tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-53860825741338137112024-02-20T19:03:37.797+00:00Cardigans & TweedA blog about music, films and books.Camino Realhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10910499475511759074noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5386082574133813711.post-32202173415309787242011-05-19T12:52:00.000+01:002011-05-19T12:52:22.341+01:00House of Frankenstein (1944)<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkdMktkKrqleIIVnXbkgeq42UeAsNUBkYiifbiSXCM1FgBYaTHbIMLESlyBK7vqCY4pEA8vMOiKsrDW2ox-qCfSgOPa2_bBOQvq3Mkm-1Rb0_0zQH2aypVVQTmn5djTU_lZu1KHMcQxDl_/s1600/220px-House_of_frankenstein_movie_poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkdMktkKrqleIIVnXbkgeq42UeAsNUBkYiifbiSXCM1FgBYaTHbIMLESlyBK7vqCY4pEA8vMOiKsrDW2ox-qCfSgOPa2_bBOQvq3Mkm-1Rb0_0zQH2aypVVQTmn5djTU_lZu1KHMcQxDl_/s320/220px-House_of_frankenstein_movie_poster.jpg" width="210" /></a>In 1938 Universal released their original <em>Dracula</em> and <em>Frankenstein</em> in a double-bill film programme. The box-office takings were so good that the studio started to make new horror pictures beginning with the <em>Son of Frankenstein</em> in 1939. By the early 1940's with horror films on the wane again, Universal had the great idea of combining their monster franchises in the hope of boosting profits. The resultant <em>Frankenstein Meets the Wolfman</em> (1943) was a great success. Business logic therefore suggested that if even more monsters were stirred into the mix then takings would be even greater. <em>Thus House of Frankenstein</em> was born.</div><br />
The plot of <em>House of Frankenstein</em> packs a lot into its 71 minutes running time. Dr. Niemann (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boris_Karloff">Boris Karloff</a>) is a crackpot scientist who escapes from prison with his hunchback friend Daniel (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J._Carrol_Naish">J. Carol Nash</a>). Niemann has promised Daniel that he'll create a new body for him. Before Niemann does this he revives Dracula (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Carradine">John Carradine</a>) and orders him to kill Bürgermeister Hussmann (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sig_Ruman">Sig Ruman</a>) who had caused the doctor's imprisonment. He then hides Dracula's coffin so that the vampire is destroyed by sunlight. <br />
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Arriving at Castle Frankenstein, Niemann finds the frozen bodies of both the Monster (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glenn_Strange">Glenn Strange</a>) and Larry Talbot, also known as The Wolfman (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lon_Chaney,_Jr.">Lon Chaney Jr</a>.). After thawing Talbot, Niemann promises to cure him but he really only wants revenge on his enemies. After more killings and a love story between Talbot and a gypsy girl, Ilonka (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elena_Verdugo">Elena Verdugo</a>) everything is resolved by having the Monster come back to life, killing the hunchback and being chased by the usual mob of angry villages into some quicksand where he dies along with Niemann. Oh, the Wolfman is killed by his gypsy girlfriend too.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuVLXAcPronkxrn0V2NQRgPSOCUgJUCWpw8fC72U0euY4OveGlbTlwqlSjOdaTqZj-GNTBtba3hTCqqbNplB5l0skL4CNN6bEvUiGbD9SIR62B3wDlgX1m6Ou3yYUXkrWMt1L10Nj75NEP/s1600/house_of_frankenstein_002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="236" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuVLXAcPronkxrn0V2NQRgPSOCUgJUCWpw8fC72U0euY4OveGlbTlwqlSjOdaTqZj-GNTBtba3hTCqqbNplB5l0skL4CNN6bEvUiGbD9SIR62B3wDlgX1m6Ou3yYUXkrWMt1L10Nj75NEP/s320/house_of_frankenstein_002.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Directed by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erle_C._Kenton">Earl C. Kenton</a>, the plot moves at a terrific pace with plenty of incident and adventure and is never boring. Performances are all strong. I love the idea of Karloff, having played the monster in the first three Universal films, now ranting about how magnificent the creature is. Carradine makes a great Dracula, all world-weary and urbane even when he's in his outlandish cape and top hat costume. Chaney is good too but I find Talbot so full of self-pity that he becomes annoying and a little unsympathetic. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lionel_Atwill">Lionel Atwill</a> is also fun, playing another in his long line of police inspectors.<br />
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The disappointment with the film is that the scene the audience is waiting for never arrives. The movie poster entices with its promise of five monsters all together but there is no interaction between any of the three main creatures. Dracula lasts all of around twelve minutes whilst the Wolfman and The Monster never meet at all. All the creature does is stagger around a bit at the end, kill someone and die again. The connecting thread through it all is Daniel's affection for the IIonka and his jealously about her relationship with Talbot and that's not developed enough to completely engage our sympathy. <br />
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What makes the film fascinating is that it has such a nihilistic ending. For a good portion of the film's running time we are watching bad people doing evil things. When we do eventually get to the love story the two people the audience might actually care about end up destroying each other. There's no happy ending, all the main characters are dead and there's no walk off into the sunset for anyone. <br />
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However this being a horror film franchise, there's always a sequel...Camino Realhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10910499475511759074noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5386082574133813711.post-25684992497049671592011-04-13T22:16:00.000+01:002011-04-13T22:16:38.019+01:00Free Books!