Crime, Thriller & Mainstream Reviews (Page 3)

Robert Dominici is a piano virtuoso who, at a young age, is diagnosed with a very rare rapid ageing disease. Within a year he degenerates from a good-looking and musically skilled thirty- year-old with the world at his feet to a slow and sick deranged man of eighty. When he kills to cover his secret, Police Inspector Datti is assigned to investigate. But it proves more difficult than he first thought, because witnesses give completely different descriptions after each incident. As time goes by Dominici becomes increasingly unbalanced and phones the inspector to taunt him. Then he learns that a woman is pregnant with his child, and he is suddenly determined to kill the unborn baby to prevent it suffering his own devastating fate...
 

Off Balance, aka Phantom of Death, is an early release in the Shameless Screen Entertainment collection, which aims to release a number of violent horror or exploitation films, many of which will not have been seen in the UK before. This film's claim to fame (or should that be infamy?) is that it was helmed by Cannibal Holocaust director Ruggero Deodato. That knowledge doesn't help the first fifteen minutes which is an absolute agony to endure. An overlong mimed piano piece precedes some forced acting and non-linear set pieces which cause you to lose interest before the film has really got going. The curious thing is that I changed my opinion of this movie several times in its duration, but it did gradually grow on me to a certain extent.
 

I'm not a fan of exploitation or gore-fest movies which have no agenda other than to shock and disgust, I consider them in bad taste. I'm not averse to violent horror, as long as what takes place is conducive to the plot, rather than a series of tedious set-pieces. The Shameless releases are marketed as depraved, vile, disturbing, etc. In this case I was delighted to discover that Phantom doesn't fall into this category. Granted, there are violent murders, but they are over in scant seconds with a small splash of theatre blood and positively no glorification in the acts. This makes you concentrate more on the plot and particularly the characters, which is as it should be.
 

Donald Pleasence reprises his role of Loomis from John Carpenter's Halloween in all but name, and Michael York appears to grow into his role as he goes along, as if the older his character appears the meatier his acting part should become. When Robert finds out about his rapid-ageing disease, we find out that the film isn't quite linear in its plot. The short scene in which he visits the house of someone with a more advanced stage of the rare disease is the most meaningful of the entire film - and it doesn't last more than a few seconds.
 

In conclusion, a better film than I was expecting, and worth a look if you can stay awake through the opening scenes. 

(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2007) 

Four men crew the deep space scout ship Dark Star, their mission to seek out unstable planets and destroy them to prepare the way for future colonisation...

Although they have aged only three years, they have been in space for 20; each man has become unkempt, lethargic and bored. Talby spends all his time in the dome staring at the stars and dreaming about the beauty of the Phoenix Asteroid, which is said to glow with colours; Doolittle was a good surfer back on Earth and misses his board more than anything; and Pinback reveals in his computer diaries that he is really Bill Fruge, a Fuel Maintenance Technician who just happened to try on the other man's suit. Boiler simply keeps his head down and gets on with his job, hoping for better things.

However, a succession of events conspire to spiral out of control and they all go to hell in a handbasket. Communications Lazer No. 7 is damaged when the ship passes through an asteroid storm, causing Bomb 20 to exit its bay on two separate occasions. It is ordered back the first time by the men and subsequently persuaded by the ship's computer. Possessing an individual intelligent personality the Bomb becomes increasingly frustrated. When the crew comes to legitimately drop the bomb it will not release due to an accidental short circuit caused by the escaped alien (more of that in a moment). The countdown begins and, with only 14 minutes remaining, Doolittle visits the cryogenic unit to ask the advice of the dead Commander Powell. However, Powell is isolated and forgetful, so Doolittle is reduced to leaving the ship to argue the great questions of life with the bomb. The forgotten Talby is sucked out into space whilst examining the damaged lazer, resulting in a conclusion which borrows equally from Marvel Comics' The Silver Surfer and Ray Bradbury's Kaleidoscope.

As a long-time admirer of John Carpenter's work, I could bore you within an inch of your life with a multitude of fascinating behind-the-scenes information. But rather than allow you to escape entirely you might be interested to know that he and Dan O'Bannon wrote the script whilst still at film school. The product took well over three years to complete, due to money and distribution problems, but still only cost $60,000. Wigs and false facial hairs were utilised to cover the changes to the actors' appearance over that time. Much of the work was produced by the duo themselves; whilst Carpenter wrote, scored, produced and directed, O'Bannon wrote, handled the film editing, production design and special effects supervision, as well as playing the part of Pinback.

Yes, it looks a little cheap, but aside from the abundance of seventies hair it's not as dated as you might think. Special effects are kept to a minimum, and a sense of apathetic realism is generated by downplaying the acting. None of the characters become excited about anything that happens, even when their very lives are in danger; they are well past emotions and into paranoia.

Anyone who has already seen this film will surely agree that, apart from the finale, the outstanding set piece scene is when Pinback goes to feed the alien. The beachball-like creature with webbed and clawed feet escapes the holding area and leads Pinback a merry dance through the ship and into the lift shaft where it almost succeeds in getting the man killed.

You would have to be a fool not to realise this is a black comedy, but as the trailer on this disc proves Dark Star was incorrectly promoted as a straightforward science fiction action/thriller, inviting inevitable comparisons with 2001: A Space Odyssey when they are as different as chalk and cheese.

