Jamie C. Pritchard's Blog, page 8

Monster Magic: The Host (2006)

When you see a CGI creation it is unlikely you comprehend the amount of work that went into bringing it to life. At most perhaps you will acknowledge ‘those whizz kids behind computers’, but that still falls short in understanding how much works goes into that which dazzles popcorn munchers.

What you see on-screen is often heavily referenced from the real world, attributing organic properties onto polygons. Models themselves have both skeletal and muscular systems to replicate movement, consider how gravity would affect larger beings.

In the case of the monster in The Host (2006) they incorporated a complex skeletal system to aid its great range of movement. Not only this but in terms of references they looked back to Jurassic Park (1993) to see how larger things would move, Predator (1987) to see how a multi-sectioned mouth could work and even went as far to buy dead trout and burn it to try and get the right effect for the finale.

And so what you end up see swimming, running on land and gobbling people up is essentially an accurate representation of what you would see if such a thing existed. What is generated on a computer has to play by our rules.

There are of course certain boundaries with CGI – namely the fact it’s rendered surface can look fake – and so where The Host gets bonus points is in its clever use of practical effects for when the monster interacts with victims on a more subtle, sinister level, caressing their lifeless bodies with a tail-like tongue.

A sequel looked be on the way but no more news has surfaced. Either way, apart from being a great flick, the attention to detail on the monster both raised the standard of CGI models and has given a little re-birth to practical effects in major films.

The Hills Have Eyes (1977): Wes Craven’s Best?

Wes Craven died in 2015 due to brain cancer. He was 76. In his time on earth he earned a reputation as one of the Masters of Horror. When we scan his legacy Freddy Krueger is the one who pops up first, and close behind is both the craze and impact of the Scream franchise, but when getting down to the nitty gritty I feel that 1977’s The Hills Have Eyes may be the jewel in the crown.

Certain films have an essence that goes beyond craft and performances. Carnival of Souls (1965) has one, Ringu (1998) has one and this cannibal classic has one – a certain desolate vibe I was eerily reminded of last year when travelling through Arizona. Now this doesn’t necessarily make these films are superior to others, but to capture a certain essence is a great achievement.

The now awfully cliché plot device is here as a vacation goes to shit when Bob crashes his car, trailer, and the whole gang are spotted. Bob is eventually tied to a stake and set on fire, a baby is stolen – yes, this film is still quite raw. Furthermore I find the older, more basic filming techniques work to its advantage as many of the chase scenes feel more gruelling ala Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974).

This was also the first horror outing of Michael Berryman. If you don’t know the name you will defo recognize him. Born with hypohidrotic ectodermal dysplasia (try saying that while pissed), a rare condition in which you have no sweat glands, hair or fingernails made him a perfect casting choice. He is the centrepiece of the classic poster with the backdrop of the grassless hills behind him and is the undoubted standout of the killers.

He comes to an unfortunate end when the dog bites through his Achilles tendon, but while you may laugh at the effects and the acting in general, at the heart of the this 89 minute classic is a chilling concept which gets under my skin if I stare at those hills for too long…

The Exorcist: When The Film Beats The Book!

It’s iconic, it’s horrible, its a target for piss-taking (pea soup anyone?). There’s not much that can be said about it that hasn’t already though it may surprise that The Exorcist (1973) is one of those rare cases when the film is actually better than the book!

William Peter Blatty had wanted for some time to write a story about the possession of a little girl which he eventually got round to in 1971. It was published annnnnd Ka-ching! The rest is history, or rather not quite as in less than two years the film adaptation was unleashed on unsuspecting viewers, including my poor mother.

The book certainly has its strengths. Most notably there is a lot more talking between Father Karras and the Demon which gives the reader more of a feel for the true character of the evil that lives within poor Regan. On the negative side there is quite a bit of discussion about faith which I thought took away from the flow of the horror. Chris McNeil has an odd detective moment, digging out occult texts which felt a bit undercooked, plus lieutenant Kinderman is something of a pest.

The top performances and SFX of the film go a long way, but it is the pacing of it which makes all the difference, getting just the right ebbs and flows between action and relief which creates for a more effective piece of art.

Admittedly, the fact I saw the film first (and it is very similar to the novel) did not help when I read it for the first time. Maybe had I been a kid back in ‘71 things would be different…

In any event, it’s no knock on the author. Blatty won an academy award for the film’s screenplay which he also wrote.

Three Of The Best: Netflix Horrors

With its weird selection I often find it hard to choose anything on Netflix, but here are three horrors on the current roster that deserve a watch!

 

Oculus (2013)

This was an adaptation of director Mike Flanagan’s own short. It’s clever, quite spooky and ends with a bang. The centrepiece is a haunted mirror and the film flips between the present and past as siblings Kaylie and Tim try to understand some very odd stuff that happened in childhood. It builds tension nicely and keeps you on your toes. Ghouls, hallucinations, murderous parents…nice.