<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt3fbgqZsWaih33keNFlPiR1b_DPgP1ghjl41l8iBg8Fxgsc3VrFaPjUeZU_-8PHVEJE9f8-Nvoz0O0LHIX-DYaq8QBqDcw5imxPRcR_sQzzMUT6sL-OoK1jHtleP8rA9VpojJC1g-j9Oh/s1600/ed-lacy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt3fbgqZsWaih33keNFlPiR1b_DPgP1ghjl41l8iBg8Fxgsc3VrFaPjUeZU_-8PHVEJE9f8-Nvoz0O0LHIX-DYaq8QBqDcw5imxPRcR_sQzzMUT6sL-OoK1jHtleP8rA9VpojJC1g-j9Oh/s200/ed-lacy.jpg" width="132" /></a>I've been an avid eBook reader for well over eighteen months. I treated myself to the Sony Pocket eBook reader but, since Christmas, have moved onto the Amazon Kindle, which I prefer. Although I do buy eBooks, I also read a lot more classic and other out of copyright literature than I ever did in paper form. Partly it's because some of the larger novels are an inconvenience to carry about as 'real' books but also because the Internet has given us access to thousands of neglected works that have been out of print for many years. </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: left;">Amazon do a nice line in free eBooks, some are public domain, others are offered by budding writers either as a promotion or as an inducement for you to buy their other works. Many out of copyright books are available on Amazon for a small charge. There are also publishers who offer the complete works of a particular author for a few pounds and these might seem like good deals. However, many of these files are poorly proofread and formatted. Indeed, a good number don't even offer a useable table of contents, so that it becomes difficult to locate the work you want within a volume containing thousands of pages. Fortunately most, if not all, of these books are available for free somewhere on the web.</div><br />
So here's my list, with comments, on the best eBook sites dealing with public domain and other free electronic literature.<br />
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<a href="http://ebooks.addall.com/"><strong>AddAll</strong></a><br />
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This is my first port of call when searching for eBooks, free or otherwise. This meta search site will tell you in seconds if the book you're looking for is available, legitimately, for free online as well as any chargeable versions that may be on sale from a variety of eBook suppliers. For example, a search for the Henry James novel <em>Daisy Miller</em> brings up a number of free etexts from a variety of sources. However there's also an edition, published by Penguin, which will set you back £4.99. Presumably this version will contain a scholarly introduction and notes on the text. It's your choice if you think it's worth paying just under a fiver for the added content. <br />
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<strong><a href="http://www.mobileread.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=132">MobileRead</a></strong><br />
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This is a great site which has some of the best formatted eBooks available on the web. Run by a group of enthusiasts, the eBook library contains thousands of well-designed volumes on a wide range of subjects. You don't even have to be a member to download material. Some of the ebooks are truly stunning (There's a great Epub illustrated <a href="http://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=48377"><em>Three Men in a Boat</em></a> by Jerome K. Jerome) The site is updated daily and, as it's based around an Internet forum, it's very easy to search for a particular book. If you want to, you can join in and upload your own formatted eBooks (tutorials provided). Highly recommended.<br />
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<a href="http://www.munseys.com/"><strong>Munseys</strong></a><br />
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This site boasts that they have "Over 20,000 rare and hard to find title in 10 formats". I might disagree about how rare some of the titles are, but for shear diversity, this site is pretty hard to beat. The website is updated daily and has a good search engine. I especially like the 'pulp' category. It was where I first came across such great 1950's hard-boiled crime writers as <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Goodis">David Goodis</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Willeford">Charles Willeford</a> and <a href="http://www.mysteryfile.com/Lacy/Profile.html">Ed Lacy</a> (I was mainly attracted by the lurid covers which are also posted at the site). Munseys also has a pretty good horror and ghost fiction section, as well as a lot of Science-fiction taken from such magazines as <em>Thrilling Wonder Stories</em>. Formatting is sound but does tend to fall on the generic side. Books seem, for the most part, to be typo and error free but I've yet to come across an illustrated volume.<br />
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<a href="http://www.gutenberg.org/wiki/Main_Page"><strong>Project Gutenberg</strong></a><br />
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The original eBooks site, created in 1971 by Michael Hart, now offers over 33,000 public domain eBooks. The website has moved with the times and now produces eBooks in a variety of different formats. Many other websites create their own eBooks from texts supplied by PG. I've found books here that are not available anywhere else for free. The formatting is very basic but they are all readable and are checked for spelling and other errors by an army of volunteers. There is also a <a href="http://gutenberg.net.au/">PG Australia</a> and a <a href="http://www.gutenberg.ca/">PG Canada</a> which offer books not available from the main PG website. Remember that you are not allowed to download books if you live in a country where they are still in copyright.<br />
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<a href="http://www.manybooks.net/"><strong>Manybooks</strong></a><br />
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Offers Project Gutenberg etexts in over 20 formats. Slightly easier to search than PG, each entry is accompanied by basic bibliographical information. One of the nicest things about this site is that it offers the chance for readers to post reviews of books they have read. Updates on Manybooks have been suspended whilst the site migrates to a new server. The last new book was uploaded at the beginning of April 2011.<br />
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<a href="http://www.baen.com/library/"><strong>Baen Free Library</strong></a><br />
