Robocop 2

He's back!

RoboCop 2 is probably the most under-rated and most harshly criticized sequel in history (tying with Predator 2, which came out the same year). Because of a few missing elements from the first and a slightly more cartoonish approach to the violence, the critics and public alike were not pleased and opinions and feelings toward the franchise nosedived with the just plain awful RoboCop 3.

Don't con yourself out of a good movie though. RoboCop 2 still has the same savage sense of humor, cynical social commentary and character pathos of the first film. It's a hyper-realistic vision of an America populated by gun-loving psychos, a democracy owned by big business and the poverty-stricken addicted to drugs dealt to them by peddlers believing themselves to be the second coming of Christ.

Far-fetched could be the typical way of describing it. Completely-over-the-top would be more appropriate. Empire Strikes Back director Irvin Kershner chucks in as much sadistic violence, deafening gunfire, endless destruction and loss of human life that the film just begs you not to take it so seriously.

I so loved the promo art for the film!

There were some cool cardboards out there in video rental stores.

Some of the blame was placed on writer Frank Miller for the film being more cartoonish than the original. I don't think this is very fair. I read Miller's original script when I was in high school and it is rather different and, dare I say, unfilmable. RoboCop 2 himself was not Nuke Lord Caine, the psychotic hippie with delusions of Godhood. He was called Kong, a psychotic cop who pretty much killed everybody he came across. Sgt. Reed and the Old Man died too, and there wasn't much humor. Screenwriter Walon Green was hired to doctor the script and much of what appears on screen is actually his work. Frank Miller's original ideas are pretty much just left as the framework for the whole movie and some of his story was recycled into RoboCop 3 (don't blame him for that one either). Miller was obviously upset with this but was still a good enough sport to appear in the film (keep a lookout for him playing Doctor Frank), though he vowed not to work in Hollywood again for fear of being taken advantage of. Until Robert Rodriguez promised to make good on his Sin City graphic novels.

Verhoven may be gone but Irvin Kershner tries hard to deliver the same mix of mirth and magic and actually does get it right. Basil Poledouris' brooding score is also gone (it returns in RoboCop 3) but new composer Leonard Rosenman creates a wonderfully heroic and upbeat theme that suits the film more than Poledouris' moody, tormented score to the first.

Call for back up Murphy!

I told you!

There have also been many complaints that the humanity of RoboCop and his relationship with Lewis was neutered along with too many other ideas fighting for screen time. I get why most would be annoyed by this but you have to remember that films need to be economic when it comes to length. If every single idea was fully explored and fleshed-out RoboCop 2 would have been 4 hours long. In my opinion each thread has just enough for keen viewers and fans to appreciate. Lazy viewers only see what they want to see and I feel that this has led to many of the negative reviews the film has been met with (which usually comment on how "offensive" the character of Hob is-sheesh, gimme a break). And don't give me that the "humanity" of the first film is gone. Murphy has not resigned to being a machine. He lies to pacify OCP. Pay attention to the very last line of dialogue in the film if you want proof.

Filmed once again in Texas, Houston this time, you really have to feel for Peter Weller walking around in that Robosuit. It must have weighed a ton and he'd be sweating bucketloads inside. There is a particular scene in the film where Murphy is tortured into near-death/destruction that is very hard to watch. But it does lead to him getting a brand-new makeover and those crazy new directives put into his head. The bit where he lectures the Little League kids and scolds the youngsters playing by the leaky fire hydrant (after quoting some very suspicious philosophy) is hilarious.

Enter Robocop 2.

I'm gonna add you some fingering/fisting upgrades to your program.

RoboCop 2 is a great movie. Despite harsh criticisms of the script and story and some slightly dated stop-motion effects it's a brilliant sequel that lives up to expectations. Do listen to the nay-Sayers. I don't know what kind of film they were expecting.

Now let's go behind camera and check some awesome Robocop 2 trivia:

Paul Verhoeven's no.

After the success of RoboCop (1987), director Paul Verhoeven and the original screen writers were approached for a sequel by the studio immediately. According to Verhoeven, he wasn't yet ready to make a sequel and wanted to wait until a proper script was written. He felt going forward so quickly would make it feel like he was attempting to cash in on a product. The studio did not agree, and hired Frank Miller to quickly write a new script and implement his own ideas. Ultimately the film failed, and Paul Verhoeven stated that had the studio gone with his ideas, it was far better than what was presented. 

Smoking kills.

