David M. Brown's Blog, page 59

Guest Post: Delicious Pastiche – W.S. Lacey

We are delighted to welcome W.S. Lacey, author of Odd’s Door, who joins us to share a guest post about pastiche.

Guest Post: Delicious Pastiche

No, a pastiche is not a light, airy pastry served as a brunch or teatime snack. It is a pie, apparently, but in this context it refers to the practice of using styles and devices of an older work.

Pastiches come in all flavors, from the lowbrow (Pride and Prejudice and Zombies) to the critically acclaimed (Mason & Dixon). Surely they have a necessary function, a raison d’être that goes beyond the perennial human drive to imitate and adapt. The form of literary pastiche that most concerns me is the reproduction of a historical style. This is a great tool as it allows an author to deal with subjects normally inaccessible in ways normally impossible. If, for example, a modern writer wanted to express the social alienation and vulnerability in Victor Hugo’s The Hunchback of Notre-Dame while preserving a credible, organic work, they would have a difficult time. The social context of late medieval France doesn’t exist in the modern world and an attempt to adapt it to the streets of a 21st century city would not do justice to the original spirit of the work. Even Hugo had to cast back roughly 300 years to find the appropriate setting for his work. “It doesn’t follow,” you might adamantly maintain, “that a historical setting necessitates a pastiche. Shakespeare wrote Julius Caesar as an Elizabethan, for Elizabethans, without making concessions to Roman culture or style.” Doubtless, Shakespeare’s audience didn’t mind anachronisms in content or style if they even noticed them. But, as a different bard once said, “The times, they are a-changin’.” We live in a highly literate, historically aware age and we have different standards. Just as we no longer have male stage actors playing female roles[1], we now have expectations concerning the aforementioned credibility. Enough theory. There are a lot of tasty pastiches out there and I’m here to make the recommendations. The Woman in Black by Susan Hill If you didn’t notice the novel’s 1983 publication date, you might think that this short Gothic chiller was written in late Victorian/early Edwardian times. The style of narration, plot movement, and other conventions are all observed and adhered to. Hill writes in a relatively Jamesian mode without the half-page sentences and gratuitous use of the pluperfect. Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke If Jane Austen had written a wonderful doorstopper of a book about magic and the Napoleonic Wars and doomed Byronesque figures, it would look a lot like Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell. Susanna Clarke dwells happily in the period of her choosing, making few concessions of style or length to the modern taste. While that may not work for everyone, I loved this book. Note: Not everyone has the time or inclination to read a 782-page novel replete with extensive footnotes. In consideration of that, I also recommend The Ladies of Grace Adieu and Other Stories also by Susanna Clarke. They are a collection of short stories that maintain something of the flavor of JS&MR while possessing the attractions of a Quick Read. About Odd's Door (2013)[image error]When a woman vanished in Adelard Odd’s room, the resultant scandal closed the asylum at Quartersoake permanently. In 1925, nearly twenty years after Odd’s death, Lewis Spender and Roger North are willing to brave the room’s evil reputation in order to discover the truth.

In this novel by W.S. Lacey, appalling things happen to wonderful people and at least one person goes in want of an umbrella.

 

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Guest Post: Delicious Pastiche – W.S. Lacey | Thank you for reading Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dave

Film Review: The Mist

About The Mist (2007)[image error]Horror based on the novella by Stephen King. After a number of people in a small town in Maine are killed by supernatural creatures lurking in a thick fog, a small group of survivors led by artist David Drayton (Thomas Jane) take shelter in a local supermarket. The frightened survivors attempt to discover the origins of the deadly mist, with rumours pointing toward an experiment conducted at a nearby military base. As the world around them slowly descends into a literal hell-on-earth, one of the survivors calls for Old Testament-style sacrifices in order to pacify the malevolent forces.