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If you're looking for something more up to date and your tastes turn towards hard/military science-fiction and fantasy, you could do worse than downloading a few novels from the Baen Free Library. Baen books run a subscription eBook service and this free library is a way of enticing you to subscribe. Selection is limited but does include such names as <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murray_Leinster">Murray Leinster</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Drake">David Drake</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fred_Saberhagen">Fred Saberhagan</a>. As a teenager, I would have probably loved these books but they don't do much for me now.Camino Realhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10910499475511759074noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5386082574133813711.post-7999886231509136952011-04-10T19:49:00.004+01:002011-04-10T19:57:15.731+01:00Trailers from Hell<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK-7k1_O6CFYLiadPq2MaZ1hNyXab8Kr9t6aJqj_0poRSCjpGlh_4UPq_kjnRx88WeACBUSQnOGu8QBr9YIadHvZK_NDFWEfkByAvxba1IsvJCjtjosR53NrMf3awOuOjck4a70oZ8lBm6/s1600/dolemite.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK-7k1_O6CFYLiadPq2MaZ1hNyXab8Kr9t6aJqj_0poRSCjpGlh_4UPq_kjnRx88WeACBUSQnOGu8QBr9YIadHvZK_NDFWEfkByAvxba1IsvJCjtjosR53NrMf3awOuOjck4a70oZ8lBm6/s200/dolemite.jpg" width="130" /></a>I've always had a soft spot for a well-made trailer. In the early 1980's when home video first took off, one of the pleasures of hiring a film was to watch the trailers before the main feature. I'm not talking here about the glossy mainstream fare put out by such studios as Paramount or MGM but the scuzzy exploitation b-movies released by labels such as <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d8qVh4oZqR8">VTC</a> or <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fGWnGbCxH6g&feature=related">Hokushin</a> (is that Patrick Allen's voice?). These trailers were often better than the films they were promoting. I've never seen Dolemite but nothing could be better than this Rudy Ray Moore rapping <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SIUEHsyt54I">preview</a> (Warning: Not Safe For Work).</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="http://www.trailersfromhell.com/">Trailers from Hell</a> is a site dedicated to this lost art. Exploring the fertile ground of horror and exploitation film the website is updated with a new trailer three times a week. Each mini-movie is accompanied by an optional commentary from a filmmmaker associated with the field.</div><br />
The site was co-founded by director Joe Dante (Gremlins) and he, along with John Landis (An American Werewolf in London), provide most of the commentaries. However you can also hear the likes of Stuart Gordon (Re-animator) on <a href="http://www.trailersfromhell.com/trailers/211">The Thing with Two Heads</a> or Guillermo del Toro on <a href="http://www.trailersfromhell.com/trailers/616">Dead and Buried</a>. <br />
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It's a great way to while away an hour or so on a Sunday afternoon, (I was going to do the ironing). Surely you can't resist seeing the first screen appearance of Nicole Kidman in the classic teen-pic, <a href="http://www.trailersfromhell.com/trailers/718">BMX Bandits</a>? <br />
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Only me then?<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLBe8TSx46jx7zifGF0PRE4HaRxWO6aIBC0lx2hKVu-Nm75Ke1ZUPQeJyAw09IoFxSwPctUHzrvyBZ7OJkCzjF3o5NTWPgPkDuEws3uCmtfqUHJz4nYHWXrmZSQKeHctBnbCI3Yi5KF5E4/s1600/BMX_Bandits.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="219" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLBe8TSx46jx7zifGF0PRE4HaRxWO6aIBC0lx2hKVu-Nm75Ke1ZUPQeJyAw09IoFxSwPctUHzrvyBZ7OJkCzjF3o5NTWPgPkDuEws3uCmtfqUHJz4nYHWXrmZSQKeHctBnbCI3Yi5KF5E4/s320/BMX_Bandits.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Camino Realhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10910499475511759074noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5386082574133813711.post-61510009400185823132011-04-10T15:10:00.002+01:002011-08-10T23:10:17.972+01:00The Clinic (2010)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwmM5XHEBTT5PLQet91EM4fpq2F8uH1-LhIBEU_vWwb6HHQXBNDlPp8Am9YiJYtvucRjvaNTSpfvrof6w5V04AE2ruDLA7fh4b8QS0eKDrBdBWfYRNHsPOIIDdk8MRr1a9bz9zH-Wi6CoI/s1600/The_Clinic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwmM5XHEBTT5PLQet91EM4fpq2F8uH1-LhIBEU_vWwb6HHQXBNDlPp8Am9YiJYtvucRjvaNTSpfvrof6w5V04AE2ruDLA7fh4b8QS0eKDrBdBWfYRNHsPOIIDdk8MRr1a9bz9zH-Wi6CoI/s200/The_Clinic.jpg" width="135" /></a></div><div align="left"> <br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Australasia has produced many great horror films over the last thirty-five or so years. They range from the lyrical terrors of <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0073540/"><strong><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Picnic at Hanging Rock</span></strong></a> (1975) to the more graphic splatter of <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0103873/"><strong><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Braindead</span></strong></a> (1992) or<strong><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> </span></strong><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0779982/"><strong><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Black Sheep</span></strong></a> (2006). Actually, Black Sheep isn't that good but it's silly and fun and much better than the film under review here.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Set in 1979 ("before DNA testing"), <strong><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">The Clinic</span></strong> tells the story of heavily pregnant Beth (Tabrett Bethell) who is travelling across Australia with her fiancé, Cameron (Andy Whitfield) to see her parents just before Christmas. After the couple are run off the road by a dangerous driver they decide to stay in a seedy motel for the night. As Cameron can't sleep he goes into town in search of something to eat. When he returns he finds that Beth has gone missing and it seems that the motel owner knows more than he's letting on.</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> </span></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Beth wakes up in a bath filled with ice and finds that she has had a caesarean-section and her baby is missing. Trying to escape the facility she comes across three other women in the same situation. It soon becomes clear that there's a fourth woman on the loose who is intent on killing Beth and her new companions. The race is on for the women to try and find their babies and escape before they all end up dead. There's also the mystery of the couple who watch every move of the mothers on CCTV and who seem to have a keen interest in who will live and who will die.</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> </span></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">The director, James Rabbitts, makes good use of the New South Wales landscape and sets up an air of suspense with the scenes at the motel. However once we get inside the clinic (which looks like an abattoir in the middle of nowhere) plausibility gets thrown to the wind as we are asked to accept that five women consistently make bad choices for themselves and for their newborn children.</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> </span></o:p></span><br />
