirely conducive to the plot. The groundwork for the rather unusual finale is carefully laid out in plain sight, so that you can’t see the wood for the trees, so to speak.
There is nothing forced or contrived about I Am Not a Serial Killer; it flows with a real sense of professionalism. Even the kills are not the main scenes; there is no need for extreme violence and gore in a movie which so obviously feels comfortable in its own skin (which is ironic when you view the conclusion).
The film is a British/Irish co-production filmed in America. It has been almost universally acclaimed, and not without just cause. Director Billy O’Brien has done a sterling job (matched by a perfectly weighted score), and I’m certain we’ll be seeing more of Max Records (check out on the extras the test scenes filmed when he was younger).
Charlie Otero was a teenage child on 15 January 1974 when he returned home from school to find that his parents and two younger family members had been viciously murdered. These were the first victims of the serial killer who would later be known as B.T.K. (Blind, Torture, Kill). Thirty years later, after many more killings during the 1970s and 1980s, a man called Dennis Rader was eventually arrested and convicted of the crimes. He is currently serving several life sentences. This is the story of how Charlie Otero, day by day, attempted to put his life back together...
I fully expected this to be a dramatisation of real life events, but discovered it to be a feature length documentary. After a description of the horrific events of that fateful day in 1974, we begin with Charlie just being released from jail after a three and a half year stretch. According to those closest to him, he was allegedly manipulated to certain actions by his ex-wife. He briefly meets a couple of old friends, before attempting to go on with his life. Charlie has been in a dark place, but he comes across as vengeful and railing at the world, which is normal in my book, considering what he has been through. They are events which will never leave him.
After years of silence, B.T.K. resurfaces, sending a number of correspondences to the police. After a time, and before Charlie Otero can exact his own justice, the perpetrator is arrested. It never fails to amaze me how almost everybody who has unsuspectingly known a serial killer states how nice or harmless they seemed. Charlie and his surviving sister attend a number of preliminary hearings, and we get a sense of just what they have suffered and endured across the years. Matters spiral further when his son is seriously injured in a traffic accident, and doctors have no idea whether or not he will pull through.
There is a sort of closure for Charlie. Rader is convicted and sentenced (although he shows no remorse), and there’s good news concerning his boy. I have no idea why this is a docu-film, as opposed to a TV documentary, but it does incorporate most key points in Charlie’s life leading up to the sentencing of his parents' murderer. The subject matter means it’s not enjoyable to watch, but it is professionally filmed and edited. You feel naturally pleased that his life is making a very positive turn.
Trevor Reznik (Christian Bale) is a machine operator; just one of a bored group of men. The difference is Reznik hasn't slept for nearly a year. Racked by extreme fatigue, his body is becoming increasingly emaciated. As a consequence of this his mind plays a series of warped tricks on him, until he seriously begins to doubt reality. As a result of his negligence a fellow worker suffers an accident in which he loses an arm. Reznik is alienated from the workforce, and his guilt soon turns to paranoia. As a series of Hangman notes appear on his fridge, he discovers the two people he can still rely on are not what they seem at all. Reznik believes someone is trying to exact revenge on him for the accident, but the real truth will threaten to tip him over the edge into insanity...
This is one of those films you feel compelled to watch; once you've pressed that play button you're not going to press stop until it's over. That's testament to the film's good plotting. There are layers upon layers which reel you in and immerse you in the so-called subterfuge until you're not quite sure if The Machinist is a contemporary thriller or a Chronenberg-like fantasy. I suppose it's a bit of both, but the closest film comparison in terms of style would be Donnie Darko. Especially the final revelations, and the fact that it leaves you thinking and trying to make sense of certain aspects. I prefer that in a film; I don't particularly like neatly tied-up packages.
Christian Bale (currently finding fame in Batman Begins) is near faultless in his performance here. The lengths he went to to get into character surprised even the writer and director. Simply put, Bale just stopped eating and wasted away, risking serious health problems, until he barely existed. I'm not sure a mere movie warrants those extremes, but you've got to give the man credit, because he pulls it off with aplomb.
For me, the best scene is when he takes the little boy on the ghost train. The way Bale reacts to the increasingly depraved scenes of death and violence, trying to protect the boy, are the film's only humorous moments. But it doesn't stay that way for long. I think if I'd been taken on that ghost train at a young age I'd have had a seizure too.
