Based on the novel The Space Vampires by Colin Wilson, Lifeforce is the story of space crew who find a spaceship inside Haley’s Comet where they unleash a trio of space vampires on the streets of London. Directed by Tobe Hooper and screenplay by Dan O’Bannon and Don Jakoby, the film is sci-fi horror film that explores the mysteries of the universe and what happens when humans come in contact with alien vampires. Starring Steve Railsback, Peter Firth, Frank Finlay, Mathilda May, and Patrick Stewart. Lifeforce is a dazzling and enthralling film from Tobe Hooper.
A joint American-British space crew find a mysterious ship inside Haley’s Comet as they bring in a monster plus three living bodies inside a case home unaware of what they unleash as one of them in a young woman (Mathilda May) has caused mayhem around London. It’s a film that is a sci-fi horror film of sorts where space vampires have been unleashed as Scotland Yard has to find and stop them with the help of a surviving astronaut from that mission as well as a British colonel and a scientist. The film’s screenplay by Dan O’Bannon and Don Jakoby, with additional work from Michael Armstrong and Olaf Pooley, showcases what the American space commander Col. Tom Carlsen (Steve Railsback) found as well as the mind connection he had with the vampire girl he fell for in space. With the aid of Col. Colin Caine (Peter Firth) and Dr. Hans Fallada (Frank Finlay), Col. Carlsen do whatever to find the woman but also deal with the two other vampires who had been captured but also learn exactly what they’re dealing with.
What the vampires are doing is taking away the essence of humanity in their need to survive instead of blood as they can also possess people to live. Adding to the stakes is that Col. Carlsen is infatuated with the girl as he has trouble trying to do his duty while revealing some truths about what happened in his space shuttle where his entire crew were killed by the vampires. The script also has this unique narrative that uses some flashbacks from Col. Carlsen’s perspective but also moments that has him seeing what the girl is doing. Even as his attempts to free himself from her would have some dire consequences as it relates to events in the third act.
Tobe Hooper’s direction is definitely grand from the scenes set inside the spaceship as the usage of the wide shots help play to the large scales of the scenes in space as well as what Col. Caine and his crew would discover. While much of the film is shot on location in London and other parts of England, Hooper does maintain something is grounded but also has an air of mysticism as it relates to the space vampires. The usage of the medium shots and close-ups help play into the way characters interact as well as some of the chilling moments in the film where the girl would wake up and create chaos while walking around naked. There is a bit of humor considering that the guards who are wanting to go after the girl are a bit excited considering that she is naked but are unaware of what she is capable of.
Hooper also create these moments that do play into a sense of terror where Col. Carlsen tries to find the girl in a body she has possessed as it leads to this chaotic third act where London is in a state of panic as the people are being plagued as zombies of sorts. The direction has Hooper going all out in terms of what is happening as well as creating moments that are gory but not overtly as it’s more about that air of mysticism. Especially in what Col. Carlsen has to do to save London and the world in general with the aid of Col. Caine who would fight one of the male vampires who would wreak havoc all over London. Overall, Hooper creates an exhilarating and compelling film about humans fighting space vampires on Earth.
Cinematographer Alan Hume does excellent work with the film‘s cinematography from some of the interiors set in the shuttle as well as in the science building along with some unique lighting for some of the exterior scenes set at night as well as the few set in the day. Editor John Grover does amazing work with the editing with its usage of dissolves to play with some of the flashbacks as well as other stylish cuts to help create some of the rhythm in the suspense and horror. Production designer John Graysmark, with set decorators Denise Exshaw and Simon Wakefield along with art directors Robert Cartwright, Terry Knight, Tony Reading, and Alan Tomkin, does brilliant work with the look of the interior of the mysterious spaceship as well as the building interiors including the setting of the film‘s climax. Costume designer Carin Hooper does terrific work with the costumes from the clothes that many of the men wear as well as the uniforms.
Prosthetic makeup effects creator Sue Higgins does fantastic work with the look of the vampires in their decayed states as well as the humans who become infected by the vampires during the plague in the third act. The special visual effects work of John Dykstra is superb for the way some of the visuals look for some of the scenes set in space as well as the way some of the mystical moments look for the scenes in the third act. Sound designer Vernon Messenger does nice work with the sound in creating some sound effects for the moments involving the vampires taking the energies of others as well as other moments that play into the suspense. The film’s music by Henry Mancini is great as it has these amazing orchestral flourishes with the string arrangements that play into suspense and terror as it‘s one of Mancini‘s more underrated scores.
The casting by Maude Spector and Ann Stanborough is wonderful as it feature some notable small roles from Chris Jagger and Bill Malin as the two male vampires, Nancy Paul as a nurse the girl had possessed, Sidney Kean as a guard who tried to kill the two male vampires, and Nicholas Ball as a middle-aged astronaut who was part of Col. Carlsen’s crew that got sick early due to the first encounter with the vampires. Aubrey Morris is terrific as Sir Percy Helestine as a royal official who tries to help Col. Caine in making sure none of these events go public. Michael Gothard is superb as Dr. Bukovsky as a scientist who would have an encounter with the female vampire as he becomes aware of her powers as he helps the men of Scotland Yard. Patrick Stewart is excellent as Dr. Armstrong as an asylum doctor who has been possessed by the girl as he tries to maintain his own self despite being possessed. Frank Finlay is brilliant as Dr. Hans Fallada as scientist with an interest in vampires and mortality as he would also find a way to kill one of the vampires for good.
Mathilda May is fantastic as the girl who is this space vampire that often appears in the film naked as she is this unique presence that is just fun to watch while not saying much in the film which makes her more interesting. Peter Firth is amazing as Col. Colin Caine as a British special Air Force officer who helps Col. Carlsen in finding the alien as well as try to make sense of everything as he would also deal with zombies and vampires roaming around London. Finally, there’s Steve Railsback in a marvelous performance as Col. Tom Carlsen as this American astronaut who survives the mission as he copes with the guilt over the loss of his crew as well as being in love with the vampire where he has a psychic connection with.
Lifeforce is a sensational film from Tobe Hooper. Featuring a great cast, amazing visuals, a bombastic score from Henry Mancini, and a crafty premise. The film is definitely a sci-fi horror film that manages to be interesting as well as create something that is scary and provocative. In the end, Lifeforce is a phenomenal film from Tobe Hooper.
Tobe Hooper Films: (Eggshells) - The Texas Chainsaw Massacre - (Eaten Alive) - (Salem’s Lot) - (The Funhouse) - (Poltergeist) - (Invaders from Mars) - (The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2) - (Spontaneous Combustion) - (I’m Dangerous Tonight) - (Night Terrors) - Body Bags - (The Mangler) - (The Apartment Complex) - (Crocodile (2000 film)) - (Toolbox Murders) - (Mortuary) - (Djinn)
© thevoid99 2016
Directed and scored by John Carpenter and written by Carpenter and Debra Hill, Halloween is the story of a young man who escapes from an insane asylum as he returns to his hometown on Halloween fifteen years to kill where his psychiatrist tries to find him. The film is considered the first definitive slasher film in which a mysterious killer kills everyone in sight leaving few to survive as he is eager to kill. Starring Donald Pleasance, P.J. Soles, Nancy Kyes, Nick Castle, and in her film debut, Jamie Lee Curtis as Laurie Strode. Halloween is a terrifying and riveting film from John Carpenter.