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<strong><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">The Clinic</span></strong><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> is an uneasy mix of medical, slasher and backwoods horror, cutting from scenes of women in peril at the facility to Cameron's investigation into his girlfriend's disappearance. Plotting is all over the place, with one major character disappearing abruptly with a third of the picture to go. The film culminates with a huge info dump as the child-snatchers plans are revealed. You'll gasp, but not in a good way. There's also the obligatory nightmare sequence that's kind-of explained in the end, but just confuses the issue even further.</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> </span></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">There's not much more to be said without giving the plot away for anyone who wants to actually watch the damn thing. Suffice it to say that, as usual in contemporary horror films, there's a twist in the tale. But this one relies so heavily on coincidence that credulity is stretched to breaking point. At least the acting is OK.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Not recommended.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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</div>Camino Realhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10910499475511759074noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5386082574133813711.post-32753976922104691772011-04-10T13:32:00.000+01:002011-04-10T13:32:39.797+01:00Gosh, has it been that long?<div>I must apologise for the delay in updating my blog. Soon after my epic post about the Folk Against Fascism concert I went on holiday and, for some reason, never got around to blogging when I returned home. However, things have changed. <br />
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I have suddenly found myself with more time on my hands and a renewed interest in writing about films, books and music. So, I'm starting this blog up again. I hope to post at least twice a week, if not more often. I know I have friends who will nag me if I don't keep to a regular timetable. Wish me luck. </div><br />
<div>Now, what shall I start with. I know...</div>Camino Realhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10910499475511759074noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5386082574133813711.post-83039639785106996032010-05-05T23:20:00.003+01:002010-05-06T00:00:02.855+01:00Up to the rigs, down to the jigs : FAFing around in LondonI was in London at the weekend. It was a silly thing to do. I’m off to Chicago in two weeks and should have beeen saving my pennies instead of gallivanting to the big smoke. I was enticed down to the bright lights by a couple of events connected with <a href="http://www.folkagainstfascism.com/">Folk Against Fascism</a>, an organisation dedicated to keep the far right out of folk music. Basically Nick Griffin and his odious party the BNP are trying to co-opt English folk music to further their fascist agenda. Most folkies are not too keen about this so have formed FAF as a means to combat this.<br /><br />The main event of the weekend was to be a Village Fête held at the Queen Elizabeth Hall. There was to be face painting, a mystic fortune teller, a W.I. Cake Stall, a hook-a duck and lots of lovely folk music. It would all culminate in an evening gig starring <a href="http://www.chumba.com/">Chumbawamba</a>, <a href="http://www.showofhands.co.uk/">Show of Hands</a> and <a href="http://www.bellowhead.co.uk/">Bellowhead</a>. It all sounded too good to miss.<br /><br />Of course the organisers were asking for trouble holding the event on a bank holiday weekend as this ensured that it would be cold and rainy. I arrived (on a very crowded and slow) train around 3.00 in the afternoon to find that everyone was huddled in the foyer of the QEH sheltering from the showers and the bitter wind that blew across the Thames. The <a href="http://www.oysterband.co.uk/">Oyster Ceilidh band</a> were in full swing with Gordon Potts on calling duty. I met up with fellow Bellowhead forumites and we began folk musician spotting. We could have ticked many boxes in the I-Spy Book of Famous Folkies (if there was such a thing) there were so many about. <a href="http://www.jimmoray.co.uk/">Jim Moray</a> was there, having been morris dancing earlier in the day. His sister <a href="http://www.jackieoates.co.uk/">Jackie Oates</a> was in charge of the hook-a-duck and an almost unrecognisable <a href="http://www.jimcausley.co.uk/">Jim Causley</a> was Kylie, the mystic fortune teller.<br /><br />Later in the afternoon there was a free concert in the QEH foyer.Club Périphérique, a concert featuring folk artists who make use of the English tradition but season but with influences from world music. We missed most of this having to venture out for food but returned to witness the set from <a href="http://www.doganmehmet.com/">Dogan Mehmet</a> a Cypriot-British fiddler and singer. He played both Greek and English tunes, his set climaxing with a great verson of <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zo7y57qzfyc">Raggle Taggle Gypsies</a>. I think he’ll go far and I’d love to see him again.<br /><br />It was soon time for the evening concert. The first half started with a set from Chumbawamba. Those in the audience who only know them from their hit Tubthumping would have been surprised by the close-harmony singing and use of acoustic instruments. What won’t have been a surprise was their fierce condemnation of the BNP and their support for radical causes.<br /><br />Next up was Show of Hands. I had never seen this band live before being put off by their albums which are not to my taste. It must be said that they put on a good show though. The trio are very slick and Phil Beer’s fiddle playing is brilliant. I won’t be hurrying to see them again though.<br /><br />The second half was given over to Bellowhead punctuated by solo spots from Jackie Oates, <a href="http://www.freyamusic.co.uk/">Jo Freya</a> and <a href="http://www.timvaneyken.co.uk/">Tim Van Eyken</a>. The band were on smashing form playing pieces from across their repertoire. As it was a seated gig excitement was kept to manageable levels. It’s not natural to listen to Bellowhead live and remain seated!<br /><br />The evening ended with an encore of two songs sung by the whole ensemble and the audience who were given the words to <span style="font-style: italic;">Adieu Sweet Lovely Nancy</span> and another song whose name escapes me at the minute. It was a lovely ending but it would have been nice to finish on a rousing Bellowhead tune that we could all get up and bounce too but that’s not what the evening was about.