Extras are: Director Interview, Commentary by Director Brad Anderson, The Making of... featurette, Trailers and 8 Deleted Scenes.
A great and original film.
Will Graham is an ex-crime scenes investigator, who retired after catching and imprisoning Dr Hannibal Lector. He was stabbed but affected by a greater extent after trying to put himself in the mind of Lector and as a result spending a short time in a mental facility. His friend and colleague, Jack Crawford, persuades him to return and head the investigation into a new serial killer, dubbed by insiders as The Tooth Fairy. After visiting the latest crime scene, Will visits Lector in jail in order to re-enter the required mindset, but Lector immediately begins to play mind games with him. When it is discovered that the killer has corresponded with Lector, Will sets up a sting with himself as the target. However, the plan goes disastrously wrong, and Will is left with only a few hours left before the next full moon killing...
I have fond memories of this film. Red Dragon, upon which this film was based, was by far the best book from Thomas Harris, no subsequent book involving these characters coming close. Similarly, this film knocks spots off those films which followed: the vastly overrated The Silence of the Lambs, Hannibal, and the inevitable Red Dragon inferior remake. This film, looking crisp and new on Blu-ray, simply exudes style. The direction by Michael Mann, is meticulous in making everything look slightly off-kilter. In each scene he uses a piece of architecture or furniture and has it take over the shot - even filming at table height or at acute angles on the street.
Also, the book has been expertly transposed, losing none of its tautness. There’s a constant feeling of time running out, highlighted by tints of colour indicating the present feeling portrayed. The acting is pretty much spot on - particularly Brian Cox as Hannibal, and William Peterson (of CSI) as Will Graham. You genuinely want to slap the reporter, and that’s the sign of good characterisation. We are more than halfway into the film before we see anything of the lifestyle of the killer and his tentative relationship with a blind woman, which soon turns sour.
This 25th Anniversary Edition contains the Original Theatrical Cut, and the Director’s Cut. There are a couple of nice special features too: The Manhunter Look featurette, and the Inside Manhunter featurette.
A serial killer is at large in New York. His penchant is for cutting-up beautiful young women. On his trail is a police inspector who is told by a couple of phone witnesses that he speaks like a duck. Subsequent taunting phone calls received by the inspector confirm this. An intended victim survives to tell the police about a man who is missing two fingers, who accosted her on the subway, but she was actually attacked after that incident and identifies the wrong person. When the man she identified is dragged from the water, having been dead for some time, it means he couldn't have been the killer. The inspector is back to square one. Then the killer makes another attempt on the victim who survived, and the pieces begin to come together...
New York Ripper is the first of many violent horror and exploitation films to be released by Shameless Screen Entertainment. It was previously banned and the prints ordered out of the country by the BBFC. In my opinion, it seems a strange marketing strategy to attempt to capture a retail audience of perverted sex and extreme violence mongers, with descriptions like vile and shocking, and quotes such as "The sickest movie ever made!"
As with Phantom of Death, another early Shameless release, I expected to hate this film, but was rather pleasantly surprised. The only really gruesome scene is the one in which a secured victim is seen to be sliced with a razor blade from the forehead and down through one eye. All other set pieces are no worse than many other horror films, such as a Friday the 13th flick or John Carpenter's The Thing, also released in 1982. Most of the victims are quickly dispatched (at least on-screen) and the killer is not seen in the same frame until the end of the movie. Perhaps it's just me, but scenes of a straight kill are considerably less disturbing than those depicting rape or prolonged torture, and luckily they are not present in this film.
There is more of a 1970s feel at play here, with a jazzy McCloud or The Streets of San Francisco soundtrack which proves curiously innocuous during the murder scenes, when you might normally expect menacing or at least creepy music. However, the notion of the killer speaking like a duck is intriguing and proves effective, enhancing the moments when the psychopath lets go. This works well as a murder mystery, suspects mounting up along the way before being whittled down as their stories are played out. I thought the killer might be Daffy Duck or The Penguin from Batman but, all joking aside, was relieved to discover there was a valid reason for the voice which also ties-in with the motive for the killings.
The violence of the murder scenes is not what should be emphasised in the marketing blurb, because it is merely an aside to a relatively good plot-driven murder mystery. This is New York Ripper's first excursion on to DVD in the UK and, like Phantom of Death, is certainly worth a look.
