American Horror Story: Cult - Finale Review (Spoilers)

In this review I will be discussing the finale of American Horror Story: Cult. This is it folks, the last episode and, naturally, it's virtually impossible to discuss the episode without spoilers. Anyone who plans to view it has had ample time to catch up now and so in this review I will divulge plot points and character motivations to better explain my points and analyse the episode. This will not be an Episode Synopsis or Breakdown however. If you truly want to go into the episode blind and not having any future enjoyment of it spoiled then I recommend bookmarking this review and reading it after seeing the episode. If you don't mind spoilers however then dive in. 

Episode 11 (Finale) - "Great Again"

There isn't much to say about this episode that I didn't already cover in my review of Episode 10. Sadly the whole thing ended exactly as I predicted: There are no good people, women in power would be a scary cult or evil, just like men. The world is doomed and we should all be scared of everyone. But fear is bad as that's what gets manipulated to empower the evil people. So, what? Should WE all just shut up and get on with our lives. Should we accept that we have no real power? Or does power by its very nature corrupt? Big questions and none of which are handled satisfactorily for me. It's good they're able to be asked but too much of the writing seemed to reinforce that our patriarchal society is all men who are afraid of women. But then that's presented as somewhat justifiable. Where was the middle ground? And what possible solutions did the show present us with? Sure, there was a great punch-the-air moment when Ally uttered the infamous "nasty woman" line but it comes across as being written and interpreted by someone who completely missed the point and historical context of it's origin. Couple that with the fact that ultimate power is handed to a black woman because "she doesn't fit the profile" (which reeks of the people who complain about affirmative action) and a lesbian mother ("children need a father" cry the voices of homophobia). Far from being a decent exploration of cult mentality then this season should perhaps have been better titled " AHS: Straight, white, male privilege shits itself".

I don't really have much else to say. I'm sure women everywhere are relieved that a bunch of men have warned them not to turn into Valerie Solanis'. And the show can't even keep that part of it's logic consistent. If Ally's end game was reviving S.C.U.M then why did she murder Bebe? Too much of this season just makes no sense to me.

Finally, I see the point in criticizing our divisions. That was good. Calling out how political parties are essentially cults is bold and thought-provoking. But again, the show doesn't offer an alternative here and, like the last election, turns it round to being about gender. Maybe that was the point but, again, what is the show trying to say with this? That gender is a cult constructed by society? Or that men are the safer pair of hands? Either the show was never meant to be read this deeply in which case it's poorly written surface shock-horror with no real depth, or it's giving off wrong, bizarre and/or mixed messages.

Likewise the presence of clowns in general, and Twisty in particular, is never explored or developed in any meaningful way. It comes across as the worst type of fan service. When Twisty was literally seen in the early episodes (played by the same actor) was that just a hallucination? Or someone dressed as him? And if he's an actual serial killer from the AHS version of history then isn't it really weird that a young boy goes to sleep at night cuddling his effigy? It's a perfect summation of this season. It either means something horrible or nothing at all. But hey, it's familiarly AHS. Poor finale to an ultimately very disappointing season.

* (1/5)

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American Horror Story: Cult - Episode 10 Review (Spoilers)

In this review I will be discussing the tenth episode of American Horror Story: Cult. At this point we are at the penultimate episode of the series and it's virtually impossible to discuss the episode without spoilers. Anyone who plans to view it has had ample time to catch up now and so in this review I will divulge plot points and character motivations to better explain my points and analyse the episode. This will not be an Episode Synopsis or Breakdown however. If you truly want to go into the episode blind and not having any future enjoyment of it spoiled then I recommend bookmarking this review and reading it after seeing the episode. If you don't mind spoilers however then dive in. 

Episode 10 - "Charles (Manson) in Charge"

This was a weird episode. It's muddied, jumbled and I have no idea what it's trying to say. I'll just get into it as best I can. 

The opening revelation that Kai is a vehicle for "feminine rage" really bothered me. It seems like the show is trying to villify all women as the source of problems and evil. In the current climate that is dangerous to even hint at. The political aspect, that militant feminists love Trump precisely because he can incite the fear and rage that will allow them to "take over the world", is short-sighted, without basis and potentially damaging. It's a very irresponsible thing to write and air right now, although I do realise these things are filmed well in advance. This fact is redeemed slightly by having Kai break beyond this original intent to become a crazed lunatic on his own terms. But the idea that women somehow created this monster, and the implication that perhaps that's true of Trump, really made me uncomfortable. One wonders if there was a female voice in the writer's room. It doesn't help either that it ties this whole season irretrievably to it's worst episode.

As we move onto the scenes of Kai at his political rally it seems like the message is again problematic. Here it paints those opposing Kai (and by extension the political left) as hysterical, aggressive mobs with no regard for human life or safety. In fact, from experience I can tell you that the exact opposite is true. Attempting to portray Kai as part victim here was unnecessary, forced and wrong. Although on the plus side it might be an interesting way of pointing out that rage and fear to avoid this horror is counter-intuitive, a good parallel to the early episodes of the season but problematic when one considers the character of Ally as she's developed in these last couple of episodes. Indeed, her killing of Bebe makes absolutely no sense on any level other than manufactured shock value. Instead of knowing and understanding our lead character's motivations we're left with another unsympathetic villain. I hope the finale can somehow develop or rectify this but her threatening demeanour to Winter and eventual plotting to her demise does little to give me any hope. It comes back to my biggest problem with AHS: Hotel. There are no protagonists. There's nobody to identify with and root for. The whole story is just an exercise in nihilism and how there's no hope for anyone. That might be some people's bag in horror but it's not mine, and it's frankly terrible storytelling. If you could end the whole thing with, "but none of it matters because we're all evil really and humanity is fucked" then what was your point!? 

The historical flashback scenes, though again cool, only seek to reinforce this. It's great to see the return of some cast members in different roles as historical figures. And the scenes work well, as did the other cult flashbacks in the previous episode. But casting Paulson as a vicious, murdering psychopath seems to emphasise that Ally is heading to becoming this for Kai, as her character here was to Manson. Likewise casting Billie Lourd as the uncertain, more humane character before Ally effectively gets Winter killed gives off another odd message. And as I said I really don't want the season to end this way. There's enough nihilism in the news and around the real world, ideally I'd like some heroes.