 

The Babadook (2014)

I don’t think it is as good as some claim, and the antagonist is derivative of a few things (Tim Burton comes to mind), but The Babadook does have a fresh premise and is more hit than miss. Noah Wiseman is a decent child actor, you really feel the mother is put through the worst kind of stress and the while not the most inspired the baddie does have a lot of style. The children’s book is a clever portal to evil. Bonus points for that.

 

The Conjuring (2013)

I’d imagine most have seen this by now considering it’s one of the more celebrated modern efforts, but I thought I’d give it another shout as I preferred it to the sequel. This story of possession in the 1930s is sort of based on reality, or the legend of ghost hunters Ed and Lorraine Warren. It nicely captures that gritty ‘70s vibe, the monitoring of spooky events is well done and the possession scenes pack a punch.

 

The House with a Clock in its Walls (2018): Just For Kids?

It’s not all about head explosions and possession. Horror has much more to offer than just shock value, and that’s why many gems are suitable for children…though that’s not to say they don’t bring with them the occasional chill…

The House with a Clock in its Walls is a story by American author John Bellairs, first published in 1973 and the subject of much praise. It’s due the big screen treatment on September 21st starring Cate Blanchett, little Owen Vaccaro and the ever-theatrical Jack Black.

There is a lot of overlap between fantasy and horror – indeed the film is pegged as ‘gothic fantasy horror’ – but Bellairs focus was very much on the darker side of things – of trying to give readers that satisfying tingle no other genre can. One who has binged on the Saw series may be sceptical but less can often be more when it comes to spooks.

The premise is straight forward enough. When Lewis goes to live with his uncle Jonathan (Black) he accidentally wakes the dead. Cue lots of strange happenings in a fascinating house. Now why films like this can be more effective than your run-of-the-mill ‘jump scare’ trash is that they build an atmosphere, a sense of place, and so their more subtle brushes with the supernatural are more keenly felt.

We’re not talking about being genuinely scared which is a rare thing, but rather when a story sucks you in then cleverly threatens the reality you’ve become part of. That’s good story telling, not suddenly seeing a face leap out of the dark. Visual design, atmosphere, creepy performances – there are many ingredients to good horror and what can be seen of the trailer suggests it may tick most boxes.

Oh, and it’s one of those rare ones that doesn’t spoil everything.

TRAILER

Venom (2018): Comic Book Horror

Yes, this is a little different. Technically it’s a comic book film – a genre of which I am a definite fan – but when it comes to the Marvel creation known as Venom there is undeniable horror involved. Along with Carnage this big, black bane of Spider-Man is one of the scariest characters in all of fiction.

The ever reliable Tom Hardy is set to make for a much better Eddie Brock than Topher Grace did back in the very dodgy Spider-Man 3 (2007). Different to that film though (with this being separate from the MCU) is that there is no Spider-Man here which makes no sense as the original wall-crawler is the very reason venom exists….has that giant white spider on the symbiote…

…nevermind.

The main thing is Venom himself resembles the guy I remember when my brother plastered our room with comic clippings growing up. Bulky, alien-like and genuinely disturbing. If you consider the origins of Venom – the symbiote which is brought back from space, the way it feeds off of Eddie Brock’s hate for Spider-Man, the way the symbiote intensifies the emotions you feel, tempting you down the path of plain evil – it is very much in the ballpark of body horror.

Though not a horror film this appears under Google’s selection for 2018’s horror which can be taken as a metaphor that horror in its purest form – that being to experience horror – is when we have a fundamental aversion to something, normally something we can’t do anything about, and that’s precisely what we see at the end of the new trailer.

As the symbiote begins to cover Hardy’s head like a pull-on mask, those overcrowded, needle teeth roll around the back and into biting position, dastardly eyes take shape and that dual personality is captured with an infamous quote “We are Venom.”

A bit more unnerving than Freddy Krueger and his cute glove methinks.

 

Hereditary (2018): Best Of The Year?

We’ve already had some good efforts this year with Ghost Stories and A Quiet Place. On June 15th we may be treated to the best. Currently holding an impressive rating of all fresh reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, 7.2 on IMBD and 89% on Metacritic, something of a red carpet is being prepared for Hereditary.

When the matriarch of the Graham family passes something evil begins to take an interest in granddaughter Charlie. The distinct looking Milly Shapiro plays Charlie and is a token of how this film aims to be unique. Director Ari Aster makes his grand debut and certainly has a good idea on what he wants to deliver. In an interview it was encouraging to hear him comment on how modern horror relies too much on ‘jump scares’. You get the feeling he wants to create something authentic, memorable.

It’s produced by the same people who did The Witch (2015) – again, another one of those better modern efforts, so it seems to have the right ingredients. I’ve heard one describe it as a mix of The Exorcist, The Shining and Rosemary’s Baby…now that could mean something special or a total mess. It always come down to a simple question of does it work? Does the film have its own rotten soul?