Anna Manni is a detective in Rome's Anti-Rape Unit. Whilst on the hunt for a serial rapist and killer, she is given an anonymous tip-off as to his whereabouts. When she arrives to apprehend him at an art gallery the elaborate classic paintings overwhelm her and she passes-out, hitting her head on a table. When she regains consciousness her gun has gone from her bag, but she doesn't know who she is and can't recall what happened. A man offers her money for a taxi to her apartment, the key for which she finds in her bag. As she begins to recover her identity, she is attacked and raped by the same man - the person the police are searching for - using her weakness around works of art against her. The psychologist she is assigned to informs her she has Stendhal Syndrome, which causes intensive illusions in the presence of fine art. The killer begins to take an altogether unhealthy interest in Anna, finally kidnapping her and keeping her bound. However, when Anna manages to get the upper hand her police colleagues believe the killer is dead. But Anna isn't convinced...
This is another of the current DVD releases of Dario Argento films, this time starring the director's daughter Asia Argento. The recently reviewed The Card Player was originally intended as a sequel to this movie, but ultimately it took on it's own individual identity. That was to prove a blessing of sorts, as The Card Player is in my opinion a finer film - aside, perhaps, from the predictable ending.
The Stendhal Syndrome feels like an extremely long viewing experience; although the running time is 118 minutes, the structure is that of three conjoined segments, each differing only slightly from the last. Anna is effectively made a victim three times, and it makes you wonder where her colleagues are all this time. You wouldn't think they would let her out of their sight, and as a previous victim in reality she would have been removed from the case and sent far away to undergo convalescence. Still, this is based on a novel, and it's necessary to suspend a little disbelief otherwise we wouldn't have a story.
It's a reasonably good film, well acted, but the concept of entering a painting or having a dark figure emerge from one is not exploited enough for my liking. The scene in which she becomes the art she is afraid of by painting herself, becomes superfluous as the character of Anna learns nothing from the experience.
Again, the packaging is good, with a double-sided sleeve, a collector's booklet and a poster. The disc extras are limited to a theatrical trailer, and some trailers from Argento's other films.
With its eclectic mix of mystery, suspense and the supernatural, Thriller regularly enthralled Saturday night television audiences when it originally broadcast between 1973 and 1976...
Thriller is an early 1970s anthology series of hour-long suspense tales. This set of four DVDs contain a total of ten stories from the first series. The concept was created by Brian Clemens, who was well-known around this time for TV scriptwriting, his credits including The Avengers. Here he writes the majority of the material and supplies ideas for those few scripted by others.
This is very much a product of its time with very formal dialogue and a static upper-middle to higher class structure. There are plenty of giant country houses or rich city businessmen. Pretty much any working class character is a menial serving his or her 'betters'. However, it is rather refreshing at times to see problems combated in a gentlemanly manner, with no unnecessary violence or cursing. It reminds you of the old Raffles series and makes you wonder if the world was ever that civilised.
There is a veritable plethora of recognisable names and faces dotted throughout the series; among them, Robert Powell, T.P. McKenna, Dennis Waterman, Peter Vaughan, John Le Mesurier, Linda Thorson, Dinsdale Landen and Maureen Lipman. Thriller is not as bad as you might expect, but by today's standards it is long and drawn-out. These average stand-alone episodes range from the mildly enticing to the plainly awful. Although there are supernatural elements to some of the stories they are kept to a bare minimum.
Lady Killer has a con man worm his way into the affections of a lonely American woman and marry her in an attempt to claim the life insurance of his first wife. Possession has a couple move into a country house and soon discover the body of the previous owner under the cellar floor boards. Someone at the Top of the Stairs is a variation on The Picture of Dorian Gray scenario (and is "Marvellous!" which is a bad in-joke). Other stories include, An Echo of Theresa, The Colour of Blood, Murder in Mind, A Place to Die, File it Under Fear, The Eyes Have It, and Spell of Evil.
One more thing: why have the 'going to adverts' titles been left in? Surely they could easily have been edited out...
Tony is a middle-aged, socially inept loner, who wanders the streets during daylight or night time hours searching for something to help fulfil his life. Secluded and inexperienced with people, he doesn't quite know what that missing ingredient is. It could be drugs, a man, a woman, or just plain company. But being a social outcast reaches new lows when a boy goes missing and the father accuses Tony of being a paedophile...