The scene in which RoboCop opens fire around the head of someone who is smoking, after which he says 'Thank you for not smoking', was actually licensed and run as a public service announcement ahead of several different films in many non-smoking movie theaters during the summer movie season that year.  

Detroit goes bankrupt.

The City of Detroit is depicted as being cash-strapped where OCP owns the entire metropolitan area - as life imitating art, the City of Detroit filed for Chapter 9 Bankruptcy on July 18, 2013 with an estimated $18 - $20 billion debt. 

Violence? what violence?

Comic book adaptation.

Robocop, the comic book.

 

Although the producers loved Frank Miller's original version of the script, they quickly realized it was unfilmable as written. The final screen version was heavily rewritten and bears only a superficial resemblance to Miller's story. In 2003, Miller's screenplay was adapted into a comic book series titled, appropriately, "Frank Miller's RoboCop".  

Date East Arcade.

When RoboCop is in the Arcade, the majority of the video games are created by Data East. Data East was the creator behind the RoboCop video games. 

Robocop VS Frank Miller VS Irvin Kershner.

Peter Weller criticized the script, saying it lacked the spine and the soul of the original. Weller tried to convince Frank Miller, Irvin Kershner and the film's producers that the third act needed a morality angle instead of being just a shoot 'em up. The producers felt the battle between Robocop and Cain was sufficient.  

V for Vendettacop.

Alan Moore was originally offered the chance to write the film but turned it down. 

The Nintendo NES official videogame.

The spectacular arcade videogame.

Deleted Scenes.

Many scenes were deleted from the movie for various reasons: . Robocop walking through police station locker room where he sees a naked police woman showering and, after looking at her for a few seconds, walks away.

Robocop's hallucination scene after he is dismantled by Cain's men, where he dreams of visiting his own grave. . A few scenes with Cain that explained his character more, including a scene where he and Angie visit Dr. Faxx to discuss robotics, thus planting the seed for the most likely candidate to donate to Robocop 2's construction. In the same deleted scene, Cain confronts a Robocop mock-up in the OCP's reception area.

An extended scene where the store keeper who got robbed by the baseball team kids screams at Robocop for letting them get away, with Robocop grabbing him by the throat, saying a few words about the storekeeper's "harsh value judgment" then dropping him on the floor.

A scene where Robocop finds out that Cain is inside the Robocop 2 cyborg, interfacing with Dr. Faxx's computer and going through her files.

Rated X.

Also, just like with first movie, some scenes were cut down to avoid an X rating by MPAA. Although one workprint version is available that includes some of the deleted scenes, there was never any uncut version of the movie with all deleted scenes.  

Overall, Robocop 2 as a standalone movie, may have its flaws, but when watched as a part of the Robocop Trilogy it looks and sounds way better. Despite the fact, that the trilogy doesn't not begin an official plot that would be ended by the third film, the whole idea of OCP, a powerful & mean corporation running a bankrupt city crowded with crime, remains throughout the three films.  Another stand out point of this sequel is the fact that they worked with actual comic book authors! Frank Miller & Alan Moore (who didn't take the offer) are perhaps two of the most respected men among the Comic Book/Graphic Novel circles. 

Here's the movie trailer:

Here the above mentioned deleted scenes:

Here the "thank you for not smoking" Theaters ad:

Here the Nintendo NES videogame adaptation:

And last but not least, the Official Arcade adaptation:

 

Adventures Of Captain Marvel

Say the magic word Billy!

In our latest entry, we discussed Ant-Man, the final entry in what is to be known as Phase 2 of the Marvel Comics Cinematic Universe. In our past we have reviewed a comprehensive list of Comic Book adaptations, whether they're animated, made for TV or Live action movies. Nevertheless, we're still a mile or two from completing every single adaptation there's ever been up until 2015. However, we have strictly chosen the most interesting adaptations made to date. In a world that is currently saturated with comic book films, comic book culture, and comic book related merchandise and trends, we feel the necessity of going back to the early days of TV, in order to discuss the earliest attempts in Comic Book adaptations made for television. 

Surprisingly, even to the greatest connoisseurs of the Comic book world, the first live action television series, was not about the groundbreaking phenomenon Superman was, and still is. National Allied Publications (Now DC Comics) began their comic strip empire in 1935, that is 3 exact years before Jerry Siegel & Joe Shuster gave birth to Superman. Today, DC Comics along with its direct competitor Marvel Comics, share over 80% of the Comic Book market as of today. 

