Horror and Sci-Fi films old and new, weirdo trash, arthouse, forgotten gems, well loved classics, and I'm watching the original Dr Who from the beginning.
The Raid is one of the most compellingly relentless action films of recent times.
Rama (martial arts star Iko Uwais) is a rookie officer in an elite Indonesian police paramilitary unit. His team's first mission is to infiltrate the high-rise slum fortress of ruthless gang boss Tama, previously considered untouchable by the police. However, things very quickly go wrong The problem? The apartment complex the cops are invading is occupied by tenants who range from assassins to thugs to certifiable psychopaths – and all the other scum the slums have to offer. The cops barely make it through the door before they’re spotted by the crooks, and from there it is an all-out war, floor by floor, as Rama and his teammates try to brave a nightmare of violence and destruction in order to make their arrest.
Writer and director Gareth Evans takes a simple concept and wisely avoids overcomplicating it, keeping the story moving forward at all times and also steers clear of modern cliches such as smirking one-liners, and “bromance”. The characters are far from invulnerable, giving a real sense of uncertainty to the outcome at times.
The action is shot and edited for maximum impact, with hardly a wasted shot or scene, leaving the viewer breathless. Granted, this does not leave much time to introduce the characters, many of whom, good and bad, get bumped off before we've barely had time to learn their names. This does have two justifiable outcomes however, as the scale of the carnage sets the tone of the threat, and the diminished cast keeps the story focussed.
While The Raid is ostensibly an action film, the gore, confined spaces and overwhelming tension at times make it feel like a horror film. There is also one other disconcerting element that links it to that genre - the building itself. The exterior has a slightly unreal feel, the overwhelming height giving the feel of a fairy tale castle. The interiors are nightmarish, dark, dingy, more like an insane asylum than a residential tower block.
A trip back to a time when fantasy worlds were painstakingly created one frame at a time, Ray Harryhausen – Special Effects Titan is an affectionate look at the career of the pioneer of stop motion animation, with words of praise from some high profile fans.
The story starts with his childhood, where Harryhausen became besotted with the original King Kong, and friendly with the creature’s creator Willis O’Brien, who became his mentor. We then get a journey through his sci-fi themed work such as Earth vs the Flying Saucers and First Men on the Moon, to the more mythology and fantasy based work like Jason and the Argonauts.
All this is interspersed with talking head clips from the man himself, who comes across as charming, articulate and warm, and celebrity supporters such as Terry Gilliam, John Landis, Stephen Spielberg, James Cameron and Joe Dante, all of whom talk of the influence Harryhausen and his films had on their lives and careers (Interestingly they all have their own favourite of his work, all for different reasons). Rather than just being fanboy ramblings however, they all seem to agree on the key to what makes his work special, which is that beyond the technical skill and spectacle, Harryhausen breathes life and even emotion into his characters.
We also get some insight into his working process, such as how his father used his engineering skills to help with much of the early building work, and how Harryhausen would not just build models, but get involved in story and design work on a film, even when not credited.
Furthermore, there is a plug for the Ray Harryhausen Foundation, set up both to continue teaching his techniques and to preserve his vast archive of models, drawings and notes, work that continues today, following his death in 2013.
The relentlessly positive mood gets a bit cloying after a while, and I started to long for some tales of conflict, something to break up the tone, but overall this is an enjoyable look at one of the greats of cinema.
The
zombie film is a virus that has truly gone global, and joining recent efforts
from the likes of Spain (REC) and Africa (The Dead) is Juan of the Dead, the
first one ever to be made in Cuba. The basic plot may sound a little familiar,
but with a combination of some creative and brilliantly executed set pieces,
and a jet black sense of humour it is a fresh, funny and surprisingly poignant
addition to the genre.
Juan
is a 40-something layabout, whose days consist of petty crime, fishing, and
swigging rum, aided and abetted by his best friend Lazaro. But when a
mysterious virus sweeps across Cuba, turning the residents into flesh eating
zombies, Juan must turn into a hero, and lead his friends and estranged
daughter to safety - and make a few pesos at the same time.
The
most obvious influence for this film is, not surprisingly given the name, Edgar
Wright and Simon Pegg's Shaun of the Dead.Both films have as main characters a lazy but well meaning man and his
slob friend; both have a plot that revolves around a zombie apocalypse in their
home town; and both are blessed with a director who can deftly blend laughs,
shocks and gore - but there the similarities end. Juan is much more of an
anti-hero than Shaun, as illustrated by his response to the zombie outbreak:
after a lifetime of hustling, his first thought is "How can I profit from
this?". The answer - his own Ghostbusters style zombie-killing service,
Juan of the Dead (with it's refreshingly direct motto: "We kill your
beloved ones"), and he and his friends take to the streets of Havana,
armed to the teeth with clubs, machetes and throwing stars.
Despite
being extremely gory, "Juan of the Dead" is primarily a comedy, with
the humour coming from a mix of sources. Firstly the crude, scatological banter
between the characters, particularly between Juan and Lazaro. Secondly, the
gore itself, which comes from Monty Python style sight gags, juxtaposing blood
and guts with comic situations, and, in some cases, taking aspects of Zombie
mythology, (for example, having to damage their brains in order to properly
kill them) to their logical extreme, such as in an hilarious descent in a lift
with the dismembered top half of an elderly neighbour.Thirdly there are some pointed digs at the
Cuban government, a regime not usually noted for taking constructive criticism
from it's citizens. The powers-that-be are shown as being unable to deal with
the zombie outbreak, and their only answer is to use the state-run TV news to
blame the deaths on "American dissidents" and blithely proclaim that
everything is okay. In addition, the film-makers do not paint a very flattering
picture of Havana itself, with the air of inertia and decay shown in every
aspect of both the city and people before the zombies make an appearance.
Interestingly,
the script does not get bogged down in explaining a great deal of zombie
mythology, which maybe a sign that the undead are a large enough presence in
popular culture that sufficient numbers of people are familiar with the rules
of the genre. In addition, just like George Romero's classic Zombie trilogy
(and more recent efforts like "Shaun...") hardly any time is spent
discussing what is causing the zombie outbreak, the focus being pretty much
entirely on the characters and their fight for survival in the here and now.
Everyone manages to get themselves into increasingly hair-raising and ingenious
scrapes, and out of them in similarly ingenious manners, and even if some of
them seem a little too convenient in retrospect, at the time it's such an exhilarating
ride, you barely notice. Within that, there is still space for a certain amount
of characterisation, as Juan tries to make amends for the way he abandoned his
now grown up daughter, and is faced with a horrible choice regarding Lazaro.
Touches like this mean that, while the people on screen are by no means fully
rounded three dimensional characters, they are still people that you grow to
like, and, despite their flaws, to care about, making the final scene more
touching than might otherwise be expected.
