David M. Brown's Blog, page 38
August 13, 2013
Film Review: Headhunters
Roger Brown is successful, charismatic and always gets what he wants. By day he is an unrivalled corporate headhunter and husband to his beautiful wife Diana, but by night is a prolific art thief with a keen eye for great antiquities.
However, Roger’s ambition soon gets the better of him as he is lured into a dangerous game of cat and mouse when he goes after the biggest heist of his life, only to discover his victim is also a skilled headhunter in the most literal sense.
Starring: Aksel Hennie, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Synnøve Macody Lund, Julie Ølgaard, Kyrre Haugen Sydness
Directed by: Morten Tyldum
Runtime: 100 minutes
Studio: Magnolia Home Entertainment
Amazon USAmazon UKIMDB Review: HeadhuntersBased on the novel by Jo Nesbo, Headhunters tells the story of a successful headhunter, Roger Brown (Aksel Hennie), in Norway who is married to Diana (Synnøve Macody Lund), a gallery owner. Roger has a lavish lifestyle and helps fund this by stealing paintings from clients and selling them off with the aid of his friend, Ove (Eivind Sander), who disables the security networks. When Roger’s wife introduces him to Clas Greve (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau), a potential recruit for Pathfinder, the company that Roger sources employees for, he is intrigued to learn that Clas has a rare Rubens painting. With Ove’s aid, Roger decides to steal the painting but his life is about to be turned upside down.
After stealing the painting from Clas, Roger is stunned to find his wife’s phone in the unmade bed at Clas’ home. He is horrified that Diana may be cheating on him even though Roger has no issue with having his own mistress, Lotte (Julie Ølgaard), until she insists that he meet her family! Roger doesn’t have time to worry about marital problems when he discovers Ove in his garage having been poisoned by a syringe in the car seat that may have been meant for Roger. Roger initially believes Ove is dead and has to dump his body but when his friend revives, Roger’s problems are only just beginning. It seems that Clas is not the fool that Roger assumed he was and what follows is a frantic game of cat and mouse.
Headhunters begins well with the lavish lives of Roger and Diana but beneath the wealth is a marriage in trouble. Diana wants a baby but Roger is adamant that there will be no children. Once Roger is on the run, he is left to reassess his entire life if only he can survive. After the fascinating opening the film becomes a gripping chase thriller where Roger is left to question who can be trusted even those closest to him, including Diana. It seems many people mean him harm so can he outwit Clas? A great cast make this one a faithful and memorable adaptation of Nesbo’s novel.
Headhunters is another example of how world cinema continues to give Hollywood a lesson in quality film making. A compelling story that is tense and well-acted throughout will hold your interest from start to finish. You’ll be left to speculate how many people are plotting against Roger and will he survive to the end. Nesbo has many other novels out there so it will be interesting to see if we get more adaptations. I certainly hope so.
Verdict: 4/5
(Film source: reviewer’s own copy)
Film Review: Headhunters | Thank you for reading Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dave
August 12, 2013
Film Review: Broadcast News
In James L. Brooks’ quirky, romantic comedy, three ambitious workaholics are set loose in a network TV newsroom where their professional and personal lives become hopelessly cross-wired. Tom (William Hurt) is the modern anchorman, smooth, handsome and a bit dumb. Jane (Holly Hunter) is his driven, brilliant producer, determined to turn Tom into a real newsman. And Aaron (Albert Brooks) is a seasoned, totally uncharismatic reporter who can’t stand Tom’s instant success on-camera or with Jane. It all adds up to one explosively funny romantic triangle.
