Carrie (1974)
I am a big fan of Stephen King’s 1974 novel Carrie. It is a really sharp, taut horror narrative that turned me into a believer of King’s after a couple of failed attempts to get through one of his books. So with that in mind and a remake on the horizon, I felt it was a good time to check out Brian De Palma’s iconic Carrie (1976).
I was really looking forward to this film, Sissy Spacek who is in the title role, is a personal favourite of mine. But unfortunately this was a real let down for me. The opening shower sequence exhibits all of the awkwardness in tone and quality that I think plague much of the film. Initially the scene, of a group of female teenage girls showering, is quite sexually shot with a softness and plenty of frontal nudity including from Spacek. However when the tone shifts (when Carrie has her first period in the shower and has no idea what is happening to her body), the attempt to convey the terror and fear of the moment falls flat. De Palma awkwardly flits from one close-up of a leering, heckling teenager to the next. You can see what he is going for – alpha girls using their numbers to gang up on the ostracised ‘plain’ girl. But he does not get it right, there is none of the menace nor feeling for Carrie that should dominate. This sequence in the book totally established the character of Carrie and her place in her high school society, but it does not achieve the same here.
I know it is folly to refer to the book when discussing a film adaptation, nevertheless I will keep doing so. One of the strengths of the book is how it deals with Carrie’s telekinesis. The true nature of Carrie’s gifts are hinted at and gradually brought in from the shadows by King. De Palma though just slaps you in the face with them from the start. Carrie has TK and it is incredibly powerful. Along with your face getting slapped with that, watching this film will also lead to some self administered forehead slapping, at the sheer stupidity of some of the narrative construction. Possibly the worst of these moments is when Carrie goes to the school library and reads the entry on TK. There is a close-up on the words, a voiceover and everything. Truly terrible. It is not that the film is totally without merit, it is just that I don’t think it is very good. The character of Miss Collins, Carrie’s teacher is a good one, providing the moral compass of the film. As such it might have been nice to have seen a bit more of her character onscreen. The ending for me though was not great, feeling a little rushed. Or maybe the problem was earlier, because when the deathfest got going, it was hard to muster much of a care factor for those meeting their end. Possibly most fatal for a horror film is the fact that anything supernatural or remotely scary is just fumbled entirely. With the honourable exception of a scene right at the end which scared the pants off me. De Palma does also get some kudos for his handling of a couple of elements of the final prom scene. The slow-mo anticipation as the bucket of pig’s blood teeters, and Sue sees what is about to happen for one. Then the really nice use of split-screen during the early parts of the carnage Carrie brings about is also a cool touch.
A really scattershot element of the film, for me at least, was the performances. Sissy Spacek as Carrie is brilliant and she totally acts the pants off everyone else here. When I consider all time great female actors, Spacek is pretty near the top of my list. Piper Laurie plays Carrie’s mother as a totally over the top ‘bible basher’ in what is I think a pretty poor performance. You can see what Laurie in conjunction with De Palma were trying to achieve with it, but the performance just comes across as not at all genuine. But aside from Laurie’s effort, a number of the supporting roles are well performed. Betty Buckley as Carrie’s supportive teacher Miss Collins is really excellent whilst amongst Carrie’s classmates it is Amy Irving as Sue Snell and Nancy Allen as Chris Hargensen who stand out. The soundtrack, indeed more broadly the whole sound design, is actually quite unbearable. The music is overly intrusive and emotive whilst the constant terrible ear piercing screeches every time Carrie uses her TK had me reaching for the mute button. The effect intended to hype the power that Carrie yields, is just really ham fisted.
Carrie should be the ultimate high school film, with everything magnified due to the supernatural elements. Unfortunately due to the haphazard production and (mostly) neglected human side of things, it definitely is not.
Verdict: Schooner of Carlton Draught
Progress: 69/1001
Chaser Review and My Other Work
Just a quick post guys to send you in the direction of The Film Brief to check out my review of The Chaser, a really fantastic South Korean flick I mentioned briefly in Worth Watching November 2012.