Starring: William Sadler, Chris Owen, Andre Braugher, Nathan Gamble, Toby Jones

Directed by: Frank Darabont

Runtime: 126 minutes

Studio: Genius Products (TVN)

 

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Review: The Mist 

Following the brilliant adaptations of Stephen King’s work – The Shawshank Redemption (1994) and The Green Mile (1999) – Frank Darabont delivered The Mist in 2007. The story begins with David Drayton (Thomas Jane) waking to find a thunderstorm has led to damage to the house including his art studio. David leaves his wife Stephanie (Kelly Lintz) at home but takes their son Billy (Nathan Gamble) into town along with a neighbour Brent (Andre Braugher). Heading for the grocery store strange things begin to happen. Power in the town is mostly gone and a crowd is packed into the store, stocking up on supplies, when Dan Miller (Jeffrey DeMunn) comes racing towards them from outside. He has a bloody nose and calls on the crowds to seal the exit. A thick mist is approaching and Dan insists there is something inside it. The locals find themselves trapped in the store and those that dare to go outside soon find it’s far from safe.

A well-crafted film, The Mist demonstrates King’s skill when it comes to characters. At the outset we have David and his neighbour Brent who have been at loggerheads with lawsuits and court visits. With Brent’s car having been destroyed in the storm, David offers him a lift into the town and thrown together in the siege situation, the two men initially develop an understanding. Elsewhere in the store is Mrs Carmody (Marcia Gay Harden), fanatically religious, and very much the enemy within the store. When unknown creatures attack and kill the locals that wander into the mist, Mrs Carmody begins preaching that this is God’s work, the coming of Armageddon and that only in calming his fury can they hope to survive. Initially, Mrs Carmody stands alone in her preaching but as the siege lengthens and brings with it physical and mental strain, many of the locals find their faith and look to Mrs Carmody for guidance. It’s not enough having enemies outside, two factions emerge within the store and violence is not far away.

I enjoyed The Mist. It’s not the best adaptation of King’s work but it’s certainly a solid horror. The threats outside are not particularly scary but what is appealing about the story is how relationships within the store begin to deteriorate. Such a breakdown of community is entirely plausible when crowds are stuck together and very much isolated. The film’s conclusion is a bitter pill to swallow but at the same time it is an effective ending.

The Mist is a tense horror film, the biggest chills being less about the monsters outside the store, and more about those that develop within. Were it not for the fascinating group of characters thrown together, this might just be a pretty average horror film, but thanks to King’s mind and Darabont’s direction, it finishes up as a very good one.

Verdict: 4/5

(Film source: reviewer’s own copy)

Film Review: The Mist | Thank you for reading Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dave

Film Review: District 9

About District 9 (2009)[image error]Sci-fi based on the short film, ‘Alive in Jo’berg’ (2005), about the tense relationship that exisits between a group of aliens who have been living on earth for 30 years and the humans who have been trying to keep them segregated and under their control. The aliens live in a place called District 9 in South Africa in squalid conditions and are now under the supervision of Multi-National United (MNU), a company who are solely interested in exploiting the aliens’ superior technology to make money. However, the only way of getting the extra-terrestrial technology to work is by using alien DNA, so when MNU worker Wikus van der Merwe (Sharlto Copley) becomes infected with a DNA altering disease, giving him alien DNA, he becomes a very desirable commodity. Realising he is alone and in serious danger, and as relations between the aliens and humans intensify, van der Merwe must enter District 9 to escape.

Starring: Sharlto Copley, David James, Jason Cope, Nathalie Boltt, Sylvaine Strike

Directed by: Neill Blomkamp

Runtime: 112 minutes

Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment

 

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Review: District 9 

When I first read the plot for District 9 I assumed it would be just a standard sci-fi film, hopefully a good one, but certainly not offering anything vastly original. Neill Blomkamp’s film, however, turned out to be something of a big surprise but while it endeavours to be different there is the risk of alienating some sci-fi fans.

District 9 is part film part documentary with interviews taking place recalling some of the key events that take place. An alien ship arrives and comes to a stop over Johannesburg, South Africa. After three months the humans cut into the ship and find starving and sick aliens on board. The aliens, referred to as “prawns” are able to leave their craft but they are kept in a rundown camp and supervised closely by the government which later becomes known as District 9. The film then switches to 2010 where a company – Multi-National United (MNU) – is given the task of moving 1.8 million aliens away from the city and to a new camp – District 10. When MNU field operative Wikus van der Merwe (Sharlto Copley) is sent in to help issue warrants to the aliens he is exposed to a rare chemical which makes him seriously ill. Hospitalised, Wikus becomes deformed and starts to grow alien body parts. No longer treated as human he gains an unwanted insight into the cruel persecution the aliens have to contend with and finds himself more at home in District 9.