Starring: William Hurt, Albert Brooks, Holly Hunter, Robert Prosky, Lois Chiles
Directed by: James L. Brooks
Runtime: 133 minutes
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Amazon USAmazon UKIMDB Review: Broadcast NewsThe world of television news is a complicated place and for our three leads here that couldn’t be more true. After a glimpse of our three protagonists in their youth, we move to the present day where Jane Craig (Holly Hunter) is a hard working producer for a prestigious company. Her best friend is Aaron Altman (Albert Brooks), a writer and reporter, who is secretly in love with Jane though never brings himself to tell her. Their lives are changed when the network hires Tom Grunick (William Hurt), a local anchorman who has previously worked in sport but who now takes a prominent role in his new workplace. Jane finds herself attracted to him even though he fits the bill for the sort of guy she normally hates. Aaron is left to suffer, but not completely in silence!
The film covers Tom’s start at the company and his gradual rise through the ranks, despite many limitations. He and Jane begin impressing many including the network’s star anchorman, Bill Rorish (Jack Nicholson). However, the complicated love triangle between Tom, Jane and Aaron begins to put a severe strain on them in the workplace and when budget restrictions later rear their ugly head and redundancies across the network are threatened we are left to speculate about who will survive. When the business of cuts has been resolved will Jane end up with Tom or Aaron or will the three protagonists decide to go their separate ways instead?
A big hit when it was first released, Broadcast News was showered with Oscar nominations as well and it’s not hard to see why. Hurt, Hunter and Brooks are all fantastic and all three received nods from the Academy. Hurt’s Tom is the handsome new anchorman that is full of doubts about his limited knowledge when it comes to current affairs. Hunter’s Jane is strong and independent, a fierce workaholic but beneath the surface she longs to be with Tom. Brooks’ Aaron you can’t help feel sorry for in the midst of unrequited love for Jane and despite his undoubted talent he is very much spurned by his peers. A delightful script and a surprise ending augment what is both a funny and at times tragic comedy.
Broadcast News gives us a wonderful insight into the fast and furious world of television news. We watch from the surface and delve behind the scenes where the action is frenetic from start to finish. A memorable cast make this one a joy throughout and even the sadly limited screen time for Jack Nicholson doesn’t ruin the experience. Comparable to Network in some ways and thankfully just as good.
Verdict: 4/5
(Film source: reviewer’s own copy)
Film Review: Broadcast News | Thank you for reading Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dave
Film Review: Flakes
Miss Katz (Zooey Deschanel) desperately wants her boyfriend to ditch his dead-end job at Flakes–a bohemian cereal shop. So when an eager young businessman opens a rip-off version of this beloved neighborhood hang, Miss Katz joins the competition to bury Flakes. Stand offs, sit ins, pranks and clever revenge will result in victory for one half of the feisty couple, but it may just leave their relationship all soggy!
Starring: Aaron Stanford, Zooey Deschanel, Christopher Lloyd, Ryan Donowho, Carol Sutton
Directed by: Michael Lehmann
Runtime: 84 minutes
Studio: IFC
Amazon USAmazon UKIMDB Review: Flakes
Flakes is a diner with a difference. Owned by Willie B (Christopher Lloyd) and managed by aspiring musician, Neal Downs (Aaron Stanford), Flakes serves only breakfast cereals to its customers with many being highly sought varieties. Neal’s girlfriend Pussy Katz (Zooey Deschanel) is eager for Neal to finish a record and start pushing himself forward as a musician. She offers to work at Flakes and free up some time for him to complete the record but although Neal hires her he instantly fires her. It’s a decision he comes to regret within about 2 minutes.
An opportunistic customer has popped into Flakes and explored the possibility of them franchising, something Willie and Neal are not interested in. Very soon, a rival flakes business opens across the street and it is here that Pussy Katz decides to head in search of new employment. She and Neal insist on being professional but she is determined to put her rival out of business and leave Neal with nothing to do but finally finish his record. It’s all out war with breakfast cereals! Which business will survive? Will Neal and Pussy Katz see their relationship fall apart?
Flakes is a decent little comedy with a quirky cast and lots of cereal. It’s always great to see Christopher Lloyd and he doesn’t disappoint as the owner of Flakes though his work ethic is questionable to say the least. Stanford and Deschanel are also pretty good in the leads. The film has its amusing moments but by the end it’s just a quite good effort rather than being a comedy that you will remember for a long time.