It’s Halloween eve as a man has escaped from an insane asylum where he was about to be transferred and incarcerated for the murder he committed fifteen years ago at the age of six as he returns to his hometown and kill those in his sight. It’s a film that explores a man who had become psychotic as he killed his babysitter as he then targets a teenager who is babysitting a kid on Halloween while a couple of her friends go out during the holiday. The film’s screenplay by John Carpenter and Debra Hill doesn’t just showcase the motives that drove this psychotic in Michael Myers (Nick Castle) to go insane and then escape the asylum. It also play with the many conventions that would become standard clichés and such for the horror genre as the character of Laurie Strode is just this young woman who is good to people though she smokes and such like other teenagers. Yet, she would babysit a neighbor kid while another friend would do the same and later drop that kid off to Laurie to see her boyfriend.
The script would also play into what kind of person Michael Myers is as his psychiatrist Dr. Sam Loomis (Donald Pleasance) is looking for him as he is aware of how troubled and insane Myers is. When he and a sheriff in Leigh Brackett (Charles Cyphers) go on the look for him, there is a great monologue that Dr. Loomis has about Myers and what he did as it adds to the sense of danger that looms. In the film’s third act, Myers would strike as Strode would suspect his presence early in the film as well as the kids she’s watching over where it is clear what she is facing.
John Carpenter’s direction starts off with this amazing prologue set in Halloween 1963 where it is told in the span of a few minutes in almost one entire take. It is a scene that establishes what Michael Myers did at the age of six as it is very startling way to open the film. The film then shifts to Halloween Eve in 1978 on a rainy night where Dr. Loomis and a nurse are about to go to the asylum as the former frets about Myers and having him incarcerated as something goes wrong. Carpenter’s direction definitely play into the air of suspense in scenes where Laurie sees someone from afar and then takes a second look as if he never existed. The usage of the wide shots help play into that suspense while Carpenter would maintain a sense of intimacy with some of the close-ups and medium shots he create throughout the film. Notably in the scenes of Laurie taking care of the two kids as well as some of the chilling moments involving a couple of her friends.
The direction also has Carpenter create some unique long and intricate tracking shots such as the film’s opening prologue where it shown from the perspective of Myers. The moments of violence are quite startling yet Carpenter does something that is even more interesting as it’s about the impact as it doesn’t contain any gore or excessive blood. Another aspect of Carpenter that is interesting is how he play with the clichés as well as not go for the conventional scores. Being the film’s music composer, Carpenter’s electronic-based score that is filled with some unique riffs and melodies as it’s played largely on a synthesizer. It knows when to appear but also when not to appear as it help create mood into the suspense as well as in the horror without the need to overdo it. Overall, Carpenter creates a chilling yet well-crafted horror film about a psychotic killer terrorizing people on Halloween night.
Cinematographer Dean Cundey does amazing work with the film‘s cinematography for many of the scenes set at night with its usage of lighting and mood to help play into its suspense and horror while going for some more naturalistic lighting for some of the scenes set in the day. Editors Tommy Lee Wallace and Charles Bornstein do brilliant work with the editing as it has these nice rhythmic cuts that help play into the suspense and horror without the need to do anything flashy while knowing how to build up the momentum of the suspense. Production designer Tommy Lee Wallace and set decorator Craig Stearns do fantastic work with the look of the homes that the character live in as well as the ruined state of the old house where Michael Myers killed his babysitter.
The makeup work of Erica Ueland is excellent for the look of the mask that Michael Myers wears as it has something that feels very menacing. Sound editor William L. Stephenson does superb work with the sound to help create that air of atmosphere into the suspense and horror.
The film’s incredible cast feature some notable small roles from John Michael Graham as Lynda’s boyfriend Bob, Sandy Johnson as the babysitter the young Myers killed early in the film, Kyle Richards as the young girl Lindsay that Laurie would later babysit, Brian Andrews as the young boy Tommy whom Laurie is watching over, and Charles Cyphers in a terrific performance as Sheriff Leigh Brackett who aids Dr. Loomis in finding Myers. P.J. Soles and Nancy Kyes are wonderful in their respective roles as Laurie’s friends Lynda and Annie as two young girls who are more eager to have fun where they definitely become targets of Myers’ wrath.
In the role of Michael Myers, we have Tony Moran as an unmasked version seen from the back and afar in the opening raining sequence as well as Will Sandin as the six-year old Myers. Yet, it is Nick Castle who is brilliant as the killer himself with his mask and menacing presence as he never says a word. Donald Pleasance is excellent as Dr. Sam Loomis as a psychiatrist trying to find Myers as this man that is coping with Myers but also hoping he could be stopped. Finally, there’s Jamie Lee Curtis in a remarkable film debut as Laurie Strode as this young woman that is just trying to be a normal teenage girl as she copes with the presence of this mysterious man and later be confronted by him as she embodies all of the ideas of a scream queen as well as someone trying not to get killed.
Halloween is a magnificent film from John Carpenter. Featuring a great cast, a killer score, an intriguing premise, and masterful suspense that would create many of the conventions of horror. The film is definitely a standard bearer of the genre while as a film itself, it is truly one of the most chilling and inventive films that Carpenter has created. In the end, Halloween is an outstanding film from John Carpenter.
John Carpenter Films: Dark Star - Assault on Precinct 13 - Someone's Watching Me! - Elvis - The Fog - Escape from New York - The Thing - Christine - Starman - Big Trouble in Little China - Prince of Darkness - They Live - Memoirs of an Invisible Man - Body Bags - In the Mouth of Madness - Village of the Damned - Escape from L.A. - Vampires - Ghosts of Mars - The Ward
The Auteurs #60: John Carpenter Part 1 - Part 2
Related: Halloween (2018 film) - (Halloween Kills) - (Halloween Ends)
© thevoid99 2016
Based on the novel Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, Bride of Frankenstein is the sequel to the 1931 film in which Dr. Henry Frankenstein who is tempted to help his creation and find a bride for his monster. Directed by James Whale and screenplay by William Hurlbut from an adapted story by Hurlbut and John L. Balderston, the film plays into Dr. Frankenstein’s attempt to make things right as well as give his monster a companion as Colin Clive reprises his role as Dr. Frankenstein and Boris Karloff reprising his role as the monster. Also starring Elsa Lanchester and Ernest Thesiger. Bride of Frankenstein is a sensational and entrancing film from James Whale.
The film has a simple story in which Dr. Henry Frankenstein is coerced by a former mentor to recreate his experiment just as the monster he created has gotten loose and is discovering humanity. This time around, Dr. Frankenstein has to find a bride for the monster as he also becomes conflicted of going back to the experiment that caused so much trouble. William Hurlbut’s screenplay starts off with a scene in which novelist Mary Shelley (Elsa Lanchester) is having a conversation with her husband Percy Shelley (Douglas Walton) and Lord Byron (Gavin Gordon) as she tells the story about Frankenstein and his bride. Then the narrative shifts into this story as Dr. Frankenstein is recovering from his encounter with the monster where he wants to spend time with his bride Elizabeth (Valerie Hobson) but the visit of his old mentor Dr. Septimus Pretorius (Ernest Thesiger) would reveal what he’s done and why he needs Dr. Frankenstein.