The film opens with a lot of intriguing moments. The documentary style is a nice touch and we’re soon watching the arrival of an alien spacecraft before the humans decide to allow the aliens to live on earth though they have to be contained within District 9. They soon become immersed into our world with a warlord, Mumbo, trading with the aliens frequently. He acquires alien weapons and in exchange gives the aliens tins of cat food which they love. In the present Wikus is chosen to lead a field operation into District 9 and knocks on the doors of random shacks and issues warrants to the aliens asking them to move. Though he cares little for their plight, Wikus at least insists the soldiers accompanying him behave accordingly. Sadly they don’t. The slightest hint of insurrection from the aliens leads to them being gunned down mercilessly. Wikus’ path crosses with one alien named Christopher who has scoured the scrapheap of the aliens home for a black substance that will enable him, his friend and his son to escape from Earth. Unfortunately, the soldiers kill Christopher’s friend and Wikus confiscates the cylinder containing the black liquid. Tampering with it, Wikus is hit in the face by the black liquid and becomes sick. Though able to carry on the exposure to the alien liquid leads him to start developing alien parts and rather than help him, the humans begin to experiment on Wikus, leaving him alienated from his own people and even his wife who is divided on how to handle his plight.

Wikus manages to escape from his human captors and begins to undergo a painful transformation into one the aliens. Wikus and Christopher cross paths again and they reach an understanding. Wikus will help Christopher reclaim the black liquid he needs and Christopher promises he will reverse the effects on Wikus. Reluctant partners, the two are suddenly taking on the army but Wikus is somewhat selfish, joining the aliens for his own needs and not really caring about helping them greatly. The question is will they manage to settle their differences long enough to achieve their respective aims?

District 9 is superb throughout, there’s no denying it, but what makes it standout is the realism. Though this is a sci-fi film there are many moments that are frighteningly real. The human persecution of the aliens is extremely cruel and what makes it worse is I can imagine this is how we would treat an alien race if they came to live on Earth. We have trouble treating each other with dignity and respect so an alien race would be especially difficult. You will find with District 9 that your heart will be with Christopher and his son as they try to escape from Earth rather than the selfish Wikus who thankfully does redeem himself in the end but it takes a lot to make him realise what’s really important. The film has good effects, a terrific and moving storyline which should appeal to many film fans. The cruelty in the film may be too much for some people to watch but it is worth seeing this in its entirety.

District 9 is one of the best sci-fi films I’ve seen in recent years. It takes an idea that could be a reality one day dependent on whether you believe in aliens or not. Rather than the bad guys from the likes of The Thing, Alien or Predator, these aliens come across as more sympathetic which is always a nice angle to take. Be sure to check this one out.

Verdict: 5/5

(Film source: reviewer’s own copy)

Film Review: District 9 | Thank you for reading Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dave

Film Review: Battle in Heaven

About Battle in Heaven (2005)[image error]Controversial and sexually explicit Mexican drama from director Carlos Reygadas. Downtrodden couple Marcos (Marcos Hernandez) and his wife (Bertha Ruiz) decide to kidnap a baby for the ransom money, but when the kidnap goes badly wrong and the baby dies, Marcos is plagued by guilt. In his search for relief, he meets the troubled Ana (Anapola Mushkadiz), the daughter of the powerful general for whom Marcos works as a driver, and who prostitutes herself for her own pleasure. As their two lives intertwine, Marcos finds himself involved in a religious procession in honour of the Lady of Guadalupe, where a moment of shocking violence offers him a chance at redemption.

Starring: Marcos Hernández, Anapola Mushkadiz, Bertha Ruiz, Rosalinda Ramirez, Brenda Angulo

Directed by: Carlos Reygadas

Runtime: 98 minutes

Studio: Mantarraya

 

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Review: Battle in Heaven

Carlos Reygadas’ Battle in Heaven is the story of Marcos (Marcos Hernandez) who is a driver for the General. At the outset, Marcos and his wife (Bertha Ruiz) are selling clocks and sweets in a subway and coming to terms with the death of a baby they have kidnapped with the intention of returning to its mother for a ransom. Marcos spends the film lost, haunted by the moral and legal implications of this terrible act. He turns to the General’s daughter Ana (Anapola Mushkadiz) to confess his sins but will Marcos turn himself into the police or will he find a way to live with what he has done?