Did you know the first live action series was about a rather new superhero? Batman you say? Nope, the first Bat serial would not air until 1943, and the second serial (or season) would air in 1949. Today we are talking 1941!!! yes, 1941!!! Only 6 year after National Allied Publications started. Ladies, and Gentlemen, it's time to introduce to the first live action superhero of all times: Shazam! AKA Captain Marvel

The rise of the first hero.

Shazam gets the girl.

Adventures of Captain Marvel is a 1941 twelve-chapter Republic Pictures film serial directed by John English and William Witney, adapted from the popular Captain Marvel comic book character then appearing in Fawcett Comics publications such as Whiz Comics and Captain Marvel Adventures. It starred Tom Tyler in the title role of Captain Marvel and Frank Coghlan, Jr. as his alter ego, Billy Batson.

This serial was the twenty-first of the sixty-six serials produced by Republic and their first comic book adaptation, not counting comic strips. The serial featured an adaptation of the Fawcett Comics superhero, placed within an original story. He fights a masked criminal mastermind called The Scorpion who is determined to gain control of a powerful ray weapon, which takes the form of a large metallic scorpion with removable lenses that must be aligned in order to activate the ray.

During an archaeological expedition to Siam, the power of the Golden Scorpion allows young radio broadcaster Billy Batson to meet the ancient wizard Shazam, who grants him the power to become Captain Marvel and protect those who may be in danger from the Scorpion's curse.

The lenses from the Golden Scorpion are divided among five scientists of the Malcolm Archaeological Expedition. A black-hooded villain known as the Scorpion attempts to acquire all of the lenses and the Scorpion device. Several expedition members are killed in the Scorpion's quest despite Captain Marvel's continual efforts to thwart him. Deducing that the Scorpion always seems to know what goes on at all the meetings with the scientists, Billy later confides his suspicions to his friends, Betty Wallace and Whitey Murphy, that the Scorpion might be one of the archaeological team.

The Scorpion later discovers the connection between Billy and Captain Marvel. After capturing him, the Scorpion interrogates Billy for the secret. Billy transforms into Captain Marvel and reveals the Scorpion to be one of the last surviving scientists, who is then killed by... I'm not going to spoil it to you guys, this serial deserves a watch, and it's only a 12 episode run!

Tom Tyler.

Frank Coghlan, Jr.

State Of The Art Special Effects.

The flying effects were performed with a dummy. The dummy was slightly larger than life, at 7 feet tall, and made of paper mâché so that it weighed only 15 lbs. The uniform was made of thin silk and a cotton jersey. Four pulleys connected to each shoulder and calf, which were strung on two wires so the dummy moved along them by its own weight. The wires were attached to two objects across the view of the camera, and the dummy slid from one to the other, giving the appearance of flight. This system was originally intended for a Superman serial, a prototype of which was built but discarded. The flying pose used for the dummy, arms outstretched and back arched, was based on drawing by Mac Raboy. If Captain Marvel needed to be seen flying upwards, the cape was weighted down and the dummy slid backwards. The film of this was then reversed.

Dave Sharpe was the human part of the effect. Dressed as Captain Marvel, he would leap from a high point with his body straight, as if able to fly, then roll to land at the last second. The combination of effects and stunts produced the overall illusion of a flying person. Sharpe also performed other stunts as Captain Marvel, such as back flipping and knocking down attacking natives in the first chapter. Some shots of Captain Marvel flying were filmed with Tyler against rear projected clouds. However, some of these scenes show the wires used to hold him up.

According to Stedman, the flight scenes were "the most successful illusion of such aerobatics ever put upon the screen, in serial or feature."

Fighting terrorists since the early days!

The Scorpion.

This is one of the best serials of all time. I would recommend that any fan of escapist cinema and classic movies see at least a couple of the chapters, since it is such a fine example of what a good serial could be. It is fast paced, has good fight scenes, and, for the time period, excellent special effects. In fact, until perhaps the 1978 film 'Superman,' there were no superior the flying sequences anywhere on TV or cinema. Along with these legendary sequences, the screen presence and performance of Tom Tyler really make this a magical experience.

At the time of this serial, Tom Tyler was a veteran (and underrated) movie actor, entering the downward slide of a career. Besides having about 15 years of fight scenes on his resume, he had been both a lumberjack and a champion weight lifter, so that he had a lean, athletic physique and carried himself like a strong and tough man. Also, his chiseled facial features, dark hair and steely eyes projected determination and formidability. Although given very few lines, Tyler was completely believable and magnetic in the role. Tyler's Captain Marvel is truly one of the most awesome serial heroes, right up there with Buster Crabbe's Flash Gordon. Frank Coghlan Jr. is perfect as Cap's alter ego, Billy Batson, and the rest of the supporting cast is good as well.