The idea of the PTSD and brainwashing of Bev is handled brilliantly however, with a fantastic performance by Adina Porter. But these scenes are all too brief and ultimately seem to exist purely to reinforce her loyalty to Kai and her part in getting Winter killed.

  The episode ending with a reveal of an actual mole in the cult (and not just Kai's insane paranoia) is surprising and interesting. But rendered null by Ally sidling in with sinister menace as it becomes clear that she knows this and will, most likely, reveal it.

  To conclude things here, I absolutely hated this episode. It was depressing, confusing and incredibly unclear. There was no actual horror (beyond a ridiculous "American Werewolf in London" style hallucination) and we seem to be at an ending point of great darkness and sadness. Watching it genuinely made me uncomfortable and unwell. That's not scary, it's lazy and it's not what I want from horror. I'm done talking about the ep now and just want to forget it. It deserves nothing more.

 (0/5)

MM

  

American Horror Story: Cult - Episode 9 Review (Spoilers)

In this review I will be discussing the eigth episode of American Horror Story: Cult. At this point we are three episodes from the end of the series and it's virtually impossible to discuss the episode without spoilers. Anyone who plans to view it has had ample time to catch up now and so in this review I will divulge plot points and character motivations to better explain my points and analyse the episode. This will not be an Episode Synopsis or Breakdown however. If you truly want to go into the episode blind and not having any future enjoyment of it spoiled then I recommend bookmarking this review and reading it after seeing the episode. If you don't mind spoilers however then dive in. 

Episode 9 - "Drink the Kool-Aid"

American Horror story all but abandons any pretence of being political satire with this episode. We are now clearly in a sci-fi/ fantasy/horror trope: The fictional dystopia. A reality caused by alternate history. A sort of "what if the Nazi's won?". Ironic, since there are those who would claim they now have. In the process of this change the show becomes something else; a season of American Horror Story.

The hour opens with Kai narrating stories of past, real-life cult leaders. We see documentary style footage of Marshall Applewhite, David Koresh and Jim Jones. This whole thing was damn impressive. The "flashbacks" (actually Kai's warped view of history) are done so well that I initially thought the show was actually using historical footage. The direction of all of these scenes is laudable, full credit to director (and former series star) Angela Bassett. Likewise some of the prosthetic and acting work in a couple of moments led me unable to initially register that all of these cult leaders were played by Evan Peters, who does such a good job. Although I have my reservations about how on-the-nose it is to have Kai seemingly project himself into these roles, the point is not laboured and makes sense. 

The whole thing also continues a very AHS trope, which makes this feel of a kind with past seasons. For example, the use of cast members as real-life serial killers in Hotel. It's something which I feel always works well. I also had deep reservations when we return to the Jim Jones scene later to see Kai's insanely twisted belief in Jones' divine abilities. In this scene Peters portrays Jesus Christ. Whilst I was initially concerned that the show was going to be sacreligious, or present Jesus as a cult leader, it became obvious that the casting here was again a representation of the level of Kai's descent into madness. He really does believe he is a messiah, as he literally says to Ally at the episode's denouement. Additionally the scene makes it very clear that this version of Jesus is a representation of a lie, via the brilliant decision to have him descend from the sky on obvious and fully displayed cables, accompanied by "angels" in theatre costumes. Sometimes it's the little flashes of genius that stick.

As the extent of Kai's power and hold over his "followers" is shown I had a couple of problems though. Firstly, the black, ott humour of the new names Kai has given his disciples (Speed Wagon, Gutter Ball, Pus Bucket etc) again seem more Scream Queens than AHS and, in my opinion, undercuts the point of their representation and kills some of the tension. Likewise, the scenes which show the ease of how Kai takes control of the town are incredibly unrealistic. Which contributes to the season's change from frightening real-life  parable to dystopian fantasy.

We follow a penitent Ivy and it's shown that she, Ally and (initially) Winter all wish to leave Kai's cult. In honesty, whilst this scene was necessary exposition with outstanding performances from Paulson and Pill I'm highlighting it mainly for one reason: Twisty Watch! Ally hands Oz a Twisty comic book (reinforcing her conquering of her fears) and thus it becomes obvious that we probably won't be seeing the character again and he is likely just a fictionalized representation of an historical serial killer in the AHS world. Which is a shame, but still rather intriguing, particularly when you notice who the other characters are that are shown on the comic book cover.

As things develop we continue to show the extent of Kai's insanity again, testing his subjects' loyalty by invoking a fake version of the infamous Kool-Aid poisoning. We learn that Ally and Ivy are solely there to get their son, as Kai begins to develop a relationship with young Ozymandias (a name Ally says she chose deliberately, well aware of the connotations that he is "king of kings". Very intriguing). Kai reveals that he was a frequent visitor to the sperm clinic that Ally went to in order to get a donor and this, coupled with the boy's appearance, leads Kai to claim that he is literally Oz's father. I found this particular plot device actually pretty clever, when it could have been hokey. The idea of daddy issues had already been invoked earlier by Ivy as her reason for joining Kai, and is another introspection of the potential reasons that people follow these madmen even into death. It's also well developed as an examination of the potential consequences of toxic masculinity. This is the show at its best; asking questions, shining light on our fears and exploring the darkness in men's souls. Although it's not drummed in quite so much it's made extremely apparent how this could relate to our society too. As Kai narrates his insane notion that he is divine and like Jim Jones, who was touched by Christ and resurrected his dead followers, the intelligent and savvy Oz fact checks this b.s using the internet on his phone and an enraged Kai states that; "Wikipedia is fake news". Good stuff, if a tad muddled (Wikipedia literally can be edited by anyone. A more trustworthy source should have been cited by the writers here).

