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Romero’s ‘Creepshow’ Paved the Way for Our Comic-Con Cravings
George A. Romero’s “Creepshow” (1982) is never mentioned as a major, trailblazing comic book movie, but it is.
Whereas many notable mid-to-late 20th century films that were based in spirit or directly on a comic book (or, excuse me, Graphic Novel) adapted a jokey, condescending tone (I’m looking at you, “Superman III”), Romero’s film isn’t fooling around.
Despite the use of gooey corpses, a decapitated head and a tombstone used as a murder weapon (for starters), Romero’s film is an ambitious, two-hour effort to muse movies with comic books in a cinematically synergistic way.
All of the above preceded Warren Beatty (“Dick Tracy”), Robert Rodriguez (“Sin City”), Zac Snyder (“300” and “Watchmen”) and Christopher Nolan (the Dark Knight trilogy), all of whom followed his path much later.
“Creepshow” is an adoring tribute to E.C. Comics, and the age of publisher William Gaines’ going to bat against critics who accused him of putting out tasteless comics (indeed they were- but also witty, beautifully drawn and structured like a bite sized morality tale).
Romero and Stephen King’s wonderful collaboration is tonal and visual approximation of the lurid joys, visual pulp and moral rot within the likes of E.C. Comic’s “Tales from the Crypt” and “Vault of Horror.”
Here is a major-league filmmaker with a lifetime of indie cred that aimed to create a comic book aesthetic (note the splashes of primary colors during jump scares and self-conscious panels during scene transitions, to name just a few examples), while screenwriter King shaped yarns that, indeed, your mom wouldn’t approve of and your dad would toss in the trash.
It begins with Tom Atkins as a positively loathsome dad, who berates and even slaps his son (played by future author Joe Hill) for possessing a horror comic book. The bad dad tosses the comic in the trash, bores his wife over the plots within the comic (King’s way of teasing us that we’re about to watch the “crap” he’s describing) and the appearance of a ghoul outside the boy’s window indicate some sort of revenge plot is in order.
Here’s the line-up of the vignettes, which are best viewed with as little prior knowledge as possible.
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“Father’s Day” is a perfect opener, as it’s well paced, sets up its sick joke premise and moves along into its bad taste howler of a final shot. Plus, watching Ed Harris (in his first film role) dance badly to a peppy disco tune is hall of fame worthy (a runner up is clearly Crispin Glover’s spastic moves in “Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter”).
“The Lonesome Death of Jordy Verill” admittedly might have benefitted from a leading man who is more of an actor and less a shameless ham. Still, watching King fearlessly portray a dimwitted bumpkin is a once-in-a-lifetime kick.
“Something to Tide You Over” is my favorite. Featuring two terrific performances by Ted Danson (a hoot in his film debut) and Leslie Nielsen, years before he became the go-to leading man for movie parodies, it’s as cruel, funny and satisfying as the best of E.C. Comics.
“The Crate” is overly drawn out and, despite obvious highlights, is the weakest of the bunch. Nevertheless, it’s enjoyable to watch Hal Holbrook go so lowbrow and Adrienne Barbeau (so endearing in John Carpenter’s “The Fog”) play such an obnoxious character. Once we finally get to it, The Monster inside that crate is wonderful.
“They’re Creeping Up on You” succeeds in setting up a hermetically sealed, clinical environment, infesting it with roaches and building to a glorious, gross-out ending.
If the stories are all variations on horror comic book “crap,” then this is another of the film’s greatest accomplishments: “Creepshow” has a stylishness that is atypical of American horror films but is every bit as disreputable, gross and mean as the comic books that inspired it.
Although “Creepshow” is never cited alongside the the first serious-minded comic book movies, here is a big-budget effort to get the look and feel of the source material right. It’s also one of the best and every bit as essential to the genre as Richard Donner’s “Superman – The Movie” (1978) and Tim Burton’s “Batman” (1989).
In fact, the attempt to create a cinematic duplication of the comic book format was as crucial to “Creepshow” as the design of “Ang Lee’s eternally controversial and experimental “Hulk” (2003).
The success of “Creepshow” led to an enjoyable, clunky and lower budgeted “Creepshow 2” (1987), released by New World Cinema and not a prestigious operation like Warner Brothers (who distributed the original).
Unlike the first film, the sequel sported shoddier production values and more B-movie ready cast. However, the take-it-or-leave-it cheap frills of “Creepshow 2” at least aligned it with the source material; like the Quentin Tarantino “Death Proof” segment of the delicious “Grindhouse” (2007), it’s less an ode to dirty B-movies than the genuine article.
The straight-to-video, nearly unwatchable “Creepshow III” has no involvement with Romero or anyone originally attached to the series. On the other hand, the more appropriate spinoff of “Creepshow” is worth revisiting and celebrating.
The small, spooky and always inventive “Tales from the Darkside” TV series was essentially “Creepshow” for the small screen; it aired from 1983-1988 and was a fixture of after-hours network TV and basic cable programming for four seasons.
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Premiering around a golden era of post-“Twilight Zone” TV horror and fantasy anthologies, “Tales from the Darkside” took on the E.C. Comics mode of characters lacking a moral compass who encounter the supernatural and meet a typically horrific end. Nearly every episode was done on a single set with few actors and a high-concept premise that could be wrapped up in under 30 minutes.
While lacking the flashier production values of the more heavily hyped anthology shows of the era, like “Amazing Stories” and the new “Twilight Zone,” the durable appeal of “Tales from the Darkside” lingers on, as does the eerie sleaze it carries over from its E.C. Comics source.
The punchline to both “Father’s Day” and “Something to Tide You Over” bear a resemblance to the deliciously cheesy “Lot 249” portion of “Tales of the Darkside: The Movie” (1990), which, due to Romero’s connection and the horror anthology format, has been often referred to by fans as the unofficial “Creepshow III.”
As clever and enthusiastically fiendish as King’s screenplay is, what makes the film truly special is how Romero directed it. This is a true tour de force, as Romero has shaped this labor of love into a living breathing comic book.
Flashes of red light when a gruesome attack is made, split screens to create a comic book layout, angles and color lighting to suggest the panels. So do the side pans, “splash at” replications within the murder sequences.
The actors are also a part of Romero’s approach – no one is giving a condescending, “comic booky” turn akin to the cast of “Superman IV: The Quest For Peace” (1987) or “Brenda Starr” (1986). Yet, there is an elevated quality to the performances that fit the tone entirely.
It’s interesting that, unlike the slasher films and most genre films of its day, most the “Creepshow” cast are veteran and middle-aged film and theater actors.
If Romero’s zombie movies are trojan horses for social issues he wanted to explore through genre works, then “Creepshow” is, like the comic books it is based on, an attack on social norms, morality, ethics, proper etiquette and domestic roles.
Romero’s counter-culture attitude was always present in his work. Even his recently unearthed, long believed to be lost and devastating “The Amusement Park” demonstrates his directorial strengths and frustrations with society.
“Creepshow” is, perhaps, not the film school staple that his “Night of the Living Dead” (1968) is but certainly deserves to be. In bringing not just the tone but a clever representation of graphic novel storytelling to the big screen, “Creepshow” wasn’t just ahead of its time but also Romero adding a measure of prestige and fiendishness that honors the best of E.C. Comics.
