One of grandmaster Alfred Hitchcock's earlier movies - and a real fun one.
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder - or maybe it's in the hands of the creator. Alfred Hitchcock has basically created beautiful movies throughout. Some might be a little more on the dark side, but all of them are charming, interesting, and exciting. "The 39 Steps" is a great mystery thriller that's more on the bright side of life, and it just oozes hitchcockian pep, natural charm, and suspense. Some of the more improvised looking scenes will probably put a particularly broad smile on your face.
The battle was won. But humankind was never really safe. Someone makes a tiny mistake, and all hell breaks loose - again!
Yes, yes, and yes. We wanted more, and we got more. If you've seen the first "Demoni", then you pretty much know what the second one is all about. Who needs characters, when you can have hordes of scary, raging demons?
Cinema theatre was yesterday, now we have concrete apartment blocks and video tape. "Demoni 2" changes a couple of parameters, but otherwise uses the same recipe as "Demoni": Overdrive! The way it ties in with the original movie is very nicely done, and stylistically there isn't much of a difference. The good thing about "Demoni" and "Demoni 2" is that you get exactly what you paid for. It's wild, unhinged, in your face, loud, heavy metal, gory, slimy, gothic, demonic, hellish.
"Demoni" wasn't a particularly intellectual experience, and "Demoni 2" is even less thought-provoking. It was never about deep psychology or evoking the viewer's forgotten traumata (or... was it?), but the second coming of the demons feels a little less charming, a little more wilful and off-the-shelf, lacking some of the quirkier quirks of the first one, so it maybe gets a little more lost in just blind activism.
But that doesn't mean it's boring. Oh no, far from it. The gore and nasty demons and everything is awesome as always, there are shiny muscles a-plenty, there's nice heavy metal music that's half adequate, and half irritating, and "Demoni 2" even manages to find a couple of new, inventive variations of the fantastic presentation of the titular monsters, using light and shadow, and a TV screen, to great, sometimes spectacular effect.
If you liked "Demoni", then "Demoni 2" is a no-brainer. If you didn't, you probably won't like "Demoni 2", too. If you've seen neither of the two, it doesn't really matter too much which one you watch first. Both "Demoni" are (almost) equally enjoyable, because the pacing and the visuals speak loud and clearly for themselves, as does the music, and the first part also works nicely as a flashback-sequel to the second part. Just remember: It's for your guts, not your brain.
Herk Harvey's only feature-length directorial work is a weird, obscure little gem, that has gained a little cult following over the years.
It's about Mary, who has a car accident that changes her life... It's a unique low-budget movie that maybe has a little flaw or two in storytelling, but also has "creativity!" and "vision!" written all over it. Its undead-ish modern-day "monsters" and occasional expressionist visuals predate some of the ideas seen in George A. Romero's "Night Of The Living Dead" (1968), and were influential on a number of filmmakers. The otherworldly mood of "Carnival Of Souls" is pretty much unmatched to this day. If you're a horror film geek, or film historian, it's a must-watch anyway. If you're not, just let yourself sink into the carnival, and enjoy the chills!
A mysterious outbreak turns people into mindless, ghoulish, flesh-eating monsters. Barbara, evading one of them, hides in a seemingly abandoned house. It turns out she's not alone, and the monsters within might be even more dangerous than those waiting outside...
There have been plenty of remakes and re-imaginings of the film, the best of which certainly is the 1990 version by Tom Savini and George A. Romero, and there are countless spin-offs and rip-offs, but nothing beats the bone-chilling original.
So this is where it all started, the one the set the rules for decades to come. Somehow, Romero had the idea to throw Richard Matheson's 1954 novel "I am Legend" (adapted to film as "The Last Man on Earth" and "The Omega Man"), EC horror comics, and the claustrophobic situation of "The Killer Shrews" (1959) together, to form one idea and script, and put it all on film, using little money and some help from friends.
The result is a very well made low-budget horror film with a somehow home-grown, hand-made feel - and a completely unexpected level of seriousness and depth. If you'd just quickly fast-forward through the movie, you'd maybe surprised by the big scope it has, but the real magic is in the detail, the dialogue, the tone. It's a great horror story with a (very) bleak ending - only this time, it's "us", not "them". There's basically no definitive bad guy that one could point at, and no hero that saves the day in the end - it's only us, being monsters, victims, winners, losers, strong, weak, good, and evil.
As in all good horror films, there's little to no romance in "Night Of The Living Dead". There's no place for juvenile heartbreak here, it's about the bigger picture. Romero had a razor-sharp eye observing psychological and social dynamics - the layout of the characters is like a simplified map of modern society. From the greedy businessman, who's tormented by fears of weakness, to the innocent kid that gets caught up in the action, and turns against its creators, every character in "Night Of The Living Dead" serves as an icon that represents an aspect of how humans interact. Everything is tied together by some great dialogue and acting, that feels authentic and well-grounded in reality, making it easy to identify with.
