Animal Farm

The cartoon that backfired mankind.

Speaking of great films based upon even greater books, IT has officially become the number 1 horror film of all time, outdoing The Exorcist, and such news sort of inspired me to continue searching for great films based upon novels. Today's entry has it all: Propaganda, CIA budget, British animation and what I think may be the very first full length cartoon meant to be watched by adult audiences for political purposes. Anyway, this film we're talking about is none other than Animal Farm, a 1954 animated movie directed by Joey Batchelor & John Halas. The whole film production budget was, believe it or not, in charge of the CIA, since those were the days of the Cold War. 

The original Animal Farm was a 1945 anti Stalin allegorical novella written by George Orwell. According to Orwell himself, the book reflects events leading up to the Russian Revolution of 1917 and then on into the Stalinist era of the Soviet Union. Orwell, a democratic socialist, was a critic of Joseph Stalin and hostile to Moscow-directed Stalinism, an attitude that was critically shaped by his experiences during the Spanish Civil War. The Soviet Union, he believed, had become a brutal dictatorship, built upon a cult of personality and enforced by a reign of terror. In a letter to Yvonne Davet, Orwell described Animal Farm as a satirical tale against Stalin ("un conte satirique contre Staline"), and in his essay "Why I Write" (1946), wrote that Animal Farm was the first book in which he tried, with full consciousness of what he was doing, "to fuse political purpose and artistic purpose into one whole". The original title was Animal Farm: A Fairy Story; U.S. publishers dropped the subtitle when it was published in 1946, and only one of the translations during Orwell's lifetime kept it. Other titular variations include subtitles like "A Satire" and "A Contemporary Satire". Orwell suggested the title Union des républiques socialistes animales for the French translation, which abbreviates to URSA, the Latin word for "bear", a symbol of Russia. It also played on the French name of the Soviet Union, Union des républiques socialistes soviétiques.

Mr. Jones, the mean drunk farmer.

Come at me bro'!

Eric Arthur Blair, who wrote under the pseudonym George Orwell (1903-1950), was undoubtedly one of literature's most insightful social and political commentators, and his unique brand of satire is most evident in his two famous novels, "Nineteen Eighty-Four (1949)" and the above mentioned satire. In the guise of a deliberately-straightforward children's fable, Orwell wrote a sharp and knowing satire of totalitarianism, particularly Stalinism, and the final result is obviously unsuitable for children. Stylistically, animation was clearly the most suitable medium for a cinema retelling of the story, but how does one tackle such mature and complex issues using a technique that is generally dismissed as children's fare? Animal Farm has all the answers.

Manor Farm, despite the onset of spring, is struggling; it's drunken owner, Mr. Jones, has left the farm unproductive and its livestock ill-treated. One night, the venerable elderly pig Old Major calls a meeting in the barn, and he stresses the importance of revolution if they are to survive and prosper. Old Major dies shortly thereafter, but his ideals remain, and the farm animals band together to hound the drunken Mr. Jones from his farm once and for all. The most intelligent animals are, of course, the pigs, and a brave and idealistic pig named Snowball takes charge of the situation, decreeing that, in their new democratic society, all animals shall be considered equal. However, the dark and greedy Napoleon has secretly trained his own army of attack dogs, and he eventually unleashes them on Snowball, who is presumably mauled to death in the surrounding scrub. Napoleon steps forward as leader and dictator, and the other animals come to realize that their situation is now far worse than it had ever been.

Only through revolution can animals survive.

a Savior that deals in absolutes.

Animal Farm was the first widely-released feature-length animated film produced in the United Kingdom, and elements of Disney, like the humorous little duckling, are quite noticeable, while still maintaining the generally-dark tone of the material. As an adaptation of Orwell's original novel, the film is largely very loyal. Having first read "Animal Farm" some years ago, and having my wife read it last week, my recollection of narrative details is broad thanks to her fresh recent read, and so we decided to look for the 1954 animated film.  