The narrative also has the monster trying to hide from an angry mob as he would discover some of the good aspects of humanity but also revelations about who he is. One major sequence in which the monster is given food and shelter from a blind man (O.P. Heggie) where it is a key moment that is quite touching. Notably in how the monster is humanized and learns to say a few things as he would later meet Dr. Pretorius as he learns what he will do.
James Whale’s direction is definitely mesmerizing for the way he creates the setting of the film but also play into that air of suspense and terror where a man tries to see the error of his own ways while realizing the humanity that is growing in his monster. Whale’s approach to compositions where he maintains an atmosphere in the wide and medium shots to play into some of the experiment scenes as well as some of the chilling moments where Whale definitely expresses concern for the monster who is being chased by the angry mob. Whale’s usage of close-ups do play into the growing sense of humanity into the monster but also in Dr. Frankenstein’s anguish over what he created and his attempt to live a normal life again. The film’s climax would be about the bride (Elsa Lanchester) who is something the monster wants but he too would feel some conflict as it once again play into the fallacy of resurrection and man’s attempt to be God. Overall, Whale creates a phenomenal and terrifying film about a mad scientist trying to create a bride for his monster.
Cinematographer John J. Mescall, with visual effects photography by John P. Fulton, does brilliant work with the film‘s black-and-white photography to create some unique lighting and shadows for some of the nighttime interiors at the castle where Dr. Frankenstein and Dr. Pretorius does as the work of Fulton showcases the live miniatures the latter had created. Editor Ted Kent does excellent work with the editing as it is largely straightforward with some rhythmic cuts for some of the suspense and horror. Art director Charles D. Hall does fantastic work with the look of Dr. Frankenstein‘s home as well as the lab he and Dr. Pretorius work at with all of its amazing props.
Costume designer Vera West does nice work with the look of the locals as well as Dr. Pretorius as well as the clothes of the bride. Hair stylist Irma Kusely and makeup artist Jack P. Pierce do amazing work with the look of the monster as well as the design of the bride and her hair. The sound work of Gilbert Kurland is superb for some of the sound effects that are created as well as the climatic scene of the awakening of the bride. The film’s music by Franz Waxman is wonderful for its orchestral-based score that has elements of somber music while maintaining a sense of bombast for its suspense and horror.
The film’s marvelous cast feature some notable small roles from E.E. Clive as the burgomaster, John Carradine as a hunter, Dwight Frye as Dr. Pretorius’ assistant Karl, Anne Darling as a shepherdess who meets the monster and is later saved by him, Gavin Gordon as Lord Byron, Douglas Walton as Percy Shelley, and O.P. Heggie in a superb performance as the blind hermit who would invite the monster for food, drinks, and shelter as he would be the first to bring true humanity to the monster. Una O’Connor is terrific as the Frankenstein housekeeper Minnie who is always screaming as she provides some nice humor in the film. Valerie Hobson is wonderful as Elizabeth as Dr. Frankenstein’s fiancée who tries to help him get back in good health while dealing with the presence of the monster.
Ernest Thesiger is excellent as Dr. Pretorius as Dr. Frankenstein’s former mentor who wants to expand on his protégé’s experiment for grander things as he is this great manipulator that tries to get Dr. Frankenstein to get back in the game. Elsa Lanchester is amazing in a dual role as author Mary Shelley in the film’s prologue as she would tell the story about the bride as well as being the bride herself where she doesn’t speak much but her presence alone makes it a marvel to watch. Colin Clive is brilliant as Dr. Henry Frankenstein as the monster’s conflicted creator who tries to return to a normal life as he is forced by his old mentor to recreate the experiment with new ideas as he copes with what he’s done. Finally, there’s Boris Karloff in an incredible performance as the monster as a man created from body parts of the dead who becomes humanized by his experiences in the previous film as he learns to say words and have thoughts while maintaining that great sense of physicality as it’s an iconic performance from Karloff.
Bride of Frankenstein is a phenomenal film from James Whale that features a remarkable performance from Boris Karloff as the monster. Featuring a great supporting cast, gorgeous visuals, and some amazing art direction, it’s a film that isn’t just a fascinating monster film but also a film that says a lot about cheating death and resurrection in all of its fallacies. In the end, Bride of Frankenstein is a spectacular film from James Whale.
Related: Young Frankenstein
James Whale Films: (Journey’s End (1930 film)) - (Hell’s Angels) - (Waterloo Bridge) - Frankenstein - (The Impatient Maiden) - (The Old Dark House) - The Invisible Man - (By Candlelight) - (One More River) - (Remember Last Night?) - (Show Boat (1936 film)) - (The Road Back) - (The Great Garrick) - (Sinners in Paradise) - (Wives Under Suspicion) - (Port of Seven Seas) - (The Man in the Iron Mask (1939 film)) - (Green Hell) - (They Dare Not Love)
© thevoid99 2016
Written and directed by John Carpenter, Someone’s Watching Me! is the story of a live-TV director dealing with a stalker who has been at her apartment and leaving gifts prompting her to take action. The TV movie is a suspense-horror film that play into the world of voyeurism as well as what someone will do to deal with being watched. Starring Lauren Hutton, Adrienne Barbeau, David Birney, and Charles Cyphers. Someone’s Watching Me! is a riveting yet chilling TV movie from John Carpenter.
Set in Los Angeles, the film is the simple story of a woman who arrives to the city as she receives mysterious presents and phone calls from an unknown person where she realizes she is being stalked. It’s a film with a simple premise as it’s largely set inside a penthouse apartment as this woman named Leigh (Lauren Hutton) tries to start a new life but has become a target as she tries to ignore it and move on. John Carpenter’s teleplay maintains the simplicity in the story while also making Leigh a very complex character that strays from many of the conventions of horror and suspense. Leigh doesn’t start off as someone who will become vulnerable but as the presents and messages she receives become more chilling. She gets worried as she seeks the help of her new boyfriend Paul (David Birney) and co-worker Sophie (Adrienne Barbeau) where they would try to uncover things about the stalker. There would be some wrong turns and other things yet it all plays into who is the stalker and what is that person doing.
Carpenter’s direction is definitely mesmerizing not just for the simplicity of some of his compositions but also in how he manages to keep things engaging while playing with the many rhythms of suspense and horror. While much of the film is set in the apartment with some of it shot in some of the different locations in and around Los Angeles. Carpenter does create that sense of disturbance that looms in the film as well as maintain the mystery of who is watching Leigh and making these phone calls. Even in his approach to dolly shots, zooms, and how he would move the camera play into some of the drama but also in maintain that air of suspense. One key scene that is crucial in the film is where Leigh tries to meet her stalker as there is that sense of fear that is prominent in the film where Carpenter uses a nice close-up to play into the suspense.
The usage of the medium and wide shots help add to that suspense where there are moments where the camera shows the perspective of the stalker where he watches and listens to any of Leigh’s conversations. Carpenter also uses moments of misdirection to play up the suspense where an audience think will something happen but then nothing or a misunderstanding which is key to what makes the film work. Especially in the climax as it shows who is this person that is stalking Leigh and what has he been doing where it is quite chilling but it is also riveting as it has Leigh finally confronting her stalker. Overall, Carpenter creates a thrilling yet engrossing film about a woman being stalked from the other building of her apartment.