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The White Lotus Season 2 Review: An Underwhelming, But Still Entertaining Addition to the Series
It seems impossible to deny that the world is enamored with crime right now. Whether it is the sudden fascination with Jeffrey Dahmer after the release of Netflix’s documentary about him, or a fictional tale about murderers and supernatural ongoings in a suburban town, audiences cannot get enough of it. When The White Lotus came out on HBO in the middle of the pandemic, the summer of 2021, it was a smash hit with critics and audiences. The six-part limited series swept home a plethora of awards, from ten awards at the Emmy Awards to Hollywood Critics Association TV Awards. Season two of The White Lotus is making its way out into the world in October 2022, just in time for Halloween and the upcoming holiday season.
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Weird: The Al Yankovic Story Review: A Hilarious Satire of Musical Biopics
Weird: The Al Yankovic Story tells a glorious tale of unparalleled greatness. How one man conquered the music world... in a very specific category, battled a ruthless fan turned Colombian drug lord, and lustily romanced a conniving pop star seductress. You might have heard of Madonna. Insert sidesplitting laughter to tears here. "Weird Al" Yankovic and director/co-writer Eric Appel satirize biopics with deft aplomb. They take their 2010 Funny or Die parody trailer and beef it up to a hilarious feature film. Sure, Weird Al's rise to improbable success and stardom is interesting. But why not slightly exaggerate the accordion-playing shenanigans with a spicy edit.
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‘Banshees of Inisherin’ Offers Divine Comic Tragedy
Irish humor can be quick, cutting and oh, so dark.
Filmmaker Martin McDonagh (“In Bruges,” “Seven Psychopaths”) delivers a master class in his culture’s humor via “The Banshees of Inisherin.”
The tale of a friendship’s dramatic decline offers laughs between the cringe. The tale also spins an anti-war message we’ve never seen before, something as unexpected and rich as the rest of this yarn.
Colin Farrell stars as Pádraic, a simple-minded soul who treasures his regular pint with long-time chum Colm (Brendan Gleeson). They live on a remote island off the coast of Ireland circa the mid 1920s, and life is … bland.
The duo’s pub visits offer camaraderie, if nothing else, but one day Colm decides he’s no longer interested in their bond.
Please leave me be. I have other things more important than chit-chat, like fiddle playing.
Pádraic is confused, then devastated. His loyal sister Siobhán (“Ray Donovan’s” Kerry Condon) tries to rally his spirits, but the middle-aged man can’t process the end of a friendship.
Colm refuses his old chum’s pleas again and again. When Pádraic won’t let the friendship go, Colm suggests a bleak way to show how serious he is on the subject.
“Banshees” sounds like a simple tale, but the story’s beauty lies in its complexities. Life on the island is cruel and punishing, with the mainland far enough away to make their isolation feel like something you can hold in your hand.
A local shopkeeper is so desperate for gossip, any gossip, she squawks at a customer with nothing new to spill. The island is so small that any friendship fissure is shared in record time, and sometimes the company of a worker donkey can make a difference.
That proved to be a painful bond for Farrell, apparently.
So Pádraic’s lament is real and heartfelt. Farrell’s expressions sell his concern, his face crumpling at the thought of losing a pal. Colm is resolute, eager to spend his days writing music, art that can last longer than his material form.
Meanwhile, fighting can be heard from the mainland between the Irish Free State and the IRA. It’s a very minor plot point that speaks to a larger matter. Can war be explained, in part, by a hunger for conflict, for distraction?
Can this friendship be saved? And, if not, how far will Pádraic go to try?
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McDonagh’s script is savage and sweet, brimming with laugh-out-loud moments delivered with care and consideration. Condon is the revelation here, a proud woman whose life didn’t turn out as expected. She’s strong but humbled by her day-to-day struggle and her bond with her brother is showing its limits.
We’ve come to expect greatness from Gleeson every time he graces the screen, but this may be Farrell’s most haunting turn. His handsome visage is aging, and the pain he brings to the screen is remarkable in its depth.
Barry Keoghan offers more comic relief as Dominic, who some might cruelly refer to as the Town Idiot. His arc offers more example of the cruelty built into the human condition.
“Banshees” might be a miserable experience if not for the vibrant humor infecting every scene. There’s joy in pain, discovery in loss, and McDonagh’s wonderful film reminds us why.
HiT or Miss: “The Banshees of Inersherin” sneaks up on audiences, deftly blending heartache and isolation in ways we haven’t seen before.
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Does ‘Visiting Hours’ Deserve Its ‘Nasty’ Reputation?
Deborah Ballin (Lee Grant) is the host of “America Today.” Her on-air views anger exactly the wrong fan, a deranged individual named Colt Hawker (a great villain name and a stunning performance by Michael Ironside).
Hawker is obsessed with Ballin, sneaks into her beautiful home and attacks her. Though Ballin survives the incident, she is whisked away to a hospital, where Hawker aims to finish what he started.
Jean-Claude Lord’s “Visiting Hours” (1982) has the distinction of being on the infamous British list of “video nasties” and boasting one of the most memorable movie posters (more on that later).
It is also, hands down, the best ’80s slasher movie set in a hospital, better than Rick Rosenthal’s “Halloween II.”
The trailer and poster art (which a reputable 1987 mystery omnibus called “Murder in Manhattan” stole) are still tops.
Lord’s direction is good – even before Ironside’s character enters the story, the camera is already stalking Grant. A sequence where Grant hides in a pulley while Ironside drags her to him, is especially well-staged (the camera provides her POV).
The director later made “Eddie and the Cruisers II: Eddie Lives” (1989), which is a good soundtrack in a search of a movie.
Grant and William Shatner are very good in this, but its Ironside’s showcase. The actor made a big impression in David Cronenberg’s “Scanners” the year before. This was another standout turn, though only a minor hit in 1982.
The tagline touted that it was “So Frightening, You May Never Recover.” No, but it is disturbing. “Visiting Hours” is truly unsettling.
Ironside’s character is all brute force, savage and bizarre – he dresses up in his victims’ jewelry and even photographs them. He’s playing Travis Bickle, but lacking any sense of humanity or a moral center.
Ironside is briefly introduced through extensive close-ups and profile shots, like a shark circling his prey, a fitting visual. We never root for the villain, as Ironside’s disturbingly committed performance makes this impossible, but the character’s evil glee and barely contained rage makes Ironside’s performance the main attraction.
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Jonathan Goldsmith’s effective score, with plucks on the piano to simulate the sound of as heartbeat, is effective.
The screenplay has some limitations, like flashbacks to Ironside’s abusive father during childhood, which are vague rather than illuminating.
Right before the first attack scene, Grant is framed in front of a shower long enough for the “Psycho” (1960) reference to catch. Linda Purl, who bears a resemblance to Tippi Hedren, becomes the film’s other female lead in the second act. No one will confuse “Visiting Hours” for Hitchcock, though Lord definitely tries.
Visiting Hours, starring Michael Ironside, Lee Grant, Linda Purl and William Shatner, was released on this day in 1982 (USA)
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— Horror31
(@Horror31) May 28, 2017
The movie has a weird place in its genre: it’s a slasher movie, but with a grown-up cast. The setting and tone are serious, at odds with the teen shenanigans audiences come to expect from these movies.
Also, unlike the scream/giggle reaction to the outrageous gore from the likes of “Friday the 13th,” the violence here is never meant to be “fun” or received with ironic laughter. Ironside keeps this tense.