Also, as you may or may not have noticed, I have been doing a little work on the site, adding in some more pages along the top. One of those is for My Other Work, where I will link to all my writing which appears on other sites. I will be updating it as I go along, so I don’t have to bug you guys every time something else pops up somewhere on the wilds of the internet.
And just cause I can’t handle a post without a pic, here is a Lol Bunny
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The House is Black
As this blog has progressed, I have gradually expanded out from my original vision to review the 1001 Films to See Before You Die. But it is good to revisit the book, because it exposes me to so many fantastic and challenging films that I would never know about without it.
The Iranian documentary The House is Black (1963) is one such film. The film focuses on a leprosy colony in Iran, the poverty that causes the disease and especially the plight of those who inhabit the colony. It is not an easy film to watch, unflinchingly showing the physical deformities of these people that so markedly separate them from the rest of society. The humdrum and neglected nature of the existence many of them lead is also shown, a girl looking longingly out a window which seemingly traps her. Sentences her to a disconnected life. A man pacing up and down endlessly, humming to himself. Despite the subject matter though, there is a definite tenor of hope through much of the film. It opens with the quote that “there is no shortage of ugliness in the world” but then states that man is a “problem solver”, arguing that the only way to overcome ugliness in the treatment of those less fortunate in society is through humanity. There are many close-ups of the physical attributes of these lepers, which were confronting to me because I had not seen these kinds of bodies before. We also see various members of the community undertaking exercises in order to help combat the disease, including painful looking exercises to straighten out clenched hands. But all this focus on ‘deformed’ physicality is never used in an exploitative way. Rather these shots are a way in to life in the leper colony, as do the other shooting techniques such as some really nice use of montage. Contrasting a child with one of the older lepers for example.
The House is Black is not just an ethnographic piece or rallying cry for better treatment of lepers. The only film of poet Forugh Farrokhzad, it is a really artistic piece that is very clever in the way it weaves poetry as well as excerpts from the Old Testament and the Qur’an in with the images onscreen. Early we see the lepers giving thanks to God, specifically thanking him (through reading from a text, not sure which one) for the physical attributes provided to them and what these attributes allow them to do. The lyrics of the poem especially mirror the images being shown. The poem evolves throughout the film, giving a range of different perspectives on what the screen is showing. The lyrics talk of the physical form, reflect on the treatment of those less fortunate in society and for a brief period express a longing to escape, both from one’s personal situation and also from an uncaring universe. The sense of hope that I referred to earlier is also seen in the increasing instances of kids featuring as the film progresses. It is horrible to see children caught up in a situation such as this and to ponder what their lives must have been like. But the children in the film are a source of hope, a splash of laughter from a child playing is probably the highlight of the film. Farrokhzad obviously saw this hope too as she went on to adopt one of the children that she connectd with at the colony.
The incredible Forugh Farrokhzad
Conronting, but necessary to see, The House is Black is a wonderful documentary. Like many great piences of art, it shines a light on those who have been marginalised, forgotten or neglected by the society in which they exist. I urge you all to check it out whch you can do just here. The subtitles are occasionally white on a white background, but aside from that it is a reasonable quality copy.
Verdict: Longneck of Melbourne Bitter
Progress: 68/1001
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The Bergman Files: Summer Interlude
“I am very fond of Summer Interlude; it is my favourite movie… I don’t mean it’s my best. I don’t know which movie is my best” Bergman speaking of Summer Interlude in a 1960 interview with James Baldwin.
The first thing that struck me about Bergman’s tenth directorial effort Summer Interlude (1951) was just how sharp it looks. From the very first shot, a canted one of a church, every image is both beautifully composed and lovingly shot. Once again, Bergman is peering into another art form. Instead of the orchestra of To Joy (1950), here it is a ballet company. Just like in that film, here Bergman seems to revel in the shooting of another art form. As Wim Wenders’ Pina (2011) recently showed, dance onscreen can look astounding. The dance scenes in this film are glorious with Bergman exploring the way dancers look onscreen, both individually and as part of a collective. He seems especially concerned with the structure of the dancers as they fill up a stage, the manner in which they divide up that space.