This is a low-budget movie partly funded by the National Lottery. It is filmed on location in and around a London estate and immediately identifiable tourist attraction areas such as Trafalgar Square, the Thames north side Embankment and Soho, managing in doing so to make them all seem a little seedy. I fully expected to quickly become bored with the proceedings, but conversely became curiously compelled to watch. This was in most part due to the considerable acting skills of Peter Ferdinando. The whole would be much lessened without his contribution; the character's entire demeanour and speech is spot on. He is completely devoid of emotions, no smiles or laughs, no frowns or anger. Just total detachment. I can't praise him enough.
There is a very dark and macabre humour inherent in this, which could easily be overlooked entirely by those with no sense of humour or who look on this entire venture as bad taste. In that case, I would suggest buying Disney's Bambi DVD instead. I for one appreciated the irony. When a man arrives at his flat to caution him about not having a TV licence, Tony is unfazed. That is until the man attempts to confiscate his TV, and is strangled with a wire flex for his trouble. The next thing you see is a foot in a dish as Tony begins to cut up and dispose of the body. Another priceless moment is when Tony wakes up with a man sitting up in bed next to him. Tony says good morning to him and asks if he wants a cup of tea - and you just know that he's dead.
This is the debut directorial feature from Gerard Johnson. As extras you'll find two of his short films: Mug, and an early truncated version of Tony, which nowhere near reaches the heights of the main feature. A very pleasant surprise.
A young woman attempting to pick her life up after a less than acrimonious split with her boyfriend, is looking for a new apartment. She comes across one barely finished, but in a prime location and at a very reasonable price. The owner appears to be a perfect gentleman, but appearances can be deceiving. Very soon, she begins to get the impression that something is seriously amiss - particularly when she invariably wakes up in the morning feeling tired and unwell. As if that isn’t enough, she has a number of unsettling encounters with the landlord’s sinister elderly father. To convince herself she isn’t paranoid, she has a camera system installed. But she remains in imminent peril...
As I opinioned when reviewing Let Me In, news of another outing from Hammer Films is genuinely cause for celebration. The company has a legendary reputation. The Resident has the huge added selling point of starring, alongside Hilary Swain and Jeffrey Dean Morgan, veteran actor Christopher Lee. Although Lee has been at pains to distance himself from his horror icon status over the years (for heaven sakes, WHY?), this is a coming home of sorts - and he proves quite beyond doubt, despite his advanced age, that he still packs a chilling punch.
Nevertheless, after tearing down the drapes and stripping off the wallpaper, this film is simply a stalker thriller, based in an apartment building. I have to say that this has been done a thousand times now; Pacific Heights, John Carpenter’s Someone’s Watching Me, Panic Room, and many in between. In terms of originality... well, it isn’t. However, it is competently plotted and well-structured, and even tense in all the right places. It’s just that it’s predictable and, consequently, the spark of enjoyment flickers and dies pretty early on. Simple ideas are often the best, but there is a limit.
Let’s see something more original next time, Hammer, it’s what we - and you - deserve.
A man walks into the FBI building and tells Agent Doyle that his brother is the God's Hand killer. He tells the backstory which begins with his childhood. He and his brother live alone with their father. Everything is normal until dad tells them he has been visited by an angel. Apparently, the final battle between angels and demons has begun. The demons are already here in human form, and it is the family's task to destroy them. When the angel revisits, relaying a list of names, the killing begins...
When I watched the opening shot of Agent Doyle exiting his car wearing a stereotypical mean expression, and walking through a night storm to the FBI building, I couldn't help sighing. This was going to be another one of the multitude of tired cops and robbers films that Americans insist on doing so badly. Matters didn't immediately improve when I realised a small part of the early plot was similar to a short story I had written some years ago. Thieves! Plagiarists! Where's my money?
Ahem, where was I? Oh, yes, being dreadfully wrong. Frailty (The God's Hand Killer would have been a good title) quickly lifts itself from the mire and into the elite stream. As time passes it's becoming increasingly difficult for the horror genre to reinvent itself. This film leans more towards thriller, but there's a hint of a supernatural element hanging over the events.
The entire package is extremely effective, even though one of the twists at the conclusion is blatantly predictable. The script doesn't need to be totally original, because it's so well told. However, it's the strong central characters and the actors' corresponding performances that make the tale so convincing. Bill Paxton, making his directorial debut here, plays the angel-visited dad. The two boys, who play Adam and Fenton, are even better, both displaying genuine reactions. Their expressions alone draw you into the emotional mix. One sees his dad as a murderer and longs to run away, but he won't leave his brother behind; and his brother trusts dad, having no problem (only a strange fascination) with what is going on.