<br /><br />It was time to go home. I’d had a great evening but the best was yet to come.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Queering the Pitch</span><br /><br />The other reason for my trip to London was to attend the <span style="font-style: italic;">Nowt as Queer as Folk</span> day held at Cecil Sharp House on Monday. This consisted of two concerts which was described as a “reflection and celebration of all the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender artists performing today who have found voice through British traditional song and songwriting and the road journeyed to reach this point.” This all sounds a bit serious but nothing could have been further from the truth.<br /><br />The afternoon started with Pimms on the lawn. It was still chilly out though so we stayed inside getting quietly merry! I’d never been to Cecil Sharp House and it reminded me of an old school building. Their library looked lovely and cosy with lots of old wooden shelving and that rarity, a microfiche reader-printer!<br /><br />At 3.00 the afternoon concert began. It opened with a couple of songs by <a href="http://www.myspace.com/stewsimpsonmusic">Stew Simpson</a>, a name new to me. His songs were pleasant with intelligent lyrics. He also had a winning way with him declaring that he liked older men and was particularly keen on <a href="http://www.roybailey.net/">Roy Bailey</a>!<br /><br />The afternoon soon passed by with performances from some Newcastle folk degree students (fiddle tunes played with aplomb), Tim Van Eyken (what a great voice), <a href="http://www.myspace.com/gillieboys">Sam Lee</a> (I loved his singing too), <a href="http://www.ohooleyandtidow.com/">O’Hooley and Tidow</a> (great songs and Belinda always make me laugh with her deadpan camp humour), <a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.myspace.com/orphansandvandals">Alexis Joshua</a> (an acquired taste but his delivery was fascinating) and the ever lovely Jim Causley.<br /><br />After a lovely home made meal it was back into the hall for the main evening event. Hosted by <a href="http://www.tomrobinson.com/">Tom Robinson</a> the concert started at 7.00 and was meant to finish at 10.00. In the event we didn’t get out until past 11.00 but I wouldn’t have missed a second of it.<br /><br />All the artists who had performed earlier in the day came back to do another slot. We also saw sets from Jo Freya, <a href="http://ginalefaux.com/blog/">Gina Le Faux</a>, Louise Killen and Roy Bailey. All these musicians had something to say about being gay and the attraction of singing folk songs.<br />It was lovely to hear Tim Van Eyken talk about how this gig felt like coming home to him as finally he could bring together two aspects of his life that had always been kept apart. More moving still was Gina’s story about how her life fell apart after a nasty homophobic article was written in The Sun Newspaper. Her songs were simple and direct with a touching honesty about them. She can also play a mean fiddle tune.<br /><br />The most courageous performer there though was Louise Killen. She used to perform under the name of <a href="http://www.louiskillen.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/main.index.html">Lou Killen</a> and sang with such folk legends as <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Bellamy">Peter Bellamy</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Carthy">Martin Carthy</a>. This was her first public performance since her gender reassignment. Her voice may be a little weaker than it used to be but it was great seeing a living legend of folk sing traditional folk ballads.<br /><br />The penultimate turn was Roy Bailey who at 75 is a little unsteady on his feet. Age has not dimmed his intellect or his radicalism though (if you ever get the chance, go and see him perform with Tony Benn). He talked about the early days of the gay liberation movement and being too scared to walk into a gay pub (a thing many of the audience there could relate to).<br /><br />It was left to Tom Robinson to end the evening with a couple of songs before inviting the who company back onstage for a rousing version of Glad to be Gay. The evening ended with the sea shanty <span style="font-style: italic;">Haul away</span> which was given modified gay friendly lyrics by some of the performers (Tim providing a very filthy couplet). It was most amusing to see Roy Bailey get all in a tizzy after being kissed on the lips by Stew Simpson.<br /><br />And then it was all over and time to go home. I really enjoyed the evening it was a lovely supporting atmosphere. Everyone was very friendly and I came away feeling very empowered and I’m a right cynical old bugger.<br /><br />Can we do it again next year?<br /><br />(Apologies for the lack of pictures, I forgot my camera!)Camino Realhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10910499475511759074noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5386082574133813711.post-37673537382935964832010-04-06T19:30:00.004+01:002010-04-06T20:05:43.786+01:00Gratuitous Doctor Who Blogpost<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWoc_3kT8Fpa82ySIXLRRB7I_qvQK4_GGNABQsH8frJYYZcJGQvCN8SMF_MrbplGqvP4SBLvTUwmy1oTbiVYvBXqedvZN0TVdXuR6NwqiVurz3JnNoXy7QGoJj3h1G47-t7o8VxlMdKymm/s1600/scary_snake_thing.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 112px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWoc_3kT8Fpa82ySIXLRRB7I_qvQK4_GGNABQsH8frJYYZcJGQvCN8SMF_MrbplGqvP4SBLvTUwmy1oTbiVYvBXqedvZN0TVdXuR6NwqiVurz3JnNoXy7QGoJj3h1G47-t7o8VxlMdKymm/s200/scary_snake_thing.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5457101979761554562" border="0" /></a>A work colleague told me that, as a rule, blogs containing <span style="font-style: italic;"><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/dw">Doctor Who</a> </span>content get more hits than those that don't. So I have an ulterior motive for writing about the new series of the programme which started last Saturday on BBC1.<br /><br />Actually there is so much written about <span style="font-style: italic;">Doctor Who </span>on the web that I don't really want to blog too much about it. If you want good reviews of both new and classic <span style="font-style: italic;">Who </span>as well as discussions about other cult and vintage TV programmes may I suggest you bookmark Frank's <a href="http://cathoderaytube.blogspot.com/">Cathode Ray Tube</a> blog. It's an excellent site with meaty, informative articles which discusses old TV and film from a cultural and historical perspective.