Cinematographer Robert B. Hauser does excellent work with the film‘s cinematography as its usage of shadows and light help play to some of the suspense in scenes where Leigh‘s apartment would go through power surges as well as some of the scenes set at night. Editor Richard Korbitz does nice work with the editing as it‘s largely straightforward with some rhythmic cut and fade-outs for commercial break transitions. Art director Philip Barber and set decorator Donald J. Sullivan do fantastic work with the look of Leigh‘s penthouse apartment as well as the TV studio she works at. Sound mixer Don Rush does terrific work with the sound as it help play into the suspense with its usage of sparse noise. The film’s music by Harry Sukman is superb for its orchestral-based score as it has some dramatic bombast as well as some eerie pieces to play into its suspense.
The film’s brilliant cast feature some notable small roles from Grainger Hines as a co-worker at the TV station, Len Lasser as a mysterious man in the apartment, and Charles Cyphers in a terrific role as police investigator Gary Hunt who is a friend of Paul as he tries to figure things out. Adrienne Barbeau is fantastic as Sophie as a co-worker who helps Leigh in trying to find the stalker as well as figure out all of the scenarios. David Birney is excellent as Paul as Leigh’s new boyfriend who is a philosophy professor that tries to figure out all of the angles but also go to those that he knew who could help Leigh. Finally, there’s Lauren Hutton in an amazing performance as Leigh as this live-TV director who becomes the victim of harassment through an unseen stalker as she tries to figure who is stalking her as Hutton displays a vulnerability but also a willingness to fight back.
Someone’s Watching Me! is a remarkable TV film from John Carpenter that features a riveting performance from Lauren Hutton. Featuring a great supporting cast and a unique premise, it’s a TV movie that manages to be very engaging in its approach to suspense as well as do things that most TV movies wouldn’t do in its approach to suspense/horror narratives. In the end, Someone’s Watching Me! is a marvelous film from John Carpenter.
John Carpenter Films: Dark Star - Assault on Precinct 13 - Halloween - Elvis - The Fog - Escape from New York - The Thing - Christine - Starman - Big Trouble in Little China - Prince of Darkness - They Live - Memoirs of an Invisible Man - Body Bags - In the Mouth of Madness - Village of the Damned (1995 film) - Escape from L.A. - Vampires - Ghosts of Mars - The Ward
The Auteurs #60: John Carpenter Part 1 - Part 2
© thevoid99 2016
Based on the novel by Mary Shelley and the play by Peggy Webling, Frankenstein is the story of a mad scientist who decides to bring a man back to life while unknowingly using an abnormal brain for his monster. Directed by James Whale and screenplay by Francis Edward Faragoh and Garrett Fort that is adapted by John L. Balderston with un-credited contributions by Robert Florey and John Russell, the film is a monster movie where a man tries to cheat death only for things to go bad. Starring Colin Clive, Mae Clarke, John Boles, and Boris Karloff as the monster. Frankenstein is a rapturous and chilling film from James Whale.
Set in a European village, the film follows a mad scientist, who is the son of a powerful baron, who decides to take his experiment of resurrection to great extremes where he creates a monster that eventually wreaks havoc. The film’s simple premise play into the fallacy of resurrection as well as what happens when obsession loses sight of reason. The film’s screenplay doesn’t just explore the madness of Dr. Henry Frankenstein (Colin Clive) and wanting to go to extremes to create humanity and give it life but also in thinking that he can become God. The monster that Frankenstein created is accidentally given an abnormal brain where there is an innocence to the monster but because of fear and misunderstanding. He would kill those either accidentally or in an act of self-defense as it definitely causes trouble where Dr. Frankenstein realizes what he has done and what he has to do.
James Whale’s direction is definitely stylish in terms of the visual language that he creates as well as finding ways to create a sense of horror through moments of action but also in off-screen moments. Shot in soundstages, the film does play into a world that seems like the old world yet the methods of Dr. Frankenstein seem in tune with the new world as he craves for greatness. Many of Whale’s compositions are quite evocative in terms of its mood as well as create some air of chill in the scenes where Dr. Frankenstein conducts his experiment. There aren’t many usage of close-ups in the film as Whale favors wide and medium shots to play into setting of the scene yet the close-ups he uses do express either the madness of Dr. Frankenstein or the curiosity of its monster.
The film’s climax would play into a duel of man vs. monster as it’s a grand climax where villagers try to find the monster yet there is an ambiguity considering that the person who is really responsible for all of the chaos is Dr. Frankenstein since he was the one that tried to play God. From a certain point of view, it is the monster that is really innocent and is a victim of misunderstanding. It’s something that is quite subversive for its time in the approach of a monster film as Whale seems to care a lot about the monster rather than the creator. Overall, Whale creates a complex yet eerie film about a man’s attempt to resurrect the dead in the form of a monster.
Cinematographer Arthur Edeson, with un-credited work by Paul Ivano, does brilliant work with the film‘s black-and-white cinematography to create some unique lighting scheme and shadows for some of the interiors set at night as well as some of the gorgeous yet naturalistic lighting for the scenes in the day. Editors Clarence Kolster and Maurice Pivar do excellent work with the editing as it has some unique rhythmic cuts to play into its suspense and horror as well as create straightforward cuts for the dramatic scenes. Art director Charles D. Hall does amazing work with the design of the castle and lab that Dr. Frankenstein works at as well as the home of his father and the village.
Makeup designer Jack P. Pierce does fantastic work with the look of the monster in every detail as it is one of the major highlights of the film. Sound recording supervisor C. Roy Hall does superb work with the sound as it has some unique sound effects to play into the film‘s suspense. The film’s music by Bernhard Kaun is wonderful for its orchestral-based score that is bombastic at times while it also has an element of chill to play into its suspense.
The film’s incredible cast feature some notable roles from Marilyn Harris as a little girl who meets the monster, Michael Marks as the girl’s father, Lionel Belmore as the local Burgomaster who presses Baron Frankenstein about his son’s wedding, and Dwight Frye in terrific role as Dr. Frankenstein’s assistant Fritz. Frederick Kerr is superb as Dr. Frankenstein’s father as a local baron who suspects his son is having an affair with another woman while Edward Van Sloan is excellent as Dr. Frankenstein’s former teacher who is concerned with the state of mind of his former pupil as well as what Dr. Frankenstein has done. John Boles is fantastic as Dr. Frankenstein’s friend Victor Moritz who watches over Dr. Frankenstein’s fiancée Elizabeth while reluctantly helping him with the experiment.
Mae Clarke is amazing as Elizabeth as Dr. Frankenstein’s fiancée who tries to get Dr. Frankenstein back to reality as well as deal with the outcome of what he had created as it’s a role that could’ve been very substandard but Clarke does wonders with her performance. Colin Clive is excellent as Dr. Henry Frankenstein as a mad scientist who is eager to create life from death as it’s a performance full of energy and terror where Clive really gets to have some scene-stealing moments. Finally, there’s Boris Karloff in a phenomenal performance as the monster as a man brought back to life with an abnormal brain where Karloff’s physicality and lack of speech would be the key to the performance that also exudes sympathy and warmth as it’s one of the definitive performances of a monster ever created.