Every once in a while it's nice to be pleasantly surprised, and that's precisely what happened here.
Toto and Ninetto are accompanied by a talking crow who speaks truth and conscience to the point of annoyance. They travel the dusty road of realism, coming across and interacting with actor-hippies, rioters, slum-dwellers, and taking on the roles of Franciscan friars in order to preach the word of God to the hawks and sparrows. Ultimately, this is a comment on the state of the then modern world through the eyes of an old and young man...
Hawks and Sparrows is one of an on-going series of world cinema releases from Eureka presented under the banner Masters of Cinema. This is a black and white subtitled film from Italy directed by Pier Paolo Pasolini. It stars Italy’s comic actor of the time (1966), Toto, and Pasolini regular Ninetto Davoli. It’s presented in a new high-definition transfer, with newly translated English subtitles, and a very good illustrated booklet on the film, including comments from the director.
This was considered at the time to be a widely acclaimed achievement. A sometimes political, sometimes philosophical statement on what you might call life, the universe and everything aimed at a society which was caught somewhat between religion and communism. It’s truly difficult to formulate a logical opinion one way or the other on this. Hawks and Sparrows swings menacingly between profundity and pretentiousness. It is at one moment humorous, the next ridiculously stupid in its outlook on life. The central scene displays how religion can become a circus, but minutes later has the key characters hopping around like penguins on hot coals in an attempt to communicate with the sparrows.
So the pendulum swings first one way then the other. I can see what the director was trying to achieve, but for me a movie is all about entertainment not political statements.
In this contemporary people story, a troupe of travelling players arrive at the edge of town. They consist of King “Billy” William, his queen, a company of knights, various performers, and makers of arts and crafts. For a small fee the pageant puts on an often violent display of jousting - in armour, but on motorcycles rather than horses - and hand to-hand combat with weapons such as the axe, medieval spiked-mace, and sword. The combatants are happy with their calling, but one knight, Morgan, has ambitions to be king. Furthermore, he has been approached by a promoter, who wants to commercialise the company. Morgan is enticed by the prospect of money, fame and women, and leaves. However, King Billy refuses to sell out his ideals, but when he is jailed for defending one of his company against a corrupt policeman, it seems the close-knit community of knightriders may be coming to an end. King Billy continues to believe that doing the right thing will see them through, and that those which have left will return. But will he be proved right...?
Knightriders is directed by George A. Romero, who is perhaps best known for the horror classic, Night of the Living Dead. This was made in 1980, right after his zombie film Dawn of the Dead, and released the following year, at the same time as the much better known John Boorman movie, Excalibur. But Knightriders isn’t a straightforward retelling of the Arthurian tale. Instead, it is a modern era reinterpretation of the concept. When you first start to watch this film you’re tempted to think it a little silly; however, the more into the 147 minute running you get, the more realisation takes hold that this is all about honour, truth (as much to others as to yourself), and living life by a code. The ideals of King Arthur and Camelot are in place, and Morgan betrays Billy’s trust, as Lancelot betrays Arthur.
Ed Harris, Star of a host of blockbuster movies, such as Apollo 13, The Truman Show, and one of my favourites, The Abyss, plays his first key role here as King William. He puts in a sterling performance to the point that you can’t really think of anyone who could have played the part quite so well. The part of Morgan is played by visual effects artist Tom Savini, and it’s surprising how good he is. Special mentions should also go to Brother Blue who brilliantly understates his performance of a Merlin closer to a witch doctor than a wizard, and to Patricia Tallman, whose character stands up to her controlling slob of a father and hooks up with one of the knights. Other viewers like myself might know her better as the telepath from Babylon 5, but she has also carved-out a successful career as a stunt double. Fans of horror author Stephen King will be interested to know he has a superfluous cameo role as a greedy heckler.
The ending is rather bitter sweet. Without actually giving away the concluding events, King Billy holds on to his ideals, but comes to realise that his time has passed. We are living in a new age; it’s not necessarily better, but time has to be allowed to move on. So, something very different from what we have seen before, with the weighty actors required to pull off this strange tale. It’s a people story, and a very good one.
Extras include a commentary by George A. Romero, Tom Savini, John Amplas and Christine Romero; separate 20-minute interviews with Ed Harris, Tom Savini and Patricia Tallman; TV spots and Trailer.