<br /><br />I'm a big fan of <span style="font-style: italic;">Doctor Who. </span>I was born the same year the programme began and I watched it from an early age. I was never really scared of the monsters (although I wasn't too keen on the Axons) but loved the SF and horror aspects of the show.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiERQHIMJZWV6YX9GW0k7nkBhdcptiFXLTWPppyiyG-gf27N4X91b0RmKVR5Mhsgpu3YjcTInuA7avEiuPjH3sEWn_zXedIf9KW1WAMuhtJO3CSwHAWUf-inE78n5qOBEoZQK_crZhxW49g/s1600/Scary_golden_axon.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiERQHIMJZWV6YX9GW0k7nkBhdcptiFXLTWPppyiyG-gf27N4X91b0RmKVR5Mhsgpu3YjcTInuA7avEiuPjH3sEWn_zXedIf9KW1WAMuhtJO3CSwHAWUf-inE78n5qOBEoZQK_crZhxW49g/s200/Scary_golden_axon.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5457100578656677122" border="0" /></a>The recent revival has been a joy and it's very gratifying to see <span style="font-style: italic;">Doctor Who</span> mania sweep over the country again. I'm pleased to say that the golden age continues with a wonderful new Doctor in Matt Smith, an intriguing new companion (I'm sure Amy Pond isn't all she seems) and a fine script by Steven 'I-never-think-in-a-straight-line' Moffat. It was dead good.<br /><br />This will be my last word on the matter.<br /><br />Unless I need to improve my hit count.Camino Realhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10910499475511759074noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5386082574133813711.post-25671924529174811012010-04-05T23:42:00.004+01:002010-04-06T01:17:25.322+01:00As the World Dies: The First Days by Rhiannon Frater<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjQgZ7IPCvQqbpjz6-zqoDGnjBEfJ662zEFIOTNDCqlrVhbgIguJFvK52qlmeG8vu03dQ_B_cSCMj0XYAfH5dxTFuq7sLRvqMgXiam5ucPzg8at4Mp8RRilhU5HqR3rikCgPi4D1wgBIZL/s1600/as_the_world_dies.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 130px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjQgZ7IPCvQqbpjz6-zqoDGnjBEfJ662zEFIOTNDCqlrVhbgIguJFvK52qlmeG8vu03dQ_B_cSCMj0XYAfH5dxTFuq7sLRvqMgXiam5ucPzg8at4Mp8RRilhU5HqR3rikCgPi4D1wgBIZL/s200/as_the_world_dies.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5456809883826248258" border="0" /></a>As I've bought an ebook reader I thought it might be a good idea to review one of the very many independent novels to be found on the web which bypass the usual publishing formalities. These books are usually genre novels and can be downloaded for very little money at various internet bookstores.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.freewebs.com/rfrater/">Riannon Frater's</a> zombie trilogy <span style="font-style: italic;">As the World Dies </span>first appeared as a serial novel on various internet forums before being revised and edited for ebook publication. Since then the books have appeared in hardcopy from <a href="https://www.createspace.com/">Createspace</a> books. It looks like the only ebook now available is in Kindle format.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">The First Days</span> begins with a haunting image of a small child's fingers pushing through the gap underneath a door desperately trying to reach for his mother. It turns out that the child is dead after being bitten by his undead father and now wants to do the same to his remaining parent.<br /><br />His mother Jenni is rescued from the clutches of her zombie family by Katie who happens to be driving by in a truck. We soon learn that Katie is escaping her wife who has also turned into one of the living dead.<br /><br />The first part of the novel deals with the two women coming to terms with the zombie outbreak and their picaresque adventures driving through Texas. It also chronicles the growing bond that develops between Jenni and Katie. In the second half of the book the couple find themselves holed up in a small town which has been fortified against zombie attacks. There they meet Travis who Katie<span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span>realises she is falling in love with.<br /><br />The whole book is punctuated by many lovingly described zombie attacks. As in most zombie films and novels the creatures can only be killed by destroying their brain. Graphic details are not spared and Frater doesn't flinch from scenes of carnage and gore.<br /><br />So far, so good then. Except that it isn't at all. The book is so badly written that I found it a chore to get through. Frater doesn't use one word when five will do. A sample paragraph:<br /><br /><blockquote><span style="font-style: italic;">Katie and Jenni looked at each other and that </span><span>(sic)</span><span style="font-style: italic;"> gaze steadied each other. They were ready. Backpacks adorned both their backs. Katie slung the cooler by its long strap over her shoulder. Each had a gun in their hand. In Jenni's extra hand she carried another backpack, that she would drop if she had to. Katie held the truck keys.</span><br /><br /></blockquote>There's far too much description too. Characters never just smile, they do it 'affectionately' or 'goofy' (sic). Jenni doesn't draw her gun, she does it 'dutifully'. A man's voice is full of '<span style="font-style: italic;">disbelief, despair and terror</span>'. None of the characters in times of stress say 'God' but use the word 'gawd'. It becomes apparent that Frater doesn't like to use too many contractions when writing dialogue giving conversations a painfully stilted air.<br /><br />If I wasn't writing this review I would have closed the book on page 100 and moved on. I wasn't even going to blog about it for another few days but after doing a little research on the internet I actually find that this book is well liked. The novel gets four and a half stars on <a href="http://www.amazon.com/As-World-Dies-Zombie-Trilogy/dp/1438250800/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1270512427&sr=1-3-spell">Amazon</a>. It's been described as an "awesome read" and "a must have zombie novel". Only a few brave souls have talked about the abominable prose or the poor characterisation.<br /><br />So I must be wrong. Do people not care about good prose any more? Is plot all that matters to them? If that's so we might as well bypass editors and conventional book publishers and have a free for all.<br /><br />For a first foray into the world of independently published fiction this was a disappointment to me.<br /><br />P.S. Reading Frater's blog it seems that <a href="http://www.tor.com/">Tor books</a> have picked up the trilogy and are going to publish a revised version. I'm sure an editor will improve matters but I can't help thinking of silk purses and sow's ears.