Battle in Heaven is very controversial, the opening and final scenes depict Ana performing oral sex on Marcos with nothing left to the imagination. What relevance this has is not clear until the end of the film. When Marcos picks Ana up from the airport she can tell something is wrong with her father’s driver and she tries to distract him by having Marcos drive to the boutique where she sometimes works as a prostitute. Finding no desire for the prostitutes there, Marcos turns to Ana for comfort and confesses about the kidnap and death of the child. Ana beseeches Marcos to turn himself into the police but he is unsure.

The graphic sex scenes in Battle in Heaven inevitably overshadow the whole narrative and are clearly there to push the boundaries. The story in itself is quite thin on substance. The kidnapping and death of the child is referred to by Marcos and his wife but we don’t see them take the child or learn how the child has come to die. Marcos is clearly devastated by what he and his wife have done and when comfort from Ana isn’t enough to save him he turns to religion and a pilgrimage in honour of the Lady of Guadalupe to try and find salvation. The conclusion is uncertain and taking us back to the oral sex scene before the end credits is puzzling to say the least.

Battle in Heaven has some ingredients for a tragic and tense drama but the narrative sadly doesn’t live up to the promise of the synopsis. The graphic sex scenes have earned the film some notoriety but they have little if any purpose to the story, nor will these moments appeal to a wide audience given some of the content. By no means a bad film, Battle in Heaven sadly comes across as very confused, lost between trying to be controversial and trying to address some serious issues such as religion, justice and morality.

Verdict: 2/5

(Film source: reviewer’s own copy)

Film Review: Battle in Heaven | Thank you for reading Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dave

Film Review: Mega Python vs Gatoroid

About Mega Python vs Gatoroid (2011)[image error]After a species of giant python invades the everglades, the obvious choice is for park workers to breed mutant gators to counter the threat. But things start to go very wrong when the megapythons and gatoroids start thrashing it out on the street. Can 80s pop sensations Tiffany and Debbie Gibson save the state of Florida before being savagely massacred? It’s unlikely.

Starring: Debbie Gibson, Tiffany, A. Martinez, Kathryn Joosten, Kevin M. Horton

Directed by: Mary Lambert

Runtime: 91 minutes

Studio: Image Entertainment

 

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Review: Mega Python Vs Gatoroid 

When Tiffany was topping the charts with I Think We’re Alone Now back in the eighties you would have been laughed at had you taken her to one side and suggested that nearly twenty-five years later she’d be starring in horror films with large monsters! After starring in Mega Piranha (2010), our Tiffany clearly got a taste for these monster movies and decided the following year to delve into another one. How do you follow up giant man-eating piranhas? How about a big snake and an alligator that kill people and fight each other too?

The film is essentially about two tough-talking women that don’t like each other. In one corner we have Dr Nikki Riley (Debbie Gibson) that steals a group of pythons from a house so they can be released into the wild where they become giant snakes. In the other corner is Park Ranger Terry O’Hara (Tiffany) who has to contend with giant pythons that make short work of the resident alligators as well as Terry’s fiancé Justin (Carey Van Dyke). Terry understandably wants revenge so injects steroids into dead chickens, feeds these to the alligators and in no time you have huge pythons and huge alligators roaming around, killing everything in sight while fighting their own little war in the wild.

Reading that blurb back I do wish it was made up but sadly it is exactly what the film is about. Both Nikki and Terry begin as pretty tough women with different agendas they are passionate about. Nikki’s release of pythons is admirable but for an animal activist you would think she might consider the local wildlife before taking such action. Terry is no better of course. The local ranger sees hordes of alligators killed by the pythons and she gives dispensation to hunters to crack down on the snakes only for her fiancé to be killed. Terry’s revenge is swift but rather than grabbing the nearest gun and hunting snakes herself she decides one giant monster in the wild isn’t so bad, let’s put another one out there as well! How the hell did she become a Ranger in the first place?

