FILM OF THE MONTH: M ☆☆☆☆
HCF Review - King of Death
DER TODESKING (1989)
It’s an odd phenomenon, but for various reasons just describing something like this as a series of events doesn’t really seem appropriate. Maybe it’s because that by simply giving a synopsis so many things are left missing from the experience. On the surface this is a series of seven vignettes, one for each day of the week. On each there’s an unconnected incident involving depression and suicide; with the framing device being a rotting corpse and a child drawing the titular character. Less a horror movie and more a meditation on death and those drawn to the end of their own lives, there’s less to be said about the content than there is about the overall mood and atmosphere.
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It’s an odd phenomenon, but for various reasons just describing something like this as a series of events doesn’t really seem appropriate. Maybe it’s because that by simply giving a synopsis so many things are left missing from the experience. On the surface this is a series of seven vignettes, one for each day of the week. On each there’s an unconnected incident involving depression and suicide; with the framing device being a rotting corpse and a child drawing the titular character. Less a horror movie and more a meditation on death and those drawn to the end of their own lives, there’s less to be said about the content than there is about the overall mood and atmosphere.
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Horror Bites - Claws Out
KURONEKO (1968)
While it's debatable whether Kaneto Shindo's 1964 masterpiece Onibaba is truly a horror film, this later effort has one foot (or claw) firmly planted in the realm of the supernatural. There similarities of course with the casting and the similar rural locations hiding characters during times of war, and many of the thematic elements are just as interesting, adding layers of (incredibly bitter) food for thought as things unfold. However it's the way the history based daytime of the storyline dissolves into the underworld of the night-time that lends this all a nightmarish quality. It's certainly a tragic tale but it's far more theatrical and ghostly.
While it's debatable whether Kaneto Shindo's 1964 masterpiece Onibaba is truly a horror film, this later effort has one foot (or claw) firmly planted in the realm of the supernatural. There similarities of course with the casting and the similar rural locations hiding characters during times of war, and many of the thematic elements are just as interesting, adding layers of (incredibly bitter) food for thought as things unfold. However it's the way the history based daytime of the storyline dissolves into the underworld of the night-time that lends this all a nightmarish quality. It's certainly a tragic tale but it's far more theatrical and ghostly.
Review Roundup - Electric Dreams
SHAZAM! (2019)
So here's where I talk about that whole comic-book movie fatigue thing again, you know the drill. Origin stories, underdogs, unlikely heroes, that whole problem. But in a shocking twist it looks like Warner Bros have finally gone and pulled off that whole awkward course correction they tried to force with Aquaman. After that bizarre and overblown Atlantean adventure almost-mostly kind of working, they've actually gone at beaten Disney at their own game with a story that out-Marvels Captain Marvel. You see Shazam was once called Captain Marvel and there were rights issues... it's like a whole thing. It's not important, what matters is the resulting film isn't dull and badly structured. Instead it's irreverent, heartfelt and weirdly satisfying.
So here's where I talk about that whole comic-book movie fatigue thing again, you know the drill. Origin stories, underdogs, unlikely heroes, that whole problem. But in a shocking twist it looks like Warner Bros have finally gone and pulled off that whole awkward course correction they tried to force with Aquaman. After that bizarre and overblown Atlantean adventure almost-mostly kind of working, they've actually gone at beaten Disney at their own game with a story that out-Marvels Captain Marvel. You see Shazam was once called Captain Marvel and there were rights issues... it's like a whole thing. It's not important, what matters is the resulting film isn't dull and badly structured. Instead it's irreverent, heartfelt and weirdly satisfying.
Review Roundup - The Man Who Laughs
JOKER (2019)
When this was announced my initial feelings were pretty cynical. After all there are certain things that really shouldn't be done, and an origin story for Batman's arch-nemesis is one of them. With Sony recently scrambling to put together a solo Venom story without Spider-Man, it seemed at the time as though they were racing with Warner Bros to see who could miss the point hardest. After all, these sorts of characters are usually dark reflections of their opponents and work best as foils. It also felt as though these studios were under the impression that dark and edgy meant profitable and they needed their own Logan or another Deadpool. Fortunately however in this case my concerns were not warranted, and the result is an engaging if predictable Elseworlds style tale.
When this was announced my initial feelings were pretty cynical. After all there are certain things that really shouldn't be done, and an origin story for Batman's arch-nemesis is one of them. With Sony recently scrambling to put together a solo Venom story without Spider-Man, it seemed at the time as though they were racing with Warner Bros to see who could miss the point hardest. After all, these sorts of characters are usually dark reflections of their opponents and work best as foils. It also felt as though these studios were under the impression that dark and edgy meant profitable and they needed their own Logan or another Deadpool. Fortunately however in this case my concerns were not warranted, and the result is an engaging if predictable Elseworlds style tale.
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