The film, animation wise, looks fantastic. if you're a fan of non CGI cartoons like the classics conceived by Disney, Warner Bros., Hanna-Barbera, and many others, then this film animation style will undeniably make you remember them. Watching it without reading the book beforehand won't spoil the fan for you, and I'm sure it may surprise you even more that such an old animated film is actually propaganda paid by the CIA, and also a very accurate adaptation of a book that despite its age (72 years!), remains as relevant as ever in the current state of our disappointing society. 

Pigs are smarter.

Pigs rule?

Still today, 63 years after its theatrical debut, Animal Farm is one of the darkest animated films you could ever watch. The background music written by Matyas Seiber gives you chills every time something bad and/or awfully unfair is about to happen to the poor animals from Manor Farm. 

The film's running time is only 70 minute long, and I gotta say, the producers did a fantastic job comprising the original 112 pages the book has into such brief running time. In addition, the whole film is narrated by Gordon Heath (sometimes making you feel it's an audio book, instead of a movie) and all the voices are provided by Maurice Denham. Also, the animation department, knows their business well, and are capable of bringing to life the features that Orwell assigned to his animals in the original novel. For instance, Boxer the horse, looks like a complete stud, a strong animal capable of achieving tremendous hard work. While, his counterpart, Benjamin the donkey, looks innocent, weaker and determined to help his best friend. Napoleon looks like the disgusting piece of shit pig he is meant to be, and so does his cocksucker spokesman Squealer. 

Benjamin & Boxer.

What the fuck did I just read?!

Now, the replay value this film has is the fact the not even Orwell thought about his story becoming larger than life, as it doesn't necessarily represent a frozen moment from the past in human history. Neither the film, nor the book address the pigs or humans as "commies", "dictators", "right wing fuckers" or anything whatsoever. And there is where the magnificence of the original book and film lie: The never ending battle between the oppressed and the oppressors. The childish dream of a savior that will bring peace and democracy to everyone just because. The utopia of a leader, who's only interest is the welfare of his people.  The hope of a world of politicians with no agendas. 

Yeah, right!

Overall, a magnificent film that does the unthinkable: stay as loyal as possible to the original source material, and despite a couple of modifications, that were clearly made for purposes of keeping the viewer interested from start to finish (namely, those who read the book). Also, the far more hopeful finale, anticipates what happened in Europe with communism even decades before! Besides, this film is history in the making. An actual cold war propaganda cartoon!

Here's the movie trailer:

Terminator Genisys

Reset the future.

31 years ago the world witnessed the premier of a Sci-Fi film like no other: The Terminator!  a film so massively popular, that spawned a film franchise, a TV series, videogames, collectible merchandise (being sold until this very day) and an extended list of doppelgangers. Clearly, the talented eye of James Cameron had what it took to deliver a couple of fantastic man versus machine science fiction films.  Terminator Genisys attempts to make the franchise relevant for a whole new generation while paying homage to the old school fans of the franchise around the world. Since these films deal with time travel, and time travel it's still a science fiction thing, all the liberties this film took to explain why everything has been reset may or may not be everyone's cup of tea. Personally, it was my cup of tea, pour me some more please!

Laeta Kalogridis and Patrick Lussier ( T5 screen writers) have built an impressive scenario that balances paying homage to the first two Cameron films with the need for new creative possibilities beyond the original Terminator story arc. The film opens with a prologue, which tells of the death of three billion people on Judgement Day plus the origin and current state of resistance led by you know who. Then, one of the greatest Terminator mysteries is solved on screen: We finally get to know the time machine Terminators & humans used in the previous films to save mankind from ultimate doom. It is at that same moment that Kyle Reese (Jai Courtney) steps into the time machine to go back in time to protect Sarah Connor, mother of the leader of the resistance (as if we didn't know this already but, hey! this film also wants to captivate newer generations)

I am fucking back.

Miss me?

Terminator Genisys tagline, "The Rules Have Been Reset" make total sense in the first ten minutes of the film. While Kyle Reese is inside the time machine being transported to that legendary date of  May 12 1984. However, before Reese's walking nude in the past asking "What day is it? The date!" John Connor (Jason Clarke) is brutally attacked by an infiltrated Terminator. Helpless, Reese travels back in time with a mission and a deadline. Now, will this attack on Connor have any influence in the past? Well, we're about to find out!