Flakes is certainly not groundbreaking but it does have some charm about it. The idea of a diner serving only cereal is appealing enough but once the novelty of that idea has worn off the film is a pretty standard romantic comedy with a very predictable ending. A must for cereal fans though.
Verdict: 3/5
(Film source: reviewer’s own copy)
Film Review: Flakes | Thank you for reading Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dave
August 11, 2013
Film Review: Black Swan
Nina (Portman) is a ballerina in a New York City ballet company whose life, like all those in her profession, is completely consumed with dance. She lives with her obsessive former ballerina mother Erica (Hershey) who exerts a suffocating control over her. When artistic director Thomas Leroy (Cassel) decides to replace prima ballerina Beth MacIntyre (Ryder) for the opening production of their new season, Swan Lake, Nina is his first choice. But Nina has competition: a new dancer, Lily (Kunis), who impresses Leroy as well. Swan Lake requires a dancer who can play both the White Swan with innocence and grace, and the Black Swan, who represents guile and sensuality. Nina fits the White Swan role perfectly but Lily is the personification of the Black Swan. As the two young dancers expand their rivalry into a twisted friendship, Nina begins to get more in touch with her dark side – a recklessness that threatens to destroy her.
Starring: Natalie Portman, Mila Kunis, Vincent Cassel, Barbara Hershey, Winona Ryder
Directed by: Darren Aronofsky
Runtime: 108 minutes
Studio: Fox Searchlight Pictures
Amazon USAmazon UKIMDB Review: Black SwanNina (Natalie Portman) is a young dancer in a New York City ballet company who dreams of being a star on the stage. Her chance comes along when the director Thomas Leroy (Vincent Cassel) announces that current starlet Beth MacIntyre (Winona Ryder) will be stepping aside. Training goes ahead for a showing of Swan Lake and Nina is soon chosen for the lead role though Thomas has concerns. Nina is perfect as the White Swan but he needs her to become darker and more sensual for the second role of the Black Swan. While Nina attempts to win over Thomas, she faces a rival in the form of Lily (Mila Kunis) who has the ability to be the Black Swan and could threaten to scupper Nina’s chances.
Nina and Lily initially begin as friends despite the undoubted discontent amongst the other dancers who are envious of Nina being chosen for the lead role. Thomas trains Nina but emphasises her need to explore her dark side and insists on homework assignments including touching herself to shake off the tag of being solely the pure White Swan. Nina is desperate for the star role so complies with the demands. With Lily she is able to explore her sensual side further but the pressure begins to come at a cost. A domineering mother, Erica (Barbara Hershey), augments Nina’s struggle and her grip on reality begins to break.
Aronofsky’s psychological drama won a lot of rave reviews and it is well worth the praise. Portman full deserved the Oscar she won for her role as Nina, delivering two forms of her character exquisitely. Cassel, Kunis, Hershey and Ryder are fantastic support too but this film is all about Portman. The evocative image of a ballet show on stage is ripped apart to give us a fly on the wall behind the scenes look into a world of extreme pressure where the fear of losing beauty and stardom is rife and the physical and mental sacrifices the dancers have to devote to their art is astonishing and at times horrifying.
Black Swan is a brilliantly acted drama of one woman’s desire to be a star and how she falls apart in her pursuit of excellence. An impressive cast work well together and this is expertly directed by Aronofsky from start to finish. Portman begins and ends the film in style, delivering arguably her finest performance to date.
Verdict: 4/5
(Film source: reviewer’s own copy)
Film Review: Black Swan | Thank you for reading Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dave
Film Review: Farce of the Penguins
Latest penguin film exposes the raunchy side of the seemingly innocent, flightless, monochrome birds. After March of the Penguins and Happy Feet, this latest penguin-starring comedy evokes different emotions all together. Taking live nature footage of penguins in the wild and adding voice-overs by big stars, director Bob Sagett (America’s Funniest Home Videos) offers a comical alternate look at the Antarctic winter. With raunchy subject matter and some colourful language, this one is plainly not aimed at the family or children’s markets. If live footage of the flightless favourite doing the ‘what comes naturally’ with oohs and aahs provided by Samuel L. Jackson and Christina Applegate is what floats your kayak, then ‘The Farce of The Penguins’ is for you.