While his super-wealthy father is a neo-Nazi political mover in post-war Italy, attempting to out-manoeuvre his opponent, his son proves to be much more of an enigma. The young man is romantically engaged with the daughter of another decadently rich family. She finds him both fascinating and aloof, particularly when he refuses to accompany her on a demonstration because he has to do something important - the only thing he really loves. Meanwhile, in the mountains, miles from civilisation, individuals from a lost war have to survive any way they can. This means eating plants, butterflies, raw snakes, and even human flesh...
This release is another in the Eureka! Masters of Cinema series. It is also the second film in a row I’ve reviewed from Italian director Pier Paolo Pasolini. Once more he’s being all meaningful with his allegories, so rather than a popcorn entertainment what we get is a political and moral statement on the world and society as a whole. Pigsty (1969) explores such animal instincts as greed, carnal lust, and the religious need to belong and be absolved. The film is described as a deranged parody, but for me this is an obvious Orwellian pastiche. The connection, albeit tenuous, to Animal Farm just can’t be ignored. The pigs actually describe the behaviour of mankind, and even many of the inherent conversations make references to these unfortunate animals.
The final scene describes the young man’s death at the hands (trotters?) of the pigs, but the major unanswered question is what exactly did the young man do each time he visited the pigs? Just watch them? Play among them? Mistreat them? Or worse? When a handful of peasant villagers describe the incident it is with quiet reverence. In dying he becomes a martyr; even a messianic figure. This would certainly tie-in with the talk of Jews and fascism.
Pigsty means more than Hawks and Sparrows - or at least the meanings are clearer, but you still have to read between the lines of much pretentious nonsense. Modern viewers will no doubt describe it as a load of old tosh, and who’s to say they’re wrong? As with Hawks and Sparrows, there is a very informative booklet and a short interview with the director.
Everyone's favourite fictional Chinese tyrant is back (I think I can safely say 'favourite' because there isn't any more, is there?), and once again he has plans of world domination. Can't he just read a book when he's bored like normal people! Believe me when I say his new scheme is completely diabolical. In The Blood of Fu Manchu, he of the droopy moustache plans to poison all his enemies and anyone who has dared to criticise his dodgy accent (sirry iriot!). To achieve this aim he has kidnapped several attractive young women - all in the cause of science, of course (ahem) - and keeps them chained on the walls in skimpy underwear (sounds reasonable to me). A particular small snake from the Brazilian jungle has a poison which will kill a man but not a woman. Once bitten the woman becomes a carrier and can kill a man with a deadly kiss. The women are hypnotised into understanding the plot (or at least the paycheque) and sent to all the major capitals of the world. Top of the list is London, home of the stiff upper lip and tea on the terrace, and in particular the thorn in our bad guy's side Nayland Smith of Scotland Yard...
In Castle of Fu Manchu, an extract of opium and a lot of bubbling chemicals and equipment with huge levers allows our cheeky Chinese chappy to manipulate the oceans. As a demonstration of his power and all-round nastiness he sinks a (blue-tinted) liner. However, his glorified radiogram blows a valve, overloads and sends his installation to kingdom come. Moving his operation to the inconspicuous location of a huge Istanbul castle, he gives the world two weeks to comply with his (unspecified) ultimatums - probably "Watch my DVDs or I'll make more sequels!" By a happy coincidence two weeks is just long enough for our eminently civilised hero Nayland Smith to return from holiday, trace the fiend and put a stop to his shenanigans.
Richard Greene (looking for all the world like Rex Harrison in My Fair Lady) takes on the mantle of Assistant Commissioner Nayland Smith for these two adaptations, worn by Douglas Wilmer in the first three films. Reprising his role from those films is Howard Marion Crawford as every woman's favourite dish, Doctor Petrie (that's a joke, by the way!). Thankfully he's not such a bumbling fool this time, just very British as he complains about lack of tea and his aversion to going abroad.
If these films are supposed to be tongue-in-cheek it makes them easier to accept, if not they're too bad for words... but bad in a way that you can have fun criticising them. For example: the curved blades carried by Fu Manchu's men flap about like cardboard and they don't even make contact when someone is killed; a heart transplant is carried out on a sick professor with no life-support (so why doesn't he die when his old heart is removed, and why is it only a fraction of the size it should be?); and the dialogue is funny or cringe-worthy in several places. The once which really make me chuckle was "He's dead." "What completely?"