Dark Star was obviously a labour of love for Carpenter and O'Bannon. Deep belief in the product and its deserved niche in the marketplace sustained them through nearly four years of trying, when it might have been easier on several occasions to cut their losses and run. But after Carpenter's Academy Award for best short subject won for The Resurrection of Bronco Billy, he might well have gained a reputation as a failure with a short attention span. After all, how could he expect the film executives to have faith in him had he possessed no confidence in his own abilities? Instead of that, Carpenter earned much respect as a genius of the low-budget flick, going from strength to strength with Assault on Precinct 13, Halloween and Escape From New York. O'Bannon himself went on to script Alien and handle the on-screen graphics for Star Wars.

Extras on this disc are sparse. As well as the original theatrical release of the film and the 1974 extended film version (which contains only a couple of additional scenes), there are bibliographies for John Carpenter, Dan O'Bannon, Brian Narelle and Jack Harris, a picture gallery and the aforementioned trailer. A serious omission from the release is a Carpenter commentary, which normally makes for great listening on his other DVDs. As this is called a "Special Edition" we could also have done with some interviews about the making of the production.

In conclusion then: if you have a dark sense of humour you might enjoy this. If you're a fan of Carpenter's early work you'll love it. Red Dwarf years before its time. Bombed-out in space with a spaced-out bomb!

(Review originally written by Ty Power for sci-fi-online 2004)

John Carpenter is an accomplished storyteller (writing, directing and composing the music score for the majority of his movies) and a rare talent, so the release of a collection of seven of his best projects is welcome indeed. For anybody interested in delving for the first time into the works of the great man this is a fantastic place to start.

Lt. Ethan Bishop is assigned to Precinct 13 in Anderson, which is being systematically shut- down and moved elsewhere. Only a skeleton crew of the captain, a desk sergeant and two administration women are in place. Bishop is understandably expecting a quiet night, but chaos is about to descend in a manner he could never have predicted. A handful of dangerous prisoners are being transported by bus to another location, but when one of their number falls seriously ill they are obliged to divert to the nearest police station - namely, Precinct 13...

Assault on Precinct 13 (1976) was the first of a number of films Carpenter would make with a siege theme. He also incorporated a strong woman character (Leigh, named after Leigh Brackett - the writer of Rio Bravo) which he always felt was very important.

There's an element of wry humour present, especially in the scene when the hot potato game is played to decide who goes into the sewer through a manhole cover to seek escape. This is also Carpenter's first full music score, and he produces a memorable theme said to be influenced slightly by Led Zeppelin's 'Immigrant Song' and the music from the Dirty Harry film.

This was also the first film Carpenter had total control over; something he would insist on from this point onward. The film was released to a muted response in America. The MPAA made Carpenter cut out the scene wherein the little girl is shot dead. This he did, but only in the version sent to the MPAA, thereby sneaking the film out intact.

Extras on this disc consist of a Q&A with John Carpenter & Austin 'Bishop' Stoker, a Carpenter Commentary (always worth listening to, believe me), a Photo Gallery, Trailers and the Music Score. Verdict: 8 out of 10.  

Fifteen years after the young Michael Myers brutally stabbed to death his teenage sister, Judith, Doctor Loomis - who has followed the subject's case and tried to break through to him without success - is on his way with a nurse to the sanatorium from which Myers is due to be transferred. When they arrive the compound gates are open and patients are wandering around. Fearing the worst, Loomis rushes off toward the building. The nurse is attacked and the car stolen. Michael Myers is on the loose...

Halloween (1978) is often referred to as the granddaddy of slasher movies. This title is meant to be complimentary, but in my opinion is a little unkind considering some of the hack 'n' slash, gore-for-gore's-sake excuses for movies which emerged afterward. Admittedly, it did unknowingly set the ground rules for what was to become known as the Teen Horror Flick.

Halloween is a very stylish horror with more creepy than violent moments. There is very good use of lighting, to chilling effect. The idea of a completely silent masked psychotic killer is infinitely more frightening than, for instance, the wise-cracking Freddy Krueger, who came later.

Various in-jokes and names are present, including some in homage to Psycho. Shortage of space prevents me passing-on a hundred and one fascinating facts about this film, suffice to say it's a true classic which opened to mixed reviews. As with most of his films, Carpenter proved to be a man ahead of his time. Word of mouth would make Halloween a sensation, and for twelve years the highest grossing independent film of all time. By the time news of its phenomenal success filtered through to him, Carpenter was well into his next project.

Extras on this disc consist of the Halloween Unmasked 2000 documentary, Trailer and Bios. I'm not certain if the two-disc 25th anniversary edition is incorporated here, but it's a shame if it isn't - leastways for the always entertaining John Carpenter commentary. Verdict: 10 out of 10.

The little town of Antonio Bay is preparing for its centenary celebrations, but it has a dark secret. 100 years before, the Elizabeth Dane ship, lost in a thick bank of fog, crashed on the rocks at Spivey Point, misdirected by a campfire intended to ground the vessel. The vicar of the church discovers the diary of Father Patrick Malone when a brick falls from the wall of the vestry. The writings give credence to the possibility of the fog returning, bringing back the dead crewmen seeking revenge for cold-hearted betrayal...

Keen to follow-up Halloween with another scary tale, Carpenter borrowed a true event from the 1700s when a ship laden with gold was lured on to the rocks by the locals. The crew was drowned and the gold stolen. The Fog (1979) is therefore essentially a supernatural tale of revenge.

