As the story progresses, we learn about Defendor’s past and get a better understanding of why he is the way he is, the things that built him up to become Defendor, the reasons why he sees himself as a Super Hero and his clear vision of right and wrong.
This movie is labeled as a comedy, but I didn’t get that vibe at all. It did have some comedic overtones to it, and some funny moments such as some of the ‘weapons’ that Defendor uses to fight crime, but not so much to actually label it a comedy. This is much more a character piece about a man who is on a personal mission to defeat a certain villain he has searched for his whole life, Captain Industry, and the people he meets along the way.
Gotta light?
For how forthright and honest Defendor is, the villians he opposes are equally dastardly. They have no remorse, and no hesitation in trying to put down our hero. It was nice to see such a cut and dry opposition. It is very black and white, good guy and bad guys. There are no gray areas here at all, which is how Defendor sees the world.
I think Woody played it very well, even if he did that terrible raspy voice akin to Christian Bale’s Batman. However, he was emulating the great comic book characters that he aspired to be like, but I’m not sure his character actually watched the Nolan/Bale Batman movies. Doesn’t matter, really, I’m just saying. In the end, he’s portraying his Defendor super hero as he envisions the heroes from his comic books would speak, one liners and all.
Woody has come leaps and bounds from his days of Cheers. I always suspected he would go on to do some great roles, and he has, this one included, where he puts in a touching performance.
Elias Koteas has always been a great actor, but he seems to not really know what his place is in this movie, just kind of drifting through each scene. He puts in a decent enough performance, but it just doesn’t feel like he’s all there.
Defendor prepares for some vigilantism
Kat Dennings, who I’ve only seen in a handful of things, was very good in her part as the teenager who befriends Defendor. It’s actually kind of sad to me, really, the way she uses Defendor for her own means, but she’s no angel, so it makes sense that if she can use the good nature and naivity of Defendor, which she does, that she would. Of course, that doesn’t mean she ISN’T a hooker/drug addict with a heart of gold, it just takes her some time to get to the heart of gold part.
I can understand why this movie wasn’t widely released to theaters. People would see it as either a satire or just plain dumb, but they would be wrong on both counts. This is an emotional film with a dark edge about one man seeking to accomplish his life long purpose. About doing what is right. I recommend picking this one up for a rent and going along for the ride. Defendor would like that.
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Contrary to popular belief this is not a scary movie, not really sure it was ever meant to be one. It has its creepy moment, seeing as its set in 1954, on an island in Boston Harbor, on the site of an old civil war fort; that has since then been converted into a mental institution for the criminally insane. This choice of setting lends itself nicely to the true nature of this movie, which is a psychological thriller. A quick synapse of the movie is that two U.S. Marshals are sent to the island to investigate the disappearance of one of the inmates. While on the island the lead Marshal played by DiCaprio, feels like something else is going on that everyone on the island is apart of. He investigates and finds that things are not what they really seem.
Shhhh... Don't give away the ending!
I wish I could give you more on this movie but as it is a psychological thriller with one hell of a twist that still has me wondering, weeks later, telling you too much would totally ruin the movie for you. Either way I highly recommend this movie, and if your like me and try and get everything sublet detail out of a movie, you are going to have to see it twice, because the first time won’t even get you through the skin of this psychological onion.
Here we are on my second post about David Lynch’s Lime Green Set, this time about the film The Elephant Man. This was Lynch’s second feature, and while this film doesn’t offer up the ‘weird factor’ that Eraserhead had in his debut feature, there is still some Lynch imagery integrated into the film. The film offers up a very interesting, albeit partly fictional in some circumstances, dramatic biopic that is both sad and inspiring.
The Elephant Man centers on John Merrick, who is afflicted with a congenital defect that has completely deformed his body. He is found working in a Freak Show for an abusive carnival leader by Doctor Treves, who takes a keen interest in him and his condition, thus bringing him to live in the hospital where he works.
The doctor gives no more credit to Merrick’s intellect than any other person at first, but as he converses with him, introduces him to other hospital staff, and starts listening to him, he realizes that Merrick is not only well versed with many interests, but that he is also a compassionate, warm person who wants nothing more than to be treated with a little dignity and to be loved.
Dr. Treves is overcome with emotion at first sight of Merrick. A truly beautiful scene.
One of the most renowned actress of the time shows an interest in John Merrick, and as she does, high society follows suit. It’s a morbid fascination to these people, as a way to boast among their friends when hob knobbing about their elitist party circles. “I met the Elephant Man”. It’s an interesting spin, though only briefly touched upon in the film. It shows how these supposedly more civilized folks are basically using him in the same manner that the ‘common folk’ did, as an exhibit….a conversation piece. The actress, Ms. Kendall, is not like those that follow in her footsteps. Rather, she strikes up a genuine friendship with John Merrick.
