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Wicker Man
Reviews
The Green Slime (1968)
Non-sequitur alert
Kitsch? Hokum? Budget? Cardboard, oh yes. So bad its bad or not? Dark Star, HA! Discernible FX, er...nil! Cheese, muzak. Slime scene stealer with 'electrifying' mutation. Sounded like, Sweep (as in Sooty and Sweep) on helium. WHEEEEEEEEE! Fun, fun, fun. Camper than a row of tents.
Dead of Night (1945)
Fine British Portmanteau
This anthology style film spawned a generation of Amicus-led imitations, but few can match it. If a 'portmanteau' style film can best be defined through its framing device, that is, the story which links all of the tales, then 'Dead of Night' is truly the greatest. Essentially the story of architect, Walter Craig, who eventually comes face to face with the house and people who have been haunting his dreams...or does he? I don't want to spoil the tense ending for those who have yet to see the film, needless to say there is the obligatory twist in the tail.
The strength of the stories is variable, with the strongest, in my opinion, being that of the 'haunted mirror' story, a theme which was echoed in the haunted mirror and door tales in Amicus' 'From Beyond the Grave.' However, the plaudits tend to be reserved for the final tale in 'Dead of Night' where, Michael Redgrave, is stunning as a ventriloquist sent spinning into madness by the actions of his charge, Hugo (three guesses at what Hugo is.)
The other three tales are passable, however special mention must be made of the terribly clipped ever-so English acting of the child characters in the 'Christmas Party' story, begins to grate after a while. The 'golfers' tale is a reprise of the roles played by Basil Radford and Naunton Wayne as the protagonists in 'The Lady Vanishes,' and serves as light relief, prior to the arrival of the demonic Hugo.
As a fan of the 'portmanteau' style of horror film, I would heartily recommend this film, as it truly is the grand-daddy of them all.
Jam (2000)
Is he laughing with us or at us?
The man Morris is in the words of one of his numerous Websites, a one-off man mental. He invites us into the further recesses of his mind, a place where many fear to tread. This is not comedy as we know it, and indeed makes for uncomfortable viewing at times. A major aspect of Morris' comedy is the reliance on children as props. This is not a problem per se, however, we are left to ponder the significance of a 6 year-old girl portrayed as a 'fixer' after the scene of a crime, and an equally young child having had the genitalia of a man grafted on to her for mere cosmetic purposes. The 'comedy' is rarely graphic, but alluded to.
I watched this series independently of my friend and fellow Morris devotee, Kris, and when swapping notes after the last episode, we both concluded that the most downright surreal, bizarre, yet unbelievably funny portion of the series was in the final episode whenever a hunt was being conducted in the woods for a hidden body. Whereupon an opera singer and a man, in what can only be described, as a studded thong with a mini saxophone proceeded to find the body and attempt to resurrect him using he mini saxophone, all along to the backing tune of 'Manamanah.' Twisted brain wrong indeed. This series was an adaptation of the original 'Blue Jam' radio series, which was aired on BBC Radio 1 in early 1999. I was unsure then, how it would translate to screen, but only a man of Morris' vision, could have pulled his off. I worry that every appearance on TV of any of Chris Morris' material will signal its last, due to his reclusive nature. I fear that the material which he foisted upon the world over the last decade, has been a product of the sum total of his life up until this point, and that comedy is exorcism for Morris. I hope that he is not yet spent, and can continue to cast these demons out, and vent his spleen on us all. Jam, hopefully is the start of something new, not the end of the old order.
Dawn of the Dead (1978)
Consumerism fest
Is it just me, or is this film a searing indictment of U.S. consumerism. The repeated mantra that, the 'zombies' are acting out roles from their previous lives, and that they flock to the mall because it was 'important to them' when alive. No coincidence, I reckon. A great film, a great blend of comedy and/or horror, depending on your expectations. Special mention must be made of the 'zombie' who carried the upturned rifle around the mall throughout the film, what a star!