Jamie Lee Curtis returns to the Carpenter fold after her debut in Halloween; this time she plays an older character and shares the credits with her mother Janet Leigh of Psycho fame. A couple of other actors from Halloween also return: Nick Castle and Nancy Loomis, and Dan O'Bannon returns from Dark Star. Oscar winner John Houseman is also in the cast, but the biggest plaudits should go to Adrienne Barbeau (Carpenter's then new wife) as the sultry-voiced Stevie Wayne, who manages just the right balance of calmness and urgency - another very strong female character. Many times Carpenter has enjoyed Hitchcock-like cameos in his movies, but in The Fog he has a brief talking park as the church handyman.

The pacing of this movie is spot on, with early shocks and scares being only part of the steady build-up to the church siege conclusion. The dead mariners from the Elizabeth Dane are kept in darkness or backlit in the fog so that they are nearly always seen in silhouette, the active principle being that less is more. Also greatly enhancing the atmosphere is the very impressive music score, easily one of his best.  

Extras on this disc include: the documentary Tales From the Mist and trailers. Again, where's the Carpenter commentary (available on the special edition version of The Fog DVD)?  Verdict: 9 out of 10.  

Snake Plisskin ("I thought you were dead!") is an ex-Special Forces hero who is currently serving life imprisonment in a maximum security penitentiary for robbing the Federal Reserve Depository. He is offered a complete pardon in exchange for rescuing the President from New York, where his plane has crashed. New York is a walled-off prison where gangs and hardened criminals have made their own hierarchy. To ensure his co-operation Plisskin is injected with two minute capsules; if he doesn't return with the President within 22 hours the capsules will dissolve setting off fatal heat-sensing charges. The President's location tracker proves to be a false lead, and Plisskin eventually discovers via a character called "Brain" that the man has been taken by the Duke of New York, a powerful and ruthless gang leader. But Snake can be pretty ruthless himself, let down by the government he fought for he cares about nothing but his own welfare...

Upon its release, Escape From New York (1981) went up against Raiders of the Lost Ark, but was incredibly well-received for a relatively small picture and still made the huge return of $50 million.

Snake Plisskin is a great character, an anti-hero who sneers at the establishment and whose quiet tones are reminiscent of Clint Eastwood. The plot, settings and lighting are once again near faultless, and it's amazing we have so many big names (Lee Van Cleef, Ernest Borgnine, Donald Pleasence, Harry Dean Stanton and of course Kurt Russell from Carpenter's Elvis in his first action figure role - although Avco wanted Charles Bronson) in a movie budget reportedly between 5 and $7 million.  

Making another welcome return is Adrienne Barbeau. Nick Castle co-wrote the script with Carpenter and is mainly responsible for the low-key dark humour in the film.

A fascinating fact is that the matte painter of the movie was none other than James Cameron, later director of The Terminator, Aliens, Titanic and others.

Shooting took place through the nights between 9:00pm to 7:00am. It would be Carpenter's and Avco's most ambitious project to date.  

Extras on this disc include the Return to Escape From New York documentary, a John Carpenter interview, trailers, a thoroughly entertaining Commentary with John Carpenter and Kurt Russell (Carpenter himself is always interesting, entertaining and brutally honest, whereas Russell obviously enjoyed himself immensely, citing Snake Plisskin as his favourite acting part), and Snake's Crime (the deleted opening scene - the robbery itself, which is an exciting piece but doesn't really fit in with the rest of the story). Verdict: 9.

JR MacReady is a helicopter pilot and part of the crew of a US Antarctic research station. When a Norwegian helicopter mysteriously crashes whilst chasing and trying to kill a dog, the station takes the animal in and allows it to wander. MacReady and others fly to the Norwegian base to find out what took place. They discover it uninhabited, bleak and cold. A huge area in the ice has been cut away to reveal part of what appears to be a spacecraft. A man-sized block of ice is taken back to the US base where it accidentally thaws out. When the dog is placed with the sled dogs they cower in fear as it erupts into a hideous creature. A flame thrower destroys it, but this is in fact a shape-shifting extraterrestrial which can take the form of any living thing. When attacked it reveals its previous forms in a sickening amalgamation of twisted body parts. From that moment on, the station becomes a hotbed of fear, panic and ultra-paranoia, as nobody knows who to trust. MacReady thinks he has the solution, but is he too late...?

Upon its general release, The Thing (1982) bombed. Cinema-goers were apparently appalled and disgusted by the hideous shape-changing scenes - missing the point entirely. E.T. had just been released and the public was not ready for Carpenter's intelligent and well-crafted monster flick after such a popular and benign alien from Spielberg. However, a few years later critics began to reassess the film, and it picked up a huge following retrospectively.

The premise of a shape-shifting creature is said to have inspired the T-100 from Cameron's Terminator 2, particularly the scene when it loses substance and goes through one shape after another. There was also an episode of The X-Files which was heavily influenced by The Thing. Dark Horse comics published a continuation of the story, which also brought a new audience to the film. Carpenter has toyed with the idea of a sequel ever since, but in semi-retirement he's unlikely to get around to it.

The fantastic array of extras on this disc include the 80 minute Terror Takes Shape documentary, the thoroughly entertaining (again) commentary with John Carpenter and Kurt Russell, Production Background Archive, Production Art and Storyboards, Location Design, Outtakes, Production and Post Production Notes, Cast and Filmmakers' Notes, and Cast Production Photos. Phew! Verdict: 10 out of 10.

