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Reviews
AVP: Alien vs. Predator (2004)
Give it a second chance after reading Lovecraft
I admit that I felt frustrated after watching this film for the first time, mainly because, like a host of other fans of both franchises, I expected to see a high action duel with a satisfying conclusion. (In my opinion, the perfect closing sequence should have featured an unceremonious decapitation of the Alien Queen).
However, something clicked in the back of my head. I was pretty sure I had seen the elements of this story before... the Antarctic setting, the grand expedition, the discovery of a subterranean structure of alien manufacture, a previously unknown alien culture with a history of having visited and even dwelt on Earth in previous eras, and of course, the ill-fated intrusion into a conflict between a feral alien life form and the more cultured one. I then swiftly browsed my science fiction collection, and sure enough. While perusing an H.P. Lovecraft anthology I reread the story "At the Mountains of Madness" (which by the way, is an homage to Poe's "The Narrative of A. Gordon Pym of Nantucket", which I also reread). There it all was! Even the detail about penguins accidentally frightening a human character was included. What a joy! Imagining Predators as the Ancient Ones and Aliens as unruly shoggoths... breathtaking. And quite hilarious, too, of course. Excellent! So, this movie fans contend should not have been made is actually a little gem which makes Lovecraft, and to a lesser extent Poe, accessible to audiences who may find reading these grand masters poorly suited to their tastes. Director Paul W.S. Anderson deserves a standing ovation for his courage to attempt not just the merger of two sci-fi action franchises, but an increase in their collective quality. Not to mention that he deserves vindication for all the opprobrium he has endured. Bravo, Mr. Anderson, bravissimo!
Fallen (1998)
Very well-done little thriller
I could refer to this film as a "supernatural" thriller, and yet the beauty of it is precisely that it does not recur to grand visual effects to set and maintain its atmosphere of mystery, suspense, even horror. It tells the story of a police detective and an elusive serial killer, subtly but firmly injecting doses of Christian demonology and eschatology in the process. In the end, the filmmakers do allow themselves a bit of fantasy... I was irked by their selection of a cat as demon familiar, bypassing the top choice of a serpent. But then, a serpent is not very likely to come slithering by on a snowy winter evening in the deep woods of Canada, right? That would have ruined the casual, everyday tone of the film.
The Covenant (2006)
Entertaining yarn with passable special effects
I watched this film while keeping in mind the comparisons made with another "supernaturally" themed movie, "The Craft". I must say the two have little in common other than featuring the woes of prep school teenagers in a fantastic setting. "The Craft" directly referenced the Neopagan religions, going so far as to depict actual beliefs and practices (albeit bowdlerized to the hilt). "The Covenant" does no such thing; it merely retells old New England folklore and urban legends, and features one or two symbols as mere stage props. Other than that it was both funny and painful to watch the interactions of these five adolescents trying to survive the tidal wave of testosterone swamping their systems. Seriously, I recommend it for parents of adolescent males: the special effects do a good job of graphically portraying the inner turmoil typical of that age-group.
Catwoman (2004)
Could have been better, but not as bad as the hype claims
In fact, the only objections I have with this film are that it focuses too much on Halle Berry's sculpted physique, and that it co-opts the character from the Batman comics and spins an entirely non-canon tale around it. That said, I greatly enjoyed yet another take on the classic underdog story, this time from the perspective of a woman who wants to devote her life to art. Instead, she must endure day after day of thankless work for those who reap millions in the business of artificially erasing the signs of age. When she stumbles upon a nasty secret (the company's latest product has the unfortunate side effects of being mortally addictive as well as causing gruesome disfigurement) she is summarily dispatched. That would be the end of the story except for the intervention of a mystical cat. The screenwriters deserve kudos from this cat-lover for introducing at this point elements of the myths of Bast, the Egyptian Goddess depicted in the form of a cat, and the tradition of the cats that made their homes in Her temples. Bast was and is often regarded as a protectress of women; it makes perfect sense that one of Her cats comes to the rescue of the protagonist and grants her both another shot at life and feline abilities such as surefootedness, elasticity, and a taste for bright baubles and tuna. While some may regard this material as not worthy of a movie starring an Academy Award winner, I am glad that big bucks were spent on a story that pays homage to a dear animal and Deity.
The Craft (1996)
The perfect high school movie and not at all insulting
Though billed as a horror movie, this film left me chuckling knowingly. High school *is* like this, minus the intervention of supernatural powers, which I definitely would have appreciated during those days! The manipulating supposed best friends, the sex-crazed overbearing guys, the well-meaning bumbling adults, the angst and death wishes, it's all here and amplified by special effects no less. Fairuza Balk, Neve Campbell and Rachel True are in their element as the outcasts who recur to magical incantations to turn their sad state of affairs around and wreak havoc on those who exclude them. Robin Tunney also portrays very well the new girl in town who is already struggling without her mother to ease the bump of adolescence.