With different perspectives it is inevitable that a fight will break out between Nikki and Terri. Such a pivotal moment is reserved for a fundraising event. Our heroines are in their best dresses, short and tight, and I think you know what happens next. Yep, hair tugging, scratching, knocking tables over, the whole works. It’s laughable and so predictable. My only surprise was they didn’t finish up wrestling in mud! Anyway, once the latest argument is over Nikki and Terri reluctantly have to join forces to stop the pythons and alligators. They have Dr Diego Ortiz (Al Martinez) to referee them but how will they stop the monsters?

What can you say about a film like Mega Python Vs Gatoroid? Have a glance at synonyms under the word “dreadful” and you’ll have an idea how I’d like to describe this. The effects aren’t great, the acting even less so and the monsters seem a mere backdrop to the fight between Nikki and Terri. The crowning moment has to be when they’re wandering together and…wait for it…the immortal words, “I think we’re alone now” and “there doesn’t seem to be anyone around” are uttered. The concluding segment is beyond corny and by the final credits my transition from utter horror and despair to triumph and jubilation was complete because the ordeal was over.

Mega Python Vs Gatoroid slots in nicely with some of the other horror films I’ve seen since starting this blog where the pre-requisites are bad effects and scantily clad women. Sadly these ingredients alone can make lots of money for films, including this one, as opposed to decent acting, a compelling storyline and a well executed script. I enjoy horror films that leave me unnerved, but that’s not the case here. No more of these, Tiffany, please, no more.

Verdict: 1/5

(Film source: reviewer’s own copy)

Film Review: Mega Python vs Gatoroid | Thank you for reading Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dave

Game Review: King of Fighters XII

About King of Fighters XII (2009)[image error]
Gaming’s most revered 3-on-3 fighting franchise celebrates its 15th anniversary with its most ambitious entry to date: The King of Fighter XII. Gathering over 22 beautifully hand-drawn 2D characters from SNK storied arcade history, the King of Fighters XII promises to live up to the expectations of next-gen console owners with compelling gameplay, high resolution graphics and best of all…intense combat!

 

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The latest installment of King of Fighters comes in honour of the series’ 15th birthday and has already divided the critics. Entering the competitive market of fighting games, King of Fighters XII proves to be both rewarding and at times frustrating.

There is no story or background to King of Fighters; this is purely about the combat. Teams of 3 characters compete in a tournament of five matches for the prestige and honour of being the ultimate fighter. Each match is very much a test of endurance. For your trio of characters you will need to establish a fighting order at the beginning of each match with the first character having to defeat three opponents in turn. Should your first character be knocked out, the second enters the fray and so on until three members from one team have all been defeated. While your fighting prowess is put to the test so too is the speed at which you complete matches. The successful completion of a tournament heralds an overall time and it is this that you will be constantly striving to improve on.

The 22 characters in King of Fighters XII have access to their own unique moves, such as using electricity or creating small explosions, but are united in their individual arrogance, resorting to condescending dialogue directed at their meagre opponents following the conclusion of each bout. In battle each character has access to basic punches and kicks but you will need to perform a series of functions on the controller to execute more complex actions. Details of such moves are available via a menu that can be accessed mid-battle, allowing the most eager gamers the ideal opportunity to master everything. During each fight both opposing characters have a gauge that gradually fills whenever you land a successful blow. Once the gauge is full you can perform your character’s special move, dealing heavy damage to your opponent as you launch swift counter attacks that hand you the initiative.

Aside from the main tournament, King of Fighters XII includes a Vs mode where you can customize your own battles be they 1 on 1 or the standard 3 on 3 team battles. There are 6 venues available for the fights including China, Russia, France and Egypt. The backdrops are detailed and colourful but with the fights so fast-paced you will have little time to appreciate them. There is also a practice mode available in the game for those that want to master all the moves, but I found resorting to my usual hitting all the buttons randomly led to some surprisingly successful fights, so this game is certainly accessible to a wide audience.

There are some disappointing aspects to King of Fighters XII. The tournament mode though fun is unfortunately brief and will not take long to complete. The inclusion of individual stories for the characters would have made it more worthwhile to keep returning to this mode. The six venues on offer all look terrific but it is a shame there are not more available. As with most fighting games, King of Fighters XII finds its strength in the two-player mode pitching you against friends and family. With 22 characters available there is plenty on offer to make this sustainable.