The rest of the episode shifts our focus entirely onto Allison, via two important interactions with Ivy and then Kai. It's all the better for it, too. Paulson never fails to impress and the character herself is shown to be the most compelling and interesting on the show. Firstly we get a scene of Ally making dinner for her wife. I worried at first during this scene as it was immediately apparent that Ally was poisoning Ivy. It lead me to question just how dumb Ivy is supposed to be. But mainly I was concerned that the show was going for shock, twist value and Ally was about to reveal her true allegiance to Kai. Particularly when I realised that Ally and Ivy were the only dissenters left opposing him at this point. That the show was smarter than that is commendable. Paulson gives an award-level monologue about how she maintained her sanity when she was locked up in an insane asylum by Kai and abandoned by Ivy. She reveals that she found her focus to get her through and make her stronger; revenge. Though not explicitly stated, the parallels are obvious. Revenge is her Kai. I also read this as a genius commentary on how indulging our fears can lead to them coming true. Ivy grew to hate her wife as she felt like she was trying to grow an exclusive bond with Oz, taking him away from Ivy and leaving her alone. Ally has literally become, through Ivy's actions, what she irrationally feared and hated her for.

Finally Ally and Kai have a dinner and the plot becomes unclear but intriguing. We see Ally doing her best Maury Povich work, discovering that Kai is not the father. But then she lies to him and claims he is. Revealing her murder of Ivy, presumably to imply to Kai that she is thinking like him, Kai helps her hide the body in his increasingly crowded "family crypt" and we see that Ally seems to have Kai convinced that she, Oz and him are a family now.

In conclusion, a great episode and a welcome return to form after two terrible installments. We progress the narrative along nicely, kill off yet another main character, and establish what's going to be our central conflict for the last two episodes. I can't wait to see what happens next.

**** (4/5)

MM

Jigsaw - Movie Review

This will be a spoiler-free review of the movie Jigsaw (the eighth entry in the Saw franchise). I will be discussing the film in broad terms and will allude to, but not divulge, plot points and character motivations. However, everyone's spoiler sensitivity is different and if you plan on seeing the film in the future and truly want to go in blind, and not even being coloured by my views, then I recommend reading this after you've watched it.

How best to judge this? As a horror movie, or a Saw movie? With eight entries to date, this franchise is essentially a genre unto itself. Not to mention the whole "torture porn" genre which it birthed and acts as the flagship of. It's probably in the top tier of torture porn movies for me, and the top three Saw films. It's not bad, but it's not great. To be clear, I liked the movie. The somewhat subdued gore and attempted return to subtlety and plot over meaningless shock value was something I appreciated. The biggest problem here is that the storyline and plotting seem to think they're Oscar-worthy when, in reality, if you told me that the screenplay was written by high-school kids I'd absolutely believe you.  It's by no means the greatest horror film ever made then, and you really do have to disengage your brain to really enjoy it. This film is, however, an enjoyable popcorn flick, despite it's occasional delusions of grandeur. I would say it's probably pretty average but it goes slightly above that for me because it is, in my opinion, the best Saw film since 2, and the most memorable since 3. And when you're the eighth entry in a franchise that's fairly impressive.

On the negative side there are some huge plot conveniences. Without giving spoilers there are several occasions where one or more victims are put in a position where they face apparent death, only to reveal later that there is a tape intended for them and their own personal test, which is vital to passing through this whole labyrinth of traps. There are so many times I found myself wondering what would happen if anyone were to die and mess up the "elaborate" plan which predicts exactly what will happen when. The whole thing seems to rely heavily on luck for the antagonist. It's mostly poor writing in this regard, as a terribly plotted central story focus. There is also a sense of repetition to the overall plot, right down to the overused cliche of a copycat killer. The ending even rips off a twist from the very first Saw movie, which I appreciated, but I can see why others might think it unoriginal and uninspired. Indeed, the film offers nothing new and even the ubiquitous "shock, twist" moments and final reveal feel rather flat.

There are positives as well though. There are some deeply predictable twists, but a couple of good ones. An overall use of tension and returning poetic justice over just trying to be as extreme as possible was something I really liked, along with some good directing by the Spierig brothers. There are a couple of great female performances on the acting side of things too. The most notable of these is Laura Vandervoort, as Anna (although I am actually a big fan of the actress, ever since she played Supergirl). This being an attempted reboot I hoped she'd become the "Final Girl", despite the franchise dumping this particular trope (not counting situations like Amanda who survives to become the killer and continue the legacy), which speaks volumes to her relatable, sympathetic performance. Until the end of the film at least. I was also captivated by Hannah Emily Anderson, as Eleanor Bonneville. Although the character is a rather supporting role there are interesting depths portrayed, although in service of a plot function (possible suspect), she rises above this to seem complex, interesting and compelling.

I was also grateful for the simplicity of a lot of the movie, with entirely new characters (bar an obvious returnee) and a plot which dumps convoluted back story in favour of a new beginning. This particular bit of plotting reminded me of something from the film Scream 3, which is actually in reference to the third entries in franchises but very much applies here;

"There are a few things that you gotta remember. Is this simply another sequel? Well, if it is, same rules apply. But, here's the critical thing. If you find yourself dealing with an unexpected back-story, and a preponderance of exposition, then the sequel rules do not apply. Because you are not dealing with a sequel. You are dealing with the concluding chapter of a trilogy. That's right. It's a rarity in the horror field, but it does exist, and it is a force to be reckoned with. Because true trilogies are all about going back to the beginning and discovering something that wasn't true from the get-go. Godfather, Jedi, all revealed something that we thought was true that wasn't true....the past will come back to bite you in the ass. Whatever you think you know about the past, forget it. The past is not at rest! Any sins you think were committed in the past are about to break out and destroy you."

Despite my criticism of the plot, there is actually some pretty great writing in the various sub-plots and character backgrounds, relating to the end of this quote. The use of an unreliable narrator to show us flashbacks of false memories and lies about the past is great. I love how we see things play out the way that the victim has lied about (to themselves or others), before showing the same scene truthfully and revealing what really happened. Mostly I couldn't predict the exact lies either which kept things interesting.

Overall I enjoyed myself, and had a good time at the movies. The film had a bit of a dodgy start where I feared I'd spend 90 minutes being annoyed and bored. For the first ten or fifteen minutes I was compelled to check the time or go on my phone, but the plot got moving and was interesting enough without being impossible to follow. There is also a merciful abandonment of Jigsaw "games" which are unwinnable and a return to the focus on penitence in a way befitting your sins. Although I saw the final twist of the main game coming a mile off I think there was a brilliant line in this scene which, intentional or not, seems to throw some shade at what the Saw films became. It also kind of nicely summed up the film for me;

"It's a simple game. The best ones always are"

 Entertaining fluff which is still a notch above the four films that preceded it. Oh, and there are some neat little Easter Eggs if you have seen the previous films.