The trailer looked interesting which amounts to praise for my expectation with modern horror, an above-par collection of images next to some Exorcist-style violin plucking. Watching any youngster begin to scribble dark images deserves a roll of the eyes, but then nothing else really said cliché to me.

I look forward to purchasing a ticket…will you be?

 

Halloween (2018): Return To Glory Or Cash-Grab?

There is another Halloween film on the way and, rather confusingly, it will be called Halloween like the original and Rob Zombie’s remake. Universal Studios are back on board, the first time since Halloween III: Season of the Witch, Jamie Lee Curtis reprises the role of Laurie Strode and Nick Castle will be playing Michael Myers.

The ingredients appear to be there for a possible return to form, something authentic, but with this being the eleventh instalment in the series we are rightfully suspicious. Hellraiser: Judgement (number 10) came out earlier this year and was unsurprisingly slated…

Perhaps we can take strength from the fact this Halloween is discounting what happened from 2 onwards, wanting to separate itself from a long trail of whatever ever since Myers miraculously vanished from Laurie’s front garden. Other than John Carpenter doing the score and Myers returning to where it all began there isn’t much known about this yet, but I do expect something grittier, more sinister.

I don’t feel there is anything else the franchise could offer (artistically speaking) than to try and revive that claustrophobic, suffocating vibe of the original. I’m not fussed about plot twists or deep reasoning on what makes Myers kill, I simply want to feel the terror.

But as we know this is a business, and what could be an apt end to a franchise that needs burying is odds on to be a undercooked, unnecessary cash grab that will have me don the mask, find the nearest kitchen knife and enter Universal Studios…at night…in a boiler suit…

Horror Films: Cool Concepts

In light of A Quiet Place coming out and being well received I thought about other horror flicks that had cool concepts. Here are three of ‘em.

Dead of Night (1945)

I wouldn’t want to spoil this for those who haven’t seen it * so upcoming spoiler! *

Architect Walter Craig (Mervyn Johns) is sure he has seen the people in the house of a potential client. They too have strange tales to tell in this British anthology, most brilliantly about a possessed ventriloquist dummy, but the real brilliance is revealed at the end as reality itself starts to fall apart, Walter wakes up back at home, and then his wife suggests he goes back to that same house for a potential client…

…stuck in an eternal loop of fantasy feeding into reality and vice versa.

 

They Live (1988)

First a shout out to the late Roddy Piper who wasn’t a half bad actor.

Aliens invading/aliens taking over were well worn plots, but aliens already in charge? However, the true brilliance of They Live occurs when Piper puts those damn glasses on. The black and white visuals combined with the no-to-be-questioned commands to reproduce and essentially don’t think is both scary and ironic when you realise how many of us dance to the same tune.

 

The Human Centipede Trilogy (2009, 2011, 2015)

The concept of attaching three humans together, anus to mouth, is both charming and creative, but ah ha! For that is not the concept I am referring to here.

If you have the stomach (and patience) to get through Tom Mix’s more-miss-than-hit trilogy you will be aware of the decision to have the second and third films undermine the previous one by rendering them fictional. What you may not have gleaned is how that is a metaphor for a human centipede itself with each film internally connected.

 

Then & Now: Creepshow (1982)

In the build-up of Andy Nyman and Jeremy Dyson’s horror film Ghost Stories coming out in just a few days I recall a classic anthology that I felt rather differently about when I first watched it with young eyes.

1982’s Creepshow was quite the combo of talent, written by Stephen King and directed by George A. Romero. It had five shorts, one starring King himself and each being linked by cool animation where the pages of a comic book were flicked through until a composition merged into real life. Critically this film wasn’t the best received but it made an impression.

Upon watching it recently I had not seen it for many years and had my idea of what my favourite was – The Crate – a story about a mysterious crate under the stairs of a school which in fact housed an ape-type creature that’s hungry. I remember finding that the most engaging as a kid but on replay found the creature to be rather goofy (the SFX haven’t held up the best). It was now in fact the one I found the most boring back then – The Lonesome Death of Jordy Verrill – that I found the eeriest.

It just shows how your tastes change. Not only that but how horror has a lot to offer beside making you jump out of your seat – one of the big reasons I love it. Often as an adult, when you’re sure there’s no such thing as vampires (almost), it’s those more subtle touches that have the greater effect.

There are some other goodies in there. Father’s Day is cheesy but it’s good cheese while Something to Tide You Over has a more realistic, serial killer vibe to it with Leslie Nielsen doing what he’s not renowned for – playing it straight.

It’s good to see Ghost Stories has received decent reviews. I’ll find my cinema seat come April 6th, perhaps with an extortionate hotdog, hoping for a chill down the spine like when that ape-thing made me shit it as a kid.