Although  Kyle Reese arrives stark naked in the same dark and grungy alley of Cameron's first movie, the 1984 which he finds himself in is vastly different. Somewhere else (maybe the greatest retro feels you can get are on this scene) , the T-100 which Skynet had sent to kill Sarah Connor is greeted and terminated by a T-800, which is no less than Sarah's guardian. Nevertheless Sarah Connor is no longer hapless and confused (as she was in The Terminator)  instead she's a tough warrior who has been resisting the Terminators since her childhood days! In another turn of events, while Reese is escaping the police He's welcomed by a very special kind of police officer: a T-1000!! just like the one from T2 Judgment Day!!

The new Sarah Connor & Kyle Reese.

John Connor's original scars return.

To its credit, the film does reflect the inevitable bewilderment of its fans in Kyle's struggle to reconcile the past he knows with flashbacks that he gained from the time jump – and for those who are wondering what's the science behind it, Sarah's T-800 offers some reasoning for the changes in the time line mentioning a "nexus point" as the possible cause. That same logic is also used to justify the new date for Judgment Day (Originally August 29 1997 in Terminator 2 & July 25 2004 in Terminator 3), which is now scheduled to take place in 2017 via an omnipresent operating system known as Genisys. Just as the original tapped into the zeitgeist's fears of technology, this reboot retains the same paranoia but updates it for the smartphone era of interconnected devices.

As we are soon told, Genisys is no more than a cover for Skynet to unleash global annihilation with the help of none other than John Connor himself, who after sending Reese to the past was captured and transformed into the latest Terminator trend: An organic metal alloy body. Jason Clarke does an excellent job of making the character fearsome and formidable. His John Connor makes a perfect foil to Courtney's Kyle Reese, whose fresh-faced earnestness makes him an endearingly empathetic hero. Then we have Game Of Thrones starlet Emilia Clarke, whose portrayal of a hardened Sarah Connor lacks the original  combination of grit and vulnerability seen in the first two films of the franchise. Nevertheless, this does not mean Emilia Clarke doesn't deliver. Her Sarah Connor has grown up fighting robots under the tutelage of an old T-800 which she fondly calls "Pops". I really liked her tough girl who's always ready rendition of the character. Unfortunately, she wasn't nude during the film (Game of Thrones fans will know what I'm talking about)

Come with me if you wanna live!

shit, shit shit!

What about Arnie? the franchise's most iconic star Arnold Schwarzenegger gets a pleasantly surprising breath of 'Terminator' roles with the parallel timelines – not only as the T-100 and T-800 we've seen him as, but also a much more visibly aged T-800 and a spiffy new upgrade right at the end. Schwarzenegger is still having fun turning his character's utter humorlessness into deadpan comedy – and besides trying to add new catchphrases like "bite me" and "I'm old… not obsolete" into the lexicon, also has a field day trying to look friendlier by putting on a robotic smile.

Now the man behind the chair, Alan Taylor, does a fine job keeping all the moving pieces together. As he did with 'Thor: The Dark World', Taylor demonstrates a workmanlike proficiency in summer blockbuster-making, alternating between deafening action sequences and obligatory exposition while interspersing the proceedings with cheeky self-aware humor and moments of obligatory poignancy. Unlike the entirely dour 2009 sequel 'Terminator Salvation'(we won't review it, it's so bad it hurts), Taylor pretty much keeps to the tone of the first two James Cameron movies, so much so that his rendition feels familiar and fresh at the same time. Except for a massive vehicular smash-up on the Golden Gate Bridge that culminates in a school bus dangling over its edge, there are no standout sequences here, but Taylor maintains a brisk pace throughout so you'll never get bored.

Hi mom, I'm back from the future!

...with a few surprising upgrades.