“Visiting Hours” begins Hitchcockian, turns sleazy (an extended sequence of Ironside terrorizing a woman he picks up is over the line), then finds its way back at the end. By making Purl the film’s lead in the third act, the film regains its footing.
Being set in 1982, it creates the feeling of a hospital as an isolated environment where anyone has access to you. Thankfully, hospital security has come a long way since this movie, but that’s also part of the nightmarish scenario it creates.
If the title is a reference to those we’re happy to see us at our most vulnerable, then is there anything worse than being neglected by hospital staff while someone is stalking you, in a building where people die every day?
The post Does ‘Visiting Hours’ Deserve Its ‘Nasty’ Reputation? appeared first on Hollywood in Toto.
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All Quiet on the Western Front Review: An Unflinching Portrayal of Pointless Combat
Erich Maria Remarque's classic anti-war novel gets a brutal and unflinching adaptation for Netflix. All Quiet on the Western Front shows the true toll of World War I combat without sentimentality. There are no soaring speeches or gallant heroism here. Soldiers die horrifically for a pointless cause while elites dither. All patriotic fervor vanishes as rats chew mangled corpses on scarred battlefields as blood flows like rivers into muck-filled, frozen trenches. Hunger, desperation, and loneliness are only eased by companions in arms. Their tragic deaths further spiraling mental fragility. War is hell and gets rightly depicted as such.
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The Whale Review: Brendan Fraser's Awe-inspiring Performance Keeps Darren Aronofsky's Film Afloat
The hope of repairing broken bonds, making amends, and coming to terms with heartache swirl ‘round and ‘round in The Whale, the eighth feature film from director Darren Aronofsky (Requiem For A Dream, Black Swan, Noah, Mother!). The buzz around the movie, which recently screened at the Chicago International Film Festival and has been hailed as Brendan Fraser’s career comeback, began after it hit the 79th Venice International Film Festival in September.
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Hunted Review: A Failed Attempt at Murderous Social Commentary
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Making a masterpiece has its drawbacks — impressing people creates expectations. That's been the story of the critical response to Neil Marshall's filmography ever since he hit the scene with the one-two punch of Dog Soldiers and The Descent, two of the defining horror films of the 2000s. The Descent, especially, was so good that it conditioned people to expect the same thing from Marshall, but it's probably an anomaly in his career, not in terms of quality but in its sheer seriousness.
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The Guest Room Review: A Spine-Chilling & Genuinely Terrifying Thriller
Director Stefano Lodovichi delivers us one of the most horrifying films of the year while also revealing his ability to create a flawless and compelling story. The Guest Room grips you immediately as the entire cast pulls off a magnificent performance. The cinematography, framing, and editing all sensationally contribute to the film’s frightening narrative while the plot will flip a switch on something you'd never expect. Stefano Lodovichi makes an impressive move of having the film entirely shot in a single location and only featuring a total of three characters. The Guest Room is a riveting and well-crafted thriller from start to finish that’ll leave viewers shocked and blindsided during the film’s final act.
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Holy Spider Review: A Thrilling Manhunt for a Killer
There are many hot contenders for the upcoming Oscars' international category, and Denmark's entry is no exception. Based on a horrific true story, the film's eerie title derives from the real-life murderer who was nicknamed the "Spider Killer" in the press, as 16 sex workers died in the holy city of Mashhad, Iran, from the year 2000 to 2001. At once a blend of crime procedural and psychological thriller — which has become quite the acclaimed genre — the Persian-language feature is directed by Ali Abbasi, who is known for his 2018 film Border which won Cannes' Un Certain Regard award. Holy Spider follows Saeed Hanaei (played by Mehdi Bajestani), the serial killer who targeted Mashhad sex workers under the belief that he was cleansing the streets of sinners. The film also focuses on a fictional female journalist who descends into the city's dark underbelly to investigate him. The film was selected to compete for the Palme d'Or at this year's Cannes Film Festival. Zar Amir Ebrahimi, who plays the journalist, rightfully won the festival's Best Actress Award.
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Guillermo Del Toro's Cabinet of Curiosities Review: High-Quality Horror
There's nothing new about horror anthologies on television, seen from The Twilight Zone and The Outer Limits to somewhat recent titles like Channel Zero and Black Mirror. The anthology has been making somewhat of a comeback, with American Horror Stories, Love, Death + Robots, Creepshow and many more having aired this year alone. The great thing about anthologies is their capacity to showcase a wide spectrum of talent; there is certainly a lot of talent out there, but for anthologies, it really comes down to who is curating it.
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The Peripheral Review: Epic Sci-Fi From the Makers of Westworld
"Cyberspace. A consensual hallucination experienced daily by billions of legitimate operators, in every nation, by children being taught mathematical concepts [...] A graphic representation of data abstracted from the banks of every computer in the human system. Unthinkable complexity. Lines of light ranged in the nonspace of the mind, clusters and constellations of data. Like city lights, receding." So wrote William Gibson in the 1984 novel Neuromancer, quite a while before 'cyberspace' became a common term to denote the shared unreality of our digital interactions.
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Harry Styles’ My Policeman Co-Star David Dawson On The ‘Special’ Experience Filming Sex Scenes With The Pop Star
Raymond & Ray Review: Confronting Abuse with Humor & Heart
Two very different half-brothers bury their abusive father in a peculiar ceremony. Raymond & Ray addresses the toll of reconciliation and moving forward with a comedic tinge. It takes a bit to get going but drops crazy reveals in the second act. Stars Ewan McGregor and Ethan Hawke make the best of an uneven script. The hurt they experienced as children haunts their adult lives. Depression, addiction, and failed relationships ripple from their troubled upbringing. The film struggles with tone but ends with a rewarding message. Confronting traumatic events isn't easy but necessary to free yourself from suffering.
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The School for Good and Evil Review: A Fantasy With Potential, But Held Down By Details
Originally released as a novel in 2013, The School for Good and Evil was positioned for success. The novel was popular enough to spawn multiple sequels, and after several years, it had been translated into twenty-eight different languages and was a worldwide hit. Universal Studios acquired the rights to make the series into a movie not too long after it was released in 2013, and in 2020, tangible plans to turn it into production came to fruition as Netflix became involved. Now in 2022, the movie adaptation of the popular book finally made its way into the world.
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Why John Wick 4’s Laurence Fishburne Thinks It’s The Best Installment In The Keanu Reeves Franchise
The Equalizer 3 Has Begun Filming, See How Denzel Washington, Antoine Fuqua And More Celebrated
Temple Of Doom's Ke Huy Quan Reveals How His Reunion With Harrison Ford At D23 Happened
Jada Pinkett Smith Admits To Apologizing To Sheree Zampino About Her Relationship With Will Smith
Katherine Schwarzenegger Reveals The Sweet Way She And Chris Pratt’s First Child Reacted To The New Baby
Lupita Nyong’o Gets Honest About The ‘Panic’ And Health Issues She Experienced While Receiving Acclaim For 12 Years A Slave
Watch Jack Black Sing A School Of Rock Song For A Sick Kid (And Bring Your Tissues)
Timothée Chalamet Talks Filming Dune And One Thing That’s Changed With Dune 2
Get Hyped, ’Cause Chris Evans Just Shared Post About Starting Work On His New Movie With The Rock
Keke Palmer Shares Thoughts On Possibly Joining The MCU After Fans Campaign For Her To Play Rogue In X-Men Reboot
After Friday The 13th Actor Ted White’s Death, Tributes For The Jason Voorhees Actor Pour In
Black Adam Review: Dwayne Johnson's Anti-Hero Unleashed
Dwayne Johnson pummels villains and superheroes alike as an ancient god with a killer instinct. Black Adam gives the DCEU a bad-a** with zero moral compunction. He hurls, electrocutes, and literally rips enemies apart without batting an eye. Black Adam is the definition of all stick and no carrot. If only the script kicked as much behind as our anti-hero. A predictable plot with cardboard characters chinks the magical armor. Dazzling action saves the simple narrative; which results in a popcorn cinema spectacle that should delight fans. A whopper mid-credits scene sets the stage for an epic showdown.
