The Walking Dead Season 7 Episode 1

"THE DAY WILL COME WHEN YOU WON'T BE"

First up let me just start with a SPOILER WARNING. This review and discussion will include spoilers for the episode. Although I truly can't believe there is anyone out there with any interest who hasn't seen the episode and/or knows what happens please be aware that this review will spoil some big moments.

Wow!... and breathe. That's how I felt after 7 months of waiting and then the intense wringer that was this episode. It started out as frustratingly as last season ended: still playing tricks and using cheap shots to torture us in our rabid desire to find out what happened as surely as Negan was teasing and torturing our group of characters. The show runners knew that we, too, were metaphorically lined up and waiting nervously to see who was about to become a vicious human pinata, and boy did they milk it. I initially feared that we'd have an episode of slower, character stuff with just one or two characters before revealing the big moment at the very end of the episode. The Walking Dead is known to do this, often for a complete episode or two, and whilst it has its defenders I'm firmly on the side that it is mostly filler. Too many episodes, too little budget, too many characters...

 Thankfully that wasn't the case here. It wasn't long before we flashed back (and even before that Rick spat out another cool quote directly from the comic) and, boy, did we get our answers. Whether you were shocked at who was written off the show or not (and I wasn't), what you saw was truly shocking stuff. It shredded my nerves and left me feeling genuinely queasy... and I loved it! Maybe I'm a masochist, I don't know. You kind of have to be to watch this show and others of its ilk. At first I did think that the show might have gone too far but then I realised that the death of the great Sgt. Abraham showed very little at first, observe:

Sure the context was horrific but this moment was even tempered by great humour that was totally within character (and possibly the greatest defiant last words ever!). The aftermath is when things got a bit out of hand: showing the audience the bloody pulp that was once a beloved character's head and then trying to make Rosita look at these shards of skull on Lucille, the bat. But that was perhaps to justify Daryl lashing out. We were so "there" that we might have felt the same. And I for one genuinely thought that this could mean the end of even the immortal Daryl for a while there. Bravo Scott Gimple, you got me! I don't even like the character but I still cared in that moment. But I knew that something was going to go down. I wasn't shocked but I know from YouTube reaction videos that several people were. Back to it...

 ... and goodbye Glenn. At last. I thought you were dead last season and hated that stupid mislead. At the time I even suspected it was to raise questions about whether he might survive the moment that he notoriously perished in the famous comic issue 100. And yet that bat hit me hard too (thankfully metaphorically speaking). The direction and cinematography here were outstanding. I felt it. And I was grossed out. This was where I again thought that the show might have gone too far. Glenn's make-up effects and half-dead state were horrifying... but then I realised that I dug that it, like a lot of the dialogue, was straight from that famous comic issue. Even though it was cut from the 9pm showing on Sky here in the UK, I don't think this image was just there to shock. Sure it did that but I think it was a cool geek touch. In much the same way as fans may get a thrill from seeing Iron Man and Captain America recreate a classic Civil War splash page on the big screen, here we saw a profound and affecting image writ large across two mediums:

I can't end this review without mentioning the incredibly tense moment between Rick and Carl. it was handled perfectly, as we felt the same feelings as Rick. I complained that if Rick went through with the act of chopping off his sons arm it would be farther than I think Rick would go, despite the consequences, and yet I knew that there would be consequences. It shows how well balanced the episode and show were that it didn't punish us with more carnage. Even the heroic moment when Carl tells his father to go for it is completely in character but a welcome relief for the audience at this point. Imagine how much more harrowing this scene might have been if Carl was begging for mercy. And yet this was still the most tense scene in the episode! My younger brother, watching with me, said as much out loud and I'm inclined to agree. It played skilfully with our knowledge of limb loss from the comics, teases littered throughout the episode, and the fact that we had seen how far Negan would go by now. Kudos on breaking us down along with Rick so that we could go through the journey. We, too, started out angry and defiant and ended up completely broken and compliant.

 Let me finish by adding that I loved a couple of great, littler character moments. Like many people I missed Abraham's final gesture of affection to Sasha but it's great and heartbreaking when you see it. I also loved that Michonne stayed strong in the smart way, not pleading with Negan desperately but acknowledging his power and their understanding. For now. And I adore that Maggie remained defiant, even when Rick wasn't any more. Fans of the comic know how important this moment could be going forward. Finally I love how Sasha, who we watched struggle and battle her way through grief and depression, was the one who said that she would help Maggie "get there" beyond these traumas. I dug this, even though I initially forgot that she had just lost someone too. Emmy standard acting all round, great writing, fantastic direction. Cheap shots not required. I just hope we get some levity for a little while now. Phew.

