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Reviews
Dog Soldiers (2002)
It'd be bone to miss this.
Dog Soldiers caught my attention and I initially thought a werewolf film released straight to DVD would be terrible so i went in with a critical eye and I was pleasantly surprised by a new take on an old classic. Varous films have attempted to recapture the old magic of American Werewolf In London but as far as I can see Dog Soldiers is the only one that has succeeded.
The casting is inspired with Sean Pertwee at the forefront as the bad ass Sergeant Harry Wells and his interplay with his men is like a combination of Black Watch, Apoclayse Now and Full Metal Jacket. Kevin McKidd as Private Cooper is also an extremely engaging performance and Darren Morfitt as Priavte "Spoon" Witherspoon allows for great comedy value. The best performance though is by far that of the primary antagonist Captain Ryan by Liam Cunningham. His deadpan humour combined with a truly sadistic nature is a treat to watch. The only acting part that doesn't deliver is that of Emma Cleasby who plays a zoologist named Megan, who catches Coopers eye right before Wells shoots her in the head as she starts to transform into a werewolf.
Speaking of which the werewolves were spectacular even though you see very little of them until the final climactic scene where it's just Cooper, Wells and Spoon up against the entire pack. Whoever did the creature effects is a genius because the werewolf seemed also human, particularly when Spoon is throwing anything that's handy at one. The backdrop of the frankly spectacular Scottish Highlands didn't do the film any harm either.
The director Neil Marshall however was the star turn, doing a bang up job by filming it almost entirely with hand held cameras in order to get a close quarter perspective on the action and to take advantage of the massive levels of gore. Believe me, this film is not for those of a weak stomach. the soldiers are ripped in half (Joe), beheaded (Terry) and reduced to a bloody mess (Spoon) so those of a nervous disposition should give it a miss.
All in all, Dog Soldiers is an excellent take on a highly simple but truly inspired premise and the acting is first rate as is the direction and creature effects. In fairness to Emma Cleasby had she not been surrounded by such a stellar cast she probably would been a pretty good performance, especially with her final line; "It's just that time of the month." Ally Todd.
30 Days of Night (2007)
A horror flick that actually went quite well? Is it a dream? No it's 30 Days of NIght
Your initial thoughts on this film might consider it a mindless blood fest with little or no point, along the lines of Rambo but when you seriously watch this film you realise what it's really got going for it. Now, make no mistake there WILL be blood, not to mention bone, gristle and every other part of the fragile human anatomy. This film could be described as a horror flick but I'd put it more as an action although there are some undeniably spine tingling moments.
The plot centres around the residents of Barrow, Alaska which is the northernmost town in the United States. Now living in Barrow has the interesting (or in this case unfortunate)side effect of having a month of perpetual darkness and news of this has reached a rather pale and unhealthy fellow named Marlowe (Danny Huston). Marlowe and his disciples it turns out are vampires and they're more or less looking at Barrow as an all you can eat buffet.
One performance I enjoyed very much was that of a seemingly addle brained man called the Stranger (Ben Foster). For the first fifteen minutes the Stranger roams around butchering sled dogs and basically making the vampires jobs easier until he is nicked by Sheriff Eben Oleson (Josh Hartnett). He's struck some sort of pact with Marlowe and Co, if he helps them butcher ever poor sod left in Barrow he'll get to become a vampire to. Well Marlowe goes back on his pact and kills him.
One sequence that was particularly creepy was when the remaining survivors are hiding out in an attic and a vampire catches their scent. He wanders into the house. Due to the hidden nature of the attic he is unable to find them but it makes for edge of your seat viewing. Another great sequence is when practically the entire gang of vampires are attacked by the local snowplough driver Beau (Mark Boone Jr) and he proceeds to carve several of them up with the snowplough before using road flares and dynamite to blow a few more to kingdom come, taking him with them. Unfortunately it doesn't quite go to plan. Several vampires are incinerated by the blast but Beau survives until a royally hacked off Marlowe gets a hold of him.
One thing that stood out was the image of the vampires. There's none of this new age Twilight crap but there's also none of the Industrial Revolution Dracula look. These vampires are pretty much grotesque with pale skin, distinctly uncomfortable looking fingernails (or claws as is more accurate) and serious issues with dental hygiene. Of course they are covered in blood most of the time and they certainly look menacing enough but the majority of the vampires are somewhat two dimensional.
Another criticism to make is the seriously misguided casting of Melissa George as Eben's estranged wide Stella. Now I'm sorry but she can't act and her looks of terror when confronted with the pale and ghoulish vampires come across as amateurish, second rate and above all transparent. In fact the only purpose Georges casting serves is to distract from the uninspired choice of Hartnett as the leading man. Neither actor is really making go of it and I feel that drags the film down.
It is my opinion that it is the direction by David Slade that salvages the film, the way he cranks up the tension and films the action scenes with breathtaking skill and scope. One shot gives an eagle eye view of the town panning across bloodstained snows and showing vampires brutalising the poor townsfolk with only screams, growls and the occasional shotgun blast for sound. While we're at it the vampires speaking not in English but a guttural tongue that is subtitled is better because I couldn't see English coming out of those mouths with the fangs in the way.
On the acting front it was Huston and Foster that salvage the film, Huston in particular playing the low key menace and sadistic pleasure to the hilt and resiting the temptation to overact the part that so many vampire actors have done before cough Robert Pattinson cough! The calm and detached way Marlowe directs the transformation of Barrow from winter wonderland to slaughterhouse is truly inspired and his calm manner as opposed to his rampaging, bloodthirsty cronies are what makes this film.