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'Black Adam' Spoiler-Free Video Review
Master Gardener Review: Paul Schrader Plants a Nazi in a Garden
Before he was the celebrated writer of four Martin Scorsese films and director of classics like American Gigolo, Cat People, and Affliction, Paul Schrader was a young critic and film theorist (like many budding filmmakers). At the age of 24, he wrote a brief, wonderful tome titled Transcendental Style in Film, a meditation on filmmakers whose work embodies, as Schrader writes, "[an] ability to transcend culture and personality [...] a spiritual truth that can be achieved by objectively setting objects and pictures side by side that cannot be obtained through a subjective personal or cultural approach to those objects."
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First-Time Director Michael B. Jordan Shares Grateful Message After The First Trailer For Creed III Drops
A Long-Hidden Bill & Ted Easter Egg Has Been Revealed, And Even Alex Winter's Mind Is Blown
The Rock Shocks Kelly Clarkson With Sex Tape Joke About His Wife
Tom Felton Shares A Robbie Coltrane Quote About Harry Potter That Will Hit Fans Right In The Feels
Kevin Costner Is Re-Teaming With A Yellowstone Alum For His Western Movie Horizon
Olivia Wilde Has Been A Big Proponent Of The Free The Nipple Movement. At Gala, She Wore Her Own See-Through Dress
4 Things Jay Ellis Says The Top Gun: Maverick Cast Would ‘Love’ About Getting To Do Top Gun 3
As Brad Pitt And Angelina Jolie’s Legal Battle Continues, Will He End Up Selling His Production Company?
Terrifier 2 Has Some Fans Vomiting In Movie Theaters, Producer Issues Warning For The Horror Flick
Scream’s David Arquette On Dewey’s Death And Not Being Able To Join The Cast For The Sixth Movie
Michael B. Jordan And Jonathan Majors Look Massive In Creed 3 Images
Ezra Miller Pleads Not Guilty To Burglary Charge, Could Face More Than 20 Years In Prison
Halloween Ends Director Explains Why The Threequel Focused So Much On That New Character Corey
The Banshees of Inisherin Review: Martin McDonagh's Sublime Exploration of Friendship Soured
Lifelong friends call it quits on a lonely island during the Irish Civil War. The Banshees of Inisherin tells a bleak and often humorous tale of sad endings. The riveting devolvement of deeply personal relationships strikes a sobering tone. The hurt and loss that one feels often means freedom for another. That's difficult to accept but an unfortunate truth. The brilliant writer/director Martin McDonagh constructs vivid characters in a melancholic setting. You're not sure how to feel as the film takes darker turns. There are no villains in a story of pursuing happiness at any cost.
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Tom Felton Weighs In On J.K. Rowling And Sets The Record Straight On Her Involvement In The Movies
Brendan Fraser Peaked In Hollywood. Why It Took So Long For Him To Make A Comeback
Olivia Wilde Now Says Florence Pugh Had ‘A Really Wise Comment’ About The Alleged Feud Drama
Why Has Pop Culture Forgotten ‘Dead of Winter?’
“Dead of Winter” (1987) was a respected but little-seen thriller when it first came out and remains that way, a title recalled with admiration but barely in the conscious of even the most studied horror fan.
A recent Scream Factory Blu-ray re-release and an overall appreciation of its star, Mary Steenburgen, and its director, Arthur Penn (of “Bonnie and Clyde”) should have elevated its status. Yet it remains a hidden treasure.
Now, at 35 years old, it remains a modest but impressive work and a real find.
Steenburgen stars as Katie McGovern, an actress who is summoned by a pair of wealthy but mysterious men (Roddy McDowell and Jan Rubes) to audition for a film role. The catch: McGovern must travel through heavy snowfall to an isolated mansion for the audition.
Whether she gets the role or not, she’s staying in a house with two strange men who are cheerful, encouraging and eager to put her audition on film. Is everything what it seems?
McDowell’s character initially seems obsequious, but the actor slowly turns up the dial on the character’s state of mind, which bears similarities to Anthony Perkins’ Norman Bates.
It’s wild to think that McDowell did this back-to-back with the Goldie Hawn/ Kurt Russell comedy “Overboard,” which he co-produced and was released the same year. Unlike his warm, cuddly turn in “Overboard,” McDowell is scary in this one.
Today’s #31DaysOfHorror Recommendation: Dead of Winter (1987)
Directed by Arthur Penn
Starring Mary Steenburgen, Roddy McDowall, Jan Rubes, William Russ
Our rating: 4/5 pic.twitter.com/htwF7L71Fs
— HorrorCultTrashOther (@HorrorCultTrash) October 7, 2022
Rubes plays Dr. Joseph, the other man living in the house and the wheelchair bound director of the movie she’s been sent to audition for. Rubes, most famous for superbly portraying an authority figure in the Amish community of Peter Weir’s excellent “Witness” (1985), had previously played Santa Claus opposite Steenburgen in the strange Disney cult film, “One Magic Christmas” (1986).
That equally dark film, along with “Dead of Winter,” would make for a weird double feature.
Steenburgen and McDowell are given a goldfish at a gas station as a present for their patronage (“Free with every ten-dollar purchase!”)- we later see she kept it, as it swims in circles in a wine glass, an effective if obvious symbol of her character’s status.
RELATED: HOW ‘TERROR IN THE AISLES’ NAILED ’80s HORROR
There are other visual clues and set ups as well, like a great reveal in a fireplace, missing fingers(!) and a bear trap that the film wisely puts to use later.
“Dead of Winter” was in good company in 1987, a great year for thrillers – “Fatal Attraction,” “Someone to Watch Over Me,” “The Stepfather,” “The Bedroom Window,” “Black Widow,” “The Believers” and “Angel Heart” all opened the same year.
The storytelling is straight forward and unpretentious. However, Penn’s film isn’t lacking style, but rather rich in atmosphere. Even before we’re at the wintery setting, the snowy environment of the prologue allows stark cold vistas to create an unwelcome feel.
“Dead of Winter” could be a stage play – in fact, it still could, as Stephen King’s “Misery” has proven to be a riveting fit for community theater and Broadway (the acclaimed 2015 Bruce Willis/ Laurie Metcalfe production), then so could this.
Penn’s film is ostensibly about acting, as Steenburgen’s character catches onto to the act her captors are playing on her before they know she knows. Performance is literally what saves her in the final act, which is a lot of fun for the chances it takes.
I loved the in-joke of actor/former husband to Steenburgen Malcolm McDowell’s autograph visible in one scene. The film is a great showcase for Steenburgen, who rarely got to cut loose like this and carry a film on her own.