Fans of the comic book and TV versions of Captain Marvel should be warned that this serial is, in several significant ways, very different from the Cap they remember. Part of this is due to the fact that whenever Republic Pictures adapted a comic strip, they took some liberties. The other factor is that this serial was filmed when the Captain Marvel comic strip was only 1 year old, before the tone and spirit of Captain Marvel had been established (the Captain Marvel comics did not really develop a consistent style or sensibility until about 1943 or so; it isn't till around that time that the really classic Captain Marvel stuff started coming out).

DVD promo art.

The world famous flight special effect.

Without spoiling too much, viewers should be warned that on at least 2 occasions, Captain Marvel summarily dispatches some of the minor villains. Dispatch, as in sending them to meet their maker. This is understandable within the context of the times and 1930's ideal of a hero. In 1941, comic book heroes had not settled into their now ubiquitous code of non-lethality. The forerunners of the super-heroes, the pulp heroes such as the Shadow and the Spider, had no reservations toward casually gunning down a few thugs. Likewise, audiences in 1941 were of a generation that witnessed law enforcement officers summarily executing Bonnie & Clyde as well as John Dillinger.

Captain Marvel's readiness to kill might also serve as a rationale for Billy's hesitancy to use his alter ego. In this version, Billy gets into fistfights with thugs, even when he is outnumbered, rather than turning into Cap. For dramatic purposes, this makes sense because it allows for various death traps to be set and keeps the fight scenes exiting. But it also fits into a subtext that perhaps Captain Marvel has too much power, that he is perhaps like genie from a bottle, a quasi-demonic expression of the Id. This Captain Marvel, who gets a little too violent sometimes, and who Billy Batson only reluctantly calls upon, could be considered an early forerunner of the Incredible Hulk.

Behind a great man, there's always a bombshell blonde!

Despite this Captain's occasional lapses into vigilantism, the overall spirit of this serial keeps within the norms of the era and the genre, and so is great fun and escapism. Moreover, the total experience of this serial truly captures the expansive sense of magic, power and possibility of the early period of comic book superheroes. This is vastly superior to either of the Superman serials (1948 & 1950) as well as the Captain Marvel 'Shazam!' TV series of the 1970's. On an ultra low budget and long before CGI, this serial captured the magic of the comics.

Here's the trailer:

Ant-Man

From Derivative Studios, here comes Derivative-Man!

Hello fellow connoisseurs, as promised earlier, today we add the final addition of the Marvel Cinematic Universe phase 2: Ant-Man. Who? you may be asking, Ant-Man is a founding member of the original Avengers team, of course this didn't happen in the live action films so non comic book readers (I hope you're not a part of that bunch of posers) may not know who this character is. Marvel Comics has printed stories about 3 very different Ant-Men in the past, which one made it to the movie?, and which one didn't? The film comes packed with two out of three Ant-Men. Hank Pym (masterfully played by Michael Douglas) & Scott Lang (Paul rudd) The third Ant-Man, Eric O'Grady was not a part of this film due to his kinky nature which may seem not suitable for an all ages film (that is why I'm officially declaring the forthcoming Deadpool movie, the greatest comic book film since Sin City)

Comic Book & Film reality.

So, what the live action movie teaches us is that, the great inventor Hank Pym is in the comic books, is already retired and occasionally visits his multimillion firm in the film. Nevertheless, we do get to see him don his Ant-Man suit in a flashback scene where we also see he didn't work alone as there was also a previous version of the Wasp. If you had to compare source material versus script writers ideas, the film does get a lot of stuff right in a respectful manner, only changing a few things to add consistency to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Scott Lang, our main man in the flick, has already served in prison and is ready to come back to the real world once more, only to find nobody would hire a former thief. To make matters worse, he won't be able to legally visit his daughter until he gets a proper job. In the comic book, Lang's daughter is suffering a lethal disease, and the only way to help her is by stealing the Ant-Man's suit in doctor Pym's house, while in the movie he wants to steal whatever valuables doctor Pym has in his house so that he can get some money to start his own business and eventually being allowed to visit his little daughter.

Ant-Man's lead cast.

What the fuck is this shit?

