Top Five Classic Halloween horrors

Top Five Classic Halloween horrors 


1. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974) 
Visceral, tense and terrifying in a way that modern murder porn like The Human Centipede, Hostel or Saw could never muster, Tobe Hoopers micro budget classic relies on masterful suggestion rather than gratuitous gore. Atmospheric and unnerving from the start, the set up is textbook: innocent kids stumble upon creepy farm, get chased, then attacked by guy in mask. It's the probably the most uncomplicated, yet horrifying horror movie ever made.

2. Alien (1979) 
It's not what you see, It's what you THINK you see. Working on the simple idea that the frightened human mind can invent more horrifying imagery that anything he can put on screen, Ridley Scott crafts a tense and menacing atmosphere around a plot where very little actually happens. Aboard the commercial spaceship Nostromo, the crew answers a distress signal from a nearby planet, pick up an accidental guest, everyone dies.
Of course, John Hurt thrashing about during the ‘chestburster’ is a genuinely frightening piece of cinema even now, but the nerve janglingly tense opening and the half glances of HR Gigers terrifying star-beast make for one hell of a ride.

3. The Thing (1982) 
Jaw-dropping visual effects aside, John Carpenter (who also made the classic "Halloween", which just missed out on this list) wins so epically here due to a finely tuned use of character and location. While the premise may sound simple (12 men stuck in an Arctic station while a shape shifting alien picks them off one by one), it's the paranoia and suspicion that shreds the nerves , with the characters having no idea if they're truly who (or what) they say they are. The fear of complete isolation permeates the film, and a wonderful slimy effects are so realistic, they'll be in your nightmares for weeks.

4. Psycho (1960) 
Achingly innovative, Psycho is the proto slasher. Without Psycho, there'd be no "Halloween", no "Friday the thirteenth" and no "Scream". It's that simple. While the shower scene is legendary (and rightly so), such brutal bloodshed was ground breaking at the time, packing 87 cuts into a frenzied 45 seconds, Hitchcock created perhaps the most iconic and perfectly timed shock in cinema history.
Not to mention a flawless and unnerving central performance from Antony Perkins as Norman Bates and a twist ending that genuinely startles, and you have a timeless classic.
Just best laying off the "your mum" jokes.

5. The Shining - (1980)
Much as he did  for sci-fi almost two decades earlier with "2001", Stanley Kubrick re-defines the horror genre with The Shining. Starring Jack Nicholson in career best form as a writer working as a caretaker at the isolated Overlook Hotel in the Colorado mountains over winter. As his sanity unravels, shit begins to get weird...
Famously hated by original author Stephen King (and nobody else), he resented Kubrick for removing the ghosts from his story, but failed to see that it's not the supernatural that terrifies the most, but the aching  sense of insanity and claustrophobia that dominates the film.
"Come and play with us. Come and play with us, Danny. Forever... and ever... and ever"

Honorable mention: 
The Exorcist (1973) 
It's tough to believe that mainstream Hollywood could get away with depicting the possession of a young girl in such graphic detail, and yet that's exactly what the Exorcist does. Much like Alien, it's a slow builder from the start that fascinates and nestles in your mind before the brutal and shockingly graphic sequences of Linda Blairs demon possession.
Cold and brutal.

Piece originally written for York Vision

In review: Filth (2013)

Filth (2013) 

James McAvoy is Bruce Robertson, an amoral, racist, sexist, sociopathic policeman in line for promotion and enlisted to solve a brutal murder. As he journeys through the seedy Edinburgh underworld can he keep his sanity in check long enough to get the promotion he desires, or will the filth get the better of him?
From the get go, Filth was always going to suffer from comparisons with Trainspotting, the definitive Irvine Welsh screen adaptation, and credit to writer-director Jon S Baird he's delivered a delightfully weird and hallucinogenic film that comes fairly close to living up to hopes. Possessed with more than its share of visual invention and dark humour, Filth revels in its seedy subject matter, painting a picture of group of flawed, broken people.

However, it suffers from being  tonally uneven and in its more somber elements it fails to deliver the proper emotion where it counts. The mismatch of out and out zany humour with the darker threads ends up robbing the latter much of its impact. A barely hinted at subplot regarding McAvoys absent family isn’t given the attention it deserves, robbing a late plot twist of its true emotional value, while references to A Clockwork Orange and even Psycho seem obvious.