The night porter is a different story altogether. He uses Merrick as his own tourist attraction; charging barfly’s to come for a visit and see ‘the Elephant Man’. They make him dance like a marionette, pour liquor on his head, and make girls kiss him. Then, in a final act of cruelty, put a mirror in front of him so he can see himself. While you may think this would be one of the sadder moments in the film, it is handled as such that it is more about the devilish deeds of those with no compassion. The jovial drunks mire about to the sounds of carnival music, which in itself is reflective of John Merrick’s roots and exemplifies how even though John Merrick strives to make himself a better person, even though some people have given him his dignity and basic human rights back, others do not see that, and don’t care anyway. They see what they want.
Merrick in his room.
Of course, the night porter’s shenanigans lead to John Merrick being kidnapped by his former abusive carnival leader, who has had a difficult time with letting go of John. He sees him as his property and not a person at all, but a way to scrape by and make a living. Merrick does get away, thanks to the aid of fellow carnival folk, but does not get far before being cornered on the subway system, leading to one of the better scenes in the film, with Merrick exclaiming ‘I am not an animal…I am a human being…I am a man’.
The film is loosely based on the book, The Elephant Man and Other Reminiscences, by Sir Frederick Treves. Many instances have been changed and liberties taken from actual events, obviously for the sake of creating a more dramatic film. In this it succeeds quite well, yet nothing is too overdone in this regard; everything is very much grounded in reality.
The performances in this film are nothing short of extraordinary. We have John Hurt playing the titular role of the Elephant Man, Sir Anthony Hopkins as Dr. Frederick Treves, and joining them, a cast of actors such as Anne Bancroft and others more than qualified to live up to their end in making this film a masterpiece.
One of my favorite shots in the film, as Dr. Treves seeks out the Elephant Man.
The picture quality on this black and white film is very good. I personally don’t think it is near the caliber of Lynch’s previous effort Eraserhead, but it’s not far behind. The blacks are rich and deep, with the whites showing a perfect balance to that. The rumor is that there is a blu-ray in the works, which I suspect will look even more amazing, especially if Lynch himself is in charge of the mastering.
EXTRAS! EXTRAS! READ ALL ABOUT ‘EM!!
There are three extras on the Elephant Man disc. The first is a half hour feature titled ‘The Elephant Man’ revealed. It is a great account of how the Elephant Man movie came to be. It has interviews with Mel Brooks, Jonathan Sanger, John Hurt, and more, all recounting and sharing stories.
Joseph Merrick's skull, the template for the effects used on the film.
The second extra is a short feature titled ‘Christopher Tucker’s Workshop’ in which he shows the model he used to work with on creating the make-up for John Hurt to wear. It is short, but quite interesting to see.
Similarly, the third feature is a narrated photo gallery, which is also very interesting to see. Chris Tucker talks over photos of him working on the elephant man head. It is a scant 4 minutes, but has some interesting tidbits.
David Lynch shows us his schemy fingers.
Also included with this Lime Green Set is an accompanying disc to the Elephant Man movie, yes, a DVD Extras disc. There are 3 noted extras on this disc, the first being a look at the life of the real Elephant Man, Joshua, (not John as in the movie), Merrick. It is hosted by the Royal London Hospital archivist Jonathan Evans. It is a very interesting little documentary as Mr. Evans recounts Joseph Merrick’s life and he also compares factual events with the events portrayed in the film.
The second extra is a very good interview with David Lynch upon which he expands on the story of how he landed the director’s chair. He also tells of his reactions to the acceptance of the film, and some funny little Lynch anecdotes about the making of the film.
The excellent John Hurt.
The last extra is an equally candid interview with John Hurt, who portrayed John Merrick. He speaks of the kindness experienced working on the set, as well as his lengthy make-up and transformation.
All in all, the extras are interesting, even if they’re a little on the short side, but they definitely help to round out the entire Elephant Man story and give some more insight into the people who created this film, as well as the subject himself.
Overall, The Elephant Man is a triumph in filmmaking. It is both uplifting and tragic, a mark which many filmmakers cannot hit, but Lynch has done successfully here. It is a timeless tale that may teach you a lesson about humanity and the way we view people different than ourselves.
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College student Samantha finds a posting for a Baby $itter needed. When she calls the number for the job from a pay phone, she gets a machine, so she leaves a message. As she walks away, the pay phone rings. She turns back and answers, to find it’s the man about the baby sitting job. Very bizarre. This begins Samantha’s creepy journey to the House of the Devil.
From the opening credits you might think you’re watching an older movie. They definitely give it that late 70′s/80′s feel, which, judging by the clothes and music, the movie takes place during the early 1980′s. Brilliantly done, I must say. The song used during these credits is a complete rip off from Moving in Stereo by the Cars. The notes are just a bit off so they don’t have to give credit, but anyone who is even remotely familiar with that song will recognize it. It is darker than the original song, and there are no lyrics. I only mention this because it was used very wisely in the credits as it helps to set a not too upbeat tone for the movie, while still captivating the mystery of what’s coming.