Starring: Samuel L. Jackson, Jason Alexander, Christina Applegate, James Belushi, Jason Biggs
Directed by: Bob Saget
Runtime: 80 minutes
Studio: Velocity / Thinkfilm
Amazon USAmazon UKIMDB Review: Farce of the PenguinsI’ve yet to see March of the Penguins but I’m pretty sure it won’t be as bizarre as this comedy from Bob Saget. A group of male penguins set out on a 70 mile journey to the breeding grounds where they can look forward to mating and then having to look after an egg for several months while the females make their own journey to feed. This isn’t a nature programme of course. As the title says this a parody full of innuendos with the narrator being Samuel L. Jackson, surely the next best thing for a wildlife documentary after David Attenborough.
The story is divided between Carl (Bob Saget) and Jimmy (Lewis Black) on their journey and Melissa (Christina Applegate) and Vicky (Mo’Nique) who are waiting for the males. Carl is lacking in confidence and has had some tough relationships while Jimmy is more assertive. At the breeding grounds Melissa and Vicky discuss potential mates and it seems inevitable that Carl and Melissa will get together or will they? We also get an insight into the thoughts of various other penguins and even a philosophical snowy owl (Jonathan Katz) who sounds a bit like Marlon Brando in The Godfather and has some useful advice for Carl.
This is an amusing if somewhat limited comedy. The penguins seem to have a lot more to worry about than just eating and sex, though those topics do pop up, the latter in pretty much every scene. There are various notable actors and actresses that lend their voices to the penguins and it is fun trying to pick some of them out. Samuel L. Jackson’s narration is the undoubted high point. Though many of the gags are funny you will be left with the feeling that it could have been funnier.
Farce of the Penguins is a silly, amusing but in the end unspectacular spoof. Some good vocal talent is worth your time but given the limited storyline the jokes are around the same small circle of topics. Worth watching for Jackson’s narration though I wouldn’t recommend him as a replacement for Mr Attenborough just yet.
Verdict: 3/5
(Film source: reviewer’s own copy)
Film Review: Farce of the Penguins | Thank you for reading Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dave
August 10, 2013
Guest Post: The Ghosts That Come Between Us – Bulbul Bahuguna
Today Bulbul Bahuguna stops by to share a guest post and an excerpt from her book, The Ghosts That Come Between Us.
Guest Post: Complex Emotions in a Survivor of Sexual AbuseWhile each survivor is different and his or her own unique story of abuse and victimization, there are several common themes in their clinical presentation.
Symptoms in sexual abuse victims vary depending on the age of the victim at the time of the sexual assault, age of abuser, relationship with perpetrator, concomitant verbal, physical and emotional abuse or threats, family constellation and dynamics, level of education, intensity, extent, frequency and duration of the abuse, and finally, access to a support system or mental health professionals. Usually, the perpetrator is not a stranger and is well-known to the victim.
Most emotions are experienced very intensely and the victim feels “out of control” during repeated emotional crises. He is often tormented by vivid dreams or nightmares that can wake him up in the middle of the night. Appetite changes can range from restricting behaviors to obsession with food that can cause significant weight gain, literally using body fat to push people away to “feel safe.” The victim can feel immobilized and trapped owing to learned helplessness, yet hysterical reactions are not uncommon. Panic attacks can occur, sometimes triggered by a memory and at other times totally unprovoked, accompanied by intense anxiety and “out of body” experiences. Obsessive thoughts, fears and phobias can also occur, as well as a myriad of addictions including an addiction to dysfunctional relationships.