When the last guardian of the forgotten sect, The Brotherhood of Sleep (a religious organisation kept secret even from the Vatican), dies he leaves a key to a Catholic priest. The key opens a door into the basement of an abandoned church. Inside is a large canister which appears to contain a green sludge. The priest asks a college professor of theoretic physics to investigate, and he agrees, taking along a handful of his students. They discover via an old manuscript that the canister is seven million years old and can only be opened from the inside. The substance it holds is the essence of pure evil - Satan itself, if you like. As the students attempt to study it, the sky begins to change, and hoards of mysteriously psychotic homeless people surround the building, making it a prison. The green substance begins to spread its contagion by spraying in the face of its victims - while the survivors try to barricade themselves in a room - preparatory to bringing through Satan's father, the Anti-God...

Although the eighties was awash with horror films (most of them franchises or inferior copies), thereby losing this one somewhere in the middle, Prince of Darkness (1987) was well- received by the public and most Carpenter fans. A small contingent saw this moment as the beginning of a slide in talent by the director, but I think those people simply saw this as students versus demon, missing the intelligently written script which explores anti-particles, tachyon transmissions, and differential equations - along with questions such as what is Man's place in the universe, and where does he fit in with science?

The important thing here is that Carpenter was making a film that he wanted to see - which is all any writer, director or artist of any kind can do. It is proof of his conviction in this regard to know that he turned down big-money directing jobs on Top Gun and Fatal Attraction.

I'm led to believe there's only a trailer on this disc as extras; so where is the John Carpenter commentary which is freely available on the Momentum region 2 release? 8 out of 10.

John Nada is a homeless and jobless drifter who comes to town looking for labouring work. He finds refuge with a large destitute homeless community, but it is soon mysteriously attacked and destroyed by riot police. Most of the individuals are taken away. When Nada witnesses a similar raid on a nearby building, he waits it out before entering to look for clues as to what the purpose of the raid was. Inside he finds a pair of sunglasses which changes everything around him when he puts them on. A percentage of the population actually consists of aliens with skeletal faces, and just as importantly all advertising and media is subversive brainwashing aimed to instruct the populace with messages such as Consume, Procreate, Submit, Obey, No Independent Thought, and on the money, This Is Your God. When Nada meets Frank he has a hard time convincing him, but a scrawled message, They Live - We Sleep, convinces them that there are others who know the truth. The problem is how does this small band of rebels open the eyes of the world...?

As with Prince of Darkness, the budget for They Live (1988) was only $3 million and the shooting schedule 8 weeks. For the part of Nada Carpenter recruited experienced wrestler "Rowdy" Roddy Piper, whom he had seen at a Wrestlemania event. Taking a chance paid off, because Piper brings much more than brawn to the part.

Keith David (who had appeared in The Thing) was alongside him with Meg Foster. Mind you, Piper's profession did help when Carpenter scripted-in a seven minute alleyway brawl because he wanted to out-do The Quiet Man as the longest on-screen fight.

As with his previous film, Carpenter composed another excellent mood-enhancing music score. Releasing the film just prior to the 1988 elections was either inspired or a very lucky happenstance, because it proved to be a hit at the box office - seemingly the only Carpenter film that audiences 'got' straight away.  

An inherent message in the film about not selling-out for big financial success was not lost on Carpenter fans, who know that he has never been close to doing so. There was talk of a sequel to They Live, titled Hypnowar, but it was never made.

Extras on this disc consist of a Making of... featurette, a Commentary with John Carpenter and Roddy Piper, and Carpenter, Piper and Meg Foster profiles. 9 out of 10.

So John Carpenter has enjoyed a successful, but sometimes uncomfortable career. But he has remained resolute and has a formidable arsenal of fine films in his canon.

If I were to choose seven films to represent his finest work, I would select those included in this set. They are strong and diverse achievements. Although the majority of extras available out there in the retail world are here to compliment the films, there are a couple of individual releases which are much more packed with special features, especially on region 1. However, this isn't a huge problem, as most avid Carpenter fans such as myself will already have these remastered films, and for those coming to John Carpenter afresh - as I said at the top of this piece - there's no better place to start than here.

(Review originally written by Ty Power for sci-fi-online 2008)

The evil Morgan Le Fay is attempting to open the gates from the dimension she serves to the earth. This will unleash evil and chaos. Only the sorcerer supreme, Thomas Lindmer, can stop her, so she targets him individually. After surviving a duel with her, Lindmer realises he is going to need help. So, he acquires the aid of hospital psychiatrist Dr Strange. However, accepting belief in phenomena outside of his experience does not necessarily mean Strange can learn all he needs to in order to combat Le Fay. Lindmer doesn’t select him randomly though; Strange possesses his own mysterious connection to the magical world...

This is the original 1978 version of the comic book adaptation which was a made for television under the guidance of Marvel legend Stan Lee. It stars John Mills as Thomas Lindmer (the mystic tutor to Dr Strange), Jessica Walter as the villainess of the piece (Morgan Le Fay, the immortal witch), and Stephen Hooten as the title character. Particularly for a made for TV piece it would have been quite a coup to acquire John Mills. Here, the part definitely benefits from someone of a certain stature, and the look and character of Stephen Hooton makes him a natural for Dr Strange. Having said that this is undoubtedly a product of the 1970s. Some films seem to survive all decades without ageing, whereas others are grounded in their origins. One of the things which seems to date a film most is the music, and in this one the music is very jazzy, a la The Streets of San Francisco.

Of course, that’s not to say they hadn't done the best they could do with the resources at hand at the time. You have to appreciate the fact that CGI, so commonly in use now, was a long way from being devised. So, what we have instead is an established set for the other dimension location, taken pretty much from the Marvel comic book panels: what appear to be floating rocks in space, and in particular a place where Le Fay can be chastised and generally threatened by the real bad guy. Strange is lured to the ‘dark side’ just a little too easily for anyone other than the most naïve of villainesses to guess his ultimate motive. The aforementioned effects come in the manner of a handful of cosmic bolts thrown around; pretty basic stuff by today’s standards, but remember we are forty years hence.