As a depiction of a warped director/actress relationship and how thespian training can be a weapon or a skill for others to prey on, “Dead of Winter” is oddly similar to the troubled but appreciated Canadian horror film, “Curtains” (1983).
In both films, the actresses are summoned for a major film role and realize how the director is trying to control more than just their performance. Steenburgen has shined many times before, but her work here, which is so atypical of everything else she’s done, is what makes “Dead of Winter” so good.
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The Extreme Lengths Beast’s Prosthetics Team Went To In Order To Create Those Gnarly Lion Wounds
Anne Hathaway Shares Honest Thoughts On Whether A Devil Wears Prada Sequel Will Happen
How Mel Gibson Has Now Been Roped Into Harvey Weinstein's Upcoming Rape Trial
Jamie Lee Curtis Recalls That Time Eddie Murphy Showed Up Late To The Trading Places Set And What Happened After
After Harry Potter Actor Robbie Coltrane’s Death, Hugh Laurie Shared A Sweet Story About Hanging Out With Him
Details About Unmade Star Trek 4 With Chris Hemsworth Have Been Revealed, Including How He And Chris Pine Would Have Crossed Paths
Lenny Kravitz Once Showed Off His Abs And Pitched Himself For Magic Mike 3, Now He Doubles Down On The Channing Tatum Joke
Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson And More Harry Potter Stars Pay Tribute To Robbie Coltrane Following The Hagrid Actor’s Death
Lupita Nyong’o Just Shared 10 Movies Jordan Peele Asked Her To Watch In Preparation For Us, And Now I Have Plans For Spooky Season
Tom Brady’s Movie Has A Release Date, And It’s Pretty Soon
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Finale Recap & Review: Sauron's Stunning Reveal
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power drops major reveals in an emotional finale. Questions are answered with a tad of narrative duplicity, butt-kicking magical dueling, and an indecent proposal for a stunned Galadriel (Morfydd Clark). The Dark Lord has been front and center since the beginning. Pulling every string in a friendly guise. His diabolical plans finally set in motion by the actual forging of rings. "Alloyed" heats up the unknown elements and forges them together with renewed purpose.
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Keanu Reeves Is The Latest Hollywood A-Lister To Get The Deepfake Treatment, And It’s Uncanny
‘Honored’ Halle Bailey Shares New The Little Mermaid Poster. Chloe Bailey, Storm Reid And More Send Thoughts
Liam Neeson's Naked Gun Movie Has Finally Taken Some Huge Steps Forward
‘Halloween Ends’ Gives Short Shrift to Iconic Monster, Franchise Essentials
Director David Gordon Green lost interest in Michael Myers before we did.
Green, who successfully rebooted the franchise in 2018, caps his trilogy with an ambitious, but ill-advised chapter. Michael Myers is back, natch, as is Laurie Strode. Yet the final chapter squanders most of its time on a secondary set of characters who, suffice to stay, lack their iconic history.
Jamie Lee Curtis’ Laurie Strode has picked up the pieces since Michael Myers butchered half her hometown, including her daughter (Judy Greer), four years ago. She’s happier now, eager to boost her granddaughter’s social life and flirt with a local cop (Will Patton).
Her metamorphosis beggars belief given everything we’ve seen in the last two films. That’s on par for a sequel disinterested in continuity or context.
Laurie introduces a troubled young man named Corey (Rohan Campbell) to Laurie’s granddaughter Allyson (Andi Matichak), fully aware of his past. He accidentally killed a pre-teen years ago, and the morally broken town of Haddonfield, Ill. never forgave him.
It’s a powerful subtext the film embraces but struggles to follow up on.
Corey connects with Allyson, two troubled souls eager for healing. (Remember, Allyson lost both her parents in “Halloween Kills.”) Except Corey can’t process his horrific past, an issue that catches Laurie’s attention.
RELATED: WHAT YOU DIDN’T KNOW ABOUT THE ‘HALLOWEEN’ FRANCHISE
To say more would ruin key elements in the film. Just know Michael Myers’ name hasn’t been mentioned yet, and for good reason. While “Halloween Kills” featured the monster in what felt like every other scene, Gordon keeps The Shape far, far away.
Yes, that’s a problem.
We eventually get the standard-issue killings, most of which are of the ho-hum variety. And, since this is a 21st century horror film, there’s neither sex nor nudity.
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The screenplay staggers from insightful asides to to dopey observations. It’s hard to square Laurie’s experiences over the franchise with thoughts of “forgiving” Michael Myers.
Yeah, that train left the station back in 1978, no?
Gordon and co. deserve credit for shaking up the franchise formula for the finale. We don’t even see kids wandering the bucolic Haddonfield streets, innocently dressed for the Halloween festivities.
His Plan B, sadly, lacks the compulsive glee of the franchise’s better entries. More frustrating? The approach defangs one of film’s most notorious monsters. There’s far less to fear with this Michael Myers than ever before.
This IMAX #ExclusiveArt has us peeking through our fingers . #HalloweenEnds in 10 days. pic.twitter.com/OEmExzUma4
— IMAX (@IMAX) October 4, 2022
“Halloween Ends” runs wild with cheap scares, but there’s little frightening about anything else. Unless you consider the project’s squandered potential.
Now, that’s terrifying.
And, when Laurie and the boogeyman square off (no spoilers here … it’s in the trailer) it’s hardly the battle of the titans we crave. It’s like two boozy buds throwing haymakers at each other.
It’s a letdown, just like the rest of “Halloween Ends”
HiT or Miss: “Halloween Ends” delivers what franchise devotees want, a finale to the never-ending saga. Anyone expecting a satisfying resolution will come up empty.
The post ‘Halloween Ends’ Gives Short Shrift to Iconic Monster, Franchise Essentials appeared first on Hollywood in Toto.
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She-Hulk: Attorney at Law Finale Recap & Review: A Painfully Stupid Ending
She-Hulk: Attorney at Law has straddled the line between humor and absurdity all season. A good Tatiana Maslany has overcome silly storylines by establishing an endearing protagonist. Jennifer Walters' travails adjusting to her powers, dating, corporate life, and social media sexism were understandable. An idiotic finale tosses that exposition through a window. "Whose Show Is This?" lands with a stupid, exasperating thud. A cheeky attempt at cleverness backfires with an avalanche of dumb reveals and twists. Her ability to break the fourth wall fixes a formulaic ending and pokes fun at Marvel Studios. It doesn't work and encapsulates the show's flaws.
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'Halloween Ends' Spoiler-Free Video Review
Lawyer For Anne Heche's Son Responds After Court Denies James Tupper's Claims, Shares Actress' Net Worth
James Wan And Blumhouse’s M3gan Is Already Getting The Meme Treatment After The Wild Trailer Drops
Pacifiction Review: This Movie Will Hypnotize You
"It's fascinating to film today's world and I do so without any ideology [...] I'm only interested in pictures." So says Albert Serra in a press statement for his new film Pacifiction. While this is more or less impossible, Serra's new movie does indeed create something very close to this idea of pure cinema, in which the power of the art form itself supersedes anything else. As he says, "This was our idea: suppress upon editing everything which, as it referred to a social issue, didn't fit in with pure cinematographic license."