***1/2 (3.5/5)

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The Shape (Short Film) - Review

  This review will be discussing a short film titled "The Shape" by a production company called Amateur Hour Films. The short is available free to watch on their YouTube channel so I will be discussing it in depth here with spoilers. Please, I implore you, go and watch the short before reading any further. Seriously, it's ten minutes long and costs nothing. 

  Some background first. The Amateur Hour Films company was set up by Christian Ruvalcaba (Cobbster) and Cody Hall, with assistance by Robert Butler III (RB3) and Brian Perez (Beardo). Collectively known as "The Wangers", these chaps all work for the YouTube channels Collider and Schmoes Know, which are dedicated to talking movies (and sometimes other things like TV, comic books etc). They are all from the technical side of things, being producers, sound editors, sound engineers, video engineers, editors etc. As film fans they decided to put their technical expertise to work making short films. As big movie fans, and horror in particular, their most recent effort was an attempt to indulge that passion at a doubly appropriate time of year.

  If you're on this site then you are probably well aware of the content of this short just from the title, and the film opens accordingly. The reproduction of familiar opening screen, camera shots, set design and musical tone is absolutely perfect. Right down to the carved pumpkin.  We see a group of trick-or-treaters arrive at the house of our protagonist, named Kara (played by Heather Grace Hancock). I'm so impressed by how the crew were able to wrangle very young children for this scene, as that is famously not easy. And the subtle acting from the little boy dressed as Batman is flawless, with the look of recognition and slight smile letting us in on something, along with the brilliant camera shots and the view of just a shoulder with the sound of breathing. Familiar but genius.  As if it couldn't be any clearer by this point we quickly get a title screen establishing place and time.

Setting the action in 2018 is such a clever touch, for reasons that become clear later. But for reference John Carpenter's Halloween was released in 1978.

  Following Kara into her home the homages continue. She flicks over to an old movie just like how Carpenter used The Thing from Another World. But the film we see is far more appropriate and so clever in what it means to the post-modern nature of the narrative, something which gets developed a lot. Kara begins texting with her friend and I'm super impressed that an amateur company were able to copy the now-familiar trope of texts on screen. Kara calls her friend, a brilliant voice performance by Wendy Lee Szany, and even the dialogue becomes a familiar homage that brought a smile to this viewers face. The language spoken here, and throughout, is flawlessly natural and never seems scripted though, even being unafraid to use curse words which, in any non-scripted conversation, an average person would certainly employ. We also get a well-edited news report or two which are important in establishing things. A man is missing, presumed dead from a stolen vehicle which clues us in to a potential killer on the loose in the area. But also we're told that it has been forty years since a night of 14 brutal murders in this town. This brilliantly lets us know, without heavy-handed exposition, that we are in the world of the first two Halloween movies, the sequels and remakes don't matter and that we, the audience, know that Michael Myers is real. This revelation coupled with lingering shots of doors and open spaces (and with the help of the brilliant music) builds a perfect sense of creeping dread throughout. It's also amazing how well all of the P.O.V shots are recreated. As is the twist reveal of a savvy and unafraid Kara foiling her charge, Danny, in his attempt to scare her.

  As we follow Kara returning Danny to bed we get some more important background information. Referencing the news report Danny asks if the "boogeyman" (Myers, as referred to in the original film) is real. Kara assures him that "he" is just an old town legend, returning Danny's clown mask to a board which contains masks from various horror movies (spot the Easter Eggs) including the infamous Shatner mask of Michael Myers. It's genius here how Myers is framed within the narrative. Both literally, in the dead centre of the mask board, but also that he has become almost a folk myth. We know he's real but he's regarded as being as fictional as the wearers of these other masks. This clever post-modern touch brought to mind the movie Scream and how it did this so well, utilising the fictional Stab movies as fake representations of real events.

  The camera begins to stalk Kara through the house and the use of light and dark, along with the aforementioned lingering on doors, ramps up the tension in a deft but subtle way. The way that we see a set of knives foregrounded in one shot and return to see that one is missing is so good. As is the shot of a blurry shape behind Kara inside the house, which we see but she remains frighteningly unaware of.  The fact that Kara is not portrayed as a weak victim is great too, speaking to our times and the increasing strength of the final girl as Kara picks up a poker to defend herself and actively explores the dark areas. The use of Kara's cell phone light to illuminate her way is another great use of modern technology which wouldn't have existed in 1978. Very clever. The camera following Kara as she runs is definitely laudable too, not appearing like it's just shaking around being held by an unsteady, running cameraman.

  The fact that we intercut this action with returns to Danny's room is another brilliant touch, terrifyingly revealing that his central mask is gone. The reveal of Myers in a darkened garage is also great. Whilst it fails as a jump scare for me, it succeeds precisely by being not over the top in an attempt to frighten everybody, so although it's not scary it is both realistic and creepy. Credit also to the panning shots through corridors.

  The ending of the short came too soon, but continues the brilliance. The idea of showing a broken Kara as the evil escapes into a suddenly vast, open world is beautifully nihilistic. Yes, it invokes the original movie but also for me serves as a metaphor for how terror can be all around us. Myers is continually more of a concept than a solid thing. Hence "The Shape".

  In conclusion, as you probably guessed, I absolutely loved this short. As I've praised what I liked throughout I tried hard to find criticisms and struggled. I also have to mention just how good all of the performances are, but Hancock in particular shines. After much thought I came up with that it's too short, but that's in the short's win column as I really wanted to see more. I also thought the general feel of the cinematography was only about 90% to Hollywood standards, but again this is an amateur company so kudos for that. Basically watch the (familiar) credits as everyone involved deserves to be applauded. Top notch stuff all round.