At this point in the franchise, it is perhaps too tall an order for any filmmaker to reclaim the aura of Cameron's groundbreaking originals, but 'Terminator Genisys' comes the closest of the three sequels since to their spirit. Even if it isn't outstanding, it is a fine piece of popcorn entertainment that is as good an introduction as any to the franchise as much as it will be nostalgia for fans, provided they can accept that the timeline they knew will be no more. And at thirty- one years (or sixty-seven for Schwarzenegger), one could certainly say that the Terminator is old, but as this sequel cum reboot shows, age does not necessarily make one obsolete. 

Overall, Terminator Genisys offers a new possibility in a universe that has been already established, whether in the past films Judgment Day was inevitable, this new film goes for the "life is what you make it" tagline so we're clearly entering a new trilogy were Skynet has grown smarter and meaner. Luckily our heroes are up to the challenge...

Sarah Connor in a very different nude timeline.

Don't let Pops find this picture Sarah!

Here's the first trailer:
 

Here's the second trailer:

 

Golgo 13 The Professional

The ultimate hitman.

Following our latest obsession, we continue to revisit the golden era of the OVA. However, before we get into the magnificent piece we're to review briefly, I'd like to tell you about the origin of the Original Video Animation or オリジナル・ビデオ・アニメーション (Orijinaru bideo animēshon) in proper Japanese. The term is also known as OAV (Original Animation Video) and since the introduction of DVD the term was updated to  OAD (Original Animation DVD)

OVAs originated during the early 1980s. As the VCR became a widespread fixture in Japanese homes the Japanese anime industry grew to behemoth proportions. Demand for anime became massive, so much so that consumers would willingly go directly to video stores to buy new animation outright. While people in the United States use the phrase "direct-to-video" as a pejorative for works that could not make it onto television or movie screens, in Japan the demand was so great that direct-to-video became a necessity. Many popular and influential series such as Bubblegum Crisis (1987–1991) and Tenchi Muyo! (1992–2005) were released directly to video as OVAs.

The earliest known attempt to release an OVA involved Osamu Tezuka's The Green Cat (part of the Lion Books series) in 1983, although it cannot count as the first OVA: there is no evidence that the VHS tape became available immediately, and the series remained incomplete. Therefore the first official OVA release to be billed as such was 1983's Dallos (a review is coming soon, be patient) , directed by Mamoru Oshii and released by Bandai. Other famous early OVAs, premièring shortly thereafter, were Fight! Iczer One and the original Megazone 23. Other companies were quick to pick up on the idea, and the mid-to-late 1980s saw the market flooded with OVAs. During this time, most OVA series were new, stand-alone titles.

In the 1980s during Japan's economic bubble, production companies were more than willing to spontaneously decide to make a one- or two-part OVA. They paid money to anime studios who then haphazardly created an OVA to be released to rental shops. Judging from sales, should a longer series be deemed feasible, TV networks paid for most of the production costs of the entire series

 

Explanations set aside, it's time to move on to today's OVA classic, a personal favorite ranking among my top 5 OVA of all times:

Let the bullet do the talking.

Hey, I can see Uranus!

Golgo 13: The Professional, originally known as simply Golgo 13 (ゴルゴ13) in Japan, is a Japanese animated film adaptation of the Golgo 13 manga series released on May 28, 1983 by Tokyo Movie Shinsha. It is the first animated film to be based on the manga and the third film overall.
 

According to Helen McCarthy, Golgo 13 The Professional was based on various Western action films the writers had used for inspiration. Ironically, the film's own influence can be seen in later Western films. The OVA incorporated CGI animation, which was in its infancy at the time. This is most notable in the scene where army helicopters circle around Dawson Tower and attack Golgo as he climbs toward Dawson's office on the top floor. Later, this technology would  become a common addition to the genre until the mid-90s with the advent of Macross Plus and Ghost in the Shell. The film was released in home video for the first time in the USA in 1992, almost ten years after the original release.

You're the only who can do this Golgo 13.

Bloody murder.

GOLGO 13 is an archetypal animated crime drama. This is a relentlessly brutal film about one man's crusade to destroy the elusive figure who was solely responsible for the murder of his own kin. THE PROFESSIONAL: GOLGO 13 is also an emotionally disturbing film which demonstrates the pain and distress of having to cope with the loss of a love one. It serves as a chilling reminder of how human beings can easily succumb to the power of suffering. THE PROFESSIONAL: GOLGO 13 is a tautly made film dealing with the psychological mind, but most importantly of all, it is a thriller that leaves you on the edge-of-your-seat from the first frame to the finish.

