Tag: Jessica Harper

Spooky Twofer – ‘The Dark’ and ‘Suspiria’ (2018) – Deep Cuts

Written and Directed by Justin P. Lange
Cast: Nadia Alexander, Toby Nichols, Karl Markovics, Sarah Murphy-Dyson, Dan Beirne, Margarete Tiesel, Dylan Trowbridge, Scott Beaudin, Chris Farquhar

The horror genre is often pigeonholed as exclusively mean-spirited and/or exploitative, but sometimes (e.g. Poltergeist) it gets to show some genuine heart (and I don’t mean in that “Kali Ma” sort of way).

The Dark is one of those times.

I feel like I’ve said this a lot this year, but this one took me by surprise.  The trailer had me intrigued but also somewhat skeptical (What can I say? I’ve been burned by some indie horror features in my time; in addition to being picky about movies starring kids), but it didn’t take long into the runtime to realize that my fears were for naught.

It’s a largely quiet film (which I liked), but it maximizes both soundscape and picturesque visuals (especially relative to its budget) to its advantage, not to mention capitalizing on a pair of quality performances from its teen leads; and the script gives you just enough to be satisfied without over-explaining things.

The story might be a bit fairy tail-esque for some to bear, but given the genre I think it works just fine.

See it fresh, let the movie come to you, enjoy it, and kudos to writer/director Justin P. Lange on a fantastic debut feature.  Hopefully we get to see more from the guy sooner than later.

Rating: ★★★★☆

 

Directed by Luca Guadagnino
Written by David Kajganich, based on an earlier screenplay by Dario Argento and Daria Nicolodi
Cast: Dakota Johnson, Tilda Swinton, Mia Goth, Angela Winkler, Ingrid Caven, Elena Fokina, Sylvie Testud, Renée Soutendijk, Christine LeBoutte, Fabrizia Sacchi, Małgosia Bela, Jessica Harper, Chloë Grace Moretz, Alek Wek, Vanda Capriolo, Olivia Ancona, Brigitte Cuvelier
Soundtrack: Thom Yorke

A number of people are going to see this movie and absolutely hate it, and I can’t say I really blame them.

It’s long, it’s difficult to follow (sometimes because you literally can’t make out dialogue), and it doesn’t quite stick the landing (one area where the 1977 original succeeds, not that I want to get overly into comparisons).

However, there is a lot to appreciate in terms of the artistry, and it does largely stand on its own, for whatever that’s worth in this case.

For one thing, the production design is fantastic, especially in evoking the period of late-70s divided Berlin (although the integration of the setting into the story is highly questionable), and by-and-large the performances are solid, and the visual style and dance choreography is a sight to behold (until it isn’t at the end).  Also, I have to say that as long as the film is, I never really felt it, which is a credit to the pacing.

The problem is, much like with First Man, I’m ultimately just not sure of what the filmmakers were going for from a story perspective, and in the end I found myself apathetically confused at major revelations, due to, at least from my perception, a lack of cohesion in the screenplay.  I’m good with a lot of atmosphere (a la Mandy) and I don’t need everything spelled out, but I’m also an above average viewer in terms of attentiveness, so it’s pretty rare that I have no idea what’s happening or why, and that was a disappointment.

Maybe 2018’s Suspiria is like Paul Thomas Anderson’s Inherent Vice, in that it takes a second viewing to fully appreciate it, but it seems to me to be more sound and fury than substance.  Still, there’s at least enough visual meat that I wouldn’t talk you out of seeing it if you’re interested.

Rating: ★★★☆☆

Quick Thoughts – Autumn Round-Up, Part 1

As usual, I’m horribly behind in my writing about what I’ve been seeing.

Let’s get right to it.

Kill Bill, Vol. 1 (2003)

I have a very special relationship with this movie.

When I was in high school, I went with a bunch of friends to see it, the only problem was that everybody was 17 except for my best friend and I who were still 16 (and the theater we went to was not one you could sneak into); so, we waited and waited until finally a nice South Asian couple came by and vouched for us so we could get in.  It’s been more than 12 years and I’m still waiting to pay that favor forward, but kids today just don’t have the same taste.

