For It Is Man's Number: tv

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Sunday, 17 July 2022

Netflix And Chill: Resident Evil (2022)

I have liked almost every incarnation of Resident Evil. If something has been released with the Umbrella logo on it then I am always optimistic. And just writing that sentence has reminded me that I have somehow not yet got around to watching Resident Evil: Infinite Darkness, an animated show released last year. Regardless of my own tardiness, whether it is the games themselves, the film series starring Milla Jovovich in the lead role, the animated movies, Welcome To Raccoon City, or some episodic TV, I am always happy to consume the wide variety of branded media made available. The animated movies, despite how well they can recreate the game characters and drop them into a variety of scenarios, have arguably been my least favourite RE releases, but even they have moments and details to enjoy.

Take a general peek at reactions from fans, however, and you'd be forgiven for thinking that every attempt to make a live-action Resident Evil film or show has been a planned assault on the delicate sensibilities on every zombie-blasting videogamer. Nobody is happy, often because they think that any live-action story set in the world of Resident Evil tends to diverge too far away from what they love about the games.

The same thing has happened here, judging by the overwhelmingly negative reaction I have seen to this show. And a lot of people quantify their views by ensuring that you know they have been playing the Resident Evil games for over two decades. I've also been playing the Resident Evil games for over two decades . . . and I liked this latest instalment in the ever-expanding franchise.

The main storyline is split between two time periods. There's the current year (yes, 2022), in which two sisters, Billie (Siena Agudong) and Jade (Tamara Smart) struggle to acclimatise to their new life in New Raccoon City. They're helped by the fact that their father is Albert Wesker (Lance Reddick), an indispensable part of the Umbrella Corporation, meaning he usually has the clout to make any big problem disappear. He cannot magically fix two daughters who have spent too long left to their own devices though, which bites him on the ass when the siblings decide to break into an Umbrella facility after realising that they use animals in some of their test procedures. The other year depicted onscreen is 2036. The world has gone a bit dangerous, to put it mildly, and the adult Jade (Ella Balinska) is trying to avoid being eaten by zombies, known as "Zeroes", while also evading capture by Umbrella.

Look, I'm not going to sit here and try to tell people that this is the best thing to ever have the Resident Evil name attached to it. I can understand why parts of it could annoy people who wanted much more zombie action. Many scenes play out like a standard teen drama when we're being show the sisters experiencing the calm before the storm in 2022, the cast aren't all at the top of the talent tree (special mention to Turlough Convery for almost being so awful that I considered giving up on the whole thing), and the zombies are much livelier than their videogame counterparts.

BUT, and it IS a big but, you get Lance Reddick killing it in the role of Wesker, you get a memorably vicious dog, the zombie action is pretty well-presented, there's a massive killer with a chainsaw at one point, and it has at least three genuinely brilliant moments dotted throughout the entire series. There's a good variety of diversity behind and in front of the camera, I'm not going to namecheck every director and writer though (sorry), and the structure of the storyline allows the creators to deliver something that isn't a complete rehash of the games, but also allows them to tuck in some appreciated callback. Oh, and there are some great soundtrack choices made.

Other highlights include Paola Núńez in the role of Evelyn Marcus, someone who appears to be one of the highest bosses in the Umbrella Corporation, and a couple of impressively-rendered gigantic beasties that serve as a reminder that the viruses created by Umbrella don't really care what species you are, they will mess with anything.

I would happily watch this again, if I had the time in my busy viewing schedule. I will happily watch a second season (I hope there IS going to be a second season). And I will happily keep being bemused by the overly negative reaction from fans of the brand. It's definitely not perfect, and I have already mentioned that I can see why viewers are more annoyed by some parts of the storyline, but it's another very enjoyable addition to the Umbrella family.

7/10

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Saturday, 21 November 2020

Shudder Saturday: Creepshow Animated Special (2020)

Here we are, a special episode of the much-anticipated anthology series springboarding from the classic movie, and I felt it should be discussed here. It's not a movie, I know, but it's not the first time I have discussed something here that is not a movie. And it won't be the last time either.

A lot of people were delighted with the news that this series was coming. Many people are still delighted that it has happened, with some commenting that the feel of the show is just what they wanted, and the stories and framing make everything seem nicely in line with that Creepshow vibe.

I have to respectfully disagree.