The film opens with the ballerina Marie receiving a small package. Inside is a journal which makes her distraught, obviously bringing back strong memories. The rest of the film is essentially a flashback to 13 years into the past, gradually revealing memories of a glorious first love and immense pain to the audience. The story follows Marie and her admirer Henrik as they grow into their love, extremely awkwardly at first. It is a somewhat strange arc to the love story the way it plays out, as they never completely outgrow this awkwardness. This serves to make the beginning of the romance not entirely believable but paradoxically makes the rest of it more so. We can all relate to the awkwardness of early love affairs, fumbling attempts to connect two hearts and that is plain to see in this holiday affair. I have already suggested that the relationship ends in tragedy, and the film actually reveals that fact relatively early on so it is not a massive spoiler. But the fateful moment at which that occurs is truly unexpected, shocking and quite upsetting. I struggle to think of another moment from Bergman thus far which has matched the moment for sheer intensity.
Whilst the narrative gives away where it is going relatively early on, this really interesting film keeps you guessing as to exactly the route it is going to take to get there. It has a similar playfulness with narrative structure as is seen in To Joy. As well, Bergman and those he surrounds himself continue to grow more assured at what they do. Summer Interlude features one of the better soundtracks amongst his first ten features. It is more prominent than in a majority of them, with the soundtrack generally playing a relatively minor role in the others. Here though it is more noticeable, complementing the goings on of the film and the growing relationship. But it also manages to be ominous and intriguing at various points of the film, adding a real flavour to the overall end product. At the risk of sounding like a broken record, it is truly astounding just how good Bergman’s run is of getting supremely good performances out of his leading ladies. Especially given the fact that in his own personal life Bergman often treated the women in his life with contempt. Here in Summer Interlude Maj-Britt Nilsson as Marie is brilliant, the definite core of the strange whirl of a film that swirls around and encompasses her. Whilst in my opinion, none of these first ten films are what I would call ‘great’ films, there are definite glimpses as to why Bergman would go on to be considered one of the greats of world cinema. As a director, he was always thinking, always creating. In this film there is a gorgeous little piece of animation that seemingly comes from nowhere and adds so much to this film. I think in that one little flourish there is a window into the brilliance that will eventually follow.
The awesome Maj-Britt Nilsson
Whilst it is not my favourite of his pre-1960 films as it was for Bergman, there is an undeniable charm about Summer Interlude, especially concerning its island setting and central couple. There is also a lot of depth here, exploring how hard it is to comprehend the fact that after a loved one dies, the world essentially goes on unchanged, when you feel like it should have the decency to stop for just a little while. Well worth a look.
Verdict: Pint of Kilkenny
‘The Bergman Files’ Leaderboard
- It Rains on our Love (1946)
- This Can’s Happen Here (1950)
- To Joy (1950)
- Crisis (1946)
- Summer Interlude (1951)
- Port of Call (1948)
- Music in Darkness (1948)
- A Ship Bound for India (1947)
- Prison (1949)
- Thirst (1949)
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Trailer for your Weekend: Star Trek Into Darkness
For some reason, this was billed as an “announcement” on the site where I watch my trailers, so I almost didn’t click on it.
But it’s a teaser trailer, and an utterly killer one. I enjoyed the first Star Trek film (the first of these new ones – you know what I mean). That’s coming from someone who has never even watched a Star Trek TV show or film before. And seeing this suddenly has me hanging out for the next entry. Benedict Cumberbatch!!! Sherlock is one of my favourite shows of recent years, so seeing that man in a major villain role is enough to get me excited for this. Everything else is pretty cool too. What do you guys think of this one?