It’s no coincidence that this film has been released now, with the brand new effects-laden Dr Strange (starring Sherlock’s Benedict Cumberbatch) having just arrived to pretty good critical acclaim. You might call it cashing-in, but there’s a certain nostalgia to these early examples of on-screen Marvel. For example, we’ve had six (and number seven is pending) big budget Spider-Man movies, but I still hold a deep regard for the quirky 1970s TV series with Nicholas Hammond.

(Review originally written by Ty Power for sci-fi-online 2016) 

Fabulous Films releases for the first time together the trilogy of  The Incredible Hulk TV movies, starring Bill Bixby and Lou Ferrigno. The Incredible Hulk: Original Movie Collection contains The Incredible Hulk Returns (1988), The Trial of The Incredible Hulk (1989), and The Death of The Incredible Hulk (1990)...

In The Incredible Hulk Returns, Dr David Bannion has developed a machine called a Gamma Transponder, which will feasibly produce endless energy by removing Gamma Radiation from substances all around us (eh?). He shies away from public recognition – after all, he is really David ‘Bruce’ Banner, and is supposed to be dead. Of course, Banner has an ulterior motive: he has really designed the machine in the hope it will cure him of his anger affliction (and that’s an understatement!), which he is obliged to keep protected from the public. However, unscrupulous businessmen are after stealing the machine by kidnapping the woman Banner loves and blackmailing him into delivering it into their hands. In the meantime, Donald Blake, an ex-student of Banner’s seeks his help with a quite different problem. On a climbing expedition Blake found a body and a hammer, and becomes inextricably linked with Thor – the Norse God of Thunder. Blake can use the hammer to call forth or send back the warrior. Banner teaches Blake to come to terms with this unbreakable partnership, and in return Hulk and Thor go into glorious battle together to put things right.

Bill Bixby was a fine actor, and in turn Lou Ferrigno is perfect in the role of the Hulk – the first ever live-action version of the character. Around six years had passed since the popular TV series had come to an end. The series, whilst perhaps not satisfying the big budget Hulk of the recent Marvel Avengers films, had real heart. The problems were scaled-down, dealing with everyday businessmen villains, as opposed to cosmic power-hungry beings. The TV Movie carries on the trend as if it had never ended. Like the Hulk, the Thor character is lower-key. He doesn’t bring down lightning, but he does want to do the right thing by having a good fight. As you would expect, the modern world leaves him cold. When he asks for beer and food, Blake takes him to a biker’s bar where he fights, drinks a lot and wins a lot of unlikely friends. These scenes are well-handled, making Thor appear more grounded. The Hulk is as good as ever, terrifying people when all he does is a strongman pose, break a few guns and throw a few baddies across the room. He is accused of a murder he didn’t commit, so cannot be seen to do more. He is essentially a good guy, although Banner lives in fear of what the beast in him might do. As if he didn’t have enough of it during the series, reporter Jack McGee is back on his trail, repeatedly just missing out on seeing Banner.

This enjoyable family film is further complimented by a couple of good special features: Very entertaining separate interviews with Lou Ferrigno and Marvel demigod Stan Lee.

In The Trial of The Incredible Hulk, Banner heads to the big city under another pseudonym, and immediately becomes embroiled in trouble after a major jewellery robbery, masterminded by Wilson Fisk, the Kingpin. On a train two of the criminals attempt to assault a woman passenger. When Banner intercedes he is roughed-up. Enter the Hulk. He escapes into the tunnels and reverts to Banner, but he is arrested by police when the woman victim reports he was the aggressor – as it turns out, under duress from the criminal fraternity. Blind lawyer Matt Murdock arrives to take on his case. He believes he is innocent but doesn’t know why. After a particularly ferocious nightmare involving his inner beast, Banner changes and breaks out of prison. A well-known vigilante called the Daredevil seeks him out, ensuring him of his trustworthiness by revealing his identity as Matt Murdock. When the woman witness is kidnapped by the Kingpin’s men, Daredevil goes off in pursuit. However, Banner learns that the vigilante is walking into a trap, and feels obliged to go to his aid.

Although this uses the same last quarter plot strand as the previous film, it’s still enjoyable. Nevertheless, there is no doubt it is a much darker script. The inclusion of Daredevil necessitates this. He is very single-minded about helping the innocent and driving out corruption in the city where he lived as a boy with his dad.

Daredevil is probably the closest superhero in style and theme to Batman. A character in this movie actually borrows from the DC Comics Commissioner Jim Gordon. Gordon is the only member of the police force he can totally rely on, so there is somewhat of an ‘understanding.’ Similarly, in this one there is a high-ranking police officer who openly admits corruption in the ranks.

Again, Daredevil is toned-down for this first live-action appearance. In a family show he cannot be shown exchanging heavy blows with the villains. Although the costume in the comics was dark red, it was changed to black for this outing. It was a choice Stan Lee openly opposed. The comics briefly altered the costume colour to black, before reverting to their original colour. So I’m certain Lee felt vindicated.

Stan Lee has a cameo role in this, a move that was to become more than familiar in the later movies. He plays a juror in a Hulk frenzy set-piece. This could well be Ferrigno’s most lavish scene in the role. It is the nightmare wherein Banner is put on trial and cross-examined to the point he changes into the Hulk and goes on a rampage, throwing people around and famously lifting up the box containing all the jurors (who, I have to say, look back expressionless at him, as if this sort of this was normal!).