***** (5/5)

MM

 

 

Halloween 2017

What follows is a spoiler-y discussion about these 3 movies. It's not a summary and won't take you through every inch of the films, but if you haven't seen them and don't want to be spoiled at all then don't say I didn't warn you, and please watch these films. They are all most definitely worth your time.

Hello again Nightmare Nerds. It's that time of year again where I celebrate the night of Halloween by watching a triple-bill of horror or appropriate movies. This year I asked the people in our Facebook group, and the Schmoeville movie discussion group, to help me pick the films I should watch. The way I arrived at this is detailed in a post directly below this one but in the end I wound up with the choices you'll see in the header picture and read about here. So, without further ado, let's get into the freaky films.

BEETLEJUICE

  I decided to begin my night's viewing by watching Beetlejuice. Of the three films selected I knew this was the lightest fare, and so I planned to build up the fright factor as the night progressed. 

  I have seen this movie a couple of times before, but not since I was a child. As such I remembered a lot of the beats but not the film as a whole. I had also seen a fair bit of the cartoon show that aired not long after the film's release (yes, there really was a popular Beetlejuice kids cartoon!). I knew the scary special effects moments (especially the Maitlands' odd scare-faces which I can't even describe so I'll post a picture instead).

 I also remembered the final dance number with a floating Lydia on friendly terms with the Maitlands, some of the waiting room scenes and most vividly, oddly enough, that Betelgeuse had to magically play charades with a beetle and some juice to get someone to say his name, and thus release him. 

  Watching the complete film for the first time in more than twenty years I enjoyed a lot of it. But I didn't like, or had problems with, a lot of things too. The stuff that has become iconic has reached that status for a reason. This includes the aforementioned memorable things which stuck with me but also the general Tim Burton-esque vibe, production design, performances and dark humour. Perhaps my favourite scene in the movie is when the Deetzes are holding a dinner party and they and their guests are taken over by the Maitlands and compelled to lip sync and perform a dance routine to The Banana Boat Song. It comes at just the right time, when the film is at risk of becoming boring or tonally dour and it got me really enjoying the quirky black humour and infected by how joyous it is.  

This scene reminds me that the entire soundtrack is praise-worthy too. Chief among these positive things though is Michael Keaton's performance as the title character. I can see why he is what people latched onto and what became most iconic as it is bold, over the top, broadly comedic with a hint of menace. And is such a transformation. It's truly excellent. If only we saw more of it. 

  Which brings me to the negatives. Firstly I can see why the film is titled the way it is and that Keaton is treated like the film's lead but this is misleading. He really isn't. This is the Maitlands' story and they are very much the focus. Even more so than I remembered. It's surprising watching now how little screen time Betelgeuse gets. And this is a flaw in the movie to me. It's not even really developed why he is being contained (or indeed how) and what his crimes, motivations and goals are. As a matter of fact the entire version of the after- life displayed is under-explained, with far too many questions. What can and can't be seen and when? What can the ghosts affect? Why must they be contained in their home for 125 years? Why are they sent to the desert of another planet for transgressing? What are the Sandworms and how do they connect? How can they travel? It's especially frustrating that these Sandworms in particular are used as a deus ex machina that is the most underexplained example of this trope and really does jar. Likewise I know it might sound churlish but the entire plot as portrayed is completely unbelievable. In the entire history of humankind has there never been another "strange and unusual" person like Lydia who could see ghosts? Has nobody else ever stumbled upon a Handbook for the Recently Deceased which appeared in their house? What exactly happens after your allotted time in this "limbo" state? Will the Maitlands go to heaven after their 125 years in their home or just become free to roam the universe? Would their exorcism at the end of the film sent them to an after-afterlife? As that really changes the way that scene plays. My biggest problem is the film's pacing though. It's too short for a start, leading to a lot of underdeveloped plot ideas. Primarily the thing with Betelgeuse and his desire to marry Lydia and gain his freedom comes out of nowhere to be treated as the main conflict of the movie. The climactic showdown is set up, rushed and resolved in no time. Although the thing that's treated as secondary is far more intriguing, with the Maitlands slowly decaying due to Otho misusing the handbook. It's also handled better by the film with awesome special effects and a sense of real dread and horror. 

  In the end there are too many good things to say this isn't a very good movie. Definitely above average. But the flaws do really make the overall thing seem less great than it could have been, as if it were filmed when one or two more drafts of the script were needed and could have made it truly great. A lot of iconic moments though and things which stick with you, as well as a general overall feeling of enjoyment. 

***1/2 (3.5/5)

THE THING

  Firstly I had never actually seen this film before watching it this Halloween. I know there are probably people reading in disbelief and anger but I'm just being honest. I had seen a lot of the iconic moments on countdown clip- shows and the like, especially the scene with the defibrillator (and the hands holding it) being swallowed by a collapsing chest-mouth and the scene which follows culminating in the head-spider thing skittering away. Based on this I thought that the film would be an endless gore-fest which might make me uneasy and too grossly unsettling to personally enjoy. For example, I can't stand Cronenberg's The Fly. The film is much more than that though, and even that is more reminiscent of things like Raimi's The Evil Dead. I should definitely have watched this sooner. 

  First, the positives. There are a lot. The creature effects are a hugely impressive technical feat (even if the stop motion is apparent and it all does come off as a little dated and unrealistic in 2017). The whole idea of the alien organism is brilliant too (credit to the original author and film), and the way it's utilised as a concept is outstanding. Although I could have used a little more clarification early on that the process was assimilation and not copying (as it's referred a lot), since that implies there is a distinct original somewhere, either kept alive or dead. The execution of the film's main theme is a great idea brilliantly handled too. The theme of mistrust and claustrophobia being far more important and pivotal than I'd realised  (although the concept of someone looking normal but being an enemy is an unoriginal idea, recalling Invasion of the Body Snatchers amongst other things). It's handled so well though with top notch acting and almost perfect writing. 

  Now, the negatives. Sorry there are some. Once again I have to criticise the film's pacing and writing, though less so than with Beetlejuice. The scenes early on with exploration of the Norwegian camp seem redundant and repetitive. Whilst I totally agree that early time is needed to build up tension I believe these early scenes could have been better spent building up our characters. It should be especially vital to do that but the writing fails here and that's a shame. It inevitably has less impact when the people you are supposed to mistrust and/or empathise with are left as "cannon fodder". After my first viewing of the film the only characters I can truly identify are Kurt Russell as MacReady and Keith David as Childs. That can't be a good sign. Indeed I wasn't able to be specific in my description of the defibrillator scene earlier because I honestly couldn't tell you the name of either character or actor.