The last re arranged comic book element was the presence of the antagonist Darren Cross (Corey Stoll) which as in the original source, is the owner of Cross Technological Enterprises.  However, since Lang's daughter is not sick in the films, he's no longer holding captive Dr. Erica Sondheim (the one who saved Lang's daugther in the comic book) a character that is not part of the film. Nevertheless, Cross' rivalry with Hank Pym is clearly there, since he could never gets his hands on the super secret technology Dr. Pym developed for his Ant-Man suite, namely the sub atomic Pym particle. Unfortunately, Cross comes up with a similar shrinking technology and is ready to full scale manufacture his latest invention: The Yellow Jacket war suit. In the original source, Yellow Jacket is another invention of Dr. Pym, let's remember he's not only been known as Ant-Man, but also as Yellow Jacket, Giant-Man, Goliath and The Wasp.However,  Darren Cross has never worn the Yellow Jacket suite in the comic books. 

Explanations set aside, Ant-Man proves to be quite an entertaining film, but let's be clear, entertaining is not a synonym for good. Having seen so many comic book films show up in the last ten years the inevitable surfaces: Comic book films are cheap entertaining material that are nothing but derivative. Derivative means "unoriginal" my uneducated minds. Now, is it Ant-Man's exclusive fault? Absolutely not, if we're to blame someone for this, let's just look in the mirror. 

Bang my daughter later, now gimme a hand with Darren Cross.

Hope he doesn't have a subatomic sized dick.

The more we think we're original people, the more we realize we love repetition in any shape. Examples are out there almost everywhere! we have music that sounds the same, trends that look the same, movies that are about the same story and we even drink coffee that tastes the same despite the many coffee franchises out there.The whole pop culture is now a dime a dozen! 

To make matters worse, DC Comics & Marvel Comics, the two world leading comic book authorities, are aware of our taste for repetition. In fact, they've been ripping off characters from each other faces since the late 60's! And it doesn't stop in the rip-off business! let's not forget the many reboots their comic book universes are currently undergoing!

Ant-Man came just like today's review: way too late. Had this film being released by the time Iron Man 2 premiered, it could have been way better but nope, that didn't happen and it wouldn't have been possible anyways. Most of the people who like comic book films, and I've said this before many, many times, have no idea about the original source material, so they would have had no idea about who Ant-Man was unless they were comic book fans. 

Hit me, and I'll blow your balls dry.

Wow, peeping tom in showers takes a whole new meaning now.

Pointless Comic Book Fan Complaint.

Anyways, being a lifetime avid comic book reader there's only one thing I want: Multi million producers, please stop making any more comic book movies!!! We have enough already! We don't want people who has no real interest in our art form to come by and filled their pockets out of our fandom. Let's be honest! how many of you have read an Ant-Man story arc before this film was made? How many of you did know Ant-Man is an original founding member of the Avengers? I know, I know, grab a snickers! I'm not saying I want the comic book world to be exclusive to a few chosen ones, all I'm saying is that if you want to become a part of this wonderful, the first and only thing you need to do is reading a comic book!

Useless complaints set aside, Ant-Man does entertain. Nevertheless, it seems to be a film made without any effort. Every single cliche established in previous films, fit here way too easily, and despite a rather acceptable plot we still don't know why world famous biochemist Hank Pym would pick a low life thug to aid him on the capture of the Yellow Jacket suit just because. Pym utters way too many times about "second chances" but it is still unclear the connection he feels Lang has with his plans. 

Army Ants.

Up, Up and away!

The villain, well...uhm...Darren Cross is perhaps the number one cliche in the movie. A former brilliant assistant of Hank Pym's enterprise who couldn't get any further "because I saw too much of me in you" as Pym himself puts it. Hence, Cross quits, starts his own copycat enterprise and comes up with a copy of the Pym Particle just to have it sold to Hydra! Yes, he wants revenge over his former master, how original!

The love interest, well..uhm... Evangeline Lilly surely is a beatiful woman but her portrayal of Hope Van Dyne seems dull at all times and there is clearly no onscreen room for the developing of a love relationship between her and Scott Lang, and just when you thought nothing would happen between them, a kind of magic has them kissing behind Dr. Pym's back. Love works in strange ways, even in movies!

Enter: Yellow Jacket.

The after credit scenes, an element which I'm deeply against since it's the number one derivative idea Marvel keeps on teasing to "tie in" their universe, well, they're not that spectacular. the first misleading scene, suggests Pym's daughter will become the next Wasp while in the original source, we know this never ever happened. Instead, she became the Red Queen, leader of the villain team The Revengers, but who fucking cares about source material anymore (sic) The second scene has Falcon accomplishing the previously assigned mission Cap America himself ordered him to do: Find Bucky Barnes AKA The Winter Soldier. Does he succeed? sure! the problem is, they don't know what to do with Barnes, since he still is a Hydra criminal wanted for, well, stuff criminals do y'know. Therefore, Cap says "let's keep this a secret" and Falcon suggests they could use the aid of Ant-Man for their next endeavor.