Much like the tale of the monkey's paw that features in one episode in the first series, Creepshow is a classic example of being careful what you wish for. We already had the classic first movie. A lot of people really like the second movie. But there was a third movie, which was pretty bad. Now we have this, arguably the weakest of all of the products that have the Creepshow name attached.

I don't know why I held out hope that this animated special would be better, but I did. Maybe I was carried along on the wave of positivity that seems to keep coming from the horror community. But let's be clear, I cannot help thinking that the positivity, the love, for this series is coming from people who are still hoping it becomes better than it has been so far. As easy to please as I am, the hit rate for the show has been just below 50%, at a conservative estimate. The better stories have been good, the worse stories have been godawful.

A lot of the success depends on the source material, so I was pleased to see that the first tale this time around was "Survivor Type", a dark and twisted Stephen King story about a man who ends up on a desert island, and aims to stay alive for as long as possible, no matter what. I've long been a fan of this story (which I first read in "Skeleton Crew" and, considering the nastiness of it, using animation to tell it seemed like a perfect choice. Kiefer Sutherland voices the main character, the animation style is okay, and it wasn't that bad. If the second tale was a good one then I could see myself enjoying this special.

The second tale, "Twittering From The Circus Of The Dead" was not a good one. I'd actually say it sit easily alongside the worse of the tales featured in season one. A young girl (voiced by Joey King) and her family end up going into a roadside circus attraction, which features zombies and people in peril. The people in peril act as if they're genuinely afraid. I am sure you can guess why. Based on a short story by Joe Hill, I can only assume this was picked as a way to give the special that father-son writer connection, all this did was make me wish they had gone with some other, ANY other, Joe Hill story. Given the form, this would have been an ideal opportunity to introduce people to the quirky world of Pop Art (okay, not as grounded in horror, maybe, but a much more interesting choice).

I'll watch a second season of the show, but it's become increasingly obvious with each episode, and particularly with this special, that the people crafting Creepshow (and it's Greg Nicotero who has his name writ large over most of it) have forgotten how to capture that spark of magic that makes the original film such an enduring classic, and even makes the second film a fun time for horror fans. I hope they bring some people on board soon who can help them remember how to find it.

4/10

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Tuesday, 25 December 2018

Yule Love It: Blackadder's Christmas Carol (1988)

A twist on the classic Dickensian tale that features a fine British comedy creation, Blackadder's Christmas Carol is a wonderful standalone tale that features plenty of seasonal trimmings alongside the expected insults and wordplay.

I would say that even those new to the character could easily watch this and enjoy it, but it's more accurate to say that you should go into this at least knowing that Blackadder is a sneaky, self-centred, manipulator who often finds his plans undone by either his gormless assistant, Baldrick, or the actions of others around him who somehow always manage to get the upper hand. Once you know that much then you're all set.

Contrary to every other portrayal of the character, and why it is so important to know him before watching this special, things start with us being introduced to an uncharacteristically kind and pleasant Blackadder (Rowan Atkinson in what is, in my view anyway, his finest role). He intends to spend Christmas with his assistant (yes, Baldrick is still as dim-witted as ever, and played by Tony Robinson, as ever). When a spirit (Robbie Coltrane) accidentally enters his home, Blackadder asks to see visions of his past and future, leading to a revelation that turns the classic morality of the tale on its head.

Director Richard Boden had some experience of directing TV shows before this, and would go on to direct Blackadder Goes Forth, as well as many other shows afterward. He does fine here, although this is a fairly thankless task when the focus is always on the script and performances, and obviously proved himself good enough to oversee what would be the final season.

Written by Richard Curtis and Ben Elton, Blackadder easily sits higher up in the echelons of British comedy. Many people point to the final episode of Blackadder Goes Forth as one of the greatest moments in any sitcom, and rightly so, as it moved from the comedy to a poignant statement on the horror of war, and every season had many highlights (even the first season that had the main character not yet turned into the wonderful monstrosity he would become). This special episode was aired in between the third and the fourth season, which means it could easily have been a filler without as much care being given to it. Instead, Curtis and Elton clearly revel in the opportunity to rework the beloved Christmas classic, finding their way into the narrative by twisting everything to great comedic effect and then lacing each scene with the usual selection of hilarious dialogue.

Atkinson has never been better than when acting in this role (and, yes, I know that's saying something when you think of his brilliant comedic turns), Robinson is a perfect foil to him, and the supporting cast, from Coltrane to Hugh Laurie, Vanessa Richardson to Stephen Fry, and Jim Broadbent and Miriam Margolyes, are all perfect. Many of them are reprising roles they played over the previous seasons of the show, relaxing back into them like a comfortable piece of favourite clothing.

If you have time during the holiday season, please do watch every episode ever of Blackadder. But if you can only watch one then give this a watch. It's a classic. Well, it's at least some kind of classic.

9/10

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Friday, 5 December 2014

20 Great Christmas Gifts

Wednesday, 14 May 2014

Ani-MAY-tion Month: The Simpsons Movie (2007)

I have been a fan of The Simpsons for years. In fact, the show has had a large fanbase since it peaked in the mid-nineties and made its way into the public consciousness and made such a huge impact on recent pop culture. When the movie was finally released I, and many others, felt that it was coming along too late. The show had started to dip in quality, a dip that would last a number of years (and some might say it has never recovered), and it wasn't quite the non-stop source of hilarity it used to be. I was disappointed when I came out of the cinema in 2007, having just seen the movie. Now, watching the movie again, I have no idea why.

There are two things worth remembering, I think. One, The Simpsons remains one of the best shows on TV ever, even when it's not hitting the heights it once reached. Two, The Simpsons Movie is just about the best TV to film transition that any fan of the show could have hoped for. Everything is kept the same, but it's all given a bit of scope and polish to make it worthy of a feature film.

I'm not going to tell you about the characters. Anyone who doesn't know the Simpson family probably doesn't read this blog. But the plot is all about pollution bringing about some major trouble in Springfield. There's a dome placed over the entire area, and the residents are left to their own devices as resources run low and tempers start to run high. Homer is the man who caused this situation, in his usual carefree manner, but he might just be the man who can fix it all.

Everyone involved in the TV show gets to shine in the movie version, which is as it should be. Nobody would want a movie that didn't have Dan Castellaneta, Julie Kavner, Yeardley Smith, Nancy Cartwright, Harry Shearer and Hank Azaria involved. And there are some great vocal cameos from Green Day, Tom Hanks and others, with a fantastic role for Albert Brooks (as Russ Cargill, the man with a plan to "clean up" Springfield).

Director David Silverman does a fantastic job of keeping everything both cinema-worthy and in line with the show, while the wealth of writers who contributed to the script have all helped to craft something worthwhile. Normally seeing so many writers listed would be cause for alarm, but The Simpsons has always used a huge team of writers, so it's no surprise to see so many of them working on the movie.

There are things that fans will wish had been changed, and one of the most common complaints is how some of the major supporting characters are sidelined, but I can't really envision a better outcome than this. The storyline is decent, the gags are great, the characters are unchanged, no punches seem to be pulled, and there's a ridiculous sequence in which Bart skateboards through the town absolutely naked that is as smart as it is cheeky and hilarious. And those last eight words sum up why I'll never stop loving The Simpsons.

9/10

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Monday, 3 December 2012

Christmas At Pee Wee's Playhouse (1988)

I, like many other non-Americans, have never watched Pee Wee's Playhouse. In fact, if it wasn't for Tim Burton making a movie based around the manchild played by Paul Reubens I am pretty sure that I wouldn't have a clue who Pee Wee ever was. But Burton made his movie and I found out about the character. That didn't make me immediately want to seek out the children's TV show that he used to front but over the years I kept hearing more and more about Pee Wee's Playhouse and I must admit that I became slightly intrugued. Then someone told me about this Christmas special and I knew that I had to see it.

It's so crazy and surreal that I'm not sure if I can do it justice but I'll try. I think the best thing is to describe the very basic format of the show, for the benefit of people like myself who had never before seen it. Pee Wee goes about his playhouse being very childish and playful and interacting with a number of people who stop by to see him. He also interacts with a Magic Screen, a talking bit of floor, the contents of his fridge and many other living things that shouldn't be living. If you're a UK resident of my generation then let me put it this way - try to imagine Rik from The Young Ones fronting a show for kids while wandering about the house that the gang used to share.

As it's Christmas there is a magical feeling in the air and the opportunity to get lots and lots of gifts. There are also even more visitors than usual as everyone tries to get involved with the Christmas cheer. Grace Jones is accidentally delivered to the Playhouse when she should have gone to The White House and she gets to sing and dance before having to leave, Oprah Winfrey and Whoopi Goldberg pop onscreen to quickly say hello, Little Richard can't seem to manage walking on snow and ice, Magic Johnson joins the fun, K. D. Lang sings Jingle Bell Rock, Cher makes a brief appearance and Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello are forced to make lots and lots of Christmas cards at Pee Wee's behest.

Go back and read that paragraph again and remember that I still haven't covered everything in the show.

Reuben co-directed with Wayne Orr and co-wrote with John Paragon and he certainly gave the viewing public good reason to always remember Pee Wee. Everything about the show is slightly loony but in a good way, a way that kids will love and adults will also be able to enjoy. You might think that it's not worth considering as a seasonal viewing but, trust me, it's like eating a whole fruit loaf made of edible cracker jokes while washing it all down with mulled wine. That may not sound like a good thing but I think it is. The end result is a warm, fuzzy glow and a smile and a feeling that you've been slipped some candy-coated LSD.

8/10

You can pick this up on Region 1 DVD here - http://www.amazon.com/Pee-Wees-Playhouse-Christmas-Special/dp/B0002IQASG/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1353882197&sr=8-4&keywords=pee+wee%27s+playhouse

But the uninitiated may first want to check it out on YouTube, where someone has kindly placed the whole thing (see it here).

Thursday, 20 September 2012

Some top notch TV.

My stock answer to people who ask me what my favourite TV shows are tends to be "I don't watch TV."
That's actually not true. I watch a fair bit of TV, I just happen to watch the shows when I get the boxsets so that I know I will actually see every episode. I have no time or inclination to watch soap operas, I'm not a big sports nut and if anyone tries to get me to talk about some talented member of the public with the X Factor who can cook while dancing on ice then I have been known to threaten them with bodily harm.
But I DO watch a fair bit of TV and this little blog entry is my time and space to recommend my favourite shows to others. I have started writing individual episode reviews alongside my movie reviews here on IMDb for anyone interested.

There are a lot of shows that I won't name here despite my love for them. Shows that I've either still not seen enough episodes of or that are still ongoing and remain at the centre of arguments between fans who think that the quality dipped some time ago (yes, that's why I'm not recommending The Simpsons here although I absolutely love it and haven't noticed any dip in quality from the few newer episodes that I've seen). I also don't want to look like a Steve Coogan obsessive - just check out pretty much everything that he's ever done (a lot of it is in this great value set). And the superb Dead Set feels more like a movie even though it IS a TV special.

Hilarious moments from Family Guy all blur into one but I only ever seem to catch moments as opposed to entire episodes, Robot Chicken is brilliant from the little I have seen of it and American Dad is something that comes highly recommended by people who know what I like.

Then we have the latest batch of enjoyable TV shows that have proven to be highly entertaining but have yet to show how they hold up further down the line. I've really enjoyed Grimm but it took a while to get going and I'll be very interested to see how the second season goes.

Anyway, enough of the foreplay. Here are 10 brilliant TV shows that remind you of just how good TV can be, complete with links to boxsets/DVDs/Blu-rays on the off chance that I remind someone about a TV show they keep forgetting to add to their collection.

10) Ultraviolet - Far too few people know of this one and that's a real shame. It came along when UK TV was nothing but police dramas, hospital shows and soap operas and then disappeared all too quickly after one season.

9) American Horror Story - I may be just blinkered here but I can't think of a major TV show from recent years as twisted as this one. Brilliant from start to finish and each season is a standalone storyline.

8) Prison Break - Okay, so each season stretched credibility even further and this was yet another show affected by the writer's strike that hit so many TV shows (Heroes being another show that I enjoyed that was scuppered by that damn strike - it was almost listed here)

7) Lost - Love it or hate it, this was one of the biggest televisual EVENTS of the 21st century. Personally, I found it almost as irritating as it was entertaining but that never stopped me from wanting to find out the answers to some of the mysteries while more and more mysteries were piled on.

6) The X-Files - It's not a show that everyone loves but if you DO love it, as I did, then you want to see every single episode. The mix of standalone stories and the overarching grand conspiracy made for superior TV entertainment. It's most probably the best thing ever to be inspired by Kolchak: The Night Stalker.

5) The Walking Dead - Lots of people will tell you that it was all downhill in the second season of The Walking Dead and that they didn't want just a soap opera with the odd zombie wandering around. I disagree with all of those people. Considering the limitations of television, this is about as great as it could be. Admittedly, the second season saw some flaws coming to the fore (especially in the first half of the season) but it remained a show I would never want to miss an episode of.

4) Tales From The Crypt - Even many of the lesser episodes had some great star cameos and a sense of fun. This show is probably the last horror project to really capture the spirit of the E.C. comics.

3) The Sopranos - It took me a while to get to this but when I finally did I was able to see straight away why so many others love it. Classic.

2) 24 - The power of Bauer. 'nuff said.

1) The Twilight Zone - Timeless, imaginative, brilliant. Treat yourself to the gorgeous season one Blu-ray set and see what you think. If you're not a fan then . . . . . we may never be able to talk to one another. And if you love The Twilight Zone you may also want to check out The Outer Limits.

Honourable mentions to the classics (both older and modern) such as Fawlty Towers, Blackadder, Father Ted, Red Dwarf, The Young Ones, Only Fools & Horses, Porridge, Seinfeld, The Office and The Thick Of It. And, of course, the creations of Joss Whedon. I STILL haven't seen Angel yet but I was a big fan of Buffy The Vampire Slayer and everyone and their brother loves Firefly apart from anyone who could have contributed to the viewing figures when it was being shown the first time around.

And that's it. I apologise for the excess of titles but the article quickly mutated into an excuse for me to list many of my favourite shows. And I almost forgot to mention the superb Garth Marenghi's DARKPLACE.

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Saturday, 9 June 2012

Lost In Space (1998)

When I was a young lad I became a big fan of Lost In Space, a TV show that was given a Sunday morning/afternoon timeslot on British TV and made for perfect viewing on a lazy day. The show may have been from a previous generation but when it was repeated in the 1980s it was just as entertaining and enjoyable (I always did prefer it to the other show that usurped its timeslot, Land Of The Giants). So when I heard that they were making a movie version of the show in the late 1990s, with a cast including Gary Oldman, William Hurt and Heather Graham, I was pretty damn excited.

I'm not sure if the movie was considered a flop when it was released in cinemas but it certainly didn't live up to expectations, in both a financial sense and in the treatment of the material that the fans wanted to see. I didn't get to see the movie in the cinema but I bought it on video and enjoyed it for what it was. In fact, I spent years defending the movie against those who claimed it was complete rubbish. Sadly, after a gap of many years, I have now revisited the film and found that I was wrong for many years. It IS rubbish. It's dull, it's cheesy and it takes a great TV show and makes it into nothing more than a visual FX showcase with numerous videogame moments taking up time that could have been given over to the few really interesting aspects of the plot.

The plot is summed up by the title and is, essentially, the same as it was in the TV show. The Robinson family (William Hurt as the father, Mimi Rogers as the mother, Lacey Chabert and Heather Graham as the daughters and Jack Johnson as young Will) head off into space and get a bit lost. They also have a stowaway on board in the shape of the devious and cowardly Dr. Zachary Smith (Gary Oldman), a large robot that could be a major asset or a major threat and a brave pilot (Matt LeBlanc) who isn't at all happy about being given what he sees as a babysitting gig. There are some decent special effects throughout, some dangerous space spiders and a third act that has the potential to be exciting and interesting before throwing away all potential in a mess of dull cliches that we've seen a hundred times before.

But when the end credits roll we get this fantastic tune from Apollo Four Forty. Which turns out to be one of the few highlights of the movie.

It's frustratingly easy to see the many small ways in which Lost In Space flounders and becomes a big mess. William Hurt does very well, as usual, and Gary Oldman is a delight whenever he's onscreen (playing the best character of the lot, so wonderfully played by Jonathan Harris in the TV show) but most of the other cast members are ill-served by the script. Heather Graham shines as she usually does, though even she is stuck with a number of super-lame moments, and Jared Harris does quite well with his small amount of screentime but Lacey Chabert is just annoying 95% of the time, Mimi Rogers is pretty much just there for the sake of being there and young Jack Johnson tries his best but is stuck with playing Will Robinson, who always struck me as a bit too much of a smartass to be a likeable kid. The least said about Matt LeBlanc the better, sadly, as he gets all of the worst lines and delivers them with no conviction or gusto.

Director Stephen Hopkins tries to distract you with pretty visuals but it's not enough when none of the action sequences excite, the chemistry between the characters fails to fizz and the whole thing starts to feel more and more pointless as it goes on. Akiva Goldsman, given the scripting duties, can get a lot of the blame but he's not left on his own. So many wrong decisions are made here - from the choice of plot to go with to the casting to the lack of intelligence or wit or style - that it's only fair to blame everyone equally. Apart from maybe Hurt and Goldman.

There are a few moments that entertain, and it's nice to see cameos from some of the original cast members and to hear that familiar robotic voice exclaiming "danger, Will Robinson", but there's just no way that this film does enough to warrant even an average rating in the grand scheme of things.

4/10

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Lost-Space-Blu-ray-Region-Free/dp/B003IHVKRE

Friday, 18 May 2012

Shark Swarm (2008)

Two things surprised me as I watched Shark Swarm the other evening. The first was how long the damn thing was, it clocked in at just over two hours. The second was how good it was. Okay, maybe saying it was good is being a bit generous but it certainly wasn't the low grade schlock I was expecting. No sir-ee. This was more of an enjoyable soap opera style drama with occasional moments of, fairly well executed, shark action. Typical TV movie fare but certainly a step up from the many little films shown in recent years that have thrown a bunch of bad actors together with even worse CGI and given it a catchy name to entice people dumb enough to become intrigued (yes, people like me).

The folk onscreen here may not be at the top of their game but they aren't terrible actors and actresses. John Schneider, Daryl Hannah, Armand Assante, F. Murray Abraham (really? have the mighty fallen so far?) and even the likes of Mimi Michaels and Roark Critchlow do just fine with the melodrama.

The plot is a standard one for this type of film - a big businessman (Assante) is doing his best to buy up a small town and to help him on his way he messes up the local economy by affecting the fishing trade by polluting the surrounding waters. This makes a bunch of sharks act strangely and all different types start swarming together and munching on poor swimmers. One good man (Schneider) isn't won over by the businessman and he also notices the trouble in the water. With his wife (Hannah) and daughter (Michaels) by his side, he tries to right the wrongs that have been done. However, he doesn't realise the full situation until his professor brother (Critchlow) and professor colleague (Abraham) see the big picture.

Written by Matthew Chernov and David Rosiak, there's nothing here to get too excited over but it's perfectly acceptable stuff that can't avoid feeling like "Jaws-lite" in one or two moments. Things could easily have been condensed, or even removed altogether, to get the film down to a zippy ninety minute runtime but it was created as a longer schedule filler and that's how it has to be viewed.

The direction by James A. Contner is just fine. Of course, there's nothing majorly cinematic on display and no major flourishes or camera moves but the big draw, the shark footage, is reasonably well done and the film trots along nicely in between the moments of tension.

As well as the cast members already mentioned, we have John Enos III, Heather McComb, Alan Fudge, Gene Davis, Brent King, Jacleen Heber, Elisa Donovan, Darcy Rose Byrnes, Tiffany Hines and plenty of others giving acceptable performances in an acceptable time-waster of a TV movie.

5/10

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Shark-Swarm-DVD-Daryl-Hannah/dp/B001TJKVD2/ref=sr_1_1?s=dvd&ie=UTF8&qid=1337341136&sr=1-1

Monday, 31 October 2011

Nightmare At The End Of The Hall (2008)

A TV horror movie that mostly feels just like a TV horror movie, Nightmare At The End Of The Hall manages to stay just above average with a decent, unfolding storyline that feels nice and supernatural while also never quite falling over the line into the far too unbelievable.

Courtney (Sara Rue, perhaps best known to many people for her role in the sitcom, Less Than Perfect) is a successful writer. Well, she's had one bestseller that was based on experiences from her schooldays but has been a bit stuck ever since then. That's how she ends up accepting a teaching position at her old school. But it's not long until she's unnerved by a young student, Laurel (Jacqueline MacInnes Wood), who looks exactly like her old friend, Jane. Jane commited suicide while at the school and this has cast a shadow over the lives of those who knew her for a very long time. Is her spirit using Laurel to taunt Courtney or to put over a message of some importance?

I can't really think of all that much to say about this film because there's nothing really onscreen that deserves being praised to the skies. However, everything is put together nicely enough and there are a couple of decent chills amongst the standard confusion and thrills you'd expect from a spooky mystery of this type.

Sara Rue is very good in her role and Jacqueline MacInnes Wood is excellent but both women are also ably supported by a cast that includes Duncan Regehr, Kavan Smith and Philip Granger (billed a bit further down but his character makes a great impression).

Nora Zuckerman's script adds the expected melodrama and keeps things light, the tone and content matched by George Mendeluk's unfussy but competent direction. Fans of stronger horror fare won't want to make this their first port of call but Nightmare At The End Of The Hall is a perfectly acceptable time-filler that rises just above the standard TV movie level.
6/10.

http://www.dvdwarehouse.com.au/nightmare-at-the-end-of-the-hall-9324915078178.html

Wednesday, 13 July 2011

Ghostwatch (1992)

Forget Cannibal Holocaust . . . . . . . . . THIS was the show that surely impressed the Blair Witch boys. Watching Ghostwatch now is a rich, rewarding experience. Quite an eye-opener considering what followed in the faux-reality horrors of the next ten years or so (and on, of course, but the 90s and turn of the 21^st century arguably saw the biggest impact made by this particular sub-genre). But to review Ghostwatch I really have to go back to it’s initial airing on the BBC on Halloween night, 1992.

I was 16 (turning 17 in a couple of months) so you’d think that I would be beyond being really scared by anything on TV at that point. But nothing had been on TV that had quite the impact of Ghostwatch. On that particular Halloween night I was babysitting. On my own. The child was asleep so that was that, it was just me and the TV in the corner. Ghostwatch was due to start and I was intrigued, not expecting too much. Michael Parkinson was hosting, a reliable and trusted face from British television and there were other familiar, comforting TV stalwarts – Craig Charles, Mike Smith and Sarah Greene. Apparently, many people in the UK had read in advance about Ghostwatch and knew that it wasn’t real. I hadn’t. Apparently, many people didn’t switch the thing off as soon as it appeared to end and so could read the end credits. I didn’t. This means that the 90 minutes I spent watching Ghostwatch, on my own at the age of 16, were the most terrifying 90 minutes I have ever experienced in the company of the British Broadcasting Corporation.

A recent viewing of Ghostwatch (almost 20 years after it’s original airing) actually left me feeling pleased that it stood up quite well and I felt I had every right to be terrified all those years ago.

The basic premise is a one-off “ghostwatch”, obviously enough, by the BBC. Michael Parkinson is sitting in a studio with a Dr. Lin Pascoe (Gillian Bevan), the phone lines are open and information is being passed along via Mike Smith while Craig Charles and Sarah Greene hope to capture the action on location. That location is a house in a standard English street that has been the scene of much paranormal activity, most of it centred around two young girls (Suzanne and Kim Early, played by Michelle Wesson and Cherise Wesson). The girls are pretty traumatised while the mother (Pamela Early, played by Brid Brennan) is worn out. Will the cameras actually catch anything on film while details are revealed about the history of the ghost, named “Pipes” by the mother who initially tried to appease her daughters by telling them that the strange noises they had been hearing were caused by the pipes.

What’s so effective about Ghostwatch is just how realistic and believable it is during the first hour. The stories being aired, the banter between presenters, the sleek BBC presentation of everything – it all feels just as a programme of this kind would/should feel.

Not all of the actors are up to the task of carrying the thing off (though I never noticed back when I thought it was all real anyway and was too busy trying not to soil my underwear) but most of them do a good enough job and a few do very well indeed. In fact, Sarah Greene deserves particular credit for portraying a version of herself that remains quite believable even as things get decidedly spooky.

The direction by Lesley Manning, and script by Stephen Volk, keeps everything finely balanced. The first hour is a slow burn in many ways but still has one or two big frights in there. What it does so expertly, however, is to throw in tiny details that mess with your perceived view of events and to foreshadow stuff that you forget has been foreshadowed even as it’s scaring the bejesus out of you, in a final 20-30 minutes that still raises goosebumps on my arms to this day.

Based largely on “The Enfield Poltergeist”, Ghostwatch retains an authenticity about it that fans of real-life paranormal studies should appreciate. It also remains an intelligent and thrilling experience and deserves to be seen by all horror fans, if only to see how the BBC aired such a curious Halloween treat that became Britain’s answer to that old Orson Welles “War Of The Worlds” interpretation.

9/10

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