Which isn’t to say the film is a failure. Far from it in fact. The film shines in its more out and out bonkers elements, taking darkly comic delight in the transgressions and ineptitude of its central troop. A good script gives the strong the cast plenty to chew on, with Eddie Marson standing out as the abused best mate.
MCavoy, however, is the linchpin of the whole affair. He invests Bruce, a bit of a wanker, with plenty of charm and likeability. Razor sharp yet increasingly unable to distinguish between fiction and reality, Bruce swims in a sea of alcohol and coke abuse, deviant sex and mental illness. It's a tough role, and it's all the more impressive that McAvoy manages to humanise him.

Not quite an era defining classic then, but thanks to a career best performance from McAvoy, it's no write off either.

 4/5


Originally written for York Vision

In Review - Blue Jasmine (2013)

In Review - Blue Jasmine (2013)

Some people slow down as they approach eighty but, not Woody Allen. Admittedly, some of his recent efforts have been patchy at best, bogged down by muddled plots and generally lack of the magic that characterised his greatest films, but a recent foray to Europe has proved rather fruitful, delivering as it has the acclaimed and rather delightful "Midnight in Paris" and  "Vicky, Christina, Barcelona". 

 

Which bring us to possibly the finest of this late renaissance, a reimagining of "A Streetcar Named Desire", Blue Jasmine is a masterpiece of precision and beauty, a tightly scripted, efficiently shot and perfectly acted gem of a film. Telling the story of Manhattan socialite Jasmine who falls head first into poverty and mental illness after her banker husband is caught up in a scandal, it's a bleak but gently funny look at owning up to the past and moving forward with dignity. 

 

Allen writes and directs with precision, weaving character and plot through a time hopping narrative that shifts from dark comedy to tragedy within a beat.  

Blanchett is nothing short of astonishing in the lead, investing Jasmine, an intrinsically unlikable on paper, with genuine pathos and no little humor. Jasmine is a broken woman, shorn of her grand lifestyle, reliant on alcohol, in a city she doesn't know and surrounded by people she could never relate to , and yet she manages to sustain some level of dignity and humanity throughout. It's a walk along a knife edge that shines from the first breath to final shot and an Oscar is surely on the cards. 

Kudos too must go to Sally Hawkins who more than holds her own as Ginger, Jasmines sister and foil for much of the film. Likewise, Alec Baldwin is at the top of his game as a slimy wall street player who destroys the lives of people around him with nary a grimace. Elsewhere, Allen wisely casts strong character actors and comedians in supporting rolls, letting them work magic with minimal screen time. 

Of course Allen has never shied away from putting his characters through the wringer, but this time he really goes for it. Although there is humor here it is dotted sparsely, and fans of his more light and upbeat output may be put off by its bleak outlook. For everyone else, it's a sharp and convincing portrait of a life falling apart. 

5/5 

Into the Wild Blue Yonder - Fairwell to Breaking Bad

*Warning* For the few people left who have yet to watch the Breaking Bad finale , spoilers lay ahead.

Endings are always tough, but here it must surely have been infinitely more so given the overwhelming weight of anticipation. And so it was with no little fanfare that the world was greeted with the finale of Breaking Bad last Sunday. A global phenomenon, the fate of Walt, Jesse and co was on the lips of millions around the world.

"I'm sure it'll make a hell of a story", says Walt early on knowingly. Rising from cult cable classic to outright global phenomenon in 5 short years thanks to tight ingenious writing, cinematic direction and some truly amazing performances across the board, it never once dropped the ball. So how does the finale hold up?

Well, once again kudos has to be given to Brian Cranston and his towering central performance. In a show full of great acting, his is the crowning glory. One of the best aspects of the show has been in showing the rise and fall of Walter White, almost Shakespearian in its aims and execution. From pitiful bit-player in his own life, to megalomaniac custodian of an empire, to a lonely isolated shell with nothing left but his cancer eating away at him. It's a hell of a role, and it's a hell of a performance.

It is inevitable that Walt would have to die. But the main question, and the thing that kept people watching, was how much of his humanity, how much of the original Walt would remain intact? And what would his ultimate fate be? Who would he drag down with him?

Season five as a whole has shone in its depiction of this fall, his descent into isolated wreck, empire crumbled. All the chess pieces are positioned, the clock counted down. All that's left is the demise.

So it's perhaps a pleasant surprise that he gets out with some sliver of humanity remaining. Redemption is a strong word to use after all his terrible behavior, the murders, destroying his family piece by piece. No, redemption was never on the cards, but he does get something close. A touching final moment with Skylar was loaded with all their intense history, his admittance that all of the Meth, all of the scheming, was done, not for the family, but for him bristled and burned. Likewise his final moment with Walt Jr, wordless and seen from a distance evoked sympathy, despite the knowledge of his crimes.