This is a single two-sided disc. In my review for Vengeance of Fu Manchu I said the films don't make for an attractive release singularly but they might prove more popular as two films packaged together. So here we are with just that, a two-sided single disc with Blood on one side (that would have been a nice marketing idea) and Castle on the other. Was someone listening? Nah.
A spate of kidnappings of young women take place in various countries, after which their fathers travel abroad for weeks at a time. It seems the men are all scientists or engineers skilled in the transmission of radio waves, being forced to work under threat of harm to their daughters. The villain of the piece plans to have constructed for him a piece of apparatus compact and powerful enough to direct masses of energy from one point to another. In doing so, he will possess a weapon with which to hold the world to ransom. And who should be behind this dastardly wicked and evil scheme? Why none other than Fu Manchu. What do you mean, you guessed that from the title?...
On the case is Assistant Commissioner Nayland Smith (Douglas Wilmer) of Scotland Yard, with his regular companion Doctor Petrie (Howard Marion-Crawford), an eminent pathologist. In all but name they are Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson; Smith is too perfect for his own good, and Petrie is an educated but bumbling fool, prompting recall of the Basil Rathbone portrayal of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's character. For no other reason than it appears logical, Smith suspects his arch nemesis of the kidnappings. Can it be true? Could Fu Manchu (Christopher Lee) still be alive? You betcha stick-on-moustache he is! After two attempts at abduction are foiled in London (right outside the Tower!), the third succeeds, and it is then up to Smith to find the underground lair of Fu Manchu before terrible devastation is wreaked in the name of power.
The first demonstration of power is to be the destruction of the Winsor Castle (obviously, they only succeeded in setting it ablaze 25 years or so after the fact!). However, the Winsor Castle turns out to be a ship. The next main target is to be the international peace conference taking place in London. "Quick, men, on to the roof. Destroy that aerial before it picks up EastEnders."
The villain's underground headquarters is reminiscent of a Chinese temple, and the characters within this setting play very much like an episode of Thunderbirds in which Fu Manchu could so easily be The Hood. There's even a pit of peril, in this case containing snakes.
"Mister Tr...acy. I th...think we're g...going to need p...pod five."
"Okay, Brains. Off you go, Virgil. Be careful, son, he has a radio and he's not afraid to use it."
Watch it in glorious SuperOrientNation.
At the end of the last film he said the world would hear again from Fu Manchu and, unfortunately, it was no idle threat. So what could possibly be the latest wicked and abominable scheme to originate from the Chinese mastermind we all love to hate? Apparently, he plans to bore the world into submission by subjecting the masses to an inane and pretty much pointless sequel. Only joking... I think. No, really the Chinese chappy embarks on a quest for the lost plot! At the beginning of the film Fu Manchu is beheaded for his crimes to humanity, in front of his arch enemy and all-round good egg, Nayland Smith. But if you can keep your head when all around you lose theirs, you'll discover that the executed man was only an impostor. And there I was hoping for the shortest film in the series yet!
This time he means to cultivate the Blackhill poppy for use as a weapon. To achieve this Fu Manchu continues his fetish for kidnapping professors and their daughters by taking Professor Muller to work on a secret serum previously known only to a religious order of the Himalayas. There's a bust-up at a museum when the Chinaman's henchmen arrive through the sewers to steal the papers which contain the required formula; it's going badly for the meagre security until the stiff upper lip of Assistant Commissioner Nayland Smith of Scotland Yard gives those Chinese a good piece of his mind. Nevertheless, Fu Manchu gets his claws on the papers and forces the professor to produce the dangerous liquid. A single pint of the extract of Blackhill poppy is enough to kill thousands of people. Above freezing it is harmless, but below freezing it proves lethal. That's a happy coincidence for our evil perpetrator whose demonstration of power, the town of Fleetwick, is suffering from a particularly cold spell. As a result, 3000 inhabitants and soldiers are killed. Fu Manchu then turns his attention further afield, and only Nayland Smith can stop him. Someone fetch that man a cape.
The main four or five characters return yet again for more set piece shenanigans. This is at best mediocre stuff. I think the oriental's masterplan is about to be revealed: he means to wear down us hardworking reviewers. After only three of these films, I'm hoping the world will see rather less of Fu Manchu.
Copyright © 2017 - 2024 A Dark and Scary Place - All Rights Reserved.