The victim can easily compartmentalize his thinking and block out certain memories, which often leads to “feelings of emptiness.” He is often obsessed with issues of fairness and justice, sometimes culminating in fantasies of revenge and retribution. Self-mutilation to ‘numb’ oneself, and issues related to intimacy, gender identity and sexuality are also prevalent.
Feelings of guilt, shame and self-blame, hopelessness and helplessness, and self-loathing are frequent in a victim of sexual abuse. Sometimes he is unable to verbalize any emotions or self-soothe. Feelings of loss and betrayal can lead to thoughts and images of self-harm, and plans to hurt oneself or those who caused and perpetuated the trauma.
The victim has a strong desire to be believed that is pervasive and universally defines his persona. Often, he has an intense need to feel “perfect,” needed and loved. He may have difficulty being assertive and can easily get enmeshed and codependent. Sometimes, this can result in poor management of boundaries with others and repeated self-sabotaging relationships. Feeling judged by others and an inability to trust is common. While he has great difficulty being controlled by others, the victim can also experience an intense need to feel special.
De-personalization and de-realization can also occur. Often the victim describes this as “zoning out” feeling “fragmented,” or “being in a haze.” Dissociation is fairly prevalent, when the victim feels he is literally out of his own body and watching himself from another place. He often complains about flashbacks of abuse. These are intrusive thoughts of being re-victimized that are often repetitive, and appear so real that the victim feels as if the trauma is happening all over again. Body memories can be very intrusive and threatening, and the victim vacillates between hyper-arousal and hyper-vigilance to disorientation and numbing. Startle reaction is not uncommon. When this happens, the victim can be taken totally unawares and feel vulnerable and unsafe all over again.
Sexual abuse is a lifelong trauma to the body, psyche and soul. It is important to stress that the first step in helping a victim of sexual abuse is to believe him. He needs to feel safe in order to begin the process of healing.
I would like to end on a hopeful note: recovery is possible. But it does take work. So please get help and be patient.
Excerpt from The Ghosts That Come Between Us“It was quite late when we got back home. As usual, I crept between both my parents in bed.
I remember Daddy rubbing my back as usual, as I faced away from where he lay beside me, feeling his rapid breath behind me, his body warm against mine. And as usual, it felt so good. So relaxing. For a while he continued to massage my shoulders. Then he moved his soothing hands purposefully, to rub the nape of my neck. Also, just as usual.
But what was about to happen next was not just as usual. His hands started to move forward. Then he began to fondle the front of my chest, gently playing with and titillating my budding breasts. Or whatever they were supposed to be called at the time. He was stroking them tenderly, one at a time, circling my nipples with his long tapering fingers. This felt strangely odd and novel, fun but scary, good and bad, all at once.
I was feeling sensations that I did not know until then even existed. Then it happened again. And again. I kept my eyes closed throughout.
When I close my eyes, I cease to be. When I can’t see anything, it’s not happening to me. It’s actually happening to someone else, I imagined.
I remember feeling there was something wrong about the whole thing. But for some reason, it still felt exciting and special. Then it was all over as suddenly as it had begun and we both went to sleep.
My first thought the next morning was, Mummy should never know. She would surely automatically assume that I’m a bad girl. That it’s all my fault. Nobody should ever know. This is something between just Daddy and me.
It’ll never happen again, I told myself. It must never happen again. It’s just possible, that it never even happened in the first place. Maybe, it was just a bad dream.”
The Ghosts That Come Between Us (2013)The Ghosts That Come Between Us is a first-person narrative that follows the life journey of a girl named Nargis. The story starts in the Himalayas in postindependence India, spans through Communist Russia, and ends in a Chicago suburb in the United States. While the book recounts delightful memories of childhood in the sixties and colorful anecdotes of family travels through young urban and feudal rural India, finding love behind the impervious Iron Curtain, and the adventure and challenge of immigrating to the United States, the book in the main is about Nargis’s struggle to escape the confusing relationship with her father, Brigadier Yadav, and forgo the special status she thrived and in which she enjoyed growing up. The closure Nargis strives for, she painfully realizes, has to come from within. Nargis’s journey combines the daring straightforwardness of innocent childhood with the poetic eloquence of an adult engaged in hazy reflection. Amazon USAmazon UKGoodreads About Bulbul BahugunaBahuguna was born and raised in Northern India. She began her studies in medicine at the prestigious All India Institute of Medicine and finished them in the Soviet Union, funded by a full merit scholarship. For the last 22 years, she has been a psychiatrist practicing in Chicago. She is a national trustee of non-profit the American India Foundation, which advances the ties between the US and India.