Frankenstein is a tremendous film from James Whale that features an incredible performance from Boris Karloff as the monster. Featuring some gorgeous visuals, a superb ensemble cast, and a premise that is very complex as well as engaging. It’s a film that isn’t just an entrancing horror film but also a monster movie that brings depth to something that audiences are supposed to fear. In the end, Frankenstein is a sensational film from James Whale.
Related: Spirit of the Beehive - Young Frankenstein
James Whale Films: (Journey’s End (1930 film)) - (Hell’s Angels) - (Waterloo Bridge) - (The Impatient Maiden) - (The Old Dark House) - (The Kiss Before the Mirror) - The Invisible Man - (By Candlelight) - (One More River) - Bride of Frankenstein - (Remember Last Night?) - (Show Boat (1936 film)) - (The Road Back) - (The Great Garrick) - (Sinners in Paradise) - (Wives Under Suspicion) - (Port of Seven Seas) - (The Man in the Iron Mask (1939 film)) - (Green Hell) - (They Dare Not Love)
© thevoid99 2016
Based on novel by Bram Stoker and the stage play by Hamilton Deane and John L. Balderston, Dracula is the story of a vampire who goes to Britain to stake claim on an estate while searching for fresh blood to feed on. Directed by Tod Browning, with additional work by Karl Freund, and screenplay by Garrett Fort, the film is an exploration into the vampire who lives in the night and drinks the blood of human as he is played by Bela Lugosi. Also starring Helen Chandler, David Manners, Dwight Frye, and Edward Van Sloan. Dracula is an entrancing and stylish film from Tod Browning.
The film is the simple story about this vampire who travels from his home of Transylvania in Hungary to modern-day London as he haunts for new blood to survive with the aid of a real-estate solicitor who becomes his slave. It’s a film with a simple premise where Count Dracula is this mysterious vampire living in the castle at Transylvania where he haunts its locals who stay far away from him. Upon his arrival to London, all hell breaks lose where the only person that can stop him is Professor Van Helsing (Edward Van Sloan) who has been studying vampires. The film’s screenplay explores what Count Dracula wants as he targets a young woman named Mina (Helen Chandler) whom he wants to become his new bride. At the same time, he causes chaos in London as his new slave Renfield (Dwight Frye) is trying to do anything to help his master in the hopes he can get something in return.
Tod Browning’s direction is definitely stylish as it play into this conflict of the old world that is Transylvania and the new world that is London. Notably as there are rare moments where he moves the camera as he more prefers to create dazzling compositions that showcase the world that Count Dracula is in and what he tries to do. Most of the compositions are set in medium shots and close-ups with a few wide shots as Browning, with the aid of cinematographer Karl Freund, chose to maintain a simplicity into the action and drama that looms throughout the film. Especially as the moments where Dracula would bite someone would often be shown off-screen as it is more about the sound of horror rather than what is shown. Still, Browning maintains that mood in playing up the suspense as well as injecting some humor into the film to create a nice balance of chills and laughs. Overall, Browning creates a ravishing yet thrilling film about a vampire who haunts humanity in his thirst for blood.
Cinematographer Karl Freund does brilliant work with the film‘s black-and-white photography in the way he uses light and shadows to set a mood for some of the interiors at Dracula‘s castle as well as some of the nighttime scenes set in London. Editors Milton Carruth and Maurice Pivar do excellent work with the editing as it is largely straightforward with some rhythmic cuts for some of the film‘s suspenseful moments. Production designers John Hoffman and Herman Rosse, with set decorator Russell A. Gausman and art director Charles D. Hall, do amazing work with the look of the interiors of Dracula‘s castle with its spider-webs and creatures as well as the more clean and posh look of the home of Dr. Seward. Costume designers Ed Ware and Vera West do nice work with the costumes from the cape and clothes that Dracula wear to the period dresses that the women wear. Sound recording supervisor C. Roy Hunter does terrific work with the sound from the way bats sound as well as a few creatures and such while much of the music in the film is mainly operatic pieces that is played for a scene in an opera house.
The casting by Phil M. Friedman is superb as it feature some notable small roles from Joan Standing as Nurse Briggs, Frances Dade as Mina’s friend Lucy, Herbert Bunston as Mina’s father Dr. Seward, and Charles K. Gerrard in a funny performance as the hospital attendant Martin who provides some funny one-liners. Dwight Frye is excellent as Renfield as an estates solicitor who becomes Dracula’s slave as he does whatever he can to help his master. David Manners is terrific as Mina’s beau Jonathan Harker who tries to make sense of everything while unsure about the myth of the vampire. Edward Van Sloan is fantastic as Professor Van Helsing as a man who studies the myth of the vampires as he suspects Dracula where he would eventually prove his worth against the vampire.
Helen Chandler is brilliant as Mina Seward as the young woman who is targeted by Dracula as she comes to term with her condition as well as be under the spell of the vampire. Finally, there’s Bela Lugosi in a phenomenal performance as the titular character who is this vampire that lurks and haunts his victims where Lugosi maintains this chilling presence that is crucial to the character as it is really the definitive performance of that character.
Dracula is a spectacular film from Tod Browning that features an incredible performance from Bela Lugosi in the titular role. Featuring some gorgeous visuals, an intriguing premise, and a great supporting cast, it’s a film that is definitely a monster movie that is quite riveting to watch as it also showcases what was done during the pre-Code era of American cinema. In the end, Dracula is a sensational film from Tod Browning.
Related: Nosferatu - Freaks - Nosferatu the Vampyre - Bram Stoker's Dracula
© thevoid99 2016
Written directed and starring Taika Waititi and Jermaine Clement, What We Do in the Shadows is a film that explores the lives of vampires living in the suburbs of Wellington, New Zealand as it’s told in a documentary-like style. The film is a horror-comedy that follows the lives of vampires adjusting to their surroundings as well as deal with the downside of modern civilization. Also starring Rhys Darby, Jonathan Burgh, Cori Gonzalez-Macuer, and Stu Rutherford. What We Do in the Shadows is a witty and stylish film from Taika Waititi and Jermaine Clement.
Told in the span of nearly a year just before a prestigious masquerade ball that happens every few years, the film is about a documentary film crew who make a film for the New Zealand government about vampires who are living in Wellington. There, they capture the lives of four of these vampires as well as a human servant who would bring in a couple of people for the vampires to feed on where one of them becomes a new vampire and brings a human friend to introduce them to the modern world. The film is told in this documentary style where these vampires cope with their life but also some of the drawbacks of being a vampire as well as the modern world which they’re baffled by. The screenplay by Taika Waititi and Jermaine Clement play into this strange encounter with the modern world where vampires, zombies, witches, and werewolves live among humanity but are trying to maintain some control.
Yet, there is still some tension between vampires and werewolves as they all try to not fight while the vampires try to show their newest friend what it is like to be a vampire. Especially as the newest guy in Nick (Cori Gonzalez-Macuer) deals with the guys he is living with as its leader Viago (Taika Waititi) is quite uptight and likes to keep things clean. The other three in the former tyrant Vladislav (Jermaine Clement) who is still reeling from a battle he lost many years ago, the rebellious Deacon (Jonathan Burgh) who tries to be cool as he doesn’t like Nick, and the reclusive Petyr (Ben Fransham) who is 8,000 years old and is the one that turned Nick into a vampire. They all live in the night as Viago often checks to see if it’s nighttime while the tenants, minus Petyr, would have meetings while they’re often aided by Deacon’s human servant Jackie (Jackie van Beek) and later Nick’s friend Stu (Stu Rutherford) who would introduce the other vampires to the Internet and such.