Overall, Ant-Man delivers entertainment, a couple of fantastic fights but it still remains a forgettable superhero movie. hope I'm wrong. Time will tell.

Here's the movie trailer:

Mais ne nous délivrez pas du mal: Don't Deliver Us From Evil

These girls like to play tough.

"I renounce forever Jesus Christ and all his works, and dedicate myself for eternity to Satan. We beseech thee, Satan, our Lord and Master. Help us to be ever more wicked; help us to do evil; and at the hour of our death, take us to your Satanic bosom."—Anne and Lore

Banned in France and only sporadically available since, Don't Deliver Us From Evil has earned a reputation as a controversial piece of cult cinema. Novice writer-director Joël Séria's tale of two teenage girls who dabble in Satanism is rife with images of blasphemy and taboo sexuality. It's unlikely that you haven't seen these themes explored before (and probably more explicitly and offensively), unless your media consumption consists solely of The 700 Club and Left Behind. But what Don't Deliver Us From Evil has lost in shock value over the years, it more than makes up for in enduring quality. Loosely based on the Parker-Hulme murder (which also inspired Peter Jackson's Heavenly Creatures), it's an oddly affecting art-house gem.

Anne (Jeanne Goupil) and Lore (Catherine Wagener) are two girls attending school at a Catholic convent. They are extraordinarily close friends, often sneaking into each other's beds furtively at night to read controversial literature under the covers. When summer break finally comes, Anne's parents leave her alone, and she enjoys her freedom by spending most of her time with Lore. The two go on long bike rides, seduce older men, and perform a Satanic ceremony with stolen Catholic vestments. But what starts as a game—a way of rebelling against the stifling, corrupt system they're stuck in—soon takes a turn for the sinister.

Summer break with a taste for the evil.

Abusive kids, who doesn't hate them?

Censorship in society often says more about the society itself than the censored content. The racially insensitive cartoons put out by Warner Bros. and Disney during World War II are verboten these days, but the audiences of the 1940s would be horrified at the modern prime time fare we barely bat an eye at. Bill Maher was thrown off ABC for making an off-the-cuff remark seen as offensive after Sept. 11; these days he can call George Bush a traitor without rousing any controversy outside a handful of blog posts. Basically, being the victim of censorship is about bad timing more than anything, and that's exactly the case with Don't Deliver Us From Evil: 35 years ago in France, it was not wise to make a movie with anti-Catholic overtones.

In 2015, it's a different story. Criticism and satire of Catholicism—and religion is general—is not only widely accepted, but increasingly passé. Madonna would rather discuss her newfound interest in Jewish mysticism than her Catholic past, and when's the last time anyone's heard anything out of professional organized religion critic Marilyn Manson? Don't Deliver Us From Evil certainly uses the then-hot topic of Catholicism to grab attention, but it's mostly used as a backdrop to set up the story. The film is really about a relationship between two girls who bond over their need to rebel.

We surrender our souls to Satan...

...and lust.

When we first meet the pair, they're in bed at the convent where they're educated. Anne is hiding under the blankets writing in her diary and putting on lipstick; Lore sneaks in to show her a book of lesbian erotica (presumably owned by a less-than-pure nun) she stole from the convent's attic. It only takes a few moments for Anne and Lore's situation to become clear: They are close to the point of obsession, troublemakers at the convent (albeit clever ones who know just how much they can get away with), and Satan worshipers. They seem to be each other's only friends; there are no other students they talk to (or who even have speaking roles).
Despite that, they are, externally, very much normal teenage girls. Make no mistake: These are not a couple of morose Goths. They're bubbly and constantly giggling. Their relationships with their parents are cordial but distant. (At one point, Lore exclaims that their parents "don't love" them, hinting at a deeper, unspoken degree of alienation.) During the summer vacation, when most of the film is set, they ride on their bikes, frolic outdoors, and have sleepovers. Even their love of exploring their sexuality through playing Lolita is relatively typical for girls their age (although they take it to dangerous extremes).

Let's tease daddy's workers!

Bad idea, even for an evil hairy pussy.

