Film Review: Pet Sematary

Pet Sematary 

Released: 1989

Directed by: Mary Lambert
Starring: Dale Midkiff,
Fred Gwynne
Denise Crosby
Miko Hughes

For the synopsis please read my book review.

OK, so I'm perhaps not the best person to go to for an unbiased account of Stephen King films. I hate to say it, but I'm a sucker for each and every one of them. Some of them truly are stand out films (Shawshank Redemption is in my top 5 films) but even the dodgiest adaptation has this weird Z-grade charm that I find hard to pass up. Because of my love for all of them, it's a little hard to distinguish with some of these older ones whether it's the quirk I enjoy, or the actual film. Especially in the ones filmed during the 1980s, where even the best are known to garner a little eye-rolling from modern audiences. So I guess this was a fairly roundabout way of saying that this film will get a high rating, but you probably should trust it.

 As I mentioned in my book review of the film, this was my very first bona fide horror film. I loved it, I remember relishing the foreshadowing, the haunting, Hermain Munster without the Hermain Munster gear (Fred Gwynne as the neighbour Jud) and all the other creepy things you expect in a horror film. It must have been weeks before I got sick of saying "First I played with Jud, then I played with mummy, now I want to play with you daddy" in a sing-song children's voice. It never really scared me (not like The Exorcist did a year or two later) but it introduced me to how fun horror can be, and how laughs can mingle with fear and general excitement. If I were to categorise this film it'd be as fun, one of those films where you know what's going to happen and you just can't wait.

Like with many Stephen King adaptations, the film does away with a great deal of the "real" horror, in this case the soul destroying loss of a child. It's still there, obviously, but rather than travel with Louis through his stages of grief, and witness the very upsetting reactions his wife and daughter also have, it fast forwards straight from Gage's death to his "rebirth". As a result there is much less time put into constructing any sort of normal life for the Creeds, or setting up any real characterisation for anyone other than Louis. There is also far more emphasis on the supernatural aspects of the story, and while the book was quite prevalent in this regard also, it was far more backgrounded until the climax. In the film however, there is much more ominous foreshadowing (both obvious through the recently dead student Victor Pascow, and more obscure), haunting music, and neighbourhood nice guy Jud is shown through a much more sinister light.

While the book focused on the turmoil that eventually lead to Louis bringing his son back to life, the film focussed more on the murder spree the young lad went on after reawakening in the Indian burial ground. I personally felt like the fear in these scenes were creepier and more nuanced in the book, but hearing teeny child footsteps, sinister words come out of a sweet 3 year old's mouth, and a rather sharp knife clasped in his chubby hand is enough to make the extended version thrilling in it's own way. Gage (played by Miko Hughes) was phenomenal, he was actually 3 years old in this film, I wonder if he had any idea what kind of film he was starring in!

Not only does the film branch off from the book in this regard, but it meanders from the book's plot quite a bit. In that regard it's quite like most Stephen King film adaptations, the bones of the story are there, but the flesh is almost entirely different. I much prefer the story of the book, it's more intense and upsetting, as well as upsetting, but I think the film did what it had to do to make it a horror film and not a drama that concludes as a horror film.

It's not as compelling as the book it was adapted from, and perhaps it's because of the fond history I have with this film, but I really can't fault it. It's the perfect mix of creepy kids, cheesy acting, 80s horror clichés and has a theme song by The Ramones. I wouldn't recommend this to anyone looking for a serious scare, and again, I'm probably just a tad biassed, but I think it's a film everyone should watch at some point, even if only to poke fun at the hokey effects!

My rating: 4/5

Film Review: Blade Runner

Blade Runner

Released: 1982

Directed by: Ridley Scott
Starring: Harrison Ford
Sean Young
Rutger Hauer

For the synopsis please read my book review.


Blade Runner is the epitome of science fiction, dystopia and cyberpunk cinema. It is considered to be the very best of it's kind, even though the director has re-released the film in three different incarnations! For this challenge I chose to watch the Director's Cut which was released in 1992, and eliminated the voice-over and other cost-cutting methods used to release the original film. I've also seen the Final Cut but I've never actually watched the original cut. I really should, bad though some people say it is, there must have been something about it that attracted such a cult following right?

The film diverges quite extensively from the book, and while I think it waters down much of the humanist and existential discussions that the book created, it does still adhere to the general feel of the book. In fact, Philip K. Dick saw only the first 20 minutes of the film and was quoted as saying, "it was my own interior world. They caught it perfectly." So for those of you who tend to run in horror when you hear a film is based on a book (especially a book as well loved and well regarded as Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?) don't fear, though it may cause moments of irritation, it is a fantastic film that is independent enough that it really should be judged on it's own merits.