It's interesting to note that, after all his misdemeanors, he does achieve his one ultimate goal from way back in the beginning. Setting up his family up with enough money after he dies, giving them a good chance without him. It's just a shame he had to destroy them all in the process. The most poignant part of it all is that they despise him, some are dead. Everything he loved is broken, and his money is worthless to them now.

Of course the show isn't entirely perfect. A small lapses in narrative logic creeps in late in the game with the execution of the final scene with Uncle Jack and his neo Nazi posse leaning heavily on the old narrative crux that these men are proud and don't take kindly to having their motives questioned. Surely just shooting Walt there and then would be far simpler than parading poor Jesse in front of Walt. But then again, it's the only way to do it. It's a rare instance of overly transparent writing, Gilligan gamely positioning his chess pieces for the final time with so little time to spare.

It's a minor blip, though and come the final ten minute stretch, there's no denying the power of what's on screen. The culmination of 60+ hours of television, churning its way to its inevitable and satisfying conclusion, the emotion is almost palpable.

Almost a guest star in the latter half of this series, it's good to see Jesse get a an emotional and redemptive pay off. His final moment with Walt, turning the screw on the balance of power and showing that there is goodness in these men. It's a poignant moment. I just wish he had a bit more to do that stand there looking sad.

But, obviously it was Walt's final moments on screen that touched the most. Duties fulfilled, money delivered, Walt stumbles into the Meth Lab, his one real love, the place he was happiest, the place where he was king. As ever with Breaking bad, the execution is exquisite, going out with a knowing wink and a swagger.

"I never will forget the special love I had for you, my baby blue"

5/5

In Review: Hawking

Hawking (2013)

Hawking is a very is a very intimate film. Co written and narrated by the man himself, the narrative, such as it is, follows a conventional chronological path from his early days slacking off at Oxford, to his Motor-Neuron Disease diagnosis and parallel scientific breakthroughs right through to his current standing as global science superstar. 

This kind of thing is the usual preserve of BBC 4 or late night channel 4 , so the fact that it has a cinematic release at all shows the high regard with which he is held. Indeed his fame is one of the key focus points here, and Hawking is admirably frank about his fondness for the limelight, he himself raising the question (but never answering it) of whether he is famous just as much for his disability as for his breakthroughs in science. 

Although much time is given to trumpeting these achievements, mainly through stories recounted by his contemporaries (Caltech legend Kip Thorn is one of the more interesting talking heads), there's not much time for anything more than shallow simplistic descriptions of the theories, which is a bit of a shame if, like me, you were hoping for a bit more nitty gritty science. 

Where the film really shines is in the more intimate moments, either showing the deep affection his assistants have for him, or in the interview with ex-wife Jane who was there from his time as a student right through to the early days of his stardom that destroyed their marriage. It's also hard not to feel admiration for the man in allowing some of the less than flattering aspects of his dayly routine to be filmed. It humanises and gives a depth to a man who is often seen as a mystical figure from decades of exaggerated reporting.   

In the end, it's a compelling and sometimes heartwarming portrait of a remarkable man, lacking a bit in the finer details, but admirably honest. 

4/5 

*Originally written for York Vision

Editorial: There's No Place Like Home: Hollywood Returning to its Greatest Hits

There's No Place Like Home: Hollywood Returning to its Greatest Hits

Familiarity is comfort. In times of austerity it's no surprise to find Hollywood returning to the old safe hands, mining the past to secure a hit. Here's a run down of some of the biggest come backs over the next few years.

First up is the return of Harry Potter. Well, sort of. FANTASTIC BEASTS AND WHERE TO FIND THEM is the story of Newt Scamander and, according to Ms Rowling herself, is "neither a prequel nor sequel to the Harry Potter series, rather an extension of the wizarding world". 

Although she doesn't seem overly fussed about returning to Potter in novel form, JK Rowling is scripting this one which bodes well for quality. Plotwise all we know is "Newt's story will start in New York, seventy years before Harry's gets underway", which is nice.

No news on director or cast yet, though a 2016 release is likely. The  prohibition era New York setting is enticing and given their steller work on Potter, the effects whizzes will surely work wonders with the plethora of beasties for our hero to get to grips with. Looks promising.

Sticking with fantastic beasts, Jurassic Park 4, now titled JURASSIC WORLD, is now in production after years of development. Goodwill for the original Dino-romp is infinite and the creative team here top notch, so at the very least we can expect spectacle. Although original honcho Senor Spielbergo is taking a back seat, newcomer Colin Trevorow, known for directing accalaimed indie comedy Safety Not Guaranteed is a safe bet.