Duke Togo (a.k.a. Golgo 13) is an assassin for hire. He does not care about his clients at all; he only cares about himself and his money. Devoid of emotion, Golgo's life is predominated by violence and sex. Golgo's latest mission is to terminate Mr. Robert Dawson, the son of a wealthy oil-business baron, Leonard Dawson. With just a single bullet, Golgo 13 has successfully accomplished this task. Meanwhile, Mr. Leonard Dawson, understandably aggravated with the death of his only son, has vowed to terminate this assassin once and for all. Leonard Dawson is usually use to `getting what he wants,' but this entrepreneur does not realize what a formidable foe Golgo 13 might be...

 

Specialists.

Brothers Silver & Gold.

Desperate, Leonard Dawson has hired a number of professional mercenaries and agencies to assist him in tracking and eliminating his loose cannon. Along the way, Dawson has employed a ruthless, cold-blooded killer named `Snake' to personally make sure that Golgo 13 suffer a violent and painful demise...

However, Golgo 13 always manages to be ahead of the game. Whenever danger strikes, this elusive hitman always succeeds in escaping with his life. He is quick, agile, and intuitive, but consequently, he is a man with little sentiment...

Golgo 13 is constantly on the run from the menacing villains of every color. Will Golgo 13 be able to save his own skin...or will he truly meet his match with a professional adversary?

 

Beauty follows crime.

Sometimes fucking your target takes a whole new meaning.

THE PROFESSIONAL: GOLGO 13 is certainly an adult-oriented tale. This is an extremely sickening film, with grotesque deaths being shown in explicit detail second by second. The color red tends to literally predominate the screen at times. Typical of the Japanese animation style is also the gratuitous use of frontal female nudity, especially since virtually every female in this movie removes her clothes at least once during the film's duration. Indeed, as shown by the abundance of sanguinary violence, soft-core sex scenes (Golgo's love-making scene with `Cindy' is particularly steamy.) and unclothed females, THE PROFESSIONAL: GOLGO 13 is animation made strictly for mature audiences.

It would be unfair to dismiss THE PROFESSIONAL: GOLGO 13 just because of its excessive violence and nudity. Unlike most films of this caliber, what is admiring about this movie is that though it is full of sex and violence, it does not let those two qualities overshadow the film's technical and also rather profound attributes. First, the technical accomplishments in this movie are plentiful. The camerawork and editing are stylishly done. They often shift from the use of freeze frames to slow motion sequences to split screen features. The animation too, is marvelous; the use of different colors and lighting effects are utilized to the first degree in order to symbolize a certain character's behavior such as pleasure or anger. As well, the computer generated action scenes near the end are themselves a masterfully created piece of work. THE PROFESSIONAL: GOLGO 13 contains some of the best artwork and details of a modern animated feature.

 

"It's my first time...with an Asian"

Crime doesn't pay?

THE PROFESSIONAL: GOLGO 13 is also a trenchant character study. This movie shows the mental anguish and vulnerability in the human soul, as demonstrated by the erratic behavior Leonard Dawson displays. THE PROFESSIONAL: GOLGO 13 spares no punches as it illustrates that human misery does not only affect the individual himself; it could also affect his loved ones just as sharply. This motion picture shows as well how an obsession with revenge will leave a person devastated even more deeply. It is a very sad movie indeed, but this movie dares you to actually show sorrow for many of the characters involved in the predicament...

What makes THE PROFESSIONAL: GOLGO 13 even more remarkable is the film's diversely outrageous cast of characters. They range from the sick and bizarre lunatic, `Snake,' to the deformed twins `Gold' and `Silver,' and then, to the sexy, lascivious lady, `Cindy.' The breakthrough character sketches in this movie (plus the state-of-the-art animation) make the viewer believe that instead of watching a lame cartoon, he/she is experiencing an actual feature presentation. THE PROFESSIONAL: GOLGO 13 is truly `number one...with a bullet.'