King of Fighters XII is a fast, action-packed fighting game with surprisingly detailed 2D characters, lavish backgrounds and addictive gameplay. A longer, more involving tournament mode could have enhanced the experience, but what’s on offer shows potential for a terrific follow-up.

Verdict: 3/5

Game Review: King of Fighters XII | Thank you for reading Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dave

Film Review: Nineteen Eighty-Four

About Nineteen Eighty Four (1984)[image error]George Orwell’s novel of a totalitarian future society in which a man whose daily work is rewriting history tries to rebel by falling in love.

Starring: John Hurt, Richard Burton, Suzanna Hamilton, Cyril Cusack, Gregor Fisher

Directed by: Michael Radford

Runtime: 113 minutes

Studio: MGM

 

 

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Review: Nineteen Eighty-Four 

Orwell’s dystopian novel is, in my opinion, one of the finest books ever written. I have long had my own image of the society Orwell imagined in the future but I was fascinated to see how Michael Radford’s adaptation would look. The story focuses on Winston Smith (John Hurt) who lives in London which is now the capital of Airstrip One, part of the totalitarian state of Oceania where individuals are watched carefully by Big Brother (Bob Flag) and the Thought Police maintain order. Winston works in the Ministry of Truth where he edits documents such as newspapers to tie them into the changing political climate, in effect modifying history to paint a better picture of Oceania. Whatever the state says goes.

Winston is somewhat maladjusted in Oceania, surreptitiously writing his thoughts in a diary he keeps hidden in the walls of his home, which goes completely against the rules of the state. One day Winston is handed a note by Outer Party worker Julia (Suzanna Hamilton) declaring her love for him. Winston and Julia begin an affair outside the city and above a rented room in a pawn shop where they believe no one knows about them and the shop owner Mr Charrington (Cyril Cusack) is happy to turn a blind eye. Oceania is not a totalitarian state for nothing though and Winston and Julia soon find that emotional attachments such as theirs are not welcome.

This is a very good adaptation of Orwell’s novel. The future is grim and dark, Winston is very much a tortured soul in a society he is forced to endure though he tries desperately to find something to cling to, be it the pages of his diary or a liaison with a prostitute outside the city. Winston and Julia seem a good match and not just sexually. They become a private sanctuary for one another but the film is faithful to Orwell when the state catches up with the lovers. There can be no happy endings under a totalitarian regime such as Oceania and the film befits Orwell’s intent in first writing his novel.

Nineteen Eighty-Four is a worthy adaptation of the novel with an excellent central performance from Hurt. Although the images of Orwell’s society in the film are not completely what I have imagined in reading the novel, this still captures the essence of Orwell’s masterpiece in its frightening depiction of an uncompromising and controlling society that many have come to know in the world, and many more may sadly follow.

Verdict: 5/5

(Film source: reviewer’s own copy)

Film Review: Nineteen Eighty-Four | Thank you for reading Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dave

Film Review: The Spirit of the Beehive

About The Spirit of the Beehive (1973)[image error]“The Spirit of the Beehive,” directed by Víctor Erice, takes place in a small, isolated Spanish town in 1940, shortly after the end of the civil war that inaugurated the long reign of Generalissimo Francisco Franco. The film was made in 1973, near the end of Franco’s dictatorship, at a time when Spanish cinema was just starting to reawaken, and to probe, carefully and hesitantly, the buried traumas of the recent past. Perhaps fittingly, one of Mr. Erice’s themes is repression – not so much the stifling of thought by political authority as the willed avoidance of painful experience. The story that emerges from Mr. Erice’s lovely, lovingly considered images is at once lucid and enigmatic, poised between adult longing and childlike eagerness, sorrowful knowledge and startled innocence.

Starring: Ana Torrent, Isabel Telleria, Fernando Fernan Gomez, Teresa Gimpera

Directed by: Victor Erice

Runtime: 99 minutes

Studio: Criterion Collection

 

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Review: The Spirit of the Beehive 

Victor Erice’s The Spirit of the Beehive tells the tale of a remote Spanish village in 1940 in the aftermath of the Spanish Civil War. Our focus is on one family – Fernando (Fernando Fernan Gomez) is the father who spends his days tending to beehives and writing at his desk until he sleeps, his younger wife Teresa (Teresa Gimpera) writes lover letters to a soldier that has not returned from the war and their daughters Ana (Ana Torrent) and Isabel (Isabel Telleria) spend their time together. Ana is a quiet girl and often teased by her older sister.