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><blockquote></blockquote>Camino Realhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10910499475511759074noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5386082574133813711.post-21853133093910125402010-03-29T20:19:00.008+01:002010-03-30T13:53:51.786+01:00The Ebook: Or how I stopped worrying and learned to love the pixel.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhET36J96xCMQMculVZsP8QD_eKJ8IpK9OnxRbyvEXv377HJ0zYYZbt0qh7UXMxN7OU_KpMalQOcYhP8inhTZshpIJKZkusVQsynWHPDWr7mTgFFIlmkcKz4C8GSOaWbBlJ11TZB02B-V6q/s1600/sony_pocket_reader_silver.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5454145226368820978" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; WIDTH: 137px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhET36J96xCMQMculVZsP8QD_eKJ8IpK9OnxRbyvEXv377HJ0zYYZbt0qh7UXMxN7OU_KpMalQOcYhP8inhTZshpIJKZkusVQsynWHPDWr7mTgFFIlmkcKz4C8GSOaWbBlJ11TZB02B-V6q/s200/sony_pocket_reader_silver.jpg" border="0" /></a>I can be a bit of a Luddite when it comes to new technology. It took me years of holding out before I bought a mobile phone and even longer until I fathomed out how to use an mp3 player. I now love both and wouldn’t be without either.<br /><br />However, I was always against using an electronic device to read material. Like most avid readers I love collecting books. There’s nothing nicer than stepping into a well-stocked bookshop (or even <a href="http://www.waterstones.com/waterstonesweb/">Waterstone’s</a>) and having a good long browse. Modern book covers are so enticing that they practically beg to be bought and added to the ever growing ‘to be read’ tower by my bedside.<br /><br />So there was no need for an ebook reader in my life. Early models were ungainly and slow to use. They also had a backlight which made lengthy reading uncomfortable, at least for me.<br /><br />All this was true until I got my hands on a <a href="http://www.sony.co.uk/product/rd-reader-ebook/prs-300">Sony Pocket Reader</a>. This small lightweight device uses a newish technology called <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E_Ink">E ink</a> which basically allows you to read a book in available light and dispense with a backlight altogether. As I had a bit of money in my turnups I plonked down my cash and bought the thing.<br /><br />So, how does the e-reader work and is it easy to use?<br /><br />You load ebooks on your reader by means of a small program that runs on your computer. It’s a matter of minutes to upload a small library of books onto your reader via the supplied USB lead (which is also used to charge the sealed in battery). The pocket edition holds around 150 books but this depends on the size of the files you are importing.<br /><br />Once loaded you can start reading a book which you select from the main menu screen. One of the advantages of the reader is that you can alter the size of the book’s font making it easier to read if you have problems with small print. You turn the page by means of a small wheel underneath the screen.<br /><br />Personally I found the reader very easy to use. It’s lightweight to hold and, now that I’ve bought a cover for it, even looks a little like a book. Any worries I had about eye strain have vanished, as I’ve had reading stretches for more than an hour without any problems.<br /><br />The main advantage about owning an ereader is portability. It’s no longer a strain to lug about <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_and_Peace"><span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">War and Peace</span></a> or <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Infinite_Jest"><span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">Infinite Jest</span></a> on the bus or train with me. The small font sizes of print volumes are obviated by the magnifying feature of the Reader and the device even remembers what page I was up to when I stop reading.<br /><br />Battery life is excellent. My Reader usually lasts two weeks on one charge. The only downside being that when the battery eventually runs flat the Reader will have to be sent off to Sony to have a relacement fitted.<br /><br />There are disadvantages though. E ink only produces greyscale print which means that illustrated material doesn’t look brilliant. There will be a while to go before non-fiction heavily illustrated technical material will look good in this format. It also takes a while to get used to the way the screen goes black momentarily when you turn the page. It can also be annoying to find that the book you want to buy isn’t (a) available at all or (b) only downloadable in another propietary format. Hopefully this situation will change soon.<br /><br />Having an ebook Reader has changed the type of material I read. There are many places on the internet to download free, legal ebooks. These are mostly out of copyright classic novels. It’s great to be able to download a book by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Dickens">Dickens</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/G._K._Chesterton">Chesterton</a> or <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Eliot">Eliot</a> and know that if you don’t get on with then it hasn’t cost you any money to find this out. (Libraries are another handy way of trying before you buy!)<br /><br />Since buying my Reader I find that I’m reading a lot more than I used to and trying new authors and genres of fiction. I’m currently in love with American pulp hardboiled crime fiction of the 1940’s and ‘50s. It’s very difficult to resist a book called <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic"><a href="http://www.munseys.com/detail/mode/title/blonde_bait">Blonde Bait</a></span> (“She had to buy protection-and her payment was her body”)!<br /><br />In a forthcoming blogpost I’ll talk about the best places on the web to download free fiction and how you can use your Reader for more than just books.Camino Realhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10910499475511759074noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5386082574133813711.post-61923498418989910162010-03-23T20:53:00.000+00:002010-03-23T22:25:47.067+00:00Demonic Toys 2 (2010)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLUx2GSAtrOUnMszFvt2mVAbm2NvRM24bNM_o1y01GVHhVlAEWHJA_BPABpW_d3H6vOfWsr3x37CNbFfHRIehxp2Hke1ilh4HXjgFRZR5k7m-BcGCut9sxvaYdXlR1fZ6gvIImk7b-guq8/s1600-h/demonic_toys_2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 159px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLUx2GSAtrOUnMszFvt2mVAbm2NvRM24bNM_o1y01GVHhVlAEWHJA_BPABpW_d3H6vOfWsr3x37CNbFfHRIehxp2Hke1ilh4HXjgFRZR5k7m-BcGCut9sxvaYdXlR1fZ6gvIImk7b-guq8/s200/demonic_toys_2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5451936919421656578" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">Those of you of a certain age with a fondness for cheap horror films will remember the straight-to-video movies produced and directed by Charles Band. During the mid-1980's his production company Empire churned out a plethora of mid-range horror and SF titles to supply the growing movie rental market. Such titles as </span></span><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" ><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0090192/">Trancers</a> (1985)</span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">, </span><a style="font-family: arial;" href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0089200/">Ghoulies </a><span style="font-family:arial;">(1985), and </span><a style="font-family: arial;" href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0089200/"><span style="font-style: italic;">Puppetmaster</span></a><span style="font-family:arial;"> (1989) were very successful. They spawned numerous sequels and a cult following.