On a side note, any Star Trek fans out there? Would love to hear suggestions on the best way to start exploring the canon. Every time I look for a way in, I am just too intimidated by the sheer number of different versions of the TV show. Not sure where the start is, or if I should even be starting from the start.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XSoIs4wfaeM
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Building a Blogger Address Book
Over the past couple of months, I have begun to interact with more and more fellow bloggers around these parts which has been a whole lot of fun. I find there are heaps of really interesting blogs to read on wordpress and plenty of really fantastic writers taking the time to write them
Occasionally I am looking for people to write a guest post for my site, take part in things like The Bergman Files and My Favorite… Rather than creating an entire post for this kind of thing every time it comes up, I thought a better way to do it would be to create a little email address book for myself. So, if you would be keen to occasionally throw your hand up for something like this, then please fire me your email address (and link to your blog) to drinkingbeerwatchingmovie@gmail.com. Or alternatively if you just want to talk shit about movies, then feel free to hit me there too. Don’t worry, I am not going to be spamming you endlessly, it will just be the occasional no pressure offer of writing an article sent out to a bunch of cool cats.
On the flipside, if you have an idea for something I could write for your site, then please get in touch via email too.
Peace.
– Tim
Worth Watching November 2012
A somewhat quieter month for this feature as holidays and a focus on Bondfest minimised my time for other films. That said, there are some cracking flicks to check out this month.
Worth Watching:
- The Chaser (2008), Na Hong-jin – A supremely intense serial killer flick made even more so by the fact it is based on a true story. It sees a cop tuned pimp racing to find the killer of a number of whores. This is very clever and at times very hard to watch filmmaking. Kim Yoon-seok is simply wonderful as the pimpcop leading a strong cast. Nerve-shredding and brutal.
The fine Kim Yoon-seok at work on the film.
- The Angel’s Share (2012), Ken Loach – This flips partway through from Scottish drama into delightful heist film. All of it soaked in the beautiful warming taste of good whiskey. A troubled youth finds a soul mate in community service who turns him onto whiskey. A hilariously funny film featuring Paul Brannigan and John Henshaw as a terrific double act. Definitely one of the most joyous films of the year.
- Jack Irish: Bad Debts (2012), Jeffrey Walker – Based on Peter Temple’s crime novel, this TV film brings a very Melbourne-centric story to life nicely. Helps when the cast is absolutely chock full of the best Aussie TV talent. Guy Pearce is very strong as Jack Irish, the lawyer turned sorta-debt collector. Whilst (like the book) the film sometimes gets lost in it’s labyrinth like narrative with too many characters, overall this is a very well made crime jaunt.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ce5KzOyaUNc
- Skyfall (2012), Sam Mendes – This is a very good Bond film, if not the second coming of the series as some have been claiming. The action is taut and it is great to see some more psychology of the main players revealed. The story, whilst perhaps not OTT enough for a truly great Bond film, is an intriguing one. And the knowing nods to Bond films past work well for the most part, especially the appearance of a certain car. As does the reboot-esque ending which fills a couple of classic Bond roles for future outings.
- The Trial of Joan of Arc (1962), Robert Bresson – Bresson may be known as a minimalist, but he brings a lot of beautiful imagery to the screen. First hand accounts of Joan’s trial were used to recreate events. She is such a resilient soul in the face of such horrible oppression. Simple trial scenes and heavy but engaging dialogue abound. The performance by Florence Delay as Joan of Arc is understated but very good, especially her ability to convey both vulnerability and strength simultaneously. The walk to the stake alone is very confronting, let alone the burning scene that follows.
- Jack Irish: Black Tide (2012), Jeffrey Walker – This is the better of these two, both very good, TV films. The makers have done a very good job of bringing the books to the screen. Aaron Pederson is excellent as Cam, my favourite character from the books and it is great to see someone of Pearce’s profile featuring here. A more coherently told effort that brings its crime stylings to life well. There are a lot of dismembered and half rotted bodies in these films though.
Not Worth Watching:
- Dredd (2012), Pete Travis – The urban wasteland settings of this film look amazing. But ultimately this is a hollow experience that wastes the promise of the premise. Doesn’t bother to examine the ethics of future cops being judge, jury and executioner. Also has a totally unnecessary level of violence to top it off.
If you only have time to watch one The Angel’s Share
Avoid at all costs Dredd
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