Regarding the portrayal of the pagan elements, I must say I did not find it insulting. The writers of this script did their homework on Celtic mythology and gifted their audience with a very powerful depiction of Manannan MacLir, Ruler of the Ocean (this is the meaning of the marine animals who beached themselves following the ritual at the beach). Also, the architecture of Wiccan ritual is accurately portrayed, more so when the personalities and preferences of the four girls echo the correspondences of the Four Quarters. Also, there is valuable advice in the storyline: "Be careful what you ask for, you just might get it," and "Seek the power within." Of course, the suggestion that one can forcefully enlist Nature to realise the common teenage dream of "taking over the world" is grossly misleading, but this does not detract from the entertainment provided by this stylish film.
Conan (1997)
Satisfying action, hilarious comedy and a little personal grudge
Although this series is only loosely based on Robert E. Howard's stories, and when comparing the two it feels as if the Walt Disney Company was somehow involved, I cannot find any great fault with this work. Ralf Moeller's height and musculature make his Conan an imposing figure, TJ Storm and Robert McRay are fantastic as cohorts Bayu and Zzeben (watch out for perfectly intelligible jokes in sign language), Jeremy Kemp is a hoot as ever-brooding Hissah Zul, and when the series reaches its final episode you wish there was more. I was sorry to see The Skull That Talks vanish without getting to at least throw a blast at Hissah--surely he had accumulated enough rubies to earn the power for it?
My little grudge with this series has to do with the character Karella (portrayed by guest actress Aly Dunne). I had a story in the works featuring a character of the same name and similar physical attributes when this series came out. Imagine my dismay at having to chuck it! Still, I'm glad I sat down to watch this series: Dunne's Karella is enchanting, fiery, indomitable and more than a match for Moeller's Conan--on her very first appearance she catches the barbarian off guard, and it's quite believable! I also cheered when Karella is depicted as having chosen to remain independent over queening it beside Conan, despite her obvious crush on the Cimmerian. All in all, a very entertaining and satisfying series.
Sandokan (1976)
A warrior I'd be proud to serve beside
One of the novels I most relished as a teenager was "The Tigers of Mompracem" by Emilio Salgari. What a joy to discover a worthy adaptation had been rendered in film! Kabir Bedi will forever equal Sandokan in my mind; other actors later cast for this role could not evoke the character's charisma, strength, honor and tenderness as Bedi does. Unforgettable also are Carole Andrè as Mariana and Philippe Leroy as Yáñez. I found myself roaring the challenge along with Sandokan and his faithful Tigers, as well as weeping at Mariana's passing in Sandokan's arms; not to mention wishing someone scored a hit at the White Rajah's gloating face. However, that was not to be: the difference between Lords Brooke and Guillonk and Sandokan is precisely that they remained secure after sending underlings to do battle, while Sandokan always stood as one with his Tigers, even when facing overwhelming odds. Devoted friend and lover, mighty warrior, heroic patriot: a character that never fails to inspire. This gorgeous film adaptation is a treasure.
Alien (1979)
An inhabitant of my nightmares for decades
I first watched this film in 1983; due to my early age the viewing was heavily censored and I was instructed to retire to my bedroom after the scene in which Dallas announces that the remains of the face-hugger parasite will be taken to Earth for further studies. In 1985 I was allowed to view the film in its entirety, but remained in a state of shock after the arch-famous eclosion scene where Kane "gives birth" to the next stage of development of the Alien. It took yet another viewing for the full experience of the adult Alien hunting down the remaining members of the crew one by one, and the most pleasant surprise of seeing a female character (Ripley) turn the tables on the monster. Even as an adult I still shiver as an anxious Ripley traverses the cold and dark expanses of the Nostromo, on her way to secure supplies or activate/deactivate the ship's self-destruct mechanism, guessing by the movements in the shadows that the Alien is about to strike at any moment. Also, my stomach never fails to turn at the sight of the Alien torturing Lambert, or of the monster languidly stretching inside the escape pod, as if saying "I'm not in a hurry for my next meal." Finally, it is impossible to detest the inhuman scheme of the Weyland-Yutani Company and their android spy Ash: Crew expendable! Talk about human rights violations!
Cat People (1982)
Long live the Cat People!
I first saw this film back in 1987; a sanitized TV version without most of the eroticism. Upon watching the full version on DVD I was still as enthralled by the story as back when I was a preadolescent. I understood the film as a rich parable of the demise of wild things in a supposedly civilized world. I greatly sympathized with Irena as the new girl in town who is trying to "figure things out" and find her own way, only to keep running into these arrogant guys (one being her own dissolute brother) who wish to have sexual intercourse with her, all while acting as either her guides or her owners, never her equals. Also, Irena faces the sad reality of being one of the last of her kind, doomed to pay a gruesome price in exchange for an ever treacherous existence among humans. I highly seconded Irena's choice "Let me go back to my own people" while crying my eyes out because the remaining safe havens for her people--the big cats--are in zoos. Would that it were not so!