Because they are so young and outwardly cheerful, Anne and Lore come across as more innocent than I expected. The Sapphic overtones in their relationship—never acted upon physically but always lingering—seem to be more a case of mutual platonic infatuation than true sexual attraction. Their cruelest pre-meditated act is killing the birds kept by Anne's feeble-minded gardener, and Anne eventually expresses regret over that. When they finally murder a man, it's out of self-defense after he tries to rape Lore, not part of some Satanic ritual. It isn't so much that they're sympathetic, though—they're far too guilty to be—as it is that their situation is relatable. Anyone who remembers the confusion of adolescence will understand these girls' behavior, at least somewhat.

The power of Don't Deliver Us From Evil primarily comes from writer-director Joël Séria. A small-time actor who turned to directing after an accident, Séria has a natural gift for filmmaking that overshadows his lack of experience and budget. (A film by an unproven director that dealt with subject matter likely to get it banned had difficulty finding funding, for obvious reasons.) Structurally, it most closely resembles—and appears to be consciously modeled after—a classic Shakespearean tragedy. It lends an air of familiarity to the plot progression; in a strange way, it's almost like a twisted, Bizarro World version of Romeo and Juliet. Séria's style behind the camera recalls some of more daring and experimental European directors, particularly Bunuel. He drapes the film in a surreal haze that's constantly shifting between a dream and a nightmare.

Mirror, mirror, who's the sluttiest of them all?

An idle mind is devil's workshop.

Séria also had luck in finding Jeanne Goupil, an art student with no previous acting experience, to play Anne. A raven-haired Gallic beauty, she has dark, sultry eyes and full, pouty lips. As the dominant half of the pair, she delivers a natural performance free of self-consciousness. Catherine Wagener, a young blonde actress with only a few roles under her belt, plays Lore with a combination of wide-eyed naiveté and mischievous glee. She is far quieter than Anne is and generally submissive to her, although, paradoxically, she's more aggressive in sexually teasing men.

Mondo Macrabro has a knack for digging up obscure movies and introducing them to wider audiences. What they don't excel at, however, is restoring these movies and giving them proper treatment on DVD. Don't Deliver Us From Evil is presented in its original widescreen aspect ratio, but its transfer is lacking in every other way. The print has some very noticeable damage, including prominent scratches. The audio track is only marginally better. There are three interviews included on the disc: Joël Séria discusses the difficulties of making the film and his interpretation of it; Jeanne Goupil talks about her experience as an inexperienced actress starring in a feature film; and writer Paul Buck delves into the film's anti-Christian themes. Séria's interview was my favorite; he offers insight into the production as well as a unique angle on the film (framing it as a story of Anne's dominance over Lore).

Friendship on fire.

I was expecting Don't Deliver Us From Evil to be a cheap, gory horror flick only good for some gross-outs and laughs. So it's a pleasant surprise that it's almost the complete opposite: a relatively subtle, artful drama. It is haunting and strangely beautiful—an ode to the poignancy of doomed youth. This disc's only flaw is its less than perfect transfer, but even that can't ruin the joy of this obscure hidden treasure being unearthed. Seek it out; you won't be disappointed.

Here's the movie trailer:

PS: I know we promised an "Aliens" review in the previous entry. We're working on it, and honestly we couldn't resist the cravings from posting this magnificent french film first. Also, we have "Ant-Man" & "Pixels" reviews on their way, plus a couple of surprises for the exploitation lovers. Until then, stay tuned!

Alien

"In space, no one can hear you scream"

Hello fellow connoisseurs, this week I found myself checking past posts in your humble blog and found out there were no reviews for one of the most groundbreaking Sci-Fi horror films of all time, and like many times before I thought to myself "I coulda swear, there was a mudafuckin' review about it somewhere" Unfortunately, there was no review until today's entry, that comes so late that it would make a turtle look like The Flash (I know, no one will laugh at such poor joke)

Anyways, here we are today 36 years late with the official SPAM Alternative review for the number one space horror movie of all time: Alien, the result of the work of two creative minds' perfect synergy. Behind the camera, English man Ridley Scott, and providing out of this world designs, Swedish talent Mr. Hans Rudolph "HR" Giger.  Science Fiction had long been explored and exhausted before 1977. Nevertheless, once Star Wars happened, the film industry found out there could actually be serious Sci-Fi films, and what could be more series than a grotesque acid breathing creature that looks like an armored dinosaur crossed with a dragon, an insect and that wears some kind of body armor?  Ridley Scott cited three films as the direct inspiration for Alien: Star Wars (1977) 2001, a Space Odyssey (1968) for their depiction outer space and The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974) for its treatment of horror.

The Nostromo Crew.

The derelict ship.

