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.
🎃🎃🎃👻👻👻💀💀💀🕷🕷🕷🔪🔪🔪
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
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