All in all, it's no movie milestone, not by a long chalk but for those who enjoy a good horror flick but want to see some quality acting and film work, this is the film for you. Though maybe not if you're a dog lover or have a weak stomach.
Skins (2007)
Skins...hmm
I though Skins Series' 1 & 2 were pretty much phenomenal. I've never seen a show that deals with so many different themes all the time. We're introduced to the main lead Tony (Nicholas Hoult)from the outset and he appears as confident to the point of arrogance. He takes his girl friend Michelle (April Pearson) for granted but he shows a better side when he tries to protect his younger sister Effy (Kaya Scodelario) and help his best friend Sid (Mike Bailey) lose his virginity. Mike Baileys performance is absorbing and one I can readily identify with. Sid's chemistry with Cassie (Hannah Murray) an unstable girl who suffers from an eating disorder is infectious and you really start to care about the characters. Michelles friend Jal (Larissa Wilson) is a voice of reason in her friends tangled worlds which I think is important and the issues of homosexuality and religion are explored through the friend ship between Maxxie (Mitch Hewer), an openly gay guy who enjoys tap dancing and Anwar(Dev Patel), a party animal whose wayward lifestyle clashes with his Muslim upbringing. There friend ship is strained further by the arrival of Sketch (Aimee-Ffion Edwards) Maxxie's malicious stalker who begins a relationship with Anwar when she appears to recognise Maxxies unavailability. The best performance however is the party animal Chris (Joe Dempsie) who at first is portrayed as a maniacal party goer who'll drink/rob/screw/snort anything. His performance is marked by the absence of his mother and the sadness about his brother dying at a young age. He starts a relationship with Jal unintentionally getting her pregnant before their burgeoning love is cut short by Chris dying in his friend Cassies arms from the same condition that took his brother. Try not shedding a tear I dare you!
Tony - Objectifying women, mental health Michelle - Broken home Sid - Sexual inactivity, bereavement Cassie - Mental health, eating disorders Jal - Teenage pregnancy, abortion Chris - Teeange pregnancy, death Maxxie - Homsexuality (well done I might add) Anwar - Religion Sketch - Stalking Effy - Over zealous partying, drugs and sibling bonds
What a dysfunctional lot eh? Anyway I loved Skins and I advise anyone to try it. Series 3 wasn't quite as good with the entire cast aside from Effy and her friend Pandora (Lisa Blackwell) being replaced but it was still exceptional. Come on Searies 4, I'm bored!
-Ally
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Dead Man's Party (1998)
An excellent episode
Being brutally honest this isn't the best episode ever of Buffy but having said that it still ranks alongside the greats like "Chosen", "Intervention" and "Lies My Parents Told Me." This is mainly due to the lightning fast dialogue and the total destruction of the Summers' living room. Giles imitating Joyce "Don't you like my mask? Isn't it pretty? It raises the dead? Americans!" and his confusing phone conversation with a stoner are the comedic high points.
On a more sombre note the episode is driven by the reaction of Buffy's family and friends to her summer spent away. Tension grows between Willow and Buffy, to the extent that Willow blows off a coffee meeting with Buffy. The arguments between Xander and Buffy turn violent to the point of Oz having to step between them to avoid them coming to blows (though Oz himself, ever the neutral guy gives Buffy a rather nasty look when she first meets the gang.) Another high point that deserves mentioning is anything that involves Principal Snyder. Okay sure he a meglomaniacal fascist with a huge superiority complex but it's just so great to see him, as Armin Shimerman is just such a foil to Buffy. Another thing is the noticeable lack of Angel (he only appears in a dream sequence) which i can say (I'm sorry) is only an improvement. I think Spike might have been an interesting investment in this episode but i don't see how they could've have fitted him in. But hey, that's up to the writers not me.
An excellent episode with only a couple of minor flaws.
'Buffy': Season 5 Overview (2003)
Season Five of Buffy
This season of Buffy stands head and shoulders above the rest (with the possible exception of 7) and I will not have enough room to explain why. There's a new character in town; Dawn, Buffy fourteen year old sister (Michelle Trachtenberg) who has mysteriously appeared without any warning. The big bad for this season is Glorificus, The Beast, The Abomination, Glory, That Which Cannot Be Names and so on (Clare Kramer) a Hell God who is content to wreak havoc and mayhem. Dracula himself shows up in the first episode. Riley Finn (Marc Blucas) leaves town midway through the season leaving Spike(James Marsters) free to proclaim undying love for Buffy.
Spike is not entirely responsible for the success of this season but he deserves most of the credit. His interplay in the first few episodes with Riley and Harmony (remember her) is funny to the point of respiratory problems. Throughout the first half he's there solely for comedy value but moving on he steps into the shoes of hero especially in the episode "Intervention" and all time favourite of mine. Glory tortures him extensively but all she gets is a symphony of verbal abuse. Another instance of Spikes good side is the regret he shows over Joyce Summer's death, saying; "I liked the lady! Always had a cuppa for me and she never treated me like a freak!" The core group of Xander, Buffy, Willow and Giles are as tight as ever. Their dialogue is touching, particularly throughout Joyces battle with a brain tumour and her subsequent brain aneurysm. The actual death is documented in "The Body" written by Joss Whedon and done with no music, and told in real time to offer as little comfort as possible. Another truly touching scene is in the final episode: Xander's proposal to Anya. Honestly I'd never had time for Xander of their relationship but that changed it for me.
All in all a modern masterpiece that deserves excellent reviews and should be watched by anyone interested in drama, horror, action, you name it, Buffy Season V has it.
Ally Out!