The rich voice of John Rhys-Davies makes his portrayal of the Kingpin more convincing, when we are used to substantially bigger actors playing the role. A sad note is that Jack Colvin, who played reporter Jack McGee, suffered a stroke after filming Return, and so was unable to appear in this or the subsequent movie.

In the final film of this collection, Dr Ronald Pratt has a laboratory in a high security building. He is working on a way to quickly heal human injuries, and a ghost is helping him. Every night someone is managing to get around the security, enter the lab and aid his research. The last person he would suspect is the mentally challenged cleaner, David. That is until he lies in wait one night. Dr Pratt chooses not to reveal this breach to officials, and the two work together to aid Banner’s plight. The process is almost certain to rid him of his inner beast, but it is interrupted when a beautiful spy gets in and tries to steal Dr Pratt’s discoveries. Pratt is badly injured in an accident, and the Hulk has to intervene. However, the spy is working under duress, believing her sister is being held hostage – when really she is the leader of the organisation and wants her dead. When Dr Pratt and his wife are kidnapped from the hospital for their knowledge, Banner and the former spy team-up and (forced to put their new emotional attachment to one side) go into action against the bad guys. But it doesn’t end well for our reluctant hero.

With the appearance of Thor in the first film and Daredevil in the second, it was intended to introduce Iron Man into this one, but the idea was abandoned at a late stage. So this film gets to concentrate more on the Banner/Hulk character. Banner finds a new family with Donald Pratt and his wife, he almost gets cured, finds love (and rumpy-pumpy!), and talks of a new life far away. However, nefarious and unscrupulous villains invariably get in the way of these things. The death scene itself isn’t a momentous occasion to feel he has sacrificed himself to the greater good. When the aircraft being flown by the villains Hulk is attempting to stop explodes in mid-air, the Hulk falls in slow motion to the ground. I like the fact that the ground breaks-up when he hits the runway, but the plane hadn’t even reached the clouds. It wasn’t that high, meaning the Hulk should have survived the fall. I suspect the intention here was to give him a good send-off in this format – and Banner a final peace.

There were plans for another follow-up movie, in which the central character is returned to life. It wasn’t to be, however, as shortly after the third movie Bill Bixby (who ably directed all three) fell ill and died. Bixby managed to create a different mood/feel for each of these films, and that is no mean achievement. No matter what modern audiences might think about lack of money, resources, special effects, stunt work and make-up, the films – and indeed the series – were fun, emotional and at times thought-provoking. The bottom line is they had heart. All the money in Hollywood can’t necessarily magic that into a production.

I’m sure the first two films could have been cleaned-up a little, as they are slightly grainy. The two extra features on the first disc are great, but the others contain nothing. Is there no existing behind-the-scenes footage or film of Lou Ferrigno being made-up? Perhaps then a TV historian waxing lyrical about the show and showering us with fascinating facts. But don’t let this turn you off. I watched the series as a kid and enjoyed it very much. These films maintain that same style, and I still enjoy watching it today.

(Review originally written by Ty Power for sci-fi-online 2018) 

Eddie Brock is a journalist with a reputation for upsetting the applecart and getting to the heart of the matter, but when he goes up against a space and research corporation he loses his job, his home and his fiancé. Carlton Drake, the head of the company, wants to protect his assets at all costs, which include three symbiotic organisms – brought back with a crashed shuttlecraft – and has begun illicit human tests, with disastrous and fatal consequences. When a worker asks for Brock’s help in revealing the company’s experiments to the world, Venom, one of the symbiotic creatures bonds successfully with Brock, and they use each other in an unlikely partnership to do the right thing. But they have very different ideas about ‘the right thing’. And they have reckoned without the power and resources of Venom’s counterpart, Riot...

Since its first on-screen release, opinion on Venom has been much divided. One thing which people seemed to agree upon, however, was that Tom Hardy was the right actor to play the role of Eddie Brock, one half of the symbiosis. Very good he is, too; Hardy is a hard-working, hands-on actor. With such a rich and entertaining tapestry from the comic books (Venom was co-created by Todd McFarlane, who created Spawn, and whose company produced many exquisite and very highly-detailed collectables under the banner Movie Maniacs) it would be difficult to satisfy the many fans. The most common complaint seems to be that Venom isn’t sporting the big white spider design on his chest. Indeed, I can sympathise with this view. I grew up (have I grown up?) reading the Spider-Man comic books, and anyone who knows the timeline will argue Venom’s origin story lies with the web-head. The black costume saga ran for around seven years. Venom bonded with Spider-Man but influenced him to the point they fought a long battle for control. When the web-slinger succeeded in separating their bond, Venom bonded with Brock, an enemy of Peter Parker.

The director here wanted to give Venom his own origin story and it sort of works, although I would have preferred he pay tribute to the comic stories, as James Cameron intended to do before the rights were untangled. The most well-known things about the symbiotic creature is its relentlessness and dark humour. There are several instances of this, including the scenes in Mrs Chen’s store and the cameo of demigod Stan Lee walking a little dog. There is also a nice scene involving the homeless woman Maria, who is selling free newspapers.

As you would expect in a Marvel film there are plenty of stunts and CGI-driven segments. The chase through the centre of town at night is particularly exciting, but doesn’t take over the film. Somehow, the movie manages to tell a character story held together by humour and loads of ridiculous situations. There is even a tantalising teaser scene with Woody Harrelson playing Cletus Kasady, who later becomes Carnage. Not the greatest shell in Marvel’s canon, but an enjoyable romp all the same.

