Sunday 26 April 2015
The Innocents - Lisa's Review
So, we travel back in time again for 'The Innocents'. Right back to the early 60's. I will admit, since I started having to watch particular movies for review, there have been some old movies that I have enjoyed. Movies that I otherwise would never have chosen to see. This movie however is most definitely not in that category.
There isn't much to the movie plot wise. A young attractive lady called Miss Giddens (played by Deborah Kerr no less) is hired to become governess to 2 young children. They are orphans and are under the care of their uncle who doesn't want to be bothered by them. He is a very affluent man so he basically throws money at the situation to make it go away. He hires Miss Giddens, who admits to having no experience whatsoever, seemingly purely based on her looks. When she arrives at the childrens home, she makes a friend in the housekeeper Mrs Grose and loves Flora, the little girl she is to care for. The little boy Miles is at boarding school so we don't see him until a bit later in the movie.
Miss Giddens is under the impression she is going to love her job, but she starts to see people who then turn out not to be there. When Miles arrives home from school, things start to take an unpleasant turn with more strange happenings and some very odd behaviour from the children. Mrs Grose doesn't seem to want to answer the questions Miss Giddens puts to her and almost warns her not to delve any deeper. She knows something is very wrong with the children and the house. This is pretty much it apart from giving away what was going on.
Saturday 25 April 2015
The Innocents - Will's Review
Truthfully, and without exaggeration, I assert that nothing in a motion picture can drive me to distraction with more haste than the ever so frightfully effected speech patterns employed by those who write period dramas, save perhaps the cadence with which such lines are delivered by members of the acting profession whom find themselves cast in same. I am certain therefore, that it will be no great struggle for you to ascertain the issues I found myself having with the movie it befalls upon to view for our two hundred and sixth week.
That particular kind of affectedly "posh" period drama is (along with westerns) outright not my thing, and this movie would have to do a lot to win me over...
That particular kind of affectedly "posh" period drama is (along with westerns) outright not my thing, and this movie would have to do a lot to win me over...
Saturday 18 April 2015
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Week 201 - The Haunting (1963)
Week 202 - An American Werewolf in London
Week 203 - Carrie (1976)
Carrie (1976) - Lisa's Review
So, another favourite of mine this week! We're on a roll! Carrie is a movie I saw many years ago when I was about 10 or 11, thanks again to my dads Stephen King collection. It was released a year after I was born, so by the time I saw it, the 70's vibe was a bit dated, but I was too young to worry about such things. Had I watched it from my late teens onwards, I'd have loved the whole look and feel of it anyway :). I suppose what I'm trying to say is, for me, this movie can't date as I have a soft spot for the whole era.
Carrie is a movie which I would imagine absolutely everyone has seen. They even did a remake in 2013 which I watched and reviewed here. I wouldn't envy anyone who tried to get near to the original. In this case, it is most definately, the best.
Carrie follows the story of Carrie white, a 17 year old schoolgirl and daughter of a superstitious and deeply religious mother. Carrie doesn't fit in at school. She has no friends and has no idea how to relate to her peers as everything that is of importance to a teenager is forbidden to Carrie. In one upsetting scene (the opening scene in fact) Carrie is shown having her period for the first time. Unfortunately due to her upbringing, she has no idea what is happening to her and thinks she is dying. She runs towards the other girls, arms outstretched and hands covered in blood, screaming. Of course the other girls know what is happening and are repulsed. They all end up laughing, chanting at her and throwing tampons and sanitary pads at her as she lies sobbing in the showers. The scene is harsh and upsetting, but is a perfect introduction to Carrie and the feel of the movie. Even though this scene is shot in a girls shower room and all the women are naked, there is nothing gratuitous or sexual about it, which seems impossible, but is absolutely the case.
Friday 17 April 2015
Week 199 - The Omen (1967)
The Omen - Will's Review
The Omen is one of those films who's 'classic' status completely mystifies me - with the exception of one or two scenes (one, if I'm honest) the movie completely fails to hold, or even get, my attention.
If anyone is both reading this, and doesn't know the plot of The Omen (two things unlikely enough separately, yet alone together), it tells of an American diplomat Robert thorn (Gregory Peck) stationed in Rome. Robert's wife Katherine (Lee Remick) gives birth to a boy, who he is told dies moments after being born. Robert is convinced by the hospital chaplain, to illicitly adopt an orphan whose mother died at the same time.
Fearing by that his wife couldn't cope with the loss of thier child, he agrees to secretly adopt the boy, and tell no one. They call the boy Damien, and as I'm sure you already know (unless you've been living under a rock your entire life) he is the anti-Christ.
Sadly what follows is not the apocalypse, there are no appearances from the four horsemen, no trumpets sound, faithful Christians do not ascend in droves; instead, some slightly creepy stuff happens around the child for the next hour and a half, then the movie ends.
The bible jump-cuts from The Christ being born, to him being an adult and doing Christ-stuff; biblical scholars have debated why so much of his story - his entire childhood, no less, goes untold. I put it to them that the answer lies in The Omen; the early life of a Demi-God is simply not that noteworthy, and the film feels very much like an overly long introduction.