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Johnny Depp Made $650 Million During His Heyday In Hollywood, But His Biggest Payout Was Not A Pirates Of The Caribbean Movie
Good Night Oppy Review: An Exhilarating Retrospective of Scientific Glory
On June 10, 2003, NASA launched Spirit, the first of two Mars Exploration Rovers, into space towards the red planet. Opportunity followed three weeks later. Their mission was expected to last 90 Martian sols, the equivalent of 92.5 Earth days. They surpassed that objective by thousands of sols with Opportunity, affectionately named Oppy, surviving an incredible 15 years. The rovers transformed our understanding of Mars. They heralded a benchmark scientific discovery by finding evidence of liquid water. Good Night Oppy documents their exhilarating journey through the eyes of the dedicated team that achieved the impossible. It's a spectacular, deeply emotional retrospective told with stunning footage, amazing visual effects, and a swinging pop soundtrack. Taken from the NASA wake-up songs used to start every morning on Mars.
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Hugh Jackman, Josh Gad, And More Pay Tribute To Angela Lansbury After Her Death At 96
Scarlett Johansson Talks Acting From A Young Age And Being 'Hypersexualized' Early In Her Career
How Much Of Tom Cruise’s Space Movie Is Actually Going To Be Set In Space?
Kevin Spacey Accuser Anthony Rapp Was Asked About American Beauty Seduction Scene During His Testimony
Jonathan Majors Shows Off Abs In New Shirtless Post After Bulking Up For Creed III: ‘Let’s Go’
Tom Felton Opens Up About How It Was Harry Potter’s Emma Watson Who Encouraged Him To ‘Tell His Story’ And Not Skip The Tough Bits
Rosaline Review: A Hilarious Retelling of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet
Spoiler WarningRosaline is a smart and refreshing modern twist on an iconic Shakespeare tale. The film is a unique and easily entertaining romantic comedy that makes the story of Romeo and Juliet so much more fun. Kaitlyn Dever is absolutely hilarious as she shines the spotlight as the charming and sarcastic young woman who originally captured Romeo's heart before Juliet. Rosaline is funny, dramatic, and relatable that uses 21st-century language and personalities while borrowing elements from the fictionalized story. The film is well-casted with a top-notch soundtrack and visuals.
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Miles Teller Talks Tom Cruise Delivering On The Top Gun: Maverick Set: ‘I Don’t Know If Anybody Will Ever Really Love Making Movies As Much’
Batman and Superman: Battle of the Super Sons Review: Pre-Teen Scions Are a Blast
Superhero scions save the world from a monstrous threat and become besties along the way. Batman and Superman: Battle of the Super Sons takes the DC animated universe back to a more family-friendly and fun footing. The pre-teen-powered plot tackles the usual adolescent travails with a Justice League twist. Good humor and slick CGI animation make up for a lack of surprises. The narrative plays out as expected but keeps your attention through a breezy runtime. The adventures of Jonathan Kent (Jack Dylan Grazer) and Damian Wayne (Jack Griffo) have a promising start.
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A Third Hercule Poirot Movie Is Coming With Kenneth Branagh, And I’m So Pumped For Jamie Dornan And The Rest Of The Stacked Cast
Jamie Lee Curtis Opens Up About How Jake Gyllenhaal Apparently Facilitated The Creation Of The New Halloween Movies
Michael J. Fox On Back To The Future Co-Star Christopher Lloyd Being There For Him On His Parkinson’s Journey
Neil DeGrasse Tyson And Elon Musk Talked About How Tom Cruise Should Have 'Splattered' In A Specific Top Gun: Maverick Scene
‘Hocus Pocus’ Earned Its Cult Status. ‘Hocus Pocus 2?’ Not a Chance
In “Hocus Pocus 2,” the Sanderson sisters, a trio of 17th century witches, return to modern day Salem Massachusetts to haunt a new crop of teens.
It opens with an elaborate flashback, in which Winifred, Mary and Sarah Sanderson, the characters played by Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy, are embodied by children.
This portion actually works, though only time will tell if any of the young actresses will get the kind of career boost Mayim Bialik once received playing a young Midler in “Beaches” (1988).
Although the sequel captures the madcap tone of the original, offers a more diverse ensemble and always looks good, it still can’t explain how witches from the 1600s know the lyrics to lite FM rock tunes.
The high schoolers who take on the witches this time are of the “Charmed” ilk and there’s also Tony Hale shamelessly hamming it up as the film’s sorta-villain. Hale’s pushing-too-hard performance suggests he was afraid of getting out-acted by Midler.
The cult following for “Hocus Pocus” is genuine and impressive.
For those who can’t remember the summer of 1993, the first movie was a famous disaster. Originally set for a Halloween release (obviously), disastrous test screenings (kids were traumatized, adults thought it was too corny) made the studio lose faith and instead dumped it in July.
“The Nightmare Before Christmas” got the October slot and became an instant classic, while Midler got ribbed in the press for turning down “Sister Act” but agreeing to play a witch.
Decades later, the fandom of “Hocus Pocus” grew, as Halloween enthusiasts would watch it annually every October. Considering how the film was originally received, its return to the zeitgeist as a holiday essential isn’t just unlikely but triumphant.
The film itself is much closer to the spotty “Casper” than the brilliant heights of “Beetlejuice,” but I respect the devotion to “Hocus Pocus.”
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“Hocus Pocus 2” isn’t bad, but it’s a cookie cutter sequel, consisting of the Disney+ formula of family friendly content, no expenses spared and hardly a thing about it worth remembering.
The original offered some unsettling imagery and more bite than you’d expect from a Disney comedy- no surprise, since it was written by “Child’s Play” creator David Kirschner and horror filmmaker Mick Garris.
The second helping of the Sandersons is, unfortunately, awfully safe and a product instead of a work with any passion. The original deserves its long accumulating cult following, but the sequel will likely be regarded as an afterthought.
Midler gives it her all, though this is a performance more fitting of a cabaret or a stage show. Midler was robbed of an Oscar for her all-stops out work in “For the Boys” (1991) and is capable of far more than she’s given here.
I guess what I’m saying is that I’m a big fan, and Winifred Sanderson is to Midler’s film career what “Labyrinth” was to David Bowie’s: a way to connect to a younger generation but hardly a creative peak.
By the way, why hasn’t someone made “Beaches II,” especially since there’s already a novel in place (it was published in 1991) and Midler could still pull it off?
Jessica Parker and Najimy hit the exact same notes they did in the original and mostly fade into the background. None of the new characters connect, though the final scenes shamelessly try to ignite another sequel.
The cult of “Hocus Pocus” ought to thrive on, but it deserves a worthier third chapter.
RELATED: IS ‘CADDYSHACK II’ THE WORST SEQUEL … EVER?
I missed Binx the talking cat, which was a startling special effect in the original (though nowhere near as impressive as it once was). It’s cool that they not only brought back Billy Butcherson, the reanimated corpse character, but also the man who played him, Doug Jones.
Yet, except for some grisly updates to the corpse’s tendency to lose body parts, it doesn’t add much.
Because it’s a sequel, there are bigger CGI effects and set pieces. Unlike the first movie, which had one forced and painfully silly music number, this one has three musical numbers and they’re all groaners.
“The Wind Beneath My Wings” is in no danger of being surpassed by “The Witch is Back” or anything else off the “Hocus Pocus 2” soundtrack. Then again, the first movie was a massive underachiever in its day, so who knows?