This thoughtful, sensible approach puts "Night Of The Living Dead" miles above pretty much all other zombie films. (Except, most notably, the other George A. Romero ones.) And it is what makes it a truly scary movie: It makes sense. From the moment Barbara is made fun of by her brother, in the cemetery, during the opening scenes of the movie, it becomes clear that a sensitive, thinking person was in control of this. The level of (black-and-white) gore is unprecedented for the time, and it leaves quite an impression to this day. Some of the editing and cinematography is both creative, and a nod to the era of silent films, and the pacing of the movie is dense, exciting, and steady. But all of the low-cost brilliance works wonders because the characters, the people in it, make sense. There is not a single dull moment in "Night Of The Living Dead", there is no plot hole, it's smooth as a clockwork, exiting, and thought-provoking, because the viewer can relate to pretty much every step along the way. Yes, it's us! Panicking, quarreling, fighting, trying to somehow get a grip on the situation, both on a personal, and on a social level.
"Night Of The Living Dead" from 1968 defines the modern zombie horror film, and is still easily in the top five of the genre. If not in top position.
Verdict: They're coming to get you - and they will! 10/10
Oh no, more sad news. Italian goddess-actress Claudia Cardinale passed away just yesterday.
With a filmography spanning over more than 60 years, starring in more than 100 feature films, including such classics as Federico Fellini's "8 1/2" (1963), Blake Edwards' "The Pink Panther" (1963), Lucino Visconti's "The Leopard" (1963), Sergio Leone's "Once Upon a Time in the West" (1968), and Werner Herzog's "Fitzcarraldo" (1982), she is one of the essential, classic actresses of her time.
Her beauty was legendary, together with Gina Lollobrigida and Sophia Loren she formed the "holy trinity" of Italian cinema sex-symbols of the 1950s and 1960s. She won numerous awards for her acting skills during her career. In her later years, she chose more demanding roles, and won Lifetime Achievement awards at the Venice Film Festival and from the National Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences of Russia.
According to reports, she died peacefully in her home in France.
Claudia Cardinale in "La Ragazza Con La Valigia" ("Girl With A Suitcase", 1961)
"Jack", the notorious, unidentified London ripper of 1888, is committing a series of horrific crimes. For Inspector Abberline and Sergeant Godley, in face of the bizarre atrocities, and the obstacles they have to overcome, the hunt for the killer becomes an increasingly personal experience, that leads them to circles of unexpected significance...
This two-part mini-series was produced for Thames Television and CBS, and broadcast on British television, exactly 100 years after the actual events. This gives us a certain indication of what to expect - some lines won't be crossed, the budget is reasonably big, and there should also be at least a good, if not top-notch, degree of historical accuracy, unless it turns out the movie (series) is some loose interpretation.
It turns out it's not - which is great. Where "Jack The Ripper" takes some liberties, is in the portrayal of the individuals, and it adds a bit of a surreal element to the story, but in every other regard it stays really close to historic fact. (Albeit offering a sort of solution to the case that is neither fully proven, nor generally accepted.) There are countless adaptations of the material, most of them being generous with injecting new ideas and dropping parts of the real story - this "Jack The Ripper" isn't one of them.
The original material certainly is exciting enough, and the movie basically just follows the history book, so it's inherently an interesting watch. The presentation of Jack leaving his ugly marks, the authorities chasing after him, and the public reaction to the events, is very authentic and convincing, it creates a dense, complete picture and atmosphere. The movie retains a moderate tone and pacing throughout, this "Jack The Ripper" doesn't zoom in to, and blow up individual detail, but is more like a protocol of the events.
In parallel with the crime story is a very personal portrayal of Inspector Abberline, who struggles between honest motivation, and throwing in the towel. Michael Cane gives the character some good dynamics, going through the ups and downs of success and failure, becoming the focal point of the story.
The entire movie is in fact very nicely balanced in all regards. It's authentic, with some flashy moments thrown in, and even a hint at the supernatural, which is a nice nod to the superstition of the time. The horror and violence is there, but it's kept at a tasteful minimum, being mildly explicit, but not more than absolutely necessary. We get a little bit of romance, but it's down to earth and unobtrusive.
All in all, "Jack The Ripper" is super solid, above average TV thriller material. Focusing on the police's work in 1888, it's probably a little too tame and traditional for the hardcore horror geek, but it's a great horror-esque thriller with lots of chills, a shock here and there, perfect Victorian London setting, a great script (mostly) based on actual fact, shaped into a personal story, and a great performance by the pretty much always great Michael Caine.
Verdict: Great TV thriller, and a little history lesson - nice! 7/10
Legendary actor Robert Redford passed away just two days ago.
Countless colleagues from the film industry, and just as many from every other field of public life, are expressing their admiration, and sadness, in face of the loss. According to reports, he died peacefully in his sleep.
The well known, highly acclaimed, and universally liked actor, who played in timeless classics like "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" (1969), "The Sting (1973)", "Out of Africa" (1985), or "The Horse Whisperer" (1998), which he also directed and produced, and many other great films, will be remembered as one of the originals of US cinema.