If anyone is both reading this, and doesn't know the plot of The Omen (two things unlikely enough separately, yet alone together), it tells of an American diplomat Robert thorn (Gregory Peck) stationed in Rome. Robert's wife Katherine (Lee Remick) gives birth to a boy, who he is told dies moments after being born. Robert is convinced by the hospital chaplain, to illicitly adopt an orphan whose mother died at the same time.
Fearing by that his wife couldn't cope with the loss of thier child, he agrees to secretly adopt the boy, and tell no one. They call the boy Damien, and as I'm sure you already know (unless you've been living under a rock your entire life) he is the anti-Christ.
Sadly what follows is not the apocalypse, there are no appearances from the four horsemen, no trumpets sound, faithful Christians do not ascend in droves; instead, some slightly creepy stuff happens around the child for the next hour and a half, then the movie ends.
The bible jump-cuts from The Christ being born, to him being an adult and doing Christ-stuff; biblical scholars have debated why so much of his story - his entire childhood, no less, goes untold. I put it to them that the answer lies in The Omen; the early life of a Demi-God is simply not that noteworthy, and the film feels very much like an overly long introduction.
Tuesday 14 April 2015
Week 200 - Audition (1999)
Monday 13 April 2015
An American Werewolf in London - Lisa's Review
I think I should say right from the off, this is probably going to be a very biased review as 'An American Werewolf in London' is right up there amongst my favourite movies. It's easily the best werewolf movie ever made. The effects, so groundbreaking in 1981 are still just as jaw dropping today, which is something given the lack of CGI effects then which are common place today.
The movie follows best buddies David and Jack as they leave their native America for the Yorkshire Moors in a backpacking trip. Sadly, although they are supposedly in the moors, filming was carried out in Wales and Surrey. Having lived in Yorkshire for quite a few years, I see no reason why they couldn't film there, but hey ho! Anyways, whilst hiking, they decide to go into a local pub (The Slaughtered Lamb) as it's getting a bit dark. If you're paying attention you'll see no other than Rik Mayall in there as one of the yokels. It's one of those bars where you walk in and a 'stranger' spotlight must appear above your head as the entire bar stops to stare. I still think of this scene when I enter a bar where I wish I'd never set foot. So, upon asking about a Pentagram sign on the wall of the pub, the locals aka yokels, make it clear American tourists, David and Jack are not welcome. A concerned barmaid is concerned that they are going out into the moors in the dark, but they are sent on their way and told to keep to the path. Unfortunately when they leave they are so busy talking about where to go and what to do, they veer from the path and onto the moors.
Saturday 11 April 2015
The Haunting (1963) - Lisa's Review
Finally I get down to the review of this movie. It has only taken me 3 attempts to watch it. It's a movie that requires quite a bit of attention and I found it is quite easy to find the mind drifting throughout. After having to hit the scan back button more than once, I gave it a rest for the evening, again, several times. Last night I finally managed to watch it all. Did I agree with Martin Scorsese, that it was the scariest movie ever made? Ummmm nope! Did it scare me even a teensy bit? Ummmmm nope! I suppose a premise of sorts is in order.
The movie centers around Hill House, a mansion that was built by a man called Hugh Crain, for his new wife. Unfortunately, she never got to see the home built for her, dying in an accident enroute to the house. Hugh married again, but his second wife died falling down the stairs in Hill House. There must be something very unlucky about Hill House as not content to be witness to 2 deaths, it also sees another one with Hughs daughter Abigail dying as she calls on her nurse maid. She never left the nursery in Hill House for her entire life.
Understandably, the house had a bit of a reputation; one which attracted the attention of Dr Markway, who wanted to conduct a paranormal investigation there. He is given permission by the owner on the condition that her son (and heir) a skeptic, accompanies him. He invites 2 individuals - Theo, known to be a psychic and Eleanor who has 'abilities' and was plagued by supernatural forces as a child when stones rained down on her house for 3 solid days.
Friday 10 April 2015
Audition - Will's Review
This isn't the first time I've seen Audition, but I'm Damned if I remembered more than 10 minutes of it, so for all intents and purposes I went in cold on this one.
After his young adult son suggest it's time he remarries, widower Shigeharu enlists the help of a film producer friend to hold a fake Audition for a non existent roll, so that he may find a woman he wishes to date. He becomes immediately infatuated with one woman in particular (Asami) and pursues her.
Asami is receptive to Shingeharu's advances, but this being a horror movie, it's no spoiler to tell you that not everything goes smoothly, and that someone isn't what they appear.
After his young adult son suggest it's time he remarries, widower Shigeharu enlists the help of a film producer friend to hold a fake Audition for a non existent roll, so that he may find a woman he wishes to date. He becomes immediately infatuated with one woman in particular (Asami) and pursues her.
Asami is receptive to Shingeharu's advances, but this being a horror movie, it's no spoiler to tell you that not everything goes smoothly, and that someone isn't what they appear.
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