Two Stars
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Luckiest Girl Alive Review: Mystery Story Tries to do it All and Fails
In 2022, things are slowly but surely beginning to look up when it comes to women’s representation in television and cinema. The numbers are starting to look better than what they used to be decades ago, and with that comes a slew of new work that does a much better job of capturing the feminine experience than its predecessors in the same genres. While some of these movies and shows are truly progressive in the way that they authentically women, others have not been as successful. In the era of #MeToo, films are skirting around the notions of female empowerment and revenge against the patriarchal, wealthy systems in place, and relish giving their women protagonists the chance to upend said systems. Netflix now seeks to further these conversations with the release of its newest film: Luckiest Girl Alive.
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Old Man Review: Stephen Lang's Good in Lean Psychological Thriller
A lost hiker seeking refuge gets more than he bargained for with a volatile recluse. Old Man is a bare-bones psychological thriller with a strong lead performance. Stephen Lang keeps the tension taut in a lean production. Everything takes place within the confines of a ramshackle cabin. The camera leers through cupboards and around corners. The cramped setting contributes to questions about the protagonist's mental state. Are we seeing reality or something sinister and supernatural? That question lingers until late second act reveals. The narrative loses considerable steam when questions are answered.
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Megan Fox Is All In On The Classic Captions As She Throws On Denim To Mimic Famous Britney Spears Outfit
Ahead Of Halloween Ends, Jamie Lee Curtis Reflects On Why She Was Drawn To The Role Of Laurie Strode Decades Ago
Amber Heard Has Reportedly Been Living Quietly In Spain For Months Under A Terrific Pseudonym
Mike Myers Recalls The Cool Austin Powers Tribute He Received While Visiting Buckingham Palace
Jennifer Lawrence Opens Up About Feeling A ‘Loss Of Control’ After The Hunger Games Came Out
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Hinterland Review: Dizzying Post-War Perfection
"Man screams from the depths of his soul; the whole era becomes a single, piercing shriek. Art also screams, into the deep darkness, screams for help, screams for the spirit. This is Expressionism.” That's what Austrian playwright Hermann Bahr wrote about the emerging and always evolving art movement known as Expressionism (and later Post-Expressionism), seen not just in painting but in the great silent horror films. In many ways, this art was a response to war.
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Billy Eichner’s Bros Director Speaks Out After The Actor Claimed Homophobia Caused The Movie To Flop
Papparazzo Speaks Out After Breaking Arm In Incident With Cara Delevingne and Margot Robbie
Vanessa Hudgens Is Living Her Best Life With Spider-Man-Themed Pole Dancing Routine
‘Three Days of the Condor’ Captured Our Deep State Past (and Present)
On a recent flight, I rewatched one of the great political thrillers of all-time:
From start to finish, “Three Days of the Condor” is a suspenseful, action-packed thriller, perfect for a three-hour flight.
Based on the 1974 novel Six Days of the Condor by James Grady, the film was shot in the wake of the Watergate scandal and the final stages of the Vietnam War. That might help explain the movie’s dark reveal at the end, which comes only after the body count grows and the plot is slowly unraveled.
The entire film is an emotional roller-coaster, in part because viewers are teased and left guessing who is good and who is bad. But it’s the final scene that contains the most terrifying and important message.
Let’s first take a closer look at the story.
‘Everybody Is Dead’
Directed by the late, great Sydney Pollack, “Condor” stars Robert Redford as a low-level CIA analyst named Joe Turner (code name: Condor) who finds himself on the run when the small CIA office he works at is hit by a team of killers led by a European hit man known only as Joubert (Max von Sydow).
The slayings are fast, dispassionate and efficient. About a half-dozen people are left dead, including Turner’s love interest who is politely asked to “step away from the window” before she is gunned down. Turner, who was out getting lunch when the attack takes place, manages to escape the carnage.
Why the hit took place is a mystery, but it’s a question our hero is determined to solve. The word hero might be a stretch, however, because Turner is just a low-level CIA flunky. Several times he reminds us he “just reads books” and files reports on them, like when he calls in the hit to the home office.
“The section’s been hit,” he tells an operator who calls himself the Major.
Major: “What level?”
Turner: “What level?
Major: Level of damage.”
Turner: “Everybody. Dr. Lappe, Janice, Ray, Harold. Harold was in the, uh--”
At this point, the Major scolds Turner for breaking procedure by calling from a phone booth, which prompts Turner to snap back.
“Listen, you son of a b**ch! I came back with lunch. The house was murdered. Everybody is dead,” he tells the Major. “Will you bring me in, please? I’m not a field agent. I just read books.”
These last lines are important because it establishes that Turner is just a regular guy. He has no agenda, unlike the other CIA brass we encounter.
After some back and forth telephoning with the Major, Condor is put in touch with Higgins, the deputy director of the CIA’s New York bureau, who arranges to have Turner meet the head of the DC branch, who’d be accompanied by someone Turner trusts.
The meeting goes south, however, when Turner’s friend is capped in the head by the man accompanying him. Turner manages to escape again, and eventually takes captive a young woman (Faye Dunaway) so he can hide out in her apartment and rest.
Naturally, this being a movie, a romance sparks.
The couple’s peace is fleeting, however, as their location is quickly discovered. Turner manages to survive yet another hit attempt, killing one of the men involved in the hit on his CIA office.
‘Someone You Know, Maybe Even Trust’
Throughout this whirlwind of events, viewers are left trying to piece together what’s happening. Everyone seems suspicious, and it’s not entirely clear who the good guys are.
Eventually we learn something shocking (SPOILER ALERT): Joubert isn’t working against the CIA.
He’s working for the CIA. Turner, it turns out, stumbled on an off-the-books CIA operation designed to procure oil from the Middle East, ensuring US national security for decades. When Turner accidentally discovered evidence of the operation, Leonard Atwood, Deputy Director of Operations for the CIA’s Middle East division, ordered the entire office taken out to maintain the secret.
Turner learns all this while holding Atwood at gunpoint in his home near the end of the film.
Unfortunately for Turner, the contract-killer Joubert arrives and appears to finally have the jump on the Condor. In another unexpected twist, however, Joubert instead kills Atwood, who had hired Joubert to eliminate Turner’s section. (Sensing an embarrassment for “the company,” Atwood’s superiors contracted with Joerbert to have him suicided.)
Following Atwood’s “suicide,” Joubert and Turner walk out of his home into the early morning air. An uncomfortable silence lingers. Finally, the hitman begins to politely chat with Turner, the man he was trying to kill a day earlier (and whose girlfriend he did kill). Joubert kindly offers to give Turner a lift.
When Condor declines, saying he just wants to go back to New York, Joubert utters perhaps the most memorable lines of the film.
“You have not much future there. It will happen this way. You may be walking. Maybe the first sunny day of the spring. And a car will slow beside you, and a door will open, and someone you know, maybe even trust, will get out of the car. And he will smile, a becoming smile. But he will leave open the door of the car and offer to give you a lift.”
The True Terror of a Deep State
Three Days of the Condor is a masterpiece in part because it creates a sense of paranoia. Viewers don’t know who to trust, and this creates a suspended feeling of tension throughout the film.
This sense of paranoia is only heightened when we learn the US government is behind the killings, all for the greater good of “the company” and the United States.