Like the novel it's based on, Blade Runner takes place in the future (2019 to be exact) and follows protagonist Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford) in his search to locate a group of "replicants" (androids) who jumped ship and are hiding back on Earth. The city in which Rick lives owes a great deal to the early film Metropolis, it's a mish-mash of tall skyscrapers, blimps with large video screens, a giant pyramid structure and lots of small streets crammed with people, rubbish, stalls and steaming sewer grates. Though there are flying cars and bright neon lights, this isn't the future we always imagine, it's dark and dirty and abandoned by everyone except those without the money or health to leave the planet. Down in the streets the world has merged to create a truly multicultural society. Though English is still used, there is also "city-speak," which is a language made up of half a dozen languages from across the globe. And though many people still dress as we dress today, there are the typical future clothing styles that 80s films loved to create, mainly involving lots of see-through plastic, big shoulder pads out of weird acrylic-y stuff and big, BIG hair and make-up.

Visually the film is spectacular. Cyberpunk or "future noir" utilises some of the greatest film devices ever created. In this case there is a heavy prevalence of backlit scenes without a fill light, lots and lots of cigarette smoke (or smoke from other sources), and dramatic shadowing. Though it's a colour film, it has the intensity and substance of an old black and white noir, and the storyline relies heavily on the intensity of it's visual effects to emphasise the anxiety, hopelessness and dystopian nature of the story. Even without the stellar acting and storyline and pacing, I'd happily watch this film (on mute I guess, if it didn't have all the other aspects!) over and over just to immerse myself in the world that's created.

There are hundreds of websites dedicated to discussing the intricacies of the film, and the complexity of the human/android dichotomy that is set up. I won't go into much detail because there are other people making far better statements than I could possibly attempt, and I did tackle a portion of it in the book review I did. This area is the one place where it really diversified from the original text. In the original text PKD was making a statement about sociopathic behaviour, and about the lack of humanity within the "Andys," basically emphasising that even though they were undistinguishable from humans in the visual sense, they lacked the greatest qualities in humanity, and there was no way for them to absorb or learn how to empathise, emote or understand. They were lacking, and humans, even with all their flaws, were fundamentally better. However in Blade Runner, the situation is reversed. Instead it is that the replicants are an oppressed underclass (of sorts) and because of their limited life expectancy (they have a lifespan of 4 years) they lived every minute of their life to the fullest and were forced to rebel if they wanted to experience life for longer. In Blade Runner the humans take their lives for granted, and are far more closed-off and apathetic than their repressed android friends.

So the film does really take a different path than the book, but even though it ends up with an almost polarised view it keeps to the book's central idea of humanity and the struggle against man and machine. It's a stunning film that has really stood the test of time, and proved a marker for many dystopian films that have since been released. If you haven't seen this film yet, well shame on you, but don't worry, if you see it asap I won't hold it against you!

My rating: 4.5/5

Monday Links

 *It's no secret that I'm not a Twilight fan. In honour of my disdain, I present you with the BEST Breaking Dawn (film) review that has ever been created.

*Literally Unbelievable is a website which displays the many, many facebook statuses where people have taken The Onion stories as fact. Stomach churningly stupid people are absolutely hilarious!

*I always, always wanted to have a bookcase that led into a hidden room, or down a secret passage. One lovely human being has created a wikihow page about how to build a hidden door bookshelf. I don't think it's something i'll be attempting any time soon (me and woodwork...not so much) but if any of you are handy with your hands, you should totally do it!

*A neat little video of Irvine Welsh (Trainspotting) speaking at the Wheeler Centre.

*Wanting to take on a couple of challenges next year but you aren't sure which to pick? How about Pulitzer winners from years ending in a '2', or heartwarming animal stories? For a definitive guide of all the challenges being posted around the bookish blogs head over to A Novel Challenge.

*I really enjoy the blog Entropificus. The fantastic artist behind the blog took up the challenge to draw "what Claudia Kishi wore" during all the descriptive portions of Baby-Sitter Club books describing Claud's wacky fashion. She's now begun to draw some of the Harry Potter gals in the same way, first up was Luna and she's just delivered a gorgeous rendering of Ginny at Bill and Fleur's wedding. Check it out!