The film’s direction by Waititi and Clement definitely plays up that idea of the documentary yet the documentary crew is never shown. Shot like a documentary with its usage of close-ups and medium shots to maintain that air of intimacy. The film does play up that idea that everything is being filmed including moments where the vampires do whatever to get some blood as there are moments of gore and lots of blood. However, they’re played for laughs where a scene involving Viago eating a victim ends up bad in a comical manner as his whole room becomes a mess. There are some wide shots as the film is shot on location in Wellington which is definitely the most unlikely place for a community of vampires, werewolves, zombies, and witches would live in but it has that mixture of the modern world with some elements of the old world. There also moments where the human characters who help the vampires are also profiled not just as ordinary people but those with quirks while the scene where the local police come into the vampires’ home is very funny as there is that sense of what will happen or what won’t happen. The climax at this masquerade ball doesn’t just play into the social world of the creatures but also in the chaos of what happens when humans are there as well as loyalties start to emerge for these men. Overall, Waititi and Clement create a thrilling yet hilarious film about vampires living in the 21st Century.
Cinematographers Richard Bluck and D.J. Stipsen do excellent work with the look of the many scenes set at night to play into the nightlife of Wellington with its clubs and such as well as a few scenes set in the day to play into the lives of the human servants. Editors Tom Eagles, Yana Gorskaya, and Jonathan Woodford-Robinson do amazing work with the editing as it‘s largely straightforward with some stylish montages as well as some jump-cuts to play into the humor. Production designer Ra Vincent does fantastic work with the look of the house that the vampires live in as well as the rooms of each character to display their personalities. Costume designer Amanda Neale does nice work with the costumes with the clothing style of the vampires where Viago and Vladislav display a look of 18th/19th century clothing while Nick’s clothes are more based on hipster trends.
Makeup/hair designer Dannelle Satherly, along with special effects makeup designers Don Brooker and Roger Murray, does brilliant work with the look of the vampires in their near-human like state as well as the look of Petyr who serve as a homage to the film Nosferatu. Visual effects supervisors Stan Alley and Darwin Go do terrific work with the visual effects that include scenes of the vampires floating or flying around in the air as well as moments where they turn into bats. Sound editor Simon Riley does superb work with the sound in the way some of the noises in the other rooms are heard as well as some sound effects to play in the way the vampire hisses sound. The film’s music by Plan 9 is extraordinary for its 18th/19th century string music filled with all sorts of string instruments while the soundtrack also include a mixture of classical and contemporary music to play into the places the characters venture to.
The casting by Tina Cleary and Todd Resnick is wonderful as it feature some notables small roles from Karen O’Leary and Mike Minogue as a couple of police officers who would meet the vampires during a search, Elena Stejko as a former lover of Vladislav, Ethel Robinson as an old flame of Viago, and Ben Fransham as the very silent and reclusive vampire Petyr who likes to be alone. Rhys Darby is terrific as Anton who is the head of a local werewolf pack that tries to maintain some order and peace despite his own issues with the vampires. Jackie Van Beek is fantastic as Jackie as Deacon’s servant who helps do some of the daytime chores as well as get whoever for the vampires to feed on in the hopes that she becomes a vampire. Stu Rutherford is superb as Nick’s friend Stu as a software computer analyst who befriends the vampires as he helps introduce them to modern technology as well as allow them to see the sun for the very first time in many years through YouTube.
Cori Gonzalez-Macuer is excellent as Nick as a newly-formed vampire who helps the other vampires get in touch with the modern world while dealing with the drawbacks in being a vampire. Jonathan Brugh is brilliant as Deacon as a rebellious vampire who doesn’t like Nick very much as he tries to maintain his rebellious persona as well as do erotic dances of the past to entertain his friends. Jermaine Clement is amazing as Vladislav as a vampire who has a love of torture and sex with women while dealing with the great defeat that still haunts him as he still hopes to regain some vigor. Finally, there’s Taika Waititi in an incredible performance as Viago as the head vampire who is kind of a neat freak as well as lament over a former flame whom he still sees in her old age while trying to teach Nick the ideas in being a vampire.
What We Do in the Shadows is a remarkable film from Taika Waititi and Jermaine Clement. Featuring a great cast, a witty premise, dazzling visuals, and a fun soundtrack, it’s a film that play into the many ideas of what it’s like being a vampire in the 21st Century. Even as it is played for laughs as well as provide some unique commentary about the downside of the modern world. In the end, What We Do in the Shadows is a sensational film from Taika Waititi and Jermaine Clement.
Taika Waititi Films: Two Cars, One Night - Eagle vs. Shark - Boy (2010 film) - Hunt for the Wilderpeople - Thor: Ragnarok - Jojo Rabbit - Thor: Love and Thunder - Next Goal Wins (2023 film) - (Klara and the Sun) - Auteurs #64: Taika Waititi
© thevoid99 2016
Directed and co-edited by Sam Raimi and written by Sam and Ivan Raimi, Army of Darkness is the third and final film of the Evil Dead trilogy in which Ash Williams has found himself in the Middle Ages where he helps a kingdom fight the undead. The film showcases a man from the 20th Century dealing with different surroundings as he does whatever it takes to return home as well as kill the undead anyway he can. Also starring Embeth Davidtz, Marcus Gilbert, Ian Abercrombie, Ted Raimi, and Richard Grove. Army of Darkness is a sprawling yet whimsical film from Sam Raimi.
Set in 1300 A.D. in medieval England, the film revolves around a man in Ash Williams who had been sent to that world through a time portal as he faces off against the evil dead and helps King Arthur (Marcus Gilbert) fight in the hopes he can go home. It’s a film with a simple premise where it picks up where events from the previous leaves off as Ash is considered a prophet that can save the kingdom from the evil dead. The film’s screenplay by Sam and Ivan Raimi play into Ash’s bafflement in his surroundings but is also aware of what is happening where he is tasked by the wise man (Ian Abercrombie) to get the Book of the Dead yet Ash would deal with all sorts of craziness where the leader of the evil dead would form as an evil version of Ash.
Sam Raimi’s direction is definitely ambitious in terms of the period he chooses to set the film as it’s bigger and has a lot more happening in terms of what Ash is dealing with. Shot in soundstages in Hollywood with some scenes shot in the Californian deserts and mountain, the film plays into a sense of a period where Ash is out of place but also a world that is quite primitive and full of conflict. Raimi’s usage of the wide and medium shots establish a lot of the locations in Ash’s surroundings but also in some of the visuals where Ash would often get himself into trouble either by his own means or things beyond his control. The usage of close-ups would play into some of the humor that include a hilarious sequence in which Ash battles the mini-Ashes who try to kill him as it would then lead to a moment where a second Ash would grow into his body to become his nemesis.