 Finally the climax of the film was something I know and wish I didn't. It seemed like the ending was more brilliant when I heard about it and a little flat in execution somehow, but that could have been much different if I knew nothing in advance so that may be on me. 

  A brilliant film then which skews frustratingly close to perfection but isn't quite the "best thing since sliced bread" it's sometimes made out to be. I definitely wouldn't call it overrated though, and it's definitely entertaining and captivating. Indeed it's left me with a strong desire to explore the mythos and to watch the original movie and 2011 prequel (although I've heard bad things about that one). Great, approaching excellence. 

****(4/5)

THE SHINING

  The Shining is probably the film of these three that I am most familiar with. I watch it a lot and have done relatively recently. I've read the book and slightly prefer it. And in three iconic movies this one is by miles the most iconic. I love this movie. There's not much I can add to the discussion about it that hasn't already been said or explored somewhere so this may be a brief review but I implore you to check out as many of the documentaries and behind the scenes features about the film's production, execution and legacy as you can. And read the book for the better straight-up version of the basic tale.

  I'll start by saying that this film is a work of art. Kubrick is often cited as a visionary, a master, a genius and more. Artistically you won't hear any argument from me. The film is incredibly well designed, well acted, complex in the best ways, rich, scary, unsettling, atmospheric, and iconic. Even if you haven't seen the film you'll be aware of the elevator full of blood, the Grady twins, RedRum, "Heeeere's Johnny", "All work and no play..." and so much more. You might even be sick of hearing these things praised but add me to the list. Heck, even the parodies have become iconic ("No TV and no beer make Homer something, something" from The Shinning).

  The only thing about this film that really bothers me is how it was made. As more stories emerge about just how abusive Kubrick was on set, especially to Shelley Duvall, it becomes seriously disturbing how many lines he crossed and how seemingly traumatised forever she has become. It's no exagerration to say that this movie, or rather it's director, ruined her entire life. No art is worth that and there is a little guilt and sadness about enjoying it knowing how it came to be. 

  And so I wrestled with scoring this film. In terms of cultural impact alone it has inspired numerous explorations, examinations, conspiracy theories, interpretations and analysis. And aside from that I think it's just perfect art. It won't necessarily be to everyone's taste but to me I recognise the brilliance and love it too. So in the end the only negatives I could think of really were from the film's production, and not the product itself. It's tough but I ultimately decided I have to seperate art from artist as I'm judging the film and not it's director. 

*****(5/5)

  I hope everyone had a safe and fun Halloween. I plan to continue with my triple-bill tradition and now these blog pieces, so expect another like this around this time in 2018. And stay tuned for more American Horror Story and Stranger Things reviews from me very soon, as well as very probably some interesting film reviews from Li'l Bro and certainly more randomness from Mr Butterscotch.

🎃🎃🎃👻👻👻💀💀💀🕷🕷🕷🔪🔪🔪

MM

Greatest Horror Film Facebook Poll

Greetings horror- hounds. Just a quick post. If you're not following our group page on Facebook then please do. I'm trying to interact more and be a lot more active over there. Just search the name of this blog to find us. Anyway in case you aren't aware I did a poll in said group to find which films to watch for my Halloween triple-bill tradition. Calling it a vote for the overall best horror film of all time wouldn't be fair as voters were told to choose their best three and made aware why I was asking. Also the choices had to be films that I owned on either DVD or Blu-Ray. I started with the Blu-Rays and that poll ended like so;

Next up I asked for the best three choices from my DVDs. Results were;

I asked in another group I'm a member of for their top choices, and recorded the votes from both groups' combined DVD & Blu-Ray polls, and was able to come up with a final shortlist of films. The results from this Final Poll were;

Finally I added the scores from this poll to the previous scores which created the last poll and was able to get a distinct final ten. And so, the Top Ten Greatest Horror Films of All Time (from the ones that I own and with very limited voting) are;

Halloween Horror Poll: FINAL TOP TEN

1. The Thing (10 overall votes)
2. Beetlejuice (9)
- The Shining (9)
4. Scream (8)
- The Terminator (8)
6. Aliens (7)
7. Shaun of the Dead (6)
8. Alien (5)
- Let the Right One In (5)
- Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors (5)

We found a clear Top Three.  And so my Halloween triple bill to be reviewed/ discussed on the blog later are...

🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃

MM

A Dark Song - Film Review

This post will review 'A Dark Song'.  By necessity, some spoilers are contained herein.  Please consider whether you wish to read further if you have not yet seen the film.

I recently watched A Dark Song as part of the 'Film Four' Halloween horror film run.  I am a huge fan of Steve Oram (an actor that also starred in Sightseers and The World's End) and so I was quite interested to see what this would show of his ability.

The premise of the film is that Sophia Howard (sympathetically played by Catherine Walker) is seeking to use a ritual in order to speak to her dead son.  The means by which she wishes to do so is via the occult.  Steve Oram plays Joseph Solomon - the mystic keen to separate Howard from her cash whilst also in return guaranteeing supernatural results.

The film starts off at quite a slow pace but builds quite nicely as Solomon leads Howard through the various elements of the ritual.  Things take a turn for the decisive when she agrees to be completely sealed in - with a fateful warning that crossing the boundary of the protective circle could lead them to being trapped forever.

The mood from this moment becomes ever more tense, with clear indications that the 'ritual' could take many months to overcome.  There's little in the way of light and comedy in this film and the topics are dark.  The death of Howard's child is gradually described, with spare tidbits given to the viewer indicating something particularly unpleasant, eventually it would appear possibly related to Solomon's chosen profession.  This adds a very dark undertone indeed to the whole film.

Oram's acting in the key role of Solomon I thought was excellent.  There were few moments where he did not come across as anything other than a fairly normal bloke, albeit with issues/insecurities but also a huge penchant for the occult.  Howard is played well by Walker too - given the storyline she carries the role with a depth and sadness that truly pulled me in to the storyline. 