<br /></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">With his latest production company Full Moon,Band continues to make movies today and </span><a style="font-family: arial;" href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1444258/"><span style="font-style: italic;">Demonic Toys 2</span></a><span style="font-family:arial;"> ( aka </span></span><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" >Demonic Toys: Personal Demons</span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">) is the, somewhat belated, follow-up to the 1992 original. (It's slightly confusing that there have already been two sequels to the first film, </span><a style="font-family: arial;" href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0106743/"><span style="font-style: italic;">Dollman Vs. Demonic Toys</span></a><span style="font-family:arial;"> (1993) and </span><a style="font-family: arial;" href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0431340/"><span style="font-style: italic;">Puppet Master Vs. Demonic Toys</span></a><span style="font-family:arial;"> (2004). Both are Marvel team-up type movies pitting the toys against other Full Moon franchises).<br /></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Shot, and set, in Rome this sees a number of disparate people stranded in a supposedly 13th century castle reputedly haunted by a Bulgarian Empress, Fiora Borisoff. The reason the dolls are there is that Dr. Lorca wants to add a 14th century doll (the devil-like Divoletto) found on the premises, to the two he already has. Unfortunately Divoletto wakes up and revives the other two creatures. Terror and mayhem ensue.<br /></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Or rather boredom and ennui ensue, at least to this viewer. I'm quite partial to a creepy doll movie (there's the creepy clown-doll in </span><a style="font-family: arial;" href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0084516/"><span style="font-style: italic;">Poltergeist</span></a><span style="font-family:arial;"> (1982) and the very scary Zuni fetish doll in </span><a style="font-family: arial;" href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0073820/"><span style="font-style: italic;">Trilogy of Terror</span></a><span style="font-family:arial;"> (1975)) but these toys are not scary but silly. The baby doll, called Whoopsie Daisy is a foul-mouthed joking brat and Divoletto just giggles a lot and lurks in a non-threatening manner.<br /></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Most of the doll movement is achieved by puppetry with many pov shots as they skitter across tables or walk on the floor thus obviating the need for a lot of cgi effects. It's hard to suspend disbelief when you know that your killers are operated in the same manner as Sooty and Sweep!<br /></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">The acting in the film is variable from awful to mediocre. The two lead characters are American student-types who you're meant to root for but are so bland you wish they would die. There's a middle-aged gay toy dealer played by Leslie Jordan who makes as much as he can of an underwritten part and a midget-medium called Lillith (Selene Luna).<br /></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">The direction by William Butler (who also wrote the confused script) is pedestrian and staid. My favourite bad scene is the opening one where our characters meet for the first time. Shot outside the castle it's notable for its length and the fact that it was shot on a very windy day. All the actors are constantly battling with flyaway hair whilst trying to deliver exposition. Inside the castle (supposedly abandoned yet it has a well stocked kitchen and working fireplaces), there's little improvement with boring set-ups being the norm. For a horror film there's a distinctive lack of tension. As for the ending, the word anti-climax springs to mind.<br /></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">My suggestion? Go and watch the earlier Band movies or try </span><a style="font-family: arial;" href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0364376/"><span style="font-style: italic;">The Gingerdead Man</span></a><span style="font-family:arial;"> (2005). surely you can't go wrong with a title like that?</span></span>Camino Realhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10910499475511759074noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5386082574133813711.post-89618209241941140822010-03-19T00:44:00.000+00:002010-03-23T22:27:21.809+00:00Get branded!<span style="font-family: arial;">"You should do a blog", I was told. "Get branded, publicise yourself".</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">So here it is, my first blog.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">Actually, that's a lie. I attempted a film blog many years ago but, like many things in life (and on the internet) interest soon waned. This one will be different ,oh yes.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">Why the title? Well,I'm a librarian and I'd always seen myself wearing a nice cardie or a tweed three-piece suit. It's what male librarians are expected to look like and I do so hate to disappoint. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">I'm going to write about things that interest me. Whether that includes what I'm reading, a film I've just watched, a folk gig I've attended or something on the internet that caught my eye. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">Eclectic is the word I'm looking for. Which, in this case, might just be a synonym for unfocused. We'll see.</span>Camino Realhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10910499475511759074noreply@blogger.com1