Can't stop listening to...Matt Corby

A couple of years ago Matt Corby took part in Australian Idol and was the runner up. He was 16 and pretty squeaky clean. He had a decent voice but the singers on Idol never really took my fancy, there was no grit or real emotion to their singing and their singles were always of the mindless pop variety. I think Matt did release a few singles right after Idol but I hadn't watched that season (I stopped after number 2) so he was never really on my radar. About 2 months ago I heard this song, Brother, on the radio and instantly fell in love with it. It's so raw and intense and his voice is unbelievable considering his age. I absolutely love it and haven't been able to stop playing it all week. It's written about an event that he went through recently and if you watch this live clip you'll be able to see the anguish, pain and heartbreak written clearly across his face. I try to keep my swearing to a minimum on this blog (and in real life) but I think the only way I can really conclude my emotions/thoughts on this song is with a resounding...fuck!

Enjoy!

Fanart Friday: Doctor's and their Companions

I'll be honest, more often than not in the new series I haven't liked his companions. Rose was too love-sick for her own good, Martha was just plain obnoxious, Donna was fabulous (and I'm so sad she could be the Doctor Donna for so short a time), Amy is great when she isn't crushing on the Doctor and Rory is simply to die for. However, like them or not, I'm not so stupid that I can't see that without them the Doctor may well be dead, in serious trouble or terribly, terribly lonely. Though he (in all regenerations) spends much of his time fixing their errors and slapping their hands away when they try to touch things, he is also lucky to have them around to bounce ideas off, add an extra hand (or two) and occassionally recognise the simple remedy when his mind is churning looking for complex concepts. So to honour the wonderful men and women who help our two-hearted hero so thoroughly, here is an art gallery dedicated just to them, and the relationships they develop with their Doctor! As always, I highly recommend checking out the rest of the artists' work by clicking through the links!

New Who by Janey-Jane

Imaginary Friend by BobPsycho

Amy Pond by Stera

A Bookish Christmas Decoration DIY

I don't know about you guys but I love Christmas. The food, the presents, the decorations, the music...even the terrible made for TV movies. My Christmas creativity is usually reserved for baking (mmmmmm, gingerbread) and coming up with gift ideas, but since this is my first Christmas in my own house with my boyfriend (yay! Adult!) and Christmas gear can get a little pricey, this year I set out to make my own decorations to save money and add a little individuality.

They worked out so well I thought I'd post my directions for making pretty Christmas paper ornaments. I've primarily made mine as strings of decorations draped across doorways, walls and windows, but they could also be used as Christmas decorations, present adornments or anything you like.

What you'll need:

*Scissors

*A stapler

*A pencil

*A ruler.

*Twine, ribbon or something to string them up with.

*Paper. I chose to use a book I'd bought for 20cents for exactly this kind of purpose. It was never going to be read so I've put it to better use. You could also use comics, old Christmas cards or just plain old coloured construction paper if you'd rather.

Step 1:

1. Rule your page into columns. I made mine about 2cm wide, but it depends on how large a decoration you want to make. These ended up about 10cm high, 8cm wide, but if you cut them shorter and thinner they'll be much smaller and better suited to tree and gift ornaments.

2. Cut your ruled pages out and separate them into groups of 5, that's how many you'll need to make each decoration.

Step 2:

1. With your 5 sheets in a pile fold in both ends. Make sure the fold is deep enough for a staple and a hole to thread your twine through.

2. Put two of these sheets aside. Cut two of the others shorter, about to where they folded over with the first fold. With the final sheet cut it shorter again. The measurements don't really matter, but mine ended up, with folded ends, about 10cm, 7cm, 5cm. The shorter the middle page, the more squat the end decoration will be. After you've made a few you'll be able to work out exactly what shape/style works best for you.

Step 3: 

1. Organise your sheets so it goes long, short, shortest, short, long. Make sure the folds are aimed outwards (see picture). Once it's arranged, staple the end.

2. Start making your ornament. hold the middle piece flat and curve the outside strips so that the folded tab sits flat against the middle strip. It can be a little fiddly at first, but once you get the hang of it you can make them in minutes.

Step 4:

1. Once they're in place staple the end. You're almost done!

2. Take a pencil or your scissors and poke a hole through one of the ends.

Step 5: 

1. Tie your twine or ribbon through the end and tie the end up to make an ornament, or put it to the side and thread it onto one long piece of twine to make Christmas bunting.

2. Finished! Make as many as you need, and perhaps try some different shapes. The website I saw a picture of these on also had heart shaped ones, but I enjoyed these ones too much to bother with any others!