Extras include: The Venom video by Eminem (not great), a sneak peek of the animated film Spider-Man: Into the Spider Verse; Venom Mode (hidden references to the comic books throughout the film); The Anti-Hero (the backstory of the Venom character); Deleted & Extended Scenes; The Lethal Protector in Action (film stunts); Venom Vision (how Ruben Fleischer came to the project); Designing Venom (the effects); Symbiote Secrets (references made throughout the film); and 8 Select Scenes Pre-Vis Sequences (comparisons before and after effects).

(Review originally written by Ty Power for sci-fi-online 2019)

 JR MacReady is a helicopter pilot and part of the crew of a US  Antarctic research station. When a Norwegian helicopter mysteriously crashes whilst chasing and trying to kill a dog, the station takes the animal in and allows it to wander. MacReady and others fly to the Norwegian base to find out what took place. They discover it uninhabited, bleak and cold. A huge area in the ice has been cut away to reveal part of what appears to be a spacecraft. A man-sized block of  ice is taken back to the US base where it accidentally thaws out. When the dog is placed with the sled dogs they cower in fear as it erupts into a hideous creature. A flame thrower destroys it, but this is in fact a shape-shifting extraterrestrial which can take the form of any living thing. When attacked it reveals its previous forms in a sickening amalgamation of twisted body parts. From that moment on, the station becomes a hotbed of fear, panic and ultra-paranoia, as nobody knows who to trust. MacReady thinks he has the solution, but is he too late...?

This was at face value a remake of the 1951 SF-horror film, The Thing From Another World - directed by Carpenter's hero Howard Hawks. However, Carpenter returned to the original short story, Who Goes There, by John W. Campbell, rather than copy Hawks' version which was radically different.

A young and talented effects man called Rob Bottin convinced him that the multiple shape-shifting of the creature could be realised by hand. He was right; although no video or CGI effects were used, it all holds-up very well even today, aided once again by the excellent lighting.

There is a very claustrophobic feel to The Thing; no doubt coming across from the film crew itself which was snowed-in at a small mining town in British Columbia accessible only by a 27 mile dirt road. The set was built and left for them to return to in the snow covered bitter winter.

This is a film about professional relationships, mistrust and paranoia as much as it is about a monster. The plot and pacing is very finely balanced, and works beyond all expectations. The blood-testing scene is inspired, being edgy, scary and funny. As in Escape From New York, Kurt Russell slips easily into the role, whilst ensuring the characterisation is completely different.

Upon its general release, The Thing bombed. Cinema-goers were apparently appalled and disgusted by the hideous shape-changing scenes - missing the point entirely. E.T. had just been released and the public was not ready for Carpenter's intelligent and well-crafted monster flick after such a popular and benign alien from Spielberg. However, a few years later critics began to reassess the film, and it picked up a huge following retrospectively.

The premise of a shape-shifting creature is said to have inspired the T-100 from Cameron's Terminator 2, particularly the scene when it loses substance and goes through one shape after another. There was also an episode of The X-Files which was heavily influenced by The Thing. Dark Horse comics published a continuation of the story, which also brought a new audience to the film. Carpenter has toyed with the idea of a sequel ever since, but in semi retirement he's unlikely to get around to it.

The fantastic array of extras on the the original DVD releaase disc include the 80 minute Terror Takes Shape  documentary, the thoroughly entertaining (again) commentary with John Carpenter and Kurt Russell, Production Background Archive, Production Art and Storyboards, Location Design, Outtakes, Production and Post Production Notes, Cast and Filmmakers' Notes, and Cast Production Photos. Phew! This subsequent Blu-ray release has additional new extras, whilst keeping the originals.

Note: There is now a sought after 4K edition. If you have a 4K TV and player you need to purchase this. It's absolutely stunning.

(Review originally written by Ty Power for sci-fi-online 2008/20)

It's Spain 1944. Young Ofelia is being brought by her pregnant mother to where her new 'father' is stationed. The captain turns out to be a cruel and sadistic man. The civil war is over, and elsewhere in the world the Normandy landings are taking place, but bands of rebels to Franco's dictatorship are loose in the hills. Close to the camp Ofelia is visited by a fairy who leads her to an ancient labyrinth. A faun tells her she is the lost daughter of the king of the Underworld, and that she must complete three tasks to prove she has not become too mortal. But the only ally she has is suffering dangerous problems of her own...

I've seen some surreal films in my time, but this pretty much beats them all. Director Guillermo Del Toro has an impressive track record already, with Cronos, The Devil's Backbone, Hellboy, Crimson Peak, and The Shape of Water to his name. This time he's excelled himself big-time. In fact, I am a big fan of most of del Toro's work and think of him as a successor to the great John Carpenter's crown.

Pan's Labyrinth is plainly a parable for many things, but mainly the coming of age. There are loose connections to Little Red Riding Hood, The Wizard of Oz, any number of Grimm's Tales, and even his own The Devil's Backbone. But this is not one for the little kiddy-winks. It's brutally and graphically violent, and eerie, as well as emotional and fantastical.

You realise after viewing it in its entirety that the entire movie is an allegory for life. The brutality of adulthood versus the innocence of youth. As one of her three trials, Ofelia enters the tree of womanhood (the entrance resembles a vagina opening, and the branches above are curled round like fallopian tubes) whilst being reluctant to put away childish thoughts. The Giant Toad is a metaphor for greed and the wealth of the world, the Pale Man represents the evil of the world feeding on the helpless. Pan, the faun is neither good nor evil, but it has its own motives.