The film also has Raimi play into the world of medieval times where it is played for laughs in some respects while it would have this climax that mixes old-school medieval battles with some 20th Century aesthetics courtesy of Ash. There are these moments that are quite comical but also very dark as it play to what is at stake. Even as Ash has to contend with the demons and those that have become possessed where he is aware of the importance of this book that could bring hope to this land and maybe he wouldn’t have to deal with all of that shit ever again. Overall, Raimi creates a thrilling and wild film about a 20th Century man fighting the evil dead in medieval times.
Cinematographer Bill Pope does excellent work with the film‘s colorful cinematography with the usage of natural and bright colors for the scenes set in the day to the usage of fire and other stylish lights for the scenes set at night. Editors Bob Murawski and Sam Raimi do amazing work with the editing with its usage of stylish montages, jump-cuts, and other stylish cuts to play into the suspense and humor as well as in some of the moments of terror. Production designer Anton Tremblay, with set decorator Michele Poulik and art director Aram Allan, does fantastic work with the look of the castle as well as a few of its interiors as well as the look of the graveyard where the book is found. Costume designer Ida Gearon does nice work with the look of the armor many of the knights wear as well as the clothes that the women wear.
The makeup work of Howard Berger, Camille Calvet, Tony Gardner, Robert Kurtzman, and Gregory Nicotero is great as it doesn‘t just play more into the look of the skeleton army but also the look of the evil dead as well as the evil Ash in his decayed form. Visual effects supervisor William Mesa does brilliant work with the visual effects from the usage of stop-motion animation for the skeletons as well as the way the ghosts and creatures look like during the battle scene. Sound designers Lance Brown and Alan Howarth do superb work with the sound from the way the demons sound as they‘re about to possess someone to the layers of sound mixes in the battle scenes. The film’s music by Joseph LoDuca, with themes by Danny Elfman, is terrific for its orchestral bombast that is filled with sumptuous string and percussion arrangements with Elfman providing the music for the battle march.
The casting by Ira Belgrade is wonderful as it feature some notable small roles and appearances from Angela Featherstone as a woman Ash meets at the place he works at in the 20th Century, Patricia Tallman as the possessed witch, Timothy Patrick Quill as a blacksmith that likes Ash, Bridget Fonda in a cameo appearance as Ash’s old girlfriend Linda, and Ted Raimi in a trio of performances as a cowardly knight, a villager, and a co-worker of Ash in the 20th Century. Richard Grove is terrific as Duke Henry the Red as an adversary of Lord Arthur who is accused of causing trouble only to be aided by Ash. Ian Abercrombie is superb as the wise man as a variation of Merlin who sees as Ash as the prophet that would help him while giving Ash specific instructions of how to stop the evil dead.
Marcus Gilbert is excellent as Lord Arthur as a variation of King Arthur who is unsure about Ash until he realizes that Ash is the one that he needs to battle the evil dead. Embeth Davidtz is amazing as Sheila as the sister of a deceased knight who isn’t keen on Ash at first but falls for him where she is baffled by his own custom as Davidtz gets a chance to be very funny when her character becomes possessed. Finally, there’s Bruce Campbell in an incredible performance as Ash Williams and the evil version of Ash where Campbell brings that smarmy sense of fun into his role in the former as well as a weight of melancholy while also camping it up a bit as the evil Ash that includes some moments where he gets to chew the scene for all it’s worth.
Army of Darkness is a remarkable film from Sam Raimi that features a sensational performance from Bruce Campbell. Featuring some dazzling visual effects, a killer climax, and lots of humor, it’s a film that manages to be more than just a horror-comedy but also a film where it’s about killing the evil dead. In the end, Army of Darkness is a marvelous film from Sam Raimi.
Sam Raimi Films: (It’s Murder!) - (Clockwork) - (Within the Woods) - The Evil Dead - (Crimewave) - Evil Dead II - (Darkman) - (The Quick and the Dead) - (A Simple Plan) - (For Love of the Game) - (The Gift (2000 film)) - Spider-Man - Spider-Man 2 - Spider-Man 3 - (Drag Me to Hell) - (Oz the Great and Powerful) - Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness
© thevoid99 2016
Directed by Sam Raimi and written by Raimi and Sam Spiegel, Evil Dead II is a remake/sequel to the 1981 film The Evil Dead which was about a group of college kids going into a cabin in the woods where they find a mysterious book that unleashes demons from beyond the grave. The film is a parody of sorts of the horror film where it picks up where the last film left off as well as recreate events from the first for a more humorous approach. Starring Bruce Campbell, Sarah Berry, Dan Hicks, Kassie Wesley, and Richard Domeier. Evil Dead II is a crazy yet exhilarating film from Sam Raimi.
The film is the story of a man trying to deal with the demons he had survived against where a group of people enter this cabin only to cause more chaos where a woman has the key that might stop these demons. It’s a film that sort of picks up where its predecessor left off yet it also delves more into the mysteries that is this mysterious book known as Book of the Dead. Notably as the people who had uncovered its text and the trouble it causes where its protagonist Ash Williams (Bruce Campbell) has to deal with these mysterious demons as well as the living dead.
The film’s screenplay by Sam Raimi and Sam Spiegel starts off with a short remake of the events in the first film where Ash is with his girlfriend Linda (Denise Bixler) only for things to go wrong and he survives as well as reveal what happened to him at the end of the first film. Then the narrative changes where Ash is trying to survive and deal with the demons while the daughter of the professor who was the one that uncovered the text of the book arrives with more pages that could be the key to end it all. Ash and the woman Annie (Sarah Berry) work together to deal with the demons as well as the chaos that surrounds them.
Raimi’s direction definitely maintains the same visual style and manic energy of its predecessor but he is also give a slightly bigger budget where he allows to do a whole lot more. In some aspects, the look and feel of the film is more polished but it’s also quite comical at times. Notably in the fact that there’s an element of camp in some of the performances but also in the way the horror is portrayed where it is over-the-top in terms of its gore where gallons of blood and such would spray onto Ash whenever he defeats or defies the demons. Shot on location in North Carolina, the film has this naturalistic yet chilling feel in the way it is presented where Raimi’s usage of wide and medium shots play into the locations. There is also an intimacy in the usage of the latter along with some close-ups that add to some of the dark yet comical approach of the film. Especially in a sequence where Ash fights against his own demonic hand which he had cut off as it has this nice mixture of horror and comedy.
The direction also plays with the rhythm of suspense in how the moments of terror is built as well as the fact that many of the conventions of the genre are used where it knows where it is going. Some of it is played for laughs while some of it is for shock yet Raimi understands that there are these moments where the characters in the film know what to do but also what not to do as some just don’t follow the rules. The film’s climax that is set inside the cabin is definitely gruesome but it also plays into the mystical aspects of resurrection where it does have its downside. It also play into the idea of legends and the need for redemption in the hands of Annie whose father was the one that uncovered the messages from the book that eventually led to his own death. That role of redemption is also something Ash has to play as well as something bigger where he would accept his own destiny. Overall, Raimi creates a thrilling yet whimsical film about a guy fighting off demons with a chainsaw and a shotgun.
Cinematographer Peter Deming does excellent work with the film‘s cinematography in creating some unique lighting schemes and moods to play into the chilling scenes set at night for its interior and exterior scenes with some naturalistic usage of light for the few scenes set in the day. Editor Kaye Davis does amazing work with the editing with its usage of stylish rhythmic cuts to play into the horror and comedy as well as a few transitional dissolves to introduce new characters. Art directors Randy Bennett and Philip Duffin, with set decorator Elizabeth Moore, do fantastic work with the look of the cabin that look a bit bigger as well as the look of Ash‘s Oldsmobile car.