The only element of weakness I saw - and this was likely to do more with the screenplay than the acting - was in the repeated scenes of Howard demanding "why is nothing happening?" when just a minute or two earlier we saw miraculous events of feathers (or something even more otherwordly) floating from the ceiling.

Given that there are really only two actors on screen shown for any length of time, the film really does hold up well.  The older I get and with more decent stuff appearing on the box, the happier I am to fast forward through something sub par.  I did not press the fast forward button once for A Dark Song.

Whilst I enjoyed the journey and arc of the film as a whole, I would question the ending Sean Byrne chose.  I could see why Sophia asked for her 'gift' and reflected her journey as a character.  It also wrapped things up nicely.  However, I saw a documentary that featured Byrne indicating his intention was to continuously ramp things up.  The viewer absolutely receives a reprieve by the time the credits roll.

I cannot round off the review without mentioning the sound production.  The incidental notes are just right, whilst the background music suitably amps up the tension in all of the right spots.  There is one specific point in the film however (very close to the end) that suffers from a piece of dialogue being quite muffled.  There is a reason for this in the visual representation of what is taking place but I had to see the 30 seconds or so at this point 2-3 times to get a gist of what was being said.

Overall, A Dark Song is a tense, intense little film that has a really rather unsettling atmosphere.  It deals with some very heavy topics such as introspection and loss.  It also has a straight laced Steve Oram playing an idealistic man with clear character flaws.  It is a curious piece of film that I absolutely recommend.

Final rating: 3.5/5.

Stranger Things 2 - Episode 2 Review

This review will be discussing the second episode of the second season of Netflix's Stranger Things. Since this show is on a streaming service accessible to all at the same time, and all episodes drop simultaneously there will be spoilers for the episode discussed and for the first season, if you haven't seen it (and you really should!). If you don't want to know anything and plan to watch the show then please come back to this review once you have. I recommend trying to go in unspoiled. But if you're just here for my take and/or don't care about spoilers then join me here in the upside down...

Chapter Two: Trick or Treat, Freak

   Dang. If you want a great hour of television, who you gonna call? The Duffers! Or so it seems. I'm gonna take this review by characters in an effort to mix things up at least a little bit for you.

  The episode opens with a flashback to Eleven as we left her at the end of the last season, immediately answering a potential criticism of the previous episode. I love that. It's a confident show that doesn't feel the need to drag out answers in an attempt to create false intrigue. We know that Elle is back, we pretty quickly know how. It's not a grand or epic thing, her time in the upside down unexpectedly lasting minutes. And it could seem that her escape was too easy, given the tension built last season around the loss of Will, but then the show makes clear that it's only really possible due to Eleven's unique abilities so I'll give it a bare pass. We flash back a couple of times using clever framing devices to provoke Elle's uncomfortable memories and learn that she survived in the woods for a time, presumably by virtue of Hopper's snacks (tying up that cliffhanger nicely) and her developing psychic abilities, which we see somewhat brutally employed. We also get very intriguing glimpses of what seems like the upside down bleeding through to our reality (poor squirrel) which seem to be a central theme. More on that later. Finally it's good to see that along with her supernatural abilities Elle is growing her regular intellect too; words of the day, learning Morse Code and good old television contributing to a developing character whose awkwardness is still very well played even as she becomes richer and more interesting. There's a perfectly sensible explanation for her being in hiding and not approaching her old friends and all this culminates in a beautiful but heartbreaking scene when she repeats the sensory deprivation experiment from season one to reach out to Mike, so close but worlds away and with terrible timing. A shot of her with both blood from her nose and tears from her eyes being a directing and acting masterclass.

  As I touched upon, the next most intriguing character continues to be young Will Byers. His disturbing flashes of the upside down developing further and revealing the extent of the creature which is presumably this season's threat. Initially coming across as a gigantic Lovecraftian nightmare Will himself specifies that it is made out of shadow and is coming for him. Interestingly contradicting his line last episode that it was actually coming for "everybody else". His conflict and anguish are played brilliantly, both in social settings and his continued "visions". And he gets a super touching scene with Mike where they confide in each other about their pain.

  Speaking of Mike he doesn't get much else to do but what's there is great, if redundant. We already knew he was utterly devoted to Eleven and misses her terribly, the only new thing we learn is his distaste of new girl Max. The other boys' story consists of chasing after her affections through wonderful comedy scenes involving a lot of Ghostbusters references, some misunderstood English, a little social commentary and continued "adorkableness".

  Moving on to Max we get tantalising hints of her and her brother's story that are brief but very intriguing. We essentially find out that something happened which forced the family to move, and which he sees as totally her fault, and she quietly blames on him. We now also establish that he is a real asshole; drinking, smoking, abusing his sister and almost running over three of our main child group. Interesting developments all. His story links us to what I'm calling the tween storyline too as he attends a party that Nancy and Steve are at, even seemingly competing with the latter. This plotline is the episode's weak link for me. It seems like the writers are using Barb's death to rehash the love triangle from last season almost verbatim. The idea of exploring Nancy's guilt (she literally says that she and Steve killed Barb) is intriguing but using it to have Steve leave in a strop and Jonathan step in is repetitive and already tired. And this whole plot is the type of Dawson's Creek, teen soap-opera bullshit that a show of this quality should really be above. I hope it develops into a wild left turn but on this evidence that seems unlikely.

  Hitting the other minor beats then, the stuff we get with Hopper examining the continuing mystery of the poisoned pumpkins is interesting, as is his relationship with "the kid" Elle. His connection to Joyce is less so. We don't need another love triangle (see above) and the idea that they alone know what they do and are weirdly fine with it just lampshades the absurdity. Speaking of the absurd we get a brief scene with Reiser and co again sending someone through a dimensional breach, which seems to imply that they are somehow leeching power from the upside down. And that Reiser believes Will's portents of doom and is starting to worry, despite himself. Brief but excellent development. Finally Sean Astin's Bob continues to seem as bland as possible. This constant reinforcement has me convinced that he is either hiding a dark and sinister secret or true nature. Or that he is a dead man walking, potentially this season's sacrificial lamb.