 One final thought: I love that this show, whilst on a surface level is about the classic horror of the undead, is more about the horrors of life for the living, and how people can be the biggest nightmare you can face. Never has this been made clearer than in the final shot of a lone "walker", come to devour scraps of flesh, now looking so insignificant and feeble as it gets smaller in Rick's rear-view mirror.

How clear can I put this, for the next few Monday nights, The Walking Dead is in charge!

**** (4/5)

 MM

We're Making A Comeback...

So, I was informed that we - Marvel Man and I - were overdue for a comeback. Granted the blog had lain dormant for a while. So long it was in fact that I couldn't even remember watching Bedlam on the BBC. What I have done however is watch a shitload of other horror programmes and movies that are worth a mention.

The most recent of this was Tickle Monster, a horror short that featured as part of the FilmFear Fright Bite series. A great little piece of cinematography this one, all close, claustraphobic shots with a fantastically monstrous payoff at the end. At only 9 minutes long, this one is well and truly worth your time. The tickling hands affecting the protagonist prior to the reveal may just give you nightmares.

It's good to be back folks, so bear with us and we'll get this train right back on track in no time.

Bedlam - Some Thoughts

For our British readers, I thought I'd very quickly offer my thoughts on Bedlam (the new so-called 'psychological horror' featuring Will Young. Here are my observations (after watching two episodes):

• It features some extremely poor cliches of the genre
• Will Young is trying hard to pass himself off as a straight guy, which appears slightly implausible despite going for the 'hottie' in the first episode
• Will Young is probably the best actor in the show
• Theo James is an ok actor but the amount of times he appears without clothing is starting to really grate
• There's a large amount of scenes that appear cringeworthy and 'cheap'
• Hugo Speer has an extremely bizzare part in the programme and I can't work out what he's meant to be doing in it, apart from being the sinister 'father figure' of Kate
  

I don't know why or how British supernatural drama keeps going so wrong. Such programmes as the seminal Ghostwatch, the well written Sea of Souls and the deeply disturbing Chillers all hit the nail dead on. Yet we've recently had a spate of less than average programming.

If you're interested, Wikipedia has quite a good page of collected UK supernatural drama.

Shock Labyrinth 3D

Outline
It's another scary Japanese movie with a female ghost/monster stalking a group of attractive teens/young adults. It is however still worth watching because of the slightly mind bending storyline and the fact that it's filmed in 3D.

Yet again, Takashi Shimizu is making scary movies, and this is no exception. Throughout the atmosphere continues to ratchet up notch by notch, until you realise that it is telling a story of some sort of bizzare time travel. Then this concept gets totally turned on the head until you're not quite sure of exactly what you've seen or who is meant to be mad (or not). Trust me, it's one to see.

As is commonplace in non-westernised horror, the Aristotelean narrative form is frequently let by the wayside in order to pursue more complex concepts or just plain scary visual images. Shock Labyrinth 3D lives up to this by putting a bunch of protagonists in a real-life location - Fuji-q High Land, an amusement park near Mt. Fuji. This amusement park really does have a haunted house that you can walk through and after this film I'd think twice about doing so! The protagonists actually explore this location twice. Their first foray being as children and they later return as young adults after seeing an unexpected face from the past (yes the girl from the box art).

A film in 3D
Of course I couldn't finish the review without talking about the 3D element. At times it works extremely well, with a true depth of field for some shots. However, it does no favours for the film when the subtitles come on. These can appear blurred and may irritate the eyes when watching. For the record, I watched both the 3D and 2D versions of the film and personally found the 3D version the superior. However, my other half felt that the opposite was the case, with the 2D DVD providing richer colours and far greater clarity.

Should I watch it?
If you're a fan of Asian horror films, you should probably watch Shock Labyrinth 3D. There's nothing wrong with it per se, but it doesn't light up the genre as The Grudge did. 3D brings another element to the film and makes it slightly more interesting and there are far worse ways to spend an evening (probably with an average Hollywood horror).

Final score
7/10

Let The Right One In

This is only a short commentary regarding the film and the book - but I feel an important one.

I'm talking here about the original movie, not the Hollywood remake named Let Me In.

I can confirm that in some respects, Let The Right One In is very close to the original material, but unfortunately it falls short in many ways. Not least by missing out some of the far more interesting subtexts that take place in the novel. It even cuts out exactly what happens to Eli's older protector following a fall from the hospital window. This element of the storyline serves as one of the most sinister chapters of any book I have ever read. It may not have given me night terrors but the concept left me with images in my mind that took a long while to leave.

Let The Right One In is ultimately served far better as a novel as it is nuanced, subtle, terrifying and detailed. The film misses out so much that frequently you're asking 'eh?' or 'what?' with relationships in the film, which is what the book is about.