Guest Post: The Ghosts That Come Between Us – Bulbul Bahuguna | Thank you for reading Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dave
Film Review: The Last Man on Earth
Screen legend Vincent Price stars in this, the first, and finest, adaptation of Richard Matheson’s classic horror/sci-fi novel I Am Legend. After a plague wipes out the human race, Dr. Robert Morgan (Price) struggles with loneliness – and his sanity as the monotony of the unending days broken only by his daily hunts for vampires! One day on his solitary travels he runs across another human: is she a mirage, or real? This existential masterpiece ratchets up the tension, and keeps it up, until the last thrilling frame.
Starring: Vincent Price, Franca Bettoia, Emma Danieli
Directed by: Ubaldo Ragona
Runtime: 86 minutes
Studio: Legend Films
Amazon USAmazon UKIMDB Review: The Last Man on EarthLong before Will Smith was wandering a desolate city in I Am Legend, Vincent Price was faced with the same bout of danger and loneliness in this sixties adaptation of Richard Matheson’s book. Dr Robert Morgan (Vincent Price) is the sole survivor of a plague that has seemingly wiped out the entire human race. By day Morgan heads out into the silent city to gather supplies, but by night he barricades himself in his home from the hordes of undead vampires that roam around once the sun has set. The undead are the infected humans who cannot bear sunlight, garlic or their own reflections, all weaknesses that Morgan has to exploit and use to his advantage.
Morgan’s is a lonely existence and as time goes on the monotony and solitude of his life begins to tell. Through flashbacks we gain an insight into better times for him when his wife and daughter were alive and he was very much a family man. Morgan has hypothesized that his survival is the result of being bitten by a vampire bat while in Panama but there seems to be no cure for the infected. His days are devoted to killing the vampires with stakes and taking their bodies to an eerie pit to be burned. Every day is the same but one day Morgan discovers that he may not be alone after all.
While I Am Legend benefited from a big budget, The Last Man on Earth is far more limited but remains an effective work. Considered influential with George A. Romero’s The Night of the Living Dead that followed within five years, this is also regarded as a highly faithful adaptation of Matheson’s novel with the author working on the screenplay. The ending befits the overall mood in this post-apocalyptic world and may be unsatisfying to some. Price does a good job carrying the film almost single-handed and while the film is lacking the traditional blood and gore of undead horror films it is still a landmark piece.
The Last Man on Earth is a very good early effort at a zombie movie. Matheson’s classic storyline is brought vividly to life and conveyed well through a decent central performance from Vincent Price. While inferior to zombie films that would follow and the modern adaptation, I Am Legend, this is still a must-see piece of film history.
Verdict: 4/5
(Film source: reviewer’s own copy)
Film Review: The Last Man on Earth | Thank you for reading Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dave
Film Review: Martyrs
Lucie, a little 10-year old girl, disappears and is discovered a few months later wandering along the side of a road. The reason for her abduction remains a mystery. Traumatized and mute, she is put in a hospital where she is befriended by Anna, a girl of her own age. 15 years later and somebody rings the doorbell of an ordinary family home. A man opens the door to find Lucie standing there with a shotgun. Convinced she has found her tormentor, she pulls the trigger.