 

Let's get down to business, agent.

Overall, THE PROFESSIONAL: GOLGO 13 is a unique experience. Unlike most superficial, one-dimensional cartoon presentations, THE PROFESSIONAL: GOLGO 13 is a realistic (albeit still an animated feature) film that is rather plaintive, bleak, and depressing. At the same time though, THE PROFESSIONAL: GOLGO 13 will leave you breathless as the amazing action and gritty visuals will keep you addicted for more excitement. The animation especially, is notably conceived. THE PROFESSIONAL: GOLGO 13 is a destined cult hit in the making. Though this is an animated film, the spellbinding plot, assured direction, plus the three dimensional characters and strong themes help give this motion picture a potently authentic quality. There are more than enough plot twists to keep you enthralled even after the denouncement. Plus, a powerful subtext (amongst many) about how the letting of one's emotions cloud his/her thoughts can easily cripple one's life forever will keep the viewer suitably mesmerized. This is a film that will leave you contemplating about how delicate the human soul really is...

If you are looking for a near perfect thriller, then search no further.

Here's the OVA for your viewing pleasure:

The Changeling

How, When, Why?

Following our effort for portraying the most representative films of the Canuxploitation genre, we continue revisiting some of the great horror films that came out with a bitter taste despite all the maple syrup efforts put in the making of them. So far we've reviewed a few of the most iconic and I think we still have some more films left to share here with you. The goal is clear here, to allow these films to continue in existance. To help people find quality films that were not necessarily master pieces or Hollywood blockbusters, and finally to teach those who aren't connoisseurs that a good horror film has a lot more to do with storytelling than CGI.

 

The Changeling is a 1980 film, directed by Peter Medak and co-written by Russell Hunter, William Gray and Diana Maddox. It stars George C. Scott, Trish Van Devere, Melvyn Douglas, John Colicos and Jean Marsh. Plot finds Scott as John Russell, a music composer whose life is shattered when an accident kills both his wife and young daughter during a winter break near Whistler (a Vancouver skiing spot). Relocating to Seattle, Russell rents a large Gothic style mansion from which to bury himself in his work. But he soon discovers he is not alone in the house, there is a ghost here and it desperately wants his help with something he's obviously unaware.

I've got you this great house...

Loneliness be my shepherd.

Not a teenager or a scantily clad bad actress in sight here, for this is a traditional haunted house spooker for the adults, one that has a distressing mystery at its core that's just aching to be solved. Chief writer Russell Hunter has based much of the film on incidents that happened to him in real life when he moved into a house in Denver. If you believe him or not is not really the point, because it does not take away from just how well executed The Changeling is, both as a scary movie and a well thought out drama. There's limited characters in the narrative, thus keeping the film free from filler and the clumsy character set-ups that mar so many horror films these days. It's also worth noting that it doesn't suffer from dating either, as Nicole Kidman starred The Others proved 21 years later, a haunted house tale can be effective in any decade if the writing and direction is spot on. The Changeling has both, plus a towering and believable performance from Scott leading the way.

Medak clearly knows that an imposing house is a key element. Utilizing the big spaces to emphasize Russell's loneliness, he sweeps his camera around the sets (this is not a real house, it's a brilliant mock-up creation by the designers) to give the feeling of a spirit observing proceedings. The house is always a main character and acts as the perfect backdrop to some ghostly goings on (excellent work from the sound department too). The chills are genuine, the attic room is creepy personified, a rubber ball, a wheelchair, a bath sequence, an old water well and even the gentle tinkling from a music box, all induce the hairs on the back of the neck to stand to attention. And there's a séance! Oh yes indeed, a séance that's tape recorded, more chills down the spine on the way there as well. All played out to some lush unholy musical arrangements from Ken Wannberg (the music box theme composed by Howard Blake).

Who tossed me my daughter's ball?

Mmm, interesting melody, it sounds just like my latest composition.

At times during the movie you are wondering why a musician would get so interested in finding out about this odd presence that seems to control the house but, then you realize this man has recently lost his wife & daughter under tragic circumstances and that he may somehow be unconsciously thinking this ghost could be related to his late family. Nevertheless, the mystery goes on and it only gets weirder.