Many today mock the idea that “a deep state” could actually exist in the US government, but in 1975 the idea didn’t seem quite as crazy. In the wake of Watergate and Pentagon Papers, Americans were dealt the harsh truth that people in power have agendas beyond what’s said in press releases, and sometimes they do things in pursuit of those agendas that are dishonest, inhumane, and even criminal.
In 1975, some viewers probably found comfort in the idea that these nefarious activities were only carried out by Richard Nixon, a failed president who resigned in disgrace. The frightening truth is, agencies like the FBI and the CIA were engaging in shady operations way before Nixon became president—and long after he resigned.
To be clear, I’m not talking about the CIA shooting up offices and murdering people in broad daylight, like in “Three Days of the Condor” (though the CIA did consider killing Cuban refugees and bombing Miami in its plot to take down Fidel Castro).
I’m talking more about a catalog of verified historical events that range from ethically bankrupt to dehumanizing to overtly criminal.
This includes the CIA forcing prisoners to partake in drug experiments to study mind control (Project MK Ultra), the FBI staging acts of terrorism so they can “foil” the plot, the CIA planting war propaganda with compliant media (as documented in former New York Times journalist Tim Weiner’s book Legacy of Ashes), agencies spying on Senate intel committees and publicly lying about it, and the FBI sending letters to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. instructing him to kill himself.
The list goes on.
The idea that “deep state” operatives exist in the U.S. government operating with their own agendas should frighten us. But “Three Days of the Condor” shows the true terror of a deep state isn’t necessarily the crimes it commits.
At the end of the film, it appears like our protagonist has actually won. Atwood is dead. Joubert is no longer a threat. And Turner has gone to The New York Times with his story.
But in the final scene at a street corner in New York City, Turner meets Higgins, the deputy director of the CIA’s New York bureau. Played by Cliff Robertson (the kind-faced fellow who played Uncle Ben to Tobey Maguire in “Spider-Man”), Higgins is a character we kind of like.
While we don’t actually trust him, it was Higgins who helped guide Turner out of his mess and is presumably the man who ordered Atwood taken out. But he also is clearly playing his own game.
In the most important scene of the movie, Turner tells Higgins he spilled the beans to the Grey Lady. The story is out, he says confidently, and there’s nothing Higgins can do about it.
“Awwa, you poor, dumb son-of-a-b**ch,” Higgins says with a crestfallen look.
Turner turns on his heel and walks away, triumphantly we think. Then Higgins calls out to him.
“Hey Turner,” he says. “How do you know they’ll print it?”
Suddenly it’s Turner who looks crestfallen, even a bit frightened.
“They’ll print it,” he replies, but his voice shakes just a little.
Now it’s Higgins who looks steely confident.
“How do you know?” Higgins asks.
Turner offers no reply and the film doesn’t say what happens next. But Turner’s look is meant to tell us—and his eyes reveal fear and the true terror of a deep state.
What makes a deep state truly frightening isn’t that invisible factions within the government will act unethically or even criminally in pursuit of their agendas to serve “a greater good.” It’s that they will be able to do so and never be held accountable, even when they are caught, because they control information.
This is precisely why we should resist government attempts to control information. Albert Einstein once noted this is a well-worn path to tyranny.
“Any government is evil if it carries within it the tendency to deteriorate into Tyranny … the danger of such deterioration is more acute in a country in which the government has authority not only over the armed forces but also over every channel of education and information.”
In the end, “Three Days of the Condor” leaves us with a riddle. What is the use of a free press if those with influence are too afraid or corrupt to print the truth?
This piece was originally published at FEE.org.
Jonathan Miltimore is the Managing Editor of FEE.org. His writing/reporting has been the subject of articles in TIME magazine, The Wall Street Journal, CNN, Forbes, Fox News and the Star Tribune. He’s also contributed to Newsweek, The Washington Times, MSN.com, The Washington Examiner, The Daily Caller, The Federalist and The Epoch Times.
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‘Amsterdam’ Can’t Get Out of Its Own Way
“Amsterdam” is a mess.
Not all messes are the same, of course. Nor does the word suggest “Amsterdam” is unwatchable. Director David O. Russell’s latest, a sprawling collection of pinpoint comic performances and inconsequential asides, is rarely dull.
The film’s vibrant morsels, brief but significant, should add up to something special, an artistic gestalt bound for Oscar glory. Russell’s canon suggests just that (“American Hustle,” “The Fighter,” “Silver Linings Playbook”).
Instead, “Amsterdam” stalls in the second act until the big “reveal” emerges. That calamitous finale finds Russell abandoning any semblance of subtlety or sophistication.
There’s as much to admire here as recoil over, but the glorious cast makes “Amsterdam” worth a look. And a certain Dark Knight towers over his peers.
Christian Bale stars as Dr. Burt Berendsen, a physician still grappling with his wounds from the First World War – including a glass eye that can’t seem to stay in place. The year is 1933, and Burt’s enduring bond with Harold Woodsman (John David Washington), a loyal friend and lawyer, leads him into a terrible jam.
They attempt to help the daughter (Taylor Swift!) of their old wartime leader who died mysteriously en route to the States. She’s murdered before they can discern her father’s fate, and the crime is pinned on them.
Sort of.
The duo must clear their good names, but that plot is forever pushed aside for any number of tangents and flashbacks. First, we learn how Burt and Harold met in the first place, later teaming with the lovely nurse who treated their war wounds.
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That’s Margot Robbie as Valerie, the third member of the “Amsterdam” trio. Their bond is infectious, but even that can’t be enjoyed at face value.
A larger threat looms, one far more ominous than the murder charge that may fall on our heroes’ heads. Fascism is on the march overseas, and it may be taking root stateside.
That part is true, to a point. Creative license gets a heavy workout here.
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There’s much more to “Amsterdam,” including a pair of “bird enthusiasts” (Michael Shannon and Mike Myers doing his inimitable British accent), a nurse with a soft spot for Burt (Zoe Saldana, wasted) and a power broker (Rami Malek) and his bubbly bride (Anya Taylor-Joy).
Russell toggles back between past and present, but there’s rarely a sense of urgency here. The exception?
Robert De Niro enters the story as a powerful veteran tasked with making a critical speech. What will he say? Might he be compromised? Can one speech change the world?
It’s one of De Niro’s weaker performances, but it’s hardly his fault. By this time in the film Russell has lost control of the narrative, pushing hard on the tale’s anti-fascist rhetoric.
By definition, it shouldn’t take much to deplore fascism. So why all the heavy lifting?
#Amsterdam Imax Live Q&A: Christian Bale, David O. Russell, Margot Robbie, Rami Malek https://t.co/WZJnj7PIgC
— Deadline Hollywood (@DEADLINE) October 3, 2022
The third act threatens to tie up the loose ends. It does that and more, expanding to reveal a larger plot that changes the film’s tone. Dramatically.
Even worse?
A steady drumbeat of kindness blather betwixt the fascist fear-mongering. It’s important to set aside modern Hollywood’s fascistic tendencies regarding language and ideological diversity to fully appreciate the message at play.
The assembled talents think they’re speaking Truth to PowerTM about MAGA nation, something De Niro seems preoccupied with during his character’s big moment.
Could that be what Russell had in mind?
If so, he’s let his ideological biases swamp his screenplay, drowning what could have been the year’s most curious story in the process.
HiT or Miss: “Amsterdam” boasts the year’s best cast and a fascinating subject (or 12). The end result is a mish-mosh that deserves a more disciplined hand.
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