As the credits of "Alien" open, the slowly paced opening titles and soft, eerie score give some indication of what viewers will experience when watching this film. It starts off so unassumingly that first-time viewers are unlikely to be moved by the story or inspired by the slight character development in the film's first half. It is in fact this lack of certainty that makes "Alien" work so well, for as the film hits it second half it shifts dramatically from slow space road movie to an intergalactic haunted house fright show. This flip in drama, pace and tension makes for an unnerving ride into the unknown and results in one of the landmark sub-genre-sci-fi movies of the 20th century.

The film is directed by Ridley Scott, who had a total of one feature and numerous commercials under his belt when he took control of proceedings. Since the success of "Alien", Scott has had an uneven career with highlights like "Blade Runner", "Thelma and Louise", "Gladiator" and most recently  the Alien prequel "Prometheus" with a sequel currently in the works. "Alien" represents the overtly stylistic and slick approach Scott brings to his films, traits that are useful in science fiction but can sometimes seem out of place in more realistic genres.

Exploring the derelict ship.

Who farted?

Here Scott retires the glitz and glamour of "Star Wars", which had been released two years before "Alien". Instead he portrays the spacecraft and crew as nothing more than a cargo ship and a rag tag bunch of intergalactic truckers. This works very well, as the viewer gets the distinct sense of the tedium and oppressive vastness of space travel. The way the crew are so nonchalant about visiting another planet makes the audience feel that yes, perhaps one day man will view space travel with a shrug.

The opening scene shows us a huge spaceship, named the Nostromo, returning to earth with 20,000,000 tonnes of mineral ore on board. The crew sleep in hibernation, until the onboard computer awakens them. It seems the computer has picked up a possible distress signal on an alien planet. Under the law of the nameless and faceless 'Company', the crew are obliged to investigate.

The waking scene is superbly filmed. Kane (John Hurt) slowly rises, like a chick from and egg. Squinting and only partially awake, slow dissolves from one angle of Kane to another emphasise his delirium and partial consciousness. The final dissolve dissipates to the mess hall. Here we meet the entire crew of the Nostromo for the first time.

HR Giger.

Ripley, the toughest space heroine.

The ship is led by Dallas (Tom Skerrit), with Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) as the first officer. Ash (Ian Holm) is the odd, skittish science officer, Kane (John Hurt) is weathered but adventurous, Lambert (Veronica Cartwright) is the whiny and weak navigation officer, and Parker (Yaphet Kotto) and Brett (Harry Dean Stanton) are the engineering grunts. The ship is controlled by Mother, a mute version of HAL 9000 from 1968's "2001: A Space Odyssey". Like "2001", the reasons for having humans on board is unknown; they almost seem pointless as the ship can basically control itself. Are they simply pawns or guinea pigs awoken at the will of the computer?

They respond to the distress signal after landing on the desolate planet. The beacon is tracked to a derelict spaceship, which Kane, Lambert and Dallas enter. Curious and naive, Kane wonders into a cavern of eggs. Stumbling on the slippery surface, he slips and comes into contact with the living contents of the egg. With the parasite attached to his face, Dallas and Lambert rush Kane back to the ship.

On board Ripley, who is now in command, demands that Kane be kept in quarantine for 24 hours. Against her wishes, the odd Ash lets the three crew in. Upon removing Kane's helmet they find a claw shaped being attached to his face. It eventually falls off and dies and amazingly, Kane awakens, seemingly unscathed.

Run bitch, run!

No more chimichangas for you sir.

At this stage the film remains slow and ponderous. Intent on getting back to earth, they have one final meal before returning to hibernation. As they eat Kane convulses violently and a creature bursts through his chest. In utter disbelief the crew watch it skuttle away to the far reaches of the ship.

From this point the film takes off. Space and distance are enclosed as Scott uses a brilliant mix of close ups and wide angled shots to display the vastness of the Nostromo and the claustrophobia in the crew.

The alien and set design are outstanding. The massive sexual overtones of Swiss artist's H.R. Giger's alien and derelict ship are truly breathtaking, as is the futuristic-retro styling of Michael Seymour's sets. Grubby yet cool, the production quality of "Alien" is something to admire.

Let's play a game.

Scary space.

It took seven more years before a sequel was made and when James Cameron took over the directing chair he revolutionized the series by making it all out action over spooky sci-fi with "Aliens". It may be a better movie, but the original remains a quality stand alone film and a landmark in the sci-fi horror sub genre that has not been matched by any other saga. keep in touch for our forthcoming review: Aliens!

Here's the original trailer: