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matzke
Reviews
The Thing on the Doorstep (2003)
A taste of things to come!
This short film is based on my favorite Lovecraft story, so I was prepared to be angry with every change these guys made to the "utterly perfect" original tale. These guys won me over from the get-go. I accepted their changes because they fit the film, and I liked a number of the original ideas they wove into the storyline. Now I hear they are shooting a feature length film based on the same story! Not to diminish my respect for their short, but I can't wait to see what they are able to do with more time, more character development and more mood! This is a great example of a group of indie filmmakers daring to do what Hollywood fears to: adapt one of Lovecraft's finest stories in a way that is both entertaining and true to his intentions. Great job!
Godsend (2004)
Terrible reactionary crap
Sigh. Once again we're given a "science is evil" plot clouding a truly important issue. Could a film have been made that actually dealt just with cloning and stem cell research? Sure, far more academic subjects have been made into riveting dramas. Could it have attracted a cast as (usually) talented as this? Certainly. But no, instead they went for a re-hash of 1950's fear of science gone awry fluff cinema. This marks yet another low point in De Niro's career. Did his house need a new coat of paint? Why did he take this role, and why then did he choose to sleep walk through it?
The bottom line is: movie audiences aren't stupid, give us some real issues in realistic situations and we will reward you for it. This film opts to do neither, and then even fails as a mindless thriller since the audience can see the ending coming 45 minutes into the picture.
Gothika (2003)
I'd say it's worth a laugh... except it isn't.
The plot of this film could hardly be more contrived. When the writer found himself confronted with a difficult scene he simply skips ahead in the plot and barely has the characters mention what has occurred. Who needs tension? Who needs a cohesive and believable plot? Not this movie's target audience clearly. A pretty good cast is rendered useless by the bad dialog and over done CGI. In fact, nearly every good scene ends badly either due to dialog or computer generated scares. I loved Hate, but clearly the director has lost his magic. Go watch Ringu, Stir of Echoes, or the Devil's Backbone instead.
The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath (2003)
A Real Pleasure
There is a magical quality to this film that originates not with Lovecraft's source novel, but with the artist and director's love of that material. This film is ambitious to be sure; it may be the lowest budgeted animated feature ever completed. But the edginess that it derives from its humble origins creates a wonderful expectation in the audience. What will happen next? How will the animation evolve? For one of the most interesting aspects of the film's creation is that it was done linearly; so literally the animation becomes more diverse and innovative as the film progresses! I highly recommend this film not only to fans of Lovecraft and Lord Dunsany, but to fans of animation and animated cinema. There is much to be learned from this film's example, and even more to be enjoyed.
Mystic River (2003)
Over rated and badly written
I am still in shock. This is hands down the worst written film I have seen with such an outstanding cast. Heavy handed doesn't even begin to describe the direction, but I think Eastwood was just slavishly following the script. The audience was laughing at all the awful lines, and quoting them aloud during the credits. Since many of these lines came at tense moments in the film it killed the mood nearly from the get-go. That Sean Penn and Kevin Bacon were able to create believable characters in the midst of this is an Oscar-worthy feat. Where a single glance between characters or a lingering shot would have done, we instead where treated to insipid "here's what I was thinking just then" style dialog and "recapping the action of the last five minutes" exposition. If I had left the theater repeatedly during the show perhaps I would be singing the praises of this unique scripting innovation, but since I didn't I felt instead like I was watching back to back episodes of a serial that kept welcoming back it's audience. 2/10
Mr. Barrington (2003)
Outstanding and scary!
I went into this film with no knowledge of the plot and only a quick glance at the movie poster. From Mr. Barrington's mode of dress I assumed it would be a period piece; perhaps a romantic comedy or Merchant and Ivory sort of film. Oh boy was I in for a surprise...
This film features one of the most beautiful relationships I have ever seen on film. The love between Lila and Samuel felt very real and very complex. Jennifer Nichole Porter wrote and delivered Lila's dialogue with wonderful restraint. Eric Schweig's handling of Samuel's emotions showed just how much he cared about the project. I would recommend the film simply for how well these two actors perform together under Dana Packard's direction, but that would ignore the film's other two great strengths: Brian McCardie's acting and Eric Goldstein's cinematography.
Brian McCardie has done some great work in the past, but he is a knockout in this role. The impish intensity he brings to his performance moves effortlessly between endearing and threatening with a simple cock of the head or a flash of his teeth.
And then there is the cinematography. Eric Goldstein creates wonderful atmospheres of light and shadow for the characters to inhabit. There is a quality to the film that makes it hard to place geographically, and I have a feeling this was intentional. The way Eric Goldstein lights the exteriors at night makes it feel like a Southern locale.
That this is Dana Packard's first feature came as a surprise to me. Both his direction and Jennifer Nichole Porter's writing seemed far more assured than that. So, I highly recommend this film!
Return to Innsmouth (1999)
Creepy as Hell
Aaron Vanek tackles a huge story and succeeds admirably. His choice of period setting, subtle make-up F/X, and haunting score are all wonderful. The acting, especially by the two leads is great.
While in many respects not as successful as his follow up, The Yellow Sign, this is a real monster of a film. Very few indie directors would think of trying to adapt Lovecraft's "Shadow Over Innsmouth", but Aaron accepts the challenge and uses an approach that keeps the tension high throughout the film.
There are at least two more adaptations of this story available to rent (Stuart Gordon's Dagon (2002) being the best known), but there is a quality to Aaron's that makes his the superior version. I say buy it and see for yourself!
The Music of Erich Zann (1980)
A Beautiful Film
This is an outstanding production of one of Lovecraft's best stories. I never would have thought it was possible to translate the story onto film, but John Strysik and his cast succeed with wonderful results. After years of obscurity the film has recently been shown at a few genre film festivals and appears on the first of the Lurker in the Lobby video compilations, meaning it is finally available for a wider audience to enjoy. I highly recommend seeking it out and seeing for your self how well Lovecraft can be adapted.
Cool Air (1999)
Quite possibly the best Lovecraft adaptation ever made.
This short film captures the mood and conflicted emotions of Lovecraft's original story perfectly. Writer/director Bryan Moore has great potential and an ear for dialogue. He creates a number of sympathetic characters in a very short period and thereby out does Lovecraft's original story. It is a shame this film has received so little public attention, it deserves better. I highly recommend it not simply to those fans of Lovecraft who yearn for a good adaptation to finally be made, but to anyone with an appreciation of mood and character.