Anyway, Kill Bill, like every Tarantino film, is a tribute to many movies of the past.  This fact was a bit over my head as a 16-year-old, I have a bit more of an appreciation of it now, but that doesn’t really matter, because the movie is great on its own and still holds up today.  The Monty Python-esque over-the-top violence, the witty dialogue, Sonny f’n Chiba, and the core story of a woman essentially back from the dead and out for revenge, it’s just cool.  And, it’s got one of the best ending cliffhangers ever.  What more can I say?

Rating: ★★★★½

 

Back to the Future Part II (1989)

For a very long time, I thought this was the best BTTF movie, probably because I was young and couldn’t yet fully appreciate the original (believe me, I learned to love it), plus, they actually go to the future!

Let’s get it straight right now.  Back to the Future is one of the most perfect films ever made, and is the best of the trilogy.  But, as sequels go, it’s hard to ask for more than what Part II gives us.

For one thing, it provided a comedic vision of the future date of October 21, 2015 (on which I got to see the movie theatrically, because awesome), which turned out to be somewhat prescient but mostly just hilarious.  Secondly, there’s some serious movie magic involved with taking us back to certain events from the original while adding another layer on top of them.  And, the movie isn’t afraid of some gravitas, as the alternate 1985 “Hell Valley” is stunningly bleak.

Add it all up, and you’ve got a tremendously fun and well-executed sequel (that still works just fine on its own).

Rating: ★★★★☆

 

Hot Fuzz (2007)

This is another movie I have a very special relationship with.

Back in the late Spring of 2007, my best good friend and I went to see Spider-Man 3 in IMAX on a Friday night.  Needless to say, we hated it.  In fact, had we not paid extra to see it on the giant screen, I think we’d have walked out.  Come Saturday, we needed to cleanse our theatrical palate, and the perfect prescription was Hot Fuzz.

In addition to that fond memory, it was a part of my first ever experience at the Alamo Drafthouse [Yonkers], when I went to see the “Blood and Ice Cream Trilogy” on the premier night of The World’s End.

I love this movie so much that I made my own trailer for it (which I’d show you, but, copyright laws).

A lethally hilarious combination of buddy cop action, Agatha Christie mystery, and the English countryside, Hot Fuzz is the second feature from creative duo Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg (along with Nick Frost and a cast of British greats).  Like Shaun of the Dead before it, Hot Fuzz is not a parody, but rather a comedic love letter, embracing all the tropes that come with the movies it pays tribute to, in turn become a great example of the genre itself (I put it next to Lethal Weapon and Rush Hour as the three seminal Buddy Cop movies of the past 30 years); not to mention that you can watch any Edgar Wright movie 20 times and still not pick up on all the on-screen gags.

It’s fun, it’s bloody, and it’s over-the-top in all the right ways.  Check it out if you’ve not already done so.

Rating: ★★★★½

 

Phantom of the Paradise (1974)

I’ve only very recently been getting familiar with the film catalogue of one Mr. Brian De Palma, but I’ve come to one conclusion, and that is he is drawn to stories that start out very much grounded in reality, but by the end have gone almost completely off the rails.  Carrie, Scarface, and Mission: Impossible all follow this pattern, and you better believe Phantom of the Paradise, which he wrote himself, does as well (arguably to the largest degree).

A musical at its core (songs by Paul Williams), Phantom pays homage to many classic stories, including Phantom of the Opera (duh), Faust, and The Picture of Dorian Gray, while mixing in 70s glam rock aesthetics and plenty of music business satire (which is horrifyingly brilliant).

The result is something of a wild and beautiful mess, but it’s an enjoyable enough ride that I’d recommend it to a lot of people.  If nothing else, the twists and turns will keep you engaged.

Rating: ★★★½

After the screening, there was a Q&A with Gerrit Graham (on the right), who played “Beef” in Phantom, hosted by Michael Gingold of Fangoria magazine (on the left):
Beef Q&A