Setting it apart from conventional haunted house movies is that it has a most intriguing story to tell. One of murder, greed, deception and grief. The latter part is often forgotten when talk of The Changeling arises. John Russell is absolutely stricken with grief, this stops him from being one of those characters who you shake your head at because they refuse to leave a clearly troubled house. His grief process, which makes him the ideal host for what this spirit wants, means he has no fear, some unhappy ghost can't hurt him anymore than he is hurting anyway. It's a neat and seamless meditation on grief that's threaded into the story. The last quarter of the film slips into action territory, which is a little jarring given the smooth pacing Medak has favoured up to that point. But although the scares have gone, the intelligent story has come full circle and the film closes down triumphantly without copping out or having resorted to unimaginative formula.

There there.

Boy it's warm here.

The Changeling is a film which comes with my highest recommendation possible. This film can easy become one of those rare ones who really scares you. A few preparations need to made first, though. Watch this film late at night if possible. Don't turn on too many lights and make sure no other sounds then those coming from the movie can ruin the atmosphere. This really was one of the best stories I ever saw. It's a known film but not so much as the Amityville Horror, which was released around the same time. Well, in my humble opinion, The Changeling is much better. Much more intense to say the least. 

Director Peter Medak proved himself to be a great storyteller more than once already. I remember the Krays biography to be very good and Romeo is Bleeding too. The Changeling belongs to his earlier work but still is one of his best films. A respected musician, Russel, loses both his wife and daughter in a terrible road accident. Only 4 moths later, he accepts a new job at a university and he moves into a new and very large house. Right after Russel moves in, the house starts to act strange. Weird and disturbing noises wake him up in the morning and he discovers a secret attic, with a mysterious wheelchair and music box in it. Russel is intrigued by these objects and, seeing that the secret room belonged to a young child, he feels related because of what happened to his own daughter. He starts to dig deeper and more intense. To find out more about the whole case, he even holds a séance to get in contact with the mysterious child. This particular scene is really breathtaking, I assure you. Actually, the whole evolution of the horrifying house is breathtaking. It really gives you the creeps. George C. Scott gives away an excellent performance. When he loses his family at the beginning of the movie, you can really feel his pain. George was one of the greatest actors who ever lived and he was able to carry a complete movie all by himself, like he did here. If you like his acting as well, you should really check out the Changeling.  

Shiiiiiiiiiiiit!

The haunted house.

An essential viewing for those who like haunted house movies; especially if you like slow build and genuine mystery as well. 

Here's the trailer:

 

Daredevil, the Series

The man without fear returns.

Just when I was declaring we were going to take an extended vacation from posting about Comic Book adaptations, I was shot in the head (Bullseye!) with the oven fresh release (yesterday to be exact) of Daredevil, the Series.You know that a few weeks ago we were trying to cover the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe, and we almost did (there were some films we just didn't like and wouldn't want to waste time on reviewing crap) and then we were told that the forthcoming Daredevil series would be a part of such universe, so here we are again talking about comic book adaptations once more...

Those familiar with comics will know Frank Miller's run on Daredevil is up there with the highest points of his career. Other writers, such as Bendis and Brubaker, hit similar highs in their writing of the character. It's something about Daredevil that brings out incredible storytelling, whether it be the downtrodden and persevering Matt Murdock or the gritty realism of the setting in contrast to the colorful heroes that populate comic books, Daredevil has had a history of fantastic luck with having its potential tapped on paper.

Matt Murdock, the lawyer we wish we had in real life.

Justice is fucking served!

Although Daredevil has been portrayed twice on screen already (The Trial Of The Incredible Hulk & Daredevil) it is no secret that a comic book character has a better chance for a wider more accurate representation through a series of  episodes/films much like what really happens when you follow a character in a comic book. In the past we've seen serials dealing with the superhero tragedy in a way people could relate to the human side of the hero (the original The Incredible Hulk series being perhaps the best take on how human a hero can be and how mundane issues can actually affect them)

Now, that Daredevil potential has been finally tapped on the screen for good! From the first episode you can tell the property has been adapted with love and a lot of hard work. The cinematography is beautiful in every frame. The characters could not have been cast better. If this weren't actually a better deal for fans, getting 13 hours of (excellent) content, I would hope Charlie Cox could front a Daredevil movie franchise. Because he could carry it.