It is ambiguous as to whether these fantasies are real or simply the girl's way of dealing with the harsh realities of life - specifically, the evil vindictiveness of her despised new stepfather, Captain Vidal, the ruthless dictator. As adults, we can only assume the latter. The film also explores selfishness against sacrifice. There's the irony of performing an adult selfless act when Ofelia still inhabits a fantasy world - presumably of her own making.

This is the most weird clash of genres I've ever come across, but the fact that they don't really fit together makes the concept all the more significant. This film spans the gamut of emotions, and is fantasy based in a harsh reality. Only when you reach the end do you begin to change your view of what has just taken place. Ambiguity in an ending is nearly always a good thing. It leaves you thinking. It leaves you thinking you have witnessed something rather special.

Extras on this excellent 2-disc set include a commentary by Director Guillermo Del Toro; a National Film Theatre Interview with Del Toro (hosted by Mark Kermode, in my opinion the best film critic around - apart from me, that is!); a prologue by the director; The Power of Myth short, DVD Comic Sketches: The Pale, The Fairies, The Giant Toad and Pan; El Fauno Y Las Hadas; The Colour and the Shape; Storyboard/Thumbnail Comparisons; VFX Plate Compare: Guillermo Del Toro and the Green Fairy; Director's Notebook; The Melody Echoes the Fairy Tale; Mercedes' Lullaby; Poster Gallery & Trailer, and much more.

Phew! If you've always shied away from subtitled films before, remove those blinkers open those eyes, and use this as your starting point. You won't be sorry. I've just discovered that there is now a Ultra HD 4K version of this masterpiece. I'll be picking that one up.

(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2007 - updated 2021)

Against a backdrop of a future totalitarian Britain, a young woman called Evey has her whole interpretation of society changed when she is rescued from thugs by a charismatic vigilante wearing a stylish Guy Fawkes mask. Known only as “V” the figure is viewed by the establishment as a terrorist, but V is a freedom fighter skilled in the art of combat and deception, who detonates London landmarks and takes over the government-controlled airwaves. As Evey learns more about herself she also discovers there are multi-facets to her new companion...

Let me say from the outset that V For Vendetta is a genuine classic. Like synergy, all the planets are in alignment for this one. This is a movie that can never be experienced again for the first time. As obvious as this sounds, I mean it can never have as profound an effect on the viewer on subsequent revisits. That doesn’t mean you won’t want to re-run the movie. Believe me, you will! This is a film which has everything. There is mystery, action, intrigue, love, politics, deception and truth. This is essentially about people, belief and being true to ourselves. It teaches us that we are the  future – not governments, societies, establishments and symbols of power. More definitively, the film has ‘heart’. It’s ultimately a feelgood concept, too; the age-old fight against oppression, but told in an exciting and refreshing way.

There hasn’t been too many stories – either documentary or dramatic in content – depicting Guy Fawkes. The film opens with a scene depicting his capture and public hanging at the time of the infamous Gunpowder Plot to blow-up the Houses of Parliament. Although the film proper is set in a fictitious future Britain, our anti-hero utilises a costume and very striking mask to portray the essence of Fawkes, representing a fight against corruption. It is not giving too much away to reveal that the face behind the mask is never unveiled, though there are clues as to what he may have looked like many years before. This is very clever, as we all accept that the unknown is far more frightening or intriguing. Once something or somebody is seen and understood, it loses much of its power. V himself is articulate and literate, quoting not only the ‘Remember, Remember the 5th of November’ rhyme, but relevant Shakespeare and the odd bit of French (for some reason).

There is a veritable plethora of notable British actors on show here. Aside from the peerless John Hurt, there is Natalie Portman, Tim Pigott-Smith, Stephen Fry, Hugo Weaving, Stephen Rea, and many others spotted in cameo roles. It is good to see Roger Allam (Endeavour’s Inspector Thursday) and Ben Miles from the excellent sitcom Coupling, too. V For Vendetta is based on the outstanding graphic novel written by Alan Moore, illustrated by David Lloyd and published by Vertigo/DC Comics. The film was written and produced by the Wachowskis, who made The Matrix trilogy, and directed by James McTeigue.

This set contains a 4K Ultra HD and High Dynamic Range version of the film for the first time. Being that a new scan has been produced using the original film negatives, the picture looks fantastic – crystal clear and sharp, with a wider colour spectrum allowing deeper shades to be clearer. For those who have the appropriate speaker systems, the disc features a Dolby Atmos soundtrack. This doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy the soundtrack without that equipment, but you will need a 4K TV and a 4K player – essential, I think, for the seasoned film buff. New special features on this disc include V For Vendetta Unmasked (a Behind-the-Scenes making-of featurette), James McTeigue & Lana Wachowski in Conversation, and Natalie Portman’s Audition.

There is also an HD Blu-ray included in this set, the previously released extras of which are made available again here. They include: Freedom! Forever! – Making V For Vendetta featurette; Designing the Near Future featurette; Remember, Remember – Guy Fawkes and the Gunpowder Plot; England Prevails – V For Vendetta and the New Wave in Comics; Cat Power (good surname!) Montage – the song played against images from the film; and an Easter Egg Hidden Bonus of a Saturday Night Live Short. Additionally, there is a Digital Download copy of the movie.

An excellent film, brilliantly presented, and in three formats… How could you go wrong? Take my word for it: Add this to your collection. You won’t be sorry. 

(Review originally written by Ty Power for sci-fi-online 2020)