Back In Business...

Sorry for the delay guys, but we're going to be back in business, albeit sporadically. Naturally, this means more horror news, views and reviews.

Jennifer's Body - Review

So, yeah, I recently picked this up on DVD after all the hype and publicity engaged me, and much championong from me on this very site. I know, so good with the timing right? Sadly that is mostly how I get to watch my horror, getting to the pictures is increasingly difficult along with many other things but I'm still picking up the DVD's as you'll hopefully see as I get to watch those, or hope to. If for some reason you are even later than me at watching this film do not read on if you do not want to be spoiled and have plot details revealed.

My general thoughts are that the film presents a highly stylised world. Initially this will immediately put a lot of people off and is akin to the likes of Aaron Sorkin or Joss Whedon on tv or the films of Tim Burton or any "hyper-reality" writers or directors. I'd heard that said about writer Diablo Cody's flair for language and it's true, it's quite good if overly phony sounding at times and always very styled if you know what I mean. I hadn't seen Juno so this was my first experience of that, when it worked it was great, sometimes naturalistic which weirdly jarred itself but on a couple of occasions horribly and distractingly bad.

Taking the movie chronologically we are thrown straight into the narrative and this world, the lives of these people and the way they are. It's quite uncomfortable and takes some adjusting to the tone which never seems to settle as a result at first. As we open we go straight from high school seen-it-a-thousand-times best friends, relationships etc "Dawson's Creek" stuff to a horrific scene of the local bar burning down. This is actually presented, not as drama or too realistic, but in an o.t.t stylised horror film sort of way, imagine being thrown from One Tree Hill or something into a scene directed by Sam Raimi. From there the movie's main plot kicks in. One thing here has now become obvious, Megan Fox looks good, and that's it. The person carrying the movie and the lead, despite the promotional material, is Amanda Seyfried, though not the face of the movie. She really does hold it too doing an excellent job at getting her character and drawing you into the movie's world through her, the only fleshed out person you can give a damn about. In fairness Fox gets two scenes in movie's middle and end which prove she probably can act if she tries but here the brief is arguably to act the vacuous botched bitch with extra demonic relish and never fail to give a sexy performance above all else.

As the murders progress the horror is obviously fairly tame, the film is only a 15 certificate, and might seem cliche to some as the nature of Jennifer's curse is revealed. I dug it, partly because it seems brave to do what might be construed as cheesy and I haven't seen much of it, plus it came across quite cool in the world established and seemed to fit. As Jennifer first returns from her, initially unseen, ordeal there is one of the scariest and creepiest scenes I have seen in a while as a bloodied Fox simply smiles through bared teeth, vacant stare in her eyes just facing down her friend through darkness. Then screams that sound truly otherworldy and some horror scenes which might surprise you with their effectiveness and how good they are. A true shudder moment.

The high school stuff is less successful, but as I said Seyfried's Needy keeps you on track, the mid-section of the film ticks along though remains unremarkable bar odd directorial or writing quirks that creep in (Why has J.K Simmons' teacher got a metal claw for example?).

The movie's final acts take us through the stereotypical lesbian sleepover, prom, boyfriend's heroic death and final confrontations but never seem laboured or like something we've seen before, even though we know most of it is. The final moments though of Jennifer's new "life" are genuinely affecting and heartbreaking and you may find yourself realising that, looking back, it was a hell of a fun ride and you actually enjoyed it. I'm not promising but as I said before I'm a forgiving audience.
The thing that does bother me is that if you try and take a message from the movie it's arguably that for a woman to find her power she has to become a sexualised "bad girl", naughtier type (as evidenced by Needy's deterioration in the mental hospital, the deleted scene of her whoring herself and her final bloody revenge). Needy kind of becomes Jennifer to survive, right down to the bloody slaughter, and even powers (though mercifully remains not evil). The alternative is an emasculation fantasy viewpoint. Personally that bothers me but I believe it was just written as a "punch the air" ending for the character of Needy and a kind of script or thematic poetic justice.

All told I was going to give the film a lower mark, I can see how many people will hate it, and the accusations of cliche, cheese, etc that will be levelled at it, perhaps fairly. As it's sat with me for a few days however I realise that I really dug the world it created and horror tale it spun me and I do want to watch again, and maybe see more of this world or others of it's ilk. A fun time, enjoyable viewing if not always easy, hooks you in and delivers what it should: thrills, occasional scares but mainly a fantasy escapist movie land where you can live a fight with a succubus through the protagonist's small town eyes. For me...

**** (4/5)



"I am going to eat you and shit out your soul Lesnicky! "

MM