Special makeup designer Mark Shostrum does brilliant work with the look of the demons and the people who become possessed as it has this look of decay and terror. Sound editor David West does nice work with the sound as it play into that air of terror and suspense as well as some of the film‘s dark humor. The film’s music by Joseph LuDuca is superb for its orchestral based score as it play into the suspense and horror that is prevalent throughout the film as well as few pieces for its comedy.
The film’s incredible cast feature some notable small roles from Lou Hancock as Annie’s mother, Ted Raimi as the demonic version of Annie’s mother, John Peaks as Annie’s father who would uncover the text that would cause a lot of trouble, Richard Domeier as Annie’s boyfriend Ed Getley as this associate professor who accompanies Annie with the found text that can stop the chaos, and Denise Bixler as Ash’s girlfriend Linda who would become possessed early in the film as she becomes the thing that would humanize him in case he becomes possessed. Kassie DePaiva is wonderful as Bobby Joe as a local woman who would have a chilling encounter with the demons while Dan Hicks is terrific as Bobby Joe’s boyfriend Jake who freaks out and tries to take matter into his own hands.
Sarah Berry is excellent as Annie Knowby as a professor’s daughter who tries to fix the chaos that her father did as well as make sense of all of the craziness that is happening. Finally, there’s Bruce Campbell in a tremendous performance as Ash Williams as an ordinary man whose encounters with demons forces him to take action with a shotgun and a chainsaw while providing that element of camp into his performance that makes it so fun to watch.
Evil Dead II is a magnificent film from Sam Raimi that features a sensational performance from Bruce Campbell. It’s a film that manages to blend horror, suspense, and comedy into something very special and fun as it isn’t afraid to be campy nor refusing to take itself so seriously. It’s got a nice soundtrack, an amazing supporting cast, dazzling visuals, and lots of gore. In the end, Evil Dead II is a spectacular film from Sam Raimi.
Sam Raimi Films: (It’s Murder!) - (Clockwork) - (Within the Woods) - The Evil Dead - (Crimewave) - (Darkman) - Army of Darkness - (The Quick and the Dead) - (A Simple Plan) - (For Love of the Game) - (The Gift (2000 film)) - Spider-Man - Spider-Man 2 - Spider-Man 3 - (Drag Me to Hell) - (Oz the Great and Powerful) - Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness
© thevoid99 2016
Written and directed by Sam Raimi, The Evil Dead is the story of five college friends who spend the night at a cabin in the middle of the woods where they find a mysterious audio tape filled with supernatural elements. The film is a horror movie set in the woods as it play into that air of mystery where five people make an unsettling discovery. Starring Bruce Campbell, Betsy Baker, Ellen Sandweiss, Hal Delrich, and Sarah York. The Evil Dead is a thrilling and grisly film from Sam Raimi.
Set in the mountains in Tennessee, the film is the simple story of five college friends deciding to spend the night at a cabin in the middle of the woods where all sorts of crazy shit happen once they find a mysterious book and an audio tape filled with strange chants that bring back the dead. That is pretty much the story where it is about a night at a cabin in the woods gone wrong all because of some evil book with this audio tape that features strange voices of chants and such from someone who had been in the cabin trying to do an experiment that went horribly wrong. Eventually, those in the cabin would be possessed by demons and all sorts of shit happen as some had to survive for the night and worried about not being possessed. Sam Raimi’s script doesn’t have much of a plot yet it is about the need to survive as well as figure out what is in this book and why it’s causing all of this trouble?
Raimi’s direction is definitely stylish from the usage of its weaving tracking shots that often move around to play into that sense of terror to some of the dazzling visuals to help build up the suspense. Shot on location in Tennessee, the film does play as this very remote world where everyone wants a break from reality but they go to a place they never should’ve gone to. Raimi’s usage of medium shots and close-ups help play into the intimacy and the interaction of the characters while he uses some wide shots for the location as well as in some of the eerie moments of terror. One notable sequence involves the character Cheryl (Ellen Sandweiss) who runs into the wood where she is attacked and raped by tree branches as it marks a key turning point in the film where it is clear something bad will happen as it sets the tone for the rest of the film.
There are elements of gore in the film where it is obvious that there’s some low-budget aesthetics that are used but that is what makes it so fun to watch. Even as there are these very graphic depiction of violence in what some of the characters do to survive. Raimi knows how to play with the rhythms of suspense where it is about that air of slow build and see if he will bring a scare or something false yet when it comes to the big scares. They are quite intense as it leads to the climax where someone has to survive and fight off these demons as well as do whatever it takes to get rid of this evil book that is found in the cabin. Overall, Raimi creates a mesmerizing yet gripping film about a bad night at a cabin in the woods involving the dead.
Cinematographer Tim Philo does excellent work with the film‘s grainy 16mm cinematography to play into some of the unique lighting in the scenes set at night as well as creating some moods for some of more terror-driven scenes as well as some natural lighting for the scenes in the day. Editor Edna Ruth Paul does brilliant work with the editing in creating some unique rhythms to play with the suspense as well as some stylish cuts to play into some of its dark humor. Special makeup effects by Tom Sullivan, with additional work by Bruce Campbell, is great for the way the demons look as well as all of the gore that is created. Sound editor Joe Masefield does superb work with the sound to play into some of the way the woods sound as well as the audio tape and other effects that play into the horror. The film’s music by Joseph LoDuca is fantastic for its mixture of eerie electronics and somber orchestral score with the latter playing into some of the drama and the former into its suspense and horror.
The film’s amazing cast feature Hal Delrich as Scotty who is kind of an asshole who tries to cause mayhem only to panic when things go bad. Sarah York is wonderful as Scotty’s girlfriend Shelly who tries to comprehend what is going on while trying to have fun. Betsy Baker is excellent as Ash’s girlfriend Linda who would be stabbed in the foot by a demon as she has trouble trying to survive. Ellen Sandweiss is brilliant as Ash’s sister Cheryl as the young woman who would be the first to get possessed and attacked as she thinks something about the place isn’t right only to lose it completely. Finally, there’s Bruce Campbell in a phenomenal performance as Ash Williams as this college guy who is trying to make sense of everything as well as understand what is in the mysterious book where he tries to do whatever he can to survive and kill all of these demons.
The Evil Dead is a sensational film from Sam Raimi that features an incredible performance from Bruce Campbell as Ash Williams. It’s a horror-suspense film that is full of chills, stylish camerawork, and some gory special effects that makes it a whole lot of fun to watch. In the end, The Evil Dead is a tremendous film from Sam Raimi.
Sam Raimi Films: (It’s Murder!) - (Clockwork) - (Within the Woods) - (Crimewave) - Evil Dead II - (Darkman) - Army of Darkness - (The Quick and the Dead) - (A Simple Plan) - (For Love of the Game) - (The Gift (2000 film)) - Spider-Man - Spider-Man 2 - Spider-Man 3 - (Drag Me to Hell) - (Oz the Great and Powerful) - Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness
© thevoid99 2016