Starring: Catherine Begin, Robert Toupin, Morjana Alaoui, Mylene Jampanoi
Directed by: Pascal Laugier
Runtime: 100 minutes
Studio: The Weinstein Company
Amazon USAmazon UKIMDB Review: MartyrsPascal Laugier’s gritty horror begins with the escape of 10 year old Lucie from a building where she has been subjected to some horrific abuse along with other children held prisoner. Placed in an orphanage, Lucie befriends Anna who learns that Lucie is haunted by what looks like a severely mutilated creature that inflicts severe cuts and beatings on the young girl. The story moves on 15 years where Lucie (Mylene Jampanoi) turns up at the remote residence of a couple and their two teenage children. This happy family idyll is ripped apart by Lucie who arrives armed with a shotgun and murders the entire family before contacting Anna (Morjana Alaoui) with the assurance that she has located the very people that abused her years before.
When Anna finds Lucie she discovers her friend is still at the mercy of the creature that is terrorising her though Lucie is adamant that her suffering should end now she has sought revenge for the past. Clearly the creature that pursues her is linked to Lucie’s horrific childhood but only later do we gain a full insight into this. Anna is initially skeptical whether Lucie has murdered the right people but as the story develops she is introduced to a dark and violent world of abuse and torture, administered by a group of people in search of something truly unique.
Very much a film of two halves, Martyrs focuses on both Lucie and Anna at the outset but in the second half it is more about Anna. For me the first half is much better with Lucie seeking a violent revenge for what was done to her when she was just a girl. As the subject matter already suggests, Martyrs is a brutal and extremely violent film where torture has been inflicted on some very unfortunate girls and young women. The reasons behind such acts become clearer as we move towards the denouement but even that twist in the plot doesn’t elevate this enough into genius territory. This is a film that will be remembered more for the violence as opposed to the story.
Martyrs begins well but loses its way in the second half. Uncompromising in its depiction of abuse and violence, this is not a film that will appeal to a wide audience. Although I have come across more extreme films than this one, I wouldn’t recommend this for the faint-hearted. A better thought out second half could have made this one memorable but in the end its more about disturbing the audience than giving us a journey to be a part of.
Verdict: 2/5
(Film source: reviewer’s own copy)
Film Review: Martyrs | Thank you for reading Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dave
August 9, 2013
Film Review: The Awakening
In 1921, in London, the arrogant and skeptical Florence Cathcart is famous for exposing hoaxes and helping the police to arrest con artists. The stranger Robert Mallory tells her that the headmaster of a boarding school in Rookford had invited her to travel to Cumbria to investigate a ghost that is frightening the pupils to death. He also tells that many years ago there was a murder in the estate and recently pupil Walter Portman had died. The reluctant Florence finally accepts to go to Cumbria. On arrival, she is welcomed by governess Maud and the boy Thomas Hill. Soon Florence discovers what had happened to Walter and then the students, teachers and staff are released on vacation, and Florence remains alone with Robert, Maud and Tom in the school. Florence is ready to leave the boarding school when strange things happen, leaving Florence scared. …The Awakening (2011)
Starring: Rebecca Hall, Dominic West, Imelda Staunton, Isaac Hempstead-Wright, Shaun Dooley
Directed by: Nick Murphy
Runtime: 108 minutes
Studio: Universal Studios
Amazon USAmazon UKIMDB Review: The AwakeningSet in 1921, Nick Murphy’s ghostly horror follows Florence Cathcart (Rebecca Hall), a successful author who specialises in uncovering supernatural hoaxes and putting charlatans out of business. At the outset she is approached by Robert Malory (Dominic West), a teacher from a distant boarding school, to investigate the sighting of a ghost within the school that has led to the death of a student. Florence decides to take the assignment and is soon patrolling the corridors and seeking to unravel what she is certain must be a hoax.
Florence’s investigation is aided by the school boys who resort to some pranks leaving her to deduce that this is the cause of the ghostly sightings. Florence uncovers the reasons behind the death of a school boy and that seems to be that as half-term approaches. However, when Florence is left at the school with Robert, the housekeeper Maud (Imelda Staunton) and one boy, Tom (Isaac Hempstead-Wright), whose parents live in India, supernatural events continue to occur and Florence begins to doubt her own beliefs about what is truly happening at the school.