The whole village gathers when a mobile cinema arrives and plays Frankenstein with Boris Karloff in the starring role. Ana becomes fascinated by the film and in the aftermath she retreats from reality into her own world. She asks her sister about the film but is told it is all fake though Frankenstein lives near the village and that Ana can visit him whenever she wishes. An abandoned sheephold with a well nearby is said to be where Frankenstein waits and Ana begins to go there alone to meet him. Instead of Frankenstein, Ana comes across another man, one who may put her life in danger.

Beautifully filmed, The Spirit of the Beehive is a simple but evocative narrative. Ana is a child very much neglected who builds her own world around the Frankenstein story. There is some mystery in the conclusion. Ana’s experiences see her stray into the adult world, one of violence she should not know, but by the end it is unclear whether Ana has drifted further away from the real world or whether she has learned to separate the two plains.

The Spirit of the Beehive is a well-acted drama with an absorbing storyline and a confident central performance from Torrent. Influences on the likes of Pan’s Labyrinth are clear and though this doesn’t reach the same heights as Guillermo Del Toro’s masterpiece it is still more than worth your time.

Verdict: 4/5

(Film source: reviewer’s own copy)

Film Review: The Spirit of the Beehive | Thank you for reading Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dave

Film Review: Manhunter

About Manhunter (1986)[image error]Former FBI agent Will Graham (William Petersen), who specialises in catching serial killers, is brought out of early retirement to track down a murderer who bludgeons entire families only when the moon is full. Graham’s tactic is to enter the mind of the deranged criminal, which turns out to have an enormous emotional strain attached. When he seeks advice from imprisoned psychiatrist/psychopath Dr Lecter (Brian Cox), he ends up endangering himself and his family. Based on the novel which was the precursor to ‘Silence of the Lambs’.

Starring: William Petersen, Kim Greist, Joan Allen, Brian Cox, Dennis Farina

Directed by: Michael Mann

Runtime: 120 minutes

Studio: MGM

 

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Review: Manhunter 

Anthony Hopkins’ role as Dr Hannibal Lecktor is legendary in the film world but before that Oscar-winning turn in The Silence of the Lambs (1991), Michael Mann adapted Thomas Harris’ Red Dragon and made Manhunter. I’d always wanted to see this one which is still highly regarded despite the massive appeal of Lambs but is it worth all that praise?

The film follows the story of Will Graham (William Petersen), formerly a criminal profiler for the FBI but now retired having been attacked by Dr Hannibal Lecktor (Brian Cox) and suffering a breakdown as a result. Graham is visited by Jack Crawford (Dennis Farina) from the FBI who wants his help with a new case involving a killer known as the Tooth Fairy (Tom Noonan) due to the bite marks left on his victims. Graham reluctantly comes out of retirement to profile and locate the killer but he needs some help, turning to the Dr Lecktor who is now in prison under maximum security. The question is can Graham locate the Tooth Fairy before he kills someone else?

Manhunter was one of Michael Mann’s earliest films and it was fascinating to see the director of Heat at work here. Mrs B and I are big fans of CSI so it was fantastic to have William Petersen in the lead and it was just like watching a young Grissom at work. He handles the role of Graham well. The former criminal profiler not only has to contend with a reunion with Dr Lecktor but he has the unwanted attentions of a journalist Freddie Lounds (Stephen Lang) who chronicled Graham’s previous breakdown. Graham is undeterred and begins profiling the Tooth Fairy but it’s far from straightforward.

We do gain insight into who the Tooth Fairy is before Graham does, watching his movements as he targets his next victims, obtaining family videos and studying them intently to learn entry points into individual homes. Complications arise when Graham discovers that the Tooth Fairy is a great admirer of Dr Lecktor and that the pair are sending coded messages to each other. This is a particularly dangerous time for Graham, especially when Dr Lecktor learns of his home address! Like many films of this type it’s always interesting watching as Graham puts the pieces of the puzzle together and tries to pinpoint who the killer is.

