Nancy once again demonstrates the dangers of having a cuddle bug in the family… Too many incidents of stealth affection.
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I’ve been watching a lot of lists of great Science Fiction films on YouTube lately and one of the titles that came up routinely was Andrei Tarkovsky’s Stalker. While I was listening to a lot of these reviewers’ gush, I couldn’t help noticing how much it reminded me of a trailer I’d seen for a film called Annihilation. When you hear about films with concepts that similar, such as individuals entering a different zone of reality, that means you have a theme for a week’s double feature.
So, starting with Tarkovsky’s Stalker, we are told about a strange zone that appeared out of nowhere after an alleged meteorite struck the area. In the Zone, the laws of physics are fluid, with things like gravity changing meter by meter. Also, in the middle of the zone, there is a mysterious room that will grant your greatest wish, whether you know what it is or not. Partially because of the dangers of the Zone, but mostly because they don’t want dissidents getting wishes granted, the Government has cordoned off the Zone. Because of that, the only way to get in is to hire the services of an underworld guide called a “stalker”.
A loose adaptation of the Strugatsky Brothers’ novel Roadside Picnic, If I didn’t know that this film was done in 1979 I would automatically assume it was a metaphor for Chernobyl. Like most of Tarkovsky’s films, this is a beautiful visual poem that is wonderful to watch. He goes back and forth between muted color and gorgeous sepia monotone. The plot is almost secondary to the meditation on human nature. The one downside is it is frequently a challenge to one’s short attention span. So, if you say to yourself it’s just a film about three people walking around the woods, slap yourself.
The next film Alex Garland’s Annihilation tells the story of Linda (Natalie Portman) a professor of biology specializing in cancer cells and former soldier who is recruited to be part of an all-woman team to enter a mysterious area known as the Shimmer on after her husband, the only survivor of any of the missions to the Shimmer returns… changed. The Shimmer is slowly expanding and changing things within it. Can our team discover its secrets before they are killed as well?
This was an interesting film with great tension and visuals. It certainly has more to keep our interest in the threats of mutant alligators and bears. (though what creeped me out the most was the human-shaped trees) However, it never talks down and deals with some complex themes. (it only comes off as lightweight when compared to a film by Andrei Tarkovsky) If I have one nitpick, it is I think the film could use about fifteen more minutes to make the breakdown of the team a little more gradual.
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I’ve had today’s tribute to Mr. Dizzy Gillespie’s birthday in several of my playlists that I thought I’d already posted it. Happily, that was not the case, so please enjoy our man perform Manteca!
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For this week’s selection I returned to another Halloween favorite, ghosts. (To be honest, I was going call this haunted houses but the ghosts are only limited to a single house)
In the first film on my list, Peter Jackson’s Frighteners, Micheal J Fox plays Frank, a “psychic investigator”. Who runs a scam apparently driving away ghosts creating havoc in the houses of people who have received his business card. In reality Frank isn’t a complete fraud. He really can see ghosts. In fact he has a couple of ghosts helping him with his shakedowns. However, when people in town are start dying of mysterious causes he finds himself forced to investigate.
This was Jackson’s first big film after Heavenly Creatures. All I knew about it was it was one of the stumbling points in his career. Having heard that, I didn’t have that much of a problem with it. It was mostsly cheesy, but in a fun way, with pretty good effect courtesy of a young Studio Wetta.
My only big problem with it was I found the rules of the paranormal were inconsistent. For example it made it clear that Ghosts remained on earth due to unfinished business. However there were several scenes when spirits who definitely had unfinished business are dragged kicking and screaming up the tunnel of light after dying.
Next on my list, Steve Miner’s House, tells the story of Roger Cobb, a successful horror writer who moves back to his childhood home after his aunt dies. Things haven’t been going well for Roger. His young son disappeared five years ago which led to getting divorced. On top of that he’s getting flashbacks from his time in Vietnam and he has a bad case of writer’s block. It’s almost a relief that the house is haunted. Now, when it’s not trying to kill him, it’s driving him crazy.
This was another movie on the “Meh” list. While the makeup and effects were okay It really didn’t impress me. The best thing I found about it was George Wendt’s performance as Harold, Roger’s well-meaning neighbor who thinks he’s going crazy.
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I’m continuing with the series of Rhapsodies watercolor character sketches with Janet and Rowan. They are dressed in the brand new official Fitzpatrick Consulting polo shirts, which they will be showing off in their next appearance.
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There were way too many possibilities for today’s prompt, “snow”. It took a few minutes to dispel any takes on the Snow Queen, partially because I want to keep things Halloweeny, and partially because they were all versions of Frozen posters.
I finally thought about winter in the forest and how it’s just as potentially scary as it is beautiful. The scariness may be improved by throwing in an actual threat. This made me remember a painting of the wendigo in the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History. In a moment of political correctness, I made the wendigo’s victims trappers instead of Algonquins.
I think I may be influenced by the wonderful work of Jakub Rozalski. I love the way he makes the supernatural elements in his work seem completely natural.
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