The Awakening is a decent ghost story with some good central performances from Hall, West and Staunton. Offering an explanation for some of the events early in the film lures us down one path only for much greater revelations to be waiting at the very end. The twist in the film is a hard one to pick out and the concluding segment will leave you debating the overall outcome. Let’s just say that there is some ambiguity and it will be down to you to decide whether the ending is a positive one or not.
The Awakening is not outstanding but it is a solid supernatural horror. The mystery unfolds at a careful pace and challenges the skeptical Florence throughout. Some good performances, a clever twist and an ending that leave you debating elevate this one above many other films I’ve seen about ghosts and haunted houses. Worth a look.
Verdict: 4/5
(Film source: reviewer’s own copy)
Film Review: The Awakening | Thank you for reading Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dave
Film Review: City of the Living Dead
“WOE BE UNTO HIM WHO OPENS ONE OF THE SEVEN GATEWAYS TO HELL, BECAUSE THROUGH THAT GATEWAY, EVIL WILL INVADE THE WORLD.”
The Seven Gates Of Hell have been torn open, and in three days the dead shall rise and walk the earth. As a reporter (Christopher George of PIECES) and a psychic (Catriona MacColl of THE BEYOND) race to close the portals of the damned, they encounter a seething nightmare of unspeakable evil. The city is alive – with the horrors of the living dead!
Directed and co-written by the legendary Lucio Fulci (ZOMBIE, THE BEYOND), CITY OF THE LIVIND DEAD features some of the maestro’s most shocking and controversial sequences of all time. Blue Underground proudly presents the definitive version of Fulci’s hallucinogenic masterpiece of horror: freshly transferred in brain-ripping High Definition from its original uncensored negative and loaded with exclusive new Extras!
Starring: Christopher George, Catriona MacColl, Carlo De Mejo, Giovanni Lombardo Radice
Directed by: Lucio Fulci
Runtime: 93 minutes
Studio: 125Th Street Records
Amazon USAmazon UKIMDB Review: City of the Living DeadLucio Fulci’s horror is about the suicide of Father William Thomas (Fabrizio Jovine) in a cemetery which enables the gates of Hell to open and leads to the small town of Dunwich, New England coming under attack from the undead. Elsewhere a psychic Mary Woodhouse (Catriona MacColl) sees images of Dunwich and the priest and seemingly dies from fright as a result. She is laid to rest but before she can be buried she wakes up and screams for help. Lucky for her, a reporter Peter Bell (Christopher George) is nearby and helps her. Mary and Peter soon join forces and set out in search of the town Mary saw in her vision.
When they come to Dunwich they find the town under siege by zombies with the now undead Father William leading the hordes and converting the locals to his undead ways. One look into the eyes of the Father leads to the unsuspecting being taken over and dying in a series of particularly gruesome ways. Family, friends and family are soon turning on one another. With the locals dropping like flies it is down to Peter and Mary to seal the gates of Hell before All Saints Day, stop Father Thomas and save not just the town but potentially the entire world from the undead. Can they do it?
City of the Living Dead is weak in storyline and the acting is pretty poor as well. The high points are obviously some of the effects which are heavy on the gore and will likely turn a few stomachs especially if you’ve decided to watch this shortly after eating. Among the most notorious scenes are one involving a drill and one where an unfortunate girl vomits for a long period. For all the grotesque moments and an okay soundtrack the film is severely lacking overall.
City of the Living Dead has a loyal cult following but compared to the likes of Evil Dead I found this to be rather poor. A better story, script and acting could have enhanced this greatly but in the end it’s a weak offering. It’s maybe worth a look for the gory scenes and decent effects but if you are looking for more from a horror film then you’d be best going elsewhere.
Verdict: 2/5
(Film source: reviewer’s own copy)
Film Review: City of the Living Dead | Thank you for reading Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dave