The mystery of this movie is what it’s all about, building up slowly and revealing only tidbits as it moves forward. Yes, it takes a while to build, but I really appreciate that, actually. So many horror movies these days are just all about the schlock gore and no real build up to that payoff, not even counting the flimsy plots most of them use as an excuse to propel the characters along to their next death. Now, that is not to say that I don’t appreciate the more schlocky horror style, I do. I love all horror, but when you have a movie like this that is deliberate in its slow pacing, it’s refreshing to see the filmmakers relying on building that tension up so the viewer is more captivated. It leads to a better payoff when the frights do come, and boy howdy, do they ever! I have to say that I was genuinely creeped out a couple of times.
Yes, the plot really isn’t anything stellar or groundbreaking, but the plot builds in such a way that you don’t even know what the objective is until the end. We only know the little things; weird people hiring for the babysitter job, nice big house in the middle of nowhere..all of the classic horror movie warning signs, but we don’t know WHAT the signs are there to warn about, just that it’s…something. It all plays out extremely well.
1,660...1,661...1,662...1,663...1,664...1,665...1,666...
Jocelin Donahue is very good in this movie as our heroine. She plays it with the right amount of nervousness, suspicion, and naivety in the beginning, ramping up her character to a more outright frenzy of fear. I think she’ll be one to watch in the future. Tom Noonan is the mysterious man who hires her for the baby sitting job, and as always for him, he does a good job. Dee Wallace. That’s all I should have to say for her. She’s been a staple genre Queen for decades now and rightfully so. The only bummer is how short her screen time is.
All in all, I really liked this movie. It surprised me. I watch so many horror flicks that aren’t very good, that seeing a dramatic horror like this has given me new hope in the future of my beloved genre.
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Flash forward… to 5 seasons from now, where the same thing happens all over again……
I don’t know what to say about this show quite yet… it has me very intrigued, but as I have learned from the past, that is not always a good thing in the end.
Why?, you ask! Come follow along I’ll be happy to tell you.
Well for starters, this show has one kick ass idea. That right there is the absolute killer for the show right there, yes, I said a good idea is a bad idea. WHY? if you would like I could quickly touch on two other shows with great ideas that ran into the ground in my opinion.
24 Yeah great show, huge fan of Keefer, and the premise of a t.v. show taking an hour of ever hour of the one day in the show was amazing. That was one killer day….. That was how many seasons ago.. same day every day after that in my opinion.
Heroes, another great show where it just felt like after season two they felt like, ummmm we don’t know where to go… so we will just go back and make the bad guys good guys and the good guys bad guys.. and yeah… OK that’s a wrap lets go to softball practice. I mean, what the hell were they doing. They had a great fresh show, and I had to stop watching it, its just downright sad now.
So on to the topic of the post. FLASH FORWARD.
the entire world blacks out for 2 min and 17 second. Picture that! If you didn’t see the premiere, try to picture the entire world blacking out for 2 min. EVERYTHING, people driving cars on the freeway, riding bikes, surfing, flying, or even parachuting. If your blacked out you better freaking hope that you were watching TV or something, they depicted it great, it was mass destruction just like it would have been. Kudos, I’m hooked.
Now here was second thing, everyone had a dream while they blacked out, and they found out that it was for all of them a specific time forward. Everyone that did have a vision found that it was from 6 months from then. But for those who didn’t have a flash forward, well that meant they may not be there.
So now we will begin season 1. Why did they black out, what info can the put together about the time they saw in the future, and how do they stop it.
The potential downfall of this show…… They will run it to long, drag it out and put in to many loops or maybe another flash forward or something that will just make the show drag on. Well only time will tell, right? I’ll be there till it goes sideways, but for now here is good luck to the writers.
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In my many travels sorting through the massive amounts of movies released every week, I occasionally stumble across one that surprises me, often one I’ve never heard of. Cry of the Owl is one such movie.
I’ll admit, the main reason I picked it up was because I saw the names Robert Forrester and Caroline Dhavernas. I had no idea that the lead character’s name was Robert Forrester and not the actor of the same name. Oops. Ms. Dhavernas is another story, I’ve been a big fan of hers since her exceptional work on the amazing short lived series Wonderfalls.
Cry of the Owl is an intriguing mystery which stars Paddy Considine as the aforementioned Robert Forrester. It also stars Ms. Julia Stiles as his love interest, and Ms. Dhavernas as his ex-wife.
Mr. Forrester has recently divorced and moves away from the city in an attempt to ‘get away from it all’. Most nights he likes to stand behind a tree, staring at Ms. Stile’s character, Jenny Thierolf, as she washes her dishes in her kitchen. Eventually they meet, much to the chagrin of her friends and ex-boyfriend…and the police.
The plot moves forward at a steady, yet kind of slow, deliberate pace that is perfect for the tone of the film. The performances are good and the plot interesting. While I have never read the book, (didn’t even know it was based on one, actually), I recommend this film for those that are interested in a good movie with a decent plot, some intrigue and nice character performances.
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