Regards plot, there is no official news aside from original star Sam Neill calling it a "total re-jig", implying we're either getting a reboot or new story set in the same universe.The petition to bring back Jeff Goldblum starts here. Released: June 12th 2015

Speaking of Goldblum, big news on mega destructive franchises as INDEPENDENCE DAY 2, nicknamed ID4-EVER (cringe) is also a-go-go. Original director and master of smashing shit up Roland Emmerich (The Day after Tomorrow, White House Down) has bigged this up for a while now with no luck. But now Big Willy Style himself has hopped on board, this is getting fast tracked for release on July 4th 2015.

On a lighter  note, the wonderful folk at Pixar are deep in production on FINDING DORY. Dory is one of the more compelling and lovable characters from a studio who excell at compelling and loveable, and given their recent success with Monsters University and Toy Story 3, we can expect this will be all kinds of wonderful. Bad news though, it isn't out until summer 2016. Sorry folks!

Onto STAR WARS EPISODE VII. While the prequels may be varying degrees of meh, the franchise is now free of George Lucas's iffy decision making and things are looking up. Disney are investing in quality for the new trilogy with Toy Story 3 scribe (and oscar winner) Michael Arndt on scripting duty, and Star Trek wunderkind JJ Abrams directing part one.

Details are thin, but the confirmed return of godlike genius John Williams bodes well, as does the fairly certain return of stars Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher and Mark Hamill as older incarnations of Han, Leia and Luke. With Benedict Cumberbatch also rumoured to be playing the villain, the Force is strong with this one. Expect it Summer 2015.

Before slipping back in the Falcon, Harrison Ford takes a rare comedy turn in the hugely anticipated ANCHORMAN 2: THE LEGEND CONTINUES, relocating the anarchy of the first film to New York, this will otherwise  continue where the last film left off. As expected, it looks hilarious and is released this Winter.

Speaking of bonkers, next year will see Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels return to Dumb and Dumber after 2 decades in the form of DUMB AND DUMBER TO (sic). Expect it to be mad, and very very funny.

The biggie next year is X-MEN: DAYS OF FUTURE PAST (Released May 23rd), supervised by original director Brian Singer, this crunches together the time frames of the original X-trilogy and recent First Class whilst bringing in fan favourite villain the Sentinels. Word is good, with a cast to die for and a possibilty it may be the last time we see Hugh Jackman as Wolverine on our screens, which is sad.

Also released next summer, MAD MAX: FURY ROAD sees everyones favourite hottie Tom Hardy taking over from drunken racist Mel Gibson on the classic  franchise, where he'll be seen driving through a desert for some reason.

Further in the future, James Cameron's AVATAR 2 hits in 2016. Cameron has been working on scripts for a while now, so at least we know he's going for quality. Still, with three (yes THREE) sequels currently in the pipeline, it seems he's milking it. Rumours hint that old Terminator pal Arnold has been cast as the big villain which is quite frankly ace, and at the very least we know the films will be pretty to look at.

Finally, speaking of Arnie, the aging Austrian Oak is on somewhat of a comeback bender at the moment, starring in both TERMINATOR 5 (July 4th 2015) and another CONAN THE BARBARIAN film (ignoring the recent reboot). Strange times, folks.

*Originally written for York Vision

In review: Kings of Leon - Mechanical Bull

Kings of Leon - Mechanical Bull (2013)

It's ten years since vibrant debut Youth and Young Manhood, five years since they were wrongly written off by indie snobs for being too commercial, and three years since the genuinely piss poor fifth album Come Around Sundown killed the buzz. So where do we find the Followhills in 2013? 

Well, it's definitely an improvement on the last one, but only just. While Calebs distinctive vocals still drip like treacle over the knife sharp guitar work, there is a debilitating lack of genuine fire in the heart that characterised their first four albums. It's like a picture that's been photocopied a few too many times. 

It's a problem that is symptomatic of the whole album. While they try in vain to evoke their greatest moments, there is nothing here that can come even close to the dizzying heights of zeitgeist seizing  Sex on Fire, let alone the joyful and charmingly quirky earlier days of "Mollys Chambers" or "Charmer".  

It's not bereft of its moments, though. A decent opening salvo hints that the album might be better than it actually is, while the ironically titled "Comeback Story" is the standout track. Positioned as the centerpiece, it comes complete with echoey string section and that distinctive  melancholy reverb that had them filling arenas a couple of years ago. It's not a bad tune at all. 

So while there is some faint evidence of the earlier fire breathing KOL, it's far too fleeting and the rest is all a bit flat and, well... airy. 

2/5

*This review was originally written for York Vision