  The episode ends with a bit of a damp squib cliffhanger if you've seen any promotion for this season. If not I'll just say that Dustin discovers an unseen something and it seems weird. Avoid episode three's title if you really don't want to know. The idea of ending by playing the full Ghostbusters theme over the end credits left me pumped and reinforcing the party atmosphere of the Halloween celebrations but ultimately also seemed like a case of having paid for the rights to everything about this movie and wanting to get value for money.

  In conclusion a solid episode with cracks beginning to show but still a lot of promise, flawless directing, outstanding acting and continually intriguing storytelling.

**** (4/5)

MM

Stranger Things 2 - Episode 1 Review

This review will be discussing the first episode of the second season of Netflix's Stranger Things. Since this show is on a streaming service accessible to all at the same time, and all episodes drop simultaneously there will be spoilers for the episode discussed and for the first season, if you haven't seen it (and you really should!). If you don't want to know anything and plan to watch the show then please come back to this review once you have. I recommend trying to go in unspoiled. But if you're just here for my take and/or don't care about spoilers then join me here in the upside down...

Chapter One: MADMAX

  Talk about starting off strong. This might be a very boring review as I can't find much to fault about this episode as an isolated season premiere of television. First, a little backstory. I was a big fan of Stranger Things' first season. It dropped with almost no advance buzz but word of mouth built up enough that I was completely aware of it and decided to give it a go. As a result of this hype I found the first season perhaps slightly overrated. Not bad by any stretch but a little slow to start and shy to show it's supernatural hand. But I didn't realise at the time that this was effective character building. The main group of children, the older teens and the various adults are all rich, developed and relatable and across the board are played brilliantly by great actors and actresses. And the second half of the first season blew me away, building up brilliantly into a highly entertaining horror/ mystery/monster movie hybrid to complement it's excellent period coming-of-age elements. I was pretty excited for the show to return, especially given the promise of the double cliffhanger ending. And with every new trailer I got more pumped as I just kept loving what I saw. One episode in and this seems justified so far.

  The episode is almost entirely set-up but that makes sense. There's a reason this is officially titled on-screen as chapter one rather than episode one. I imagine it's why the nine episode story is so ripe for bingeing but I personally want to savour it so I'm thinking of limiting myself to one episode a day. I'll still be done in nine days with far too long of a wait until season three. And so far this first chapter has me very interested to keep "reading", far more so than any of the first three episodes of season one. So it's even a vast improvement on itself in a way.

  The show and season opens with a rare pre-credits sequence which, somewhat surprisingly, takes place outside the main town of Hawkins. The reveal here that one of the random bank robbers we see is "8" (via a tattoo and some familiar psychic abilities) is a brilliant way to draw us in. It shows that there is a wider world of possibilities still to explore and that now the show has established itself it's not afraid to dive straight into the sci-fi/horror elements, as becomes clear later via Will. I absolutely applaud this.

  After the credits we rejoin our familiar faces and, dang, it immediately feels good to see them and settles us right back in. Establishing everyone's current status quo, all of which are believable and make sense, is handled without heavy handed exposition and so we are caught up quickly. This starts with the group of four boys (joined by the returning Will) hitting an arcade. At this point I should mention that the show continues to feel like a lost movie made in the actual 80s. The look and feel continue to be captured so perfectly. Anyhow this one scene alone introduces us to the titular Maxine, or MADMAX by the clever device of having her as competition who has overwritten the boys high scores. This allows the boys' competitive animosity to flip brilliantly into adoration on the discovery that this fellow nerd is a pretty girl. Perfect and entirely rings true. Even more interesting are the little hints about the character; she's moved from California, seems reserved but angry and is seemingly in conflict with her older brother, who accompanies but argues with her. The fact that he was played by the newest movie Red Power Ranger was a momentary distraction but he is a great actor and good on him. I'm intrigued to learn more about this family. The arcade scene early on establishes our potential threat as well as Will begins to see the world flash to the dark tones of the upside down with the hint of a giant and palpable menace approaching. Brilliant, creepy, and weirdly exciting in both the scenes we see of this.

Oh, and Hopper's exposition scene sets up his own mental state, the nature of general belief in the supernatural and a super intriguing mystery involving poisoned pumpkins.

  We are introduced to 80s stalwarts Sean Astin (The Goonies) and Paul Reiser (Aliens) next and both seem to be playing on their famous 80s roles. Whilst the feeling is that Astin's Bob is perhaps too nice and we suspect something without any real evidence (or at least I do), the show is not subtle about Reiser's character at all. Though he initially seems to be caring for Will's psychological well-being he is soon revealed to be another shady government type with a secret lab who is sending people into, or at least near, the upside down in hazmat suits and with flame throwers to take out a small, obscured, but clearly otherworldly creature or creatures. Brilliant. I need to know more, again!

  Without making this review too long there are a lot of great character moments. Steve Harrington's conflict between college and career, Nancy continuing to try and be there for him as her boyfriend and for her friend Jonathan Byers, Mike's wistfully longing for the lost Elle, and a great scene at Barb's parents which shows the nature of grief and hope as  potential denial as well as Nancy's guilt and devastation. Although I do wonder if this exploration was planned or a result of the huge explosion of #justiceforbarb as a cultural meme. We end the episode with the expected, and welcome, return of Eleven. Though this is not at all in the way we were expecting, throwing us straight into her already returned from the upside down and cared for secretly by Hopper. Though this better be explained more, like most of this episode as a set-up for a nine chapter tale it brilliantly raises questions and possibilities that we definitely want, nee need, to explore.

  In conclusion: great characters, great storytelling, great direction, great writing, great acting, great set up, great horror, great sci-fi, great mystery and a really great soundtrack. One wonders if the success of the show has led to more money for the rights to songs as the soundtrack is almost intrusive in its sheer amount of presence. This and the fact that it's impossible to judge how satisfying the answers to these threads will be are the only things keeping the episode from being perfect. That and my personal bugbear of needing to have every adult character smoking in practically every scene. But these are minor niggles in a near perfect example of how to do a second season premiere. Yep, Stranger Things is back.

****1/2 (4.5/5)

MM