Manhunter doesn’t have the same qualities as The Silence of the Lambs but it still makes for a pretty effective thriller under Mann’s direction. Petersen is the star of the show while Cos makes an interesting Dr Lecktor but he cannot hold an acting candle to Mr Hopkins who made the character his own. The end comes pretty quickly and it’s a pretty memorable conclusion as the police close in on the Tooth Fairy but you do have to feel for Graham who has come out of retirement with the intention of not getting his hands dirty!

Manhunter is a decent thriller which is certainly worth a look, not just for a different take on Hannibal Leckter but also to see one of the early entries in Michael Mann’s directing CV. Fans of CSI will enjoy watching William Petersen and the film is not unnecessarily gory which is always a good thing.

Verdict: 3/5

(Film source: reviewer’s own copy)

 

Film Review: Manhunter | Thank you for reading Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dave

Film Review: Dread

About Dread (2009)[image error]Psychological horror based on a Clive Barker short story. Two college students – outcast Steve (Jackson Rathbone) and charming, mysterious Quaid (Shaun Evans) – embark on a college project to record and study people’s innermost fears. Enlisting the help of fellow student Abby (Hanne Steen), they advertise for interviewees and set the camera rolling as their subjects begin to reveal the demons that haunt them. As the project gains momentum, however, it becomes apparent that the three must now face up to the traumatic events of their own pasts and finally confront their darkest fears.

Starring: Jackson Rathbone, Hanne Steen, Laura Donnelly, Jonathan Readwin, Shaun Evans

Directed by: Anthony DiBlasi

Runtime: 108 minutes

Studio: Lions Gate

 

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Review: Dread 

I sincerely doubt there has ever been anyone in history that hasn’t been afraid of something. Anthony DiBlasi’s Dread, based on a story by horror master, Clive Barker, is a gritty exploration of fear, getting to the heart of what a group of people are truly afraid of and seeing if they can face up to their worst fears.

The film focuses on a film student Stephen (Jackson Rathbone) and his friend Quaid (Shaun Evans). Both have fears from their pasts. Quaid saw his parents murdered when he was just a boy while Stephen was in a car crash that killed his brother who was behind the wheel and drunk. The two friends begin a study of fear as part of a school project, inviting fellow students to share their fears but Quaid is more interested in taking the project to an extreme level, one that unleashes violence and suffering on participants in the project.

We are given a small group of characters who share their fears and are made to suffer because of them. As well as Quaid and Stephen, the other characters involved are Cheryl (Hanne Steen), Abby (Laura Donnelly) and Joshua (Jonathan Readwin). Cheryl has a fear instigated by the smell of meat which takes her back to an awful childhood where she was molested by her father who worked at a slaughterhouse. Abby, a friend of Stephen’s, has a birth mark that covers half of her face and her body, leading to a lifetime of cruel ridicule and her appearance makes her afraid every day of being judged by others. Finally, there is Joshua who is afraid of being deaf having lost his hearing for a time in his childhood after an accident.

What begins as a harmless but difficult project where people share their fears soon descends into a cruel game for Quaid. Stephen is more reserved and content just to interview volunteers while trying to woo Cheryl. He also has the dilemma of Abby who clearly has feelings for him but he is hesitant in rejecting her advances and worried about hurting her. When Quaid decides to take the project to a new level he makes all around him suffer by making them face up to their worst fears. He has Stephen drive the same type of car as his brother did, Cheryl is locked in a room for days with a piece of meat for company, Abby is filmed undressing and the image of half of her body covered in a dark birthmark is broadcast throughout the college, while Joshua’s ordeal is even worse. The second half of the film turns the gruesome dial up to a high setting. Chery’s test may be too much for some people to stomach. Abby is the one I felt the most sorry for, easily the nicest character in the film, yet emotionally tortured and ruined by the end.

Dread has an interesting storyline and the ending hits very hard. You’ll struggle to predict who comes through their fears by the final credits. This does get very unpleasant as it goes on and that may prove too much for some people but if you made it through films like Saw and Hostel then this one should be no problem.

Dread is a good, dark and twisted exploration of fear, almost like an extension of Room 101 from Orwell’s 1984. It raises the questions about how hard we can be pushed with our fears and whether we can overcome them. Some of the characters do get stronger in the film for their experience but for others the journey is worse than they ever could have imagined.

Verdict: 4/5

(Film source: reviewer’s own copy)

Film Review: Dread | Thank you for reading Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dave