Matt's team.

Daredevil's protegee.

As a long term comic book nerd, and a huge fan of the Marvel cinematic universe and television properties - I wasn't sure what to make of the proposed Street Heroes development deal with Netflix, especially in light of the history with those characters in film (Affleck's disappointing Daredevil in particular). I was however pleasantly optimistic from the teaser releases.


Daredevil begins with the backstory: At nine years old, Matt Murdock was blinded by radioactive chemicals that heightened his other senses. Raised by his father, a gentle, patient, and small-time boxer, Matt learned what all superheroes must learn: how to take a beating, and how to get back up again. Fast-forward to the present, and Matt (Charlie Cox) is an attorney, along with his best friend/partner Foggy Nelson (Elden Henson) and their first-client-turned-secretary Karen Page (Deborah Ann Woll). But, of course, he leads a double life. At night, he’s a superhero — though he’s not yet referred to as “Daredevil,” nor does he have the red suit that appears in the series’ superb opening titles, though a running gag has other characters telling him to get a better costume than the flimsy all-black garb he runs around in. Matt tasks himself with cleaning up Hell’s Kitchen, which ties in to a season-long battle with the Big Bad supervillain Kingpin/Fisk (Vincent D’Onofrio, whose performance adds admirable — and incredibly creepy — depths to such an evil character).

Get ready for season two shitheads!

Justice is served.

I am breath taken with the end result. Vincent D'Onofrio is to my mind the standout star and an act of sheer casting genius as Kingpin. The menace and complexity in his voice even when he's not on screen, and the cold, calculating and distant aspect of his body language, and the delivery of his dialog, shows both the depth of his talent as an actor and the brilliance of his casting. As a long term fan of D'Onofrio - and a huge fan of the king pin in the comic book universe - I'm thrilled at the prospect of his continued involvement with the Marvel cinematic universe.

Many connoisseurs are thinking that we’re heading toward a saturation of superhero stories (and particularly superhero origin stories) in film and television. I couldn't agree more as I feel the Comic Book industry has turned his interest towards Film/TV adaptations only to cash in big. Nevertheless, in Daredevil we're offered a serious product that was definitely made with the long time comic book fans and cinematic fans alike. As a matter of fact the series pilot describes New York rebuilding after "the incident" which is a clear reference to what happened in Avengers, The Movie.

Kingpin's here losers!

The hero's suit. A combination of urban & ninja.

The sound editing for the series in general, from D'Onofrio's voice overs to the audible representations of the protagonist's enhanced senses is a triumph. It begs to be recognized and awarded. It is perhaps as integral to success of the series as the performance of any of the characters.

Also, Deborah Ann Woll who played Jessica Hamby in True Blood remains equally gifted as an actress, stunning as an aesthetic work of art, and for a moment, just a little bit more naked than she was in her prior works. Which after 71 episodes of true blood with a celebrity crush on her - has to be a acknowledged as part of the reason for my immediate fondness for the series. But as talented as she is, the show would stand as remarkable even without her.

The suit we already know it's gonna change in season 2.

In the interest of fairness, there are some rough moments in the dialogue. The visual effects have moments of awkwardness in the earlier episodes. There is a sense in a few corners of the production group finding its feet. But it does seem to level out (and up) as the story progresses.

Clearly, Marvel comics has been secretly watching The Flash's magnificent series, as Daredevil wastes no time on useless sub plots or Tier B characters. The series is straight forwarded, the action is the kind adults like (no pew pew or campiness here)  This isn't another boring Tierb type of series like Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D (honestly, made only to cash in off of the Avengers movie) is. Overall, not only for diehard Daredevil fans, but also for avid comic book fans, and pulp fiction like story fans, not for the faint of the heart though, and certainly not for children.

Here's the trailers: